bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CircHIPK3/miR-381-3p axis modulates proliferation, migration, and glycolysis of lung cancer cells by regulating the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway
Authors: Gu Feng , Zhang Junhan , Yan Lin , Li Dong
Published: September 2020

Lung cancer is a lethal malignancy. Plenty of circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been identified to be the vital regulators in lung cancer development. Here, we intended to clarify the functional role of circRNA HIPK3 (circHIPK3, also called hsa_circ_0021593) and its underlying mechanism of action. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was employed to evaluate the levels of circHIPK3 and miR-381-3p. Cell viability and apoptosis rate were monitored by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Cell migration was estimated through the Transwell assay. To assess glycolysis, commercial kits were utilized to measure the levels of glucose and lactate and the enzyme activity of hexokinase-2 (HK2). Expression of related proteins was detected via western blot analysis. The target connection between circHIPK3 and miR-381-3p was validated by dual-luciferase reporter, RIP, and pull-down assays. The role of circHIPK3 in vivo was determined via the xenograft assay. CircHIPK3 was upregulated, while miR-381-3p was downregulated in lung cancer tissues and cells. And circHIPK3 deficiency inhibited lung cancer progression by lowering cell proliferation, migration, glycolysis, and promoting apoptosis of lung cancer cells in vitro. MiR-381-3p was a target of circHIPK3, and miR-381-3p interference alleviated circHIPK3 knockdown-induced lung cancer progression inhibition. CircHIPK3 could activate the protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (AKT/mTOR) signaling pathway. Moreover, circHIPK3 knockdown suppressed tumor growth in vivo by inactivating the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. In conclusion, the silencing of circHIPK3 inhibited lung cancer progression, at least in part, by sponging miR-381-3p and inactivating the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.
Adaptive Space-Time Finite Element Methods for Non-autonomous Parabolic Problems with Distributional Sources
Authors: Langer Ulrich , Schafelner Andreas
Published: September 2020

We consider locally stabilized, conforming finite element schemes on completely unstructured simplicial space-time meshes for the numerical solution of parabolic initial-boundary value problems with variable coefficients that are possibly discontinuous in space and time.
Distributional sources are also admitted.
Discontinuous coefficients, non-smooth boundaries, changing boundary conditions, non-smooth or incompatible initial conditions, and non-smooth right-hand sides can lead to non-smooth solutions.
We present new a priori and a posteriori error estimates for low-regularity solutions.
In order to avoid reduced rates of convergence that appear when performing uniform mesh refinement, we also consider adaptive refinement procedures based on residual a posteriori error indicators and functional a posteriori error estimators.
The huge system of space-time finite element equations is then solved by means of GMRES preconditioned by space-time algebraic multigrid.
In particular, in the 4d space-time case, simultaneous space-time parallelization can considerably reduce the computational time.
We present and discuss numerical results for several examples possessing different regularity features.
NMR Protein Structure Calculation and Sphere Intersections
Authors: Lavor Carlile , Alves Rafael , Souza Michael , José Luis Aragón
Published: September 2020

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) experiments can be used to calculate 3D protein structures and geometric properties of protein molecules allow us to solve the problem iteratively using a combinatorial method, called Branch-and-Prune (BP). The main step of BP algorithm is to intersect three spheres centered at the positions for atoms i − 3, i − 2, i − 1, with radii given by the atomic distances di
−3,
i, di
−2,
i, di
−1,
i, respectively, to obtain the position for atom i. Because of uncertainty in NMR data, some of the distances di
−3,
i should be represented as interval distances [

d
_

i
-
3
,
i

,

d
¯

i
-
3
,
i

{\underline{d}_{i - 3,i}},{\bar d_{i - 3,i}}

], where

d
_

i
-
3
,
i

≤

d

i
-
3
,
i

≤

d
¯

i
-
3
,
i

{\underline{d}_{i - 3,i}} \le {d_{i - 3,i}} \le {\bar d_{i - 3,i}}

. In the literature, an extension of the BP algorithm was proposed to deal with interval distances, where the idea is to sample values from [

d
_

i
-
3
,
i

,

d
¯

i
-
3
,
i

{\underline{d}_{i - 3,i}},{\bar d_{i - 3,i}}

]. We present a new method, based on conformal geometric algebra, to reduce the size of [

d
_

i
-
3
,
i

,

d
¯

i
-
3
,
i

{\underline{d}_{i - 3,i}},{\bar d_{i - 3,i}}

], before the sampling process. We also compare it with another approach proposed in the literature.
Dropping out from Higher Education in Germany an Empirical Evaluation of Determinants for Bachelor Students
Authors: Behr Andreas , Giese Marco , Teguim K. Hervé D. , Theune Katja
Published: September 2020

Withdrawing from university is a complex decision-making process, during which several conditions and problems from different areas of life and study accumulate and affect each other. This study is based on the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), which includes a wide range of information on study course and students’ characteristics, and aims at providing an encompassing analysis of determinants influencing students’ dropout decision. Determinants can be categorized into demographic and family background, the financial situation of students, their prior education, institutional determinants, as well as motivation and satisfaction with study. Both, a bivariate analysis, as well as a logistic regression model with LASSO regularization identify many important determinants already known before or at the beginning of the study, such as prior education and satisfaction related variables, allowing early identification of at-risk students and the implementation of prevention programs.
Opportunity Recognition: Conversational Foundations and Pathways Ahead
Authors: Filser Matthias , Tiberius Victor , Kraus Sascha , Zeitlhofer Tanita , Kailer Norbert , Müller Adrian
Published: September 2020

This paper provides an overview of the ever-increasing literature on opportunity recognition, with a focus on its antecedents and determinants. With a two-step research approach, a bibliometric analysis and a systematic literature review, we structure the current research in this field. By using bibliometric techniques, we analyzed 161 publications and, consequently, clustered the 30 most influential references. Apart from economic theories and the role of opportunity recognition in entrepreneurship, a strong research focus is on antecedents of opportunity recognition. Therefore, in our subsequent literature review, we focus on determinants which influence opportunity recognition. We find that the opportunity recognition process is influenced by various personal, organizational and environmental factors. We conclude with a research outlook for future research opportunities on opportunity recognition.
On rational homotopy and minimal models
Authors: Bock Christoph
Published: September 2020

We prove a result that enables us to calculate the rational homotopy of a wide class of spaces by the theory of minimal models.
Main problems of the research on the Palaeolithic of Halych-Dnister region (Ukraine)
Authors: Bogucki Andriy , Tomeniuk Olena , Sytnyk Oleksandr , Koropetskyi Ruslan
Published: September 2020

The article presents the results of the Palaeolithic loess sites studies in the Halych-Dnister region. It is an area in the Dnister River basin (Ukraine) with a large number of Middle and Upper Palaeolithic sites (Yezupil I, Halych I, Halych II, Mariampil I, Mariampil V, Mezhyhirtsi, Kolodiiv, Hannusivka, etc.), which have been discovered and studied including multilayered ones. It is open-air Palaeolithic sites related to widespread distribution in the region Pleistocene loess-palaeosol sequence reaching up to 30 m thickness, sometimes even more. Palaeolithic sites have been investigated using various field and laboratory archaeological and natural science research methods. Defined cultural horizons of the sites are stratified and dated by luminescent and radiocarbon methods, and their cultural identity is characterized. In the Halych-Dnister region, the most developed are the Middle Palaeolithic (Levallois, Micoquian) cultural horizons as well as the Gravettian techno-complexes of the Upper Palaeolithic. During our research, some scientific problems have been identified in studying the Palaeolithic sites of Halych-Dnister region. They are described in the article. As our practice has shown, issues such as the interpretation of the taphonomy and chronology of archaeological artefacts, the determination of the cultural identity of the archaeological site or particular cultural horizons, the underestimation of the redeposition of cultural layers, the role of palaeorelief and the deluvial–solifluction processes in it, the incompleteness of geological sections of archaeological sites are often debatable among researchers. In the light of the increasing anthropogenic impact on the environment, the issue of rationale, certification and protection of Palaeolithic sites is becoming more urgent. The main purpose of the article is to analyse these issues and find ways to resolve them.
Peritoneal fluid biomarkers in patients with endometriosis: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Nirgianakis Konstantinos , McKinnon Brett , Ma Lijuan , Imboden Sara , Bersinger Nick , Mueller Michael D.
Published: September 2020

Objectives

Elevated concentrations of numerous molecules have been reported in the peritoneal cavity of women with endometriosis. Until now, no factor proved sufficiently specific to endometriosis. We aimed to investigate several biomarkers in endometriosis and report their association with the menstrual cycle in a large sample size study.

Methods

Patients of reproductive age undergoing laparoscopic procedures for benign pathology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Bern between 2007 and 2018 were included. Exclusion criteria were the use of hormonal treatment in the three months prior to surgery, patients suffering from other inflammatory diseases, pregnancy, malignancy and surgery performed in an emergency. The concentrations of 13 different biomarkers in the peritoneal fluid (PF) were compared between patients with and without endometriosis both in the proliferative and the secretory cycle phase.

Results

Out of 1,256 patients in the database, 521 met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Glycodelin (PP14) and Midkine concentrations were significantly higher in patients with endometriosis compared to controls irrespective of the cycle phase in which the PF was collected. Interleukin-8 (IL-8), regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) concentrations were higher in patients with endometriosis only in the proliferative cycle phase. Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, CCL2 (MCP-1) and Defensin concentrations were higher in patients with endometriosis only in the secretory cycle phase.

Conclusions

Certain pathophysiological processes may take place only in the one cycle phase leading to a temporary increase of specific PF biomarkers. Correlation with clinical outcomes is mandatory to establish their potential as prognostic or therapeutic tools in endometriosis.
Effect of hydrothermal coupling on energy evolution, damage, and microscopic characteristics of sandstone
Authors: Rongrong Zhang , Qinyong Ma , Qi Ping , Dongdong Ma
Published: September 2020

Heat–cool (H–C) cycle is a serious natural weathering mechanism for rock engineering in temperate desert climate; meanwhile, engineering rocks usually involve responses to impact loads arising from blasting operation, mechanized construction, and seismic oscillation. Considering the universality and destructiveness of rock failure caused by H–C cycle weathering coupled with dynamic loading, split Hopkinson pressure bar tests were conducted for sandstone with various H–C cycles. Additionally, hydrothermal coupled damage (D) was defined based on variation of total import strain energy. Energy evolution, damage, and microscopic characteristics of sandstone after diffierent H–C cycles were studied. Finally, the microcosmic structure changes of sandstone after various H–C cycles are compared by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) technology. Results show that decreasing rate of total import strain energy in high temperature group is significantly larger compared with that in low temperature group and moderate temperature groups. Repeated H–C cycles produce the thermal stress at the mineral boundary constantly and fracture along the boundary of the mineral particle according to the SEM and EDS results.
Democratizing the Doctrine of Unconstitutional Constitutional Amendments: The Puzzle of Amending the Judiciary Branch
Authors: Torres-Artunduaga Catalina , García-Jaramillo Santiago
Published: September 2020

The increasing interest of legal academia on the doctrine of Unconstitutional Constitutional Amendments and its growing enforcement by the judiciary in different jurisdictions has started to normalize a doctrine that was considered controversial and extraordinary. This paper seeks to cast some doubts on the use of this doctrine, especially when the Court that enforces it is the subject of the amendment itself. In the first section it will question the conceptual foundations of the doctrine by recourse to legal theory, focusing not only on the idea of constituent power, but also on those of the rule of law and accountability. In the second section, some comparative cases of unconstitutional constitutional amendments will be analyzed, focusing on those where the judiciary itself was the subject of the amendment. Finally, from a normative and conceptual standpoint, a dialogic approach to the application of the doctrine will be proposed, to mitigate the fact that Constitutional Courts can become an unaccountable accountability-holder.
In Search of a Standard: References to the Rule of Law in the Case-law of the European Court of Human Rights
Authors: Polgári Eszter
Published: September 2020

The present article maps the explicit references to the rule of law in the jurisprudence of the ECtHR by examining the judgments of the Grand Chamber and the Plenary Court. On the basis of the structured analysis it seeks to identify the constitutive elements of the Court’s rule of law concept and contrast it with the author’s working definition and the position of other Council of Europe organs. The review of the case-law indicates that the Court primarily associates the rule of law with access to court, judicial safeguards, legality and democracy, and it follows a moderately thick definition of the concept including formal, procedural and some substantive elements. The rule of law references are predominantly ancillary arguments giving weight to other Convention-based considerations and it is not applied as a self-standing standard.
Study of electric field stress on the surface contour and at the triple junction in three phase GIS with FGM spacer under the depression defect
Authors: Pakalapati Janaki , Gundavarapu Venkata N. Kumar , Duvvada Deepak Chowdary , Bali Sravana Kumar
Published: September 2020

Now days, the establishment of spacers is in wide usage in three-phase Gas Insulated Busduct (GIB) for providing mechanical support and better insulation to the conductors. The region of the intersection of SF6 gas, enclosure end and the spacer is one of the weakest links in GIB, so the major concentration is done on minimization of electric field stress at this junction by using Functionally Graded Material (FGM) technique. The other incidents of insulation failures are due to several defects like depression, delamination etc. reduces the dielectric strength of the spacers. In this paper, an FGM post type spacer has been designed for a three-phase GIB under depression and further electric field stress at Triple Junction (TJ) is reduced by introducing a metal insert (MI) nearer to the TJ. Several filler materials are used as doping materials for obtaining different permittivity values using FGM technique to achieve uniform electric field stress. Simulation is carried out for the designed spacer at various operating voltages with different types of FGM gradings. The effect of depression with different dimensions and positions is analyzed before and after inserting MI to the FGM post type spacer in three-phase GIB.
D-linked and non-d-linkedwh-questions in L2 French and L3 English
Authors: Hermas Abdelkader
Published: September 2020

This study considers L2 French and L3 English ultimate attainment among L1 Moroccan Arabic adult learners. It contrasts the acquisition of two types ofwh-questions: discourse-linked and non-discourse-linked questions in root and embedded forms. The results of two acceptability judgment tasks indicate that the advanced learners in L2 French and L3 English are nativelike on d-linkedwh-questions but less accurate on non-discourse-linked interrogatives. They successfully unlearn resumption as an L1 strategy to form discourse-linked questions. Therefore, contra the prediction of the Interface Hypothesis, discourse-linking is acquirable though it is a property of the syntax-discourse interface. It does not pose more learning difficulty than quantification (formalwh-feature) of narrow syntax. The study indicates that embedding and thereby the processing cognitive load are the deterministic variables, not the language domain of constructions.
Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) and the lectin complement pathway play a role in cutaneous ischemia and reperfusion injury
Authors: Peck Claas-Tido , Strauß Sarah , Stahl Gregory L. , Vogt Peter-Maria , Busche Marc N.
Published: September 2020

Objectives

Cutaneous ischemia/reperfusion (CI/R) injury has shown to play a significant role in chronic wounds such as decubitus ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, atherosclerotic lesions, and venous stasis wounds. CI/R also plays a role in free tissue transfer in reconstructive microsurgery and has been linked to clinical burn-depth progression after thermal injury. While the role of the complement system has been elucidated in multiple organ systems, evidence is lacking with respect to its role in the skin. Therefore, we evaluated the role of the complement system in CI/R injury.

Methods

Using a single pedicle skin flap mouse model of acute CI/R, we performed CI/R in wild-type (WT) mice and complement knock out (KO) mice, deficient in either C1q (C1q KO; classical pathway inhibition), mannose-binding lectin (MBL null; lectin pathway inhibition) or factor B (H2Bf KO; alternative pathway inhibition). Following 10 h ischemia and 7 days reperfusion, mice were sacrificed, flaps harvested and flap viability assessed via Image J software. The flap necrotic area was expressed as % total flap area. In another group, mice were sacrificed following CI/R with 10 h ischemia and 48 h reperfusion. Two cranial skin flap samples were taken for gene expression analysis of IL1b, IL6, TNFα, ICAM1, VCAM1, IL10, IL13 using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Results

Following CI/R, MBL null mice had a statistically significant smaller %necrotic flap area compared to WT mice (10.6 vs. 43.1%; p<0.05) suggesting protection from CI/R. A significantly reduced mean %necrotic flap area was not seen in either C1q KO or H2Bf KO mice relative to WT (22.9 and 31.3 vs. 43.1%; p=0.08 and p=0.244, respectively). There were no statistically significant differences between groups for markers of inflammation (TNFα, ICAM1, VCAM1, IL1b, IL6). In contrast, mRNA levels of IL10, a regulator of inflammation, were significantly increased in the MBL null group (p=0.047).

Conclusions

We demonstrated for the first time a significant role of MBL and the lectin complement pathway in ischemia/reperfusion injury of the skin and a potential role for IL10 in attenuating CI/R injury, as IL10 levels were significantly increased in the tissue from the CI/R-protected MBL null group.
Averaging causal estimators in high dimensions
Authors: Antonelli Joseph , Cefalu Matthew
Published: September 2020

There has been increasing interest in recent years in the development of approaches to estimate causal effects when the number of potential confounders is prohibitively large. This growth in interest has led to a number of potential estimators one could use in this setting. Each of these estimators has different operating characteristics, and it is unlikely that one estimator will outperform all others across all possible scenarios. Coupling this with the fact that an analyst can never know which approach is best for their particular data, we propose a synthetic estimator that averages over a set of candidate estimators. Averaging is widely used in statistics for problems such as prediction, where there are many possible models, and averaging can improve performance and increase robustness to using incorrect models. We show that these ideas carry over into the estimation of causal effects in high-dimensional scenarios. We show theoretically that averaging provides robustness against choosing a bad model, and show empirically via simulation that the averaging estimator performs quite well, and in most cases nearly as well as the best among all possible candidate estimators. Finally, we illustrate these ideas in an environmental wide association study and see that averaging provides the largest benefit in the more difficult scenarios that have large numbers of confounders.
On the clustering of stationary points of Tikhonov’s functional for conditionally well-posed inverse problems
Authors: Kokurin Mikhail Y.
Published: September 2020

In a Hilbert space, we consider a class of conditionally well-posed inverse problems for which the Hölder type estimate of conditional stability on a bounded closed and convex subset holds.
We investigate a finite-dimensional version of Tikhonov’s scheme in which the discretized Tikhonov’s functional is minimized over the finite-dimensional section of the set of conditional stability.
For this optimization problem, we prove that each its stationary point that is located not too far from the desired solution of the original inverse problem in reality belongs to a small neighborhood of the solution.
Estimates for the diameter of this neighborhood in terms of discretization errors and error level in input data are also given.
Soft computing based compressive sensing techniques in signal processing: A comprehensive review
Authors: Mishra Ishani , Jain Sanjay
Published: September 2020

In this modern world, a massive amount of data is processed and broadcasted daily. This includes the use of high energy, massive use of memory space, and increased power use. In a few applications, for example, image processing, signal processing, and possession of data signals, etc., the signals included can be viewed as light in a few spaces. The compressive sensing theory could be an appropriate contender to manage these limitations. “Compressive Sensing theory” preserves extremely helpful while signals are sparse or compressible. It very well may be utilized to recoup light or compressive signals with less estimation than customary strategies. Two issues must be addressed by CS: plan of the estimation framework and advancement of a proficient sparse recovery calculation. The essential intention of this work expects to audit a few ideas and utilizations of compressive sensing and to give an overview of the most significant sparse recovery calculations from every class. The exhibition of acquisition and reconstruction strategies is examined regarding the Compression Ratio, Reconstruction Accuracy, Mean Square Error, and so on.
Liraglutide pharmacokinetics and exposure-response in pediatric patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Petri Kristin C. C. , Hale Paula M. , Hofman Paul L. , Jacobsen Lisbeth V.
Published: September 2020

Objectives

Based on the ellipse trial, liraglutide was recently approved for use in pediatric patients with type 2 diabetes. We report the comparative exposure of liraglutide in pediatric vs. adult patients.

Methods

In this pharmacokinetic (PK) and exposure-response meta-analysis, data from two pediatric trials (including ellipse) and two adult trials of liraglutide were compiled (1,137 PK observations from 116 patients) to determine the impact of body weight, age and sex on liraglutide exposure. The exposure-response relationship for glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and body weight was compared between pediatric and adult patients. Additionally, the relationships between exposure and change from baseline in body mass index (BMI) and BMI standard deviation score (SDS) were assessed.

Results

The same liraglutide dose showed comparable exposure levels in pediatric and adult patients. Body weight and sex were the most important covariates for liraglutide exposure. There was an increasing response with higher liraglutide concentrations, and greater reductions were observed from baseline in HbA1c at 26 weeks vs. placebo. A trend toward lower body weight, BMI and BMI SDS was observed at 26 weeks.

Conclusions

These results support use of the same liraglutide dosing regimen in children and adolescents, aged ≥10 years, as that used in adults.
Bacterial stability with freezer storage of human milk
Authors: Pandya Shachee P. , Doshi Harshit , Codipilly Champa N. , Fireizen Yaron , Potak Debra , Schanler Richard J.
Published: September 2020

Objectives

Human milk supports the development of a beneficial newborn intestinal microflora. We have shown previously that human milk had reduced bacteria but unchanged nutrient composition when stored at −20 °C for up to nine months. We suspected declining bacterial colony counts were manifestations of bacterial dormancy and not failure of survival. We investigated differences in selected bacterial colony counts (lactobacillus, bifidobacteria, staphylococcus, streptococcus and enterococcus) in human milk stored for 2 and 12 weeks at −20 °C in either manual or automatic defrost freezers and whether reduced bacterial counts at 12 weeks were the result of dormancy or failure of survival.

Methods

Freshly expressed milk was obtained from mothers in the NICU, divided into aliquots and stored for 2 and 12 weeks at −20 °C in either automatic or manual defrost freezers. Subsequently, duplicate aliquots, one thawed and the other thawed and maintained at room temperature for 4 h, were plated to assess bacterial colony counts.

Results

Significant declines in bacterial colony counts were seen from 2 to 12 weeks freezer storage for all bacteria. There were no differences in colony counts between freezer types. Once thawed, no further bacterial growth occurred.

Conclusions

Short-term freezer storage for 12 weeks resulted bacterial killing. Type of freezer used for storage did not have an impact on bacterial survival. It is unknown whether the paucity of important probiotic bacteria in stored human milk has adverse effects on infants.
Kant and Danton
Authors: Bordoni Gianluca Sadun
Published: September 2020

In On the Common Saying, Kant criticizes Danton’s interpretation of the social contract as a ‘factum’. In this article, I aim to identify the source to which Kant is referring in this criticism. This can be of help in interpreting Kant’s attitude toward the French Revolution.
Eduard von Hartmann, die Postulatenlehre und die Genese des Neukantianismus im Kontext spiritistischer Debatten um 1900
Authors: Heidenreich Hauke
Published: September 2020

Most scholars dealing with neo-Kantianism emphasize the existence of an explicit origin that characterizes neo-Kantianism as a clearly defined ‘movement’ with certain objects. In spite of the fact that differences between various neo-Kantian authors are mentioned in the current discourse (e. g. ‘Südwestdeutsche’ and ‘Marburger Schule’) scholars claim a singular unity of all neo-Kantian debates represented in the problem of ‘Geltung’. This is used to construct a certain relevance of neo-Kantianism in today’s philosophy.

My contribution will pursue a historical approach following Klaus Christian Köhnke’s and Ulrich Sieg’s demands. Instead of sketching systematic topics I pay further attention to the context in which an essence of neo-Kantianism was claimed or rejected. In doing so I will examine the discussions on the doctrine of postulates in Kant’s philosophy mainly led by Hans Vaihinger’s ‘Philosophy of As If’ and the impact of Eduard von Hartmann on the genesis of neo-Kantianism. I conclude that the definition of a consistent neo-Kantian ‘movement’ was an effect of rejecting spiritualist interpretations of the doctrine of postulates and in the following a rejection of the whole doctrine as ‘mysticism’ in canonical Kant interpretations.
Computer-aided diagnosis of skin cancer based on soft computing techniques
Authors: Xu Zhiying , Sheykhahmad Fatima Rashid , Ghadimi Noradin , Razmjooy Navid
Published: September 2020

Skin cancer is a type of disease in which malignant cells are formed in skin tissues. However, skin cancer is a dangerous disease, and an early detection of this disease helps the therapists to cure this disease. In the present research, an automatic computer-aided method is presented for the early diagnosis of skin cancer. After image noise reduction based on median filter in the first stage, a new image segmentation based on the convolutional neural network optimized by satin bowerbird optimization (SBO) has been adopted and its efficiency has been indicated by the confusion matrix. Then, feature extraction is performed to extract the useful information from the segmented image. An optimized feature selection based on the SBO algorithm is also applied to prune excessive information. Finally, a support vector machine classifier is used to categorize the processed image into the following two groups: cancerous and healthy cases. Simulations have been performed of the American Cancer Society database, and the results have been compared with ten different methods from the literature to investigate the performance of the system in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, negative predictive value, specificity, and positive predictive value.
The crystal structure of dimethylammonium catena-[di(μ-aqua)-bis(μ9-benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylato)pentalithium], C20H16Li5NO13
Authors: Li Ying , Qin Yu-Cai , Chen Bao-Kuan
Published: September 2020

C20H16Li5NO13, orthorhombic, Pnma (no. 62), a = 9.9218(8) Å, b = 14.6941(11) Å, c = 13.5697(10) Å, V = 1978.4(3) Å3, Z = 4, R
gt(F) = 0.0439, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.0960, T = 173(2) K.
Evolution of biobased and nanotechnology packaging – a review
Authors: Lindström Tom , Österberg Folke
Published: September 2020

This review deals with the evolution of bio-based packaging and the emergence of various nanotechnologies for primary food packaging. The end-of life issues of packaging is discussed and particularly the environmental problems associated with microplastics in the marine environment, which serve as a vector for the assimilation of persistent organic pollutants in the oceans and are transported into the food chain via marine and wild life. The use of biodegradable polymers has been a primary route to alleviate these environmental problems, but for various reasons the market has not developed at a sufficient pace that would cope with the mentioned environmental issues. Currently, the biodegradable plastics only constitute a small fraction of the fossil-based plastic market. Fossil-based plastics are, however, indispensable for food safety and minimization of food waste, and are not only cheap, but has generally more suitable mechanical and barrier properties compared to biodegradable polymers. More recently, various nanotechnologies such as the use of nanoclays, nanocellulose, layer-by-layer technologies and polyelectrolyte complexes have emerged as viable technologies to make oxygen and water vapor barriers suitable for food packaging. These technological developments are highlighted as well as issues like biodegradation, recycling, legislation issues and safety and toxicity of these nanotechnologies.
Superior Fe
x
N electrocatalyst derived from 1,1′-diacetylferrocene for oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline and acidic media
Authors: Jiang Hunan , Li Jinyang , Liang Mengni , Deng Hanpeng , Zhou Zuowan
Published: September 2020

Although Fe–N/C catalysts have received increasing attention in recent years for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), it is still challenging to precisely control the active sites during the preparation. Herein, we report Fe
x
N@RGO catalysts with the size of 2–6 nm derived from the pyrolysis of graphene oxide and 1,1′-diacetylferrocene as C and Fe precursors under the NH3/Ar atmosphere as N source. The 1,1′-diacetylferrocene transforms to Fe3O4 at 600°C and transforms to Fe3N and Fe2N at 700°C and 800°C, respectively. The as-prepared Fe
x
N@RGO catalysts exhibited superior electrocatalytic activities in acidic and alkaline media compared with the commercial 10% Pt/C, in terms of electrochemical surface area, onset potential, half-wave potential, number of electrons transferred, kinetic current density, and exchange current density. In addition, the stability of FGN-8 also outperformed commercial 10% Pt/C after 10000 cycles, which demonstrates the as-prepared Fe
x
N@RGO as durable and active ORR catalysts in acidic media.
Finite element analysis of natural fibers composites: A review
Authors: Alhijazi Mohamad , Zeeshan Qasim , Qin Zhaoye , Safaei Babak , Asmael Mohammed
Published: September 2020

Natural fiber composites (NFCs) also termed as biocomposites offer an alternative to the existing synthetic fiber composites, due to their advantages such as abundance in nature, relatively low cost, lightweight, high strength-to-weight ratio, and most importantly their environmental aspects such as biodegradability, renewability, recyclability, and sustainability. Researchers are investigating in depth the properties of NFC to identify their reliability and accessibility for being involved in aircrafts, automotive, marine, sports’ equipment, and other engineering fields. Modeling and simulation (M&S) of NFCs is a valuable method that contributes in enhancing the design and performance of natural fibers composite. Recently many researchers have applied finite element analysis to analyze NFCs’ characteristics. This article aims to present a comprehensive review on recent developments in M&S of NFCs through classifying the research according to the analysis type, NFC type, model type, simulation platform and parameters, and research outcomes, shedding the light on the main applicable theories and methods in this area, aiming to let more experts know the current research status and also provide some guidance for relevant researches.
Assessment of yield components of some cassava (Manihot esculentaCrantz) genotypes using multivariate analysis such as path coefficients
Authors: Njoku Damian Ndubuisi , Mbah Emmanuel Ukaobasi
Published: September 2020

Cassava, which is a tropical storage root crop, serves as a veritable source of carbohydrate for people living in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is also an important source of industrial starch, biopolymers, animal feeds and ethanol. However, the genetic improvement of the crop is impeded by dearth in information on its genetic variability. A field experiment was carried out at the National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike (05° 29′ N; 07° 33′ E; 122 m a.s.l.), Nigeria, aimed at assessing the interrelationship between fresh root yield and thirteen quantitative yield-related characters of twenty-eight (28) newly developed cassava genotypes. The rain-fed experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with dual replications in 2016/2017 cropping seasons. The results indicated that the newly developed cassava genotypes [2] NR110315 followed by [20] B1-5 and [1] NR110238 exhibited (P< 0.05) highest fresh root yield among the twenty-eight genotypes tested. The fresh root yield of [2] NR110315 (18.77 Mt ha−1) was relatively higher compared with [18] NR050080, which gave the least root yield of 5.38 Mt ha−1. The correlation coefficients obtained from the associations among the variables were positive and exhibited highly significant (P≤ 0.01) association, especially between leaf area index (LAI) and root diameter as well as with fresh root yield of cassava. Among the nine variables subjected to the path analysis, LAI, starch content, above ground dry matter (AGDM), weight of fresh marketable roots per plant and root length that contributed positively and directly to higher fresh root yield require greater attention during selection and breeding in cassava studies. The direct effect of the variables indicating their magnitudes in decreasing order showed that LAI exhibited the greatest effect followed by starch content, AGDM, weight of fresh marketable roots plant−1, root length, % cassava bacterial blight incidence and % Cassava mosaic disease incidence, which had the lowest direct effect on root yield of cassava. Cyanide potential exhibited a direct, weak and negative effect on fresh root yield. The results further suggested that cassava improvement could be achieved through these characters that have positive and highly significant magnitude effect on fresh root yield.
Präventionspolitik – Nicht nur ein Themenfeld für das Gesundheitsressort
Authors: Arnold Laura , Mörschel Katharina , Suffel Anne , von Philipsborn Peter
Published: September 2020

Effektive Gesundheitsförderungs- und Präventionsmaßnahmen adressieren übergeordnete, strukturelle Risikofaktoren übertragbarer wie nichtübertragbarer Krankheiten. Diese sind zumeist außerhalb des Gesundheitssektors verortet und erfordern einen Health in All Policies (HiAP) Ansatz. Die weltweite Ausbreitung des SARS-CoV-2-Virus verdeutlicht die Notwendigkeit einer ressortübergreifenden Präventionspolitik mit klarer HiAP-Perspektive und politisch institutioneller Verankerung.
Global Health needs more than International Health Regulations – the case of Covid-19
Authors: Razum Oliver , Bozorgmehr Kayvan
Published: September 2020

The International Health Regulations are a legally binding instrument which should support WHO in coordinating pandemic control. Covid-19 has demonstrated the limits of international cooperation in pandemics. An even broader Global Health approach would be needed that focusses not only on controlling outbreaks, but acknowledges societal expectations and implements Health in All Policies.
HiAP nach COVID-19: Eine Zukunftsperspektive des Nachwuchsnetzwerk Öffentliche Gesundheit
Authors: Arnold Laura , Drees Simon , Geffert Karin , Gepp Sophie , Jung Laura , Kerstin Sell , Jan M. Stratil
Published: September 2020

Im diesem Artikel diskutieren Mitglieder des Nachwuchsnetzwerkes Öffentliche Gesundheit über Chancen und Herausforderungen einer gesundheitsförderlichen Gesamtpolitik, im Sinne von Health in All Policies (HiAP), angesichts der aktuellen COVID-19-Pandemie. Dabei werden unterschiedliche Perspektiven, vom Zusammenwirken verschiedener Politikbereiche, bis hin zum Öffentlichen Gesundheitsdienst, skizziert.
Die Public Health-Strategie Baden-Württemberg
Authors: Roller Gottfried , Wuthe Jürgen
Published: September 2020

Die Herausforderungen unseres Gesundheitssystems erfordern einen langfristigen gesundheitspolitischen Ansatz und eine Stärkung des öffentlichen Gesundheitsdienstes (ÖGD). Mit einer Gesundheitsstrategie und der Weiterentwicklung des ÖGD hat Baden-Württemberg frühzeitig auf diese Entwicklungen reagiert. Dennoch zeigt die aktuelle Situation (COVID-19-Pandemie), dass der ÖGD strukturell und inhaltlich weiter- entwickelt werden muss.
Die zehn zentralen Aufgaben für die öffentliche Gesundheit (EPHO) berühren fast alle Politikfelder
Authors: Jakubowski Elke
Published: September 2020

Die WHO hat im Jahre 2012 zehn zentrale Aufgaben für die öffentliche Gesundheit (EPHO) definiert. Bis ins Jahr 2020 haben die EPHO jedoch nur vereinzelt in Deutschland Berücksichtigung gefunden. In der Eindämmung der Coronavirus-Pandemie spielt der Öffentliche Gesundheitsdienst (ÖGD) eine wichtige Rolle für die Umsetzung der Maßnahmen des Infektions- und Gesundheitsschutzes in fast allen Politikfeldern. Entscheidungsträger haben das erkannt und setzen sich auf Bundes- und Landesebene für eine Stärkung des ÖGD ein. Die EPHO empfehlen sich dabei als Handlungswege für die Stärkung des ÖGD in Deutschland.
Priorisierung von Kindergesundheit im Kontext von HiAP
Authors: Thyen Ute , Geene Raimund
Published: September 2020

Kinder und Jugendliche profitieren in besonderem Maße von einer nachhaltig geplanten integrierten Förderung und Erhaltung der Gesundheit, die alle Politikbereiche durchdringt und aufeinander abgestimmt ist. Die Begründung liegt in ihrer besonderen Angewiesenheit auf die Familie als primäre Lebenswelt, in der Gesundheit, Schutz, Förderung und Beteiligung verwirklicht wird. Die Gesellschaft und die Regierung unterstützen Familien in diesen Aufgaben.
Environmental exposures to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and their role in endometriosis: a systematic literature review
Authors: Sirohi Diksha , Al Ramadhani Ruqaiya , Knibbs Luke D.
Published: September 2020

Purpose

Endocrine-related diseases and disorders are on the rise globally. Synthetically produced environmental chemicals (endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs)) mimic hormones like oestrogen and alter signalling pathways. Endometriosis is an oestrogen-dependent condition, affecting 10–15% of women of the reproductive age, and has substantial impacts on the quality of life. The aetiology of endometriosis is believed to be multifactorial, ranging from genetic causes to immunologic dysfunction due to environmental exposure to EDCs. Hence, we undertook a systematic review and investigated the epidemiological evidence for an association between EDCs and the development of endometriosis. We also aimed to assess studies on the relationship between body concentration of EDCs and the severity of endometriosis.

Method

Following PRISMA guidelines, a structured search of PubMed, Embase and Scopus was conducted (to July 2018). The included studies analysed the association between one or more EDCs and the prevalence of endometriosis. The types of EDCs, association and outcome, participant characteristics and confounding variables were extracted and analysed. Quality assessment was performed using standard criteria.

Results

In total, 29 studies were included. Phthalate esters were positively associated with the prevalence of endometriosis. The majority (71%) of studies revealed a significant association between bisphenol A, organochlorinated environmental pollutants (dioxins, dioxin-like compounds, organochlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls) and the prevalence of endometriosis. A positive association between copper, chromium and prevalence of endometriosis was demonstrated in one study only. Cadmium, lead and mercury were not associated with the prevalence of endometriosis. There were conflicting results for the association between nickel and endometriosis. The relationship of EDCs and severity of endometriosis was not established in the studies.

Conclusion

We found some evidence to suggest an association between phthalate esters, bisphenol A, organochlorinated environmental pollutants and the prevalence of endometriosis. Disentangling these exposures from various other factors that affect endometriosis is complex, but an important topic for further research.
Theorem of Furstenberg type for multiplicative stochastic integrals
Authors: Akanbay N. , Molchanov S. , Suleimenova Z. I.
Published: September 2020

This paper contains the proof of the positivity of the top Lyapunov exponent for the multiplicative stochastic integrals related to the diffusion processes on the Lee algebra of the matrices with zero trace.
Stochastic PDEs in 𝒮' for SDEs driven by Lévy noise
Authors: Bhar Suprio , Bhaskaran Rajeev , Sarkar Barun
Published: September 2020

In this article we show that a finite-dimensional stochastic differential equation driven by a Lévy noise can be formulated as a stochastic partial differential equation (SPDE) driven by the same Lévy noise. We prove the existence result for such an SPDE by Itô’s formula for translation operators, and the uniqueness by an adapted form of “Monotonicity inequality”, proved earlier in the diffusion case. As a consequence, the solutions that we construct have the “translation invariance” property.
Die grammatische Terminologie derOsnova slovnice slavjanske narěčja ilirskogavon Vjekoslav Babukić (1836)
Authors: Keipert Helmut
Published: September 2020

During the past decennia, Vjekoslav Babukić’sOsnova slovnice slavjanske narěčja ilirskoga(Zagreb, 1836) has come to be widely regarded in Croatia as the first codification of a Štokavian-based standard language for all Croats and has enjoyed an accordingly privileged status. The present article is intended as a reminder that this grammar was undoubtedly written first and foremost as a foundation in order to create a common literary language for all South Slavs, at least for the Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes. Such a broader view is firmly supported by the obvious “all-Slavic spirit” (sveslavenski duh) attributed to the text by Lj. Gaj already in 1836 and can further be substantiated by means of a short examination of Babukić’s peculiarly mixed metalanguage that combines Kajkavian-German-Latin and Serbian-Russian-Church Slavonic terms.
Spiritualität in der psychiatrischen Pflege – Begriffsanalyse und Vorschlag einer Arbeitsdefinition
Authors: Grabenweger Reinhard , Paal Piret
Published: September 2020

Hintergrund: Spiritualität und Religion stellen wichtige Dimensionen im ganzheitlichen Gesundheits- und Krankheitsverständnis dar. Es stellt sich die Frage, wie der Begriff „Spiritualität“ im Kontext der psychiatrischen Pflege im deutschsprachigen Raum verwendet wird. Publikationen hierzu liegen nur vereinzelt vor. Forschungsfragen und Ziele: (1) Welche Bedeutung kommt dem Begriff „Spiritualität“ im Rahmen der psychiatrischen Pflege im deutschsprachigen Raum zu? (2) Inwiefern kann von einem „reifen“ Begriff gesprochen werden? Die Bedeutung von präzisen Definitionen muss für Lehre, Forschung und Praxis betont werden. Methodik: Es erfolgte eine systematische Literaturrecherche in Datenbanken (PubMed, CINAHL, LIVIVO), Google Scholar sowie eine Handsuche in Fachzeitschriften. Insgesamt wurden 13 Publikationen (Publikationszeitraum: 2013 KW 1 bis 2018 KW 40) zur Beantwortung der Fragestellung herangezogen. Eine auf festgelegten Kriterien basierte Begriffsanalyse nach Morse et al. (1996b) erfolgte. Ergebnisse: Unterschiedliche Definitionen, uneinheitlich beschriebene Eigenschaften, Voraussetzungen sowie Folgen und eine unklare Abgrenzung zu anderen Begriffen weisen auf einen schwer einzugrenzenden, sich in Entwicklung befindenden Begriff hin. Dies beeinträchtigt auch die Qualität der Studien. Eine vorläufige Arbeitsdefinition für den Bereich der psychiatrischen Gesundheits- und Krankenpflege wird vorgeschlagen. Schlussfolgerungen: Der Mangel an wissenschaftlichen Publikationen zu Spiritualität in der psychiatrischen Pflege im deutschsprachigen Raum, uneinheitliche Definitionen und ein heterogenes Verständnis von Spiritualität weisen auf weiteren Forschungsbedarf hin.