bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Female genital mutilation in high-income countries: knowledge and experience among health professionals
Authors: Sheerin Brooke , Jefferson Emma , Chang Yan-Shing
Published: February 2023

Background:

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a cultural practice with numerous negative health consequences. Due to migration from countries where FGM is prevalent into high-income countries, there is increased awareness within non-practising communities, with emphasis on FGM's illegal nature and the negative impacts on women. It is therefore vital for health professionals to be knowledgeable to provide adequate patient care.

Aim:

This review aimed to synthesise literature to report the understanding and experiences of health professionals caring for females affected by FGM in high-income countries.

Methods:

A systematic search was conducted on three databases: Medline, Embase, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to select the papers. Findings from included papers were synthesised using thematic synthesis.

Findings:

Eight articles met the criteria. Four themes were generated: FGM knowledge, training, attitudes and caring for FGM patients.

Conclusion:

Health professionals' knowledge and experiences of FGM tend to be varied. This review highlights the need of training for health professionals in high-income countries to strengthen their FGM knowledge.
Pressure ulcer prevention, patient positioning and protective equipment
Authors: Collier Mark , Jones Sarah , Glendewar Gilly
Published: February 2023

Pressure ulcer (PU) prevention is a high priority for health professionals in all settings. While PU incidence is expected to rise given the ageing population in the UK and Europe, PUs can occur in people of any age. It is therefore imperative that all practitioners know about the causes and consequences of PUs and be aware of up-to-date guidance on the prevention and management in patients who have developed a PU or who are at risk of developing a PU. Health professionals should also be aware of preventive equipment highlighted in national and local guidance, prevention strategies and protocols. This article discusses these issues and the Devon (Cardinal Health) prevention and repositioning product range.
Rapid upskilling about COVID-19 vaccines: an evaluation of a novel interprofessional education workshop
Authors: Hemingway Steve , Sam-Okerenta Chinyere , Kittrick Abbey , Hanson Victoria , Arrey Sally , Stephenson John , Gorton Hayley
Published: February 2023

Background:

An inter-professional education (IPE) workshop centred around newly approved COVID-19 vaccination was attended by 77 nursing and pharmacy students.

Aim:

To embed and evaluate the implementation of a virtual IPE workshop, and to upskill undergraduate nursing and pharmacy students about the COVID-19 vaccination.

Methods:

The workshop was evaluated using a questionnaire completed by participants from both disciplines. A focus group was conducted with the IPE facilitators.

Results:

77 students out of a potential 400 attended the workshop (19% attendance). Of the 77 participants, 44 (23 nursing, 21 pharmacy) completed the questionnaire (57%), rating the content highly. There was overall positivity toward working interprofessionally, and there was no evidence of significant differences between how the two groups of students rated the workshop. Qualitative findings from students and facilitators corroborated the supposition that the workshop would enhance professional development. Thus, the workshop was successful in facilitating interprofessional interactions, with students all working collaboratively toward the same goal, the ultimate purpose of IPE. It was agreed that such an event should be included as part of the student curricula.

Conclusion:

Implementing an IPE event that includes real-time healthcare priorities can contribute to optimising students' healthcare education. More high-quality longitudinal research is needed to understand the impact of such sessions on students' competence and confidence.
Curbing modern cyberthreats
Authors: Desai Samir
Published: February 2023

The current hybrid way of working has become a new playground for cyber criminals. Attacks of all kinds have increased as malicious actors have sought to exploit weaknesses in infrastructures that were hurriedly constructed to support remote working. The good news is that technology is rising to the challenge.
Developing a core outcome set for hand fractures and joint injuries in adults
Authors: Deshmukh Sandeep R. , Kirkham Jamie J. , Karantana Alexia
Published: February 2023

Aims

The aim of this study was to develop a core outcome set of what to measure in all future clinical research on hand fractures and joint injuries in adults.

Methods

Phase 1 consisted of steps to identify potential outcome domains through systematic review of published studies, and exploration of the patient perspective through qualitative research, consisting of 25 semi-structured interviews and five focus groups. Phase 2 involved key stakeholder groups (patients, hand surgeons, and hand therapists) prioritizing the outcome domains via a three-round international Delphi survey, with a final consensus meeting to agree the final core outcome set.

Results

The systematic review of 160 studies identified 74 outcome domains based on the World Health Organization International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. Overall, 35 domains were generated through thematic analysis of the patient interviews and focus groups. The domains from these elements were synthesised to develop 37 outcome domains as the basis of the Delphi survey, with a further four generated from participant suggestions in Round 1. The Delphi survey identified 20 outcome domains as ‘very important’ for the core outcome set. At the consensus meeting, 27 participants from key stakeholder groups selected seven outcomes for the core outcome set: pain/discomfort with activity, pain/discomfort with rest, fine hand use/dexterity, self-hygiene/personal care, return to usual work/job, range of motion, and patient satisfaction with outcome/result.

Conclusion

This set of core outcome domains is recommended as a minimum to be reported in all clinical research on hand fractures and joint injuries in adults. While this establishes what to measure, future work will focus on determining how best to measure these outcomes. By adopting this patient-centred core outcome set, consistency and comparability of studies will be improved, aiding meta-analysis and strengthening the evidence base for management of these common and impactful injuries.

Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2023;4(2):87–95.
Uncemented total hip arthroplasty with a tapered titanium femoral component: a minimum 30-year follow-up
Authors: McLaughlin Jeffrey R. , Johnson Mary A. , Lee Kyla R.
Published: February 2023

Aims

The purpose of this study is to report our updated results at a minimum follow-up of 30 years using a first generation uncemented tapered femoral component in primary total hip arthroplasty (THA).

Methods

The original cohort consisted of 145 consecutive THAs performed by a single surgeon in 138 patients. A total of 37 patients (40 hips) survived a minimum of 30 years, and are the focus of this review. The femoral component used in all cases was a first-generation Taperloc with a non-modular 28 mm femoral head. Clinical follow-up at a minimum of 30 years was obtained on every living patient. Radiological follow-up at 30 years was obtained on all but four.

Results

Seven femoral components (18%) required revision, and none for septic loosening. Four well fixed stems were removed during acetabular revision and three were revised for late infection. One femoral component (3%) was loose by radiological criteria. The mean Harris Hip Score improved from 47 points (SD 4.62) preoperatively to 83 points (SD 9.27) at final follow-up. With revision for any reason as the endpoint, survival of the femoral component was 80% (95% confidence interval (CI) 61% to 90%) at 32 years. With revision for aseptic loosing femoral component, survival was 99% (95% CI 93% to 99%).

Conclusion

With regards to aseptic loosening, the Taperloc femoral component provides excellent fixation at a mean follow-up of 32 years.

Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2023;4(2):79–86.
Construction of a Smart City Network Information Security Evaluation Model Based on GRA-BPNN
Authors: Li Xiang
Published: February 2023

In this study, we propose an optimized network information security evaluation GRA-BPNN model based on gray correlation analysis method combined with BP neural network model, and make corresponding optimization for network information security evaluation index. Simulation experiments are conducted to analyze the experimental model, and the simulation results show that the test sample values reach the best training performance at the 7th iteration after 13 iterations, and the R-values in the regression of training results all reach above 0.99, and the data are well-fitted. When the number of training iterations reaches 13, the training gradient is 0.00067928, the value of Mu is 0.001, and the validity test value is 6. The GRA-BPNN model scores 0.028 higher than the GRA method, which is in line with the expected error, and the higher score also proves that the GRA-BPNN model is more comprehensive and specific in its scoring consideration.
Physical Layer Key Generation Method Based on SVD Pre-processing
Authors: Liu Zehui , Guo Min , Ju Yun
Published: February 2023

Environmental factors such as channel noise and hardware fingerprints affect the encryption effect of physical layer key generation techniques, resulting in low consistency of generated keys. Feature pre-processing is a common means of improving consistency of keys. However, most of the existing feature pre-processing algorithms improve key consistency by sacrificing key generation rate, which is not very usable. Therefore, it is proposed a physical layer key generation method based on SVD pre-processing. This method uses the SVD feature processing algorithm to pre-process the channel features extracted from both sides of the communication before quantization, in order to simultaneously improve key consistency and key generation rate. The simulation results show that when the channel SNR is greater than 10 dB, the BER of the SVD scheme is significantly lower compared to the scheme without pre-processing and the DCT and PCA pre-processing schemes; when the SNR is greater than 20 dB, the SVD scheme KGR can reach a level of 10bit/s, which is significantly higher than the other three schemes. The results show that this scheme can significantly increase the key generation rate while effectively improving key consistency.
Study on Sustainable Development of Carbonate Reservoir Based on 3D Printing Technology
Authors: Chen Xu , Zhang Zubo , Gao Jian , Kang Hao
Published: February 2023

With its abundant reserves in the world, carbonate reservoir has become one of the main targets for future oil and gas development. Accelerating the research and development of carbonate reservoirs is thus significant to enhance the world’s energy supply capacity. However, there have been some problems in the evaluation of carbonate reservoirs for a long time, such as low description accuracy of fractured-vuggy bodies, diverse flow patterns, and difficult reservoir simulation and prediction. Compared with traditional manufacturing methods, 3D printing is an advanced manufacturing technology of rapid prototyping. It has the characteristics of short manufacturing cycle, not limited by the complexity of parts, material saving and energy saving, and thus has unparalleled advantages in reservoir rock analysis. In this paper, the carbonate core of Yingmaili region in Tarim Basin was taken as the research object, and the uniaxial compression mechanical properties of three small cores printed with different materials were designed and tested by using KINGS-600 3D photocuring printer and photosensitive resin materials. After that, UV-9400S white resin with the highest strength is selected as the printing material of the full diameter core model of the karst cave. Combined with the CT scanning of the formed samples, the control accuracy concerning the cave morphology of the 3D printed samples was tested which adequately proves that flow experiments can be carried out with 3D printed core samples. At last, the article also analyzes the shortcomings of 3D printing technology, and points out the direction for its large-scale application in the field of oil and gas exploitation. This study can especially provide a reference for the application of 3D printing technology in the field of carbonate reservoir development, and ultimately promote the sustainable supply of oil and gas resources.
Minimally Invasive Excision of Ventral Osteochondroma of the Scapula: A Case Report
Authors: Aldebeyan Wassim , Alshayhan Fahad , Almashouq Mohammad K , Benfaris Demah , Alsabbagh Laila M , AlFaleh Ahmed F
Published: February 2023

Introduction: Osteochondromas are the most common benign lesions of the bone. They usually affect flat bones such as the scapula. Case Report: We report a case of a left-handed 22-year-old male with no previous medical history, who came to the orthopedic outpatient clinic complaining of pain in the right shoulder, snapping, poor cosmetic look, and limited range of motion. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an osteochondroma of the scapula. The tumor was surgically excised using a muscle splitting technique in line with the muscle fibers. Histopathological evaluation of the excised tumor confirmed the diagnosis of an osteochondroma. Conclusion: Surgical excision of the osteochondroma using muscle splitting in line with the muscle fibers gave good results in terms of patient satisfaction and cosmetic appearance. Delayed diagnosis and management may increase the risk of symptoms such as snapping or winging of the scapula. Keywords: Osteochondroma, snapping, winging, benign lesions, scapula, pain.
Politics, voice and just transition: who has a say in climate change decision making, and who does not
Authors: Boss George , Dietzel Alix , Godshaw Dan , Venn Alice
Published: February 2023

The city of Bristol, UK, set out to pursue a just transition to climate change in 2020. This paper explores what happened next. We set out to study how just transition is unfolding politically on the ground, focusing on procedural justice. Over the course of a year, we conducted interviews and observations to study decision making at three levels – public sector, private sector and civil society. We found that not only is it difficult to define what just transition means, even for experts, but that the process of deciding how to pursue such a transition is highly exclusionary, especially to women and ethnic minorities. We therefore argue there is an urgency to revise decision-making procedures and ensure that there is ample opportunity to feed into decision-making processes by those who are typically excluded. Inclusive decision making must be embedded into the process of just transition from the beginning and throughout its implementation – it is not a step that can be ‘ticked off’ and then abandoned, but rather an ongoing process that must be consistently returned to. Finally, we conclude that cities have the unique opportunity to pilot bottom-up participatory approaches and to feed into the process of how a just transition might be pursued at the global level – for example, through their participation in the United Nations Framework for the Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP) processes.
Design of an interferometric fiber optic parametric amplifier for the rejection of unwanted four-wave mixing products
Authors: Gordienko Vladimir , Ferreira Filipe M. , Ribeiro Vitor , Doran Nick
Published: February 2023

We introduce a novel (to our knolwedge) interferometric fiber optic parametric amplifier (FOPA), allowing for the suppression of unwanted four-wave mixing products. We perform simulations of two configurations where one rejects idlers and, the other rejects nonlinear crosstalk from the signal output port. The numerical simulations presented here demonstrate the practical feasibility of suppressing idlers by >28 dB across at least 10 THz enabling the reuse of the idler frequencies for signal amplification and thus doubling the employable FOPA gain bandwidth. We demonstrate it can be achieved even when the interferometer employs real-world couplers by introducing a small attenuation in one of the interferometer arms.
Highly reconfigurable silicon integrated microwave photonic filter towards next-generation wireless communication
Authors: Tao Zihan , Tao Yuansheng , Jin Ming , Qin Jun , Chen Ruixuan , Shen Bitao , Wu Yichen , Shu Haowen , Yu Shaohua , Wang Xingjun
Published: February 2023

Integrated microwave photonic filters (IMPFs) are capable of offering unparalleled performances in terms of superb spectral fineness, broadband, and more importantly, the reconfigurability, which encounter the trend of the next-generation wireless communication. However, to achieve high reconfigurability, previous works should adopt complicated system structures and modulation formats, which put great pressure on power consumption and controlment, and, therefore, impede the massive deployment of IMPF. Here, we propose a streamlined architecture for a wideband and highly reconfigurable IMPF on the silicon photonics platform. For various practical filter responses, to avoid complex auxiliary devices and bias drift problems, a phase-modulated flexible sideband cancellation method is employed based on the intensity-consistent single-stage-adjustable cascaded-microring (ICSSA-CM). The IMPF exhibits an operation band extending to millimeter-wave (≥30  GHz), and other extraordinary performances including high spectral resolution of 220 MHz and large rejection ratio of 60 dB are obtained. Moreover, Gb/s-level RF wireless communications are demonstrated for the first time towards real-world scenarios. The proposed IMPF provides broadband flexible spectrum control capabilities, showing great potential in the next-generation wireless communication.
NKG2D Ligand Expression Induced by Oxidative Stress Mitigates Cutaneous Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Makita Keishi , Otsuka Noriyuki , Tomaru Utano , Taniguchi Koji , Kasahara Masanori
Published: February 2023

Pressure ulcers represent a crucial clinical problem, especially in hospitalized patients. Ischemia–reperfusion (I-R) is an important cause of these lesions. Natural killer (NK), invariant NK T (iNKT), and dendritic epidermal T-cells, which express the natural killer group 2, member D (NKG2D) receptor, have been reported to have physiological roles in skin tissue repair and wound healing. However, a role for NKG2D–NKG2D ligand interactions in I-R-induced skin injury has not been determined. Using a murine pressure ulcer model, we demonstrated that I-R-induced ulcers in NKG2D-deficient mice were larger than those in wild-type or T-cell receptor δ knockout mice. Histopathological evaluation revealed that accumulation of macrophages and neutrophils at the peripheral deep dermis and subcutaneous tissue of the ulcers was enhanced in NKG2D-deficient mice. Rae-1 mRNA, which encodes an NKG2D ligand, was induced, and RAE-1 protein was detected immunohistochemically in fibroblasts and inflammatory cells in the dermis after reperfusion. RAE-1 expression was also increased in primary mouse fibroblasts treated with sodium arsenite. These results suggested that NKG2D ligand expression was induced by oxidative stress after I-R injury and support a putative role for this ligand in wound repair. Furthermore, the influx of NKG2D-positive cells at I-R sites may mitigate pressure ulcers via NKG2D–NKG2D ligand interactions.
Global dynamics of neural mass models
Authors: Cooray Gerald Kaushallye , Rosch Richard Ewald , Friston Karl John
Published: February 2023

Neural mass models are used to simulate cortical dynamics and to explain the electrical and magnetic fields measured using electro- and magnetoencephalography. Simulations evince a complex phase-space structure for these kinds of models; including stationary points and limit cycles and the possibility for bifurcations and transitions among different modes of activity. This complexity allows neural mass models to describe the itinerant features of brain dynamics. However, expressive, nonlinear neural mass models are often difficult to fit to empirical data without additional simplifying assumptions: e.g., that the system can be modelled as linear perturbations around a fixed point. In this study we offer a mathematical analysis of neural mass models, specifically the canonical microcircuit model, providing analytical solutions describing slow changes in the type of cortical activity, i.e. dynamical itinerancy. We derive a perturbation analysis up to second order of the phase flow, together with adiabatic approximations. This allows us to describe amplitude modulations in a relatively simple mathematical format providing analytic proof-of-principle for the existence of semi-stable states of cortical dynamics at the scale of a cortical column. This work allows for model inversion of neural mass models, not only around fixed points, but over regions of phase space that encompass transitions among semi or multi-stable states of oscillatory activity. Crucially, these theoretical results speak to model inversion in the context of multiple semi-stable brain states, such as the transition between interictal, pre-ictal and ictal activity in epilepsy.
Sources of stress and coping mechanisms: Experiences of maternal health care providers in Western Kenya
Authors: Getahun Monica , Oboke Edwina N. , Ogolla Beryl A. , Kinyua Joyceline , Ongeri Linnet , Sterling Mona , Oluoch Iscar , Lyndon Audrey , Afulani Patience A.
Published: February 2023

The dynamic and complex nature of care provision predisposes healthcare workers to stress, including physical, emotional, or psychological fatigue due to individual, interpersonal, or organizational factors. We conducted a convergent mixed-methods study with maternity providers to understand their sources of stress and coping mechanisms they adopt. Data were collected in Migori County in western Kenya utilizing quantitative surveys with n = 101 maternity providers and in-depth interviews with a subset of n = 31 providers. We conducted descriptive analyses for the quantitative data. For qualitative data, we conducted thematic analysis, where codes were deductively developed from interview guides, iteratively refined based on emergent data, and applied by a team of five researchers using Dedoose software. Code queries were then analysed to identify themes and organized using the socioecological (SE) framework to present findings at the individual, interpersonal, and organizational levels. Providers reported stress due to high workloads (61%); lack of supplies (37%), poor salary (32%), attitudes of colleagues and superiors (25%), attitudes of patients (21%), and adverse outcomes (16%). Themes from the qualitative analysis mirrored the quantitative analysis with more detailed information on the factors contributing to each and how these sources of stress affect providers and patient outcomes. Coping mechanisms adopted by providers are captured under three themes: addressing stress by oneself, reaching out to others, and seeking help from a higher power. Findings underscore the need to address organizational, interpersonal, and individual level stressors. Strategies are needed to support staff retention, provide adequate resources and incentives for providers, and ultimately improve patient outcomes. Interventions should support and leverage the positive coping mechanisms identified.
Journey of the tuberculosis patients in India from onset of symptom till one-year post-treatment
Authors: Chatterjee Susmita , Das Palash , Shikhule Aaron , Munje Radha , Vassall Anna
Published: February 2023

Historically, economic studies on tuberculosis estimated out-of-pocket expenses related to tuberculosis treatment and catastrophic cost, however, no study has yet been conducted to understand the post-treatment economic conditions of the tuberculosis patients in India. In this paper, we add to this body of knowledge by examining the experiences of the tuberculosis patients from the onset of symptoms till one-year post-treatment. 829 adult drug-susceptible tuberculosis patients from general population and from two high risk groups: urban slum dwellers and tea garden families were interviewed during February 2019 to February 2021 at their intensive and continuation phases of treatment and about one-year post-treatment using adapted World Health Organization tuberculosis patient cost survey instrument. Interviews covered socio-economic conditions, employment status, income, out-of-pocket expenses and time spent for outpatient visits, hospitalization, drug-pick up, medical follow-ups, additional food, coping strategies, treatment outcome, identification of post-treatment symptoms and treatment for post-treatment sequalae/recurrent cases. All costs were calculated in 2020 Indian rupee (INR) and converted into US dollar (US$) (1 US$ = INR 74.132). Total cost of tuberculosis treatment since the onset of symptom till one-year post-treatment ranged from US$359 (Standard Deviation (SD) 744) to US$413 (SD 500) of which 32%-44% of costs incurred in pre-treatment phase and 7% in post-treatment phase. 29%-43% study participants reported having outstanding loan with average amount ranged from US$103 to US$261 during the post-treatment period. 20%-28% participants borrowed during post-treatment period and 7%-16% sold/mortgaged personal belongings. Therefore, economic impact of tuberculosis persists way beyond treatment completion. Major reasons of continued hardship were costs associated with initial tuberculosis treatment, unemployment, and reduced income. Therefore, policy priorities to reduce treatment cost and to protect patients from the economic consequences of the disease by ensuring job security, additional food support, better management of direct benefit transfer and improving coverage through medical insurances need consideration.
Community myths and misconceptions about sexual health in Tanzania: Stakeholders’ views from a qualitative study in Dar es Salaam Tanzania
Authors: Lukumay Gift G. , Mgopa Lucy R. , Mushy Stella E. , Rosser B. R. Simon , Massae Agnes F. , Mkonyi Ever , Mohammed Inari , Mwakawanga Dorkasi L. , Trent Maria , Wadley James , Ross Michael W. , Bonilla Zobeida , Leshabari Sebalda
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Sexual and reproductive health problems are one of the top five risk factors for disability in the developing world. The rates of sexual health problems in most African countries are overwhelming, which is why HIV and other STIs are still such a challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. Talking about sex in most African countries is a taboo, leading to common myths and misconceptions that ultimately impact community sexual health.

Methods

In this study, we conducted 11 key stakeholder individual interviews with community, religious, political, and health leaders (sexual health stakeholders) in Tanzania. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze all the materials.

Results

Two main categories merged from the analysis. The first category, “Ambiguities about sexual health” focused on societal and political misconceptions and identified ten myths or misconceptions common in Tanzania. Stakeholders highlighted the confusion that happens when different information about sexual health is presented from two different sources (e.g., community leaders/peers and political leaders), which leaves the community and community leaders unsure which one is reliable. The second category, “Practical dilemmas in serving clients”, addressed a range of professional and religious dilemmas in addressing sexual health concerns. This included the inability of religious leaders and health care providers to provide appropriate sexual health care because of internal or external influences.

Conclusion

Myths and misconceptions surrounding sexual health can prevent communities from adequately addressing sexual health concerns, and make it more difficult for healthcare providers to comfortably provide sexual health care to patients and communities. Stakeholders affirmed a need to develop a sexual health curriculum for medical, nursing and midwifery students because of the lack of education in this area. Such a curriculum needs to address nine common myths which were identified through the interviews.
Digital economy and pollution reduction–Mechanism and regional heterogeneity
Authors: Yang Zhibo , Fu Liyou , Chen Yirong
Published: February 2023

The digital economy and ecological environment are two major issues related to high-quality economic development. Scholars have not yet reached a unified conclusion about the link between the digital economy and pollution emissions, and the impact mechanism of the former on the latter needs further study. Using data from 278 Chinese cities from 2010 to 2019, this research employs coupling coordination analysis, fixed effect analysis and mediation analysis to examine the heterogeneous impact mechanisms of the expansion of the digital economy on urban pollution reduction from many angles. It discovers that, first, the growth of the digital economy has decreased the discharge of urban pollutants overall. Second, the impact mechanisms of the digital economy are heterogeneous. From a regional perspective, industrial structure supererogation plays an intermediary role in the relationship between digital economy development and pollution reduction in the eastern and central regions, but the mediating effect is not significant in the western and northeastern regions. In terms of the city development level, industrial structure supererogation has significantly mediated the relationship between the growth of the digital economy and the reduction of pollution in first- and second-tier cities, but this mediating effect is not significant in third-tier and other cities. Third, the above conclusions are still valid after the robustness test is carried out using instrumental variable estimation, replacement of the estimation method, and replacement of explanatory variables. This study is a useful contribution to research on the effects of the digital economy and the factors influencing pollution reduction. The results advance the study of the digital economy and also have practical implications for improving China’s ecological environment and fostering high-quality economic growth. Finally, we provide policy suggestions for the coordinated promotion of the digital economy’s development, industrial structure supererogation and environmental pollution reduction.
Increased number of T cells and exacerbated inflammatory pathophysiology in a human IgG4 knock-in MRL/lpr mouse model
Authors: Gon Yoshie , Kandou Tsugumitsu , Tsuruyama Tatsuaki , Iwasaki Takeshi , Kitagori Koji , Murakami Kosaku , Nakashima Ran , Akizuki Shuji , Morinobu Akio , Hikida Masaki , Mimori Tsuneyo , Yoshifuji Hajime
Published: February 2023

Immunoglobulin (Ig) G4 is an IgG subclass that can exhibit inhibitory functions under certain conditions because of its capacity to carry out Fab-arm exchange, inability to form immune complexes, and lack of antibody-dependent and complement-dependent cytotoxicity. Although several diseases have been associated with IgG4, its role in the disease pathogeneses remains unclear. Since mice do not express an IgG subclass that is identical to the human IgG4 (hIgG4), we generated hIGHG4 knock-in (KI) mice and analyzed their phenotypes. To preserve the rearrangement of the variable, diversity, and joining regions in the IGH gene, we transfected a constant region of the hIGHG4 gene into C57BL/6NCrSlc mice by using a gene targeting method. Although the mRNA expression of hIGHG4 was detected in the murine spleen, the serum level of the hIgG4 protein was low in C57BL/6-IgG4KI mice. To enhance the production of IgG4, we established an MRL/lpr-IgG4KI mice model by backcrossing. These mice showed a high IgG4 concentration in the sera and increased populations of IgG4-positive plasma cells and CD3+B220+CD138+ T cells in the spleen. Moreover, these mice showed aggravated inflammation in organs, such as the salivary glands and stomach. The MRL/lpr-IgG4KI mouse model established in the present study might be useful for studying IgG4-related disease, IgG4-type antibody-related diseases, and allergic diseases.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is not associated with impairment in health-related quality of life in virally suppressed persons with human immune deficiency virus
Authors: Gawrieh Samer , Corey Kathleen E. , Lake Jordan E. , Samala Niharika , Desai Archita P. , Debroy Paula , Sjoquist Julia A. , Robison Montreca , Tann Mark , Akisik Fatih , Bhamidipalli Surya S. , Saha Chandan K. , Zachary Kimon , Robbins Gregory K. , Gupta Samir K. , Chung Raymond T. , Chalasani Naga
Published: February 2023

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease in persons with HIV (PWH) (HIV-NAFLD). It is unknown if HIV-NAFLD is associated with impairment in health-related quality of life (HRQOL). We examined HRQOL in PWH with and without NAFLD, compared HRQOL in HIV- versus primary NAFLD, and determined factors associated with HRQOL in these groups. Prospectively enrolled 200 PWH and 474 participants with primary NAFLD completed the Rand SF-36 assessment which measures 8 domains of HRQOL. Individual domain scores were used to create composite physical and mental component summary scores. Univariate and multivariate analyses determined variables associated with HRQOL in PWH and in HIV- and primary NAFLD. In PWH, 48% had HIV-NAFLD, 10.2% had clinically significant fibrosis, 99.5% were on antiretroviral therapy, and 96.5% had HIV RNA <200 copies/ml. There was no difference in HRQOL in PWH with or without NAFLD. Diabetes, non-Hispanic ethnicity, and nadir CD4 counts were independently associated with impaired HRQOL in PWH. In HIV-NAFLD, HRQOL did not differ between participants with or without clinically significant fibrosis. Participants with HIV-NAFLD compared to those with primary NAFLD were less frequently cisgender females, White, more frequently Hispanic, had lower BMI and lower frequency of obesity and diabetes. HRQOL of individuals with HIV-NAFLD was not significantly different from those with primary NAFLD. In conclusion, in virally suppressed PWH, HRQOL is not different between participants with or without HIV-NAFLD. HRQOL is not different between HIV-NAFLD and primary NAFLD.
Airborne LiDAR point cloud classification using PointNet++ network with full neighborhood features
Authors: Nong Xingzhong , Bai Wenfeng , Liu Guanlan
Published: February 2023

Compared with other point clouds, the airborne LiDAR point cloud has its own characteristics. The deep learning network PointNet++ ignores the inherent properties of airborne LiDAR point, and the classification precision is low. Therefore, we propose a framework based on the PointNet++ network. In this work, we proposed an interpolation method that uses adaptive elevation weight to make full use of the objects in the airborne LiDAR point, which exhibits discrepancies in elevation distributions. The class-balanced loss function is used for the uneven density distribution of point cloud data. Moreover, the relationship between a point and its neighbours is captured, densely connecting point pairs in multiscale regions and adding centroid features to learn contextual information. Experiments are conducted on the Vaihingen 3D semantic labelling benchmark dataset and GML(B) benchmark dataset. The experiments show that the proposed method, which has additional contextual information and makes full use of the airborne LiDAR point cloud properties to support classification, achieves high accuracy and can be widely used in airborne LiDAR point classification.
“Feel the need to prepare for Armageddon even though I do not believe it will happen”: Women Veterans’ Firearm Beliefs and Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Associations with Military Sexual Assault and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms
Authors: Monteith Lindsey L. , Miller Christin N. , Polzer Evan , Holliday Ryan , Hoffmire Claire A. , Iglesias Christe’An D. , Schneider Alexandra L. , Brenner Lisa A. , Simonetti Joseph A.
Published: February 2023

Aims

Firearm purchasing increased within the U.S. during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. While rates of firearm ownership and suicide are elevated among women Veterans compared to women non-Veterans, no studies have examined if and how firearm beliefs and behaviors changed among women Veterans during the pandemic. We examined women Veterans’ changes in firearm beliefs and engagement in firearm behaviors during the early pandemic era.

Method

3,000 post-9/11 era women Veterans were invited to participate in a survey. 501 respondents (May-December 2020) comprised the sample for this concurrent nested mixed-method analysis. Thematic analysis and log-binomial regression were used.

Results

13.88% (n = 69) of women Veterans in our sample reported changes in their firearm beliefs; 22.15% (n = 109) reported engaging in firearm behaviors. The most prevalent reported behaviors were making household firearms more accessible (16.13%) and purchasing ammunition (11.97%). Smaller percentages reported carrying a firearm more frequently (6.71%), loading previously unloaded firearms (5.69%), or purchasing a firearm (4.24%). Thematic analysis suggested firearm behaviors were likely driven by a perceived increased need to protect oneself, family, and property due to: (1) uncertainties brought on by the pandemic; (2) pandemic-related threats necessitating self-defense, preparedness, and self-sufficiency; (3) political, social, and racial unrest and protests. PTSD symptom severity and military sexual assault history were associated with higher prevalence of changes in firearm beliefs and engagement in firearm behaviors during the pandemic.

Discussion

Consideration of women Veterans’ prior experiences and pandemic-related factors may be necessary to contextualize firearm discussions and inform future research. Given associations of military sexual assault and PTSD symptoms with firearm beliefs and behaviors, it may be crucial to ensure that such discussion are trauma-informed.
Efficient nutrient management for enhancing crop productivity, quality and nutrient dynamics in lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) in the semi-arid region of northern India
Authors: Kumar Sandeep , Sharma Surender Kumar , Dhaka Anil Kumar , Bedwal Sandeep , Sheoran Seema , Meena Ram Swaroop , Jangir Chetan Kumar , Kumar Dinesh , Kumar Rakesh , Jat Ram Dhan , Meena Ajit Kumar , Gaber Ahmed , Hossain Akbar
Published: February 2023

Various faulty farming practices and low-performance cultivars selection are reducing crop yields, factor productivity, and soil fertility. Therefore, there is an urgent need to achieve better nutrient dynamics and sustainable production by selecting more nutrient-responsive cultivars using efficient nutrient management. The present experiment aimed to enhance crop productivity, seed quality, nutrient efficiency, and soil nutrient dynamics through efficient nutrient management under different lentil cultivars. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design, assigning three cultivars (viz. Sapna, Garima, and HM-1) in the main plots and ten nutrient management practices in the sub-plots, replicating them thrice. Results revealed that cultivar HM-1 recorded significantly higher seed yield (1.59–1.61 Mg ha-1) and the uptake of N (67.2–67.6 kg ha-1), P (6.8–7.0 kg ha-1), K (13.8–13.9 kg ha-1), Zn (60.4–61.1 g ha-1), and Fe (162.5–165.2 g ha-1) in seed compared to Sapna and Garima. Also, the cultivar HM-1 was more efficient in terms of partial factor productivity for NPK (PFP; 24.27–24.59 kg kg-1), partial nutrient balance (PNB; 2.09–2.13 kg kg-1) and internal utilisation efficiency (IUE; 11.64–11.85 kg kg-1). The study showed that the lentil cultivar HM-1 could be successfully grown by substituting 50% RDN with organic manures,i.e., vermicompost, without compromising crop productivity and soil fertility, thereby sustaining soil-human-environment health.
An in vitro carcinogenesis model for cervical cancer harboring episomal form of HPV16
Authors: Wongjampa Weerayut , Nakahara Tomomi , Tanaka Katsuyuki , Yugawa Takashi , Ekalaksananan Tipaya , Kleebkaow Pilaiwan , Goshima Naoki , Kiyono Tohru , Pientong Chamsai
Published: February 2023

Deregulated expression of viral E6 and E7 genes often caused by viral genome integration of high-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPVs) into host DNA and additional host genetic alterations are thought to be required for the development of cervical cancer. However, approximately 15% of invasive cervical cancer specimens contain only episomal HPV genomes. In this study, we investigated the tumorigenic potential of human cervical keratinocytes harboring only the episomal form of HPV16 (HCK1T/16epi). We found that the HPV16 episomal form is sufficient for promoting cell proliferation and colony formation of parental HCK1T cells. Ectopic expression of host oncogenes, MYC and PIK3CAE545K, enhanced clonogenic growth of both early- and late-passage HCK1T/16epi cells, but conferred tumor-initiating ability only to late-passage HCK1T/16epi cells. Interestingly, the expression levels of E6 and E7 were rather lower in late-passage than in early-passage cells. Moreover, additional introduction of a constitutively active MEK1 (MEK1DD) and/or KRASG12V into HCK1T/16epi cells resulted in generation of highly potent tumor-initiating cells. Thus an in vitro model for progression of cervical neoplasia with episomal HPV16 was established. In the model, constitutively active mutation of PIK3CA, PIK3CAE545K, and overexpression of MYC, in the cells with episomal HPV16 genome were not sufficient, but an additional event such as activation of the RAS-MEK pathway was required for progression to tumorigenicity.
Consequences of arthropod community structure for an at-risk insectivorous bird
Authors: Nell Cee S. , Pratt Riley , Burger Jutta , Preston Kristine L. , Treseder Kathleen K. , Kamada Dana , Moore Karly , Mooney Kailen A.
Published: February 2023

Global declines in bird and arthropod abundance highlights the importance of understanding the role of food limitation and arthropod community composition for the performance of insectivorous birds. In this study, we link data on nestling diet, arthropod availability and nesting performance for the Coastal Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus sandiegensis), an at-risk insectivorous bird native to coastal southern California and Baja Mexico. We used DNA metabarcoding to characterize nestling diets and monitored 8 bird territories over two years to assess the relationship between arthropod and vegetation community composition and bird reproductive success. We document a discordance between consumed prey and arthropod biomass within nesting territories, in which Diptera and Lepidoptera were the most frequently consumed prey taxa but were relatively rare in the environment. In contrast other Orders (e.g., Hemiptera, Hymenoptera)were abundant in the environment but were absent from nestling diets. Accordingly, variation in bird reproductive success among territories was positively related to the relative abundance of Lepidoptera (but not Diptera), which were most abundant on 2 shrub species (Eriogonum fasciculatum,Sambucus nigra)of the 9 habitat elements characterized (8 dominant plant species and bare ground). Bird reproductive success was in turn negatively related to two invasive arthropods whose abundance was not associated with preferred bird prey, but instead possibly acted through harassment (Linepithema humile; Argentine ants) and parasite transmission or low nutritional quality (Armadillidium vulgare; "pill-bug"). These results demonstrate how multiple aspects of arthropod community structure can influence bird performance through complementary mechanisms, and the importance of managing for arthropods in bird conservation efforts.
Delivery routing problem of pure electric vehicle with multi-objective pick-up and delivery integration
Authors: Cai Wangang , Zhang Yihao , Huang Fuyou , Ma Chao
Published: February 2023

With the growth of people’s environmental awareness and the encouragement of government policies, the use of electric vehicles in logistics distribution is gradually increasing. In order to solve the dual demand of customers’ simultaneous pick-up and delivery in the “last kilometer logistics”, an electric vehicle routing problem with simultaneous pick-up and delivery and time window (EVRPSPDTW) is considered from the perspective of multi-objective distribution in this paper. Firstly, a decision-making model based on distribution cost and power consumption function is established. In this model, distribution cost includes transportation cost, vehicle use cost, penalty cost of not arriving on time and charging cost. Power consumption function is the energy loss caused by air resistance, tire rolling friction and transmission system. Secondly, a multi-objective genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) optimization solution with fast nondominated ranking and elite strategy is designed, and in view of the shortcomings of traditional NSGA-II, it is proposed to complete population initialization through greedy algorithm and random rules, introduce adaptive cross-mutation strategy in the chromosome crossing and mutation stage, and design three different neighborhood operators in mutation operation based on variant fitness function. Finally, the sensitivity analysis of traffic congestion coefficient further proves the effectiveness of the proposed model and the improved algorithm.
Research on dynamic characteristics of large deformation shearer cable based on absolute node coordinate formulation method
Authors: Zhao Lijuan , Zhang Haining , Gao Feng , Han Liguo , Ge Man
Published: February 2023

The development of intelligent and unmanned coal mining has put forward higher requirements on the service life and dynamic reliability of shearer cables. However, it is difficult to comprehensively consider the complexity of hosting conditions of coal mining working face and the dynamic characteristics of cables in different towing systems in the design and development of cables. The cables are periodized by pitch and have the same cross-sectional structure and properties. Based on the homogenization theory and volume average principle, the cable was assumed to be an orthotropic elastomer, and the tensile experimental method and finite element method were combined to calibrate the cable equivalent mechanical parameters. Based on the Absolute Node Coordinate Formulation (ANCF) method, the rigid-flexible coupled virtual prototype co-simulation model of shearer cable towing system was constructed to obtain the kinetic and kinematic parameters of each node of the cable and study the dynamic gradual change characteristics of the cable in different working areas. This research method has an important theoretical significance and engineering application value for the acquisition of dynamic characteristic parameters of shearer cables and the optimal design and dynamic reliability of cables.