bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Focusing on the positive or the negative: Self‐construal moderates negativity bias in impression updating
Authors: Xie Dandan , Chen Suya , Wu Yanhong
Published: May 2023

Negativity bias refers to the phenomenon whereby people put more weight on negative information. Although evolutionarily favorable for survival, negative bias in impression processing is detrimental to relationships and cooperation. To explore whether the motivation to maintain relationships, indicated by self‐construal, mitigates negativity bias, two studies were conducted. In study 1, participants interacted with three agents (worsened, improved, baseline) in a modified social learning task and evaluated the moral level of these agents. Results showed that positivity bias appeared among interdependent individuals, with larger updating for the improved agent than for the worsened agent. Moreover, interdependent individuals exhibited less immediate decreases toward the worsened agent and steeper increases toward the improved agent than did independent individuals. To validate the results of study 1, we used a narrative description paradigm in study 2. Participants read the behavior descriptions of agents and rated them on morality. The negativity bias was significantly mitigated among individuals with high interdependence, though it did not reverse. These results indicate that interdependent individuals focus more on positive information when others change, yielding a more positive pattern in impression updating. This flexible interpersonal coping strategy can bring advantages to social interaction and cooperation.
Investigation of a new promising process for the RDX synthesis via 1,3,5‐triacetyl‐1,3,5‐triazinane (TRAT)
Authors: Klapötke Thomas M. , Lechner Jasmin T. , Stanislawski Leon W. B. , Stierstorfer Jörg , Mühlemann Moritz , Lemarchand Guillaume
Published: May 2023

Despite intensive research for possible replacements, RDX (1,3,5‐trinitro‐1,3,5‐triazinane) is still considered to be one of the most important energetic materials because of its versatile application. Due to the high demand for RDX, optimization of synthesis and development of new methods are of great interest to both academia and industry. Therefore, in this work, the synthesis of RDX via the intermediate TRAT (1,3,5‐triacetycl‐1,3,5‐triazinane) was investigated as a possible alternative industrial production method. In addition to the synthesis of TRAT starting from 1,3,5 trioxane, various feasible nitration methods from TRAT to RDX were investigated. Moreover, the suitability for large‐scale production, the comparison of already established methods and the feasibility of a new flow process were discussed.
Short‐term outcomes of robot‐assisted versus thoracoscopic‐assisted Mckeown esophagectomy
Authors: Meng Yu‐Qi , Li Bin , Wang Cheng , Jiang Peng , Song Tie‐Niu , Feng Hai‐Ming , Lin Jun‐Ping
Published: May 2023

Background

Thoracoscopic‐assisted and robot‐assisted Mckeown esophagectomy are currently two common surgical methods, but there is no clear statement on the advantages and disadvantages of the two.

Methods

This study conducted a single‐centre retrospective analysis of esophageal cancer patients diagnosed and treated at Lanzhou University Second Hospital from 1 February 2020 to 31 July 2022. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 126 patients were finally included in the RAM group and 169 patients in the TAM group.

Results

There was no significant difference between the RAM and TAM groups in the number of lymph node dissections, operative time, the length of stay in the intensive care unit after surgery, the incidence of hoarseness, postoperative pulmonary complications, surgery‐related complications, use of opioids after surgery, the length of postoperative hospital stay, and 30‐day mortality.

Conclusions

RAM is a minimally invasive alternative to TAM and has similar short‐term oncological efficacy.
Multiposture leg tracking for temporarily vision restricted environments based on fusion of laser and radar sensor data
Authors: Mandischer Nils , Hou Ruikun , Corves Burkhard
Published: May 2023

Leg tracking is an established field in mobile robotics and machine vision in general. These algorithms, however, only distinguish the scene between leg and nonleg detections. In application fields like firefighting, where people tend to choose squatting or crouching over standing postures, those methods will inevitably fail. Further, tracking based on a single sensor system may reduce the overall reliability if brought to outdoor or complex environments with limited vision on the target objectives. Therefore, we extend our recent work to a multiposture detection system based on laser and radar sensors, that are fused to allow for maximal reliability and accuracy in scenarios as complex as indoor firefighting with vastly limited vision. The proposed tracking pipeline is trained and extensively validated on a new data set. We show that the radar tracker reaches state‐of‐the‐art performance, and that laser and fusion tracker outperform recent methods.
The internalisation of the circular economy and ESG in Brazilian B Corps from the perspective of the Stakeholder Theory
Authors: Marcon Maiara , Provensi Taís , Sehnem Simone , Campos Lucila M. S. , Queiroz Adriane Angelica Farias Santos Lopes
Published: May 2023

The Circular Economy (CE) has been gaining attention as a means to reduce dependency on raw materials and achieve social, economic, and environmental outcomes. B Corporations aim to generate a positive impact, and by seeking certification that validates this premise, they are evaluated in aspects of governance, environment, customers, community, and workers. Such assessment demonstrates attention to various stakeholders and can promote good practices. This research aims to analyse how the circular economy is being internalised in Brazilian B Corps from the perspective of Stakeholder Theory. A total of 264 Brazilian B Corporations were identified, which constitute the units of analysis for the case study. Seventy‐six of these responded to questionnaires, and 12 B Corps participated in semi‐structured interviews. The results suggest that: (i) circular economy actions through the ReSOLVE framework are partially implemented by B Corps; (ii) circular economy practices require engagement with stakeholders, especially for the share and cycle actions of the ReSOLVE framework that mainly involve customers and the community; (iii) government and consumers were identified as key stakeholders for accelerating the circular economy. The contributions of this study include: (i) presentation of a typology that brings together exploratory theoretical propositions about strategic stakeholders, circular economy assumptions, and business models of B Corps; (ii) correlation between the ReSOLVE framework, B Impact Assessment, and stakeholder theory; (iii) identification of key stakeholders for accelerating the transition to the circular economy. For future studies, it is suggested to further investigate organisations with a high percentage of adoption of ReSOLVE framework actions to identify how stakeholders engage in environmental best practices.
Resilience resources, life stressors, and postpartum depressive symptoms in a community sample of low and middle‐income Black, Latina, and White mothers
Authors: Julian Melissa , Somers Jennifer A. , Dunkel Schetter Christine , Guardino Christine M.
Published: May 2023

Resilience resources refer to factors that protect against the physical and mental health effects of stress exposure. This study used a cross‐sectional design to test whether three individual‐level resilience resources—mastery, self‐esteem, and perceived social support—moderated associations between prenatal major life stressors and postpartum depressive symptoms at approximately 8 weeks postpartum. Participants were 2510 low‐ and middle‐income women enrolled after the birth of a baby in a multi‐site study of five communities in the United States. At approximately 8 weeks postpartum, participants were interviewed in their homes to assess the three resilience resources, symptoms of depression, and major life stressors that had occurred during the pregnancy. The results of path analyses revealed that mastery and self‐esteem moderated the positive association between prenatal life stressors and postpartum depressive symptoms adjusting for race/ethnicity, partner status, years of education, and household income. Perceived social support was associated with fewer postpartum depressive symptoms but did not moderate the association between life stressors and depressive symptoms. Higher levels of two personal resilience resources, mastery and self‐esteem, attenuated the association between prenatal life stressors and early postpartum depressive symptoms in a large, predominantly low‐income multi‐site community sample. These findings highlight the protective nature of individual‐level resilience resources in the early postpartum period when maternal adjustment shapes parent and child health outcomes.
FePSe3‐Nanosheets‐Integrated Cryogenic‐3D‐Printed Multifunctional Calcium Phosphate Scaffolds for Synergistic Therapy of Osteosarcoma
Authors: Xu Chao , Xia Yuhao , Zhuang Pengzhen , Liu Wenliang , Mu Congpu , Liu Zhongyuan , Wang Jianglin , Chen Lili , Dai Honglian , Luo Zhiqiang
Published: May 2023

Clinical treatment of osteosarcoma encounters great challenges of postsurgical tumor recurrence and extensive bone defect. To develop an advanced artificial bone substitute that can achieve synergistic bone regeneration and tumor therapy for osteosarcoma treatment, a multifunctional calcium phosphate composite enabled by incorporation of bioactive FePSe3‐nanosheets within the cryogenic‐3D‐printed α‐tricalcium phosphate scaffold (TCP‐FePSe3) is explored. The TCP‐FePSe3 scaffold exhibits remarkable tumor ablation ability due to the excellent NIR‐II (1064 nm) photothermal property of FePSe3‐nanosheets. Moreover, the biodegradable TCP‐FePSe3 scaffold can release selenium element to suppress tumor recurrence by activating of the caspase‐dependent apoptosis pathway. In a subcutaneous tumor model, it is demonstrated that tumors can be efficiently eradicated via the combination treatment with local photothermal ablation and the antitumor effect of selenium element. Meanwhile, in a rat calvarial bone defect model, the superior angiogenesis and osteogenesis induced by TCP‐FePSe3 scaffold have been observed in vivo. The TCP‐FePSe3 scaffold possesses improved capability to promote the repair of bone defects via vascularized bone regeneration, which is induced by the bioactive ions of Fe, Ca, and P released during the biodegradation of the implanted scaffolds. The TCP‐FePSe3 composite scaffolds fabricated by cryogenic‐3D‐printing illustrate a distinctive strategy to construct multifunctional platform for osteosarcoma treatment.
Can Enzyme‐Resistant Starch Snack Prevent Blood Glucose Fluctuations? A Pilot Trial in Patients with Insulin‐Treated Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Cesur Fatih , Seçkiner Selda , Kucukerdonmez Ozge , Cagindi Ozlem , Saygili Lütfiye Füsun , Meseri Reci
Published: May 2023

This study aims to compare the effect of enzyme‐resistant starch flour (ERSF) and standard wheat flour (SWF) bagels given as a mid‐afternoon snack on blood glucose (BG) levels in patients with insulin‐treated type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). First, bagels containing 15 g of carbohydrates are prepared using ERSF or SWF. Then, the effect of bagels prepared using SWF or ERSF on BG levels is examined through clinical research. A continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) device is placed and then, the patients are given three packages of bagels that are visually similar and are asked to consume the red package (SWF bagel) on the first day and blue packages (ERSF bagels) on the second and third days as a mid‐afternoon snack, without consuming anything else. The increase in BG from ERSF is less than that caused by SWF bagel consumption, and SWF is found to have higher BG averages than ERSF (ERSF: 150 mg dL−1, SWF: 170 mg dL−1). Patients stated that they like the taste and do not feel any discomfort while consuming ERSF bagels. ERSF bagels have higher fiber content and cause more even fluctuations in BG levels than SWF bagels. Food fortification using ERSF foods can be recommended for patients with T2DM.
Proposal and application of structural soundness monitoring system for the buckling‐restrained brace using steel mortar planks
Authors: Fujita Masanori , Awazu Kengo , Nakamura Makoto , Yamasaki Kokoro , Iwata Mamoru
Published: May 2023

A structural soundness monitoring system for building steel structures is effective for a quick inspection just after large earthquakes. A damage‐controlled structure can be monitored effectively because damage is strictly concentrated in energy‐absorbed members, and that, in this case, the physical quantity suitable for monitoring is displacements of those energy absorbed members. Buckling‐restrained braces (also, the BRB using steel mortar planks, BRBSM), one of the energy‐absorption members, can be directly monitored by the monitoring sensor; it will be possible to quickly evaluate the extent of damage and make a prompt decision on the replacement. Focusing on functionality of a structural soundness monitoring system, a damage evaluation method of the BRB using steel mortar planks and its corresponding monitoring system are verified conducting by a cyclic loading test. It is demonstrated that the cumulative plastic strain energy can be estimated approximately using this system, and this system is adapted to a mid‐rise steel building.
On the typification of the Linnaean name Crepis foetida (Asteraceae)
Authors: Iamonico Duilio , Iberite Mauro
Published: May 2023

The Linnaean name Crepis foetida is lectotypified with an illustration from the third volume of Morison's Plantarum historiae universalis Oxoniensis. While the designated lectotype can be identified with C. foetida s.l., it cannot be ascribed with certainty to any of the currently accepted subspecies of this taxon and is therefore considered demonstrably ambiguous.
The Revival of Enantioselective Perfluoroalkylation – Update of New Synthetic Approaches from 2015–2022
Authors: Briand Marina , Anselmi Elsa , Dagousset Guillaume , Magnier Emmanuel
Published: May 2023

Over the last years, methods devoted to the synthesis of asymmetric molecules bearing a perfluoroalkylated chain have been limited in number. Among them, only a few can be used on a large variety of scaffolds. This microreview aims at summarizing these recent advances in enantioselective perfluoroalkylation (−CF3, −CF2H, −CnF2n+1) and highlights the need for new enantioselective methods to easily synthesize chiral fluorinated molecules which would be useful for the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. Some perspectives are also mentioned.
Plane waves in temperature dependent hygrothermoelastic medium under the influence of gravity—Analytical and numerical approach
Authors: Ailawalia Praveen , Sharma Vikas
Published: May 2023

The present research article deals with the study of surface wave propagation in a temperature rate‐dependent hygrothermoelastic medium under the influence of gravity. The coupled wave equations in terms of displacement, temperature, and moisture concentration are solved analytically. The values of propagation phase velocity and attenuation quality factor for different waves have been obtained and depicted graphically against frequency. The effect of the gravity field and the dependence of temperature on the quantities are presented graphically. The coupled and independent wave equations obtained, are solved analytically and numerically to obtain the values of propagation phase velocities. The graphical results of propagation phase velocity and attenuation quality factor are compared for analytical and numerical results.
Variable digestibility of captive northern greater galagos (Otolemur garnettii) fed experimental “frugivorous” and “invertebrate” diets
Authors: Loudon James E. , Smith B. Katherine , Bianchi Sydnie , Howells Michaela E. , Krowka Mead A. , Gomez Andres M. , Davison Samuel , Paine Oliver C. C. , Sponheimer Matt
Published: May 2023

Few studies have addressed the nutritional ecology of galagos. Observations of galagos in the wild reveal that they rely on fruits and invertebrates to varying degrees depending on their availability. We conducted a 6‐week comparative dietary analysis of a colony of captive‐housed northern greater galagos (Otolemur garnettii), which included five females and six males with known life histories. We compared two experimental diets. The first was fruit dominated and the second was invertebrate dominated. For each diet, we examined dietary intake and apparent dry matter digestibility over the course of 6 weeks. We found significant differences between the apparent digestibility of the diets, with the “invertebrate” diet being more digestible than the “frugivorous” diet. The lower apparent digestibility of the “frugivorous” diet was driven by the higher fiber contents of the fruits provided to the colony. However, variation in apparent digestibility of both diets was found among individual galagos. The experimental design used in this study may provide useful dietary data for the management of captive colonies of galagos and other strepsirrhine primates. This study may also be helpful for understanding the nutritional challenges faced by free‐ranging galagos through time and across geographic space.
Losing the forest for the tree? On the wisdom of subpopulation management
Authors: Powell David M.
Published: May 2023

Animal habitats are changing around the world in many ways, presenting challenges to the survival of species. Zoo animal populations are also challenged by small population sizes and limited genetic diversity. Some ex situ populations are managed as subpopulations based on presumed subspecies or geographic locality and related concerns over genetic purity or taxonomic integrity. However, these decisions can accelerate the loss of genetic diversity and increase the likelihood of population extinction. Here I challenge the wisdom of subpopulation management, pointing out significant concerns in the literature with delineation of species, subspecies, and evolutionarily significant units. I also review literature demonstrating the value of gene flow for preserving adaptive potential, the often‐misunderstood role of hybridization in evolution, and the likely overstated concerns about outbreeding depression, and preservation of local adaptations. I argue that the most effective way to manage animal populations for the long term be they in human care, in the wild, or if a captive population is being managed for reintroduction, is to manage for maximum genetic diversity rather than managing subpopulations focusing on taxonomic integrity, genetic purity, or geographic locale because selection in the future, rather than the past, will determine what genotypes and phenotypes are the most fit. Several case studies are presented to challenge the wisdom of subpopulation management and stimulate thinking about the preservation of genomes rather than species, subspecies, or lineages because those units evolved in habitats that are likely very different from those habitats today and in the future.
Children and the Mediated Experiences of the Welfare State: The International Year of the Child (1979) in the Finnish Public Sphere
Authors: Kurvinen Heidi
Published: May 2023

Media systems form an integral part of Nordic welfare states. In this chapter, I contribute to this scholarship by analyzing how children’s experiences of the welfare state were mediated when journalists reported on the International Year of the Child (1979). The case study shows how children’s experiences of the welfare state were embedded in the wider societal discussion. Additionally, they were defined by an adult understanding of what consists of a good childhood. My sources consist of a sample of newspaper articles collected both manually and from the National Library of Finland’s digital interface. Additionally, I use metadata from television and radio programs of the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE). The analysis is based on contextual close reading of the texts.
Rural (In)Justice: Smallholding as Social Policy in a Modernizing Finland, from 1945 to the 1960s
Authors: Erkkilä Ville
Published: May 2023

This chapter opens a perspective on welfare state-building in an agrarian society. Using extracts from lower court records, Ville Erkkilä scrutinizes post-Second World War land reform in Finland, its legal consequences, and the experiences it entailed. The chapter first analyzes the redistribution of land as an interaction between the traditional rural lifestyle based on the ownership of land and Finnish welfare state-building. Second, the chapter focuses on the lower court’s changing self-perception and administration of justice. In matters concerning the newly resettled independent smallholders, the courts not only balanced between judicial tradition and national legal policy in a radically altered environment but also confirmed the principles defining the Finnish countryside for decades to come.
A Biographical Account of the Social Welfare State in Late Colonial Singapore, 1945–1965
Authors: Ho Chi Tim
Published: May 2023

This chapter presents a biographical approach to the foundation of a social welfare system in late colonial Singapore, circa 1945 to 1965, in a historical situation where there was little or no local precedent of a centralized welfare system. By throwing into sharp relief the experiences of rendering and receiving aid, I present an account of how individuals helped lay the foundations of the social welfare system. I show how their actions were a part of a broader colonial policy, which sought to refashion the colonial plural society into a cohesive community with the integral or even leading role of the state. This provides a basis to present Singapore’s history beyond a triumphalist narrative and to compare welfare state developments in colonial and other contexts.
Improving Pre-trained Language Models
Authors: Paaß Gerhard , Giesselbach Sven
Published: May 2023

This chapter describes a number of different approaches to improve the performance of Pre-trained Language Models (PLMs), i.e. variants of BERT, autoregressive language models similar to GPT, and sequence-to-sequence models like Transformers. First we may modify the pre-training tasks to learn as much as possible about the syntax and semantics of language. Then we can extend the length of the input sequence to be able to process longer inputs. Multilingual models are simultaneously trained with text in different languages. Most important is the inclusion of further knowledge into the PLM to produce better predictions. It turns out that by increasing the number of parameters, the size of the training data and the computing effort the performance of the models can always be increased. There are a number of different fine-tuning strategies which allow the model to be adapted to special tasks. In addition, models may be instructed by few-shot prompts to solve specific tasks. This is especially rewarding for larger PLMs, which therefore are called Foundation Models.
Foundation Models for Speech, Images, Videos, and Control
Authors: Paaß Gerhard , Giesselbach Sven
Published: May 2023

Foundation Models are able to model not only tokens of natural language but also token elements of arbitrary sequences. For images, square image patches can be represented as tokens; for videos, we can define tubelets that span an image patch across multiple frames. Subsequently, the proven self-attention algorithms can be applied to these tokens. Most importantly, several modalities like text and images can be processed in the same sequence allowing, for instance, the generation of images from text and text descriptions from video. In addition, the models are scalable to very large networks and huge datasets. The following multimedia types are covered in the subsequent sections. Speech recognition and text-to-speech models describe the translation of spoken language into text and vice versa. Image processing has the task to interpret images, describe them by captions, and generate new images according to textual descriptions. Video interpretation aims at recognizing action in videos and describing them through text. Furthermore, new videos can be created according to a textual description. Dynamical system trajectories characterize sequential decision problems, which can be simulated and controlled. DNA and protein sequences can be analyzed with Foundation Models to predict the structure and properties of the corresponding molecules.
Summary and Outlook
Authors: Paaß Gerhard , Giesselbach Sven
Published: May 2023

Foundation Models emerged as a new paradigm in sequence interpretation that can be used for a large number of tasks to understand our environment. They offer the remarkable property of combining sensory input (sound, images, video) with symbolic interpretation of text and may even include action and DNA sequences. We briefly recap the process of pre-training, fine-tuning or prompting of Foundation Models and summarize their main properties. For the different application areas presented in the book, we summarize the performance levels of the models and delineate different promising economic applications. A section is devoted to discussing the potential harm that can be caused by Foundation Models, including bias, fake news, but also possible economic monopolies and unemployment. There is an urgent need for a legal regulation of the construction and deployment of these models. The last section considers advanced artificial intelligence systems and the shortcomings of current systems. Foundation Models have significantly improved performance in recent years and have the potential to reduce the gap to a truly general AI.
3D Bosons and W1+∞ algebra
Authors: Wang Na , Wu Ke
Published: May 2023

Abstract

In this paper, we consider 3D Young diagrams with at most N layers in z-axis direction, which can be constructed by N 2D Young diagrams on slice z = j, j = 1, 2, · · · , N from the Yang-Baxter equation. Using 2D Bosons {aj,m, m ∈ ℤ} associated to 2D Young diagrams on the slice z = j, we constructed 3D Bosons. Then we show the 3D Boson representation of W1+∞ algebra, and give the method to calculate the Littlewood-Richardson rule for 3-Jack polynomials.
Geometry, conformal Killing-Yano tensors and conserved “currents”
Authors: Lindström Ulf , Sarıoğlu Özgür
Published: May 2023

Abstract

In this paper we discuss the construction of conserved tensors (currents) involving conformal Killing-Yano tensors (CKYTs), generalising the corresponding constructions for Killing-Yano tensors (KYTs). As a useful preparation for this, but also of intrinsic interest, we derive identities relating CKYTs and geometric quantities. The behaviour of CKYTs under conformal transformations is also given, correcting formulae in the literature. We then use the identities derived to construct covariantly conserved “currents”. We find several new CKYT currents and also include a known one by Penrose which shows that “trivial” currents are also useful. We further find that rank-n currents based on rank-n CKYTs k must have a simple form in terms of dk. By construction, these currents are covariant under a general conformal rescaling of the metric. How currents lead to conserved charges is then illustrated using the Kerr-Newman and the C-metric in four dimensions. Separately, we study a rank-1 current, construct its charge and discuss its relation to the recently constructed Cotton current for the Kerr-Newman black hole.
Quantum gravity constraints on scale separation and de Sitter in five dimensions
Authors: Cribiori Niccolò , Montella Carmine
Published: May 2023

Abstract

We give evidence that supersymmetric anti-de Sitter vacua of five-dimensional supergravity cannot be scale separated as a consequence of quantum gravity constraints, such as the weak gravity conjecture or the species scale. We show this in a model-independent way for the minimal and the maximal theory and we believe that the argument can be extended to any amount of preserved supercharges in the between. If combined with previous works stating that non-supersymmetric anti-de Sitter vacua must be unstable, our results suggest that five-dimensional effective field theories in anti-de Sitter belong to the swampland. At the cost of introducing an additional assumption on the gravitino mass, we can extend our analysis to de Sitter vacua as well. However, the few known stable de Sitter vacua of minimal five-dimensional supergravity do not satisfy such an assumption and thus evade our constraints. This suggest that they are on a somehow different footing than their four-dimensional counterparts and therefore deserve further investigation.
Cosmological gravitational particle production of massive spin-2 particles
Authors: Kolb Edward W. , Ling Siyang , Long Andrew J. , Rosen Rachel A.
Published: May 2023

Abstract

The phenomenon of cosmological gravitational particle production (CGPP) is expected to occur during the period of inflation and the transition into a hot big bang cosmology. Particles may be produced even if they only couple directly to gravity, and so CGPP provides a natural explanation for the origin of dark matter. In this work we study the gravitational production of massive spin-2 particles assuming two different couplings to matter. We evaluate the full system of mode equations, including the helicity-0 modes, and by solving them numerically we calculate the spectrum and abundance of massive spin-2 particles that results from inflation on a hilltop potential. We conclude that CGPP might provide a viable mechanism for the generation of massive spin-2 particle dark matter during inflation, and we identify the favorable region of parameter space in terms of the spin-2 particle’s mass and the reheating temperature. As a secondary product of our work, we identify the conditions under which such theories admit ghost or gradient instabilities, and we thereby derive a generalization of the Higuchi bound to Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) spacetimes.
Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerases 16 triggers pathological cardiac hypertrophy via activating IRE1α–sXBP1–GATA4 pathway
Authors: Su Haibi , Xu Jie , Su Zhenghua , Xiao Chenxi , Wang Jinghuan , Zhong Wen , Meng Chen , Yang Di , Zhu Yizhun
Published: May 2023

Background

Pressure overload-induced pathological cardiac hypertrophy is an independent predecessor of heart failure (HF), which remains the leading cause of worldwide mortality. However, current evidence on the molecular determinants of pathological cardiac hypertrophy is still inadequacy. This study aims to elucidate the role and mechanisms of Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerases 16 (PARP16) in the pathogenesis of pathological cardiac hypertrophy.

Methods

Gain and loss of function approaches were used to demonstrate the effects of genetic overexpression or deletion of PARP16 on cardiomyocyte hypertrophic growth in vitro. Ablation of PARP16 by transducing the myocardium with serotype 9 adeno-associated virus (AAV9)-encoding PARP16 shRNA were then subjected to transverse aortic construction (TAC) to investigate the effect of PARP16 on pathological cardiac hypertrophy in vivo. Co-immunoprecipitation (IP) and western blot assay were used to detect the mechanisms of PARP16 in regulating cardiac hypertrophic development.

Results

PARP16 deficiency rescued cardiac dysfunction and ameliorated TAC-induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in vivo, as well as phenylephrine (PE)-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophic responses in vitro. Whereas overexpression of PARP16 exacerbated hypertrophic responses including the augmented cardiomyocyte surface area and upregulation of the fetal gene expressions. Mechanistically, PARP16 interacted with IRE1α and ADP-ribosylated IRE1α and then mediated the hypertrophic responses through activating the IRE1α–sXBP1–GATA4 pathway.

Conclusions

Collectively, our results implicated that PARP16 is a contributor to pathological cardiac hypertrophy at least in part via activating the IRE1α–sXBP1–GATA4 pathway, and may be regarded as a new potential target for exploring effective therapeutic interventions of pathological cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure.
10 Jahre Endoprothesenregister Deutschland (EPRD): was wurde erreicht?
Authors: Grimberg Alexander W. , Steinbrück Arnd
Published: May 2023

Seit 10 Jahren erfasst und verfolgt das Endoprothesenregister Deutschland (EPRD) endoprothetische Eingriffe an Hüft- und Kniegelenk. Trotz der Freiwilligkeit des Registers konnten so bereits mehr als 2 Mio. Operationen in Deutschland erfasst werden. Das EPRD zählt somit als drittgrößtes Register der Welt. Die hochgranulare Klassifikation der EPRD-Produktdatenbank, in der mittlerweile mehr als 70.000 Artikel hinterlegt sind, soll zum internationalen Standard erhoben werden. Die Verknüpfung von Fällen mit spezifischen Implantatdaten sowie Routinedaten der Krankenkassen ermöglicht valide Standzeitanalysen. Auf dieser Basis erhalten Kliniken, Hersteller, aber auch die Fachöffentlichkeit spezifische Ergebnisse, die zur Verbesserung der Qualität in der Endoprothetik beitragen. Zunehmend internationale Wahrnehmung erhält das Register auch durch Publikationen in „peer-reviewed journals“. Ein Antragsverfahren ermöglicht zudem den Zugriff auf EPRD-Daten für „Dritte“. Darüber hinaus hat das EPRD ein Frühwarnsystem etabliert, um Auffälligkeiten zu detektieren. Softwaregestützt meldet das EPRD mögliche Fälle von Implantat-Mismatch an die betreffenden Kliniken. Die EPRD-Erfassung wird im Rahmen eines Probebetriebs im Jahr 2023 um Patientenbefragungen zur Zufriedenheit, sog. PROMs, ergänzt. Auch die Erfassung des Operateurs wird perspektivisch folgen.
Spatially optimised fibre-reinforced composites with isosurface-controlled additive manufacturing constraints
Authors: Luo Yi-Rong , Hewson Robert , Santer Matthew
Published: May 2023

A design approach accounting for manufacturing constraints is described for spatially optimised fibre-reinforced composites. The approach is based on the optimisation of local fibre orientation, the fibre volume fraction and density-based topology optimisation to determine the optimal design. A continuity equation is adopted to constrain the fibre orientation and ensure continuous fibres within the bounds of realistic fibre volume fractions. This results in a fibre orientation with a corresponding and controllable variation of the fibre volume fraction. In order to ensure the continuous fibre can be deposited, the manufacturability of the optimised results is ensured by introducing constraints controlled with two scalar fields to reconstruct fibre paths which are able to provide sufficient information to generate printer toolpaths. A cantilever beam problem is solved to show the advantage of the fibre reinforcement, the inclusion of manufacturing constraints and the penalty in compliance due to the application of the manufacturing constraints. The results show that the presented approach successfully guarantees the manufacturability with minimal loss of performance.
Determination of synthetic hallucinogens in oral fluids by microextraction by packed sorbent and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Lesne Evan , Muñoz-Bartual Miguel , Esteve-Turrillas Francesc A.
Published: May 2023

A fast and simple procedure based on microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS) and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) has been developed for the simultaneous quantification of 28 synthetic hallucinogens in oral fluids, including lysergic acid diethylamide and substances from NBOMe, NBOH, NBF, 2C, and substituted amphetamine categories. Extraction conditions such as type of sorbent, sample pH, number of charge/discharge cycles, and elution volume were studied. Hallucinogenic compounds were extracted from oral fluid samples using C18 MEPS, loading with 100 μL sample (adjusted to pH 7) in 3 cycles, washing with 100 μL deionized water, and eluting with 50 μL methanol in 1 cycle, giving quantitative recoveries and no significant matrix effects. Limits of detection from 0.09 to 1.22 μg L−1; recoveries from 80 to 129% performed in spiked oral fluid samples at 20, 50, and 100 μg L−1; and high precision with relative standard deviations lower than 9% were obtained. The proposed methodology was demonstrated to be appropriate for the simple and sensitive determination of NBOMe derivates and other synthetic hallucinogenic substances in oral fluid samples.

Graphical Abstract
Comparing derivatization reagents for quantitative LC–MS/MS analysis of a variety of vitamin D metabolites
Authors: Alexandridou Anastasia , Schorr Pascal , Volmer Dietrich A.
Published: May 2023

The present study systematically compares the sensitivity and selectivity of the analysis of multiple vitamin D metabolites after chemical derivatization using different reagents for liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Generally, chemical derivatization is applied to vitamin D metabolites to increase the ionization efficiency, which is particularly important for very low abundant metabolites. Derivatization can also improve the selectivity of the LC separation. A wide variety of derivatization reagents has been reported in recent years, but information on their relative performance and applicability to different vitamin D metabolites is, unfortunately, not available in the literature. To fill this gap, we investigated vitamin D3, 3β-25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (3β-25(OH)D3), 3α-25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (3α-25(OH)D3), 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3), and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (24,25(OH)2D3) and compared response factors and selectivity after derivatizing with several important reagents, including four dienophile reagents (4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione (PTAD), 4-[2-(6,7-dimethoxy-4-methyl-3-oxo-3,4-dihydroquinoxalinyl)ethyl]-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione (DMEQ-TAD), Amplifex, 2-nitrosopyridine (PyrNO)) as well as two reagents targeting hydroxyl groups: isonicotinoyl chloride (INC) and 2-fluoro-1-methylpyridinium-p-toluenesulfonate (FMP-TS). In addition, a combination of dienophiles and hydroxyl group reagents was examined. For LC separations, reversed-phase C-18 and mixed-mode pentafluorophenyl HPLC columns using different compositions of the mobile phase were compared. With respect to detection sensitivity, the optimum derivatization reagent for the profiling of multiple metabolites was Amplifex. Nevertheless, FMP-TS, INC, PTAD, or PTAD combined with an acetylation reaction showed very good performance for selected metabolites. These reagent combinations provided signal enhancements on the order of 3- to 295-fold depending on the compound. Chromatographic separation of the dihydroxylated vitamin D3 species was readily achieved using any of the derivatization reactions, while for 25(OH)D3 epimers, only PyrNO, FMP, INC, and PTAD combined with acetylation enabled complete separation. In conclusion, we believe this study can serve as a useful reference for vitamin D laboratories, to help analytical and clinical scientists decide which derivatization reagent to choose for their application.
The “Vestibular Eye Sign”—“VES”: a new radiological sign of vestibular neuronitis can help to determine the affected vestibule and support the diagnosis
Authors: Farhat Raed , Awad Anan Abu , Shaheen Waleed Abu , Alwily Diaa , Avraham Yaniv , Najjar Razi , Merchavy Shlomo , Massoud Saqr
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Nystagmus is a valuable clinical finding. Although nystagmus is often described by the direction of its quick phases, it is the slow phase that reflects the underlying disorder. The aim of our study was to describe a new radiological diagnostic sign called “Vestibular Eye Sign”—VES. This sign is defined as an eye deviation that correlates with the slow phase of nystagmus (vestibule pathological side), which is seen in acute vestibular neuronitis and can be assessed on a CT head scan.

Materials and methods

A total of 1250 patients were diagnosed with vertigo in the Emergency Department at Ziv Medical Center (ED) in Safed, Israel. The data of 315 patients who arrived at the ED between January 2010 and January 2022 were collected, with criteria eligible for the study. Patients were divided into 4 groups: Group A, “pure VN”, Group B, “non-VN aetiology”, Group C, BPPV patients, and Group D, patients who had a diagnosis of vertigo with unknown aetiology. All groups underwent head CT examination while in the ED.

Results

In Group 1, pure vestibular neuritis was diagnosed in 70 (22.2%) patients. Regarding accuracy, VES (Vestibular Eye Sign) was found in 65 patients in group 1 and 8 patients in group 2 and had a sensitivity of 89%, specificity of 75% and a negative predictive value of 99.4% in group 1—pure vestibular neuronitis.

Conclusion

VN is still a clinical diagnosis, but if the patient undergoes head CT, we suggest using the “Vestibular Eye Sign” as a complementary sign. As per our findings, this is a valuable sign on CT imaging for diagnosing the pathological side of isolated pure VN. It is sensitive to support a diagnosis with a high negative predictive value.
Counting Hamilton Cycles in Dirac Hypergraphs
Authors: Ferber Asaf , Hardiman Liam , Mond Adva
Published: May 2023

For $$0\le \ell <k$$

0
≤
ℓ
<
k

, a Hamilton $$\ell $$
ℓ
-cycle in a k-uniform hypergraph H is a cyclic ordering of the vertices of H in which the edges are segments of length k and every two consecutive edges overlap in exactly $$\ell $$
ℓ
vertices. We show that for all $$0\le \ell <k-1$$

0
≤
ℓ
<
k
-
1

, every k-graph with minimum co-degree $$\delta n$$

δ
n

with $$\delta >1/2$$

δ
>
1
/
2

has (asymptotically and up to a subexponential factor) at least as many Hamilton $$\ell $$
ℓ
-cycles as a typical random k-graph with edge-probability $$\delta $$
δ
. This significantly improves a recent result of Glock, Gould, Joos, Kühn and Osthus, and verifies a conjecture of Ferber, Krivelevich and Sudakov for all values $$0\le \ell <k-1$$

0
≤
ℓ
<
k
-
1

.
A novel initialisation based on hospital-resident assignment for the $$k$$-modes algorithm
Authors: Gillard Jonathan , Knight Vincent , Wilde Henry
Published: May 2023

This paper presents a new way of selecting an initialisation for the $$k$$
k
-modes algorithm that allows for a notion of game theoretic fairness that classic initialisations, namely those by Huang and Cao, do not. Our new method utilises the hospital-resident assignment problem to find the set of initial cluster centroids which we compare with two classical initialisation methods for $$k$$
k
-modes: the original presented by Huang and the next most popular method of Cao and co-authors. To highlight the merits of our proposed method, two stages of analysis are presented. It is demonstrated that the proposed method is often able to offer computational speed-up of the order of $$50\%$$

50
%

. Improved clustering, in terms of a commonly used cost-function, was witnessed in several cases and can be of the order of $$10\%$$

10
%

, particularly for more complex datasets.
Ausgepreist: Zur Bedeutung von Proberäumen in der musikalischen Produktion und deren strukturellen Verknappung in Städten
Authors: Merkel Janet
Published: May 2023

Proberäume als Räume der Musikwirtschaft erhalten bislang nur wenig Aufmerksamkeit, ob in der wirtschaftsgeografischen Forschung oder in infrastrukturellen Maßnahmen zur Unterstützung kultureller Produktion in Städten. Dabei erleben viele Städte eine strukturelle Verknappung von künstlerischen Arbeits- und Probenräumen durch Nutzungskonkurrenzen mit dem intensivierten Wohnungs- und Büroneubau in gegenwärtigen Stadtentwicklungsprozessen. Insbesondere die preiswerten lärmintensiven Nischen in ehemaligen Industrie- und Gewerbebauten verschwinden zunehmend. Der Artikel diskutiert Proberäume als kritische Infrastrukturen musikalischer Produktion und identifiziert verschiedene Aspekte für eine infrastrukturelle Förderung in den Städten. Der Grundlage des Artikels sind eine Literaturauswertung sowie sekundäranalytische Auswertungen aktueller Umfragen und Erhebungen zu Proberaumbedarfen unter Berliner Musikschaffenden von 2014 und 2021 durch die Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und Europa und das Musicboard sowie verschiedene Planungen und Beteiligungsverfahren zu künstlerischen Arbeitsräumen in Berlin. Dabei wird deutlich, dass die Verfügbarkeit, Bezahlbarkeit und die Angemessenheit von Proberäumen für Musikschaffende zu den zentralen Herausforderungen zählen und Städte bislang kaum Antworten auf die wachsende Raumkrise für künstlerische Arbeits- und Probenräume entwickelt haben.
Through eagle eyes—the potential of satellite-derived LAI time series to estimate masting events and tree-ring width of European beech
Authors: Stolz Juliane , Forkel Matthias , van der Maaten Ernst , Martin Jan , van der Maaten-Theunissen Marieke
Published: May 2023

Masting is a well-known phenomenon in forest science in which trees recurrently produce exceptional high seed amounts throughout their lifespan. Occurring simultaneously across wide regions, masting may impact carbon sequestration and carbon cycling of forest ecosystems. To identify masting-induced changes in tree canopies, remote sensing methods may offer a suitable tool, though so far only few studies have used RS methods to investigate the relationship between masting and tree-ring width (TRW). Therefore, we employed a regional network of 19 European beech sites along a precipitation gradient in north-eastern Germany, providing time series of TRW (1961–2017) and categorical masting data (1992–2020). Combined with leaf area index (LAI) from the medium-resolution satellite sensors SPOT-VGT/PROBA-V and MODIS, we assessed the relationship between all three parameters by correlation analysis. Furthermore, we identified common climatic drivers and spatial masting patterns along gradients of water availability. We found negative relationships for both TRW and LAI with masting and a positive correlation for TRW with LAI for SPOT-VGT/PROBA-V data. Contrary, MODIS LAI provided no significant relationships. Water availability did not impact masting occurrence or intensity. The climate correlations showed that masting and TRW are commonly driven by summer climate in June and July, while we found no correlations between climate and LAI. We conclude that medium-resolved SPOT-VGT/PROBA-V LAI is suitable to observe masting but not to estimate TRW. Nonetheless, the results should be thoroughly interpreted in the context of uncertainties of RS measurements and complex interactions of different environmental drivers.