bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metabolomics as a tool for the early diagnosis and prognosis of diabetic kidney disease
Authors: Pereira Pedro R. , Carrageta David F. , Oliveira Pedro F. , Rodrigues Anabela , Alves Marco G. , Monteiro Mariana P.
Published: March 2022

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the most prevalent comorbidities of diabetes mellitus and the leading cause of the end‐stage renal disease (ESRD). DKD results from chronic exposure to hyperglycemia, leading to progressive alterations in kidney structure and function. The early development of DKD is clinically silent and when albuminuria is detected the lesions are often at advanced stages, leading to rapid kidney function decline towards ESRD. DKD progression can be arrested or substantially delayed if detected and addressed at early stages. A major limitation of current methods is the absence of albuminuria in non‐albuminuric phenotypes of diabetic nephropathy, which becomes increasingly prevalent and lacks focused therapy. Metabolomics is an ever‐evolving omics technology that enables the study of metabolites, downstream products of every biochemical event that occurs in an organism. Metabolomics disclosures complex metabolic networks and provide knowledge of the very foundation of several physiological or pathophysiological processes, ultimately leading to the identification of diseases' unique metabolic signatures. In this sense, metabolomics is a promising tool not only for the diagnosis but also for the identification of pre‐disease states which would confer a rapid and personalized clinical practice. Herein, the use of metabolomics as a tool to identify the DKD metabolic signature of tubule interstitial lesions to diagnose or predict the time‐course of DKD will be discussed. In addition, the proficiency and limitations of the currently available high‐throughput metabolomic techniques will be discussed.
Development and validation of the Distracting Ingenuity Promotion Scale for paediatric nurses to support the psychological outcomes of paediatric patients and their families: A survey‐based cross‐sectional cohort study
Authors: Ogihara Hiroyuki
Published: March 2022

Aim

To develop and validate the Distracting Ingenuity Promotion Scale (DIPS) for paediatric nurses.

Design

Cross‐sectional study using anonymized self‐administered questionnaires.

Methods

From July–November 2013, paediatric nurses working in the wards or outpatient departments in 39 medical institutions in Japan were enrolled in the survey. Data were analysed using the Student's t‐test, Mann–Whitney U test and analysis of variance test. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to validate the factors in the DIPS. Cronbach's α was used to calculate the reliability of the DIPS.

Results

The DIPS included five subscales comprising 21 items. The goodness‐of‐fit indices for confirmatory factor analysis had a Comparative Fit Index of 0.923 and a Root Mean Square Error of Approximation of 0.059 and fulfilled the standard external validity criteria. Cronbach's α was 0.707–0.826 for each subscale and 0.895 for the overall scale.
Tunable Gold‐catalyzed Reactions of Propargyl Alcohols and Aryl Nucleophiles
Authors: Jónsson Helgi Freyr , Solvi Thomas Nordbø , Lomeland Sondre , Reiersølmoen Ann Christin , Fiksdahl Anne
Published: March 2022

Gold‐catalyzed transformations of 1,3‐diarylpropargyl alcohols and various aryl nucleophiles were studied. Selective tunable synthetic methods were developed for 1,1,3‐triarylallenes, diaryl‐indenes and tetraaryl‐allyl target products by C3 nucleophilic substitution and subsequent intra‐ or intermolecular hydroarylation, respectively. The reactions were scoped with regards to gold(I)/(III) catalysts, solvent, temperature, and electronic and steric effects of both the diarylpropargyl alcohol and the aryl nucleophiles. High yields of triaryl‐allenes and diaryl‐indenes by gold(III) catalysis were observed. Depending on the choice of aryl nucleophile and control of reaction temperature, different product ratios have been obtained. Alternatively, tetraaryl‐allyl target products were formed by a sequential one‐pot tandem process from appropriate propargyl substrates and two different aryl nucleophiles. Corresponding halo‐arylation products (I and Br; up to 95 % 2‐halo‐diaryl‐indenes) were obtained in a one‐pot manner in the presence of the respective N‐halosuccinimides (NIS, NBS).
A Pitfall in Heavy Metal Separation with Amino‐modified Silica Adsorbents from Aqueous Solution: The Occurring pH Shift
Authors: Kriese Friederike , Lassen Stephan , Horn Helena
Published: March 2022

Selective separation of heavy metal ions from acidic aqueous solutions is of strong interest for certain industrial processes, such as electroplating, as well as environmental protection, for example battery recycling. Amino‐functionalized adsorbents are often discussed as suitable material for this purpose. Herein, two silica‐based adsorbents functionalized with 3‐aminopropyl‐ and 3‐[2‐[2‐aminoethylamino]‐ethylamino]‐propyl‐ligands resulting in adsorbents MonoA and TriA, respectively, were investigated regarding their separation behavior with focus on nickel(II) and cobalt(II) in batch as well as continuous flow experiments in acidic aqueous solutions. For both adsorbents, pH shifts into the alkaline range were observed in the process solutions, causing precipitation of metal hydroxides mainly in the particle pores in case of adsorbent MonoA and a combination of precipitation and adsorption regarding adsorbent TriA.

Contrary to prior studies, our findings evidence that amino‐functionalized adsorbents are not applicable for nickel(II) and cobalt(II) in selective adsorption processes and additionally demonstrate that, besides batch investigations, continuous flow experiments are essential for well‐founded adsorbent selections in process development.
Effect of main chain modification during reversion on strain‐induced crystallization of polyisoprene rubbers
Authors: Lin Feifei , Jia Weijie , Zhong Liang , Liu Feng , Zhang Hao , Wang Bin , Song Yudian
Published: March 2022

The effect of main chain modification during reversion on strain‐induced crystallization (SIC) of unfilled natural rubber (NR) and synthetic polyisoprene rubber (IR) cured with a conventional vulcanization system has been investigated. To eliminate the interference of crosslink density, vulcanizates were prepared using different amounts of curatives, chosen to give mainly monosulfidic or carbon–carbon crosslinks, having similar crosslink densities to the conventional compound at different states of reversion. Crystallinity was characterized by the degree of stress softening, and the contents of trans‐methine were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. It was found that crosslink density exerts much greater influence on crystallinity than crosslink structure. At the same crosslink density, SIC of NR vulcanizates after reversion is lower than that of samples cured with tetramethylthiuram disulfide or dicumyl peroxid to the optimum cure state, which might be attributed to molecular main chain modification during reversion. NR was found to have better reversion resistance than IR.
Proteomic profiling of metformin effects in 3T3‐L1 adipocytes by SILAC‐based quantification
Authors: Choi Sunkyu , Engelke Rudolf , Goswami Neha , Schmidt Frank
Published: March 2022

Metformin is a common and generally the first medication prescribed for treatment of type 2 diabetes. Its mechanism involves affecting pathways that regulate glucose and lipid metabolism in metabolic cells such as that of muscle and liver cells. In spite of various studies exploring its effects, the proteome changes in adipocytes in response to metformin remains poorly understood. In this study, we performed stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC)‐based quantitative proteomic profiling to study the effects of metformin specifically on 3T3‐L1 adipocytes. We define proteins that exhibited altered levels with metformin treatment, 400 of them showing statistically significant changes in our study. Our results suggest that metformin affects not only the PPAR signaling pathway, as well as glucose and lipid metabolism, but also protein folding, endoplasmic reticulum stress, negative regulation of appetite, and one‐carbon folate metabolism in adipocytes. This proteomic investigation provides important insight into effects of metformin in adipocytes.
CILP1 as a biomarker for right ventricular dysfunction in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Keranov Stanislav , Jafari Leili , Haen Saskia , Vietheer Julia , Kriechbaum Steffen , Dörr Oliver , Liebetrau Christoph , Troidl Christian , Rutsatz Wiebke , Rieth Andreas , Hamm Christian W. , Nef Holger , Rolf Andreas , Keller Till
Published: March 2022

The aim of this study was to evaluate the cartilage intermediate layer protein 1 (CILP1) as a biomarker of right ventricular dysfunction in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM). CILP1 plasma concentrations were measured in 98 patients with ICM and 30 controls without any cardiac abnormalities. All participants underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Median CILP1 concentrations were higher in ICM than in controls. In the tertile analysis, low right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) and high right ventricular end‐systolic volume index and N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) were associated with higher CILP1 levels in ICM. However, there were no associations between CILP1 concentrations and left ventricular (LV) parameters in this group. In receiver‐operating characteristic (ROC) analysis CILP1 was a good predictor of RVEF < 40% with an optimal cut‐off value of 3545 pg/ml in ICM, whereas it was not predictive of LV ejection fraction (LVEF) < 40% (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.57) There was no significant difference between the ROC curves of CILP1 (AUC = 0.72) and NT‐proBNP (AUC = 0.77) for RVEF < 40% (p = 0.42). In multivariable regression analysis, RVEF was the only independent predictor of elevated CILP1. CILP1 and LVEF were the only independent predictors of RVEF < 40% in ICM. Our analysis demonstrates the potential role of CILP1 as a novel cardiac biomarker of prognostically relevant RV dysfunction in patients with ICM.
Classical nuclear motion: Does it fail to explain reactions and spectra in certain cases?
Authors: Rohloff Erik , Rudolph Dominik A. , Strolka Onno , Frank Irmgard
Published: March 2022

Is a classical description of nuclear motion sufficient when describing chemical reactions and spectra? This question is interesting because many researchers use a classical description of nuclear motion in molecular dynamics simulations. The present paper investigates some phenomena that were previously attributed to nuclear quantum effects. The question is if these phenomena can be modeled with traditional Car–Parrinello molecular dynamics, that is, with a method which treats nuclear motion classically and which is widely applied to the simulation of chemical reactions and spectra. We find that for the investigated system no additional paradigm is needed for describing chemical reactions. The special reactivity observed for carbenes can be attributed to the special environment represented by a noble gas matrix and to an additional transition state that was not considered before. Also the infrared spectrum of porphycene is perfectly modeled by traditional Car–Parrinello molecular dynamics. More studies are necessary to decide to what extent classical nuclear motion can replace the quantum mechanical description.
A systematic review on the role of geographical information systems in monitoring and achieving sustainable development goal 6: Clean water and sanitation
Authors: Baskaran Venkatesh , R Velkennedy
Published: March 2022

The world has changed dramatically in the last two decades due to human intervention at regional and global levels. The fates of humanity and our planet are in our hands. Governments, international agencies, the corporate sector, and individuals must work together to shift away from unsustainable practices. The U.N. General Assembly endorsed the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development, which comprises 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Several published research supports SDG strategies in the last 5 years. Despite initial efforts, the U.N. declared that the world is not really on pace to achieve most SDG targets. Geographic information system (GIS) has been identified as an effective tool in accessing, monitoring, and achieving goals that have 15 years lifespan. This paper presents a systematic review of published articles that combined GIS and SDG in their research. Because these 17 goals include 169 targets, the assessment may be more difficult if all the goals were addressed. This study focused only on “SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation” literature. Google scholar was used to find the most relevant 25 studies. The variable attributes like SDG target addressed, study area, monitoring and improving strategies dealt, the particularity of GIS were analyzed in the literature review through content analysis. The systematic review has found that target 6.1 received enormous attention, and the inverse distance weightage (IDW) interpolation tool from the geostatistical analysis toolset was widely employed in the monitoring stage.
For sustainable development in the transportation sector: Determinants of acceptance of sustainable transportation using the innovation diffusion theory and technology acceptance model
Authors: Ahn Hyeongjin , Park Eunil
Published: March 2022

With global interest in environmental concerns, the importance of sustainable development has consistently increased. With this trend, the concept of sustainable transportation is an urgent issue in both developed and developing countries. Thus, the current study examines user adoption of sustainable transportation and proposes an integrated model of two theoretical frameworks: the innovation diffusion theory and technology acceptance model. The structural results with 250 respondents in Korea find a sequential connection for users' intention to use, while two main determinants of intention—perceived usefulness and attitude—as well as the roles of their environmental knowledge and perceived compatibility, are also highlighted. Based on these findings, both practical and theoretical implications were presented.
Preparation of Exfoliated Organo‐Montmorillonite and Its Effect on Flame Retardancy and Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene
Authors: Hong Xiaofeng , Zhang Shuai , Tian Zhuangzhuang , Qin Shiqian , Yang Lin , Liu Daijun , Gu Zhanyong , Chen Jianjun
Published: March 2022

In this study, a new type of ammonium polyphosphate‐intercalated organic montmorillonite (APP/OMt) was synthesized using in‐situ polymerization, and the chemical structure and surface morphology of APP/OMt was confirmed by FT‐IR, XRD, EDS and SEM. Moreover, the intumescent flame retardant (IFR) composed of APP/OMt, pentaerythritol (PER) and melamine (MA) was added into polypropylene (PP) to fabricate the PP/IFRAPP/OMtcomposites, and their flame‐retardant and mechanical properties were characterized systematically. When the additive mass of the flame retardants was 30 %, the limiting oxygen index (LOI) value reached 33.3 %, and the UL‐94 test passed the V‐0 level when the added amount was only 20 %. Especially, compared to the counterpart of IFRAPP, the addition of IFRAPP/OMtdramatically decreased the released smoke of PP during combustion, and the quality of carbon layer after combustion was obviously improved. The flame‐retardant mechanism of IFRAPP/OMtwas deeply explored. In addition, the mechanical properties of PP composites with IFRAPP/OMtwere significantly improved compared with IFRAPP. The enhanced flame retardancy and mechanical strength were attributed to the synergistic effect between OMt and IFR particles along with improved the dispersion of IFRAPP/OMtwithin the PP matrix.
3D‐Architectured MoS2‐Microflower‐Modified Electrodes toward Electrochemical Determination of Imidacloprid
Authors: Haritha Vijayakumar Sheela , Manuraj Mohan , Sruthi Thekke Veedu , Kumar V. B. Sameer , Kumar Santhakumari Amma Ravindran Nair Sarath , Shankar Sarojini Sharath , Rakhi Raghavan Baby
Published: March 2022

We report the fabrication and analytical performance studies of electrochemical sensors based on hydrothermally grown 3D MoS2‐microflower‐modified Glassy Carbon (GCE) and Carbon Paste Electrodes (CPE) for the sensitive detection of the insecticide imidacloprid (IMI). As compared to MoS2/GCE, the fabricated MoS2/CPE demonstrates a faster electron transfer and better catalytic ability. MoS2/CPE sensor delivers its best performance towards the determination of IMI in PBS solution of pH 7.4, owing to its porous nature which can accommodate a higher number of active electrochemical reaction sites. The sensor exhibits a sensitivity value of 2.296 μA μM−1 cm−2 with lower detection and quantification limits of 12±0.24 nM and 40±0.8 nM respectively. The proposed sensor also exhibits linearity in the detection of IMI from 1 to 100 μM.
Hydrolytically Degradable Microgels with Tunable Mechanical Properties Modulate the Host Immune Response
Authors: Coronel María M. , Martin Karen E. , Hunckler Michael D. , Kalelkar Pranav , Shah Rahul M. , García Andrés J.
Published: March 2022

Hydrogel microparticles (microgels) are an attractive approach for therapeutic delivery because of their modularity, injectability, and enhanced integration with the host tissue. Multiple microgel fabrication strategies and chemistries have been implemented, yet manipulation of microgel degradability and its effect on in vivo tissue responses remains underexplored. Here, the authors report a facile method to synthesize microgels crosslinked with ester‐containing junctions to afford tunable degradation kinetics. Monodisperse microgels of maleimide‐functionalized poly(ethylene‐glycol) are generated using droplet microfluidics crosslinked with thiol‐terminated, ester‐containing molecules. Tunable mechanics are achievable based on the ratio of degradable to nondegradable crosslinkers in the continuous phase. Degradation in an aqueous medium leads to microgel deformation based on swelling and a decrease in elastic modulus. Furthermore, degradation byproducts are cytocompatible and do not cause monocytic cell activation under noninflammatory conditions. These injectable microgels possess time‐dependent degradation on the order of weeks in vivo. Lastly, the evaluation of tissue responses in a subcutaneous dorsal pocket shows a dynamic type‐1 like immune response to the synthetic microgels, driven by interferon gamma (IFN‐γ  ) expression, which can be moderated by tuning the degradation properties. Collectively, this study demonstrates the development of a hydrolytic microgel platform that can be adapted to desired host tissue immune responses.
Towards single‐atom photocatalysts for future carbon‐neutral application
Authors: Zhang Dongpeng , Li Yanxiao , Li Yi , Zhan Sihui
Published: March 2022

The implementation of carbon neutrality to achieve the goal of controlling global warming in the Paris Climate Agreement is currently the most important international climate issue. Efficient utilization of solar energy through photocatalysts is of great significance to the adjustment of energy structure. Single‐atom photocatalysts have excellent catalytic activity and selectivity in a variety of applications, including sustainable energy conversion, chemical synthesis, CO2 reduction, environmental remediation, and other areas, owing to their unique electronic structure and high atom usage. Here, we elaborated on the content and implementation direction of the carbon neutrality policy and demonstrated the design principles of single‐atom photocatalysts. Recent single‐atom synthesis strategies are summarized, and representative characterization methods have been shown to further reveal the structure–performance relationship. Then, we focus on the application of single‐atom photocatalysts in CO2 reduction, sustainable energy conversion, and environmental remediation. Finally, the opportunities and challenges in the application of single‐atom photocatalysts were discussed based on its current development.
Do those with chronic health conditions benefit from the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion?
Authors: Hoodin Derek , Marton James , Ukert Benjamin
Published: March 2022

We evaluate the impact of Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion on coverage, access to care, and self‐reported health, for the vulnerable and chronically ill using data from the behavioral risk factor surveillance system (BRFSS). Using 5 years of post‐reform data between 2014 and 2018 and a difference‐in‐differences identification strategy, we find that the Medicaid expansion improved coverage and access to care among both those with and without chronic conditions. While the effect sizes are mostly larger for those with a chronic condition, the differences in magnitude are not statistically significant. We also find statistically significant improvements in self‐assessed health for those without chronic conditions. Finally, we find larger improvements in coverage and access to care among those with chronic conditions in states with higher‐than‐average pre‐ACA uninsured rates for those with chronic conditions, though these coverage and access gains did not translate into health improvements for this group.
Population structure and genetic diversity of U.S. wheat varieties
Authors: Sthapit Sajal R. , Ruff Travis M. , Hooker Marcus A. , See Deven R.
Published: March 2022

The United States is a major wheat producer with more than a century of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) research and breeding. Using a panel of 753 historical and modern wheat varieties grown in the United States from the early 1800s to present day, we examined population structure and changes in genetic diversity. We used previously mapped high‐quality single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers from the wheat 90K SNP array for genotyping. The wheat varieties had a slight hierarchical population structure based on growth habit and then by kernel color within spring varieties and by kernel hardness within winter varieties, which corresponds with geographical distribution of the varieties. Classifying varieties by market class, which is a combination of habit, hardness, and color, accounted for the greatest amount of variation (13.3%). We did not find evidence of decreased genetic diversity of either spring or winter varieties after the release of the first semidwarf wheat variety in 1961. On the contrary, northern and Pacific spring varieties, hard red spring (HRS), hard white spring (HWS), and soft white winter (SWW) had increases in both SNP and haplotype genetic diversity after 1961. The soft white spring (SWS) and soft red winter (SRW) market classes already had high genetic diversity in varieties before 1961 and showed some evidence of decreased diversity after 1961. Examination of temporal trends in genetic diversity also did not indicate long‐term decline in diversity despite occasional fluctuations.
Chronic arsenic poisoning in pigs associated with groundwater contamination
Authors: Scollo Annalisa
Published: March 2022

Arsenic is a heavy metal ubiquitous in soil, rocks and water. Both acute and chronic toxicity are reported in various species of animal, including humans, although publications specifically related to pigs are uncommon. This article describes a case of chronic arsenic poisoning in a pig finishing unit associated with the use of contaminated water being used to produce liquid meals and as source of water. Food safety was also considered. Mortality linked to clinical signs (lack of coordination, flaccid limb paralysis, collapse) was 2.8%. Resolution of the clinical case was reached by replacing 50% of the water used for producing the meals with dairy whey, thereby lowering the exposure dose. In conclusion, the presence of inorganic arsenic at the dose of 300 μg/L in drinking water administered for more than 6 weeks in pigs weighing 30–60 kg might determine a chronic intoxication.
Metastatic cornual melanoma in a Valesian copperneck goat
Authors: Plüss Jeanette , Franzen Jan , Origgi Francesco C. , Marchionatti Emma
Published: March 2022

A 10‐year‐old, neutered, male Valesian copperneck goat was presented to the Clinic for Ruminants, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern for a chronic wound at the base of the right horn first noticed 3 weeks before presentation. Clinical examination revealed a firm mass with ulcerations and malodorous discharge at the base of the right horn, and a duller sound on percussion of the right frontal sinus. Radiography revealed a soft tissue opacity filling the right cornual diverticulum of the frontal sinus. Upon wound debridement, tissue of grey to black discoloration was noticed and sent in for histopathological examination, which confirmed the presence of a melanoma. Subsequent ultrasonography of the liver and radiography of the thorax revealed no sign of metastatic disease. Given the poor prognosis, the goat was euthanased, and postmortem examination revealed the presence of multiple metastatic lesions in the regional lymph nodes.
Influence of soil–structure modelling techniques on offshore wind turbine monopile structural response
Authors: Sunday Kingsley , Brennan Feargal
Published: March 2022

The importance of appropriate offshore wind turbine (OWT) monopile structural modelling technique cannot be overstated in the successful design and installation of a new generation of larger and heavier structures to deliver the increasing capacity demand. The lack of clear design guidance and acceptable structural modelling techniques across the industry results in a range of conservative but expensive design and installation techniques. Most of the OWT monopile modelling efforts lie in the substructure (foundation) and interaction with the supporting soil which is highly nonlinear along the length of the embedment depth of the monopile structure. Typically, monopile offshore wind turbine structural modelling can be completed using, amongst others, one of the following techniques: 3D finite element modelling with mass soil foundation, API p‐y curve soil springs, JeanJean soil springs, and the newly developed PISA modelling approach. The study presented in this paper considers the application of the 3D finite element modelling with mass soil, API p‐y soil springs, and the JeanJean soil springs technique. By comparing the structural response, the 3D finite element modelling with mass soil results in an improved natural frequency and harmonic response. Furthermore, a reduced displacement was observed in the 3D finite element model with mass soil which will ultimately result in a corresponding improvement in the structure's useful operational design life. The application of the API p‐y soil springs, JeanJean soil springs, and other modelling techniques requires extensive calibration to ensure the correct structural response and behaviour are achieved. This becomes a key factor as the boundaries of the size of the structure and turbine capacity are pushed even further for the new concept generation offshore wind turbines, which are required to deliver a higher capacity of 12 to 15 MW with the aim of achieving 20 MW, whilst achieving an efficient cost‐effective engineering design and installation process.
The Ends of Visibility
Authors: Haschemi Yekani Elahe
Published: March 2022

Following an introduction to the field of visual culture studies and the idea of revisualising intersectionality, Haschemi Yekani draws on different forms of media use, artistic practice, and everyday visual culture to problematise notions of difference that rely on a binary of invisibility and visibility. Haschemi Yekani argues that the question of in/visibility needs to go beyond superficially diverse representation and also concerns technological development and a reflection of how media operate within global postcolonial networks of capital. Via discussions of “colour blindness” and “bathroom panic”, the chapter reflects the potential of artistic practice to contribute to a queering and transing of identification and the image repertoire. This includes post-representational artistic practice, strategies of disidentification as well as forms of refusing representation altogether.
Black hole superpotential as a unifying entropy function and BPS thermodynamics
Authors: Ntokos Praxitelis , Papadimitriou Ioannis
Published: March 2022

Abstract

We develop an effective superpotential formalism for the SU(2)×U(1) invariant sector of $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 2 gauged supergravity in five dimensions with a U(1)3 Fayet-Iliopoulos gauging, and determine the exact superpotential that describes all 1/4 BPS solutions in this sector. This includes the Gutowski-Reall black holes, but also a much broader class of solutions with a squashed S3, magnetic flux and vector multiplet sources, as well as complex Euclidean BPS saddles. Some of these solutions are known only numerically, but the exact superpotential allows us to analytically evaluate the on-shell action, holographic one-point functions and conserved charges of all BPS solutions and to study their thermodynamics. In particular, by examining the supersymmetry Ward identities we show that solutions with supersymmetric vector multiplet sources break supersymmetry spontaneously. We also demonstrate the first law for black holes in the SU(2)×U(1) invariant sector and show that the conserved charges of supersymmetric solutions satisfy the generalized BPS relation derived in [1], which includes the supersymmetric Casimir energy as a consequence of the anomalous supersymmetry transformation of the $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 1 supercurrent at the boundary. Finally, we show that the effective superpotential provides a unifying entropy extremization principle, reproducing Sen’s entropy function for near extremal black holes and the Hosseini-Hristov-Zaffaroni functional for complex Euclidean BPS saddles.
Full-color three-loop three-point form factors in 𝒩 = 4 SYM
Authors: Lin Guanda , Yang Gang , Zhang Siyuan
Published: March 2022

Abstract

We present the detailed computation of full-color three-loop three-point form factors of both the stress-tensor supermultiplet and a length-three BPS operator in 𝒩 = 4 SYM. The integrands are constructed based on the color-kinematics (CK) duality and generalized unitarity method. An interesting observation is that the CK-dual integrands contain a large number of free parameters. We discuss the origin of these free parameters in detail and check that they cancel in the simplified integrands. We further perform the numerical evaluation of the integrals at a special kinematics point using public packages FIESTA and pySecDec based on the sector-decomposition approach. We find that the numerical computation can be significantly simplified by expressing the integrals in terms of uniformly transcendental basis, although the final three-loop computations still require large computational resources. Having the full-color numerical results, we verify that the non-planar infrared divergences reproduce the non-dipole structures, which firstly appear at three loops. As for the finite remainder functions, we check that the numerical planar remainder for the stress-tensor supermultiplet is consistent with the known result of the bootstrap computation. We also obtain for the first time the numerical results of the three-loop non-planar remainder for the stress-tensor supermultiplet as well as the three-loop remainder for the length-three operator.
Challenges for unsupervised anomaly detection in particle physics
Authors: Fraser Katherine , Homiller Samuel , Mishra Rashmish K. , Ostdiek Bryan , Schwartz Matthew D.
Published: March 2022

Abstract

Anomaly detection relies on designing a score to determine whether a particular event is uncharacteristic of a given background distribution. One way to define a score is to use autoencoders, which rely on the ability to reconstruct certain types of data (background) but not others (signals). In this paper, we study some challenges associated with variational autoencoders, such as the dependence on hyperparameters and the metric used, in the context of anomalous signal (top and W) jets in a QCD background. We find that the hyperparameter choices strongly affect the network performance and that the optimal parameters for one signal are non-optimal for another. In exploring the networks, we uncover a connection between the latent space of a variational autoencoder trained using mean-squared-error and the optimal transport distances within the dataset. We then show that optimal transport distances to representative events in the background dataset can be used directly for anomaly detection, with performance comparable to the autoencoders. Whether using autoencoders or optimal transport distances for anomaly detection, we find that the choices that best represent the background are not necessarily best for signal identification. These challenges with unsupervised anomaly detection bolster the case for additional exploration of semi-supervised or alternative approaches.
Interacting fractons in 2+1-dimensional quantum field theory
Authors: Distler Jacques , Jafry Murtaza , Karch Andreas , Raz Amir
Published: March 2022

Abstract

We analyze, in perturbation theory, a theory of weakly interacting fractons and non-relativistic fermions in a 2+1 dimensional Quantum Field Theory. In particular we compute the 1-loop corrections to the self energies and interaction vertex, and calculate the associated 1-loop Renormalization Group flows of the coupling constants. Surprisingly, we find that the fracton-fermion coupling does not flow due to an emergent coordinate-dependent symmetry of the effective Lagrangian, making this model a well-defined quantum field theory. We provide additional discussions on the regularization and renormalization of interacting fractonic theories, as well as both qualitative and quantitative remarks regarding the theory at finite temperature and finite chemical potential.
Einfluss der Datenschutz-Grundverordnung auf die Datenqualität bei der Erhebung von Registerdaten
Authors: Özkurtul Orkun , von Dercks N. , Fuchs C. , Keß A. , Osterhoff G. , Struck M. F. , Scholtz A. , Josten C. , Fakler J. K. M.
Published: March 2022

Hintergrund

Durch die neue Datenschutz-Grundverordnung (DS-GVO) sind die Anforderungen an eine sachgerechte Aufklärung der Patienten über die Dokumentation pseudonymisierter, personenbezogener Daten in einem Register enorm gestiegen. Dies betrifft ganz besonders das TraumaRegister DGU®, da eine schriftliche Aufklärung schwer verletzter Patienten in der Akutsituation nicht immer gelingt. Ziel der Untersuchung war es, den Einfluss der infolge fehlender Aufklärung nichtdokumentierten Fälle auf die standardisierte Mortalitätsrate (SMR) zu untersuchen.

Material und Methode

Im Jahr 2019 wurden 274 Patienten retrospektiv erfasst, die die Kriterien des Basiskollektivs erfüllen. Darunter waren 72 Sekundärverlegungen, die ausgeschlossen wurden. Bei den verbliebenen 197 Patienten konnte in allen Fällen der RISC II Score erhoben werden.

Ergebnisse

Von den 197 primär (72 % männlich) versorgten Patienten wurden 147 (74,6 %) schriftlich aufgeklärt oder waren verstorben und wurden folglich dokumentiert. Die prognostizierte Letalität, tatsächliche Letalität und SMR betrug 18,5 %, 19,0 % resp. 1,03. Bei den Patienten, die nicht aufgeklärt wurden (n = 50), lagen die prognostizierte Letalität, tatsächliche Letalität und SMR bei 7,0 %, 0 % resp. 0. Bezieht man diese Fälle mit ein, ergibt sich eine deutlich günstigere SMR mit 0,93.

Schlussfolgerung

Durch die fehlende schriftliche Einwilligung überlebender Patienten konnten nur etwa 75 % aller Patienten der Uniklinik Leipzig für das TraumaRegister DGU® dokumentiert werden. Da die lokale Gesetzeslage andererseits eine Registerdokumentation verstorbener Patienten zulässt, ergibt sich daraus eine nachteilige Beeinflussung der SMR, die in unserem Kollektiv etwa 10 % höher ausfällt, als sie in Realität ist.
High-intensity interval training for 12 weeks improves cardiovascular autonomic function but not somatosensory nerve function and structure in overweight men with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Bönhof Gidon J. , Strom Alexander , Apostolopoulou Maria , Karusheva Yanislava , Sarabhai Theresia , Pesta Dominik , Roden Michael , Ziegler Dan
Published: March 2022

Aims/hypothesis

It remains unclear whether and which modality of exercise training as a component of lifestyle intervention may exert favourable effects on somatosensory and autonomic nerve tests in people with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

Cardiovascular autonomic and somatosensory nerve function as well as intraepidermal nerve fibre density (IENFD) were assessed in overweight men with type 2 diabetes (type 2 diabetes, n = 20) and male glucose-tolerant individuals (normal glucose tolerance [NGT], n = 23), comparable in age and BMI and serving as a control group, before and after a supervised high-intensity interval training (HIIT) intervention programme over 12 weeks. Study endpoints included clinical scores, nerve conduction studies, quantitative sensory testing, IENFD, heart rate variability, postural change in systolic blood pressure and spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity (BRS).

Results

After 12 weeks of HIIT, resting heart rate decreased in both groups ([mean ± SD] baseline/12 weeks: NGT: 65.1 ± 8.2/60.2 ± 9.0 beats per min; type 2 diabetes: 68.8 ± 10.1/63.4 ± 7.8 beats per min), while three BRS indices increased (sequence analysis BRS: 8.82 ± 4.89/14.6 ± 11.7 ms2/mmHg; positive sequences BRS: 7.19 ± 5.43/15.4 ± 15.9 ms2/mmHg; negative sequences BRS: 12.8 ± 5.4/14.6 ± 8.7 ms2/mmHg) and postural change in systolic blood pressure decreased (−13.9 ± 11.6/−9.35 ± 9.76 mmHg) in participants with type 2 diabetes, and two heart rate variability indices increased in the NGT group (standard deviation of R–R intervals: 36.1 ± 11.8/55.3 ± 41.3 ms; coefficient of R–R interval variation: 3.84 ± 1.21/5.17 ± 3.28) (all p<0.05). In contrast, BMI, clinical scores, nerve conduction studies, quantitative sensory testing, IENFD and the prevalence rates of diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy and cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy remained unchanged in both groups. In the entire cohort, correlations between the changes in two BRS indices and changes in $$ \dot{V}{\mathrm{O}}_{2\max } $$

V
̇

O

2
max

over 12 weeks of HIIT (e.g. sequence analysis BRS: r = 0.528, p=0.017) were observed.

Conclusions/interpretation

In male overweight individuals with type 2 diabetes, BRS, resting heart rate and orthostatic blood pressure regulation improved in the absence of weight loss after 12 weeks of supervised HIIT. Since no favourable effects on somatic nerve function and structure were observed, cardiovascular autonomic function appears to be more amenable to this short-term intervention, possibly due to improved cardiorespiratory fitness.

Graphical abstract
The Potential Use of Orange and Banana Peels to Minimize the Toxicological Effects of Silver Nanoparticles in Oreochromis Niloticus
Authors: Abdel-Khalek Amr Adel , Hamed Aliaa , Hasheesh Wafaa S.F.
Published: March 2022

To evaluate the effectiveness of orange peels (OP) and banana peels (BP) in reducing the toxicity of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs), Oreochromis niloticus were exposed to Ag-NPs, Ag-NPs + OP, and Ag-NPs + BP for 24, 48, and 96 h. Time-dependent toxicological impacts of Ag-NPs were recorded. The maximum Ag accumulation was in hepatic and renal tissues after 96 h. A marked decrease in red blood cell count, hemoglobin content, hematocrit ratio, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration was observed after 48 and 96 h of Ag-NPs exposure. Silver accumulation resulted in severe histological alterations (ex: congestion, vacuolization, and necrotic degeneration) in gills, livers, and kidneys. The adsorptive capacity of both peels could reduce the bioavailability of Ag-NPs as indicated by decreased Ag content in tissues, insignificant change in the hematological parameters with control groups, and regressive histological alterations based on the frequency of alterations’ existence and the extent of affected parts.
Assembly line balancing and activity scheduling for customised products manufacturing
Authors: Pilati Francesco , Lelli Giovanni , Regattieri Alberto , Ferrari Emilio
Published: March 2022

Nowadays, end customers require personalized products to match their specific needs. Thus, production systems must be extremely flexible. Companies typically exploit assembly lines to manufacture produces in great volumes. The development of assembly lines distinguished by mixed or multi models increases their flexibility concerning the number of product variants able to be manufactured. However, few scientific contributions deal with customizable products, i.e., produces which can be designed and ordered requiring or not a large set of available accessories.

This manuscript proposes an original two-step procedure to deal with the multi-manned assembly lines for customized product manufacturing. The first step of the procedure groups the accessories together in clusters according to a specific similarity index. The accessories belonging to a cluster are typically requested together by customers and necessitate a significant mounting time. Thus, this procedure aims to split accessories belonging to the same cluster to different assembly operators avoiding their overloads.

The second procedure step consists of an innovative optimization model which defines tasks and accessory assignment to operators. Furthermore, the developed model defines the activity time schedule in compliance with the task precedencies maximizing the operator workload balance. An industrial case study is adopted to test and validate the proposed procedure. The obtained results suggest superior balancing of such assembly lines, with an average worker utilization rate greater than 90%. Furthermore, in the worst case scenario in terms of customer accessories requirement, just 4 line operators out of 16 are distinguished by a maximum workload greater than the cycle time.
A note on the Severi problem for toric surfaces
Authors: Lang Lionel , Tyomkin Ilya
Published: March 2022

In this note, we make a step towards the classification of toric surfaces admitting reducible Severi varieties. We provide two families of toric surfaces admitting reducible Severi varieties. The first family is general, and is obtained by a quotient construction. The second family is exceptional, and corresponds to certain narrow polygons, which we call kites. We introduce two types of invariants that distinguish between the components of the Severi varieties, and allow us to provide lower bounds on the numbers of the components. The sharpness of the bounds is verified in some cases, and is expected to hold in general for ample enough linear systems. In the appendix, we establish a connection between the Severi problem and the topological classification of univariate polynomials.
Set-theoretic solutions of the Yang–Baxter equation associated to weak braces
Authors: Catino Francesco , Mazzotta Marzia , Miccoli Maria Maddalena , Stefanelli Paola
Published: March 2022

We investigate a new algebraic structure which always gives rise to a set-theoretic solution of the Yang–Baxter equation. Specifically, a weak (left) brace is a non-empty set S endowed with two binary operations $$+$$
+
and $$\circ $$
∘
such that both $$(S,+)$$

(
S
,
+
)

and $$(S, \circ )$$

(
S
,
∘
)

are inverse semigroups and $$\begin{aligned} a \circ \left( b+c\right) = \left( a\circ b\right) - a + \left( a\circ c\right) \qquad \text {and} \qquad a\circ a^- = - a + a \end{aligned}$$

a
∘

b
+
c

=

a
∘
b

-
a
+

a
∘
c

and

a
∘

a
-

=
-
a
+
a

hold, for all $$a,b,c \in S$$

a
,
b
,
c
∈
S

, where $$-a$$

-
a

and $$a^-$$

a
-

are the inverses of a with respect to $$+$$
+
and $$\circ $$
∘
, respectively. In particular, such structures include that of skew braces and form a subclass of inverse semi-braces. Any solution r associated to an arbitrary weak brace S has a behavior close to bijectivity, namely r is a completely regular element in the full transformation semigroup on $$S\times S$$

S
×
S

. In addition, we provide some methods to construct weak braces.
Patient-reported outcomes following bilateral prophylactic mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction: comparing implant-based with autologous breast reconstruction
Authors: Miseré Renée M. L. , Joosen Milou E. M. , Claassens Eva L. , de Grzymala Andrzej A. Piatkowski , Heuts Esther M. , van der Hulst René R. W. J.
Published: March 2022

Background

Since the number of breast cancer genetic gene testing is increasing, more women opt for bilateral prophylactic mastectomy (BPM) followed by breast reconstruction. However, little is known about the differences in Quality of Life (QoL) after various reconstructive surgeries in this population. In this study, the long-term breast-related, body-related, and health-related QoL between immediate implant-based breast reconstruction (IBBR) and autologous breast reconstruction (ABR) were compared, in women who underwent BPM.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, women who underwent postmastectomy breast reconstruction between January 2015 and December 2018 were invited for an online questionnaire, in which the BREAST-Q, the BODY-Q and the SF-36 were included. Women who underwent BPM and immediate breast reconstruction were included for analysis. Multivariable linear regression analysis was performed to adjust mean differences in patient-reported outcomes between IBBR and ABR for potential confounders.

Results

Of the included women (n = 47), 33 underwent ABR and 14 women underwent IBBR following BPM. BREAST-Q scores were in favor of the ABR group before and after adjustment, with statistically significance on Satisfaction with breasts (mean difference 15.8, p = 0.019) and Physical well-being (mean difference 13.5, p = 0.033). None of the mean differences in BODY-Q and SF-36 scores between groups, before and after adjustment, were statistically significant.

Conclusion

This study suggests that there is a higher satisfaction with breasts and better physical well-being in women who underwent immediate ABR compared to those who underwent immediate IBBR after BPM. However, these data should be interpreted carefully as a result of selection bias and a small sample size.

Level of Evidence: Level III, risk study.
Privatsphärefreundliches maschinelles Lernen
Authors: Stock Joshua , Petersen Tom , Behrendt Christian-Alexander , Federrath Hannes , Kreutzburg Thea
Published: March 2022

Maschinelle Lernverfahren finden seit einigen Jahren in immer mehr Bereichen vielfältige Anwendung, wodurch die Relevanz der dabei verwendeten Techniken deutlich wird. Unter dem Begriff des maschinellen Lernens (ML, oft auch „künstliche Intelligenz“) existieren zahlreiche Algorithmen, die unterschiedliche Komplexität und verschiedene Eigenschaften mit sich bringen. Für das Training dieser Algorithmen sind meist große Mengen an Daten notwendig. Insbesondere bei der Verwendung von personenbezogenen Daten stellen sich hierbei Fragen rund um den Datenschutz und die Privatsphäre von Betroffenen.

Dies ist der erste Teil eines zweiteiligen Artikels zum Thema privatsphärefreundliches ML. Dieser erste Teil bietet einen leicht verständlichen Einstieg in das Thema des ML und geht dabei auf die wichtigsten Grundbegriffe ein. Außerdem werden einige der meistverwendeten ML-Verfahren, wie Entscheidungsbäume und neuronale Netze, vorgestellt. Im zweiten Teil, der in der kommenden Ausgabe des Informatik Spektrums erscheint, werden Privatsphäreangriffe und datenschutzfördernde Maßnahmen im Kontext von ML behandelt.