bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exhaust Fan Speed Controller Using Fuzzy Logic Controller
Authors: Khairudin M , Yatmono Sigit , Nashir Irdayanti M , Arifin Fatchul , Aulia W , Widyantoro
Published: January 2021

Fuzzy logic is a reasoning method for solving linguistic problems that cannot be solved mathematically. The application of fuzzy logic from our development program regarding the development of exhaust fans with fuzzy logic controllers to regulate air flow velocity in accordance with air conditions in a room. Using a gas sensor and a temperature sensor will create a number of conditions to then be treated in a fuzzy logic system using the Mamdani method. The process that occurs in the Mamdani fuzzy includes four stages including the process of calculating the fuzzy set (fuzzification), the application of the implication function, the composition of the rules to the last stage, the defuzzification process. The inter elements of the mamdani fuzzy process are interconnected in the sense that the order determined by fuzzy mamdani cannot be removed or replaced by another. Development that has been done related to the exhaust fan uses two sensors namely the temperature sensor and gas sensor. Used as a detector for the amount of harmful gas in a room so that it activates the exhaust fan to eliminate it at a speed consistent with the gas content in the room. Also used to measure the temperature of the room and then activate the exhaust fan so that the room can be inhabited comfortably. Fuzzy logic controller system is used to adjust the rotational speed of the exhaust fan.
Recent increasing frequency of compound summer drought and heatwaves in Southeast Brazil
Authors: Geirinhas João L , Russo Ana , Libonati Renata , Sousa Pedro M , Miralles Diego G , Trigo Ricardo M
Published: January 2021

An increase in the frequency of extremely hot and dry events has been experienced over the past few decades in South America, and particularly in Brazil. Regional climate change projections indicate a future aggravation of this trend. However, a comprehensive characterization of drought and heatwave compound events, as well as of the main land–atmosphere mechanisms involved, is still lacking for most of South America. This study aims to fill this gap, assessing for the first time the historical evolution of compound summer drought and heatwave events for the heavily populated region of Southeast Brazil and for the period of 1980–2018. The main goal is to undertake a detailed analysis of the surface and synoptic conditions, as well as of the land–atmosphere coupling processes that led to the occurrence of individual and compound dry and hot extremes. Our results confirm that the São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states have recorded pronounced and statistically significant increases in the number of compound summer drought and heatwave episodes. In particular, the last decade was characterized by two austral summer seasons (2013/14 and 2014/15) with outstanding concurrent drought and heatwave conditions stemmed by severe precipitation deficits and a higher-than-average occurrence of blocking patterns. As result of these land and atmosphere conditions, a high coupling (water-limited) regime was imposed, promoting the re-amplification of hot spells that resulted in mega heatwave episodes. Our findings reveal a substantial contribution of persistent dry conditions to heatwave episodes, highlighting the vulnerability of the region to climate change.
Actively tunable and switchable electromagnetically induced transparency in hybrid metal-graphene metamaterials
Authors: Xu Xiaoming , Zhang Chengyao , lv Guangjun , Jiang Jiuxing , He Xunjun
Published: January 2021

Active control of the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is highly desirable for advanced terahertz (THz) device applications. Currently, the EIT peak positions in the graphene-based metamaterials have been actively controlled by tailoring Fermi energy of graphene via electric doping. However, there is still a considerable challenge to realize active strength modulation of the EIT peak without frequency shifting. Here, a hybrid metal-graphene structure, consisting of the metal-based EIT metamaterial and patterning graphenes, is proposed at the THz frequencies. Through changing Fermi energy of graphene, the EIT peak strength can exhibit both active modulation and on-to-off switch without frequency shifting. Moreover, theoretical model and field distributions discover that the active response can be attributed to the increasing damping rate of the dark mode caused by the controllable conductivity of graphene. In addition, the controllable group delay is also achieved for the slow light applications. Therefore, this work provides the possibility for designing compact slow light devices in the information processing and telecommunication applications.
1. Introduction
Authors: Shaw Ian
Published: January 2021

‘Introduction’ provides an overview of ancient Egypt, beginning with the discovery of the Narmer Palette in 1898. The Narmer Palette is one of a few surviving artefacts from the Nile Valley which can act as microcosms of certain aspects of ancient Egyptian culture as a whole. For the next century or so, this object would be variously interpreted by Egyptologists attempting to solve numerous different problems, from the political origins of the Egyptian state to the nature of Egyptian art and writing. It is important to consider Greek and Roman view of Egypt and consider the link between ancient Egypt and the Bible. The emergence of Egyptology is a fascinating area to explore.
3. History
Authors: Shaw Ian
Published: January 2021

‘History’ examines Egyptian history. The Narmer Palette and various other ‘protodynastic’ artefacts have long been regarded as lying at the interface of prehistory and history in ancient Egypt. Indeed, the palette was interpreted as a record of the first truly significant historical ‘event’ in Egyptian history: the military defeat of Lower Egypt (the delta region in the north) by the ruler of an expanding Upper Egyptian Kingdom. The interpretation of Predynastic palettes and mace-heads are useful to enable us to extract myth and history. There are numerous ways in which Egyptologists have set about creating a chronological framework for ancient Egypt, using a complex mixture of archaeological data, texts, and scientific dating methods.
5. Kingship
Authors: Shaw Ian
Published: January 2021

‘Kingship’ assesses Egyptian kingship and the nature of Egyptian kings. The metaphor and symbolism involved in the Egyptian kings' names and iconography has made it difficult for modern scholars to arrive at a sense of the individual characteristics and activities of particular kings, as opposed to the general idea of kingship. Indeed, one has to consider the ancient stereotypes that the original Egyptian texts present and the unconscious contemporary stereotyping of which Egyptologists themselves are sometimes guilty. The stereotypical portrayal of Amenhotep II and Hatshepsut provides an interesting topic here. A considerably more conventional—but nevertheless still stereotyped—view of Egyptian kingship is encountered in the case of Ramesses II.
6. Identity
Authors: Shaw Ian
Published: January 2021

‘Identity’ addresses the iconography of Egypt's early ethnic identity, considering the significance of the Narmer Palette with regard to the early pharaonic Egyptians' definition of their own national identity. How did the ancient Egyptians view themselves? The chapter looks at how they portrayed themselves in painting and sculpture and analyses their depictions of ‘foreigners’. As in many other cultures, the Egyptians seem to have gained a sense of their own identity primarily by contrasting themselves with the peoples of the world outside their borders. Gender and sexuality played a massive role in Egyptian identity, as did the evidence for same-sex relations in ancient Egypt.
10. Cultural heritage
Authors: Shaw Ian
Published: January 2021

‘Cultural heritage’ discusses the impact of the events of the Arab Spring in 2011 on pharaonic cultural heritage. The first real indication of any threat to Egyptian heritage arrived on 28 January 2011, when protesters set fire to the headquarters of the ruling National Democratic Party in downtown Cairo, which was immediately next door to the Egyptian Museum. In addition to theft from museums or archaeological sites, there was also the phenomenon of ‘land-grabbing’ either for agriculture or building projects. There have been some very innovative approaches to cultural heritage management in Egypt, including the establishment of Egypt's new museums, such as regional museums and the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Three waves of neoliberalism
Authors: Steger Manfred B. , Roy Ravi K.
Published: January 2021

This chapter examines the three waves of neoliberalism, starting with the emergence of neoliberalism in the Anglosphere under the conservative leaderships of US President Ronald Reagan and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. It then looks at Reaganomics and Thatcherism. Meanwhile, the second wave of neoliberalism became associated with a new kind of global economic and political cosmopolitanism called market globalism. Identifying themselves with a politically moderate position known as the Third Way, US President Bill Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair embraced this neoliberal ideology. US President Barack Obama's presidency marked the rise of third-wave neoliberalism by refusing to impose restrictions on the monopolistic practices of emerging e-commerce firms.
Neoliberalism in Latin America and Africa
Authors: Steger Manfred B. , Roy Ravi K.
Published: January 2021

This chapter explores the influence of the Washington Consensus in shaping neoliberal policies in Latin America and Africa. From the perspective of the IMF or the World Bank, market-oriented reform in this region was needed to produce sustained economic growth. To that end, they linked their financial assistance to ‘structural adjustment programmes’ anchored in one-size-fits-all economic prescriptions. However, not all markets 'work' in exactly the same way and according to the same rules. In many instances, the neoliberal remedies applied to Latin America and Africa were microeconomic strategies that failed to account for the unique social, political, and cultural contexts in which they were enforced.
Introduction
Authors: Blackburn Simon
Published: January 2021

The ‘Introduction’ provides an overview of ethics and the ethical climate. People's ethical ideas are manifested in their tendencies to accept or reject routes of thought and feeling, and they may not recognize these in themselves, or even be able to articulate them. Yet such tendencies make up the ethical climate, and they rule the social and political world. For many ethical traditions across the world, the central concern was the state of one's soul. Today, people tend not to care so much about the state of their souls: they tend to think that modern constitutional democracies are fine regardless of the private vices of those within them.
Foundations
Authors: Blackburn Simon
Published: January 2021

‘Foundations’ examines the justification for ethics, and its connection with human knowledge and human progress. Are truth and knowledge possible, or does reasoning about what to do eventually hinge on nothing but sheer brute will? There is a differentiation to be made between two types of reason and the concepts of doing good and living well are important here. If people’s capacity for ethical behaviour is not immediately given by their nature as human beings, nor by an inescapable birthright of reason, where does it come from? Thomas Hobbes attempts to answer this question with the notion of the war of all against all. How important is the emergence of norms, particularly cooperation?
1. Becoming southern
Authors: Wilson Charles Reagan
Published: January 2021

‘Becoming Southern’ discusses how Native Americans became the first southerners. They developed the first regional culture from environmental conditions that would always be a foundation of regional life. The Europeans who came to what became the American South brought with them preconceptions about that area, which were part of a New World that evoked images of fertile land that produced staple crops to enrich European nations, but also represented exploitation of African and indigenous labor and the threat of racial intermingling. The early 1700s were crucial years in the emergent South. The American Revolution itself was a landmark in the appearance of a self-conscious southern identity.
3. Tradition and modernization
Authors: Wilson Charles Reagan
Published: January 2021

‘Tradition and modernisation’ details how, after the American Civil War, white southern ideologists minimized slavery’s importance as a cause of the war. The religion of the Lost Cause invested enormous spiritual significance to a cause portrayed as a holy war against northern atheism. The Lost Cause movement had solidified in the last decade of the nineteenth century at the same time new laws excluded African Americans from any political role in the South and segregated them into inferior schools and other public places. Jim Crow became the name for the southern system of racial segregation. The Progressive era, the Great Depression, and Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal are all important landmarks for this period.
4. Confronting change
Authors: Wilson Charles Reagan
Published: January 2021

‘Confronting change’ describes how the American South became a major player in the national mobilization for World War II. The war pushed the South far along the path of modernization. Democracy became a watchword during World War II, as the nation fought against fascism and emphasized that democratic values had to be affirmed by all as the reason for fighting. Ultimately, the war produced an assertive black leadership within the South, and the continued reform spirit of the New Deal led to aggressive campaigns for organized labor and for urban efforts to improve African American living conditions and opportunities. The rise of the civil rights movement was crucial to defining this period of American history.
5. The evolving South
Authors: Wilson Charles Reagan
Published: January 2021

‘The evolving South’ explores the evolving American South in the 1970s. It looks at the beginning of a southern turn in black American culture, which coincided with the beginnings of a dramatic reverse migration as African Americans moved to the South. The “Sunbelt” became the term for a now-prosperous, fast-growing, and urbanizing South, attracting northern and international investment and gaining a large percentage of federal funding through government programs. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party had anchored the Solid South in national politics and was the only functioning party through most of the twentieth century. The effects of globalization were significant in the American South.
6. Creative words
Authors: Wilson Charles Reagan
Published: January 2021

‘Creative words’ studies how the American South became the home to a vital cultural explosion, seen in such modernist writers as William Faulkner, Richard Wright, and Eudora Welty. Their themes of agrarian life, the memory of the Old South and the Civil War, religious values, the tensions of the biracial society, and the modernization of society connected their literary achievements with southern life itself. Early nineteenth-century writers generally became defenders of slavery against abolitionist attacks. By the 1920s, southern writers were incorporating aspects of modernism into their works. After 1980, a new term, “post-southernism,” became a descriptor for writers living in the most economically prosperous and racially integrated South ever.
8. Southern tastes
Authors: Wilson Charles Reagan
Published: January 2021

‘Southern tastes’ discusses southern foodways, which go back to the Native American peoples who had established distinctive food traditions by the Mississippian period. European American and African American settlers on the southern frontier came to eat as Indians ate from what grew well in southern soils, heat, and plentiful rain, in a long growing season. The household was the location of food production in the antebellum South, and the domestic economy depended on food. Meanwhile, the rural South, where most black Americans lived, nurtured distinctive African American foodways that went back to African methods of food preparation. The modernization of southern foodways has had an impact on the food of the South.
Evolution and ecology of seed internal morphology in relation to germination characteristics in Amaranthaceae
Authors: Vandelook Filip , Newton Rosemary J , Bobon Nadine , Bohley Katharina , Kadereit Gudrun
Published: January 2021

Background and Aims

Internal seed morphological traits such as embryo characteristics and nutritive tissue can vary considerably within a plant lineage. These traits play a prominent role in germination processes and the success of seedling establishment, and are therefore under high selective pressure, especially in environments hostile to seedlings, such as arid, saline or highly dynamic habitats. We investigated the relationships of seed internal morphology and germination characteristics of 84 species of Amaranthaceae s.l., a family with numerous lineages that have adapted to stressful growing conditions.

Methods

We used seed cross-sections to assess embryo type and the ratios of embryo to seed surface and radicle to cotyledon length. Furthermore, seed mass, mean time to germination, habitat preferences and further plant traits such as C3 or C4 photosynthesis and life form were compiled for each species. Data were analysed using phylogenetic comparative methods.

Key results

We found embryo type (λ = 1), log seed mass (λ = 0.86) and the ratio of embryo to seed size (λ = 0.78) to be evolutionarily stable, with an annular embryo as ancestral in the family. Linked to shifts to the three derived embryos types (spiral, horseshoe-shaped and curved) is an increase in the ratio of root to cotyledon length and a reduction of nutritive tissue. We observed stabilizing selection towards seeds with relatively large embryos with longer radicles and less nutritive tissue that are able to germinate faster, especially in lineages with C4 photosynthesis and/or salt tolerance.

Conclusions

We conclude that the evolutionary shift of nutrient storage from perisperm to embryo provides an ecological advantage in extreme environments, because it enables faster germination and seedling establishment. Furthermore, the evolutionary shift towards a higher ratio of root to cotyledon length especially in small-seeded Amaranthaceae growing in saline habitats can provide an ecological advantage for fast seedling establishment.
Influence of Self-Perceived Vulvar Appearance on Female Sexual Function
Authors: Chappell Ava G , Sasson Daniel C , Soriano Alex J , Jordan Sumanas W , Percec Ivona
Published: January 2021

Background

Female sexual function is a complex model of biological and nonbiological factors. The impact of self-perceived vulvar appearance on female sexual function is not well understood.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of vulvar appearance on sexual function in adult women. The primary aim was to assess the relation between self-perceived vulvar appearance and sexual function. The secondary aim was to assess the influence of prior genital procedures on vulvar appearance and sexual function.

Methods

An observational study of adult women was conducted utilizing Amazon Mechanical Turk, an online crowdsourcing platform. The survey instrument included demographic information, subjective vulvar appearance measures, and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire.

Results

Out of 398 respondents, 148 (37.2%) reported concern about their vulvar appearance and 134 (33.7%) reported a history of genital cosmetic procedures. Women who were uncomfortable with their vulvar appearance had lower FSFI scores than those comfortable with their vulvar appearance, 24.6 vs 27.0 (P = 0.01), respectively. Among women uncomfortable with their vulvar appearance, 70.9% of subjects met the criteria for sexual dysfunction. Women who were uncomfortable with their vulvar appearance were significantly more at risk of sexual dysfunction (adjusted odds ratio: 2.43; 95% CI: 1.46-4.10; P < 0.001). Women with a history of cosmetic genital procedures were significantly more at risk of sexual dysfunction (adjusted odds ratio: 2.46; 95% CI: 1.43-4.23).

Conclusions

Women who are uncomfortable with their vulvar appearance had higher rates of sexual dysfunction. Women seeking cosmetic genital procedures should be screened for sexual dysfunction to facilitate realistic expectations and optimal care.
Scarless Composite Breast Reconstruction Utilizing an Advancement Skin Flap, Loops, and Lipofilling
Authors: Abboud Marwan H , El Hajj Hiba , Kapila Ayush K , Bogaert Svetlana , Abboud Nicolas M
Published: January 2021

Background

Autologous fat grafting has gained popularity in breast reconstructive surgery. To further increase the breast volume and provide a reliable breast shape, a skin flap can be advanced from the upper abdomen and lateral thorax to the breast.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to propose a method of breast reconstruction utilizing the principles of power-assisted liposuction and lipofilling (PALL) for breast matrix dissociation applied through infiltration, tunnelization, extensive undermining and lipofilling, in combination with loops (PALLL) to recruit a vascularized flap to reshape the breast.

Methods

A prospective study was performed from January 2014 to January 2019. Demographic data, surgical procedure information (including volumes of the recruited advancement flap and lipofilling, and stages of lipofilling), and complication data were collected. Patient-reported outcomes, including satisfaction and well-being, were measured by a questionnaire.

Results

In total, 37 women (41 breasts) underwent breast reconstruction by PALLL with an average follow-up of 26 months. The mean age of the patients was 54 years, and their mean BMI was 29 kg/m2. The mean recruited flap volume was 197 mL, and the mean lipofilling volumes were 153 mL for the first session, 190 mL for the second session, and 110 mL for the third session. Nine patients needed 3 sessions, 27 patients 2 sessions, and 1 patient only 1 session. Overall, 94% of patients were satisfied with their breast shape. All patients reported sensitive breasts. There were minimal complications.

Conclusions

Breast reconstruction with PALLL is a minimally invasive alternative to reconstructing and reshaping sensate breasts in which a vascularized skin flap recruited by loops from breast surroundings is combined with fat grafting. This approach provides long-term shape stability with minimal scarring and low complication rates.

Level of Evidence: 4
A serum microRNA sequence reveals fragile X protein pathology in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Freischmidt Axel , Goswami Anand , Limm Katharina , Zimyanin Vitaly L , Demestre Maria , Glaß Hannes , Holzmann Karlheinz , Helferich Anika M , Brockmann Sarah J , Tripathi Priyanka , Yamoah Alfred , Poser Ina , Oefner Peter J , Böckers Tobias M , Aronica Eleonora , Ludolph Albert C , Andersen Peter M , Hermann Andreas , Weis Joachim , Reinders Jörg , Danzer Karin M , Weishaupt Jochen H
Published: January 2021

Knowledge about converging disease mechanisms in the heterogeneous syndrome amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is rare, but may lead to therapies effective in most ALS cases. Previously, we identified serum microRNAs downregulated in familial ALS, the majority of sporadic ALS patients, but also in presymptomatic mutation carriers. A 5-nucleotide sequence motif (GDCGG; D = G, A or U) was strongly enriched in these ALS-related microRNAs. We hypothesized that deregulation of protein(s) binding predominantly to this consensus motif was responsible for the ALS-linked microRNA fingerprint. Using microRNA pull-down assays combined with mass spectrometry followed by extensive biochemical validation, all members of the fragile X protein family, FMR1, FXR1 and FXR2, were identified to directly and predominantly interact with GDCGG microRNAs through their structurally disordered RGG/RG domains. Preferential association of this protein family with ALS-related microRNAs was confirmed by in vitro binding studies on a transcriptome-wide scale. Immunohistochemistry of lumbar spinal cord revealed aberrant expression level and aggregation of FXR1 and FXR2 in C9orf72- and FUS-linked familial ALS, but also patients with sporadic ALS. Further analysis of ALS autopsies and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived motor neurons with FUS mutations showed co-aggregation of FXR1 with FUS. Hence, our translational approach was able to take advantage of blood microRNAs to reveal CNS pathology, and suggests an involvement of the fragile X-related proteins in familial and sporadic ALS already at a presymptomatic stage. The findings may uncover disease mechanisms relevant to many patients with ALS. They furthermore underscore the systemic, extra-CNS aspect of ALS.
Bentall procedure with the CarboSeal™ and CarboSeal Valsalva™ composite conduits: long-term outcomes
Authors: Lechiancole Andrea , Vendramin Igor , Sponga Sandro , Piani Daniela , Benedetti Giovanni , Meneguzzi Matteo , Ferrara Veronica , Tullio Annarita , Bortolotti Uberto , Livi Ugolino
Published: January 2021

OBJECTIVES

Data on the long-term results with the standard CarboSeal™ mechanical conduit used for the modified Bentall procedure are lacking as well as information on performance of the Valsalva CarboSeal™ conduit.

METHODS

We have analysed 208 recipients of a standard (n = 110) or a Valsalva (n = 98) CarboSeal™ conduit. The median age was 60 years and 90% were males; 35 (17%) had type A aortic dissection and 65 (30%) a bicuspid aortic valve. Data were retrospectively analysed and results were compared between the 2 conduit models.

RESULTS

Early mortality was 1.9%; the mean follow-up was 175 ± 95 for standard and 94 ± 51 months for Valsalva conduits (P < 0.01). Actuarial survival was 86 ± 4%, 75 ± 6%, 59 ± 7% and 51 ± 9% at 5, 10, 15 and 20 years, respectively. There were 13 thromboembolic episodes with 3 deaths with an actuarial freedom of 98 ± 1%, 94 ± 2%, 90 ± 3% and 89 ± 4% at 5, 10, 15 and 20 years, respectively. Reoperation on the aortic root was performed in 9 patients for endocarditis (n = 8) and pseudoaneurysm at the right coronary button (n = 1) with an actuarial freedom of 97 ± 1%, 95 ± 2%, 92 ± 3% and 87 ± 4% at 5, 10, 15 and 20 years, respectively. There were no differences between the 2 conduit models in survival and major postoperative complications.

CONCLUSIONS

The CarboSeal™ conduit has shown gratifying overall performance up to 20 years and appears a valid option for a modified Bentall operation, when a mechanical prosthesis is indicated. Both CarboSeal™ conduit models provided not statistically different overall long-term results.
Coffee consumption and risk of renal cell carcinoma in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study
Authors: Rhee Jongeun , Loftfield Erikka , Freedman Neal D , Liao Linda M , Sinha Rashmi , Purdue Mark P
Published: January 2021

Background

Coffee consumption has been associated with a reduced risk of some cancers, but the evidence for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is inconclusive. We investigated the relationship between coffee and RCC within a large cohort.

Methods

Coffee intake was assessed at baseline in the National Institutes of Health–American Association of Retired Persons Diet and Health Study. Among 420 118 participants eligible for analysis, 2674 incident cases were identified. We fitted Cox-regression models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for coffee consumption vs non-drinkers.

Results

We observed HRs of 0.94 (95% CI 0.81, 1.09), 0.94 (0.81, 1.09), 0.80 (0.70, 0.92) and 0.77 (0.66, 0.90) for usual coffee intake of <1, 1, 2–3 and ≥4 cups/day, respectively (Ptrend = 0.00003). This relationship was observed among never-smokers (≥4 cups/day: HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.46, 0.83; Ptrend = 0.000003) but not ever-smokers (HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.70, 1.05; Ptrend = 0.35; Pinteraction = 0.0009) and remained in analyses restricted to cases diagnosed >10 years after baseline (HR 0.65, 95% CI 0.51, 0.82; Ptrend = 0.0005). Associations were similar between subgroups who drank predominately caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee (Pinteraction = 0.74).

Conclusion

In this investigation of coffee and RCC, to our knowledge the largest to date, we observed a 20% reduced risk for intake of ≥2 cups/day vs not drinking. Our findings add RCC to the growing list of cancers for which coffee consumption may be protective.
Dysregulation of Protein Kinase C in Adult Depression and Suicide: Evidence From Postmortem Brain Studies
Authors: Pandey Ghanshyam N , Sharma Anuradha , Rizavi Hooriyah S , Ren Xinguo
Published: January 2021

Background

Several lines of evidence suggest the abnormalities of protein kinase C (PKC) signaling system in mood disorders and suicide based primarily on the studies of PKC and its isozymes in the platelets and postmortem brain of depressed and suicidal subjects. In this study, we examined the role of PKC isozymes in depression and suicide.

Methods

We determined the protein and mRNA expression of various PKC isozymes in the prefrontal cortical region (Brodmann area 9) in 24 normal control subjects, 24 depressed suicide (DS) subjects, and 12 depressed nonsuicide (DNS) subjects. The levels of mRNA in the prefrontal cortex were determined by quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR, and the protein expression was determined by western blotting.

Results

We observed a significant decrease in mRNA expression of PKCα, PKCβI, PKCδ, and PKCε and decreased protein expression in either the membrane or the cytosol fraction of PKC isozymes PKCα, PKCβI, PKCβII, and PKCδ in DS and DNS subjects compared with normal control subjects.

Conclusions

The current study provides detailed evidence of specific dysregulation of certain PKC isozymes in the postmortem brain of DS and DNS subjects and further supports earlier evidence for the role of PKC in the platelets and brain of the adult and teenage depressed and suicidal population. This comprehensive study may lead to further knowledge of the involvement of PKC in the pathophysiology of depression and suicide.
𝐾-classes of Brill–Noether Loci and a Determinantal Formula
Authors: Anderson Dave , Chen Linda , Tarasca Nicola
Published: January 2021

We compute the Euler characteristic of the structure sheaf of the Brill–Noether locus of linear series with special vanishing at up to two marked points. When the Brill–Noether number $\rho $ is zero, we recover the Castelnuovo formula for the number of special linear series on a general curve; when $\rho =1$, we recover the formulas of Eisenbud-Harris, Pirola, and Chan–Martín–Pflueger–Teixidor for the arithmetic genus of a Brill–Noether curve of special divisors. These computations are obtained as applications of a new determinantal formula for the $K$-theory class of certain degeneracy loci. Our degeneracy locus formula also specializes to new determinantal expressions for the double Grothendieck polynomials corresponding to 321-avoiding permutations and gives double versions of the flagged skew Grothendieck polynomials recently introduced by Matsumura. Our result extends the formula of Billey–Jockusch–Stanley expressing Schubert polynomials for 321-avoiding permutations as generating functions for flagged skew tableaux.
Long-Lasting Imprint in the Soluble Inflammatory Milieu Despite Early Treatment of Acute Symptomatic Hepatitis C
Authors: Khera Tanvi , Du Yanqin , Todt Daniel , Deterding Katja , Strunz Benedikt , Hardtke Svenja , Aregay Amare , Port Kerstin , Hardtke-Wolenski Matthias , Steinmann Eike , Björkström Niklas K , Manns Michael P , Hengst Julia , Cornberg Markus , Wedemeyer Heiner
Published: January 2021

Background

Treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection leads to partial restoration of soluble inflammatory mediators (SIMs). In contrast, we hypothesized that early DAA treatment of acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) with DAAs may normalize most SIMs.

Methods

In this study, we made use of a unique cohort of acute symptomatic hepatitis C patients who cleared HCV with a 6-week course of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir. Plasma samples were used for proximity extension assay measuring 92 proteins.

Results

Profound SIM alterations were observed in acute HCV patients, with marked upregulation of interleukin (IL)-6 and CXCL-10, whereas certain mediators were downregulated (eg, monocyte chemoattractant protein-4, IL-7). During treatment and follow-up, the majority of SIMs decreased but not all normalized (eg, CDCP1, IL-18). Of note, SIMs that were downregulated before DAA treatment remained suppressed, whereas others that were initially unchanged declined to lower values during treatment and follow-up (eg, CD244).

Conclusions

Acute hepatitis C was associated with marked changes in the soluble inflammatory milieu compared with both chronic hepatitis patients and healthy controls. Whereas early DAA treatment partly normalized this altered signature, long-lasting imprints of HCV remained.
Sharing Saddles: Oligarchs and Officers on Horseback in Egypt and Tunisia
Authors: Kinney Drew Holland
Published: January 2021

Research on the military's removal from politics overemphasizes the attitudes and interests of officers. Civilians are portrayed as incapable of confronting refractory men with guns. This essay compares regime transitions in Egypt (2011–2013) and Tunisia (2011–2014) to show that unified civilian elites strengthen and polarized elites undermine civilian control of the armed forces. Research for the cases is based on interviews with Egyptian and Tunisian businesspersons, party members, and civil society activists; the International Consortium of Investigation Journalists's tax-offshoring database; loan disbursements from the IMF and World Bank; and secondary sources in Arabic, French, and English. The cases reveal novel insights about the military's removal from politics in fledgling democracies. Pleasing Egypt's officers did not shield President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood from a coup in July 2013 because Morsi and the Brotherhood threatened the wealth and power of civilian politicians and oligarchs. In Tunisia, Islamist and non-Islamist political and economic elites pushed democratization for fear of another Ben “Ali-style kleptocracy. Even during crisis in 2013, united civilian elites contained opposition calls for army intervention. The study's findings suggest that democratizers are not at the mercy of soldiers, but rather civilian leaders have the power to sideline their armies.
New Tableau Characterizations for Non-clausal MaxSAT Problem
Authors: Fiorino Guido
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we provide non-clausal tableau calculi for the maximum satisfiability problem and its variants. We discuss both basic calculi to characterize the problem and their modifications to reduce the proof size.
Arthropod Demography, Distribution, and Dispersion in a Novel Trap-Cropped Cotton Agroecosystem
Authors: Hagler James R , Thompson Alison L , Machtley Scott A , Casey Miles T
Published: January 2021

Vernonia [Vernonia galamensis (Cass.) Less.] (Asterales: Asteraceae) was examined as a potential trap crop for the cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L., Malvales: Malvaceae) arthropod complex. Four rows of vernonia were embedded within a 96-row cotton field. The abundance of true bug pests, true bug predators, and spiders were determined by whole-plant and sweep net sampling procedures during the early, middle, and late phases of the cotton-growing season. The census data showed that the arthropods had a strong preference for the vernonia trap crop throughout the cotton-growing season. The movement of the arthropods from the trap crop into cotton was also measured using the protein immunomarking technique as a mark–capture procedure. The arthropods inhabiting the vernonia trap crop were marked directly in the field with a broadcast spray application of egg albumin (protein) during each phase of the study. In turn, the captured specimens were examined for the presence of the mark by an egg albumin-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Very few marked specimens were captured beyond the vernonia trap crop 1, 3, and 6 d after each marking event. The arthropods’ strong attraction and fidelity to vernonia indicate that it could serve as a trap crop for cotton pests and a refuge for natural enemies.
Risk of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer in Association With Use of Hydrochlorothiazide-Containing Products in the United States
Authors: Eworuke Efe , Haug Nicole , Bradley Marie , Cosgrove Austin , Zhang Tancy , Dee Elizabeth C , Adimadhyam Sruthi , Petrone Andrew , Lee Hana , Woodworth Tiffany , Toh Sengwee
Published: January 2021

Background

European studies reported an increased risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer associated with hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ)-containing products. We examined the risks of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) associated with HCTZ compared with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) in a US population.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study in the US Food and Drug Administration’s Sentinel System. From the date of HCTZ or ACEI dispensing, patients were followed until a SCC or BCC diagnosis requiring excision or topical chemotherapy treatment on or within 30 days after the diagnosis date or a censoring event. Using Cox proportional hazards regression models, we estimated the hazard ratios (HRs), overall and separately by age, sex, and race. We also examined site- and age-adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) by cumulative HCTZ dose within the matched cohort.

Results

Among 5.2 million propensity–score matched HCTZ and ACEI users, the incidence rate (per 1000 person-years) of BCC was 2.78 and 2.82, respectively, and 1.66 and 1.60 for SCC. Overall, there was no difference in risk between HCTZ and ACEIs for BCC (HR = 0.99, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.97 to 1.00), but there was an increased risk for SCC (HR = 1.04, 95% CI = 1.02 to 1.06). HCTZ use was associated with higher risks of BCC (HR = 1.09, 95% CI = 1.07 to 1.11) and SCC (HR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.12 to 1.17) among Caucasians. Cumulative HCTZ dose of 50 000 mg or more was associated with an increased risk of SCC in the overall population (IRR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.05 to 1.35) and among Caucasians (IRR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.10 to 1.47).

Conclusions

Among Caucasians, we identified small increased risks of BCC and SCC with HCTZ compared with ACEI. Appropriate risk mitigation strategies should be taken while using HCTZ.
Effects of elevated ozone and nitrogen addition on leaf nitrogen metabolism in poplar
Authors: Shang Bo , Feng Zhaozhong , Peng Jinlong , Xu Yansen , Paoletti Elena
Published: January 2021

Aims

Ozone (O3) pollution and nitrogen (N) deposition/fertilization often simultaneously affect plant growth. However, research of their interactive effects on leaf N metabolism is still scarce. We investigated their interactive effects, aiming to better understand plant N metabolism processes and biogeochemical cycles under high O3 pollution and N deposition/fertilization.

Methods

Poplar saplings were exposed to two O3 levels (NF, non-filtered ambient air; NF60, NF + 60 ppb O3) and four N treatments (N0, no N added; N50, N0 + 50 kg N ha−1 yr−1; N100, N0 + 100 kg N ha−1 yr−1; N200, N0 + 200 kg N ha−1 yr−1) in open-top chambers for 95 days. The indicators related to leaf N metabolism were analyzed, including the activities of N-metabolizing enzymes and the contents of total N, NO3−-N, NH4+-N, total amino acid (TAA) and total soluble protein (TSP) in the leaves.

Important Findings

NF60 stimulated the activities of nitrate reductase (NR) by 47.2% at August relative to NF, and stimulated glutamine synthetase (GS) by 57.3% when averaged across all N treatments and sampling times. In contrast, O3 did not significantly affect TSP and even reduced TAA content in August. Relative to N0, N200 significantly increased light-saturated rate of CO2 assimilation (Asat) by 24%, and increased total N content by 70.3% and 43.3% in August and September, respectively, while it reduced photosynthetic N-use efficiency by 26.1% in August. These results suggest that the increase in Asat and total N content are uncoupled, and that the surplus N is not used to optimize the capacity for carbon assimilation under high N treatment. Simultaneously, high N treatment significantly promoted leaf N metabolism by increasing NO3−-N contents, NH4+-N contents, TAA contents and the activities of NR and GS. There was no significant interaction between O3 and N for all variables.
Antimigratory effect of pyrazole derivatives through the induction of STAT1 phosphorylation in A549 cancer cells
Authors: Şimay Demir Yaprak Dilber , Özdemir Aysun , Özdemir Reyhan Gönbe , Cevher Setenay Cemre , Çalışkan Burcu , Ark Mustafa
Published: January 2021

Objectives

In cancer treatment, it is important to prevent or slow down metastasis as well as preventing the proliferation of cancer cells. In this study, we aimed to find pyrazole compounds with antimigratory properties.

Methods

The ‘PASSonline’ programme was used to determine the possible pharmacological activities of the pyrazole compounds selected from the library, and two pyrazole derivatives were identified as a transcription factor STAT inhibitor with a high probability. There are studies known that JAK/STAT pathway is related to cancer cell migration, thus the possible antimigratory effects of these two synthesized pyrazole compounds were examined in A549 cancer cells.

Key findings

Our data demonstrated that compound-2 at different concentrations significantly inhibited cell migration in A549 cells. Then, the effects of these compounds on STAT activation were evaluated. We reported that 10 µM compound-2 induced a significant phosphorylation of STAT1 suggesting that STAT1 activation may be responsible for the antimigratory effect of compound-2.

Conclusions

Taken together, the compound-2 is a promising compound with the antimigratory activity for cancer treatment, and further studies are needed to synthesize more active derivatives by evaluating the structure–activity relationship of leading compound-2.
Reforming Benefit-Sharing Mechanisms for Displaced Populations: Evidence from the Ghazi Barotha Hydropower Project, Pakistan
Authors: Yuefang Duan , Ali Sher , Bilal Hazrat
Published: January 2021

The concept of benefit-sharing has popular focus in numerous discussions concerning approaches with displacement, development, and sustainable livelihood. It is clear that compensation is inadequate to mitigate impoverishment risks and re-build improved sustainable livelihoods. Benefit-sharing is seen to be a vital option for the improvement and development of re-settler’s livelihoods. Subsequently, this study aims to provide evidence of the present state of policy, benefit-sharing mechanism practices, and approaches in the hydropower sector of Pakistan. The benefit-sharing mechanism is present in some form but it needs new endoresements and reforms within the national resettlement framework of Pakistan. The target case in this study is to investigate the implementation level of benefit-sharing mechanisms in the Ghazi Barotha Hydropower project. It shows an example of some necessary elements of benefit-sharing and has provided a possible solution for solving the dilemma of compensation-based resettlement in Pakistan.
Femoral hernia with vermiform appendix herniation: a case report and review of the literature
Authors: Papatheofani Vasiliki , Estaller Wolfgang , Hoffmann Tomas F
Published: January 2021

Femoral hernias constitute 2–4% of all groin hernia repairs. Herniation of the vermiform appendix into the femoral hernia sac is rare. The majority of patients with appendix hernias are asymptomatic and diagnosis is made intraoperatively. We report about a case of a female patient presenting with an irreducible right-sided femoral hernia without symptoms.
Heightened Faraday complexity in the inner 1 kpc of the galactic centre
Authors: Livingston J D , McClure-Griffiths N M , Gaensler B M , Seta A , Alger M J
Published: January 2021

We have measured the Faraday rotation of 62 extra-galactic background sources in 58 fields using the CSIRO Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) with a frequency range of 1.1–3.1 GHz with 2048 channels. Our sources cover a region $\sim 12\, \times 12\, \mathrm{deg^{ 2}}$ (∼1 kpc) around the Galactic Centre region. We show that the Galactic Plane for |l| < 10° exhibits large Rotation Measures (RMs) with a maximum |RM| of $1691.2 \pm 4.9\, \mathrm{rad}\, \mathrm{m}^{-2}$ and a mean $|\mathrm{RM}| = 219 \pm 42\, \mathrm{rad}\, \mathrm{m}^{-2}$. The RMs decrease in magnitude with increasing projected distance from the Galactic Plane, broadly consistent with previous findings. We find an unusually high fraction (95 per cent) of the sources show Faraday complexity consistent with multiple Faraday components. We attribute the presences of multiple Faraday rotating screens with widely separated Faraday depths to small-scale turbulent RM structure in the Galactic Centre region. The second-order structure function of the RM in the Galactic Centre displays a line with a gradient of zero for angular separations spanning 0.83°–11° (∼120–1500 pc), which is expected for scales larger than the outer scale (or driving scale) of magneto-ionic turbulence. We place an upper limit on any break in the SF gradient of 66 arcsec, corresponding to an inferred upper limit to the outer scale of turbulence in the inner 1 kpc of the Galactic Centre of 3 pc. We propose stellar feedback as the probable driver of this small-scale turbulence.
The WaZP galaxy cluster sample of the dark energy survey year 1
Authors: Aguena M , Benoist C , da Costa L N , Ogando R L C , Gschwend J , Sampaio-Santos H B , Lima M , Maia M A G , Allam S , Avila S , Bacon D , Bertin E , Bhargava S , Brooks D , Carnero Rosell A , Carrasco Kind M , Carretero J , Costanzi M , De Vicente J , Desai S , Diehl H T , Doel P , Everett S , Evrard A E , Ferrero I , Ferté A , Flaugher B , Fosalba P , Frieman J , García-Bellido J , Giles P , Gruendl R A , Gutierrez G , Hinton S R , Hollowood D L , Honscheid K , James D J , Jeltema T , Kuehn K , Kuropatkin N , Lahav O , Melchior P , Miquel R , Morgan R , Palmese A , Paz-Chinchón F , Plazas A A , Romer A K , Sanchez E , Santiago B , Schubnell M , Serrano S , Sevilla-Noarbe I , Smith M , Soares-Santos M , Suchyta E , Tarle G , To C , Tucker D L , Wilkinson R D
Published: January 2021

We present a new (2+1)D galaxy cluster finder based on photometric redshifts called Wavelet Z Photometric (WaZP) applied to DES first year (Y1A1) data. The results are compared to clusters detected by the South Pole Telescope (SPT) survey and the redMaPPer cluster finder, the latter based on the same photometric data. WaZP searches for clusters in wavelet-based density maps of galaxies selected in photometric redshift space without any assumption on the cluster galaxy populations. The comparison to other cluster samples was performed with a matching algorithm based on angular proximity and redshift difference of the clusters. It led to the development of a new approach to match two optical cluster samples, following an iterative approach to minimize incorrect associations. The WaZP cluster finder applied to DES Y1A1 galaxy survey (1511.13 deg2 up to mi = 23 mag) led to the detection of 60 547 galaxy clusters with redshifts 0.05 < z < 0.9 and richness Ngals ≥ 5. Considering the overlapping regions and redshift ranges between the DES Y1A1 and SPT cluster surveys, all sz based SPT clusters are recovered by the WaZP sample. The comparison between WaZP and redMaPPer cluster samples showed an excellent overall agreement for clusters with richness Ngals (λ for redMaPPer) greater than 25 (20), with 95 per cent recovery on both directions. Based on the cluster cross-match, we explore the relative fragmentation of the two cluster samples and investigate the possible signatures of unmatched clusters.