bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Homeostatic control of redox status and health
Authors: Sies Helmut , Ursini Fulvio
Published: July 2021

Research on oxidants and electrophiles has shifted from focusing on damage to biomolecules to the more fine‐grained physiological arena. Redox transitions as excursions from a steady‐state redox set point are continually ongoing in maintenance of redox balance. Current excitement on these topics results from the fact that recent research provided mechanistic insight, which gives rise to more concrete and differentiated questions. This Commentary focuses on redox eustress and the feedback restoration of steady state as concepts in active maintenance of physiological health, with brief discussion of redox stress response to viral infection, exemplified by COVID‐19.
Front Cover
Authors: Baulin Vladimir A. , Usson Yves , Le Guével Xavier
Published: July 2021

Deep learning methods provide a fast approach to move noninvasive infrared in vivo imaging to high resolution imaging techniques with full analyses of the vascular network.

Further details can be found in the article by Vladimir A. Baulin, Yves Usson, and Xavier Le Guével (e202100102).

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Inside Front Cover
Authors: Connolly Peter W. R. , Valli Jessica , Shah Yash D. , Altmann Yoann , Grant James , Accarino Claudio , Rickman Colin , Cumming David R. S. , Buller Gerald S.
Published: July 2021

Multispectral fluorescence imaging is performed under the laser illumination of multiple wavelengths simultaneously. A plasmonic metasurface is designed to perform colour filtering, composed of an arrangement of circular and elliptical nanoholes etched into an aluminium thin film. The resultant mosaic colour filter array is flip‐chip bonded onto a single‐photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array. High fidelity, full‐colour fluorescence images are reconstructed from as few as three photons per pixel from a variety of biological samples.

Further details can be found in the article by P.W.R. Connolly, J. Valli, Y.D. Shah, Y. Altmann, J. Grant, C. Accarino, C. Rickman, D.R.S. Cumming, and G.S. Buller (e202000505)

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Protective effect of rhaponticin on ovariectomy‐induced osteoporosis in rats
Authors: Yang Tiansong , Wang Qingyong , Qu Yuanyuan , Feng Chuwen , Li Chaoran , Yang Yan , Sun Zhongren , Alahmadi Tahani A. , Alharbi Sulaiman A. , Bao Shengyong
Published: July 2021

Rhaponticin is a constituent isolated from numerous medicinal herbs. It has been reported earlier that rhaponticin possesses numerous biological effects like antiallergic, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, and antithrombosis. The goal of this exploration was to scrutinize the therapeutic potential of rhaponticin on ovariectomy (OVX)‐triggered osteoporosis in rats. Female Sprague Dawley rats were arbitrarily allocated to a sham‐operated control group I, group II, which underwent OVX, and groups III and IV that underwent OVX were administered with rhaponticin (10 and 20 mg/kg). Rhaponticin was supplemented orally after 4 weeks of OVX and continued for about 16 weeks. Our findings exhibit that rhaponticin prevented the BMD diminution of femurs, induced by OVX, and protected the worsening of trabecular microarchitecture that are assisted through a noteworthy decline in skeletal remodeling as noticed through the diminished status of bone markers in a dose‐dependent manner (10 and 20 mg/kg). OVX rats treated with rhaponticin efficiently enhanced body weight, lipid profiles, uterine index, bone turnover markers, inflammatory markers, and augmented the incidence of calcium in the OVX rats. Rhaponticin was established to restrain the functions of acid phosphatase, estradiol, and bone gla protein in OVX rats. Also, rhaponticin displayed some beneficial effects on histomorphometric and histopathological examination. It was observed that tabular area and thickness were reinstated in sham control and rhaponticin‐treated OVX rats. We recognized that rhaponticin did not induce a damaging outcome on the skeletal organization of OVX rats. Moreover, we denote that rhaponticin can be an exceptional agent for the treatment and deal with associated bone diseases.
Effect of TPE vs medical management on patient outcomes in the setting of hypertriglyceridemia‐induced acute pancreatitis with severely elevated triglycerides
Authors: Webb Christopher B. , Leveno Mathew , Quinn Andrew M. , Burner James
Published: July 2021

Objectives

Hypertriglyceridemia‐induced acute pancreatitis (HTG‐AP) accounts for 1 to 10% of pancreatitis cases, and is associated with a more severe clinical course. Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is a potential treatment option for quickly lowering plasma triglycerides (TG). Current ASFA guidelines define HTG‐AP as a Category III disorder, indicating the role of apheresis is not firmly established. Here, we examine clinical data regarding its effectiveness on morbidity and mortality in patients with HTG‐AP presenting with severely elevated plasma triglycerides (>4000 mg/dl).

Methods

We retrospectively examined clinical data and outcomes from 67 consecutive episodes of HTG‐AP over a 5‐year period in which either medical management alone or medical management plus adjunct TPE was employed to reduce plasma triglycerides.

Results

16/67 admissions involved TPE, initiated at a mean of 0.7 days from the time of presentation, while 51 received medical management alone. After only one TPE procedure, the mean TG values decreased from 4103 to 1045 mg/dl (a reduction of 74.7%), and those receiving TPE reached plasma TG < 1000 mg/dl 0.99 days faster than the medical group. One patient in the TPE group died. However, when excluding patients with hospital courses complicated by multiple organ dysfunction, there was no significant difference in mortality or hospital length of stay (LOS) between the groups.

Conclusions

In uncomplicated cases of HTG‐AP with an absence of multiorgan dysfunction, there is no significant benefit to either mortality or LOS when adding adjunct TPE to medical management, even when patients present with severely elevated levels of TG.
Behavioral economics and safe sex: Examining condom use decisions from a reinforcer pathology framework
Authors: Harsin Joshua D. , Gelino Brett W. , Strickland Justin C. , Johnson Matthew W. , Berry Meredith S. , Reed Derek D.
Published: July 2021

Condom use substantially reduces unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. While condom availability is a significant public health priority, effects of condom availability constraints remain relatively under‐researched. The limited research on condom availability suggests two major barriers to use: (1) effort/costs and (2) delay to access. To date, we are aware of no study that explores both demand for and discounting of condom availability; the focus of this study was to account for condom decisions using a reinforcement pathology framework. This study used a condom purchase task and the Sexual Delay Discounting Task to quantify behavioral economics of condom use. Low sexual discounting was associated with higher willingness to engage unprotected sex. Demand metrics suggest participants indicating abstinence at condom breakpoint were willing to pay nearly double for condoms relative to individuals indicating unprotected sex at breakpoint. Finally, we grouped participants into reinforcement pathology risk groups based on their discounting and demand indices; these groups significantly differed in self‐reported number of sexual partners, unprotected sexual partners, and Sexual Desire scores. This study demonstrates the value of behavioral economic approaches to public health concerns, and further underscores the translational benefits of quantitative metrics to shed novel light on risky health decisions.
Gastric antral vascular ectasia in hepatitis C virus related liver cirrhosis: Fetching for predictors
Authors: Fouad Magdy , Khalaf Fath‐Elbab Hanaa , Mostafa Alaa Mohamed , Moness Hend M , Adel Nashwa Mohamed , Ahmed Elham
Published: July 2021

Background and Aim

Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) is observed in patients with liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension. The exact pathophysiologic mechanism that underlies this condition is unknown. In our study, we estimate the prevalence of GAVE in hepatitis C virus (HCV) cirrhosis and attempted to determine if any of the hepatocellular manifestations, liver functions, serum gastrin, abdominal ultrasound and endoscopic picture have a relation to, or could predict, the occurrence of GAVE in cirrhotic patients.

Methods

This study includes 500 HCV‐related liver cirrhosis patients. According to endoscopic assessment, we detected 30 patients with GAVE (Group 2). From the 470 patients without GAVE, we randomly selected 120 patients (Group 1), to avoid statistical bias, for comparison with Group 2. Comparison included clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, serum gastrin, ultrasound findings, and endoscopic findings (esophageal and/or gastric varices and gastropathy).

Results

The percentage of GAVE in HCV‐related liver cirrhosis is 0.06%. We can predict GAVE by platelets, palmer erythema, diabetes mellitus (DM), marked ascites > with area under the curve of 0.67, 75.5, 0.62, and 0.40%, and accuracy of 82.5, 72, 70.7, and 79.3%, respectively. There was no correlation found between occurrence of GAVE and endoscopic findings. Also, there was no correlation found between occurrence of GAVE and serum gastrin levels, which reflect another pathophysiology, and we found no statistically significant correlation with GAVE.

Conclusions

Palmer erythema, low platelets, DM, and ascites might help in the prediction of GAVE. GAVE is not linked to the presence, type or grade of varices, and gastropathy.
Removal of partial Fourier‐induced Gibbs (RPG) ringing artifacts in MRI
Authors: Lee Hong‐Hsi , Novikov Dmitry S. , Fieremans Els
Published: July 2021

Purpose

To investigate and remove Gibbs‐ringing artifacts caused by partial Fourier (PF) acquisition and zero filling interpolation in MRI data.

Theory and Methods

Gibbs ringing of fully sampled data, leading to oscillations around tissue boundaries, is caused by the symmetric truncation of k‐space. Such ringing can be removed by conventional methods, with the local subvoxel shifts method being the state‐of‐the‐art. However, the asymmetric truncation of k‐space in routinely used PF acquisitions leads to additional ringings of wider intervals in the PF sampling dimension that cannot be corrected solely based on magnitude images reconstructed via zero filling. Here, we develop a pipeline for the Removal of PF‐induced Gibbs ringing (RPG) to remove ringing patterns of different periods by applying the conventional method twice. The proposed pipeline is validated on numerical phantoms, demonstrated on in vivo diffusion MRI measurements, and compared with the conventional method and neural network‐based approach.

Results

For PF = 7/8 and 6/8, Gibbs‐ringings and subsequent bias in diffusion metrics induced by PF acquisition and zero filling are robustly removed by using the proposed RPG pipeline. For PF = 5/8, however, ringing removal via RPG leads to excessive image blurring due to the interplay of image phase and convolution kernel.

Conclusions

RPG corrects Gibbs‐ringing artifacts in magnitude images of PF acquired data and reduces the bias in quantitative MR metrics. Considering the benefit of PF acquisition and the feasibility of ringing removal, we suggest applying PF = 6/8 when PF acquisition is necessary.
Image‐ versus histogram‐based considerations in semantic segmentation of pulmonary hyperpolarized gas images
Authors: Tustison Nicholas J. , Altes Talissa A. , Qing Kun , He Mu , Miller G. Wilson , Avants Brian B. , Shim Yun M. , Gee James C. , Mugler John P. , Mata Jaime F.
Published: July 2021

Purpose

To characterize the differences between histogram‐based and image‐based algorithms for segmentation of hyperpolarized gas lung images.

Methods

Four previously published histogram‐based segmentation algorithms (ie, linear binning, hierarchical k‐means, fuzzy spatial c‐means, and a Gaussian mixture model with a Markov random field prior) and an image‐based convolutional neural network were used to segment 2 simulated data sets derived from a public (n = 29 subjects) and a retrospective collection (n = 51 subjects) of hyperpolarized 129Xe gas lung images transformed by common MRI artifacts (noise and nonlinear intensity distortion). The resulting ventilation‐based segmentations were used to assess algorithmic performance and characterize optimization domain differences in terms of measurement bias and precision.

Results

Although facilitating computational processing and providing discriminating clinically relevant measures of interest, histogram‐based segmentation methods discard important contextual spatial information and are consequently less robust in terms of measurement precision in the presence of common MRI artifacts relative to the image‐based convolutional neural network.

Conclusions

Direct optimization within the image domain using convolutional neural networks leverages spatial information, which mitigates problematic issues associated with histogram‐based approaches and suggests a preferred future research direction. Further, the entire processing and evaluation framework, including the newly reported deep learning functionality, is available as open source through the well‐known Advanced Normalization Tools ecosystem.
Simplified geotechnical rheological model for simulating viscoelasto‐plastic response of ballasted railway substructure
Authors: Punetha Piyush , Nimbalkar Sanjay , Khabbaz Hadi
Published: July 2021

A proper understanding of the mechanical behaviour of the substructure layers is crucial for optimising the design and performance of a ballasted railway track. The recent advent of high‐speed trains and heavy haul freight wagons has heightened this need more than ever. The accurate prediction of the long‐term performance of the railway tracks under increased speed and loads still remains an intriguing challenge for researchers and design engineers. In this context, the present paper proposes a simplified geotechnical rheological model to evaluate the viscoelasto‐plastic response of the track substructure layers. The proposed approach combines plastic slider, elastic springs and viscous dampers to predict the transient response during a train passage, and the irrecoverable deformation accumulated in the track substructure over an operational period. The model simulates tri‐layered substructure (ballast, subballast, and subgrade) in comparison with existing rheological approaches employing either single or dual‐layered substructure. The model is validated against the field data published in the literature. An acceptable agreement between the predicted results and the field data verifies the accuracy of the model. Parametric investigations are conducted to study the influence of train and track parameters on the cumulative track deformation. The results demonstrate the enhanced capability of the rheological model to adequately capture the crucial effects of axle load, train speed and thickness of granular layers on the accumulation of track settlement. The proposed method can provide an effective tool for the practising engineers for quick prediction of changes to the geometry of railway tracks over their operational periods.
Energy related ion transports in coordination polymers
Authors: Li Jinli , Yi Mao , Zhang Laiyu , You Zifeng , Liu Xiongli , Li* Baiyan
Published: July 2021

Coordination polymers (CPs), as emerging crystalline porous materials, have exhibited intriguing and promising performance in energy applications for various ion transports including proton, hydroxide, and alkali metal ions. Their advantageous features of high designabilities, stabilities, tunable pore sizes, and adjustable functional sites are beneficial for ion transports. More importantly, these features also exhibit important merits for adjusting ion concentration and enhancing the mobility of carriers in practical applications. To further explore the relationship between chemical structures and transport behaviors, we present an overview of the advancements of CPs as ion conductors in the past two decades in terms of dimensionalities. In this review, we would also discuss the fundamental strategies for enhancing energy ion transfer performance. Furthermore, the challenging issues and future prospects in this area would be also elaborated.
Prescription Opioids Dispensed to Patients with Cancer with Bone Metastasis: 2011–2017
Authors: Zhang Hao , Paice Judith , Portenoy Russell , Bruera Eduardo , Reid M. Carrington , Bao Yuhua
Published: July 2021

Opioid therapy is a first-line approach for moderate-to-severe pain associated with cancer with bone metastasis (CBM). The decade-long decline in opioid prescribing in the U.S. would not be expected to affect patients with CBM. We investigated trends in opioids dispensed to patients with CBM using data from a large commercial claims database. From 2011 quarter 2 to 2017 quarter 4, the percentage of patients with CBM prescribed at least 1 day of opioids in a quarter declined from 28.1% to 24.5% (p < .001) for privately insured patients aged 18–64 years and from 39.1% to 30.5% (p < .001) for Medicare Advantage (MA) patients aged 65 years or older. Among patients with at least 1 day of opioids in a quarter, the average morphine milligram equivalents dispensed declined by 37% and 11% (p < .001 for both) for privately insured and MA patients, respectively. Our findings raise concerns about potential unintended consequences related to population-level reduction in opioid prescribing.
Study on novel rosin‐based polyurethane reactive hot melt adhesive
Authors: Xie Weidi , Yan Qiming , Fu Heqing
Published: July 2021

Chain extender is a major additive in polyurethane adhesive preparation, which has a great influence on its molecular weight, green strength, and thermal resistance. In this work, we first synthesized a novel rosin‐based chain extender to replace conventional petroleum derived ones due to rosin was a renewable and low cost natural material. Afterward, the as‐prepared rosin‐based chain extender reacted with the isocyanate‐terminated polyurethane prepolymer to prepare polyurethane reactive hot melt adhesive (PURHMA). Rosin contains rigid hydrophenanthrene ring, which may have good effect on the thermal and mechanical properties of PURHMA. Consequently, the characterization of the thermal and physical properties of sustainable PURHMA was made using differential scanning calorimetry, X‐ray diffraction, dynamic mechanical thermal analyzer, as well as thermogravimetric analysis. Eventually, the adhesion performance of PURHMA on wood substrates were investigated by adjusting the amount of rosin‐based chain extender in the adhesive system. It was found that with the increase of the chain extender content, the thermal resistance, mechanical property, and adhesion property of PURHMA were significantly improved. The tensile strength of adhesive joints increased from 4.15 to 15.53 MPa, and the ultimate lap shear strength increased from 5.76 to 8.92 MPa. More strikingly, the rosin‐based PURHMA exhibited excellent bonding strength even after aging in water (less than 18%).
Fabrication of a Fluorophore/Liquid‐Crystal‐Based Oligopeptide Biosensor for the Detection of Cu (II) Ions
Authors: Amin Noor ul , Kun‐Lin Yang , Majeed Nasir , Siddiqi Humaira Masood
Published: July 2021

A new sensing methodology has been developed for the detection of Cu(II) ions in water by using biotinylated oligopeptide as a probe whereas liquid crystal (LC) and fluorophore were used as signal reporters. The multidentate oligopeptide ligand was used to investigate Cu(II) as a model metal ion.  The alkyl terminal group of the coated dimethyl octadecyl [3‐(trimethoxysilyl) propyl] ammonium chloride (DMOAP) was first activated to aldehydic functional group by UV irridiation for 50 seconds. The activated aldehydic functional group was covalent linked with biotinylated oligopeptide via thiolation reaction. As fabricated oligopeptide probe spotted with metal ions was incubated for 30 minutes and followed by tagging with streptavidin‐cyanine‐3 as a fluorophore. Polarized optical microscopy (POM) and fluorescence microarray scanner (FMS) were used as characterization techniques. The developed sensing methodology results were reproducible for different concentrations of model Cu (II) ions as confirmed from the characterization techniques. Our methodology highlighted the detection of Cu(II) ions in water as low as 100 nM, and is the lowest concentration so far reported.
A Colorimetric and Long‐Wavelength “Turn‐On” Fluorescent Probe for Copper Ions Detection with High Selectivity and Sensitivity
Authors: Zeng Xiaodan , Gao Song , Jiang Cheng , Jin Xing , Ma Mingshuo , Liu Zhigang , Chen Jie
Published: July 2021

In this paper, a seminaphthorhodafluor‐based colorimetric and fluorescent probe with the picolinate moiety as a recognition receptor was designed and simply synthesized by a one‐step reaction. The probe was utilized as a long‐wavelength “turn‐on” fluorescent indicator for Cu2+ with high selectivity in the aqueous solution. In addition, the color of probe solution changed from nearly colorless to purple in the presence of Cu2+, and thus the probe could be used as a colorimetric indicator for Cu2+. Furthermore, the linear detection range of Cu2+ was 0–2 μM and the limit of detection (LOD) for detecting Cu2+ was calculated to be 52 nM. These results suggest that this probe has high sensitivity toward Cu2+. Importantly, this probe has been successfully applied to detect Cu2+ in real water samples. Also, the probe can image intracellular Cu2+ through laser confocal fluorescence microscope.
Repeated parallel losses of inflexed stamens in Moraceae: Phylogenomics and generic revision of the tribe Moreae and the reinstatement of the tribe Olmedieae (Moraceae)
Authors: Gardner Elliot M. , Garner Mira , Cowan Robyn , Dodsworth Steven , Epitawalage Niroshini , Arifiani Deby , Sahromi  , Baker William J. , Forest Felix , Maurin Olivier , Zerega Nyree J.C. , Monro Alexandre K. , Hipp Andrew L.
Published: July 2021

We present a densely sampled phylogenomic study of the mulberry tribe (Moreae, Moraceae), an economically important clade with a global distribution, revealing multiple losses of inflexed stamens, a character traditionally used to circumscribe Moreae. Inflexed stamens facilitate ballistic pollen release and are associated with wind pollination, and the results presented here suggest that losses of this character state may have evolved repeatedly in Moraceae. Neither Moreae nor several of its major genera (Morus, Streblus, Trophis) were found to be monophyletic. A revised system for a monophyletic Moreae is presented, including the reinstatement of the genera Ampalis, Maillardia, Taxotrophis, and Paratrophis, and the recognition of the new genus Afromorus. Pseudostreblus is reinstated and transferred to the Parartocarpeae, and Sloetiopsis is reinstated and transferred to the Dorstenieae. The tribe Olmedieae is reinstated, replacing the Castilleae, owing to the reinstatement of the type Olmedia and its exclusion from Moreae. Streblus s.str. is excluded from Moreae and transferred to the Olmedieae, which is characterized primarily by involucrate inflorescences without regard to stamen position. Nine new combinations are made.
The pangenome of banana highlights differences between genera and genomes
Authors: Rijzaani Habib , Bayer Philipp E. , Rouard Mathieu , Doležel Jaroslav , Batley Jacqueline , Edwards David
Published: July 2021

Banana (Musaceae family) has a complex genetic history and includes a genus Musa with a variety of cultivated clones with edible fruits, Ensete species that are grown for their edible corm, and monospecific Musella whose generic status has been questioned. The most commonly exported banana cultivars belong to Cavendish, a subgroup of Musa triploid cultivars, which is under threat by fungal pathogens, though there are also related species M. balbisiana Colla (B genome), M. textilis Née (T genome), and M. schizocarpa N. W. Simmonds (S genome), along with hybrids of these genomes, which potentially host genes of agronomic interest. Here we present the first cross‐genus pangenome of banana, which contains representatives of the Musa and Ensete genera. Clusters based on gene presence–absence variation (PAV) clearly separate Musa and Ensete, while Musa is split further based on species. These results present the first pangenome study across genus boundaries and identifies genes that differentiate between Musaceae species, information that may support breeding programs in these crops.
RNA methyltransferase METTL16: Targets and function
Authors: Satterwhite Emily R. , Mansfield Kyle D.
Published: July 2021

The N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methyltransferase METTL16 is an emerging player in the RNA modification landscape of the human cell. Originally thought to be a ribosomal RNA methyltransferase, it has now been shown to bind and methylate the MAT2A messenger RNA (mRNA) and U6 small nuclear RNA (snRNA). It has also been shown to bind the MALAT1 long noncoding RNA and several other RNAs. METTL16's methyltransferase domain contains the Rossmann‐like fold of class I methyltransferases and uses S‐adenosylmethionine (SAM) as the methyl donor. It has an RNA methylation consensus sequence of UACAGARAA (modified A underlined), and structural requirements for its known RNA interactors. In addition to the methyltransferase domain, METTL16 protein has two other RNA binding domains, one of which resides in a vertebrate conserved region, and a putative nuclear localization signal. The role of METTL16 in the cell is still being explored, however evidence suggests it is essential for most cells. This is currently hypothesized to be due to its role in regulating the splicing of MAT2A mRNA in response to cellular SAM levels. However, one of the more pressing questions remaining is what role METTL16's methylation of U6 snRNA plays in splicing and potentially cellular survival. METTL16 also has several other putative coding and noncoding RNA interactors but the definitive methylation status of those RNAs and the role METTL16 plays in their life cycle is yet to be determined. Overall, METTL16 is an intriguing RNA binding protein and methyltransferase whose important functions in the cell are just beginning to be understood.

This article is categorized under:

RNA Processing > RNA Editing and Modification

RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > RNA‐Protein Complexes
Rapid Assessment Indicates Context‐Dependent Mitigation for Amphibian Disease Risk
Authors: Bernard Riley F. , Grant Evan H. Campbell
Published: July 2021

Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans(Bsal) is a fungal pathogen that can cause the emerging infectious diseaseBsalchytridiomycosis in some amphibians and is currently causing dramatic declines in European urodeles. To date,Bsalhas not been detected in North America but has the potential to cause severe declines in naïve hosts if introduced. Therefore, it is critical that wildlife managers are prepared with effective management actions to combat the fungus. Research has been initiated to identify strategies; however, managers need guidance to prepare for an outbreak until results are available. We conducted a workshop at the Joint Meeting of The Wildlife Society and American Fisheries Society on 30 September 2019 with participants of aBsalsymposium. Our goals were to describe the expected effects of 11 management actions that could be implemented forBsalin salamander communities in the northwestern, northeastern, and southeastern United States. Participants expected a variety of proposed management actions to decrease pathogen transmission and increase host survival, but also that the selection of a management action may depend on the specific membership of the amphibian community. Collectively, our assessment will help refine research and modeling priorities in an effort to mitigate the risk ofBsalto native U.S. amphibians. © 2021 The Wildlife Society. This article has been contributed to by US Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.
The first law of heterotic stringy black hole mechanics at zeroth order in α′
Authors: Elgood Zachary , Mitsios Dimitrios , Ortín Tomás , Pereñíguez David
Published: July 2021

Abstract

We prove the first law of black hole mechanics in the context of the Heterotic Superstring effective action compactified on a torus to leading order in α′, using Wald’s formalism, covariant Lie derivatives and momentum maps. The Kalb-Ramond field strength of this theory has Abelian Chern-Simons terms which induce Nicolai-Townsend transformations of the Kalb-Ramond field. We show how to deal with all these gauge symmetries deriving the first law in terms of manifestly gauge-invariant quantities. In presence of Chern-Simons terms, several definitions of the conserved charges exist, but the formalism picks up only one of them to play a role in the first law. We study explicitly a non-extremal, charged, black ring solution of pure $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 1, d = 5 supergravity embedded in the Heterotic Superstring effective field theory.

This work is a first step towards the derivation of the first law at first order in α′ where, more complicated, non-Abelian, Lorentz (“gravitational”) and Yang-Mills Chern-Simons terms are included in the Kalb-Ramond field strength. The derivation of a first law is a necessary step towards the derivation of a manifestly gauge-invariant entropy formula which is still lacking in the literature. In its turn, this entropy formula is needed to compare unambiguously macroscopic and microscopic black hole entropies.
Reparameterization dependence is useful for holographic complexity
Authors: Mounim Ayoub , Mück Wolfgang
Published: July 2021

Abstract

Holographic complexity in the “complexity equals action” approach is reconsidered relaxing the requirement of reparameterization invariance of the action with the prescription that the action vanish in any static, vacuum causal diamond. This implies that vacuum anti-de Sitter space plays the role of the reference state. Moreover, the complexity of an anti-de Sitter-Schwarzschild black hole becomes intrinsically finite and saturates Lloyd’s bound after a critical time. It is also argued that several artifacts, such as the unphysical negative-time interval, can be removed by truly considering the bulk dual of the thermofield double state.
Black hole S-matrix for a scalar field
Authors: Betzios Panos , Gaddam Nava , Papadoulaki Olga
Published: July 2021

Abstract

We describe a unitary scattering process, as observed from spatial infinity, of massless scalar particles on an asymptotically flat Schwarzschild black hole background. In order to do so, we split the problem in two different regimes governing the dynamics of the scattering process. The first describes the evolution of the modes in the region away from the horizon and can be analysed in terms of the effective Regge-Wheeler potential. In the near horizon region, where the Regge-Wheeler potential becomes insignificant, the WKB geometric optics approximation of Hawking’s is replaced by the near-horizon gravitational scattering matrix that captures non-perturbative soft graviton exchanges near the horizon. We perform an appropriate matching for the scattering solutions of these two dynamical problems and compute the resulting Bogoliubov relations, that combines both dynamics. This allows us to formulate an S-matrix for the scattering process that is manifestly unitary. We discuss the analogue of the (quasi)-normal modes in this setup and the emergence of gravitational echoes that follow an original burst of radiation as the excited black hole relaxes to equilibrium.
Dynamical Grooming meets LHC data
Authors: Caucal Paul , Soto-Ontoso Alba , Takacs Adam
Published: July 2021

Abstract

In this work, we analyse the all-orders resummation structure of the momentum sharing fraction, zg, opening angle, θg, and relative transverse momentum, kt,g, of the splitting tagged by the Dynamical Grooming procedure in hadronic collisions. We demonstrate that their resummation does non-exponentiate and it is free of clustering logarithms. Then, we analytically compute the probability distributions of (zg, θg, kt,g) up to next-to-next-to-double logarithm accuracy (N2DL) in the narrow jet limit, including a matching to leading order in αs. On the phenomenological side, we perform an analytic-to-parton level comparison with Pythia and Herwig. We find that differences between the analytic and the Monte-Carlo results are dominated by the infra-red regulator of the parton shower. Further, we present the first analytic comparison to preliminary ALICE data and highlight the role of non-perturbative corrections in such low-pt regime. Once the analytic result is corrected by a phenomenologically determined non-perturbative factor, we find very good agreement with the data.
Sensing, signaling and surviving mitochondrial stress
Authors: Eckl Eva-Maria , Ziegemann Olga , Krumwiede Luisa , Fessler Evelyn , Jae Lucas T.
Published: July 2021

Mitochondrial fidelity is a key determinant of longevity and was found to be perturbed in a multitude of disease contexts ranging from neurodegeneration to heart failure. Tight homeostatic control of the mitochondrial proteome is a crucial aspect of mitochondrial function, which is severely complicated by the evolutionary origin and resulting peculiarities of the organelle. This is, on one hand, reflected by a range of basal quality control factors such as mitochondria-resident chaperones and proteases, that assist in import and folding of precursors as well as removal of aggregated proteins. On the other hand, stress causes the activation of several additional mechanisms that counteract any damage that may threaten mitochondrial function. Countermeasures depend on the location and intensity of the stress and on a range of factors that are equipped to sense and signal the nature of the encountered perturbation. Defective mitochondrial import activates mechanisms that combat the accumulation of precursors in the cytosol and the import pore. To resolve proteotoxic stress in the organelle interior, mitochondria depend on nuclear transcriptional programs, such as the mitochondrial unfolded protein response and the integrated stress response. If organelle damage is too severe, mitochondria signal for their own destruction in a process termed mitophagy, thereby preventing further harm to the mitochondrial network and allowing the cell to salvage their biological building blocks. Here, we provide an overview of how different types and intensities of stress activate distinct pathways aimed at preserving mitochondrial fidelity.
Over one third of patients with symptomatic femoroacetabular impingement display femoral or acetabular version abnormalities
Authors: Arshad Zaki , Maughan Henry David , Sunil Kumar Karadi Hari , Pettit Matthew , Arora Arvind , Khanduja Vikas
Published: July 2021

Purpose

The aim of this study was investigate the relationship between version and torsional abnormalities of the acetabulum, femur and tibia in patients with symptomatic FAI.

Methods

A systematic review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines using the EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed and Cochrane databases. Original research articles evaluating the described version and torsional parameters in FAI were included. The MINORS criteria were used to appraise study quality and risk of bias. Mean version and torsion values were displayed using forest plots and the estimated proportion of hips displaying abnormalities in version/torsion were calculated.

Results

A total of 1206 articles were identified from the initial search, with 43 articles, involving 8861 hips, meeting the inclusion criteria. All studies evaluating femoral or acetabular version in FAI reported ‘normal’ mean version values (10–25 °). However, distribution analysis revealed that an estimated 31% and 51% of patients with FAI displayed abnormal central acetabular and femoral version, respectively.

Conclusion

Up to 51% of patients presenting with symptomatic FAI show an abnormal femoral version, whilst up to 31% demonstrate abnormal acetabular version. This high percentage of version abnormalities highlights the importance of evaluating these parameters routinely during assessment of patients with FAI, to guide clinical decision-making.

Level of evidence

IV.
Do multinational firms respond to personal dividend income tax rates?
Authors: Eklund M. Jonathan C.
Published: July 2021

This study examines the effect of investor-level income taxes on profit repatriation and dividend payout policies of multinational firms. The empirical estimations include two million firm-year observations in 130 countries. By augmenting the Lintner model of dividend payments, I employ parametric as well as semiparametric techniques to provide evidence that income taxes on dividends neither alter dividend payments to investors nor within-firm dividend payments. These results remain robust to a wide range of alternative specifications.
Odd-dimensional orbifolds with all geodesics closed are covered by manifolds
Authors: Amann Manuel , Lange Christian , Radeschi Marco
Published: July 2021

Manifolds all of whose geodesics are closed have been studied a lot, but there are only few examples known. The situation is different if one allows in addition for orbifold singularities. We show, nevertheless, that the abundance of new examples is restricted to even dimensions. As one key ingredient we provide a characterization of orientable manifolds among orientable orbifolds in terms of characteristic classes.
Comparison of swept-source versus spectral-domain optical coherence tomography angiography for detection of macular neovascularization
Authors: Lentzsch Anna , Schöllhorn Laura , Schnorr Christel , Siggel Robert , Liakopoulos Sandra
Published: July 2021

Purpose

To compare swept-source (SS) versus spectral-domain (SD) optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) for the detection of macular neovascularization (MNV).

Methods

In this prospective cohort study, 72 eyes of 54 patients with subretinal hyperreflective material (SHRM) and/or pigment epithelial detachment (PED) on OCT possibly corresponding to MNV in at least one eye were included. OCTA scans were acquired using two devices, the PLEX Elite 9000 SS-OCTA and the Spectralis SD-OCTA. Fluorescein angiography (FA) was used as reference. Two graders independently evaluated en face OCTA images using a preset slab as well as a manually modified slab, followed by a combination of en face and cross-sectional OCTA.

Results

Sensitivity (specificity) for the automated slabs was 51.7% (93.0%) for SS-OCTA versus 58.6% (95.3%) for SD-OCTA. Manual modification of segmentation increased sensitivity to 79.3% for SS-OCTA but not for SD-OCTA (58.6%). The combination of en face OCTA with cross-sectional OCTA reached highest sensitivity values (SS-OCTA: 82.8%, SD-OCTA: 86.2%), and lowest number of cases with discrepancies between SS-OCTA and SD-OCTA (4.2%). Fleiss kappa as measure of concordance between FA, SS-OCTA, and SD-OCTA was 0.56 for the automated slabs, 0.60 for the manual slabs, and 0.73 (good agreement) for the combination of en face OCTA with cross-sectional OCTA. Concordance to FA was moderate for the automated slabs and good for manual slabs and combination with cross-sectional OCTA of both devices.

Conclusion

Both devices reached comparable results regarding the detection of MNV on OCTA. Sensitivity for MNV detection and agreement between devices was best when evaluating a combination of en face and cross-sectional OCTA.
Highly pleiotropic variants of human traits are enriched in genomic regions with strong background selection
Authors: Novo Irene , López-Cortegano Eugenio , Caballero Armando
Published: July 2021

Recent studies have shown the ubiquity of pleiotropy for variants affecting human complex traits. These studies also show that rare variants tend to be less pleiotropic than common ones, suggesting that purifying natural selection acts against highly pleiotropic variants of large effect. Here, we investigate the mean frequency, effect size and recombination rate associated with pleiotropic variants, and focus particularly on whether highly pleiotropic variants are enriched in regions with putative strong background selection. We evaluate variants for 41 human traits using data from the NHGRI-EBI GWAS Catalog, as well as data from other three studies. Our results show that variants involving a higher degree of pleiotropy tend to be more common, have larger mean effect sizes, and contribute more to heritability than variants with a lower degree of pleiotropy. This is consistent with the fact that variants of large effect and frequency are more likely detected by GWAS. Using data from four different studies, we also show that more pleiotropic variants are enriched in genome regions with stronger background selection than less pleiotropic variants, suggesting that highly pleiotropic variants are subjected to strong purifying selection. From the above results, we hypothesized that a number of highly pleiotropic variants of low effect/frequency may pass undetected by GWAS.
Lithofacies and eruptive conditions of the southernmost volcanoes in the world (87° S)
Authors: Smellie J. L. , Panter K. S.
Published: July 2021

Neogene volcanic centres are uncommon in the Transantarctic Mountains but at least three basaltic examples occur within 300 km of South Pole, above 2200 m asl and inland of the margin of the West Antarctic Rift System. They are the southernmost volcanoes on Earth and have yielded Early—mid Miocene isotopic ages. Two of the centres, at Mt Early and Sheridan Bluff, have been examined. The centre at Mt Early is unequivocally glaciovolcanic. It formed a tall monogenetic volcanic edifice at least 1 km high and > 1.5 km in diameter. It erupted under significantly thicker-than-modern ice, which was probably a fast-moving ice stream at the eruptive site and resulted in a distinctive constructive architecture and lithofacies. It is the first described example of a glaciovolcano erupted beneath an ice stream. The characteristics of the second centre at Sheridan Bluff indicate that it was also a monogenetic volcano but with a shield-like profile, originally c. 6 km in basal diameter but just c. 400 m high. It probably erupted in a substantial pluvial lake in an ice-poor or ice-free environment. The strongly contrasting eruptive settings now identified by the volcanic sequences at both centres examined testify to a highly dynamic Antarctic Ice Sheet during the Early—mid Miocene.
Indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescent cholangiography during laparoscopic cholecystectomy using RUBINA™ technology: preliminary experience in two pediatric surgery centers
Authors: Esposito Ciro , Alberti Daniele , Settimi Alessandro , Pecorelli Silvia , Boroni Giovanni , Montanaro Beatrice , Escolino Maria
Published: July 2021

Background

Recently, we reported the feasibility of indocyanine green (ICG) near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging to identify extrahepatic biliary anatomy during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in pediatric patients. This paper aimed to describe the use of a new technology, RUBINA™, to perform intra-operative ICG fluorescent cholangiography (FC) in pediatric LC.

Methods

During the last year, ICG-FC was performed during LC using the new technology RUBINA™ in two pediatric surgery units. The ICG dosage was 0.35 mg/Kg and the median timing of administration was 15.6 h prior to surgery. Patient baseline, intra-operative details, rate of biliary anatomy identification, utilization ease, and surgical outcomes were assessed.

Results

Thirteen patients (11 girls), with median age at surgery of 12.9 years, underwent LC using the new RUBINA™ technology. Six patients (46.1%) had associated comorbidities and five (38.5%) were practicing drug therapy. Pre-operative workup included ultrasound (n = 13) and cholangio-MRI (n = 5), excluding biliary and/or vascular anatomical anomalies. One patient needed conversion to open surgery and was excluded from the study. The median operative time was 96.9 min (range 55–180). Technical failure of intra-operative ICG-NIRF visualization occurred in 2/12 patients (16.7%). In the other cases, ICG-NIRF allowed to identify biliary/vascular anatomic anomalies in 4/12 (33.3%), including Moynihan's hump of the right hepatic artery (n = 1), supravescicular bile duct (n = 1), and short cystic duct (n = 2). No allergic or adverse reactions to ICG, post-operative complications, or reoperations were reported.

Conclusion

Our preliminary experience suggested that the new RUBINA™ technology was very effective to perform ICG-FC during LC in pediatric patients. The advantages of this technology include the possibility to overlay the ICG-NIRF data onto the standard white light image and provide surgeons a constant fluorescence imaging of the target anatomy to assess position of critical biliary structures or presence of anatomical anomalies and safely perform the operation.
Development of a one-item version of the Orofacial Esthetic Scale
Authors: Bela Andela Stephanie , Lamprecht Ragna , John Mike T. , Pattanaik Swaha , Reissmann Daniel R.
Published: July 2021

Objectives

Orofacial appearance is increasingly recognized as an important dental patient-reported outcome making instrument development and refinement efforts to measure the outcome better necessary. The aim of this study was to derive a one-item version of the Orofacial Esthetic Scale (OES).

Materials and methods

OES data were collected from a consecutive sample of a total of 2113 adult English- or Spanish-speaking dental patients from HealthPartners dental clinic in Minnesota. Participants with missing data were excluded and analysis were performed using data from 2012 participants. Orofacial appearance was assessed with the English and the Spanish language version of the OES. Linear regression analysis was performed, with the OES item 8 (“Overall, how do you feel about the appearance of your face, your mouth, and your teeth?”) as the predictor variable and the OES summary score as the criterion variable, to calculate the adjusted coefficients of determination (R2).

Results

The value of adjusted R2 was 0.83, indicating that the OES item 8 score explained about 83% of the variance of the OES summary score. The difference in R2 scores between the two language groups was negligible.

Conclusion

The OES item 8 can be used for the one-item OES (OES-1). It is a psychometrically sound instrument for measuring orofacial appearance.

Clinical relevance

Due to its easy application and sufficient psychometric properties, the OES-1 can be used effectively as an alternative to longer OES instruments in all areas of dental practice and research.
Identifikation von Fahrertypen im Kontext des automatisierten Fahrens
Authors: Schlüter Jan , Hellmann Marco , Weyer Johannes
Published: July 2021

Im Straßenverkehr existieren unterschiedliche Konzepte zur Identifikation von Fahrertypen, die sich hinsichtlich Fahrverhalten und Einstellung zum Fahren unterscheiden. Im Rahmen der Automatisierung von Fahraufgaben gilt es zu überprüfen, wie diese Konzepte an die Herausforderungen veränderter Mensch-Maschine-Interaktion angepasst werden müssen und ob sich neuartige Fahrertypen identifizieren lassen. Auf Basis bestehender Typisierungen aus der Verkehrspsychologie sowie Erkenntnissen der Automationsforschung werden dazu die Konzepte des „Driving Style“ und „Driving Skill“ weiterentwickelt, um Fahrertypen im Kontext des automatisierten Fahrens zu identifizieren. In einer großzahligen Online-Umfrage wurden drei Fahrertypen identifiziert, die sich insbesondere hinsichtlich ihrer Einstellung zum automatisierten Fahren unterscheiden. In einer experimentellen Studie im Fahrsimulator kann anschließend gezeigt werden, dass diese Fahrertypen die Automation im Fahrzeug jeweils anders erleben und daher differenzierte Ansprüche an diese richten. Insgesamt deuten die Studienergebnisse darauf hin, dass die Akzeptanz des automatisierten Fahrens durch nutzergerechte Technik gefördert werden könnte. Die Ergebnisse dienen dazu, die jeweiligen Fahrertypen, ihre Einstellungen und ihre Nutzungspräferenzen im Kontext des automatisierten Fahrens besser zu verstehen und erste Ansatzpunkte für deren Berücksichtigung in der adaptiven Technikentwicklung zu identifizieren.