bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Spectral fitting strategy to overcome the overlap between 2‐hydroxyglutarate and lipid resonances at 2.25 ppm
Authors: Askari Pegah , Dimitrov Ivan E. , Ganji Sandeep K. , Tiwari Vivek , Levy Michael , Patel Toral R. , Pan Edward , Mickey Bruce E. , Malloy Craig R. , Maher Elizabeth A. , Choi Changho 
Published: May 2021

Purpose1H MRS provides a noninvasive tool for identifying mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH). Quantification of the prominent 2‐hydroxyglutarate (2HG) resonance at 2.25 ppm is often confounded by the lipid resonance at the same frequency in tumors with elevated lipids. We propose a new spectral fitting approach to separate these overlapped signals, therefore, improving 2HG evaluation.MethodsTE 97 ms PRESS was acquired at 3T from 42 glioma patients. New lipid basis sets were created, in which the small lipid 2.25‐ppm signal strength was preset with reference to the lipid signal at 0.9 ppm, incorporating published fat relaxation data. LCModel fitting using the new lipid bases (Fitting method 2) was conducted along with fitting using the LCModel built‐in lipid basis set (Fitting method 1), in which the lipid 2.25‐ppm signal is assessed with reference to the lipid 1.3‐ppm signal. In‐house basis spectra of low‐molecular‐weight metabolites were used in both fitting methods.ResultsFitting method 2 showed marked improvement in identifying IDH mutational status compared with Fitting method 1. 2HG estimates from Fitting method 2 were overall smaller than those from Fitting method 1, which was because of differential assignment of the signal at 2.25 ppm to lipids. In receiver operating characteristic analysis, Fitting method 2 provided a complete distinction between IDH mutation and wild‐type whereas Fitting method 1 did not.ConclusionThe data suggest that 1H MR spectral fitting using the new lipid basis set provides a robust fitting strategy that improves 2HG evaluation in brain tumors with elevated lipids.
Folded‐end dipole transceiver array for human whole‐brain imaging at 7 T
Authors: Avdievich Nikolai I. , Solomakha Georgiy , Ruhm Loreen , Nikulin Anton V. , Magill Arthur W. , Scheffler Klaus 
Published: May 2021

The advancement of clinical applications of ultrahigh field (UHF) MRI depends heavily on advances in technology, including the development of new radiofrequency (RF) coil designs. Currently, the number of commercially available 7 T head RF coils is rather limited, implying a need to develop novel RF head coil designs that offer superior transmit and receive performance. RF coils to be used for clinical applications must be robust and reliable. In particular, for transmit arrays, if a transmit channel fails the local specific absorption rate may increase, significantly increasing local tissue heating. Recently, dipole antennas have been proposed and used to design UHF head transmit and receive arrays. The dipole provides a unique simplicity while offering comparable transmit efficiency and signal‐to‐noise ratio with the conventional loop design. Recently, we developed a novel array design in our laboratory using a folded‐end dipole antenna. In this work, we developed, constructed and evaluated an eight‐element transceiver bent folded‐end dipole array for human head imaging at 7 T. Driven in the quadrature circularly polarized mode, the array demonstrated more than 20% higher transmit efficiency and significantly better whole‐brain coverage than that provided by a widely used commercial array. In addition, we evaluated passive dipole antennas for decoupling the proposed array. We demonstrated that in contrast to the common unfolded dipole array, the passive dipoles moved away from the sample not only minimize coupling between the adjacent folded‐end active dipoles but also produce practically no destructive interference with the quadrature mode of the array.
Effect of dimensionality of nanosized TiO2 embedded in regenerated cellulose beads as a portable catalyst for reusable decomposition system
Authors: Evyan Chia‐Yan Yang , Salleh Kushairi Mohd , Chong Mee Yoke , Chia Chin Hua , Zakaria Sarani 
Published: May 2021

AbstractFree‐standing titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanowires (TNW) with great photocatalysis performances were formed by using a simple hydrothermal method. Pre‐cool rapid dissolution technique was used to dissolve cellulose, and the regenerated cellulose (RC) beads were used as a portable host for absorption and photocatalytic reaction. Comparisons were made between zero‐dimensional TiO2 nanoparticle (TNP) and one‐dimensional TNW, which both were mixed separately with dissolved cellulose and regenerated into spherical beads. As regeneration involved physical interaction, there were no functional group changes observed on RC beads, as confirmed by Fourier‐transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy analysis. TNP and TNW maintained the crystallize phase after the regeneration process, thus confirming that aqueous LiOH/urea solvent had no chemical interaction with them. RC beads shaped, external and internal structures were morphologically examined with a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). Due to the distinct dimensionality between TNW and TNP, interactions of physical crosslinking with dissolved cellulose are also different. This leads to different RC beads morphological structures, externally and internally. Changes in pore volume and percentage of weight gain were most prominent with the embedment of TNW. RC beads with TNP (TPB) had better photocatalytic performances than RC beads with TNW (TWB) in the 1st cycle but have poor recyclability in comparison to TWB after the 5th cycle. We concluded that the embedment of one‐dimensional TNW in RC beads promotes better photocatalytic behavior and performance as a portable catalyst.
A rare case of leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava in a 32‐year‐old patient
Authors: Rosenbaum Paulo César , da Silva Boigues Aroldo Henrique , Tassone Fernando Zambelli , Martinhão Isabela , de Melo João Italo Fortaleza , Netto Raphael Oliveira Ramos Franco , Fernandes Victor Augusto Ramos , Mendonça Messias Villa , de Souza Freitas Melo Lindyane , Rocha Castilhos Cindy Liberato , Ferreira Leonardo Gattass , Dutra Luiz Dias 
Published: May 2021

AbstractLeiomyosarcoma is a malignant tumor that develops from the smooth muscle constituents of the middle layer in veins, usually affecting the inferior vena cava (IVC); however, this disease is observed in older patients. In this report, we describe a rare case of a 32‐year‐old female patient who presented with leiomyosarcoma. Initially, the patient complained of moderate‐intensity pain in the abdominal region of the right hypochondrium and nausea, worsening postprandial starting 6 days earlier. Abdominal ultrasonography showed a heterogeneous hypoechoic expansive formation, with lobulated contours and ill‐defined limits in the projection of the IVC. Inferior vena cavography, showed obliteration of the vessel in almost all of its extensions. Magnetic resonance examination showed a large expansive lesion occupying the IVC. The lesion was resected, and the specimen was sent for anatomopathological analysis, which showed a leiomyosarcoma of the IVC. Patients with leiomyosarcoma have a poor prognosis, and early diagnosis and complete resection with free surgical margins are the only chance of long‐term survival. The report stands out due to the appearance of this condition in a young patient with no family history of this disease or other predisposing carcinogenic pathologies.
Associations between beta‐blocker use and psychological distress in bereaved adults with cardiovascular conditions
Authors: Viola Martin , Ouyang Daniel , Xu Jiehui , Maciejewski Paul K. , Prigerson Holly G. , Derry Heather M. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe death of a close other is a major life stressor that disrupts mental and physical health. Beta‐blocker medications are indicated treatments for cardiovascular conditions that may also mitigate psychological distress in the context of stressors by reducing adrenergic activity. We sought to examine observational links between beta‐blocker medication use and psychological distress during bereavement. Using publicly available data from the Midlife in the United States Refresher study, we examined associations between beta‐blocker use and general distress, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms (as measured by the Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire) among bereaved adults with cardiovascular conditions (n = 161) using t‐tests and regression models. Beta‐blocker users reported lower levels of anxiety‐related general distress (b = −2.49, SE = 0.88, p = 0.005) and depression‐related general distress than non‐users (b = −2.39, SE = 1.14, p = 0.039) in multivariate linear regression models adjusting for demographic characteristics, mental health treatments, time since loss and comorbid health conditions. These observed links between beta‐blockers and lower psychological distress in bereavement warrant further investigation in prospective and randomized studies, as beta‐blockers could be a scalable intervention for mitigating distress following loss.
Understanding flavin electronic structure and spectra
Authors: Kar Rajiv K. , Miller Anne‐Frances , Mroginski Maria‐Andrea 
Published: May 2021

AbstractFlavins have emerged as central to electron bifurcation, signaling, and countless enzymatic reactions. In bifurcation, two electrons acquired as a pair are separated in coupled transfers wherein the energy of both is concentrated on one of the two. This enables organisms to drive demanding reactions based on abundant low‐grade chemical fuel. To enable incorporation of this and other flavin capabilities into designed materials and devices, it is essential to understand fundamental principles of flavin electronic structure that make flavins so reactive and tunable by interactions with protein. Emerging computational tools can now replicate spectra of flavins and are gaining capacity to explain reactivity at atomistic resolution, based on electronic structures. Such fundamental understanding can moreover be transferrable to other chemical systems. A variety of computational innovations have been critical in reproducing experimental properties of flavins including their electronic spectra, vibrational signatures, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) chemical shifts. A computational toolbox for understanding flavin reactivity moreover must be able to treat all five oxidation and protonation states, in addition to excited states that participate in flavoprotein's light‐driven reactions. Therefore, we compare emerging hybrid strategies and their successes in replicating effects of hydrogen bonding, the surrounding dielectric, and local electrostatics. These contribute to the protein's ability to modulate flavin reactivity, so we conclude with a survey of methods for incorporating the effects of the protein residues explicitly, as well as local dynamics. Computation is poised to elucidate the factors that affect a bound flavin's ability to mediate stunningly diverse reactions, and make life possible.This article is categorized under:Structure and Mechanism > Computational Biochemistry and BiophysicsElectronic Structure Theory > Combined QM/MM MethodsTheoretical and Physical Chemistry > Spectroscopy
Flips, dualities and symmetry enhancements
Authors: Hwang Chiung , Pasquetti Sara , Sacchi Matteo 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
We present various 4d $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 1 theories enjoying IR global symmetry enhancement. The models we consider have the USp(2N) gauge group, 8 fundamental, one antisymmetric chirals and various numbers of gauge singlets. By suitably turning on superpotential deformations involving the singlets which break part of the UV symmetry we flow to SCFTs with E6, SO(10), SO(9), SO(8) and F4 IR global symmetry. We explain these patterns of symmetry enhancement following two arguments due to Razamat, Sela and Zafrir. The first one involves the study of the relations satisfied by marginal operators, while the second one relies on the existence of self-duality frames.
Counterexample-guided inductive synthesis for probabilistic systems
Authors: Češka Milan , Hensel Christian , Junges Sebastian , Katoen Joost-Pieter 
Published: May 2021

Abstract

This paper presents counterexample-guided inductive synthesis (CEGIS) to automatically synthesise probabilistic models. The starting point is a family of finite-stateMarkov chains with related but distinct topologies. Such families can succinctly be described by a sketch of a probabilistic program. Program sketches are programs containing holes. Every hole has a finite repertoire of possible program snippets by which it can be filled.We study several synthesis problems—feasibility, optimal synthesis, and complete partitioning—for a given quantitative specification

φ

. Feasibility amounts to determine a family member satisfying

φ

, optimal synthesis amounts to find a family member that maximises the probability to satisfy

φ

, and complete partitioning splits the family in satisfying and refuting members. Each of these problems can be considered under the additional constraint of minimising the total cost of instantiations, e.g., what are all possible instantiations for

φ

that are within a certain budget? The synthesis problems are tackled using a CEGIS approach. The crux is to aggressively prune the search space by using counterexamples provided by a probabilistic model checker. Counterexamples can be viewed as sub-Markov chains that rule out all family members that share this sub-chain. Our CEGIS approach leverages efficient probabilisticmodel checking,modern SMT solving, and programsnippets as counterexamples. Experiments on case studies froma diverse nature—controller synthesis, program sketching, and security—show that synthesis among up to a million candidate designs can be done using a few thousand verification queries.
Meditation affects word recognition of meditation novices
Authors: Lusnig Larissa , Radach Ralph , Hofmann Markus J. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThis work represents one of the first attempts to examine the effects of meditation on the processing of written single words. In the present longitudinal study, participants conducted a lexical decision task and rated the affective valence of nouns before and after a 7-week class in mindfulness meditation, loving-kindness meditation, or a control intervention. Both meditation groups rated the emotional valence of nouns more neutral after the interventions, suggesting a general down-regulation of emotions. In the loving-kindness group, positive words were rated more positively after the intervention, suggesting a specific intensification of positive feelings. After both meditation interventions, response times in the lexical decision task accelerated significantly, with the largest facilitation occurring in the loving-kindness group. We assume that meditation might have led to increased attention, better visual discrimination, a broadened attentional focus, and reduced mind-wandering, which in turn enabled accelerated word recognition. These results extend findings from a previous study with expert Zen meditators, in which we found that one session of advanced meditation can affect word recognition in a very similar way.
Trading offspring for survival: high duckweed cover decreases reproductive potential and stimulates elongation in the submerged macrophyte Chara globularis Thuillier
Authors: Van Onsem Stijn , Triest Ludwig 
Published: May 2021

AbstractCompact blankets of free-floating plants generate stressful aquatic environments. The response of submerged macrophytes remains largely elusive. Will they rush toward the light or rather speed up reproductive efforts and escape using propagules—the macrophyte equivalent of lifeboats? We studied the effects of complete duckweed (Lemna minor) cover on growth and reproductive fitness of macroalgaChara globularisin a pond mesocosm experiment.C. globularisgrowing inLemna-covered plots lost biomass and developed longer internodes, indicating an elongative reflex to escape stress. Densities of reproductive organs per biomass unit evolved positively in open plots and negatively in covered plots, suggesting a trade-off between reproductive effort and vegetative elongation. Reproductive potential correlated significantly with incident radiation.Lemnacover, however, did not affect oospore rain—at least within the limited time span of propagule trapping.C. globularisthus displayed an ability to modify phenology in response to floating plant stress, allocating resources to internodes instead of gametangia. Nevertheless, duckweed dominance clearly suppressed the overall reproductive performance ofC. globularis. The regenerative capacity of many submerged macrophytes will likely suffer from increased floating plant dominance due to global warming—unless efforts are made to reduce nutrient levels in vulnerable waterbodies.
Towards an enriched framework of service evaluation for pedestrian and bicyclist infrastructure: acknowledging the power of users’ perceptions
Authors: Rodriguez-Valencia Alvaro , Vallejo-Borda Jose Agustin , Barrero German A. , Ortiz-Ramirez Hernan Alberto 
Published: May 2021

AbstractMore and more cities worldwide are striving for sustainability and livability. Measuring the service or performance of local-scale spaces for pedestrians and bicyclists to better understand how to provide “walkable” and “bikeable” environments is key in this endeavor to enhance active transportation. These pedestrian and bicycle service or performance indicators, such as Level of Traffic Stress or Level of Service, relate measurable characteristics with a perceived proxy of the performance or service, such as comfort, satisfaction, or quality of service (QoS). The purpose of this study is to propose and validate a framework that integrates user-oriented inputs to the existing traditional supply-oriented variables to explain the QoS in segment roadways in urban environments for active modes. The conceptual framework underlying this study considers the contribution of individual perceptions, in addition to the traditionally considered operational and geometry variables, to explain the perceived QoS of pedestrian and bicyclist infrastructure. The framework is tested via two separate and independent surveys for pedestrians and bicyclists. Evidence determined the relative importance of these supply-oriented and user-oriented factors to explain the QoS. The superior explanatory power of the perception variables and in terms of the variables that explain the individuals’ perceived QoS justify the framework for both pedestrians and bicyclists.
Food security and food quality among vanilla farmers in Madagascar: the role of contract farming and livestock keeping
Authors: Andriamparany Jessica Noromalala , Hänke Hendrik , Schlecht Eva 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe northeastern SAVA region of Madagascar is the largest vanilla producing area in the world and is flourishing due to a large global demand for natural vanilla. Although the general socio-economic situation has regionally improved because of high vanilla prices, little is known about the nutritional status of local vanilla farmers. We used a 12-month longitudinal food survey to analyze food security, food consumption and nutrient intake of local vanilla farming households (n = 140). Food consumption data was complemented with baseline, agro-economic, longitudinal and field-plot information to determine factors influencing food security, and the contribution of protein from Animal Source Food (ASF_protein) to household nutrition using a stepwise generalized linear model. Results show a high level (74%) of food insecurity and micronutrient deficiency but an acceptable level of protein intake among surveyed households. Consumption of rice, the principal source of carbohydrates, is stable across the year. Compared to other regions in Madagascar, local diets are moderately diversified with an acceptable share of ASF_protein (about 50%). Household size (P < 0.001) and cash income from rice sales (P < 0.001) were the most important factors influencing the food security index (FSI), while cash crop income (P < 0.01) and number of income sources (P < 0.01) were more important in the explanation of the dietary share of ASF_protein. Yet, neither livestock ownership nor contracting with vanilla buyers/exporters did improve food security of the surveyed households. Households who concluded contracts were significantly less food secure than non-contracting households (P = 0.01) with seasonal fluctuations across the year. Policy implications of our findings are that, although many actors of the vanilla value chain run social and environmental programs in the SAVA region, more needs to be done to improve diet quality at household level and strengthen farmers’ resilience to food insecurity.
Wie in Mathe so auch in Kunst? Zur Konzeption von Unterrichtsqualität im Kunstunterricht
Authors: Rakoczy Katrin , Wagner Ernst , Frick Ulrich 
Published: May 2021

ZusammenfassungDie Frage, was guten Kunstunterricht ausmacht, stellt zwar eine der zentralen Fragen der Kunstpädagogik dar, wurde bisher jedoch kaum (quantitativ) empirisch untersucht. Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden Erkenntnisse aus der allgemeinen Unterrichtsqualitätsforschung für die Konzeption von Qualität im Kunstunterricht genutzt, indem die Dimensionen des Syntheseframeworks von Praetorius und Charalambous (2018) mit zwei zentralen kunstdidaktischen Ansätzen abgeglichen werden. Die Gegenüberstellung der aus kunstdidaktischer Sicht relevanten Unterrichtsmerkmale mit dem Syntheseframework spricht für eine grundsätzliche Eignung der aus Kernfächern bekannten Qualitätsdimensionen für den Kunstunterricht. Sie macht jedoch auch deutlich, dass eine fachspezifische Überarbeitung und Ausdifferenzierung der Dimensionen unter Berücksichtigung der Vielschichtigkeit und Komplexität des Lernprozesses notwendig ist. Es wird dargelegt, dass sich die fachspezifische Gestaltung und Ausdifferenzierung sowohl auf die Erweiterung einer Dimension (z. B. „Kognitive und emotionale Aktivierung“ statt „kognitiver Aktivierung“) beziehen kann als auch auf eine unterschiedliche Schwerpunktsetzung innerhalb einer Dimension (z. B. bedeutet Klassenführung im Kunstunterricht nicht die exakte Einhaltung einer genauen Unterrichtsplanung, sondern eher die Schaffung einer kreativitätsfördernden Atmosphäre).
Analysis of fractality and complexity of the planetary K-index
Authors: Chattopadhyay Anirban , Chandra Aniruddha , Khondekar Mofazzal H. , Bhattacharjee Anup Kumar 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe objective of this research is to explore the inherent complexities and multifractal properties of the underlying distributions in the daily Planetary K-index time series collected from NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. In this article, non-stationary and nonlinear characteristics of the signal have been explored using Smoothed Pseudo Wigner–Ville Distribution and Delay Vector Variance algorithms, respectively, while Recurrence Plot, 0–1 test, Recurrence Quantification Analysis and correlation dimension analysis have been applied to confirm and measure the chaos in the signal under consideration. Multifractal detrending moving average has been used to evaluate the multifractality and also recognise the singularities of the signal. The result of these analyses validates the nonstationary and nonlinear characteristics of the Planetary K-index signal, while a significant presence of deterministic chaos in it has also been noticed. It has also been confirmed that the Planetary K-index exhibits multifractal nature with positive persistence. The long-range temporal association and also the large pdf are discovered to be the primary factors that contribute to the multifractal behaviour of the Kp-index.