bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the efficacy of testosterone undecanoate in male children with 5α‐reductase deficiency
Authors: Liu Ying , Fan Lijun , Wang Xiaoling , Gong Chunxiu
Published: December 2021

Importance

Children with 5‐alpha‐reductase deficiency (5α‐RD) and hypospadias present with micropenis, which makes it difficult to obtain sufficient tissue for urethral reconstruction.

Objective

We investigated the therapeutic effects of oral testosterone undecanoate and established a standard androgen treatment protocol for patients with 5α‐RD with micropenis.

Methods

Patients with 5α‐RD were treated with oral testosterone undecanoate for 3 months as a course. All patients were treated with no more than 3 courses. If the penile length (PL) reached 2.5 cm (the minimum criterion for surgery) or greater than or equal to −2.5 standard deviations (SDs) (lower limit of normal), testosterone undecanoate was considered to be effective.

Results

The median age of 90 patients with 5α‐RD was 1.7 years (0.9, 3.1 years). The baseline PL was 1.9 ± 0.6 cm before treatment. At the end of the first course, the PL of 63 patients (70%) reached 2.5 cm, and 49 patients (54%) reached greater than or equal to −2.5 SDs. After two treatment courses, the PL of 81 patients (90%) reached 2.5 cm, and 90 patients (100%) reached greater than or equal to −2.5 SDs. After three courses, the PL of all patients reached 2.5 cm, and all patients reached a PL greater than or equal to −2.5 SDs. No abnormal increase was observed in height‐SD score, weight‐SD score, or ratio of bone age to chronological age during the 1–3‐year follow‐up.

Interpretation

After 3–9 months of treatment, PL increased to the target length. No severe adverse reactions were observed during follow‐up. Testosterone undecanoate was safe and effective in children with 5α‐RD with micropenis.
Positive behavior change: Effects of an intervention package for disruptive behavior in a specialized school setting
Authors: Stremel J. Meredith , Hawkins Renee O. , Collins Tai A. , Nabors Laura
Published: December 2021

An ABAB design was used to analyze the effects of positive peer reporting plus a randomized dependent group contingency (PPR + DGC). This intervention package was implemented across three classrooms in an alternative school setting for students diagnosed with emotional and behavioral disorders. The DGC consisted of the teacher randomly choosing a student to watch throughout the 45‐min class period to determine if that student was following classroom rules. If so, the entire class earned a randomly selected reward at the end of class period. The intervention package also included two opportunities, one at the start and one at the end of class, for students to engage in positive reporting sessions. Results indicated an increase in engagement and a decrease in off‐task and disruptive behavior while the intervention was implemented. The effects on positive and negative peer statements were ultimately minimal throughout all classrooms and phases. Social validity data indicated that teachers found the intervention package to be easy to include in their daily routine and stated that they would continue using this intervention package in the future. Discussion focuses on implications for practice and the need for additional research examining the effects of positive peer reports on student behavior.
BoxCar and shotgun proteomic analyses reveal molecular networks regulated by UBR5 in prostate cancer
Authors: Yan Yiwu , Zhou Bo , Lee Yeon‐Joo , You Sungyong , Freeman Michael R. , Yang Wei
Published: December 2021

Prostate cancer (PC) is a major health and economic problem in industrialized countries, yet our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of PC progression and drug response remains limited. Accumulating evidence showed that certain E3 ubiquitin ligases such as SIAH2, RNF7, and SPOP play important roles in PC development and progression. However, the roles and mechanisms of other E3s in PC progression remain largely unexplored. Through an integration analysis of clinical genomic and transcriptomic profiles of PC tumors, this study identified UBR5 as a top PC‐relevant E3 ubiquitin ligase whose expression levels are strongly associated with PC progression and aggressiveness. BoxCar and shotgun proteomic analyses of control and UBR5‐knockdown PC3 cells complementarily identified 75 UBR5‐regulated proteins. Bioinformatic analysis suggested that the 75 proteins form four molecular networks centered around FANCD2, PAF1, YY1, and LAMB3 via direct protein–protein interactions. Experimental analyses demonstrated that UBR5 associates with and downregulates two key DNA damage repair proteins (XRCC3 and FANCD2) and confers PC cell sensitivity to olaparib, a PARP inhibitor in clinical use for cancer therapy. This study represents the first application of BoxCar in PC research, provides new insights into the molecular functions of UBR5 in PC, and suggests that PC patients with UBR5‐high tumors may potentially benefit from PARP inhibitor treatment.
A large‐scale assay library for targeted protein quantification in renal cell carcinoma tissues
Authors: Lapcik Petr , Janacova Lucia , Bouchalova Pavla , Potesil David , Podhorec Jan , Hora Milan , Poprach Alexandr , Fiala Ondrej , Bouchal Pavel
Published: December 2021

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) represents 2.2% of all cancer incidences; however, prognostic or predictive RCC biomarkers at protein level are largely missing. To support proteomics research of localized and metastatic RCC, we introduce a new library of targeted mass spectrometry assays for accurate protein quantification in malignant and normal kidney tissue. Aliquots of 86 initially localized RCC, 75 metastatic RCC and 17 adjacent non‐cancerous fresh frozen tissue lysates were trypsin digested, pooled, and fractionated using hydrophilic chromatography. The fractions were analyzed using LC‐MS/MS on QExactive HF‐X mass spectrometer in data‐dependent acquisition (DDA) mode. A resulting spectral library contains 77,817 peptides representing 7960 protein groups (FDR = 1%). Further, we confirm applicability of this library on four RCC datasets measured in data‐independent acquisition (DIA) mode, demonstrating a specific quantification of a substantially increased part of RCC proteome, depending on LC‐MS/MS instrumentation. Impact of sample specificity of the library on the results of targeted DIA data extraction was demonstrated by parallel analyses of two datasets by two pan human libraries. The new RCC specific library has potential to contribute to better understanding the RCC development at molecular level, leading to new diagnostic and therapeutic targets.
Influence of electron‐beam irradiation on plasticity‐controlled and crack‐growth‐controlled failure in high‐density polyethylene
Authors: Cerpentier Robin R. J. , Boerakker Mark J. , Tervoort Theo A. , van Drongelen Martin , Govaert Leon E.
Published: December 2021

In the present study, the influence of electron‐beam irradiation on plasticity‐controlled and crack‐growth‐controlled failure in high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) is investigated and the effect of both molecular weight distribution (MWD) and short chain branching (SCB) content are taken into account. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) is used to study the evolution of the MWD of the sol fraction as a function of irradiation dose. Here, it is seen that chains shorter than the percolation threshold (5 kDa) are largely unaffected by electron beam radiation, while the fraction of longest chains (M > 300 kDa) is nearly entirely incorporated into the cross‐linked network. Both yield stress and Young's modulus increased with irradiation dose, where the magnitude of the increase appears to be connected to the gel fraction. The (fatigue) crack growth kinetics of the grades changed relatively little with irradiation dose, which is unexpected. Furthermore, convergence of the crack growth kinetics parameter to a narrow range of values could be observed for the investigated grades at relatively high gel fractions. This would imply that the crack growth kinetics become increasingly independent of the MWD upon irradiation cross‐linking, which could be attributed to a shift in the underlying crack growth mechanism from chain slip to chain scission.
Three‐repeat and four‐repeat tau isoforms form different oligomers
Authors: Shahpasand‐Kroner Hedieh , Portillo Jennifer , Lantz Carter , Seidler Paul M. , Sarafian Natalie , Loo Joseph A. , Bitan Gal
Published: December 2021

Different tauopathies are characterized by the isoform‐specific composition of the aggregates found in the brain and by structurally distinct tau strains. Although tau oligomers have been implicated as important neurotoxic species, little is known about how the primary structures of the six human tau isoforms affect tau oligomerization because the oligomers are metastable and difficult to analyze. To address this knowledge gap, here, we analyzed the initial oligomers formed by the six tau isoforms in the absence of posttranslational modifications or other manipulations using dot blots probed by an oligomer‐specific antibody, native‐PAGE/western blots, photo‐induced cross‐linking of unmodified proteins, mass‐spectrometry, and ion‐mobility spectroscopy. We found that under these conditions, three‐repeat (3R) isoforms are more prone than four‐repeat (4R) isoforms to form oligomers. We also tested whether known inhibitors of tau aggregation affect its oligomerization using three small molecules representing different classes of tau aggregation inhibitors, Methylene Blue (MB), the molecular tweezer CLR01, and the all‐D peptide TLKIVW, for their ability to inhibit or modulate the oligomerization of the six tau isoforms. Unlike their reported inhibitory effect on tau fibrillation, the inhibitors had little or no effect on the initial oligomerization. Our study provides novel insight into the primary–quaternary structure relationship of human tau and suggests that 3R‐tau oligomers may be an important target for future development of compounds targeting pathological tau assemblies.
The effects of beta‐cypermethrin, chlorbenzuron, chlorothalonil, and pendimethalin onApis mellifera ligusticaandApis cerana ceranalarvae rearedin vitro
Authors: He Qibao , Yang Qing , Liu Qiongqiong , Hu Zhaoyin , Gao Quan , Dong Yongcheng , Xiao Jinjing , Yu Linsheng , Cao Haiqun
Published: December 2021

BACKGROUND

Declines in bee populations and diversity have drawn international attention. The long‐term use of chemical pesticides has affected bee behavior and physiology. This study aimed to investigate the effects of chronic exposure to four commonly used chemical pesticides (beta‐cypermethrin, chlorbenzuron, chlorothalonil and pendimethalin) on the growth ofApis mellifera ligusticaandApis cerana ceranalarvae rearedin vitro.

RESULTS

Pesticide type and concentration were the main factors affecting honeybee fitness. Beta‐cypermethrin and chlorbenzuron had chronic toxic effects on bee larvae. They reduced the fitness ofA. m. ligusticaandA. c. ceranaeven at low doses of 323.5 ng g−1for beta‐cypermethrin and 62.6 ng g−1for chlorbenzuron in bee bread. The effects were positively associated with the dietary amounts of pesticides. By contrast, chlorothalonil and pendimethalin exposure did not affect bee larvae despite changes in enzyme activities. Caution is still needed with chlorothalonil, which led to a decrease in harvest adult bee numbers at a high dose (6937.2 ng g−1). Furthermore, a difference in pesticide resistance was observed, suggesting thatA. m. ligusticamay tolerate toxic effects better thanA. c. cerana.

CONCLUSION

This study sheds new light on chronic toxicity in bee larvae exposed to residues in bee bread. The results could guide the scientific and rational use of chemical pesticides to reduce the potential risks toA. m. ligusticaandA. c. cerana. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
Variational functionals for excited state saddle points versus traditional Hylleraas–Undheim and McDonald higher “roots,” and a way to instantly improve a lowest state crude approximant
Authors: Bacalis Naoum C. , Xiong Zhuang , Wang Zhen Xin , Karaoulanis Dimitris
Published: December 2021

Many chemical reactions occur in excited states, so, we must know their wave functions. But the excited states are saddle points in the wave function space and cannot be located by energy minimization. The reported functional, Ωn, (reducible to a self‐consistent generalized eigenvalue problem, that allows simultaneous treatment with multi‐configuration self‐consistent field ‐ MCSCF) locate the excited states/saddle points with the help of crude approximants of the lower lying states, without demanding any orthogonality to them, whatsoever. Ωn is useful for systems (mainly large) where huge wave functions expansions (that would tend to the exact values) are impracticable, and rather small truncated (but comprehensible) wave functions are needed. Ωn is checked against large wave functions of small atoms and against both large and small wave functions that implement the Hylleraas‐Undheim ‐ McDonald theorem thus locate an energy minimum near, but not the saddle point itself. Various Ωn applications are given.
Risk prediction models for discrete ordinal outcomes: Calibration and the impact of the proportional odds assumption
Authors: Edlinger Michael , van Smeden Maarten , Alber Hannes F , Wanitschek Maria , Van Calster Ben
Published: December 2021

Calibration is a vital aspect of the performance of risk prediction models, but research in the context of ordinal outcomes is scarce. This study compared calibration measures for risk models predicting a discrete ordinal outcome, and investigated the impact of the proportional odds assumption on calibration and overfitting. We studied the multinomial, cumulative, adjacent category, continuation ratio, and stereotype logit/logistic models. To assess calibration, we investigated calibration intercepts and slopes, calibration plots, and the estimated calibration index. Using large sample simulations, we studied the performance of models for risk estimation under various conditions, assuming that the true model has either a multinomial logistic form or a cumulative logit proportional odds form. Small sample simulations were used to compare the tendency for overfitting between models. As a case study, we developed models to diagnose the degree of coronary artery disease (five categories) in symptomatic patients. When the true model was multinomial logistic, proportional odds models often yielded poor risk estimates, with calibration slopes deviating considerably from unity even on large model development datasets. The stereotype logistic model improved the calibration slope, but still provided biased risk estimates for individual patients. When the true model had a cumulative logit proportional odds form, multinomial logistic regression provided biased risk estimates, although these biases were modest. Nonproportional odds models require more parameters to be estimated from the data, and hence suffered more from overfitting. Despite larger sample size requirements, we generally recommend multinomial logistic regression for risk prediction modeling of discrete ordinal outcomes.
Determination of the number of observers needed to evaluate a subjective test and its application in two PD‐L1 studies
Authors: Han Gang , Schell Michael J. , Reisenbichler Emily S. , Guo Bohong , Rimm David L.
Published: December 2021

In pathological studies, subjective assays, especially companion diagnostic tests, can dramatically affect treatment of cancer. Binary diagnostic test results (ie, positive vs negative) may vary between pathologists or observers who read the tumor slides. Some tests have clearly defined criteria resulting in highly concordant outcomes, even with minimal training. Other tests are more challenging. Observers may achieve poor concordance even with training. While there are many statistically rigorous methods for measuring concordance between observers, we are unaware of a method that can identify how many observers are needed to determine whether a test can reach an acceptable concordance, if at all. Here we introduce a statistical approach to the assessment of test performance when the test is read by multiple observers, as would occur in the real world. By plotting the number of observers against the estimated overall agreement proportion, we can obtain a curve that plateaus to the average observer concordance. Diagnostic tests that are well‐defined and easily judged show high concordance and plateau with few interobserver comparisons. More challenging tests do not plateau until many interobserver comparisons are made, and typically reach a lower plateau or even 0. We further propose a statistical test of whether the overall agreement proportion will drop to 0 with a large number of pathologists. The proposed analytical framework can be used to evaluate the difficulty in the interpretation of pathological test criteria and platforms, and to determine how pathology‐based subjective tests will perform in the real world. The method could also be used outside of pathology, where concordance of a diagnosis or decision point relies on the subjective application of multiple criteria. We apply this method in two recent PD‐L1 studies to test whether the curve of overall agreement proportion will converge to 0 and determine the minimal sufficient number of observers required to estimate the concordance plateau of their reads.
An experimental examination of the flow of irrelevant information across markets
Authors: Ackert Lucy F. , Kluger Brian D. , Qi Li , Wei Lijia
Published: December 2021

Our study uses an experimental method to provide insight into the flow of information across two asset markets that are fully segmented. In our asset markets, two separate sets of participants trade an identical asset in different markets. We then introduce a shock to fundamentals in one market to examine the response of traders in the second market. Because there is no fundamental shock in the second market, we can separate information‐based reactions from responses due to changes in underlying fundamental values. With the separation across markets, we observe whether information relating to a fundamental shock that only affects the shocked market is transmitted to the non‐shocked market. Our evidence suggests that traders in one market are observing behavior in the other contemporaneous market. After an information shock, price efficiency declines but improves by the end of trading.
Simplified methodologies to designate sensitive areas and nitrate vulnerable zones: A case study of Yesilirmak River Basin, Turkey
Authors: Ayaz Selma , Atasoy Aytış Elif , Koyunluoğlu Aynur Şebnem , Kıran Burcu , Beşiktaş Mehmet , Sarıkaya Ömer , Karaaslan Yakup
Published: December 2021

The European Union enforces the member states designate sensitive areas and nitrate vulnerable zones according to Water Framework Directive and its daughter directives Nitrates Directive and Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. The aim of this study is to develop an approach for designation of sensitive areas (SAs) and nitrate vulnerable zones (NVZs) for surface water bodies. SAs are designated with a three‐step approach using initial characterization, physicochemical monitoring, and application of biotic indices. Nitrate concentration data of monitoring stations and the total nitrate loading rates of agriculture were two parameters for the determination of NVZs. This simplified methodology was applied to Yesilirmak River Basin. A total of 42 water bodies (23 river and 19 lake) were specified as SA and 30 water bodies (17 river and 13 lake) were designated as NVZ which constitutes about 63% and 49% of the total drainage area of the basin, respectively. Although the final definition of SAs and NVZs will depend on policies and regulations adopted in Turkey, the study contributed to efforts of Turkish water authorities for the determination of the SAs and NVZs of Turkey.
Microbial community response of the full‐scale MBR system for mixed leachates treatment
Authors: Li Huan , Li Zhiheng , Song Bowen , Gu Zhepei
Published: December 2021

In practice, mature landfill leachate and incineration (young) leachate are mixed to improve the biodegradability and enhance biological treatment performance. However, the ratio of mature‐to‐young leachates greatly influences MBR treatment efficiency and microbial community structure. This study investigated the treatment efficiency and microbial community structure of full‐scale MBR systems operated under two mix ratios, mature leachate: young leachate = 7:3 (v/v, denoted as LL) and 3:7 (v/v, denoted as IL). LL group showed lower Cl− and COD concentrations but a higher aromatic organic content comparing to IL group, and the COD and UV254 removals for LL were significantly lower than those for IL by MBR treatment. Microbial community structures were similar in both groups at phylum level, with dominant phyla being Proteobacteria (23.8%–32.3%), Bacteroidetes (15.25%–20.7%), Chloroflexi (10.5%–23.1%), and Patescibacteria (9.9%–13.2%). However, the richness and diversity of LL group were lower, and differences were observed at lower taxonomy levels. Results indicated that salinity mainly changed the structure of microbial community, resulting in greater abundance of salt‐tolerant microbials, while refractory organics affected microbial community structure, and also led to decreased diversity and metabolic activity. Therefore, in mixed leachates biological treatment, a higher young leachate ratio is recommended for better organics removal performance.

Practitioner Points

The trade‐off between refractory organics and salinity in mixed leachate treatment should be paid attention.

Refractory organics reduced alpha and functional diversities of microorganisms.

Mixed leachate with a higher young leachate ratio reached a better organic removal.
Motivation and Framework
Authors: Hotori Eiji , Wendschlag Mikael , Giddey Thibaud
Published: December 2021

This chapter introduces the concept and a definition of the “formalization” of banking supervision that is examined in this book and outlines the aim and scope of the book. In addition to providing the reader with an overview of the history of banking supervision in eight developed countries (the US, Japan, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, France, and the UK), the book presents information regarding the formalization process itself. That process is assessed based on three criteria—bank regulation, supervisory authority, and supervisory activity. This approach is intended to provide more detail than a simple assessment based on banking acts that is common in financial regulation research. The aim of the analysis undertaken in this book is to identify why the history of banking supervision in various countries shares many similarities and yet also displays many differences. In Sect. 1.5, we provide an overview of the historiography of the formalization of banking supervision with a special emphasis on comparative and internationally oriented literature, while the growing body of literature on each of the national cases is discussed in subsequent chapters.
Switzerland: Formalizing Banking Supervision in the Aftermath of a Crisis, Better Late Than Never
Authors: Hotori Eiji , Wendschlag Mikael , Giddey Thibaud
Published: December 2021

This chapter deals with the formalization of banking supervision in Switzerland, which occurred throughout the twentieth century in a three-step process. First, between 1914 and 1931, the introduction of formal banking supervision, including a detailed Banking Act enforced by an authority, was discussed but was rejected under the influence of leading bankers. Second, in the aftermath of a severe banking crisis in 1931–1934, the resistance of bankers was undermined and a federal law on commercial banking, featuring the setting up of a new supervision agency, was adopted. Third, until the late 1970s, despite the existence of a legal code and a designated authority, the formalization was still incomplete, because the agency was lacking the formal capacity and resources to guarantee an effective enforcement of financial regulation. During that period (1930s–1970s), policymakers were unable to remove the flaws of the supervisory regime because of the strong preference of the main stakeholders (commercial banks, banking supervisors) for the existing system.
The UK: Financial Globalization and Formalization of Banking Supervision
Authors: Hotori Eiji , Wendschlag Mikael , Giddey Thibaud
Published: December 2021

Among the developed economies, the UK was the latest to formalize banking supervision as we define it in this book. The process began in the mid-1970s following the fringe bank crisis and the simultaneous beginning of international cooperation on banking regulation matters in the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. The crisis led to the reforms of both the Banking Act and the Bank of England Act in 1979—the Bank of England was assigned its first formal duties and responsibilities for banking supervision, and the commercial banks had to meet bank-specific requirements instead of the general corporate law. However, given the reluctance of the Bank of England to conduct banking supervisory activities as well as the Bank’s behavior to stick with the conventional informal “governor’s eyebrow,” we deem the formalization process ongoing until the reforms of 1987. The Banking Act 1987 clarified the Bank of England’s responsibilities and mandate regarding banking supervision, and the Board of Banking Supervision was established as a permanent formal organization to monitor and council the Bank of England on supervisory matters. The UK is an interesting case where the banking supervision remained informal until quite recently—compared to other countries. The formalization process can be explained by the crisis and the international push for harmonized banking regulation.
Algebras, traces, and boundary correlators in $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 SYM
Authors: Dedushenko Mykola , Gaiotto Davide
Published: December 2021

Abstract

We study supersymmetric sectors at half-BPS boundaries and interfaces in the 4d $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 4 super Yang-Mills with the gauge group G, which are described by associative algebras equipped with twisted traces. Such data are in one-to-one correspondence with an infinite set of defect correlation functions. We identify algebras and traces for known boundary conditions. Ward identities expressing the (twisted) periodicity of the trace highly constrain its structure, in many cases allowing for the complete solution. Our main examples in this paper are: the universal enveloping algebra $$ U\left(\mathfrak{g}\right) $$
U

g

with the trace describing the Dirichlet boundary conditions; and the finite W-algebra $$ \mathcal{W}\left(\mathfrak{g},{t}_{+}\right) $$
W

g

t
+

with the trace describing the Nahm pole boundary conditions.
From dS to AdS and back
Authors: Sleight Charlotte , Taronna Massimo
Published: December 2021

Abstract

We describe in more detail the general relation uncovered in our previous work between boundary correlators in de Sitter (dS) and in Euclidean anti-de Sitter (EAdS) space, at any order in perturbation theory. Assuming the Bunch-Davies vacuum at early times, any given diagram contributing to a boundary correlator in dS can be expressed as a linear combination of Witten diagrams for the corresponding process in EAdS, where the relative coefficients are fixed by consistent on-shell factorisation in dS. These coefficients are given by certain sinusoidal factors which account for the change in coefficient of the contact sub-diagrams from EAdS to dS, which we argue encode (perturbative) unitary time evolution in dS. dS boundary correlators with Bunch-Davies initial conditions thus perturbatively have the same singularity structure as their Euclidean AdS counterparts and the identities between them allow to directly import the wealth of techniques, results and understanding from AdS to dS. This includes the Conformal Partial Wave expansion and, by going from single-valued Witten diagrams in EAdS to Lorentzian AdS, the Froissart-Gribov inversion formula. We give a few (among the many possible) applications both at tree and loop level. Such identities between boundary correlators in dS and EAdS are made manifest by the Mellin-Barnes representation of boundary correlators, which we point out is a useful tool in its own right as the analogue of the Fourier transform for the dilatation group. The Mellin-Barnes representation in particular makes manifest factorisation and dispersion formulas for bulk-to-bulk propagators in (EA)dS, which imply Cutkosky cutting rules and dispersion formulas for boundary correlators in (EA)dS. Our results are completely general and in particular apply to any interaction of (integer) spinning fields.
Randomized Signal Processing with Continuous Frames
Authors: Levie Ron , Avron Haim
Published: December 2021

This paper focuses on signal processing tasks in which the signal is transformed from the signal space to a higher dimensional coefficient space (also called phase space) using a continuous frame, processed in the coefficient space, and synthesized to an output signal. We show how to approximate such methods, termed phase space signal processing methods, using a Monte Carlo method. As opposed to standard discretizations of continuous frames, based on sampling discrete frames from the continuous system, the proposed Monte Carlo method is directly a quadrature approximation of the continuous frame. We show that the Monte Carlo method allows working with highly redundant continuous frames, since the number of samples required for a certain accuracy is proportional to the dimension of the signal space, and not to the dimension of the phase space. Moreover, even though the continuous frame is highly redundant, the Monte Carlo samples are spread uniformly, and hence represent the coefficient space more faithfully than standard frame discretizations.
Entwicklung einer Onlineintervention zum Thema Suizidalität – Vermittlung von Wissen und Reduzierung von Suizidstigma
Authors: Dreier Mareike , Ludwig Julia , Baumgardt Johanna , Härter Martin , von dem Knesebeck Olaf , Bock Thomas , Liebherz Sarah
Published: December 2021

Bei Suizidalität können die Angst, von anderen stigmatisiert zu werden, sowie Selbststigmatisierung und unzureichende Informationen dazu führen, dass Hilfsangebote weniger oder gar nicht in Anspruch genommen werden. E‑Mental-Health-Interventionen sind eine Möglichkeit, niederschwellig viele Betroffene über die Thematik zu informieren und auf persönliche Hilfsangebote vorzubereiten. Am Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf wurde eine komplexe Intervention entwickelt, gefördert im Rahmen des Förderschwerpunkts „Suizidprävention (A: Entstigmatisierung)“ des Bundesministeriums für Gesundheit. Entwicklung und Inhalte dieser Onlineintervention sollen im vorliegenden Beitrag beschrieben werden.

Nach einer repräsentativen Telefonbefragung der deutschen Allgemeinbevölkerung, mit der Wissenslücken und Stigmatisierungstendenzen zum Thema Suizid untersucht wurden, entstand auf Basis eines australischen Suizidpräventionsprojekts und in Zusammenarbeit mit Betroffenen und Angehörigen die Onlineintervention „8 Leben – Erfahrungsberichte und Wissenswertes zum Thema Suizid“. Darin wurden sowohl wissenschaftlich-klinische Fakten rund um das Thema Suizidalität als auch eine gesellschaftlich-kulturelle Perspektive beleuchtet sowie auf Selbsthilfemöglichkeiten und professionelle Hilfsangebote verwiesen. Es wurden Videoerfahrungsberichte von Betroffenen und Angehörigen gezeigt. Aktuell wird das Projekt ausgewertet. Eine Weiterführung ist geplant.

In der Intervention werden verschiedene Sichtweisen gezeigt und die Personen, die die Intervention in Anspruch nehmen, werden sowohl auf kognitiver als auch auf emotionaler Ebene angesprochen. Aufgrund der Prävalenz von Suizidalität und der dennoch bestehenden Tabuisierung des Themas scheinen seriöse, evidenzbasierte und niedrigschwellige Präventions- und Informationsangebote besonders relevant.
The Little Auk Alle alle: an ecological indicator of a changing Arctic and a model organism
Authors: Wojczulanis-Jakubas Katarzyna , Jakubas Dariusz , Stempniewicz Lech
Published: December 2021

The Little AukAlle alleis a small planktivorous auk breeding colonially in the High Arctic. Owing to its large population size and bi-environmental lifestyle, resulting in the large-scale transport of matter from sea to land, the Little Auk is one of the most important components of the marine and terrestrial ecosystems in the Arctic. As a result of globalization, which facilitates access to remote areas of the Earth, a growing number of studies is being dedicated to this endemic Arctic seabird. Research has focussed primarily on the importance of the Little Auk as an ecological indicator reacting to the climatic and oceanological changes that are particularly evident in the Arctic as a result of Arctic amplification (warming is more rapid in the Arctic than in any other region on Earth). Importantly, the species is also used as a model to investigate matter and energy flow through the ecosystem, mate choice, parental care and biological rhythms. Here, we review the natural history of the Little Auk, highlighting studies with the potential to provide answers to universal questions regarding the response of seabirds to climate variability and avian reproductive behaviour, e.g. threshold of foraging flexibility in response to environmental variability, carry-over effects between the breeding and non-breeding periods, the reasons for the transition from bi- to uni-parental care, parental coordination mechanisms.
The impact of the field of view (FOV) on image quality in MDCT angiography of the lower extremities
Authors: Salimova Nigar , Hinrichs Jan B. , Gutberlet Marcel , Meyer Bernhard C. , Wacker Frank K. , von Falck Christian
Published: December 2021

Objectives

To evaluate the impact of the reconstructed field-of-view (FOV) on image quality in computed-tomography angiography (CTA) of the lower extremities.

Methods

A total of 100 CTA examinations of the lower extremities were acquired on a 2 × 192-slice multidetector CT (MDCT) scanner. Three different datasets were reconstructed covering both legs (standard FOV size) as well as each leg separately (reduced FOV size). The subjective image quality was evaluated for the different vessel segments (femoral, popliteal, crural, pedal) by three readers using a semi-quantitative Likert scale. Additionally, objective image quality was assessed using an automated image quality metric on a per-slice basis.

Results

The subjective assessment of the image quality showed an almost perfect interrater agreement. The image quality of the small FOV datasets was rated significantly higher as compared to the large datasets for all patients and vessel segments (p < 0.05) with a tendency towards a higher effect in smaller vessels. The difference of the mean scores between the group with the large FOV and small FOV was 0.68 for the femoral level, 0.83 for the popliteal level, 1.12 for the crural level, and 1.08 for the pedal level. The objective image quality metric also demonstrated a significant improvement of image quality in the small FOV datasets.

Conclusions

Side-separated reconstruction of each leg in CTA of the lower extremities using a small reconstruction FOV significantly improves image quality as compared to a standard reconstruction with a large FOV covering both legs.

Key Points

• In CT angiography of the lower legs, the side-separated reconstruction of each leg using a small field-of-views improves image quality as compared to a standard reconstruction covering both legs.

• The side-separated reconstruction can be readily implemented at every commercially available CT scanner.

• There is no need for additional hardware or software and no additional burden to the patient.
A new limited memory method for unconstrained nonlinear least squares
Authors: Kimiaei Morteza , Neumaier Arnold
Published: December 2021

This paper suggests a new limited memory trust region algorithm for large unconstrained black box least squares problems, called LMLS. Main features of LMLS are a new non-monotone technique, a new adaptive radius strategy, a new Broyden-like algorithm based on the previous good points, and a heuristic estimation for the Jacobian matrix in a subspace with random basis indices. Our numerical results show that LMLS is robust and efficient, especially in comparison with solvers using traditional limited memory and standard quasi-Newton approximations.
Stability of health-related quality of life and morbidity burden from 18 months after diagnosis of prostate cancer: results of a UK-wide population-based outcome cohort
Authors: Mason Samantha J. , Downing Amy , Wilding Sarah , Hounsome Luke , Wright Penny , Watson Eila , Wagland Richard , Butcher Hugh , Kind Paul , Selby Peter , Gavin Anna , Glaser Adam W.
Published: December 2021

Objective

To evaluate the dynamic nature of self-reported health-related quality of life (HRQL) and morbidity burden in men diagnosed with prostate cancer, we performed a follow-up study of the Life After Prostate Cancer Diagnosis (LAPCD) study cohort 12 months after initial survey.

Methods

The LAPCD study collected information from 35,823 men across the UK who were 18–42 months post-diagnosis of prostate cancer. Men who were still alive 12 months later were resurveyed. Generic HRQL (EQ-5D-5L plus self-assessed health rating) and prostate cancer-specific outcomes (EPIC-26) were assessed. Treatment(s) received was self-reported. Previously defined clinically meaningful differences were used to evaluate changes in outcomes over time.

Results

A total of 28,450 men across all disease stages completed follow-up surveys (85.8% response). Of the 21,700 included in this study, 89.7% reported no additional treatments since the first survey. This group experienced stable urinary and bowel outcomes, with good function for most men at both time points. On-going poor (but stable) urinary issues were associated with previous surgery. Sexual function scores remained low (mean: 26.8/100). Self-assessed health ratings were stable over time. The largest declines in HRQL and functional outcomes were experienced by men reporting their first active treatment between surveys.

Discussion

The results suggest stability of HRQL and most specific morbidities by 18–42 months for men who report no further treatment in the subsequent 12 months. This is reassuring for those with good function and HRQL but re-enforces the need for early intervention and support for men who experience poor outcomes.
Pairing and sharing: The birth of the sense of us
Authors: Vincini Stefano
Published: December 2021

The goal of this paper is to show that a particular view of emotion sharing and a specific hypothesis on infant social perception strengthen each other. The view of emotion sharing is called “the straightforward view.” The hypothesis on infant social perception is called “the pairing account.” The straightforward view suggests that participants in emotion sharing undergo one and the same overarching emotion. The pairing account posits that infants perceive others’ embodied experiences as belonging to someone other than the self through a process of assimilation to, and accommodation of, their own embodied experience. The connection between the two theories lies in the domain-general process of association by similarity, which functions both in the individuation of a unitary emotion and in the interpretation of the sensory stimulus. By elaborating on this connection, the straightforward view becomes more solid from the cognitive-developmental standpoint and the pairing account expands its explanatory power. Since the straightforward view requires minimal forms of self- and other-awareness, the paper provides a characterization of the developmental origin of the sense of us, i.e., the experience of self and other as co-subjects of a shared emotional state.
Lead (Pb) exposure from outdoor air pollution: a potential risk factor for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia related to HPV genotypes
Authors: Zhang Ji , Nazeri Seyed Ali , Sohrabi Amir
Published: December 2021

Human papillomavirus genotypes (HPVs) have been confirmed to be the major cause of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) that remains to be one of the most common women cancers around the world. It seems other risk factors have synergistic effects on cervical cancer occurrence including smoking, dietary pattern, sexual behavior, ethnicity, epigenetics, and environmental hazardous materials. Our study characterized the potential cancerous role of lead (Pb) as a common toxic environmental pollutant agent on CIN outcomes. Lead concentration was quantified using an atomic absorption spectrometer in liquid-based cytology specimens of 40 CIN-HPV positive subjects, 50 HPV infected non-cancerous cases, and 43 non-HPV infected/non-cancerous women. Pb concentration was 5.5 (4.7–6.4) μg/dL, 4.7 (4.2–8.7) μg/dL, and 4.7 (4.5–5.4) μg/dL in the CIN-HPV positive group, HPV infected non-cancerous cases, and non-HPV infected/non-cancerous group, respectively. The results showed higher Pb concentration is associated with higher risk for cervical malignancy in comparison with non-HPV infected/non-cancerous subjects, after controlling for age effect (aOR = 4.55, 95% CI: 1.55–15.07, P < 0.01). Our finding suggested a direct significant association between Pb accumulation and CIN existence. The consequences need to be further validated by including more relevant risk factors and controlling the confounders for better understating of Pb impact from outdoor air pollution on cervical cancer progression.
Regulating Polyamine Metabolism by miRNAs in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Kambis Tyler N. , Tofilau Hadassha M. N. , Gawargi Flobater I. , Chandra Surabhi , Mishra Paras K.
Published: December 2021

Purpose of Review

Insulin is at the heart of diabetes mellitus (DM). DM alters cardiac metabolism causing cardiomyopathy, ultimately leading to heart failure. Polyamines, organic compounds synthesized by cardiomyocytes, have an insulin-like activity and effect on glucose metabolism, making them metabolites of interest in the DM heart. This review sheds light on the disrupted microRNA network in the DM heart in relation to developing novel therapeutics targeting polyamine biosynthesis to prevent/mitigate diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Recent Findings

Polyamines prevent DM-induced upregulation of glucose and ketone body levels similar to insulin. Polyamines also enhance mitochondrial respiration and thereby regulate all major metabolic pathways. Non-coding microRNAs regulate a majority of the biological pathways in our body by modulating gene expression via mRNA degradation or translational repression. However, the role of miRNA in polyamine biosynthesis in the DM heart remains unclear.

This review discusses the regulation of polyamine synthesis and metabolism, and its impact on cardiac metabolism and circulating levels of glucose, insulin, and ketone bodies. We provide insights on potential roles of polyamines in diabetic cardiomyopathy and putative miRNAs that could regulate polyamine biosynthesis in the DM heart. Future studies will unravel the regulatory roles these miRNAs play in polyamine biosynthesis and will open new doors in the prevention/treatment of adverse cardiac remodeling in diabetic cardiomyopathy.
Trends of Selective Fetal Reduction and Selective Termination in Multiple Pregnancy, in England and Wales: a Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Sam Sreya , Tai-MacArthur Sarah , Shangaris Panicos , Sankaran Srividhya
Published: December 2021

Selective abortion was shown to be increasingly common in England and Wales over a 9-year period, occurring most frequently as twin to singleton reductions in the 1st trimester. We analysed the trends in selective abortion (SA) in multiple pregnancies in England and Wales between 2009 and 2018. This is a cross-sectional study looking at 1143 women with multiple pregnancies in England and Wales undergoing SA. There were a total of 1143 cases of SA between 2009 and 2018 in England and Wales, representing 0.07% of total abortions. There has been a steady increase in cases, from 90 in 2009 to 131 in 2018, with 82.3% justified under ground E of The Abortion Act 1967. The majority of SAs were carried out at 13–19 weeks gestation, and intracardiac injection of potassium chloride was the most prevalent method (75%). Twin to singleton reductions accounted for 59%, the most common form of SAs. Over half of all cases (59%) were performed in women aged 30–39 years, and 84% of all women were of White ethnicity. SA has been an option available for couples diagnosed with multiple pregnancy, especially when there are discordant anomalies. Although SA may decrease multiple pregnancy-related complications, preventative methods must be championed.
Consistent Construction of Evaluation Threshold Values and Rules for Heterogeneous Linguistic Input Information
Authors: Qian Gang , Zhang ErZi , Chen ZhiSong , Mesiar Radko , Yager Ronald R. , Jin LeSheng
Published: December 2021

This study firstly proposes a simpler method for evaluating one certain object’s quality with multiple criteria according to some preset evaluation threshold values that are real numbers. In real life, numerous individual valuations are provided with distributional linguistic input information and with multiple criteria, and thus they can become heterogeneous. Against this background, by using OWA weight functions we propose an extended setting and some methods to generate distributional evaluation threshold values which are suitable for the corresponding thresholds-based evaluation method. Some special definitions and formulations are also well provided with necessary analyses and comments. A numerical example of reservoir evaluation and effect are also illustrated.
An Intelligent Question Answering System of the Liao Dynasty Based on Knowledge Graph
Authors: Liu Shuang , Tan Nannan , Yang Hui , Lukač Niko
Published: December 2021

The Liao Dynasty was a minority regime established by the Khitan on the grasslands of northern China. To promote and spread the cultural knowledge of the Liao Dynasty, an intelligent question-and-answer system is constructed based on the knowledge graph in the historical and cultural field of the Liao Dynasty. In the traditional question answering system, the quality of answers was not high due to incomplete data and distinctive vocabulary. To solve this problem, a combination method of Liao Dynasty question-and-answer database and KB is proposed to realize knowledge graph question answering, and a joint model of Siamese LSTM and fusion MatchPyramid is proposed for semantic matching between questions in the question-and-answer database. With the joint model, it is easy to perform semantic matching by fusing sentence-level and word-level interactive features through LSTM and MatchPyramid. Furthermore, the question sentence with the same semantics as the user input question sentence is retrieved in the question-and-answer database, and the answer corresponding to the question sentence is returned as the result. The experimental results show that our proposed method has achieved relatively good performance in the historical domain of the Liao Dynasty and the open-domain knowledge graph, and improved the accuracy of question and answer.