bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PAX5 P80R-mutated B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia with transformation to histiocytic sarcoma: clonal evolution assessment using NGS-based immunoglobulin clonality and mutation analysis
Authors: Kroeze Leonie I. , Scheijen B. , Hebeda K. M. , Rijntjes J. , Luijks J. A. C. W. , Evers D. , Hobo W. , Groenen P. J. T. A. , van den Brand M.
Published: October 2022

Clonality assessment by the detection of immunoglobulin (IG) gene rearrangements is an important method to determine whether two concurrent or subsequent lymphoid malignancies in one patient are clonally related. Here, we report the detailed clonality analysis in a patient with a diagnosis of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) followed by a histiocytic sarcoma (HS), in which we were able to study clonal evolution by applying next generation sequencing (NGS) to identify IG rearrangements and gene mutations. Using the sequence information of the NGS-based IG clonality analysis, multiple related subclones could be distinguished in the PAX5 P80R-mutated B-ALL. Notably, only one of these subclones evolved into HS after acquiring a RAF1 mutation. This case demonstrates that NGS-based IG clonality assessment and mutation analysis provide clear added value for clonal comparison and thereby improves clinicobiological understanding.
Evaluating the Therapeutic Application of Neuromodulation in the Human Swallowing System
Authors: Cheng Ivy , Sasegbon Ayodele , Hamdy Shaheen
Published: October 2022

In the last two decades, the focus of neurogenic dysphagia management has moved from passive compensatory strategies to evidence-based rehabilitative approaches. Advances in technology have enabled the development of novel treatment approaches such as neuromodulation techniques, which target the promotion of neurological reorganization for functional recovery of swallowing. Given the rapid pace of development in the field, this review aims to summarize the current findings on the effects of neuromodulation techniques on the human swallowing system and evaluate their therapeutic potential for neurogenic dysphagia. Implications for future clinical research and practical considerations for using neuromodulation in clinical practice will also be discussed.
Outcome of endoscopic vacuum therapy for duodenal perforation
Authors: Chevallay Mickael , Lorenz Florian , Bichard Philippe , Frossard Jean-Louis , Schmidt Thomas , Goeser Tobias , Bruns Christiane Josephine , Mönig Stefan P. , Chon Seung-Hun
Published: October 2022

Background

Duodenal defects are complex clinical situations, and their management is challenging and associated with high mortality. Besides surgery, endoscopic treatment options exist, but the size and location of the perforation can limit their application. We present a retrospective study, demonstrating a successful application of endoscopic vacuum therapy (EVT) for duodenal leaks.

Methods

We performed a retrospective study of all patients who underwent EVT for duodenal perforations between 2016 and 2021 at two tertiary centers. We analyzed demographic and clinical patient characteristics, surgical outcomes, leak characteristics, sponge-related complications, and success rate.

Results

Indications for treatment with EVT in the duodenum consisted of leak after duodenal suture of a perforated ulcer (n = 4), iatrogenic perforation after endoscopic resection (n = 2), iatrogenic perforation during surgery (n = 2), and anastomotic leak after upper gastrointestinal surgery (n = 2). EVT was used as a first-line treatment in seven patients and as a second-line treatment in three patients. EVT was successfully applied in all interventions (n = 10, 100%). Overall, EVT lead to definitive closure of the defects in eight out of ten patients (80%). No severe EVT-related adverse events occurred.

Conclusion

EVT is safe and technically feasible, so it emerges as a promising endoscopic treatment option for duodenal leaks. However, multidisciplinary collaboration and management are important to reduce the occurrence of postoperative complications, and to improve recovery rates.
Regularity for nonlocal problems with non-standard growth
Authors: Chaker Jamil , Kim Minhyun , Weidner Marvin
Published: October 2022

We study robust regularity estimates for local minimizers of nonlocal functionals with non-standard growth of (p, q)-type and for weak solutions to a related class of nonlocal equations. The main results of this paper are local boundedness and Hölder continuity of minimizers and weak solutions. Our approach is based on the study of corresponding De Giorgi classes.
There is a great variety of orthopaedic conditions presenting to a large hospital in Sierra Leone: a 3-year prospective study
Authors: Howard Anthony , Bolton William , Wood Alexander , Hodgson Harry , Scott Julian , Jayne David , Bundu Ibrahum
Published: October 2022

Purpose

In Sierra Leone there is a large void in orthopaedic research into the type of orthopaedic injuries, both acute and chronic. Improved data collection is essential in providing insight to guide health care planning and research. This study aims to outline the types of orthopaedic injury sustained.

Method

Data were prospectively collected by local surgeons in the Orthopaedic outpatient department at a large hospital between January 2016 and January 2019.

Results

The orthopaedic department saw a mean 728 patients per year, with mean age 24.0 years. The workload comprised of 64.92% acute orthopaedic conditions or their complications, with 35.08% elective orthopaedics. Fractures made up the largest proportion of clinical appointments, annually 244.33 fractures; however there was a high incidence of osteomyelitis.

Conclusion

The study gives an important insight into the types and distribution of elective and trauma orthopaedic injuries sustained in Sierra Leone, which has not been previously reported, and highlights key areas where resources may be focused in order to improve clinical outcomes.
I-European research, the cradle of the discovery of the antidiabetic hormone: the pioneer roles and the relevance of Oskar Minkowski and Eugène Gley
Authors: de Leiva-Hidalgo Alberto , de Leiva-Pérez Alejandra
Published: October 2022

Aims

The introduction of hormonal treatment in severe diabetes in 1922 represented a clinical and social impact similar to that of antibiotic therapy. In October 1923, the Assembly of the Karolinska Institute decided to award the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to the Canadian Frederick Grant Banting and the Scottish John James Rickard Macleod, researchers at the University of Toronto (UT), for "the discovery of insulin a year before". A few weeks later, European and American researchers protested the decision. The controversy remains to this day.

Methods

We have conducted a comprehensive review of primary and critical sources focused on the
organotherapy of animal and human diabetes mellitus since 1889, when Oskar Minkowski demonstrated the induction of experimental diabetes by total pancreatectomy in the dog, until the spring of 1923, when the Nobel Foundation had already received all the nominations for the award in Physiology or Medicine.

Results

The in-depth analysis of all these sources revealed that Europe was the cradle of the discovery of the antidiabetic hormone. The discovery involved multiple research steps headed by a long list of key investigators, mainly European.

Conclusion

Marcel Eugène Émile Gley was the first to demonstrate the presence of the “antidiabetic principle” in extracts from “sclerosed” pancreas. The French physiologist pioneered the successful reduction of glycosuria and diabetic symptoms by the parenteral administration of pancreatic extracts to depancreatized dogs in experiments developed between 1890 and 1905, antedating insulin in two decades.
Macro- and microphysical characteristics of snowfall and non-snowfall clouds in the West Tianshan Mountains of China based on cloud radar
Authors: Zhang Jinru , Li Haoran , Zeng Yong , Yang Lianmei , Li Jiangang
Published: October 2022

The macro- and microphysical characteristics of wintertime precipitating clouds and non-precipitating clouds over the West Tianshan Mountains, China, were analyzed with the use of Ka-band radar and weighing rain gauge observations. The data were collected from January to February 2019, December 2019, and from December 2020 to February 2021. Snowfall clouds mainly ranged from 0.15 ~ 2.50 km and had a reflectivity (Z) of mostly 10 ~ 33 dBZ. Non-snowfall clouds were primarily distributed within the height range of 2 ~ 8 km, and the Z values were within the range of − 22 ~ 15 dBZ. Compared with non-snowfall clouds, snowfall clouds have a higher particle water content (M) but a similar radial velocity (V). Light and moderate snowfall clouds were mainly located at heights of 0.15 ~ 3.50 km and had Z values concentrated from 5 ~ 24 dBZ. Heavy snowfall clouds were characterized by a Z of 5 ~ 30 dBZ below 3.5 km. The proportion of clouds with an M value > 0.1 g·m−3 below 2 km was noticeably higher for heavy snow events than for light and moderate snow events. The differences in the distributions and values of snowfall cloud V values were small among the different snow types, and descending motions occurred below 6 km, with V ranging − 1.4 ~ − 0.3 m·s−1. The heights of the non-snowfall cloud top and base during the day were lower than those at night. The snowfall cloud top did not show noticeable diurnal variations. The cloud top and base heights of the non-snowfall clouds both showed a single-peak distribution. The cloud top values of snowfall clouds exhibited bimodal distributions.
Performance of a regional climate model with interactive vegetation (REMO-iMOVE) over Central Asia
Authors: Rai P. , Ziegler K. , Abel D. , Pollinger F. , Paeth H.
Published: October 2022

The current study evaluates the regional climate model REMO (v2015) and its new version REMO-iMOVE, including interactive vegetation and plant functional types (PFTs), over two Central Asian domains for the period of 2000–2015 at two different horizontal resolutions (0.44° and 0.11°). Various statistical metrices along with mean bias patterns for precipitation, temperature, and leaf area index have been used for the model evaluation. A better representation of the spatial pattern of precipitation is found at 0.11° resolution over most of Central Asia. Regarding the mean temperature, both model versions show a high level of agreement with the validation data, especially at the higher resolution. This also reduces the biases in maximum and minimum temperature. Generally, REMO-iMOVE shows an improvement regarding the temperature bias but produces a larger precipitation bias compared to the REMO conventional version with interannually static vegetation. Since the coupled version is capable to simulate the mean climate of Central Asia like its parent version, both can be used for impact studies and future projections. However, regarding the new vegetation scheme and its spatiotemporal representation exemplified by the leaf area index, REMO-iMOVE shows a clear advantage over REMO. This better simulation is caused by the implementation of more realistic and interactive vegetation and related atmospheric processes which consequently add value to the regional climate model.
Short- and long-term outcomes in ypT2 rectal cancer patients after neoadjuvant therapy and local excision: a multicentre observational study
Authors: Peltrini Roberto , Castiglioni Simone , Imperatore Nicola , Ortenzi Monica , Rega Daniela , Romeo Valentina , Caracino Valerio , Liberatore Edoardo , Basti Massimo , Santoro Emanuele , Bracale Umberto , Delrio Paolo , Mucilli Felice , Guerrieri Mario , Corcione Francesco
Published: October 2022

Background

Although local excision (LE) after neoadjuvant treatment (NT) has achieved encouraging oncological outcomes in selected patients, radical surgery still remains the rule when unfavorable pathology occurs. However, there is a risk of undertreating patients not eligible for radical surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of patients with pathological incomplete response (ypT2) in a multicentre cohort of patients undergoing LE after NT and to compare them with ypT0-is-1 rectal cancers.

Methods

From 2010 to 2019, all patients who underwent LE after NT for rectal cancer were identified from five institutional retrospective databases. After excluding 12 patients with ypT3 tumors, patients with ypT2 tumors were compared to patients with ypT0-is-1 tumors). The endpoints of the study were early postoperative and long-term oncological outcomes.

Results

A total of 177 patients (132 males, 45 females, median age 70 [IQR 16] years) underwent LE following NT. There were 46 ypT2 patients (39 males, 7 females, median age 72 [IQR 18.25] years) and 119 ypT0-is-1 patients (83 males, 36 females, median age 69 [IQR 15] years). Patients with pathological incomplete response (ypT2) were frailer than the ypT0-is-1 patients (mean Charlson Comorbidity Index 6.15 ± 2.43 vs. 5.29 ± 1.99; p = 0.02) and there was a significant difference in the type of NT used for the two groups (long- course radiotherapy: 100 (84%) vs. 23 (63%), p = 0.006; short-course radiotherapy: 19 (16%) vs. 17 (37%), p = 0.006). The postoperative rectal bleeding rate (13% vs. 1.7%; p = 0.008), readmission rate (10.9% vs. 0.8%; p = 0.008) and R1 resection rate (8.7% vs. 0; p = 0.008) was significantly higher in the ypT2 group. Recurrence rates were comparable between groups (5% vs. 13%; p = 0.15). Five-year overall survival was 91.3% and 94.9% in the ypT2 and ypT0-is-1 groups, respectively (p = 0.39), while 5-year cancer specific survival was 93.4% in the ypT2 group and 94.9% in the ypT0-is-1 group (p = 0.70). No difference was found in terms of 5-year local recurrence free-survival (p = 0.18) and 5-year distant recurrence free-survival (p = 0.37).

Conclusions

Patients with ypT2 tumors after NT and LE have a higher risk of late-onset rectal bleeding and positive resection margins than patients with complete or near complete response. However, long-term recurrence rates and survival seem comparable.
Plastic-inhabiting fungi in marine environments and PCL degradation activity
Authors: Kim Sung Hyun , Lee Jun Won , Kim Ji Seon , Lee Wonjun , Park Myung Soo , Lim Young Woon
Published: October 2022

Plastic waste has a negative impact on marine ecosystems and the quantity of this source of anthropogenic pollution continues to increase. Several studies have investigated plastic biodegradation using various microorganisms. In this study, we isolated fungi from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste on Korean seacoasts and evaluated their ability to degrade plastic by comparing the diameters of the clear zones they formed on polycaprolactone (PCL) agar. We isolated 262 strains from 47 plastic waste sources and identified 108 fungal species via molecular methods. The PCL agar assay revealed that 87 species presented with varying degrees of PCL degradation capacity. Among them, certain fungal species were strong PCL degraders. The present study demonstrated the possibility that some fungi inhabiting plastic could potentially degrade it in the marine environment. We believe that the discoveries made herein lay theoretical and practical foundations for the development of novel bioremediation systems for marine plastispheres and help mitigate the environmental pollution issues related to plastic wastes.
Planar Equilibria of an Elastic Rod Wrapped Around a Circular Capstan
Authors: Singh Harmeet
Published: October 2022

We present a study on planar equilibria of a terminally loaded elastic rod wrapped around a rigid circular capstan. Both frictionless and frictional contact between the rod and the capstan are considered. We identify three cases of frictionless contact – namely where the rod touches the capstan at one point, along a continuous arc, and at two points. We show that, in contrast to a fully flexible filament, an elastic rod of finite length wrapped around a capstan does not require friction to support unequal loads at its two ends. Furthermore, we classify rod equilibria corresponding to the three aforementioned cases in a limit where the length of the rod is much larger than the radius of the capstan. In the same limit, we incorporate frictional interaction between the rod and the capstan, and compute limiting equilibria of the rod. Our solution to the frictional case fully generalizes the classic capstan problem to include the effects of finite thickness and bending elasticity of a flexible filament wrapped around a circular capstan.
Chinese universities’ special programs supporting talents to seek a United Nations career: a center-periphery-model analysis
Authors: Liu Suyu , Ding Wenjun
Published: October 2022

In recent years, China’s higher education sector has started to establish special programs to train and support talents to seek career opportunities in the United Nations (UN). To explore these special programs and understand their relationship with China’s internationalization strategies and its higher education, we used the center-periphery model as the theoretical framework. We analyzed 53 institutional documents and conducted semi-structured interviews among 5 university staff members and 21 students/recent graduates who were involved in these special programs. The analysis on the special programs implied Chinese higher education’s peripheral position in supporting talents to work in the UN. This was reflected by the conforming practice, including accepting current UN recruitment regulations and English’s dominance in the UN recruitment practice. However, we also identified alternative dynamics that China and its higher education do not simply obey the center-periphery model and accept their peripheral status. Instead, special programs were established to achieve China’s global strategy of moving to the center of international arena via multilateralism and international organizations such as the UN. This study sheds light on further explorations of the state-university relationship in China in the globalization era, especially from the perspective of cultural diplomacy and soft power.
The expansion of doctoral education and the changing nature and purpose of the doctorate
Authors: Sarrico Cláudia S.
Published: October 2022

Doctorate level attainment has increased significantly in developed economies. In 2019, the average share of 25–64-year-olds with a doctorate across the OECD was around 1%. However, if current trends continue, 2.3% of today’s young adults will enter doctoral studies at some point in their life. This essay starts by describing the expansion of doctoral education. It then reflects on the causes of this growth and the consequences for the nature and purpose of the doctorate. This reflection is mostly based on published research in Higher Education in the last 50 years and the author’s work on policy analysis for the OECD on this topic. The paper finishes with a research agenda on doctoral education and the career of doctorate holders.
Trait related aberrant connectivity in clinically stable patients with schizophrenia: A seed based resting state fMRI study
Authors: Lalousis Paris Alexandros , Malaviya Aanya , Upthegrove Rachel , Heinze Kareen , Diukova Ana , Auer Dorothee , Liddle Peter , Mallikarjun Pavan
Published: October 2022

Aberrant resting-state connectivity within and between the Default Mode Network, the Executive Control Network, and the Salience Network is well-established in schizophrenia. Meta-analyses have identified that bilateral lingual gyrus is as the only region showing hyperactivity in schizophrenia and there are reports of increased connectivity between the lingual gyrus and other brain regions in schizophrenia. It is not clear whether these abnormalities represent state or trait markers of the illness, i.e., if they are only present during the acute phase of the illness (state) or if they reflect a predisposition to schizophrenia (trait). In this study, we used a seed-based functional connectivity analysis to investigate brain networks in schizophrenia patients who are in the stable phase of their illness and assess functional connectivity using seeds in the lingual gyrus, the posterior cingulate, the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), the right anterior insula (rAI) and the right orbital frontoinsula. Twenty patients with schizophrenia in a stable phase of their illness (as defined by the course of illness and Signs and Symptoms of Psychotic Illness (SSPI) scores) and 20 age and sex-matched healthy controls underwent resting-state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rs-fMRI). Data was analysed using the Data Processing Assistant for Resting-State fMRI Advanced Edition (DPARSFA) V3.1 (http://rfmri.org/DPARSF) and the statistical parametric mapping software 8 (SPM8). Compared with healthy controls, patients with schizophrenia showed increased connectivity between the left lingual gyrus and the middle frontal gyrus, and the cingulate cortex. Lingual gyrus hyper-connectivity may be a stable trait neuroimaging marker for schizophrenia. Our findings suggest that aberrant connectivity in major resting-state networks may not be present after the acute illness has stabilised.
Association of Glial Activation and α-Synuclein Pathology in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Wang Rui , Ren Haigang , Kaznacheyeva Elena , Lu Xiaojun , Wang Guanghui
Published: October 2022

The accumulation of pathological α-synuclein (α-syn) in the central nervous system and the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta are the neuropathological features of Parkinson's disease (PD). Recently, the findings of prion-like transmission of α-syn pathology have expanded our understanding of the region-specific distribution of α-syn in PD patients. Accumulating evidence suggests that α-syn aggregates are released from neurons and endocytosed by glial cells, which contributes to the clearance of α-syn. However, the activation of glial cells by α-syn species produces pro-inflammatory factors that decrease the uptake of α-syn aggregates by glial cells and promote the transmission of α-syn between neurons, which promotes the spread of α-syn pathology. In this article, we provide an overview of current knowledge on the role of glia and α-syn pathology in PD pathogenesis, highlighting the relationships between glial responses and the spread of α-syn pathology.
Suppression of Motor Sequence Learning and Execution Through Anodal Cerebellar Transcranial Electrical Stimulation
Authors: Voegtle Angela , Terlutter Clara , Nikolai Katharina , Farahat Amr , Hinrichs Hermann , Sweeney-Reed Catherine M.
Published: October 2022

Cerebellum (CB) and primary motor cortex (M1) have been associated with motor learning, with different putative roles. Modulation of task performance through application of transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) to brain structures provides causal evidence for their engagement in the task. Studies evaluating and comparing TDCS to these structures have provided conflicting results, however, likely due to varying paradigms and stimulation parameters. Here we applied TDCS to CB and M1 within the same experimental design, to enable direct comparison of their roles in motor sequence learning. We examined the effects of anodal TDCS during motor sequence learning in 60 healthy participants, randomly allocated to CB-TDCS, M1-TDCS, or Sham stimulation groups during a serial reaction time task. Key to the design was an equal number of repeated and random sequences. Reaction times (RTs) to implicitly learned and random sequences were compared between groups using ANOVAs and post hoc t-tests. A speed–accuracy trade-off was excluded by analogous analysis of accuracy scores. An interaction was observed between whether responses were to learned or random sequences and the stimulation group. Post hoc analyses revealed a preferential slowing of RTs to implicitly learned sequences in the group receiving CB-TDCS. Our findings provide evidence that CB function can be modulated through transcranial application of a weak electrical current, that the CB and M1 cortex perform separable functions in the task, and that the CB plays a specific role in motor sequence learning during implicit motor sequence learning.
Impregnated chitin biopolymer with magnetic nanoparticles to immobilize dye from aqueous media as a simple, rapid and efficient composite photocatalyst
Authors: Elsayed Somaya A. , El-Sayed Ibrahim E. T. , Tony Maha A.
Published: October 2022

In the sight of the ever-increasing significance of green-based iron nanoparticles especially in wastewater treatment applications is a compelling reason for their use in a waste prevention opportunity, safer environment and benign precursor materials become the vital considerations. Hence, in the current investigation, an efficient co-precipitation technique was applied to prepare highly active chitosan-coated magnetic iron oxide that is applied for wastewater remediation. In the current investigation, chitosan coupled with magnetite nanoparticles namely CS-M was attained by coupling chitosan (CS) with magnetite nanoparticles via simple co-precipitation in different weight proportions and the attained samples labeled as CS-M-(2:1), CS-M-(3:1) and CS-M-(1:2). The structure, morphology and characteristics of the prepared samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The catalytic oxidation activity of the prepared samples was investigated to eliminate Basic Blue 9 (BB9) dye from aqueous effluent as simulated textile polluted stream. The experimental data exposed almost BB9 dye emanation. The system parameters revealed the maximal BB9 oxidation (99%) was attained within 2 h of irradiance time. Box–Behnken design factorial design based on response surface methodology was applied to optimize the Fenton’s system (CS-M-(2:1)/H2O2) parameters to maximize the efficiency 2.4 and 767 mg/L of CS-M and H2O2,respectively, at pH 7.0. The experimental data exposed that CS-M-(2:1) is signified as the optimal catalyst mixture. The kinetic data verify the oxidation system follows the second-order reaction kinetic model. Further, thermodynamic variables predicted that the reaction is endothermic and non-spontaneous in nature. Hence, the catalyst could be environmental benign and the evaluation introduces the role of engineers and chemists in a world for a sustainable material use.
How Much Should You Care About Algorithmic Transparency as Manipulation?
Authors: Franke Ulrik
Published: October 2022

Wang (Philosophy & Technology 35, 2022) introduces a Foucauldian power account of algorithmic transparency. This short commentary explores when this power account is appropriate. It is first observed that the power account is a constructionist one, and that such accounts often come with both factual and evaluative claims. In an instance of Hume’s law, the evaluative claims do not follow from the factual claims, leaving open the question of how much constructionist commitment (Hacking, 1999) one should have. The concept of acts in equilibrium (Nozick, 1981) is then used to explain how different individuals reading Wang can end up with different evaluative attitudes towards algorithmic transparency, despite factual agreement. The commentary concludes by situating constructionist commitment inside a larger question of how much to think of our actions, identifying conflicting arguments.
Quantifying mammalian diets
Authors: Lintulaakso Kari , Tatti Nikolaj , Žliobaitė Indrė
Published: October 2022

We propose a quantitative approach for categorising mammalian diets based on the taxonomy of food items and parts consumed (the form of food). Our analysis covers 82% of the mammalian species alive today. The diet information comes from different data sources—textbooks, datasets and peer-reviewed literature and includes a transformation of narrative quantitative data into qualitative data. We link a database on nutrient composition of diet items of the quantitative diet data and analyse the distribution of macronutrients of diets across taxonomic groups and map them to the dental morphology of the eaters. The results show associations between dental complexity and the concentrations of some nutrients. Our analysis highlights omnivory as a multi-faceted concept—there are many kinds of omnivores within the dietary space we report. The developed dataset and the proposed approach relating the chemical composition of diets offers a basis for future comparative studies of living and fossil mammals. With this study, we make the accompanying large-scale dietary data publicly available online (https://www.mammalbase.net).
Functional food additives/ingredients production by engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum
Authors: Cankar Katarina , Henke Nadja A. , Wendisch Volker F.
Published: October 2022

Corynebacterium glutamicum is a microbial production host established in the industry 60 years ago. It is mainly used for production of feed and food amino acids. As C. glutamicum strain development has been cutting edge since its discovery, it has been engineered for production of a plethora of valuable products. This review will focus on recent developments of C. glutamicum strain engineering for biotransformation and fermentation processes towards flavor and fragrance molecules as well as pigments and sweeteners.
Chinese Medicine Phenomics (Chinmedphenomics): Personalized, Precise and Promising
Authors: Yuan Chunchun , Zhang Weiqiang , Wang Jing , Huang Chen , Shu Bing , Liang Qianqian , Huang Tingrui , Wang Jiucun , Shi Qi , Tang Dezhi , Wang Yongjun
Published: October 2022

The systematicness of phenomics and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) enable these two disciplines to interlink with each other. This article discussed the similarity in theory and application between TCM and phenomics and illustrates their respective advantages in diagnosis and treatment of diseases, forming a new discipline eventually. Chinese medicine phenomics (Chinmedphenomics) is built on classic TCM, combined with phenomics technology, and the development of which needs the mega cohort with TCM syndrome and the characteristics of precision medicine as well as multi-disciplinary cooperation, which is personalized, precise and promising, providing unique scientific insights into understanding human health.
A mechanistic consideration of oxygen enhancement ratio, oxygen transport and their relevancies for normal tissue sparing under FLASH irradiation
Authors: Jia Mengyu , Cao Xu , Pogue Brian W. , Peng Hao
Published: October 2022

Our study investigated the role of oxygen in mediating the FLASH effect. This effect, which was first reported in vitro in the 1950s and in vivo in the 1970s, recently gained prominence with a number of publications showing differential sparing between normal tissues and tumors. Oxygen depletion (and subsequent induction of transient hypoxia) is the oldest and most prominent hypothesis to explain this effect. To better understand how the oxygen depletion hypothesis and oxygen enhancement ratio (OER) are relevant for interpreting FLASH benefits, an analytical model was proposed to estimate the sparing factor. The model incorporated factors such as OER, oxygen partial pressure (pO2), loco-regional oxygen diffusion/metabolism, total dose and dose rate. The sparing factor, was used to quantify the sparing of normal tissue (initially physoxic). The radiosensitivity parameters of two cell types (V79 Chinese hamster cells and T1 human kidney cells) were selected. Furthermore, the transient behavior of OER during finite time intervals was modeled, for both without and with the presence of oxygen transport using a diffusion model. For tissues with an oxygen consumption rate of 20 mmHg/s and a distance of 60 μm away from blood vessels, the sparing factor demonstrates an increase from 1.03/1.06 (V79/T1) at 2.5 Gy/s up to 1.28/1.72 (V79/T1) at 100 Gy/s (total dose: 10 Gy). For normal tissues of initial pO2 between 1.5 and 8 mmHg, the benefit from pushing the dose rate above 100 Gy/s is found to be marginal. Preliminary animal experiments have been conducted for validation. Overall, our study predicts that the dose rate associated with maximum normal tissue protection is between 50 Gy/s and 100 Gy/s. Other than the postulation of the hypoxic stem cell niches in normal tissues, we believe that a framework based upon the oxygen depletion hypothesis and OER is not able to efficiently interpret differential responses between normal and tumor tissue under FLASH irradiation.
Serological and Antibiotic Resistance Patterns As Well As Molecular Characterization of Vibrio parahaemolyticus Isolated from Coastal Waters in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Elhadi Nasreldin , Yamani Lamya Zohair , Aljeldah Mohammed , Alomar Amer Ibrahim , Ibrahim Hafiz , Diab Asim
Published: October 2022

Vibrio parahaemolyticus belongs to the halophilic genus of Vibrionaceae family that inhabits coastal and marine environments and is a major food-borne pathogen. In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Saudi Arabia in particular, there is a lack of information regarding the detection of pandemic clone or serovariants of V. parahaemolyticus pandemic clones. Here, 400 seawater samples were collected and examined for the presence of V. parahaemolyticus from 10 locations along the coast of Eastern Province in Saudi Arabia. The recovered isolates were serotyped, and studied for antimicrobial resistance, virulence genes, and markers of pandemicity using PCR and Arbitrarily primed (AP)-PCR typing patterns. All 40 isolates were tested negative for tdh, trh, and toxRS genes. Six serotypes were identified and three were clinically significant. Antibiotic susceptibility testing of isolates revealed high resistance towards penicillins, cephalosporins, and polymyxin; 60% of isolates were multi-drug resistant, whereas all isolates were susceptible to quinolones, carbapenems, sulfonamides, and tetracycline. The multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index among antibiotic resistance patterns of isolates revealed that 12 (30%) isolates had recorded significant MAR index higher than 0.2. AP-PCR fingerprinting could group all isolates into five distinct and identical pattern clusters with more than 85% similarity. Our findings demonstrate that pandemic serovariants of pandemic clones were not exclusively limited to strains isolated from fecal specimens of infected patients. Nine environmental strains of serotype O1:KUT, O1: K25, and O5:K17 were isolated from costal seawater, and thus the spread of these serovariants strains of pandemic clone of V. parahaemolyticus in the environment is to avoid any kind of threat to public health.
Drones and machine learning for estimating forest carbon storage
Authors: Sharma Sadikshya , Dhal Sambandh , Rout Tapas , Acharya Bharat Sharma
Published: October 2022

Estimating forest carbon storage is crucial for understanding sink capacities to facilitate carbon crediting and mitigate climate change. Images captured with RGB or LiDAR cameras, mounted on drones, could be used to derive forest structural parameters such as canopy area, height, and tree diameter. Further, these data could be used in Machine Learning models and allometric equations to rapidly and precisely estimate and model carbon storage in their living biomass.

Graphical Abstract
Know Your Customer: Balancing innovation and regulation for financial inclusion
Authors: Elliott Karen , Coopamootoo Kovila , Curran Edward , Ezhilchelvan Paul , Finnigan Samantha , Horsfall Dave , Ma Zhichao , Ng Magdalene , Spiliotopoulos Tasos , Wu Han , van Moorsel Aad
Published: October 2022

Financial inclusion depends on providing adjusted services for citizens with disclosed vulnerabilities. At the same time, the financial industry needs to adhere to a strict regulatory framework, which is often in conflict with the desire for inclusive, adaptive, and privacy-preserving services. In this article we study how this tension impacts the deployment of privacy-sensitive technologies aimed at financial inclusion. We conduct a qualitative study with banking experts to understand their perspectives on service development for financial inclusion. We build and demonstrate a prototype solution based on open source decentralized identifiers and verifiable credentials software and report on feedback from the banking experts on this system. The technology is promising thanks to its selective disclosure of vulnerabilities to the full control of the individual. This supports GDPR requirements, but at the same time, there is a clear tension between introducing these technologies and fulfilling other regulatory requirements, particularly with respect to “Know Your Customer.” We consider the policy implications stemming from these tensions and provide guidelines for the further design of related technologies.
Periodic expansion of one by Salem numbers
Authors: AKIYAMA SHIGEKI , HICHRI HACHEM
Published: October 2022

We show that for a Salem number$\beta $of degreed, there exists a positive constant$c(d)$where$\beta ^m$is a Parry number for integersmof natural density$\ge c(d)$. Further, we show$c(6)>1/2$and discuss a relation to the discretized rotation in dimension$4$.
Fitness cost of Rhagoletis cerasi (Diptera: Tephritidae) adults emerged from pupae with different dormancy regimes: the case of prolonged chilling
Authors: Moraiti Cleopatra A. , Verykouki Eleni , Papadopoulos Nikos T.
Published: October 2022

The European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a univoltine species that overwinters at pupal stage. Under optimum overwintering conditions pupae will develop into adults the next spring. Shorter or longer than optimum chilling periods induce prolonged pupae dormancy. Pupae that enter prolonged dormancy due to a short chilling period exhibit high emergence rates after a second cycle of cold/warm periods. Adults found to be larger and less fecund compared to their counterparts from pupae with annual diapause. On the other hand, extreme long chilling periods at pupal stage results in high mortality rates. However, for one Greek population, a substantial number of adults emerged following prolonged chilling of pupae (ca. 18 consecutive months). In this study, we used three R. cerasi populations in order to address possible geographical variation in fitness cost of adults from pupae with prolonged dormancy. In addition, the fitness traits of these adults emerging after prolonged pupae chilling were compared with that of their counterparts from pupae with annual diapause or prolonged dormancy. Our results reveal no population-specific variation in fitness cost of adults from pupae with prolonged dormancy. Within a population, lifetime fecundity did not differ between adults emerged from pupae with prolonged dormancy and those emerged after prolonged pupae chilling. Adults emerged from pupae exposed to prolonged chilling suffer an additional reduction in adult longevity compared to adults from pupae with prolonged dormancy. Hence, fitness of R. cerasi adults is regulated by diapause regimes of pupae.
Wise Mothers and Wise Buyers: Marketing Tea and Home Improvement in 1930s South Africa
Authors: Carline Katie
Published: October 2022

Histories of advertising in Africa focus on the postwar and postcolonial periods. This essay examines an innovative marketing campaign in South Africa's eastern Cape in the 1930s. The campaign reveals congruence and conflict between increased marketing of consumer goods to African households and the contemporaneous growth of women's home improvement societies. The newspaper Umlindi we Nyanga used testimonials and written competitions to sell its Ambrosia brand of tea to rural women. Advertisers and consumers drew on local meanings of tea consumption and debates about feminine respectability to present tea-drinking women as ‘intelligent’ and ‘wise mothers’. The emphasis on intelligence linked tea to literacy, in part because text-based consumer culture offered rural women a way to visibly consume socially respectable goods. The essay concludes with a close examination of two testimonials written by leaders of home improvement societies, which hint at the contradictions implicit in the commercialization of the ‘wise mother’.
Reversing Pascal: scepticism about religious belief and its value
Authors: Smilansky Saul
Published: October 2022

Pascal famously argued that practical reasoning should lead people to try to form within themselves a commitment to religious practice and obedience, based upon a belief in God. I propose to take a less ambitious argument, which I call the Sensible Argument, and use it to present The Puzzle. I argue that there is a huge puzzle here, about the radical dissonance between the beliefs and practices of many of the purportedly religious. There are, I will argue, good reasons to doubt, concerning many (clearly not all or indeed most) purported religious believers, whether they are indeed believers, or at least whether their beliefs are strong; and religion seems to greatly increase the risks of deception, duplicity, and hypocrisy, as well as self-deception and inauthenticity. By turning towards a religious form of life, one will therefore be adding great morality-related risks. Arguably, if there is a God who deeply cares about individual moral behaviour, he would punish religious moral transgressors more than the secular ones. One is unlikely to be saved from hell (or other severe divine punishment) by becoming religious. If one is going to wager, it seems much more sensible to wager on the secular side.
Swimming against the theological and pedagogical stream: Lessons from Karl Barth on teaching within the theological disciplines
Authors: Bender Kimlyn J.
Published: October 2022

Karl Barth's deeply rooted theological convictions directly shaped his pedagogical practice. These convictions continue to merit reflection today. Barth's theological pedagogy is dedicated to his convictions pertaining to: 1) the particularity of theology's subject matter; 2) the necessary embodiment of theology's practice in an ecclesial and confessional tradition; 3) an open and charitable reading of the church's past; and 4) a principled rejection of ideology. These four convictions are explored in this essay with an eye to their relevance and importance for the teaching of theology and contemporary challenges. The essay concludes with a brief account of the dispositions that should accompany these convictions.
Configuration selection for tip-over stability of a modular reconfigurable mobile manipulator under various application situations
Authors: Song Tao , Yang Hao , Guo Shuai , Cui Guohua , Yan Zhe
Published: October 2022

A method is presented for configuration selection to obtain the best tip-over stability of a modular reconfigurable mobile manipulator (MRMM) under various application situations. The said MRMM consists of a modular reconfigurable robot (MRR) mounted on a mobile platform. The MRR in different configurations creates different wrenches onto the mobile platform, leading to different tip-over moments of the MRMM, even though the joint speeds or tip speeds remain the same. The underlying problem pertains to selecting one configuration of MRR for reconfiguration that would obtain the best tip-over stability under a given application. First, all the permissible configurations are identified through an enumeration method. Then, the feasible configurations are determined based on application-oriented workspace classifications. At last, two workspace indices, vertical reach and horizontal reach, are used to select an optimal configuration. The tip-over stability analysis and evaluation of MRMM are carried out for verification for three cases including vertical, horizontal, and general 3D space applications. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Material Pluralism and Symbolic Violence: Palm Leaf Deeds and Paper Land Grants in Colonial Sri Lanka, 1680–1795
Authors: Lyna Dries , Bulten Luc
Published: October 2022

This article studies the registration practices of land and property on palm leaf deeds (olas) in Sri Lanka, in relationship to the advent of paper land grants (giftebrieven) under the Dutch East India Company (VOC)’s rule in the long eighteenth century. A database of about 2500 Dutch land grant deeds and translated olas, ranging from 1685 to 1795 are contextualised via judicial records of Dutch civil courts, where (translated) olas were regularly used as evidence. Not only does this allow us to track the geographical encroachment of Dutch power over coastal Sri Lanka as part of a colonial transition, but at the same time shift the perspective to study which individuals and communities on the island engaged with Dutch land bureaucracy. In doing so, we showcase the continued importance of traditional ola deeds and (pre-)colonial registers for both local land owners and the colonial bureaucracy itself, regardless of the Dutch government’s push for paper, attempted to delegitimise the local ola recordings, and acts of symbolic violence to infringe on both the materiality as well as the perceived importance of palm leaf deeds. In the long eighteenth century several paper and palm leaf realities coexisted in Sri Lanka and at times conflicted, entangled, and convoluted within and outside the bureaucratic institutions to form what ‘material pluralism’ within a larger context of legal pluralities.
Deep Convective Cloud Top Altitudes at High Temporal and Spatial Resolution
Authors: Pfister L. , Ueyama R. , Jensen E. J. , Schoeberl M. R.
Published: October 2022

We describe and validate a method of calculating convective cloud top altitudes and potential temperatures up to 50° latitude at high spatial (0.25°) and temporal (3 hr) resolution. The approach uses the statistics of the CloudSat cloud radar deep convective cloud classification product coupled with nighttime CALIOP lidar measurements to effectively “calibrate” the high frequency, high resolution global rainfall and brightness temperature data that is used to derive convective cloud top altitudes. Thus, our product agrees well with the statistics of the CloudSat/CALIOP convective cloud tops, especially in the tropics and over oceanic regions. Agreement is reasonable, but not as good, for land‐based convection. The estimated uncertainty in cloud top altitudes in our product is 0.5–1.0 km over land areas, with smaller uncertainties over the oceans. The diurnal cycle of the new convection data set is in good agreement with precipitation radar convective climatology.
Stress Effects on Wave Velocities of Rocks: Contribution of Crack Closure, Squirt Flow and Acoustoelasticity
Authors: Wei Yijun , Ba Jing , Carcione José M.
Published: October 2022

The elastic properties of rocks depend on the mineral constituents, pore structure, saturating fluids, and stress (loading) conditions. To study these properties, we measured ultrasonic P‐ and S‐wave velocities as a function of the differential (confining minus pore) pressure and propose an unrelaxed double‐porosity acoustoelasticity model, which generalizes the single‐porosity one. The new approach includes the effects of crack closure, based on the David‐Zimmerman model, and the squirt‐flow mechanism, based on the Gurevich model. When cracks are open at low differential pressures, their properties dominate the wave velocity variations, followed by the squirt‐flow mechanism. Then, a transition occurs, where cracks partially close, and the squirt‐flow effect vanishes. At high pressures, cracks close and acoustoelasticity effects prevail. This behavior is observed in sedimentary rocks, whereas in granites, which have a low crack content, the acoustoelastic effect is dominant at all pressures.