bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
AKT1/HK2 Axis‐mediated Glucose Metabolism: A Novel Therapeutic Target of Sulforaphane in Bladder Cancer
Authors: Huang Lei , He Canxia , Zheng Sicong , Wu Chao , Ren Minghua , Shan Yujuan
Published: November 2021

Scope

Metabolic disorder is a pivotal hallmark of cancer cells. Sulforaphane (SFN) is reported to improve lipid metabolism. However, the effect of SFN on glucose metabolism in bladder cancer remains unclear. Hence, the effect and underling mechanism is investigated.

Methods and Results

Biological samples from bladder cancer patients are collected, and also investigated using N‐butyl‐N‐(4‐hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine‐induced bladder cancer mice and bladder cancer cell lines. A novel glucose transport aberrant‐independent aerobic glycolysis is found in bladder cancer patients, and the lower malignancy tissues have the more obvious abnormality. SFN strongly downregulates ATP production by inhibiting glycolysis and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Both in vitro cell culture and in bladder tumor mice, SFN weaken the glycolytic flux by suppressing multiple metabolic enzymes, including hexokinase 2 (HK2) and pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH). Moreover, SFN decreases the level of AKT1 and p‐AKT ser473, especially in low‐invasive UMUC3 cells. The downregulation of ATP and HK2 by SFN is both reversed by AKT1 overexpression.

Conclusions

SFN downregulates the unique glucose transport aberrant‐independent aerobic glycolysis existed in bladder cancer via blocking the AKT1/HK2 axis and PDH expression.
Deep‐learning model observer for a low‐contrast hepatic metastases localization task in computed tomography
Authors: Gong Hao , Fletcher Joel G. , Heiken Jay P. , Wells Michael L. , Leng Shuai , McCollough Cynthia H. , Yu Lifeng
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Conventional model observers (MO) in CT are often limited to a uniform background or varying background that is random and can be modeled in an analytical form. It is unclear if these conventional MOs can be readily generalized to predict human observer performance in clinical CT tasks that involve realistic anatomical background. Deep‐learning‐based model observers (DL‐MO) have recently been developed, but have not been validated for challenging low contrast diagnostic tasks in abdominal CT. We consequently sought to validate a DL‐MO for a low‐contrast hepatic metastases localization task.

Methods

We adapted our recently developed DL‐MO framework for the liver metastases localization task. Our previously‐validated projection‐domain lesion‐/noise‐insertion techniques were used to synthesize realistic positive and low‐dose abdominal CT exams, using the archived patient projection data. Ten experimental conditions were generated, which involved different lesion sizes/contrasts, radiation dose levels, and image reconstruction types. Each condition included 100 trials generated from a patient cohort of 7 cases. Each trial was presented as liver image patches (160×160×5 voxels). The DL‐MO performance was calculated for each condition and was compared with human observer performance, which was obtained by three sub‐specialized radiologists in an observer study. The performance of DL‐MO and radiologists was gauged by the area under localization receiver‐operating‐characteristic curves. The generalization performance of the DL‐MO was estimated with the repeated twofold cross‐validation method over the same set of trials used in the human observer study. A multi‐slice Channelized Hoteling Observers (CHO) was compared with the DL‐MO across the same experimental conditions.

Results

The performance of DL‐MO was highly correlated to that of radiologists (Pearson's correlation coefficient: 0.987; 95% CI: [0.942, 0.997]). The performance level of DL‐MO was comparable to that of the grouped radiologists, that is, the mean performance difference was ‐3.3%. The CHO performance was poorer than the grouped radiologist performance, before internal noise could be added. The correlation between CHO and radiologists was weaker (Pearson's correlation coefficient: 0.812, and 95% CI: [0.378, 0.955]), and the corresponding performance bias (‐29.5%) was statistically significant.

Conclusion

The presented study demonstrated the potential of using the DL‐MO for image quality assessment in patient abdominal CT tasks.
Myocardial blood flow is the dominant factor influencing cardiac magnetic resonance adenosine stress T2
Authors: Weyers Jill J. , Ramanan Venkat , Javed Ahsan , Barry Jennifer , Larsen Melissa , Nayak Krishna , Wright Graham A. , Ghugre Nilesh R.
Published: November 2021

Stress imaging identifies ischemic myocardium by comparing hemodynamics during rest and hyperemic stress. Hyperemia affects multiple hemodynamic parameters in myocardium, including myocardial blood flow (MBF), myocardial blood volume (MBV), and venous blood oxygen levels (PvO2). Cardiac T2 is sensitive to these changes and therefore is a promising non‐contrast option for stress imaging; however, the impact of individual hemodynamic factors on T2 is poorly understood, making the connection from altered T2 to changes within the tissue difficult. To better understand this interplay, we performed T2 mapping and measured various hemodynamic factors independently in healthy pigs at multiple levels of hyperemic stress, induced by different doses of adenosine (0.14‐0.56 mg/kg/min). T1 mapping quantified changes in MBV. MBF was assessed with microspheres, and oxygen consumption was determined by the rate pressure product (RPP). Simulations were also run to better characterize individual contributions to T2.

Myocardial T2, MBF, oxygen consumption, and MBV all changed to varying extents between each level of adenosine stress (T2 = 37.6‐41.8 ms; MBF = 0.48‐1.32 mL/min/g; RPP = 6507‐4001 bmp*mmHg; maximum percent change in MBV = 1.31%). Multivariable analyses revealed MBF as the dominant influence on T2 during hyperemia (significant β‐values >7). Myocardial oxygen consumption had almost no effect on T2 (β‐values <0.002); since PvO2 is influenced by both oxygen consumption and MBF, PvO2 changes detected by T2 during adenosine stress can be attributed to MBF. Simulations varying PvO2 and MBV confirmed that PvO2 had the strongest influence on T2, but MBV became important at high PvO2. Together, these data suggest a model where, during adenosine stress, myocardial T2 responds predominantly to changes in MBF, but at high hyperemia MBV is also influential. Thus, changes in adenosine stress T2 can now be interpreted in terms of the physiological changes that led to it, enabling T2 mapping to become a viable non‐contrast option to detect ischemic myocardial tissue.
A systematic study of temperature‐dependent cationic photopolymerization of cyclic esters
Authors: Mete Yazgan , Knaack Patrick , Liska Robert
Published: November 2021

The polymerization of cyclic esters to form polyesters is a thoroughly investigated topic and can be performed via anionic, cationic or metal‐mediated techniques. While there have been attempts to apply light‐induced on‐demand initiation techniques, in most investigations photobase generators are used. In this work the focus lies on photoacid generators, which – contrary to many photobase generators – are easily stored, thermally stable, reactive, less sensitive towards water and oxygen inhibition and commercially available in various forms. However, in most cases the low reactivity of the monomers requires long polymerization times. Therefore, this study provides a basic study of the temperature‐dependent cationic photopolymerization of cyclic esters and shows that polyesters can be formed in less than 5 min of irradiation at elevated temperatures and without solvents, leading to highly crystalline products. In addition, the temperature‐dependent crystallinity, molecular weights and dispersities of the polymers are investigated and presented. © 2021 The Authors. Polymer International published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Industrial Chemistry.
Accelerated lifetime testing of thin‐film solar cells at high irradiances and controlled temperatures
Authors: Burlafinger Klaus , Strohm Sebastian , Joisten Christoph , Woiton Michael , Classen Andrej , Hepp Johannes , Heumüller Thomas , Brabec Christoph J. , Vetter Andreas
Published: November 2021

Within this study, we investigate the intrinsic photostability of thin‐film solar cells, here organic photovoltaic cells. Since degradation under natural sun light proceeds within the timeframe of months and years, the process needs to be speeded up for fast material analysis and screening, using high‐concentration accelerated lifetime testing (high‐C ALT). For this purpose, we established setups allowing irradiances of up to 730 sun equivalents (SE). One key finding of our study is that accelerating the testing procedure by such large intensities is possible but a precise measurement and control of the solar cell temperature is absolutely essential. Accordingly, we developed an innovative method of determining the temperature of the active layer which offers significant advantages over commonly used measurement methods. Furthermore, it was found that the degradation process under high illumination densities can be well described by a stretched exponential law. We demonstrate that the temperature kinetics of P3HT:PCBM was found to be Arrhenius governed with an activation energy of 27.2 kJ/mol under continuous illumination of 300 SE. Finally, it was shown that the velocity of light‐induced degradation of short‐circuit current depends linearly on the used irradiance dose at a given temperature starting from normal illumination conditions up to at least 300 SE. This makes high‐C ALT a very valuable tool for swift screening of the lifetime of novel thin‐film solar cells and materials.
A robust hybrid exponentially weighted moving average chart for monitoring time between events
Authors: Khan Majid , Aslam Muhammad , Anwar Syed Masroor , Zaman Babar
Published: November 2021

Monitoring time between events () is an essential aspect of the high‐yield processes where the events of interest rarely occur. This study proposes a one‐sided scheme of a hybrid exponentially weighted moving average (HEWMA) chart for monitoring , where it is assumed that the observations follow a gamma distribution. This chart is symbolized as the chart. The chart detects the downward shift, that is, a decrease in the interarrival times that can lead to a deterioration of the process. A simulation study is carried out for the numerical results, and one‐sided chart is evaluated along with one‐sided triple (, double , , double , and charts. The results show that the one‐sided chart outperforms its rivals, particularly in the case of small‐to‐moderate downward shifts. Moreover, this study also investigated the robustness of the chart, where the true distribution of the observations is assumed to be Weibull or lognormal, and it is found that the chart is reasonably robust. Finally, two examples are given to demonstrate how to use the chart in real‐world situations.
Platinum(II)‐mediated disulfide/thiolate interconversion in organic disulfides: Density functional theory thermodynamic study
Authors: Petrov Alexander I. , Dergachev Ilya D.
Published: November 2021

We present a complete Density Functional Theory (DFT) study of the thermodynamics of the reactions of disulfides (l‐cystine, cystamine, dl‐homocystine, and 3,3′‐dithiodipropionic acid) with Pt(II) ions in aqueous media. SMD solvation model was fitted to take into account the solvation effects of the medium. DFT calculations predict the oxidative addition reaction with the formation of thiolate complexes of Pt(IV)—[PtCl4(S‐R)2] which is consistent with experimental data. We propose a theoretical model that rationalizes the experimental data on Pt(II) interactions with homological disulfides. The role of explicit solvation in reactions is also investigated. We propose that the stability of S,S′‐binuclear disulfide complexes correlates with the redistribution of charges on sulfur atoms. We compared MN15 and PBE0 functionals for the calculation of equilibrium constants.
Design of a vibration damping robot and force evaluation in intraoperative robotic‐assisted femoral shaft repair using a modified soft damper
Authors: Orelaja Oluseyi A. , Xingsong Wang , Li Jie , Sh Dauda Ibrahim , Afiz Ishola. A. , Odunlami S.A. , Badmos Abdulyezir A. , Sharif Umer
Published: November 2021

Background

Closed intra‐medullary nailing fixation is a method for treating fractured femurs with minimal invasiveness. However, this method lacks safety and precision. To avert prevailing problems such as extended cracks in the already broken bone, the design of a vibration damping robot and force evaluation system is essential.

Methods

This paper presents a sensor‐based clamping robot system embedded with a regulated pressurised air balloon. Drilling forces were monitored by a force sensor attached to the end robot effector, while the reduced vibration result was measured by a non‐contact laser displacement sensor. A 2 degree‐of‐freedom (2DOF) model was developed.

Results

Force and vibration data were obtained using a data acquisition module (EMS 309) and analysed using MATLAB software (Version R2015b). The results obtained show that both the frequencies and amplitudes of the vibration is reduced at 6 bar with effector's spindle speed of 1500 rpm.

Conclusions

This proposed concept shows that drilling force and vibration can be reduced simultaneously using a robot effector coupled with a damper.
Finite‐time stabilization for a class of stochastic output‐constrained systems by output feedback
Authors: Fang Liandi , Ma Li , Park Ju H. , Ding Shihong
Published: November 2021

In this paper, the issue of output feedback finite‐time stabilization is investigated for a class ofp‐norm stochastic systems with output constraints. A novel tan‐type barrier Lyapunov function (BLF) is constructed to cope with the constraint on the system output, and a finite‐time state feedback controller is subsequently designed by the adding a power integrator technique. Then, based on the designed state feedback controller and a devised nonsmooth observer for the unmeasurable state, the output feedback finite‐time stabilizer is obtained. Both the theoretical analysis and numerical example demonstrate that the proposed scheme guarantees the finite‐time stability of the considered system without violating the prespecified output constraint.
Model‐free adaptive tracking control for networked nonlinear systems with data dropout
Authors: Wang Yuan , Wang Zhanshan
Published: November 2021

The data‐driven tracking control problem is investigated for networked nonlinear systems subjected to data dropout. The desired time‐varying output trajectory is considered in this article, which is more general than the constant trajectory. In order to improve the tracking performance, the change rate of tracking error is additionally introduced to the performance index to design model‐free adaptive controller. Accordingly, more adjustable parameters are introduced into the controller. With the help of the approximation ability of RBFNN, an RBFNN estimation algorithm is designed to compensate for the adverse effects of data dropout. It is shown that the proposed controller can guarantee the system output to track the desired time‐varying output trajectory. Finally, two numerical simulations are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Exponential tracking control of MIMO nonlinear systems with actuator failures and nonparametric uncertainties
Authors: Gao Ruizhen , Wang Haoqian , Zhao Lin , Zhao Kai
Published: November 2021

Exponential tracking control of multi‐input multi‐output nonlinear systems is of great importance to system performance, which however poses significant difficulty in control design. The problem becomes even more challenging if actuator failures and nonparametric uncertainties are present. In this article, we apply the so‐called exponential‐transformation to the nonlinear dynamics and derive a robust control algorithm based on the transformed dynamics to achieve exponential tracking. In contrast to most of the existing works which consider prescribed performance, the developed control design method possesses the following features: (1) it achieves robust exponential tracking against actuator failures and nonparametric uncertainties; (2) it allows arbitrarily assignable convergence rate which is independent of the initial conditions; (3) it easily handles actuator failures under very mild assumptions on the high‐frequency gain matrix, which significantly relaxes the traditional design methods; and (4) no approximation using neuro/fuzzy systems is required, making the control algorithm simple and easy to implement. A robotic manipulator control example is employed to validate the proposed methodology.
Group size influences light‐emitting diode light colour and substrate preference of David's Schizothoracin (Schizothorax davidi): Relevance for design of fish passage facilities
Authors: Li Weiwei , Bao Jianghui , Zhang Chaoshuo , Mi Xiangyuan , Zhang Dongxu , Jiang Hao , Twardek William M. , Cooke Steven J. , Duan Ming
Published: November 2021

Fish passage structures have been constructed to facilitate fish movement past barriers, though the effectiveness of passage structures is highly variable. Designing fish passage structures that consider the behavioural preferences of fish under different environmental conditions (e.g., light colour, substrate type) has the potential to improve fish passage success. Similarly, whether a fish encounters a passage facility alone or in a group may influence fish behaviour. In this case, we assessed the preference of different group sizes (n = 1, 6 and 12, respectively) of David's Schizothoracin Schizothorax davidi under four different light‐emitting diode colours and eight different substrate types in the aquaria of the Houziyan Reproduction Station. We found that singletons preferred to visit the white light, cement and fine pebble, while the fish in groups preferred to visit the blue light, fine pebble and cobble. In addition, the total percentage of mobility frequency (18.3 ± 1.8%), movement velocity (20.4 ± 15.9 cm/s) and distance moved (15.8 ± 1.8 m) of singletons in blue light were much lower than that in the others. The movement velocity (3.3 ± 0.6 cm/s) of singletons on cobble was less, but the percentage of total mobility time (162.9 ± 16.0%) and distance moved (153.4 ± 19.6 m) on the cobble were much greater. Our research yielded novel insights for improving passage efficiency for this species. Findings from this study suggest there should be greater consideration of light colour and substrate type when designing fish passage facilities. Because fish almost always experience dynamic hydraulic conditions near and in fishways, additional research is needed to understand the generality of these findings in systems under lotic characteristics.
One‐Pot Synthesis of Flavonol Esters and Benzamides via Unusual Base Catalyzed Partial Ring‐Opening‐Esterification and Amidation of Flavonols
Authors: Anjitha Theres Benny , Shanmugam Ponnusamy , Ethiraj Kannatt Radhakrishnan
Published: November 2021

Base‐catalysed intramolecular esterification of flavonol has been observed from the reaction of in situ generated carboxylic acid from flavonol in an aprotic solvent. Mechanistically, the reaction proceeds by the cleavage of the heterocyclic ring system to generate a carboxylate anion corresponding to the B ring of the flavonol. The carboxylic acid thus generated undergone esterification with flavonol to the observed product. The carboxylate anion intermediate generated in situ was utilized for the formation of aryl amides and aryl esters by the addition of substituted anilines and phenols. Based on the control experiments, it is proposed that the carboxylate anion underwent intramolecular esterification and another portion underwent reaction with the supplied aryl amines and phenols to afford substituted amides and esters.
Mechanistic Insight into the ZnO‐Assisted Growth of Sn6O4(OH)4 Three‐Dimensional Dendritic Hexapods
Authors: Chen Qi , Chen Zhi Yun , Wu Ji Hong
Published: November 2021

This article reports ZnO‐assisted growth of three‐dimensional (3D) dendritic hexapods of tin(II) oxyhydroxide (Sn6O4(OH)4) from acidic aqueous solution of stannous sulfate (SnSO4). Each Sn6O4(OH)4 hexapod has four long horizontally and two short vertically oriented dendritic branches. The formation of Sn6O4(OH)4 can be ascribed to the presence of ZnO whose surfaces are rich in hydroxyl groups. When covered by SnSO4 acidic aqueous solution, a large amount of hydroxyl groups is released from ZnO surfaces and further promotes the hydrolysis of SnSO4 towards Sn6O4(OH)4. Time‐dependent shape evolution from the nanoparticles‐assembled hierarchical octahedra to the 3D dendritic hexapods has been explored. The growth of Sn6O4(OH)4 3D dendritic hexapods has been explained based on a nanoparticle‐mediated, diffusion‐limited dendritic growth mechanism. Sn6O4(OH)4 can be selectively converted to semiconducting SnO or SnO2 for potential sensing and catalytic applications.
Kinetic and Isothermal Studies on the Adsorptive Removal of Direct Yellow 12 Dye from Wastewater Using Propionic Acid Treated Bagasse
Authors: Nadeem Sohail , Iqbal Shahid , Javed Mohsin , Ahmad Mirza Nadeem , Alsaab Hashem O. , Awwad Nasser S. , Ibrahium Hala A. , Ibrar Aliya , Mohyuddin Ayesha , Haroon Shah Muhammad , Ali Liaquat
Published: November 2021

The industries, such as plastics, paper, dyestuffs, and textile use dyes for their products by consuming substantial volumes of water. Subsequently, they cause a considerable amount of colored wastewater. Therefore, wastewater from industries must be treated before being discharged into the environment. The modern consideration has been focused on the direction of numerous natural solid constituents that are proficient in eradicating contaminants from water at low cost. Such adsorbent which can be used for dye removal from the wastewater is sugarcane bagasse. Our findings revealed that the sugarcane bagasse acts as an efficient adsorbent. It was very efficient to adsorb the direct yellow 12. Dyes removal ability of adsorbent at diverse flow degree, initial dye concentration, contact time, particle size and pH were studied, and superior results were found.
On top of the game? The double‐edged sword of incorporating social features into freemium products
Authors: Rietveld Joost , Ploog Joe N.
Published: November 2021

Research Summary

Freemium products require widespread diffusion for their success. One way to do this is by incorporating social features (e.g., multiplayer functionality, virtual collaboration, ridesharing), which can generate network effects and result in a product becoming a superstar. However, social features can be a double‐edged sword: When demand potential for freemium products is large, social features can significantly boost a product's appeal resulting in more adoption, more usage, and more in‐app purchases; but when demand potential is constrained, network effects might fall short and users may feel they are missing out on key aspects of the product. We test this dynamic on a sample of 9,700 digital games on Steam. Findings contribute to our understanding of network effects, freemium strategies, and superstar products in platform markets.

Managerial Summary

Freemium has become a popular business model among firms competing on digital platforms. Freemium products require widespread diffusion because most consumers do not pay for premium upgrades. One way to stimulate a product's diffusion is by incorporating social features (e.g., multiplayer functionality, virtual collaboration, ridesharing). Social features can boost a product's appeal resulting in more adoption, more usage, and more in‐app purchases. Our analysis of 9,700 digital PC games on Steam reveals that the efficacy of incorporating social features importantly depends on the number of users on the platform itself. Social features can help freemium products become a superstar when the platform's installed base is large, but they hinder a freemium product's success when the platform's installed base is small.
Agile Softwareentwicklung in Bauprojekten – Ein Bericht aus dem Forschungsprojekt DigitalTWIN
Authors: Schmid Fabian , Kopriwa Philipp , Schüle Tobias
Published: November 2021

Das Projektmanagement im Bauwesen ist geprägt von vielschichtigen und zahlreichen Abhängigkeiten, großen Projektvolumen, veränderlichen Randbedingungen und langen Laufzeiten. Da sich Kriterien, Einschätzungen und Meinungen verändern oder erst im Projektverlauf eindeutig werden, benötigt es strukturierte und definierte Planungsgrundlagen sowie flexible Handlungsmöglichkeiten. Im Forschungsprojekt DigitalTWIN bilden deshalb digitale Werkzeuge für das Projektmanagement einen wichtigen Schwerpunkt. Die Implementierung agil entwickelter Softwarefunktionen im Projektverlauf von Gitterschalenkonstruktionen und Seilnetzfassaden zeigt exemplarisch die Vorteile einer engen Kopplung zwischen Projektbeteiligten und Experten der Datenwissenschaft und der Softwaretechnik. Tatsächliche Projektabläufe werden schneller und präziser bewertbar, strukturierte Prozessentwicklungen können datenbasiert abgeleitet werden und erprobte Workflows werden situativ angepasst, ohne den Bezug zur wachsenden Datenbasis zu verlieren. Der Aufsatz leitet zu Managementmethoden ein und zeigt beispielhaft, wie in Bauprojekten durch individuelle Softwareentwicklung aus relevanten Daten schneller Wissen und Handlungsempfehlungen abgeleitet werden können. Die erforderlichen Cloud‐Infrastrukturen, die Plattformtechnologien und Methoden werden dabei in Demonstratoren sukzessive entwickelt und geben einen Ausblick, wie mit verteilten IT‐Systemen trotzdem strukturiert, schnell, umfassend, digital und vertrauenswürdig zusammengearbeitet werden kann.
Faster and less invasive tools to identify patients with ileal colonization by adherent‐invasive E. coli in Crohn's disease
Authors: Buisson Anthony , Vazeille Emilie , Fumery Mathurin , Pariente Benjamin , Nancey Stéphane , Seksik Philippe , Peyrin‐Biroulet Laurent , Allez Matthieu , Ballet Nathalie , Filippi Jérôme , Yzet Clara , Nachury Maria , Boschetti Gilles , Billard Elisabeth , Dubois Anaëlle , Rodriguez Stéphanie , Chevarin Caroline , Goutte Marion , Bommelaer Gilles , Pereira Bruno , Hebuterne Xavier , Barnich Nicolas ,   the CEALIVE & REMIND study group
Published: November 2021

Background and Aims

The identification of Crohn's disease (CD)‐associated adherent and invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) is time‐consuming and requires ileal biopsies. We aimed to identify a faster and less invasive methods to detect ileal colonization by AIEC in CD patients.

Methods

CD patients requiring ileo‐colonoscopy were consecutively enrolled in this prospective multicenter study. Samples from saliva, serum, stools, and ileal biopsies of CD patients were collected.

Results

Among 102 CD patients, the prevalence of AIEC on ileal biopsies was 24.5%. The abundance and global invasive ability of ileal‐associated total E. coli were respectively ten‐fold (p = 0.0065) and two‐fold (p = 0.0007) higher in AIEC‐positive (vs. AIEC‐negative), while abundance of total E. coli in the feces was not correlated with AIEC status in the ileum. The best threshold of ileal total E. coli was 60 cfu/biopsy to detect AIEC‐positive patients, with high negative predictive value (NPV) (94.1%[80.3–99.3]), while the global invasive ability (>9000 internalized bacteria) was able to detect the presence of AIEC with high positive predictive value (80.0% [55.2–100.0]). Overall, 78.1% of the AIEC + patients were colonized by two or less different AIEC strains. The level of serum anti‐total E. coli antibodies (AEcAb) was higher in AIEC‐positive patients (p = 0.038) with a very high negative predictive value (96.6% [89.9–100.0]) (p = 0.038) for a cut‐off value > 1.9 × 10−3.

Conclusions

More than two thirds of AIEC‐positive CD patients were colonized by two or less AIEC strains. While stools samples are not accurate to screen AIEC status, the AEcAb level appears to be an attractive, rapid and easier biomarker to identify patients with Crohn's disease harboring AIEC.
Dialectics of Technoscience
Authors: Zwart Hub
Published: November 2021

Dialectics is a philosophical method developed by Hegel (1770–1831), but building on an intellectual tradition whose origins can be traced back to ancient Greece. Dialectics was initially practiced as an educational technique for conducting philosophical discussions. For Hegel, however, dialectical processes can be discerned in the dramatic unfolding of nature, history and human thinking as such. The first dialectical thinker, in the genuine sense of the term, according to Hegel (1971), was Heraclitus (535 – c. 475 BC), in whose “obscure” aphorisms Hegel recognises the awareness that dialectics is more than merely a technique to foster critical reflection. Heraclitus already refers to a basic logic guiding the dynamics of nature as such, to a λόγος at work in actual processes of becoming and change, giving rise to contrasting and contradictory developments (“objective dialectics”, as Hegel phrases it). For dialectical thinkers, the dialectical method is fundamentally in tune with nature, because natureas suchis inherently dialectical. Hegel considered Aristotle as ancient philosophy’s most thoroughly dialectical thinker, as we have seen, while Hegel himself is regarded as a modern Aristotle (Beiser, 2005, p. 57; Pippin, 2019, p. 301).
From Affirmative Action to Inclusion
Authors: Bisson Linda F. , Grindstaff Laura , Paw U Kyaw Tha , Aldana Raquel E. , Barbu Sophie J. , Brazil-Cruz Lisceth , De La Torre Adela , de Leon Siantz Mary Lou , Flores Yvette G. , Jamison-McClung Denneal , Joseph Suad , Kass Philip H. , Katehi Linda , McDonald Karen , Moreno Josephine M. , Singh Binnie , Stanton Maureen , Sullivan Lisa
Published: November 2021

Achieving a diverse and inclusive community requires establishing a culture of genuine equality for all members. Our purpose in writing this book is to share our collective knowledge about how to challenge the forces that enable and sustain discrimination in the workplace as informed by our experience developing and implementing the UC Davis ADVANCE program. The program’s goal is to create an inclusive academic community that reflects and serves the diverse population of California. In this introductory chapter, we emphasize the need to move from affirmative action programs, which have played an important role in fostering diversity, to a focus on institutional transformation, which requires not only changes in policy but also shifts in academic culture. Much of what we cover in this book is broadly applicable beyond academia and will interest those wanting to understand and address challenges to diversity, equity, and inclusion in their own organizations. Since workplaces differ in their goals, priorities, and culture, the book is not a “how to” manual but rather a collective effort to share with readers the approaches we took, the information we gathered, what we observed and experienced, and the lessons we learned along the way.
Disrupting Complacent Systems
Authors: Grindstaff Laura , Bisson Linda F.
Published: November 2021

In this chapter, we characterize the academy as a “complacent system” resistant but not impervious to change, and we discuss how to overcome that resistance in the pursuit of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We outline best practices for disruption drawing upon what we learned during the implementation of the NSF ADVANCE program on our campus. We then offer some thoughts on the steps ahead, including resources for sustainability.
Energy-momentum tensor in QCD: nucleon mass decomposition and mechanical equilibrium
Authors: Lorcé Cédric , Metz Andreas , Pasquini Barbara , Rodini Simone
Published: November 2021

Abstract

We review and examine in detail recent developments regarding the question of the nucleon mass decomposition. We discuss in particular the virial theorem in quantum field theory and its implications for the nucleon mass decomposition and mechanical equilibrium. We reconsider the renormalization of the QCD energy-momentum tensor in minimal-subtraction-type schemes and the physical interpretation of its components, as well as the role played by the trace anomaly and Poincaré symmetry. We also study the concept of “quantum anomalous energy” proposed in some works as a new contribution to the nucleon mass. Examining the various arguments, we conclude that the quantum anomalous energy is not a genuine contribution to the mass sum rule, as a consequence of translation symmetry.
The worldsheet dual of free super Yang-Mills in 4D
Authors: Gaberdiel Matthias R. , Gopakumar Rajesh
Published: November 2021

Abstract

The worldsheet string theory dual to free 4d $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 4 super Yang-Mills theory was recently proposed in [1]. It is described by a free field sigma model on the twistor space of AdS5 × S5, and is a direct generalisation of the corresponding model for tensionless string theory on AdS3 × S3. As in the case of AdS3, the worldsheet theory contains spectrally flowed representations. We proposed in [1] that in each such sector only a finite set of generalised zero modes (‘wedge modes’) are physical. Here we show that after imposing the appropriate residual gauge conditions, this worldsheet description reproduces precisely the spectrum of the planar gauge theory. Specifically, the states in the sector with w units of spectral flow match with single trace operators built out of w super Yang-Mills fields (‘letters’). The resulting physical picture is a covariant version of the BMN light-cone string, now with a finite number of twistorial string bit constituents of an essentially topological worldsheet.
Welche Rolle spielen Kinder in Schulen und Kindertagesstätten bei der Übertragung von SARS-CoV-2? – Eine evidenzbasierte Perspektive
Authors: Kern Anna , Diebenbusch Jessica , Berner Reinhard , Krägeloh-Mann Ingeborg , De Bock Freia , Renz-Polster Herbert , Hübner Johannes
Published: November 2021

Sind Kinder und Jugendliche relevante Vektoren für die Übertragung von SARS-CoV-2? Und welche Rolle spielt es, wenn sie eine Schule oder Kindertagesstätte besuchen? Diese Fragen konnten zu Beginn der Pandemie nur unzureichend beantwortet werden. So wurden weltweit Schulen und Kinderbetreuungseinrichtungen geschlossen, um die Verbreitung von SARS-CoV‑2 einzudämmen. Inzwischen ist die Rolle von Kindern im Gesamtgeschehen der Pandemie jedoch klarer. Die Rate von SARS-CoV-2-Infektionen bei Kindern unter 10 Jahren war im Jahr 2020 deutlich niedriger als die bei Erwachsenen. Zudem zeigte sich bei Kindern ein deutlich milderer Verlauf der Erkrankung.

Analysen zu Ausbrüchen an Schulen und Kinderbetreuungseinrichtungen kamen mehrheitlich zu dem Ergebnis, dass die Weitergabe des Virus in den Einrichtungen zwar stattfindet, jedoch das Infektionsgeschehen insgesamt nicht maßgeblich beeinflusst. Trotz dieser Erkenntnisse hält die deutsche Politik Schulschließungen weiterhin für einen integralen Baustein der Pandemiebekämpfung, wohingegen viele Fachgesellschaften, wie die Deutsche Gesellschaft für Pädiatrische Infektiologie e. V. (DGPI), betonen, dass es sich um das letzte Mittel in der Bekämpfung der Pandemie handeln sollte. Diese Botschaft hat auch eine evidenzbasierte und auf interdisziplinärem Expertenkonsens aufgebaute S3-Leitlinie, die bereits Anfang Februar 2021 klare Empfehlungen für Zeiten hoher Inzidenzen in der Gesamtbevölkerung ausgesprochen hat, die Schulschließungen nur noch in Ausnahmefällen für notwendig erachten.

In diesem Artikel möchten wir die Datenlage mit Stand Juni 2021 zu diesem Thema darlegen, einen Blick in die Zukunft wagen und diskutieren, unter welchen Umständen ein regulärer Präsenzunterricht gelingen kann, ohne das Risiko einer unkontrollierten Ausbreitung von SARS-CoV‑2 in Kauf nehmen zu müssen.
Zeitmanagement im OP – eine Querschnittstudie zur Bewertung der subjektiven und objektiven Dauer chirurgischer Prozeduren im HNO-Bereich
Authors: Zaubitzer Lena , Affolter Annette , Büttner Sylvia , Ludwig Sonja , Rotter Nicole , Scherl Claudia , von Wihl Sonia , Weiß Christel , Lammert Anne
Published: November 2021

Hintergrund

Die Gestaltung des Operations(Op.)-Programms im klinischen Alltag ist von hoher Wichtigkeit für die Wirtschaftlichkeit. Gleichzeitig muss die Einhaltung von Arbeitszeiten unterschiedlicher Berufsgruppen berücksichtigt werden.

Ziel der Arbeit

Um Fehlerquellen bei der Planung aufzudecken, wurden durch Chirurgen geschätzte mit objektiv erhobenen Zeiten (u. a. Schnitt-Naht-Zeit) verglichen.

Material und Methoden

In einer retrospektiven Analyse wurden 1809 Operationen im Jahr 2018 (22 verschiedene Op.-Arten) durch 31 Operateure (12 Fach- [FÄ] und 19 Assistenzärzte [AÄ]) hinsichtlich ihrer Dauer verglichen und mittels Mann-Whitney-U-Test auf Signifikanz geprüft.

Ergebnisse

Der Vergleich der objektiven Zeiten von FÄ und AÄ zeigt signifikante Unterschiede in der Schnitt-Naht-Zeit bzw. der Summe aus Schnitt-Naht-Zeit und Zeit der chirurgischen Maßnahmen für 6 von 15 Op.-Arten (p < 0,001). Die durch FÄ geschätzte Nachbereitungszeit wich bei 2 von 22 Op.-Arten von der objektiven Zeit ab (p < 0,05), die durch AÄ geschätzte Zeit bei 7 von 15 Op.-Arten (p < 0,05). Hinsichtlich der Schnitt-Naht-Zeit verschätzten sich FÄ bei 7 von 22 (p < 0,05), AÄ bei 3 von 15 (p < 0,05) Op.-Arten. Die durch FÄ geschätzte Vorbereitungszeit wich bei 16 von 22 Op.-Arten signifikant von der objektiven Zeit ab (p < 0,05), bei AÄ bei 7 von 15 (p < 0,001). Vor- und Nachbereitungszeiten wurden durch FÄ unter‑, Schnitt-Naht-Zeiten überschätzt. AÄ unterschätzten alle Zeiten.

Schlussfolgerung

Bei der OP-Planung muss die Erfahrung des durchführenden Chirurgen berücksichtigt werden. Eine Verbesserung durch verminderte subjektive Fehleinschätzung kann möglicherweise mithilfe spezieller Algorithmen gelingen.
Neoadjuvant fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy followed by piecemeal resection of brain metastasis: a case series of 20 patients
Authors: Deguchi Shoichi , Mitsuya Koichi , Yasui Kazuaki , Kimura Keisuke , Onoe Tsuyoshi , Ogawa Hirofumi , Asakura Hirofumi , Harada Hideyuki , Hayashi Nakamasa
Published: November 2021

Background

The safety and effectiveness of neoadjuvant fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT) before piecemeal resection of brain metastasis (BM) remains unknown.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 20 consecutive patients with BM who underwent neoadjuvant FSRT followed by piecemeal resection between July 2019 and March 2021. The prescribed dose regimens were as follows: 30 Gy (n = 11) or 35 Gy (n = 9) in five fractions.

Results

The mean follow-up duration was 7.8 months (range 2.2–22.3). The median age was 67 years (range 51–79). Fourteen patients were male. All patients were symptomatic. All tumors were located in the supratentorial compartment. The median maximum diameter and volume were 3.7 cm (range 2.6–4.9) and 17.6 cm3 (range 5.6–49.7), respectively. The median time from the end of FSRT to resection was 4 days (range 1–7). Nausea (CTCAE Grade 2) occurred in one patient and simple partial seizures (Grade 2) in two patients during radiation therapy. Gross total removal was performed in seventeen patients and sub-total removal in three patients. Postoperative complications were deterioration of paresis in two patients. Local recurrence was found in one patient (5.0%) who underwent sub-total resection at 2 months after craniotomy. Distant recurrence was found in six patients (30.0%) at a median of 6.9 months. Leptomeningeal disease recurrence was found in one patient (5.0%) at 3 months. No radiation necrosis developed.

Conclusions

Neoadjuvant FSRT appears to be a safe and effective approach for patients with BM requiring piecemeal resection. A multi-institutional prospective trial is needed.
Immune-Mediated Glycocalyx Remodeling in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Goonewardena Sascha N. , Grushko Olga G. , Wells Joanna , Herty Lauren , Rosenson Robert S. , Haus Jacob M. , Hummel Scott L.
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Vascular and immune dysfunction are hallmarks of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Although our understanding of the pathogenesis of COVID-19 has rapidly evolved, much of the focus has been on the immune mechanisms underlying COVID-19. In addition to immune dysfunction, vascular injury is also associated with COVID-19 and is a major driver of clinical deterioration in SARS-CoV-2 infections. The glycocalyx (GAC), a sugar-based shell that surrounds all mammalian cells, is an important regulator of vascular and immune responses. In sepsis, vascular dysfunction contributes to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) by altering vessel integrity, promoting thrombosis, and accelerating inflammation, all of which are also present in COVID-19. Observational studies in sepsis have found an association between levels of circulating GAC degradation products with both organ dysfunction and mortality. Although vascular dysfunction is a hallmark of COVID-19, it remains unclear whether GAC disruption occurs in COVID-19 and if GAC disruption contributes to the clinical progression of COVID-19.

Methods

In this prospective cohort study, we measured the GAC components syndecan-1 (SDC1) and hyaluronan (Hyal) along with inflammatory cytokines in 12 hospitalized COVID-19 patients and 8 healthy controls (HC).

Results

In agreement with other studies, we found that inflammatory cytokines are elevated in hospitalized COVID-19 patients compared with HC [median (IQR), all units picograms per milliliter: IL-6 4.65 (3.32–9.16) vs 0.69 (0.55–0.89), p < 0.001; TNFα 4.49 (1.87–8.03) vs 0.04 (0.04–0.84), p < 0.001]. Additionally, we found that the GAC components SDC1 and Hyal are also elevated in COVID-19 patients [median (IQR), all units picograms per milliliter: SDC1: 247.37 (101.43–458.26) vs 84.8 (52.88–123.59), p = 0.036; Hyal: 26.41 (16.4–35.1) vs 3.01 (1.66–4.61), p < 0.001].

Conclusion

We propose that GAC markers offer insights into the pathobiology of COVID-19, potentially guide therapeutic approaches, and could aid in early risk stratification that is particularly beneficial in phasic diseases such as COVID-19.
Cellulose and the role of hydrogen bonds: not in charge of everything
Authors: Wohlert Malin , Benselfelt Tobias , Wågberg Lars , Furó István , Berglund Lars A. , Wohlert Jakob
Published: November 2021

In the cellulose scientific community, hydrogen bonding is often used as the explanation for a large variety of phenomena and properties related to cellulose and cellulose based materials. Yet, hydrogen bonding is just one of several molecular interactions and furthermore is both relatively weak and sensitive to the environment. In this review we present a comprehensive examination of the scientific literature in the area, with focus on theory and molecular simulation, and conclude that the relative importance of hydrogen bonding has been, and still is, frequently exaggerated.
Explaining and predicting human behavior and social dynamics in simulated virtual worlds: reproducibility, generalizability, and robustness of causal discovery methods
Authors: Volkova Svitlana , Arendt Dustin , Saldanha Emily , Glenski Maria , Ayton Ellyn , Cottam Joseph , Aksoy Sinan , Jefferson Brett , Shrivaram Karthnik
Published: November 2021

Ground Truth program was designed to evaluate social science modeling approaches using simulation test beds with ground truth intentionally and systematically embedded to understand and model complex Human Domain systems and their dynamics Lazer et al. (Science 369:1060–1062, 2020). Our multidisciplinary team of data scientists, statisticians, experts in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and visual analytics had a unique role on the program to investigate accuracy, reproducibility, generalizability, and robustness of the state-of-the-art (SOTA) causal structure learning approaches applied to fully observed and sampled simulated data across virtual worlds. In addition, we analyzed the feasibility of using machine learning models to predict future social behavior with and without causal knowledge explicitly embedded. In this paper, we first present our causal modeling approach to discover the causal structure of four virtual worlds produced by the simulation teams—Urban Life, Financial Governance, Disaster and Geopolitical Conflict. Our approach adapts the state-of-the-art causal discovery (including ensemble models), machine learning, data analytics, and visualization techniques to allow a human-machine team to reverse-engineer the true causal relations from sampled and fully observed data. We next present our reproducibility analysis of two research methods team’s performance using a range of causal discovery models applied to both sampled and fully observed data, and analyze their effectiveness and limitations. We further investigate the generalizability and robustness to sampling of the SOTA causal discovery approaches on additional simulated datasets with known ground truth. Our results reveal the limitations of existing causal modeling approaches when applied to large-scale, noisy, high-dimensional data with unobserved variables and unknown relationships between them. We show that the SOTA causal models explored in our experiments are not designed to take advantage from vasts amounts of data and have difficulty recovering ground truth when latent confounders are present; they do not generalize well across simulation scenarios and are not robust to sampling; they are vulnerable to data and modeling assumptions, and therefore, the results are hard to reproduce. Finally, when we outline lessons learned and provide recommendations to improve models for causal discovery and prediction of human social behavior from observational data, we highlight the importance of learning data to knowledge representations or transformations to improve causal discovery and describe the benefit of causal feature selection for predictive and prescriptive modeling.
A note on the Gannon–Lee theorem
Authors: Schinnerl Benedict , Steinbauer Roland
Published: November 2021

We prove a Gannon–Lee theorem for non-globally hyperbolic Lorentzian metrics of regularity $$C^1$$

C
1

, the most general regularity class currently available in the context of the classical singularity theorems. Along the way, we also prove that any maximizing causal curve in a $$C^1$$

C
1

-spacetime is a geodesic and hence of $$C^2$$

C
2

-regularity.
Citizen science in cities: an overview of projects focused on urban Australia
Authors: Roger Erin , Motion Alice
Published: November 2021

Citizen science offers a unique opportunity to connect urban-dwellers with the often hidden natural world upon their doorsteps and to contribute to authentic research that increases knowledge of urban ecology and biodiversity. With the majority of Australia’s population residing in large cities, this diverse potential pool of participants in science creates a significant opportunity to increase the spatial and temporal scale of research. Herein, we provide an overview of Australian urban citizen science projects based on an analysis of the projects listed in the Australian Citizen Science Association’s Citizen Science Project Finder. We draw out key features (such as those with research questions specific to cities such as reintroduction and persistence of species in urban environments) from urban citizen science projects that make them suitable for the urban environment and use these features to suggest recommendations for further expansion and development of this important subset of projects. We conclude that the number and diversity of urban citizen science projects is relatively low in Australia, and advocate for an increase in initiatives that can tap into a large pool of potential participants for the benefit of science and society.