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Individuals make faster left responses to small/er numbers and faster right responses to large/r numbers than vice versa. This "spatial–numerical association of response codes" (SNARC) effect represents evidence for an overlap between the cognitive representations of number and space. Theories of the SNARC effect differ in whether they predict bidirectional S-R associations between number and space or not. We investigated the reciprocity of S-R priming effects between number and location in three experiments with vocal responses. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants completed a number–location task, with digits as stimuli and location words as responses, and a location–number task, with physical locations as stimuli and number words as responses. In addition, we varied the S-R mapping in each task. Results revealed a strong SNARC effect in the number–location task, but no reciprocal SNARC effect in the location–number task. In Experiment 3, we replaced physical location stimuli with location words and digit stimuli with number words. Results revealed a regular and a reciprocal SNARC effect of similar size. Reciprocal SNARC effects thus seem to emerge with verbal location stimuli and vocal responses, but not with physical location stimuli and vocal responses. The S-R associations underlying the SNARC effect with vocal responses thus appear bidirectional and symmetrical for some combinations of stimulus and response sets, but not for others. This has implications for theoretical accounts of the SNARC effect which need to explain how stimulus mode affects the emergence of reciprocal but not regular SNARC effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We assessed factors that affect the utilization of sperm cryopreservation before 2021, when patients covered expenses, and the influence on quality of life. Methods: Between 2011 and 2021, testicular cancer survivors (TCS) at our clinic completed a questionnaire, including EORTC QLQ-TC26, covering sperm cryopreservation, sociodemographic details, post-treatment births, and artificial insemination. Results: After 5.7 ± 3.0 years, 279 participants (64%) responded to the questionnaire. Among them, 33% (91/279) of testicular cancer survivors chose sperm cryopreservation prior to treatment, with 11% (10/91) using it for insemination. Conversely, 2% (3/188) without cryopreservation reported unfulfilled desire to have children. Univariate analysis showed TCS with cryopreservation were younger (30.6 ± 7.1 (35 (21–59)) vs. 42.4 ± 10.9 (48 (22–81)) years; p = 0.001), had a lower BMI (24.2 ± 3.3 vs. 26.6 ± 4.6 kg/m2; p = 0.009) and a lower Charlson Score (> 3: 36% vs. 60%; p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed older age (≥ 37 years: OR 13.1 (5.5–31.2), p < 0.001) and lower education (middle school or less: OR 3.3 (1.6–6.9), p = 0.001) as independent factors associated with not undergoing cryopreservation. Regarding quality of life, multivariate analysis identified a lower infertility anxiety score (OR 4.3 (2.0–9.0), p < 0.001) and higher age (≥ 44 years: OR 5.4 (2.6–11.3); p < 0.001) as predictors for the absence of prior cryopreservation. Conclusions: Age and education seem to impact the choice of undergoing paid sperm cryopreservation. Urologists should inform testicular cancer patients about costs and coverage. Importantly, the occurrence of unmet desires for parenthood is minimal among those who forego cryopreservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has long been known that under the right circumstances, inertial particles (such as sand, dust, pollen, or water droplets) settling through the atmospheric boundary layer can experience a net enhancement in their average settling velocity due to their inertia. Since this enhancement arises due to their interactions with the surrounding turbulence it must be modelled at coarse scales. Models for the enhanced settling velocity (or deposition) of the dispersed phase that find practical use in mesoscale weather models are often ad hoc or are built on phenomenological closure assumptions, meaning that the general deposition rate of particles is a key uncertainty in these models. Instead of taking a phenomenological approach, exact phase-space methods can be used to model the physical mechanisms responsible for the enhanced settling, and these individual mechanisms can be estimated or modelled to build a more general parameterization of the enhanced settling of inertial particles. In this work, we use direct numerical simulations (DNS) and phase-space methods as tools to evaluate the efficacy of phenomenological modeling approaches for the enhanced settling velocity of inertial particles for particles with varying friction Stokes numbers and settling velocity parameters. We use the DNS data to estimate profiles of a drift–diffusion based parameterization of the fluid velocity sampled by the particles, which is key for determining the settling velocity behaviour of particles with low to moderate Stokes number. We find that by increasing the settling velocity parameter at moderate friction Stokes number, the magnitude of preferential sweeping is modified, and this behaviour is explained by the drift component of the aforementioned parameterization. These profiles indicate that that when eddy-diffusivity-like closures are used to represent turbulent transport, empirical corrections used in phenomenological models may be potentially compensating for their incompleteness. Finally, we discuss opportunities for reinterpreting phenomenological approaches for use in coarse-scale weather models in terms of the exact phase-space approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Given the significant therapeutic gap for osteoporosis, this study aims to investigate the most common osteoporosis-related fracture. The analysis will also consider patients' serum vitamin D levels and the indications for basic osteoporosis diagnostic tests and osteoporosis therapy prior to fracture. Materials and methods: This prospective clinical trial included patients with distal radius fractures who underwent surgery at our hospital between 1 April 2021 and 7 April 2022. Blood samples were taken from all participants and existing risk factors for osteoporosis were recorded. In addition, the indication for a guideline-based osteoporosis diagnosis was assessed and the risk of another future fracture with FRAX® was calculated. This information was used to decide whether there was an indication for specific osteoporosis therapy. Results: A diagnosis gap of 53% and a treatment gap of 84% were identified among the 102 patients investigated. The patients' ages ranged from 46 to 91 years, with an average vitamin D level of 57 nmol/l, which was below the recommended level of 75 nmol/l. It was noted on a monthly basis that the vitamin D level (without substitution) never exceeded the recommended value of 75 nmol/l in any month. Three-quarters of patients had indications for a baseline osteoporosis diagnosis, yet less than 50% received one. According to FRAX® data, 57% of patients had indications for specific osteoporosis treatment before experiencing the fracture. Conclusion: Even without a previous distal radius fracture, many patients are in need of osteoporosis diagnosis or treatment. Our research suggests that patients with distal radius fractures should have their vitamin D levels checked via a blood test and be evaluated for osteoporosis. As endogenous vitamin D levels are often inadequate, year-round vitamin D supplementation should be considered for the prevention of osteomalacia and as a basis for the treatment of osteoporosis. German clinical trial register ID: DRKS00028085. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to present the current care situation of patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA), Takayasu arteritis (TAK), ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) and Behçet's disease (BD). Trends over the last 15 years will reflect improvements and remaining deficits in the management of vasculitides. Consecutive cross-sectional data from patients with vasculitides from the German National Database (NDB) of the Collaborative Arthritis Centres between 2007 and 2021 were included. Medication, physician- and patient-reported outcomes on disease activity and disease burden, inpatient stays and occupational participation are compared for different vasculitis entities and over time. Employment rates were compared to German population rates. Between 502 and 854 vasculitis patients were annually documented. GCA and AAV were the most common vasculitides. Median disease duration ranged from 2 to 16 years. Over the years, glucocorticoids decreased in proportion and dose, most markedly in GCA and TAK, while biologic therapies increased up to 27%. Physicians rated disease activity as low for the vast majority of patients, while patients-reported moderate outcomes in many dimensions. PROs remained largely unchanged. The proportion of employed patients (< 65 years) increased from 47 to 57%. In recent years, biologics are increasingly used in patients with vasculitides, while glucocorticoids decreased significantly. PRO's have not improved. Work participation increased but remains lower than that in the German population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The history of uranium isotopic reference materials from JRC-Geel during the last 50 years is reviewed by presenting certification methods and relevant applications. The certified isotope ratios are traceable to the SI via gravimetrical preparation, either directly through gravimetrical mixing of highly enriched materials, or indirectly using existing gravimetrically prepared reference materials for calibration of mass spectrometers used for certification measurements. Due to developments of mass spectrometers and analytical methods, certification measurements have improved regarding precision, uncertainties and accuracy. This has led to a comprehensive set of uranium isotopic reference materials available for nuclear safety, security and the scientific community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonlocal interactions of plasmonic nanostructures are currently being intensively investigated. It is generally accepted that nonlocal interactions are most pronounced on structures with nanometer unit sizes and affect the shape of spectral functions of characterizing quantities in the resonance region. Numerical analysis of nonlocal phenomena is very complicated and it is advantageous to use it for the analysis of geometrically more complex structures. For some simple structures it is possible to find analytical solutions which can then be used, among other purposes, to build semi-analytical approaches for the analysis of some more complex structures. This article is focused on the efficient description of nonlocal manifestations of the planar plasmonic layers using a hydrodynamic model. The originality is particulary focused on the extension from the single nonlocal layer towards the more general case of two adjacent nonlocal layers (bilayers). The results for both single layer and bilayer case are presented and discussed in detail. Also, one of the here presented important technical results is the novel presentation of the transfer matrices for the nonzero normal component of the current densities at the interfaces of the plasmonic layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study we present an interferometric technique based on multiple wavelengths to capture the transient free surface contour of nanolitre drops spreading on a wettable surface, in particular close to the three-phase contact line. Various data analysis procedures are evaluated in terms of error and noise sensitivity. The technique allows an unambiguous determination of the local liquid film thickness for optical path differences up to Δ s ≈ 3.19 μ m without the need of a known reference height. Film thicknesses as low as 0.1 μ m can be measured with the present optical configuration. The entire three-dimensional droplet shape is investigated for different capillary numbers, allowing also reliable measurements of the time-resolved contact angle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glaucoma is a leading cause of vision loss. First line therapy for primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) are topical ocular hypotensive drops. Patient adherence with topical therapy for glaucoma is a significant challenge with a reported adherence of 60%. The purpose of this review is to discuss factors associated with glaucoma adherence (including demographic factors, cost, patient education, health beliefs, treatment burden and regimen, and physical limitations) and to explore potential interventions to improve medication adherence. Articles included in this review were found by searching PubMed and Google Scholar using the key words "Glaucoma Treatment Adherence" and "Glaucoma Treatment Compliance." Data from this review demonstrates that higher medication cost, lower patient education/literacy levels, and being of African and Hispanic descent are associated with lower medication adherence rates. The data is inconclusive on whether medication regimen complexity lowers patient medication adherence rates. Interventions that have successfully improved medication adherence rates for minority patients have focused on building trust and addressing fears and false beliefs. For cost, explicit physician communication to patients regarding medication cost is important and can help the physician determine any patient concerns about cost. Outside the USA, adherence has been improved through adherence-contingent rebate systems and government subsidies. Most interventions that aim to increase adherence target patient education and literacy with the following interventions demonstrating efficacy: written instructions targeting glaucoma-specific health literacy, literacy level appropriate glaucoma education videos, and interactive and personalized educational programs. More clinic infrastructure and programs that utilize patient reminder tools and patient educators could help physicians and patients in support of these personalized action plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial–size association of response codes (SSARC) effect describes the phenomenon that left responses are faster and more accurate to small stimuli whereas right responses are faster and more accurate to large stimuli, as compared to the opposite mapping. The effect indicates associations between the mental representations of physical size and space. Importantly, the theoretical accounts of SSARC effects make different predictions about the reciprocity and/or symmetry of spatial–size associations. To investigate the reciprocity of SSARC effects, we compared compatibility effects in two verbal choice-response tasks: a size–location (typical SSARC) task and a location–size (reciprocal SSARC) task. In the size–location task, participants responded verbally to a small/large stimulus by saying "left"/"right". In the location–size task, participants responded verbally to a left-/right-side stimulus by saying "small"/"large". Participants completed both tasks with a compatible (small–left, large–right; left–small, right–large) and an incompatible (small–right, large–left; left–large, right–small) mapping. A regular SSARC effect emerged in the size–location task. However, no reciprocal SSARC effect emerged in the location–size task if outliers were excluded. If outliers were not excluded, small reciprocal SSARC effects occurred. Associations underlying the SSARC effect are thus strongly asymmetrical: Physical (stimulus) size can prime spatial responses much more strongly than spatial (stimulus) position can prime size-related responses. The finding of asymmetrical associations between size and space is in line with some theoretical accounts of the SSARC effect but at odds with others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thiamine (vitamin B1) is required by all living organisms in multiple metabolic pathways. It is scarce in natural systems, and deficiency can lead to reproductive failure, neurological issues, and death. One major cause of thiamine deficiency is an overreliance on diet items containing the enzyme thiaminase. Thiaminase activity has been noted in many prey fishes and linked to cohort failure in salmonid predators that eat prey fish with thiaminase activity, yet it is generally unknown whether evolutionary history, fish traits, and/or environmental conditions lead to production of thiaminase. We conducted literature and GenBank BLAST sequence searches to collect thiaminase activity data and sequence homology data in expressed protein sequences for 300 freshwater and marine fishes. We then tested whether presence or absence of thiaminase could be predicted by evolutionary relationships, trophic level, omega-3 fatty acid concentrations, habitat, climate, invasive potential, and body size. There was no evolutionary relationship with thiaminase activity. It first appears in Class Actinoptergyii (bony ray-finned fishes) and is present across the entire Actinoptergyii phylogeny in both primitive and derived fish orders. Instead, ecological factors explained the most variation in thiaminase: fishes were more likely to express thiaminase if they fed closer to the base of the food web, were high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, lived in freshwater, and were from tropical climates. These data provide a foundation for understanding sources of thiaminase leading to thiamine deficiency in fisheries and other organisms, including humans that eat uncooked fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supply chain contracting is known to suffer from inefficiency in the presence of asymmetric information. Full vertical integration would eliminate the informational inefficiency but can be strategically undesirable. Yet today's supply chain partnerships exhibit a certain degree of partial vertical integration via equity ties between the firms. Such governance forms received limited attention in supply chain research. Management literature suggests that partial vertical integration may help the firms to ease contracting problems by aligning their incentives, and thus improve the total surplus. We address this proposition by studying a model of a partially integrated supply chain in which the buyer holds an equity stake in the supplier. We adopt an operational perspective and investigate contracting between the firms within the joint economic lot size framework. We demonstrate that in this classical setting, partial integration can in fact be sufficient for eliminating informational inefficiency and achieving coordination. However, contrary to what one may expect, a tighter integration may harm supply chain performance and defeat coordination. We explain the underlying mechanism and investigate it analytically and numerically. Our results characterize sensitivity of supply chain performance to the degree of integration and stress the importance of the operational planning perspective for strategic decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep brain stimulation (DBS), a treatment for modulating the abnormal central neuronal circuitry, has become the standard of care nowadays and is sometimes the only option to reduce symptoms of movement disorders such as dystonia. However, on the one hand, there are still open questions regarding the pathomechanisms of dystonia and, on the other hand, the mechanisms of DBS on neuronal circuitry. That lack of knowledge limits the therapeutic effect and makes it hard to predict the outcome of DBS for individual dystonia patients. Finding electrophysiological biomarkers seems to be a promising option to enable adapted individualised DBS treatment. However, biomarker search studies cannot be conducted on patients on a large scale and experimental approaches with animal models of dystonia are needed. In this review, physiological findings of deep brain stimulation studies in humans and animal models of dystonia are summarised and the current pathophysiological concepts of dystonia are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants, animals and humans metabolically produce volatile isoprene (C5H8). Humans continuously exhale isoprene and exhaled concentrations differ under various physio-metabolic and pathophysiological conditions. Yet unknown metabolic origin hinders isoprene to reach clinical practice as a biomarker. Screening 2000 individuals from consecutive mass-spectrometric studies, we herein identify five healthy German adults without exhaled isoprene. Whole exome sequencing in these adults reveals only one shared homozygous (European prevalence: <1%) IDI2 stop-gain mutation, which causes losses of enzyme active site and Mg2+–cofactor binding sites. Consequently, the conversion of isopentenyl diphosphate to dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) as part of the cholesterol metabolism is prevented in these adults. Targeted sequencing depicts that the IDI2 rs1044261 variant (p.Trp144Stop) is heterozygous in isoprene deficient blood-relatives and absent in unrelated isoprene normal adults. Wild-type IDI1 and cholesterol metabolism related serological parameters are normal in all adults. IDI2 determines isoprene production as only DMAPP sources isoprene and unlike plants, humans lack isoprene synthase and its enzyme homologue. Human IDI2 is expressed only in skeletal-myocellular peroxisomes and instant spikes in isoprene exhalation during muscle activity underpins its origin from muscular lipolytic cholesterol metabolism. Our findings translate isoprene as a clinically interpretable breath biomarker towards potential applications in human medicine. Healthy adults not exhaling isoprene contain a stop mutation in the IDI2 gene, only expressed in muscle peroxisomes, suggesting that isoprene origins from muscular lipolytic cholesterol metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial–size association of response codes (SSARC) effect describes the phenomenon that left responses are faster and more accurate to small stimuli whereas right responses are faster and more accurate to large stimuli, as compared to the opposite mapping. The effect indicates associations between the mental representations of physical size and space. Importantly, the theoretical accounts of SSARC effects make different predictions about the reciprocity and/or symmetry of spatial–size associations. To investigate the reciprocity of SSARC effects, we compared compatibility effects in two verbal choice-response tasks: a size–location (typical SSARC) task and a location–size (reciprocal SSARC) task. In the size–location task, participants responded verbally to a small/large stimulus by saying "left"/"right". In the location–size task, participants responded verbally to a left-/right-side stimulus by saying "small"/"large". Participants completed both tasks with a compatible (small–left, large–right; left–small, right–large) and an incompatible (small–right, large–left; left–large, right–small) mapping. A regular SSARC effect emerged in the size–location task. However, no reciprocal SSARC effect emerged in the location–size task if outliers were excluded. If outliers were not excluded, small reciprocal SSARC effects occurred. Associations underlying the SSARC effect are thus strongly asymmetrical: Physical (stimulus) size can prime spatial responses much more strongly than spatial (stimulus) position can prime size-related responses. The finding of asymmetrical associations between size and space is in line with some theoretical accounts of the SSARC effect but at odds with others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When multiple species with similar trophic niches co-occur in an ecosystem, foraging, refuge, and breeding microhabitats are predicted to be partitioned in order to enable their coexistence. However, few studies have examined potential niche partitioning among vertebrates with a bi-phasic natural history, such as stream salamanders. In addition to microhabitat, the coexistence of multiple species and life-stages is likely facilitated by the partitioning of diet. As plethodontid stream salamanders have an aquatic larval stage and a semi-aquatic adult stage (i.e., post-metamorphic), the diets of multiple species and life-stages can elucidate patterns in their community structure. Specifically, dietary overlaps can be used to evaluate the level of niche overlap and thus, potential competition among different species and life-stages. In this study, we non-lethally examined the dietary overlap among five predacious aquatic larval and three semi-aquatic adult stream salamander species in southeastern Kentucky. Our data illustrated both inter- and intra-specific dietary overlaps among the stream salamander community. We additionally observed dietary overlaps among all adult salamanders and their larval counterparts. We found differential dietary clustering and separation among some of the species and life-stages. Though not directly tested in this study, our results are suggestive of selection/constraint to species- and life-stage-specific foraging microhabitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we present a promising diagnostic tool for melanoma diagnosis. With the proposed terahertz biosensor, it was possible to selectively and sensitively detect the early growth response protein 2, a transcription factor with an increased activity in melanoma cells, from a complex sample of cellular proteins. Fundamentally, the sensor belongs to the frequency selective surface type metamaterials and consists of a two-dimensional array of asymmetrically, doubly split ring resonator unit cells. The single elements are slits in a metallic layer and are complemented by an undercut etch. This allows a selective functionalization of the active area of the sensor and increases the sensitivity towards the target analyte. Hereby, specific detection of a defined transcription factor is feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human cognitive abilities, and particularly hippocampus-dependent memory performance typically decline with increasing age. Immunosenescence, the age-related disintegration of the immune system, is increasingly coming into the focus of research as a considerable factor contributing to cognitive decline. In the present study, we investigated potential associations between plasma levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and learning and memory performance as well as hippocampal anatomy in young and older adults. Plasma concentrations of the inflammation marker CRP as well as the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α and the anti-inflammatory cytokine TGF-β1 were measured in 142 healthy adults (57 young, 24.47 ± 4.48 years; 85 older, 63.66 ± 7.32 years) who performed tests of explicit memory (Verbal Learning and Memory Test, VLMT; Wechsler Memory Scale, Logical Memory, WMS) with an additional delayed recall test after 24 h. Hippocampal volumetry and hippocampal subfield segmentation were performed using FreeSurfer, based on T1-weighted and high-resolution T2-weighted MR images. When investigating the relationship between memory performance, hippocampal structure, and plasma cytokine levels, we found that TGF-β1 concentrations were positively correlated with the volumes of the hippocampal CA4–dentate gyrus region in older adults. These volumes were in turn positively associated with better performance in the WMS, particularly in the delayed memory test. Our results support the notion that endogenous anti-inflammatory mechanisms may act as protective factors in neurocognitive aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impacts of tropical interbasin interaction (TBI) on the characteristics and predictability of sea surface temperature (SST) in the tropics are assessed with a linear inverse modelling (LIM) framework that uses SST and sea surface height anomalies in the tropical Pacific (PO), Atlantic (AO), and Indian Ocean (IO). The TBI pathways are shown to be successfully isolated in stochastically-forced simulations that modify off-diagonal elements of the linear operators. The removal of TBI leads to a substantial increase in the amplitude of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and related variability. Partial decoupling experiments that eliminate specific coupling components reveal that PO-IO interaction is the dominant contributor, whereas PO-AO and AO-IO interactions play a minor role. A series of retrospective forecast experiments with different operators shows that decoupling leads to a substantial decrease in ENSO prediction skill especially at longer lead times. The relative contributions of individual pathways to forecast skill are generally consistent with the results from the stochastically-forced experiments. Qualitatively similar results are obtained from an additional set of forecast experiments that partially apply initial conditions over specific basins, but several important differences were also found due to differences in the representations of each TBI pathway. Finally, the cause of contrasting SST anomalies over the AO after the extreme 1982/83 and 1997/98 El Niño events is explored using LIM forecast experiments to demonstrate the strength and flexibility of our LIM-based approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A well-known and successful algorithm to compute the singular value decomposition (SVD) of a matrix was published by Golub and Reinsch (Numer. Math. 14:403–420, 1970), together with an implementation in Algol. We give an updated implementation in extended double precision arithmetic in the C programming language. Extended double precision is native for Intel x86 processors and provides improved accuracy at full hardware speed. The complete program for computing the SVD is listed. Additionally, a comprehensive explanation of the original algorithm of Golub and Reinsch (Numer. Math. 14:403–420, 1970) is given at an elementary level without referring to the more general results of Francis (Comput. J. 4:265–271, 1961, 1962). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with two interrelated topics: (1) identifying transient amplifiers in an iterative process, and (2) analyzing the process by its spectral dynamics, which is the change in the graph spectra by edge manipulation. Transient amplifiers are networks representing population structures which shift the balance between natural selection and random drift. Thus, amplifiers are highly relevant for understanding the relationships between spatial structures and evolutionary dynamics. We study an iterative procedure to identify transient amplifiers for death–Birth updating. The algorithm starts with a regular input graph and iteratively removes edges until desired structures are achieved. Thus, a sequence of candidate graphs is obtained. The edge removals are guided by quantities derived from the sequence of candidate graphs. Moreover, we are interested in the Laplacian spectra of the candidate graphs and analyze the iterative process by its spectral dynamics. The results show that although transient amplifiers for death–Birth updating are generally rare, a substantial number of them can be obtained by the proposed procedure. The graphs identified share structural properties and have some similarity to dumbbell and barbell graphs. We analyze amplification properties of these graphs and also two more families of bell-like graphs and show that further transient amplifiers for death–Birth updating can be found. Finally, it is demonstrated that the spectral dynamics possesses characteristic features useful for deducing links between structural and spectral properties. These feature can also be taken for distinguishing transient amplifiers among evolutionary graphs in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During its 25 years of existence, the Inorganic Analysis Working Group of the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance: Metrology in Chemistry and Biology (CCQM IAWG) has achieved much in establishing comparability of measurement results. Impressive work has been done on comparison exercises related to real-world problems in fields such as ecology, food, or health. In more recent attempts, measurements and comparisons were focused on calibration solutions which are the basis of most inorganic chemical measurements. This contribution deals with the question of how to achieve full and transparent SI traceability for the values carried by such solutions. Within this framework, the use of classical primary methods (CPMs) is compared to the use of a primary difference method (PDM). PDM is a method with a dual character, namely a metrological method with a primary character, based on the bundling of many measurement methods for individual impurities, which lead to materials with certified content of the main component. As in classical methods, where small corrections for interferences are accepted, in PDM, many small corrections are bundled. In contrast to classical methods, the PDM is universally applicable to all elements in principle. Both approaches can be used to certify the purity (expressed as mass fraction of the main element) of a high-purity material. This is where the metrological need of National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) for analytical methods meet the challenges of analytical methods. In terms of methods, glow discharge mass spectrometry (GMDS) with sufficient uncertainties for sufficiently small impurity contents is particularly noteworthy for the certification of primary transfer standards (PTS), and isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS), which particularly benefits from PTS (back-spikes) with small uncertainties, is particularly noteworthy for the application. The corresponding relative uncertainty which can be achieved using the PDM is very low (< 10−4). Acting as PTS, they represent the link between the material aspect of the primary calibration solutions and the immaterial world of the International System of Units (SI). The underlying concepts are discussed, the current status of implementation is summarised, and a roadmap of the necessary future activities in inorganic analytical chemistry is sketched. It has to be noted that smaller measurement uncertainties of the purity of high-purity materials not only have a positive effect on chemical measurements, but also trigger new developments and findings in other disciplines such as thermometry or materials science. Primary Transfer Standards (PTSs) are the link between the immaterial world of the International System of Units (SI) and the material aspects of the primary calibration solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For nuclear safeguards purposes, two new uranium oxide micro-particle isotope reference materials were certified, IRMM-2329P and IRMM-2331P, with 235U enrichments of 3% and 5%, and 236U abundances of 30 µg·g1and 60 µg·g1, respectively. The isotopic compositions of the base materials were measured by TIMS. The production of the uranium oxide particles was achieved using a vibrating orifice aerosol generator (VOAG) and the particles deposited on carbon planchets. Process control verification measurements on dissolved uranium oxide particles were performed by MC-ICPMS. For IRMM-2329P also the uranium amount per particle was certified by TIMS/IDMS and verified by MC-ICPMS/IDMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipid nanoparticles as delivery system for mRNA have recently attracted attention to a broader audience as COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. Their low immunogenicity and capability to deliver a variety of nucleic acids renders them an interesting and complementary alternative to gene therapy vectors like AAVs. An important quality attribute of LNPs is the copy number of the encapsulated cargo molecule. This work describes how density and molecular weight distributions obtained by density contrast sedimentation velocity can be used to calculate the mRNA copy number of a degradable lipid nanoparticle formulation. The determined average copy number of 5 mRNA molecules per LNP is consistent with the previous studies using other biophysical techniques, such as single particle imaging microscopy and multi-laser cylindrical illumination confocal spectroscopy (CICS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim of study was to quantify the temporal change of soil organic carbon content in relation to agricultural management for a dry sandy arable soil and to derive the C sequestration potential. Methods: We analyzed data from a long-term field experiment with three crop rotations of different cereal proportions, with two levels of straw application (removal/return) in combination with four mineral nitrogen rates (40 ... 160 kg ha-1 yr-1). Treatments are arranged in a two-factorial block design with two replicates for each rotation. During the 24-year study period, grain and straw yield of two cereal test crops and soil organic carbon content in topsoil were determined annually from each plot. Results: Soil organic carbon content was positively influenced by removing non-cereal crops from the rotation and – to a smaller extent – by straw application. Increasing mineral N-fertilization from 40 kg ha-1 yr-1 to higher rates increased grain yield of rye but not barley, increased straw yield of both cereals more, with no effect of higher straw yields on soil organic carbon content. Conclusions: Despite the overall soil organic carbon content of the sandy soil under study is comparatively low, the results indicate that agricultural management has a relevant impact on soil carbon stocks. Straw return contributes to carbon sequestration even in rotations with a low potential for reproduction of organic matter. High mineral N-fertilization is not an adequate measure to sequester carbon in these soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of the tropical Atlantic on El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is examined using dedicated climate model experiments with sea-surface temperature (SST) restoring. Partial SST restoring to climatology in the tropical Atlantic leads to slower decay of ENSO events and to a shift of the power spectrum to longer periods. Perfect model hindcast experiments with and without restoring tropical Atlantic SST to climatology indicate that both the northern tropical and equatorial Atlantic have a very small influence on ENSO development. During decaying ENSO events, on the other hand, northern tropical Atlantic SST anomalies strongly accelerate the decay. Key to the Atlantic influence on ENSO decay are Atlantic SST anomalies just north of the equator (~ 5°N). These lead to local convection anomalies that change the Walker circulation so as to accelerate ENSO decay. Importantly, anomalous events in either the northern tropical or equatorial Atlantic fail to develop in the hindcast ensemble mean, when tropical Pacific SSTs are restored to climatology. This indicates that anomalous tropical Atlantic events in boreal spring and summer are strongly dependent on preceding ENSO events in boreal winter. Thus, the role of the tropical Atlantic is to mediate a negative feedback of ENSO on itself. Despite this passive role of the tropical Atlantic in the Pacific-Atlantic interaction, accurate simulation of the Atlantic feedback should play some role in ENSO prediction. Further model experiments will be required to evaluate model dependence of these findings and to quantify the impact of the Atlantic on ENSO prediction skill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reading is a popular leisure activity for children, teenagers, and adults. Several theories agree that reading might improve social cognition, but the empirical evidence remains tentative, with research on adolescents especially lacking. We employed a very large, and nationally representative, longitudinal dataset from the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) in Germany to examine this hypothesis. Specifically, we tested whether reading prospectively predicted future self-reported prosocial behavior and social adjustment in adolescents, controlling for a number of covariates. Two-way cross-lagged panel analyses probed the longitudinal relationship between leisure reading and these social outcomes from Grade 6 to Grade 9. In addition, we examined the effect of cumulative reading experience across Grades 5–8 on future social outcomes, using structural equation modeling. We also explored the unique contributions of cumulative reading experience in different literary genres (classic literature, popular literature, nonfiction, comic books). Cumulative reading in general did not predict future prosocial behavior and social adjustment. However, cumulative reading of modern classic literature was positively associated with later prosocial behavior and social adjustment. Protocol registration: The stage 1 protocol for this Registered Report was accepted in principle on 08 November 2021. The protocol, as accepted by the journal, can be found at: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/KSWY7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variation in fin shape is one of the most prominent features of morphological diversity among fish. Regulation of fin growth has mainly been studied in zebrafish, and it is not clear whether the molecular mechanisms underlying shape variation are equally diverse or rather conserved across species. In the present study, expression levels of 37 candidate genes were tested for association with fin shape in the cichlid fish Lamprologus tigripictilis. The tested genes included members of a fin shape-associated gene regulatory network identified in a previous study and novel candidates selected within this study. Using both intact and regenerating fin tissue, we tested for expression differences between the elongated and the short regions of the spade-shaped caudal fin and identified 20 genes and transcription factors (including angptl5, cd63, csrp1a, cx43, esco2, gbf1, and rbpj), whose expression patterns were consistent with a role in fin growth. Collated with available gene expression data of two other cichlid species, our study not only highlights several genes that were correlated with fin growth in all three species (e.g., angptl5, cd63, cx43, and mmp9), but also reveals species-specific gene expression and correlation patterns, which indicate considerable divergence in the regulatory mechanisms of fin growth across cichlids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a repetition-change paradigm it was explored whether the skin conductance response (SCR) and the heart rate (HR) response similarly reflect involuntary and voluntary orienting. Seven orienting stimuli, consisting of six contextually novel stimuli and one novel change, were presented to 144 participants. In order to evoke voluntary orienting, the signal value of the contextually novel stimuli was manipulated by task instruction. Results suggest that the SCR is a manifestation of the involuntary orienting response (iOR). The HR, however, showed a non-uniform pattern of response and turned out to be susceptible to voluntary orienting. While it responded to the last orienting stimulus, the novel change, with a clear-cut deceleration, the response to the first orienting stimulus had a polyphase structure and was sensitive to repetition and signal value. The HR response is, thus, of limited value as an indicator of the iOR because of its striking susceptibility to voluntary orienting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate self-reported survey data provided by US oocyte donors on their experiences with ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and possible correlations between OHSS severity and number of oocytes retrieved, trigger type, and prior OHSS history. Methods: An 85-question retrospective survey was administered online. Survey questions included demographic information, reasons for donating, immediate per-cycle experiences and outcomes, perceptions of informed consent, and perceived impact of donation on long-term health. Quantitative Data for this study was collected between February 2019 and September 2020 via QualtricsXM (January 2019), an online survey platform. Follow-up interviews were also conducted. Participants were recruited via fertility clinics, egg donation agencies, and online forum. The research was approved by the University of California, San Francisco Institutional Review Board (#14-14765). Results: Of 420 initiated US oocyte donor online surveys, 289 (68%) respondents provided detailed information on per cycle experiences with ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, number of oocytes retrieved, and trigger type over a total of 801 cycles. On cycles where donors reported receiving GnRH agonist triggers (n = 337), they reported milder OHSS compared to cycles with hCG or dual triggers. Among donors undergoing multiple retrieval cycles, the severity of OHSS in second cycles was strongly associated with OHSS severity in first cycles. Conclusion: Self-reported OHSS in oocyte donors is lower in GnRH antagonist stimulation protocols combined with GnRHa trigger and in cycles where donors reported fewer than 30 oocytes retrieved. Donors who reported severe OHSS on a prior cycle were significantly more likely to experience severe OHSS on a subsequent cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, few robust data are available to provide estimates of the environmental footprint and in particular the CO2 emissions of medical devices; however, existing life cycle assessments largely indicate that reusable materials have more favorable emissions and environmental footprints compared to disposable items. Thus, the challenge for every anesthesiology department is to identify items that can be used as reusable products for ecological and other reasons. A prerequisite for the use of reusable items is hygienically correct reprocessing and packaging. Here, a distinction must be made between noncritical, semicritical and critical medical devices, depending on the type of use. In addition, a distinction must be made between categories A–C, depending on the complexity of the reprocessing. In this narrative review article common reusable items used in anesthesiology are categorized and a standardized decision algorithm for reprocessing routes is proposed. Special attention is also given to the packaging of medical devices, which can contribute to the ecological footprint to a relevant extent. This article further explains the framework under which reprocessing can take place and analyzes the current state of knowledge on the life cycle assessment of reprocessing reusable devices. This requires the special commitment of clinically active anesthesiologists to include ecological aspects in the decision to use disposable or reusable items. In the medium term, comprehensible ecological key numbers should be provided on every medical device to make the ecological costs of the articles understandable in addition to the monetary costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning can be made more efficient when learners generate the to-be-learned text contents instead of passively receiving them. A multi-level meta-analysis was conducted to provide an overall estimate of the text generation effect’s magnitude and to identify theoretically and practically relevant moderators. Overall, generation interventions improved learning with texts compared to reading them (Hedges’ g =.41). This benefit was not attributable to time-on-task and was found across several learning conditions and settings (e.g., narratives and expository texts, multiple generation, and learning assessment tasks). The meta-analysis further suggests that generation benefits learning most strongly if the cognitive processes stimulated by the generation task complement those processes already stimulated by the text. In sum, the findings suggest that text generation can be suitable for educational applications especially if certain conditions are observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this exploratory study was the assessment of the metabolic profiles of persons with complete spinal cord injury (SCI) in three region-of-interests (pons, cerebellar vermis, and cerebellar hemisphere), with magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and their correlations to clinical scores. Group differences and association between metabolic and clinical scores were examined. Fifteen people with chronic SCI (cSCI), five people with subacute SCI (sSCI) and fourteen healthy controls were included. Group comparison between cSCI and HC showed lower total N-acetyl-aspartate (tNAA) in the pons (p = 0.04) and higher glutathione (GSH) in the cerebellar vermis (p = 0.02). Choline levels in the cerebellar hemisphere were different between cSCI and HC (p = 0.02) and sSCI and HC (p = 0.02). A correlation was reported for choline containing compounds (tCho) to clinical scores in the pons (rho = − 0.55, p = 0.01). tNAA to total creatine (tNAA/tCr ratio) correlated to clinical scores in the cerebellar vermis (rho = 0.61, p = 0.004) and GSH correlated to the independence score in the cerebellar hemisphere (rho = 0.56, p = 0.01). The correlation of tNAA, tCr, tCho and GSH to clinical scores might be indicators on how well the CNS copes with the post-traumatic remodeling and might be further examined as outcome markers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gadolinium (Gd) deposition in the brain, first and foremost in the dentate nucleus in the cerebellum, following contrast enhanced MRI, rose awareness of potential adverse effects of gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) administration. According to previous in vitro experiments, a conceivable side-effect of Gd deposition could be an alteration of gene expression. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the influence of GBCA administration on gene expression in the cerebellum of mice using a combination of elemental bioimaging and transcriptomics. In this prospective animal study, three groups of eight mice each were intravenously injected with either linear GBCA gadodiamide, macrocyclic GBCA gadoterate (1 mmol GBCA/kg body weight) or saline (NaCl 0.9%). Animals were euthanized four weeks after injection. Subsequently, Gd quantification via laser ablation-ICP-MS and whole genome gene expression analysis of the cerebellum were performed. Four weeks after single application of GBCAs to 24–31 days old female mice, traces of Gd were detectable in the cerebellum for both, the linear and macrocyclic group. Subsequent transcriptome analysis by RNA sequencing using principal component analysis did not reveal treatment-related clustering. Also differential expression analysis did not reveal any significantly differentially expressed genes between treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface wave resonance of a liquid (water) layer confined in a circular channel is studied both experimentally and numerically. For the experiment, eight unevenly distributed ultrasonic distance sensors measure the local height of the wave surface. The resonance curves show maxima only for odd multiples of the fundamental resonance frequency f 0 . We explained this behavior using a simple intuitive "ping-pong" like model. Collision of wave fronts can be observed for higher frequencies. Also, the wave reflection on the walls can be treated as wave collision with itself. The non-linearity seems to be weak in our study so the delay in the wave propagation before and after the collision is small. Time-space plots show localized propagating waves with high amplitudes for frequencies near resonance. Between the peaks low amplitude and harmonic patterns are observed. However, for higher frequencies, the frequency band for localized waves becomes wider. In the Fourier space-time plane, this can be observed as a point for the harmonic patterns or a superposition of two lines: one line parallel to wave-vector k axis corresponding to the excitation frequency f 0 and a second line with inclination given by wave propagation velocity gh . For planned future work, this result will help us to reconstruct the whole water surface elevation using time-series from only a few measurement points [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an ongoing debate on the COVID-19 infection fatality rate (IFR) and the impact of COVID-19 on overall population mortality. Here, we addressed these issues in a community in Germany with a major superspreader event analyzing deaths over time and auditing death certificates in the community.18 deaths that occurred within the first six months of the pandemic had a positive test for SARS-CoV-2. Six out of 18 deaths had non-COVID-19 related causes of death (COD). Individuals with COVID-19 COD typically died of respiratory failure (75%) and tended to have fewer reported comorbidities (p = 0.029). Duration between first confirmed infection and death was negatively associated with COVID-19 being COD (p = 0.04). Repeated seroprevalence essays in a cross-sectional epidemiological study showed modest increases in seroprevalence over time, and substantial seroreversion (30%). IFR estimates accordingly varied depending on COVID-19 death attribution. Careful ascertainment of COVID-19 deaths is important in understanding the impact of the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genus Wolfia Horkel ex Schleiden (Araceae, former Lemnaceae) includes 11 species that are the smallest of known flowering plants. The genus is widespread in the world. In Europe, the only native species is Wolffia arrhiza. In Poland, it is considered to be relatively rare and until the end of the 20th century it was known from small number of populations dispersed throughout the country Poland. Our research focused on Lower Silesia population of Wolffia arrhiza. The study included the verification of historical sites of this species known from the literature and an inventory of the contemporary occurrence. It also aimed to explain the pattern of W. arrhiza occurrence in selected habitats and determine the ecological conditions and phytocoenoses of the reservoirs it inhabits. The research of the species showed extinction of historical sites and the current presence in 12 water reservoirs of different origin, size, depth and management method. The share of W. arrhiza in phytocoenosis patches in the individual reservoirs is very diverse and ranges from 15 to 80%. Presented data supplement the information on the occurrence of W. arrhiza in western Poland as well as provide new information on its biology and ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests that children suffering from different types of disorders (learning disorders, behavioral disorders, or intellectual disabilities) are sometimes evaluated differently simply due to the presence of a diagnostic label. We conducted a multilevel meta-analysis of experimental studies (based on data from 8,295 participants and on 284 effects nested in 60 experiments) to examine the magnitude and robustness of such label effects and to explore the impact of potential moderators (type of evaluation, diagnostic category, expertise, student’s gender, and amount and type of information). We found a moderately negative overall label effect (Hedges’ g = −0.42), which was robust across several types of evaluation, different samples, and different diagnostic categories. There was no indication that expertise and the gender of the child moderated the effect. Presenting participants with only a label yielded the strongest negative effect of g = −1.26, suggesting that the effect was dependent on the amount of information being presented to participants. We conclude that labeling a child can exacerbate negative academic evaluations, behavioral evaluations, evaluations of personality, and overall assessments of the child. Further implications for theory and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial eukaryotes are diverse and ecologically important organisms, yet sampling constraints have hindered the understanding of their distribution and diversity in freshwater ecosystems. Metabarcoding has provided a powerful complement to traditional limnological studies, revealing an unprecedented diversity of protists in freshwater environments. Here, we aim to expand our knowledge of the ecology and diversity of protists in lacustrine ecosystems by targeting the V4 hypervariable region of the 18S rRNA gene in water column, sediment and biofilm samples collected from Sanabria Lake (Spain) and surrounding freshwater ecosystems. Sanabria is a temperate lake, which are relatively understudied by metabarcoding in comparison to alpine and polar lakes. The phylogenetic diversity of microbial eukaryotes detected in Sanabria spans all currently recognized eukaryotic supergroups, with Stramenopiles being the most abundant and diverse supergroup in all sampling sites. Parasitic microeukaryotes account for 21% of the total protist ASVs identified in our study and were dominated by Chytridiomycota, both in terms of richness and abundance, in all sampling sites. Sediments, biofilms and water column samples harbour distinct microbial communities. Phylogenetic placement of poorly assigned and abundant ASVs indicates molecular novelty inside Rhodophyta, Bigyra, early-branching Nucletmycea and Apusomonadida. In addition, we report the first freshwater incidence of the previously exclusively marine genera Abeoforma and Sphaeroforma. Our results contribute to a deeper understanding of microeukaryotic communities in freshwater ecosystems, and provide the first molecular reference for future biomonitoring surveys in Sanabria Lake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Even though imaging is essential to modern medicine, some examinations are of low value as they do not lead to any change in the management of the patient. The Choosing Wisely (CW) campaign aims to reduce the use of such services. In the Norwegian version of CW, specific magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head, lower back, and knee are amongst others identified as potential low-value examinations. However, referral practice and access to imaging may drive low-value utilisation. By using registry data from 2019 and descriptive analysis, this study aimed to examine the role of referral practice and access to imaging on the use of specific CW-examinations in one representative area in Norway. Results: A total of 237,554 examinations were performed by four public and two private imaging facilities located within the area. Forty-two percent (19,210/45,289) of all MRI examinations were related to CW. Private imaging centres performed most of the CW-imaging. A total of 3700 referrers were identified, and 2.3% were identified as "high-referrers," accounting for 33% of all CW-examinations. Referrers' experience did not influence imaging utilisation. A subset of referrers ("super-referrers," 0.5%) accounted for 10% of CW-examinations. Distance to service had no impact on the use of CW-examinations. Conclusions: This study provides valuable insight into the use of imaging and referral practice in one representative area in Norway. A great variation in referral practice was observed. Therefore, targeting referrers with high referral rates may be a promising strategy for reducing the use of low-value imaging. Key points: MRI is frequently used, and a substantial proportion of MRIs are potential of low value. A small number of referrers account for a large proportion of potential low-value imaging. The use of imaging is not associated with travel distance to imaging facilities or referrers' experience. Targeting "high-referrers" may be a promising strategy for reducing low-value imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A monotonous polyomino is formed by all lattice unit squares met by the graph of some fixed monotonous continuous function f : [ a , b ] → R with f (k) ∉ Z whenever k ∈ Z . Our main result says that the least cardinality of a covering of a lattice (m × n) -rectangle by monotonous polyominoes is ⌈ 2 3 (m + n - m 2 + n 2 - m n) ⌉. The paper is motivated by a problem on arrangements of straight lines on chessboards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thiamine (vitamin B1) metabolism is an important driver of human and animal health and ecological functioning. Some organisms, including species of ferns, mollusks, and fish, contain thiamine-degrading enzymes known as thiaminases, and consumption of these organisms can lead to thiamine deficiency in the consumer. Consumption of fish containing thiaminase has led to elevated mortality and recruitment failure in farmed animals and wild salmonine populations around the world. In the North American Great Lakes, consumption of the non-native prey fish alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) by native lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) led to thiamine deficiency in the trout, contributed to elevated fry mortality, and impeded natural population recruitment. Several thiaminases have been genetically characterized in bacteria and unicellular eukaryotes, and the source of thiaminase in multicellular organisms has been hypothesized to be gut microflora. In an unexpected discovery, we identified thiaminase I genes in zebrafish (Danio rerio) with homology to bacterial tenA thiaminase II. The biochemical activity of zebrafish thiaminase I (GenBank NP_001314821.1) was confirmed in a recombinant system. Genes homologous to the zebrafish tenA-like thiaminase I were identified in many animals, including common carp (Cyprinus carpio), zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) and alewife. Thus, the source of thiaminase I in alewife impacting lake trout populations is likely to be de novo synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A generalization of the well-known Vickrey auctions are lottery qualification auctions–where the m highest bidders win the good with uniform probability, and pay the m + 1 st highest bid upon winning. A random lottery qualification mechanism decides the integer m randomly. We characterize the class of mechanisms which are payoff equivalent to the random lottery qualification auctions. The key property characterizing this class of mechanisms is one which states that only the ordinal comparison of willingness-to-pay across individuals is relevant in determining the allocation. The mechanisms can be seen as compromising between ex-post utility efficiency and monetary efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complex thermal history imposed by the laser-based powder bed fusion of metals (PBF-LB/M) process is known to promote the evolution of unique microstructures. In the present study, metastable CrMnNi steels with different nickel contents and, thus, different phase stabilities are manufactured by PBF-LB/M. Results clearly reveal that an adequate choice of materials will allow to tailor mechanical properties as well as residual stress states in the as-built material to eventually redundantize any thermal post-treatment. The chemical differences lead to different phase constitutions in as-built conditions and, thus, affect microstructure evolution and elementary deformation mechanisms upon deformation, i.e., twinning and martensitic transformation. Such alloys designed for additive manufacturing (AM) highlight the possibility to tackle well-known challenges in AM such as limited damage tolerance, porosity and detrimental residual stress states without conducting any post treatments, e.g., stress relieve and hot isostatic pressing. From the perspective of robust design of AM components, indeed it seems to be a very effective approach to adapt the material to the process characteristics of AM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy is regarded as standard treatment. We assessed acute toxicities in patients receiving conventional 3D-conformal radiotherapy (3D-RT) and correlated them with dosimetric parameters after re-planning with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). Patients were randomized within the multicenter CAO/ARO/AIO-12 trial and received 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions and simultaneous chemotherapy with fluorouracil and oxaliplatin. Organs at risk (OAR) were contoured in a standardized approach. Acute toxicities and dose volume histogram parameters of 3D-RT plans were compared to retrospectively calculated VMAT plans. From 08/2015 to 01/2018, 35 patients with LARC were treated at one study center. Thirty-four patients were analyzed of whom 1 (3%) was UICC stage II and 33 (97%) patients were UICC stage III. Grade 3 acute toxicities occurred in 5 patients (15%). Patients with acute grade 1 cystitis (n = 9) had significantly higher Dmean values for bladder (29.4 Gy vs. 25.2 Gy, p < 0.01) compared to patients without bladder toxicities. Acute diarrhea was associated with small bowel volume (grade 2: 870.1 ccm vs. grade 0–1: 647.3 ccm; p < 0.01) and with the irradiated volumes V5 to V50. Using VMAT planning, we could reduce mean doses and irradiated volumes for all OAR: Dmean bladder (21.9 Gy vs. 26.3 Gy, p < 0.01), small bowel volumes V5–V45 (p < 0.01), Dmean anal sphincter (34.6 Gy vs. 35.6 Gy, p < 0.01) and Dmean femoral heads (right 11.4 Gy vs. 25.9 Gy, left 12.5 Gy vs. 26.6 Gy, p < 0.01). Acute small bowel and bladder toxicities were dose and volume dependent. Dose and volume sparing for all OAR could be achieved through VMAT planning and might result in less acute toxicities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After spinal cord injury (SCI), reorganization processes and changes in brain connectivity occur. Besides the sensorimotor cortex, the subcortical areas are strongly involved in motion and executive control. This exploratory study focusses on the cerebellum and vermis. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed. Between-group differences were computed using analysis of covariance and post-hoc tests for the seed-based connectivity measure with vermis and cerebellum as regions of interest. Twenty participants with complete SCI (five subacute SCI, 15 with chronic SCI) and 14 healthy controls (HC) were included. Functional connectivity (FC) was lower in all subjects with SCI compared with HC in vermis IX, right superior frontal gyrus (pFDR = 0.008) and right lateral occipital cortex (pFDR = 0.036). In addition, functional connectivity was lower in participants with chronic SCI compared with subacute SCI in bilateral cerebellar crus I, left precentral- and middle frontal gyrus (pFDR = 0.001). Furthermore, higher amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) was found in the left thalamus in individuals with subacute SCI (pFDR = 0.002). Reduced FC in SCI indicates adaptation with associated deficit in sensory and motor function. The increased ALFF in subacute SCI might reflect reorganization processes in the subacute phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological invasion is a strong threat to native biodiversity, with limnic systems being especially vulnerable due to historical separation and resulting prey naivety. The prey naivety hypothesis states that native species may not be able to recognize novel predators due to a lack of common evolutionary background and, therefore, become easy targets. In a laboratory experiment, we added cues of native European bullhead (Cottus gobio Linnaeus, 1758) and invasive round goby [Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas, 1814)] to Ancylus fluviatilis Müller, 1774 originating from two different populations within the same river (one naive, one experienced towards round goby) and compared their predator avoidance behavior. Individuals from both populations recognized cues from the known predator C. gobio and reduced their locomotive activity. To round goby cues, however, naive individuals did not respond, thereby supporting the prey naivety hypothesis. Experienced individuals, in contrast, reduced their activity, suggesting a learning effect due to the co-occurrence of invasive predator and prey. At fast moving invasion fronts of highly invasive species like N. melanostomus, prey naivety can, hence, enhance their negative impact on ecosystems. Behavioral adaptation of native species resulting in predator avoidance reactions could, therefore, play an important role in ecosystem resilience and temporal invasion dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ageing is characterized by a progressive loss of cellular function that leads to a decline in tissue homeostasis, increased vulnerability and adverse health outcomes. Important advances in ageing research have now identified a set of nine candidate hallmarks that are generally considered to contribute to the ageing process and that together determine the ageing phenotype, which is the clinical manifestation of age-related dysfunction in chronic diseases. Although most rheumatic diseases are not yet considered to be age related, available evidence increasingly emphasizes the prevalence of ageing hallmarks in these chronic diseases. On the basis of the current evidence relating to the molecular and cellular ageing pathways involved in rheumatic diseases, we propose that these diseases share a number of features that are observed in ageing, and that they can therefore be considered to be diseases of premature or accelerated ageing. Although more data are needed to clarify whether accelerated ageing drives the development of rheumatic diseases or whether it results from the chronic inflammatory environment, central components of age-related pathways are currently being targeted in clinical trials and may provide a new avenue of therapeutic intervention for patients with rheumatic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

College students with disabilities (SWDs) experience elevated rates of sexual violence and intimate partner violence compared with their non-disabled peers. While tailored interventions for these pressing health issues are needed, current research lacks investigation into how SWDs conceptualize relevant key concepts, such as consent and healthy relationships. This descriptive qualitative study explored these concepts through semi-structured interviews with college SWDs (n = 49), 18–24 years old, in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The results culminated in six rich, descriptive themes addressing: 1) interpersonal and intrapersonal skills necessary for relationship health; 2) normalization of unhealthy treatment by a partner due to manipulation, denial, and love for the partner; 3) how dichotomous definitions of consent interfere with practical application in lived experiences; 4) how active consent can be both facilitated and hindered within the context of a romantic relationship; 5) perceptions that healthcare providers aim to elicit disclosures of abuse rather than initiate a discussion about relationship health; and 6) students' reticence to disclose abuse to healthcare providers due to mistrust and fear over loss of agency. These results contradict historic narratives that SWDs do not have the same sexual and relationship beliefs and experiences as other students and highlight the perspectives of this marginalized population. Implications for campus prevention programming and healthcare practices include incorporating intersections of disability and violence, discussing the nuances of consent and substance use, and creating conversations about relationship health that are transparent, non-judgmental, and include a broad range of types of abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tree canopies are considered to effectively buffer climate extremes and to mitigate climate change effects. Droughts, which are predicted to become more frequent in the course of climate change, might alter the microclimatic cooling potential of trees. However, our understanding of how microclimate at the tree canopy level is modulated by environmental and tree characteristics and their interactions is still limited. Here, we investigated canopy temperature regulation for five mature co-occurring tree species for two contrasting hydrological situations during the severe drought in 2018. Even though we observed a significant drought-induced decline in canopy cover and transpiration across tree species, we found evidence that differences in the water use strategies of trees affected cooling mechanisms differently. Although a large share of the variations in the cooling potential of trees was explained by direct and indirect effects of meteorological factors, we identified a gradual shift in importance from latent heat flux to components defining the magnitude of sensible heat flux on the energy budget of tree as the drought gained severity. The decrease in latent heat fluxes, approximated by sap flow rates, furthermore resulted in a reduced cooling potential and an equalization of tree species canopy temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]