bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mit der Modellkette RCP-GCM-RCM-mGROWA projizierte Grundwasserneubildung als Datenbasis für zukünftiges Grundwassermanagement in Nordrhein-Westfalen
Authors: Herrmann Frank , Keuler Klaus , Wolters Tim , Bergmann Sabine , Eisele Michael , Wendland Frank
Published: January 2021

Mit einem Multi-Modell-Ensemble wurde analysiert, wie sich der Klimawandel auf den Grundwasserhaushalt in Nordrhein-Westfalen (NRW) auswirkt. Hierzu wurden Projektionen der zukünftigen Grundwasserneubildung für insgesamt 36 Mitglieder der Modellkette RCP-GCM-RCM-mGROWA, bestehend aus 3 RCP-Szenarien zukünftiger globaler Erwärmung, 6 globalen und 5 dynamischen regionalen Klimamodellen sowie dem Wasserhaushaltsmodell mGROWA, vorgenommen. Mit dem Ensemble wurden für die hydrogeologischen Großräume NRWs nur teilweise signifikante Änderungen der jährlichen Grundwasserneubildung in den Perioden 2011–2040, 2041–2070 und 2071–2100 projiziert. Ein Robustheitstest mit zwei Kriterien (Übereinstimmung und Signifikanz der Änderungssignale) liefert keine belastbare Begründung dafür, dass sich die Grundwasserneubildung bis 2100 systematisch und signifikant ändern wird. Aus statistischer Perspektive wird deshalb die Schlussfolgerung gezogen, dass in NRW langfristig eine Grundwasserneubildung erwartet werden kann, die sich nicht grundlegend vom Niveau der Periode 1971–2000 unterscheidet. Hydro-meteorologisch befindet sich NRW in einer Übergangszone, in der eine Zunahme der Winterniederschläge die Wirkung der Erwärmung auf die Grundwasserneubildung wahrscheinlich kompensiert.
Forest multifunctionality is not resilient to intensive forestry
Authors: Pohjanmies Tähti , Eyvindson Kyle , Triviño María , Bengtsson Jan , Mönkkönen Mikko
Published: January 2021

There is ample evidence that intensive management of ecosystems causes declines in biodiversity as well as in multiple ecosystem services, i.e., in multifunctionality. However, less is known about the permanence and reversibility of these responses. To gain insight into whether multifunctionality can be sustained under intensive management, we developed a framework building on the concept of resilience: a system’s ability to avoid displacement and to return or transform to a desired state. We applied it to test the ability of forest multifunctionality to persist during and recover from intensive management for timber production in a boreal forest. Using forest growth simulations and multiobjective optimization, we created alternative future paths where the forest was managed for maximal timber production, for forest multifunctionality, or first maximal timber production and then multifunctionality. We show that forest multifunctionality is substantially diminished under intensive forestry and recovers the slower, the longer intensive forestry has been continued. Intensive forestry thus not only reduces forest multifunctionality but hinders its recovery should management goals change, i.e., weakens its resilience. The results suggest a need to adjust ecosystem management according to long-term sustainability goals already today.
Epigenetic modulation of immunotherapy and implications in head and neck cancer
Authors: Zhou Liye , Xu Na , Shibata Hirofumi , Saloura Vassiliki , Uppaluri Ravindra
Published: January 2021

Cancer progression is facilitated by distinct mechanisms developed by cancer cells to avoid immune recognition and clearance. The clinical application of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), via monoclonal antibodies blocking PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA4, has achieved promising durable therapeutic response in various cancer types, including recurrent and metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). HNSCC represents a rational target of ICB treatment given its relatively high mutation burden and the presence of immune infiltrates. However, the limited response rates and recent negative clinical trials data identify an urgent need for new strategies to overcome immunotherapy resistance. Preclinical studies have revealed an important contribution of epigenetic regulators in the anti-tumor immune response. Multiple components of the tumor and host immune system interaction are under epigenetic regulation, including the cancer cells themselves, cytotoxic T lymphocytes, regulatory T lymphocytes, natural killer cells, and tumor-associated macrophages. Epigenetic targeting drugs such as DNA methyltransferase inhibitors, histone deacetylase, and methyltransferase inhibitors have demonstrated the potential to reverse immune suppression in various cancer models. The aim of this review is to summarize recent preclinical studies focused on investigating the function of epigenetic modulation in the host immune and cancer cell interface. We also provide a perspective on combining epigenetic modulation and immunotherapy in the management of HNSCC to improve outcomes—an area of great interest in future clinical studies.
Concurrent Akt, ERK1/2 and AMPK Activation by Obestatin Inhibits Apoptotic Signaling Cascades on Nutrient-Deprived PC12 Cells
Authors: Sánchez-Temprano Agustín , Relova José Luis , Camiña Jesús P. , Pazos Yolanda
Published: January 2021

Targeting apoptosis in the ischemic penumbra is a rational therapeutic approach for restricting cerebral infarct volume after clinical stroke. The present work explored the capability of the obestatin peptide, as a novel approach to inhibit apoptotic signaling cascades on PC12 cells. According to the results, obestatin treatment significantly reduced nutrient deprivation-induced apoptotic cell death. The protective effects were related to the regulation of the anti-apoptotic protein, BCL-2, and the apoptotic protein caspase-3. This encompasses the control of apoptosis by the interplay between Akt, ERK1/2 and AMPK signaling pathways. The activation of Akt and AMPK was concomitant with the phosphorylation of their downstream targets, GSK3 and ACC, respectively. Besides, obestatin also causes FoxO1 nuclear export supporting the prevention of the apoptosome formation. The concurrent activation of Akt and AMPK by obestatin via the GPR39 receptor, supports a role for this system in the balance concerning the catabolic and the anabolic signaling to sustain cellular function and viability. Furthermore, these results provide both an insight into how the obestatin/GPR39 system regulates anti-apoptotic pathways, and a framework for ascertaining how this system can be optimally targeted in treatment of brain cell death after stroke.
Identification and pathogenicity of Fusarium spp. associated with tuber dry rot and wilt of potato in Algeria
Authors: Azil Nadia , Stefańczyk Emil , Sobkowiak Sylwester , Chihat Saliha , Boureghda Houda , Śliwka Jadwiga
Published: January 2021

Fusarium is one of the most important genera of phytopathogenic fungi, causing potato wilt in the field and potato tuber dry rot during storage. The objectives of this study were to identify Fusarium species associated with both potato diseases in different growing regions in Algeria, and to assess their pathogenicity. Among the 152 isolates collected from symptomatic potato plants and tubers in different provinces in Algeria, 13 species of Fusarium and Neocosmospora were identified. Among these three species were isolated only from plants showing symptoms of Fusarium potato wilt (F. oxysporum, F. venenatum, Neocosmospora solani). Two species (F. culmorum, N. tonkinensis) and an isolate of Neocosmospora sp. were found exclusively in tubers with potato dry rot and the remaining ones (F. redolens, F. cf. tricinctum, F. sambucinum, F. cf. incarnatum-equiseti, F. nygamai, F. brachygibbosum and N. falciformis) were associated with both sample types. Fusarium sambucinum was the most frequent species (52.6% of isolates). Fusarium oxysporum and F. nygamai isolates were the most aggressive in the potato wilt pathogenicity test, and F. sambucinum isolates were the most aggressive in the potato tuber pathogenicity test. This is the first study identifying and characterizing potato dry rot and potato wilt pathogens in Algeria.
Safety aspects of the PiCCO thermodilution-cardiac output catheter during magnetic resonance imaging at 3 Tesla
Authors: Voet Marieke , Overduin Christiaan G. , Stille Ernst L. , Fütterer Jurgen J. , Lemson Joris
Published: January 2021

Thermodilution cardiac output monitoring, using a thermistor-tipped intravascular catheter, is used in critically ill patients to guide hemodynamic therapy. Often, these patients also need magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for diagnostic or prognostic reasons. As thermodilution catheters contain metal, they are considered MRI-unsafe and advised to be removed prior to investigation. However, removal and replacement of the catheter carries risks of bleeding, perforation and infection. This research is an in vitro safety assessment of the PiCCO™ thermodilution catheter during 3 T Magnetic Resonance Imaging (3T-MRI).  In a 3T-MRI environment, three different PiCCO™ catheter sizes were investigated in an agarose-gel, tissue mimicking phantom. Two temperature probes measured radiofrequency-induced heating; one at the catheter tip and one at a reference point. Magnetically induced catheter dislocation was assessed by visual observation as well as by analysis of the tomographic images. For all tested catheters, the highest measured temperature increase was 0.2 °C at the center of the bore and 0.3 °C under “worst-case” setting for the tested MRI pulse sequences. No magnetically induced catheter displacements were observed. Under the tested circumstances, no heating or dislocation of the PiCCO™ catheter was observed in a tissue mimicking phantom during 3T-MRI. Leaving the catheter in the critically ill patient during MRI investigation might pose a lower risk of complications than catheter removal and replacement.
Association of differentially expressed R-gene candidates with leaf spot resistance in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)
Authors: Dang Phat M. , Lamb Marshall C. , Chen Charles Y.
Published: January 2021

Early leaf spot (ELS) and late leaf spot (LLS) are major fungal diseases of peanut that can severely reduce yield and quality. Development of acceptable genetic resistance has been difficult due to a strong environmental component and many major and minor QTLs. Resistance genes (R-genes) are an important component of plant immune system and have been identified in peanut. Association of specific R-genes to leaf spot resistance will provide molecular targets for marker-assisted breeding strategies. In this study, advanced breeding lines from different pedigrees were evaluated for leaf spot resistance and 76 candidate R-genes expression study was applied to susceptible and resistant lines. Thirty-six R-genes were differentially expressed and significantly correlated with resistant lines, of which a majority are receptor like kinases (RLKs) and receptor like proteins (RLPs) that sense the presence of pathogen at the cell surface and initiate protection response. The largest group was receptor-like cytoplasmic kinases (RLCKs) VII that are involved in pattern-triggered kinase signaling resulting in the production reactive oxygen species (ROS). Four R-genes were homologous to TMV resistant protein N which has shown to confer resistance against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). When mapped to peanut genomes, 36 R-genes were represented in most chromosomes except for A09 and B09. Low levels of gene-expression in resistant lines suggest expression is tightly controlled to balance the cost of R-gene expression to plant productively. Identification and association of R-genes involved in leaf spot resistance will facilitate genetic selection of leaf spot resistant lines with good agronomic traits.
Object Reconstruction Based on Attentive Recurrent Network from Single and Multiple Images
Authors: Gao Zishu , Li En , Wang Zhe , Yang Guodong , Lu Jiwu , Ouyang Bo , Xu Dawei , Liang Zize
Published: January 2021

The application of traditional 3D reconstruction methods such as structure-from-motion and simultaneous localization and mapping are typically limited by illumination conditions, surface textures, and wide baseline viewpoints in the field of robotics. To solve this problem, many researchers have applied learning-based methods with convolutional neural network architectures. However, simply utilizing convolutional neural networks without taking other measures into account is computationally intensive, and the results are not satisfying. In this study, to obtain the most informative images for reconstruction, we introduce a residual block to a 2D encoder for improved feature extraction, and propose an attentive latent unit that makes it possible to select the most informative image being fed into the network rather than choosing one at random. The recurrent visual attentive network is injected into the auto-encoder network using reinforcement learning. The recurrent visual attentive network pays more attention to useful images, and the agent will quickly predict the 3D volume. This model is evaluated based on both single- and multi-view reconstructions. The experiment results show that the recurrent visual attentive network increases prediction performance in a way that is superior to other alternative methods, and our model has desirable capacity for generalization.
Surrogate assisted interactive multiobjective optimization in energy system design of buildings
Authors: Aghaei Pour Pouya , Rodemann Tobias , Hakanen Jussi , Miettinen Kaisa
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we develop a novel evolutionary interactive method called interactive K-RVEA, which is suitable for computationally expensive problems. We use surrogate models to replace the original expensive objective functions to reduce the computation time. Typically, in interactive methods, a decision maker provides some preferences iteratively and the optimization algorithm narrows the search according to those preferences. However, working with surrogate models will introduce some inaccuracy to the preferences, and therefore, it would be desirable that the decision maker can work with the solutions that are evaluated with the original objective functions. Therefore, we propose a novel model management strategy to incorporate the decision maker’s preferences to select some of the solutions for both updating the surrogate models (to improve their accuracy) and to show them to the decision maker. Moreover, we solve a simulation-based computationally expensive optimization problem by finding an optimal configuration for an energy system of a heterogeneous business building complex. We demonstrate how a decision maker can interact with the method and how the most preferred solution is chosen. Finally, we compare our method with another interactive method, which does not have any model management strategy, and shows how our model management strategy can help the algorithm to follow the decision maker’s preferences.
Exploring Student Reasoning and Representation Construction in School Science Through the Lenses of Social Semiotics and Interaction Analysis
Authors: Knain Erik , Fredlund Tobias , Furberg Anniken
Published: January 2021

The meaning-making practices of science are multimodal and include representational forms such as spoken and written language, diagrams, graphs, equations, and images. Science learning proceeds through an ever-increasing grasp of such resources. This study aims at providing insight into how a combination of Interaction Analysis (IA) and social semiotic analysis can provide a deeper understanding of students’ engagement and learning with science representations. Social semiotics offers an analytical lens and categories for interpreting nuances of meaning in the visual domain. IA places a strong methodological emphasis on grounding analysis in unfolding interactions among peers, teachers, and artefacts. Investigating a teaching design where students iteratively produce multimodal drawings of the greenhouse effect, we used a multimodal analysis of the students’ drawings and an IA of transcribed video recordings of students’ interactions with each other and their teacher. The analyses show a progression towards more scientific student drawings over the course of a lesson. This progression was made possible by sustained attention to critical details in the drawings, and the drawings and interactions were instrumental in developing a more sophisticated understanding of the mechanisms behind the greenhouse effect. IA provides important analytical insights into students’ interest in the situation, which is at the heart of social semiotics. Social semiotics offers insight into the nuances of students’ interpretations of the world and how they relate to the practices of disciplinary science.
Contextual Effects on the Gendered Division of Housework: A Cross-Country and Cross-Time Analysis
Authors: Mandel Hadas , Lazarus Amit
Published: January 2021

Individuals who espouse an egalitarian gender ideology as well as economically independent women benefit from a more egalitarian division of housework. Although these two individual-level characteristics affect the gender division of housework, each suggests a different mechanism; the former is anchored within an economic logic and the latter within a cultural one. Using data of 25 countries from the 2002 and 2012 “Family and Changing Gender Roles” modules of the International Social Survey Program, we examine whether a country’s mean gender ideology and women’s labor force participation (WLFP) rate have a distinct contextual effect beyond these individual-level effects. We predict that the division of housework between married or cohabitating partners will be more egalitarian in countries with higher WLFP rates and in countries with more egalitarian attitudes, even after controlling for the two variables at the individual level. Given the cross-country convergence in WLFP, but not in gender ideology, we expect the effect of WLFP to decline over time and the effect of gender ideology to remain salient. Indeed, our multi-level analysis indicates that the net effect of WLFP, which was evident in 2002, had disappeared by 2012. By contrast, the net contextual effect of gender ideology, which was not significant in 2002, had become an important determinant of housework division by 2012. We conclude that further changes will depend on a country’s prevalent gender ideology because the equalizing effect of WLFP on the division of housework may have reached its limit.
What is the Prevalence of Low Health Literacy in European Union Member States? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Baccolini V. , Rosso A. , Di Paolo C. , Isonne C. , Salerno C. , Migliara G. , Prencipe G. P. , Massimi A. , Marzuillo C. , De Vito C. , Villari P. , Romano F.
Published: January 2021

Background

Many studies have shown that low health literacy (HL) is associated with several adverse outcomes. In this study, we systematically reviewed the prevalence of low HL in Europe.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, and Scopus were searched. Cross-sectional studies conducted in the European Union (EU), published from 2000, investigating the prevalence of low HL in adults using a reliable tool, were included. Quality was assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Inverse-variance random effects methods were used to produce pooled prevalence estimates. A meta-regression analysis was performed to assess the association between low HL and the characteristics of the studies.

Results

The pooled prevalence of low HL ranged from of 27% (95% CI: 18–38%) to 48% (95% CI: 41–55%), depending on the literacy assessment method applied. Southern, Western, and Eastern EU countries had lower HL compared to northern Europe (β: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.40–1.35; β: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.25–0.93; and β: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.06–1.37, respectively). The assessment method significantly influenced the pooled estimate: compared to word recognition items, using self-reported comprehensions items (β: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.15–1.08), reading or numeracy comprehensions items (β: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.24–1.31), or a mixed method (β: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.01–1.33) found higher rates of low HL. Refugees had the lowest HL (β: 1.59, 95% CI: 0.26–2.92). Finally, lower quality studies reported higher rates of low HL (β: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.06–1.07).

Discussion

We found that low HL is a public health challenge throughout Europe, where one in every three to almost one in every two Europeans may not be able to understand essential health-related material. Additional research is needed to investigate the underlying causes and to develop remedies.

PROSPERO Registration

CRD42019133377
Mind-mindedness in out-of-home Care for Children: Implications for caregivers and child
Authors: Colonnesi Cristina , Konijn Carolien , Kroneman Leoniek , Lindauer Ramón J. L. , Stams Geert Jan J. M.
Published: January 2021

Most out-of-home placed children have experienced early adversities, including maltreatment and neglect. A challenge for caregivers is to adequately interpret their foster child’s internal mental states and behavior. We examined caregivers’ mind-mindedness in out-of-home care, and the association among caregivers’ mind-mindedness (and its positive, neutral, and negative valence), recognition of the child’s trauma symptoms, and behavior problems. Participants (N = 138) were foster parents, family-home parents, and residential care workers. Caregivers’ mind-mindedness was assessed with the describe-your-child measure. Caregivers’ recognition of the child’s trauma symptoms, their child’s emotional symptoms, conduct problems, prosocial behavior, and quality of the caregiver-child relationship were assessed using caregivers’ reports. Foster parents produced more mental-state descriptors than did residential care workers. General mind-mindedness, as well as neutral and positive mind-mindedness, related negatively to conduct problems. Besides, positive mind-mindedness was associated with prosocial behavior and neutral mind-mindedness with a better quality of the caregiver-child relationship and fewer child conduct problems. Negative mind-mindedness related positively to the caregiver’s recognition of the child’s trauma symptoms, and indirectly, to emotional symptoms. In conclusion, mind-mindedness seems to be an essential characteristic of out-of-home caregivers, connected to the understanding of their child’s behavior problems and trauma symptoms, as well as to the relationship with the child. The findings suggest a possible use of mind-mindedness in out-of-home care evaluation and intervention.
Comprehensive upstream and downstream regulatory analyses identify miR-675-3p as a potential prognostic biomarker in melanoma
Authors: Zhao Cai-Chou , Guo Hao , Wang Ying , Li Jiu-Hong
Published: January 2021

This study assessed miR-675-3p-related regulatory mechanisms in melanoma and the clinical relevance of such regulatory activities. We downloaded miRNA mature strand expression RNA-Seq, phenotypic, and DNA methylation data pertaining to the TCGA Melanoma cohort. Differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) between metastatic and primary melanoma patient tissues were then identified, and miR-675-3p expression in melanoma patient peripheral blood was confirmed using the GSE20994 GEO dataset, while its expression in melanoma cell lines was evaluated via qRT-RCR. The clinical and prognostic implications of miR-675-3p in melanoma were assessed, and miR-675-3p target genes were identified using bioinformatics tools. Functional roles of this miRNA were explored via Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses. We identified 3 and 22 miRNAs that were up- and downregulated, respectively, in metastatic melanoma samples relative to primary melanoma samples. Upregulation of miR-675-3p was associated with poorer overall patient survival, tumor histologic grade, and Clark's level. Consistently, miR-675-3p was also overexpressed in the peripheral blood of melanoma patients relative to healthy controls, and in melanoma cell lines relative to control cells. Gene regulatory networks indicated that 32 transcription factors control miR-675-3p expression, and that it, in turn, regulates 10 target genes. KEGG analyses indicated that these genes were associated with cell cycle, transcriptional misregulation in cancer, TGF-beta signaling, and HIF-1 signaling pathways. Gain-of-function assays revealed that miR-675-3p could promote cell proliferation via accelerating cell cycle progression. Western blotting results indicated that miR-675-3p could active TGF-beta and HIF-1 signaling. Through upstream and downstream analyses of miR-675-3p-related regulatory activity, we confirmed that this miRNA participates in key melanoma-related processes and offers value as a prognostic biomarker in melanoma patients.
Efficient Catalytic Conversion of Polysulfides by Biomimetic Design of “Branch-Leaf” Electrode for High-Energy Sodium–Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Du Wenyan , Shen Kangqi , Qi Yuruo , Gao Wei , Tao Mengli , Du Guangyuan , Bao Shu-juan , Chen Mingyang , Chen Yuming , Xu Maowen
Published: January 2021

Rechargeable room temperature sodium–sulfur (RT Na–S) batteries are seriously limited by low sulfur utilization and sluggish electrochemical reaction activity of polysulfide intermediates. Herein, a 3D “branch-leaf” biomimetic design proposed for high performance Na–S batteries, where the leaves constructed from Co nanoparticles on carbon nanofibers (CNF) are fully to expose the active sites of Co. The CNF network acts as conductive “branches” to ensure adequate electron and electrolyte supply for the Co leaves. As an effective electrocatalytic battery system, the 3D “branch-leaf” conductive network with abundant active sites and voids can effectively trap polysulfides and provide plentiful electron/ions pathways for electrochemical reaction. DFT calculation reveals that the Co nanoparticles can induce the formation of a unique Co–S–Na molecular layer on the Co surface, which can enable a fast reduction reaction of the polysulfides. Therefore, the prepared “branch-leaf” CNF-L@Co/S electrode exhibits a high initial specific capacity of 1201 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C and superior rate performance.
The risk assessment by clinical background and cephalometry for obstructive sleep apnea with CPAP indication in Japanese
Authors: Nozawa Shuhei , Urushihata Kazuhisa , Machida Ryosuke , Hanaoka Masayuki
Published: January 2021

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a disease characterized by a brief period of cessation or marked decline in ventilation. The standard treatment is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). To determine the indication, full-night polysomnography (PSG) is required; however, it is a stressful examination. We verified the usefulness of pulse-oximetry at home as a predictor for CPAP indication before PSG. Simultaneously, the clinical background and cephalometry were also verified. Among 376 subjects who received PSG at our hospital from February 2005 to April 2020, 138 subjects received pulse-oximetry at home before PSG were enrolled retrospectively and performed logistic regression analysis on those with CPAP indication. Concurrently, 262 of 376 subjects received cephalometry were enrolled, and logistic regression analysis were performed using clinical background and cephalometry. A 3% oxygen desaturation (3% ODI) on the pulse-oximeter was a predictor for CPAP indication. The positive predictive value of 3% ODI ≥ 28.5 events/h was 73.3% and the negative predictive value was 62.5%. Older age, higher body mass index (BMI), stronger lower jaw retraction (wider ∠ANB), and longer distance from the anterior superior tip of the hyoid bone to the mandibular plane (MP-H) on cephalometry were also independent predictors. The positive predictive value when both BMI ≥ 26.0 kg/m2 and MP-H ≥ 17.5 mm were present was 88.2% and the negative predictive value when both were absent was 71.3%. The combination of clinical background and cephalometry would be a useful screening tool as well as a pulse-oximetry at home for CPAP indication.
Next-generation surgical meshes for drug delivery and tissue engineering applications: materials, design and emerging manufacturing technologies
Authors: Corduas Francesca , Lamprou Dimitrios A. , Mancuso Elena
Published: January 2021

Surgical meshes have been employed in the management of a variety of pathological conditions including hernia, pelvic floor dysfunctions, periodontal guided bone regeneration, wound healing and more recently for breast plastic surgery after mastectomy. These common pathologies affect a wide portion of the worldwide population; therefore, an effective and enhanced treatment is crucial to ameliorate patients’ living conditions both from medical and aesthetic points of view. At present, non-absorbable synthetic polymers are the most widely used class of biomaterials for the manufacturing of mesh implants for hernia, pelvic floor dysfunctions and guided bone regeneration, with polypropylene and poly tetrafluoroethylene being the most common. Biological prostheses, such as surgical grafts, have been employed mainly for breast plastic surgery and wound healing applications. Despite the advantages of mesh implants to the treatment of these conditions, there are still many drawbacks, mainly related to the arising of a huge number of post-operative complications, among which infections are the most common. Developing a mesh that could appropriately integrate with the native tissue, promote its healing and constructive remodelling, is the key aim of ongoing research in the area of surgical mesh implants. To this end, the adoption of new biomaterials including absorbable and natural polymers, the use of drugs and advanced manufacturing technologies, such as 3D printing and electrospinning, are under investigation to address the previously mentioned challenges and improve the outcomes of future clinical practice. The aim of this work is to review the key advantages and disadvantages related to the use of surgical meshes, the main issues characterizing each clinical procedure and the future directions in terms of both novel manufacturing technologies and latest regulatory considerations.

Graphic abstract
Iron Chelation in Movement Disorders: Logical or Ironical
Authors: Kulshreshtha Dinkar , Ganguly Jacky , Jog Mandar
Published: January 2021

Iron is probably as old as the universe itself and is essential for sustaining biological processes. The remarkable property of iron complexes to facilitate electron transfer makes it a significant component of redox reactions that drive the essential steps in nucleic acid biosynthesis and cellular functions. This, however, also generates potentially harmful hydroxyl radicals causing cell damage. In the movement disorder world, iron accumulation is well known to occur in neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation, while dysfunctional iron homeostasis has been linked with neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease to name a few. Targeting excess iron in these patients with chelation therapy has been attempted over the last few decades, though the results have not been that promising. In this review, we have discussed iron, its metabolism, and proposed mechanisms causing movement disorder abnormalities. We have reviewed the available literature on attempts to treat these movement disorders with chelation therapy. Finally, based on our understanding of the pathogenic role of iron, we have critically analyzed the limitations of chelation therapy in the current scenario and the various unmet needs that should be addressed for selecting the patient population amenable to this therapy.
The Platformization of Culture: Webtoon Platforms and Media Ecology in Korea and Beyond
Authors: Cho Heekyoung
Published: January 2021

This article examines the webtoon (wept'un)—a term coined in Korea to refer to webcomics—which is arguably the most pervasive and powerful form of digital serial production in twenty-first-century Korea. Webtoons have developed by utilizing various potentials that the digital platform offers, such as open solicitation, (partial) free web/mobile distribution, profit from advertisement and page viewing, and transmedia production. As a new cultural medium, the webtoon is thus inseparable from its platform and organically tied to its distinctive platform ecology, which is different from the ecosystems that other (global) mega-platforms create. Engaging with the insights from recent studies of platforms and utilizing empirical media analysis, I argue that Korean webtoon platforms demonstrate the continuing and intensifying dependency of art on platforms—a process that I call “the platformization of culture”—and that this specific type of platformization is reinforced by what I call “the artist incubating system.” The case of webtoon platforms reveals a number of telling aspects of media ecosystems for art production in the digital age—aspects that are spreading and expanding to various fields of art.
Gender Gaps in Venture Capital Performance
Authors: Gompers Paul A. , Mukharlyamov Vladimir , Weisburst Emily , Xuan Yuhai
Published: January 2021

We explore gender differences in performance in a comprehensive sample of venture capital investments in the United States. Investments by female venture capital investors have significantly lower success rates than investments by their male colleagues when controlling for personal characteristics, including employment and educational history, and portfolio companies’ characteristics. The gender differences in investment outcomes are not due to female investors being less skilled but, rather, are largely attributable to female investors receiving less benefit from the track records of their colleagues. Performance differences disappear in older, larger firms and firms with other female investors. This supports the view that formal feedback mechanisms and hierarchies are potentially useful in ameliorating the female performance gap.
Law and Ethics in a World of Rights and Unsuitable Wrongs
Authors: Koniak Susan P.
Published: January 2021

Law, ethics and morality. What distinguishes these concepts? What connects them? Those are my questions. My argument is this. There is a traditional understanding of the relationship between law and ethics, and that understanding is inadequate as description. While passing as description, the traditional understanding of the relationship between law and ethics is instead normative. The normative message in the traditional understanding is worthy of examination and ripe for critique. This Article offers an alternative method of understanding the relationship between law and ethics and a normative examination of the old and the new.
Injective types in univalent mathematics
Authors: Escardó Martín Hötzel
Published: January 2021

We investigate the injective types and the algebraically injective types in univalent mathematics, both in the absence and in the presence of propositional resizing. Injectivity is defined by the surjectivity of the restriction map along any embedding, and algebraic injectivity is defined by a given section of the restriction map along any embedding. Under propositional resizing axioms, the main results are easy to state: (1) Injectivity is equivalent to the propositional truncation of algebraic injectivity. (2) The algebraically injective types are precisely the retracts of exponential powers of universes. (2a) The algebraically injective sets are precisely the retracts of powersets. (2b) The algebraically injective (n+1)-types are precisely the retracts of exponential powers of universes of n-types. (3) The algebraically injective types are also precisely the retracts of algebras of the partial-map classifier. From (2) it follows that any universe is embedded as a retract of any larger universe. In the absence of propositional resizing, we have similar results that have subtler statements which need to keep track of universe levels rather explicitly, and are applied to get the results that require resizing.
Lipomatous atrial septal hypertrophy associated with adrenocorticotropin hormone administration in an infant with West syndrome
Authors: Rodriguez-Gonzalez Moises , Cascales-Poyatos Helena M. , Castellano-Martinez Ana , Ley-Martos Myriam , Perez-Reviriego Alvaro Antonio
Published: January 2021

We present the rare case of lipomatous atrial septal hypertrophy associated with adrenocorticotropin hormone therapy in an infant with West syndrome, highlighting their relatively benign nature and good prognosis in children, and the relevance of the differential diagnosis with more dangerous cardiac masses in order to avoid aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.
Kansas Court Denies Employment Discrimination Claims under ADA, FMLA, and PDA
Authors: B.P.M
Published: January 2021

The United States District Court of Kansas, in Gudenkauf v. Stauffer, Znc.(922 F. Supp. 465 (D. Kan. 1996), granted the defendants motion for summary judgment for the plaintiff's claims of pregnancy-related discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), but the court denied a similar motion for the plaintiff's claim under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA). The court found summary judgment to be appropriate for the ADA claim based on its finding that the plaintiff's pregnancy did not constitute an impairment as required by the statute; as for the FMLA claim, it determined that the defendants failure to grant the plaintiff's leave request did not violate the statute. However, the court determined that summary judgment was inappropriate for the PDA claim because of material questions of fact about whether the defendant had acted with discriminatory intent.

In considering the motions for summary judgment, the court accepted the following facts as incontrovertible. Plaintiff Michaela Gudenkauf worked for the defendant Stauffer, Inc.
False Claims Act: Failure to Seek Legal Advice Not a Violation of the FCA
Authors: Cavanaugh Jeanne
Published: January 2021

In United States ex rel. Quirk v. Madonna Towers, Inc., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit held that the failure of a skilled nursing facility's executives to seek a legal opinion regarding a billing practice they considered valid did not meet the definition of knowingly presenting a false claim for payment to the federal government under the False Claims Act (FCA). Alleging that the facility that provided care to his aunt fraudulently submitted claims to Medicare for services provided free of charge, the appellant brought this case qui tam on behalf of the federal government under the FCA.

The FCA was passed by the legislature in an effort to punish and deter fraud against the federal government. It provides financial incentives for private individuals to come forward with information about fraudulent activity.
The two-cell model of glucose metabolism: a hypothesis of schizophrenia
Authors: Roosterman Dirk , Cottrell Graeme Stuart
Published: January 2021

Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder that affects over 20 million people worldwide. Common symptoms include distortions in thinking, perception, emotions, language, and self awareness. Different hypotheses have been proposed to explain the development of schizophrenia, however, there are no unifying features between the proposed hypotheses. Schizophrenic patients have perturbed levels of glucose in their cerebrospinal fluid, indicating a disturbance in glucose metabolism. We have explored the possibility that disturbances in glucose metabolism can be a general mechanism for predisposition and manifestation of the disease. We discuss glucose metabolism as a network of signaling pathways. Glucose and glucose metabolites can have diverse actions as signaling molecules, such as regulation of transcription factors, hormone and cytokine secretion and activation of neuronal cells, such as microglia. The presented model challenges well-established concepts in enzyme kinetics and glucose metabolism. We have developed a ‘two-cell’ model of glucose metabolism, which can explain the effects of electroconvulsive therapy and the beneficial and side effects of olanzapine treatment. Arrangement of glycolytic enzymes into metabolic signaling complexes within the ‘two hit’ hypothesis, allows schizophrenia to be formulated in two steps. The ‘first hit’ is the dysregulation of the glucose signaling pathway. This dysregulation of glucose metabolism primes the central nervous system for a pathological response to a ‘second hit’ via the astrocytic glycogenolysis signaling pathway.
Weaponizing volatiles to inhibit competitor biofilms from a distance
Authors: Hou Qihui , Keren-Paz Alona , Korenblum Elisa , Oved Rela , Malitsky Sergey , Kolodkin-Gal Ilana
Published: January 2021

The soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis forms beneficial biofilms that induce plant defences and prevent the growth of pathogens. It is naturally found in the rhizosphere, where microorganisms coexist in an extremely competitive environment, and thus have evolved a diverse arsenal of defence mechanisms. In this work, we found that volatile compounds produced by B. subtilis biofilms inhibited the development of competing biofilm colonies, by reducing extracellular matrix gene expression, both within and across species. This effect was dose-dependent, with the structural defects becoming more pronounced as the number of volatile-producing colonies increased. This inhibition was mostly mediated by organic volatiles, and we identified the active molecules as 3-methyl-1-butanol and 1-butanol. Similar results were obtained with biofilms formed by phylogenetically distinct bacterium sharing the same niche, Escherichia coli, which produced the biofilm-inhibiting 3-methyl-1-butanol and 2-nonanon. The ability of established biofilms to inhibit the development and spreading of new biofilms from afar might be a general mechanism utilized by bacterial biofilms to protect an occupied niche from the invasion of competing bacteria.
Intrinsically weak magnetic anisotropy of cerium in potential hard-magnetic intermetallics
Authors: Galler Anna , Ener Semih , Maccari Fernando , Dirba Imants , Skokov Konstantin P. , Gutfleisch Oliver , Biermann Silke , Pourovskii Leonid V.
Published: January 2021

Cerium-based intermetallics are currently attracting much interest as a possible alternative to existing high-performance magnets containing scarce heavy rare-earth elements. However, the intrinsic magnetic properties of Ce in these systems are poorly understood due to the difficulty of a quantitative description of the Kondo effect, a many-body phenomenon where conduction electrons screen out the Ce-4f moment. Here, we show that the Ce-4f shell in Ce–Fe intermetallics is partially Kondo screened. The Kondo scale is dramatically enhanced by nitrogen interstitials suppressing the Ce-4f contribution to the magnetic anisotropy, in striking contrast to the effect of nitrogenation in isostructural intermetallics containing other rare-earth elements. We determine the full temperature dependence of the Ce-4f single-ion anisotropy and show that even unscreened Ce-4f moments contribute little to the room-temperature intrinsic magnetic hardness. Our study thus establishes fundamental constraints on the potential of cerium-based permanent magnet intermetallics.
Multiorbital singlet pairing and d + d superconductivity
Authors: Nica Emilian M. , Si Qimiao
Published: January 2021

Recent experiments in multiband Fe-based and heavy-fermion superconductors have challenged the long-held dichotomy between simple s- and d-wave spin-singlet pairing states. Here, we advance several time-reversal-invariant irreducible pairings that go beyond the standard singlet functions through a matrix structure in the band/orbital space, and elucidate their naturalness in multiband systems. We consider the sτ3 multiorbital superconducting state for Fe-chalcogenide superconductors. This state, corresponding to a d + d intra- and inter-band pairing, is shown to contrast with the more familiar d + id state in a way analogous to how the B- triplet pairing phase of 3He superfluid differs from its A- phase counterpart. In addition, we construct an analog of the sτ3 pairing for the heavy-fermion superconductor CeCu2Si2, using degrees-of-freedom that incorporate spin-orbit coupling. Our results lead to the proposition that d-wave superconductors in correlated multiband systems will generically have a fully-gapped Fermi surface when they are examined at sufficiently low energies.
Second opinion needed: communicating uncertainty in medical machine learning
Authors: Kompa Benjamin , Snoek Jasper , Beam Andrew L.
Published: January 2021

There is great excitement that medical artificial intelligence (AI) based on machine learning (ML) can be used to improve decision making at the patient level in a variety of healthcare settings. However, the quantification and communication of uncertainty for individual predictions is often neglected even though uncertainty estimates could lead to more principled decision-making and enable machine learning models to automatically or semi-automatically abstain on samples for which there is high uncertainty. In this article, we provide an overview of different approaches to uncertainty quantification and abstention for machine learning and highlight how these techniques could improve the safety and reliability of current ML systems being used in healthcare settings. Effective quantification and communication of uncertainty could help to engender trust with healthcare workers, while providing safeguards against known failure modes of current machine learning approaches. As machine learning becomes further integrated into healthcare environments, the ability to say “I’m not sure” or “I don’t know” when uncertain is a necessary capability to enable safe clinical deployment.
An SPR imaging immunosensor for leptin determination in blood plasma
Authors: Sankiewicz Anna , Hermanowicz Adam , Grycz Artur , Łukaszewski Zenon , Gorodkiewicz Ewa
Published: January 2021

The schematic illustration of the biosensor SPRI that is a new promising tool for the determination of leptin concentation. Leptin is a hormone that has a fundamental role in the regulation of feeding and energy balance.
Iontophoresis mediated localized delivery of liposomal gold nanoparticles for photothermal and photodynamic therapy of acne
Authors: Alvi Syed Baseeruddin , Rajalakshmi P. S. , Jogdand Anil , Sanjay Ambekar Yogeshwari , B. Veeresh , John Renu , Rengan Aravind Kumar
Published: January 2021

Iontophoresis mediated localized delivery of drug entrapping liposomal gold nanoparticles for photothermal and photodynamic therapy of acne.
Interventional nuclear medicine: “click” chemistry as an in vivo targeting strategy for imaging microspheres and bacteria
Authors: Welling M. M. , Duszenko N. , van Willigen D. M. , Hensbergen A. W. , Buckle T. , Rietbergen D. D. D. , Roestenberg M. , van Leeuwen F. W. B.
Published: January 2021

Pre-targeting is a proven strategy for in vivo delivery of a diagnostic or therapeutic payload.
The design of cyclometalated iridium(iii)–metformin complexes for hypoxic cancer treatment
Authors: Yang Jing , Fang Hao-Ji , Cao Qian , Mao Zong-Wan
Published: January 2021

Cytometalated iridium(iii)–metformin conjugates were synthesized capable of overcoming hypoxia via mitochondrial respiration inhibition, and exhibiting anti-metastasis and anti-inflammatory activities.
Relaxometry models compared with Bayesian techniques: ganglioside micelle example
Authors: Håkansson Pär
Published: January 2021

The developed Bayesian technique provide progress in model comparison (right panel), compared to the corresponding ambiguousχ2-best fit (left panel).
Insights from quantum chemical calculations into inner and outer-sphere complexation of plutonium(iv) by monoamide and carbamide extractants
Authors: Failali Abdelmounaim , Acher Eléonor , Vallet Valérie , Réal Florent , Guillaumont Dominique
Published: January 2021

The strong influence of the structure of amide derivatives on plutonium extraction properties is rationalized from DFT calculations.
The anisotropy of the internal magnetic field on the central ion is capable of imposing great impact on the quantum tunneling of magnetization of Kramers single-ion magnets
Authors: Yin Bing , Luo Lan
Published: January 2021

A theoretical method, taking into account the anisotropy of the internal magnetic field (B⃑int), is proposed to predict the rate of quantum tunneling of magnetization (QTM), i.e., τQTM−1, for Kramers single-ion magnets (SIMs).