bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Measuring Higgs boson self-couplings with 2 → 3 VBS processes
Authors: Chen Junmou , Lu Chih-Ting , Wu Yongcheng 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
We study the measurement of Higgs boson self-couplings through 2 → 3 vector boson scattering (VBS) processes in the framework of Standard Model effective field theory (SMEFT) at both proton and lepton colliders. The SMEFT contribution to the amplitude of the 2 → 3 VBS processes, taking WLWL → WLWLh and WLWL → hhh as examples, exhibits enhancement with the energy $$ \frac{{\mathcal{A}}^{\mathrm{BSM}}}{{\mathcal{A}}^{\mathrm{SM}}}\sim \frac{E^2}{\Lambda^2} $$

A
BSM

A
SM

~

E
2

Λ
2

, which indicates the sensitivity of these processes to the related dimension-six operators in SMEFT. Simulation of the full processes at both hadron and lepton colliders with a variety of collision energies are performed to estimate the allowed region on c6 and $$ {c}_{\Phi_1} $$

c

Φ
1

. Especially we find that, with the help of exclusively choosing longitudinal polarizations in the final states and suitable pT cuts, WWh process is as important as the more widely studied triple Higgs production (hhh) in the measurement of Higgs self-couplings. Our analysis indicates that these processes can play important roles in the measurement of Higgs self-couplings at future 100 TeV pp colliders and muon colliders. However, their cross sections are generally tiny at low energy machines, which makes them much more challenging to explore.
Minimally invasive removal of deep contraceptive implants under continuous ultrasound guidance is effective, quick, and safe
Authors: Jacques Thibaut , Brienne Charlotte , Henry Simon , Baffet Hortense , Giraudet Géraldine , Demondion Xavier , Cotten Anne 
Published: October 2021

Abstract

Objectives
The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility, performance, and complications of a non-surgical, minimally-invasive procedure of deep contraceptive implant removal under continuous ultrasound guidance.

Methods
The ultrasound-guided procedure consisted of local anesthesia using lidocaine chlorhydrate 1% (10 mg/mL) with a 21-G needle, followed by hydrodissection using NaCl 0.9% (9 mg/mL) and implant extraction using a Hartmann grasping microforceps. The parameters studied were the implant localization, success and complication rates, pain throughout the intervention, volumes of lidocaïne and NaCl used, duration of the procedure, and size of the incision. Between November 2019 and January 2021, 45 patients were referred to the musculoskeletal radiology department for ultrasound-guided removal of a deep contraceptive implant and were all retrospectively included.

Results
All implants were successfully removed en bloc (100%). The mean incision size was 2.7 ± 0.5 mm. The mean duration of the extraction procedure was 7.7 ± 6.3 min. There were no major complications (infection, nerve, or vessel damage). As a minor complication, 21 patients (46.7%) reported a benign superficial skin ecchymosis at the puncture site, spontaneously regressing in less than 1 week. The procedure was very well-tolerated, with low pain rating throughout (1.0 ± 1.5/10 during implant extraction).

Conclusions
Minimally invasive removal of deep contraceptive implants under continuous ultrasound guidance alone is feasible, effective, and safe. In the present cohort, all implants were successfully removed, whatever the location, with short procedural time, small incision size, low pain levels, and no significant complications. This procedure could become a gold standard in this indication.

Key Points
• Minimally invasive removal of deep contraceptive implants under continuous ultrasound guidance alone is feasible, which led to a success rate of 100% whatever the location (even close to neurovascular structures), with only a small skin incision (2.7 ± 0.5 mm).
• The procedure was safe, quick, without any major complications, and very well tolerated in terms of pain.
• This minimally invasive ultrasound-guided procedure could become the future gold standard for the removal of deep contraceptive implants, as an alternative to surgical extraction, even for implants in difficult locations such as subfascial ones or those close to neurovascular structures.
Distance mathematics teaching in Flanders, Germany, and the Netherlands during COVID-19 lockdown
Authors: Drijvers Paul , Thurm Daniel , Vandervieren Ellen , Klinger Marcel , Moons Filip , van der Ree Heleen , Mol Amy , Barzel Bärbel , Doorman Michiel 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has confronted mathematics teachers with the challenge of developing alternative teaching practices—in many cases at a distance through digital technology—because schools were closed. To investigate what distance practices in secondary mathematics education have emerged and how teachers experienced them, we set out online questionnaires in Flanders—the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium—, Germany, and the Netherlands. The questionnaire focused on teaching practices, teacher beliefs, didactics, and assessment. Data consisted of completed questionnaires by 1719 mathematics teachers. Results show that the use of video conferencing tools increased massively, while the use of mathematics-specific tools that teachers used before the lockdown reduced substantially. Further findings are that teachers' confidence in using digital technologies increased remarkably during the lockdown and that their experiences and beliefs only marginally impacted their distance learning practices. Also, we observed some differences between the three countries that might be explained by differences in educational policies and in technological facilities and support. For future research, it would be relevant to investigate long-term changes in teachers’ practices, as well as students’ views and experiences related to the teacher’s practices.
Fracture surface formation of notched 2017A-T4 aluminium alloy under bending fatigue
Authors: Macek Wojciech 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe effect of cyclic loading on facture surface topology in notched components made by aluminium alloys is not completely clear. Fractography and fracture mechanics can help to understand this interdependency. This paper aims to study the distribution of the fracture surface roughness of notched 2017A-T4 aluminium alloy after bending fatigue using an optical focus-variation surface measurement technique by applying the fracture zone concept. The effects of stress level at the notch root and the load ratio on fatigue crack growth and fracture surfaces are analysed. Profile and areal surface parameters of four fracture surface regions were investigated at incremental crack lengths of the specimens. Studies have confirmed that the surface areas associated with the main stages of fatigue phenomenon (i.e. crack initiation, crack propagation, and final rupture) have significant differences in roughness which can be explained by the different loading scenarios. Overall, fatigue fracture surfaces have smallest roughness values at the crack initiation stage and a gradual increase during the fatigue crack growth stage.
Electrical and mechanical behaviour of metal thin films with deformation-induced cracks predicted by computational homogenisation
Authors: Kaiser T. , Cordill M. J. , Kirchlechner C. , Menzel A. 
Published: October 2021

AbstractMotivated by advances in flexible electronic technologies and by the endeavour to develop non-destructive testing methods, this article analyses the capability of computational multiscale formulations to predict the influence of microscale cracks on effective macroscopic electrical and mechanical material properties. To this end, thin metal films under mechanical load are experimentally analysed by using in-situ confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and in-situ four point probe resistance measurements. Image processing techniques are then used to generate representative volume elements from the laser intensity images. These discrete representations of the crack pattern at the microscale serve as the basis for the calculation of effective macroscopic electrical conductivity and mechanical stiffness tensors by means of computational homogenisation approaches. A comparison of simulation results with experimental electrical resistance measurements and a detailed study of fundamental numerical properties demonstrates the applicability of the proposed approach. In particular, the (numerical) errors that are induced by the representative volume element size and by the finite element discretisation are studied, and the influence of the filter that is used in the generation process of the representative volume element is analysed.
Influence of irradiance on the growth and biochemical composition of Nitzschia aff. pellucida
Authors: Lisondro Isaac , Gómez Serrano Cintia , Sepúlveda Claudia , Batista Ceballos Ariadna Indira , Acién Fernández Francisco Gabriel 
Published: October 2021

AbstractIn this paper the influence of irradiance and the operation modes on biomass production and biochemical composition, especially the fatty acid profile, on the diatom Nitzschia aff. pellucida was studied. Experiments were carried out under laboratory conditions, but simulating those outdoors, at irradiances ranging from 100 to 1000 µmol photons m−2 s−1, both in batch and semi-continuous mode. The data show that the growth rate increased with irradiance, following a hyperbolic relationship with the average irradiance (Eav). However, at irradiances higher than 450 µmol photons m−2 s−1, photo-inhibition was observed, with Fv/Fm values notably decreasing at irradiances above 1000 µmol photons m−2 s−1. To take account of this phenomenon, a growth model is proposed that considers the saturation constant modification (Ek) as a function of available irradiance. The data indicate that N. aff. pellucida is better adapted to low irradiances, below 300 µmol photons m−2 s−1. Regarding the biochemical composition, the highest content of lipids (~ 20%) and carbohydrates (~ 40%) was achieved at high irradiances (≥ 450 µmol photons m−2 s−1), while the highest protein content (> 8%) was found at low irradiances (≤ 200 µmol photons m−2 s−1). Elevated amounts of saturated fatty acids (SFA) (> 60%) were measured at high irradiances, while the highest content of unsaturated fatty acids (USFA) (> 35%) was found at low irradiances. Eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5 n-3) (EPA) and arachidonic acid (C20:4 n-6) (ARA) were only detected at 200 µmol m−2 s−1 but not at higher irradiances. The results confirm the effects of irradiance and the cultivation mode on the growth and biochemical composition of N. aff. pellucida. The model is an important tool when using this valuable strain to produce compounds of biological interest.
RB-CCR: Radial-Based Combined Cleaning and Resampling algorithm for imbalanced data classification
Authors: Koziarski Michał , Bellinger Colin , Woźniak Michał 
Published: October 2021

AbstractReal-world classification domains, such as medicine, health and safety, and finance, often exhibit imbalanced class priors and have asynchronous misclassification costs. In such cases, the classification model must achieve a high recall without significantly impacting precision. Resampling the training data is the standard approach to improving classification performance on imbalanced binary data. However, the state-of-the-art methods ignore the local joint distribution of the data or correct it as a post-processing step. This can causes sub-optimal shifts in the training distribution, particularly when the target data distribution is complex. In this paper, we propose Radial-Based Combined Cleaning and Resampling (RB-CCR). RB-CCR utilizes the concept of class potential to refine the energy-based resampling approach of CCR. In particular, RB-CCR exploits the class potential to accurately locate sub-regions of the data-space for synthetic oversampling. The category sub-region for oversampling can be specified as an input parameter to meet domain-specific needs or be automatically selected via cross-validation. Our $$5\times 2$$

5
×
2

cross-validated results on 57 benchmark binary datasets with 9 classifiers show that RB-CCR achieves a better precision-recall trade-off than CCR and generally out-performs the state-of-the-art resampling methods in terms of AUC and G-mean.
RNA sequencing of LX-2 cells treated with TGF-β1 identifies genes associated with hepatic stellate cell activation
Authors: Carson Jack P. , Robinson Mark W. , Ramm Grant A. , Gobert Geoffrey N. 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
Background
Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are liver-resident myofibroblast precursors responsible for the production of collagen and maintenance of the hepatic extracellular matrix (ECM). As such, they are generally associated with fibrotic liver diseases. HSCs become “activated” in response to tissue damage or pathogen invasion, a process most commonly driven by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Despite this, the full extent of TGF-β1 signalling in these cells is poorly understood. Clarifying the range and diversity of this signalling will further improve our understanding of the process of HSC activation.

Methods and results
RNA sequencing was used to quantitate the transcriptomic changes induced in LX-2 cells, an activated human HSC line, following TGF-b1 treatment. In total, 5,258 genes were found to be significantly differentially expressed with a false discovery rate cut-off of < 0.1. The topmost deregulated of these genes included those with no currently characterised role in either HSC activation or fibrotic processes, including CIITA and SERPINB2. In silico analysis revealed the prominent signalling pathways downstream of TGF-β1 in LX-2 cells.

Conclusions
In this study, we describe the genes and signalling pathways significantly deregulated in LX-2 cells following TGF-β1 treatment. We identified several highly deregulated genes with no currently characterised role in HSC activation, which may represent novel mediators of fibrotic responses in HSCs or the liver macroenvironment. This work may be of use in the identification of new markers of liver fibrosis and could provide insight into prospective genes or pathways that might be targeted for the amelioration of fibrotic liver disease in the future.
What is a social pattern? Rethinking a central social science term
Authors: Mondani Hernan , Swedberg Richard 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe main aim of this article is to start a discussion of social pattern, a term that is commonly used in sociology but not specified or defined. The key question can be phrased as follows: Is it possible to transform the notion of social pattern from its current status in sociology as a proto-concept into a fully worked out concept? And if so, how can this be done? To provide material for the discussion we begin by introducing a few different types of patterns that are currently being used (patterns in nature, cultural patterns, statistical patterns, and computationally generated patterns). This is followed by a suggestion for what a strictly sociological concept of social pattern may look like. A useful and theoretically solid concept of social pattern can in our view be constructed by basing it on Weber’s concept of social action. This means that both the behavior of the actors and the meaning these invest their behavior with must be taken into account. The article ends with a brief discussion of how to use the concept of social patterns in an effective way and what may endanger such a use.
Phosphorus Losses to Surface Runoff Waters After Application of Digestate to a Soil Over Fertilised with Phosphorus
Authors: Horta Carmo , Carneiro João Paulo 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
Anaerobic digestates from biogas plants can be used as agricultural fertilisers providing recycling nitrogen (N) and other nutrients for crop needs. It is still unclear the impact on phosphorus (P) losses to runoff waters of digestates as sources of N instead of inorganic N fertilisers in over fertilised soils with P. A field experiment was done in a sandy and acidic soil high in P. The experimental design was completely randomised with five treatments. The inorganic N fertilisation (90 kg ha−1) was done in four treatments, those with past P inputs of the following: (i) inorganic N and P fertilisers (Ni/MF), (ii) organic amendments (pig or duck dry slurry-Ni/PS and Ni/DS or cattle manure compost-Ni/CM). Digestate was applied in plots with past P input of cattle slurry (DG/CS) providing also 90 kg N ha−1. Ryegrass was sowed as cover crop. The concentration of total dissolved P in runoff waters was high in all treatments and ranged between 0.5 (Ni/PS) and 2.6 mg L−1 (DG/CS). These runoff waters pose a risk of non-source P pollution for fresh waters. In soils with low P sorption capacity and over fertilised with P, the fertilisation with anaerobic digestate as the only source of N to crops increased the risk of P losses to runoff waters compared with inorganic N fertilisation. Therefore, the amount of digestate applied to soil must be calculated considering its N:P ratio in order to not exceed the crop P requirement.
Dancing with the sound in edge computing environments
Authors: Hao Wangli , Han Meng , Li Shancang , Li Fuzhong 
Published: October 2021

AbstractConventional motion predictions have achieved promising performance. However, the length of the predicted motion sequences of most literatures are short, and the rhythm of the generated pose sequence has rarely been explored. To pursue high quality, rhythmic, and long-term pose sequence prediction, this paper explores a novel dancing with the sound task, which is appealing and challenging in computer vision field. To tackle this problem, a novel model is proposed, which takes the sound as an indicator input and outputs the dancing pose sequence. Specifically, our model is based on the variational autoencoder (VAE) framework, which encodes the continuity and rhythm of the sound information into the hidden space to generate a coherent, diverse, rhythmic and long-term pose video. Extensive experiments validated the effectiveness of audio cues in the generation of dancing pose sequences. Concurrently, a novel dataset of audiovisual multimodal sequence generation has been released to promote the development of this field.
Improved Discrimination of Tumors with Low and Heterogeneous EGFR Expression in Fluorescence-Guided Surgery Through Paired-Agent Protocols
Authors: Wang Cheng , Xu Xiaochun , Folaron Margaret , Gunn Jason R. , Hodge Sassan , Chen Eunice Y. , Hoopes P. Jack , Tichauer Kenneth M. , Samkoe Kimberley S. 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
Purpose
The goal of fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) in oncology is to improve the surgical therapeutic index by enhancing contrast between cancerous and healthy tissues. However, optimal discrimination between these tissues is complicated by the nonspecific uptake and retention of molecular targeted agents and the variance of fluorescence signal. Paired-agent imaging (PAI) employs co-administration of an untargeted imaging agent with a molecular targeted agent, providing a normalization factor to minimize nonspecific and varied signals. The resulting measured binding potential is quantitative and equivalent to in vivo immunohistochemistry of the target protein. This study demonstrates that PAI improves the accuracy of tumor-to-healthy tissue discrimination compared to single-agent imaging for in vivo FGS.

Procedures
PAI using a fluorescent anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) affibody molecule (ABY-029, eIND 122,681) with untargeted IRDye 700DX carboxylate was compared to ABY-029 alone in an oral squamous cell carcinoma xenograft mouse model at 3 h after dye administration (n = 30).

Results
PAI significantly enhanced tumor discrimination, as compared to ABY-029 alone in low EGFR-expressing tumors and highly heterogeneous populations including multiple cell lines with varying expression (diagnostic accuracy: 0.908 vs. 0.854 and 0.908 vs. 0.822; and ROC curve AUC: 0.963 vs. 0.909 and 0.957 vs. 0.909, respectively) indicating a potential for universal FGS image thresholds to determine surgical margins. In addition, PAI achieved significantly higher diagnostic ability than ABY-029 alone 0.25–5-h post injection and exhibited a stronger correlation to EGFR expression heterogeneity.

Conclusion
The quantitative receptor delineation of PAI promises to improve the surgical therapeutic index of cancer resection in a clinically relevant timeline.
Assessing glyphosate in water, marine particulate matter, and sediments in the Lagoon of Venice
Authors: Feltracco Matteo , Barbaro Elena , Morabito Elisa , Zangrando Roberta , Piazza Rossano , Barbante Carlo , Gambaro Andrea 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
Lagoon water, suspended particulate matter, and sediment samples from seven sites at Lagoon of Venice were collected from 2019 to 2021 in order to study the presence of the herbicide glyphosate (N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine), among the most widely used agricultural chemicals worldwide, but its occurrence in lagoon water environment has not been deeply investigated. The sites were selected considering a supposed diversity of inputs and of pollution levels. An analytical method based on ion chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry was optimized and validated for lagoon water, marine particulate matter, and sediment samples. Maximum concentrations of glyphosate were 260 and 7 ng L−1 for lagoon water and suspended particulate matter, respectively, and 15 ng g−1 for sediment, with some spatial and temporal fluctuations. Our results demonstrate that glyphosate content in the Venice Lagoon mainly depends on external forcing from river inlets and agricultural lagoon activities.
Analyzing the contributions of transdisciplinary research to the global sustainability agenda in African cities
Authors: Thiam Sokhna , Aziz Fati , Kushitor Sandra Boatemaa , Amaka-Otchere Akosua Baah Kwarteng , Onyima Blessing Nonye , Odume Oghenekaro Nelson 
Published: October 2021

AbstractIt is almost 6 years since the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted, and countries have less than 10 years to achieve the set targets. Unlike most of the world, sub-Saharan African countries have reported only minimal progress, one that the COVID-19 pandemic has unfortunately disrupted. Transdisciplinary research (TDR) has been conceptualized as important for achieving sustainability goals such as the SDGs. In this paper we (i) analyze the contributions of the five TDR projects toward the achievements of the SDGs at the city level in Africa, and (ii) explore the interactions between the assessed SDGs across the five projects. The projects’ contributions towards the achievements of the SDGs were examined in three thematic areas: (i) contexts, (ii) processes and (iii) products. The five projects were funded under the Leading Integrated Research for Agenda 2030 in Africa (LIRA) programme. The projects were being implemented in nine cities across five African countries Accra (Ghana), Kumasi (Ghana), Korhogo (Ivory Coast), Abuja Metro (Nigeria), Mbour (Senegal), Cape Town (South Africa), Nelson Mandela Bay Metro (South Africa), Grahamstown (South Africa) and Kampala (Uganda) and data were collected on each of the five projects in these cities. The contextual contributions include co-analysis and reflection on policy and institutional silos and social innovations amenable to contextual complexity. A shift in how actors perceived and conceptualized sustainability challenges and the role of the projects as transformative social agents constituted the two main process contributions. Tool development, virtual models and maps, and handbook are the product contributions by the projects. Our analysis of the SDG interactions indicated the need for cross-sectoral collaborations to ensures resource use efficiency, knowledge and experience sharing, and seamless flow of information and data to accelerate the SDG implementation.