bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reactive arthritis: an unusual presentation of acuteClostridioides difficilecolitis
Authors: Reinholz Anna , Mannuru Devendranath , Bande Dinesh , Matta Abhisnek
Published: April 2021

A 20-year-old Caucasian man with a history of psoriasis presented to the emergency department due to a 2-week history of severe polyarthralgia and a 3-week history of non-bloody diarrhoea. The initial workup 2 days prior in an urgent care clinic returned negative for all enteric pathogens includingClostridioides difficilenucleic acid amplification test. Investigations revealed colitis on CT and pseudomembranous colitis on colonoscopy. The aspirate returned positive forC. difficiletoxin. Tissue biopsies of the ascending, transverse, sigmoid colon and rectum were negative for chronicity to suggest inflammatory bowel disease with extraintestinal manifestation as the aetiology of polyarthralgia, which had been the most likely differential diagnosis until that point. The biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of reactive arthritis in the setting ofC. difficilecolitis. The patient improved on treatment with naproxen and was referred to rheumatology where he was found to be HLA-B27 positive.
Anaplastic astrocytoma during pregnancy: the importance of an effective multidisciplinary approach
Authors: Filippi Valeria , Leu Severina Maria , Marengo Luca , Hoesli Irene
Published: April 2021

A 34-year-old pregnant woman at 28 gestational weeks was diagnosed with a brain tumor after experiencing a generalised seizure. After completion of antenatal fetal lung maturation, she underwent an osteoplastic craniotomy parietal on the left side and a microsurgical partial tumor resection under general anaesthesia. With a histology of a diffuse astrocytoma and the postoperative stable amount of residual tumor on follow-up imaging, the pregnancy proceeded until 37 gestational weeks. A healthy baby boy was delivered by elective caesarean section. An awake craniotomy for removal of the residual tumor was planned two weeks later, followed by adjuvant treatment (combined radio-/chemotherapy). A multidisciplinary approach, combined with appropriate timing and a transparent and empathic communication, was able to create the most effective tailored management and optimise maternal and neonatal outcomes.
Superficial abdominal reflexes
Authors: Sambolic Tomislav , Ljubas Dominik , Jovanovic Ivan , Habek Mario
Published: April 2021

The superficial abdominal reflexes are often omitted from neurological examination, but their absence or asymmetry may support a lesion involving the thoracic spinal cord, especially in young, nulliparous and thin people.
Spatio-temporal summer distribution of Cumberland Sound beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in Clearwater Fiord, Nunavut, Canada
Authors: Booy Karyn V. , Mouy Xavier , Ferguson Steven H. , Marcoux Marianne
Published: April 2021

The Cumberland Sound (Nunavut, Canada) beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas (Pallas, 1776)) population has been designated as threatened and updated biological information about summer distribution is required for a sound recovery plan. Variation in aerial survey counts are speculated to occur due to movement of belugas in and out of the fiord, and there is still uncertainty related to their distribution within key summer habitat. To address these knowledge gaps, non-invasive passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) systems were deployed in August of 2010 and 2011. An automated detector was used to determine presence/absence and quantify calls by recorder site. Results were verified by partial manual analysis of 20% of the files. The detector had a minimum accuracy of 85% for presence/absence and 42% for call quantification. Belugas were detected primarily at the uppermost site of Clearwater Fiord, with detections subsiding with increasing proximity to the fiord entrance. Diel variation in call patterns were quantified at two separate sites in different years, but no correlation was observed between tidal cycles and number of detections. This study indicates that Cumberland Sound beluga may prefer sites at the head of Clearwater Fiord. Further research is required to identify which environmental variables contribute to this observed summer distribution.
Vegetation responses to 26 years of warming at Latnjajaure Field Station, northern Sweden
Authors: Scharn Ruud , Brachmann Cole G. , Patchett Aurora , Reese Heather , Bjorkman Anne D. , Alatalo Juha M. , Björk Robert G. , Jägerbrand Annika K. , Molau Ulf , Björkman Mats P.
Published: April 2021

Climate change is rapidly warming high latitude and high elevation regions influencing plant community composition. Changes in vegetation composition have motivated the coordination of ecological monitoring networks across the Arctic, including the International Tundra Experiment. We have established a long-term passive warming experiment using open-top chambers, which includes five distinct plant communities (Dry Heath; Tussock Tundra; and Dry, Mesic, and Wet Meadow). We measured changes in plant community composition based on relative abundance differences over 26 years. In addition, relative abundance changes in response to fertilization and warming treatments were analyzed based on a seven-year Community-Level Interaction Program experiment. The communities had distinct soil moisture conditions, leading to community-specific responses of the plant growth forms (deciduous shrubs, evergreen shrubs, forbs, and graminoids). Warming significantly affected growth forms, but the direction of the response was not consistent across the communities. Evidence of shrub expansion was found in nearly all communities, with soil moisture determining whether it was driven by deciduous or evergreen shrubs. Graminoids increased in relative abundance in the Dry Meadow due to warming. Growth form responses to warming are likely mediated by edaphic characteristics of the communities and their interactions with climate.
Interaction between the guanylate kinase domain of PSD-95 and the proline-rich region and microtubule binding repeats 2 and 3 of tau
Authors: Prikas Emmanuel , Ahel Holly , Stefanoska Kristie , Asih Prita Riana , Volkerling Alexander , Ittner Lars M. , Ittner Arne
Published: April 2021

The microtubule-associated protein tau is a key factor in neurodegenerative proteinopathies and is predominantly found in neuronal axons. However, somatodendritic localization of tau occurs in a subset of pathological and physiological tau. Dendritic tau can localize to post-synapses where it interacts with proteins of the post-synaptic density (PSD) protein PSD-95, a membrane-associated guanylate kinase (MAGUK) scaffold factor for organization of protein complexes within the PSD, to mediate downstream signals. However, the molecular details of this interaction remain unclear. Here, we used interaction mapping in cultured cells to demonstrate that tau interacts with the guanylate kinase (GUK) domain in the C-terminal region of PSD-95. The PSD-95 GUK domain is required for a complex with full-length human tau. Mapping the interaction of the MAGUK core with tau revealed that the microtubule binding repeats 2 and 3 and the proline-rich region contributes to this interaction, while the N- and C-terminal regions of tau inhibit interaction. These results reveal the intramolecular determinants of the protein complex of tau and PSD-95 and increase our understanding of tau interactions regulating neurotoxic signaling at the molecular level.
Flavor anomalies from asymptotically safe gravity
Authors: Kowalska Kamila , Sessolo Enrico Maria , Yamamoto Yasuhiro
Published: April 2021

We use the framework of asymptotically safe quantum gravity to derive predictions for scalar leptoquark solutions to the $$b\rightarrow s$$

b
→
s

and $$b\rightarrow c$$

b
→
c

flavor anomalies. The presence of an interactive UV fixed point in the system of gauge and Yukawa couplings imposes a set of boundary conditions at the Planck scale, which allows one to determine low-energy values of the leptoquark Yukawa matrix elements. As a consequence, the allowed leptoquark mass range can be significantly narrowed down. We find that a consistent gravity-driven solution to the $$b\rightarrow s$$

b
→
s

anomalies predicts a leptoquark with the mass of 4–7 $$\,\mathrm {TeV}$$

TeV

, entirely within the reach of a future hadron-hadron collider with $$\sqrt{s}=100\,\mathrm {TeV}$$

s

=
100

TeV

. Conversely, in the case of the $$b\rightarrow c$$

b
→
c

anomalies the asymptotically safe gravity framework predicts a leptoquark mass at the edge of the current LHC bounds. Complementary signatures appear in flavor observables, namely the (semi)leptonic decays of B and D mesons and kaons.
Dimensional transmutation in gravity and cosmology
Authors: Salvio Alberto
Published: April 2021

We review (and extend) the analysis of general theories of all interactions (gravity included) where the mass scales are due to dimensional transmutation. Quantum consistency requires the presence of terms in the action with four derivatives of the metric. It is shown, nevertheless, how unitary is achieved and the classical Ostrogradsky instabilities can be avoided. The four-derivative terms also allow us to have a UV complete framework and a naturally small ratio between the Higgs mass and the Planck scale. Moreover, black holes of Einstein gravity with horizons smaller than a certain (microscopic) scale are replaced by horizonless ultracompact objects that are free from any singularity and have interesting phenomenological applications. We also discuss the predictions that can be compared with observations of the microwave background radiation anisotropies and find that this scenario is viable and can be tested with future data. Finally, how strong phase transitions can emerge in models of this type with approximate scale symmetry and how to test them with GW detectors is reviewed and explained.
Multistability of Globally Coupled Duffing Oscillators
Authors: Sosa Raúl I. , Zanette Damián H.
Published: April 2021

We analyze the collective dynamics of an ensemble of globally coupled, externally forced, identical mechanical oscillators with cubic nonlinearity. Focus is put on solutions where the ensemble splits into two internally synchronized clusters, as a consequence of the bistability of individual oscillators. The multiplicity of these solutions, induced by the many possible ways of distributing the oscillators between the two clusters, implies that the ensemble can exhibit multistability. As the strength of coupling grows, however, the two-cluster solutions are replaced by a state of full synchronization. By a combination of analytical and numerical techniques, we study the existence and stability of two-cluster solutions. The role of the distribution of oscillators between the clusters and the relative prevalence of the two stable solutions are disclosed.
Stability and Bifurcation Analysis of a Prey–Predator Model
Authors: Mishra T. N. , Tiwari B.
Published: April 2021

The purpose of the present paper is to study the stability of a prey–predator model using KCC theory. The KCC theory is based on the assumption that the second-order dynamical system and geodesics equation, in associated Finsler space, are topologically equivalent. The stability (Jacobi stability) based on KCC theory and linear stability of the model are discussed in detail. Further, the effect of parameters on stability and the presence of chaos in the model are investigated. The critical values of bifurcation parameters are found and their effects on the model are investigated. The numerical examples of particular interest are compared to the results of Jacobi stability and linear stability and it is found that Jacobi stability on the basis of KCC theory is global than the linear stability.
Estimating the Interval Length for Vertical Monotonicity of Topological Entropy of the Lozi Mappings
Authors: Elhadj Zeraoulia
Published: April 2021

In this short note, we prove some lower and upper bounds for the interval length function for vertical monotonicity of topological entropy of the Lozi mappings.
Twisted torus knots T(mn + m + 1,mn + 1,mn + m + 2,−1) and T(n + 1,n,2n − 1,−1) are torus knots
Authors: Lee Sangyop
Published: April 2021

A twisted torus knot [Formula: see text] is a torus knot [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] adjacent strands twisted fully [Formula: see text] times. In this paper, we determine the braid index of the knot [Formula: see text] when the parameters [Formula: see text] satisfy [Formula: see text]. If the last parameter [Formula: see text] additionally satisfies [Formula: see text], then we also determine the parameters [Formula: see text] for which [Formula: see text] is a torus knot.
CONSISTENT UPPER PRICE BOUNDS FOR EXOTIC OPTIONS
Authors: BÄUERLE NICOLE , SCHMITHALS DANIEL
Published: April 2021

We consider the problem of finding a consistent upper price bound for exotic options whose payoff depends on the stock price at two different predetermined time points (e.g. Asian option), given a finite number of observed call prices for these maturities. A model-free approach is used, only taking into account that the (discounted) stock price process is a martingale under the no-arbitrage condition. In case the payoff is directionally convex we obtain the worst case marginal pricing measures. The speed of convergence of the upper price bound is determined when the number of observed stock prices increases. We illustrate our findings with some numerical computations.
Equilibrium statistical mechanics of barotropic quasi-geostrophic equations
Authors: Grotto Francesco , Pappalettera Umberto
Published: April 2021

We consider equations describing a barotropic inviscid flow in a channel with topography effects and beta-plane approximation of Coriolis force, in which a large-scale mean flow interacts with smaller scales. Gibbsian measures associated to the first integrals energy and enstrophy are Gaussian measures supported by distributional spaces. We define a suitable weak formulation for barotropic equations, and prove existence of a solution preserving Gibbsian measures, thus providing a rigorous infinite-dimensional framework for the equilibrium statistical mechanics of the model.
Evaporite palynology: a case study of the Permian (Lopingian) Zechstein Sea
Authors: Gibson Martha E. , Bodman David J.
Published: April 2021

Evaporites characterize the Lopingian of Europe, but present obstacles for biostratigraphic analysis. We present a case study for processing the Lopingian Zechstein Group evaporites of central-western Europe for the recovery of palynomorph assemblages. We demonstrate that full recovery is easily achieved, with two main modes of palynomorph preservation observed: palynomorphs are either exceptionally well-preserved and orange–brown in colour, or poorly preserved, brown–black, opaque and fragmented. The latter are reminiscent of palynomorphs of high thermal maturity. However, we propose that the intact nature of preservation is a result of the rapid growth of near-surface halite crystals, with their darkening a consequence of locally enhanced heat flux due to the relatively high thermal conductivity of salt. This case study has enabled novel insights into an otherwise undescribed environment and demonstrates the utility and possibility of extracting palynomorphs from a variety of rock salt types. This method should be applicable to a wide range of ancient evaporites and could also be applied to other Permian evaporite systems, which are used as analogues for extraterrestrial environments.
DLRF-Net: A Progressive Deep Latent Low-Rank Fusion Network for Hierarchical Subspace Discovery
Authors: Zhang Zhao , Ren Jiahuan , Zhang Haijun , Zhang Zheng , Liu Guangcan , Yan Shuicheng
Published: April 2021

Low-rank coding-based representation learning is powerful for discovering and recovering the subspace structures in data, which has obtained an impressive performance; however, it still cannot obtain deep hidden information due to the essence of single-layer structures. In this article, we investigate the deep low-rank representation of images in a progressive way by presenting a novel strategy that can extend existing single-layer latent low-rank models into multiple layers. Technically, we propose a new progressive
Deep Latent Low-Rank Fusion Network
(DLRF-Net) to uncover deep features and the clustering structures embedded in latent subspaces. The basic idea of DLRF-Net is to progressively refine the principal and salient features in each layer from previous layers by fusing the clustering and projective subspaces, respectively, which can potentially learn more accurate features and subspaces. To obtain deep hidden information, DLRF-Net inputs shallow features from the last layer into subsequent layers. Then, it aims at recovering the hierarchical information and deeper features by respectively congregating the subspaces in each layer of the network. As such, one can also ensure the representation learning of deeper layers to remove the noise and discover the underlying clean subspaces, which will be verified by simulations. It is noteworthy that the framework of our DLRF-Net is general and is applicable to most existing latent low-rank representation models, i.e., existing latent low-rank models can be easily extended to the multilayer scenario using DLRF-Net. Extensive results on real databases show that our framework can deliver enhanced performance over other related techniques.
A Multimodal, Multimedia Point-of-Care Deep Learning Framework for COVID-19 Diagnosis
Authors: Rahman MD Abdur , Hossain M. Shamim , Alrajeh Nabil A. , Gupta B. B.
Published: April 2021

In this article, we share our experiences in designing and developing a suite of deep neural network–(DNN) based COVID-19 case detection and recognition framework. Existing pathological tests such as RT-PCR-based pathogen RNA detection from nasal swabbing seem to display low detection rates during the early stages of virus contraction. Moreover, the reliance on a few overburdened laboratories based around an epicenter capable of supplying large numbers of RT-PCR tests makes this testing method non-scalable when the rate of infections is high. Similarly, finding an effective drug or vaccine with which to combat COVID-19 requires a long time and many clinical trials. The development of pathological COVID-19 tests is hindered by shortages in the supply chain of chemical reagents necessary for testing on a large scale. This diminishes the speed of diagnosis and the ability to filter out COVID-19 positive patients from uninfected patients on a national level. Existing research has shown that DNN has been successful in identifying COVID-19 from radiological media such as CT scans and X-ray images, audio media such as cough sounds, optical coherence tomography to identify conjunctivitis and pink eye symptoms on the ocular surface, body temperature measurement using smartphone fingerprint sensors or thermal cameras, the use of live facial detection to identify safe social distancing practices from camera images, and face mask detection from camera images. We also investigate the utility of federated learning in diagnosis cases where private data can be trained via edge learning. These point-of-care modalities can be integrated with DNN-based RT-PCR laboratory test results to assimilate multiple modalities of COVID-19 detection and thereby provide more dimensions of diagnosis. Finally, we will present our initial test results, which are encouraging.
Urban Perception: Sensing Cities via a Deep Interactive Multi-task Learning Framework
Authors: Guan Weili , Chen Zhaozheng , Feng Fuli , Liu Weifeng , Nie Liqiang
Published: April 2021

Social scientists have shown evidence that visual perceptions of urban attributes, such as safe, wealthy, and beautiful perspectives of the given cities, are highly correlated to the residents’ behaviors and quality of life. Despite their significance, measuring visual perceptions of urban attributes is challenging due to the following facts: (1) Visual perceptions are subjectively contradistinctive rather than absolute. (2) Perception comparisons between image pairs are usually conducted region by region, and highly related to the specific urban attributes. And (3) the urban attributes have both the shared and specific information. To address these problems, in this article, we present a Deep inteRActive Multi-task leArning scheme, DRAMA for short. DRAMA comparatively quantifies the perceptions of urban attributes by jointly integrating the pairwise comparisons, regional interactions, and urban attribute correlations within a unified deep scheme. In DRAMA, each urban attribute is treated as a task, whereby the task-sharing and the task-specific information is fully explored. By conducting extensive experiments over a public large-scale benchmark dataset, it is demonstrated that our proposed DRAMA scheme outperforms several state-of-the-art baselines. Meanwhile, we applied the pairwise comparisons of our DRAMA model to further quantify the urban attributes and hence rank cities with respect to the given urban attributes. As a byproduct, we have released the codes and parameter settings to facilitate other researches.
Replicated Computational Results (RCR) Report for “Adaptive Precision Block-Jacobi for High Performance Preconditioning in the Ginkgo Linear Algebra Software”
Authors: Osborn Sarah
Published: April 2021

The article by Flegar et al. titled “Adaptive Precision Block-Jacobi for High Performance Preconditioning in the Ginkgo Linear Algebra Software” presents a novel, practical implementation of an adaptive precision block-Jacobi preconditioner. Performance results using state-of-the-art GPU architectures for the block-Jacobi preconditioner generation and application demonstrate the practical usability of the method, compared to a traditional full-precision block-Jacobi preconditioner. A production-ready implementation is provided in the Ginkgo numerical linear algebra library.

In this report, the Ginkgo library is reinstalled and performance results are generated to perform a comparison to the original results when using Ginkgo’s Conjugate Gradient solver with either the full or the adaptive precision block-Jacobi preconditioner for a suite of test problems on an NVIDIA GPU accelerator. After completing this process, the published results are deemed reproducible.
Repair of DNA Breaks by Break-Induced Replication
Authors: Kockler Z.W. , Osia B. , Lee R. , Musmaker K. , Malkova A.
Published: April 2021

Double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs) are the most lethal type of DNA damage, making DSB repair critical for cell survival. However, some DSB repair pathways are mutagenic and promote genome rearrangements, leading to genome destabilization. One such pathway is break-induced replication (BIR), which repairs primarily one-ended DSBs, similar to those formed by collapsed replication forks or telomere erosion. BIR is initiated by the invasion of a broken DNA end into a homologous template, synthesizes new DNA within the context of a migrating bubble, and is associated with conservative inheritance of new genetic material. This mode of synthesis is responsible for a high level of genetic instability associated with BIR. Eukaryotic BIR was initially investigated in yeast, but now it is also actively studied in mammalian systems. Additionally, a significant breakthrough has been made regarding the role of microhomology-mediated BIR in the formation of complex genomic rearrangements that underly various human pathologies.
Investigating the Potential Roles of SINEs in the Human Genome
Authors: Zhang Xiao-Ou , Pratt Henry , Weng Zhiping
Published: April 2021

Short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) are nonautonomous retrotransposons that occupy approximately 13% of the human genome. They are transcribed by RNA polymerase III and can be retrotranscribed and inserted back into the genome with the help of other autonomous retroelements. Because they are preferentially located close to or within gene-rich regions, they can regulate gene expression by various mechanisms that act at both the DNA and the RNA levels. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the involvement of SINEs in different types of gene regulation and discuss the potential regulatory functions of SINEs that are in close proximity to genes, Pol III–transcribed SINE RNAs, and embedded SINE sequences within Pol II–transcribed genes in the human genome. These discoveries illustrate how the human genome has exapted some SINEs into functional regulatory elements.
Stiffening of the extracellular matrix is a sufficient condition for airway hyperreactivity
Authors: Jamieson Ryan R. , Stasiak Suzanne E. , Polio Samuel R. , Augspurg Ralston D. , McCormick Caroline A. , Ruberti Jeffrey W. , Parameswaran Harikrishnan
Published: April 2021

Targeting inflammation is the central dogma on which current asthma therapy is based. Here, we show that a healthy airway can be made to constrict excessively and at a faster rate in response to the same stimulus by increasing the stiffness of the extracellular matrix, without the use of inflammatory agents. Our results provide an independent mechanism by which airway remodeling in asthma can sustain airway hyperreactivity even in the absence of inflammatory signals.
Diagnosis of Interventional Transvaginal Maternal Diseases Based on Color Doppler Ultrasound
Authors: Wen Canliang , Huang Lan , Jiang Hongye
Published: April 2021

In recent years, with the development of color Doppler ultrasound technology in obstetrics, this noninvasive, direct, convenient, and sensitive inspection method has become one of the best methods to observe the fetal circulation in the uterus. This paper discusses the clinical value of using transvaginal color Doppler ultrasound in the differential diagnosis of ovarian corpus luteum disease and ectopic pregnancy disease. This paper selects 100 cases of ectopic pregnancy and 100 cases of pregnant corpus luteum as the experimental research objects. Clinical analysis of transvaginal color Doppler ultrasonography was performed on all patients. In the process of measuring the patient’s ectopic pregnancy, the size of the patient’s adnexal mass is mainly measured, and the blood flow spectrum is measured. The clinical choice of transvaginal color Doppler ultrasound method to distinguish ectopic pregnancy disease and corpus luteum pregnancy disease can play a significant value. It can be effectively diagnosed according to the type of disease, then effective methods can be studied for clinical treatment, the quality of life of patients with the two diseases can be significantly improved, and the clinical application value of color Doppler ultrasound can be improved.
[Retracted] Identification of Driving Factors of Scientific and Technological Innovation in the New Material Industry Based on the Theory of Complex Adaptive System: Taking the Construction of Green Innovation System as an Example
Authors: Ma Tengfei , Liu Chao
Published: April 2021

Complex adaptation systems are the main development direction of China’s current green innovation research. New material industry is one of the key entry points to accelerate the construction of modern industrial system and promote innovation, green, and efficient development. Under the requirements of China’s current low‐carbon development, China’s green innovation system is developing rapidly. Green innovation complicates traditional innovation models and their functions and improves economic development. The purpose of this paper is to study the theoretical analysis framework of applying complex adaptive systems and to analyze and calculate the characteristics of the current status of green innovation systems in multiple industries in China’s manufacturing industry. Analysis is as follows. The experimental group and the control group are set for comparison, and the data are organized by applying complex adaptive system theory and data analysis methods. Experimental data show that the coordinated development of the green innovation systems in various industries in China is not balanced, with a difference of more than three times; the parameters of the various green innovation systems within the industry are unbalanced, and the difference is more than five times. The experimental results show that the green innovation subject can strategically interact by adjusting the ratio of resource allocation through the constructed green innovation system model. The green innovation system with complex adaptive system theory is conducive to the development of the green system. It can save about 23% of green innovation time and improve efficiency by about 15%, to promote the development of green innovation in China.
Some Formulas for New Quadruple Hypergeometric Functions
Authors: Younis Jihad A. , Aydi Hassen , Verma Ashish
Published: April 2021

In this paper, we aim to introduce six new quadruple hypergeometric functions. Then, we investigate certain formulas and representations for these functions such as symbolic formulas, differential formulas, and integral representations.
Liraglutide, a TFEB‐Mediated Autophagy Agonist, Promotes the Viability of Random‐Pattern Skin Flaps
Authors: Zhu Xuwei , Hu Xinli , Lou Junsheng , Li Jiafeng , Xu Yu , Yu Gaoxiang , Wu Chenyu , Ding Jian , Gao Weiyang , Xiao Jian , Zhou Kailiang , Jia Chang
Published: April 2021

Random skin flaps are commonly used in reconstruction surgery. However, distal necrosis of the skin flap remains a difficult problem in plastic surgery. Many studies have shown that activation of autophagy is an important means of maintaining cell homeostasis and can improve the survival rate of flaps. In the current study, we investigated whether liraglutide can promote the survival of random flaps by stimulating autophagy. Our results show that liraglutide can significantly improve flap viability, increase blood flow, and reduce tissue oedema. In addition, we demonstrated that liraglutide can stimulate angiogenesis and reduce pyroptosis and oxidative stress. Through immunohistochemistry analysis and Western blotting, we verified that liraglutide can enhance autophagy, while the 3‐methylladenine‐ (3MA‐) mediated inhibition of autophagy enhancement can significantly reduce the benefits of liraglutide described above. Mechanistically, we showed that the ability of liraglutide to enhance autophagy is mediated by the activation of transcription factor EB (TFEB) and its subsequent entry into the nucleus to activate autophagy genes, a phenomenon that may result from AMPK‐MCOLN1‐calcineurin signalling pathway activation. Taken together, our results show that liraglutide is an effective drug that can significantly improve the survival rate of random flaps by enhancing autophagy, inhibiting oxidative stress in tissues, reducing pyroptosis, and promoting angiogenesis, which may be due to the activation of TFEB via the AMPK‐MCOLN1‐calcineurin signalling pathway.
[Retracted] Stearoyl‐CoA Desaturase 1 Potentiates Hypoxic plus Nutrient‐Deprived Pancreatic Cancer Cell Ferroptosis Resistance
Authors: Gao Jie , Zhang Zhengyang , Liu Yanfang , Zhang Zining , Wang Ming , Gong Aihua , Xia Lin , Liao Xiang , Wang Dongqing , Zhu Haitao
Published: April 2021

Hypoxia and nutrient starvation (H/NS) microenvironment, a notable characteristic of pancreatic carcinoma, plays a critical role in cell death resistance and tumor recurrence. However, its role in ferroptosis remains to be classified. Here, we found that H/NS contributed to the pancreatic cancer cell ferroptosis resistance depending on the altered intracellular lipid compositions. Mechanistically, H/NS induced the upregulation of stearoyl‐CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1), which promoted monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) synthesis and protected against lipid peroxidation. Surprisingly, SCD1 showed a strong correlation with antiferroptosis gene expression. Moreover, short‐hairpin RNA‐based knockdown of SCD1 enhanced erastin‐induced ferroptosis in vitro under H/NS. Finally, our results demonstrate the synergistic effect of erastin and A939572, a special SCD1 inhibitor, in dictating pancreatic carcinoma subcutaneous ferroptotic death. Taken together, our findings reveal a new role of the H/NS microenvironment against ferroptosis and suggest a potential therapeutic strategy for overcoming ferroptosis resistance in pancreatic cancer cells.
Bayesian Regularized Neural Network Model Development for Predicting Daily Rainfall from Sea Level Pressure Data: Investigation on Solving Complex Hydrology Problem
Authors: Ye Lu , Jabbar Saadya Fahad , Abdul Zahra Musaddak M. , Tan Mou Leong
Published: April 2021

Prediction of daily rainfall is important for flood forecasting, reservoir operation, and many other hydrological applications. The artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm is generally used for stochastic forecasting rainfall which is not capable to simulate unseen extreme rainfall events which become common due to climate change. A new model is developed in this study for prediction of daily rainfall for different lead times based on sea level pressure (SLP) which is physically related to rainfall on land and thus able to predict unseen rainfall events. Daily rainfall of east coast of Peninsular Malaysia (PM) was predicted using SLP data over the climate domain. Five advanced AI algorithms such as extreme learning machine (ELM), Bayesian regularized neural networks (BRNNs), Bayesian additive regression trees (BART), extreme gradient boosting (xgBoost), and hybrid neural fuzzy inference system (HNFIS) were used considering the complex relationship of rainfall with sea level pressure. Principle components of SLP domain correlated with daily rainfall were used as predictors. The results revealed that the efficacy of AI models is predicting daily rainfall one day before. The relative performance of the models revealed the higher performance of BRNN with normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) of 0.678 compared with HNFIS (NRMSE = 0.708), BART (NRMSE = 0.784), xgBoost (NRMSE = 0.803), and ELM (NRMSE = 0.915). Visual inspection of predicted rainfall during model validation using density‐scatter plot and other novel ways of visual comparison revealed the ability of BRNN to predict daily rainfall one day before reliably.
The Influencing Factors and Promotion Countermeasures of Industrial Generic Technology Diffusion Based on Differential Game
Authors: Wang Fenglian , Xie Rongjian , Hu Wengting
Published: April 2021

Many factors affect the diffusion of generic technology due to the variety of generic technology and the multiplicity of diffusion carriers. Therefore, it is very urgent to determine the main factors that influence generic technology diffusion. Based on theories of industrial generic technology diffusion, this paper constructs a differential game-based model between government and enterprises. Then, this study explores the key factors that affect the diffusion strategy of industrial generic technology innovation and analyzes the possible method for improving industrial generic technology innovation diffusion. The following conclusions are obtained. Incentive measures, rewards, and penalties play a key role in the diffusion of generic technology, and the costs and benefits incurred by the diffusion are critical to the diffusion of generic technology. Also, the net income of enterprises has a positive impact on the adoption of generic technology diffusion. After that, this paper carries out data simulation for result verification and provides some policy implications.
The Minimum Merrifield–Simmons Index of Unicyclic Graphs with Diameter at Most Four
Authors: Zhao Kun , Li Shangzhao , Dai Shaojun
Published: April 2021

The Merrifield–Simmons index

i

G

of a graph

G

is defined as the number of subsets of the vertex set, in which any two vertices are nonadjacent, i.e., the number of independent vertex sets of

G

. In this paper, we determine the minimum Merrifield–Simmons index of unicyclic graphs with

n

vertices and diameter at most four.
Formation Mechanism and the Height of the Water‐Conducting Fractured Zone Induced by Middle Deep Coal Seam Mining in a Sandy Region: A Case Study from the Xiaobaodang Coal Mine
Authors: Xie Xiaoshen , Hou Enke , Wang Shuangming , Sun Xueyang , Hou Pengfei , Wang Shibin , Xie Yongli , Huang Yongan
Published: April 2021

The height of the water‐conducting fractured zone (WCFZ) is a basic parameter related to water protection in coal mines and is also crucial for aquifer protection and mine safety. In order to accurately detect the height and shape and reveal the formation mechanism of the WCFZ, which is caused by middle‐deep coal seam mining in a sandy region, the 112201 coalface at the 1# coal mine of Xiaobaodang was taken as a case study. Filed measurements including fluid leakage, borehole TV, and similar simulation were adopted to analyze the regularity of the WCFZ in this area. The detection results of field measurements showed that the maximum height of the WCFZ was 177.07 m in a borehole near the open‐off cut, and the ratio of the height of the water‐conducting fractured zone divided by the mining thickness was 30.53. The WCFZ acquired an inward‐convergent saddle shape, which was inclined to the goaf. The saddle bridge was located at the boundary of the goaf, and the saddle ridge was located at the center of the goaf. Also, through analyzing the results of similar simulations, we found that, in the process of mining, separation cracks and the beam structure were the main forms of overburden disturbance transmitting upward and ahead of mining, respectively. The main cause of the increase in height of the WCFZ was the connection of the separation cracks and vertical cracks caused by fractures of beam structures. The development of the WCFZ was divided into five stages: incubation stage, development stage, rapidly increasing stage, slowly increasing stage, and stable stage. Moreover, the duration of each stage was related to the lithology and mining technology. This research can provide significant theoretical insights for the prediction of the WCFZ, enabling the prevention of water hazards on mine roofs and assisting with water resources protection.
Evaluation of the Bioenergy Potential of Temer Musa: An Invasive Tree from the African Desert
Authors: Radenahmad Nikdalila , Reza Md Sumon , Bakar Muhammad Saifullah Abu , Shams Shahriar , Tesfai Alem , Taweekun Juntakan , Khalilpoor Nima , Azad Abul Kalam , Issakhov Alibek
Published: April 2021

Temer musa (Prosopis chilensis) is an invasive wild tree found in the desert of many countries, e.g., Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, India, South Africa, and the USA. The thermochemical properties of this invasive tree were analyzed as a potential biomass feedstock for energy generation. The calorific value measurement of the temer musa wood was found to be 19.83 MJ/kg. Thermogravimetric analysis and derivative weight profiles displayed that the decomposition happened in four stages representing moisture content, volatile matter, fixed carbon, and ash formation. The proximate parameters are in good range with other known biomasses and are found suitable for the thermochemical energy conversion. The gasification process confirmed the existence of several gases that are usually observed in invasive biomasses. All gasification gases were in the acceptable range, and no hydrogen sulfide gas was observed, which makes the conversion as environment friendly. The obtained results show that the energy conversion of temer musa is suitable for real-time implementation.
The State‐of‐the‐Art Brief Review on Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting from Flow‐Induced Vibration
Authors: Zhu Hongjun , Tang Tao , Yang Huohai , Wang Junlei , Song Jinze , Peng Geng
Published: April 2021

Flow‐induced vibration (FIV) is concerned in a broad range of engineering applications due to its resultant fatigue damage to structures. Nevertheless, such fluid‐structure coupling process continuously extracts the kinetic energy from ambient fluid flow, presenting the conversion potential from the mechanical energy to electricity. As the air and water flows are widely encountered in nature, piezoelectric energy harvesters show the advantages in small‐scale utilization and self‐powered instruments. This paper briefly reviewed the way of energy collection by piezoelectric energy harvesters and the various measures proposed in the literature, which enhance the structural vibration response and hence improve the energy harvesting efficiency. Methods such as irregularity and alteration of cross‐section of bluff body, utilization of wake flow and interference, modification and rearrangement of cantilever beams, and introduction of magnetic force are discussed. Finally, some open questions and suggestions are proposed for the future investigation of such renewable energy harvesting mode.
N6-Methyladenosine Regulates mRNA Stability and Translation Efficiency of KRT7 to Promote Breast Cancer Lung Metastasis
Authors: Chen Feng , Chen Zhuojia , Guan Tao , Zhou Yan , Ge Lichen , Zhang Haisheng , Wu Yingmin , Jiang Guan-Min , He Weiling , Li Jiexin , Wang Hongsheng
Published: April 2021

The roles of RNA modification during organ metastasis of cancer cells are not known. Here we established breast cancer lung metastasis cells by three rounds of selection of lung metastatic subpopulations in vivo and designated them as BCLMF3 cells. In these cells, mRNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) and methyltransferase METTL3 were increased, while the demethylase FTO was decreased. Epi-transcriptome and transcriptome analyses together with functional studies identified keratin 7 (KRT7) as a key effector for m6A-induced breast cancer lung metastasis. Specifically, increased METTL3 methylated KRT7-AS at A877 to increase the stability of a KRT7-AS/KRT7 mRNA duplex via IGF2BP1/HuR complexes. Furthermore, YTHDF1/eEF-1 was involved in FTO-regulated translational elongation of KRT7 mRNA, with methylated A950 in KRT7 exon 6 as the key site for methylation. In vivo and clinical studies confirmed the essential roles of KRT7, KRT7-AS, and METTL3 for lung metastasis and clinical progression of breast cancer. Collectively, m6A promotes breast cancer lung metastasis by increasing the stability of a KRT7-AS/KRT7 mRNA duplex and translation of KRT7.

Significance:

This study suggests that N6-methyladenosine is a key driver and potential therapeutic target in breast cancer metastasis.
A Complementary Strategy to Mitigate Radiation-Induced Cognitive Decline
Authors: Korimerla Navyateja , Wahl Daniel R.
Published: April 2021

Cranial radiation activates an upstream complement cascade component, C1q, leading to brain injury. Microglia-specific deletion of C1q prevents astrocyte and microglial activation, synaptic loss, neuroinflammation, and cognitive impairment. Therapeutically inhibiting complement activation may help mitigate radiation-induced cognitive decline.

See related article by Markarian et al., p. 1732
Molecular Biomarkers of Response to Eribulin in Patients with Leiomyosarcoma
Authors: Wozniak Agnieszka , Boeckx Bram , Modave Elodie , Weaver Amy , Lambrechts Diether , Littlefield Bruce A. , Schöffski Patrick
Published: April 2021

Purpose:

A randomized phase III study evaluated the efficacy of eribulin versus dacarbazine in patients with advanced liposarcoma and leiomyosarcoma. Improved overall survival (OS) led to approval of eribulin for liposarcoma, but not for leiomyosarcoma.

Experimental Design:

We explored the molecular profile of 77 archival leiomyosarcoma samples from this trial to identify potential predictive biomarkers, utilizing low-coverage whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing. Tumor molecular profiles were correlated with clinical data, and disease control was defined as complete/partial response or stable disease (RECIST v1.1).

Results:

Overall, 111 focal copy-number alterations were observed in leiomyosarcoma. Gain of chromosome 17q12 was the most common event, present in 43 of 77 cases (56%). In the eribulin-treated group, gains of 4q26, 20p12.2, 13q13.3, 8q22.2, and 8q13.2 and loss of 1q44 had a negative impact on progression-free survival (PFS), while loss of 2p12 correlated with better prognosis. Gains of 4q22.1 and losses of 3q14.2, 2q14.1, and 11q25 had a negative impact on OS in patients with leiomyosarcoma receiving eribulin. The most commonly mutated genes were TP53 (38%), MUC16 (32%), and ATRX (17%). The presence of ATRX mutations had a negative impact on PFS in both treatment arms; however, the correlation with worse OS was observed only in the eribulin-treated patients. TP53 mutations were associated with longer PFS on eribulin.

Conclusions:

Leiomyosarcoma has a complex genetic background, with multiple copy-number alterations and mutations affecting genes implicated in tumorigenesis. We identified several molecular changes with potential impact on survival of patients with leiomyosarcoma when treated with eribulin.
Role of Bradykinin Type 2 Receptors in Human Sweat Secretion: Translational Evidence Does Not Support a Functional Relationship
Authors: Wilson Thad E. , Narra Seetharam , Metzler-Wilson Kristen , Schneider Artur , Bullens Kelsey A. , Holt Ian S.
Published: April 2021

Bradykinin increases skin blood flow via a cGMP mechanism but its role in sweating in vivo is unclear. There is a current need to translate cell culture and nonhuman paw pad studies into in vivo human preparations to test for therapeutic viability for disorders affecting sweat glands. Protocol 1: physiological sweating was induced in 10 healthy subjects via perfusing warm (46–48°C) water through a tube-lined suit while bradykinin type 2 receptor (B2R) antagonist (HOE-140; 40 μM) and only the vehicle (lactated Ringer’s) were perfused intradermally via microdialysis. Heat stress increased sweat rate (HOE-140 = +0.79 ± 0.12 and vehicle = +0.64 ± 0.10 mg/cm2/min), but no differences were noted with B2R antagonism. Protocol 2: pharmacological sweating was induced in 6 healthy subjects via intradermally perfusing pilocarpine (1.67 mg/mL) followed by the same B2R antagonist approach. Pilocarpine increased sweating (HOE-140 = +0.38 ± 0.16 and vehicle = +0.32 ± 0.12 mg/cm2/min); again no differences were observed with B2R antagonism. Last, 5 additional subjects were recruited for various control experiments which identified that a functional dose of HOE-140 was utilized and it was not sudorific during normothermic conditions. These data indicate B2R antagonists do not modulate physiologically or pharmacologically induced eccrine secretion volumes. Thus, B2R agonist/antagonist development as a potential therapeutic target for hypo- and hyperhidrosis appears unwarranted.