bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Indentation and impact response of conventional, auxetic, and shear thickening gel infused auxetic closed cell foam
Authors: Parisi M , Allen T , Colonna M , Pugno N , Duncan O
Published: May 2023

Auxetic closed cell foams, and highly viscoelastic foams, both show potential to improve impact protection. Specifically, auxetics adapt to the shape of impacting bodies, while highly viscoelastic foams stiffen during severe impacts. So, we made auxetic closed cell foam sheets, including those that were infused with (highly viscoelastic) shear thickening gel (STG). We then undertook comparative quasistatic and impact (drop) tests. Quasistatic tests included compression, tension and indentation. Impact tests were with a flat faced impactor at energies of 1, 3 and 5 J, and a 50 mm diameter hemisphere at 1 and 3 J. Poisson’s ratios of the foams were obtained by optical full field strain measurement. An analytical model was used to separate the contribution of the various measured orthotropic properties during the hemispherical impact and indentation tests. The Poisson’s ratios of the converted foams (both with and without STG) were close to zero or marginally negative when measured through thickness. Planar values of Poisson’s ratio (measured in tension) were as low as −0.6. Through thickness Young’s moduli of the converted foams were 0.5 MPa, and planar moduli were ∼12 times higher. The auxetic foams outperformed the unconverted ones during the more severe impacts, exhibiting about half the peak force during the 3 J hemispherical impacts (2.5 vs. 5 kN). The reduction in peak force was related to a measured doubling in indentation resistance for the auxetic foam. The analytical model suggests that 7%–15% of the measured doubling in indentation resistance was due to (negative) Poisson’s ratio. Infusing the auxetic foams with STG caused, at best, a marginal reduction in peak impact force, attributed to low and non-uniform levels of infusion.
Corrigendum to “The transition from conservative to dissipative flows in class-B laser model with fold-Hopf bifurcation and coexisting attractors”
Authors: Li 李 Yue 月 , Chen 陈 Zengqiang 增强 , Yuan 袁 Mingfeng 明峰 , Cang 仓 Shijian 诗建
Published: May 2023

Recently, we received a letter from Prof. G. L. Oppo, which indicated that he had doubts about the transformation of the system in the article Chin. Phys. B 31 060503 (2022) and gave other considerations. After inspection, we found that there was a clerical error in the article. Based on this, we have made corrections and supplements to the original article.
Degenerate polarization entangled photon source based on a single Ti-diffusion lithium niobate waveguide in a polarization Sagnac interferometer
Authors: Sun Yu , Sun Chang-Wei , Zhou Wei , Yang Ran , Duan Jia-Chen , Gong Yan-Xiao , Xu Ping , Zhu Shi-Ning
Published: May 2023

Combining a Ti-diffusion periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguide with a Sagnac interferometer, two opposite directions type-II spontaneous parametric down conversions (SPDC) occur coherently and yield a high brightness, high stability polarization entanglement source. The source produces degenerate photon pairs at 1540.4 nm with a brightness of B = (1.36 ± 0.03) × 106 pairs/(s⋅nm⋅mW). We perform quantum state tomography to reconstruct the density matrix of the output state and obtain a fidelity of F = 0.983 ± 0.001. The high brightness and phase stability of our waveguide source enable a wide range of quantum information experiments operating at a low pump power as well as hold the advantage in mass production which can promote the practical applications of quantum technologies.
Quality analysis for precision metrology based on joint weak measurements without discarding readout data
Authors: Qin Lupei , Xu Luting , Li Xin-Qi
Published: May 2023

We present a theoretical analysis for the metrology quality of joint weak measurements (JWMs), in close comparison with the weak-value-amplification technique. We point out that the difference probability function employed in the JWM scheme cannot be used to calculate the uncertainty variance and Fisher information (FI). In order to carry out the metrological precision, we reformulate the problem in terms of difference-combined stochastic variables, which makes all calculations well defined. We reveal that, in general, the metrological precision of the JWM scheme cannot reach that indicated by the total FI, despite that all the readouts are collected without discarding. We also analyze the effect of technical noise, showing that the technical noise cannot be removed by the subtracting procedure, which yet can be utilized to outperform the conventional measurement, when considering the imaginary weak value measurement.
A Prospective, Open-Label Study to Evaluate Functional Changes Following Electromagnetic Muscle Stimulation of Abdominal Muscle
Authors: Bachelor Eric P , Kilmer Suzanne , Porcari John P , Gamio Sylvia
Published: May 2023

Background

Electromagnetic muscle stimulation (EMMS) is an effective, well-tolerated noninvasive body contouring treatment for strengthening, toning, and firming the abdomen.

Objectives

In this study, functional changes following abdominal EMMS treatment wereevaluated.

Methods

In this prospective, open-label study, adults received 8 abdominal EMMS treatments (2 treatments on nonconsecutive days/week over 4 weeks). Follow-ups occurred 1 month (primary endpoint), 2, and 3 months postfinal treatment. Effectiveness endpoints included improvements from baseline on Body Satisfaction Questionnaire (BSQ; primary endpoint), core strength (timed plank test), abdominal endurance (curl-up test), and Subject Experience Questionnaire (SEQ). Safety was evaluated throughout.

Results

Sixteen participants (68.8% female) were enrolled, with a mean age of 39.3 years and a mean BMI of 24.4 kg/m2; 14 participants completed the study per protocol. Mean BSQ scores were significantly improved from baseline (27.9) to the 1-month follow-up (36.6; P < .05). Core strength and abdominal endurance were significantly greater at the 1-, 2-, and 3-month posttreatment time points than at baseline (P < .05). Frequently cited reasons for seeking EMMS treatment included a desire to feel stronger (100%; n = 14/14) and to improve athletic performance (100%; n = 14/14). SEQ responses 3 months posttreatment showed that most participants reported feeling stronger (92.9%) and motivated to receive additional EMMS treatments (100%) and work out to maintain treatment results (100%). The majority of participants (>78%) reported being “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with abdominal treatment 1 month posttreatment. One device- and/or procedure-related adverse event of menstrual cycle irregularity was reported in 1 participant and was mild in severity.

Conclusions

EMMS treatment of the abdomen is associated with functional strength improvements and high patient satisfaction.

Level of Evidence: 4
Quantifying transcriptome diversity: a review
Authors: Jones Emma F , Haldar Anisha , Oza Vishal H , Lasseigne Brittany N
Published: May 2023

Following the central dogma of molecular biology, gene expression heterogeneity can aid in predicting and explaining the wide variety of protein products, functions and, ultimately, heterogeneity in phenotypes. There is currently overlapping terminology used to describe the types of diversity in gene expression profiles, and overlooking these nuances can misrepresent important biological information. Here, we describe transcriptome diversity as a measure of the heterogeneity in (1) the expression of all genes within a sample or a single gene across samples in a population (gene-level diversity) or (2) the isoform-specific expression of a given gene (isoform-level diversity). We first overview modulators and quantification of transcriptome diversity at the gene level. Then, we discuss the role alternative splicing plays in driving transcript isoform-level diversity and how it can be quantified. Additionally, we overview computational resources for calculating gene-level and isoform-level diversity for high-throughput sequencing data. Finally, we discuss future applications of transcriptome diversity. This review provides a comprehensive overview of how gene expression diversity arises, and how measuring it determines a more complete picture of heterogeneity across proteins, cells, tissues, organisms and species.
Multiple imputation of more than one environmental exposure with nondifferential measurement error
Authors: Yu Yuanzhi , Little Roderick J , Perzanowski Matthew , Chen Qixuan
Published: May 2023

Measurement error is common in environmental epidemiologic studies, but methods for correcting measurement error in regression models with multiple environmental exposures as covariates have not been well investigated. We consider a multiple imputation approach, combining external or internal calibration samples that contain information on both true and error-prone exposures with the main study data of multiple exposures measured with error. We propose a constrained chained equations multiple imputation (CEMI) algorithm that places constraints on the imputation model parameters in the chained equations imputation based on the assumptions of strong nondifferential measurement error. We also extend the constrained CEMI method to accommodate nondetects in the error-prone exposures in the main study data. We estimate the variance of the regression coefficients using the bootstrap with two imputations of each bootstrapped sample. The constrained CEMI method is shown by simulations to outperform existing methods, namely the method that ignores measurement error, classical calibration, and regression prediction, yielding estimated regression coefficients with smaller bias and confidence intervals with coverage close to the nominal level. We apply the proposed method to the Neighborhood Asthma and Allergy Study to investigate the associations between the concentrations of multiple indoor allergens and the fractional exhaled nitric oxide level among asthmatic children in New York City. The constrained CEMI method can be implemented by imposing constraints on the imputation matrix using the mice and bootImpute packages in R.
Thalamic stereo-EEG in epilepsy surgery: where do we stand?
Authors: Bernabei John M , Litt Brian , Cajigas Iahn
Published: May 2023

This scientific commentary refers to ‘Multisite thalamic recordings to characterize seizure propagation in the human brain’ by Wu et al. (https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awad121).
An individual data-driven virtual resection model based on epileptic network dynamics in children with intractable epilepsy: a magnetoencephalography interictal activity application
Authors: Cuesta Pablo , Bruña Ricardo , Shah Ekta , Laohathai Christopher , Garcia-Tarodo Stephanie , Funke Michael , Von Allmen Gretchen , Maestú Fernando
Published: May 2023

Epilepsy surgery continues to be a recommended treatment for intractable (medication-resistant) epilepsy; however, 30–70% of epilepsy surgery patients can continue to have seizures. Surgical failures are often associated with incomplete resection or inaccurate localization of the epileptogenic zone. This retrospective study aims to improve surgical outcome through in silico testing of surgical hypotheses through a personalized computational neurosurgery model created from individualized patient’s magnetoencephalography recording and MRI. The framework assesses the extent of the epileptic network and evaluates underlying spike dynamics, resulting in identification of one single brain volume as a candidate for resection. Dynamic-locked networks were utilized for virtual cortical resection. This in silico protocol was tested in a cohort of 24 paediatric patients with focal drug-resistant epilepsy who underwent epilepsy surgery. Of 24 patients who were included in the analysis, 79% (19 of 24) of the models agreed with the patient's clinical surgery outcome and 21% (5 of 24) were considered as model failures (accuracy 0.79, sensitivity 0.77, specificity 0.82). Patients with unsuccessful surgery outcome typically showed a model cluster outside of the resected cavity, while those with successful surgery showed the cluster model within the cavity. Two of the model failures showed the cluster in the vicinity of the resected tissue and either a functional disconnection or lack of precision of the magnetoencephalography–MRI overlapping could explain the results. Two other cases were seizure free for 1 year but developed late recurrence. This is the first study that provides in silico personalized protocol for epilepsy surgery planning using magnetoencephalography spike network analysis. This model could provide complementary information to the traditional pre-surgical assessment methods and increase the proportion of patients achieving seizure-free outcome from surgery.
Machine Learning in Laboratory Medicine: Recommendations of the IFCC Working Group
Authors: Master Stephen R , Badrick Tony C , Bietenbeck Andreas , Haymond Shannon
Published: May 2023

Background

Machine learning (ML) has been applied to an increasing number of predictive problems in laboratory medicine, and published work to date suggests that it has tremendous potential for clinical applications. However, a number of groups have noted the potential pitfalls associated with this work, particularly if certain details of the development and validation pipelines are not carefully controlled.

Methods

To address these pitfalls and other specific challenges when applying machine learning in a laboratory medicine setting, a working group of the International Federation for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine was convened to provide a guidance document for this domain.

Results

This manuscript represents consensus recommendations for best practices from that committee, with the goal of improving the quality of developed and published ML models designed for use in clinical laboratories.

Conclusions

The committee believes that implementation of these best practices will improve the quality and reproducibility of machine learning utilized in laboratory medicine.

We have provided our consensus assessment of a number of important practices that are required to ensure that valid, reproducible machine learning (ML) models can be applied to address operational and diagnostic questions in the clinical laboratory. These practices span all phases of model development, from problem formulation through predictive implementation. Although it is not possible to exhaustively discuss every potential pitfall in ML workflows, we believe that our current guidelines capture best practices for avoiding the most common and potentially dangerous errors in this important emerging field.
Macrophage angiotensin-converting enzyme reduces atherosclerosis by increasing peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α and fundamentally changing lipid metabolism
Authors: Cao DuoYao , Khan Zakir , Li Xiaomo , Saito Suguru , Bernstein Ellen A , Victor Aaron R , Ahmed Faizan , Hoshi Aoi O , Veiras Luciana C , Shibata Tomohiro , Che Mingtian , Cai Lei , Yamashita Michifumi , Temel Ryan E , Giani Jorge F , Luthringer Daniel J , Divakaruni Ajit S , Okwan-Duodu Derick , Bernstein Kenneth E
Published: May 2023

Aims

The metabolic failure of macrophages to adequately process lipid is central to the aetiology of atherosclerosis. Here, we examine the role of macrophage angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) in a mouse model of PCSK9-induced atherosclerosis.

Methods and results

Atherosclerosis in mice was induced with AAV-PCSK9 and a high-fat diet. Animals with increased macrophage ACE (ACE 10/10 mice) have a marked reduction in atherosclerosis vs. WT mice. Macrophages from both the aorta and peritoneum of ACE 10/10 express increased PPARα and have a profoundly altered phenotype to process lipids characterized by higher levels of the surface scavenger receptor CD36, increased uptake of lipid, increased capacity to transport long chain fatty acids into mitochondria, higher oxidative metabolism and lipid β-oxidation as determined using 13C isotope tracing, increased cell ATP, increased capacity for efferocytosis, increased concentrations of the lipid transporters ABCA1 and ABCG1, and increased cholesterol efflux. These effects are mostly independent of angiotensin II. Human THP-1 cells, when modified to express more ACE, increase expression of PPARα, increase cell ATP and acetyl-CoA, and increase cell efferocytosis.

Conclusion

Increased macrophage ACE expression enhances macrophage lipid metabolism, cholesterol efflux, efferocytosis, and it reduces atherosclerosis. This has implications for the treatment of cardiovascular disease with angiotensin II receptor antagonists vs. ACE inhibitors.
Genome assembly of the pioneer speciesPlantago majorL. (Plantaginaceae) provides insight into its global distribution and adaptation to metal-contaminated soil
Authors: Lyu Shanwu , Mei Qiming , Liu Hui , Wang Baosheng , Wang Jun , Lambers Hans , Wang Zhengfeng , Dong Bin , Liu Zhanfeng , Deng Shulin
Published: May 2023

Plantago is a major genus belonging to the Plantaginaceae family and is used in herbal medicine, functional food, and pastures. Several Plantago species are also characterized by their global distribution, but the mechanism underpinning this is not known. Here, we present a high-quality, chromosome-level genome assembly of Plantago major L., a species of Plantago, by incorporating Oxford Nanopore sequencing and Hi-C technologies. The genome assembly size was approximately 671.27 Mb with a contig N50 length of 31.30 Mb. 31,654 protein-coding genes were identified from the genome. Evolutionary analysis showed that P. major diverged from other Lamiales species at ~62.18 Mya and experienced two rounds of WGD events. Notably, many gene families related to plant acclimation and adaptation expanded. We also found that many polyphenol biosynthesis genes showed high expression patterns in roots. Some amino acid biosynthesis genes, such as those involved in histidine synthesis, were highly induced under metal (Ni) stress that led to the accumulation of corresponding metabolites. These results suggest persuasive arguments for the global distribution of P. major through multiscale analysis. Decoding the P. major genome provides a valuable genomic resource for research on dissecting biological function, molecular evolution, taxonomy, and breeding.
Anomalous origin of the left circumflex artery from the pulmonary artery associated with non-compaction of the left ventricle: usefulness of multimodality imaging—a case report
Authors: Bourcier Tom , Willoteaux Serge , Furber Alain , Biere Loïc
Published: May 2023

Background

The anomalous origin of the left circumflex artery from the pulmonary artery (ACXAPA) is a very rare coronary anomaly. Only a few cases have been reported until today, from incidental findings to autopsy reports after sudden cardiac death.

Case summary

We report here for the first time the case of a man, previously monitored for asymptomatic left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy, who presented with non-ST myocardial infarction and was diagnosed with ACXAPA. Complementary tests confirmed ischaemia in the corresponding territory, and the patient was referred to surgery for reimplantation of the circumflex artery.

Discussion

Left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy is a rare congenital cardiomyopathy whose association with coronary anomalies, not with ACXAPA, had previously been described until now. A related embryological origin could potentially explain this association. The management of a coronary anomaly should indicate dedicated multimodality cardiac imaging in order to not disregard the association with underlying cardiomyopathy.
An unusual right atrial myxoma triggering presumed takotsubo syndrome in a 97-year-old female
Authors: Sonaglioni Andrea , Grasso Enzo , Lombardo Michele
Published: May 2023

A 97-year-old female was admitted to the emergency department of our hospital due to paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea and chest pain. At the hospital admission, the patient manifested transient psychomotor agitation and dysarthria. On physical examination, blood pressure was 115/60 mmHg and pulse 96 b.p.m. On blood tests, troponine I was 0.08 ng/mL (normal range <0.04 ng/mL). Electrocardiography (ECG) showed sinus rhythm and ST segment elevation in both inferior and anterior leads except in lead V1. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) revealed a right atrial multilobulated, hypermobile, echogenic cauliflower mass (maximum size of 5 cm × 4 cm), which was attached to the tricuspid lateral annulus with a short stalk (Figure 1A). The right atrial mass, which had filiform extremities and was found to prolapse through the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle, was ascribed to a peduncolated myxoma. Its motion was very rapid and uncoordinated, with increased peak antegrade velocity (Vmax = 35 cm/s), as precisely measured by pulsed wave tissue Doppler imaging (PW-TDI) (Figure 1B). Estimated left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was normal (60%), and no significant valvulopathy was detected. Finally, a bulging of the interatrial septum with right-to-left shunt, through a patent foramen ovale (PFO), was observed by using colour Doppler (Figure 1C). Acute ischaemic lesions were excluded by brain computed tomography scan.
Controls on diversity of core and indicative microbial subcommunities in Tibetan Plateau grassland soils
Authors: Tang Yazhou , Fan Dandan , Guo Wei , Kong Weidong
Published: May 2023

Core subcommunity represents the less diversity but high abundance, while indicative subcommunity is highly diverse but low abundance in soils. The core subcommunity fundamentally maintains ecosystem stability, while the indicative plays important roles in vital ecosystem functions and is more sensitive to environmental change. However, their environmental driving factors and responses to human disturbances remain less defined. Herein, we explored the patterns of core and indicative soil microbes and their responses to animal grazing in dry grasslands across the Tibetan Plateau, using the Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA gene. The results revealed that the core subcommunity diversity and richness were lower than the indicative in soils. The indicative subcommunity diversity exhibited substantially stronger correlations with nutrient-associated factors than the core diversity, including soil organic carbon, nitrogen, and plant biomass. The core and indicative microbial subcommunities both strongly varied with grassland ecosystems, while the latter was also significantly influenced by grazing. The variation partitioning analysis revealed that indicative microbial subcommunity was explained less by environmental factors than core subcommunity (34.5% vs 73.0%), but more influenced by grazing (2.6% vs 0.1%). Our findings demonstrated that the indicative microbes were particularly sensitive to soil nutrient-associated factors and human disturbances in alpine dry grasslands.
Social and Leisure Activities Predict Transitions in Cognitive Functioning in Older Mexican Adults: A Latent Transition Analysis of the Mexican Health and Aging Study
Authors: Robertson Michael C , Downer Brian , Schulz Paul E , Samper-Ternent Rafael , Lyons Elizabeth J , Milani Sadaf Arefi
Published: May 2023

Objectives

Mexico has a rapidly aging population at risk for cognitive impairment. Social and leisure activities may protect against cognitive decline in older adults. The benefits of these behaviors may vary by patterns of cognitive impairment. The objectives of this study were to identify latent states of cognitive functioning, model the incidence of transitions between these states, and investigate how social and leisure activities were associated with state transitions over a 6-year period in Mexican adults aged 60 and older.

Methods

We performed latent transition analyses to identify distinct cognitive statuses in the 2012 and 2018 waves of the Mexican Health and Aging Study (N = 9,091). We examined the transition probabilities between these states and their associations with social and leisure activities.

Results

We identified 4 cognitive statuses at baseline: normal cognition (43%), temporal disorientation (30%), perceptual-motor function impairment (7%), and learning and memory impairment (20%). Various social and leisure activities were associated with reduced odds of death and disadvantageous cognitive transitions, as well as increased odds of beneficial transitions.

Discussion

Mapping the effects of popular social and leisure activities onto common patterns in cognitive functioning may inform the development of more enjoyable and effective health-protective behavioral interventions.
Bedside Intestinal Ultrasound Predicts Disease Severity and the Disease Distribution of Pediatric Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Pilot Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Chavannes Mallory , Hart Lara , Hayati Rezvan Panteha , Dillman Jonathan R , Polk D Brent
Published: May 2023

Background

Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) is a noninvasive tool to assess bowel inflammation. There is a paucity of data on its accuracy in pediatric patients.

Aim

The aim of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic performance of bowel wall thickness (BWT) measured using IUS compared with endoscopic disease activity in children suspected of having inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Methods

We conducted a single-center cross-sectional pilot study of pediatric patients suspected to have previously undiagnosed IBD. Endoscopic inflammation was graded using segmental scores of the Simple Endoscopic Score for Crohn's Disease (SES-CD) and the Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS) and classified as having healthy, mild, or moderate/severe disease activity. Association between BWT and endoscopic severity was assessed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The diagnostic performance of BWT to detect active disease at endoscopy was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve; sensitivity and specificity were calculated.

Results

In all, 174 bowel segments in 33 children were assessed by IUS and ileocolonoscopy. An elevated median BWT was associated with increased bowel segment disease severity, classified by the SES-CD (P < .001) and the UCEIS (P < .01). Using a cutoff value of 1.9 mm, we found that the BWT had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.743 (95% CI, 0.67-0.82), a sensitivity of 64% (95% CI, 53%-73%), and a specificity of 76% (95% CI, 65%-85%) to detect inflamed bowel.

Conclusion

Increasing BWT is associated with increasing endoscopic activity in pediatric IBD. Our study suggests that the optimal BWT cutoff value for detecting active disease may be less than that seen in adults. Additional pediatric studies are needed.
Effects of Development on Bone Mineral Density and Mechanical Properties in the Aquatic Frog, Xenopus Laevis, and a Terrestrial Frog, Lithobates Catesbianus
Authors: Kinsey Chase T , Ratz Caleb , Adams Danielle , Webber-Shultz Amani , Blob Richard
Published: May 2023

Synopsis

The limb bones of vertebrates have a critical role in supporting the weight of the body and transmitting forces that power locomotion. The loads that limb bones experience can vary in association with a range of factors, including locomotor environment or developmental stage. Limbed vertebrates that are habitually found in environments with low locomotor loads (e.g., water) might be predicted to also exhibit limb bones with less elevated mechanical properties, such as yield stiffness and yield stress. Frogs provide a distinctive case, in which these ideas can be tested as they experience changes in both locomotor style and habitat as they develop. However, while many frog taxa shift from aquatic to terrestrial habitats as they metamorphose, some lineages, such as pipids, maintain an aquatic lifestyle even after metamorphosis, providing a comparative framework for the effects of habitat shifts on developing limbs in vertebrates. This study compares the material composition and mechanical properties of the femur between frog species that are aquatic specialists (Xenopus laevis) vs generalists that spend considerable time both on land and in water (Lithobates catesbeianus) as they transition from metamorphic tadpoles to fully grown adults. MicroCT scanning was used to determine changes in bone density related to developmental stage and hindlimb use during swimming. Microindentation was then used to collect hardness values from the cortical bone of each femur, which was used to evaluate bone material properties. We found that aquatic frogs had less overall bone mineral density (BMD) than terrestrial frogs and that BMD was more elevated in the cortical region of the diaphysis than trabeculae and distal and proximal epiphyses. Despite its less elevated BMD, bone mechanical properties were not significantly different in aquatic specialist X. laevis than in more terrestrial L. catesbeianus. Our results suggest that the limb bones of aquatic frogs may experience compensatory effects through development to offset their lower BMD. Furthermore, changes in bone density and material properties across development may help to explain some of the differences in locomotor performance found between aquatic and terrestrial metamorphic frogs, providing insight into how environmental factors might correlate with bone ossification.
Nature-based and bioinspired solutions for coastal protection: an overview among key ecosystems and a promising pathway for new functional and sustainable designs
Authors: Perricone V , Mutalipassi M , Mele A , Buono M , Vicinanza D , Contestabile P
Published: May 2023

Coastal erosion is occurring at a faster rate than in the past. The adverse impacts are not negligible at environmental, economic, and socio-cultural levels. Hence, coastal protection is currently seen as an emerging need to counteract erosion impacts and their many negative effects on worldwide ecosystems. In this regard, natural systems and their organisms represent a complex system of solutions that can efficiently create and/or inspire the development of natural, sustainable, and cutting-edge coastal barriers. Coastal ecosystems, such as coral reefs, oyster reefs, mangroves, saltmarshes, seagrasses, and polychaete reefs, act as a natural barrier for destructive waves and wind forces. Moreover, living organisms have evolved unique strategies to withstand their environmental hydrodynamic loadings. This review intends to provide an overview regarding natural systems and related nature-based and bioinspired strategies in the specific field of coastal protection, describing the state of the art, methods, processes, and tools, as well as delineating a promising pathway for new functional and sustainable designs.
Ship-to-shore training for active deep-sea capacity development
Authors: Barnhill Kelsey Archer , Vinha Beatriz , Smith Alycia J , de Jonge Daniëlle S W , Gaurisas Daniela Y , Segura Roger Mocholí , Madureira Pedro , Albuquerque Mónica , Huvenne Veerle A I , Orejas Covadonga , Gunn Vikki
Published: May 2023

Sailing on scientific expeditions as an early career researcher (ECR) offers the beneficial opportunity to gain field experience and training. However, the number of available berths to achieve the scientific goals of an expedition limits the number of onboard participants. Telepresence and remote learning can be utilized to increase the number of active participants, broadening the reach of capacity development. The 2021 iMirabilis2 expedition on board the Spanish Research Vessel Sarmiento de Gamboa used telepresence to virtually involve ECRs from several countries in deep-sea science. One year post-expedition, a survey of onshore participants was conducted to assess and quantify the effectiveness of the peer-to-peer ECR ship-to-shore scheme. During the expedition, live, interactive training via WhatsApp and Zoom was utilized by onshore ECRs more than traditional static, unidirectional methods of blog posts and pre-recorded videos. All respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that the scheme provided an inclusive and accessible platform to share deep-sea science. These results suggest similar schemes could be used to supplement shorter-duration at-sea-training, used prior to a seagoing experience to better prepare ECRs, or to allow members of the science community unable to join an expedition in person to actively participate remotely, increasing inclusivity.
Beyond State and Hegemony: International Orders as Anarchic Meta-Fields
Authors: Oskanian Kevork
Published: May 2023

This paper extends a Bourdieusian practice-based approach to a novel understanding of international orders as “Anarchic Meta-Fields” (AMFs). It first explores the metatheoretical advantages inherent in Field Theory's expansion toward questions of order, considering the position of Bourdieu at the intersection of Weberian, Durkheimian, and Marxist social theory. It then increases the analytical breadth of preceding “imperial” and “hegemonic” applications of Bourdieu's framework through two disaggregations—of order and realist notions of hegemony, and realist and neo-Gramscian forms of the same. In a first, Hobbesian turn, the international social space is subsequently conceptualized as an “AMF” created by outward rather than inward projections of power and practice by state nobilities; variations within this global AMF are identified as “subfields”. The openness of Bourdieu's framework is then argued to allow for the widest range of international orders based on specific configurations of multidimensionally defined capital, and varying forms of doxic practice. The framework is illustrated through an application to the Cold War order as a composite social space, consisting of the global AMF itself, and four distinct, yet heteronomous subfields. The paper concludes with a proposed conceptual and empirical research agenda.
The use of aminopenicillins in animals within the EU, emergence of resistance in bacteria of animal and human origin and its possible impact on animal and human health
Authors: van Duijkeren Engeline , Rantala Merja , Bouchard Damien , Busani Luca , Catry Boudewijn , Kaspar Heike , Pomba Constança , Moreno Miguel A , Nilsson Oskar , Ružauskas Modestas , Sanders Pascal , Teale Christopher , Wester Astrid L , Ignate Kristine , Jukes Helen , Kunsagi Zoltan , Schwarz Christine
Published: May 2023

Aminopenicillins have been widely used for decades for the treatment of various infections in animals and humans in European countries. Following this extensive use, acquired resistance has emerged among human and animal pathogens and commensal bacteria. Aminopenicillins are important first-line treatment options in both humans and animals, but are also among limited therapies for infections with enterococci and Listeria spp. in humans in some settings. Therefore, there is a need to assess the impact of the use of these antimicrobials in animals on public and animal health.

The most important mechanisms of resistance to aminopenicillins are the β-lactamase enzymes. Similar resistance genes have been detected in bacteria of human and animal origin, and molecular studies suggest that transmission of resistant bacteria or resistance genes occurs between animals and humans. Due to the complexity of epidemiology and the near ubiquity of many aminopenicillin resistance determinants, the direction of transfer is difficult to ascertain, except for major zoonotic pathogens. It is therefore challenging to estimate to what extent the use of aminopenicillins in animals could create negative health consequences to humans at the population level. Based on the extent of use of aminopenicillins in humans, it seems probable that the major resistance selection pressure in human pathogens in European countries is due to human consumption. It is evident that veterinary use of these antimicrobials increases the selection pressure towards resistance in animals and loss of efficacy will at minimum jeopardize animal health and welfare.
Efficacy of oleylphosphocholine in experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis
Authors: Van Bocxlaer Katrien , Dixon Jodie , Platteeuw Johannes J , Van Den Heuvel Dennie , Mcarthur Kerri-Nicola , Harris Andy , Alavijeh Mo , Croft Simon L , Yardley Vanessa
Published: May 2023

Objectives

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected tropical disease causing a range of skin lesions for which safe and efficacious drugs are lacking. Oleylphosphocholine (OLPC) is structurally similar to miltefosine and has previously demonstrated potent activity against visceral leishmaniasis. We here present the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of OLPC against CL-causing Leishmania species.

Methods

The antileishmanial activities of OLPC were evaluated and compared with miltefosine in vitro against intracellular amastigotes of seven CL-causing species. Following the confirmation of significant in vitro activity, the performance of the maximum tolerated dose of OLPC was evaluated in an experimental murine model of CL followed by a dose–response titration and the efficacy evaluation of four OLPC formulations (two with a fast-release and two with a slow-release profile) using bioluminescent Leishmania major parasites.

Results

OLPC demonstrated potent in vitro activity of the same order as miltefosine in the intracellular macrophage model against a range of CL-causing species. A dose of 35 mg of OLPC/kg/day administered orally for 10 days was well-tolerated and able to reduce the parasite load in the skin of L. major-infected mice to a similar extent as the positive control paromomycin (50 mg/kg/day, intraperitoneally) in both in vivo studies. Reducing the dose of OLPC resulted in inactivity and modifying the release profile using mesoporous silica nanoparticles led to a decrease in activity when solvent-based loading was used in contrast to extrusion-based loading, which had no impact on its antileishmanial efficacy.

Conclusions

Together, these data suggest that OLPC could be a promising alternative to miltefosine treatment for CL. Further investigations exploring experimental models with additional Leishmania species and skin pharmacokinetic and dynamic analyses are required.
Use of overlapping DNA pools to discern genetic differences despite pooling error
Authors: Keele John W , McDaneld Tara G , Kuehn Larry A
Published: May 2023

Genotyping pools of commercial cattle and individual seedstock animals may reveal hidden relationships between sectors enabling use of commercial data for genetic evaluation. However, commercial data capture may be compromised by inexact pool formation. We aimed to estimate the concordance between distances or genomic covariance among pooling allele frequencies (PAFs) of DNA pools comprised of 100 animals with 0% or 50% overlap of animals in common between pools. Cattle lung samples were collected from a commercial beef processing plant on a single day. Six pools of 100 animals each were constructed so that overlap between pools was 0% or 50%. Two pools of all 200 animals were constructed to estimate PAFs for all 200 animals. Frozen lung tissue (0.01 g) from each animal was weighed into a tube containing a pool; there were two pools of 200 animals each and six pools of 100 animals each. Every contribution of an individual animal was an independent measurement to insure independence of pooling errors. Lung samples were kept on dried ice during the pooling process to keep them from thawing. The eight pools were then assayed for approximately 100,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP). PAF for each SNP and pool was based on the relative intensity of the two dyes used to detect the alleles rather than genotype calls which are not tractable from pooling data. Euclidean distances and genomic relationships among the PAFs for the eight pools were estimated and distances were tested for concordance with pool overlap using permutation-based analysis of distance. Distances among pools were concordant with the planned overlap of animals shared between pools (P = 0.0024); pool overlap accounted for 70% of the variation and pooling error accounted for 30%. Pools containing 100 animals with no overlap were the most distant from one another and pools with 50% overlap were the least distant. This work shows that we can discern differences in distance between pairs of overlapping DNA pools sharing 0% and 50% of the animals. Genomic correlations among nonoverlapping pools indicated that nonoverlapping pool pairs did not share many related animals because genomic correlations were near zero for these pairs. On the other hand, one pair of nonoverlapping pools likely contained related animals between pools because the correlation was 0.21. Pools sharing 50% overlap ranged in genomic relationship between 0.21 and 0.39 (N = 12).
“Sensing” productivity at home: self-tracking technologies, gender, and labor in Turkey
Authors: Özkan Nazlı
Published: May 2023

This article explores how women in Turkey use sensing technologies to render visible their productivity at home in ways that contest home–workplace boundary under neoliberal, digital capitalism. It does so by focusing on a group of lower- and middle-class women, who work from home as both paid laborers and unpaid caregivers. Although neoliberalism makes it harder to distinguish home and workplace, my digital ethnography highlights that women working from home feel a home–workplace separation that renders invisible their productivity. By translating embodied knowledge into quantified data, smartwatches provide women with new information that I call revelations. Women share these revelations on digital platforms to render visible their productivity at home in ways that transgress the home–workplace boundary. By exploring these revelations as moments of “otherwise,” this article highlights both when smartwatches reproduce neoliberal mentality and become tools for others in the public to register its exploitative consequences.
Potential of the oothecal parasitoid Aprostocetus hagenowii (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) as a biological control agent for the Turkestan cockroach (Blattodea: Blattidae)
Authors: Smith Chelsea M , Chicas-Mosier Ana M , Fadamiro Henry Y , Appel Arthur G
Published: May 2023

The Turkestan cockroach, Blatta lateralis (Walker), is a peridomestic pest of growing concern in the US Southwest. The parasitoid Aprostocetus hagenowii (Ratzburg) is used in IPM programs targeting other blattid cockroach species and may aid in B. lateralis suppression. Information about the ability of A. hagenowii to parasitize B. lateralis is lacking. A no-choice host-switching experiment was used to test A. hagenowii acceptance of B. lateralis oothecae, and a multigenerational no-choice experiment was used to determine the suitability of B. lateralis as a host for A. hagenowii over several months of rearing. Periplaneta americana (L.) (Blattodea: Blattidae), the preferred host of A. hagenowii, and Blatta orientalis L., a known host and relative of B. lateralis, were used for comparison. Development time was similar among hosts and generations (P > 0.05). Parasitism success and proportion of female progeny declined significantly with subsequent generations on both Blatta spp. (parasitism success: χ2 = 14.916; df = 2; P = 0.001; proportion female: H = 6.364; df = 2; P = 0.041). These results suggest that A. hagenowii may initially aid in suppression of B. lateralis, but an overall decline in fitness will require repeated releases or provisioning of P. americana oothecae. Development of a strain more suitable for B. lateralis control may be possible via selection from laboratory strains or through use of wild A. hagenowii from areas where B. lateralis is present.
Loose Attitudes: Politics of Self-Knowledge in Our Bodies, Ourselves and The House of God
Authors: Adams Kim
Published: May 2023

Readers of Samuel Shem’s medical satire The House of God (1978) have long worried about the bad attitude of his main characters: young male internal medicine trainees. This article examines the interns’ atrocious affections, using the feminist classic Our Bodies, Ourselves (1973) as a counterweight to the masculinist perspective of House of God. These radically different critiques of United States medicine derive from a shared sociopolitical context and represent a historically specific response to the personal politics of sexual liberation and self-actualization in the 1970s. I show that Shem and the Boston Women’s Health Book Collective share a rhetorical strategy of “loose expertise” grounded in embodied knowledge, which connects both texts to the radical social movements of the late 1960s. Loose expertise enables institutional critique by shifting the domain of knowledge away from traditional structures of authority, but inhibits intersectional critique by essentializing the individual subject position of the author. The article concludes by examining the relationship of both texts to the medical humanities.
Successful use of left ventricular support device (Impella 5.0) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for postoperative cardiac arrest after lung cancer surgery: a case report
Authors: Hara Kantaro , Miyamoto Hikaru , Furukawa Nao , Kimura Takuya , Soeda Satsuki , Okabe Kazunori
Published: May 2023

Postoperative hemodynamic support with an Impella 5.0 was effective in a man who underwent lung lobectomy for lung cancer and cardiogenic shock. A 75-year-old man presented to hospital with an abnormal chest shadow on radiography. After thorough examination, the patient was diagnosed with lung cancer, and left lower lobectomy was performed. On the 2nd postoperative day, the patient experienced cardiac arrest because of a sudden drop in saturation of percutaneous oxygen. After a third defibrillation, his heartbeat resumed, and he was intubated and placed on a ventilator. Coronary angiography revealed acute coronary syndrome and the patient fell into a state of shock, which required venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) support. Nevertheless, the circulatory dynamics are unstable, and Impella 5.0 was introduced. VA-ECMO and the Impella 5.0 were discontinued on the 6th and 8th postoperative days, respectively. The patient was eventually transferred to a nearby facility for further rehabilitation 109 days later.
Heat-related illnesses are an increasing threat for travellers to hot climate destinations
Authors: Matsee Wasin , Charoensakulchai Sakarn , Khatib Aisha N
Published: May 2023

The transition to El Niño during 2023 will result in a sharp rise in global heating, increasing the likelihood of breaking temperature records. Travellers are at increasing risk of heat-related illnesses (HRI) and should be prepared with advice about HRI prevention, recognition of early signs and first aid management.
Ubiquitination from the perspective of plant pathogens
Authors: Sharma Shambhavi , Prasad Ashish , Prasad Manoj
Published: May 2023

The constant battle of survival between pathogens and host plants has played a crucial role in shaping the course of their co-evolution. However, the major determinants of the outcome of this ongoing arms race are the effectors secreted by pathogens into host cells. These effectors perturb the defense responses of plants to promote successful infection. In recent years, extensive research in the area of effector biology has reported an increase in the repertoire of pathogenic effectors that mimic or target the conserved ubiquitin–proteasome pathway. The role of the ubiquitin-mediated degradation pathway is well known to be indispensable for various aspects of a plant’s life, and thus targeting or mimicking it seems to be a smart strategy adopted by pathogens. Therefore, this review summarizes recent findings on how some pathogenic effectors mimic or act as one of the components of the ubiquitin–proteasome machinery while others directly target the plant’s ubiquitin–proteasome system.