bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
1,3‐Dichloro‐2‐propanol induced ferroptosis through Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway in hepatocytes
Authors: Guan Shuang , Zhang Ranran , Zhao Yanan , Meng Zhuoqun , Lu Jing
Published: July 2022

1,3‐Dichloro‐2‐propanol (1,3‐DCP) is a representative chloropropane environmental contaminant with multiple toxicities. Ferroptosis is a novel iron‐dependent form of regulated cell death that is closely associated with the accumulation of lipid peroxides, Fe2+ and reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we found that 1,3‐DCP could induce mouse liver injury via ferroptosis. Administrating of C57BL/6J mice with 12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg 1,3‐DCP for 4 weeks via oral gavage, the data showed that 1,3‐DCP exposure led to the pathological changes in mouse livers, remarkably induced accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) and Iron, reduction of glutathione (GSH), and changed in the expression of ferroptosis marker proteins glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and acyl‐CoA synthetase‐4 (ACSL4). Then, we also proved the results with HepG2 cells in vitro. The data showed that treatment 1,3‐DCP significantly triggered the ferroptosis in vitro. Furthermore, we found that the ferroptosis‐related signal pathways were significantly activated in mice livers and HepG2 cells in response to 1,3‐DCP exposure. The data showed that 1,3‐DCP induced ferroptosis by inhibiting nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) translocation into nuclear and thereby suppressing the expression of its downstream target proteins including GPX4, ferritin heavy chain (FTH), ferroportin (FPN), cystine/glutamate transporter xCT (SLC7A11), and heme oxygenase 1 (HO‐1). Taken together, our findings confirmed that 1,3‐DCP induced ferroptosis via the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway in hepatocytes. Our works provide new toxicity mechanisms of 1,3‐DCP with ferroptosis on hepatocytes injury.
Effect of benzo[a]pyrene on proliferation and metastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells: A transcriptome analysis based onRNA‐seq
Authors: He Hanyi , Huang Yixing , Lu Yueyue , Wang Xinlu , Ni Haifeng , Wu Yihua , Xia Dajing , Ye Dong , Ding Jinwang , Mao Yanjiao , Teng Yaoshu
Published: July 2022

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a representative polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compound, is a carcinogen that causes head and neck cancers. Despite intensive research, the molecular mechanism of BaP in the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains largely unknown. In the present study, the SCC‐9 human OSCC cell line was cultured in vitro, separated into treatment groups, and treated with dimethyl sulfoxide or BaP at various concentrations. The malignant behavior ascribed to the BaP treatment was investigated by cell proliferation, clony formation assay, and Transwell assays. Furthermore, transcriptome sequencing was performed to detect the differentially expressed genes, followed by quantitative real‐time PCR to measure the expression levels of nine of these genes. Moreover, the Gene Ontology (GO) term and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses showed the biological processes and signaling pathways in which the target genes were involved. Significant effects on SCC‐9 cell proliferation, tumorigenicity, cell migration, and invasion were observed after exposure to 8 μM BaP. Additional results revealed that BaP inhibited apoptosis in a dose‐dependent manner. The transcriptome sequencing results showed 137 upregulated genes and 135 downregulated genes induced by BaP, associated with tumor‐related biological processes and signaling pathways, mainly including transcriptional dysregulation in cancer, the tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway, metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450, mitogen‐activated protein kinase signaling pathway, and so forth. Our study demonstrates that BaP may regulate the expression of certain genes involved in tumor‐associated signaling pathways, thereby promoting the proliferative, tumorigenic, and metastatic behaviors of OSCC cells while suppressing their apoptosis.
Complete tracheal obstruction during anaesthesia for ventral slot decompression surgery in a dog
Authors: Murray Andrew G. , Murison Pamela J.
Published: July 2022

An 8‐year‐old, female Yorkshire terrier presented to the neurology department with a 3‐month history of progressive ambulatory tetraparesis. A diagnosis of intervertebral disc protrusions at the levels of C3–C4 and C6–C7 was made using magnetic resonance imaging. Ventral slot decompressive surgery was carried out at both sites. When accessing the C6–C7 disc space, placement of Gelpi retractors resulted in complete tracheal obstruction, characterised by an absence of end tidal carbon dioxide measurement. This occurred in conjunction with the cessation of abdominal and thoracic respiratory movement despite the use of positive pressure ventilation. Removal of the Gelpi retractors resolved the tracheal occlusion and permitted the resumption of ventilatory support. To facilitate this surgical approach, the trachea was reintubated with a longer endotracheal tube to protect the patency of the airway. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of tracheal obstruction as a complication of a ventral slot procedure.
Why the Automation of Regulation Can Obstruct Business Processes
Authors: Holderer Julius
Published: July 2022

The growing regulatory pressure on increasingly digitized businesses, for example to combat the growing number of corporate fraud cases, can have an obstructive effect on the execution of automated business processes. Such security-related obstructions occur when the implementation of regulations, that is, the enforcement of so-called safety properties, blocks the execution of business processes – in particular, the so-called liveness property of process completion. Those obstructions exemplify the conflicting goals between business processes and classic IT security.

Automation is no panacea against regulation acting obstructive. Adequate and effective application of regulation builds the basis against fraud. However, there is no way to avoid automation when IT methods are used to generate competitive advantages. An obstruction results from introducing IT security on business processes, particularly authorization and further security policies such as separation of duties. This chapter leads to this problem and describes how to widen this restricted behavior of business processes resulting from security controls to the broader scope that compliance provides as part of corporate governance. By handling obstructions, security in business processes is supposed to be improved. For this purpose, an indicator-based view of security that extends the classic IT security controls will be introduced.
Security-Related Obstructability in Process-Aware Information Systems
Authors: Holderer Julius
Published: July 2022

This chapter examines the state of the art with regard to security-related obstructability in process-aware information systems, such as workflow satisfiability and resilience. Thereby, requirements for analyzing, detecting, and handling obstructions will be derived along the phases resulting from the enforcement of security properties and the business process management lifecycle. Besides introducing the notion of “obstructability” and “completability” of security-aware workflows, various possibilities of how, in particular, logs can be used to obtain indicators will be examined.
Obstruction Modeling
Authors: Holderer Julius
Published: July 2022

Obstructions exemplify the conflicting goals between business processes and classic IT security. The SecANet approach presented in this chapter will allow putting this field of tension into a well-founded, formal representation of security-aware processes that opens up acting within a security-sensitive realm of maneuver. The SecANet encoding will create an extendable framework that addresses workflow obstructions and will support their comprehensive analysis and handling.

This chapter builds the central part of the thesis. In addressing the requirements for obstructability analysis (see Chapter 2), it is primarily concerned with the modeling of obstructions in security-aware workflows. For this, it will first explore the ways to model processes, in particular, the modeling of the control flow. Based on the selection of an ordinary Petri net model (P/T net) as the method of modeling, a security-aware Petri net representation, the SecANet, will be developed. The general idea of the SecANet modeling is to “flatten” the organizational aspect of a security-aware process specification that subsumes the process model and the policy specification into the model representing the functional and behavioral aspects. That way, a so-called “obstruction marking” can identify and capture obstructions. Moreover, indicators can be assigned to the task- and policy-related Petri net elements as costs. For the evaluation of the SecANet approach, its Petri net-specific properties will be investigated. Moreover, the formal correctness of the SecANet method will be proven by examining the behavioral preservation of the original inputs (i.e., language preservation). To take cyclic workflow behavior into account, the concept of policy re-enactment will add cyclic functionality to the so-far acyclic SecANet encoding. The developed SecANet formalism can be regarded as a target metamodel of security-aware process specifications that creates a basis for further analysis. Accordingly, it will subsume SecANet-based satisfiability and obstructability checks as SecANet soundness and show further extensions to facilitate analysis. An experimental evaluation will compare soundness checking runtimes with typical satisfiability-related approaches. The discussion will then examine the computational complexity of the SecANet encoding and sketch possibilities for extensions. With the introduction of SecANet+, the integration of additional inputs that further constrain the execution of tasks, for instance, counting constraints or user absence (resilience), will be made possible.
OLive-M: A SecANet Use Case for Model-Based Obstruction Solving
Authors: Holderer Julius
Published: July 2022

The OLive-M approach in this chapter and the OLive-L approach in Chapter 5 will illustrate how the SecANet approach presented in Chapter 3 can be applied to handle and resolve obstructions based on a process model or a process log, respectively. In order to complete the workflow in that context, based on indicators captured as costs, a certain yet still compliant degree of violation of safety properties is tolerated. The solutions allow for additional, eventually live, process execution sequences because they widen the behavioral framework restricted by classic IT security in a security-sensitive way. In order to address the requirements for specification-based completability (as identified in Chapter 2), this chapter proposes a model-based technique to complete obstructions based on the SecANet encoding. Thereby, the OLive-M approach will interpret the question how to complete an obstructed process as an optimization problem. Based on the examination of suitable methods, an integer linear programming model that optimizes the SecANet marking equation and its security-sensitive costs will realize the OLive-M approach as a way to deal with obstructions. For evaluation, a set of example models will be generated using sample models with different degrees of complexity. Experiments based on these inputs will empirically show characteristics and functionality of the proposed approach. In contrast to the exhaustive exploration of all possible markings (i.e., computing the marking graph), the experimental evaluation will underline the “lightness” of this technique to resolve obstructions. The discussion will then indicate how the approach can be used to also analyze satisfiability or resilience.
Designing Online Learning for Children and Youth
Authors: Borup Jered , Archambault Leanna
Published: July 2022

Students at the primary and secondary levels are increasingly enrolling in online courses either to supplement or completely replace their in-person courses. While there are benefits to learning online, they come at a cost, and students are less likely to pass their online courses compared to their in-person courses. In this chapter, we share two frameworks. We share the 4Es framework that highlights how online courses should be designed to enable, extend, engage, and elevate student learning. However, a well-designed course is not enough, and most students will require support from others to be successful. For this reason, we also share the Academic Communities of Engagement (ACE) framework that highlights the supports that can increase a student’s affective, behavioral, and cognitive engagement. The ACE framework identifies actors within the student’s personal community and course community who can provide students with the support that they require.
Testing our understanding of SCFTs: a catalogue of rank-2 $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 2 theories in four dimensions
Authors: Martone Mario
Published: July 2022

Abstract

In this paper we begin mapping out the space of rank-2 $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 2 superconformal field theories (SCFTs) in four dimensions. This represents an ideal set of theories which can be potentially classified using purely quantum field-theoretic tools, thus providing a precious case study to probe the completeness of the current understanding of SCFTs, primarily derived from string theory constructions. Here, we collect and systematize a large amount of field theoretic data characterizing each theory. We also provide a detailed description of each case and determine the theories’ Coulomb, Higgs and Mixed branch stratification. The theories naturally organize themselves into series connected by RG flows but which have gaps suggesting that our current understanding is not complete.
Global anomalies in 8d supergravity
Authors: Lee Yasunori , Yonekura Kazuya
Published: July 2022

Abstract

We study gauge and gravitational anomalies of fermions and 2-form fields on eight-dimensional spin manifolds. Possible global gauge anomalies are classified by spin bordism groups $$ {\varOmega}_9^{\mathrm{spin}}(BG) $$

Ω
9
spin

BG

which we determine by spectral sequence techniques, and we also identify their explicit generator manifolds. It turns out that a fermion in the adjoint representation of any simple Lie group, and a gravitino in 8d$$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 1 supergravity theory, have anomalies. We discuss how a 2-form field, which also appears in supergravity, produces anomalies which cancel against these fermion anomalies in a certain class of supergravity theories. In another class of theories, the anomaly of the gravitino is not cancelled by the 2-form field, but by topological degrees of freedom. It gives a restriction on the topology of spacetime manifolds which is not visible at the level of differential-form analysis.
Muonphilic dark matter explanation of gamma-ray galactic center excess: a comprehensive analysis
Authors: Abdughani Murat , Fan Yi-Zhong , Lu Chih-Ting , Tang Tian-Peng , Tsai Yue-Lin Sming
Published: July 2022

Abstract

The Galactic center gamma-ray excess (GCE) is a long-standing unsolved problem. One of candidate solutions, the dark matter (DM) annihilation, has been recently tested with other astrophysical observations, such as AMS-02 electron-positron spectra, Fermi Dwarf spheroidal galaxies gamma-ray data, and so on. By assuming that the DM particles annihilate purely into a normal charged fermion pair, Di Mauro and Winkle (2021) claimed that only a muon-pair is compatible with the null detection of all the corresponding astrophysical measurements and can explain GCE simultaneously. On the other hand, a muonphilic DM model may also lead to a signal in the recent Fermilab muon g − 2 measurement or be constrained by the latest PandaX-4T limit. In this work, we comprehensively study interactions between DM and muon, including various combinations of DM and mediator spins. In agreement with GCE (not only 2μ but also 4μ final states), we test these interactions against all the thermal DM constraints. Our results show that only the parameter space near the resonance region of mediator can explain GCE and relic density simultaneously, and larger parameter spaces are still allowed if other poorly-known systematic uncertainties are included. Regardless of the DM spin, only the interactions with the spin-0 mediator can explain the recent muon g − 2 excess on top of GCE, relic density, and other DM and mediator constraints.
Disentangling long and short distances in momentum-space TMDs
Authors: Ebert Markus A. , Michel Johannes K. L. , Stewart Iain W. , Sun Zhiquan
Published: July 2022

Abstract

The extraction of nonperturbative TMD physics is made challenging by prescriptions that shield the Landau pole, which entangle long- and short-distance contributions in momentum space. The use of different prescriptions then makes the comparison of fit results for underlying nonperturbative contributions not meaningful on their own. We propose a model-independent method to restrict momentum-space observables to the perturbative domain. This method is based on a set of integral functionals that act linearly on terms in the conventional position-space operator product expansion (OPE). Artifacts from the truncation of the integral can be systematically pushed to higher powers in ΛQCD/kT. We demonstrate that this method can be used to compute the cumulative integral of TMD PDFs over $$ {k}_T\le {k}_T^{\mathrm{cut}} $$

k
T

≤

k
T
cut

in terms of collinear PDFs, accounting for both radiative corrections and evolution effects. This yields a systematic way of correcting the naive picture where the TMD PDF integrates to a collinear PDF, and for unpolarized quark distributions we find that when renormalization scales are chosen near $$ {k}_T^{\mathrm{cut}} $$

k
T
cut

, such corrections are a percent-level effect. We also show that, when supplemented with experimental data and improved perturbative inputs, our integral functionals will enable model-independent limits to be put on the non-perturbative OPE contributions to the Collins-Soper kernel and intrinsic TMD distributions.
Doubly peaked induced stochastic gravitational wave background: testing baryogenesis from primordial black holes
Authors: Bhaumik Nilanjandev , Ghoshal Anish , Lewicki Marek
Published: July 2022

Abstract

Hawking evaporation of primordial black holes (PBHs) can facilitate the generation of matter-antimatter asymmetry. We focus on ultra-low mass PBHs that briefly dominate the universe and evaporate before the big bang nucleosynthesis. We propose a novel test of this scenario by detecting its characteristic doubly peaked gravitational wave (GW) spectrum in future GW observatories. Here the first order adiabatic perturbation from inflation and from the isocurvature perturbations due to PBH distribution, source tensor perturbations in second-order and lead to two peaks in the induced GW background. These resonant peaks are generated at the beginning of standard radiation domination in the presence of a prior PBH-dominated era. This unique GW spectral shape would provide a smoking gun signal of non-thermal baryogenesis from evaporating PBHs, which is otherwise impossible to test in laboratory experiments due to the very high energy scales involved or the feeble interaction of the dark sector with the visible sector.
Stringballs and Planckballs for dark matter
Authors: Mo Zhongyou , de Paula Netto Tibério , Burzillà Nicolò , Modesto Leonardo
Published: July 2022

Abstract

As a follow up of the seminal work by Guiot, Borquez, Deur, and Werner on “Graviballs and Dark Matter”, we explicitly show that in string theory, local and nonlocal higher derivative theories, as well as general asymptotically-free or finite theories, gravitationally interacting bound states can form when the energy is larger than the Planck energy. On the other hand, in higher derivative or nonlocal theories with interaction governed by a dimensionless or a dimensionful coupling constant, the bound states form when the energy is smaller than the Planck energy. Such bound states are allowed because of the softness of the scattering amplitudes in the ultraviolet region. Indeed, in such theories, the potential is finite while the force is zero or constant in r = 0. Finally, since the bound states that form in the early Universe may have an energy that ranges from the Planck mass to any arbitrarily large or small value, we argue that they can serve as dark matter candidates and/or as the seeds for the structure’s formation at large scale in the Cosmos.
Sphere and disk partition functions in Liouville and in matrix integrals
Authors: Mahajan Raghu , Stanford Douglas , Yan Cynthia
Published: July 2022

Abstract

We compute the sphere and disk partition functions in semiclassical Liouville and analogous quantities in double-scaled matrix integrals. The quantity sphere/disk2 is unambiguous and we find a precise numerical match between the Liouville answer and the matrix integral answer. An application is to show that the sphere partition function in JT gravity is infinite.
O6-plane backreaction on scale-separated Type IIA AdS3 vacua
Authors: Emelin Maxim , Farakos Fotis , Tringas George
Published: July 2022

Abstract

We evaluate the backreaction of O6-planes in scale-separated AdS3 flux vacua of massive Type IIA. Using the appropriate flux scaling we show that the corrections to the various background fields and moduli are controlled and subleading when going from smeared to localized sources. Similarly, the backreaction corrections to the scalar potential are parametrically small in the scale-separation limit, assuming always that the near-O6-plane singularities will find a resolution within string theory, even in the presence of a Romans mass. Our analysis is based on the equations of motion and therefore applies also to the non-supersymmetric vacua.
A cost-scaling algorithm for computing the degree of determinants
Authors: Hirai Hiroshi , Ikeda Motoki
Published: July 2022

In this paper, we address computation of the degree $$\deg {\rm Det} A$$

deg
Det
A

of Dieudonné determinant $${\rm Det} A$$

Det
A

of
$$\begin{aligned}
A = \sum_{k=1}^m A_k x_k t^{c_k},
\end{aligned}$$

A
=

∑

k
=
1

m

A
k

x
k

t

c
k

,

where $$A_k$$

A
k

are $$n \times n$$

n
×
n

matrices over a field $$\mathbb{K}$$
K
, $$x_k$$

x
k

are noncommutative variables,
t is a variable commuting with $$x_k$$

x
k

, $$c_k$$

c
k

are integers,
and the degree is considered for t.
This problem generalizes noncommutative Edmonds' problem and
fundamental combinatorial optimization problems
including the weighted linear matroid intersection problem.
It was shown that $$\deg {\rm Det} A$$

deg
Det
A

is obtained by
a discrete convex optimization on a Euclidean building (Hirai 2019).
We extend this framework by incorporating a cost-scaling technique
and show that $$\deg {\rm Det} A$$

deg
Det
A

can be computed in time polynomial of $$n,m,\log_2 C$$

n
,
m
,

log
2

C

, where $$C:= \max_k |c_k|$$

C
:
=

max
k

|

c
k

|

.
We give a polyhedral interpretation of $$\deg {\rm Det}$$

deg
Det

,
which says that $$\deg {\rm Det}$$

deg
Det

A is given by linear optimization
over an integral polytope with respect to objective vector $$c = (c_k)$$

c
=
(

c
k

)

.
Based on it, we show that our algorithm becomes a strongly polynomial one.
We also apply our result to an algebraic combinatorial optimization problem
arising from a symbolic matrix having $$2 \times 2$$

2
×
2

-submatrix structure.
Probabilistic Risk Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in a Colombian Reservoir
Authors: Amaringo F. , Puerta Y. , Molina F.
Published: July 2022

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the concentrations, sources and ecological risk assessment of sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in water from the La Fe reservoir, Colombia in the months of October and November of 2017 and 2018. Concentrations of PAHs in water were measured with semipermeable membrane devices (SPMD) which allow obtaining the dissolved concentrations of the PAHs in the reservoir, emphasizing the reactivity and bioavailability in the environment. The PAHs analyses were carried out by means of gas chromatography, coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (GC/MS–MS) with triple quadrupole (QqQ). The environmental risk assessment using the estimation of risk quotient with deterministic and probabilistic method, the predictive no-effect concentration (PNEC) and environmental exposure concentration (EEC) in water indicate a negligibe risk for probabilistic method for all PAHs evaluated (RQ < 0.1).
Good results after treatment of RAMP lesions in association with ACL reconstruction: a systematic review
Authors: D’Ambrosi Riccardo , Meena Amit , Raj Akshya , Giorgino Riccardo , Ursino Nicola , Mangiavini Laura , Karlsson Jon
Published: July 2022

Purpose

This study aimed to systematically evaluate the clinical, functional, and radiological outcomes, complications, and rate of return to sports among patients with RAMP lesion of the medial meniscus encountered during anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted based on the PRISMA guidelines. Two independent reviewers searched the PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases using the terms “ACL” or “anterior cruciate ligament,” and “RAMP lesion.” The outcome measures extracted from the studies were the Short Form-12 (SF-12) in its mental and physical component (MCS and PCS), Lysholm score, Subjective IKDC, Marx Score, WOMAC Score, Tegner, Radiological changes, complications, failures and/or revision surgery, and rate of return to sports.

Results

The cohort of patients consisted of 1,243 participants with a mean age of 28.6 ± 2.6. The mean postoperative follow-up was 40.9 ± 6.3 months. A total of 1145 (92.1%) RAMP lesions were repaired with concomitant ACL reconstruction, while only 98 (7.9%) lesions were left untreated (or treated with abrasion only). The Lysholm score was used in 6 studies (in one only at final follow-up), with a significant improvement in all the studies (Lysholmpre 60.03 ± 6.12; Lysholmpost 89.9 ± 5.0). Eight studies out of nine reported Subjective IKDC score, and a significant improvement was noted in all cases (IKDCpre 56.2 ± 5.8. IKDCpost 84.9 ± 3.7). Of 18 (1.4%) complications reported, 15 (1.2%) were related to RAMP/ACL surgery, and of the remaining three (0.2%) two (0.2%) were hematomas and one (0.1%) a contralateral ACL lesion. Of the 106 (8.5%) revision surgeries required, 5 (0.4%) were in non-treated lesions [two (0.2%) ACL re-ruptures and three (0.2%) medial meniscus re-injury]. In treated patients, the revision occurred for the following reasons: 75 (6.0%) meniscectomy, 14 (1.1%) meniscal suture revisions, 11 (0.9%) ACL failures and one (0.1%) arthrolysis.

Conclusions

It is not yet clear if, in all cases of ACL reconstruction in which a medial meniscal RAMP lesion is encountered, the lesion needs to undergo surgical repair. Accordingly, it is recommended that in the repair of all unstable medial meniscal RAMP lesions during an ACL reconstruction in cases associated with a stable RAMP lesion, the surgeon may decide on repair based on the patient profile.

Level of evidence

Level IV.
Laser-joined aluminium–polypropylene sheets: the effect of the surface preparation of aluminium
Authors: Temesi Tamas , Czigany Tibor
Published: July 2022

The aim of this paper is to determine the effect of aluminium surface preparation on the load-bearing capacity of laser-joined aluminium–polypropylene (Al-PP) specimens. The surface of the aluminium is prepared by chemical cleaning and laser engraving. The effect of pulse frequency, engraving speed and repetition number during laser engraving is investigated on the geometric parameters of the structure (straight groove) created on the surface of AA6082 aluminium alloy. Quasi-static shear testing of Al-PP joints is performed to determine how the amount and distance of the grooves affect the load-bearing capacity of the joints. The highest ultimate shear force (1250 ± 35 N) was achieved when many (21) grooves were formed with a laser engraving frequency of 20 kHz, a slow engraving speed (5 mm s−1) and many engraving repetitions (10) in the aluminium specimen. This corresponds to a shear strength of 3.1 MPa, which is 72.5% of the shear strength of the PP material used. Microscopic evaluation of joint cross-sections confirmed that the molten PP completely filled the grooves on the aluminium surface.

Graphical abstract
Multivariate understanding of income and expenditure in United States households with statistical learning
Authors: Hu Mingzhao
Published: July 2022

In recent decades, data-driven approaches have been developed to analyze demographic and economic surveys on a large scale. Despite advances in multivariate techniques and learning methods, in practice the analysis and interpretations are often focused on a small portion of available data and limited to a single perspective. This paper aims to utilize a selected array of multivariate statistical learning methods in the analysis of income and expenditure patterns of households in the United States using the Public-Use Microdata from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE). The objective is to propose an effective data pipeline that provides visualizations and comprehensive interpretations for applications in governmental regulations and economic research, using thirty-five original survey variables covering the categories of demographics, income and expenditure. Details on feature extraction not only showcase CE as a unique publicly-shared big data resource with high potential for in-depth analysis, but also assist interested researchers with pre-processing. Challenges from missing values and categorical variables are treated in the exploratory analysis, while statistical learning methods are comprehensively employed to address multiple economic perspectives. Principal component analysis suggests that after-tax income, wage/salary income, and the quarterly expenditure in food, housing and overall as the five most important of the selected variables, while cluster analysis identifies and visualizes the implicit structure between variables. Based on this, canonical correlation analysis reveals high correlation between two selected groups of variables, one of income and the other of expenditure.
An efficient adaptive MCMC algorithm for Pseudo-Bayesian quantum tomography
Authors: Mai The Tien
Published: July 2022

We revisit the Pseudo-Bayesian approach to the problem of estimating density matrix in quantum state tomography in this paper. Pseudo-Bayesian inference has been shown to offer a powerful paradigm for quantum tomography with attractive theoretical and empirical results. However, the computation of (Pseudo-)Bayesian estimators, due to sampling from complex and high-dimensional distribution, pose significant challenges that hamper their usages in practical settings. To overcome this problem, we present an efficient adaptive MCMC sampling method for the Pseudo-Bayesian estimator by exploring an adaptive proposal scheme together with subsampling method. We show in simulations that our approach is substantially computationally faster than the previous implementation by at least two orders of magnitude which is significant for practical quantum tomography.
Nicotine pharmacokinetics and subjective responses after using nicotine pouches with different nicotine levels compared to combustible cigarettes and moist smokeless tobacco in adult tobacco users
Authors: Liu Jianmin , Rensch Jesse , Wang Jingzhu , Jin Xiaohong , Vansickel Andrea , Edmiston Jeffery , Sarkar Mohamadi
Published: July 2022

Rationale

Oral tobacco–derived nicotine products include on!® nicotine pouches (NPs) which are tobacco-leaf free and available in multiple flavors and nicotine levels. Switching completely to NPs from cigarettes and moist smokeless tobacco (MST) has the potential to reduce harm for adult tobacco consumers. However, the dependence potential of NPs is not established. Therefore, we characterized the abuse potential of NPs with different nicotine levels compared to cigarettes and MST.

Objectives

To evaluate nicotine pharmacokinetics (PK) and subjective effects of NPs (ranging from 1.5 to 8 mg nicotine) compared to own brand cigarettes (OBCs) and MST (OBMST).

Methods

We used a randomized, in-clinic, partial single-blind, 7-way crossover design to assess nicotine PK and subjective effects in dual users of cigarettes and MST.

Results

The mean nicotine Cmax for NPs increased with nicotine level, ranging from 3.5 ng/mL (1.5 mg NP) to 15.4 ng/mL (8 mg NP), compared with 12.2 ng/mL for OBCs and 9.8 ng/mL for OBMST. Nicotine tmax was much longer for all NPs and OBMST (32.5–34.4 min) compared to OBCs (8.5 min). Reductions in urges to smoke after use of the 2 mg, 3.5 mg, and 8 mg NPs were not statistically different (p > 0.05) relative to OBC. Also, NPs resulted in lower ratings of positive subjective effects relative to OBCs and OBMST.

Conclusions

Overall, based on the study results and literature reported nicotine PK values for cigarettes and MST, the abuse potential of NPs is not likely to be higher than OBCs and OBMST. NPs may be potentially acceptable switching products for users of cigarettes and MST products.
A rapid, simple, and reliable assay to authenticate Peruvian kiwicha (A. caudatus) for food applications
Authors: Kanbar Adnan , Beisel Julia , Wetters Sascha , Gutierrez Meylin Terrel , Graeff-Hönninger Simone , Nick Peter
Published: July 2022

Amaranth has acquired great economic impact as functional food, with species originating from Mexico dominating global trade. In contrast, the Peruvian A. caudatus (kiwicha) has been vastly neglected, although it is endowed with very promising nutritive traits. Morphological plasticity and taxonomic ambiguities render authentication of Amaranth difficult, such that the identity of commercial samples is often unclear. To safeguard the authenticity of kiwicha and, thus, consumer safety, we characterised a germplasm collection of 84 Amaranth accessions on both, the morphological and the genetic level. We show that kiwicha can be delineated phenotypically from other species by its late flowering, taller posture, and lower grain yields. Instead, flower and seed color, often used as proxy for identity, do not qualify as taxonomic markers. Using the plastidic barcoding marker psbA-trnH igs we were able to identify a specific Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) that separated kiwicha from all other species of Amaranth. This allowed us to develop a sequencing-free authentication assay using an Amplified Refractory Mutation System (ARMS) strategy. As a result kiwicha in commercial samples can be authenticated by a single duplex-PCR yielding a diagnostic side band reporting A. caudatus against all other species of Amaranthus. This fingerprinting assay will help to develop the nutritive potential of kiwicha and to safeguard seed material for A. caudatus against adulteration by the far more prevalent species from Mexico.
Surgical management of paediatric pelvic fractures: a prospective case series and early experience from a level one Egyptian trauma centre
Authors: Arafa Mohamed , Khalifa Ahmed A. , Fergany Ali , Abdelhafez Mostafa A. , Mohamedean Aly , Adam Faisal Fahmy , Farouk Osama
Published: July 2022

Purpose

We aimed to report our early experience treating paediatric pelvic fractures (PPF) surgically, reporting on indications, outcomes, and complications.

Methods

Patients aged 0–15 with PPF treated surgically at a level I trauma centre were included prospectively between 2016 and 2018. Fractures were classified according to AO/OTA classification system. Functional evaluation was performed using a modification of the Majeed functional scoring system. Radiological evaluation of vertical and posterior displacement was performed according to Matta and Tornetta criteria and the method described by Keshishyan et al. for assessing pelvic rotational asymmetry.

Results

We included 45 patients (77.8% males and 22.2% females), with a mean age of 9.53 ± 3.63 and 19.87 ± 8.84 months of mean follow-up. The functional outcome was excellent in 42 (93.3%) patients, good in two (4.4%), and fair in one (2.2%). Radiologically, the vertical displacement improved from 5.91 ± 4.64 to 3.72 ± 2.87 mm (p-value 0.065), the posterior displacement improved from 7.87 ± 8.18 to 5.33 ± 13.4 mm (p-value 0.031), and the symphyseal diastasis improved from 9.88 ± 7.51 mm to 7.68 ± 3.18 mm (p-value 0.071). Residual pelvic asymmetry improved from 1.2 ± 0.61 to 0.8 ± 0.7 (p-value 0.001). Complications occurred in 21 (46.7%) patients, 11 (24.4%) pin tract infection, six (13.3%) limb length discrepancy, two (4.4%) prominent metals, one (2.2%) subcutaneous haematoma, one (2.2%) infected ISS.

Conclusions

We achieved acceptable functional and radiological outcomes after surgically treating a group of patients with PPF, which was relatively safe with minimal complications. The proper approach and fracture fixation tool should be tailored according to the fracture classification and the presence of associated injuries.
The top fifty most influential articles on hip fractures
Authors: Schwarz Gilbert Manuel , Hajdu Stefan , Windhager Reinhard , Willegger Madeleine
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Hip fractures are one of the most common disabling fractures in elderly people and peri-operative management has advanced considerably over the past decades. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the change of scientific focus by creating a top 50 list of the most influential papers on this topic.

Methods

The Clarivate Web of Science Search was used to identify the most cited articles. The used search phrase was [(hip OR pertrochanteric OR (femoral neck)) AND fracture AND (surgery OR treatment)]. The number of citations, citation density, study type, study design, published year, fracture type, country, evidence level and published journal were recorded.

Results

The top 50 articles were published between 1973 and 2014 and cited between 88 and 496 times. The mean citation density increased noticeably after the year 2000, representing the knowledge gain of the last 20 years. The topics surgical treatment (n = 19), risk factor assessment (n = 19), perioperative hemodynamic management (n = 7), additional treatment (n = 4) and general reviews (n = 1) were covered. Twenty-five articles were published from institutions in Europe, 24 from institutions in North America and one from an institution in Asia.

Conclusion

While studies about surgical treatment options and risk factor assessment have been historically important, there was a rise of articles about additional treatment options for osteoporosis and the optimal postoperative care after the year 2005. The presented lists and map of citation classics give an overview of the most influential studies on hip fractures.
3D mesenteric angiogram-based assessment of Arc of Riolan crossing the inferior mesenteric vein: important considerations in high ligation during splenic flexure takedown in anterior resection
Authors: Toh James Wei Tatt , Ramaswami Geetha , Nguyen Kim Son , Collins Geoffrey Peter , Solis Edgardo , Pathma-Nathan Nimalan , El-Khoury Toufic , Kim Seon Hahn
Published: July 2022

Background

Recent studies have described the finding of the Arc of Riolan (AoR) crossing the inferior mesenteric vein (IMV) seen during high ligation of IMV while performing minimally invasive colectomies. However, the AoR usually has a medial course, and this variant AoR anatomic course and the clinical importance of its preservation during splenic flexure takedown in anterior resection remains controversial.

Methods

After institutional approval (QA-5775), radiological identification of and mapping of the vessel horizontally crossing the IMV under the pancreas, when present, was performed at a single institution (Westmead Hospital, New South Wales, Australia). One hundred consecutive computed tomographic (CT) mesenteric angiograms conducted in 2018 were reviewed retrospectively to determine the presence of a vessel horizontally crossing the IMV. 3D reconstructions were used to map out its course to understand its origin and full course. Baseline characteristics, including demographic and comorbidity data, were obtained from the medical record.

Results

On 3D mesenteric angiogram reconstructions, a vessel crossing anterior to the IMV was present in 11 of 98 cases (11.2%). Two cases were excluded as the presence of this vessel was indeterminate. Eight of 11 patients (72.7%) were male, and the mean age was 49.3 years (range: 21–80 years). There was no statistically significant difference in age and comorbidities between the groups. Importantly, in all 11 cases, there was an arterial vessel crossing the IMV originating from the SMA and communicating with the IMA or a branch of the IMA, proving definitively that this vessel was by definition the AoR.

Conclusion

This 3D mesenteric angiogram mapping study has shown definitively that the vessel horizontally crossing anterior to the IMV and inferior to the pancreas is an arterial vessel from the SMA to IMA, and by definition the Arc of Riolan. When present, identification and preservation of this collateral arterial vessel during splenic flexure takedown in anterior resection may be important in reducing the risk of post-operative bowel ischaemia.
Aposematic signalling in prey-predator systems: determining evolutionary stability when prey populations consist of a single species
Authors: Scaramangas Alan , Broom Mark
Published: July 2022

Aposematism is the signalling of a defence for the deterrence of predators. We presently focus on aposematic organisms that exhibit chemical defences, which are usually signalled by some type of brightly coloured skin pigmentation (as is the case with poison frog species of theDendrobatidaefamily), although our treatment is likely transferable to other forms of secondary defence. This setup is not only a natural one to consider but also opens up the possibility for rich mathematical modelling: the strength of aposematic traits (signalling and defence) can be unambiguously realised using variables that are continuously quantifiable, independent from one another and which together define a two-dimensional strategy space wherein the aposematic behaviour of any one organism can be represented by a single point. We presently develop an extensive mathematical model in which we explore the joint co-evolution of aposematic traits within the context of evolutionary stability. Even though empirical and model-based studies are conflicting regarding how aposematic traits are related to one another in nature, the majority of works allude to a positive correlation. We presently suggest that both positively and negatively correlated combinations of traits can achieve evolutionarily stable outcomes and further, that for a given level of signal strength there can be more than one optimal level of defence. Our findings are novel and pertinent to a sizeable body of physical evidence, which we discuss.
The indirect effects of ocean acidification on corals and coral communities
Authors: Hill Tessa S. , Hoogenboom Mia O.
Published: July 2022

Ocean acidification (OA) is a major threat to marine calcifying organisms. This manuscript gives an overview of the physiological effects of acidification on reef-building corals from a cellular to population scale. In addition, we present the first review of the indirect effects resulting from altered species interactions. We find that the direct effects of acidification are more consistently negative at larger spatial scales, suggesting an accumulation of sub-lethal physiological effects can result in notable changes at a population and an ecosystem level. We identify that the indirect effects of acidification also have the potential to contribute to declines in coral cover under future acidified conditions. Of particular concern for reef persistence are declines in the abundance of crustose coralline algae which can result in loss of stable substrate and settlement cues for corals, potentially compounding the direct negative effects on coral recruitment rates. In addition, an increase in the abundance of bioeroders and bioerosive capacity may compound declines in calcification and result in a shift towards net dissolution. There are significant knowledge gaps around many indirect effects, including changes in herbivory and associated coral–macroalgal interactions, and changes in habitat provision of corals to fish, invertebrates and plankton, and the impact of changes to these interactions for both individual corals and reef biodiversity as structural complexity declines. This research highlights the potential of indirect effects to contribute to alterations in reef ecosystem functions and processes. Such knowledge will be critical for scaling-up the impacts of OA from individual corals to reef ecosystems and for understanding the effects of OA on reef-dependent human societies.
Simultaneous thermometry and velocimetry for a shock tunnel using homodyne and heterodyne detection
Authors: Sander Tobias , Weber Jens , Mundt Christian
Published: July 2022

At our institute a piston-driven shock tunnel is operated to investigate structures of space transportation systems under reentry and propelled flight conditions. For temperature measurements in the nozzle reservoir under single-shot conditions, laser-induced thermal grating spectroscopy is used to date to measure the speed of sound of the test gas. The temperature then can be calculated from this data. The existing experimental setup has already been successfully used to measure flows up to an enthalpy of 2.1 MJ/kg. Since conducting the experiments is extremely time-consuming, it is desirable to extract as much data as possible from the test runs. To additionally measure the velocity of the test gas, the test setup was extended. Besides, extensive improvements have been implemented to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. As the experiments can be conducted much faster at the double-diaphragm shock tube of the institute without any restrictions on the informative value, the development of the heterodyne detection technique is carried out at this test facility. A series of 36 single-shot temperature and velocity measurements is presented for enthalpies of up to 1.0 MJ/kg. The averaged deviation between the measured values and the values calculated from the shock equations of all measurements related to the average of the calculated values is 2.0% for the Mach number, 0.9% for the velocity after the incident shock and 4.8% for the temperature after the incident shock.