bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Redefining Product Management: IDD’s Perspective
Authors: Bożek Diana Renata
Published: November 2020

Since the Insurance Distribution Directive has been implemented into the national jurisdictions, the product management is no longer subject to the internal regulation of the insurance undertakings nor it can be regulated by the national of European soft law.

The purpose of the chapter is to analyze product oversight and governance requirements set out in the Article 25 of the Directive which are further developed in delegated acts. Second issue is the process of defining target market with respect to each product, assessing all the relevant risks for such defined target market and analysis of the adequacy of the intended distribution strategy. Moreover, a formal recognition of the possibility of creating insurance products by the insurance intermediaries and the imposition of the relevant obligations would be considered. The analysis of how the changed approach to the product management influenced the insurance undertakings, intermediaries and the insurance market will be also presented in the chapter.
The Reality of the Promised Increase in Customer Protection Under the Insurance Distribution Directive
Authors: Kolding-Krøger Christian Bo , Hansen Regitze Aalykke , Brofeldt Amelie
Published: November 2020

This chapter examines whether the rules regarding Insurance Product Information Documents mandated in Article 20 of the Insurance Distribution Directive, have, in reality, resulted in policyholders being able to easily and transparently compare different offers in the pre-contractual phase to determine whether an insurance product is appropriate for the policyholder.

The format of the Insurance Product Information Document has been determined following thorough analytical work (such as EIOPA’s Draft Implementing Technical Standards concerning a standardised presentation format for the Insurance Product Information Document of the Insurance Distribution Directive of 7 February 2017, EIOPA-17/056, including the related consumer testing and consultations.). However, there are no guidelines or rules for insurers to follow when completing the Insurance Product Information Document. Based on an examination of selected insurance products from various insurers, this chapter concludes that there is a significant discrepancy between how different insurers complete the Insurance Product Information Documents. Such discrepancy occurs even when the cover offered by the insurers is identical or almost identical. This chapter discusses whether this is expedient and whether there is a need to draw up guidelines or rules on the completion of the Insurance Product Information Document in order to provide instructions to the insurers and to allow customers to make informed comparisons of insurance products.

On the whole, this chapter concludes that there is a need for at least guidelines, if not regulation, if the Insurance Product Information Document is to be an effective and useful basis for comparison in the pre-contractual phase.
The Contribution of Product Oversight and Governance (POG) to the Single Market: A Set of Organisational Rules for Business Conduct
Authors: Marano Pierpaolo
Published: November 2020

Product oversight and governance (POG) is one of the major innovations, if not the most significant, introduced by the Insurance Distribution Directive (IDD). This chapter aims to investigate how POG fits into the overall EU insurance regulation. POG introduced a risk-based and prospective approach similar to that of Solvency II. Moreover, the supervision required by POG is similar to that arising from Solvency II. Above all, the set of rules on POG extends the list of those affecting the organization of the undertakings. The combination of these three profiles that pertains to insurance undertakings, intermediaries and supervisors, is likely to have a significant impact on the harmonization of the rules on the conduct of insurance business.
The Notion of “Employee” in the IDD: A Harmonized Interpretation Based on the EU Law
Authors: Tarasiuk Anna , Wojno Bartosz
Published: November 2020

The issue of the interpretation of the concept of an “employee of insurance undertaking”, which was used in the Directive on insurance distribution may cause issues from the point of view of the definition of the “employee” in terms of the type of legal relationship and the scope of activities that are allowed to be performed only by such employees. The authors demonstrate that, in accordance with the previous case law of the European Court of Justice/Court of Justice of the European Union, the concepts contained in EU directives should be interpreted in accordance with EU law, taking into account its autonomy and its aim (harmonization of legal systems of Member States). This should be applied even if a simple translation of a particular term used in an EU directive into the language of a Member State may give rise to an incentive for that term to be interpreted in the context of a local legal system.
Ensuring the Customer’s Best Interest in the Polish Insurance Market
Authors: Paś Wojciech
Published: November 2020

The chapter is devoted to the principle of acting in the customer’s best interest in the Polish insurance market. It aims to interpret the principle of the best interest of the customer in light of European and Polish financial markets law and Polish supervisory practice. The chapter is also intended to indicate the best course of action in accordance with the principle of the customer’s best interest.
Mate attraction, chemical defense, and competition avoidance in the parasitoid wasp Leptopilina pacifica
Authors: Böttinger Lea C. , Hüftlein Frederic , Stökl Johannes
Published: November 2020

A major hypothesis for the evolution of chemical signals is that pheromones arise from non-communicative precursor compounds. However, data supporting this hypothesis are rare, primarily because the original functions of the antecedent compounds often have been lost. A notable exception, however, is the parasitoid wasp speciesLeptopilina heterotoma, whose compound (−)-iridomyrmecin is used as a defensive secretion, a cue for females to avoid competition with con- and hetero-specific females, and as the primary component of the females’ sex pheromone. To better understand the evolution of sex pheromones from defensive compounds, we examined the chemical ecology ofL. pacifica, the sister species ofL. heterotoma. Here, we show thatL. pacificaalso produces a defensive secretion containing a species-specific mixture of mostly iridoid compounds. However, the composition of the secretion is more complex than inL. heterotoma, and iridomyrmecin is only a minor component. Moreover, in contrast toL. heterotoma, conspecific female competitors were not avoided by female subjects, and a role of the iridoids in the female sex pheromone ofL. pacificacan be excluded, as only the females’ cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) resulted in the elicitation of courtship by males. Although closely related, the two sister species show substantial differences in the use of the defensive secretion for communicative purposes. Variation in pheromone usage in this genus still presents a conundrum, highlighting the need for additional studies to understand the selective forces shaping the evolution of pheromone composition.
Medizinische Versorgung von Asylsuchenden in Erstaufnahmeeinrichtungen
Authors: Wahedi Katharina , Biddle Louise , Jahn Rosa , Ziegler Sandra , Kratochwill Steffen , Pruskil Susanne , Noest Stefan , Bozorgmehr Kayvan
Published: November 2020

Im Zuge der gestiegenen Zahlen Asylsuchender in den Jahren 2015/2016 haben sich in Deutschland, geprägt durch lokale Akteur*innen, sehr unterschiedliche Konzepte zur medizinischen Versorgung in Aufnahmeeinrichtungen (AE) etabliert. Ziel unserer Studie war es, unterschiedliche Versorgungskonzepte in AE abzubilden und die Herausforderungen der Verstetigung bedarfsgerechter medizinischer Versorgungsstrukturen herauszuarbeiten.

Daten wurden aus 13 semistrukturierten Interviews und im Rahmen einer Fachtagung mit Workshops und Gruppendiskussionen erhoben und durch eine qualitative Inhaltsanalyse ausgewertet. Teilnehmer*innen waren Akteur*innen der medizinischen Versorgung in AE, darunter ärztliches und Gesundheitsfachpersonal, Verwaltungsbeauftragte, Vertreter*innen des öffentlichen Gesundheitsdienstes und Wissenschaftler*innen.

Als Antwort auf die gesundheitlichen Bedarfe von Asylsuchenden und die komplexen Rahmenbedingungen der Versorgung haben sich unterschiedliche Ambulanzkonzepte gebildet, deren Zweck, Organisation und Management in vielen Aspekten über das Angebot einer ärztlichen Sprechstunde hinausgehen. Die Ambulanzen unterschieden sich in organisationsbezogenen Aspekten z. B. hinsichtlich des Betreibers, der Personalstruktur und des Umfangs der Versorgung. Gemeinsame Herausforderungen stellen eine adäquate Bedarfsplanung, der Mangel einheitlicher Leitlinien und fehlende Schnittstellen zwischen den in der Ambulanz tätigen Akteur*innen dar. Dringender Handlungsbedarf im Sinne eines strukturierten und kontinuierlichen Erfahrungsaustauschs sowie in der Implementierung bundesweiter Standards ist geboten, um Ad-hoc-Initiativen in resiliente Ambulanzstrukturen zu überführen. Die erarbeiteten Handlungsbedarfe und Lösungsvorschläge können hierfür als Grundlage dienen.
Dimensional Reduction and Scattering Formulation for Even Topological Invariants
Authors: Schulz-Baldes Hermann , Toniolo Daniele
Published: November 2020

Strong invariants of even-dimensional topological insulators of independent Fermions are expressed in terms of an invertible operator on the Hilbert space over the boundary. It is given by the Cayley transform of the boundary restriction of the half-space resolvent. This dimensional reduction is routed in new representation for the K-theoretic exponential map. It allows to express the invariants via the reflection matrix at the Fermi energy, for the scattering set-up of a wire coupled to the half-space insulator.
A motivic local Cauchy-Crofton formula
Authors: Forey Arthur
Published: November 2020

In this note, we establish a version of the local Cauchy-Crofton formula for definable sets in Henselian discretely valued fields of characteristic zero. It allows to compute the motivic local density of a set from the densities of its projections integrated over the Grassmannian.
Hans Wolfgang Sachs (1912–2000)
Authors: Westemeier Jens , Scheib Sebastian , Uhlendahl Hendrik , Gross Dominik , Schmidt Mathias
Published: November 2020

During the Second World War, the German Wehrmacht and the SS tested various chemical warfare agents on prisoners of concentration camps. The SS needed a pathologist to do this. Therefore, Reichsarzt SS Ernst-Robert Grawitz recruited the 32-year-old Hans Wolfgang Sachs. Despite his position as senior pathologist at the office of the Reichsarzt SS, Sachs was spared interrogation and prosecution after 1945, although the prosecution presented a document about chemical warfare and human experiments during the Nuremberg medical trial. In this, Sachs was named as a participant in so-called “N-Stoff” (chlorine trifluoride) experiments. Little is known about Sachs to this day. This article is intended to close this gap. Of particular interest are the motives and reasons why Sachs joined the party and the SS, as well as his career after 1945.
Multimodal photoacoustic/ultrasonic imaging system: a promising imaging method for the evaluation of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Zhao Chenyang , Wang Qian , Tao Xixi , Wang Ming , Yu Chen , Liu Sirui , Li Mengtao , Tian Xinping , Qi Zhenhong , Li Jianchu , Yang Fang , Zhu Lei , He Xujin , Zeng Xiaofeng , Jiang Yuxin , Yang Meng
Published: November 2020

Objectives

We aimed to assess the clinical value of multimodal photoacoustic/ultrasound (PA/US) articular imaging scores, a novel imaging method which can reflect the micro-vessels and oxygenation level of inflamed joints of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

Seven small joints were examined by the PA/US imaging system. A 0–3 scoring system was used to semi-quantify the PA and power-Doppler (PD) signals, and the sums of PA and PD scores (PA-sum and PD-sum scores) of the seven joints were calculated. The relative oxygen saturation (SO2) values of the inflamed joints were measured and classified into 3 PA+SO2 patterns. The correlations between the PA/US imaging scores and the disease activity scores were assessed.

Results

Thirty-one patients of RA and a total of 217 joints were examined using the PA/US system. The PA-sum had high positive correlations with the standard clinical scores of RA (DAS28 [ESR] ρ = 0.754, DAS28 [CRP] ρ = 0.796, SDAI ρ = 0.836, CDAI ρ = 0.837, p < 0.001), which were superior to the PD-sum (DAS28 [ESR] ρ = 0.651, DAS28 [CRP] ρ = 0.676, SDAI ρ = 0.716, CDAI ρ = 0.709, p < 0.001). For the patients with high PA-sum scores, significant differences between hypoxia and hyperoxia were identified in pain visual analog score (p = 0.020) and patient’s global assessment (p = 0.026). The PA+SO2 patterns presented moderate and high correlation with PGA (ρ = 0.477, p = 0.0077) and VAS pain score (ρ = 0.717, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The PA scores have significant correlations with standard clinical scores for RA, and the PA+SO2 patterns are also related with clinical scores that reflect pain severity. PA may have clinical potential in evaluating RA.

Key Points

• Multimodal photoacoustic/ultrasound imaging is a novel method to assess micro-vessels and oxygenation of local lesions.

• Significant correlations between multimodal imaging parameters and clinical scores of RA patients were verified.

• The multimodal PA/US system can provide objective imaging parameters, including PA scores of micro-vessels and relative SO2value, as a supplementary to disease activity evaluation.
Metabolomics in postmortem cerebrospinal fluid diagnostics: a state-of-the-art method to interpret central nervous system–related pathological processes
Authors: Bohnert Simone , Reinert Christoph , Trella Stefanie , Schmitz Werner , Ondruschka Benjamin , Bohnert Michael
Published: November 2020

In the last few years, quantitative analysis of metabolites in body fluids using LC/MS has become an established method in laboratory medicine and toxicology. By preparing metabolite profiles in biological specimens, we are able to understand pathophysiological mechanisms at the biochemical and thus the functional level. An innovative investigative method, which has not yet been used widely in the forensic context, is to use the clinical application of metabolomics. In a metabolomic analysis of 41 samples of postmortem cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples divided into cohorts of four different causes of death, namely, cardiovascular fatalities, isoIated torso trauma, traumatic brain injury, and multi-organ failure, we were able to identify relevant differences in the metabolite profile between these individual groups. According to this preliminary assessment, we assume that information on biochemical processes is not gained by differences in the concentration of individual metabolites in CSF, but by a combination of differently distributed metabolites forming the perspective of a new generation of biomarkers for diagnosing (fatal) TBI and associated neuropathological changes in the CNS using CSF samples.
Glandular trichomes of Robinia viscosa Vent. var. hartwigii (Koehne) Ashe (Faboideae, Fabaceae)—morphology, histochemistry and ultrastructure
Authors: Konarska Agata , Łotocka Barbara
Published: November 2020

Main Conclusion

Permanent glandular trichomes of Robinia viscosa var. hartwigii produce viscous secretion containing several secondary metabolites, as lipids, mucilage, flavonoids, proteins and alkaloids.

Robinia viscosa var. hartwigii (Hartweg’s locust) is an ornamental tree with high apicultural value. It can be planted in urban greenery and in degraded areas. The shoots, leaves, and inflorescences of this plant are equipped with numerous persistent glandular trichomes producing sticky secretion. The distribution, origin, development, morphology, anatomy, and ultrastructure of glandular trichomes of Hartweg's locust flowers as well as the localisation and composition of their secretory products were investigated for the first time. To this end, light, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy combined with histochemical and fluorescence techniques were used. The massive glandular trichomes differing in the distribution, length, and stage of development were built of a multicellular and multiseriate stalk and a multicellular head. The secretory cells in the stalk and head had large nuclei with nucleoli, numerous chloroplasts with thylakoids and starch grains, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum profiles, Golgi apparatus, vesicles, and multivesicular bodies. Many vacuoles contained phenolic compounds dissolved or forming various condensed deposits. The secretion components were transported through symplast elements, and the granulocrine and eccrine modes of nectar secretion were observed. The secretion was accumulated in the subcuticular space at the trichome apex and released through a pore in the cuticle. Histochemical and fluorescence assays showed that the trichomes and secretion contained lipophilic and polyphenol compounds, polysaccharides, proteins, and alkaloids. We suggest that these metabolites may serve an important function in protection of plants against biotic stress conditions and may also be a source of phytopharmaceuticals in the future.
Inter-laboratory proficiency testing of the measurement of gypsum parameters with small numbers of participants
Authors: Kotyczka-Moranska M. , Mastalerz M. , Plis A. , Sciazko M.
Published: November 2020

Conducting proficiency tests with large numbers of participants are not a problem because the ISO standard 13528:2015 describes many indicators that allow for proper assessment. However, there are proficiency testing (PT) schemes that involve only few participants. In such situations, the same difficulties exist for the selection of proper indicators and the criteria for assessing the participants' achievements. The Institute for Chemical Processing of Coal in Zabrze, Poland organised a round of PT of the determination of gypsum parameters. The results from six participants from Polish research entities and independent laboratories and methodology for the organisation this PT are presented. The performance evaluation criteria were determined using participants results due to the inability to use the metrologically valid procedure. The performance of the participants was evaluated using z′ and zeta scores.
Atmospheric aerosol growth rates at different background station types
Authors: Holubová Šmejkalová Adéla , Zíková Naděžda , Ždímal Vladimír , Plachá Helena , Bitter Miroslav
Published: November 2020

Highly time-resolved particle number size distributions (PNSDs) were evaluated during 5 years (2013–2017) at four background stations in the Czech Republic located in different types of environments—urban background (Ústí nad Labem), industrial background (Lom), agricultural background (National Atmospheric Observatory Košetice), and suburban background (Prague-Suchdol). The PNSD data was used for new particle formation event determination as well as growth rate (GR) and condensation sink (CS) calculations. The differences or similarities of these parameters were evaluated from perspectives of the different pollution load, meteorological condition, and regional or long-range transport. The median growth rate (4 nm h−1) is very similar at all stations, and the most frequent length of growth lasted between 2 and 4 h. Condensation sink reflects the pollution load at the individual station and their connection to the environment type. The highest median, CS = 1.34 × 10−2 s−1, was recorded at the urban station (Ústí nad Labem), and the lowest (CS = 0.85 × 10−2 s−1) was recorded at the agricultural station (National Atmospheric Observatory Košetice). Conditional probability function polar plots illustrate the influence of source location to GR. These primary potential emission sources involve traffic, operation of a power plant, and domestic heating.
Opportunities for language enhancement in a learning environment designed on the basis of the theory of didactical situations
Authors: Rønning Frode
Published: November 2020

This paper is based on data from two teaching sequences in primary school that are designed using principles from the theory of didactical situations (TDS). The following research question is addressed: “What opportunities can a teaching design based on TDS give a teacher to gain insight into pupils’ language use, and to use this insight to establish shared, and mathematically acceptable, knowledge in a group of primary school pupils?” Empirical data from one teaching sequence on geometrical shapes and another teaching sequence on combinatorial problems are used to answer this question. The research shows that a sharp focus on well-defined learning goals does not limit the pupils’ possibilities in expressing their thoughts and ideas in their own language. The research also shows that despite clear learning goals, the teacher has rich opportunities to build on pupils’ language to connect everyday and scientific language for the purpose of developing a mathematically accepted discourse.
DEPTOR is a direct p53 target that suppresses cell growth and chemosensitivity
Authors: Cui Danrui , Dai Xiaoqing , Gong Longyuan , Chen Xiaoyu , Wang Linchen , Xiong Xiufang , Zhao Yongchao
Published: November 2020

DEP-domain containing mTOR-interacting protein (DEPTOR), a natural mTOR inhibitor, has essential roles in several processes, including cell growth, metabolism, apoptosis, and immunity. DEPTOR expression has been shown to be diversely controlled at transcriptional levels in cell- and context-specific manners. However, whether there is a general mechanism for the regulation of DEPTOR expression remains largely unknown. Here, we report that DEPTOR is a downstream target of the tumor suppressor, p53, whose activity is positively correlated with DEPTOR expression both in vitro in cell cultures and in vivo in mouse tissues. Mechanistically, p53 directly binds to the DEPTOR promoter and transactivates its expression. Depletion of the p53-binding site on the DEPTOR promoter by CRISPR-Cas9 technology decreases DEPTOR expression and promotes cell proliferation and survival by activating AKT signaling. Importantly, inhibition of AKT by small molecular inhibitors or genetic knockdown abrogates the induction of cell growth and survival induced by deletion of the p53-binding region on the DEPTOR promoter. Furthermore, p53, upon activation by the genotoxic agent doxorubicin, induces DEPTOR expression, leading to cancer cell resistance to doxorubicin. Together, DEPTOR is a direct p53 downstream target and contributes to p53-mediated inhibition of cell proliferation, survival, and chemosensitivity.
Engineering of α-PD-1 antibody-expressing long-lived plasma cells by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated targeted gene integration
Authors: Luo Baohong , Zhan Yikang , Luo Minqi , Dong Huimin , Liu Jun , Lin Yingtong , Zhang Junsong , Wang Guanwen , Verhoeyen Els , Zhang Yiwen , Zhang Hui
Published: November 2020

Long-lived plasma cells (LLPCs) are robust specialized antibody-secreting cells that mainly stay in the bone marrow and can persist a lifetime. As they can be generated by inducing the differentiation of B-lymphocytes, we investigated the possibility that human LLPCs might be engineered to express α-PD-1 monoclonal antibody to substitute recombinant α-PD-1 antitumor immunotherapy. To this end, we inserted an α-PD-1 cassette into the GAPDH locus through Cas9/sgRNA-guided specific integration in B-lymphocytes, which was mediated by an integrase-defective lentiviral vector. The edited B cells were capable of differentiating into LLPCs both in vitro and in vivo. Transcriptional profiling analysis confirmed that these cells were typical LLPCs. Importantly, these cells secreted de novo antibodies persistently, which were able to inhibit human melanoma growth via an antibody-mediated checkpoint blockade in xenograft-tumor mice. Our work suggests that the engineered LLPCs may be utilized as a vehicle to constantly produce special antibodies for long-term cellular immunotherapy to eradicate tumors and cellular reservoirs for various pathogens including human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and hepatitis B virus (HBV).
The diagnostic value of DNA repair gene in breast cancer metastasis
Authors: Yang Yongxin , Li Xiabin , Hao Liyue , Jiang Deyong , Wu Bin , He Tao , Tang Yan
Published: November 2020

Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in China and even in the world. DNA repair genes can lead to tumor metastasis by affecting cancer cell resistance. Studies have preliminarily shown that DNA repair genes are related to breast cancer metastasis, but it is not clear whether they can be used as a prediction of the risk of breast cancer metastasis. Therefore, this study mainly discusses the predictive value of DNA repair genes in postoperative metastasis of breast cancer. The nested case–control method was used in patients with breast cancer metastasis after surgery (n = 103) and patients without metastasis after surgery (n = 103). The proteins and mRNA of DNA repair genes were detected by immunohistochemistry and Real-time PCR respectively. In protein expression, PARP1 (OR 1.147, 95% CI 1.067 ~ 1.233, P < 0.05), XRCC4 (OR 1.088, 95% CI 1.015 ~ 1.166, P < 0.05), XRCC1 (OR 1.114, 95% CI 1.021 ~ 1.215, P < 0.05), ERCC1 (OR 1.068, 95% CI 1.000 ~ 1.141, P < 0.10) were risk factors for postoperative metastasis of breast cancer. In addition, we used the ROC curve to study the optimal critical values of MSH2, MLH1, PARP1, XRCC1, XRCC4, 53BP1, ERCC1 and XPA combined with the Youden index, and the effects of MSH2, MLH1, PARP1, XRCC1, XRCC4, 53BP1, ERCC1 and XPA on breast cancer metastasis were verified again. Among them, the risk of metastasis in the PARP1 high expression group was 3.286 times that of the low expression group (OR 3.286, 95% CI 2.013 ~ 5.364, P < 0.05). The risk of metastasis in the XRCC4 high expression group was 1.779 times that of the low expression group (OR 1.779, 95% CI 1.071 ~ 2.954, P < 0.05). The risk of metastasis in patients with ERCC1 high expression group was 2.012 times that of the low expression group (OR 2.012, 95% CI 1.056 ~ 3.836, P < 0.05). So we can conclude that protein expression of PARP1 (cut-off value = 6, Se = 76.70%, Sp = 79.61%), XRCC4 (cut-off value = 6, Se = 78.64%0, Se = 79.61%), ERCC1 (cut-off value = 3, Se = 89.32%, Sp = 50.49%), suggesting that when the PARP1 score is higher than 6 or the XRCC4 score is higher than 6 or the ERCC1 score is higher than 3, the risk of metastasis will increases. Due to PARP1, XRCC4 and ERCC1 belong to a part of DNA repair gene system, and the three proteins are positively correlated by correlation analysis (rPARP1-XRCC4 = 0.343; rPAPR1-ERCC1 = 0.335; rXRCC4-ERCC1 = 0.388). The combined diagnosis of the PARR1, XRCC4 and ERCC1 have greater predictive value for the risk of metastasis of breast cancer (Se = 94.17%, Sp = 75.73%; OR 11.739, 95% CI 2.858 ~ 40.220, P < 0.05). The postoperative metastasis of breast cancer could be effectively predicted when the immunohistochemical scores met PARP1 (IHC score) > 6, XRCC4 (IHC score) > 6 and ERCC1 (IHC score) > 3. In addition, the combined diagnosis of PARP1, XRCC4 and ERCC1 has great predictive value for the risk of breast cancer metastasis.
Restfulness from sleep and subsequent cardiovascular disease in the general population
Authors: Kaneko Hidehiro , Itoh Hidetaka , Kiriyama Hiroyuki , Kamon Tatsuya , Fujiu Katsuhito , Morita Kojiro , Michihata Nobuaki , Jo Taisuke , Takeda Norifumi , Morita Hiroyuki , Yasunaga Hideo , Komuro Issei
Published: November 2020

We aimed to clarify the association between restfulness from sleep and subsequent risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Medical records of 1,980,476 individuals with neither prior history of CVD nor sleep disorders were extracted from the Japan Medical Data Center. Restfulness from sleep was subjectively assessed using information from the questionnaires at initial health check-ups. The mean age was 45 ± 11 years and 1,184,937 individuals were men. Overall, 1,197,720 individuals (60.5%) reported having good restfulness from sleep. The mean follow-up period was 1122 ± 827 days. Myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, stroke, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation occurred in 3673 (0.2%), 30,241 (1.5%), 13,546 (0.7%), 28,296 (1.4%), and 8116 (0.4%) individuals, respectively. Multivariable Cox regression analyses including age, sex, and other CVD risk factors after multiple imputation for missing values showed that good restfulness from sleep was associated with lower incidence of myocardial infarction (hazard ratio [HR] 0.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.83–0.95), angina pectoris (HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.83–0.87), stroke (HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.82–0.88), heart failure (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.84–0.88), and atrial fibrillation (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.89–0.97). The association of restfulness from sleep with CVD events was pronounced in subjects with younger age and female sex. In conclusion, good restfulness from sleep may be associated with the lower risk of myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, stroke, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation. Further studies are required to clarify the underlying mechanism and to develop a novel preventive approach for CVD from the perspective of sleep.
New liquid crystal formation induced by nanoscale phase separation composed of bent-core liquid crystal and rod-like cholesteric liquid crystal mixtures
Authors: Takanishi Yoichi
Published: November 2020

Herein, the local nano-structure in mixtures of cholesteric liquid crystals and a bent-core molecule was analyzed via the small-angle X-ray scattering.
A review of user training methods in brain computer interfaces based on mental tasks
Authors: Roc Aline , Pillette Lea , Mladenovic Jelena , Benaroch Camille , N’Kaoua Bernard , Jeunet Camille , Lotte Fabien
Published: November 2020

Mental-tasks based brain–computer interfaces (MT-BCIs) allow their users to interact with an external device solely by using brain signals produced through mental tasks. While MT-BCIs are promising for many applications, they are still barely used outside laboratories due to their lack of reliability. MT-BCIs require their users to develop the ability to self-regulate specific brain signals. However, the human learning process to control a BCI is still relatively poorly understood and how to optimally train this ability is currently under investigation. Despite their promises and achievements, traditional training programs have been shown to be sub-optimal and could be further improved. In order to optimize user training and improve BCI performance, human factors should be taken into account. An interdisciplinary approach should be adopted to provide learners with appropriate and/or adaptive training. In this article, we provide an overview of existing methods for MT-BCI user training—notably in terms of environment, instructions, feedback and exercises. We present a categorization and taxonomy of these training approaches, provide guidelines on how to choose the best methods and identify open challenges and perspectives to further improve MT-BCI user training.
Uncovering the structure of clinical EEG signals with self-supervised learning
Authors: Banville Hubert , Chehab Omar , Hyvärinen Aapo , Engemann Denis-Alexander , Gramfort Alexandre
Published: November 2020

Objective. Supervised learning paradigms are often limited by the amount of labeled data that is available. This phenomenon is particularly problematic in clinically-relevant data, such as electroencephalography (EEG), where labeling can be costly in terms of specialized expertise and human processing time. Consequently, deep learning architectures designed to learn on EEG data have yielded relatively shallow models and performances at best similar to those of traditional feature-based approaches. However, in most situations, unlabeled data is available in abundance. By extracting information from this unlabeled data, it might be possible to reach competitive performance with deep neural networks despite limited access to labels. Approach. We investigated self-supervised learning (SSL), a promising technique for discovering structure in unlabeled data, to learn representations of EEG signals. Specifically, we explored two tasks based on temporal context prediction as well as contrastive predictive coding on two clinically-relevant problems: EEG-based sleep staging and pathology detection. We conducted experiments on two large public datasets with thousands of recordings and performed baseline comparisons with purely supervised and hand-engineered approaches. Main results. Linear classifiers trained on SSL-learned features consistently outperformed purely supervised deep neural networks in low-labeled data regimes while reaching competitive performance when all labels were available. Additionally, the embeddings learned with each method revealed clear latent structures related to physiological and clinical phenomena, such as age effects. Significance. We demonstrate the benefit of SSL approaches on EEG data. Our results suggest that self-supervision may pave the way to a wider use of deep learning models on EEG data.
A quantum reference frame size-accuracy trade-off for quantum channels
Authors: Miyadera Takayuki , Loveridge Leon
Published: November 2020

The imposition of symmetry upon the nature and structure of quantum observables has recently been extensively studied, with quantum reference frames playing a crucial role. In this paper, we extend this work to quantum transformations, giving quantitative results showing, in direct analogy to the case of observables, that a “large” reference frame is required for non-covariant channels to be well approximated by covariant ones. We apply our findings to the concrete setting of SU(2) symmetry.
L-polylactic acid porous microspheres enhance the mechanical properties and in vivo stability of degummed silk/silk fibroin/gelatin scaffold
Authors: Li Tian , Liu Bingzhang , Jiang Yuhan , Lou Yingyue , Chen Kang , Zhang Duo
Published: November 2020

Cartilage defects are among the most difficult diseases to cure in clinic. Due to the limited regeneration capacity of chondrocytes, cartilage regeneration is very difficult. Tissue engineering is a potential strategy for cartilage regeneration. The choice of scaffold is a key factor for the successful construction of tissue engineering cartilage. In this research, we successfully constructed the silk/silk fibroin/gelatin/polylactic acid porous microspheres (S/SF/G/PLLA-PMs) scaffold, then further evaluated the physical and chemical properties and biocompatibility of the composite cartilage tissue in vitro and in vivo, also the long-term survival of the composite cartilage in large animals was carried out. The research results showed that S/SF/G/PLLA-PMs composite scaffold had good biocompatibility. The addition of L-polylactic acid porous microspheres (PLLA-PMs) could significantly enhance the mechanical strength of the scaffold and achieve a multi-level pore structure. After 4 weeks of culture in vitro, composite cartilage could be constructed. Further immunohistochemical results showed that S/SF/G/PLLA-PMs scaffold could increase the long-term stability of the composite cartilage transplantation in vivo.
The statistics of spectral shifts due to finite rank perturbations
Authors: Dietz Barbara , Schanz Holger , Smilansky Uzy , Weidenmüller Hans
Published: November 2020

This article is dedicated to the following class of problems. Start with an N × N Hermitian matrix randomly picked from a matrix ensemble—the reference matrix. Applying a rank-t perturbation to it, with t taking the values 1 ⩽ t ⩽ N, we study the difference between the spectra of the perturbed and the reference matrices as a function of t and its dependence on the underlying universality class of the random matrix ensemble. We consider both, the weaker kind of perturbation which either permutes or randomizes t
diagonal elements and a stronger perturbation randomizing successively t
rows and columns. In the first case we derive universal expressions in the scaled parameter τ = t/N for the expectation of the variance of the spectral shift functions, choosing as random-matrix ensembles Dyson’s three Gaussian ensembles. In the second case we find an additional dependence on the matrix size N.
Interactions of Helicoverpa punctigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larvae and Adults With Four Native Host Plants Relative to Field Use Patterns
Authors: Jones Lachlan C , Rafter Michelle A , Walter Gimme H
Published: November 2020

Generalist insect herbivores may be recorded from a great variety of host plants. Under natural conditions, however, they are almost invariably associated with a few primary host species on which most of the juveniles develop. We experimentally investigated the interaction of the generalist moth Helicoverpa punctigera Wallengren (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) with four of its native host plants, two designated primary hosts and two secondary hosts (based on field observations). We tested whether primary host plants support higher survival rates of larvae and whether they are more attractive to ovipositing moths and feeding larvae. We also evaluated whether relative attractiveness of host plants for oviposition matches larval survival rates on them—the preference-performance hypothesis. Moths laid significantly more eggs on two of the four host plant species, one of them a primary host, the other a secondary host. Larvae developed best when reared on the attractive secondary host, developed at intermediate levels on the two primary hosts, and performed worst on the less attractive secondary host. Relative attractiveness of the four host plants to caterpillars differed from that of the moths. Neither adult nor larval attraction to host plants fully supported the preference-performance hypothesis, but oviposition was better correlated with larval survival rates than was larval attraction. Our results suggest the relative frequency at which particular host species are used in the field may depend on factors not yet considered including the long-distance attractants used by moths and the relative distribution of host species.
Geographic Variation in Dominance of Spinosad Resistance in Colorado Potato Beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)
Authors: Klein Coby , Baker Mitchell , Alyokhin Andrei , Mota-Sanchez David
Published: November 2020

Eastern New York State is frequently the site of Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata, Say) populations with the highest observed levels of insecticide resistance to a range of active ingredients. The dominance of a resistant phenotype will affect its rate of increase and the potential for management. On organic farms on Long Island, L. decemlineata evolved high levels of resistance to spinosad in a short period of time and that resistance has spread across the eastern part of the Island. Resistance has also emerged in other parts of the country as well. To clarify the level of dominance or recessiveness of spinosad resistance in different parts of the United States and how resistance differs in separate beetle populations, we sampled in 2010 beetle populations from Maine, Michigan, and Long Island. In addition, a highly resistant Long Island population was assessed in 2012. All populations were hybridized with a laboratory-susceptible strain to determine dominance. None of the populations sampled in 2010 were significantly different from additive resistance, but the Long Island population sampled in 2012 was not significantly different from fully recessive. Recessive inheritance of high-level resistance may help manage its increase.
American Higher Education in Crisis?
Authors: Blumenstyk Goldie
Published: November 2020

American higher education is at a crossroads. Technological innovations and disruptive market forces are buffeting colleges and universities at the very time their financial structure grows increasingly fragile. Disinvestment by states has driven up tuition prices at public colleges, and student debt has reached a startling record-high of one trillion dollars. Cost-minded students and their families--and the public at large--are questioning the worth of a college education, even as study after study shows how important it is to economic and social mobility. And as elite institutions trim financial aid and change other business practices in search of more sustainable business models, racial and economic stratification in American higher education is only growing. In American Higher Education in Crisis?: What Everyone Needs to Know, Goldie Blumenstyk, who has been reporting on higher education trends for 25 years, guides readers through the forces and trends that have brought the education system to this point, and highlights some of the ways they will reshape America's colleges in the years to come. Blumenstyk hones in on debates over the value of post-secondary education, problems of affordability, and concerns about the growing economic divide. Fewer and fewer people can afford the constantly increasing tuition price of college, Blumenstyk shows, and yet college graduates in the United States now earn on average twice as much as those with only a high-school education. She also discusses faculty tenure and growing administrative bureaucracies on campuses; considers new demands for accountability such as those reflected in the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard; and questions how the money chase in big-time college athletics, revelations about colleges falsifying rankings data, and corporate-style presidential salaries have soured public perception. Higher education is facing a serious set of challenges, but solutions have also begun to emerge. Blumenstyk highlights how institutions are responding to the rise of alternative-educational opportunities and the new academic and business models that are appearing, and considers how the Obama administration and public organizations are working to address questions of affordability, diversity, and academic integrity. She addresses some of the advances in technology colleges are employing to attract and retain students; outlines emerging competency-based programs that are reshaping conceptions of a college degree, and offers readers a look at promising innovations that could alter the higher education landscape in the near future. An extremely timely and focused look at this embattled and evolving arena, this primer emphasizes how open-ended the conversation about higher education's future remains, and illuminates how big the stakes are for students, colleges, and the nation.
Development of a Nostalgic Remembering Intervention
Authors: Fleury Julie , Komnenich Pauline , Coon David W. , Volk-Craft Barbara
Published: November 2020

Background

Dyads receiving palliative care for advanced heart failure are at risk for the loss of feeling safe, experienced as a fractured sense of coherence, discontinuity in sense of self and relationships, and strained social connections and altered roles. However, few theory-based interventions have addressed feeling safe in this vulnerable population.

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to describe the development of the Nostalgic Remembering Intervention to strengthen feeling safe and promote adaptive physiological and psychological regulation in dyads receiving palliative care for heart failure.

Conclusions

Systematic intervention development is essential to understand what, for whom, why, and how an intervention works in producing outcomes. Program theory provided a systematic approach to the development of the Nostalgic Remembering Intervention, including conceptualization of the problem targeted by the intervention, specification of critical inputs and conditions that operationalize the intervention, and understanding the mediating processes leading to expected outcomes.

Clinical Implications

Creating a foundation for cardiovascular nursing research and practice requires continued, systematic development of theory-based interventions to best meet the needs of dyads receiving palliative care for heart failure. The development of the Nostalgic Remembering Intervention to strengthen feeling safe in dyads provides a novel and relevant approach.
accuEnhancer: Accurate enhancer prediction by integration of multiple cell type data with deep learning
Authors: Tung Yi-An , Yang Wen-Tse , Hsieh Tsung-Ting , Chang Yu-Chuan , Wu June-Tai , Oyang Yen-Jen , Chen Chien-Yu
Published: November 2020

Enhancers are one class of the regulatory elements that have been shown to act as key components to assist promoters in modulating the gene expression in living cells. At present, the number of enhancers as well as their activities in different cell types are still largely unclear. Previous studies have shown that enhancer activities are associated with various functional data, such as histone modifications, sequence motifs, and chromatin accessibilities. In this study, we utilized DNase data to build a deep learning model for predicting the H3K27ac peaks as the active enhancers in a target cell type. We propose joint training of multiple cell types to boost the model performance in predicting the enhancer activities of an unstudied cell type. The results demonstrated that by incorporating more datasets across different cell types, the complex regulatory patterns could be captured by deep learning models and the prediction accuracy can be largely improved. The analyses conducted in this study demonstrated that the cell type-specific enhancer activity can be predicted by joint learning of multiple cell type data using only DNase data and the primitive sequences as the input features. This reveals the importance of cross-cell type learning, and the constructed model can be applied to investigate potential active enhancers of a novel cell type which does not have the H3K27ac modification data yet.

Availability

The accuEnhancer package can be freely accessed at:https://github.com/callsobing/accuEnhancer
Theory of temperature-dependent consumer-resource interactions
Authors: Synodinos Alexis D. , Haegeman Bart , Sentis Arnaud , Montoya José M.
Published: November 2020

Changes in temperature affect consumer-resource interactions, which underpin the functioning of ecosystems. However, existing studies report contrasting predictions regarding the impacts of warming on biological rates and community dynamics. To improve prediction accuracy and comparability, we develop an approach that combines sensitivity analysis and aggregate parameters. The former determines which biological parameters impact the community most strongly. The use of aggregate parameters (i.e., maximal energetic efficiency,ρ, and interaction strength,κ), that combine multiple biological parameters, increases explanatory power and reduces the complexity of theoretical analyses. We illustrate the approach using empirically-derived thermal dependence curves of biological rates and applying it to consumer-resource biomass ratio and community stability. Based on our analyses, we generate four predictions: 1) resource growth rate regulates biomass distributions at mild temperatures, 2) interaction strength alone determines the thermal boundaries of the community, 3) warming destabilises dynamics at low and mild temperatures only, 4) interactions strength must decrease faster than maximal energetic efficiency for warming to stabilise dynamics. We argue for the potential benefits of directly working with the aggregate parameters to increase the accuracy of predictions on warming impacts on food webs and promote cross-system comparisons.