bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Heavy metal concentrations in floodplain soils of the Innerste River and in leaves of wild blackberries (Rubus fruticosus L. agg.) growing within and outside the floodplain: the legacy of historical mining activities in the Harz Mountains (Germany)
Authors: Steingräber Louisa F. , Ludolphy Catharina , Metz Johannes , Germershausen Lars , Kierdorf Horst , Kierdorf Uwe 
Published: November 2021

AbstractWe studied heavy metal levels in floodplain soils of the Innerste River in northern Germany and in the leaves of wild blackberries (Rubus fruticosus L. agg.) growing within and in adjacent areas outside the river floodplain. Heavy metal contamination of the Innerste floodplain is a legacy of historical metal ore mining, processing, and smelting in the Harz Mountains. The heavy metal (Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cr) contents of previously studied soil samples from eleven floodplain sites along the Innerste River were re-analyzed statistically, and the levels of these metals in blackberry leaves were determined at five sites. Mean concentrations in the floodplain soils were elevated by factors of 4.59 to 28.5 for Cd, 13.03 to 158.21 for Pb, 5.66 to 45.83 for Zn, and 1.1–14.81 for Cu relative to the precautionary limits for soils stipulated by the German Federal Soil Protection and Contaminated Sites Ordinance. Cadmium, Pb, Zn, Cu, and Ni levels in floodplain soils decreased markedly downstream, as did the concentrations of Cd, Zn, and Ni in the leaves of blackberries from within the floodplain. Levels of Cd, Pb, and Zn in leaves of blackberries from within the floodplain significantly exceeded those of specimens from outside the floodplain. The findings of our study highlight the potential of wild blackberry as a biomonitor of soil pollution by Cd, Pb, and Zn and corroborate the massive heavy metal contamination of floodplain soils along the Innerste River observed in previous studies.
Cross-country differences in drivers of female necessity entrepreneurship
Authors: Sendra-Pons Pau , Belarbi-Muñoz Sara , Garzón Dolores , Mas-Tur Alicia 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThis paper analyzes the drivers of female necessity entrepreneurship using a sample of 59 countries, with data sourced from the 2018–2019 global entrepreneurship monitor (GEM). It develops a theoretical framework describing how post-secondary education, startup skills, fear of failure, knowing another entrepreneur, entrepreneurial intentions, and hiring expectations act as drivers of female necessity entrepreneurship. Using qualitative comparative analysis, two models are tested to explain the presence and absence of female necessity entrepreneurship. This outcome is measured using the GEM indicator of total early-stage entrepreneurial activity.
Bilateral Fetal Hydronephrosis presenting with Complete Penoscrotal Transposition at Birth: What to tell the Prospective Parents?
Authors: Patwa Payal , Sharma Charu , Shekhar Shashank , Jhirwal Manisha 
Published: November 2021

AbstractComplete penoscrotal transposition (PST) is a rare clinical entity that is commonly associated with urogenital abnormalities. Most reported cases of PST are sporadic. We report a case of a 38 weeks pregnancy with bilateral fetal hydronephrosis, distended bladder and anhydramnios who delivered a baby with complete PST. This case report highlights the possible prenatal diagnosis, intervention and counseling of prospective parents.
Generalized commutative quaternions of the Fibonacci type
Authors: Szynal-Liana Anetta , Włoch Iwona 
Published: November 2021

AbstractQuaternions are a four-dimensional hypercomplex number system discovered by Hamilton in 1843 and next intensively applied in mathematics, modern physics, computer graphics and other fields. After the discovery of quaternions, modified quaternions were also defined in such a way that commutative property in multiplication is possible. That number system called as commutative quaternions is intensively studied and used for example in signal processing. In this paper we define generalized commutative quaternions and next based on them we define and explore Fibonacci type generalized commutative quaternions.
Transdiagnostic Behavioural Intervention for Children with Anxiety and Depressive Disorders: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Kishida Kohei , Ishikawa Shin-ichi , Ubara Ayaka , Abe Nozomi , Arai Honami 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThere is increasing support for the efficacy of transdiagnostic cognitive behavioural interventions for anxiety and depression. However, little is known about the applicability of transdiagnostic behavioural interventions for children younger than 12 years old. This study was conducted to examine the feasibility and potential efficacy of Streamlined Transdiagnostic Intervention for Anxiety and Depression (STREAM) for children with anxiety and/or depressive disorders using a randomised controlled design with a wait-list control (WLC) condition and blind-assessments. Of the 22 potential participants, 16 Japanese children (M = 9.81; SD = 0.75; range 9–12 years) with principal anxiety or depressive disorder were eligible and enrolled. Then, the participants were randomly assigned to the STREAM or WLC condition. The dropout rates were 0% for both the conditions at post-assessment. Mixed model analyses showed that, although there were no significant interactions at post-assessment between both the conditions, both anxiety and depressive disorders significantly improved at 3 months compared with pre-assessment for the combined condition (the STREAM and WLC conditions). Therefore, this study demonstrated the feasibility of the STREAM in the Japanese clinical setting and potentially supported its efficacy for children with anxiety and depressive disorders at the follow-up assessment.
Lack of trade-offs in host offspring produced during fecundity compensation
Authors: Davis A.A. , Vannatta J.T. , Gutierrez S.O. , Minchella D.J. 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Host–parasite coevolution may result in life-history changes in hosts that can limit the detrimental effects of parasitism. Fecundity compensation is one such life-history response, occurring when hosts increase their current reproductive output to make up for expected losses in future reproduction due to parasitic infection. However, the potential trade-offs between this increase in quantity and the quality of offspring have been relatively unexplored. This study uses the trematode, Schistosoma mansoni, and its snail intermediate host, Biomphalaria glabrata, to better understand how this host life-history response, fecundity compensation, impacts host reproduction. Measures of host reproductive output as well as offspring hatching success and survival were collected to assess the reproductive consequences of infection. Infected snails exhibited fecundity compensation by increasing the number of eggs laid and the overall probability of laying eggs compared to uninfected snails. Parental infection status did not play a significant role in hatching or offspring survival to maturity. Offspring from a later reproductive bout demonstrated a higher hatching success rate. Overall, the lack of an apparent trade-off between quantity and quality of offspring suggests that infected parental snails invest more resources towards reproduction not only to increase reproductive output, but also to maintain the fitness of their offspring, possibly at the expense of their own longevity.
Molecular epidemiology of hepatitis B virus genotypes and subgenotypes in ethnic minority populations, Yunnan province, China
Authors: Dong Zhe , Li Jiang-Rong , Zhao Zhi-Xian , Xu Lin , Yu Wen , Kang Wen-Yu , Li Qiong-Fen 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
The aim of our study was to determine the distribution of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes and subgenotypes in ethnic minorities in Yunnan province to provide evidence supporting the theoretical basis for hepatitis B prevention and control. We obtained serum samples and demographic data from 765 individuals reported by Yunnan province who had either acute or chronic HBV infection and were from one of 20 ethnic minority populations: Achang, Bai, Brown, Tibetan, Dai, Deang, Dulong, Hani, Hui, Jingpo, Lahu, Yi, Lisu Miao, Naxi, Nu, Pumi, Wa, Yao, or Zhuang people. We sequenced the HBV DNA and determined the genotypes and subgenotypes of the isolated HBVs. We mapped the genotype and subgenotype distribution by ethnic minority population and conducted descriptive analyses. There were four genotypes among the 20 ethnic groups: genotype B (21.3% of samples), C (76.6%), D (1.8%) and I (0.3%). The most common subgenotype was C1. There were no genotype differences by gender (P = 0.954) or age (P = 0.274), but there were differences by region (P < 0.001). There were differences in genotype distribution (P < 0.001) and subgenotype distribution (P = 0.011) by ethnic group. Genotype D was most prominent in Tibet and most HBV isolates were C/D recombinant viruses. The only two genotype I virus isolates were in Zhuang people. Susceptibility and geographic patterns may influence HBV prevalence in different ethnic populations, but additional research is needed for such a determination.
Delayed Impacts of Arctic Sea‐Ice Loss on Eurasian Severe Cold Winters
Authors: Jang Yeon‐Soo , Jun Sang‐Yoon , Son Seok‐Woo , Min Seung‐Ki , Kug Jong‐Seong 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThis study suggests a possible mechanism of how the Arctic sea‐ice loss can influence the mid‐latitude climate in the Eurasian continent. It is shown that the low sea‐ice concentration over the Barents‐Kara‐Laptev Seas in autumn typically leads to cold Eurasian in winters. It is demonstrated that the Arctic‐to‐midlatitude connection depends on the state of late autumn atmospheric circulation. When the autumn sea‐ice reduction is accompanied by anticyclonic circulation over northern Eurasia, Eurasia becomes anomalously cold in the early winter. However, when cyclonic circulation is dominant, Eurasian cold anomalies appear in the late winter. This seasonally delayed response is further found to be related to the wind‐driven sea‐ice drift that causes warm anomalies over the Barents‐Kara Seas in the following winter. These observational results are confirmed by model simulations, indicating that the recent Eurasian cold winters could be linked to their forced response to the Arctic sea‐ice loss.
Remote drain inspection framework using the convolutional neural network and re-configurable robot Raptor
Authors: Melvin Lee Ming Jun , Mohan Rajesh Elara , Semwal Archana , Palanisamy Povendhan , Elangovan Karthikeyan , Gómez Braulio Félix , Ramalingam Balakrishnan , Terntzer Dylan Ng 
Published: November 2021

AbstractDrain blockage is a crucial problem in the urban environment. It heavily affects the ecosystem and human health. Hence, routine drain inspection is essential for urban environment. Manual drain inspection is a tedious task and prone to accidents and water-borne diseases. This work presents a drain inspection framework using convolutional neural network (CNN) based object detection algorithm and in house developed reconfigurable teleoperated robot called ‘Raptor’. The CNN based object detection model was trained using a transfer learning scheme with our custom drain-blocking objects data-set. The efficiency of the trained CNN algorithm and drain inspection robot Raptor was evaluated through various real-time drain inspection field trial. The experimental results indicate that our trained object detection algorithm has detect and classified the drain blocking objects with 91.42% accuracy for both offline and online test images and is able to process 18 frames per second (FPS). Further, the maneuverability of the robot was evaluated from various open and closed drain environment. The field trial results ensure that the robot maneuverability was stable, and its mapping and localization is also accurate in a complex drain environment.
DEspRhigh neutrophils are associated with critical illness in COVID-19
Authors: deKay Joanne T. , Emery Ivette F. , Rud Jonathan , Eldridge Ashley , Lord Christine , Gagnon David J. , May Teresa L. , Herrera Victoria L. M. , Ruiz-Opazo Nelson , Riker Richard R. , Sawyer Douglas B. , Ryzhov Sergey , Seder David B. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractSARS-CoV-2 infection results in a spectrum of outcomes from no symptoms to widely varying degrees of illness to death. A better understanding of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and subsequent, often excessive, inflammation may inform treatment decisions and reveal opportunities for therapy. We studied immune cell subpopulations and their associations with clinical parameters in a cohort of 26 patients with COVID-19. Following informed consent, we collected blood samples from hospitalized patients with COVID-19 within 72 h of admission. Flow cytometry was used to analyze white blood cell subpopulations. Plasma levels of cytokines and chemokines were measured using ELISA. Neutrophils undergoing neutrophil extracellular traps (NET) formation were evaluated in blood smears. We examined the immunophenotype of patients with COVID-19 in comparison to that of SARS-CoV-2 negative controls. A novel subset of pro-inflammatory neutrophils expressing a high level of dual endothelin-1 and VEGF signal peptide-activated receptor (DEspR) at the cell surface was found to be associated with elevated circulating CCL23, increased NETosis, and critical-severity COVID-19 illness. The potential to target this subpopulation of neutrophils to reduce secondary tissue damage caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection warrants further investigation.
Corneal ectasia in mothers of Down syndrome children
Authors: Hashemi Hassan , Asgari Soheila , Panahi Parsa , Mehravaran Shiva , Fotouhi Akbar , Ambrósio Renato 
Published: November 2021

AbstractIn this study, corneal findings regarding keratoconus (KC) and early KC among mothers with Down syndrome children (MDS) and a group of age-at-delivery-matched mothers with normal children (MNC) were compared. KC was diagnosed based on the presence of a clinical sign and at least one abnormal tomographic or biomechanical criterion. Early KC was defined as having no clinical sign in the presence of at least one abnormal tomographic or biomechanical criterion. The normal subgroups in each group were compared in terms tomographic and biomechanical parameters. In MDS and MNC, the prevalence rates were 6.5% and 1.6% for KC (P = 0.047), and 30.9% and 14.3% for early KC (P = 0.014), respectively. Comparison between the two normal subgroups showed significant differences in mean index of height asymmetry, irregularity index, anterior asphericity, pentacam random forest index, corneal stiffness parameters at first applanation, deformation amplitude ratios, integrated radius-1 mm, highest concavity deflection amplitude, biomechanical corrected IOP, peak distance, and radius (all P < 0.05). This study showed that MDS are more likely to have KC and also to have thinner, steeper and softer corneas compared to MNC. This results support the need for further work for determining the risk of delivering a child with DS.
Beyond Recognition: Visual Contributions to Verbal Working Memory
Authors: Nittrouer Susan , Lowenstein Joanna H. 
Published: November 2021

Purpose:
It is well recognized that adding the visual to the acoustic speech signal improves recognition when the acoustic signal is degraded, but how that visual signal affects postrecognition processes is not so well understood. This study was designed to further elucidate the relationships among auditory and visual codes in working memory, a postrecognition process.

Design:
In a main experiment, 80 young adults with normal hearing were tested using an immediate serial recall paradigm. Three types of signals were presented (unprocessed speech, vocoded speech, and environmental sounds) in three conditions (audio-only, audio–video with dynamic visual signals, and audio–picture with static visual signals). Three dependent measures were analyzed: (a) magnitude of the recency effect, (b) overall recall accuracy, and (c) response times, to assess cognitive effort. In a follow-up experiment, 30 young adults with normal hearing were tested largely using the same procedures, but with a slight change in order of stimulus presentation.

Results:
The main experiment produced three major findings: (a) unprocessed speech evoked a recency effect of consistent magnitude across conditions; vocoded speech evoked a recency effect of similar magnitude to unprocessed speech only with dynamic visual (lipread) signals; environmental sounds never showed a recency effect. (b) Dynamic and static visual signals enhanced overall recall accuracy to a similar extent, and this enhancement was greater for vocoded speech and environmental sounds than for unprocessed speech. (c) All visual signals reduced cognitive load, except for dynamic visual signals with environmental sounds. The follow-up experiment revealed that dynamic visual (lipread) signals exerted their effect on the vocoded stimuli by enhancing phonological quality.

Conclusions:
Acoustic and visual signals can combine to enhance working memory operations, but the source of these effects differs for phonological and nonphonological signals. Nonetheless, visual information can support better postrecognition processes for patients with hearing loss.
Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy in the Emergency Department – Evaluation of a New Physiotherapy Service in a Swiss University Hospital
Authors: Winteler Balz , Geese Franziska , Lehmann Beat , Schmitt Kai-Uwe 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Background Many countries report a significant increase in emergency department (ED) visits. Patients with musculoskeletal disorders account for a large proportion of non-urgent cases.
Objective Characterization and evaluation of a new service that provides immediate access to physiotherapy for patients in the ED.
Method To characterize a new service at the Department of Emergency Medicine, Bern University Hospital, and to evaluate first experiences with it, a mixed methods approach was chosen. Data was collected from the electronic patient file and from a logbook kept by the physiotherapists. In addition, guideline-based interviews with involved health care staff were conducted.
Results During the 63 days of the pilot study 79 patients were treated by physiotherapists. The most frequently reported patient complaint was back pain (47 %). Interventions included taking the medical history, performing manual tests and multimodal treatment and developing recommendations for further treatment. In 59 % of patients no medical imaging and in 58 % no additional physiotherapy was prescribed. Patients rated the physiotherapeutic service as very good or excellent (88 %). Physiotherapy was experienced as positive and appreciated by the other professions, and all interviewees emphasized the added value for patients.
Conclusion The pilot study indicates that the physiotherapeutic consultation service has the potential to improve quality of care. The findings of this study are therefore valuable when considering the introduction of such a service in an ED.
Digitalisierung in der Rehabilitation von rheumatischen Erkrankungen:
Was ist sinnvoll, was ist bewiesen, welche Perspektiven gibt es?
Authors: Sturm Christian , Schiller Jörg , Korallus Christoph , Lemhöfer Christina , Egen Christoph , Gutenbrunner Christoph 
Published: November 2021

ZusammenfassungIn Deutschland besteht ein deutlicher Mangel an internistischen Rheumatologen. Um
diese Versorgungslücke zu reduzieren, können verschiedene
technische Anwendungen genutzt werden. Dies reicht von der Hilfe bei der
Früherkennung und Diagnostik für Hausärzte, über
Konsilsysteme mit Telemedizin, bis hin zur Videosprechstunde mit den Patienten
nach Koordination in einem entsprechenden Netzwerk, das stufenförmig
aufgebaut ist, um die vorhandenen Spezialisten möglichst effektiv
einzusetzen. Auch Apps für die Nutzung am Smartphone oder Tablet
können sowohl Ärzte in Diagnostik und Therapie
unterstützen, aber auch vielfältig Patienten bei den jeweiligen
Krankheitsbewältigungen helfen. Eine Sonderform sind dabei
„Digitale Gesundheitsanwendungen“ (DiGAs), die geprüft
wurden und als Medizinprodukte zugelassen und verordnungsfähig sind.
Für die Unterstützung von Bewegungsübungen, wie sie bei
rheumatischen Erkrankungen so wichtig sind, kommen auch Telemedizinische
Assistenzsysteme in Betracht, bei denen über 3D-Kamera und
Computeranalyse zu Hause ein individuelles Übungsprogramm angeleitet und
kontrolliert wird. Studien zu Anwendungen und Bewertungsoptionen für
Apps liegen bereits einige vor, hier besteht aber noch hoher Nachholbedarf.
The Risk of Venous Thromboembolism Attributed to Established Prothrombotic Genotypes
Authors: Evensen Line H. , Arnesen Carl Arne Løchen , Rosendaal Frits R. , Gabrielsen Maiken E. , Brumpton Ben M. , Hveem Kristian , Hansen John-Bjarne , Brækkan Sigrid K. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractBackground The proportion of venous thromboembolism (VTE) events that can be attributed to established prothrombotic genotypes has been scarcely investigated in the general population. We aimed to estimate the proportion of VTEs in the population that could be attributed to established prothrombotic genotypes using a population-based case-cohort.Methods Cases with incident VTE (n = 1,493) and a randomly sampled subcohort (n = 13,069) were derived from the Tromsø Study (1994–2012) and the Nord-Trøndelag Health (HUNT) study (1995–2008). DNA samples were genotyped for 17 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with VTE. Hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated in Cox regression models. Population-attributable fractions (PAFs) with 95% bias-corrected CIs (based on 10,000 bootstrap samples) were estimated using a cumulative model where SNPs significantly associated with VTE were added one by one in ranked order of the individual PAFs.Results Six SNPs were significantly associated with VTE (rs1799963 [Prothrombin], rs2066865 [FGG], rs6025 [FV Leiden], rs2289252 [F11], rs2036914 [F11], and rs8176719 [ABO]). The cumulative PAF for the six-SNP model was 45.3% (95% CI: 19.7–71.6) for total VTE and 61.7% (95% CI: 19.6–89.3) for unprovoked VTE. The PAF for prothrombotic genotypes was higher for deep vein thrombosis (DVT; 52.9%) than for PE (33.8%), and higher for those aged <70 years (66.1%) than for those aged ≥70 years (24.9%).Conclusion Our findings suggest that 45 to 62% of all VTE events in the population can be attributed to known prothrombotic genotypes. The PAF of established prothrombotic genotypes was higher in DVT than in PE, and higher in the young than in the elderly.