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This paper addresses the trajectory-tracking problem under uncertain road-surface conditions for autonomous vehicles. We propose a stochastic nonlinear model predictive controller (SNMPC) that learns a tyre–road friction model online using standard automotive-grade sensors. Learning the entire tyre–road friction model in real time requires driving in the nonlinear, potentially unstable regime of the vehicle dynamics, using a prediction model that may not have fully converged. To handle this, we formulate the tyre-friction model learning in a Bayesian framework and propose two estimators that learn different aspects of the tyre–road friction. The estimators output the estimate of the tyre-friction model as well as the uncertainty of the estimate, which expresses the confidence in the model for different driving regimes. The SNMPC exploits the uncertainty estimate in its prediction model to take proper action when the uncertainty is large. We validate the approach in an extensive Monte Carlo study using real vehicle parameters and in CarSim. The results when comparing to various MPC approaches indicate a substantial reduction in constraint violations, as well as a reduction in closed-loop cost. We also demonstrate the real-time feasibility in automotive-grade processors using a dSPACE MicroAutoBox-II rapid prototyping unit, showing a worst-case computation time of roughly 40 ms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) represents a promising target for PSMAoverexpressing diseases, especially prostate cancer-a common type of cancer among men worldwide. In response to the challenges in tackling prostate cancers, several promising PSMA inhibitors from a variety of molecular scaffolds (e.g., phosphorous-, thiol-, and urea-based molecules) have been developed. In addition, PSMA inhibitors bearing macrocyclic chelators have attracted interest due to their favorable pharmacokinetic properties. Recently, conjugating a small PSMA molecule inhibitor-bearing 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) chelator, as exemplified by [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 could serve as a molecular imaging probe and targeted radioligand therapy (TRT) of metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Hence, studies related to mCRPC have drawn global attention. In this review, the recent development of PSMA ligand-617-labeled with 177Lu for the management of mCRPC is presented. Its molecular mechanism of action, safety, efficacy, and future direction are also described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19, also known as Coronavirus Disease, is a new type of infectious disease discovered in 2019 that has become a global pandemic (WHO, 2020). The first cases were identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, with reports of unexplained cases of pneumonia. On January 30, 2020, the Director-General of the WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The aim of this research is to comprehensively analyze Knowledge, Compliance, and Control in Preventing COVID-19 during the Endemic Transition Period at the Balongan Institute of Petroleum Technology in Indramayu. The research method employed for this study was a survey, involving the distribution of questionnaires to 114 employee respondents. Data analysis was conducted using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The conclusions drawn from this study are as follows: There is an influence of knowledge about COVID-19 on compliance and COVID-19 prevention. However, knowledge about COVID-19 does not have a direct impact on COVID19 control. There is an influence of compliance on COVID-19 control, but no influence on prevention. There is no influence of COVID-19 control on prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the topology of the network of ionized and neutral regions that characterized the intergalactic medium during the Epoch of Reionization. Our analysis uses the formalism of persistent homology, which offers a highly intuitive and comprehensive description of the ionization topology in terms of the births and deaths of topological features. Features are identified as k -dimensional holes in the ionization bubble network, whose abundance is given by the k th Betti number: β 0 for ionized bubbles, β 1 for tunnels, and β 2 for neutral islands. Using semi-numerical models of reionization, we investigate the dependence on the properties of sources and sinks of ionizing radiation. Of all topological features, we find that the tunnels dominate during reionization and that their number is easiest to observe and most sensitive to the astrophysical parameters of interest, such as the gas fraction and halo mass necessary for star formation. Seen as a phase transition, the importance of the tunnels can be explained by the entanglement of two percolating clusters and the fact that higher-dimensional features arise when lower-dimensional features link together. We also study the relation between the morphological components of the bubble network (bubbles, tunnels, and islands) and those of the cosmic web (clusters, filaments, and voids), describing a correspondence between the k -dimensional features of both. Finally, we apply the formalism to mock observations of the 21-cm signal. Assuming 1000 observation hours with HERA Phase II, we show that astrophysical models can be differentiated and confirm that persistent homology provides additional information beyond the power spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building with Nature (BwN), is a concept that has been applied in various projects around the world in the broader context of nature based solutions for climate resilience and adaptation. Most of these projects are regional or local in nature and are implemented on a smaller scale. Larger scale projects are more rare. The aim of this article is to highlight a number of large‐scale projects that have been completed or are in the developing stage. The focus will be on coastal regions, from temperate locations in the Netherlands and from developing countries in the tropics including Bangladesh. The value of implementing the principle of BwN for a sustainable future is underlined and described. Certain aspects of governance are highlighted to point out the differences and challenges, but also similarities, of carrying out such projects in different parts of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Learning to code is increasingly embedded in secondary and higher education curricula, where solving programming exercises plays an important role in the learning process and in formative and summative assessment. Unfortunately, students admit that copying code from each other is a common practice and teachers indicate they rarely use plagiarism detection tools. Objectives: We want to lower the barrier for teachers to detect plagiarism by introducing a new source code plagiarism detection tool (Dolos) that is powered by state‐of‐the art similarity detection algorithms, offers interactive visualizations, and uses generic parser models to support a broad range of programming languages. Methods: Dolos is compared with state‐of‐the‐art plagiarism detection tools in a benchmark based on a standardized dataset. We describe our experience with integrating Dolos in a programming course with a strong focus on online learning and the impact of transitioning to remote assessment during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Results and Conclusions: Dolos outperforms other plagiarism detection tools in detecting potential cases of plagiarism and is a valuable tool for preventing and detecting plagiarism in online learning environments. It is available under the permissive MIT open‐source license at https://dolos.ugent.be. Implications: Dolos lowers barriers for teachers to discover, prove and prevent plagiarism in programming courses. This helps to enable a shift towards open and online learning and assessment environments, and opens up interesting avenues for more effective learning and better assessment. Lay description: What is already known about this topic?: Source code plagiarism is common in programming courses.Students mention lack of checking as one reason to commit plagiarism.Existing plagiarism detection tools are not broadly used in current practice.Current tools support few programming languages. What this paper adds: A user‐friendly plagiarism detection tool that supports many programming languages.Interactive visualizations to discover, prove and prevent plagiarism.Plagiarism detection tools can help to prevent plagiarism for remote assessment. Implications for practice and/or policy: Dolos makes it easier for teachers to detect source code plagiarism.Dolos helps to prevent students from committing source code plagiarism.Interactive visualizations support plagiarism discovery as an exploratory process.Keep in mind that high similarity does not equal proven plagiarism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) are peptide receptors that are overexpressed in a wide variety of cancers including neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Because of their short biological half-life and low metabolic stability in vivo, natural somatostatin ligands are not suitable for clinical applications. Octreotide is a synthetic somatostatin peptide analog that has been extensively evaluated for the development of SSTR-specific molecular imaging and radionuclide therapy of NETs. In this review, we summarize the development of the radiolabeled octreotide analogs 111In, 99mTc, and 123I for molecular imaging of NETs via single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), 68Ga-labeled somatostatin analog for molecular imaging using positron emission tomography (PET), and 177Lu-, 90Y-, and 111In-labeled somatostatin analogs for peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) of NETs. Our review of the literature indicates that these radiolabeled somatostatin analogs exhibit good image quality and high tumor uptake and highlight the potential applications of radiolabeled somatostatin analogs for the molecular imaging and targeted treatment of NETs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ipsilateral hand (ILH) impairment is documented following motor stroke, but its impact on long‐term outcome remains unknown. We assessed ILH impairment in subacute stroke and tested whether ILH impairment predicted long‐term outcome. Methods: We performed a longitudinal study in 209 consecutive patients with unilateral stroke and sensorimotor deficit at admission. ILH impairment was evaluated using the Purdue Pegboard Test (PPT) and handgrip strength and defined as mild (z‐score < −1) or moderate (z‐score < −1.65). We used logistic regression (LR) to predict outcome assessed 9 (range, 7–12) months post‐stroke with the modified Rankin scale (mRS) categorized into good (mRS ≤ 1) and poor outcome (mRS ≥ 2). For internal validation, LR‐bootstrapping and cross‐validation with LASSO and Random Forest were performed. Results: ILH impairment assessed at 89.04 ± 45.82 days post‐stroke was moderate in 10.53% (95% CI 6.7, 14.83) for PPT and 17.22% (95% CI 11.96, 22.49) for grip, and mild in 21.05% (95% CI 15.78, 26.79) for PPT and 35.89 (95% CI 29.67, 42.58) for grip. Good outcome was predicted by ILH‐PPT (B = 1.03 [95% CI 0.39, 3.31]), ILH‐grip (B = 1.16 [95% CI 0.54, 3.53]), low NIHSS‐discharge (B = −1.57 [95% CI −4.0, −1.19]), and no depression (B = −0.62 [95% CI −1.63, −0.43]), accounting for stroke delay (B = −0.011 [95% CI −0.06, 0.01]). Model efficiency was 91.6% (AUC = 0.977; 95% CI 0.959, 0.996). LASSO and Random Forest methods provided similar results, confirming the LR model robustness. Conclusions: ILH impairment is frequent after motor stroke and predicts long‐term outcome. We propose to integrate ILH impairment into rehabilitation programs to improve recovery and serve research interventions such as neuromodulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Shotgun metagenomics yields ever richer and larger data volumes on the complex communities living in diverse environments. Extracting deep insights from the raw reads heavily depends on the availability of fast, accurate and user-friendly biodiversity analysis tools. Results: Because environmental samples may contain strains and species that are not covered in reference databases and because protein sequences are more conserved than the genes encoding them, we explore the alternative route of taxonomic profiling based on protein coding regions translated from the shotgun metagenomics reads, instead of directly processing the DNA reads. We therefore developed the Unipept MetaGenomics Analysis Pipeline (UMGAP), a highly versatile suite of open source tools that are implemented in Rust and support parallelization to achieve optimal performance. Six preconfigured pipelines with different performance trade-offs were carefully selected, and benchmarked against a selection of state-of-the-art shotgun metagenomics taxonomic profiling tools. Conclusions: UMGAP's protein space detour for taxonomic profiling makes it competitive with state-of-the-art shotgun metagenomics tools. Despite our design choices of an extra protein translation step, a broad spectrum index that can identify both archaea, bacteria, eukaryotes and viruses, and a highly configurable non-monolithic design, UMGAP achieves low runtime, manageable memory footprint and high accuracy. Its interactive visualizations allow for easy exploration and comparison of complex communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Postbariatric outcomes may improve by providing an additional preconditioning program (APP) in targeted patients. However, APPs are a demand for health resources while only little and inconsistent evidence consists to support their effectiveness. This cohort study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of APP, by comparing outcomes of patients with and without such APP. We carried out a retrospective single‐centre cohort study in a before‐after design. Patients signing up for primary gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy and eligible for surgery were included if screened as vulnerable patients. Vulnerable patients screened between September 2017 and March 2018 followed an APP and formed the APP‐group. Due to a policy change, APPs were no longer performed since September 2018. Vulnerable patients screened between September 2018 and March 2019 thus did not receive an APP (comparator‐group). Multidisciplinary follow‐up remained unchanged. Endpoints included percentage total weight loss (%TWL), bodyweight, evolution of comorbidities, protein intake, and number of no‐shows. The APP‐group comprised 231 patients and the comparator‐group 153. %TWL differed statistically significantly at 7 (Δ1.5%, p =.01) and 12 months postoperative (Δ2.8%, p <.01) in favour of the comparator‐group, as did bodyweight 12 months postoperative (Δ1.8 kg, p <.01). Statistically significant differences were also found in the evolution of comorbidities, protein intake, and the number of no‐shows, most in favour for the comparator‐group. APP proofed not to be superior to Non‐App. It is debatable whether statically significant differences are clinically relevant given their small magnitude. A care pathway without an APP seems at least as effective as a care pathway without. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a well-known fuel consisting mainly of methane as main component of natural gas and is produced by liquefying the natural gas from gas fields at a temperature of 111 K. Since LNG has a very low sulfur content it significantly reduces the emission of harmful pollutants compared to other fossil fuels. As it has a high calorific value and is chemically stable under normal usage conditions it is extensively used as fuel for large engines for ships or power plants. However, in recent years methane has been identified as green-house gas which has a high global warming potential. Therefore, it is necessary to reform LNG so it emits less pollution and has a higher combustion efficiency in engines. This can be done by enriching LNG in a slush state with hydrogen molecules during its phase transition. The introduction of the hydrogen enrichment into slush LNG involves various interesting thermo-fluid dynamics phenomena which are not well understood yet. In the current review paper, an innovative method for the production process of hydrogen enriched slush LNG is introduced and the related thermo-fluid dynamics are described in detail with an emphasis on the promising potential as a fuel for LNG engines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) generally requires the solution of a non-convex dynamic optimization problem at each sampling instant under strict timing constraints, based on a set of differential equations that can often be stiff and/or that may include implicit algebraic equations. This paper provides a local convergence analysis for the recently proposed adjoint-based sequential quadratic programming (SQP) algorithm that is based on a block-structured variant of the two-sided rank-one (TR1) quasi-Newton update formula to efficiently compute Jacobian matrix approximations in a sparsity preserving fashion. A particularly efficient algorithm implementation is proposed in case an implicit integration scheme is used for discretization of the optimal control problem, in which matrix factorization and matrix-matrix operations can be avoided entirely. The convergence analysis results as well as the computational performance of the proposed optimization algorithm are illustrated for two simulation case studies of NMPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We trace the connectivity of the cosmic web as defined by haloes in the Planck-Millennium simulation using a persistence and Betti curve analysis. We normalize clustering up to the second-order correlation function and use our systematic topological analysis to correlate local information and properties of haloes with their multiscale geometrical environment of the cosmic web (elongated filamentary bridges and sheetlike walls). We capture the multiscale topology traced by the halo distribution through filtrations of the corresponding Delaunay tessellation. The resulting nested alpha shapes are sensitive to the local density, perfectly outline the local geometry, and contain the complete information on the multiscale topology. We find a remarkable linear relationship between halo masses and topology: haloes of different mass trace environments with different topological signature. This is a topological bias , an environmental structure bias independent of the halo clustering bias associated with the two-point correlation function. This mass-dependent linear scaling relation allows us to take clustering into account and determine the overall connectivity from a limited sample of galaxies. The presence of topological bias has major implications for the study of voids and filaments in the observed distribution of galaxies. The (infra)structure and shape of these key cosmic web components will strongly depend on the underlying galaxy sample. Their use as cosmological probes, with their properties influenced by cosmological parameters, will have to account for the subtleties of topological bias. This is of particular relevance with the large upcoming galaxy surveys such as DESI, Euclid, and the Vera Rubin telescope surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Transforaminal epidural injections with steroids (TESI) are increasingly being used in patients sciatica. The STAR (steroids against radiculopathy)-trial aimed to evaluate the (cost-) effectiveness of TESI in patients with acute sciatica (< 8 weeks). This article contains the economic evaluation of the STAR-trial. Methods: Participants were randomized to one of three study arms: Usual Care (UC), that is oral pain medication with or without physiotherapy, n = 45); intervention group 1: UC and transforaminal epidural steroid injection (TESI) 1 ml of 0.5% Levobupivacaine and 1 ml of 40 mg/ml Methylprednisolone and intervention group 2: UC and transforaminal epidural injection (TEI) with 1 ml of 0,5% Levobupivacaine and 1 ml of 0.9% NaCl (n = 50). The primary effect measure was health-related quality of life. Secondary outcomes were pain, functioning, and recovery. Costs were measured from a societal perspective, meaning that all costs were included, irrespective of who paid or benefited. Missing data were imputed using multiple imputation, and bootstrapping was used to estimate statistical uncertainty. Results: None of the between-group differences in effects were statistically significant for any of the outcomes (QALY, back pain, leg pain, functioning, and global perceived effect) at the 26-weeks follow-up. The adjusted mean difference in total societal costs was €1718 (95% confidence interval [CI]: − 3020 to 6052) for comparison 1 (intervention group 1 versus usual care), €1640 (95%CI: − 3354 to 6106) for comparison 2 (intervention group 1 versus intervention group 2), and €770 (95%CI: − 3758 to 5702) for comparison 3 (intervention group 2 versus usual care). Except for the intervention costs, none of the aggregate and disaggregate cost differences were statistically significant. The maximum probability of all interventions being cost-effective compared to the control was low (< 0.7) for all effect measures. Conclusion: These results suggest that adding TESI (or TEI) to usual care is not cost-effective compared to usual care in patients with acute sciatica (< 8 weeks) from a societal perspective in a Dutch healthcare setting. Trial registration: Dutch National trial register: NTR4457 (March, 6th, 2014). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors discuss the use of archives and working with primary source materials in the teaching of history. They mention the use of classroom flipping to enable access to the Historic New Orleans Collection as a teaching facility, the benefits and challenges of working with archival materials, and present several sample syllabi.

Moving horizon estimation (MHE) solves a constrained dynamic optimisation problem. Including nonlinear dynamics into an optimal estimation problem generally comes at the cost of tackling a non-convex optimisation problem. Here, a particular model formulation is proposed in order to convexify a class of nonlinear MHE problems. It delivers a linear time-varying (LTV) model that is globally equivalent to the nonlinear dynamics in a noise-free environment, hence the optimisation problem becomes convex. On the other hand, in the presence of unknown disturbances, the accuracy of the LTV model degrades and this results in a less accurate solution. For this purpose, some assumptions are imposed and a homotopy-based approach is proposed in order to transform the problem from convex to non-convex, where the sequential implementation of this technique starts with solving the convexified MHE problem. Two simulation studies validate the efficiency and optimality of the proposed approach with unknown disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a new formalism for studying the topology of H  ii regions during the Epoch of Reionization, based on persistent homology theory. With persistent homology, it is possible to follow the evolution of topological features over time. We introduce the notion of a persistence field as a statistical summary of persistence data and we show how these fields can be used to identify different stages of reionization. We identify two new stages common to all bubble ionization scenarios. Following an initial pre-overlap and subsequent overlap stage, the topology is first dominated by neutral filaments (filament stage) and then by enclosed patches of neutral hydrogen undergoing outside-in ionization (patch stage). We study how these stages are affected by the degree of galaxy clustering. We also show how persistence fields can be used to study other properties of the ionization topology, such as the bubble size distribution and the fractal-like topology of the largest ionized region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a numerical analysis of the topology of a set of cosmologically interesting 3D Gaussian random fields in terms of their Betti numbers β0, β1, and β2. We show that Betti numbers entail a considerably richer characterization of the topology of the primordial density field. Of particular interest is that the Betti numbers specify which topological features – islands, cavities, or tunnels – define the spatial structure of the field. A principal characteristic of Gaussian fields is that the three Betti numbers dominate the topology at different density ranges. At extreme density levels, the topology is dominated by a single class of features. At low levels this is a Swiss-cheeselike topology dominated by isolated cavities, and, at high levels, a predominantly Meatball-like topology composed of isolated objects. At moderate density levels, two Betti numbers define a more Sponge-like topology. At mean density, the description of topology even needs three Betti numbers, quantifying a field consisting of several disconnected complexes, not of one connected and percolating overdensity. A second important aspect of Betti number statistics is that they are sensitive to the power spectrum. They reveal a monotonic trend, in which at a moderate density range, a lower spectral index corresponds to a considerably higher (relative) population of cavities and islands. We also assess the level of complementary information that the Betti numbers represent, in addition to conventional measures such as Minkowski functionals. To this end, we include an extensive description of the Gaussian Kinematic Formula, which represents a major theoretical underpinning for this discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a common pathogen, which causes severe or even deadly diseases in immunocompromised patients. In addition, congenital HCMV infection represents a major health concern affecting especially the lung tissue of the susceptible individuals. Antivirals are a useful strategy to treat HCMV-caused diseases. However, all approved drugs target viral proteins but significant toxicity and an increasing resistance against these compounds have been observed. In infected cells, numerous host molecules have been identified to play important roles during HCMV replication. Among others, HCMV infection depends on the presence of bioactive sphingolipids. In this study, the role of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) signaling in HCMV-infected human embryonal lung fibroblasts (HELF) was analyzed. Viral replication depended on the functional activity of sphingosine kinases (SK). During SK inhibition, addition of extracellular S1P restored HCMV replication. Moreover, neutralization of extracellular S1P by anti-S1P antibodies decreased HCMV replication as well. While the application of FTY720 as an functional antagonist of S1P receptor (S1PR)1,3−5 signaling did not reduce HCMV replication significantly, JTE-013, an inhibitor of S1PR2, decreased viral replication. Furthermore, inhibition of Rac-1 activity reduced HCMV replication, whereas inhibition of the Rac-1 effector protein Rac-1-activated kinase 1 (PAK1) had no influence. In general, targeting S1P-induced pathways, which are essential for a successful HCMV replication, may represent a valuable strategy to develop new antiviral drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on narrative perspective on advance directives in dementia care. Topics discussed include advance directives aim to enable persons to express how they want to be treated in case of future incompetence; and illustrate this by going into the role of advance directives in end-of-life decisions in late dementia in the Netherlands.

We study the statistical properties of the eigenvalues of the primordial tidal and deformation tensor for two-dimensional random Gaussian cosmic density fields. With the tidal and deformation tensors, Hessians of the gravitational and velocity potential, being Gaussian, the eigenvalue fields are distinctly non-Gaussian. We extend the Doroshkevich formula for the joined distribution of eigenvalues to two-dimensional fields and evaluate the two- and three-point correlation functions. In addition, we assess the number densities of singular points of the eigenvalue fields and find their corresponding two- and three-point correlation functions. The incentive for the present study is based on our interest in developing a fully analytical theory for the structure and dynamics of the cosmic web. The tidal forces and the resulting mass element deformation shape the prominent anisotropic wall-like and filamentary components of the cosmic web. Less well-known is that the web-like spatial pattern is already recognizable in the primordial tidal and deformation eigenvalue field. Against the full phase-space assessment of structure formation in the Universe, the caustic skeleton theory entails an analytical framework for the non-linear evolution of the cosmic web. It accomplishes this by describing the folding of the dark matter sheet and quantifying the emerging caustic singularities, which are fully specified by the spatial properties of the deformation eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Finally, the eigenvalues of the primordial tidal tensor are crucial in the generation of the angular momentum of galaxies. Understanding their spatial distribution is a critical element in predicting the resulting rotation amplitude and orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Residential areas are considered part of the sociocultural aspect for determining health but are rarely studied in a cardiovascular disease-community study in developing countries. Jatinangor, considered a university area, has unique characteristics surrounded by urban and rural villages. We aim to investigate the association of residential areas in Jatinangor with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Methodology: A cross-sectional study from July to November 2018 was done in appointed rural and urban areas in Jatinangor district, West Java, Indonesia. Cardiovascular disease is defined using a self-reported questionnaire. Cardiovascular death was identified through a verbal autopsy performed by a general practitioner as an interviewer. The morbidity data were obtained from September to October 2018, while the mortality data were obtained from July to November 2018. Poisson regression was done to determine the association of residential areas to cardiovascular disease morbidity. Results: Data were obtained from 1469 respondents; 58.7% were from rural areas. The prevalence of cardiovascular disease morbidity is higher in urban than rural areas (5.6% vs. 2.5%, p=0.004). There were 42 cases of death reported during the study period, with 33 deaths considered caused by cardiovascular disease. The urban-rural differences in cardiovascular mortality showed no significant differences (p=0.388). The unadjusted model of the association of the urban-rural residential area with cardiovascular disease morbidity was (PR 2.253 (95% CI 1.262, 4.024)) while the adjusted model was (PR 2.264 (95% CI 1.257, 4.078, p = 0.007)) . Conclusion: Urban area is associated with two times higher cardiovascular disease morbidity but not with mortality than those who live in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In migrant animals, conditions encountered at various times and places throughout their annual cycle may affect breeding success. Yet, most studies so far have only investigated the effect of specific parts of the annual cycle, despite the importance to understand how different stages can interact and how these stages compare to intrinsic quality to properly modulate breeding success. Using a structural equation modelling approach, we investigated drivers of breeding success (migration cycle, individual quality, breeding conditions) in hoopoes Upupa epops, a long-distant migrant. Our causal framework explained 75% of the variation in breeding success. The effect of the migration schedule was negligible, whereas the previous breeding attempt strongly influenced current breeding success. We suggest that the interplay of individual quality and environmental conditions during both previous and current breeding season may be more important drivers of breeding success than migration schedules, even in a long-distance migrant. We conclude that structural equation modeling is a promising tool to investigate causal relationships. Applied to hoopoes, we demonstrated that current breeding success is strongly linked to previous breeding success. Complementary analysis integrating weather and climate conditions during migration and the breeding season may provide a deeper and wider overview of the annual cycle of hoopoes and additional insights into the existence of carry-over effects in breeding success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cosmic web is one of the most striking features of the distribution of galaxies and dark matter on the largest scales in the Universe. It is composed of dense regions packed full of galaxies, long filamentary bridges, flattened sheets and vast low-density voids. The study of the cosmic web has focused primarily on the identification of such features, and on understanding the environmental effects on galaxy formation and halo assembly. As such, a variety of different methods have been devised to classify the cosmic web - depending on the data at hand, be it numerical simulations, large sky surveys or other. In this paper, we bring 12 of these methods together and apply them to the same data set in order to understand how they compare. In general, these cosmic-web classifiers have been designed with different cosmological goals in mind, and to study different questions. Therefore, one would not a priori expect agreement between different techniques; however, many of these methods do converge on the identification of specific features. In this paper, we study the agreements and disparities of the different methods. For example, each method finds that knots inhabit higher density regions than filaments, etc. and that voids have the lowest densities. For a given web environment, we find a substantial overlap in the density range assigned by each web classification scheme. We also compare classifications on a halo-by-halo basis; for example, we find that 9 of 12 methods classify around a third of group-mass haloes (i.e. Mhalo ~ 1013.5 h-1M☉) as being in filaments. Lastly, so that any future cosmic-web classification scheme can be compared to the 12 methods used here, we have made all the data used in this paper public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents and analyzes an inexact Newton-type optimization method based on iterated sensitivities (INIS). A particular class of nonlinear programming (NLP) problems is considered, where a subset of the variables is defined by nonlinear equality constraints. The proposed algorithm considers any problem-specific approximation for the Jacobian of these constraints. Unlike other inexact Newton methods, the INIS-type optimization algorithm is shown to preserve the local convergence properties and the asymptotic contraction rate of the Newton-type scheme for the feasibility problem yielded by the same Jacobian approximation. The INIS approach results in a computational cost which can be made close to that of the standard inexact Newton implementation. In addition, an adjoint-free (AF-INIS) variant of the approach is presented which, under certain conditions, becomes considerably easier to implement than the adjoint based scheme. The applicability of these results is motivated specifically for dynamic optimization problems. In addition, the numerical performance of a corresponding open-source implementation is illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most bird species, all feathers are moulted at least once per year, usually after breeding (complete post-breeding moult). Woodpeckers (Picidae) often retain some primary coverts and secondaries during their otherwise complete post-breeding moult. To date, this phenomenon has received little attention and has not been studied thoroughly in European woodpeckers, even though it could prove very helpful for ageing and therefore for demographic studies. We studied the moult patterns of breeding adult Wrynecks Jynx torquilla in a Swiss Alpine valley between 2013 and 2016. Due to intensive ringing in the study area prior to the current study, our data set included birds of known age. Some individuals were captured and their moult documented in up to four years in a row. We found that Wrynecks present an extreme case of delayed primarycovert moult. No primary covert (PC) was renewed during the post-juvenile moult. At most three PCs were renewed by the second post-breeding moult and three to six at more advanced ages. That some juvenile PCs were retained until the sixth calendar year has not previously been documented for a species with such a relatively short lifespan. This principle of 'postponed moult' in Wrynecks affects the appearance of the PCs differently in each age class and allows us to age birds more accurately than previous methods. Here we describe how to interpret the moult pattern of PCs to age Wrynecks properly and argue that the moult strategy of Wrynecks was hitherto incompletely and in many cases mistakenly understood, leading to confusion in the ageing of Wrynecks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hoopoe ( Upupa epops epops ) breeds widely in Eurasia and most populations migrate to Africa during the boreal winter. To date, data regarding its phylogeography in Europe are missing. In this study, we investigated the phylogeography and population genetics of Hoopoes by means of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing as well as microsatellite genotyping. Our analyses revealed 32 haplotypes in the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) (269 individuals) and 50 haplotypes in cytochrome b (cyt b ) (233 individuals). Analyses of mtDNA clearly demonstrated that the bulk of variance (98.23%) could be attributed to inner-population variance. Thus, the low frequency single nucleotide substitutions resulted in “star-like” haplotype networks without define geographical structure. Hoopoes clearly experienced a bottleneck followed by sudden expansion, as was also apparent from tests on the unimodal mismatch, Bayesian skyline plot, significant negative neutrality tests as well as bottleneck signals. These tests pointed to strong demographic fluctuations in the hoopoe populations. GENELAND, DAPC and STRUCTURE analyses of microsatellites along with their corresponding Fst values suggested that current genetic restriction separates birds from Armenia from the remaining populations. Except for hoopoes from Armenia, all the European populations exhibited an admixed phylogeographic pattern. We conclude that this genetic panmixia might be a consequence of a combination of historical events (e.g. repeated colonizations and retreatments from northern habitats during the Pleistocene and a sudden postglacial expansion) and current processes (e.g. long-distance migration, immigration or population recruitments). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with tube-based model predictive control (MPC) for both linear and nonlinear, input-affine continuous-time dynamic systems that are affected by time-varying disturbances. We derive a min–max differential inequality describing the support function of positive robust forward invariant tubes, which can be used to construct a variety of tube-based model predictive controllers. These constructions are conservative, but computationally tractable and their complexity scales linearly with the length of the prediction horizon. In contrast to many existing tube-based MPC implementations, the proposed framework does not involve discretizing the control policy and, therefore, the conservatism of the predicted tube depends solely on the accuracy of the set parameterization. The proposed approach is then used to construct a robust MPC scheme based on tubes with ellipsoidal cross-sections. This ellipsoidal MPC scheme is based on solving an optimal control problem under linear matrix inequality constraints. We illustrate these results with the numerical case study of a spring–mass–damper system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct optimal control algorithms first discretize the continuous-time optimal control problem and then solve the resulting finite dimensional optimization problem. If Newton type optimization algorithms are used for solving the discretized problem, accurate first as well as second order sensitivity information needs to be computed. This article develops a novel approach for computing Hessian matrices which is tailored for optimal control. Algorithmic differentiation based schemes are proposed for both discrete- and continuous-time sensitivity propagation, including explicit as well as implicit systems of equations. The presented method exploits the symmetry of Hessian matrices, which typically results in a computational speedup of about factor 2 over standard differentiation techniques. These symmetric sensitivity equations additionally allow for a three-sweep propagation technique that can significantly reduce the memory requirements, by avoiding the need to store a trajectory of forward sensitivities. The performance of this symmetric sensitivity propagation is demonstrated for the benchmark case study of the economic optimal control of a nonlinear biochemical reactor, based on the open-source software implementation in the ACADO Toolkit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bluetongue virus (BTV) is transmitted by Culicoides biting midges and causes bluetongue (BT), a clinical disease observed primarily in sheep. BT has a detrimental effect on subsistence farmers in India, where hyperendemic outbreaks impact on smallholdings in the southern states of the country. In this study, we establish a reliable method for testing the toxic effects of deltamethrin on Culicoides and then compare deltamethrin with traditional control methods used by farmers in India. Results: Effects of deltamethrin were initially tested using a colonised strain of Culicoides nubeculosus Meigen and a modified World Health Organisation exposure assay. This method was then applied to field populations of Culicoides spp. in India. The field population of C. oxystoma in India had a greater LC50 (0.012 ± 0.009%) for deltamethrin than laboratory-reared C.nubeculosus (0.0013 ± 0.0002%). Exposure of C. nubeculosus to deltamethrin at higher ambient temperatures resulted in greater rates of knockdown but a lower mortality rate at 24 h post-exposure. Behavioural assays with C. nubeculosus in WHO tubes provided evidence for contact irritancy and spatial repellence caused by deltamethrin. The field experiments in India, however, provided no evidence for repellent or toxic effects of deltamethrin. Traditional methods such as the application of neem oil and burning of neem leaves also provided no protection. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that field-collected Culicoides in India are less susceptible to deltamethrin exposure than laboratory-bred C. nubeculosus and traditional methods of insect control do not provide protection to sheep. These low levels of susceptibility to deltamethrin have not been recorded before in field populations of Culicoides and suggest resistance to synthetic pyrethrioids. Alternative insect control methods, in addition to vaccination, may be needed to protect Indian livestock from BTV transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct use of geothermal energy can present challenges of financial feasibility in a low-enthalpy setting. The average temperature gradients in sedimentary basins make it necessary to reach larger depths for meaningful heat production, thus increasing the drilling cost. Therefore, full realization of geothermal projects in low-enthalpy environments has been difficult and not widely deployed. The concept of harvesting the positive temperature anomalies caused by the increased heat conductivity of salt bodies could enable access to higher temperatures at a shallower depth, thus reducing the necessary depth of drilling. In a potential site in NE Netherlands, temperature differences of up to 25 °C close to the top of a salt body are modeled. Substantiating this concept we show that the energetic benefits can result to up to 40% more energy extracted, while the temperature recovery of the field is only prolonged by 13%. This opens up new possibilities for geothermal applications in sedimentary basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migratory birds are often faithful to wintering (nonbreeding) sites, and also migration timing is usually remarkably consistent, that is, highly repeatable. Spatiotemporal repeatability can be of advantage for multiple reasons, including familiarity with local resources and predators as well as avoiding the costs of finding a new place, for example, nesting grounds. However, when the environment is variable in space and time, variable site selection and timing might be more rewarding. To date, studies on spatial and temporal repeatability in short-lived long-distance migrants are scarce, most notably of first-time and subsequent migrations. Here, we investigated repeatability in autumn migration directions, wintering sites, and annual migration timing in Hoopoes ( Upupa epops), a long-distance migrant, using repeated tracks of adult and first-time migrants. Even though autumn migration directions were mostly the same, individual wintering sites often changed from year to year with distances between wintering sites exceeding 1,000 km. The timing of migration was repeatable within an individual during autumn, but not during spring migration. We suggest that Hoopoes respond to variable environmental conditions such as north-south shifts in rainfall during winter and differing onset of the food availability during spring migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant functional types (PFTs) aggregate the variety of plant species into a small number of functionally different classes. We examined to what extent plant traits, which reflect species' functional adaptations, can capture functional differences between predefined PFTs and which traits optimally describe these differences. We applied Gaussian kernel density estimation to determine probability density functions for individual PFTs in an n-dimensional trait space and compared predicted PFTs with observed PFTs. All possible combinations of 1-6 traits from a database with 18 different traits (total of 18 287 species) were tested. A variety of trait sets had approximately similar performance, and 4-5 traits were sufficient to classify up to 85% of the species into PFTs correctly, whereas this was 80% for a bioclimatically defined tree PFT classification. Well-performing trait sets included combinations of correlated traits that are considered functionally redundant within a single plant strategy. This analysis quantitatively demonstrates how structural differences between PFTs are reflected in functional differences described by particular traits. Differentiation between PFTs is possible despite large overlap in plant strategies and traits, showing that PFTs are differently positioned in multidimensional trait space. This study therefore provides the foundation for important applications for predictive ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracking devices are used in a broad range of species for a broad range of questions, but their potential effects on study species are debated. Outcomes of earlier studies on effects are equivocal: some studies find negative effects on behaviour and life history traits, while others do not. Contrasting results might be due to low sample sizes, temporal scale (no repetition of the study over multiple years) and a limited range of response variables considered. We investigated effects of geolocators on a range of response variables: body condition, physiological states, reproductive performance and, ultimately, annual apparent survival for a medium-sized Palaearctic-African long-distance migrant, the Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops, for the combined study period (2009-2014) and for individual years. We investigated response variables 1 year after deployment of the geolocator and found no differences in body condition, physiological states and several components of reproductive performance between individuals with and without geolocators when data were combined. Also, apparent annual survival did not differ between geolocator and control birds. We did, however, find effects in some years possibly related to environmental stochasticity or chance events due to lower sample sizes. We argue that results of studies on the effects of tracking devices should be interpreted and generalized with great caution and suggest that future studies on the effects of tracking devices are conducted over multiple years. Future studies should also apply capture-recapture models to estimate survival, rather than focus solely on return rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Moral case deliberation is increasingly becoming part of various Dutch healthcare organizations. Although some evaluation studies of moral case deliberation have been carried out, research into the results of moral case deliberation within aged care is scarce. Research questions: How did participants evaluate moral case deliberation? What has moral case deliberation brought to them? What has moral case deliberation contributed to care practice? Should moral case deliberation be further implemented and, if so, how? Research design: Quantitative analysis of a questionnaire study among participants of moral case deliberation, both caregivers and team leaders. Qualitative analysis of written answers to open questions, interview study and focus group meetings among caregivers and team leaders. Participants and research context: Caregivers and team leaders in a large organization for aged care in the Netherlands. A total of 61 moral case deliberation sessions, carried out on 16 care locations belonging to the organization, were evaluated and perceived results were assessed. Ethical considerations: Participants gave informed consent and anonymity was guaranteed. In the Netherlands, the law does not prescribe independent ethical review by an Institutional Review Board for this kind of research among healthcare professionals. Findings: Moral case deliberation was evaluated positively by the participants. Content and atmosphere of moral case deliberation received high scores, while organizational issues regarding the moral case deliberation sessions scored lower and merit further attention. Respondents indicated that moral case deliberation has the potential to contribute to care practice as relationships among team members improve, more openness is experienced and more understanding for different perspectives is fostered. If moral case deliberation is to be successfully implemented, top-down approaches should go hand in hand with bottom-up approaches. Conclusion: The relevance of moral case deliberation for care practice received wide acknowledgement from the respondents. It can contribute to the team’s cohesion as mutual understanding for one another’s views is fostered. If implemented well, moral case deliberation has the potential to improve care, according to the respondents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a method, PhotoWeb, for estimating photometric redshifts of individual galaxies, and their equivalent distance, with megaparsec and even submegaparsec accuracy using the cosmic web as a constraint over photo-z estimates. PhotoWeb redshift errors of individual galaxies are of the order of Δz ≃ 0.0007, compared to errors of Δz ≃ 0.02 for current photo-z techniques. The mean redshift error is of the order of Δz ≃ 5 × 10-5-5 × 10-4 compared to mean errors in the range Δz ≃ 0.001-0.01 for the best available photo-z estimates in the literature. Current photo-z techniques produce redshift estimates with large errors due to the poor constraining power the galaxy's spectral energy distribution and projected clustering can provide. The cosmic web, on the other hand, provides the strongest constraints on the position of galaxies. The network of walls, filaments and voids occupy 10 per centof the volume of the Universe, yet they contain 95 per centof galaxies. The cosmic web, being a cellular system with well-defined boundaries, defines a restricted set of intermittent positions a galaxy can occupy along a given line of sight. Using the information in the density field computed from spectroscopic redshifts, we can narrow the possible locations of a given galaxy along the line of sight from a single broad probability distribution (from photo-z) to one or a few narrow peaks. Our first results improve previous photo-z errors by more than one order of magnitude allowing submegaparsec errors in some cases. Such accurate estimates for tens of millions of galaxies will allow unprecedented galaxy-Large Scale Structure (LSS) studies. In this work, we apply our technique to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey photo-z galaxy sample and discuss its performance and future improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generally, marination time at home industry of dried meat "jerky" in NTB province was conducted up to 18 hours at room temperature, which promote the growth of foodborne pathogen. This research was aimed to determine the effective and efficient marination time to produce a good quality of jerky. Previous study showed that 2.5% of liquid smoke Grade 1 was recommended to be used in traditional jerky processing. Therefore, the concentration was used for marination of sliced meat in traditional spices for 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 hours at room temperature. Data analyses were conducted using Anova. The result indicated that marination time has significance effect on the chemical qualities (water, protein content and pH), however non significance on the ash content. In addition, hedonic test exhibited that marination time influence the color, taste and flavor of traditional jerky. However, it had no effect on jerky's texture. Direct plating analyses indicated that marination time influence the number of total microbe (<1.0 x 10² (CFU/gram), coliform and moulds (<1.0 x 10¹ CFU/gram). Coliform and moulds at highest concentration were not shown on the surface of media agar. In conclusion, the best quality was resulted from 3 hours marination with the following criteria i.e. 11, 77% of water content; 4.66% of ash content; 48, 54% of protein and 5.5 of pH. In general, 3 hours marination time exhibited a good acceptance on the parameter of colour (black brownies), texture (biteable) and flavor (smoky flavor/barbequeu and closely related to SNI 01-2908-1992, also safe to be consumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most suitable candidates for subsurface storage of CO 2 are depleted gas fields. Their ability to retain CO 2 can however be influenced by the effect which impurities in the CO 2 stream (e.g. H 2 S and SO 2 ) have on the mineralogy of reservoir and seal. In order to investigate the effects of SO 2 we carried out laboratory experiments on reservoir and cap rock core samples from gas fields in the northeast of the Netherlands. The rock samples were contained in reactor vessels for 30 days in contact with CO 2 and 100 ppm SO 2 under in-situ conditions (300 bar, 100 °C). The vessels also contained brine with the same composition as in the actual reservoir. Furthermore equilibrium modeling was carried out using PHREEQC software in order to model the experiments on caprock samples. After the experiments the permeability of the reservoir samples had increased by a factor of 1.2–2.2 as a result of dissolution of primary reservoir minerals. Analysis of the associated brine samples before and after the experiments showed that concentrations of K, Si and Al had increased, indicative of silicate mineral dissolution. In the caprock samples, composed of carbonate and anhydrite minerals, permeability changed by a factor of 0.79–23. The increase in permeability is proportional to the amount of carbonate in the caprock. With higher carbonate content in comparison with anhydrite the permeability increase is higher due to the additional carbonate dissolution. This dependency of permeability variations was verified by the modeling study. Hence, caprock with a higher anhydrite content in comparison with carbonate minerals has a lower risk of leakage after co-injection of 100 ppmv SO 2 with CO 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earth system models demonstrate large uncertainty in projected changes in terrestrial carbon budgets. The lack of inclusion of adaptive responses of vegetation communities to the environment has been suggested to hamper the ability of modeled vegetation to adequately respond to environmental change. In this study, variation in functional responses of vegetation has been added to an earth system model ( ESM) based on ecological principles. The restriction of viable mean trait values of vegetation communities by the environment, called 'habitat filtering', is an important ecological assembly rule and allows for determination of global scale trait-environment relationships. These relationships were applied to model trait variation for different plant functional types ( PFTs). For three leaf traits (specific leaf area, maximum carboxylation rate at 25 °C, and maximum electron transport rate at 25 °C), relationships with multiple environmental drivers, such as precipitation, temperature, radiation, and CO2, were determined for the PFTs within the Max Planck Institute ESM. With these relationships, spatiotemporal variation in these formerly fixed traits in PFTs was modeled in global change projections ( IPCC RCP8.5 scenario). Inclusion of this environment-driven trait variation resulted in a strong reduction of the global carbon sink by at least 33% (2.1 Pg C yr−1) from the 2nd quarter of the 21st century onward compared to the default model with fixed traits. In addition, the mid- and high latitudes became a stronger carbon sink and the tropics a stronger carbon source, caused by trait-induced differences in productivity and relative respirational costs. These results point toward a reduction of the global carbon sink when including a more realistic representation of functional vegetation responses, implying more carbon will stay airborne, which could fuel further climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) capture, transport and storage (CCTS) in deep geological formations can mitigate the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases. Purity of this gas is an important aspect for CCTS since it drives up the cost of capture. When leaving some impurities from the flue gas in the CO 2 stream, a cost reduction may be achieved but the risks at transport and storage may increase. In order to investigate the effects of the possible impurities (H 2 S and SO 2 ) in the CO 2 stream during subsurface storage laboratory experiments were performed on Permian Rotliegend reservoir and Zechstein cap rock core samples from gas fields in northeast Netherlands. The rock samples were subjected for 30 days to static in situ conditions (300 bar, 100 °C) in the presence of brine and an injected gas mixture of CO 2 +100 ppm SO 2 +100 ppm H 2 S. Following injection of the mixture permeability of the reservoir and caprocks increased by a factor of 1.02–1.9 and 1.2–3.1, respectively. Although an enhanced level of anhydrite precipitation was observed, the increase in permeability of the samples show that dissolution of carbonate, feldspar and kaolinite minerals is dominant. In addition it was shown that the initial porosity–permeability relation of the samples remains valid to predict the behavior of the reservoir after injection of the gas mixture. For the caprock, the precipitation of anhydrites results in a less enhanced permeability than in the case of injection of pure CO 2 . This may lead to the conclusion that the addition of low quantities (100 ppm) of SO 2 and H 2 S in CO 2 during subsurface storage does not increase the risk of leakage through the Zechstein caprock more than when using pure CO 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the roles of wing melanisation, weight, and basking posture in thermoregulation in Polyommatus Icarus, a phenotypically variable and protandrous member of the diverse Polyommatinae (Lycaenidae). Under controlled experimental conditions, approximating to marginal environmental conditions for activity in the field (= infrequent flight, long duration basking periods), warming rates are maximised with fully open wings and maximum body temperatures are dependent on weight. Variation in wing melanisation within and between sexes has no effect on warming rates; males and females which differ in melanisation had similar warming rates. Posture also affected cooling rates, consistent with cooling being dependent on convective heat loss. We hypothesise that for this small sized butterfly, melanisation has little or no effect on thermoregulation. This may be a factor contributing to the diversity of wing colours in the Polyommatinae. Because of the importance of size for thermoregulation in this small butterfly, requirements for attaining a suitable size to confer thermal stability in adults may also be a factor influencing larval feeding rates, development time and patterns of voltinism. Our findings indicate that commonly accepted views of the importance of melanisation, posture and size to thermoregulation, developed using medium and large sized butterflies, are not necessarily applicable to small sized butterflies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research in warm-climate biomes has shown that invasion by symbiotic dinitrogen (N)-fixing plants can transform ecosystems in ways analogous to the transformations observed as a consequence of anthropogenic, atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition: declines in biodiversity, soil acidification, and alterations to carbon and nutrient cycling, including increased N losses through nitrate leaching and emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (NO). Here, we used literature review and case study approaches to assess the evidence for similar transformations in cold-climate ecosystems of the boreal, subarctic and upper montane-temperate life zones. Our assessment focuses on the plant genera Lupinus and Alnus, which have become invasive largely as a consequence of deliberate introductions and/or reduced land management. These cold biomes are commonly located in remote areas with low anthropogenic N inputs, and the environmental impacts of N-fixer invasion appear to be as severe as those from anthropogenic N deposition in highly N polluted areas. Hence, inputs of N from N fixation can affect ecosystems as dramatically or even more strongly than N inputs from atmospheric deposition, and biomes in cold climates represent no exception with regard to the risk of being invaded by N-fixing species. In particular, the cold biomes studied here show both a strong potential to be transformed by N-fixing plants and a rapid subsequent saturation in the ecosystem's capacity to retain N. Therefore, analogous to increases in N deposition, N-fixing plant invasions must be deemed significant threats to biodiversity and to environmental quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]