bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Controls on δ26Mg variability in three Central European headwater catchments characterized by contrasting bedrock chemistry and contrasting inputs of atmospheric pollutants
Authors: Novak Martin , Farkas Juraj , Kram Pavel , Hruska Jakub , Stepanova Marketa , Veselovsky Frantisek , Curik Jan , Andronikov Alexandre V. , Sebek Ondrej , Simecek Martin , Fottova Daniela , Bohdalkova Leona , Prechova Eva , Koubova Magdalena , Vitkova Hyacinta
Published: November 2020

Magnesium isotope ratios (26Mg/24Mg) can provide insights into the origin of Mg pools and fluxes in catchments where Mg sources have distinct isotope compositions, and the direction and magnitude of Mg isotope fractionations are known. Variability in Mg isotope compositions was investigated in three small, spruce-forested catchments in the Czech Republic (Central Europe) situated along an industrial pollution gradient. The following combinations of catchment characteristics were selected for the study: low-Mg bedrock + low Mg deposition (site LYS, underlain by leucogranite); high-Mg bedrock + low Mg deposition (site PLB, underlain by serpentinite), and low-Mg bedrock + high Mg deposition (site UDL, underlain by orthogneiss). UDL, affected by spruce die-back due to acid rain, was the only investigated site where dolomite was applied to mitigate forest decline. The δ26Mg values of 10 catchment compartments were determined on pooled subsamples. At LYS, a wide range of δ26Mg values was observed across the compartments, from -3.38 ‰ (bedrock) to -2.88 ‰ (soil), -1.48% (open-area precipitation), -1.34 ‰ (throughfall), -1.19 ‰ (soil water), -0.99 ‰ (xylem), -0.95 ‰ (needles), -0.82 ‰ (bark), -0.76 ‰ (fine roots), and -0.76 ‰ (runoff). The δ26Mg values at UDL spanned 1.32 ‰ and were thus less variable, compared to LYS. Magnesium at PLB was isotopically relatively homogeneous. The δ26Mg systematics was consistent with geogenic control of runoff Mg at PLB. Mainly atmospheric/biological control of runoff Mg was indicated at UDL, and possibly also at LYS. Our sites did not exhibit the combination of low-δ26Mg runoff and high-δ26Mg weathering products (secondary clay minerals) reported from several previously studied sites. Six years after the end of liming at UDL, Mg derived from dolomite was isotopically undetectable in runoff.
Postoperative clinical outcomes and inflammatory markers after inguinal hernia repair using local, spinal, or general anesthesia: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Wongyingsinn Mingkwan , Kohmongkoludom Pasawang , Trakarnsanga Atthaphorn , Horthongkham Navin
Published: November 2020

Background

No consensus has yet been reached regarding the best anesthetic technique for inguinal hernia repair. This study aimed to compare postoperative clinical outcomes and inflammatory markers among patients who were anesthetized using local, spinal, or general anesthesia for inguinal hernia repair.

Methods

This randomized controlled trial included patients scheduled to undergo elective unilateral inguinal hernioplasty at Siriraj Hospital during November 2014 to September 2015 study period. Patients were randomly assigned to the local (LA), spinal (SA), or general (GA) anesthesia groups. Primary outcomes were postoperative pain at rest and on mobilization at 8 and 24 hours after surgery.

Results

Fifty-four patients were included, with 18 patients randomly assigned to each group. Patient demographic and clinical characteristics were similar among groups. There were no significant differences among groups for postoperative pain at rest or on mobilization at 8 and 24 hours after surgery. No significant differences were observed for interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and interleukin-10 at any time points in any groups. Patients with local anesthesia was associated with less time spent in anesthesia (p= 0.010) and surgery (p= 0.009), lower intraoperative cost (p= 0.003) and total cost in hospital (p= 0.036); however, patient satisfaction in the local anesthesia group (94/100) was statistically significantly lower than the spinal and general anesthesia groups (100/100) (p= 0.010).

Conclusions

No statistically significant difference was observed among groups for postoperative pain scores, duration of hospital stays, complications, or change in inflammatory markers. However, time spent in anesthesia and surgery, the intraoperative cost and total cost for hernia repair, and patient satisfaction were significantly lower in the local anesthesia group than in the other two groups.
Publication rates of research projects of an internal funding program of a university medical center in Germany: A retrospective study (2004–2013)
Authors: Deutsch Susanne , Reuter Silke , Rose Astrid , Tolba René
Published: November 2020

Objectives

Non-publication and publication bias are topics of considerable importance to the scientific community. These issues may limit progress toward the 3R principle for animal research, promote waste of public resources, and generate biased interpretations of clinical outcomes. To investigate current publishing practices and to gain some understanding of the extent to which research results are reported, we examined publication rates of research projects that were approved within an internal funding program of the Faculty of Medicine at a university medical center in Germany, which is exemplary for comparable research funding programs for the promotion of young researchers in Germany and Europe.

Methods

We analyzed the complete set (n = 363) of research projects that were supported by an internal funding program between 2004 and 2013. We divided the projects into four different proposal types that included those that required an ethics vote, those that included an animal proposal, those that included both requirements, and those that included neither requirement.

Results

We found that 65% of the internally funded research projects resulted in at least one peer-reviewed publication; this increased to 73% if other research contributions were considered, including abstracts, book and congress contributions, scientific posters, and presentations. There were no significant differences with respect to publication rates based on (a) the clinic/institute of the applicant, (b) project duration, (c) scope of funding or (d) proposal type.

Conclusion

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to explore publication rates associated with early-career medical research funding. As >70% of the projects ultimately generated some form of publication, the program was overall effective toward this goal; however, non-publication of research results is still prevalent. Further research will explore the reasons underlying non-publication. We hope to use these findings to develop strategies that encourage publication of research results.
Influence of Pre-Processing Strategies on the Performance of ML Classifiers Exploiting TF-IDF and BOW Features
Authors: Pimpalkar Amit Purushottam , Retna Raj R. Jeberson
Published: November 2020

Data analytics and its associated applications have recently become impor-tant fields of study. The subject of concern for researchers now-a-days is a massive amount of data produced every minute and second as people con-stantly sharing thoughts, opinions about things that are associated with them. Social media info, however, is still unstructured, disseminated and hard to handle and need to be developed a strong foundation so that they can be utilized as valuable information on a particular topic. Processing such unstructured data in this area in terms of noise, co-relevance, emoticons, folksonomies and slangs is really quite challenging and therefore requires proper data pre-processing before getting the right sentiments. The dataset is extracted from Kaggle and Twitter, pre-processing performed using NLTK and Scikit-learn and features selection and extraction is done for Bag of Words (BOW), Term Frequency (TF) and Inverse Document Frequency (IDF) scheme.

For polarity identification, we evaluated five different Machine Learning (ML) algorithms viz Multinomial Naive Bayes (MNB), Logistic Regression (LR), Decision Trees (DT), XGBoost (XGB) and Support Vector Machines (SVM). We have performed a comparative analysis of the success for these algorithms in order to decide which algorithm works best for the given data-set in terms of recall, accuracy, F1-score and precision. We assess the effects of various pre-processing techniques on two datasets; one with domain and other not. It is demonstrated that SVM classifier outperformed the other classifiers with superior evaluations of 73.12% and 94.91% for accuracy and precision respectively. It is also highlighted in this research that the selection and representation of features along with various pre-processing techniques have a positive impact on the performance of the classification.  The ultimate outcome indicates an improvement in sentiment classification and we noted that pre-processing approaches obviously suggest an improvement in the efficiency of the classifiers.
«Les contrepointistes de L’Ècole d’Évora». El Integralismo Lusitano y la Escola de Évora en el nacionalismo musical de Luís de Freitas Branco
Authors: Pérez-Borrajo Aarón
Published: November 2020

El objetivo principal de este artículo consiste en identificar los mecanismos mediante los cuales el compositor y musicólogo Luís de Freitas Branco (1890-1955) diseña y configura un nacionalismo musical portugués sumamente particular a partir del marco teórico que le proporciona el Integralismo Lusitano. Movimiento protofascista activo en Portugal entre 1916 y 1933, de corte tradicionalista y monárquico, abogó por un proyecto cultural opuesto a la dimensión castellana y a las interferencias italianas que asolaron el panorama musical portugués durante el siglo XIX. Los agentes musicales integralistas entendieron que el contrapunto polifónico de los siglos XVI y XVII, asociado a la denominada Escola de Évora, debía ser el modelo a seguir para volver a situar a Portugal en la vanguardia europea del siglo XX. Para ello, en esta investigación se abordará el estudio de caso del capítulo «Les contrepointistes de l’École d’Evora», publicado en el tercer volumen de las Actes du Congrès d’Histoire de l’Art (1924). Testimonio de su participación en el congreso de título homónimo celebrado en París en 1921, esta fuente nos permitirá comprobar cómo el musicólogo portugués construye y difunde un imaginario musical nacional acorde a las doctrinas integralistas en un contexto internacional.
Email Security
Authors: Vallabh Sushen
Published: November 2020

Email is a major form of communication these days and its prone to multiple attacks. It is important to secure those email to keep our data confidential.
Polyphenols Content and Antimicrobial, Antioxidant and Hemolytic Activities of Essential Oils from Four Selected Medicinal Plants Growing in Algeria
Authors: Halla Noureddine , Boucherit Kebir , Zeragui Bankaddour , Djelti Abdelkader , Belkhedim Ziane , Hassani Rachida , Benatallah Saada , Djellouli Hassiba , Kacimi Oumlkheir , Boucherit-Otmani Zahia
Published: November 2020

The Saharan and steppe spontaneous plants are very characteristic because of their particular adaptation to the desert and extreme environment. Some species have pharmacological properties that give them a medicinal interest. The aim of the present work was to determine the polyphenol contents of essential oils obtained from four endemic plants growing in Algeria (Pituranthos scoparius, Myrtus nivellei, Rosmarinus officinalis and Mentha piperita), and study its biological activity, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, and hemolytic. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated by the microdilution method against twelve strains. The antioxidant activity was carried out by two methods (DPPH radical scavenging and reducing power). However, the hemolytic effect has been evaluated against the red blood cells. P. scoparius and M. piperita showed yields of essential oils higher than 1%. All the strains showed sensitivity against the essential oils tested with the exception of the C. albicans treated by R. officinalis essential oils. The most sensitive strain was C. albicans treated by P. scoparius essential oils by MIC of 0.0781 mg/mL, it was the same plant that shows the highest polyphenol content (14.78 ± 0.72 g GAE/g DS). The antioxidant activity by the DPPH method was greater for all essential oils tested by IC50 ranging from 0.69 ± 0.07 (R. officinalis) to 30.67 ± 2.12 mg/mL (M. nivellei). The R. officinalis essential oils reported more antioxidant power than the positive control (ascorbic acid). In reducing iron, it was the R. officinalis essential oils which were found to be the most active with an EC50 concentration of 9.67 ± 1.36 mg/mL. After 120 min incubation, minimal haemolysis (10%) was obtained with essential oils of R. officinalis at a concentration of 0.39 mg/mL. We conclude that P. scoparius essential oils showed the high content of polyphenols and R. officinalis essential oils reported more antioxidant power than the positive control (ascorbic acid).
Neuroimaging Findings in Glaucoma (Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Study)
Authors: Ilmira Gazizova , Andrey Bogdan , Yulia Khomenko , Elena Gromova , Svetlana Zainullina , Abdulla Gadzhiev
Published: November 2020

The aim of the research is to determine metabolic changes in brain tissue by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) for patients who had primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and to reveal a correlation between morphometric and functional alterations in the optic nerve and retina with basic MRS data. Methods: The study involved 24 patients with a diagnosis of POAG aged 58 to 80 years (mean age 73.2 ± 9.5 years). All patients underwent verification of the diagnosis of POAG, quantitative static perimetry (indexes were evaluated: MD - mean deviation), optical coherence tomography of the retina (assessment of the area of the neuro-retinal rim (NRR) and the thickness of the nerve fibers’ layer of the retina (RNFL)). The 2D-PRESS (Point RESolved Spectroscopy) volume-selection method was used for multivoxel MRS, TE (Time Echo) = 144ms TR (Time Repetition) = 2s, the size of each voxel was 10 * 10 * 15mm. The region of interest included thalami (4 voxels in each thalamus) and occipital cortex; Cho/Cr, NAA/Cr and NAA/Cho were evaluated. Results: According to analysis of variance, the ratio of NAA/Cr in the right thalamus was associated with the POAG stage of the right eye (F = 5.006; p = 0.0173) and decreased with increasing of the disease stage. At the same time, there were no significant differences in different stages of POAG of the left eye (F = 1.337; p = 0.285). The ratio of NAA/Cr in the left thalamus did not differ depending on the POAG stage of the right eye (F = 1.337; p = 0.285) but depended on the stage of POAG of the left eye (F = 6.245; p = 0.0074). Thus, the eye POAG stage affected the ratio of NAA/Cr in the ipsilateral thalamus, but not in the contralateral one. It was also revealed that the ratio of NAA/Cr in the right occipital cortex correlated positively with the area of the NRR and MD of the left eye (r = 0.54; p = 0.0069 and r = 0.54; p = 0.0260, respectively). Conclusions: The decline of NAA/Cr ratio in thalamus and occipital cortex is observed in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma, which confirms the impairment of functional state of these brain structures and may indicate the neurodegeneration in the central part of visual system in patients with POAG. The correlations of the stage of primary open-angle glaucoma and the Cho/Cr ratio and NAA/Cr ratio in thalamus were revealed, which could have diagnostic and prognostic value in POAG. The dependence of the ratio of NAA/Cr in the thalamus and occipital cortex and morphometric data of the optic disc and the functional state of the retina was determined, which confirms the involvement of the optic tract in the POAG progression and its possible development.
User-centered Design and Evaluation of a Geovisualization Application Leveraging Aggregated QS Data
Authors: Nelson Jonathan K. , MacEachren Alan M.
Published: November 2020

Individual movement traces recorded by users of activity tracking applications such as Strava provide opportunities that extend beyond delivering personal value or insight to the individual who engages in these “quantified-self” (QS) activities. The large volumes of data generated by these individuals, when aggregated and anonymized, can be used by city planners, Departments of Transportation, advocacy groups, and researchers to help make cities safer and more efficient. This opportunity, however, is constrained by the technical skills and resources available to those tasked with assessing bicycling behavior in urban centers. This paper aims to address the question of how to design cartographic interfaces to serve as mediated platforms for making large amounts of individual bicycling data more accessible, usable, and actionable. Principles of cartographic representation, geovisual analytics techniques, and best practices in user interface/experience design are employed to arrive at an effective visualization tool for a broad urban planning audience. We use scenario-based design methods to encapsulate knowledge of map use practice gleaned from the development process, and conduct a post-implementation two-part user study with seven domain experts to further assess the usability and utility of the interactive mapping tool.
Barriers to expand solar photovoltaic energy in Brazil
Authors: Queiroz Jamerson Viegas , Borges Kilvia Kalidja , Queiroz Fernanda Cristina Barbosa Pereira , Lima Nilton Cesar , Da Silva Christian Luiz , Morais Liziane de Souza
Published: November 2020

Renewable energy has promoted increasingly diffused propulsions in political, social and organizational environments because of their relevance to future climatic conditions and restrictions on natural resources that threaten environmental impacts. Brazil has enormous potential to exploit renewable energy, especially photovoltaic solar energy, since it has a daily solar incidence of between 4,500 Wh/m2 and 6,300 Wh/m2. However, the development of this energy in Brazil faces barriers that end up hindering its implementation and expansion. The objective of the research is to identify and measure the impact of these barriers to the expansion of photovoltaic solar energy in Brazil, through the modeling of structural equations. For the development of the article, interviews with managers of the solar energy sector were carried out all over the country. As for the methodology, it’s an exploratory research, cross-sectional and with a qualitative-quantitative approach. Moreover, concluded that: political and knowledge barriers negatively influence the implementation and expansion of photovoltaic solar energy in Brazil.
Strategic formulation of industrial maintenance based on equipment reliability in a sugar and ethanol production plant
Authors: Silva Elias Tadeu da , Achcar Jorge alberto , Piratelli Claudio Luis
Published: November 2020

Maintenance and management have substantial importance in the search of the company’s competitive advantages. In this direction, a reliability analysis of  equipments is very important for the definition of the most suitable maintenance strategy. The main goal of this paper is to assess the reliability-centered maintenance of the industrial reliability curve of a sugar cane department of an industry located in São Paulo State, Brazil. The proposed research method was based on the application of existing statistical modeling for the times between failures (TBF) of all reported equipment failures or the interruption times in the production line. These times were modeled by standard lifetime probability distributions as log-normal and Weibull distributions. The results showed that the company's strategy for preventive maintenance during the off-season is not adequate and the statistical analysis also identified important factors that affect the company's maintenance strategy. These results could be of great interest for the company and for engineering applications in general.
Applicability of the ethics management tools in Romanian academia
Authors: Gurgu Elena , Tonis Rocsana Bucea-Manea , Avram Laurentia Geogerta , Simion Violeta
Published: November 2020

The paper shows that the management of ethics in the academic environment is the coordination of all elements related to the moral life of a university. The last decades have insistently imposed on public awareness the importance of taking into account the ethical dimension of the life of universities. Ethical codes, ethics committees, ethical audits, ethical education of staff, techniques to create an institutional culture of a moral nature have all become increasingly widespread. "Institutionalization of ethics" in academia is a new reality for which we must be prepared. The University is an institution whose goals, valid for each of its members, include development and professional affirmation, the evolution of knowledge and research in the conditions of respect for the rule of law and human rights. The University respects the dignity of each of its members and promotes academic integrity on ethical principles. Its members are committed to contributing to the democratic development and prosperity of society. We think that the values and principles that universities promote in particular, and whose actual achievement is sought to ensure, are: academic freedom, personal autonomy, justice and equity, merit, professionalism, honesty and intellectual integrity, transparency, respect and tolerance, responsibility, goodwill and care. We are firmly convinced that if in Romania these principles of academic management are applied in good faith, then the standard of education and respect throughout the academic life will increase.
Mixed-integer nonlinear optimization for district heating network expansion
Authors: Roland Marius , Schmidt Martin
Published: November 2020

We present a mixed-integer nonlinear optimization model for computing the optimal expansion of an existing tree-shaped district heating network given a number of potential new consumers. To this end, we state a stationary and nonlinear model of all hydraulic and thermal effects in the pipeline network as well as nonlinear models for consumers and the network’s depot. For the former, we consider the Euler momentum and the thermal energy equation. The thermal aspects are especially challenging. Here, we develop a novel polynomial approximation that we use in the optimization model. The expansion decisions are modeled by binary variables for which we derive additional valid inequalities that greatly help to solve the highly challenging problem. Finally, we present a case study in which we identify three major aspects that strongly influence investment decisions: the estimated average power demand of potentially new consumers, the distance between the existing network and the new consumers, and thermal losses in the network.
Nonlinear model reduction of dynamical power grid models using quadratization and balanced truncation
Authors: Ritschel Tobias K. S. , Weiß Frances , Baumann Manuel , Grundel Sara
Published: November 2020

In this work, we present a nonlinear model reduction approach for reducing two commonly used nonlinear dynamical models of power grids: the effective network (EN) model and the synchronous motor (SM) model. Such models are essential in real-time security assessments of power grids. However, as power grids are often large-scale, it is necessary to reduce the models in order to utilize them in real-time. We reformulate the nonlinear power grid models as quadratic systems and reduce them using balanced truncation based on approximations of the reachability and observability Gramians. Finally, we present examples involving numerical simulation of reduced EN and SM models of the IEEE 57 bus and IEEE 118 bus systems.
Transient stability analysis of power grids with admissible and maximal robust positively invariant sets
Authors: Aschenbruck Tim , Esterhuizen Willem , Streif Stefan
Published: November 2020

The energy transition is causing many stability-related challenges for power systems. Transient stability refers to the ability of a power grid’s bus angles to retain synchronism after the occurrence of a major fault. In this paper a set-based approach is presented to assess the transient stability of power systems. The approach is based on the theory of barriers, to obtain an exact description of the boundaries of admissible sets and maximal robust positively invariant sets, respectively. We decompose a power system into generator and load components, replace couplings with bounded disturbances and obtain the sets for each component separately. From this we deduce transient stability properties for the entire system. We demonstrate the results of our approach through an example of one machine connected to one load and a multi-machine system.
Optimization-based primary and secondary control of microgrids
Authors: Nurkanović Armin , Mešanović Amer , Sperl Mario , Albrecht Sebastian , Münz Ulrich , Findeisen Rolf , Diehl Moritz
Published: November 2020

This article discusses how to use optimization-based methods to efficiently operate microgrids with a large share of renewables. We discuss how to apply a frequency-based method to tune the droop parameters in order to stabilize the grid and improve oscillation damping after disturbances. Moreover, we propose a centralized real-time feasible nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) scheme to achieve efficient frequency and voltage control while considering economic dispatch results. Centralized NMPC for secondary control is a computationaly challenging task. We demonstrate how to reduce the computational burden using the Advanced Step Real-Time Iteration with nonuniform discretization grids. This reduces the computational burden up to 60 % compared to a standard uniform approach, while having only a minor performance loss. All methods are validated on the example of a 9-bus microgrid, which is modeled with a complex differential algebraic equation.
Clinical relevance of biological variation of cardiac troponins
Authors: Clerico Aldo , Padoan Andrea , Zaninotto Martina , Passino Claudio , Plebani Mario
Published: November 2020

The high-sensitivity immunoassays for cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) and cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) are recommended by all the most recent international guidelines as gold standard laboratory methods for the detection of myocardial injury and diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In this review article, the Authors aimed at discussing the relevant biochemical, physiological, and clinical issues related to biological variability of cTnI and cTnT. Cardiac troponins, measured with hs-cTn methods, show a better clinical profile than the other cardio-specific biomarkers (such as the natriuretic peptides, BNP and NT-proBNP). In particular, the hs-cTn methods are characterized by a low intra-individual index of variation (<0.6) and reduced analytical imprecision (about 5% CV) at the clinical cut-off value (i.e., the 99th percentile URL value). Moreover, recent studies have reported that differences between two hs-cTn measured values (RCV) >30% can be considered statistically significant. These favourable biological characteristics and analytical performance of hs-cTn methods significantly improved the accuracy in the diagnostic process of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in patients admitted to emergence department. In addition, several studies have demonstrated the clinical usefulness of cardiovascular risk evaluation with hs-cTn methods in some groups of patients with clinical conditions at high cardiovascular risk (such as systemic hypertension, severe obesity, diabetes mellitus, renal insufficiency, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). However, screening programs in the general population with hs-cTn methods for cardiovascular risk stratification require further investigation to define the optimal target populations, timing of measurement, and preventive interventions.
Scaffolding for chemistry students – which tools are assessed as being more helpful: stepped supporting tools or task navigators?
Authors: Hermanns Jolanda
Published: November 2020

In this paper the use of two different scaffolds in a seminar on the topic of heterocycles is discussed. The students first used both scaffolds (stepped supporting tools and a task navigator) on two tasks and could then choose for one other task the scaffold that suited them more. The scaffolds were evaluated in a mixed-methods study by the use of questionnaires and the conducting of a focus group interview. Both scaffolds were assessed as being helpful. However, students who thought they didn’t need different sorts of tips, as provided by the task navigator, chose the stepped supporting tools. All students reflected on their use of the scaffolds; their choices for one of both are therefore well-founded. As the reasons for choosing the scaffold are very individual, in future seminars both types of scaffolds will be provided.
Virtual reality and massive multiplayer online role-playing games as possible prophylaxis mathematical model: focus on COVID-19 spreading
Authors: Fiorillo Luca , Cicciù Marco , De Stefano Rosa , Bocchieri Salvatore , Herford Alan Scott , Fazio Maria , Cervino Gabriele
Published: November 2020

The digital field certainly provides a lot of information in the medical field, it is possible, in a computerized way, also to simulate epidemics, and the spread of these. There have been events in the past, in some simulation games, which are currently being studied, as they could provide important clues for the resolution of epidemics such as the one from COVID-19. One of these events occurred due to a bug in 2005 in the role-playing online game World of Warcraft. Through these simulations it is possible to make prophylactic plans to intervene preventively or plan interventions throughout mathematical models.
Impact of hygrothermal treatment on the physical properties and chemical composition of Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis)
Authors: Feng Qiming , Huang Yanhui , Ye Cuiyin , Fei Benhua , Yang Shumin
Published: November 2020

Natural bamboo is rapidly replacing wood, but it is highly hygroscopic and has poor dimensional stability. Herein, Moso bamboo was subjected to hygrothermal treatment at different temperatures. The hydrophobicity and dimensional stability of bamboo increased, as indicated by the 16.5% decrease in volumetric swelling and three-fold increase in the contact angle at 220 °C. The fibers and parenchyma cells delaminated, and pores appeared after treatment at 200 °C. These changes were attributed to the significant degradation of hemicelluloses. The acetyl groups of hemicelluloses decomposed into acetic acid. The apparent crystallinity of cellulose increased mainly due to the reduced hemicellulose content. Furthermore, a breakage of xylan and β-O-4 bonds was observed, and S units were condensed after treatment at 220 °C. In addition, the syringyl/guaiacyl ratio showed more than a five-fold increase, while associated ferulic acid decreased after hygrothermal treatment, indicating that the dense structure of the cell walls was broken. These data were used to propose a mechanism for changes in the bamboo cell walls during hygrothermal treatment. This simple and environmentally-friendly approach holds great potential for use in high-humidity environments.
Lysine acetyltransferase Tip60 acetylates the APP adaptor Fe65 to increase its transcriptional activity
Authors: Probst Sabine , Riese Florian , Kägi Larissa , Krüger Maik , Russi Natalie , Nitsch Roger M. , Konietzko Uwe
Published: November 2020

Proteolytic processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) releases the APP intracellular domain (AICD) from the membrane. Bound to the APP adaptor protein Fe65 and the lysine acetyltransferase (KAT) Tip60, AICD translocates to the nucleus. Here, the complex forms spherical condensates at sites of endogenous target genes, termed AFT spots (AICD-Fe65-Tip60). We show that loss of Tip60 KAT activity prevents autoacetylation, reduces binding of Fe65 and abolishes Fe65-mediated stabilization of Tip60. Autoacetylation is a prerequisite for AFT spot formation, with KAT-deficient Tip60 retained together with Fe65 in speckles. We identify lysine residues 204 and 701 of Fe65 as acetylation targets of Tip60. We do not detect acetylation of AICD. Mutation of Fe65 K204 and K701 to glutamine, mimicking acetylation-induced charge neutralization, increases the transcriptional activity of Fe65 whereas Tip60 inhibition reduces it. The lysine deacetylase (KDAC) class III Sirt1 deacetylates Fe65 and pharmacological modulation of Sirt1 activity regulates Fe65 transcriptional activity. A second acetylation/deacetylation cycle, conducted by CBP and class I/II KDACs at different lysine residues, regulates stability of Fe65. This is the first report describing a role for acetylation in the regulation of Fe65 transcriptional activity, with Tip60 being the only KAT tested that supports AFT spot formation.
Shifting paradigms and novel players in Cys-based redox regulation and ROS signaling in plants - and where to go next
Authors: Meyer Andreas J. , Dreyer Anna , Ugalde José M. , Feitosa-Araujo Elias , Dietz Karl-Josef , Schwarzländer Markus
Published: November 2020

Cys-based redox regulation was long regarded a major adjustment mechanism of photosynthesis and metabolism in plants, but in the recent years, its scope has broadened to most fundamental processes of plant life. Drivers of the recent surge in new insights into plant redox regulation have been the availability of the genome-scale information combined with technological advances such as quantitative redox proteomics and in vivo biosensing. Several unexpected findings have started to shift paradigms of redox regulation. Here, we elaborate on a selection of recent advancements, and pinpoint emerging areas and questions of redox biology in plants. We highlight the significance of (1) proactive H2O2 generation, (2) the chloroplast as a unique redox site, (3) specificity in thioredoxin complexity, (4) how to oxidize redox switches, (5) governance principles of the redox network, (6) glutathione peroxidase-like proteins, (7) ferroptosis, (8) oxidative protein folding in the ER for phytohormonal regulation, (9) the apoplast as an unchartered redox frontier, (10) redox regulation of respiration, (11) redox transitions in seed germination and (12) the mitochondria as potential new players in reductive stress safeguarding. Our emerging understanding in plants may serve as a blueprint to scrutinize principles of reactive oxygen and Cys-based redox regulation across organisms.
Study on the erosion of Mo/ZrO2 alloys in glass melting process
Authors: Chaopeng Cui , Xiangwei Zhu , Qiang Li , Min Zhang , Guangping Zhu
Published: November 2020

The Mo/ZrO2 electrode was prepared by combining hydrothermal synthesis with powder metallurgy, and this new electrode material has a totally different microstructure from the conventional electrode. The grain size of the new electrode was fine, and the size of ZrO2 in the alloy reached 200 nm. According to the results, the Mo–ZrO2 electrode has better performance, because the erosion occurs along the grain boundaries. Meanwhile, the new electrode, based on its fine grain, can effectively improve the corrosion resistance of the electrode.
Modell Zeitschrift
Authors: Neuffer Moritz
Published: November 2020

In journals, the reception and production of knowledge coincide. Using the example of French structuralism and its reception in the Federal Republic of Germany around 1966, the article shows that magazines did not simply depict or discuss theoretical “models” and “movements”, but actively formed them. Journalistic forms such as the editorial and the interview, and also text collages typical of magazines played an important role in this process. The specific materiality, publicity, and periodicity of journals thus became decisive factors in theoretical developments and intellectual upheavals.
N-acetyl-cysteine as adjuvant therapy in female infertility: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Devi Nagita , Boya Chandrasekhar , Chhabra Manik , Bansal Dipika
Published: November 2020

Objectives

The objective of this study is to explore the efficacy and safety of N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) as adjuvant therapy in female infertility.

Content

We performed a systematic literature search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Ovid databases through April 2019 for Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) evaluating the effectiveness and safety of NAC as adjuvant therapy in female infertility. The outcomes assessed were rates of ovulation, pregnancy, miscarriage and multiple pregnancy, presented as pooled odds ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI) using the random-effects model. Heterogeneity and inconsistency of the measurements were identified through Cochrane’s Q statistic and I2 statistic. We also performed a sensitivity analysis, publication bias (using funnel plot and Begg’s test), and subgroup analysis.

Fifteen RCTs recruiting 2330 female receiving NAC were included. The pooled estimate showed the statistically insignificant improvement in outcomes; clinical pregnancy rate 1.55 (95% CI 0.98–2.47; I2=68%; p<0.01), ovulation rate 1.77 (95% CI 0.76–4.14; I2=90%; p<0.01), multiple pregnancy rate 0.83 (95% CI 0.34–1.99; I2=10%; p=0.31) and miscarriage rate 0.76 (95% CI= 0.37, 1.53; I2=0%; p=0.69) . NAC was found less efficacious and safe than metformin in all outcomes. Overall, NAC showed statistically insignificant (OR=0.98–2.47).

Outlook

NAC can be an effective adjuvant in PCOS related and unexplained female infertility. The effect could be more profound in women with high BMI, insulin resistance, and oxidative stress. However, the findings need further confirmation in well-designed randomized controlled trials to examine clinical outcomes such as live birth rate in more extended follow-up periods.
A diachronic analysis of Sindhi multiscriptality
Authors: Iyengar Arvind
Published: November 2020

Recent debates in modern India on which script to use for the Sindhi language in the country present the situation as a binary choice between Perso-Arabic and Devanagari. However, such debates almost always fail to take into account the fact that the Sindhi language has, for most of its written history, been written in multiple scripts by different user groups and for different purposes. This study investigates the rich history of multiscriptality in the Sindhi language by analysing data on the use of various scripts for the language from the tenth century to the present day. I show that, historically, the Sindhi community chose and used scripts based on utilitarian and pragmatic principles, rather than on ideology or prejudice. I also demonstrate that script choice in the Sindhi community was determined by religio-occupational needs, one’s gender affiliation as well as the purpose and function of writing. In doing so, I argue that the case of Sindhi multiscriptality makes significant contributions to our understanding of the sociolinguistics of writing, of script choice, and of the paradigm of biscriptality (Bunčić, Daniel, Sandra L. Lippert & Achim Rabus (eds.). 2016.Biscriptality: A sociolinguistic typology. Heidelberg: Universitätsverlag Winter).
Approximate Voronoi cells for lattices, revisited
Authors: Laarhoven Thijs
Published: November 2020

We revisit the approximate Voronoi cells approach for solving the closest vector problem with preprocessing (CVPP) on high-dimensional lattices, and settle the open problem of Doulgerakis–Laarhoven–De Weger [PQCrypto, 2019] of determining exact asymptotics on the volume of these Voronoi cells under the Gaussian heuristic. As a result, we obtain improved upper bounds on the time complexity of the randomized iterative slicer when using less than

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$2^{0.076d + o(d)}$

memory, and we show how to obtain time–memory trade-offs even when using less than

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0.048
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(
d
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$2^{0.048d + o(d)}$

memory. We also settle the open problem of obtaining a continuous trade-off between the size of the advice and the query time complexity, as the time complexity with subexponential advice in our approach scales as

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d
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$d^{d/2 + o(d)}$

matching worst-case enumeration bounds, and achieving the same asymptotic scaling as average-case enumeration algorithms for the closest vector problem.
(In)Security of Ring-LWE Under Partial Key Exposure
Authors: Dachman-Soled Dana , Gong Huijing , Kulkarni Mukul , Shahverdi Aria
Published: November 2020

We initiate the study of partial key exposure in Ring-LWE (RLWE)-based cryptosystems. Specifically, we (1) Introduce the search and decision Leaky R-LWE assumptions (Leaky R-SLWE, Leaky R-DLWE), to formalize the hardness of search/decision RLWE under leakage of some fraction of coordinates of the NTT transform of the RLWE secret. (2) Present and implement an efficient key exposure attack that, given certain 1/4-fraction of the coordinates of the NTT transform of the RLWE secret, along with samples from the RLWE distribution, recovers the full RLWE secret for standard parameter settings. (3) Present a search-to-decision reduction for Leaky R-LWE for certain types of key exposure. (4) Propose applications to the security analysis of RLWE-based cryptosystems under partial key exposure.
Towards a Ring Analogue of the Leftover Hash Lemma
Authors: Dachman-Soled Dana , Gong Huijing , Kulkarni Mukul , Shahverdi Aria
Published: November 2020

The leftover hash lemma (LHL) is used in the analysis of various lattice-based cryptosystems, such as the Regev and Dual-Regev encryption schemes as well as their leakage-resilient counterparts. The LHL does not hold in the ring setting, when the ring is far from a field, which is typical for efficient cryptosystems. Lyubashevsky et al. (Eurocrypt ’13) proved a “regularity lemma,” which can be used instead of the LHL, but applies only for Gaussian inputs. This is in contrast to the LHL, which applies when the input is drawn from any high min-entropy distribution. Our work presents an approach for generalizing the “regularity lemma” of Lyubashevsky et al. to certain conditional distributions. We assume the input was sampled from a discrete Gaussian distribution and consider the induced distribution, given side-channel leakage on the input. We present three instantiations of our approach, proving that the regularity lemma holds for three natural conditional distributions.
Not So Fast: A Brief Plea for Muddling Through the Problems of Autonomous Vehicle Liability
Authors: Scales Adam F.
Published: November 2020

Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) are likely to change a great deal about the practical workings of the liability system for auto accidents. However, we cannot know how just yet. Attempts to anticipate the future and preemptively redesign the liability system around its imagined contours are likely to invite error and frustration. Discretion often being the better part of valor, I suggest we muddle through a bit first.
Personalized antibiotic therapy – a rapid high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method for the quantitation of eight antibiotics and voriconazole for patients in the intensive care unit
Authors: Böhle Tony , Georgi Ulrike , Hughes Dewi Fôn , Hauser Oliver , Stamminger Gudrun , Pohlers Dirk
Published: November 2020

Objectives

For a long time, the therapeutic drug monitoring of anti-infectives (ATDM) was recommended only to avoid the toxic side effects of overdosing. During the last decade, however, this attitude has undergone a significant change. Insufficient antibiotic therapy may promote the occurrence of drug resistance; therefore, the “one-dose-fits-all” principle can no longer be classified as up to date. Patients in intensive care units (ICU), in particular, can benefit from individualized antibiotic therapies.

Methods

Presented here is a rapid and sufficient LC-MS/MS based assay for the analysis of eight antibiotics (ampicillin, cefepime, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, cefuroxime, linezolid, meropenem, and piperacillin) applicated by continuous infusion and voriconazole. In addition a dose adjustment procedure for individualized antibiotic therapy has been established.

Results

The suggested dose adjustments following the initial dosing of 121 patient samples from ICUs, were evaluated over a period of three months. Only a minor percentage of the serum levels were found to be within the target range while overdosing was often observed for β-lactam antibiotics, and linezolid tended to be often underused. The results demonstrate an appreciable potential for β-lactam savings while enabling optimal therapy.

Conclusions

The presented monitoring method provides high specificity and is very robust against various interferences. A fast and straightforward method, the developed routine ensures rapid turnaround time. Its application has been well received by participating ICUs and has led to an expanding number of hospital wards participating in ATDM.
Language and ecology of culture
Authors: Margalitadze Tinatin
Published: November 2020

In one of his articles, an outstanding Georgian linguist Thomas Gamkrelidze discusses ecological problems from the standpoint of social sciences and humanities and introduces a very important term – ecology of culture. The present paper discusses the importance of preservation of our languages and cultures and the role of lexicography and lexicographers in this process. Issues of linguistic change, influence of a foreign tongue, defilement of a language, normativity and the normalizing function of lexicography, the role of a language in the development and preservation of national identity, as well as some other questions are addressed in the paper.
Lexicography in the times of the Covid: EMLex survival kit
Authors: Domínguez Vázquez María José , López Iglesias Nerea
Published: November 2020

The following report gives a brief overview of the international summer term of the Master’s Degree Erasmus Mundus in Lexicography (EMLex), which took place in 2020 at the University of Santiago de Compostela. The COVID pandemic further awakened the imagination of the lexicographic community.
Domain restriction in child Mandarin: Implications for quantifier spreading
Authors: Ke Alan Hezao , Gao Liqun
Published: November 2020

This study explores Mandarin children’s competence with quantifier domain restriction. We present results from two experiments in which adults and four- to five-year old children evaluated two possible candidates for the domain selection associated with the distributive operatordou‘all’ in Mandarin Chinese. In the first experiment, we investigated whether children and adults are capable of selecting an appropriate domain when two candidate NPs both appear insidedou’s quantification scope; i.e., both of the NPs c-commanddou. In the second experiment, still two candidate NPs were presented, but one withindou’s scope and the other outside its scope. Our results indicate that four- to five-year-old children are capable of basic distributive computation associated withdou, but they may choose an NP that adults do not usually choose as the domain ofdou, resulting in non-adult interpretations of distributive computation in certain cases. Based on the results, we propose that four- to five-year-old children are less certain about the domain restriction associated withdou-quantification. This proposal has important implications for the current debate on the acquisition of universal quantifiers, specifically, the problem of quantifier spreading. We explain children’s uncertainty about the domain restriction with a universal grammar-based statistical acquisition model.