bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Modeling the underlying biological processes in Alzheimer's disease using a multivariate competing risk joint model
Authors: van Oudenhoven Floor M. , Swinkels Sophie H. N. , Hartmann Tobias , Rizopoulos Dimitris 
Published: May 2022

AbstractMany clinical trials repeatedly measure several longitudinal outcomes on patients. Patient follow‐up can discontinue due to an outcome‐dependent event, such as clinical diagnosis, death, or dropout. Joint modeling is a popular choice for the analysis of this type of data. Using example data from a prodromal Alzheimer's disease trial, we propose a new type of multivariate joint model in which longitudinal brain imaging outcomes and memory impairment ratings are allowed to be associated both with time to open‐label medication and dropout, and where the brain imaging outcomes may also directly affect the memory impairment ratings. Existing joint models for multivariate longitudinal outcomes account for the correlation between the longitudinal outcomes through the random effects, often by assuming a multivariate normal distribution. However, for these models, it is difficult to interpret how the longitudinal outcomes affect each other. We model the dependence between the longitudinal outcomes differently so that a first longitudinal outcome affects a second one. Specifically, for each longitudinal outcome, we use a linear mixed‐effects model to estimate its trajectory, where, for the second longitudinal outcome, we include the linear predictor of the first outcome as a time‐varying covariate. This facilitates an easy and direct interpretation of the association between the longitudinal outcomes and provides a framework for latent mediation analysis to understand the underlying biological processes. For the trial considered here, we found that part of the intervention effect is mediated through hippocampal brain atrophy. The proposed joint models are fitted using a Bayesian framework via MCMC simulation.
Perturbed potential temperature field in the atmospheric boundary layer
Authors: Karjanto Natanael 
Published: May 2022

AbstractThis article discusses the modeling of perturbed potential temperature field in an atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). We adopt a convection–diffusion model with specified initial and boundary conditions that resulted from simplifying the linearized equation of the standard continuity equation for potential temperature field in the state of weak turbulent fluxes. By implementing the method of separation of variables to the nonsteady‐state perturbed potential temperature, we obtain a regular Sturm–Liouville boundary value problem (BVP) for the spatial‐dependent, vertical distribution component of the perturbed potential temperature. By transforming the problem in the canonical form into the Liouville normal form, we provide asymptotic solutions for the corresponding second‐order BVP using the Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin (WKB) theory. We further observe a remarkable qualitative agreement between the asymptotic solutions and numerical simulations. As other convection–diffusion models typically perform, the perturbed potential temperature diminishes and approaches the steady‐state condition over an extended period of time.
Quality assurance systems for Digital Higher Education in Europe
Authors: Ubachs George , Henderikx Piet 
Published: May 2022

AbstractSince the corona crisis, digital higher education practices permeate higher education in Europe. In degree education, various digital pedagogies are used in courses and programs, such as synchronous hybrid, blended, and online education and distance learning. In addition to degree education, higher education institutions offer online continuing education and open education through MOOCs. Microcredentials are high on the agenda of the European Commission, national governments, and institutions.The international dimension has also become important in all these areas. Universities organize joint curricula and virtual mobility schemes. This development has even been reinforced by the European Universities Initiatives of the European Commission (EUI), which already created 41 university alliances across Europe.Digital education plays a vital role in creating a new pedagogical landscape shaping the Commission’s Transformation of the European University 2030. This has implications for the internal and external quality assurance of education, which should lead to better quality and more robust maturity.This chapter illustrates how quality assurance models and practices in Europe have evolved towards a multilevel and multi-stakeholder approach. It describes the development of quality assurance systems and guidelines for digital higher education in Europe in recent decades. In addition, it focuses on new quality assurance challenges to respond to the next stages of development in higher education, keeping pace with future innovations. Finally, it provides an overview of the current position of quality assurance with the most important conclusions.
SIRT7 in the aging process
Authors: Lagunas-Rangel Francisco Alejandro 
Published: May 2022

AbstractAging is the result of the accumulation of a wide variety of molecular and cellular damage over time. This has been associated with a number of features termed hallmarks of aging, including genomic instability, loss of proteostasis, telomere attrition, dysregulated nutrient sensing, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, stem cell exhaustion, and impaired intercellular communication. On the other hand, sirtuins are enzymes with an important role in aging and life extension, of which humans have seven paralogs (SIRT1 to SIRT7). SIRT7 is the least studied sirtuin to date, but it has been reported to serve important functions, such as promoting ribosomal RNA expression, aiding in DNA damage repair, and regulating chromatin compaction. Several studies have established a close relationship between SIRT7 and age-related processes, but knowledge in this area is still scarce. Therefore, the purpose of this review was to analyze how SIRT7 is associated with each of the hallmarks of aging, as well as with some of age-associated diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity, osteoporosis, and cancer.
Analytic Langlands correspondence for $$PGL_2$$ on $${\mathbb {P}}^1$$ with parabolic structures over local fields
Authors: Etingof Pavel , Frenkel Edward , Kazhdan David 
Published: May 2022

AbstractWe continue to develop the analytic Langlands program for curves over local fields initiated in our earlier papers, following a suggestion of Langlands and a work of Teschner. Namely, we study the Hecke operators which we introduced in those papers in the case of a projective line with parabolic structures at finitely many points for the group$$PGL_2$$PGL2. We establish most of our conjectures in this case.
Prevalence of incidental findings in adult vs. adolescent patients in the course of orthodontic X-ray diagnostics
Authors: Klenke Daniela , Santander Petra , Vehring Charlotte , Quast Anja , Sommerlath Sohns Jan , Krohn Sebastian , Meyer-Marcotty Philipp 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
Objective
Due to increasing numbers of adult patients presenting to orthodontic practices, an increase in incidental findings on diagnostic X‑rays, which are the cornerstone of orthodontic diagnostics, is expected. This raises the clinically relevant question of whether an age effect exists regarding prevalence, localisation and severity of incidental findings on orthodontic diagnostic X‑rays.

Materials and methods
The clinical, primarily retrospective study examined pathological incidental findings from 600 orthopantomograms (OPT) and lateral cephalogram (LC) images in two groups of orthodontic patients (group I: 150 children/adolescents, age 11.89 ± 2.47 years; group II: 150 adults, age 27.03 ± 10.42 years). Prevalence, localisation and severity of the findings were recorded based on a classification sheet. The assessment was done by three experienced examiners following a systematic approach along the nine locations: mandible, maxilla, dentition, paranasal sinuses, temporomandibular joint, cranial base, orbit, cervical spine, soft tissues.

Results
In all, 1458 incidental findings were detected, with 66% of the findings having occurred away from the dentition. There was a significant age effect (p < 0.001) with respect to the prevalence of incidental findings (group II—adults 1026 findings—OPT: 566/LC 460 vs. group I—children/adolescents 432 findings—OPT: 221/LC 211). Regarding localisation, incidental findings in adults commonly occurred in the dentition, paranasal sinuses and mandibular regions. Furthermore, analysis of the LC images revealed significantly more incidental findings in the area of the cranial base and cervical spine in adults (p < 0.001, p = 0.003). Categorisation according to the severity of the incidental findings showed that 33% of the incidental findings needed further diagnostic investigation and possibly treatment by other specialities.

Conclusion
Diagnostic assessment using orthodontic diagnostic X‑rays results in a high prevalence of incidental findings away from the dentition. Particularly in adults, a large number of incidental findings outside the dental/alveolar region may be expected on orthodontic diagnostic X‑rays. Thus, a structured approach during diagnostic assessment is required to minimise the extent to which incidental findings of clinical relevance are overlooked.
Controlling local overheating in topology optimization for additive manufacturing
Authors: Ranjan R. , Ayas C. , Langelaar M. , Keulen F. van 
Published: May 2022

AbstractA novel constraint to prevent local overheating is presented for use in topology optimization (TO). The very basis for the constraint is the Additive Manufacturing (AM) process physics. AM enables fabrication of highly complex topologically optimized designs. However, local overheating is a major concern especially in metal AM processes leading to part failure, poor surface finish, lack of dimensional precision, and inferior mechanical properties. It should therefore be taken into account at the design optimization stage. However, including a detailed process simulation in the optimization would make the optimization intractable. Hence, a computationally inexpensive thermal process model, recently presented in the literature, is used to detect zones prone to local overheating in a given part geometry. The process model is integrated into density-based TO in combination with a robust formulation, and applied in various numerical test examples. It is found that existing AM-oriented TO methods which rely purely on overhang control do not ensure overheating avoidance. Instead, the proposed physics-based constraint is able to suppress geometric features causing local overheating and delivers optimized results in a computationally efficient manner.
High-performance thin-layer chromatography in combination with an acetylcholinesterase-inhibition bioassay with pre-oxidation of organothiophosphates to determine neurotoxic effects in storm, waste, and surface water
Authors: Baetz Nicolai , Schmidt Torsten C. , Tuerk Jochen 
Published: May 2022

AbstractPesticides such as organothiophosphates (OTPs) are neurotoxically active and enter the aquatic environment. Bioassays, using acetylcholinesterase (AChE), a suitable substrate and reactant, can be applied for the photometric detection of AChE-inhibiton (AChE-I) effects. The oxidized forms of OTPs, so-called oxons, have higher inhibition potentials for AChE. Therefore, a higher sensitivity is achieved for application of oxidized samples to the AChE assay. In this study, the oxidation of malathion, parathion, and chlorpyrifos by n-bromosuccinimide (NBS) was investigated in an approach combining high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) with an AChE-I assay. Two AChE application approaches, immersion and spraying, were compared regarding sensitivity, precision, and general feasibility of the OTP effect detection. The oxidation by NBS led to an activation of the OTPs and a strong increase in sensitivity similar to the oxons tested. The sensitivity and precision of the two application techniques were similar, although the spray method was slightly more sensitive to the oxidized OTPs. The 10% inhibition concentrations (IC10) for the spray approach were 0.26, 0.75, and 0.35 ng/spot for activated malathion, parathion, and chlorpyrifos, respectively. AChE-I effect recoveries in samples from a stormwater retention basin and receiving stream were between 69 and 92% for malathion, parathion, and chlorpyrifos. The overall workflow, including sample enrichment by solid-phase extraction, HPTLC, oxidation of OTPs, and AChE-I assay, was demonstrated to be suitable for the detection of AChE-I effects in native water samples. An effect of unknown origin was found in a sample from a stormwater retention basin.
Blinded by the light: Seabird collision events in South Georgia
Authors: Coleman Jamie , Hollyman Philip R. , Black Andy , Collins Martin A. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractLight-induced bird strikes on vessels occur frequently in association with areas of high seabird density, often resulting in bird mortalities. These incidents are poorly understood and likely under-reported by vessels. Here we present the details of four separate bird strike events (899, 206, 50 and 47 birds), which took place whilst vessels (two fishing trawlers and one tourist expedition ship) were navigating along the south coast of South Georgia, and discuss possible contributing factors. All species encountered in these events were burrowing petrel species in the family Procellariidae, with diving-petrel species (Pelecanoidesspp.) being most commonly reported. All four events took place during the night in similar meteorological conditions, with poor visibility due to fog, light precipitation and low wind speeds. We identify the waters off the south coast, between King Haakon Bay and Drygalski Fjord, which have remained rat free and are of exceptional importance to breeding seabirds, as high risk for collisions and propose other high-risk areas. The different mortality rates recorded during these events are likely attributed to the varying actions taken by ship crew and persons on board. We propose actions that will help reduce the occurrence of events and mitigate the impact of bird strikes, including the avoidance of high-risk areas in certain night-time conditions. We give recommendations on what to do when birds land on board and stress the importance of reporting of events. Given the expected increase of both fishing and tourist ship activity in South Georgia waters, there is an increasing need to understand and mitigate this threat to seabirds.
Diffusion chronometry of volcanic rocks: looking backward and forward
Authors: Chakraborty Sumit , Dohmen Ralf 
Published: May 2022

AbstractDiffusion of elements that result in compositional zoning in minerals in volcanic rocks may be used to determine the timescales of various volcanic processes (e.g., residence times in different reservoirs, ascent rates of magmas). Here, we introduce the tool and discuss the reasons for its gain in popularity in recent times, followed by a summary of various applications and some main inferences from those applications. Some specialized topics that include the role of diffusion anisotropy, isotopic fractionation by diffusion, image analysis as a tool for expediting applications, and the sources of uncertainties in the method are discussed. We point to the connection between timescales obtained from diffusion chronometry to those obtained from geochronology as well as various monitoring tools. A listing of directions in which we feel most progress is necessary/will be forthcoming is provided in the end.
An ecological momentary assessment study of age effects on perceptive and non-perceptive clinical high-risk symptoms of psychosis
Authors: Michel C. , Lerch S. , Büetiger J. R. , Flückiger R. , Cavelti M. , Koenig J. , Kaess M. , Kindler J. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractAmong individuals with clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR), perceptive symptoms are more frequent but have less clinical significance in children/adolescents compared to adults. However, findings are based on clinical interviews relying on patient’s recall capacity. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) can be used to explore experiences in real-time in the subject’s daily life. The aim of this study was to assess frequency and stability of (perceptive and non-perceptive) CHR symptoms and to explore potential age effects. EMA was used in a sample of an early detection for psychosis service in Bern, Switzerland (N = 66; 11–36 years). CHR symptoms were recorded in random time intervals for seven days: eight assessments per day per subject, minimum time between prompts set at 25 min. CHR symptoms were additionally assessed with semi-structured interviews including the ‘Structured Interview for Psychosis-Risk Syndromes’ and the ‘Schizophrenia Proneness Instruments’. Mixed-effects linear regression analysis on the frequency of CHR symptoms revealed a significant effect of age group, and the interaction CHR symptoms x age group for both perceptive and non-perceptive symptoms. Further, regarding stability of CHR symptoms, there was a significant effect of the interaction CHR symptoms x age group for perceptive symptoms only. Based on EMA, perceptive CHR symptoms were more frequently reported but less stable in children/adolescents compared with adults. Together with previous findings, our finding of higher instability/variability of perceptive symptoms in younger persons might suggest that with advancing age and more stability of CHR symptoms, clinical relevance (reduced psychosocial functioning) may increase.
The cardiosplenic axis: the prognostic role of the spleen in heart failure
Authors: Hiraiwa Hiroaki , Okumura Takahiro , Murohara Toyoaki 
Published: May 2022

AbstractDespite the number of available methods to predict prognosis in patients with heart failure, prognosis remains poor, likely because of marked patient heterogeneity and varied heart failure etiologies. Thus, identification of novel prognostic indicators to stratify risk in patients with heart failure is of paramount importance. The spleen is emerging as a potential novel prognostic indicator for heart failure. In this article, we provide an overview of the current prognostic tools used for heart failure. We then introduce the spleen as a potential novel prognostic indicator, before outlining the structure and function of the spleen and introducing the concept of the cardiosplenic axis. This is followed by a focused discussion on the function of the spleen in the immune response and in hemodynamics, as well as a review of what is known about the usefulness of the spleen as an indicator of heart failure. Expert insight into the most effective spleen-related measurement indices for the prognostication of patients with heart failure is provided, and suggestions on how these could be measured in clinical practice are considered. In future, studies in humans will be required to draw definitive links between specific splenic measurements and different heart failure manifestations, as well as to determine whether splenic prognostic measurements differ between heart failure classes and etiologies. These contributions will provide a step forward in our understanding of the usefulness of the spleen as a prognostic predictor in heart failure.
Discontinuation of performance-based financing in primary health care: impact on family planning and maternal and child health
Authors: El-Shal Amira , Cubi-Molla Patricia , Jofre-Bonet Mireia 
Published: May 2022

AbstractPerformance-based financing (PBF) is advocated as an effective means to improve the quality of care by changing healthcare providers’ behavior. However, there is limited evidence on its effectiveness in low- and middle-income countries and on its implementation in primary care settings. Evidence on the effect of discontinuing PBF is even more limited than that of introducing PBF schemes. We estimate the effects of discontinuing PBF in Egypt on family planning, maternal health, and child health outcomes. We use a difference-in-differences (DiD) model with fixed effects, exploiting a unique dataset of six waves of spatially constructed facility-level health outcomes. We find that discontinuing performance-based incentives to providers had a negative effect on the knowledge of contraceptive methods, iron supplementation during pregnancy, the prevalence of childhood acute respiratory infection, and, more importantly, under-five child mortality, all of which were indirectly targeted by the PBF scheme. No significant effects are reported for directly targeted outcomes. Our findings suggest that PBF can induce permanent changes in providers’ behavior, but this may come at the expense of non-contracted outcomes.
Surface Structuring and Reverse Deposition of Nanoporous Titanium Oxides by Laser Ablation of Titanium in Air
Authors: Veiko V. P. , Karlagina Yu Yu , Samokhvalov A. A. , Polyakov D. S. , Manokhin S. S. , Radaev M. M. , Odintsova G. V. , Gornushkin I. B. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractThe deposition of titanium oxides during titanium laser ablation in air has been experimentally and numerically investigated. A titanium sample was irradiated by nanosecond pulses from an Yb-fiber laser with a beam scanned across the sample surface for its texturing. As a result, the hierarchical structure was observed consisting of a microrelief formed by the laser ablation and a nanoporous coating formed by the reverse deposition from the laser induced plasma plume. The chemical and phase composition of the nanoporous coating, as well as the morphology and structure of the surface, were studied using scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray microanalysis. It was found that the deposit consists mostly of porous TiO2with 26% porosity and inclusions of TiO, Ti2O3, and Ti2O3N. Optical emission spectroscopy was used to control the plasma composition and estimate the effective temperature of plasma plume. The chemical-hydrodynamic model of laser induced plasma was developed to get a deeper insight into the deposition process. The model predicts that condensed titanium oxides, formed in peripheral plasma zones, gradually accumulate on the surface during the plasma plume evolution. A satisfactory agreement between the experimental and calculated chemical composition of the plasma plume as well as between the experimental and calculated composition and thickness of the deposited film was demonstrated. This allows a cautious conclusion that the formation of condensed oxides in the plasma and their consequent deposition onto the ablation surface are among the key mechanisms of formation of porous surface films.
Fund manager skill: selling matters more!
Authors: Tosun Onur Kemal , Jin Liang , Taffler Richard , Eshraghi Arman 
Published: May 2022

AbstractWe examine whether mutual fund managers have differential skill in the buy and sell domains. Although they have characteristic-timing ability in aggregate, we show they exhibit asymmetric ability when buying and selling. Our key finding is that fund managers with superior selling ability are significantly better at buying stocks and, as a result, earn significantly higher aggregate returns. However, fund managers who buy stocks successfully do not necessarily have parallel selling skills, leading to lower returns overall. Thus, we provide strong evidence that selling skill is the key determinant of overall mutual fund timing performance.