bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Molecular requirements for human lymphopoiesis as defined by inborn errors of immunity
Authors: Della Mina Erika , Guérin Antoine , Tangye Stuart G. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractHematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are the progenitor cells that give rise to the diverse repertoire of all immune cells. As they differentiate, HSCs yield a series of cell states that undergo gradual commitment to become mature blood cells. Studies of hematopoiesis in murine models have provided critical insights about the lineage relationships among stem cells, progenitors, and mature cells, and these have guided investigations of the molecular basis for these distinct developmental stages. Primary immune deficiencies are caused by inborn errors of immunity that result in immune dysfunction and subsequent susceptibility to severe and recurrent infection(s). Over the last decade there has been a dramatic increase in the number and depth of the molecular, cellular, and clinical characterization of such genetically defined causes of immune dysfunction. Patients harboring inborn errors of immunity thus represent a unique resource to improve our understanding of the multilayered and complex mechanisms underlying lymphocyte development in humans. These breakthrough discoveries not only enable significant advances in the diagnosis of such rare and complex conditions but also provide substantial improvement in the development of personalized treatments. Here, we will discuss the clinical, cellular, and molecular phenotypes, and treatments of selected inborn errors of immunity that impede, either intrinsically or extrinsically, the development of B- or T-cells at different stages.
ERG1 plays an essential role in rat cardiomyocyte fate decision by mediating AKT signaling
Authors: Wang Duo , Liu Chang , Liu Huan , Meng Yilei , Lin Fang , Gu Yanqiong , Wang Hanrui , Shang Mengyue , Tong Chang , Sachinidis Agapios , Ying Qilong , Li Li , Peng Luying 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
ERG1, a potassium ion channel, is essential for cardiac action potential repolarization phase. However, the role of ERG1 for normal development of the heart is poorly understood. Using the rat embryonic stem cells (rESCs) model, we show that ERG1 is crucial in cardiomyocyte lineage commitment via interactions with Integrin β1. In the mesoderm phase of rESCs, the interaction of ERG1 with Integrin β1 can activate the AKT pathway by recruiting and phosphorylating PI3K p85 and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) to further phosphorylate AKT. Activation of AKT pathway promotes cardiomyocyte differentiation through two different mechanisms, (a) through phosphorylation of GSK3β to upregulate the expression levels of β-catenin and Gata4; (b) through promotion of nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-κB by phosphorylating IKKβ to inhibit cell apoptosis, which occurs due to increased Bcl2 expression. Our study provides solid evidence for a novel role of ERG1 on differentiation of rESCs into cardiomyocytes.
Intracellular matrix metalloproteinase-9 mediates epigenetic modifications and autophagy to regulate differentiation in human cardiac stem cells
Authors: Yadav Santosh K. , Mishra Paras K. 
Published: May 2021

Abstract

Epigenetic reprogramming and autophagy have critical roles in differentiation of stem cells. However, very little is known about how epigenetic modifications are mediated and how they contribute to autophagy and differentiation in human cardiac stem cells (hCSCs). Previously, we have reported that intracellular matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9), a collagenase, mediates cell death in hCSCs. Here, we investigated whether intracellular MMP9 mediates epigenetic modifications and autophagy in hCSCs. We created MMP9KO hCSCs and treated them with 5-azacytidine, an inhibitor of DNA methylation, and bafilomycin A1, an inhibitor of autophagosome degradation, and evaluated epigenetic modifications, autophagic flux, and differentiation. Our results showed compromised epigenetic modifications, reduced autophagy, and impaired differentiation in MMP9KO hCSCs. Remarkably, paracrine MMP9 supplementation restored epigenetic modifications but further reduced autophagy in MMP9KO hCSCs. We conclude that intracellular MMP9 is a critical mediator of epigenetic modifications and autophagy in hCSCs. Furthermore, the endocrine and paracrine effects of MMP9 vary for regulating autophagy in hCSCs. These novel roles of MMP9 are valuable for stem cell therapy.
Kappa opioid receptor controls neural stem cell differentiation via a miR-7a/Pax6 dependent pathway
Authors: Xu Chi , Fan Wenxiang , Zhang Ying , Loh Horace H. , Law Ping-Yee 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Although the roles of opioid receptors in neurogenesis have been implicated in previous studies, the mechanism by which κ-opioid receptor (OPRK1) regulates adult neurogenesis remains elusive. We now demonstrate that two agonists of OPRK1, U50,488H and dynorphin A, inhibit adult neurogenesis by hindering neuronal differentiation of mouse hippocampal neural stem cells (NSCs), both in vitro and in vivo. This effect was blocked by nor-binaltorphimine (nor-BNI), a specific antagonist of OPRK1. By examining neurogenesis-related genes, we found that OPRK1 agonists were able to downregulate the expression of Pax6, Neurog2, and NeuroD1 in mouse hippocampal NSCs, in a way that Pax6 regulates the transcription of Neurog2 and Neurod1 by directly interacting with their promoters. Moreover, this effect of OPRK1 was accomplished by inducing expression of miR-7a, a miRNA that specifically targeted Pax6 by direct interaction with its 3′-UTR sequence, and thereby decreased the levels of Pax6, Neurog2, and NeuroD1, thus resulted in hindrance of neuronal differentiation of NSCs. Thus, by modulating Pax6/Neurog2/NeuroD1 activities via upregulation of miR-7a expression, OPRK1 agonists hinder the neuronal differentiation of NSCs and hence inhibit adult neurogenesis in mouse hippocampus.
Flavor symmetries of six-dimensional $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = (1, 0) theories from AdS/CFT correspondence
Authors: Fujiwara Shota , Imamura Yosuke , Mori Tatsuya 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
We calculate the superconformal indices of a class of six-dimensional $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= (1, 0) superconformal field theories realized on M5-branes at ℂ2/ℤk singularity by using the method developed in previous works of the authors and collaborators. We use the AdS/CFT correspondence, and finite N corrections are included as the contribution of M2-branes wrapped on two-cycles in S4/ℤk. We confirm that the indices are consistent with the expected flavor symmetries.
The difference in local, regional and distant breast cancer recurrence between the immediate and delayed DIEP flap procedure; a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Joosen M. E. M. , Schop S. J. , Reinhoudt L. L. , van Kuijk S. M. J. , Beugels J. , de Bruïne A. P. , Goudkade D. , Heuts E. M. , van der Hulst R. R. W. J. , de Grzymala A. A. Piatkowski 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Purpose
It has been hypothesized that autologous breast reconstruction can cause reactivation of dormant micro metastases by its extensive tissue trauma, influencing the risk of breast cancer recurrence. However, about the specific effect of timing on breast cancer recurrence in the deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap reconstruction is not much known. In this study the rate of local, regional and distant recurrence between patients undergoing an immediate and delayed autologous DIEP flap breast reconstruction were evaluated.

Methods
In this retrospective cohort study, breast cancer patients undergoing a DIEP flap breast reconstruction between 2010 and 2018 in three hospitals in the Netherlands were evaluated. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were performed to assess the impact of different factors on breast cancer recurrence. The primary endpoint was local breast cancer recurrence. Secondary endpoints were regional and distant recurrence.

Results
A total of 919 DIEP-flap reconstructions were done in 862 women of which 347 were immediate- and 572 were delayed DIEP flap reconstructions. After a median follow-up of 46 months and 86 months respectively (p < 0.001), local breast cancer recurrence occurred in 1.5% and in 1.7% of the patients resulting in an adjusted hazard ratio of 2.890 (p = 0.001, 95% CI 1.536, 5437).

Conclusion
This study suggests an increased risk for breast cancer recurrence in women receiving a delayed DIEP flap reconstruction as compared to women receiving an immediate DIEP flap reconstruction. However, these data should be interpreted carefully as a result of selection bias.
Shareholder Value Effects of Ethical Sourcing: Comparing Reactive and Proactive Initiatives
Authors: Kim Seongtae , Chae Sangho 
Published: May 2021

AbstractWith the advent of responsible business, ensuring social responsibility in sourcing is of interest to both academics and practitioners. In this study, we examine one way of achieving this goal: ethical sourcing initiatives (ESIs). ESIs refer to a firm’s formal and informal actions to manage sourcing processes in an ethical and socially responsible manner. While ESIs have been established as an important part of corporate social responsibility, it is unclear whether, how, and when this corporate effort is economically beneficial. We conduct an event study estimating the shareholder value effect of 159 publicly traded firms’ ESIs and find that the stock market reacts positively to ESIs in general. We also compare market reactions under different conditions including reactive versus proactive ESIs, and their interactions with initiative timing, firm size, and financial risk. Additionally, we find that ESIs are associated with long-term stock price and operating performance. Overall, our findings clarify the potential economic benefits of corporate ESIs and encourage buying firms to take these initiatives selectively according to business contexts.
Publicity and Common Commitment to Believe
Authors: Williams J. R. G. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractInformation can be public among a group. Whether or not information is public matters, for example, for accounts of interdependent rational choice, of communication, and of joint intention. A standard analysis of public information identifies it with (some variant of) common belief. The latter notion is stipulatively defined as an infinite conjunction: forpto be commonly believed is for it to believed by all members of a group, for all members to believe that all members believe it, and so forth. This analysis is often presupposed without much argument in philosophy. Theoretical entrenchment or intuitions about cases might give some traction on the question, but give little insight aboutwhythe identification holds, if it does. The strategy of this paper is to characterize a practical-normative role for information being public, and show that the only things that play that role are (variants of) common belief as stipulatively characterized. In more detail: a functional role for “taking a proposition for granted” in non-isolated decision making is characterized. I then present some minimal conditions under which such an attitude is correctly held. The key assumption links this attitude to beliefs about what is public. From minimal a priori principles, we can argue that a proposition being public among a group entails common commitment to believe among that group. Later sections explore partial converses to this result, the factivity of publicity and publicity from the perspective of outsiders to the group, and objections to the aprioricity of the result deriving from a posteriori existential presuppositions.
Caterpillars of the marsh fritillary butterfly Euphydryas aurinia can extend their life-cycle in Scotland
Authors: Ravenscroft Neil O. M. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe marsh fritillaryEuphydryas auriniais declining across Europe and is of high conservation interest. Its ecology has been defined and its conservation status assessed primarily from the affinities and populations of young caterpillars in the autumn, before hibernation and high winter mortality. The possibility that caterpillars ofE. auriniacan overwinter more than once was investigated on the Isle of Islay, Scotland after caterpillars were found to occur at some locations in the spring despite a pre-hibernation absence. Closely-related species in North America and Northern Europe can prolong larval development by diapausing for a year as doesE. auriniain Scandinavia. Measurements of development and manipulations of distribution confirmed that some caterpillars do extend the life-cycle in Scotland and may occur in areas devoid of larvae in their first year. Caterpillars attempting this life-cycle develop slowly in spring, attain the normal penultimate spring instar and then enter diapause while other caterpillars are pupating. They moult just before diapause, construct highly cryptic webs and on emergence the following spring are 5–6 times heavier than larvae emerging in their first spring, or the equivalent of a month or so ahead. They attain a final, extra instar as larvae in their first spring reach the penultimate instar. Knowledge of this life-cycle is confined in the UK to Islay but its occurrence in this mild climate implies that it is more widespread.Implications for insect conservationConditions that permit long diapause are probably precise and may not be reflected in recognised qualities of habitat. The species may also be present despite a perceived absence in autumn, the standard period for monitoring. Assessments of the prevalence of the life-cycle and its contribution to the persistence ofE. auriniaare required. Populations ofE. auriniaare known to fluctuate greatly and do occur below the observation threshold for long periods.
An Autonomous Cybersecurity Framework for Next-generation Digital Service Chains
Authors: Repetto Matteo , Striccoli Domenico , Piro Giuseppe , Carrega Alessandro , Boggia Gennaro , Bolla Raffaele 
Published: May 2021

AbstractToday, the digital economy is pushing new business models, based on the creation of value chains for data processing, through the interconnection of processes, products, services, software, and things across different domains and organizations. Despite the growing availability of communication infrastructures, computing paradigms, and software architectures that already effectively support the implementation of distributed multi-domain value chains, a comprehensive architecture is still missing that effectively fulfills all related security issues: mutual trustworthiness of entities in partially unknown topologies, identification and mitigation of advanced multi-vector threats, identity management and access control, management and propagation of sensitive data. In order to fill this gap, this work proposes a new methodological approach to design and implement heterogeneous security services for distributed systems that combine together digital resources and components from multiple domains. The framework is designed to support both existing and new security services, and focuses on three novel aspects: (i) full automation of the processes that manage the whole system, i.e., threat detection, collection of information and reaction to attacks and system anomalies; (ii) dynamic adaptation of operations and security tasks to newest attack patterns, and (iii) real-time adjustment of the level of detail of inspection and monitoring processes. The overall architecture as well as the functions and relationships of its logical components are described in detail, presenting also a concrete use case as an example of application of the proposed framework.
Rheology, Morphology and Thermal Properties of a PLA/PHB/Clay Blend Nanocomposite: The Influence of Process Parameters
Authors: D’Anna Alessandra , Arrigo Rossella , Frache Alberto 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe effect of process parameters on the final properties of a poly-lactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) polymer blend filled with nanoclays was evaluated. To this aim, the nanofilled blend was processed in a co-rotating twin screw extruder, considering three different screw profiles and different values of the screw rotation speed, and the thermal and thermo-mechanical properties of the so-obtained materials were investigated. Furthermore, XRD analyses, SEM observations and rheological characterization were exploited to infer the coupled effect of the process parameters and nanoclay presence on the microstructure of the filled blend. Preliminary thermodynamic calculations allowed predicting the preferential localization of the nanoclay in the interfacial region between the polymeric phases. The relaxation mechanism of the particles of the dispersed phase in nanofilled blend processed, by rheological measurements, is not fully completed due to an interaction between polymer ad filler in the interfacial region with a consequent modification of the blend morphology and, specifically, a development of an enhanced microstructure. Therefore, by varying the screw configuration, particularly the presence of backflow and distribution elements in the screw profile, high shear stresses are induced during the processing able to allow a better interaction between polymers and clay. This finding also occurs in the thermo-mechanical properties of material, as an improvement of storage modulus up to 20% in filled blend processed with a specific screw profile. Otherwise, the microstructure of filled blend processed with different screw speed is similar, according to the other characterizations where no remarkable alterations of materials were detected.
Safety and Reverence: How Roman Catholic Liturgy Can Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Budaev Sergey 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe current COVID-19 pandemic is a major challenge for many religious denominations. The Roman Catholic Church strongly depends on physical communal worship and sacraments. Disagreements grow concerning the best balance between safety and piety. To address this issue, I review the major transmission risks for the SARS-CoV-2 virus and list certain measures to enhance the safety of the Roman Catholic Liturgy without compromising its intrinsic beauty and reverent spiritual attitude. This can be achieved through assimilation of several traditional elements into the modern liturgy. I emphasize that religious leadership and decision-making should be transparent and based on inclusiveness, pluralism, best scientific evidence and voluntary cooperation.
A framework for the fine-grained evaluation of the instantaneous expected value of soccer possessions
Authors: Fernández Javier , Bornn Luke , Cervone Daniel 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe expected possession value (EPV) of a soccer possession represents the likelihood of a team scoring or conceding the next goal at any time instance. In this work, we develop a comprehensive analysis framework for the EPV, providing soccer practitioners with the ability to evaluate the impact of observed and potential actions, both visually and analytically. The EPV expression is decomposed into a series of subcomponents that model the influence of passes, ball drives and shot actions on the expected outcome of a possession. We show we can learn from spatiotemporal tracking data and obtain calibrated models for all the components of the EPV. For the components related with passes, we produce visually-interpretable probability surfaces from a series of deep neural network architectures built on top of flexible representations of game states. Additionally, we present a series of novel practical applications providing coaches with an enriched interpretation of specific game situations. This is, to our knowledge, the first EPV approach in soccer that uses this decomposition and incorporates the dynamics of the 22 players and the ball through tracking data.
Corporate strategies oriented towards sustainable governance: advantages, managerial practices and main challenges
Authors: Hristov Ivo , Chirico Antonio , Ranalli Francesco 
Published: May 2021

AbstractIn the face of advancing globalization, societies have undergone a significant transformation over the last decades. The resulting environmental, social, economic and institutional challenges have made the issue of sustainability more relevant than ever, touching every aspect of our lives. To respond to these challenges, institutions and companies must jointly pursue the common goal of sustainable development. However, to integrate sustainability in strategic decision-making, academics and managers require a clear view of the advantages, key value drivers and potential solutions. Accordingly, we focus on two questions: What are the advantages of integrating sustainability initiatives in strategic decision-making? How can sustainability be integrated in the corporate strategy with a view to sustainable development? Based on semi-structured interviews with 85 managers specialized in sustainable governance, we provide a clear picture of the role of sustainability in the value creation process. Our proposed conceptual model suggests a positive correlation between implementing sustainability initiatives and corporate performance. Moreover, our findings show that firms that effectively implement sustainability improve the conditions of their surrounding communities. Indeed, a sustainable corporate strategy can lead not only to superior performance, but also to improving the wellbeing of all stakeholders.
Gaussian quantum states can be disentangled using symplectic rotations
Authors: de Gosson Maurice A. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractWe show that every Gaussian mixed quantum state can be disentangled by conjugation with a passive symplectic transformation, that is a metaplectic operator associated with a symplectic rotation. The main tools we use are the Werner–Wolf condition on covariance matrices and the symplectic covariance of Weyl quantization. Our result therefore complements a recent study by Lami, Serafini, and Adesso.
Dual addition formulas: the case of continuous q-ultraspherical and q-Hermite polynomials
Authors: Koornwinder Tom H. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractWe settle the dual addition formula for continuous q-ultraspherical polynomials as an expansion in terms of special q-Racah polynomials for which the constant term is given by the linearization formula for the continuous q-ultraspherical polynomials. In a second proof we derive the dual addition formula from the Rahman–Verma addition formula for these polynomials by using the self-duality of the polynomials. We also consider the limit case of continuous q-Hermite polynomials.
Electrical Signatures of Diffusion-Limited Mixing: Insights from a Milli-fluidic Tracer Experiment
Authors: Fernandez Visentini Alejandro , de Anna Pietro , Jougnot Damien , Le Borgne Tanguy , Méheust Yves , Linde Niklas 
Published: May 2021

AbstractWe investigate how diffusion-limited mixing of a layered solute concentration distribution within a porous medium impacts bulk electrical conductivity. To do so, we perform a milli-fluidic tracer test by injecting a fluorescent and electrically conductive tracer in a quasi two-dimensional (2D) water-saturated porous medium. High resolution optical- and geoelectrical monitoring of the tracer is achieved by using a fluorimetry technique and equipping the flow cell with a resistivity meter, respectively. We find that optical and geoelectrical outputs can be related by a temporal re-scaling that accounts for the different diffusion rates of the optical and electrical tracers. Mixing-driven perturbations of the electrical equipotential field lines cause apparent electrical conductivity time-series, measured perpendicularly to the layering, to peak at times that are in agreement with the diffusion transport time-scale associated with the layer width. Numerical simulations highlight high sensitivity of such electrical data to the layers’ degree of mixing and their distance to the injection electrodes. Furthermore, the electrical data correlate well with time-series of two commonly used solute mixing descriptors: the concentration variance and the scalar dissipation rate.