bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pre-surgery planning tool for estimation of resection volume to improve nasal breathing based on lattice Boltzmann fluid flow simulations
Authors: Berger M. , Pillei M. , Giotakis A. , Mehrle A. , Recheis W. , Kral F. , Kraxner M. , Riechelmann H. , Freysinger W.
Published: March 2021

Purpose

State-of-the-art medical examination techniques (e.g., rhinomanometry and endoscopy) do not always lead to satisfactory postoperative outcome. A fully automatized optimization tool based on patient computer tomography (CT) data to calculate local pressure gradient regions to reshape pathological nasal cavity geometry is proposed.

Methods

Five anonymous pre- and postoperative CT datasets with nasal septum deviations were used to simulate the airflow through the nasal cavity with lattice Boltzmann (LB) simulations. Pressure gradient regions were detected by a streamline analysis. After shape optimization, the volumetric difference between the two shapes of the nasal cavity yields the estimated resection volume.

Results

At LB rhinomanometry boundary conditions (bilateral flow rate of 600 ml/s), the preliminary study shows a critical pressure gradient of −1.1 Pa/mm as optimization criterion. The maximum coronal airflow ΔA  := cross-section ratio $$\frac{\mathrm{virtual surgery }}{\mathrm{post}-\mathrm{surgery}}$$

virtual
surgery

post
-
surgery

found close to the nostrils is 1.15. For the patients a pressure drop ratio ΔΠ  := (pre-surgery − virtual surgery)/(pre-surgery − post-surgery) between nostril and nasopharynx of 1.25, 1.72, −1.85, 0.79 and 1.02 is calculated.

Conclusions

LB fluid mechanics optimization of the nasal cavity can yield results similar to surgery for air-flow cross section and pressure drop between nostril and nasopharynx. The optimization is numerically stable in all five cases of the presented study. A limitation of this study is that anatomical constraints (e.g. mucosa) have not been considered.
Treatment Strategies of Gastric Cancer—Molecular Targets for Anti-angiogenic Therapy: a State-of-the-art Review
Authors: Tyczyńska Magdalena , Kędzierawski Paweł , Karakuła Kaja , Januszewski Jacek , Kozak Krzysztof , Sitarz Monika , Forma Alicja
Published: March 2021

Purpose

Recent studies have suggested that molecular targets for the anti-angiogenic therapy might constitute a basis for additional therapy in gastric cancer treatment. A vast number of molecules, receptors, pathways, specific interactions, and thus strategies that target gastric cancer angiogenesis specifically have been reported in numerous research articles and clinical trials.

Methods

We conducted a systematic literature review of molecularly targeted treatment strategies in gastric cancer on the following databases—PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus—on September 20, 2020. Multiple articles and evaluations were searched for studies reporting newly found and promising molecular anti-angiogenic therapy pathways. Eventually, 39 articles regarding the anti-angiogenic therapy in gastric cancer were included in the final analysis.

Results

As a consequence of the release of the pro-angiogenic molecules from the tumour cells, gastric cancer presents high angiogenic capability. Therefore, potential schemes for future treatment strategies include the decrease of the process ligands as well as the expression of their receptors. Moreover, the increase in the angiogenic inhibitor levels and direct aim for the inner walls of the endothelial cells appear as a promising therapeutic strategy. Beyond that, angiogenesis process inhibition seems to indirectly exaggerate the effects of chemotherapy in the considered patients.

Conclusions

The anti-angiogenic treatment in gastric cancer patients evaluates its significance especially in the early stages of the malignancy. The studies conducted so far show that most of the meaningful angiogenic factors and receptors with the potential molecular pathways should be further evaluated since they could potentially play a substantial role in future therapies.
High-Skilled vs. Low-Skilled Migrant Women: the Use of Competencies and Knowledge—Theoretical and Political Implications: an Example of the Elderly Care Sector in Poland
Authors: Kubiciel-Lodzińska Sabina , Maj Jolanta
Published: March 2021

This paper presents the influx of migrants into the elderly care sector in Poland, which, until recently, has been perceived as a country that “exports” caregivers. It describes the results of 31 individual in-depth interviews conducted with immigrant women who take care of elderly in Poland. The purpose of the study was to determine the profile of an immigrant taking up work in the elderly care sector, including the specification of their education level and competencies. It was determined that 55% of the respondents have higher education, including over 20% with a degree in nursing or physiotherapeutic education. It was established that, when analysing migrants in the care sector, it seems necessary not to divide migrants based on their education level (high- vs. low-skilled), but rather to consider the education profile as a whole (general and special profile education). Women with specialised education differ from the other migrants in regard to their better labour market position (higher remuneration, legal employment) and the scope of skill usage. The comparison of high-skilled and low-skilled workers in the care sector is very useful from the perspective of policymakers due to the fact that there is an issue of over-qualification in Poland. The article contributes to the literature, especially research dealing with brain waste, as there is theoretical and empirical gap in research on the differences between high-skilled and low-skilled migrants working in elderly care.
Next of kin’s Reactions to Results of Functional Neurodiagnostics of Disorders of Consciousness: a Question of Information Delivery or of Differing Epistemic Beliefs?
Authors: Kuehlmeyer Katja , Bender Andreas , Jox Ralf J. , Racine Eric , Ruhfass Maria , Schembs Leah
Published: March 2021

Our recent publication in Neuroethics re-constructed the perspectives of family caregivers of patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC) on functional neurodiagnostics (Schembs et al., Neuroethics, 2020). Two papers criticized some of our methodological decisions (Peterson, Neuroethics, 2020; Andersen et al., Neuroethics, 2020) and commented on some conclusions. In this commentary, we would like to further explain our methodological decisions. Despite the limitations of our findings, which we readily acknowledged, we continue to think they entail valid hypotheses that need further investigation. We conclude that some caregivers with high hopes for the recovery of their loved ones with DOC will most likely not consider results of functional neuroimaging as guiding information for treatment decisions, despite efforts taken to deliver information to them. Caregivers of that type might argue that such test-results are not a reliable source of information for the judgement of whether their loved one is likely going to recover or not (prognosis). We introduce the concept of epistemic beliefs to formulate this hypothesis and suggest that future qualitative studies in this area should be aware of such beliefs when investigating the effects of functional neurodiagnostics on knowledge communication and shared decision making for patients with DOC.
Socio-Economic Status, Mental Health Difficulties and Feelings about Transition to Secondary School among 10–11 Year Olds in Wales: Multi-Level Analysis of a Cross Sectional Survey
Authors: Moore Graham , Angel Lianna , Brown Rachel , van Godwin Jordan , Hallingberg Britt , Rice Frances
Published: March 2021

Transition between primary and secondary school represents an important milestone in young people’s development. While most young people look forward to this transition, it is a source of anxiety for many. Drawing on a nationally representative survey of 2218 children in 73 schools in Wales, this study aimed to understand the extent to which 10–11 year old children worried about and/or looked forward to their imminent transition to secondary school, the things they worried about and/or looked forward to, and how feelings about transition differed by socioeconomic status, as well as by emotional and behavioural difficulties. About a third of children reported being quite or very worried about transition to secondary school, while approximately two-thirds reported looking forward to it quite a bit or very much. These items were only moderately correlated, with many children both looking forward to and worrying about transition, or neither. Major sources of worry about transition centred around bullying and impact on existing friendships, while forming new friendships or joining existing friends in their new school were key things children looked forward to. Children from poorer backgrounds, attending poorer schools and reporting more emotional difficulties were significantly more likely to report worries about transition. Children from poorer families, and children reporting more emotional difficulties and behavioural difficulties, were less likely to look forward to transition. Interventions to support children in transition to secondary school need to be sensitive to the needs of children from poorer backgrounds and children with mental health difficulties.
Foundations of Fatou Theory and a Tribute to the Work of E. M. Stein on Boundary Behavior of Holomorphic Functions
Authors: Di Biase Fausto , Krantz Steven G.
Published: March 2021

We lay the foundations of Fatou theory in one and several complex variables. We describe the main contributions contained in E. M. Stein’s bookBoundary Behavior of Holomorphic Functions, published in 1972 and still a source of inspiration. We also give an account of his contributions to the study of the boundary behavior of harmonic functions. The point of this paper is not simply to exposit well-known ideas. Rather, we completely reorganize the subject in order to bring out the profound contributions of E. M. Stein to the study of the boundary behavior both of holomorphic and harmonic functions in one and several variables. In an appendix, we provide a self-contained proof of a new result which is relevant to the differentiation of integrals, a topic which, as witnessed in Stein’s work, and especially by the aforementioned book, has deep connections with the boundary behavior of harmonic and holomorphic functions.
Importance of performance status and physical activity in cancer patients
Authors: Kiesl David
Published: March 2021

Background

This review summarizes current data on the effects of exercise interventions and physical activity in cancer prevention, treatment and related side effect management, as well as on the rehabilitation of cancer patients.

Patients and methods

The overall quality of patient studies is still poor due to methodological limitations. Major limitations of the interventional exercise studies conducted include their designs, with regard to missing randomization or the absence of control groups, and the use of heterogeneous assessment methods to quantify and objectify physical activity. As a result, there are no specific exercise recommendations in cancer patients as yet that would essentially differ from exercise recommendations for healthy subjects. Nevertheless, due to major findings and empirical data, the field of research into exercise- and physical activity-related effects on disease and therapy-associated aspects is young and rapidly emerging.

Conclusion

Exercise potentially contributes to the prevention and rehabilitation of cancer and represents a powerful tool in the prevention of various side effects under chemotherapy. Current data from interventional studies show preliminary positive effects for diverse movement programs and especially through specific combinations of endurance and resistance training. Additional randomized controlled trials with standardized assessments and controlling for potential confounders are needed to confirm and expand these findings.
Spatial ecology of the stone marten in an Alpine area: combining camera-trapping and genetic surveys
Authors: Balestrieri A. , Mosini A. , Fonda F. , Piana M. , Tirozzi P. , Ruiz-González A. , Capelli E. , Vergara M. , Chueca L. J. , Chiatante G. , Movalli C.
Published: March 2021

A species’ potential distribution can be modelled adequately only if no factor other than habitat availability affects its occurrences. Space use by stone martenMartes foinais likely to be affected by interspecific competition with the strictly related pine martenMartes martes, the latter being able to outcompete the first species in forested habitats. Hence, to point out the environmental factors which determine the distribution and density of the stone marten, a relatively understudied mesocarnivore, we applied two non-invasive survey methods, camera-trapping and faecal-DNA based genetic analysis, in an Alpine area where the pine marten was deemed to be absent (Val Grande National Park N Italy). Camera trapping was conducted from October 2014 to November 2015, using up to 27 cameras. Marten scats were searched for between July and November 2015 and, to assess density, in spring 2017. Species identification was accomplished by a PCR-RFLP method, while 17 autosomal microsatellites were used for individual identification. The stone marten occurred in all available habitats (83% of trapping sites and 73.2% of scats); nonetheless, habitat suitability, as assessed using MaxEnt, depended on four major land cover variables—rocky grasslands, rocks and debris, beech forests and chestnut forests—, martens selecting forests and avoiding open rocky areas. Sixteen individuals were identified, of which 14 related to each other, possibly forming six different groups. Using capwire estimators, density was assessed as 0.95 (0.7–1.3) ind/km2. In the study area, the widespread stone marten selected forested areas, attaining density values like those reported for the pine marten in northern Europe and suggesting that patterns of habitat selection may depend on the relative abundance of the two competing martens.
Influence of welding stresses on relief cracking during heat treatment of a creep-resistant 13CrMoV steel Part III: assessment of residual stresses from small-scale to real component welds
Authors: Schroepfer D. , Kromm A. , Lausch T. , Rhode M. , Wimpory R. C. , Kannengiesser T.
Published: March 2021

For higher operational temperatures and pressures required in petrochemical plants, the modified 13CrMoV9-10 steel was developed providing high resistance against creep and compressed hydrogen. Extreme care during the welding procedure is necessary for this steel, attributed to low toughness, high strength in as-welded state, and increased susceptibility to stress relief cracking (SRC) during post-weld heat treatment (PWHT). Previous research of SRC in creep-resistant steels discussed mainly thermal and metallurgical factors. Few previous findings addressed the influences of welding procedure on crack formation during PWHT considering real-life manufacturing conditions. These investigations focus on effects of welding heat control on stresses during welding and subsequent PWHT operations close to realistic restraint and heat dissipation conditions using a special 3D testing facility, which was presented in parts I and II of this contribution. Part III addresses investigations on residual stress evolution affecting crack formation and discusses the transferability of results from large-scale testing to laboratory-scale. Experiments with test set-ups at different scales under diverse rigidity conditions and an assessment of the residual stresses of the weld-specimens using X-ray (surface near) and neutron diffraction analysis (bulk) were performed. This study aims to provide a way of investigating the SRC behaviour considering component-specific residual stresses via small-scale testing concepts instead of expensive weld mock-ups.
Perception of Substance Use Disorder Training: a Survey of General Psychiatry Residents in Nigeria
Authors: Chikezie Eze U. , Ebuenyi Ikenna D. , Allagoa Erefagha Leonardo P. , Onyeka Ifeoma N.
Published: March 2021

Objective

Substance use disorder (SUD) is a global concern. Evidence from high-income countries suggests that SUD training for psychiatry residents is less than optimal but it is unknown whether the situation is different in low-/middle-income settings. This study assessed psychiatry residents’ perception of their SUD training.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among general psychiatry residents in Nigeria from November 2018 to May 2019. Data were collected through self-completion of an English-language questionnaire with multiple-choice and open-ended questions administered face-to-face and online.

Results

A total of 51 participants completed the questionnaire, mean age 33.6 years and 76.5% men. Most participants (70.6%) expressed interest in addiction psychiatry, and 47.1% perceived their SUD training as inadequate. When asked to rate satisfaction with the SUD training they have received so far, 52.9% were unsatisfied, and the absence of in-house SUD training (29.4%) was the leading cause of dissatisfaction. For those who were satisfied, the most common reasons were availability of SUD training and treatment-related factors (31.4%). The most frequent suggestions for making addiction psychiatry subspecialty attractive to psychiatry residents were provision of SUD treatment units, structured SUD training, and continuity of such training. Equipping existing SUD treatment units and creating more treatment units were the most common suggestions for improving current SUD training.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated a high level of interest in addiction psychiatry, but satisfaction with SUD training was mixed. Addressing causes of dissatisfaction and areas suggested for improvement would be necessary to sustain interest.
Global Chang’s Conjecture and singular cardinals
Authors: Eskew Monroe , Hayut Yair
Published: March 2021

We investigate the possibilities of global versions of Chang’s Conjecture that involve singular cardinals. We show some $$\mathrm{ZFC} $$
ZFC
limitations on such principles and prove relative to large cardinals that Chang’s Conjecture can consistently hold between all pairs of limit cardinals below $$\aleph _{\omega ^\omega }$$

ℵ

ω
ω

.
Statistical methods for the analysis of thermal images obtained from corn seeds
Authors: Rojas-Lima José Ernesto , Domínguez-Pacheco Arturo , Hernández-Aguilar Claudia , Hernández-Simón Luis Manuel , Cruz-Orea Alfredo
Published: March 2021

During the last decades, digital image processing algorithms have been developed to measure external characteristics of agricultural products due to the great potential that these methods offer. So, in this research, the thermal images obtained from a thermographic camera were analysed considering two genotypes of maize seeds: crystalline and floury in their natural state, previously irradiated with a laser light source of 650 nm for exposure times of 15 s and 35 s. The methods applied in the analysis were: a) histogram to obtain the distribution of gray levels of images, b) mean value that indicates the brightness of images, c) variance which means the contrast of images, d) entropy applying both Shannon and Tsallis definitions, which provide the average self-information of images, e) estimation of the probability density of temperature variations on seeds to quantitatively characterize them from thermal images. Higher mean and variance were obtained from crystalline seeds indicating higher brightness and contrast. Furthermore, thermal images of floury seeds had higher entropy of Shannon indicating that images had greater disorder with respect to images of crystalline seeds. In the case of the entropy of Tsallis, the entropic index q could be used for characterization of seeds. Thermal images obtained from seeds with a floury structure provided a higher redundancy value for a shorter exposure time to laser light. Thus, the viability of the statistical methods of digital image processing applied to thermal imaging for the characterization of seeds is shown.
Evaluation of the status of land use/land cover change using remote sensing and GIS in Jewha Watershed, Northeastern Ethiopia
Authors: Habte Dereje Gebrie , Belliethathan Satishkumar , Ayenew Tenalem
Published: March 2021

Evaluation of land use/land cover (LULC) status of watersheds is vital to environmental management. This study was carried out in Jewha watershed, which is found in the upper Awash River basin of central Ethiopia. The total catchment area is 502 km2. All climatic zones of Ethiopia, including lowland arid (‘Kola’), midland semi-arid (‘Woinadega’), humid highland (Dega) and afro alpine (‘Wurch’) can be found in the watershed. The study focused on LULC classification and change detection using GIS and remote sensing techniques by analyzing satellite images. The data preprocessing and post-process was done using multi-temporal spectral satellite data. The images were used to evaluate the temporal trends of the LULC class by considering the years 1984, 1995, 2005 and 2015. Accuracy assessment and change detection of the classification were undertaken by accounting these four years images. The land use types in the study area were categorized into six classes: natural forest, plantation forest, cultivated land, shrub land, grass land and bare land. The result shows the cover classes which has high environmental role such as forest and shrub has decreased dramatically through time with cultivated land increasing during the same period in the watershed. The forest cover in 1984 was about 6.5% of the total catchment area, and it had decreased to 4.2% in 2015. In contrast, cultivated land increased from 38.7% in 1984 to 51% in 2015. Shrub land decreased from 28 to 18% in the same period. Bare land increased due to high gully formation in the catchment. In 1984, it was 1.8% which turned to 0.6% in 1995 then increased in 2015 to 2.7%. Plantation forest was not detected in 1984. In 1995, it covers 1.5% which turned to be the same in 2015. The study clearly demonstrated that there are significant changes of land use and land cover in the catchment. The findings will allow making informed decision which will allow better land use management and environmental conservation interventions.
Cultural Differences in the Hedonic Rewards of Recalling Kindness: Priming Cultural Identity with Language
Authors: Shin Lilian J. , Margolis Seth M. , Walsh Lisa C. , Kwok Sylvia Y. C. L. , Yue Xiaodong , Chan Chi-Keung , Siu Nicolson Yat-Fan , Sheldon Kennon M. , Lyubomirsky Sonja
Published: March 2021

Recent theory suggests that members of interdependent (collectivist) cultures prioritize in-group happiness, whereas members of independent (individualist) cultures prioritize personal happiness (Uchida et al.Journal of Happiness Studies,5(3), 223–239 Uchida et al., 2004). Thus, the well-being of friends and family may contribute more to the emotional experience of individuals with collectivist rather than individualist identities. We tested this hypothesis by asking participants to recall a kind act they had done to benefit either close others (e.g., family members) or distant others (e.g., strangers). Study 1 primed collectivist and individualist cultural identities by asking bicultural undergraduates (N = 357) from Hong Kong to recall kindnesses towards close versus distant others in both English and Chinese, while Study 2 compared university students in the USA (n = 106) and Hong Kong (n = 93). In Study 1, after being primed with the Chinese language (but not after being primed with English), participants reported significantly improved affect valence after recalling kind acts towards friends and family than after recalling kind acts towards strangers. Extending this result, in Study 2, respondents from Hong Kong (but not the USA) who recalled kind acts towards friends and family showed higher positive affect than those who recalled kind acts towards strangers. These findings suggest that people with collectivist cultural identities may have relatively more positive and less negative emotional experiences when they focus on prosocial interactions with close rather than weak ties.
Tourist species bias estimates of extrapolated species density in dispersive taxa: a case study from a litter beetle assemblage in temperate woodland
Authors: Eggleton Paul , Smith Jo , Holdsworth Sholto , Inward Kelly , Carpenter Dan
Published: March 2021

Extrapolative nonparametric estimators of species density are commonly used in community ecology. However, they are dependent on either (1) their use on non-dispersive taxa, or (2) the ability to separate tourists from residents in dispersive taxa. We undertook ten years of leaf litter sampling in an ancient woodland in the New Forest, Southern England. We identified all the beetles from those samples and assigned them a residency status (residents, stratum tourists, and habitat tourists). Extrapolations, using the Chao 2, first- and second-order jackknife, and bootstrap approaches, of all sampled beetles all showed large overestimates of species richness when compared with extrapolations based on just residents. We recommend that the estimators should be used with caution as estimates of actual species density for dispersive taxa unless the natural history of most species in a community is well known. This applies especially to tropical ecosystems where many species have not been described. This reinforces the need for more descriptive natural history.
How a humanities background provides real value in cyber security
Authors: Morgan Trevor
Published: March 2021

When you think of the technology industry generally, and in particular the cyber security vertical market, it often conjures up the image of hoodie-wearing software engineers working through the night, making arcane references to code. Or perhaps it's the frantic sound of typing on keyboards echoing throughout dark smoky rooms illuminated only by pale green light, possibly something reminiscent of The Matrix.

The idea that only students of the hard sciences can contribute to the technology industry may prove to be detrimental to companies seeking qualified and experienced talent.

By encouraging people from a liberal arts and humanities background to join the cyber security field, not only will we be driving key skills towards the industry, we will also be doing more to promote inclusivity and equality. As Trevor Morgan of comforte AG explains, every facet of the humanities has the ability to imbue future cyber security experts with critically desired soft skills.
Introducing Kant's Critique of Pure Reason
Authors: Guyer Paul , Wood Allen
Published: March 2021

This Element surveys the place of the Critique of Pure Reason in Kant's overall philosophical project and describes and analyzes the main arguments of the work. It also surveys the developments in Kant's thought that led to the first critique, and provides an account of the genesis of the book during the 'silent decade' of its composition in the 1770s based on Kant's handwritten notes from the period.
A simple method for drag estimation for wedge-like fairings in hypersonic flow
Authors: Kshitij A. , Prince S.A. , Stollery J.L. , Ricón F. de la P.
Published: March 2021

The addition of wedge-like fairings onto the side of missiles and space launch vehicles, to shield devices such as cameras and reaction jet nozzles, creates additional drag, particularly when in supersonic and hypersonic freestream flow. An experimental and computational study was performed to obtain aerodynamic data on simple representative configurations to test the accuracy of simple theories for the drag increment due to these types of fairings. A semi-empirical method to estimate drag on wedge-shaped projections is presented, which may be used by missile designers to provide predictions of the drag increment due to wedge-like fairings. The method is shown to be valid where the wedge width is much smaller than body diameter, and across the Mach number range 4–8.2 but is likely to be valid for higher Mach numbers. Drag coefficient is found to increase with increasing wedge angle and reducing wedge slenderness, although increasing slenderness tends to increase skin friction drag.
Long-term Care Utilization Discrepancy Among the Elderly in Former Evacuation Areas, Fukushima
Authors: Kobashi Yurie , Morita Tomohiro , Ozaki Akihiko , Sawano Toyoaki , Moriyama Nobuaki , Ito Naomi , Tsubokura Masaharu
Published: March 2021

Objective:

It is crucial to determine the health status of returnees to former evacuation areas. We aimed to examine the long-term care (LTC) utilization rate among elderly returnees as the indicator of care needs.

Methods:

This study used a resident registration database to collect information on LTC utilization rate among elderly returnees to former evacuation areas in Fukushima, Japan, following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. LTC utilization rates were descriptively analyzed.

Results:

For all age groups, the LTC utilization rates were lower among returnees than evacuees. The LTC utilization rate among returnees in each age group (chi-square test results compared to evacuees) were as follows: 0.78% (P = 0.194) for those aged 65–69, 0.69% (P = 0.003) for those aged 70–74, 3.23% (P = 0.007) for those aged 75–79, 6.79% (P < 0.001) for those aged 80–84, 22.84% (P = 0.011) for those aged 85–89, and 44.09% (P = 0.089) for those aged 90 and over.

Conclusion:

Elderly returnees had fewer LTC needs than elderly evacuees. Nevertheless, the proportion of aging people is high in evacuation area, meaning the number of elderly returnees would increase at an enormous rate. Therefore, LTC utilization rate would increase in the future.
Encoder–decoder neural network for solving the nonlinear Fokker–Planck–Landau collision operator in XGC
Authors: Miller M. A. , Churchill R. M. , Dener A. , Chang C. S. , Munson T. , Hager R.
Published: March 2021

An encoder–decoder neural network has been used to examine the possibility for acceleration of a partial integro-differential equation, the Fokker–Planck–Landau collision operator. This is part of the governing equation in the massively parallel particle-in-cell code XGC, which is used to study turbulence in fusion energy devices. The neural network emphasizes physics-inspired learning, where it is taught to respect physical conservation constraints of the collision operator by including them in the training loss, along with the

$\ell _2$

loss. In particular, network architectures used for the computer vision task of semantic segmentation have been used for training. A penalization method is used to enforce the ‘soft’ constraints of the system and integrate error in the conservation properties into the loss function. During training, quantities representing the particle density, momentum and energy for all species of the system are calculated at each configuration vertex, mirroring the procedure in XGC. This simple training has produced a median relative loss, across configuration space, of the order of

$10^{-4}$

, which is low enough if the error is of random nature, but not if it is of drift nature in time steps. The run time for the current Picard iterative solver of the operator is

$O(n^2)$

, where

$n$

is the number of plasma species. As the XGC1 code begins to attack problems including a larger number of species, the collision operator will become expensive computationally, making the neural network solver even more important, especially since its training only scales as

$O(n)$

. A wide enough range of collisionality has been considered in the training data to ensure the full domain of collision physics is captured. An advanced technique to decrease the losses further will be subject of a subsequent report. Eventual work will include expansion of the network to include multiple plasma species.
Keeping the ancient world relevant for modern students with Suburani
Authors: Delaney Christine , Smith Hannah , Tims Laila , Smith Tony , Griffiths Will
Published: March 2021

Engaging students with the far-distant past can be a challenge. We established Hands Up Education, a non-profit community interest company, in 2017 in recognition of the need for materials that reflect the priorities of today’s students and teachers. Writing a new textbook series provided an opportunity to reevaluate the traditional perspective and prioritise what is important for students learning Latin in the 21st century.
‘Essential Tremor’ Phenotype in FMR1 Premutation/Gray Zone Sibling Series: Exploring Possible Genetic Modifiers
Authors: Loesch Danuta Z. , Duffy David L. , Martin Nicholas G. , Tassone Flora , Atkinson Anna , Storey Elsdon
Published: March 2021

Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) occurs in carriers of fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) X-linked small CGG expansion (gray zone [GZ] and premutation [PM]) alleles, containing 41–200 repeats. Major features comprise kinetic tremor, gait ataxia, cognitive decline and cerebellar peduncular white matter lesions, but atypical/incomplete FXTAS may occur. We explored the possibility of polygenic effects modifying the FXTAS spectrum phenotypes. We used three motor scales and selected cognitive tests in a series of three males and three females from a single sibship carrying PM or GZ alleles (44 to 75 repeats). The molecular profiles from these siblings were determined by genomewide association study with single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping by Illumina Global Screening Array. Nonparametric linkage analysis was applied and Parkinson’s disease (PD) polygenic risk scores (PRSs) were calculated for all the siblings, based on 107 known risk variants. All male and female siblings manifested similar kinetic tremor phenotypes. In contrast to FXTAS, they showed negligible gait ataxia, and few white matter lesions on MRI. Cognitive functioning was unaffected. Suggestive evidence of linkage to a broad region of the short arm of chromosome 10 was obtained, and median PD PRS for the sibship fell within the top 30% of a sample of over 500,000 UK and Australian controls. The genomewide study results are suggestive of modifying effects of genetic risk loci linked to PD, on the neurological phenotype of FMR1-CGG small expansion carriers, resulting in an oligosymptomatic kinetic tremor seen in FXTAS spectrum, but also consistent with essential tremor.
Is It Only the Violence?
Authors: Hawk Christopher E. , Ridge Robert D.
Published: March 2021

Abstract. The results of prior research investigating whether the violence in violent video games leads to increased subsequent aggression are mixed. Some observers question whether the difficulty and/or the competitive aspects of these games are important, but overlooked, factors that also affect aggression. In the present study, participants ( N = 408) played a violent or nonviolent video game that was either difficult or easy and in which they competed and won, competed and lost, or did not compete against another player. Results revealed that participants became more aggressive only after playing a competitive, as opposed to a noncompetitive, game. Level of violence, winning or losing, and game difficulty did not have any significant effect. These results support the assertion that competition in video games has an independent and significant effect on subsequent aggression beyond violent content and game difficulty.
Valence-Based Biases in News Selection
Authors: Soroka Stuart , Guggenheim Lauren , Valentino Dominic
Published: March 2021

Abstract. Recent work highlights individual-level variation in negativity biases in news selection. There has, however, been limited work exploring the source of this individual-level variation. This study considers predispositions in information processing as a source of difference in news selection. We explore individual differences in learning biases identified using Hot Rod, a new purpose-built online game. Asymmetries in respondents’ learning of negative and positive information in Hot Rod are correlated with news selection decisions. It thus appears that valence-based differences in news consumption are at least partly a function of the same biases that govern learning and information processing more broadly.
Direct Estimates of Turbulent Mixing in the Indonesian Archipelago and Its Role in the Transformation of the Indonesian Throughflow Waters
Authors: Nagai Taira , Hibiya Toshiyuki , Syamsudin Fadli
Published: March 2021

Turbulent mixing enhanced in the Indonesian Archipelago (IA) is thought to influence the coupled ocean‐climate system through sea surface temperature cooling and water‐mass transformation. The present study describes the first extensive microstructure measurements conducted in the IA in 2019. A total of 120 profiles of turbulent energy dissipation rates showed that strong turbulent mixing was extremely localized in a few narrow tidal straits, where large density overturns and high vertical diffusivity associated with downslope jets were found. Far away from mixing hotspots, in contrast, observed vertical diffusivities were similar to typical open ocean values. Microstructure measurements together with a high‐resolution numerical simulation suggest that significant water‐mass transformation occurred within very short distances, O (10 km), in these narrow tidal straits through not only vertical mixing but also horizontal mixing enhanced by submesoscale topographic eddies.
Frontal Convergence and Vertical Velocity Measured by Drifters in the Alboran Sea
Authors: Tarry Daniel R. , Essink Sebastian , Pascual Ananda , Ruiz Simón , Poulain Pierre‐Marie , Özgökmen Tamay , Centurioni Luca R. , Farrar J. Thomas , Shcherbina Andrey , Mahadevan Amala , D’Asaro Eric
Published: March 2021

Horizontal and vertical motions associated with mesoscale (10–100 km) and submesoscale (1–10 km) features, such as fronts, meanders, eddies, and filaments, play a critical role in redistributing physical and biogeochemical properties in the ocean. This study makes use of a multiplatform data set of 82 drifters, a Lagrangian float, and profile timeseries of temperature and salinity, obtained in a ∼1‐m/s semipermanent frontal jet in the Alboran Sea as part of CALYPSO (Coherent Lagrangian Pathways from the Surface Ocean to Interior). Drifters drogued at ∼1‐m and 15‐m depth capture the mesoscale and submesoscale circulation aligning along the perimeter of fronts due to horizontal shear. Clusters of drifters are used to estimate the kinematic properties, such as vorticity and divergence, of the flow by fitting a bivariate plane to the horizontal drifter velocities. Clusters with submesoscale length scales indicate normalized vorticity ζ/f > 1 with Coriolis frequency f and normalized divergence of (1) occurring in patches along the front, with error variance around 10%. By computing divergence from drifter clusters at two different depths, we estimate minimum vertical velocity of (−100 m day−1) in the upper 10 m of the water column. These results are at least twice as large as previous estimates of vertical velocity in the region. Location, magnitude, and timing of the convergence are consistent with behavior of a Lagrangian float subducting in the center of a drifter cluster. These results improve our understanding of frontal subduction and quantify convergence and vertical velocity using Lagrangian tools.
Early probiotic supplementation with B. infantis in breastfed infants leads to persistent colonization at 1 year
Authors: O’Brien Claire E. , Meier Anna K. , Cernioglo Karina , Mitchell Ryan D. , Casaburi Giorgio , Frese Steven A. , Henrick Bethany M. , Underwood Mark A. , Smilowitz Jennifer T.
Published: March 2021

Background

Recent studies have reported a dysfunctional gut microbiome in breastfed infants. Probiotics have been used in an attempt to restore the gut microbiome; however, colonization has been transient, inconsistent among individuals, or has not positively impacted the host’s gut.

Methods

This is a 2-year follow-up study to a randomized controlled trial wherein 7-day-old infants received 1.8 × 1010 colony-forming unit Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis (B. infantis) EVC001 (EVC) daily for 21 days or breast milk alone (unsupplemented (UNS)). In the follow-up study, mothers (n = 48) collected infant stool at 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 months postnatal and completed the health-diet questionnaires.

Results

Fecal B. infantis was 2.5–3.5 log units higher at 6–12 months in the EVC group compared with the UNS group (P < 0.01) and this relationship strengthened with the exclusion of infants who consumed infant formula and antibiotics. Infants in the EVC group had significantly higher Bifidobacteriaceae and lower Bacteroidaceae and Lachnospiraceae (P < 0.05). There were no differences in any health conditions between the two groups.

Conclusions

Probiotic supplementation with B. infantis within the first month postnatal, in combination with breast milk, resulted in stable colonization that persisted until at least 1 year postnatal.

Impact

A dysfunctional gut microbiome in breastfed infants is common in resource-rich nations and associated with an increased risk of immune diseases.

Probiotics only transiently exist in the gut without persistent colonization or altering the gut microbiome.

This is the first study to show that early probiotic supplementation with B. infantis with breast milk results in stable colonization of B. infantis and improvements to the gut microbiome 1 year postnatal.

This study addresses a key gap in the literature whereby probiotics can restore the gut microbiome if biologically selected microorganisms are matched with their specific food in an open ecological niche.
Detection of clustered circulating tumour cells in early breast cancer
Authors: Krol Ilona , Schwab Fabienne D. , Carbone Roberta , Ritter Mathilde , Picocci Sabrina , De Marni Marzia L. , Stepien Grazyna , Franchi Gian M. , Zanardi Andrea , Rissoglio Marco D. , Covelli Alfredo , Guidi Guido , Scarinci Daniele , Castro-Giner Francesc , Mazzarella Luca , Doglioni Claudio , Borghi Francesca , Milani Paolo , Kurzeder Christian , Weber Walter P. , Aceto Nicola
Published: March 2021

Circulating tumour cell (CTC) clusters have been proposed to be major players in the metastatic spread of breast cancer, particularly during advanced disease stages. Yet, it is unclear whether or not they manifest in early breast cancer, as their occurrence in patients with metastasis-free primary disease has not been thoroughly evaluated. In this study, exploiting nanostructured titanium oxide-coated slides for shear-free CTC identification, we detect clustered CTCs in the curative setting of multiple patients with early breast cancer prior to surgical treatment, highlighting their presence already at early disease stages. These results spotlight an important aspect of metastasis biology and the possibility to intervene with anti-cluster therapeutics already during the early manifestation of breast cancer.
Retrospective observational study of HER2 immunohistochemistry in borderline breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant therapy, with an emphasis on Group 2 (HER2/CEP17 ratio ≥2.0, HER2 copy number <4.0 signals/cell) cases
Authors: Rakha Emad A. , Miligy Islam M. , Quinn Cecily M. , Provenzano Elena , Shaaban Abeer M. , Marchiò Caterina , Toss Michael S. , Gallagy Grace , Murray Ciara , Walshe Janice , Katayama Ayaka , Eldib Karim , Badr Nahla , Tanchel Bruce , Millican-Slater Rebecca , Purdie Colin , Purnell Dave , Pinder Sarah E. , Ellis Ian O. , Lee Andrew H. S.
Published: March 2021

Background

The ASCO/CAP guidance on HER2 testing in breast cancer (BC) has recently changed. Group 2 tumours with immunohistochemistry score 2+ and HER2/CEP17 ratio ≥2.0 and HER2 copy number <4.0 signals/cell were re-classified as HER2 negative. This study aims to examine the response of Group 2 tumours to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT).

Methods

749 BC cases were identified from 11 institutions. The association between HER2 groups and pathological complete response (pCR) was assessed.

Results

54% of immunohistochemistry HER2 positive (score 3+) BCs showed pCR, compared to 19% of immunohistochemistry 2+ FISH amplified cases. 27% of Group 2 treated with HER2 targeted therapy achieved pCR, compared to 19 and 11% in the combined Groups 1 + 3 and Groups 4 + 5, respectively. No difference in pCR rates was identified between Group 2 and Group 1 or combined Groups 1 + 3. However, Group 2 response rate was higher than Groups 4 + 5 (p = 0.017).

Conclusion

No difference in pCR was detected in tumours with a HER2/CEP17 ratio ≥2.0 and a HER2 score 2+ by IHC when stratified by HER2 gene copy number. Our data suggest that ASCO/CAP HER2 Group 2 carcinomas should be evaluated further with respect to eligibility for HER2 targeted therapy.
Oleandrin, a cardiac glycoside, induces immunogenic cell death via the PERK/elF2α/ATF4/CHOP pathway in breast cancer
Authors: Li Xiaoxi , Zheng Jian , Chen Shi , Meng Fan-dong , Ning Jing , Sun Shu-lan
Published: March 2021

Chemotherapeutic agents have been linked to immunogenic cell death (ICD) induction that is capable of augmenting anti-tumor immune surveillance. The cardiac glycoside oleandrin, which inhibits Na+/K+-ATPase pump (NKP), has been shown to suppress breast cancer growth via inducing apoptosis. In the present study, we showed that oleandrin treatment triggered breast cancer cell ICD by inducing calreticulin (CRT) exposure on cell surface and the release of high-mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1), heat shock protein 70/90 (HSP70/90), and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The maturation and activation of dendritic cells (DCs) were increased by co-culturing with the oleandrin-treated cancer cells, which subsequently enhanced CD8+ T cell cytotoxicity. Murine breast cancer cell line EMT6 was engrafted into BALB/c mice, and tumor-bearing mice were administered with oleandrin intraperitoneally every day. Oleandrin inhibited tumor growth and increased tumor infiltrating lymphocytes including DCs and T cells. Furthermore, the differential mRNA expression incurred by oleandrin was investigated by mRNA sequencing and subsequently confirmed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting. Mechanistically, oleandrin induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-associated, caspase-independent ICD mainly through PERK/elF2α/ATF4/CHOP pathway. Pharmacological and genetic inhibition of protein kinase R-like ER kinase (PERK) suppressed oleandrin-triggered ICD. Taken together, our findings showed that oleandrin triggered ER stress and induced ICD-mediated immune destruction of breast cancer cells. Oleandrin combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors might improve the efficacy of immunotherapy.