Wide Family Research Articles

Mind the (guidance) signals! Translational relevance of semaphorins, plexins, and neuropilins in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is a major cause of demise worldwide. Although key associated genetic changes have been discovered, disease progression is sustained by pathogenic mechanisms that are poorly understood at the molecular level. In particular, the tissue microenvironment of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is usually characterized by high stromal content, scarce recruitment of immune cells, and the presence of neuronal fibers. Semaphorins and their receptors, plexins and neuropilins, comprise a wide family of regulatory signals that control neurons, endothelial and immune cells, embryo development, and normal tissue homeostasis, as well as the microenvironment of human tumors. We focus on the role of these molecular signals in pancreatic cancer progression, as revealed by experimental research and clinical studies, including novel approaches for cancer treatment.

Replication Robust Payoff Allocation in Submodular Cooperative Games

Submodular functions have been a powerful mathematical model for a wide range of real-world applications. Recently, submodular functions are becoming increasingly important in machine learning (ML) for modelling notions such as information and redundancy among entities such as data and features. Among these applications, a key question is payoff allocation, i.e., how to evaluate the importance of each entity towards the collective objective? To this end, classic solution concepts from cooperative game theory offer principled approaches to payoff allocation. However, despite the extensive body of game-theoretic literature, payoff allocation in submodular games are relatively under-researched. In particular, an important notion that arises in the emerging submodular applications is redundancy, which may occur from various sources such as abundant data or malicious manipulations where a player replicates its resource and act under multiple identities. Though many game-theoretic solution concepts can be directly used in submodular games, naively applying them for payoff allocation in these settings may incur robustness issues against replication. In this paper, we systematically study the replication manipulation in submodular games and investigate replication robustness, a metric that quantitatively measures the robustness of solution concepts against replication. Using this metric, we present conditions which theoretically characterise the robustness of semivalues, a wide family of solution concepts including the Shapley and Banzhaf value. Moreover, we empirically validate our theoretical results on an emerging submodular ML application, i.e., the ML data market.

A consistent multiscale mechanical formulation for media with randomly distributed voids

In this work we are interested in constructing a multiscale framework for solid media featuring a random distribution of voids. The reliability of standard lower bound multiscale models is questionable when voids reach the boundary, and the problem becomes critical when they are randomly arranged over the micro-cell (MC) boundary, such that periodic boundary conditions are not an option to be considered. This work presents a novel multiscale mechanical formulation to model the material behavior of media featuring such kind of heterogeneous constitution. The multiscale model is built within the framework posited by the Method of Multiscale Virtual Power. The original contribution lies at the core of the gradient homogenization formula, which generalizes existing strategies. Such generalized homogenization approach results in new Minimally Constrained Kinematical Multiscale Model (MCKMM). Moreover, alternative – kinematically more constrained with respect to the MCKMM – boundary conditions are proposed in order to obtain a wide family of multiscale sub-models (characterized by corresponding sub-spaces of the space associated with the minimally constrained model), which can be useful in practical applications. Numerical experiments are reported that provide support to the concepts introduced in this work.

Formations of finite groups in polynomial time: [formula omitted]-residuals and [formula omitted]-subnormality

For a wide family of formations F it is proved that the F-residual of a permutation finite group can be computed in polynomial time. Moreover, if in the previous case F is hereditary, then the F-subnormality of a subgroup can be checked in polynomial time.

Simulation of turbulent premixed flames with machine learning - tabulated thermochemistry

The numerical integration of the differential equations describing chemical kinetics consumes the majority of computational time in combustion simulations that involve direct coupling of chemistry and flow, such as transported probability density function (PDF) methods, direct numerical simulation (DNS), conditional moment closure (CMC), unsteady flamelet, multiple mapping closure (MMC), thickened flame model, linear eddy model (LEM), partially stirred reactor (PaSR) as in OpenFOAM and laminar flame computation. This step can be accelerated by tabulation, and artificial neural networks (ANNs) have recently emerged as a powerful technique in this domain. To be applicable to a wide family of problems, an ANN tabulation approach must be based on data generated by an abstract process, rather than from the turbulent flame to be simulated. In the present work, the hybrid flamelet/random data and multiple multilayer perceptrons (HFRD-MMLP) method (Ding et al., Combust. Flame 231, 111493, 2021) for non-premixed flames is taken as a basis to develop a thermochemistry tabulation method for premixed flames. In the spirit of maintaining an essentially random data set that still originates in meaningful composition states, a set of one-dimensional premixed flame simulations is employed to generate data that are used as starting points for a random data generation process and subsequently discarded. The approach is applied to large eddy simulations (LES) of the Cambridge/Sandia swirl burner in configurations five and six, with the transported PDF method employed to provide closure for the filtered reaction source terms and the stochastic fields method used for numerical solution. Very good agreement in both major and minor species is observed between the LES-PDF simulations using direct integration of the reaction source term and the ones with the ANNs. Furthermore, the average time taken for reaction source term computations is reduced by fourteen times, while memory requirements constitute only 1.4 MB.

Plant Aquaporin Gating Is Reversed by Phosphorylation on Intracellular Loop D-Evidence from Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Aquaporins (AQPs) constitute a wide and ancient protein family of transmembrane channels dedicated to the regulation of water exchange across biological membranes. In plants, higher numbers of AQP homologues have been conserved compared to other kingdoms of life such as in animals or in bacteria. As an illustration of this plant-specific functional diversity, plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs, i.e., a subfamily of plant AQPs) possess a long intracellular loop D, which can gate the channel by changing conformation as a function of the cellular environment. However, even though the closure of the AQP by loop D conformational changes is well described, the opening of the channel, on the other hand, is still misunderstood. Several studies have pointed to phosphorylation events as the trigger for the transition from closed- to open-channel states. Nonetheless, no clear answer has been obtained yet. Hence, in order to gain a more complete grasp of plant AQP regulation through this intracellular loop D gating, we investigated the opening of the channel in silico through molecular dynamics simulations of the crystallographic structure of Spinacia oleracea PIP2;1 (SoPIP2;1). Through this technique, we addressed the mechanistic details of these conformational changes, which eventually allowed us to propose a molecular mechanism for PIP functional regulation by loop D phosphorylation. More precisely, our results highlight the phosphorylation of loop D serine 188 as a trigger of SoPIP2;1 water channel opening. Finally, we discuss the significance of this result for the study of plant AQP functional diversity.

The (in)hospitality of Qatar for migrant women workers: A case study in the hospitality industry

The hospitality industry in Qatar is rapidly expanding and heavily reliant on migrant labour to staff its hotels and restaurants, with women migrants forming an increasingly important part of the workforce. Global perceptions of Qatar as a location for female migrant workers are ambiguous: it is a patriarchal and traditional country, which limits women’s career opportunities, yet at the same time offers relatively high wages, low taxes and multiple job options for women in the hospitality industry. This study draws on an ethnographic study of migrant women workers in a five-star hotel in Doha to examine various ways in which they navigate this ambiguity and their perceptions and motivations for working and living in Qatar. Findings illustrate that the women in the study had positive perceptions of Qatar as a safe environment where they could earn money to send to support families back home. For many women from the Global South, Qatar offers a hospitable environment and the hospitality industry provides opportunities to capitalize on the benefits of migrating to work in Qatar, for both the individual worker and her wider family.

Functional specialization of two UDP-glycosyltransferases MpUGT735A2 and MpUGT743A1 in the liverworts Marchantia polymorpha.

Family 1 UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) are known to glycosylate multiple secondary plant metabolites and have been extensively studied. The increased availability of plant genome resources allows the identification of wide gene families, both functional and organizational. In this investigation, two MpUGT isoforms were cloned and functionally characterized from liverworts marchantia polymorpha and had high glycosylation activity against several flavonoids. MpUGT735A2 protein, in particular, tolerates a wide spectrum of substrates (flavonols, flavanones, flavones, stilbenes, bibenzyls, dihydrochalcone, phenylpropanoids, xanthones, and isoflavones). Overexpression of MpUGT735A2 and MpUGT743A1 in Arabidopsis thaliana enhances the accumulation of 3-O-glycosylated flavonol (kaempferol 3-O-glucoside-7-O-rhamnose), consistent with its in vitro enzymatic activity. Docking and mutagenesis techniques were applied to identify the structural and functional properties of MpUGT735A2 with promiscuous substrates. Mutation of Pro87 to Ser, or Gln88 to Val, substantially altered the regioselectivity for luteolin glycosylation, predominantly from the 3'-O- to the 7-O-position. The results were elucidated by focusing on the novel biocatalysts designed for producing therapeutic flavonoids. This investigation provides an approach to modulate MpUGT735A2 as a candidate gene for diverse glycosylation catalysis and a tool to design GTs with new substrate specificities for biomedical applications.

Three membrane fusion pore families determine the pathway to pore dilation

During exocytosis secretory vesicles fuse with a target membrane and release neurotransmitters, hormones, or other bioactive molecules through a membrane fusion pore. The initially small pore may subsequently dilate for full contents release, as commonly observed in amperometric traces. The size, shape, and evolution of the pore is critical to the course of contents release, but exact fusion pore solutions accounting for membrane tension and bending energy constraints have not been available. Here, we obtained exact solutions for fusion pores between two membranes. We find three families: a narrow pore, a wide pore, and an intermediate tether-like pore. For high tensions these are close to the catenoidal and tether solutions recently reported for freely hinged membrane boundaries. We suggest membrane fusion initially generates a stable narrow pore, and the dilation pathway is a transition to the stable wide pore family. The unstable intermediate pore is the transition state that sets the energy barrier for this dilation pathway. Pore dilation is mechanosensitive, as the energy barrier is lowered by increased membrane tension. Finally, we study fusion pores in nanodiscs, powerful systems for the study of individual pores. We show that nanodiscs stabilize fusion pores by locking them into the narrow pore family.

The Italian language postpartum specific anxiety scale [PSAS-IT]: translation, psychometric evaluation, and validation.

While often positive, the lifecourse transition to motherhood is susceptible to the risk for developing mood disorders. Postpartum anxiety has often been overshadowed by other perinatal-specific mental health disorders, such as postpartum depression, and therefore has not been at the forefront or center of as much empirical study. This has meant there is a lack of effective and reliable tools with which to measure it, despite growing evidence suggesting its detrimental impact on mothers, their babies, wider family and social contacts, and on healthcare systems. This current study aimed to translate and validate the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale [PSAS] into the Italian language, and to validate the tool for its use in detecting anxiety specific to motherhood. The study (N = 457) comprised 4 stages: English-Italian translation and back-translation to obtain the Italian version [PSAS-IT]; a preliminary pilot study to adapt the PSAS to the characteristics of the Italian population; measurement invariance; and internal reliability of subscales. The PSAS-IT demonstrates similar psychometric properties as the original English-language PSAS, with acceptable acceptability, construct and convergent validity, and internal consistency. Confirmatory factor analysis for multiple groups (Italy and United Kingdom) showed that the factor structure of the PSAS was valid for both groups [χ2 (2436) = 4679.481, p < 0.001, TLI = 0.969, CFI =0.972, RMSEA = 0.045, SRMR =0.064]. The resulting findings offer a reliable measure of postpartum anxiety in Italian language up to six months after birth.

Low-Rank Matrix Completion Theory via Plücker Coordinates

Despite the popularity of low-rank matrix completion, the majority of its theory has been developed under the assumption of random observation patterns, whereas very little is known about the practically relevant case of non-random patterns. Specifically, a fundamental yet largely open question is to describe patterns that allow for unique or finitely many completions. This paper provides three such families of patterns for any rank and any matrix size. A key to achieving this is a novel formulation of low-rank matrix completion in terms of Plüucker coordinates, the latter a traditional tool in computer vision. This connection is of potential significance to a wide family of matrix and subspace learning problems with incomplete data.

Vat Photopolymerization 3D Printing of Hydrogels with Re-Adjustable Swelling.

Vat photopolymerization typically prints highly crosslinked networks. Printing hydrogels, which are also networks but with a high swelling capacity in water and therefore with low crosslinking density, is a challenge for this technique. However, it may be of interest in medicine and in other areas, since it would allow for the preparation of this type of 3D-shaped material. In this work, an approach for printing hydrogels via vat photopolymerization that uses a mixture of stable and hydrolysable crosslinkers has been evaluated so that an initial highly crosslinked network can be printed, although after hydrolysis it becomes a network with low crosslinking. This approach has been studied with PEO/PEG-related formulations, that is, with a PEG-dimethacrylate as a stable crosslinker, a PEO-related derivative carrying β-aminoesters as a degradable crosslinker, and PEG-methyl ether acrylate and hydroxyethyl acrylate as monofunctional monomers. A wide family of formulations has been studied, maintaining the weight percentage of the crosslinkers at 15%. Resins have been studied in terms of viscosity, and the printing process has been evaluated through the generation of Jacobs working curves. It has been shown that this approach allows for the printing of pieces of different shapes and sizes via vat photopolymerization, and that these pieces can re-ajust their water content in a tailored fashion through treatments in different media (PBS or pH 10 buffer).

Syzygy Bundles of Non-complete Linear Systems: Stability and Rigidness

Let (X, L) be a polarized smooth projective variety. For any basepoint-free linear system mathcal {L}_{V} with Vsubset {{,textrm{H},}}^{0}(X,mathcal {O}_{X}(L)), we consider the syzygy bundle M_{V} as the kernel of the evaluation map Votimes mathcal {O}_{X}rightarrow mathcal {O}_{X}(L). The purpose of this article is twofold. First, we assume that M_{V} is L-stable and prove that, in a wide family of projective varieties, it represents a smooth point [M_{V}] in the corresponding moduli space mathcal {M}. We compute the dimension of the irreducible component of mathcal {M} passing through [M_{V}] and whether it is an isolated point. It turns out that the rigidness of [M_{V}] is closely related to the completeness of the linear system mathcal {L}_{V}. In the second part of the paper, we address a question posed by Brenner regarding the stability of M_{V} when V is general enough. We answer this question for a large family of polarizations of X=mathbb {P}^{m}times mathbb {P}^{n}.

Experiences of African American Spanish Learners in the US: mitigating racialization and fostering belonging through an inclusive curriculum

ABSTRACT This study investigates experiences and investments in Spanish language learning among African American graduates of a university in the southeastern US. In response to evidence of African American underrepresentation in this field, findings will forward those factors which may encourage advanced Spanish study and create a sense of belonging as learners and speakers. Data emerges from eight language learning autobiographies, each written by a self-identifying African American who completed a Spanish major or minor at university. Inductive coding and narrative analysis methods yield the following themes: (1) Limited family/community connections to TL speakers, but wide family interest/support for language learning; (2) Inspiring teachers, formal learning environments, and content, but with significant content omissions; (3) Navigation of racialization in classrooms and TL communities and (4) Learning Spanish shapes career paths, provides empowerment and self-understanding. Findings ultimately suggest that family support and positive experiences during formal learning can encourage continued study, and some learners navigate acute obstacles relating to racialization. The data further evidences the necessity for culturally relevant and social justice pedagogies which facilitate inclusive learning communities and curricular revision. Such revisions would include content representative of African-descended people, histories, and cultures; and an understanding of racialization in the Spanish-speaking world.

‘The role an early years educator plays is incredibly special’

Declan Hoskins, third in charge at The Treehouse Early Care &amp; Education Centre operated by Bright Horizons, discusses how important it is for early years staff to understand the impact they have on the children they work with, their parents/carers and their wider family.

Coercive Properties of Magnetic Garnet Films

Magnetic garnet films represent a wide family of materials. By the proper choice of chemical composition and growth parameters, their magnetic behavior can be tuned in a very wide range. On one side, they are suitable for many different applications; on the other side, they are optimal model materials for studying the basic magnetization processes. Many assumptions of the existing theories can be checked or validated by magnetic garnet film investigation. Their production technology was developed many decades ago, but even nowadays, magnetic garnet films have been intensively studied, and newer and newer application possibilities have been found. In this review paper, those results are summarized, which are connected with their coercive properties. Coercivity, or coercive force, is a frequently used magnetic characteristic, but usually, it is considered rather a technical parameter. It is shown that there is no correlation between the so-called “technical coercive force” (which is the half-width of a major hysteresis loop) and the domain wall coercivity (this is frequently called a domain wall pinning field). This latter parameter is considered a real characteristic of domain wall movement. If magnetic garnet films are investigated, the correlation between moving domain wall and material defect structure can be studied. In this paper, the very complex feature of coercivity is shown. It is demonstrated that the domain structure, the properties of domain walls, the existence of mechanical stresses, the temperature, the size of the sample and many other parameters have an influence on the measured coercivity.

EE65 What Is the Wider Carer and Family Burden in Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy? a Mixed-Methods Study

Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) is a rare, maternally inherited mitochondrial disease, causing central vision loss due to optic neuropathy It typically emerges in young adulthood and can be very difficult for people to adjust to, which anecdotally leads to a substantial impact on the wider family. This study was designed to describe the burden for informal carers and family members using qualitative and quantitative methods.

Integrating child-centred and family-centred approaches in children’s cancer nursing

A diagnosis of cancer in a child or young person and the subsequent treatment have far-reaching consequences not only for the child or young person but also for their parents or carers and wider family. Family-centred care is an established approach whereby healthcare professionals work in partnership with parents to meet the child’s needs and make decisions about the child’s care. Child-centred care, whereby the child or young person plays a central and active role in care and decision-making, has become more prevalent in healthcare in recent years. There is a debate about the benefits and drawbacks of the two approaches, which both lack supporting evidence. This article discusses how nurses working in children’s cancer care can use a mix of child-centred and family-centred approaches to tailor their care to the individual needs of the child or young person and their family. The author also examines the challenges of family-centred care and child-centred care and discusses how these can be overcome.

Extended symmetry analysis of remarkable (1+2)-dimensional Fokker–Planck equation

AbstractWe carry out the extended symmetry analysis of an ultraparabolic Fokker–Planck equation with three independent variables, which is also called the Kolmogorov equation and is singled out within the class of such Fokker–Planck equations by its remarkable symmetry properties. In particular, its essential Lie invariance algebra is eight-dimensional, which is the maximum dimension within the above class. We compute the complete point symmetry pseudogroup of the Fokker–Planck equation using the direct method, analyse its structure and single out its essential subgroup. After listing inequivalent one- and two-dimensional subalgebras of the essential and maximal Lie invariance algebras of this equation, we exhaustively classify its Lie reductions, carry out its peculiar generalised reductions and relate the latter reductions to generating solutions with iterative action of Lie-symmetry operators. As a result, we construct wide families of exact solutions of the Fokker–Planck equation, in particular, those parameterised by an arbitrary finite number of arbitrary solutions of the (1+1)-dimensional linear heat equation. We also establish the point similarity of the Fokker–Planck equation to the (1+2)-dimensional Kramers equations whose essential Lie invariance algebras are eight-dimensional, which allows us to find wide families of exact solutions of these Kramers equations in an easy way.

Supportive Relationships with Trusted Adults for Children and Young People Who Have Experienced Adversities: Implications for Social Work Service Provision

Abstract Adverse childhood experiences encompass both direct harm, such as abuse and neglect, and indirect harm via family issues, including parental substance abuse and mental illness. They create significant risks for problems in later life, including mental health problems, substance abuse, interpersonal violence and self-harm. Due to these enduring and damaging consequences, interventions are essential to prevent or mitigate impact. One form of support is the role played by trusted adults in the lives of vulnerable children and young people. Employing a scoping study methodology, this article examines the role of the trusted adult and explores implications for social work agencies and practitioners. Whilst the idea of a supportive relationship may reflect the social work value base, there can be legal, procedural and bureaucratic barriers to directly providing such relationships in the child and family social work workforce. However, other adults associated with formal services such as teachers and youth workers, as well as extended family and community members may potentially be able to do so. Social workers can assist by becoming recruiters and facilitators of supportive adults for children and young people from their wider family or community and by partnering with organisations to stimulate provision of such services.