bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
LA DEMOCRATIZZAZIONE NELL'EUROPA SUD-ORIENTALE
Authors: Diamandouros P. Nikiforos , Larrabee F. Stephen 
Published: January 2021

IntroduzioneIl saggio si propone tre obiettivi tra loro connessi: collocare l'evoluzione delle democrazie dell'Europa sud-orientale nel quadro teorico degli studi sulla democratizzazione; trarre da tali esperienze elementi utili allo studio comparato dei processi di democratizzazione; e valutare in maniera critica le rappresentazioni della regione che impediscono di formulare giudizi più obiettivi sui tentativi democratici di questi paesi e sulle loro probabilità di successo. Cercheremo di affrontare i temi più generali dando, allo stesso tempo, risposta a due domande specifiche: innanzi tutto, quali sono le caratteristiche che distinguono il processo di democratizzazione avvenuto nell'Europa sud-orientale e quali sono le differenze rispetto ad altre esperienze analoghe, nell'Europa centro-orientale, meridionale o altrove? In secondo luogo, cosa spiega queste differenze? Per cominciare, però, ci si consenta una breve digressione teorica.
Robot-aided fN∙m torque sensing within an ultrawide dynamic range
Authors: Wang Shudong , Wei Xueyong , Lu Haojian , Ren Ziming , Jiang Zhuangde , Ren Juan , Yang Zhan , Sun Lining , Shang Wanfeng , Wu Xinyu , Shen Yajing 
Published: January 2021

AbstractIn situ scanning electron microscope (SEM) characterization have enabled the stretching, compression, and bending of micro/nanomaterials and have greatly expanded our understanding of small-scale phenomena. However, as one of the fundamental approaches for material analytics, torsion tests at a small scale remain a major challenge due to the lack of an ultrahigh precise torque sensor and the delicate sample assembly strategy. Herein, we present a microelectromechanical resonant torque sensor with an ultrahigh resolution of up to 4.78 fN∙m within an ultrawide dynamic range of 123 dB. Moreover, we propose a nanorobotic system to realize the precise assembly of microscale specimens with nanoscale positioning accuracy and to conduct repeatable in situ pure torsion tests for the first time. As a demonstration, we characterized the mechanical properties of Si microbeams through torsion tests and found that these microbeams were five-fold stronger than their bulk counterparts. The proposed torsion characterization system pushes the limit of mechanical torsion tests, overcomes the deficiencies in current in situ characterization techniques, and expands our knowledge regarding the behavior of micro/nanomaterials at various loads, which is expected to have significant implications for the eventual development and implementation of materials science.
Salivary beta-endorphin in nonsuicidal self-injury: an ambulatory assessment study
Authors: Störkel Lisa M. , Karabatsiakis Alexander , Hepp Johanna , Kolassa Iris-Tatjana , Schmahl Christian , Niedtfeld Inga 
Published: January 2021

AbstractNonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a prevalent and impairing behavior, affecting individuals with and without additional psychopathology. To shed further light on biological processes that precede and result from NSSI acts, we built on previous cross-sectional evidence suggesting that the endogenous opioid system, and especially β-endorphin, is involved in the psychopathology of NSSI. This is the first study assessing salivary β-endorphin in daily life in the context of NSSI acts. Fifty-one female adults with repetitive NSSI participated over a period of 15 days in an ambulatory assessment study. Salivary β-endorphin was assessed before and after engagement in NSSI, during high urge for NSSI, and on a non-NSSI day. Furthermore, NSSI specific variables such as pain ratings, as well as method, severity, and function of NSSI were assessed. We found that β-endorphin levels immediately before an NSSI act were significantly lower than directly after NSSI. However, there was no difference between β-endorphin during high urge for NSSI and post NSSI measures. We found a positive association between severity of the self-inflicted injury and β-endorphin levels, but no significant association between β-endorphin levels and subjectively experienced pain. The results of the present study indicate that it is possible to assess salivary β-endorphin in daily life in the context of NSSI. Furthermore, our results provide a first indication that NSSI acts could be associated with a momentary increase of β-endorphin, and this might reinforce NSSI engagement. More research is needed to replicate and extend our findings on peripheral β-endorphin in daily life.
Dairy intake during adolescence and risk of colorectal adenoma later in life
Authors: Nimptsch Katharina , Lee Dong Hoon , Zhang Xuehong , Song Mingyang , Farvid Maryam S. , Rezende Leandro F. M. , Cao Yin , Chan Andrew T. , Fuchs Charles , Meyerhardt Jeffrey , Nowak Jonathan A. , Willett Walter C. , Ogino Shuji , Giovannucci Edward , Pischon Tobias , Wu Kana 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Background
Higher dairy intake during adulthood has been associated with lower colorectal cancer risk. As colorectal carcinogenesis spans several decades, we hypothesised that higher dairy intake during adolescence is associated with lower risk of colorectal adenoma, a colorectal cancer precursor.

Methods
In 27,196 females from the Nurses’ Health Study 2, aged 25–42 years at recruitment (1989), who had completed a validated high school diet questionnaire in 1998 and undergone at least one lower bowel endoscopy between 1998 and 2011, logistic regression for clustered data was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results
Colorectal adenomas were diagnosed in 2239 women. Dairy consumption during adolescence was not associated with colorectal adenoma risk (OR highest vs. lowest [≥4 vs. ≤1.42 servings/day] quintile [95% CI] 0.94 [0.80, 1.11]). By anatomical site, higher adolescent dairy intake was associated with lower rectal (0.63 [0.42, 0.95]), but not proximal (1.01 [0.80, 1.28]) or distal (0.97 [0.76, 1.24]) colon adenoma risk. An inverse association was observed with histologically advanced (0.72 [0.51, 1.00]) but not non-advanced (1.07 [0.86, 1.33]) adenoma.

Conclusions
In this large cohort of younger women, higher adolescent dairy intake was associated with lower rectal and advanced adenoma risk later in life.
Metformin plus lrinotecan in patients with refractory colorectal cancer: a phase 2 clinical trial
Authors: Bragagnoli Arinilda Campos , Araujo Raphael L. C. , Ferraz Mauricio Wagner , dos Santos Lucas Vieira , Abdalla Kathia Cristina , Comar Fabiana , Santos Florinda Almeida , Oliveira Marco Antonio , Carvalheira José Barreto Campello , Cárcano Flávio Mavigner , da Silveira Nogueira Lima João Paulo 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Background
Patients with refractory colorectal (CRC) cancer have few treatment options. This trial tests the combination of metformin and irinotecan in this setting.

Methods
A phase 2 single-arm trial was conducted, patients received metformin 2500 mg orally a day plus irinotecan 125 mg/m2 intravenously weekly D1 and D8 every 21 days. The primary endpoint was the disease control rate according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 at 12 weeks.

Results
Between December 2015 and January 2018, 41 patients were enrolled. Seventeen patients (41%) met the primary endpoint of disease control in 12 weeks; hence, the study was deemed positive. The median progression-free survival was 3.3 months (CI 95%, 2.0–4.5 months), and the median overall survival was 8.4 months (CI 95%, 5.9–10.8 months). Both mutation RAS status and disease control at 12 weeks impacted overall survival in the multivariate model (HR 2.28, CI 95%, 1.12–4.7, p = 0.02; and HR 0.21, CI 95%, 0.08–0.5, p = 0.001, respectively). The most common adverse event was diarrhoea (29.2% grade 3).

Conclusions
In this trial, metformin plus irinotecan demonstrated disease control in patients with refractory CRC. Further trials with optimised diarrhoea control are needed to confirm these results.
Biomarkers for site-specific response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in epithelial ovarian cancer: relating MRI changes to tumour cell load and necrosis
Authors: Winfield Jessica M. , Wakefield Jennifer C. , Brenton James D. , AbdulJabbar Khalid , Savio Antonella , Freeman Susan , Pace Erika , Lutchman-Singh Kerryn , Vroobel Katherine M. , Yuan Yinyin , Banerjee Susana , Porta Nuria , Ahmed Raza Shan E. , deSouza Nandita M. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractBackgroundDiffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) potentially interrogates site-specific response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).MethodsParticipants with newly diagnosed EOC due for platinum-based chemotherapy and interval debulking surgery were recruited prospectively in a multicentre study (n = 47 participants). Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and solid tumour volume (up to 10 lesions per participant) were obtained from DW-MRI before and after NAC (including double-baseline for repeatability assessment inn = 19). Anatomically matched lesions were analysed after surgical excision (65 lesions obtained from 25 participants). A trained algorithm determined tumour cell fraction, percentage tumour and percentage necrosis on histology. Whole-lesion post-NAC ADC and pre/post-NAC ADC changes were compared with histological metrics (residual tumour/necrosis) for each tumour site (ovarian, omental, peritoneal, lymph node).ResultsTumour volume reduced at all sites after NAC. ADC increased between pre- and post-NAC measurements. Post-NAC ADC correlated negatively with tumour cell fraction. Pre/post-NAC changes in ADC correlated positively with percentage necrosis. Significant correlations were driven by peritoneal lesions.ConclusionsFollowing NAC in EOC, the ADC (measured using DW-MRI) increases differentially at disease sites despite similar tumour shrinkage, making its utility site-specific. After NAC, ADC correlates negatively with tumour cell fraction; change in ADC correlates positively with percentage necrosis.Clinical trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT01505829.
Single-cell profiling of the human decidual immune microenvironment in patients with recurrent pregnancy loss
Authors: Guo Chuang , Cai Pengfei , Jin Liying , Sha Qing , Yu Qiaoni , Zhang Wen , Jiang Chen , Liu Qian , Zong Dandan , Li Kun , Fang Jingwen , Lu Fangting , Wang Yanshi , Li Daojing , Lin Jun , Li Lu , Zeng Zhutian , Tong Xianhong , Wei Haiming , Qu Kun 
Published: January 2021

AbstractMaintaining homeostasis of the decidual immune microenvironment at the maternal–fetal interface is essential for placentation and reproductive success. Although distinct decidual immune cell subpopulations have been identified under normal conditions, systematic understanding of the spectrum and heterogeneity of leukocytes under recurrent miscarriage in human deciduas remains unclear. To address this, we profiled the respective transcriptomes of 18,646 primary human decidual immune cells isolated from patients with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and healthy controls at single-cell resolution. We discovered dramatic differential distributions of immune cell subsets in RPL patients compared with the normal decidual immune microenvironment. Furthermore, we found a subset of decidual natural killer (NK) cells that support embryo growth were diminished in proportion due to abnormal NK cell development in RPL patients. We also elucidated the altered cellular interactions between the decidual immune cell subsets in the microenvironment and those of the immune cells with stromal cells and extravillous trophoblast under disease state. These results provided deeper insights into the RPL decidual immune microenvironment disorder that are potentially applicable to improve the diagnosis and therapeutics of this disease.
Preliminarily comparative performance of removing bisphenol-S by ferrate oxidation and ozonation
Authors: Zhang Shaoqing , Jiang Jia-Qian , Petri Michael 
Published: January 2021

AbstractBisphenol-S (BS) has recently raised public concerns for its adverse effect on the health safety and ecological security. BS concentrations were detected in many water resources, ranging from 10 ng L−1 to 300 μg L−1, so that various purification techniques have been sought to remove BS. This study investigated the performance of ozonation and ferrate oxidation in the degradation of BS since they are both promising oxidants with high redox potential among water treatment chemicals. It was observed that both ozone and ferrate can achieve over 99% of BS concentration reduction and up to 22.5% of DOC reduction for dosing 0.036 mM of either ferrate or ozone. The vibrio fisheri toxicity exhibited a decline in the treated samples after ozonation or ferrate oxidation. According to the mass spectra analyzed, the degradation pathways were proposed and oxidation products (OPs) were identified. BS degradation by ozonation and ferrate oxidation followed a similar route and four common OPs (OP-249; OP-497-a; OP-497-b, and OP-201) were detected. While ferrate treatment produced one more intermediate (OP-217), ozonation did not, which is attributed to the intensified decomposition of BS by ozonation. The major impact of this study is that ferrate treatment is comparable to the ozonation in removing BS, and further research continuing from this study is necessary to explore the BS removal in various waters with more complex matrixes (e.g., high natural organic matter contents), to investigate BS degradation mechanisms in depth, and to conduct pilot-scale and full-scale trials to establish operational database in running ferrate oxidation and/or ozonation for the treatment of BS in practical world.
Excess extracellular K+ causes inner hair cell ribbon synapse degeneration
Authors: Zhao Hong-Bo , Zhu Yan , Liu Li-Man 
Published: January 2021

AbstractInner hair cell (IHC) ribbon synapses are the first synapse in the auditory system and can be degenerated by noise and aging, thereby leading to hidden hearing loss (HHL) and other hearing disorders. However, the mechanism underlying this cochlear synaptopathy remains unclear. Here, we report that elevation of extracellular K+, which is a consequence of noise exposure, could cause IHC ribbon synapse degeneration and swelling. Like intensity dependence in noise-induced cochlear synaptopathy, the K+-induced degeneration was dose-dependent, and could be attenuated by BK channel blockers. However, application of glutamate receptor (GluR) agonists caused ribbon swelling but not degeneration. In addition, consistent with synaptopathy in HHL, both K+ and noise exposure only caused IHC but not outer hair cell ribbon synapse degeneration. These data reveal that K+ excitotoxicity can degenerate IHC ribbon synapses in HHL, and suggest that BK channel may be a potential target for prevention and treatment of HHL.
Skin T cells maintain their diversity and functionality in the elderly
Authors: Koguchi-Yoshioka Hanako , Hoffer Elena , Cheuk Stanley , Matsumura Yutaka , Vo Sa , Kjellman Petra , Grema Lucian , Ishitsuka Yosuke , Nakamura Yoshiyuki , Okiyama Naoko , Fujisawa Yasuhiro , Fujimoto Manabu , Eidsmo Liv , Clark Rachael A. , Watanabe Rei 
Published: January 2021

AbstractRecent studies have highlighted that human resident memory T cells (TRM) are functionally distinct from circulating T cells. Thus, it can be postulated that skin T cells age differently from blood-circulating T cells. We assessed T-cell density, diversity, and function in individuals of various ages to study the immunologic effects of aging on human skin from two different countries. No decline in the density of T cells was noted with advancing age, and the frequency of epidermal CD49a+ CD8 TRM was increased in elderly individuals regardless of ethnicity. T-cell diversity and antipathogen responses were maintained in the skin of elderly individuals but declined in the blood. Our findings demonstrate that in elderly individuals, skin T cells maintain their density, diversity, and protective cytokine production despite the reduced T-cell diversity and function in blood. Skin resident T cells may represent a long-lived, highly protective reservoir of immunity in elderly people.
No evidence for prolactin’s involvement in the post-ejaculatory refractory period
Authors: Valente Susana , Marques Tiago , Lima Susana Q. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractIn many species, ejaculation is followed by a state of decreased sexual activity, the post-ejaculatory refractory period. Several lines of evidence have suggested prolactin, a pituitary hormone released around the time of ejaculation in humans and other animals, to be a decisive player in the establishment of the refractory period. However, data supporting this hypothesis is controversial. We took advantage of two different strains of house mouse, a wild derived and a classical laboratory strain that differ substantially in their sexual performance, to investigate prolactin’s involvement in sexual activity and the refractory period. First, we show that there is prolactin release during sexual behavior in male mice. Second, using a pharmacological approach, we show that acute manipulations of prolactin levels, either mimicking the natural release during sexual behavior or inhibiting its occurrence, do not affect sexual activity or shorten the refractory period, respectively. Therefore, we show compelling evidence refuting the idea that prolactin released during copulation is involved in the establishment of the refractory period, a long-standing hypothesis in the field of behavioral endocrinology.
Atomic resolution tracking of nerve-agent simulant decomposition and host metal–organic framework response in real space
Authors: Terban Maxwell W. , Ghose Sanjit K. , Plonka Anna M. , Troya Diego , Juhás Pavol , Dinnebier Robert E. , Mahle John J. , Gordon Wesley O. , Frenkel Anatoly I. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractGas capture and sequestration are valuable properties of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) driving tremendous interest in their use as filtration materials for chemical warfare agents. Recently, the Zr-based MOF UiO-67 was shown to effectively adsorb and decompose the nerve-agent simulant, dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP). Understanding mechanisms of MOF-agent interaction is challenging due to the need to distinguish between the roles of the MOF framework and its particular sites for the activation and sequestration process. Here, we demonstrate the quantitative tracking of both framework and binding component structures using in situ X-ray total scattering measurements of UiO-67 under DMMP exposure, pair distribution function analysis, and theoretical calculations. The sorption and desorption of DMMP within the pores, association with linker-deficient Zr6 cores, and decomposition to irreversibly bound methyl methylphosphonate were directly observed and analyzed with atomic resolution.
Terahertz strong-field physics in light-emitting diodes for terahertz detection and imaging
Authors: Ouyang Chen , Li Shangqing , Ma Jinglong , Zhang Baolong , Wu Xiaojun , Ren Wenning , Wang Xuan , Wang Dan , Ma Zhenzhe , Wang Tianze , Hong Tianshu , Yang Peidi , Cheng Zhe , Zhang Yun , Jin Kuijuan , Li Yutong 
Published: January 2021

AbstractIntense terahertz (THz) electromagnetic fields have been utilized to reveal a variety of extremely nonlinear optical effects in many materials through nonperturbative driving of elementary and collective excitations. However, such nonlinear photoresponses have not yet been obeserved in light-emitting diodes (LEDs), let alone employing them as fast, cost-effective, compact, and room-temperature-operating THz detectors and cameras. Here, we report ubiquitously available LEDs exhibiting photovoltaic signals of ~0.8 V and ~2 ns response time with signal-to-noise ratios of ~1300 when being illuminated by THz field strengths ~240 kV/cm. We also demonstrated THz-LED detectors and camera prototypes. These unorthodox THz detectors exhibited high responsivities (>1 kV/W) with response time four orders of magnitude shorter than those of pyroelectric detectors. The mechanism was attributed to THz-field-induced impact ionization and Schottky contact. These findings not only help deepen our understanding of strong THz field-matter interactions but also contribute to the applications of strong-field THz diagnosis.
Efficient CNN‐XGBoost technique for classification of power transformer internal faults against various abnormal conditions
Authors: Raichura Maulik , Chothani Nilesh , Patel Dharmesh 
Published: January 2021

AbstractTo increase the classification accuracy of a protection scheme for power transformer, an effective convolution neural network (CNN) extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) combination is proposed in this work. Data generated from various test cases are fed to one‐dimensional CNN for high‐level feature extraction. After that, an efficient classifier tool XGBoost is used to properly discriminate different transformer internal faults against outside abnormalities. A portion of an Indian power system is considered and simulated in PSCAD software using the multi‐run feature to collect a large number of data for various fault/abnormal situations. The generated data are used in MATLAB software where the proposed algorithm is programmed. A high‐performance CPU is used for training and testing purpose of the projected artificial intelligent technique. The obtained results for classification accuracy as well as discrimination time shows that the proposed scheme is competent enough to properly discriminate transformer operational conditions. Further, the combined CNN‐XGBoost technique is compared with existing relevance vector machine and hierarchical ensemble of extreme learning machine classifier techniques. Moreover, a hardware experiment is performed in a laboratory prototype of 50 kVA, 440/220 V transformer to verify the authenticity of the developed protective scheme. After analyzing a variety of experiments, the authors note that the presented method provides promising classification accuracy within a short time period.
From language to meteorology: kinesis in weather events and weather verbs across Sinitic languages
Authors: Huang Chu-Ren , Dong Sicong , Yang Yike , Ren He 
Published: January 2021

AbstractInteractions among the environment, humans and language underlie many of the most pressing challenges we face today. This study investigates the use of different verbs to encode various weather events in Sinitic languages, a language family spoken over a wide range of climates and with 3000 years of continuous textual documentation. We propose to synergise the many concepts of kinesis that grew from Aristotle’s original ideas to account for the correlation between meteorological events and their linguistic encoding. It is observed that the two most salient key factors of weather events, i.e., mass of weather substances and speed of weather processes, are the two contributing components of kinetic energy. Leveraging the linguistic theory that kinesis underpins conceptualisation of verb classes, this paper successfully accounts for the selection of verbs for different meteorological events in all Sinitic languages in terms of both language variations and changes. Specifically, weather events with bigger weather substances and faster weather processes tend to select action verbs with high transitivity. The kinesis driven accounts also predict the typological variations between verbal and nominal constructions for weather expressions. The correlation between kinesis and the selection of verbs is further corroborated by an experiment on the perception of native Sinitic language speakers, as well as analyses of regional variations of verb selections that do not follow general typological patterns. It is found that such typological exceptions generally correspond to variations in meteorological patterns. By explicating the pivotal role of kinesis in bridging weather events and the linguistic encoding of weather, this study underlines the role of cognition as the conceptualisation of physical and sensory inputs to sharable knowledge encoded by language.