Quantum Holism: Reconciling Extended Simples with Supersubstantivalism

I argue that the extended simples picture (ESP) is compatible with supersubstantivalism under the quantum holism model, and that reevaluating our limits on the ways an object may be located by fusing the two ontologies can benefit our understanding of modern physics. I first illustrate the explanatory utility of extended simples, using examples of superposition and entanglement. Second, I advocate the use of supersubstantivalism as a way to understand the interface between objects and spacetime, and argue that the ESP suitably fits into a supersubstantivalist interpretation of quantum field theory. In the last section, I propose quantum holism as a framework to reconcile supersubstantivalism with extended simples, and conclude that the causal relationship that interweaves material objects and spacetime render the two ontologies compatible. I will demonstrate that a combined ontology is useful for its parsimony, and for our understanding of quantum field theory

Overview and recent trends of systematic reviews and meta-analyses in hepatology

A systematic review (SR) is a research methodology that involves a comprehensive search for and analysis of relevant studies on a specific topic. A strict and objective research process is conducted that comprises a systematic and comprehensive literature search in accordance with predetermined inclusion/exclusion criteria, and an assessment of the risk of bias of the selected literature. SRs require a multidisciplinary approach that necessitates cooperation with clinical experts, methodologists, other experts, and statisticians. A meta-analysis (MA) is a statistical method of quantitatively synthesizing data, where possible, from the primary literature selected for the SR. Review articles differ from SRs in that they lack a systematic methodology such as a literature search, selection of studies according to strict criteria, assessment of risk bias, and synthesis of the study results. The importance of evidence-based medicine (EBM) in the decision-making for public policy has recently been increasing thanks to the realization that it should be based on scientific research data. SRs and MAs are essential for EBM strategy and evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. This review addresses the current trends in SRs and MAs in the field of hepatology via a search of recently published articles in the Cochrane Library and Ovid-MEDLINE

When Text Mining Meets WTOs Trade Policy Review: The Cases of South Korea, Japan, and China

Among the key institutional pillars of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Dispute Settlement Mechanism (DSM) has attracted the lions share of scholarly attention in contemporary research relating to the trade organization. Yet this study notes that the other institutional ballast of the WTO, namely the Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM), has remained the least studied, despite its significance as a safeguard against protectionism. The main reason for the lack of attention by trade scholars is the semantic complexity of review reports. In an effort to navigate through the complex, subtle, and often ambivalent text, this study uses information extraction (IE) techniques for both a horizontal and vertical analysis of TPR reports. A total of 18 TPR reports on the three representative trading states in East Asia—South Korea, China, and Japan—have been analyzed by the Rapid Automation Keyword Extraction (RAKE) and TextRank algorithms. The findings of this study show important policy patterns and their changes

Radiosensitizing high-Z metal nanoparticles for enhanced radiotherapy of glioblastoma multiforme

Abstract Radiotherapy is an essential step during the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), one of the most lethal malignancies. The survival in patients with GBM was improved by the current standard of care for GBM established in 2005 but has stagnated since then. Since GBM is a radioresistant malignancy and the most of GBM recurrences occur in the radiotherapy field, increasing the effectiveness of radiotherapy using high-Z metal nanoparticles (NPs) has recently attracted attention. This review summarizes the progress in radiotherapy approaches for the current treatment of GBM, the physical and biological mechanisms of radiosensitization through high-Z metal NPs, and the results of studies on radiosensitization in the in vitro and in vivo GBM models using high-Z metal NPs to date

Development of theranostic dual-layered Au-liposome for effective tumor targeting and photothermal therapy

Abstract Background Photothermal therapy (PTT) is an emerging anti-cancer therapeutic strategy that generates hyperthermia to ablate cancer cells under laser irradiation. Gold (Au) coated liposome (AL) was reported as an effective PTT agent with good biocompatibility and excretory property. However, exposed Au components on liposomes can cause instability in vivo and difficulty in further functionalization. Results Herein, we developed a theranostic dual-layered nanomaterial by adding liposomal layer to AL (LAL), followed by attaching polyethylene glycol (PEG) and radiolabeling. Functionalization with PEG improves the in vivo stability of LAL, and radioisotope labeling enables in vivo imaging of LAL. Functionalized LAL is stable in physiological conditions, and 64Cu labeled LAL (64Cu-LAL) shows a sufficient blood circulation property and an effective tumor targeting ability of 16.4%ID g−1 from in vivo positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Also, intravenously injected LAL shows higher tumor targeting, temperature elevation in vivo, and better PTT effect in orthotopic breast cancer mouse model compared to AL. The tumor growth inhibition rate of LAL was 3.9-fold higher than AL. Conclusion Based on these high stability, in vivo imaging ability, and tumor targeting efficiency, LAL could be a promising theranostic PTT agent. Graphic Abstrac

Functional characterization and expression analysis of c-type and g-like-type lysozymes in yellowtail clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii)

Lysozymes are well-known antibacterial enzymes that mainly target the peptidoglycan layer of the bacterial cell wall. Animal lysozymes are mainly categorized as g-type, c-type, and i-type based on protein sequence and structural differences. In this study, c-type (AcLysC) and g-like-type (AcLysG-like) lysozymes from Amphiprion clarkii were characterized in silico via expressional and functional approaches. According to in silico analysis, open reading frames of AcLysC and AcLysG-like were 429 bp and 570 bp, respectively, encoding the corresponding polypeptide chains with 142 and 189 amino acids. Elevated expression levels of AcLysC and AcLysG-like were observed in the liver and the heart tissues, respectively, as evidenced by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assays. AcLysC and AcLysG-like transcript levels were upregulated in gills, head kidney, and blood cells following experimental immune stimulation. Recombinant AcLysC exhibited potent lytic activity against Vibrio anguillarum, whereas recombinant AcLysG-like showed remarkable antibacterial activity against Vibrio harveyi and Streptococcus parauberis, which was further evidenced by scanning electron microscopic imaging of destructed bacterial cell walls. The findings of this study collectively suggest the potential roles of AcLysC and AcLysG-like in host immune defense

Social isolation impairs the prefrontal-nucleus accumbens circuit subserving social recognition in mice

Although medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is known to play important roles in social behaviors, how early social experiences affect the mPFC and its subcortical circuit remains unclear. We report that mice singly housed (SH) for 8 weeks after weaning show a social recognition deficit, even after 4 weeks of resocialization. In SH mice, prefrontal infralimbic (IL) neurons projecting to the shell region of nucleus accumbens (NAcSh) show decreased excitability compared with group-housed (GH) mice. NAcSh-projecting IL neurons are activated when GH mice encounter a familiar conspecific, which is not observed in SH mice. Chemogenetic inhibition of NAcSh-projecting IL neurons in normal mice impairs social recognition without affecting social preference, whereas activation of these neurons reverses social recognition deficit in SH mice. Our findings demonstrate that early social experience critically affects mPFC IL-NAcSh projection, the activation of which is required for social recognition by encoding information for social familiarity. © 2021 The Author(s)1