bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Product variety in local grocery stores: Differential effects on stock‐keeping unit level sales
Authors: Lu Guanyi , Lee Hyun Seok (Huck) , Son Junbo
Published: October 2021

We empirically examine the effect of product variety on sales at the stock‐keeping unit (SKU) level. Prior empirical operations management studies generally treat product variety as a single‐dimensional measure (e.g., the number of SKUs carried by the store, distribution center, or firm) and study its impact on aggregate sales (e.g., sales at the store, distribution center, or firm). As such, SKUs from different brands are assumed to contribute equally to total sales, which is not always the case. To address this, we need to conceptualize product variety within brands and investigate its impact on sales at a more granular level. In this study, we propose and theoretically articulate two product variety dimensions (within‐brand variety [WV] and average WV of other brands [AWVO]) to investigate the mechanisms that connect product variety to SKU‐level sales. Using a detailed transaction dataset from a local grocery retailer, we first show that product variety conceptualized within brands (i.e., the mean of WVs [MWV]) does have an impact on aggregate subcategory sales, as the literature suggests. At the SKU level, we find WV increases same‐brand SKU sales, while AWVO reduces it. Our work provides an alternative explanation to the inverted U‐shaped relationship between product variety and aggregate sales observed in the literature: Increasing variety only increases sales of SKUs belonging to the brand whose variety has increased, while it decreases sales of the other SKUs. We also find that variety effects vary significantly across different profitability levels and product categories. Product variety appears to have the strongest positive effect on high‐margin products. The impact of product variety on specific product category sales varies from as high as 11% to negligible. We further discuss the practical value of our findings and show the robustness of our results through multiple tests while addressing endogeneity using the control function approach.
Thinking alike or not: Performance implications of transactional psychological contract congruence in buyer–supplier new product development projects
Authors: Deng Chunping , Yan Tingting , Mao Jiye , Yin Shaorong
Published: October 2021

A buyer–supplier new product development (NPD) project is an ambiguous and complex transaction, making neither formal contracts nor a collaborative relationship sufficient to ensure project success. NPD project performance could also be directly influenced by the transactional psychological contracts (TPCs) of project members due to their strong motivational effect. Adopting a dyadic view, we explore the performance implications of buyer–supplier TPCs (in)congruence using a matched, dyadic survey dataset from 279 NPD projects. We find that levels of congruence (congruent vs. incongruent), types of congruence (high–high vs. low–low), and directions of incongruence (buyer‐higher vs. supplier‐higher) all affect project performance. Challenging the conventional wisdom that buyer–supplier congruence is generally productive, we find that congruence in TPCs, a generally undesirable type of PC, lowers product quality in NPD projects. This is because congruence in TPCs locks project members in the status quo by creating psychological balance and removing healthy conflicts, which prevents a team from balancing between exploration and exploitation. The combination of buyer‐lower, supplier‐higher TPCs incongruence is most effective for improving both product quality and development efficiency. These results remind NPD project managers that buyer and supplier TPCs can interact to jointly affect project outcomes beyond individual influences of each party's TPC.
Prediction of lateral lymph node metastasis using OSNA method for mesorectal lymph nodes in low rectal cancer: A prospective study by the Kanagawa Yokohama Colorectal Cancer Study Group (KYCC1801)
Authors: Numata Masakatsu , Shiozawa Manabu , Godai Teni , Kazama Keisuke , Okamoto Hironao , Kato Aya , Katayama Yusuke , Sato Sumito , Sugano Nobuhiro , Kohmura Takashi , Higuchi Akio , Saito Kentaro , Iguchi Kenta , Atsumi Yosuke , Aoyama Toru , Tamagawa Hiroshi , Mushiake Hiroyuki , Saeki Hiroyuki , Yukawa Norio , Taguri Masataka , Sato Maho , Rino Yasushi
Published: October 2021

Background and Objectives

Contrary to the Japanese guidelines recommendations regarding lateral lymph node dissection (LatLND) for rectal cancer, its omission is common in clinical practice without reliable omission criteria. Negative pathological mesorectal lymph node metastasis (MesLNM) is reportedly highly correlated with negative pathological lateral lymph node metastasis (p‐LatLNM); however, this cannot be used as a criterion because pathological features are revealed postoperatively. Herein, we prospectively evaluated the negative predictive value (NPV) of MesLNM diagnosed via the one‐step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA) method for p‐LatLNM.

Methods

This prospective study was conducted at a single academic study group in Japan. The key eligibility criterion was mid‐to‐low rectal cancer planned to be treated using mesorectal excision with LatLND. According to the study protocol, the OSNA method was considered useful if the point estimate of the NPV exceeded 95%.

Results

Preoperative case registration was conducted between 2018 and 2020; 34 patients were registered. Among these, 16 were negative for OSNA‐MesLNM, and negative p‐LatLNM was confirmed in all cases. The point estimate of the NPV was 100%, with the 95% confidence interval ranging from 79.4% to 100.0%.

Conclusions

The OSNA method is useful in selecting patients in whom LatLND can be omitted in real‐world clinical practice.
Pectin acetylesterase 8 influences pectin acetylation in the seed coat, seed imbibition, and dormancy in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)
Authors: Palmer Jeffrey P. , Pajak Aga , Robson Blake , Zhang BaiLing , Joshi Jaya , Diapari Marwan , Pauls K. Peter , Marsolais Frédéric
Published: October 2021

The results of a prior transcript profiling study identified a large difference in transcript accumulation of a pectin acetylesterase gene, designated as PAE8, in two genetically related lines of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). The results of reverse transcription‐quantitative PCR experiments confirmed this difference and revealed that the gene is expressed specifically in the seed coat of developing seeds. Genomic sequence data identified a non‐functional allele, due to a five‐base pair insertion resulting in a frameshift and premature stop codon. The non‐functional pae8 allele was associated with a lack of detectable protein as determined by Western blot. PAE8 accounted for approximately 65% of total pectin acetylesterase activity in the developing seed coat. Lack of functional PAE8 resulted in an approximately 2.5‐fold increase in acetylation of soluble pectin in the mature seed coat. The presence of a non‐functional pae8 allele was associated with an increased rate of water absorption by the seed and increased percentage of germination in aged seeds. The data suggest that the decreased acetylation of pectin leads to enhanced interaction with Ca2+, contributing to water impermeability.
Nanosilicate‐Functionalized Polycaprolactone Orchestrates Osteogenesis and Osteoblast‐Induced Multicellular Interactions for Potential Endogenous Vascularized Bone Regeneration
Authors: Xu Xiongcheng , Zhuo Jin , Xiao Long , Xu Yanmei , Yang Xue , Li Yanfen , Du Zhibin , Luo Kai
Published: October 2021

Massive oral and maxillofacial bone defect regeneration remains a major clinical challenge due to the absence of functionalized bone grafts with ideal mechanical and proregeneration properties. In the present study, Laponite (LAP), a synthetic nanosilicate, is incorporated into polycaprolactone (PCL) to develop a biomaterial for bone regeneration. It is explored whether LAP‐embedded PCL would accelerate bone regeneration by orchestrating osteoblasts to directly and indirectly induce bone regeneration processes. The results confirmed the presence of LAP in PCL, and LAP is distributed in the exfoliated structure without aggregates. Incorporation of LAP in PCL slightly improved the compressive properties. LAP‐embedded PCL is biocompatible and exerts pronounced enhancements in cell viability, osteogenic differentiation, and extracellular matrix formation of osteoblasts. Furthermore, osteoblasts cultured on LAP‐embedded PCL facilitate angiogenesis of vessel endothelial cells and alleviate osteoclastogenesis of osteoclasts in a paracrine manner. The addition of LAP to the PCL endows favorable bone formation in vivo. Based upon these results, LAP‐embedded PCL shows great potential as an ideal bone graft that exerts both space‐maintaining and vascularized bone regeneration synergistic effects and can be envisioned for oral and maxillofacial bone defect regeneration.
Converging 3D Printing and Electrospinning: Effect of Poly(l‐lactide)/Gelatin Based Short Nanofibers Aerogels on Tracheal Regeneration
Authors: Yuan Zhengchao , Ren Yijiu , Shafiq Muhammad , Chen Yujie , Tang Hai , Li Baojie , EL‐Newehy Mohamed , EL‐Hamshary Hany , Morsi Yosry , Zheng Hui , Mo Xiumei
Published: October 2021

Recently, various tissue engineering based strategies have been pursued for the regeneration of tracheal tissues. However, previously developed tracheal scaffolds do not accurately mimic the microstructure and mechanical behavior of the native trachea, which restrict their clinical translation. Here, tracheal scaffolds are fabricated by using 3D printing and short nanofibers (SF) dispersion of poly(l‐lactide)/gelatin (0.5–1.5 wt%) to afford tracheal constructs. The results display that the scaffolds containing 1.0 wt % of SF exhibit low density, good water absorption capacity, reasonable degradation rate, and stable mechanical properties, which were comparable to the native trachea. Moreover, the designed scaffolds possess good biocompatibility and promote the growth and infiltration of chondrocytes in vitro. The biocompatibility of tracheal scaffolds is further assessed after subcutaneous implantation in mice for up to 4 and 8 weeks. Histological assessment of tracheal constructs explanted at week 4 shows that scaffolds can maintain their structural integrity and support the formation of neo‐vessels. Furthermore, cell‐scaffold constructs gradually form cartilage‐like tissues, which mature with time. Collectively, these engineered tracheal scaffolds not only possess appropriate mechanical properties to afford a stabilized structure but also a biomimetic extracellular matrix‐like structure to accomplish tissue regeneration, which may have broad implications for tracheal regeneration.
Microgel Preparation by Miniemulsion Polymerization of Passerini Multicomponent Reaction Derived Acrylate Monomers
Authors: Windbiel Julian Tobias , Llevot Audrey
Published: October 2021

Three acrylate monomers featuring different side‐groups are synthesized in yields up to 94% in a one‐pot procedure using the versatile Passerini‐three‐component reaction. The procedure for their miniemulsion polymerization into polymeric particles with tunable sizes is established. Ethylene glycol dimethacrylate is introduced as comonomer to induce crosslinking and enable the production of microgels. Besides the shelf life of the miniemulsions, the dependence of the particle size on the concentration of the surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate) and the crosslinker, as well as the sonication amplitude and time, is investigated. The particle size of the collapsed microgels range from 21 to 91 nm. The swelling of the microgels in organic solvents is studied.
Applications and Mechanism of 3‐Hydroxybutyrate (3HB) for Prevention of Colonic Inflammation and Carcinogenesis as a Food Supplement
Authors: Li Zihua , Zhang Shujie , Zhang Yudian , Chen Jin , Wu Fuqing , Liu Gang , Chen Guo‐Qiang
Published: October 2021

Scope

Inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal carcinogenesis (CRC) are common diseases without effective prevention approach. 3‐Hydroxybutyrate (3HB) reported to have multiple functions as an oral food supplement. This study observes that 3HB prevents mouse colitis and CRC.

Methods and Results

The sensitivity of wild type (WT) and GPR109a‐/‐ mice to colitis is compared using dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS)‐induced colitis model. Flow cytometry showed that 3HB cellular surface receptor GPR109a that can decrease the percentage of M1 macrophages from 50% of the DSS‐induced acute colitis mouse group to 42% DSS+3HB group mediating the inhibitory effect on inflammation. Bone marrow transplantation experiments further demonstrated that the function of 3HB depended on bone marrow cells. Subsequently, the sensitivity of WT and GPR109a‐/‐ mice to CRC is compared using an azoxymethane‐DSS‐induced CRC mouse model. It is found that the activation of GPR109a inhibited CRC, depended on reduced myeloid‐derived suppressor cells accumulation from 27% of the DSS group to 19% of the DSS+3HB group studied using flow cytometry.

Conclusion

It is concluded that 3HB significantly suppresses colonic inflammation and carcinogenesis, promising to benefit colon disease prevention in form of a food supplement.
Rapid Molecular Determination of Sex for Western North American Chub (Gila spp.)
Authors: Mussmann Steven M. , Saltzgiver Melody J. , Delomas Thomas A. , Campbell Matthew R. , Diver Tracy A. , Wilson Wade D.
Published: October 2021

Gathering sex data is frequently a complicated matter for fish species that lack sexually dimorphic traits. Secondary sexual characteristics are cryptic or nonexistent in many minnows (Cyprinidae) during early life stages or outside of the breeding season, which may require lethal methods for determining sex. This complicates many conservation actions and population genetic studies, including (1) the development of hatchery broodstocks for threatened and endangered species, (2) sex ratio determination in wild populations, (3) the influence of sex ratio on the effective population size estimates, and (4) limitations on the implementation of genetic tagging and parentage assignment in wild populations. Here, we remedy this issue for four western North American chub species (Gila spp.) through restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing of Bonytail G. elegans, which identified a single locus indicating an XY sex determination system and no candidate loci consistent with a WZ system. This locus cross-amplified in three additional Gila species (Chihuahua Chub G. nigrescens, Virgin Chub G. seminuda, and White River Chub G. jordani), although species-specific differences necessitated the development of three novel primer/probe sets. Real-time PCR with hydrolysis probe assays was used to genotype sex-linked single-nucleotide polymorphisms for each species. The measurement of endpoint fluorescence in a real-time PCR thermal cycler allowed for rapid and accurate sex genotyping of these species, with accuracy >97% relative to phenotypic sex identification when three PCR replicates were employed. These assays provided high precision, with unanimous results across >87% of the replicates and a majority consensus genotype for 98.6% of the samples. The locus identified herein was conserved across all of the Gila species that we tested (n = 6) and other western North American cyprinids; however, sex-linked polymorphisms were found only in the four species that are named above. Consequently, this locus has promise for the identification and development of sex-linked assays for other Gila and closely related cyprinids.
Flavonoids in Lemon and Grapefruit IntegroPectin**
Authors: Scurria Antonino , Sciortino Marzia , Albanese Lorenzo , Nuzzo Domenico , Zabini Federica , Meneguzzo Francesco , Alduina Rosa , Presentato Alessandro , Pagliaro Mario , Avellone Giuseppe , Ciriminna Rosaria
Published: October 2021

Following the analysis of terpenes present in new lemon and grapefruit “IntegroPectin” pectins obtained via the hydrodynamic cavitation of industrial lemon and grapefruit processing waste, the HPLC‐MS analysis of flavonoid and other phenolic compounds reveals the presence of eriocitrin, naringin, hesperidin and kaempferol typical of the respective citrus fruits. The pectic fibers rich in rhamnogalacturonan‐I regions act as chemical sponges adsorbing and concentrating at their outer surface highly bioactive citrus flavonoids and terpenes. These findings, together with the unique molecular structure of these new whole citrus pectins, provide preliminary insight into the broad‐scope biological activity of these new biomaterials. Numerous new biomedical applications are anticipated, including likely use in the prevention and treatment of microbial infections and neurodegenerative disease.
Impact of the Arctic observing systems on the ECCC global weather forecasts
Authors: Laroche Stéphane , Poan Emmanuel D.
Published: October 2021

This study examines the impact of the conventional (in situ) and satellite observing systems in the Arctic on forecasts in the Northern Hemisphere polar and midlatitude regions using the Canadian global forecast system. It is part of an international cooperation to understand the role and the relative importance of the polar observing systems in numerical prediction systems in order to make recommendations for future optimal observing network design in this area. Both Observing System Experiment and Forecast Sensitivity to Observation Impact methods are used to assess the relative importance of the observing systems north of 60°N. The experiments are conducted during winter 2017–2018 and summer 2018, which include the first two Special Observing Periods of the Year of Polar Prediction. The impact of supplementary radiosondes launched during these periods is also assessed. It is found that the joint impact of all Arctic satellite data on forecasts is two to four times larger than the impact of all conventional data in this area. The microwave sounders and the radiosonde network have the largest impact among the satellite and convention observing systems, respectively. The impact of the conventional data is larger than that of microwave sounders in both winter and summer seasons. The impact of the supplementary radiosondes on short‐range forecast in the Arctic is positive, but becomes negligible beyond 24 hr forecast lead‐time. The impact of observations in the Arctic on medium‐range forecasts in the midlatitudes is larger over eastern North America and northern Asia for both seasons examined.
Immobilization of Polyoxometalate onto Modified Magnetic Nanoparticles: A New Catalyst for the Synthesis of Dihydropyranopyrazole Derivatives
Authors: Abaeezadeh Somayeh , Beni Alireza Salimi , Zarnegaryan Ali , Nabavizadeh Mohammadreza
Published: October 2021

A new nanocatalyst Fe3O4@carbon@polyoxometalate (Fe@C@Mo6O18) consisting of a cluster of Fe3O4nanoparticles as core, a carbon layer as inner shell, and a Lindqvist type polyoxometalate as the outer shell was prepared. The prepared nanocatalyst structure was characterized by energy dispersive X‐ray (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), vibration sample magnetometer (VSM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy techniques and their catalytic activity was evaluated for the synthesis of dihydropyranopyrazole derivatives. The results were excellent regarding the high yield of the products and short reaction time. The new nanocatalyst showed good recoverability with a significant loss of activity and selectivity within successive runs. Most importantly, these materials can be easily recovered by simple magnetic separation.
Binding of Water‐Soluble CdSe Quantum Dots with Human Serum Albumin: Further Studies into their Effects on Dietary Polyphenol Binding and Sensing of Antibiotic Lomefloxacin
Authors: Haque Mahabul , Santra Sujan , Paul Debojit , Roy Atanu Singha
Published: October 2021

Synthesis of surface modified quantum dots (QDs) having potential biological activities are great important in biomedicinal chemistry. Here, we have synthesized mercapto propanoic acid (MPA) and thiolactic acid (TLA) coated water soluble cadmium selenide (CdSe) QDs having biological activity. Dispersion of QDs into a biological fluid can form protein corona. Hence, the binding of CdSe QDs with the carrier protein, human serum albumin (HSA) have been executed using spectroscopic methods. The binding affinity order of CdSe QDs‐HSA complexes were found in the order of 105 M−1 at 298 K. CdSe QDs are also affects the binding affinities of dietary polyphenols (naringin: NG and naringenin: NRG) towards HSA. The synthesized CdSe QDs was employed to sensing of antibiotic lomefloxacin by fluorescence quenching mechanism. The detection limit was found 0.70‐1.83 μg mL−1. The CdSe QDs also demonstrate the detection of lomefloxacin under uv light based on color change of the solutions.
LaTi21O38/CuLaO2/CoO Nanorods as High‐Performance Anode Materials for Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Gao Nan , Liu Yuzhou , Xia Yu , Li Xing
Published: October 2021

Ti−Co−Cu composites as anode for lithium‐ion batteries are outstanding materials to obtain high specific capacity and cycle stability. In this work, LaTi21O38/CuLaO2/CoO composite materials (LTCLC) were designed by a simple electrospinning method. Impressively, the addition of La elements to LTCLC nanorods with porous structures improved the electrochemical performance of CuO/CoTiO3/TiO2 (TCCT) as an anode for Li‐ion batteries. The LTCLC materials have the capacity of 129.8 mAh g−1 at high current density of 1000 mA g−1 and the coulombic efficiency can be maintained at 98.22 % after 800 cycles, indicating the excellent cycling stability. The excellent electrochemical performance could be assigned to the credible one dimensional nanostructure and synergistic effect of lanthanum elements. The composites may hold great applications as high performance anode materials for LIBs.
Design and Synthesis of Novel Phenothiazine‐Benzothiadiazine‐1,1‐dioxide Hybrid Organic Material for OLED Applications
Authors: Lade Jatin J. , Chiou Shian‐Sung , Tseng Yeh‐Hsiang , Chiu Meng‐Hsuan , Lin Yi‐Fan , Chang Chih‐Hao , Chetti Prabhakar , Chaskar Atul C.
Published: October 2021

In this study, yellow thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitter PTZ‐SA has been designed and synthesized by incorporating phenothiazine as donor and benzothiadiazine‐1,1‐dioxide as an acceptor. The molecule is also screened for aggregation induced emission in THF/Water system. PTZ‐SA shows exceptionally high glass transition temperature (Tg) of 188 °C which clearly highlights good thermal stability of the material. The energy gap (ΔEST) between singlet (S1) and triplet (T1) excitons is sufficiently small (0.08 eV) for the reverse intersystem crossing. Yellow electroluminescence peak is observed at 568 nm with Commission Internationale de L′Eclairage coordinates of (0.44, 0.50). The external quantum efficiency of 4.2 % from PTZ‐SA is achieved in yellow emitting OLED with turn on voltage of 5.1 V. Moreover, sufficiently high triplet energy of 2.5 eV and good film forming ability of PTZ‐SA, encouraged us to study its electro‐phosphorescent properties. Nevertheless, the red phosphorescent OLED device incorporating PTZ‐SA dopped with a red emitter Ir(piq)2acac exhibited maximum external quantum efficiency, power efficiency and luminescence efficiency of 8.1 %, 7.2 lm W−1 and 5.1 cd A−1, respectively.
Synthesis of δ,δ‐Diaryl‐α‐cyanoacrylamides and δ,δ‐Diarylallylidiene Malononitriles by Pd(OAc)2 Catalyzed Mizoroki‐Heck Reaction
Authors: Sengupta Ayon , Sarkar Piyali , Maity Suvendu , Basu Soumyadip , Ghosh Prasanta , Rudra Sonali , Mukhopadhyay Chhanda
Published: October 2021

An expeditious route for the stereoselective catalytic monohydration of nitrile and ′CN′ directed regio‐stereoselctive δ‐arylation of various arylallylidene malononitriles affording δ, δ‐Diaryl‐α‐cyanoacrylamides in hydrolysis condition and δ, δ‐Diarylallylidene malononitriles in anhydrous condition by Pd(OAc)2 catalyzed Mizoriki‐Heck reaction is described. This provides an instantaneous formation of a library of compounds in a very short time period and simple operational process. The structure elucidation of the diastereomers was done by HMBC, HSQC, 2‐D NMR experiments and X‐ray single crystallographic analysis. A probable reaction mechanism directed by nitriles and involvement of syn and anti π‐allylic Pd‐complexes has been proposed that is in consonance with the experimental findings and product distributions.
Trifluoromethyl‐Group Bearing, Hydrophobic Bulky Cations as Defect Passivators for Highly Efficient, Stable Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Lee Hock Beng , Kumar Neetesh , Devaraj Vasanthan , Tyagi Barkha , He Siwei , Sahani Rishabh , Ko Keum-Jin , Oh Jin-Woo , Kang Jae-Wook
Published: October 2021

Solution‐processed perovskite films are rich in surface defects and grain boundaries, which limits their performance and stability in photovoltaic application. Surface passivation using bulky organic cations can effectively reduce the surface defects of a perovskite film without affecting its fundamental properties. Herein, the use of hydrophobic bulky aromatic molecules, namely 4‐trifluoromethyl‐benzylammonium iodide/bromide (CF3BZA‐I/Br), as defect‐passivators to heal the surface defects and grain boundaries of perovskite films is introduced. Owing to the presence of the trifluoromethyl (CF3) moieties, CF3BZA‐I/Br‐passivated perovskite films exhibit a hydrophobic surface with significantly fewer grain boundaries. By suppressing the surface and interfacial imperfections, CF3BZA‐Br‐treated perovskite solar cells achieve an outstanding power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 20.75%. The PCE improvement originates mainly from the reduction of trap states and nonradiative carrier recombination. The ultrathin hydrophobic barrier layer formed after passivation also shields the perovskite film surface from moisture ingress and environmental degradation, leading to improved stability of the devices. By optimizing the passivation conditions, the bulky CF3BZA‐I/Br molecules could be the ideal defect passivators, with versatile applications in a wide variety of perovskite optoelectronics.
Rafting multiplayer video games
Authors: Pozzan Gabriele , Vardanega Tullio
Published: October 2021

Consensus is a central concern for distributed systems, paramount for fault‐tolerant applications. Online multiplayer (video) games are an attractive instance of highly distributed application, where user experience requires resilience provisioning that includes distributed consensus. In this work, we report on experiments we performed on the use of the Raft consensus algorithm in two Proof‐of‐Concept instances of famous video games. Our experiments aim to show the feasibility of such a novel architectural approach, and to assess the ensuing scalability quantitatively against game‐specific performance metrics. To enable the transferability of this effort, we discuss our implementation choices and testing method, as well as the findings from said empirical evaluation.
Behavior of vertically irregular structures near mines: Comparison of responses under seismic and mine blast‐induced ground motion
Authors: Dutta Sekhar Chandra , Kumar Sumit , Bhoyar Palash Sanjay , Hussain Md Ahsaan , Sajal
Published: October 2021

Due to architectural and functional considerations, buildings with irregular configurations are frequently constructed with rapid urbanization. During a seismic or blast activity, the performance of a building depends on various factors like adequate lateral strength, stiffness, ductility, regularity, and the extent of simplicity in the configuration. The irregular distributions of the stiffness, mass, and strength in the plan and height of the building create irregularity within the structures. The purpose of this study is to understand the nature of response under seismic ground motion and that obtained from ground vibration generated due to mine blasts if such buildings are situated near mines. This study also emphasizes on identifying the critical location of stress concentration of the structures under both seismic and mine blast‐induced ground motion. Base shear, fundamental natural periods, mode shapes, and member forces for a few buildings with typical irregular configurations and similar buildings with regular counterparts are obtained. Nonlinear dynamic analysis has been carried out on irregular buildings for confirming the trends in behavior observed from linear dynamic analysis. Since the mine blasts take place sequentially, the study also aims to prescribe a suitable delay interval between such series blasts to minimize the vulnerability of vertically irregular seismic structures to the possible extent.
Product of random states and spatial (half-)wormholes
Authors: Goto Kanato , Kusuki Yuya , Tamaoka Kotaro , Ugajin Tomonori
Published: October 2021

Abstract

We study how coarse-graining procedure of an underlying UV-complete quantum gravity gives rise to a connected geometry. It has been shown, quantum entanglement plays a key role in the emergence of such a geometric structure, namely a smooth Einstein-Rosen bridge. In this paper, we explore the possibility of the emergence of similar geometric structure from classical correlation, in the AdS/CFT setup. To this end, we consider a setup where we have two decoupled CFT Hilbert spaces, then choose a random typical state in one of the Hilbert spaces and the same state in the other. The total state in the fine-grained picture is of course a tensor product state, but averaging over the states sharing the same random coefficients creates a geometric connection for simple probes. Then, the apparent spatial wormhole causes a factorization puzzle. We argue that there is a spatial analog of half-wormholes, which resolves the puzzle in the similar way as the spacetime half-wormholes.
Diameter, width and thickness in the hyperbolic plane
Authors: Horváth Ákos G.
Published: October 2021

In hyperbolic geometry there are several concepts to measure the breadth or width of a convex set. In the first part of the paper we collect them and compare their properties. Than we introduce a new concept to measure the width and thickness of a convex body. Correspondingly, we define three classes of bodies, bodies of constant with, bodies of constant diameter and bodies having the constant shadow property, respectively. We prove that the property of constant diameter follows to the fulfilment of constant shadow property, and both of them are stronger as the property of constant width. In the last part of this paper, we introduce the thickness of a constant body and prove a variant of Blaschke’s theorem on the larger circle inscribed to a plane-convex body of given thickness and diameter.
Mathematical modelling of thermoelasticity problems for thin biperiodic cylindrical shells
Authors: Tomczyk B. , Gołąbczak M. , Litawska A. , Gołąbczak A.
Published: October 2021

The objects of consideration are thin linearly thermoelastic Kirchhoff-Love-type circular cylindrical shells having a periodically microheterogeneous structure in circumferential and axial directions (biperiodic shells). The aim of this contribution is to formulate and discuss two new averaged mathematical models for the analysis of selected dynamic thermoelasticity problems for the shells under consideration: the non-asymptotictolerance and the consistent asymptotic models. The starting equations are the well-known governing equations of linear Kirchhoff-Love theory of thin elastic cylindrical shells combined with Duhamel–Neumann thermoelastic constitutive relations and coupled with the known linearized Fourier heat conduction equation in which the heat sources are neglected. For the microperiodic shells under consideration, the starting equations mentioned above have highly oscillating, non-continuous and periodic coefficients. The tolerance model is derived applying the tolerance averaging technique and a certain extension of the known stationary action principle. It has constant coefficients depending also on a cell size. Hence, this model makes it possible to study the effect of a microstructure size on the global shell thermoelasticity (the length-scale effect). The consistent asymptotic model is obtained using the consistent asymptotic approach. It has constant coefficients being independent of the period lengths. Moreover, the comparison between the tolerance model for biperiodic shells proposed here and the known tolerance model for cylindrical shells with a periodic structure in the circumferential direction only (uniperiodic shells) is presented.
Natural isotope correction improves analysis of protein modification dynamics
Authors: Dietze Jörn , van Pijkeren Alienke , Egger Anna-Sophia , Ziegler Mathias , Kwiatkowski Marcel , Heiland Ines
Published: October 2021

Stable isotope labelling in combination with high-resolution mass spectrometry approaches are increasingly used to analyze both metabolite and protein modification dynamics. To enable correct estimation of the resulting dynamics, it is critical to correct the measured values for naturally occurring stable isotopes, a process commonly called isotopologue correction or deconvolution. While the importance of isotopologue correction is well recognized in metabolomics, it has received far less attention in proteomics approaches. Although several tools exist that enable isotopologue correction of mass spectrometry data, the majority is tailored for the analysis of low molecular weight metabolites. We here present PICor which has been developed for isotopologue correction of complex isotope labelling experiments in proteomics or metabolomics and demonstrate the importance of appropriate correction for accurate determination of protein modifications dynamics, using histone acetylation as an example.
Skew-Orthogonal Polynomials in the Complex Plane and Their Bergman-Like Kernels
Authors: Akemann Gernot , Ebke Markus , Parra Iván
Published: October 2021

Non-Hermitian random matrices with symplectic symmetry provide examples for Pfaffian point processes in the complex plane. These point processes are characterised by a matrix valued kernel of skew-orthogonal polynomials. We develop their theory in providing an explicit construction of skew-orthogonal polynomials in terms of orthogonal polynomials that satisfy a three-term recurrence relation, for general weight functions in the complex plane. New examples for symplectic ensembles are provided, based on recent developments in orthogonal polynomials on planar domains or curves in the complex plane. Furthermore, Bergman-like kernels of skew-orthogonal Hermite and Laguerre polynomials are derived, from which the conjectured universality of the elliptic symplectic Ginibre ensemble and its chiral partner follow in the limit of strong non-Hermiticity at the origin. A Christoffel perturbation of skew-orthogonal polynomials as it appears in applications to quantum field theory is provided.
Gemeinsame Grundlage von Alexithymie und expressiver Suppression
Authors: Schiewer Vera , Dietz Thilo , Tavenrath Sally , Öztürk-Arenz Hülya , Jäger Reinhold S. , Klein Anne , Labouvie Hildegard , Kusch Michael
Published: October 2021

Hintergrund

Internationale Studien konnten bereits einen Zusammenhang zwischen Alexithymie und expressiver Suppression belegen. Im deutschsprachigen Raum wurde dieser Zusammenhang bisher nur sehr selten betrachtet. Übergeordnetes Ziel der vorliegenden Studie war die Untersuchung eines korrelativen und faktoriellen Zusammenhangs von Alexithymie und expressiver Suppression.

Material und Methoden

Insgesamt 317 Personen nahmen einer Onlinebefragung teil. Mithilfe der deutschsprachigen Versionen der Toronto Alexithymia Scale-26 (TAS-26) und des Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) wurden Daten zu Alexithymie und expressiver Suppression erfasst.

Ergebnisse

Es bestanden signifikante Korrelationen zwischen der Subskala „Schwierigkeit bei der Identifikation von Gefühlen“ der TAS-26 und der Skala „Unterdrückung“ des ERQ (r = 0,5; p < 0,001) sowie zwischen der Subskala „Schwierigkeit bei der Beschreibung von Gefühlen“ der TAS-26 und der Skala „Unterdrückung“ des ERQ (r = 0,64; p < 0,001). Die Ergebnisse einer explorativen Faktorenanalyse ergaben eine Zwei-Faktoren-Lösung mit einem gemeinsamen Faktor für die TAS-26-Subskalen „Schwierigkeit bei der Identifikation von Gefühlen“ und „Schwierigkeit bei der Beschreibung von Gefühlen“ und der Skala „Unterdrückung“ des ERQ mit einer gemeinsamen Varianz von 38,2 % (χ2 = 363,843; p < 0,001; Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin[KMO]-Wert = 0,699).

Schlussfolgerung

Die Ergebnisse legen nahe, dass den Skalen der TAS-26 in den Komponenten „Schwierigkeit bei der Identifikation von Gefühlen“ und „Schwierigkeit bei der Beschreibung von Gefühlen“ sowie der Skala „Unterdrückung“ des ERQ in der Komponente der „expressiven Suppression“ ein gemeinsames Konstrukt zugrunde liegt, das mit dem Begriff der Sprachlosigkeit belegt werden kann.
Power profiling and the power-duration relationship in cycling: a narrative review
Authors: Leo Peter , Spragg James , Podlogar Tim , Lawley Justin S. , Mujika Iñigo
Published: October 2021

Emerging trends in technological innovations, data analysis and practical applications have facilitated the measurement of cycling power output in the field, leading to improvements in training prescription, performance testing and race analysis. This review aimed to critically reflect on power profiling strategies in association with the power-duration relationship in cycling, to provide an updated view for applied researchers and practitioners. The authors elaborate on measuring power output followed by an outline of the methodological approaches to power profiling. Moreover, the deriving a power-duration relationship section presents existing concepts of power-duration models alongside exercise intensity domains. Combining laboratory and field testing discusses how traditional laboratory and field testing can be combined to inform and individualize the power profiling approach. Deriving the parameters of power-duration modelling suggests how these measures can be obtained from laboratory and field testing, including criteria for ensuring a high ecological validity (e.g. rider specialization, race demands). It is recommended that field testing should always be conducted in accordance with pre-established guidelines from the existing literature (e.g. set number of prediction trials, inter-trial recovery, road gradient and data analysis). It is also recommended to avoid single effort prediction trials, such as functional threshold power. Power-duration parameter estimates can be derived from the 2 parameter linear or non-linear critical power model: P(t) = W′/t + CP (W′—work capacity above CP; t—time). Structured field testing should be included to obtain an accurate fingerprint of a cyclist’s power profile.
Cosserat Elasticity of Lattice Solids
Authors: Shirani M. , Steigmann D. J.
Published: October 2021

We discuss a model of fibrous solids composed of three families of continuously distributed Kirchhoff rods embedded in a matrix material. This is a special case of Cosserat elasticity in which the basic kinematic descriptors are a single deformation field and three rotation fields, one for each fiber family. The fibers are assumed to convect with the underlying continuum deformation as material curves. Various kinds of internal connectivity, imposing restrictions of the fiber rotations fields, are considered.
Declarative Application Management in the Fog
Authors: Brogi Antonio , Forti Stefano , Guerrero Carlos , Lera Isaac
Published: October 2021

Orchestrating next-gen applications over heterogeneous resources along the Cloud-IoT continuum calls for new strategies and tools to enable scalable and application-specific managements. Inspired by the self-organisation capabilities of bacteria colonies, we propose a declarative, fully decentralised application management solution, targeting pervasive opportunistic Cloud-IoT infrastructures. We present a customisable declarative implementation of the approach and validate its scalability through simulation over motivating scenarios, also considering end-user’s mobility and the possibility to enforce application-specific management policies for different (classes of) applications.
Reverse Privatization as a Reaction to the Competitive Environment: Evidence from Solid Waste Collection in Germany
Authors: Demuth Juri , Friederiszick Hans W. , Reinhold Steffen
Published: October 2021

After earlier waves of privatization, local governments have increasingly taken back control of local service provisions in some sectors and countries and instead started providing those services themselves (reverse privatization). Using a unique panel dataset on the mode of service provision for solid waste collection for German municipalities that cover the years 2003, 2009, and 2015, we investigate the motives for reverse privatization. Our results show that—in deciding whether to insource or not—municipalities react to the cost advantages of private suppliers as well as to the competitive environment and municipal activity: there is more switching to insourcing in concentrated markets and in markets with horizontally or vertically related public services. Local interest groups influence this decision as well.
Effects of aging on protein expression in mice brain microvessels: ROS scavengers, mRNA/protein stability, glycolytic enzymes, mitochondrial complexes, and basement membrane components
Authors: Chandra Partha K. , Cikic Sinisa , Rutkai Ibolya , Guidry Jessie J. , Katakam Prasad V. G. , Mostany Ricardo , Busija David W.
Published: October 2021

Differentially expressed (DE) proteins in the cortical microvessels (MVs) of young, middle-aged, and old male and female mice were evaluated using discovery-based proteomics analysis (> 4,200 quantified proteins/group). Most DE proteins (> 90%) showed no significant differences between the sexes; however, some significant DE proteins showing sexual differences in MVs decreased from young (8.3%), to middle-aged (3.7%), to old (0.5%) mice. Therefore, we combined male and female data for age-dependent comparisons but noted sex differences for examination. Key proteins involved in the oxidative stress response, mRNA or protein stability, basement membrane (BM) composition, aerobic glycolysis, and mitochondrial function were significantly altered with aging. Relative abundance of superoxide dismutase-1/-2, catalase and thioredoxin were reduced with aging. Proteins participating in either mRNA degradation or pre-mRNA splicing were significantly increased in old mice MVs, whereas protein stabilizing proteins decreased. Glycolytic proteins were not affected in middle age, but the relative abundance of these proteins decreased in MVs of old mice. Although most of the 41 examined proteins composing mitochondrial complexes I–V were reduced in old mice, six of these proteins showed a significant reduction in middle-aged mice, but the relative abundance increased in fourteen proteins. Nidogen, collagen, and laminin family members as well as perlecan showed differing patterns during aging, indicating BM reorganization starting in middle age. We suggest that increased oxidative stress during aging leads to adverse protein profile changes of brain cortical MVs that affect mRNA/protein stability, BM integrity, and ATP synthesis capacity.
Seasonality, duration of the hominin occupations and hunting grounds at Middle Pleistocene Qesem Cave (Israel)
Authors: Rivals Florent , Blasco Ruth , Rosell Jordi , Efrati Bar , Gopher Avi , Barkai Ran
Published: October 2021

The behaviour and mobility of hominins are dependent on the availability of biotic and abiotic resources, which, in temperate ecosystems, are strongly related to seasonality. The objective of this study is to establish evidence of seasonality and duration of occupation(s) of specific archaeological contexts at late Lower Palaeolithic Qesem Cave based on the study of ungulate teeth. Combining individual ageing using dental eruption and replacement with variability measurement of tooth microwear, we estimated the seasonality of occupations at different levels of the site and their relative duration. Information about the diet of the ungulates and the habitats where they were hunted was also derived from tooth mesowear and microwear analyses. In the different tooth assemblages analysed, where the fallow deer was the most abundant herbivorous species, animals were selectively hunted in specific habitats. For example, the fallow deer individuals brought back to the Hearth area had a different diet than those found in other parts of the cave. The Hearth area seems to have been used seasonally, probably during short-term events and more than once a year. The other areas of the cave show different seasons of game procurement and different patterns of occupation of the site, possibly more than once a year or, alternatively, for a longer period. The data suggest that Qesem Cave was inhabited by human groups for a long period, perhaps not continuously, and their knowledge of the environment surrounding the cave allowed them to allocate specific game, most probably from distinct hunting grounds, to designated activity areas at the cave. We hypothesise that the difference in feeding locations might have been related to specific needs of the cave inhabitants (food, hide and marrow extraction), and thus, animals from different hunting grounds were wisely used to maximise the potential of specific habitats in the environment. This study is an additional testimony to the ingenuity of the cave inhabitants that allowed them to persistently use the cave for a prolonged period in a year.
Serine and one-carbon metabolisms bring new therapeutic venues in prostate cancer
Authors: Ganini Carlo , Amelio Ivano , Bertolo Riccardo , Candi Eleonora , Cappello Angela , Cipriani Chiara , Mauriello Alessandro , Marani Carla , Melino Gerry , Montanaro Manuela , Natale Maria Emanuela , Tisone Giuseppe , Shi Yufang , Wang Ying , Bove Pierluigi
Published: October 2021

Serine and one-carbon unit metabolisms are essential biochemical pathways implicated in fundamental cellular functions such as proliferation, biosynthesis of important anabolic precursors and in general for the availability of methyl groups. These two distinct but interacting pathways are now becoming crucial in cancer, the de novo cytosolic serine pathway and the mitochondrial one-carbon metabolism. Apart from their role in physiological conditions, such as epithelial proliferation, the serine metabolism alterations are associated to several highly neoplastic proliferative pathologies. Accordingly, prostate cancer shows a deep rearrangement of its metabolism, driven by the dependency from the androgenic stimulus. Several new experimental evidence describes the role of a few of the enzymes involved in the serine metabolism in prostate cancer pathogenesis. The aim of this study is to analyze gene and protein expression data publicly available from large cancer specimens dataset, in order to further dissect the potential role of the abovementioned metabolism in the complex reshaping of the anabolic environment in this kind of neoplasm. The data suggest a potential role as biomarkers as well as in cancer therapy for the genes (and enzymes) belonging to the one-carbon metabolism in the context of prostatic cancer.