bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mechanical factors contributing to the Venus flytrap’s rate-dependent response to stimuli
Authors: Saikia Eashan , Läubli Nino F. , Vogler Hannes , Rüggeberg Markus , Herrmann Hans J. , Burgert Ingo , Burri Jan T. , Nelson Bradley J. , Grossniklaus Ueli , Wittel Falk K. 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThe sensory hairs of the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula Ellis) detect mechanical stimuli imparted by their prey and fire bursts of electrical signals called action potentials (APs). APs are elicited when the hairs are sufficiently stimulated and two consecutive APs can trigger closure of the trap. Earlier experiments have identified thresholds for the relevant stimulus parameters, namely the angular displacement $$\theta $$
θ
and angular velocity $$\omega $$
ω
. However, these experiments could not trace the deformation of the trigger hair’s sensory cells, which are known to transduce the mechanical stimulus. To understand the kinematics at the cellular level, we investigate the role of two relevant mechanical phenomena: viscoelasticity and intercellular fluid transport using a multi-scale numerical model of the sensory hair. We hypothesize that the combined influence of these two phenomena and $$\omega $$
ω
contribute to the flytrap’s rate-dependent response to stimuli. In this study, we firstly perform sustained deflection tests on the hair to estimate the viscoelastic material properties of the tissue. Thereafter, through simulations of hair deflection tests at different loading rates, we were able to establish a multi-scale kinematic link between $$\omega $$
ω
and the cell wall stretch $$\delta $$
δ
. Furthermore, we find that the rate at which $$\delta $$
δ
evolves during a stimulus is also proportional to $$\omega $$
ω
. This suggests that mechanosensitive ion channels, expected to be stretch-activated and localized in the plasma membrane of the sensory cells, could be additionally sensitive to the rate at which stretch is applied.
Decentralised Finance — wie die Tokenisierung die Finanzindustrie verändert
Authors: Brühl Volker 
Published: August 2021

ZusammenfassungDie Distributed Ledger- bzw. Blockchain-Technologie führt zu einer zunehmenden Dezentralisierung von Finanzdienstleistungen, die weitgehend ohne die Einschaltung von Finanzintermediären angeboten werden können. Dazu trägt wesentlich die „Tokenisierung“ von Vermögensgegenständen, Zahlungsmitteln und Rechten bei, die verschlüsselt als Kryptowerte in verteilten Transaktionsregistern digital abgebildet werden können. Dieser Beitrag erläutert die Grundlagen und Anwendungsfelder dezentraler Finanzdienstleistungen mit Kryptowerten, die mittelfristig die gesamte Architektur des Finanzsektors verändern könnten.
Zur Gleichstellung beim Entgelt von Frauen und Männern mit gleicher Qualifikation
Authors: Koll Willi 
Published: August 2021

ZusammenfassungLohnungleichheit ist ein zentrales Element, das einer Gleichstellung von Frauen und Männern entgegensteht. Selbst bei Ausschluss bekannter lohnrelevanter Unterschiede, d. h. bei gleicher Qualifikation, besteht nach wie vor eine Lohnlücke zulasten der Frauen: der bereinigte Gender Pay Gap. Geburtsbedingte Mehrkosten für Unternehmen könnten einen Teil des bereinigten Gender Pay Gap erklären. Zur Kompensation dieser Mehrkosten und zur Beendigung einer Diskriminierung in der Lohnfindung werden mögliche Ansatzpunkte diskutiert.
Wird die Konjunkturkomponente der Schuldenbremse ihrer Aufgabe noch gerecht?
Authors: Krahé Max , Schuster Florian , Sigl-Glöckner Philippa 
Published: August 2021

ZusammenfassungIn der Debatte um die Schuldenbremse geht es zumeist um eine Grundgesetzänderung. Dabei ist ein wesentlicher Teil der Schuldenbremse — die Konjunkturkomponente, welche eine Defizitbeschränkung mit antizyklischer Fiskalpolitik vereinen soll — einfachgesetzlich definiert. Sieht man sich diese genauer an, besteht gerade hier Reformbedarf: Die Konjunkturkomponente in ihrer heutigen Ausgestaltung berücksichtigt nicht den neuesten Stand der Wissenschaft, schafft demokratisch fragwürdigen Ermessensspielraum und trägt nur bedingt zu tragfähigen öffentlichen Finanzen bei. Eine einfachgesetzliche Reform der Konjunkturkomponente könnte daher einen pragmatischen Schritt in Richtung einer zukunftsfähigeren Finanzpolitik darstellen.
Validation of a Miniaturized Test Loop for the Assessment of Human Blood Damage by Continuous-Flow Left-Ventricular Assist Devices
Authors: Woelke Eva , Mager Ilona , Schmitz-Rode Thomas , Steinseifer Ulrich , Clauser Johanna C. 
Published: August 2021

AbstractDespite improved hemocompatibility of left-ventricular assist devices (LVADs), assessment of blood damage remains mandatory in preclinical testing as standardized by ASTM-F1841. The most relevant test fluid is fresh, non-pooled human blood, but the limited volume of a standard donation requires significantly smaller loops than those commonly used with animal blood. In a recent study with porcine blood, we verified a miniaturized test loop with only 160 mL for the ASTM-conform paired testing of at least two LVADs and a static reference. Here, we validated this mini test loop for standardized assessment of blood damage with one 450-mL single donation of fresh human blood. Blood damage was assessed for HeartMate 3 and BPX-80 in 9 experiments with heparinized human blood for 6 hours. We analyzed plasma free hemoglobin, von Willebrand factor (vWF) concentration and collagen-binding functionality and calculated indices of hemolysis and vWF-ratios. Overall, we observed less blood damage compared to our previous study; however, the differences in mean indices of hemolysis and in mean normalized vWF-ratio between BPX-80 and HeartMate 3 were consistent for human blood. Thus, our mini test loop proved to be valid for preclinical standardized assessment of blood damage with only 450 mL of fresh human blood.
Exploring interaction effects from mechanisms between climate and land-use changes and the projected consequences on biodiversity
Authors: Nunez Sarahi , Alkemade Rob 
Published: August 2021

AbstractChanges in climate and land use are major drivers of biodiversity loss. These drivers likely interact and their mutual effects alter biodiversity. These interaction mechanisms are rarely considered in biodiversity assessments, as only the combined individual effects are reported. In this study, we explored interaction effects from mechanisms that potentially affect biodiversity under climate change. These mechanisms entail that climate-change effects on, for example, species abundance and species’ range shifts depend on land-use change. Similarly, land-use change impacts are contingent on climate change. We explored interaction effects from four mechanisms and projected their consequences on biodiversity. These interactions arise if species adapted to modified landscapes (e.g. cropland) differ in their sensitivity to climate change from species adapted to natural landscapes. We verified these interaction effects by performing a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of 42 bioclimatic studies (with different increases in global mean temperature) on species distributions in landscapes with varying cropland levels. We used the Fraction of Remaining Species as the effect-size metric in this meta-analysis. The influence of global mean temperature increase on FRS did not significantly change with different cropland levels. This finding excluded interaction effects between climate and landscapes that are modified by other land uses than cropping. Although we only assessed coarse climate and land-use patterns, global mean temperature increase was a good, significant model predictor for biodiversity decline. This emphasizes the need to analyse interactions between land-use and climate-change effects on biodiversity simultaneously in other modified landscapes. Such analyses should also integrate other conditions, such as spatial location, adaptive capacity and time lags. Understanding all these interaction mechanisms and other conditions will help to better project future biodiversity trends and to develop coping strategies for biodiversity conservation.
Suicide in prison and after release: a 17-year national cohort study
Authors: Bukten Anne , Stavseth Marianne Riksheim 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Background
People in prison have an extremely high risk of suicide. The aim of this paper is to describe all suicides in the Norwegian prison population from 2000 to 2016, during and following imprisonment; to investigate the timing of suicides; and to investigate the associations between risk of suicide and types of crime.

Methods
We used data from the Norwegian Prison Release study (nPRIS) including complete national register data from the Norwegian Prison Register and the Norwegian Cause of Death Register in the period 1.1.2000 to 31.12.2016, consisting of 96,856 individuals. All suicides were classified according to ICD-10 codes X60-X84. We calculated crude mortality rates (CMRs) per 100,000 person-years and used a Cox Proportional-Hazards regression model to investigate factors associated with suicide during imprisonment and after release reported as hazard ratios (HRs).

Results
Suicide accounted for about 10% of all deaths in the Norwegian prison population and was the leading cause of death in prison (53% of in deaths in prison). The CMR per 100,000 person years for in-prison suicides was 133.8 (CI 100.5–167.1) and was ten times higher (CMR = 1535.0, CI 397.9–2672.2) on day one of incarceration. Suicides after release (overall CMR = 82.8, CI 100.5–167.1) also peaked on day one after release (CMR = 665.7, CI 0–1419.1). Suicide in prison was strongly associated with convictions of homicide (HR 18.2, CI 6.5–50.8) and high-security prison level (HR 15.4, CI 3.6–65.0). Suicide after release was associated with convictions of homicide (HR 3.1, CI 1.7–5.5).

Conclusion
There is a high risk of suicide during the immediate first period of incarceration and after release. Convictions for severe violent crime, especially homicide, are associated with increased suicide risk, both in prison and after release.
Corrupting the Youth: Should Parents Feed their Children Meat?
Authors: Butt Daniel 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThis article is concerned with choices that parents or guardians make about the food they give to their children. Those with primary responsibility for the care of young children determine the set of foods that their children eat and have a significant impact on children’s subsequent dietary choices, both in later childhood and in adulthood. I argue that parents have a morally significant reason not to feed meat to their children, which stems from their fiduciary responsibility for the child’s moral development. This should, at a minimum, be factored into parental decisions about their children’s diet. In the absence of compelling countervailing reasons, it will mean that parents should not, in an all-things-considered sense, feed meat to their children. This claim does not rely upon the obviously contentious claim that it is morally wrong to eat meat. Instead, the fact that children, when adults, may reasonably themselves come to believe that consuming meat is wrong gives parents morally compelling reasons to avoid acting in ways which may have the predictable consequence of corrupting the moral character of those for whom they are responsible.
Subatomic Particles, Epistemic Stances, and Kantian Antinomies
Authors: Henschen Tobias 
Published: August 2021

AbstractIn Scientific Ontology, Chakravartty diagnoses a “dramatic conflict” between empiricism and metaphysics and aims to overcome that conflict by opting for a modern-day variant of Pyrrhonism, i.e. by appreciating the equal strength (isostheneia) of the arguments for and against the empiricist and metaphysical positions, and by achieving tranquility (ataraxia) by suspending judgment or remaining speechless in the face of that isostheneia. In this paper, I want to argue that instead of remaining speechless in the face of the isostheneia of the arguments for and against the empiricist and metaphysical positions, we should adopt a position that remains underrated in Chakravartty’s analysis: a position that amounts to a modern-day variant of the Kantian combination of transcendental idealism and empirical realism, and that like the original Kantian combination, is capable of solving many instances of the dramatic conflict between empiricism and metaphysics and, in particular, a conflict that is the talk of the town in philosophy of science these days—the conflict between ontic-structural realism and Lewisian metaphysics.
A Novel STK4 Mutation Impairs T Cell Immunity Through Dysregulation of Cytokine-Induced Adhesion and Chemotaxis Genes
Authors: Guennoun Andrea , Bougarn Salim , Khan Taushif , Mackeh Rafah , Rahman Mahbuba , Al-Ali Fatima , Ata Manar , Aamer Waleed , Prosser Debra , Habib Tanwir , Chin-Smith Evonne , Al-Darwish Khawla , Zhang Qian , Al-Shakaki Alya , Robay Amal , Crystal Ronald G. , Fakhro Khalid , Al-Naimi Amal , Al Maslamani Eman , Tuffaha Amjad , Janahi Ibrahim , Janahi Mohammad , Love Donald R. , Karim Mohammed Yousuf , Lo Bernice , Hassan Amel , Adeli Mehdi , Marr Nico 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Purpose
Human serine/threonine kinase 4 (STK4) deficiency is a rare, autosomal recessive genetic disorder leading to combined immunodeficiency; however, the extent to which immune signaling and host defense are impaired is unclear. We assessed the functional consequences of a novel, homozygous nonsense STK4 mutation (NM_006282.2:c.871C > T, p.Arg291*) identified in a pediatric patient by comparing his innate and adaptive cell-mediated and humoral immune responses with those of three heterozygous relatives and unrelated controls.

Methods
The genetic etiology was verified by whole genome and Sanger sequencing. STK4 gene and protein expression was measured by quantitative RT-PCR and immunoblotting, respectively. Cellular abnormalities were assessed by high-throughput RT-RCR, RNA-Seq, ELISA, and flow cytometry. Antibody responses were assessed by ELISA and phage immunoprecipitation-sequencing.

Results
The patient exhibited partial loss of STK4 expression and complete loss of STK4 function combined with recurrent viral and bacterial infections, notably persistent Epstein–Barr virus viremia and pulmonary tuberculosis. Cellular and molecular analyses revealed abnormal fractions of T cell subsets, plasmacytoid dendritic cells, and NK cells. The transcriptional responses of the patient’s whole blood and PBMC samples indicated dysregulated interferon signaling, impaired T cell immunity, and increased T cell apoptosis as well as impaired regulation of cytokine-induced adhesion and leukocyte chemotaxis genes. Nonetheless, the patient had detectable vaccine-specific antibodies and IgG responses to various pathogens, consistent with a normal CD19 + B cell fraction, albeit with a distinctive antibody repertoire, largely driven by herpes virus antigens.

Conclusion
Patients with STK4 deficiency can exhibit broad impairment of immune function extending beyond lymphoid cells.
Embedding to reference t-SNE space addresses batch effects in single-cell classification
Authors: Poličar Pavlin G. , Stražar Martin , Zupan Blaž 
Published: August 2021

AbstractDimensionality reduction techniques, such as t-SNE, can construct informative visualizations of high-dimensional data. When jointly visualising multiple data sets, a straightforward application of these methods often fails; instead of revealing underlying classes, the resulting visualizations expose dataset-specific clusters. To circumvent these batch effects, we propose an embedding procedure that uses a t-SNE visualization constructed on a reference data set as a scaffold for embedding new data points. Each data instance from a new, unseen, secondary data is embedded independently and does not change the reference embedding. This prevents any interactions between instances in the secondary data and implicitly mitigates batch effects. We demonstrate the utility of this approach by analyzing six recently published single-cell gene expression data sets with up to tens of thousands of cells and thousands of genes. The batch effects in our studies are particularly strong as the data comes from different institutions using different experimental protocols. The visualizations constructed by our proposed approach are clear of batch effects, and the cells from secondary data sets correctly co-cluster with cells of the same type from the primary data. We also show the predictive power of our simple, visual classification approach in t-SNE space matches the accuracy of specialized machine learning techniques that consider the entire compendium of features that profile single cells.
Phygital interfaces for people with intellectual disability: an exploratory study at a social care center
Authors: Gelsomini Mirko , Spitale Micol , Garzotto Franca 
Published: August 2021

AbstractPhygital interaction is a form of tangible interaction where digital and physical contents are combined in such a way that the locus of multimedia information is detached from the physical material(s) manipulated by the user. The use of phygital interaction is supported by several theoretical approaches that emphasize the development of cognitive skills dependent upon embodied interactions with the physical environment. Several studies demonstrate the potential of using phygital technologies for supporting people with intellectual disabilities (ID) in the development of cognitive, sensorimotor, social and behavioral skills. Our research aims at exploring the potential of phygital interaction for (young) adults with ID in a real setting, using a research platform called Reflex as a case study. For this purpose, we ran an empirical study involving 17 participants with ID and 8 specialists, and compared Reflex with approaches making use of only digital contents or paper-based materials. Our findings highlighted the potentials of phygital approaches to perform interventions with people with ID, enhancing their performances with an appreciated interaction method. In addition, the post-study interviews with specialists favoured the adoption of phygital technologies in a social care context.
Copula-based software metrics aggregation
Authors: Ulan Maria , Löwe Welf , Ericsson Morgan , Wingkvist Anna 
Published: August 2021

AbstractA quality model is a conceptual decomposition of an abstract notion of quality into relevant, possibly conflicting characteristics and further into measurable metrics. For quality assessment and decision making, metrics values are aggregated to characteristics and ultimately to quality scores. Aggregation has often been problematic as quality models do not provide the semantics of aggregation. This makes it hard to formally reason about metrics, characteristics, and quality. We argue that aggregation needs to be interpretable and mathematically well defined in order to assess, to compare, and to improve quality. To address this challenge, we propose a probabilistic approach to aggregation and define quality scores based on joint distributions of absolute metrics values. To evaluate the proposed approach and its implementation under realistic conditions, we conduct empirical studies on bug prediction of ca. 5000 software classes, maintainability of ca. 15000 open-source software systems, and on the information quality of ca. 100000 real-world technical documents. We found that our approach is feasible, accurate, and scalable in performance.
The mereology of thermodynamic equilibrium
Authors: te Vrugt Michael 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThe special composition question (SCQ), which asks under which conditions objects compose a further object, establishes a central debate in modern metaphysics. Recent successes of inductive metaphysics, which studies the implications of the natural sciences for metaphysical problems, suggest that insights into the SCQ can be gained by investigating the physics of composite systems. In this work, I show that the minus first law of thermodynamics, which is concerned with the approach to equilibrium, leads to a new approach to the SCQ, thethermodynamic composition principle(TCP): Multiple systems in (generalized) thermal contact compose a single system. This principle, which is justified based on a systematic classification of possible mereological models for thermodynamic systems, might form the basis of an inductive argument for universalism. A formal analysis of the TCP is provided on the basis of mereotopology, which is a combination of mereology and topology. Here, “thermal contact” can be analyzed using the mereotopological predicate “self-connectedness”. Self-connectedness has to be defined in terms of mereological sums to ensure that scattered objects cannot be self-connected.
Untapped research opportunities in China: promising future avenues and potential concerns for aging companion animals
Authors: Hoffman Jessica M. , Song Shanshan , Brugger Katharina , Valencak Teresa G. 
Published: August 2021

AbstractCompanion animals have recently been proposed as ideal translational models of human aging due to their shared susceptibility for certain diseases, similar environments, and sophisticated veterinary medicine diagnostics, all of which are not possible in rodent laboratory models. Here, we introduce and propose the study of companion animals in China as a largely untapped resource in academic and veterinary aging research. Pet ownership rates along with economic gains in the pet industry have skyrocketed over the last decade in China. Yet, the majority of research institutions still focus on agricultural animal research, not companion animals. In this perspective, we compare available pet ownership rates between the USA, the European Union, and China before focusing on the potential of companion animal aging research in China. In addition, we highlight some ethical considerations that must be addressed before large-scale companion animal aging research can be completed.
Gastrointestinal neuroendocrine neoplasms (GI-NENs): hot topics in morphological, functional, and prognostic imaging
Authors: Danti Ginevra , Flammia Federica , Matteuzzi Benedetta , Cozzi Diletta , Berti Valentina , Grazzini Giulia , Pradella Silvia , Recchia Laura , Brunese Luca , Miele Vittorio 
Published: August 2021

AbstractNeuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are heterogeneous tumours with a common phenotype descended from the diffuse endocrine system. NENs are found nearly anywhere in the body but the most frequent location is the gastrointestinal tract. Gastrointestinal neuroendocrine neoplasms (GI-NENs) are rather uncommon, representing around 2% of all gastrointestinal tumours and 20–30% of all primary neoplasms of the small bowel. GI-NENs have various clinical manifestations due to the different substances they can produce; some of these tumours appear to be associated with familial syndromes, such as multiple endocrine neoplasm and neurofibromatosis type 1. The current WHO classification (2019) divides NENs into three major categories: well-differentiated NENs, poorly differentiated NENs, and mixed neuroendocrine-non-neuroendocrine neoplasms. The diagnosis, localization, and staging of GI-NENs include morphology and functional imaging, above all contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT), and in the field of nuclear medicine imaging, a key role is played by 68Ga-labelled-somatostatin analogues (68Ga-DOTA-peptides) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/TC). In this review of recent literature, we described the objectives of morphological/functional imaging and potential future possibilities of prognostic imaging in the assessment of GI-NENs.