bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation enhances HuR oligomerization and contributes to pro-inflammatory gene mRNA stabilization
Authors: Ke Yueshuang , Lv Xueping , Fu Xingyue , Zhang Jing , Bohio Ameer Ali , Zeng Xianlu , Hao Wenjing , Wang Ruoxi , Boldogh Istvan , Ba Xueqing
Published: August 2020

Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation) is an important post-translational modification mainly catalyzed by poly-ADP-ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1). In addition to having important roles in DNA damage detection and repair, it functions in gene expression regulation, especially at the posttranscriptional level. Embryonic lethal abnormal vision-like 1/human antigen R (ELAVL/HuR), a canonical 3′ untranslated region AU-rich element-binding protein, is a crucial mRNA-stabilizing protein that protects target mRNAs from RNA-destabilizing protein- or microRNA-induced silencing complex (miRISC)-mediated degradation. Additionally, in some cases, HuR itself either promotes or suppresses translation. Here, we demonstrated that in response to inflammatory stimuli, the PARylation of HuR, mostly at the conserved D226 site, by PARP1 increased the formation of the HuR oligomer/multimer, and HuR oligomerization promoted the disassociation of miRISC and stabilized the pro-inflammatory gene mRNAs. The prevention of PARP1 activation or HuR oligomerization attenuated lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory gene expression and the airway recruitment of neutrophils in mouse lungs. The present study verified a novel mechanism of PARP1 and HuR PARylation in the RNA stability regulation, increasing our understanding of how PARP1 regulates gene expression.
On uniqueness and structure of renormalized solutions to integro-differential equations with general measure data
Authors: Klimsiak Tomasz
Published: August 2020

We propose a new definition of renormalized solution to linear equation with self-adjoint operator generating a Markov semigroup and bounded Borel measure on the right-hand side. We give a uniqueness result and study the structure of solutions to truncated equations.
Modeling the electrical power and energy consumption of automated guided vehicles to improve the energy efficiency of production systems
Authors: Meißner Matthias , Massalski Lynn
Published: August 2020

Due to the advancing energy system transformation and the increasingly complex and dynamic environment in which factories have to operate, the energy efficiency and flexible design of production systems are becoming more important. Since the use of automated guided vehicles is a promising approach to enhance the flexibility of intralogistics, their electrical power requirements are analyzed. Based on the measurement data obtained, different movement modules of an automated guided vehicle are identified and then modeled using physical laws. These movement modules are the translatory movement, rotary movement, and the lifting and lowering of the load-carrying platform. The measurement data show, for example, that the energy requirement for translational and rotational movement increases in relation to the payload weight. At the same time, however, it is also shown that an increase in speed of the automated guided vehicle leads to a lower energy requirement, although the power requirement grows. Consequently, one result is that an automated guided vehicle works most efficiently when the maximum payload is transported at the highest speed. With regard to the lifting and lowering of loads, the result is an increasing energy requirement depending on the payload weight. The comparison between the collected measurement data and the outcomes of the implemented simulation model shows only minor deviations. Thus, the implemented simulation model of automated guided vehicles can be used with regard to their electrical power consumption, for example, in production planning to comprehensively raise the energy efficiency of production systems.
Best integer equivariant estimation for elliptically contoured distributions
Authors: Teunissen P. J. G.
Published: August 2020

This contribution extends the theory of integer equivariant estimation (Teunissen in J Geodesy 77:402–410, 2003) by developing the principle of best integer equivariant (BIE) estimation for the class of elliptically contoured distributions. The presented theory provides new minimum mean squared error solutions to the problem of GNSS carrier-phase ambiguity resolution for a wide range of distributions. The associated BIE estimators are universally optimal in the sense that they have an accuracy which is never poorer than that of any integer estimator and any linear unbiased estimator. Next to the BIE estimator for the multivariate normal distribution, special attention is given to the BIE estimators for the contaminated normal and the multivariatet-distribution, both of which have heavier tails than the normal. Their computational formulae are presented and discussed in relation to that of the normal distribution.
Clinical translation and implementation of optical imaging agents for precision image-guided cancer surgery
Authors: Achterberg F. B. , Deken M. M. , Meijer R. P. J. , Mieog J. S. D. , Burggraaf J. , van de Velde C. J. H. , Swijnenburg R. J. , Vahrmeijer A. L.
Published: August 2020

Introduction

The field of tumor-specific fluorescence-guided surgery has seen a significant increase in the development of novel tumor-targeted imaging agents. Studying patient benefit using intraoperative fluorescence-guided imaging for cancer surgery is the final step needed for implementation in standard treatment protocols. Translation into phase III clinical trials can be challenging and time consuming. Recent studies have helped to identify certain waypoints in this transition phase between studying imaging agent efficacy (phase I–II) and proving patient benefit (phase III).

Trial initiation

Performing these trials outside centers of expertise, thus involving motivated clinicians, training them, and providing feedback on data quality, increases the translatability of imaging agents and the surgical technique. Furthermore, timely formation of a trial team which oversees the translational process is vital. They are responsible for establishing an imaging framework (camera system, imaging protocol, surgical workflow) and clinical framework (disease stage, procedure type, clinical research question) in which the trial is executed. Providing participating clinicians with well-defined protocols with the aim to answer clinically relevant research questions within the context of care is the pinnacle in gathering reliable trial data.

Outlook

If all these aspects are taken into consideration, tumor-specific fluorescence-guided surgery is expected be of significant value when integrated into the diagnostic work-up, surgical procedure, and follow-up of cancer patients. It is only by involving and collaborating with all stakeholders involved in this process that successful clinical translation can occur.

Aim

Here, we discuss the challenges faced during this important translational phase and present potential solutions to enable final clinical translation and implementation of imaging agents for image-guided cancer surgery.
FGOALS-g3 Model Datasets for CMIP6 Flux-Anomaly-Forced Model Intercomparison Project
Authors: Wang Yaqi , Yu Zipeng , Lin Pengfei , Liu Hailong , Jin Jiangbo , Li Lijuan , Tang Yanli , Dong Li , Chen Kangjun , Li Yiwen , Yang Qian , Ding Mengrong , Meng Yao , Zhao Bowen , Wei Jilin , Ma Jinfeng , Sun Zhikuo
Published: August 2020

The Flux-Anomaly-Forced Model Intercomparison Project (FAFMIP) is an endorsed Model Intercomparison Project in phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). The goal of FAFMIP is to investigate the spread in the atmosphere-ocean general circulation model projections of ocean climate change forced by increased CO2, including the uncertainties in the simulations of ocean heat uptake, global mean sea level rise due to ocean thermal expansion and dynamic sea level change due to ocean circulation and density changes. The FAFMIP experiments have already been conducted with the Flexible Global Ocean-Atmosphere-Land System Model, gridpoint version 3.0 (FGOALS-g3). The model datasets have been submitted to the Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF) node. Here, the details of the experiments, the output variables and some baseline results are presented. Compared with the preliminary results of other models, the evolutions of global mean variables can be reproduced well by FGOALS-g3. The simulations of spatial patterns are also consistent with those of other models in most regions except the North Atlantic and the Southern Ocean, indicating large uncertainties in the regional sea level projections of these two regions.
Homocysteine-induced decrease in HUVEC cells’ resistance to oxidative stress is mediated by Akt-dependent changes in iron metabolism
Authors: Borkowska Andzelika , Ziolkowski Wieslaw , Kaczor Katarzyna , Herman-Antosiewicz Anna , Knap Narcyz , Wronska Agata , Antosiewicz Jedrzej
Published: August 2020

Purpose

Hyperhomocysteinemia is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and also promotes neuronal death in various neurodegenerative diseases. There is evidence that iron can mediate homocysteine (Hcy) toxicity. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Hcy on iron metabolism in HUVEC and SH-SY5Y cells.

Methods

HUVEC and SH-SY5Y cells were treated with 3 mM Hcy for a defined time.

Results

We demonstrate that Hcy induced the upregulation of ferritins type L and H in HUVEC cells in a time-dependent manner and had no effect on the ferritins in SH-SY5Y cells. The change in ferritin expression was preceded by a significant decrease in the cellular level of the active form of Akt kinase in HUVEC but not in SH-SY5Y cells. An increase in ferritin L and H protein levels was observed in the Akt1, Akt2, Akt3 siRNA transfected cells, while in the cells transfected with FOXO3a siRNA, a decrease in both ferritins levels was noticed. Moreover, in the HUVEC cells treated with Hcy for 6 days, the active form of kinase Akt returned to the control level and it was accompanied by a drop in ferritin L and H protein levels. Cytotoxicity of hydrogen peroxide significantly increased in HUVEC cells pre-treated with Hcy for 24 h.

Conclusions

These data indicate that Hcy induces an increase in cellular ferritin level, and the process is mediated by alterations in Akt-FOXO3a signaling pathway.
Post-mortem genetic investigation of cardiac disease–associated genes in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) cases
Authors: Köffer Jasmin , Scheiper-Welling Stefanie , Verhoff Marcel A. , Bajanowski Thomas , Kauferstein Silke
Published: August 2020

The sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is one of the leading causes of postneonatal infant death. It has been shown that there exists a complex relationship between SIDS and inherited cardiac disease. Next-generation sequencing and surveillance of cardiac channelopathy and cardiomyopathy genes represent an important tool for investigating the cause of death in SIDS cases. In the present study, targeted sequencing of 80 genes associated with genetic heart diseases in a cohort of 31 SIDS cases was performed. To determine the spectrum and prevalence of genetic heart disease associated mutations as a potential monogenic basis for SIDS, a stringent variant classification was applied and the percentage of rare (minor allele frequency ≤ 0.2%) and ultra-rare variants (minor allele frequency ≤ 0.005%) in these genes was assessed. With a minor allele frequency of ≤ 0.005%, about 20% of the SIDS cases exhibited a variant of uncertain significance (VUS), but in only 6% of these cases, gene variants proved to be “potentially informative.” The present study shows the importance of careful variant interpretation. Applying stringent criteria misinterpretations are avoided, as the results of genetic analyses may have an important impact of the family members involved.
Differences in morphology and visual function of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody and multiple sclerosis associated optic neuritis
Authors: Vicini Rino , Brügger Dominik , Abegg Mathias , Salmen Anke , Grabe Hilary Michelle
Published: August 2020

Background

Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein immunoglobulin G associated optic neuritis (MOG-ON) is a recently described entity. Recent studies have shown that MOG-ON has a more severe clinical presentation than classic optic neuritis (ON).

Objective

This study aimed to define morphological characteristics of MOG-ON, correlate these with clinical characteristics and compare them with multiple sclerosis associated ON (MS-ON) and healthy controls (CTRL).

Methods

In a retrospective study, we included MOG-ON and MS-ON patients seen between 2011 and 2018 at the University Hospital Bern. Data from clinical examination, perimetry, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were analyzed.

Results

A total of 66 eyes of 43 patients were included; 22 MS-ON and 33 CTRL eyes were sex- and age-matched to 11 MOG-ON eyes. We found significantly worse visual acuity at nadir, but better recovery and thinner global peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in MOG-ON patients compared to MS-ON patients. Both groups exhibited irregular thinning of the macular ganglion cell layer. Furthermore, the visual acuity and visual field parameters correlated to retinal layer thickness only in MOG-ON eyes.

Conclusion

In comparison to MS-ON, MOG-ON is associated with more prominent acute vision loss and more pronounced global thinning of the pRNFL. Both entities result in similar final visual acuity and atrophy of the macular ganglion cell layer.
Structural and functional consequences in the amygdala of leptin-deficient mice
Authors: Schepers Jens , Gebhardt Christine , Bracke Alexander , Eiffler Ina , von Bohlen und Halbach Oliver
Published: August 2020

On the one hand, the emotional state can influence food intake and on the other hand, hunger can have an impact on the emotional state. Leptin, which is encoded by the ob gene, is involved in the energy homeostasis and plays a role in development of obesity. Mice deficient for leptin (ob/ob) are obese and display several behavioral alterations. It has been shown that ob/ob mice display striking changes in neuronal plasticity within the limbic system, e.g., hippocampal formation. We focus on alterations in ob/ob mice that can be related to alter processing in another part of the limbic system, the amygdala. ob/ob mice have a higher food consumption than age-matched controls, which might have an impact on the emotional state of these mice. Since the amygdala is involved in emotional processing, we analyze whether ob/ob mice display alterations in plasticity at the electrophysiological and structural level. No changes were seen in dendritic spine densities in the basolateral and lateral (LA) nucleus of the amygdala. Interestingly and in contrast to the hippocampus (Porter et al. 2013), long-term potentiation in the LA was increased in ob/ob mice. Our results indicate that amygdalar and hippocampal synaptic plasticity are regulated in different ways by leptin deficiency in accordance with the different functions of these limbic structures in stress and anxiety.
Variation in susceptibility of rapeseed cultivars to the peach potato aphid
Authors: Kordan Bożena , Wróblewska-Kurdyk Anna , Bocianowski Jan , Stec Katarzyna , Jankowski Krzysztof , Gabryś Beata
Published: August 2020

Considering the need for reduction in insecticide use, we studied the potential for antibiosis and the potential for antixenosis in seven highly yielding winter Brassica napus L. cultivars against Myzus persicae (Sulz.). We found evidence for antixenosis, i.e., disruption in probing in non-phloem tissues and a failure in reaching sieve elements in cultivar ‘Alister’. We found evidence for antibiosis, i.e., reduced ability of the plant to serve as a host, in cultivar ‘Florida’. On ‘Alister’ and ‘Florida’, net reproduction and reproductive period duration of M. persicae were the lowest of all studied cultivars. ‘Adriana’, ‘Andromeda’, ‘Gladius’, and ‘Kolumb’ are intermediately susceptible to M. persicae infestation with medium values of net reproduction and reproduction period duration, and slight disturbances in aphid probing and feeding. ‘Artoga’ is highly susceptible. On ‘Artoga’, reproduction period was the longest, daily fecundity and net reproduction of M. persicae were highest, and probing and feeding behaviors were unaltered. Glucoallysin, glucobrassicanapin, gluconapin, gluconapoliferin, progoitrin, glucobrassicin, and 4-OH-glucobrassicin occurred in the leaves of all rapeseed cultivars in similar quantities and proportions and did not affect aphid performance and phloem sap ingestion by M. persicae.
Neonatal Multisensory Processing in Preterm and Term Infants Predicts Sensory Reactivity and Internalizing Tendencies in Early Childhood
Authors: Maitre Nathalie L. , Key Alexandra P. , Slaughter James C. , Yoder Paul J. , Neel Mary Lauren , Richard Céline , Wallace Mark T. , Murray Micah M.
Published: August 2020

Multisensory processes include the capacity to combine information from the different senses, often improving stimulus representations and behavior. The extent to which multisensory processes are an innate capacity or instead require experience with environmental stimuli remains debated. We addressed this knowledge gap by studying multisensory processes in prematurely born and full-term infants. We recorded 128-channel event-related potentials (ERPs) from a cohort of 55 full-term and 61 preterm neonates (at an equivalent gestational age) in response to auditory, somatosensory, and combined auditory-somatosensory multisensory stimuli. Data were analyzed within an electrical neuroimaging framework, involving unsupervised topographic clustering of the ERP data. Multisensory processing in full-term infants was characterized by a simple linear summation of responses to auditory and somatosensory stimuli alone, which furthermore shared common ERP topographic features. We refer to the ERP topography observed in full-term infants as “typical infantile processing” (TIP). In stark contrast, preterm infants exhibited non-linear responses and topographies less-often characterized by TIP; there were distinct patterns of ERP topographies to multisensory and summed unisensory conditions. We further observed that the better TIP characterized an infant’s ERPs, independently of prematurity, the more typical was the score on theInfant/Toddler Sensory Profile(ITSP) at 12 months of age and the less likely was the child to the show internalizing tendencies at 24 months of age. Collectively, these results highlight striking differences in the brain’s responses to multisensory stimuli in children born prematurely; differences that relate to later sensory and internalizing functions.
Accuracy of breast MRI in patients receiving neoadjuvant endocrine therapy: comprehensive imaging analysis and correlation with clinical and pathological assessments
Authors: Reis Joana , Lindstrøm Jonas Christoffer , Boavida Joao , Gjesdal Kjell-Inge , Park Daehoon , Bahrami Nazli , Seyedzadeh Manouchehr , Melles Woldegabriel A. , Sauer Torill , Geisler Jürgen , Geitung Jonn Terje
Published: August 2020

Purpose

To assess the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements in locally advanced oestrogen receptor-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative breast tumours before, during and after neoadjuvant endocrine treatment (NET) for evaluation of tumour response in comparison with clinical and pathological assessments.

Methods

This prospective study enrolled postmenopausal patients treated neoadjuvant with letrozole and exemestane given sequentially in an intra-patient cross-over regimen. Fifty-four patients were initially recruited, but only 35 fulfilled the inclusion criteria and confirmed to participate with a median age of 77. Tumours were scanned with MRI prior to treatment, during the eighth week of treatment and prior to surgery. Additionally, changes in longest diameter on clinical examination (CE) and tumour size at pathology were determined. Pre- and post-operative measurements of tumour size were compared in order to evaluate tumour response.

Results

The correlation between post-treatment MRI size and pathology was moderate and higher with a correlation coefficient (r) 0.64 compared to the correlation between CE and pathology r = 0.25. Post-treatment MRI and clinical results had a negligible bias towards underestimation of lesion size. Tumour size on MRI and CE had 0.82 cm and 0.52 cm lower mean size than tumour size measured by pathology, respectively.

Conclusions

The higher correlation between measurements of residual disease obtained on MRI and those obtained with pathology validates the accuracy of imaging assessment during NET. MRI was found to be more accurate for estimating complete responses than clinical assessments and warrants further investigation in larger cohorts to validate this finding.
Climatic changes and the fate of mountain herbivores
Authors: Lovari Sandro , Franceschi Sara , Chiatante Gianpasquale , Fattorini Lorenzo , Fattorini Niccolò , Ferretti Francesco
Published: August 2020

Mountains are strongly seasonal habitats, which require special adaptations in wildlife species living on them. Population dynamics of mountain ungulates are largely determined by the availability of rich food resources to sustain lactation and weaning during summer. Increases of temperature affect plant phenology and nutritional quality. Cold-adapted plants occurring at lower elevations will shift to higher ones, if available. We predicted what could happen to populations of mountain ungulates based on how climate change could alter the distribution pattern and quality of high-elevation vegetation, using the “clover community-Apennine chamoisRupicapra pyrenaica ornata” system. From 1970 to 2014, increasing spring temperatures (2 °C) in our study area led to an earlier (25 days) onset of green-up in Alpine grasslands between 1700 and 2000 m, but not higher up. For 1970–2070, we have projected trends of juvenile winter survival of chamois, by simulating trajectories of spring temperatures and occurrence of clover, through models depicting four different scenarios. All scenarios have suggested a decline of Apennine chamois in its historical core range, during the next 50 years, from about 28% to near-extinction at about 95%. The negative consequences of climate changes presently occurring at lower elevations will shift to higher ones in the future. Their effects will vary with the species-specific ecological and behavioural flexibility of mountain ungulates, as well as with availability of climate refugia. However, global shifts in distributional ranges and local decreases or extinctions should be expected, calling for farsighted measures of adaptive management of mountain-dwelling herbivores.
Reactions to (the absence of) control and workplace arrangements: experimental evidence from the internet and the laboratory
Authors: Schmelz Katrin , Ziegelmeyer Anthony
Published: August 2020

This paper reports an experiment designed to assess the influence of workplace arrangements on the reactions to (the absence of) control. We compare behavior in an Internet and a laboratory principal-agent game where the principal can control the agent by implementing a minimum effort requirement. Then the agent chooses an effort costly to her but beneficial to the principal. Our design captures meaningful differences between working from home and working at the office arrangements. Online subjects enjoy greater anonymity than lab subjects, they interact in a less constrained environment than the laboratory, and there is a larger physically-oriented social distance between them. Control is significantly more effective online than in the laboratory. Positive reactions to the principal’s choice not to control are observed in both treatments, but they are significantly weaker online than in the laboratory. Principals often choose the highest control level, which maximizes their earnings.
Thinking with ‘lexical’ features to reconceptualize the ‘grammar’ of schooling: Shifting the focus from school to society
Authors: Courtney Steven J. , Mann Bryan
Published: August 2020

Achieving changes to education practices and structures is a significant issue facing reformers internationally, and researchers have confronted how such changes, and the conditions for these, might be conceptualized. These issues resonate particularly as researchers grapple with imagining a post-COVID-19 landscape where social and educational norms may change. Tyack and Tobin, in their 1994 article ‘The “Grammar” of Schooling: Why has it been so hard to change?’ argued that several features of the American education system are so persistent as to warrant being understood as the ‘grammar’ of schooling. In this article, we reconceptualize this ‘grammar’ by taking seriously Tyack and Tobin’s insistence that ‘grammar’ organises meaning. Starting here, we argue that what they took to be grammatical features are the products and not the producers of meaning. We draw on the cases of the United States and England to argue that four international discourses have performed this meaning-making work: industrialization; welfarism; neoliberalism and neoconservatism. These are the ‘grammars’ of schooling—and of society. Their discursive products, including age grading and sorting into subjects are, we suggest, ‘lexical’ features that express the grammar. We use lexical features to explain the multi-directional interplay between discourse and educational feature: the lexical may endure longer than the grammatical, changes to which may be effected and/or legitimated through appealing to a lexical feature. We conclude by outlining key implications for realizing and conceptualizing educational change, including for a post-COVID-19 landscape.
Influence of background characteristics on the optimal sample filling height in gamma-ray spectrometry
Authors: Ramebäck H. , Vidmar T.
Published: August 2020

The minimum detectable activity (MDA) for gamma spectrometric measurements was studied as a function of filling height for two detectors having different background characteristics and for two sample matrices: a water sample with a low content of natural radionuclides, and zircon sand, with high activities of uranium and thorium. The zircon sand is also a material in which the self-attenuation of low-energy gamma photons will be high. The results show that for the water sample it is always favourable to completely fill the sample container. However, due to the inherent content of naturally occurring radionuclides in the zircon sand the MDA may not necessarily improve with the filling height, since an increased amount of sample will increase the background in the spectrum as well.
On the holistic validation of electronic materials compound for irradiation study - Experimental and calculated results
Authors: Frosio Thomas , Menaa Nabil , Magistris Matteo , Theis Chris
Published: August 2020

Due to the large variations of chemical compositions in electronic material, the estimation of the radionuclide inventory following irradiation represents a technical challenge at CERN high-energy particle accelerators. In particular, the activation of printed circuit boards is of concern to the CERN experiments as they are widely used for various purposes ranging from safety systems to sub-detector controls. Because of maintenance operations, part of this equipment has to be removed from the accelerator machines. The literature provides a variety of compositions for electronic materials, leaving the problematic selection of the most appropriate composition for an activation study to the reader. In this article, we discuss two reference chemical compositions on the basis of a statistical analysis of large datasets of gamma spectroscopy results, and on ActiWiz calculations which take into account different activation scenarios at CERN. These results can be extended to electronic material irradiated in other particle accelerators.
Mapping of diseases from clinical medicine research—a visualization study
Authors: Chen Yilong , Dong Yiting , Zeng Yu , Yang Xiaoyan , Shen Jiantong , Zheng Lang , Jiang Jingwen , Pu Liming , Bao Qilin
Published: August 2020

By employing bibliometric method, this study aimed to visualize the research hotspots and correlations among clinical medicine subjects. Literatures were retrieved from the PubMed database based on MeSH words and free-text phrases and screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The disease themes were manually marked according to ICD-10. Co-word analysis and strategic diagram methods were applied to explore the hot topics and development trends of disease themes. 2551 articles were included after literature screening. The amount of paper showed an increasing trend and reached a peak in 2013. The subjects of adults and the elderly accounted for 45.0% and 27.0% respectively. The United States of America had the most publication, with Massachusetts and California being the most prevalent states, and Harvard University was the most prolific institution. Co-word analysis revealed that research hot topics of diseases were divided into 8 themes, among which the most was “disease of the circulatory system” and “injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes”. The strategic diagram showed that the above two topics were mature but relatively independent, while the “physical fitness” topic was not mature enough but was closely related to the others. There are more and more data-driven studies in the field of medicine and health, while, huge development spaces in the full spectrum of the diseases do exist. Mining the published researches through bibliometrics and visualized methods could come up with valuable results to inform further study.
Knowledge structure transition in library and information science: topic modeling and visualization
Authors: Miyata Yosuke , Ishita Emi , Yang Fang , Yamamoto Michimasa , Iwase Azusa , Kurata Keiko
Published: August 2020

The purpose of this research is to identify topics in library and information science (LIS) using latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) and to visualize the knowledge structure of the field as consisting of specific topics and its transition from 2000–2002 to 2015–2017. The full text of 1648 research articles from five peer-reviewed representative LIS journals in these two periods was analyzed by using LDA. A total of 30 topics in each period were labeled based on the frequency of terms and the contents of the articles. These topics were plotted on a two-dimensional map usingLDAvisand categorized based on their location and characteristics in the plots. Although research areas in some forms were persistent with which discovered in previous studies, they were crucial to the transition of the knowledge structure in LIS and had the following three features: (1) The Internet became the premise of research in LIS in 2015–2017. (2) Theoretical approach or empirical work can be considered as a factor in the transition of the knowledge structure in some categories. (3) The topic diversity of the five core LIS journals decreased from the 2000–2002 to 2015–2017.
A Camera Model for Line-Scan Cameras with Telecentric Lenses
Authors: Steger Carsten , Ulrich Markus
Published: August 2020

We propose a camera model for line-scan cameras with telecentric lenses. The camera model assumes a linear relative motion with constant velocity between the camera and the object. It allows to model lens distortions, while supporting arbitrary positions of the line sensor with respect to the optical axis. We comprehensively examine the degeneracies of the camera model and propose methods to handle them. Furthermore, we examine the relation of the proposed camera model to affine cameras. In addition, we propose an algorithm to calibrate telecentric line-scan cameras using a planar calibration object. We perform an extensive evaluation of the proposed camera model that establishes the validity and accuracy of the proposed model. We also show that even for lenses with very small lens distortions, the distortions are statistically highly significant. Therefore, they cannot be omitted in real-world applications.
Investigations of Free Space Optical Communications Under Real-World Atmospheric Conditions
Authors: Siegel Tobias , Chen Shun-Ping
Published: August 2020

Due to the increasing demand for higher bandwidth in modern communication systems, conventional networks are continuously expanded with new technologies to improve coverage. Free space optical communications (FSOC) shows some significant advantages concerning system setup time in comparison with the classical fiber optical systems on one hand, substantial spectral bandwidth and performances in comparison with the wireless systems under certain conditions on the other hand. This makes this technology not only a reasonable extension for metropolitan area networks but also provides the capability to set up a network after an outage in case of natural disaster quickly. But transmitting data by using FSOC involves some limiting factors that have to be considered prior to each installation. Since the atmospheric channel is not static, the influence of changing weather conditions or industrial smog have a significant impact on the available bitrate. A simulation platform is developed and presented in this paper for investigation of FSOC considering these circumstances. Regarding the atmospheric channel, turbulence, distance-dependent beam divergence, and applied modulation schemes, a general overview of the capabilities is presented and discussed. The insight of this paper should help to make a decision under which preconditions either the FSOC provides a meaningful application possibility, or the limiting factors become too crucial and other technologies must be considered.
Measuring income inequality based on unequally distributed income
Authors: Park Joongyang , Kim Youngsoon , Ju Ae-Jin
Published: August 2020

This paper proposes a new framework for measuring income inequality. The framework is based on the unequally distributed (UD) incomes that are obtained by removing the equally distributed parts from incomes. We then derive the normalized norm indexes from the cumulative distribution function and the unscaled Lorenz curve of the UD incomes. The relation between the normalized norm indexes and the popular Gini coefficient and coefficient of variation (CV) shows that the Gini coefficient and CV represent only parts of income inequality. We analyze example income distributions and the Luxembourg Income Study datasets to show that the normalized norm indexes evaluate income inequality appropriately and solve the negative income problem.
New Insights in RBM20 Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Lennermann D. , Backs J. , van den Hoogenhof M. M. G.
Published: August 2020

Purpose of Review

This review aims to give an update on recent findings related to the cardiac splicing factor RNA-binding motif protein 20 (RBM20) and RBM20 cardiomyopathy, a form of dilated cardiomyopathy caused by mutations in RBM20.

Recent Findings

While most research on RBM20 splicing targets has focused on titin (TTN), multiple studies over the last years have shown that other splicing targets of RBM20 including Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase IIδ (CAMK2D) might be critically involved in the development of RBM20 cardiomyopathy. In this regard, loss of RBM20 causes an abnormal intracellular calcium handling, which may relate to the arrhythmogenic presentation of RBM20 cardiomyopathy. In addition, RBM20 presents clinically in a highly gender-specific manner, with male patients suffering from an earlier disease onset and a more severe disease progression.

Further research on RBM20, and treatment of RBM20 cardiomyopathy, will need to consider both the multitude and relative contribution of the different splicing targets and related pathways, as well as gender differences.
A short history of studies on intelligence and brain in honeybees
Authors: Menzel Randolf
Published: August 2020

Reflections about the historical roots of our current scientific endeavors are useful from time to time as they help us to acknowledge the ideas, concepts, methodological approaches, and idiosyncrasies of the researchers that paved the ground we stand on right now. The 50-year anniversary of Apidologie offers the opportunity to refresh our knowledge about the history of bee research. I take the liberty of putting the founding year of Apidologie in the middle of the period I cover here. The nascent period of behavioral biology around the late 19th to the early twentieth century was intimately connected with a loss of concepts related to the mental functions of the brain, concepts that were rooted in Darwin’s theory of gradualism in the living world including cognition in animals. This loss was celebrated both in ethology and behaviorism as the gateway to scientific impartiality. Using this apparently strict scientific approach, impressive discoveries were made by observing and strictly quantifying the behavior of bees. The first forays into the brain, however, uncovered a richness of structure and function that reached far beyond stereotypical input/output connections and opened the way to compensating the conceptual restrictions imposed on us by traditional ethology. Honeybee research provides us with a particularly exciting story in this context. The cognitive turn in behavioral biology is intimately connected to the increasing knowledge of how the brain works, also in honeybee research. What has been achieved so far is just the beginning, but it gives us a glimpse of a promising future. Teamwork between neuroscientists and behavioral biologists is needed to elucidate brain functions such as the expectation of future outcomes and intentionality as an entry to animal intelligence reflecting the flexibility and adaptability in behavior also seen in honeybees.
Modeling in food across the scales: towards a universal mass transfer simulator of small molecules in food
Authors: Vitrac O. , Hayert M.
Published: August 2020

Multiscale modeling in food is the cutting-edge strategy to revisit food structure and food composition to meet specific targets such as bioavailability, oral perception, or to evaluate the contamination of food by chemicals. A special implementation of Langevin dynamics is proposed to describe mass transfer in structured food. The concepts of random walks over discrete times and physicochemical interactions are connected via an exact solution of the Fokker–Planck equation across interfaces. The methodology is illustrated on the calculation of effective diffusivities of small solutes in emulsions in relationship with their polydispersity, the volume fraction of dispersed phase d = [0.1, 0.4], the ratio of diffusion coefficients between the two phases, rD = [10−2, 102], and the partition coefficients between the continuous and disperse phases, K = [10−2, + ∞[. Simulated diffusion paths are detailed in 2D emulsions and the effective diffusivities compared with the core–shell model of Kalnin and Kotomin (J Phys A Math Gen 31(35):7227–7234, 1998). The same effects are finally tabulated for 3D emulsions covering the full range of food applications. The methodology is comprehensive enough to enable various extensions such as chemisorption, adsorption in the surfactant layer, local flows, flocculation/creaming.
Correction to: Population pharmacokinetic approach for evaluation of treosulfan and its active monoepoxide disposition in plasma and brain on the basis of a rat model
Authors: Danielak Dorota , Romański Michał , Kasprzyk Anna , Teżyk Artur , Główka Franciszek
Published: August 2020

The original version of this article, published on 30 May 2020 contained a mistake.
Association Between Overt Hyperthyroidism and Risk of Sexual Dysfunction in Both Sexes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Pan Yin , Xie Qiang , Zhang Zhuoni , Dai Yuechu , Lin Lizhong , Quan Mingming , Guo Xiaowei , Shen Maolei , Zhao Shankun
Published: August 2020

Background

Numerous studies have shown the detrimental effects of overt hyperthyroidism on sexual functioning but a quantitative result has not yet been synthesized.

Aim

To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis that quantifies the association between overt hyperthyroidism and the risk of sexual dysfunction (SD).

Methods

A meta-analysis of studies in the literature published prior to February 1, 2020, from 4 electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library databases, and PsychINFO) was conducted. All analyses were performed using the random-effects model comparing individuals with and without overt hyperthyroidism.

Outcomes

The strength of the association between overt hyperthyroidism and risk of SD was quantified by calculating the relative risk (RR) and the standard mean difierences with 95% CI. The quality of evidence for the reported outcome was based on the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach.

Results

Of 571 publications, a total of 7 studies involving 323,257 individuals were included. Synthetic results from 7 eligible studies indicated that overt hyperthyroidism led to significant SD in both sexes (pooled RR = 2.59, 95% CI: 1.3–5.17, P = .007; heterogeneity: I2 = 98.8%, P < .001). When we analyzed the data of men and women independently, the pooled results consistently showed that men and women with overt hyperthyroidism were at over 2-fold higher risk of SD than the general populations (RR for males = 2.59, 95% CI: 1.03–6.52, P = .044; RR for females = 2.51, 95% CI: 1.47–4.28, P = .001). Combined standard mean diffierences from those studies providing the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) suggested that women with overt hyperthyroidism were associated with a significantly lower FSFI value in FSFI total scores, subscale sexual arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and satisfaction domain (all P < .05). The overall quality of evidence in our study was considered to be moderate.

Clinical Implications

Clinicians should know the detrimental effects of overt hyperthyroidism on sexual functioning in clinical practice. Measurement of thyroid hormones should be included in the assessment of patients presenting with SD when they show symptoms of clinical hyperthyroidism.

Strengths & Limitations

This is the first meta-analysis quantifying the relationship between overt hyperthyroidism and the risks of SD. However, the combined results were derived from limited retrospective studies along with substantial heterogeneities.

Conclusion

Our study has confirmed the potentially devastating sexual health consequences caused by overt hyperthyroidism. However, additional rigorous studies with sizable samples are still needed to better elucidate this evidence.
Spatiotemporal Variation in ΔR on the West Coast of North America in the Late Holocene: Implications for Dating the Shells of Marine Mollusks
Authors: Hutchinson Ian
Published: August 2020

Radiocarbon ages on mollusk shells, which account for about half of the more than 8,000 dates from cultural deposits on the west coast of North America, need to be corrected for the local marine reservoir effect (ΔR) to yield true ages. Assays on “prebomb” shells show that ΔR increases poleward, echoing the age gradient in offshore waters. The meridional gradient in ΔR is not appreciably affected by the transition either from an upwelling regime to a downwelling regime north of 40°N–45°N or from a winter maximum-high alkalinity river discharge pattern to a summer maximum-low alkalinity pattern at the same latitude, probably because these changes are offset by increasing storminess and tidal energy in coastal areas. Mesoscale variations in ΔR along this gradient are attributable to contrasts in shore morphology and exposure. Data from 123 shell-wood pairs reveal similar patterns of temporal variation in ΔR in the late Holocene in the coastal ecoregions. The characteristic temporal pattern echoes phases of variable El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) activity. The high degree of variability in ΔR argues against the indiscriminate application of regionally uniform or trans-Holocene ΔR values and demands improvements in spatiotemporal resolution if shell is used to date cultural deposits.
The Impact of Australian Psychologists’ Education, Beliefs, Theoretical Understanding, and Attachment on the Use and Implementation of Exposure Therapy
Authors: Rowe Clancy , Kangas Maria
Published: August 2020

The objective of this study was to investigate the relative contributions of university education, exposure specific training, and beliefs about exposure therapy (ET) in relation to the frequency, duration, and intense delivery of ET by Australian psychologists. Associations between clinicians’ use of and theoretical conceptualisation of ET, and attachment style were also evaluated. A total of 115 Australian psychologists (N = 94 females) completed an online survey. Findings revealed that a majority of participants used cognitive behaviour therapy (93%) and ET (88%) to treat anxiety disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder. The majority who used ET (90%) reported using therapist-assisted in vivo exposure with clients. Findings also showed that therapists spend 42% of session time on exposure. Moreover, therapists who reported more comprehensive training had more positive beliefs about ET. Positive beliefs about ET, and clearer conceptualisation of treatment, were related to greater use and more intense implementation of ET. Psychologists with a more preoccupied or dismissive attachment style were less likely to deliver intense ET. The findings suggest that ET-specific training may be a powerful medium to improving the adoption and application of ET. Clinician's theoretical conceptualisation of ET and interpersonal attachment style are also worthy targets for future research and training in ET.
The Episode of National Lockdown in the Pandemic: Air Traffic Restriction as the Control Strategy and Its Impact on Existing Cases and Recovery Rate of Novel Coronavirus Disease in Megacities of China
Authors: Li Jiannan , Wang Zhaoguo , Yuan Bocong , Liang Haixuan , Liang Wenqi
Published: August 2020

Objective:

The effectiveness of air traffic restriction in containing the spread of infectious diseases is full of controversy in prior literature. In January 2020, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) announced air traffic restriction in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. This study’s aim is to empirically examine the policy effectiveness.

Method:

The data from 2 third-party platforms are used in this investigation. The COVID-19 data from the platform DXY and the air traffic data from Airsavvi are matched to each other. The robust panel regression with controlling city effect and time effect is conducted.

Results:

The curvilinear relations are found between the air traffic restriction and the existing cases, and the recovery rate (quadratic term = 9.006 and −0.967, respectively). As the strength of air traffic restriction is growing, the negative effect (-8.146) of air traffic restriction on the existing cases and the positive effect (0.961) of air traffic restriction on the recovery rate, respectively, begin decreasing.

Conclusion:

On the macro level, the air traffic restriction may help alleviate the growth of existing cases and help raise the recovery rate of COVID-19 in megacities of China, but both these effects will marginally recede as the restriction strength is intensifying.