bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Moracin D induces apoptosis in prostate cancer cells via activation of PPAR gamma/PKC delta and inhibition of PKC alpha
Authors: Yoon Jae Seok , Lee Hyo‐Jung , Sim Deok Yong , Im Eunji , Park Ji Eon , Park Woon Yi , Koo Ja Il , Shim Bum Sang , Kim Sung‐Hoon
Published: October 2021

Herein, apoptotic mechanism of Moracin D was explored in prostate cancer cells in association with peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma (PPAR‐γ)‐related signaling involved in lipid metabolism. Moracin D augmented cytotoxicity and sub G1 population in PC3 and DU145 prostate cancer cells, while DU145 cells were more susceptible to Moracin D than PC3 cells. Moracin D attenuated the expression of caspase‐3, poly (ADP‐ribose) polymerase (PARP), B‐cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl‐2), and B‐cell lymphoma‐extra‐large (Bcl‐xL) in DU145 cells. Consistently, Moracin D significantly augmented the number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL)‐positive cells in DU145 cells. Interestingly, Moracin D activated PPAR‐γ and phospho‐protein kinase C delta (p‐PKC‐δ) and inhibited phospho‐protein kinase C alpha (p‐PKC‐α) in DU145 cells. Furthermore, STRING bioinformatic analysis reveals that PPAR‐γ interacts with nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) that binds to PKC‐α/PKC‐δ or protein kinase B (AKT) or extracellular signal–regulated kinase (ERK). Indeed, Moracin D decreased phosphorylation of NF‐κB, ERK, and AKT in DU145 cells. Conversely, PPAR‐γ inhibitor GW9662 reduced the apoptotic ability of Moracin D to activate caspase 3 and PARP in DU145 cells. Taken together, these findings provide a novel insight that activation of PPAR‐γ/p‐PKC‐δ and inhibition of p‐PKC‐α are critically involved in Moracin D–induced apoptosis in DU145 prostate cancer cells.
Antidepressant‐like effect of rosmarinic acid during LPS‐induced neuroinflammatory model: The potential role of cannabinoid receptors/PPAR‐γ signaling pathway
Authors: Lataliza Alexandre Augusto Barros , de Assis Pollyana Mendonça , da Rocha Laurindo Larissa , Gonçalves Elaine Cristina Dalazen , Raposo Nádia Rezende Barbosa , Dutra Rafael Cypriano
Published: October 2021

Rosmarinic acid (RA), an ester of caffeic acid and 3, 4‐dihydroxyphenyllactic acid, has anti‐inflammatory and neuroprotective activities. Herein, this study investigated in silico the drug‐likeness and the potential molecular targets to RA. Moreover, it tested the antidepressant‐like potential of RA in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced depression model. RA (MW = 360.31 g/mol) meets the criteria of both Lipinski's rule of five and the Ghose filter. It also attends to relevant pharmacokinetic parameters. Target prediction analysis identified RA's potential targets and biological activities, including the peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPAR) and the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2. In vivo, RA's acute, repetitive, and therapeutic administration showed antidepressant‐like effect since it significantly reduced the immobility time in the tail suspension test and increased grooming time in the splash test. Further, the pretreatment with antagonists of CB1, CB2, and PPAR‐γ receptors significantly blocked the antidepressant‐like effect of RA. Altogether, our findings suggest that cannabinoid receptors/PPAR‐γ signaling pathways are involved with the antidepressant‐like effect of RA. Moreover, this molecule meets important physicochemical and pharmacokinetic parameters that favor its bioavailability. RA constitutes a promising, innovative, and safe molecule for the pharmacotherapy of major depressive disorder.
Post‐coronavirus disease 2019 organizing pneumonia confirmed pathologically by video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery
Authors: Sugino Keishi , Ono Hirotaka , Haraguchi Shuji , Igarashi Seiji , Hebisawa Akira , Tsuboi Eiyasu
Published: October 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, has become a global pandemic. Many survivors of serious COVID‐19 pneumonia have long‐term residual pulmonary disease. However, there is little documentation of the histopathological characteristics of lung sequelae post‐COVID‐19 and effective treatments. We present two Japanese cases of lung sequelae post‐COVID‐19. The patients were histopathologically diagnosed with organizing pneumonia (OP) or OP with fibrosis and no diffuse alveolar damage on video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Case 1, who had been diagnosed with OP, was successfully treated with corticosteroid and other immunosuppressive agents over a 6‐month period. Although case 2, who had been diagnosed with OP with fibrosis, had a partial and unsatisfactory response to immunosuppressive agents, the patient responded to antifibrotic treatment including nintedanib.
Characterizing vegetated rivers using novel unmanned aerial vehicle‐borne topo‐bathymetric green lidar: Seasonal applications and challenges
Authors: Islam Md. Touhidul , Yoshida Keisuke , Nishiyama Satoshi , Sakai Koichi , Tsuda Tomoyuki
Published: October 2021

Topo‐bathymetric surveys of stream channels and floodplains, along with their vegetation distributions, are difficult and expensive to quantify, but they are crucially important for balanced river management, addressing issues such as flood risk and ecosystem management. This study was conducted to demonstrate seasonal accuracy for the first time, appraising results of a novel cost‐effective unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)‐borne topo‐bathymetric light detection and ranging (lidar) used to examine the vegetated and gravel‐bedded lower Asahi River, Japan. Compared with autumn, the winter findings were almost identical to those from ground‐truth observations with outperformed accuracy ranging from around 2 to 12 cm of root‐mean‐square‐error values. The results were compatible with the corresponding high‐resolution aerial image. During winter, the three‐dimensional laser point clouds identified details of the submerged artificial infrastructure of the river and the continuous topography of underwater (shallower than or equal to 2.08 m depth) and overland areas. In comparison, the autumn's bathymetric performance was limited to a depth of 1.20 m and turbidity of 5.50 NTU because measurements were conducted after a flooding event. Furthermore, this study applied novel approaches for accurate land cover mapping and vegetation height assessment, which can be readily applied in future riverine vegetation appraisal studies. In conclusion, because the point cloud data can be useful as input and validation data in hydrodynamic‐numerical models and riparian vegetation identification, lidar can be regarded as a technique to inform the management of clear‐flowing and shallow streams with vegetated floodplains.
Layered Double Hydroxide Hollowcages with Adjustable Layer Spacing for High Performance Hybrid Supercapacitor
Authors: Ma Jiamin , Xia Jiale , Liang Zhong , Chen Xiaoyun , Du Yaping , Yan Chun‐Hua
Published: October 2021

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) have been considered as promising electrodes for supercapacitors due to their adjustable composition, designable function and superior high theoretic capacity. However, their experimental specific capacity is significantly lower than the theoretical value due to their small interlayer spacing. Therefore, obtaining large interlayer spacing through the intercalation of large‐sized anions is an important means to improve capacity performance. Herein, a metal organic framework derived cobalt‐nickel layered double hydroxide hollowcage intercalated with different concentrations of 1,4‐benzenedicarboxylic acid (H2BDC) through in‐situ cationic etching and organic ligand intercalation method is designed and fabricated. The superior specific capacity and excellent rate performance are benefit from the large specific surface area of the hollow structure and increasing interlayer spacing of LDH after H2BDC intercalation. The sample with the largest layer spacing displays a maximum specific capacity of 229 mA h g−1 at 1 A g−1. In addition, the hybrid supercapacitor assembled from the sample with the largest layer spacing and active carbon electrode has a maximum specific capacity of 158 mA h g−1 at 1 A g−1; the energy density is as high as 126.4 W h kg−1 at 800 W kg−1 and good cycle stability.
Alkali Metal Chloride‐Doped Water‐Based TiO2 for Efficient and Stable Planar Perovskite Photovoltaics Exceeding 23% Efficiency
Authors: Gao Feng , Luo Chao , Wang Xianjin , Zhao Qing
Published: October 2021

TiO2 is one of the most broadly employed electron transport materials in n‐i‐p structure perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Low‐temperature non‐hydrolyzed sol–gel method is developed to prepare TiO2 in order to simplify the fabrication process and match with the planar structure PSCs. Conventional low‐temperature TiO2 film using organic solvents as dispersants makes direct doping challenging due to limited solubility. Here, a newly developed water‐based TiO2 solution is directly doped with different alkali chlorides, resulting in better conductivity, compatible energy level matching, and enhanced charge extraction in terms of electron transport layer (ETL) for PSCs. As a result, a power conversion efficiency of 23.15% is achieved based on NaCl‐doped TiO2 with competitive storage stability and light stability. The water‐based TiO2 ETL for more general doping of various solutes opens up a new avenue for environmental‐friendly manufacturing superior ETL toward high‐efficiency and stable perovskite photovoltaic devices.
Multiscale Observations of Inhomogeneous Bilayer SEI Film on a Conversion‐Alloying SnO2 Anode
Authors: Lan Xuexia , Cui Jie , Xiong Xingyu , He Jiayi , Yu Hechuan , Hu Renzong
Published: October 2021

SnO2, storing Li through conversion and alloying reactions, has been regarded as one of the most typical anode materials and has been widely studied for both mechanism exploring and performance tuning. However, the structure of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formed on the SnO2 electrode and its evolution process are rarely focused and still poorly understood. Herein, time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry is used to observe the bilayer hybrid structure of SEI formed on a SnO2 film. Multiscale observations reveal the SEI accumulation after alloying reactions and distinct dissolving of the organic layer at potentials above de‐conversion reactions, which results in the inorganic layer being directly exposed to the electrolyte and thus becoming thick and inhomogeneous. The broken and thick SEI causes rapid capacity decay and low Coulombic efficiencies (CEs) of 97.5%. Accordingly, it is demonstrated that, as the SnO2 is precoated with LiF or Li2CO3, a robust and thin SEI layer is induced to form and is stabilized in the continuous cycles, resulting in enhanced cycling stability and promoted CEs to 99.5%. This work adds new insights to the SEI evolution mechanisms on SnO2‐based anodes and suggests an effective strategy to create high performance metal oxide anode for Li‐ion batteries.
Study of Electron Transport Layer‐Free and Hole Transport Layer‐Free Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Shpatz Dayan Adva , Etgar Lioz
Published: October 2021

The selective contacts in perovskite solar cells play a major role in solar cell (SC) performance and optimization. Herein, the inverted architecture is focused on, where systematically the electron transport layer (ETL) and the hole transport layer (HTL) from the SC structure are eliminated. Three main architectures of the SCs are studied: a fully inverted structure, an ETL‐free structure, and a HTL‐free structure. Cathodoluminescence and photoluminescence are measured on various architectures, revealing the electron and hole injection efficiency from the perovskite to selective contacts. Moreover, surface voltage spectroscopy shows the type and the band‐edge transition of these layers. Finally, the photovoltaic (PV) performance of different SCs shows that eliminating the HTL is most critical for PV performance, compared with ETL‐free and fully inverted SC configurations. Current−voltage hysteresis curves prove that efficient selective contacts are essential to eliminate this phenomenon. Measuring the ideality factor shows that the dominant mechanism in ETL‐free SCs is surface recombination, whereas in the other cases, it is Shockley–Reed–Hall recombination. This work provides knowledge about the functionality of methylammonium lead iodide as an electron conductor and as a hole conductor.
Transition Metal/Lewis Acid Catalyzed Reactions of Zerumbone for Diverse Molecular Motifs
Authors: Biji Mohanan , Prabha Bernard , Lankalapalli Ravi S. , Radhakrishnan Kokkuvayil Vasu
Published: October 2021

Zerumbone is a naturally occurring humulene type sesquiterpene, isolated from the rhizomes of Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Smith with excellent therapeutic potential and is recognized as a valuable synthon for the construction of diverse array of natural product motifs. In this review, we intended to highlight our achievements in utilizing abundant natural product zerumbone and its derivatives for the development of pharmacologically relevant molecular scaffolds. We provided an account of the transition‐metal catalyzed 1,4‐conjugate addition reactions of zerumbone and its derivatives along with palladium‐catalyzed cross‐couplings, transition metal‐based Lewis acid promoted interrupted Nazarov cyclisation reaction with substituted indoles and transannular cyclizations, photo‐induced transformations of zerumbone and its epoxide.
Experimental investigation of lateral resisting elements for the wood polyvinyl chloride composite log‐house under in‐plane lateral loads
Authors: Eakintumas Warawit , Pulngern Tawich , Rosarpitak Vichai , Sombatsompop Narongrit
Published: October 2021

This study applied WPVC composite materials as log elements and investigated the lateral load resistance capability using two first log–foundation connections (LS‐SST and LF‐AB) and two corner joints (CJ‐SN and CJ‐SHL) subjected to monotonic and cyclic loads via an experimental approach. The obtained results indicated that the load resisting behavior of the connections was different, although the load bearing area of the connections was similar. The LF‐SST connections experienced a brittle failure, while LF‐AB showed a ductile failure. The premature failure occurred at the hollow web section of orthogonal log elements for both corner joints. The presence of a metal fastener directly affected the lateral load resisting behavior of the connection, especially under cyclic loading. The equivalent energy elastic plastic (EEEP) and hysteretic parameters were determined, indicating that LF‐AB provided 1.8 times of ductility ratio and 35.4% of hysteretic energy higher than LF‐SST, and that CJ‐SHL had 3.1 and 2.8 times of monotonic and cyclic stiffnesses higher than CJ‐SN. In comparing the experimental results with timber log elements, the hollow section of the WPVC composite log element had a negligible effect on load resisting behavior; however, it significantly affected the load resisting capacity, stiffness, damping, and premature failure. The experimental data and the proposed parameters will be useful for the further design of WPVC composite log houses.
Psychosocial and Patient Support Services in Comprehensive Cancer Centers
Authors: Chakraborty Rajshekhar , Majhail Navneet S. , Abraham Jame
Published: October 2021

Patient support and psychosocial services are an important aspect of cancer care. Comprehensive cancer centers need to provide a spectrum of these services to provide high-quality and holistic care to cancer patients. Provision of these services begins from the time of diagnosis, continues through cancer treatment, and then subsequently transitions to survivorship or end-of-life phase. Examples of these services include psychological assessment and management, patient navigation, care coordination, genetic counseling, and complementary medicine. Survivorship care is an important aspect of patients’ experience during their cancer journey and beyond. This chapter discusses key psychosocial and supportive care services that are recommended for cancer centers that strive to provide comprehensive cancer care to their patients.
Transplantation and Cellular Therapy
Authors: Majhail Navneet S. , De Lima Marcos
Published: October 2021

Comprehensive cancer services include provision of care to patients with advanced hematologic malignancies, among whom some patients are candidates for hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). HCT is a complex and resource-intense medical procedure and optimal transplant outcomes require a high-functioning, multidisciplinary, and cohesive team. The presence of a successful HCT program reflects the commitment from a cancer center to provide comprehensive cancer care services. The program can also serve as a platform for performing cellular therapy procedures such as chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies. This chapter reviews the potential pathways to establish an HCT and cellular therapy program along with recommendations on the required infrastructure and personnel. In addition, the chapter provides the foundation for establishing a robust quality program and the resources required for data and research.
Building Quality from the Ground Up in a Cancer Center
Authors: Babar Arslan , Montero Alberto J.
Published: October 2021

The Institute of Medicine defines quality in healthcare as the degree to which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge. This concept is highly relevant for cancer care that involves patients with complex diseases in the setting of rapidly evolving treatment landscape that requires provision of appropriate services in a patient-centric and technically competent manner. This chapter uses the Donabedian model to review the structural, process, and outcome-based quality domains that lay the foundation for a robust system to measure, monitor, and improve quality of care at cancer centers. The infrastructure and personnel, systems, and culture needed for ensuring provision of high-quality cancer care are reviewed.
Data Unit, Translational Research, and Registries
Authors: Hussain Fazal , Alhayli Saud , Aljurf Mahmoud
Published: October 2021

Research is the only way to challenge the existing standards of care; a dynamic and multidimensional process encompassing innovative therapeutic modalities, techniques, and interventions to optimize outcomes and quality of life of cancer patients. Cancer research has emerged as one of the core competencies for the standardization, accreditation, and academic standing of any comprehensive cancer center. Data unit is the center of gravity and the hub of research and development (databases, registries, translational research, randomized control trials) in a quality cancer care facility. Quality assurance, ethical conduct, and monitoring of research are the hallmarks of a center of excellence in galvanizing the research efforts and optimizing the quality outcomes.
Education and Training
Authors: Murthy Hemant S. , Manochakian Rami , Kharfan-Dabaja Mohamed A.
Published: October 2021

At the heart of every comprehensive cancer center is education and training. The prominence of a cancer center is often correlated to the strength of their educational and training programs. Education is responsible for training the next generation of clinicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, other supporting staff, and researchers. This chapter provides the framework of education and training, specific to different disciplines, within a comprehensive cancer center. In addition, it discusses education beyond training, such as maintaining educational standards, and developing new programs that embrace the continuous advances in cancer care.
The Infusion Center
Authors: Kharfan-Dabaja Mohamed A.
Published: October 2021

Availability of more effective supportive therapies coupled with emergence of novel antineoplastic agents has facilitated administration of cancer treatments outside the hospital setting. Cancer treatments typically require multiple visits. Accordingly, it can be exhausting for patients and their caregivers who are already under a lot of stress including physical, emotional and financial strain, among others. Infusion centers allow providers to help patients better manage and control their disease and associated symptoms by providing a continuity of care throughout their medical need, enhancing continuity of care and improving compliance. Here, we described the major components required for successful operation of a cancer infusion center. The ultimate goal is to offer a patient-centered experience that improves the overall quality of delivered care at a sustainable cost.
Proposal for Establishing a New Radiotherapy Facility
Authors: Aldehaim Mohamed , Phan Jack
Published: October 2021

Cancer is a growing burden globally. Radiotherapy has proven to be a critical and cost-effective treatment modality for a cure in greater than 50% of cancer patients. There are numerous obstacles and challenges in establishing new radiotherapy facilities and programs, especially in low- and middle-income countries. It is known that the clinical aspect, as well as procedure related to the physical and technical aspect of patient treatment, needs to be subjected to careful planning in order to ensure safe and high-quality radiotherapy. This process required the engagement of various professionals from different backgrounds.

This chapter aims to define radiotherapy value, assessing a radiation facility’s clinical, infrastructure, and resources need to establish a new radiotherapy facility.
The 4d superconformal index near roots of unity and 3d Chern-Simons theory
Authors: Ardehali Arash Arabi , Murthy Sameer
Published: October 2021

Abstract

We consider the S3×S1 superconformal index ℐ(τ) of 4d $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 1 gauge theories. The Hamiltonian index is defined in a standard manner as the Witten index with a chemical potential τ coupled to a combination of angular momenta on S3 and the U(1) R-charge. We develop the all-order asymptotic expansion of the index as q = e2πiτ approaches a root of unity, i.e. as $$ \overset{\sim }{\tau } $$

τ
~

≡ mτ+n → 0, with m, n relatively prime integers. The asymptotic expansion of log ℐ(τ) has terms of the form $$ \overset{\sim }{\tau } $$

τ
~

k, k = −2, −1, 0, 1. We determine the coefficients of the k = −2, −1, 1 terms from the gauge theory data, and provide evidence that the k = 0 term is determined by the Chern-Simons partition function on S3/ℤm. We explain these findings from the point of view of the 3d theory obtained by reducing the 4d gauge theory on the S1. The supersymmetric functional integral of the 3d theory takes the form of a matrix integral over the dynamical 3d fields, with an effective action given by supersymmetrized Chern-Simons couplings of background and dynamical gauge fields. The singular terms in the $$ \overset{\sim }{\tau } $$

τ
~

→ 0 expansion (dictating the growth of the 4d index) are governed by the background Chern-Simons couplings. The constant term has a background piece as well as a piece given by the localized functional integral over the dynamical 3d gauge multiplet. The linear term arises from the supersymmetric Casimir energy factor needed to go between the functional integral and the Hamiltonian index.
New AdS2 supergravity duals of 4d SCFTs with defects
Authors: Lozano Yolanda , Petri Nicolò , Risco Cristian
Published: October 2021

Abstract

We construct new families of AdS2× S2× S2 solutions with 4 supercharges in Type II supergravities. We show that subclasses of these solutions can be interpreted in terms of defect branes embedded in 4d $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 4 SYM, or orbifolds thereof. This is explicitly realised by showing that the solutions asymptote locally to AdS5× S5/ℤn, in Type IIB, or its T-dual background, in Type IIA. The latter is a Gaiotto-Maldacena geometry realised on an intersection of D4 and NS5 branes. We extend the Type IIA solutions to include D6 branes, and interpret them as describing backreacted baryon vertices within 4d $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 2 CFTs living in D4-NS5-D6 intersections. We propose explicit quiver quantum mechanics in which the defect branes play the role of colour branes, with the D4 branes of the D4-NS5-D6 intersection becoming flavour branes. These quivers are used to compute the degeneracies of the ground states of the dual super conformal quantum mechanics, that are shown to agree with the holographic expressions.
Holographic boundary actions in AdS3/CFT2 revisited
Authors: Nguyen Kevin
Published: October 2021

Abstract

The generating functional of stress tensor correlation functions in two-dimensional conformal field theory is the nonlocal Polyakov action, or equivalently, the Liouville or Alekseev-Shatashvili action. I review its holographic derivation within the AdS3/CFT2 correspondence, both in metric and Chern-Simons formulations. I also provide a detailed comparison with the well-known Hamiltonian reduction of three-dimensional gravity to a flat Liouville theory, and conclude that the two results are unrelated. In particular, the flat Liouville action is still off-shell with respect to bulk equations of motion, and simply vanishes in case the latter are imposed. The present study also suggests an interesting re-interpretation of the computation of black hole spectral statistics recently performed by Cotler and Jensen as that of an explicit averaging of the partition function over the boundary source geometry, thereby providing potential justification for its agreement with the predictions of a random matrix ensemble.
Holographic stress tensor of colored Lifshitz spacetimes and hairy black holes
Authors: Devecioğlu Deniz O.
Published: October 2021

Abstract

We compute the holographic stress tensor of colored Lifshitz spacetimes following the proposal by Ross-Saremi for gravity duals of non-relativistic theories. For a well-defined variational principle, we first construct a finite on-shell action for the Einstein-Yang-Mills model in four dimensions with Lifshitz spacetime as a solution. We then solve the linearised equations of motion and identify the modes that preserve the asymptotically Lifshitz condition. Employing these modes, we also show that the stress tensor is finite, obeying the scaling and the diffeomorphism Ward identities, i.e., conservations laws. As a final application, we evaluate the energy density and the spatial stress tensor of the previously found numerical black hole solutions with various dynamical exponents z. The alternative Smarr relation that has been used in Lifshitz black holes and the first law of thermodynamics are shown to hold without a global Yang-Mills charge, indicating the black holes in question are hairy.
QED factorization of two-body non-leptonic and semi-leptonic B to charm decays
Authors: Beneke Martin , Böer Philipp , Finauri Gael , Vos K. Keri
Published: October 2021

Abstract

The QCD×QED factorization is studied for two-body non-leptonic and semi-leptonic B decays with heavy-light final states. These non-leptonic decays, like $$ {\overline{B}}_{(s)}^0\to {D}_{(s)}^{+}{\pi}^{-} $$

B
¯

s

0

→

D

s

+

π
−

and $$ {\overline{B}}_d^0\to {D}^{+}{K}^{-} $$

B
¯

d
0

→

D
+

K
−

, are among the theoretically cleanest non-leptonic decays as penguin loops do not contribute and colour-suppressed tree amplitudes are suppressed in the heavy-quark limit or even completely absent. Advancing the theoretical calculations of such decays requires therefore also a careful analysis of QED effects. Including QED effects does not alter the general structure of factorization which is analogous for both semi-leptonic and non-leptonic decays. For the latter, we express our result as a correction of the tree amplitude coefficient a1. At the amplitude level, we find QED effects at the sub-percent level, which is of the same order as the QCD uncertainty. We discuss the phenomenological implications of adding QED effects in light of discrepancies observed between theory and experimental data, for ratios of non-leptonic over semi-leptonic decay rates. At the level of the rate, ultrasoft photon effects can produce a correction up to a few percent, requiring a careful treatment of such effects in the experimental analyses.
On the structure of solution-sets to regular word equations
Authors: Day Joel D. , Manea Florin
Published: October 2021

For quadratic word equations, there exists an algorithm based on rewriting rules which generates a directed graph describing all solutions to the equation. For regular word equations – those for which each variable occurs at most once on each side of the equation – we investigate the properties of this graph, such as bounds on its diameter, size, and DAG-width, as well as providing some insights into symmetries in its structure. As a consequence, we obtain a combinatorial proof that the problem of deciding whether a regular word equation has a solution is in NP.
Decidability and Periodicity of Low Complexity Tilings
Authors: Kari Jarkko , Moutot Etienne
Published: October 2021

In this paper we study colorings (or tilings) of the two-dimensional grid${\mathbb {Z}}^{2}$ℤ2. A coloring is said to be valid with respect to a setPofn×mrectangular patterns if alln×msub-patterns of the coloring are inP. A coloringcis said to be of low complexity with respect to a rectangle if there exist$m,n\in \mathbb {N}$m,n∈ℕand a setPofn×mrectangular patterns such thatcis valid with respect toPand |P|≤nm. Open since it was stated in 1997, Nivat’s conjecture states that such a coloring is necessarily periodic. If Nivat’s conjecture is true, all valid colorings with respect toPsuch that |P|≤mnmust be periodic. We prove that there exists at least one periodic coloring among the valid ones. We use this result to investigate the tiling problem, also known as the domino problem, which is well known to be undecidable in its full generality. However, we show that it is decidable in the low-complexity setting. Then, we use our result to show that Nivat’s conjecture holds for uniformly recurrent configurations. These results also extend to other convex shapes in place of the rectangle. After that, we prove that thenmbound is multiplicatively optimal for the decidability of the domino problem, as for allε> 0 it is undecidable to determine if there exists a valid coloring for a given$m,n\in \mathbb {N}$m,n∈ℕand set of rectangular patternsPof sizen×msuch that |P|≤ (1 +ε)nm. We prove a slightly better bound in the case wherem=n, as well as constructing aperiodic SFTs of pretty low complexity. This paper is an extended version of a paper published in STACS 2020 (Kari and Moutot 12).
A retrospective analysis of perioperative complications associated with retropubic tension-free vaginal tape in 960 women
Authors: Jahn Janosch , Reisenauer Christl , Schoenfisch Birgitt , Amend Bastian , Brucker Sara Yvonne , Andress Juergen
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The purpose is to analyse perioperative complications associated with the retropubic tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) procedure and their management.

Methods

This retrospective, monocentric cohort study included 960 women after retropubic TVT procedure performed by one surgeon from 2011 to 2016. Complications were identified up to 6 weeks after the procedure, divided into specific and general complications and classified based on the Clavien–Dindo (CD) Classification. A visit 6 weeks after the surgical procedure was attended by all patients.

Results

77 complications, of which 74 occurred postoperatively and 3 intraoperatively, affecting 72 (7.5%) out of 960 women. Urinary retention and voiding problems were the most common complication. The mean age of women suffering complications was 3.4 years higher in comparison to the mean age of women without complications (p = 0.036). The Body Mass Index (BMI) of the group of women with perioperative complications had an average BMI which was 0.5 kg/m2 lower than the average BMI of the women without complications. 22 (12.8%) out of 172 women with recurrent stress incontinence had postoperative complications, of which 21 were related to the TVT.

Conclusion

The retropubic TVT is a surgical procedure associated with a low number of perioperative complications, even in the group of elderly and overweight women, as well as in cases of recurrent stress incontinence.
Maximum Box Problem on Stochastic Points
Authors: Caraballo Luis E. , Pérez-Lantero Pablo , Seara Carlos , Ventura Inmaculada
Published: October 2021

Given a finite set of weighted points in $${\mathbb {R}}^d$$

R

d

(where there can be negative weights), the maximum box problem asks for an axis-aligned rectangle (i.e., box) such that the sum of the weights of the points that it contains is maximized. We consider that each point of the input has a probability of being present in the final random point set, and these events are mutually independent; then, the total weight of a maximum box is a random variable. We aim to compute both the probability that this variable is at least a given parameter, and its expectation. We show that even in $$d=1$$

d
=
1

these computations are #P-hard, and give pseudo-polynomial time algorithms in the case where the weights are integers in a bounded interval. For $$d=2$$

d
=
2

, we consider that each point is colored red or blue, where red points have weight $$+1$$

+
1

and blue points weight $$-\infty $$

-
∞

. The random variable is the maximum number of red points that can be covered with a box not containing any blue point. We prove that the above two computations are also #P-hard, and give a polynomial-time algorithm for computing the probability that there is a box containing exactly two red points, no blue point, and a given point of the plane.
On Perturbation Resilience of Non-uniform k-Center
Authors: Bandyapadhyay Sayan
Published: October 2021

The Non-Uniform k-center (NUkC) problem has recently been formulated by Chakrabarty et al. [ICALP, 2016; ACM Trans Algorithms 16(4):46:1–46:19, 2020] as a generalization of the classical k-center clustering problem. In NUkC, given a set of n points P in a metric space and non-negative numbers $$r_1, r_2, \ldots , r_k$$

r
1

,

r
2

,
…
,

r
k

, the goal is to find the minimum dilation $$\alpha $$
α
and to choose k balls centered at the points of P with radius $$\alpha \cdot r_i$$

α
·

r
i

for $$1\le i\le k$$

1
≤
i
≤
k

, such that all points of P are contained in the union of the chosen balls. They showed that the problem is $$\mathsf {NP}$$
NP
-hard to approximate within any factor even in tree metrics. On the other hand, they designed a “bi-criteria” constant approximation algorithm that uses a constant times k balls. Surprisingly, no true approximation is known even in the special case when the $$r_i$$

r
i

’s belong to a fixed set of size 3. In this paper, we study the NUkC problem under perturbation resilience, which was introduced by Bilu and Linial (Comb Probab Comput 21(5):643–660, 2012). We show that the problem under 2-perturbation resilience is polynomial time solvable when the $$r_i$$

r
i

’s belong to a constant-sized set. However, we show that perturbation resilience does not help in the general case. In particular, our findings imply that even with perturbation resilience one cannot hope to find any “good” approximation for the problem.
Quantifying the impact of heat on human physical work capacity; part III: the impact of solar radiation varies with air temperature, humidity, and clothing coverage
Authors: Foster Josh , Smallcombe James W. , Hodder Simon , Jay Ollie , Flouris Andreas D. , Nybo Lars , Havenith George
Published: October 2021

Heat stress decreases human physical work capacity (PWC), but the extent to which solar radiation (SOLAR) compounds this response is not well understood. This study empirically quantified how SOLAR impacts PWC in the heat, considering wide, but controlled, variations in air temperature, humidity, and clothing coverage. We also provide correction equations so PWC can be quantified outdoors using heat stress indices that do not ordinarily account for SOLAR (including the Heat Stress Index, Humidex, and Wet-Bulb Temperature). Fourteen young adult males (7 donning a work coverall, 7 with shorts and trainers) walked for 1 h at a fixed heart rate of 130 beats∙min−1, in seven combinations of air temperature (25 to 45°C) and relative humidity (20 or 80%), with and without SOLAR (800 W/m2 from solar lamps). Cumulative energy expenditure in the heat, relative to the work achieved in a cool reference condition, was used to determine PWC%. Skin temperature was the primary determinant of PWC in the heat. In dry climates with exposed skin (0.3 Clo), SOLAR caused PWC to decrease exponentially with rising air temperature, whereas work coveralls (0.9 Clo) negated this effect. In humid conditions, the SOLAR-induced reduction in PWC was consistent and linear across all levels of air temperature and clothing conditions. Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature and the Universal Thermal Climate Index represented SOLAR correctly and did not require a correction factor. For the Heat Stress Index, Humidex, and Wet-Bulb Temperature, correction factors are provided enabling forecasting of heat effects on work productivity.
Poverty, Exploitation, Mere Things and Mere Means
Authors: Sticker Martin
Published: October 2021

I argue that, alongside the already well-established prohibition against treating persons as mere means, Kant’s Formula of Humanity requires a prohibition against treating persons as mere things. The former captures ethical violations due to someone’s (perceived) instrumental value, e.g. exploitation, the latter captures cases in which I mistreat others because they have no instrumental value to me. These are cases in which I am indifferent and complacent towards persons in need; forms of mistreatment frequently suffered by the world’s poorest. I explain why we need the category of treating others as mere things and what the prohibition against such treatment entails. Prohibitions against treating as mere means and as mere things are both essential for understanding the specific nature and extent of our duties to the world’s poorest.
Multi-model genome-wide association and genomic prediction analysis of 16 agronomic, physiological and quality related traits in ICARDA spring wheat
Authors: Alemu Admas , Suliman Sufian , Hagras Adel , Thabet Sherif , Al-Abdallat Ayed , Abdelmula Awadalla Abdalla , Tadesse Wuletaw
Published: October 2021

Identification and exploration of the genetic architecture of traits related to yield, quality, and drought and heat tolerance is important for yield and quality improvement of wheat through marker-assisted selection. One hundred and ninety-two spring wheat genotypes were tested at two heat-stress locations in Sudan (Wad Medani and Dongula), a drought stress site in Morocco (Marchouch) and a site with high yield potential in Egypt (Sids) in replicated trials during the 2015–2016 and 2016–2017 cropping seasons. A total of 10,577 single nucleotide polymorphism markers identified from the 15 K wheat SNP assay were used in a genome-wide association (GWA) study and genomic prediction for 16 phenotypic traits related to yield, quality and drought and heat tolerance. Significant marker-trait associations were detected across GWAS models for all traits. Most detected marker-trait associations (MTAs) were environment-specific, signifying the presence of high quantitative trait loci-by-environment (QTL x E) interaction. Chromosome arm 5AL had significant multi-model MTAs for grain yield and yield-related traits at the heat-stress locations. Highly significant QTLs were detected on chromosome 2D for waxiness. Homoeologous group 2 and 6 chromosomes were with significant MTAs for grain protein content, gluten content, alveograph strength and Zeleny sedimentation test while chromosome arm 3BL was significant for both Z and W traits. Genomic prediction analysis with ridge regression-best linear unbiased prediction model estimated the breeding values of the studied traits with prediction accuracies ranging from 0.16 for leaf rolling to 0.72 for peduncle length. The identified QTLs could be targeted for marker-assisted selection or further studies aimed at fine mapping and cloning the causative genes and detecting favorable haplotypes with positive effects for agronomic, physiological or quality-related traits.
Does Wealth Predict Health Among Dogs in a Protected Area?
Authors: Eisenman Eric J. L. , Koster Jeremy M. , Foley Janet E. , Fiorello Christine V.
Published: October 2021

As the world's most ubiquitous carnivore, domestic dogs maintain unique proximity to human populations. Partly because dogs potentially serve as hosts of zoonotic diseases, determinants of canine health are increasingly the focus of interdisciplinary research. Emerging perspectives suggest that dogs' health may vary as a function of their owners' wealth and financial resources, a correlation that could potentially inform public health programs and conservation efforts. The objective of this study was to evaluate associations between household wealth and the health of domestic dogs (n = 208) among indigenous Mayangna communities in the Bosawás Biosphere Reserve, Nicaragua. The dogs were evaluated using serum biochemistry, complete blood count, and physical exam findings. Using these data, a principal components analysis (PCA) determined the presence of four "syndromes": 1) decreased body condition score (BCS) & hypoalbuminemia; 2) lymphocytosis & eosinophilia; 3) segmented neutrophilia; and 4) lymphadenopathy, tick infestation, & hyperglobulinemia. An inventory of possessions indexed household wealth. For all four syndromes, household wealth was a weak and uninformative predictor of the dogs' health. The few differences seen among dogs from households with different degrees of wealth likely reflect that nearly all dogs had marginal health and all households were relatively poor. Results from this study imply that owners' wealth may have diverse effects on canine health in rural settings.
Effects of site, depth and sori origin on the growth and minerals composition of cultivated Saccharina latissima (Phaeophyceae) in the north of Norway
Authors: Wang Xinxin , Blikra Marthe J. , Evensen Tor H. , Skipnes Dagbjørn , James Philip
Published: October 2021

Interest in the cultivation of Saccharina latissima is increasing in the north of Norway. In the present study, S. latissima was cultivated at two sites (Kraknes and Rotsund), 90 km apart, in Troms, northern Norway (69–70°N). The effect of site, depth, and sori origin (Kraknes and Rotsund) on S. latissima growth, biofouling, minerals, and potentially toxic elements (PTEs) content was studied. Large variations in the frond length and wet weight were observed between sites. The site with lower seawater temperature, higher nutrient levels and no freshwater influence (Kraknes) had better growth and later outbreak of epibionts. Sori origin had a significant effect on the growth only at the Kraknes site with S. latissima produced from the Kraknes sori having longer frond length and higher wet weight. The iodine content was, in general, high and increased with cultivation depth. The arsenic and cadmium content varied between sites and was lower than the recommended maximum level for food supplements in EU regulations. The present study shows that growth, biofouling, minerals, and PTEs content vary profoundly within the same geographical region and between sori origin, it thereby underlines the importance of site selection and using traits with high growth rates for seeding and cultivation to achieve maximum biomass.
Interpretable segmentation of medical free-text records based on word embeddings
Authors: Dobrakowski Adam Gabriel , Mykowiecka Agnieszka , Marciniak Małgorzata , Jaworski Wojciech , Biecek Przemysław
Published: October 2021

Medical free-text records store a lot of useful information that can be exploited in developing computer-supported medicine. However, extracting the knowledge from the unstructured text is difficult and depends on the language. In the paper, we apply Natural Language Processing methods to process raw medical texts in Polish and propose a new methodology for clustering of patients’ visits. We (1) extract medical terminology from a corpus of free-text clinical records, (2) annotate data with medical concepts, (3) compute vector representations of medical concepts and validate them on the proposed term analogy tasks, (4) compute visit representations as vectors, (5) introduce a new method for clustering of patients’ visits and (6) apply the method to a corpus of 100,000 visits. We use several approaches to visual exploration that facilitate interpretation of segments. With our method, we obtain stable and separated segments of visits which are positively validated against final medical diagnoses. In this paper we show how algorithm for segmentation of medical free-text records may be used to aid medical doctors. In addition to this, we share implementation of described methods with examples as open-source package .
Organotypic in vitro block culture model to investigate tissue-implant interface. An experimental study on pig mandible
Authors: Areid Nagat , Willberg Jaana , Kangasniemi Ilkka , Närhi Timo O.
Published: October 2021

In vitro studies of implant-tissue attachment are primarily based on two-dimensional cell culture models, which fail to replicate the three-dimensional native human oral mucosal tissue completely. Thus, the present study aimed to describe a novel tissue culture model using pig mandibular block including alveolar bone and gingival soft tissues to evaluate the tissue attachment to titanium implant provided with hydrothermally induced TiO2 coating. Tissue attachment on TiO2 coated and non-coated implants were compared. Ti-6Al-4V alloy posts were used to function as implants that were inserted in five pig mandibles. Implants were delivered with two different surface treatments, non-coated (NC) titanium and hydrothermal induced TiO2 coated surfaces (HT). The tissue-implant specimens were cultured at an air/liquid interface for 7 and 14 days. The tissue-implant interface was analyzed by histological and immunohistochemical stainings. The microscopic evaluation suggests that pig tissue explants established soft and hard tissue attachment to both implant surfaces. The epithelial cells appeared to attach to the coated implant. The epithelium adjacent to the implant abutment starts to change its phenotype during the early days of the healing process. New bone formation was seen within small pieces of bone in close contact with the coated implant. In conclusion, this in vitro model maintains the viability of pig tissue and allows histologically and immunohistochemically evaluate the tissue-implant interface. HT-induced TiO2 coating seems to have a favorable tissue response. Moreover, this organotypic tissue culture model is applicable for further studies with quantitative parameters to evaluate adhesion molecules present at the implant-tissue interface.