bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physiology of Energy Intake in the Weight‐Reduced State
Authors: Berthoud Hans‐Rudolf , Seeley Randy J. , Roberts Susan B.
Published: March 2021

Physiological adaptations to intentional weight loss can facilitate weight regain. This review summarizes emerging findings on hypothalamic and brainstem circuitry in the regulation of body weight and identifies promising areas for research to improve therapeutic interventions for sustainable weight loss. There is good evidence that body weight is actively regulated in a homeostatic fashion similar to other physiological parameters. However, the defended level of body weight is not fixed but rather depends on environmental conditions and genetic background in an allostatic fashion. In an environment with plenty of easily available energy‐dense food and low levels of physical activity, prone individuals develop obesity. In a majority of individuals with obesity, body weight is strongly defended through counterregulatory mechanisms, such as hunger and hypometabolism, making weight loss challenging. Among the options for treatment or prevention of obesity, those directly changing the defended body weight would appear to be the most effective ones. There is strong evidence that the mediobasal hypothalamus is a master sensor of the metabolic state and an integrator of effector actions responsible for the defense of adequate body weight. However, other brain areas, such as the brainstem and limbic system, are also increasingly implicated in body weight defense mechanisms and may thus be additional targets for successful therapies.
Physiology of Energy Expenditure in the Weight‐Reduced State
Authors: Ravussin Eric , Smith Steven R. , Ferrante Anthony W.
Published: March 2021

Although many individuals achieve weight loss of 10% or more, the ability to maintain a reduced body mass over months and years is much rarer. Unfortunately, our understanding of the adverse consequences of having overweight and obesity argues that long‐term maintenance of a reduced weight provides the greatest health benefit. However, to achieve long‐term weight reduction requires overcoming neuroendocrine systems that favor restoration of one’s initial weight. Identifying and characterizing the components of these systems will be important if we are to develop therapies and strategies to reduce the rates of obesity and its complications in our modern society. During this session, Eric Ravussin and Steven R. Smith, respectively, discussed the physiology of the weight‐reduced state that favors weight regain and a molecular component that contributes to this response.
Chronic difficulties are associated with poorer psychosocial functioning in the first year post‐diagnosis in epithelial ovarian cancer patients
Authors: Garvin Lauren , Slavich George M. , Schrepf Andrew , Davis Lauren Z. , Thaker Premal H. , Goodheart Michael J. , Cole Steve W. , Sood Anil K. , Lutgendorf Susan K.
Published: March 2021

Objective

Ovarian cancer is characterized by poor prognosis, high levels of distress, disturbed sleep, and compromised quality of life (QOL). Although life stressors have been shown to significantly impact physical and psychological health in cancer populations, no studies have used a high‐resolution stress assessment to differentiate effects of acute versus chronic stressors among women with ovarian cancer. We addressed this issue in the present prospective longitudinal study by examining how acute and chronic stress exposure in the year pre‐diagnosis relate to depressive symptoms, sleep quality, and QOL over the first year post‐diagnosis in women with ovarian cancer.

Methods

One hundred thirty‐seven women completed the Life Events and Difficulties Schedule within a month of initial treatment for suspected ovarian cancer. Depressive symptoms, sleep, and QOL were measured pre‐treatment, at six months, and one‐year post‐diagnosis. Mixed models were used to examine associations of acute and chronic stress pre‐diagnosis with (a) change in psychosocial outcomes over the first year post‐diagnosis and (b) levels of psychosocial outcomes across all time points.

Results

Both the number and severity of chronic difficulties (but not acute life events) were related to significantly greater depression, and poorer sleep quality and QOL, across all time‐points. In contrast, these stress indices were unrelated to changes in psychosocial functioning over time.

Conclusions

Chronic but not acute stress exposure predicted average levels of depression, sleep, and QOL in the first year post‐diagnosis among women with ovarian cancer. Assessing stressors and designing interventions for reducing stress may thus be beneficial for ovarian cancer patients.
Biological control technology and application based on agricultural unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) intelligent delivery of insect natural enemies (Trichogramma) carrier
Authors: Zhan Yilong , Chen Shengde , Wang Guobin , Fu Jinwei , Lan Yubin
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND

Agricultural pests and diseases affect grain yield and quality. In addition to the use of chemical agents, the biological control of diseases and insect pests has attracted more and more attention due to an urgent need for environmental protection. However, traditional operational methods do not integrate well with biological control technology. With the advantages of simple operation, low operating cost, high operating efficiency and wide application range, use of multirotor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in biological control is of great significance.

RESULTS

An intelligent delivery system comprising an insect natural enemy (Trichogramma) capsule based on an M45 electric multirotor UAV was built to release Trichogramma ostriniae in corn fields under full autonomous mode. During operation, the M45 UAV can fly accurately in accordance with operational requirements; average deviation between the actual and planned routes was 0.24 m, the average flight speed was 9.18 m s−1 and the average altitude was 5.08 m. The effective coverage rate of natural enemies was 99.33% and the coverage redundancy was 36.75%. After delivery, an investigation into the field control effect showed an average control effect of 83.70%, which can result in effective pest control.

CONCLUSION

A natural enemy carrier intelligent delivery system based on an M45 electric multirotor UAV was found to have good flight performance. In addition, natural enemies were evenly distributed, giving even coverage of the target fields. The system had a good control effect. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
A progressive approach for the detection of the coefficient of variation
Authors: Chen Rui , Jin Li , Li Zhonghua , Zhang Jiujun
Published: March 2021

A progressive average chart usually triggers initial out‐of‐control (OC) signals more simply and quickly than other memory‐type charts . In this paper, two progressive average control procedures are proposed for monitoring the coefficient of variation (CV) of a normally distributed process variable, namely, the progressive CV (PCV) and progressive resetting CV (PRCV) control charts , respectively. The implementation of the proposed charts is presented, and the necessary design parameters are provided. Through extensive numerical simulations, it is shown that the proposed PCV and PRCV charts outperform several existing control charts to detect the initial OC signals, especially for the small and moderate CV shifts, under each combination of the shift size, the sample size, and the in‐control target value of the CV. In addition, the application of the proposed control charts is illustrated by a detection example for a spinning process.
Determination of trace fluoride in water samples by silylation and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis
Authors: Du Jingru , Sheng Chunqi , Wang Yan , Zhang Huarong , Jiang Kezhi
Published: March 2021

Rationale

Due to the ubiquity of fluorides and the small gap between a safe dose and a harmful one, it is necessary to develop a robust analytical method for determination of fluoride ions in various water samples with complex matrices.

Methods

Silylation of the fluoride ion was carried out by treatment with hydrochloric acid and phenyldimethylchlorosilane at room temperature. The formed phenyldimethylfluorosilane was detected by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS).

Results

Under the optimized conditions, linearity in the analytical method ranged from 0.050 to 5.0 μg/mL for the fluoride ion with R2 >0.9999. Reasonable reproducibility was obtained with the intraday relative standard deviation (RSD) (N = 5) of 2.04% and interday RSD (N = 5) of 3.75% at the concentration of 0.10 μg/mL. The developed method has been successfully applied to determine the fluoride ion in real water samples, including waste water samples, with the recovery between 81.12% and 113.04%.

Conclusions

A robust method for the determination of the fluoride ion has been developed by silylation with phenyldimethylchlorosilane and GC/MS analysis. The established method showed good anti‐interference and precision, and it has been applied for determination of the fluoride ion in various water samples.
A robust distributed receding horizon control synthesis approach for simultaneous tracking, regulation and formation of multiple perturbed wheeled vehicles with collision avoidance
Authors: Wang Peng , Feng Xinxi , Li Weihua , Ping Xubin , Yu Wangsheng , Qin Xianxiang
Published: March 2021

This article proposes a robust distributed receding horizon control (RDRHC) synthesis approach for the simultaneous tracking, regulation and formation of multiple perturbed wheeled vehicles with collision avoidance. By successfully extending a tube‐based RHC approach proposed in our previous work and elaborately designing the collision avoidance and compatibility constraints, a nominal control optimization problem is constructed for each vehicle with recursive feasibility guarantee, and the associated RDRHC algorithms with and without on‐line optimization are presented for implementation. By applying the presented algorithms, the multiple perturbed wheeled vehicles can be steered to achieve the desired tracking, regulation and formation objective with satisfying the pre‐specified constraints and avoiding collision. Both theoretical properties and practical effectiveness of the proposed approach are verified through a simulation example.
Compost applications increase bacterial community diversity in the apple rhizosphere
Authors: Sharaf Hazem , Thompson Ashley A. , Williams Mark A. , Peck Gregory M.
Published: March 2021

Sustainable practices are key to the improvement of soil fertility and quality in apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) orchards. Rootstock genotype and fertilizer inputs can alter soil biology, as well as aboveground traits including nutrient acquisition. In this study, a factorial design was used to assess the interaction between two apple rootstocks, ‘Geneva 41’ (‘G.41’) and ‘Malling 9’ (‘M.9’) with four fertilizer treatments [chicken‐litter compost, yardwaste compost, fertigation using Ca(NO3)2, and an unamended control]. The bacterial community in the rhizosphere was assessed for its impact on both plant and soil properties for each rootstock × fertilizer treatment combination. The bacterial community was dominated by Acidobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Planctomycetes, but Verrucomicrobia and Chloroflexi were the most responsive to the fertilizer treatments. The chicken litter and yardwaste treatments had a greater effect on bacterial community structure than the control. Yardwaste, in particular, was associated with increased relative abundance of Chloroflexi, which was correlated with soil nutrient concentrations. Malling 9 had a greater bacterial diversity than G.41, but the rootstock treatment had no independent effect on the rhizosphere community structure. There was, however, a strong interaction between the rootstock and fertilizer treatments. Carbon cycling was the most prominent functional change associated with the soil bacterial community. These results suggest that compost amendments have a more positive effect on soil bacterial activity and nutrient availability than Ca(NO3)2. Our work shows that waste‐stream amendments can lead to multiple positive responses, such as increasing aboveground tree biomass, thus potentially improving orchard productivity.
Highly‐Parallel Microfluidics‐Based Force Spectroscopy on Single Cytoskeletal Motors
Authors: Urbanska Marta , Lüdecke Annemarie , Walter Wilhelm J. , van Oijen Antoine M. , Duderstadt Karl E. , Diez Stefan
Published: March 2021

Cytoskeletal motors transform chemical energy into mechanical work to drive essential cellular functions. Optical trapping experiments have provided crucial insights into the operation of these molecular machines under load. However, the throughput of such force spectroscopy experiments is typically limited to one measurement at a time. Here, a highly‐parallel, microfluidics‐based method that allows for rapid collection of force‐dependent motility parameters of cytoskeletal motors with two orders of magnitude improvement in throughput compared to currently available methods is introduced. Tunable hydrodynamic forces to stepping kinesin‐1 motors via DNA‐tethered beads and utilize a large field of view to simultaneously track the velocities, run lengths, and interaction times of hundreds of individual kinesin‐1 molecules under varying resisting and assisting loads are applied. Importantly, the 16 µm long DNA tethers between the motors and the beads significantly reduces the vertical component of the applied force pulling the motors away from the microtubule. The approach is readily applicable to other molecular systems and constitutes a new methodology for parallelized single‐molecule force studies on cytoskeletal motors.
Strong, Hydrostable, and Degradable Straws Based on Cellulose‐Lignin Reinforced Composites
Authors: Wang Xizheng , Xia Qinqin , Jing Shuangshuang , Li Claire , Chen Qiongyu , Chen Bo , Pang Zhenqian , Jiang Bo , Gan Wentao , Chen Gang , Cui Mingjin , Hu Liangbing , Li Teng
Published: March 2021

The huge consumption of single‐use plastic straws has brought a long‐lasting environmental problem. Paper straws, the current replacement for plastic straws, suffer from drawbacks, such as a high cost of the water‐proof wax layer and poor water stability due to the easy delamination of the wax layer. It is therefore crucial to find a high‐performing alternative to mitigate the environmental problems brought by plastic straws. In this paper, all natural, degradable, cellulose‐lignin reinforced composite straws, inspired by the reinforcement principle of cellulose and lignin in natural wood are developed. The cellulose‐lignin reinforced composite straw is fabricated by rolling up a wet film made of homogeneously mixed cellulose microfibers, cellulose nanofibers, and lignin powders, which is then baked in oven at 150 °C. When baked, lignin melts and infiltrates the micro–nanocellulose network, acting as a polyphenolic binder to improve the mechanical strength and hydrophobicity performance of the resulting straw. The obtained straws demonstrate several advantageous properties over paper straws, including 1) excellent mechanical performance, 2) high hydrostability, and 3) low cost. Moreover, the natural degradability of the cellulose‐lignin reinforced composite straws makes them promising candidates to replace plastic straws and suggests possible substitutes for other petroleum‐based plastics.
Highly Dispersed Molybdenum Oxycarbide Clusters Supported on Multilayer Graphene for the Selective Reduction of Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Wakizaka Masanori , Imaoka Takane , Yamamoto Kimihisa
Published: March 2021

Molybdenum oxycarbide clusters are novel nanomaterials that exhibit attractive catalytic activity; however, the methods for their production are currently very restrictive. This work represents a new strategy for the creation of near‐subnanometer size molybdenum oxycarbide clusters on multilayer graphene. To adsorb Mo‐based polyoxometalates of the type [PMo12O40]3− as a precursor for Mo oxycarbide clusters, the novel tripodal‐phenyl cation N,N,N‐tri(4‐phenylbutyl)‐N‐methylammonium ([TPBMA]+) is synthesized. [TPBMA]+ exhibits superior adsorption on multilayer graphene compared to commercially available cations such as tetrabutylammonium ([nBu4N]+) and tetraphenylphosphonium ([PPh4]+). Using [TPBMA]+ as an anchor, highly dispersed precursor clusters (diameter: 1.0 ± 0.2 nm) supported on multilayer graphene are obtained, as confirmed by high‐resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy. Remarkably, this new material achieves the catalytic reduction of CO2 to selectively produce CO (≈99.9%) via the reverse water‐gas‐shift reaction, by applying carbothermal hydrogen reduction to generate Mo oxycarbide clusters in situ.
Freivorbau, Fortschritte in der Mechanisierung der Montage und Anfänge des Schweißens im Stahlgroßbrückenbau (Teil 3)
Authors: Pelke Eberhard , Kurrer Karl‐Eugen
Published: March 2021

Während in Teil 2 dieser Aufsatzserie die Etablierung und Vollendung des Freivorbaus als Kern der Formierung der Montage zu einer eigenständigen Disziplin des Stahlbrückenbaus im Mittelpunkt stand, geht es im Folgenden um die Ausdifferenzierung des Freivorbaus als Hauptmontageverfahren, die kurze Darstellung der weiteren Fortschritte in der Mechanisierung der Montage sowie die Anfänge des Schweißens und dessen Auswirkung auf die Montageprozesse.
Comparative study on the effect of outrigger on seismic response of tall buildings with braced and RC wall core. I: Optimum level and examining modal response spectrum analysis reliability
Authors: Samadi Maysam , Jahan Norouz
Published: March 2021

Designers usually use modal response spectrum analysis (MRSA) in design of tall buildings. This paper studies the reliability of this technique in predicting real seismic behavior of tall buildings with outrigger and belt truss. Four tall buildings utilizing either braced or reinforced concrete shear wall core with 28 and 56 stories were designed as the base models according to current design codes. Outrigger and belt truss were added at quarters of the structure height generating 44 structural models. Results obtained from MRSA of these models are discussed and compared to those obtained from nonlinear time history analysis (NLTHA). It was observed that MRSA unrealistically overestimates beneficial effects of outrigger on drift reduction of tall buildings with braced core. NLTHA showed that the maximum lateral displacements of the structures with braced core are less than those of buildings with RC shear wall, but they experience more residual displacements. Adding outrigger could reduce maximum lateral displacement of buildings with RC shear wall core (in excess of 30%) but had minor effect on this index in structures with braced core (less than 10%). Outrigger did not consistently reduce maximum drift under all records, except for the story where it is located. Although outrigger could not reliably decrease residual drift of structures with braced core, it significantly decreased this index when applied at any level of buildings with RC shear wall core, under all studied records. Applying outrigger increased story shears and NLTHA showed that it creates a sudden jump in shear at its placement story.
In vitro antitumoral effects of the steroid ouabain on human thyroid papillary carcinoma cell lines
Authors: Teixeira Mariana Pires , Passos Eliza Freitas , Haddad Natalia Ferreira , Andrade Marcelle Novaes , Rumjanek Vivian Mary , Miranda‐Alves Leandro , de Carvalho Denise Pires , de Paiva Luciana Souza
Published: March 2021

Ouabain is a steroid described as a compound extracted from plants that is capable of binding to Na+, K+‐ATPase, inhibiting ion transport and triggering cell signaling pathways. Due to its positive ionotropic effect, ouabain was used for more than 200 years for the treatment of cardiac dysfunctions. Numerous antitumor effects of ouabain have been described so far; however, its role on thyroid cancer is still poorly understood. Therefore, the aim of the present work was to evaluate the effect of ouabain on the biology of human papillary thyroid cancer cells. For this, three human thyroid cell lines were used: NTHY‐ori, a non‐tumor lineage, BCPAP and TPC‐1, both derived from papillary carcinomas. Cells were cultured in the presence or absence of ouabain. Subsequently, we evaluated its effects on the viability, cell death, cell cycle, and migratory ability of these cell lines. We also investigated the impact of ouabain in IL‐6/IL‐6R and epithelial to mesenchymal transition markers expression. Our results indicate that ouabain (10−7 M), decreased the number of NTHY‐ori, TPC‐1 and BCPAP viable cells and induced cell cycle arrest after in vitro culture, but did not appear to promote cell death. In TPC‐1 cells ouabain also inhibited cell migration; increased IL‐6/IL‐6R expression and IL‐6 secretion; and diminished vimentin and SNAIL‐1 expression. Collectively, our results indicate that ouabain has an antitumoral role on human papillary thyroid carcinomas in vitro. Even though additional studies are necessary, our work contributes to the discussion of the possibility of new clinical trials of ouabain.
Dielectric continuum methods for quantum chemistry
Authors: Herbert John M.
Published: March 2021

This review describes the theory and implementation of implicit solvation models based on continuum electrostatics. Within quantum chemistry this formalism is sometimes synonymous with the polarizable continuum model, a particular boundary‐element approach to the problem defined by the Poisson or Poisson–Boltzmann equation, but that moniker belies the diversity of available methods. This work reviews the current state‐of‐the art, with emphasis on theory and methods rather than applications. The basics of continuum electrostatics are described, including the nonequilibrium polarization response upon excitation or ionization of the solute. Nonelectrostatic interactions, which must be included in the model in order to obtain accurate solvation energies, are also described. Numerical techniques for implementing the equations are discussed, including linear‐scaling algorithms that can be used in classical or mixed quantum/classical biomolecular electrostatics calculations. Anisotropic models that can describe interfacial solvation are briefly described.

This article is categorized under:

Electronic Structure Theory > Ab Initio Electronic Structure Methods

Molecular and Statistical Mechanics > Free Energy Methods
A derivation of AdS/CFT for vector models
Authors: Aharony Ofer , Chester Shai M. , Urbach Erez Y.
Published: March 2021

Abstract

We explicitly rewrite the path integral for the free or critical O(N) (or U(N)) bosonic vector models in d space-time dimensions as a path integral over fields (including massless high-spin fields) living on (d + 1)-dimensional anti-de Sitter space. Inspired by de Mello Koch, Jevicki, Suzuki and Yoon and earlier work, we first rewrite the vector models in terms of bi-local fields, then expand these fields in eigenmodes of the conformal group, and finally map these eigenmodes to those of fields on anti-de Sitter space. Our results provide an explicit (non-local) action for a high-spin theory on anti-de Sitter space, which is presumably equivalent in the large N limit to Vasiliev’s classical high-spin gravity theory (with some specific gauge-fixing to a fixed background), but which can be used also for loop computations. Our mapping is explicit within the 1/N expansion, but in principle can be extended also to finite N theories, where extra constraints on products of bulk fields need to be taken into account.
Single extra dimension from κ-Poincaré and gauge invariance
Authors: Mathieu Philippe , Wallet Jean-Christophe
Published: March 2021

Abstract

We show that κ-Poincaré invariant gauge theories on κ-Minkowski space with physically acceptable commutative (low energy) limit must be 5-d. The gauge invariance requirement of the action fixes the dimension of the κ-Minkowski space to d = 5 and selects the unique twisted differential calculus with which the construction can be achieved. We characterize a BRST symmetry related to the 5-d noncommutative gauge invariance though the definition of a nilpotent operation, which is used to construct a gauge-fixed action. We also consider standard scenarios assuming (compactification of) flat extra dimension, for which the 5-d deformation parameter κ can be viewed as the bulk 5-d Planck mass. We study physical properties of the resulting 4-d effective theories. Recent data from collider experiments require κ ≳ $$ \mathcal{O} $$
O
(1013) GeV. The use of standard test of in-vacuo dispersion relations of Gamma Ray Burst photons increases this lower bound by 4 orders of magnitude. The robustness of this bound is discussed in the light of possible new features of noncommutative causal structures.
Electroweak symmetry breaking in the inverse seesaw mechanism
Authors: Mandal Sanjoy , Srivastava Rahul , Valle José W. F.
Published: March 2021

Abstract

We investigate the stability of Higgs potential in inverse seesaw models. We derive the full two-loop RGEs of the relevant parameters, such as the quartic Higgs self-coupling, taking thresholds into account. We find that for relatively large Yukawa couplings the Higgs quartic self-coupling goes negative well below the Standard Model instability scale ∼ 1010 GeV. We show, however, that the “dynamical” inverse seesaw with spontaneous lepton number violation can lead to a completely consistent and stable Higgs vacuum up to the Planck scale.
Boundary state bootstrap and asymptotic overlaps in AdS/dCFT
Authors: Gombor Tamas , Bajnok Zoltan
Published: March 2021

Abstract

We formulate and close the boundary state bootstrap for factorizing K-matrices in AdS/CFT. We found that there are no boundary degrees of freedom in the boundary bound states, merely the boundary parameters are shifted. We use this family of boundary bound states to describe the D3-D5 system for higher dimensional matrix product states and provide their asymptotic overlap formulas. In doing so we generalize the nesting for overlaps of matrix product states and Bethe states.
A correspondence between Ricci-flat Kerr and Kaluza-Klein AdS black hole
Authors: Ma Liang , Lü H.
Published: March 2021

Abstract

We establish an explicit correspondence of Einstein gravity on the squashed spheres that are the U(1) bundles over ℂℙm to the Kaluza-Klein AdS gravity on the tori. This allows us to map the Ricci-flat Kerr metrics in odd dimensions with all equal angular momenta to charged Kaluza-Klein AdS black holes that can be lifted to become singly rotating M-branes and D3-branes. Furthermore, we find maps between Ricci-flat gravitational instantons to the AdS domain walls. In particular the supersymmetric bolt instantons correspond to domain walls that can be interpreted as distributed M-branes and D3-branes, whilst the non-supersymmetric Taub-NUT solutions yield new domain walls that can be lifted to become solutions in M-theory or type IIB supergravity. The correspondence also inspires us to obtain a new superpotential in the Kaluza-Klein AdS gravity in four dimensions.
Topological excitations in statistical field theory at the upper critical dimension
Authors: Panero Marco , Smecca Antonio
Published: March 2021

Abstract

We present a high-precision Monte Carlo study of the classical Heisenberg model in four dimensions. We investigate the properties of monopole-like topological excitations that are enforced in the broken-symmetry phase by imposing suitable boundary conditions. We show that the corresponding magnetization and energy-density profiles are accurately predicted by previous analytical calculations derived in quantum field theory, while the scaling of the low-energy parameters of this description questions an interpretation in terms of particle excitations. We discuss the relevance of these findings and their possible experimental applications in condensed-matter physics.
Granulomatöse rosazeaartiges Exanthem unter Tofacitinib
Authors: Neumann Kristina , Terheyden Patrick , Thaçi Diamant
Published: March 2021

Wir berichten von einer 32-jährigen Patientin mit Colitis ulcerosa, die unter Therapie mit dem JAK(Januskinase)-Inhibitor Tofacitinib eine massive papulopustulöse Dermatitis entwickelt hat. Trotz intensiver lokaltherapeutischer Maßnahmen und der Einnahme von Kortikosteroiden und Doxycyclin trat keine ausreichende Besserung ein, sodass die Tofacitinib-Behandlung beendet werden musste. Bekanntermaßen kann die Klasse der JAK-Inhibitoren zu infektiösen und allergischen Hautnebenwirkungen führen. Fälle von steriler papulopustulöse Dermatitis unter Therapie mit JAK-Inhibitoren sind allerdings bislang kaum berichtet worden.
Quantitative trait locus mapping combined with variant and transcriptome analyses identifies a cluster of gene candidates underlying the variation in leaf wax between upland and lowland switchgrass ecotypes
Authors: Qi Peng , Pendergast Thomas H. , Johnson Alex , Bahri Bochra A. , Choi Soyeon , Missaoui Ali , Devos Katrien M.
Published: March 2021

Key message

Mapping combined with expression and variant analyses in switchgrass, a crop with complex genetics, identified a cluster of candidate genes for leaf wax in a fast-evolving region of chromosome 7K.

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a promising warm-season candidate energy crop. It occurs in two ecotypes, upland and lowland, which vary in a number of phenotypic traits, including leaf glaucousness. To initiate trait mapping, two F2 mapping populations were developed by crossing two different F1 sibs derived from a cross between the tetraploid lowland genotype AP13 and the tetraploid upland genotype VS16, and high-density linkage maps were generated. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analyses of visually scored leaf glaucousness and of hydrophobicity of the abaxial leaf surface measured using a drop shape analyzer identified highly significant colocalizing QTL on chromosome 7K (Chr07K). Using a multipronged approach, we identified a cluster of genes including Pavir.7KG077009, which encodes a Type III polyketide synthase-like protein, and Pavir.7KG013754 and Pavir.7KG030500, two highly similar genes that encode putative acyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) thioesterases, as strong candidates underlying the QTL. The lack of homoeologs for any of the three genes on Chr07N, the relatively low level of identity with other switchgrass KCS proteins and thioesterases, as well as the organization of the surrounding region suggest that Pavir.7KG077009 and Pavir.7KG013754/Pavir.7KG030500 were duplicated into a fast-evolving chromosome region, which led to their neofunctionalization. Furthermore, sequence analyses showed all three genes to be absent in the two upland compared to the two lowland accessions analyzed. This study provides an example of and practical guide for trait mapping and candidate gene identification in a complex genetic system by combining QTL mapping, transcriptomics and variant analysis.
Coherence tomography with broad bandwidth extreme ultraviolet and soft X-ray radiation
Authors: Skruszewicz S. , Fuchs S. , Abel J. J. , Nathanael J. , Reinhard J. , Rödel C. , Wiesner F. , Wünsche M. , Wachulak P. , Bartnik A. , Janulewicz K. , Fiedorowicz H. , Paulus G. G.
Published: March 2021

We present an overview of recent results on optical coherence tomography with the use of extreme ultraviolet and soft X-ray radiation (XCT). XCT is a cross-sectional imaging method that has emerged as a derivative of optical coherence tomography (OCT). In contrast to OCT, which typically uses near-infrared light, XCT utilizes broad bandwidth extreme ultraviolet (XUV) and soft X-ray (SXR) radiation (Fuchs et al in Sci Rep 6:20658, 2016). As in OCT, XCT’s axial resolution only scales with the coherence length of the light source. Thus, an axial resolution down to the nanometer range can be achieved. This is an improvement of up to three orders of magnitude in comparison to OCT. XCT measures the reflected spectrum in a common-path interferometric setup to retrieve the axial structure of nanometer-sized samples. The technique has been demonstrated with broad bandwidth XUV/SXR radiation from synchrotron facilities and recently with compact laboratory-based laser-driven sources. Axial resolutions down to 2.2 nm have been achieved experimentally. XCT has potential applications in three-dimensional imaging of silicon-based semiconductors, lithography masks, and layered structures like XUV mirrors and solar cells.
The influence of bone quality on radiological outcome in 50 consecutive acetabular fractures treated with a pre-contoured anatomic suprapectineal plate
Authors: Hartel Maximilian J. , Naji Tareq , Fensky Florian , Henes Frank O. , Thiesen Darius M. , Lehmann Wolfgang , Frosch Karl-Heinz , Ntalos Dimitris
Published: March 2021

Purpose

To investigate the range of indications of an anatomical-preshaped three-dimensional suprapectineal plate and to assess the impact of the bone mass density on radiologic outcomes in different types of acetabular fractures.

Patients and methods

A consecutive case series of 50 acetabular fractures (patient age 69 ± 23 years) treated with suprapectineal anatomic plates were analyzed in a retrospective study. The analysis included: Mechanism of injury, fracture pattern, surgical approach, need for additional total hip arthroplasty, intra- or postoperative complications, as well as bone mass density and radiological outcome on postoperative computed tomography.

Results

Most frequently, anterior column fracture patterns with and without hemitransverse components as well as associated two column fractures were encountered. The anterior intrapelvic approach (AIP) was used in 98% (49/50) of the cases as primary approach with additional utilization of the first window of the ilioinguinal approach in 13/50 cases (26%). Determination of bone density revealed impaired bone quality in 70% (31/44). Postoperative steps and gaps were significantly greater in this subgroup (p < 0.05). Fracture reduction quality for postoperative steps revealed anatomic results in 92% if the bone quality was normal and in 46% if impaired (p < 0.05). In seven cases (14%), the plate was utilized in combination with acute primary arthroplasty.

Conclusion

A preshaped suprapectineal plate provides good radiological outcomes in a variety of indications in a predominantly geriatric cohort. Impaired bone quality has a significantly higher risk of poor reduction results. In cases with extensive joint destruction, the combination with total hip arthroplasty was a valuable option.
Modelling the yield and profitability of intercropped walnut systems in Croatia
Authors: Žalac Helena , Burgess Paul , Graves Anil , Giannitsopoulos Michail , Paponja Ivan , Popović Brigita , Ivezić Vladimir
Published: March 2021

In Croatia, farmers are showing increasing interest in establishing walnut orchards for nut production on arable land due to higher anticipated net margins. One way to address the lack of profitability in the initial years when nut yields are low may be to plant arable intercrops. The anticipated impacts of this practice were assessed using a biophysical simulation model (Yield-SAFE) to determine the growth and yield of crops and trees in arable, orchard, and silvoarable systems, and an economic farm model (Farm-SAFE) was used to assess their profitability. The walnut orchard and the intercropped orchard systems were simulated assuming tree densities of 170, 135, and 100 trees ha−1, to determine the profitability and break-even date of the systems. The biophysical simulation predicted a decline in arable intercrop yields over time in all tree density scenarios. However, analysis of productivity of intercropped systems showed that intercropping was more productive than separate arable and walnut production for all tree density scenarios. From financial aspect, the return from intercropping helped to offset some of the initial orchard establishment costs and the arable intercrop remained profitable until the sixth year after tree planting. The modelling predicted that a system with 170 trees ha−1 that included intercropping for the first 6 years provided the greatest cumulative net margin after 20 years. The financial benefit of intercropping over the first 6 years opposed to monoculture walnut fruit production appeared to be consistent across the three tree densities studied. These results suggest that silvoarable agroforestry is profitable approach to establishing walnut orchards.
Propagation Channel Measurements in the mm- and Sub-mm Wave Range for Different Indoor Communication Scenarios
Authors: Salhi M. A. , Kleine-Ostmann T. , Schrader T.
Published: March 2021

Increasing data rates in wireless communications are accompanied with the need for new unoccupied and unregulated bandwidth in the electromagnetic spectrum. Higher carrier frequencies in the lower THz frequency range might offer the solution for future indoor wireless communication systems with data rates of 100 Gbit/s and beyond that cannot be located elsewhere. In this review, we discuss propagation channel measurements in an extremely broad frequency range from 50 to 325 GHz in selected indoor communication scenarios including kiosk downloading, office room communication, living rooms, and typical industrial environments.
Correction to: Thermodynamics of a Hierarchical Mixture of Cubes
Authors: Jansen Sabine
Published: March 2021

A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10955-021-02742-0
Teacher-Student Interaction Patterns Change During an Early Science Teaching Intervention
Authors: Menninga A. , van Geert P. , van Vondel S. , Steenbeek H. , van Dijk M.
Published: March 2021

This study aimed to explore the interaction between teachers and young students in terms of their question and answer patterns during science lessons and to investigate whether this changes over the course of an intervention called ‘Language as a Tool for learning science’ (LaT). It also compared experienced teachers with novices. A total of 16 teachers—of which 8 experienced and 8 novice teachers—and their students participated in this study. The teachers’ utterances were coded with regard to the use of questioning strategies, and the students’ reasoning skills were categorized by the use of three types of scientific reasoning skills (observations, predictions, explanations). Consistent with a complex dynamic systems orientation, we analyzed the interactions among these dimensions by means of state space grids (SSG). The results showed that before the intervention, the teacher-student interaction often took the form of a relatively rigid pattern in which teachers did not ask questions and students did not respond with reasoning expressions. In the course of the LaT intervention, a richer repertoire and a greater amount of interactions emerged in which knowledge was “co-constructed” by means of open-ended questions of the teacher and reasoning by the students. The results also suggest that the patterns of experienced and novice teachers were quite similar to each other.
Modeling of Symbiotic Bacterial Biofilm Growth with an Example of the Streptococcus–Veillonella sp. System
Authors: Feng Dianlei , Neuweiler Insa , Nogueira Regina , Nackenhorst Udo
Published: March 2021

We present a multi-dimensional continuum mathematical model for modeling the growth of a symbiotic biofilm system. We take a dual-species namely, the Streptococcus–Veillonella sp. biofilm system as an example for numerical investigations. The presented model describes both the cooperation and competition between these species of bacteria. The coupled partial differential equations are solved by using an integrative finite element numerical strategy. Numerical examples are carried out for studying the evolution and distribution of the bio-components. The results demonstrate that the presented model is capable of describing the symbiotic behavior of the biofilm system. However, homogenized numerical solutions are observed locally. To study the homogenization behavior of the model, numerical investigations regarding on how random initial biomass distribution influences the homogenization process are carried out. We found that a smaller correlation length of the initial biomass distribution leads to faster homogenization of the solution globally, however, shows more fluctuated biomass profiles along the biofilm thickness direction. More realistic scenarios with bacteria in patches are also investigated numerically in this study.
Patient-specific prediction of SEEG electrode bending for stereotactic neurosurgical planning
Authors: Granados Alejandro , Han Yuxuan , Lucena Oeslle , Vakharia Vejay , Rodionov Roman , Vos Sjoerd B. , Miserocchi Anna , McEvoy Andrew W. , Duncan John S. , Sparks Rachel , Ourselin Sébastien
Published: March 2021

Purpose 

Electrode bending observed after stereotactic interventions is typically not accounted for in either computer-assisted planning algorithms, where straight trajectories are assumed, or in quality assessment, where only metrics related to entry and target points are reported. Our aim is to provide a fully automated and validated pipeline for the prediction of stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) electrode bending.

Methods 

We transform electrodes of 86 cases into a common space and compare features-based and image-based neural networks on their ability to regress local displacement ($$\mathbf{lu} $$
lu
) or electrode bending ($$\hat{\mathbf{eb }}$$

eb
^

). Electrodes were stratified into six groups based on brain structures at the entry and target point. Models, both with and without Monte Carlo (MC) dropout, were trained and validated using tenfold cross-validation.

Results 

mage-based models outperformed features-based models for all groups, and models that predicted $$\mathbf{lu} $$
lu
performed better than for $$\hat{\mathbf{eb }}$$

eb
^

. Image-based model prediction with MC dropout resulted in lower mean squared error (MSE) with improvements up to 12.9% ($$\mathbf{lu} $$
lu
) and 39.9% ($$\hat{\mathbf{eb }}$$

eb
^

), compared to no dropout. Using an image of brain tissue types (cortex, white and deep grey matter) resulted in similar, and sometimes better performance, compared to using a T1-weighted MRI when predicting $$\mathbf{lu} $$
lu
. When inferring trajectories of image-based models (brain tissue types), 86.9% of trajectories had an MSE$$\le 1$$

≤
1

 mm.

Conclusion 

An image-based approach regressing local displacement with an image of brain tissue types resulted in more accurate electrode bending predictions compared to other approaches, inputs, and outputs. Future work will investigate the integration of electrode bending into planning and quality assessment algorithms.
Nichts Neues an der Spitze der Großunternehmen!? Die deutsche Wirtschaftselite zwischen 1970 und 2020
Authors: Hartmann Michael
Published: March 2021

Um die Jahrtausendwende wurde vielfach das Ende des spezifisch deutschen Modells der Managerrekrutierung und eine Angleichung an die angelsächsischen Verhältnisse verkündet. Der vorliegende Aufsatz überprüft diese These für die Vorstandsvorsitzenden der 100 größten deutschen Unternehmen anhand der zentralen Merkmale Ausbildung, Karrieretypus, Internationalität und soziale Herkunft zu fünf Zeitpunkten: 1970, 1995, 2005, 2015 und 2020. Es zeigt sich, dass die Rekrutierungskriterien und -mechanismen weit stabiler sind als seinerzeit angenommen. Es dominiert nach wie vor die Hauskarriere, und die Ingenieure und Naturwissenschaftler haben ihre Position sogar ausbauen können. Auch bei der sozialen Herkunft sind keine wesentlichen Veränderungen zu verzeichnen. Das gilt ebenfalls für die Aufsichtsratsvorsitzenden: Bei ihnen wie bei den Vorstandschefs stammen den gesamten Zeitraum hindurch über vier Fünftel aus bürgerlichen oder großbürgerlichen Familien. Die einzige gravierende Veränderung liegt im völligen Bedeutungsverlust der Juristen unter den Vorstandsvorsitzenden. Der Anteil der Ausländer unter ihnen wiederum ist zwar bis 2015 deutlich auf knapp 15 % angestiegen, in den letzten fünf Jahren aber wieder auf das Niveau von 2005 mit knapp 10 % zurückgefallen.
The dilemma of 18F-FDG PET/CT thyroid incidentaloma: what we should expect from FNA. A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Scappaticcio Lorenzo , Piccardo Arnoldo , Treglia Giorgio , Poller David N. , Trimboli Pierpaolo
Published: March 2021

Purpose

18F-FDG thyroid incidentaloma (TI) occurs in ~2% of PET/CT examinations with a cancer prevalence of up to 35–40%. Guidelines recommend fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNA) if a focal 18F-FDG TI corresponds to a sonographic nodule >1 cm. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to provide evidence-based data on the diagnostic distribution of 18F-FDG TIs in the six Bethesda systems for reporting thyroid cytopathology (BETHESDA) subcategories.

Methods

Original studies reporting 18F-FDG TIs and cytologically classified according to BETHESDA were included. Six separate meta-analyses were performed to obtain the pooled prevalence (95% confidence interval, 95% CI) of 18F-FDG TIs in the six BETHESDA subcategories.

Results

Fifteen studies were finally included. Nine studies were from Asian/Eastern and six from Western countries. FNA data according to BETHESDA was available in 2304 cases. The pooled prevalence of 18F-FDG TIs according to BETHESDA was BETHESDA I 10% (6–14), BETHESDA II 45% (37–53), BETHESDA III 8% (3–13), BETHESDA IV 8% (5–12), BETHESDA V 6% (4–9), BETHESDA VI 19% (13–25). A significantly different prevalence was found in the BETHESDA IV between Asian/Eastern (2%) and Western (19%) studies.

Conclusion

Two-thirds of focal 18F-FDG TIs undergoing FNA have either malignant (BETHESDA VI) or benign (BETHESDA II) cytology while a minority will have indeterminate (BETHESDA III or IV) FNA results. Significant differences between Asian/Eastern and Western studies are also present in the prevalence of indeterminate FNA results.
Social Capital and Its Effect on Labour Market (Mis)match: Migrants’ Overqualification in Germany
Authors: Kracke Nancy , Klug Christina
Published: March 2021

If a person is overqualified in the sense that an employee’s level of training exceeds the job requirements, then some human capital lies idle and cannot be converted into appropriate (monetary and non-monetary) returns. Migrants are particularly at risk of being overqualified in their employment; however, this phenomenon cannot be fully explained by differences in human capital or socio-economic characteristics. This paper examines whether social capital plays a decisive role in migrants’ risk of overqualification in Germany. Using data from the German IAB-SOEP Migration Sample, we analyse the job search process of migrants to determine whether social networks influence their risk of being employed below their acquired educational level. We estimate logistic regression models and find that social capital influences the adequacy of migrants’ jobs: We show that migrants are at a greater risk of overqualification if they use only informal job search strategies such as relying on friends or family members. Moreover, we find that homophilous migrant networks and jobs in employment niches are risk factors for overqualification. We conclude that the combination of informal job search modes and homophilous migrant networks leads to a comparably high risk for migrants of being overqualified in their employment in the German labour market.