bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Robotergestützte Bauchspeicheldrüsenchirurgie
Authors: Müller-Debus Charlotte Friederieke , Thomaschewski Michael , Zimmermann Markus , Wellner Ulrich Friedrich , Keck Tobias
Published: June 2020

Einführung Der Einsatz von Robotern in der minimalinvasiven Chirurgie hat in den letzten Jahren immer weiter zugenommen. Die roboterunterstützte Pankreaschirurgie hat gegenüber der laparoskopischen Pankreaschirurgie den Vorteil einer besseren Handhabung und verbesserten Angulation durch die größere Flexibilität der Instrumente. Darüber hinaus besteht durch die 3-D-Technik eine verbesserte Sicht und durch eine softwarebasierte Tremorkontrolle eine exakte Instrumentenführung. Die körperliche Belastung des Chirurgen durch die sitzende Position ist bei langen Eingriffen geringer.

Methoden und Ergebnisse Dieser Artikel liefert einen Ansatz für die Einrichtung eines Roboter-Pankreas-Programms und eine detaillierte Anleitung im Sinne von SOPs für die robotergestützte Pankreaslinksresektion und robotergestützte Pankreatoduodenektomie.

Ergebnisse In unserem standardisierten SOP-Ansatz verwenden wir sowohl bei der Pankreaslinksresektion als auch bei der Pankreatduodenektomie jeweils 5 Trokare – 4 Da-Vinci-Trokare und einen laparoskopischen Hilfstrokar. Wir bevorzugen die Position der Robotertrokare auf einer geraden horizontalen Linie mit einem Abstand von etwa 20 cm vom Operationsfeld. Die Operation wird in standardisierten Arbeitsschritten durchgeführt. Bei der Pankreaslinksresektion sind dies: Zugang und Visualisierung des Pankreas, Mobilisierung der linken Dickdarmflexur und des Pankreasunterrandes, Präparation der V. lienalis und der mesenterikoportalen Achse, Präparation des Pankreasoberrandes mit Lymphadenektomie und Darstellung der A. lienalis, Durchtrennung des Pankreas, retrograde Präparation des Pankreas und der Milz (bei onkologischen Eingriffen). Bergung, Einlage von Drainagen und Wundverschluss. Bei der Pankreatoduodenektomie sind es folgende Schritte: Zugang und Visualisierung des Pankreas, erweitertes Kocher-Manöver, Darstellung der Unterkante und der mesenterikoportalen Achse, Darstellung des Pankreasoberrandes und des Lig. hepatoduodenale, Präparation des Pankreashalses, Darstellung der Mesenterialwurzel und Pars IV duodeni, Präparation des Mesopankreas, Durchführung der Pankreasanastomose und der biliodigestiven Anastomose, Naht der dudenojejunalen Anastomose, Einlage von Drainagen und schichtweiser Wundverschluss. Der graduelle Aufbau unseres Roboter-Pankreas-Programms und der strukturierte Ansatz für komplexe Pankreasresektionen werden erläutert.

Zusammenfassung Zusammenfassend beschreiben wir den Ansatz der robotischen Bauchspeicheldrüsenchirurgie in einem minimalinvasiven Exzellenzzentrum und Bauchspeicheldrüsenzentrum auf struktureller und verfahrenstechnischer Ebene, um die Einrichtung derartiger Programme an anderen Standorten zu unterstützen.
Endoscopic full-thickness resection (eFTR) of colorectal lesions: results from the Dutch colorectal eFTR registry
Authors: Zwager Liselotte W. , Bastiaansen Barbara A. J. , Bronzwaer Maxime E. S. , van der Spek Bas W. , Heine G. Dimitri N. , Haasnoot Krijn J. C. , van der Sluis Hedwig , Perk Lars E. , Boonstra Jurjen J. , Rietdijk Svend T. , Wolters Hugo J. , Weusten Bas L. A. M. , Gilissen Lennard P. L. , ten Hove W. Rogier , Nagengast Wouter B. , Bekkering Frank C. , Schwartz M. P. , Terhaar sive Droste Jochim S. , Vlug Marije S. , Houben Martin H. M. G. , Rando Munoz Francisco J. , Seerden Tom C. J. , Beaumont Hanneke , de Ridder Rogier , Dekker Evelien , Fockens Paul ,   on behalf of the Dutch eFTR Group
Published: June 2020

Background Endoscopic full-thickness resection (eFTR) is a minimally invasive resection technique that allows definite diagnosis and treatment for complex colorectal lesions ≤ 30 mm unsuitable for conventional endoscopic resection. This study reports clinical outcomes from the Dutch colorectal eFTR registry.

Methods Consecutive patients undergoing eFTR in 20 hospitals were prospectively included. The primary outcome was technical success, defined as macroscopic complete en bloc resection. Secondary outcomes were: clinical success, defined as tumor-free resection margins (R0 resection); full-thickness resection rate; and adverse events.

Results Between July 2015 and October 2018, 367 procedures were included. Indications were difficult polyps (non-lifting sign and/or difficult location; n = 133), primary resection of suspected T1 colorectal cancer (CRC; n = 71), re-resection after incomplete resection of T1 CRC (n = 150), and subepithelial tumors (n = 13). Technical success was achieved in 308 procedures (83.9 %). In 21 procedures (5.7 %), eFTR was not performed because the lesion could not be reached or retracted into the cap. In the remaining 346 procedures, R0 resection was achieved in 285 (82.4 %) and full-thickness resection in 288 (83.2 %). The median diameter of resected specimens was 23 mm. Overall adverse event rate was 9.3 % (n = 34/367): 10 patients (2.7 %) required emergency surgery for five delayed and two immediate perforations and three cases of appendicitis.

Conclusion eFTR is an effective and relatively safe en bloc resection technique for complex colorectal lesions with the potential to avoid surgery. Further studies assessing the role of eFTR in early CRC treatment with long-term outcomes are needed.
CAN-Mediated Oxidative Cyclodehydrogenation of Hexapyrrolylbenzenes
Authors: Singh Ravi P. , Pandey Satish K. , Gupta Vijay
Published: June 2020

An efficient method for ceric ammonium nitrate mediated synthesis of annularly fused hexapyrrolohexaazacoronene by oxidative cyclodehydrogenation has been reported. The photophysical properties of the representative hexaazacoronene has also been described.
Serum Inflammatory Cytokines and Vitamin A in Nigerian Children with Community-Acquired Pneumonia: Association with Severity and Outcome
Authors: Kuti Bankole P. , Smith Olufemi S. , Adetola Hammed H. , Oyelami Oyeku A.
Published: June 2020

Objective Pneumonia is an acute inflammation of the lung parenchyma caused by microbial agents. The role of inflammatory mediators and modulators like vitamin A in childhood pneumonia in developing countries is poorly explored. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between serum vitamin A and inflammatory cytokines (i.e., proinflammatory interleukins [IL]-1β, -2, -3, -6, -8, -12, and -17 and anti-inflammatory IL-4, -10, -11, and -13) in Nigerian children with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and relate these to pneumonia severity and length of hospital stay (LOS).

Methods Children aged 2 months to 14 years with World Health Organization (WHO) defined CAP and age and sex-matched controls were recruited over a 12-month period. Relevant data, serum cytokines, and vitamin A (assayed using chromatography method) were compared between the two groups, and between those with severe and nonsevere pneumonia. Relationships between serum vitamin A, cytokines, and LOS were also determined.

Results One hundred and thirty-two children (66 each for CAP and controls; M: F = 1.8:1) were recruited and 17 (12.9%) were vitamin-A deficient. Of the 66 with CAP, 52 (78.8%) had severe pneumonia. Serum proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, -8, -12, and -17) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4 and -11) were higher in children with CAP compared with controls. In under-five age group, lower serum IL-4 and vitamin A were associated with severe CAP. Vitamin-A deficient children with CAP had lower proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-2, -3, -12, and -17) and anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-4 than vitamin A sufficient ones. IL-6 and IL-8 correlated positively with LOS.

Conclusion CAP is associated with elevated serum proinflammatory cytokines and possible resultant higher need of antioxidants properties of vitamin A in severe cases. Vitamin A may be more important to ameliorate the acute inflammatory processes in Nigerian children with severe than nonsevere pneumonia.
Additive manufacture of photonic components for the terahertz band
Authors: Castro-Camus Enrique , Koch Martin , Hernandez-Serrano Arturo I.
Published: June 2020

In this Perspective contribution, we present a brief review of the literature available on optical devices for terahertz frequencies, followed by an analysis of the challenges faced by this technology and its future potential to generate complex photonic systems, and in principle the possibilities of this technique for the production of components for the infrared and visible band.
A comparison between kinetic theory and particle-in-cell simulations of anomalous electron transport in E×B plasma discharges
Authors: Charoy T. , Lafleur T. , Tavant A. , Chabert P. , Bourdon A.
Published: June 2020

Understanding anomalous electron transport in E×B discharges remains a key challenge in the development of self-consistent models of these systems. It has been shown that short-wavelength, high-frequency instabilities in the azimuthal E×B direction may be responsible for increased electron transport due to an enhanced electron-ion friction force. Although a theoretical model based on quasi-linear kinetic theory has previously been proposed to describe this friction force, it has so far only undergone limited validation testing. Here, we rigorously assess this theoretical model by comparison with the friction force self-consistently obtained from 2D axial-azimuthal particle-in-cell simulations. The simulation geometry is based on a recently established benchmark configuration for E×B discharges, and a broad parametric study is performed by varying the magnetic field strength, the discharge current density, and the presence of different neutral collisional processes. Overall, the theory is found to be in very good agreement with the simulation results for all cases studied, verifying the underlying physical mechanisms leading to enhanced electron transport. We demonstrate, however, that the friction force depends sensitively on the shape of the electron velocity distribution function, thus posing significant challenges to fully self-consistent, first principles modeling of anomalous transport in fluid simulations.
High electron density β-(Al0.17Ga0.83)2O3/Ga2O3 modulation doping using an ultra-thin (1 nm) spacer layer
Authors: Kalarickal Nidhin Kurian , Xia Zhanbo , McGlone Joe F. , Liu Yumo , Moore Wyatt , Arehart Aaron R. , Ringel Steven A. , Rajan Siddharth
Published: June 2020

This report discusses the design and demonstration of β-(Al0.17Ga0.83)2O3/Ga2O3 modulation doped heterostructures to achieve high sheet charge density. The use of a thin spacer layer between the Si delta-doping and the heterojunction interface was investigated in a β-(AlGa)2O3/Ga2O3 modulation doped structure. It is shown that this strategy enables a higher two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) sheet charge density up to 4.7 × 1012 cm−2 with an effective mobility of 150 cm2/V s. The presence of a degenerate 2DEG channel was confirmed by the measurement of a low temperature effective mobility of 375 cm2/V s and the lack of carrier freeze out from low temperature capacitance voltage measurements. The electron density of 4.7 × 1012 cm−2 is the highest reported 2DEG density obtained without parallel conducting channels in a β-(AlxGa(1−x))2O3/Ga2O3 heterostructure system.
Enhanced soft magnetic properties in CoZrTa(B) thin film with improving amorphous structure via introducing B atoms
Authors: Xu Xiulan , Feng Guonan , Peng Wenlin , Teng Jiao , Han Gang , Guo Risi , Xiong Xiaodong , He Xin , Luo Junfeng , Feng Chun , Yu Guanghua
Published: June 2020

Tailoring the soft magnetic properties of CoZrTa thin film is a critical issue for enhancing magnetic recording stability for practical applications. In this work, the effect of introducing B atoms on the magnetic properties and microstructure of the CoZrTa(B) thin film was studied. The results show that the in-plane coercivity of the CoZrTaB thin film is smaller than that of the CoZrTa thin film. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy results show that the CoZrTa thin film is partially crystallized, while the CoZrTaB thin film is amorphous with a long-range disorder characteristic, indicating that the B atoms hinder crystallization and play a positive role in promoting the formation of an amorphous structure. X-ray electron spectroscopy analysis reveals that there exists a Co2B alloy in the CoZrTaB thin film, which increases the Gibbs free energy of the system and increases the energy barrier for crystallization of the film, inducing the formation of an amorphous structure. This is an important reason for obtaining good soft magnetic properties in the CoZrTaB thin film. These findings provide useful guidance for tuning the properties of the soft magnetic underlayers and also clarify the effect of amorphous structure on Co-based soft magnetic materials.
Unsteady characteristics of compressible reattaching shear layers
Authors: Deshpande Akshay S. , Poggie Jonathan
Published: June 2020

Compressible reattaching flows occur in many aerospace applications and are characterized by high aerothermal loads at reattachment and a broad range of characteristic time scales. The flowfield in this study involves a separated shear layer reattaching onto a 20° ramp at a freestream unit Reynolds number of 6.7 × 107 m−1 and Mach number of 2.9. Delayed detached eddy simulations were carried out using OVERFLOW 2.2K by Leger et al. [“Detached-eddy simulation of a supersonic reattaching shear layer,” AIAA J. 55, 3722–3733 (2017)], and the corresponding results were analyzed to determine the unsteady features of this flowfield using statistical techniques. The simulations were run for long integration times, which ensured sufficient temporal resolution of low-frequency unsteadiness in the range of St=O(0.01). The mean flow data highlighted essential flow components such as an expansion fan at the separation point, a large recirculation vortex, and a reattachment shock. Fourier analysis of wall pressure data revealed several high energy frequency bands, which appeared to correspond to separation bubble breathing, shear-layer flapping, and shedding of vortices from the recirculation zone. The spectra also highlighted the possible presence of Rossiter modes, suggesting a feedback mechanism through the recirculation zone. Correlations in the shear-layer and recirculation zone confirmed the presence of large-scale turbulence structures, with an increase in length and time scales downstream. The spectra of reattachment shock location suggested a broadband nature of the oscillations. The role of upstream events on the same was investigated by examining coherence, conditional averages, and correlations. A similar exercise was carried out to investigate the nature of unsteadiness at the mean reattachment location.
Avalanche size distribution of an integrate-and-fire neural model on complex networks
Authors: Jung Nam , Le Quang Anh , Lee Kyoung-Eun , Lee Jae Woo
Published: June 2020

We considered the neural avalanche dynamics of a modified integrate-and-fire model on complex networks, as well as the neural dynamics in a fully connected network, random network, small-world network, and scale-free network. We observed the self-organized criticality of the neural model on complex networks. The probability distribution of the avalanche size and lifetime follow the power law at the critical synaptic strength. Neuronal dynamics on a complex network are not universal. The critical exponents of the avalanche dynamics depend on the structure of the complex network. We observed that the critical exponents deviate from the mean-field value.
Broadband generation of photon-pairs from a CMOS compatible device
Authors: Sugiura K. , Yin Z. , Okamoto R. , Zhang L. , Kang L. , Chen J. , Wu P. , Chu S. T. , Little B. E. , Takeuchi S.
Published: June 2020

Frequency entangled photons have potential for various quantum applications. Recently, on-chip photon-pair sources made by CMOS compatible processes have attracted attention. In this paper, we report broadband generation of photon-pairs via a spontaneous four-wave mixing process using a CMOS compatible ring resonator. We performed frequency-correlation between the signal and idler photons by frequency-resolved coincidence detection and confirmed that the signal and idler photons are correlated over 59 frequency modes, a bandwidth of 23.6 nm, which are the largest numbers achieved to date. Furthermore, we reproduced the experimentally observed joint spectral intensity from the obtained transmission spectrum of the resonator involving the information of the dispersion of the device.
An alternative choice of the zeroth-order Hamiltonian in CASPT2 theory
Authors: Kollmar Christian , Sivalingam Kantharuban , Neese Frank
Published: June 2020

A zeroth-order Hamiltonian based on Koopmans matrices for complete active space second-order perturbation theory (CASPT2) is presented. This Hamiltonian involves three types of Fock matrices. The original CASPT2 Fock matrix is retained for excitation classes where the excitation does not change the number of electrons in the complete active space (CAS). For excitation classes involving a change in the number of electrons in the CAS, two alternative Fock matrices corresponding to either positive or negative ionization of the CAS are introduced. These are constructed such that they exactly reproduce the Koopmans matrices for a singly ionized CAS. Test calculations indicate that the method gives better excitation energies than CASPT2 without using empirical parameters, for example, the ionization potential-electron affinity shift, which is also designed to improve excitation energies. The method is also less prone to intruder states than conventional CASPT2. Moreover, the dissociation curve for the chromium dimer looks much more reasonable than the one obtained with conventional CASPT2.
The correlation factor approach: Combining density functional and wave function theory
Authors: Roy Pierre-Olivier , Cuierrier Étienne , Ernzerhof Matthias
Published: June 2020

Several of the limitations of approximate exchange–correlation functionals within Kohn–Sham density functional theory can be eliminated by extending the single-determinant reference system to a multi-determinant one. Here, we employ the correlation factor ansatz to combine multi-configurational, self-consistent field (MCSCF) with approximate density functionals. In the proposed correlation factor approach, the exchange–correlation hole ρXC(r, u), a function of the reference point r and the electron–electron separation u, is written as a product of the correlation factor fC(r, u) and an exchange plus static-correlation hole ρXS(r, u), i.e., ρXCCFXS(r, u) = fC(r, u)ρXS(r, u). ρXS(r, u) is constructed to reproduce the exchange–correlation energy of an MCSCF reference wave function. The correlation factor fC(r, u) is designed to account for dynamic correlation effects that are absent in ρXS(r, u). The resulting approximation to the exchange–correlation energy, which we refer to as CFXStatic, is free of empirical parameters, and it combines the qualitatively correct description of the electronic structure obtainable with MCSCF with the advantages of approximate density functionals in accounting for dynamic correlation.
Proton tunneling in a two-dimensional potential energy surface with a non-linear system–bath interaction: Thermal suppression of reaction rate
Authors: Zhang Jiaji , Borrelli Raffaele , Tanimura Yoshitaka
Published: June 2020

We consider a proton transfer (PT) system described by a proton transfer reaction (PTR) coordinate and a rate promoting vibrational (RPV) coordinate interacting with a non-Markovian heat bath. While dynamics of PT processes has been widely discussed using two-dimensional potential energy surfaces, the role of the heat bath, in particular, in a realistic form of the system–bath interaction has not been well explored. Previous studies are largely based on a one-dimensional model and linear-linear system–bath interaction. In the present study, we introduce an exponential-linear (EL) system–bath interaction, which is derived from the analysis of a PTR–RPV system in a realistic situation. This interaction mainly causes vibrational dephasing in the PTR mode and population relaxation in the RPV mode. Numerical simulations were carried out using the hierarchical equations of motion approach. We analyze the role of the heat bath interaction in the chemical reaction rate as a function of the system–bath coupling strength at different temperatures and for different values of the bath correlation time. A prominent feature of the present result is that while the reaction rate predicted from classical and quantum Kramers theory increases as the temperature increases, the present EL interaction model exhibits opposite temperature dependence. The Kramers turn-over profile of the reaction rate as a function of the system–bath coupling is also suppressed in the present EL model, turning into a plateau-like curve for larger system–bath interaction strength. Such features arise from the interplay of the vibrational dephasing process in the PTR mode and the population relaxation process in the RPV mode.
Putative biomarkers for early detection of mastitis in cattle
Authors: Huma Zul I. , Sharma Neelesh , Kour Sarabpreet , Tandon Suhasani , Guttula Praveen Kumar , Kour Savleen , Singh Amit Kumar , Singh Rajiv , Gupta Mukesh Kumar
Published: June 2020

Context Mastitis is an inflammation of mammary gland parenchyma, and is an unending cause of economic loss to the dairy industry. The interest in research on biomarker discovery for the diagnosis of bovine mastitis stems largely from the need to identify reliable biomarkers. Aim To determine the putative biomarkers of mastitis by using bioinformatics analysis, and experimental validation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress biomarkers of the mammary gland in healthy and diseased animals. Methods Various in silico analysis tools were applied to screen for gene expression in mastitis. Milk, as well as blood samples, was collected aseptically from the animals, which were then classified into three groups; namely, clinical, subclinical and control. Samples were subjected to assay of pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative biomarkers using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits and the prescribed methodology respectively. Key results In silico analysis revealed that mastitis reduces the expression of fat metabolism and immune system-related genes, whereas it increased the expression of inflammatory genes. On laboratory analysis of cytokines and acute phase protein, it was revealed that interleukin-1∝, interleukin-8 and haptoglobin were significantly (P < 0.01) increased in both blood serum and milk whey in subclinical and clinical mastitis cows. On analysis of oxidative biomarkers, our results showed that oxidative stress was significantly (P < 0.05) increased with progression of mastitis in dairy cows. There was a significant (P < 0.05) increase in the blood serum level of malondialdehyde and nitric oxide, and a decrease in the level of anti-oxidant enzymes – glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase – compared with healthy animals. Conclusion In conclusion, bioinformatics analysis of high-throughput gene expression revealed the involvement of multiple pathways, including the inflammatory pathway, fatty acid pathway and triglyceride synthesis pathway, in mastitis. Experimental validation confirmed that interleukin-8 and haptoglobin are putative early diagnostic markers for mastitis in dairy cattle. This study also concluded that milk can be used for the detection of cytokines as a non-invasive technique.
Corrigendum to: Watching the tide roll away – contested interpretations of the nature of the Lower Lakes of the Murray Darling Basin
Authors: Gell Peter A.
Published: June 2020

The Murray Darling Basin Plan (Murray Darling Basin Authority 2012) represents the largest investment by government in an Australian environmental management challenge and remains highly conflicted owing to the contested allocation of diminishing water resources. Central to the decision to reallocate consumptive water to environmental purposes in this Plan was the case made to maintain the freshwater character of two lakes at the terminus of the Murray Darling Basin, in South Australia. This freshwater state was identified as the natural condition on the basis of selected anecdotal evidence and was enshrined in the site's listing under the Ramsar Convention. The commitment to the freshwater state was challenged under drought when sea water was seen as a means of averting acidification when low river flows risked the exposure of sulfidic sediments. Independent evidence from water quality indicators (diatoms) preserved in lake sediment records, however, attested to an estuarine, albeit variable, condition before the commissioning of near-mouth barrages in 1940. This interpretation for a naturally estuarine history, published after peer review, was overlooked in a report to the South Australian government, which argued, without the provision of new evidence from the lakes, that they were fresh for their entire history. This revised interpretation is widely cited in the scientific literature, government reports and online discussion and underpins a watering strategy aimed at a freshwater future for the Lower Lakes. The allocation of large volumes of fresh water to achieve this condition presents significant difficulties owing to the highly contested nature of water use across the Basin.
Ovulation mitigates fatty liver associated with reproductive suppression and oxidative stress in Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis)
Authors: Schmidt Christina M. , Arbi Sandra , Bennett Nigel C.
Published: June 2020

Oxidative damage is often linked to reproduction; however, reproducing female Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis) exhibit a reduction in oxidative damage relative to their non-reproductive, anovulatory, cohorts. Specifically, liver concentrations of malondialdehyde, a biomarker for lipid peroxidation, are significantly lower in reproducing females. We examined liver histology in reproductive, anovulatory and recently ovulating non-reproductive females, demonstrating an accumulation of lipid droplets only in the livers of anovulatory females and no fibrosis, cell death or inflammatory infiltrates in any group. Our observations suggest that anovulatory females experience a form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which is reversed once they commence ovulation. We propose hormonal interactions that may underlie our observations.
A processability approach to the development of case in L2 Icelandic
Authors: Garðarsdóttir María , Þorvaldsdóttir Sigríður
Published: June 2020

This article presents the findings of a study on the development of case assignment in Icelandic as a second language within the context of Processability Theory (PT) and compares them with previous PT studies on the development of case in L2 German, Russian, and Serbian. We argue that initially, learners are only able to appropriately mark subjects and objects in canonical positions (e.g.,subjnomv objacc). Later they are also able to mark arguments with the appropriate case in sentences that deviate from canonical word order (e.g.,objacc/datv subjnom). In order to examine the case development in L2 Icelandic, 148 learners were asked to fill in the blanks of sentences with missing core arguments. Our results replicate for the most part the previous findings for L2 German, Russian, and Serbian. As such, the present study adds to the typological plausibility of PT as a framework that predicts and explains developmental sequences.
Evolution of rotated Brass texture by cross rolling: Implications on formability
Authors: Mishra Sumeet , Kumar Mirtunjay , Singh Amit
Published: June 2020

In the present work, the possibilities of tailoring crystallographic texture via cross rolling are presented. It is shown that a strong rotated Brass texture develops upon cross rolling in aluminium alloys which also remains intact during the subsequent recrystallisation annealing treatment. The governing mechanisms behind the evolution of deformation and recrystallisation texture are discussed in terms of effect of strain path on stability of deformation texture components and strain-induced boundary migration mechanism, respectively. In addition, the likelihood of rotated Brass texture having a positive effect on formability is discussed in terms of sluggish cross-slip criteria as the rotated Brass texture presents a unique scenario where cross-slip is inhibited along all the three principal directions.
Polar relaxation by dynein-mediated removal of cortical myosin II
Authors: Chapa-y-Lazo Bernardo , Hamanaka Motonari , Wray Alexander , Balasubramanian Mohan K. , Mishima Masanori
Published: June 2020

Nearly six decades ago, Lewis Wolpert proposed the relaxation of the polar cell cortex by the radial arrays of astral microtubules as a mechanism for cleavage furrow induction. While this mechanism has remained controversial, recent work has provided evidence for polar relaxation by astral microtubules, although its molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Here, using C. elegans embryos, we show that polar relaxation is achieved through dynein-mediated removal of myosin II from the polar cortexes. Mutants that position centrosomes closer to the polar cortex accelerated furrow induction, whereas suppression of dynein activity delayed furrowing. We show that dynein-mediated removal of myosin II from the polar cortexes triggers a bidirectional cortical flow toward the cell equator, which induces the assembly of the actomyosin contractile ring. These results provide a molecular mechanism for the aster-dependent polar relaxation, which works in parallel with equatorial stimulation to promote robust cytokinesis.
Nicotine promotes brain metastasis by polarizing microglia and suppressing innate immune function
Authors: Wu Shih-Ying , Xing Fei , Sharma Sambad , Wu Kerui , Tyagi Abhishek , Liu Yin , Zhao Dan , Deshpande Ravindra Pramod , Shiozawa Yusuke , Ahmed Tamjeed , Zhang Wei , Chan Michael , Ruiz Jimmy , Lycan Thomas W. , Dothard Andrew , Watabe Kounosuke
Published: June 2020

Up to 40% of lung cancer patients develop brain metastasis, and the median survival of these patients remains less than 6 months. Smoking is associated with lung cancer. However, how smoking impacts the development of brain metastasis remains elusive. We examined 281 lung cancer patients with distant metastasis and found that smokers exhibited a significantly high incidence of brain metastasis. We found that nicotine enhanced brain metastasis, while a depletion of microglia suppressed this effect in vivo. Nicotine skewed the polarity of microglia to the M2 phenotype, thereby increasing the secretion of IGF-1 and CCL20, which promoted tumor progression and stemness. Importantly, nicotine enhanced the expression of SIRPα in microglia and restricted their phagocytic ability. We also identified a compound, parthenolide, that suppressed brain metastasis by blocking M2 polarization. Our results indicate that nicotine promotes brain metastasis by skewing the polarity of M2 microglia, which enhances metastatic tumor growth. Our results also highlight a potential risk of using nicotine for tobacco cessation.
Critical heat current for operating an entanglement engine
Authors: Khandelwal Shishir , Palazzo Nicolas , Brunner Nicolas , Haack Géraldine
Published: June 2020

Autonomous entanglement engines have recently been proposed to generate steady-state bipartite and multipartite entanglement exploiting only incoherent interactions with thermal baths at different temperatures. In this work, we investigate the interplay between heat current and entanglement in a two-qubit entanglement engine, deriving a critical heat current for successful operation of the engine, i.e. a cut-off above which entanglement is present. The heat current can thus be seen as a witness to the presence of entanglement. In the regime of weak-inter-qubit coupling, we also investigate the effect of two experimentally relevant parameters for the qubits, the energy detuning and tunnelling, on the entanglement production. Finally, we show that the regime of strong inter-qubit coupling provides no clear advantage over the weak regime, in the context of out-of-equilibrium entanglement engines.
Two-dimensional spectroscopy of Rydberg gases
Authors: Mukherjee K , Goswami H P , Whitlock S , Wüster S , Eisfeld A
Published: June 2020

Two-dimensional (2D) spectroscopy uses multiple electromagnetic pulses to infer the properties of a complex system. A paradigmatic class of target systems are molecular aggregates, for which one can obtain information on the eigenstates, various types of static and dynamic disorder and on relaxation processes. However, two-dimensional spectra can be difficult to interpret without precise knowledge of how the signal components relate to microscopic Hamiltonian parameters and system-bath interactions. Here we show that two-dimensional spectroscopy can be mapped in the microwave domain to highly controllable Rydberg quantum simulators. By porting 2D spectroscopy to Rydberg atoms, we firstly open the possibility of its experimental quantum simulation, in a case where parameters and interactions are very well known. Secondly, the technique may provide additional handles for experimental access to coherences between system states and the ability to discriminate different types of decoherence mechanisms in Rydberg gases. We investigate the requirements for a specific implementation utilizing multiple phase coherent microwave pulses and a phase cycling technique to isolate signal components.
Will climate change make Chinese people more comfortable? A scenario analysis based on the weather preference index
Authors: Fang Zihang , Liu Zhifeng , He Chunyang , Tu Mengzhao , Zhao Rui , Lu Wenlu
Published: June 2020

Assessing the climate change impact (CCI) on weather conditions is important for addressing climate change and promoting sustainable development. This study used a weather preference index (WPI) as an indicator to evaluate the CCI on weather conditions in China under different scenarios from 2025 to 2100. First, we analyzed the change in the WPI in China from 1971 to 2013. Then, we estimated the trends in the WPI in China from 2025 to 2100 under different representative concentration pathways (RCPs) based on global climate models. We found that China’s weather conditions improved from 1971 to 2013, as the national average WPI increased from 1.34 to 1.59 with a change rate of 0.03 per decade (0.03/10 a). Under all climate change scenarios, the weather conditions in China will deteriorate. The change rates of the WPI will be −0.19/10 a ∼ − 0.01/10 a. The number of people experiencing deteriorated weather conditions will be 0.71 billion ∼ 1.22 billion, accounting for 53.28% ∼ 91.58% of the total population in China. We also found that the area of the regions with deteriorated weather conditions under all three climate change scenarios will be 2.34 million km2, accounting for 24.31% of China’s total land area. At the same time, as the emissions concentrations increase from RCP2.6 to RCP8.5, the area of the regions with severely deteriorated weather conditions in China will increase from 0 to 3.27 million km2. Therefore, we suggest that China needs to implement effective measures to address climate change in the future and focus on the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change in regions with deteriorated weather conditions.
Dietary Fat Intake and Risk of Uterine Leiomyomata: A Prospective Ultrasound Study
Authors: Brasky Theodore M , Bethea Traci N , Wesselink Amelia K , Wegienka Ganesa R , Baird Donna D , Wise Lauren A
Published: June 2020

Uterine leiomyomata (UL) are associated with severe reproductive morbidity and are the primary indication for hysterectomy in the United States. A recent prospective cohort study of Black women reported positive associations between intakes of marine-sourced ω-3 fatty acids and UL risk. We examined whether intakes of dietary fat were associated with UL incidence in a 5-year prospective study of premenopausal Black women living in Detroit who underwent serial ultrasound. At baseline (2010–2012) and 20, 40, and 60 months of follow-up, participants underwent transvaginal ultrasound. Among 1,171 UL-free women at baseline, incident UL were detected in 277 women. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the association of dietary fat and UL incidence. Intakes of total fat and saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and trans-fat were not appreciably associated with UL incidence. Intake of the marine ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid, was associated with 49% higher UL incidence (quartile 4 vs. 1: hazard ratio = 1.49, 95% confidence interval: 1.04, 2.14; P for trend = 0.01). Intakes of total marine ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were similarly associated with elevated UL incidence (hazard ratio = 1.35, 95% confidence interval: 0.94, 1.93; P for trend = 0.03). It remains unclear whether the fatty acids or persistent environmental pollutants drive the association.
Genome-wide circadian rhythm detection methods: systematic evaluations and practical guidelines
Authors: Mei Wenwen , Jiang Zhiwen , Chen Yang , Chen Li , Sancar Aziz , Jiang Yuchao
Published: June 2020

Circadian rhythms are oscillations of behavior, physiology and metabolism in many organisms. Recent advancements in omics technology make it possible for genome-wide profiling of circadian rhythms. Here, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of seven existing algorithms commonly used for circadian rhythm detection. Using gold-standard circadian and non-circadian genes, we systematically evaluated the accuracy and reproducibility of the algorithms on empirical datasets generated from various omics platforms under different experimental designs. We also carried out extensive simulation studies to test each algorithm’s robustness to key variables, including sampling patterns, replicates, waveforms, signal-to-noise ratios, uneven samplings and missing values. Furthermore, we examined the distributions of the nominal $P$-values under the null and raised issues with multiple testing corrections using traditional approaches. With our assessment, we provide method selection guidelines for circadian rhythm detection, which are applicable to different types of high-throughput omics data.
Incorporating Biterm Correlation Knowledge into Topic Modeling for Short Texts
Authors: Zhang Kai , Zhou Yuan , Chen Zheng , Liu Yufei , Tang Zhuo , Yin Li , Chen Jihong
Published: June 2020

The prevalence of short texts on the Web has made mining the latent topic structures of short texts a critical and fundamental task for many applications. However, due to the lack of word co-occurrence information induced by the content sparsity of short texts, it is challenging for traditional topic models like latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) to extract coherent topic structures on short texts. Incorporating external semantic knowledge into the topic modeling process is an effective strategy to improve the coherence of inferred topics. In this paper, we develop a novel topic model—called biterm correlation knowledge-based topic model (BCK-TM)—to infer latent topics from short texts. Specifically, the proposed model mines biterm correlation knowledge automatically based on recent progress in word embedding, which can represent semantic information of words in a continuous vector space. To incorporate external knowledge, a knowledge incorporation mechanism is designed over the latent topic layer to regularize the topic assignment of each biterm during the topic sampling process. Experimental results on three public benchmark datasets illustrate the superior performance of the proposed approach over several state-of-the-art baseline models.
Historic and contemporary use of catfish aquaculture by piscivorous birds in the Mississippi Delta
Authors: Burr Paul C , Avery Jimmy L , Street Garrett M , Strickland Bronson K , Dorr Brian S
Published: June 2020

Piscivorous birds are the primary source of catfish (Ictalurus spp.) depredation at aquaculture facilities in northwestern Mississippi. Of particular concern is the Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus), which can cost aquaculture producers millions of dollars annually through the depredation of cultured fish. Historical research conducted in the early 2000s estimated cormorant use of aquaculture ponds in the region, but aquaculture area has decreased by more than 70% since those estimates were made. With less aquaculture available, we predicted cormorant densities on aquaculture would be greater today than historically. Applying a similar methodology as in historical studies, we used aerial surveys to collect data on cormorants at night roosts and using catfish aquaculture ponds during 3 consecutive winter seasons, beginning in 2015. Although the mean annual number of cormorants at roosts in the Delta during our study was 64% less than historically, we found no significant change in densities on aquaculture, suggesting that aquaculture area is likely the factor influencing cormorant occurrence in northwestern Mississippi. During contemporary surveys we also measured the abundance of Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) and Great Egrets (A. alba) on the aquaculture clusters, and built predictive models of abundance relative to variables associated with forage at and surrounding the clusters. We found abundance of all 3 species was strongly related to the amount of aquaculture area both within and surrounding a cluster, although patterns varied by species. Cormorant abundance was also greater on clusters with proportionately more food fish (≥20 cm in length) than fingerlings (<20 cm) and was positively related to the proximity and size of night roosts. The relationships described here can be used by producers and wildlife managers to predict the abundance of these piscivorous birds at aquaculture facilities and to design efficient management plans to mitigate potential impacts of depredation and disease.
Dilated cardiomyopathy-linked heat shock protein family D member 1 mutations cause up-regulation of reactive oxygen species and autophagy through mitochondrial dysfunction
Authors: Enomoto Hirokazu , Mittal Nishant , Inomata Takayuki , Arimura Takuro , Izumi Tohru , Kimura Akinori , Fukuda Keiichi , Makino Shinji
Published: June 2020

Aims

During heart failure, the levels of circulatory heat shock protein family D member 1 (HSP60) increase. However, its underlying mechanism is still unknown. The apical domain of heat shock protein family D member 1 (HSPD1) is conserved throughout evolution. We found a point mutation in HSPD1 in a familial dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patient. A similar point mutation in HSPD1 in the zebrafish mutant, nbl, led to loss of its regenerative capacity and development of pericardial oedema under heat stress condition. In this study, we aimed to determine the direct involvement of HSPD1 in the development of DCM.

Methods and results

By Sanger method, we found a point mutation (Thr320Ala) in the apical domain of HSPD1, in one familial DCM patient, which was four amino acids away from the point mutation (Val324Glu) in the nbl mutant zebrafish. The nbl mutants showed atrio-ventricular block and sudden death at 8-month post-fertilization. Histological and microscopic analysis of the nbl mutant hearts showed decreased ventricular wall thickness, elevated level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), increased fibrosis, mitochondrial damage, and increased autophagosomes. mRNA and protein expression of autophagy-related genes significantly increased in nbl mutants. We established HEK293 stable cell lines of wild-type, nbl-type, and DCM-type HSPD1, with tetracycline-dependent expression. Compared to wild-type, both nbl- and DCM-type cells showed decreased cell growth, increased expression of ROS and autophagy-related genes, inhibition of the activity of mitochondrial electron transport chain complexes III and IV, and decreased mitochondrial fission and fusion.

Conclusion

Mutations in HSPD1 caused mitochondrial dysfunction and induced mitophagy. Mitochondrial dysfunction caused increased ROS and cardiac atrophy.
Immediate Infusion Reaction to Intravenous Ustekinumab in Three Crohn’s Disease Patients: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Thomas Pepijn W A , Ferwerda Gerben , West Rachel L , Hoentjen Frank
Published: June 2020

Recently, ustekinumab has been approved for the treatment of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Treatment is started with an intravenous induction dose, followed by a subcutaneous dosage. We present details of three patients with therapy-refractory Crohn’s disease who experienced an immediate infusion reaction to intravenous administration of ustekinumab. In two of these patients a subsequent reaction to subcutaneous injections occurred. Clinical features and pathophysiology are discussed.
The Incidence and Disease Course of Perianal Crohn’s Disease: A Danish Nationwide Cohort Study, 1997–2015
Authors: Wewer M D , Zhao M , Nordholm-Carstensen A , Weimers P , Seidelin J B , Burisch J
Published: June 2020

Background and Aims

Perianal Crohn’s disease [CD] places a considerable burden on patients’ quality of life and is complex to treat. Despite its impact and high frequency, few studies have investigated the incidence and disease course of perianal CD. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence and disease course of perianal CD in adult patients throughout a 19-year period.

Methods

The cohort comprised all individuals aged 18 years or older who were diagnosed with CD in Denmark between January 1, 1997, and December 31, 2015, according to the National Patient Registry [NPR].

Results

A total of 1812 [19%] out of 9739 patients with CD were found to have perianal CD. Perianal fistulas were the most common manifestation, accounting for 943 [52%] cases. The incidence of perianal CD remained stable over time. Patients with perianal CD were found to have an increased risk of undergoing major abdominal surgery compared with patients without perianal CD (hazard ratio: 1.51, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.40 to 1.64, p <0.001) in a multivariate Cox regression analysis. The incidence rate ratios of anal and rectal cancer in perianal CD patients were 11.45 [95% CI: 4.70 to 27.91, p <0.001] and 2.29 [95% CI: 1.25 to 4.20, p = 0.006], respectively, as compared with non-IBD matched controls.

Conclusions

In this nationwide study, 19% of CD patients developed perianal disease. Patients with perianal CD were at increased risk of undergoing major surgery compared with non-perianal CD patients. The risk of anal and rectal cancer was increased in patients with perianal CD compared with non-IBD matched controls.

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