bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Resisted Sprint Velocity in Female Soccer Players: Influence of
Physical Capacities
Authors: Loturco Irineu , Jeffreys Ian , Kobal Ronaldo , Reis Valter P. , Fernandes Victor , Rossetti Marcelo , Pereira Lucas Adriano , McGuigan Michael
Published: March 2020

This study aimed to examine the effects of different sled overloads on maximum
sprint velocity achieved by female soccer players with different strength,
speed, and power levels. Twenty elite female soccer players from the same club
participated. On the same day, athletes performed: linear and resisted-sprint
tests with 30 and 60 % of body-mass over 5-, 10-, and 20-m; half-squat
maximum bar-power output, and half-squat one-repetition maximum assessment. A
median split analysis was used to divide players into two groups according to
their velocity, half-squat one-repetition maximum, and half-squat power.
Differences in percentage decreases between unresisted- and resisted-sprints
comparing higher and lower groups were analyzed using magnitude-based
inferences. Overall, the stronger, faster, and more powerful players were less
affected by both loads, as demonstrated by their lower decreases in velocity
over the different distances. However, half-squat power appeared to be more
sensitive for indicating impairments in resisted-sprint performance, due to
meaningful differences in percentage decreases observed between higher and lower
power groups. Notably, overloads of 30 and 60% of body-mass provoked
substantial reductions in resisted-sprint velocity (~22.9% for
30% and ~51.4% for 60% of body-mass, relative to
unresisted-sprint velocity). Athletes with superior power levels are less
affected by the progressive sled overloading.
Nierenbeteiligung bei Kollagenosen – Teil 2: Antiphospholipid-Syndrom, primäres Sjögren-Syndrom, systemische Sklerose
Authors: Oelzner Peter , Amann Kerstin , Wolf Gunter
Published: March 2020

Renale Manifestationen bei Antiphospholipid-Syndrom (APS), primärem Sjögren-Syndrom (pSS) und systemischer Sklerose (SSc) unterscheiden sich erheblich in Pathogenese, Histologie, klinischem Erscheinungsbild, Prognose und therapeutischer Konsequenz. Die Häufigkeit APS-assoziierter Nierenveränderungen wird mit 10–40% angegeben. Das APS kann sich an der Niere in Form von renaler Hypertonie, Thrombosen oder Stenosen der Nierenarterien, Niereninfarkten, Nierenvenenthrombose und intrarenaler Vaskulopathie (APS-Nephropathie) manifestieren. Gerade beim sekundären APS ist die Differenzialdiagnose zur Lupusnephritis mittels Nierenbiopsie wichtig, da das APS eine Antikoagulation und in der Regel keine Immunsuppression erfordert. Auch beim pSS werden renale Affektionen mit 20–40% relativ häufig beobachtet. Die typische und auch häufigste Manifestation ist die interstitielle Nephritis mit distal tubulärer Azidose Typ 1. Sie verläuft oft asymptomatisch, kann aber zu Hypokaliämie und Osteomalazie führen. Während interstitielle Nephritis und die seltenere Glomerulonephritis in der Regel gut auf eine Immunsuppression ansprechen, wird die distal-tubuläre Azidose durch Immunsuppression nur unzureichend beeinflusst. Bei SSc werden Nierenfunktionseinschränkungen und Proteinurie als Ausdruck einer renalen Affektion in bis zu 36% beobachtet. Diese histologisch durch sklerosierte Glomeruli, tubuläre Atrophie und interstitielle Fibrose charakterisierte und häufig multifaktorielle Nephropathie hat jedoch im Hinblick auf die Nierenfunktion eine gute Prognose. Deutlich seltener ist mit 4–11% die renale Krise, welche histologisch durch eine obstruktive Vaskulopathie und klinisch durch akzelerierte arterielle Hypertonie und progrediente Niereninsuffizienz gekennzeichnet ist. Risikofaktoren der renalen Krise bei SSc sind das Vorliegen einer diffus cutanen SSc, höheres Alter, männliches Geschlecht, Einnahme von Glukokortikoiden, Perikarderguss sowie der Nachweis von Antikörpern gegen RNA-Polymerase III. Die Therapie der hypertensiven renalen Krise besteht in einer Blutdrucksenkung um ca. 10% pro Tag unter Vermeidung längerer Perioden einer Hypotension bis in den Normbereich unter bevorzugtem Einsatz von ACE-Hemmern. Bei unzureichender Blutdrucksenkung unter ausdosiertem ACE-Hemmer kommen zusätzlich Alpha-Blocker, Kalziumantagonisten und Minoxidil zum Einsatz. Nützlich sind ferner die intravenöse Gabe von Prostacyclin zur Verbesserung der renalen Perfusion und die Anwendung des Endothelin-Rezeptor-Antagonisten Bosentan. Die Einführung von ACE-Hemmern hat zwar die Mortalität infolge einer renalen Krise erheblich reduziert, allerdings ist in 40–50% ein Fortschreiten zur terminalen Niereninsuffizienz zu erwarten.
Sonderheft Methodische Aspekte der
Sekundärdatenanalyse
Authors: Swart Enno , Gothe Holger , Ihle Peter , March Stefanie , Schubert Ingrid , Stallmann Christoph , Hoffmann Falk
Published: March 2020

Mit dem vorliegenden zweiten Sonderheft zu Datenlinkage und spezifischen Methoden der
Sekundärdatenanalyse ergänzen wir die neun Beiträge, die im
vorangegangenen Sonderheft methodische Herausforderungen bei der Aufbereitung und
Validierung verschiedener Sekundärdatenquellen thematisiert haben. Ein
besonderes Augenmerk liegt auf dem individuellen Datenlinkage verschiedener
Sekundärdatenquellen untereinander und/oder mit Primärdaten.
Dieser methodische Zugang hat nicht erst seit der Bestandsaufnahme zum Datenlinkage
in Deutschland 1 und der
Veröffentlichung der Guten Praxis Datenlinkage 2 zunehmende Relevanz in der Epidemiologie und Versorgungsforschung
erhalten. Daneben werden in diesem Heft aktuelle Ansätze zur
Datenvalidierung, zur Kontrollbildung und zur Aufbereitung und Nutzung von
Klartextangaben vorgestellt.
Die Trans-Konstruktion
Authors: Ponseti Jorge , Stirn Aglaja
Published: March 2020

Mit Blick auf Intersexsyndrome, Variabilität der Geschlechtsorgane und sozio-historisch geprägte Wahrnehmung von Geschlecht kritisieren Gender-Theoretiker_innen (Bauer 2019; Villa 2019; Voß 2019) in ihren Kommentaren zu Ponseti und Stirn (2019) die Zweigeschlechtlichkeit des Menschen als biologischen Reduktionismus und ideologische Fiktion. Wir zeigen, wie die Gender-Theoretiker_innen den Geschlechtsbegriff verändert haben, um ein „subjektives Geschlecht“ zu konstruieren und Transsexualität zu depathologisieren. Wir erklären, warum diese Bedeutungsänderung ein wissenschaftlicher Rückschritt ist und wie diese Strategie der Sexualwissenschaft und den Patienten_innen Schaden zufügt.
Oral and Dental Manifestations of Diamond-Blackfan Anemia: Case Reports
Authors: Ozden Feyza Otan , Gunduz Kaan , Ozden Bora , Isci K Devrim , Fisgin Tunc
Published: March 2020

Diamond-Blackfan Anemia (DBA) is a red cell aplasia characterized with physical abnormalities. The incidence of the disease is reported to be five to seven (5-7) cases per million births in Europe and 4-5 per million live births in the UK and Netherlands with equal sex ratio. It was first recognized in 1938 but an exact pathophysiology of the disease has not been described yet. These abnormalities are well known, however, detailed oral and dental conditions related with the disease have not been described previously. We herein presented two cases of DBA together with oral and dental findings. Our study is first to report the gingival status of the patients with a complete investigation of any orthodontic or dental abnormalities in these kind of patients. A careful follow up and preventive therapies should not be missed in these kind of patients. (Eur J Dent 2011;5:344-348)
Anterior Communicating Artery Aneurysm Uncommon Hemorrhagic Presentation: Case Report
Authors: Oberman Dan Zimelewicz , Rabelo Nicollas Nunes , Barros Rafael Rego , Lopes Othavio , Amorim Jorge
Published: March 2020

Intracranial aneurysm rupture causes subarachnoid hemorrhage in 80% of the cases, and it may be associated with intracerebral hemorrhage and/or intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in 34% and 17% of the patients, respectively. However, on rare occasions, aneurysm rupture may be present causing isolate intracerebral hemorrhage or IVH without subarachnoid hemorrhage.

We describe an unusual case of an anterior communicating aneurysm rupture presented with IVH, without subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Although isolated IVH is rare, aneurysm rupture is a possible condition. Patients presenting with head computed tomography revealing IVH without subarachnoid hemorrhage should be promptly investigated with contrasted image exam to identify and treat possible causes, even in the absence of subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Percutaneous Treatment of Meckel Cave Arachnoid Cyst: Case Report, Surgical Strategy and Literature Review
Authors: Malheiros Filho Jose Augusto , Prates Junior Antonio Gilson , Sá Emmanuel Oliveira Vasconcelos e , D'Assumpção Luiza Cançado Guerra , de Souza Lucas Rodrigues
Published: March 2020

Arachnoid cysts are benign intracranial lesions. They are usually located in the middle fossa, but can be found in other locations. We present a case of symptomatic Meckel cave (MC) arachnoid cyst - a very rare location - and a treatment strategy not elsewhere described before for this condition. A 54-year-old female with trigeminal neuralgia with previous history of radiofrequency rhizotomy treatment 6 years before admission had been experiencing pain recurrence with progression, which required successive increases in carbamazepine dosage. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) showed dilatation of the right MC with extension to the petrous apex. The lesion was compatible with arachnoid cyst, and due to the worsening of the clinical condition, surgical treatment was chosen. Percutaneous puncture of the cyst through the foramen ovale with injection of intracystic fibrin sealant was performed. The patient woke up from anesthesia with pain improvement and was discharged asymptomatic the next day. After 12 months of follow-up, she remained pain-free. In the literature review, we found only eight cases reported as MC arachnoid cyst. These are likely to progress and become symptomatic owing to their communication with the subarachnoid space and a unidirectional valve mechanism. Pain improvement with this technique is probably secondary to the interruption of these mechanisms.
Masking Level Difference and Electrophysiological Evaluation in Adults with Normal Hearing
Authors: Santiago Joyce Miranda , Luiz Cyntia Barbosa Laureano , Garcia Michele , Gil Daniela
Published: March 2020

Introduction The auditory structures of the brainstem are involved in binaural interaction, which contributes to sound location and auditory figure-background perception.

Objective To investigate the performance of young adults in the masking level difference (MLD) test, brainstem auditory-evoked potentials (BAEPs) with click stimulus, and frequency-following response (FFR), as well as to verify the correlation between the findings, considering the topographic origin of the components of these procedures.

Methods A total of 20 female subjects between 18 and 30 years of age, with normal hearing and no complaints concerning central auditory processing underwent a basic audiological evaluation, as well as the MLD test, BAEP and FFR.

Results The mean result on the MLD test was of 10.70 dB. There was a statistically significant difference in the absolute latencies of waves I, III and V in the BAEPs of the ears. A change in the FFR characterized by the absence of the C, E and F waves was noticed. There was a statistically significant difference in the positive correlation of wave V in the BAEPs with the MLD. There was a statistically significant difference in the positive correlation of the mean MLD and the V, A and F components of the FFR.

Conclusion The mean MLD was adequate. In the BAEPs, we observed that the click stimulus transmission occurred faster in the right ear. The FFR showed absence of some components. The mean MLD correlated positively with the BAEPs and FFR.
Mecanismos inflamatorios involucrados en la fisiopatología de la hiperplasia prostática benigna
Authors: Guzman Robledo Ximena , García-Perdomo Herney Andrés
Published: March 2020

La obstrucción del tracto de salida ha sido asociada con la hiperplasia prostática benigna (HPB), dado el crecimiento progresivo del adenoma, lo cual lleva a un incremento en la resistencia al flujo urinario, junto con un efecto deletéreo en la función renal. Se han descrito múltiples teorías asociadas con el desarrollo de la hiperplasia. Entre las cuales se encuentran: La edad, el incremento en la actividad simpática, alteraciones hormonales, el síndrome metabólico y la inflamación crónica. En los últimos años, el rol de la inflamación prostática local en el entendimiento de la patogénesis y progresión de la HPB ha cobrado relevancia. Esa hipótesis plantea que infiltrados inflamatorios conllevan a una lesión tisular, generando así un proceso crónico de cicatrización que condiciona el incremento en el tamaño prostático. El presente artículo se enfoca en describir los mecanismos inflamatorios involucrados en la fisiopatología de la hiperplasia prostática benigna.
Prevalência da anomalia de Linburg-Comstock em uma amostra populacional brasileira
Authors: Barreto Leonardo Coêlho de Alencar , Fernandes Carlos Henrique , Nakachima Luis Renato , Santos João Baptista Gomes dos , Fernandes Marcela , Faloppa Flavio
Published: March 2020

Objetivo Determinar a prevalência da anomalia de Linburg-Comstock em uma amostra populacional brasileira.

Métodos Estudo observacional transversal realizado no período de outubro de 2017 a abril de 2018. Foram incluídos voluntários dos gêneros feminino e masculino, com idade igual ou superior a 18 anos. A presença da anomalia de Linburg-Comstock foi determinada pela realização dos testes clínicos descritos por Linburg e Comstock. Os dados foram analisados por meio do software GraphPad Prism, sendo consideradas diferenças com valores de p < 0,05.

Resultados O estudo analisou 1.008 voluntários (2.016 mãos) com idade média de 38,3 anos, dos quais 531 (52,67%) eram do gênero masculino, e 477 (47,33%) eram do gênero feminino. A anomalia de Linburg-Comstock foi diagnosticada em 564 voluntários (55,95%) da população estudada, sendo bilateral em 300 (53,2%), direita em 162 (28,72%), e esquerda em 102 (18,08%). Não foram encontradas diferenças significativas quando se comparou a prevalência entre os gêneros. Porém, foi encontrada uma maior prevalência da anomalia direita na população masculina (n = 99; 70,21%) do que na feminina (n = 63; 51,21%), com p = 0,0016. Além disso, a presença da dor pela manobra descrita por Linburg e Comstock foi mais prevalente nas mulheres (n = 150; 54,94%) do que nos homens (n = 105; 36,08%), com p = 0,0001. Estes resultados mostram a importância dos estudos epidemiológicos sobre a anomalia de Linburg-Comstock, principalmente com o intuito de investigar a presença de afecções associadas.

Conclusão A prevalência da anomalia de Linburg-Comstock na população estudada foi de 55,95%, sendo bilateral em 53,2% dos voluntários. A presença da conexão foi observada com maior frequência do lado direito em homens, mas o sintoma dor foi mais frequente nas mulheres.
Access to Stable Quaternary Phosphiranium Salts by P-Alkylation and P-Arylation of Phosphiranes
Authors: Dalla Vincent , Taillier Catherine , Gasnot Julien , Botella Clément , Comesse Sébastien , Lakhdar Sami , Alayrac Carole , Gaumont Annie-Claude
Published: March 2020

We report the preparation of phosphiranium salts by quaternarization of phosphiranes, a class of sensitive, highly strained, and poorly nucleophilic cyclic phosphines. High-yielding introduction of a varied set of alkyl groups including methylene ester arms was accomplished under mild conditions. A Cu-catalyzed electrophilic arylation of phosphiranes using diaryl iodonium reagents was also achieved to yield unprecedented P,P-diaryl phosphiranium salts with good efficiency.
Efficient suboxide sources in oxide molecular beam epitaxy using mixed metal + oxide charges: The examples of SnO and Ga2O
Authors: Hoffmann Georg , Budde Melanie , Mazzolini Piero , Bierwagen Oliver
Published: March 2020

Sources of suboxides, providing several advantages over metal sources for the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) of oxides, are conventionally realized by decomposing the corresponding oxide charge at extreme temperatures. By quadrupole mass spectrometry of the direct flux from an effusion cell, we compare this conventional approach to the reaction of a mixed oxide + metal charge as a source for suboxides with the examples of SnO2 + Sn → 2 SnO and Ga2O3 + 4 Ga → 3 Ga2O. The high decomposition temperatures of the pure oxide charge were found to produce a high parasitic oxygen background. In contrast, the mixed charges reacted at significantly lower temperatures, providing high suboxide fluxes without additional parasitic oxygen. For the SnO source, we found a significant fraction of Sn2O2 in the flux from the mixed charge that was basically absent in the flux from the pure oxide charge. We demonstrate the plasma-assisted MBE growth of SnO2 using the mixed Sn + SnO2 charge to require less activated oxygen and a significantly lower source temperature than the corresponding growth from a pure Sn charge. Thus, the sublimation of mixed metal + oxide charges provides an efficient suboxide source for the growth of oxides by MBE. Thermodynamic calculations predict this advantage for further oxides as well, e.g., SiO2, GeO2, Al2O3, In2O3, La2O3, and Pr2O3.
Acoustic response of a laser-excited polycrystalline Au-film studied by ultrafast Debye–Scherrer diffraction at a table-top short-pulse x-ray source
Authors: Lu W. , Nicoul M. , Shymanovich U. , Brinks F. , Afshari M. , Tarasevitch A. , von der Linde D. , Sokolowski-Tinten K.
Published: March 2020

The transient acoustic response of a free-standing, polycrystalline thin Au-film upon femtosecond optical excitation has been studied by time-resolved Debye–Scherrer x-ray diffraction using ultrashort Cu Kα x-ray pulses from a laser-driven plasma x-ray source. The temporal strain evolution has been determined from the transient shifts of multiple Bragg diffraction peaks. The experimental data are in good agreement with the results of calculations based on the two-temperature model and an acoustic model assuming uniaxial strain propagation in the laser-excited thin film.
How cortical waves drive fission of motile cells
Authors: Flemming Sven , Font Francesc , Alonso Sergio , Beta Carsten
Published: March 2020

Significance Statement

Cell division is one of the most fundamental processes of life at the cellular level. Here, we report a form of cell division that is driven by self-organized actin waves and, in contrast to conventional cytokinesis in animal cells, does not require the formation of an actomyosin contractile ring. Daughter cells that emerge from this process of wave-mediated cytofission have a well-controlled size and exhibit the so-called fan-shaped phenotype that is characterized by a stable elongated shape and highly persistent locomotion. In the framework of synthetic biology, this primitive form of cell division may serve as a paradigm of how to implement a self-organized proliferation strategy in artificial cells that are equipped with a minimal actin cortex.
Electron–phonon-driven three-dimensional metallicity in an insulating cuprate
Authors: Baldini Edoardo , Sentef Michael A. , Acharya Swagata , Brumme Thomas , Sheveleva Evgeniia , Lyzwa Fryderyk , Pomjakushina Ekaterina , Bernhard Christian , van Schilfgaarde Mark , Carbone Fabrizio , Rubio Angel , Weber Cédric
Published: March 2020

Significance

Elucidating the role of different degrees of freedom in a phase transition is crucial in the comprehension of complex materials. A phase transformation that attracts significant interest is the insulator-to-metal transition of Mott insulators, in which the electrons are thought to play the dominant role. Here, we use ultrafast laser spectroscopy and theoretical calculations to unveil that the correlated insulator

L
a

2

C
u
O

4

, precursor to high-temperature superconductivity, is unstable toward metallization when its crystal structure is displaced along the coordinates of specific vibrational modes. This, in turn, supports the involvement of the lattice in this phase transition. Our results pave the way toward the geometrical design of metallic states in Mott insulators, with technological potential for ultrafast switching devices at room temperature.
Natural diversity in the predatory behavior facilitates the establishment of a robust model strain for nematode-trapping fungi
Authors: Yang Ching-Ting , Vidal-Diez de Ulzurrun Guillermo , Gonçalves A. Pedro , Lin Hung-Che , Chang Ching-Wen , Huang Tsung-Yu , Chen Sheng-An , Lai Cheng-Kuo , Tsai Isheng J. , Schroeder Frank C. , Stajich Jason E. , Hsueh Yen-Ping
Published: March 2020

Nematode-trapping fungi (NTF) are a group of specialized microbial predators that consume nematodes when food sources are limited. Predation is initiated when conserved nematode ascaroside pheromones are sensed, followed by the development of complex trapping devices. To gain insights into the coevolution of this interkingdom predator–prey relationship, we investigated natural populations of nematodes and NTF that we found to be ubiquitous in soils.
Arthrobotrys
species were sympatric with various nematode species and behaved as generalist predators. The ability to sense prey among wild isolates of
Arthrobotrys oligospora
varied greatly, as determined by the number of traps after exposure to
Caenorhabditis elegans
. While some strains were highly sensitive to
C. elegans
and the nematode pheromone ascarosides, others responded only weakly. Furthermore, strains that were highly sensitive to the nematode prey also developed traps faster. The polymorphic nature of trap formation correlated with competency in prey killing, as well as with the phylogeny of
A. oligospora
natural strains, calculated after assembly and annotation of the genomes of 20 isolates. A chromosome-level genome assembly and annotation were established for one of the most sensitive wild isolates, and deletion of the only G-protein β-subunit–encoding gene of
A. oligospora
nearly abolished trap formation. In summary, our study establishes a highly responsive
A. oligospora
wild isolate as a model strain for the study of fungus–nematode interactions and demonstrates that trap formation is a fitness character in generalist predators of the nematode-trapping fungus family.
Multi-directionality in language transfer
Authors: Pereyron Leticia , Alves Ubiratã K.
Published: March 2020

This study addresses the multi-directionality of vowel transfer by L1 Riverplate Spanish learners of Brazilian Portuguese. We verify the influence of the second language (L2) and the third language (L3) on the production of the mother tongue (L1). Our results showed that (1) the development of the Brazilian Portuguese vowel system was highly dependent on the language systems the participants had previously acquired, and (2) the presence of an L2 or L3 system also affected the L1 (and the L2 system, in the case of the acquisition of an L3). These results shed some light on the multi-directionality of language transfer, as they show that all language systems are in constant development and interaction throughout the whole lifespan.
Exploring second language acquisition
Authors: Ferraro Rita
Published: March 2020

This paper discusses the role of implicit and explicit knowledge in Second Language Acquisition (SLA). Through Action Research (AR) across a three-year period, involving 160 native English-speaking adult participants from Australia, with little to no exposure to second/foreign language learning, this research explores how language students draw on their explicit and implicit knowledge of their native language to inform their sense-making of a second language. This research finds that students utilise their explicit/implicit knowledge of their native language as a framework to make sense of the target language, in this case, Portuguese. It further finds that students with poor explicit knowledge in their native language have difficulty grasping explicit instruction in the target language.
The linguistic and anthropological dimensions within enunciation in additional languages
Authors: Sommer-Farias Bruna
Published: March 2020

Drawing from enunciative linguistics (Benveniste, 1966; 1974)1 and the anthropology of enunciation (Dessons, 2006), this study suggests that both teacher and student discourses are rooted in speaker and language analyst categories. Analysis of dialogues between a teacher and her students in a Portuguese as an additional language classroom revealed two mechanisms: (1) the teacher’s history of utterances, and (2) the learners’ inquiries. Both mechanisms address reorganization of form and meaning based on previous experiences in the language. Importance of language awareness and implications for teacher education are discussed.
Something seems to have changed
Authors: Nieuwenhuijsen Dorien
Published: March 2020

This paper examines the claim that when a full verb is
grammaticalized and becomes an auxiliary it is subjected to a process of
desemanticization or semantic bleaching. For this matter, the Spanish
periphrasis parecer + infinitive (‘to seem’) is analysed on
the basis of the three semantic-pragmatic tendencies proposed by Traugott (1989). It is shown how in
the course of time the original meaning of physical appearance of the
periphrasis developed into the current epistemic and evidential meaning,
shifting from a concrete to a more abstract meaning. The semantic shift, so
it is argued, does not involve a loss of meaning but constitutes a case of
generalization, allowing for the use of the periphrasis with all six
grammatical persons.
On the importance of a diachronic approach to phraseology
Authors: Sánchez-López Elena
Published: March 2020

A diachronic approach to Phraseology may provide us the
key to understand the nature of the phraseological phenomenon, thus
contributing to the establishment of the subdiscipline. In this paper, we
underline the relation between Phraseology and language change, showing the
similarities between Phraseologization and Grammaticalization processes and,
subsequently, focusing on their differences. Having explained the general
Phraseologization process, we focus on its three sides: the acquisition of
structural, semantic and pragmatic fixedness, leading to the synchronic
features known as polylexicality and idiomaticity. Having seen the
importance of semantic and pragmatic factors in the process, we describe
Phraseologization in terms of semantic change, using the Spanish idiom “con
pelos y señales” as an example.
On using converging shock waves for pressure amplification in shock tubes
Authors: Sembian S , Liverts M
Published: March 2020

While conventional shock tubes have a distinct advantage in dynamic calibration methods due to their inherent capability to generate pressure pulses of desired amplitude and fast rise time, they are limited to the lower levels of the pressure amplitude realization range (≤7 MPa). With the increasing need for a traceable dynamic calibration standard across wider pressure ranges, a novel technique using converging shock waves is demonstrated in this work that pushes the upper limit of the standard shock tube into the medium-high pressure range. The experiments are conducted in the shock tube facility equipped with a test section that smoothly transforms the incident plane shock into a spherical shock wave that converges, accelerates and thereby amplifies its strength many folds. The experimentally recorded pressure traces are compared with numerical simulations performed by an in-house code. Using this technique, pressure pulses with peak amplitudes in the range of 30–40 MPa, with

<

 3.4% uncertainty based on numerical reference profile, were realized in the test section with nominal usage of resources.
Shifting economic activity to services has limited potential to reduce global environmental impacts due to the household consumption of labour
Authors: Greenford D Horen , Crownshaw T , Lesk C , Stadler K , Matthews H D
Published: March 2020

The tertiary (or ‘service’) sector is commonly identified as a relatively clean part of the economy. Accordingly, sustainable development policy routinely invokes ‘tertiarization’—a shift from primary and secondary sectors to the tertiary sector—as a means of decoupling economic growth from environmental damages. However, this argument does not account for environmental impacts related to the household consumption of tertiary sector employees. Here we show using a novel analytical framework that when the household consumption of labour is treated as a necessary and endogenous input to production, the environmental impacts of all sectors converge. This shift in perspective also exacerbates existing disparities in the attribution of environmental impact from economic activity among developed and developing economies. Our findings suggest that decoupling of economic activity from environmental impacts is unlikely to be achieved by transitioning to a service-based economy alone, but rather, that reducing environmental damages from economic activity may require fundamental changes to the scale and composition of consumption across all economic sectors.
Characterizing quantum states via sector lengths
Authors: Wyderka N , Gühne O
Published: March 2020

Correlations in multiparticle systems are constrained by restrictions from quantum mechanics. A prominent example for these restrictions are monogamy relations, limiting the amount of entanglement between pairs of particles in a three-particle system. A powerful tool to study correlation constraints is the notion of sector lengths. These quantify, for different k, the amount of k-partite correlations in a quantum state in a basis-independent manner. We derive tight bounds on the sector lengths in multi-qubit states and highlight applications of these bounds to entanglement detection, monogamy relations and the n-representability problem. For the case of two- and three qubits we characterize the possible sector lengths completely and prove a symmetrized version of strong subadditivity for the linear entropy.
Randomized benchmarking in the analogue setting
Authors: Derbyshire E , Malo J Yago , Daley A J , Kashefi E , Wallden P
Published: March 2020

Current development in programmable analogue quantum simulators (AQS), whose physical implementation can be realised in the near-term compared to those of large-scale digital quantum computers, highlights the need for robust testing techniques in analogue platforms. Methods to properly certify or benchmark AQS should be efficiently scalable, and also provide a way to deal with errors from state preparation and measurement (SPAM). Up to now, attempts to address this combination of requirements have generally relied on model-specific properties. We put forward a new approach, applying a well-known digital noise characterisation technique called randomized benchmarking (RB) to the analogue setting. RB is a scalable experimental technique that provides a measure of the average error-rate of a gate-set on a quantum hardware, incorporating SPAM errors. We present the original form of digital RB, the necessary alterations to translate it to the analogue setting and introduce the analogue randomized benchmarking protocol (ARB). In ARB we measure the average error-rate per time evolution of a family of Hamiltonians and we illustrate this protocol with two case-studies of analogue models; classically simulating the system by incorporating several physically motivated noise scenarios. We find that for the noise models tested, the data fit with the theoretical predictions and we gain values for the average error rate for differing unitary sets. We compare our protocol with other relevant RB methods, where both advantages (physically motivated unitaries) and disadvantages (difficulty in reversing the time-evolution) are discussed.
From pyramid to pointed egg? A 20-year perspective on poverty, prosperity, and rural transformation in Tanzania
Authors: Ponte Stefano , Brockington Dan
Published: March 2020

This article analyses the patterns of poverty, prosperity, and rural transformation in Tanzania through longitudinal research examining livelihoods and asset change in a 20-year period. We argue that some current measures of rural transformation are inadequate for capturing forms of change that matter to rural Africans. We consider in detail some of the processes that lie behind such change in selected locations in Morogoro region, noting the importance of improvements that are taking place through smallholder agriculture. In conclusion, the article discusses the implications of these findings for agricultural policy while also cautioning about the blindness of our methods to other forms of poverty.
Multidimensional Malingering Criteria for Neuropsychological Assessment: A 20-Year Update of the Malingered Neuropsychological Dysfunction Criteria
Authors: Sherman Elisabeth M S , Slick Daniel J , Iverson Grant L
Published: March 2020

Objectives

Empirically informed neuropsychological opinion is critical for determining whether cognitive deficits and symptoms are legitimate, particularly in settings where there are significant external incentives for successful malingering. The Slick, Sherman, and Iversion (1999) criteria for malingered neurocognitive dysfunction (MND) are considered a major milestone in the field’s operationalization of neurocognitive malingering and have strongly influenced the development of malingering detection methods, including serving as the criterion of malingering in the validation of several performance validity tests (PVTs) and symptom validity tests (SVTs) (Slick, D.J., Sherman, E.M.S., & Iverson, G. L. (1999). Diagnostic criteria for malingered neurocognitive dysfunction: Proposed standards for clinical practice and research. The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 13(4), 545–561). However, the MND criteria are long overdue for revision to address advances in malingering research and to address limitations identified by experts in the field.

Method

The MND criteria were critically reviewed, updated with reference to research on malingering, and expanded to address other forms of malingering pertinent to neuropsychological evaluation such as exaggeration of self-reported somatic and psychiatric symptoms.

Results

The new proposed criteria simplify diagnostic categories, expand and clarify external incentives, more clearly define the role of compelling inconsistencies, address issues concerning PVTs and SVTs (i.e., number administered, false positives, and redundancy), better define the role of SVTs and of marked discrepancies indicative of malingering, and most importantly, clearly define exclusionary criteria based on the last two decades of research on malingering in neuropsychology. Lastly, the new criteria provide specifiers to better describe clinical presentations for use in neuropsychological assessment.

Conclusions

The proposed multidimensional malingering criteria that define cognitive, somatic, and psychiatric malingering for use in neuropsychological assessment are presented.
Structure, function and therapeutic implications of OB-fold proteins: A lesson from past to present
Authors: Amir Mohd , Mohammad Taj , Dohare Ravins , Islam Asimul , Ahmad Faizan , Imtaiyaz Hassan Md
Published: March 2020

Oligonucleotide/oligosaccharide-binding (OB)-fold proteins play essential roles in the regulation of genome and its correct transformation to the subsequent generation. To maintain the genomic stability, OB-fold proteins are implicated in various cellular processes including DNA replication, DNA repair, cell cycle regulation and maintenance of telomere. The diverse functional spectrums of OB-fold proteins are mainly due to their involvement in protein–DNA and protein–protein complexes. Mutations and consequential structural alteration in the OB-fold proteins often lead to severe diseases. Here, we have investigated the structure, function and mode of action of OB-fold proteins (RPA, BRCA2, DNA ligases and SSBs1/2) in cellular pathways and their relationship with diseases and their possible use in therapeutic intervention. Due to the crucial role of OB-fold proteins in regulating the key physiological process, a detailed structural understanding in the context of underlying mechanism of action and cellular complexity offers a new avenue to target OB-proteins for therapeutic intervention.
Computational prediction and interpretation of both general and specific types of promoters in Escherichia coli by exploiting a stacked ensemble-learning framework
Authors: Li Fuyi , Chen Jinxiang , Ge Zongyuan , Wen Ya , Yue Yanwei , Hayashida Morihiro , Baggag Abdelkader , Bensmail Halima , Song Jiangning
Published: March 2020

Promoters are short consensus sequences of DNA, which are responsible for transcription activation or the repression of all genes. There are many types of promoters in bacteria with important roles in initiating gene transcription. Therefore, solving promoter-identification problems has important implications for improving the understanding of their functions. To this end, computational methods targeting promoter classification have been established; however, their performance remains unsatisfactory. In this study, we present a novel stacked-ensemble approach (termed SELECTOR) for identifying both promoters and their respective classification. SELECTOR combined the composition of k-spaced nucleic acid pairs, parallel correlation pseudo-dinucleotide composition, position-specific trinucleotide propensity based on single-strand, and DNA strand features and using five popular tree-based ensemble learning algorithms to build a stacked model. Both 5-fold cross-validation tests using benchmark datasets and independent tests using the newly collected independent test dataset showed that SELECTOR outperformed state-of-the-art methods in both general and specific types of promoter prediction in Escherichia coli. Furthermore, this novel framework provides essential interpretations that aid understanding of model success by leveraging the powerful Shapley Additive exPlanation algorithm, thereby highlighting the most important features relevant for predicting both general and specific types of promoters and overcoming the limitations of existing ‘Black-box’ approaches that are unable to reveal causal relationships from large amounts of initially encoded features.
PL-search: a profile-link-based search method for protein remote homology detection
Authors: Jin Xiaopeng , Liao Qing , Liu Bin
Published: March 2020

Protein remote homology detection is a fundamental and important task for protein structure and function analysis. Several search methods have been proposed to improve the detection performance of the remote homologues and the accuracy of ranking lists. The position-specific scoring matrix (PSSM) profile and hidden Markov model (HMM) profile can contribute to improving the performance of the state-of-the-art search methods. In this paper, we improved the profile-link (PL) information for constructing PSSM or HMM profiles, and proposed a PL-based search method (PL-search). In PL-search, more robust PLs are constructed through the double-link and iterative extending strategies, and an accurate similarity score of sequence pairs is calculated from the two-level Jaccard distance for remote homologues. We tested our method on two widely used benchmark datasets. Our results show that whether HHblits, JackHMMER or position-specific iterated-BLAST is used, PL-search obviously improves the search performance in terms of ranking quality as well as the number of detected remote homologues. For ease of use of PL-search, both its stand-alone tool and the web server are constructed, which can be accessed at http://bliulab.net/PL-search/.
VISAR: an interactive tool for dissecting chemical features learned by deep neural network QSAR models
Authors: Ding Qingyang , Hou Siyu , Zu Songpeng , Zhang Yonghui , Li Shao
Published: March 2020

Although many quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) models are trained and evaluated for their predictive merits, understanding what models have been learning is of critical importance. However, the interpretation and visualization of QSAR model results remain challenging, especially for ‘black box’ models such as deep neural network (DNN). Here, we take a step forward to interpret the learned chemical features from DNN QSAR models, and present VISAR, an interactive tool for visualizing the structure–activity relationship. VISAR first provides functions to construct and train DNN models. Then VISAR builds the activity landscapes based on a series of compounds using the trained model, showing the correlation between the chemical feature space and the experimental activity space after model training, and allowing for knowledge mining from a global perspective. VISAR also maps the gradients of the chemical features to the corresponding compounds as contribution weights for each atom, and visualizes the positive and negative contributor substructures suggested by the models from a local perspective. Using the web application of VISAR, users could interactively explore the activity landscape and the color-coded atom contributions. We propose that VISAR could serve as a helpful tool for training and interactive analysis of the DNN QSAR model, providing insights for drug design, and an additional level of model validation.

Availability and implementation

The source code and usage instructions for VISAR are available on github https://github.com/qid12/visar.

Contact

shaoli@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
From Relation Algebra to Semi-join Algebra: An Approach to Graph Query Optimization
Authors: Hellings Jelle , Pilachowski Catherine L , Van Gucht Dirk , Gyssens Marc , Wu Yuqing
Published: March 2020

Many graph query languages rely on composition to navigate graphs and select nodes of interest, even though evaluating compositions of relations can be costly. Often, this need for composition can be reduced by rewriting toward queries using semi-joins instead, resulting in a significant reduction of the query evaluation cost. We study techniques to recognize and apply such rewritings. Concretely, we study the relationship between the expressive power of the relation algebras, which heavily rely on composition, and the semi-join algebras, which replace composition in favor of semi-joins. Our main result is that each fragment of the relation algebras where intersection and/or difference is only used on edges (and not on complex compositions) is expressively equivalent to a fragment of the semi-join algebras. This expressive equivalence holds for node queries evaluating to sets of nodes. For practical relevance, we exhibit constructive rules for rewriting relation algebra queries to semi-join algebra queries and prove that they lead to only a well-bounded increase in the number of steps needed to evaluate the rewritten queries. In addition, on sibling-ordered trees, we establish new relationships among the expressive power of Regular XPath, Conditional XPath, FO-logic and the semi-join algebra augmented with restricted fixpoint operators.
Effect of group size and reproductive status on faecal glucocorticoid concentration and vigilance in a free-ranging population of Przewalski’s gazelle
Authors: Liu Ruoshuang , Shi Jianbin , Liu Dingzhen , Dong Shikui , Zhang Yu , Wu Yonglin , Guo Dongsheng
Published: March 2020

Elevated glucocorticoid (GC) concentration and increased vigilance are two common responses to predation risk in mammals. Chronic high-level GC concentration and vigilance occur at the expense of other life maintenance and reproduction activities, reflecting a trade-off between individual survival and future fecundity. Przewalski’s gazelle (Procapra przewalskii) is a group-living ungulate endemic to the high-altitude Qinghai Lake region of China. Group-size effect on gazelle vigilance has been examined, yet little is known about how their GC concentration is affected by group size or reproductive status. In this study, we examined the effect of group size and reproductive status on faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) concentrations and individual vigilance during different stages of the reproduction cycle (i.e. non-breeding, lambing and rutting) in free-ranging adult female Przewalski’s gazelles. Group size did not influence FGMs significantly, but mean vigilance duration increased with group size. The gazelles’ FGMs and vigilance peaked in lambing season. FGMs showed no difference between rutting season and non-reproductive season, but vigilance was lowest in the rutting season. FGMs correlated with vigilance frequency and vigilance duration. Antipredator responses of female Przewalski’s gazelles appear to change with reproductive status but not with group size in free-ranging females. Management measures should be taken in the lambing season to minimize stress on mother gazelles.
Sectm1a deficiency aggravates inflammation-triggered cardiac dysfunction through disruption of LXRα signalling in macrophages
Authors: Li Yutian , Deng Shan , Wang Xiaohong , Huang Wei , Chen Jing , Robbins Nathan , Mu Xingjiang , Essandoh Kobina , Peng Tianqing , Jegga Anil G , Rubinstein Jack , Adams David E , Wang Yigang , Peng Jiangtong , Fan Guo-Chang
Published: March 2020

Aims

Cardiac dysfunction is a prevalent comorbidity of disrupted inflammatory homeostasis observed in conditions such as sepsis (acute) or obesity (chronic). Secreted and transmembrane protein 1a (Sectm1a) has previously been implicated to regulate inflammatory responses, yet its role in inflammation-associated cardiac dysfunction is virtually unknown.

Methods and results

Using the CRISPR/Cas9 system, we generated a global Sectm1a-knockout (KO) mouse model and observed significantly increased mortality and cardiac injury after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection, when compared with wild-type (WT) control. Further analysis revealed significantly increased accumulation of inflammatory macrophages in hearts of LPS-treated KO mice. Accordingly, ablation of Sectm1a remarkably increased inflammatory cytokines levels both in vitro [from bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs)] and in vivo (in serum and myocardium) after LPS challenge. RNA-sequencing results and bioinformatics analyses showed that the most significantly down-regulated genes in KO-BMDMs were modulated by LXRα, a nuclear receptor with robust anti-inflammatory activity in macrophages. Indeed, we identified that the nuclear translocation of LXRα was disrupted in KO-BMDMs when treated with GW3965 (LXR agonist), resulting in higher levels of inflammatory cytokines, compared to GW3965-treated WT-cells. Furthermore, using chronic inflammation model of high-fat diet (HFD) feeding, we observed that infiltration of inflammatory monocytes/macrophages into KO-hearts were greatly increased and accordingly, worsened cardiac function, compared to WT-HFD controls.

Conclusion

This study defines Sectm1a as a new regulator of inflammatory-induced cardiac dysfunction through modulation of LXRα signalling in macrophages. Our data suggest that augmenting Sectm1a activity may be a potential therapeutic approach to resolve inflammation and associated cardiac dysfunction.