bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The front end and trigger unit for an analogue transient recorder ASIC
Authors: Flemming H. , Deppe H. , Wieczorek P.
Published: September 2022

A front end and trigger circuit was developed at GSI which is foreseen to be used in a transient recording read out ASIC. It consists of an input buffer with configurable low pass characteristics and a trigger which could be operated as leading edge discriminator as well as switched capacitor trigger which is sensitive to the first derivative of the input signal. The front end was produced on a test ASIC and characterisation results will be presented.
Analysis of the topological motifs of the cellular structure of the tri-spine horseshoe crab (Tachypleus tridentatus) and its associated mechanical properties
Authors: Ma Yaopeng , Guo Ce , Shen Jingyu , Wang Yu
Published: September 2022

Topological motifs in pore architecture can profoundly influence the structural properties of that architecture, such as its mass, porosity, modulus, strength, and surface permeability. Taking the irregular cellular structure of the tri-spine horseshoe crab as a research model, we present a new approach to the quantitative description and analysis of structure-property-function relationships. We employ a robust skeletonization method to construct a curve-skeleton that relies on high-resolution 3D tomographic data. The topological motifs and mechanical properties of the long-range cellular structure were investigated using the Grasshopper plugin and uniaxial compression test to identify the variation gradient. Finite element analysis was conducted for the sub-volumes to obtain the variation in effective modulus along the three principal directions. The results show that the branch length and node distribution density varied from the tip to the base of the sharp corner. These node types formed a low-connectivity network, in which the node types 3-N and 4-N tended to follow the motifs of ideal planar triangle and tetrahedral configurations, respectively, with the highest proportion of inter-branch angles in the angle ranges of 115–120° and 105–110°. In addition, mapping the mechanical gradients to topological properties indicated that narrower profiles with a given branch length gradient, preferred branch orientation, and network connectedness degree are the main factors that affect the mechanical properties. These factors suggest significant potential for designing a controllable, irregularly cellular structure in terms of both morphology and function.
The burden of premature mortality from coal-fired power plants in India is high and inequitable
Authors: Barbhaya Dweep , Hejjaji Vittal , Vijayaprakash Aviraag , Rahimian Amirarsalan , Yamparala Aishwarya , Yakkali Shreyas , Muralidharan Abilash , Khetan Aditya K
Published: September 2022

Prior mortality estimates of air pollution from coal-fired power plants in India use PM2.5 exposure-response functions from settings that may not be representative, and do not include other potentially harmful effects of these plants, such as fly ash pollution and heavy freshwater consumption. We use a national, district level dataset to assess the impact of coal-fired power plants on all-cause mortality (15–69 years) in 2014. We compare districts with coal-fired power plants (total capacity >1000 MW) to districts without a coal-fired power plant, estimating the effect of these power plants on all-cause mortality within districts that have these plants. Out of 597 districts in India in 2014, 60 districts had a coal-fired power plant. When compared to districts without a coal-fired power plant, districts with a coal-fired power plant (>1000 MW) had higher rates of age-standardized mortality in both women (0.38, 95% CI: −0.14–0.90) and men (0.55, −0.17–1.27). Similarly, these districts had higher rates of conditional probability of premature death in both women (2.22, −0.13–4.56) and men (2.12, −0.54–4.77). The point estimates for total excess deaths were 19 320 for women and 27 727 for men. In affected districts, the proportion of premature adult deaths attributable to coal-fired power plants was 5.8% (−0.3%–11.9%) in women and 4.3% (−1.1%–9.6%) in men. We estimate that ∼47 000 premature adult deaths can be attributed to large coal-fired power plants in India in 2014. These deaths are concentrated in the ∼10% of districts that have the nation’s power plants, where they are associated with 1 out of 20 premature adult deaths. Effective regulation of emissions from these plants, coupled with a phaseout of coal-fired power plants, can help decrease this burden of inequitable and premature adult mortality.
Mutually unbiased maximally entangled bases from difference matrices
Authors: Zang Yajuan , Tian Zihong , Zuo Hui-Juan , Fei Shao-Ming
Published: September 2022

Based on maximally entangled states, we explore the constructions of mutually unbiased bases in bipartite quantum systems. We present a new way to construct mutually unbiased bases by difference matrices in the theory of combinatorial designs. In particular, we establish q mutually unbiased bases with q − 1 maximally entangled bases and one product basis in

C

q

⊗

C

q

for arbitrary prime power q. In addition, we construct maximally entangled bases for dimension of composite numbers of non-prime power, such as five maximally entangled bases in

C

12

⊗

C

12

and

C

21

⊗

C

21

, which improve the known lower bounds for d = 3m, with (3, m) = 1 in

C

d

⊗

C

d

. Furthermore, we construct p + 1 mutually unbiased bases with p maximally entangled bases and one product basis in

C

p

⊗

C

p

2

for arbitrary prime number p.
Nonlinear quantum Cournot duopoly games
Authors: Wang Nengfa , Yang Zhe
Published: September 2022

We investigate the quantization of nonlinear Cournot duopoly games by applying the Li–Du–Massar and Frackiewicz quantum schemes. We shall analyze the quantum equilibrium quantities and quantum equilibrium profits of nonlinear quantum Cournot duopoly games by using the qualitative analysis.
Assessing Circular Information Flow in Industrialized Construction: a framework for evaluating data for circular construction
Authors: Berglund-Brown J , Kedir F , Riabova A , Hall D
Published: September 2022

A circular economy offers a solution for improving both the efficiency and environmental impact of the built environment. As the construction industry transitions to a circular economy, adequate information flow is necessary to keep products in the value chain for as long as possible. Industrialized construction firms show high potential for a successful transition to a circular economy because of optimized information flow through the use of product platforms, the use of information communication technologies, and the integration of actors. However, there is no current framework to assess whether construction firms using industrialized construction methods have a circular information flow. In this research, four characteristics are identified as main descriptors of a circular information flow framework: Completeness, Availability, Accessibility, and Incorporation of Information into Business Strategy. Using the framework, industrialized construction firms are asked to self-assess their performance through pre-defined survey questions. The findings from sixteen industrialized construction firms reveal the need for more complete data about recyclability potentials of products and unique materials and product identifiers, with 47% of firms indicating they have insufficient information. The survey of companies also indicates a need for more feedback about the reuse, recycling, and remanufacturing phases to be available, with only 20% of firms gathering feedback about reuse, 13% about recycling, and 20% about remanufacturing. The stakeholders with the most consistent access to information about design and materials of a project are the manufacturer, engineer, architect, and assemblers. 13% of firms employed RFID tags. More accessibility of information is needed for actors outside of the firm. Additionally, only 13% of firms implemented a take-back strategy, emphasizing the need for incorporating these business strategies within the firm. 17% of firms, however, had CE in mind during strategic development, demonstrating the potential for CE adoption in industry. Finally, the paper discusses future opportunities for circular information flow, such as employing blockchain technology.
Evaluating ‘reuse’ in the current LCA framework – Impact of reuse and reusability in different life cycle stages
Authors: Etienne D , Lisa W , Laetitia D
Published: September 2022

In the context of circular construction, the (potential) reuse of construction materials and building products is set forward as a general concept to reduce the environmental impact of buildings. But does this really lead to reduced impacts? A standardised framework to calculate the environmental impact of buildings over their life cycle is available through the European standards EN15804+A2 and EN15978 for life cycle analysis (LCA) in construction. The concept of reuse does however intrinsically focus on multiple use or life cycles. A correct quantification of the environmental impacts of reuse in buildings, requires a better understanding of the different mechanisms and issues at play. By means of critical assessment of the LCA methodology, in combination with a simplified case study, this paper provides insights in how different reuse options for products are valorised (or not) when calculating the environmental impact. It is shown that the LCA standard EN15804+A2 allows to quantify the impact related to different concepts of reuse at the beginning or the end of the considered life cycle. In general reused products will lead to larger environmental gains as the production stage (A1-A3) can be avoided. The environmental benefit related to the reusability of a product is typically reflected in a smaller difference in the end-of-life (EOL) stage (C1-C4). Also the relevance of existing concepts, such as module D, is discussed for each of the considered reuse options. Results show that module D can provide insights in the future potential of reuse (at EOL) for virgin products, but that the numbers are difficult to interpret and even misleading for reuse products. The results and discussion show the limitations of the current LCA framework for these types of products and identify the need for the integration of additional concepts to correctly valorise the potential of reusable products using LCA.
Building the future using the existing building stock: the environmental potential of reuse
Authors: Charlotte L , Eberhardt M , Birgisdottir H
Published: September 2022

Immense amounts of natural resources are consumed and processed by the construction sector every year resulting in a significant climate impact. In return, the resource and environmental value of these resources is lost due to the vast amounts of construction and demolition waste (C&DW) that is down-cycled. Thus, the potential of transitioning the construction sector from a linear to a circular economy (CE) are expected to be significant. In Denmark, C&DW make up 40% of all waste. Although 88% of the C&DW is recycled only 36% is upcycled (i.e. recycled with an equal or higher quality than the original resource) while 52% is down-cycled (e.g. crushed for road filling). More recently interest in direct reuse has increased as better way of exploiting the remaining technical service life of the materials and retaining the inherent value of the materials and avoid environmentally heavy material processing. In coming years, a large number of homes on Denmark’s ‘ghetto list’ (i.e. socio-economically disadvantaged residential areas) corresponding to 1,360,300 m2 are to be demolished. At the same time, a large number of new buildings is to be built in the same affected areas. The Resource Block project seeks scalable reuse solutions that can link the large amount of resources in the existing buildings to be demolished with the need for resources to build the new buildings in these areas. On the basis of a life cycle assessment (LCA), the paper at hand assesses the environmental benefit of the reuse solutions found from the Resource Block project. The results show that reuse of these elements may on average potentially save 49% of the new buildings’ greenhouse gas emissions compared to building solely with virgin materials depending on the availability and degree of reuse and which types of virgin materials the reuse is combined with.
An integrated form-finding and automated fabrication approach for exploring sustainable shell structures
Authors: Baghdhadie S , Kontovourkis O , Phocas M C
Published: September 2022

Latest advances in computational design and automated fabrication provide opportunities for form-finding and precise development of shell structures in an integrated design to fabrication context. Implementation of these techniques cannot be completed without considering the negative effect of construction in the environment and the urgent need for environmental impact reduction through reusability and recyclability. This paper deepens into this direction by presenting a form-finding/automated fabrication approach of shell forms in combination with a recycle material implementation. The process starts by examining form-finding possibilities of funicular forms by producing a series of case studies based on a number of controlled parameters, physical attributes and static performance criteria. Then, an alternative use of construction materials is presented, in order to achieve sustainable properties, and adequate static performance of both, the overall structure and the individual structural components. In order to achieve this, cylindrical samples of different recycle material combinations are produced, tested under compression and their implementation is discussed. The suggested integrated form-finding to automated fabrication approach offers the opportunity for a holistic sustainable approach towards shell structures development, aiming at shape and performance viability through the selection of recycle materials.
Individualized standardization as the overarching principle in the context of planetary boundaries
Authors: Albus J , Hollmann-Schröter K E
Published: September 2022

To drive forward a fundamental change in the construction sector to achieve environmentally friendly progress in the construction processes, one promising approach is the synchronous implementation of the three main drivers technology, construction, and design. The key to this transformation is end-to-end digitalization. Our approach aims to achieve a new architectural quality by linking digitized design tools, ecological and environmentally friendly concepts, and serial production processes. Against this background, two research projects were advanced to enable adaptive prefabricated systems based on combined additive manufacturing. Two case studies illustrate the research results. In the first, a digital assessment tool is being developed to improve planning processes. With the tool, standardized yet adaptive constructions can be evaluated according to their sustainability impact in an early design phase. The second approach focuses on delivering a customized material composition realized with additive manufacturing methods. In an automated co-extrusion process, the dimensions and building-physical quality of story-high wall panels (floor-to-ceiling) can be adapted to individual requirements. The optimum balance of standardization vs individualized building solutions will introduce a novel flexibility for the architectural design process as well as a higher production efficiency. This strategy of individualized standardization is based on integrative collaboration and visionary research.
Life Cycle Assessment of Recently Constructed “Climate Protection Neighbourhoods” – Which Lessons can be Drawn?
Authors: Hoppe M , Schneider-Marin P
Published: September 2022

The results of a life cycle assessment of five recently finished housing projects in Northern Germany - all of them part of two certified climate protection neighbourhoods - point out the necessity of combining a variety of different carbon reduction approaches in order to reach carbon neutrality. The analysis presented here focuses on both, embodied and operational carbon emissions, as well as embodied and operational energy, over a period of 50 years. Both residential areas examined do not tap the full potential of their environmental impact reduction as they focus on single strategies only: one development limits the reduction of carbon emissions for heating and domestic hot water supply to a max. of 7.5 kg GHG emissions per m2 and year, by means of conventional solid construction. For the other estate the developers encouraged timber construction by requiring a minimum share of the construction volume of 70% timber. Comparing both approaches shows, that climate friendly construction can only be achieved by combining different ways and means, e.g. easily demountable hence reusable timber structures with a high level of energy efficiency and a carbon free heat supply. The results drawn from this study are designated to serve as a basis for discussion of the development of ambitious and climate responsible housing standards in Bremen.
Alleviating defects in perovskites using single-walled carbon nanotubes
Authors: Choi Jin-Myung , Han Jiye , Rane Tushar , Kim Soyeon , Kim Ick Soo , Jeon Il
Published: September 2022

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are representative one-dimensional materials that show exceptional optical and electronic properties with various tuneable bandgaps. SWCNTs can be integrated into a variety of photovoltaics particularly, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) based on a high level of functionality and purity. In this topical review, we discuss the fundamentals of SWCNTs applied to PSCs as an electron-transporting layer, hole-transporting layer, photoactive layer, and interfacial materials from the literature. Firstly, SWCNTs in PSCs and their defect control properties improving the devices are discussed. Subsequently, electrical and morphological improvement of semiconducting SWCNT added PSCs and other types of CNTs used in PSCs are discussed chronologically. The review and discussion layout the strategies of incorporating SWCNTs within the design frame of next-generation PSCs towards the improvement of the device performance via defect passivation.
Revisiting linearized Bregman iterations under Lipschitz-like convexity condition
Authors: Zhang Hui , Zhang Lu , Yang Hao-Xing
Published: September 2022

The linearized Bregman iterations (LBreI) and its variants have received considerable attention in signal/image processing and compressed sensing. Recently, LBreI has been extended to a larger class of nonconvex functions, along with several theoretical issues left for further investigation. In particular, the Lipschitz gradient continuity assumption precludes its use in many practical applications. In this study, we propose a generalized algorithmic framework to unify LBreI-type methods. Our main discovery is that the Lipschitz gradient continuity assumption can be replaced by a Lipschitz-like convexity condition in both convex and nonconvex cases. As a by-product, a class of bilevel optimization problems can be solved in the proposed framework, which extends the main result made by Cai et al. [Math. Comp. 78 (2009), pp. 2127–2136]. At last, provably convergent iterative schemes on modified linear/quadratic inverse problems illustrate our finding.
Enumerative geometry of del Pezzo surfaces
Authors: Lin Yu-Shen
Published: September 2022

We prove an equivalence between the superpotential defined via tropical geometry and Lagrangian Floer theory for special Lagrangian torus fibres in del Pezzo surfaces constructed by Collins-Jacob-Lin [Duke Math. J. 170 (2021), pp. 1291–1375]. We also include some explicit calculations for the projective plane, which confirm some folklore conjectures in this case.
External Enablers of Entrepreneurship
Authors: Davidsson Per , Recker Jan , von Briel Frederik
Published: September 2022

“External enabler” (EE) denotes nontrivial changes to the business environment—such as new technology, regulatory change, demographic and sociocultural trends, macroeconomic swings, and changes to the natural environment—that enable entrepreneurial pursuits. The EE framework was developed to increase knowledge accumulation in entrepreneurship and strategy research regarding the influence of environmental factors on entrepreneurial endeavors. The framework provides detailed structure and carefully defined terminology to describe, analyze, and explain the influence of changes in the business environment on entrepreneurial pursuits. EE characteristics specify the environmental changes’ range of impact in terms of spatial, sectoral, sociocultural, and temporal scope as well as the degree of suddenness and predictability of their onset. EE mechanisms specify the types of benefits individual ventures may derive from EEs. Among others, these include cost saving, resource provision, making possible new or improved products/services, and demand expansion. EE roles situate these (anticipated) mechanisms in entrepreneurial processes as triggering and/or shaping and/or outcome-enhancing. EE’s influence is conceived of as mediated by entrepreneurial agency that—in addition to agent characteristics—is contingent on the opacity (difficulty to identify) and agency-intensity (difficulty to exploit) of EE mechanisms, with the ensuing enablement being variously fortuitous or resulting from strategic deliberation.
Cinema, Ethnicity, and Nation-Building in the Sakha Republic (Russia) and Kazakhstan
Authors: McGinity-Peebles Adelaide
Published: September 2022

In the post-Soviet era, ethnocultural identity and nationhood have been dominant themes in the cinemas of Kazakhstan and the Sakha Republic (officially known as the Republic of Sakha, or Yakutia). Despite their different sociopolitical contexts (unlike the Sakha Republic, which remains a federal republic within the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan has been an independent nation for 30 years), both were colonies within the Russian Empire and were later subjected to Soviet rule. Furthermore, both cinemas are keen to project their visions of collective identity to local, national, and global audiences. Sakha cinema seeks to consolidate and promote an ethnocultural Sakha identity against the encroaching presence of Russian culture in the republic, resulting in the manifest absence of Russian culture within its films. The growth, promotion, and success of Sakha art house cinema (which focuses on Sakha history, customs, and folklore) in recent years is a central part of its strategy to appeal to global audiences, allowing it to bypass the national (i.e., Russia), both offscreen and onscreen. Debates around post-Soviet nationhood remain an important aspect of the political discourse in Kazakhstan, which is reflected in the country’s cinema. Despite operating within an authoritarian regime, cinema remains one of the few areas in which sociopolitical discord can be articulated in Kazakhstan. Nation-building narratives have centered around Kazakhstan’s pre-imperial history and the Kazakh steppe, and these have likewise been a preoccupation of state-sponsored cinema and its alternative since the 2000s. While Russia is not such an overt “other” in Kazakh cinema as it is in Sakha film, the fact that debates around post-Soviet Kazakh nationhood and society continue to dominate Kazakh cinema three decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union suggests that its colonial past nonetheless remains a significant context against which the Kazakh nation is imagined.
Globalization of Formal Debate Training, Civil Society, and Democratic Institutions
Authors: Worth David
Published: September 2022

Despite myriad sponsoring organizations and formats around the world, student debates at multiple educational levels share some fundamental characteristics. A better understanding of these characteristics can illuminate the activity and the cultural and civilizational assumptions that constitute debate, as well as debate’s relationship to democratic thinking. Debate pedagogy exists as a part of forensics, an Aristotelian term for speech and debate. While oral disputation has classical roots, contemporary debate assumed a more recognizable form with European and British practices in the modern era. Debate then grew tremendously in the United States. Argument models, competition structures, and assumed fundamentals of the activity developed in the 20th century in the United States have been extended into the global debate community. The 2020 World University Debating Championship featured in-person debates between 1,177 students from 243 universities in 50 countries. Formal debates between college students from competing schools is promoted as a tool for critical thinking instruction and empowerment. Generally, this instruction is carried out by advisers, coaches, faculty, alumni, and volunteers. In some cases, debate aids self-education: Students run their own debate teams, using the structure to supplement their normal curricular education.

College debate is intrinsically international. Debaters often travel internationally to compete. The events are international in scope and the issues debated are international by nature. Debates that focus on current events or perennial philosophical questions cannot avoid international elements and implications. Economics, interconnected international politics, international media, social media, and other forces ensure that debates cross borders conceptually if not physically, and even critique of borders has been a feature of intercollegiate debate for many years.
Punishment and Social Control in Historical Perspective
Authors: Pifferi Michele
Published: September 2022

Punishment has historically functioned as a key factor of social control. At different times, its mechanisms, techniques, and purposes have varied significantly, changing the authority and legitimacy of those who have sought to shape and govern a social order. The sociological notion of social control elaborated at the beginning of the 20th century refers to multiple elements that cannot simply be reduced to law, criminal law in particular. However, especially after the revisionist turn of the 1970s, the idea of social control as a coercive response to deviant behaviors through penal and institutionalized mechanisms has made inroads into research on the history of criminal justice. At first, the origins and development of prisons in late modernity as models of punishment in place of medieval corporal chastisements were scrutinized. The penal shift from the body to the soul, beneath its rhetoric of rationalization and humanization, was driven by conscious projects for controlling and disciplining a changing society by means of institutions of confinement. Although this interpretation was occasionally criticized, it contributed to the development of a critical historical analysis of criminal law in which the notion of social control can be profitably applied to the study of different periods and features of the penal apparatus. A first example is the age of medieval ius commune (12th–16th centuries), when emergent sovereign entities characterizing the pluralistic political scenario before the formations of modern states extensively resorted to a strategic use of criminal law to impose their hegemonic powers. A second case is penal modernism. In the last decades of the 19th century, when state monopolies of violence were undisputed and imprisonment was largely imposed, criminological positivism brought about a rethinking of the rationale of punishment based on the idea of social defense, which also implied a reconceptualization of criminal law as a means of social control.
Imaging the Infant Brain
Authors: Huang Hao
Published: September 2022

The most dynamic postnatal brain development takes place during human infancy. Decades of histological studies have identified strong spatial and functional maturation gradients in human brain gray and white matter. The improvements in noninvasive imaging techniques, especially magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, electroencephalography, magnetoencephalography, positron emission tomography, and near-infrared spectroscopy, have provided unprecedented opportunities to quantify and map the early developmental changes at whole brain and regional levels. Unique to infant brain imaging, tailored infant image acquisition and analysis methods—such as motion correction, high-resolution imaging, optimization of imaging parameters for smaller and immature brain, age-specific brain atlas and parcellation scheme, age-specific white matter tractography, functional connectivity analysis given incomplete brain networks, and advanced gray and white matter segmentation for infant brains should be taken into consideration. Delineating functional, physiological, and structural changes of the infant brain through imaging provides insights into the complicated processes of both typical development and the neuropathological mechanisms underlying various brain disorders with early onset in infancy, such as autistic spectrum disorder. Identification of imaging biomarkers of neurodevelopmental disorders during infancy by leveraging techniques such as machine learning may offer a valuable time window for early intervention.
Word Formation in Standard Romance Languages Versus Minor Languages and Dialects
Authors: Pinto Immacolata
Published: September 2022

The use of a sociolinguistic approach in the comparative study of word formation is a quite modern phenomenon. The lack of any continuous documentation for many of the nonstandard Romance varieties results in the still partial nature of such analyses. However, they are undoubtedly of great interest from a comparative point of view. In short, while all the Romance varieties are connected through genetic affinity, contact phenomena have instead caused significant divergences related to status in the realm of word formation. What was the cause and how did this happen? In particular, the lack of an intense and continuous contact with the Greek-Latin cultural superstrate prevented the creation of new formation rules for words of learned origin in the minor Romance varieties and dialects (e.g., Corsican, Occitan, Friulian, Sardinian). This lack of interconnection with the Greek-Latin lexical stock has caused the minor Romance varieties to be distanced from the standard Romance languages (e.g., French, Italian, Spanish) and besides has brought the last ones closer to the learned levels of the main European non-Romance languages.
The Little Fire Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): A Global Perspective
Authors: Montgomery M P , Vanderwoude C , Lintermans M , Lynch A J Jasmyn
Published: September 2022

Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger) is an invasive tramp ant species that has been transported globally since [at least] the early twentieth century. It is often claimed that despite the negative impacts associated with this species and its listing among the world’s worst invasive species, very little research attention has been paid to W. auropuntata. Although the need for future research exists, there is currently a considerable body of research from around the world and spanning back to the 1920’s on this species. Here we synthesize over 200 peer reviewed research manuscripts, book chapters, conference presentations, and media reports of new distributions spanning 1929–2022 culminating in a comprehensive literature review on W. auropunctata. This review covers all current knowledge on this species and is intended to serve as a quick reference for future research and provide the reference resources for those seeking more in-depth information on specific topics. Topics included in this review include taxonomic identification, current global distribution and pathways, life history, impacts, detection, and control. We discuss where consensus and ambiguity currently lie within the research community, identify contextual considerations for future researchers when interpreting data, and suggest where we believe more research or clarifications are needed.
Doing Crime Prevention, Doing Gender: Canadian Women’s Responses to Police-Produced Gendered Crime-Prevention Messaging
Authors: Lennox Rebecca
Published: September 2022

Drawing on focus group and interview data, this paper examines how race and social class intersect with gender to inform Canadian women’s responses to police-produced gendered crime-prevention messaging. I position women’s enactments of institutionally endorsed crime-prevention strategies as a resource for the successful achievement of femininity, and I consider how intersecting social statuses shape how women do crime prevention. Focus group dialogue reveals three orientations to police crime-prevention messaging: resentment, pragmatism and gratitude. Across orientations, women strategically enact state imperatives to meet their own agentic ends. By identifying crime prevention as a resource for achieving femininity and highlighting racialized and classed dimensions in women’s gender performances, this research enriches extant literature on crime prevention and femininities.
Methylation of the 4q35 D4Z4 repeat defines disease status in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy
Authors: Erdmann Hannes , Scharf Florentine , Gehling Stefanie , Benet-Pagès Anna , Jakubiczka Sibylle , Becker Kerstin , Seipelt Maria , Kleefeld Felix , Knop Karl Christian , Prott Eva-Christina , Hiebeler Miriam , Montagnese Federica , Gläser Dieter , Vorgerd Matthias , Hagenacker Tim , Walter Maggie C , Reilich Peter , Neuhann Teresa , Zenker Martin , Holinski-Feder Elke , Schoser Benedikt , Abicht Angela
Published: September 2022

Genetic diagnosis of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) remains a challenge in clinical practice as it cannot be detected by standard sequencing methods despite being the third most common muscular dystrophy. The conventional diagnostic strategy addresses the known genetic parameters of FSHD: the required presence of a permissive haplotype, a size reduction of the D4Z4 repeat of chromosome 4q35 (defining FSHD1) or a pathogenic variant in an epigenetic suppressor gene (consistent with FSHD2). Incomplete penetrance and epistatic effects of the underlying genetic parameters as well as epigenetic parameters (D4Z4 methylation) pose challenges to diagnostic accuracy and hinder prediction of clinical severity.

In order to circumvent the known limitations of conventional diagnostics and to complement genetic parameters with epigenetic ones, we developed and validated a multistage diagnostic workflow that consists of a haplotype analysis and a high-throughput methylation profile analysis (FSHD-MPA). FSHD-MPA determines the average global methylation level of the D4Z4 repeat array as well as the regional methylation of the most distal repeat unit by combining bisulphite conversion with next-generation sequencing and a bioinformatics pipeline and uses these as diagnostic parameters. We applied the diagnostic workflow to a cohort of 148 patients and compared the epigenetic parameters based on FSHD-MPA to genetic parameters of conventional genetic testing. In addition, we studied the correlation of repeat length and methylation level within the most distal repeat unit with age-corrected clinical severity and age at disease onset in FSHD patients. The results of our study show that FSHD-MPA is a powerful tool to accurately determine the epigenetic parameters of FSHD, allowing discrimination between FSHD patients and healthy individuals, while simultaneously distinguishing FSHD1 and FSHD2. The strong correlation between methylation level and clinical severity indicates that the methylation level determined by FSHD-MPA accounts for differences in disease severity among individuals with similar genetic parameters. Thus, our findings further confirm that epigenetic parameters rather than genetic parameters represent FSHD disease status and may serve as a valuable biomarker for disease status.
Longitudinal grey matter and metabolic contributions to cognitive changes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Hinault Thomas , Segobin Shailendra , Benbrika Soumia , Carluer Laurence , Doidy Franck , Eustache Francis , Viader Fausto , Desgranges Béatrice
Published: September 2022

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is characterized by rapidly evolving cognitive and brain impairments. While previous work revealed structural and functional alterations associated with cognitive decline in patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the relationships between anatomo-functional changes and both disease’s progression and the evolution of cognitive performance remain largely unexplored. Here, we took advantage of repeated multi-modal acquisitions in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis over 1 year to assess the longitudinal sequence of grey matter atrophy, glucose metabolism and cognitive changes. Results revealed metabolic and structural changes over frontal, thalamic and temporal regions. Both cortical hypermetabolism and hypometabolism (right temporal gyrus and right angular gyrus, respectively) were associated with cognitive performance and thalamic hypometabolism during the follow-up testing session. Furthermore, the inferior frontal gyrus atrophy mediated the relation between early hypometabolism in this region and the subsequent decline of the theory of mind abilities. Marked volume loss was associated with larger hypometabolism and impaired cognitive performance. To our knowledge, this is the first study to longitudinally examine both grey matter volume and metabolic alteration patterns in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, over a mean follow-up time of 1 year. We identify how changes of the inferior frontal gyrus critically underly later cognitive performance, shedding new light on its high prognostic significance for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-related changes. These results have important implications for our understanding of structural and functional changes associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and how they underly cognitive impairments.
Looking into the IL-1 of the storm: are inflammasomes the link between immunothrombosis and hyperinflammation in cytokine storm syndromes?
Authors: Gleeson Tara A , Nordling Erik , Kaiser Christina , Lawrence Catherine B , Brough David , Green Jack P , Allan Stuart M
Published: September 2022

Inflammasomes and the interleukin (IL)-1 family of cytokines are key mediators of both inflammation and immunothrombosis. Inflammasomes are responsible for the release of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18, as well as releasing tissue factor (TF), a pivotal initiator of the extrinsic coagulation cascade. Uncontrolled production of inflammatory cytokines results in what is known as a “cytokine storm” leading to hyperinflammatory disease. Cytokine storms can complicate a variety of diseases and results in hypercytokinemia, coagulopathies, tissue damage, multiorgan failure, and death. Patients presenting with cytokine storm syndromes have a high mortality rate, driven in part by disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). While our knowledge on the factors propagating cytokine storms is increasing, how cytokine storm influences DIC remains unknown, and therefore treatments for diseases, where these aspects are a key feature are limited, with most targeting specific cytokines. Currently, no therapies target the immunothrombosis aspect of hyperinflammatory syndromes. Here we discuss how targeting the inflammasome and pyroptosis may be a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of hyperinflammation and its associated pathologies.
Safety and efficacy of very low LDL-cholesterol intensive lowering: a meta-analysis and meta-regression of randomized trials
Authors: Patti Giuseppe , Spinoni Enrico Guido , Grisafi Leonardo , Mehran Roxana , Mennuni Marco
Published: September 2022

Aims

We performed a study-level meta-analysis to provide more robust evidence on safety of very low LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels.

Background

Concerns on the safety of LDL-C values achieved with potent lipid-lowering therapies have been raised.

Methods and results

We searched randomized trials reporting clinical outcomes with intensive lipid-lowering treatments leading to very low (<40 mg/dL) LDL-C levels vs. a control group with higher LDL-C levels. Only studies with follow-up duration ≥ 3 months were considered. Primary endpoint was the incidence of various safety measures. A total of 10 randomized trials were overall included, with 38 427 patients being in the very low LDL-C group vs. 70 668 in the control group. Median follow-up duration was 28.8 months. The incidence of all safety outcomes was similar in the two groups: non-cardiovascular death: OR 1.13, 95% CI 0.87–1.45; P = 0.36; any adverse events: OR 1.00, 0.90–1.11, P = 0.94; adverse events leading to drug discontinuation: OR 1.00, 0.87–1.15, P = 0.99; cancer: OR 1.02, 0.95–1.10, P = 0.57; haemorrhagic stroke OR 0.89, 0.66–1.20, P = 0.44; new-onset diabetes: OR 1.16, 0.91–1.47, P = 0.23; neurocognitive disorders: OR 0.97, 0.91–1.04, P = 0.41; haepatobiliary disorders: OR 0.99, 0.83–1.18, P = 0.93; muscle disorders: OR 0.94, 0.77–1.13, P = 0.49; cataract: OR 1.28, 0.78–2.10, P = 0.34. The rates of major adverse cardiovascular events were significantly lower in the very low LDL-C group: OR 0.82, 0.72–0.94, P = 0.005.

Conclusion

This meta-analysis indicates that very low LDL-C levels on intensive lipid-lowering treatments are not associated with any adverse event and maintain a persistent reduction of cardiovascular events.
Complex genetics cause and constrain fungal persistence in different parts of the mammalian body
Authors: Mullis Martin N , Ghione Caleb , Lough-Stevens Michael , Goldstein Ilan , Matsui Takeshi , Levy Sasha F , Dean Matthew D , Ehrenreich Ian M
Published: September 2022

Determining how genetic polymorphisms enable certain fungi to persist in mammalian hosts can improve understanding of opportunistic fungal pathogenesis, a source of substantial human morbidity and mortality. We examined the genetic basis of fungal persistence in mice using a cross between a clinical isolate and the lab reference strain of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Employing chromosomally encoded DNA barcodes, we tracked the relative abundances of 822 genotyped, haploid segregants in multiple organs over time and performed linkage mapping of their persistence in hosts. Detected loci showed a mix of general and antagonistically pleiotropic effects across organs. General loci showed similar effects across all organs, while antagonistically pleiotropic loci showed contrasting effects in the brain vs the kidneys, liver, and spleen. Persistence in an organ required both generally beneficial alleles and organ-appropriate pleiotropic alleles. This genetic architecture resulted in many segregants persisting in the brain or in nonbrain organs, but few segregants persisting in all organs. These results show complex combinations of genetic polymorphisms collectively cause and constrain fungal persistence in different parts of the mammalian body.
Crystal structure and sugar-binding ability of the C-terminal domain of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase IV establish a new carbohydrate-binding module family
Authors: Oka Nozomi , Mori Sota , Ikegaya Marina , Park Enoch Y , Miyazaki Takatsugu
Published: September 2022

N-glycans are modified by glycosyltransferases in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus. N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase IV (GnT-IV) is a Golgi-localized glycosyltransferase that synthesizes complex-type N-glycans in vertebrates. This enzyme attaches N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) to the α-1,3-linked mannose branch of the N-glycan core structure via a β-1,4 linkage. Deficiency of this enzyme is known to cause abnormal cellular functions, making it a vital enzyme for living organisms. However, there has been no report on its 3-dimensional structure to date. Here, we demonstrated that the C-terminal regions (named CBML) of human GnT-IVa and Bombyx mori ortholog have the ability to bind β-N-acetylglucosamine. In addition, we determined the crystal structures of human CBML, B. mori CBML, and its complex with β-GlcNAc at 1.97, 1.47, and 1.15 Å resolutions, respectively, and showed that they adopt a β-sandwich fold, similar to carbohydrate-binding module family 32 (CBM32) proteins. The regions homologous to CBML (≥24% identity) were found in GnT-IV isozymes, GnT-IVb, and GnT-IVc (known as GnT-VI), and the structure of B. mori CBML in complex with β-GlcNAc indicated that the GlcNAc-binding residues were highly conserved among these isozymes. These residues are also conserved with the GlcNAc-binding CBM32 domain of β-N-acetylhexosaminidase NagH from Clostridium perfringens despite the low sequence identity (<20%). Taken together with the phylogenetic analysis, these findings indicate that these CBMLs may be novel CBM family proteins with GlcNAc-binding ability.
Active and healthy ageing in urban environments: laying the groundwork for solution-building through citizen science
Authors: Wood Grace E R , Pykett Jessica , Stathi Afroditi
Published: September 2022

Urban age-friendly initiatives strive to promote active and healthy ageing by addressing urban influences that impact individuals as they age. Collaborative community partnerships with multi-level stakeholders are crucial for fostering age-friendly initiatives that can transform urban community health. Employing a citizen social science (CSS) approach, this study aimed to engage older adults and stakeholders in Birmingham, UK, to (i) identify key urban barriers and facilitators to active and healthy ageing, and (ii) facilitate collaboration and knowledge production to lay the groundwork for a citizen science project. Older adults (n = 16; mean age = 72(7.5 SD); 11 female) and community stakeholders (n = 11; 7 female) were engaged in six online group discussions, with audio recordings transcribed and thematically analysed to present key urban barrier and facilitator themes. Ageism, winter, technology and safety were barriers identified by both groups. Outdoor spaces and infrastructure, transportation, community facilities, and Covid-19 pandemic were identified as barriers and/or facilitators. Older adults identified the ageing process as a barrier and diversity of the city, health and mobility and technology as facilitators. For stakeholders, barriers were deprivation and poverty, gender differences, and ethnicity, whereas age-inclusive activities were a facilitator. Organic and active opportunities for older adults and stakeholders to connect, co-produce knowledge on urban environments and share resources presented foundations of solution-building and future collaboration. CSS effectively facilitated a range of stakeholders across local urban spaces to collaborate and co-produce ideas and solutions for enhancing local urban environments to promote active and healthy ageing.