bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mística, teologia e poesia na voz de mulheres: o protagonismo feminino na mística medieval
Authors: Mariani Ceci Maria Costa Baptista
Published: April 2021

O artigo tematiza o problema da possibilidade de se caracterizar uma mística no feminino. Trata do protagonismo da mulher na mística medieval, usando como referência pesquisas de doutorado realizadas nos Programas de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Religião no Brasil. Elege os trabalhos dedicados às obras de beguinas, consideradas maiores, a saber, Hadewijch de Antuérpia, Mechthild de Magdeburg e Marguerite Porete. Por meio de metodologia bibliográfica procura demonstrar que é possível caracterizar uma mística no feminino, especialmente considerando a maneira com que essas mulheres lidam com a centralidade do desejo na experiência de Deus.
Feminino e mística: ressonâncias trágicas e barrocas do que ultrapassa o fio das palavras
Authors: Albuquerque Bruno , Maurano Denise
Published: April 2021

Em seu projeto de retornar à leitura dos textos de Sigmund Freud, de modo a extrair consequências para a clínica e a teoria psicanalítica, Jacques Lacan investigou diversos temas da história do pensamento humano à luz da dinâmica inconsciente. No seu ensino, a dimensão do feminino ocupa um lugar muito particular, que ele articula à experiência mística. O presente artigo destaca alguns pontos centrais deste percurso, traçando aproximações com a tragédia e o barroco. Desse modo, procura mostrar como a psicanálise de orientação lacaniana concebe o feminino não apenas enquanto uma posição na partilha dos sexos, mas também enquanto um lugar mais além da divisão sexual. Em seguida, explora de que maneira essa dimensão que aponta para um gozo Outro, que não o fálico, encontra-se também atrelada ao avanço do tratamento analítico e, em última instância, ao fim de análise. Por fim, investiga de que modo esse processo conecta a perda do asseguramento fálico a uma certa dimensão de dessubjetivação. Esta possibilita um alargamento daqueles enquadramentos que, por meio da operação simbólica denominada complexo de Édipo, delimitam a fantasia inconsciente. Nesse contexto, tratamos, portanto, de um ponto situado mais além do referencial edípico, que ultrapassa o fio das palavras.
Cuidar dos outros, cuidar de Deus — o testemunho de Etty Hillesum
Authors: Ribeiro Ferreira Maria Luísa
Published: April 2021

O texto incide sobre o pensamento de Etty Hillesum enquanto representativa das éticas do cuidado mostrando o modo muito próprio como o viveu, quer na sua relação com os outros, quer na sua relação com Deus. Há uma breve apresentação do conceito de cuidado, considerando-o como uma dimensão identificadora do humano, seguem-se algumas reflexões sobre as éticas do cuidado, integrando-as no feminismo cultural e demarcando-as das éticas generalistas. Centrando-nos nos escritos ettianos — cartas e diários — apresentamos Hillesum enquanto judia holandesa, analisando o modo como viveu e morreu sob a ocupação nazi na segunda guerra mundial. Considerando-a como cuidadora por excelência, nela destacamos diferentes vertentes. É objectivo deste texto acompanhar a evolução de Etty, desde uma primeira fase, essencialmente terapêutica, até à vivência de uma plenitude espiritual em que se propõe ajudar os outros, inclusivamente o próprio Deus, do qual assume a fragilidade.
Mulheres diáconos: questões históricas e atuais
Authors: Zagano Phyllis , Pottier, SJ Bernard
Published: April 2021

A decisão do Papa Francisco de estabelecer uma Comissão para o Estudo do Diaconato Feminino em agosto de 2016 reenfatiza a questão: o que sabemos sobre as mulheres diáconos? Nós sabemos que elas existiram. Há ampla evidência literária, epigráfica e histórica do ministério diaconal feminino no Ocidente pelo menos até o século XII, e por mais tempo no Oriente. O fato de terem existido apresenta três questões: O que sabemos sobre as cerimônias litúrgicas em que os bispos criaram o diaconato feminino? O que sabemos sobre suas tarefas e deveres? O que sabemos sobre a teologia do diaconato que admitiria ou restringiria as mulheres da ordenação diaconal?
Effects of an urban sanitation intervention on childhood enteric infection and diarrhea in Maputo, Mozambique: A controlled before-and-after trial
Authors: Knee Jackie , Sumner Trent , Adriano Zaida , Anderson Claire , Bush Farran , Capone Drew , Casmo Veronica , Holcomb David , Kolsky Pete , MacDougall Amy , Molotkova Evgeniya , Braga Judite Monteiro , Russo Celina , Schmidt Wolf Peter , Stewart Jill , Zambrana Winnie , Zuin Valentina , Nalá Rassul , Cumming Oliver , Brown Joe
Published: April 2021

We conducted a controlled before-and-after trial to evaluate the impact of an onsite urban sanitation intervention on the prevalence of enteric infection, soil transmitted helminth re-infection, and diarrhea among children in Maputo, Mozambique. A non-governmental organization replaced existing poor-quality latrines with pour-flush toilets with septic tanks serving household clusters. We enrolled children aged 1–48 months at baseline and measured outcomes before and 12 and 24 months after the intervention, with concurrent measurement among children in a comparable control arm. Despite nearly exclusive use, we found no evidence that intervention affected the prevalence of any measured outcome after 12 or 24 months of exposure. Among children born into study sites after intervention, we observed a reduced prevalence of Trichuris and Shigella infection relative to the same age group at baseline (<2 years old). Protection from birth may be important to reduce exposure to and infection with enteric pathogens in this setting.
Infection with a newly designed dual fluorescent reporter HIV-1 effectively identifies latently infected CD4+ T cells
Authors: Cai Jinfeng , Gao Hongbo , Zhao Jiacong , Hu Shujing , Liang Xinyu , Yang Yanyan , Dai Zhuanglin , Hong Zhongsi , Deng Kai
Published: April 2021

The major barrier to curing HIV-1 infection is a small pool of latently infected cells that harbor replication-competent viruses, which are widely considered the origin of viral rebound when antiretroviral therapy (ART) is interrupted. The difficulty in distinguishing latently infected cells from the vast majority of uninfected cells has represented a significant bottleneck precluding comprehensive understandings of HIV-1 latency. Here we reported and validated a newly designed dual fluorescent reporter virus, DFV-B, infection with which primary CD4+ T cells can directly label latently infected cells and generate a latency model that was highly physiological relevant. Applying DFV-B infection in Jurkat T cells, we generated a stable cell line model of HIV-1 latency with diverse viral integration sites. High-throughput compound screening with this model identified ACY-1215 as a potent latency reversing agent, which could be verified in other cell models and in primary CD4+ T cells from ART-suppressed individuals ex vivo. In summary, we have generated a meaningful and feasible model to directly study latently infected cells, which could open up new avenues to explore the critical events of HIV-1 latency and become a valuable tool for the research of AIDS functional cure.
Smart apiculture management services for developing countries—the case of SAMS project in Ethiopia and Indonesia
Authors: Wakjira Kibebew , Negera Taye , Zacepins Aleksejs , Kviesis Armands , Komasilovs Vitalijs , Fiedler Sascha , Kirchner Sascha , Hensel Oliver , Purnomo Dwi , Nawawi Marlis , Paramita Amanda , Rachman Okie Fauzi , Pratama Aditya , Faizah Nur Al , Lemma Markos , Schaedlich Stefanie , Zur Angela , Sperl Magdalena , Proschek Katrin , Gratzer Kristina , Brodschneider Robert
Published: April 2021

The European Union funded project SAMS (Smart Apiculture Management Services) enhances international cooperation of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) and sustainable agriculture between EU and developing countries in pursuit of the EU commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goal “End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture”. The project consortium comprises four partners from Europe (two from Germany, Austria, and Latvia) and two partners each from Ethiopia and Indonesia. Beekeeping with small-scale operations provides suitable innovation labs for the demonstration and dissemination of cost-effective and easy-to-use open source ICT applications in developing countries. SAMS allows active monitoring and remote sensing of bee colonies and beekeeping by developing an ICT solution supporting the management of bee health and bee productivity as well as a role model for effective international cooperation. By following the user centered design (UCD) approach, SAMS addresses requirements of end-user communities on beekeeping in developing countries, and includes findings in its technological improvements and adaptation as well as in innovative services and business creation based on advanced ICT and remote sensing technologies. SAMS enhances the production of bee products, creates jobs (particularly youths/women), triggers investments, and establishes knowledge exchange through networks and initiated partnerships.
Graphene Oxide Mimics Biological Signaling Cue to Rescue Starving Bacteria
Authors: Jackman Joshua A. , Yoon Bo Kyeong , Mokrzecka Natalia , Kohli Gurjeet Singh , Valle‐González Elba R. , Zhu Xinyi , Pumera Martin , Rice Scott A. , Cho Nam‐Joon
Published: April 2021

There is extensive debate about how 2D nanomaterials such as graphene oxide (GO) affect bacteria. Various effects of GO are proposed, including bacterial growth inhibition or enhancement, killing, and no activity. Herein, we report that GO protects Staphylococcus aureus bacterial cells from death in starvation conditions with up to a 1000‐fold improvement in cell viability. Transcriptomic profiling reveals that bacterial cells in starvation conditions generally shut down metabolic activity, while only cells incubated with GO increase production of specific enzymes involved in the glyoxalase detoxification pathway along with repressed autolysis. The oxygen‐containing functional groups of GO resemble the molecular structure of methylglyoxal, which bacteria produce to adapt to nutrient imbalances and is detoxified by glyoxalase enzymes. The ability of GO to enable bacterial cell survival in starvation conditions and accompanying cellular responses support that bacterial cells perceive GO as a methylglyoxal‐mimicking nanomaterial cue to reshuffle cellular metabolism and defenses.
Development and implementation of a novel Web‐based gaming application to enhance emergency medical technician knowledge in low‐ and middle‐income countries
Authors: Lindquist Benjamin , Gaiha Shivani M. , Vasudevan Arjun , Dooher Sean , Leggio William , Mulkerin William , Zozula Alexander , Strehlow Matthew , Sebok‐Syer Stefanie S. , Mahadevan Swaminatha V.
Published: April 2021

Background

Increasing access to high‐quality emergency and prehospital care is an important priority in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs). However, ensuring that emergency medical technicians (EMTs) maintain their clinical knowledge and proficiency with procedural skills is challenging, as continuing education requirements are still being introduced, and clinical instructional efforts need strengthening. We describe the development and implementation of an innovative asynchronous learning tool for EMTs in the form of a Web‐based trivia game.

Methods

Over 500 case‐based multiple‐choice questions (covering 10 essential prehospital content areas) were created by experts in prehospital education, piloted with EMT educators from LMICs, and delivered to EMTs through a Web‐based quiz game platform over a 12‐week period. We enrolled 252 participants from nine countries.

Results

Thirty‐two participants (12.7%) completed the entire 12‐week game. Participants who completed the game were administered a survey with a 100% response rate. Ninety‐three percent of participants used their mobile phone to access the game. Overall, participants reported that the interface was easy to use (93.8% agreed or strongly agreed), the game improved their knowledge (100% agreed or strongly agreed), and they felt better prepared for their jobs (100% agreed or strongly agreed). The primary motivators for participation were improving patient care (37.5%) and being recognized on the game's leaderboard (31.3%). All participants reported that they would engage in the game again (43.8% agreed and 56.3% strongly agreed) and would recommend the game to their colleagues (34.4% agreed and 65.6% strongly agreed).

Conclusions

In conclusion, a quiz game targeting EMT learners from LMICs was viewed as accessible and effective by participants. Future efforts should focus on increasing retention and trialing languages in addition to English.
Late‐Stage Heteroarylation of Hetero(aryl)sulfonium Salts Activated by α‐Amino Alkyl Radicals
Authors: Alvarez Eva Maria , Karl Teresa , Berger Florian , Torkowski Luca , Ritter Tobias
Published: April 2021

We report a late‐stage heteroarylation of aryl sulfonium salts through activation with α‐amino alkyl radicals in a mechanistically distinct approach from previously reported halogen‐atom transfer (XAT). The new mode of activation of aryl sulfonium salts proceeds in the absence of light and photoredox catalysts, engaging a wide range of hetarenes. Furthermore, we demonstrate the applicability of this methodology in synthetically useful cross‐coupling transformations.
Observing a Zeolite Nucleus (Subcrystal) with a Uniform Framework Structure and Its Oriented Attachment without Single‐Molecule Addition
Authors: Sheng Zhizheng , Li He , Du Ke , Gao Lou , Ju Jing , Zhang Yahong , Tang Yi
Published: April 2021

Multiple and complex crystallization process of zeolite including complementary single‐molecule condensation and particle assembly, and alternately dominant nucleation and growth behavior, plays the critical role in zeolite crystallization but meanwhile makes us hard to study the respective effects. Herein, we strip nuclei from the synthetic solution and find that high‐ordered nucleus (subcrystal) is the premise to ignite high‐speed growth of zeolite crystal. The high‐ordered subcrystals with the size of only 6–10 nm possess regular aperture structure and microporous area similar to zeolite nanocrystal. Interestingly, a unitary oriented aggregation process of the subcrystals towards nanosheets is well observed and characterized where single‐molecule addition process is greatly repressed. If a wider range of zeotype nuclei can be expanded, a new synthetic strategy of zeotype materials with heterogeneous framework and active sites may be expected, which may novelize zeolite catalytic properties.
Differential impacts of social influence on initial and sustained participation in open source software projects
Authors: Yang Xuan , Li Xiao , Hu Daning , Wang Harry Jiannan
Published: April 2021

Social networking tools and visible information about developer activities on open source software (OSS) development platforms can leverage developers' social influence to attract more participation from their peers. However, the differential impacts of such social influence on developers' initial and sustained participation behaviors were largely overlooked in previous research. We empirically studied the impacts of two social influence mechanisms—word‐of‐mouth (WOM) and observational learning (OL)—on these two types of participation, using data collected from a large OSS development platform called Open Hub. We found that action (OL) speaks louder than words (WOM) with regard to sustained participation. Moreover, project age positively moderates the impacts of social influence on both types of participation. For projects with a higher average workload, the impacts of OL are reduced on initial participation but are increased on sustained participation. Our study provides a better understanding of how social influence affects OSS developers' participation behaviors. It also offers important practical implications for designing software development platforms that can leverage social influence to attract more initial and sustained participation.
Time‐based investigation of urinary metabolic markers for Type 2 diabetes: Metabolomics approach for diabetes management
Authors: Hanafy Moataz M. , Lindeque Jeremie Z. , El‐Maraghy Shohda A. , Abdel‐Hamid Abdel‐Hamid Z. , Shahin Nancy N.
Published: April 2021

Diabetes is considered one of the most important health emergencies worldwide and Egypt has 8.2 million diabetic patients according to the International Diabetes Federation report in 2017. The objective of this study was to monitor the time‐course variation in the metabolic profile of diabetic rats to detect urinary metabolic biomarkers using the metabolomics approach. Type 2 diabetes was induced in male Wistar albino rats using a single intraperitoneal injection of 40 mg/kg of streptozotocin following oral administration of 10% fructose in drinking water for 3 weeks. Then, urine was collected for 24 h from rats at three time points (0, 2, and 4 weeks after confirmation of diabetes), and were analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance (H1‐NMR), followed by multivariate data analysis. The results from H1‐NMR pointed out that d‐glucose, taurine, l‐carnitine, l‐fucose, 1,5‐anhydrosorbitol, and d‐galactose levels showed consistent significant variation (p < 0.05) between the positive (diabetic) and negative (normal) controls during the whole experimental period. Also, with the disease progression, myoinositol, and l‐phenylalanine levels were significantly altered (p < 0.05) after 2 weeks and this alteration was maintained till the end of the 4‐week experimental period in the positive control group. From the results of the present study, it could be concluded that we cannot depend only on glucose levels for prognostic purposes since there are other metabolic disturbances in diabetes which need to be tracked for better disease prognosis.
Synthesis and Properties of Spiro‐double Sila[7]helicene: The LUMO Spiro‐conjugation
Authors: Terada Nozomi , Uematsu Keisuke , Higuchi Ryota , Tokimaru Yuki , Sato Yosuke , Nakano Koji , Nozaki Kyoko
Published: April 2021

A double helicene with a spiro‐Si linker (4) was synthesized by four successive nucleophilic substitutions on SiCl4. Its (P,P), (M,M) and (P,M) isomers were isolated and characterized by single crystal X‐ray analysis. Due to the central spirosilabi[fluorene] moiety, the two helicene units in 4 are symmetrically and nearly perpendicularly arranged. (P,P)‐4 and (M,M)‐4 exhibit unique optical properties attributable to the LUMO spiro‐conjugation between the two sila[7]helicene units.
Expression of cell markers and transcription factors in the avian retina compared with that in the marmoset retina
Authors: Haverkamp Silke , Albert László , Balaji Vaishnavi , Němec Pavel , Dedek Karin
Published: April 2021

In the vertebrate retina, amacrine and ganglion cells represent the most diverse cell classes. They can be classified into different cell types by several features, such as morphology, light responses, and gene expression profile. Although birds possess high visual acuity (similar to primates that we used here for comparison) and tetrachromatic color vision, data on the expression of transcription factors in retinal ganglion cells of birds are largely missing. In this study, we tested various transcription factors, known to label subpopulations of cells in mammalian retinae, in two avian species: the common buzzard (Buteo buteo), a raptor with exceptional acuity, and the domestic pigeon (Columba livia domestica), a good navigator and widely used model for visual cognition. Staining for the transcription factors Foxp2, Satb1 and Satb2 labeled most ganglion cells in the avian ganglion cell layer. CtBP2 was established as marker for displaced amacrine cells, which allowed us to reliably distinguish ganglion cells from displaced amacrine cells and assess their densities in buzzard and pigeon. When we additionally compared the temporal and central fovea of the buzzard with the fovea of primates, we found that the cellular organization in the pits was different in primates and raptors. In summary, we demonstrate that the expression of transcription factors is a defining feature of cell types not only in the retina of mammals but also in the retina of birds. The markers, which we have established, may provide useful tools for more detailed studies on the retinal circuitry of these highly visual animals.
Association between somatostatin analogues and diabetes mellitus in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumor patients: A Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results‐Medicare analysis of 5235 patients
Authors: Ni Katherine , Yang Jeong Yun , Baeg Kiwoon , Leiter Amanda C. , Mhango Grace , Gallagher Emily J. , Wisnivesky Juan P. , Kim Michelle K.
Published: April 2021

Background

Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP‐NETs) are increasingly common malignancies and tend to have favorable long‐term prognoses. Somatostatin analogues (SSA) are a first‐line treatment for many NETs. Short‐term experiments suggest an association between SSAs and hyperglycemia. However, it is unknown whether there is a relationship between SSAs and clinically significant hyperglycemia causing development of diabetes mellitus (DM), a chronic condition with significant morbidity and mortality.

Aim

In this study, we aimed to compare risk of developing DM in patients treated with SSA vs no SSA treatment.

Methods and Results

Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and linked Medicare claims (1991‐2016), we identified patients age 65+ with no prior DM diagnosis and a GEP‐NET in the stomach, small intestine, appendix, colon, rectum, or pancreas. We used χ2 tests to compare SSA‐treated and SSA‐untreated patients and multivariable Cox regression to assess risk factors for developing DM. Among 8464 GEP‐NET patients, 5235 patients had no prior DM and were included for analysis. Of these, 784 (15%) patients received SSAs. In multivariable analysis, the hazard ratio of developing DM with SSA treatment was 1.19, which was not statistically significant (95% CI 0.95‐1.49). Significant risk factors for DM included black race, Hispanic ethnicity, prior pancreatic surgery, prior chemotherapy, tumor size >2 cm, pancreas tumors, and higher Charlson scores.

Conclusion

DM was very common in GEP‐NET patients, affecting 53% of our cohort. Despite prior studies suggesting an association between SSAs and hyperglycemia, our analysis found similar risk of DM in SSA‐treated and SSA‐untreated GEP‐NET patients. Further studies are needed to better understand this relationship. As NET patients have increasingly prolonged survival, it is crucial to identify chronic conditions such as DM that these patients may be at elevated risk for.
Do Inhibitory Metabolites Impact DDI Risk Assessment? Analysis of in vitro and in vivo Data from NDA Reviews Between 2013 and 2018
Authors: Steinbronn Claire , Yang Xinning , Yu Jingjing , Dimova Hristina , Huang Shiew‐Mei , Ragueneau‐Majlessi Isabelle , Isoherranen Nina
Published: April 2021

Evaluating the potential of new drugs and their metabolites to cause drug‐drug interactions (DDIs) is critical for understanding drug safety and efficacy. Although multiple analyses of proprietary metabolite testing data have been published, no systematic analyses of metabolite data collected according to current testing criteria have been conducted. To address this knowledge gap, 120 new molecular entities approved between 2013 and 2018 were reviewed. Comprehensive data on metabolite‐to‐parent area under the curve ratios (AUCM/AUCP), inhibitory potency of parent and metabolites, and clinical DDIs were collected. Sixty‐four percent of the metabolites quantified in vivo had AUCM/AUCP ≥ 0.25 and 75% of these metabolites were tested for cytochrome P450 (CYP) inhibition in vitro, resulting in 15 metabolites with potential DDI risk identification. Although 50% of the metabolites with AUCM/AUCP < 0.25 were also tested in vitro, none of them showed meaningful CYP inhibition potential. The metabolite percentage of plasma total radioactivity cutoff of ≥ 10% did not appear to add value to metabolite testing strategies. No relationship between metabolite versus parent drug polarity and inhibition potency was observed. Comparison of metabolite and parent maximum concentration (Cmax) divided by inhibition constant (Ki) values suggested that metabolites can contribute to in vivo DDIs and, hence, quantitative prediction of clinical DDI magnitude may require both parent and metabolite data. This systematic analysis of metabolite data for newly approved drugs supports an AUCM/AUCP cutoff of ≥ 0.25 to warrant metabolite in vitro CYP screening to adequately characterize metabolite inhibitory DDI potential and support quantitative DDI predictions.
Bayesian Phylogeographic Analysis Incorporating Predictors and Individual Travel Histories in BEAST
Authors: Hong Samuel L. , Lemey Philippe , Suchard Marc A. , Baele Guy
Published: April 2021

Advances in sequencing technologies have tremendously reduced the time and costs associated with sequence generation, making genomic data an important asset for routine public health practices. Within this context, phylogenetic and phylogeographic inference has become a popular method to study disease transmission. In a Bayesian context, these approaches have the benefit of accommodating phylogenetic uncertainty, and popular implementations provide the possibility to parameterize the transition rates between locations as a function of epidemiological and ecological data to reconstruct spatial spread while simultaneously identifying the main factors impacting the spatial spread dynamics. Recent developments enable researchers to make use of travel history data of infected individuals in the reconstruction of pathogen spread, offering increased inference accuracy and mitigating sampling bias. Here, we describe a detailed workflow to reconstruct the spatial spread of a pathogen through Bayesian phylogeographic analysis in discrete space using these novel approaches, implemented in BEAST. The individual protocols focus on how to incorporate molecular data, covariates of spread, and individual travel history data into the analysis. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol 1: Creating a SARS‐CoV‐2 MSA using sequences from GISAID

Basic Protocol 2: Setting up a discrete trait phylogeographic reconstruction in BEAUti

Basic Protocol 3: Phylogeographic reconstruction incorporating travel history information

Basic Protocol 4: Visualizing ancestral spatial trajectories for specific taxa
Sustainability Assessment of Mechanochemistry by Using the Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry
Authors: Ardila‐Fierro Karen J. , Hernández José G.
Published: April 2021

In recent years, mechanochemistry has been growing into a widely accepted alternative for chemical synthesis. In addition to their efficiency and practicality, mechanochemical reactions are also recognized for their sustainability. The association between mechanochemistry and Green Chemistry often originates from the solvent‐free nature of most mechanochemical protocols, which can reduce waste production. However, mechanochemistry satisfies more than one of the Principles of Green Chemistry. In this Review we will present a series of examples that will clearly illustrate how mechanochemistry can significantly contribute to the fulfillment of Green Chemistry in a more holistic manner.
Nutrient excretion by fish supports a variable but significant proportion of lake primary productivity over 15 years
Authors: Sharitt Carrie Ann , González María J. , Williamson Tanner J. , Vanni Michael J.
Published: April 2021

Animals play an important and sometimes overlooked role in nutrient cycling. The role of animals in nutrient cycling is spatially and temporally variable, but few studies have evaluated the long‐term importance of animal‐mediated nutrient cycling in meeting nutrient demand by primary producers. We quantified the proportion of phytoplankton nutrient (phosphorus, P) demand met by excretion by gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) in a eutrophic reservoir where this species dominates fish biomass. From 2000 to 2014, gizzard shad excretion supported a variable proportion of phytoplankton P demand, averaging 7–27% among years over the growing season (spring and summer). Temporal patterns emerged, as gizzard shad consistently supported a higher proportion of demand during summer (mean 31%) than spring (8%). In spring, the proportion of demand met from gizzard shad excretion was best predicted by gizzard shad population biomass, stream discharge, and temperature. In summer, this proportion was best predicted only by biomass of the young‐of‐year (YOY) gizzard shad. Thus, variation in YOY shad biomass significantly alters nutrient supply, and future studies should explore the long‐term role of animal population dynamics in nutrient cycling. Our study shows that several years of data are needed to perform a critical evaluation of the importance of animals in meeting ecosystem nutrient demand.
Strigolactones: Phytohormones with Promising Biomedical Applications
Authors: Prandi Cristina , Kapulnik Yoram , Koltai Hinanit
Published: April 2021

Strigolactones are a class of carotenoid‐derived plant hormones, which impact many functions of plant metabolism in response to environmental stress. They also act as exogenous signals perceived by both mycorrhizal fungi and parasitic plants. The peculiar chemical skeleton of these molecules and their mode of action in plants inspired possible applications in biomedical fields. In this minireview, an overview of the most recent applications of Strigolactones and analog derivatives as anticancer, anti‐inflammatory, and antiviral drugs is described.
Conditional covariance matrix forecast using the hybrid exponentially weighted moving average approach
Authors: Kuang Wei
Published: April 2021

This paper extends the hybrid multivariate exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) approach to incorporate realized variance for conditional covariance matrix forecast. The proposed estimator employs a realized variance‐based EWMA specification to estimate the conditional variance of returns and a standard return‐based EWMA specification to estimate the correlation between each pair of returns. This hybrid realized variance‐based EWMA estimator produces forecasts of the conditional covariance matrix that are statistically more accurate and informative and economically more useful than those produced by the standard EWMA and the multivariate generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (GARCH) models using only daily returns. The evidence of incremental forecast accuracy and the economic value over the intraday range‐based hybrid EWMA estimator is, however, insignificant. Moreover, the hybrid EWMA estimators are less sensitive to the choice of decay factors than the standard EWMA model and thus provide a robust framework to accommodate intradaily information for estimates of daily return volatility while achieving a simplicity and ease of implementation.
Evaluation of bacterial diversity of traditional cheese in Tarbagatay Prefecture, China, and its correlation with cheese quality
Authors: Zhang Kaili , Jia Mengzhen , Guo Zhuang , Li Yuhui , Li Baokun , Li Xu
Published: April 2021

In Xinjiang, China, traditional handmade cheese is made from fresh milk under natural environmental conditions and is a common fermented dairy product in the region. Due to differences in production methods between regions, the research conducted on the bacterial diversity of traditional handmade cheese is not comprehensive. Hence, little is known about the relationship between bacteria and cheese quality. Therefore, in this study, cheese samples from Tarbagatay Prefecture, Xinjiang, were chosen for investigation. The bacteria in 17 cheese samples were analyzed by sequencing 16S rRNA using Illumina MiSeq technology. The results showed that there were two dominant bacterial phyla and six dominant bacterial genera in the cheeses. Of these, Lactobacillus and Lactococcus displayed the most significant positive correlation with cheese quality. This study provides data to support the improvement of traditional cheese quality via microbial diversity and lays a foundation for the industrialization of traditional cheese production.
A robust two‐sample transcriptome‐wide Mendelian randomization method integrating GWAS with multi‐tissue eQTL summary statistics
Authors: Gleason Kevin J. , Yang Fan , Chen Lin S.
Published: April 2021

By treating genetic variants as instrumental variables (IVs), two‐sample Mendelian randomization (MR) methods detect genetically regulated risk exposures for complex diseases using only summary statistics. When considering gene expression as exposure in transcriptome‐wide MR (TWMR) analyses, the eQTLs (expression‐quantitative‐trait‐loci) may have pleiotropic effects or be correlated with variants that have effects on disease not via expression, and the presence of those invalid IVs would lead to biased inference. Moreover, the number of eQTLs as IVs for a gene is generally limited, making the detection of invalid IVs challenging. We propose a method, “MR‐MtRobin,” for accurate TWMR inference in the presence of invalid IVs. By leveraging multi‐tissue eQTL data in a mixed model, the proposed method makes identifiable the IV‐specific random effects due to pleiotropy from estimation errors of eQTL summary statistics, and can provide accurate inference on the dependence (fixed effects) between eQTL and GWAS (genome‐wide association study) effects in the presence of invalid IVs. Moreover, our method can improve power and precision in inference by selecting cross‐tissue eQTLs as IVs that have improved consistency of effects across eQTL and GWAS data. We applied MR‐MtRobin to detect genes associated with schizophrenia risk by integrating summary‐level data from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium and the Genotype‐Tissue Expression project (V8).
Pathologic upstaging in resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma: Risk factors and impact on survival
Authors: Olecki Elizabeth J. , Stahl Kelly A. , Torres Madeline B. , Peng June S. , Shen Chan , Dixon Matthew E.B. , Gusani Niraj J.
Published: April 2021

Background

Clinical and pathologic staging determine treatment of pancreatic cancer. Clinical stage has been shown to underestimate final pathologic stage in pancreatic cancer, resulting in upstaging.

Methods

National Cancer Database was used to identify clinical stage I pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Univariate, multivariable logistic regression, and Cox proportional hazard ratio were used to determine differences between upstaged and stage concordant patients.

Results

Upstaging was seen in 80.2% of patients. Factors found to be significantly associated with upstaging included pancreatic head tumors (OR 2.56), high‐grade histology (OR 1.74), elevated Ca 19‐9 (OR 2.09), and clinical stage T2 (OR 1.99). Upstaging was associated with a 45% increased risk of mortality compared to stage concordant disease (HR 1.44, p < .001).

Conclusion

A majority of clinical stage I pancreatic cancer is upstaged after resection. Factors including tumor location, grade, Ca 19‐9, and tumor size can help identify those at high risk for upstaging.
Prevalence of pelvic organ prolapse among US racial populations: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of population‐based screening studies
Authors: Mou Tsung , Warner Kristina , Brown Oluwateniola , Yeh Chen , Beestrum Molly , Kenton Kimberly , Emi Bretschneider Carol
Published: April 2021

Aims

To determine the differences in pooled prevalence rates of symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse (POP) across different US racial/ethnic groups using existing screening‐based epidemiologic studies.

Methods

A systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, and Scopus was conducted to retrieve eligible studies. We included studies that identified POP by either physical exam or questionnaire, conducted in non‐gynecologic care‐seeking settings, and had a representative sample of US community‐dwelling women from more than one racial/ethnic group with prevalence rates reported for each population. Meta‐analysis was performed with the pooled estimates calculated, and χ
2 tests were performed to examine the associations between race and POP prevalence.

Results

Of the 2604 studies reviewed, 5 were included. One study used physical exam findings while others used questionnaires to identify POP. All but one study demonstrated statistically significant differences in POP prevalence rates based on race/ethnicity. The overall pooled POP prevalence rates were determined for each racial/ethnic group—White women: 10.76% (95% confidence interval [CI], 10.30%–11.22%); Hispanic women: 6.55% (95% CI, 5.83%–7.28%); Black women: 3.80% (95% CI, 3.22%–4.38%); and Asian American women: 3.40% (95% CI, 2.09%–4.71%). There was a significant difference in the pooled prevalence rates among these four racial/ethnic groups (p < 0.01).

Conclusions

Our study found that White women had the highest pooled POP prevalence rate overall, while Hispanic women had the highest pooled prevalence among minority women. Additionally, American Indians and Pacific Islanders were absent from the current prolapse epidemiologic literature.
Combinatorial acyclicity models for potential‐based flows
Authors: Habeck Oliver , Pfetsch Marc E.
Published: April 2021

Potential‐based flows constitute a basic model to represent physical behavior in networks. Under natural assumptions, the flow in such networks must be acyclic. The goal of this article is to exploit this property for the solution of corresponding optimization problems. To this end, we introduce several combinatorial models for acyclic flows, based on binary variables for flow directions. We compare these models and introduce a particular model that tries to capture acyclicity together with the supply/demand behavior. We analyze properties of this model, including variable fixing rules. Our computational results show that the usage of the corresponding constraints speeds up solution times by about a factor of 3 on average and a speed‐up of a factor of almost 5 for the time to prove optimality.
Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der konservativen Therapie der Arthrose
Authors: Nehrer Stefan , Neubauer Markus
Published: April 2021

Hintergrund

Arthrose – die Degeneration von Gelenken – ist ein weit verbreitetes Problem durch alle Bevölkerungsschichten, das im zunehmenden Alter vermehrt auftritt und die häufigste Ursache für mobilitätseinschränkende Schmerzen am Bewegungsapparat ist. Etwa 70–80 % der über 70-Jährigen zeigen Zeichen einer Gelenksdegeneration. Insgesamt sind bis zu 25 % der Gesamtbevölkerung davon betroffen, aufgrund der generellen Alterung der Bevölkerung mit steigender Tendenz. Die Inzidenz der Arthrose steigt aber schon ab dem 40 Lebensjahr, wobei besonders posttraumatische und sekundäre Arthroseformen zum Tragen kommen.

Anspruch

Der Wunsch nach hoher Mobilität und Sport zieht sich als Phänomen ebenfalls durch alle Altersgruppe. Dies ist mit hohen Gelenkbelastungen verbunden und stellt damit eine große Herausforderung an vor allem früh degenerativ veränderte Gelenksstrukturen dar. In diesem Zusammenhang ist der orthopädisch tätige Arzt gefordert, die Belastbarkeit von geschädigten Gelenken abzuschätzen und so früh wie möglich präventive Schritte sowie gegebenenfalls konservative Therapien einzuleiten, um die Progression der Arthrose zu verhindern und damit den eventuell notwendigen Gelenkersatz möglichst weit nach hinten zu schieben.
Cyclically stretched ACL fibroblasts emigrating from spheroids adapt their cytoskeleton and ligament-related expression profile
Authors: Gögele Clemens , Hoffmann Christina , Konrad Jens , Merkel Rudolf , Schwarz Silke , Tohidnezhad Mersedeh , Hoffmann Bernd , Schulze-Tanzil Gundula Gesine
Published: April 2021

Mechanical stress of ligaments varies; hence, ligament fibroblasts must adapt their expression profile to novel mechanomilieus to ensure tissue resilience. Activation of the mechanoreceptors leads to a specific signal transduction, the so-called mechanotransduction. However, with regard to their natural three-dimensional (3D) microenvironment cell reaction to mechanical stimuli during emigrating from a 3D spheroid culture is still unclear. This study aims to provide a deeper understanding of the reaction profile of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-derived fibroblasts exposed to cyclic uniaxial strain in two-dimensional (2D) monolayer culture and during emigration from 3D spheroids with respect to cell survival, cell and cytoskeletal orientation, distribution, and expression profile. Monolayers and spheroids were cultured in crosslinked polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) elastomeric chambers and uniaxially stretched (14% at 0.3 Hz) for 48 h. Cell vitality, their distribution, nuclear shape, stress fiber orientation, focal adhesions, proliferation, expression of ECM components such as sulfated glycosaminoglycans, collagen type I, decorin, tenascin C and cell–cell communication-related gap junctional connexin (CXN) 43, tendon-related markers Mohawk and tenomodulin (myodulin) were analyzed. In contrast to unstretched cells, stretched fibroblasts showed elongation of stress fibers, cell and cytoskeletal alignment perpendicular to strain direction, less rounded cell nuclei, increased numbers of focal adhesions, proliferation, amplified CXN43, and main ECM component expression in both cultures. The applied cyclic stretch protocol evoked an anabolic response and enhanced tendon-related marker expression in ACL-derived fibroblasts emigrating from 3D spheroids and seems also promising to support in future tissue formation in ACL scaffolds seeded in vitro with spheroids.
Full-scale field test of a model predictive control system for a 3 MW wind turbine
Authors: Dickler Sebastian , Wintermeyer-Kallen Thorben , Zierath János , Bockhahn Reik , Machost Dirk , Konrad Thomas , Abel Dirk
Published: April 2021

Model predictive control (MPC) is a strong candidate for modern wind turbine control. While the design of model predictive wind turbine controllers in simulations has been extensively investigated in academic studies, the application of these controllers to real wind turbines reveals open research challenges. In this work, we focus on the validation of a linear time-variant MPC system for a 3 MW wind turbine in a full-scale field test. First, the study proves the MPC’s capability to control the real wind turbine in the partial load region. Compared to the turbine’s baseline PID controller, the MPC system offers similar results for the electrical power output and for the occurring mechanical loads. Second, the study validates a previously proposed, simulation-based rapid control prototyping process for a systematic MPC development. The systematic development process allows to completely design and parameterize the MPC system in a simulative environment independent of the real wind turbine. Through the rapid control prototyping process, the MPC commissioning in the wind turbine’s programmable logic controller can be realized within a few hours without any modifications required in the field. Thus, this study establishes the proof of concept for a linear time-variant MPC system for a 3 MW wind turbine in a full-scale field test and bridges the gap between the control design and field testing of MPC systems for wind turbines in the multi-megawatt range.
Past and future snowmelt trends in the Swiss Alps: the role of temperature and snowpack
Authors: Vorkauf Maria , Marty Christoph , Kahmen Ansgar , Hiltbrunner Erika
Published: April 2021

The start of the growing season for alpine plants is primarily determined by the date of snowmelt. We analysed time series of snow depth at 23 manually operated and 15 automatic (IMIS) stations between 1055 and 2555 m asl in the Swiss Central Alps. Between 1958 and 2019, snowmelt dates occurred 2.8 ± 1.3 days earlier in the year per decade, with a strong shift towards earlier snowmelt dates during the late 1980s and early 1990s, but non-significant trends thereafter. Snowmelt dates at high-elevation automatic stations strongly correlated with snowmelt dates at lower-elevation manual stations. At all elevations, snowmelt dates strongly depended on spring air temperatures. More specifically, 44% of the variance in snowmelt dates was explained by the first day when a three-week running mean of daily air temperatures passed a 5 °C threshold. The mean winter snow depth accounted for 30% of the variance. We adopted the effects of air temperature and snowpack height to Swiss climate change scenarios to explore likely snowmelt trends throughout the twenty-first century. Under a high-emission scenario (RCP8.5), we simulated snowmelt dates to advance by 6 days per decade by the end of the century. By then, snowmelt dates could occur one month earlier than during the reference periods (1990–2019 and 2000–2019). Such early snowmelt may extend the alpine growing season by one third of its current duration while exposing alpine plants to shorter daylengths and adding a higher risk of freezing damage.
The Voyage of Metals in the Universe from Cosmological to Planetary Scales: the need for a Very High-Resolution, High Throughput Soft X-ray Spectrometer
Authors: Nicastro F. , Kaastra J. , Argiroffi C. , Behar E. , Bianchi S. , Bocchino F. , Borgani S. , Branduardi-Raymont G. , Bregman J. , Churazov E. , Diaz-Trigo M. , Done C. , Drake J. , Fang T. , Grosso N. , Luminari A. , Mehdipour M. , Paerels F. , Piconcelli E. , Pinto C. , Porquet D. , Reeves J. , Schaye J. , Sciortino S. , Smith R. , Spiga D. , Tomaru R. , Tombesi F. , Wijers N. , Zappacosta L.
Published: April 2021

Metals form an essential part of the Universe at all scales. Without metals we would not exist, and the Universe would look completely different. Metals are primarily produced via nuclear processes in stars, and spread out through winds or explosions, which pollute the surrounding space. The wanderings of metals in-and-out of astronomical objects are crucial in determining their own evolution and thus that of the Universe as a whole. Detecting metals and assessing their relative and absolute abundances and energetics can thus be used to trace the evolution of these cosmic components. The scope of this paper is to highlight the most important open astrophysical problems that will be central in the next decades and for which a deep understanding of the Universe’s wandering metals, their physical and kinematical states, and their chemical composition represents the only viable solution. The majority of these studies can only be efficiently performed through High Resolution Spectroscopy in the soft X-ray band.
Assessing the Manuscripts of Sefer Ḥasidim
Authors: Dönitz Saskia
Published: April 2021

This article examines the content and structure of the manuscripts of Sefer Ḥasidim, engaging with ideas concerning its production addressed in Ivan Marcus’s recently published book on Sefer Ḥasidim. Marcus has argued that the book was written piece by piece and not as an integral book and further suggested that each and every manuscript of Sefer Ḥasidim should be taken as a distinct edition of the book prepared by Judah he-Ḥasid. The present study demonstrates that, notwithstanding the gradual process in which Sefer Ḥasidim was written and the great variations among the manuscripts, it is possible to reconstruct a textual process that led to the larger compilations found in the three well-known text editions of Sefer Ḥasidim, represented by MS Parma 3280, MS JTS Boesky 45, and the edition printed in Bologna in 1538. The analysis focuses on the distribution of the text in the manuscripts. While it is difficult to show linear relations among them, the different versions demonstrate a gradual process of growth and enlargement of the material around topical structures. Since most of the material is transmitted in more than one exemplar and few passages appear in one manuscript alone, it is argued that the manuscripts can be linked to show how the material grew from random collections of single paragraphs to topically ordered clusters and into the larger compilations of Sefer Ḥasidim.