bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determining the Structure and In Vitro Antioxidant Activity of Sulfated Polysaccharides from Cardamine hupingshanensis
Authors: Zhang Zimu , Huang Xiufang , Li Shichan , Luo Kai
Published: October 2021

Plant and fungal polysaccharides have been extensively studied for their anticoagulant, antioxidant, antitumor, immunomodulatory, and hypoglycemic activities. Furthermore, the inherent bioactivities of various polysaccharides can be improved by appropriate chemical modifications that can confer novel properties. Particularly, Cardamine hupingshanensis polysaccharides (CHPs) have been reported to exhibit curative action against diabetes in a mouse model. Therefore, in this study, CHPs are extracted by the hot water extraction method and modified by sulfation using the sulfur trioxide‐pyridine method. Anion‐exchange chromatography is performed to obtain pure, sulfated CHPs (SCHP‐II). Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and high‐performance liquid chromatography are performed to determine the structure and composition of SCHP‐II, respectively. The molecular weight of SCHP‐II is determined to be 22.2 kDa. A n in vitro antioxidation activity assay performed using 2,2‐azino‐bis‐3‐ethylbenzthiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid showed that SCHP‐II exhibited better free radical‐scavenging ability than CHPs. Therefore, it is concluded that SCHP‐II can be used as an antioxidant in food and medicinal products.
Corroded Tension Chord Model: Load‐deformation behavior of structures with locally corroded reinforcement
Authors: Haefliger Severin , Kaufmann Walter
Published: October 2021

Localised corrosion may considerably impair the load‐bearing and deformation capacity of reinforced concrete structures. The Corroded Tension Chord Model allows investigating the related effects. The model combines the effects of tension stiffening and strain localisation due to a local cross‐section loss to calculate the load‐deformation behaviour of tension members and entire structural elements containing locally corroded reinforcing bars on a sound mechanical basis. Based on simple equilibrium considerations, the critical loss of cross‐sectional area is introduced, beyond which most of a reinforcing bar's ductility or a structure's deformation capacity, respectively, is lost. For conventional European reinforcing steel, even small cross‐section losses may be sufficient to impair ductility drastically. Illustrative calculations on structural elements with various spatial corrosion distributions but identical mean cross‐section loss reveal that the load‐deformation behaviour strongly depends on the specific corrosion parameters: Structures with few heavily corroded reinforcing bars seem to be less critical regarding strength and deformation capacity than structures with many slightly corroded reinforcing bars.
Automated finite element modeling and analysis of cracked reinforced concrete beams from three dimensional point cloud
Authors: Yu Ke , Zhang Congguang , Shooshtarian Mohammed , Zhao Weijian , Shu Jiangpeng
Published: October 2021

Modeling and assessing the load‐carrying capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) structures that are cracked is important because the condition of an RC structure changes due to natural aging and accumulated damage. The current approach to determining the residual capacity of a cracked RC structure is time‐consuming and error‐prone due to a limited capacity to obtain and process structural information. In this study, an automated approach was proposed to determining residual capacity by performing finite element (FE) analysis of an RC structure using point cloud three dimensional modeling. Two simply supported RC beams were subjected to bending tests to provide validation data. The initial activity was to extract dimensional data from laser‐scanned point cloud data of a beam. The information obtained was used to automatically generate nonlinear FE models of the beam that was used for nonlinear FE analyses in Abaqus. An initial crack was added to the beam to model a cracked beam in real conditions. Three different models were used to simulate initial cracks, a weakened element model, a cohesive zone model, and an extended FE model. The results indicate that the proposed method of automating the combination of point cloud data with nonlinear FE analysis provides a novel practical approach to modeling and assessing cracked RC beams.
Reported Catalytic Hydrofunctionalizations that Proceed in the Absence of Catalysts: The Importance of Control Experiments
Authors: Sau Sudip , Pramanik Milan , Bal Ankita , Mal Prasenjit
Published: October 2021

The enlarged landscape of catalysis lies in the heart of chemistry. As the journey has set a milestone in organic synthesis, its darker side has not entered into the limelight. Studies disclose that the reported reactions by using catalysts were also attainable in the absence of catalysts in many cases. This article presents a literature collection that includes the significance of control experiments in hydrofunctionalization reactions. Systematic analysis reveals that the catalysts are ambiguous and might be unessential in chemical reactions enlisted here.
Construction of Carbon‐Fluorine Bonds via Copper‐Catalyzed/‐Mediated Fluorination Reactions
Authors: Dong Tao , Tsui Gavin Chit
Published: October 2021

The construction of carbon‐fluorine bonds is an important yet challenging task in organic synthesis. Transition metal‐catalyzed/‐mediated C−F bond forming processes have recently emerged as a viable strategy and provided access to value‐added monofluorinated compounds. A dramatic increase in fluorination methods using inexpensive and earth‐abundant copper can be seen in the past decade surpassing those using palladium and silver. This review discusses the recent development of Cu‐catalyzed/‐mediated formation of C(sp2)−F and C(sp3)−F bonds.
Grass pea natural variation reveals oligogenic resistance to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. pisi
Authors: Sampaio Ana Margarida , Alves Mara Lisa , Pereira Priscila , Valiollahi Ehsan , Santos Carmen , Šatović Zlatko , Rubiales Diego , Araújo Susana de Sousa , van Eeuwijk Fred , Vaz Patto Maria Carlota
Published: October 2021

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is an annual legume species, phylogenetically close to pea (Pisum sativum L.), that may be infected by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. pisi (Fop), the causal agent of fusarium wilt in peas with vast worldwide yield losses. A range of responses varying from high resistance to susceptibility to this pathogen has been reported in grass pea germplasm. Nevertheless, the genetic basis of that diversity of responses is still unknown, hampering its breeding exploitation. To identify genomic regions controlling grass pea resistance to fusarium wilt, a genome‐wide association study approach was applied on a grass pea worldwide collection of accessions inoculated with Fop race 2. Disease responses were scored in this collection that was also subjected to high‐throughput based single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) screening through genotyping‐by‐sequencing. A total of 5,651 high‐quality SNPs were considered for association mapping analysis, performed using mixed linear models accounting for population structure. Because of the absence of a fully assembled grass pea reference genome, SNP markers’ genomic positions were retrieved from the pea's reference genome v1a. In total, 17 genomic regions were associated with three fusarium wilt response traits in grass pea, anticipating an oligogenic control. Seven of these regions were located on pea chromosomes 1, 6, and 7. The candidate genes underlying these regions were putatively involved in secondary and amino acid metabolism, RNA (regulation of transcription), transport, and development. This study revealed important fusarium wilt resistance favorable grass pea SNP alleles, allowing the development of molecular tools for precision disease resistance breeding.
Evaluation of the use of ketoprofen for the treatment of digital dermatitis in dairy cattle: A randomised, positive controlled, clinical trial
Authors: Kasiora Konstantina , Anagnostopoulos Alkiviadis , Bedford Cherril , Menka Theologia , Barden Matthew , Griffiths Bethany Eloise , Achard Damien , Timms Katherine , Machado Vinicius Silva , Coates Amy , Oikonomou Georgios
Published: October 2021

Background

The objective of this study was to evaluate the benefits of administering ketoprofen to cows suffering from active digital dermatitis (DD).

Methods

158 cows presented with active DD (M1, M2 or M4.1 stage) were randomly allocated to either the control or the treatment group. All cows were treated with topical application of oxytetracycline spray. The treatment group also received an intramuscular injection of ketoprofen (3 mg/kg, Ketofen 10%, Ceva Animal Health). Cows were mobility scored just before they were treated and then again one week later. Information regarding their daily milk production was also collected.

Results

Animals in the control group were at 2.57 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.82–8.01, p = 0.10) times higher odds to be lame at the second evaluation compared to those that received ketoprofen as well. This was a numeric but not statistically significant difference. When only cows that were lame prior to treatment were considered, cows that did not receive ketoprofen were at 20.20 (95% CI: 1.40–291.29, p = 0.03) higher odds of remaining lame week post‐treatment comparing to cows that did receive ketoprofen. Freshly calved and lame at enrolment cows in the treatment group produced 58.38 ± 1.85 kg per day the week after treatment comparing to freshly calved and lame at enrolment controls that produced 47.89 ± 1.81 kg per day (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

The addition of ketoprofen in the treatment of active DD lesions may be beneficial for animal welfare and for animal productivity.
Hesse-Cassel: Alledged Sedition and Law-Suits (1640s–1650s)
Authors: Romein Christel Annemieke
Published: October 2021

In this chapter I discuss another German case, that of the Landgraviate of Hesse-Cassel. The Thirty Year’s War led to a governmental crisis and Landgrave William V went into exile where he died. The minor William VI inherited the occupied principality, which his regent-mother Amelie Elisabeth set out to reconquer. In 1646 Amelie required 4000 Malter of corn for her armed forces, and she convened an assembly requesting the nobility for their consent. The nobility, however, needed more time to debate the matter but was confronted with the illegal requisition of the resources. They saw this as a violation of their noble privileges led to an assembly of the nobility, which was consequently banned by the landgravine. The situation triggered a fierce reaction by the nobility, suggesting that the landgravine was attempting to establish an arbitrary rule. Since communication became strained, the nobility brought the situation under the attention of the Imperial Chamber Court in 1651. The lawsuit that followed showed that fatherland terminology was accepted in the formal, legal language by lawyers of both parties. In the argumentation sedition, privileges, traditions and the fear of the establishment of an arbitrary government are all used.
Impact of processing on important cocoa off-flavour compounds
Authors: Füllemann Daniela , Neiens Silva D. , Steinhaus Martin
Published: October 2021

The compounds responsible for smoky and mouldy–musty off-flavours in fermented cocoa have recently been elucidated; however, their behaviour during further processing into chocolate was still unclear. The compounds 2-methoxyphenol, 3-methylphenol, 4-methylphenol, 3-ethylphenol, 4-ethylphenol, and 3-propylphenol known to contribute to smoky off-flavours showed a tendency towards a minor increase during roasting and processing into cocoa liquor. This increase amounted to 1.4-fold at the most, however, was clearly compensated by losses of 30–63% during further processing into chocolate mass and conching. Among the off-flavour compounds identified in mouldy–musty smelling cocoa, faecal, mothball-like 3-methyl-1H-indole showed a clear decrease during roasting and processing into cocoa liquor, at least at rather high roasting temperatures, and a further decrease during processing into chocolate mass and conching. In contrast, faecal, mothball-like 1H-indole substantially increased during roasting and processing into cocoa liquor, namely from concentrations below its odour threshold value to concentrations up to 8 times beyond its odour threshold value. During processing into chocolate mass and conching, 1H-indole remained virtually unchanged. The data suggested that the monitoring of off-flavour compounds at the incoming goods inspection in the chocolate industry should not be limited to the fermented beans as such but additionally include the analysis of a bean sample after test roasting to correctly assess the off-flavour potential of 3-methyl-1H-indole and 1H-indole.
Partial visual loss disrupts the relationship between judged room size and sound source distance
Authors: Kolarik Andrew J. , Moore Brian C. J. , Cirstea Silvia , Raman Rajiv , Gopalakrishnan Sarika , Pardhan Shahina
Published: October 2021

Visual spatial information plays an important role in calibrating auditory space. Blindness results in deficits in a number of auditory abilities, which have been explained in terms of the hypothesis that visual information is needed to calibrate audition. When judging the size of a novel room when only auditory cues are available, normally sighted participants may use the location of the farthest sound source to infer the nearest possible distance of the far wall. However, for people with partial visual loss (distinct from blindness in that some vision is present), such a strategy may not be reliable if vision is needed to calibrate auditory cues for distance. In the current study, participants were presented with sounds at different distances (ranging from 1.2 to 13.8 m) in a simulated reverberant (T60 = 700 ms) or anechoic room. Farthest distance judgments and room size judgments (volume and area) were obtained from blindfolded participants (18 normally sighted, 38 partially sighted) for speech, music, and noise stimuli. With sighted participants, the judged room volume and farthest sound source distance estimates were positively correlated (p < 0.05) for all conditions. Participants with visual losses showed no significant correlations for any of the conditions tested. A similar pattern of results was observed for the correlations between farthest distance and room floor area estimates. Results demonstrate that partial visual loss disrupts the relationship between judged room size and sound source distance that is shown by sighted participants.
[68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 PET imaging as a predictor for absorbed doses in organs at risk and small lesions in [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 treatment
Authors: Peters Steffie M. B. , Hofferber Regina , Privé Bastiaan M. , de Bakker Maarten , Gotthardt Martin , Janssen Marcel , de Lange Frank , Muselaers Constantijn H. J. , Mehra Niven , Witjes J. Alfred , Costa Pedro F. , Nagarajah James , Konijnenberg Mark W. , Jentzen Walter
Published: October 2021

Introduction

Patient eligibility for [177Lu]Lu-PSMA therapy remains a challenge, with only 40–60% response rate when patient selection is done based on the lesion uptake (SUV) on [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-PET/CT. Prediction of absorbed dose based on this pre-treatment scan could improve patient selection and help to individualize treatment by maximizing the absorbed dose to target lesions while adhering to the threshold doses for the organs at risk (kidneys, salivary glands, and liver).

Methods

Ten patients with low-volume hormone-sensitive prostate cancer received a pre-therapeutic [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT, followed by 3 GBq [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 therapy. Intra-therapeutically, SPECT/CT was acquired at 1, 24, 48, 72, and 168 h. Absorbed dose in organs and lesions (n = 22) was determined according to the MIRD scheme. Absorbed dose prediction based on [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-PET/CT was performed using tracer uptake at 1 h post-injection and the mean tissue effective half-life on SPECT. Predicted PET/actual SPECT absorbed dose ratios were determined for each target volume.

Results

PET/SPECT absorbed dose ratio was 1.01 ± 0.21, 1.10 ± 0.15, 1.20 ± 0.34, and 1.11 ± 0.29 for kidneys (using a 2.2 scaling factor), liver, submandibular, and parotid glands, respectively. While a large inter-patient variation in lesion kinetics was observed, PET/SPECT absorbed dose ratio was 1.3 ± 0.7 (range: 0.4–2.7, correlation coefficient r = 0.69, p < 0.01).

Conclusion

A single time point [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-PET scan can be used to predict the absorbed dose of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA therapy to organs, and (to a limited extent) to lesions. This strategy facilitates in treatment management and could increase the personalization of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA therapy.
Analyzing microglial phenotypes across neuropathologies: a practical guide
Authors: Schwabenland Marius , Brück Wolfgang , Priller Josef , Stadelmann Christine , Lassmann Hans , Prinz Marco
Published: October 2021

As extremely sensitive immune cells, microglia act as versatile watchdogs of the central nervous system (CNS) that tightly control tissue homeostasis. Therefore, microglial activation is an early and easily detectable hallmark of virtually all neuropsychiatric, neuro-oncological, neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory diseases. The recent introduction of novel high-throughput technologies and several single-cell methodologies as well as advances in epigenetic analyses helped to identify new microglia expression profiles, enhancer-landscapes and local signaling cues that defined diverse previously unappreciated microglia states in the healthy and diseased CNS. Here, we give an overview on the recent developments in the field of microglia biology and provide a practical guide to analyze disease-associated microglia phenotypes in both the murine and human CNS, on several morphological and molecular levels. Finally, technical limitations, potential pitfalls and data misinterpretations are discussed as well.
Impact of endometriosis on obstetric outcome after natural conception: a multicenter Italian study
Authors: Berlanda N. , Alio W. , Angioni S. , Bergamini V. , Bonin C. , Boracchi P. , Candiani M. , Centini G. , D’Alterio M. N. , Del Forno S. , Donati A. , Dridi D. , Incandela D. , Lazzeri L. , Maiorana A. , Mattei A. , Ottolina J. , Orenti A. , Perandini A. , Perelli F. , Piacenti I. , Pino I. , Porpora M. G. , Scaramuzzino S. , Seracchioli R. , Solima E. , Somigliana E. , Venturella R. , Vercellini P. , Viganò P. , Vignali M. , Zullo F. , Zupi E. ,   Endometriosis Treatment Italian Club (ETIC)
Published: October 2021

Purpose

To evaluate obstetric outcome in women with endometriosis who conceive naturally and receive standard obstetric care in Italy.

Methods

Cases were consecutive women with endometriosis managed in eleven Italian referral centers. Controls were women in whom endometriosis was excluded. All women filled in a questionnaire addressing previous natural pregnancies. Marginal logistic regression models were fitted to evaluate the impact of endometriosis on obstetric outcome. A post hoc analysis was performed within the endometriosis group comparing women with severe adenomyosis versus women with absent or mild adenomyosis.

Results

Three hundred and fifty-five pregnancies in endometriosis group and 741 pregnancies in control group were included. Women with endometriosis had a higher risk of preterm delivery < 34 weeks (6.4% vs 2.8%, OR 2.42, 95% CI 1.22–4.82), preterm delivery < 37 weeks (17.8% vs 9.7%, OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.23–3.19), and neonatal admission to Intensive Care Unit (14.1% vs 7.0%, OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.23–3.36). At post hoc analysis, women with endometriosis and severe adenomyosis had an increased risk of placenta previa (23.1% vs 1.8%, OR 16.68, 95% CI 3.49–79.71), cesarean delivery (84.6% vs 38.9%, OR 8.03, 95% CI 1.69–38.25) and preterm delivery < 34 weeks (23.1% vs 5.7%, OR 5.52, 95% CI 1.38–22.09).

Conclusion

Women with endometriosis who conceive naturally have increased risk of preterm delivery and neonatal admission to intensive care unit. When severe adenomyosis is coexistent with endometriosis, women may be at increased risk of placenta previa and cesarean delivery.

Trial registration

Clinical trial registration number: NCT03354793.
Comparison of three different methods to detect bone marrow involvement in patients with neuroblastoma
Authors: Schriegel Felix , Taschner-Mandl Sabine , Bernkopf Marie , Grunwald Uwe , Siebert Nikolai , Ambros Peter F. , Ambros Inge , Lode Holger N. , Henze Guenter , Ehlert Karoline
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most frequent extracranial tumor in children. The detection of bone marrow (BM) involvement is crucial for correct staging and risk-adapted treatment. We compared three methods regarding the detection of NB involvement in BM.

Methods

Eighty-one patients with NB were included in this retrospective study. BM samples were obtained at designated time points at study entry and during treatment or follow-up. The diagnostic tools for BM analysis included cytomorphology (CM), flow cytometry (FCM) and automatic immunofluorescence plus fluorescence in situ hybridization (AIPF).

Results

We analyzed 369 aspirates in 81 patients in whom AIPF, CM, and FCM were simultaneously available. During the observation period, NB cells were detected in 86/369 (23.3%) cases, by CM in 32/369 (8.7%), by FCM in 52 (14.1%), and by AIPF in 72 (19.5%) samples. AIPF and/or FCM confirmed all positive results obtained in CM and detected 11 additional positive BM aspirates in 294 CM negative samples (p < 0,001). Survival of patients with BM involvement at study entry identified solely by FCM/AIPF was 17.4% versus 0% for patients in whom BM involvement was already identified by CM.

Conclusion

The combination of AIPF/FCM yielded the highest detection rate of NB cells in BM. AIPF was the single, most sensitive method in detecting these cells. Although CM did not provide any additional positive results, it is still a useful, readily available and cost-effective tool. The prognostic significance of FCM and AIPF should be confirmed in a prospective study with a larger number of patients.
Effects of supervised aerobic exercise on cardiorespiratory fitness and patient-reported health outcomes in colorectal cancer patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy—a pilot study
Authors: Zopf Eva M. , Schulz Holger , Poeschko Jonas , Aschenbroich Kerstin , Wilhelm Thomas , Eypasch Ernst , Kleimann Elmar , Severin Kai , Benz Jutta , Liu Enwu , Bloch Wilhelm , Baumann Freerk T.
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Colorectal cancer and its treatment are associated with debilitating side effects. Exercise may improve the physical and psychological wellbeing of cancer patients; however, evidence in colorectal cancer patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy is limited. This pilot study aimed to explore the effects of supervised aerobic exercise on cardiorespiratory fitness and patient-reported health outcomes in colorectal cancer patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods

Patients who had undergone curative resection for colorectal cancer (stages II–III) and were scheduled to receive adjuvant chemotherapy were enrolled into this non-randomized controlled trial. Patients in the intervention group (IG) took part in a 6-month supervised aerobic exercise program, while the control group (CG) received usual care. Cardiorespiratory fitness (measured by peak oxygen consumption) was assessed at baseline and 6 months. Fatigue, quality of life, and physical activity levels were additionally assessed at 3 months.

Results

In total, 59 patients (33 in IG vs. 26 in CG) were enrolled into this study. Eighteen patients (9 in IG vs. 9 in CG) dropped out of the study prior to the 6-month follow-up. Significant improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness (p = .002) and selected patient-reported health outcomes, such as reduced motivation (p = .015) and mental fatigue (p = .018), were observed in the IG when compared to the CG.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the effects of a supervised aerobic exercise program in colorectal cancer patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy. The significant and clinically meaningful improvements in CRF warrant further randomized controlled trials to confirm these findings.

Trials registration

German Clinical Trials Register Identifier: DRKS00005793, 11/03/2014, retrospectively registered.
Förderung der Handlungsfähigkeit von Auszubildenden für die betriebliche Klimaanpassung
Authors: Trautmann Christina , Siegmund Alexander
Published: October 2021

Die regionalen Folgen des globalen Klimawandels sind längst auch in Deutschland unverkennbar. Die Temperaturen sind hier seit 1881 mit 1,6 °C sogar stärker gestiegen als im globalen Vergleich, mit vielfältigen direkten und indirekten Auswirkungen für Umwelt, Gesellschaft und auch für die Wirtschaft. Die damit einhergehenden zunehmenden Extremwetterereignisse bergen vielfältige wirtschaftliche Risiken für Unternehmen und rücken die betriebliche Klimaanpassung damit in den Mittelpunkt des Interesses. Nur durch nachhaltige Anpassungsstrategien an die regional- und branchenspezifischen Folgen des Klimawandels können der wirtschaftliche Erfolg und die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit langfristig gesichert werden.

Hierzu bedarf es jedoch eines sensibilisierten Bewusstseins sowie einschlägiger Kompetenzen zur Beurteilung der unternehmensspezifischen Vulnerabilität und zur Identifikation adäquater Anpassungsmaßnahmen. Im Rahmen des Vorhabens Transfer Together: Climate Change Education (TT:CCE) als Anschlussvorhaben von KlimAzubi wird die Zielgruppe der Auszubildenden von Unternehmen als die zukünftigen betrieblichen Akteure für die betriebliche Klimawandelbetroffenheit und Anpassung adressiert. Dies ist insbesondere in Anbetracht dessen wichtig, dass (inter-)nationale Studien einen geringen Bildungsstand von Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen bezüglich der Strategien der Klimaanpassung aufzeigen.

Anhand des projektbezogenen Bildungsansatzes, der die Auswirkungen des Klimawandels auf die „natürliche“ Umwelt vermittelt und gleichzeitig die Inhalte auf die „betriebliche“ Umwelt transferiert, wird gezeigt, wie die betriebliche Klimaanpassung in der Berufsausbildung thematisiert und damit die (langfristige) Resilienz von Unternehmen gegenüber den Folgen des Klimawandels erhöht werden kann.
Capital markets and the costs of climate policies
Authors: Leimbach Marian , Bauer Nico
Published: October 2021

Globalization is accompanied by increasing current account imbalances. They can undermine the positive impacts of increasing international cooperation and trade on economic growth and income convergence. At the same time, climate change challenges the global community and requests for co-operative action. Regional energy transformation due to climate policies and the resulting regional mitigation costs are key variables of climate economic analysis. This study is the first that include current account imbalances and imperfect capital markets to investigate potential market feedback mechanisms between climate policies, energy sector transformation and capital markets. Furthermore, it answers the question whether the capital-intensive transformation towards zero-carbon economies increases the policy cost of mitigation under the condition of imperfect capital markets. First results demonstrate a dominant baseline effect of capital market imperfections on macroeconomic variables, and moderate effects on mitigation costs in global climate policy scenarios. For some regions (e.g. Middle East) estimates of relatively high mitigation costs are revised downwards, if imperfect capital markets are considered.
aCHAT-WF: Generating conversational agents for teaching business process models
Authors: Rooein Donya , Bianchini Devis , Leotta Francesco , Mecella Massimo , Paolini Paolo , Pernici Barbara
Published: October 2021

This paper proposes a general approach for using conversational interfaces such as chatbots to offer adaptive learning of business processes in an environment involving different actors. Adaptivity concerns both the content being proposed, the sequence of learning items, and the way the conversation is conducted. The original approach allows the development of sustainable chatbots and empowers various non-technical actors (authors, teachers, publishers, and learners) to control the chatbot features directly. The aCHAT-WF framework (adaptive CHATbot for WorkFlows), proposed in this paper for managing conversational interfaces, conceptually represents all the aspects related to a conversation about business processes, with different facets for the user, the conversation flow, and the conversation contents, combining them to obtain a flexible interaction with the user. The paper focuses on the different preparation phases for instructional material based on Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) models, separating the different roles involved in the construction of a chatbot for teaching business processes and with the possibility of defining different styles for the interaction with the users. The proposed method is configuration-driven, to facilitate the separation of the different aspects of the control of the interaction and the delivery of contents.
Individual and collective stop-based adaptive trajectory segmentation
Authors: Bonavita Agnese , Guidotti Riccardo , Nanni Mirco
Published: October 2021

Identifying the portions of trajectory data where movement ends and a significant stop starts is a basic, yet fundamental task that can affect the quality of any mobility analytics process. Most of the many existing solutions adopted by researchers and practitioners are simply based on fixed spatial and temporal thresholds stating when the moving object remained still for a significant amount of time, yet such thresholds remain as static parameters for the user to guess. In this work we study the trajectory segmentation from a multi-granularity perspective, looking for a better understanding of the problem and for an automatic, user-adaptive and essentially parameter-free solution that flexibly adjusts the segmentation criteria to the specific user under study and to the geographical areas they traverse. Experiments over real data, and comparison against simple and state-of-the-art competitors show that the flexibility of the proposed methods has a positive impact on results.
Neighbourhood cohesion and territorial cohesion: in search for conceptual integrity
Authors: Damurski Łukasz
Published: October 2021

Neighbourhood cohesion is a concept describing the residents’ sense of community, engagement in acts of neighbouring, and attractiveness of living in the neighbourhood. Since 2000’s the term ‘cohesion’ has also been used in geography and in spatial policy to represent the distribution of functions and opportunities in space. The two approaches seem be complementary, but they lack consistency and appropriate conceptual framework. This paper aims at developing an integrated methodological framework which will include both social and spatial aspects of cohesion at the local level. Its empirical content refers to studies conducted in 2017–2019 in five locations in Poland. Three methods of spatial analysis are presented depicting various aspects of territorial cohesion of a neighbourhood: functional balance, accessibility of facilities and match between supply and demand. Such approach enables effective measurement and comparison of neighbourhoods representing various settlement types. The results show that the highest levels of cohesion were obtained for large cities where the density of amenities is the highest, and the lowest levels were noted in suburban settlements which confirms their malfunctioning character. The paper concludes with a critical revision of the concept of neighbourhood cohesion which can serve as a guideline for local urban policy.
Elamipretide for Barth syndrome cardiomyopathy: gradual rebuilding of a failed power grid
Authors: Sabbah Hani N.
Published: October 2021

Barth syndrome is a rare and potentially fatal X-linked disease characterized by cardiomyopathy, skeletal muscle weakness, growth delays, and cyclic neutropenia. Patients with Barth syndrome are prone to high risk of mortality in infancy and the development of cardiomyopathy with severe weakening of the immune system. Elamipretide is a water-soluble, aromatic-cationic, mitochondria-targeting tetrapeptide that readily penetrates and transiently localizes to the inner mitochondrial membrane. Therapy with elamipretide facilitates cell health by improving energy production and inhibiting excessive formation of reactive oxygen species, thus alleviating oxidative stress. Elamipretide crosses the outer membrane of the mitochondrion and becomes associated with cardiolipin, a constituent phospholipid of the inner membrane. Elamipretide improves mitochondrial bioenergetics and morphology rapidly in induced pluripotent stem cells from patients with Barth syndrome and other genetically related diseases characterized by pediatric cardiomyopathy. Data with elamipretide across multiple models of disease are especially promising, with results from several studies supporting the use of elamipretide as potential therapy for patients with Barth syndrome, particularly where there is a confirmed diagnosis of cardiomyopathy. This review highlights the challenges and opportunities presented in treating Barth syndrome cardiomyopathy patients with elamipretide and addresses evidence supporting the durability of effect of elamipretide as a therapeutic agent for Barth syndrome, especially its likely durable effects on progression of cardiomyopathy following the cessation of drug treatment and the capability of elamipretide to structurally reverse remodel the failing left ventricle at the global, cellular, and molecular level in a gradual manner through specific targeting of the mitochondrial inner membrane.
Context Modulates Attention to Faces in Dynamic Social Scenes in Children and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Kaliukhovich Dzmitry A. , Manyakov Nikolay V. , Bangerter Abigail , Pandina Gahan
Published: October 2021

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been found to view social scenes differently compared to typically developing (TD) peers, but results can vary depending on context and age. We used eye-tracking in children and adults (age 6–63) to assess allocation of visual attention in a dynamic social orientation paradigm previously used only in younger children. The ASD group (n = 94) looked less at the actor’s face compared to TD (n = 38) when they were engaged in activity (mean percentage of looking time, ASD = 30.7% vs TD = 34.9%; Cohen’s d = 0.56; p value < 0.03) or looking at a moving toy (24.5% vs 33.2%; d = 0.65; p value < 0.001). Findings indicate that there are qualitative differences in allocation of visual attention to social stimuli across ages in ASD.

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02668991.
Liberation of eicosapentaenoic acid and degradation of the major cell wall polysaccharide porphyran by fermentation of nori, the dried thalli of Pyropia yezoensis, with koji
Authors: Hama Yoichiro , Yamagata Emi , Takahama Noriko , Yoshimura Yuka , Yanagida Rin , Mitsutake Susumu
Published: October 2021

In this study, dried sheets of nori, shredded and processed thalli of the red alga Pyropia yezoensis, were fermented with either barley, rice or soybean koji. High-performance liquid chromatographic analyses of the lipid extracts of the fermented products indicated that the fermentation of nori with all kinds of tested koji released free fatty acids, including the eicosapentaenoic acid, from ester lipids. We found that approximately half of the eicosapentaenoic acid in nori had been released as the free fatty acid at up to 4 weeks of fermentation at 30 °C and more than 65% at 8 to12 weeks in the fermented products with barley and rice koji. We also demonstrated the degradation of porphyran, a major cell wall polysaccharide of nori, by gel chromatography on Sephacryl S-300 HR of hot water extracts of the fermented products of nori with barley koji. Approximately two-third of porphyran had been degraded to porphyran oligosaccharides up to 6 weeks of fermentation. Fermentation of nori with koji may bring out the potential health-promoting functions of nori.
Family Alliance in Infancy and Toddlerhood Predicts Social Cognition in Adolescence
Authors: Tissot Hervé , Lapalus Noémie , Frascarolo France , Despland Jean-Nicolas , Favez Nicolas
Published: October 2021

Infants developing in a cooperative family alliance (FA), characterized by cohesion and mutual support between family members observable during mother–father–child interactions, will likely experience more affect sharing and empathy early in life. Previous studies showed that these experiences might have a positive impact on the development of social cognition, as the development of FA from 3 to 18 months was shown to predict theory of mind (ToM) competences at age 4.5. This study aimed to extend these results to adolescence, as we hypothesized that higher FA in the postpartum would be linked better social cognition skills at age 15 years. We assessed FA during mother–father–child interactions at 3, 9, and 18 months postpartum (N = 49) and adolescents’ social cognition skills in a computerized emotion recognition task at age 15 years. Results of growth curve models showed that the stable, but not the changing, components of FA from 3 to 18 months, predicted better emotion recognition—particularly for positive emotional expressions—at age 15 years, when controlling for ToM at age 4.5 years. Results are discussed in light of prior research on the links between early family relationships and children’s development from early childhood to adolescence.
Design of a Security and Trust Framework for 5G Multi-domain Scenarios
Authors: Jorquera Valero José María , Sánchez Sánchez Pedro Miguel , Lekidis Alexios , Fernandez Hidalgo Javier , Gil Pérez Manuel , Siddiqui M. Shuaib , Huertas Celdrán Alberto , Martínez Pérez Gregorio
Published: October 2021

With the expansion of 5G networks, new business models are arising where multi-tenancy and active infrastructure sharing will be key enablers for them. With these new opportunities, new security risks are appearing in the form of a complex and evolving threat landscape for 5G networks, being one of the main challenges for the 5G mass rollout. In 5G-enabled scenarios, adversaries can exploit vulnerabilities associated with resource sharing to perform lateral movements targeting other tenant resources, as well as to disturb the 5G services offered or even the infrastructure resources. Moreover, existing security and trust models are not adequate to react to the dynamicity of the 5G infrastructure threats nor to the multi-tenancy security risks. Hence, we propose in this work a new security and trust framework for 5G multi-domain scenarios. To motivate its application, we detail a threat model covering multi-tenant scenarios in an underlying 5G network infrastructure. We also propose different ways to mitigate these threats by increasing the security and trust levels using network security monitoring, threat investigation, and end-to-end trust establishments. The framework is applied in a realistic use case of the H2020 5GZORRO project, which envisions a multi-tenant environment where domain owners share resources at will. The proposed framework forms a secure environment with zero-touch automation capabilities, minimizing human intervention.
What’s in a Word? Just vs. Fair vs. Appropriate Earnings for Self and Others
Authors: Adriaans Jule , Liebig Stefan , Sabbagh Clara , Jasso Guillermina
Published: October 2021

Despite Rawls’ famous call to distinguish between justice and fairness, these and other justice-related words often seem to be used interchangeably by both ordinary people and justice researchers. Based on a survey-embedded question wording experiment (N = 4534) fielded in Germany as part of the GESIS Panel, we explore the effects of three justice words— “just,” “fair,” and “appropriate”—on the sense of justice about earnings for self and others. We observe differences in the just reward, justice evaluation, and justice consequences by justice word. For example, justice evaluations of one’s own earnings are more negative, i.e., deeper in the underreward territory, signaling larger just rewards, when using “just” instead of “fair” or “appropriate” in the question wording. No such clear pattern emerges for justice evaluations of others’ earnings. Our analyses show the decreasing effect of an underreward situation on psychosocial health to be significantly stronger in the “just” condition compared to the “fair” condition but do not reveal differential consequences by justice word for measures of satisfaction and trust. Overall, the observed differences by justice words are moderate in size. Nonetheless, our findings suggest caution for justice researchers in communicating with peers and respondents and warrant further inquiry extending research on the role of “justice language” to other language–country contexts.
NME1 Protects Against Neurotoxin-, α-Synuclein- and LRRK2-Induced Neurite Degeneration in Cell Models of Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Anantha Jayanth , Goulding Susan R. , Tuboly Eszter , O’Mahony Adam G. , Moloney Gerard M. , Lomansey Gareth , McCarthy Cathal M. , Collins Louise M. , Sullivan Aideen M. , O’Keeffe Gerard W.
Published: October 2021

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterised by the progressive degeneration of midbrain dopaminergic neurons, coupled with the intracellular accumulation of α-synuclein. Axonal degeneration is a central part of the pathology of PD. While the majority of PD cases are sporadic, some are genetic; the G2019S mutation in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) is the most common genetic form. The application of neurotrophic factors to protect dopaminergic neurons is a proposed experimental therapy. One such neurotrophic factor is growth differentiation factor (GDF)5. GDF5 is a dopaminergic neurotrophic factor that has been shown to upregulate the expression of a protein called nucleoside diphosphate kinase A (NME1). However, whether NME1 is neuroprotective in cell models of axonal degeneration of relevance to PD is unknown. Here we show that treatment with NME1 can promote neurite growth in SH-SY5Y cells, and in cultured dopaminergic neurons treated with the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). Similar effects of NME1 were found in SH-SY5Y cells and dopaminergic neurons overexpressing human wild-type α-synuclein, and in stable SH-SY5Y cell lines carrying the G2019S LRRK2 mutation. We found that the effects of NME1 require the RORα/ROR2 receptors. Furthermore, increased NF-κB-dependent transcription was partially required for the neurite growth-promoting effects of NME1. Finally, a combined bioinformatics and biochemical analysis of the mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate revealed that NME1 enhanced mitochondrial function, which is known to be impaired in PD. These data show that recombinant NME1 is worthy of further study as a potential therapeutic agent for axonal protection in PD.
Metta-Based Therapy for Chronic Depression: a Wait List Control Trial
Authors: Stangier Ulrich , Frick Artjom , Thinnes Isabel , Arens Elisabeth A. , Hofmann Stefan G.
Published: October 2021

Objectives

Current treatments for chronic depression have focused on reducing interpersonal problems and negative affect, but paid little attention to promoting prosocial motivation and positive affect. Following this treatment focus, the objective of the present study was to examine whether the combination of metta (Loving Kindness) group meditation and subsequent tailored individual therapy focusing on kindness towards oneself and others (metta-based therapy, MBT) shows greater improvements in depressive symptoms than a wait list control group in patients with chronic depression.

Methods

Forty-eight patients with DSM-5 persistent depressive disorder were randomly assigned to MBT or a wait list control condition. Outcome was assessed after group meditation, after subsequent individual therapy, and at 6-month follow-up. The primary outcome measure was an independent blind rating of depressive symptoms at post-test. Secondary outcome included changes in self-reported depression, behavioral activation, rumination, social functioning, mindfulness, compassion, and clinician-rated emotion regulation.

Results

Mixed-design analyses showed significant differences between MBT and WLC in changes from pre- to post-test in clinician-rated and self-rated depression, behavioral activation, rumination, social functioning, mindfulness, and emotion regulation. Most of the changes occurred during group meditation and were associated with large effect sizes. Improvements were maintained at 6-month follow-up.

Conclusions

The results provide preliminary support for the effectiveness of MBT in treating chronic depression.

Trial Registration

ISRCTN, ISRCTN97264476.
The basic principles of a socially just arts curriculum, and the place of drama
Authors: O’Toole John
Published: October 2021

This paper provides a descriptive historical analysis of the planning and writing of the Australian Curriculum: The Arts which occurred from 2009 to 2013. This process involved extensive consultation across a range of stakeholders, including curriculum research, background reading and analysis that preceded the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority’s writing process. The curriculum itself was underpinned by a range of democratic principles, including the importance of developing a socially just curriculum. This necessitated extensive discussion which interrogated the terms excellence and equity to ensure a high-quality arts education was accessible for all students, regardless of their background. The implementation of these principles is then explored through the perspective of the Drama writing team, including the importance of the subject Drama in developing a sense of inquiry and empathy in students by exploring their own and others’ stories and points of view. The final curriculum document for the Arts, and specifically for Drama exemplifies the importance of these social justice principles in responding to the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians (2008) which advocates for equity and excellence in Australian schooling and for all young Australians to become successful learners, confident and creative individuals and active and informed citizens.
Optimal bounds of classical and non-classical means in terms of Q means
Authors: Nowicka Monika , Witkowski Alfred
Published: October 2021

We show optimal bounds of the form $$Q_\alpha<M<Q_\beta $$

Q
α

<
M
<

Q
β

, where $$\begin{aligned} Q_\alpha (x,y)={\mathsf {A}}(x,y)\frac{{\mathsf {A}}^2(x,y)}{(1-\alpha ){\mathsf {A}}^2(x,y)+\alpha {\mathsf {G}}^2(x,y)} \end{aligned}$$

Q
α

(
x
,
y
)

=
A

(
x
,
y
)

A

2

(
x
,
y
)

(
1
-
α
)

A

2

(
x
,
y
)

+
α

G

2

(
x
,
y
)

and M belongs to a broad class of classical homogeneous, symmetric means of two variables.
Phenotypic and genotypic data of a European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) progeny trial issued from three plots along an elevation gradient in Mont Ventoux, South-Eastern France
Authors: Oddou-Muratorio Sylvie , Gauzere Julie , Angeli Nicolas , Brahic Patrice , Brendel Oliver , De Castro Marie , Gilg Olivier , Hossann Christian , Jean Frédéric , Lingrand Matthieu , Pringarbe Mehdi , Rei Frank , Roig Anne , Thevenet Jean , Turion Norbert
Published: October 2021

Key Message

We provide phenotypic and genotypic data for a progeny trial of 5813 European beech seedlings, originating from 60 open-pollinated families collected at three altitudes (1020 m; 1140 m, 1340 m) on Mont Ventoux (44° 11′ N; 17° 5′ E).