bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Imaging Cerebral Arteries Tortuosity and Velocities by Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound Is a Reliable Assessment of Brain Aneurysm in Mouse Models
Authors: Lebas Héloïse , Boutigny Alexandre , Maupu Clémence , Salfati Jonas , Orset Cyrille , Mazighi Mikael , Bonnin Philippe , Boulaftali Yacine
Published: December 2022

Background

During the past few decades, several pathophysiological processes contributing to intracranial aneurysm (IA) rupture have been identified, including irregular IA shape, altered hemodynamic stress within the IA, and vessel wall inflammation. The use of preclinical models of IA and imaging tools is paramount to better understand the underlying disease mechanisms.

Methods

We used 2 established mouse models of IA, and we analyzed the progression of the IA by magnetic resonance imaging, transcranial Doppler, and histology.

Results

In both models of IA, we observed, by transcranial Doppler, a significant decrease of the blood velocities and wall shear stress of the internal carotid arteries. We also observed the formation of tortuous arteries in both models that were correlated with the presence of an aneurysm as confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging and histology. A high grade of tortuosity is associated with a significant decrease of the mean blood flow velocities and a greater artery dilation.

Conclusions

Transcranial Doppler is a robust and convenient imaging method to evaluate the progression of IA. Detection of decreased blood flow velocities and increased tortuosity can be used as reliable indicators of IA.
Copulations with a nestling by an adult care-giver in a kin-living bird
Authors: Canestrari Daniela , Trapote Eva , Vila Marta , Baglione Vittorio
Published: December 2022

Adult sexual interest in dependent young, such as lactating pups or nestlings, has been reported in a few species, with copulations with related dependent young being, at best, extremely rare. Here we document two events of copulations on a nestling by an adult caregiver in a group of kin-living and cooperatively breeding carrion crows Corvus corone. Copulations, as well as other unusual rough actions toward the nestling, occurred within a short time-span characterized by intense conflict among adult group members, suggesting that stress could trigger such behaviours toward the brood.
The Award in Waste Management v Mexico (No 2) and Its Influence on the Minimum Standard of Treatment
Authors: Brown Chester
Published: December 2022

Judge Crawford’s contributions to public international law were immense and covered a vast field, including State responsibility, international criminal law, State immunity, international legal personality, the law of the sea, and the protection of human rights. The focus of this essay is on Judge Crawford’s work in the field of international investment law, to which he made substantial contributions as a scholar, as an arbitrator, and as counsel, at a time when the field of international investment law was in a relatively embryonic stage of development. The contribution focusses in particular on the award of the tribunal constituted under Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (‘NAFTA’) in Waste Management v Mexico (No 2) (‘Waste Management (No 2)’), in which Judge Crawford was appointed by the ICSID Secretary-General as the presiding arbitrator. The award contains an important dictum on the content of the minimum standard of treatment under Article 1105 of NAFTA, which has been highly persuasive within the NAFTA context, in other investment treaty claims, and in the subsequent treaty practice of States. The Waste Management (No 2) tribunal brought much-needed rigour to a field in which ad hoc tribunals were adopting broad interpretations of treaty obligations and imposing onerous obligations on States.
Reflections on Judge Crawford’s Contributions to the International Court of Justice
Authors: Cameron Rose , Sherman Julia
Published: December 2022

James Crawford was sworn in as a Judge of the International Court of Justice on 6 February 2015. In his nearly seven years on the bench, Judge Crawford made a significant contribution to the jurisprudence, the procedures, and the working environment of the Court. First, Judge Crawford’s declarations and separate and dissenting opinions are discussed in this article, as these best illustrate his personal contributions to the Court’s jurisprudence. Second, Judge Crawford propounded procedural change at the Court long before he joined its bench and he was able to make good on some of these proposals after joining the Court, in particular as a member of the Court’s Rules Committee. Amendments to the Rules of Court and the Court’s Practice Directions made during his time of the bench are discussed in this article, as well as Judge Crawford’s questions to parties during oral proceedings. Finally, this article recognises Judge Crawford’s enormous contribution to the working environment of the Court. He had a lightness that lifted the mood in the otherwise solemn corridors of the International Court. He strived to keep his own and—where possible—other staff happy and motivated. Judge Crawford’s support for the staff union was invaluable. These are just some examples of why Judge Crawford should be remembered for his kind temperament, his patience, and his generosity in mentoring aspiring international practitioners and scholars, over and above his professional achievements.
A Race and Rage for Order: Judge James Crawford’s Legacy at the International Court of Justice
Authors: Neuhaus Matthew E.K. , Jolly Jarrod M.
Published: December 2022

The objective of this article is to attempt to provide some response to what is a rather impossible question to answer: what is Judge James Crawford’s legacy at the International Court of Justice (ICJ)? In their attempt to distil an answer, the authors interviewed nine of Crawford’s judicial colleagues. These interviews built on desk-based research, particularly oral histories. What emerged were valuable insights into Crawford’s tangible contributions to the Court as a judge, even though his time on the bench was cut short and he was conflicted out of hearing many cases (having been so active as counsel before the Court in the preceding years). However, it also became clear that it was essential to assess Crawford’s legacy at the ICJ by considering a ‘broad view’ of his contribution to the Court, as well as his earlier career. In that regard, those interviewed consistently cited Crawford’s extraordinary stewardship and delivery in 2001 of the International Law Commission’s Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts (‘ARSIWA’). The authors explore the influence on the Court of Crawford’s work on the ARSIWA, specifically Article 48 and the notion of ‘communitarian norms’. This serves to highlight just one example of how Crawford was in a ‘race’ and ‘rage for order’, on a journey to cement his vision for international law, including at the ICJ.
Two new species of Corinnomma Karsch, 1880 from Yunnan, China (Araneae: Corinnidae, Castianeirinae)
Authors: ZHANG LU , JIN CHI , ZHANG FENG
Published: December 2022

Two new Corinnomma species from Yunnan, China are described and illustrated in detail: Corinnomma simplex sp. nov. and C. spiralis sp. nov.. A redescription of C. severum is provided and the molecular results of the two new species are presented: C. simplex sp. nov. with a genetic distance of 0.000 and C. spiralis sp. nov. with 0.001.
Predictors of Evacuation Rates during Hurricane Laura: Weather Forecasts, Twitter, and COVID-19
Authors: Brower Anna E. , Corpuz Bianca , Ramesh Balaji , Zaitchik Benjamin , Gohlke Julia M. , Swarup Samarth
Published: December 2022

Machine learning was applied to predict evacuation rates for all census tracts affected by Hurricane Laura. The evacuation ground truth was derived from cellular telephone–based mobility data. Twitter data, census data, geographical data, COVID-19 case rates, the social vulnerability index from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), and relevant weather and physical data were used to do the prediction. Random forests were found to perform well, with a mean absolute percent error of 4.9% on testing data. Feature importance for prediction was analyzed using Shapley additive explanations and it was found that previous evacuation, rainfall forecasts, COVID-19 case rates, and Twitter data rank highly in terms of importance. Social vulnerability indices were also found to show a very consistent relationship with evacuation rates, such that higher vulnerability consistently implies lower evacuation rates. These findings can help with hurricane evacuation preparedness and planning as well as real-time assessment.

Significance Statement

This study evaluates the usefulness of Twitter data, COVID-19 case rates, and the social vulnerability index from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry in predicting evacuation rates during Hurricane Laura, in the context of other relevant geographic, and weather-related variables. All three are found to be useful, to different extents, and this work suggests important directions for future research in understanding the reasons behind their relevance to predicting evacuation rates.
Improvement of anti-corrosion performance (surface and near the cut edge) and mechanical properties of epoxy coatings modified with nano, micro and hybrid ZnO particles
Authors: Kabaoglu Emre , Karabork Fazliye , Balun Kayan Didem , Akdemir Ahmet
Published: December 2022

Composites were formed by incorporating nano, micro and hybrid-ZnO particles into the epoxy matrix at the same loading levels (3%) and applied at 90 μm thickness on the galvanized steel substrate using a film applicator in this study. The improvement in anti-corrosion performance and mechanical and physical properties of the composite coatings were evaluated using various tests and techniques such as salt-spray, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, nanohardness, microscratch, cross-cut, bending, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric and Scanning electron microscopy. The corrosion performance of the composite coatings near the cut edge is discussed in detail as well as on the surface of galvanized steel. The results show that the addition of all ZnO particles has a positive effect on the corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of the coatings. The addition of nano, micro and hybrid ZnO particles increased the hardness of the composites by 52, 37 and 56%, respectively, compared to the neat epoxy. Although the cathodic protection performance is weakened near the cut edge due to the loss of Zn after thermal cutting, high barrier protection was provided with composite coatings, especially micro ZnO/Epoxy composite coating.
Oxidative Stress Inhibits Endotoxin Tolerance and May Affect Periodontitis
Authors: Yamaguchi T. , Yamamoto Y. , Egashira K. , Sato A. , Kondo Y. , Saiki S. , Kimura M. , Chikazawa T. , Yamamoto Y. , Ishigami A. , Murakami S.
Published: December 2022

Periodontal disease is caused by dysbiosis of the dental biofilm and the host inflammatory response. Various pathogenic factors, such as proteases and lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) produced by bacteria, are involved in disease progression. Endotoxin tolerance is a function of myeloid cells, which sustain inflammation and promote tissue regeneration upon prolonged stimulation by endotoxins such as LPS. The role of endotoxin tolerance is gaining attention in various chronic inflammatory diseases, but its role in periodontal disease remains elusive. Oxidative stress, one of the major risk factors for periodontal disease, promotes disease progression through various mechanisms, of which only some are known. The effect of oxidative stress on endotoxin tolerance has not yet been studied, and we postulated that endotoxin tolerance regulation may be an additional mechanism through which oxidative stress influences periodontal disease. This study aimed to reveal the effect of oxidative stress on endotoxin tolerance and that of endotoxin tolerance on periodontitis progression. The effect of oxidative stress on endotoxin tolerance was analyzed in vitro using peritoneal macrophages of mice and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The results showed that oxidative stress inhibits endotoxin tolerance induced by Porphyromonas gingivalis LPS in macrophages, at least partially, by downregulating LPS-elicited negative regulators of Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling. A novel oxidative stress mouse model was established using SMP30KO mice incapable of ascorbate biosynthesis. Using this model, we revealed that oxidative stress impairs endotoxin tolerance potential in macrophages in vivo. Furthermore, gingival expression of endotoxin tolerance-related genes and TLR signaling negative regulators was decreased, and symptoms of ligature-induced periodontitis were aggravated in the oxidative stress mouse model. Our findings suggest that oxidative stress may contribute to periodontitis progression through endotoxin tolerance inhibition.
Leaks in the Workforce Pipeline: Understanding Barriers to Pursuing Mental Health Careers among Undergraduate Psychology Students
Authors: Mian Nicholas D. , Glutting Joan H.
Published: December 2022

Background

Mental health workforce capacity has faced significant challenges which have only been exacerbated by COVID-19. Undergraduate students provide a robust entry point of a workforce pipeline, but many do not end up in mental health careers despite high levels of interest in this area.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to identify career barriers and related factors that might explain why few students enter the mental health workforce.

Method

We surveyed undergraduate psychology majors ( N = 230) from a large university about their career interests, career perceptions, vocational identity, perceived barriers, and post-graduation plans.

Results

About half of participants were interested in a mental health career but endorsed high levels of barriers, most of which are financial. Vocational identity predicted plans to attend graduate school after controlling for covariates.

Conclusion

Despite strong interest in mental health careers, students perceive significant barriers, and only those with the strongest identification with this career are likely to overcome these barriers.

Teaching Implications

Psychology faculty can help to address gaps in career knowledge and better support students being well-versed in regional issues and career-related information, such as loan repayment programs.
A school intervention promotes compassion, empathy and social relationships in children
Authors: Kappelmayer Marcela , Czar Andrea , Tresca Maria , D’Adamo Paola , Lozada Mariana
Published: December 2022

There is increasing evidence to show that compassion and altruism are highly beneficial when cultivated from an early age. In the present study we explore the benefits of an intervention programme that seeks to develop affective empathy, compassion and altruism in 9-year-old children from a school of Buenos Aires, Argentina. A pretest-posttest controlled study was carried out with 48 children, half of whom carried out the intervention. The remaining children, who constituted the waitlist group, participated in academic tutoring activities conducted by the same research team. The intervention was successful in promoting children's altruistic and compassionate attitudes, evidenced by the results obtained in the universal altruism test, social integration, and affective response. Effect sizes ranged from medium to large in the intervention group. These positive findings were not observed in the waitlist group (non-significant effect sizes). This study shows that children's self-awareness and awareness of others tend to foster compassion and affective empathy, contributing to individual and collective well-being.
Does the depth of the Financial Markets matter for establishing Green Growth? Assessing Financial sector’s potency in decoupling Economic Growth and Environmental Pollution
Authors: Yuan Xianghua , Murshed Muntasir , Khan Samiha
Published: December 2022

China’s 2060 carbon neutrality agenda requires implementation of policies that can decouple its economic growth from environmental pollution. Consequently, establishing green growth in the Chinese economy is of utmost significance. Against this milieu, this study questions whether the depth of Chinese financial markets matters for establishing green growth in China. Besides, the green growth effects of renewable energy use, technological innovation, and urbanization are also examined. Accordingly, quarterly frequency data from 1990Q1 to 2020Q4 are utilized to perform econometric tests that accommodate structural break concerns in data. Overall, the findings reveal that the depth of the Chinese financial markets facilitates the prospects of greening the Chinese economy. Notably, deepening of financial markets is seen to initially inhibit green growth while stimulating it later on; thus, the financial markets’ depth-green growth nexus is evidenced to depict a U-shape. On the other hand, green growth in China is also found to be catalyzed by the renewable transformation of the Chinese energy sector and through technological innovation in the long-run. Conversely, urbanization is witnessed to inflict anti-green growth impacts. Furthermore, the causality analysis verifies bi-directional causal associations between renewable energy use and green growth while unidirectional causalities running from financial markets' deepening, technological innovation, and urbanization to green growth are also discovered. Therefore, it is recommended that China should try to persistently develop its stock and debt markets so that clean investment can be boosted to decouple economic growth and environmental pollution. Besides, it is also important to undergo renewable energy transition, develop clean technologies, and design low-energy urbanization strategies.
Post-treatment course of acute lipodermatosclerosis
Authors: Suehiro Kotaro , Morikage Noriyasu , Harada Takasuke , Takeuchi Yuriko , Mizoguchi Takahiro , Ike Soichi , Otuska Ryo , Kurazumi Hiroshi , Suzuki Ryo , Hamano Kimikazu
Published: December 2022

Objectives

We aimed to clarify whether acute lipodermatosclerosis (LDS) progress to chronic LDS without continued compression therapy.

Methods

Between April 2015 and November 2021, 30 patients with acute/subacute LDS, which was diagnosed clinically by presence of isolated, poorly demarcated, tender erythema, and induration limited to the lower leg(s), visited our clinic and were able to be followed up for longer than a year. We reviewed their treatment results and the post-treatment courses.

Results

In all cases, the symptoms in the acute phase subsided with compression bandages. After the discontinuation of compression therapy, 18 legs (56%) progressed to chronic LDS, and 14 legs (44%) did not. In the legs without progression, subcutaneous tissue in the affected leg was thicker compared with that in the contralateral leg (median 19.1 mm vs. 13.4 mm, p < 0.05) on the initial visit. In the legs with progression, the difference in subcutaneous tissue thickness between the affected and unaffected legs was not significant (10.0 mm vs. 7.6 mm).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that in legs which later progress to chronic LDS, subcutaneous tissue contraction due to panniculitis is already present during the acute phase; therefore, long-term compression therapy is unlikely to improve the prognosis.
Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation for Assessing Red-Light Violation Warning Application With Semi-Actuated Signal Control in a Connected Vehicle Environment
Authors: Arafat Mahmoud , Hadi Mohammed , Hunsanon Thodsapon , Wang Tao
Published: December 2022

Understanding the safety and mobility impacts of connected vehicle (CV) applications is critical for ensuring effective implementations of these applications. This study provides an assessment of the safety and mobility impacts of the red-light violation warning (RLVW), a CV-based application at signalized intersections, under semi-actuated signal control utilizing a hardware-in-the-loop simulation environment. With actuated traffic signal operations, there is uncertainty in the end-of-green information provided to the vehicles using CV messages. The RLVW algorithm lacks the input information about when exactly the phase is going to be terminated since this termination occurs when a gap of a particular length is encountered at the detector. This study investigates a method recently proposed in a national effort to provide an assured green period (AGP) to grant definitive times for when the green interval will end. AGP mitigates the uncertainties related to termination of the green signal associated with actuated signal control and is expected to improve the performance of the CV RLVW application. Results showed that the safety benefits of RLVW without the use of AGP were limited. On the other hand, by introducing AGP with 100% RLVW, the number of red-light running events at signalized intersections was reduced by approximately 92%. However, the application of the AGP, as applied and assessed in this paper, can increase the number of stops and approach delay. This issue will need to be further investigated to determine the optimal setting of the AGP considering both mobility and safety impacts.
Factors Affecting Road Traffic: Identifying Drivers of Annual Average Daily Traffic Using Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator Regression
Authors: Sfyridis Alexandros , Agnolucci Paolo
Published: December 2022

Road traffic data is important for various applications in transport studies, such as those related to safety, environmental damages, and economic evaluations. Although significant improvement in estimation accuracy has been achieved, less is known about the association of specific factors with road traffic volumes. This paper presents an investigation of the relation of various road, area, and socioeconomic characteristics with annual average daily traffic in England and Wales for four different road classes and five vehicle types. This is achieved by applying least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression on a comprehensive set of land use, socioeconomic, public transport, and roadway variables. The output reveals that specific socioeconomic and roadway characteristics are those that are mainly associated with traffic volumes across all vehicle types and road classes. Moreover, the association of other variables with traffic volume varies, depending on the road class and vehicle type, creating space for future research. The results can support urban planning and inform policies related to transport congestion and environmental impact mitigation.
Properties of Encroachments and the Associated Roadway and Roadside Environment in the Second Strategic Highway Research Program
Authors: Bareiss Max , Gabauer Douglas J. , Riexinger Luke E. , Gabler Hampton C.
Published: December 2022

An encroachment is defined as a vehicle departing the lanes of the traveled way and entering the roadside or median. Encroachments have been previously characterized by Hutchinson and Kennedy and by Cooper, in studies conducted in 1964 and 1978, respectively. Both studies are more than 40 years old, and both roadways and vehicles have changed significantly since data collection ended, presenting the need for an updated encroachment study. This study identified and characterized encroachment events in the Second Strategic Highway Research Program Naturalistic Driving Study (SHRP 2 NDS). Then, we compared the statistical distributions of roadway and roadside environmental factors weighted by their occurrence in SHRP 2 NDS normal driving and during these encroachment events. This weighting represented the typical infrastructure SHRP 2 vehicles encountered, as opposed to the infrastructure installed. Segments of roadway encountered more frequently or encroachment areas represented more frequently were weighted more heavily. A total of 863,280 SHRP 2 trips containing normal driving and road-departure events were selected from the SHRP 2 dataset which included 215,993 h of driving. A total of 278,415 departure events were found. Encroachment events were similar to normal driving in roadway grade, shoulder width, and lane width. Encroachment events occurred more frequently on roadway sections with depressed medians, one or two lanes in the travel direction, smaller horizontal curve radii, or rumble strips present.
A Comprehensive Meta-analysis of Clinical and Biomechanical Outcomes Comparing Double-Bundle and Single-Bundle Posterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Techniques
Authors: Dasari Suhas P. , Warrier Alec A. , Condon Joshua J. , Mameri Enzo S. , Khan Zeeshan A. , Kerzner Benjamin , Gursoy Safa , Swindell Hasani W. , Hevesi Mario , Chahla Jorge
Published: December 2022

Background:

Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction techniques have historically focused on single-bundle (SB) reconstruction of the larger anterolateral bundle without addressing the codominant posteromedial bundle. The SB technique has been associated with residual laxity and instability, leading to the development of double-bundle (DB) reconstruction techniques.

Purpose:

To perform a meta-analysis of comparative clinical and biomechanical studies to differentiate the pooled outcomes of SB and DB PCL reconstruction cohorts.

Study Design:

Meta-analysis and systematic review: Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Six databases were queried in February 2022 for literature directly comparing clinical and biomechanical outcomes for patients or cadaveric specimens undergoing DB PCL reconstruction against SB PCL reconstruction. Biomechanical outcomes included posterior tibial translational laxity, external rotational laxity, and varus laxity at 30° and 90° of knee flexion. Clinical outcomes included the side-to-side difference in posterior tibial translation during postoperative stress radiographs, risk of a major complication, and the following postoperative patient-reported outcome measures: Lysholm, Tegner, and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective and objective scores. A random-effects model was used to compare pooled clinical and biomechanical outcomes between the cohorts.

Results:

Fifteen biomechanical studies and 13 clinical studies were included in this meta-analysis. The DB group demonstrated significantly less posterior tibial translation at 30° and 90° of knee flexion ( P < .00001). Additionally, the DB group demonstrated significantly less external rotation laxity at 90° of knee flexion ( P = .0002) but not at 30° of knee flexion ( P = .33). There was no difference in varus laxity between the groups at 30° ( P = .56) or 90° ( P = .24) of knee flexion. There was significantly less translation on stress radiographs in the DB group ( P = .02). Clinically, there was no significant difference between the groups for the Lysholm score ( P = .95), Tegner score ( P = .14), or risk of a major complication ( P = .93). DB PCL reconstruction led to significantly higher odds of achieving “normal” or “near normal” objective IKDC outcomes for the included prospective studies ( P = .04) and higher subjective IKDC scores ( P = .01).

Conclusion:

DB PCL reconstruction leads to superior biomechanical outcomes and clinical outcomes relative to SB PCL reconstruction. Re-creating native anatomy during PCL reconstruction maximizes biomechanical stability and clinical outcomes.
A conceptual model of health insurance stability in the United States health care system
Authors: Grembowski David , Leibbrand Christine
Published: December 2022

In the U.S. health care system, people under age 65 are at risk of losing and regaining health insurance coverage over their lifetimes, which has important consequences for their physical and mental health. Despite the importance of insurance stability, we have an incomplete understanding about the complex factors influencing whether people lose and regain coverage. To advance our understanding of the dynamics of health insurance coverage and guide future research, our purpose is to present a new conceptual model of health insurance stability, where instability is defined as a person’s loss or change of coverage, which can occur more than once in a lifetime. Drawing from theory and evidence in the literature, we posit that personal and plan characteristics, the health system, and the environmental context – economic, social/cultural, political/judicial, and geographic – drive health insurance stability over the life course and are understudied. Studies are needed to identify the populations most at risk of experiencing insurance instability and vulnerability in health outcomes that results from such insecurity, which may suggest reforms and health policies at the individual, health system, or environment levels to reduce those risks.
Design, optimization, and analysis of a human-machine compatibility upper extremity exoskeleton rehabilitation robot
Authors: Ning Yuansheng , Wang Hongbo , Tian Junjie , Zhu Pan , Yang Congliang , Niu Jianye
Published: December 2022

For rehabilitation therapy robots, the movement range, and comfort of rehabilitation are crucial to the patient’s training and recovery and are also key factors in the design and performance evaluation of rehabilitation robots. In this paper, a highly harmonized upper extremity rehabilitation robot was proposed based on the human-machine coupling system model. Meanwhile, the shoulder joint structure of the rehabilitation robot was optimized to study the workspace range of this robot, the workspace of the upper extremity rehabilitation robot was fitted based on kinematic equations and the workspace volume size for different shoulder joint angles was analyzed. Finally, the upper extremity exoskeleton rehabilitation robot prototype was used to conduct the movement range tracking experiment and human-machine compatibility experiment in healthy volunteers to verify the rehabilitation training range and movement comfort of the rehabilitation robot. The experimental results show that when the optimized upper extremity exoskeleton rehabilitation robot was used to move in the coronal plane and sagittal plane of the human body, the overlaps of the movement range of the upper extremity wrist point W and the movement range of the healthy person was 97.23% and 97.66%, respectively, while the human-machine interaction force generated during the movement was mainly concentrated in the range of 0–10 kPa, which belongs to the low-pressure range of human-machine interaction. Therefore, this upper extremity rehabilitation robot can increase the movement range of patients’ upper extremities and improve the comfort of rehabilitation training.
Optimal system configuration for integrated air traffic system
Authors: HAN Yun-Xiang
Published: December 2022

The main object of this paper is to study the role of buffer in the process of airspace planning, so as to obtain an efficient and optimal air traffic system configuration. Specifically, this paper proposes a system modeling method to describe the nonlinear air traffic flow dynamics. The purpose is to find an optimal allocation scheme for each flight plan and define the operation process of each sub-segment. First, the model of an air traffic system with buffers is built, and it can switch between different configurations. In each configuration, the system model is described by specific parameter sets, and the configuration variation allows us to change the structure of the air traffic system. Then, we discuss some performance measures of the air traffic system and indicate how they can be applied to obtain optimal buffer allocations. The main objective of this paper is to investigate the performance of terminal control area.
Flow structures and heat transfer characteristics in a vaneless counter-rotating turbine cavity with different cooling inflows
Authors: Li Zheng , Hu Peng , Sui Xiuming , Zhao Wei , Lin Qizhao
Published: December 2022

The cooling air is used in the gas turbine to prevent the hot gas ingress and overheating of turbine disks. In this paper, the flow structures and heat transfer characteristics of vaneless counter-rotating turbine (VCRT) with different types of cooling inflows are numerically analyzed. The three-dimensional unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) equations with a Shear Stress Transport (SST) turbulence model are adopted. The results reveal that the inertia force, rotating effect and mainstream dominate the flow fields in VCRT cavity. The axial cooling inflow promotes the heat transfer characteristic in low pressure rotor (LPR) disk meanwhile the radial cooling inflow improves the heat transfer performance in high pressure rotor (HPR) disk. The vortexes interaction, viscous dissipation and heat transportation result in the decrease of heat transfer characteristic in the high radius region of rotor disk. The combined cooling inflow is adopted to solve the problem. It is the combination of radial cooling inlet and high position cooling inlet. The cooling air injected axially from the high position cooling inlet moves outward along the HPR disk which enhances the heat transfer characteristic. It is found that the Nusselt number and the amount of cooling air is not the simple linear relationship. The Nusselt number in HPR disk no longer increases if the high position cooling flow rate exceeds the threshold value. Compared with other types of cooling inflows, the needed amount of cooling air reduces when the combined cooling inflow is adopted. There is an optimum combined cooling flow rate which obtains the excellent heat transfer characteristics in the HPR disk.
Does Social Welfare Programmes Influence Households Trust in Local Administration and Their Political Participation? Evidence from the MGNREG Scheme in India
Authors: Goyal Ankush , Kumar Rajender
Published: December 2022

This paper investigates the effect of receiving employment benefits under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREG) scheme on the household’s trust in the local administration and their political participation. The present study is based on primary data collected through a structured schedule from selected districts of Haryana, India. In order to analyse the collected data, the ordered logistic regression method was used. The major findings of the study indicated that MGNREG beneficiaries expressed a lower level of trust and unfavourable attitude towards local administration. They were also found less interested in participating in the village-level meetings. Thus, it appeared that simply being a beneficiary of the MGNREG programme was not adequate to influence public trust in local administration.
Evidence for Hesperidin as an Effective Factor in Initiating the Intrinsic Pathway of Apoptosis in KG1a Leukemia Cells
Authors: Novinbahador Tannaz , Araj-Khodaei Mostafa , Mahdavi Majid
Published: December 2022

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common subtype of leukemia, accounting for 62% of all leukemia fatalities. As a polyphenol glycoside, hesperidin triggers the apoptotic pathway, which might positively affect combating cancer cells. In this study, we investigated the pro-apoptotic effects of hesperidin in KG1a cells. The MTT assay was used to determine the IC50 of hesperidin in KG1a cell lines. For the apoptotic cell morphology study, we used Hoechst 33 258 staining. Activation of the caspase-3 enzyme was evaluated by the caspase-3 assay and spectrophotometry. Cell cycle distribution was analyzed by propidium iodide staining and flow cytometry. Moreover, p21, survivin, Bax, and Bcl2 gene expression was investigated by real-time PCR. Hesperidin decreased the viability of KG1a leukemic cell4s, but not that of HFF2, a non-cancer cell line. Apoptotic cell morphological alterations and increase in caspase-3 activity were observed after hesperidin treatment. Our results revealed that the expression of anti-apoptotic genes survivin and Bcl2 significantly decreased with hesperidin treatment, and pro-apoptotic gene Bax and cell cycle regulator p21 increased compared to the control group. These findings revealed that hesperidin may be an effective factor in initiating the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis and may be good candidate for the treatment of AML.
Clear Cell Sarcoma of the Kidney (CCSK) With BCOR-CCNB3 Fusion: A Rare Case Report With a Brief Review of the Literature
Authors: Dorwal Pranav , Abou-Seif Claire , Ng Jessica , Super Leanne , Chan Yuen , Rathi Vivek
Published: December 2022

Pediatric renal tumors are a rare entity and majority of these tumors are accounted for by Wilms tumor. The second most common renal tumor is clear cell sarcoma of the kidney (CSSK). Most of the CSSK have either BCOR-internal tandem duplication (ITD) or YWHAE-NUTM2B/E fusion. The sarcomas with BCOR-CCNB3 fusion are well documented in soft tissue and bone tumors, but are extremely rare in the pediatric renal setting. We are reporting an extremely rare case of pediatric clear cell sarcoma of the kidney (CSSK) with BCOR-CCNB3 fusion, which was a diagnostic challenge on morphological grounds. A final diagnosis could only be reached after multiple reviews and NGS based RNA fusion testing. We have also performed a brief review of literature which revealed eight (8) other cases of this rare entity.
Identifying the Therapeutic and Prognostic Role of the CD8+ T Cell-Related Gene ALDH2 in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Hongmei , Li Zhaozheng , Zheng Yan
Published: December 2022

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) is a widely known malignancy which is usually diagnosed late and has a poor prognosis. This study focuses on finding a new gene linked with CD8+ T cell infiltration as a prognostic marker for patients with HNSC. Differential analysis of transcriptomic data was performed between HNSC and control tissues from TCGA and GEO database. The CD8+ T cell infiltration score was quantified using single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA). Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) algorithms were used to identify key modules associated with CD8+ T cell infiltration. Kaplan-Meier (K-M) survival analysis was used to compare overall survival (OS) between the 2 groups. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were used to assess independent prognostic markers. The results showed CD8+ T cell infiltration score was an independent favorable prognostic marker in HNSC. Differential analysis and WGCNA identified 93 differential gene related to high CD8+ T infiltration. Amog the 93 genes, ALDH2 was an independent favorable prognostic marker in HNSC. ALDH2 expression was found to be much lower in HNSC, and patients with low ALDH2 expression had higher T stage and N stage. The correlation analysis showed that ALDH2 was linked with immune cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment of HNSC. Patients having increased expression of ALDH2 tend to be sensitive to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). In addition, we showed the relationship between ALDH2 expression and chemotherapeutic drug sensitivity. In conclusion, this study identified ALDH2 as a prognostic marker, associated with CD8+ T cell infiltration in HNSC.
Exploring the Mechanism and Suggesting Combination Therapies for HDAC Inhibitors in Androgen Receptor-Null Prostate Cancer Using Multivariate Statistical Analysis and Data Mining Techniques
Authors: Rana Zohaib , Rosengren Rhonda J , Smith Paul F
Published: December 2022

Previously, we showed that novel histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, N1-hydroxy- N8-(4-(pyridine-2-carbothioamido)phenyl)octanediamide (Jazz90) and [chlorido(η5-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)( N1-hydroxy- N8-(4-(pyridine-2-carbothioamido-κ2 N, S)phenyl)octanediamide)rhodium(III)] chloride (Jazz167), have cytostatic and anti-angiogenic effects in androgen receptor-negative prostate cancer cells and are also non-toxic in BALB/c mice. However, only univariate statistical analysis was carried out to determine the role of individual proteins. In this study, multivariate statistical analyses (MVAs) and data mining procedures were carried out with the objective of determining the molecular networks that explain the growth inhibitory potential of Jazz90 and Jazz167 in PC3 cells and to determine potential inhibitors that can be used in combination with these HDAC inhibitors. Lasso regression revealed that angiogenic factors, vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2), alongside HDAC inhibition, predicted the reduction in cell number with an adjusted R2 value of 0.99 following Jazz90 treatment, whereas VEGFR-2, acetylation of histone-3, and HDAC inhibition predicted cell number with an adjusted R2 value of 0.84 following Jazz167 treatment. These results were further followed up with ridge regression, hierarchical cluster analysis, random forest classification (RFC), and support vector machines. RFC and support vector machines also predicted the treatment groups with a 100% accuracy. MVAs also revealed that Jazz90 should be examined in combination with epithelial to mesenchymal transitioning inhibitors, such as simvastatin and olaparib, whereas Jazz167 should be examined with venetoclax or navitoclax. Future studies should also address the roles of VEGF-A and VEGFR-2 in cellular proliferation, whereas p27 function should be examined for its role in PC3 cell migration.
Coda: The last cultural capital survey?
Authors: Bennett Tony , Rowe David
Published: December 2022

In asking whether the survey conducted for the Australian Cultural Fields project might be the last of its kind, this article reflects on the issues raised by the participants in this review symposium as well as those registered in the Fields, Capitals, Habitus book regarding the limitations of cultural capital surveys. It also draws on recent critical assessments of the degree to which the underlying principles of Bourdieu's sociology can engage adequately with the scale and character of the current escalating inequalities of class, age, race and gender. This brief analytical reflection paves the way for suggesting how cultural capital surveys might be adjusted to take account of both the issues canvassed in this symposium, as well as those needing to be addressed to engage with the inequalities that exceed the theoretical compass of the cultural capital tradition. It also acknowledges the need to reset the political compass of the forms of state action that critical cultural capital analysis proposed for reducing, if not eradicating, a range of inequalities. Despite the teasing provocation of our title, we do not finally call for cultural capital surveys to be decommissioned, but issue a challenge for them to be retooled to engage productively with new problematics and circumstances.
Store-operated Ca2+ channel signaling: Novel mechanism for podocyte injury in kidney disease
Authors: Tao Yu , Mallet Robert T , Mathis Keisa W , Ma Rong
Published: December 2022

Studies over the last decade have markedly broadened our understanding of store-operated Ca2+ channels (SOCs) and their roles in kidney diseases and podocyte dysfunction. Podocytes are terminally differentiated glomerular visceral epithelial cells which are tightly attached to the glomerular capillary basement membrane. Podocytes and their unique foot processes (pedicels) constitute the outer layer of the glomerular filtration membrane and the final barrier preventing filtration of albumin and other plasma proteins. Diabetic nephropathy and other renal diseases are associated with podocyte injury and proteinuria. Recent evidence demonstrates a pivotal role of store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) in maintaining structural and functional integrity of podocytes. This article reviews the current knowledge of SOCE and its contributions to podocyte physiology. Recent studies of the contributions of SOC dysfunction to podocyte injury in both cell culture and animal models are discussed, including work in our laboratory. Several downstream signaling pathways mediating SOC function in podocytes also are examined. Understanding the pivotal roles of SOC in podocyte health and disease is essential, as SOCE-activated signaling pathways are potential treatment targets for podocyte injury-related kidney diseases.
Pyrotinib combining with radiotherapy on breast cancer with brain metastasis
Authors: Ma Xiaoping , Li Yan , Zhao Zhenhui , Li Li , Gao Chunyan , Liu Dan , Li Bingyu , Zhao Bing
Published: December 2022

With the extensive application of anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) targeted therapy, the prognosis of HER2-positive breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM) has been improved greatly. Due to the lack of prospective randomized controlled studies; however, the treatment of active brain metastasis (BM) remains a difficulty in clinic. Based upon the retrospective studies, an effective approach of radiotherapy combined with pyrotinib in HER2-positive BCBM treatment was investigated in present research. In all, 29 patients who had active BM in HER2-positive breast cancer (BC) and underwent whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) combined with pyrotinib from January 2019 to May 2021 were enrolled. The progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), clinical benefit rate (CBR), objective response rate (ORR), and drug-related adverse events (AEs) were analyzed among patients undergoing WBRT combined with concurrent or sequence pyrotinib + capecitabine. After the systematic treatments using WBRT combined with pyrotinib + capecitabine, the mPFS and mOS of BM patients were 6.5 months and 15.5 months, respectively. PFS (7.2 vs 6.2 months, p = 0.038) and OS (19.0 vs 14.0 months, p = 0.014) were longer after sequence treatments than those after concurrent treatment. The central nervous system (CNS) ORR of sequence treatment was superior to that of concurrent treatment (80.4% vs 58.6%, p < 0.05). Vomiting (17.2%) and diarrhea (10.3%) were the most common adverse reactions ⩾ grade 3. WBRT combined with pyrotinib is safe and effective for the treatments of active BM in HER2-positive BC. WBRT combined with sequence pyrotinib + capecitabine is more effective and less toxic than concurrent treatment. Therefore, sequence treatment is potentially a preferred regimen for patients with active BM in HER2-positive BC. The size and number of BM lesions, presence or absence of hepatic metastasis, and combination mode of radiotherapy and targeted therapy are independent risk factors for active BM prognosis.
Duty of Candour: The Legal and Regulatory Risk that Dentistry Forgot
Authors: Lewis Kevin
Published: December 2022

This article is based upon a webinar presented by the author in July 2022 as part of the ongoing collaboration between CGDent and ProDental CPD, and the handouts provided for those webinar participants. It also reflects the author’s seminar given at the Dentistry Show in London in October 2022. Some of the background information also appeared in lectures on this topic given by the author to the UK Committee of Postgraduate Dental Deans and Directors (COPDEND) and East Midlands Dental School in 2015–2017. It aims to bust some myths about the duty of candour as it applies to dentistry and explains its implications for practice owners, dentists and other team members, the conversations we need to be having and the records we need to keep in order to satisfy the legal, ethical and perhaps contractual aspects of this duty, as well as the human aspects. It should be noted that the situation regarding the legal duty of candour differs across the four nations of the UK; this article explains the dynamic nature of those differences, but in terms of detail it focuses upon the situation as it exists in England where the duty has existed for much longer and affecting more members of the dental profession.