bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Underwater bio-inspired optical navigation based on deep learning and ambient light polarization characteristics
Authors: Zhang Jianlei , Wei Chengyang , Hu Jinyu , Wang Xun , He Fengtao , He Guangping
Published: February 2025

Traditional atmospheric navigation methods are unsuitable for underwater environments due to the skin effect of electromagnetic waves. However, using natural polarization pattern distribution for navigation offers advantages like resistance to interference, low cost, and no cumulative errors. The stability of underwater polarization patterns makes them ideal for underwater navigation. The polarization angle, degree of polarization and light intensity are utilized to comprehensively represent underwater polarization patterns. A squeeze-and-excitation ResNet50 model is used to estimate solar position information (zenith and azimuth angles) based on these features. Compressed sensing is then applied to predict latitude and longitude. Experimental results show average errors of 0.189° for solar zenith, 0.158° for azimuth, and 0.117° latitude, 0.034° longitude for a single location. For multiple locations, errors are 0.622° (zenith), 0.295° (azimuth), 0.238° (latitude), and 0.023° (longitude).
Complete-mapping mobile optical communication network
Authors: Wang Linning , Zhou Jiayao , Qi Ziqian , Gou Jiahao , Mo Xinjie , Liang Yingze , Liu Pengzhan , Shi Fan , Zhu Hongbo , Wang Yongjin
Published: February 2025

Light serves as an efficient information carrier for communication across air, land, and underwater environments due to its diverse propagation behaviors. Here, we establish a complete-mapping mobile all-light communication network that merges wired modes with wireless moving and fixed nodes, utilizing light sources of different wavelengths. To address alignment challenges in mobile bidirectional light transmission, a visual tracking module and a full-duplex light communication module are packaged together and fixed on a three-axis gimbal stabilizer. The transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) scheme facilitates two-way real-time data transmission, while the complete-mapping network architecture enables seamless and balanced data flow among all nodes, ensuring real-time, bidirectional data exchange and failover capabilities. This decentralized network achieves up to 8 Mbps throughput with a delay of 7.93 ms. The fully symmetric, equipotential, and decentralized design holds the potential for developing advanced all-light information processing and computing systems for seamless connectivity across diverse environments.
Nonreciprocal and enhanced Goos-Hänchen shifts in the cavity-assisted atomic lattice of parity-time antisymmetry
Authors: Liu Xiao , Wang Yi-Xin , Wu Jin-Hui
Published: February 2025

We propose a scheme for realizing nonreciprocal and largely enhanced Goos-Hänchen (GH) shifts in a lattice of cold atoms exhibiting the parity-time (PT) antisymmetric susceptibility when driven by a probe beam and a coupling beam. This atomic lattice in the free space allows to attain unidirectionally detectable nonreciprocal GH shifts for reflected probe beams provided a Bragg bright resonance is tuned to overlap with an exceptional point. Placing this atomic lattice in an optical cavity, we can further attain bidirectionally detectable nonreciprocal GH shifts for reflected probe beams, benefiting from the interplay between a Bragg bright resonance and a cavity dark resonance. Nonreciprocal GH shifts in our cavity-assisted PT-antisymmetric atomic lattice exhibit the advantages of dynamic tunability and reversibility, while enhanced up to hundreds of probe wavelengths, in the case of nonzero detectable reflections.
Optimized real-time homodyne detection of bright pico-second twin beams by digital signal processing
Authors: Yan Hongyi , Zhao Wen , Guo Xueshi , Li Xiaoying
Published: February 2025

Twin beams are useful tools in quantum technologies. However, due to their asymmetry in photon number distribution, a scheme needs to be optimized in order to fully exploit their quantum advantage. Here, we demonstrate a detection scheme for bright pico-second twin beams generated from a fiber optical parametric amplifier, in which the electronic gain of the detecting process is optimized in real time by digital signal processing without accurately calibrating the detection channels. Twin beams of −7.5 dB intensity difference squeezing (IDS) (the highest in an optical fiber system) is generated at a brightness of about 0.1 W in peak power. Our result paves the way for applications of twin beams in time-varying channels with asymmetric loss or noise.
Development of an all-fiber spliced laser system using stimulated Brillouin scattering mitigation techniques and achieving 50 ns, 10 kW peak power for lidar applications
Authors: Pouillaude Jonathan , Pichon Pierre , Delen Xavier , Roy Philippe , Leconte Baptiste , Georges Patrick , Lombard Laurent
Published: February 2025

This work compares several Yb-doped large mode area (LMA) fiber amplifiers operating in the ∼50 ns regime at 1030 nm designed for airborne wind lidar application. The sinusoidal phase modulation applied to the signal enhances the SBS threshold by a factor 8.8 compared to a single frequency operation while still complying with lidar receiver spectral requirements. By combining this modulation with short, highly doped LMA fibers, more than 10 kW output peak power has been reached for 50 ns pulses at 40 kHz repetition rate.
Nowcasting reported covid-19 hospitalizations using de-identified, aggregated medical insurance claims data
Authors: Shen Xueda , Rumack Aaron , Wilder Bryan , Tibshirani Ryan J
Published: February 2025

We propose, implement, and evaluate a method for nowcasting the daily number of new COVID-19 hospitalizations, at the level of individual US states, based on de-identified, aggregated medical insurance claims data. Our analysis proceeds under a hypothetical scenario in which, during the Delta wave, states only report data on the first day of each month, and on this day, report COVID-19 hospitalization counts for each day in the previous month. In this hypothetical scenario (just as in reality), medical insurance claims data continues to be available daily. At the beginning of each month, we train a regression model, using all data available thus far, to predict hospitalization counts from medical insurance claims. We then use this model to nowcast the (unseen) values of COVID-19 hospitalization counts from medical insurance claims, at each day in the following month. Our analysis uses properly-versioned data, which would have been available in real-time at the time predictions are produced (instead of using data that would have only been available in hindsight). In spite of the difficulties inherent to real-time estimation (e.g., latency and backfill) and the complex dynamics behind COVID-19 hospitalizations themselves, we find altogether that medical insurance claims can be an accurate predictor of hospitalization reports, with mean absolute errors typically around 0.4 hospitalizations per 100,000 people, i.e., proportion of variance explained around 75%. Perhaps more importantly, we find that nowcasts made using medical insurance claims are able to qualitatively capture the dynamics (upswings and downswings) of hospitalization waves, which are key features that inform public health decision-making.
ChromaFactor: Deconvolution of single-molecule chromatin organization with non-negative matrix factorization
Authors: Gunsalus Laura M. , Keiser Michael J. , Pollard Katherine S.
Published: February 2025

The investigation of chromatin organization in single cells holds great promise for identifying causal relationships between genome structure and function. However, analysis of single-molecule data is hampered by extreme yet inherent heterogeneity, making it challenging to determine the contributions of individual chromatin fibers to bulk trends. To address this challenge, we propose ChromaFactor, a novel computational approach based on non-negative matrix factorization that deconvolves single-molecule chromatin organization datasets into their most salient primary components. ChromaFactor provides the ability to identify trends accounting for the maximum variance in the dataset while simultaneously describing the contribution of individual molecules to each component. Applying our approach to two single-molecule imaging datasets across different genomic scales, we find that these primary components demonstrate significant correlation with key functional phenotypes, including active transcription, enhancer-promoter distance, and genomic compartment. Also, we find that some bulk trends exist at the single-cell level, but only in a small fraction of cells, suggesting that critical changes in genome organization may be driven by specific rare subpopulations rather than occurring uniformly across all cells. ChromaFactor offers a robust tool for understanding the complex interplay between chromatin structure and function on individual DNA molecules, pinpointing which subpopulations drive functional changes and fostering new insights into cellular heterogeneity and its implications for bulk genomic phenomena.
SpatialKNifeY (SKNY): Extending from spatial domain to surrounding area to identify microenvironment features with single-cell spatial omics data
Authors: Sakai Shunsuke A. , Nomura Ryosuke , Nagasawa Satoi , Chi SungGi , Suzuki Ayako , Suzuki Yutaka , Imai Mitsuho , Nakamura Yoshiaki , Yoshino Takayuki , Ishikawa Shumpei , Tsuchihara Katsuya , Kageyama Shun-Ichiro , Yamashita Riu
Published: February 2025

Single-cell spatial omics analysis requires consideration of biological functions and mechanisms in a microenvironment. However, microenvironment analysis using bioinformatic methods is limited by the need to detect histological morphology and extend it to the surrounding area. In this study, we developed SpatialKNifeY (SKNY), an image-processing-based toolkit that detects spatial domains that potentially reflect histology and extends these domains to the microenvironment. Using spatial transcriptomic data from breast cancer, we applied the SKNY algorithm to identify tumor spatial domains, followed by clustering of the domains, trajectory estimation, and spatial extension to the tumor microenvironment (TME). The results of the trajectory estimation were consistent with the known mechanisms of cancer progression. We observed tumor vascularization and immunodeficiency at mid- and late-stage progression in TME. Furthermore, we applied the SKNY to integrate and cluster the spatial domains of 14 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, and the clusters were divided based on the TME characteristics. In conclusion, the SKNY facilitates the determination of the functions and mechanisms in the microenvironment and cataloguing of the features.
Functional constraints of wtf killer meiotic drivers
Authors: Nidamangala Srinivasa Ananya , Campbell Samuel , Venkatesan Shriram , Nuckolls Nicole L. , Lange Jeffrey J. , Halfmann Randal , Zanders Sarah E.
Published: February 2025

Killer meiotic drivers are selfish DNA loci that sabotage the gametes that do not inherit them from a driver+/driver− heterozygote. These drivers often employ toxic proteins that target essential cellular functions to cause the destruction of driver− gametes. Identifying the mechanisms of drivers can expand our understanding of infertility and reveal novel insights about the cellular functions targeted by drivers. In this work, we explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the wtf family of killer meiotic drivers found in fission yeasts. Each wtf killer acts using a toxic Wtfpoison protein that can be neutralized by a corresponding Wtfantidote protein. The wtf genes are rapidly evolving and extremely diverse. Here we found that self-assembly of Wtfpoison proteins is broadly conserved and associated with toxicity across the gene family, despite minimal amino acid conservation. In addition, we found the toxicity of Wtfpoison assemblies can be modulated by protein tags designed to increase or decrease the extent of the Wtfpoison assembly, implicating assembly size in toxicity. We also identified a conserved, critical role for the specific co-assembly of the Wtfpoison and Wtfantidote proteins in promoting effective neutralization of Wtfpoison toxicity. Finally, we engineered wtf alleles that encode toxic Wtfpoison proteins that are not effectively neutralized by their corresponding Wtfantidote proteins. The possibility of such self-destructive alleles reveals functional constraints on wtf evolution and suggests similar alleles could be cryptic contributors to infertility in fission yeast populations. As rapidly evolving killer meiotic drivers are widespread in eukaryotes, analogous self-killing drive alleles could contribute to sporadic infertility in many lineages.
Two transmembrane transcriptional regulators coordinate to activate chitin-induced natural transformation in Vibrio cholerae
Authors: Hullinger Allison C. , Green Virginia E. , Klancher Catherine A. , Dalia Triana N. , Dalia Ankur B.
Published: February 2025

Transcriptional regulators are a broad class of proteins that alter gene expression in response to environmental stimuli. Transmembrane transcriptional regulators (TTRs) are a subset of transcriptional regulators in bacteria that can directly regulate gene expression while remaining anchored in the membrane. Whether this constraint impacts the ability of TTRs to bind their DNA targets remains unclear. Vibrio cholerae uses two TTRs, ChiS and TfoS, to activate horizontal gene transfer by natural transformation in response to chitin by inducing the tfoR promoter (PtfoR). While TfoS was previously shown to bind and regulate PtfoR directly, the role of ChiS in PtfoR activation remains unclear. Here, we show that ChiS directly binds PtfoR upstream of TfoS, and that ChiS directly interacts with TfoS. By independently disrupting ChiS-PtfoR and ChiS-TfoS interactions, we show that ChiS-PtfoR interactions play the dominant role in PtfoR activation. Correspondingly, we show that in the absence of ChiS, recruitment of the PtfoR locus to the membrane is sufficient for PtfoR activation when TfoS is expressed at native levels. Finally, we show that the overexpression of TfoS can bypass the need for ChiS for PtfoR activation. All together, these data suggest a model whereby ChiS both (1) recruits the PtfoR DNA locus to the membrane for TfoS and (2) directly interacts with TfoS, thereby recruiting it to the membrane-proximal promoter. This work furthers our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that drive chitin-induced responses in V. cholerae and more broadly highlights how the membrane-embedded localization of TTRs can impact their activity.
Prevalence of antibodies against dengue virus in the city of Buenos Aires: Results of a probabilistic population survey
Authors: Biscayart Cristián , Angeleri Patricia , Bouzas María Belén , Mammana Lilia , Macchia Alejandro
Published: February 2025

Objective

Dengue is a rapidly growing global health issue. In Argentina, the disease burden is primarily based on case reports or retrospective series; however, there are no prospective probabilistic studies available. To estimate the seroprevalence of antibodies against the dengue virus (DENV) in adult residents of Buenos Aires, at the end of the 2023 season, which culminated in Argentina’s largest recorded dengue outbreak, and immediately before the subsequent outbreak at the beginning of 2024.

Methods

A stratified, multi-stage probabilistic population survey was conducted to ensure representativeness of the adult population of Buenos Aires, considering geographical and socio-economic diversity.The survey determined the seroprevalence rate of DENV IgG and IgM antibodies using a rapid chromatographic immunoassay. Antibody positive participants were invited for re-testing to confirm antibody result using an enzyme-linked fluorescence assay (ELFA) technique.

Results

Out of a sampling frame of 2,998 selected households, the interviewers visited 100% of the residences. The overall response rate was 26.8%. A total of 804 participants were enrolled, representing the city’s 2.38 million adult population. Weighted estimates showed a total of 193,707 people aged 18 and over have antibodies to DENV. This implies a weighted prevalence [95% CI] of 8.12% [8.08%–8.15%]. The prevalence varied across different areas of the city. In the slums, the overall prevalence was twice as high (14.7% [14.5%–14.9%]) compared to the rest of the city (7.67% [7.63%–7.70%]).

Conclusion

Seroprevalence results in adults in Buenos Aires show a moderate DENV infection rate, although still far from the thresholds usually considered for initiating a mass vaccination campaign. These results underscore the need for frequent surveys.
Development of a conceptual framework of sexual health for married elderly women: An exploratory mixed method study
Authors: Saadatmand Farzaneh , Savabi-Esfahani Mitra , Heidari Zahra , Beigi Marjan
Published: February 2025

Background

Identifying elderly women’s sexual health demands based on their lived experience is essential since it leads to their sexual rights promotion. The present framework was designed to identify sexual demands, develop a reliable and valid questionnaire, and present it to policymakers.

Methods

This conceptual framework was designed in four phases using an exploratory sequential approach. The first phase included a review of related literature to identify elderly women’s sexual health demands. In the second phase, the qualitative phase, the participants will be interviewed to identify their sexual health demands. Data will be collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews until data saturation. In the third phase, a draft questionnaire will be provided using the data from the qualitative study and literature review to measure the sexual health demands of elderly women. Afterward, the face and content validity, as well as the construct and criterion validity, will be determined. The construct and criterion validity will be assessed using exploratory factor analysis and a cross-sectional study on elderly women, respectively. Finally, the reliability of the questionnaire will be determined. In the fourth phase, using the classical Delphi technique, the panel of experts will select the most important demands to present to policymakers.

Results

Based on a literature review conducted from October 20, 2023, to March 15, 2024, the demands were categorized into three main groups: “the elimination of ageist attitudes,” “the elimination of sexism,” and “the elimination of sexual retirement.” Other data and their integration with the literature review data to finalize the categories will be obtained after conducting qualitative interviews. Afterward, the questionnaire will be developed and psychometrically evaluated. Finally, the demands will be prioritized for policymakers.

Conclusion

According to the results, elderly women face social and cultural challenges in maintaining sexual health. Based on the presented methods, comprehensive and complete identification of demands in different cultures can facilitate sexual health planning.
The influence of survival conditions on farmer willingness to participate in non-grain conversions of cultivated land based on the SOR model
Authors: Fan Hui , Liu Jiaxin , Shao Xiaoke , Sun Bingqian , Yang Yilin , Shi Chaoge
Published: February 2025

Non-grain conversions (NGC) of cultivated land pose a great threat to national food security, and farmers are the direct actors in the NGC of cultivated land. Exploring the influence of farmer’ survival situation on their willingness to convert cultivated land to non-grain land can provide theoretical support for formulating control policies for NGC of cultivated land. Based on the data obtained from 650 questionnaires in Henan Province and using the SOR model as the theoretical basis, this study explored the impact mechanism of the survival situations of two types of farmers, namely, those with agricultural livelihoods (AL) and those with nonagricultural livelihoods (NL), on their willingness to convert farmland into non-grain land through the use of structural equation models. The results are as follows. The perceived benefits (PB) of NGC can improve their willingness to convert farmland to non-grain land, while the perceived risks (PR) of NGC reduce their willingness to convert farmland to non-grain land. The influence of PB and PR on farmer willingness to engage in NGC of cultivated land in the near term is greater than that in the long term. The influence mechanism of perceived income and perceived risk on the willingness of non-grain conversions of cultivated land varies with the livelihood types of the farmers. The influences of internal family situation (IS) and external family situations (ES) on the willingness to engage in NGC of cultivated land differ according to the types of farmer livelihood. There are differences in the influence mechanism of survival situations on different types of farmers’ willingness to non-grain conversion of cultivated land.
Use of a mouse model for the isolation of Borrelia puertoricensis from soft ticks
Authors: Vázquez-Guerrero Edwin , Kneubehl Alexander R. , Reyes-Solís Guadalupe C. , Machain-Williams Carlos , Krishnavajhala Aparna , Estrada-de los Santos Paulina , Lopez Job E. , Ibarra José Antonio
Published: February 2025

The isolation of tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF) spirochetes has proven to be a useful tool to understand their distribution in geographic areas where the tick vectors inhabit. However, their isolation and culture are not easy and in general an animal model is needed to achieve this task. Here, argasid ticks were collected from a neighborhood in Ciudad Caucel, and they were identified as Ornithodoros (Alectorobius) puertoricensis. To determine whether these were infected with TBRF bacteria they were fed with healthy mice but only a low burden of spirochetes was observed. An immunosuppressed mouse model was used to feed the ticks suspected to be infected with spirochetes. After tick feeding, a higher number of bacteria was observed in blood samples, and spirochetes were successfully cultivated in Barbour-Stoenner-Kelly (BSK)-IIB media. Molecular analyses indicated that the isolate was Borrelia puertoricensis, while whole genome sequencing confirmed the finding. In summary, the present report shows that A. puertoricensis is present in Ciudad Caucel, an urban neighborhood in the outskirts of Merida city, and these ticks are infected with B. puertoricensis. Despite the fact that this species has not been directly associated with TBRF it represents a potential medical and veterinary health risk.
The Cancer Tracking System (CATSystem): Study protocol of a randomized control trial to evaluate a systems level intervention for cervical cancer screening, treatment, referral and follow up in Kenya
Authors: Maloba May , Finocchario-Kessler Sarah , Wexler Catherine , Staggs Vincent , Maosa Nicodemus , Babu Shadrack , Goggin Kathy , Hutton David , Ganda Gregory , Mabeya Hilary , Robertson Elise , Mabachi Natabhona
Published: February 2025

Background

Cervical cancer (CC) is preventable, yet remains a significant public health threat, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite considerable awareness, screening rates for CC in Kenya are low and loss to follow-up following treatment for premalignant cervical lesions remains high. This study investigates the efficacy of the Cancer Tracking System (CATSystem), a web-based intervention, to improve CC screening and treatment retention.

Methods

A matched, cluster randomized controlled trial will be conducted in Kenyan government hospitals (n = 10) with five intervention and five standard-of-care (SOC) sites. The primary outcome is the proportion of women with a positive screen who receive appropriate treatment (onsite or referral). Secondary outcomes include CC screening uptake among all women and timeliness of treatment initiation. We will utilize mixed methods to assess intervention feasibility, acceptability, and cost-effectiveness.

Discussion

The CATSystem has the potential to improve CC care in Kenya by leveraging existing technology to address known barriers in the screening and treatment cascade. This study will provide valuable evidence for potential scale-up of the intervention.
Exploring the activity of the putative Δ6-desaturase and its role in bloodstream form life-cycle transitions in Trypanosoma brucei
Authors: Cerone Michela , Smith Terry K.
Published: February 2025

Trypanosomatids have been shown to possess an exclusive and finely regulated biosynthetic pathway for de novo synthesis of fatty acids (FAs) and particularly of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). The key enzymes for the process of unsaturation are known as desaturases. In this work, we explored the biocatalytic activity of the putative Δ6-desaturase (Tb11.v5.0580) in the native organism T. brucei, whose expression level varies dramatically between life cycle stages. Utilising FA analysis via GC-MS, we were able to elucidate i) via genetic manipulation of the level of expression of Δ6-desaturases in both procyclic (PCF) and bloodstream (BSF) forms of T. brucei and ii) via supplementation of the media with various levels of FA sources, that docosahexaenoic acid (22:6) and/or docosapentaenoic acid (22:5) are the products, while arachidonic acid (20:4) and/or docosatetraenoic acid (22:4) are the substrates of this Δ6-desaturase. Surprisingly, we were able to observe, via lipidomic analysis with ESI-MS/MS, an increase in inositol-phosphoryl ceramide (IPC) in response to the overexpression of Δ6-desaturase in low-fat media in BSF. The formation of IPC is normally only observed in the stumpy and procyclic forms of T. brucei. Therefore, the expression levels of Δ6-desaturases, which increases between BSF, stumpy and PCF, might be involved in the cascade(s) of metabolic events that contributes to these remodelling of the lipid pools and ultimately morphological changes, which are key to the transition between these life-cycle stages. We were in fact able to show that the overexpression of Δ6-desaturase is indeed linked to the expression of protein associated with differentiation (PAD1) in stumpy, and of the upregulation of some proteins and metabolites which are normally upregulated in stumpy and PCF.
Looking Back to Old New York City in Herman Melville’s “Bartleby”
Authors: Thomson Shawn
Published: February 2025

Though “Bartleby, the Scrivener” takes place in the three-block area in and around the lawyer’s Wall Street offices, the uptown attitudes toward city life of the suburbs inform the lawyer’s relationships to his urban or downtown space. Wall Street stands as a central feature of the island city’s history, taking its name from a physical wall built to protect the Dutch from the British and the Indians. As a result, Wall Street served to differentiate the suburban from the urban confines of the city. Through the position of the lawyer in the Master Chancery office on Wall Street and his esteem of Jacob Astor, Herman Melville examines how the lawyer’s view of the city as hierarchical shapes the lawyer’s disaffection from the lives of his idiosyncratic office copyists. But as Bartleby disrupts the customs at the Chancery, Melville alludes to Benjamin Franklin’s own work as a pressman in the Watts Printing House in London. Franklin’s and Bartleby’s labors represent the vast distance between the craft culture of eighteenth-century London and the industrial democracy of antebellum New York City. I argue that Melville criticizes the spatial divide of the city wherein the uptown (private) and downtown (public) faces of the lawyer never amalgamate into a singular conscience. In exploring contrasting accounts of workers trapped in the city, I examine how the lawyer forms a melancholic sympathy with Bartleby that pulls him into the Egyptian gloom of the city. When the lawyer visits Bartleby in the Tombs, he sees the stark and brutal Pharoah-like top-down power structure of the Whig city dissevered from its Whiggish time’s arrow of progress.
Ruins of the Future
Authors: Stamenković Slađana
Published: February 2025

Exploring the topics of humanism and posthumanism, Jennifer Egan’s The Candy House depicts a futuristic society dominated by social media and its services, as introduced by the media corporation Mandala. The themes of the erasure of the private space and subjectivity are deeply intertwined with the crisis of communication since the social media in this novel serves as the mediator between people and their friends, ancestors and their descendants, as well as contemporaries and even loved ones. The overarching crisis of communication in the novel extends even to those who attempt to exist outside of the social media reality, both quotidian and academic, proving communication to be equally prone to failure in whatever setting in the futuristic world of Egan’s America. Following the ideas of Jean Baudrillard, Martin Heidegger, Don DeLillo, as well as Hans-Georg Gadamer and Paul Ricoeur, this paper aims to highlight the crisis of narrative and the narrative of crisis within the domain of communication in The Candy House, focusing on the clash between the human and posthuman experience in the mass media dictated world.
Spatial Reading of Jhumpa Lahiri's Whereabouts
Authors: Talukdar Susmita
Published: February 2025

Jhumpa Lahiri’s Whereabouts (2021) projects place that evokes both the senses of connection and loss for its unnamed narrator who, in her search of finding out her space in the world, fluctuates between what is immediate and distant. Her engagements with the surroundings and people at, in, and on various spaces/locations, and in different seasons seem to have become her own strategy of existence as she tries to negotiate with her loneliness in an unnamed city. My study problematises the narrative space of the novel. Should the narrative locations projected in the novel be considered as just physical settings in which the author is unfolding the plot, or do these, with the protagonist's movement through them, expose the most crucial fundamental question of existence? The place becomes the most complex entity at which the author situates her character, as at various contexts those places take different significant meanings adding to the shifting meanings of contemporary life and purpose in the present age of global movement. The space in the contemporary global world of movement is slippery and both enticing and restrictive for human beings, causing dilemmas that result in man’s disappointment and loneliness. The paper explores how Lahiri’s text through its narrative space, produces socio-cultural and political place, and that further focuses on the psychic space delineating life enriched with varieties. My study attempts to overcome the rigid disciplinary boundary of English Literature without the theoretical constraints of several other academic disciplines, which would both make us critical of contemporary life yet sustain us with its varied resources.
Prequels, Sequels and Everything Else
Authors: Sipos Nikolett
Published: February 2025

Game of Thrones has become one of the most popular fantasy franchises of the 21st century. The starting point of this universe was George R.R. Martin’s epic fantasy saga, A Song of Ice and Fire, which became a worldwide success thanks to the HBO adaptation titled Game of Thrones (2011-2019), created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. Since then, several other adaptations have been born and are currently in the making, including media campaigns (The Maester’s Path, 2011), books (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, 2005; The World of Ice and Fire, 2014; Fire & Blood, 2018), podcasts (Pod of Thrones, Game of Owns), and games (A Game of Thrones: Genesis, 2011; Game of Thrones, 2014). The visual storyworld of the franchise has been further expanded by the HBO prequel House of the Dragon (2022– ), but there are other Westeros series in the making as well. Thus, with all the media incarnations, Game of Thrones became a true example of a transmedia story – in this paper, I am going to introduce how these media entries are linked in this huge transmedia universe, and how they fit into the world of media convergence.
The association between genetic characteristics and treatment failure when switching from biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs/Janus kinase inhibitors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Bobkova A. O. , Lila A. M. , Karateev A. E. , Guseva I. A. , Samarkina E. Yu. , Shabatina M. V. , Konovalova N. V. , Varlamov D. A.
Published: February 2025

Genetic polymorphisms in several genes can determine the response to therapy with biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) and Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Objective: to determine the association between polymorphisms of genes of IL-6 (rs1800795), IL-6R (rs2228145), TNFAIP3 (rs10499194, rs6920220), TNFα (rs1800629), CTLA-4 (rs231775), TNFSF13B (BAFF) (rs9514828), KCNS1 (rs734784), COMT (rs4633), IL-10 (rs1800872) and STAT4 (rs7574865) and inadequate response when switching RA patients from an ineffective bDMARD and/or JAKi to another bDMARD or JAKi.

Material and methods. The study group consisted of 94 patients with RA (85.1% women, mean age 47.2±13.8 years) with moderate or high disease activity that persisted despite therapy with a bDMARD/JAKi. All patients were switched to another bDMARD or JAKi, including 12 (12.8%) to a tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor, 27 (28.7%) to an interleukin-6 inhibitor, 46 (48.9%) to rituximab and 9 (9.6%) to a JAKi. After six months, RA activity was assessed using the DAS28-CRP, SDAI and CDAI indices. Two groups of patients were identified: those who responded to treatment (n=47), achieved remission or low activity (DAS28-CRP ≤3.2, SDAI ≤11, CDAI < 10), and those who did not respond to treatment (n=47) and had moderate/high activity according to the aforementioned indices. All patients underwent genotyping of the polymorphisms of the indicated genes using the polymerase chain reaction method.

Results and discussion. Carrying the mutant T allele (TT + CT) of the TNFAIP3 polymorphism (rs10499194) and the T allele (GT + TT) of STAT4 (rs7574865) independently increased the risk of bDMARD/JAKi inefficiency (TT + CT vs. CC: odds ratio, OR 2.84; 95% confidence interval, CI 1.23–6.56; p=0.013; GT + TT vs. GG: OR 3.18; 95% CI 1.36–7.46; p=0.007). The presence of T minor alleles of TNFSF13B (BAFF) (rs9514828) and G (AG + GG) KCNS1 (rs734784) gene polymorphisms was independently associated with a lower risk of treatment failure (CC vs. CT + TT: OR 0.25; 95% CI 0.10–0.66; p=0.004; AA vs. AG + GG: OR 0.29; 95% CI 0.12–0.74; p=0.008, respectively). For the TNFA gene polymorphism (rs1800629), the multiplicative model was statistically significant (G vs. A: OR 3.12; 95% CI 1.1–9.03; p=0.037), and for the CTLA-4 gene (rs231775), the super-dominant model was statistically significant (AA + GG vs. AG: OR 2.6; 95% CI 1.14–6.25; p=0.022).

Conclusion. Six genetic predictors of treatment failure in bDMARDs/JAKi switching were identified: TNFAIP3 (rs10499194), STAT4 (rs7574865), TNFA (rs1800629), TNFSF13B (BAFF) (rs9514828), KCNS1 (rs734784) and CTLA-4 (rs231775).
Body composition and skeletal muscles status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis during treatment with biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs
Authors: Dobrovolskaya O. V. , Kozyreva M. V. , Demin N. V. , Feklistov A. Yu. , Toroptsova N. V.
Published: February 2025

Objective: to evaluate body composition and functional status of muscle tissue in women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in relation to background therapy.

Material and methods. The study included 138 patients (mean age 60.8±8.6 years) with confirmed RA. Of these, 18 received tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors, 30 rituximab, 19 abatacept and 71 methotrexate (MTX) monotherapy. A clinical and laboratory examination, evaluation of body composition using dual-energy X-ray densitometry and tests to assess muscle strength and physical performance were performed.

Results and discussion. Muscle and fat mass, bone mineral density and muscle strength did not differ depending on the background therapy. At the same time, gait speed ≤0.8 m/s was less frequent in women receiving biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) compared to MT monotherapy (p<0.001). Significant correlations were found between bDMARD therapy and physical performance as assessed by the results of a short physical performance battery (p=0.035) and gait speed (p=0.003). Logistic regression analysis confirmed the association between bDMARD therapy and muscle functional state. Conclusion. No differences in body composition were found depending on the type of background therapy. bDMARD therapy was associated with better skeletal muscle functional state as assessed by gait speed and a short physical performance battery compared to MT monotherapy. Keywords: rheumatoid arthritis; body composition; biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; physical performance> < 0.001). Significant correlations were found between bDMARD therapy and physical performance as assessed by the results of a short physical performance battery (p=0.035) and gait speed (p=0.003). Logistic regression analysis confirmed the association between bDMARD therapy and muscle functional state.

Conclusion. No differences in body composition were found depending on the type of background therapy. bDMARD therapy was associated with better skeletal muscle functional state as assessed by gait speed and a short physical performance battery compared to MT monotherapy.
Efficacy of divozilimab in the treatment of systemic sclerosis: results of the randomized phase III clinical trial BCD-132-5/LIBERIUS
Authors: Ananyeva L. P. , Starovoytova M. N. , Gaydukova I. Z. , Lukina G. V. , Zonova E. V. , Eliseeva L. V. , Fatkhullina G. F. , Abdulganieva D. I. , Krechikova D. G. , Kropotina T. V. , Nesmeyanova O. B. , Vinogradova I. B. , Zhugrova E. S. , Ivanova L. V. , Nikulenkova N. E. , Ziganshin O. R. , Plaksina T. V. , Zlobin M. V. , Grabovetskaya Yu. Yu. , Soroka N. F. , Ershova O. B. , Povarova T. V. , Anoshenkova O. N. , Lutsky A. A. , Zinkina-Orikhan A. V. , Linkova Yu. N. , Fokina E. A. , Porozova A. A. , Eremeeva A. V.
Published: February 2025

The search for new therapeutic options for the treatment of systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an urgent issue in rheumatology. The article presents the results of the double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase III clinical trial BCD-132-5/LIBERIUS on the efficacy and safety of divozilimab (BCD-132) in the treatment of SSc.

Objective: to investigate the efficacy and safety of divozilimab in patients with SSc compared to placebo.

Material and methods. After enrolment in the study, patients received divozilimab or placebo for 48 weeks, after which they were switched to an open-label divozilimab therapy until week 96.

Results and discussion. Divozilimab was superior to placebo regarding the primary endpoint change in mRSS at week 48 compared to baseline, and the therapy had a positive effect on respiratory function parameters. Divozilimab treatment was well tolerated.

Conclusion. Thus, divosilimab may represent a new therapeutic option for patients with SSc.
Psychological characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis with severe anxiety and depression
Authors: Abrosimov I. N. , Yaltonsky V. M. , Lisitsyna T. A. , Abramkin A. A. , Lamcheva E. I , Timashkov A. Yu. , Lila A. M.
Published: February 2025

The negative impact of chronic disease on the psychological well-being and adaptation of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains a common problem despite advances in its comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation. In this context, it is important to investigate the psychological factors that determine the extent of anxiety and depression in patients with RA.

Objective: to analyze the perception of the disease, mindfulness and self-compassion as psychological characteristics of patients with RA and marked anxiety-depressive manifestations.

Material and methods. A total of 180 patients (149 women and 31 men) with a confirmed diagnosis of RA were examined. Their mean age was 43.41±11.18 years, and the mean duration of the disease was 10.03±8.98 years. A package of psychodiagnostic methods was used to assess the level of anxiety and depression, characteristics of the disease perception, development of mindfulness skills, and components of self-compassion.

Results and discussion. Based on the study data, two patient groups were identified: patients with clinically significant anxiety and depressive manifestations and patients without them. The perception of the disease in patients with marked anxiety-depressive manifestations was characterized by the expectation of a threat from the disease, emotional apprehension and a decrease in the sense of personal control over the disease. In addition, in this group general and structural indicators of awareness and self-compassion were reduced.

Conclusion. The specificity of disease perception, diminished awareness and capacity for self-compassion can be considered as psychological characteristics of patients with RA who have marked anxiety and depressive manifestations. The study allowed us to gain new, more differentiated ideas about the goals of psychodiagnostics and psychological correction in RA.
Characteristics of systemic lupus erythematosus in patients of Asian ethnicity
Authors: Koilubaeva G. M. , Aseeva E. A. , Soloviev S. K. , Lila A. M.
Published: February 2025

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by an unpredictable and unfavorable course. The ethnicity of the patient has a significant impact on the course and outcome of the disease. SLE is more severe in African Americans and Asians than in white Europeans. This review examines epidemiological data, characteristics of the course and clinical manifestations of SLE in Asians.
River channel stability assessment under flow alteration: The Brda River case study (Poland)
Authors: Szatten Dawid , Bosino Alberto
Published: February 2025

The processes of erosion, transport, and accumulation of river sediments are determined by the balance between the natural fluvial processes and the anthropic pressure. Evaluation of the degree of river channel stability is one of the ways to establish the pressure of human activity that could be directly reflected in the volume of eroded or accumulated sediments in a river. The research here proposed is focused on the last natural section of the Brda River (Poland), which represents a natural hotspot in a deeply anthropized fluvial system. To evaluate the human pressure on the natural river section, we developed a methodology that integrates hydrological and sedimentological studies as well as remotely sensed data. In particular, we applied: (i) the Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration (IHA) method, based on hydrological data; (ii) the erosion coefficient, based on suspended sediment balance; and (iii) spatial analyses of riverbed centerline migration of the Brda River in the section from Woziwoda to Płaskosz (northern Poland) to gain a comprehensive understanding of the fluvial dynamics in the area over a period of 60 years. A significant peculiarity of this research refers to the year 2001 when the operational regime of the Mylof Reservoir was changed from hydropeaking to run-of-river. The results obtained indicate a minor river regime transformation and sediment transport continuum disturbance. Finally, the link between the stability of the Brda riverbed, and the intensification of bank erosion (meandering) resulting from the balance of sediment supply, has been demonstrated. The results presented reflect the climate change trends (on the macro-scale) and human activity in the catchment (on the micro-scale) on the fluvial processes.
Engaging pre-service teachers in an indigenous activity to investigate sustainability and green practices in palm oil production
Authors: Hanson Ruby , Anor Charity E.
Published: February 2025

Indigenous science is fast becoming a pathway to teach the principles of sustainability and green science or green chemistry towards sustainable development, management and conservation of the world’s ecosystems for posterity. This study sought to explore students’ own ideas about sustainability and ‘green’ practices through the indigenous multi-stage production of palm oil. A case study that employed a mixed method approach engaged 86 purposively chosen pre-service teachers. Questionnaires that partly allowed for participants to share their own ideas about palm oil production with respect to sustainability and green practices were used to collect data. Findings from analysed data indicated a positive shift in attitude, knowledge and views towards sustainability and green science practices in their communities as against their entry point.
Coconut oil refinery waste utilization in sustainable development of biodegradable betaine surfactant
Authors: Kedar Rahul P. , Rajput Yogeshsing N. , Girase Chetan D. , Kulkarni Ravindra D.
Published: February 2025

The increasing demand for environmentally friendly surfactants has led to the development of innovative, simplified and solvent-free synthesis methods. This study reports the preparation of 3-dimethylaminopropyl cocoyl betaine, a surfactant, using coconut oil refinery waste as the main raw material. A high yield of 90.46 % was obtained by a three-step esterification process using 3-dimethylaminopropanol and coconut oil deodoriser distillate. Structural analysis of the final product was carried out using NMR and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy, together with evaluation of the surfactant properties. The analysis of the surfactant properties of 3-dimethylaminopropyl cocoyl betaine indicated its potential suitability for use in personal care and cosmetic formulations. This study highlights the importance of reusing coconut oil refinery waste to produce environmentally friendly surfactants, supporting the chemical industry’s use of renewable and sustainable resources.
Verletzungen in der Grauzone. Eine rekonstruktive Studie zur Indexikalität sexueller Gewalt
Authors: Kedenburg Olga
Published: February 2025

Für sexuelle Gewalt ist eine besondere Uneindeutigkeit charakteristisch: Sie zeigt sich in den Erfahrungen (potenziell) Betroffener, in der sozialwissenschaftlichen Auseinandersetzung mit dem Verhältnis von Sexualität und Gewalt und in der gesellschaftspolitischen Debatte um die Grauzone sexueller Gewalt. In diesem Beitrag wird die Uneindeutigkeit sexueller Gewalt als Ausdruck ihrer Indexikalität interpretiert, der sich analytisch mit einer vergleichenden Heuristik von Verletzungserfahrungen und Gewaltdeutungen angenähert wird. Dieses Vorgehen ermöglicht es, der Ambivalenz von Erfahrungen sexueller Verletzungen Raum zu geben, ohne sie zu relativieren: Die indexikale Perspektive erschließt das Leiden an der Uneindeutigkeit als Dimension der Gewaltsamkeit sexueller Gewalt.
Multiple Vulnerabilitäten: Zur Wissenspolitik der Schulschließungen während der COVID-19-Pandemie
Authors: Kaldewey David , Berger Pascal , Weigel Lea , Blome Caitlin , Kuhn Paula , Meck Nicole
Published: February 2025

Der Beitrag beleuchtet die Debatte um die Schulschließungen während der COVID-19-Pandemie im Horizont einer Theorie multipler Vulnerabilitäten. Untersucht werden Zusammenhänge zwischen epistemisch-normativen Positionierungen und Vulnerabilitätsvorstellungen in einem Sample von 43 qualitativen Interviews mit engagierten Laien, die die Problematik der Schulschließungen auf Twitter diskutiert haben. Es kann gezeigt werden, dass Kinder aus Sicht der Kritiker*innen der Schulschließungen vor allem durch die psychischen und sozialen Folgen gefährdet sind, kaum aber durch die Krankheit selbst. Wer umgekehrt für Schulschließungen, Distanzunterricht oder Infektionsschutzmaßnahmen eintritt, sieht Kinder in erster Linie durch mögliche Infektionen bedroht und schätzt die psychischen und sozialen Folgen weniger problematisch ein. Trotz dieser als Polarisierung lesbaren Differenzen ist allen Interviewten eine Orientierung sowohl am Kindeswohl als auch am wissenschaftlichen Diskurs gemeinsam. Wir interpretieren die Ergebnisse wissens- und wissenschaftssoziologisch und verbinden die Theorie multipler Vulnerabilitäten mit einer Theorie multipler Fakten.