bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimization of a commercial Histoplasma galactomannan EIA test in a population from an endemic area of histoplasmosis in southern Brazil
Authors: Blan Bianca dos Santos , Poester Vanice Rodrigues , Basso Rossana Patricia , Benelli Jéssica Louise , Sanchotene Karine Ortiz , Caceres Diego H. , Doherty Brian , Pasqualotto Alessandro Comarú , Xavier Melissa Orzechowski
Published: December 2022

Background

Since 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends Histoplasma antigen detection for the diagnosis of disseminated histoplasmosis (DH) in people living with HIV (PLHIV).

Objective

Here we aimed to optimise the IMMY's Clarus® Histoplasma GM enzyme immunoassay (EIA), evaluating the best cut‐off in the semi‐quantitative (SQ‐HGM EIA), also known as ‘calibrator cut‐off procedure’.

Methods

The optimization was done using the quantitative standard procedure (Q‐HGM EIA), also known as ‘standard curve procedure’, as reference test. A retrospective study from an endemic area of DH in southern Brazil was carried out including 264 patients investigated for DH using the test. Receiver Operator Characteristic curve was plotted, and sensitivity and specificity of the SQ‐HGM EIA were calculated.

Results

The study included 24 positive (values ≥ 0.20 ng/ml) and 240 negative patients by the Q‐HGM EIA. According to the manufacturer SQ‐HGM EIA protocol, the new SQ‐HGM EIA cut‐off of 0.8 EIA units was validated, resulting in sensitivity and specificity of 88% and 98.7%, respectively.

Conclusion

Our study pioneers and brings important data about the optimization of the Histoplasma antigen testing for the diagnosis of DH in a population from Southern Brazil. This optimization also reduced the amount of reagents used, lowering the cost associated with testing.
Nationalism, populism or peopleism? Clarifying the distinction through a two‐dimensional lens
Authors: Vulović Marina , Palonen Emilia
Published: December 2022

Prompted by recent scholarly debates on the distinction between populism and nationalism, we elaborate on the Laclaudian understanding of populism as an antagonistic form of us‐building/community‐making that relies on the extension of equivalential chains between demands. From this heuristic perspective, populism can be understood as an empty form to be filled with different contents, such as nationalism. Our radically anti‐essentialist stance combines Laclau's formalist conceptualisation of populism and Brubaker's work on nationalism. We highlight the ontological dimension of populism, as a form of us‐building, and the ontic dimension, as an array of discursive repertoires that fill the form, such as ‘the people’ for peopleism. We explore the ontological–ontic distinction through the case of Narodism in Serbia. Conceptualising populism two‐dimensionally contributes both to debates on the ‘core’ of populism and to cases where articulations of ‘the people’ coincide with expressions of nationhood, civilisationalism and culturalism, rather than being entirely the same.
N6‐methyladenosine promotes osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs from periodontitis patients
Authors: Zhang Xiaochen , Liu Jia , Gao Jie , Sun Weifu , Chen Xin , Wang Xian , Qin Wen , Jin Zuolin
Published: December 2022

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) in the osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) from periodontitis patients.

Methods

Differentially m6A‐methylated lncRNA/mRNA profiles were detected by a m6A epitranscriptomic microarray. Bioinformatics analysis was performed by Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis. The transfection efficiency of the lentivirus was detected. The osteogenic activity of PDLSCs from periodontitis patients (PPDLSCs) was assessed.

Results

The microarray results showed that 275 lncRNAs and 1292 mRNAs were significantly differentially methylated between PPDLSCs and PDLSCs from healthy people. Among those lncRNAs, lncRNA4114 (transcript_ID: ENST00000444114) showed both reduced m6A methylation levels and expression levels in PPDLSCs. Further bioinformatics analysis predicted that the differentially methylated mRNAs were mainly involved in cell interaction, stem cell pluripotency, and osteogenic differentiation signals. Then, overexpression of methyltransferase like 3 (METTL3) promoted the osteogenic differentiation of PPDLSCs, while knocking down METTL3 showed an inhibitory effect. Furthermore, METTL3 overexpression promotes the stability of lncRNA4114 to upregulate the expression level. Moreover, lncRNA4114 overexpression promoted the osteogenic differentiation of PPDLSCs.

Conclusion

METTL3 promotes the osteogenic differentiation of PPDLSCs by regulating the stability of lncRNA4114.
Dental calculus microbiome correlates with dietary intake
Authors: Innocenti Gabriel , Martino Maria Elena , Stellini Edoardo , Di Fiore Adolfo , Quagliariello Andrea
Published: December 2022

Background

Dental calculus is the result of dental plaque mineralization, originating from the tooth‐associated bacterial biofilm. Recent evidence revealed that the dental calculus microbiome has a more complex composition than previously considered, including an unstructured mix of both aerobes and anaerobes bacteria. Actually, we lack information about the influence of host lifestyle factors, such as diet and health on this highly biodiverse ecosystem. Here, we provide a pilot study investigating dental calculus microbial biodiversity and its relation with the host diet.

Methods

We collected 40 dental calculus samples during routine dental inspection; deoxyribonucleic acid was extracted and analyzed through 16S amplicon sequencing, while dietary information was retrieved through a questionnaire. Associations between diet and oral bacteria taxonomy and functional pathways were statistically tested.

Results

Overall, microbiome composition was dominated by 10 phyla and 39 bacterial genera, which were differently distributed among samples. Cluster analysis revealed four main groups based on the taxonomic profile and two groups based on functional pathways. Each taxonomic cluster was dominated by different microbial biomarkers: Streptococcus, Rothia, Tannerella, Lautropia, and Fusobacterium. Bacteria genera and pathways were also associated with specific dietary elements, especially vegetable and fruit intake suggesting an overall effect of diet on dental calculus microbiome.

Conclusions

The present study demonstrates that there exists an inter‐variability in the microbial composition of dental calculus among individuals of a rather homogeneous population. Furthermore, the observed biodiversity and microbial functions can find an association with specific dietary habits, such as a high‐fiber diet or a protein‐rich diet.
Efforts and their feelings
Authors: Bermúdez Juan Pablo , Massin Olivier
Published: December 2022

Effort and the feeling of effort play important roles in many theoretical discussions, from perception to self‐control and free will, from the nature of ownership to the nature of desert and achievement. A crucial, overlooked distinction within the philosophical and scientific literatures is the distinction between theories that seek to explain effort and theories that seek to explain the feeling of effort. Lacking a clear distinction between these two phenomena makes the literature hard to navigate. To advance in the unification and development of this area, this article provides an overview of the main theories of the nature of effort and the nature of the feeling of effort, and then discusses how efforts and their feelings are related. Two key takeaways emerge. First, there is widespread agreement that efforts are goal‐directed actions. Second, one of the main philosophical issues to be decided is whether feelings of effort should be defined by reference to efforts (effort‐first approach), or whether efforts are defined by reference to the feeling of effort (feeling‐first approach).
Unjust enrichment in investor–State arbitration: A principled limit on compensation for future income from fossil fuels
Authors: Hailes Oliver
Published: December 2022

If States take seriously the Paris Agreement's mitigation goal by phasing out the use of fossil fuels in energy production, investor–State arbitration could allow claimants to recoup lost value. In awards of compensation, tribunals typically apply forward‐looking, income‐based valuation methods to quantify future cash flows. But such methods may lead to upward redistribution of wealth and expansion of fossil fuel production. This article recalls the prohibition against unjust enrichment as a general principle of law that complements the obligation to make full reparation by ensuring that any compensation does not undermine some legally recognized allocation of benefits and burdens. The Paris Agreement's distributive scheme may thus impose a principled limit on compensation for future income from stranded fossil fuel assets when a tribunal determines the appropriate method of valuation, thereby ensuring that investor–State arbitration does not enrich claimants to the detriment of State capacity in climate mitigation and adaptation.
Divergence versus decisionP‐values: A distinction worth making in theory and keeping in practice: Or, how divergenceP‐values measure evidence even when decisionP‐values do not
Authors: Greenland Sander
Published: December 2022

There are two distinct definitions of “P‐value” for evaluating a proposed hypothesis or model for the process generating an observed dataset. The original definition starts with a measure of the divergence of the dataset from what was expected under the model, such as a sum of squares or a deviance statistic. AP‐value is then the ordinal location of the measure in a reference distribution computed from the model and the data, and is treated as a unit‐scaled index of compatibility between the data and the model. In the other definition, aP‐value is a random variable on the unit interval whose realizations can be compared to a cutoff α to generate a decision rule with known error rates under the model and specific alternatives. It is commonly assumed that realizations of such decisionP‐values always correspond to divergenceP‐values. But this need not be so: DecisionP‐values can violate intuitive single‐sample coherence criteria where divergenceP‐values do not. It is thus argued that divergence and decisionP‐values should be carefully distinguished in teaching, and that divergenceP‐values are the relevant choice when the analysis goal is to summarize evidence rather than implement a decision rule.
HLA allele and haplotype frequencies in Kazakhstani Russians and their relationship with other populations
Authors: Hajjej Abdelhafidh , Abdrakhmanova Saniya , Turganbekova Aida , Almawi Wassim Y.
Published: December 2022

HLA class I and class II genotypes from 947 Kazakhstani individuals of Russian origin were analyzed for investigating their most likely origin. The results were compared with similar data from other Russians (East and West), and also Worldwide populations, using standard genetic distances, neighbor‐joining dendrograms, correspondence and haplotype analysis. Of the five HLA loci analyzed (HLA‐A, HLA‐C, HLA‐B, HLA‐DRB1, and HLA‐DQB1) genotyped, 216 HLA alleles were identified. The most frequent alleles were A*02:01 (26.5%), B*07:02 (11.1%), C*04:01 (13.5%) and C*06:02 (12.1%), DRB1*07:01 (13.8%) and DRB1*15:01 (12.2%), and DQB1*03:01 (19.7%). Significant linkage disequilibrium was noted between all HLA pairs. DRB1*15:01 ~ DQB1*06:02 (10.5%), B*07:02 ~ C*07:02 (10.0%), B*07:02 ~ DRB1*15:01 (6.3%), and A*01:01 ~ B*08:01 (4.5%) were the most frequent two‐locus haplotypes identified. Subsequent analyses showed that Kazakhstani Russians were closely related to West Russia‐residing populations (Northwest Slavic, Vologda, Chelyabinsk, Moscow), East Europeans (Belarus Brest, Ukraine, Poland) and Scandinavians (Swedish, Finns), but distinct from East Russia‐residing populations (Tuvians, Siberians from Chukotka, Kamchatka, and Ulchi) and East Mediterraneans (Levantines, Turks, North Macedonians, Albanians), and East Asians (Koreans, Japanese, Taiwanese, Mongolians). These results are in accordance with historical data indicating that the Russians of central Asia originate mainly from European Russia during the migratory flow of 18th and 19th centuries.
The role of artificial intelligence in clinical imaging and workflows
Authors: Wilson Diane U. , Bailey Michael Q , Craig John
Published: December 2022

Evidence‐based medicine, outcomes management, and multidisciplinary systems are laying the foundation for radiology on the cusp of a new day. Environmental and operational forces coupled with technological advancements are redefining the veterinary radiologist of tomorrow. In the past several years, veterinary image volumes have exploded, and the scale of hardware and software required to support it seems boundless. The most dynamic trend within veterinary radiology is implementing digital information systems such as PACS, RIS, PIMS, and Voice Recognition systems. While the digitization of radiography imaging has significantly improved the workflow of the veterinary radiology assistant and radiologist, tedious, redundant tasks are abundant and mind‐numbing. They can lead to errors with a significant impact on patient care.  Today, these boring and repetitious tasks continue to bog down patient throughput and workflow. Artificial intelligence, particularly machine learning, shows much promise to rocket the workflow and veterinary clinical imaging into a new day where the AI management of mundane tasks allows for efficiency so the radiologist can better concentrate on the quality of patient care. In this article, we briefly discuss the major subsets of artificial intelligence (AI) workflow for the radiologist and veterinary radiology assistant including image acquisition, segmentation and mensuration, rotation and hanging protocol, detection and prioritization, monitoring and registration of lesions, implementation of these subsets, and the ethics of utilizing AI in veterinary medicine.
PREPARATION AND RHEOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF CELLULOSE-CHITOSAN HYDROGEL FOR EXTRUSION 3D PRINTER
Authors: Quindoza Gerardo Martin III , Castillo Patrick Aldwin , Manapat Jill , Cruz John Kenneth
Published: December 2022

The application of three-dimensional (3D) printing in tissue engineering is becoming prominent nowadays. A big obstacle for this technology is the selection of proper ink material. Chitosan hydrogel is an established biocompatible material that can be used as tissue scaffolds, and it has the rheology necessary for processing via extrusion type 3D printer. However, chitosan still has degradation and swelling limitations. Hence, chitosan hydrogel blends were incorporated with cellulose particles and were prepared as ink material. The hydrogels were successfully synthesized via thermo-responsive sol-gel method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis showed that the gelation of hydrogels formed a semi-interpenetrating network of ionically crosslinked chitosan and cellulose particles. Rheological tests have shown that the hydrogels exhibited shear thinning property necessary for printing. However, high cellulose amounts caused clogging during printing, and the presence of water limited the structural rigidity of the printed product. Besides this, it was found that the addition of cellulose was able to increase swelling, decrease degradation rate, and decrease gelation time, but the effect is not significant for any of these three properties.
2D-FACE ALIGNMENT WITH CYCLEGAN FACE AGING IMAGE-TO-IMAGE TRANSLATION
Authors: Hamzah Nabilah , Kamaru Zaman Fadhlan Hafizhelmi , Md Tahir Nooritawati
Published: December 2022

Face alignment is one of the pre-processing processes where the face plays a crucial part in image tasks and computer vision. As part of the pre-processing step, it is the first step taken before implementing an image processing task. By aligning face, it is expected to improve the network model performance, because good input data is now represented in the network model. This research aims to see whether pre-processing the input data can improve the network model performance. A 2D-face alignment technique is used to align all the input images. All the input image that is already being aligned is used as the input image for the CycleGAN face aging image-to-image translation model. In this work, the CycleGAN network model is used to translate an image of a young face to their older version and vice versa. The result obtained shows that if the network model is presented with a properly aligned face, it can translate the image into a younger or older version better than when presented with a non-aligned face.
THEORETICAL ANALYSIS OF SQUARE STRUCTURED PHOTONIC CRYSTAL FIBRE USING THE GOLDEN RATIO
Authors: Rahman Atta , Abas Pg Emeroylariffion , Maidi Abdul Mu'iz , Zou Nianyu , Begum Feroza
Published: December 2022

Square photonic crystal fibre (PCF) is proposed in this study using the principle of the golden ratio; by taking inspiration from nature. Simulations and analyses of the proposed design are used to examine different optical properties. Research findings show that the proposed square photonic crystal fibre exhibits a flattened chromatic dispersion, with a chromatic dispersion value of around 60 ps/(km.nm). At the critical 1.55 mm operating wavelength window, the fibre structure has a low effective area of less than 8 mm2 and confinement loss of less than 10−5 dB/km. These characteristics show that the proposed PCF design is suitable to be used for data communication systems. Subsequently, confinement of light occurs within the core of the proposed PCF at the optimum wavelength of 1.55 μm.
EFFECTIVENESS ON TRAINING METHOD USING VIRTUAL REALITY AND AUGMENTED REALITY APPLICATIONS IN AUTOMOBILE ENGINE ASSEMBLY
Authors: Win Lai Lai , Abdul Aziz Faieza , Hairuddin Abdul Aziz , Abdullah Lili Nurliyana , Yap Hwa Jen , Saito Hideo , Seyajah Norhisham
Published: December 2022

Training and education have become increasingly crucial in obtaining new skills in a variety of fields, especially in assembly and disassembly operations. The main issue in mechanical engineering, particularly in the assembly department, was that automobile engine components assembly was found to be complicated and challenging to assemble using an existing method, where they only rely on a video-based method. The purpose of this paper is to create interactive Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) applications that allow users to efficiently assist and complete the assembly tasks. In this work, the authors designed and developed a fully immersive VR application using an HTC Vive headset and two AR applications (marker-less AR application and marker-based AR application) using EPSON MOVERIO BT-300 (AR Smart Glasses). Fourteen engineering students from Universiti Putra Malaysia were selected for the experiment. They were divided into four groups: video-based group, VR-based group, marker-less AR group, and marker-based AR group. They are required to complete all four experiments (video-based experiment, VR-based experiment, marker-less AR experiment, and marker-based AR experiment). The results showed that the marker-less AR application is the best impressive method (37% better), the VR application is the second impressive method (23% better) followed by the marker-based AR application is the third impressive method (3% better) compared to the existing video-based guideline. Therefore, the students favored AR and VR applications rather than the existing method to be used in automobile engine assembly tasks.
THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT DECODING TECHNIQUES WITH GAUSSIAN APPROXIMATION ON THE PERFORMANCE OF POLAR CODES
Authors: Suhaimi Hamizan , Shuhaimi Nurul Syazlina , Mohamad Roslina
Published: December 2022

In the last ten years, polar code research has piqued the interest of firms and researchers, particularly in the communication industry. Polar codes have been utilised as a coding method for the fifth-generation wireless standard (5G). However, the polar decoder does not adequately correct errors in successive cancellation (SC) decoding when dealing with short- to intermediate-length codes. However, SC decoding can correct errors more efficiently by using sequential cancellation list (SCL) decoding. The main drawback of SCL is its higher cost due to computational complexity and throughput. The present research investigates the effect of Gaussian approximation (GA) and different decoding approaches on the performance of polar codes. First, SC and SCL decoders are developed utilising amplitude shift keying modulation; a decoder using GA is then integrated. According to simulation data, the SCL, both with and without GA, exhibits a better block error rate (BLER) than SC. The maximum difference between the SCL decoder and SC decoder is 0.6 dB at BLER=0.1 for N=2048. Furthermore, at BLER=5.6 x 10-6, the SCL decoder with GA performs better than the SC decoder for block lengths, N=1024, with a maximum difference of 2.72 dB. When the polar decoder with GA is utilised, enhancements are observed in polar code performance for various list sizes and block lengths, although time complexity is increased.
Friction Factors for Pipe Flow
Authors: Moody Lewis F.
Published: December 2022

The object of this paper is to furnish the engineer with a simple means of estimating the friction factors to be used in computing the loss of head in clean new pipes and in closed conduits running full with steady flow. The modern developments in the application of theoretical hydrodynamics to the fluid-friction problem are impressive and scattered through an extensive literature. This paper is not intended as a critical survey of this wide field. For a concise review, Professor Bakhmeteff’s (1) small book on the mechanics of fluid flow is an excellent reference. Prandtl and Tietjens (2) and Rouse (3) have also made notable contributions to the subject. The author does not claim to offer anything particularly new or original, his aim merely being to embody the now accepted conclusions in convenient form for engineering use.
A Thermal-Balance Method and Mechanical Investigation for Evaluating Machinability
Authors: Schmidt A. O. , Gilbert W. W. , Boston O. W.
Published: December 2022

The first section of this paper reports on the results of an investigation of a calorimetric process for the determination of drilling forces. Tests were run on a drill press which was provided with a dynamometer for registering torque and thrust. The calorimetric setup was mounted on the accurately calibrated dynamometer. The temperature rise of 50 cc of water which surrounded the tool and test bar during the cutting operation was determined. Horsepower was computed from the torque and thrust registered on the dynamometer and was found to agree substantially with the power determined from the temperature changes in the calorimeter due to cutting. The results of another series of tests run on a different machine using calorimetric apparatus of slightly changed design are also given. The second section of this paper gives a description of the machine used and the tests made prior to the investigation with the calorimetric apparatus. In these experiments a tubular test bar was cut by a tool mounted in a special holder in a drill press spindle. The feeding of the tool was effected by a weight. Because of chip interference during the cutting of magnesium alloys, these penetration tests were discontinued in favor of the calorimetric tests.
An Analysis of the Milling Process, Part II—Down Milling
Authors: Martellotti M. E.
Published: December 2022

The method of milling here described as down milling is compared with up milling on the basis of geometric characteristics such as length of tooth path, radius of curvature, thickness of the undeformed section of the chip, chip formation, character of the milled surface, power required in cutting S.A.E. 1112 steel and cast iron, and intensity of vertical and horizontal components of the cutting force obtaining for various depths of cut. Typical mechanical backlash-eliminating devices for the feeding mechanisms of milling machines to permit down-milling operations are described. Results obtained in actual application of down milling are given together with information on cutter life and production. The analytical and factual data presented permit a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages inherent in both methods of milling. It is shown that the power required at the cutter not including the feed is slightly more in down milling than in up milling. The total power supplied to the machine, however, is slightly less in down milling than in up milling. Actual intensities of horizontal and vertical components of the forces on the cutting edge are given for both methods of milling. Down milling, known for many years but not generally used in milling operations until recently, finds an ever-widening field of application.
Experimental Study of the Flow of Coal in Chutes at Riverside Generating Station
Authors: Wolf E. F. , von Hohenleiten H. L.
Published: December 2022

Among the power-plant problems which are gradually being solved, the present study of moving coal from the bunkers to stokers or coal-pulverizing mills is important, for with the use of one boiler only for each turbine generator, the prevention of coal stoppages in chutes is vital. During the war years, the use of coal from lot storage, with consequent moisture absorption, has caused a great deal of ratholing and arching in the bunkers, and frequent stoppages have occurred in the chutes. The experimental investigation, reported, involved a study of the flow and stoppage of coal in a transparent scale model of one of the present chutes; measurements of physical properties of lot coal with relation to possible factors affecting stoppage; development in successive steps of a new design of coal chute in scale-model form. Out of this study a suitable chute design was evolved, now being reproduced full scale for installation and test.
Thermal Accommodation Coefficients
Authors: Wiedmann M. L. , Trumpler P. R.
Published: December 2022

This investigation deals with the conduction of heat through a gas at low pressure. The theoretical work of M. Knudsen is extended to cover the case of conduction between two infinite concentric cylindrical surfaces of different properties. Experiments to determine the accommodation coefficients of air on flat black lacquer and nine metal surfaces indicate that the values lie between 0.87 and 0.97.
Free Heat Convection Through Enclosed Plane Gas Layers
Authors: Jakob Max
Published: December 2022

Fifteen years ago, Mull and Reiher published elaborate experiments on heat convection through enclosed plane air layers. In the present paper it is shown that the representation and evaluation of the results of these experiments can be simplified, improved, and generalized when, as for a single surface in an extended medium, a laminar and turbulent range are distinguished. Defining slightly modified Nusselt and Grashof numbers with the layer thickness L as characteristic length, the experimental results for horizontal and vertical layers can be expressed by (NNu)L = Ch(NGr)Ln, or Cv(NGr)Ln(L/H)1/9, respectively, where n = 1/4 and 1/3 for the laminar and turbulent ranges, respectively, and H is the height of vertical layer. Comparison with tests of other authors indicates that, due to the experimental elimination of any influences from the edge of the enclosed layer, Mull and Reiher obtained relatively low values of the constants Ch and Cv, whereas without particular precaution these influences may considerably increase the heat transfer.
Speed and Feed Selection in Carbide Milling With Respect to Production, Cost, and Accuracy
Authors: Ernst Hans , Field Michael
Published: December 2022

The present paper reports findings of a research on milling cast iron with carbide-tipped cutters in addition to those presented previously in 1945 by Michael Field and W. E. Bullock. An important finding of the earlier work was the existence of a definite maximum tool-life point, i.e., at 290 fpm, in relationship of cutting speed to tool life, when milling a cast iron of medium hardness (Bhn 190). Subsequently, it was found that a similar maximum tool-life point, i.e., 200 fpm, occurs when milling a considerably harder and less machinable cast iron (Bhn 240). An important outcome of the earlier phases of the research was the development of a combination of tool angles which gave much greater tool life and a considerably higher production rate. The original work was done with single-point tools, whereas a multitooth cutter was subsequently developed, details of which and the results obtained are included in the paper. A comprehensive account is given of the recent studies, illustrated by numerous test curves, and a practical analysis of milling costs.
Dynamic Behavior and Design of Servomechanisms
Authors: Brown G. S. , Hall A. C.
Published: December 2022

This paper aims to set forth the criteria that are important in the design of certain servomechanisms and to show how certain analytical procedures can be applied to almost any problem to define quantitatively the properties that the control should have in order to make the servomechanism perform in the manner desired. The nomenclature used is essentially that proposed by Draper (1). It is used in the treatment of the problem of synthesizing a controller for a servomechanism whose controlled member is to be rotated and can be defined in terms of inertia plus viscous and coulomb friction, plus a load torque. The broad objective of the designer is assumed to be that of designing a controller which will keep the dynamic error in controlled angular position of the controlled member a minimum under certain operating conditions. The transient and steady-state error for certain forms of motion, the criteria for stability, the effects of viscous friction, coulomb friction and load torques on the desired performance, and other related matters are treated. Several nondimensional charts and tables are included in the paper and show quantitatively the performance of any particular servomechanism with a controlled member of the kind treated, when the system has the various forms of control.
Using transfer learning with a convolutional neural network to detect African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) vocalizations
Authors: Rycyk Athena , Bolaji Dunsin Abimbola , Factheu Clinton , Kamla Takoukam Aristide
Published: December 2022

African manatees (Trichechus senegalensis) are vulnerable, understudied, and difficult to detect. Areas where African manatees are found were acoustically sampled and deep learning techniques were used to develop the first African manatee vocalization detector. A transfer learning approach was used to develop a convolutional neural network (CNN) using a pretrained CNN (GoogLeNet). The network was highly successful, even when applied to recordings collected from a different location. Vocal detections were more common at night and tended to occur within less than 2 min of one another.
Manufacturing Dreams and Investing in Future Generations: Women Athletes’ Inspirational Labor in the Marketing and Promotion of Their Sport
Authors: Chahardovali Tarlan , McLeod Christopher M.
Published: December 2022

Women athletes are often asked to participate in unpaid or underpaid community appearances and youth camps to generate fan interest, promote their sport, and inspire the next generation of athletes. The expectation to invest in the future of one’s sport for the benefit of others is a gendered process—requiring athletes to employ different forms of labor in addition to their athletic labor. Drawing from the literature on future-oriented labor and immaterial labor, we show how the sport industry is structured to extract value from what we refer to as women’s “inspirational labor.” Interviews with 29 women athletes and 15 managers in professional softball and soccer in the United States are used to illustrate the ideological and economic structures of inspirational labor.
Membrane curvature sensing and stabilization by the autophagic LC3 lipidation machinery
Authors: Jensen Liv E. , Rao Shanlin , Schuschnig Martina , Cada A. King , Martens Sascha , Hummer Gerhard , Hurley James H.
Published: December 2022

How the highly curved phagophore membrane is stabilized during autophagy initiation is a major open question in autophagosome biogenesis. Here, we use in vitro reconstitution on membrane nanotubes and molecular dynamics simulations to investigate how core autophagy proteins in the LC3 (Microtubule-associated proteins 1A/1B light chain 3) lipidation cascade interact with curved membranes, providing insight into their possible roles in regulating membrane shape during autophagosome biogenesis. ATG12(Autophagy-related 12)–ATG5-ATG16L1 was up to 100-fold enriched on highly curved nanotubes relative to flat membranes. At high surface density, ATG12–ATG5-ATG16L1 binding increased the curvature of the nanotubes. While WIPI2 (WD repeat domain phosphoinositide-interacting protein 2) binding directs membrane recruitment, the amphipathic helix α2 of ATG16L1 is responsible for curvature sensitivity. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that helix α2 of ATG16L1 inserts shallowly into the membrane, explaining its curvature-sensitive binding to the membrane. These observations show how the binding of the ATG12–ATG5-ATG16L1 complex to the early phagophore rim could stabilize membrane curvature and facilitate autophagosome growth.
All-electrical reading and writing of spin chirality
Authors: Li Fan , Guan Yicheng , Wang Peng , Wang Zhong , Fang Chi , Gu Ke , Parkin Stuart S. P.
Published: December 2022

Spintronics promises potential data encoding and computing technologies. Spin chirality plays a very important role in the properties of many topological and noncollinear magnetic materials. Here, we propose the all-electrical detection and manipulation of spin chirality in insulating chiral antiferromagnets. We demonstrate that the spin chirality in insulating epitaxial films of TbMnO
3
can be read electrically via the spin Seebeck effect and can be switched by electric fields via the multiferroic coupling of the spin chirality to the ferroelectric polarization. Moreover, multivalued states of the spin chirality can be realized by the combined application of electric and magnetic fields. Our results are a path toward next-generation, low-energy consumption memory and logic devices that rely on spin chirality.
Mechanistic insight into female predominance in Alzheimer’s disease based on aberrant protein S-nitrosylation of C3
Authors: Yang Hongmei , Oh Chang-ki , Amal Haitham , Wishnok John S. , Lewis Sarah , Schahrer Emily , Trudler Dorit , Nakamura Tomohiro , Tannenbaum Steven R. , Lipton Stuart A.
Published: December 2022

Protein S-nitros(yl)ation (SNO) is a posttranslational modification involved in diverse processes in health and disease and can contribute to synaptic damage in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). To identify SNO proteins in AD brains, we used triaryl phosphine (
SNO
TRAP) combined with mass spectrometry (MS). We detected 1449 SNO proteins with 2809 SNO sites, representing a wide range of S-nitrosylated proteins in 40 postmortem AD and non-AD human brains from patients of both sexes. Integrative protein ranking revealed the top 10 increased SNO proteins, including complement component 3 (C3), p62 (SQSTM1), and phospholipase D3. Increased levels of S-nitrosylated C3 were present in female over male AD brains. Mechanistically, we show that formation of SNO-C3 is dependent on falling β-estradiol levels, leading to increased synaptic phagocytosis and thus synapse loss and consequent cognitive decline. Collectively, we demonstrate robust alterations in the S-nitrosoproteome that contribute to AD pathogenesis in a sex-dependent manner.
Endothelin blockade prevents the long-term cardiovascular and renal sequelae of acute kidney injury in mice
Authors: Czopek Alicja , Moorhouse Rebecca , Gallacher Peter J. , Pugh Dan , Ivy Jessica R. , Farrah Tariq E. , Godden Emily , Hunter Robert W. , Webb David J. , Tharaux Pierre-Louis , Kluth David C. , Dear James W. , Bailey Matthew A. , Dhaun Neeraj
Published: December 2022

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common and associated with increased risks of cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease. Causative molecular/physiological pathways are poorly defined. There are no therapies to improve long-term outcomes. An activated endothelin system promotes cardiovascular and kidney disease progression. We hypothesized a causal role for this in the transition of AKI to chronic disease. Plasma endothelin-1 was threefold higher; urine endothelin-1 was twofold higher; and kidney preproendothelin-1, endothelin-A, and endothelin-B receptor message up-regulated in patients with AKI. To show causality, AKI was induced in mice by prolonged ischemia with a 4-week follow-up. Ischemic injury resulted in hypertension, endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent macrovascular and microvascular dysfunction, and an increase in circulating inflammatory Ly6C
high
monocytes. In the kidney, we observed fibrosis, microvascular rarefaction, and inflammation. Administration of endothelin-A antagonist, but not dual endothelin-A/B antagonist, normalized blood pressure, improved macrovascular and microvascular function, and prevented the transition of AKI to CKD. Endothelin-A blockade reduced circulating and renal proinflammatory Ly6C
high
monocytes and B cells, and promoted recruitment of anti-inflammatory Ly6C
low
monocytes to the kidney. Blood pressure reduction alone provided no benefits; blood pressure reduction alongside blockade of the endothelin system was as effective as endothelin-A antagonism in mitigating the long-term sequelae of AKI in mice. Our studies suggest up-regulation of the endothelin system in patients with AKI and show in mice that existing drugs that block the endothelin system, particularly those coupling vascular support and anti-inflammatory action, can prevent the transition of AKI to chronic kidney and cardiovascular disease.
Rich Organic Nitrogen Impacts Clavulanic Acid Biosynthesis through the Arginine Metabolic Pathway in Streptomyces clavuligerus F613-1
Authors: Fu Jiafang , Xie Xinru , Zhang Shaowei , Kang Ni , Zong Gongli , Zhang Peipei , Cao Guangxiang
Published: December 2022

The bacterium
Streptomyces clavuligerus
is used for the industrial production of the broad-spectrum β-lactamase inhibitor clavulanic acid (CA). However, much remains unknown about the factors which affect CA yields.
The Technology for Manufacturing a Lensed Optical Fiber Using Optical Resin
Authors: Kozhevnikov V. S. , Ponomarev R. S. , Shmyrova A. I.
Published: December 2022

The technology for manufacturing optical microlenses on the end of an optical fiber using optical resin is considered. The method of dosing and positioning an adhesive microdroplet is implemented, which allows placement of a resin volume of ~0.2 pL with an error of at most 1 μm at the end of the optical fiber in the core region. The selection of optical resin that maximally meets the requirements of the technological process and physicochemical properties of microlenses has been performed. It is shown that the use of microvibrations makes it possible to control the droplet shape, whose polymerization makes it possible to obtain a lensed fiber with a given shape and focal length. The results of measuring the focal length and the diameter of the mode field of the resulting lens are presented.
Compression of a Beam of Fast Argon Atoms for Surface Polishing
Authors: Metel A. S. , Grigoriev S. N. , Volosova M. A. , Melnik Yu. A. , Mustafaev E. S.
Published: December 2022

The results of studying a beam source of fast argon atoms obtained by neutralizing charges of accelerated ions during their flight through an accelerating grid in the form of a set of plane–parallel plates are presented. Ions are accelerated from the plasma emitter by a voltage of negative polarity at the grid, fly into the gaps between its plates, and, when approaching their surfaces, cause the emission of electrons that neutralize the ion charge. The equivalent beam current of fast atoms emitted from the grid is up to 90% of the current in its circuit, and their energy is equal to the ion energy that corresponds to the accelerating voltage between the plasma emitter and the grid. To increase the beam current density of fast atoms on the treated surface, the sections of the grid plates facing the plasma emitter are made in the form of a segment of a circle. The movement of ions and fast atoms that are formed inside the grid to the center of this circle makes it possible to reduce the beam width by an order of magnitude and increase the flow density of fast atoms without reducing the angle of their incidence on the treated surface. The beam compression significantly improves the efficiency of polishing a surface with a beam of fast neutral argon atoms with an angle of incidence on the surface of 80°.
Prevalence of non-diabetic kidney disease and inability of clinical predictors to differentiate it from diabetic kidney disease: results from a prospectively performed renal biopsy study
Authors: Basu Madhurima , Pulai Smartya , Neogi Subhasis , Banerjee Mainak , Bhattacharyya Nitai P , Sengupta Sanghamitra , Mukhopadhyay Pradip , Ray Chaudhury Arpita , Ghosh Sujoy
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Renal involvement in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) may be due to diabetes (diabetic kidney disease (DKD)), causes other than diabetes (non-diabetic kidney disease (NDKD)) or overlap of DKD and NDKD (mixed kidney disease group). Prevalence of NDKD and predictive value of clinical or biochemical indicators have been explored in retrospective cohorts with preselection biases warranting the need for prospectively conducted unbiased renal biopsy study.

Research design and methods

Consecutive subjects aged >18 years with T2DM and renal involvement with estimated glomerular filtration rate of 30–60 mL/min/m2and/or albumin:creatinine ratio of >300 mg/g were offered renal biopsy. Prevalence of DKD, NDKD and mixed kidney disease was documented. Clinical/laboratory parameters of subjects were recorded and compared between groups and were tested for ability to predict histopathological diagnosis.

Results

We screened 6247 subjects with T2DM of which 869 fulfilled inclusion criteria for biopsy. Of the 869 subjects, biopsy was feasible in 818 subjects. Out of 818, we recruited first 110 subjects who agreed to undergo renal biopsy. Among those 110 subjects, 73 (66.4%) had DKD; 20 (18.2 %) had NDKD; and 17 (15.4 %) had mixed kidney disease. Subjects with NDKD as compared with DKD had shorter duration of diabetes (p<0.001), absence of retinopathy (p<0.001) and absence of neuropathy (p<0.001). Logistic regression revealed that only presence of retinopathy and duration of diabetes were statistically significant to predict histopathological diagnosis of DKD. 30% of DKD did not have retinopathy, thereby limiting the utility of the same as a discriminator. Use of traditional indicators of biopsy would have indicated a need for renal biopsy in 87.2% of subjects, though 64.5% of the subjects had DKD, who would not have benefitted from biopsy.

Conclusion

NDKD and mixed kidney disease in T2DM with renal involvement are very common and traditionally used parameters to select biopsies are of limited value in clinical decision making.
Profile of COVID-19 in Brazil—risk factors and socioeconomic vulnerability associated with disease outcome: retrospective analysis of population-based registers
Authors: Pereira Felipe A C , Filho Fábio M H S , de Azevedo Arthur R , de Oliveira Guilherme L , Flores-Ortiz Renzo , Valencia Luis Iván O , Rodrigues Moreno S , Ramos Pablo Ivan P , da Silva Nívea B , de Oliveira Juliane Fonseca
Published: December 2022

Objectives

To classify the most up-to-date factors associated with COVID-19 disease outcomes in Brazil.

Design

Retrospective study.

Setting

Nationwide Brazilian COVID-19 healthcare registers.

Participants

We used healthcare data of individuals diagnosed with mild/moderate (n=70 056 602) or severe (n=2801 380) COVID-19 disease in Brazil between 26 February 2020 and 15 November 2021.

Main outcome measures

Risk of hospitalisation and mortality affected by demographic, clinical and socioeconomic variables were estimated. The impacts of socioeconomic inequalities on vaccination rates, cases and deaths were also evaluated.

Results

15.6 million SARS-CoV-2 infection cases and 584 761 COVID-19-related deaths occurred in Brazil between 26 February 2020 and 15 November 2021. Overall, men presented a higher odds of death than women (OR=1.14, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.15), but postpartum patients admitted to hospital wards were at increased odds of dying (OR=1.23, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.34) compared with individuals without reported comorbidities. Death in younger age groups was notably higher in most deprived municipalities and also among individuals <40 years belonging to indigenous backgrounds compared with white patients, as shown by descriptive analysis. Ethnic/racial backgrounds exhibited a continuum of decreasing survival chances of mixed-race (OR=1.11, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.12), black (OR=1.34, 95% CI 1.32 to 1.36) and indigenous (OR=1.42, 95% CI 1.31 to 1.54) individuals, while those in most deprived municipalities also presented an increased odds of death (OR=1.38, 95% CI 1.36 to 1.40). Deprivation levels also affect the prompt referral of patients to adequate care. Our results show that the odds of death of individuals hospitalised for less than 4 days is more than double that of patients with close-to-average hospital stays (OR=2.07, 95% CI 2.05 to 2.10). Finally, negative vaccination status also increased the odds of dying from the disease (OR=1.29, 95% CI 1.28 to 1.31).

Conclusions

The data provide evidence that the patterns of COVID-19 mortality in Brazil are influenced by both individual-level health and social risk factors, as well as municipality-level deprivation. In addition, these data suggest that there may be inequalities in the timely provision of appropriate healthcare that are related to municipality-level deprivation.
Work situation of patients with stroke who have returned to work: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Wang Huixiao , Si Yanping , Wu Guangliu , Wen Jinpei , Yang Mingying
Published: December 2022

Introduction

The incidence of stroke in working-age adults is increasing. Many patients face cognitive, emotional and physical impairments and their subsequent influences on returning to work. An increasing number of studies have been conducted on the transformation from unemployment to returning to work. The criteria for returning to work only used the ‘working yes/no’ as the primary outcome. Although some researchers have investigated the characteristics of patients with stroke who have returned to work, there is a paucity of evidence regarding the work situation. This scoping review aimed to examine and map the work situation of patients with stroke who have returned to work.

Methods and analysis

This study will be based on the Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewers’ Manual for scoping reviews. A systematic literature search will be conducted using related medical subject headings and keywords on the work situation of patients with stroke who have returned to work. Relevant publications will be searched using 17 data sources, including grey literature sources, published in English or Chinese between 1957 and 2022. None of the articles will have restrictions on the data sources or study designs. The study selection and search results will be reported and presented according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews flow diagram. The results will be presented in a table format based on the data extraction tool.

Ethics and dissemination

This study is exempted from a medical ethical review. This scoping review addresses the knowledge gap by identifying and synthesising the work situation of patients with stroke who have returned to work, which will provide helpful information for various stakeholders. This scoping review will be submitted and published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.