bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Temporal state change Bayesian networks for modeling of evolving multivariate state sequences: model, structure discovery and parameter estimation
Authors: Mrowca Artur , Gyrock Florian , Günnemann Stephan
Published: November 2021

Many systems can be expressed as multivariate state sequences (MSS) in terms of entities and their states with evolving dependencies over time. In order to interpret the temporal dynamics in such data, it is essential to capture relationships between entities and their changes in state and dependence over time under uncertainty. Existing probabilistic models do not explicitly model the evolution of causality between dependent state sequences and mostly result in complex structures when representing complete causal dependencies between random variables. To solve this, Temporal State Change Bayesian Networks (TSCBN) are introduced to effectively model interval relations of MSSs under evolving uncertainty. Our model outperforms competing approaches in terms of parameter complexity and expressiveness. Further, an efficient structure discovery method for TSCBNs is presented, that improves classical approaches by exploiting temporal knowledge and multiple parameter estimation approaches for TSCBNs are introduced. Those are expectation maximization, variational inference and a sampling based maximum likelihood estimation that allow to learn parameters from partially observed MSSs. Lastly, we demonstrate how TSCBNs allow to interpret and infer patterns of captured sequences for specification mining in automotive.
A novel protein truncating mutation in L2HGDH causes L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria in a consanguineous Pakistani family
Authors: Muzammal Muhammad , Ali Muhammad Zeeshan , Brugger Beatrice , Blatterer Jasmin , Ahmad Safeer , Taj Sundas , Shah Syed Khizar , Khan Saadullah , Enzinger Christian , Petek Erwin , Wagner Klaus , Khan Muzammil Ahmad , Windpassinger Christian
Published: November 2021

Background

L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria (L2HGA) is a rare neurometabolic disorder that occurs due to accumulation of L-2-hydroxyglutaric acid in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), plasma and urine. The clinical manifestation of L2HGA includes intellectual disability, cerebellar ataxia, epilepsy, speech problems and macrocephaly.

Methods

In the present study, we ascertained a multigenerational consanguineous Pakistani family with 5 affected individuals. Clinical studies were performed through biochemical tests and brain CT scan. Locus mapping was carried out through genome-wide SNP genotyping, whole exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing. For in silico studies protein structural modeling and docking was done using I-TASSER, Cluspro and AutoDock VINA tools.

Results

Affected individuals presented with cognitive impairment, gait disturbance, speech difficulties and psychomotor delay. Radiologic analysis of a male patient revealed leukoaraiosis with hypoattenuation of cerebral white matter, suggestive of hypomyelination. Homozygosity mapping in this family revealed a linkage region on chromosome 14 between markers rs2039791 and rs781354. Subsequent whole exome analysis identified a novel frameshift mutation NM_024884.3:c.180delG, p.(Ala62Profs*24) in the second exon of L2HGDH. Sanger sequencing confirmed segregation of this mutation with the disease phenotype. The identification of the most N-terminal loss of function mutation published thus far further expands the mutational spectrum of L2HGDH.
Retrospective evaluation of the impact of non-oncologic chronic drug therapy on the survival in patients with bladder cancer
Authors: Haimerl Lisa , Strobach Dorothea , Mannell Hanna , Stief Christian G. , Buchner Alexander , Karl Alexander , Grimm Tobias
Published: November 2021

Background Chronic drug therapy may impact recurrence and survival of patients with bladder cancer and thus be of concern regarding drug choice and treatment decisions. Currently, data are conflicting for some drug classes and missing for others. Objective To analyze the impact of common non-oncologic chronic drug intake on survival in patients with bladder cancer and radical cystectomy. Setting. Patients with bladder cancer and radical cystectomy (2004–2018) at the University Hospital Munich. Method Data from an established internal database with patients with bladder cancer and radical cystectomy were included in a retrospective study. Drug therapy at the time of radical cystectomy and survival data were assessed and follow-up performed 3 months after radical cystectomy and yearly until death or present. Impact on survival was analyzed for antihypertensive, antidiabetic, anti-gout, antithrombotic drugs and statins, using the Kaplan–Meier method, log-rank test and Cox-regression models. Main outcome measure Recurrence free survival, cancer specific survival and overall survival for users versus non-users of predefined drug classes. Results Medication and survival data were available in 972 patients. Median follow-up time was 22 months (IQR 7–61). In the univariate analysis, a significant negative impact among users on recurrence free survival (n = 93; p = 0.038), cancer specific survival (n = 116; p < 0.001) and overall survival (n = 116; p < 0.001) was found for calcium-channel blockers, whereas angiotensin-receptor-blockers negatively influenced overall survival (n = 96; p = 0.020), but not recurrence free survival (n = 73; p = 0.696) and cancer specific survival (n = 96; p = 0.406). No effect of angiotensin-receptor-blockers and calcium-channel blockers was seen in the multivariate analysis. None of the other studied drugs had an impact on survival. Conclusion There was no impact on bladder cancer recurrence and survival for any of the analyzed drugs. Considering our results and the controverse findings in the literature, there is currently no evidence to withhold indicated drugs or choose specific drug classes among the evaluated non-oncologic chronic drug therapies. Thus, prospective studies are required for further insight. Trail registration This is part of the trial DRKS00017080, registered 11.10.2019.
Confirmatory factor analysis with missing data in a small sample: cognitive reserve in people with Down Syndrome
Authors: Cañete-Massé Cristina , Carbó-Carreté Maria , Figueroa-Jiménez María Dolores , Oviedo Guillermo R. , Guerra-Balic Myriam , Javierre Casimiro , Peró-Cebollero Maribel , Guàrdia-Olmos Joan
Published: November 2021

The presence of missing data and small sample sizes are very common in social and health sciences. Concurrently to present a methodology to solve the small sample size and missing data, we aim to present a definition of Cognitive Reserve for people with Down Syndrome. This population has become an appealing focus to study this concept because of the high incidence of dementia. The accidental sample comprised 35 persons with DS (16–35 years). A total of 12 variables were acquired, four of them had missing data. Two types of multiple imputation were made. Confirmatory factor analysis with Bayesian estimations was performed on the final database with non-informative priors. However, to solve the sample size problem, two additional corrections were made: first, we followed the Jiang and Yuan (2017) schema, and second, we made a Jackknife correlation correction. The estimations of the confirmatory factor analysis, as well as the global fit, are adequate. As an applied perspective, the acceptable fit of our model suggests the possibility of operationalizing the latent factor Cognitive Reserve in a simple way to measure it in the Down Syndrome population.
Dispositions manifest themselves: an identity theory of properties
Authors: Engelhard Kristina
Published: November 2021

The aim of this paper is to motivate a view on dispositions according to which dispositions and their manifestations are partially identical, the DM identity theory. It sets out by extrapolating the desiderata of a dispositionalist account of properties. It then shows that the previous theories are burdened with different problems, whose common cause, so the argument goes, is the separation assumption, which almost all share. It states that dispositions and their manifestations are numerically distinct. The paper then explores whether the separation assumption can be abandoned and shows that there are precursors of a DM identity theory. The DM identity theory is then outlined in its central features and it is outlined how they can fulfil the desiderata of dispositionalism.
The directionality of topological explanations
Authors: Kostić Daniel , Khalifa Kareem
Published: November 2021

Proponents of ontic conceptions of explanation require all explanations to be backed by causal, constitutive, or similar relations. Among their justifications is that only ontic conceptions can do justice to the ‘directionality’ of explanation, i.e., the requirement that if X explains Y, then not-Y does not explain not-X. Using topological explanations as an illustration, we argue that non-ontic conceptions of explanation have ample resources for securing the directionality of explanations. The different ways in which neuroscientists rely on multiplexes involving both functional and anatomical connectivity in their topological explanations vividly illustrate why ontic considerations are frequently (if not always) irrelevant to explanatory directionality. Therefore, directionality poses no problem to non-ontic conceptions of explanation.
Perceiving causality in action
Authors: Reimer Robert
Published: November 2021

David Hume and other philosophers doubt that causality can be perceived directly. Instead, observers become aware of it through inference based on the perception of the two events constituting cause and effect of the causal relation. However, Hume and the other philosophers primarily consider causal relations in which one object triggers a motion or change in another. In this paper, I will argue against Hume’s assumption by distinguishing a kind of causal relations in which an agent is controlling the motion or change of an object. I will call this kind of causal relations ‘causation-as-control’. In instances of causation-as-control, the observer does not become aware of the causality through inference based on the perception of two events (cause and effect). Rather, she perceives the two events directly and without further inference as cause and effect of a causal relation, and, therefore, the causality at work.
A new derivative-based method for determination of bubble point pressure of hydrocarbon systems
Authors: Al-Marhoun Muhammad Ali
Published: November 2021

The bubble point pressure is essential for planning and managing oil field development and production strategies. The conventional procedure of the determination of bubble point pressure and volume is a trial-and-error method. Consequently, this leads to the lack of uniqueness, accuracy, and repeatability of the solution. This paper describes a new technique that utilizes the pressure–volume (PV) data obtained from the constant-composition expansion (CCE) test to determine the bubble point pressure of hydrocarbon systems. This method is a derivative-based procedure where consecutive derivative ratios form peaks. The highest peak always exists at the inflection of PV data to traverse into a two-phase region. A new mathematical model based on the exponential-power function is introduced to accurately describe the PV data above and below the bubble point. The new model leads to the direct determination of both bubble point pressure and volume simultaneously. Uniqueness, accuracy, and repeatability in the new method are guaranteed regardless of who performs the calculation.
Negative Cognitions and Emotional Distress Following Job Loss: Development and Validation of the Beliefs About Loss of Work (BLOW) Scale
Authors: van Eersel Janske H. W. , Taris Toon W. , Boelen Paul A.
Published: November 2021

Negative cognitions following job loss can contribute to emotional distress by motivating individuals to adopt coping styles that reduce stress in the short run while obstructing adjustment in the long run. It is unclear which specific cognitions are related to symptoms of complicated grief, depression, and anxiety following job loss. To fill this gap, this study introduces the Beliefs about Loss of Work (BLOW) scale and examines its psychometric properties. We recruited 222 Dutch workers who had lost their job, including 70 men and 152 women, with an average age of 52.5 years. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that a second-order eight-factor model had the best fit to the data. The BLOW scale is a reliable instrument with a good convergent and divergent validity. This instrument may stimulate research on mechanisms involved in job loss-related distress and could inform the development of interventions to reduce this distress.
Assessing the conduct of juveniles: diagnosis and delinquency, 1900–2013
Authors: Hirshbein Laura D.
Published: November 2021

American child psychiatrists have long been interested in the problems of delinquent behaviour by juveniles. With the rise of specific psychiatric diagnoses in the 1960s and 1970s, delinquent behaviour was defined within the diagnosis of conduct disorder. Like all psychiatric diagnoses, this concept was shaped by particular historical actors in context and has been highly contingent on assumptions related to race, class and gender. The history of conduct disorder illustrates the tensions in child psychiatry between the expansive goals of the field and the often limited uses of its professional authority, as well as individual children as the target of intervention and their interactions in groups.
Fluid deafness: earwax and hardness of hearing in early modern Europe
Authors: Verwaal Ruben E.
Published: November 2021

This article discusses hearing disability in early modern Europe, focusing on medical ideas to demonstrate a profound shift in thinking about deafness over the course of the eighteenth century. Scholars have previously described changes in the social status of the deaf in the eighteenth century, pointing at clerics’ sympathy for the deaf and philosophers’ fascination with gestures as the origin of language, but there is remarkably little scholarship on the growing interest in deafness and hardness of hearing by physicians. From the seventeenth century onwards, however, medical men investigated earwax and mucus in the Eustachian Tube and developed theories about the propagation of sound waves via fluid airs and nervous juices in relation to hearing and deafness. This article argues that this focus on fluids brought about a new medical understanding of auditory perception, which viewed hearing and deafness not as dichotomous but as states along a continuous spectrum. As such, this article offers a new perspective on the study and treatment of hearing difficulties in early modern Europe, arguing that there was no solid dividing line between deafness and hearing; if anything, it was permeable and unstable.
Making Sense of Human Rights Diplomacy: Evidence from a US Campaign to Free Political Prisoners
Authors: Myrick Rachel , Weinstein Jeremy M.
Published: November 2021

Scholarship on human rights diplomacy (HRD)—efforts by government officials to engage publicly and privately with their foreign counterparts—often focuses on actions taken to “name and shame” target countries because private diplomatic activities are unobservable. To understand how HRD works in practice, we explore a campaign coordinated by the US government to free twenty female political prisoners. We compare release rates of the featured women to two comparable groups: a longer list of women considered by the State Department for the campaign; and other women imprisoned simultaneously in countries targeted by the campaign. Both approaches suggest that the campaign was highly effective. We consider two possible mechanisms through which expressive public HRD works: by imposing reputational costs and by mobilizing foreign actors. However, in-depth interviews with US officials and an analysis of media coverage find little evidence of these mechanisms. Instead, we argue that public pressure resolved deadlock within the foreign policy bureaucracy, enabling private diplomacy and specific inducements to secure the release of political prisoners. Entrepreneurial bureaucrats leveraged the spotlight on human rights abuses to overcome competing equities that prevent government-led coercive diplomacy on these issues. Our research highlights the importance of understanding the intersection of public and private diplomacy before drawing inferences about the effectiveness of HRD.
‘Burn the Witch’: Decadence and the Occult in Contemporary Feminist Performance
Authors: ALSTON ADAM
Published: November 2021

This article introduces and theorizes ‘decadence’ as a key feature of Lauren Barri Holstein's performance Notorious (2017). The decadence of Holstein's work is approached in light of two main considerations: the spectacular presentation of witchcraft as an occult practice, and what Holstein ‘does’ with the staging of witches and witchcraft. Situated in light of performances associated with the neo-occult revival (Ivy Monteiro and Jex Blackmore), and a recent strand of feminist performance that revels in an aesthetics of trash, mess and excess (Ann Liv Young and Lucy McCormick), the article offers a close critical analysis of Notorious as a work that addresses and seeks to subvert gendered inequalities and forms of productivity in twenty-first-century capitalism. I argue that Holstein's overidentification with exertion and exhaustion as much as the subversive potentialities of witchcraft results in a decadent aesthetic, that her staging of the witch as a persecuted but powerful emblem of the occult sheds valuable light on the aesthetics and politics of decadence in performance, and that the subversive qualities of decadence emerge particularly strongly in its ‘doing’ as an embodied and enacted practice.
The Feminist Struggle in Performing Arts in Brazil
Authors: ROMANO LÚCIA R. V.
Published: November 2021

This article summarizes recent transformations in the field of performing arts in Brazil, with attention to feminist theatrical production. It provides a description of the context of this branch of Brazilian political theatre, between the civil–military coup of 1964 and the present, focusing on 2015, a period named the Brazilian ‘Feminist Spring’. This historical arc of almost sixty years celebrates groups and artists which represent the dissemination of feminist discussion and poetics in all kinds of performative events in the theatrical field, as well as revealing the backlash represented by the anti-feminist policies of the Bolsonaro government, elected in late 2018.
Gender in Danger: Transdanger People in Performing Arts in Brazil
Authors: LEAL DODI T. B.
Published: November 2021

This article analyses how the political circumstances of the extermination of transgender people in Brazil aggravates the vulnerable conditions of performing-arts production. Cisgender dominance in theatre is presented as a neoliberal and colonial factor that maintains trans people in structural danger within artistic processes. While whiteness produces an ethnocentrism in Brazilian arts, cisgenderness causes an ‘ethno-cis-centrism’. For trans people, ‘gender bioterrorism’ represents an alternative strategy for navigating performing arts and society.
Theatre and Indigenous Peoples: Learning to Imagine New Worlds in End Times
Authors: SIMÕES CIBELE FORJAZ
Published: November 2021

This article examines the relationship between the performing arts and Amerindian peoples, specifically the Araweté, Juruna/Yudjá and Kamayurá peoples, which belong to the Tupi branch, whom I met as part of postdoctoral research carried out from February 2018 to January 2019, at the University of São Paulo (USP). It analyses the conjuncture of the fight of Amerindian and riparian peoples before the destruction of the forest and rivers of the Amazon, based on case studies of two theatre performances: Altamira 2042, a scenic ritual instauration triggered by listening to the testimony of the Xingu river about the Belo Monte dam, and Os Um e Os Outros (The One and the Others), loosely based on The Horatians and the Curiatians by Bertolt Brecht.
A spectral modelling approach for fluid flow into a line sink in a confined aquifer
Authors: AL-ALI S. , HOCKING G. C. , FARROW D. E. , ZHANG H.
Published: November 2021

A spectral method is developed to study the steady and unsteady flow of fluid into a line sink from a horizontally confined aquifer, and the results are compared to solutions obtained implementing the finite element package COMSOLTM. The aquifer or drain is considered to be confined below so that the solutions are fundamentally unsteady. Comparison is made between the two methods in determining the drawdown of the surface.
Entwicklung von Schutzkonzepten gegen (sexuelle) Gewalt im medizinisch-‌therapeutischen Bereich
Authors: Hoffmann Ulrike , Fegert Jörg M. , König Elisa , Maier Anna , Herberhold Maik
Published: November 2021

Zusammenfassung. Theoretischer Hintergrund: Bekannt gewordene Fälle von (sexuellen) Übergriffen in Institutionen sowie Befragungsergebnisse zeigen, dass es auch in medizinischen Einrichtungen Fälle von Gewalt gegen Kinder und Jugendliche gibt. Fragestellung: Im Kontext von Krankenbehandlung liegen systemische Risikofaktoren für Übergriffe vor. Es ist deshalb wichtig, dass sich medizinische Einrichtungen mit dieser Problematik auseinandersetzen und Schutzkonzepte entwickeln. Methode: Es wird ein Überblick über Risikofaktoren sowie die Elemente von Schutzkonzepten gegeben. Ergebnisse: Ein Schutzkonzept ist ein System von Maßnahmen, die für einen besseren Schutz vor (sexuellen) Übergriffen in der Institution sorgen. Diskussion und Schlussfolgerung: Es ist notwendig, dass es in Institutionen eine klare Haltung gegen (sexuelle) Gewalt gibt. Die Erarbeitung eines Schutzkonzeptes trägt zur (Weiter–) Entwicklung dieser Haltung bei und erhöht das Sicherheitsgefühl der Fachkräfte zum Vorgehen im konkreten Fall.
Rock Failure Envelope and Behavior Using the Confined Brazilian Test
Authors: Li Yawei , Ghassemi Ahmad
Published: November 2021

Complete rock strength envelopes spanning both the tensile and compressive stress domains are essential to engineering design in Rock. However, the exact shape of the envelope in the tensile zone is not known. The major impediment to establishing the true profile of the envelope is the inherent difficulties in conducting tension tests under confinement. In this study, we use the confined Brazilian test to investigate the impact of confining pressure on tensile strength, the failure mechanism, and the brittle‐ductile transition. By applying a constant confining pressure, a state of triaxial stress is created in the disc such that the disc center is under three nonzero and unequal principal stress components. By increasing the confining pressure, the least principal stress changes from tensile to compressive so that rock failure can be observed over a wide range of stress conditions. Four lithologies have been tested in this study, including limestone and three sandstones. Experimental results suggest that the complete strength envelope resembles an offset parabola opening to the right with its vertex above the horizontal axis in the domain. The tensile strength shows a pronounced increase under confinement. For all lithologies tested, tensile fracturing disappears as the confining pressure increases, with the stress‐displacement curves exhibiting typical brittle‐ductile transitions and a change in failure mode from extension to shear. Observation of the progressive increase in the fracture angle with confining pressure also provides laboratory evidence for the continuous transition of failure from extension to shear.
Response of Southern Hemisphere Western Boundary Current Regions to Future Zonally Symmetric and Asymmetric Atmospheric Changes
Authors: Goyal Rishav , England Matthew H. , Jucker Martin , Sen Gupta Alex
Published: November 2021

Subtropical western boundary currents (WBCs) are often associated with hotspots of global warming, with certain WBC extension regions warming 3–4 times faster than the global mean. In the Southern Hemisphere, strong warming over the WBC extensions has been observed over the last few decades, with enhanced warming projected into the future. This amplified warming has primarily been linked to poleward intensification of the mid‐latitude westerly winds in the Southern Hemisphere. Changes in these winds are often thought of as being zonally symmetric; however, recent studies show that they contain strong zonal asymmetries in certain ocean basins. The importance of these zonal asymmetries for the Southern Ocean has not yet been investigated. In this study, we use an ocean‐sea‐ice model forced by prescribed atmospheric fields to quantify the contribution of projected zonally asymmetric atmospheric changes in generating future ocean warming and circulation changes in the subtropical WBC regions. We find that the zonally asymmetric component of atmospheric forcing, characterized by a pattern that is consistent across CMIP6 models, can explain more than 30% (>2°C) of the sea surface temperature (SST) warming found in the Tasman Sea and southern Australia region and a sizable fraction of warming in the Agulhas Current region. These changes in SST in both the Indian and Pacific basins are found to be primarily driven by increases in the advection of warm tropical water to the mid‐latitudes due to changes in the large‐scale subtropical ocean gyres, which in turn can largely be explained by changes in the mid‐latitude surface wind stress patterns.
Structure and Large‐Scale Organization of Extreme Cold Wave Events Over the Chinese Mainland During the Boreal Cold Season
Authors: Zhang L. , Xie Z. , Deng Y. , Huang W.
Published: November 2021

Recent changes in the Earth's climate have led to renewed interest in extreme cold wave (ECW) events. This study identifies the ECW patterns over the Chinese mainland, their corresponding large‐scale meteorological patterns (LMPs) and their favorable planetary wave patterns over 1961–2015. A self‐organizing map classifies ECWs into northeast, nationwide, northwest–south and Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau clusters. The cold anomalies are primarily contributed by the anomalous wind advecting climatological mean temperature for the leading three clusters, but diabaitic heating for the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau cluster. The associated LMPs are primarily characterized by a dipole with a positive height anomaly over Siberia and a negative height anomaly extending from Japan to the Iranian Plateau, which displaces southwestward among the four ECW clusters. The LMPs induce anomalous northerly flows extending from the upper troposphere to the near‐surface, which deepen the negative height anomaly southwestward from the East Asian trough and accumulate cold air masses over the key regions within the dipole that are phase‐locked with the LMPs (i.e., baroclinic growth). Such baroclinic growth of the LMP is larger during periods of a planetary wave (wavenumbers 1–5) resembling the Northern Annular Mode (NAM). Meanwhile, the negative (positive) phase of the NAM provides more direct contribution to the LMP of the northeast and nationwide (Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau) ECW clusters and thus are likely to favor the occurrence of ECWs. The negative phase of NAM‐like planetary waves exhibit a positive trend after the transition year of 1987, and could potentially increase the occurrence frequency of nationwide ECWs.
Controlling the three dimensional propagation of spin waves in continuous ferromagnetic films with an increasing out of plane undulation
Authors: Montoncello Federico , Gubbiotti Gianluca
Published: November 2021

The role of three-dimensionality in a ferromagnetic medium in ruling the propagation properties of spin-waves (SW) has been one of the main focuses of the research activity in recent years. In this context, we investigate the evolution of the SW dispersion (frequency vs wave vector) induced by a progressive vertical undulation of a ferromagnetic film. The geometric undulation is taken along a single direction and is periodic with constant period, while the amplitude (differential maximum height with respect to the film thickness) is gradually increased from 0 to 60 nm. We study the characteristic modification of the internal effective field and link it to the resulting SW dispersions and spatial profile. These systems display at once features both of a planar film and a discretized medium, and the dispersion curves change not only when SWs propagate along the undulation direction, but also perpendicular to it. We discuss the geometric and magnetic conditions for having either the invariance of the SW group velocity with respect to even major changes in the undulation, or a large group velocity for some edge modes. We address a potential dual-band activity, namely the simultaneous propagation of two independent SW-signals, with separated frequency bands and disjoint oscillation regions.
Genetic variation in NDFIP1 modifies the metabolic patterns in immune cells of multiple sclerosis patients
Authors: López-Cotarelo Pilar , González-Jiménez Adela , Agudo-Jiménez Teresa , Abarca-Zabalía Judith , Aladro Yolanda , Pilo Belén , Comabella Manuel , Espino-Paisán Laura , Urcelay Elena
Published: November 2021

One of the 233 polymorphisms associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) susceptibility lies within the NDFIP1 gene, and it was previously identified as eQTL in healthy controls. NDFIP1 shows interesting immune functions and is involved in the development of the central nervous system. We aimed at studying the NDFIP1 variant on activation and metabolism of immune cells. NDFIP1 mRNA and protein expression were assessed in PBMCs by qPCR and western blot in 87 MS patients and 84 healthy controls genotyped for rs4912622. Immune activation after PHA stimulation was evaluated by CD69 upregulation, and metabolic function of both basal and PHA-activated lymphocytes was studied by Seahorse Xfp-Analyzer. In minor-allele homozygous controls but not in patients, we found higher NDFIP1 expression, significantly reduced protein levels, and CD69 upregulation in B- and T-cells. PBMCs from minor-allele homozygous controls showed significantly higher basal mitochondrial respiration and ATP production compared to major-allele carriers, while minor-allele homozygous patients showed significantly lower metabolic activity than carriers of the major allele. In conclusion, we describe associations in minor-allele homozygous controls with lower levels of NDFIP1 protein, CD69 upregulation, and raised mitochondrial activity, which are not replicated in MS patients, suggesting a NDFIP1 differential effect in health and disease.
A novel method quantifying caries following orthodontic treatment
Authors: Erbe Christina , Hartmann Luisa , Schmidtmann Irene , Ohlendorf Daniela , Wehrbein Heinrich
Published: November 2021

This retrospective pilot study used a newly developed evaluation tool to assess the prevalence and incidence of White Spot Lesions (WSL) before and after multibracket appliance (MB) therapy. Digital photographs of 121 adolescent patients (63 ♂, 58 ♀) with metal brackets were analyzed retrospectively before and after MB therapy. The labial surfaces of anterior teeth, canine teeth, and premolars in the upper (UJ) and lower jaws (LJ) were evaluated using the Enamel Decalcification Index (EDI) by Banks and Richmond (Eur J Orthod, 16(1):19–25, 1994, levels 0–3) and a specially developed digitally scaled graticule with concentric circles to quantify the extent of WSL (in %). The statistical data analysis was based on crosstabulations and logistic regression. Before MB, 69.4% of the patients presented at least one WSL and 97.5% after, an increase of 28.1%. Before MB, 18.4% of the tooth surfaces (TS) showed an EDI level of 1–3. After MB, 51.8% of the TS featured WSL. 18.2% of the TS showed a WSL to the extent of ≥ 20–100% before and 52.3% after MB. The incidence in the UJ (71–79%) as well as the LJ (64–76%) was highest for the first and second premolars and lowest for LJ incisors (22–35%). The probability for developing a new distal WSL is higher than developing gingival, mesial or occlusal WSL. Labial MB therapy drastically increases the risk of developing WSL. We verified a concise quantification of the extent of labial WSL with the evaluation index.
Heterostrain-enabled dynamically tunable moiré superlattice in twisted bilayer graphene
Authors: Gao Xuejiao , Sun Hao , Kang Dong-Ho , Wang Chongwu , Wang Qi Jie , Nam Donguk
Published: November 2021

The ability to precisely control moiré patterns in two-dimensional materials has enabled the realization of unprecedented physical phenomena including Mott insulators, unconventional superconductivity, and quantum emission. Along with the twist angle, the application of independent strain in each layer of stacked two-dimensional materials—termed heterostrain—has become a powerful means to manipulate the moiré potential landscapes. Recent experimental studies have demonstrated the possibility of continuously tuning the twist angle and the resulting physical properties. However, the dynamic control of heterostrain that allows the on-demand manipulation of moiré superlattices has yet to be experimentally realized. Here, by harnessing the weak interlayer van der Waals bonding in twisted bilayer graphene devices, we demonstrate the realization of dynamically tunable heterostrain of up to 1.3%. Polarization-resolved Raman spectroscopy confirmed the existence of substantial heterostrain by presenting triple G peaks arising from the independently strained graphene layers. Theoretical calculations revealed that the distorted moiré patterns via heterostrain can significantly alter the electronic structure of twisted bilayer graphene, allowing the emergence of multiple absorption peaks ranging from near-infrared to visible spectral ranges. Our experimental demonstration presents a new degree of freedom towards the dynamic modulation of moiré superlattices, holding the promise to unveil unprecedented physics and applications of stacked two-dimensional materials.
Collateral estimation by susceptibility-weighted imaging and prediction of functional outcomes after acute anterior circulation ischemic stroke
Authors: Lee Hyung Jin , Roh Hong Gee , Lee Sang Bong , Jeon Yoo Sung , Park Jeong Jin , Lee Taek-Jun , Jung Yu Jin , Choi Jin Woo , Chun Young Il , Ki Hee Jong , Cho Junsoo , Lee Ji Sung , Kim Hyun Jeong
Published: November 2021

To determine the value of susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) for collateral estimation and for predicting functional outcomes after acute ischemic stroke. To identify independent predictors of favorable functional outcomes, age, sex, risk factors, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, baseline diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) lesion volume, site of steno-occlusion, SWI collateral grade, mode of treatment, and successful reperfusion were evaluated by multiple logistic regression analyses. A total of 152 participants were evaluated. A younger age (adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 0.42; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.34 to 0.77; P < 0.001), a lower baseline NIHSS score (aOR 0.90; 95% CI 0.82 to 0.98; P = 0.02), a smaller baseline DWI lesion volume (aOR 0.83; 95% CI 0.73 to 0.96; P = 0.01), an intermediate collateral grade (aOR 9.49; 95% CI 1.36 to 66.38; P = 0.02), a good collateral grade (aOR 6.22; 95% CI 1.16 to 33.24; P = 0.03), and successful reperfusion (aOR 5.84; 95% CI 2.08 to 16.42; P = 0.001) were independently associated with a favorable functional outcome. There was a linear association between the SWI collateral grades and functional outcome (P = 0.008). Collateral estimation using the prominent vessel sign on SWI is clinically reliable, as it has prognostic value.
New perspectives for neutron imaging through advanced event-mode data acquisition
Authors: Losko A. S. , Han Y. , Schillinger B. , Tartaglione A. , Morgano M. , Strobl M. , Long J. , Tremsin A. S. , Schulz M.
Published: November 2021

Imaging using scintillators is a widespread and cost-effective approach in radiography. While different types of scintillator and sensor configurations exist, it can be stated that the detection efficiency and resolution of a scintillator-based system strongly depend on the scintillator material and its thickness. Recently developed event-driven detectors are capable of registering spots of light emitted by the scintillator after a particle interaction, allowing to reconstruct the Center-of-Mass of the interaction within the scintillator. This results in a more precise location of the event and therefore provides a pathway to overcome the scintillator thickness limitation and increase the effective spatial resolution of the system. Utilizing this principle, we present a detector capable of Time-of-Flight imaging with an adjustable field-of-view, ad-hoc binning and re-binning of data based on the requirements of the experiment including the possibility of particle discrimination via the analysis of the event shape in space and time. It is considered that this novel concept might replace regular cameras in neutron imaging detectors as it provides superior detection capabilities with the most recent results providing an increase by a factor 3 in image resolution and an increase by up to a factor of 7.5 in signal-to-noise for thermal neutron imaging.
Efficacy of chemotherapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma according to histology in a real-world cohort
Authors: Cedres Susana , Assaf Juan-David , Iranzo Patricia , Callejo Ana , Pardo Nuria , Navarro Alejandro , Martinez-Marti Alex , Marmolejo David , Rezqallah Alejandra , Carbonell Caterina , Frigola Joan , Amat Ramon , Pedrola Anna , Dienstmann Rodrigo , Felip Enriqueta
Published: November 2021

CheckMate 743 trial demonstrated survival benefit of immunotherapy in first line in MPM with some differences in the efficacy of chemotherapy according to histology. The objective of this study is to characterize the impact of chemotherapy according to histology in patients diagnosed with MPM at our institution. Clinical records of all MPM patients diagnosed at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital between November 2002 and April 2020 were reviewed. Associations between clinical variables and outcomes were assessed with Cox regression models. Survival data were calculated by the Kaplan–Meier method. 189 patients were included with 76% of tumors classified as epithelioid subtype. First line chemotherapy was offered to 85% of patients. Median survival in overall population was 21.3 months (95% CI 17.2–24.3). We found that patients with epithelioid tumors had better overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS). Median OS of epithelioid patients treated with first line chemotherapy was 26.7 months versus 15.0 months in non-epithelioid patients (HR 2.25 CI 95% 1.4–3.4; p < 0.001). Median PFS for patients with epithelioid tumors treated with chemotherapy was 4.8 months versus 3.6 months in non-epithelioid (HR 1.5 CI 95% 1.0–2.3; p = 0.03). The improvement of outcomes in patients with epithelioid histology was detected in patients treated with cisplatin or carboplatin. Histology was not a predictive factor for the platinum agent sensitivity (p of interaction PFS = 0.09, p of interaction OS = 0.65). In our series, patients with non-epithelioid tumors presented worse prognosis. Although epithelioid tumors exposed to cisplatin had higher PFS, histology was not a clear predictor of chemotherapy efficacy.
Impact of GAN-based lesion-focused medical image super-resolution on the robustness of radiomic features
Authors: de Farias Erick Costa , di Noia Christian , Han Changhee , Sala Evis , Castelli Mauro , Rundo Leonardo
Published: November 2021

Robust machine learning models based on radiomic features might allow for accurate diagnosis, prognosis, and medical decision-making. Unfortunately, the lack of standardized radiomic feature extraction has hampered their clinical use. Since the radiomic features tend to be affected by low voxel statistics in regions of interest, increasing the sample size would improve their robustness in clinical studies. Therefore, we propose a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN)-based lesion-focused framework for Computed Tomography (CT) image Super-Resolution (SR); for the lesion (i.e., cancer) patch-focused training, we incorporate Spatial Pyramid Pooling (SPP) into GAN-Constrained by the Identical, Residual, and Cycle Learning Ensemble (GAN-CIRCLE). At $$2\times $$

2
×

SR, the proposed model achieved better perceptual quality with less blurring than the other considered state-of-the-art SR methods, while producing comparable results at $$4\times $$

4
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SR. We also evaluated the robustness of our model’s radiomic feature in terms of quantization on a different lung cancer CT dataset using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Intriguingly, the most important radiomic features in our PCA-based analysis were the most robust features extracted on the GAN-super-resolved images. These achievements pave the way for the application of GAN-based image Super-Resolution techniques for studies of radiomics for robust biomarker discovery.
Temperature induced diameter variation of silicon nanowires via a liquid–solid phase transition in the Zn seed
Authors: Kilian Seamus , Adegoke Temilade Esther , Ahad Syed Abdul , Geaney Hugh , Kennedy Tadhg , Ryan Kevin M.
Published: November 2021

A Zn catalyst was used to grow Si nanowires via reaction temperature determined VLS or VSS modes, yielding different nanowire diameters. Switching between VLS and VSS modes resulted in diameter changes along the axial length of individual nanowires.
Photocatalytic, site-selective oxidations of carbohydrates
Authors: Gorelik Daniel J. , Dimakos Victoria , Adrianov Timur , Taylor Mark S.
Published: November 2021

Pyranosides undergo site-selective, aerobic oxidations using a photocatalyst, hydrogen atom transfer mediator and bond-weakening co-catalyst.
Complexes of In(iii) with 8-hydroxyquinoline-5-sulfonate in solution: structural studies and the effect of cationic surfactants on the photophysical behaviour
Authors: Ramos M. Luísa , Justino Licínia L. G. , Barata Rui , Costa Telma , Burrows Hugh D.
Published: November 2021

In3+ metal ion forms with 8-HQS, in aqueous solution, 1 : 1, 1 : 2 and 1 : 3 (metal : ligand) luminescent complexes, displaying a marked increase in fluorescence intensity in the presence of cationic surfactants.
Sample-to-analysis platform for rapid intracellular mass spectrometry from small numbers of cells
Authors: Culberson Austin L. , Chilmonczyk Mason A. , Kottke Peter A. , Bowles-Welch Annie C. , Ghoshal Delta , Fedorov Andrei G.
Published: November 2021

Rapid intracellular metabolomics from small numbers of cells.
Discovery of new indole-based 1,2,4-triazole derivatives as potent tubulin polymerization inhibitors with anticancer activity
Authors: Yang Fang , Jian Xie-Er , Chen Lin , Ma Yu-Feng , Liu Yu-Xia , You Wen-Wei , Zhao Pei-Liang
Published: November 2021

Thirty-six novel indole-based 1,2,4-triazole derivatives were designed and synthesized through the molecular hybrid strategy.
In situ nanoarchitectonics of magnesium hydroxide particles for property regulation of carboxymethyl cellulose/poly(vinyl alcohol) aerogels
Authors: Qiang Xiaohu , Guo Xin , Su Hongxi , Zhao Hong , Ouyang Chengwei , Huang Dajian
Published: November 2021

Flame retardant efficiency of magnesium hydroxide in cellulose aerogels improved by in situ formation.
Realization of multi-configurable logic gate behaviour on fluorescence switching signalling of naphthalene diimide congeners
Authors: Bora Hridoy Jyoti , Barman Pranjal , Bordoloi Sushanta , Gogoi Gautomi , Gogoi Bedanta , Sen Sarma Neelotpal , Kalita Anamika
Published: November 2021

The implementation of functional congeners of naphthalene diimide experiencing fluorescence ON/OFF switching signalling in response to external stimuli, is suitably realized to construct multi-configurable molecular logic gates.
Preparation of F-doped H2Ti3O7-{104} nanorods with oxygen vacancies using TiOF2 as precursor and its photocatalytic degradation activity
Authors: Jian Yue , Liu Huayang , Zhu Jiaming , Zeng Yaqiong , Liu Zuohua , Hou Chentao , Pu Shihua
Published: November 2021

Efficient photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride by F-doped H2Ti3O7-{104} nanorods.
Flatness and intrinsic curvature of linked-ring membranes
Authors: Polson James M. , Garcia Edgar J. , Klotz Alexander R.
Published: November 2021

Monte Carlo simulations reveal that two-dimensional networks of linked rings spontaneously form concave structures.
Binding of curvature-inducing proteins onto tethered vesicles
Authors: Noguchi Hiroshi
Published: November 2021

We studied how the binding of proteins with a laterally isotropic spontaneous curvature senses and generates the membrane curvatures of the tethered vesicle using mean-field theory and meshless membrane simulation.
Carbon nanobowl supported chemically functionalized PtRh nanocrystals: a highly active and methanol tolerant electrocatalyst towards the oxygen reduction reaction
Authors: Zhang Ze-Nong , Miao Bo-Qiang , Wu Zhu-Qing , Chen Pei , Xiao Xue , Li Shu-Ni , Chen Yu
Published: November 2021

Pt1Rh1@BmimBF4/CNBs reveal significantly enhanced ORR electroactivity and fascinating ORR selectivity in the presence of methanol compared to Pt1Rh1/CNBs nanohybrids without BmimBF4 due to particular metal–organic interface engineering.
H2 and CH4 production from bio-alcohols using condensed poly(heptazine imide) with visible light
Authors: Zheng Dandan , Zhou Jingmin , Fang Zhongpu , Heil Tobias , Savateev Aleksandr , Zhang Yongfan , Antonietti Markus , Zhang Guigang , Wang Xinchen
Published: November 2021

Fully condensed poly(heptazine imide) (PHI) supported with highly dispersed Pt nanoparticles (PtNPs) achieves efficient and persistent H2 and CH4 production by photocatalytic reforming of biomass derived alcohols under visible light irradiation.
A biodegradable and near-infrared light-activatable photothermal nanoconvertor for bacterial inactivation
Authors: Wang Luyao , Zhu Weisheng , Zhou Yuan , Li Qisi , Jiao Lizhi , Qiu Hao , Bing Wei , Zhang Zhijun
Published: November 2021

A new nano-antibacterial strategy based on a biodegradable charge-transfer nanocomplex (CTN) was developed, in which the CTN acted as a high-efficiency near-infrared light-activatable photothermal nanoconvertor.
Ultrafast photonics applications of zirconium carbide as a novel mode-locker for fiber lasers
Authors: Liu Sicong , Lv Ruidong , Wang Jiang , Wang Yishan , Wang Hushan , Zhang Han , Wang Yonggang
Published: November 2021

This work pioneers the application of a ZrC-based device as a mode-locker to achieve ultrashort pulses.
Exciton dissociation in quantum dots connected with photochromic molecule bridges
Authors: Yoon Lucy U. , Adhikari Surya B. , Sarabamoun Ephraiem S. , Bietsch Jonathan M. , Tsai Esther H. R. , Wang Guijun , Choi Joshua J.
Published: November 2021

Charge tunnelling and exciton dissociation across quantum dots can be modulated by switching the configuration of photochromic bridge molecules.