bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Weak evidence that asset protection underlies temporal or contextual consistency in boldness of a terrestrial crustacean
Authors: Beveridge Darcy , Mitchell David J. , Beckmann Christa , Biro Peter A.
Published: July 2022

In recent years, many studies have investigated the potential state dependence of individual differences in behaviour, with the aim to understand the proximate and ultimate causes and consequences of animal personality. Among the potential state variables that could affect behavioural expression is size and mass, but few studies have found associations at the among-individual levels. Insufficient sampling and incorrect analysis of data are cited as impediments to detecting correlations, if they exist. Here, we conducted a study using 100 pillbugs (Armadillidium vulgare) and assayed their defensive behaviour 24 times each over time and across familiarity contexts, to test the asset protection hypothesis that predicts a negative correlation between boldness and mass, and with increases in mass over time. Multivariate mixed models revealed that despite mostly consistent individual behavioural differences over time (modest slope variance) and across contexts (near-parallel reaction norms), and 18-fold range in starting mass, there was no correlation between individual mean mass and boldness. However, individuals that gained more mass over time may have been more ‘shy’ compared to those gaining less mass, but the correlation was weak and observed variation in mass gain was small. There was also a mean level trend of increasing shyness over time that was coincident with mean level mass increases over time. Together, our study provides weak evidence for the asset protection hypothesis, whereby individuals that accumulate more resources are thought to protect them through risk averse behaviour.

Significance statement

Individual variation in ‘state’, such as mass or energy reserves, is thought to be a predictor of individual differences in behaviour that are consistent over time. However, few studies reveal such links, and several studies suggest insufficient sampling may explain null results in most studies. We studied 100 animals sampled 24 times each in a controlled setting to reveal stable individual differences in mean behaviour over time and across contexts; however, individual behaviour was unrelated to large differences in individual mass but weakly related to increases in mass through time whereby individuals became more shy and those growing faster were somewhat more shy. Our results provide little evidence for the asset protection hypothesis.
Impact of contrast-enhanced mammography in surgical management of breast cancers for women with dense breasts: a dual-center, multi-disciplinary study in Asia
Authors: Goh Yonggeng , Chou Chen-Pin , Chan Ching Wan , Buhari Shaik Ahmad , Hartman Mikael , Tang Siau Wei , Ng Celene Wei Qi , Pillay Premilla , Chua Wynne , Jagmohan Pooja , Sterling Eide , Wong Ying Mei , Tan Loon Ying , Ong Han Yang , Pan Huay-Ben , Lee Herng-Sheng , Hung Bao-Hui , Quek Swee Tian
Published: July 2022

Objective

To evaluate the impact of pre-operative contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) in breast cancer patients with dense breasts.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective review of 232 histologically proven breast cancers in 200 women (mean age: 53.4 years ± 10.2) who underwent pre-surgical CEM imaging across two Asian institutions (Singapore and Taiwan). Majority (95.5%) of patients had dense breast tissue (BI-RADS category C or D). Surgical decision was recorded in a simulated blinded multi-disciplinary team setting on two separate scenarios: (i) pre-CEM setting with standard imaging, and clinical and histopathological results; and (ii) post-CEM setting with new imaging and corresponding histological findings from CEM. Alterations in surgical plan (if any) because of CEM imaging were recorded. Predictors CEM of patients who benefitted from surgical plan alterations were evaluated using logistic regression.

Results

CEM resulted in altered surgical plans in 36 (18%) of 200 patients in this study. CEM discovered clinically significant larger tumor size or extent in 24 (12%) patients and additional tumors in 12 (6%) patients. CEM also detected additional benign/false-positive lesions in 13 (6.5%) of the 200 patients. Significant predictors of patients who benefitted from surgical alterations found on multivariate analysis were pre-CEM surgical decision for upfront breast conservation (OR, 7.7; 95% CI, 1.9-32.1; p = 0.005), architectural distortion on mammograms (OR, 7.6; 95% CI, 1.3–42.9; p = .022), and tumor size of ≥ 1.5 cm (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.0-2.2; p = .034).

Conclusion

CEM is an effective imaging technique for pre-surgical planning for Asian breast cancer patients with dense breasts.

Key Points

• CEM significantly altered surgical plans in 18% (nearly 1 in 5) of this Asian study cohort with dense breasts.

• Significant patient and imaging predictors for surgical plan alteration include (i) patients considered for upfront breast-conserving surgery; (ii) architectural distortion lesions; and (iii) tumor size of ≥ 1.5 cm.

• Additional false-positive/benign lesions detected through CEM were uncommon, affecting only 6.5% of the study cohort.
Landscape Analysis for Shallow Neural Networks: Complete Classification of Critical Points for Affine Target Functions
Authors: Cheridito Patrick , Jentzen Arnulf , Rossmannek Florian
Published: July 2022

In this paper, we analyze the landscape of the true loss of neural networks with one hidden layer and ReLU, leaky ReLU, or quadratic activation. In all three cases, we provide a complete classification of the critical points in the case where the target function is affine and one-dimensional. In particular, we show that there exist no local maxima and clarify the structure of saddle points. Moreover, we prove that non-global local minima can only be caused by ‘dead’ ReLU neurons. In particular, they do not appear in the case of leaky ReLU or quadratic activation. Our approach is of a combinatorial nature and builds on a careful analysis of the different types of hidden neurons that can occur.
Ticagrelor or prasugrel in patients with acute coronary syndrome with off-hour versus on-hour presentation: a subgroup analysis of the ISAR-REACT 5 trial
Authors: Behnes Michael , Lahu Shqipdona , Ndrepepa Gjin , Menichelli Maurizio , Mayer Katharina , Wöhrle Jochen , Bernlochner Isabell , Gewalt Senta , Witzenbichler Bernhard , Hochholzer Willibald , Sibbing Dirk , Cassese Salvatore , Angiolillo Dominick J. , Hemetsberger Rayyan , Valina Christian , Müller Arne , Kufner Sebastian , Hamm Christian W. , Xhepa Erion , Hapfelmeier Alexander , Sager Hendrik B. , Joner Michael , Fusaro Massimiliano , Richardt Gert , Laugwitz Karl-Ludwig , Neumann Franz-Josef , Schunkert Heribert , Schüpke Stefanie , Kastrati Adnan , Akin Ibrahim
Published: July 2022

Objectives

To assess the efficacy and safety of ticagrelor versus prasugrel in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) presenting during off- and on-hours.

Background

The efficacy and safety of ticagrelor versus prasugrel in patients with ACS according to time of hospital presentation remain unknown.

Methods

This post hoc analysis of the ISAR-REACT 5 trial included 1565 patients with ACS presenting off-hours and 2453 patients presenting on-hours, randomized to ticagrelor or prasugrel. The primary endpoint was a composite of death, myocardial infarction, or stroke; the safety endpoint was Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) type 3–5 bleeding, both at 12 months.

Results

The primary endpoint occurred in 80 patients (10.4%) in the ticagrelor group and 57 patients (7.3%) in the prasugrel group in patients presenting off-hours (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.45; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03–2.03; P = 0.033), and 104 patients (8.5%) in the ticagrelor group and 80 patients (6.7%) in the prasugrel group in patients presenting on-hours (HR = 1.29 [0.97–1.73]; P = 0.085), without significant treatment arm-by-presentation time interaction (Pint = 0.62). BARC type 3 to 5 bleeding occurred in 35 patients (5.1%) in the ticagrelor group and 37 patients (5.3%) in the prasugrel group (P = 0.84) in patients presenting off-hours, and 60 patients (5.9%) in the ticagrelor group and 43 patients (4.6%) in the prasugrel group in patients presenting on-hours (P = 0.17).

Conclusions

In patients with ACS planned to undergo an invasive treatment strategy, time of presentation (off-hours vs. on-hours) does not interact significantly with the relative efficacy and safety of ticagrelor vs. prasugrel.

Clinical trial registration.

NCT01944800.

Graphical abstract
Effect of personalized dietary advice to increase protein intake on food consumption and the environmental impact of the diet in community-dwelling older adults: results from the PROMISS trial
Authors: Grasso Alessandra C. , Olthof Margreet R. , Reinders Ilse , Wijnhoven Hanneke A. H. , Visser Marjolein , Brouwer Ingeborg A.
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Diet modelling studies suggest that increasing protein intake with no consideration for sustainability results in a higher environmental impact on the diet. To better understand the impact in real life, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of dietary advice to increase protein intake on food consumption and the environmental impact of the diet in community-dwelling older adults.

Methods

Food consumption and environmental impact were analyzed among 124 Dutch older adults with lower habitual protein intake (< 1.0 g/kg adjusted body weight/day) participating in the six-month PROMISS trial. Dietary intake data from three 24-h dietary recalls, aided by food diaries, and results from life cycle assessments were used to examine the differences in changes in food consumption and environmental impact between those who received dietary advice to isocalorically increase protein intake to ≥ 1.2 g/kg aBW/d (Protein + ; n = 84) and those who did not receive dietary advice (Control; n = 40).

Results

Compared to the Control, Protein + increased protein intake from animal-based food products (11.0 g protein/d, 95% CI 6.6–15.4, p < 0.001), plant-based food products (2.1 g protein/d, 95% CI 0.2–4.0, p = 0.031) and protein-enriched food products provided during the trial (18 g protein/d, 95% CI 14.5–21.6, p < 0.001) at the 6-month follow-up. Diet-associated greenhouse gas emissions increased by 16% (p < 0.001), land use by 19% (p < 0.001), terrestrial acidification by 20% (p = 0.01), and marine eutrophication by 16% (p = 0.035) in Protein + compared to the Control.

Conclusion

This study found that dietary advice increased protein intake, favoring animal-based protein, and increased the environmental impact of the diet in older adults.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov. NCT03712306. October 2018.
Consumption of salmon fishmeal increases hepatic cholesterol content in obese C57BL/6 J mice
Authors: Hjorth Marit , Doncheva Atanaska , Norheim Frode , Ulven Stine Marie , Holven Kirsten Bjørklund , Sæther Thomas , Dalen Knut Tomas
Published: July 2022

Purpose

By-products from farmed fish contain large amounts of proteins and may be used for human consumption. The purpose of this study was to investigate cardiometabolic effects and metabolic tolerance in mice consuming fishmeal from salmon by-products, salmon filet or beef.

Methods

Female C57BL/6J mice were fed chow, as a healthy reference group, or a high-fat diet for 10 weeks to induce obesity and glucose intolerance. Obese mice were subsequently given isocaloric diets containing 50% of the dietary protein from salmon fishmeal, salmon filet or beef for 10 weeks. Mice were subjected to metabolic phenotyping, which included measurements of body composition, energy metabolism in metabolic cages and glucose tolerance. Lipid content and markers of hepatic toxicity were determined in plasma and liver. Hepatic gene and protein expression was determined with RNA sequencing and immunoblotting.

Results

Mice fed fishmeal, salmon filet or beef had similar food intake, energy consumption, body weight gain, adiposity, glucose tolerance and circulating levels of lipids and hepatic toxicity markers, such as p-ALT and p-AST. Fishmeal increased hepatic cholesterol levels by 35–36% as compared to salmon filet (p = 0.0001) and beef (p = 0.005). This was accompanied by repressed expression of genes involved in steroid and cholesterol metabolism and reduced levels of circulating Pcsk9.

Conclusion

Salmon fishmeal was well tolerated, but increased hepatic cholesterol content. The high cholesterol content in fishmeal may be responsible for the effects on hepatic cholesterol metabolism. Before introducing fishmeal from salmon by-products as a dietary component, it may be advantageous to reduce the cholesterol content in fishmeal.
Overcoming the impact of physiologic tremors in ophthalmology
Authors: Singh Gurfarmaan , Jie Wilson Wong Jun , Sun Michelle Tian , Casson Robert , Selva Dinesh , Chan WengOnn
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Ophthalmic surgery involves the manipulation of micron-level sized structures such as the internal limiting membrane where tactile sensation is practically absent. All humans have physiologic tremors that are of low amplitude and not discernible to the naked eye; they do not adversely affect the majority of the population’s daily functioning. However, during microsurgery, such tremors can be problematic. In this review, we focus on the impact of physiological tremors on ophthalmic microsurgery and offer a comparative discussion on the impact of such tremors on other surgical specialties.

Methods

A single investigator used the MEDLINE database (via PubMed) to search for and identify articles for inclusion in this systematic review. Ten key factors were identified as potentially having an impact on tremor amplitude: beta-blockers, muscle fatigue, robotic systems, handheld tools/micromanipulators, armrests/wrist supports, caffeine, diet, sleep deprivation, consuming alcohol, and workouts (exercise). These key terms were then searched using the advanced Boolean search tool and operators (i.e., AND, OR) available on PubMed: (*keyword*) AND (surgeon tremor OR microsurgery tremor OR hand steadiness OR simulator score).

Results

Ten studies attempted to quantify the baseline severity of operator physiologic tremor. Approximately 89% of studies accessing the impact of tremors on performance in regards to surgical metrics reported an improvement in performance compared to 57% of studies concluding that tremor elimination was of benefit when considering procedural outcomes.

Conclusions

Robotic technology, new instruments, exoskeletons, technique modifications, and lifestyle factors have all demonstrated the potential to assist in overcoming tremors in ophthalmology.
Solving String Problems on Graphs Using the Labeled Direct Product
Authors: Rizzo Nicola , Tomescu Alexandru I. , Policriti Alberto
Published: July 2022

Suffix trees are an important data structure at the core of optimal solutions to many fundamental string problems, such as exact pattern matching, longest common substring, matching statistics, and longest repeated substring. Recent lines of research focused on extending some of these problems to vertex-labeled graphs, either by using efficient ad-hoc approaches which do not generalize to all input graphs, or by indexing difficult graphs and having worst-case exponential complexities. In the absence of an ubiquitous and polynomial tool like the suffix tree for labeled graphs, we introduce the labeled direct product of two graphs as a general tool for obtaining optimal algorithms in the worst case: we obtain conceptually simpler algorithms for the quadratic problems of string matching () and longest common substring () in labeled graphs. Our algorithms run in time linear in the size of the labeled product graph, which may be smaller than quadratic for some inputs, and their run-time is predictable, because the size of the labeled direct product graph can be precomputed efficiently. We also solve on graphs containing cycles, which was left as an open problem by Shimohira et al. in 2011. To show the power of the labeled product graph, we also apply it to solve the matching statistics () and the longest repeated string () problems in labeled graphs. Moreover, we show that our (worst-case quadratic) algorithms are also optimal, conditioned on the Orthogonal Vectors Hypothesis. Finally, we complete the complexity picture around by studying it on undirected graphs.
Experiences of pelvic floor dysfunction and treatment in women with breast cancer: a qualitative study
Authors: Colombage Udari N. , Lin Kuan-Yin , Soh Sze-Ee , Brennen Robyn , Frawley Helena C.
Published: July 2022

Purpose

To explore the experiences of women with breast cancer and pelvic floor (PF) dysfunction and the perceived enablers and barriers to uptake of treatment for PF dysfunction during their recovery.

Method

Purposive sampling was used to recruit 30 women with a past diagnosis of breast cancer and PF dysfunction. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and data were analysed inductively to identify new concepts in the experiences of PF dysfunction in women with breast cancer and deductively according to the capability, opportunity, motivation and behaviour (COM-B) framework to identify the enablers and barriers to the uptake of treatment for PF dysfunction in women with breast cancer.

Results

Participants were aged between 31 and 88 years, diagnosed with stages I–IV breast cancer and experienced either urinary incontinence (n = 24/30, 80%), faecal incontinence (n = 6/30, 20%) or sexual dysfunction (n = 20/30, 67%). They were either resigned to or bothered by their PF dysfunction; bother was exacerbated by embarrassment from experiencing PF symptoms in public. Barriers to accessing treatment for PF dysfunction included a lack of awareness about PF dysfunction following breast cancer treatments and health care professionals not focussing on the management of PF symptoms during cancer treatment. An enabler was their motivation to resume their normal pre-cancer lives.

Conclusion

Participants in this study reported that there needs to be more awareness about PF dysfunction in women undergoing treatment for breast cancer. They would like to receive information about PF dysfunction prior to starting cancer treatment, be screened for PF dysfunction during cancer treatment and be offered therapies for their PF dysfunction after primary cancer treatment. Therefore, a greater focus on managing PF symptoms by clinicians may be warranted in women with breast cancer.
Expected scalarised returns dominance: a new solution concept for multi-objective decision making
Authors: Hayes Conor F. , Verstraeten Timothy , Roijers Diederik M. , Howley Enda , Mannion Patrick
Published: July 2022

In many real-world scenarios, the utility of a user is derived from a single execution of a policy. In this case, to apply multi-objective reinforcement learning, the expected utility of the returns must be optimised. Various scenarios exist where a user’s preferences over objectives (also known as the utility function) are unknown or difficult to specify. In such scenarios, a set of optimal policies must be learned. However, settings where the expected utility must be maximised have been largely overlooked by the multi-objective reinforcement learning community and, as a consequence, a set of optimal solutions has yet to be defined. In this work, we propose first-order stochastic dominance as a criterion to build solution sets to maximise expected utility. We also define a new dominance criterion, known as expected scalarised returns (ESR) dominance, that extends first-order stochastic dominance to allow a set of optimal policies to be learned in practice. Additionally, we define a new solution concept called the ESR set, which is a set of policies that are ESR dominant. Finally, we present a new multi-objective tabular distributional reinforcement learning (MOTDRL) algorithm to learn the ESR set in multi-objective multi-armed bandit settings.
Trophic Transfer Efficiency in Lakes
Authors: Mehner Thomas , Attermeyer Katrin , Brauns Mario , Brothers Soren , Hilt Sabine , Scharnweber Kristin , van Dorst Renee Mina , Vanni Michael J. , Gaedke Ursula
Published: July 2022

Trophic transfer efficiency (TTE) is usually calculated as the ratio of production rates between two consecutive trophic levels. Although seemingly simple, TTE estimates from lakes are rare. In our review, we explore the processes and structures that must be understood for a proper lake TTE estimate. We briefly discuss measurements of production rates and trophic positions and mention how ecological efficiencies, nutrients (N, P) and other compounds (fatty acids) affect energy transfer between trophic levels and hence TTE. Furthermore, we elucidate how TTE estimates are linked with size-based approaches according to the Metabolic Theory of Ecology, and how food-web models can be applied to study TTE in lakes. Subsequently, we explore temporal and spatial heterogeneity of production and TTE in lakes, with a particular focus on the links between benthic and pelagic habitats and between the lake and the terrestrial environment. We provide an overview of TTE estimates from lakes found in the published literature. Finally, we present two alternative approaches to estimating TTE. First, TTE can be seen as a mechanistic quantity informing about the energy and matter flow between producer and consumer groups. This approach is informative with respect to food-web structure, but requires enormous amounts of data. The greatest uncertainty comes from the proper consideration of basal production to estimate TTE of omnivorous organisms. An alternative approach is estimating food-chain and food-web efficiencies, by comparing the heterotrophic production of single consumer levels or the total sum of all heterotrophic production including that of heterotrophic bacteria to the total sum of primary production. We close the review by pointing to a few research questions that would benefit from more frequent and standardized estimates of TTE in lakes.
Model parameters influencing the cost-effectiveness of sacubitril/valsartan in heart failure: evidence from a systematic literature review
Authors: Proudfoot Clare , Gautam Raju , Cristino Joaquim , Agrawal Rumjhum , Thakur Lalit , Tolley Keith
Published: July 2022

Objectives

To summarize cost-effectiveness (CE) evidence of sacubitril/valsartan for the treatment of heart failure (HF) patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The impact of different modeling approaches and parameters on the CE results is also described.

Methods

We conducted a systematic literature review using multiple databases: Embase®; MEDLINE®; MEDLINE®-In Process; NIHR CRD database including DARE, NHS EED, and HTA databases; and the Cost Effectiveness Analysis registry. We also reviewed HTA countries’ websites to identify CE reports of sacubitril/valsartan, published up to 25-July-2021. Articles published in English as full-texts, conference-abstracts, or HTA reports were included.

Results

We included 44 CE models [39 from 37 publications (22 full-texts; 15 conference-abstracts) and 5 HTAs; Europe, n = 20; North and South Americas, n = 14; Asia and Australia, n = 10]. Most models adopted a Markov structure with constant transition probabilities of events (n = 27) or a mix of Markov and regression-based models (n = 16), with variations in structural assumptions and chosen parameters. Study authors concluded sacubitril/valsartan to be a cost-effective therapy in 37/41 models in chronic HFrEF patients and 2/3 models in hospitalized patients stabilized after an acute decompensation for HF. CE models showing sacubitril/valsartan not to be a cost-effective treatment generally modeled a shorter time horizon. Effect of sacubitril/valsartan on cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, cost, duration of effect and time horizon was the main model drivers.

Conclusions

Most evidence indicated sacubitril/valsartan is cost-effective in HFrEF. The use of a lifetime horizon is recommended in future models as HF is a chronic disease. Data on the CE of sacubitril/valsartan in the inpatient setting were limited and further research is warranted.
Direct serendipity and mixed finite elements on convex polygons
Authors: Arbogast Todd , Wang Chuning
Published: July 2022

We construct new families of direct serendipity and direct mixed finite elements on general planar, strictly convex polygons that are H1 and H(div) conforming, respectively, and possess optimal order of accuracy for any order. They have a minimal number of degrees of freedom subject to the conformity and accuracy constraints. The name arises because the shape functions are defined directly on the physical elements, i.e., without using a mapping from a reference element. The finite element shape functions are defined to be the full spaces of scalar or vector polynomials plus a space of supplemental functions. The direct serendipity elements are the precursors of the direct mixed elements in a de Rham complex. The convergence properties of the finite elements are shown under a regularity assumption on the shapes of the polygons in the mesh, as well as some mild restrictions on the choices one can make in the construction of the supplemental functions. Numerical experiments on various meshes exhibit the performance of these new families of finite elements.
Optimal harvest-time to maximize the annual camptothecin production by Ophiorrhiza pumila in a plant factory with artificial light
Authors: Lee Ji-Yoon , Goto Eiji , Yoshida Hideo , Hikosaka Shoko
Published: July 2022

Ophiorrhiza pumila is a medicinal plant that grows in subtropical forests and produces camptothecin (CPT). To determine an optimal harvest time of O. pumila in a plant factory with artificial light (PFAL), we investigated the CPT distribution in each organ and at the developmental stage and estimated the annual CPT production. For this study, the O. pumila plants were grown in controlled environments (16 h light period, photosynthetic photon flux density of 100 μmol m−2 s−1 under white light-emitting diode lamps, air temperature of 28 °C, relative humidity of 80%, and CO2 concentration of 1000 μmol mol−1). First, the stem, root, and seed pod had higher CPT contents than the leaves, flower, and ovary. The optimal harvest time of O. pumila in a PFAL was 63 days after transplanting (DAT), because the CPT content in the whole organs was the highest at the seed-ripening stage. Second, based on these results, the estimated annual CPT production of O. pumila cultivated in a PFAL was 380 mg m−2 y−1 (63 DAT). This value was 4.3 times greater than the annual CPT production by Camptotheca acuminata in a greenhouse. We concluded that the CPT production by O. pumila in a PFAL throughout the year has many advantages, although the demand for electrical energy was high compared to that of Camptotheca acuminata in a greenhouse.
MiR-183-5p-PNPT1 Axis Enhances Cisplatin-induced Apoptosis in Bladder Cancer Cells
Authors: Hu Qing-gang , Yang Zhi , Chen Jia-wei , Kazobinka Gallina , Tian Liang , Li Wen-cheng
Published: July 2022

Objective

It has been reported that intrinsic apoptosis is associated with the progression of bladder cancer (BC). Recent evidence suggests that polyribonucleotide nucleotidyltransferase 1 (PNPT1) is a pivotal mediator involved in RNA decay and cell apoptosis. However, the regulation and roles of PNPT1 in bladder cancer remain largely unclear.

Methods

The upstream miRNA regulators were predicted by in silico analysis. The expression levels of PNPT1 were evaluated by real-time PCR, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry (IHC), while miR-183-5p levels were evaluated by qPCR in BC cell lines and tissues. In vitro and in vivo assays were performed to investigate the function of miR-183-5p and PNPT1 in apoptotic RNA decay and the tumorigenic capability of bladder cancer cells.

Results

PNPT1 expression was decreased in BC tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of PNPT1 significantly promoted cisplatin-induced intrinsic apoptosis of BC cells, whereas depletion of PNPT1 potently alleviated these effects. Moreover, oncogenic miR-183-5p directly targeted the 3′ UTR of PNPT1 and reversed the tumor suppressive role of PNPT1. Intriguingly, miR-183-5p modulated not only PNPT1 but also Bcl2 modifying factor (BMF) to inhibit the mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP) in BC cells.

Conclusion

Our results provide new insight into the mechanisms underlying intrinsic apoptosis in BC, suggesting that the miR-183-5p-PNPT1 regulatory axis regulates the apoptosis of BC cells and might represent a potential therapeutic avenue for the treatment of BC.
In-Flight Measurements of Particle Temperature and Velocity with a High-Speed IR Camera During Cold Gas Spraying of In718 and TiAlCrNb
Authors: Fiebig Jochen , Gagnon Jean-Phillipe , Mauer Georg , Bakan Emine , Vaßen Robert
Published: July 2022

Unlike other thermal spraying methods, it is difficult to determine the temperature of the particles during cold gas spraying due to the relatively low radiation. In the present study, the velocities and in-flight temperatures of metal particles were measured during cold gas spraying. A state-of-the-art high-speed infrared camera was used to study the behavior of two different base materials, In718 and TiAlCrNb, both used as structural materials in gas turbine engines. The experiments aimed to improve the fundamental understanding of the process, in particular the heating of the particles, and to compare the experimental results with theoretical calculations of the particle temperatures.
To determine if changing to white light street lamps improves road safety: A multilevel longitudinal analysis of road traffic collisions during the relighting of Leeds, a UK city
Authors: Marchant Paul Richard , Norman Paul D.
Published: July 2022

Large-scale installation of broad-spectrum (white) road lighting has been claimed to bring about a substantial reduction in road traffic collisions (RTCs). This confirmatory study estimates the effect on personal injury RTCs of a relighting programme that installed nearly 80,000 new white lamps, between the years 2005 and 2013, throughout the large UK city of Leeds. Time series of weekly RTC personal injury counts in 107 areas, within the city over nearly 9 years when its road lighting was almost completely relit, were analysed, using multilevel modelling. The background change in each area when and where no lighting was being changed was separated from that associated with when and where new replacement white lamps were installed by including a polynomial for the underlying time-trend. The key interest is how the installation of the new lamps affects the ratio of the rate of collisions occurring in darkness to those occurring in daylight. The measure sought is given by the daylight adjusted darkness collision rate ratio (CRR) for the specified amount of relighting, that is the factor by which the daylight adjusted collision rate changes by the specified change in lighting. The daylight adjusted darkness collision rate ratio (CRR) has a point estimate of 0.990 and a 95% confidence interval, CI (0.971, 1.010) for 100 replaced lamps; representing a range between a 3% reduction in the collision rate to a 1% increase. Using the series truncated at the end of 2011 that seems more trustworthy, gives a revised point estimate of 0.993 and a CI (0.971, 1.015). Both CIs include one, therefore no effect on road safety was detected. The CIs for any other number of lamps installed will also include one. Typically, the plausible range of road safety impact brought by the new white lamps for a typical area with 700 lamps, roughly spans 20% reduction to a 10% increase for the daylight adjusted darkness collision rate. No convincing evidence was found for an improvement (or detriment) in road safety by relighting with white lamps, despite the extensive, city-wide installation efforts and associated costs.
I Want More! The Role of Child, Family and Maternal Characteristics on Child Dispositional Greed and Sharing Behavior
Authors: van den Heuvel Marion I. , Seuntjes Terri G. , Ang Dionysius , Lewis Toni , Zeelenberg Marcel
Published: July 2022

Greed is often regarded as a negative trait that impedes prosocial behavior in adults. Yet, relatively little is known about the development of greed and its effects on children. We examine the effect of dispositional greed on sharing behavior in 4-to-6-year-olds. In addition, we identified potential factors associated with child greed, including child, family, and maternal characteristics. This study with 63 mother–child dyads (Agechild = 5.11, SD = 0.88, 50.8% female) revealed that child greed was associated with less prosocial behavior in an observational sharing task. More specifically, children who were reported as greedier by their mothers shared less than less greedy children. Having fewer siblings, less mindful maternal parenting style, and high maternal trait anxiety was associated with higher dispositional greed in children. Additionally, their mother rated greedier children as having higher negative affectivity. These findings suggest that child greed is an important developmental trait that warrants further investigation.

Highlights

• 63 mother–child dyads revealed that child greed was associated with less pro-social behavior in an observational sharing task

• Child greed was associated with higher rates of child negative affectivity.

• Having fewer siblings, less mindful parenting style, high maternal trait anxiety predicted dispositional greed in 4-to-6-year-old children
Fear of missing out and fear of not being up to date: investigating different pathways towards social and process problematic smartphone use
Authors: Casale Silvia , Fioravanti Giulia , Gioia Francesca , Redditi Eva , Spada Marcantonio
Published: July 2022

The present study introduces a new construct potentially associated with problematic smartphone use, that is the fear of not being up to date, and tests two serial mediation models, in which it was hypothesised that: (i) metacognitions and social smartphone use would be serial mediators of the relationship between the fear of missing out (FoMO) and problematic smartphone use (PSU); and (ii) metacognitions and process smartphone use would be serial mediators of the relationship between and the fear of not being up to date and PSU. A sample of 364 participants (F = 72.8%; mean age = 36.80 ± 15.32 years; age range: 18–75 years), recruited online, were administered a battery of self-report measures assessing FoMO, the fear of not being up to date, metacognitions about smartphone use, process and social smartphone use, and PSU. The serial mediation effect of metacognitions about smartphone use and process use on the relationship between the fear of not being up to date and PSU was significant (indirect effect = 0.004; 95% CI: [0.0006, 0.009]). Conversely, the serial mediation effect of metacognitions about smartphone use and social use on the relationship between FoMO and PSU was not significant (indirect effect = 0.002; 95% CI: [-0.003, 0.009]). Smartphone social use did not predict PSU. The current study highlights a possible pathway towards process smartphone use via a relatively new phenomenon termed “fear of not being up to date” within a metacognitive framework.
Multifractal approach to fully developed turbulence
Authors: Benzi Roberto , Vulpiani Angelo
Published: July 2022

The multifractal description of complex phenomena has been introduced in the first half of the 1980s for the characterization of the anomalous scaling of the fully developed turbulence and the structure of the chaotic attractors. From a technical point of view, the idea of the multifractal is basically contained in the large deviations theory; however, the introduction of the multifractal description in 1980s had an important role in statistical physics, chaos, and disordered systems. In particular, to clarify in a neat way that the usual idea, coming from critical phenomena, that just few scaling exponents are relevant, cannot be completely accurate, and an infinite set of exponents is necessary for a complete characterization of the scaling features. We briefly review here the basic aspects and some applications of the multifractal model for turbulence.
Serotonin Signaling Modulates Sexual Receptivity of Virgin Female Drosophila
Authors: Ma Baoxu , Wang Rencong , Liu Yaohua , Deng Bowen , Wang Tao , Wu Fengming , Zhou Chuan
Published: July 2022

The choice of females to accept or reject male courtship is a critical decision for animal reproduction. Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) has been found to regulate sexual behavior in many species, but it is unclear how 5-HT and its receptors function to regulate different aspects of sexual behavior. Here we used Drosophila melanogaster as the model animal to investigate how 5-HT and its receptors modulate female sexual receptivity. We found that knockout of tryptophan hydroxylase (Trh), which is involved in the biosynthesis of 5-HT, severely reduced virgin female receptivity without affecting post-mating behaviors. We identified a subset of sexually dimorphic Trh neurons that co-expressed fruitless (fru), in which the activity was correlated with sexual receptivity in females. We also found that 5-HT1A and 5-HT7 receptors regulate virgin female receptivity. Our findings demonstrate how 5-HT functions in sexually dimorphic neurons to promote virgin female receptivity through two of its receptors.
Levers for the agroecological transition of tropical agriculture
Authors: Côte François Xavier , Rapidel Bruno , Sourisseau Jean Michel , Affholder Francois , Andrieu Nadine , Bessou Cécile , Caron Patrick , Deguine Jean-Philippe , Faure Guy , Hainzelin Etienne , Malezieux Eric , Poirier-Magona Emmanuelle , Roudier Philippe , Scopel Eric , Tixier Philippe , Toillier Aurélie , Perret Sylvain
Published: July 2022

To promote greater sustainability in agriculture, development of agroecology is increasingly being invoked. What are the conditions for establishing agroecological production in tropical regions? Based upon case studies in several tropical areas, we provide here some answers to this question. We review the “pillars” (i.e. principles) and the “implementation levers” (i.e., tools) for the development of agroecology. We identify three main pillars: (1) the mobilization and management of ecological processes for the sustainable production and the resilience of agroecosystems; (2) the development of interactions between technical, social, environmental, and institutional components of agroecosystems for a holistic approach to agroecology; and (3) the scaling up of agroecology that takes place with a plurality of actions and pathways at different organization levels rather than an increase in resources and a replication of standardized technical processes. To implement these three pillars, we identify 11 main bio-technical, cognitive, socio-political, and organizational levers. Bio-technical levers include those for (1) mobilizing complementarity between crop species to optimize natural resources use, (2) mobilizing functional biodiversity at the plot scale to optimize natural regulation of pests and diseases, (3) managing biodiversity at landscape and territorial scales, (4) increasing the efficiency of biogeochemical cycles, and (5) renewing targets for genetic improvement. Cognitive, socio-political, and organizational levers include those for (6) political and institutional action at the national and global level, (7) action at the local level to support producers, (8) political and organizational action at the territorial level, (9) the marketing and the development of new agri-chains, (10) the development of new methods for evaluating production systems, and (11) the recognition of the values of gender and generation within families and other organisational levels. This paper provides an overall orientation for the agroecological transition in tropical agriculture and also considers the socio-political context that underlies this transition.
Assessing Anatomical Changes in Male Reproductive Organs in Response to Larval Crowding Using Micro-computed Tomography Imaging
Authors: Morimoto Juliano , Barcellos Renan , Schoborg Todd A. , Nogueira Liebert Parreiras , Colaço Marcos Vinicius
Published: July 2022

Ecological conditions shape (adaptive) responses at the molecular, anatomical, and behavioral levels. Understanding these responses is key to predict the outcomes of intra- and inter-specific competitions and the evolutionary trajectory of populations. Recent technological advances have enabled large-scale molecular (e.g., RNAseq) and behavioral (e.g., computer vision) studies, but the study of anatomical responses to ecological conditions has lagged behind. Here, we highlight the role of X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) in generating in vivo and ex vivo 3D imaging of anatomical structures, which can enable insights into adaptive anatomical responses to ecological environments. To demonstrate the application of this method, we manipulated the larval density of Drosophila melanogaster Meigen flies and applied micro-CT to investigate the anatomical responses of the male reproductive organs to varying intraspecific competition levels during development. Our data is suggestive of two classes of anatomical responses which broadly agree with sexual selection theory: increasing larval density led to testes and ejaculatory duct to be overall larger (in volume), while the volume of accessory glands and, to a lesser extent, ejaculatory duct decreased. These two distinct classes of anatomical responses might reflect shared developmental regulation of the structures of the male reproductive system. Overall, we show that micro-CT can be an important tool to advance the study of anatomical (adaptive) responses to ecological environments.
Using Implicit Measures of Discrimination: White, Black, and Hispanic Participants Respond Differently to Group-Specific Racial/Ethnic Categories vs. the General Category “People of Color” in the USA
Authors: Marini Maddalena , Waterman Pamela D. , Breedlove Emry R. , Chen Jarvis T. , Testa Christian , Pardee Dana J. , LeBlanc Merrily , Reisner Sari L. , Oendari Apriani , Krieger Nancy
Published: July 2022

Recent studies showed that implicit measures are valuable instruments for assessing exposure to discrimination and predicting negative physical conditions. Between March 10, 2020, and April 1, 2020, we conducted three experiments (577 participants) in the USA to evaluate the use of group-specific vs. general race/ethnicity categories in implicit measures of discrimination. We measured implicit discrimination and attitudes towards the general race/ethnicity category “people of color” (POC) and two specific race/ethnicity categories (i.e., “Black people” and “Hispanic people”). Implicit discrimination and attitudes were assessed using the Brief Implicit Association Test (B-IAT). Among participants (mean age = 37, standard deviation = 10.5), 50% identified as White non-Hispanic (NH), 33.3% as Black NH, and 16.7% as Hispanic; 71.7% were female and 72.2% had a bachelor’s degree or higher. We found an implicit discrimination towards target groups and an in-group preference among all participant groups only when specific race/ethnicity categories were used in the B-IAT. When the general category POC was used, we observed a discrimination towards POC only for Black NH participants, while White NH participants showed no discrimination. Similarly, Black NH participants showed no in-group preference for POC, but did show an in-group preference for Black people. These results suggest that using the category POC in implicit measures may be inappropriate when evaluating discrimination and attitudes towards Black and Hispanic individuals as it may not capture specific experiences of discrimination and identity in these groups.
A focused crawler based on semantic disambiguation vector space model
Authors: Liu Wenjun , He Yu , Wu Jing , Du Yajun , Liu Xing , Xi Tiejun , Gan Zurui , Jiang Pengjun , Huang Xiaoping
Published: July 2022

The focused crawler grabs continuously web pages related to the given topic according to priorities of unvisited hyperlinks. In many previous studies, the focused crawlers predict priorities of unvisited hyperlinks based on the text similarity models. However, the representation terms of the web page ignore the phenomenon of polysemy, and the topic similarity of the text cannot combine the cosine similarity and the semantic similarity effectively. To address these problems, this paper proposes a focused crawler based on semantic disambiguation vector space model (SDVSM). The SDVSM method combines the semantic disambiguation graph (SDG) and the semantic vector space model (SVSM). The SDG is used to remove the ambiguation terms irrelevant to the given topic from representation terms of retrieved web pages. The SVSM is used to calculate the topic similarity of the text by constructing text and topic semantic vectors based on TF × IDF weights of terms and semantic similarities between terms. The experiment results indicate that the SDVSM method can improve the performance of the focused crawler by comparing different evaluation indicators for four focused crawlers. In conclusion, the proposed method can make the focused crawler grab the higher quality and more quantity web pages related to the given topic from the Internet.
A two-stage stacked-based heterogeneous ensemble learning for cancer survival prediction
Authors: Yan Fangzhou , Feng Yi
Published: July 2022

Cancer survival prediction is one of the three major tasks of cancer prognosis. To improve the accuracy of cancer survival prediction, in this paper, we propose a priori knowledge- and stability-based feature selection (PKSFS) method and develop a novel two-stage heterogeneous stacked ensemble learning model (BQAXR) to predict the survival status of cancer patients. Specifically, PKSFS first obtains the optimal feature subsets from the high-dimensional cancer datasets to guide the subsequent model construction. Then, BQAXR seeks to generate five high-quality heterogeneous learners, among which the shortcomings of the learners are overcome by using improved methods, and integrate them in two stages through the stacked generalization strategy based on optimal feature subsets. To verify the merits of PKSFS and BQAXR, this paper collected the real survival datasets of gastric cancer and skin cancer from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database of the National Cancer Institute, and conducted extensive numerical experiments from different perspectives based on these two datasets. The accuracy and AUC of the proposed method are 0.8209 and 0.8203 in the gastric cancer dataset, and 0.8336 and 0.8214 in the skin cancer dataset. The results show that PKSFS has marked advantages over popular feature selection methods in processing high-dimensional datasets. By taking full advantage of heterogeneous high-quality learners, BQAXR is not only superior to mainstream machine learning methods, but also outperforms improved machine learning methods, which indicates can effectively improve the accuracy of cancer survival prediction and provide a reference for doctors to make medical decisions.