Search

Al x Ga 1 − x N/GaN high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) structures are key components in electronic devices operating at gigahertz or higher frequencies. In order to optimize such HEMT structures, understanding their electronic response at high frequencies and room temperature is required. Here, we present a study of the room temperature free charge carrier properties of the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in HEMT structures with varying Al content in the Al x Ga 1 − x N barrier layers between x = 0.07 and x = 0.42. We discuss and compare 2DEG sheet density, mobility, effective mass, sheet resistance, and scattering times, which are determined by theoretical calculations, contactless Hall effect, capacitance-voltage, Eddy current, and cavity-enhanced terahertz optical Hall effect (THz-OHE) measurements using a low-field permanent magnet (0.6 T). From our THz-OHE results, we observe that the measured mobility reduction from x = 0.13 to x = 0.42 is driven by the decrease in 2DEG scattering time, and not the change in effective mass. For x < 0.42 , the 2DEG effective mass is found to be larger than for electrons in bulk GaN, which in turn, contributes to a decrease in the principally achievable mobility. From our theoretical calculations, we find that values close to 0.3 m 0 can be explained by the combined effects of conduction band nonparabolicity, polarons, and hybridization of the electron wavefunction through penetration into the barrier layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order for teachers to successfully gain new knowledge during professional development (PD), courses must be of high quality and stimulate active involvement from participants. More and more PD courses are taking place online, without clear evidence of whether face‐to‐face and online courses differ in terms of their quality or level of participants' engagement. The present study investigates differences between face‐to‐face and online PD with respect to certain quality characteristics: clarity and structure, cognitive activation, collaboration and practical relevance, as well as participants' behavioural, cognitive and affective engagement. The study is based on 2210 teachers from Germany who participated in 1 of 137 face‐to‐face or 54 online PD courses. Although participants rated face‐to‐face and online courses very positively regarding all quality characteristics and engagement dimensions, they evaluated online courses slightly less favourably compared to face‐to‐face courses. Implications for practice and research are derived to help ensure high‐quality PD offerings in the future. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic Face‐to‐face and online PD have the potential to be similarly effective. PD quality and participants' engagement can be assumed to be predictors of PD effectiveness. PD quality contains clarity and structure, cognitive activation, collaboration and practical relevance. Engagement is a three‐dimensional construct composed of behavioural, cognitive and affective components. What this paper adds PD quality was rated very positively for online and face‐to‐face courses. Participants rated the quality of online PD lower compared to face‐to‐face PD. Participants rated their engagement in online PD lower compared to face‐to‐face PD. Implications for practice and/or policy PD format should always be chosen with which a higher benefit can be achieved. Quality assurance should take place before PD is conducted. What is already known about this topic Face‐to‐face and online PD have the potential to be similarly effective. PD quality and participants' engagement can be assumed to be predictors of PD effectiveness. PD quality contains clarity and structure, cognitive activation, collaboration and practical relevance. Engagement is a three‐dimensional construct composed of behavioural, cognitive and affective components. What this paper adds PD quality was rated very positively for online and face‐to‐face courses. Participants rated the quality of online PD lower compared to face‐to‐face PD. Participants rated their engagement in online PD lower compared to face‐to‐face PD. Implications for practice and/or policy PD format should always be chosen with which a higher benefit can be achieved. Quality assurance should take place before PD is conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We revisit the use of Meta-Generalized Gradient Approximations (mGGAs) in time-dependent density functional theory, reviewing conceptual questions and solving the generalized Kohn–Sham equations by real-time propagation. After discussing the technical aspects of using mGGAs in combination with pseudopotentials and comparing real-space and basis set results, we focus on investigating the importance of the current-density based gauge invariance correction. For the two modern mGGAs that we investigate in this work, TASK and r2SCAN, we observe that for some systems, the current density correction leads to negligible changes, but for others, it changes excitation energies by up to 40% and more than 0.8 eV. In the cases that we study, the agreement with the reference data is improved by the current density correction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the reorientation dynamics of four octanol isomers with very different characteristics regarding the formation of hydrogen-bonded structures by means of photon-correlation spectroscopy (PCS) and broadband dielectric spectroscopy. PCS is largely insensitive to orientational cross-correlations and straightforwardly probes the α-process dynamics, thus allowing us to disentangle the complex dielectric relaxation spectra. The analysis reveals an additional dielectric relaxation contribution on time scales between the structural α-process and the Debye process. In line with nuclear magnetic resonance results from the literature and recent findings from rheology experiments, we attribute this intermediate contribution to the dielectric signature of the O–H bond reorientation. Due to being incorporated into hydrogen-bonded suprastructures, the O–H bond dynamically decouples from the rest of the molecule. The relative relaxation strength of the resulting intermediate contribution depends on the respective position of the hydroxy group within the molecule and seems to vanish at sufficiently high temperatures, i.e., exactly when the overall tendency to form hydrogen bonded structures decreases. Furthermore, the fact that different octanol isomers share the same dipole density allows us to perform an in-depth analysis of how dipolar cross-correlations appear in dielectric loss spectra. We find that dipolar cross-correlations are not solely manifested by the presence of the slow Debye process but also scale the relaxation strength of the self-correlation contribution depending on the Kirkwood factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Cochlear implant (CI) activation usually takes place at ∼ 30 days postoperative (PO). In our service, CI surgery is performed with local anesthesia and sedation, so activation is possible with the patient's cooperation, immediately after the CI surgery, still in the operating room (OR). Objective The objective of the present study was to provide the patient with hearing experience with the CI and to assess auditory perception immediately after surgery while still in the OR, as well as to compare impedance telemetry (IT), neural response telemetry (NRT), and comfort (C) level at two moments: in the OR and at the definitive activation, ∼ 30 days PO. Methods Nine adult patients (12 ears) with acquired (postlingual) deafness were included. Auditory perception was evaluated through the Ling Six Sound Check, musical instruments, and clapping, presented in two different programming maps, elaborated using t-NRT, and comparing IT, NRT, and C level between the two moments. Results We observed that while still in the OR, the patient can already present auditory detection and recognition responses. The values of IT, NRT threshold (t-NRT), and C on both dates differed, with statistical significance. Conclusion We concluded that it is possible to provide the patient with an auditory experience with the CI immediately after surgery, and that the auditory experience and the values of electrode IT, NRT, and C vary significantly between the two moments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twinned Al–Mg alloys have been reported. However, the role of Mg solute in facilitating the formation of growth twins remains unclear. By using a precession-assisted crystal orientation mapping technique (PACOM) coupled with transmission electron microscopy (known as ASTAR), we examined the evolution of twin boundaries in Al, Al–1Mg, and Al–2.2Mg (at. %) films. The twinned grain fraction elevates with increasing film thickness until it reaches a peak when the film thickness is 120–160 nm. The Al–Mg alloys exhibited greater twinned grain fractions than pure Al. To investigate the fluctuation of twinned grain fraction, two types of twin boundaries were classified including intergranular and intragranular twins. The initial increase in twin density is attributed to the impingement of twinned grains during island coalescence and the twinned grains are more likely to survive during the grain growth process. Whereas the decrease in twinned grain fraction in thicker films is related to the removal of intragranular twins, and a lack of formation mechanisms of new twins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fruitful debate took place recently in literature, discussing the enhanced Diels–Alder reactivity of tropone derivatives for which the carbonyl polarity was reversed by means of umpolung. Karas et al. sustained that the umpolung increases the antiaromatic character of the ring, affecting the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)/least unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energies, speeding up the reaction. Tiekink et al. challenged this interpretation by sustaining that the asynchronicity of the reaction mechanisms, rather than orbital energy perturbation, was the main responsible for the smaller reaction barriers. We shed light on this dispute by computing full interaction quantum atom (IQA) and quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) analyses over complete intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) paths for the Diels–Alder reaction of tropone and its umpolung derivatives, using the same systems studied by Karas et al. and Tiekink et al. Our results confirm that the asynchronicity is indeed very high for those reactions with smaller reaction barriers and offer an atom‐by‐atom and bond‐by‐bond analysis of the entire IRC pathways. Even though asynchronicity and lower reactions barriers seem to be related, antiaromaticity and lower barriers are related as well, but discussing both these interpretations does not necessarily require arguments on HOMO/LUMO energies to be invoked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical trials powered to detect subgroup effects provide the most reliable data on heterogeneity of treatment effect among different subpopulations. However, pre-specified subgroup analysis is not always practical and post hoc analysis results should be examined cautiously. Bayesian hierarchical modelling provides grounds for defining a controlled post hoc analysis plan that is developed after seeing outcome data for the population but before unblinding the outcome by subgroup. Using simulation based on the results from a tobacco cessation clinical trial conducted among the general population, we defined an analysis plan to assess treatment effect among American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) enrolled in the study. Patients were randomized into two arms using Bayesian adaptive design. For the opt-in arm, clinicians offered a cessation treatment plan after verifying that a patient was ready to quit. For the opt-out arm, clinicians provided all participants with free cessation medications and referred them to a Quitline. The study was powered to test a hypothesis of significantly higher quit rates for the opt-out arm at one-month post randomization. Overall, one-month abstinence rates were 15.9% and 21.5% (opt-in and opt-out arm, respectively). For AI/AN, one-month abstinence rates were 10.2% and 22.0% (opt-in and opt-out arm, respectively). The posterior probability that the abstinence rate in the treatment arm is higher is 0.96, indicating that AI/AN demonstrate response to treatment at almost the same probability as the whole population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to compare automatic software-based angular measurement (AM) with validated measurement by hand (MBH) regarding angle values and time spent for Weight-Bearing CT (WBCT) generated datasets. Five-hundred WBCT scans from different pathologies were included in the study. 1st - 2nd intermetatarsal angle, talo-1st metatarsal angle dorsoplantar and lateral, hindfoot angle, calcaneal pitch angle were measured and compared between MBH and AM. The pathologies were ankle osteoarthritis/instability, n = 147 (29%); Haglund deformity/Achillodynia, n = 41 (8%); forefoot deformity, n = 108 (22%); Hallux rigidus, n = 37 (7%); flatfoot, n = 35 (7%); cavus foot, n = 10 (2%); osteoarthritis except ankle, n = 82 (16%). The angles did not differ between MBH and AM (each p > 0.36). The time spent for MBH / AM was 44.5 / 1 s on average per angle (p <.001). AM provided angles which were not different from validated MBH and can be considered as a validated angle measurement method. The time spent was 97% lower for AM than for MBH. Level III [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Dengue virus (DENV) is the most significant arthropod-borne viral pathogen in humans with 400 million infections annually. DENV comprises four distinct serotypes (DENV-1 to -4) which complicates vaccine development. Any of the four serotypes can cause clinical illness but with distinctive infection dynamics. Variations in sequences identified within the four genomes induce structural differences in crucial RNA motifs that were suggested to be correlated to the degree of pathogenicity among DENV-1 to -4. In particular, the RNA Stem-loop A (SLA) at the 5′-end of the genome, acts as a key regulator of the viral replication cycle by interacting with the viral NS5 polymerase to initiate the minus-strand viral RNA synthesis and later to methylate and cap the synthesized RNA. The molecular details of this interaction remain not fully described. Here, we report the solution secondary structures of SLA from DENV-1 to -4. Our results highlight that the four SLA exhibit structural and dynamic differences. Secondly, to determine whether SLA RNA contains serotype-specific determinants for the recognition by the viral NS5 protein, we investigated interactions between SLA from DENV -1 to -4 and DENV2 NS5 using combined biophysical approaches. Our results show that NS5 from DENV2 is able to bind SLA from other serotypes, but that other viral or host factors may be necessary to stabilize the complex and promote the catalytically active state of the NS5. By contrast, we show that a serotype-specific binding is driven by specific interactions involving conformational changes within the SLA RNA. • SLA RNA from DENV-1 to -4 exhibit structural and dynamics differences. • First NMR description of viral NS5 polymerase binding to SLA RNA. • Binding of NS5 to serotype-specific SLA induces structural rearrangement. • Binding of NS5 to a non-serotype-specific SLA occurs through different mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAimMaterials and methodsResultsConclusionThis study aimed to survey general practitioners’ (GPs) and radiologists’ perspectives on referrals, imaging justification, and unnecessary imaging in Norway.The survey covered access to imaging, responsibilities, attitudes toward justification assessment, referral process, and demographics using multiple choice questions, statements to report agreement with using the Likert scale and one open question.Forty radiologists and 58 GPs attending national conferences completed a web-based survey, with a 20/15% response rate, respectively. Both radiologists (97%) and GPs (100%) considered avoiding unnecessary examinations essential to their role in the healthcare service. Still, 91% of GPs admitted that they referred to imaging they thought was not helpful, while about 60% of the radiologists agreed that unnecessary imaging was conducted in their workplace. GPs reported pressure from patients and patients having private insurance as the most common reasons for doing unnecessary examinations. In contrast, radiologists reported a lack of clinical information and the inability to discuss patient cases with the GPs as the most common reasons.This study adds to our understanding of radiologists’ and GPs’ perspectives on unnecessary imaging and referrals. Better guidelines and, even more importantly, better communication between the referrer and the radiologist are needed. Addressing these issues can reduce unnecessary imaging and improve the quality and safety of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rational Methods Results Conclusions Low‐value radiological imaging threatens patient safety and efficient use of limited health resources. It is important to evaluate measures for reducing low‐value utilisation, to learn and to improve. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to qualitatively evaluate a pilot intervention for reducing low‐value imaging in Norway.Semi‐structured interviews were conducted aimed at describing stakeholders' experience with a multicomponent pilot intervention consisting of a standardised procedure for referral assessment, a standardised return letter, and information about the value and possible risks of magnetic resonance imaging‐examinations to the public. Data were analysed in line with qualitative content analysis with a deductive approach.Seven healthcare providers were interviewed, including two radiologists, two radiographers, one manual therapist, one practice consultant and one general practitioner. Data analysis yielded four categories: (1) information and reception, (2) referral‐ and assessment processes, (3) suggestions for improvement and facilitation and (4) outcomes of the pilot intervention.The pilot intervention was deemed acceptable, feasible, engaging and relevant. Specific training in the use of the new procedure was suggested to improve the intervention. The simple design, as well as the positive acceptance demonstrated and the few resources needed, make the pilot intervention and methodology highly relevant for other settings or when aiming to reduce the number of other low‐value radiology examinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bayesian adaptive designs with response adaptive randomization (RAR) have the potential to benefit more participants in a clinical trial. While there are many papers that describe RAR designs and results, there is a scarcity of works reporting the details of RAR implementation from a statistical point exclusively. In this paper, we introduce the statistical methodology and implementation of the trial Changing the Default (CTD). CTD is a single-center prospective RAR comparative effectiveness trial to compare opt-in to opt-out tobacco treatment approaches for hospitalized patients. The design assumed an uninformative prior, conservative initial allocation ratio, and a higher threshold for stopping for success to protect results from statistical bias. A particular emerging concern of RAR designs is the possibility that time trends will occur during the implementation of a trial. If there is a time trend and the analytic plan does not prespecify an appropriate model, this could lead to a biased trial. Adjustment for time trend was not pre-specified in CTD, but post hoc time-adjusted analysis showed no presence of influential drift. This trial was an example of a successful two-armed confirmatory trial with a Bayesian adaptive design using response adaptive randomization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fortification of direct‐expanded products with insoluble fiber generally leads to decreased expansion. Understanding the interactions between starches and fibers can help to include more fiber into puffed products. A pressure vessel setup is developed to allow for a small‐scale expansion process. Because trends for the expansion ability during the simulated process are similar to those during extrusion, the setup has been proven to be suitable for understanding the occurrences during extrusion. Elimination of hydroxyl groups through starch methylation can help to understand the role of hydrogen bonding during expansion. Nonmethylated and methylated starch are tested for their expansion at cellulose levels of 0%, 5%, and 20% on a weight basis. The specific volume of the obtained samples is used to determine the degree of expansion. The nonmethylated starch sample exhibits a specific volume of 16.3 ± 1.8 cm3 g−1, which is almost three times higher than the one of the methylated sample (≈6.0 cm3 g−1). Possible reasons for this decrease are the elimination of hydroxyl groups capable of forming hydrogen bonds or the significantly higher viscosity of the methylated starch. While fortification with 5% cellulose does not affect the expansion, 20% cellulose greatly reduces the specific volume for both starches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass production is a key ecosystem process that provides insight into ecological processes such as growth, reproduction, mortality, and energy distribution. Previous studies have considered various fish response measures such as species richness, abundance, and/or biomass as response variables for river ecosystems or the productivity of particular species. However, few studies have investigated how total fish productivity of riverine systems is affected by environmental variables. Here, we identified important abiotic and biotic predictors of fish productivity in wadeable, temperate riverine systems.We investigated the relationships between total stream fish productivity and multiple abiotic and biotic variables in wadeable stream reaches across Ontario, Canada. Variance partitioning was used to evaluate the relative importance of the biotic, landscape, climatic, and geologic variables on total stream fish productivity. A modified bootstrap approach was used for the model‐selection process and to parameterise an empirical fish productivity model.We found that biotic predictors explained more variation in productivity relative to the abiotic variables. The best empirical model included day‐of‐year, growing degree days, latitude, salmonid presence/absence, species richness, and upstream catchment area.Our findings indicate that a combination of both biotic and abiotic variables can provide valuable insight into how ecological processes, such as fish productivity, differ across ecosystems. Species richness and differences in assemblage characteristics may be key determinants of the overall fish productivity in stream systems. Our model can estimate productivity from salmonid presence/absence data and total species richness, instead of fish abundance data, which require larger sampling efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implicit and explicit gender biases in media representations of individuals have long existed. Women are less likely to be represented in gender-neutral media content (representation bias), and their face-to-body ratio in images is often lower (face-ism bias). In this article, we look at representativeness and face-ism in search engine image results. We systematically queried four search engines (Google, Bing, Baidu, Yandex) from three locations, using two browsers and in two waves, with gender-neutral (person, intelligent person) and gendered (woman, intelligent woman, man, intelligent man) terminology, accessing the top 100 image results. We employed automatic identification for the individual's gender expression (female/male) and the calculation of the face-to-body ratio of individuals depicted. We find that, as in other forms of media, search engine images perpetuate biases to the detriment of women, confirming the existence of the representation and face-ism biases. In-depth algorithmic debiasing with a specific focus on gender bias is overdue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the wake of climate change, social theory has been subject to a surge of new materialist and posthuman approaches that reconfigure ontology and politics beyond the modern nature/culture binary which the Anthropocene has rendered untenable. But their (re-)turn to ontological speculation brackets the socio-epistemic situatedness and productivity of the way we think nature and its relationship to society. This paper reads Niklas Luhmann's systems theory as a posthuman perspective that can address the epistemological blind spot of materialist-ecological thought. Luhmann's ecology aligns with the former on the posthuman framing of shaping power, the productivity of an environmental outside that remains unknown, and the call for political modesty which follows. On the other hand, Luhmann's theory poses a critical challenge to materialist-ecological thought: the society/environment binary is here constitutively necessary, and its mapping onto a nature/culture binary functionally advantageous for subjects and social systems because it offers opportunities for complexity-reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

State-building by external actors can be understood as a practice of intervention in post-conflict spaces characterized by convergences and contestations between different actors striving for power and legitimacy. Informal non-state (armed) groups and clientele networks profit from the contingencies during transition and "capture" emerging formal state institutions to secure private gains and public positions. Order in this newly formed state is established through a dynamic process involving both external actors and domestic power networks. Most of the literature on intervention either focuses on top-down effects of external actors or resistance by local actors, thus falling short of describing the timeless ties of post-war networks and individuals in their day-to-day interaction patterns. How can we then understand the interaction and collusion between post-conflict power networks and external "statebuilders"? We use Bourdieu's concept of the field to examine the local spaces of interventions and argue that interventions are social and relational practices characterized by day-to-day routines and overlapping, yet co-existing modes of formal and informal interactions. Empirically, we rely on qualitative social network analysis and interviews to visibilize these social practices and collusion between external actors and power networks in Kosovo and its impact on "state-building" efforts by the international community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Score Committee of the European Foot and Ankle Society (EFAS) developed, validated, and published the EFAS Score in 13 languages. Currently, the Danish version completed data acquisition and underwent further validation. The data were collected pre-operatively and post-operatively at a minimum follow-up of 3 months and mean follow-up of 6 months. Item reduction, scale exploration, confirmatory analyses and responsiveness were executed using classical test theory and item response theory. The internal consistency was confirmed in the Danish version (Cronbach's Alpha 0.88). The Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) was 0.31 and is similar to other language versions. Between baseline and follow-up, 77.2% of patients showed an improvement on their EFAS score, with adequate responsiveness (effect size 1.05). The Danish EFAS Score version was successfully validated in patients with a wide variety of foot and ankle pathologies. All score versions are freely available at www.efas.net. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering curricula need to integrate global competence learning to ensure that graduates can succeed in globalised labour markets. In this context, this study examines disciplinary engineering courses, focusing on the key characteristics of globally competent educators and teaching approaches in terms of learning environments and course activities from the students' perspective. We conducted focus group discussions with 28 students from different engineering disciplines to learn more about their perceptions and experiences. The results suggest that they felt that integrated global competence learning would require educators to demonstrate open-mindedness, a global mindset, and strong social skills. In addition, global competence teaching approaches were associated with learning environments that were described as engaging, inclusive, and student-centered, and with course activities that were related to real-world situations, included collaborative elements, and were facilitated and supported by the instructor. This study contextualises the idea of global competence in engineering education and provides valuable insights into students' perspectives and experiences with its integration during their studies. It also critically examines students' ideas and suggestions about opportunities for such learning in relation to educational science, and suggests a way forward for global competence in engineering education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychiatric evaluation of anxiety and depression is currently based on self-reported symptoms and their classification into discrete disorders. Yet the substantial overlap between these disorders as well as their within-disorder heterogeneity may contribute to the mediocre success rates of treatments. The proposed research examines a new framework for diagnosis that is based on alterations in underlying cognitive mechanisms. In line with the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) approach, the current study directly compares disorder-specific and transdiagnostic cognitive patterns in predicting the severity of anxiety and depression symptoms. The sample included 237 individuals exhibiting differing levels of anxiety and depression symptoms, as measured by the STAI-T and BDI-II. Random Forest regressors were used to analyze their performance on a battery of six computerized cognitive-behavioral tests targeting selective and spatial attention, expectancy, interpretation, memory, and cognitive control biases. Unique anxiety-specific biases were found, as well as shared anxious-depressed bias patterns. These cognitive biases exhibited relatively high fitting rates when predicting symptom severity (questionnaire scores common range 0–60, MAE = 6.03, RMSE = 7.53). Interpretation and expectancy biases exhibited the highest association with symptoms, above all other individual biases. Although internal validation methods were applied, models may suffer from potential overfitting due to sample size limitations. In the context of the ongoing dispute regarding symptom-centered versus transdiagnostic approaches, the current study provides a unique comparison of these two views, yielding a novel intermediate approach. The results support the use of mechanism-based dimensional diagnosis for adding precision and objectivity to future psychiatric evaluations. • New framework for diagnosis, based on underlying cognitive mechanisms • Test battery measured six different cognitive biases for 237 participants. • Machine-learning algorithm predicted symptoms severity based on performance. • High fitting rates for prediction of transdiagnostic and disorder-specific symptoms • Endorsing intermediate approach bridging symptom-centred and transdiagnostic methods [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to narratives may have beneficial effects on children's social‐cognitive development because narratives provide information about the social world and often require social understanding for story comprehension. In the current study, we examined the influence of narratives presented via different media (books, audiobooks, TV/films) on theory‐of‐mind performance and mental verb comprehension in a sample of 114 three‐ to six‐year‐old preschool children. Parents' reports on the number of (children's) books at home, the overall duration of TV/film and audio media exposure, the frequency of shared book reading, watching children's TV/films and audiobook listening, and parent–child discussions about media content were collected. Children's theory‐of‐mind performance and mental verb comprehension were measured as dependent variables. When gender, age, language skills and parental education were controlled, only the number of children's books, shared book reading frequency, audio‐media exposure and audiobook usage significantly predicted children's theory‐of‐mind scores. None of the media exposure or the parent–child discussion variables had significant incremental effects above the family and child characteristics on mental verb comprehension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When organisations make employees redundant, they increasingly offer outplacement counselling to them, either in-house or as a service of specialised companies. Despite outplacement counsellors' importance, their work-related stress has not been studied yet. In this paper we argue that internal (in-house) outplacement counsellors have a particularly demanding job (especially because being employed by firing organisations should increase role conflicts among internal outplacement counsellors) and they should thus be more emotionally exhausted than external outplacement counsellors. Data from 98 German outplacement counsellors supported this argumentation. Mediation analyses showed that these differences were mediated by increased role conflicts, consistent with role theory arguments. The same effect was found for counsellors' job satisfaction. These results help understanding the stress that outplacement counsellors experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxyfuel is a combustion technology where the oxidant consists mainly of oxygen and carbon dioxide instead of oxygen and nitrogen. Since carbon dioxide has strongly absorbing bands in the thermal spectrum, the radiation properties of the flame change in an oxyfuel atmosphere compared to conventional combustion. When retrofitting an existing air-fired combustion system to an oxyfuel process, the oxygen content in the oxidant must be adjusted so that similar values for heat transfer by radiation are achieved. This measure allows the system to be operated with otherwise unchanged parameters. In this work, the thermal radiation of natural gas, pulverised walnut shells and lignite under an air and oxyfuel atmosphere is investigated in a semi-industrial combustion chamber with water-cooled membrane walls, at different oxygen concentrations and combustion parameters. While the radiative heat fluxes for natural gas with an oxygen content of 28 vol% in the oxidant are significantly higher than those for firing with air, the values for lignite are still below the air-firing, even with an oxygen content of 30 vol%. For walnut shells, the oxyfuel results are close to the air case for all oxygen concentrations between 27 and 33 vol%. The walnut shells show higher radiative emissions than the lignite at the same thermal output. For non-swirled flames, the radiative heat flux is lower than for swirled flames. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability to discriminate yes/no questions from statements in three groups of children: bilateral cochlear implant (CI) users, nontraditional CI users with aidable hearing preoperatively in the ear to be implanted, and controls with normal hearing. Half of the nontraditional CI users had sufficient postoperative acoustic hearing in the implanted ear to use electric–acoustic stimulation, and half used a CI alone. Method: Participants heard recorded sentences that were produced either as yes/no questions or as statements by three male and three female talkers. Three raters scored each participant response as either a question or a statement. Bilateral CI users (n = 40, 4–12 years old) and normal-hearing controls (n = 10, 4– 12 years old) were tested binaurally in the free field. Nontraditional CI recipients (n = 22, 6–17 years old) were tested with direct audio input to the study ear. Results: For the bilateral CI users, performance was predicted by age but not by 125-Hz acoustic thresholds; just under half (n = 17) of the participants in this group had measurable 125-Hz thresholds in their better ear. For nontraditional CI recipients, better performance was predicted by lower 125-Hz acoustic thresholds in the test ear, and there was no association with participant age. Performance approached that of the normal-hearing controls for some participants in each group. Conclusions: Results suggest that a 125-Hz acoustic hearing supports discrimination of yes/no questions and statements in pediatric CI users. Bilateral CI users with little or no acoustic hearing at 125 Hz develop the ability to perform this task, but that ability emerges later than for children with better acoustic hearing. These results underscore the importance of preserving acoustic hearing for pediatric CI users when possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND METHOD RESULTS DISCUSSION High moisture meat analog (HMMA) products processed using extrusion have become increasingly popular in the last few years. Because the formation of disulfide bonds is believed to play a critical role in the texturization mechanism, this study aimed to understand how chemical compounds capable of reducing disulfide bonds, specifically cysteine, sodium metabisulfite, and glutathione, affect the texture and the chemical interactions between the proteins.Wheat protein blended with cysteine, sodium metabisulfite, or glutathione at levels of 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 g kg−1 was extruded at three different temperatures (115, 140, and 165 °C) using a co‐rotating twin‐screw extruder. The feed rate (85 g min−1), the moisture content (600 g kg−1), and the screw speed (300 rpm) were kept constant. Unextruded and extruded material was subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, polymeric protein fractionation, and sulfhydryl group/disulfide bond analysis. Extruded samples were further analyzed for their hardness and their anisotropic index.The inclusion of reductants significantly affected the structure of the obtained extrudates. Although reducing agents had a relatively small impact on the total amount of disulfide bonds, their action significantly enhanced crosslinking between the proteins. At select conditions, samples with high fibrousness were specifically obtained when cysteine or sodium metabisulfite was included at levels of 5.0 g kg−1.In the presence of reducing agents, it is believed that disulfide bonds are split earlier during the process without binding to them, giving the protein strands more time to unravel and align, leading to a better flow behavior and more fibrous products. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous modeling studies indicate that even though marine cloud brightening under a susceptibility‐based strategy is effective in reducing the global average surface temperature, it triggers a La Niña‐like sea‐surface temperature response with cooling mostly confined within lower latitudes. Here we explore a different cloud seeding strategy involving seeding of regions with low susceptibility, primarily over the ocean in midlatitudes during the winter. Simulations with the Community Earth System Model, version 2 reveal that because the regional forcing is weaker and more widespread, cooling is more evenly distributed over the globe. This new strategy also does not result in the La Niña‐like state seen in the other strategies. Plain Language Summary: Most previous marine cloud brightening (MCB) simulations have focused on the regions more likely to induce strong cooling. A common response in these simulations across different climate models is a La Niña‐like sea surface temperature pattern which could disrupt the El Niño Southern Oscillation. We explored simulations in which MCB is deployed over the least susceptible regions rather than the most susceptible. This new seeding strategy cools the globe more evenly and no longer triggers a La Niña‐like response. Key Points: We explore the idea of deploying marine cloud brightening (MCB) over broader regions with low susceptibility to cloud seedingThis approach induces fairly uniform cooling over the globe unlike MCB that targets the most susceptible regionsThis new seeding strategy has fewer climatic side effects and does not trigger a La Niña‐like response [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proxy-based paleoclimate reconstructions in the central Zagros region suggest the occurrence of several climatic events during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to Holocene. The central Zagros region is situated in a unique transition zone between mid-latitude temperate climate in the north and sub-tropical arid climate in the south and was affected in different climatic periods by the strengthening and weakening of the Indian monsoons, the inter tropical convergence belt, the westerlies and the low-pressure systems of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean. Our results suggest that a transition occurred from dry and dusty conditions during the LGM to a relatively wetter period with higher carbon accumulation rates in the Early Holocene (11600 cal yr BP). Between 30000 and 19000 cal yr BP, cold and dry climatic conditions with the dominance of Amaranthaceae and semi-desert steppe prevailed in the region. High values of magnetic susceptibility, decrease in organic matter, and increase in allogenic elements indicate the presence of cold and dry climate in the region during the LGM. The Holocene was characterized by relatively less dry and dusty conditions, which is consistent with orbital changes in insolation that affected much of the northern hemisphere. Numerous episodes of high aeolian input spanning a few decades to millennia are prevalent during the Holocene. Dry events identified in the area occurred at 10200, 9200, 8200, 5200, 4200, 3200, 2200, and 1600 cal yr BP. Also Younger Dryas, occurred in the region 12300-11600 years ago, and it was cold and dry period with a decrease amount of pollen and increase in dust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The 2021 WHO classification of central nervous system (CNS) tumors is challenging for neuroradiologists due to the central role of the molecular profile of tumors. We performed a scoping review of recent literature to assess the existing data on the power of novel data analysis tools to predict new tumor classes by imaging. We found room for performance improvement for subgroups with lower incidence (e.g., 1p/19q codeleted or IDH1/2 mutated gliomas) and patients with rare diagnoses (e.g., pediatric gliomas, midline gliomas). More data regarding functional MRI techniques need to be collected. Studies explicitly designed to assess the generalizability of AI-aided tools for predicting molecular tumor subgroups are lacking. The 2021 WHO classification of CNS tumors is a challenge for neuroradiologists due to the central role of the molecular profile of tumors. The potential of novel data analysis tools in neuroimaging must be harnessed to maintain its role in predicting tumor subgroups. We performed a scoping review to determine current evidence and research gaps. A comprehensive literature search was conducted regarding glioma subgroups according to the 2021 WHO classification and the use of MRI, radiomics, machine learning, and deep learning algorithms. Sixty-two original articles were included and analyzed by extracting data on the study design and results. Only 8% of the studies included pediatric patients. Low-grade gliomas and diffuse midline gliomas were represented in one-third of the research papers. Public datasets were utilized in 22% of the studies. Conventional imaging sequences prevailed; data on functional MRI (DWI, PWI, CEST, etc.) are underrepresented. Multiparametric MRI yielded the best prediction results. IDH mutation and 1p/19q codeletion status prediction remain in focus with limited data on other molecular subgroups. Reported AUC values range from 0.6 to 0.98. Studies designed to assess generalizability are scarce. Performance is worse for smaller subgroups (e.g., 1p/19q codeleted or IDH1/2 mutated gliomas). More high-quality study designs with diversity in the analyzed population and techniques are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ricin is a highly toxic protein, capable of inhibiting protein synthesis within cells, and is produced from the beans of the Ricinus communis (castor bean) plant. Numerous recent incidents involving ricin have occurred, many in the form of mailed letters resulting in both building and mail sorting facility contamination. The goal of this study was to assess the decontamination efficacy of several commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) cleaners and decontaminants (solutions of sodium hypochlorite [bleach], quaternary ammonium, sodium percarbonate, peracetic acid, and hydrogen peroxide) against a crude preparation of ricin toxin. The ricin was inoculated onto four common building materials (pine wood, drywall joint tape, countertop laminate, and industrial carpet), and the decontaminants were applied to the test coupons using a handheld sprayer. Decontamination efficacy was quantified using an in-vitro cytotoxicity assay to measure the quantity of bioactive ricin toxin extracted from test coupons as compared to the corresponding positive controls (not sprayed with decontaminant). Results showed that decontamination efficacy varied by decontaminant and substrate material, and that efficacy generally improved as the number of spray applications or contact time increased. The solutions of 0.45% peracetic acid and the 20,000-parts per million (ppm) sodium hypochlorite provided the overall best decontamination efficacy. The 0.45% peracetic acid solution achieved 97.8 to 99.8% reduction with a 30-min contact time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classical spin systems with non-coplanar ground states typically exhibit nonlinear magnetization curves characterized by kinks and jumps. Our article briefly summarizes the most important related analytical results. In a comprehensive case study, we then address AF-square kagomé and AF/FM-square kagomé spin lattices equipped with additional cross-plaquette interactions. It is known that these systems have non-coplanar ground states that assume a cuboctahedral structure in the absence of a magnetic field. When a magnetic field H is switched on, a rich variety of different phases develops from the cuboctahedral ground state, which are studied in their dependence on H and a cross-plaquette coupling constant J 3 > 0 . For the AF square-kagomé spin lattice, we carefully identify and describe seven phases that appear in a phase diagram with five triple points. The transitions between these phases are predominantly discontinuous, although two cases exhibit continuous transitions. In contrast, the phase diagram of the AF/FM square-kagomé model shows only four phases with a single triple point, but these also lead to exotic magnetization curves. Here, too, there are two types of phase boundaries belonging to continuous and discontinuous transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First Enoch, a pseudepigraphical work from the Second Temple period, contains visions of the natural and supernatural world that cause the visionary, Enoch, to understand anew the beyond-human world. Written during a time of environmental devastation, 1 Enoch can be a resource for helping today's readers rewild our religious imaginations, our understanding of worship, and our relationship with nonhuman creation. This essay offers a reflection on how the Book of the Watchers in 1 Enoch and the author's failed attempts to reach a mountain peak helped the author better understand the unseating of humanity as the center of creation as an experience of grace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health authorities worldwide address older adults as a risk group for more serious illness and health complications associated with COVID-19, while social gerontologists have warned that addressing older adults as a risk group of COVID-19 bears the risk of reinforcing ageism. This paper empirically explores to what extent older adults perceive themselves as part of a COVID-19 risk group and how these perceptions influence their everyday lives and experiences of age and ageing. This paper draws upon data from a mixed-methods study on older adults' risk perceptions during COVID-19 in Lower Austria, including a representative survey on 521 adults (60+ years) and data from 20 semi-structured interviews. Approximately two-thirds of the respondents consider themselves at risk of COVID-19 and name age, in addition to pre-existing illness, as a contributing factor in this risk perception. Older adults with health constraints, and especially older men, have a higher probability of perceiving risk due to COVID-19. Additionally, older adults report that they experience being 'suddenly seen as old' or 'being put into a box' during the pandemic, which influenced their experiences and images of ageing. Our study provides insights into how perceived COVID-19 risk affects the everyday lives of older adults. Age-based categorisations of risk contribute to a shift in images of age and ageing, drawing on insecurity and risk, rather than successful and active ageing, to conceptualise later life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

The substantial computational cost of high‐fidelity models in numerical hemodynamics has, so far, relegated their use mainly to offline treatment planning. New breakthroughs in data‐driven architectures and optimization techniques for fast surrogate modeling provide an exciting opportunity to overcome these limitations, enabling the use of such technology for time‐critical decisions. We discuss an application to the repair of multiple stenosis in peripheral pulmonary artery disease through either transcatheter pulmonary artery rehabilitation or surgery, where it is of interest to achieve desired pressures and flows at specific locations in the pulmonary artery tree, while minimizing the risk for the patient. Since different degrees of success can be achieved in practice during treatment, we formulate the problem in probability, and solve it through a sample‐based approach. We propose a new offline–online pipeline for probabilistic real‐time treatment planning which combines offline assimilation of boundary conditions, model reduction, and training dataset generation with online estimation of marginal probabilities, possibly conditioned on the degree of augmentation observed in already repaired lesions. Moreover, we propose a new approach for the parametrization of arbitrarily shaped vascular repairs through iterative corrections of a zero‐dimensional approximant. We demonstrate this pipeline for a diseased model of the pulmonary artery tree available through the Vascular Model Repository. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand complex expository text, readers often engage in metacognitive comprehension monitoring. Metacognitive monitoring is assumed to rely on basic cognitive abilities (working memory updating, short-term memory, verbal intelligence). These abilities decrease in later adulthood. We thus compared younger and older adults in their comprehension monitoring and examined whether performance differences are mediated by differences in cognitive abilities. Younger (n = 101; 18–29 years) and older adults (n = 108; 60–75 years) completed an inconsistency task to capture metacognitive comprehension monitoring, two tests of working memory updating (one based on a semantic and one on a formal criterion), a short-term memory test, and an indicator of verbal intelligence. Older adults reported fewer inconsistencies than younger adults (β = -.174, p =.009). These differences were mediated by differences in working memory updating, short-term memory, and verbal intelligence. Working memory updating based on a semantic criterion, in contrast to working memory updating based on a formal criterion, was especially related to performance differences in the inconsistency task (β =.299). The present study extends previous results on the role of basic cognitive abilities for explaining differences between age groups in metacognitive comprehension monitoring in younger compared to older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenotyping of genetic resources is an important prerequisite for the selection of resistant varieties in breeding programs and research. Computer vision techniques have proven to be a useful tool for digital phenotyping of diseases of interest. One pathogen that is increasingly observed in Europe is Diplocarpon coronariae, which causes apple blotch disease. In this study, a high-throughput phenotyping method was established to evaluate genetic apple resources for susceptibility to D. coronariae. For this purpose, inoculation trials with D. coronariae were performed in a laboratory and images of infested leaves were taken 7, 9 and 13 days post inoculation. A pre-trained YOLOv5s model was chosen to establish the model, which was trained with an image dataset of 927 RGB images. The images had a size of 768 × 768 pixels and were divided into 738 annotated training images, 78 validation images and 111 background images without symptoms. The accuracy of symptom prediction with the trained model was 95%. These results indicate that our model can accurately and efficiently detect spots with acervuli on detached apple leaves. Object detection can therefore be used for digital phenotyping of detached leaf assays to assess the susceptibility to D. coronariae in a laboratory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular solar thermal systems (MOST) represent an auspicious solution for the storage of solar energy. We report silver salts as a unique class of catalysts, capable of releasing the stored energy from the promising 1,2‐dihydro‐1,2‐azaborinine based MOST system. Mechanistic investigations provided insights into the silver catalyzed thermal backreaction, concurrently unveiling the first crystal structure of a 2‐aza‐3‐borabicyclo[2.2.0]hex‐5‐ene, the Dewar isomer of 1,2‐dihydro‐1,2‐azaborinine. Quantification of activation energies by kinetic experiments has elucidated the advantageous energy change associated with Lewis acid catalysts, a phenomenon corroborated through computational analysis. By means of low temperature NMR spectroscopy, mechanistic insights into the coordination of Ag+ to the 1,2‐dihydro‐1,2‐azaborinine were gained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form symbiotic associations with the majority of land plants and deliver a wide range of soil-based ecosystem services. Due to their conspicuous belowground lifestyle in a dark environment surrounded by soil particles, much is still to be learned about the influence of environmental (i.e., physical) cues on spore germination, hyphal morphogenesis and anastomosis/hyphal healing mechanisms. To fill existing gaps in AMF knowledge, we developed a new microfluidic platform – the AMF-SporeChip – to visualise the foraging behaviour of germinating Rhizophagus and Gigaspora spores and confront asymbiotic hyphae with physical obstacles. In combination with timelapse microscopy, the fungi could be examined at the cellular level and in real-time. The AMF-SporeChip allowed us to acquire movies with unprecedented visual clarity and therefore identify various exploration strategies of AMF asymbiotic hyphae. We witnessed tip-to-tip and tip-to-side hyphal anastomosis formation. Anastomosis involved directed hyphal growth in a "stop-and-go" manner, yielding visual evidence of pre-anastomosis signalling and decision-making. Remarkably, we also revealed a so-far undescribed reversible cytoplasmic retraction, including the formation of up to 8 septa upon retraction, as part of a highly dynamic space navigation, probably evolved to optimise foraging efficiency. Our findings demonstrated how AMF employ an intricate mechanism of space searching, involving reversible cytoplasmic retraction, branching and directional changes. In turn, the AMF-SporeChip is expected to open many future frontiers for AMF research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Methods Results Conclusion Diagnosing parosmia is a challenge. The present study aimed to explore the distinctions between hyposmic patients with and without parosmia utilizing electroencephalography‐derived olfactory event‐related potentials (ERP).Forty‐four patients with hyposmia were enrolled and divided into a group with parosmia (n = 23, mean age ± standard deviation = 48 ± 14 years, seven men) and a group without parosmia (n = 21, age = 52 ± 12 years, seven men) based on the clinical interview. Additionally, 21 healthy controls (mean age = 45 ± 14 years, six men) were included. Various measurements were obtained, including the Sniffin’ Stick test, threshold tests for the odorants furfural mercaptan and 2,6‐nonadienal, a modified Sniffin’ Stick parosmia test, and well‐being ratings. Chemosensory ERPs were recorded separately for each nostril using high‐precision, computer‐controlled air‐dilution olfactometry.Patients with parosmia had a decreased olfactory function similar to that observed in patients with hyposmia, although the odor sensitivity of patients with severe parosmia remained relatively unaffected. Patients with parosmia reported a decrease in well‐being compared to controls. The severity of parosmia was positively correlated with odor sensitivity. Furthermore, patients with severe parosmia exhibited faster responses to unpleasant odors than patients without parosmia.Overall, the present findings support the idea that parosmia predominantly occurs during olfactory recovery, significantly disturbing patients and warranting the development of effective treatments. Notably, the relatively faster responses of hyposmic patients with severe parosmia suggest that the generation of distorted olfactory responses may involve early stages of the processing of olfactory information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To date, colchicine and prednisolone are two effective therapies for the treatment of acute gout but have never been compared directly in a randomized clinical trial. In addition, in previous trials of treating acute gout patients with concomitant comorbidities were often excluded due to contraindications to naproxen. Study design: This pragmatic, prospective, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group, randomized, non-inferiority trial compares prednisolone with colchicine in terms of non-inferiority in patients with acute gout. Patients presenting to their general practitioner with acute gout can be included if the gout attack has occurred within the last 2 days. A total of 60 practices in the vicinity of three university medical centers (Greifswald, Göttingen, and Würzburg) participate in the study. The intervention group receives 30 mg prednisolone for 5 days, while the group of standard care receives low-dose colchicine (day 1: 1.5 mg; days 2–5: 1 mg). The first dose of treatment is provided at day 0 when patients present to the general practitioner due to an acute gout attack. From day 0 to day 6, patients will be asked to complete a study diary on daily basis regarding pain quantification. For safety reasons, potential side effects and the course of systolic blood pressure are also assessed. Statistical analysis plan: N = 314 patients have to be recruited to compensate for 10% of dropout and to allow for showing non-inferiority of prednisolone compared to colchicine with a power of 90%. We use permuted block randomization with block sizes of 2, 4, and 6 to avoid imbalanced treatment arms in this multi-center study; patients are randomized in a 1:1 ratio. The absolute level of pain on day 3 (in the last 24 h) is the primary outcome and measured on a numerical rating scale (NRS: 0–10). Using a multiple linear regression model adjusted for age, sex, and pain at baseline, prednisolone is considered non-inferior if the effect estimate including the confidence intervals is lower than a margin of 1 unit on the NRS. Average response to treatment, joint swelling and tenderness, physical function of the joint, and patients' global assessment of treatment success are secondary outcomes. Discussion: The trial will provide evidence from a direct comparison of colchicine and prednisolone regarding their efficacy of pain reduction in acute gout patients of primary care and to indicate possible safety signals. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05698680 first posted on January 26, 2023 (retrospectively registered). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to measure strains quasi‐continuously with high spatial resolution makes distributed fiber optic sensing a promising technology for structural health monitoring as it allows to locate and measure damages in concrete structures, such as cracks. Depending on whether the distributed fiber optic sensor (DFOS) is embedded into the concrete matrix or bonded to the reinforcement, different approaches for crack width calculation exist. The high spatial resolution of DFOS quickly leads to a large amount of data, especially with time continuous monitoring. Scalable, automated analysis approaches are required to handle such big data and to derive a gain in knowledge from the measurements. Thus, in a first step, the Python framework fosanalysis is presented and made available to other researchers or monitoring specialists as free software. The most important input parameters for crack width calculation are discussed for concrete strain and steel strain DFOS. Accurate crack monitoring for a 4 m long reinforced concrete beam is demonstrated by using fosanalysis. The calculated crack widths are in good agreement with digital image correlation measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Diseases involving the subchondral bone are common in horses and are usually evaluated with conventional imaging techniques, such as radiography, conventional computer tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. Characterization of the normal subchondral bone as well as exercise-related changes is of special interest in ongoing research. Single-source dual energy and detector-based spectral computed tomography are emerging technologies allowing the characterization of tissues that have different attenuation properties at different energies. Both technologies enable the calculation of effective atomic number, an index to determine tissue composition, and electron density, which is assumed to be associated with cellularity in tissues. In the present study, both values were determined in normal subchondral and trabecular bones in the distal limb of horses with single-source dual energy and detector-based spectral computed tomography. Several effective atomic number and electron density values differed between both technologies and within and between bones of the distal equine limb with both technologies. Effective atomic number values increased with age in the palmar/plantar fetlock joint zone. The reported effective atomic number and electron density values in the subchondral and trabecular bone of the equine distal limb may serve as preliminary reference values and aid future classification of diseases. Single-source dual energy (SSDECT) and detector-based spectral computed tomography (DBSCT) are emerging technologies allowing the interrogation of materials that have different attenuation properties at different energies. Both technologies enable the calculation of effective atomic number (EAN), an index to determine tissue composition, and electron density (ED), which is assumed to be associated with cellularity in tissues. In the present prospective observational study, EAN and ED values were determined for 16 zones in normal subchondral and trabecular bone of 37 equine cadaver limbs. Using both technologies, the following findings were obtained: 1. palmar/plantar EAN zone values in the fetlock increased significantly with increasing age of the horse; 2. all EAN and ED values were significantly lower in the trabecular bone than in the subchondral bone of all phalanges; 3. in the distal phalanx and navicular bone, most EAN and ED values were significantly lower compared to the proximal and middle phalanx; and 4. some EAN and ED values were significantly different between front and hind limbs. Several EAN and ED values significantly differed between SSDECT and DBSCT. The reported EAN and ED values in the subchondral and trabecular bone of the equine distal limb may serve as preliminary reference values and aid future evaluation and classification of diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In classical stochastic theory, the joint probability distributions of a stochastic process obey by definition the Kolmogorov consistency conditions. Interpreting such a process as a sequence of physical measurements with probabilistic outcomes, these conditions reflect that the measurements do not alter the state of the underlying physical system. Prominently, this assumption has to be abandoned in the context of quantum mechanics, yet there are also classical processes in which measurements influence the measured system. Here, conditions that characterize uniquely classical processes that are probed by a reasonable class of such invasive measurements are derived. We then analyze under what circumstances such classical processes can simulate the statistics arising from quantum processes associated with informationally‐complete measurements. It is expected that this investigation will help build a bridge between two fundamental traits of non‐classicality, namely, coherence and contextuality. [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]

Background: Experimental coronary artery interventions are currently being performed on non-diseased blood vessels in healthy animals. To provide a more realistic pathoanatomical scenario for investigations on novel interventional and surgical therapies, we aimed to fabricate a stenotic lesion, mimicking the morphology and structure of a human atherosclerotic plaque. Methods: In an interdisciplinary setting, we engineered a casting mold to create an atherosclerotic plaque with the dimensions to fit in a porcine coronary artery. Oscillatory rheology experiments took place along with long-term stability tests assessed by microscopic examination and weight monitoring. For the implantability in future in vivo setups, we performed a cytotoxicity assessment, inserted the plaque in resected pig hearts, and performed diagnostic imaging to visualize the plaque in its final position. Results: The most promising composition consists of gelatin, cholesterol, phospholipids, hydroxyapatite, and fine-grained calcium carbonate. It can be inserted in the coronary artery of human-sized pig hearts, producing a local partial stenosis and interacting like the atherosclerotic plaque by stretching and shrinking with the vessel wall and surrounding tissue. Conclusion: This artificial atherosclerotic plaque model works as a simulating tool for future medical testing and could be crucial for further specified research on coronary artery disease and is going to help to provide information about the optimal interventional and surgical care of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Few genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) have been conducted for severe forms of periodontitis (stage III/IV grade C), and the number of known risk genes is scarce. To identify further genetic risk variants to improve the understanding of the disease aetiology, a GWAS meta‐analysis in cases with a diagnosis at ≤35 years of age was performed. Materials and Methods: Genotypes from German, Dutch and Spanish GWAS studies of III/IV‐C periodontitis diagnosed at age ≤35 years were imputed using TopMed. After quality control, a meta‐analysis was conducted on 8,666,460 variants in 1306 cases and 7817 controls with METAL. Variants were prioritized using FUMA for gene‐based tests, functional annotation and a transcriptome‐wide association study integrating eQTL data. Results: The study identified a novel genome‐wide significant association in the FCER1G gene (p = 1.0 × 10−9), which was previously suggestively associated with III/IV‐C periodontitis. Six additional genes showed suggestive association with p < 10−5, including the known risk gene SIGLEC5. HMCN2 showed the second strongest association in this study (p = 6.1 × 10−8). Conclusions: This study expands the set of known genetic loci for severe periodontitis with an age of onset ≤35 years. The putative functions ascribed to the associated genes highlight the significance of oral barrier tissue stability, wound healing and tissue regeneration in the aetiology of these periodontitis forms and suggest the importance of tissue regeneration in maintaining oral health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To evaluate the microbiological safety, potential multidrug-resistant bacterial presence and genetic relatedness (DNA fingerprints) of Escherichia coli isolated from the water-soil-plant nexus on highly diverse fresh produce smallholder farms. Methods and results Irrigation water (n  = 44), soil (n  = 85), and fresh produce (n  = 95) samples from six smallholder farms with different production systems were analysed for hygiene indicator bacterial counts and the presence of shigatoxigenic E. coli and Salmonella spp. using standard microbiological methods. Identities of isolates were confirmed using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), and the genetic relatedness of the E. coli isolates determined using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR) analysis. Irrigation water E. coli levels ranged between 0 and 3.45 log MPN/100 ml−1 with five farms having acceptable levels according to the World Health Organization limit (3 log MPN/100 ml−1). Fresh produce samples on four farms (n  = 65) harboured E. coli at low levels (<1 log CFU/g−1) except for one sample from kale, spring onion, green pepper, onion, and two tomato samples, which exceeded international acceptable limits (100 CFU/g−1). Only one baby carrot fresh produce sample tested positive for Salmonella spp. Of the 224 samples, E. coli isolates were identified in 40% (n  = 90) of all water, soil, and fresh produce types after enrichment. Additionally, the DNA fingerprints of E. coli isolates from the water-soil-plant nexus of each respective farm clustered together at high similarity values (>90%), with all phenotypically characterized as multidrug-resistant. Conclusions The clustering of E. coli isolated throughout the water-soil-plant nexus, implicated irrigation water in fresh produce contamination. Highlighting the importance of complying with irrigation water microbiological quality guidelines to limit the spread of potential foodborne pathogens throughout the fresh produce supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of SARS-CoV 2 caused the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in numerous global infections and deaths. In particular, people with metabolic diseases display an increased risk of severe COVID 19 and a fatal outcome. Treatment options for severe cases are limited, and the appearance of new virus variants complicates the development of novel therapies. To better manage viral infections like COVID 19, new therapeutic approaches are needed. Marine sponges offer a natural and renewable source of unique bioactive agents. These sponges produce secondary metabolites with various effects, including anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumorigenic properties. In the current study, we investigated the effect of five different marine sponge-derived secondary metabolites (four bromotyrosines and one sesquiterpenoid hydroquinone). Two of these, Avarol and Acetyl-dibromoverongiaquinol reduced the expression of ACE2, the main receptor for SARS-CoV 2, and the alternative receptor NRP1. Moreover, these substances derived from sponges demonstrated the ability to diminish the virus titer in SARS-CoV 2-infected cells, especially concerning the Omicron lineage. However, the reduction was not substantial enough to expect a significant impact on infected humans. Consequently, the investigated sponge-derived secondary metabolites are not likely to be effective to treat COVID 19 as a stand-alone therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]