bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mapping the obesity problems scale to the SF-6D: results based on the Scandinavian Obesity Surgery Registry (SOReg)
Authors: Sun Sun , Stenberg Erik , Cao Yang , Lindholm Lars , Salén Klas-Göran , Franklin Karl A. , Luo Nan 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
Background
Obesity Problem Scale (OP) is a widely applied instrument for obesity, however currently calculation of health utility based on OP is not feasible as it is not a preference-based measure. Using data from the Scandinavian Obesity Surgery Registry (SOReg), we sought to develop a mapping algorithm to estimate SF-6D utility from OP. Furthermore, to test whether the mapping algorithm is robust to the effect of surgery.

Method
The source data SOReg (n = 36 706) contains both OP and SF-36, collected at pre-surgery and at 1, 2 and 5 years post-surgery. The Ordinary Least Square (OLS), beta-regression and Tobit regression were used to predict the SF-6D utility for different time points respectively. Besides the main effect model, different combinations of patient characteristics (age, sex, Body Mass Index, obesity-related comorbidities) were tested. Both internal validation (split-sample validation) and validation with testing the mapping algorithm on a dataset from other time points were carried out. A multi-stage model selection process was used, accessing model consistency, parsimony, goodness-of-fit and predictive accuracy. Models with the best performance were selected as the final mapping algorithms.

Results
The final mapping algorithms were based on OP summary score using OLS models, for pre- and post-surgery respectively. Mapping algorithms with different combinations of patients’ characteristics were presented, to satisfy the user with a different need.

Conclusion
This study makes available algorithms enabling crosswalk from the Obesity Problem Scale to the SF-6D utility. Different mapping algorithms are recommended for the mapping of pre- and post-operative data.
Nachhaltigkeit und Wettbewerbsrecht
Authors: Inderst Roman 
Published: May 2022

AbstractSustainability goals are frequently achieved through cooperation between companies. However, this is often inadmissible under current competition law. So far, the competition authorities have had to limit their assessment of cooperations and mergers to the effects in the relevant market. The EU Commission has now explicitly taken up the issue of sustainability in the draft Horizontal Guidelines. It introduces exemptable cooperation on “sustainability cooperation”. Thus, the exchange of information on sustainable suppliers will be permissible, as will a joint campaign to promote sustainability awareness. The article discusses the possibilities and problems arising from this.
Implementation and performance analysis of the PDR/GNSS integration on a smartphone
Authors: Jiang Changhui , Chen Yuwei , Chen Chen , Jia Jianxin , Sun Haibin , Wang Tinghuai , Hyyppa Juha 
Published: May 2022

AbstractPedestrian dead reckoning (PDR) is an effective technology for pedestrian navigation. In PDR, the steps are detected with the measurements of self-contained sensors, such as accelerometers, and the position is updated with additional heading angles. A smartphone is usually equipped with a low-cost microelectromechanical system accelerometer, which can be utilized to implement PDR for pedestrian navigation. Since the PDR position errors diverge with the walking distance, the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) is usually integrated with PDR for more reliable position results. This paper implemented a smartphone PDR/GNSS via a Kalman filter and factor graph optimization (FGO). In the FGO, the PDR factor is modeled, and the states are correlated with a dead reckoning algorithm. The GNSS position is modeled as the “GNSS” factor to constrain the states at each step. With a graphic model representing the states and measurements, the state estimation is converted to a nonlinear least square problem, and we utilize the Georgia Tech Smoothing and Mapping graph optimization library to implement the optimization. We tested the proposed method on a Huawei Mate 40 Pro handset with a standard playground field test, and the field test results showed that the FGO effectively improved the smartphone position accuracy. We have released the source codes and hope that they will inspire other works on pedestrian navigation, i.e., constructing an adaptive multi-sensor integration system using FGO on a smartphone.
Die neue Aarhus-Verordnung der Europäischen Union – ein Schritt zu mehr Rechtsschutz gegen Entscheidungen der Organe und Einrichtungen der Union
Authors: Rehbinder Eckard 
Published: May 2022

ZusammenfassungDie am 28. Oktober 2021 in Kraft getretene Änderungsverordnung zur Aarhus-Verordnung der EU
modernisiert den administrativen und gerichtlichen Rechtsschutz gegen Rechtsakte der Organe und Einrichtungen
der EU. Die Verordnung setzt einen Schlusspunkt unter das jahrelange Tauziehen zwischen dem Compliance-Ausschuss
der Aarhus-Konvention und der EU über die Vereinbarkeit des administrativen Überprüfungsverfahrens
nach der Verordnung mit den Anforderungen des Art. 9 Abs. 3 der Aarhus-Konvention. Wesentliche Regelungen
sind die Ausdehnung des Kreises der anfechtbaren Entscheidungen auf alle Rechtsakte nicht-legislativer Natur
und die Anerkennung von Antragsrechten Einzelner, wenngleich unter einschränkenden Voraussetzungen.
Kritisch zu bewerten sind insbesondere die fehlende Unabhängigkeit des administrativen Überprüfungsverfahrens
und die Bevorzugung der Umweltverbände beim Zugang zum Gericht der EU.
Primär- und Sekundärrohstoffwirtschaft nach dem Koalitionsvertrag
Authors: Frenz Walter 
Published: May 2022

ZusammenfassungIm Koalitionsvertrag finden sich auch Aussagen zur Primär- und Sekundärrohstoffwirtschaft:
Das BBergG soll reformiert, die Kreislaufwirtschaft gestärkt und ausgebaut werden. Während der
erste Bereich eher national ausgerichtet ist, wird der zweite stark vom EU-Recht geprägt, auf dessen
Fortentwicklung ebenfalls eingewirkt werden soll.
Hybrid Route Optimisation for Maximum Air to Ground Channel Quality
Authors: García Adrián Expósito , González Héctor Esteban , Schupke Dominic 
Published: May 2022

AbstractThe urban air mobility market is expected to grow constantly due to the increased interest in new forms of transportation. Managing aerial vehicles fleets, dependent on rising technologies such as artificial intelligence and automated ground control stations, will require a solid and uninterrupted connection to complete their trajectories. A path planner based on evolutionary algorithms to find the most suitable route has been previously proposed by the authors. Herein, we propose using particle swarm and hybrid optimisation algorithms instead of evolutionary algorithms in this work. The goal of speeding the route planning process and reducing computational costs is achieved using particle swarm and direct search algorithms. This improved path planner efficiently explores the search space and proposes a trajectory according to its predetermined goals: maximum air-to-ground quality, availability, and flight time. The proposal is tested in different situations, including diverse terrain conditions for various channel behaviours and no-fly zones.
BestOf: an online implementation selector for the training and inference of deep neural networks
Authors: Barrachina Sergio , Castelló Adrián , Dolz Manuel F. , Tomás Andrés E. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractTuning and optimising the operations executed in deep learning frameworks is a fundamental task in accelerating the processing of deep neural networks (DNNs). However, this optimisation usually requires extensive manual efforts in order to obtain the best performance for each combination of tensor input size, layer type, and hardware platform. In this work, we present , a novel online auto-tuner that optimises the training and inference phases of DNNs. automatically selects at run time, and among the provided alternatives, the best performing implementation in each layer according to gathered profiling data. The evaluation of is performed on multi-core architectures for different DNNs using , a lightweight library for distributed training and inference. The experimental results reveal that the auto-tuner delivers the same or higher performance than that achieved using a static selection approach.
Wastewater inflow time series forecasting at low temporal resolution using SARIMA model: a case study in South Australia
Authors: Do Phuong , Chow Christopher W. K. , Rameezdeen Raufdeen , Gorjian Nima 
Published: May 2022

AbstractForecasts of wastewater inflow are considered as a significant component to support the development of a real-time control (RTC) system for a wastewater pumping network and to achieve optimal operations. This paper aims to investigate patterns of the wastewater inflow behaviour and develop a seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) forecasting model at low temporal resolution (hourly) for a short-term period of 7 days for a real network in South Australia, the Murray Bridge wastewater network/wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Historical wastewater inflow data collected for a 32-month period (May 2016 to December 2018) was pre-processed (transformed into an hourly dataset) and then separated into two parts for training (80%) and testing (20%). Results reveal that there is seasonality presence in the wastewater inflow time series data, as it is heavily dependent on time of the day and day of the week. Besides, the SARIMA (1,0,3)(2,1,2)24was found as the best model to predict wastewater inflow and its forecasting accuracy was determined based on the evaluation criteria including the root mean square error (RMSE = 5.508), the mean absolute value percent error (MAPE = 20.78%) and the coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.773). From the results, this model can provide wastewater operators curial information that supports decision making more effectively for their daily tasks on operating their systems in real-time.
High-resolution records of cesium, plutonium, americium, and uranium isotopes in sediment cores from Swiss lakes
Authors: Röllin Stefan , Corcho-Alvarado José Antonio , Sahli Hans , Putyrskaya Victoria , Klemt Eckehard 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
The Aare river system in Switzerland, with two nuclear power plants on the banks of the river, and its intermediate lakes and reservoirs, provides a unique opportunity to analyze the contribution of different sources to the radioactive contamination. Sediment cores were collected from two lakes and a reservoir, all connected by the river Aare. In order to study the influence of the Chernobyl accident, one sediment core was collected from a lake in the southern part of Switzerland. The sediment cores were sliced and analyzed with gamma ray spectrometry. Plutonium, americium, and uranium were extracted radiochemically, and their concentrations were measured with a sector field ICP-MS. The uranium isotope ratios were further measured with a multi collector ICP-MS. The maximum 137Cs activity from the Chernobyl accident and the Pu and 137Cs activities associated to the 1963 global fallout maximum were well identified in sediments from all three lakes. High-resolution records of plutonium isotopes in the zone of the sediments corresponding to the period of maximum fallout from the atmospheric nuclear weapon testing showed distinct fingerprints, depending on the different test activities. Pu isotope ratios could be used to detect non-global fallout plutonium. The ratio 241Am/241Pu was used to determine the age of the plutonium. Despite of very low 241Pu and 241Am concentrations, the calculated plutonium production dates seemed to be reasonable for the sediment layers corresponding to the NWT tests. The calculated production date of the plutonium in the upper most 15 cm of the sediment core seemed to be younger. The reason for this could be additional non-global fallout plutonium. For the lake sediments, natural ratios for 235U/238U and enriched or depleted ratios for 234U/238U were measured, depending on the lake. A small increase of the 236U/238U ratio could be recognized for the NWT zone in all three lakes and, for Lake Lugano, a further distinct increase in the Chernobyl layer.
Low Income Amplifies the Negative Relationship Between Nostalgia Proneness and Well-Being
Authors: Newman David Benjamin 
Published: May 2022

AbstractNostalgia is a sentimental longing for the past that can influence people’s well-being. How this mixed emotion influences well-being may depend on current life circumstances. Nostalgia elicited in negative contexts could be particularly harmful to people’s well-being, whereas nostalgia elicited in positive contexts may not be as detrimental. This hypothesis was tested at the level of individual differences with a nationally representative sample of Americans (N = 6,732) who completed measures of nostalgia proneness and several indicators of well-being. Income was measured as an objective indicator of current life circumstances. Results showed that nostalgia proneness was negatively related to well-being, and income was positively related to well-being. Importantly, these relationships were moderated such that the negative relationships between nostalgia and well-being were stronger among members of low income households than among members of high income households. Consistent with the hypothesis, nostalgia proneness was particularly detrimental to well-being under objectively less desirable circumstances. These findings support an emerging body of research that contends that the effect of nostalgia on well-being depends on the context in which nostalgia is elicited.
The Clash of Two Epidemics: the Relationship Between Opioids and Glucose Metabolism
Authors: Koekkoek Laura L. , van der Gun Luna L. , Serlie Mireille J. , la Fleur Susanne E. 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
Purpose of Review
We are currently in the midst of a global opioid epidemic. Opioids affect many physiological processes, but one side effect that is not often taken into consideration is the opioid-induced alteration in blood glucose levels.

Recent Findings
This review shows that the vast majority of studies report that opioid stimulation increases blood glucose levels. In addition, plasma levels of the endogenous opioid β-endorphin rise in response to low blood glucose. In contrast, in hyperglycaemic baseline conditions such as in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), opioid stimulation lowers blood glucose levels. Furthermore, obesity itself alters sensitivity to opioids, changes opioid receptor expression and increases plasma β-endorphin levels.

Summary
Thus, opioid stimulation can have various side effects on glycaemia that should be taken into consideration upon prescribing opioid-based medication, and more research is needed to unravel the interaction between obesity, glycaemia and opioid use.
Geoconservation in Sicily (Italy): the Example of the Isola delle Femmine (Palermo)
Authors: Randazzo V. , Todaro S. , Provenzale S. , Di Dio V. , Di Stefano P. 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
The Regional Administration of Sicily recently erected Isola delle Femmine—a small island of the Tyrrhenian Sea, close to Palermo—as a geosite. A detailed geological survey has been carried out in order to define the most important geological features of the island together with the development of a new geological map based on topographic data and a digital model at 1:2.000 scale specially processed. Finally, a geological pathway through the island has been traced and illustrated. The geological substrate of Isola delle Femmine consists of a Mesozoic carbonate succession belonging to the Panormide Carbonate Platform. Two lithostratigraphic units have been differentiated. The lowest one consists of dolomitic limestones cropping out in the intermediate and northern part of the island. Despite the absence of biostratigraphic constrains, analogies with comparable deposits from the Palermo Mountains suggested to ascribe this unit to the Upper Triassic. The overlying unit consists of well-bedded rudist and stromatolitic limestones organized in peritidal cycles. The macro- and micro-facies analysis of these Cretaceous limestones allows to attribute this unit to the Lower Cretaceous (i.e., Aptian). Patches of upper Pleistocene skeletal calcarenites rich in benthic foraminifers and calcareous algae overlap the Mesozoic units. Spectacular speleothems such as stalagmites, ray crystals (“raggioni”) of calcite, and mammillary calcite suggest a relative long-lasting exposure of the Mesozoic carbonate substrate to groundwater. This is not surprising since glacio-eustatic oscillations caused sea-level to fall up to 125 m during the Pleistocene thus exposing and linking to the mainland (Sicily) Isola delle Femmine and the surrounding area.
Factors Associated with Condom Use in Vaginal Intercourse Among Spanish Heterosexual and Bisexual Men
Authors: Morell-Mengual Vicente , Dolores Gil-Llario María , Ruiz-Palomino Estefanía , Castro-Calvo Jesús , Ballester-Arnal Rafael 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
Introduction
In Spain, the sexual route is the main route of transmission in new HIV diagnoses. Men who have heterosexual relations are the second group with the highest incidence of new HIV cases and have the highest rates of late diagnosis in Spain. Planning the response to the HIV epidemic requires specific and updated information on this group. This study aims to analyze sexual practices and frequency of condom use in heterosexual and bisexual men and identify variables that explain inconsistent condom use in vaginal intercourse.

Methods
The sample consists of 386 men between 18 and 57 years of age (M = 24.61; SD = 6.74).

Results
The results indicate that the percentage of consistent condom use in vaginal intercourse is 64.9%. Not consuming drugs before sexual intercourse, perceiving a high self-efficacy for condom use, and good assertive communication skills are factors that positively influence condom use. In contrast, a high level of sexual compulsivity is a risk factor. The proposed model explains between 29.1% and 40% of the variance.

Conclusions
and Policy Implications.
Preventive actions implemented in this group should include work sessions that focus on developing assertive skills, reducing risks associated with drug use, and providing cognitive strategies to cope with compulsive sexual thoughts.
Preparation of PVDF membrane via synergistically vapor and non-solvent-induced phase separation
Authors: Chen Min , Sun Qianyun , Zhou Yue , Cui Zhaoliang , Wang Zhaohui , Xing Weihong 
Published: May 2022

AbstractPoly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) ultrafiltration (UF) membrane was prepared by vapor and non-solvent-induced phase separation (VNIPS) process, and the relationships between preparation conditions, phase separation behaviors and membrane structures were discussed. The phase diagram was generated by cloud point titration, the effects of environmental relative humidity, air exposure time and casting solution temperature on the structure and performance of the resulted membrane were investigated. The addition of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) additives to the casting solution made the system thermodynamically unstable and led the turbidity curve shift toward the solvent/non-solvent axis. The experimental results showed that both average pore size and porosity increased with higher relative humidity. When the relative humidity increased from 35 to 85%, the mean pore size increased from 35 to 70 nm. The effect of exposure time on membrane structure was related to the air environment. It was found that under low temperature and low humidity conditions, exposure time had little effect on membrane structure. When the relative humidity was 75%, the mean pore size and distribution increased with the exposure time extension from 1.0 to 30 s. The mean pore size of the membrane could be reduced by reducing the relative humidity. When the temperature of the casting solution increased, the membrane pore size reached maximum at 80 °C, and the spherulite on the surface of the membrane decreased. The spherulite morphology almost disappeared when the temperature of the casting solution reached 120 °C. In addition, with the increase in the casting solution temperature, large pores appeared in the sub-layer of the membrane, which gradually widened the pore distribution, leading to the decrease in the tensile strength. The preparation condition was optimized as low temperature of casting solution, low humidity and low temperature of the environment. The fabrication process showed the potential for scaling-up production of the PVDF UF membrane by the VNIPS technique.
Biosorption of malachite green dye over Spirulina platensis mass: process modeling, factors optimization, kinetic, and isotherm studies
Authors: Bonyadi Ziaeddin , Nasoudari Elaheh , Ameri Maryam , Ghavami Vahid , Shams Mahmoud , Sillanpää Mika 
Published: May 2022

AbstractSpirulina platensis is one of the types of blue-green algae that was used as a biosorbent in this study. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficiency of S. platensis in removing MG from aqueous solutions and also to evaluate the biosorbent capacity using different kinetic models and isotherms. To obtain the optimum condition for MG biosorption using BBD, input factors included the initial level of MG 20–200 mg.L−1), dose of S. platensis (0.1–1.5 g.L−1), pH (4–9), and contaact time (5–80 min). The statistical method of BBD was considered to evaluate the removal rate of MG dye from aqueous solutions. The prediction of MG removal efficiencies and the evaluation of variable interactions were performed using a polynomial equation. The maximum removal efficiency of MG was obtained as 94.12% under MG level of 100.54 mg. L−1, pH of 7.57, contact time of 52.43 min, and S. platensis dose of 0.98 g. L−1. The removal MG efficiency enhanced with the increase in pH, reaction time, and S. platensis dose, and reduced with the decrease in MG level. The quadratic model suggested that the pH had a high impact on MG removal. The isotherms and kinetics data could be properly illustrated by the Freundlich model and the pseudo-second-order equation. Thermodynamic factors, including ΔG0, ΔH0, and ΔS0 showed the adsorption of MG onto S. platensis was spontaneous and exothermic. The acquired findings also showed that the physisorption mechanism mainly govern the MG sorption process. As a result, S. platensis showed excellent adsorptive properties and hence could be offered as a viable option for eliminating MG from aqueous solutions.
Grassland allergenicity increases with urbanisation and plant invasions
Authors: Bernard-Verdier Maud , Seitz Birgit , Buchholz Sascha , Kowarik Ingo , Lasunción Mejía Sara , Jeschke Jonathan M. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractPollen allergies have been on the rise in cities, where anthropogenic disturbances, warmer climate and introduced species are shaping novel urban ecosystems. Yet, the allergenic potential of these urban ecosystems, in particular spontaneous vegetation outside parks and gardens, remains poorly known. We quantified the allergenic properties of 56 dry grasslands along a double gradient of urbanisation and plant invasion in Berlin (Germany). 30% of grassland species were classified as allergenic, most of them being natives. Urbanisation was associated with an increase in abundance and diversity of pollen allergens, mainly driven by an increase in allergenic non-native plants. While not inherently more allergenic than native plants, the pool of non-natives contributed a larger biochemical diversity of allergens and flowered later than natives, creating a broader potential spectrum of allergy. Managing novel risks to urban public health will involve not only targeted action on allergenic non-natives, but also policies at the habitat scale favouring plant community assembly of a diverse, low-allergenicity vegetation. Similar approaches could be easily replicated in other cities to provide a broad quantification and mapping of urban allergy risks and drivers.