bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A preliminary assessment of the space‐for‐time substitution method in soil carbon change prediction
Authors: Yang Ren‐Min , Zhu Chang‐Ming , Zhang Xin , Huang Lai‐Ming
Published: December 2021

Prediction of the soil C response to environmental change is often limited by the absence of temporal soil monitoring data from which applicable models can be developed. This constrains the understanding of the processes governing soil C cycling in data‐poor areas. Here, we demonstrate a method to predict soil organic C (SOC) change over time based on the space‐for‐time (SFT) substitution method by constructing spatial and temporal datasets of SOC change from soil datasets pertaining to four periods over the past 40 yr in China. We empirically test the assumption that environmental drivers of the spatial gradients of SOC variation also drive SOC change over time. We find that the accuracy of SOC change predictions obtained with the SFT method is comparable to that of predictions directly obtained with temporal models, with the prediction performance ranging from 86 to 118%. Our results generally support the application of the SFT method to model SOC dynamics over time and highlight the importance of this method to better understand soil C cycling in ecosystems associated with insufficient soil monitoring data. Our findings provide a priori guidance for the suitability of the SFT method as an approach to infer the soil C response to environmental change.
Synthesis and Primary Biological Evaluation of Triazole‐Modified Picroside II Compounds
Authors: Yang Bin , Kong Yuanfang , Hu Yulong , Zhuang Yan , Wang Ning , Zhang Jingyu , Cai Juntao , Dong Chunhong
Published: December 2021

Picroside II, an iridoid glycoside, has anti‐cancer, anti‐virus, anti‐apoptotic, nervous and myocardial protection effects and so on. However, the oral bioavailability of Picroside II is low, and the half‐life in vivo is short, so it is limited to use in clinic. Triazole is a highly stable heterocyclic ring, which can be interacted with various enzymes or receptors in the organism through non‐covalent interactions, and many of its good pharmacological activities in vitro and in vivo have been reported. Based on the advantages of triazole and Picroside II, a series of triazole‐modified Picroside II derivatives (5 a–5 i) were synthesized by using drug combination principles for the first time. The structures were confirmed by different spectroscopic techniques including 1H NMR, 13C NMR and HRMS, and the primary biological evaluation of anti‐breast cancer, anti‐colorectal cancer, the effect on SARS‐CoV‐2 3CLpro inhibitor, and CD47‐SIRPα protein were screened as well. Compound 5 e has anti‐breast cancer activity, and compounds 3 and 5 i have anti‐colorectal cancer activity.
Pillararene‐Based Nanochannels for Para‐Xylene Separation from Xylene Isomers
Authors: Yi Fan , Tao Mingjie , Zhang Siyun , Han Xiao‐Le , Min Xuehong
Published: December 2021

In industrial production, the continuous, efficient and energy‐saving separation of alkylaromatic compounds has always been a challenge. Herein, we designed and synthesized the functional pillararene (TP5A) via a thiol‐alkene click reaction. We modified TP5A molecules into the surface of anodic aluminum oxide nanochannels via a simple two‐step condensation reaction for fabricating TP5A channel, confirming by the X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, contact angle, laser scanning confocal microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and current‐voltage curves. This biomimetic nanochannels can be used to separate para‐xylene from its structural isomers. We speculate that the host‐guest interaction between TP5A and para‐xylene is responsible for the emergence of selectivity, confirmed by the molecular simulation. This study provides a potential approach to membrane separation and may also contribute to the development of artificial nanofluids.
One‐Step Construction of Ordered Sulfur‐Terminated Tantalum Carbide MXene for Efficient Overall Water Splitting
Authors: Wu Tong , Pang Xin , Zhao Siwei , Xu Shumao , Liu Zhanqiang , Li Yongsheng , Huang Fuqiang
Published: December 2021

Hydrogen production from electrolyzed water plays an important role in clean energy system, but the current reported non‐noble metal catalysts still need to be paired with commercial Pt/C or RuO2 for overall water splitting. It is still a great challenge to develop high activity and stability bifunctional catalysts for both oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in the same medium. To date, the emerging 2D MXenes have been extensively studied in the field of electrocatalysis because of their interesting surface physicochemical characteristics. However, the preparation process is very complex and difficult. Their intrinsic electrocatalytic properties are not good enough due to the disordered terminal groups (‐OH/‐F/‐Cl). Herein, the traditional preparation procedure is optimized, and the 2D layered compound Ta2CS2 is directly synthesized by a one‐step method. Unlike the typical MXenes with disorderly terminated groups, Ta2CS2 is terminated orderly with S atoms, and it shows excellent conductivity and electrochemical properties. Based on the great performance for OER and HER, the exfoliated Ta2CS2 (Ta2CS2‐E) is found to be an outstanding bifunctional catalyst of MXenes‐based materials for overall water splitting.
Probability distribution for the quantum universe
Authors: Kehagias Alex , Partouche Hervé , Toumbas Nicolaos
Published: December 2021

Abstract

We determine the inner product on the Hilbert space of wavefunctions of the universe by imposing the Hermiticity of the quantum Hamiltonian in the context of the minisuperspace model. The corresponding quantum probability density reproduces successfully the classical probability distribution in the ħ → 0 limit, for closed universes filled with a perfect fluid of index w. When −1/3 < w ≤ 1, the wavefunction is normalizable and the quantum probability density becomes vanishingly small at the big bang/big crunch singularities, at least at the semiclassical level. Quantum expectation values of physical geometrical quantities, which diverge classically at the singularities, are shown to be finite.
Sensitization of primary cultures from rat dorsal root ganglia with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) requires a robust inflammatory response
Authors: Nürnberger Franz , Leisengang Stephan , Ott Daniela , Murgott Jolanta , Gerstberger Rüdiger , Rummel Christoph , Roth Joachim
Published: December 2021

Objective

We investigated whether it is possible to induce a state of “LPS-sensitization” in neurons of primary cultures from rat dorsal root ganglia by pre-treatment with ultra-low doses of LPS.

Methods

DRG primary cultures were pre-treated with low to ultra-low doses of LPS (0.001–0.1 µg/ml) for 18 h, followed by a short-term stimulation with a higher LPS-dose (10 µg/ml for 2 h). TNF-α in the supernatants was measured as a sensitive read out. Using the fura-2 340/380 nm ratio imaging technique, we further investigated the capsaicin-evoked Ca2+-signals in neurons from DRG, which were pre-treated with a wide range of LPS-doses.

Results

Release of TNF-α evoked by stimulation with 10 µg/ml LPS into the supernatant was not significantly modified by pre-exposure to low to ultra-low LPS-doses. Capsaicin-evoked Ca2+-signals were significantly enhanced by pre-treatment with LPS doses being above a certain threshold.

Conclusion

Ultra-low doses of LPS, which per se do not evoke a detectable inflammatory response, are not sufficient to sensitize neurons (Ca2+-responses) and glial elements (TNF-α-responses) of the primary afferent somatosensory system.
Einfluss der beruflichen Tätigkeit auf Erkrankungen des Bewegungsapparates der oberen Extremität
Authors: Hertling Stefan , Loos Franziska , Matziolis Georg , Kirschner Isabella , Graul Isabel
Published: December 2021

Einleitung

Erkrankungen des Bewegungsapparates der oberen Extremität sind Grund für zunehmende krankheitsbedingte Fehlzeiten bei Erwerbspersonen.

Zielsetzung

Ziel dieser Studie ist es, den Einfluss der Berufsabhängigkeit auf die Entstehung von Erkrankungen des Bewegungsapparates der oberen Extremität zu untersuchen und neben berufsspezifischen Faktoren, gesundheitsbezogene Risiken darzustellen.

Material und Methoden

Es wurden 1070 Patienten eingeschlossen, bei denen zwischen 2016 und 2019 bei einer Läsion der Rotatorenmanschette (RM) eine operative RM-Rekonstruktion durchgeführt wurde. Die relevanten Daten wurden retrospektiv aus dem Krankenhausinformationssystem dokumentiert. Die Berufszweige der Patienten wurden nach der Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 (KldB 2010) eingeteilt und mit routinemäßig erfassten und anonymisierten, frei verfügbaren Daten (Statistisches Bundesamt, Bundesagentur für Arbeit) verglichen.

Ergebnisse

Von den 1070 Patienten waren 844 Patienten im arbeitsfähigen Alter. Die Altersstruktur der einzelnen Bereiche zeigten keine signifikanten Unterschiede. Anhand der Vergleiche der Patientendaten mit der Bevölkerung ergaben sich signifikant höhere RM-Erkrankungsraten in den Bereichen Land‑, Forst- und Tierwirtschaft sowie Gartenbau (p = 0,003); Bau, Architektur, Vermessung und Gebäudetechnik (p < 0,001); Verkehr, Logistik, Schutz und Sicherheit (p < 0,001) und Unternehmensorganisation, Buchhaltung, Recht und Verwaltung (p < 0,001). Ein signifikant reduziertes Risiko bestand in Naturwissenshaft, Geografie und Informatik (p = 0,015); kaufmännische Dienstleistungen, Warenhandel, Vertrieb, Hotel und Tourismus (p < 0,001); Gesundheit, Soziales, Lehre und Erziehung (p < 0,001).

Schlussfolgerung

Die Prävalenz von RM-Läsionen zeigt einen statistischen Zusammenhang zur ausgeführten Berufstätigkeit in Abhängigkeit von den Berufszweigen. Neben der Berufsabhängigkeit spielen geschlechtsspezifische Arbeitsfaktoren eine Rolle. Schulterschmerzen bei Erwerbstätigkeiten sollten differenzierter betrachtet werden. Dadurch sollen gezielt Präventivmaßnahmen eingeleitet werden können, um vorzubeugen.
Openness and privacy in born-digital archives: reflecting the role of AI development
Authors: Tzouganatou Angeliki
Published: December 2021

Galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAMs) are striving to retain audience attention to issues related to cultural heritage, by implementing various novel opportunities for audience engagement through technological means online. Although born-digital assets for cultural heritage may have inundated the Internet in some areas, most of the time they are stored in “digital warehouses,” and the questions of the digital ecosystem’s sustainability, meaningful public participation and creative reuse of data still remain. Emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), are used to bring born-digital archives to light, aiming to enhance the public’s engagement and participation. At the core of this debate lies both the openness of data and issues of privacy. How open to the public should born-digital archives be? Should everything be open and available online, and what does it take to achieve balance between openness and privacy, especially through AI initiatives? The study is qualitative and builds on the rationale of grounded theory. The role of AI development is critically investigated in relation to opening up born-digital archives online, by considering privacy and ethics issues. Grounded in the context of the author’s PhD research, the paper proposes a human-centred approach to AI development for democratising its development towards fairness and social inclusion, contrary to the stereotypical cliché of blackboxing, allowing space for the plurality of born-digital archives to flourish.
Flesh of pumpkin from ecological farming as part of fruit suitable for non-destructive cultivar classification using computer vision
Authors: Ropelewska Ewa , Popińska Wioletta , Sabanci Kadir , Aslan Muhammet Fatih
Published: December 2021

The aim of this study was to build the discriminative models for distinguishing the different cultivars of flesh of pumpkin ‘Bambino’, ‘Butternut’, ‘Uchiki Kuri’ and ‘Orange’ based on selected textures of the outer surface of images of cubes. The novelty of research involved the use of about 2000 different textures for one image. The highest total accuracy (98%) of discrimination of pumpkin ‘Bambino’, ‘Butternut’, ‘Uchiki Kuri’ and ‘Orange’ was determined for models built based on textures selected from the color space Lab and the IBk classifier and some of the individual cultivars were classified with the correctness of 100%. The total accuracy of up to 96% was observed for color space RGB and 97.5% for color space XYZ. In the case of color channels, the total accuracies reached 91% for channel b, 89.5% for channel X, 89% for channel Z.
Okuläre Veränderungen als Hilfsmittel in der Malariadiagnostik
Authors: Faber Hanna , Berens Philipp , Rohrbach Jens Martin
Published: December 2021

Hintergrund

Laut WHO Malaria Report 2019 erkranken jährlich 229 Mio. Menschen an Malaria. Zwei Drittel der Todesfälle betreffen Kinder unter 5 Jahren.

Ziel der Arbeit

Überblick über die Fundusveränderungen im Rahmen der okulären Veränderungen bei Malaria, den Stellenwert der ophthalmologischen Diagnostik und die Bedeutung der Fundoskopie bei der Diagnose.

Material und Methoden

Zusammenfassende Darstellung der fundoskopisch sichtbaren Veränderungen bei zerebraler Malaria, möglicher zugrunde liegender Pathomechanismen sowie der Stellenwert der Fundoskopie in der Praxis.

Ergebnisse

Bei Malaria im Fundusbild erkennbar sind eine Weiß- bzw. Graufärbung der Retina („retinal whitening“), Farbveränderung retinaler Gefäße (Orange- oder Weißfärbung), Hämorrhagien, oft mit weißem Zentrum ähnlich den Roth-Flecken sowie ein Papillenödem.

Diskussion

Die retinalen Veränderungen bei Malaria sind charakteristisch und können helfen, Malaria von anderen Ursachen von Koma und Fieber abzugrenzen. Smartphone-basierte Fundusfotografie und künstliche Intelligenz könnten in ressourcenarmen Regionen zur Diagnose beitragen.
On the biological activity of cytokinin free bases and their ribosides
Authors: Romanov Georgy A. , Schmülling Thomas
Published: December 2021

Main conclusion

The free bases of cytokinins are the biologically active forms of the hormone while cytokinin ribosides become active only upon removal of the ribose residue.

Cytokinins (CKs) belong to the classical plant hormones. They were discovered more than 65 years ago, but which molecular forms possess genuine CK activity is still matter of debate. Numerous studies support the view that only the free bases are the biologically active molecules. This standpoint has been challenged in a recent review (Nguyen et al. in Planta 254: 45, 2021) proposing that also CK ribosides may have genuine own CK activity. Here we critically discuss the pros and cons of this viewpoint considering the results of biological assays, CK binding studies, 3D structural data of CK-receptor interaction and mutant analyses. It is concluded that all types of study provide clear and convincing evidence only for biological activity of free bases and not ribosides; the latter are rather a transport form of the hormone without their own biological activity.
The pediatric common variable immunodeficiency — from genetics to therapy: a review
Authors: Szczawinska-Poplonyk Aleksandra , Schwartzmann Eyal , Bukowska-Olech Ewelina , Biernat Michal , Gattner Stanislaw , Korobacz Tomasz , Nowicki Filip , Wiczuk-Wiczewska Monika
Published: December 2021

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is the most prevalent antibody deficiency, characterized by remarkable genetic, immunological, and clinical heterogeneity. The diagnosis of pediatric CVID is challenging due to the immaturity of the immune response and sustained actively developing antibody affinity to antigens and immunological memory that may overlap with the inborn error of immunity. Significant progress has been recently done in the field of immunogenetics, yet a paucity of experimental and clinical studies on different systemic manifestations and immunological features of CVID in children may contribute to a delayed diagnosis and therapy. In this review, we aimed at defining the variable epidemiological, etiological, and clinical aspects of pediatric CVID with special emphasis on predominating infectious and non-infectious phenotypes in affected children.

Conclusion: While pediatric CVID is a multifaceted and notorious disease, increasing the pediatricians’ awareness of this disease entity and preventing the diagnostic and therapeutic delay are needed, thereby improving the prognosis and survival of pediatric CVID patients.

What is Known:• CVID is an umbrella diagnosis characterized by complex pathophysiology with an antibody deficiency as a common denominator.• It is a multifaceted disease characterized by marked genetic, immunological, and clinical heterogeneity..

What is New:• The diagnosis of pediatric CVID is challenging due to the immaturity of innate and adaptive immune response.• Increasing the pediatricians’ awareness of CVID for the early disease recognition, timely therapeutic intervention, and improving the prognosis is needed.
Ciliary transition zone evolution and the root of the eukaryote tree: implications for opisthokont origin and classification of kingdoms Protozoa, Plantae, and Fungi
Authors: Cavalier-Smith Thomas
Published: December 2021

I thoroughly discuss ciliary transition zone (TZ) evolution, highlighting many overlooked evolutionarily significant ultrastructural details. I establish fundamental principles of TZ ultrastructure and evolution throughout eukaryotes, inferring unrecognised ancestral TZ patterns for Fungi, opisthokonts, and Corticata (i.e., kingdoms Plantae and Chromista). Typical TZs have a dense transitional plate (TP), with a previously overlooked complex lattice as skeleton. I show most eukaryotes have centriole/TZ junction acorn-V filaments (whose ancestral function was arguably supporting central pair microtubule-nucleating sites; I discuss their role in centriole growth). Uniquely simple malawimonad TZs (without TP, simpler acorn) pinpoint the eukaryote tree's root between them and TP-bearers, highlighting novel superclades. I integrate TZ/ciliary evolution with the best multiprotein trees, naming newly recognised major eukaryote clades and revise megaclassification of basal kingdom Protozoa. Recent discovery of non-photosynthetic phagotrophic flagellates with genome-free plastids (Rhodelphis), the sister group to phylum Rhodophyta (red algae), illuminates plant and chromist early evolution. I show previously overlooked marked similarities in cell ultrastructure betweenRhodelphisandPicomonas, formerly considered an early diverging chromist. In both a nonagonal tube lies between their TP and an annular septum surrounding their 9+2 ciliary axoneme. Mitochondrial dense condensations and mitochondrion-linked smooth endomembrane cytoplasmic partitioning cisternae further support grouping Picomonadea and Rhodelphea as new plant phylum Pararhoda. As Pararhoda/Rhodophyta form a robust clade on site-heterogeneous multiprotein trees, I group Pararhoda and Rhodophyta as new infrakingdom Rhodaria of Plantae within subkingdom Biliphyta, which also includes Glaucophyta with fundamentally similar TZ, uniquely in eukaryotes. I explain how biliphyte TZs generated viridiplant stellate-structures.
From Bachelier to Dupire via optimal transport
Authors: Beiglböck Mathias , Pammer Gudmund , Schachermayer Walter
Published: December 2021

Famously, mathematical finance was started by Bachelier in his 1900 PhD thesis where – among many other achievements – he also provided a formal derivation of the Kolmogorov forward equation. This also forms the basis for Dupire’s (again formal) solution to the problem of finding an arbitrage-free model calibrated to a given volatility surface. The latter result has rigorous counterparts in the theorems of Kellerer and Lowther. In this survey article, we revisit these hallmarks of stochastic finance, highlighting the role played by some optimal transport results in this context.
Distributing the European structural and investment funds from a conflicting claims approach
Authors: Solís-Baltodano María-José , Giménez-Gómez José-Manuel , Peris Josep E.
Published: December 2021

In order to support economic development across all European Union regions, €351.8 billion –almost a third of the total EU budget– has been set aside for the Cohesion Policy during the 2014–2020 period. The distribution of this budget is made through five main structural and investment funds, after long and difficult negotiations among the EU member states. This paper analyzes the problem of allocating the limited resources of the European Regional Development Fund as a conflicting claims problem. Specifically, we attempt to show how the conflicting claims approach fits this actual problem, and we propose alternative ways of distributing the budget via (i) claims solutions or (ii) the imposition of bounds (guarantees) to each of the regions. By applying this approach we also show that there is a claims solution that performs better than the others by reducing inequality and promoting convergence to a greater degree. It is clear that political bargaining will always be part of the allocation process. However, having an intuitive initial proposal may help politicians to find the best agreement. To that effect, we propose the use of a claims solution as a way to find an initial proposal for future policy changes concerning the allocations of the EU structural funds.
Resistance to amitraz in the parasitic honey bee mite Varroa destructor is associated with mutations in the β-adrenergic-like octopamine receptor
Authors: Hernández-Rodríguez Carmen Sara , Moreno-Martí Sara , Almecija Gabrielle , Christmon Krisztina , Johnson Josephine D. , Ventelon Marie , vanEngelsdorp Dennis , Cook Steven C. , González-Cabrera Joel
Published: December 2021

Varroa destructor is considered a major reason for high loss rate of Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies. To prevent colony losses caused by V. destructor, it is necessary to actively manage the mite population. Beekeepers, particularly commercial beekeepers, have few alternative treatments other than synthetic acaricides to control the parasite, resulting in intensive treatment regimens that led to the evolution of resistance in mite populations. To investigate the mechanism of the resistance to amitraz detected in V. destructor mites from French and U.S. apiaries, we identified and characterized octopamine and tyramine receptors (the known targets of amitraz) in this species. The comparison of sequences obtained from mites collected from different apiaries with different treatment regimens, showed that the amino acid substitutions N87S or Y215H in the OctβR were associated with treatment failures reported in French or U.S. apiaries, respectively. Based on our findings, we have developed and tested two high throughput diagnostic assays based on TaqMan technology able to accurately detect mites carrying the mutations in this receptor. This valuable information may be of help for beekeepers when selecting the most suitable acaricide to manage V. destructor.
Seasonal movement patterns and habitat use of sub-adult Striped Bass Morone saxatilis in a highly managed and tidally influenced Pacific Coast Watershed
Authors: Le Doux-Bloom Cynthia M. , Lane Rebekah S. , Christian Grant J. , Masatani Catherine A. , Hemmert Jennifer E. , Klimley A. Peter
Published: December 2021

Purposely introduced in 1879, Pacific coast Striped Bass Morone saxatilis once supported a commercial fishery and currently supports a recreational fishery in the San Francisco Estuary Watershed, CA, USA; however, the population has been in decline for decades. Since little is known about sub-adult behavior on the Pacific coast, we used acoustic telemetry to investigate seasonal movement patterns and habitat use across three regions (bay, delta, and river) and the effects of temperature and salinity on habitat use over a 2-year period. Sub-adult movement and habitat use differed by year and age. In spring, age-I and age-II sub-adults moved within the delta (60%), river (20%), and bay (20%) regions, and by summer, some individuals moved to the bay (36%), while others remained in the delta (42%) and river (22%). Fall and winter showed equal movement between the bay and delta regions. During year 2, age-II and age-III fish inhabited the bay region across all seasons with the exception of spring when a few individuals migrated up river. Generally, sub-adults did not inhabit the river region in fall or winter. Sub-adults were not detected in water temperatures < 10 °C and occurred most often in 20–25 °C. Younger sub-adults inhabited limnetic habitat where older fish inhabited mesohaline and polyhaline habitats. Our findings suggest that sub-adult seasonal movement patterns and habitat use hotspots have important fishery management implications and can be useful to address concerns over how this non-native fish’s predation impacts native and endangered fishes.
Bioactive glasses incorporating less-common ions to improve biological and physical properties
Authors: Pantulap Usanee , Arango-Ospina Marcela , Boccaccini Aldo R.
Published: December 2021

Bioactive glasses (BGs) have been a focus of research for over five decades for several biomedical applications. Although their use in bone substitution and bone tissue regeneration has gained important attention, recent developments have also seen the expansion of BG applications to the field of soft tissue engineering. Hard and soft tissue repair therapies can benefit from the biological activity of metallic ions released from BGs. These metallic ions are incorporated in the BG network not only for their biological therapeutic effects but also in many cases for influencing the structure and processability of the glass and to impart extra functional properties. The “classical” elements in silicate BG compositions are silicon (Si), phosphorous (P), calcium (Ca), sodium (Na), and potassium (K). In addition, other well-recognized biologically active ions have been incorporated in BGs to provide osteogenic, angiogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects such as zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg), silver (Ag), strontium (Sr), gallium (Ga), fluorine (F), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), boron (B), lithium (Li), titanium (Ti), and copper (Cu). More recently, rare earth and other elements considered less common or, some of them, even “exotic” for biomedical applications, have found room as doping elements in BGs to enhance their biological and physical properties. For example, barium (Ba), bismuth (Bi), chlorine (Cl), chromium (Cr), dysprosium (Dy), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), ytterbium (Yb), thulium (Tm), germanium (Ge), gold (Au), holmium (Ho), iodine (I), lanthanum (La), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), niobium (Nb), nitrogen (N), palladium (Pd), rubidium (Rb), samarium (Sm), selenium (Se), tantalum (Ta), tellurium (Te), terbium (Tb), erbium (Er), tin (Sn), tungsten (W), vanadium (V), yttrium (Y) as well as zirconium (Zr) have been included in BGs. These ions have been found to be particularly interesting for enhancing the biological performance of doped BGs in novel compositions for tissue repair (both hard and soft tissue) and for providing, in some cases, extra functionalities to the BG, for example fluorescence, luminescence, radiation shielding, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. This review summarizes the influence of incorporating such less-common elements in BGs with focus on tissue engineering applications, usually exploiting the bioactivity of the BG in combination with other functional properties imparted by the presence of the added elements.
Hydrogel contained valproic acid accelerates bone-defect repair via activating Notch signaling pathway in ovariectomized rats
Authors: Tao Zhou-Shan , Li Tian-Lin , Xu Hong-Guang , Yang Min
Published: December 2021

The purpose was to observe whether valproic acid (VPA) has a positive effect on bone-defect repair via activating the Notch signaling pathway in an OVX rat model. The MC3T3-E1 cells were cocultured with VPA and induced to osteogenesis, and the osteogenic activity was observed by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining, Alizarin Red (RES) staining and Western blotting (WB). Then the hydrogel-containing VPA was implanted into the femoral epiphysis bone-defect model of ovariectomized (OVX) rats for 12 weeks. Micro-CT, biomechanical testing, histology, immunofluorescence, RT-qPCR, and WB analysis were used to observe the therapeutic effect and explore the possible mechanism. ALP and ARS staining and WB results show that the cell mineralization, osteogenic activity, and protein expression of ALP, OPN, RUNX-2, OC, Notch 1, HES1, HEY1, and JAG1 of VPA group is significantly higher than the control group. Micro-CT, biomechanical testing, histology, immunofluorescence, and RT-qPCR evaluation show that group VPA presented the stronger effect on bone strength, bone regeneration, bone mineralization, higher expression of VEGFA, BMP-2, ALP, OPN, RUNX-2, OC, Notch 1, HES1, HEY1, and JAG1 of VPA when compared with OVX group. Our current study demonstrated that local treatment with VPA could stimulate repair of femoral condyle defects, and these effects may be achieved by activating Notch signaling pathway and acceleration of blood vessel and bone formation.
Enhanced model protein adsorption of nanoparticulate hydroxyapatite thin films on silk sericin and fibroin surfaces
Authors: Özcan Selçuk , Çiftçioğlu Muhsin
Published: December 2021

Hydroxyapatite coated metallic implants favorably combine the required biocompatibility with the mechanical properties. As an alternative to the industrial coating method of plasma spraying with inherently potential deleterious effects, sol-gel methods have attracted much attention. In this study, the effects of intermediate silk fibroin and silk sericin layers on the protein adsorption capacity of hydroxyapatite films formed by a particulate sol-gel method were determined experimentally. The preparation of the layered silk protein/hydroxyapatite structures on glass substrates, and the effects of the underlying silk proteins on the topography of the hydroxyapatite coatings were described. The topography of the hydroxyapatite layer fabricated on the silk sericin was such that the hydroxyapatite particles were oriented forming an oriented crystalline surface. The model protein (bovine serum albumin) adsorption increased to 2.62 µg/cm2 on the latter surface as compared to 1.37 µg/cm2 of hydroxyapatite on glass without an intermediate silk sericin layer.
Strong Euler well-composedness
Authors: Boutry Nicolas , Gonzalez-Diaz Rocio , Jimenez Maria-Jose , Paluzo-Hildago Eduardo
Published: December 2021

In this paper, we define a new flavour of well-composedness, called strong Euler well-composedness. In the general setting of regular cell complexes, a regular cell complex of dimension n is strongly Euler well-composed if the Euler characteristic of the link of each boundary cell is 1, which is the Euler characteristic of an $$(n-1)$$

(
n
-
1
)

-dimensional ball. Working in the particular setting of cubical complexes canonically associated with $$n$$
n
D pictures, we formally prove in this paper that strong Euler well-composedness implies digital well-composedness in any dimension $$n\ge 2$$

n
≥
2

and that the converse is not true when $$n\ge 4$$

n
≥
4

.
Increasing shareholder focus: the repercussions of the 2015 corporate governance reform in Japan
Authors: Mielcarz Paweł , Osiichuk Dmytro , Puławska Karolina
Published: December 2021

The corporate governance reform promulgated in 2015 in Japan has contributed to a substantial increase of board independence and a reduction of average board tenure. Our empirical analysis covering 3405 public companies demonstrates that reinvigorated corporate oversight and an increasing post-reform shift towards prioritization of shareholder value have led to a persistent increase of corporate profitability, asset productivity, dividend payouts, acquisitions’ value, and valuation multiples. We also document a significant increase of sensitivity of executives’ and directors’ compensations to the dynamics of firms’ bottom lines. The positive changes are the most pronounced within companies where independent directors constitute a majority on the board. The most notable drawbacks of the reform are a significant reduction in net employment creation and in employee turnover within the largest companies. These might be a possible reason for the documented improvement in corporate performance. The number of part-time employees has also seen a significant increase. While being prima facie focused on reinvigorating the private sector, the corporate governance reform may implicitly undermine the established social contract based on job security. Therefore, our study is important from the perspective of sustainable development of the corporate sector as it demonstrates that while concentrating on improving corporate governance, it is also necessary to consider the business’ social responsibility.
Computational approaches to predicting treatment response to obesity using neuroimaging
Authors: Kozarzewski Leonard , Maurer Lukas , Mähler Anja , Spranger Joachim , Weygandt Martin
Published: December 2021

Obesity is a worldwide disease associated with multiple severe adverse consequences and comorbid conditions. While an increased body weight is the defining feature in obesity, etiologies, clinical phenotypes and treatment responses vary between patients. These variations can be observed within individual treatment options which comprise lifestyle interventions, pharmacological treatment, and bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery can be regarded as the most effective treatment method. However, long-term weight regain is comparably frequent even for this treatment and its application is not without risk. A prognostic tool that would help predict the effectivity of the individual treatment methods in the long term would be essential in a personalized medicine approach. In line with this objective, an increasing number of studies have combined neuroimaging and computational modeling to predict treatment outcome in obesity. In our review, we begin by outlining the central nervous mechanisms measured with neuroimaging in these studies. The mechanisms are primarily related to reward-processing and include “incentive salience” and psychobehavioral control. We then present the diverse neuroimaging methods and computational prediction techniques applied. The studies included in this review provide consistent support for the importance of incentive salience and psychobehavioral control for treatment outcome in obesity. Nevertheless, further studies comprising larger sample sizes and rigorous validation processes are necessary to answer the question of whether or not the approach is sufficiently accurate for clinical real-world application.
Inverse association between the anticholinergic burden and hippocampus volume in a population-based cohort across the entire adult age range
Authors: Kilimann Ingo , Wucherer Diana , Ittermann Till , Völzke Henry , Bülow Robin , Hoffmann Wolfgang , Grabe Hans Jörgen , Wittfeld Katharina , Teipel Stefan Johannes
Published: December 2021

Many medications of different indications have a relevant anticholinergic activity. The anticholinergic burden of medication has been shown to have significant effects on the cognition and the risk for cognitive impairment and dementia particularly in older patients. So far, most of the studies used data from geriatric patients and the effect of the anticholinergic burden on brain structures is still unexplored. Our study aimed to analyze possible associations of hippocampus and cholinergic basal forebrain volumes as vulnerable brain structures for the development of dementia and the anticholinergic burden in a population-based cohort of non-demented participants spanning the adult age range from 21 to 80 years. We analyzed associations between medication-related anticholinergic burden and structural MRI volumes from participants (n = 3087, 52.2% female) of the population-based “Study of Health in Pomerania” (SHIP). Anticholinergic burden was obtained from the current medication plan using the Anticholinergic Burden Scale (ACB). All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, education, and total intracranial volume. We found statistically significant associations between the ACB and the left and right hippocampus volume but not for the basal forebrain cholinergic system. Complementary voxel-based analysis across all participants revealed FWE-corrected (p =  < 0.05) clusters in the temporo-parietal regions reaching into frontal areas, showing reduced volumes with higher ACB scores. We identified an association between anticholinergic burden of medication on hippocampal volume suggesting a potential inverse effect of such medication. This association highlights the importance of a careful prescription of medication with anticholinergic activity at any adult age.
The smelting of copper in the third millennium cal BC Trentino, north-eastern Italy
Authors: Pearce Mark , Merkel Stephen , Hauptmann Andreas , Nicolis Franco
Published: December 2021

This paper presents observations and analyses on seven slag pieces from two third-millennium cal BC (Late Copper Age/Early Bronze Age) rock shelters in the Trentino, north-eastern Italy: La Vela di Valbusa and the Riparo di Monte Terlago. We review previous work on contemporary slags from the region and show that the smelting did not follow the well-known ‘Timna’, ‘Eibner’ or so-called ‘Chalcolithic’ copper smelting processes. We show that ethnographic accounts of copper smelting in the Himalayas (Sikkim and Nepal) illuminate the smelting process, in particular the lack of preliminary roasting or ore beneficiation by washing, the use of slags as fluxes for the first smelt (matte smelting) and the use of wooden (?) implements to lift the hot slags from the furnace during the smelt. The rock inclusions in the slag are consistent with an ore origin from mines at Calceranica or Vetriolo, as previously reported in the literature.
Integration of dual fluidized bed steam gasification into the pulp and paper industry
Authors: Kuba Matthias , Benedikt Florian , Fürsatz Katharina , Fuchs Josef , Demuth Martin , Aichernig Christian , Arpa Leo , Hofbauer Hermann
Published: December 2021

The pulp and paper industry represents an industry sector which is characterised by its already high degree of sustainability. Biomass is a renewable input material, and typically highly developed recovery cycles minimise the loss of chemicals used in the pulping process. However, certain parts of the recovery cycle are still operated on fossil fuels. This study deals with the substitution of the fossil-based gaseous fuel with product gas from biomass gasification.

Gasification experiments have shown that bark available at pulp and paper mills is suitable to produce a product gas via dual fluidised bed steam gasification as a promising substitute for natural gas. Based on the comparison of process layouts regarding the separation of non-process elements, separation efficiency is derived for different setups. To ensure operational security of the chemical recovery cycle, comprehensive gas cleaning including heat exchangers, a particle filter, and a liquid scrubber unit is advised. The gas flow of fuel gas into the gas burner is increased as the heating value of the product gas is accordingly lower in comparison to natural gas. Furthermore, adaptions of the gas burner might be necessary to address the earlier ignition of the H2-rich product gas compared to natural gas.
Analysis of lightning ablation damage performance of glass fiber reinforced polymer materials
Authors: Shan Zezhong , Tian Minghui , Lu Xiang
Published: December 2021

Glass fiber-reinforced polymer materials have been effectively used in civil aviation aircraft, but due to low electrical conductivity, a large area of ablation damage will occur after lightning strikes, which greatly threatens the safety of civil aircrafts. Based on this, the coupled electrical-thermal finite element analysis model for a lightning ablation damage of glass fiber reinforced polymer materials is established, and the analysis results are compared with the experiment, and the error rate is 1.26%, which verifies the accuracy of the model. In addition, different influencing factors are analyzed to study the lightning protection characteristics of glass fiber reinforced polymer on carbon fiber-reinforced polymer laminates. The results show that glass fiber reinforced polymer materials have low lightning resistance, but they can effectively reduce the lightning ablation damage area of carbon fiber reinforced polymer laminates under the joint protection of them and aluminum coating. However, they have different protective effects on different protective forms of laminates. Among them, the thickness of aluminum coating has a higher impact on the lightning protection efficiency of full spraying aluminum protective laminates, and the thickness of glass fiber reinforced polymer materials has a higher impact on the lightning protection efficiency of local spraying aluminum protective laminates.
A computational framework for modeling complex sensor network data using graph signal processing and graph neural networks in structural health monitoring
Authors: Bloemheuvel Stefan , van den Hoogen Jurgen , Atzmueller Martin
Published: December 2021

Complex networks lend themselves for the modeling of multidimensional data, such as relational and/or temporal data. In particular, when such complex data and their inherent relationships need to be formalized, complex network modeling and its resulting graph representations enable a wide range of powerful options. In this paper, we target this—connected to specific machine learning approaches on graphs for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) from an analysis and predictive (maintenance) perspective. Specifically, we present a framework based on Complex Network Modeling, integrating Graph Signal Processing (GSP) and Graph Neural Network (GNN) approaches. We demonstrate this framework in our targeted application domain of SHM. In particular, we focus on a prominent real-world SHM use case, i. e., modeling and analyzing sensor data (strain, vibration) of a large bridge in the Netherlands. In our experiments, we show that GSP enables the identification of the most important sensors, for which we investigate a set of search and optimization approaches. Furthermore, GSP enables the detection of specific graph signal patterns (i. e., mode shapes), capturing physical functional properties of the sensors in the applied complex network. In addition, we show the efficacy of applying GNNs for strain prediction utilizing this kind of sensor data.
Digital campaigning as a policy of democracy promotion: Applying deliberative theories of democracy to political parties
Authors: Odzuck Eva , Günther Sophie
Published: December 2021

Today’s election campaigns are heavily data-driven. Despite the numerous skeptical voices questioning the compatibility of specific campaigning practices with fundamental principles of liberal democracies, there has to date been little comprehensive work in this area from the perspective of normative democratic theory. Our article addresses this gap by drawing on recent research on the normative theory of political parties in the field of deliberative democratic theory. The deliberative theories of democracy proposed by Habermas and Rawls contain structural elements of a normative theory of the political party: the special status of political parties as mediators between background culture and the political forum, between the political system and the public sphere, and between the individual and the state, confers on them a central position as actors in in the public use of reason and deliberation.

We argue in this article for a view of digital campaigning as a policy of democracy promotion and for the proposition that, alongside other actors, political parties have a special responsibility in this regard. We point to the implications for the evaluation and design of digital political microtargeting that arise from the application of deliberative principles to political parties and consider the need they reveal for the ongoing development of detailed, nuanced normative theories of democracy.
Spillover Effects from the Volkswagen Emissions Scandal: An Analysis of Stock and Corporate Bond Markets
Authors: Barth Florian , Eckert Christian , Gatzert Nadine , Scholz Hendrik
Published: December 2021

This study examines spillover effects following Volkswagen’s admission of emissions cheating. We first estimate initial operational losses of 8.45% of Volkswagen’s equity market capitalization on the date before the announcement, reputational losses up to five times these losses, and significant negative shocks to its stocks and bonds. Analyzing spillover effects from this shock beyond the usually only measured losses in equity value, we find significant negative net spillover effects to European competitors and suppliers in both stock and bond markets. Studying the economic effects in more detail, we show that Volkswagen’s total losses of 27.4 billion euros in terms of changes in equity market values over the first five event days are almost entirely composed of abnormal losses. Furthermore, competitors (suppliers) overall suffered 18.3 (12.6) billion euros of abnormal losses during this time, with 60% (69%) of the firms exhibiting negative changes, especially European competitors and suppliers connected to Volkswagen. These figures are further increased by negative bond market value changes. Overall, our results strongly emphasize that neglecting debt holders losses can lead to an underestimation of such events.
A Lie Is a Lie: The Ethics of Lying in Business Negotiations
Authors: Sherwood Charles N. C.
Published: December 2021

I argue that lying in business negotiations is pro tanto wrong and no less wrong than lying in other contexts. First, I assert that lying in general is pro tanto wrong. Then, I examine and refute five arguments to the effect that lying in a business context is less wrong than lying in other contexts. The common thought behind these arguments—based on consent, self-defence, the “greater good,” fiduciary duty, and practicality—is that the particular circumstances which are characteristic of business negotiations are such that the wrongness of lying is either mitigated or eliminated completely. I argue that all these “special exemption” arguments fail. I conclude that, in the absence of a credible argument to the contrary, the same moral constraints must apply to lying in business negotiations as apply to lying in other contexts. Furthermore, I show that for the negotiator, there are real practical benefits from not lying.
Wage Exploitation as Disequilibrium Price
Authors: Richard Stanislas
Published: December 2021

There are two opposing views concerning intuitive cases of wage exploitation. The first denies that they are cases of exploitation at all. It is based on the nonworseness claim: there is nothing wrong with a discretionary mutually beneficial employment relationship. The second is the reasonable view: some employment relationships can be exploitative even if employers have no duty towards their employees. This article argues that the reasonable view does not completely defeat defences of wage exploitation, because these do not rely solely on the nonworseness claim. They also rely on the idea, popularised by Alan Wertheimer, that exploitation is a form of disequilibrium price occurring in defective markets. The article then proceeds to criticise Wertheimer’s account through neoclassical, new institutional, and Austrian economics. It concludes that considerations for economic efficiency are irrelevant to assessing intuitions regarding exploitation.