bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An improved eddy current loss model over broadband frequency range
Authors: Chen Long , Zhang Zeyu , Ben Tong , Li Shifeng
Published: March 2022

To accurately predict the eddy current loss of silicon steel laminations over broadband frequency range, an improved parametric magneto dynamic model (IPMD) is proposed in this paper. According to the nonuniform distribution of magnetic field in the cross-section of the silicon steel lamination under high-frequency magnetization, the analysis area of the lamination is divided into several slices by nonlinear segmentation, wherein each slice the magnetic field distribution is regarded as uniform. Meanwhile, to accelerate the calculation speed of the IPMD model, the relationship between skin depth and slice number is deduced and verified. Furthermore, the Tellinen (TLN) hysteresis model is used when implementing the IPMD model to further increase the accuracy of eddy current loss calculation.
Nutritive value and occurrence of mycotoxins in various forage silages sampled at different levels in dairy farm silos
Authors: Mannai Amal , Juan Cristina , Mañes Jordi , Ben Salem Hichem
Published: March 2022

Context Consumers require nutritious and safe animal products, particularly milk and meat. Forage silage is a major source of feed for dairy cattle. However, inappropriate silo preparation and management can affect silage nutritional quality and may lead to fungal growth and mycotoxin production. Aims We aimed to determine the nutritional quality of different forage silages in dairy farms from four regions in northern Tunisia where silage production is a common practice, and to screen for the presence and concentration of 23 mycotoxins. Methods Six different forage silage types from 27 silos were sampled 100 days after ensiling. Samples were taken from upper, middle and lower sections of the silo. The pH and nutritional values of the silages were determined. The QuEChER method was used to extract mycotoxins, and they were identified and quantified through liquid or gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Key results Silage pH ranged from 4.4 to 7.8, and dry matter content of forage biomass from 15% to 47%. Values of pH of silage samples varied among the silo levels (P = 0.001), whereas nutrient contents of silage biomass were similar among the three levels. Only five Fusarium mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol, two enniatins, beauvercin, HT-2 toxin) were detected at different concentrations depending on the silo level. Oat, oat + triticale and oat + sulla silages were the most heavily contaminated with mycotoxins. Biomass in the upper silo level was the most co-contaminated. Conclusions High pH (>4) and dry matter content (>30%) indicate low quality silages; therefore, the silages were generally of low quality. Although the evaluated silages were contaminated with five of the targeted mycotoxins, their concentrations were so low that they do not represent a risk to the health of dairy cattle. Implications Forage biomass should have a dry matter content of 20–30% on the day of silo filling. It is important to sample silage from the upper, middle and lower sections of the silo to screen for mycotoxins. In future studies, the transfer of detected mycotoxins to milk should be determined.
Genetic parameters for methane emissions in Australian sheep measured in portable accumulation chambers in grazing and controlled environments
Authors: Wahinya P. K. , Oddy V. H. , Dominik S. , Brown D. J. , Macleay C. A. , Paganoni B. , Thompson A. N. , Donaldson A. J. , Austin K. , Cameron M. , van der Werf J. H. J.
Published: March 2022

Context Genotype by environment interaction or sire re-ranking between measurements of methane emission in different environments or from using different measurement protocols can affect the efficiency of selection strategies to abate methane emission. Aim This study tested the hypothesis that measurements of methane emission from grazing sheep under field conditions, where the feed intake is unknown, are genetically correlated to measurements in a controlled environment where feed intake is known. Methods Data on emission of methane and carbon dioxide and uptake of oxygen were measured using portable accumulation chambers from 499 animals in a controlled environment in New South Wales and 1382 animals in a grazing environment in Western Australia were analysed. Genetic linkage between both environments was provided by 140 sires with progeny in both environments. Multi-variate animal models were used to estimate genetic parameters for the three gas traits corrected for liveweight. Genetic groups were fitted in the models to account for breed differences. Genetic correlations between the field and controlled environments for the three traits were estimated using bivariate models. Key results Animals in the controlled environment had higher methane emission compared to the animals in the field environment (37.0 ± s.d 9.3 and 35.3 ± s.d 9.4 for two protocols vs 12.9 ± s.d 5.1 and 14.6 ± s.d 4.8 mL/min for lambs and ewes (±s.d); P < 0.05) but carbon dioxide emission and oxygen uptake did not significantly differ. The heritability estimates for methane emission, carbon dioxide emission and oxygen uptake were 0.15, 0.06 and 0.11 for the controlled environment and 0.17, 0.27 and 0.35 for the field environment. The repeatability for the traits in the controlled environment ranged from 0.51 to 0.59 and from 0.24 to 0.38 in the field environment. Genetic correlations were high (0.85–0.99) but with high standard errors. Conclusion Methane emission phenotypes measured using portable accumulation chambers in grazing sheep can be used in genetic evaluation to estimate breeding values for genetic improvement of emission related traits. The combined measurement protocol-environment did not lead to re-ranking of sires. Implication These results suggest that both phenotypes could be used in selection for reduced methane emission in grazing sheep. However, this needs to be consolidated using a larger number of animals and sires with larger progeny groups in different environments.
Adjusting grain boundary within NiCo2O4 rod arrays by phosphating reaction for efficient hydrogen production
Authors: Ma Xianguo , Wang Zining , Wang Zhihao , Cui Mengqi , Wang Hui , Ren Jianwei , Karimzadeh Sina
Published: March 2022

In this work, the density and electronic structures of the metal active sites in NiCo2O4 nanorod arrays were concurrently tuned by controlling the sample’s exposure time in a phosphorization process. The results showed that both the density and electronic structure of the active adsorption sites played a key role towards the catalytic activity for water splitting to produce hydrogen. The optimal catalyst exhibited 81 mV overpotential for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at 10 mA cm−2 and 313 mV overpotential towards oxygen evolution reaction at 50 mA cm−2. The assembled electrode delivered a current density of 50 mA cm−2 at 1.694 V in a fully functional water electrolyzer. The further results of theoretical density functional theory calculations revealed the doping of P elements lowered down the H adsorption energies involved in the water splitting process on the various active sites of P-NiCo2O4-10 catalyst, and thus enhanced its HER catalytic activities.
Analytic genericity of diffusing orbits in a priori unstable Hamiltonian systems
Authors: Chen Qinbo , de la Llave Rafael
Published: March 2022

The genericity of Arnold diffusion in the analytic category is an open problem. In this paper, we study this problem in the following a priori unstable Hamiltonian system with a time-periodic perturbation

H

ε

(

p
,
q
,
I
,
φ
,
t

)

=
h

(

I

)

+

∑

i
=
1

n

±

1

2

p

i

2

+

V

i

(

q

i

)

+
ε

H

1

(

p
,
q
,
I
,
φ
,
t

)

,

where

(

p
,
q

)

∈

R

n

×

T

n

,

(

I
,
φ

)

∈

R

d

×

T

d

with n, d ⩾ 1, V

i
are Morse potentials, and ɛ is a small non-zero parameter. The unperturbed Hamiltonian is not necessarily convex, and the induced inner dynamics does not need to satisfy a twist condition. Using geometric methods we prove that Arnold diffusion occurs for generic analytic perturbations H
1. Indeed, the set of admissible H
1 is C

ω
dense and C
3 open (a fortiori, C

ω
open). Our perturbative technique for the genericity is valid in the C

k
topology for all k ∈ [3, ∞) ∪ {∞, ω}.
A 1.5D fluid—Monte Carlo model of a hydrogen helicon plasma
Authors: Agnello R , Fubiani G , Furno I , Guittienne Ph , Howling A , Jacquier R , Taccogna F
Published: March 2022

Helicon plasma sources operating with hydrogen or deuterium might be attractive for fusion applications due to their higher power efficiency compared to inductive radiofrequency plasma sources. In recent years, the resonant antenna ion device (RAID) has been investigating the physics of helicon plasmas and the possibility of employing them to produce negative ions for heating neutral beam injectors (HNBs). Herein, we present a fluid Monte Carlo (MC) model that describes plasma species transport in a typical helicon hydrogen plasma discharge. This work is motivated by an interest in better understanding the basic physics of helicon plasma devices operating in hydrogen and, in particular, the volume production of negative ions. This model is based on the synergy between two separate self-consistent approaches: a plasma fluid model that calculates ion transport and an MC model that determines the neutral and rovibrational density profiles of

H
2

. By introducing the electron density and the temperature profiles measured by Langmuir probes as model constraints, the densities of ion species (

H
+

,

H

2
+

,

H

3
+

,

H

−

) are computed in a 1.5D (dimensional) geometry. The estimate of the negative ion density profile represents a useful benchmark that is comparable with dedicated diagnostics, such as cavity ring-down spectroscopy and Langmuir probe laser photodetachment. Neutral gas particles (atoms and molecules) are calculated assuming a fixed plasma background. This gas–plasma decoupling is necessary due to the different timescales of plasma (microseconds) and gas kinetics (milliseconds).
Edge fluctuations and third-order phase transition in harmonically confined long-range systems
Authors: Kethepalli Jitendra , Kulkarni Manas , Kundu Anupam , Majumdar Satya N , Mukamel David , Schehr Grégory
Published: March 2022

We study the distribution of the position of the rightmost particle x
max in a N-particle Riesz gas in one dimension confined in a harmonic trap. The particles interact via long-range repulsive potential, of the form r
−k
with −2 < k < ∞ where r is the inter-particle distance. In equilibrium at temperature O(1), the gas settles on a finite length scale L

N
that depends on N and k. We numerically observe that the typical fluctuation of y
max = x
max/L

N
around its mean is of

O

(

N

−

η

k

)

. Over this length scale, the distribution of the typical fluctuations has a N independent scaling form. We show that the exponent η

k
obtained from the Hessian theory predicts the scale of typical fluctuations remarkably well. The distribution of atypical fluctuations to the left and right of the mean ⟨y
max⟩ are governed by the left and right large deviation functions (LDFs), respectively. We compute these LDFs explicitly ∀ k > −2. We also find that these LDFs describe a pulled to pushed type phase transition as observed in Dyson’s log-gas (k → 0) and 1d one component plasma (k = −1). Remarkably, we find that the phase transition remains third order for the entire regime. Our results demonstrate the striking universality of the third order transition even in models that fall outside the paradigm of Coulomb systems and the random matrix theory. We numerically verify our analytical expressions of the LDFs via Monte Carlo simulation using an importance sampling algorithm.
Approximation parameters of mining area curvatures induced by an operation of the 338/2 seam of hard coal
Authors: Orwat J
Published: March 2022

Article presents a method of determination of an approximation parameters of average graphs of mining terrain curvatures caused by an exploitation of the 338/2 hard coal seam in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin in Poland. Approximation by the use of the higher orders polynomials has been done. An order of polynomial and a number of its segments belong to the parameters of approximation. Both values on the basis of minimization of a variability coefficient of random dispersion of observed curvatures have been determined. Parameters of approximation for the average graphs of curvatures measured after the end of an operation of one, two, three and four longwalls in the 338/2 seam have been calculated.
Modelling of influential machining parameters to the surface quality of wood
Authors: Ramić D , Hodžić D , Hodžić A
Published: March 2022

The micro-roughness represents the basic structure of the roughness of the treated surfaces and they are mainly a consequence of the machining during the production. The microgeometry of treated surfaces has a significant impact on the contact conditions of surfaces, which is reflected in the quality of gluing, pressing, and surface treatment and assembly, ie the interchangeability of structural details of the product, and thus the product quality. The roughness of treated wood surfaces is almost impossible to reliably determine theoretically using analytical models, and the application of experimental analysis of the investigated influential parameters is essential to improve the treatment regime, while maintaining the cost and quality of treatment at a satisfactory level. The aim of this paper is to examine the significance of the influential parameters of roughness of the treated surface, ie wood density, feed rate and cutting depth when turning solid wood elements, and analysis of experimental data for achieving lower roughness of the treated surface, without compromising the quality and total production costs. The purpose of the experimental plan is to generate a mathematical model that describes the process.
Modern approach in a car accident with PC Crash Program
Authors: Dascăl A , Popa M , Rodic V
Published: March 2022

This paper presents the reconstruction of a road accident, in the absence of very thorough measurements and judicial research, by analysing the physical possibilities of the accident, the causes of its occurrence, based on the laws of physics and the constructive technical characteristics of the vehicle as well as the configuration and characteristics of the road. A modern tool used in the implementation of judicial and extrajudicial technical expertise is the program specialized in simulating road traffic accidents PC-Crash, which covers a multitude of different situations, as it benefits from the latest achievements in hardware and software.
Modeling the synchronous permanent magnet generator with RLC load
Authors: Rat C L , Ichim-Burlacu C I , Panoiu C
Published: March 2022

This paper is concerned with the modeling of the three-phase permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) and its load in the dq0 reference system. The generator was considered to be directly connected to a balanced three-phase load. The loads under consideration were R and RLC type loads. The connection to the R load can be simulated using the standard PMSG dq model and Park transformations, but the connection to the RLC load requires the modeling of the system as a whole. LabVIEW simulations of these models were used in order to study the behavior of the PMSG under various load conditions (R, RL and RC). These models can be used to simulate the behavior of the PMSG in a conventional (natural gas, coal, etc.) or renewable (wind energy, hydropower, etc.) energy conversion system. They can also be used in designing the control of the energy conversion system (MPPT control, Droop control, etc.).
Application of used engine oil in the asphalt pavement industry
Authors: Raţiu S , Benea L , Armioni M
Published: March 2022

The automotive industry presents a number of significant problems at the moment, including the waste it produces. Used engine oil is an eloquent example in this regard, as significant amounts of spent lubricant are generated annually, with a high pollutant potential. If conventional recycling measures cannot be applied, it is necessary to find alternative management solutions that do not allow the used oil to reach the environment. This article aims to present a review of the recovery of used engine oil in the asphalt pavement production and rejuvenation industry, as well as to emphasize the improvements brought by the used engine oil on the reclaimed asphalt pavement.
Analysis of the strength of an innovative design of an organic farming potato harvester
Authors: Gierz Ł , Marciniak A , Przybyl K , Koszela K , Duda A , Szychta M
Published: March 2022

Small organic farms still use potato lifters for harvesting. This harvesting technology involves a lot of work because potatoes need to be picked manually. The aim of this study was to design an innovative organic farming potato harvester aggregated with a 38 kW tractor and to analyse its strength with the finite element method (FEM). The research assumption was to fit the innovative construction with a potato basket in order to minimise the labour consumption of organic potato cultivation. The project involved analytical calculations of the strength, which were followed by the design of a CAD model and a detailed strength analysis with the FEM. Autodesk Inventor and Femap were the programs used to aid the design of the machine. The designed model had no nodes where stresses would be greater than 32% of the maximum allowable stress in the material structure and 43% of the maximum allowable stress in the structure of welds. The innovative design of the potato harvester developed in this study can be used with all tractors (farm and orchard tractors) equipped with a three-point linkage.
Effects of electrical aging on the structural and physicochemical properties of crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) cable insulation material
Authors: Hedir Abdallah , Slimani Ferhat , Moudoud Mustapha , Lamrous Omar , Durmus Ali , Fofana Issouf
Published: March 2022

The aim of this work is to highlight the evolution of physico-chemical properties of peroxide crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) insulation material exposed to electrical aging. Specific analysis and characterization studies were carried out to determine the effect of electrical aging on different samples at micro and macro levels. Based on the analytical investigations, it was shown that electrical aging yielded significant changes in the chemical and thermal characteristics of XLPE. It was also showed that property loss increased with the aging time.
Potential Influence of Skin Hydration and Transepidermal Water Loss on the Dermal Transfer and Loading of Elemental Metallic Lead
Authors: Sahmel Jennifer , Ramachandran Gurumurthy
Published: March 2022

The factors influencing transfer of chemicals or other contaminants to and from the surface of the skin are often poorly understood. Previous research has indicated that environmental conditions, skin hydration, and repeated contacts may all influence the quantity of dermal transfer. The aim of this analysis was to evaluate the influence of skin hydration and condition on quantitative chemical transfer in a series of systematic measurements using human subjects for 5 and 10 repeated contacts. Elemental metallic lead was used as the exemplar test substance for the measurements collected. Skin hydration index (HI) was assessed using a corneometer and skin condition and barrier function were measured using an open-chamber transepidermal water loss (TEWL) instrument. Results indicated that for the palmar surface of the index finger where sampling was conducted, the relative hydration level of the skin was higher for males (n = 6) versus females (n = 4) (mean HI = 4.0 for females; mean HI = 5.5 for males) but this difference was not statistically significant. Overall, the skin hydration level was not significantly associated with dermal loading for either the 5 contact scenario (Pearson correlation = 0.27; R2 = 0.07; P = 0.45) or the 10 contact scenario (Pearson correlation = 0.26; R2 = 0.07; P = 0.47). When the results were stratified by higher versus lower hydration levels (HI = 1–5 versus HI = 5–10), for the higher hydration levels (HI = 5–10; mean HI = 7), there was a moderately positive association between skin hydration and loading, but this was not statistically significant for either the 5 contact scenario (Pearson correlation = 0.75; R2 = 0.56; P = 0.15) or the 10 contact scenario (Pearson correlation = 0.6; R2 = 0.36; P = 0.28). No clear relationship was observed between the lower hydration levels (HI = 1–5) and dermal loading. For the palmar index finger, there was a negative correlation between the TEWL measurements and both the 5 contact (Pearson correlation = −0.45; R2 = 0.2; P = 0.19) and 10 contact (Pearson correlation = −0.3; R2 = 0.09; P = 0.4) scenarios, but this was not statistically significant. The results of this study are consistent with the limited results of other analyses, which have suggested that there may be nuances with respect to the effects of skin hydration on the quantitative dermal transfer to and from the skin, although additional data are needed to better understand these potential differences.
HiCARN: resolution enhancement of Hi-C data using cascading residual networks
Authors: Hicks Parker , Oluwadare Oluwatosin
Published: March 2022

Motivation

High throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) contact matrices are used to predict 3D chromatin structures in eukaryotic cells. High-resolution Hi-C data are less available than low-resolution Hi-C data due to sequencing costs but provide greater insight into the intricate details of 3D chromatin structures such as enhancer–promoter interactions and sub-domains. To provide a cost-effective solution to high-resolution Hi-C data collection, deep learning models are used to predict high-resolution Hi-C matrices from existing low-resolution matrices across multiple cell types.

Results

Here, we present two Cascading Residual Networks called HiCARN-1 and HiCARN-2, a convolutional neural network and a generative adversarial network, that use a novel framework of cascading connections throughout the network for Hi-C contact matrix prediction from low-resolution data. Shown by image evaluation and Hi-C reproducibility metrics, both HiCARN models, overall, outperform state-of-the-art Hi-C resolution enhancement algorithms in predictive accuracy for both human and mouse 1/16, 1/32, 1/64 and 1/100 downsampled high-resolution Hi-C data. Also, validation by extracting topologically associating domains, chromosome 3D structure and chromatin loop predictions from the enhanced data shows that HiCARN can proficiently reconstruct biologically significant regions.

Availability and implementation

HiCARN can be accessed and utilized as an open-sourced software at: https://github.com/OluwadareLab/HiCARN and is also available as a containerized application that can be run on any platform.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Defective lipid signalling caused by mutations inPIK3C2Bunderlies focal epilepsy
Authors: Gozzelino Luca , Kochlamazashvili Gaga , Baldassari Sara , Mackintosh Albert Ian , Licchetta Laura , Iovino Emanuela , Liu Yu Chi , Bennett Caitlin A , Bennett Mark F , Damiano John A , Zsurka Gábor , Marconi Caterina , Giangregorio Tania , Magini Pamela , Kuijpers Marijn , Maritzen Tanja , Norata Giuseppe Danilo , Baulac Stéphanie , Canafoglia Laura , Seri Marco , Tinuper Paolo , Scheffer Ingrid E , Bahlo Melanie , Berkovic Samuel F , Hildebrand Michael S , Kunz Wolfram S , Giordano Lucio , Bisulli Francesca , Martini Miriam , Haucke Volker , Hirsch Emilio , Pippucci Tommaso
Published: March 2022

Epilepsy is one of the most frequent neurological diseases, with focal epilepsy accounting for the largest number of cases. The genetic alterations involved in focal epilepsy are far from being fully elucidated.

Here, we show that defective lipid signalling caused by heterozygous ultra-rare variants in PIK3C2B, encoding for the class II phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase PI3K-C2β, underlie focal epilepsy in humans. We demonstrate that patients’ variants act as loss-of-function alleles, leading to impaired synthesis of the rare signalling lipid phosphatidylinositol 3,4-bisphosphate, resulting in mTORC1 hyperactivation. In vivo, mutant Pik3c2b alleles caused dose-dependent neuronal hyperexcitability and increased seizure susceptibility, indicating haploinsufficiency as a key driver of disease. Moreover, acute mTORC1 inhibition in mutant mice prevented experimentally induced seizures, providing a potential therapeutic option for a selective group of patients with focal epilepsy.

Our findings reveal an unexpected role for class II PI3K-mediated lipid signalling in regulating mTORC1-dependent neuronal excitability in mice and humans.
The geometrical shapes of violence: predicting and explaining terrorist operations through graph embeddings
Authors: Campedelli Gian Maria , Layne Janet , Herzoff Jack , Serra Edoardo
Published: March 2022

Behaviours across terrorist groups differ based on a variety of factors, such as groups’ resources or objectives. We here show that organizations can also be distinguished by network representations of their operations. We provide evidence in this direction in the frame of a computational methodology organized in two steps, exploiting data on attacks plotted by Al Shabaab, Boko Haram, the Islamic State and the Taliban in the 2013–2018 period. First, we present $\textsf{LabeledSparseStruct}$, a graph embedding approach, to predict the group associated with each operational meta-graph. Second, we introduce $\textsf{SparseStructExplanation}$, an algorithmic explainer based on $\textsf{LabeledSparseStruct}$, that disentangles characterizing features for each organization, enhancing interpretability at the dyadic level. We demonstrate that groups can be discriminated according to the structure and topology of their operational meta-graphs, and that each organization is characterized by the recurrence of specific dyadic interactions among event features.
“Peace and Friendship”: Overcoming the Cold War in the Children’s World of the Pioneer Camp Artek*
Authors: Neumann Matthias
Published: March 2022

The famous Pioneer camp ‘Artek’ was used by the Soviet Union to showcase socialism to upcoming generations. It was an iconic space where each summer 5,000 children from over 60 nations met to promote transnational cooperation and Soviet-led world peace. The article reconstructs American children’s experiences who dared to break through the iron curtain to participate. It will examine how, and with what success, the participants’ encounters challenged and shaped their perceptions of East and West, and how their actions fed into the upsurgence of citizen diplomacy that played a crucial role in ending the Cold War.
Prognostic value of left atrial reservoir function in patients with severe primary mitral regurgitation undergoing mitral valve repair
Authors: Stassen Jan , van Wijngaarden Aniek L , Butcher Steele C , Palmen Meindert , Herbots Lieven , Bax Jeroen J , Delgado Victoria , Ajmone Marsan Nina
Published: March 2022

Aims

Mitral regurgitation (MR) has a significant haemodynamic impact on the left atrium. Assessment of left atrial reservoir strain (LARS) may have important prognostic implications, incremental to left atrial (LA) volume, and conventional parameters of left ventricular (LV) structure and function. This study investigated whether preoperative assessment of LARS by speckle tracking echocardiography is associated with long-term outcomes in patients undergoing mitral valve repair for severe primary MR.

Methods and results

Echocardiography was performed prior to mitral valve surgery in 566 patients (age 64 ± 12years, 66% men) with severe primary MR. The study population was subdivided based on a LARS value of 22%, using a spline curve analysis. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. During a median follow-up of 7 (4–12) years, 129 (22.8%) patients died. Patients with LARS ≤22% showed significantly higher mortality rates at 1-, 3-, and 5-year follow-up (6%, 12%, and 15%, respectively) when compared with patients with LARS >22% (2%, 3% and 5%, respectively, P < 0.001). Age [hazard ratio (HR): 1.06; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03–1.09; P < 0.001], LV global longitudinal strain (HR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.87–0.98; P = 0.014), and LARS (HR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.93–0.99; P = 0.014) were independently associated with all-cause mortality.

Conclusion

Preoperative LARS is independently associated with all-cause mortality in patients undergoing mitral valve repair for primary MR and provides incremental prognostic value over LA volume. LARS might be helpful to guide timing of mitral valve surgery in patients with severe primary MR.
Speculative Metaphysics and the Culture of Ideas in Early Victorian Britain: The Case of Francis Foster Barham
Authors: Vandrei Martha
Published: March 2022

This article focuses on the social and intellectual world of Francis Foster Barham (1808–1871) from the late 1830s to the mid-1850s. Barham was a prolific polymathic writer and lecturer whose oeuvre ranged from the classics to theology to esotericism, contemporary drama and literature. Based on wide reading and his interactions with fellow transcendentalists and idealists, he elaborated his own philosophy, ‘syncretism’, a universalising system of thought with applications to political, religious and social reform. This article uses the example of Barham, his philosophical speculations, and the small groups with which he was affiliated in London and the West Country, to illuminate the trajectory of a humanistic discourse—in this case speculative metaphysical philosophy—in the life of relatively obscure people who, outside of academic and scholarly circles, interpreted ‘high’ ideas in their own way. The article suggests that there is much more to be done to understand fully the cultural and intellectual history of the humanities in modern Britain, especially in the thought and experience of lesser-known people and associations. Recovering the history of ideas through such figures, their networks, and their own terminologies can point the way to fresh understandings of the history, nature and processes of intellectual development, including its ‘freaks’ and dead-ends, as well as its manifestation in and as culture.
HVAD to HeartMate 3 left ventricular assist device exchange: Best practices recommendations
Authors: Salerno Christopher T , Hayward Christopher , Hall Shelley , Goldstein Daniel , Saeed Diyar , Schmitto Jan , Kaczorowski David , Molina Ezequiel , Zimpfer Daniel , Tsui Steven , Soltesz Edward , Pham Duc Thin , Mokadam Nahush A , Kilic Arman , Davis Erin , Feller Erika , Lorts Angela , Silvestry Scott , Slaughter Mark S , Potapov Evgenij , Atluri Pavan , Cowger Jennifer , Pagani Francis D ,   HeartWare HVAD System to HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist System Device Exchange Advisory Group, Atluri Pavan , Cowger Jennifer , Davis Erin , Feller Erika , Goldstein Daniel , Hall Shelley , Hayward Christopher , Kaczorowski David , Kilic Arman , Lorts Angela , Mokadam Nahush A , Molina Ezequiel , Pagani Francis D , Pham Duc Thin , Potapov Evgenij , Saeed Diyar , Salerno Christopher T , Schmitto Jan , Silvestry Scott , Slaughter Mark S , Soltesz Edward , Tsui Steven , Daniel Zimpfer
Published: March 2022

The HeartWare HVAD System (Medtronic) is a durable implantable left ventricular assist device that has been implanted in approximately 20,000 patients worldwide for bridge to transplant and destination therapy indications. In December 2020, Medtronic issued an Urgent Medical Device Communication informing clinicians of a critical device malfunction in which the HVAD may experience a delay or failure to restart after elective or accidental discontinuation of pump operation. Moreover, evolving retrospective comparative effectiveness studies of patients supported with the HVAD demonstrated a signiﬁcantly higher risk of stroke and all-cause mortality when compared with a newer generation of a commercially available durable left ventricular assist device. Considering the totality of this new information on HVAD performance and the availability of an alternate commercially available device, Medtronic halted the sale and distribution of the HVAD System in June 2021. The decision to remove the HVAD from commercial distribution now requires the use of the HeartMate 3 left ventricular assist system (Abbott, Inc) if a patient previously implanted with an HVAD requires a pump exchange. The goal of this document is to review important differences in the design of the HVAD and HeartMate 3 that are relevant to the medical management of patients supported with these devices, and to assess the technical aspects of an HVAD-to-HeartMate 3 exchange. This document provides the best available evidence that supports best practices. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2022;-:1–8)
FlyBase: a guided tour of highlighted features
Authors: Gramates L Sian , Agapite Julie , Attrill Helen , Calvi Brian R , Crosby Madeline A , dos Santos Gilberto , Goodman Joshua L , Goutte-Gattat Damien , Jenkins Victoria K , Kaufman Thomas , Larkin Aoife , Matthews Beverley B , Millburn Gillian , Strelets Victor B ,   the FlyBase Consortium, Perrimon Norbert , Gelbart Susan Russo , Agapite Julie , Broll Kris , Crosby Lynn , dos Santos Gil , Falls Kathleen , Gramates L Sian , Jenkins Victoria , Longden Ian , Matthews Beverley , Seme Jolene , Tabone Christopher J , Zhou Pinglei , Zytkovicz Mark , Brown Nick , Antonazzo Giulia , Attrill Helen , Garapati Phani , Goutte-Gattat Damien , Larkin Aoife , Marygold Steven , McLachlan Alex , Millburn Gillian , Öztürk-Çolak Arzu , Pilgrim Clare , Trovisco Vitor , Calvi Brian , Kaufman Thomas , Goodman Josh , Krishna Pravija , Strelets Victor , Thurmond Jim , Cripps Richard , Lovato TyAnna
Published: March 2022

FlyBase provides a centralized resource for the genetic and genomic data of Drosophila melanogaster. As FlyBase enters our fourth decade of service to the research community, we reflect on our unique aspects and look forward to our continued collaboration with the larger research and model organism communities. In this study, we emphasize the dedicated reports and tools we have constructed to meet the specialized needs of fly researchers but also to facilitate use by other research communities. We also highlight ways that we support the fly community, including an external resources page, help resources, and multiple avenues by which researchers can interact with FlyBase.
Youth, Transitional Justice and Art: Documenting War on the Streets of Sana’a, Yemen
Authors: Alhariri Waleed , Al-Alawi ThiYazen
Published: March 2022

The role and impact of youth and art in war is multifaceted. In this article, presented as a dialogue, Yemeni street artist ThiYazan Al-Alawi shares his views on art, youth and justice in the midst of seven years of civil war in Yemen. His work is part documentation, part memorialization, part analysis, part therapy and part dissent. The artist first reflects on how he started, doing street art around the city, and how protest and war shaped his style and the topics he chose to cover. Al-Alawi explains how art in conflict zones addresses its audience, and how each of his own pieces has a mission. He also discusses recent collaborations with artists abroad which communicate to the outside world what is happening to him and his country. Throughout the dialogue, Al-Alawi gives advice on how the international community should support youth, and how art can be used for social dialogue and accountability. The article also includes selected photos of murals by Al-Alawi and his collaborators.
Angiofibroma of the external auditory canal: a rare case with literature review
Authors: Bouhafs Khalid , Lachkar Azeddine , Bouamama Tayeb , Miry Achraf , Benfadil Drissia , Ghailan Mohammed Rachid
Published: March 2022

Angiofibromas represent <1% of all head and neck tumors and occur primarily in the nasopharynx. Extra-nasopharyngeal angiofibromas are rarer. Remarkably, only a case of external auditory canal location has been reported. We present a case of an angiofibroma in this unique location in a female who presented with fullness of right ear and hypoacusis for 6 months. The clinical examination found a mass in the right external auditory canal attached to the posterosuperior wall. Preoperative audiometry revealed average right conductive hearing loss of 37.5 dB. A computed tomography scan revealed a mass on the right external auditory canal. Surgical resection of the mass was performed and the histopathological assessment confirmed the diagnosis. Post-operative audiometry showed an improvement in hearing function. There was no recurrence after 5 years. The prognosis of these tumors is good after total bloc resection.
A rare case of a giant retroperitoneal lipoma with multiple limb and trunk lipomata without familial multiple lipomatosis
Authors: Laurens Jason R , Frankel Adam J , Smithers Bernard M , Strutton Geoffrey
Published: March 2022

Retroperitoneal lipoma is exceedingly rare, and due to the difficulty in distinguishing between retroperitoneal lipoma and well-differentiated liposarcoma (WDLS), recommendation is en-bloc resection. A 58-year-old male was investigated for scrotal swelling, ultrasound and computed tomography showed a well-defined lipomatous mass occupying much of the left side of the lower abdomen. At laparotomy, a large left-sided retroperitoneal mass was found. Histology reported a 160 mm × 150 mm × 90 mm fatty tumour weighing 1540 g. MDM2 gene amplification was not present on fluorescence in situ hybridization. No significant somatic signatures were identified on whole exome sequencing. Retroperitoneal fatty tumours represent a diagnostic dilemma. Sampling via core biopsy has been recorded at 85% accuracy for WDLS. Positive amplification of the MDM2 gene supports a diagnosis of WDLS; however, a negative biopsy does not exclude the diagnosis due to varied amplification among different cells in the same tumour.
Development of an Animal Model of Military-Relevant Traumatic Stress
Authors: Henschen Drew , Swift Kevin , Taylor Rachel , Scott Emily , May Matthew , Ngouajio Boris , Jenkins Kilana , Johnson III Fred , Jeong Isaac , Silva Gabriella , Matson Liana , Lowery-Gionta Emily
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Acute Stress Reactions (ASRs) affect a subgroup of individuals who experience traumatic stress. In the context of military operations, such reactions are often termed Combat and Operational Stress Reactions (COSRs). COSRs not only encompass all symptoms of ASRs but also include additional symptoms related to military combat and may develop at a rate higher than the general public experiences ASRs. Despite an obvious need, there are currently no approved pharmacologic treatments or guidelines for ASR and/or COSR. Preclinical rodent stress models and behavioral assessments are used to evaluate pharmacotherapies and elucidate underlying mechanisms. Here, we combined established traumatic stress models to develop a model of traumatic stress relevant to military trauma exposure and measured behavioral outcomes that reflect outcomes observed in ASRs and COSRs.

Materials and Methods

Adult male rats underwent exposure to either a combination of two or three traumatic stress exposures (e.g., predator exposure, underwater trauma (UWT), and/or inescapable shock) or control procedures. Behavioral performance on the open field, elevated plus maze, and acoustic startle response (SR) was then assessed 24- and 48-hours following stress/control procedures.

Results

In Experiment 1, rats were exposed to a two-stressor model, where predator exposure was coupled with UWT. Minor behavioral deficits were observed in SR for stress-exposed rats as compared to controls. In Experiment 2, inescapable shock was added to predator exposure and UWT. Behavioral performance deficits were observed across all behavioral tests. In Experiment 3, procedures from Experiment 2 were repeated with the only major modification being a shortened predator exposure duration, which resulted in performance deficits in SR only.

Conclusions

We found that the three-stressor model of Experiment 2 resulted in the greatest overall behavioral disturbance (both in the number of variables and magnitude of stress effects). Interestingly, behavioral deficits elicited from the shorter predator exposure were distinct from those observed with longer predator exposure times. Together, these results generally suggest that combined preclinical stressors with military-relevant elements result in behavioral performance deficits reflective of post-trauma phenotypes in Soldiers. The present findings support the use of both physical and psychological stressors to model operationally relevant traumatic stress exposure.
Utility of multimodality molecular profiling for pediatric patients with central nervous system tumors
Authors: Rajappa Prajwal , Eng Kenneth W , Bareja Rohan , Bander Evan D , Yuan Melissa , Dua Alisha , Bhanu Maachani Uday , Snuderl Matija , Pan Heng , Zhang Tuo , Tosi Umberto , Ivasyk Iryna , Souweidane Mark M , Elemento Olivier , Sboner Andreas , Greenfield Jeffrey P , Pisapia David J
Published: March 2022

Background

As our molecular understanding of pediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumors evolves, so too do diagnostic criteria, prognostic biomarkers, and clinical management decision making algorithms. Here, we explore the clinical utility of wide-breadth assays, including whole-exome sequencing (WES), RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), and methylation array profiling as an addition to more conventional diagnostic tools for pediatric CNS tumors.

Methods

This study comprises an observational, prospective cohort followed at a single academic medical center over 3 years. Paired tumor and normal control specimens from 53 enrolled pediatric patients with CNS tumors underwent WES. A subset of cases also underwent RNA-seq (n = 28) and/or methylation array analysis (n = 27).

Results

RNA-seq identified the driver and/or targetable fusions in 7/28 cases, including potentially targetable NTRK fusions, and uncovered possible rationalized treatment options based on outlier gene expression in 23/28 cases. Methylation profiling added diagnostic confidence (8/27 cases) or diagnostic subclassification endorsed by the WHO (10/27 cases). WES detected clinically pertinent tier 1 or tier 2 variants in 36/53 patients. Of these, 16/17 SNVs/INDELs and 10/19 copy number alterations would have been detected by current in-house conventional tests including targeted sequencing panels.

Conclusions

Over a heterogeneous set of pediatric tumors, RNA-seq and methylation profiling frequently yielded clinically relevant information orthogonal to conventional methods while WES demonstrated clinically relevant added value primarily via copy number assessment. Longitudinal cohorts comparing targeted molecular pathology workup vs broader genomic approaches including therapeutic selection based on RNA expression data will be necessary to further evaluate the clinical benefits of these modalities in practice.
COVID-19 Vaccines and SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in the Era of New Variants: A Review and Perspective
Authors: Marcelin Jasmine R , Pettifor Audrey , Janes Holly , Brown Elizabeth R , Kublin James G , Stephenson Kathryn E
Published: March 2022

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines have yielded definitive prevention and major reductions in morbidity and mortality from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, even in the context of emerging and persistent variants of concern. Newer variants have revealed less vaccine protection against infection and attenuation of vaccine effects on transmission. COVID-19 vaccines still likely reduce transmission compared with not being vaccinated at all, even with variants of concern; however, determining the magnitude of transmission reduction is constrained by the challenges of performing these studies, requiring accurate linkage of infections to vaccine status and timing thereof, particularly within households. In this review, we synthesize the currently available data on the impact of COVID-19 vaccines on infection, serious illness, and transmission; we also identify the challenges and opportunities associated with policy development based on this data.
Genetic analysis of chlorophyll synthesis and degradation regulated by BALANCE of CHLOROPHYLL METABOLISM
Authors: Yamatani Hiroshi , Ito Takeshi , Nishimura Kenji , Yamada Tetsuya , Sakamoto Wataru , Kusaba Makoto
Published: March 2022

Chlorophyll (Chl) serves a number of essential functions, capturing and converting light energy as a component of photosystem supercomplexes. Chl degradation during leaf senescence is also required for adequate degeneration of chloroplasts and salvaging of nutrients from senescent leaves. In this study, we performed genetic analysis to determine the functions of BALANCE of CHLOROPHYLL METABOLISM1 (BCM1) and BCM2, which control Chl levels by regulating synthesis and degradation, and STAY-GREEN (SGR)1 (also known as NON-YELLOWING1 [NYE1]) and SGR2, which encode Mg-dechelatase and catalyze Chl a degradation in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Analysis of bcm1 bcm2 revealed that both BCM1 and BCM2 are involved in the regulation of Chl levels in presenescent leaves and Chl degradation in senescing leaves. Analysis of bcm1 bcm2 nye1 nye2 suggested that BCMs repress Chl-degrading activity in both presenescent and senescing leaves by regulating SGR activity. Furthermore, transactivation analysis and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay revealed that GOLDEN2-LIKE1 (GLK1), a central transcription factor regulating the expression of genes encoding photosystem-related proteins, such as light-harvesting Chl a/b-binding proteins (LHCPs), directly regulates the transcription of BCM1. LHCPs are stabilized by Chl binding, suggesting that GLKs control the amount of LHCP through transcriptional and post-translational regulation via BCM-mediated Chl-level regulation. Meanwhile, we generated a mutant of the BCM ortholog in lettuce (Lactuca sativa) by genome editing and found that it showed an early yellowing phenotype, but only a slight reduction in Chl in presenescent leaves. Thus, this study revealed a conserved but slightly diversified regulation of Chl and LHCP levels via the GLK-BCM pathway in eudicots.
Downward income mobility among individuals with poor initial health is linked with higher cardiometabolic risk
Authors: Bulczak Grzegorz , Gugushvili Alexi
Published: March 2022

The effects of socioeconomic position (SEP) across life course accumulate and produce visible health inequalities between different socioeconomic groups. Yet, it is not well-understood how the experience of intergenerational income mobility between origin and destination SEP, per se, affects health outcomes. We use data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health collected in the United States with the outcome measure of cardiometabolic risk (CMR) constructed from data on LDL Cholesterol, Glucose MG/DL, C-reactive protein, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and resting heart rate. Intergenerational income mobility is estimated as the difference between Waves 1 and 5 income quintiles. Diagonal reference models are used to test if intergenerational income mobility, net of origin and destination income quintile effects, is associated with CMR. We find that individuals in the lowest and the highest income quintiles have, respectively, the highest and the lowest CMR; both origin and destination income quintiles are equally important; there are no significant overall income mobility effects for different gender and race/ethnicity groups, but downward income mobility has negative health implications for individuals with poor initial health. We conclude that downward income mobility can increase inequalities in CMR in the United States by worsening the health of those who had poor health before their mobility experiences.