bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
One Cell, One Drop, One Click: Hybrid Microfluidics for Mammalian Single Cell Isolation
Authors: Samlali Kenza , Ahmadi Fatemeh , Quach Angela B. V. , Soffer Guy , Shih Steve C. C.
Published: July 2020

Generating a stable knockout cell line is a complex process that can take several months to complete. In this work, a microfluidic method that is capable of isolating single cells in droplets, selecting successful edited clones, and expansion of these isoclones is introduced. Using a hybrid microfluidics method, droplets in channels can be individually addressed using a co‐planar electrode system. In the hybrid microfluidics device, it is shown that single cells can be trapped and subsequently encapsulate them on demand into pL‐sized droplets. Furthermore, droplets containing single cells are either released, kept in the traps, or merged with other droplets by the application of an electric potential to the electrodes that is actuated through an in‐house user interface. This high precision control is used to successfully sort and recover single isoclones to establish monoclonal cell lines, which is demonstrated with a heterozygous NCI‐H1299 lung squamous cell population resulting from loss‐of‐function eGFP and RAF1 gene knockout transfections.
Redundancy, Noisy Signaling, and Semantic inflation: Studying the Patterns of Self‐Destruction in Complex Systems
Authors: Junge Kay , Postoutenko Kirill
Published: July 2020

Across the natural and social world, some fairly advanced and apparently robust systems destroy themselves without discernible reason, function, or purpose. Whereas such and similar cases have been discussed within specific branches of scholarships, the attempts to propose and test a general theory of self‐destruction in complex systems remain, to our knowledge, a thing of the future. To move in this direction, we suggest that the conflicts between explicit stratification, thorough functional differentiation and tacit segmentation within complex systems, are likely to provoke their unintended self‐annihilation. Furthermore, we hypothesize that whenever such systems collapse, it is the circular co‐dependency of noisy signaling, redundancy, and semantic inflation that sets self‐destructive mechanisms in motion. We illustrate our preliminary findings with examples from social, natural, and artificial life; reexamine autoimmunity as a popular model of systemic self‐destruction; and indicate potential avenues of empirical research aimed at supporting, qualifying or disproving the underlying hypothesis.
Concrete compressive strength: From material characterization to a structural value
Authors: Moccia Francesco , Yu Qianhui , Fernández Ruiz Miguel , Muttoni Aurelio
Published: July 2020

The compressive resistance of concrete in new structures is usually characterized on the basis of tests performed on concrete cylinders or cubes under relatively rapid loading conditions. Although efficient for material characterization, these tests do not acknowledge a number of phenomena potentially influencing the compressive resistance of concrete in actual structures. For this reason, when performing a structural analysis, strength reduction factors are usually considered in codes of practice modifying the uniaxial strength of material tests. In this paper, a detailed investigation of the influence of material brittleness and internal stress redistributions on the structural response of reinforced concrete members is presented. This work is based on a number of theoretical considerations and supported by the experimental results of more than 400 reinforced concrete columns tested with or without eccentricity and gathered from the literature. The results show the pertinence of considering a brittleness factor in the calculation of the structural resistance of reinforced concrete columns and compression zones of beams. The results of this work are eventually formulated in terms of code‐like proposals, currently considered in the draft of the new Eurocode 2 (prEN 1992‐1‐1:2018).
Compact portable multiphoton microscopy reveals histopathological hallmarks of unprocessed lung tumor tissue in real time
Authors: van Huizen Laura M. G. , Radonic Teodora , van Mourik Frank , Seinstra Danielle , Dickhoff Chris , Daniels Johannes M. A. , Bahce Idris , Annema Jouke T. , Groot Marie Louise
Published: July 2020

During lung cancer operations a rapid and reliable assessment of tumor tissue can reduce operation time and potentially improve patient outcomes. We show that third harmonic generation (THG), second harmonic generation (SHG) and two‐photon excited autofluorescence (2PEF) microscopy reveals relevant, histopathological information within seconds in fresh unprocessed human lung samples. We used a compact, portable microscope and recorded images within 1 to 3 seconds using a power of 5 mW. The generated THG/SHG/2PEF images of tumorous and nontumorous tissues are compared with the corresponding standard histology images, to identify alveolar structures and histopathological hallmarks. Cellular structures (tumor cells, macrophages and lymphocytes) (THG), collagen (SHG) and elastin (2PEF) are differentiated and allowed for rapid identification of carcinoid with solid growth pattern, minimally enlarged monomorphic cell nuclei with salt‐and‐pepper chromatin pattern, and adenocarcinoma with lipidic and micropapillary growth patterns. THG/SHG/2PEF imaging is thus a promising tool for clinical intraoperative assessment of lung tumor tissue.
The effect of secondary nanofiller on mechanical properties and formulation optimization of HDPE/nanoclay/nanoCaCO3 hybrid nanocomposites using response surface methodology
Authors: Alavitabari Seyedemad , Mohamadi Mahboube , Javadi Azizeh , Garmabi Hamid
Published: July 2020

Mechanical properties were evaluated in high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) containing plate‐like nanoclay (NC) and particulate nano calcium carbonate (nCaCO3). A two‐step melt mixing method was utilized to prepare nanocomposites withNC/nCaCO3 hybrid content varying from 7 to 15 wt%. Optimization of the morphological, rheological and mechanical characteristics was carried out via Response Surface Methodology by considering nanofiller loadings and compatibilizer (PE‐g‐MA) content as independent variables. The findings revealed that a nanocomposite composed of 9 wt% PE‐g‐MA, 3.5 wt%NC, and 10 wt%nCaCO3 was optimal. This composition exhibited 50% enhancement in Young's modulus and 8% improvement in yield strength over neat HDPE. Despite the reduced impact strength in all of the prepared nanocomposites, the incorporation ofnCaCO3 prevented a sudden decrease in the toughness caused by the nanoclay. Further, the fracture behavior observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images suggested that nCaCO3 activated new toughening mechanisms.
Aerodynamic characterization of barge and spar type floating offshore wind turbines at different sea states
Authors: Kopperstad Karsten M. , Kumar Rajan , Shoele Kourosh
Published: July 2020

The wake dynamics behind a compliant floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT) with two alternative supporting platforms of spar buoy and barge platform are studied numerically. The computational model is based on the large eddy simulation and the use of the actuator disk model of the FOWT rotor in which the circular actuator disk is discretized with an unstructured two‐dimensional triangular mesh in a structured three‐dimensional Cartesian grid of the fluid domain. The wake dynamics and platform motions are calculated for laminar and turbulent inflow conditions. The flow solver is verified through a series of experimental wake measurements done behind a porous disk model and is also cross‐validated against previously published results. The dynamics of the floating spar and barge structures are calculated from wave–structure interaction for three distinctive sea states. The time history of power extraction and wind force for the floating offshore wind turbine are recorded and compared against a fixed horizontal axis wind turbine. The motion of the barge platform is found to induce low‐frequency modulation of the wake, whereas the spar buoy primarily displays similar wake dynamics to the fixed turbine. It is discussed how a single turbine utilizing the spar concept can be more energy efficient under the wave‐induced motion. Moreover, for both laminar and turbulent inflow conditions, due to the large axial oscillation experienced by the barge concept, the turbine wake recovers more rapidly. This suggests that for a tighter spacing of the turbines in a farm, the barge platform concept can be leveraged to obtain higher energy‐capturing efficiency over a fixed area.
Disinfection and antimicrobial processes
Authors: Elnakar Haitham
Published: July 2020

This is a review of some of the literature published in 2019 related to disinfection and antimicrobial processes. This review includes the following main sections: drinking water disinfection, wastewater disinfection, and antimicrobial resistance.

Practitioner points

Emerging technologies to disinfect viruses in drinking water treatment plants are growing.

Developing processes to adequately treat bypass wastewater exceeding the plant’s capacity is crucial.

Antimicrobial resistance poses a major challenge leading to being classified as emerging pollutants.
Investigating the dynamics of volatile sulfur compound emission from primary systems at a water resource recovery facility
Authors: Bazemo Ulrich , Gardner Elena , Romero Adrian , Hauduc Helene , Al‐Omari Ahmed , Takacs Imre , Murthy Sudhir , Torrents Alba , De Clippeleir Haydée
Published: July 2020

This study quantifies volatile sulfur compound (VSC) emissions from primary settling tanks and investigates their mechanisms of generation. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and methyl mercaptan (MM) concentrations in the off‐gas were dominant among the VSCs analyzed, while dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) were under their odor threshold for most sampling dates. H2S emission in primary settling tanks was mainly the result of the stripping of dissolved sulfide (64%) generated in the sewers. Results indicate that MM emission was more dependent on the conditions in the primary clarifiers (only 16% stripping). Prevention of odor emission in primary settling tanks can be achieved by managing biofilms and microbial reactions in the sewer network. Controlling the biomass seeding and fermentation product availability in the primary settling tanks is essential to significantly minimize the kinetics of H2S and MM generation. Overall, the management of sludge blanket heights and thus avoiding time at low oxidation–reduction potential minimized odor emission independent of sewer conditions.

Practitioner points

H2S emission from primary clarifiers mainly originated from the stripping of the dissolved sulfide formed in the sewers.

MM emission contributed for 89% to overall odor emitted from primary clarifiers.

Seeding of active biomass from the sewer into the primary clarifiers was be the main driver for both MM and H2S formation.

Increased availability of fermentation products or fermenters increased MM production.
Model-Based Testing for MQTT Applications
Authors: Tanabe Kotaro , Tanabe Yoshinori , Hagiya Masami
Published: July 2020

Model-based testing is a widely-used vital technique for testing software running in a complex environment. In this paper, we propose extensions to existing model-based tools to apply this technique to software that employs the MQ Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol for transmitting messages, commonly used in the Internet of Things (IoT) environment. First, in the finite state machine used for generating test cases in a model-based testing framework, we introduce a type of transition that is triggered when receiving MQTT messages. Second, we extend the finite-state machine so that it produces test cases that reflect the characteristics of IoT software – a large number of relatively simple devices communicate with servers. Third, the concept of time is introduced into the finite state machine. Naturally, this is necessary for verifying the properties of software that runs for a long time. Moreover, to facilitate such verification, both real-time and virtual time are introduced. We implemented these extensions into a model-based testing tool, Modbat, and conducted a small experiment to confirm the feasibility, gaining positive results.
The Sexualization of Menstruation: On Rape, Tampons, and ‘Prostitutes’
Authors: Bobier Lacey
Published: July 2020

This study contradicts extant research asserting that girls rarely connect menstruation with sexuality. Through interviews with post-menarcheal girls, Bobier demonstrates that they relate sexuality with menses, fluidly transitioning between subjects of menstruation and sex. Girls talk about tampons and Trojans in the same breath, discuss “waiting until you’re ready” to describe tampon usage, express a fear of “down there,” and consider “provocative girls” as their opposites. They associate birth control pills with “prostitutes” and express broad apprehension about sexual activity. These attitudes, coupled with their rejection of the pill and tampons, reveal girls’ sensitivity to the taboo surrounding female sexuality and demonstrate their desire to be “good girls.” At the same time, they are aware that they exist within a set of gender and power relations that limit their ability to define their bodies and their sexuality. This is underscored by concerns about rape and resulting pregnancy as an implication of menarche.
If Men Could Menstruate
Authors: Steinem Gloria
Published: July 2020

In this satirical piece, Gloria Steinem scrutinizes the sexist social constructions dominant Western attitudes towards menstruation by imagining a world in which men, not women, are menstruators. Through Steinem’s critical lens, we can see clearly how we we “do” menstruation today—41 years after she originally penned the short essay for Ms. magazine.
Menstrual Shame: Exploring the Role of ‘Menstrual Moaning’
Authors: McHugh Maureen C.
Published: July 2020

McHugh introduces the term ‘menstrual moaning,’ to refer to women’s negative communication about menstruation. Women’s talk about menstruation is often negative through its focus on pain, discomfort, and moodiness. McHugh ties menstrual moaning to the stigma associated with menstruation. Cultural attitudes that require girls and women to maintain secrecy and silence regarding menstruation contribute to the experience of menstrual shame. Breaking the taboos against menstrual talk may be a form of resistance. Brown argues that breaking the silence and secrecy taboo may help women to develop shame resilience. However, McHugh suggests that menstrual moaning, by reiterating negative cultural constructions of women’s bodies as flawed, deficient, and diseased, may have a deleterious impact on women’s menstrual attitudes, and perpetuate menstrual shame. Womencoulddevelop shame resistance and build community through more positive talk about menstruation, but positive menstrual conversations are rarely documented. McHugh recommends further research and activism on menstrual shame, resistance, and resilience.
Researcher’s Reflection: Learning About Menstruation Across Time and Culture
Authors: Mendlinger Sheryl E.
Published: July 2020

Mendlinger looks at the ethnically pluralistic society of Israel to explore how young women acquire the knowledge informing their health behaviors including those related to menstruation. Beginning with the origin story of her research agenda at a time of mass immigration to Israel, she then offers the main findings from 48 in-depth interviews with mothers and daughters that fall into several categories of mother-and-daughter dyads: native-born Israelis and those composed of immigrants from North Africa, Europe, the Former Soviet Union (FSU), United States or Canada, and Ethiopia, each bringing traditional knowledge and practices to bear on what it means to menstruate. Mendlinger’s work, anchored by the voices of women, vividly demonstrates that four types of knowledge: traditional, embodied, technical, and authoritative that are passed generationally from mother to daughter change through the immigration process.
Practice Note: Menstrual Health Management in Humanitarian Settings
Authors: Tellier Marianne , Farley Alex , Jahangir Andisheh , Nakalema Shamirah , Nalunga Diana , Tellier Siri
Published: July 2020

Tellier et al. take stock of menstrual health management in humanitarian settings, seeking to shed light on the goals, key components, and coordination efforts to address menstruation needs under duress. The authors are volunteers or staff with WoMena, an NGO that works to improve menstrual health and management in Uganda. Based on this experience and focusing on Uganda and Nepal, this practice note probes how the issue is approached in different contexts and at different stages—comparing urgent response after a sudden onset disaster (for example, earthquakes) to protracted crises (for example, long-term refugee settings). The authors discuss how interventions can be made sustainable beyond the short-term ‘kit culture’ response; they highlight experiences with more developmental approaches involving policy support, community participation, capacity building, and the use of products that are economically and environmentally sustainable.
Interventions to Improve Menstrual Health in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Do We Know What Works?
Authors: Hennegan Julie
Published: July 2020

Within the context of growing recognition of the importance of menstruation in women’s lives and the resulting expansion of interventions to address menstrual needs, Hennegan takes a step back to look beneath the enthusiasm and best intentions and explore whether these interventions are actually effective. She finds that most efforts are untested, and that there is limited evidence to inform effective practice. She then provides a critical analysis of the evidence for menstrual health interventions in low- and middle-income countries, and concludes with a discussion of the approaches that have been trialed to date, their findings, key gaps, and pathways forward.
Toxic Shock Syndrome and Tampons: The Birth of a Movement and a Research ‘Vagenda’
Authors: Reame Nancy King
Published: July 2020

Reame reflects on her role as an early researcher on tampon safety and assesses the climate of vigilance today, demonstrating that 30 years after the discovery of the link between tampons and toxic shock syndrome, efforts to improve tampon safety protections have languished. In drawing on her past research, Reame shows how critical it is to innovate research methods and materials and to ensure that federal standards for tampon absorbency ranges and nomenclature, as well as testing procedures for tampon safety, don’t lose ground. Reame draws attention to the fact that tampon producers continue to introduce various product innovations with little government oversight for testing standards or ingredient disclosure. She concludes by offering suggestions for crucial ways in which activists in the ‘second menstrual moment’ can partner with the federal research enterprise to improve the research ‘vagenda’ in menstrual health.
Practice Note: ‘If Only All Women Menstruated Exactly Two Weeks Ago’: Interdisciplinary Challenges and Experiences of Capturing Hormonal Variation Across the Menstrual Cycle
Authors: Houghton Lauren C. , Elhadad Noémie
Published: July 2020

Houghton and Elhadad offer a new and needed perspective on approaches for measuring the menstrual cycle and identifying underlying hormonal profiles that can help determine risk factors for chronic diseases such as breast cancer and endometriosis. The authors discuss methods that have been applied historically and how those have shown vast variation in menstrual cycle characteristics around the globe. They then review and explore how innovation in technologies can be used to detect and disseminate new menstrual cycle knowledge. Additionally, the authors show how interdisciplinary efforts across anthropology, public health, and data science can leverage the advances in mobile menstrual tracking and hormone measurement to better characterize the menstrual cycle at the population level. This analysis concludes with a breakdown of how personalized menstrual norms and predictions can help individuals to be better stewards of their own menstrual health.
Not a “Real” Period?: Social and Material Constructions of Menstruation
Authors: Hasson Katie Ann
Published: July 2020

Hasson provides an examination of menstrual suppression technologies and the implications they have on understanding menstruation as both quintessentially natural and socially constructed, and even what ‘counts’ as menstruation. Taking the case of birth control pills, Hasson studies menstrual suppression by analyzing medical journal articles, FDA advisory committee transcripts, and website marketing. Across these contexts, she finds that new definitions of ‘menstruation’ converge on the distinction between bleeding that occurs when women are taking hormonal birth control and when they are not. Finally, Hasson draws attention to the concept of redefining a biological process that is deeply significant for gendered embodiment, as well as a challenge to consider both the social and material construction of gendered bodies.
Menstruation Mediated: Monstrous Emergences of Menstruation and Menstruators on YouTube
Authors: Andreasen Lise Ulrik
Published: July 2020

The chapter engages with feminist theories of the monstrous, performativity, and new materialism to examine how menstruation is negotiated and performed by young menstruators in the context of YouTube videos. It further asks what menstruation and menstruators can be(come) in the intersection of mediation and multiple cultural, material, affective, and discursive agents at play. By examining two YouTube videos that address menstruation, Andreasen explores how menstruation is entangled with “the monstrous” and how this relation makes new emergences of menstruation and menstruators possible. With the reservation of racial, bodily, and social privileges in mind, the chapter concludes with a proposal for a feminist affirmative critique, where the videos can be read as imaginative work and as possibilities for menstrual change for some.
Rituals, Taboos, and Seclusion: Life Stories of Women Navigating Culture and Pushing for Change in Nepal
Authors: Rothchild Jennifer , Piya Priti Shrestha
Published: July 2020

Drawing from life history narratives of 84 women in Nepal, we examine women’s particular lived experiences of cultural rituals, traditions, and taboos surrounding menstruation, as well as the practice of seclusion, which in it extreme form, sequesters menstruating women into menstrual huts (chaupadi). Grounding our analysis in the specific sociocultural context of Nepali women themselves reveals important dynamics about gender formation, the perpetuation of power, relationships with one’s own body, and resistance to gendered constructions. These findings can then inform effective policies and programs to create awareness and change people’s understandings of and practices surrounding menstruation not only in the context of Nepal, but elsewhere as well.
From Home to School: Menstrual Education Films of the 1950s
Authors: Ghanoui Saniya Lee
Published: July 2020

In this essay, Ghanoui examines two menstrual education films of the 1950s widely used in the United States:Molly Grows Up(1953) andAs Boys Grow(1957). Ghanoui discusses how the films portrayed the menstrual cycle and how educational literature received the films. She argues that the films became popular because they eased the teaching responsibilities of school instructors without taking away their authority—the films supplemented traditional menstrual education in schools while teachers maintained jurisdiction in their classrooms.
Degendering Menstruation: Making Trans Menstruators Matter
Authors: Rydström Klara
Published: July 2020

Rydström works within a post-constructionist framework to critically explore the nature of menstruation, which many perceive to be a strictly female bodily function despite many scholars’ recognition that menstruators are of various gender identities. In challenging menstruation as a cisnormative phenomenon, the author explores various menstrual experiences among trans people and argues that cis and trans menstruators come to matter differently. More specifically, menstrual activism, public bathrooms, menstrual products, and the healthcare sector are problematized as areas wherein trans menstruators are Othered. Finally, Rydström calls for a recognition of the multiplicity of menstrual experiences as they exist and a degendering of menstruation as phenomena.
Probing the relaxed relaxion at the luminosity and precision frontiers
Authors: Banerjee Abhishek , Kim Hyungjin , Matsedonskyi Oleksii , Perez Gilad , Safronova Marianna S.
Published: July 2020

Abstract

Cosmological relaxation of the electroweak scale is an attractive scenario addressing the gauge hierarchy problem. Its main actor, the relaxion, is a light spin-zero field which dynamically relaxes the Higgs mass with respect to its natural large value. We show that the relaxion is generically stabilized at a special position in the field space, which leads to suppression of its mass and potentially unnatural values for the model’s effective low-energy couplings. In particular, we find that the relaxion mixing with the Higgs can be several orders of magnitude above its naive naturalness bound. Low energy observers may thus find the relaxion theory being fine-tuned although the relaxion scenario itself is constructed in a technically natural way. More generally, we identify the lower and upper bounds on the mixing angle. We examine the experimental implications of the above observations at the luminosity and precision frontiers. A particular attention is given to the impressive ability of future nuclear clocks to search for rapidly oscillating scalar ultra-light dark matter, where the future projected sensitivity is presented.
FZZT branes and non-singlets of matrix quantum mechanics
Authors: Betzios Panagiotis , Papadoulaki Olga
Published: July 2020

Abstract

We explore the non-singlet sector of matrix quantum mechanics dual to c = 1 Liouville theory. The non-singlets are obtained by adding Nf× N bi-fundamental fields in the gauged matrix quantum mechanics model as well as a one dimensional Chern-Simons term. The present model is associated with a spin-Calogero model in the presence of an external magnetic field. In chiral variables, the low energy excitations-currents satisfy an SU$$ {\left(2{N}_f\right)}_{\tilde{k}} $$

2

N
f

k
˜

Kăc-Moody algebra at large N. We analyse the canonical partition function as well as two and four point correlation functions, discuss a Gross-Witten-Wadia phase transition at large N, Nf and study different limits of the parameters that allow us to recover the matrix model of Kazakov-Kostov-Kutasov conjectured to describe a two dimensional black hole. The grand canonical partition function is a τ- function obeying discrete soliton equations. We finally conjecture a possible dynamical picture for the formation of a black hole in terms of condensation of long-strings in the strongly coupled region of the Liouville direction.
Polarized $$ \mathrm{q}\overline{\mathrm{q}} $$ → Z+Higgs amplitudes at two loops in QCD: the interplay between vector and axial vector form factors and a pitfall in applying a non-anticommuting γ5
Authors: Ahmed Taushif , Bernreuther Werner , Chen Long , Czakon Michał
Published: July 2020

Abstract

We consider QCD corrections to two loops for the polarized amplitudes of $$ q\overline{q} $$
q

q
¯

→ Z + Higgs boson. First we show how the polarized amplitudes of $$ b\overline{b} $$
b

b
¯

→ Zh associated with a non-vanishing b-quark Yukawa coupling and a scalar or pseudoscalar Higgs boson h can be built up solely from vector form factors (FF) of properly grouped classes of diagrams, bypassing completely the need of explicitly manipulating γ5 in dimensional regularization (up to a few “anomalous”, i.e., triangle diagrams). We determine the contributions of the triangle diagrams in the heavy top limit. We present the analytic results of the vector FF and the triangle-diagram contributions to the axial vector FF, which are sufficient for deriving the two-loop QCD amplitudes for $$ b\overline{b} $$
b

b
¯

→ Zh with a CP-even and CP-odd Higgs boson h. We derive the respective Ward identity for these amplitudes, which are subsequently verified to two-loop order in QCD using these FF. In addition, the FF of a class of corrections to $$ q\overline{q} $$
q

q
¯

→ ZH proportional to the top-Yukawa coupling are obtained analytically to two-loop order in QCD in the heavy-top limit using the Higgs-gluon effective Lagrangian where the top quark is integrated out. We address a pitfall that occurs when applying the non-anticommutating γ5 prescription to this class of contributions that has been overlooked so far in the literature. We attribute this issue to the fact that the absence of certain heavy-mass expanded diagrams in the infinite-mass limit of a scattering amplitude with an axial vector current depends on the particular γ5 prescription in use.
Witten anomaly in 4d heterotic compactificaitons with $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 2 supersymmetry
Authors: Enoki Yuichi , Sato Yotaro , Watari Taizan
Published: July 2020

Abstract

We showed that there is no SU(2) Witten anomaly in a large class of 4d $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 2 supersymmetric Heterotic string compactifications. The consistency conditions we consider are the modularity of the new supersymmetric index, the integrality of BPS indices, and the discrete Peccei-Quinn shift symmetries. We also found an example where these conditions are not sufficient to show that the theory is anomaly free. This suggests that there are more conditions in the worldsheet SCFT essential for consistent string compactifications.
Fourier Analysis of Periodic Radon Transforms
Authors: Railo Jesse
Published: July 2020

We study reconstruction of an unknown function from its d-plane Radon transform on the flat torus $${\mathbb {T}}^n = {\mathbb {R}}^n /{\mathbb {Z}}^n$$

T

n

=

R

n

/

Z

n

when $$1 \le d \le n-1$$

1
≤
d
≤
n
-
1

. We prove new reconstruction formulas and stability results with respect to weighted Bessel potential norms. We solve the associated Tikhonov minimization problem on $$H^s$$

H
s

Sobolev spaces using the properties of the adjoint and normal operators. One of the inversion formulas implies that a compactly supported distribution on the plane with zero average is a weighted sum of its X-ray data.
Trends in sample preparation and separation methods for the analysis of very polar and ionic compounds in environmental water and biota samples
Authors: Knoll Sarah , Rösch Tobias , Huhn Carolin
Published: July 2020

Recent years showed a boost in knowledge about the presence and fate of micropollutants in the environment. Instrumental and methodological developments mainly in liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry hold a large share in this success story. These techniques soon complemented gas chromatography and enabled the analysis of more polar compounds including pesticides but also household chemicals, food additives, and pharmaceuticals often present as traces in surface waters. In parallel, sample preparation techniques evolved to extract and enrich these compounds from biota and water samples. This review article looks at very polar and ionic compounds using the criterion logP ≤ 1. Considering about 240 compounds, we show that (simulated) log D values are often even lower than the corresponding logPvalues due to ionization of the compounds at our reference pH of 7.4. High polarity and charge are still challenging characteristics in the analysis of micropollutants and these compounds are hardly covered in current monitoring strategies of water samples. The situation is even more challenging in biota analysis given the large number of matrix constituents with similar properties. Currently, a large number of sample preparation and separation approaches are developed to meet the challenges of the analysis of very polar and ionic compounds. In addition to reviewing them, we discuss some trends: for sample preparation, preconcentration and purification efforts by SPE will continue, possibly using upcoming mixed-mode stationary phases and mixed beds in order to increase comprehensiveness in monitoring applications. For biota analysis, miniaturization and parallelization are aspects of future research. For ionic or ionizable compounds, we see electromembrane extraction as a method of choice with a high potential to increase throughput by automation. For separation, predominantly coupled to mass spectrometry, hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography applications will increase as the polarity range ideally complements reversed phase liquid chromatography, and instrumentation and expertise are available in most laboratories. Two-dimensional applications have not yet reached maturity in liquid-phase separations to be applied in higher throughput. Possibly, the development and commercial availability of mixed-mode stationary phases make 2D applications obsolete in semi-targeted applications. An interesting alternative will enter routine analysis soon: supercritical fluid chromatography demonstrated an impressive analyte coverage but also the possibility to tailor selectivity for targeted approaches. For ionic and ionizable micropollutants, ion chromatography and capillary electrophoresis are amenable but may be used only for specialized applications such as the analysis of halogenated acids when aspects like desalting and preconcentration are solved and the key advantages are fully elaborated by further research.
Discovering dependencies with reliable mutual information
Authors: Mandros Panagiotis , Boley Mario , Vreeken Jilles
Published: July 2020

We consider the task of discovering functional dependencies in data for target attributes of interest. To solve it, we have to answer two questions: How do we quantify the dependency in a model-agnostic and interpretable way as well as reliably against sample size and dimensionality biases? How can we efficiently discover the exact or$$\alpha $$α-approximate top-kdependencies? We address the first question by adopting information-theoretic notions. Specifically, we consider the mutual information score, for which we propose a reliable estimator that enables robust optimization in high-dimensional data. To address the second question, we then systematically explore the algorithmic implications of using this measure for optimization. We show the problem is NP-hard and justify worst-case exponential-time as well as heuristic search methods. We propose two bounding functions for the estimator, which we use as pruning criteria in branch-and-bound search to efficiently mine dependencies with approximation guarantees. Empirical evaluation shows that the derived estimator has desirable statistical properties, the bounding functions lead to effective exact and greedy search algorithms, and when combined, qualitative experiments show the framework indeed discovers highly informative dependencies.
Loss of progesterone receptor is associated with distinct tyrosine kinase profiles in breast cancer
Authors: Tahiri Andliena , Tekpli Xavier , Satheesh Somisetty V. , DeWijn Rik , Lüders Torben , Bukholm Ida R. , Hurtado Antoni , Geisler Jürgen , Kristensen Vessela N.
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The aim of this study was to assess protein tyrosine kinase profiles in primary breast cancer samples in correlation with the distinct hormone and growth receptor profiles ER, PR, and HER2.

Experimental design

Pamchip® microarrays were used to measure the phosphorylation of 144 tyrosine kinase substrates in 29 ER+ breast cancer samples and cell lines MCF7, BT474 and ZR75-1. mRNA expression data from the METABRIC cohort and publicly available PR chip-sequencing data were used for validation purposes, together with RT-PCR.

Results

In ER+ breast tumors and cell lines, we observed that the loss of PR expression correlated to higher kinase activity in samples and cell lines that were HER2−. A number of kinases, representing mostly proteins within the PI3K/AKT pathway, were identified as responsible for the differential phosphorylation between PR− and PR+ in ER+/HER2− tumors. We used the METABRIC cohort to analyze mRNA expression from 977 ER+/HER2− breast cancers. Twenty four kinase-encoding genes were identified as differentially expressed between PR+ and PR−, dividing ER+/HER2− samples in two distinct clusters with significant differences in survival (p < 0.05). Four kinase genes, LCK, FRK, FGFR4, and MST1R, were identified as potential direct targets of PR.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the PR status has a profound effect on tyrosine kinases, especially for FGFR4 and LCK genes, in ER+/HER2− breast cancer patients. The influence of these genes on the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway may potentially lead to novel drug targets for ER+/PR− breast cancer patients.
Constituency Norms Facilitate Unethical Negotiation Behavior Through Moral Disengagement
Authors: Aaldering Hillie , Zerres Alfred , Steinel Wolfgang
Published: July 2020

While organizations strive for ethical conduct, the activity of negotiating offers strong temptations to employ unethical tactics and secure benefits for one’s own party. In four experiments, we examined the role of constituency communication in terms of their attitudes towards (un)ethical and competitive conduct on negotiators’ willingness and actual use of unethical tactics. We find that the mere presence of a constituency already increased representatives’ willingness to engage in unethical behavior (Experiment 1). More specifically, a constituency communicating liberal (vs. strict) attitudes toward unethical conduct helps negotiators to justify transgressions and morally disengage from their behavior, resulting in an increased use of unethical negotiation tactics (Experiment 2–3). Moreover, constituents’ endorsement of competitive strategies sufficed to increase moral disengagement and unethical behavior of representative negotiators in a similar fashion (Experiment 4ab). Our results caution organizational practice against advocating explicit unethical and even competitive tactics by constituents: it eases negotiators’ moral dilemma towards unethical conduct.
Robust design optimization of a nonlinear monostable energy harvester with uncertainties
Authors: Li Yi , Zhou Shengxi , Litak Grzegorz
Published: July 2020

Based on the improved interval extension, a robust optimization method for nonlinear monostable energy harvesters with uncertainties is developed. In this method, the 2nd order terms in the interval extension formula of the objective function (output voltage) are kept so this approach is suitable for a nonlinear energy harvesting system. To illustrate this method, uncertain mass, uncertain capacitance and uncertain electromechanical coupling coefficient are optimized to maximize the central point of output voltage whose deviation of which is simultaneously minimized. Then, an optimal design with different robustness is obtained. The results also show that the robustness of the optimal design of nonlinear monostable energy harvesters is increased, but the cost of performance has to be paid for. Overall, the framework provides the optimal design for nonlinear energy harvesters (monostable, bistable, tristable, multistable harvesters).
NDNetGaming - development of a no-reference deep CNN for gaming video quality prediction
Authors: Utke Markus , Zadtootaghaj Saman , Schmidt Steven , Bosse Sebastian , Möller Sebastian
Published: July 2020

Gaming video streaming services are growing rapidly due to new services such as passive video streaming of gaming content, e.g. Twitch.tv, as well as cloud gaming, e.g. Nvidia GeForce NOW and Google Stadia. In contrast to traditional video content, gaming content has special characteristics such as extremely high and special motion patterns, synthetic content and repetitive content, which poses new opportunities for the design of machine learning-based models to outperform the state-of-the-art video and image quality approaches for this special computer generated content. In this paper, we train a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) based on an objective quality model, VMAF, as ground truth and fine-tuned it based on subjective image quality ratings. In addition, we propose a new temporal pooling method to predict gaming video quality based on frame-level predictions. Finally, the paper also describes how an appropriate CNN architecture can be chosen and how well the model performs on different contents. Our result shows that among four popular network architectures that we investigated, DenseNet performs best for image quality assessment based on the training dataset. By training the last 57 convolutional layers of DenseNet based on VMAF values, we obtained a high performance model to predict VMAF of distorted frames of video games with a Spearman’s Rank correlation (SRCC) of 0.945 and Root Mean Score Error (RMSE) of 7.07 on the image level, while achieving a higher performance on the video level leading to a SRCC of 0.967 and RMSE of 5.47 for the KUGVD dataset. Furthermore, we fine-tuned the model based on subjective quality ratings of images from gaming content which resulted in a SRCC of 0.93 and RMSE of 0.46 using one-hold-out cross validation. Finally, on the video level, using the proposed pooling method, the model achieves a very good performance indicated by a SRCC of 0.968 and RMSE of 0.30 for the used gaming video dataset.
The hurdles of academic publishing from the perspective of journal editors: a case study
Authors: Mrowinski Maciej J. , Fronczak Agata , Fronczak Piotr , Nedic Olgica , Dekanski Aleksandar
Published: July 2020

In this paper, we provide insight into the editorial process as seen from the perspective of journal editors. We study a dataset obtained from the Journal of the Serbian Chemical Society, which contains information about submitted and rejected manuscripts, in order to find differences between local (Serbian) and external (non-Serbian) submissions. We show that external submissions (mainly from India, Iran and China) constitute the majority of all submissions, while local submissions are in the minority. Most of submissions are rejected for technical reasons (e.g. wrong manuscript formatting or problems with images) and many users resubmit the same paper without making necessary corrections. Manuscripts with just one author are less likely to pass the technical check, which can be attributed to missing metadata. Articles from local authors are better prepared and require fewer resubmissions on average before they are accepted for peer review. The peer review process for local submissions takes less time than for external papers and local submissions are more likely to be accepted for publication. Also, while there are more men than women among external users, this trend is reversed for local users. In the combined group of local and external users, articles submitted by women are more likely to be published than articles submitted by men.
Destructive leadership in organizational research: a bibliometric approach
Authors: Scheffler Maximilian , Brunzel Johannes
Published: July 2020

The dark side leadership literature remains a highly relevant yet fragmented and ambiguous literature stream. Therefore, we conduct a bibliometric analysis using co-citation and pathfinder analysis to describe and visualize the intellectual origins of the field by combining predefined word lists with expert validation. Our results suggest that there are key authors as well as other distinctive characteristics of research that also guides future research. Thematic clusters of the dark side literature suggest heightened emphasis on single dark traits such as narcissism while other constructs such as psychopathy receive little attention. Articles by Tepper can be linked to a central position in the network. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
How agriculture, manufacture, and urbanization induced carbon emission? The case of Indonesia
Authors: Prastiyo Slamet Eko , Irham  , Hardyastuti Suhatmini , Jamhari
Published: July 2020

The agriculture and manufacturing sectors are the backbones of the Indonesian economy; for this reason, research on the effects of these sectors on carbon emissions is an important subject. This work adds urbanization to enrich research on the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) in Indonesia. The results of this study indicate that the EKC hypothesis was confirmed in Indonesia with a turning point of 2057.89 USD/capita. The research results show that all variables affect the escalation of greenhouse gas emissions in Indonesia. Furthermore, there is a bidirectional causality relationship between emissions with economic growth, emissions with agricultural sector, emissions with manufacturing sector, economic growth with agricultural sector, and economic growth with manufacturing. The unidirectional causality is found in emissions by urbanization and economic growth by urbanization. To reduce the impact of environmental damage caused by the activities of agriculture, manufacturing, and urbanization sectors, it is recommended that the government conduct water-efficient rice cultivation and increase the use of renewable energy.
Hip-Sparing Equalization Procedures for Leg-Length Discrepancy after Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Case Series
Authors: Makhdom Asim M. , Fragomen Austin T. , Rozbruch S. Robert
Published: July 2020

Background

Leg-length discrepancy (LLD) after primary THA is not uncommon. Little is known, however, about the role of hip-sparing procedures for equalization of LLD after THA.

Questions/Purposes

The aim of this study is to report our experiences with these techniques in patients presenting at one institution over a 10-year period.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed records at one institution to find patients who had sought surgical treatment for LLD after THA between January 2007 and August 2017. Patients who had LLD related to conditions other than the THA, such as bone loss or traumatic defects, were excluded. We recorded the time after THA, laterality, and LLD. Assessment of LLD was performed using clinical and radiographic examinations. Patient demographics and true LLD were recorded, as were prior conservative treatment, equalization procedure performed, final leg length after equalization surgery, time to healing, and complications.

Results

After exclusion of patients with LLD related to other causes, eight patients in whom conservative treatment had failed and who had undergone hip-sparing leg-length equalization surgery were included in the study. The average age was 44.6 years (range, 18 to 66 years). Seven of the patients were female. The pre-operative mean LLD was 3.1 cm (range 1.5 to 7 cm). In those who were long after THA, ipsilateral (THA-side) shortening of femur with a retrograde intramedullary nail (IMN; n = 1) or with a plate ( n = 1) was performed. In those who were short after THA, ipsilateral femur lengthening with retrograde Precice nails ( n = 2), ipsilateral tibial lengthening with Precice nails ( n = 2), or contralateral femur shortening with a retrograde IMN ( n = 2) was performed. The average time to full consolidation or union was 6.6 months (range, 2 to 19 months). Two patients had delayed union. All patients but one were satisfied with final results.

Conclusion

We believe that hip-sparing equalization procedures can be part of the treatment algorithm of LLD after THA. These advancements in the field are promising and might expand the indications of lengthening and equalization procedures to include LLD after THA.