bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Measurement of upper limb function in ALS: a structured review of current methods and future directions
Authors: Hayden C. D. , Murphy B. P. , Hardiman O. , Murray D.
Published: May 2022

Measurement of upper limb function is critical for tracking clinical severity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Rating Scale-revised (ALSFRS-r) is the primary outcome measure utilised in clinical trials and research in ALS. This scale is limited by floor and ceiling effects within subscales, such that clinically meaningful changes for subjects are often missed, impacting upon the evaluation of new drugs and treatments. Technology has the potential to provide sensitive, objective outcome measurement. This paper is a structured review of current methods and future trends in the measurement of upper limb function with a particular focus on ALS. Technologies that have the potential to radically change the upper limb measurement field and explore the limitations of current technological sensors and solutions in terms of costs and user suitability are discussed. The field is expanding but there remains an unmet need for simple, sensitive and clinically meaningful tests of upper limb function in ALS along with identifying consensus on the direction technology must take to meet this need.
Creatine kinase and prognosis in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a literature review and multi-centre cohort analysis
Authors: Gao Jiali , Dharmadasa Thanuja , Malaspina Andrea , Shaw Pamela J. , Talbot Kevin , Turner Martin R. , Thompson Alexander G.
Published: May 2022

Background

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a prognostically heterogeneous neurodegenerative disease. Blood creatine kinase (CK) level has been inconsistently reported as a prognostic biomarker and raised levels in some ALS patients have been presumed to reflect muscle wasting, which is also variable.

Methods

MEDLINE was systematically searched for papers related to CK in ALS and the relevant studies were reviewed. Using data from 222 ALS patients in a multi-centre, prospective, longitudinal cohort, survival analyses using Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazards models were undertaken in relation to CK and other prognostic factors.

Results

Twenty-five studies investigating CK in ALS were identified, of which 10 specifically studied the link between CK and survival. Five studies observed no association, four found that higher CK levels were associated with longer survival and one, the opposite. In our cohort (n = 222), 39% of patients had a CK level above the laboratory reference range. Levels were higher in males compared to females (p < 0.001), in patients with limb versus bulbar onset of symptoms (p < 0.001) and in patients with higher lower motor neuron burden (p < 0.001). There was no significant trend in longitudinal CK values. Although a higher standardised log (CK) at first visit was associated with longer survival in univariate analysis (hazard ratio 0.75, p = 0.003), there was no significant association after adjusting for other prognostic covariates.

Conclusion

While raised CK levels in ALS do reflect lower motor neuron denervation to a large extent, they are not independently associated with survival when measured in the symptomatic phase of the disease.
Oestrogen receptor expression distinguishes non-ossifying fibroma from other giant cell containing bone tumours
Authors: Cleven Arjen H. G. , Schreuder Willem H. , Groen Eline , de Lange Jan , Briaire-de Bruijn Inge H. , Bovée Judith V. M. G.
Published: May 2022

Non-ossifying fibroma (NOF) and central giant cell granuloma (CGCG) are both benign tumours of bone with overlapping morphology and similar mutations in the RAS/MAPK pathway. However, NOF is located in the long bones with regression after puberty in contrast to CGCG which is located in the jaw bones and does not regress spontaneously. We hypothesised that endocrine regulation by oestrogen plays a role in the spontaneous regression in NOF. Therefore, we examined the expression of ERα in a series of NOF and CGCG. ERα expression (EP1) was determined using immunohistochemistry on 16 NOFs (whole slides), and 47 CGCGs (tissue microarrays (TMA’s n = 41 and whole slide n = 6)). As comparison, we included TMAs of other giant cell containing bone lesions: giant cell tumour of bone (n = 75), chondroblastoma (n = 12), chondromyxoid fibroma (n = 12), aneurysmal bone cyst (n = 6) and telangiectatic osteosarcoma (n = 6). All 16 NOF samples demonstrated ERα protein expression, while all 47 CGCG and all other giant cell containing bone tumours were negative. Most NOF samples had moderate staining intensity and between 24 and 49% of the spindle cells were ERα-positive. Our findings further support the role of endocrine regulation via oestrogen in the spontaneous regression in NOF. Whether oestrogen signalling at puberty is involved in the induction of senescence in the neoplastic cells of NOF harbouring RAS/MAPK pathway mutations needs further research. Since ERα expression was not observed in other giant cell containing bone lesions with overlapping morphological features, positive ERα expression may favour the diagnosis of NOF in challenging diagnostic cases.
Genetic testing enables a precision medicine approach for nephrolithiasis and nephrocalcinosis in pediatrics: a single-center cohort
Authors: Huang Lin , Qi Chang , Zhu Gaohong , Ding Juanjuan , Yuan Li , Sun Jie , He Xuelian , Wang Xiaowen
Published: May 2022

Objective

Hereditary factors are the main cause of pediatric nephrolithiasis (NL)/nephrocalcinosis (NC). We summarized the genotype–phenotype correlation of hereditary NL/NC in our center, to evaluate the role of genetic testing in early diagnosis.

Methods

The clinical data of 32 NL/NC cases, which were suspected to have an inherited basis, were retrospectively analyzed from May 2017 to August 2020. The trio-whole exome sequencing was used as the main approach for genetic testing, variants were confirmed by Sanger sequencing, and pathogenicity analysis according to protein function was predicted with custom-developed software.

Results

Causative monogenic mutations were detected in 24 of 32 NL/NC patients, and copy number variation was detected in one patient. A summary of manifestations in patients with inherited diseases revealed a significant degree of growth retardation, increased urinary excretion of the low-molecular weight protein, hypercalciuria, electrolyte imbalances, and young age of onset to be common in heredity disease. In addition, some patients had abnormal renal function (3 ppm 25). The most frequent pathology identified was distal renal tubular acidosis (with inclusion of SLC4A1, ATP6V1B1, and ATP6VOA4 genes), followed by Dent disease (CLCN5 and OCRL1 genes), primary hyperoxaluria (PH) (AGXT and HOGA1 genes) and Kabuki syndrome (KMT2D gene), which was more likely to present as NC or recurrent stone and having a higher correlation with a specific biochemical phenotype and extrarenal phenotype.

Conclusion

The etiology of NL/NC is heterogeneous. This study explored in depth the relationship between phenotype and genotype in 32 patients, and confirmed that genetic testing and clinical phenotype evaluation enable the precision medicine approach to treating patients.
Fuzzy forward dynamics of distinct gait phases with a prosthetic foot
Authors: Scheiterer Eduard S. , Leyendecker Sigrid
Published: May 2022

This work considers epistemic uncertainty in the form of fuzzy parameters in a multibody forward dynamics simulation of the human leg with a prosthetic foot. The thigh and shank are modelled as rigid bodies while the prosthetic foot, modelled after a carbon spring prosthesis, is represented by a predeformed geometrically exact beam model. A variational integrator is used to solve the equations of motion in the forward dynamics simulation and the Graph Follower algorithm is used to include epistemic uncertainty. Two cases are considered. Large movements are examined using a pendulum swing, similar to the swing phase during human gait. To validate the deformation of the prosthesis, a second case is examined, where the prosthesis is fixed in space and deforms under the weight of the body segments. Both cases consider a fuzzy Young’s modulus and determine the envelopes of the resulting uncertain target output. The Graph Follower algorithm was modified to substantially increase computational efficiency, enabling the propagation of fuzzy uncertainty through the complex multibody model with rigid and flexible bodies.
Localisation of the petrous internal carotid artery relative to the vidian canal on computed tomography: a case–control study evaluating the impact of petroclival chondrosarcoma
Authors: Connor Steve E. J. , Thomas Nicholas W. M. , Shapey Jonathan
Published: May 2022

Background

The vidian canal (VC) is normally a reliable anatomical landmark for locating the petrous internal carotid artery (pICA). This study determined the influence of petroclival chondrosarcoma on the relationship between the VC and pICA.

Methods

Nine patients (3 males, 6 females; median age 49) with petroclival chondrosarcoma, and depiction of the pICA on contrast-enhanced CT, were retrospectively studied. CT-based measurements were performed by two observers, both in the presence of the petroclival chondrosarcoma (case) and on the contralateral control side. The antero-posterior (AP) and craniocaudal (CC) measurements from the posterior VC to the pICA, whether the pICA was in the trajectory of the VC, and the coronal relationship of the pICA anterior genu with the VC were recorded.

Results

Chondrosarcoma usually displaced the pICA anteriorly (8/9 cases) and superiorly (6/9 cases) relative to the normal side with mean AP and CC measurements of 3.9 mm v 7.2 mm (p = 0.054) and 4.4 mm v 1.4 mm (p = 0.061). The VC trajectory less frequently intersected the pICA cross-section in the presence of chondrosarcoma however it was in the line of the eroded dorsal VC in one case. The anterior genu of the pICA was displaced more laterally by chondrosarcoma but usually remained superior to the VC.

Conclusion

Petroclival chondrosarcoma variably influences the anatomical relationship between the VC and the pICA, hence requiring an individualised approach. The pICA is usually anterosuperiorly displaced, and the anterior genu remains superior to the VC, however it may be located in the line of the canal.
Melt polymer drawn single and multi-capillary fibre-based electroosmotic pumps
Authors: Wu Liang , Farajikhah Syamak , Beirne Stephen , Large Maryanne C. J. , Fleming Simon , Innis Peter C.
Published: May 2022

Microfluidic devices have been employed in micro-analytical systems and microelectronics using inexpensive, customisable fluid-handling automation at the microliter scale. Here we utilise a well-established fibre drawing technique, which offers a range of materials and capillary conformations, that can be utilized within microfluidic devices to control fluid movement via electroosmotic processes to produce a simple electroosmotic pump (EOP). Single capillary EOPs were fabricated from drawn PU capillary fibres with internal diameters ranging from 73 to 200 µm and were shown to be capable of actively transporting a buffer solution using an external driving electric potential. A maximum flow rate of 0.8 ± 0.1 μL/min was achieved for a 73 ± 2 µm diameter PU capillary fibre at an applied potential of 750 V/cm. This flow rate was successfully increased up to 5.3 ± 0.3 μL/min by drawing a multi-capillary array consisting of 4, 5 and 7 capillaries.
The age and well-being “paradox”: a longitudinal and multidimensional reconsideration
Authors: Hansen Thomas , Blekesaune Morten
Published: May 2022

This paper explores qualifications to the much-discussed paradox that although aging is associated with multiple physical and social losses, subjective well-being (SWB) is stable or increasing in later life. We explore age-related changes in cognitive, affective, and eudaimonic dimensions in three waves of data spanning up to 15 years from the Norwegian NorLAG study (N = 4,944, age 40 − 95). We employ fixed-effect models to examine the nature and predictors of aging effects on SWB. Results indicate a general pattern of stability well into older age, but negative changes in advanced age across well-being measures. Declines in SWB are less pronounced and with a later onset for the cognitive compared with the other measures. Loss of health, a partner, and friends are robust predictors of declining SWB. Women report both more negative affect and engagement than men, and these differences increase with age. In conclusion, while increasing SWB from midlife to the mid-70 s attests to the adaptive behaviors and coping resources of young-old adults, the significant downturns in SWB in advanced age point to limits to psychological adjustment when health-related and social threats and constraints intensify.
Investigating the measurement of academic resilience in Aotearoa New Zealand using international large-scale assessment data
Authors: Rudd Georgia , Meissel Kane , Meyer Frauke
Published: May 2022

Academic resilience captures academic success despite adversity and thus is an important concept for promoting equity within education. However, our understanding of how and why rates of academic resilience differ between contexts is currently limited by variation in the ways that the construct has been operationalised in quantitative research. Similarly, comparing the strength of protective factors that promote academic resilience is hindered by differing approaches to the measurement of academic resilience. This methodological variation has complicated attempts to reconcile disparate findings about academic resilience. The current study applied six commonly used operationalisations of academic resilience that combined different thresholds of high risk and high achievement, to three international large-scale assessments, to explore how these different operationalisations impacted the findings produced. The context of Aotearoa New Zealand was chosen as a case study to further academic resilience research within this context and investigate how academic resilience manifests in an education system with relatively high levels of average achievement alongside low levels of educational equity. Within international large-scale assessment datasets, prevalence rates differed markedly across subject areas, grade levels, and collection cycles, as a function of the measure of academic resilience employed, while the strength of protective factors was more consistent. Thresholds that were norm-referenced produced more consistent findings across the different datasets compared to thresholds that were criterion-referenced. High levels of missing data prevented the analysis of some datasets, and differences in the way that key constructs were measured undermined the comparability of findings across international large-scale assessments. The findings emphasise the strengths and limitations of utilising international large-scale assessment data for the study of academic resilience, particularly within the Aotearoa New Zealand context. Furthermore, the study highlights that researchers’ methodological decisions have important impacts on the conclusions drawn about academic resilience.
Assessing expected utility and profitability to support decision-making for disease control strategies in ornamental heather production
Authors: Ruett Marius , Dalhaus Tobias , Whitney Cory , Luedeling Eike
Published: May 2022

Many farmers hesitate to adopt new management strategies with actual or perceived risks and uncertainties. Especially in ornamental plant production, farmers often stick to current production strategies to avoid the risk of economically harmful plant losses, even though they may recognize the need to optimize farm management. This work focused on the economically important and little-researched production system of ornamental heather (Calluna vulgaris) to help farmers find appropriate measures to sustainably improve resource use, plant quality, and profitability despite existing risks. Probabilistic cost-benefit analysis was applied to simulate alternative disease monitoring strategies. The outcomes for more intensive visual monitoring, as well as sensor-based monitoring using hyperspectral imaging were simulated. Based on the results of the probabilistic cost-benefit analysis, the expected utility of the alternative strategies was assessed as a function of the farmer’s level of risk aversion. The analysis of expected utility indicated that heather production is generally risky. Concerning the alternative strategies, more intensive visual monitoring provides the highest utility for farmers for almost all levels of risk aversion compared to all other strategies. Results of the probabilistic cost-benefit analysis indicated that more intensive visual monitoring increases net benefits in 68% of the simulated cases. The application of sensor-based monitoring leads to negative economic outcomes in 85% of the simulated cases. This research approach is widely applicable to predict the impacts of new management strategies in precision agriculture. The methodology can be used to provide farmers in other data-scarce production systems with concrete recommendations that account for uncertainties and risks.
Usefulness of maximum intensity projection images of non-enhanced CT for detection of hyperdense middle cerebral artery sign in acute thromboembolic ischemic stroke
Authors: Oguro Sota , Mugikura Shunji , Ota Hideki , Bito Seiji , Asami Yuta , Sotome Wataru , Ito Yoshiaki , Kaneko Hideki , Suzuki Kazuyo , Higuchi Nobuya , Takase Kei
Published: May 2022

Purpose

To compare the sensitivity of the hyperdense middle cerebral artery (MCA) sign between maximum intensity projection (MIP) and conventional averaged images in patients with acute focal neurological deficits with acute thromboembolic MCA occlusion (MCA occlusion group) and patients with acute focal neurological deficits without MCA occlusion (control group).

Materials and methods

Initial computed tomography (CT) scans on admission were reconstructed with 5 mm thickness at every 3 mm interval for averaged and MIP images from 1 mm thickness non-contrast axial source images. Images were obtained from 30 cases each in the MCA occlusion and control groups. The CT values in the region of interests (ROIs) on the affected and unaffected sides of the MCA were compared. To compare CT values among subjects, the CT values were normalized by obtaining a ratio on the affected and unaffected sides, and the normalized CT values were analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

Results

The hyperdense MCA sign was visually detected on MIP images in 90% cases and on 5 mm averaged images in only 57% cases in the MCA occlusion group. Based on the ROC analysis of the normalized ratio on the affected and unaffected sides, area under the curve of MIP image and averaged image was 0.941 and 0.655, respectively. On MIP images, the optimal threshold of the ratio on the affected and unaffected sides was 1.152 (sensitivity: 90.0%, and specificity: 93.3%).

Conclusion

The hyperdense MCA sign sensitivity on 5 mm MIP images was significantly higher than that on conventional 5 mm averaged CT images. This could be useful for the early initiation of proper therapy for patients with acute focal neurological deficits.
Validation of a LiDAR-based player tracking system during football-specific tasks
Authors: Bampouras Theodoros M. , Thomas Neil M.
Published: May 2022

Tracking players’ movements in sports is important to monitor and optimise exercise volume, avoid injuries, and enhance game performance. A new LiDAR-based system (Sportlight®) purports to provide accurate velocity and acceleration metrics derived from player movements. This study examined the validity of the LiDAR-based system against a 3D motion analysis system. Two competitive football players (age: 18 years, height: 1.74 ± 0.01 m, mass: 66.5 ± 7.8 kg; playing experience at this level: 3 years) completed nine trials each of six sport-specific movements, consisting of straight-line sprints, cuts, and curved runs. Trials were recorded concurrently by a four-unit LiDAR system and a 64-camera 3D motion analysis system. Instantaneous velocity and acceleration, and time spent within key performance indicator bands (defined by velocity and acceleration thresholds) were compared between systems. Agreement between the systems was evaluated by root mean square error. Differences in time spent within each key performance indicator band between systems were assessed with t tests and standardised effect sizes. Velocity root mean square error values ranged from 0.04 to 0.14 m·s−1 across all movements and acceleration root mean square error values ranged from 0.16 to 0.7 m·s−2. Differences between systems for time spent within each key performance indicator band were mostly trivial. These results show that the LiDAR-based system can provide valid measures of velocity and acceleration in football-specific tasks, thus providing accurate tracking of players and calculation of relevant key performance indicators.
Late Early Devonian ostracodes from the Torkoz area (SW Morocco) and the Emsian/Eifelian boundary
Authors: Groos-Uffenorde Helga , Schindler Eberhard , Becker R. Thomas , Dojen Claudia , Brocke Rainer , Jansen Ulrich
Published: May 2022

A new rich and diversified ostracode fauna from the Torkoz area (section Hassi Mouf South, Moroccan Anti-Atlas) is described and the ostracode distribution near the Early/Middle Devonian boundary is discussed. This ostracode fauna of a single limestone bed yields 32 taxa and is compared with the less-diversified ostracode fauna from an adjacent parallel section Hassi Mouf South as well as with a published conodont-bearing sample from section Torkoz. All three ostracode faunas are closely related, and therefore, the same latest Emsian age is postulated. Palynomorphs (acritarchs and prasinophytes) from section Torkoz support this late Early Devonian age and the scarce brachiopod fauna of the equivalent level from section Hassi Mouf South suggests a stratigraphical position very close to the Emsian/Eifelian boundary, probably latest Emsian. Zygobeyrichiasubcylindrica from a thin marly bed embedded in shales, slightly below the ostracode-rich sample from section Hassi Mouf South, and the conodonts of the patulus Zone from section Torkoz, favours the position of the Early/Middle Devonian boundary within the Yeraifia Formation and not in or on top of the Rich 4 Sandstone in the SW Dra Valley area as hitherto published. The latest Early Devonian ostracode faunas from the Torkoz area belong to the shallow-water Eifelian Ecotype of G. Becker. The new genus Karlingrella for Euglyphella? granulosa Blumenstengel, 1962 and the new species Quasillites (Beckjennites) gebeckeri are erected.
Detection of extreme sentiments on social networks with BERT
Authors: Jamil M. Luqman , Pais Sebastião , Cordeiro João , Dias Gaël
Published: May 2022

Online social networking platforms allow people to freely express their ideas, opinions, and emotions negatively or positively. Previous studies have examined sentiments on these platforms to study their behavior in different contexts and purposes. The mechanism of collecting public opinion information has attracted researchers to automatically classify the polarity of public opinions based on the use of concise language in messages, such as tweets, by analyzing social media data. In this paper, we extend the preceding work where an unsupervised approach to automatically detect extreme opinions/posts in social networks is proposed. The performance of the proposed approach is evaluated on five different social network and media datasets. In this work, we use a semi-supervised approach known as BERT to reevaluate the accuracy of our prior approach and the obtained classified dataset. The experiment proves that in these datasets, posts that were previously classified as negative or positive extreme are extremely negative or positive in many cases while using BERT. Furthermore, BERT shows the capability to classify the extreme sentiments when fine-tuned with an appropriate extreme sentiments dataset.
Heterogeneous imaging features of Aspergillosis at 18F-FDG PET/CT
Authors: Altini Corinna , Ruta Rossella , Mammucci Paolo , Rubini Dino , Ferrari Cristina , Sardaro Angela , Pisani Antonio Rosario
Published: May 2022

Aspergillosis is one of the most frequent fungal infections, whose morbidity can be life-threatening, especially in some categories of patients such as immunocompromised ones. It can have various clinical presentation scenarios and should be considered when making differential diagnosis in patients with pulmonary and extrapulmonary involvement. 18F-FDG PET/CT is a whole-body diagnostic technique that can help in the study of the disease, guiding the patient management thanks to the possibility to recognize infection sites and extension. The aim of this manuscript is to provide an overview of the wide spectrum of disease presentation. Literature regarding 18F-FDG PET/CT in histologically confirmed aspergillosis cases has been revised to describe all its possible features, both usual and unusual to guide imaging interpretation. 18F-FDG PET/CT is a diagnostic tool that can help in the recognition of the heterogenous infection’s presentation, allowing the clinicians to make a prompt diagnosis and to have the most accurate management of the disease. Furthermore, other PET/CT radiopharmaceutical role in Aspergillosis imaging study have been presented.
Sexual Function in Postmenopausal Women with Symptomatic Pelvic Organ Prolapse Treated Either with Locally Applied Estrogen or Placebo: Results of a Double-Masked, Placebo-Controlled, Multicenter Trial
Authors: Marschalek Marie-Louise , Bodner Klaus , Kimberger Oliver , Morgenbesser Raffaela , Dietrich Wolf , Obruca Christian , Husslein Heinrich , Umek Wolfgang , Koelbl Heinz , Bodner-Adler Barbara
Published: May 2022

Background

Local estrogen therapy (LET) has beneficial effects on genitourinary atrophy; however it is currently unclear if LET improves sexual function in postmenopausal women with pelvic organ prolapse (POP).

Aim

To evaluate if LET vs placebo results in an improved sexual function in postmenopausal women with symptomatic POP.

Methods

We performed a secondary analysis of sexual outcomes of a previous randomized controlled trial comparing LET and placebo in 120 postmenopausal women (60/group) with symptomatic POP stage ≥3 and planned prolapse surgery. Women were randomly assigned to receive local estrogen or placebo cream 6 weeks preoperatively. The effect of therapy vs placebo was assessed with ANOVA with interaction effect of time*group and a multivariable linear regression model was built to assess the impact of different variables on sexual function before therapy.

Outcomes

We evaluated the sexual function score in sexually active women of our study population using the German Pelvic Floor Questionnaire at recruitment time and again after 6 weeks of treatment.

Results

Among 120 randomized women, 66 sexually active women remained for final analysis. There was no significant difference in the change of the sexual function score over time between the treatment groups (difference in changes in score from baseline to 6 weeks for Estrogen group vs control group was -0.110 with 95% CI -0.364 to 0.144) Multivariable analysis showed that no independent risk factor for unsatisfying sexual function score could be identified.

Clinical Implications

Based on our results, LET has no beneficial effect on sexual function in postmenopausal women with POP.

Strengths and limitations

Main strength of our study lies in the study design and in the use of a condition- specific questionnaire. As this is a secondary analysis, this study may be insufficiently powered to identify differences in sexual data between groups.

Conclusion

LET had no impact on female sexuality in postmenopausal women with POP.
Copyright in generative deep learning
Authors: Franceschelli Giorgio , Musolesi Mirco
Published: May 2022

Machine-generated artworks are now part of the contemporary art scene: they are attracting significant investments and they are presented in exhibitions together with those created by human artists. These artworks are mainly based on generative deep learning (GDL) techniques, which have seen a formidable development and remarkable refinement in the very recent years. Given the inherent characteristics of these techniques, a series of novel legal problems arise. In this article, we consider a set of key questions in the area of GDL for the arts, including the following: is it possible to use copyrighted works as training set for generative models? How do we legally store their copies in order to perform the training process? Who (if someone) will own the copyright on the generated data? We try to answer these questions considering the law in force in both the United States and the European Union, and potential future alternatives. We then extend our analysis to code generation, which is an emerging area of GDL. Finally, we also formulate a set of practical guidelines for artists and developers working on deep learning generated art, as well as some policy suggestions for policymakers.
The Invention of New Strategies in Bargaining Games
Authors: Freeborn David Peter Wallis
Published: May 2022

Bargaining games have played a prominent role in modeling the evolution of social conventions. Previous models assumed that agents must choose from a predetermined set of strategies. I present a new model of two agents learning in bargaining games in which new strategies must be invented and reinforced. I study the efficiency and fairness of the model outcomes. The outcomes are somewhat efficient, but a significant part of the resource is wasted nonetheless. I implement two forms of forgetting and restrictions to the set of strategies that can be invented.
Replication Is for Meta-Analysis
Authors: Fletcher Samuel C.
Published: May 2022

The role or function of experimental and observational replication within empirical science has implications for how replication should be measured. Broadly, there seems to be consensus that replication’s central goal is to confirm or vouchsafe the reliability of scientific findings. I argue that if this consensus is correct, then most of the measures of replication used in the scientific literature are actually poor indicators of this reliability or confirmation. Only meta-analytic measures of replication align functionally with the goals of replication. I conclude by addressing some objections to meta-analysis.
“Fundamental” “Constants” and Precision Tests of the Standard Model
Authors: Koberinski Adam
Published: May 2022

I provide an account of precision testing in particle physics that makes a virtue of theory-ladenness in experiments. Combining recent work on the philosophy of experimentation with a broader view of the scientific process allows one to understand that the most precise and secure knowledge produced in a mature science cannot be achieved in a theory-independent fashion. I discuss precision tests of the muon’s magnetic moment and effective field theory as a means to repurpose precision tests for exploratory purposes.
That Obscure Concept of Desire: The Ideological War over Scientific Models
Authors: Grunt-Mejer Katarzyna
Published: May 2022

This article analyzes the scientific debate surrounding the appropriateness of pharmacological interventions aimed at increasing female desire. It has three objectives: (1) to outline the nonepistemic values that underlie scientific concepts of desire; (2) to conduct an analysis of scientific misuses when justifying a drive-based model of desire and pharmacological intervention; and (3) to show how in this and similar cases of vague constructs we can demonstrate the role of nonepistemic values and assess their influence.
Biological Essentialism, Projectable Human Kinds, and Psychiatric Classification
Authors: Tsou Jonathan Y.
Published: May 2022

A minimal essentialism (“intrinsic biological essentialism”) about natural kinds is required to explain the projectability of human science terms. Human classifications that yield robust and ampliative projectable inferences refer to biological kinds. I articulate this argument with reference to an intrinsic essentialist account of homeostatic property cluster kinds. This account implies that human sciences (e.g., medicine, psychiatry) that aim to formulate predictive kind categories should classify biological kinds. Issues concerning psychiatric classification and pluralism are examined.
Development and test–retest reliability of the Combat Sports Post-Career Health Questionnaire (CSPCHQ)
Authors: Krstulović Saša , Franchini Emerson , Fukuda David H. , Stout Jeffrey R. , DelCastillo-Andrés Óscar , Kuvačić Goran
Published: May 2022

The long-term impact of weight cycling on health status, eating habits, physical activity and the lifestyle of former combat sports athletes is still insufficiently explored. Therefore, a novel questionnaire in English, Portuguese, Spanish and Croatian language was constructed. To determine the reliability and the content/face validity, a total of 110 participants filled the questionnaire on two occasions. With the majority of intra-class correlation coefficient values above 0·75, the questionnaire items were shown to be very stable. Additionally, according toκvalues, the questionnaire has fair test–retest reliability, with only one coefficient being labelled as poor (Q40 in ESP). All questionnaire sub-scales showed moderate to very good internal consistency when the overall sample was observed (αranging from 0·605 to 0·802). Poorαvalues were found only in Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire for CRO and ESP samples. Wilcoxon’s signed rank test showed significant differences only in the Mindful Eating Questionnaire sub-scale scores (overall:P= 0·002, effect size = −0·208 [moderate]; CRO:P= 0·005, effect size = 0·303 [moderate]). It can be concluded that the newly developed questionnaire had strong test–retest reliability. Further validity research in a larger sample of former combat sports athletes should be considered.
Surveillance for ototoxicity in platinum-based chemotherapy using mobile health audiometry with extended high frequencies
Authors: Ehlert K , Heinze B , Graham M A , Swanepoel D
Published: May 2022

Objective

This study investigated mobile health enabled surveillance in ototoxicity.

Method

This was a longitudinal study of 32 participants receiving chemotherapy. Baseline and exit audiograms that included conventional and extended high frequency audiometry were recorded within the patient's treatment venue using a validated mobile health audiometer.

Results

Average hearing thresholds at baseline were within the normal range (81.2 per cent left; 93.8 per cent right), reducing at exit testing (71.9 per cent left; 78.1 per cent right). Half of participants presented with a threshold shift according to ototoxicity monitoring criteria. The frequencies affected the most were between 4000 and 16 000 Hz, with left ears significantly more affected than right ears. Noise levels exceeded the maximum permissible ambient noise levels in up to 43.8 per cent of low frequencies (250–1000 Hz).

Conclusion

Mobile health supported audiometry proved to be an efficacious tool for ototoxicity monitoring at the treatment venue. Changes in hearing ability over time could be tracked, improving surveillance in patients with full treatment schedules.
The body's availability: Ezekiel 37, Robert Jenson and disabled flesh
Authors: Zerra Luke
Published: May 2022

This paper puts Ezekiel 37 in conversation with Robert W. Jenson's theological anthropology. It claims that a theological reading of scripture can clarify moral reflection on personhood in general, and the personhood of humans with disabilities in particular. Ezekiel 37:1–14, read through Jenson's exegesis and theology, offers a theological anthropology in which human personhood is given by God's address. To be a person is to be available to God's address. Such an understanding does not rely on capacities inherent to the person, but extrinsically in God's word and freedom to be available to human flesh.
Becoming What You Eat: Anna Kingsford's Vegetarian Posthuman
Authors: Rebry Coulthard Natasha
Published: May 2022

By situating Anna Kingsford's vegetarian writings within the paired context of late-Victorian dietetic discourse and modern posthuman philosophy, this article demonstrates both the Victorian association between diet and evolution and the contemporary applications of late-nineteenth-century dietary ethics. Kingsford was a leading scientist, antivivisector, feminist, and mystic who helped shape the Victorian vegetarian movement. Her influential rhetoric emphasized that vegetarianism would nourish interspecies relations and allow Victorians to materialize novel forms of subjectivity, kinship, community, and responsibility appropriate for the post-Darwinian landscape. This article reads her foundational vegetarian treatise,The Perfect Way in Diet(1881), along with her published lectures on vegetarianism through the overlapping lenses of posthumanism and new materialism, illuminating the congruence between Kingsford's call to embody ethics and the contemporary posthuman call to become an ecologically situated self. I argue that by framing vegetarianism as a generative, affirmative kin-making practice, grounded in the shared materiality and interests of humans and nonhumans, Kingsford articulates a posthuman dietary ethics.
CME-Sonografie 105: Sportverletzungen im Ultraschall
Authors: Dünkel Jörg , Tamborrini Giorgio
Published: May 2022

Zusammenfassung. Muskelverletzungen sind häufig und treten nicht nur bei Sportler_innen, sondern auch im Alltag auf. Für die Therapie und Prognose ist es wichtig, das Ausmass der Verletzung, die geschädigten Strukturen und mögliche Komplikationen zu erkennen. Mittels Ultraschallbildgebung kann in den meisten Fällen die Verletzung gut erfasst werden und die Sonografie erleichtert die Einleitung entsprechender therapeutischer Schritte. Der Muskelultraschall ist jedoch nicht ganz so verbreitet und definiert wie der Gelenksultraschall. Der Artikel erläutert verschiedene Arten der Muskelverletzungen, die diagnostischen Möglichkeiten mit dem hochauflösenden und dynamischen Ultraschall und seine Grenzen.
Polarization multiplexed diffractive computing: all-optical implementation of a group of linear transformations through a polarization-encoded diffractive network
Authors: Li Jingxi , Hung Yi-Chun , Kulce Onur , Mengu Deniz , Ozcan Aydogan
Published: May 2022

Research on optical computing has recently attracted significant attention due to the transformative advances in machine learning. Among different approaches, diffractive optical networks composed of spatially-engineered transmissive surfaces have been demonstrated for all-optical statistical inference and performing arbitrary linear transformations using passive, free-space optical layers. Here, we introduce a polarization-multiplexed diffractive processor to all-optically perform multiple, arbitrarily-selected linear transformations through a single diffractive network trained using deep learning. In this framework, an array of pre-selected linear polarizers is positioned between trainable transmissive diffractive materials that are isotropic, and different target linear transformations (complex-valued) are uniquely assigned to different combinations of input/output polarization states. The transmission layers of this polarization-multiplexed diffractive network are trained and optimized via deep learning and error-backpropagation by using thousands of examples of the input/output fields corresponding to each one of the complex-valued linear transformations assigned to different input/output polarization combinations. Our results and analysis reveal that a single diffractive network can successfully approximate and all-optically implement a group of arbitrarily-selected target transformations with a negligible error when the number of trainable diffractive features/neurons (N) approaches $$N_pN_iN_o$$

N

p

N

i

N

o

, where Ni and No represent the number of pixels at the input and output fields-of-view, respectively, and Np refers to the number of unique linear transformations assigned to different input/output polarization combinations. This polarization-multiplexed all-optical diffractive processor can find various applications in optical computing and polarization-based machine vision tasks.
miR-188-3p targets skeletal endothelium coupling of angiogenesis and osteogenesis during ageing
Authors: He Wen-Zhen , Yang Mi , Jiang Yangzi , He Chen , Sun Yu-Chen , Liu Ling , Huang Mei , Jiao Yu-Rui , Chen Kai-Xuan , Hou Jing , Huang Min , Xu Yi-Li , Feng Xu , Liu Ya , Guo Qi , Peng Hui , Huang Yan , Su Tian , Xiao Ye , Li Yusheng , Zeng Chao , Lei Guanghua , Luo Xiang-Hang , Li Chang-Jun
Published: May 2022

A specific bone capillary subtype, namely type H vessels, with high expression of CD31 and endomucin, was shown to couple angiogenesis and osteogenesis recently. The number of type H vessels in bone tissue declines with age, and the underlying mechanism for this reduction is unclear. Here, we report that microRNA-188-3p (miR-188-3p) involves this process. miRNA-188-3p expression is upregulated in skeletal endothelium and negatively regulates the formation of type H vessels during ageing. Mice with depletion of miR-188 showed an alleviated age-related decline in type H vessels. In contrast, endothelial-specific overexpression of miR-188-3p reduced the number of type H vessels, leading to decreased bone mass and delayed bone regeneration. Mechanistically, we found that miR-188 inhibits type H vessel formation by directly targeting integrin β3 in endothelial cells. Our findings indicate that miR-188-3p is a key regulator of type H vessel formation and may be a potential therapeutic target for preventing bone loss and accelerating bone regeneration.
Dysfunction of the energy sensor NFE2L1 triggers uncontrollable AMPK signaling and glucose metabolism reprogramming
Authors: Qiu Lu , Yang Qiufang , Zhao Wenshan , Xing Yadi , Li Peng , Zhou Xiaowen , Ning Haoming , Shi Ranran , Gou Shanshan , Chen Yalan , Zhai Wenjie , Wu Yahong , Li Guodong , Chen Zhenzhen , Ren Yonggang , Gao Yanfeng , Zhang Yiguo , Qi Yuanming
Published: May 2022

The antioxidant transcription factor NFE2L1 (also called Nrf1) acts as a core regulator of redox signaling and metabolism homeostasis, and thus, its dysfunction results in multiple systemic metabolic diseases. However, the molecular mechanism(s) by which NFE2L1 regulates glycose and lipid metabolism remains elusive. Here, we found that loss of NFE2L1 in human HepG2 cells led to a lethal phenotype upon glucose deprivation and NFE2L1 deficiency could affect the uptake of glucose. Further experiments revealed that glycosylation of NFE2L1 enabled it to sense the energy state. These results indicated that NFE2L1 can serve as a dual sensor and regulator of glucose homeostasis. The transcriptome, metabolome, and seahorse data further revealed that disruption of NFE2L1 could reprogram glucose metabolism to aggravate the Warburg effect in NFE2L1-silenced hepatoma cells, concomitant with mitochondrial damage. Co-expression and Co-immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that NFE2L1 could directly interact and inhibit AMPK. Collectively, NFE2L1 functioned as an energy sensor and negatively regulated AMPK signaling through directly interacting with AMPK. The novel NFE2L1/AMPK signaling pathway delineate the mechanism underlying of NFE2L1-related metabolic diseases and highlight the crosstalk between redox homeostasis and metabolism homeostasis.
Functional and multiscale 3D structural investigation of brain tissue through correlative in vivo physiology, synchrotron microtomography and volume electron microscopy
Authors: Bosch Carles , Ackels Tobias , Pacureanu Alexandra , Zhang Yuxin , Peddie Christopher J. , Berning Manuel , Rzepka Norman , Zdora Marie-Christine , Whiteley Isabell , Storm Malte , Bonnin Anne , Rau Christoph , Margrie Troy , Collinson Lucy , Schaefer Andreas T.
Published: May 2022

Understanding the function of biological tissues requires a coordinated study of physiology and structure, exploring volumes that contain complete functional units at a detail that resolves the relevant features. Here, we introduce an approach to address this challenge: Mouse brain tissue sections containing a region where function was recorded using in vivo 2-photon calcium imaging were stained, dehydrated, resin-embedded and imaged with synchrotron X-ray computed tomography with propagation-based phase contrast (SXRT). SXRT provided context at subcellular detail, and could be followed by targeted acquisition of multiple volumes using serial block-face electron microscopy (SBEM). In the olfactory bulb, combining SXRT and SBEM enabled disambiguation of in vivo-assigned regions of interest. In the hippocampus, we found that superficial pyramidal neurons in CA1a displayed a larger density of spine apparati than deeper ones. Altogether, this approach can enable a functional and structural investigation of subcellular features in the context of cells and tissues.
Coordination environment tuning of nickel sites by oxyanions to optimize methanol electro-oxidation activity
Authors: Li Shanlin , Ma Ruguang , Hu Jingcong , Li Zichuang , Liu Lijia , Wang Xunlu , Lu Yue , Sterbinsky George E. , Liu Shuhu , Zheng Lei , Liu Jie , Liu Danmin , Wang Jiacheng
Published: May 2022

To achieve zero-carbon economy, advanced anode catalysts are desirable for hydrogen production and biomass upgrading powered by renewable energy. Ni-based non-precious electrocatalysts are considered as potential candidates because of intrinsic redox attributes, but in-depth understanding and rational design of Ni site coordination still remain challenging. Here, we perform anodic electrochemical oxidation of Ni-metalloids (NiPx, NiSx, and NiSex) to in-situ construct different oxyanion-coordinated amorphous nickel oxyhydroxides (NiOOH-TOx), among which NiOOH-POx shows optimal local coordination environment and boosts electrocatalytic activity of Ni sites towards selective oxidation of methanol to formate. Experiments and theoretical results demonstrate that NiOOH-POx possesses improved adsorption of OH* and methanol, and favors the formation of CH3O* intermediates. The coordinated phosphate oxyanions effectively tailor the d band center of Ni sites and increases Ni-O covalency, promoting the catalytic activity. This study provides additional insights into modulation of active-center coordination environment via oxyanions for organic molecules transformation.
Enhanced silica export in a future ocean triggers global diatom decline
Authors: Taucher Jan , Bach Lennart T. , Prowe A. E. Friederike , Boxhammer Tim , Kvale Karin , Riebesell Ulf
Published: May 2022

Diatoms account for up to 40% of marine primary production1,2 and require silicic acid to grow and build their opal shell3. On the physiological and ecological level, diatoms are thought to be resistant to, or even benefit from, ocean acidification4–6. Yet, global-scale responses and implications for biogeochemical cycles in the future ocean remain largely unknown. Here we conducted five in situ mesocosm experiments with natural plankton communities in different biomes and find that ocean acidification increases the elemental ratio of silicon (Si) to nitrogen (N) of sinking biogenic matter by 17 ± 6 per cent under $${{p}}_{{{\rm{CO}}}_{2}}$$

p

CO

2

conditions projected for the year 2100. This shift in Si:N seems to be caused by slower chemical dissolution of silica at decreasing seawater pH. We test this finding with global sediment trap data, which confirm a widespread influence of pH on Si:N in the oceanic water column. Earth system model simulations show that a future pH-driven decrease in silica dissolution of sinking material reduces the availability of silicic acid in the surface ocean, triggering a global decline of diatoms by 13–26 per cent due to ocean acidification by the year 2200. This outcome contrasts sharply with the conclusions of previous experimental studies, thereby illustrating how our current understanding of biological impacts of ocean change can be considerably altered at the global scale through unexpected feedback mechanisms in the Earth system.