bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A risk signature‐based on metastasis‐associated genes to predict survival of patients with osteosarcoma
Authors: Shi Yi , He Ronghan , Zhuang Ze , Ren Jianhua , Wang Zhe , Liu Yuangao , Wu Jiajun , Jiang Shihai , Wang Kun
Published: January 2020

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary solid malignant bone tumor, and its metastasis is a prominent cause of high mortality in patients. In this study, a prognosis risk signature was constructed based on metastasis‐associated genes. Four microarrays datasets with clinical information were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus, and 256 metastasis‐associated genes were identified by limma package. Further, a protein‐protein interaction network was constructed, and survival analysis was performed using data from the Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments data matrix, identifying 19 genes correlated with prognosis. Six genes were selected by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression for multivariate cox analysis. Finally, a three‐gene (MYC, CPE, and LY86) risk signature was constructed, and datasets GSE21257 and GSE16091 were used to validate the prediction efficiency of the signature. The survival times of low‐ and high‐risk groups were significantly different in the training set and validation set. Additionally, gene set enrichment analysis revealed that the genes in the signature may affect the cell cycle, gap junctions, and interleukin‐6 production. Therefore, the three‐gene survival risk signature could potentially predict the prognosis of patients with OS. Further, proteins encoded by CPE and LY86 may provide novel insights into the prediction of OS prognosis and therapeutic targets.
EV71 infection induces cell apoptosis through ROS generation and SIRT1 activation
Authors: Li Hongyan , Bai Zhenzi , Li Chenghua , Sheng Chuanlun , Zhao Xiaonan
Published: January 2020

Several studies have substantiated the correlation between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1). Normally, enterovirus 71 (EV71) is associated with severe clinical manifestations and death. However, the effect of EV71 on the induction of cellular death and the interplay between ROS/SIRT1 in cell death has not been confirmed yet. In the current study, an increase in the number of apoptotic cells was observed as soon as the EV71 infection was initiated in cells and mice. Furthermore, EV71 infection also promoted a rise in the levels of three commonly known proinflammatory cytokines, interleukin 1β (IL‐1β), IL‐6, and tumor necrosis factor‐α. During EV71‐induced apoptosis in the different cell lines, ROS generation and SIRT1 downregulation were observed. Further investigations showed that the administration of ROS inhibitor, N‐acetyl‐
l‐cysteine (NAC), reduced the level of apoptosis and inflammation, reduced EV71 propagation, and increased SIRT1 expression in EV71‐infected cells. In addition, combined administration of NAC and EX527 (SIRT1 inhibitor) restored apoptosis in the EV71‐infected cells, which was reduced due to NAC. This data demonstrated that ROS generation is positively associated with EV71‐induced apoptosis and inflammation, while this effect could be reversed by SIRT1 inhibition. Collectively, we have shown that EV71 induces apoptosis and inflammation by promoting ROS generation and reducing SIRT1 expression.
LncRNA PART1 facilitates the malignant progression of colorectal cancer via miR‐150‐5p/LRG1 axis
Authors: Lou Tingting , Ke Kongliang , Zhang Luqing , Miao Chundi , Liu Yahui
Published: January 2020

Study has shown that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) prostate androgen‐regulated transcript 1 (PART1) was elevated in colorectal cancer tissues and cells, and the proliferation and metastasis of colorectal cancer cells were reduced after its downregulation. The tumor‐suppressive role of microRNA‐150‐5p (miR‐150‐5p) has been shown in colorectal cancer. In this study, the association between PART1 and miR‐150‐5p in colorectal cancer was analyzed. Results revealed an increase of PART1, but a decrease of miR‐150‐5p in 56 colorectal cancer tissues. And there was a strong negative correlation between levels of PART1 and miR‐150‐5p in these cancer samples. Also, compared with 10 healthy controls, the level of PART1 was increased, whereas miR‐150‐5p expression was diminished in the serum of 10 colorectal cancer patients. Cell proliferation and migration, along with epithelial‐mesenchymal transition, was promoted by PART1 overexpression. However, this lncRNA mitigated apoptosis of colorectal cancer cells. Whereas miR‐150‐5p mimic abrogated these effects caused by PART1 overexpression. The influences of PART1 knockdown on the above malignant characteristics of colorectal cancer cells were contrary to its overexpression. miR‐150‐5p inhibitor ablated the effects induced by PART1 knockdown. In xenograft mouse models, silencing of PART1 decreased tumor volume and weight. Our data supported that lncRNA PART1 may regulate leucine‐rich α‐2‐glycoprotein‐1 (LRG1) expression through a competing interaction mechanism that hindering miR‐150‐5p function. In conclusion, PART1 facilitates the malignant progression of colorectal cancer via miR‐150‐5p/LRG1 pathway. The study further clarified the molecular mechanism of PART1 in colorectal cancer. This study may provide a new approach to diagnose and treat colorectal cancer.
Phospholipase C inhibits apoptosis of porcine oocytes cultured in vitro
Authors: Chen Hua Li , Cheng Jian Yong , Yang You Fu , Li Yuan , Jiang Xiao Han , Yang Li , Wu Lin , Shi Meihong , Liu Boyang , Duan Jiaxin , Li Xiaoya , Li Qing Wang
Published: January 2020

Oocyte apoptosis can be used as an indicator of oocyte quality and development competency. Phospholipase C (PLC) is a critical enzyme that participates in phosphoinositide metabolic regulation and performs many functions, including the regulation of reproduction. In this study, we aimed to explore whether PLC participates in the regulation of apoptosis in porcine oocytes and investigated its possible mechanism. In porcine oocytes, 0.5 μM U73122 (the PLC inhibitor) was considered to be the best concentration to facilitate maturation, and 0.5 μM m‐3M3FBS (the PLC activator) was regarded as the most appropriate concentration to inhibit maturation. The percentage of cleavage and blastocysts treated with 0.5 μM U73122 was lower than that of the control group. Furthermore, the percentage of cleavage and blastocysts treated with 0.5 μM m‐3M3FBS was higher than that of the control group. The relative PLC messenger RNA (mRNA) expression tested by a quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction was found to be inhibited by 0.5 μM U73122 or activated by 0.5 μM m‐3M3FBS. The relative mRNA abundance of BAK, BAX, CASP3, CASP8, and TP53 and protein abundance of Bak, cleaved caspase‐3, caspase‐8, and P53 was activated by U73122 or inhibited by m‐3M3FBS, while the relative mRNA and protein level of BCL6 showed the opposite trend. The intracellular Ca2+ concentration increased and the expression of PLCB1 protein also increased in porcine oocytes when they were cultured with 0.5 μM m‐3M3FBS for 44 hours. The abundance of proteins PKCβ and CAMKIIα and the expression of several downstream genes (CDC42, NFATc1, NFATc2, NFκB, and NLK) were activated by m‐3M3FBS or inhibited by U73122. Our findings indicate that PLC inhibits apoptosis and maturation in porcine oocytes. The intracellular Ca2+ concentration, two Ca2+‐sensitive proteins, and several downstream genes were positively regulated by PLC.
CHIP regulates skeletal development and postnatal bone growth
Authors: Wang Wenbo , Li Jun , Ko Frank C. , Zhao Xia , Qiao Yusen , Lu Ronald S. , Sumner D. Rick , Wang Tingyu , Chen Di
Published: January 2020

C terminus of Hsc70‐interacting protein (CHIP) is a chaperone‐dependent and U‐box containing E3 ubiquitin ligase. In previous studies, we found that CHIP regulates the stability of multiple tumor necrosis factor receptor‐associated factor proteins in bone cells. In Chip global knockout (KO) mice, nuclear factor‐κB signaling is activated, osteoclast formation is increased, osteoblast differentiation is inhibited, and bone mass is decreased in postnatal Chip KO mice. To determine the role of Chip in different cell types at different developmental stages, we created Chipflox/flox mice. We then generated Chip conditional KO mice ChipCMV and ChipOsxER and demonstrated defects in skeletal development and postnatal bone growth in Chip conditional KO mice. Our findings indicate that Chip conditional KO mice could serve as a critical reagent for further investigations of functions of CHIP in bone cells and in other cell types.
p300 and cAMP response element‐binding protein‐binding protein in skeletal muscle homeostasis, contractile function, and survival
Authors: Svensson Kristoffer , LaBarge Samuel A. , Sathe Abha , Martins Vitor F. , Tahvilian Shahriar , Cunliffe Jennifer M. , Sasik Roman , Mahata Sushil K. , Meyer Gretchen A. , Philp Andrew , David Larry L. , Ward Samuel R. , McCurdy Carrie E. , Aslan Joseph E. , Schenk Simon
Published: January 2020

Background

Reversible ε‐amino acetylation of lysine residues regulates transcription as well as metabolic flux; however, roles for specific lysine acetyltransferases in skeletal muscle physiology and function are unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of the related acetyltransferases p300 and cAMP response element‐binding protein‐binding protein (CBP) in skeletal muscle transcriptional homeostasis and physiology in adult mice.

Methods

Mice with skeletal muscle‐specific and inducible knockout of p300 and CBP (PCKO) were generated by crossing mice with a tamoxifen‐inducible Cre recombinase expressed under the human α‐skeletal actin promoter with mice having LoxP sites flanking exon 9 of the Ep300 and Crebbp genes. Knockout of PCKO was induced at 13–15 weeks of age via oral gavage of tamoxifen for 5 days to both PCKO and littermate control [wildtype (WT)] mice. Body composition, food intake, and muscle function were assessed on day 0 (D0) through 5 (D5). Microarray and tandem mass tag mass spectrometry analyses were performed to assess global RNA and protein levels in skeletal muscle of PCKO and WT mice.

Results

At D5 after initiating tamoxifen treatment, there was a reduction in body weight (−15%), food intake (−78%), stride length (−46%), and grip strength (−45%) in PCKO compared with WT mice. Additionally, ex vivo contractile function [tetanic tension (kPa)] was severely impaired in PCKO vs. WT mice at D3 (~70–80% lower) and D5 (~80–95% lower) and resulted in lethality within 1 week—a phenotype that is reversed by the presence of a single allele of either p300 or CBP. The impaired muscle function in PCKO mice was paralleled by substantial transcriptional alterations (3310 genes; false discovery rate < 0.1), especially in gene networks central to muscle contraction and structural integrity. This transcriptional uncoupling was accompanied by changes in protein expression patterns indicative of impaired muscle function, albeit to a smaller magnitude (446 proteins; fold‐change > 1.25; false discovery rate < 0.1).

Conclusions

These data reveal that p300 and CBP are required for the control and maintenance of contractile function and transcriptional homeostasis in skeletal muscle and, ultimately, organism survival. By extension, modulating p300/CBP function may hold promise for the treatment of disorders characterized by impaired contractile function in humans.
Board size and acquisition outcome: The moderating role of home country formal institutional development
Authors: Waqar Wafa Tariq
Published: January 2020

The effect of acquirer's board size on the outcome of an acquisition (i.e., whether an announced deal gets abandoned or completed) was examined on the basis of a sample of 775 cross‐border acquisitions. The study took into consideration the moderating effect of formal institutional development of the home country. Results showed that board size was negatively associated with the likelihood of deal abandonment and that this relationship was weaker for home countries where formal institutional development was high. The study contributes to the literature on group decision‐making theory, institutional view of corporate governance, and acquisition outcome.
Fractional magnetic Schrödinger‐Kirchhoff problems with convolution and critical nonlinearities
Authors: Liang Sihua , Repovš Dušan D. , Zhang Binlin
Published: January 2020

In this paper, we are concerned with the existence and multiplicity of solutions for the fractional Choquard‐type Schrödinger‐Kirchhoff equations with electromagnetic fields and critical nonlinearity:

where
is the fractional magnetic operator with 0<s<1,
,
,
is a continuous function,
is the magnetic potential,
, and ε>0 is a positive parameter. The electric potential
satisfies V(x)=0 in some region of
, which means that this is the critical frequency case. We first prove the (PS)c condition, by using the fractional version of the concentration compactness principle. Then, applying also the mountain pass theorem and the genus theory, we obtain the existence and multiplicity of semiclassical states for the above problem. The main feature of our problems is that the Kirchhoff term M can vanish at zero.
Water–fat separation in spiral magnetic resonance fingerprinting for high temporal resolution tissue relaxation time quantification in muscle
Authors: Koolstra Kirsten , Webb Andrew G. , Veeger Thom T. J. , Kan Hermien E. , Koken Peter , Börnert Peter
Published: January 2020

Purpose

To minimize the known biases introduced by fat in rapid T1 and T2 quantification in muscle using a single‐run magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) water–fat separation sequence.

Methods

The single‐run MRF acquisition uses an alternating in‐phase/out‐of‐phase TE pattern to achieve water–fat separation based on a 2‐point DIXON method. Conjugate phase reconstruction and fat deblurring were applied to correct for B0 inhomogeneities and chemical shift blurring. Water and fat signals were matched to the on‐resonance MRF dictionary. The method was first tested in a multicompartment phantom. To test whether the approach is capable of measuring small in vivo dynamic changes in relaxation times, experiments were run in 9 healthy volunteers; parameter values were compared with and without water–fat separation during muscle recovery after plantar flexion exercise.

Results

Phantom results show the robustness of the water–fat resolving MRF approach to undersampling. Parameter maps in volunteers show a significant (P < .01) increase in T1 (105 ± 94 ms) and decrease in T2 (14 ± 6 ms) when using water–fat‐separated MRF, suggesting improved parameter quantification by reducing the well‐known biases introduced by fat. Exercise results showed smooth T1 and T2 recovery curves.

Conclusion

Water–fat separation using conjugate phase reconstruction is possible within a single‐run MRF scan. This technique can be used to rapidly map relaxation times in studies requiring dynamic scanning, in which the presence of fat is problematic.
Enhanced multi‐index Monte Carlo by means of multiple semicoarsened multigrid for anisotropic diffusion problems
Authors: Robbe Pieterjan , Nuyens Dirk , Vandewalle Stefan
Published: January 2020

In many models used in engineering and science, material properties are uncertain or spatially varying. For example, in geophysics and porous media flow, in particular, the uncertain permeability of the material is modeled as a random field. These random fields can be highly anisotropic. Efficient solvers, such as the multiple semicoarsened multigrid (MSG) method are required to compute solutions for various realizations of the uncertain material. The MSG method is an extension of the classic multigrid method, which uses additional coarse grids that are coarsened in only a single coordinate direction. In this sense, it closely resembles the extension of multilevel Monte Carlo to multi‐index Monte Carlo (MIMC). We present an unbiased MIMC method that reuses the MSG coarse solutions. Our formulation of the estimator can be interpreted as the problem of learning the unknown distribution of the number of samples across all indices and unifies the previous work on adaptive MIMC and unbiased estimation. We analyze the cost of this new estimator theoretically and present numerical experiments with various anisotropic random fields, where the unknown coefficients in the covariance model are considered as hyperparameters. We illustrate its robustness and superiority over unbiased MIMC without sample reuse.
Impact of EMA regulatory label changes on systemic diclofenac initiation, discontinuation, and switching to other pain medicines in Scotland, England, Denmark, and The Netherlands
Authors: Morales Daniel R. , Morant Steve V. , MacDonald Thomas M. , Mackenzie Isla S. , Doney Alexander S. F. , Mitchell Lyn , Bennie Marion , Robertson Chris , Hallas Jesper , Pottegard Anton , Ernst Martin Thomsen , Wei Li , Nicholson Lizzie , Morris Carole , Herings Ron M. C. , Overbeek Jetty A. , Smits Elisabeth , Flynn Robert W. V.
Published: January 2020

Purpose

In June 2013 a European Medicines Agency referral procedure concluded that diclofenac was associated with an elevated risk of acute cardiovascular events and contraindications, warnings, and changes to the product information were implemented across the European Union. This study measured the impact of the regulatory action on the prescribing of systemic diclofenac in Denmark, The Netherlands, England, and Scotland.

Methods

Quarterly time series analyses measuring diclofenac prescription initiation, discontinuation and switching to other systemic nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory (NSAIDs), topical NSAIDs, paracetamol, opioids, and other chronic pain medication in those who discontinued diclofenac. Absolute effects were estimated using interrupted time series regression.

Results

Overall, diclofenac prescription initiations fell during the observation periods of all countries. Compared with Denmark where there appeared to be a more limited effect, the regulatory action was associated with significant immediate reductions in diclofenac initiation in The Netherlands (−0.42%, 95% CI, −0.66% to −0.18%), England (−0.09%, 95% CI, −0.11% to −0.08%), and Scotland (−0.67%, 95% CI, −0.79% to −0.55%); and falling trends in diclofenac initiation in the Netherlands (−0.03%, 95% CI, −0.06% to −0.01% per quarter) and Scotland (−0.04%, 95% CI, −0.05% to −0.02% per quarter). There was no significant impact on diclofenac discontinuation in any country. The regulatory action was associated with modest differences in switching to other pain medicines following diclofenac discontinuation.

Conclusions

The regulatory action was associated with significant reductions in overall diclofenac initiation which varied by country and type of exposure. There was no impact on discontinuation and variable impact on switching.
Identification of functional single nucleotide polymorphism of Populus trichocarpa PtrEPSP‐TF and determination of its transcriptional effect
Authors: Xie Meng , Zhang Jin , Singan Vasanth R. , McGranahan Melissa J. , LaFayette Peter R. , Jawdy Sara S. , Engle Nancy , Doeppke Crissa , Tschaplinski Timothy J. , Davis Mark F. , Lindquist Erika , Barry Kerrie , Schmutz Jeremy , Parrott Wayne A. , Chen Feng , Tuskan Gerald A. , Chen Jin‐Gui , Muchero Wellington
Published: January 2020

In plants, the phenylpropanoid pathway is responsible for the synthesis of a diverse array of secondary metabolites that include lignin monomers, flavonoids, and coumarins, many of which are essential for plant structure, biomass recalcitrance, stress defense, and nutritional quality. Our previous studies have demonstrated that Populus trichocarpa PtrEPSP‐TF, an isoform of 5‐enolpyruvylshikimate 3‐phosphate (EPSP) synthase, has transcriptional activity and regulates phenylpropanoid biosynthesis in Populus. In this study, we report the identification of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of PtrEPSP‐TF that defines its functionality. Populus natural variants carrying this SNP were shown to have reduced lignin content. Here, we demonstrated that the SNP‐induced substitution of 142nd amino acid (PtrEPSP‐TFD142E) dramatically impairs the DNA‐binding and transcriptional activity of PtrEPSP‐TF. When introduced to a monocot species rice (Oryza sativa) in which an EPSP synthase isoform with the DNA‐binding helix‐turn‐helix (HTH) motif is absent, the PtrEPSP‐TF, but not PtrEPSP‐TFD142E, activated genes in the phenylpropanoid pathway. More importantly, heterologous expression of PtrEPSP‐TF uncovered five new transcriptional regulators of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis in rice. Collectively, this study identifies the key amino acid required for PtrEPSP‐TF functionality and provides a strategy to uncover new transcriptional regulators in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis.
Association between immunosuppressive cytokines and PSA progression in biochemically recurrent prostate cancer treated with intermittent hormonal therapy
Authors: Hawley Jessica E. , Pan Samuel , Figg William D. , Lopez‐Bujanda Zoila A. , Strope Jonathan D. , Aggen David H. , Dallos Matthew C. , Lim Emerson A. , Stein Mark N. , Hu Jianhua , Drake Charles G.
Published: January 2020

Background

Immunosuppressive cytokines have the potential to promote prostate cancer progression. Assessing their longitudinal changes may implicate mechanisms of progression, treatment resistance, and suggest new therapeutic targets.

Methods

Thirty‐seven men with biochemically recurrent (BCR) prostate cancer who received 6 months of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and were monitored until the time to prostate‐specific antigen progression (TTPP) were identified from a completed phase III trial (NCT00020085). Serum samples were archived at baseline, 3 months after ADT, and at TTPP. Cytokine concentrations were quantified using a 36‐parameter electrochemiluminescence assay. The Wilcoxon signed‐rank sum test was used to compare observations between time points. Kaplan‐Meier analysis was used to calculate TTPP dichotomized by cytokine values above or below the median. Pearson's rank correlation coefficient was used to compare continuous variables.

Results

Median TTPP was 399 days (range, 114‐1641). Median prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) at baseline and progression were 8.5 and 5.3 ng/mL, respectively. Twenty‐three patients (62%) achieved undetectable PSA with ADT. Castrate levels of testosterone (<50 ng/dL) after 3 months of ADT occurred in 35 patients (95%). TNF‐α (P = .002), IL‐23 (P = .002), and CXCL10 (P = .001) significantly increased from baseline to post ADT. Certain cytokines correlated longitudinally: TNF‐α correlated with IL‐23 (r = .72; P < .001) and IL‐8 (r = .59; P < .001) from baseline to post ADT and to PSA progression. Neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio correlated with IL‐27 (r = .57; P < .001) and MIP‐3α (r = .56; P < .001). Patients with a detectable PSA after ADT had elevated levels of IL‐6 (P = .049) and IL‐8 (P = .013) at PSA progression as compared with those with an undetectable PSA. There was a trend toward shorter TTPP in patients with TNF‐α levels above the median (P = .042).

Conclusions

Several innate cytokines were associated with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer.
A protocol for using attenuated total reflection Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy for pre‐screening ancient bone collagen prior to radiocarbon dating
Authors: Naito Yuichi I. , Yamane Masako , Kitagawa Hiroyuki
Published: January 2020

Rationale

Pre‐screening of bone collagen quality is important to reduce the cost for analyses such as radiocarbon (14C) dating with accelerator mass spectrometry in archaeological studies. We developed a pre‐screening protocol based on attenuated total reflection (ATR) Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for assessing the chemical composition and mineralogy of ancient bone samples.

Methods

ATR‐FTIR measurements were performed on bulk bones of diverse origin and age before collagen extraction. The percentage nitrogen of bulk bones, as well as the weight percentage, and the percentage carbon and nitrogen of extracted organic matter were noted. Several machine learning algorithms were applied to the spectral data and compared for their efficacy in screening for well preserved collagen.

Results

The results showed that (a) the first derivative of the spectral data was better suited to screening than the raw FTIR data, especially for a wider spectral range and (b) certain classification algorithms [e.g. gradient boosting machine (GBM)] were able to efficiently predict the degree of preservation in bone samples.

Conclusions

This pre‐screening protocol can serve as a fast, concise and inexpensive pre‐screening tool for determining relative degrees of preservation before collagen extraction and subsequent 14C dating. The screening power based on the machine learning techniques can be further improved by accumulating the FTIR spectral data of bones.
Asymptotic consistency of loss‐calibrated variational Bayes
Authors: Jaiswal Prateek , Honnappa Harsha , Rao Vinayak A.
Published: January 2020

This paper establishes the asymptotic consistency of the loss‐calibrated variational Bayes (LCVB) method. LCVB is a method for approximately computing Bayesian posterior approximations in a “loss aware” manner. This methodology is also highly relevant in general data‐driven decision‐making contexts. Here, we establish the asymptotic consistency of both the loss‐ calibrated approximate posterior and the resulting decision rules. We also establish the asymptotic consistency of decision rules obtained from a “naive” two‐stage procedure that first computes a standard variational Bayes approximation and then uses this in the decision‐making procedure.
Towards reliable digital forensics investigations through measurement science
Authors: Hughes Nicolas , Karabiyik Umit
Published: January 2020

Validation is the scientifically accepted methodology for demonstrating the accuracy and reliability of a process. Currently, digital forensics discipline does not conduct the sort of validation testing needed to develop statistical confidence in tool performance, or to generate the empirical data needed to bring objectivity to examiner conclusions. Recently recommended standards provide more reliable results, and tool testing programs provide a better understanding of tools' limitations. However, these efforts do not constitute testing over the full range of expected target device conditions, product functionality, and target device configurations which are needed for validation testing. Several major impediments to validation testing include a lack of validation methods, a lack of reference data, and a lack of the definitional precision and low‐level specificity needed to establish a system of measurement in digital forensics. This study attempts to identify the remaining needs that prevent comprehensive validation in digital forensics and identify potential solutions to address those needs.

This article is characterized under:

Digital and Multimedia Science > Cyber Threat Intelligence

Jurisprudence and Regulatory Oversight > Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Overview and calculation of X‐ray K‐shell transition yields for comprehensive data libraries
Authors: Martins L. , Amaro P. , Pessanha S. , Guerra M. , Machado J. , Carvalho M. L. , Santos J. P. , Indelicato P.
Published: January 2020

The simulation of atomic relaxation relies on data libraries with tabulated partial fluorescence yield values of radiative transitions, commonly derived from the Evaluated Atomic Data Library (EADL). However, recent studies support that the data library EADL could be improved by adopting Scofield's Hartree‐Fock calculations instead of current Scofield's Hartree‐Slater calculations. This work presents a bibliography overview of relevant atomic parameter values in order to verify the partial fluorescence yields presented in EADL. The references include libraries and articles, in which the atomic parameter values were theoretically calculated, experimentally measured, or obtained with semi‐empirical and empirical fitting formulas. We present a comparison of total K‐shell fluorescence yields and partial K‐L2, K‐L3, K‐M2, K‐M3 fluorescence yields that are either obtained directly from its references, or are derived from atomic parameters presented in these references. Additionally, we obtain comprehensive partial fluorescence yield values from the combination of semi‐empirical and empirical fitting functions from different references. The comparisons performed in this work confirm that total K‐shell, partial K‐L2, and partial K‐L3 fluorescence yield values, obtained from Scofield's Dirac‐Slater calculations have better agreement with the most recent empirical values. Partial K‐M2, and partial K‐M3 fluorescence yield values obtained from Scofield's Dirac‐Fock calculation have better agreement with the most recent empirical values. Therefore, further studies should be performed before changing the EADL data library.
Correction to: Introduction to Spherical Elementary Current Systems
Authors: Vanhamäki Heikki , Juusola Liisa
Published: January 2020

The original version of this chapter was published without the Electronic Supplementary Material. It has now been included in Chapter 2. The erratum chapter has been updated with the change.
Introduction: Historical Trajectories of Education and Development in (Post)Colonial Africa
Authors: Matasci Damiano , Jerónimo Miguel Bandeira , Dores Hugo Gonçalves
Published: January 2020

This chapter addresses the historical trajectories of education and development in the twentieth century (post)colonial Africa, framing the main goals of this collective book. It discusses the three key phases during which the economic and social goals of education were profoundly reconfigured. The first phase, spanning the period between 1900 and 1930, coincided with the introduction of the first “native” educational systems in the wake of the “scramble for Africa.” Debates on colonial education subsequently evolved starting from the 1930s. The effects of the Great Depression and the Second World War encouraged more attention being paid to economic and social repercussions of education in colonial contexts. Finally, the independence wave sweeping over the early 1960s opened up a third phase marked by the political aspirations of the new independent states and Cold War rivalries.
The Fabric of Academic Communities at the Heart of the British Empire’s Modernization Policies
Authors: Charton Hélène
Published: January 2020

This chapter considers the role played by education reforms in the new social and political agenda launched in the British Empire at the beginning of the 1940s. Setting up colonial universities in African British colonies as well as increasing the number of scholarships granted to Africans to study at British universities were policies at the heart of educational modernization. These training programs strongly contributed to the shaping of extended imperial communities which embodied the new links London was trying to establish within the Empire. The East African case shows that these new communities were built on a common set of values, practices, and references spread by British higher education institutions at home and in the colonies, meant to replace prevailing race distinctions underlying the former colonial order. The development of an imperial elite was far from easy as evidenced by the many types of resistance that arose both in the colonies and Great Britain.
Welfare and Education in British Colonial Africa, 1918–1945
Authors: Kallaway Peter
Published: January 2020

The current discussions about the decolonization of education and its relationship to issues of development raise important questions about the nature of colonial education and require us to avoid the reification of such notions if we are to gain an ample understanding of their meaning. It is important therefore to understand the complexities of educational discourse, policy and practices in colonial contexts, and how they were transferred to the “development debates” of the post-colonial era. The key theme that runs through all of these policy issues is the complexity of the issues involved and the need for a nuanced understanding of the ambiguities of educational theory and practice in an era of unprecedented radical political, social and economic change globally on the African and South African context.
Kinematik und Dynamik räumlicher Stöße von Kugeln
Authors: Willert Emanuel
Published: January 2020

Die dreidimensionale Dynamik allgemeiner, zusammenstoßender Körper ist kompliziert und erlaubt im Zusammenhang mit der jeweiligen Kontaktmechanik des Stoßes in der Regel weder eine analytische Behandlung noch eine auch nur ansatzweise überschaubare Darstellung der vollständigen Lösung.
Die Methode der Dimensionsreduktion in der Kontaktmechanik
Authors: Willert Emanuel
Published: January 2020

Sehr viele rotationssymmetrische Kontaktprobleme können exakt auf Kontakte zwischen einem entsprechend zu wählenden starren ebenen Profil und einer eindimensionalen Bettung von linearen, unabhängigen verallgemeinerten Federelementen abgebildet werden. Der mathematische und numerische Aufwand zur Behandlung solcher Kontakte ist deutlich geringer als im Fall des rotationssymmetrischen Originals; mathematisch durch die Rückführung des mehrdimensionalen Randwertproblems auf einfache algebraische Operationen und die Analysis einer einzigen Veränderlichen, numerisch durch die Reduktion der Freiheitsgrade und (was noch wichtiger ist) deren Entkopplung. Den Abbildungsschritt von dem dreidimensionalen, axialsymmetrischen Original auf das ebene Ersatzsystem leistet die Methode der Dimensionsreduktion (MDR), die in den letzten 10 Jahren am Fachgebiet für Systemdynamik und Reibungsphysik der TU Berlin entwickelt und in einer Vielzahl von Publikationen dokumentiert wurde und auf deren Grundlage der überwiegende Teil der numerischen Rechnungen dieses Buches entstanden ist.
Ausgewählte Anwendungen von Stoßproblemen
Authors: Willert Emanuel
Published: January 2020

Nach der Darstellung der dynamischen und kontaktmechanischen Grundlagen und der ausführlichen Untersuchung des Stoßproblems unter verschiedenen Bedingungen stehen in diesem Kapitel Anwendungsbereiche aus Physik, Technik und Medizin im Mittelpunkt, für die die in den früheren Kapiteln gezeigten Ergebnisse von Bedeutung sind. Die Gebiete, in denen die gezeigten kontaktmechanischen Grundlagen und Lösungen von Stoßproblemen Relevanz haben, sind teilweise selbst riesige Forschungszweige, die in jeweils kurzen Unterkapiteln natürlich nicht annähernd erschöpfend dargestellt werden können. Der Stil des Kapitels unterscheidet sich daher von dem der früheren Teile dieses Buches: Die behandelten Themen werden nicht mehr umfassend und mathematisch detailliert entwickelt; stattdessen wird „nur“ beschrieben, welche Fragestellungen in welchen Anwendungsgebieten auftreten und wie man eventuell die in den früheren Kapiteln hergeleiteten Ergebnisse zur Behandlung dieser Fragen verwenden kann.
The Commercialisation of Rice Farming in Cambodia
Authors: Cramb Rob , Sareth Chea , Vuthy Theng
Published: January 2020

In this and the next five chapters the focus is on the commercialisation of rice farming in the Central Plain of Cambodia. Particularly since 2010, rice has come to be seen as more than merely a subsistence crop or a staple for domestic consumption but as “white gold”—a commodity with major commercial, including export potential. This chapter sets the scene for the in-depth studies on the commercialisation of rice farming in Cambodia by describing the rice-growing environment in Cambodia as a whole, outlining the history of rice production in Cambodia, examining the role of the rice sector in the rapid agricultural and economic growth in Cambodia since 1993, highlighting the changes at the farm level that have underpinned this agricultural growth, and providing a profile of Takeo Province within this larger context. Cambodia has a long history and comparative advantage in rice production. With relative political stability and access to improved varieties and other inputs, farmers have been able to increase the area cultivated and especially per-hectare yields so that total production has grown at over 5% since 1990. From being a rice-deficit country in the 1980s, the country has achieved self-sufficiency and, since 2010, become a serious exporter of paddy and milled rice. Rice farmers in Takeo Province have long made an important contribution to Cambodia’s rice production and currently contribute 8% of wet season output and 19% of dry season output, as well as a major share of exports.
Commercialisation of Rice Farming in Northeast Thailand
Authors: Suebpongsang Pornsiri , Ekasingh Benchaphun , Cramb Rob
Published: January 2020

Rice has been central to the culture, economy, and politics of Thailand for more than a millennium, reflecting both the suitability of the natural environment for rice production and the historical origins of Thai agriculture in the migrations of rice-growing populations from southern China. Despite the growth of other agricultural industries since the 1960s and a decline in rice consumption per capita as incomes have grown, rice remains the dominant agricultural industry. For most of the post-war period Thailand has been the world’s largest exporter of rice, until being overtaken by India in 2017. Thai rice is renowned for its quality, including white rice and Thai fragrant or jasmine rice. Whereas the Central Region remains the largest producer of rice for the domestic and export markets, this chapter focuses on the Northeast Region, which lies within the Lower Mekong Basin. It is the high profitability of jasmine rice and the productivity of a related glutinous variety (RD6) that has permitted widespread commercialisation in the Northeast since the 1980s, lifting many rural households out of poverty. We analyse the broad trends in the commercialisation of rice farming in the Northeast in the context of the country as a whole, considering production, marketing, and policy dimensions.
Cross-Border Trade in Sticky Rice from Central Laos to North Central Vietnam
Authors: The Anh Dao , Cong Nghiep Pham
Published: January 2020

Sticky rice is widely consumed in Vietnam alongside conventional rice, as well as in processed foods. Though sticky rice is an established product in Quang Tri Province, the total output is currently not enough to supply the domestic demand within the province, let alone from other provinces. Given that Quang Tri has access through the Lao Bao Border Gate to one of the largest rice-producing provinces in Laos, where most production is sticky rice, and through the East-West Corridor to Northeast Thailand, which also produces large quantities of sticky rice, it has become a conduit for cross-border trade in this commodity. Nearly 29,000 t of sticky rice was imported through this gate in 2010. Almost all (95%) came through formal trade channels—labelled in Laos with a certificate of product origin, sold to registered enterprises in Vietnam with import permits, checked for food safety and quality standards, and subject to an annual quota. No duty was incurred on these quota imports. The remaining 5% entered in small lots via informal channels. Vietnam has many policies affecting the production and consumption of rice, which also have an impact on sticky rice production and distribution. These policies aim to ensure supply to the domestic market, improve the incomes of rice farmers, and increase foreign exchange earnings through exports. In this context, domestic production of sticky rice is likely to increase; hence the potential for expanding the cross-border trade from Laos is thought to be quite limited.
Adapting the Green Revolution for Laos
Authors: Williams Liana , Cramb Rob
Published: January 2020

Initial efforts to introduce Green Revolution practices met obstacles in Laos due to the Vietnam War, early attempt to collectivise agricultural production, and limited investment in agricultural research. Faced with ongoing food shortages, the government embraced agricultural modernisation but lacked the resources to implement it. From 1990 to 2007, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Government of Laos built the nation’s capacity in rice research and developed improved varieties suitable to Lao farming conditions. The program has been credited with bringing the Green Revolution to Laos, supporting increases in rice production to levels of national self-sufficiency, and building national research capacity. This chapter traces the history and processes that have seen the development, use, and spread of improved rice varieties throughout Laos, particularly in the lowlands of the Central and Southern Regions. This history represents a departure from the Green Revolution narratives of other Southeast Asian countries, where the development and use of improved varieties was predicated on access to irrigation and fertiliser and favoured yield over other qualities like taste or aroma. Instead, efforts to improve rice production in Laos emphasised plant breeding based on local conditions and preferences—low input, rainfed production of sticky rice—and built the capacity of Lao institutions and researchers to continue rice breeding after formal project efforts ceased.
Rainfed and Irrigated Rice Farming on the Savannakhet Plain
Authors: Sacklokham Silinthone , Chialue Lytoua , Yang Fue
Published: January 2020

The aim of this survey was to characterise rice production in the Savannakhet Plain, which has long been a major rice bowl for Laos. Though situated in this generally favourable environment for rice, the survey villages encompassed a variety of agroecosystems. Upper paddies with sandy soils were drought-prone and without irrigation, hence could only support wet-season rice with lower yields. Lower paddies were more fertile and often had access to pump irrigation from rivers, canals, or ponds; hence, they could often support wet- and dry-season rice crops with somewhat higher yields. Lower paddies along the floodplain of the Champhone River also had fertile soils but were frequently flooded in the wet season; hence, only dry-season rice could be cultivated. The villages had different combinations of these agroecosystems, affecting their surplus-producing potential. The survey shows that, even with low yields and low returns, rice production in the Savannakhet Plain can generate a sizeable surplus for marketing within Laos and internationally. However, farmers are going to remain poor unless they can achieve higher yields and obtain higher and more stable prices. Low incomes will increase the incentives for younger household members to migrate to Vientiane or to Thailand for employment, adding to the shortage of farm labour. Nevertheless, given its comparative advantage in rice production, the Savannakhet Plain is a good focal area for increased investment in research, extension, input supply, mechanisation, and infrastructure to boost productivity and farm incomes.
Unitarization from geometry
Authors: Bonifacio James , Hinterbichler Kurt
Published: January 2020

Abstract

We study the perturbative unitarity of scattering amplitudes in general dimensional reductions of Yang-Mills theories and general relativity on closed internal manifolds. For the tree amplitudes of the dimensionally reduced theory to have the expected high-energy behavior of the higher-dimensional theory, the masses and cubic couplings of the Kaluza-Klein states must satisfy certain sum rules that ensure there are nontrivial cancellations between Feynman diagrams. These sum rules give constraints on the spectra and triple overlap integrals of eigenfunctions of Laplacian operators on the internal manifold and can be proven directly using Hodge and eigenfunction decompositions. One consequence of these constraints is that there is an upper bound on the ratio of consecutive eigenvalues of the scalar Laplacian on closed Ricci-flat manifolds with special holonomy. This gives a sharp bound on the allowed gaps between Kaluza-Klein excitations of the graviton that also applies to Calabi-Yau compactifications of string theory.
Bino-wino coannihilation as a prediction in the E7 unification of families
Authors: Yanagida Tsutomu T. , Yin Wen , Yokozaki Norimi
Published: January 2020

Abstract

We study the phenomenological consequences of the supersymmetric (SUSY) E
7
/SU(5) × U(1)3 non-linear sigma model coupled to supergravity, where the three gen- erations of quark and lepton chiral multiplets appear as (pseudo) Nambu Goldstone (NG) multiplets, that is, the origin of the three families is explained. To break SUSY, we intro- duce a SUSY breaking field charged under some symmetry avoiding the Polonyi problem. The gaugino mass spectrum is almost uniquely determined when one requires the electroweak vacuum to be (meta)stable: it would be a miracle that the mass difference between the bino and wino turns out to be within

$$ \mathcal{O} $$

O

(1)% at the low energy. Thus, a bino-wino coannihilation is naturally predicted, which can explain the correct relic abundance of dark matter. Moreover, we find that the bottom-tau Yukawa couplings and the gauge couplings are unified up to

$$ \mathcal{O} $$

O

(1)% in most of the viable region. This scenario can be fully tested at the LHC and future collider experiments since the gauginos and some of the pseudo-NG bosons are light. An axion-like multiplet, which can be identified with the QCD axion, is also predicted.
Physics potential of ESSνSB in the presence of a light sterile neutrino
Authors: Agarwalla Sanjib Kumar , Chatterjee Sabya Sachi , Palazzo Antonio
Published: January 2020

Abstract

ESSνSB is a proposed neutrino super-beam project at the ESS facility. We study the performance of this setup in the presence of a light eV-scale sterile neutrino, considering 540 km baseline with 2 years (8 years) of ν (

$$ \overline{\nu} $$

ν
¯

) run-plan. This baseline offers the possibility to work around the second oscillation maximum, providing high sensitivity towards CP-violation (CPV). We explore in detail its capability in resolving CPV generated by the standard CP phase δ
13, the new CP phase δ
14, and the octant of θ
23. We find that the sensitivity to CPV induced by δ
13 deteriorates noticeably when going from 3ν to 4ν case. The two phases δ
13 and δ
14 can be reconstructed with a 1σ uncertainty of ∼ 150 and ∼ 350 respectively. Concerning the octant of θ
23, we find poor sensitivity in both 3ν and 4ν schemes. Our results show that a setup like ESSνSB working around the second oscillation maximum with a baseline of 540 km, performs quite well to explore CPV in 3ν scheme, but it is not optimal for studying CP properties in 3+1 scheme.