bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
State‐of‐the‐Art Report on Optimizing Particle Advection Performance
Authors: Yenpure A. , Sane S. , Binyahib R. , Pugmire D. , Garth C. , Childs H.
Published: June 2023

The computational work to perform particle advection‐based flow visualization techniques varies based on many factors, including number of particles, duration, and mesh type. In many cases, the total work is significant, and total execution time (“performance”) is a critical issue. This state‐of‐the‐art report considers existing optimizations for particle advection, using two high‐level categories: algorithmic optimizations and hardware efficiency. The sub‐categories for algorithmic optimizations include solvers, cell locators, I/O efficiency, and precomputation, while the sub‐categories for hardware efficiency all involve parallelism: shared‐memory, distributed‐memory, and hybrid. Finally, this STAR concludes by identifying current gaps in our understanding of particle advection performance and its optimizations.
VA + Embeddings STAR: A State‐of‐the‐Art Report on the Use of Embeddings in Visual Analytics
Authors: Huang Z. , Witschard D. , Kucher K. , Kerren A.
Published: June 2023

Over the past years, an increasing number of publications in information visualization, especially within the field of visual analytics, have mentioned the term “embedding” when describing the computational approach. Within this context, embeddings are usually (relatively) low‐dimensional, distributed representations of various data types (such as texts or graphs), and since they have proven to be extremely useful for a variety of data analysis tasks across various disciplines and fields, they have become widely used. Existing visualization approaches aim to either support exploration and interpretation of the embedding space through visual representation and interaction, or aim to use embeddings as part of the computational pipeline for addressing downstream analytical tasks. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first survey that takes a detailed look at embedding methods through the lens of visual analytics, and the purpose of our survey article is to provide a systematic overview of the state of the art within the emerging field of embedding visualization. We design a categorization scheme for our approach, analyze the current research frontier based on peer‐reviewed publications, and discuss existing trends, challenges, and potential research directions for using embeddings in the context of visual analytics. Furthermore, we provide an interactive survey browser for the collected and categorized survey data, which currently includes 122 entries that appeared between 2007 and 2023.
Navigating precarity in everyday (sub)urban space in Helsinki, Finland
Authors: Jaatsi Mia , Kymäläinen Päivi
Published: June 2023

This article addresses the everyday forms of urban precarity, which is under‐studied in the context of Finnish cities. We examine how urban precarity becomes lived, practiced, and resisted in the case of a suburban open‐air shopping center in Helsinki, Finland. Referring to precarity as a socio‐spatial condition that reveals the precariousness of urban people and places, this study discovered everyday forms of urban precarity in detailed materialities and tactics; in housing, food, and addiction struggles; and in movements and networks. These mundane manifestations revealed that precarity could be approached in more relative terms that are not linked with certain neighborhoods but that emerge as spaces with intersecting nodes of services, networks, mobilities, and sociality. We conclude that particular places across urban spaces, where these aspects intersect, can be central to the ways precarity is navigated in the city and to increasing understandings of the mechanisms through which spaces of precarity are constructed in the city. The methodological choices used in this article—volunteer ethnography and vignettes—present profound accounts of the microscale lived experience, and bring humanness to a context that often exhibits stereotypes and marginality.
Nietzsche and “we knowers”: Comments on Reginster's The Will to Nothingness
Authors: Kirwin Claire
Published: June 2023

Nietzsche's On the Genealogy of Morality is strikingly book‐ended by the theme of knowledge‐seeking: the Preface opens with the ominous claim that “[w]e are unknown to ourselves, we knowers”, and the Third Essay's climax is the assertion that scientific, scholarly activity does not stand in opposition to the ascetic ideal but is instead only that ideal's most recent and insidious instantiation. This feature of the text is absent from Reginster's The Will to Nothingness. Nonetheless, the interpretive machinery that Reginster develops in his reading of the Genealogy as a genealogy and critique of morality can also go a long way towards helping us to make sense of the text as, at the same time, a genealogy and critique of knowledge‐seeking. Making use of Reginster's account in this way serves to illuminate both the interpretive power and some of the limitations of his reading.
Individual diet specialization in the spider Tidarren haemorrhoidale (Bertkau, 1880) (Theridiidae)
Authors: Moura Rafael Rios , Pêgo Priscila Teixeira , Sobczak Jober F. , Gonzaga Marcelo Oliveira
Published: June 2023

Individual specialization (IS) in resource use is common within populations of several animal species because some individuals can be more efficient than others in obtaining specific food items. Spiders are usually classified as euryphagous predators, but the broad diet of populations may result from many individuals specializing in capturing different types of prey. Empirical evidence supporting this pattern, however, is still scarce. In this study, we hypothesized that (1) the diet of individuals of Tidarren haemorrhoidale is more restricted than the population's diet and (2) individual diet restrictions are not determined by the spatial distribution of prey types. We collected the prey remains of 74 webs of females in a conservation area of the Atlantic Forest. Our results indicated that T. haemorrhoidale could be considered a euryphagous predator because its diet comprised Opiliones, Diplopoda, and eight orders of insects. However, spiders exhibited moderate and high degrees of IS for prey size and taxa, respectively. There was no modularity for both prey attributes in the food web, but there was a medium nestedness. Most individuals captured ants, but additional prey taxa were of different orders. There was no correlation between the dissimilarity of prey taxa and the distances between the webs, suggesting that IS did not occur based on the spatial distribution of their potential prey. The diversity of prey defensive strategies may induce spiders to perform specific behavioral routines after prey interception. If this occurs, cognitive constraints may limit their ability to use different capture routines efficiently. Our study supports the predictions of individual niche specialization theory for a euryphagous spider species and highlights the potential of spiders as a study model to investigate the underlying mechanisms.
Structure elucidation and characterization of patulin synthase, insights into the formation of a fungal mycotoxin
Authors: Tjallinks Gwen , Boverio Alessandro , Maric Ivana , Rozeboom Henriette , Arentshorst Mark , Visser Jaap , Ram Arthur F. J. , Mattevi Andrea , Fraaije Marco W.
Published: June 2023

Patulin synthase (PatE) from Penicillium expansum is a flavin‐dependent enzyme that catalyses the last step in the biosynthesis of the mycotoxin patulin. This secondary metabolite is often present in fruit and fruit‐derived products, causing postharvest losses. The patE gene was expressed in Aspergillus niger allowing purification and characterization of PatE. This confirmed that PatE is active not only on the proposed patulin precursor ascladiol but also on several aromatic alcohols including 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural. By elucidating its crystal structure, details on its catalytic mechanism were revealed. Several aspects of the active site architecture are reminiscent of that of fungal aryl‐alcohol oxidases. Yet, PatE is most efficient with ascladiol as substrate confirming its dedicated role in biosynthesis of patulin.
Pathological features associated with metastasis in patients with early invasive (pT1) colorectal carcinoma in colorectal polyps
Authors: Brown Ian , Zammit Andrew P , Bettington Mark , Cooper Caroline , Gill Anthony J , Agoston Agoston , Odze Robert
Published: June 2023

Aims

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) arising in a colorectal polyp with invasion limited to the submucosa is sufficiently treated by complete endoscopic resection alone in many cases. Histological features of the carcinoma including tumour size, vascular invasion and poor tumour differentiation or evidence of de‐differentiation, such as tumour budding, are associated with a higher risk for metastasis such that oncological resection is recommended. However, most malignant polyps with these features do not have lymph node metastases at the time of resection, so there is a need for better refinement of the histological risk features.

Methods and results

A total of 437 consecutive colorectal polyps with submucosal invasive carcinoma from a single centre, 57 of which had metastatic disease, were supplemented by 30 cases with known metastatic disease from two additional centres. Clinical and histological features of the polyp cancers were reviewed looking for differences between the 87 cancers with metastatic disease and the remaining cases without metastasis. A subgroup of 204 polyps removed intact was also analysed to ensure maximum histological accuracy.

Conclusions

This study confirmed larger invasive tumour size, vascular invasion and poor tumour differentiation as adverse predictive features. Prominent peritumoral desmoplasia and high cytological grade were additional adverse features. A predictive logistic regression model comprised of (i) presence of any form of vascular invasion; (ii) presence of high tumour budding (BD3); (iii) width of invasive tumour component > 8 mm; (iv) depth of invasive tumour > 1.5 mm; and (v) the finding of prominent expansile desmoplasia located within and beyond the deep invasive edge of the carcinoma, showed excellent performance in predicting metastatic disease.
Inhibition of gingival fibroblast necroptosis mediated by RIPK3/MLKL attenuates periodontitis
Authors: Zhang Kaiying , Chen Xiaoxin , Zhou Rong , Chen Zhao , Wu Buling , Qiu Wei , Fang Fuchun
Published: June 2023

Aim

Necroptosis participates in the pathogenesis of many inflammatory diseases, including periodontitis. Here, we aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of necroptosis inhibitors in attenuating periodontitis.

Materials and Methods

The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset GSE164241 was re‐analysed to identify the role of necroptosis in periodontitis. Gingival specimens from healthy subjects or periodontitis patients were collected to evaluate the expression level of necroptosis‐associated proteins. The therapeutic effect of necroptosis inhibitors on periodontitis was assessed in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, Transwell assays and Western blotting and siRNA transfection were used to identify the effects of necroptotic human gingival fibroblasts (hGFs) on THP‐1 macrophages.

Results

Re‐analysis revealed that gingival fibroblasts (GFs) in periodontitis gingiva showed the highest area under the curve score of necroptosis. Elevated levels of necroptosis‐associated proteins were identified in GFs in periodontitis gingiva collected from patients and mice. In ligature‐induced periodontitis mice, local administration of receptor interacting protein kinase 3(RIPK3) inhibitor GSK′872 or sh‐mixed‐lineage kinase domain‐like pseudokinase (Mlkl) markedly abrogated necroptosis and rescued periodontitis. Analogously, necroptosis inhibitors alleviated the inflammatory response and release of damage‐associated molecular patterns in lipopolysaccharide‐ or LAZ (LPS + AZD'5582 + z‐VAD‐fmk, necroptosis inducer)‐induced GFs and then reduced THP‐1 cell migration and M1 polarization.

Conclusions

Necroptosis in GFs aggravated gingival inflammation and alveolar bone loss. Necroptosis inhibitors attenuate this process by modulating THP‐1 macrophage migration and polarization. This study offers novel insights into the pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets of periodontitis.
Do Southeast Asia's paleo‐Antarctic trees cool the planet?
Authors: Wilf Peter , Kooyman Robert M.
Published: June 2023

Many tree genera in the Malesian uplands have Southern Hemisphere origins, often supported by austral fossil records. Weathering the vast bedrock exposures in the everwet Malesian tropics may have consumed sufficient atmospheric CO2 to contribute significantly to global cooling over the past 15 Myr. However, there has been no discussion of how the distinctive regional tree assemblages may have enhanced weathering and contributed to this process. We postulate that Gondwanan‐sourced tree lineages that can dominate higher‐elevation forests played an overlooked role in the Neogene CO2 drawdown that led to the Ice Ages and the current, now‐precarious climate state. Moreover, several historically abundant conifers in Araucariaceae and Podocarpaceae are likely to have made an outsized contribution through soil acidification that increases weathering. If the widespread destruction of Malesian lowland forests continues to spread into the uplands, the losses will threaten unique austral plant assemblages and, if our hypothesis is correct, a carbon sequestration engine that could contribute to cooler planetary conditions far into the future. Immediate effects include the spread of heat islands, significant losses of biomass carbon and forest‐dependent biodiversity, erosion of watershed values, and the destruction of tens of millions of years of evolutionary history.
New social relations of digital technology and the future of work: Beyond technological determinism
Authors: Joyce Simon , Umney Charles , Whittaker Xanthe , Stuart Mark
Published: June 2023

This introduction sets out the context for the Special Issue and offers an in‐depth reflection on key themes addressed by our contributors. The Special Issue aims to place the social relations of production at the centre of debates about technology and the future of work, and create space for greater critical reflection on what it means to go ‘beyond technological determinism’. We identify ways in which aspects of technological determinism continue to influence debates on technology, the labour process and industrial relations, despite efforts to reject it. We argue that this influence is manifested in some persistent problems within the literature including overly rigid periodisations (such as ‘platform capitalism’), a narrow conceptual repertoire (which reifies notions like ‘algorithmic control’) and a constricted empirical focus. We elucidate the value of a social shaping of technology (SST) approach to overcome these challenges and provide a brief overview of the articles contained within the issue.
A noninferiority trial on information‐based video versus self‐selected video distraction technique for preoperative anxiety reduction in school children: Prepare trial
Authors: Acharya Vanitha , Jain Divya , Gandhi Komal , Bhardwaj Neerja , Mathew Preethy
Published: June 2023

Background

Distraction techniques using smartphones to watch cartoon videos and play videogames have been successfully used to reduce preoperative anxiety in school children. However, the literature about the use of video‐based preoperative information technique for anxiety reduction in that age group still remains understudied with conflicting results. We hypothesized that there would be no meaningful difference in anxiety score at induction period between the information‐based video versus self‐selected video distraction technique.

Methods

Eighty‐two children between 6 and 12 years undergoing surgery were randomized to self‐selected video (n = 41) and information‐based video (n = 41) distraction group in this prospective, randomized, noninferiority trial. Children in self‐selected video group were shown video of their choice using smart phones, while children in the information‐based video group were shown video of operation theater (OT) set up and induction procedure. The children were taken inside operating room along with parents watching the respective videos. Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (m‐YPAS), just before induction of anesthesia was recorded as the primary outcome. Induction compliance checklist score, anxiety of the parents, and short‐term postoperative outcomes in 15 days (telephonically) were recorded as secondary outcomes.

Results

The mean difference in the baseline mYPAS score (95% CI) between the two groups was −2.7 (−8.2 to 2.8, p = .33) and −6.39 (−12.74 to −0.44, p = .05) just before the induction period. The upper bound of the 95% CI did not cross the value of 8, which was the noninferiority margin decided prior to study commencement. 70.73% cases had perfect induction in the self‐selected video distraction group, compared to 68.29% in the information‐based video group. After 15 days of postoperative follow‐up, participants in the self‐selected video group had a larger proportion of negative outcomes (53.7%) compared to information‐based video group (31.7%), p = .044.

Conclusion

Information‐based technique using smart phone is non inferior to self‐selected video‐based distraction‐based technique in decreasing PA with an additional advantage of decreasing postoperative short‐term negative outcomes.

Trial Registration

CTRI identifier: CTRI/2020/03/023884.
Retrospect of fish meal substitution in Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) feed: Alternatives, limitations and future prospects
Authors: Chen Yongkang , Mitra Anisa , Rahimnejad Samad , Chi Shuyan , Kumar Vikas , Tan Beiping , Niu Jin , Xie Shiwei
Published: June 2023

Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), the most cultured crustacean in the world, has become one of the key species in the international aquatic trade accounting for 11.96% of the total aquaculture production value in 2020. The development of the aquafeed industry, especially the large‐scale use of fish meal (FM) and fish oil, contributed to promoting the expansion of shrimp production. However, the supply of FM has fluctuated at about 5 million tons per year affected by the El Nino during the last decades. This finite supply in combination with continued demand contributes to high prices, prompting the development and use of alternative protein sources. This review contributes to the development of appropriate FM replacement strategies in shrimp feed and summarises the status of research on alternative protein sources, including plant, animal and single‐cell proteins in commercial feeds for Pacific white shrimp. Furthermore, several key aspects of nutritional balances were mentioned including amino acid profiles, fatty acid nutrients and trace elements in low FM diets as well as some easily overlooked concepts that deserve attention such as epigenetics, feed processing characteristics, animal growth stages, and shrimp species improvement. Also, the prospects of future research are proposed including the application of advanced technologies (16S rRNA sequencing, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics), developments in the new feed additives, along with the optimisation of new protein sources and the establishment of a precise nutritional programming for shrimp.
Policy advisory systems and public policy making: Bibliometric analysis, knowledge mapping, operationalization, and future research agenda
Authors: Hussain Fiaz , Tsang Denise , Rafique Zain
Published: June 2023

This study offers a comprehensive overview of the literature on policy advisory systems (PAS), motivated by its significance, growing interest in the field among policy scholars, and the substantial body of recent research published recently. The study conducted a quantitative bibliometric analysis of 62 articles on PAS published between 1993 and 2022, using data extracted from the Web of Science and Scopus databases. The analysis included performance analysis, collaboration analysis, and science mapping (co‐citation and co‐word analysis). The dataset comprises articles published in 29 different journals, with 17.2% of these journals publishing three or more articles on PAS. Of the 80 authors in the dataset, 78.8% had only one publication. Over the past 5 years, there has been a 69% increase in the production of research on PAS, with the majority of output coming from Canada, Australia, Germany, and the Netherlands. The intellectual structure of the field was examined through co‐citation analysis, revealing two main clusters named dynamics of PAS and Policy Advice & Policy Analysts' Role. The former focuses on the variations and dynamics of PAS, while the latter is more concerned with the nature of policy advice and the role of policy analysts. The co‐word analysis identified the most relevant issues linked with PAS, including policy advice, externalization, politicization, and policy capacity. The study has also provided operationalization of the concept with the support of empirical evidence and categorized it into internal and external PAS. Externalization is the dominant trend in Anglophone countries, while public service in Europe and Canada has been the focus of internal PAS research. The study identifies gaps in the literature and calls for further research on the application of PAS in the Global South, the demand for policy advice, and comparative analysis of PAS across different contexts and dimensions.
Developmental deviations in happy victimization across early childhood predict behavioral adjustment in middle childhood
Authors: Wong Tracy K. Y. , Colasante Tyler , Malti Tina
Published: June 2023

This study examined whether the development of happy victimizing (HV) from early to middle childhood predicted prosocial and aggressive behaviors 3 years later. Participants included 150 children (50% female, Mage at study onset = 4.53 years) and their parents at four annual time points. At each time point, semi‐structured interviews were conducted to assess children's emotional expectations after committing hypothetical transgressions. Child and parent reports of children's prosocial behaviors and aggression were provided at the beginning and end of the study. Children who experienced faster declines in HV reported higher prosocial behaviors 3 years later, controlling for initial levels of prosocial behaviors. Children who exhibited increases or lesser declines in HV reported higher aggression at the study end. The development of HV was not related significantly to parent reports of prosocial behaviors and aggression in middle childhood. Findings confirm theorizing on the normative developmental trajectory of HV and suggest that deviations in HV across early childhood may partially explain later behavioral adjustment.
Olfactorizing religious education
Authors: Khetrapal Neha
Published: June 2023

The scientific study of religion has steered toward materiality. Herein, researchers have highlighted the intricate role of the human body and its sensorium for perceiving objects. With this trend, a text‐based approach to religion has become less prominent. However, parallel exploratory efforts have been underreported for religious education except the limited pedagogical emphasis placed on visual aspects of religious objects. Here, an attempt to olfactorize religious education is documented. Olfactorization has been documented both as a learning strategy wherein students are encouraged to form associations between scents (real or mentally imagined) and images/words and as a means of highlighting the olfactory materiality of religious objects. The means approach paired with a “cognitive ethnographic” methodology is expected to help students to reinterpret the existing meanings of object‐centered religious traditions whereas the learning strategy approach is expected to spill over to other (nonreligious) domains of learning.
Theoretical prediction of mechanical, thermodynamic, and surface oxygen adsorption properties of anti-perovskite Ti3AC (A = Tl and Al) ceramics for thermal barrier coating materials
Authors: Jiang Diyou , Hu Wei , Wan Haiqing , Liu Sanqiu
Published: June 2023

Based on first principles, the mechanical, thermodynamic, and surface oxygen adsorption properties of Ti3AC (A = Tl and Al) ceramics are investigated. The mechanical parameters of Ti3AlC ceramics can well reproduce other theoretical and experimental data. The negative formation enthalpy and lattice dynamics characteristics indicate that Ti3AC ceramics are thermodynamically stable. At 0 K, the mechanical strength of Ti3TlC ceramics is always smaller than that of Ti3AlC ceramics, but its ductility is better than Ti3AlC ceramics. Ti3TlC and Ti3AlC ceramics have normal thermal expansion behavior at 0–1800 K, and belong to high and medium expansion materials, respectively. The thermal expansion coefficient of Ti3TlC ceramics increases with increasing temperature. However, an important discovery is that Ti3AlC ceramics have an inhibitory thermal expansion behavior at high temperatures. At 300–1800 K, the Grüneisen constant of Ti3TlC ceramics is 1.55–1.78 and that of Ti3AlC ceramics is 1.49–1.54. At 0–1800 K, the phonon thermal conductivity of Ti3TlC is always smaller than that of Ti3AlC. At a high temperature of 1800 K, the thermal conductivity of Ti3TlC and Ti3AlC ceramics is 13.42 and 33.27 W m−1 K−1, respectively. The most sensitive adsorption site of O on Ti3TlC (100) ceramic surfaces is at the top site, while the most sensitive adsorption site on Ti3AlC (100) ceramic surfaces is at the hollow site. Moreover, the Debye temperature, melting point, and hardness of Ti3AC ceramics are also investigated.
Effects of a Sleep Hygiene Strategy on Parameters of Sleep Quality and Quantity in Youth Elite Rugby Union Players
Authors: Vachon Adrien , Sauvet Fabien , Pasquier Florane , Paquet Jean-Baptiste , Bosquet Laurent
Published: June 2023

Purpose: To assess the effects of a sleep hygiene strategy on parameters of sleep quality and quantity in youth elite rugby union players. Method: Eleven male players (age: 19.0 [1.4] y) undertook a sleep hygiene strategy composed of 2 theoretical sessions and 3 practical sessions over a 4-week period. Sleeping time, time in bed, total sleep time, sleep latency (SL), sleep efficiency (SE), wake after sleep onset, and wake bouts were recorded with an actigraphic device during the 4-week sleep hygiene strategy (baseline) and during 4 weeks after the last intervention (postintervention). Results: At baseline, the overall group reported poor sleep quantity (total sleep time = 6:27 [0:30] min), but sleep quality was considered acceptable (SL = 0:18 [0:08] min and SE = 77.8% [5.8%]). Postintervention, the overall group showed a small improvement in SL (d = −0.23 [−0.42 to −0.04], P = .003) and SE (d = 0.30 [0.03 to 0.57], P = .0004). For individual responses, sleeping time, time in bed, and total sleep time were positively influenced in only 4, 3, and 5 players, respectively. For parameters of sleep quality, SL and SE were positively influenced in a majority of players (n = 7 and 8, respectively). The magnitude of difference between baseline and postintervention was strongly associated with baseline values in SE (r = −.86; P = .0005) and wake after sleep onset (r = −.87; P = .0007). Conclusion: A sleep hygiene strategy is efficient to improve sleep quality but not sleep quantity in young rugby union players. The strategy was more efficient in players with lower initial sleep quality and should be implemented prior to a high cumulative fatigue period.
Population Pharmacokinetic Modeling of Free Plasma and Free Brain Concentrations of Ceftaroline in Healthy and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus-Infected Wistar Rats
Authors: Helfer Victória Etges , Dias Bruna Bernar , Lock Graziela de Araújo , Tomaszewski Caroline Andrade , Barnet Lucas Suchecki , Barreto Fabiano , Zavascki Alexandre P. , de Araújo Bibiana Verlindo , Dalla Costa Teresa
Published: June 2023

A population pharmacokinetic model was developed to describe alterations in ceftaroline brain disposition caused by meningitis in healthy and methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA)-infected rats. Blood and brain microdialysate samples were obtained after a single bolus dose of ceftaroline fosamil (20 mg/kg) administered intravenously.
The Structures and Functions of Parvovirus Capsids and Missing Pieces: the Viral DNA and Its Packaging, Asymmetrical Features, Nonprotein Components, and Receptor or Antibody Binding and Interactions
Authors: López-Astacio Robert A. , Adu Oluwafemi F. , Lee Hyunwook , Hafenstein Susan L. , Parrish Colin R.
Published: June 2023

Parvoviruses are among the smallest and superficially simplest animal viruses, infecting a broad range of hosts, including humans, and causing some deadly infections. In 1990, the first atomic structure of the canine parvovirus (CPV) capsid revealed a 26-nm-diameter T=1 particle made up of two or three versions of a single protein, and packaging about 5,100 nucleotides of single-stranded DNA.
Identification of a 1.4-kb-Long Sequence Located in the nsp12 and nsp13 Coding Regions of SARS-CoV-2 Genomic RNA That Mediates Efficient Viral RNA Packaging
Authors: Terasaki Kaori , Narayanan Krishna , Makino Shinji
Published: June 2023

Elucidating the mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 RNA packaging into virus particles is important for the rational design of antiviral drugs that inhibit this vital step in the replication cycle of CoVs. However, our knowledge about the RNA packaging mechanism in SARS-CoV-2, including the identification of the viral RNA region important for SARS-CoV-2 RNA packaging, is limited, primarily due to the logistical challenges of handing SARS-CoV-2 in biosafety level 3 (BSL3) facilities.
IncHI2 Plasmid Encoding
bla
CTX-M-55
and
mcr-1.1
in Salmonella enterica SE20-C72-2 and Escherichia coli EC20-C72-1 Isolates from the Edible River Fish Anabas testudineus
Authors: Nakayama Tatsuya , Yamamoto Shiori , Ohata Natsuki , Yamaguchi Takahiro , Jinnai Michio , Minh Doan Tran Nguyen , Hoang Oanh Nguyen , Thi Hien Le , Thanh Phong Ngo , Hoai Phuong Hoang , Do Phuc Nguyen , Van Chinh Dang , Kumeda Yuko , Hase Atsushi
Published: June 2023

Salmonella enterica
SE20-C72-2 and
Escherichia coli
EC20-C72-1 were isolated from the edible fish
Anabas testudineus
in Vietnam. The chromosomes and plasmids from both strains were sequenced using Oxford Nanopore and Illumina sequencing. Plasmids approximately 250 kbp long, encoding
bla
CTX-M-55
and
mcr-1.1
, were detected in both strains.
A Decade-Long Evaluation of Neonatal Septicaemic Escherichia coli: Clonal Lineages, Genomes, and New Delhi Metallo-Beta-Lactamase Variants
Authors: Bhattacharjee Amrita , Sands Kirsty , Mitra Shravani , Basu Ritojeet , Saha Bijan , Clermont Olivier , Dutta Shanta , Basu Sulagna
Published: June 2023

Multidrug-resistant and virulent ExPEC causing sepsis in neonates is a challenge to neonatal health. The presence of enzymes, such as carbapenemases (
bla
NDM
) that hydrolyze most β-lactam antibiotic compounds, result in difficulties when treating neonates. The characterization of ExPECs collected over 10 years showed that 44% of ExPECs were carbapenem-resistant, possessing transmissible
bla
NDM
genes.
Predictive performance of multiple organ dysfunction in asphyxiated newborns treated with therapeutic hypothermia on 24-month outcome: a cohort study
Authors: Langeslag Juliette , Onland Wes , Visser Douwe , Groenendaal Floris , de Vries Linda , van Kaam Anton H , de Haan T R
Published: June 2023

Background

Perinatal asphyxia may be followed by multiple organ dysfunction (MOD) and is often included in prognostication of the individual patient, but evidence of discriminating accuracy is lacking. The aim of this study was to assess whether MOD in asphyxiated neonates during therapeutic hypothermia (TH) predicts mortality or neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) at 24 months of age and which peripartum variables are associated with the onset of MOD.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort study of asphyxiated newborns undergoing TH was performed. MOD was defined as dysfunction of the brain (encephalopathy) combined with two or more organ systems. Outcome was routinely assessed by standardised developmental testing at the age of 24 months. The predictive accuracy of MOD on the combined outcome and its components (death and NDI) was expressed as areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs). The associations of peripartum variables and development of MOD were expressed as ORs and their CIs.

Results

189 infants (median gestation 40 (range 36–42 weeks) with moderate to severe hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy were included. 47% developed MOD. The prediction of the combined 24-month outcome or its components showed AUROCs <0.70. Associated with MOD were pH at birth (OR 0.97, CI 0.95 to 0.99), lactate at birth (OR 1.09, CI 1.04 to 1.15), Base Excess (BE) at birth (OR 0.94, CI 0.90 to 0.99) and epinephrine administration during resuscitation (OR 2.09, CI 1.02 to 4.40).

Conclusion

MOD has a low discriminating accuracy in predicting mortality or NDI at 24 months age and might not be useful for prognostication. Signs of acid–base disturbance and adrenalin use at birth are associated with the development of MOD.
Analysis of the Sport Mental Health Assessment Tool 1 (SMHAT-1) in Team USA athletes
Authors: Anderson Travis , Adams William M , Bartley Jessica D , Brutus Angel L , Donaldson Amber T , Finnoff Jonathan T
Published: June 2023

Objective

The Sport Mental Health Assessment Tool 1 (SMHAT-1) was introduced as a critical component to the athlete health evaluation. However, the effectiveness of the initial triage step questionnaire (Athlete Psychological Strain Questionnaire (APSQ)) has yet to be analysed within a National Olympic and Paralympic Committee delegation. This study evaluated the ability of the APSQ to identify athletes at risk for mental health concerns.

Methods

Athletes completed the APSQ and all subsequent screening questionnaires of the SMHAT-1 as part of their Tokyo and Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games health history screening. Each questionnaire was scored according to published guidelines, and the false-negative rate (FNR) for the APSQ identifying athletes that were positively screened on the subsequent questionnaires was computed.

Results

1066 athletes from 51 different Olympic and Paralympic and Summer and Winter sports completed the SMHAT-1. The FNRs for all athletes who were positively screened on a subsequent questionnaire with an APSQ score of <17 ranged from 4.8% to 66.7%. The global FNR for being positively screened onanyquestionnaire was 67.5%. Female, Paralympic and Winter athletes scored higher on one or more questionnaires compared with male, Olympic and Summer athletes, respectively (p<0.05).

Conclusion

Due to the high FNR of the APSQ detecting a potential mental health concern, we recommend athletes complete the APSQ and all subsequent questionnaires of the SMHAT-1 rather than using only the APSQ as an initial screening test.
A study protocol for investigating the sonographic characteristics of neonates with critical illness: an observational cohort study
Authors: Xiao Tiantian , Fu Yiyong , Li Biao , Li Yan , Zhang Jingyi , Li Huaying , Zhou Xiaofeng , Zhong Linping , Zhu Lin , Qin Gaoyang , Zou Xin , Zhang Xiaolong , Zheng Minsheng , Zou Pinli , Hu Youning , Chen Xia , Wang Yuan , Wu Nana , Gao Shuqiang , Hu Xuhong , Luo Xiaohong , Ju Rong
Published: June 2023

Background

Haemodynamic instability and hypoxaemia are common and serious threats to the survival of neonates. A growing body of literature indicates that critical care ultrasound has become the optimal evaluation tool for sick neonates. However, few studies have described sonographic characteristics of haemodynamics systematically in the neonates with critical illness. This protocol describes a prospective observational cohort study aimed at (1) characterising the sonographic characteristics of the neonates with critical diseases; and (2) assessing the mortality, significant morbidity, utility of vasoactive medications, fluid resuscitation, duration of ventilation, etc.

Methods and analysis

This is a single-centre, prospective and observational study conducted in Chengdu Women’s and Children’s Central Hospital from 1 December 2022 to 31 December 2027. Neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit will be recruited. After inclusion, the neonates will undergo the neonatal critical care ultrasound. The data collected via case report forms include clinical variables and sonographic measures. The primary outcome is to identify the sonographic characteristics of sick neonates with different diseases, and the secondary outcome is to describe the mortality, significant morbidity, utility of vasoactive medications, fluid resuscitation and duration of ventilation.

Discussion

Our study provided an organised neonatal critical care ultrasound workflow, which can be applied in practice. Accordingly, this study will first set up large data on the sonographic description of the neonates with critical illness, which can help to understand the pathophysiology of the critical illness, potentially titrating the treatment.

Trial registration number

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200065581;https://www.chictr.org.cn/com/25/showproj.aspx?proj=184095).
Social inequalities, stressful work and non-fatal cardiovascular disease: follow-up findings from the CONSTANCES Study
Authors: Siegrist Johannes , Goldberg Marcel , Zins Marie , Wahrendorf Morten
Published: June 2023

Background

Studies show that a disadvantaged socioeconomic position (SEP) and psychosocial stress at work are both independently associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). But it is not clear if the effect of stress at work on CVD varies by SEP.

Methods

We used baseline and follow-up data from the French population-based cohort study CONSTANCES, including 48 383 employed women and men aged 30–70 years. Three SEP indicators (education, income, occupation), stressful psychosocial work as measured by effort–reward imbalance, pre-existing CVD and confounders were assessed at baseline, and incident non-fatal CVD events reported during annual follow-up (up to five follow-ups) were used as outcomes. The effect modification hypothesis was both investigated on an additive and multiplicative scale.

Results

SEP was inversely associated with CVD risk (eg, for low vs high income, OR 1.28 (95% CI 1.12 to 1.46)), and for all three components of stressful work CVD risks were significantly increased (eg, for effort–reward ratio OR 1.26 (95% CI 1.17 to 1.36)). Employees with a disadvantaged SEP showed moderately increased effect sizes of stressful work on CVD. However, no clear evidence of an effect modification was found.

Conclusions

Disadvantaged SEP and stressful work contribute to higher CVD risk in this cohort. Despite moderately increased effect sizes for disadvantaged SEP groups, no evidence was found to support an effect modification hypothesis.
Numerical investigation of microchannel heat sink with novel ogive shape ribs
Authors: Ali Haseeb , Alam Fayyaz , Akhtar Kareem , Abbas Azed , Shah Nasir , Ahmad Faraz , Noor Sahar
Published: June 2023

In this study, 3D numerical conjugate heat transfer modeling is used to investigate the thermal and hydraulic characteristics of the microchannel heat sink (MCHS) with different configurations of novel ogive shape ribs on channel walls. It was found that new proposed MCHS configurations with ogive ribs have a high Nusselt number as compared to the smooth MCHS because ogive ribs enhance the heat dissipation between channel walls and fluid by continuously interrupting the thermal boundary layer development. MCHS configuration with ogive ribs mounted on bottom wall improves the Nusselt number of smooth MCHS by 1.13–1.87 times, while MCHS with ogive ribs mounted on both side walls and MCHS with ogive ribs mounted on bottom channel wall improve Nusselt number by 1.12–1.70 and 1.08–1.59 times, respectively, at Re 100–1000. In terms of thermal enhancement factor criterion, the MCHS with ogive ribs on side walls shows superior performance at Re 100–300 and has the highest thermal enhancement factor. While MCHS with ogive ribs on bottom wall outperformed other configurations in terms of thermal enhancement factor at Reynold number > 300. A maximum thermal enhancement factor of 1.42 is reported for MCHS with bottom wall ribs ogive at Re = 1000.
Enhancing the atomic correlation dynamics under the effects of Stark shift and Kerr medium through multi-photon transitions
Authors: Elghaayda Samira , ur Rahman Atta , Mansour Mostafa
Published: June 2023

Enhancing and preserving the atomic correlation and entanglement is of significant utility in quantum information. To this aim, we study the temporal evolution of uncertainty-induced nonlocality ([Formula: see text]) and logarithmic negativity ([Formula: see text]) as measures of quantum correlations (QCs) and quantum entanglement (QE) between two effective atoms coupled to a bosonic reservoir in the absence of thermal fluctuations and in the presence of Kerr medium (KM) and Stark shift (SS) under which n-photon transitions are permitted. We explore how Markovian and non-Markovian regimes affect the temporal dynamics of atomic correlation and entanglement and its limitations. Our findings indicate that by adjusting the KM and SS parameters, the quantum correlations between the two atoms can be enhanced and maintained while displaying similar qualitative behavior. Notably, it was observed that the QCs and QE quantities are at their highest magnitudes in the non-Markovian regime when the strengths of both SS and KM are increased, implying that QCs and QE are well protected. In contrast to the typical view that protecting the QCs from decoherence that may be observed owing to environmental noise, we proposed a gainful way to reduce the atomic decoherence by adjusting the number of n-photon transitions. Our investigation reveals that in the non-Markovian regime, the considered system exhibits better resistance against decoherence in comparison to the Markovian regime, as evidenced by the significant amount of quantum correlations detected among the two effective atoms at a specific point in time.
Fast radio burstssignalhigh-frequency gravitational waves
Authors: Kushwaha Ashu , Malik Sunil , Shankaranarayanan S.
Published: June 2023

There is growing evidence for high-frequency gravitational waves (HFGWs) ranging from MHz to GHz. Several HFGW detectors have been operating for over a decade, and two GHz events have been reported recently. However, a confirmed detection might take a decade. This essay argues that unexplained observed astrophysical phenomena, like Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs), might provide indirect evidence for HFGWs. In particular, using the Gertsenshtein–Zel’dovich effect, we show that our model can explain three key features of FRBs: generate peak-flux up to [Formula: see text], naturally explain the pulse width and the coherent nature of FRBs. In short, our model offers a novel perspective on the indirection detection of HFGWs beyond current detection capabilities. Thus, transient events like FRBs are a rich source for multi-messenger astronomy.
Study and Application of Steel and Composite Walls with Corrugated Steel Plates in China
Authors: Guo Yan-Lin , Wen Chen-Bao , Sun Hao-Jun
Published: June 2023

Steel and composite walls with corrugated steel plates have found their wide application in China due to their excellent structural performance. Extensive research has been conducted over the past few decades to investigate their behavior and load-bearing capacity. This paper summarized numerous experimental and numerical studies on the corrugated steel plate shear walls (CSPSWs), double corrugated steel plate shear walls (DCSPSWs), and concrete-infilled double steel corrugated-plate walls (CDSCWs). First, the load-bearing mechanism and design methods of CSPSWs and DCSPSWs under monotonic and horizontal cyclic loads were elucidated. Subsequently, this paper elaborates the load-bearing capacity and corresponding design methods including the sectional strength capacity, the overall stability, and the wall panel stability of CDSCWs under axial compression, compressive-bending combination, and compressive-bending-shear combination. The proposed design methods of CSPSWs, DCSPSWs, and CDSCWs have successfully implemented in practical high-rise building structures and some of them have been adopted by the Chinese engineering construction standards T/CECS 290 and T/CECS 624.
The generalized self-consistent scheme applied to syntactic foams
Authors: Barhdadi El Hassane
Published: June 2023

Here, syntactic foams are considered as a linearly elastic composite medium, which consists of a homogeneous matrix containing hollow glass and unwanted voids. The composite is modeled by the generalized self-consistent scheme and combining the three-phase model and the four-phase model. The overall properties are obtained using a micromechanical approach based on Green’s function techniques and the interfacial operators. The model assumes that all constituents are elastic and perfectly bonded. Comparison with experimental and numerical results shows that the methodology used is capable of predicting, with good accuracy, the elastic moduli of real syntactic foams.
Deconfounded Causal Collaborative Filtering
Authors: Xu Shuyuan , Tan Juntao , Heinecke Shelby , Li Vena Jia , Zhang Yongfeng
Published: June 2023

Recommender systems may be confounded by various types of confounding factors (also called confounders) that may lead to inaccurate recommendations and sacrificed recommendation performance. Current approaches to solving the problem usually design each specific model for each specific confounder. However, real-world systems may include a huge number of confounders and thus designing each specific model for each specific confounder could be unrealistic. More importantly, except for those “explicit confounders” that experts can manually identify and process such as item’s position in the ranking list, there are also many “latent confounders” that are beyond the imagination of experts. For example, users’ rating on a song may depend on their current mood or the current weather, and users’ preference on ice creams may depend on the air temperature. Such latent confounders may be unobservable in the recorded training data. To solve the problem, we propose Deconfounded Causal Collaborative Filtering (DCCF). We first frame user behaviors with unobserved confounders into a causal graph, and then we design a front-door adjustment model carefully fused with machine learning to deconfound the influence of unobserved confounders. Experiments on real-world datasets show that our method is able to deconfound unobserved confounders to achieve better recommendation performance.