bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ovarian tissue grafting: Lessons learnt from our experience with 55 grafts
Authors: Rozen Genia , Sii Stephanie , Agresta Franca , Gook Debra , Polyakov Alex , Stern Catharyn 
Published: May 2021

AbstractPurposeUncertainties remain regarding the clinical efficacy of ovarian tissue cryopreservation and grafting. We report a retrospective analysis of reproductive outcomes and lessons learnt following 55 ovarian tissue transplant procedures at our center from 2006 to 2019.MethodsWe analyzed variables related to graft success such as tissue volume, follicular density, total follicular volume, and age on the duration of graft function.ResultsFollicular density and total follicular volume correlate positively with duration of graft function. All clinical pregnancies in our cohort occurred in women who were aged 35 or less at the time of ovarian tissue cryopreservation.ConclusionGraft success, as determined by eventual pregnancy and the longevity of graft function, may be impacted by factors including age at cryopreservation, follicular density, and total follicular volume.
Tobramycin Liquid Crystal Nanoparticles Eradicate Cystic Fibrosis‐Related Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms
Authors: Thorn Chelsea R. , Carvalho‐Wodarz Cristiane de Souza , Horstmann Justus C. , Lehr Claus‐Michael , Prestidge Clive A. , Thomas Nicky 
Published: May 2021

AbstractPseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms cause persistent and chronic infections, most known clinically in cystic fibrosis (CF). Tobramycin (TOB) is a standard anti‐pseudomonal antibiotic; however, in biofilm infections, its efficacy severely decreases due to limited permeability across the biofilm matrix. Herewith, a biomimetic, nanostructured, lipid liquid crystal nanoparticle‐(LCNP)‐formulation is discovered to significantly enhance the efficacy of TOB and eradicate P. aeruginosa biofilm infections. Using an advanced, biologically‐relevant co‐culture model of human CF bronchial epithelial cells infected with P. aeruginosa biofilms at an air–liquid interface, nebulized TOB‐LCNPs completely eradicated 1 × 109 CFU mL−1 of P. aeruginosa after two doses, a 100‐fold improvement over the unformulated antibiotic. The enhanced activity of TOB is not observed with a liposomal formulation of TOB or with ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic that readily penetrates biofilms. It is demonstrated that the unique nanostructure of the LCNPs drives the enhanced penetration of TOB across the biofilm barrier, but not through the healthy lung epithelium barrier, significantly increasing the available antibiotic concentration at the site of infection. The LCNPs are an innovative strategy to improve the performance of TOB as a directed pulmonary therapy, enabling the administration of lower doses, reducing the toxicity, and amplifying the anti‐biofilm activity of the anti‐pseudomonal antibiotic.
Comparative Study on the Effects of Citric Acid Modification and Hydroxypropylation on the Physiochemical and Digestibility Characteristics of Acid‐Hydrolyzed Corn and Sorghum Starches
Authors: Shaikh Faiza , Ali Tahira Mohsin , Mustafa Ghulam , Hasnain Abid 
Published: May 2021

AbstractSorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) crop is of great importance as it can be grown in drought‐hit areas. The starch extracted from sorghum has properties similar to corn (Zea mays L.) starch and is therefore considered as a productive future alternative. Starch has many technological constraints and the modifications help in improving the properties. Corn and sorghum starches are acid‐thinned prior to citric acid modification and hydroxypropylation. The acid‐hydrolyzed citrate and hydroxypropylated starches are characterized for their functional and digestibility characteristics. The modifications help in maintaining the resistant starch fraction of acid‐thinned starches. The resistant starch fraction ranges between 59–64% and 53–68% for corn and sorghum starch, respectively. The Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy results show decrease in crystalline to amorphous ratio (R = 1047 cm−1/1022 cm−1) for sorghum starch citrates. The X‐ray diffraction pattern exhibits a decrease the proportion of crystallinity of acid‐hydrolyzed esterified starches. Differential scanning calorimetry curves exhibit decreased gelatinization enthalpy for both modifications. A significant decrease (p ≤ 0.05) in peak viscosity is also observed for hydroxypropylated starches. The modifications increase the slowly digestible fraction of corn and sorghum starches from 12.7% to 24.4% and from 16.7% to 28.9%, respectively.
How we decide what to eat: Toward an interdisciplinary model of gut–brain interactions
Authors: Plassmann Hilke , Schelski Daniela Stephanie , Simon Marie‐Christine , Koban Leonie 
Published: May 2021

AbstractEveryday dietary decisions have important short‐term and long‐term consequences for health and well‐being. How do we decide what to eat, and what physiological and neurobiological systems are involved in those decisions? Here, we integrate findings from thus‐far separate literatures: (a) the cognitive neuroscience of dietary decision‐making, and (b) growing evidence of gut–brain interactions and especially influences of the gut microbiome on diet and health outcomes. We review findings that suggest that dietary decisions and food consumption influence nutrient sensing, homeostatic signaling in the gut, and the composition of the gut microbiome. In turn, the microbiome can influence host health and behavior. Through reward signaling pathways, the microbiome could potentially affect food and drink decisions. Such bidirectional links between gut microbiome and the brain systems underlying dietary decision‐making may lead to self‐reinforcing feedback loops that determine long‐term dietary patterns, body mass, and health outcomes.This article is categorized under:
Economics > Individual Decision‐Making
Psychology > Brain Function and Dysfunction
Psychology > Reasoning and Decision Making
Scenarios for offshore wind power production for Central California Call Areas
Authors: Wang Yi‐Hui , Walter Ryan K. , White Crow , Kehrli Matthew D. , Ruttenberg Benjamin 
Published: May 2021

AbstractIn response to the growing interest in offshore wind energy development in California, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management delineated three Call Areas for potential leasing. This study provides a comprehensive characterization and comparison of offshore wind power potential within the two Central California Call Areas (Diablo Canyon and Morro Bay) using 12‐ and 15‐MW turbines under different inter‐turbine spacing and wind farm size scenarios. Our analysis shows similar daily and seasonal patterns of wind power produced within the Call Areas, which peak in spring and during evening hours. Per‐turbine power production is higher in the Morro Bay Call Area due to slightly higher hub‐height wind speeds, whereas total power production is higher in the Diablo Canyon Call Area due to its larger size. Turbine type had a negligible impact on average power production per‐unit‐area because while larger turbines produce more power, they require greater inter‐turbine spacing. Combined power production from the two fully built out Call Areas could equal nearly a quarter of California's current annual electrical energy production. A commercial‐scale wind farm with a realized power output of 960 MW would require a footprint of at least half of the Morro Bay Call Area or at least a quarter of the Diablo Canyon Call Area. These results provide guidance on offshore wind development over the Central California Coast, and the framework demonstrated here could be applied to other wind data sets in other regions.
Toxicological impacts of roadway deicers on aquatic resources and human health: A review
Authors: Honarvar Nazari Mehdi , Mousavi S. Zeinab , Potapova Anna , McIntyre Jenifer , Shi Xianming 
Published: May 2021

AbstractDuring winter, snow and ice on roads in regions with cold weather can increase traffic crashes and casualties, resulting in travel delays and financial burdens to society. Anti‐icing or deicing the roads can serve a cost‐effective method to significantly reduce such risks. Although traditionally the main priorities of winter road maintenance (WRM) have been level of service, cost‐effectiveness, and corrosion reduction, it is increasingly clear that understanding the environmental impacts of deicers is vital. One of the most important problems in this regard is environmental contamination caused by cumulative use of deicers, which has many detrimental effects on the aquatic systems. Among the deicers, the chloride‐based ones raise the most toxicological concerns because they are highly soluble, can migrate quickly in the environment and have cumulative effects over time. In this review, we summarize and organize existing data, including the latest findings about the adverse effects of deicers on surface water and groundwater, aquatic species, and human health, and identify future research priorities. In addition, the data provided can be used to develop a framework for quantifying some of the variables that stakeholders and agencies use when preparing guidelines and standards for WRM programs.Practitioner points

Pollution from the increasing use of roadway deicers may have detrimental effects on the environment.
Of particular concern are the acute and cumulative risks that chloride salts pose to aquatic species.
Chloride salts are water‐soluble, very difficult to remove, highly mobile, and non‐degradable.
Deicers cause water stratification, change the chemicophysical properties of water, and affect aquatic species and human health.
Current guidelines may not be appropriate for environmental protection and need to be revised.
Superconformal index of low-rank gauge theories via the Bethe Ansatz
Authors: Benini Francesco , Rizi Giovanni 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
We study the Bethe Ansatz formula for the superconformal index, in the case of 4d $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 4 super-Yang-Mills with gauge group SU(N). We observe that not all solutions to the Bethe Ansatz Equations (BAEs) contribute to the index, and thus formulate “reduced BAEs” such that all and only their solutions contribute. We then propose, sharpening a conjecture of Arabi Ardehali et al. [1], that there is a one-to-one correspondence between branches of solutions to the reduced BAEs and vacua of the 4d $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 1* theory. We test the proposal in the case of SU(2) and SU(3). In the case of SU(3), we confirm that there is a continuous family of solutions, whose contribution to the index is non-vanishing.
Passively Q-switched 8.5-ns Pr3+:YLF laser at 640 nm
Authors: Badtke Moritz , Tanaka Hiroki , Ollenburg Lenn J. , Kalusniak Sascha , Kränkel Christian 
Published: May 2021

AbstractWe report on short pulse generation from a passively Q-switched Pr3+:LiYF4 laser operating at 640 nm. By reducing the cavity length and utilizing Co:MgAl2O4 as the saturable absorber, we obtain the shortest pulse durations from any Q-switched Pr3+ laser. Under pumping with a frequency-doubled optically pumped semiconductor laser at a wavelength of 479.05 nm we realized (8.5 ± 1) ns long pulses at a repetition rate of 0.78 MHz from a 7.5 mm long cavity at an average output power of 1.0 W. In that case, the laser pulse energy and duration were 1.3 µJ and 8.5 ns, respectively. The highest pulse energy amounts to 1.8 µJ at a pulse peak power of 0.19 kW in 9.2 ns pulses at a repetition rate of 0.48 MHz.
Survival advantage of Asian metastatic prostate cancer patients treated with external beam radiotherapy over other races/ethnicities
Authors: Würnschimmel Christoph , Wenzel Mike , Collà Ruvolo Claudia , Nocera Luigi , Tian Zhe , Saad Fred , Briganti Alberto , Shariat Shahrokh F. , Mandel Philipp , Chun Felix K. H. , Tilki Derya , Graefen Markus , Karakiewicz Pierre I. 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Purpose
To assess the effect of race/ethnicity in cancer-specific mortality (CSM) adjusted for other-cause mortality (OCM) in metastatic prostate cancer patients (mPCa) treated with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) to the prostate.

Methods
We relied on the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to identify Caucasian, African-American, Hispanic/Latino and Asian mPCa patients treated by EBRT between 2004 and 2016. Cumulative incidence plots displayed CSM after adjustment for OCM according to race/ethnicity. Propensity score matching accounted for patient age, prostate-specific antigen, clinical T and N stages, Gleason Grade Groups and M1 substages. OCM adjusted multivariable analyses tested for differences in CSM in African-Americans, Hispanic/Latinos and Asians relative to Cauacasians.

Results
After 3:1 propensity score matching and OCM adjustment, Asians exhibited lower CSM at 60 and 120 months (48.2 and 60.0%, respectively) compared to Caucasians (66.7 and 79.4%, respectively, p < 0.001). In OCM adjusted multivariable analyses, Asian race/ethnicity was associated with lower CSM (HR 0.66, CI 0.52–0.83, p < 0.001). Conversely, African-American and Hispanic/Latino race/ethnicity did not affect CSM. OCM rates were comparable between examined races/ethnicities.

Conclusion
In the setting of mPCa treated with EBRT, Asians exhibit lower CSM than Caucasians, African-Americans and Hispanic/Latinos. This observation may warrant consideration in prognostic stratification schemes for newly diagnosed mPCa patients.
Strukturmerkmale und Voraussetzungen zur ambulanten Implantation von implantierbaren Defibrillatoren, Geräten zur kardialen Resynchronisation und Ereignisrekordern
Authors: Helms Thomas M. , Bosch Ralph , Hansen Claudius , Willhöft Cord , Zippel-Schultz Bettina , Karle Christoph , Schwab Jörg Otto 
Published: May 2021

ZusammenfassungDie Möglichkeiten der ambulanten Implantation von Defibrillatoren, Geräten zur kardialen Resynchronisation und Ereignisrekordern („cardiac implantable electronic devices“, CIEDs) gewinnen zunehmend an Bedeutung. In Deutschland existieren aktuell vereinzelte Möglichkeiten zur ambulanten Implantation. Es fehlt allerdings an einheitlichen, anerkannten und verbindlichen Qualitätskriterien sowie an Grundzügen vertraglicher Gestaltungen. Der vorliegende Artikel stellt einen Einblick in die aktuellen Vertragskonstellationen zur ambulanten Operation bereit und definiert ein erstes, holistisches Qualitätskonzept für ambulante Implantationen von CIEDs. Im Zentrum steht das Ziel, einen Diskurs in der Fachgesellschaft anzustoßen, um ein abgestimmtes, verbindliches Qualitätskonzept zu definieren. Dieses sollte als Grundlage für zukünftige Leistungen der ambulanten Implantation dienen, die Leistungen vergleichbar machen und einen Beitrag zum langfristigen Nachweis der Evidenz leisten.
Introduction of a Scaling Factor for Fracture Toughness Measurement of Rocks Using the Semi-circular Bend Test
Authors: Ghouli Saeid , Bahrami Bahador , Ayatollahi Majid R. , Driesner Thomas , Nejati Morteza 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThis article discusses the scale dependence of the mode $$\mathrm {I}$$
I
fracture toughness of rocks measured via the semi-circular bend (SCB) test. An extensive set of experiments is conducted to scrutinise the fracture toughness variations with size for three distinct rock types with radii ranging from 25 to 300 mm. The lengths of the fracture process zone (FPZ) for different sample sizes are measured using the digital image correlation (DIC) technique. A theoretical model is also established that relates the value of fracture toughness to the sample size. This theorem is based on the strip-yield model to estimate the length of FPZ, and the energy release rate concept to relate the FPZ length to the fracture toughness. This theoretical model does not rely on any experimental-based curve-fitting parameter, but only on the tensile strength of the rock type as well as the fracture toughness at a specific sample size. The size effects predicted by the theoretical model is in a good agreement with the experimental data on both fracture toughness and the FPZ length. Finally, theoretical correction factors are introduced for various geometrical configurations of the SCB specimen, using which a scale-independent mode $$\mathrm {I}$$
I
fracture toughness of the rock material can be estimated from the results of experiments performed on small samples.
Emergence of complex dynamics of choice due to repeated exposures to extinction learning
Authors: Donoso José R. , Packheiser Julian , Pusch Roland , Lederer Zhiyin , Walther Thomas , Uengoer Metin , Lachnit Harald , Güntürkün Onur , Cheng Sen 
Published: May 2021

AbstractExtinction learning, the process of ceasing an acquired behavior in response to altered reinforcement contingencies, is not only essential for survival in a changing environment, but also plays a fundamental role in the treatment of pathological behaviors. During therapy and other forms of training involving extinction, subjects are typically exposed to several sessions with a similar structure. The effects of this repeated exposure are not well understood. Here, we studied the behavior of pigeons across several sessions of a discrimination-learning task in context A, extinction in context B, and a return to context A to test the context-dependent return of the learned responses (ABA renewal). By focusing on individual learning curves across animals, we uncovered a session-dependent variability of behavior: (1) during extinction, pigeons preferred the unrewarded alternative choice in one-third of the sessions, predominantly during the first one. (2) In later sessions, abrupt transitions of behavior at the onset of context B emerged, and (3) the renewal effect decayed as sessions progressed. We show that the observed results can be parsimoniously accounted for by a computational model based only on associative learning between stimuli and actions. Our work thus demonstrates the critical importance of studying the trial-by-trial dynamics of learning in individual sessions, and the power of “simple” associative learning processes.
Strategic retreat for resilient and equitable climate adaptation: the roles for conservation organizations
Authors: Kodis Mali‘o , Bortman Marci , Newkirk Sarah 
Published: May 2021

AbstractAs climate change accelerates the frequency and intensity of natural disasters, damage to public and private property is also increasing, putting exorbitant strain on governments and communities. Societies across the world are working to adapt to climate change, but climate adaptation is currently inadequate to meet the needs of the people left increasingly vulnerable and the places that risk being irreversibly changed or destroyed. One tactic of climate adaptation is strategic retreat, sometimes referred to as managed retreat. Strategic retreat is the process by which the government or another entity purchases (buys out) developed properties that are at risk of destruction or have been destroyed by natural disasters. The structure is most often demolished, and the land is placed under a permanent easement to prevent future development. What happens next is dependent on the entities involved in the buyouts, and can range from derelict, vacant lots to full restoration of ecosystems and their abilities to mitigate flood damage. Sometimes recreational amenities, such as trails or park infrastructure, are prioritized and funded as well. Conservation organizations can leverage their expertise in conservation planning, land acquisition and restoration, policy advocacy, and partnership development to improve the implementation of strategic retreat so that nature and people can thrive in the long term. In this policy paper, we review ways that conservation organizations have and can continue to engage in buyout processes to ensure positive outcomes for communities and nature. Conservation organizations must also evolve their approaches to climate adaptation to integrate equity and redress historical injustices in land use, and contribute towards improving strategic retreat for a more just and resilient future across disaster-prone communities. This work focuses on the context of disasters and climate adaptation in the USA, though many of the principles presented are applicable around the world.
What Makes Homeowners Consider Protective Actions to Reduce Disaster Risk? An Application of the Precaution Adoption Process Model and Life Course Theory
Authors: Stock Alexia , Davidson Rachel A. , Trainor Joseph E. , Slotter Rachel , Nozick Linda K. , Kruse Jamie B. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractWe hypothesize that for disaster risk mitigation, many households, despite being aware of their risk and possible mitigation actions, never seriously consider doing anything about them. In mitigation-focused decisions, since there is no equivalent to warning messages, the decision process is likely to evolve over an extended time. We explore what activates hurricane mitigation protective action decisions through three research questions: (1) to what extent are homeowners unengaged in protective action decision making? (2) What homeowner characteristics are associated with lack of engagement? And (3) to what extent do different life events trigger engagement in the decision-making process? We use the Precaution Adoption Process Model to conceptualize engagement as distinct from decision making; the broader protective action decision-making literature to explore drivers of engagement; and Life Course Theory to examine potential transitions from unengaged to engaged. We use survey data of homeowners in North Carolina to examine these questions empirically. Findings suggest that one-third of respondents had never engaged in protective action decisions, that life experiences differ in their occurrence frequency and effect on households’ mitigation decisions, and that some events, such as renovating, reroofing, or purchasing a home may offer critical moments that could be leveraged to encourage greater engagement in mitigation decision making.
Impact of driving forces on molten pool in gas metal arc welding
Authors: Cho Won-Ik , Na Suck-Joo 
Published: May 2021

AbstractA numerical scrutiny was performed to analyze the effect of driving forces on molten pool in gas metal arc welding. In addition to the basic governing equations required for a general heat and mass transfer analysis by computational fluid dynamics, a volume-of-fluid equation for free surface tracking and additional conservation equations for calculating the distribution of alloy elements were used. Driving forces—buoyancy, drag force, arc pressure, electromagnetic force, Marangoni pressure, and droplet impingement—and the arc heat source were mathematically modeled and applied to the simulation. In order to examine the effect of driving forces, a two-dimensional axisymmetric simulation was performed, and the effect of each driving force was analyzed using the velocity components. In the radial velocity component, the effect of droplet impingement and the Marangoni force was large, and in the vertical velocity component, the droplet impingement effect was dominant. A three-dimensional simulation was also performed considering all the driving forces together, and the result was verified by comparison with experimental results. Relatively high alloying element contents were found at the bottom of the fusion zone, which was due to the droplet impingement generating a high vertical velocity.