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Background and objective: Large intestinal fermentation of dietary fiber may control meal-related glycemia and appetite via the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and the secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY). We investigated whether this mechanism contributes to the efficacy of the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) by assessing the effect of oligofructose-enriched inulin (inulin) vs. maltodextrin (MDX) on breath hydrogen (a marker of intestinal fermentation), plasma SCFAs, gut hormones, insulin and blood glucose concentrations as well as appetite in RYGB patients. Method: Eight RYGB patients were studied on two occasions before and ~8 months after surgery using a cross-over design. Each patient received 300 ml orange juice containing 25 g inulin or an equicaloric load of 15.5 g MDX after an overnight fast followed by a fixed portion snack served 3 h postprandially. Blood samples were collected over 5 h and breath hydrogen measured as well as appetite assessed using visual analog scales. Results: Surgery increased postprandial secretion of GLP-1 and PYY (P ≤ 0.05); lowered blood glucose and plasma insulin increments (P ≤ 0.05) and reduced appetite ratings in response to both inulin and MDX. The effect of inulin on breath hydrogen was accelerated after surgery with an increase that was earlier in onset (2.5 h vs. 3 h, P ≤ 0.05), but less pronounced in magnitude. There was, however, no effect of inulin on plasma SCFAs or plasma GLP-1 and PYY after the snack at 3 h, neither before nor after surgery. Interestingly, inulin appeared to further potentiate the early-phase glucose-lowering and second-meal (3–5 h) appetite-suppressive effect of surgery with the latter showing a strong correlation with early-phase breath hydrogen concentrations. Conclusion: RYGB surgery accelerates large intestinal fermentation of inulin, however, without measurable effects on plasma SCFAs or plasma GLP-1 and PYY. The glucose-lowering and appetite-suppressive effects of surgery appear to be potentiated with inulin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the multitude of scales present in realistic oceanic conditions, resolving the surface stress is computationally intensive, motivating modeling approaches. In this work, a dynamic wave drag model is developed for large eddy simulation (LES) to quantify the effects of multiscale dynamically rough surfaces on the atmospheric boundary layer. The waves are vertically unresolved, and the total drag due to the horizontally resolved portion of the wave spectrum is computed through a superposition of the force from each mode. As LES can only resolve the horizontal wind–wave interactions to the filter scale Δ, the effects of the horizontally unresolved, subfilter waves are modeled by specifying a roughness length scale characterizing the unresolved wave energy spectrum. This subfilter roughness is set proportional to the subfilter root mean square of the wave height distribution, and the constant of proportionality is evaluated dynamically during the simulation based on the assumption that the total drag force at the wave surface is independent of the filter scale. The dynamic approach is used to simulate the airflow over a spectrum of moving waves, and the results are validated against high-fidelity phase-resolved simulations. The dynamic approach combined with the wave spectrum drag model is then used to study flow through a fixed-bottom offshore wind farm array, equivalent to an infinite farm, with each turbine represented using an actuator disk model. The dynamic model accurately adapts to the changing velocity field and accurately predicts the mean velocity profiles and power produced from the offshore wind farm. Furthermore, the effect of the wind–wave interactions on the mean velocity profiles, power production, and kinetic energy budget is quantified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to report nine patients of young women who underwent a surgical treatment of an accessory and cavitated uterine mass (ACUM) in our hospital between 2014 and 2022 and review all cases described in the literature. Material and methods: The principal outcomes measured are the imaging techniques used to determine the diagnosis, the type of surgery used and the post-operative evolution of symptoms. We also report and analyse the 79 patients found in the literature since 1996 in addition to our 9 patients. Results: Surgical excision is the only long-lasting treatment. Small invasive surgery with laparoscopic access is the gold standard and most widely used (83.0%). Some new therapeutic procedures have been recently described of which ethanol sclerotherapy seems very promising. Post-operatively, 54.5% of patients have a complete relief of symptoms. MRI is the best imaging technique to identify ACUM. Finally, we refine the description of this pathology and give a more precise definition of it. Conclusion: Through our literature review and the analysis of our cases, we want to underline an important diagnostic criterion of this pathology: the fallopian tube on the homolateral side of the ACUM never communicates with the latter. It is a capital element for differential diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In laser-based directed energy deposition (L-DED) of Inconel 718 the microstructure of the fabricated components strongly depends on the applied process parameters and the resulting solidification conditions. Numerous studies have shown that the process parameters deposition speed and laser power have a major influences on microstructural properties, such as dendrite morphology and segregation behavior. This study investigates how changes in these process parameters affect the microstructure and hardness when the line mass, and thus the resulting layer height, are kept constant. This enables the microstructural comparison of geometrically similar specimens that were manufactured with the same number of layers but severely different process parameters. This approach yields the benefit of almost identical geometrical boundary conditions, such as the layer-specific build-height and heat conducting cross section, for all specimens. For microstructural analysis scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were applied and the results evaluated in a quantitative manner. The microstructural features primary dendritic arm spacing, fraction and morphology of precipitated Laves phase as well as the spatially resolved chemical composition were measured along the build-up direction. The occurring cooling rates were calculated based on the primary dendritic arm spacing using semi-empirical models. Three different models used by others researchers were applied and evaluated with respect to their applicability for L-DED. Finally, microhardness measurements were performed for a baseline evaluation of the influence on the materials' mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. During the commissioning of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the mid-infrared instrument (MIRI) observed NGC 6552 with the MIRI Imager and the Medium-Resolution Spectrograph (MRS). NGC 6552 is an active galactic nucleus (AGN) at a redshift of 0.0266 (DL = 120 Mpc) classified as a Seyfert 2 nucleus in the optical and Compton-thick AGN in the X-ray. Aims. This work exemplifies and demonstrates the MRS capabilities to study the mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectra and characterise the physical conditions and kinematics of the ionised and molecular gas in the nuclear regions of nearby galaxies. Methods. MIRI Imager observations covers the full NGC 6552 galaxy at 5.6 m. MRS observations covers its nuclear region (3.64.3 kpc at 17.7-27.9 m) in a wavelength range between 4.9 and 27.9 m. These observations were obtained with the aim to investigate the persistence of the MIRI detectors (residual signal left from previous bright source observations). However, NGC 6552 observations demonstrate the performance and power of the MIRI instrument even with a non-optimal observational strategy. Results. We obtained the nuclear, circumnuclear, and central mid-IR spectra of NGC 6552. They provide the first clear observational evidence for a nuclear outflow in NGC 6552. The outflow contributes to 67±7% of the total line flux independent of the ionisation potential (27-187 eV) and critical densities (104-4106 cm3), showing an average blue-shifted peak velocity of 127±45 km s1 and an outflow maximal velocity of 698±80 km s1. Since the mid-IR photons penetrate dusty regions as effciently as X-ray keV photons, we interpret these results as the evidence for a highly ionised, non-stratified, AGN-powered, and fast outflowing gas in a low density environment (few 103 cm3) located very close (<0.2 kpc) to the Compton-thick AGN. Nine pure rotational molecular Hydrogen lines are detected and spectrally resolved, and exhibit symmetric Gaussian profiles, consistent with the galactic rotation, and with no evidence of outflowing H2 material. We detect a warm H2 mass of 1:9 ± 1:1 107 M in the central region (1.8 kpc in diameter) of the galaxy, with almost 30% of that mass in the circumnuclear region. Line ratios confirm that NGC 6552 has a Seyfert nucleus with a black hole mass estimated in the range of 0.6-6 million solar masses. Conclusions. This work demonstrates the power of the newly commissioned MIRI Medium Resolution Spectrograph to reveal new insights in the kinematics and ionisation state of the interstellar medium around the dusty nuclear regions of nearby active galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of subduction zones that facilitated the northward translation of the Anatolide‐Tauride continental terrane derived from Gondwana to the southern margin of Eurasia at the longitude of western Turkey is debated. We hypothesized that if two north dipping subduction zones facilitated incipient collision in western Turkey, a late Cretaceous arc would have formed within the Neotethys and along the southern margin of Eurasia. To determine if an island arc formed within the Neotethys we investigated the sedimentary record of the Central Sakarya basin, which was deposited along the southern margin of Eurasia from 85 to 45 million years ago. Detrital zircon deposited within the lower levels of the Central Sakarya basin (the Değirmenözü Formation) are associated with south to north‐directed paleocurrents and exhibit a unimodal late Cretaceous age peak sourced from isotopically juvenile mantle melts. Zircon maximum depositional ages from the Değirmenözü Formation cluster between 95 and 90 Ma and are 5–10 Myr older than biostratigraphic depositional ages. Between 95 and 80 Ma, a 12‐unit shift from mantle to crustal derived εHf values occurs in the overlying Yenipazar Formation. We explain the absence of Paleozoic, Eurasian‐sourced detrital zircon, the rapid shift from mantle to crustal derived εHf values, and lag time in terms of passive margin subduction within an isolated intra‐oceanic subduction zone, whose island arc was reworked from south to north into the Central Sakarya basin during incipient collision. Thus, widely outcropping late Cretaceous plutonic rocks within Eurasia must have belonged to an additional convergent margin. Key Points: We leveraged the isotopic signature of subducted passive margin to test incipient collision models in northwest TurkeyPassive margin subduction resulted in the development of an isolated intra‐oceanic basinTwo north dipping subduction zones facilitated incipient collision in the region [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical outcomes and prognosis of patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery for tubo-ovarian abscess (TOA) and identify risk factors for pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) recurrence. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis including 98 women who underwent laparoscopic surgery for TOA at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Bern University Hospital from January 2011 to May 2021. The primary outcome studied was the recurrence of PID after TOA surgery. Clinical, laboratory, imaging, and surgical outcomes were examined as possible risk factors for PID recurrence. Results: Out of the 98 patients included in the study, 21 (21.4%) presented at least one PID recurrence after surgery. In the univariate regression analysis, the presence of endometriosis, ovarian endometrioma, and the isolation of E. coli in the microbiology cultures correlated with PID recurrence. However, only endometriosis was identified as an independent risk factor in the multivariate analysis (OR (95% CI): 9.62 (1.931, 47.924), p < 0.01). With regard to the time of recurrence after surgery, two distinct recurrence clusters were observed. All patients with early recurrence (≤ 45 days after TOA surgery) were cured after 1 or 2 additional interventions, whereas 40% of the patients with late recurrence (> 45 days after TOA surgery) required 3 or more additional interventions until cured. Conclusion: Endometriosis is a significant risk factor for PID recurrence after TOA surgery. Optimized therapeutic strategies such as closer postsurgical follow-up as well as longer antibiotic and hormonal therapy should be assessed in further studies in this specific patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Oncology Nursing Journal is the property of Pappin Communications and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Zoology is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: To date, no oral antiviral drug has proven to be beneficial in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Methods: In this randomized, controlled, open-label, platform trial, we randomly assigned patients ≥18 years hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia to receive either camostat mesylate (CM) (considered standard-of-care) or lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/RTV). The primary endpoint was time to sustained clinical improvement (≥48 h) of at least one point on the 7- category WHO scale. Secondary endpoints included length of stay (LOS), need for mechanical ventilation (MV) or death, and 29-day mortality. Results: 201 patients were included in the study (101 CM and 100 LPV/RTV) between 20 April 2020 and 14 May 2021. Mean age was 58.7 years, and 67% were male. The median time from symptom onset to randomization was 7 days (IQR 5–9). Patients in the CM group had a significantly shorter time to sustained clinical improvement (HR = 0.67, 95%-CI 0.49–0.90; 9 vs. 11 days, p = 0.008) and demonstrated less progression to MV or death [6/101 (5.9%) vs. 15/100 (15%), p = 0.036] and a shorter LOS (12 vs. 14 days, p = 0.023). A statistically nonsignificant trend toward a lower 29-day mortality in the CM group than the LPV/RTV group [2/101 (2%) vs. 7/100 (7%), p = 0.089] was observed. Conclusion: In patients hospitalized for COVID-19, the use of CM was associated with shorter time to clinical improvement, reduced need for MV or death, and shorter LOS than the use of LPV/RTV. Furthermore, research is needed to confirm the efficacy of CM in larger placebo-controlled trials [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Der Gynäkologe is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Research work was performed on adaptive steering columns that can be integrated in passenger cars and could minimize injuries to the occupants in frontal car crashes. Steering columns are typically equipped with a deformation device, which allows limited forward displacement of the steering wheel when being impacted dynamically by the occupant. As these features perform on pre-described force levels, they deform less when loaded with lower energy, so e.g. when impacted by a smaller occupant. So especially for small occupants the maximum available forward displacement is not used, these passengers will be decelerated on a higher g-level than needed. A component simulation model with a standard restraint system was set up using Hypermesh and LS-Dyna to investigate kinematics and injury pattern for all available dummy sizes (5-50-95%ile). For the steering column, a damping device was developed allowing adaptive force levels with help of magneto-rheological fluids. This advanced safety feature could improve safety for a wide range of occupants in passenger cars and will help to minimize or even prevent injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Metabolic and electrolyte imbalances are some of the reversible causes of cardiac arrest and can be diagnosed even in the pre-hospital setting with a mobile analyser for point-of-care testing (POCT). Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study, which included analysing all pre-hospital resuscitations in the study region between October 2015 and December 2016. A mobile POCT analyser (Alere epoc®) was available at the scene of each resuscitation. We analysed the frequency of use of POCT, the incidence of pathological findings, the specific interventions based on POCT as well as every patient's eventual outcome. Results: N = 263 pre-hospital resuscitations were included and in n = 98 of them, the POCT analyser was used. Of these measurements, 64% were performed using venous blood and 36% using arterial blood. The results of POCT showed that 63% of tested patients had severe metabolic acidosis (pH < 7.2 + BE < − 5 mmol/l). Of these patients, 82% received buffering treatment with sodium bicarbonate. Potassium levels were markedly divergent normal (> 6.0 mmol/l/ < 2.5 mmol/l) in 17% of tested patients and 14% of them received a potassium infusion. On average, the pre-hospital treatment time between arrival of the first emergency medical responders and the beginning of transport was 54 (± 20) min without POCT and 60 (± 17) min with POCT (p = 0.07). Overall, 21% of patients survived to hospital discharge (POCT 30% vs no POCT 16%, p = 0.01, Φ = 0.16). Conclusions: Using a POCT analyser in pre-hospital resuscitation allows rapid detection of pathological acid–base imbalances and potassium concentrations and often leads to specific interventions on scene and could improve the probability of survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) interferes with the vascular endothelium. It is not known whether COVID‐19 additionally affects arterial stiffness. Methods: This case–control study compared brachial‐ankle pulse wave (baPWV) and carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocities (cfPWV) of acutely ill patients with and without COVID‐19. Results: Twenty‐two COVID‐19 patients (50% females, 77 [67–84] years) were compared with 22 age‐ and sex‐matched controls. In COVID‐19 patients, baPWV (19.9 [18.4–21.0] vs. 16.0 [14.2–20.4], P = 0.02) and cfPWV (14.3 [13.4–16.0] vs. 11.0 [9.5–14.6], P = 0.01) were higher than in the controls. In multiple regression analysis, COVID‐19 was independently associated with higher cfPWV (β = 3.164, P = 0.004) and baPWV (β = 3.532, P = 0.003). PWV values were higher in nonsurvivors. In survivors, PWV correlated with length of hospital stay. Conclusion: COVID‐19 appears to be related to an enhanced PWV reflecting an increase in arterial stiffness. Higher PWV might be related to an increased length of hospital stay and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a dense Copernicus Sentinel-1 time series is analyzed to gain a better understanding of the influence of undergrowth vegetation, in particular of eagle fern (Pteridium aquilinum), on the C-band SAR signal in a temperate forest in the Free State of Thuringia, Germany. Even if signals from the ground below the canopy may not be expected at C-band, previous studies showed seasonal fluctuations of the backscatter for temperate forests without canopy closure, notably for evergreen coniferous stands. Many factors can be responsible for these observed fluctuations, but in this study, we analyze one possible factor: the presence of undergrowth vegetation, in particular, of fern. Especially, the Sentinel-1 backscatter signal is analyzed for different acquisition configurations regarding its temporal and its spatial stability at different growth stages. This time series study shows that a difference of backscattered signal of up to 0.7 dB exists between forest patches with a dense fern density in the understory and the ones with low undergrowth vegetation. This signal difference depends on the season and is remarkably strong comparing winter (no fern undergrowth) with summer (major fern undergrowth). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Limited data are available in the literature for upper limb impairment in multiple sclerosis (MS). This study aimed to report the distribution of values of hand grip strength (HGS), of the box and block test (BBT) and of the nine‐hole peg test (9HPT) correlated with demographic and clinical data in subjects with MS. Methods: This study involved five Italian neurological centres. The inclusion criteria were age ≥ 18, MS diagnosis, stable disease phase, right‐hand dominance. All subjects underwent HGS, BBT and 9‐HPT evaluation. Results: In all, 202 subjects with MS were enrolled: 137 females; mean age 48.4 years; mean Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) 4.17; mean disease duration 14.12 years; disease course 129 relapsing–remitting, 21 primary progressive and 52 secondary progressive MS subjects; mean right HGS 25.3 kg, left 23.2 kg; mean right BBT 45.7 blocks, left 44.9 blocks; mean right 9‐HPT 30.7 s, left 33.4 s. All results were statistically significantly different compared to healthy controls. HGS, BBT and 9‐HPT were associated with age, EDSS and disease duration, whilst disease course correlated with BBT and 9‐HPT. The BBT and 9‐HPT scores significantly differed according to level of disability (EDSS ≤3.0, 3.5–5.5, ≥6.0). Conclusion: Hand grip strength and BBT value distribution in a large MS population is reported. Correlations between HGS, BBT and 9‐HPT were generally low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: The literature provides contrasting results on the efficacy of levetiracetam (LEV) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with cerebellar signs. It was sought to evaluate the efficacy of LEV on upper limb movement in MS patients. Methods: In this multicenter double‐blind placebo‐controlled crossover study, MS patients with prevalently cerebellar signs were randomly allocated into two groups: LEV followed by placebo (group 1) or placebo followed by LEV (group 2). Clinical assessments were performed by a blinded physician at T0 (day 1), T1 (day 22), T2 (2‐week wash‐out period, day 35) and T3 (day 56). The primary outcome was dexterity in the arm with greater deficit, assessed by the nine‐hole peg test (9HPT). Secondary clinical outcomes included responders on the 9HPT (∆9HPT >20%), tremor activity of the daily living questionnaire and self‐defined upper limb impairment, through a numeric rating scale. Kinematic evaluation was performed using a digitizing tablet, providing data on normalized jerk, aiming error and centripetal acceleration. Results: Forty‐eight subjects (45.2 ± 10.4 years) were randomly allocated into two groups (n = 24 each). 9HPT significantly improved in the LEV phase in both groups (P < 0.001). The LEV treatment phase led to a significant improvement (P < 0.01) of all clinical outcomes in group 1 and in dexterity in group 2. No significant changes were reported during both placebo phases in the two groups. Considering the kinematic analysis, only normalized jerk significantly improved after treatment with LEV (T0–T1) in group 1. Conclusions: Levetiracetam treatment seems to be effective in improving upper limb dexterity in MS patients with cerebellar signs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we analyze Sentinel-1 time series data to characterize the observed seasonality of different land cover classes in eastern Thuringia, Germany and to identify multi-temporal metrics for their classification. We assess the influence of different polarizations and different pass directions on the multi-temporal backscatter profile. The novelty of this approach is the determination of phenological parameters, based on a tool that has been originally developed for optical imagery. Furthermore, several additional multitemporal metrics are determined for the different classes, in order to investigate their separability for potential multi-temporal classification schemes. The results of the study show a seasonality for vegetation classes, which differs depending on the considered class: whereas pastures and broad-leaved forests show a decrease of the backscatter in VH polarization during summer, an increase of the backscatter in VH polarization is observed for coniferous forest. The observed seasonality is discussed together with meteorological information (precipitation and air temperature). Furthermore, a dependence of the backscatter of the pass direction (ascending/descending) is observed particularly for the urban land cover classes. Multi-temporal metrics indicate a good separability of principal land cover classes such as urban, agricultural and forested areas, but further investigation and use of seasonal parameters is needed for a distinct separation of specific forest sub-classes such as coniferous and deciduous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European container ports compete in partially overlapping hinterland areas. The objective of this study is to model port choice and obtain insight into port choice decisions for European container imports from Asia. The importance of port choice factors and their impact on port market shares in the hinterland were investigated. Furthermore, sensitivity of the model in predicting the impact of increasing fuel prices on port hinterlands was tested. Containerised imports of 231 European mainland regions were compiled, based on shipping data, port statistics, modal split and gross regional products. Using literature sources, 11 port choice factors were selected; five of these were found to be statistically significant. These factors and their respective weights were used as input for a logit port choice model to analyse container port imports for 31 ports; the most detailed model yet. A varying oil price scenario was used to show the application and sensitivity of the model. Changing oil prices were found to have an impact on modal split and on the average hinterland transport distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observing system simulation experiments (OSSEs) were conducted to evaluate the potential impact of the six Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio occultation (RO) receiver satellites in equatorial orbit from the initially proposed Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate-2 (COSMIC-2) mission, known as COSMIC-2A. Furthermore, the added value of the high-inclination component of the proposed mission was investigated by considering a few alternative architecture designs, including the originally proposed polar constellation of six satellites (COSMIC-2B), a constellation with a reduced number of RO receiving satellites, and a constellation of six satellites but with fewer observations in the lower troposphere. The 2015 year version of the operational three-dimensional ensemble–variational data assimilation system of the National Centers for Environment Prediction (NCEP) was used to run the OSSEs. Observations were simulated and assimilated using the same methodology and their errors assumed uncorrelated. The largest benefit from the assimilation of COSMIC-2A, with denser equatorial coverage, was to improve tropical winds, and its impact was found to be overall neutral in the extratropics. When soundings from the high-inclination orbit were assimilated in addition to COSMIC-2A, positive benefits were found globally, confirming that a high-inclination orbit constellation of RO receiving satellites is necessary to improve weather forecast skill globally. The largest impact from reducing COSMIC-2B from six to four satellites was to slightly degrade weather forecast skill in the Northern Hemisphere extratropics. The impact of degrading COSMIC-2B to the COSMIC level of accuracy, in terms of penetration into the lower troposphere, was mostly neutral. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debate persists concerning the timing and geodynamics of intercontinental collision, style of syncollisional deformation, and development of topography and fold‐and‐thrust belts along the >1,700‐km‐long İzmir‐Ankara‐Erzincan suture zone (İAESZ) in Turkey. Resolving this debate is a necessary precursor to evaluating the integrity of convergent margin models and kinematic, topographic, and biogeographic reconstructions of the Mediterranean domain. Geodynamic models argue either for a synchronous or diachronous collision during either the Late Cretaceous and/or Eocene, followed by Eocene slab breakoff and postcollisional magmatism. We investigate the collision chronology in western Anatolia as recorded in the sedimentary archives of the 90‐km‐long Sarıcakaya Basin perched at shallow structural levels along the İAESZ. Based on new zircon U‐Pb geochronology and depositional environment and sedimentary provenance results, we demonstrate that the Sarıcakaya Basin is an Eocene sedimentary basin with sediment sourced from both the İAESZ and Söğüt Thrust fault to the south and north, respectively, and formed primarily by flexural loading from north‐south shortening along the syncollisional Söğüt Thrust. Our results refine the timing of collision between the Anatolides and Pontide terranes in western Anatolia to Maastrichtian‐Middle Paleocene and Early Eocene crustal shortening and basin formation. Furthermore, we demonstrate contemporaneous collision, deformation, and magmatism across the İAESZ, supporting synchronous collision models. We show that regional postcollisional magmatism can be explained by renewed underthrusting instead of slab breakoff. This new İAESZ chronology provides additional constraints for kinematic, geodynamic, and biogeographic reconstructions of the Mediterranean domain. Plain Language Summary: The timeline of continent‐continent collisions and the creation of topography, volcanic activity, and thrust faults in Anatolia (Turkey) are highly debated. Continent‐continent collision occurs when oceanic crust between two continental plates has been entirely consumed back into the Earth's interior along a subduction zone. Previous work in western Anatolia suggests that 66–60 million years ago continent‐continent collision was followed by catastrophic rupturing of the sinking oceanic crust, a process known as slab breakoff. Numerical models and field observations demonstrate that slab breakoff is followed by rebound and surface uplift of the overriding plate producing local extension and interrupting sedimentation. By studying a syncollisional sedimentary basin, we determined the sedimentary infill is 52–48 million years old and sourced from both continents, indicating collision must have occurred prior to 52 million years ago. This timing validates previous predictions of synchronous collision across western and central Turkey. Furthermore, the timing of basin infill directly overlaps with the timing of proposed slab breakoff. Our observations and data contradict predictions of the slab breakoff model making breakoff an unlikely candidate. Instead, we propose continued shortening and collision as the cause for the co‐occurrence of sedimentary basin formation, deformation, and volcanism observed throughout western Turkey. Key Points: The Sarıcakaya Basin is an Eocene sedimentary basin formed by flexural loading from the syncollisional Sogut Thrust faultSarıcakaya Basin magmatism and deformation chronology are similar to central Anatolia, supporting synchronous collision across AnatoliaEocene thrust loading, sedimentation, and convergence in the Sarıcakaya Basin contradict previous interpretations of Eocene slab breakoff [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of machine learning and deep learning algorithms for image analysis depends significantly on the quantity and quality of the training data. The generation of annotated training data is often costly, time-consuming and laborious. Data augmentation is a powerful option to overcome these drawbacks. Therefore, we augment training data by rendering images with arbitrary poses from 3D models to increase the quantity of training images. These training images usually show artifacts and are of limited use for advanced image analysis. Therefore, we propose to use image-to-image translation to transform images from a rendered domain to a captured domain. We show that translated images in the captured domain are of higher quality than the rendered images. Moreover, we demonstrate that image-to-image translation based on rendered 3D models enhances the performance of common computer vision tasks, namely feature matching, image retrieval and visual localization. The experimental results clearly show the enhancement on translated images over rendered images for all investigated tasks. In addition to this, we present the advantages utilizing translated images over exclusively captured images for visual localization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pumping of water during floods from hinterland drainage systems into the main river poses a health risk to fishes and comparative studies are crucial to identify the most fish-friendly pump designs and operations. We investigated the effects on fish health of pump passages through four conventional and one 'fish-friendly' pump. All pump types caused external fish injuries leading to direct and delayed mortality. Immediate mortality and injury intensity increased with revolutions per minute (rpm) and differed significantly (P < 0.05) between pump types. At the 'fish-friendly' Pentair pump (Fairbanks Nijhuis, London, UK), higher numbers of injuries resulting from blunt force (e.g. haemorrhage, scale loss and fin tears) were detected than at the conventional pumps, potentially due to the differences in blade design. The Köster pump (Köster, Heide, Germany) at low rpm proved to be similarly fish friendly as the specially developed fish-friendly Pentair pump due to the low number of entrained fishes. As a measure to reduce potential damaging to fishes, the pumps should run on low rpm as often as possible. This lowers the risk of collision with machine parts and hence mortality rate, as well as the suction effects see at high rpm. After long periods in an anergic state, pumps should generally run on low rpm before changing to higher rates. Pumping of water from hinterland drainage systems into the main river poses a health risk to fish. This study investigated the effects of pump passage on fish health, injury intensity and mortality. Immediate mortality and injury intensity increased with revolutions per minute (rpm). As a measure to reduce health risks for fish, the pumps should run at low rpm as often as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuroprostheses aimed to restore lost functions after a limb amputation are based on the interaction with the nervous system by means of neural interfaces. Among the different designs, intraneural electrodes implanted in peripheral nerves represent a good strategy to stimulate nerve fibers to send sensory feedback and to record nerve signals to control the prosthetic limb. However, intraneural electrodes, as any device implanted in the body, induce a foreign body reaction (FBR) that results in the tissue encapsulation of the device. The FBR causes a progressive decline of the electrode functionality over time due to the physical separation between the electrode active sites and the axons to the interface. Modulation of the inflammatory response has arisen as a good strategy to reduce the FBR and maintain electrode functionality. In this paper, transversal intraneural multi-channel electrodes (TIMEs) were implanted in the rat sciatic nerve and tested for three months to evaluate stimulation and recording capabilities under chronic administration of dexamethasone. Dexamethasone treatment significantly reduced the threshold for evoking muscle responses during the follow-up compared to saline-treated animals, without affecting the selectivity of stimulation. However, dexamethasone treatment did not improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the recorded neural signals. Dexamethasone treatment allowed to maintain more working active sites along time than saline treatment. Thus, systemic administration of dexamethasone appears as a useful treatment in chronically implanted animals with neural electrodes as it increases the number of functioning contacts of the implanted TIME and reduces the intensity needed to stimulate the nerve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiments with a global observing system simulation experiment (OSSE) system based on the recent 7-km-resolution NASA nature run (G5NR) were conducted to determine the potential value of proposed Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio occultation (RO) constellations in current operational numerical weather prediction systems. The RO observations were simulated with the geographic sampling expected from the original planned Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate-2 (COSMIC-2) system, with six equatorial (total of ~6000 soundings per day) and six polar (total of ~6000 soundings per day) receiver satellites. The experiments also accounted for the expected improved vertical coverage provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory RO receivers on board COSMIC-2. Except that RO observations were simulated and assimilated as refractivities, the 2015 version of the NCEP's operational data assimilation system was used to run the OSSEs. The OSSEs quantified the impact of RO observations on global weather analyses and forecasts and the impact of adding explicit errors to the simulation of perfect RO profiles. The inclusion or exclusion of explicit errors had small, statistically insignificant impacts on results. The impact of RO observations was found to increase the length of the useful forecasts. In experiments with explicit errors, these increases were found to be 0.6 h in the Northern Hemisphere extratropics (a 0.4% improvement), 5.9 h in the Southern Hemisphere extratropics (a significant 4.0% improvement), and 12.1 h in the tropics (a very substantial 28.4% improvement). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Spontaneous blood pressure increase is frequently observed after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). These episodes of spontaneous blood pressure alterations are usually tolerated under the assumption of an endogenous response to maintain cerebral perfusion. The relevance of blood pressure variability and its relationship to disease severity and outcome, however, remain obscure.Methods: A total of 115 consecutive patients with aSAH were included for this retrospective analysis of a continuously collected data pool. Demographics, initial clinical severity of aSAH (HH°, mFS), treatment modality, clinical course, and outcome (development of DCI, cerebral infarction, and GOS after 3 months) were recorded. Hemodynamic information-recorded automatically with a frequency of 1/15 min-was analyzed for spontaneous blood pressure increase (SBI) and endogenous persistent hypertension (EPH) after exclusion of iatrogenic factors and relevant co-medication. Subgroup analysis included stratification for day 0-3, 4-14, and 14-21.Results: SBI and EPH incidence varied from 17 to 84% depending on detection threshold (15-35 mmHg) and time period under scrutiny. Incidence of blood pressure increase correlated with disease severity upon admission (p < 0.05), but the anticipated association with outcome was not observed. SBI and EPH were more likely to occur between day 4 and 14 (p < 0.001), but only early occurrence (day 0-3) was associated with higher incidence of DCI (p < 0.05). Persistent blood pressure elevation between day 4 and 21 was associated with fewer DCI. However, no influence of spontaneous upregulation on clinical outcome after three months was observed.Conclusions: Spontaneous hemodynamic upregulation is a frequent phenomenon after aSAH. Our data support the hypothesis that spontaneous blood pressure alterations reflect an endogenous, demand-driven response correlating with disease severity. Early alterations may indicate an aggravated clinical course, while later upregulation in particular-if permitted-does not translate into a higher risk of unfavorable outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image-based localization or camera re-localization is a fundamental task in computer vision and mandatory in the fields of navigation for robotics and autonomous driving or for virtual and augmented reality. Such image pose regression in 6 Degrees of Freedom (DoF) is recently solved by Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). However, already well-established methods based on feature matching still score higher accuracies so far. Therefore, we want to investigate how data augmentation could further improve CNN-based pose regression. Data augmentation is a valuable technique to boost performance on training based methods and wide spread in the computer vision community. Our aim in this paper is to show the benefit of data augmentation for pose regression by CNNs. For this purpose images are rendered from a 3D model of the actual test environment. This model again is generated by the original training data set, whereas no additional information nor data is required. Furthermore we introduce different training sets composed of rendered and real images. It is shown that the enhanced training of CNNs by utilizing 3D models of the environment improves the image localization accuracy. The accuracy of pose regression could be improved up to 69.37% for the position component and 61.61% for the rotation component on our investigated data set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the start and end of the semester, 163 first- and second-year doctoral physical therapy (DPT) students from two campuses of an entry-level clinical doctoral education program completed the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory-School (OLBI-S), which explores two aspects of burnout (Exhaustion and Disengagement) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Students also identified the type and frequency of coping behaviors used across the semester. Score changes and coping behavior frequency were analyzed with paired t-tests and two-way mixed ANOVA. Exhaustion, Disengagement, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress all increased significantly by the end of the semester for the entire cohort. Second-year students were significantly more depressed, anxious, stressed, disengaged, and exhausted compared to first-year students. Ten coping strategies were identified. Positive coping strategies included exercise and time with family/friends. Negative strategies included use of social media and consuming alcohol. Students decreased overall use of coping activities as levels of distress and burnout increased. Students who increased time spent with Friends and Family during the semester demonstrated significantly less depression, anxiety and stress scores compared to those who spent the same or less time with Friends and Family. Awareness of the patterns of emotional distress, burnout, and coping can assist DPT educators in providing appropriate support and education on optimal strategies for self-care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The common forage grass Lolium perenne has evolved with the systemic fungal endophyte Epichloë festucae var. lolii. The endophyte provides herbivore resistance to the grass due to defensive alkaloids, some of which are toxic to grazing livestock. In this field study, we determine whether distribution of the endophyte‐grass association changes along a land‐use intensity gradient on 87 managed grasslands in three German regions. Endophyte infections were detected in 66% of the studied sites and infection rates within infected sites ranged from 1% to 95%. Alkaloid concentrations of lolitrem B (vertebrate toxin) exceeded the toxicity thresholds in 50 (14%) of 351 infected plants and of peramine (invertebrate deterrent/toxin) in 12 (3%) of 351 plants. Infection rates and alkaloid concentrations were not significantly affected by land‐use intensity and region, but alkaloid concentrations were higher in summer compared to spring. We conclude that risks for livestock intoxication are currently low, as (i) average alkaloid concentrations per grassland were always below toxicity thresholds and as (ii) none of the grasslands was dominated by L. perenne. We suggest avoidance of grass monocultures in Europe to keep intoxication risks for livestock low; we also recommend regular examination of seeds and grasslands, as seed producers might accidentally distribute infected seeds, and as climate warming might further enhance the distribution of Epichloë endophytes in European grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Ovarian, tubal, and peritoneal carcinomas primarily affect the peritoneal cavity, and they are typically diagnosed at an advanced tumor stage (Foley, Rauh-Hain, del Carmen in Oncology (Williston Park) 27:288-294, 2013). In the course of primary surgery, postoperative tumor residuals are, apart from the tumor stage, the strongest independent factors of prognosis (du Bois, Reuss, Pujade-Lauraine, Harter, Ray-Coquard, Pfisterer in Cancer 115:1234-1244, 2009). Due to improved surgical techniques, including the use of multi-visceral procedures, macroscopic tumor clearance can be achieved in oncological centers, in most cases (Harter, Muallem, Buhrmann et al in Gynecol Oncol 121:615-619, 2011). However, to date, it has not been shown that peritoneal carcinomatosis is, per se, an independent factor of prognosis or that it excludes the achievement of tumor clearance. Several studies have shown that a preceding drug therapy in peritoneal carcinomatosis could positively influence the overall prognosis (Trimbos, Trimbos, Vergote et al in J Natl Cancer Inst 95:105-112, 2003). In relapses of ovarian carcinoma, studies have shown that peritoneal carcinomatosis is a negative predictor of complete tumor resection; however, when it is possible to resect the tumor completely, peritoneal carcinomatosis does not play a role in the prognosis (Harter, Hahmann, Lueck et al in Ann Surg Oncol 16:1324-1330, 2009).Results: PIPAC is a highly experimental method for treating patients with ovarian, tubal, and peritoneal cancer. To date, only three studies have investigated a total of 184 patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis (Grass, Vuagniaux, Teixeira-Farinha, Lehmann, Demartines, Hubner in Br J Surg 104:669-678, 2017). Only some of those studies were phase I/II studies that included PIPAC for patients with different indications and different cancer entities. It is important to keep in mind that the PIPAC approach is associated with relatively high toxicity. To date, no systematic dose-finding studies have been reported. Moreover, no studies have reported improvements in progression-free or overall survival associated with PIPAC therapy.Conclusions: Randomized phase III studies are required to evaluate the effect of this therapy compared to other standard treatments (sequential or simultaneous applications with systemic chemotherapy). In cases of ovarian, tubal, and peritoneal cancer, PIPAC should not be performed outside the framework of prospective, controlled studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Subclinical chronic inflammation could be the driving force behind the recently revealed association between abnormal nailfold capillaries as well as autoantibodies and long-term mortality in patients with incipient Raynaud's phenomenon. Whether laboratory markers that reflect a chronic inflammatory process are directly related to mortality in Raynaud's phenomenon is not known.Methods: In total, 2958 patients with incipient Raynaud's phenomenon without previously known connective tissue disease (CTD) were enrolled. At their initial presentation, laboratory tests for C-reactive protein (CRP), leucocytes, fibrinogen and the haemoglobin concentration were obtained. In addition, nailfold capillaries and antinuclear antibodies (ANA) were assessed. Patients' mortality was recorded through a median follow-up period of 9.3 years.Results: Baseline CRP, fibrinogen and haemoglobin concentration were associated with long-term mortality in an individual analysis of patients with incipient Raynaud's phenomenon. In a multivariable model including patients' age, nailfold capillaries and ANA, a low haemoglobin concentration remained independently related to future mortality. Amongst potential predictors for mortality in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon, a low haemoglobin concentration was most strongly related to patients' mortality risk.Conclusion: In Raynaud's phenomenon, laboratory markers that can be attributed to a chronic inflammatory state independently yield prognostic information in addition to the presence of abnormal nailfold capillaries and ANA. Amongst all prognostic markers, the haemoglobin concentration is most strongly related to patients' mortality in Raynaud's phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we focus on understanding how institutional agents can and do foster success among Southeast Asian American (SEAA) students in higher education. Specifically, qualitative methods were utilized to examine the experiences of 34 SEAA undergraduate students at 5 public 4-year colleges and universities across the United States and understand the characteristics of institutional agents that helped SEAA students access social capital in college. The findings reveal that institutional agents who (a) shared common ground with their SEAA students, (b) humanized the educational experience, (c) espoused proactive philosophies, and (d) modeled a passion for learning and success positively influenced participants' access to social capital in college. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last decades saw numerous prospective clinical trials using different haemoglobin levels as transfusion triggers for packed red blood cell transfusion. In most studies, a restrictive strategy with a lower haemoglobin value as transfusion trigger and a lower haemoglobin target range was compared to a more liberal strategy with higher patient haemoglobin values already triggering transfusion. While such studies answered some important clinical questions in well‐defined study patient populations, many more questions in this field are still open. Studies in patients suffering from acute or chronic neurological disorders, whether traumatic or not, trials in haematological or gynaecological patients are still very scarce or were performed in extremely small cohorts. In addition, the haemoglobin measurement in daily clinical routine suffers from methodological, technical and operational shortcomings. This might impair clinical decisions regarding transfusion triggers. Preoperative anaemia poses a risk for the perioperative outcome of the patient. Thus, it is worthwhile to explore a potential causal relationship between the extent of preoperative anaemia and perioperative mortality. From the existing retrospective trial data comparing preoperative anaemia and perioperative outcome, no such decision can be taken. The best transfusion strategy and the optimal dosing for packed red blood cells are still missing in most indications. Sufficiently powered, prospective, randomized, controlled clinical transfusion trials for packed red blood cells in most clinical settings are urgently needed to reduce ill‐founded clinical decisions and to base transfusion strategies on clinical evidence and scientific study results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Hydropower‐related damage to fish remains a great challenge, making objective monitoring of turbine‐related fish injury a necessity. The catch of fish at turbine outlets is currently realised by net fishing, but potential catch‐related injuries are largely unknown. Catch efficiency and fish‐friendliness in relation to fish handling, exposure time, floating debris and fish biomass of four fish recovery installations were assessed using seven species. Highly species‐specific lethal and sublethal effects were observed. Exposure time had the strongest effects on catch‐related damage, being up to 150‐fold increase after 12 hr compared to 1 hr. Up to 84% mortality occurred in the most sensitive species Thymallus thymallus L. Besides exposure time, higher current speed and biomass within the net resulted in greater fish damage. To minimise catch‐related effects, keeping emptying periods <1–2 hr and considering the effects of current speed, fish and debris biomass are crucial to increase data comparability among studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the fields of mechanical engineering, friction is ubiquitous. It is a fundamental cause of energy loss and wear. Another concern is the occurrence of comfort‐relevant friction induced vibrations. Prominent examples of this are NVH phenomena such as brake squeal, which is being investigated at great expense by the German automotive industry and academia, to determine its causes and potential influencing factors. For this purpose, numerous specialized measurements are performed, and models of varying complexity are used. All of these measurements and models have the common trait that the coefficient of friction (COF), defined as the ratio of the tangential force and normal force, has a decisive influence on the systems' stability. To parameterize the friction coefficient in macroscopic models, measurements must be performed. In this case, often an average value over time and over various loading procedures is used. As the measurements reveal, the coefficient of friction is in reality not constant, but is subject to a high degree of dynamics on various time scales, caused by complex processes in the boundary layer. A treatment of the coefficient of friction as a steady‐state parameter, or even as a constant, is thus a major reduction. The large variability of the coefficient of friction causes a corresponding variance in the stability limits of the models considered. This phenomenon is observed in the real world, where squealing seems to have a non‐deterministic behavior. This suggests uncertainties in the modeling of the friction coefficient. Due to the various types of uncertainty (variability, incompleteness and inaccuracy), the entire problem is a matter of polymorphic uncertainty. This paper focuses on the modeling of the friction coefficient, taking into account the various causes of uncertainty. Selections of raw data obtained at the authors institute throughout many years of research on friction phenomena in brake systems will be evaluated and classified with respect to its uncertainty properties. (© 2017 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To ensure safe general anesthesia, manually controlled anesthesia requires constant monitoring and numerous manual adjustments of the gas dosage, especially for low- and minimal-flow anesthesia. Oxygen flow-rate and administration of volatile anesthetics can also be controlled automatically by anesthesia machines using the end-tidal control technique, which ensures constant end-tidal concentrations of oxygen and anesthetic gas via feedback and continuous adjustment mechanisms. We investigated the hypothesis that end-tidal control is superior to manually controlled minimal-flow anesthesia (0.5 l/min).Methods: In this prospective trial, we included 64 patients undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia. We analyzed the precision of maintenance of the sevoflurane concentration (1.2-1.4%) and expiratory oxygen (35-40%) and the number of necessary adjustments.Results: Target-concentrations of sevoflurane and oxygen were maintained at more stable levels with the use of end-tidal control (during the first 15 min 28% vs. 51% and from 15 to 60 min 1% vs. 19% deviation from sevoflurane target, P < 0.0001; 45% vs. 86% and 5% vs. 15% deviation from O2 target, P < 0.01, respectively), while manual controlled minimal-flow anesthesia required more interventions to maintain the defined target ranges of sevoflurane (8, IQR 6-12) and end-tidal oxygen (5, IQR 3-6). The target-concentrations were reached earlier with the use of end-tidal compared with manual controlled minimal-flow anesthesia but required slightly greater use of anesthetic agents (6.9 vs. 6.0 ml/h).Conclusions: End-tidal control is a superior technique for setting and maintaining oxygen and anesthetic gas concentrations in a stable and rapid manner compared with manual control. Consequently, end-tidal control can effectively support the anesthetist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present article, experimental and theoretical investigations regarding field-effect transistors based on two-dimensional (2D) materials are presented. First, the properties of contacts between a metal and 2D material are discussed. To this end, metal-to-graphene contacts as well to transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD) are studied. Whereas metal-graphene contacts can be tuned with an appropriate back-gate, metal-TMD contacts exhibit strong Fermi level pinning showing substantially limited maximum possible drive current. Next, tungsten diselenide (WSe2) field-effect transistors are presented. Employing buried-triple-gate substrates allows tuning source, channel and drain by applying appropriate gate voltages so that the device can be reconfigured to work as n-type, p-type and as so-called band-to-band tunnel field-effect transistor on the same WSe2 flake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compares the effectiveness and representativeness of electrofishing, snorkelling, seining, baited lift netting, multi-mesh gillnetting, baited fish traps, fyke netting, angling and longline fishing, considering three typical lentic flood-plain habitats at different times of day. Electrofishing was by far the most effective method yielding highest species richness, species trait representation and catch per unit of effort ( CPUE), followed by seining. For single species like dace Leuciscus leuciscus, European ruffe Gymnocephalus cernua, common bream Abramis brama and silver bream Blicca bjoerkna, seining was more effective than electrofishing. With both methods, some species were more consistently caught during night, dusk or dawn than during daylight. All other methods tested cannot be generally recommended for fish community assessments in shallow backwaters due to their low representativeness of species inventory and generally low CPUE. Based on these results, electrofishing of 30 m transect replicates at different times of day for monitoring the fish community in shallow backwaters, can be recommended, enabling the maximum possible comparability to adjacent river habitats. Seining should be considered as an alternative if accessibility of habitats is restricted or electrofishing is prohibited. The 25 species detected in the backwaters also suggest that these habitats contribute a large proportion of fish diversity and should be included in standard assessments of river ecological status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge on the extent and mechanisms of fish damage caused by hydropower facilities is important for their ecological improvement. Herein, a novel field-based fish injury assessment protocol is proposed that includes vitality and four general health criteria, as well as nine lethal and sub-lethal injury types across 18 body parts. The protocol was validated using 3,087 specimens from four species of hatchery-reared fish, as well as 2,262 specimens from 32 species of wild fish. The protocol allowed a detailed and systematic evaluation of different fish injury types in the field. Injuries related to handling and to contact with different parts of the hydropower structure could be distinguished applying multivariate statistics. This approach allows quantification and comparison of fish injuries across sites, and can help to identify the technologies and operational procedures that minimise damage to fish. It may also be useful to assess fish health in other contexts including aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virgin aggregate is heated and dried in a drum dryer and uses this heated mass to heat and dry reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and/or recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) materials in a drum mixer before blending with virgin asphalt binder. However, often the virgin aggregate temperature inside the dryer is unknown since many dryers do not have a temperature-measuring unit but the mixer has. Up to this end, thermodynamics and heat transfer principles are applied to predict virgin aggregate temperatures necessary to dry and heat RAP/RAS with varying moisture content and for various hot-mix asphalt (HMA) mix proportions. Among the many results, it is found that for a HMA mix consisting of 50% virgin aggregate with 3% moisture content and 50% RAP with 5% moisture content, the temperature required to raise the virgin aggregate temperature is 608°C to dry and heat virgin aggregate and RAP. For verification purposes, the virgin aggregate temperature is recorded at a drum plant facility, and thermodynamics and heat transfer principles are used to predict the virgin aggregate temperatures. It has been observed that for the HMA mix, the temperature predicted for larger-size virgin aggregate shows good agreement with the recorded value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess whether the intrafollicular cytokine profile in naturally developed follicles is different in women with endometriosis, possibly explaining the lower reproductive outcome in endometriosis patients. Methods: A matched case-control study was conducted at a university-based infertility and endometriosis centre. The study population included 17 patients with laparoscopically and histologically confirmed endometriosis (rAFS stages II-IV), each undergoing one natural cycle IVF (NC-IVF) treatment cycle between 2013 and 2015, and 17 age-matched NC-IVF women without diagnosed endometriosis (control group). Follicular fluid and serum was collected at the time of follicle aspiration. The concentrations of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-15, IL-18, TNF-α) and hormones (testosterone, estradiol, AMH) were determined in follicular fluid and serum by single or multiplexed immunoassay and compared between both groups. Results: In the follicular fluid, IL-1β and IL-6 showed significantly ( P < 0.001 and 0.01, respectively) higher median concentrations in the endometriosis group than in the control group and a tendency towards endometriosis severity (rAFS stage) dependence. The levels of the interleukins detectable in follicular fluid were significantly higher than those in the serum ( P < 0.01). Follicular estradiol concentration was lower in severe endometriosis patients than in the control group ( P = 0.036). Follicular fluid IL-1β and IL-6 levels were not correlated with estradiol in the same compartment in neither patient group. Conclusions: In women with moderate and severe endometrioses, some intrafollicular inflammatory cytokines are upregulated and not correlated with intrafollicular hormone concentrations. This might be due to the inflammatory microenvironment in endometriosis women, affecting follicular function and thereby possibly contributing to the reproductive dysfunction in endometriosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavily modified water bodies (HMWB) are characterized by monotonous and straightened channel morphologies with high degrees of bank enforcement. They often lack shallow bank habitats, which are considered important for critical life stages of fishes. In this study, three principle options to engineer shallow stream zones were assessed concerning the value of the created habitats for larval, juvenile and adult stages of fishes in 30 sites from three HMWB. The construction scheme of the juvenile habitats comprised different degrees of embankment ranging from rip-rap structures with steep bank angles to almost nature-like construction schemes with very flat river-banks and sparing usage of structural enrichment such as boulders and dead wood. In general, the differences between the three habitat types were more pronounced in density of different life stages than in the presence or absence of species or certain life stages. A steep bank angle and a high degree of engineering such as placement of rip-rap embankment, boulders or dead wood structure in the habitats were hardly accepted by early larval and juvenile stages of rheophilic fishes. In contrast, the construction scheme of a nature-like habitat with a flat bank angle (<10%), low water depth (mean = 24 cm) and a sparing usage of coarse woody debris (CWD) and boulders had the highest success. Other investigated habitat types did not provide additional benefit, neither in terms of supporting additional species and life stages, nor in high individual numbers and should thus only be implemented when land for restoration is scarce and nature-like habitats cannot be realized. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Efficacy testing of immunotherapy in field studies is often hampered by variation of airborne allergens. Standardized allergen exposure in challenge chamber settings might be an alternative. Therefore, we developed a universal technique to create an atmosphere loaded with allergen particles of adjustable size from aqueous solutions of licensed allergen extracts. Objective The aim of this study was to apply this technique and test the safety and efficacy of challenges with house dust mite ( HDM) allergen in the Fraunhofer allergen challenge chamber. Methods Aerosol particles carrying HDM allergen were produced by spray-drying of an aqueous solution containing HDM allergen and lactose. In a monocenter, placebo-controlled, single-blind, dose-escalation pilot study, 18 subjects with perennial allergic rhinitis and sensitization to HDM were exposed to HDM allergen for 4 h at either 250, 500, 1000 SQE/m3 or lactose alone (0 SQE/m3) 7 days apart. The dose of 500 SQE/m³ was repeated to investigate reproducibility. Total nasal symptom score ( TNSS) was the primary endpoint. Results Exposure to HDM increased TNSS (mean ± SD) to 3.4 ± 1.8, 3.3 ± 2.1, and 3.6 ± 2.0 at 250, 500 and 1000 SQE/m3, respectively, while lactose alone did not change TNSS (0.7 ± 0.6). The results were reproducible at 500 SQE/m3. Pulmonary function and adverse event frequency did not change with escalation of allergen dose. Conclusion This HDM allergen particle generation is safe, specific and reproducible and can therefore be used for efficacy testing of immunotherapy and for basic clinical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]