bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantitative effects of changes in agricultural irrigation on potential evaporation
Authors: Han Congying , Zhang Baozhong , Han Songjun
Published: January 2021

Evaporation is a key element to the basin's water cycle. Agricultural irrigation has resulted in a significant variation of regional potential evaporation (Epen). The spatiotemporal variation of Epen and influencing factors in natural, agricultural, and desert areas in different developmental stages of irrigation in Heihe River Basin (HRB) from 1970 to 2017 were comparatively analysed in this study. This work focused on the correction effect of irrigation on the variation of Epen. Agricultural water consumption in HRB significantly varied around 1998 due to agricultural development and water policy. Under the influence of irrigation, annual variations of Epen in agricultural, natural, and desert areas were significantly different. From 1970 to 1998, the annual trend slope of Epen in natural area only reduced by 1 mm decade−1, while that in agricultural area significantly decreased by 39 mm decade−1. After the implementation of water‐saving irrigation, Epen in natural and agricultural areas increased by 11 and 54 mm decade−1, respectively, from 1998 to 2017. In contrast with natural and agricultural areas, Epen in desert area decreased by 80 mm decade−1 from 1970 to 1998 and continuously decreased by 41 mm decade−1 from 1998 to 2017. However, the regulatory effect of irrigation on Epen in desert area started to manifest due to the expansion of cultivated land area from 2010 to 2017. Irrigation had a significant regulatory effect on the variation of Epen in HRB. The regulatory effect was mainly reflected on the aerodynamic term (Eaero). Results indicated that the main meteorological factors influencing Epen in each region were wind speed, which is 2 m above the surface (U2), and water vapour deficit (VPD).
Bladder cancer invasion along a tension‐free vaginal mesh
Authors: Ochi Atsuhiko , Harada Shunsuke , Fukuokaya Wataru , Honma Koichi , Huang Tingwen , Abe Hirokazu
Published: January 2021

Introduction

The effect of synthetic mesh after pelvic organ prolapse surgery on the progression of bladder cancer remains unclear.

Case presentation

A 79‐year‐old woman who underwent a tension‐free vaginal mesh procedure 8 years prior was diagnosed with carcinoma in situ of the bladder. Although intravesical Bacillus Calmette–Guérin therapy was started, the tumor rapidly became muscle invasive. Laparoscopic radical cystectomy was performed following radiochemotherapy; however, the tumor extended to the left internal obturator muscle along the mesh arm. Pathological findings showed desmoplastic high‐grade urothelial carcinoma infiltrating around the mesh. Finally, cancer recurred rapidly in the left internal obturator muscle.

Conclusion

Synthetic mesh can become an abnormal anatomical pathway for tumor infiltration. Therefore, in high‐risk bladder cancer patients who underwent a tension‐free vaginal mesh procedure, radical cystectomy should be performed without delay before the tumor invades the perivesical tissue.
Iris boundary localization based on Hough transform and the quadratic circle data compensation
Authors: Yang Yu , Wang Jinsong , Xue Yadi
Published: January 2021

Iris localization is the crucial link of iris recognition and automatic eye tracking. Based on the traditional Hough transform, this paper proposes an accurate pupil detection method combined with ellipse fitting and circular data compensation. We used the minimum gray mean method to approximately determine the inner edge. According to the results, the inner edge image is extracted and finely located by the center compensation method. When locating the outer boundary, a coarse localization is performed based on approximate radius compensation. The fine localization of the outer edge is performed based on approximate circle center compensation. The experimental results show the proposed algorithm improves the accuracy and real‐time performance of the localization compared with the traditional method. It retains the original advantages of Hough transform while reduces the amount of computation and useless information.
Glioma grade detection using grasshopper optimization algorithm‐optimized machine learning methods: The Cancer Imaging Archive study
Authors: Hedyehzadeh Mohammadreza , Maghooli Keivan , MomenGharibvand Mohammad
Published: January 2021

Detection of brain tumor's grade is a very important task in treatment plan design which was done using invasive methods such as pathological examination. This examination needs resection procedure and resulted in pain, hemorrhage and infection. The aim of this study is to provide an automated non‐invasive method for estimation of brain tumor's grade using Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI). After pre‐processing, using Fuzzy C‐Means (FCM) segmentation method, tumor region was extracted from post‐processed images. In feature extraction, texture, Local Binary Pattern (LBP) and fractal‐based features were extracted using Matlab software. Then using Grasshopper Optimization Algorithm (GOA), parameters of three different classification methods including Random Forest (RF), K‐Nearest Neighbor (KNN) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) were optimized. Finally, performance of three applied classifiers before and after optimization were compared. The results showed that the random forest with accuracy of 99.09% has achieved better performance comparing other classification methods.
Discotic material hexakis(4‐carboxyphenylethynyl)benzene inhibits Escherichia coli growth via the glycolysis pathway
Authors: Wu Hsiu‐Hui , Chen Ho‐Lun , Hsu Chih Ying , Yeh Chih‐Ling , Hsu Hsiu‐Fu , Cheng Chien‐Chung
Published: January 2021

Discotic materials and nanoparticles are potential carriers of synthetic chemicals to increase the bioavailability. Several planar discotic compounds were prepared with C–C bond formation by the Sonagoshira reaction. Their toxicity was based on their inhibition of Escherichia coli growth as well as a simple proteomic analysis. The partial analogues of hexakis(4‐carboxyphenylethynyl)benzene structures did not inhibit E. coli growth significantly. The possible metabolic pathway of hexakis(4‐carboxyphenylethynyl)benzene (1) may involve the downregulation of glycolytic proteins detected with a proteomic analysis. Hexakis(4‐carboxyphenylethynyl)benzene is found not only useful in liquid crystals but may also have utility in the development of novel antibiotics.
Environmental and human health risks associated with exposure to hazardous elements present in urban dust from Barranquilla, Colombian Caribbean
Authors: Osorio‐Martinez Jorge , Silva Luis F. O. , Flores Erico M. M. , Nascimento Mariele S. , Picoloto Rochele S. , Olivero‐Verbel Jesus
Published: January 2021

Urban dust is a mixture of deposited particles from different sources usually linked to potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Despite the industrialization of many South American countries, little is known about the impact of particulate matter in large cities; these data are necessary to promote environmental policies aiming to protect human health. The main objective of this work was to evaluate the particle size distribution, composition, and environmental and human health risks of settled dust particles from Barranquilla, a Colombian Caribbean industrialized area. Trace elements were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry from 35 different sites, covering all city areas. Dust was mostly composed of 10‐to‐70‐μm particles. The average concentrations of V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, Pb, and Bi were above background. High spatial heterogeneity was observed for Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Ag, Sn, Sb, and Bi. Concentration factors suggest that urban dusts are extremely contaminated by Zn and Cu. The ecological risk associated with specific elements decreased in the order Cd > Cu > As > Hg > Pb > Ni > Co ≈ Zn ≈ Cr, and the contamination load index showed that 91% of the samples are polluted by PTEs. Although the carcinogenic risks of Cr, Ni, As, Co, and Cd were low, chronic exposure to several PTEs may affect quality of life. Educational programs, as well as monitoring and greater control on traffic, industry, and construction activities are needed to protect environmental and human health.
A green revolution in sub‐Saharan Africa? The transformation of Ethiopia's agricultural sector
Authors: Rohne Till Emelie
Published: January 2021

As the widespread pessimism about African agriculture has receded, policies for a green revolution in Africa are again called for. This study explores the presence of a national‐level green revolution in Ethiopia and finds that an Ethiopian green revolution has taken place since the mid‐1990s, mainly among staple‐growing smallholders in agroecologically favourable areas and that the state has played a central role in this transformation via public spending on agriculture. It concludes that there is scope for states in today's low‐income countries to take a leading role in the transformation of their agricultural sectors.
A Super‐Amphiphilic 3D Silicone Sponge with High Porosity for the Efficient Adsorption of Various Pollutants
Authors: Cao Jinfeng , Wang Yan , Wang Dengxu , Sun Ruixue , Guo Mengdong , Feng Shengyu
Published: January 2021

Silicone sponge, which is nontoxic, highly flexible, insulated, and chemically inert, has great promise in the aerospace, electronics, and health care industries. However, the inherent surface properties and the harsh synthesis method limit its application. A super‐amphiphilic 3D silicone sponge is designed by a thiol‐ene click reaction for the first time. The sponge possesses high porosity, low density, excellent adsorption ability, and reusability for water, oil, emulsions, and Hg2+ or dyes or suspended solids in them. The sponge can selectively adsorb a very high amount (941.3 mg g−1) of Hg2+ from solutions (water, oil, emulsions) containing various ions at a nearly 100% removal efficiency. Cation dyes can also be selectively captured by the sponge. Furthermore, the sponge is designed as a filter element for a filtration system, and the content of the pollutants in the filtrate reaches drinkable levels after the Hg2+ and dye solutions are processed. The filter can be reused with almost unchanged filtration efficiency after a simple washing process. The successful treatment of actual/artificial polluted water proves its practical value.
Aqueous Synthesis of Upper Critical Solution Temperature and Lower Critical Solution Temperature Copolymers through Combination of Hydrogen‐Donors and Hydrogen‐Acceptors
Authors: Lu Jianlei , Xu Mengdi , Lei Yi , Gong Lihao , Zhao Chuanzhuang
Published: January 2021

The synthesis of thermo‐responsive polymers from non‐responsive and water‐soluble monomers has great practical advantages but significant challenges. Herein, the authors report a novel aqueous copolymerization strategy to prepare polymers with tunable upper critical solution temperature (UCST) or lower critical solution temperature (LCST) from non‐responsive monomers. Acrylic acid (AAc), N‐vinylpyrrolidone (NVP), and acrylamide (AAm) are copolymerized in water, yielding copolymers with UCST behavior. Interestingly, by simply replacing AAm with its methylated homologue, dimethyl acrylamide (DMA), the thermo‐responsiveness of the copolymers is converted into LCST‐type. The cloud points of the copolymers can be tuned rationally with their monomer ratios and the condition of the solvent. The UCST property of the poly(AAc–NVP–AAm) comes from the AAc–AAm and AAc–NVP hydrogen‐bonds, while the LCST property of poly(AAc–NVP–DMA) originates from the hydrophobic aggregation of AAc–NVP complex and DMA, as indicated by temperature‐dependent 1H NMR and dynamic light scattering.
FLASH proton irradiation setup with a modulator wheel for a single mouse eye
Authors: Kourkafas Georgios , Bundesmann Juergen , Fanselow Timo , Denker Andrea , Ehrhardt Vincent Henrique , Gollrad Johannes , Budach Volker , Weber Andreas , Kociok Norbert , Joussen Antonia M. , Heufelder Jens
Published: January 2021

Purpose

Recent studies indicate that FLASH irradiation, which involves ultra‐high dose rates in a short time window (usually >40 Gy/s in <500 ms), might be equally efficient against tumors but less harmful to healthy tissues, compared to conventional irradiation with the same total dose. Aiming to verify the latter claim for ocular proton radiotherapy, in vivo experiments with mice are being carried out by Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. This work presents the implemented setup for delivering FLASH proton radiation to a single eye of mice at the Helmholtz‐Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (HZB).

Materials and methods

The HZB cyclotron is tuned to provide a high‐intensity 68 MeV focused proton beam. Outside the vacuum beamline, the protons hit a single scatterer, which also serves as range shifter, and a rotating modulator wheel, which produces a flat depth‐dose distribution. Two transmission ionization chambers in between, read out by fast electronics, are used as dose monitors for triggering an in‐vacuum beam shutter, which blocks the beam once the desired dose has been delivered. A collimating aperture shapes the radiation field at the isocenter, which is measured by a radioluminescent screen and a CCD camera. At the same position, a parallel‐plate ionization chamber of type Advanced Markus® is used for absolute dosimetry and characterization of the spread‐out Bragg peak inside a water phantom. A thin‐foil mirror of adjustable tilt in the beam path assists the correct alignment of the target through side illumination. Radiochromic films of type EBT3 are used to supplement the dosimetry and assist the alignment.

Results

A dose rate of 75 Gy/s has been measured, delivering within 200 ms 15 Gy (RBE) with a reproducibility better than ±1%. A depth‐dose curve with a range of 5.2 mm in water, 0.9 mm distal fall‐off (90%–10%), and ±2.5% ripple has been demonstrated, with a PTV of 6.3 mm diameter, 1.7 mm lateral penumbra (90%–10%), 8% uniformity, and 3% symmetry.

Conclusions

The implemented setup is able to accommodate ocular irradiation of narcotized mice with protons, targeting selectively the left or the right eye, under conventional and FLASH conditions. Switching between these two modes can be done within half an hour, including the calibration of the dose monitors and the verification of the dose delivery. Further upgrades are planned after the completion of the on‐going experiment.
Determination of monosaccharides in Lycium barbarum fruit polysaccharide by an efficient UHPLC‐QTRAP‐MS/MS method
Authors: Xu Jun , Wang Rui , Liu Junlin , Cheng He , Peng Daiyin , Xing Lihua , Shi Suying , Yu Nianjun
Published: January 2021

Introduction

Pre‐column derivatisation using 1‐phenyl‐3‐methyl‐5‐pyrazolone (PMP) is a common method for monosaccharide determination. Herein, a specific ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography quadrupole trap tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐QTRAP‐MS/MS) method was developed and used for the determination of monosaccharide composition of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP).

Objective

Exploration of a new efficient method for monosaccharide determination.

Methods

In our study, hydrochloric acid was used to hydrolyse the polysaccharide obtained from L. barbarum fruits. Principal component analysis (PCA) and technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) analysis were used for comprehensive evaluation of the samples. The results showed that LBP was composed of seven monosaccharides: galactose, arabinose, mannose, rhamnose, xylose, ribose, and glucose. The linear relationship of the seven monosaccharides was optimum within a certain concentration range. Quantitative recoveries of the seven monosaccharides from the samples ranged from 94.76% to 102.11%.

Results

A rapid quantitative detection method was established, in which the hydrolysis time was reduced from 12 h to 2 h. By using LBP as one of the indexes to evaluate the quality of L. barbarum, L. barbarum from Zhongning County, Ningxia Province, was identified as having the best quality among the varieties tested.

Conclusion

The UHPLC‐QTRAP‐MS/MS pre‐column derivatisation method used in this study was simple, accurate, and sensitive, with good repeatability, and can be used for quality evaluation and origin distinction of L. barbarum and other medicinal plants.
Interpeduncular angle: A new parameter for assessing intracranial hypotension in fetuses with spinal dysraphism
Authors: Sepulveda Francisco , Quezada Frank , Montoya Francisca , Sepulveda Waldo
Published: January 2021

Objective

To investigate the role of the interpeduncular angle (IPA) as a new indicator of intracranial hypotension in fetuses with open spinal dysraphism (SD).

Methods

Two groups of fetuses undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination were identified. The study group included fetuses with open SD (n = 21), while the control group included fetuses with a normal brain and spine (n = 43). Two observers retrospectively evaluated axial T2‐weighted images of the brain and the IPA was identified and measured. Other features of the Chiari II malformation were also evaluated in the study group and correlated with the IPA.

Results

The average value (±SD) of the IPA for the study and control groups was 9.8° ± 18.5° and 60.2° ± 5.9°, respectively. The intergroup analysis of the IPA measurements revealed a statistically significant difference between the groups (p < 0.005). Brainstem slumping or cerebellar tonsillar descent, collapse of the fourth ventricle, and ventriculomegaly also had a significant correlation with a lower IPA (p = 0.001).

Conclusion

Measuring the IPA may be a useful technique for assessing the degree of intracranial hypotension in fetuses with open SD. This technique can also detect less severe cases of prenatal intracranial hypotension, even before cerebellar tonsillar descent. The lower IPA in fetuses with open SD further supports the theory that cerebrospinal fluid leakage, and not traction, is the underlying cause of Chiari II malformation.
Registration of ‘Naronut 2T’ groundnut
Authors: Okello David K. , Deom C. Michael , Puppala Naveen
Published: January 2021

‘Naronut 2T’ (Reg. no. CV‐142, PI 693986) is a high‐yielding, spanish‐type groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L. subsp. fastigiata var. vulgaris) cultivar with two seeds per pod. Naronut 2T was released in 2019 by the National Semi‐Arid Resources Research Institute, Serere, Uganda. The cultivar was selected from a cross between ICRISAT advanced lines ICGV‐SM 86715 and ICGV‐SM 90704. Naronut 2T was developed by combined pedigree and single seed descent for groundnut rosette disease resistance, early maturity, and high yields. Replicated trials were conducted in Uganda during 2014–2017 during a total of 11 rainfed growing seasons. Naronut 2T matures in 75–85 d, earlier than the widely grown cultivar Serenut 4T (matures in 90–100 d). Naronut 2T has significantly higher pod yields (1418.0 kg/ha) than Serenut 4T (571.9 kg/ha). The seed testa color is tan, with an average 100‐seed weight of 29.7 g compared with 27.9 g for Serenut 4T. The shelling percentage for Naronut 2T is 50.1% compared with 58.4% for Serenut 4T. Naronut 2T contains a higher protein content than Serenut 4T, 25.7 versus 23.6%, respectively, but has a lower oil concentration, 39.6 versus 42.9%, respectively. The cultivar is not a high‐oleic line. Compared with Serenut 4T, Naronut 2T is a higher yielding cultivar with resistance to groundnut rosette disease and late leaf spot disease.
First comprehensive proteomics analysis of lysine crotonylation in leaves of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)
Authors: Xu Manlin , Luo Jianda , Li Ying , Shen Lili , Zhang Xia , Yu Jing , Guo Zhiqing , Wu Juxiang , Chi Yucheng , Yang Jinguang
Published: January 2021

Lysine crotonylation is an important post‐translational modification process. Most research in this area has been carried out on mammals and yeast, but there has been little research on it in plants. In the current study, large‐scale lysine crotonylome analysis was performed by a combination of affinity enrichment and high‐resolution LC‐MS/MS analysis. Altogether, 6051 lysine crotonylation sites were identified in 2508 protein groups. Bioinformatics analysis showed that lysine‐crotonylated proteins were involved in many biological processes, such as carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms, biosynthesis of amino acids, ribosomes structure and function. In particular, subcellular localization analysis showed that 43% of the crotonylated proteins were located in the chloroplast. Twenty‐nine crotonylation proteins were associated with photosynthesis and functional enrichment that these proteins were associated with the reaction center, photosynthetic electron transport, and ATP synthesis. Based on these results, further studies to expand on the lysine crotonylome analysis were suggested.
A summative evaluation of Jordan's Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) 2013–2020: Case‐in‐point in socioeconomic policy
Authors: Abu Hummour Anan M.
Published: January 2021

The developing countries which reside in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, and most notably in the nomadic areas, are challenged by the socioeconomic issue of poverty. Jordan is no exception to this rule. The objective of this study, therefore, is to provide actionable, timely, targeted, and results‐based feedback on a given poverty reduction program. Through reliance on sound analysis, the study offers insights and recommendations for poverty reduction in the Kingdom of Jordan while highlighting the impact of Jordan's Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRS) from 2012 to 2020 on selected socioeconomic indicators. The research design is a summative evaluation relying on quantitative analysis. Our quasi‐experimental approach has employed a before/after model, which utilizes interrupted time‐series and cross‐sectional components to evaluate the effect of Jordanian PRS on given economic indicators. We have applied various tests to evaluate our hypotheses, including the Mann–WhitneyUtest to measure the effectiveness of Jordan's PRS from 2013 to 2015, as well as the Shapiro–Wilk test to gauge normal distribution. Empirical findings on the impact of these poverty reduction programs have been mixed, but our analysis has substantiated the positive impact that PRS from 2012 to 2015 had on the target group. These programs effectively increased the number of families who benefited from the National Aid Fund; they augmented the number of projects aimed at gainful employment that were financed by the Development and Employment Fund; and they increased the number of Jordanian students enrolled in formal education by 2015—impacts which were statistically significant at level (p ≤ 0.05). The study further established, however, that the implementation of PRS from 2012 to 2020 was notably ineffectual in decreasing the number of seized beggars by 2015—an impact which was not statistically significant at level (p ≤ 0.05). This latter result, however, requires further study to account for the complex dynamics involved in cash assistance and education. Within the Jordanian context, no such prior study has been conducted which evaluates, through a holistic and results‐oriented approach, the impact of Jordan's PRS from 2012 to 2020 on poverty reduction and socioeconomic vulnerability. The work is original, not only in its unique contextual subject matter, but also in its sample, variables tested, and interpretation of results.
Heteronanotubes: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Xiang Rong , Maruyama Shigeo
Published: January 2021

The experimental synthesis of 1D van der Waals heterostructures, a class of materials in which different crystallized nanotubes are coaxially nested, was recently demonstrated. In this perspective, the current challenges in the chemical vapor deposition synthesis of this new structure are outlined, and the visions on its potential applications are presented. A particular emphasis is given to electronic devices that are built after modulating different shell–shell combinations in these heteronanotubes.
Influence of curing age on the mechanical properties of fly ash concrete exposed to elevated temperature
Authors: Li Qingtao , Lu Limin , Yuan Guanglin , Doh Jeung‐Hwan
Published: January 2021

The mechanical properties of early‐age fly ash (FA) concrete was experimentally studied. The splitting tensile strength and compressive strength under different curing ages, temperatures, cooling methods and FA contents were analyzed. The experimental results showed that the splitting tensile strength of concrete increased proportionally with temperature in the early stage and decreased as the temperature further increased. Compared to the concrete with FA content of 10% and 30%, the compressive strength of concrete with FA content of 20% was found to be highest at the age of 90d. The strength of the specimens under water cooling was comparatively lower than that under air cooling. The compressive strength of FA concrete heated to 150°C was greater than that of the unheated concrete. The compressive strength of FA concrete heated to 550°C was lower than that of concrete without treatment at high temperature. After high temperature exposure at the age of 90d, the compressive strength of the specimen was higher than that of the specimens at the ages of 7d, 14d and 28d. The microstructures of the specimens aged 90 days were measured by the SEM method before and after being exposed to high temperatures.
Graphene nanocomposites for transdermal biosensing
Authors: Tabish Tanveer A. , Abbas Aumber , Narayan Roger J.
Published: January 2021

Transdermal biosensors for the real‐time and continuous detection and monitoring of target molecules represent an intriguing pathway for enhancing health outcomes in a cost‐effective and non‐invasive fashion. Many transdermal biosensor devices contain microneedles and other miniaturized components. There remains an unmet clinical need for microneedle transdermal biosensors to obtain a more accurate, rapid, and reliable insight into the real‐time monitoring of disease. The ability to monitor biomarkers at an intradermal molecular level in a non‐invasive manner remains the next technological gap to solve real‐world clinical problems. The emergence of the two‐dimensional material graphene with unique material properties and the ability to quantify analytes and physiological status can enable the detection of critical biomarkers indicative of human disease. The development of a user‐friendly, affordable, and non‐invasive transdermal biosensing device for continuous and personalized monitoring of target molecules could be beneficial for many patients. This focus article considers the use of graphene‐based transdermal biosensors for health monitoring, evaluation of these sensors for glucose and hydrogen peroxide detection via in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo studies, recent technological innovations, and potential challenges.

This article is categorized under:

Diagnostic Tools > Biosensing
Methodisches Vorgehen
Authors: Störkle Mario
Published: January 2021

Nachdem ich in den letzten Kapiteln den Fokus auf die theoretischen Grundlagen und Begriffe sowie den aktuellen Forschungsstand gelegt habe, möchte ich im folgenden Kapitel auf das methodische Vorgehen der Studie eingehen. Dabei werde ich zunächst die rekonstruktive Anlage der Studie beschreiben, die sich aus zwei Teilprojekten zusammensetzt. Da ich in diesen Teilen unterschiedliche Forschungsinteressen verfolge, verwende ich verschiedene Erhebungsmethoden und Stichproben.
Linking the supersymmetric standard model to the cosmological constant
Authors: Qiu Yu-Cheng , Tye S.-H. Henry
Published: January 2021

Abstract

String theory has no parameter except the string scale MS, so the Planck scale MPl, the supersymmetry-breaking scale "Image missing", the electroweak scale mEW as well as the vacuum energy density (cosmological constant) Λ are to be determined dynamically at any local minimum solution in the string theory landscape. Here we consider a model that links the supersymmetric electroweak phenomenology (bottom up) to the string theory motivated flux compactification approach (top down). In this model, supersymmetry is broken by a combination of the racetrack Kähler uplift mechanism, which naturally allows an exponentially small positive Λ in a local minimum, and the anti-D3-brane in the KKLT scenario. In the absence of the Higgs doublets from the supersymmetric standard model, one has either a small Λ or a big enough "Image missing", but not both. The introduction of the Higgs fields (with their soft terms) allows a small Λ and a big enough "Image missing" simultaneously. Since an exponentially small Λ is statistically preferred (as the properly normalized probability distribution P(Λ) diverges at Λ = 0+), identifying the observed Λobs to the median value Λ50% yields mEW∼ 100 GeV. We also find that the warped anti-D3-brane tension has a SUSY-breaking scale "Image missing" ∼ 100 mEW while the SUSY-breaking scale that directly correlates with the Higgs fields in the visible sector is "Image missing" ≃ mEW.
Sterile neutrino dark matter and leptogenesis in Left-Right Higgs Parity
Authors: Dunsky David , Hall Lawrence J. , Harigaya Keisuke
Published: January 2021

Abstract

The standard model Higgs quartic coupling vanishes at (109 − 1013) GeV. We study SU(2)L× SU(2)R× U(1)B−L theories that incorporate the Higgs Parity mechanism, where this becomes the scale of Left-Right symmetry breaking, vR. Furthermore, these theories solve the strong CP problem and predict three right-handed neutrinos. We introduce cosmologies where SU(2)R× U(1)B−L gauge interactions produce right-handed neutrinos via the freeze-out or freeze-in mechanisms. In both cases, we find the parameter space where the lightest right-handed neutrino is dark matter and the decay of a heavier one creates the baryon asymmetry of the universe via leptogenesis. A theory of flavor is constructed that naturally accounts for the lightness and stability of the right-handed neutrino dark matter, while maintaining sufficient baryon asymmetry. The dark matter abundance and successful natural leptogenesis require vR to be in the range (1010− 1013) GeV for freeze-out, in remarkable agreement with the scale where the Higgs quartic coupling vanishes, whereas freeze-in requires vR ≳ 109 GeV. The allowed parameter space can be probed by the warmness of dark matter, precise determinations of the top quark mass and QCD coupling by future colliders and lattice computations, and measurement of the neutrino mass hierarchy.
Global analysis of the Sivers functions at NLO+NNLL in QCD
Authors: Echevarria Miguel G. , Kang Zhong-Bo , Terry John
Published: January 2021

Abstract

We perform global fit to the quark Sivers function within the transverse momentum dependent (TMD) factorization formalism in QCD. We simultaneously fit Sivers asymmetry data from Semi-Inclusive Deep Inelastic Scattering (SIDIS) at COMPASS, HERMES, and JLab, from Drell-Yan lepton pair production at COMPASS, and from W/Z boson at RHIC. This extraction is performed at next-to-leading order (NLO) and next-to-next-to leading logarithmic (NNLL) accuracy. We find excellent agreement between our extracted asymmetry and the experimental data for SIDIS and Drell-Yan lepton pair production, while tension arises when trying to describe the spin asymmetries of W/Z bosons at RHIC. We carefully assess the situation, and we study in details the impact of the RHIC data and their implications through different ways of performing the fit. In addition, we find that the quality of the description of W/Z vector boson asymmetry data could be strongly sensitive to the DGLAP evolution of Qiu-Sterman function, besides the usual TMD evolution. We present discussion on this and the implications for measurements of the transverse-spin asymmetries at the future Electron Ion Collider.
Efficient multivariate approximation on the cube
Authors: Nasdala Robert , Potts Daniel
Published: January 2021

We combine a periodization strategy for weighted$$L_{2}$$L2-integrands with efficient approximation methods in order to approximate multivariate non-periodic functions on the high-dimensional cube$$\left[ -\frac{1}{2},\frac{1}{2}\right] ^{d}$$-12,12d. Our concept allows to determine conditions on thed-variate torus-to-cube transformations$${\psi :\left[ -\frac{1}{2},\frac{1}{2}\right] ^{d}\rightarrow \left[ -\frac{1}{2},\frac{1}{2}\right] ^{d}}$$ψ:-12,12d→-12,12dsuch that a non-periodic function is transformed into a smooth function in the Sobolev space$${\mathcal {H}}^{m}(\mathbb {T}^{d})$$Hm(Td)when applying$$\psi $$ψ. We adapt$$L_{\infty }(\mathbb {T}^{d})$$L∞(Td)- and$$L_{2}(\mathbb {T}^{d})$$L2(Td)-approximation error estimates for single rank-1 lattice approximation methods and adjust algorithms for the fast evaluation and fast reconstruction of multivariate trigonometric polynomials on the torus in order to apply these methods to the non-periodic setting. We illustrate the theoretical findings by means of numerical tests in up to$$d=5$$d=5dimensions.
Partial Division of Puborectalis Muscle with Lateral Internal Sphincterotomy: A Novel Surgical Technique for Management of Anal Hypertonia‐Associated Anismus
Authors: Abdelnaby Mahmoud , Fathy Mohammad , Mikhail Hany Maurice , Maurice Karim Kamal , Arnous Mohamed , Emile Sameh Hany
Published: January 2021

Background

Treatment of anismus usually starts with biofeedback therapy and injection of botulinum toxin in the puborectalis muscle (PRM). Patients refractory to conservative treatment may require surgery. The present cohort study aimed to assess a combined technique of partial division of PRM and tailored lateral internal sphincterotomy (LIS) in treatment of anismus.

Methods

Patients with anismus who failed conservative treatments were assessed clinically and with high‐resolution anal manometry (HRAM), EMG, defecography, and underwent combined partial division of PRM on one side and tailored LIS on the contralateral side. Main outcome measures were improvement in symptoms and quality of life, changes in HRAM and defecography postoperatively, complications, and patient satisfaction.

Results

A total of 73 patients (61 male) of a mean age of 37 years were included to the study. In total, 89% of patients showed a significant improvement in symptoms at 12 months postoperatively. The mean modified Altomare score decreased significantly (p < 0.0001) from 16.4 ± 1.7 to 6.6 ± 1 at 12 months postoperatively. There was a significant increase in the mental and physical components of quality of life at 12 months postoperatively. The numbers of patients with positive findings of anismus in postoperative defecography, EMG, and balloon expulsion test were significantly less than before surgery. The mean total satisfaction score was 86.5 ± 8.7. Five (6.5%) patients developed minor complications.

Conclusion

Partial division of puborectalis muscle combined with LIS is an effective technique in the management of anal hypertonia‐associated anismus with satisfactory results and low incidence of complications
Adrenal Surgery for Synchronously Metastatic Adrenocortical Carcinoma: A Population‐Based Analysis
Authors: Wu Kan , Liu Zhihong , Li Xiang , Lu Yiping
Published: January 2021

Background

Metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is an aggressive cancer with poor prognosis, with limited treatment options. The survival benefit of adrenal surgery in patients with synchronous metastatic disease has not been well explored.

Methods

Patients with ACC with synchronous metastases were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (2010–2016). The effect of adrenal surgery on different patterns of distant metastases was assessed. The overall survival was estimated by the Kaplan–Meier method. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was performed to identify prognostic factors associated with survival outcome.

Results

A total of 202 patients with synchronous metastatic ACC were identified from the SEER database, 76 (37.6%) patients underwent adrenal surgery. Compared to nonsurgical patients, patients who underwent adrenal surgery had a better survival (median overall survival: 4 vs. 13 months, P < 0.001). In sub‐analyses, except for patients with liver metastases (P = 0.670), adrenalectomy could consistently confer a significant survival benefit in patients with lung metastases (P = 0.003), bone metastases (P = 0.020), and multiple metastases (P = 0.002). Cox regression analysis revealed that in addition to adrenalectomy [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.45–0.92; P = 0.017], metastasectomy (HR = 0.48, 95% CI 0.26–0.86; P = 0.013), and chemotherapy (HR = 0.59, 95% CI 0.42–0.82; P = 0.002) were also associated with improved survival.

Conclusions

Our findings support the view that adrenal surgery may be associated with improved survival in patients with synchronous metastatic ACC (except for patients with liver metastases), and the metastatic sites have significant prognostic implications on survival outcomes with adrenal surgery.
Isotopenhydrogeologische Untersuchungen im südlichen Salzburger Becken (Golling, Kuchl, Vigaun, Hallein), Österreich
Authors: Höfer-Öllinger Giorgio
Published: January 2021

Trotz seiner Bedeutung in der Trinkwasserversorgung ist die Herkunft des Grundwassers des Gamper Brunnenfelds (GBF) im Südlichen Salzburger Becken (SSB) ungeklärt. Eine 2014 bis 2016 durchgeführte Studie unter Verwendung von stabilen Isotopen und einer numerischen 2D-Modellierung führte zu wichtigen Erkenntnissen, aber auch zu widersprüchlichen Schlussfolgerungen: Die dabei numerisch nachgewiesene Anspeisung des GBF durch die nahe Salzach ist aus Sicht der stabilen Isotope nicht möglich.

Im Zeitraum 2017 bis 2019 wurden in einer weiteren Studie an 17 Messstellen Proben zur Analytik stabiler Isotope entnommen und anstatt einer numerischen Modellierung eine umfassende Betrachtung der Aquifergenese auf Basis der aktuellen Literatur und moderner Ansätze geomorphologischer Entwicklung alpiner Täler durchgeführt. In die Betrachtungen wurden hydraulische, hydrochemische und physikalische Eigenschaften des Grundwassers einbezogen.

Als Ergebnis liegt ein Konzeptmodell vor, das für alle Eigenschaften der betroffenen Grundwasservorkommen eine schlüssige Erklärung darstellt. Von Bedeutung ist dabei, dass die instationäre Versickerung der Taugl zu einer partiellen Fraktionierung stabiler Isotope führt.
Effect of left atrial ligation-driven altered inflow hemodynamics on embryonic heart development: clues for prenatal progression of hypoplastic left heart syndrome
Authors: Salman Huseyin Enes , Alser Maha , Shekhar Akshay , Gould Russell A. , Benslimane Fatiha M. , Butcher Jonathan T. , Yalcin Huseyin C.
Published: January 2021

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are abnormalities in the heart structure present at birth. One important condition is hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) where severely underdeveloped left ventricle (LV) cannot support systemic circulation. HLHS usually initiates as localized tissue malformations with no underlying genetic cause, suggesting that disturbed hemodynamics contribute to the embryonic development of these defects. Left atrial ligation (LAL) is a surgical procedure on embryonic chick resulting in a phenotype resembling clinical HLHS. In this study, we investigated disturbed hemodynamics and deteriorated cardiac growth following LAL to investigate possible mechanobiological mechanisms for the embryonic development of HLHS. We integrated techniques such as echocardiography, micro-CT and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for these analyses. Specifically, LAL procedure causes an immediate flow disturbance over atrioventricular (AV) cushions. At later stages after the heart septation, it causes hemodynamic disturbances in LV. As a consequence of the LAL procedure, the left-AV canal and LV volume decrease in size, and in the opposite way, the right-AV canal and right ventricle volume increase. According to our CFD analysis, LAL results in an immediate decrease in the left AV canal WSS levels for 3.5-day (HH21) pre-septated hearts. For 7-day post-septated hearts (HH30), LAL leads to further reduction in WSS levels in the left AV canal, and relatively increased WSS levels in the right AV canal. This study demonstrates the critical importance of the disturbed hemodynamics during the heart valve and ventricle development.
The Universal Approximation Property
Authors: Kratsios Anastasis
Published: January 2021

The universal approximation property of various machine learning models is currently only understood on a case-by-case basis, limiting the rapid development of new theoretically justified neural network architectures and blurring our understanding of our current models’ potential. This paper works towards overcoming these challenges by presenting a characterization, a representation, a construction method, and an existence result, each of which applies to any universal approximator on most function spaces of practical interest. Our characterization result is used to describe which activation functions allow the feed-forward architecture to maintain its universal approximation capabilities when multiple constraints are imposed on its final layers and its remaining layers are only sparsely connected. These include a rescaled and shifted Leaky ReLU activation function but not the ReLU activation function. Our construction and representation result is used to exhibit a simple modification of the feed-forward architecture, which can approximate any continuous function with non-pathological growth, uniformly on the entire Euclidean input space. This improves the known capabilities of the feed-forward architecture.
Plant-feeding may explain why the generalist predator Euseius stipulatus does better on less defended citrus plants but Tetranychus-specialists Neoseiulus californicus and Phytoseiulus persimilis do not
Authors: Cruz-Miralles Joaquín , Cabedo-López Marc , Guzzo Michela , Ibáñez-Gual Victoria , Flors Víctor , Jaques Josep A.
Published: January 2021

The generalist predator Euseius stipulatus (Athias-Henriot) and the Tetranychidae-specialist predators Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) and Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot play a key role in the regulation of Tetranychus urticae Koch in Spanish citrus orchards. Previous studies have shown that sour orange (Citrus aurantium L.) and Cleopatra mandarin (Citrus reshni hort. ex Tan.) display extreme resistance and susceptibility to T. urticae, respectively. When offered a choice between these two genotypes infested by T. urticae, E. stipulatus preferred Cleopatra mandarin, whereas the specialists did not show any preference. The present study was undertaken to check whether these preferences could be related to the feeding of E. stipulatus on the host plant and/or to differences in prey feeding on the two plants. Our results demonstrate that E. stipulatus is a zoophytophagous mite, which can engage in direct plant feeding in sour orange and Cleopatra mandarin, whereas neither N. californicus nor P. persimilis do so. Whereas Cleopatra mandarin provided a higher-quality prey/feeding substrate for E. stipulatus, which may be related to its phytophagy, no differences were observed for the two specialists. As higher constitutive and faster inducible defense against T. urticae in sour orange relative to Cleopatra mandarin plants result in sour orange supporting lower T. urticae densities and plant damage, our results demonstrate that pest regulation by specialist natural enemies may be more effective when prey feed on better defended plants.
Anthropometric risk factors for ovarian cancer in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study
Authors: Baumeister Sebastian E. , Schlecht Inga , Trabert Britton , Nolde Michael , Meisinger Christa , Leitzmann Michael F.
Published: January 2021

Objective

Identifying potentially modifiable risk factors for ovarian cancer is essential for prevention because this cancer is predominantly detected at a late stage. Here, we estimated the relations of general adiposity and measures reflecting body fat distribution to the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer.

Methods

We ascertained 683 ovarian epithelial cancers (343 high-grade serous, 141 non-high grade serous) among 145,575 women, aged 50–72 years (median follow-up 12.6 years), from the National Institutes of Health—American Association of Retired Persons (NIH-AARP) Diet and Health Study. Using Cox models, we estimated confounder-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for associations of overall ovarian cancer, high-grade serous and non-high-grade serous carcinoma with body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist–hip ratio, waist–height ratio, body adiposity index, body shape index, and abdominal volume index.

Results

Anthropometric measures were unrelated to overall ovarian cancer, high-grade serous cancer, and non-high-grade serous cancer. For example, the HR for overall ovarian cancer per standard deviation increment of body mass index at baseline was 0.98 (95% CI 0.88–1.10). Similar associations were observed with measurements of body fat distribution.

Conclusion

These results do not indicate that adult adiposity is associated with ovarian cancer risk in post-menopausal women.
Spectral curves are transcendental
Authors: Braden H. W.
Published: January 2021

Some arithmetic properties of spectral curves are discussed: the spectral curve, for example, of a charge $$n\ge 2$$

n
≥
2

Euclidean BPS monopole is not defined over $$\overline{\mathbb {Q}}$$

Q
¯

if smooth.
Low Cycle Fatigue of an Ultrafine Grained AA5083 Aluminum Alloy Composite Produced by Cryomilling
Authors: Contreras A. , Vogt R. G. , Oliveira D. M. , Schoenung J. M. , Gibeling J. C.
Published: January 2021

Low cycle fatigue (LCF) properties were investigated for a novel cryomilled AA5083 aluminum composite with duplex coarse and ultrafine grain sizes and reinforced with boron carbide particulates, referred to as trimodal material. Fully reversed cyclic tests were conducted under plastic strain control at plastic strain amplitudes from 0.15 to 0.6 pct using a constant plastic strain rate in a servo-hydraulic testing system. A nonlinear elastic modulus was used to calculate the elastic contribution to the measured total strain. The LCF performance of this trimodal material is compared to previous results for unreinforced AA5083 aluminum alloy with bimodal grain size (85/15 pct CM/UM) and its coarse-grained wrought counterpart, AA5083-H131. Stress response curves for the trimodal material revealed slow hardening until failure associated with the presence of particulate reinforcements. The very small asymmetry between tension and compression stresses reflects a lack of strain localization beyond the initial cycles. The trimodal and 85/15 pct CM/UM alloys have similar and superior low cycle fatigue strength compared to AA5083-H131. From the Coffin-Manson plot, the trimodal material has a shorter fatigue life than 85/15 pct CM/UM alloy and AA5083-H131 for high plastic strain amplitudes, but nearly identical life at low amplitudes. Microcracks were observed near the dominant crack on trimodal specimen surfaces at failure. Back-scattered images revealed that particulates altered the crack propagation direction; cracks nearly always propagated around particulates.