bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Strain Comparison in Rats Differentiates Strain-Specific from More General Correlates of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss and Tinnitus
Authors: Koch L. , Gaese B. H. , Nowotny Manuela 
Published: November 2021

AbstractExperiments in rodent animal models help to reveal the characteristics and underlying mechanisms of pathologies related to hearing loss such as tinnitus or hyperacusis. However, a reliable understanding is still lacking. Here, four different rat strains (Sprague Dawley, Wistar, Long Evans, and Lister Hooded) underwent comparative analysis of electrophysiological (auditory brainstem responses, ABRs) and behavioral measures after noise trauma induction to differentiate between strain-dependent trauma effects and more consistent changes across strains, such as frequency dependence or systematic temporal changes. Several hearing- and trauma-related characteristics were clearly strain-dependent. Lister Hooded rats had especially high hearing thresholds and were unable to detect a silent gap in continuous background noise but displayed the highest startle amplitudes. After noise exposure, ABR thresholds revealed a strain-dependent pattern of recovery. ABR waveforms varied in detail among rat strains, and the difference was most prominent at later peaks arising approximately 3.7 ms after stimulus onset. However, changes in ABR waveforms after trauma were small compared to consistent strain-dependent differences between individual waveform components. At the behavioral level, startle-based gap-prepulse inhibition (gap-PPI) was used to evaluate the occurrence and characteristics of tinnitus after noise exposure. A loss of gap-PPI was found in 33% of Wistar, 50% of Sprague Dawley, and 75% of Long Evans rats. Across strains, the most consistent characteristic was a frequency-specific pattern of the loss of gap-PPI, with the highest rates at approximately one octave above trauma. An additional range exhibiting loss of gap-PPI directly below trauma frequency was revealed in Sprague Dawley and Long Evans rats. Further research should focus on these frequency ranges when investigating the underlying mechanisms of tinnitus induction.
Heavy metal recovery from the fine fraction of solid waste incineration bottom ash by wet density separation
Authors: Pienkoß Fabian , Abis Marco , Bruno Martina , Grönholm Raul , Hoppe Michel , Kuchta Kerstin , Fiore Silvia , Simon Franz-Georg 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThis work is aimed at exploring the recovery of heavy metals from the fine fraction of solid waste incineration bottom ash. For this study, wet-discharged bottom ash fine-fraction samples from full-scale treatment plants in Germany and Sweden were analyzed. The potential for the recovery of heavy metal compounds was investigated through wet density-separation with a shaking table. The feed materials were processed without any pre-treatment and the optimum processing conditions were determined by means of design of experiments. Tilt angle and stroke frequency were identified as the most relevant parameters, and the optimum settings were − 7.5° and 266 rpm, respectively. The obtained balanced copper enrichments (and yields) were 4.4 (41%), 6.2 (28%) and 2.4 (23%). A maximum copper enrichment of 14.5 with 2% yield was achieved, providing a concentrate containing 35.9 wt.% relevant heavy metal elements. This included 26.3 wt.% iron, 4.3 wt.% zinc and 3.8 wt.% copper. In conclusion, density separation with shaking tables can recover heavy metals from bottom ash fine fractions. Medium levels of heavy metal enrichment (e.g., for Cu 2.7–4.4) and yield (Cu: 26–41%) can be reached simultaneously. However, the separation performance also depends on the individual bottom ash sample.
Flache Erfahrungskurvenprofile von ausländischen Beschäftigten in Deutschland
Authors: Brunow Stephan , Jost Oskar 
Published: November 2021

ZusammenfassungDieser Beitrag widmet sich der Entlohnungsstruktur von ausländischen und deutschen sozialversicherungspflichtig Vollzeitbeschäftigten und zielt auf die Lohnzuwächse durch die Aneignung von zusätzlicher Erfahrung auf dem deutschen Arbeitsmarkt. Bisherige Erkenntnisse für Deutschland deuten darauf hin, dass Arbeitsmarkterfahrung bei Ausländern im Vergleich zu deutschen Beschäftigten zu keinen oder nur geringen Lohnzuwächsen führt. Wir identifizieren und diskutieren Ursachen und Erklärungen für diese flacheren Erfahrungskurvenprofile, was insbesondere vor dem Hintergrund der Einkommensungleichheit zwischen beiden Gruppen relevant ist.
Steuerzuschuss für die Pflegeversicherung
Authors: Neusius Thomas 
Published: November 2021

ZusammenfassungDie Pflegeversicherung steht unter finanziellem Druck: In den vergangenen Jahren wurden die Leistungen durch mehrere Reformen erheblich ausgeweitet. Die Leistungsausweitung zeigte sowohl bei der sozialen als auch bei der privaten Pflegeversicherung Folgen. Bei der sozialen Pflegeversicherung war die Finanzierung teilweise unzureichend, und der demografische Wandel erzeugt wegen des Umlageverfahrens spürbaren Druck. Die private Pflegeversicherung musste bereits erhebliche Prämienanpassungen durchführen, die durch das niedrige Zinsniveau verstärkt wurden. Um die Beitragsbelastung der Angestellten zu begrenzen, die überwiegend in der sozialen Pflegeversicherung abgesichert sind, sollen zukünftig Steuermittel an die soziale Pflegeversicherung fließen. Dies wirft eine Reihe von Fragen zur Rechtfertigung dieses Transfers und seiner Wirkung auf das Nebeneinander von sozialer und privater Pflegeversicherung auf.
Preparation and Evaluation of the Polyethylene Film Deposited With a Multilayer Graphene Membrane for Tensile Properties
Authors: Li Ji , Qiu Jiawen , Chen Xiaogang , Ergoktas Muhammed Said , Kocabas Coskun 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThis study aims to improve the tensile properties of the polyethylene film deposited with a multilayer graphene membrane, in order to establish the understanding of the influence of the methane to hydrogen ratio on the tensile properties of the multilayer graphene membrane. Multilayer graphene membranes were prepared using the chemical vapor deposition method. Four types of multilayer graphene membranes were prepared with different ratios of methane to hydrogen before depositing a membrane on the polyethylene film. Experiments showed that the tensile strength of the polyethylene films with multilayer graphene deposition increased 7 times and the Young’s modulus 5 times more than that of pure polyethylene films, when the ratio of methane to hydrogen was set to 35/100 sccm. A compromise between hydrogen and methane mixture is required to achieve uniform growth of graphene. Insufficient hydrogen cannot activate the surface bound carbon that is necessary for continuous growth. Continuous and well-defined multilayer graphene was synthesized when the ratio of methane to hydrogen reached up a proper value.
Correction to: The perception of emotional cues by children in artificial background noise
Authors: Parada-Cabaleiro Emilia , Batliner Anton , Baird Alice , Schuller Björn 
Published: November 2021

The article ‘The perception of emotional cues by children in artifcial background noise’, written by Emilia Parada-Cabaleiro, Anton Batliner, Alice Baird and Björn Schuller, was originally published Online First without Open Access. After publication in volume 23, issue 1, page 169–182 it has been decided to make the article an Open Access publication. Therefore, the copyright of the article has been changed to © The Author(s) 2020 and the article is forthwith distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution.
Novel insulation panels development from multilayered coir short and long fiber reinforced phenol formaldehyde polymeric biocomposites
Authors: Hasan K. M. Faridul , Horváth Péter György , Kóczán Zsófia , Le Duong Hung Anh , Bak Miklós , Bejó László , Alpár Tibor 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThis study investigated about the developments of insulation panels from multilayered coir long and short fiber reinforced phenol formaldehyde polymeric (PF) resin. The lengths of coir long fibers (CLF) were within 3 mm, whereas the short fibers (CSF) ranged from 0.1 mm to 1.25 mm. Four composite panels of 360, 680, 800, and 1000 kg/m3densities were developed by employing hot pressing technology. The thermal conductivity, microstructural, mechanical, and physical properties of the composite panels were investigated. Perceived thermal conductivity values ranged within 0.046280 (0.000494) to 0.062400 (0.001146) Wm‒1 k‒1of the composites demonstrating superior insulation properties. Moreover, the current study also found that mechanical and thermal properties showed improvement with the increase of density. Low-density fiberboards had the lowest performances compared to high-density composite panels, with the exception of the 1000 kg/m3density, in which fiber agglomeration occurred. Furthermore, all the developed composite panels display superior potentiality for use as effective insulation materials. The FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) analysis also shows an efficient bonding between the cellulosic coir materials and PF resin. The overall characteristics of the composite panels, especially medium fiberboard, show prominent potential for industrial production units by fulfilling the consumer requirements.
A stochastic approach to handle resource constraints as knapsack problems in ensemble pruning
Authors: Hajdu András , Terdik György , Tiba Attila , Tomán Henrietta 
Published: November 2021

AbstractEnsemble-based methods are highly popular approaches that increase the accuracy of a decision by aggregating the opinions of individual voters. The common point is to maximize accuracy; however, a natural limitation occurs if incremental costs are also assigned to the individual voters. Consequently, we investigate creating ensembles under an additional constraint on the total cost of the members. This task can be formulated as a knapsack problem, where the energy is the ensemble accuracy formed by some aggregation rules. However, the generally applied aggregation rules lead to a nonseparable energy function, which takes the common solution tools—such as dynamic programming—out of action. We introduce a novel stochastic approach that considers the energy as the joint probability function of the member accuracies. This type of knowledge can be efficiently incorporated in a stochastic search process as a stopping rule, since we have the information on the expected accuracy or, alternatively, the probability of finding more accurate ensembles. Experimental analyses of the created ensembles of pattern classifiers and object detectors confirm the efficiency of our approach over other pruning ones. Moreover, we propose a novel stochastic search method that better fits the energy, which can be incorporated in other stochastic strategies as well.
Mothers’ Sexual Identity and Children’s Health
Authors: Mollborn Stefanie , Limburg Aubrey , Everett Bethany G. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractSexual minority women face a plethora of structural, socioeconomic, and interpersonal disadvantages and stressors. Research has established negative associations between women’s sexual minority identities and both their own health and their infants’ birth outcomes. Yet a separate body of scholarship has documented similarities in the development and well-being of children living with same-sex couples relative to those living with similarly situated different-sex couples. This study sought to reconcile these literatures by examining the association between maternal sexual identity and child health at ages 5–18 using a US sample from the full population of children of sexual minority women, including those who identify as mostly heterosexual, bisexual, or lesbian, regardless of partner sex or gender. Analyses using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 8978) followed women longitudinally and examined several measures of their children’s health, including general health and specific developmental and physical health conditions. Analyses found that children of mostly heterosexual and bisexual women experienced health disadvantages relative to children of heterosexual women, whereas the few children of lesbian women in our sample evidenced a mixture of advantages and disadvantages. These findings underscore that to understand sexual orientation disparities and the intergenerational transmission of health, it is important to incorporate broad measurement of sexual orientation that can capture variation in family forms and in sexual minority identities.
Friend or foe? Co-opetition and entrepreneurial networking
Authors: Jost Peter-J. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractWe study the formation of an entrepreneurial network in an environment, in which entrepreneurs who are contesting with each other for the development of a new venture have the possibility to collaborate. On the one hand, such bilateral knowledge collaborations are beneficial because they allow the integration of external knowledge. On the other hand, external knowledge collaborations reduce an entrepreneur’s incentive to invest in her internal knowledge. We analyze this trade-off and show that if the knowledge transfer between collaborating partners is complete, the only stable entrepreneurial network is one with exactly one collaboration of each entrepreneur. If, however, knowledge transfers are only partial, entrepreneurial networking becomes more important and entrepreneurs form more knowledge collaborations. Moreover, internal or external knowledge spillovers reduce the incentives to form knowledge collaboration. These results have several practical implication for entrepreneurs and managers of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in their pursuit to better understand factors that influence knowledge collaborations with competitors and to devise their co-opetition strategy.
Novel microscope-based visual display and nasopharyngeal registration for auditory brainstem implantation: a feasibility study in an ex vivo model
Authors: Regodić Milovan , Freyschlag Christian F. , Kerschbaumer Johannes , Galijašević Malik , Hörmann Romed , Freysinger Wolfgang 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Purpose
An auditory brainstem implant (ABI) represents an alternative for patients with profound hearing loss who are constrained from receiving a cochlear implant. The positioning of the ABI electrode influences the patient’s auditory capacity and, therefore, quality of life and is challenging even with available intraoperative electrophysiological monitoring. This work aims to provide and assess the feasibility of visual-spatial assistance for ABI positioning.

Methods
The pose of the forceps instrument that grasps the electrode was electromagnetically navigated and interactively projected in the eyepieces of a surgical microscope with respect to a target point. Intraoperative navigation was established with an experimental technique for automated nasopharyngeal patient registration. Two ABI procedures were completed in a human specimen head.

Results
An intraoperative usability study demonstrated lower localization error when using the proposed visual display versus standard cross-sectional views. The postoperative evaluations of the preclinical study showed that the center of the electrode was misplaced to the planned position by 1.58 mm and 3.16 mm for the left and the right ear procedure, respectively.

Conclusion
The results indicate the potential to enhance intraoperative feedback during ABI positioning with the presented system. Further improvements consider estimating the pose of the electrode itself to allow for better orientation during placement.
Study on the Characteristics of Intestinal Flora Composition in Gastric Cancer Patients and Healthy People in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Authors: Zhang Zilong , Zhu Linghong , Ma Yanqing , Wang Bo , Ci Caihong , Zhang Jingni , Zhou Yunsong , Dou Chunjiang , Gu Qiaoling , An Yan , Lan Yongmei , Zhao Jin 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe aim of this study is to compare and analyze the structure and diversity of intestinal flora between gastric cancer patients and healthy people in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and to explore the characteristics of the intestinal flora composition in gastric cancer patients in the plateau area, and to determine the possible correlation between the intestinal flora and gastric cancer. Fresh feces from 22 cases of gastric cancer patients diagnosed in a tertiary hospital in Qinghai Province and 30 cases of healthy people during the same period were collected. The 52 subjects were undergone for 16S rDNA gene sequencing of intestinal bacteria to analyze and compare the diversity and compositional characteristics of intestinal flora. Analysis of the diversity of intestinal flora between the gastric cancer group and the healthy group was based on the Chao1 index of species richness, Shannon diversity index, and Simpson index. It showed that the gastric cancer group had no statistically difference from the healthy group (P > 0.05). In the Venn diagram, the number of OTU units shared by the gastric cancer group and the healthy group is 6997, and the number of unique OTU units in the healthy group is 2282, while the number of OTU units in the gastric cancer group is 896 and the difference is statistically significant (χ2 = 495.829), P < 0.000). Analysis of the composition and abundance distribution of intestinal flora showed that at the phylum level, there is no significant deference in abundance between the healthy group of Bacteroides and Firmicutes compared with the gastric cancer group (P > 0.05). However, there is a statistically significant difference in abundance between the healthy groups of Proteobacteria compared with the gastric cancer group (P < 0.05). At the genus level, the gastric cancer group of Prevotella_9 is significantly different from the healthy group (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the gastric cancer group of Streptococcus and Lactobacillus are significantly different from the healthy group (P < 0.001). There are differences in the composition and abundance of intestinal flora between patients with gastric cancer and healthy people in plateau areas, suggesting that Proteobacteria, Prevotella_9, Streptococcus, and Lactobacillus have increased in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and becoming one of the factors related to the incidence of gastric cancer in the region.
The endemic plant species of Mt Kupe, Cameroon with a new Critically Endangered cloud-forest tree species, Vepris zapfackii (Rutaceae)
Authors: Cheek Martin , Onana Jean Michel 
Published: November 2021

SummaryWe revise and update the records of strict and near-endemic species of Mt Kupe, Cameroon respectively from 31 strict endemics in 2004, to 25 today, and with near-endemic species 30, unchanged in number but with turnover. The changes result from new collections, discoveries and taxonomic changes in the last 16 years. While 15 of the provisionally named putative endemic species have now been formally published, a further 18 have not. The majority of the 30 near-endemic species (18) are shared with the adjacent Bakossi Mts, far exceeding the numbers shared with the more distant Mt Etinde-Mt Cameroon, Rumpi Hills and Ebo forest areas (sharing three near-endemic species each with Mt Kupe). We test the hypothesis that a further one of the provisionally named putative Mt Kupe species,Veprissp. 1 from submontane forest near the summit, is indeed new to science. We compare it morphologically with the two other bicarpellate high altitude Cameroon Highland tree speciesV. montisbambutensisOnana andV. baliCheek, concluding that it is a new undescribed species here named asVepris zapfackii. The new species is illustrated and its conservation status assessed as Critically Endangered using the 2012 IUCN standard, due to habitat clearance from agricultural pressures at its sole location which is unprotected.Vepris zapfackiiandV. baliappear unique in African trifoliolate species of the genus in having opposite leaves.Vepris zapfackiidiffers in having hairy petiolules and midribs and petiolules with the blade decurrent distally, narrowing towards a winged-canaliculate base (vs glabrous and petiolule long, terete), and sparsely golden hairy pistillodes and a glabrous calyx (vs densely black hairy pistillodes, and sepals hairy).
Application of polyaniline nanofibers for the construction of nitrate all-solid-state ion-selective electrodes
Authors: Pietrzak Karolina , Wardak Cecylia , Malinowski Szymon 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe application of polyaniline nanofibers doped with chloride and nitrate ions (PANINFs-Cl and PANINFs-NO3) in potentiometry was described. Both kinds of nanofibers were used as an ion-to-electron transducer in ion-selective electrodes with solid contact (SCISEs). Extensive research on the properties of the nanofibers themselves (SEM, UV–Vis spectroscopy, FTIR) and the constructed electrodes (potentiometric methods, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) has been carried out. Basic analytical parameters of electrodes containing various nanofibers contents in the ion-selective membrane and with nanofibers as an intermediate layer were determined. It was found that application of PANI nanofibers resulted in improvement of electrode performance (among others, better stability and reversibility of the electrode potential). The obtained sensors were characterized by a high slope of the calibration curve, a wide measuring range and a fast response time. Moreover, they were insensitive to change of redox potential, as well as light and the presence of oxygen in the solution, what is important from a practical point of view. They were also successfully used for nitrate determination in real environmental samples.
The Impact of Augmented Reality Techniques on Cartographic Visualization
Authors: Dickmann Frank , Keil Julian , Dickmann Paula L. , Edler Dennis 
Published: November 2021

AbstractAugmented reality (AR) is playing an increasingly important role in a variety of everyday application scenarios. Users are not completely disconnected from the current sensory influences of reality. They are merely confronted with additional virtual objects that are projected into reality. This allows users to obtain additional spatial information, which makes this technology interesting for cartographic applications (e.g. navigation). The dynamic positioning of the superimposed image in the scene being viewed is crucial for the generation of AR elements displayed correctly in terms of perspective. Understanding these technical basics is an important prerequisite for the cartographic use of augmented reality. The different techniques influence the visualization and the perception of AR elements in 3D space. This article highlights important visualization properties of current augmented reality techniques.
On a Maximum Eigenvalue of Third-Order Pairwise Comparison Matrix in Analytic Hierarchy Process and Convergence of Newton’s Method
Authors: Shiraishi Shunsuke , Obata Tsuneshi 
Published: November 2021

AbstractNowadays, the analytic hierarchy process is an established method of multiple criteria decision making in the field of Operations Research. Pairwise comparison matrix plays a crucial role in the analytic hierarchy process. The principal (maximum magnitude) eigenvalue of the pairwise comparison matrix can be utilized for measuring the consistency of the decision maker’s judgment. The simple transformation of the maximum magnitude eigenvalue is known to be Saaty’s consistency index. In this short note, we shed light on the characteristic polynomial of a pairwise comparison matrix of third order. We will show that the only real-number root of the characteristic equation is the maximum magnitude eigenvalue of the third-order pairwise comparison matrix. The unique real-number root appears in the area where it is greater than 3, which is equal to the order of the matrix. By applying usual Newton’s method to the characteristic polynomial of the third-order pairwise comparison matrix, we see that the sequence generated from the initial value of 3 always converges to the maximum magnitude eigenvalue.