bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adverse life events and late‐life cognitive decline in a Chinese cohort: The Shanghai Aging Study
Authors: Tian Hongdou , Deng Wei , Law Chikin , Zhao Qianhua , Liang Xiaoniu , Wu Wanqing , Luo Jianfeng , Ding Ding
Published: February 2020

Objective

This study aimed to demonstrate the association between adverse life events (ALEs) and the risk of late‐life cognitive decline in older community‐dwelling individuals in China.

Methods

We prospectively followed up 1657 dementia‐free participants with ALE data at baseline in the Shanghai Aging Study. The cohort was categorized into four subgroups (depression with ALEs, depression without ALEs, no depression with ALEs, and no depression without ALEs). Cox regressions were conducted to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) for incident dementia stratified by all participants and depressed and nondepressed participants.

Results

We identified 168 incident dementia cases over a mean period of 5.2 years. The cumulative dementia incidence in nondepressed participants with ALEs was the lowest among the four subgroups. Nondepressed participants with ALEs had a lower risk of incident dementia (HR [95% CI]: 0.50 [0.27‐0.92], P = .0267) than those without ALEs, adjusted for age, sex, education, apolipoprotein E ε4 (APOE ε4), body mass index, cigarette smoking, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE) at baseline, and anxiety.

Conclusions

This study explored a significant inverse association between ALEs and the risk of incident cognitive decline among older adults without depression in China. Interventions for depression prevention immediately after ALEs may reduce the risk of cognitive decline later in life.
Immunohistochemistry for c‐myc and bcl‐2 overexpression improves risk stratification in primary central nervous system lymphoma
Authors: Hatzl Stefan , Posch Florian , Deutsch Alexander , Beham‐Schmid Christine , Stöger Herbert , Greinix Hildegard , Pichler Martin , Neumeister Peter , Prochazka Katharina T.
Published: February 2020

Overexpression of bcl‐2 and c‐myc are defining features of double‐expressor‐lymphoma (DEL) but may also occur separately in patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). Despite all progress in optimizing treatment regimen, there is lack of sufficient risk stratification models. Here, we first describe the relationship between DEL biology, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network International Prognostic Index (NCCN‐IPI), treatment response, disease progression, and mortality in PCNSL. In this study, we determined c‐myc and bcl‐2 status immunohistochemically in samples of 48 patients with newly diagnosed PCNSL and followed these patients for a median interval of 6.2 years. Twelve, 18, and 17 patients harbored none, one, or both DEL features. Corresponding overall response rates after first‐line therapy were strongly associated with DEL biology (100%, 42%, and 44% in patients with 0, 1, or 2 DEL features). Patients with one or both DEL features had a 5‐fold and 13‐fold higher 5‐year risk of progression and/or death than patients without DEL features. These associations prevailed after adjusting for the NCCN‐IPI. DEL improved the discriminatory capability of the NCCN‐IPI (P = .0001). Furthermore, we could show that addition of DEL biology to the NCCN‐IPI significantly improved the score's discriminatory potential both toward progression‐free survival (increase in Harell's c = 0.15, P = .005) and overall survival (increase in Harell's c = 0.11, P = .029). In conclusion, DEL biology is a strong and simple‐to‐use predictor of adverse outcome in PCNSL. Addition of DEL to the NCCN‐IPI improves its prognostic potential. Disease progression from PCNSL harboring both DEL features is invariably fatal. This defines a novel PCNSL patient subset with a great unmet need for improved therapy.
Loss of p62 impairs bone turnover and inhibits PTH‐induced osteogenesis
Authors: Agas Dimitrios , Amaroli Andrea , Lacava Giovanna , Yanagawa Toru , Sabbieti Maria Giovanna
Published: February 2020

The p62 (also named sequestosome1/SQSTM1) is multidomain and multifunctional protein associated with several physiological and pathological conditions. A number of studies evidenced an involvement of p62 on the disruptive bone scenarios due to its participation in the inflammatory/osteoclastogenic pathways. However, so far, information regarding the function of p62 in the fine‐tuned processes underpinning the bone physiology are not well‐defined and are sometime discordant. We, previously, demonstrated that the intramuscular administration of a plasmid coding for p62 was able to contrast bone loss in a mouse model of osteopenia. Here, in vitro findings showed that the p62 overexpression in murine osteoblasts precursors enhanced their maturation while the p62 depletion by a specific siRNA, decreased osteoblasts differentiation. Consistently, the activity of osteoblasts from p62−/− mice was reduced compared with wild‐type. Also, morphometric analyses of bone from p62 knockout mice revealed a pathological phenotype characterized by a lower turnover that could be explained by the poor Runx2 protein synthesis in absence of p62. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the parathyroid hormone (PTH) regulates p62 expression and that the osteogenic effects of this hormone were totally abrogated in osteoblasts from p62‐deficient mice. Therefore, these findings, for the first time, highlight the important role of p62 both for the basal and for PTH‐stimulated bone remodeling.
Thieno[2,3‐d]pyrimidine derivatives: Synthetic approaches and their FLT3 kinase inhibition
Authors: Elmongy Elshaymaa I.
Published: February 2020

Thienopyrimidines are popular purine bioisosteres, a fundamental piece of the human metabolome. The structural similarity of this scaffold with nucleobases in the nucleic acid of DNA made it an interesting moiety to be used in the design of kinase inhibitors. This review focuses on the chemistry of thieno[2,3‐d]pyrimidine derivatives and their potential activities against Fms‐like tyrosine kinase (FLT3kinase) in addition to their structure‐activity relationship studies.
Continuous Kinetic Sampling of Flow Polymerizations via Inline UV–Vis Spectroscopy
Authors: Lauterbach Felix , Abetz Volker
Published: February 2020

Gapless monitoring of polymerization reactions is of paramount interest for academia and the polymer industry, allowing for efficient reaction screening and precise tailoring of the polymeric products. Herein, UV–visible spectroscopy (UV–vis) is employed as an operando measurement technique in continuous flow polymerization with ex situ calibration, to calculate monomer conversions with unprecedented resolution of only 10 s. A mathematical model based on volume contraction is provided for the first time, which yields monomer conversions from the absorption in the visible region for theoretically any homopolymerization. This model is validated for different monomers, solvents, and concentrations in a photoiniferter reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization, proving the versatility of the presented setup. Notably, an ultralow measurement volume of merely a few hundred nanoliters is enough to ensure high accuracy.
Time‐dependent diffusion MRI as a probe of microstructural changes in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Authors: Porcari Paola , Hall Matt G. , Clark Chris A. , Greally Elizabeth , Straub Volker , Blamire Andrew M.
Published: February 2020

Dystrophic muscles show a high variability of fibre sizes and altered sarcolemmal integrity, which are typically assessed by histology. Time‐dependent diffusion MRI is sensitive to tissue microstructure and its investigation through age‐related changes in dystrophic and healthy muscles may help the understanding of the onset and progression of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

We investigated the capability of time‐dependent diffusion MRI to quantify age and disease‐related changes in hind‐limb muscle microstructure between dystrophic (mdx) and wild‐type (WT) mice of three age groups (7.5, 22 and 44 weeks).

Diffusion time‐dependent apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) of the gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscles were determined versus age and diffusion‐gradient orientation at six diffusion times (Δ; range: 25–350 ms). Mean muscle ADCs were compared between groups and ages, and correlated with T2, using Student's t test, one‐way analysis of variance and Pearson correlation, respectively. Muscle fibre sizes and sarcolemmal integrity were evaluated by histology and compared with diffusion measurements.

Hind‐limb muscle ADC showed characteristic restricted diffusion behaviour in both mdx and WT animals with decreasing ADC values at longer Δ. Significant differences in ADC were observed at long Δ values (≥ 250 ms; p < 0.05, comparison between groups; p < 0.01, comparison between ages) with ADC increased by 5–15% in dystrophic muscles, indicative of reduced diffusion restriction. No significant correlation was found between T2 and ADC. Additionally, muscle fibre size distributions showed higher variability and lower mean fibre size in mdx than WT animals (p < 0.001). The extensive Evans Blue Dye uptake shown in dystrophic muscles revealed substantial sarcolemmal damage, suggesting diffusion measurements as more consistent with altered permeability rather than changes in muscle fibre sizes.

This study shows the potential of diffusion MRI to non‐invasively discriminate between dystrophic and healthy muscles with enhanced sensitivity when using long Δ.
Towards novel super‐elastic foams based on isoperene rubber: Preparation and characterization
Authors: Vahidifar Ali , Esmizadeh Elnaz , Rodrigue Denis , Khonakdar Hossein A. , Wagenknecht Udo
Published: February 2020

A novel and conventional closed cell polyisoprene rubber (IR) foams were produced by a single step limited‐expansion and two step unlimited‐expansion foaming process, respectively. The effect of 3 to 12 part per hundred rubber (phr) of azodicarbonamide (ADC) foaming agent on their structure and properties of developed novel foams were studied. In developed novel foams, the density was strangely independent of ADC content; however, the cell sizes conversely related to ADC content and it decreased by 60% (555‐330 μm) and the internal cell pressure build up from 1 to 3.7 atm, which was related to pressure‐free foaming method. The both reasons of compressed gas trapped inside cells and constant density not only caused unique enhancement in novel foams mechanical properties as hardness and modulus but also improved their dynamic properties as hysteresis and elasticity. Results of conventional IR foams showed that, their foam density as well as dynamic and mechanical properties sharply decreased with increasing ADC content from 3 to 12 phr. For clear expression, in samples with 12 phr of ADC, novel developed foams have more foam density (180%), more hardness (240%), more modulus (290%), and smaller cell size (75%) than conventional foams. Finally, novel developed foams were super‐elastic material with no hysteresis and no plastic deformation while conventional foams had 40% hysteresis and 10% plastic deformation under the same compression conditions.
Biocompatibility and hyperthermia cancer therapy of casein‐coated iron oxide nanoparticles in mice
Authors: Bani Milad Salimi , Hatamie Shadie , Haghpanahi Mohammad
Published: February 2020

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) can be used as heat generation source in cancer hyperthermia therapy. While iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) are the most popular choice for magnetic hyperthermia, adding a surface enhancement can improve its performance. Furthermore, for MNPs to be used in biomedical application their cytotoxicity needs to be evaluated. In this study biocompatibility and also in vivo performance of casein‐coated MNPs were assessed. Cell viability of normal cell lines in all of tests remained above 95% for 0.5 and 1 mg/mL concentration and even the minimum recorded cell viability for normal cell lines was 84.78% at 20 mg/mL concentration. In contrast cell viability of cancer cell lines in contact with casein coated MNPs core‐shell structure except for one sample remained below 85%. By introduction of and alternating magnetic field, cell viability of samples with lower MNP concentration dropped by 20% to 30% while this drop for samples with higher concentration was 10% to 20%. Furthermore, results of in vivo trials show that just 1 week of hyperthermia treatment with casein coated MNPs core‐shell structure can reduce the tumor size of the mice by 33%. Real‐time polymerase chain reaction results further confirmed the effectiveness of this method. Moreover, findings of this study suggest that lower injection speed can improve NPs distribution and treatment effect. Results of this study suggest that core‐shell structure can positively affect the tumor growth and the combination of good biocompatibility, innate hostility toward cancer cells and good heating power makes them a good candidate for hyperthermia cancer therapy applications.
Influence of liquid coverage on the anticancer effects of a helium plasma jet on 3D tumor spheroids
Authors: Zhang Jishen , Liu Dingxin , Zhang Hao , Xia Wenjie , Liu Yifan , Sun Bowen , Xu Dehui , Guo Li , Kong Michael G.
Published: February 2020

In clinical treatment, the presence or absence of transudate coverage of exposed tumor tissue may have a significant impact on the therapeutic effect of cold atmospheric plasma. Here, the anticancer effects of a plasma jet on three‐dimensional multicellular tumor spheroids with or without liquid coverage were examined. It was found that cell viability decreased more rapidly without liquid coverage than with liquid coverage. Apoptotic cells and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were mainly distributed in the areas of the spheroids directly irradiated by the plasma jet without liquid coverage. However, with liquid coverage, they were distributed throughout the outermost layers of the whole spheroids. Importantly, liquid can help ROS penetrate into spheroids and prolong the anticancer effects of plasma.
Nanocrystal‐based inorganic nanocomposites: A new paradigm for plasma‐produced optoelectronic thin films
Authors: Beaudette Chad A. , Wang Xiaojia , Kortshagen Uwe R.
Published: February 2020

Nanocrystal‐based nanocomposites are biphasic materials with intriguing optoelectronic properties. They are formed through, first, plasma‐synthesis of nanocrystals, followed by a second, supersonic impact deposition on translated substrates to form densely packed nanocrystal networks at high deposition rates. Third, dense nanocomposites are formed by subsequent infilling of the voids in the nanocrystal networks with a second phase matrix material using thermal‐ or plasma‐enhanced atomic layer deposition. This paper reviews recent efforts to achieve excellent electronic transport in these nanocomposites. It then provides a perspective on how the biphasic nature of these materials can be used to independently control several materials properties and endow materials with multiple functionalities.
The role of anti‐flavivirus humoral immune response in protection and pathogenesis
Authors: Hurtado‐Monzón Arianna Mahely , Cordero‐Rivera Carlos Daniel , Farfan‐Morales Carlos Noe , Osuna‐Ramos Juan Fidel , De Jesús‐González Luis Adrián , Reyes‐Ruiz José Manuel , del Ángel Rosa María
Published: February 2020

Flavivirus infections are a public health threat in the world that requires the development of safe and effective vaccines. Therefore, the understanding of the anti‐flavivirus humoral immune response is fundamental to future studies on flavivirus pathogenesis and the design of anti‐flavivirus therapeutics. This review aims to provide an overview of the current understanding of the function and involvement of flavivirus proteins in the humoral immune response as well as the ability of the anti‐envelope (anti‐E) antibodies to interfere (neutralizing antibodies) or not (non‐neutralizing antibodies) with viral infection, and how they can, in some circumstances enhance dengue virus infection on Fc gamma receptor (FcγR) bearing cells through a mechanism known as antibody‐dependent enhancement (ADE). Thus, the dual role of the antibodies against E protein poses a formidable challenge for vaccine development. Also, we discuss the roles of antibody binding stoichiometry (the concentration, affinity, or epitope recognition) in the neutralization of flaviviruses and the “breathing” of flavivirus virions in the humoral immune response. Finally, the relevance of some specific antibodies in the design and improvement of effective vaccines is addressed.
A super‐combo‐drug test to detect adverse drug events and drug interactions from electronic health records in the era of polypharmacy
Authors: Zhu Anqi , Zeng Donglin , Shen Li , Ning Xia , Li Lang , Zhang Pengyue
Published: February 2020

Pharmacoinformatics research has experienced a great deal of successes in detecting drug‐induced adverse events (AEs) using large‐scale health record databases. In the era of polypharmacy, pharmacoinformatics faces many new challenges, and two significant challenges are to detect high‐order drug interactions and to handle strongly correlated drugs. In this article, we propose a super‐combo‐drug test (SupCD‐T) to address the aforementioned two challenges. SupCD‐T detects drug interactions by identifying optimal drug combinations with increased AE risks. In addition, SupCD‐T increases the statistical powers to detect single‐drug effects by combining strongly correlated drugs. Although SupCD‐T does not distinguish single‐drug effects from their combination effects, it is noticeably more powerful in selecting an individual drug effect in the multiple regression analysis, where confounding justification between two correlated drugs reduces the power in testing the individual drug effects on AEs. Our simulation studies demonstrate that SupCD‐T has generally better power comparing with the multiple regression analysis. In addition, SupCD‐T is able to select meaningful drug combinations (eg, highly coprescribed drugs). Using electronic health record database, we illustrate the utility of SupCD‐T and discover a number of drug combinations that have increased risk in myopathy. Some novel drug combinations have not yet been investigated and reported in the pharmacology research.
New Di(heteroaryl)ethenes as Apoptotic Anti‐proliferative Agents Towards Breast Cancer: Design, One‐Pot Synthesis and In Vitro Evaluation
Authors: Bonaccorso Carmela , Naletova Irina , Satriano Cristina , Spampinato Giorgia , Barresi Vincenza , Fortuna Cosimo G.
Published: February 2020

A new series of di(heteroaryl)ethenes was designed and synthesized by combining 5‐(dichlorophenyl)‐furan‐2‐yl and N‐substituted pyridinum moieties. All the synthesized compounds were screened for their anticancer activity against the MCF‐7 human breast cancer cell line. Most of the tested compounds showed moderate to potent cell growth inhibition; in particular, four of these exhibited promising cytotoxicity against this cell line, with IC50 values in the range of 0.30–0.005 μM. In addition, the potential mechanism of cell growth inhibition and apoptotic induction by these compounds was investigated by using flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Based on these results, we identified a new and alternative class of anticancer agents that have the potential to be developed as leads.
Preparation of Solid‐Solution TiS2−xSex Nanosheets by Liquid Phase Exfoliation
Authors: Oshima Yosuke , Nakamura Yuki , Tezuka Keitaro , Shan Yue Jin
Published: February 2020

Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) nanosheets have attracted attention as novel inorganic materials. In this study, solid‐solution TiS2−xSex nanosheets were prepared using a liquid phase exfoliation method. The bulk TiS2−xSex was synthesized by solid‐state reaction between Ti, S, and Se. The obtained bulk TiS2−xSex was exfoliated to form TiS2−xSex nanosheets either by ultrasonic treatment or by Li intercalation. Transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy measurements showed that monolayer TiSSe nanosheets were formed by the Li intercalation exfoliation method.
Accurate Prediction of Gas Chromatographic Retention Times via Density Functional Theory Calculations: A Case Study Using Brominated Flame Retardants
Authors: Izydorczak Alexandra M. , Gross Michael S. , Aga Diana S. , Simpson Scott
Published: February 2020

Identification of structurally similar congeners of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) can be challenging without the use of analytical standards. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations paired with gas chromatographic (GC) retention times of reference standards were used to predict the retention times of PBDE congeners. This was accomplished by calculating polarizability of 31 PBDEs using the open‐sourced software package General Atomic and Molecular Electronic Structure System (GAMESS). Three PBDEs were randomly chosen from a training set of PBDEs and were treated as “unknowns” to test the accuracy of linear regressions constructed from calculated polarizabilities versus experimentally determined retention times. The top performing functionals predicted retention times of these “unknown” congeners to be within 1.3% and 3% for the DB‐5HT GC column and the ZB‐SemiVolatiles GC column, respectively. This study demonstrates that DFT calculations combined with experimental retention times can be used to aid in the identification of unknown analytes or, at the very least, reduce the number of plausible identities of analytes.
Synthesis of a Novel CQDs‐GO‐Ag2S Composite and Study on the Adsorption of Methylene Blue
Authors: Zhang Dongqiang , Xu Jialin , Liang Lei , Li Hongxia , Du Mei , Liu Xiaoyu , Wang Kunjie
Published: February 2020

The present work aims to develop a composite that takes the advantages of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) such as wide absorption band, high optical absorption coefficient and chemical stability as well as the nano‐sized silver sulfide with excellent redox capacity and the strong absorption in the visible range. Such nanocomposites were crafted on a template developed using polyethyleneimine (PEI) modified Graphene oxide (GO). The adsorption properties of methylene blue dyes were tested. With the large specific surface area, the as prepared nanocomposites achieved the removal rate of the blue dye up to 99.0%. The adsorption process was able to be described using the Freundlich isothermal model, wherein, the maximum adsorption capacity was obtained as 348 mg⋅g−1. Thermodynamic analysis indicates the adsorption is entropy driven process with ΔG < 0, ΔH > 0, and ΔS > 0. The present study shows that CQDs‐GO‐Ag2S composites as a promising adsorbent that may be applied to wastewater treatment and waste gas removal.
An Enhanced Fe–28Mn–9Al–0.8C Lightweight Steel by Coprecipitation of Nanoscale Cu‐Rich and κ‐Carbide Particles
Authors: Yang Lei , Li Zhiming , Li Xiang , Zhang Yunhu , Han Ke , Song Changjiang , Zhai Qijie
Published: February 2020

Fe–Mn–Al–C austenitic matrix lightweight steels show a high ultimate tensile strength and total elongation but a relatively low yield strength. The yield strength is increased by coprecipitation of nanoscale Cu‐rich and κ‐carbide particles. For lightweight steel, strips of Fe–28Mn–9Al–0.8C (wt%) are prepared in near‐rapid solidification conditions, the addition of Cu up to 5 wt% leads to the coprecipitation of nanoscale Cu‐rich and κ‐carbide particles in certain heat‐treating conditions. The formation of Cu‐rich particles has promoted the precipitation of nanosized κ‐carbide particles. The yield strength of particle‐strengthened Fe–28Mn–9Al–0.8C–5Cu (wt%) austenitic matrix steel reaches 808 MPa with total elongation greater than 20%. Thus, the addition of 5 wt% Cu increases the yield strength of heat‐treated austenitic matrix lightweight steel without seriously deteriorating its plasticity by coprecipitation of nanoscale Cu‐rich and κ‐carbide particles.
Transsynaptic tracing and its emerging use to assess graft-reconstructed neural circuits
Authors: Adler Andrew F. , Björklund Anders , Parmar Malin
Published: February 2020

Fetal neural progenitor grafts have been evaluated in preclinical animal models of spinal cord injury and Parkinson's disease for decades, but the initial reliance on primary tissue as a cell source limited the scale of their clinical translatability. With the development of robust methods to differentiate human pluripotent stem cells to specific neural subtypes, cell replacement therapy holds renewed promise to treat a variety of neurodegenerative diseases and injuries at scale. As these cell sources are evaluated in preclinical models, new transsynaptic tracing methods are making it possible to study the connectivity between host and graft neurons with greater speed and detail than was previously possible. To date, these studies have revealed that widespread, long-lasting, and anatomically appropriate synaptic contacts are established between host and graft neurons, as well as new aspects of host-graft connectivity which may be relevant to clinical cell replacement therapy. It is not yet clear, however, whether the synaptic connectivity between graft and host neurons is as cell-type specific as it is in the endogenous nervous system, or whether that connectivity is responsible for the functional efficacy of cell replacement therapy. Here, we review evidence suggesting that the new contacts established between host and graft neurons may indeed be cell-type specific, and how transsynaptic tracing can be used in the future to further elucidate the mechanisms of graft-mediated functional recovery in spinal cord injury and Parkinson's disease.
Environmental Citizenship in Primary Formal Education
Authors: Činčera Jan , Romero-Ariza Marta , Zabic Mirjana , Kalaitzidaki Marianna , del Consuelo Díez Bedmar María
Published: February 2020

The concept of Environmental Citizenship, as it has been developed in this project, calls for the development of specific awareness, attitudes, skills, behaviours and competences that need to be cultivated from early childhood for active civic participation. Primary formal education could provide opportunities for the achievement of these goals. In this chapter, we elaborate on how Environmental Citizenship, which provides the specifics of age and formal settings, could be approached and the educational strategies that could be recommended or avoided based on the existing literature. This chapter also provides an overview of the most important educational aims regarding the development of Environmental Citizenship in primary formal education. These include environmental sensitivity, a sense of justice, a basic understanding of ecological systems, necessary skills for the investigation of ecological and social phenomena, and action skills that relate to active participation in community issues. We suggest that successful educational interventions, integrated pedagogical approaches and key designing principles could promote Environmental Citizenship at primary schools. In addition, effective training and professional development programmes can equip teachers with the knowledge, values, skills and strategies necessary to implement Environmental Citizenship at this level.
Political Dimensions of Environmental Citizenship
Authors: Levinson Ralph , Paraskeva-Hadjichambi Demetra , Bedsted Bjørn , Manov Boris , Hadjichambis Andreas Ch.
Published: February 2020

Conceptions of Environmental Citizenship are core to models of sustainability. Such contested conceptions raise historically significant questions associated with the rights of the individual and the responsibility of the community to the environment. Attitudes towards sustainability beg questions of models of citizenship ranging from compliance through democratic deliberation to active dissent. Philosophical problems also intersect with Environmental Citizenship. Ecocentrism prioritises a systemic holistic view of Nature in which the human species has no privileged role. Anthropocentrism in its more liberal aspect has an instrumental view of Nature underpinned by beneficence. These divergent ideologies also presuppose metaphysical and ontological questions about the relationship between Mind and Nature, hence fundamental implications for education and citizenship more broadly. There are, of course, intermediate positions. This raises three driving questions:

What are the main philosophical and political positions associated with Environmental Citizenship?

What are the justifications underpinning particular approaches to Environmental Citizenship?

Can we map the main components of Environmental Citizenship to create a coherent European and Global approach to inquiry?
Circumnavigating collinear superspace
Authors: Cohen Timothy , Elor Gilly , Larkoski Andrew J. , Thaler Jesse
Published: February 2020

Abstract

In this paper, we extend the collinear superspace formalism to include the full range of$$ \mathcal{N} $$N= 1 supersymmetric interactions. Building on the effective field theory rules developed in a companion paper —Navigating Collinear Superspace[1] — we construct collinear superspace Lagrangians for theories with non-trivialF- andD-term auxiliary fields. For (massless) Wess-Zumino models, the key ingredient is a novel type of Grassmann-valued supermultiplet whose lowest component is a (non-propagating) fermionic degree of freedom. For gauge theories coupled to charged chiral matter, the key ingredient is a novel type of vector superfield whose lowest component is a non-propagating gauge potential. This unique vector superfield is used to construct a gauge-covariant derivative; while such an object does not appear in the standard full superspace formalism, it is crucial for modeling gauge interactions when the theory is expres sed on a collinear slice. This brings us full circle, by showing that all types of$$ \mathcal{N} $$N= 1 theories in four dimensions can beconstructed in collinear superspace from purely infrared considerations. We speculate that supersymmetric theories with$$ \mathcal{N} $$N> 1 could also be implemented using similar collinear superspace constructions.
Measurement of $$ {D}^0-\overline{D} $$0 Mixing Parameters Using Semileptonic Decays of Neutral Kaon
Authors: Pakhlov P. , Popov V.
Published: February 2020

Abstract

We propose a new method to extract $$ {D}^0-\overline{D} $$

D
0

−

D
¯

0 mixing parameters using the D0→$$ \overline{K} $$

K
¯

0π0 decay with the $$ \overline{K} $$

K
¯

0 reconstructed in the semileptonic mode. Although a K0 → π±ℓ∓vℓ decay suffers from low statistics and complexity of the secondary vertex reconstruction in comparison to the standard $$ {K}_S^0\to {\pi}^{+}{\pi}^{-} $$

K
S
0

→

π
+

π
−

vertex, it provides much richer, sometimes unique information about the initial state of a K0-meson produced in a heavy-flavor hadron decay. In this paper it is shown that the reconstruction of the chain D0 → K0(π±ℓ∓vℓ)π0 allows one to extract the strong phase difference between the doubly Cabibbo-suppressed and Cabibbo-favored decay amplitudes, which is of key importance for determination of the $$ {D}^0-\overline{D} $$

D
0

−

D
¯

0 -mixing parameters.
Event-related and readiness potentials when preparing to approach and avoid alcohol cues following cue avoidance training in heavy drinkers
Authors: Di Lemma Lisa C. G. , Stancak Andrej , Soto Vicente , Fallon Nick , Field Matt
Published: February 2020

Rationale

Cue avoidance training (CAT) reduces alcohol consumption in the laboratory. However, the neural mechanisms that underlie the effects of this intervention are poorly understood.

Objectives

The present study investigated the effects of a single session of CAT on event-related and readiness potentials during preparation of approach and avoidance movements to alcohol cues.

Methods

Heavy drinking young adults (N = 60) were randomly assigned to complete either CAT or control training. After training, we recorded participants’ event-related and motor readiness potentials as they were preparing to respond.

Results

In the CAT group, N200 amplitude was higher when preparing to approach rather than avoid alcohol pictures. In the control group, N200 amplitudes did not differ for approach and avoidance to alcohol pictures. Regarding the late positive potential (LPP), in the CAT group, the negativity of this was blunted when preparing to avoid alcohol pictures relative to when preparing to avoid control pictures. In the control group, the negativity of the LPP was blunted when preparing to approach alcohol pictures relative to when preparing to approach control pictures. There were no effects on motor readiness potentials. Behavioural effects indicated short-lived effects of training on reaction times during the training block that did not persist when participants were given time to prepare their motor response before executing it during the EEG testing block.

Conclusions

After a single session of CAT, the enhanced N200 when approaching alcohol cues may indicate the engagement of executive control to overcome the associations learned during training. These findings clarify the neural mechanisms that may underlie the effects of CAT on drinking behaviour.
Non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI): evaluation of 2D-perfusion angiography (2D-PA) for early treatment response assessment
Authors: Becker Lena S. , Stahl Klaus , Meine Timo C. , von Falck Christian , Meyer Bernhard C. , Dewald Cornelia L. A. , Rittgerodt Nina , Busch Markus , David Sascha , Wacker Frank , Hinrichs Jan B.
Published: February 2020

Purpose

To evaluate the feasibility of 2D-perfusion angiography (2D-PA) for the analysis of intra-procedural treatment response after intra-arterial prostaglandin E1 therapy in patients with non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI).

Methods

Overall, 20 procedures in 18 NOMI patients were included in this retrospective case–control study. To evaluate intra-procedural splanchnic circulation changes, post-processing of digital subtraction angiography (DSA) series was performed. Regions of interest (ROIs) were placed in the superior mesenteric artery (SMA; reference), the portal vein (PV; ROIPV), as well as the aorta next to the origin of the SMA (ROIAorta). Peak density (PD), time to peak (TTP), and area under the curve (AUC) were assessed, and parametric ratios ‘target ROIPD, TTP, AUC/reference ROI’ were computed and compared within treatment and control group. Additionally, a NOMI score was assessed pre- and post-treatment compared to 2D-PA.

Results

Vasodilator therapy leads to a significant decrease of the 2D-PA-derived values PDAorta (p = 0.04) and AUCAorta (p = 0.03). These findings correlated with changes of the simplified NOMI score, both for overall (4 to 1, p < 0.0001) and for each category. Prostaglandin application caused a significant increase of the AUCPV (p = 0.04) and TTPPV was accelerated without reaching statistical significance (p = 0.13). When compared to a control group, all 2D-PA values in the NOMI group (pre- and post-intervention) differed significantly (p < 0.05) with longer TTPAorta/PV and lower AUCAorta/PV and PD Aorta/PV.

Conclusion

2D-PA offers an objective approach to analyze immediate flow and perfusion changes following vasodilatory therapies of NOMI patients and may be a valuable tool for assessing treatment response.
Lage und Zukunft des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses
Authors: Lenk Kerstin , Gleirscher Mario , Nestler Simon , Rödiger Stefan , Petersen Tom , Loebel Jens-Martin
Published: February 2020

Der Beirat des Wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses (GI-WiN) der Gesellschaft für Informatik (GI) fordert und empfiehlt Maßnahmen zur Verbesserung der Lage von Promovierenden sowie Postdoktoranden und Postdoktorandinnen in der Informatik und anderen Technikwissenschaften.

Promovierende sowie Postdoktoranden und Postdoktorandinnen im Bereich der Informatik sind in zunehmendem Maß von den komplexen strukturellen und finanziellen Problematiken des Wissenschafts- und Lehrbetriebs betroffen. Der Flaschenhals auf dem Weg zur Professur führt in der akademischen Karriere zu prekären Beschäftigungsverhältnissen. Die schwierige Vereinbarkeit von Familie und akademischer Karriere erzeugt eine zusätzliche Benachteiligung, insbesondere von Wissenschaftlerinnen. Mangelnde Qualitätssicherung sowie fehlende zuverlässige und vertrauenswürdige Prozesse erschweren die Aufdeckung und Aufarbeitung von Konflikten während der Promotionsphase und der Zeit des Postdoktorats. Fehlanreize im akademischen System beeinträchtigen eine direkte, intensive und regelmäßige Betreuung der jungen Akademiker durch Professorinnen und Professoren. Eine zeitnahe Bewältigung der in diesem Beitrag skizzierten Herausforderungen ist für den zukünftigen Fortbestand von Forschungseinrichtungen an Hochschulen sowie für eine erfolgreiche Fortführung des Prinzips der Bestenauslese von zentraler Bedeutung. Vor dem Hintergrund von bereits geplanten und durchgeführten Maßnahmen zur Stärkung des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses skizziert dieser Beitrag konkrete Maßnahmen; einerseits zur Verbesserung der Betreuung während der Promotionsphase und andererseits zur Strukturierung und Schaffung weiterer Karrierewege.
Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres and Differential Expression of Endocrine Transcription Factors Distinguish Metastatic and Non-metastatic Insulinomas
Authors: Hackeng Wenzel M. , Schelhaas Willemien , Morsink Folkert H. M. , Heidsma Charlotte M. , van Eeden Susanne , Valk Gerlof D. , Vriens Menno R. , Heaphy Christopher M. , Nieveen van Dijkum Els J. M. , Offerhaus G. Johan A. , Dreijerink Koen M. A. , Brosens Lodewijk A. A.
Published: February 2020

Insulin-producing pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs)/insulinomas are generally considered to be indolent tumors with an excellent prognosis after complete resection. However, some insulinomas have a poor prognosis due to relapses and metastatic disease. Recently, studies in non-functional PanNETs indicated that behavior can be stratified according to alpha- and beta-cell differentiation, as defined by expression of the transcription factors ARX and PDX1, respectively. It is unknown whether similar mechanisms play a role in insulinomas. Therefore, we determined ARX and PDX1 expression in a cohort of 35 sporadic primary insulinomas and two liver metastases of inoperable primary insulinomas. In addition, WHO grade and loss of ATRX or DAXX were determined by immunohistochemistry, and alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) and CDKN2A status by fluorescence in situ hybridization. These findings were correlated with tumor characteristics and clinical follow-up data. In total, five out of 37 insulinoma patients developed metastatic disease. Metastatic insulinomas were all larger than 3 cm, whereas the indolent insulinomas were smaller (p value < 0.05). All three primary insulinomas that metastasized showed ARX expression, 2/3 showed ALT, and 1/3 had a homozygous deletion of CDKN2A as opposed to absence of ARX expression, ALT, or CDKN2A deletions in the 32 non-metastatic cases. The two liver metastases also showed ARX expression and ALT (2/2). The presence of ARX expression, which is usually absent in beta-cells, and genetic alterations not seen in indolent insulinomas strongly suggest a distinct tumorigenic mechanism in malignant insulinomas, with similarities to non-functional PanNETs. These observations may inform future follow-up strategies after insulinoma surgery.
Measuring Well-Being in Sport Performers: Where are We Now and How do we Progress?
Authors: Giles Samuel , Fletcher David , Arnold Rachel , Ashfield Arabella , Harrison Joanna
Published: February 2020

The importance of optimal well-being and mental health in elite athletes has received increasing attention and debate in both the academic and public discourse. Despite the number of challenges and risk factors for mental health and well-being recognised within the performance lifestyle of elite athletes, the evidence base for intervention is limited by a number of methodological and conceptual issues. Notably, there exists an increasing emphasis on the development of appropriate sport-specific measures of athlete well-being, which are required to underpin strategies targeted at the protection and enhancement of psychosocial functioning. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to review psychometric issues in well-being research and discuss the implications for the measurement of well-being in sport psychology research. Drawing on the broader literature in related disciplines of psychology, the narrative discusses four key areas in the scale development process: conceptual and theoretical issues, item development issues, measurement and scoring issues, and analytical and statistical issues. To conclude, a summary of the key implications for sport psychology researchers seeking to develop a measure of well-being is presented.
A New Method of Improving the Azimuth in Mountainous Terrain by Skyline Matching
Authors: Nagy Balázs
Published: February 2020

Augmented reality (AR) applications have a serious problem with the accuracy of the azimuth angle provided by mobile devices. The fusion of the digital magnetic compass (DMC), accelerometer and gyroscope gives the translation and rotation of the observer in 3D space. However, the precision is not always appropriate since DMC is prone to interference when using it near metal objects or electric currents. The silhouette of ridges separates the sky from the terrain and forms the skyline or horizon line in a mountainous scenery. This salient feature can be used for orientation. With the camera of the device and a digital elevation model (DEM) the correct azimuth angle could be determined. This study proposes an effective method to adjust the azimuth by identifying the skyline from an image and matches it with the skyline of the DEM. This approach does not require manual interaction. The algorithm has also been validated in a real-world environment.
Supercapatteries as High-Performance Electrochemical Energy Storage Devices
Authors: Yu Linpo , Chen George Zheng
Published: February 2020

The development of novel electrochemical energy storage (EES) technologies to enhance the performance of EES devices in terms of energy capacity, power capability and cycling life is urgently needed. To address this need, supercapatteries are being developed as innovative hybrid EES devices that can combine the merits of rechargeable batteries with the merits of supercapacitors into one device. Based on these developments, this review will present various aspects of supercapatteries ranging from charge storage mechanisms to material selection including electrode and electrolyte materials. In addition, strategies to pair different types of electrode materials will be discussed and proposed, including the bipolar stacking of multiple supercapattery cells internally connected in series to enhance the energy density of stacks by reducing the number of bipolar plates. Furthermore, challenges for this stack design will also be discussed together with recent progress on bipolar plates.

Graphic Abstract

Supercapattery is an innovated hybrid electrochemical energy storage (EES) device that combines the merit of rechargeable battery and supercapacitor characteristics into one device. This article reviews supercapatteries from the charge storage mechanisms to the selection of materials including the materials of electrodes and electrolytes. Strategies for pairing different kinds of electrode materials and device engineering are discussed.
Linking dissemination and implementation science to Learning Health Systems: Opportunities for Clinical and Translational Science Award institutions
Authors: Bennett Nancy M. , Orlando Elissa , Meissner Paul
Published: February 2020

Learning Health Systems (LHS) iteratively implement and evaluate health improvement projects. Dissemination and implementation (D&I) science is the study of evidence-based practices in real-world settings, a critical tool for LHS. This paper explores intersections between LHS and D&I science in Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs) institutions and identifies critical components of collaboration. We conducted website scans of 34 CTSAs and their home institutions that had Dissemination, Implementation, and Knowledge Translation (DIKT) Workgroup members. We identified linkages between CTSAs and their institutions’ LHS. We interviewed six CTSA leaders experienced in LHS and D&I sciences. Nearly half of CTSAs identified an LHS structure on their websites, but only one-third indicates CTSA involvement in these efforts. Interviewees identified key components for successful integration of LHS and D&I sciences: leadership, infrastructure, balance between rigor and efficiency, and aligned incentives. The need for research integration in LHS, to improve evaluation and increase knowledge, is an emerging opportunity for D&I scientists and CTSAs. CTSAs that are engaged in D&I science can introduce and/or expand the role of D&I science in LHS. Collaboration between CTSAs and clinical leaders could result in strengthened relationships between clinical and research enterprises, effective and efficient health care delivery, and improved health.
A solution to Flinn’s conjecture on weakly expansive flows
Authors: HUYNH HIEN MINH
Published: February 2020

In L. W. Flinn’s PhD thesis published in 1972, the author conjectured that weakly expansive flows are also expansive flows. In this paper we use the horocycle flow on compact Riemann surfaces of constant negative curvature to show that Flinn’s conjecture is not true.
WEIGHTED BESOV AND TRIEBEL–LIZORKIN SPACES ASSOCIATED WITH OPERATORS AND APPLICATIONS
Authors: BUI HUY-QUI , BUI THE ANH , DUONG XUAN THINH
Published: February 2020

Let

$X$

be a space of homogeneous type and

$L$

be a nonnegative self-adjoint operator on

$L^{2}(X)$

satisfying Gaussian upper bounds on its heat kernels. In this paper, we develop the theory of weighted Besov spaces

${\dot{B}}_{p,q,w}^{\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC},L}(X)$

and weighted Triebel–Lizorkin spaces

${\dot{F}}_{p,q,w}^{\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC},L}(X)$

associated with the operator

$L$

for the full range

$0<p,q\leqslant \infty$

,

$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}\in \mathbb{R}$

and

$w$

being in the Muckenhoupt weight class

$A_{\infty }$

. Under rather weak assumptions on

$L$

as stated above, we prove that our new spaces satisfy important features such as continuous characterizations in terms of square functions, atomic decompositions and the identifications with some well-known function spaces such as Hardy-type spaces and Sobolev-type spaces. One of the highlights of our result is the characterization of these spaces via noncompactly supported functional calculus. An important by-product of this characterization is the characterization via the heat kernel for the full range of indices. Moreover, with extra assumptions on the operator

$L$

, we prove that the new function spaces associated with

$L$

coincide with the classical function spaces. Finally we apply our results to prove the boundedness of the fractional power of

$L$

, the spectral multiplier of

$L$

in our new function spaces and the dispersive estimates of wave equations.