bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Examining the efficacy of constancy and frequency as political strategies for assisted suicide legalization: Does the introduction of many bills over time or multiple bills at once increase the likelihood of assisted suicide bills passing in U.S. state legislatures?
Authors: Abernathy Jacqueline H. , Covich Skylar
Published: November 2020

Attempts to legalize assisted suicide has historically presented a unique set of political and procedural challenges in state legislatures, the result of which has been the overwhelming defeat of nearly 98% such attempts in the last 25 years. Only in recent years is this trend beginning to change. Vermont was the first state to adopt legislation in 2013, followed by California, and Washington DC in 2015. In 2018, Hawaii was added to the list and most recently, New Jersey, and Maine in 2019. Other trends have become evident as well. Whereas between 1995 and 2013 there was a median of nine bills introduced by six states in a given biennium, this has increased to 31 bills in 24 states between 2015 and 2019, And while until 2013, only two or three states at most would have more than a single bill in play, the median has now doubled to five states and Washington DC since 2015. This paper examines whether or not these recent trends are in fact, political strategies that could explain and potentially predict success in future sessions. We examine the efficacy of constancy (the perseverance of introducing bills over multiple sessions) and frequency (introducing multiple bills in the same session) using both the six successful attempts as well as 264 failed attempts since 1994. Comparing the common attributes of successful legalization as well as failures, perseverance cannot be ruled out as a beneficial variable, but can only be vindicated with more data in the future. There was no evidence across all the data to suggest that multiple bills contributed to success. The data also shows that ideological liberalism is currently a necessary but not sufficient condition to pass assisted suicide bills, although it is expected to become more significant as the issue settles down party lines. Increases in the number of bills, the number states with bills, and perhaps the number of bills introduced in a given state appears more as a response to environmental stimuli that makes bills appear more viable: namely previous state victories and shifts in public opinion.
Phase‐Change Logic via Thermal Cross‐Talk for Computation in Memory
Authors: Kanan Nadim , Khan Raihan Sayeed , Woods Zachary , Silva Helena , Gokirmak Ali
Published: November 2020

Herein, logic function implementations are computationally demonstrated using lateral and vertical multicontact phase‐change devices integrated with complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) circuitry, which use thermal cross‐talk as a coupling mechanism to implement logic functions at smaller CMOS footprints. Thermal cross‐talk during the write operations is utilized to recrystallize the previously amorphized regions to achieve toggle operations. Amorphized regions formed between different pairs of write contacts are utilized to isolate read contacts. Typical expected reduction in CMOS footprint is ≈50% using the described approach for toggle‐multiplexing, JK‐multiplexing, and 2 × 2 routing. The switching speeds of the phase‐change devices are in the order of nanoseconds and are inherently nonvolatile. An electrothermal modeling framework with dynamic materials models is used to capture the device dynamics, and current and voltage requirements.
Tetrahedral Complexity in Amorphous Networks: A Possible Clue for the Unique Properties of Phase‐Change Materials
Authors: Micoulaut Matthieu , Flores-Ruiz Hugo , Pradel Annie , Piarristeguy Andrea
Published: November 2020

A typical binary amorphous telluride GeTe2 is investigated from first‐principles molecular dynamics simulations. After a comparison with chemical analogs from neutron or X‐ray diffraction experiments, such as GeO2 or GeSe2, the structure of this material is studied by examining real and reciprocal space properties. It is found that the base geometrical motifs of the germanium atom can be either in tetrahedral or in defected coordinations involving pyramidal units. A review of previous results for other compositions reveals that such binary Ge tellurides contain soft tetrahedra, at variance with lighter chalcogenides, such as GeS and GeSe, and are characterized by an increased angular bending motion (typically 20°) as compared with, e.g., GeS (5°). In addition, for amorphous Ge‐rich materials, GeTe2 and GeTe, a secondary tetrahedral geometry appears, related to the presence of GeGe bonds, having a larger mean angle of about 125°. These typical features not only relate to characteristics observed from scattering experiments but may also be a crucial feature for the understanding of the phase‐change phenomena.
Robust linearly constrained extended Kalman filter for mismatched nonlinear systems
Authors: Hrustic Emir , Ben Abdallah Rayen , Vilà‐Valls Jordi , Vivet Damien , Pagès Gaël , Chaumette Eric
Published: November 2020

Standard state estimation techniques, ranging from the linear Kalman filter (KF) to nonlinear extended KF (EKF), sigma‐point or particle filters, assume a perfectly known system model, that is, process and measurement functions and system noise statistics (both the distribution and its parameters). This is a strong assumption which may not hold in practice, reason why several approaches have been proposed for robust filtering, mainly because the filter performance is particularly sensitive to different model mismatches. In the context of linear filtering, a solution to cope with possible system matrices mismatch is to use linear constraints. In this contribution we further explore the extension and use of recent results on linearly constrained KF for robust nonlinear filtering under both process and measurement model mismatch. We first investigate how linear equality constraints can be incorporated within the EKF and derive a new linearly constrained extended KF (LCEKF). Then we detail its use to mitigate parametric modeling errors in the nonlinear process and measurement functions. Numerical results are provided to show the performance improvement of the new LCEKF for robust vehicle navigation.
Learning network event sequences using long short‐term memory and second‐order statistic loss
Authors: Sha Hao , Al Hasan Mohammad , Mohler George
Published: November 2020

Modeling temporal event sequences on the vertices of a network is an important problem with widespread applications; examples include modeling influences in social networks, preventing crimes by modeling their space–time occurrences, and forecasting earthquakes. Existing solutions for this problem use a parametric approach, whose applicability is limited to event sequences following some well‐known distributions, which is not true for many real life event datasets. To overcome this limitation, in this work, we propose a composite recurrent neural network model for learning events occurring in the vertices of a network over time. Our proposed model combines two long short‐term memory units to capture base intensity and conditional intensity of an event sequence. We also introduce a second‐order statistic loss that penalizes higher divergence between the generated and the target sequence's distribution of hop count distance of consecutive events. Given a sequence of vertices of a network in which an event has occurred, the proposed model predicts the vertex where the next event would most likely occur. Experimental results on synthetic and real‐world datasets validate the superiority of our proposed model in comparison to various baseline methods.
Consider offering on‐campus family housing to attract, support parenting students
Authors: McCarthy Claudine
Published: November 2020

One in five college students are actively raising children, but most of them don't have the same opportunities as nonparenting students, according to Autumn R. Green, Ph.D., a research scientist studying higher education access for student parents at the Wellesley Centers for Women at Wellesley College. That's because most colleges and universities don't offer housing that allows student parents to live with their children on campus, she explained.
Enantiomeric N‐tert‐Butylsulfinyl Imines of Methyl Trifluoropyruvate: Promising Building Blocks in Asymmetric Synthesis of α‐Trifluoromethylated Amino Acids and Derivatives
Authors: Cherednichenko Alona S. , Bezgubenko Ludmyla V. , Rusanov Eduard B. , Onys'ko Petro P. , Rassukana Yuliya V.
Published: November 2020

A convenient synthetic method for (R)‐ and (S)‐N‐tert‐butylsulfinyl imines of methyl trifluoropyruvate has been developed. The synthetic potentialities of these chiral building blocks for the preparation of nonracemic trifluoroalanines, trifluoromethylated amino alcohols, β‐nitro‐α‐amino acids, and pyrrolinone carboxylic acid derivatives have been demonstrated.
KSnI3 ⋅ H2O: A New Compound with One‐Dimensional SnI3 Chains of Pyramidal SnI5 Polyhedra
Authors: Li Kuan , Feng Junwei , Su Zhi
Published: November 2020

A new compound KSnI3⋅H2O was synthesized through the solid‐state reaction method in a sealed quartz tube. The Sn (II) cations are five‐coordinated with I− ions forming the special pyramidal SnI5 polyhedra which further condense to one‐dimensional SnI3 chains connected by K−I bonds and O−H⋅⋅⋅I hydrogen bonds. Meanwhile, the first principles calculations were also carried out to aid the understanding of optical properties and electronic structure. The electronic localization functions (ELF) prove the stereochemical activity of the Sn (II) lone pair and the electronic structure analysis has been carried out to understand the optical properties deeply. The calculated birefringence of the title compound is 0.121 at 1064 nm which is mainly originated from the contribution of the SnI5 polyhedra.
A Fluorescent Turn‐on Probe Based on Zn‐doped AgIn5S8 Quantum Dots for Imaging of Hydrogen Sulfide in Living Cells
Authors: Dong Yanyu , Sun Wenping , Chang Shiqi , Li Tong , Huang Xiaohua , Xing Shanghua , Bai Tianyu , Ma Huipeng
Published: November 2020

H2S has been identified as endogenously generated gasotransmitter in mammalian which acts essential role in various physiological and pathological processes. In this work, we reported the use of hydrophilic, low‐toxic and photostable Zn‐doped AgIn5S8 quantum dots (ZAIS QDs) in H2S detection. Copper ions, acting as recognition moieties, are conjugated on the surface of ZAIS QD to construct the fluorescent probe. The weak fluorescence signal of the probe owing to the quenching effect of paramagnetic Cu2+ center on ZAIS QDs can exhibit significant fluorescence turn‐on property upon the addition of H2S. Simultaneously, the probe possesses high sensitivity at physiological pH, excellent membrane permeability and dose‐dependent fluorescence imaging of exogenous H2S in living cells.
Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Stilbene Derivatives Containing a 1,3‐Benzodioxole Moiety
Authors: Song Di , Cao Xiufang , Huang Wenbo , Ke Shaoyong
Published: November 2020

Stilbene is an important class of biologically active metabolites with diarylethene scaffold, and which have a broad range of biological activities as the lead for drug discovery. In this study, a novel series of stilbene derivatives bearing 1,3‐benzodioxole moiety was designed and synthesized via a convenient method with good to excellent yields, and their structures were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, ESI‐MS spectrum. These newly prepared compounds were evaluated for their potential biological activities including fungicidal, insecticidal, and cytotoxic activities.
Develop successful interview strategies for virtual and traditional formats
Authors: McCarthy Claudine
Published: November 2020

Even pre‐pandemic, the job‐search process often included at least one interview via phone or video. But now in light of social distancing measures and travel restrictions, video interviews have become more commonplace than ever.
Pandemic hampers student engagement, highlights inequities
Authors: Hope Joan
Published: November 2020

In early summer, nearly 70% of college students felt they were falling behind in their studies due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. That's one of the findings of State of Student Success and Trends in Higher Education: 2020 Global Research Study and Trends, a report by Canvas that reveals results of a survey of students. The findings also show major disparities in reported engagement among students of different economic classes, with 2.5 times more students from upper economic classes reporting feeling extremely engaged in the classes and coursework than their lower‐income peers, and with four times more students from lower‐economic‐class households saying it was difficult to stay very engaged with remote or online learning.
Adaptability, online creativity can connect students to university community, no matter where they are
Authors: Bannister Mary
Published: November 2020

“We want students to have the experiences they expected to have here at the University of Arizona, even if they're having those experiences from afar,” said Kasey Urquidez, Vice President for Enrollment Management at the University of Arizona, describing how incoming students this school year attended virtual days at the university. With a click, students signed up for virtual campus tours, academic information sessions with department faculty, conversations with student ambassadors, admissions counseling, and financial aid sessions. Although COVID‐19 halted the university's robust campus tour program, Urquidez said it was a priority to find ways for students to feel connected to the school community and campus culture.
Prediction of postnatal outcome in fetuses with congenital lung malformation: 2‐year follow‐up study
Authors: Peters N. C. J. , Hijkoop A. , Hermelijn S. M. , van Schoonhoven M. M. , Eggink A. J. , van Rosmalen J. , Otter S. C. M. Cochius‐den , Tibboel D. , IJsselstijn H. , Schnater J. M. , Cohen‐Overbeek T. E.
Published: November 2020

Objectives

To identify, in fetuses with a congenital lung malformation (CLM), prenatal predictors of the need for postnatal respiratory support and the need for surgery by calculating the CLM volume ratio (CVR), and to evaluate the concordance between the prenatal appearance and the postnatal type of CLM.

Methods

This was an analysis of prenatal, perinatal and postnatal data from fetuses diagnosed with a CLM at the Erasmus University Medical Center – Sophia Children's Hospital in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, between January 2007 and December 2016. For all included fetuses, CVR was measured retrospectively on stored ultrasound images obtained at 18 + 1 to 24 + 6 weeks (US1), 25 + 0 to 29 + 6 weeks (US2) and/or 30 + 0 to 35 + 6 weeks' gestation (US3). Postnatal diagnosis of CLM was based on computed tomography or histology. Primary outcomes were the need for respiratory support within 24 h and surgery within 2 years after birth.

Results

Of the 80 fetuses with a CLM included in this study, 14 (18%) required respiratory support on the first postnatal day, and 17 (21%) required surgery within 2 years. Only the CVR at US2 was predictive of the need for respiratory support, with a cut‐off value of 0.39. Four of 16 (25%) fetuses which showed full regression of the CLM prenatally required respiratory support within 24 h after birth. The CVR at US1, US2 and US3 was predictive of surgery within 2 years. Overall, the prenatal appearance of the CLM showed low concordance with the postnatal type. Prenatally suspected microcystic congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) was shown on computed tomography after birth to be congenital lobar overinflation in 15/35 (43%) cases. Respiratory support within 24 h after birth and surgical resection within 28 days after birth were needed in all cases of macrocystic CPAM.

Conclusions

CVR can predict the need for respiratory support within 24 h after birth and for surgery within 2 years. Regression of a CLM prenatally does not rule out respiratory problems after birth. © 2020 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. ‐ Legal Statement: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution‐NonCommercial‐NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non‐commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
$$ T\overline{T} $$-deformation of q-Yang-Mills theory
Authors: Santilli Leonardo , Szabo Richard J. , Tierz Miguel
Published: November 2020

Abstract

We derive the $$ T\overline{T} $$
T

T
¯

-perturbed version of two-dimensional q-deformed Yang-Mills theory on an arbitrary Riemann surface by coupling the unperturbed theory in the first order formalism to Jackiw-Teitelboim gravity. We show that the $$ T\overline{T} $$
T

T
¯

-deformation results in a breakdown of the connection with a Chern-Simons theory on a Seifert manifold, and of the large N factorization into chiral and anti-chiral sectors. For the U(N) gauge theory on the sphere, we show that the large N phase transition persists, and that it is of third order and induced by instantons. The effect of the $$ T\overline{T} $$
T

T
¯

-deformation is to decrease the critical value of the ’t Hooft coupling, and also to extend the class of line bundles for which the phase transition occurs. The same results are shown to hold for (q, t)-deformed Yang-Mills theory. We also explicitly evaluate the entanglement entropy in the large N limit of Yang-Mills theory, showing that the $$ T\overline{T} $$
T

T
¯

-deformation decreases the contribution of the Boltzmann entropy.
Traumatic brain injury with concomitant injury to the spleen: characteristics and mortality of a high-risk trauma cohort from the TraumaRegister DGU®
Authors: Mader Marius Marc-Daniel , Lefering Rolf , Westphal Manfred , Maegele Marc , Czorlich Patrick
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Based on the hypothesis that systemic inflammation contributes to secondary injury after initial traumatic brain injury (TBI), this study aims to describe the effect of splenectomy on mortality in trauma patients with TBI and splenic injury.

Methods

A retrospective cohort analysis of patients prospectively registered into the TraumaRegister DGU® (TR-DGU) with TBI (AISHead ≥ 3) combined with injury to the spleen (AISSpleen ≥ 1) was conducted. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was performed to adjust for confounding factors and to assess the independent effect of splenectomy on in-hospital mortality.

Results

The cohort consisted of 1114 patients out of which 328 (29.4%) had undergone early splenectomy. Patients with splenectomy demonstrated a higher Injury Severity Score (median: 34 vs. 44, p < 0.001) and lower Glasgow Coma Scale (median: 9 vs. 7, p = 0.014) upon admission. Splenectomized patients were more frequently hypotensive upon admission (19.8% vs. 38.0%, p < 0.001) and in need for blood transfusion (30.3% vs. 61.0%, p < 0.001). The mortality was 20.7% in the splenectomy group and 10.3% in the remaining cohort. After adjustment for confounding factors, early splenectomy was not found to exert a significant effect on in-hospital mortality (OR 1.29 (0.67–2.50), p = 0.45).

Conclusion

Trauma patients with TBI and spleen injury undergoing splenectomy demonstrate a more severe injury pattern, more compromised hemodynamic status and higher in-hospital mortality than patients without splenectomy. Adjustment for confounding factors reveals that the splenectomy procedure itself is not independently associated with survival.
Rice-induced secondary metabolite gene expression inAspergillus nidulans
Authors: Lacriola Christopher J , Falk Shaun P , Weisblum Bernard
Published: November 2020

Activation of silent biosynthetic gene clusters in fungi remains a challenge for discovery of new useful natural products. In this work, we identify a group of silent secondary metabolite gene clusters in Aspergillus nidulans that are induced by rice (Oryza sativa). Using reverse phase HPLC purification on extracts of rice, we identified the plant hormone gibberellic acid as one compound present in rice extracts that induced these silent genes. Additionally, select secondary metabolite (SM) genes activated by rice were tested for responses to several plant hormones which produced distinctly different transcriptomic profiles in A. nidulans. These observations support the idea that phytohormones play an important role in regulating fungal SM biosynthesis while additionally serving as a source of natural product chemical libraries to screen for useful compounds.
Free vibration characteristics of sectioned unidirectional/bidirectional functionally graded material cantilever beams based on finite element analysis
Authors: Viet N. V. , Zaki W. , Wang Quan
Published: November 2020

Advancements in manufacturing technology, including the rapid development of additive manufacturing (AM), allow the fabrication of complex functionally graded material (FGM) sectioned beams. Portions of these beams may be made from different materials with possibly different gradients of material properties. The present work proposes models to investigate the free vibration of FGM sectioned beams based on one-dimensional (1D) finite element analysis. For this purpose, a sample beam is divided into discrete elements, and the total energy stored in each element during vibration is computed by considering either Timoshenko or Euler-Bernoulli beam theories. Then, Hamilton’s principle is used to derive the equations of motion for the beam. The effects of material properties and dimensions of FGM sections on the beam’s natural frequencies and their corresponding mode shapes are then investigated based on a dynamic Timoshenko model (TM). The presented model is validated by comparison with three-dimensional (3D) finite element simulations of the first three mode shapes of the beam.
Effects of copper in Daphnia are modulated by nanosized titanium dioxide and natural organic matter: what is the impact of aging duration?
Authors: Roy Rajdeep , Lüderwald Simon , Alawi Ahmed Maknoon Asawer , Metreveli George , Schulz Ralf , Bundschuh Mirco
Published: November 2020

During its aquatic life cycle, nanosized titanium dioxide (nTiO2) may interact with natural organic matter (NOM) ultimately altering the ecotoxicity of co-occurring chemical stressors such as heavy metals (e.g. copper (Cu)). In this context, the following hypotheses were tested: (1) aging of nTiO2along with Cu reduces Cu toxicity, (2) nTiO2agglomerates have a lower potential to reduce Cu toxicity and (3) aging of nTiO2in presence of NOM reduces Cu toxicity further. A multifactorial test design crossing three nTiO2levels (0.0, 0.6 and 3.0 mg/L) with two levels of NOM (0 versus 8 mg total organic carbon (TOC)/L) and seven nominal Cu concentrations (ranging from 0 to 1536 μg/L) aged in ASTM medium for 0, 1, 3 and 6 days was realised, while two aging scenarios were applied (type 1: nTiO2jointly aged with Cu; type 2: Cu added after nTiO2aging). Subsequently, Cu toxicity was assessed using the immobility ofDaphnia magnaafter 48 h of exposure as response variable. The experiments revealed that neither aging duration nor the extent of agglomeration (type 1 vs. type 2 aging) has a substantial impact on Cu induced toxicity. Moreover, it was confirmed that the presence of NOM substantially reduced Cu induced toxicity, independent of the aging scenario and duration. More importantly, the data suggest the ingestion of Cu loaded nTiO2as additional exposure pathway contributing to Cu toxicity. In conclusion, it seems unlikely that nTiO2concentrations currently detected in or predicted for aquatic ecosystems, which are at least one order of magnitude below the concentration tested here, influence Cu toxicity meaningfully.
Betting the farm and playing it safe? Hyper-core self-evaluation in decisions when managers are winning and losing
Authors: Hönl Andreas , Meissner Philip , Wulf Torsten
Published: November 2020

Core self-evaluation summarizes a decision maker’s self-worth. This key personality trait has been shown to lead to extreme performance consequences of either winning or losing big. We suggest that these extreme performance outcomes may partly rest in how core self-evaluation affects executive’s perception and evaluation of risk in choices under uncertainty. We conducted a choice experiment building on the original prospect theory experiments with 97 executives, in which we measured the effect of core self-evaluation on risk behavior. As a robustness test, we replicated and validated our findings with a larger sample of 111 executives. Building on the tenets of prospect theory, we show that decision makers with high levels of core self-evaluation are less loss averse. Surprisingly, this effect differs depending on whether gains or losses are highlighted in the decision. For gains, higher levels of core self-evaluation are associated with behaviors that are closer to risk neutrality. For losses, however, we find that higher levels of core self-evaluation further enhance the risk-seeking behavior of decision makers. These findings contribute towards understanding the effects of core self-evaluation in the work environment as well as in the decision process and provide an additional lens for studying how the personality of executives affects choices under uncertainty.
Students’ awareness of the academic integrity policy at a Latvian university
Authors: Anohina-Naumeca Alla , Birzniece Ilze , Odiņeca Tatjana
Published: November 2020

An academic integrity policy usually specifies the university’s ethical principles and values, the forms of appropriate academic behaviour, the penalties for academic malpractice and the procedures for handling policy violations. However, the policy does not itself create academic integrity, but needs to be consistently and effectively communicated, implemented, and applied. This paper presents a case study investigating the extent to which students at Riga Technical University (Latvia) are informed about the university’s academic integrity policy. This quantitative research was performed by surveying two groups of respondents: domestic students in the first year of their bachelor’s studies and the heads of the corresponding study programmes. The results revealed a low level of students’ awareness of the university policy on academic integrity and a lack of systematic institutional approach to promoting academic integrity. The study results also indicated that students with a higher awareness of the university policy on academic integrity were less tolerant towards violations and perceived academic integrity as an essential aspect for both the academic community and student life. These findings establish a foundation for a more extensive discussion of academic integrity issues in Latvia. They can also serve as impetus for similar studies in other Latvian universities, as well as research taking an international comparative perspective.
Gesellschaftsordnungen oder kulturelle Ordnungen? Geschichtswissenschaftliche Perspektiven auf das Forschungsfeld soziale Probleme seit den 1960er-Jahren
Authors: Weinhauer K.
Published: November 2020

Das Forschungsfeld soziale Probleme und soziale Kontrolle und die ZeitschriftSoziale Problemewerden in eine längerfristige Perspektive gestellt. In ihrer Entstehungsphase in den 1960/70er Jahren hatten die Soziologie sozialer Probleme und sozialgeschichtliche Ansätze vieles gemeinsam. Zwei Fragen stehen deshalb im Mittelpunkt. Erstens, wie wurden im Forschungsfeld soziale Probleme relevante Ordnungsbegriffe (Gesellschaft, Staat, Struktur) reflektiert und aus welcher Perspektive analysiert? Nach der Etablierungs- und Verwissenschaftlichungsphase der 1970/80er Jahre wurden diese Ordnungsbegriffe kaum hinterfragt und zumeist aus Top-Down-Perspektive betrachtet. Zudem fehlten kritische Reflexionen über die zahlreichen prägenden US-Transfers. Zweitens wird nach der Positionierung zumcultural turngefragt. Explizite Kontroversen mit kulturalistischen Ansätzen wurden nicht ausgetragen, und die Bestimmung des Verhältnisses von Kultur und Gesellschaft blieb unterkomplex. Wie das Publikationsprofil der 1990 gegründeten ZeitschriftSoziale Problemezeigt, war (und ist) sie ein Verständigungsforum für im weitesten Sinne theoretische Reflexionen über soziale Probleme und soziale Kontrolle in Zeiten einer großen Aufmerksamkeit gegenüber kulturalistischen Ansätzen. Beiträge zu staatlichen Kontroll- und Sanktionsaktivitäten waren stark vertreten. Bemerkenswert sind die Bemühungen, das Forschungsfeld Anfang der 2000er-Jahre für die neuere Globalisierungsforschung und damit auch für eine reflektierte Transnationalität sowie für die Analyse lokaler Praktiken zu öffnen.
Form-finding and fabrication of BeTA pavilion: a bending-active biotensegrity textile assembly
Authors: Davis-Sikora Diane , Liu Rui , Ohrn-McDaniel Linda
Published: November 2020

Born in art, the tensegrity logics have been advanced in disciplines from architecture and human anatomy. Biotensegrity principles introduce an adaptive, ‘living’ structural model characterized by networks of interconnected components and tendons with a shape adaptive capacity. Bending-active is an approach to form-force equilibria that adopts actively curving beams and surfaces within their elastic ranges. BeTA Pavilion explores the formal opportunities of biotensegrity logics using elastically bent glass fiber reinforced plastic rods and CNC knitted textiles. Its bending-active system (inspired by animal vertebrae typologies) is composed of prestressed and self-stabilized tetrahedron modules that are arrayed and sequenced to produce structural equilibrium with a bandwidth of dynamic motion. The paper details the iterative design process employing physical and computational modeling and testing for the new adaptive and dynamic structural assembly coupling bending-active textile hybrid with biotensegrity logics.
A simple method for purification ofStrongyloides venezuelensiseggs from rat faeces
Authors: Roldán W.H. , Martins de Paula F. , Gryschek R.C.B.
Published: November 2020

The aim of this study was to develop a simple method to purifyStrongyloideseggs from rat faeces using a sucrose gradient centrifugal-flotation technique. This procedure is simple, rapid and possesses a high efficiency in recoveringStrongyloideseggs without faecal detritus in less than one hour, thus eliminating the use of complex apparatus and different chemical substances. The possibility of working with pure and liveStrongyloideseggs opens up a wide range of future studies on the biology of this parasite. This study constitutes the first report in the scientific literature on purifyingStrongyloideseggs using a sucrose density gradient.
Risk factors associated with outbreaks of seasonal infectious disease in school settings, England, UK
Authors: Donaldson A. L. , Harris J. P. , Vivancos R. , O'Brien S. J.
Published: November 2020

Children are important transmitters of infection. Within schools they encounter large numbers of contacts and infections can spread easily causing outbreaks. However, not all schools are affected equally. We conducted a retrospective analysis of school outbreaks to identify factors associated with the risk of gastroenteritis, influenza, rash or other outbreaks. Data on reported school outbreaks in England were obtained from Public Health England and linked with data from the Department for Education and the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted). Primary and all-through schools were found to be at increased risk of outbreaks, compared with secondary schools (odds ratio (OR) 5.82, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.50–7.58 and OR 4.66, 95% CI 3.27–6.61, respectively). School size was also significantly associated with the risk of outbreaks, with higher odds associated with larger schools. Attack rates were higher in gastroenteritis and influenza outbreaks, with lower attack rates associated with rashes (relative risk 0.17, 95% CI 0.15–0.20). Deprivation and Ofsted rating were not associated with either outbreak occurrence or the subsequent attack rate. This study identifies primary and all-through schools as key settings for health protection interventions. Public health teams need to work closely with these schools to encourage early identification and reporting of outbreaks.
Finance, financiers and financial centres: a special issue in honour of Youssef CassisIntroduction
Authors: Altamura Carlo Edoardo , Daunton Martin
Published: November 2020

This special issue celebrates the career of Youssef Cassis. The introduction will outline his major contributions from his initial work on social characteristics of the financiers of the City of London, and their relationship with landed aristocrats and industry, through his analysis of a succession of financial centres, the comparative study of big business, the relationship between finance and politics, to his new project on the memory of financial crises. Then, we will draw on Youssef's mode of analysis to consider some of the more pressing issues in the era since the global financial crisis and the impact of Covid-19. We will consider the role of central banks, the challenge of fintech, the impact of low interest rates on inequality, savings and debt, and the potential shift in financial centres and reserve currencies with the rise of China. We will conclude by arguing that the mode of analysis developed by Cassis over his long and productive career has never been more pertinent.
Cobra head deformity of atrial septal occluder: blessing in disguise
Authors: Karuru Uma Devi , Gupta Saurabh Kumar
Published: November 2020

It is not uncommon to have prolapse of the atrial septal occluder device despite accurate measurement of atrial septal defect and an appropriately chosen device. This is particularly a problem in cases with large atrial septal defect with absent aortic rim. Various techniques have been described for successful implantation of atrial septal occluder in such a scenario. The essence of all these techniques is to prevent prolapse of the left atrial disc through the defect while the right atrial disc is being deployed. In this brief report, we illustrate the use of cobra head deformity of the device to successfully deploy the device across the atrial septum.
The HIF1α/HIF2α-miR210-3p network regulates glioblastoma cell proliferation, dedifferentiation and chemoresistance through EGF under hypoxic conditions
Authors: Wang Pan , Yan Qian , Liao Bin , Zhao Lu , Xiong Shuanglong , Wang Junwei , Zou Dewei , Pan Jinyu , Wu Liangqi , Deng Yangmin , Wu Nan , Gong Sheng
Published: November 2020

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) promotes the malignant progression of glioblastoma under hypoxic conditions, leading to a poor prognosis for patients with glioblastoma; however, none of the therapies targeting HIF1α in glioblastoma have successfully eradicated the tumour. Therefore, we focused on the reason and found that treatments targeting HIF1α and HIF2α simultaneously increased tumour volume, but the combination of HIF1α/HIF2α-targeted therapies with temozolomide (TMZ) reduced tumourigenesis and significantly improved chemosensitization. Moreover, miR-210-3p induced HIF1α expression but inhibited HIF2α expression, suggesting that miR-210-3p regulates HIF1α/HIF2α expression. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has been shown to upregulate HIF1α expression under hypoxic conditions. However, in the present study, in addition to the signalling pathways mentioned above, the upstream proteins HIF1α and HIF2α have been shown to induce EGF expression by binding to the sequences AGGCGTGG and GGGCGTGG. Briefly, in a hypoxic microenvironment the HIF1α/HIF2α-miR210-3p network promotes the malignant progression of glioblastoma through a positive feedback loop with EGF. Additionally, differentiated glioblastoma cells underwent dedifferentiation to produce glioma stem cells under hypoxic conditions, and simultaneous knockout of HIF1α and HIF2α inhibited cell cycle arrest but promoted proliferation with decreased stemness, promoting glioblastoma cell chemosensitization. In summary, both HIF1α and HIF2α regulate glioblastoma cell proliferation, dedifferentiation and chemoresistance through a specific pathway, which is important for glioblastoma treatments.
Identification of CD24 as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target for malignant pleural mesothelioma
Authors: Karnan Sivasundaram , Ota Akinobu , Murakami Hideki , Rahman Md Lutfur , Hasan Muhammad Nazmul , Wahiduzzaman Md , Hanamura Ichiro , Quang Vu Lam , Inoko Akihito , Hyodo Toshinori , Konishi Hiroyuki , Tsuzuki Shinobu , Hosokawa Yoshitaka
Published: November 2020

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive malignancy of the pleura that is currently incurable due to the lack of an effective early diagnostic method and specific medication. The CDKN2A (p16) and NF2 genes are both frequently mutated in MPM. To understand how these mutations contribute to MPM tumor growth, we generated NF2/p16 double-knockout (DKO) cell clones using human MeT-5A and HOMC-B1 mesothelial cell lines. Cell growth and migration activities were significantly increased in DKO compared with parental cells. cDNA microarray analysis revealed differences in global gene expression profiles between DKO and parental cells. Quantitative PCR and western blot analyses showed upregulation of CD24 concomitant with increased phosphorylation of AKT, p70S6K, and c-Jun in DKO clones. This upregulation was abrogated by exogenous expression of NF2 and p16. CD24 knockdown in DKO cells significantly decreased TGF-β1 expression and increased expression of E-cadherin, an epithelial–mesenchymal transition marker. CD24 was highly expressed in human mesothelioma tissues (28/45 cases, 62%) and associated with the loss of NF2 and p16. Public data analysis revealed a significantly shorter survival time in MPM patients with high CD24 gene expression levels. These results strongly indicate the potential use of CD24 as a prognostic marker as well as a novel diagnostic and therapeutic target for MPM.
Novel PTCH1 mutations in Japanese familial nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome
Authors: Nakase Yoji , Hamada Atsuko , Kitamura Naoya , Hata Tsuyoshi , Toratani Shigeaki , Yamamoto Tetsuya , Okamoto Tetsuji
Published: November 2020

Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS), also known as Gorlin syndrome, is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner and is characterized by a combination of developmental abnormalities and a predisposition to tumor formation. Hedgehog receptor Patched 1 (PTCH1) has been identified as the mutated gene in NBCCS. We identified the PTCH1_c.3298_3299insAAG_p.1099_1100insE mutation in the transmembrane region, which comprises a sterol transporter whose abnormal function is reportedly related to pathogenicity.
Twist-angle dependence of moiré excitons in WS2/MoSe2 heterobilayers
Authors: Zhang Long , Zhang Zhe , Wu Fengcheng , Wang Danqing , Gogna Rahul , Hou Shaocong , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Kulkarni Krishnamurthy , Kuo Thomas , Forrest Stephen R. , Deng Hui
Published: November 2020

Moiré lattices formed in twisted van der Waals bilayers provide a unique, tunable platform to realize coupled electron or exciton lattices unavailable before. While twist angle between the bilayer has been shown to be a critical parameter in engineering the moiré potential and enabling novel phenomena in electronic moiré systems, a systematic experimental study as a function of twist angle is still missing. Here we show that not only are moiré excitons robust in bilayers of even large twist angles, but also properties of the moiré excitons are dependant on, and controllable by, the moiré reciprocal lattice period via twist-angle tuning. From the twist-angle dependence, we furthermore obtain the effective mass of the interlayer excitons and the electron inter-layer tunneling strength, which are difficult to measure experimentally otherwise. These findings pave the way for understanding and engineering rich moiré-lattice induced phenomena in angle-twisted semiconductor van der Waals heterostructures.
Multilayer stabilization for fabricating high-loading single-atom catalysts
Authors: Zhou Yazhou , Tao Xiafang , Chen Guangbo , Lu Ruihu , Wang Ding , Chen Ming-Xi , Jin Enquan , Yang Juan , Liang Hai-Wei , Zhao Yan , Feng Xinliang , Narita Akimitsu , Müllen Klaus
Published: November 2020

Metal single-atom catalysts (M-SACs) have emerged as an attractive concept for promoting heterogeneous reactions, but the synthesis of high-loading M-SACs remains a challenge. Here, we report a multilayer stabilization strategy for constructing M-SACs in nitrogen-, sulfur- and fluorine-co-doped graphitized carbons (M = Fe, Co, Ru, Ir and Pt). Metal precursors are embedded into perfluorotetradecanoic acid multilayers and are further coated with polypyrrole prior to pyrolysis. Aggregation of the metals is thus efficiently inhibited to achieve M-SACs with a high metal loading (~16 wt%). Fe-SAC serves as an efficient oxygen reduction catalyst with half-wave potentials of 0.91 and 0.82 V (versus reversible hydrogen electrode) in alkaline and acid solutions, respectively. Moreover, as an air electrode in zinc–air batteries, Fe-SAC demonstrates a large peak power density of 247.7 mW cm−2 and superior long-term stability. Our versatile method paves an effective way to develop high-loading M-SACs for various applications.
Crystallographic structure of wild-type SARS-CoV-2 main protease acyl-enzyme intermediate with physiological C-terminal autoprocessing site
Authors: Lee Jaeyong , Worrall Liam J. , Vuckovic Marija , Rosell Federico I. , Gentile Francesco , Ton Anh-Tien , Caveney Nathanael A. , Ban Fuqiang , Cherkasov Artem , Paetzel Mark , Strynadka Natalie C. J.
Published: November 2020

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the pathogen that causes the disease COVID-19, produces replicase polyproteins 1a and 1ab that contain, respectively, 11 or 16 nonstructural proteins (nsp). Nsp5 is the main protease (Mpro) responsible for cleavage at eleven positions along these polyproteins, including at its own N- and C-terminal boundaries, representing essential processing events for subsequent viral assembly and maturation. We have determined X-ray crystallographic structures of this cysteine protease in its wild-type free active site state at 1.8 Å resolution, in its acyl-enzyme intermediate state with the native C-terminal autocleavage sequence at 1.95 Å resolution and in its product bound state at 2.0 Å resolution by employing an active site mutation (C145A). We characterize the stereochemical features of the acyl-enzyme intermediate including critical hydrogen bonding distances underlying catalysis in the Cys/His dyad and oxyanion hole. We also identify a highly ordered water molecule in a position compatible for a role as the deacylating nucleophile in the catalytic mechanism and characterize the binding groove conformational changes and dimerization interface that occur upon formation of the acyl-enzyme. Collectively, these crystallographic snapshots provide valuable mechanistic and structural insights for future antiviral therapeutic development including revised molecular docking strategies based on Mpro inhibition.
Genome-enabled discovery of anthraquinone biosynthesis in Senna tora
Authors: Kang Sang-Ho , Pandey Ramesh Prasad , Lee Chang-Muk , Sim Joon-Soo , Jeong Jin-Tae , Choi Beom-Soon , Jung Myunghee , Ginzburg Daniel , Zhao Kangmei , Won So Youn , Oh Tae-Jin , Yu Yeisoo , Kim Nam-Hoon , Lee Ok Ran , Lee Tae-Ho , Bashyal Puspalata , Kim Tae-Su , Lee Woo-Haeng , Hawkins Charles , Kim Chang-Kug , Kim Jung Sun , Ahn Byoung Ohg , Rhee Seung Yon , Sohng Jae Kyung
Published: November 2020

Senna tora is a widely used medicinal plant. Its health benefits have been attributed to the large quantity of anthraquinones, but how they are made in plants remains a mystery. To identify the genes responsible for plant anthraquinone biosynthesis, we reveal the genome sequence of S. tora at the chromosome level with 526 Mb (96%) assembled into 13 chromosomes. Comparison among related plant species shows that a chalcone synthase-like (CHS-L) gene family has lineage-specifically and rapidly expanded in S. tora. Combining genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and biochemistry, we identify a CHS-L gene contributing to the biosynthesis of anthraquinones. The S. tora reference genome will accelerate the discovery of biologically active anthraquinone biosynthesis pathways in medicinal plants.
Endogenous antisense RNA curbs CD39 expression in Crohn’s disease
Authors: Harshe Rasika P. , Xie Anyan , Vuerich Marta , Frank Luiza Abrahão , Gromova Barbora , Zhang Haohai , Robles Rene’ J. , Mukherjee Samiran , Csizmadia Eva , Kokkotou Efi , Cheifetz Adam S. , Moss Alan C. , Kota Satya K. , Robson Simon C. , Longhi Maria Serena
Published: November 2020

CD39 is an ectonucleotidase that initiates conversion of extracellular nucleotides into immunosuppressive adenosine. CD39 is expressed by regulatory T (Treg)-cells, where it mediates immunosuppression, and by a subset of T-helper (Th) 17-cells, where it limits pathogenicity. CD39 is regulated via single-nucleotide-polymorphisms and upon activation of aryl-hydrocarbon-receptor and oxygen-mediated pathways. Here we report a mechanism of CD39 regulation that relies on the presence of an endogenous antisense RNA, transcribed from the 3′-end of the human CD39/ENTPD1 gene. CD39-specific antisense is increased in Treg and Th17-cells of Crohn’s disease patients over controls. It largely localizes in the cell nucleus and regulates CD39 by interacting with nucleolin and heterogeneous-nuclear-ribonucleoprotein-A1. Antisense silencing results in CD39 upregulation in vitro and amelioration of disease activity in a trinitro-benzene-sulfonic-acid model of colitis in humanized NOD/scid/gamma mice. Inhibition/blockade of antisense might represent a therapeutic strategy to restore CD39 along with immunohomeostasis in Crohn’s disease.
Disease-associated gut microbiome and metabolome changes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Bowerman Kate L. , Rehman Saima Firdous , Vaughan Annalicia , Lachner Nancy , Budden Kurtis F. , Kim Richard Y. , Wood David L. A. , Gellatly Shaan L. , Shukla Shakti D. , Wood Lisa G. , Yang Ian A. , Wark Peter A. , Hugenholtz Philip , Hansbro Philip M.
Published: November 2020

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third commonest cause of death globally, and manifests as a progressive inflammatory lung disease with no curative treatment. The lung microbiome contributes to COPD progression, but the function of the gut microbiome remains unclear. Here we examine the faecal microbiome and metabolome of COPD patients and healthy controls, finding 146 bacterial species differing between the two groups. Several species, includingStreptococcus sp000187445,Streptococcus vestibularisand multiple members of the familyLachnospiraceae, also correlate with reduced lung function. Untargeted metabolomics identifies a COPD signature comprising 46% lipid, 20% xenobiotic and 20% amino acid related metabolites. Furthermore, we describe a disease-associated network connectingStreptococcus parasanguinis_Bwith COPD-associated metabolites, including N-acetylglutamate and its analogue N-carbamoylglutamate. While correlative, our results suggest that the faecal microbiome and metabolome of COPD patients are distinct from those of healthy individuals, and may thus aid in the search for biomarkers for COPD.