bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Pragma-Dialectical Approach to the Fallacies Revisited
Authors: van Eemeren Frans H. , Garssen Bart
Published: February 2023

This article explains the design and development of the pragma-dialectical approach to fallacies. In this approach fallacies are viewed as violations of the standards for critical discussion that are expressed in a code of conduct for reasonable argumentative discourse. After the problem-solving validity in resolving differences of opinion of the rules of this code has been discussed, their conventional validity for real-life arguers is demonstrated. Starting from the extended version of the theory in which the strategic maneuvering taking place in argumentative discourse is included, the article explains that the violations of the rules that are committed in the fallacies involve derailments of strategic maneuvering. This culminates in a discussion of the exploitation of hidden fallaciousness as an unreasonable way of increasing the effectiveness of argumentative discourse – a vital topic of research in present-day pragma-dialectics.
Results from an LGBTQ+ Community Health Needs Assessment in Nassau and Suffolk Counties of New York State
Authors: Eliscu Allison H. , Jamilkowski Jennifer , Gonzalez Adam , Higham Jennifer Mesiano , Kenny Lucy , McGovern Margaret M.
Published: February 2023

LGBTQ+ individuals experience health care disparities and difficulty accessing affirming care. Little is known regarding the health and experiences among subpopulations of specific sexual orientations and gender identities (SOGI). We implemented the first LGBTQ + health needs assessment survey in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, New York, to assess individuals’ health care experiences, behaviors, access to care, and health care needs. The sample (N = 1150) consisted of many SOGI subgroups. Greater than 60% of respondents reported symptoms of chronic depression; over one third reported disrespectful health care experiences; and two thirds experienced verbal harassment. Bisexual/bicurious, pansexual, queer, gender nonconforming and transgender individuals experienced highest rates of mental health concerns and difficulty accessing care. Behavioral health concerns were also high among Black, multiracial, Hispanic, Asian, young adult, and lower-income respondents. Gaining an understanding of unique differences among LGBTQ+ subgroups can guide implementation of services targeting specific subpopulations to improve access to care and reduce disparities.
Reducing the Individual Carbon Impact of Video Streaming: A Seven-Week Intervention Using Information, Goal Setting, and Feedback
Authors: Seger B. T. , Burkhardt J. , Straub F. , Scherz S. , Nieding G.
Published: February 2023

This online intervention study examined whether system- and action-related information alone, together with goal setting, or together with goal setting and feedback helps people change their video streaming activities in a pro-environmental way. The participants (N = 92) documented their video streaming activities for one week prior to the intervention (week 1), three weeks after the onset of the intervention (weeks 2–4), and in a follow-up period two weeks later (week 7). A reduction of greenhouse gas emissions associated with video streaming was observed over the course of the intervention, together with reduced streaming durations and lowered resolution settings across all groups. There were no differences between the groups. It appears that as regards video streaming, information combined with self-monitoring has considerable potential to change individual behaviour and its associated ecological impact.
Idleness as work? How public defenders do their job by waiting
Authors: Ang Milena
Published: February 2023

How can public defenders provide adequate legal representation when they are underbudgeted and overworked? Mexican public defenders represent 75-90% of those facing a judicial process (either through the entire process or at some points of it) and receive around one tenth of the budget allocated for their counterparts, prosecutors or fiscalías. Drawing from fieldwork conducted in Oaxaca city, Mexicali, and Tijuana, I find that the public defenders spend a considerable amount of time waiting: waiting in the office for their next case to be assigned, waiting to receive a file, or waiting for the judge to show up in court. Although superficially this waiting can be interpreted as idleness, I identify three ways in which defenders do their jobs during their down-time. First, they interchange key information about specific cases with other operators of the system and families and acquaintances of the accused, thus building legal strategies. Second, down time allows them to socialize with agents of the fiscalía, cops, and other courthouse workers, a crucial activity for the establishment of cordial interagency relations. Finally, they also use this down time to do what I call “forced encroachment,” meaning the undertaking of activities—such as professionalization of legal translators—that are not necessarily their responsibility but that are nevertheless crucial for the jobs. Waiting, in a way, allows public defenders to provide a legal defense in the absence of time and money to investigate, thus keeping the criminal justice system running.
Intermediary liability and trade in follow-on innovation
Authors: Cuntz Alexander , Sahli Matthias
Published: February 2023

Intellectual property rights have changed the market value and direction of artistic innovation throughout art history, in particular when new creations built on the art of predecessors. In this paper, we test how changes in legal frameworks and litigation risks affected market value and commercial trade around artistic reuses in the figurative arts and the ‘Appropriation Art’ movement in particular. Appropriation artists borrow images from different sources and incorporate them into new, derivative works of art. By doing so, they risk infringing copyright but also put auction trade and artwork availability at litigation risk as liability can extend to market intermediaries, such as auction houses, museums, or galleries. Using a differences-in-differences model and large-scale online data, we investigate the causal impact of the prominent Cariou v. Prince U.S. higher court decision on intermediary trade and the availability of artworks on sale in the Appropriation Art. As an exogenous shock, this decision changed the perceived litigation risk for market intermediaries around what constitutes fair use. Following the court decision, we find a temporary decline in the total number of global auctions in the Appropriation Art, a lower sales probability of these artworks, and a relocation of related auctions to non-U.S. houses.
Assessing bird habitat occupancy from gradient-based landscape metrics and principal polar spectral indices in the colombian andean region
Authors: Ortiz-Yusty Carlos Eduardo , Parra Juan Luis , Morales-Rozo Andrea , Munguía-Steyer Roberto , Zamora Abrego Joan Gastón
Published: February 2023

Context

The patch-mosaic model (PMM) is the most common way to describe the landscape in ecological research. Despite this, the gradient model (GM) was proposed as a more accurate representation of the heterogeneity of landscapes; however, little has been explored on the behavior and performance of continuous variables and surface-based metrics from GM under different analytical scenarios.

Objectives

We address the question: which landscape metrics, patch-based or surface-based, best explain habitat occupancy patterns of six bird species with different ecological preferences?

Methods

We generated detection histories for six bird species in a fragmented Andean landscape from Colombia. We obtain patch-based metrics from a land cover classification and surface-based metrics from the principal polar spectral indices (PPSi) to describe the landscape. Finally, we fitted dynamic occupancy models using variables derived from landscape models and compared their performance using quasi-AIC for each species.

Results

We obtained 909 detections for the six selected bird species. We found that PPSi and surface-based metrics were more informative when assessing occupancy patterns for five of the six species studied. In addition, surface-based metrics allowed to detect interspecific differences between species beyond an affinity for a particular cover type.

Conclusions

Surface-based metrics can be an alternative for assessing species response to landscape heterogeneity, particularly those that may be more sensitive to fine-scale changes in vegetation cover. However, there is no single “best” model to describe the landscape for all cases. PPSi can be very useful for land cover analysis in landscape ecology studies as an alternative to more popular vegetation indices.
Optimization of human gait using singular-value decomposition-based design variables
Authors: Guzelbulut Cem , Shimono Satoshi , Suzuki Katsuyuki
Published: February 2023

Age, walking speed, the presence of walking problems, the slope of the ground, and many other parameters affect human gait. Understanding gait variations and obtaining a reference behavior under different conditions is important for identifying abnormal walking behaviors and designing walking assistive devices, orthoses, and prostheses. Predictive dynamics can be used to determine a reference motion for a given task. In the predictive dynamics approach, the motion of a human is generated using design variables, and the equation of motion is considered a constraint. Several design variables were used to generate the motion, and the biological limits of the joints were considered additional constraints in previous studies. A foot-ground contact model was used to generate vertical and horizontal ground reaction forces using the nonlinear spring-damper model. This study proposed a singular value decomposition-based joint angle generation method to reduce the number of design variables and additional constraints. First, the joint angles were calculated using the motion capture data of 225 participants. Then, a joint angle matrix containing the joint angles of all participants in the experiments was created. The modes of the joint angles were extracted using singular-value decomposition. The joint angles were generated by summing the multiplication of the first nine modes of the joint angles and their corresponding design variables. Therefore, the number of design variables was significantly reduced. Moreover, the constraints related to the joint angle limits were intrinsically satisfied. Joint angles, moments, and power were obtained for the optimal energy and moment square cases at different walking speeds. The optimal results were found to be consistent with experimental results in the literature.
Do students learn more from failing alone or in groups? Insights into the effects of collaborative versus individual problem solving in productive failure
Authors: Brand Charleen , Hartmann Christian , Loibl Katharina , Rummel Nikol
Published: February 2023

Productive Failure (PF) is an instructional design that implements a problem-solving phase which aims at preparing students for learning from a subsequent instruction. PF has been shown to facilitate students’ conceptual knowledge acquisition in the mathematical domain. Collaboration has been described as a vital design component of PF, but studies that have investigated the role of collaboration in PF empirically so far, were not able to confirm the necessity of collaboration in PF. However, these studies have diverged significantly from prior traditional PF studies and design criteria. Therefore, the role of collaboration in PF remains unclear. In an experimental study that is based on the traditional design of PF, we compared a collaborative and an individual problem-solving setting. It was hypothesized that collaboration facilitates the beneficial preparatory mechanisms of the PF problem-solving phase: prior knowledge activation, awareness of knowledge gaps, and recognition of deep features. In a mediation analysis, the effects of collaborative and individual problem solving on conceptual knowledge acquisition as mediated through the preparatory mechanisms were tested. In contrast to the hypotheses, no mediations or differences between conditions were found. Thus, collaboration does not hold a major preparatory function in itself for the design of PF.
Dialysevorschrift
Authors: Pirklbauer Markus
Published: February 2023

Hintergrund

Empfehlungen für das intradialytische Elektrolytmanagement basieren derzeit ausschließlich auf Beobachtungsstudien, pathophysiologischen Überlegungen und Expertenmeinungen.

Fragestellung

Darstellung praxistauglicher Empfehlungen und Diskussion der zugrunde liegenden Evidenz für die Dialysevorschrift (Kalium, Natrium, Kalzium und Bikarbonat) bei chronischen Hämodialysepatient*innen mit und ohne Elektrolytstörungen.

Material und Methode

Bewertung der vorhandenen Studienlage und daraus abgeleiteter Therapieempfehlungen.

Ergebnisse

Der Einsatz niedriger Dialysatkaliumkonzentrationen ermöglicht eine adäquate Serumkaliumsenkung und geht bei hyperkaliämen chronischen Dialysepatient*innen nicht mit einem erhöhten kardiovaskulären Risiko einher. Die Verwendung fixer vs. individualisierter Dialysatnatriumkonzentrationen hat sich bei Normonatriämie bislang als gleichwertig erwiesen. Bei schwerer Hypo- bzw. Hypernatriämie können kontinuierliche Hämofiltrationsverfahren mit entsprechend adaptierter Substituatnatriumkonzentration eingesetzt werden. Alternativ können bei schwerer Hyponatriämie tägliche kurze Dialysesitzungen mit niedrigem Blutfluss und niedrigstmöglichem Dialysatnatrium verwendet werden. Intermittierende Dialyseverfahren sind bei schwerer Hypernatriämie kontraindiziert. Empfohlene Dialysatkalziumkonzentrationen (1,25–1,5 mmol/l) führen häufig zu intradialytischer Kalziumbeladung. Trotz der Empfehlung, Serumbikarbonatwerte von mehr als 22 mmol/l anzustreben, sollte aufgrund der Assoziation zwischen postdialytischer Alkalose und Mortalität eine Dialysatbikarbonatkonzentration von 35 mmol/l nicht überschritten werden.

Schlussfolgerungen

Randomisierte, kontrollierte Outcome-Studien sind notwendig, um die Dialysevorschrift im Hinblick auf das intradialytische Elektrolytmanagement zu optimieren.
Translation and Validation of the Arabic Version of the Eating Behavior After Bariatric Surgery (EBBS) Questionnaire
Authors: Alsehemi Nuha H. , Alharbi Amal A. , Alamri Rahaf S. , Fatani Bushra A. , Alsenan Seham H. , Elbarazi Iffat , Aldhwayan Madhawi M.
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Complications after metabolic and bariatric surgery are common due to the patient’s poor commitment to postoperative lifestyle changes. Therefore, intensive follow-up from a multidisciplinary team might improve outcomes. The present study aimed to translate and validate the Eating Behavior after Bariatric Surgery (EBBS) questionnaire into Arabic for use in clinical and research settings.

Materials and Methods

The study followed World Health Organization guidelines for translation and questionnaire adaptation, including forward translation, back translation, pilot testing, and the creation of the final version of the tool. A total of 390 patients who had undergone metabolic and bariatric surgery 3 years ago or more were involved in testing the questionnaire’s validity and reliability.

Results

The mean age of participants was 36 years (range: 20 to 70 years), 56% were females, 94.1% were Saudis, and 56% had bachelor’s degrees. The internal consistency of the questionnaire was tested using Cronbach’s alpha. One item (alcohol consumption) was excluded during the reliability analysis due to low variance. The reliability analysis results showed that the 10 items were internally consistent, with a Cronbach’s α of 0.851.

Conclusion

The validation and reliability of the Arabic-language version of the EBBS questionnaire were found to be satisfactory. The presence of a validated Arabic version of this instrument may help practitioners estimate patients’ adherence to dietary and lifestyle recommendations after metabolic and bariatric surgery. Furthermore, the questionnaire may aid in identifying factors that influence the efficacy of these procedures.

Graphical Abstract
The Bone Marrow Immune Microenvironment in CML: Treatment Responses, Treatment-Free Remission, and Therapeutic Vulnerabilities
Authors: Patterson Shaun David , Copland Mhairi
Published: February 2023

Purpose of Review

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are very successful for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) but are not curative in most patients due to persistence of TKI-resistant leukaemia stem cells (LSCs). The bone marrow immune microenvironment (BME) provides protection to the LSC through multidimensional interactions, driving therapy resistance, and highlighting the need to circumvent these protective niches therapeutically. This review updates the evidence for interactions between CML cells and the immune microenvironment with a view to identifying targetable therapeutic vulnerabilities and describes what is known about the role of immune regulation in treatment-free remission (TFR).

Recent Findings

Intracellular signalling downstream of the chemotactic CXCL12-CXCR4 axis, responsible for disrupted homing in CML, has been elucidated in LSCs, highlighting novel therapeutic opportunities. In addition, LSCs expressing CXCL12-cleaving surface protein CD26 were highly correlated with CML burden, building on existing evidence. Newer findings implicate the adhesion molecule CD44 in TKI resistance, while JAK/STAT-mediated resistance to TKIs may occur downstream of extrinsic signalling in the BME. Exosomal BME-LSC cross-communication has also been explored. Finally, further detail on the phenotypes of natural killer (NK) cells putatively involved in maintaining successful TFR has been published, and NK-based immunotherapies are discussed.

Recent studies highlight and build on our understanding of the BME in CML persistence and TKI resistance, pinpointing therapeutically vulnerable interactions. Repurposing existing drugs and/or the development of novel inhibitors targeting these relationships may help to overcome these issues in TKI-resistant CML and be used as adjuvant therapy for sustained TFR.
The measurement of structural ageing – an axiomatic approach
Authors: Cameron Michael P.
Published: February 2023

The structural ageing of the population is one of the key global trends of the 21st Century. In this paper, we outline four axioms that, along with easy interpretability, we believe should underpin a theoretically valid measure of structural ageing: (1) population size invariance; (2) strong dominance; (3) weak dominance; and (4) age sensitivity. We then present a class of structural ageing indices that satisfy the axioms and are easily interpretable, with root-mean-squared-age (RMSA) as our preferred measure within the class. Using historical and cross-national data from the World Population Prospects, state-level data from the US Census Bureau, and local-authority-level data from New Zealand, we demonstrate that our preferred measure is correlated with conventional measures of structural ageing. Nevertheless, in each case there are large disparities in ranking for some countries, states, or local authorities between the different measures. These ranking disparities could be highly consequential for the allocation of resources, particularly between states or local areas within countries. Our proposed class of measures may help to avoid these disparities due to their axiomatically-consistent nature. Finally, we present considerations for future extensions of this important work, including the development of equivalent measures based on prospective age.
Feasibility study of microplastic biodegradation in effluents from South Tehran WWTP after quantitative and qualitative measurement of the particles
Authors: Shirazi Somayeh , Mafigholami Roya , Moghimi Hamid , Borghei Seyed Mehdi
Published: February 2023

Microplastics are currently known to be among the most detrimental environmental. The research on ways to counteract these pollutions and the use of microorganisms for the biological decomposition of various plastic polymers have evolved over the recent years. In this regard, the present study collected effluents from the southern Tehran treatment plant and separated and counted the microplastics present in them, it was found that the least number of microplastics was found in the samples of the summer season and the highest number of microplastics was found in the samples of the spring season. In these samples, particles could be identified in three forms: fiber, fragment, and film, which revealed that the most frequently observed microplastics were polypropylene and then polyethylene. These microplastics combine with the microbes in the culture medium. Three microbial colonies that survived were then separated and identified, which revealed that these bacteria included Achromobacter denitrificans (sample B), Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (sample C), and Pseudomonas aestusnigri (sample E). Moreover, the decomposition of polypropylene and polyethylene microplastics exposed to isolates was examined through various methods. Results of cellular gravity examination indicated that the average weight reduction in the PP sample exposed to B and E bacterial isolates was 38.2% and 58.9%, respectively. In the SEM images, the surface of the polymers of these two isolates is more uneven. Moreover, the mean cellular weight reduction for PE-based microplastic exposed to isolate C was 13.3%, the results of FT-IR tests showed that the peaks in the samples exposed to strains B and E were accompanied by changes compared to the control sample (G). The results of the TGA test also confirm the greater effectiveness of the bacterial strain E. It was based on the polymer structure. In the Raman spectrum of sample E, some peaks have been removed and new peaks with other shifts have appeared in their place. Results were confirmed by carbon dioxide emission tests and the produced protein amount.
Measuring group leadership in networks based on Shapley value
Authors: Belik Ivan
Published: February 2023

Measuring group leadership in social networks is a nontrivial task from a methodological viewpoint. The development of modern computational methods for evaluating group leadership is rooted in the analysis of network centralities. While computational methods for assessing the centralities of individual (i.e., single) nodes in networks have been well established, the methodological apparatus for computing group centralities has been much less developed. In the research domain of quantitative methods, this situation leads to the search for interdisciplinary solutions in which game theory currently plays a dominant role. This study analyzed two computational methods to measure group leadership in networks. Both are based on the game-theoretical concept of the Shapley value (SV). Based on the illustrative networks, the given research shows and discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the approaches. In short, the key finding of the study is that there is no “free lunch” method to measure group leadership, which means that each specific network requires an individual approach for choosing the most appropriate model.
An Ensemble of Light Gradient Boosting Machine and Adaptive Boosting for Prediction of Type-2 Diabetes
Authors: Sai M. Jishnu , Chettri Pratiksha , Panigrahi Ranjit , Garg Amik , Bhoi Akash Kumar , Barsocchi Paolo
Published: February 2023

Machine learning helps construct predictive models in clinical data analysis, predicting stock prices, picture recognition, financial modelling, disease prediction, and diagnostics. This paper proposes machine learning ensemble algorithms to forecast diabetes. The ensemble combines k-NN, Naive Bayes (Gaussian), Random Forest (RF), Adaboost, and a recently designed Light Gradient Boosting Machine. The proposed ensembles inherit detection ability of LightGBM to boost accuracy. Under fivefold cross-validation, the proposed ensemble models perform better than other recent models. Thek-NN, Adaboost, and LightGBM jointly achieve 90.76% detection accuracy. The receiver operating curve analysis shows that$$k$$k-NN, RF, and LightGBM successfully solve class imbalance issue of the underlying dataset.
Does marking as sterile mean really sterile? Stenotrophomonas maltophilia outbreak caused by a blood-gas injector containing liquid heparin
Authors: Telli Dizman Gülçin , Metan Gökhan , Karahan Gizem , Tanrıverdi Elif Seren , Hazırolan Gülşen , Otlu Barış , Sönmezer Meliha Çağla , Gül Nur Dilek , Çınar Burcu , Ünal Serhat
Published: February 2023

An outbreak investigation was initiated after detecting an increase in the number of patients with Stenotrophomonas maltophilia bloodstream infections (SM-BSIs) througout the hospital. S. maltophilia was isolated from the cultures of blood-gas ınjectors containing liquid heparin. The incidence density of SM-BSIs decreased significantly after prohibiting the use of those injectors.
TRAVERSING A GRAPH IN GENERAL POSITION
Authors: KLAVŽAR SANDI , KRISHNAKUMAR ADITI , TUITE JAMES , YERO ISMAEL G.
Published: February 2023

LetGbe a graph. Assume that to each vertex of a set of vertices$S\subseteq V(G)$a robot is assigned. At each stage one robot can move to a neighbouring vertex. ThenSis a mobile general position set ofGif there exists a sequence of moves of the robots such that all the vertices ofGare visited while maintaining the general position property at all times. The mobile general position number ofGis the cardinality of a largest mobile general position set ofG. We give bounds on the mobile general position number and determine exact values for certain common classes of graphs, including block graphs, rooted products, unicyclic graphs, Kneser graphs$K(n,2)$and line graphs of complete graphs.
Satellite images as tools of visual diplomacy: NASA's ozone hole visualizations and the Montreal Protocol negotiations
Authors: Grevsmühl Sebastian V. , Briday Régis
Published: February 2023

On 16 September 1987, the main chlorofluorocarbon-producing and -consuming countries signed the Montreal Protocol, despite the absence of a scientific consensus on the mechanisms of ozone depletion over Antarctica. We argue in this article that the rapid diffusion from late 1985 onwards of satellite images showing the Antarctic ozone hole played a significant role in this diplomatic outcome. Whereas negotiators claimed that they chose to deliberately ignore the Antarctic ozone hole during the negotiations since no theory was able yet to explain it, the images still loomed large for many of the actors involved. In Western countries, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) satellite visualizations were diffused through the general press and television stations. Other popular and mass media outlets followed quickly. In describing the circulation and appropriation processes of these images within and beyond the scientific and negotiation arenas, we show that the ozone hole images did play an important part in ozone diplomacy in the two years leading up to the signing of the Montreal Protocol, both in the expert and diplomatic arenas and as public diplomacy tools. We conclude by encouraging scholars to engage with new visual archives and to contribute to the development of the vibrant new field of research on visual diplomacy.
Outcome of radiotherapy for the treatment of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma in the very elderly population
Authors: Yariv Orly , Amitai Nimrod , Nachalon Yuval , Moore Assaf , Popovtzer Aron
Published: February 2023

Background

Treatment selection for squamous cell carcinoma patients aged over 84 years is controversial. This retrospective chart review examined and compared characteristics of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma in very elderly (over 84 years) and younger patients (approximately 65 years). The secondary objective was to further evaluate the outcome of radiotherapy as a treatment modality in this patient population.

Methods

Of all 23 very elderly patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma treated with radiotherapy, with or without surgery, in the Davidoff Cancer Center, from 1992 to 2012, 19 had sufficient data for analysis, and comprised the study group.

Results

Median age at diagnosis was 86 years. Disease stage at diagnosis was I, II, III and IVA in 53 per cent, 21 per cent, 21 per cent and 5 per cent, respectively. Median radiotherapy dose was 60 Gy given in 25 fractions. Three patients had recurrence. No patient discontinued treatment because of toxicity. Median overall survival was 3.6 years (range, 0–10 years).

Conclusion

Very elderly laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients may derive a similar survival advantage as younger counterparts. Modern radiotherapy is effective and safe for treating laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma in this study population. Further, large-scale studies are needed.
Framing second language comprehensibility: Do interlocutors’ ratings predict their perceived communicative experience?
Authors: Nagle Charlie , Trofimovich Pavel , Tekin Oguzhan , McDonough Kim
Published: February 2023

Comprehensibility has risen to the forefront of second language (L2) speech research. To date, research has focused on identifying the linguistic, behavioral, and affective correlates of comprehensibility, how it develops over time, and how it evolves over the course of an interaction. In all these approaches, comprehensibility is the dependent measure, but comprehensibility can also be construed as a predictor of other communicative outcomes. In this study, we examined the extent to which comprehensibility predicted interlocutors’ overall impression of their interaction. We analyzed data from 90 paired interactions encompassing three communicative tasks. Interactive partners were L2 English speakers who did not share the same native language. After each task, they provided self- and partner-ratings of comprehensibility, collaboration, and anxiety, and at the end of the interaction, they provided exit ratings of their overall experience in the interaction, communication success, and comfort interacting with their partner. We fit mixed-effects models to the self- and partner-ratings to investigate if those ratings changed over time, and we used the results to derive model-estimated predictors to be incorporated into regression models of the exit ratings. Only the self-ratings, including self-comprehensibility, were significantly associated with the exit ratings, suggesting a speaker-centric view of L2 interaction.
Curvature-based force estimation for an elastic tube
Authors: Xiao Qingyu , Yang Xiaofeng , Chen Yue
Published: February 2023

Contact force is one of the most significant feedback for robots to achieve accurate control and safe interaction with environment. For continuum robots, it is possible to estimate the contact force based on the feedback of robot shapes, which can address the difficulty of mounting dedicated force sensors on the continuum robot body with strict dimension constraints. In this paper, we use local curvatures to estimate the magnitude and location of single or multiple contact forces based on Cosserat rod theory. We validate the proposed method in a thin elastic tube and calculate the curvatures via Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors or image feedback. For the curvature feedback obtained from multicore FBG sensors, the overall force magnitude estimation error is$0.062 \pm 0.068$N and the overall location estimation error is$3.51 \pm 2.60$mm. For the curvature feedback obtained from image, the overall force magnitude estimation error is$0.049 \pm 0.048$N and the overall location estimation error is$2.75 \pm 1.71$mm. The results demonstrate that the curvature-based force estimation method is able to accurately estimate the contact force.
Random multi-hooking networks
Authors: Bhutani Kiran R. , Kalpathy Ravi , Mahmoud Hosam
Published: February 2023

We introduce a broad class of multi-hooking networks, wherein multiple copies of a seed are hooked at each step at random locations, and the number of copies follows a predetermined building sequence of numbers. We analyze the degree profile in random multi-hooking networks by tracking two kinds of node degrees—the local average degree of a specific node over time and the global overall average degree in the graph. The former experiences phases and the latter is invariant with respect to the type of building sequence and is somewhat similar to the average degree in the initial seed. We also discuss the expected number of nodes of the smallest degree. Additionally, we study distances in the network through the lens of the average total path length, the average depth of a node, the eccentricity of a node, and the diameter of the graph.
Equivariant Heegaard genus of reducible 3-manifolds
Authors: TAYLOR SCOTT A.
Published: February 2023

The equivariant Heegaard genus of a 3-manifold W with the action of a finite group G of diffeomorphisms is the smallest genus of an equivariant Heegaard splitting for W. Although a Heegaard splitting of a reducible manifold is reducible and although if W is reducible, there is an equivariant essential sphere, we show that equivariant Heegaard genus may be super-additive, additive, or sub-additive under equivariant connected sum. Using a thin position theory for 3-dimensional orbifolds, we establish sharp bounds on the equivariant Heegaard genus of reducible manifolds, similar to those known for tunnel number. Along the way, we make use of a new invariant for W which is much better behaved under equivariant sums.
PRECLASSIC MAYA FORTIFICATION AT MURALLA DE LEÓN, PETEN: DEDUCING ASSETS, MILITARY STRATEGIES, AND SPECIFIC THREATS THROUGH ANALYSIS OF DEFENSIVE SYSTEMS
Authors: Bracken Justin
Published: February 2023

In the absence of historical records, ethnography, or artistic depictions, fortifications provide one of the best forms of evidence for insight into the nature of warfare within past societies. Excavations into the monumental stone perimeter wall, 1.5 km in circumference, at Muralla de León in the Peten Lakes Region have dated its initial construction to the first two centuries of the Late Preclassic period (400–200b.c.). Investigation into this apparent fortification offers new insight into Maya settlement and monumental construction in relation to warfare in this era, as sociopolitical complexity became increasingly widespread across the southern lowlands. Calculations of affordances of movement across the local landscape using geographic information systems and Circuitscape inform a spatial statistical analysis of fortification at Muralla de León, performed to test a hypothesis of defensive functionality for the encircling perimeter wall. A separate affordance of movement analysis at a regional scale locates the site within probable intersite paths of travel. The research indicates a significant, but not exclusive, defensive intent underpinning the Preclassic form of the main wall system. Thus, the system was built in part as a fortification, restricting movement toward the interior, while facilitating other uses such as hydraulic control and possibly trade.
Carbon Dioxide Retrievals From NOMAD‐SO on ESA's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter and Temperature Profiles Retrievals With the Hydrostatic Equilibrium Equation: 1. Description of the Method
Authors: Trompet L. , Vandaele A. C. , Thomas I. , Aoki S. , Daerden F. , Erwin J. , Flimon Z. , Mahieux A. , Neary L. , Robert S. , Villanueva G. , Liuzzi G. , López‐Valverde M. A. , Brines A. , Bellucci G. , López‐Moreno J. J. , Patel M. R.
Published: February 2023

The Solar Occultation (SO) channel of the Nadir and Occultation for Mars Discovery (NOMAD) instrument has been scanning the Martian atmosphere for almost 2 Martian years. In this work, we present a subset of the NOMAD SO data measured at the mesosphere at the terminator. From the data set, we investigated 968 vertical profiles of carbon dioxide density and temperature covering the Martian Year (MY) 35 as well as MY 36 up to a solar longitude (Ls) of 135° and altitudes around 60–100 km. While carbon dioxide density profiles are directly retrieved from the spectral signature in the spectra, temperature profiles are more challenging to retrieve as unlike density profiles, temperature profiles can present some spurious features if the regularization is not correctly managed. Comparing seven regularization methods, we found that the expected error estimation method provides the best regularization parameters. The vertical resolution of the profiles is on average 1.6 km. Numerous warm layers and cold pockets appear in this data set. The warm layers are found in the Northern hemisphere at dawn and dusk as well as in the Southern hemisphere at dawn. Strong warm layers are present in more than 13.5% of the profiles. The Southern hemisphere at dusk does not present any warm layer between Ls 50° and 150°. The height and latitudinal distribution of those warm layers were similar in MY 35 and MY 36 during the first half of the year (Ls = 0°–135°).
TCF7L2 acts as a molecular switch in midbrain to control mammal vocalization through its DNA binding domain but not transcription activation domain
Authors: Qi Huihui , Luo Li , Lu Caijing , Chen Runze , Zhou Xianyao , Zhang Xiaohui , Jia Yichang
Published: February 2023

Vocalization is an essential medium for social signaling in birds and mammals. Periaqueductal gray (PAG) a conserved midbrain structure is believed to be responsible for innate vocalizations, but its molecular regulation remains largely unknown. Here, through a mouse forward genetic screening we identified one of the key Wnt/β-catenin effectors TCF7L2/TCF4 controls ultrasonic vocalization (USV) production and syllable complexity during maternal deprivation and sexual encounter. Early developmental expression of TCF7L2 in PAG excitatory neurons is necessary for the complex trait, while TCF7L2 loss reduces neuronal gene expressions and synaptic transmission in PAG. TCF7L2-mediated vocal control is independent of its β-catenin-binding domain but dependent of its DNA binding ability. Patient mutations associated with developmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders, disrupt the transcriptional repression effect of TCF7L2, while mice carrying those mutations display severe USV impairments. Therefore, we conclude that TCF7L2 orchestrates gene expression in midbrain to control vocal production through its DNA binding but not transcription activation domain.
VPA mediates bidirectional regulation of cell cycle progression through the PPP2R2A-Chk1 signaling axis in response to HU
Authors: Su Benyu , Lim David , Qi Chenyang , Zhang Zhongwei , Wang Junxiao , Zhang Fengmei , Dong Chao , Feng Zhihui
Published: February 2023

Cell cycle checkpoint kinases play a pivotal role in protecting against replicative stress. In this study, valproic acid (VPA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi), was found to promote breast cancer MCF-7 cells to traverse into G2/M phase for catastrophic injury by promoting PPP2R2A (the B-regulatory subunit of Phosphatase PP2A) to facilitate the dephosphorylation of Chk1 at Ser317 and Ser345. By contrast, VPA protected normal 16HBE cells from HU toxicity through decreasing PPP2R2A expression and increasing Chk1 phosphorylation. The effect of VPA on PPP2R2A was at the post-transcription level through HDAC1/2. The in vitro results were affirmed in vivo. Patients with lower PPP2R2A expression and higher pChk1 expression showed significantly worse survival. PPP2R2A D197 and N181 are essential for PPP2R2A-Chk1 signaling and VPA-mediated bidirectional effect on augmenting HU-induced tumor cell death and protecting normal cells.
Anionic phospholipids control mechanisms of GPCR-G protein recognition
Authors: Thakur Naveen , Ray Arka P. , Sharp Liam , Jin Beining , Duong Alexander , Pour Niloofar Gopal , Obeng Samuel , Wijesekara Anuradha V. , Gao Zhan-Guo , McCurdy Christopher R. , Jacobson Kenneth A. , Lyman Edward , Eddy Matthew T.
Published: February 2023

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are embedded in phospholipids that strongly influence drug-stimulated signaling. Anionic lipids are particularly important for GPCR signaling complex formation, but a mechanism for this role is not understood. Using NMR spectroscopy, we explore the impact of anionic lipids on the function-related conformational equilibria of the human A2Aadenosine receptor (A2AAR) in bilayers containing defined mixtures of zwitterionic and anionic phospholipids. Anionic lipids prime the receptor to form complexes with G proteins through a conformational selection process. Without anionic lipids, signaling complex formation proceeds through a less favorable induced fit mechanism. In computational models, anionic lipids mimic interactions between a G protein and positively charged residues in A2AAR at the receptor intracellular surface, stabilizing a pre-activated receptor conformation. Replacing these residues strikingly alters the receptor response to anionic lipids in experiments. High sequence conservation of the same residues among all GPCRs supports a general role for lipid-receptor charge complementarity in signaling.
Remodeling articular immune homeostasis with an efferocytosis-informed nanoimitator mitigates rheumatoid arthritis in mice
Authors: Zhang Shengchang , Liu Ying , Jing Weiqiang , Chai Qihao , Tang Chunwei , Li Ziyang , Man Zhentao , Chen Chen , Zhang Jing , Sun Peng , Zhang Rui , Yang Zhenmei , Han Maosen , Wang Yan , Wei Xia , Li Jun , Li Wei , Abdalla Mohnad , Yu Gongchang , Shi Bin , Zhang Yuankai , Zhao Kun , Jiang Xinyi
Published: February 2023

Massive intra-articular infiltration of proinflammatory macrophages is a prominent feature of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) lesions, which are thought to underlie articular immune dysfunction, severe synovitis and ultimately joint erosion. Here we report an efferocytosis-informed nanoimitator (EINI) for in situ targeted reprogramming of synovial inflammatory macrophages (SIMs) that thwarts their autoimmune attack and reestablishes articular immune homeostasis, which mitigates RA. The EINI consists of a drug-based core with an oxidative stress-responsive phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) corona and a shell composed of a P-selectin-blocking motif, low molecular weight heparin (LMWH). When systemically administered, the LMWH on the EINI first binds to P-selectin overexpressed on the endothelium in subsynovial capillaries, which functions as an antagonist, disrupting neutrophil synovial trafficking. Due to the strong dysregulation of the synovial microvasculature, the EINI is subsequently enriched in the joint synovium where the shell is disassembled upon the reactive oxygen species stimulation, and PtdSer corona is then exposed. In an efferocytosis-like manner, the PtdSer-coroneted core is in turn phagocytosed by SIMs, which synergistically terminate SIM-initiated pathological cascades and serially reestablish intra-articular immune homeostasis, conferring a chondroprotective effect. These findings demonstrate that SIMs can be precisely remodeled via the efferocytosis-mimetic strategy, which holds potential for RA treatment.
Synthesis of precisely functionalizable curved nanographenes via graphitization-induced regioselective chlorination in a mechanochemical Scholl Reaction
Authors: Stanojkovic Jovana , William Ronny , Zhang Zhongbo , Fernández Israel , Zhou Jingsong , Webster Richard D. , Stuparu Mihaiela C.
Published: February 2023

While the synthesis of nanographenes has advanced greatly in the past few years, development of their atomically precise functionalization strategies remains rare. The ability to modify the carbon scaffold translates to controlling, adjusting, and adapting molecular properties. Towards this end, here, we show that mechanochemistry is capable of transforming graphitization precursors directly into chlorinated curved nanographenes through a Scholl reaction. The halogenation occurs in a regioselective, high-yielding, and general manner. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations suggest that graphitization activates specific edge-positions for chlorination. The chlorine atoms allow for precise chemical modification of the nanographenes through a Suzuki or a nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction. The edge modification enables modulation of material properties. Among the molecules prepared, corannulene-coronene hybrids and laterally fully π-extended helicenes, heptabenzo[5]superhelicenes, are particularly noteworthy.
Wet oxidation and catalytic wet oxidation of pharmaceutical sludge
Authors: Zeng Xu , Liu Jun , Zhao Jianfu
Published: February 2023

In this work, wet oxidation and catalytic wet oxidation of pharmaceutical sludge using homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts were investigated. The results indicate that wet oxidation is a promising method for the highly efficient degradation of pharmaceutical sludge. Under optimal conditions, the highest removal efficiencies of volatile suspended solids (VSS) 86.8% and chemical oxygen demand (COD) 62.5% were achieved at 260 °C for 60 min with an initial oxygen pressure of 1.0 MPa. NaOH exhibited excellent acceleration performance on the VSS removal. The highest VSS removal efficiency of 95.2% was obtained at 260 °C for 60 min with an initial oxygen pressure of 1.0 MPa and 10 g·L−1 of NaOH. By using a Cu–Ce/γ-Al2O3 catalyst, the highest removal rates of VSS 87.3% and COD 72.6% were achieved at 260 °C for 60 min with an initial oxygen pressure of 1.0 MPa and 10 g·L−1 of catalyst. The wet oxidation reaction can be maintained itself owing to the exothermic heat. The produced low-molecular-weight carboxylic acids have potential commercial utilization as organic carbon sources in the biological wastewater treatment processes. The inorganic residues can be utilized for the building materials production. These results implied that the catalytic wet oxidation is a promising method for the volume reduction and resource utilization of pharmaceutical sludge.
Protective effects of isorhamnetin against H2O2-induced oxidative damage in HaCaT cells and comprehensive analysis of key genes
Authors: Hu Wen , Zhang Jingzhan , Wang Hongjuan , Guan Mengmeng , Dai Leheng , Li Jun , Kang Xiaojing
Published: February 2023

Isorhamnetin (ISO) is a methylated flavonol present in the leaves, flowers, and fruits of many plants with antitumour, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-apoptotic properties. ISO has been suggested as the active substance in Vernonia anthelmintica (L.) to treat vitiligo. However, the mechanisms underlying its effects remain unclear. In this study, human keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) were pre-treated with or without ISO and then stimulated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to generate oxidative damage. Pre-treatment with ISO increased HaCaT cell viability, reduced malondialdehyde content, and enhanced superoxide dismutase activity, resulting in a reduction in the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, improved cell morphological damage, and apoptosis inhibition. Furthermore, we identified 51 significantly dysregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of HaCaT cells treated with ISO using RNA-sequencing. Enrichment analysis using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes databases indicated that the protective effect of ISO could be related to its effects on the Wnt signalling pathway. Our study provides novel insights into key gene regulation in the progression of oxidative damage and the mechanisms of action of ISO.