bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A tradução cinematográfica de Il Gattopardo, de Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
Authors: Cardoso Marinês Lima
Published: March 2021

Este trabalho busca traçar uma análise relacionada à tradução cinematográfica do romance Il Gattopardo, de Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa e o filme homônimo dirigido por Luchino Visconti, tomando como base o narrador, o espaço e o tempo. Esses elementos narratológicos são importantes na articulação e no desenvolvimento do material narrativo tanto no cinema quanto na literatura. Entretanto, são percebidos de modo diferente nas referidas obras. Romance e filme retratam as reflexões do protagonista diante da unificação italiana e dos seus desdobramentos, como a substituição de classes sociais, a saber, o declínio da aristocracia e a ascensão da burguesia. Apesar de se aproximar da obra de partida ao reproduzir as situações, os diálogos e o ambiente em que as cenas se verificam, Visconti apresenta uma outra leitura da obra na conclusão, ao dar enfoque maior a um capítulo do livro e ao excluir outros do filme. Esse tipo de tradução é, assim, uma intervenção, em que se evidencia determinado tipo de interpretação através de uma releitura do texto literário.
Il ruolo delle riviste letterarie italiane nella prima metà dell’Ottocento
Authors: Silva Gisele Batista da
Published: March 2021

In questo saggio analizziamo la creazione, lo sviluppo e il ruolo di alcune riviste letterarie italiane sorte nella prima metà del XIX secolo, tra le quali si distaccano Biblioteca Italiana, Il Conciliatore e Antologia. Nel nostro studio mettiamo in evidenza le relazioni politiche e culturali tra i loro fondatori e i vari interlocutori e consideriamo altresì la partecipazione e il contributo di queste riviste alla diffusione della questione romantica o alla critica della stessa – questione particolarmente dibattuta nella Italia di quegli anni. Esaminiamo inoltre l’influenza esercitata da queste riviste sui circoli di letterati italiani, svolgendo un ruolo chiave nella presa di posizione di questi intellettuali, in particolare per quanto riguarda le questioni culturali dell’Italia del XIX secolo.
Psychological issues affecting patients living with a stoma
Authors: Black Patricia , Notter Joy
Published: March 2021

Stoma surgery is an intrusive operation, with outcomes that can impact seriously on daily life, not just in the immediate postoperative and recovery period, but for the rest of the patient's life. There are changes in bodily function, altered body image, physicality and personal care needs. These changes require acceptance and adaptation and can necessitate a re-ordering of daily life, socially, emotionally and in terms of work. Assessing the patient's needs through the trajectory of diagnosis, surgery and a stoma, is not just important during the treatment phase but needs to continue throughout the lifespan. Traditionally, patient outcome measures after bowel surgery have included overall self-efficacy, checking for stoma complications, clinical health status, function and psychological status. However, over the past three decades there has been increasing recognition that quality of life (QoL), which is now regarded as a key measurement, needs further consideration. Patients report difficulties when explaining to health professionals the challenges they face, and their reactions as they try to make the adjustments to their new normal of life with a stoma. This article examines stoma patients' perceptions of their outcomes from recent research. It discusses how more can be done by health professionals to support stoma patients through their initial transition to life with a stoma and for the rest of their life.
Focusing pattern of cosh-Gaussian beam with polarization mixing cosine phase modulation
Authors: Chen Yueyang , Li Jinsong , Zhang Haoran , Xu Yang , Gao Xiumin
Published: March 2021

Based on the vector diffraction theory, this paper focuses on the focusing pattern of cosh-Gaussian beams with polarization mixing cosine phase modulation and discusses the focused optical intensity under different parameters in detail. The results that show by adjusting the polarization parameter

C

, a tunable focal shift and a continuous shifting of focus on both directions of the optical axis can be achieved and the component that dominates the intensity distribution of the total field can be changed. When the tunable parameter

D

is positive, the optical chain with tunable length can be structured by increasing

D

. When

D

is negative, there will appear one special optical trap focus mode by which the number of optical traps can be changed by tailoring

D

. When the phase modulation parameter

m

increases, the focal pattern will wholly enlarge and stretch along the radial direction, changing from two intensity peaks to six optical chains. By increasing the decentered parameter

β

, the shape of the light intensity distribution in the focusing region can be remarkably adjusted. Besides, by combining the theories and analyzing the field patterns in the transverse plane, there is an electric field intensity dependence on the azimuthal angle

φ

. Those novel findings may be helpful in the applications such as optical manipulation, optical focusing, and imaging.
Frequency and amplitude modulation of a cw-dye laser for measuring
hyperfine frequency separations in optogalvanic spectra of
139La I
Authors: Kumar P. V. Kiran , Srikanth G.
Published: March 2021

This paper describes frequency modulation of a

c
w

-dye laser to generate a
frequency-discriminant dispersive signal by phase-sensitive detection
of the optogalvanic signal in a lanthanum hollow cathode lamp. The
frequencies of the six major hyperfine components in

5

d

2

6
s

4

F

9

/

2

 
(
4121.572

c
m

−
1

)

−

−

−

−

→

579.13

n
m

⁡
5

d

2

6
p

4

F

9

/

2

(
21384.0

c
m

−
1

)

transition in

139

L
a

I were measured with an accuracy of
50 MHz, using a calibrated wavemeter after locking the

c
w

-dye laser frequency to the dispersive
error signal of the constituent hyperfine component. The measured
hyperfine separations are found to be consistent with separations
measured using the standard amplitude modulation technique and also
with earlier reported results. The relative ease of the optical setup
for locking of the

c
w

-dye laser to optogalvanic spectra can
be adapted to atomic physics applications for stabilization of laser
frequency in the visible region.
Realistic performance analysis for visible light communication with random receivers
Authors: Fu Xian-Tao , Lu Rong-Rong , Wang Jin-Yuan
Published: March 2021

In previous studies, the receivers in indoor visible light communication (VLC) were usually fixed. However, in reality, the receivers in VLC have random locations and orientations. Therefore, it is important to consider these random factors for performance analysis in VLC. In this paper, we consider a typical VLC system with a fixed transmitter and a random receiver. Two types of receivers are investigated: (1) those with random location and (2) those with random orientation. Based on the established system model, the statistical characteristics of the channel were obtained, and closed-form expressions of the average channel capacity and the outage probability were derived, respectively. Finally, numerical results verified the accuracy of derived theoretical expressions. Moreover, the effects of the nominal optical intensity, the dimming target, the transmitter height, the receiver zone’s radius, the outage threshold, and the Lambertian emission order on system performance were also provided.
Preferential coupling of diamond NV centres in step-index fibres
Authors: Li Shuo , Bai Dongbi , Capelli Marco , Sun Qiang , Afshar V. Shahraam , Simpson David A. , Foster Scott , Ebendorff-Heidepriem Heike , Gibson Brant C. , Greentree Andrew D.
Published: March 2021

Diamonds containing the negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy centre are a promising system for room-temperature magnetometry. The combination of nano- and micro-diamond particles with optical fibres provides an option for deploying nitrogen-vacancy magnetometers in harsh and challenging environments. Here we numerically explore the coupling efficiency from nitrogen-vacancy centres within a diamond doped at the core/clad interface across a range of commercially available fibre types so as to inform the design process for a diamond in fibre magnetometers. We determine coupling efficiencies from nitrogen-vacancy centres to the guided modes of a step-index fibre and predict the optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) generated by a ensemble of four nitrogen-vacancy centres in this hybrid fibre system. Our results show that the coupling efficiency is enhanced with a high refractive index difference between the fibre core and cladding and depends on the radial position of the nitrogen-vacancy centres in the fibre core. Our ODMR simulations show that due to the preferential coupling of the nitrogen-vacancy emission to the fibre guided modes, certain magnetometry features such as ODMR contrast can be enhanced and lead to improved sensitivity in such diamond-fibre systems, relative to conventional diamond only ensemble geometries.
Wide viewing angle with a downsized system in projection-type integral photography by using curved mirrors
Authors: Yasui Masahiko , Watanabe Yoshihiro , Ishikawa Masatoshi
Published: March 2021

To obtain a large viewing angle in conventional projection-type integral photography frameworks, multiple projectors need to be arranged at a particular angle to a lens array. Hence, the systems require a large space. This paper proposes a system that achieves a large viewing angle in a space-saving manner by using curved mirrors that face each other. To this end, a projector is placed directly behind a lens array, and curved mirrors are installed to surround the rays from the projector. The incident angle toward the lens array increases after there are multiple reflections between the mirrors, which increases the viewing angle. In addition, it is not necessary to install the projector at an angle to the lens array, which results in a space-saving system. With the proposed method, a viewing angle of ±60 deg can be achieved.
Correction of aberration-induced phase errors in phase measuring deflectometry
Authors: Zhang Xiangchao , Niu Zhenqi , Ye Junqiang , Xu Min
Published: March 2021

Phase measuring deflectometry is a powerful measuring method of complex optical surfaces that captures the reflected fringe images associated with a displaying screen and calculates the normal vectors of the surface under test (SUT) accordingly. The captured images are usually set conjugate to the SUT, which in turn makes the screen defocused. As a result, the blurring effect caused by the defocus and aberrations of the off-axis catadioptric imaging system can severely degrade the phases solved from the blurred images. In order to correct the phase errors, the space-variant point spread functions (PSFs) are modeled using a skew-normal function. The phase bias is estimated by forward convolution between the captured images and the PSF models. Demonstrated with a highly curved aspheric surface, the measurement accuracy can be improved by three times.
Simple heterodyne interferometer using a polarizing beam displacer
Authors: Le Yanfen , Jin Shijialuo , Jin Tao
Published: March 2021

A novel, to the best of our knowledge, and simple heterodyne interferometer that uses spatially separated input beams to minimize the influence of the periodic nonlinearity is constructed. A custom designed polarizing beam displacer is used to split the input beams to parallel outputs with orthogonal polarizations, which provides a balanced path and completely symmetric structure for the interferometer. This novel optical setup suppresses the nonlinearity caused by the frequency and polarization mixing, and the very simple optical structure makes the interferometer less susceptible to environmental turbulence with potential use in many sensor applications. Experiments have confirmed that the interferometer maintains sub-nanometer nonlinearities in the laboratory environment.
Self-mode-locked alexandrite femtosecond lasers with multi-GHz repetition rates
Authors: Miao Rulin , Nie Yi , Wang Shiwu , Yu Haohai , Wang Jiyang , Zhang Huaijin , Wu Yicheng
Published: March 2021

We report the laser-diode pumped multi-gigahertz (GHz) self-mode-locked alexandrite femtosecond (fs) lasers for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. Using a simple linear cavity, stable mode-locked laser was achieved with a repetition rate of 3.6 GHz and a pulse width of 237 fs. Additionally, the second-harmonic mode-locked pulse was realized with a repetition rate of 7.5 GHz and a pulse width of 201 fs based on the Fabry–Perot effect generated in the laser cavity. It was observed that this laser possesses advantages of high repetition rate and short pulse width that enable the development of promising applications in modern ultrafast photonics.
Rabi oscillations of bound states in the continuum
Authors: Longhi Stefano
Published: March 2021

Photonic bound states in the continuum (BICs) are special localized and non-decaying states of a photonic system with a frequency embedded into the spectrum of scattered states. The simplest photonic structure displaying a single BIC is provided by two waveguides side-coupled to a common waveguide lattice, where the BIC is protected by symmetry. Here we consider such a simple photonic structure and show that by breaking mirror symmetry and allowing for non-nearest neighbor couplings, a doublet of quasi-BIC states can be sustained, enabling weakly damped embedded Rabi oscillations of photons between the waveguides.
Fabrication and characterization of large aperture adaptive modal liquid crystal lens with a PEDOT:PSS/PVA/DMSO blend used as the modal and rubbing layer
Authors: Ahmadalidokht Isa , Mohajerani Ezeddin , Mohammadimasoudi Mohammad
Published: March 2021

An adaptive modal liquid crystal lens (AMLCL) with a 5 mm aperture and thickness of 20 µm was fabricated and studied. PEDOT:PSS/PVA/DMSO polymer blend film was used as both the modal and rubbing layers simultaneously. Using the modal layer as the rubbing layer facilitates and simplifies cell preparation. An optimal concentration of polymer blend, the 0.1-µm-thick modal layer had a 5 MΩ/□ sheet resistance. AMLCL electrodes were broken down into four parts and the cell placed in the optical setup to study the wavefront shape. It was shown that by applying the trigger voltage to different parts of the electrode and removing parts of the circuit, the cell could function as a spherical, cylindrical, or prismatic lens. Further, the electric power consumption was studied at different voltages and frequencies, showing that the spherical lens requires 0.5 mW to reach its maximum optical power at 1 kHz. Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor was used to study the AMLCL’s aberrations. Tip aberration in this cell is attributed to the pretilt of the Liquid Crystal (LC) molecules at the surfaces that deflect the transmitting light from its straight path. It was shown that higher-order aberrations are negligible compared to the spherical aberration, which is reduced by raising the frequency to 1 kHz.
From Reductionism to Reintegration: Solving society’s most pressing problems requires building bridges between data types across the life sciences
Authors: Thessen Anne E. , Bogdan Paul , Patterson David J. , Casey Theresa M. , Hinojo-Hinojo César , de Lange Orlando , Haendel Melissa A.
Published: March 2021

Decades of reductionist approaches in biology have achieved spectacular progress, but the proliferation of subdisciplines, each with its own technical and social practices regarding data, impedes the growth of the multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches now needed to address pressing societal challenges. Data integration is key to a reintegrated biology able to address global issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainable ecosystem management. We identify major challenges to data integration and present a vision for a “Data as a Service”-oriented architecture to promote reuse of data for discovery. The proposed architecture includes standards development, new tools and services, and strategies for career-development and sustainability.
A loss-of-function mutation in RORB disrupts saltatorial locomotion in rabbits
Authors: Carneiro Miguel , Vieillard Jennifer , Andrade Pedro , Boucher Samuel , Afonso Sandra , Blanco-Aguiar José A. , Santos Nuno , Branco João , Esteves Pedro J. , Ferrand Nuno , Kullander Klas , Andersson Leif
Published: March 2021

Saltatorial locomotion is a type of hopping gait that in mammals can be found in rabbits, hares, kangaroos, and some species of rodents. The molecular mechanisms that control and fine-tune the formation of this type of gait are unknown. Here, we take advantage of one strain of domesticated rabbits, thesauteur d’Alfort, that exhibits an abnormal locomotion behavior defined by the loss of the typical jumping that characterizes wild-type rabbits. Strikingly, individuals from this strain frequently adopt a bipedal gait using their front legs. Using a combination of experimental crosses and whole genome sequencing, we show that a single locus containing the RAR related orphan receptor B gene (RORB) explains the atypical gait of these rabbits. We found that a splice-site mutation in an evolutionary conserved site ofRORBresults in several aberrant transcript isoforms incorporating intronic sequence. This mutation leads to a drastic reduction of RORB-positive neurons in the spinal cord, as well as defects in differentiation of populations of spinal cord interneurons. Our results show thatRORBfunction is required for the performance of saltatorial locomotion in rabbits.
Neuropeptide F signaling regulates parasitoid-specific germline development and egg-laying in Drosophila
Authors: Sadanandappa Madhumala K. , Sathyanarayana Shivaprasad H. , Kondo Shu , Bosco Giovanni
Published: March 2021

Drosophilalarvae and pupae are at high risk of parasitoid infection in nature. To circumvent parasitic stress, fruit flies have developed various survival strategies, including cellular and behavioral defenses. We show that adultDrosophilafemales exposed to the parasitic wasps,Leptopilina boulardi, decrease their total egg-lay by deploying at least two strategies: Retention of fully developed follicles reduces the number of eggs laid, while induction of caspase-mediated apoptosis eliminates the vitellogenic follicles. These reproductive defense strategies require both visual and olfactory cues, but not theMB247-positive mushroom body neuronal function, suggesting a novel mode of sensory integration mediates reduced egg-laying in the presence of a parasitoid. We further show that neuropeptide F (NPF) signaling is necessary for both retaining matured follicles and activating apoptosis in vitellogenic follicles. Whereas previous studies have found that gut-derived NPF controls germ stem cell proliferation, we show that sensory-induced changes in germ cell development specifically require brain-derived NPF signaling, which recruits a subset of NPFR-expressing cell-types that control follicle development and retention. Importantly, we found that reduced egg-lay behavior is specific to parasitic wasps that infect the developingDrosophilalarvae, but not the pupae. Our findings demonstrate that female fruit flies use multimodal sensory integration and neuroendocrine signaling via NPF to engage in parasite-specific cellular and behavioral survival strategies.
C-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway activation is essential for dental papilla cells polarization
Authors: Luo Jiao , Tan Xiujun , Ye Ling , Wang Chenglin
Published: March 2021

During tooth development, dental papilla cells differentiate into odontoblasts with polarized morphology and cell function. Our previous study indicated that the C-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway regulates human dental papilla cell adhesion, migration, and formation of focal adhesion complexes. The aim of this study was to further examine the role of the JNK pathway in dental papilla cell polarity formation. Histological staining, qPCR, and Western Blot suggested the activation of JNK signaling in polarized mouse dental papilla tissue. After performing an in vitro tooth germ organ culture and cell culture, we found that JNK inhibitor SP600125 postponed tooth germ development and reduced the polarization, migration and differentiation of mouse dental papilla cells (mDPCs). Next, we screened up-regulated polarity-related genes during dental papilla development and mDPCs or A11 differentiation. We found that Prickle3, Golga2, Golga5, and RhoA were all up-regulated, which is consistent with JNK signaling activation. Further, constitutively active RhoA mutant (RhoA Q63L) partly rescued the inhibition of SP600125 on cell differentiation and polarity formation of mDPCs. To sum up, this study suggests that JNK signaling has a positive role in the formation of dental papilla cell polarization.
Maintenance of muscle mass in adult male mice is independent of testosterone
Authors: Davidyan Arik , Pathak Suraj , Baar Keith , Bodine Sue C.
Published: March 2021

Testosterone is considered a potent anabolic agent in skeletal muscle with a well-established role in adolescent growth and development in males. However, the role of testosterone in the regulation of skeletal muscle mass and function throughout the lifespan has yet to be fully established. While some studies suggest that testosterone is important for the maintenance of skeletal muscle mass, an understanding of the role this hormone plays in young, adult, and old males with normal and low serum testosterone levels is lacking. We investigated the role testosterone plays in the maintenance of muscle mass by examining the effect of orchiectomy-induced testosterone depletion in C57Bl6 male mice at ages ranging from early postnatal through old age (1.5-, 5-, 12-, and 24-month old mice). Following 28 days of testosterone depletion, we assessed mass and fiber cross-sectional-area (CSA) of the tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius, and quadriceps muscles. In addition, we measured global rates of protein synthesis and degradation using the SuNSET method, western blots, and enzyme activity assays. Twenty-eight days of testosterone depletion resulted in reduced muscle mass in the two youngest cohorts, but had no effect in the two oldest cohorts. Mean CSA decreased only in the youngest cohort and only in the tibialis anterior muscle. Testosterone depletion resulted in a general increase in proteasome activity at all ages. No change in protein synthesis was detected at the terminal time point. These data suggest that within physiological serum concentrations, testosterone may not be critical for the maintenance of muscle mass in mature male mice; however, in young mice testosterone is crucial for normal growth.
Pre-clinical left ventricular myocardial remodeling in patients with Friedreich’s ataxia: A cardiac MRI study
Authors: Takazaki Karen A. G. , Quinaglia Thiago , Venancio Thiago D. , Martinez Alberto R. M. , Shah Ravi V. , Neilan Tomas G. , Jerosch-Herold Michael , Coelho-Filho Otávio R. , França Marcondes C.
Published: March 2021

Background

Heart Failure (HF) is the most common cause of death in Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA), an inherited mitochondrial disease. Myocardial fibrosis and myocardial hypertrophy are well-documented autopsy features among FRDA patients with HF.

Objectives

To leverage the unique tissue characterization features of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) for characterizing myocardial remodeling in patients with genetically confirmed FRDA without HF and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF > 55%).

Methods

Twenty-seven FRDA’s patients (age 27.6 ± 9.7 years, 15 women) and 10 healthy controls (32.6±7.3 years, 5 women) underwent a CMR for assessment of LV function, myocardial T1, late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), extracellular volume fraction (ECV), and intracellular water-lifetime (τic), a marker of cardiomyocyte size.

Results

As compared to controls, FRDA patients had a preserved LVEF (LVEF: 70.5±7.4% vs. 63.9±9.0%, P<0.058), larger LV mass index (LVMASSi: 61±21.7 vs. 45±4.2g/m2, P<0.02), and decreased LV end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVi 53.1±12.0 vs. 75.7±16.1ml/m2, P<0.001), compared with controls. Additionally, ECV and cardiomyocyte size (τic,) were larger in FRDA patients (ECV: 0.36 ±0.05 vs. 0.25±0.02, P<0.001; τic: 0.15±0.08 vs. 0.06±0.03 s, P = 0.02). ECV and τicwere positively associated with LV mass-to-volume ratio (ECV: r = 0.57, P = 0.003; τic: r = 0.39; P = 0.05). LVMASSi and cardiomyocyte mass-index [(1−ECV)·LVMASSi] declined with age at the CMR exam, independent of the age at initial diagnosis.

Conclusions

LV hypertrophy and concentric LV remodeling in FRDA are associated at the tissue level with an expansion of the ECV and an increase in cardiomyocyte size. The adverse tissue remodeling assessed by ECV and τicis associated with more severe cardiomyopathy classification, suggesting a role for these markers in tracking disease progression.
British laypeople’s attitudes towards gradual sedation, sedation to unconsciousness and euthanasia at the end of life
Authors: Takla Antony , Savulescu Julian , Kappes Andreas , Wilkinson Dominic J. C.
Published: March 2021

Background

Many patients at the end of life require analgesia to relieve pain. Additionally, up to 1/5 of patients in the UK receive sedation for refractory symptoms at the end of life. The use of sedation in end-of-life care (EOLC) remains controversial. While gradual sedation to alleviate intractable suffering is generally accepted, there is more opposition towards deliberate and rapid sedation to unconsciousness (so-called “terminal anaesthesia”, TA). However, the general public’s views about sedation in EOLC are not known. We sought to investigate the general public’s views to inform policy and practice in the UK.

Methods

We performed two anonymous online surveys of members of the UK public, sampled to be representative for key demographic characteristics (n = 509). Participants were given a scenario of a hypothetical terminally ill patient with one week of life left. We sought views on the acceptability of providing titrated analgesia, gradual sedation, terminal anaesthesia, and euthanasia. We asked participants about the intentions of doctors, what risks of sedation would be acceptable, and the equivalence of terminal anaesthesia and euthanasia.

Findings

Of the 509 total participants, 84% and 72% indicated that it is permissible to offer titrated analgesia and gradual sedation (respectively); 75% believed it is ethical to offer TA. Eighty-eight percent of participants indicated that they would like to have the option of TA available in their EOLC (compared with 79% for euthanasia); 64% indicated that they would potentially wish for TA at the end of life (52% for euthanasia). Two-thirds indicated that doctors should be allowed to make a dying patient completely unconscious. More than 50% of participants believed that TA and euthanasia were non-equivalent; a third believed they were.

Interpretation

These novel findings demonstrate substantial support from the UK general public for the use of sedation and TA in EOLC. More discussion is needed about the range of options that should be offered for dying patients.
Short-term treatment of golden retriever muscular dystrophy (GRMD) dogs with rAAVrh74.MHCK7.GALGT2 induces muscle glycosylation and utrophin expression but has no significant effect on muscle strength
Authors: Martin Paul T. , Zygmunt Deborah A. , Ashbrook Anna , Hamilton Sonia , Packer Davin , Birch Sharla M. , Bettis Amanda K. , Balog-Alvarez Cynthia J. , Guo Lee-Jae , Nghiem Peter P. , Kornegay Joe N.
Published: March 2021

We have examined the effects of intravenous (IV) delivery of rAAVrh74.MHCK7.GALGT2in the golden retriever muscular dystrophy (GRMD) model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). After baseline testing, GRMD dogs were treated at 3 months of age and reassessed at 6 months. This 3–6 month age range is a period of rapid disease progression, thus offering a relatively short window to establish treatment efficacy. Measures analyzed included muscle AAV transduction,GALGT2transgene expression,GALGT2-induced glycosylation, muscle pathology, and muscle function. A total of five dogs were treated, 4 at 2x1014vg/kg and one at 6x1014vgkg. The 2x1014vg/kg dose led to transduction of regions of the heart with 1–3 vector genomes (vg) per nucleus, while most skeletal muscles were transduced with 0.25–0.5vg/nucleus.GALGT2-induced glycosylation paralleled levels of myofiber vg transduction, with about 90% of cardiomyocytes having increased glycosylation versus 20–35% of all myofibers across the skeletal muscles tested. Conclusions from phenotypic testing were limited by the small number of dogs. Treated dogs had less pronounced fibrosis and overall lesion severity when compared to control groups, but surprisingly no significant changes in limb muscle function measures.GALGT2-treated skeletal muscle and heart had elevated levels of utrophin protein expression andGALGT2-induced expression of glycosylated α dystroglycan, providing further evidence of a treatment effect. Serum chemistry, hematology, and cardiac function measures were largely unchanged by treatment. Cumulatively, these data show that short-term intravenous treatment of GRMD dogs with rAAVrh74.MHCK7.GALGT2at high doses can induce muscle glycosylation and utrophin expression and may be safe over a short 3-month interval, but that such treatments had only modest effects on muscle pathology and did not significantly improve muscle strength.
Numerical simulation of time-resolved 3D phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Puiseux Thomas , Sewonu Anou , Moreno Ramiro , Mendez Simon , Nicoud Franck
Published: March 2021

A numerical approach is presented to efficiently simulate time-resolved 3D phase-contrast Magnetic resonance Imaging (or 4D Flow MRI) acquisitions under realistic flow conditions. The Navier-Stokes and Bloch equations are simultaneously solved with an Eulerian-Lagrangian formalism. A semi-analytic solution for the Bloch equations as well as a periodic particle seeding strategy are developed to reduce the computational cost. The velocity reconstruction pipeline is first validated by considering a Poiseuille flow configuration. The 4D Flow MRI simulation procedure is then applied to the flow within an in vitro flow phantom typical of the cardiovascular system. The simulated MR velocity images compare favorably to both the flow computed by solving the Navier-Stokes equations and experimental 4D Flow MRI measurements. A practical application is finally presented in which the MRI simulation framework is used to identify the origins of the MRI measurement errors.
Gridded population mapping for Germany based on building density, height and type from Earth Observation data using census disaggregation and bottom-up estimates
Authors: Schug Franz , Frantz David , van der Linden Sebastian , Hostert Patrick
Published: March 2021

Gridded population data is widely used to map fine scale population patterns and dynamics to understand associated human-environmental processes for global change research, disaster risk assessment and other domains. This study mapped gridded population across Germany using weighting layers from building density, building height (both from previous studies) and building type datasets, all created from freely available, temporally and globally consistent Copernicus Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data. We first produced and validated a nation-wide dataset of predominant residential and non-residential building types. We then examined the impact of different weighting layers from density, type and height on top-down dasymetric mapping quality across scales. We finally performed a nation-wide bottom-up population estimate based on the three datasets. We found that integrating building types into dasymetric mapping is helpful at fine scale, as population is not redistributed to non-residential areas. Building density improved the overall quality of population estimates at all scales compared to using a binary building layer. Most importantly, we found that the combined use of density and height, i.e. volume, considerably increased mapping quality in general and with regard to regional discrepancy by largely eliminating systematic underestimation in dense agglomerations and overestimation in rural areas. We also found that building density, type and volume, together with living floor area per capita, are suitable to produce accurate large-area bottom-up population estimates.
Basigin drives intracellular accumulation of l-lactate by harvesting protons and substrate anions
Authors: Köpnick Anna-Lena , Jansen Annika , Geistlinger Katharina , Epalle Nathan Hugo , Beitz Eric
Published: March 2021

Transmembrane transport of l-lactate by members of the monocarboxylate transporter family, MCT, is vital in human physiology and a malignancy factor in cancer. Interaction with an accessory protein, typically basigin, is required to deliver the MCT to the plasma membrane. It is unknown whether basigin additionally exerts direct effects on the transmembrane l-lactate transport of MCT1. Here, we show that the presence of basigin leads to an intracellular accumulation of l-lactate 4.5-fold above the substrate/proton concentrations provided by the external buffer. Using basigin truncations we localized the effect to arise from the extracellular Ig-I domain. Identification of surface patches of condensed opposite electrostatic potential, and experimental analysis of charge-affecting Ig-I mutants indicated a bivalent harvesting antenna functionality for both, protons and substrate anions. From these data, and determinations of the cytosolic pH with a fluorescent probe, we conclude that the basigin Ig-I domain drives lactate uptake by locally increasing the proton and substrate concentration at the extracellular MCT entry site. The biophysical properties are physiologically relevant as cell growth on lactate media was strongly promoted in the presence of the Ig-I domain. Lack of the domain due to shedding, or misfolding due to breakage of a stabilizing disulfide bridge reversed the effect. Tumor progression according to classical or reverse Warburg effects depends on the transmembrane l-lactate distribution, and this study shows that the basigin Ig-I domain is a pivotal determinant.
Association of genetic liability for psychiatric disorders with accelerometer-assessed physical activity in the UK Biobank
Authors: Dennison Charlotte A. , Legge Sophie E. , Bracher-Smith Matthew , Menzies Georgina , Escott-Price Valentina , Smith Daniel J. , Doherty Aiden R. , Owen Michael J. , O’Donovan Michael C. , Walters James T. R.
Published: March 2021

Levels of activity are often affected in psychiatric disorders and can be core symptoms of illness. Advances in technology now allow the accurate assessment of activity levels but it remains unclear whether alterations in activity arise from shared risk factors for developing psychiatric disorders, such as genetics, or are better explained as consequences of the disorders and their associated factors. We aimed to examine objectively-measured physical activity in individuals with psychiatric disorders, and assess the role of genetic liability for psychiatric disorders on physical activity. Accelerometer data were available on 95,529 UK Biobank participants, including measures of overall mean activity and minutes per day of moderate activity, walking, sedentary activity, and sleep. Linear regressions measured associations between psychiatric diagnosis and activity levels, and polygenic risk scores (PRS) for psychiatric disorders and activity levels. Genetic correlations were calculated between psychiatric disorders and different types of activity. Having a diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, or autism spectrum disorders (ASD) was associated with reduced overall activity compared to unaffected controls. In individuals without a psychiatric disorder, reduced overall activity levels were associated with PRS for schizophrenia, depression, and ASD. ADHD PRS was associated with increased overall activity. Genetic correlations were consistent with PRS findings. Variation in physical activity is an important feature across psychiatric disorders. Whilst levels of activity are associated with genetic liability to psychiatric disorders to a very limited extent, the substantial differences in activity levels in those with psychiatric disorders most likely arise as a consequences of disorder-related factors.
Case fatality and recurrent tuberculosis among patients managed in the private sector: A cohort study in Patna, India
Authors: Huddart Sophie , Singh Mugdha , Jha Nita , Benedetti Andrea , Pai Madhukar
Published: March 2021

Background

A key component of the WHO End TB Strategy is quality of care, for which case fatality is a critical marker. Half of India’s nearly 3 million TB patients are treated in the highly unregulated private sector, yet little is known about the outcomes of these patients. Using a retrospective cohort design, we estimated the case fatality ratio (CFR) and rate of recurrent TB among patients managed in the private healthcare sector in Patna, India.

Methods

World Health Partners’ Private Provider Interface Agencies (PPIA) pilot project in Patna has treated 89,906 private sector TB patients since 2013. A random sample of 4,000 patients treated from 2014 to 2016 were surveyed in 2018 for case fatality and recurrent TB. CFR is defined as the proportion of patients who die during the period of interest. Treatment CFRs, post-treatment CFRs and rates of recurrent TB were estimated. Predictors for fatality and recurrence were identified using Cox proportional hazards modelling. Survey non-response was adjusted for using inverse probability selection weighting.

Results

The survey response rate was 56.0%. The weighted average follow-up times were 8.7 months in the treatment phase and 26.4 months in the post-treatment phase. Unobserved patients were more likely to have less than one month of treatment adherence (32.0% vs. 13.5%) and were more likely to live in rural Patna (21.9% vs. 15.0%). The adjusted treatment phase CFR was 7.27% (5.97%, 8.49%) and at 24 months post-treatment was 3.32% (2.36%, 4.42%). The adjusted 24 month post-treatment phase recurrent TB rate was 3.56% (2.54%, 4.79%).

Conclusions

Our cohort study provides critical estimates of TB patient outcomes in the Indian private sector, and accounts for selection bias. Patients in the private sector in Patna experienced a moderate treatment CFR but rates of recurrent TB and post-treatment fatality were low.
GM-1111 reduces radiation-induced oral mucositis in mice by targeting pattern recognition receptor-mediated inflammatory signaling
Authors: Pulsipher Abigail , Savage Justin R. , Kennedy Thomas P. , Gupta Kavita , Cuiffo Benjamin G. , Sonis Stephen T. , Lee Won Yong
Published: March 2021

Purpose

Oral mucositis (OM) is a common, painful side effect of radiation therapy used for the treatment of head and neck cancer (HNC). Activation of the innate immune system upon irradiation has been identified as a key precipitating event of OM. To better understand OM’s pathogenesis, we studied pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and their downstream pro-inflammatory cytokines in a mouse model of radiation-induced OM. We also tested therapeutic efficacy of GM-1111 that targets innate immune system to reduce radiation-induced OM.

Methods and materials

The pathogenesis of OM was studied in a single X-ray induced mouse model. The severity of OM was measured by visual and microscopical examinations. The irradiation-induced changes of PRRs and their downstream effector cytokine gene expression levels were determined. The efficacy of GM-1111 to reduce OM was tested in single and fractionated irradiation mouse models. The impact of the drug on tumor response to radiation therapy was also tested in a mouse model of human HNC.

Results

Radiation-induced tissue ulcerations were radiation-dosage and -time dependent. The lesions showed selective increases in PRR and pro-inflammatory cytokine gene expression levels. Once daily administration of GM-1111 (≥30 mg/kg, s.c.) significantly reduced the severity and the incidence of OM. The drug had little effect on PRRs but significantly inhibited downstream pro-inflammatory cytokine genes. GM-1111 did not interfere radiation therapy to induce HNC SCC-25 tumor regression. Instead, we observed significant drug-induced tumor regression.

Conclusions

Radiation induces tissue damages. The increased expression levels of PRRs and their downstream pro-inflammatory cytokine genes in the damaged tissues suggest their important contribution to the pathogenesis of OM. Drug GM-1111 that targets these innate immune molecules may be a potential drug candidate as an intervention for OM.
On metamodernism: Virgil Abloh’s borderless fashion practice
Authors: Gerrie Vanessa
Published: March 2021

The contemporary global fashion system is at a unique point of convergence between ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture and across creative disciplines and representational spaces. Fashion designers are no longer confined to the catwalk, nor to the physical object of clothing, but are multi-hyphenate creators bringing together design principles from other fields such as architecture, graphic design and fine art. Within this shifting design landscape, ‘meta’ has entered the millennial colloquial vernacular to describe anything that is self-referential, and has become a trait common to a generation whose cultural production and direct way of communicating is based upon digital social networks such as Instagram and Facebook. The ‘metamodern’ is a nomenclature paradigm proposition for contemporary culture beyond that of postmodernism and proposes an oscillation between principles characteristic of both the modern and postmodern. This new metamodern paradigm will be aligned within this article and mapped against developments in the contemporary popular ‘fashionscape’. This will include the close analysis of multi-hyphenate interdisciplinary design practitioner Virgil Abloh and examples of the global practice he has established including: his streetwear brand Off White™, his collaboration with Nike and the curation of his 2019 exhibition in Chicago, Figures of Speech.
Effect of formaldehyde and urea contaminated feed exposure into the liver of young and adult pigeons (Columba livia)
Authors: Hasan Imam , Pervin Munmun , Kobir Md. Alamgir , Sagor Sakib Hossain , Karim Mohammad Rabiul
Published: March 2021

Background and Aim: Nowadays, toxic chemical contaminants in food are a major food safety problem in Bangladesh. Among toxic food contaminants, formalin is used to preserve fruit, vegetables, and fish, where urea is used for the whitening of rice and puffed rice. The purpose of this study was to determine the biochemical and histopathological effects on the liver of young and adult pigeons after exposure to formalin and urea contaminated feed.

Materials and Methods: A total of 15 young and 15 adult pigeons were divided into control group, formaldehyde exposed group (2.5 mL formalin/kg feed), and urea exposed (1 g/kg feed) group. Each group consisted of five pigeons. After the experimentation procedures, the blood samples were collected for biochemical study, and the liver tissue was collected for histomorphological study. The statistical analysis was performed using the Student's t-test, and p<0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

Results: The aspartate transaminase serum hepatic enzyme was significantly increased in both formalin and urea exposed young and adult pigeons than the control pigeons. In control pigeons, parenchymal hepatocytes and non-parenchymal cells are regularly arranged. However, histological observation of the liver of formalin and urea exposed young, and adult pigeons showed coagulation necrosis with infiltration of many inflammatory cells around the central and portal veins. The necrotic areas are more extensive with massive infiltration of inflammatory cells in the liver of formalin-treated pigeons than the urea treated pigeons.

Conclusion: The present study results show that low concentrations of formalin and urea in feed induced liver lesions in pigeons in different extents and indicate that exposure to toxic chemicals may affect homeostasis of the liver and cause liver injury or act as a co-factor for liver disease.
A Lifeline for a Hopeless Tooth - A Multidisciplinary Approach
Authors: Shetty Rajesh , Suhaim Karkala Syed , Jain Shriya Deepak , Shetty Sanath Kumar , Zehra Mariyam
Published: March 2021

Restoration of traumatic teeth with complicated crown root fracture poses many challenges to the clinicians. When the fracture line is below the level of gingiva, the prognosis of such fractured tooth is considered questionable or hopeless. Treating such cases is also challenging as they are associated with loss of ferrule and compromised biological width. Preservation of such diseased natural teeth usually involves a multi-disciplinary approach involving endodontic therapy, periodontal crown lengthening and / or orthodontic extrusion followed by prosthetic rehabilitation. Tooth injuries and complicated tooth fractures especially in the aesthetic region pose a great challenge to the clinician.1 When the fracture line extends at or below the level of cement enamel junction, the prognosis of such tooth is considered questionable or hopeless; they are usually associated with the loss of ferrule and compromised biological width, and therefore restoration of such teeth becomes a great challenge. To ensure functional longevity, endodontically treated teeth with less coronal structure must have at least 5 mm of tooth structure coronal to the crestal bone. Three milli meters of tooth structure is needed to maintain a healthy soft tissue complex, and 2 mm of coronal tooth structure incisal to the preparation finish line is necessary to ensure structural integrity.2 There are mainly two reasons why a tooth extraction should be avoided: Structural reasons and psychological stress associated with extraction. Psychological stress can be in the form of financial stresses associated with extraction and rehabilitation of the same and fear of post-traumatic pain. Extraction of tooth is also followed by aesthetic challenges as it may lead to hard and soft tissue resorption as the healing architecture is unpredictable. In this case report a simple yet effective treatment is presented for a 21-year-old female patient with a chief complaint of clinical tooth fracture in relation to 44. After thorough clinical and radiographic examination, it was decided to reinforce the use of flexible glass fibre post and incorporate the same as tags to engage E chain to facilitate orthodontic tooth extrusion followed by prosthetic rehabilitation. The purpose of this case report is to describe the use of a simple chair side technique for a tooth fractured at the level of cementoenamel junction (CEJ) with forced tooth eruption.
Einstein’s Misunderstanding of Time in the Time-Invariant Universe
Authors: Šorli Amrit S.
Published: March 2021

Einstein has kept time as the dimension of the space-time continuum that is supposed to be a fundamental arena of the universe. Our research confirms time is the duration of changes, i.e., motion run in the time-invariant universal space that has Euclidean shape, it is infinite. Black holes in the center of galaxies are rejuvenating systems of the universe. In these black holes old matter is transforming back into the fresh energy of elementary that AGNs are throwing in the intergalactic space in the form of huge jests. These jets are fresh material for new star formation. The universal process of continuous rejuvenation is eternal.