bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validity of balance measures in cerebellar ataxia: A prospective study with 12‐month follow‐up
Authors: Winser Stanley J. , Chan Anne Y. Y. , Chung Raymond , Whitney Susan , Kannan Priya
Published: April 2022

Introduction

Balance deficits are common in cerebellar ataxia. Determining which balance outcome measures are psychometrically strong for this population remains an unmet need.

Objective

To evaluate the validity and responsiveness of two clinic‐based balance measures (Berg Balance Scale [BBS] and balance sub‐component of the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia [SARA‐bal]) and two laboratory‐based balance measures (Sensory Organization Test [SOT] and Limits of Stability [LOS]) in cerebellar ataxia.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Institutional study assessing 40 participants with cerebellar ataxia at baseline, and 6 and 12 months.

Main outcome measures

Balance was assessed using the BBS, SARA‐bal, SOT, and LOS; disease severity was assessed using the SARA; and Patients' Global Impression of Change (PGIC) was used to estimate responsiveness to disease progress at 6 and 12 months.

Results

BBS and SARA‐bal (Spearman's correlation coefficient, ρS = −0.89, p < .01) demonstrated strong criterion validity. Convergent validity was moderate to high (ρS range: −0.75 to 0.92) and external validity was low (ρS range: −0.75 to 0.11). Composite SOT scores (SOT‐COM; ρS = 0.29, p < .01) and maximal excursion (MXE‐LOS) in the forward (F) and right (R) directions of the LOS (ρS = 0.18, p < .01) demonstrated moderate to low criterion and convergent validity. The area under the receiver‐operating characteristic curve (AUCROC) and its effect size (standard response mean [SRM]) for categorizing “stable” and “worsened” patients at 6 and 12 months were satisfactory for the BBS (AUCROC: 0.75; SRM‐Stable: 1.06; SRM‐Worsened: 1.16), SARA‐bal (AUCROC: 0.76; SRM‐Stable: 0.86; SRM‐Worsened: 0.85), and MXE‐LOS(R) (AUCROC: 0.29; SRM‐Stable: 0.41; SRM‐Worsened: 1.39).

Conclusion

BBS and SARA‐bal have moderate to strong criterion and convergent validity and adequate responsiveness to balance changes. Both laboratory‐based measures (SOT and LOS) demonstrated a high floor effect. The SOT‐COM and MXE‐LOS(R) demonstrated moderate to low criterion validity, with only the MXE‐LOS(R) displaying adequate responsiveness to balance changes after 6 and 12 months.
Primary ciliary dyskinesia and fungal infections: Two cases of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis in children
Authors: Allaer Laura , Lejeune Stéphanie , Mordacq Clémence , Deschildre Antoine , Thumerelle Caroline
Published: April 2022

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare inherited disease that affects the movement of the respiratory cilia. The main clinical manifestations are chronic upper and lower respiratory symptoms and recurrent lung infections, particularly bacterial and viral infections. Fungal infections are not usually associated with PCD. Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a rare complex immune hypersensitivity reaction to Aspergillus fumigatus reported in patients with asthma and cystic fibrosis. Only three cases of ABPA associated with adult PCD have been described in the literature. Herein, we reported on two cases of ABPA in two boys aged 10 and 13 years with PCD. Both had severe lung disease and chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. One patient was diagnosed according to the typical clinical features of ABPA, while the other was diagnosed during a scheduled visit with no clinical changes but worsening pulmonary function and radiologic anomalies. The diagnosis of ABPA was confirmed in the two patients who then improved after receiving specific treatment. These two cases were the first to describe the occurrence of ABPA in children with PCD. We recommend that physicians involved in the management of children with PCD be aware of this potential complication.
Characteristics of Fragment Impacting Steel Cover at High Speed to Initiate Heated Explosives
Authors: Zhao Pin , Chen Lang , Li Jin‐he , Lu Jian‐ying , Wu Jun‐ying
Published: April 2022

The temperature of the explosive has a great influence on its shock initiation sensitivity. The response characteristics of the heated explosive under fragment impact is a concern for the safety of the explosive. In order to study the initiation characteristics of heated explosives subjected to fragment impact, an experimental device that uses the shaped charge to generate the high‐velocity fragment (2599 m/s) to impact the cover to initiate the heated explosive was designed in this paper. This method achieves uniform temperature control of explosives via heating the upper and lower ends and preserves heat on the side of the explosive charge. We experimentally tested the method on hexahydro‐1,3,5‐trinitro‐1,3,5‐triazine (RDX)‐based aluminized explosives (61 wt.% RDX, 30 wt.% Al, 9 wt.% binder) at different temperatures. The fragment impact behavior and explosive detonation wave growth were observed via X‐ray photography. A numerical model of fragment initiating explosive, which considered the temperature change of the explosive, was set up, a numerical simulation of the explosive charge initiated by fragment impacting the cover was carried out, and the reaction degree of explosive impacted by fragment and its change with temperature were analyzed. The study found that the precursor shock wave formed by the fragment impacting the cover initiated the explosive, and the explosive temperature greatly influences the fragment initiation process. Through the numerical simulation calculation of the explosive charge initiated by fragment impact under different cover thicknesses and temperatures, the relationship among the critical cover thickness, the run‐to‐detonation distance and explosive temperature was given. In the temperature range of 25 °C–111 °C, the shock sensitivity of RDX‐based aluminized explosives under fragment impact decreases with the increase of explosive temperature, while in the temperature range of 111 °C–170 °C, the sensitivity increases with the increase of explosive temperature.
Prevalent association with the bacterial cell envelope of prokaryotic expansins revealed by bioinformatics analysis
Authors: de Sandozequi Andrés , Salazar‐Cortés Juan José , Tapia‐Vázquez Irán , Martínez‐Anaya Claudia
Published: April 2022

Expansins are a group of proteins from diverse organisms from bacteria to plants. Although expansins show structural conservation, their biological roles seem to differ among kingdoms. In plants, these proteins remodel the cell wall during plant growth and other processes. Contrarily, determination of bacterial expansin activity has proven difficult, although genetic evidence of bacterial mutants indicates that expansins participate in bacteria–plant interactions. Nevertheless, a large proportion of expansin genes are found in the genomes of free‐living bacteria, suggesting roles that are independent of the interaction with living plants. Here, we analyzed all available sequences of prokaryotic expansins for correlations between surface electric charge, extra protein modules, and sequence motifs for association with the bacteria exterior after export. Additionally, information on the fate of protein after translocation across the membrane also points to bacterial cell association of expansins through six different mechanisms, such as attachment of a lipid molecule for membrane anchoring in diderm species or covalent linking to the peptidoglycan layer in monoderms such as the Bacilliales. Our results have implications for expansin function in the context of bacteria–plant interactions and also for free‐living species in which expansins might affect cell–cell or cell–substrate interaction properties and indicate the need to re‐examine the roles currently considered for these proteins.
The return of the rings: Evolutionary convergence of aromatic residues in the intrinsically disordered regions of RNA‐binding proteins for liquid–liquid phase separation
Authors: Ho Wen‐Lin , Huang Jie‐rong
Published: April 2022

Aromatic residues appeared relatively late in the evolution of protein sequences to stabilize the globular proteins' folding core and are less in the intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs). Recent advances in protein liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) studies have also shown that aromatic residues in IDRs often act as “stickers” to promote multivalent interactions in forming higher‐order oligomers. To study how general these structure‐promoting residues are in IDRs, we compared levels of sequence disorder in RNA binding proteins (RBPs), which are often found to undergo LLPS, and the human proteome. We found that aromatic residues appear more frequently than expected in the IDRs of RBPs and, through multiple sequence alignment analysis, those aromatic residues are often conserved among chordates. Using TDP‐43, FUS, and some other well‐studied LLPS proteins as examples, the conserved aromatic residues are important to their LLPS‐related functions. These analyses suggest that aromatic residues may have contributed twice to evolution: stabilizing structured proteins and assembling biomolecular condensates.
Parametric analysis of steel MRFs with self‐centring column bases
Authors: Lettieri Annarosa , Elettore Elena , Pieroni Ludovica , Freddi Fabio , Latour Massimo , Rizzano Gianvittorio
Published: April 2022

Nominated for Eurosteel 2021 Best Paper Award

In recent decades, innovative seismic‐resilient structural systems have been proposed to reduce the direct and indirect losses related to seismic events. Among others, steel moment‐resisting frames (MRFs) equipped with damage‐free self‐centring column bases (SC‐CBs) represent a promising solution. Although several configurations of SC‐CBs have been proposed in literature, only a few research studies investigated how the significant parameters (e. g. number of storeys, frame layout, seismic mass, seismic intensity) affect the seismic performance of MRFs with SC‐CBs. To further investigate this aspect, the present work focuses on the influence of an additional parameter (i. e. the combination of seismic mass and acceleration) on their self‐centring capability. Three 5‐bay steel MRFs with 4, 6 and 8 storeys are considered as case‐study frames and designed based on two different values of the seismic mass (i. e. M1 and M2). Numerical models are developed in OpenSees, incremental dynamic analyses (IDAs) are performed to monitor global engineering demand parameters (EDPs), and fragility curves are derived to evaluate the seismic performance of the structures. It is observed that the inclusion of SC‐CBs produces beneficial effects in terms of increased self‐centring capability on all the investigated case studies. Moreover, the parametric analysis allows some preliminary observations to be drawn regarding the influence of the number of stories and seismic mass.
Bridges of the Kāpiti expressway: Bridges on shaky ground
Authors: Kivell Anton
Published: April 2022

The Kāpiti Expressway is a 31 km long dual‐carriageway expressway located on the Kāpiti Coast, 75 km north of Wellington, New Zealand. It consists of two sections, the first of which commenced design in 2012 and completed construction in 2017, and the second of which is expected to be opened to traffic in 2022. Combined, the two Kāpiti Expressway sections have 27 bridges. The need for resilience is due to New Zealand being a highly seismic part of the world, with the Wellington region having a very high seismic hazard being located over a web of fault lines. Large sections of the expressway are constructed on ancient wetlands and peat bogs, making the soils prone to large settlements and extensive liquefaction in earthquakes. The high seismicity and poor ground conditions combine to pose a significant challenge to designers and constructors alike. This article presents the challenges faced in the design of the bridges for the Kāpiti Expressway.
Globally distributed talent communities: A typology of innovation problems and talent characteristics
Authors: Sarkar Soumodip , Kedas Satishwar
Published: April 2022

As the world moves toward the “New Normal” with borderless innovation and remote work, Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) are increasingly involved in tapping talent that is external to organizational boundaries. This study distills learnings from the use of globally distributed external talent that has been facilitated by innovation intermediaries, a development that holds significant managerial implications for the post‐COVID industrial era. Moving beyond the conventional and recognized need for global talent management practices, we provide a perspective on talent management outside organizational boundaries, a topic that that has received limited attention so far. Through the lenses of open innovation and talent management, we define a typology of innovation problems on the basis of latent talent needs. We take a step further, and for each problem type, we identify the competencies that are relevant, the reward mechanisms of the intermediaries, and the extent of collaboration required with internal talent. This typology provides a basis for researchers in the talent management community to study talent acquisition and management strategies of MNEs across various contexts and various innovation needs.
Review on a cesarean section in the cow: Its incision approaches, relative advantage, and disadvantages
Authors: Adugna Solomon Amente , Kitessa Jiregna Dugassa , Feyissa Cheru Telila , Adem Sultan Aliyi
Published: April 2022

Dystocia is an abnormal and difficult birth in which the first or the second stage of labour is markedly prolonged and subsequently found impossible for the dam to deliver without artificial aid. In cattle, it can be relieved by different obstetric methods, including the cesarean operation and fetotomy. Caesarean section is the extraction of the fetus or foeti from the dam, through a surgical opening in the abdominal wall and the uterus. This surgical method can be performed by about eight alternative surgical approaches in bovines with its advantages and disadvantages. However, the selection is dependent on many factors like the type of dystocia, the cows and environmental conditions, the availability of assistants, and the surgeon's preference. For cows, most surgeons use a standing left paralumbar celiotomy. However, the left oblique approach is also preferable under most circumstances because the uterus is readily exteriorized, limiting peritoneal cavity contamination. Besides, alternative approaches are also available that will further limit the potential for contamination but many junior surgeons perform the left paralumbar celiotomy using the same approach each time due to their comfort with one specific approach or lack of familiarity with other available options. Therefore, the objective of this review is to provide basic insights and highlight the cesarean section incision approaches with their relative advantages and disadvantages in cows.
Protonation of Pyruvic Acid – Synthesis of a plain Superelectrophile
Authors: Virmani Alan , Pfeiffer Martina , Jessen Christoph , Morgenstern Yvonne , Kornath Andreas J.
Published: April 2022

The syntheses of [H3C(O)CC(OH)2][MF6] and [H3C(OH)CC(OH)2][MF6]2 (M=As, Sb) by reacting pyruvic acid in the superacidic systems HF/AsF5 and HF/SbF5 are reported. The salts were characterized by low‐temperature vibrational spectroscopy and in the cases of [H3C(O)CC(OH)2][SbF6] and [H3C(OH)CC(OH)2][SbF6]2 ⋅ HF by X‐ray crystal structure analyses. The experimental results are discussed together with quantum chemical calculations. Remarkably, the bond distance and the twisting angle around the central C−C bond are unaffected by the protonations despite increasing coulombic repulsion. The crystal structure reveals short interionic interactions that have a considerable influence on the C−C bond.
Balanced B and D-type orthosymplectic quivers — magnetic quivers for product theories
Authors: Sperling Marcus , Zhong Zhenghao
Published: April 2022

Abstract

We investigate orthosymplectic quivers that take the shape of D-type and B-type Dynkin diagrams. The D-type orthosymplectic quivers explored here contain a balanced “fork”, i.e. a balanced subquiver with a D-type bifurcation, whereas the B-type orthosymplectic quivers are obtained by folding the D-type quivers. The Coulomb branches of these quivers are products of two moduli spaces. In the second part, the relevant orthosymplectic quivers are shown to emerge as magnetic quivers for brane configurations involving ON0 planes. Notably, the appearance of ON0 plane clarifies the product nature of the theories in question. The derivation leads to the analysis of magnetic quivers from branes systems with intersecting Op, O(p + 2), and ON0 planes.
Eigenvalue-flipping algorithm for matrix Monte Carlo
Authors: Kováčik Samuel , Tekel Juraj
Published: April 2022

Abstract

Many physical systems can be described in terms of matrix models that we often cannot solve analytically. Fortunately, they can be studied numerically in a straightforward way. Many commonly used algorithms follow the Monte Carlo method, which is efficient for small matrix sizes but cannot guarantee ergodicity when working with large ones. In this paper, we propose an improvement of the algorithm that, for a large class of matrix models, allows to tunnel between various vacua in a proficient way, where sign change of eigenvalues is proposed externally. We test the method on two models: the pure potential matrix model and the scalar field theory on the fuzzy sphere.
From boundary data to bound states. Part III. Radiative effects
Authors: Cho Gihyuk , Kälin Gregor , Porto Rafael A.
Published: April 2022

Abstract

We extend the boundary-to-bound (B2B) correspondence to incorporate radiative as well as conservative radiation-reaction effects. We start by deriving a map between the total change in observables due to gravitational wave emission during hyperbolic-like motion and in one period of an elliptic-like orbit, which is valid in the adiabatic expansion for non-spinning as well as aligned-spin configurations. We also discuss the inverse problem of extracting the associated fluxes from scattering data. Afterwards we demonstrate, to all orders in the Post-Minkowskian expansion, the link between the radiated energy and the ultraviolet pole in the radial action in dimensional regularization due to tail effects. This implies, as expected, that the B2B correspondence for the conservative sector remains unchanged for local-in-time radiation-reaction tail effects with generic orbits. As a side product, this allows us to read off the energy flux from the associated pole in the tail Hamiltonian. We show that the B2B map also holds for non-local-in-time terms, but only in the large-eccentricity limit. Remarkably, we find that all of the trademark logarithmic contributions to the radial action map unscathed between generic unbound and bound motion. However, unlike logarithms, other terms due to non-local effects do not transition smoothly to quasi-circular orbits. We conclude with a discussion on these non-local pieces. Several checks of the B2B dictionary are displayed using state-of-the-art knowledge in Post-Newtonian/Minkowskian theory.
High-dimensional anomaly detection with radiative return in e+e− collisions
Authors: Gonski Julia , Lai Jerry , Nachman Benjamin , Ochoa Inês
Published: April 2022

Abstract

Experiments at a future e+e− collider will be able to search for new particles with masses below the nominal centre-of-mass energy by analyzing collisions with initial-state radiation (radiative return). We show that machine learning methods that use imperfect or missing training labels can achieve sensitivity to generic new particle production in radiative return events. In addition to presenting an application of the classification without labels (CWoLa) search method in e+e− collisions, our study combines weak supervision with variable-dimensional information by deploying a deep sets neural network architecture. We have also investigated some of the experimental aspects of anomaly detection in radiative return events and discuss these in the context of future detector design.
A minimising movement scheme for the p-elastic energy of curves
Authors: Blatt Simon , Hopper Christopher P. , Vorderobermeier Nicole
Published: April 2022

We prove short-time existence for the negative$$L^2$$L2-gradient flow of thep-elastic energy of curves via a minimising movement scheme. In order to account for the degeneracy caused by the energy’s invariance under curve reparametrisations, we write the evolving curves as approximate normal graphs over a fixed smooth curve. This enables us to establish short-time existence and give a lower bound on the solution’s lifetime that depends only on the$$W^{2,p}$$W2,p-Sobolev norm of the initial data.
The dimension of the image of the Abel map associated with normal surface singularities
Authors: Nagy János , Némethi András
Published: April 2022

Let (X, o) be a complex normal surface singularity with rational homology sphere link and let $$\widetilde{X}$$

X
~

be one of its good resolutions. Consider an effective cycle Z supported on the exceptional curve and the isomorphism classes $$\mathrm{Pic}(Z)$$

Pic
(
Z
)

of line bundles on Z. The set of possible values $$h^1(Z,\mathcal {L})$$

h
1

(
Z
,
L
)

for $$\mathcal {L}\in \mathrm{Pic}(Z)$$

L
∈
Pic
(
Z
)

can be understood in terms of the dimensions of the images of the Abel maps, as subspaces of $$\mathrm{Pic}(Z)$$

Pic
(
Z
)

. In this note we present two algorithms, which provide these dimensions. Usually, the dimension of $$\mathrm{Pic}(Z)$$

Pic
(
Z
)

and of the dimension of the image of the Abel maps are not topological. However, we provide combinatorial formulae for them in terms of the resolution graph whenever the analytic structure on $$\widetilde{X}$$

X
~

is generic.
Freely available artificial intelligence for pelvic lymph node metastases in PSMA PET-CT that performs on par with nuclear medicine physicians
Authors: Trägårdh Elin , Enqvist Olof , Ulén Johannes , Hvittfeldt Erland , Garpered Sabine , Belal Sarah Lindgren , Bjartell Anders , Edenbrandt Lars
Published: April 2022

Purpose

The aim of this study was to develop and validate an artificial intelligence (AI)-based method using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for the detection of pelvic lymph node metastases in scans obtained using [18F]PSMA-1007 positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) from patients with high-risk prostate cancer. The second goal was to make the AI-based method available to other researchers.

Methods

[18F]PSMA PET-CT scans were collected from 211 patients. Suspected pelvic lymph node metastases were marked by three independent readers. A CNN was developed and trained on a training and validation group of 161 of the patients. The performance of the AI method and the inter-observer agreement between the three readers were assessed in a separate test group of 50 patients.

Results

The sensitivity of the AI method for detecting pelvic lymph node metastases was 82%, and the corresponding sensitivity for the human readers was 77% on average. The average number of false positives was 1.8 per patient. A total of 5–17 false negative lesions in the whole cohort were found, depending on which reader was used as a reference. The method is available for researchers at www.recomia.org.

Conclusion

This study shows that AI can obtain a sensitivity on par with that of physicians with a reasonable number of false positives. The difficulty in achieving high inter-observer sensitivity emphasizes the need for automated methods. On the road to qualifying AI tools for clinical use, independent validation is critical and allows performance to be assessed in studies from different hospitals. Therefore, we have made our AI tool freely available to other researchers.
Visual improvement and regeneration of retinal layers in eyes with small, medium, and large idiopathic full-thickness macular holes treated with the inverted internal limiting membrane flap technique over a period of 12 months
Authors: Bleidißel Nathalie , Friedrich Julia , Feucht Nikolaus , Klaas Julian , Maier Mathias
Published: April 2022

Purpose

This study aims to compare the improvement of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and the reduction in defect length of external limiting membrane (ELM) and ellipsoid zone (EZ) in small ($$<$$
<
250 μm), medium ($$\ge$$
≥
250 μm), and large ($$\ge$$
≥
400 μm) full-thickness macular holes (FTMH) treated with inverted internal limiting membrane (I-ILM) flap technique over a follow-up period of 12 months.

Methods

Ninety-one eyes of 87 patients were enrolled in this retrospective study. BCVA and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) were conducted preoperatively as well as after 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postoperatively. The defect length of the ELM and the EZ was measured using the caliper tool at each follow-up time point.

Results

BCVA improved significantly in the group of small, medium, and large FTMH over the time of 12 months, whereby the improvement did not depend on FTMH size over 9 months. Only after 12 months, large FTMH showed significantly higher BCVA improvement compared to small and medium FTMH. The closure rate was 100% (91/91). The defect length of ELM and EZ reduced continuously over the period of 12 months. There was a significant correlation between defect length of ELM and EZ with postoperative BCVA.

Conclusion

The I-ILM flap technique has very good morphological and functional outcomes in small, medium, and large FTMH over a long-time period, indicating that it can be considered as a treatment option in small and medium FTMH. The defect length of ELM and EZ is directly connected to postoperative BCVA.
Better detection of reduced motor functioning in brain tumor survivors based on objective motor assessments: an incentive for improved standardized follow-up
Authors: Gielis Marjoke , Dirix Veerle , Vanderhenst Ellen , Uyttebroeck Anne , Feys Hilde , Sleurs Charlotte , Jacobs Sandra
Published: April 2022

Long-term sequelae are well-known in childhood brain tumor survivors, but motor functioning remains poorly described. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess objective motor functioning, patient-specific risk factors, and parental perceptions. Fifty-two childhood brain tumor patients (pilocytic astrocytoma, medulloblastoma, and other types) who were at least 6 months out of treatment were evaluated. Mean age at testing was 11.7 years. Objective motor functioning was assessed with the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC-2-NL) and/or Bruininks-Oseretsky test of motor proficiency (BOT-2). Functional walking capacity was assessed with the 6-min walk test (6MWT). Parent-reported motor functioning was addressed using the ABILHAND-Kids, ABILOCO-Kids questionnaires, and a standardized anamnesis. Patients showed impaired motor functioning in all domains (p < 0.001). Regarding risk factors, younger age at diagnosis (< 5 year) was significantly associated with lower scores on body coordination (p = 0.006). Adjuvant treatment resulted in lower scores for fine manual control of the BOT-2 (p = 0.024) and balance of MABC-2-NL (p = 0.036). Finally, questionnaires revealed an underestimation of motor problems as perceived by the parents. In conclusion, many children who are in follow-up for a brain tumor show impaired motor functioning on multiple aspects, with younger age at diagnosis and adjuvant treatment as specific risk factors. Based on the questionnaires and anamnesis, motor problems appear to be underestimated by the parents.

  Conclusion: These findings point to the need for timely prospective screening of motor functioning. Based on a screening assessment, adequate rehabilitation programs can be applied in childhood brain tumor survivors, aiming to reduce the adverse impact on their daily lives, both for functional activities and cardiovascular fitness.

What is Known:• A pediatric brain tumor and its treatment are associated with potential long-term motor sequelae.• Test assessments could enable us to objectify motor functioning of these patients.

What is New:• Pediatric brain tumors survivors show lower motor performance compared to the norm, which is often underestimated by parents.• Younger age at diagnosis and adjuvant treatment could be specific risk factors.
Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 (FBP1) is an independent biomarker associated with a favorable prognosis in esophageal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Damanakis Alexander , Plum Patrick Sven , Gebauer Florian , Schröder Wolfgang , Büttner Reinhard , Zander Thomas , Bruns Christiane Josephine , Quaas Alexander
Published: April 2022

Introduction

Despite modern multimodal therapeutic regimens, the prognosis of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is still poor and there is a lack of biological markers estimating the patients’ prognosis. Fructose-1,6-biphosphatase (FBP1) is a key enzyme in gluconeogenesis and is associated with tumor initiation in several cancers. Therefore, this study aims to characterize its implication for EAC patients.

Methods and materials

A total of 571 EAC patients who underwent multimodal treatment between 1999 and 2017 were analyzed for FBP1 expression using immunohistochemistry.

Results

82.5% of the EACs show FBP1 expression in the tumor albeit with different intensities categorizing specimens accordingly into score 0 (no expression), score 1 (weak expression), score 2 (moderate expression) and score 3 (strong expression) (score 1 = 25.0%, score 2 = 35.9%, score 3 = 21.5%). Intratumoral FBP1 expression was significantly associated with a better prognosis (p = 0.024). This observation was particularly relevant among patients who received primary surgery without neoadjuvant treatment (p = 0.004). In multivariate analysis, elevated FBP1 expression was an independent biomarker associated with a favorable prognosis.

Discussion

Despite being associated with a favorable prognosis, the majority of patients with high FBP1 expression also require individualized therapy options to ensure long-term survival. Recently, it has been shown that the presence of the FBP1 protein increases the sensitivity of pancreatic cancer cells to the bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) inhibitor JQ1.

Conclusion

We described for the first time the prognostic and possibly therapeutic relevance of FBP1 in EAC. The efficiency of the BET inhibitor in EAC should be verified in clinical studies and special attention should be paid to the effects of neoadjuvant therapy on FBP1 expression.
Mixed strain/stress gradient loadings for FFT-based computational homogenization methods
Authors: Kabel Matthias
Published: April 2022

In this article, the Lippmann–Schwinger equation for nonlinear elasticity at small-strains is extended by mixed strain/stress gradient loadings. Such problems occur frequently, for instance when validating computational results with three-point bending tests, where the strain in the bending direction varies linearly over the thickness of the sample. To control all components of the effective strain/stress gradient the periodic boundary conditions are combined with constraints that enforce the periodically deformed boundary to approximate the kinematically fully prescribed boundary in an average sense. The resulting fixed point and Fletcher–Reeves algorithms preserve the positive characteristics of existing FFT-algorithms, like low memory consumption and extraordinary computational speed. The accuracy and power of the proposed methods is demonstrated with a series of numerical examples, including continuous fiber reinforced laminate materials.
Output feedback control with prescribed performance via funnel pre-compensator
Authors: Lanza Lukas
Published: April 2022

We study output reference tracking of systems with high relative degree via output feedback only; this is, tracking where the output derivatives are unknown. To this end, we prove that the conjunction of the funnel pre-compensator with a minimum phase system of arbitrary relative degree yields a system of the same relative degree which is minimum phase as well. The error between the original system’s output and the pre-compensator’s output evolves within a prescribed performance funnel; moreover, the derivatives of the funnel pre-compensator’s output are known explicitly. Therefore, output reference tracking with prescribed transient behaviour of the tracking error is possible without knowledge of the derivatives of the original system’s output; via funnel control schemes for instance.
Locally fitting hyperplanes to high-dimensional data
Authors: Hou M. , Kambhampati C.
Published: April 2022

Problems such as data compression, pattern recognition and artificial intelligence often deal with a large data sample as observations of an unknown object. An effective method is proposed to fit hyperplanes to data points in each hypercubic subregion of the original data sample. Corresponding to a set of affine linear manifolds, the locally fitted hyperplanes optimally approximate the object in the sense of least squares of their perpendicular distances to the sample points. Its effectiveness and versatility are illustrated through approximation of nonlinear manifolds Möbius strip and Swiss roll, handwritten digit recognition, dimensionality reduction in a cosmological application, inter/extrapolation for a social and economic data set, and prediction of recidivism of criminal defendants. Based on two essential concepts of hyperplane fitting and spatial data segmentation, this general method for unsupervised learning is rigorously derived. The proposed method requires no assumptions on the underlying object and its data sample. Also, it has only two parameters, namely the size of segmenting hypercubes and the number of fitted hyperplanes for user to choose. These make the proposed method considerably accessible when applied to solving various problems in real applications.
Contact guidance as a consequence of coupled morphological evolution and motility of adherent cells
Authors: Ippolito Alberto , DeSimone Antonio , Deshpande Vikram S.
Published: April 2022

Adherent cells seeded on substrates spread and evolve their morphology while simultaneously displaying motility. Phenomena such as contact guidance, viz. the alignment of cells on patterned substrates, are strongly linked to the coupling of morphological evolution with motility. Here, we employ a recently developed statistical thermodynamics framework for modelling the non-thermal fluctuating response of cells to probe this coupling. This thermodynamic framework is first extended via a Langevin style model to predict temporal responses of cells to unpatterned and patterned substrates. The Langevin model is then shown to not only predict the different experimentally observed temporal scales for morphological observables such as cell area and elongation but also the interplay of morphology with motility that ultimately leads to contact guidance.
Experimental investigations of the human oesophagus: anisotropic properties of the embalmed muscular layer under large deformation
Authors: Durcan Ciara , Hossain Mokarram , Chagnon Grégory , Perić Djordje , Bsiesy Lara , Karam Georges , Girard Edouard
Published: April 2022

The oesophagus is a primarily mechanical organ whose material characterisation would aid in the investigation of its pathophysiology, help in the field of tissue engineering, and improve surgical simulations and the design of medical devices. However, the layer-dependent, anisotropic properties of the organ have not been investigated using human tissue, particularly in regard to its viscoelastic and stress-softening behaviour. Restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic meant that fresh human tissue was not available for dissection. Therefore, in this study, the layer-specific material properties of the human oesophagus were investigated through ex vivo experimentation of the embalmed muscularis propria layer. For this, a series of uniaxial tension cyclic tests with increasing stretch levels were conducted at two different strain rates. The muscular layers from three different cadaveric specimens were tested in both the longitudinal and circumferential directions. The results displayed highly nonlinear and anisotropic behaviour, with both time- and history-dependent stress-softening. The longitudinal direction was found to be stiffer than the circumferential direction at both strain rates. Strain rate-dependent behaviour was apparent, with an increase in strain rate resulting in an increase in stiffness in both directions. Histological analysis was carried out via various staining methods; the results of which were discussed with regard to the experimentally observed stress-stretch response. Finally, the behaviour of the muscularis propria was simulated using a matrix-fibre model able to capture the various mechanical phenomena exhibited, the fibre orientation of which was driven by the histological findings of the study.
On the divergence of Birkhoff Normal Forms
Authors: Krikorian Raphaël
Published: April 2022

It is well known that a real analytic symplectic diffeomorphism of the $2d$
2
d
-dimensional disk ($d\geq 1$
d
≥
1
) admitting the origin as a non-resonant elliptic fixed point can be formally conjugated to its Birkhoff Normal Form, a formal power series defining a formal integrable symplectic diffeomorphism at the origin. We prove in this paper that this Birkhoff Normal Form is in general divergent. This solves, in any dimension, the question of determining which of the two alternatives of Pérez-Marco’s theorem (Ann. Math. (2) 157:557–574, 2003) is true and answers a question by H. Eliasson. Our result is a consequence of the fact that when $d=1$
d
=
1
the convergence of the formal object that is the BNF has strong dynamical consequences on the Lebesgue measure of the set of invariant circles in arbitrarily small neighborhoods of the origin. Our proof, as well as our results, extend to the case of real analytic diffeomorphisms of the annulus admitting a Diophantine invariant torus.
Composition and Structure Analysis of Hard Grey Scale (HGS) Formed on Cold Surfaces Exposed to Aluminium Production Off-gas
Authors: Clos Daniel Perez , Zedel Hannes , Johnsen Sverre Gullikstad , Nekså Petter , Aune Ragnhild Elizabeth
Published: April 2022

Hard grey scale (HGS) is a strongly adhering fouling material forming on solid surfaces impinged by off-gas generated in the pot cells of primary aluminium production plants. Even though associated maintenance costs have a significant economic impact, the mechanisms behind HGS formation are not well understood. In the present work, a cooled fouling probe or “cold finger” placed in the off-gas duct, upstream of the gas treatment centre (GTC), at a Norwegian aluminium production site was used to study the formation mechanisms of HGS. Fouling experiments were performed with durations ranging from a few hours to several months. HGS formed on the windward side of the probe, whereas dusty and loosely attached deposits accumulated on the leeward side. The chemical composition and crystal phase evolution of the different deposits and off-gas particle samples were analysed by electron probe micro-analyser equipped with an energy-dispersive spectrometer (EPMA-EDS), quantitative x-ray diffraction (Q-XRD), LECO-C and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Moreover, image analysis (IA) was used to investigate the particle size distribution and deposition properties of particles with different compositions. Inertial deposition of atmolite (NaAlF4) nanoparticles, produced by pot cell electrolyte vapour condensation, has been identified as the key mechanism in the formation of HGS.
Involvement of the Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels L- P/Q- and N-Types in Synapse Elimination During Neuromuscular Junction Development
Authors: Garcia Neus , Hernández Pablo , Lanuza Maria A. , Tomàs Marta , Cilleros-Mañé Víctor , Just-Borràs Laia , Duran-Vigara Maria , Polishchuk Aleksandra , Balanyà-Segura Marta , Tomàs Josep
Published: April 2022

During the nervous system development, synapses are initially overproduced. In the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) however, competition between several motor nerve terminals and the synapses they made ends with the maturation of only one axon. The competitive signaling between axons is mediated by the differential activity-dependent release of the neurotransmitter ACh, co-transmitters, and neurotrophic factors. A multiple metabotropic receptor-driven downstream balance between PKA and PKC isoforms modulates the phosphorylation of targets involved in transmitter release and nerve terminal stability. Previously, we observed in the weakest endings on the polyinnervated NMJ that M1 mAChR receptors reduce ACh release through the PKC pathway coupled to an excess of Ca2+ inflow through P/Q- N- and L-type voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCC). This signaling would contribute to the elimination of this nerve terminal. Here, we investigate the involvement of the P/Q-, N-, and L-subtype channels in transgenic B6.Cg-Tg (Thy1-YFP)16-Jrs/J mice during synapse elimination. Then, the axon number and postsynaptic receptor cluster morphologic maturation were evaluated. The results show that both L- and P/Q-type VGCC (but not the N-type) are equally involved in synapse elimination. Their normal function favors supernumerary axonal loss by jointly enhancing intracellular calcium [Ca2+]i. The block of these VGCCs or [Ca2+]i  i sequestration results in the same delay of axonal loss as the cPKCβI and nPKCε isoform block or PKA activation. The specific block of the muscle cell’s contraction with μ-conotoxin GIIIB also delays synapse maturation, and thus, a retrograde influence from the postsynaptic site regulating the presynaptic CaV1.3 may contribute to the synapse elimination.
Migrant Entrepreneurs as Agents of Development? Geopolitical Context and Transmobility Strategies of Colombian Migrants Returning from Venezuela
Authors: Riaño Yvonne
Published: April 2022

Returnee entrepreneurs are often represented in migration and development discourses as agents of development. This assumes that they acquire valuable socio-economic resources abroad which help them to create successful businesses upon return. However, we have scant knowledge of the impact of the geopolitical context on returnee entrepreneurs or their coping strategies. Latin American returnees in particular have received little attention and few studies focus on migrants with ‘South-to-South’ return trajectories. Emphasising the role of territorial conflicts and the agency of individuals, I use a feminist geopolitical perspective to address these gaps. I contribute to migration, mobility, and development studies by studying whether Colombian migrants returning from Venezuela can reintegrate as successful entrepreneurs. Further, I offer the concept of transmobilities to study the cross-border nature of strategies of reintegration. The 30 returnees studied have a trajectory of repeated forced mobilities, ranging from internal displacement in Colombia, subsequent emigration to Venezuela, and final deportation to Colombia by Venezuela’s government. I combine the qualitative methods of multi-sited ethnography, biographical interviews, mental maps, and participatory Minga workshops. The analysis shows that Colombian returnees face intense difficulties in reintegrating despite their strong motivation and entrepreneurial spirit. The geopolitical context of armed struggle, an absent Colombian state, and territorial conflicts between Colombia and Venezuela create an unfavourable environment for returnee entrepreneurs. Consequently, they develop transmobility strategies — including the movement of people, goods, and capital across national borders — at the risk of their own lives. The simplistic discourse of returnees as agents of development needs to be revised.
Bifurcations and dynamics of a discrete predator–prey model of ricker type
Authors: Hamada M. Y. , El-Azab Tamer , El-Metwally H.
Published: April 2022

A discrete-time predator–prey model is investigated in this paper. In considered model, the population is assumed to follow the model suggested by Ricker 1954. Existence and stability of equilibria are studied. Numerical simulations reveal that, depending on the parameters, the system has complicated and rich dynamics and can exhibit complex patterns. Also the bifurcation diagrams are presented.
Exploring the association between agricultural production systems and household diets in Viet Nam
Authors: Bandyopadhyay Arkadeep , Azzarri Carlo , Haile Beliyou , Kim Chungmann , Alvarez Cristina , Moltedo Ana , Sattar Abdul , Bell Winnie , Rogers Beatrice L.
Published: April 2022

The government of Viet Nam promotes an integrated and diversified production system that focuses on the symbiotic relationship of livestock, aquaculture, and fruits and vegetables (F&V), locally known as Vuon Ao Chuong (VAC). The expectation is that this system can prevent soil degradation, while improving dietary quality and income. This study examines the correlation between VAC production systems and diets using cross-sectional data from the 2016 round of the Viet Nam Household Living Standards Survey (VHLSS). Using ordinary least squares, we model four continuous outcome variables related to quantity consumed of fruits and vegetables, fiber, animal protein, and dietary energy; while using logistical regression, we model three indicator variables related to whether diets are balanced in terms of intake of dietary energy derived from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. While individual components of VAC, such as aquaculture or F&V production, show a positive correlation with one or more dietary indicators, adoption of the full VAC system is found to be positively correlated only with dietary fiber consumption, making it challenging to establish a causal link between system adoption and improved dietary quality. However, we find that several socioeconomic variables, such as access to markets, household wealth, education of the household members, and household size are positively associated with one or more dietary indicators. Further research is needed to establish strong and causal relationships, or lack thereof, between VAC system and diets by exploiting the panel structure of VHLSS to examine the role of VAC in improving nutritional outcomes in Viet Nam.
Association Between Dispositional Mindfulness, Clinical Characteristics, and Emotion Regulation in Women Entering Substance Use Disorder Treatment: an fMRI Study
Authors: Droutman Vita , Poppa Tasha , Monterosso John , Black David , Amaro Hortensia
Published: April 2022

Objectives

Dispositional mindfulness (DM) is associated with emotion regulation (ER) in healthy populations and may be protective for individuals with substance use disorders (SUD). We tested hypotheses concerning the associations of DM with ER, mental health symptoms, drug use severity, and behavioral and brain metabolic responses during an emotional Go-Nogo task.

Methods

Women entering an SUD treatment program (N = 245) self-reported on the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ); Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21); Addiction Severity Index (ASI); and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). A subgroup of 45 women completed the emotional Go-Nogo task while undergoing fMRI. Associations between DM and self-reported ER and clinical characteristics were tested in the full sample. Associations between DM and behavioral and neural responses during the Go-Nogo emotion regulation challenge were tested in the fMRI sub-sample.

Results

In the full sample, FFMQ correlated with DASS-stress (r =  − .43, p < .0001), DASS-depression (r =  − .52, p < .0001), DASS-anxiety (r =  − .32, p < .0001), DERS (r =  − .66, p < .0001), and ASI-Drug scores (r =  − .28, p < .0001). In the subsample, inhibition of the natural avoidance response while approaching a fearful stimulus recruited activity in the inferior frontal gyrus and the insular cortex (IC). Activity in the IC cluster was positively correlated with FFMQ scores (r = 0.38, p = .015). FFMQ scores correlated with activation in the striatum and IC during face processing.

Conclusions

Among women with SUD, DM beneficially correlated with ER, mental-health symptoms, addiction severity, and recruitment of neural substrates underlying ER.