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Background and Objective Materials and Methods Results Discussion and Conclusions Clinical Trial Information Studies examining ambulatory blood pressure (BP) response to testosterone replacement therapy are needed owing to inconsistent prior findings across formulations. This study assessed testosterone gel 1.62% and 24‐h ambulatory BP.Single‐arm non‐inferiority trial (NCT04274894) conducted at 36 US sites enrolled 246 men with hypogonadism (mean age, 57.6 years; mean office systolic/diastolic BP [SBP/DBP], 129.8/79.5 mm Hg) who were treated for 16 weeks with once‐daily testosterone gel treatment (starting dose, 40.5 mg/day; min, max dose, 20.25, 81.0 mg/day) to achieve testosterone concentration of 350–750 ng/dL. Main outcome measures included mean change in 24‐h average SBP (primary endpoint) and DBP from baseline to week 16. The non‐inferiority threshold was a two‐sided 95% confidence interval (CI) upper limit <3.0 mm Hg for 24‐h average SBP.Increase in mean ± SD serum testosterone concentration to a physiologic level (baseline, 244.4 ± 93.9 ng/dL; week 16, 502.5 ± 394.4 ng/dL) was associated with a 1.9‐mm Hg mean change in 24‐h average SBP observed in the primary analysis (baseline, 123.5 mm Hg; week 16, 125.4 mm Hg; 95% CI, 0.63–3.13 mm Hg; n = 169). As the upper CI limit modestly exceeded the non‐inferiority margin (3 mm Hg), study drug effect on SBP could not be ruled out. Non‐inferiority was observed in subgroups without hypertension or diabetes (95% CI, upper limit <3.0 mm Hg) and was not observed in those with hypertension or diabetes. Daytime SBP and DBP changes were larger compared with nighttime. No clear cardiovascular adverse events or new safety signals were identified.While the effect of testosterone gel 1.62% on 24‐h average SBP could not be ruled out based on the study's non‐inferiority margin, the clinical relevance of the small‐magnitude mean increase of 1.9 mm Hg is anticipated to be minimal considering the results of the TRAVERSE study of testosterone gel 1.62% and major adverse cardiac events.ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04274894 (registered February 17, 2020) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decision-making processes are vulnerable to cognitive biases like hindsight bias, with particularly fateful consequences in forensic contexts. However, while debiasing strategies have been effective in various areas, their impact in forensics is underexplored. We investigated hindsight bias and a simple awareness-based debiasing strategy in novices (n = 52) and forensic professionals (n = 49). Participants were assigned to baseline, biased, or debiased conditions and rated an offender’s risk of re-offending using case vignettes. Significant hindsight bias was found in novices, but not experts who were also more aware of biases. Debiasing proved effective in novices, indicating that raising awareness may enhance equitable forensic decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This pilot-study aims to assess, whether quantitatively assessed enhancing breast tissue as a percentage of the entire breast volume can serve as an indicator of breast cancer at breast MRI and whether the contrast-agent employed affects diagnostic efficacy. This retrospective IRB-approved study, included 39 consecutive patients, that underwent two subsequent breast MRI exams for suspicious findings at conventional imaging with 0.1 mmol/kg gadobenic and gadoteric acid. Two independent readers, blinded to the histopathological outcome, assessed unenhanced and early post-contrast images using computer-assisted software (Brevis, Siemens Healthcare). Diagnostic performance was statistically determined for percentage of ipsilateral voxel volume enhancement and for percentage of contralateral enhancing voxel volume subtracted from ipsilateral enhancing voxel volume after crosstabulation with the dichotomized histological outcome (benign/malignant). Ipsilateral enhancing voxel volume versus histopathological outcome resulted in an AUC of 0.707 and 0.687 for gadobenic acid, reader 1 and 2, respectively and in an AUC of 0.778 and 0.773 for gadoteric acid, reader 1 and 2, respectively. Accounting for background parenchymal enhancement by subtracting contralateral enhancing volume from ipsilateral enhancing voxel volume versus histolopathological outcome resulted in an AUC of 0.793 and 0.843 for gadobenic acid, reader 1 and 2, respectively and in an AUC of 0.692 and 0.662 for gadoteric acid, reader 1 and 2, respectively. Pairwise testing yielded no statistically significant difference both between readers and between contrast agents employed (p > 0.05). Our proposed CAD algorithm, which quantitatively assesses enhancing breast tissue as a percentage of the entire breast volume, allows indicating the presence of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Renal denervation (RDN) has demonstrated clinically relevant reductions in blood pressure (BP) among individuals with uncontrolled hypertension despite lifestyle intervention and medications. The safety and effectiveness of alcohol-mediated RDN have not been formally studied in this indication. METHODS: TARGET BP I is a prospective, international, sham-controlled, randomized, patient- and assessor-blinded trial investigating the safety and efficacy of alcohol-mediated RDN. Patients with office systolic BP (SBP) ≥150 and ≤180 mm Hg, office diastolic BP ≥90 mm Hg, and mean 24-hour ambulatory SBP ≥135 and ≤170 mm Hg despite prescription of 2 to 5 antihypertensive medications were enrolled. The primary end point was the baseline-adjusted change in mean 24-hour ambulatory SBP 3 months after the procedure. Secondary end points included mean between-group differences in office and ambulatory BP at additional time points. RESULTS: Among 301 patients randomized 1:1 to RDN or sham control, RDN was associated with a significant reduction in 24-hour ambulatory SBP at 3 months (mean±SD, -10.0±14.2 mm Hg versus -6.8±12.1 mm Hg; treatment difference, -3.2 mm Hg [95% CI, -6.3 to 0.0]; P=0.0487). Subgroup analysis of the primary end point revealed no significant interaction across predefined subgroups. At 3 months, the mean change in office SBP was -12.7±18.3 and -9.7±17.3 mm Hg (difference, -3.0 [95% CI, -7.0 to 1.0]; P=0.173) for RDN and sham, respectively. No significant differences in ambulatory or office diastolic BP were observed. Adverse safety events through 6 months were uncommon, with one instance of accessory renal artery dissection in the RDN group (0.7%). No significant between-group differences in medication changes or patient adherence were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol-mediated RDN was associated with a modest but statistically significant reduction in 24-hour ambulatory SBP compared with sham control. No significant differences between groups in office BP or 6-month major adverse events were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Great advances in automated identification systems, or 'smart traps', that differentiate insect species have been made in recent years, yet demonstrations of field-ready devices under free-flight conditions remain rare. Here, we describe the results of mixed-species identification of female mosquitoes using an advanced optoacoustic smart trap design under free-flying conditions. Point-of-capture classification was assessed using mixed populations of congeneric (Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti) and non-congeneric (Ae. aegypti and Anopheles stephensi) container-inhabiting species of medical importance. Culex quinquefasciatus, also common in container habitats, was included as a third species in all assessments. At the aggregate level, mixed collections of non-congeneric species (Ae. aegypti, Cx. quinquefasciatus, and An. stephensi) could be classified at accuracies exceeding 90% (% error = 3.7–7.1%). Conversely, error rates increased when analysing individual replicates (mean % error = 48.6; 95% CI 8.1–68.6) representative of daily trap captures and at the aggregate level when Ae. albopictus was released in the presence of Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus (% error = 7.8–31.2%). These findings highlight the many challenges yet to be overcome but also the potential operational utility of optoacoustic surveillance in low diversity settings typical of urban environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Great advances in automated identification systems, or ‘smart traps’, that differentiate insect species have been made in recent years, yet demonstrations of field-ready devices under free-flight conditions remain rare. Here, we describe the results of mixed-species identification of female mosquitoes using an advanced optoacoustic smart trap design under free-flying conditions. Point-of-capture classification was assessed using mixed populations of congeneric (Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti) and non-congeneric (Ae. aegypti and Anopheles stephensi) container-inhabiting species of medical importance. Culex quinquefasciatus, also common in container habitats, was included as a third species in all assessments. At the aggregate level, mixed collections of non-congeneric species (Ae. aegypti, Cx. quinquefasciatus, and An. stephensi) could be classified at accuracies exceeding 90% (% error = 3.7–7.1%). Conversely, error rates increased when analysing individual replicates (mean % error = 48.6; 95% CI 8.1–68.6) representative of daily trap captures and at the aggregate level when Ae. albopictus was released in the presence of Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus (% error = 7.8–31.2%). These findings highlight the many challenges yet to be overcome but also the potential operational utility of optoacoustic surveillance in low diversity settings typical of urban environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catch per unit effort (CPUE) is used as an index of fish abundance under the premise that changes in CPUE result from changes in true density. However, catchability may also vary based on environmental conditions that affect observed CPUE. We developed a hierarchical model for estimating common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and bigmouth buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus) relative abundance with electrofishing survey data from six shallow lakes in northwest Iowa, USA, between 2018 and 2020. Common carp catchability was negatively associated with lake perimeter but unrelated to lake surface area, water depth, Secchi depth, temperature, and month of sampling. Bigmouth buffalo catchability was negatively associated with Secchi depth and water temperature and unrelated to other environmental variables. Hierarchical model posterior distributions of bigmouth buffalo density were less precise than Schnabel estimates, whereas common carp posterior distribution abundance estimates were more precise than Schnabel estimates. Our results indicate that hierarchical models can be a viable substitute for labor-intensive capture–mark–recapture methods to estimate unknown latent variables like relative abundance, and could be applied to other species, sampling gears, and management frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Super-resolution techniques have achieved localization precisions in the nanometer regime. Here we report all-optical, room temperature localization of fluorophores with precision in the Ångström range. We built on the concept of MINSTED nanoscopy where precision is increased by encircling the fluorophore with the low-intensity central region of a stimulated emission depletion (STED) donut beam while constantly increasing the absolute donut power. By blue-shifting the STED beam and separating fluorophores by on/off switching, individual fluorophores bound to a DNA strand are localized with σ = 4.7 Å, corresponding to a fraction of the fluorophore size, with only 2,000 detected photons. MINSTED fluorescence nanoscopy with single-digit nanometer resolution is exemplified by imaging nuclear pore complexes and the distribution of nuclear lamin in mammalian cells labeled by transient DNA hybridization. Because our experiments yield a localization precision σ = 2.3 Å, estimated for 10,000 detected photons, we anticipate that MINSTED will open up new areas of application in the study of macromolecular complexes in cells. Sub-nanometer localization precision is achieved with all-optical microscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased urbanization paired with stagnant or decreasing fishing license sales has bolstered the importance of community fishing programs. Community fisheries require fish introductions, have highly variable chemical and physical characteristics, and are situated in urban settings with non-traditional fishers that can prefer unique species. Community ponds also often receive high angling pressure and exploitation that can hinder the establishment of sustainable populations. We evaluated angler exploitation and its effects as well as biotic (i.e., stocking density, predator relative abundance) and abiotic (i.e., water temperature, pond size, pond depth) factors affecting survival of stocked adult Yellow Perch Perca flavescens in community ponds. We tagged 580 adult Yellow Perch (≥150 mm) and stocked them into four community ponds at 74 or 148 fish/ha in September 2018. We collected two years of fishery dependent (angler tag reporting) and independent recapture data to estimate angler exploitation and survival of Yellow Perch using a joint live-recapture and dead-recovery model. We estimated anglers harvested 44% (95% CI ± 6%) of stocked Yellow Perch across the four ponds in two years, with the majority (81%) coming from one pond. Additionally, anglers harvested 66% of captured Yellow Perch and harvest probability increased with fish size. Seasonal exploitation ranged from 0% to 37% and was more prevalent in cold water seasons. Yellow Perch survival was negatively related to harvest (β = −0.14; 95% CI = −0.17 to −0.10) and a quadratic effect of water temperature (temperature: β = 0.28; 95% CI = 0.02–0.53; temperature2: β = 0.01; 95% CI = −0.01–0.01). Yellow Perch survival was not related to stocking density or pond characteristics. After two years, cumulative survival in three ponds ranged from 0.83 to 0.87 whereas survival in one pond with high exploitation was 0.22. Our results suggest Yellow Perch can be successfully introduced in community fisheries, but populations may not be sustainable when harvest is high. Thus, management strategies to mitigate excessive harvest or multiple put-and-take stockings may be necessary to maintain Yellow Perch populations in community fishing programs. • An estimated 44% of stocked adult Yellow Perch were harvested in two years. • Captured Yellow Perch were intensively harvested (66%), with 71% being female. • Harvest probability increased with fish size (24% stock size to 84% memorable size). • Harvest and water temperature were most important to Yellow Perch survival. • Three of the four stocked community ponds had cumulative survival ≥ 83%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive Silver Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Bighead Carp H. nobilis (collectively bigheaded carp) regularly alter zooplankton communities in lentic systems but dynamics in lotic systems are less understood. Here, we investigated trends in zooplankton communities, densities, and biomass in pools 14–20 of the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) across a gradient of bigheaded carp presence and relative abundance during 2016–2018. We explored the effects of bigheaded carp presence on zooplankton communities using non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and assessed taxa-specific relationships with bigheaded carp relative abundance using ordinary least-squares regression with an indicator variable for bigheaded carp presence. Zooplankton communities in the UMR were dominated by rotifers and crustacean zooplankton densities were low, making up only 2% of the community density. Zooplankton communities differed where bigheaded carp were present. Density and biomass of cladocerans and copepods were both reduced where bigheaded carp were present but copepods increased with bigheaded carp relative abundance. Ostracod biomass increased in the presence of bigheaded carp whereas rotifers declined with bigheaded carp relative abundance. Low crustacean zooplankton densities in the UMR may limit larval/juvenile fish growth and recruitment regardless of bigheaded carp, but further declines in the crustacean community due to expanding bigheaded carp populations are concerning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is thought to have evolved to protect mammalian hosts against parasitic infections or toxins and plays a central role in the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and therapy of IgE-mediated allergy. Despite the prominence of IgE responses in most parasitic infections, and in stark contrast to its use in the diagnosis of allergy, this isotype is almost completely unexploited for parasite diagnosis. Here, we discuss the perceived or real limitations of IgE-based diagnosis in parasitology and suggest that the recent creation of a new generation of very sensitive cellular IgE-based reporters may represent a powerful new diagnostic platform, but needs to be based on a very careful choice of diagnostic allergens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hatchery propagation techniques, such as pellet- rearing, can result in altered feeding behaviour. Walleye Sander vitreus (Mitchill) is a commonly propagated sportfish, yet little is known regarding its ability to switch to live prey post- stocking. The objectives were to evaluate temporal changes in diet composition and condition as well as evaluate the relationship between total length and presence of different prey consumed by stocked walleye fry and fingerlings. Fingerling walleye had higher average proportions of empty stomachs and benthic invertebrates but less fish that stocked walleye fry. The presence of zooplankton, benthic invertebrates or fish was not related to walleye length. Walleye condition was similar between cohorts and did not change over days post- stocking. Percent similarity index values between cohorts were variable (0.0 to 67.9%). It was concluded that stocked walleye fingerlings consume lower quality prey items than stocked fry counterparts at least up to 49- day post- stocking, which may have implications for post- stocking survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding spatial variation in non‐native fish species population ecology is imperative, where environmental, biotic and invasion‐related mechanisms contribute to spatial heterogeneity. Established populations of invasive silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix are currently found throughout a large portion of the upper Mississippi River (UMR) basin. Despite their recent invasion and broad environmental tolerances, silver carp population ecology and linkages to environmental conditions in the UMR remain understudied. There were two objectives for this investigation: (a) to estimate correlations among population characteristics and the influence of latitude and the time since first detection, and (b) to model the influence of river discharge and temperature on growth early in life to age 3. We estimated spatial variability in silver carp population characteristics and dynamics from nine sites across the UMR and assessed if biotic, abiotic or invasion‐related (time since first detection) variables influence spatial patterns. Silver carp body weight, size structure, annual mortality, and growth parameters varied among locations. Silver carp recruitment was less stable for populations with higher relative abundance estimates and where carp were first detected ≥20 years ago whereas maximum carp age decreased with increasing latitude. Although model selection indicated silver carp length at age 3 was associated with mean daily discharge (m3/s) coefficient of variation, mean May‐June temperatures, and ordinal date of maximum discharge, parameter coefficients and effect sizes were small and not biologically meaningful. Our results suggest that silver carp populations are governed by intraspecific mechanisms, but time‐dependent changes in populations may partially underpin heterogeneity across populations. Our study helped further disentangle silver carp population ecology in the UMR by understanding carp ecology as a function of their invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mosquitoes are vectors of major diseases such as dengue fever and malaria. Mass drug administration of endectocides to humans and livestock is a promising complementary approach to current insecticide-based vector control measures. The aim of this study was to establish an insect model for pharmacokinetic and drug-drug interaction studies to develop sustainable endectocides for vector control. Female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were fed with human blood containing either ivermectin alone or ivermectin in combination with ketoconazole, rifampicin, ritonavir, or piperonyl butoxide. Drug concentrations were quantified by LC-MS/MS at selected time points post-feeding. Primary pharmacokinetic parameters and extent of drug-drug interactions were calculated by pharmacometric modelling. Lastly, the drug effect of the treatments was examined. The mosquitoes could be dosed with a high precision (%CV: ≤13.4%) over a range of 0.01–1 μg/ml ivermectin without showing saturation (R2: 0.99). The kinetics of ivermectin were characterised by an initial lag phase of 18.5 h (CI90%: 17.0–19.8 h) followed by a slow zero-order elimination rate of 5.5 pg/h (CI90%: 5.1–5.9 pg/h). By contrast, ketoconazole, ritonavir, and piperonyl butoxide were immediately excreted following first order elimination, whereas rifampicin accumulated over days in the mosquitoes. Ritonavir increased the lag phase of ivermectin by 11.4 h (CI90%: 8.7–14.2 h) resulting in an increased exposure (+29%) and an enhanced mosquitocidal effect. In summary, this study shows that the pharmacokinetics of drugs can be investigated and modulated in an Ae. aegypti animal model. This may help in the development of novel vector-control interventions and further our understanding of toxicology in arthropods. Author summary: Mosquitoes are responsible for the transmission of pathogens, which cause diseases that are of major health significance such as dengue fever and malaria. Preventive strategies involving the use of insecticides, however, have led to the emergence of resistant mosquitoes. Consequently, development of complementary approaches is urgently needed to stop the spread of these pathogens. Our study reports on a pioneering approach to investigate how well drugs are taken up by the mosquitoes and how long they reside in their body. We focused on ivermectin, which is toxic for mosquitoes, and several drugs that interfere with drug metabolising enzymes. We demonstrated that the exposure of drugs can be precisely determined in individual mosquitoes and that drugs interact with each other in the same way as observed in vertebrates. In this regard, we were able to increase the exposure and mosquito toxicity of ivermectin by co-administering ritonavir, a broad-spectrum inhibitor of drug metabolising enzymes. This study establishes Aedes mosquitoes as a new model organism for pharmacokinetic studies. It opens the door for the investigation of novel insecticide strategies and optimisation of lead compounds against mosquitoes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of photoactivatable dyes in STED microscopy has so far been limited by two‐photon activation through the STED beam and by the fact that photoactivatable dyes are poorly solvable in water. Herein, we report ONB‐2SiR, a fluorophore that can be both photoactivated in the UV and specifically de‐excited by STED at 775 nm. Likewise, we introduce a conjugation and purification protocol to effectively label primary and secondary antibodies with moderately water‐soluble dyes. Greatly reducing dye aggregation, our technique provides a defined and tunable degree of labeling, and improves the imaging performance of dye conjugates in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lakes provide significant ecosystem services that are compromised by human degradation. Watershed and in-lake restoration are used to improve the physical, chemical, and biological condition of lakes, but their success is rarely evaluated. Our objectives were to compare water quality and biological conditions following in-lake, watershed, or a combination of both restoration activities in 20 lakes throughout Iowa, USA compared to reference systems. Lake-specific responses to restoration were variable, making it challenging to detect systematic effects in water quality parameters. Secchi depth generally improved following restoration, particularly in natural in-lake restorations and following sediment removal, fishery renovation, and with the number of restoration practices implemented, but improvements were not sustained. Restoration also tended to reduce nutrient and plankton concentrations and relative abundance of some benthic fishes. Due to the prolonged degradation of eutrophic lakes, it may be unrealistic to expect immediate and long-lasting water quality improvements. In-lake restoration in natural lakes may be the most likely to have detectable effects, but our results also highlight the need for improved restoration documentation and additional research to identify factors associated with restoration success. Our results are useful for guiding lake restoration practices and educating lake users and stakeholders on expected restoration outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present our final orbit for the late‐type spectroscopic binary Henry Draper one (HD 1). area total of 553 spectra from 13 years of observations are used with our robotic STELLA facility and its high‐resolution echelle spectrograph SES. Its long‐term radial velocity stability is ≈50 m s−1. A single radial velocity of HD 1 reached an rms residual of 63 m s−1, close to the expected precision. Spectral lines of HD 1 are rotationally broadened with a v sin i of 9.1 ± 0.1 km s−1. The overall spectrum appears single‐lined and yielded an orbit with an eccentricity of 0.5056 ± 0.0005 and a semiamplitude of 4.44 km s−1. We constrain and refine the orbital period based on the SES data alone to 2, 318.70 ± 0.32 days, compared to 2, 317.8 ± 1.1 days when including the older dataset published by DAO and Cambridge/Coravel. Owing to the higher precision of the SES data, we base the orbit calculation only on the STELLA/SES velocities so as to not degrade its solution. We redetermine astrophysical parameters for HD 1 from spectrum synthesis and, together with the new Gaia DR‐2 parallax, suggest a higher luminosity than published previously. We conclude that HD 1 is a slightly metal‐deficient K0 III‐II giant 217 times more luminous than the Sun. The secondary remains invisible at optical wavelengths. We present evidence for the existence of a third component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a case study of librarians being assigned the responsibility of providing academic advising to undeclared students at a mid-sized public university. The experience of academic advising as librarians is explored as well as challenges, benefits, best practices and next steps. The implications and impact of advising on library work is discussed. For the most part, the librarians found that academic advising dovetailed well with the culture of librarianship. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Lakes provide significant ecosystem services that are compromised by human degradation. Watershed and in-lake restoration are used to improve the physical, chemical, and biological condition of lakes, but their success is rarely evaluated. Our objectives were to compare water quality and biological conditions following in-lake, watershed, or a combination of both restoration activities in 20 lakes throughout Iowa, USA compared to reference systems. Lake-specific responses to restoration were variable, making it challenging to detect systematic effects in water quality parameters. Secchi depth generally improved following restoration, particularly in natural in-lake restorations and following sediment removal, fishery renovation, and with the number of restoration practices implemented, but improvements were not sustained. Restoration also tended to reduce nutrient and plankton concentrations and relative abundance of some benthic fishes. Due to the prolonged degradation of eutrophic lakes, it may be unrealistic to expect immediate and long-lasting water quality improvements. In-lake restoration in natural lakes may be the most likely to have detectable effects, but our results also highlight the need for improved restoration documentation and additional research to identify factors associated with restoration success. Our results are useful for guiding lake restoration practices and educating lake users and stakeholders on expected restoration outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: The overly zinc sensitive Arabidopsis thaliana mutant ozs3 shows reduced growth of the primary root, which is exacerbated by an excess specifically of Zn ions. In addition, ozs3 plants display various subtle developmental phenotypes, such as longer petioles and early flowering. Also, ozs3 seedlings are completely but reversibly growth‐arrested when shifted to 4°C. The causal mutation was mapped to a gene encoding a putative substrate‐recognition receptor of cullin4 E3 ligases. OZS3 orthologous genes can be found in almost all eukaryotic genomes. Most species from Schizosaccharomyces pombe to Homo sapiens, and including A. thaliana, possess one ortholog. No functional data are available for these genes in any of the multicellular model systems. CRISPR‐Cas9‐mediated knockout demonstrated that a complete loss of OZS3 function is embryo‐lethal, indicating essentiality of OZS3 and its orthologs. The OZS3 protein interacts with the adaptor protein DAMAGED DNA BINDING1 (DDB1) in the nucleus. Thus, it is indeed a member of the large yet poorly characterized family of DDB1‐cullin4 associated factors in plants. Mutant phenotypes of ozs3 plants are apparently caused by the weakened DDB1–OZS3 interaction as a result of the exchange of a conserved amino acid near the conserved WDxR motif. Significance Statement: Analysis of a Zn hypersensitive Arabidopsis thaliana mutant has identified an essential cullin4 E3 ligase substrate‐recognition receptor gene with uncharacterized orthologs in most eukaryotic model systems. Mutant phenotypes, which include inhibition of primary root elongation, growth arrest in the cold and UV‐C hypersensitivity, are hypothesized to be caused by a compromised DNA damage response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Walleye Sander vitreus Mitchill have been progressively raised in hatcheries to larger sizes under the paradigm that larger stocked fish have higher survival. However, extended time in hatcheries may result in domestication, with stocked individuals lacking behaviours that promote survival. The objective of this study was to evaluate behaviour and survival of wild versus stocked fingerling (>200 mm) walleye in two Iowa reservoirs. Radio telemetry was used to evaluate walleye movement rates, depth use, home range size, habitat selection and apparent survival. Depth use increased with days since stocking and varied between lake‐years but was similar between walleye groups. Daily movement rates varied by the interaction between group and day, with rates declining through time. Home ranges did not differ between groups but were significantly greater in Big Creek than Brushy Creek. Walleye in both lakes generally used habitat in proportion to availability, with few differences between groups detected. Weekly apparent survival ranged from 0.948 to 1.000, varied across lakes, years and seasons, and was higher for stocked than wild walleye in Big Creek but not Brushy Creek. The results indicate that hatchery‐reared fingerling walleye behave similar to but can have higher survival than wild fish, suggesting that domestication may not be occurring and that stocking autumn fingerling walleye may help supplement year‐class strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-resolution spectra of typical wind diagnostics ([O  i ] 6300 Å and other forbidden emission lines) can often be decomposed into multiple components: high-velocity components with blueshifts up to several 100 km s−1 are usually attributed to fast jets, while narrow (NLVC) and broad (BLVC) low-velocity components are believed to trace slower disc winds. Under the assumption that the line broadening is dominated by Keplerian rotation, several studies have found that the BLVCs should trace gas launched between 0.05 and 0.5 au and correlations between the properties of BLVCs and NLVCs have been interpreted as evidence for the emission tracing an extended magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) wind and not a photoevaporative wind. We calculated synthetic line profiles obtained from detailed photoionization calculations of an X-ray photoevaporation model and a simple MHD wind model and analysed the emission regions of different diagnostic lines and the resulting spectral profiles. The photoevaporation model reproduces most of the observed NLVCs but not the BLVCs or HVCs. The MHD model is able to reproduce all components but produces Keplerian double peaks at average inclinations that are rarely observed. The combination of MHD and photoevaporative winds could solve this problem. Our results suggest that the Gaussian decomposition does not allow for a clear distinction of flux from different wind regions and that the line broadening is often dominated by the velocity gradient in the outflow rather than by Keplerian rotation. We show that observed correlations between BLVC and NLVC do not necessarily imply a common origin in an extended MHD wind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strontium isotopes are applied to a wide range of scientific fields and to different types of materials, providing valuable information foremost about provenance and age, but also on diagenetic processes and mixing relationships between different Sr reservoirs. The development of in situ analytical techniques, such as laser ablation ICP-MS, has improved our understanding of Sr isotope variability in several fields of application, because of the possibility to discriminate small-scale changes and their spatial distribution. However, large outputs of Sr isotope data are produced by laser ablation MC-ICP-MS systems, which necessitate multiple offline steps to correct and assess the data. This requires the availability of simple and user-friendly tools, easily manageable by non-specialists too. With this in mind, we developed SrDR, an Excel-based interactive data reduction spreadsheet ('SrDR', Sr-Data-Reduction) for the processing of Sr isotopes measured by LA-MC-ICP-MS. The SrDR spreadsheet is easily customizable (a) to meet user-specific analytical protocols, (b) for different instruments (i.e. Nu plasma vs. Neptune), and (c) for diverse target materials (e.g. rare earth element enriched or depleted samples). We also include several examples relevant to low and high temperature geochemistry fields – a fossil tooth, a modern seashell, a speleothem sample and plagioclase crystals – to show how different sample materials are corrected for different interfering masses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) transferred to mating partners along with sperm often play crucial roles in mediating post‐mating sexual selection. One way in which sperm donors can maximize their own reproductive success is by modifying the partner's (sperm recipient's) post‐copulatory behaviour to prevent or delay re‐mating, thereby decreasing the likelihood or intensity of sperm competition. Here, we adopted a quantitative genetic approach combining gene expression and behavioural data to identify candidates that could mediate such a response in the simultaneously hermaphroditic flatworm Macrostomum lignano. We identified two putative SFPs—Mlig‐pro46 and Mlig‐pro63—linked to both mating frequency and 'suck' frequency, a distinctive behaviour, in which, upon ejaculate receipt, the worm places its pharynx over its female genital opening and apparently attempts to remove the received ejaculate. We, therefore, performed a manipulative experiment using RNA interference‐induced knockdown to ask how the loss of Mlig‐pro46 and Mlig‐pro63 expression, singly and in combination, affects mating frequency, partner suck propensity and sperm competitive ability. None of the knockdown treatments impacted strongly on the mating frequency or sperm competitive ability, but knockdown of Mlig‐pro63 resulted in a significantly decreased suck propensity of mating partners. This suggests that Mlig‐pro63 may normally act as a cue in the ejaculate to trigger recipient suck behaviour and—given that other proteins in the ejaculate have the opposite effect—could be one component of an ongoing arms race between donors and recipients over the control of ejaculate fate. However, the adaptive significance of Mlig‐pro46 and Mlig‐pro63 from a donor perspective remains enigmatic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Of the Study: Skeletal muscle metastases (SMM) are a rare entity, mainly detected at autopsy. Nevertheless, radiological and nuclear medicine imaging can contribute to the diagnosis with a significant impact on the treatment and prognosis of neoplastic patients. This study aimed to systematically review the features of SMM at imaging considering the primary tumors and the sites of occurrence.Materials and Methods: We conducted a systematic search of three electronic database (i.e., PubMed, Science Direct, and Web of Science) up to May 2019, without any language or time interval restriction. Two reviewers performed the search and selection process, data extraction, and synthesis. We resolved disagreements by consensus and/or involving a third reviewer. The included studies have been classified according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence Based Medicine (CEBM) grading system.Results: Out of 8598 and 1077 articles respectively for radiological and hybrid imaging, 29 papers were included. According to CEBM, twelve were level 4. Computed tomography (CT) is mainly applied and, despite the existence of CT and magnetic resonance-based classifications, these are rarely used. Positron emission tomography/CT allowed the detection of small and subtle lesion also in the extremities. Muscles of the trunk were mostly affected and mainly respiratory tumors are associated with this type of metastatic spread.Conclusion: Radiological and hybrid imaging allow a precise characterization of SMM. However, a more systematic approach, including also the application of available classification systems, may increase the diagnostic accuracy for this rare type of metastases.Key Points: • Skeletal muscle metastases have heterogeneous characteristics at imaging but mostly abscess-like features and high metabolic activity are described. • Skeletal muscle metastases mainly affect the muscles of the trunk. • Pulmonary, urological, and gastrointestinal cancers are the most frequent cause of skeletal muscle metastases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The in situ measurement of Sr isotopes in carbonates by MC‐ICP‐MS is limited by the availability of suitable microanalytical reference materials (RMs), which match the samples of interest. Whereas several well‐characterised carbonate reference materials for Sr mass fractions > 1000 µg g−1 are available, there is a lack of well‐characterised carbonate microanalytical RMs with lower Sr mass fractions. Here, we present a new synthetic carbonate nanopowder RM with a Sr mass fraction of ca. 500 µg g−1 suitable for microanalytical Sr isotope research ('NanoSr'). NanoSr was analysed by both solution‐based and in situ techniques. Element mass fractions were determined using EPMA (Ca mass fraction), as well as laser ablation and solution ICP‐MS in different laboratories. The 87Sr/86Sr ratio was determined by well‐established bulk methods for Sr isotope measurements and is 0.70756 ± 0.00003 (2s). The Sr isotope microhomogeneity of the material was determined by LA‐MC‐ICP‐MS, which resulted in 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.70753 ± 0.00007 (2s) and 0.70757 ± 0.00006 (2s), respectively, in agreement with the solution data within uncertainties. Thus, this new reference material is well suited to monitor and correct microanalytical Sr isotope measurements of low‐Sr, low‐REE carbonate samples. NanoSr is available from the corresponding author. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a class, seminal fluid proteins are expected to exert strong effects on mating partners due to the selection pressures of sperm competition and sexual conflict. But because of the complexity of this secretion, linking specific proteins to downstream effects on own fitness—via manipulating the reproductive behavior, physiology, and ultimately the sperm utilization of mating partners—is not straightforward. Here, we adopted a systematic gene knockdown approach to screen for seminal fluid‐mediated fitness effects in the simultaneously hermaphroditic flatworm Macrostomum lignano. We focused on 18 transcripts in M. lignano seminal fluid, testing how their RNA interference‐induced knockdown impacted on three aspects of donor (male) reproductive success: (a) fertility (offspring production of the partner); (b) defensive sperm competitive ability, P1; and (c) offensive sperm competitive ability, P2. In general, the knockdown of most individual transcripts appeared to have only a minor impact on male reproductive success, though we found evidence that the knockdown of up to five different transcripts impacted on fertility; the knockdown of two other transcripts resulted in reduced P2; and knockdown of a further transcript actually increased P2. We thus identify a number of candidate seminal fluid transcripts that appear to modulate offspring production and sperm competitiveness in M. lignano. That only a minority of transcripts exhibit such a pattern likely reflects both the difficulty of accurately estimating sperm competitiveness and the functional redundancy of seminal fluid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines professional development activities for new academic librarians. The authors review and critique various professional development activities including publishing, presentations, involvement in professional organizations, continuing education, and institutional and community service. Includes descriptions of activities and a resource list. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we discuss the effect of temperature on the impact ionization coefficients in wide band-gap semiconductors and compare it to that of bulk GaAs. The impact ionization coefficients as a function of temperature are examined for three semiconductors: gallium arsenide, cubic phase silicon carbide, and zinc-blende phase gallium nitride. It is found that the magnitude of the phonon energy is principally responsible for changes in the impact ionization coefficients as a result of temperature change. While the energy band gap of a material does have a temperature dependence that directly affects the impact ionization transition rate, that change is much smaller than the relative change in the magnitude of the phonon-scattering rates in all of the materials studied here. The phonon energies are found to play a vital role in the magnitude of the change in the scattering rates as a function of temperature. Materials with relatively small phonon energies have phonon scattering rates that change considerably with temperature, and therefore have impact ionization coefficients that also change considerably with changes in temperature. Conversely, the phonon scattering rate in materials with a large phonon energy is less affected and thus these materials have impact ionization coefficients that are relatively insensitive to changes in the temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consideration of long term effects in the assessment value of concrete compressive strength – Evaluation of the transferability of approaches defined for the design of new structures Prof. Hegger made a major contribution to development of Eurocode 2 as the German representative in the European Committee for Standardisation CEN/TC250/SC2/WG2 and in his function as chairman of the related German mirror committee. In the next generation of Eurocode 2 rules for the assessment of existing structures will be included, too. For this purpose many different topics on the basics of the design of concrete structures have to be clarified. The aim of the present study is the evaluation of the effect of long term service loading on the factor αcc (coefficient taking account long term effects). For the design of new structures the factor αcc = 0,85 applies. Though, for the assessment of existing structures, based on the investigation of drill cores taken from the structure, the factor αcc is not defined up to now. The main topics which have be evaluated are the effect of subsequent hardening and preload on the compressive strength of drill cores. Generally, it has to be taken into account, that the high level of scattering of the in‐situ concrete compressive strength is opposed to a satisfactory and scientific based verification. However, based on the investigations conducted, the consideration of long term effects on the assessment value of the concrete compressive strength can be recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOC) derived from bacterial metabolism during cultivation is considered an innovative approach to accelerate in vitro detection of slowly growing bacteria. This applies also to Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), the causative agent of paratuberculosis, a debilitating chronic enteritis of ruminants. Diagnostic application demands robust VOC profiles that are reproducible under variable culture conditions. In this study, the VOC patterns of pure bacterial cultures, derived from three independent in vitro studies performed previously, were comparatively analyzed. Different statistical analyses were linked to extract the VOC core profile of MAP and to prove its robustness, which is a prerequisite for further development towards diagnostic application. Despite methodical variability of bacterial cultivation and sample pre-extraction, a common profile of 28 VOCs indicating cultural growth of MAP was defined. The substances cover six chemical classes. Four of the substances decreased above MAP and 24 increased. Random forest classification was applied to rank the compounds relative to their importance and for classification of MAP versus control samples. Already the top-ranked compound alone achieved high discrimination (AUC 0.85), which was further increased utilizing all compounds of the VOC core profile of MAP (AUC 0.91). The discriminatory power of this tool for the characterization of natural diagnostic samples, in particular its diagnostic specificity for MAP, has to be confirmed in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metallophyte Arabidopsis halleri thrives across an extremely broad edaphic range. Zn hyperaccumulation is found on soils differing in available Zn by up to six orders of magnitude, raising the question as to whether a common set of mechanisms confers this species‐wide ability. Elevated root concentrations of the metal chelator nicotianamine due to strong constitutive expression of AhNAS2 are important for hyperaccumulation. In order to analyse the relevance of AhNAS2 under more natural conditions representing a range of metalliferous and nonmetalliferous habitats, we collected soil at eight different A. halleri sites and cultivated wild‐type and AhNAS2‐RNAi lines in these soils. AhNAS2 transcript abundance and root nicotianamine concentrations in wild‐type plants were barely influenced by soil metal concentrations. The RNAi effect was fully expressed in different soils. Zn hyperaccumulation in AhNAS2‐silenced lines was significantly reduced in seven soils. Root‐to‐shoot translocation of Cd, Mn, Cu, Ni, and Co was also affected by AhNAS2 silencing, albeit to a lower extent and less consistently. Leaf Fe levels were unaffected by AhNAS2 knockdown. Results demonstrate that elevated nicotianamine production in roots of A. halleri is a Zn hyperaccumulation factor regardless of the edaphic environment, that is, contributes to Zn hyperaccumulation in soils with contrasting Zn availability. Experiments with native soils from contrasting habitats showed that elevated root concentrations of the metal chelator nicotianamine are important for Zn hyperaccumulation across the edaphic range of the metallophyte Arabidopsis halleri, that is, in soils differing in Zn phytoavailability by more than two orders of magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Stress is associated with an increased prevalence of anxiety and depression. Repeated social defeat (RSD) stress in mice increases the release of monocytes from the bone marrow that are recruited to the brain by microglia. These monocytes enhance inflammatory signaling and augment anxiety. Moreover, RSD promotes stress sensitization, in which exposure to acute stress 24 days after cessation of RSD causes anxiety recurrence. The purpose of this study was to determine whether microglia were critical to stress sensitization and exhibited increased reactivity to subsequent acute stress or immune challenge. Methods Mice were exposed to RSD, microglia were eliminated by colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor antagonism (PLX5622) and allowed to repopulate, and responses to acute stress or immune challenge (lipopolysaccharide) were determined 24 days after RSD sensitization. Results Microglia maintained a unique messenger RNA signature 24 days after RSD. Moreover, elimination of RSD-sensitized microglia prevented monocyte accumulation in the brain and blocked anxiety recurrence following acute stress (24 days). When microglia were eliminated prior to RSD and repopulated and mice were subjected to acute stress, there was monocyte accumulation in the brain and anxiety in RSD-sensitized mice. These responses were unaffected by microglial elimination/repopulation. This may be related to neuronal sensitization that persisted 24 days after RSD. Following immune challenge, there was robust microglial reactivity in RSD-sensitized mice associated with prolonged sickness behavior. Here, microglial elimination/repopulation prevented the amplified immune reactivity ex vivo and in vivo in RSD-sensitized mice. Conclusions Microglia and neurons remain sensitized weeks after RSD, and only the immune reactivity component of RSD-sensitized microglia was prevented by elimination/repopulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish recruitment is complex, regulated by environmental factors that induce high mortality early in life. Additionally, age-0 fish can be difficult to sample, making recruitment difficult to detect. We used a robust design occupancy model to evaluate the effects of biotic (age-0 and adult common carp (Cyprinus carpio), bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), walleye (Sander vitreus), and northern pike (Esox lucius) relative abundance, prey availability, age-0 carp length) and abiotic (water level, temperature) factors on age-0 carp occupancy, detection, and extinction in 13 lakes in South Dakota, USA, for July–April 2008–2010. Age-0 carp occupancy decreased with increasing adult carp abundance and increased with increasing water levels. Age-0 carp detection probability was high during summer (>0.75) but decreased in fall and spring (0.34). Most lakes were occupied in July but overwinter extinction probability was high (59%), resulting in 51% occupancy probability by April. Other environmental factors were not supported, suggesting they had little effect on reproduction and survival. Our results indicate reproduction was universally successful but difficult to detect and that overwinter mortality often resulted in recruitment failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the design of new structures, EN 1992‐1‐1 normatively regulates the correlation between the compressive strength and tensile strength of concrete, in accordance with EN 206‐1. However, as there are many time‐ and load‐dependent impacts on existing structures, the relationship described by EN 1992‐1‐1 cannot be assumed without any further observations for existing structures. At the moment, there is no comprehensive investigation on the influences of, for example, subsequent hardening and carbonation on the concrete compressive or tensile strength. The tensile strength of concrete defined in EN 1992‐1‐1 is based on a water storage and a testing age of 28 days. Furthermore, the in‐situ tensile strength is affected by micro‐crack formation cause of internal stresses due to outflow of hydration heat, for example. Generally, there is a different influence of micro‐crack formation on the tensile strength of concrete than on the compressive strength of concrete. The actual value of the in‐situ tensile strength of concrete affects the shear force resistance and the load‐bearing capacity of anchors with concrete cone failure as decisive failure mode. Within the framework of a research project (SWD‐10.08.18.7‐13.01), financed by "Forschungsinitiative Zukunft Bau", an initiative of the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBR) structural investigations on the correlation between the compressive and tensile strength of old concretes have been performed. Below, the results of the research project are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resource pulses are found in a variety of ecosystems and are becoming a prevailing theme in ecology. However, limited information is available regarding how recipient ecosystem productivity influences effects of resource pulses. Our objective was to compare the abundance, stability, and food web responses of nutrients and primary producers and consumers in oligotrophic versus eutrophic aquatic mesocosms receiving resource pulses of decaying fish. Nutrient availability and primary producer and consumer abundance were generally different between trophic states and pulsed treatments. Nitrate decreased and phytoplankton increased as a result of the pulse, whereas total Kjeldahl nitrogen, copepods, and total zooplankton increased following the pulse in oligotrophic but not eutrophic mesocosms. Gastropod density was higher in non-pulsed oligotrophic compared to pulsed eutrophic mesocosms but was not affected by the pulse within a trophic state. Despite temporal variation of all parameters, ecosystem stability was not affected by the pulse. Several differences in δ15N and δ13C values were also observed between biota in oligotrophic and eutrophic mesocosms, but only amphipod δ13C values in eutrophic mesocosms were depleted by the pulse. Overall, our results indicate that recipient ecosystem productivity is an important factor regulating the effects of resource pulses, with implications for ecosystems and food web structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Motion artifacts can reduce image quality of breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). There is a lack of data regarding their effect on diagnostic estimates.Purpose: To evaluate factors that potentially influence readers' diagnostic estimates in breast MRI: motion artifacts; amount of fibroglandular tissue; background parenchymal enhancement; lesion size; and lesion type.Material and Methods: This Institutional Review Board-approved, retrospective, cross-sectional, single-center study included 320 patients (mean age = 55.1 years) with 334 histologically verified breast lesions (139 benign, 195 malignant) who underwent breast MRI. Two expert breast radiologists evaluated the images considering: motion artifacts (1 = minimal to 4 = marked); fibroglandular tissue (BI-RADS FGT); background parenchymal enhancement (BI-RADS BPE); lesion size; lesion type; and BI-RADS score. Univariate (Chi-square) and multivariate (Generalized Estimation Equations [GEE]) statistics were used to identify factors influencing sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy.Results: Lesions were: 230 mass (68.9%) and 59 non-mass (17.7%), no foci. Forty-five lesions (13.5%) did not enhance in MRI but were suspicious or unclear in conventional imaging. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 93.8%, 83.4%, and 89.8% for Reader 1 and 95.4%, 87.8%, and 91.9% for Reader 2. Lower sensitivity was observed in case of increased motion artifacts ( P = 0.007), non-mass lesions ( P < 0.001), and small lesions ≤ 10 mm ( P < 0.021). No further factors (e.g. BPE, FGT) significantly influenced diagnostic estimates. At multivariate analysis, lesion type and size were retained as independent factors influencing the diagnostic performance ( P < 0.033).Conclusion: Motion artifacts can impair lesion characterization with breast MRI, but lesion type and small size have the strongest influence on diagnostic estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In fishes, predation often is size‐specific, with decreasing predation risks associated with larger body size.  However, consumed fishes observed during diet analysis are often partially digested with only a variety of different body parts identified, making it challenging to determine original body size at consumption and size‐specific predation risk.  Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess linear relationships between total length and 10 body components of age‐0 walleye Sander vitreus. Ten morphometric features (spinal column: first anterior vertebrae before the caudal bone to the first vertebrae posterior of the cranium (SC), length between anterior edge of the rostrum and posterior margin of operculum margin (RO), length between anterior edge of the rostrum to the origin of the dorsal fin (RD), gape height (GH), length of the base of the anal fin (AF), height of the caudal fin (CF), orbit height (OH), orbit width (OW), base of anterior (AD), and posterior (PD) dorsal fins) were measured from 61 age‐0 walleye ranging from 119 to 275 mm total length. Walleye total length was positively related to all ten morphometric features: spinal length (R2 = 0.90), gape height (R2 = 0.84), orbit width (R2 = 0.52), and orbit height (R2 = 0.56), base length of anterior dorsal fin (R2 = 0.85), base of posterior dorsal fin (R2 = 0.80), base of anal fin (R2 = 0.73), length between rostrum and first dorsal fin (R2 = 0.91), caudal height (R2 = 0.46), and rostrum to posterior margin of the operculum (R2 = 0.95). Most age‐0 walleye (87%) consumed by predators had at least one morphometric feature that was measurable, with 42% of the measurable features having coefficient of determination value of at least 0.80 with total length. Length‐frequency histograms developed from total lengths estimated from morphometric features were all similar to direct total length measurements, indicating that they provided a reliable metric of size distribution. Establishing biometric relationships for morphometric features that can be directly measured provide an alternative to back‐calculation of prey size and provide information that aids in understanding complex relationships between recruitment, predation, and prey size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Betelgeuse, a red supergiant star of semi-regular variability, reached a historical minimum brightness in February 2020, known as the Great Dimming. Even though the brightness has returned to the values prior to the Great Dimming now, it continues to exhibit highly unusual behavior. Aims. Understanding the long-term atmospheric motions of Betelgeuse and its variability could be a clue to the nature of the Great Dimming and the mass-loss process in red supergiants. Our goal is to study long-term dynamics of the photosphere, including during the Great Dimming. Methods. We applied the tomographic method, which allows different layers in the stellar atmosphere to be probed in order to reconstruct depth-dependent velocity fields. The method is based on the construction of spectral masks by grouping spectral lines from specific optical depths. These masks are cross-correlated with the observed spectra to recover the velocity field inside each atmospheric layer. Results. We obtained about 2800 spectra over the past 15 yr that were observed with the STELLA robotic telescope in Tenerife. We analyzed the variability of five different layers of Betelgeuse's photosphere. We found phase shift between the layers, as well as between the variability of velocity and photometry. The time variations of the widths of the cross-correlation function reveal propagation of two shockwaves during the Great Dimming. For about 2 yr after the dimming, the timescale of variability was different between the inner and outer photospheric layers. By 2022, all the layers seemingly started to follow a similar behavior as before the dimming, but pulsating with higher frequency corresponding with the first overtone. Conclusions. The combination of the extensive high-resolution spectroscopic data set with the tomographic method revealed the variable velocity fields in the photosphere of Betelgeuse, for the first time in such detail. We were also able to find new insights related to the Great Dimming event and its aftermath, namely the discovery of another shockwave and the subsequent rearrangement of the photosphere. Our results demonstrate that powerful shocks are the triggering mechanism for episodic mass-loss events, which may be the missing component to explain the mass-loss process in red supergiants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3, 57–27 ka) was characterised by numerous rapid climate oscillations (i.e., Dansgaard-Oeschger (D/O-) events), which are reflected in various climate archives. So far, MIS 3 speleothem records from central Europe have mainly been restricted to caves located beneath temperate Alpine glaciers or close to the Atlantic Ocean. Thus, MIS 3 seemed to be too cold and dry to enable speleothem growth north of the Alps in central Europe. Here we present a new speleothem record from Bunker Cave, Germany, which shows two distinct growth phases from 52.0 (+0.8, −0.5) to 50.9 (+0.6, −1.3) ka and 47.3 (+1.0, −0.6) to 42.8 (±0.9) ka, rejecting this hypothesis. These two growth phases potentially correspond to the two warmest and most humid phases in central Europe during MIS 3, which is confirmed by pollen data from the nearby Eifel. The hiatus separating the two phases is associated with Heinrich stadial 5 (HS 5), although the growth stop precedes the onset of HS 5. The first growth phase is characterised by a fast growth rate, and Mg concentrations and Sr isotope data suggest high infiltration and the presence of soil cover above the cave. The second growth phase was characterised by drier, but still favourable conditions for speleothem growth. During this phase, the δ13C values show a significant decrease associated with D/O-event 12. The timing of this shift is in agreement with other MIS 3 speleothem data from Europe and Greenland ice core data. Highlights • Speleothem record from central Europe covering MIS 3. • 230Th/U dating shows two distinct growth phases during early MIS 3. • Growth stop is likely related to the Heinrich 5 event. • Multi-proxy data suggest humid phases during growth periods in MIS 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Bengal Fan contains the most complete record of Himalayan climate and tectonics. As the largest fan system of the world it is fed by the Ganges-Brahmaputra river systems. International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 354 cored seven sites along an east-west core transect at 8°N in the lower Bengal Fan. We studied the Pleistocene sections of these sites to provide constraints on the depositional history of the last 1.25 Ma. Low-resolution bio- and magnetostratigraphic constraints identified two regionally-extensive hemipelagic units and intercalated turbidite deposits that provide a chronostratigraphic framework for the 320 km transect. Using a combination of lithostratigraphy and sediment physical properties that vary on orbital timescales, we tuned high-resolution data sets to the LR04 benthic δ18O isotope stack to obtain new constraints on the timing of depositional changes. Above the underlying Unit 1, which consists of Early to Middle Pleistocene turbiditic deposits, we divide four more units for the last 1.25 Ma: Unit 2, a Middle Pleistocene hemipelagic layer deposited at all sites from Marine Isotopic Stages (MIS) 37 to ∼17 (∼1.24–0.68 Ma) during the entire time of the Mid-Pleistocene Transition, when the Bengal Fan depocenter must have been distal to our transect; Unit 3, mostly turbidites with some intercalated hemipelgic sediments deposited from ∼MIS 16–∼13 (∼0.68–0.48 Ma), with sandy lithologies only found at the easternmost site on the west flank of the Ninetyeast Ridge; Unit 4, massive turbiditic sediments that started to dominate deposition with the Mid-Brunhes Transition (∼MIS 12) until MIS 7/8 (∼0.48–0.25 Ma), when the channel-levee system was focused east of the 85°E basement ridge at 8°N; and Unit 5, a Late Pleistocene hemipelagic layer at the top that spans MIS 7/8–1 (∼0.25 Ma to present) while the turbidite deposition was focused west of the 85°E basement ridge at 8°N. We find evidence that, on these timescales, deposition across the lower Bengal Fan changed with the evolution of Pleistocene climate, monsoon and sea-level history and hence responded to external controls on sediment accumulation and fan architecture rather than only fan-internal, autocyclic mechanisms. Highlights • First Pleistocene chronology for IODP Expedition 354 sites on lower Bengal Fan. • Gray-scale tuning to a δ18O isotope stack (LR04) in turbidite/hemipelagic setting. • Fan development responds to changes in climate, monsoon and sea level. • Deposition of five units changed with Mid-Pleistocene and Mid-Brunhes transitions. • Two hemipelagic layers constrain fan development and respond to orbital forcing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recommender systems are pivotal components of modern Internet platforms and constitute a well-established research field. By now, research has resulted in highly sophisticated recommender algorithms whose further optimization often yields only marginal improvements. This paper goes beyond the commonly dominating focus on optimizing algorithms and instead follows the idea of enhancing recommender systems with reputation data. Since the concept of reputation-enhanced recommender systems has attracted considerable attention in recent years, the main aim of the paper is to provide a comprehensive survey of the approaches proposed so far. To this end, existing work is identified by means of a systematic literature review and classified according to seven carefully considered dimensions. In addition, the resulting structured analysis of the state of the art serves as a basis for the deduction and discussion of several future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a multidisciplinary study to provide the stratigraphic and palaeoclimatic context of monsoonal rainfall dynamics and their responses to orbital forcing for the Bay of Bengal. Using sediment lightness we established an age model at orbital resolution for International Ocean Discovery Programme (IODP) Core U1452C-1H that covers the last 200 ka in the lower Bengal Fan. The low-resolution δ 18 O of G. sacculifer is consistent with global δ 18 O records, at least for major glacial-to-interglacial transitions. The variability of total organic carbon, total nitrogen, and the δ 13 C composition of organic matter indicate the marine origin of organic matter. Marine primary productivity likely increased during insolation minima, indicative for an enhanced NE monsoon during glacials and stadials. Pristine insolation forcing is also documented for wet-bulk density, red-green color variability, and grain-size variations, indicating that darker and coarser-grained material deposited at higher sedimentation rates during insolation minima. Stronger NE monsoon likely amplified ocean-atmosphere interactions over the Indian Ocean, leading to stronger upwelling through shoaling the thermocline, and higher delivery of sediment to the Bay of Bengal due to higher soil erosion on land. In addition, lower glacial and stadial sea levels as well as stronger westward surface circulation favored delivery of coarser-grained fluvial material to the lower Bengal Fan. At the same time the stronger NE monsoon might have increased the aeolian supply. Total inorganic carbon, the Ca/Ti ratio, and biogenic silica vary dominantly on obliquity frequencies, suggesting mobilization and transport of lithogenic material primarily during lowered sea levels and/or higher influence of the Northern Hemisphere westerlies on the dust transport from the Tibetan Plateau. The close resemblance of sediment lightness and the climate record of Antarctic ice cores over multiple glacial cycles indicate close relationship between high southern latitude and tropical Asian climate through shifts in position of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. The Bengal Fan monsoonal record shows very clear and strict responses to insolation forcing in the lower part from ~200 ka to the Younger Toba Tuff during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 7 – 5, and less distinct response patterns after deposition of the ash during MIS 4 – 2, consistent with low-amplitude changes in insolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resource pulses provide short-duration, large-magnitude resources that influence ecosystem productivity, structure, and function. However, little empirical evidence is available evaluating how lake ecosystems respond to varying resource pulse magnitudes. We used mesocosms inoculated with primary producers and consumers to compare resource pulses of 0, 25, 50, 100, and 250 kg/ha of common carp Cyprinus carpio to simulate post-winterkill fish biomass in shallow lakes. Ecosystem responses to a gradient of resource pulse magnitudes typically had the greatest effects on nutrient availability and primary producers with fewer detectable effects for consumers. Total phosphorus, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, nitrate, phytoplankton, and periphyton productions increased as a result of the resource pulse, whereas copepods were the only consumer observed to elicit a positive response. In contrast, pulse magnitude had little effect on ecosystem stability, trophic position, or energy flow, potentially due to the low biomass of pulse magnitudes introduced. Resource pulses of moderate or large size generally increased nutrient availability and primary productivity while decreasing water clarity, suggesting that resource pulses can be an important factor influencing shallow eutrophic lakes but that effects may not be proportional to pulse size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Recently, the use of a new family of electroluminescent copper(I) complexes—i.e., the archetypal [Cu(IPr)(3‐Medpa)][PF6] complex; IPr: 1,3‐bis‐(2,6‐di‐iso‐propylphenyl)imidazole‐2‐ylidene; 3‐Medpa: 2,2′‐bis‐(3‐methylpyridyl)amine—has led to blue light‐emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) featuring luminances of 20 cd m−2, stabilities of 4 mJ, and efficiencies of 0.17 cd A−1. Herein, this study rationalizes how to enhance these figures‐of‐merit optimizing both device fabrication and design. On one hand, a comprehensive spectroscopic and electrochemical study reveals the degradation of this novel emitter in common solvents used for LEC fabrication, as well as the impact on the photoluminescence features of thin‐films. On the other hand, spectro‐electrochemical and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy assays suggest that the device performance is strongly limited by the irreversible formation of oxidized species that mainly act as carrier trappers and luminance quenchers. Based on all of the aforementioned, device optimization was realized using ionic additives and a hole transporter either as a host–guest or as a multilayered architecture approach to decouple hole/electron injection. The latter significantly enhances the LEC performance, reaching luminances of 160 cd m−2, stabilities of 32.7 mJ, and efficiencies of 1.2 cd A−1. Overall, this work highlights the need of optimizing both device fabrication and design toward highly efficient and stable LECs based on cationic copper(I) complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Partial factor methods for existing concrete structures In literature different methods for the reliability‐based assessment of existing concrete structures have been developed. Nevertheless, a consistent reliability‐based assessment framework and a practically applicable codified approach which is compatible to the Eurocodes and accessible for common structural engineering problems in everyday practice is still missing. Currently the assessment of existing structures is mostly based on simplified procedures based on the partial factor method, commonly applied for the design of new structures. Such an assessment of an existing structure may lead to conservative results and expensive rehabilitation and strengthening measures. Therefore, the fib Task Group 3.1 “Reliability and safety evaluation: full‐probabilistic and semi‐probabilistic methods for existing structures” developed the new fib Bulletin 80 [1] “Partial factor methods for existing concrete structures”. The new Bulletin 80 includes modified partial factors for materials and actions. In the present contribution, based on fib Bulletin 80 [1], two methods for the modification of partial factors for the assessment of existing structures are presented. Furthermore, different methods for the adaption of the target reliability index are described. Finally, the approach is explained, using an example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In situ laser ablation analyses rely on the microanalytical homogeneity of reference materials (RMs) and a similar matrix and mass fraction between unknown samples and RMs to obtain reliable results. Suitable carbonate and phosphate RMs for determination of Sr isotope ratios in such materials are limited. Thus, we determined 87Sr/86Sr ratios of several carbonate (JCt‐1, JCp‐1, MACS‐1, MACS‐3) and phosphate (MAPS‐4, MAPS‐5, NIST SRM 1400, NIST SRM 1486) international RMs using dissolved samples and two different multi‐collector inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometers (MC‐ICP‐MS). Our Sr isotope data are in agreement with published data and have an improved measurement precision for some RMs. For MACS‐1, we present the first 87Sr/86Sr value. We tested the suitability of these materials for microanalytical analyses by LA‐MC‐ICP‐MS, with two different laser ablation systems: a conventional nanosecond laser and a state‐of‐the‐art femtosecond laser. We investigated the RMs micro‐homogeneity and compared the data with our solution data. Both laser ablation systems yielded identical 87Sr/86Sr ratios within uncertainty to the solution data for RMs with low interferences of REEs. Therefore, these carbonate and phosphate RMs can be used to achieve accurate and precise results for in situ Sr isotope investigations by LA‐MC‐ICP‐MS of similar materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficacy and safety of olmesartan medoxomil (OM) vs active control (AC) monotherapy among elderly patients aged 60-79 years (N = 4487) was evaluated by meta-analysis (25 studies). In all patients, change from baseline to end point in blood pressure (BP) was significantly greater with OM vs AC (-19.5/-11.9 vs -16.8/-10.7 mm Hg). Greater proportions of OM- vs AC-treated patients achieved BP goals. In patients with impaired renal function (estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 ), OM treatment resulted in a greater mean change from baseline in systolic BP vs AC (-21.2 vs -18.7 mm Hg, respectively) and a greater proportion of patients achieving BP goals. These parameters were similar in both groups for elderly patients with diabetes. OM was well tolerated with few adverse events. OM monotherapy can be used as an initial treatment for hypertension in elderly patients, including those with renal impairment or diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]