bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The effect of reproductive toxicity induced byZnO NPsin mice during early pregnancy through mitochondrial apoptotic pathway
Authors: Chen Ling , Wu Haifang , Hong Wuding , Aguilar Zoraida P. , Fu Fen , Xu Hengyi 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThe potential toxicity of Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) to human beings has become a widespread concern. This study explored the reproductive toxicity and the mechanism of toxicity of ZnO NPs in early pregnant mice. The results showed that abnormal weight changes, induced inflammation, reduced level of serum sex hormones, damaged uterus, increased abortion, and abnormal development of fetus. In the uterus, the transcription levels of ZnT‐1, HO‐1, Bax, Bax/Bcl‐2, JNK, and Caspase‐3 were significantly up‐regulated while Bcl‐2, ER‐1 and PR were significantly down‐regulated. The TUNEL‐positive cells increased that were exposed to high levels of ZnO NPs. In summary, those results indicated that Zn from high levels of exposure to ZnO NPs accumulated in the uterus that could have caused the formation of ROS that led to oxidative stress, which might have activated the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway that could have caused the uterine injury which induced the observed reproductive toxicity.
A draft phased assembly of the diploid Cascade hop (Humulus lupulus) genome
Authors: Padgitt‐Cobb Lillian K. , Kingan Sarah B. , Wells Jackson , Elser Justin , Kronmiller Brent , Moore Daniel , Concepcion Gregory , Peluso Paul , Rank David , Jaiswal Pankaj , Henning John , Hendrix David A. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractHop (Humulus lupulus L. var Lupulus) is a diploid, dioecious plant with a history of cultivation spanning more than one thousand years. Hop cones are valued for their use in brewing and contain compounds of therapeutic interest including xanthohumol. Efforts to determine how biochemical pathways responsible for desirable traits are regulated have been challenged by the large (2.8 Gb), repetitive, and heterozygous genome of hop. We present a draft haplotype‐phased assembly of the Cascade cultivar genome. Our draft assembly and annotation of the Cascade genome is the most extensive representation of the hop genome to date. PacBio long‐read sequences from hop were assembled with FALCON and partially phased with FALCON‐Unzip. Comparative analysis of haplotype sequences provides insight into selective pressures that have driven evolution in hop. We discovered genes with greater sequence divergence enriched for stress‐response, growth, and flowering functions in the draft phased assembly. With improved resolution of long terminal retrotransposons (LTRs) due to long‐read sequencing, we found that hop is over 70% repetitive. We identified a homolog of cannabidiolic acid synthase (CBDAS) that is expressed in multiple tissues. The approaches we developed to analyze the draft phased assembly serve to deepen our understanding of the genomic landscape of hop and may have broader applicability to the study of other large, complex genomes.
Natural variations in a pectin acetylesterase gene, MdPAE10, contribute to prolonged apple fruit shelf life
Authors: Wu Bei , Shen Fei , Chen Chi Jie , Liu Li , Wang Xuan , Zheng Wen Yan , Deng Yang , Wang Ting , Huang Zhen Yu , Xiao Chen , Zhou Qian , Wang Yi , Wu Ting , Xu Xue Feng , Han Zhen Hai , Zhang Xin Zhong 
Published: February 2021

AbstractRoom‐temperature shelf life is a key factor in fresh market apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) quality and commercial value. To investigate the genetic and molecular mechanism underlying apple shelf life, quantitative trait loci (QTL) were identified using bulked segregant analysis via sequencing (BSA‐seq). Ethylene emission, flesh firmness, or crispness of apple fruit from 1,273 F1 plants of M. asiatica Nakai ‘Zisai Pearl’ × M. domestica ‘Golden Delicious’ were phenotyped prior to and during 6 wk of room‐temperature storage. Segregation of ethylene emission and the flesh firmness or crispness traits was detected in the population. Thirteen QTL, including three major ones, were identified on chromosome 03, 08, and 16. A candidate gene encoding pectin acetylesterase, MdPAE10, from the QTL Z16.1 negatively affected fruit shelf life. A 379‐bp deletion in the coding sequence of MdPAE10 disrupted its function. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the MdPAE10 promoter region reduced its transcription activity. These findings provided insight into the genetic control of fruit shelf life and can be potentially used in apple marker‐assisted selection.
Manufacturing‐induced surface contaminations
Authors: Gerhard Christoph , Dobis Alexander 
Published: February 2021

SummaryIn the course of classical optics manufacturing glass components are in permanent direct contact with aqueous operating materials. Such contact leads to a certain absorption of water and hydrogenous compounds that may induce severe glass defects. In this contribution, absorption of hydrogen and other contaminants during grinding of glass was observed and qualitatively detected via laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy. It is shown that hydrogen, calcium, magnesium, and carbon are implanted into the glass surface where the contaminant concentration increases over grinding time or contact time of the glass surface with water and the grinding tool, respectively. The contaminants hydrogen, calcium, and magnesium can be attributed to the water used as lubricant. In contrast, carbon most likely originates from wear debris of the used silicon carbide grinding pads. Several possible mechanisms that lead to such surface contamination of glasses during grinding – diffusion, accumulation in micro cracks as well as the formation of hydrated silica – are finally introduced.
Backstreaming of pump oil vapors in vacuum systems
Authors: Gaines J. R. , Healy Matthew D. , Rankin Lou 
Published: February 2021

SummaryBackstreaming, or back‐migration, of vacuum pump oils can prevent a vacuum system from reaching its lowest possible pressure and may contaminate vacuum‐enable processes, such as thin film deposition. There are several circumstances which may lead to backstreaming, methods to measure the rate of oils reaching a vacuum chamber, and techniques to reduce or eliminate the problem. This article serves as an introduction to these issues and provides support on causes, measurement and mitigation.
Suspected sulfasalazine‐induced acute hepatic necrosis in a dog after one year of continuous treatment
Authors: Pena‐Ramos Jorge , Hinchliffe Tom Andrew , Costa Marta , Sanchez‐Redondo Sonia 
Published: February 2021

AbstractAn 18‐month‐old male entire golden retriever presented with inappetence and a 12‐hour history of episodic vomiting. The dog had been receiving sulfasalazine 15 mg/kg twice daily for one year for the treatment of lymphoplasmacytic colitis, which was well controlled prior to presentation. The dog had no history of other drug or toxin exposure. Investigations initially revealed raised liver enzymes, which increased during hospitalisation along with development of neutropenia and thrombocytopenia. During hospitalisation, acute hepatic necrosis was diagnosed histologically, and the dog recovered completely with supportive treatment and discontinuation of the sulfasalazine. The hepatic necrosis was believed to be associated with a toxic‐metabolite dependent idiosyncrasy due to the long‐term use of sulfasalazine. Unlike other cases previously reported, this dog developed these clinical signs after one year of treatment rather than immediately after therapy initiation. This may raise awareness about possible late‐onset reactions when using long courses of sulfonamides.
The Accreditation Process
Authors: Magri Mara , Martín Raquel Espada 
Published: February 2021

AbstractAchieving accredited status for hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) programme shows an ongoing commitment to the quality and safety of the services offered and of the activities performed. Accreditation is considered a standard through which a healthcare facility or service is shown to offer quality and healthcare that meet minimum standards and guidelines offered by different quality boards (at national and international levels). Among the most well-known accreditation agencies in the world are the Joint Commission and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JC and JCAHO), the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua), the Accreditation Commission for Health Care, Inc. (ACHC), the Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation (HQAA) and, specifically for HCT programmes, the FACT and the JACIE.Any patient entering a healthcare facility wants and deserves to know that staff is trained and facilities are clean and well maintained and that procedures follow standards that reduce chances of error, infection or negligence.
Data Management
Authors: Hussain Fazal , El Fakih Riad , Aljurf Mahmoud 
Published: February 2021

AbstractEffective data management is critical for quality research in any hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) center for accuracy, reliability, and validity of the data. HSCT research is a dynamic and multi-domain process encompassing innovative therapeutic modalities, techniques, and interventions to change the existing standard of care and optimize survival outcomes and patients’ quality of life. Research has evolved as one of the core competencies for the standardization, accreditation, and academic standing of the transplant center. The Data Unit is the center of gravity and the hub of research (databases, registries, translational research, and randomized control trials) in a quality cancer care facility. HSCT data collection, collation, and interpretation have become an integral part of the treatment rather than an option. Quality assurance (QA) and continuous quality improvement (CQI) in data management are pivotal for credibility, measurable/quantifiable outcomes, clinically significant impact, and setting benchmarks. Quality assurance, ethical conduct, and monitoring of HSCT data are the hallmarks of a center of excellence in galvanizing the therapeutic interventions and optimizing the outcomes.
Maintaining the Quality Management Program
Authors: van Sinderen Nick 
Published: February 2021

AbstractsEstablishing and maintaining a quality management program (QMP) is easy in theory but difficult in practice. It requires considerable time, energy, and the full commitment of everyone involved, starting with the program management. The time involved in establishing a QMP varies in terms of time, depending on the scope of your system and the starting point. The initial question you need to ask is, “What standards, knowledge, do we already have?” In almost every case, the answer is “a considerable amount!” These days many hospitals already have accreditations or certifications like Joint Commission International (JCI), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), standards issued by the government and institutions and professional organizations. The most important pool of knowledge, however, is the education and experience of staff. All standards are initially created by colleagues in the field and, at least for FACT-JACIE, also further developed in a 3-year review cycle.
Training Programme
Authors: Kozanoglu Ilknur , Tepebasi Songul 
Published: February 2021

AbstractCell therapy is a complex field, with a plethora of therapeutic procedures that widely differ among and within countries. An effective and efficient quality management (QM) system is essential to ensure the safety of patients, donors, and medical personnel, and to ensure that all aspects of the cell therapy process from product select to infusion are safe. Risk minimisation requires all personnel involved in cell therapy to be familiar with the procedures as well as cooperate with personnel from other disciplines. Staff training plays a key role in the implementation of cell therapy and in QM. New cell therapy applications are constantly being developed. Appropriate training of personnel will improve both the effectiveness of cell therapy and patient survival.
Audits
Authors: López-Villar Olga , Dolva Julie 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThere are different tools to measure the efficacy of the quality system and of its processes. Among them, internal audits are essential components since they cover all aspects of the program. Auditing is a systematic and documented process to ensure compliance with requirements. Preparing and planning are important parts of a good audit and the selection of the auditor must be based on expertise and competency. The appropriate analysis of the results of the audit and implementation of the corrective action, preventive action, or process improvements after the audit will help the program to improve year after year.
Third-Party Agreements
Authors: Emmett Anne 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThird-party agreements can take many forms and can be a difficult area in which to determine clear-cut definitions. It is intended that this chapter will clarify some of the differences and identify some of the similarities.Agreements can be between any two or more organisations. It would be unusual, though not inappropriate, for there to be agreements between two departments within the same organisation. Agreements may occur in this case when, for example, a new process is introduced on a trial basis and it has not yet become ‘business as usual’ and part of the normal internal interaction.There will always be local variations in the naming of contract types, so this should be considered in interpretation.Any organisation with which there is an agreement, of whatever structure, should be validated and audited.
Higher-form symmetries of 6d and 5d theories
Authors: Bhardwaj Lakshya , Schäfer-Nameki Sakura 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
We describe general methods for determining higher-form symmetry groups of known 5d and 6d superconformal field theories (SCFTs), and 6d little string theories (LSTs). The 6d theories can be described as supersymmetric gauge theories in 6d which include both ordinary non-abelian 1-form gauge fields and also abelian 2-form gauge fields. Similarly, the 5d theories can also be often described as supersymmetric non-abelian gauge theories in 5d. Naively, the 1-form symmetry of these 6d and 5d theories is captured by those elements of the center of ordinary gauge group which leave the matter content of the gauge theory invariant. However, an interesting subtlety is presented by the fact that some massive BPS excitations, which includes the BPS instantons, are charged under the center of the gauge group, thus resulting in a further reduction of the 1-form symmetry. We use the geometric construction of these theories in M/F-theory to determine the charges of these BPS excitations under the center. We also provide an independent algorithm for the determination of 1-form symmetry for 5d theories that admit a generalized toric construction (i.e. a 5-brane web construction). The 2-form symmetry group of 6d theories, on the other hand, is captured by those elements of the center of the abelian 2-form gauge group that leave all the massive BPS string excitations invariant, which is much more straightforward to compute as it is encoded in the Green-Schwarz coupling associated to the 6d theory.
The Drell-Yan process with pions and polarized nucleons
Authors: Bastami S. , Gamberg L. , Parsamyan B. , Pasquini B. , Prokudin A. , Schweitzer P. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThe Drell-Yan process provides important information on the internal struc- ture of hadrons including transverse momentum dependent parton distribution functions (TMDs). In this work we present calculations for all leading twist structure functions de- scribing the pion induced Drell-Yan process. The non-perturbative input for the TMDs is taken from the light-front constituent quark model, the spectator model, and available parametrizations of TMDs extracted from the experimental data. TMD evolution is im- plemented at Next-to-Leading Logarithmic precision for the first time for all asymmetries. Our results are compatible with the first experimental information, help to interpret the data from ongoing experiments, and will allow one to quantitatively assess the models in future when more precise data will become available.
Quantum extremal islands made easy. Part III. Complexity on the brane
Authors: Hernandez Juan , Myers Robert C. , Ruan Shan-Ming 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
We examine holographic complexity in the doubly holographic model introduced in [1, 2] to study quantum extremal islands. We focus on the holographic complexity=volume (CV) proposal for boundary subregions in the island phase. Exploiting the Fefferman-Graham expansion of the metric and other geometric quantities near the brane, we derive the leading contributions to the complexity and interpret these in terms of the generalized volume of the island derived from the induced higher-curvature gravity action on the brane. Motivated by these results, we propose a generalization of the CV proposal for higher curvature theories of gravity. Further, we provide two consistency checks of our proposal by studying Gauss-Bonnet gravity and f(ℛ) gravity in the bulk.
Organisational responses to the ethical issues of artificial intelligence
Authors: Stahl Bernd Carsten , Antoniou Josephina , Ryan Mark , Macnish Kevin , Jiya Tilimbe 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThe ethics of artificial intelligence (AI) is a widely discussed topic. There are numerous initiatives that aim to develop the principles and guidance to ensure that the development, deployment and use of AI are ethically acceptable. What is generally unclear is how organisations that make use of AI understand and address these ethical issues in practice. While there is an abundance of conceptual work on AI ethics, empirical insights are rare and often anecdotal. This paper fills the gap in our current understanding of how organisations deal with AI ethics by presenting empirical findings collected using a set of ten case studies and providing an account of the cross-case analysis. The paper reviews the discussion of ethical issues of AI as well as mitigation strategies that have been proposed in the literature. Using this background, the cross-case analysis categorises the organisational responses that were observed in practice. The discussion shows that organisations are highly aware of the AI ethics debate and keen to engage with ethical issues proactively. However, they make use of only a relatively small subsection of the mitigation strategies proposed in the literature. These insights are of importance to organisations deploying or using AI, to the academic AI ethics debate, but maybe most valuable to policymakers involved in the current debate about suitable policy developments to address the ethical issues raised by AI.
Absolutely Continuous Spectrum for Quantum Trees
Authors: Anantharaman Nalini , Ingremeau Maxime , Sabri Mostafa , Winn Brian 
Published: February 2021

AbstractWe study the spectra of quantum trees of finite cone type. These are quantum graphs whose geometry has a certain homogeneity, and which carry a finite set of edge lengths, coupling constants and potentials on the edges. We show the spectrum consists of bands of purely absolutely continuous spectrum, along with a discrete set of eigenvalues. Afterwards, we study random perturbations of such trees, at the level of edge length and coupling, and prove the stability of pure AC spectrum, along with resolvent estimates.
Ambulatory high-dose methotrexate administration as central nervous system prophylaxis in patients with aggressive lymphoma
Authors: Bernard S. , Hachon L. , Diasonama J. F. , Madaoui C. , Aguinaga L. , Miekoutima E. , Moatti H. , Perrial Emeline , Madelaine I. , Brice P. , Thieblemont Catherine 
Published: February 2021

AbstractHigh-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) at 3 g/m2 is one of the strategies for central nervous system (CNS) prophylaxis in the first-line treatment of aggressive lymphomas, especially in diffuse large B cell lymphoma patients with high-risk CNS-International Prognostic Index. The objective of our study was to retrospectively analyze the safety of 2 cycles of systemic HD-MTX administered as an ambulatory regimen. Between January 2013 and December 2016, 103 patients were carefully selected on 6 criteria, including age < 60, albumin > 34, performance status 0 or 1, normal renal and hepatic functions, good understanding of practical medical guidance, and no loss of weight. Strict procedures of HD-MTX infusion were observed including alkalinization, urine pH monitoring, and leucovorin rescue. Renal and hepatic functions were monitored at days 2 and 7. MTX clearance was not monitored. Toxicities and grades of toxicity were collected according to the NCI-CTCAE (version 4.0). Among the 103 selected patients, 92 (89%) patients successfully completed the planned 2 cycles of HD-MTX on an outpatient basis. Eleven patients completed only 1 cycle, 3 because of lymphoma progression and 8 because of toxicity including 3 grade II hepatotoxicity, 2 grade I/II renal toxicity, 1 grade III neutropenia, 1 active herpetic infection, and 1 grade III ileus reflex. Reported adverse events (AE) included 92 (84%) grade I/II and 18 (16%) grade III/IV. Grade III hepatotoxicity, mostly cytolysis, was the most frequent AE observed with 8 (8%) events. Grade III/IV hematologic toxicities concerned 9 patients with 8 grade III/IV neutropenia and 1 thrombocytopenia. Renal toxicity was rare, mild, and transient, observed with 4 (4%) grade I/II events. Ambulatory administration of HD-MTX at 3 g/m2 without MTX clearance monitoring is safe with strict medical guidance. It requires careful selection of patients before administration, and a renal and hepatic monitoring after the administration.
Fibrosis-5 predicts end-stage renal disease in patients with microscopic polyangiitis and granulomatosis with polyangiitis without substantial liver diseases
Authors: Kwon Hyeok Chan , Song Jason Jungsik , Park Yong-Beom , Lee Sang-Won 
Published: February 2021

AbstractWe previously reported that fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) was associated with poor outcomes of microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) and granuloma with polyangiitis (GPA). We also investigated the potential of FIB-5, a novel index, in predicting all-cause mortality and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) during follow-up in patients with MPA and GPA without substantial liver diseases. Clinical and laboratory data at diagnosis were collected by reviewing the medical records of 180 patients with MPA and GPA. FIB-5 was obtained by a following equation: FIB-5 = (serum albumin (g/L) × 0.3 + platelet count (109/L) × 0.05) − (alkaline phosphatase (IU/L) × 0.014 + aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase ratio × 6 + 14). The median age of the patients at diagnosis was 61.0 years. FIB-5 at diagnosis could not reflect the cross-sectional vasculitis activity. The cutoffs of FIB-5 for poor outcomes was set as 0.82 (the lowest tertile) and -0.42 (the lowest quartile) at diagnosis. In Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, patients with FIB-5 < 0.82 and those with FIB-5 < -0.42 exhibited lower ESRD-free survival rates than those without. However, it could not predict all-cause mortality. In multivariable Cox hazards analysis, both FFS (Hazard ratio (HR) 1.554) and FIB-5 < 0.82 (HR 2.096) as well as both FFS (HR 1.534) and FIB-5 < -0.42 (HR 2.073) at diagnosis independently predicted ESRD during follow-up. In conclusion, FIB-5 < 0.82 and FIB-5 < -0.42 at diagnosis could predict the occurrence of ESRD, but not all-cause mortality, during follow-up in patients with MPA and GPA without substantial liver diseases.
Mehr Transparenz durch das Lobbyregister?
Authors: Polk Andreas 
Published: February 2021

ZusammenfassungIn Deutschland soll ein Lobbyregister eingeführt werden. Fraglich ist, ob das vorgesehene Gesetz ausgewogene Regelungen vorsieht, um für hinreichende Transparenz in der Einflussnahme zu sorgen. Die vorgeschlagenen Maßnahmen reichen nicht aus, um die Einflussnahme vollständig und aktuell abzubilden.