bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Boosting the Heat Dissipation Performance of Graphene/Polyimide Flexible Carbon Film via Enhanced Through‐Plane Conductivity of 3D Hybridized Structure
Authors: Li Yanhua , Zhu Yanfei , Jiang Gaopeng , Cano Zachary P. , Yang Jun , Wang Jin , Liu Jilei , Chen Xiaohua , Chen Zhongwei
Published: January 2020

The development of materials with efficient heat dissipation capability has become essential for next‐generation integrated electronics and flexible smart devices. Here, a 3D hybridized carbon film with graphene nanowrinkles and microhinge structures by a simple solution dip‐coating technique using graphene oxide (GO) on polyimide (PI) skeletons, followed by high‐temperature annealing, is constructed. Such a design provides this graphitized GO/PI (g‐GO/PI) film with superflexibility and ultrahigh thermal conductivity in the through‐plane (150 ± 7 W m‐1 K‐1) and in‐plane (1428 ± 64 W m‐1 K‐1) directions. Its superior thermal management capability compared with aluminum foil is also revealed by proving its benefit as a thermal interface material. More importantly, by coupling the hypermetallic thermal conductivity in two directions, a novel type of carbon film origami heat sink is proposed and demonstrated, outperforming copper foil in terms of heat extraction and heat transfer for high‐power devices. The hypermetallic heat dissipation performance of g‐GO/PI carbon film not only shows its promising application as an emerging thermal management material, but also provides a facile and feasible route for the design of next‐generation heat dissipation components for high‐power flexible smart devices.
A systematic review of studies on use case points and expert‐based estimation of software development effort
Authors: Mahmood Yasir , Kama Nazri , Azmi Azri
Published: January 2020

In recent years, due to significant evolution in adopting new technologies and development methodologies in the field of software engineering, the developers and researchers are striving to optimize the accuracy of software effort estimation (SEE). The overestimation and underestimation both are the key challenges for software progress; hence, there is a continuous need for an accurate SEE. This paper highlights a systematic review of studies associated with the best practices of use case point (UCP) and expert judgment–based software development effort estimation techniques. The primary aim and contribution of this paper are to support the researchers through an extensive review to ease to other researcher's search for effort estimation studies. We have performed state‐of‐the‐art review from five viewpoints of reference: (a) review of studies concerning UCPs and expert judgment–based effort estimation, (b) research contribution and future recommendation in different novelties, (c) usage of the dataset, (d) availability of accuracy metrics, and (e) findings of the studies. We have performed a systematic review of studies which are published in the period of 2000 to 2019. We have selected a total of 34 primary studies of UCP and expert judgment–based estimation techniques to report the research questions stated in this review.
Nano‐ and Microfabrication for Engineering Native‐Like Muscle Tissues
Authors: Gao Lei , Ma Liang , Yin Xiao‐hong , Luo Yi‐chen , Yang Hua‐yong , Zhang Bin
Published: February 2020

Muscle tissues are characterized by highly organized 3D structures consisting of aligned myocytes and nonmyocytes. Several nano‐ and microfabrication technologies are used to engineer native‐like muscle tissues for muscle regeneration, the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, and in vitro disease modeling. In this paper, traditional tissue engineering methods and novel nano‐/microfabrication technologies for constructing muscle tissues are reviewed. Focus is given on the effects of nano‐/microfabricated architectures on the alignment of cells. In addition, issues of vascularization and cell–cell interaction in fabricating muscle tissues are discussed. Finally, common challenges of fabricating three types of muscle tissues and specific requirements for each type are reviewed, and perspectives are given for future studies.
Explaining a reverse gender gap in advanced physics and computer science course‐taking: An exploratory case study comparing Hebrew‐speaking and Arabic‐speaking high schools in Israel
Authors: Pinson Halleli , Feniger Yariv , Barak Yael
Published: January 2020

In the past three decades in high‐income countries, female students have outperformed male students in most indicators of educational attainment. However, the underrepresentation of girls and women in science courses and careers, especially in physics, computer sciences, and engineering, remains persistent. What is often neglected by the vast existing literature is the role that schools, as social institutions, play in maintaining or eliminating such gender gaps. This explorative case study research compares two high schools in Israel: one Hebrew‐speaking state school that serves mostly middleclass students and exhibits a typical gender gap in physics and computer science; the other, an Arabic‐speaking state school located in a Bedouin town that serves mostly students from a lower socioeconomic background. In the Arabic‐speaking school over 50% of the students in the advanced physics and computer science classes are females. The study aims to explain this seemingly counterintuitive gender pattern with respect to participation in physics and computer science. A comparison of school policies regarding sorting and choice reveals that the two schools employ very different policies that might explain the different patterns of participation. The Hebrew‐speaking school prioritizes self‐fulfillment and “free‐choice,” while in the Arabic‐speaking school, staff are much more active in sorting and assigning students to different curricular programs. The qualitative analysis suggests that in the case of the Arabic‐speaking school the intersection between traditional and collectivist society and neoliberal pressures in the form of raising achievement benchmarks contributes to the reversal of the gender gap in physics and computer science courses.
Brn3/POU‐IV‐type POU homeobox genes—Paradigmatic regulators of neuronal identity across phylogeny
Authors: Leyva‐Díaz Eduardo , Masoudi Neda , Serrano‐Saiz Esther , Glenwinkel Lori , Hobert Oliver
Published: February 2020

One approach to understand the construction of complex systems is to investigate whether there are simple design principles that are commonly used in building such a system. In the context of nervous system development, one may ask whether the generation of its highly diverse sets of constituents, that is, distinct neuronal cell types, relies on genetic mechanisms that share specific common features. Specifically, are there common patterns in the function of regulatory genes across different neuron types and are those regulatory mechanisms not only used in different parts of one nervous system, but are they conserved across animal phylogeny? We address these questions here by focusing on one specific, highly conserved and well‐studied regulatory factor, the POU homeodomain transcription factor UNC‐86. Work over the last 30 years has revealed a common and paradigmatic theme of unc‐86 function throughout most of the neuron types in which Caenorhabditis elegans unc‐86 is expressed. Apart from its role in preventing lineage reiterations during development, UNC‐86 operates in combination with distinct partner proteins to initiate and maintain terminal differentiation programs, by coregulating a vast array of functionally distinct identity determinants of specific neuron types. Mouse orthologs of unc‐86, the Brn3 genes, have been shown to fulfill a similar function in initiating and maintaining neuronal identity in specific parts of the mouse brain and similar functions appear to be carried out by the sole Drosophila ortholog, Acj6. The terminal selector function of UNC‐86 in many different neuron types provides a paradigm for neuronal identity regulation across phylogeny.

This article is categorized under:

Gene Expression and Transcriptional Hierarchies > Regulatory Mechanisms

Invertebrate Organogenesis > Worms

Nervous System Development > Vertebrates: Regional Development
FOXP transcription factors in vertebrate brain development, function, and disorders
Authors: Co Marissa , Anderson Ashley G. , Konopka Genevieve
Published: January 2020

FOXP transcription factors are an evolutionarily ancient protein subfamily coordinating the development of several organ systems in the vertebrate body. Association of their genes with neurodevelopmental disorders has sparked particular interest in their expression patterns and functions in the brain. Here, FOXP1, FOXP2, and FOXP4 are expressed in distinct cell type‐specific spatiotemporal patterns in multiple regions, including the cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, basal ganglia, thalamus, and cerebellum. These varied sites and timepoints of expression have complicated efforts to link FOXP1 and FOXP2 mutations to their respective developmental disorders, the former affecting global neural functions and the latter specifically affecting speech and language. However, the use of animal models, particularly those with brain region‐ and cell type‐specific manipulations, has greatly advanced our understanding of how FOXP expression patterns could underlie disorder‐related phenotypes. While many questions remain regarding FOXP expression and function in the brain, studies to date have illuminated the roles of these transcription factors in vertebrate brain development and have greatly informed our understanding of human development and disorders.

This article is categorized under:

Nervous System Development > Vertebrates: General Principles

Gene Expression and Transcriptional Hierarchies > Gene Networks and Genomics

Nervous System Development > Vertebrates: Regional Development
Multi-dimensional Subjective Wellbeing and Lone Parenthood Following Divorce in Flanders (Northern Belgium)
Authors: Jenkinson Sam , Matsuo Hideko , Matthys Koenraad
Published: February 2020

This study contributes to the literature on the relationship between subjective wellbeing (SWB), divorce, gender, and lone parenthood. We use the cross sectional Divorce in Flanders Survey (2009), comparing divorced, single parents to married parents, and also to each other across genders. Our results confirm the lower levels of SWB reported by divorced, single parents. This is true across multiple dimensions of SWB, including measures of life satisfaction, emotional wellbeing and vitality. Our results highlight the lower wellbeing reported by divorced, single parents in relation to the residential status of children below the age of 18. This is the case for both mothers and fathers, but fathers with non-residential children below 18 reported lower life satisfaction, whereas for the equivalent mothers, emotional wellbeing was diminished. We find little evidence of gender differences between lone mothers and fathers who report residential children. This suggests that the “intensive motherhood” hypothesis, which predicts that parenting may affect the SWB of mothers more negatively than fathers, may operate differently in the case of single vs. married parents.
On Increasing Divorce Risks
Authors: Wagner Michael
Published: February 2020

While intensive and ongoing research on the determinants of marital stability has resulted in the identification of a large number of risk factors, the question of why there has been a nearly continuous upward trend in divorce rates in many developed countries has yet to be answered. This upward trend continued over a period of more than one hundred years, and ended – at least in some countries – in the late twentieth century or early twenty-first century.

The aim of this paper is to review the theoretical concepts and the empirical findings of studies that have investigated historical trends in divorce rates. Some authors have argued that the quality of marriages has declined, while others have attributed this trend to a weakening of the barriers to divorce, or to increased opportunities to meet alternative partners. Theories of social change generally emphasize the role of either modernization or normative change in marital dissolution patterns. Given the evidence that the cohort and the period effects on the divorce rate cannot be explained by socioeconomic variables, it seems likely that increasing divorce rates are better explained by cultural than by socioeconomic changes.
The Negative Female Educational Gradient of Union Dissolution: Towards an Explanation in Six European Countries
Authors: van Damme Maike
Published: February 2020

How can we explain that, nowadays, lower educated women are more likely to separate than higher educated women are? I formulate hypotheses to explain this based on Levinger’s (J Marriage Family 27(1):19–28, 1965; J Soc Issues 32(1):21–47, 1976; Handbook of interpersonal commitment and relationship stability. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York, 1999) social exchange theory on ‘attractions’ and ‘barriers’ and assess whether there are mediating effects of affectional rewards, economic rewards, symbolic rewards, affectional barriers, material barriers, and symbolic costs. I analyse the Generations and Gender Survey (GGS) [2004–2013] for two waves for Bulgaria, Russia, Georgia, France, Austria, and Czech Republic. With this selection of countries, I have a good context variation according to social and economic costs of union dissolution. Using the khb-approach – which is a mediation analysis for binary dependent variables – I examine the probability that women broke up between two consecutive waves and explain the influence of education on union dissolution. Instead of being mainly explained by ‘attractions’, ‘barriers’ were more important explanatory variables of the negative educational gradient of union dissolution in the six countries I studied (lower educated women had less to lose symbolically and economically). Next to relationship satisfaction as the only explanatory ‘attraction’, I found suppressor effects of ‘attractions’.
The More the Merrier? The Effect of Children on Divorce in a Pronatalist Society
Authors: Kaplan Amit , Endeweld Miri , Herbst-Debby Anat
Published: February 2020

While most studies on the effect of children on divorce focus on countries with fertility levels below or near replacement level, we explore whether the stabilizing effect of children on marriage holds in the OECD country with the highest fertility rate – Israel. This high rate allowed us to examine the non-linear effects of having many children on divorce. We also examined whether the pattern of this relationship depends on the couple’s ethnic and economic position. Based on a dataset which merged administrative data from the tax authorities with the National Insurance Institute database, we took a random sample of 25% of all women who married in 2003 and followed them until 2015. Findings for the total sample revealed a positive, albeit non-linear, effect of number of children on divorce, while young children at home decreased divorce risks. However, the effect of number of children on the likelihood to divorce was dependent upon income and ethnic group. Children stabilized marriage among Israeli-Palestinians and destabilized it among Israeli-Jews, though with decreasing effects from the first to the third child. Findings are discussed with regard to the importance of examining relations between children and divorce across groups in the society.
Does Divorce Penalize Elderly Fathers in Receiving Help from Their Children? Evidence from Russia
Authors: Maes Margot , Thielemans Gert , Tretyakova Ekaterina
Published: February 2020

In times of increased pressure on welfare states, filial caregiving to elderly parents is becoming an increasingly important addition to state organised elderly care. However, certain life course events may cause the relationship between parents and their children to decline, impeding upward intergenerational support. We investigated the effect of divorce on the probability of receiving support from adult children, looking specifically at differences between mothers and fathers. Using Russian data from the 2016 wave of the “comprehensive monitoring of living conditions of the population”-survey, we perform logistic regressions to examine the probability of elderly parents receiving four types of intergenerational support. We found that divorced parents are less likely to receive care than either married or widowed parents. Furthermore, we found evidence that the negative association between divorce and care is stronger for fathers than for mothers. The relative lack of filial caregiving for divorced fathers is likely among the reasons why an increasing group of single elderly men are among those with the highest poverty risks in Russia.
A holographic perspective on the axion quality problem
Authors: Cox Peter , Gherghetta Tony , Nguyen Minh D.
Published: January 2020

Abstract

The axion provides a compelling solution to the strong CP problem as well as a candidate for the dark matter of the universe. However, the axion solution relies on the spontaneous breaking of a global U(1)
PQ
symmetry, which is also explicitly violated by quantum gravity. To preserve the axion solution, gravitational violations of the U(1)
PQ
symmetry must be suppressed to sufficiently high order. We present a simple, geometric solution of the axion quality problem by modelling the axion with a bulk complex scalar field in a slice of AdS5, where the U(1)
PQ
symmetry is spontaneously broken in the bulk but explicitly broken on the UV brane. By localising the axion field towards the IR brane, gravitational violations of the PQ symmetry on the UV brane are sufficiently sequestered. This geometric solution is holographically dual to 4D strong dynamics where the global U(1)
PQ
is an accidental symmetry to sufficiently high order.
Infection and atherosclerosis: TLR-dependent pathways
Authors: Li Bowei , Xia Yuanpeng , Hu Bo
Published: January 2020

Atherosclerotic vascular disease (ASVD) is a chronic process, with a progressive course over many years, but it can cause acute clinical events, including acute coronary syndromes (ACS), myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke. In addition to a series of typical risk factors for atherosclerosis, like hyperlipidemia, hypertension, smoking and obesity, emerging evidence suggests that atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease, suggesting that chronic infection plays an important role in the development of atherosclerosis. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are the most characteristic members of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), which play an important role in innate immune mechanism. TLRs play different roles in different stages of infection of atherosclerosis-related pathogens such asChlamydia pneumoniae(C. pneumoniae),periodontal pathogens includingPorphyromonas gingivalis(P. gingivalis), Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) andhuman immunodeficiency virus(HIV). Overall, activation of TLR2 and 4 seems to have a profound impact on infection-related atherosclerosis. This article reviews the role of TLRs in the process of atherosclerosis afterC. pneumoniaeand other infections and the current status of treatment, with a view to providing a new direction and potential therapeutic targets for the study of ASVD.
Experimental study of blast loading behind a building corner
Authors: Gajewski T. , Sielicki P. W.
Published: January 2020

The paper presents unique blast experiments in reference to scientific literature and official standards. Experimental scenarios reflect a hypothetical realistic combat situation of a human being covered from a blast wave behind a rigid building corner. In the scenario assumed, the overpressure loads affect the lungs while the person is standing or the eardrums while the person is kneeling at the aiming position. The paper presents 27 free-field experiments measuring the overpressure loads. All the measurements were taken behind the right angle of the rigid wall. Two masses of TNT were considered: 200 g and 400 g. In the selected cases, a low test-to-test variability of the measured data was observed. Detailed plots of overpressure versus time are presented for various distances behind the building corner and TNT charge masses. Peak overpressure versus positive impulse plots are also demonstrated. Furthermore, the safety thresholds regarding different locations behind the building corner are defined for the considered explosive masses.
Desensitization of transient receptor potential vanilloid type-1 (TRPV1) channel as promising therapy of irritable bowel syndrome: characterization of the action of palvanil in the mouse gastrointestinal tract
Authors: Szymaszkiewicz Agata , Włodarczyk Jakub , Wasilewski Andrzej , Di Marzo Vincenzo , Storr Martin , Fichna Jakub , Zielińska Marta
Published: January 2020

TRPV1 are involved in the control of the gastrointestinal (GI) functions and pain sensation. Their activation induces pain but it is followed by desensitization, which in turn causes analgesia. The studies from the last two decades indicate that TRPV1 are involved in visceral hypersensitivity in the GI tract and pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess the action of fast desensitizing agonist of TRPV1, palvanil (N-palmitoyl-vanillamine), in the murine GI tract and on nociception to evaluate its potential application in the therapy of IBS. The effect of palvanil on smooth muscle contractility was evaluated using organ baths. The impact of palvanil on intestinal secretion was assessed in Ussing chambers. In vivo, the action of palvanil (0.1–1 mg/kg) was assessed in whole GI transit, fecal pellet output, and colonic bead expulsion tests. The antinociceptive potency of palvanil was tested in the mustard oil-induced pain test. Palvanil inhibited colonic contractions (evoked by electrical field stimulation, EFS) and decreased the ion transport in the colon stimulated with forskolin. It did not affect secretion in experiments with veratridine. In vivo, palvanil prolonged whole GI transit at all doses tested. At the lower dose tested, it accelerated colonic motility during first 60 min following injection. By contrast, at the dose of 1 mg/kg, colonic motility was inhibited. Palvanil induced antinociceptive action at all tested doses in mustard oil-induced pain test. TRPV1 fast-desensitizing compounds, i.e., palvanil, may be promising agents in the therapy of IBS since it modulates intestinal motility and reduces visceral pain.
Surgical defect reconstructions in knee, lower leg, and foot with flaps: a retrospective analysis
Authors: Stepniewski Adam , Saul Dominik , Synn Helen , Felmerer Gunther
Published: January 2020

Background

The first description of local fascio-cutaneous flaps used for the coverage of soft tissue defects of the limbs originates from the 1980s. Over the years, this technique has advanced, and in the meantime, a sub-group of flaps named perforator-based propeller flaps has gained increased attention. In our study, we aimed to demonstrate our experience of operating surgeries with perforator-based propeller flaps and to compare this technique with other flap techniques, which are to reconstruct tissue defects of the knee, lower leg, and foot.

Methods

A systematic retrospective search for flap procedures for defect reconstructions in the knee, lower leg, and foot from our database was performed. All data between January 2010 and August 2018 were considered. We identified 56 procedures performed on 14 female and 42 male patients with the mean age of 54.13 years. Reconstruction procedures consisted of 34 free flaps, 14 perforator-based propeller flaps, and eight other perforator-based flaps. Compared to free flaps, the perforator-based propeller flaps had shorter surgery duration by 46.6% (p < 0.0001) and the complication rate in the cases of perforator-based propeller flaps was reduced by 31.14% (p = 0.0315). Furthermore, the operations carried out with perforator-based propeller flaps resulted in a significantly lower rate of revisions by 36.03% (p = 0.0204), compared to those with free flaps. The majority of the donor sites of free flaps were self-closing with the direct suture (p = 0.004).

Conclusions

Based on our findings, we can propose the applicability of perforator-based flaps in treating defects of the knee, lower leg, and foot. With a correct indication, perforator-based propeller flap represents a promising alternative to free flaps, with its significantly shorter surgery duration, lower complications rate, and lower revision rate. However, both techniques of the free flap transfer and the transfer of local pedicle-based flap possess their advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it is hard to define which microsurgical technique is exclusive in treating lower leg defects.

Level of evidence: Level IV, therapeutic study.
A survey of TIR domain sequence and structure divergence
Authors: Toshchakov Vladimir Y. , Neuwald Andrew F.
Published: January 2020

Toll-interleukin-1R resistance (TIR) domains are ubiquitously present in all forms of cellular life. They are most commonly found in signaling proteins, as units responsible for signal-dependent formation of protein complexes that enable amplification and spatial propagation of the signal. A less common function of TIR domains is their ability to catalyze nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide degradation. This survey analyzes 26,414 TIR domains, automatically classified based on group-specific sequence patterns presumably determining biological function, using a statistical approach termed Bayesian partitioning with pattern selection (BPPS). We examine these groups and patterns in the light of available structures and biochemical analyses. Proteins within each of thirteen eukaryotic groups (10 metazoans and 3 plants) typically appear to perform similar functions, whereas proteins within each prokaryotic group typically exhibit diverse domain architectures, suggesting divergent functions. Groups are often uniquely characterized by structural fold variations associated with group-specific sequence patterns and by herein identified sequence motifs defining TIR domain functional divergence. For example, BPPS identifies, in helices C and D of TIRAP and MyD88 orthologs, conserved surface-exposed residues apparently responsible for specificity of TIR domain interactions. In addition, BPPS clarifies the functional significance of the previously described Box 2 and Box 3 motifs, each of which is a part of a larger, group-specific block of conserved, intramolecularly interacting residues.
Pharmacogenetic investigation of efficacy response to mepolizumab in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis
Authors: Condreay Lynn D. , Parham Laura R. , Qu Xiaoyan A. , Steinfeld Jonathan , Wechsler Michael E. , Raby Benjamin A. , Yancey Steven W. , Ghosh Soumitra
Published: February 2020

Treatment of patients with the rare disease eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) with mepolizumab, a monoclonal antibody to interleukin-5 (IL-5) that reduces blood eosinophil counts, as an add-on therapy to glucocorticoid treatment, results in more accrued weeks in remission, reductions in glucocorticoid use and reductions in relapse rate. However, treatment response varies across a continuum. Therefore, to investigate if large genetic effects could identify responders, the impact of genetic variants on efficacy in EGPA subjects taking mepolizumab and glucocorticoids was assessed in this post hoc study. Using linear regression and a negative binomial model, genetic variant association with three endpoints (accrued duration of remission, average oral glucocorticoid dose, and frequency of relapse) was tested in 61 EGPA subjects dosed with mepolizumab from MIRRA, a phase 3 trial. Candidate gene and genome-wide approaches were used. The candidate gene analysis was designed to investigate drug target effects with eight gene regions selected that were focused on the intersection of the glucocorticoid response (steroidal response) and IL-5 response mechanisms and recognizing potential overlap between EGPA and severe eosinophilic asthma diseases for which mepolizumab is used. The sample size was insufficient to enable testing of rare variants for effects. No genetic variant from either the candidate gene analysis or the GWAS associated with any endpoint. Thresholds to declare significance were p < 0.0008 (candidate variant) and p < 2.5 × 10–8 (genome-wide) analyses. Large genetic effects on mepolizumab-treatment response were not identified which could help differentiate responders from non-responders.
Minimal ablative margin (MAM) assessment with image fusion: an independent predictor for local tumor progression in hepatocellular carcinoma after stereotactic radiofrequency ablation
Authors: Laimer Gregor , Schullian Peter , Jaschke Nikolai , Putzer Daniel , Eberle Gernot , Alzaga Amilcar , Odisio Bruno , Bale Reto
Published: January 2020

Objectives

To assess the minimal ablative margin (MAM) by image fusion of intraprocedural pre- and post-ablation contrast-enhanced CT images and to evaluate if it can predict local tumor progression (LTP) independently. Furthermore, to determine a MAM with which a stereotactic radiofrequency ablation (SRFA) can be determined successful and therefore used as an intraprocedural tool to evaluate treatment success.

Methods

A total of 110 patients (20 women, 90 men; mean age 63.7 ± 10.2) with 176 hepatocellular carcinomas were assessed by retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. The MAM was determined through image fusion of intraprocedural pre- and post-ablation images using commercially available rigid imaging registration software. LTP was assessed in contrast-enhanced CTs or MR scans at 3–6-month intervals.

Results

The MAM was the only significant independent predictor of LTP (p = 0.036). For each millimeter increase of the MAM, a 30% reduction of the relative risk for LTP was found (OR = 0.7, 95% CI 0.5–0.98,p = 0.036). No LTP was detected in lesions with a MAM > 5 mm. The overall LTP rate was 9 of 110 (8.2%) on a patient level and 10 of 173 (5.7%) on a lesion level. The median MAM was 3.4 (1.7–6.9) mm. The mean overall follow-up period was 26.0 ± 10.3 months.

Conclusions

An immediate assessment of the minimal ablative margin (MAM) can be used as an intraprocedural tool to evaluate the treatment success in patients treated with stereotactic RFA. A MAM > 5 mm has to be achieved to consider an ablation as successful.

Key Points

• An intraoperatively measured minimal ablative margin (MAM) > 5 mm correlates with complete remission.

• MAM is the only significant independent predictor of LTP (OR = 0.7, 95% CI 0.5–0.98, p = 0.036) after stereotactic RFA of hepatocellular carcinoma.

• Image fusion using commercially available rigid imaging registration software is possible, even though considerably complex. Therefore, improved (semi-)automatic fusion software is highly desirable.
Outcomes in patients with dual antegrade conduction in the atrioventricular node: insights from a multicentre observational study
Authors: Hartmann Jens , Jungen Christiane , Stec Sebastian , Klatt Niklas , Willems Stephan , Makimoto Hisaki , Steven Daniel , Pürerfellner Helmut , Martinek Martin , Meyer Christian
Published: January 2020

Background

Supraventricular tachycardias induced by dual antegrade conduction via the atrioventricular (AV) node are rare but often misdiagnosed with severe consequences for the affected patients. As long-term follow-up in these patients was not available so far, this study investigates outcomes in patients with dual antegrade conduction in the AV node.

Methods and results

In this multicentre observational study, patients from six European centres were studied. Catheter ablation was performed in 17 patients (52 ± 16 years) with dual antegrade conduction via both AV nodal pathways between 2012 and 2018. Patients with the final diagnosis of a manifest dual AV nodal non-re-entrant tachycardia had a mean delay of the correct diagnosis of over 1 year (range 2–31 months). Two patients received prescription of non-indicated oral anticoagulation, two further patients suffered from inappropriate shocks of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. In 12 patients, a co-existence of dual antegrade and re-entry conduction in the AV node was present. Mean fast pathway conduction time was 138 ± 61 ms and mean slow pathway conduction time was 593 ± 134 ms. Successful radiofrequency catheter ablation was performed in all patients. Post-procedurally oral anticoagulation was discontinued, without detection of cerebrovascular events or atrial fibrillation during a long-term follow-up of median 17 months (range 6–72 months).

Conclusion

This first multicentre study investigating patients with supraventricular tachycardia and dual antegrade conduction in the AV node demonstrates that catheter ablation is safe and effective while long-term patient outcome is good. Autonomic tone dependent changes in ante- vs. retrograde conduction via slow and/or fast pathway can challenge the diagnosis and therapy in some patients.

Graphic abstract
Healthy Nordic diet and risk of disease death among men: the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study
Authors: Tertsunen Hanna-Mari , Hantunen Sari , Tuomainen Tomi-Pekka , Virtanen Jyrki K.
Published: February 2020

Purpose

To investigate the association between healthy Nordic diet and risk of disease death in middle-aged and older men from eastern Finland.

Methods

A total of 1547 men aged 42–60 years and free of cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer and type 2 diabetes at baseline in 1984–1989 were included. Diet was assessed with 4-day food records at baseline and the healthy Nordic diet score was calculated based on the Baltic Sea Diet Score. The incidence of death was assessed by a computer linkage to the national cause of death register. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to estimate the associations between the healthy Nordic diet score and mortality.

Results

During the mean follow-up of 23.6 years (SD 7.0), 576 men died due to disease: 250 due to CVD, 194 due to cancer and 132 due to other diseases. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) in the lowest vs. the highest quartile of the healthy Nordic diet score were 1.27 (1.01–1.59) for any disease death (P-trend across quartiles < 0.001), 1.39 (0.99–1.97, P-trend = 0.049) for CVD death, 1.26 (0.84–1.89, P-trend = 0.316) for cancer death and 1.04 (0.65–1.68, P-trend = 0.563) for other disease deaths.

Conclusions

In this prospective population-based cohort study among middle-aged and older men, low adherence to a healthy Nordic diet was associated with a higher risk of any disease death, possibly largely attributable to higher CVD mortality.
From bedside to bench: lung ultrasound for the assessment of pulmonary edema in animal models
Authors: Grune Jana , Beyhoff Niklas , Hegemann Niklas , Lauryn Jonathan H. , Kuebler Wolfgang M.
Published: February 2020

Traditionally, the lung has been excluded from the ultrasound organ repertoire and, hence, the application of lung ultrasound (LUS) was largely limited to a few enthusiastic clinicians. Yet, in the last decades, the recognition of the previously untapped diagnostic potential of LUS in intensive care medicine has fueled its widespread use as a rapid, non-invasive and radiation-free bedside approach with excellent diagnostic accuracy for many of the most common causes of acute respiratory failure, e.g., cardiogenic pulmonary edema, pneumonia, pleural effusion and pneumothorax. Its increased clinical use has also incited attention for the potential usefulness of LUS in preclinical studies with small animal models mimicking lung congestion and pulmonary edema formation. Application of LUS to small animal models of pulmonary edema may save time, is cost-effective, and may reduce the number of experimental animals due to the possibility of serial evaluations in the same animal as compared with traditional end-point measurements. This review provides an overview of the emerging field of LUS with a specific focus on its application in animal models and highlights future perspectives for LUS in preclinical research.
Resection of the gastric submucosal tumor (G-SMT) originating from the muscularis propria layer: comparison of efficacy, patients’ tolerability, and clinical outcomes between endoscopic full-thickness resection and surgical resection
Authors: Liu Sha , Zhou Xinxin , Yao YongXing , Shi Keda , Yu Mosang , Ji Feng
Published: February 2020

Background and aims

Endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR) has been increasingly applied in the treatment of gastric submucosal tumors (G-SMTs) with explorative intention. This study aimed to compare the efficacy, tolerability, and clinical outcomes of EFTR and surgical intervention for the management of muscularis propria (MP)-derived G-SMTs.

Methods

Between September 2011 and May 2019, the clinical records of patients with MP-derived G-SMTs undergoing EFTR at our endoscopic unit were collected. A cohort of people with primary MP-derived G-SMTs treated by surgery was matched in a 1:1 ratio to EFTR group with regard to patients’ baseline characteristics, clinicopathologic features of the tumor and the procedure date. The perioperative outcomes and follow-up data were analyzed.

Results

In total, 62 and 62 patients were enrolled into the surgery and EFTR group, respectively, with median follow-up of 786 days. The size of G-SMTs (with ulceration) ranged from 10 to 90 mm. For patients with tumor smaller than 30 mm, surgery and EFTR group presented comparable procedural success rate (both were 100%), en bloc resection rate (100% vs. 94.7%), tumor capsule rupture rate (0% vs. 5.3%), and pathological R0 resection rate (both were 100%). EFTR had a statistically significant advantage over surgery for estimated blood loss (3.12 ± 5.20 vs. 46.97 ± 60.73 ml, p ≤ 0.001), discrepancy between the pre- and postprocedural hemoglobin level (5.18 ± 5.43 vs. 9.84 ± 8.25 g/L, p = 0.005), bowel function restoration [1 (0–5) vs. 3 (1–5) days, p ≤ 0.001], and hospital cost (28,617.09 ± 6720.78 vs. 33,963.10 ± 13,454.52 Yuan, p = 0.033). The patients with tumor larger than 30 mm showed roughly the same outcomes after comparison analysis of the two groups. However, the clinical data revealed lower en bloc resection rate (75.0% vs. 100%, p = 0.022) and higher tumor capsule rupture rate (25.0% vs. 0%, p = 0.022) for EFTR when compared to surgery. The procedure time, duration of postprocedural fasting and antibiotics usage, and hospital stay of the two groups were equivalent. The occurrence rate of adverse events within postoperative day 7 were 74.2% and 72.6% after EFTR and surgery, respectively (p = 1.000). No complications occurred during the follow-up.

Conclusion

For treatment of MP-derived G-SMTs (with or without ulceration), our study showed the feasibility and safety of EFTR, which also provided better results in terms of procedural blood loss, the postoperative bowel function restoration and cost-effectiveness when compared to surgery, whereas the surgery was superior in en bloc resection rate for G-SMTs larger than 30 mm. The postprocedural clinical outcomes seemed to be equivalent in these two resection methods.
Intragranular deformation mechanisms in calcite deformed by high-pressure torsion at room temperature
Authors: Schuster Roman , Habler Gerlinde , Schafler Erhard , Abart Rainer
Published: February 2020

Polycrystalline calcite was deformed to high strain at room-temperature and confining pressures of 1–4 GPa using high-pressure torsion. The high confining pressure suppresses brittle failure and allows for shear strains >100. The post-deformation microstructures show inter- and intragranular cataclastic deformation and a high density of mechanicale$$ \left\{01\overline{1}8\right\} $$011¯8twins and deformation lamellae in highly strained porphyroclasts. The morphologies of the twins resemble twin morphologies that are typically associated with substantially higher deformation temperatures. Porphyroclasts oriented unfavorably for twinning frequently exhibit two types of deformation lamellae with characteristic crystallographic orientation relationships associated with calcite twins. The misorientation of the first deformation lamella type with respect to the host corresponds to the combination of oner$$ \left\{10\overline{1}4\right\} $$101¯4twin operation and one specificf$$ \left\{01\overline{1}2\right\} $$011¯2ore$$ \left\{01\overline{1}8\right\} $$011¯8twin operation. Boundary sections of this lamella type often split into two separated segments, where one segment corresponds to an incoherentr$$ \left\{10\overline{1}4\right\} $$101¯4twin boundary and the other to anf$$ \left\{01\overline{1}2\right\} $$011¯2ore$$ \left\{01\overline{1}8\right\} $$011¯8twin boundary. The misorientation of the second type of deformation lamellae corresponds to the combination of specificr$$ \left\{10\overline{1}4\right\} $$101¯4andf$$ \left\{01\overline{1}2\right\} $$011¯2twin operations. The boundary segments of this lamella type may also split into the constituent twin boundaries. Our results show that brittle failure can effectively be suppressed during room-temperature deformation of calcite to high strains if confining pressures in the GPa range are applied. At these conditions, the combination of successive twin operations produces hitherto unknown deformation lamellae.
A general framework for handling commitment in online throughput maximization
Authors: Chen Lin , Eberle Franziska , Megow Nicole , Schewior Kevin , Stein Cliff
Published: February 2020

We study a fundamental online job admission problem where jobs with deadlines arrive online over time at their release dates, and the task is to determine a preemptive single-server schedule which maximizes the number of jobs that complete on time. To circumvent known impossibility results, we make a standard slackness assumption by which the feasible time window for scheduling a job is at least $$1+\varepsilon $$

1
+
ε

times its processing time, for some $$\varepsilon >0$$

ε
>
0

. We quantify the impact that different provider commitment requirements have on the performance of online algorithms. Our main contribution is one universal algorithmic framework for online job admission both with and without commitments. Without commitment, our algorithm with a competitive ratio of $$\mathcal {O}(1/\varepsilon )$$

O
(
1
/
ε
)

is the best possible (deterministic) for this problem. For commitment models, we give the first non-trivial performance bounds. If the commitment decisions must be made before a job’s slack becomes less than a $$\delta $$
δ
-fraction of its size, we prove a competitive ratio of $$\mathcal {O}(\varepsilon /((\varepsilon -\delta )\delta ^2))$$

O
(
ε
/

(

(
ε
-
δ
)

δ
2

)

)

, for $$0<\delta <\varepsilon $$

0
<
δ
<
ε

. When a provider must commit upon starting a job, our bound is $$\mathcal {O}(1/\varepsilon ^2)$$

O
(
1
/

ε
2

)

. Finally, we observe that for scheduling with commitment the restriction to the “unweighted” throughput model is essential; if jobs have individual weights, we rule out competitive deterministic algorithms.
Austerity and Brexit
Authors: Fetzer Thiemo
Published: January 2020

The UK’s defining domestic economic policy under the Conservative governments since 2010 can be subsumed under the term ‘austerity’.
The AfD’s Winning Formula — No Need for Economic Strategy Blurring in Germany
Authors: Diermeier Matthias
Published: January 2020

Western European Populist Radical Right Parties (PRRPs) have addressed the dispersed socio-economic status of their electorates by blurring their economic positioning. This contribution analyses the rise of the German PRRP Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) between 2013 and 2017 and the role of its economic policy platform. In contrast to its European peers, the AfD shows few signs of economic strategy blurring. The party offers clear antiredistribution policies that are matched by AfD voters’ preferences: even the least affluent AfD supporters have stronger preferences for lower redistribution than the most affluent non-AfD supporters. For AfD supporters with lower socio-economic positions this means that they support economic policies that are against their economic interests. Extreme authoritarian cultural policies spiced up with criticism of the establishment and combined with a general opposition to redistribution can be identified as the AfD’s winning formula. Within the Western European PRRP party family, this winning formula directed at supporters with lower socioeconomic positions constitutes an exception.
Palatable disruption: the politics of plant milk
Authors: Clay Nathan , Sexton Alexandra E. , Garnett Tara , Lorimer Jamie
Published: January 2020

Plant-based milk alternatives–ormylks–have surged in popularity over the past ten years. We consider the politics and consumer subjectivities fostered by mylks as part of the broader trend towards ‘plant-based’ food. We demonstrate how mylk companies inherit and strategically deploy positive framings of milk as wholesome and convenient, as well as negative framings of dairy as environmentally damaging and cruel, to position plant-based as the ‘better’ alternative. By navigating this affective landscape, brands attempt to (re)make mylk as simultaneously palatable and disruptive to the status quo. We examine the politics of mylks through the concept ofpalatable disruption, where people are encouraged to care about the environment, health, and animal welfare enough to adopt mylks but to ultimately remain consumers of a commodity food. By encouraging consumers to reach for “plant-based” as a way to cope with environmental catastrophe and a life out of balance, mylks promote a neoliberal ethic: they individualize systemic problems and further entrench market mechanisms as solutions, thereby reinforcing the political economy of industrial agriculture. In conclusion, we reflect on the limits of the current plant-based trend for transitioning to more just and sustainable food production and consumption.
Keratin 12 mRNA expression could serve as an early corneal marker for limbal explant cultures
Authors: Shi Lei , Stachon Tanja , Käsmann-Kellner Barbara , Seitz Berthold , Szentmáry Nóra , Latta Lorenz
Published: February 2020

This investigation aimed to identify early corneal marker and conjunctival epithelial differentiation through transcriptional analysis of limbal explant cultures and study early differentiation patterns of known corneal and conjunctival differentiation markers. 2 mm punch biopsies of limbal region were obtained from 6 donors of the Lions Cornea Bank Saar-Lorloux/Trier-Westpfalz. Limbal explants were dissected into corneal and conjunctival biopsy sections. Biopsies were placed with epithelial side down into 12 Wells. As soon as the outgrowing cells had reached confluence, they were harvested. mRNA expression of corneal differentiation markers KRT12, KRT3, DSG1, PAX6, ADH7 and ALDH1A1, conjunctival markers KRT19, KRT13 and stem cell marker ABCG2 were measured via qPCR. KRT12 and PAX6 protein expressions were evaluated using Western Blot. Results suggested that KRT12 mRNA expression was significantly higher in outgrowing cells from the corneal side of the biopsies as in those from the conjunctival side (p = 0.0043). There was no significant difference in mRNA expression of other analyzed markers comparing with marker expression of outgrown cells from both limbal biopsies (p > 0.13). KRT12 and PAX6 Western Blot analysis showed no difference in cells harvested from both sides. In conclusion, KRT12 mRNA might be a marker to measure corneal origin of cells from limbal biopsies with unknown composition of corneal and conjunctival progenitor cells. KRT3, DSG1, PAX6, ADH7, ALDH1A1, KRT19, KRT13 and ABCG2 mRNA as well as KRT12 and PAX6 protein expression could not contribute to differentiate corneal from conjunctival cell identity from limbal biopsies.