bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Transglutaminase 2: a novel therapeutic target for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis using selective small molecule inhibitors
Authors: Fell Shaun , Wang Zhuo , Blanchard Andy , Nanthakumar Carmel , Griffin Martin 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThis study investigates the effects of a site-directed TG2-selective inhibitor on the lung myofibroblast phenotype and ECM deposition to elucidate TG2 as a novel therapeutic target in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)—an incurable progressive fibrotic disease. IPF fibroblasts showed increased expression of TG2, α smooth muscle actin (αSMA) and fibronectin (FN) with increased extracellular TG2 and transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) compared to normal human lung fibroblasts (NHLFs) which do not express αSMA and express lower levels of FN. The myofibroblast phenotype shown by IPF fibroblasts could be reversed by selective TG2 inhibition with a reduction in matrix FN and TGFβ1 deposition. TG2 transduction or TGFβ1 treatment of NHLFs led to a comparable phenotype to that of IPF fibroblasts which was reversible following selective TG2 inhibition. Addition of exogenous TG2 to NHLFs also induced the myofibroblast phenotype by a mechanism involving TGFβ1 activation which could be ameliorated by selective TG2 inhibition. SMAD3-deleted IPF fibroblasts via CRISPR-cas9 genome editing, showed reduced TG2 protein levels following TGFβ1 stimulation. This study demonstrates a key role for TG2 in the induction of the myofibroblast phenotype and shows the potential for TG2-selective inhibitors as therapeutic agents for the treatment of fibrotic lung diseases like IPF.
Supplemental enteral tube feeding nutrition after hospital discharge of esophageal cancer patients who have undergone esophagectomy
Authors: Niihara Masahiro , Tsubosa Yasuhiro , Yamashita Aiko , Mori Keita , Tsumaki Hiromi , Onozawa Yusuke , Fukuda Hiroyuki 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Background
After undergoing esophagectomy to treat esophageal cancer, there are changes in the normal intake patterns in most patients, with more than half found to have an inadequate oral intake at the time of their hospital discharge. However, the use of home supplemental enteral tube feeding nutrition after hospital discharge in esophagectomy patients has yet to be established. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of 90-day home supplemental enteral tube feeding nutrition in esophagectomy patients.

Methods
This single-center, prospective, and single-arm study evaluated the feasibility of using supplemental tube feeding nutrition intervention for 90 days in esophageal cancer patients who have undergone esophagectomy.

Results
This study enrolled 24 post-esophagectomy patients between February 2015 and September 2016. Twenty patients were administered 70% or more of the planned nutrient, with 83% of the patients completing the nutritional intervention procedure. There were no grade 3/4 adverse events observed, with a mean body weight change of − 7.6 ± 6.0%.

Conclusions
Our results showed that routine use of 90-day home supplemental enteral tube feeding nutrition after hospital discharge for esophagectomy patients was both feasible and acceptable.

Trial registration
UMIN000016286.
End-user satisfaction of technology-enabled assessment in higher education: A coping theory perspective
Authors: Pillai K. R. , Upadhyaya Pallavi , Prakash Ashish Viswanath , Ramaprasad Badrinarayan Srirangam , Mukesh H. V. , Pai Yogesh 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe current study examines students’ coping process of a forced technological intervention in academic outcome assessment in a higher education setting. A mixed-method approach was used to study 246 post-graduate students’ post-usage behaviour of electronic tablet-PC exams and examined their end-user satisfaction. This is an empirical study grounded in the Coping Model of User Adaptation (CMUA). Respondents of the study comprise of post-graduate students, who were exposed to an innovative digital device for writing descriptive exams as a substitute to the conventional paper-mode exam. Data were analyzed using SPSS and Nvivo. Findings indicate that problem-focused coping has a significant influence on end-user satisfaction, and on the contrary emotion-focused coping is insignificant among the students. The study offers insights into those institutions, which are aspiring to advance with similar interventions in academic outcome assessment. The study contributes to the literature on technostress, coping strategy, and end-user satisfaction of ICT.
Characterization of “Mais delle Fiorine” (Zea mays L.) and nutritional, morphometric and genetic comparison with other maize landraces of Lombardy region (Northern Italy)
Authors: Giupponi Luca , Leoni Valeria , Colombo Federico , Cassani Elena , Hejna Monika , Rossi Luciana , Pilu Roberto 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe loss of agrobiodiversity is a topic of global impact. On a local scale, Lombardy, in the Alpine macro-Region, has lost more than 78% of its plant agrobiodiversity. Only four maize (Zea mays L. subsp. mays) landraces of Lombardy are registered in the European Register of Conservation Varieties. However, there are other maize landraces in Lombardy such as “Mais delle Fiorine”, which was characterized from an agronomic, morphometric, nutritional and genetic point of view in this research and then compared with the four other landraces already registered (“Spinato di Gandino”, “Rostrato Rosso di Rovetta”, “Scagliolo di Carenno” and “Nero Spinoso”). “Mais delle Fiorine” resulted richer in starch (81% ± 1.6) and zinc (35.8 ± 9.1 mg Kg−1) and lower in phosphorus (3256.7 ± 204.2 mg Kg−1). The kernels in the five landraces also differ in the mean shape that is obovate without beak. A genetic distinction between “Mais delle Fiorine” and the other varieties was observed, and in particular compared to “Nero Spinoso”, while “Scagliolo di Carenno” and “Rostrato Rosso di Rovetta” showed great similarities. As regards agronomical trials, “Mais delle Fiorine” can grow from the Po Valley (90 m a.s.l.) to the mountain environments of the Seriana Valley (also over 900 m a.s.l.) without significant differences in grain yield. In addition, this landrace would seem able to tolerate environments where there is a greater probability of water stress.
A computational approach for investigating Coulomb interaction using Wigner–Poisson coupling
Authors: Benam Majid , Ballicchia Mauro , Weinbub Josef , Selberherr Siegfried , Nedjalkov Mihail 
Published: January 2021

AbstractEntangled quantum particles, in which operating on one particle instantaneously influences the state of the entangled particle, are attractive options for carrying quantum information at the nanoscale. However, fully-describing entanglement in traditional time-dependent quantum transport simulation approaches requires significant computational effort, bordering on being prohibitive. Considering electrons, one approach to analyzing their entanglement is through modeling the Coulomb interaction via the Wigner formalism. In this work, we reduce the computational complexity of the time evolution of two interacting electrons by resorting to reasonable approximations. In particular, we replace the Wigner potential of the electron–electron interaction by a local electrostatic field, which is introduced through the spectral decomposition of the potential. It is demonstrated that for some particular configurations of an electron–electron system, the introduced approximations are feasible. Purity, identified as the maximal coherence for a quantum state, is also analyzed and its corresponding analysis demonstrates that the entanglement due to the Coulomb interaction is well accounted for by the introduced local approximation.
Drones provide spatial and volumetric data to deliver new insights into microclimate modelling
Authors: Duffy James P. , Anderson Karen , Fawcett Dominic , Curtis Robin J. , Maclean Ilya M. D. 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Context
Microclimate (fine-scale temperature variability within metres of Earth’s surface) is highly influential on terrestrial organisms’ ability to survive and function. Understanding how such local climatic conditions vary is challenging to measure at adequate spatio-temporal resolution. Microclimate models provide the means to address this limitation, but require as inputs, measurements, or estimations of multiple environmental variables that describe vegetation and terrain variation.

Objectives
To describe the key components of microclimate models and their associated environmental parameters. To explore the potential of drones to provide scale relevant data to measure such environmental parameters.

Methods
We explain how drone-mounted sensors can provide relevant data in the context of alternative remote sensing products. We provide examples of how direct micro-meteorological measurements can be made with drones. We show how drone-derived data can be incorporated into 3-dimensional radiative transfer models, by providing a realistic representation of the landscape with which to model the interaction of solar energy with vegetation.

Results
We found that for some environmental parameters (i.e. topography and canopy height), data capture and processing techniques are already established, enabling the production of suitable data for microclimate models. For other parameters such as leaf size, techniques are still novel but show promise. For most parameters, combining spatial landscape characterization from drone data and ancillary data from lab and field studies will be a productive way to create inputs at relevant spatio-temporal scales.

Conclusions
Drones provide an exciting opportunity to quantify landscape structure and heterogeneity at fine resolution which are in turn scale-appropriate to deliver new microclimate insights.
Proxy control
Authors: Doliana Aaron , Sundaresan Sandhya 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe control dependency in grammar is conventionally distinguished into two classes: exhaustive (i→i) and non-exhaustive (i→i + (j)). Here, we show that, in languages like German and Italian, some speakers allow a new kind of “proxy control” which differs from both, such that, for a controlleri, and a controlleej,j = proxy(i). Theproxyfunction picks out a set of individuals that is discourse-pragmatically related toi. For such speakers, the German/Italian proxy control equivalent of the sentence: “Mariaiasked Billj(for permission) [pro$_{proxy(i)}$proxy(i)to leave work early]” would thus mean that Maria asked Bill for permission for some salient set of individuals related to herself to leave early. We examine the theoretical and empirical properties of this new control relation in detail, showing that it is irreducible to other, more familiar referential dependencies. Using standard empirical diagnostics, we then illustrate that proxy control can be instantiated both as a species of obligatory control (oc) and non-obligatory control (noc) in German and Italian and develop a syntactic and semantic model that derives each and details the factors conditioning the choice between the two. We also investigate the factors that condition different degrees of exhaustiveness (exhaustive vs. partial vs. proxy) in control, which then sheds light on why proxy control obtains in some languages, but not others and, within a language, is possible for some speakers but not others.
A 3D printed cast for minimally invasive transfer of distal radius osteotomy: a cadaver study
Authors: Caiti G. , Dobbe J. G. G. , Strackee S. D. , van Doesburg M. H. M. , Strijkers G. J. , Streekstra G. J. 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Purpose
In corrective osteotomy of the distal radius, patient-specific 3D printed surgical guides or optical navigation systems are often used to navigate the surgical saw. The purpose of this cadaver study is to present and evaluate a novel cast-based guiding system to transfer the virtually planned corrective osteotomy of the distal radius.

Methods
We developed a cast-based guiding system composed of a cast featuring two drilling slots as well as an external cutting guide that was used to orient the surgical saw for osteotomy in the preoperatively planned position. The device was tested on five cadaver specimens with different body fat percentages. A repositioning experiment was performed to assess the precision of replacing an arm in the cast. Accuracy and precision of drilling and cutting using the proposed cast-based guiding system were evaluated using the same five cadaver arms. CT imaging was used to quantify the positioning errors in 3D.

Results
For normal-weight cadavers, the resulting total translation and rotation repositioning errors were ± 2 mm and ± 2°. Across the five performed surgeries, the median accuracy and Inter Quartile Ranges (IQR) of pre-operatively planned drilling trajectories were 4.3° (IQR = 2.4°) and 3.1 mm (IQR = 4.9 mm). Median rotational and translational errors in transferring the pre-operatively planned osteotomy plane were and 3.9° (IQR = 4.5°) and 2.6 mm (IQR = 4.2 mm), respectively.

Conclusion
For normal weight arm specimens, navigation of corrective osteotomy via a cast-based guide resulted in transfer errors comparable to those using invasive surgical guides. The promising positioning capabilities justify further investigating whether the method could ultimately be used in a clinical setting, which could especially be of interest when used with less invasive osteosynthesis material.
Development of the AL-O-A Score for Delirium Screening in Acute Internal Medicine: a Monocentric Prospective Study
Authors: John Gregor , Bovet Vincent , Verdon Vincent , Zender Hervé , Donzé Jacques 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Background
Delirium occurs frequently in acute internal medicine wards and may worsen the patient’s prognosis; it deserves a fast, systematic screening tool.

Objective
Develop a delirium screening score for inpatients admitted to acute internal medicine wards.

Design
A monocentric prospective study between November 2019 and January 2020.

Participants
Two hundred and seventeen adult inpatients.

Main Measures
Within 48 h of hospital admission, physicians administered an index test to participants which explored potential predictors associated with the fluctuation of mental state, inattention, disorganised thinking and altered level of consciousness. On the same day, patients underwent a neuropsychological evaluation (reference standard) to assess for delirium. The score was constructed using a backward stepwise logistic regression strategy. Areas under the receiver operating curves (AUC) and calibration curves were drawn to calculate the score’s performance. The score was tested on subgroups determined by age, sex and cognitive status.

Results
The AL-O-A score (“abnormal or fluctuating ALertness, temporospatial Orientation and off-target Answers”) showed excellent apparent (AUC 0.95 (95% CI 0.91–0.99)) and optimism-corrected discrimination (AUC 0.92 (95% CI 0.89–0.96)). It performed equally well in subgroups with and without cognitive impairment (AUC 0.93 (95% CI 0.88–0.99) vs 0.92 (95% CI 0.80–0.99)); in men and women (AUC 0.96 (95% CI 0.94–0.99) vs 0.95 (95% CI 0.89–0.99)); and in patients younger and older than 75 years old (AUC 0.98 (95% CI 0.95–0.99) vs 0.93 (95% CI 0.87–0.99)).

Conclusions
A simple, 1-min screening test (AL-O-A score), even administered by an untrained professional, can identify delirium in internal medicine patients.
Potentiated Response of ERK/MAPK Signaling is Associated with Prolonged Withdrawal from Cocaine Behavioral Sensitization
Authors: Bingor Alexey , Azriel Matityahu , Amiad Lavi , Yaka Rami 
Published: January 2021

AbstractAmong the neuroadaptations underlying the expression of cocaine-induced behaviors are modifications in glutamate-mediated signaling and synaptic plasticity via activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) within the nucleus accumbens (NAc). We hypothesized that exposure to cocaine leads to alterations in MAPK signaling in NAc neurons, which facilitates changes in the glutamatergic system and thus behavioral changes. We have previously shown that following withdrawal from cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization (BS), an increase in glutamate receptor expression and elevated MAPK signaling was evident. Here, we set out to determine the time course and behavioral consequences of inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) or NMDA receptors following withdrawal from BS. We found that inhibiting ERK by microinjection of U0126 into the NAc at 1 or 6 days following withdrawal from BS did not affect the expression of BS when challenged with cocaine at 14 days. However, inhibition of ERK 1 day before the cocaine challenge abolished the expression of BS. We also inhibited NR2B-containing NMDA receptors in the NAc by microinjection of ifenprodil into the NAc following withdrawal from BS, which had no effect on the expression of BS. However, microinjection of ifenprodil to the NAc 1 day before challenge attenuated the expression of BS similar to ERK inhibition. These results suggest that following a prolonged period of withdrawal, NR2B-containing NMDA receptors and ERK activity play a critical role in the expression of cocaine behavioral sensitization.
Climate Change Implications for Tidal Marshes and Food Web Linkages to Estuarine and Coastal Nekton
Authors: Colombano Denise D. , Litvin Steven Y. , Ziegler Shelby L. , Alford Scott B. , Baker Ronald , Barbeau Myriam A. , Cebrián Just , Connolly Rod M. , Currin Carolyn A. , Deegan Linda A. , Lesser Justin S. , Martin Charles W. , McDonald Ashley E. , McLuckie Catherine , Morrison Blair H. , Pahl James W. , Risse L. Mark , Smith Joseph A. M. , Staver Lorie W. , Turner R. Eugene , Waltham Nathan J. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractClimate change is altering naturally fluctuating environmental conditions in coastal and estuarine ecosystems across the globe. Departures from long-term averages and ranges of environmental variables are increasingly being observed as directional changes [e.g., rising sea levels, sea surface temperatures (SST)] and less predictable periodic cycles (e.g., Atlantic or Pacific decadal oscillations) and extremes (e.g., coastal flooding, marine heatwaves). Quantifying the short- and long-term impacts of climate change on tidal marsh seascape structure and function for nekton is a critical step toward fisheries conservation and management. The multiple stressor framework provides a promising approach for advancing integrative, cross-disciplinary research on tidal marshes and food web dynamics. It can be used to quantify climate change effects on and interactions between coastal oceans (e.g., SST, ocean currents, waves) and watersheds (e.g., precipitation, river flows), tidal marsh geomorphology (e.g., vegetation structure, elevation capital, sedimentation), and estuarine and coastal nekton (e.g., species distributions, life history adaptations, predator-prey dynamics). However, disentangling the cumulative impacts of multiple interacting stressors on tidal marshes, whether the effects are additive, synergistic, or antagonistic, and the time scales at which they occur, poses a significant research challenge. This perspective highlights the key physical and ecological processes affecting tidal marshes, with an emphasis on the trophic linkages between marsh production and estuarine and coastal nekton, recommended for consideration in future climate change studies. Such studies are urgently needed to understand climate change effects on tidal marshes now and into the future.
Systems of environmental innovation: sectoral and technological perspectives on ballast water treatment systems
Authors: Makkonen Teemu , Inkinen Tommi 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe research on innovation in the maritime sector has commonly focused on the implementation of innovation rather than on more complex issues such as the interplay between technological aspects, market conditions, and, particularly, regulatory regimes in shaping the emergence and growth of global systems involved with the development, production, and use of environmental innovation. Therefore, this paper sets out to analyze—by combining insights from sectoral (SSI) and technological (TIS) systems of innovation concepts—ballast water treatment systems (BWTS), designed to prevent the negative impacts of invasive species, as an example of such complex interaction. The results show how public policy and institutional acceptance have shaped the market for BWTS. First, BWTS were induced by environmental regulations mandating their use. Second, the demand for BWTS increases substantially when the implementation date of the regulations approaches. Third, differences in regulatory regimes shape the demand for various available technologies. Without coordinated regulations, this unclear operating environment remains a definite concern for shipowners when choosing the specific type of BWTS technology for onboard installation. The results also underline that the combined SSI/TIS framework, utilized in this paper, is a feasible analytical framework for studying environmental innovation.
Homotopy types of gauge groups of $$\mathrm {PU}(p)$$-bundles over spheres
Authors: Rea Simon 
Published: January 2021

AbstractWe examine the relation between the gauge groups of $$\mathrm {SU}(n)$$

SU
(
n
)

- and $$\mathrm {PU}(n)$$

PU
(
n
)

-bundles over $$S^{2i}$$

S

2
i

, with $$2\le i\le n$$

2
≤
i
≤
n

, particularly when n is a prime. As special cases, for $$\mathrm {PU}(5)$$

PU
(
5
)

-bundles over $$S^4$$

S
4

, we show that there is a rational or p-local equivalence $$\mathcal {G}_{2,k}\simeq _{(p)}\mathcal {G}_{2,l}$$

G

2
,
k

≃

(
p
)

G

2
,
l

for any prime p if, and only if, $$(120,k)=(120,l)$$

(
120
,
k
)
=
(
120
,
l
)

, while for $$\mathrm {PU}(3)$$

PU
(
3
)

-bundles over $$S^6$$

S
6

there is an integral equivalence $$\mathcal {G}_{3,k}\simeq \mathcal {G}_{3,l}$$

G

3
,
k

≃

G

3
,
l

if, and only if, $$(120,k)=(120,l)$$

(
120
,
k
)
=
(
120
,
l
)

.
Comparison of pollutant emission associated with the operation of passenger cars with internal combustion engines and passenger cars with electric motors
Authors: Bebkiewicz Katarzyna , Chłopek Zdzisław , Sar Hubert , Szczepański Krystian 
Published: January 2021

AbstractEnergy consumption and pollutant emission aspects were ascertained for cars under traffic conditions: in cities, outside cities, on motorways and expressways, with the use of data from the inventory of emissions from road transport in Poland in 2018. The values of characteristics of energy consumption under model traffic conditions, as well as pollutant emissions and energy consumption of cars with internal combustion engines and cars with electric motors, constituted the basis for further analyses and conclusions about the characteristics of the vehicles under the study in terms of energy consumption and pollutant emissions. As a result of the research, it was found in the case of the use of electric drives, a very significant decrease in energy consumption—by 70% and the emission of non-methane volatile organic compounds—at the level of 90%. In the case of the emission of nitrogen oxides, there is a great advantage in relation to cars with compression-ignition engines, while the emission of nitrogen oxides from cars with spark-ignition engines is about two times lower. It was found that the emission of particulate matter for electric cars is about three times higher than for cars with compression-ignition engines and almost six times higher than for cars with spark-ignition engines. On the other hand, the impact on carbon dioxide emissions is small—less than 10%.