bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SIRT3 affects mitochondrial metabolic reprogramming via the AMPK–PGC‐1α axis in the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia
Authors: Li Yongzhi , Wang Qian , Li Jingyu , Shi Benkang , Liu Yili , Wang Ping
Published: August 2021

Background

Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) has been reported to share an association with mitochondrial metabolic reprogramming. However, the molecular mechanism underlying is not well understood, especially in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to research whether SIRT3 can affect the progression of BPH via the regulation of mitochondrial metabolic reprogramming.

Methods

Following the development of a rat model of BPH using testosterone propionate (TP), we extracted prostate tissues from sham‐operated and BPH rats. Subsequently, bioinformatics prediction was used to screen the genes differentially expressed in BPH. To verify the role played by SIRT3 in BPH, we injected AAV9‐SIRT3 into rats, followed by TP treatment. Prostate epithelial cells (PEC) were treated with TP to assess the mitochondrial morphology, mitochondrial membrane potential, and expression of enzymes related to the oxidative phosphorylation pathway after SIRT3 expression alteration. Finally, we examined the expression of AMPK–PGC‐1α pathway in tissues and cells.

Results

SIRT3 was reduced in the prostate tissues of BPH rats. After overexpression of SIRT3, mitochondrial morphology was more stable in prostate tissues of BPH rats and in TP‐treated PEC, with significant increases in mitochondrial membrane potential and in the expression of oxidative phosphorylation‐related enzymes in the cytoplasm. Moreover, SIRT3 significantly activated the AMPK–PGC‐1α signaling pathway, which maintained the stability of mitochondrial membrane potential as well as mitochondrial structure, thus alleviating the symptoms of BPH.

Conclusion

SIRT3 maintained the stability of mitochondrial membrane potential as well as mitochondrial structure by activating the AMPK–PGC‐1α pathway, thereby alleviating the symptoms of BPH.
Damage‐Free Depth Profiling of Electronic Structures in Multilayered Organic Semiconductors by Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Cluster Ion Beam
Authors: Hu Juntao , Wang Dengke , Li Peicheng , Chen Nan , Zhang Tao , Wu Yan , Wu Di , Zhao Yongbiao , Zhu Qiang , Fu Zewei , Lu Zheng-Hong
Published: August 2021

The chemical and electronic properties of multilayers are known to dictate the performance of organic semiconductor devices. Gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) is developed for removing layer‐by‐layer molecular materials from surfaces. It is, however, not clear whether GCIB sputter can leave a damage‐free surface so that the true chemical and electronic properties can be measured. Herein, X‐ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS and UPS) are used to probe the chemical and electronic structures of organic semiconductors bombarded by GCIB. It is found that the highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMOs) measured by UPS are very sensitive to ion‐beam bombardment, whereas the XPS‐measured core levels show little change. It is, therefore, essential to use UPS for determining whether the chemical and electronic properties are damaged. Of all combinations of cluster size and beam energy, it is found that 4 keV 2000 argon ion cluster can produce a fresh damage‐free organic surface. Applying this optimal beam to sputter stacked films comprising tris(8‐hydroxy‐quinoline) aluminum (Alq3)/N,N′‐bis‐(1‐naphthyl)‐N,N′‐diphenyl‐1,1′‐biphenyl‐4,4′‐diamine (NPB)/Alq3, it is shown that the chemical and electronic structures of the buried interfaces can be measured. This work demonstrates that photoelectron spectroscopies combined with GCIB can be used to construct chemical and electronic structures of multilayers in organic devices.
An intelligent course keeping active disturbance rejection controller based on double deep Q‐network for towing system of unpowered cylindrical drilling platform
Authors: Zheng Yuemin , Tao Jin , Sun Qinglin , Sun Hao , Sun Mingwei , Chen Zengqiang
Published: August 2021

Towing is a widely used mode of transportation in offshore engineering, and towing of unpowered platforms is of particular significance. However, the addition of unpowered facilities has increased the difficulty of ship maneuvering. Moreover, the marine environment is complex and changeable, and sudden winds or waves can have unpredictable effects on the towing process. Therefore, it is of great significance to overcome the influence of the harsh marine environment while navigating the towing system following a planned course to a target sea area. To tackle the time‐varying disturbances, a course control method for a towing system of unpowered cylindrical drilling platform is designed based on double deep Q‐network (DQN) optimized linear active disturbance rejection control (LADRC). To be specific, to tackle the difficulty of LADRC tuning, double DQN is applied to select the best parameters of the LADRC at any time according to the states of the system, without relying on the specific information of the model and the controller. The course control performance of the towing system is evaluated in a simulation environment under various disturbances. Moreover, the Monte Carlo experiment is used to test the robustness of the controller when the ship's mass changes and the robustness of the proposed method is verified by testing with various heading angles. The results show that the LADRC with adaptive parameters optimized by double DQN performs well under external interference and inherent uncertainty, and compared with the traditional LADRC, the proposed method has better course control effects.
Longest and shortest cycles in random planar graphs
Authors: Kang Mihyun , Missethan Michael
Published: August 2021

Let be a graph chosen uniformly at random from the class of all planar graphs on vertex set with edges. We study the cycle and block structure of when . More precisely, we determine the asymptotic order of the length of the longest and shortest cycle in in the critical range when . In addition, we describe the block structure of in the weakly supercritical regime when .
Identifying the psychological processes used by male and female students when learning about science technology engineering and mathematics: A linguistic inquiry
Authors: Hall Sophie S. , Puttick Steve , Maltby John
Published: August 2021

Learning in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is challenging, leaving many students to give up on these subjects. Specifically, females are underrepresented in STEM industries. Identifying how male and female students deal with STEM learning challenges, and how this relates to learning outcomes, may inform teaching that best supports the preferences of individual students. This study asked secondary school students, who had just completed a STEM lesson that they reported as finding difficult (n = 3758; male = 51.2%), to write narratives about how they dealt with the lesson. Narratives were analyzed using a linguistic text analysis program to identify core psychological processes contained within the narratives from lessons in science n = 1305 (males = 46.3%), technology n = 589 (males = 63.7%), engineering n = 202 (males = 57.9%), and mathematics n = 1662 (males = 49.9%). Students were also asked to score how well they think they did in the difficult lesson (learning outcome). Pearson's correlations between students' use of core psychological processes and their perceptions of lesson success were computed separately for males and females. Common strategies emerged across the STEM subjects: for female students, positive learning outcomes were associated with positive emotions, social processes, rewards, and strategic thinking. For male students, positive learning outcomes were associated with motivation around the risk of failing, rationalizing the problem, and strategic thinking. Negative emotion was associated with a negative learning outcome for both broadly defined genders, but this was more evident across the subjects for females. We specify our understanding of this strategy by reporting data separately for the STEM subjects and the implications for STEM pedagogy.
Tribological performance of N‐containing heterocyclic triazine derivative as lubricant additive in ethylene glycol
Authors: Chen Qi , Zhang Renhui , He Zhongyi , Xiong Liping
Published: August 2021

N‐containing heterocyclic compound (NCHC) was a common used green lubricant addictive due to their extreme pressure, antiwear and friction–reduction performance, and high thermal stability, and ethylene glycol (EG) as lubricant exhibited superior tribological performance, combining of NCHCs, which was a suitable candidate for further improving the tribosystems' tribological properties. Thus, in this work, the synergistic effect between EG and 2,4,6‐Tris(2‐pyridinyl)‐s‐triazine (TPT) on the tribological performance was explored coupling of the applied loads and rotational speed. The tribological tests showed that TPT played an important role in improving the tribological properties as sliding in TPT@EG; the formation of the tribofilms induced by tribochemical reaction was in charge of enhancing the tribosystem's lubrication performance sliding in TPT@EG.
Functional Alkyl‐Ferrocene Grafted Hydroxyl Terminated Polybutadiene
Authors: kumar Sikder Bikash , Naidu Ganivada Mutyala , Jana Tushar
Published: August 2021

Grafting of functional ferrocene molecules in the backbone of hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) without altering physical characteristics such as viscosity, hydroxyl value, molecular weight of the pristine HTPB remains as an important challenge owing to the difficulty in synthesizing appropriate functional ferrocene molecules and the suitable grafting methodology. The present report describes a facile and cost‐effective process for the synthesis of thiol, silyl and halogen derivatives of alkyl‐ferrocene. This process delineates the use of cyclic anhydrides as precursor for functionalizing ferrocene with terminal carboxylic acid in order to purify via acid‐base workup. The synthetic process includes moderate reaction conditions with good to excellent yields. The ferrocene‐alkyl‐silane and ferrocene‐alkyl‐thiol are grafted covalently to the pendent vinylic groups of HTPB with unaltered physical characteristic in order to prepare polymeric binders with enhanced burn rate for the use in composite solid propellant for aerospace applications.
Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Related to Nanochannel Materials
Authors: Pan Jing , Yu Shanwu , Jing Zhangwei , Zhou Qitao , Dong Yifan , Lou Xiaoding , Xia Fan
Published: August 2021

Due to the high efficiency and clean process, electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is emerging as the most promising way for hydrogen (H2) production, where the bottleneck is the relatively low catalytic activity for nonprecious electrocatalysts/electrodes. Currently, porous materials with channel structures show great potential toward outstanding HER performance. Herein, existing HER electrocatalysts/electrodes with 1D, 2D, and 3D channels are introduced. Recent advances as well as challenges for HER electrocatalysts/electrodes are presented first. Then, different configuration types comprising electrocatalysts confined in inactive host porous materials, electrocatalysts directly working as host materials, and electrocatalysts confined in active host porous materials are illustrated for 1D, 2D, and 3D, respectively. Finally, the perspective for porous electrocatalysts/electrodes is discussed for future innovations of HER application.
Response Surface Optimization of Ultrasound‐Assisted Extraction of Sago Starch from Sago Pith Waste
Authors: Mohamed Noor Mohamed Hizam , Ngadi Norzita , Suhaidi Amira Nadzirah , Mohammed Inuwa Ibrahim , Anako Opotu Lawal
Published: August 2021

This present study employs ultrasound‐assisted extraction (UAE) to optimize the yield of sago starch (SG) from sago pith waste (SPW) fiber. Slurry concentration, sonication time and sonication temperature are optimized adopting a Box‐Behnken design for the maximum extraction yield as main response. The analysis of variance based on 17 runs of experiments reveals that the slurry concentration and sonication temperature has a significant influence, while the sonication time shows no statistically effect on the response. The optimal UAE conditions of SG are obtained at slurry concentration of 14.43 wt%, sonication time of 10 min and sonication temperature of 38.3 °C. At these optimized conditions, 78.68% of extraction yield is obtained. Short‐range ordered structure shows that ultrasound influences the degree of order and amylose to amylopectin content of SG. The numerous scratches and fissures on the surface of SG granules are caused by the shear forces generated by the collapsing bubbles during cavitation. The thermal properties of SPW and SG show an average weight loss of more than 90% when a temperature beyond 300 °C is applied. The high onset temperature and reduction on gelatinization enthalpy and final temperature of SG indicate that ultrasonic irradiation highly influences the thermal characteristics of the extracted SG.
Reference ranges for fetal brain structures using magnetic resonance imaging: systematic review
Authors: Di Mascio D. , Khalil A. , Rizzo G. , Kasprian G. , Caulo M. , Manganaro L. , Odibo A. O. , Flacco M. E. , Giancotti A. , Buca D. , Liberati M. , Timor‐Tritsch I. E. , D'Antonio F.
Published: August 2021

Objective

To evaluate the methodology of studies reporting reference ranges for fetal brain structures on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods

MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and the Web of Science databases were searched electronically up to 31 December 2020 to identify studies investigating biometry and growth of the fetal brain and reporting reference ranges for brain structures using MRI. The primary aim was to evaluate the methodology of these studies. A list of 26 quality criteria divided into three domains, including ‘study design’, ‘statistical and reporting methods’ and ‘specific aspects relevant to MRI’, was developed and applied to evaluate the methodological appropriateness of each of the included studies. The overall quality score of a study, ranging between 0 and 26, was defined as the sum of scores awarded for each quality criterion and expressed as a percentage (the lower the percentage, the higher the risk of bias).

Results

Fifteen studies were included in this systematic review. The overall mean quality score of the studies evaluated was 48.7%. When focusing on each domain, the mean quality score was 42.0% for ‘study design’, 59.4% for ‘statistical and reporting methods’ and 33.3% for ‘specific aspects relevant to MRI’. For the ‘study design’ domain, sample size calculation and consecutive enrolment of women were the items found to be at the highest risk of bias. For the ‘statistical and reporting methods’ domain, the presence of regression equations for mean and SD for each measurement, the number of measurements taken for each variable and the presence of postnatal assessment information were the items found to be at the highest risk of bias. For the ‘specific aspects relevant to MRI’ domain, whole fetal brain assessment was not performed in any of the included studies and was therefore considered to be the item at the highest risk of bias.

Conclusions

Most of the previously published studies reporting fetal brain reference ranges on MRI are highly heterogeneous and have low‐to‐moderate quality in terms of methodology, which is similar to the findings reported for ultrasound studies. © 2021 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Relationship between chromatin configuration and in vitro maturation ability in guinea pig oocytes
Authors: Yao Min‐Hua , Cheng Wan‐Jing , Liu Li‐Wei , Zheng Hui , Gu Wan‐Ying , Miao Fang , Zhang Jing‐Fang , Wang Li , Su Yan‐Ping , Liu Ya‐Ling , Sui Hong‐Shu
Published: August 2021

Background

Germinal vesicle (GV) chromatin configurations of oocytes are proposed to be related to oocyte competence and may reflect the quality of oocyte. Currently, a limited number of published studies investigated the GV chromatin configurations of guinea pig oocytes.

Objective

In this study on the in vitro maturation (IVM) of guinea pig oocytes, we examined the changes in their GV chromatin configurations during meiotic progression.

Methods

Based on the degree of chromatin compaction, the GV chromatin configurations of guinea pig oocytes could be divided into three categories depending on whether the nucleolus‐like body (NLB) was surrounded or partly surrounded by compacted chromatin, namely the uncondensed (NSN), the intermediate type (SN‐1) and the compacted type (SN‐2).

Results

The percentage of cells displaying the SN‐2 configuration increased with the growth of guinea pig oocytes, suggesting that this configuration presents the potential for maturation in oocytes. Oocytes derived from larger follicle exhibited increased meiotic potential. Serum starvation affected the GV chromatin configurations of guinea pig oocytes.

Conclusions

Collectively, these results suggest that the SN‐2 type might be a more mature form of configuration in guinea pig oocyte, whose proportion was associated with the follicle size and susceptible to the environment (e.g. serum concentration).
A meta‐analysis of the effects of synchronization protocols applied to sheep in Turkey on pregnancy rates during breeding and non‐breeding seasons
Authors: Arikan Mehmet Saltuk , Mat Burak , Alkan Hasan , Çevrimli Mustafa Bahadır , Akin Ahmet Cumhur , Şahin Tuğba Sarıhan , Tekindal Mustafa Agah
Published: August 2021

This study aimed to determine common pregnancy rates and effect sizes with meta‐analysis of studies investigating the effect of different synchronization protocols applied to sheep during breeding and non‐breeding seasons on pregnancy rates. Common pregnancy rates were estimated by coalescing pregnancy rates of studies performed independently, and heterogeneity between the studies was investigated. The meta‐analysis included 24 studies that determined pregnancy rates in 78 different groups consisting of 1934 sheep with five different synchronization protocols in Turkey between 2001 and 2020. Among the different synchronization methods, the P4+PMSG group (90.37%) during the breeding season and P4+PGF2α (69.77%) and P4 (68.75%) groups during the non‐breeding season showed the highest pregnancy rate. Also, the effect size of P4+PMSG application during the breeding season was calculated as 0.934 (95% confidence interval: 0.901–0.967), and the effect size of P4+PGF2α application during the non‐breeding season was calculated as 0.709 (95% confidence interval: 0.406–1.013). To conclude, the combination of P4+PMSG during the breeding season and progestogen and other hormone applications during the non‐breeding season are the most effective methods for estrus synchronization and for achieving the desired pregnancy rates.
Correction to: Probability in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Authors: Walrand Jean
Published: August 2021

The author of this book used Python materials and would like to acknowledge the source. The below mentioned text has been added to the copyright page of the updated version.
Entanglement wedge cross section in holographic excited states
Authors: Sahraei Mohammad , Vasli Mohammad Javad , Mohammadi Mozaffar M. Reza , Velni Komeil Babaei
Published: August 2021

Abstract

We evaluate the entanglement wedge cross section (EWCS) in asymptotically AdS geometries which are dual to boundary excited states. We carry out a perturbative analysis for calculating EWCS between the vacuum and other states for a symmetric configuration consisting of two disjoint strips and obtain analytical results in the specific regimes of the parameter space. In particular, when the states described by purely gravitational excitations in the bulk we find that the leading correction to EWCS is negative and hence the correlation between the boundary subregions decreases. We also study other types of excitations upon adding the extra matter fields including current and scalar condensate. Our study reveals some generic properties of boundary information measures dual to EWCS, e.g., entanglement of purification, logarithmic negativity and reflected entropy. Finally, we discuss how these results are consistent with the behavior of other correlation measures including the holographic mutual information.
Topological terms of (2+1)d flag-manifold sigma models
Authors: Kobayashi Ryohei , Lee Yasunori , Shiozaki Ken , Tanizaki Yuya
Published: August 2021

Abstract

We examine topological terms of (2 + 1)d sigma models and their consequences in the light of classifications of invertible quantum field theories utilizing bordism groups. In particular, we study the possible topological terms for the U(N)/U(1)N flag-manifold sigma model in detail. We argue that the Hopf-like term is absent, contrary to the expectation from a nontrivial homotopy group π3(U(N)/U(1)N) = ℤ, and thus skyrmions cannot become anyons with arbitrary statistics. Instead, we find that there exist $$ \frac{N\left(N-1\right)}{2}-1 $$

N

N
−
1

2

−
1
types of Chern-Simons terms, some of which can turn skyrmions into fermions, and we write down explicit forms of effective Lagrangians.
LEvEL: Low-Energy Neutrino Experiment at the LHC
Authors: Kelly Kevin J. , Machado Pedro A. N. , Marchionni Alberto , Perez-Gonzalez Yuber F.
Published: August 2021

Abstract

We propose the operation of LEvEL, the Low-Energy Neutrino Experiment at the LHC, a neutrino detector near the Large Hadron Collider Beam Dump. Such a detector is capable of exploring an intense, low-energy neutrino flux and can measure neutrino cross sections that have previously never been observed. These cross sections can inform other future neutrino experiments, such as those aiming to observe neutrinos from supernovae, allowing such measurements to accomplish their fundamental physics goals. We perform detailed simulations to determine neutrino production at the LHC beam dump, as well as neutron and muon backgrounds. Measurements at a few to ten percent precision of neutrino-argon charged current and neutrino-nucleus coherent scattering cross sections are attainable with 100 ton-year and 1 ton-year exposures at LEvEL, respectively, concurrent with the operation of the High Luminosity LHC. We also estimate signal and backgrounds for an experiment exploiting the forward direction of the LHC beam dump, which could measure neutrinos above 100 GeV.
Momentum space parity-odd CFT 3-point functions
Authors: Jain Sachin , John Renjan Rajan , Mehta Abhishek , Nizami Amin A. , Suresh Adithya
Published: August 2021

Abstract

We study the parity-odd sector of 3-point functions comprising scalar operators and conserved currents in conformal field theories in momentum space. We use momentum space conformal Ward identities as well as spin-raising and weight-shifting operators to fix the form of some of these correlators. Wherever divergences appear we discuss their regularisation and renormalisation using appropriate counter-terms.
Coupled topology and shape optimization using an embedding domain discretization method
Authors: Stankiewicz Gabriel , Dev Chaitanya , Steinmann Paul
Published: August 2021

Density-based topology optimization and node-based shape optimization are often used sequentially to generate production-ready designs. In this work, we address the challenge to couple density-based topology optimization and node-based shape optimization into a single optimization problem by using an embedding domain discretization technique. In our approach, a variable shape is explicitly represented by the boundary of an embedded body. Furthermore, the embedding domain in form of a structured mesh allows us to introduce a variable, pseudo-density field. In this way, we attempt to bring the advantages of both topology and shape optimization methods together and to provide an efficient way to design fine-tuned structures without predefined topological features.
Colpocleisis as an obliterative surgery for pelvic organ prolapse: is it still a viable option in the twenty-first century? Narrative review
Authors: Grzybowska Magdalena Emilia , Futyma Konrad , Kusiak Aida , Wydra Dariusz Grzegorz
Published: August 2021

Introduction and hypothesis

The aims were to review the literature from the last two decades and analyze treatment efficacy and findings of the studies on colpocleisis.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted within the MEDLINE/PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov databases, using the following keywords: pelvic organ prolapse (POP), colpocleisis, obliterative, and LeFort. All English full-text prospective and retrospective observational and interventional studies were included. Anatomical and subjective success, surgical techniques, concomitant procedures, complication rates, anesthesia methods, and decision regret were analyzed.

Results

A total of 237 papers were identified and 49 met the inclusion criteria. Mean patient age was 69.0 ± 8.0 to 84 ± 3.1. Over 90.2% of patients undergoing colpocleisis were diagnosed with POP stage ≥ 3. The follow-up ranged from 30 days to a median of 5 years. Anatomical success, defined as POP-Q stage ≤ 1 and no prolapse beyond the hymen, was achieved in 62.5 to 100% and 87.5 to 100% of all patients respectively. Subjective success ranged from 88% to 100%. Regret over the loss of coital ability ranged from 0% in many studies to 12.9%, general decision regret from 0% to 13.8%. After concomitant midurethral sling surgery, 86.8% to 94% of all patients were continent, with a 0–14% sling revision rate due to urinary retention. Urinary tract infection was the most common postoperative complication (4.3 to 9% confirmed with urine culture, 34.7% based on symptom definition). Bowel (0 to 2.7%) and urinary tract (0 to 9.1%) injuries were the consequences of concomitant procedures. The mortality rates were up to 1.3%.

Conclusions

Colpocleisis is a heterogeneous procedure, characterized by high subjective and objective success, low coital ability regret, and a low risk of complications.
Laparoscopic pectopexy: the learning curve and comparison with laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy
Authors: Chuang Fei Chi , Chou Yu Min , Wu Ling Ying , Yang Tsai Hwa , Chen Wen Hsin , Huang Kuan Hui
Published: August 2021

Introduction and hypothesis

In addition to laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy (LS), laparoscopic pectopexy (LP) is a novel surgical method for correcting apical prolapse. The descended cervix or vaginal vault is suspended with a synthetic mesh by fixing the bilateral mesh ends to the pectineal ligaments. This study was aimed at developing a learning curve for LP and to compare it with results with LS.

Methods

We started laparoscopic/robotic pectopexy in our department in August 2019. This retrospective study included the initial 18 consecutive women with apical prolapse receiving LP and another group undergoing LS (21 cases) performed by the same surgeon. The medical and video records were reviewed.

Results

The age was older in the LP group than in the LS group (65.2 vs 53.1 years). The operation time of LP group was significantly shorter than that of the LS group (182.9 ± 27.2 vs 256.2 ± 45.5 min, p < 0.001). The turning point of the LP learning curve was observed at the 12th case. No major complications such as bladder, ureteral, bowel injury or uncontrolled bleeding occurred in either group. Postoperative low back pain and defecation symptoms occurred exclusively in the LS group. During the follow-up period (mean 7.2 months in LP, 16.2 months in LS), none of the cases had recurrent apical prolapse.

Conclusions

Laparoscopic pectopexy is a feasible surgical method for apical prolapse, with a shorter operation time and less postoperative discomfort than LS. LP may overcome the steep learning curve of LS because the surgical field of LP is limited to the anterior pelvis and avoids encountering the critical organs.
Parent–offspring conflict and transition to crèche phase in Chinstrap Penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica)
Authors: Morandini Virginia , Viñuela Javier , Belliure Josabel , Ferrer Miguel
Published: August 2021

Parent–offspring conflict theory predicts that offspring seek to prolong the parental care period, while parents strive to shorten it as much as possible. Transition to the crèche phase in penguins involves changes in the dynamic of parental investment in chicks, and thus may be modulated by interests that benefit parent or offspring. We explored parent–offspring interactions in the Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) to understand the influence such interactions would have on transition to crèche phase. We studied the effect of hatching date, nestling age, brood size, and nest location on parent–offspring interactions and the length of the guard phase. All behavioral variables related to nestling demands for parental investment increased as well as parental aggression towards their chicks, with increased nestling age. Brood size showed significant effects on both nestling and parental behavior. Hatching date was negatively correlated with the age at crèche. Consequently, the decision to leave the chicks unguarded seemed to be more based on the condition of adults rather than of the chicks. Given the short time available for breeding in Antarctica and that penguins are long-lived birds with several opportunities to breed, there may be conflicting selective factors between investment in feeding chicks versus extending the period of resource acquisition and storage prior to moult.
The slip velocity of nearly neutrally buoyant tracers for large-scale PIV
Authors: Faleiros David Engler , Tuinstra Marthijn , Sciacchitano Andrea , Scarano Fulvio
Published: August 2021

The behaviour of nearly neutrally buoyant tracers is studied by means of experiments with helium-filled soap bubbles and numerical simulations. The current models used for estimating the slip velocity of heavy micro particles and neutrally buoyant particles are reviewed and extended to include the effect of unsteady forces and particle Reynolds number. The particle motion is analysed via numerical simulations of a rectilinear oscillatory flow and in the flow around an airfoil within a particle flow parameter space that is typical of large-scale PIV experiments. An empirical relation is obtained that estimates the particle slip velocity, depending on the particle-to-fluid density ratio, the particle Reynolds number and frequency of the local flow fluctuations. The model developed is applied to assess the slip velocity of helium-filled soap bubbles in a large-scale experiment conducted at the German–Dutch wind (DNW) tunnels in the flow around an airfoil, with chord Reynolds numbers up to three millions. Furthermore, a procedure is proposed that can be used to retrieve the bubbles mean density and dispersion from measurements of mean velocity and fluctuations, respectively.

Graphic abstract
Density assessment and reporting for Phlebotomus perniciosus and other sand fly species in periurban residential estates in Spain
Authors: Muñoz C. , Risueño J. , Pérez-Cutillas P. , Bernal L. J. , Ortiz J. M. , Ruiz de Ybáñez R. , Sánchez-López P. F. , Martínez-Carrasco C. , Del Río L. , De la Rúa P. , García-Martínez J. D. , Gonzálvez M. , Murcia L. , Collantes F. , Goyena E. , Spitzova T. , Elshanat S. , Berriatua E.
Published: August 2021

Green periurban residential areas in Mediterranean countries have flourished in the last decades and become foci for leishmaniasis. To remedy the absence of information on vector ecology in these environments, we examined phlebotomine sand fly distribution in 29 sites in Murcia City over a 3-year period, including the plots of 20 detached houses and nine non-urbanized sites nearby. We collected 5,066 specimens from five species using “sticky” interception and light attraction traps. The relative frequency of the mainLeishmania infantumvectorPhlebotomus perniciosusin these traps was 32% and 63%, respectively. Sand fly density was widely variable spatially and temporally and greatest in non-urbanized sites, particularly in caves and abandoned buildings close to domestic animal holdings.Phlebotomus perniciosusdensity in house plots was positively correlated with those in non-urbanized sites, greatest in larger properties with extensive vegetation and non-permanently lived, but not associated to dog presence or a history of canine leishmaniasis. Within house plots, sand fly density was highest in traps closest to walls. Furthermore, the study provides a guideline for insect density assessment and reporting and is envisioned as a building block towards the development of a pan-European database for robust investigation of environmental determinants of sand fly distribution.
Native and alien species suffer from late arrival, while negative effects of multiple alien species on natives vary
Authors: Ferenc Viktoria , Merkert Christian , Zilles Frederik , Sheppard Christine S.
Published: August 2021

Ongoing globalisation and climate change are causing plant species to invade new habitats and thereby alter biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Since numbers of plant invasions continue to increase globally, it is crucial to investigate the effects of multiple co-occurring alien species on native communities. Furthermore, priority effects due to the earlier emergence of certain species affecting fitness of later arriving species can shape community structure and affect native species performance. We investigate in a common garden pot experiment the interactions among five alien-native species pairs. First we focus on the effect of growing with either one or two alien neighbour species on a native plant, second we alter the arrival time of the alien or native neighbour by 3 weeks. Generally, native species performance decreased when surrounded by two alien species compared to only one, although the magnitude of this effect varied depending on species, with one species even performing better with alien neighbours than in monoculture. Species performance greatly decreased when arriving second in the pot, for both native and alien species. In contrast, alien species tended to benefit more from arriving early. Given that we studied annual ruderal species, their potentially lower competitive ability might explain why we detected negative effects of late arrival. We highlight the need to further elucidate underlying mechanisms of small-scale invasion dynamics to achieve generalisations concerning the response of multiple alien and native plants given their species-specific differences in response to neighbour species and arrival time.
Online Makespan Scheduling with Job Migration on Uniform Machines
Authors: Englert Matthias , Mezlaf David , Westermann Matthias
Published: August 2021

In the classic minimum makespan scheduling problem, we are given an input sequence of n jobs with sizes. A scheduling algorithm has to assign the jobs to m parallel machines. The objective is to minimize the makespan, which is the time it takes until all jobs are processed. In this paper, we consider online scheduling algorithms without preemption. However, we allow the online algorithm to change the assignment of up to k jobs at the end for some limited number k. For m identical machines, Albers and Hellwig (Algorithmica 79(2):598–623, 2017) give tight bounds on the competitive ratio in this model. The precise ratio depends on, and increases with, m. It lies between 4/3 and $$\approx 1.4659$$

≈
1.4659

. They show that $$k = O(m)$$

k
=
O
(
m
)

is sufficient to achieve this bound and no $$k = o(n)$$

k
=
o
(
n
)

can result in a better bound. We study m uniform machines, i.e., machines with different speeds, and show that this setting is strictly harder. For sufficiently large m, there is a $$\delta = \varTheta (1)$$

δ
=
Θ
(
1
)

such that, for m machines with only two different machine speeds, no online algorithm can achieve a competitive ratio of less than $$1.4659 + \delta $$

1.4659
+
δ

with $$k = o(n)$$

k
=
o
(
n
)

. We present a new algorithm for the uniform machine setting. Depending on the speeds of the machines, our scheduling algorithm achieves a competitive ratio that lies between 4/3 and $$\approx 1.7992$$

≈
1.7992

with $$k = O(m)$$

k
=
O
(
m
)

. We also show that $$k = \varOmega (m)$$

k
=
Ω
(
m
)

is necessary to achieve a competitive ratio below 2. Our algorithm is based on maintaining a specific imbalance with respect to the completion times of the machines, complemented by a bicriteria approximation algorithm that minimizes the makespan and maximizes the average completion time for certain sets of machines.
SARS-CoV-2 screening in cancer outpatients during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Berger Julia M. , Gansterer Margaretha , Trutschnig Wolfgang , Bathke Arne C. , Strassl Robert , Lamm Wolfgang , Raderer Markus , Preusser Matthias , Berghoff Anna S.
Published: August 2021

Background

During the second wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic Austria suffered one of the highest severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) rates worldwide. We report performance parameters of a SARS-CoV‑2 screening program established for cancer outpatients at our center.

Methods

Institutional policy recommended routine biweekly SARS-CoV‑2 testing. Adherence to the testing recommendation during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic between 1 October and 30 November 2020 was analyzed. The SARS-CoV‑2 infection rate during first wave period (21 March to 4 May 2020) was compared to the one during second wave.

Results

A total of 1577 cancer patients were seen at our outpatient clinic during the second wave. In 1079/1577 (68.4%) patients, at least 1 SARS-CoV2 test was performed. Overall 2833 tests were performed, 23/1577 (1.5%, 95% confidence interval, CI 1.0–2.2%) patients were tested positive for SARS-CoV‑2, which indicates a significant increase compared to the first wave (4/1016; 0.4%, 95% CI 0.1–1.0%) with an odds ratio of 3.9 (95% CI 1.5–10.1;p < 0.005). Patients undergoing active anticancer treatment (172/960; 17.9% not tested) were more likely to have undergone a SARS-CoV‑2 test than patients in follow-up or best supportive care (326/617; 52.8% not testedp < 0.001). Furthermore, patients with only 1 visit within 4 weeks were more likely to not have undergone a SARS-CoV‑2 test (386/598; 64.5%) compared to patients with 2 or more visits (112/979; 11.4%;p < 0.001). The projected number of patients with undetected SARS-CoV‑2 infection during the study period was 5.

Conclusion

We identified clinical patient parameters influencing SARS-CoV‑2 testing coverage in cancer outpatients. Our data can provide information on generation of standard operating procedures and resource allocation during subsequent infection waves.
Experiences of being a family caregiver to a patient treated for oesophageal cancer—1 year after surgery
Authors: Ringborg Cecilia H. , Schandl Anna , Wengström Yvonne , Lagergren Pernilla
Published: August 2021

Purpose

There is a need to put family caregivers on the cancer survivorship research agenda. Therefore, the aim of this is study is to explore the experiences of being a family caregiver to a patient treated for oesophageal cancer.

Method

This qualitative study was based on the ongoing nationwide and prospective Oesophageal Surgery on Cancer patients – Adaptation and Recovery study (OSCAR) including patients surgically treated for oesophageal cancer in Sweden and their closest family caregiver. One year after the patient’s surgery, each family caregiver received a self-report questionnaire kit to fill in. For the purpose of this study, the responses to the open-ended question “Is there anything else you would like to share?” were used and analysed by conducting thematic analysis.

Results

In total, 112 responses to the open-ended question were transcribed and analysed. The text rendered three themes:

Discontinued support from healthcare—mostly a positive experience before surgery and in the acute survivorship phase. However, after discharge from the hospital, the family caregiver felt as though they were left alone, fully responsible for the patient’s care.

A changed life—unprepared for life-changing situation after the patient received the cancer diagnosis. A feeling that nothing will ever be the same and like your sense of self is lost.

Psychological distress—was described as a feeling of being alone. Family caregivers felt invisible and no longer important to family and friends. The patient was the one that mattered.

Conclusion

This study indicates that patients and family caregivers would benefit from a more family-centred healthcare, where the patients’ as well as the caregivers’ perspectives would be acknowledged.
Dielectric Coupler for General Purpose Q-Band EPR Cavity
Authors: Judd Martyna , Jolley Greg , Suter Dieter , Cox Nicholas , Savitsky Anton
Published: August 2021

Here, we report on a robust and efficient mechanism for tuning the microwave coupling of a Q-band (34 GHz), general purpose, cylindrical EPR cavity operating in the TE011mode. This novel mechanism allows for both the adjustment of the cavity’s coupling over a wide frequency range, as well as its bandwidth from that of a high-Q cavity (about 10 MHz), to a broadband cavity (above 1 GHz). The coupling element consists of a dielectric plate fixed onto a movable waveguide short that allows for two modes of operation. In the first mode, the dielectric plate does not influence the resonance properties of the coupling iris and allows for precise, critical coupling of the high-Q cavity. In the second mode, the dielectric plate is positioned in front of the coupling iris, varying the iris’ resonance properties and allowing very strong overcoupling to be achieved. This mechanism can be generalized for other types of EPR cavities, in particular at high microwave frequencies.
Coverage of complex tissue defects following open cervicothoracic spine surgery with a lower trapezius island myocutaneous flap—an interdisciplinary approach
Authors: Osmanagic Armin , Schütz Alessa , Bayard Ivo , Raabe Andreas , Olariu Radu , Schär Ralph T.
Published: August 2021

The study design is a clinical case series. The objective of this study was to present the concept and efficacy of the lower trapezius island myocutaneous flap (LTIMF) for management of complex wound healing disorders following open cervicothoracic spine surgery. Wound healing disturbances with myocutaneous defects after open spine surgery at the cervical and upper thoracic spine are well-described complications. In severe cases, plastic reconstructive coverage is often required as a last resort. A review of all adult patients with deep wound dehiscence and tissue defects following open cervicothoracic spine surgery, who were managed with plastic surgery reconstruction using a LTIMF at our institution, was conducted. Synopses of these cases are presented. Seven patients with a mean age of 73 years ± 13 (range 50 to 89 years) were included in this case series. Six out of seven patients had instrumented posterior fusion added to their decompression. All patients were managed with a LTIMF for wound coverage. No spinal implants were removed prior to LTIMF surgery. The mean follow-up was 5.2 months (± 5.4 months). No major flap failure occurred, and all patients presented with satisfactory cosmetic results. The only minor complication was development of a sterile subcutaneous seroma in two patients, which were successfully managed by puncture and aspiration. The LTIMF is an effective and reliable salvage treatment option for spine surgery patients offering stable coverage of deep tissue defects resulting from complex wound healing disorders at the cervical and upper thoracic spine.
The frequency and clinical significance of DNA polymerase beta (POLβ) expression in breast ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
Authors: Al-Kawaz Abdulbaqi , Ali Reem , Toss Michael S. , Miligy Islam M. , Mohammed Omar J. , Green Andrew R. , Madhusudan Srinivasan , Rakha Emad A.
Published: August 2021

Background

The prediction of clinical behaviour of breast ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and its progression to invasive disease remains a challenge. Alterations of DNA damage repair mechanisms are associated with invasive breast cancer (BC). This study aims to assess the role of base excision repair (BER) DNA Polymerase Beta (POLβ) in DCIS.

Methods

A cohort of DCIS comprising pure DCIS (n = 776) and DCIS coexisting with invasive BC (n = 239) were prepared as tissue microarrays. POLβ protein expression was assessed using immunohistochemistry and correlated with clinicopathological parameters and patient outcome. Preclinically, we investigated the impact of POLβ depletion on stem cell markers in representative DCIS cell line models.

Results

Reduced POLβ expression was associated with aggressive DCIS features including high nuclear grade, comedo necrosis, larger tumour size, hormonal receptor negativity, HER2 overexpression and high Ki67 index. Combined low nuclear/low cytoplasmic POLβ expression showed the strongest association with the features’ characteristics of aggressive behaviour. There was a gradual reduction in the POLβ expression from normal breast tissue, to DCIS, with the lowest expression observed in the invasive BC. Low POLβ expression was an independent predictor of recurrence in DCIS patients treated with breast conserving surgery (BCS). POLβ knockdown was associated with a significant increase in cell stemness markers including SOX2, NANOG and OCT4 levels in MCF10-DCIS cell lines.

Conclusion

Loss of POLβ in DCIS is associated with aggressive behaviour and it can predict recurrence. POLβ expression in DCIS provides an additional feature for patients’ risk stratification for personalised therapy.
Comparison and performance of two cosmogenic nuclide sample preparation procedures of in situ produced 10Be and 26Al
Authors: Ruszkiczay-Rüdiger Zsófia , Neuhuber Stephanie , Braucher Régis , Lachner Johannes , Steier Peter , Wieser Alexander , Braun Mihály ,   ASTER Team, Bourlès Didier , Aumaître Georges , Keddadouche Karim
Published: August 2021

Cosmogenic radionuclide 10Be and 26Al targets (BeO and Al2O3) for AMS analysis are produced by a growing number of geochemical laboratories, employing different sample processing methods for the extraction of Be and Al from environmental materials. The reliability of this geochronological tool depends on data reproducibility independent from the preparation steps and the AMS measurements. Our results demonstrate that 10Be and 26Al concentrations of targets processed following different, commonly used protocols and measured at two AMS facilities lead to consistent results. However, insoluble fluoride precipitates, if formed during processing, can cause decreased 26Al results, while 10Be concentrations are unaffected.
The Politicised Child During the Seventeenth-Century British Civil Wars: An Historical Perspective on Representations of Children and Trauma During Conflict
Authors: Pells Ismini
Published: August 2021

The seventeenth-century British Civil Wars had a scale and impact to rival modern conflicts and its effects extended to children as well as adults. What might be today termed “child soldiers” were found in the armies in combat and supporting roles. Many more were witnesses to the conflict or had their lives changed by its consequences. This article is an historical case study of socio-cultural constructions of children, childhood and warfare. It aims to highlight the diverse nature of both historic and modern child experiences of warfare, and the plethora of ways that these experiences were and are understood and represented by adults. It argues that the evidence from the Civil Wars supports the scholarship of child psychologists such as Derek Summerfield that children in conflict should not always be regarded as victims but could display agency, whilst also acknowledging social, cultural, economic and political pressures. Although children in the Civil Wars may have experienced trauma, the evidence is insufficient to prove this and evidence for a contemporary concept of the psychologically damaged child as a result of conflict is ambiguous. However, what the evidence does uncover is the ways in which adults used representations of children to express their own anxieties about the Civil Wars.