bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sandwiched‐fusion strategy facilitates recombinant production of small labile proteins
Authors: Huang Lin , Qu Xiaozhan , Chen Yao , Xu Weiya , Huang Chengdong
Published: January 2021

Efficient production of large quantities of soluble, properly folded proteins is of high demand in modern structural and functional genomics. Despite much advancement toward improving recombinant protein expression, many eukaryotic proteins especially small peptides often fail to be recovered due to rapid proteolytic degradation. Here we show that the sandwiched‐fusion strategy, which is based on two protein tags incorporated both at the amino‐ and carboxyl‐terminus of target protein, could be employed to overcome this obstacle. We have exploited this strategy on heterologous expression in Escherichia coli of eight small degradation‐prone eukaryotic proteins, whose successful recombinant productions have yet to be achieved. These include seven mitochondria‐derived peptides (MDPS), a class of unique metabolic regulators of human body, and a labile mosquito transcription factor, Guy1. We show here that the sandwiched‐fusion strategy, which provides robust protection against proteolysis, affords an economical method to obtain large quantities of pure five MDPs and the transcription factor Guy1, in sharp contrast to otherwise unsuccessful recovery using the traditional amino‐fusion method. Further biophysical characterization and interaction studies by NMR spectroscopy confirmed that the proteins produced by this novel approach are properly folded into their biologically active structures. We anticipate this strategy could be widely utilized in production of other labile protein systems.
Positional preferences in flavonoids for inhibition of ribonuclease A: Where “OH” where?
Authors: Tripathy Debi Ranjan , Panda Atashi , Dinda Amit Kumar , Dasgupta Swagata
Published: January 2021

Flavonoids are a class of polyphenols that possess diverse properties. The structure‐activity relationship of certain flavonoids and resveratrol with ribonuclease A (RNase A) has been investigated. The selected flavonoids have a similar skeleton and the positional preferences of the phenolic moieties toward inhibition of the catalytic activity of RNase A have been studied. The results obtained for RNase A inhibition by flavonoids suggest that the planarity of the molecules is necessary for effective inhibitory potency. Agarose gel electrophoresis and precipitation assay experiments along with kinetic studies reveal Ki values for the various flavonoids in the micromolar range. Minor secondary structural changes of RNase A were observed after interaction with the flavonoids. An insight into the specific amino acid involvement in the binding of the substrate using docking studies is also presented. The dipole moment of the flavonoids that depends on the orientation of the hydroxyl groups in the molecule bears direct correlation with the inhibitory potency against RNase A. The direct association of this molecular property with enzyme inhibition can be exploited for the design and development of inhibitors of proteins.
Quercetin promotes osteogenic differentiation and antioxidant responses of mouse bone mesenchymal stem cells through activation of the AMPK/SIRT1 signaling pathway
Authors: Wang Nan , Wang Luyao , Yang Jihao , Wang Zhihong , Cheng Liangxing
Published: January 2021

Decrepitude and apoptosis of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) lead to inhibited osteogenic differentiation, causing decreased bone density and osteoporosis. Quercetin, a bioactive component of Solanum muricatum extracts, promotes the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs and ameliorates the symptoms of osteoporosis in vivo. However, the detailed mechanism underlying this process remains unclear. The study aims to reveal the regulatory mechanism of quercetin in BMSCs. Mouse BMSCs (mBMSCs) were isolated from the bone marrow and characterized by flow cytometry. QRT‐PCR and western blot assays were performed to evaluate the expression levels of related genes and proteins. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining and Oil Red O staining of lipids were used to estimate the osteogenesis and adipogenesis levels of mBMSCs, respectively. Quercetin treatment (2 and 5 μM) induced significant upregulation of antioxidant enzymes, SOD1 and SOD2, in mBMSCs. Quercetin promoted osteogenic differentiation and inhibited adipogenic differentiation of mBMSCs. Quercetin treatment enhanced the phosphorylation of AMPK protein and upregulated the expression of SIRT1, thus activating the AMPK/SIRT1 signaling pathway in mBMSCs. Quercetin promoted osteogenic differentiation and antioxidant responses of mBMSCs by activating the AMPK/SIRT1 signaling pathway.
Monitoring count data with Shewhart control charts based on the Touchard model
Authors: Ho Linda L. , Andrade Bernardo , Bourguignon Marcelo , Fernandes Fidel H.
Published: January 2021

The most common control chart used to monitor count data is based on Poisson distribution, which presents a strong restriction: The mean is equal to the variance. To deal with under‐ or overdispersion, control charts considering other count distributions as Negative Binomial (NB) distribution, hyper‐Poisson, generalized Poisson distribution (GPD), Conway–Maxwell–Poisson (COM‐Poisson), Poisson–Lindley, new generalized Poisson–Lindley (NGPL) have been developed and can be found in the literature. In this paper we also present a Shewhart control chart to monitor count data developed on Touchard distribution, which is a three‐parameter extension of the Poisson distribution (Poisson distribution is a particular case) and in the family of weighted Poisson models. Its normalizing constant is related to the Touchard polynomials, hence the name of this model. It is a flexible distribution that can account for both under‐ or overdispersion and concentration of zeros that are frequently found in non‐Poisson count data. Consequences in terms of speed to signal departures of stability of the parameters are obtained when incorrect control limits based on non‐Touchard distribution (like Poisson, NB or COM‐Poisson) are used to monitor count data generated by a Touchard distribution. Numerical examples illustrate the current proposal.
Toward a two‐dimensional NbS2‐based electrode for lithium–ion batteries
Authors: de Rezende Neto Armando S. , Seixas Leandro
Published: January 2021

The discovery and design of materials for Li–ion batteries are essential for increasing battery energy storage capacity and lifetime, enhancing security, and shortening charging time. Recently, novel two‐dimensional materials have been investigated for application in battery components, including the anode. The limiting factors in the development of these materials are their low structural stability upon Li+ adsorption, propensity to form Li dendrites, and slow diffusion of Li+ ions. In this study, based on density functional theory calculations, we show that the two‐dimensional material 2H‐NbS2 has outstanding physical properties for application in Li–ion batteries, including high structural stability with Li+ adsorption and ultrafast Li diffusion at room temperature. These results highlight the promise of 2H‐NbS2 as an appealing material for Li–ion batteries.
Cotransplantation of mesenchymal stem cells and endothelial progenitor cells for treating steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head
Authors: Xu Haixia , Wang Chengqiang , Liu Chun , Peng Ziyue , Li Jianjun , Jin Yanglei , Wang Yihan , Guo Jiasong , Zhu Lixin
Published: January 2021

Steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is characterized by decreased osteogenesis, angiogenesis, and increased adipogenesis. While bone tissue engineering has been widely investigated to treat ONFH, its therapeutic effects remain unsatisfactory. Therefore, further studies are required to determine optimal osteogenesis, angiogenesis and adipogenesis in the necrotic area of the femoral head. In our study, we developed a carboxymethyl chitosan/alginate/bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell/endothelial progenitor cell (CMC/ALG/BMSC/EPC) composite implant, and evaluated its ability to repair steroid-induced ONFH. Our in vitro studies showed that BMSC and EPC coculture displayed enhanced osteogenic and angiogenic differentiation. When compared with single BMSC cultures, adipogenic differentiation in coculture systems was reduced. We also fabricated a three-dimensional (3D) CMC/ALG scaffold for loading cells, using a lyophilization approach, and confirmed its good cell compatibility characteristics, that is, high porosity, low cytotoxicity and favorable cell adhesion. 3D coculture of BMSCs and EPCs also promoted secretion of osteogenic and angiogenic factors. Then, we established an rabbit model of steroid-induced ONFH. The CMC/ALG/BMSC/EPC composite implant was transplanted into the bone tunnel of the rabbit femoral head after core decompression (CD) surgery. Twelve weeks later, radiographical and histological analyses revealed CMC/ALG/BMSC/EPC composite implants had facilitated the repair of steroid-induced ONFH, by promoting osteogenesis and angiogenesis, and reducing adipogenesis when compared with CD, CMC/ALG, CMC/ALG/BMSC and CMC/ALG/EPC groups. Thus, our data show that cotransplantation of BMSCs and EPCs in 3D scaffolds is beneficial in treating steroid-induced ONFH.
The optimal design of clinical trials with potential biomarker effects: A novel computational approach
Authors: Lu Yitao , Zhou Julie , Xing Li , Zhang Xuekui
Published: January 2021

As a future trend of healthcare, personalized medicine tailors medical treatments to individual patients. It requires to identify a subset of patients with the best response to treatment. The subset can be defined by a biomarker (eg, expression of a gene) and its cutoff value. Topics on subset identification have received massive attention. There are over two million hits by keyword searches on Google Scholar. However, designing clinical trials that utilize the discovered uncertain subsets/biomarkers is not trivial and rarely discussed in the literature. This leads to a gap between research results and real‐world drug development. To fill in this gap, we formulate the problem of clinical trial design into an optimization problem involving high‐dimensional integration, and propose a novel computational solution based on Monte Carlo and smoothing methods. Our method utilizes the modern techniques of general purpose computing on graphics processing units for large‐scale parallel computing. Compared to a published method in three‐dimensional problems, our approach is more accurate and 133 times faster. This advantage increases when dimensionality increases. Our method is scalable to higher dimensional problems since the precision bound of our estimated study power is a finite number not affected by dimensionality. To design clinical trials incorporating the potential biomarkers, users can use our software "DesignCTPB". This software can be found on Github and will be available as an R package on CRAN. Although our research is motivated by the design of clinical trials, the method can be used widely to solve other optimization problems involving high‐dimensional integration.
Effects of late‐night eating of easily—or slowly—digestible meals on sleep, hypothalamo‐pituitary‐adrenal axis, and autonomic nervous system in healthy young males
Authors: Uçar Cihat , Özgöçer Tuba , Yıldız Sedat
Published: January 2021

Aim of the current study was to assess the effects of the digestibility of late‐night high calorie meal on sleep and the activities of the hypothalamo‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) and autonomous nervous system (ANS) in healthy young males. For that purpose, effects of an easily digestible meal (starch + sugar‐rich meal, SSR, i.e., dessert) or a slowly digestible meal (protein + fat‐rich, PFR, i.e. kebab) were investigated in a crossover design in 16 participants (20–26 year old). They did not eat anything after 07:00 PM on Day 0; had an SSR meal on Day 1 and a PFR meal on Day 2 at 10:00 PM. HPA and ANS activities were measured by cortisol awakening response (CAR) and heart rate variability (HRV), respectively. The participants provided salivary samples for CAR; had a 5‐min continuous electrocardiogram recording for HRV; and filled in sleep questionnaires. Late‐night eating of SSR and PFR diets increased the area under the curve of CAR (p < 0.05) but did not affect HRV parameters (p > 0.05). PFR meal significantly disturbed sleep (p < 0.05). The data suggests that increased activity of HPA, but not ANS, might be involved in pathophysiology of late‐night eating and that this might be due to disturbed sleep if slowly—digestible meal is consumed.
Recent Progress of Ultrathin 2D Pd‐Based Nanomaterials for Fuel Cell Electrocatalysis
Authors: Xu Hui , Shang Hongyuan , Wang Cheng , Du Yukou
Published: January 2021

Pd‐ and Pd‐based catalysts have emerged as potential alternatives to Pt‐ and Pt‐based catalysts for numerous electrocatalytic reactions, particularly fuel cell‐related reactions, including the anodic fuel oxidation reaction (FOR) and cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The creation of Pd‐ and Pd‐based architectures with large surface areas, numerous low‐coordinated atoms, and high density of defects and edges is the most promising strategy for improving the electrocatalytic performance of fuel cells. Recently, 2D Pd‐based nanomaterials with single or few atom thickness have attracted increasing interest as potential candidates for both the ORR and FOR, owing to their remarkable advantages, including high intrinsic activity, high electron mobility, and straightforward surface functionalization. In this review, the recent advances in 2D Pd‐based nanomaterials for the FOR and ORR are summarized. A fundamental understanding of the FOR and ORR is elaborated. Subsequently, the advantages and latest advances in 2D Pd‐based nanomaterials for the FOR and ORR are scientifically and systematically summarized. A systematic discussion of the synthesis methods is also included which should guide researchers toward more efficient 2D Pd‐based electrocatalysts. Lastly, the future outlook and trends in the development of 2D Pd‐based nanomaterials toward fuel cell development are also presented.
Ultra‐Small 2D PbS Nanoplatelets: Liquid‐Phase Exfoliation and Emerging Applications for Photo‐Electrochemical Photodetectors
Authors: Gao Lingfeng , Chen Hualong , Wang Rui , Wei Songrui , Kuklin Artem V. , Mei Shan , Zhang Feng , Zhang Ye , Jiang Xiantao , Luo Zhengqian , Xu Shixiang , Zhang Han , Ågren Hans
Published: January 2021

2D PbS nanoplatelets (NPLs) form an emerging class of photoactive materials and have been proposed as robust materials for high‐performance optoelectronic devices. However, the main drawback of PbS NPLs is the large lateral size, which inhibits their further investigations and practical applications. In this work, ultra‐small 2D PbS NPLs with uniform lateral size (11.2 ± 1.7 nm) and thickness (3.7 ± 0.9 nm, ≈6 layers) have been successfully fabricated by a facile liquid‐phase exfoliation approach. Their transient optical response and photo‐response behavior are evaluated by femtosecond‐resolved transient absorption and photo‐electrochemical (PEC) measurements. It is shown that the NPLs‐based photodetectors (PDs) exhibit excellent photo‐response performance from UV to the visible range, showing extremely high photo‐responsivity (27.81 mA W−1) and remarkable detectivity (3.96 × 1010 Jones), which are figures of merit outperforming currently reported PEC‐type PDs. The outstanding properties are further analyzed based on the results of first‐principle calculations, including electronic band structure and free energies for the oxygen evolution reaction process. This work highlights promising applications of ultra‐small 2D PbS NPLs with the potential for breakthrough developments also in other fields of optoelectronic devices.
Impact of the Transition Metal Dopant in Zinc Oxide Lithium‐Ion Anodes on the Solid Electrolyte Interphase Formation
Authors: Eisenmann Tobias , Asenbauer Jakob , Rezvani Seyed Javad , Diemant Thomas , Behm Rolf Jürgen , Geiger Dorin , Kaiser Ute , Passerini Stefano , Bresser Dominic
Published: January 2021

Conversion/alloying materials (CAMs) provide substantially higher specific capacities than graphite, the state‐of‐the‐art lithium‐ion battery anode material. The ability to host much more lithium per unit weight and volume is, however, accompanied by significant volume changes, which challenges the realization of a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). Herein, the comprehensive characterization of the composition and evolution of the SEI on transition metal (TM) doped zinc oxide as CAM model compound, is reported, with a particular focus on the impact of the TM dopant (Fe or Co). The results unveil that the presence of iron specifically triggers the electrolyte decomposition. However, this detrimental effect can be avoided by stabilizing the interface with the electrolyte by a carbonaceous coating. These findings provide a great leap forward toward the enhanced understanding of such doped materials and (transition) metal oxide active materials in general.
Understanding and avoiding negative consequences of value‐based laws, policies and programmes
Authors: Fink Gerhard , Wallis Steven
Published: January 2021

Decisions to implement laws, policies and programmes justified or legitimized by ‘humane values’ seem good or desirable. However, when implemented, they may have disastrous consequences causing harm even for those who were supposed to have been helped. We present and reflect on several examples of the legitimization of decisions through narrow values. We find that the dominance of single narrow values, even for the purest of motives, is likely to lead to disaster. Social and political implications are manifold. For well‐functioning (sustainable) social systems, it is of importance that one‐sided legitimization of action according to ‘good values’ should be avoided so that it does not lead to a sort of ‘hierarchical suppression’ of discussion or reflection about the potential benefits and consequences. Instead, many different concepts/perspectives/views should be considered and integrated into the decision‐making process for a more systemic understanding before the implementation of laws, policies and programmes.
Differences in Retrogradation Characteristics of Pregelatinized Rice Starch Prepared Using Different Water Content
Authors: Zhao Xueying , Xu Xueming , Jin Yamei , Xu Dan , Zhang Wenya , Wu Fengfeng
Published: January 2021

Pregelatinized starch improves the properties of natural starch. In this study, differences in retrogradation characteristics of pregelatinized rice starch prepared using different water content are investigated based on their thermal properties, recrystallization, and short‐range ordered structure. The results show that the difference in water content during gelatinization is one of the factors that affects the retrogradation rate of pregelatinized starch. With a decrease in water content during the preparation of pregelatinized starch, the enthalpy, relative crystallinity, and the 1047 cm−1/1022 cm−1 ratio of retrogradation starch shows an upward trend. This is mainly because the different water content affects the amylose content of insoluble starch in pregelatinized starch. For pregelatinized starch, the higher amylose content in precipitate (insoluble pregelatinized starch) is more likely to cause intermolecular aggregation to promote recrystallization and the formation of an ordered structure. The findings also indicate that soluble starch and leached amylose could participate in starch retrogradation with the migration of water. Therefore, the high amylose content of the insoluble component and the existence of leached amylose in pregelatinized rice starch are found to have positive effects on starch retrogradation.
Experimental studies on rheological, mechanical, and microstructure properties of self‐compacting concrete containing perovskite nanomaterial
Authors: Bahari Ali , Sadeghi‐Nik Aref , Shaikh Faiz Uddin Ahmed , Sadeghi‐Nik Adel , Cerro‐Prada Elena , Mirshafiei Ebrahim , Roodbari Mandana
Published: January 2021

This article presents the effect of LaSrCoO3, oxides commonly known as LSCO nanomaterials, on rheological, mechanical and microstructural properties of self‐compacting concrete (SCC). LSCO nanomaterials contents of 1–4 wt% are considered in this study. Compressive, flexural and split tensile strengths of SCC mixes are evaluated at curing ages of 7, 28, and 90 days. The effect of LSCO nanomaterials on the microstructures of above concretes is also evaluated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis techniques, Williamson–Hall equation, and X‐Powder software. Results show that workability of SCC mixes decrease with increase in LSCO nanomaterials. Increases are observed in compressive, flexural and split tensile strengths in SCC mixes when LSCO nanomaterials contents increase up to 2 wt%, followed by a decreasing trend which indicate 2 wt% as being the optimum amount. The microstructural analysis by means of various techniques also revels compact microstructure of cement matrix in SCC mixes containing 2 wt% LSCO nanomaterials, confirming the results of mechanical properties.
Designing gusset plates of chevron‐SCBFs through a new method
Authors: Ebrahimi Samira , Mirghaderi Seyed Rasoul
Published: January 2021

A corner gusset plate possesses interfaces to both beam and column. To calculate the force demands of corner gusset plate interfaces, several methods have been proposed by researchers. No method has been proposed to determine dimensions and force demands for the gusset plates of chevron‐Special Concentrically Braced Frames (chevron‐SCBFs), so far. Generally, researchers utilize Uniform Force Method (UFM) to estimate the dimensions and force demands of chevron gusset plates. Note that the UFM was proposed for the corner gusset plates which have interfaces to both beam and column; nevertheless, there is only a gusset plate interface to beam in the gusset plates of chevron‐SCBFs. This study aims to calculate the force demands of chevron gusset plates through proposing a new method and also determine the chevron gusset plate dimensions via presenting a new procedure. Five one‐span, one‐story chevron‐SCBFs with selecting the bracing angles of 31°, 37°, 45°, 59°, and 72°for them were designed in accordance with the proposed procedure and method and thereafter developed in ABAQUS. These frames were subjected to a monotonic loading. Comparison between the results obtained from ABAQUS and those calculated using the proposed method demonstrated the accuracy of the proposed method and procedure.
Cardioprotective potential of amygdalin against angiotensin II induced cardiac hypertrophy, oxidative stress and inflammatory responses through modulation of Nrf2 and NF‐κB activation
Authors: Kung Yen‐Lun , Lu Cheng‐You , Badrealam Khan Fareen , Kuo Wei‐Wen , Shibu Marthandam Asokan , Day Cecilia Hsuan , Chen Ray‐Jade , Lu Shang‐Yeh , Padma Viswanadha Vijaya , Huang Chih‐Yang
Published: January 2021

Heart failure (HF) and cardiac hypertrophy is an unfavorable outcome of pathological cardiac remodeling and represents the most important contributing factor for HF and cardiac hypertrophy. Amygdalin (AMG) is a cyanogenic glycoside derived from bitter almonds. Accumulating evidences have highlighted their pharmacological potentials against various diseases. However, there is no report delineating the potential of AMG against angiotensin (Ang II) induced cardiac injuries. Thus, the present study was performed to explore whether AMG could ameliorate Ang II induced cardiomyopathies and thereby ascertain the underlying mechanisms thereof. To this end, H9c2 cells were treated with Ang II and thereafter treated with various concentration of AMG and finally the cardio‐protective effects of AMG were analyzed through Western blotting, immunofluorescence, and insilico analysis. Our results showed that the cardiomyocyte cell size, inflammatory markers and cytokines(pNF‐κB, TNF‐α, iNOS and COX‐2) were markedly increased following Ang II treatment; nevertheless, treatment with AMG led to considerable decrement in the Ang II induced enlargement of the cardiomyocytes, and attenuate the expression of hypertrophic markers(ANP, BNP and MHC‐7), inflammatory markers and cytokines. Additionally, oxidative stress related proteins (Nrf2, catalase, SOD‐2, and GPX‐4) were markedly increased following AMG treatment. Molecular docking reveals the interaction of AMG with Nrf2 possessing good binding affinity. Cumulatively, our study highlights the cardio‐protective role of AMG against Ang II induced cardiomyopathies, including oxidative stress and inflammation effects. The intriguing in vitro results warrants the need of further animal studies to truly ascertain their potentialities.
Maternal cardiac function at 19–23 weeks' gestation in prediction of gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: Gibbone E. , Wright A. , Campos R. Vallenas , Anzoategui S. , Nicolaides K. H. , Charakida M.
Published: January 2021

Objectives

To examine differences in maternal cardiovascular indices at 19–23 weeks' gestation between pregnancies that develop gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and those without GDM, and to determine whether such cardiovascular changes are the consequence of maternal demographic characteristics and medical history or GDM per se.

Methods

This was a prospective observational study in women attending for a routine hospital visit at 19 + 1 to 23 + 3 weeks' gestation. This visit included recording of maternal demographic characteristics and medical history, and maternal echocardiography for assessment of E/A ratio, E/e′ ratio, myocardial performance index, global longitudinal systolic strain, left ventricular ejection fraction, peripheral vascular resistance, left ventricular cardiac output and left ventricular mass indexed for body surface area. The measurements of the maternal cardiac indices were standardized to remove the effects of maternal characteristics and elements from the medical history, and the adjusted values in the GDM group were compared to those in the non‐GDM group. Likelihood ratios were derived for those indices that were altered significantly in GDM, and these were used to modify the prior risk derived from maternal demographic characteristics and medical history. The area under the receiver‐operating‐characteristics curve and the detection rate of GDM, at 10%, 20% and 40% false‐positive rates, in screening by a combination of maternal factors with cardiovascular indices were determined.

Results

The study population of 2853 pregnancies contained 199 (7.0%) that developed GDM. In pregnancies that developed GDM, there were significant differences from the non‐GDM group in E/A ratio, E/e′ ratio, myocardial performance index and global longitudinal systolic strain. After adjustment for maternal demographic characteristics and factors from the medical history known to affect cardiac indices, the only cardiovascular indices that were significantly different between the GDM and non‐GDM groups were peripheral vascular resistance and myocardial performance index, both of which were marginally increased in the GDM group. The performance of screening for GDM by maternal demographic characteristics and medical history was not improved by the addition of cardiovascular indices.

Conclusions

Women with GDM have subtle functional and hemodynamic cardiac changes prior to the development of GDM. These cardiac changes are mostly related to the adverse risk‐factor profile of these women. Maternal cardiac assessment at 20 weeks does not offer additional predictive information for GDM development in pregnancy to that calculated based on demographic characteristics and medical history. © 2021 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Cognitive Dysfunction in Cats: Update on Neuropathological and Behavioural Changes Plus Clinical Management
Authors: Sordo Lorena , Gunn‐Moore Danièlle A.
Published: January 2021

Cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) is an established condition in cats that shares many similarities with human Alzheimer's disease (AD), where cognitive decline ultimately results in dementia. Cats with CDS display behavioural abnormalities, including excessive Vocalisation, altered Interaction with owners (increased affection/attention), altered Sleep‐wake cycles, House‐soiling, Disorientation (spatial and/or temporal), alterations in Activity, Anxiety, and/or Learning/memory deficits (i.e., VISHDAAL). These cats develop neuropathologies, such as accumulation ofβ‐amyloid and hyperphosphorylated tau deposits. Because of its similarities to those in the brains of people with cognitive impairment and AD, the domestic cat could be a natural model for human dementia studies. It is important to diagnose CDS promptly in cats, ruling out other causes for these behavioural changes, to provide effective management. Interventions include environmental enrichment (e.g., easy access to key resources, calming pheromones), dietary supplementations (e.g., Senilife, Aktivait for cats, SAMe), specific diets (e.g., containing antioxidants, medium‐chain triglycerides) and, potentially, medication (e.g., selegiline or propentofylline). This article reviews the literature about CDS in cats, its causes, neuropathology, clinical signs, diagnosis and potential management options. By doing so, it furthers our understanding of this condition and allows improved health, welfare and quality of life of affected cats.
Mechanobiology in cardiology: Micro‐ and nanotechnologies to probe mechanosignaling
Authors: Yadav Sharda , Ta Hang T. , Nguyen Nam‐Trung
Published: January 2021

The past few decades have shown significant growth in the study of mechanical effects on cellular properties. Novel methods and techniques had been developed to analyze the changes in the biophysical and biomechanical properties of cells. Recently, it has been reported that interaction between the external environment and cardiomyocytes would be essential for the function of the heart due to the importance of mechanical signaling. Physical forces play a major role in the development of cardiovascular disease. In this mini review, we discuss recent advances in technology for probing mechanobiology signals from the cardiac tissue and focus on the unmet needs and challenges to completely understand the mechanobiology of cardiac tissues.
Hypoxaemia following suspected intubation of the tracheal bronchus of a pig
Authors: Tonge Mary , Robson Katherine
Published: January 2021

A male, estimated body mass 60 kg, six‐month‐old Gloucester Old Spot pig was anaesthetised, and the trachea intubated for repair of a large umbilical hernia. Following endotracheal intubation and connection to the anaesthetic breathing circuit and machine, cyanosis was noted, and hypoxaemia, with hypercapnia, was later confirmed by arterial blood gas analysis. Differentials for hypoxaemia under general anaesthesia include inadequate delivery of oxygen, hypoventilation, ventilation: perfusion (V:Q) mismatching, diffusion disorders and intrapulmonary shunting. Hypoxaemia was eventually resolved by repositioning of the endotracheal tube, and the remainder of the anaesthesia, surgery and recovery were uneventful. Swine possess a tracheal bronchus which supplies, most usually, the right cranial lung lobe, and the practitioner should be aware of its presence and of the consequences of inadvertent intubation, bypass or blockage of the bronchus of this cranial lung lobe, as well as methods to avoid this complication.
Validation of the new DSM‐5‐TR criteria for prolonged grief disorder and the PG‐13‐Revised (PG‐13‐R) scale
Authors: Prigerson Holly G. , Boelen Paul A. , Xu Jiehui , Smith Kirsten V. , Maciejewski Paul K.
Published: January 2021

Although the concept of pathological grief dates back at least as far as Freud’s “Mourning and Melancholia”, there has been opposition to its recognition as a distinct mental disorder. Resistance has been overcome by evidence demonstrating that distinctive symptoms of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) – an attachment disturbance featuring yearning for the deceased, loss of meaning and identity disruption – can endure, prove distressing and disabling, and require targeted treatment. In acknowledgement of this evidence, the American Psychiatric Association Assembly has recently voted to include PGD as a new mental disorder in the DSM‐5‐TR. We tested the validity of the new DSM criteria for PGD and of an adapted version of our PG‐13 scale, the PG‐13‐Revised (PG‐13‐R), designed to map onto these criteria, using data from investigations conducted at Yale University (N=270), Utrecht University (N=163) and Oxford University (N=239). Baseline assessments were performed at 12‐24 months post‐loss; follow‐up assessments took place 5.3‐12.0 months later. Results indicated that the PG‐13‐R grief symptoms represent a unidimensional construct, with high degrees of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.83, 0.90 and 0.93, for Yale, Utrecht and Oxford, respectively). The DSM PGD diagnosis was distinct from post‐traumatic stress disorder (phi=0.12), major depressive disorder (phi=0.25) and generalized anxiety disorder (phi=0.26) at baseline. Temporal stability was remarkable for this diagnosis (r=0.86, p<0.001). Kappa agreement between a PG‐13‐R threshold symptom summary score of 30 and the DSM symptom criterion for PGD was 0.70‐0.89 across the datasets. Both the DSM PGD diagnosis and the PG‐13‐R symptom summary score at baseline were significantly associated (p<0.05) with symptoms and diagnoses of major depressive disorder, post‐traumatic stress disorder and/or generalized anxiety disorder, suicidal ideation, worse quality of life and functional impairments at baseline and at follow‐up, in the Yale, Utrecht and Oxford datasets. Overall, the DSM‐5‐TR criteria for PGD and the PG‐13‐R both proved reliable and valid measures for the classification of bereaved individuals with maladaptive grief responses.
IoT Forensics
Authors: Mrdovic Sasa
Published: January 2021

This chapter provides an overview of research opportunities and issues in IoT forensics. It gives a quick introduction to forensics and digital forensics. Key specifics of IoT forensics are explained. Issues that arise from IoT related challenges in all phases of a forensic investigation are presented. Some opportunities that IoT brings to forensics are pointed out. An example of an IoT forensics case is provided. A detailed research overview is given, providing information on the main research directions with a brief overview of relevant papers. The chapter concludes with some ideas for future research.
The Fight Against Corruption in Brazil: A Case of Good Governance?
Authors: Pohlmann Markus , Valarini Elizangela
Published: January 2021

The “Operation Carwash” is so far the biggest corruption scandal in Brazilian history. It did spoil a major part of the political system, and some of the established governance practices in Brazil. In this article, we are taking a closer look into the big corruption case, analyzing the unlawful practices of the Brazilian construction companies, and their relationship with the public sector more thoroughly. By carrying out content analyses of court files, we reveal the systemic corrupt pattern behind by connecting the level of regulations with the level of organizational crime. Furthermore, we ask, if the recent changes in law enforcement are accompanied by a changing environment of good governance? Our answer presented in the second part of the article is no. The political reactions to the “operation carwash” revealed in fact, how many of the “old-school” governance practices survived in Brazil.
Risk Governance: From Knowledge to Regulatory Action
Authors: Renn Ortwin
Published: January 2021

Risk governance is used to refer to a body of scholarly ideas and concepts for collective decision making involving uncertain consequences of events or actions. The risk governance concept developed by the International Risk Governance Council in Geneva provides guidance for constructing comprehensive assessment and management strategies to cope with risk. Its crafters integrate three types of scientific input: classic, curiosity-driven research; strategic, goal-oriented research: and catalytic, process-related investigations. In this paper, I demonstrate how these three knowledge pools can assist risk assessors and managers to improve their understanding of complex risk situations.
Explaining Subnational Governance: The Role of Governors’ Codified and Uncodified Knowledge
Authors: Avellaneda Claudia N. , Bello-Gómez Ricardo Andrés , Olvera Johabed G.
Published: January 2021

The decentralization of responsibilities has led to considerable variation in subnational performance. In this chapter, we explore the determinants of subnational government performance by suggesting that governors’ education (codified knowledge) and experience (uncodified knowledge) explain education outputs and health outcomes. We test our propositions in two data sets derived from 32 Mexican states and 32 Colombian departments during 1995–2010 and 2004–2013, respectively. Based on their findings, we caution against generalizing results, because factors driving performance in Mexican states differ from those boosting performance in Colombian departments. Neither governors’ codified nor uncodified knowledge drives subnational performance in Colombia. However, governors’ uncodified knowledge (experience) does explain health outcomes in Mexican states. Moreover, although political factors (e.g., partisanship and party ideology) explain health performance in Mexican states, no political factor does so in the Colombian departments. In sum, what drives performance in one country may not have the same explanatory power in another country.
Putting Gradual Types to Work
Authors: Shivkumar Bhargav , Naudon Enrique , Ziarek Lukasz
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we describe our experience incorporating gradual types in a statically typed functional language with Hindley-Milner style type inference. Where most gradually typed systems aim to improve static checking in a dynamically typed language, we approach it from the opposite perspective and promote dynamic checking in a statically typed language. Our approach provides a glimpse into how languages like SML and OCaml might handle gradual typing. We discuss our implementation and challenges faced—specifically how gradual typing rules apply to our representation of composite and recursive types. We review the various implementations that add dynamic typing to a statically typed language in order to highlight the different ways of mixing static and dynamic typing and examine possible inspirations while maintaining the gradual nature of our type system. This paper also discusses our motivation for adding gradual types to our language, and the practical benefits of doing so in our industrial setting.
Dimers, orientifolds and stability of supersymmetry breaking vacua
Authors: Argurio Riccardo , Bertolini Matteo , Franco Sebastián , García-Valdecasas Eduardo , Meynet Shani , Pasternak Antoine , Tatitscheff Valdo
Published: January 2021

Abstract

We study (orientifolded) toric Calabi-Yau singularities in search for D-brane configurations which lead to dynamical supersymmetry breaking at low energy. By exploiting dimer techniques we are able to determine that while most realizations lead to a Coulomb branch instability, a rather specific construction admits a fully stable supersymmetry breaking vacuum. We describe the geometric structure that a singularity should have in order to host such a construction, and present its simplest example, the Octagon.
Open giant magnons on LLM geometries
Authors: Berenstein David , Holguin Adolfo
Published: January 2021

Abstract

We compute sigma model solutions for rigidly rotating open strings suspended between giant gravitons in general LLM geometries. These solutions are confined to the LLM plane. These all have a dispersion relation for ∆ − J that is consistent with saturation of a BPS bound of the centrally extended spin chain. For the special case of circularly symmetric LLM geometries, we can further evaluate the amount of angular momentum J carried by these strings. This quantity diverges for string configurations that try to move between different “coloring regions” in the LLM plane. All of these quantities have a perturbative expansion in the t’Hooft coupling. For the strings suspended between AdS giants, we can compute in field theory the leading result of J carried by the string via an analytic continuation of the SU(2) result, with the help of the Bethe Ansatz for the SL(2) sector. We thus provide additional information on how the radial direction of AdS arises from (open) spin chain calculations.
Global symmetries of Quaternion-Kähler $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 supersymmetric mechanics
Authors: Ivanov Evgeny , Mezincescu Luca
Published: January 2021

Abstract

We analyze the global symmetries of $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 4 supersymmetric mechanics in- volving 4n-dimensional Quaternion-Kähler (QK) 1D sigma models on projective spaces ℍHn and ℍPn as the bosonic core. All Noether charges associated with global worldline symmetries are shown to vanish as a result of equations of motion, which implies that we deal with a severely constrained hamiltonian system. The complete hamiltonian analysis of the bosonic sector is performed.
TMD factorization for dijet and heavy-meson pair in DIS
Authors: del Castillo Rafael F. , Echevarria Miguel G. , Makris Yiannis , Scimemi Ignazio
Published: January 2021

Abstract

We study a transverse momentum dependent (TMD) factorization framework for the processes of dijet and heavy-meson pair production in deep-inelastic-scattering in an electron-proton collider, considering the measurement of the transverse momentum imbalance of the two hard probes in the Breit frame. For the factorization theorem we employ soft-collinear and boosted-heavy-quark effective field theories. The factorized cross-section for both processes is sensitive to gluon unpolarized and linearly polarized TMD distributions and requires the introduction of a new soft function. We calculate the new soft function here at one-loop, regulating rapidity divergences with the δ-regulator. In addition, using a factorization consistency relation and a universality argument regarding the heavy-quark jet function, we obtain the anomalous dimension of the new soft function at two and three loops.
Solving a fixed number of equations over finite groups
Authors: Nuspl Philipp
Published: January 2021

We investigate the complexity of solving systems of polynomial equations over finite groups. In 1999 Goldmann and Russell showed $$\mathrm {NP}$$
NP
-completeness of this problem for non-Abelian groups. We show that the problem can become tractable for some non-Abelian groups if we fix the number of equations. Recently, Földvári and Horváth showed that a single equation over groups which are semidirect products of a p-group with an Abelian group can be solved in polynomial time. We generalize this result and show that the same is true for systems with a fixed number of equations. This shows that for all groups for which the complexity of solving one equation has been proved to be in $$\mathrm {P}$$
P
so far, solving a fixed number of equations is also in $$\mathrm {P}$$
P
. Using the collecting procedure presented by Horváth and Szabó in 2006, we furthermore present a faster algorithm to solve systems of equations over groups of order pq.
Translating a Global Emission-Reduction Framework for Subnational Climate Action: A Case Study from the State of Georgia
Authors: Brown Marilyn A. , Beasley Blair , Atalay Fikret , Cobb Kim M. , Dwiveldi Puneet , Hubbs Jeffrey , Iwaniek David M. , Mani Sudhagar , Matisoff Daniel , Mohan Jaqueline E. , Mullen Jeffrey , Oxman Michael , Rochberg Daniel , Rodgers Michael , Shepherd Marshall , Simmons Richard , Taylor Laura , Toktay L. Beril
Published: January 2021

Subnational entities are recognizing the need to systematically examine options for reducing their carbon footprints. However, few robust and comprehensive analyses are available that lay out how US states and regions can most effectively contribute. This paper describes an approach developed for Georgia—a state in the southeastern United States called “Drawdown Georgia”, our research involves (1) understanding Georgia’s baseline carbon footprint and trends, (2) identifying the universe of Georgia-specific carbon-reduction solutions that could be impactful by 2030, (3) estimating the greenhouse gas reduction potential of these high-impact 2030 solutions for Georgia, and (4) estimating associated costs and benefits while also considering how the solutions might impact societal priorities, such as economic development opportunities, public health, environmental benefits, and equity. We began by examining the global solutions identified by Project Drawdown. The resulting 20 high-impact 2030 solutions provide a strategy for reducing Georgia’s carbon footprint in the next decade using market-ready technologies and practices and including negative emission solutions. This paper describes our systematic and replicable process and ends with a discussion of its strengths, weaknesses, and planned future research.
Transfer of working memory training to the inhibitory control of auditory distraction
Authors: Kattner Florian
Published: January 2021

Extended working memory training with the dual n-back task has been shown to improve performance on various untrained cognitive tasks, but previous findings were inconsistent with regard to the extent of such transfer. The dual n-back training task addresses multiple components of working memory as sequential information from two different stimulus modalities needs to be simultaneously encoded, maintained, continuously monitored and updated in working memory while irrelevant information needs to be inhibited. However, it is unclear which executive functions account for the observed transfer effects. In this study, the degree of inhibitory control required during training was manipulated by comparing two versions of the dual n-back task in which participants are asked to either respond or withhold a response on the less frequent trials when an item was identical to an item n trials back. Eight 80-min sessions of training with adaptive versions of both n-back tasks were shown to improve working memory updating. Moreover, in contrast to the standard n-back task, training on the inhibitory n-back task was found to reduce the interference in working memory produced by task-irrelevant speech. This result suggests that enhanced demand for inhibitory control during training enables transfer to the inhibition of distractor interference, whereas the standard n-back task primarily affects working memory updating. The training effects did not transfer to the inhibition of spatially incompatible responses in a Simon task, and it yielded no far transfer effects to untrained executive functions or measures of fluid intelligence.