bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and Verification of a New Depletion, Activation and Radiation Source Term Calculation Code
Authors: Wen Xingjian , Zhai Zian , Tang Songqian , Tian Chao , Liu Zhouyu
Published: April 2023

Existing depletion and source term calculation codes lack flexible interfaces, which is difficult to meet the actual engineering design needs. Based on the Chebyshev rational approximation method, a new depletion, activation and source term calculation code TIST is developed and verified. Full-fidelity depletion library based on ENDF-VII.0 and EAF2010 contains 3837 isotopes is generated. Flexible interfaces are built-in to support cross sections from different sources for depletion and activation calculations. The EAF2010 library and the cross sections from the high-fidelity code NECP-X are adopted by TIST for the verification in this work. Based on the nuclide inventory of the depletion and activation calculation, the radiation source term calculation capability of TIST is developed, including the radioactivity, the decay heat, the neutron source and the photon source. The comparison results with NECP-X and FISPACT demonstrate good accuracy of TIST.
Research on the Radioactive Waste Discharge Permit Regulation
Authors: Huang Li , Liu Ting , Fan Yun , Chang Meng , Dong Yiman
Published: April 2023

For the release of radioactive waste, the regulatory body must establish or approve operational limits and conditions relating to public exposure, including approved discharge limits. The parties concerned must ensure that the release of radioactive waste and radioactive substances into the environment is managed in accordance with the instrument of ratification. Discharge authorization procedures, including the establishment of emission authorizations and emission allowances, the establishment and use of dose constraints, emission characteristics, and the circumstances of exposure used in the establishment of emission allowances, etc., According to the legal requirements of our country, at present, all units in the nuclear industry that produce and discharge radioactive waste gases and liquids into the Environment shall rely on the examination and approval of prior environmental impact reports or environmental impact assessment documents, the permit mode of total discharge control for the examination and approval of the designed nuclide discharge of radioactive waste gas and liquid. At present, China’s radioactive contamination emissions are not included in the management of emission permits, nuclear and radiation-related key industries and units are not included in the “Fixed Source Emission Permits Classified Management Directory” management. Whether it is feasible to carry out the pollution discharge permit system in the nuclear and radiation industry of our country, in the theoretical system, there are already relevant laws and regulations of our country to guarantee or can guarantee, however, there are still some problems in the actual operation, such as insufficient research on radiation environmental quality objectives,further work is needed to promote the full implementation of the discharge permit system in the nuclear industry.
Analysis and Qualification Control of Welding Defects of Coated 15-15Ti Cladding Tube
Authors: Han Junling , Ren Guannan , Peng Limei , Tian Hongyu , Ji Pengbo
Published: April 2023

Physical property test fuel rod is used for the engineering test and thermal comprehensive experimental verification of lead-cooled reactors. Preliminary electron beam welding (EBW) trials showed that the welding quality of coated 15-15Ti tube and 316L end plug were significantly affected by welding defects. By studying the welding defects with optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), it is showed that the inclusions in the coating of the cladding tube enter the welding line during EBW, increasing the tendency to form cracks and leading to welding cracks; the excessively long mating surface between the cladding tube and end plug results in welding gas expansion. Through the design of orthogonal tests with influential parameters including the length of the mating surface of the end plug, the removal amount of the inner wall of the cladding tube and the interference amount on the quality characteristics, the comprehensive effects of these parameters were studied and the best matching structure was determined, which breaks through the difficulty in the welding between 316L end plug and coated 15-15Ti tube, and the welding qualification has been verified to be improved.
Hot-Pressing Sintering and Analytical Characterization of Coated Particle-Dispersed Fuel Pellets
Authors: Liu Wentao , Shao Zongyi , Meng Ying , Li Zongshu , Sui Zheng
Published: April 2023

Coated particle-dispersed fuel pellets have the characteristics of high thermal conductivity and multilayer protection against fission products, which are an important component of ATF fuel. In this paper, by carrying out research on the dressing process of TRISO particles, it is realized that SiC powder completely encapsulates TRISO particles. The hot-pressing sintering method was used to study the influence of different sintering aids, different hot-pressing sintering holding time, different hot-pressing sintering temperature, different hot-pressing sintering pressure and different powder particle size on the density of pellets. The power with a particle size of 10nm is sintered at 3% sintering aid, 1690 ℃, 1.5h holding time, 80 MPa vacuum hot pressing, and a full ceramic micro-encapsulated fuel core with a relative density of 95% or more is prepared, and the internal particle structure is complete.
Impact of comorbidity scores and lifestyle factors in curative radiotherapy in laryngeal cancer
Authors: Pechacova Zdenka , Lohynska Radka , Pala Miloslav , Drbohlavova Tereza , Korinek Tomas
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The principal goal of treatment of laryngeal cancer is to eliminate a tumour while preserving laryngeal function with radio(chemo)therapy being the mainstay of treatment. The aim of this report is to present the influence of comorbidities and lifestyle factors on treatment outcomes in our cohort of patients.

Methods

During the period 2009–2018, curative radio(chemo)therapy for laryngeal cancer was performed on 189 patients.

Results

The median OS was 50.8 months, with a mean PFS of 96.5 months, mean LC of 101.4 months and a median follow-up of 38.1 months. Acute and late treatment toxicity grade 3–4 was observed in 39.2% patients and 10.1% patients, respectively. A significant effect on overall survival was confirmed for the baseline PS (performance status), severity of weight loss, baseline haemoglobin values, history of alcohol abuse, marital status and comorbidities according to the Charlson Comorbidity Index, as well as the ACE-27 and ASA scores.

Conclusions

In our cohort of patients treated with radio(chemo)therapy for laryngeal cancer, we found good therapeutic results and an acceptable side-effect profile. Statistically significant predictors of overall survival were the baseline PS, weight loss, anaemia, associated comorbidities, history of alcohol abuse and marital status.
Transurethral injection of autologous muscle precursor cells for treatment of female stress urinary incontinence: a prospective phase I clinical trial
Authors: Schmid Florian A. , Prange Jenny A. , Kozomara Marko , Betschart Cornelia , Sousa Rosa A. , Steinke Nicolas , Hunziker Manuela , Lehner Fabienne , Veit Markus , Grossmann Regina , Landsmann Anna , Hötker Andreas M. , Boss Andreas , Mohr-Haralampieva Deana , Eberli Daniel
Published: April 2023

Introduction and hypothesis

The purpose was to investigate the safety and feasibility of transurethral injections of autologous muscle precursor cells (MPCs) into the external urinary sphincter (EUS) to treat stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in female patients.

Methods

Prospective and randomised phase I clinical trial. Standardised 1-h pad test, International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI-SF), urodynamic study, and MRI of the pelvis were performed at baseline and 6 months after treatment. MPCs gained through open muscle biopsy were transported to a GMP facility for processing and cell expansion. The final product was injected into the EUS via a transurethral ultrasound-guided route. Primary outcomes were defined as any adverse events (AEs) during follow-up. Secondary outcomes were functional, questionnaire, and radiological results.

Results

Ten female patients with SUI grades I–II were included in the study and 9 received treatment. Out of 8 AEs, 3 (37.5%) were potentially related to treatment and treated conservatively: 1 urinary tract infection healed with antibiotics treatment, 1 dysuria and 1 discomfort at biopsy site. Functional urethral length under stress was 25 mm at baseline compared with 30 mm at 6 months’ follow-up (p=0.009). ICIQ-UI-SF scores improved from 7 points at baseline to 4 points at follow-up (p=0.035). MRI of the pelvis revealed no evidence of tumour or necrosis, whereas the diameter of the EUS muscle increased from 1.8 mm at baseline to 1.9 mm at follow-up (p=0.009).

Conclusion

Transurethral injections of autologous MPCs into the EUS for treatment of SUI in female patients can be regarded as safe and feasible. Only a minimal number of expected and easily treatable AEs were documented.
In vitro to in vivo extrapolation and high-content imaging for simultaneous characterization of chemically induced liver steatosis and markers of hepatotoxicity
Authors: Müller Fabrice A. , Stamou Marianna , Englert Felix H. , Frenzel Ole , Diedrich Sabine , Suter-Dick Laura , Wambaugh John F. , Sturla Shana J.
Published: April 2023

Chemically induced steatosis is characterized by lipid accumulation associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and nucleus distortion. New approach methods integrating in vitro and in silico models are needed to identify chemicals that may induce these cellular events as potential risk factors for steatosis and associated hepatotoxicity. In this study we used high-content imaging for the simultaneous quantification of four cellular markers as sentinels for hepatotoxicity and steatosis in chemically exposed human liver cells in vitro. Furthermore, we evaluated the results with a computational model for the extrapolation of human oral equivalent doses (OED). First, we tested 16 reference chemicals with known capacities to induce cellular alterations in nuclear morphology, lipid accumulation, mitochondrial membrane potential and oxidative stress. Then, using physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling and reverse dosimetry, OEDs were extrapolated from data of any stimulated individual sentinel response. The extrapolated OEDs were confirmed to be within biologically relevant exposure ranges for the reference chemicals. Next, we tested 14 chemicals found in food, selected from thousands of putative chemicals on the basis of structure-based prediction for nuclear receptor activation. Amongst these, orotic acid had an extrapolated OED overlapping with realistic exposure ranges. Thus, we were able to characterize known steatosis-inducing chemicals as well as data-scarce food-related chemicals, amongst which we confirmed orotic acid to induce hepatotoxicity. This strategy addresses needs of next generation risk assessment and can be used as a first chemical prioritization hazard screening step in a tiered approach to identify chemical risk factors for steatosis and hepatotoxicity-associated events.
Magnetic resonance imaging of the knee for chronological age estimation—a systematic review
Authors: Ording Muller Lil-Sofie , Adolfsson Jan , Forsberg Lisa , Bring Johan , Dahlgren Jovanna , Domeij Helena , Gornitzki Carl , Wernersson Emma , Odeberg Jenny
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Radiographs of the hand and teeth are frequently used for medical age assessment, as skeletal and dental maturation correlates with chronological age. These methods have been criticized for their lack of precision, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee has been proposed as a more accurate method. The aim of this systematic review is to explore the scientific and statistical evidence for medical age estimation based on skeletal maturation as assessed by MRI of the knee.

Materials and methods

A systematic review was conducted that included studies published before April 2021 on living individuals between 8 and 30 years old, with presumptively healthy knees for whom the ossification stages had been evaluated using MRI. The correlation between “mature knee” and chronological age and the risk of misclassifying a child as an adult and vice versa was calculated.

Results

We found a considerable heterogeneity in the published studies —in terms of study population, MRI protocols, and grading systems used. There is a wide variation in the correlation between maturation stage and chronological age.

Conclusion

Data from published literature is deemed too heterogenous to support the use of MRI of the knee for chronological age determination. Further, it is not possible to assess the sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, or positive predictive value for the ability of MRI to determine whether a person is over or under 18 years old.

Key Points

• There is an insufficient scientific basis for the use of magnetic resonance imaging of the knee in age determination by skeleton.

• It is not possible to assess the predictive value of MRI of the knee to determine whether a person is over or under 18 years of age.
Polarization vision in terrestrial hermit crabs
Authors: How Martin J. , Robertson Alasdair , Smithers Samuel P. , Wilby David
Published: April 2023

Polarization vision is used by a wide range of animals for navigating, orienting, and detecting objects or areas of interest. Shallow marine and semi-terrestrial crustaceans are particularly well known for their abilities to detect predator-like or conspecific-like objects based on their polarization properties. On land, some terrestrial invertebrates use polarization vision for detecting suitable habitats, oviposition sites or conspecifics, but examples of threat detection in the polarization domain are less well known. To test whether this also applies to crustaceans that have evolved to occupy terrestrial habitats, we determined the sensitivity of two species of land and one species of marine hermit crab to predator-like visual stimuli varying in the degree of polarization. All three species showed an ability to detect these cues based on polarization contrasts alone. One terrestrial species, Coenobita rugosus, showed an increased sensitivity to objects with a higher degree of polarization than the background. This is the inverse of most animals studied to date, suggesting that the ecological drivers for polarization vision may be different in the terrestrial environment.
Sacroiliac joint pain increases repositioning error during active straight leg-raising
Authors: Morito Tsuyoshi , Kaneoka Koji
Published: April 2023

Purpose

This study aimed to compare the repositioning error (RE) of patients with unilateral sacroiliac joint pain (SIJP) to that of patients with low back pain (LBP) and a healthy control (HC) group. Differences between the symptomatic and asymptomatic sides were also investigated.

Methods

Sixty-six patients with SIJP, LBP, and HC were included in this study. An active straight leg-raising repositioning test (ASLR-Rt) was performed. ASLR was performed three times each on the left and right sides, targeting a set base angle. RE was calculated as the difference between the base angle and the participant’s attempt to adjust the target angle. RE was expressed as constant error (CE) and absolute error (AE).

Results

The CE of the SIJP group (median [interquartile range]) (6.9 [4.6‒10.4]) was significantly higher than that in the LBP group (3.2 [1.3‒7.1]) and the HC group (2.7 [0.3‒4.6]) (P = 0.009, d = 0.91, P < 0.001, d = 1.30). The AE of the SIJP group (7.3[5.0‒10.4]) was also significantly higher than that in the LBP (3.7[2.8‒7.1]) and HC groups (3.0[1.9‒4.2]) (P = 0.003, d = 1.04; P = 0.001, d = 1.57). Comparing the symptomatic and asymptomatic sides in the SIJP group, the symptomatic side (8.0[6.0‒10.6]) was significantly higher than the asymptomatic side (5.7[3.6‒8.1]) in terms of CE (P = 0.05, d = 0.51).

Conclusion

Patients with SIJP increased RE during ASLR, which may be related to impaired proprioception and decreased motor control.
A Simultaneous Determination of Benzophenone and Camphor UV-Filters, Together with Metabolites of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, in Human Urine
Authors: Ciglova Katerina , Vondraskova Veronika , Milcova Alena , Rossnerova Andrea , Sram Radim J. , Topinka Jan , Pulkrabova Jana
Published: April 2023

By monitoring biomarkers in urine, personal exposure to selected chemical substances can be assessed. In this paper, we describe the monitoring of 7 benzophenone and 2 camphor UV-filters and 11 metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAHs) in 454 urine samples collected from mothers and new-borns from an industrial (Karvina) and reference area (Ceske Budejovice) over winter and summer seasons. The analytical method consisted of enzymatic hydrolysis, liquid–liquid extraction (ethyl acetate), purification by dispersive solid-phase extraction (Z-Sep sorbent) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Benzophenone-1 (BP-1), naphthalen-2-ol (2-OH-NAP), fluoren-2-ol (2-OH-FLUO) and phenanthren-2-ol (2-OH-PHEN) were determined in all urine samples analysed. Benzophenone-3 (BP-3) and 2-OH-NAP were found at the highest concentrations (medians of 5.95- and 5.77-µg/g creatinine). Analytes 3-(4-methylbenzylidene)camphor (3-MBC), 3-benzylidenecamphor (3-BC), chrysen-6-ol (6-OH-CHRY) and benzo(a)pyrene-3-ol (3-OH-BaP) were not detected in any urine sample. Median concentrations of UV-filters and OH-PAHs were compared across regions in the Czech Republic and between mothers and their new-borns from different countries. The median concentrations of UV-filters measured in urine samples from new-borns in our study were similar to samples collected from Brazilian children and the concentrations of these compounds in mothers’ samples were comparable with the concentrations in Danish mothers. In the case of OH-PAHs, the median concentrations of these substances measured in urine samples from Czech new-borns were comparable to median concentrations of these compounds measured in new-born urine from our previous study, and the concentrations in urine collected from Czech mothers were comparable to those reported in Spanish women.
Equivalence Class Formation in Adults with Severe Behavioral Problems
Authors: Alonso-Vega Jesús , Froxán-Parga María Xesús , Arntzen Erik
Published: April 2023

Stimulus equivalence is a behavioral phenomenon that has been related to complex human behavior (e.g., remembering, cognitive functioning, and symbolic behavior). As a rule, people diagnosed with severe mental disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) that exhibit delusional and hallucinatory behavior, and disorganized speech have shown cognitive impairment (e.g., processing speed, reasoning/problem solving). Not enough research has analyzed the stimulus equivalence performance in this population. This study aims to investigate the stimulus equivalence performance in adults diagnosed with severe mental disorders. In particular, this study analyzes the many-to-one (MTO) and one-to-many (OTM) training structures effects, and the simultaneous (SIM) and the simple-to-complex (STC) training and testing protocol effects on equivalence class formation in this population. To achieve it, we analyzed the behavior of 18 participants diagnosed with severe mental disorders in three different conditions (Condition 1 OTM/SIM; 2 MTO/SIM; and 3 MTO/STC). Behavior consistent with stimulus equivalence was found in 11 out of 13 participants who had finished the study (5 participants decided to leave before completing the tasks). STC yielded better results than the SIM protocol. No differences were found between MTO and OTM training structures. Implications and suggestions for further research have been discussed.
Learning visual-based deformable object rearrangement with local graph neural networks
Authors: Deng Yuhong , Wang Xueqian , Chen Lipeng
Published: April 2023

Goal-conditioned rearrangement of deformable objects (e.g. straightening a rope and folding a cloth) is one of the most common deformable manipulation tasks, where the robot needs to rearrange a deformable object into a prescribed goal configuration with only visual observations. These tasks are typically confronted with two main challenges: the high dimensionality of deformable configuration space and the underlying complexity, nonlinearity and uncertainty inherent in deformable dynamics. To address these challenges, we propose a novel representation strategy that can efficiently model the deformable object states with a set of keypoints and their interactions. We further propose local-graph neural network (GNN), a light local GNN learning to jointly model the deformable rearrangement dynamics and infer the optimal manipulation actions (e.g. pick and place) by constructing and updating two dynamic graphs. Both simulated and real experiments have been conducted to demonstrate that the proposed dynamic graph representation shows superior expressiveness in modeling deformable rearrangement dynamics. Our method reaches much higher success rates on a variety of deformable rearrangement tasks (96.3% on average) than state-of-the-art method in simulation experiments. Besides, our method is much more lighter and has a 60% shorter inference time than state-of-the-art methods. We also demonstrate that our method performs well in the multi-task learning scenario and can be transferred to real-world applications with an average success rate of 95% by solely fine tuning a keypoint detector. A supplementary video can be found at https://youtu.be/AhwTQo6fCM0.
A CALPHAD-Based Investigation of the Sludge Factor
Authors: Granhed Erik , Mori Alessandro De , Battaglia Eleonora , Arnberg Lars , Lindwall Greta
Published: April 2023

The formation of $$\alpha \text {-AlFeSi}$$

α
-AlFeSi

sludge in AlSi10Mg has been studied by computational thermodynamics based on the CALPHAD method. Both the amount of sludge and the sludge onset temperature $$T_{\text{Sludge}}$$

T
Sludge

have been investigated. We find that the amount of sludge increases linearly with the empirical sludge factor for the studied composition interval, which agrees well with published experimental data. We also find a notable difference between the total amount of $$\alpha \text {-AlFeSi}$$

α
-AlFeSi

phase and the amount of pre-eutectic sludge. The $$T_{\text{Sludge}}$$

T
Sludge

follows a similar linear relationship but only when there is no Cr present in the material. However, we propose a modified sludge factor like expression for the temperature onset with a significantly improved predictability compared to previous empirical expressions. With Cr present, a $$\alpha \text {-AlMSi}$$

α
-AlMSi

phase, rich in Cr but poor in Mn, forms at a significantly higher temperature which leads to higher amounts of sludge suggesting Cr to be more detrimental for sludge formation than previously thought. Finally, we also suggest ranges of validity for the linearized sludge factor expression outside which full thermodynamic calculations accounting for all multicomponent effects must be used.
Search for the Optimal Soaking Temperature for Hyperquenching of the Gx2crnimocun 25-6-3-3 Duplex Cast Steel
Authors: Wróbel Tomasz , Jurczyk Paweł , Baron Czesław , Jezierski Jan
Published: April 2023

The paper presents the research results on duplex corrosion-resistant chromium–nickel–molybdenum cast steel of the GX2CrNiMoCuN 25-6-3-3 grade. The aim was to determine the effect of the soaking temperature for the hyperquenching process Tp, that is, 950 to 1200 °C, on the microstructure and mechanical properties, that is UTS tensile strength, the yield strength, HB Brinell hardness, the elongation EL and impact strength KV of the steel, cast under industrial conditions with the minimum content of Cr, Ni, Mo and Cu according to the PN-EN 10283 standard. On the basis of the results, it was confirmed that the hyperquenching guarantees the elimination of the brittle intermetallic phase in the steel microstructure. In addition, the most favorable strength-to-ductility ratio of the steel with an almost equal amount of austenite γ and ferrite α in its microstructure was obtained using the soak temperature of 1080 °C, which was considered optimal for the above-mentioned duplex cast steel.
Application of vanishing diffusion stabilization in Oldroyd-B fluid flow simulations
Authors: Pires Marília , Bodnár Tomáš
Published: April 2023

Two different methods of artificial diffusion stabilization of the numerical simulations of steady Oldroyd-B fluids flows are presented. They are based on the idea of vanishing in time added stabilization terms which are only present during the initial stage of time-marching process towards the steady state solution. These extra terms naturally vanish and do not affect the final result. The numerical simulations are built on a simple steady 2D case of Oldroyd-B fluid flow in a symmetrical corrugated channel. Numerical solver uses finite element discretization in space and characteristic Galerkin method for pseudo-time discretization. Numerical results are presented in the form of isolines and graphs of selected flow variables, to assess the possible efficiency of the different stabilization techniques used.
Multi-step-ahead prediction of cold rolling chatter state based on the combination of Functional Data Analysis and General Autoregression Model
Authors: Wang Xiao-Yong , Gao Zhi-Ying , Xin Yan-Li
Published: April 2023

Mill chatter seriously restricts the improvement of production efficiency and the development of new products. Thus, a method of cold rolling chatter monitoring and early warning is proposed based on the combination of Functional Data Analysis (FDA) and General Autoregression Model (GAM). Firstly, the multi-source cold rolling data are preprocessed by FDA to realize the smooth fitting of the unequally sampled data and the sample space is constructed based on chatter mechanism. Then, the multi-step-ahead prediction of cold rolling chatter is executed through different machine learning algorithms based on GAM, and the prediction effects of different algorithms are compared and evaluated. Finally, the maximum prediction step is defined to select the optimal algorithm, and the conclusion is drawn that Extra Tree Regression (ETR) has the best prediction effect. Therefore, the proposed method for cold rolling chatter monitoring can effectively solve the problems of delay, false alarm and distortion in prediction.
The role of chemistry and fineness of metakaolin on the fresh properties and heat resistance of blended fly ash-based geopolymer
Authors: Abbass Ahmed Mohamed , Firdous Rafia , Yankwa Djobo Jean Noel , Stephan Dietmar , Elrahman Mohamed Abd
Published: April 2023

Sensible thermal energy storage using concrete as a storage medium is a promising technology that helps minimize energy in power plant. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential benefits of metakaolin (MK) as a partial substitute for fly ash-based geopolymer for heat resistance. As a partial substitute (5 and 20 wt.%) for fly ash (FA), nine metakaolins containing different alumina contents were selected. In order to assess their potential for storing high-temperature thermal energy, physical and microstructural analyses were performed before and after heat exposure up to 500 °C. Low packing density limits the workability of some metakaolins and increases water demand in pastes. The mechanical properties of geopolymer weaken as the temperature is raised (< 500 °C). The high alumina content of some metakaolins, however, helps to mitigate strength loss during high temperatures. A higher dosage of metakaolin has also shown to prevent this deterioration of strength. A reduction in strength under heating is caused by both dehydration and dehydroxylation. The higher fineness and alumina content of MK have demonstrated significant potential to enhance the heat resistance of FA-based geopolymers. As a result, the geopolymer paste developed is suitable for being used in heat-resistant applications.

Article Highlights

Fly ash was the main precursor of as prepared alkali-activated binders.

Adding metakaolin enhances the resistance of hardened materials under thermal load.

The higher the alumina content inside metakaolin is, the higher the performance is.
Do the ends justify the means? Problematizing social acceptance and instrumentally-driven community engagement in proposed energy projects
Authors: Ryder Stacia , Walker Chad , Batel Susana , Devine-Wright Hannah , Devine-Wright Patrick , Sherry-Brennan Fin
Published: April 2023

Proposed energy projects across rural working landscapes play an important role in energy transitions. While community engagement has been increasingly a part of these projects, instrumental motivations for engagement and the emphasis placed on achieving social acceptance has remained uncritically examined. Here, we aim to highlight relationships between actor rationale, the structuring of engagement processes, and how communities perceive the driving forces behind engagement practices. To do so, we draw on lived experiences of communities facing proposed shale gas and wind energy projects across rural working landscapes in the UK and Canada, respectively. We find that engagement is often perceived by community members as insincere, insufficient, ineffective and instrumentally-driven. We suggest that a more community-centered approach to engagement is necessary and will require a move beyond existing engagement and acceptance practice and frameworks. This can include creating more inclusive decision-making processes where powers are balanced and designing community engagement to incorporate multiple rationales beyond achieving social acceptance of energy projects.
Application of Nano-Antibodies for Cancer Immunotherapy
Authors: Singh Sunanda , Singh Samara P. , Parihar Ashutosh S.
Published: April 2023

By inhibiting intracellular KRAS and STAT3, SBT-100 suppresses the growth of human tumors in vivo, decreases VEGF and PD-L1 expression, inhibits IL-6 function in cancers, suppresses IL-17, GM-CSF, IFN-gamma, IL-1-alpha, and downregulates Th17 cells.

Purpose of Review

Two VHH (camelid heavy chain variable region) antibodies are being used to treat patients with the thrombotic disorder and rheumatoid arthritis; however, no VHHs are currently being used to treat cancer patients. The purpose of this review is to discuss VHHs that have been developed to target intracellular oncoproteins such as KRAS and STAT3 for cancer therapy.

Recent Findings

Various groups are working on optimizing cell-penetrating antibodies to target intracellular KRAS and STAT3 but are using non-VHH platforms. SBT-100 is a monomeric, bi-specific VHH that penetrates the cell membrane and BBB to give a therapeutic response against human cancers.
Quinoa and Chia Modulate AMPK/PPAR-ɣ Signaling in High-Fat Diet–Induced Obesity Rat Model
Authors: Omran Nayra Helmy , El-Bahy Alshaymaa A. Z. , Hosny Heba Tallah Ashraf , Handoussa Heba
Published: April 2023

Obesity is one of the principal reasons behind a wide range of metabolic diseases and dramatic health complications. Recent studies shed the light on chia (Salvia hispanica L., Lamiaceae) and quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd., Amaranthaceae) seeds and identified them as products of utmost health benefits. The present study was designed to explore the molecular mechanisms of the hydroalcoholic extract of those seeds in weight management. Rats were divided randomly into two main groups: control and treated. The control groups received regular chow diet, high-fat diet, and green tea. The treated groups received high-fat diet and chia or quinoa extracts. Results revealed that the seeds showed hepatoprotective effects and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, and modulated leptin, adiponectin, serum lipid, and glycemic profiles. Effects are further consolidated by normal hepatic tissue architecture upon histopathological examination. Moreover, modulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors-γ transcriptional activity via activation of 5′AMP-activated protein kinase and suppression of nuclear expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c in obese rats as compared to green tea were demonstrated. Characterization of the major secondary bioactive metabolites was done using HPLC/PDA/ESI-MS/MS. Our study advocates evidence-based study on nutrition and health claims on the use of chia and quinoa extracts as nutraceutical supplements for promoting weight wellness and alleviating its related metabolic disorders.
Clonal evolution analyses of a chronic myeloid leukemia patient with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation based on deep sequencing
Authors: Yang Fuhua , Wang Ping , Wan Jia , Jia Xiaoqing , Zhou An , Zhang Yuan , Song Jiani , Gong Qiang , Li Wei-Dong , Chen Jieping
Published: April 2023

Background

The Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome is the hallmark chromosome aberration in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), which confers the cancer phenotype of the disease. However, how the Ph chromosome forms and the genetic clonal evolution structure after targeted Ph treatment are still unclear.

Methods

In this study, we performed genome sequencing and clonal evolution analyses in a series of bone marrow specimens and skin biopsy from a CML patient who had received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from her sister, then relapsed (lymphoid blast crisis), and received Ph-targeted therapy.

Results

The Ph chromosome was the “driver” clonal change in the original CML and the relapse. Both the patient and her sister had micro-deletions in the BCR gene region; however, the patient had a frameshift BRIP1 mutation that may account for the malfunctioning homologous recombination DNA repair of the BCR gene region and formation of the Ph chromosome.

Conclusion

We found that the BCR-ABL1 translocation was the driving force of the patient’s CML and relapse. The malfunctioning double-strand DNA break repair caused by the BRIP1 mutation could be the cause of Ph chromosome formation in the patient.
Environmental and techno-economic evaluation for hybrid-electric propulsion architectures
Authors: Nasoulis C.P. , Protopapadakis G. , Ntouvelos E.G. , Gkoutzamanis V.G. , Kalfas A.I.
Published: April 2023

Hybrid-electric propulsion is a promising alternative to sustainable aviation and is mainly considered for the commuter and regional aircraft class. However, the development of hybrid-electric propulsion variants is affected by the technology readiness level of electric components. The components’ technology will determine the electrification benefit, compared to a conventional aircraft, and will suggest which is the most beneficial variant and which has a closer entry into service date. Within this work, three different dates are explored, namely 2027, 2030 and 2040, to size three Parallel and three Series hybrid-electric architecture variants using an in-house aircraft sizing tool. All variants are compared to a conventional configuration sized using technological assumptions of 2014, with the main comparison metrics being the aircraft block fuel, energy consumption, direct operating cost and holistic environmental impact. On one hand, the Parallel configurations have reduced maximum take-off mass and mission energy consumption compared to the Series, however, the latter show a greater potential for block fuel reduction and require less onboard energy for the same mission. The annual operating cost evaluation indicates that the Parallel hybrid variant of 2030 has greater operational costs than the respective Series variant; however, it has reduced capital costs compared to the latter, making it more economical to operate considering both costs. Additionally, in the case of an energy recession, both hybrid variants of 2030 show a further cost reduction, with the Series having a total reduction of 10.4% excluding capital costs, compared to the reference aircraft. Moreover, the life cycle assessment shows that the Series variants have a lower environmental impact, both compared to the reference aircraft and the Parallel variants. The former could be up to 59.7% less detrimental to the environment than the reference aircraft, whereas the latter up to 23.9%, with the integration of renewable sources for electricity production. Finally, by the year 2040, the Series variant shows outstanding performance in all comparison metrics, compared to the Parallel and the reference aircraft.
Extracting Profits: State Regulation and the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise
Authors: Johnston Kristine , Bittle Steven
Published: April 2023

Taking the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) as its focus, this paper critically examines the Canadian government’s efforts to regulate the extractive industry. Using insight from ideology theory and critical discourse analysis, and drawing empirically from Canadian Parliamentary debates, official government and NGO reports, and various news items regarding the development of the CORE, we document how dominant voices prioritized the economy, downplayed the systemic violence of the industry, and redirected blame to “underdeveloped” countries, on route to a regulatory framework that is voluntary and which fails to address the underlying causes of corporate harm and violence. While the CORE represents a “logical” state response to corporate crime, we nevertheless emphasize the importance of ongoing debates about its role in combating corporate impunity. This not only reinforces the idea that (capitalist) dominance is never absolute but signals the ever-present nature of resistance and possibility for change.
Dogmatism and Domination: A Simulation Study
Authors: Lassiter Charles
Published: April 2023

Some epistemic agents will not change their position on a claim. These are dogmatists, common creatures in our epistemic communities. This paper discusses the population-level epistemic effects of increasing numbers of dogmatists. All agents in the model are assigned a degree of belief (using a Likert-type scale) and adopt the beliefs of others in interactions. Subsets of agents are dogmatists. Analysis of model results suggests that even a modest increase in a group's dogmatists can have substantial effects on belief spread. I conclude by arguing that the model (a) helps identify two kinds of dogmatists and (b) suggests another way epistemic bubbles can form.
Unfamiliar personal protective equipment: The role of routine practice and other factors affecting healthcare personnel doffing strategies
Authors: Chasco Emily E. , Pereira da Silva Jaqueline , Dukes Kimberly , Baloh Jure , Ward Melissa , Salehi Hugh P. , Reisinger Heather Schacht , Pennathur Priyadarshini R. , Herwaldt Loreen
Published: April 2023

Background:

Healthcare personnel (HCP) may encounter unfamiliar personal protective equipment (PPE) during clinical duties, yet we know little about their doffing strategies in such situations.

Objective:

To better understand how HCP navigate encounters with unfamiliar PPE and the factors that influence their doffing strategies.

Setting:

The study was conducted at 2 Midwestern academic hospitals.

Participants:

The study included 70 HCP: 24 physicians and resident physicians, 31 nurses, 5 medical or nursing students, and 10 other staff. Among them, 20 had special isolation unit training.

Methods:

Participants completed 1 of 4 doffing simulation scenarios involving 3 mask designs, 2 gown designs, 2 glove designs, and a full PPE ensemble. Doffing simulations were video-recorded and reviewed with participants during think-aloud interviews. Interviews were audio-recorded and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results:

Participants identified familiarity with PPE items and designs as an important factor in doffing. When encountering unfamiliar PPE, participants cited aspects of their routine practices such as designs typically used, donning and doffing frequency, and design cues, and their training as impacting their doffing strategies. Furthermore, they identified nonintuitive design and lack of training as barriers to doffing unfamiliar PPE appropriately.

Conclusion:

PPE designs may not be interchangeable, and their use may not be intuitive. HCP drew on routine practices, experiences with familiar PPE, and training to adapt doffing strategies for unfamiliar PPE. In doing so, HCP sometimes deviated from best practices meant to prevent self-contamination. Hospital policies and procedures should include ongoing and/or just-in-time training to ensure HCP are equipped to doff different PPE designs encountered during clinical care.
Voice Onset Time in a language without voicing contrast: An acoustic analysis of Blackfoot oral stops
Authors: Genee Inge , Li Fangfang
Published: April 2023

This paper presents an acoustic analysis of Voice Onset Time (VOT) in oral stop consonants in Blackfoot, an Algonquian language without contrastive voicing. We focus on VOT as one of the key temporal acoustic correlates of voicing and investigate VOT variation in relation to (i) place of articulation (labial vs. alveolar vs. velar); (ii) length (long vs. short), quality (/a/ vs. /o/), and accent pattern (accented vs. unaccented) of the following vowel; (iii) word position (initial vs. medial); (iv) gender; and (v) age. We analyzed 2096 stop consonant tokens produced by 13 participants, who completed two different tasks: an English-to-Blackfoot translation task and a picture naming task. The key findings are as follows: (i) Blackfoot stop consonants fall into the short-lag range that overlaps with the English voiced category, with mean VOT values ranging from 11.6–32.7 ms; (ii) VOT values become progressively longer as the place of articulation moves to more posterior positions; (iii) VOT values are longer before high vowels than before low vowels; (iv) VOT values are longer before long vowels than before short vowels; (v) no statistically significant effect was found for the linguistic factors word position and accent pattern; (vi) no statistically significant effect was found for the socio-indexical factors age and gender; and (vii) no statistically significant effect was found for the experimental factor task type. The implications of our findings for the Blackfoot writing system and ongoing work on language documentation and revitalization are briefly discussed.
Early Maya E Groups, the Milky Way, and creation
Authors: Rice Prudence M.
Published: April 2023

I propose a “Milky Way / creation hypothesis” for the elongated eastern structures in early Maya E Groups: they were modeled on the Milky Way galaxy. These architectural arrangements, beginning in the Preclassic period (c. 900 B.C.–A.D. 200) in the southern Maya Lowlands, were adopted from predecessors in the Early Preclassic neighboring Gulf Coast region. The widespread overall similarity of E Groups suggests a shared belief system centered on myths about creation, and many of the characters (e.g., Maize God) and events of creation in Maya myths are set in the Milky Way. The general north–south axial orientation of the eastern platform, frequently pivoted northeast–southwest, is proposed to be related to the rainy season position of the Milky Way overhead. E Groups were probably multifunctional ritual theaters, the eastern platforms serving as stages for nighttime performances of creation stories. Late modifications into a tripart edifice, with structures or superstructures in the center and at both ends, replicated the major asterisms of the visible galaxy and/or the creator gods.
Acute onset of ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency after total anomalous pulmonary venous connection repair to a 2-day-old neonate
Authors: Yoshida Hisashi , Iwata Yusuke , Fuchigami Tai , Katagiri Junko
Published: April 2023

Ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency is an X-linked disorder which results in the accumulation of ammonia causing irritability and vomiting. Acute hyperammonemia requires rapid and intensive intervention. However, as those clinical features are non-specific and commonly seen in peri-operative situation, ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency could be difficult to diagnose prior to and post-emergency cardiac surgery. We report a 2-day-old male neonate who was diagnosed with ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency presenting hyperammonemia and severe heart failure after total anomalous pulmonary venous connection repair.
Auto-balanced common shock claim models
Authors: Taylor Greg , Vu Phuong Anh
Published: April 2023

The paper is concerned with common shock models of claim triangles. These are usually constructed as linear combinations of shock components and idiosyncratic components. Previous literature has discussed the unbalanced property of such models, whereby the shocks may over- or under-contribute to some observations. The literature has also introduced corrections for this. The present paper discusses “auto-balanced” models, in which all shock and idiosyncratic components contribute to observations such that their proportionate contributions are constant from one observation to another. The conditions for auto-balance are found to be simple and applicable to a wide range of model structures. Numerical illustrations are given.
Häufige Magen-Darm-Beschwerden: Management der funktionellen Dyspepsie und des Reizdarm-Syndroms in der Praxis
Authors: Pohl Daniel , Vavricka Stephan , Fox Mark , Madisch Ahmed , Studerus Diana , Wiesel Paul , Heinrich Henriette , Linas Ioannis , Schoepfer Alain , Schwizer Alexandra , Wildi Stephan
Published: April 2023

Zusammenfassung: Funktionelle Dyspepsie (FD) und Reizdarm-Syndrom (RDS), zwei häufige gastro-intestinale Entitäten mit überlappenden Symptomen, sollten nach den Rom-IV-Kriterien diagnostiziert werden. Dabei handelt es sich um eines oder mehrere der folgenden Symptome: bei FD um postprandiales Völlegefühl, frühes Sättigungsgefühl, Schmerzen oder Brennen epigastral; bei RDS um rezidivierende abdominale Schmerzen jeweils assoziiert mit Defäkation, Veränderungen der Stuhlfrequenz oder der Stuhlform. Zum Ausschluss struktureller Krankheiten ist auf Alarmsymptome zu achten. Für die Therapie bewährt sich bei beiden Krankheiten ein Stufenschema. Stufe 1: Arzt-Patienten-Gespräch mit Erläuterung von Diagnose und Prognose sowie Klärung der Therapieziele; Optimierung des Lebensstils; Einsatz von Phytotherapeutika; Stufe 2: Symptomorientierte Medikamente: bei FD Protonenpumpenhemmer bzw. Prokinetika; bei RDS Spasmolytika, Sekretagoga, Laxanzien, Gallensäurebinder, Antidiarrhoika, Antibiotika, Probiotika; Stufe. 3: viszerale Analgetika (Antidepressiva).
Standards de qualité en psychiatrie de la personne âgée
Authors: Klöppel Stefan , von Gunten Armin , Georgescu Dan
Published: April 2023

Résumé: Les normes et réglementations en matière de qualité prennent de plus en plus d’importance et sont encouragées dans le cadre de l’approbation des thérapeutiques, de la facturation et des incitations financières. Dans ce contexte, ces réglementations mettent l’accent, à des degrés divers, sur des critères de structure, de processus ou de résultats. Au nom de la Société Suisse de Psychiatrie et Psychothérapie de la Personne Âgée (SPPA) nous résumons dans ce document les éléments de qualité et regroupons les exigences qui en découlent en fonction du setting (ambulatoire, intermédiaire, stationnaire) et des critères de qualité structurelle (clé de répartition du personnel, infrastructure). Il existe une vaste matrice d’exigences dont la mise en œuvre requiert des efforts considérables, entre autres en raison de la pénurie de personnel qualifié et des ressources financières limitées des institutions et des cabinets médicaux. Les critères définis dans la matrice d’exigences devraient être développés et ancrés dans une «formation continue en psychiatrie de la personne âgée basée sur les compétences».