bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhancing output performance of wearable triboelectric nanogenerators by manipulating the permittivity of BaTiO3-base/PVA composite films
Authors: Zhang Ping , Li Zhihao , Zhang Honghao
Published: April 2023

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have been widely used in wearable devices for their low cost, portable and self-powered properties. However, the positive triboelectric materials of TENG are still facing problems of low output performance, poor environmental friendliness, and a complicated manufacturing process. We proposed a wearable BP-TENG using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) doped BaTiO3-base ceramic powder (BTO-base) with high permittivity. It is worth mentioning that PVA has strong electron-losing ability, and it also has the advantages of low cost, good biocompatibility, environmental protection, and a simple preparation process, which make it an ideal choice as a wearable TENG positive triboelectric material. Different mass ratios of BTO-base are doped into the PVA film, and its doping enhances the charge trapping and storage capacity of the composite film. The maximum output performance is obtained at a doping mass ratio of 8% and a thickness of 70.68 μm, with an open-circuit voltage of 72 V and a short-circuit current of 2.5 μA, which are 80% and 78.6% higher than those of pure PVA film, respectively. In addition, the BP-TENG can be connected to a capacitor through a rectifier circuit to form an energy storage system that can power small electronic devices such as calculators and LCDs. At the same time, BP-TENG can be worn on different parts of the body to sense human motion signals, demonstrating its application potential in the field of wearable electronics.
Results from single event effect tests with MIMOSIS-1
Authors: Arnoldi-Meadows B. , Andary J. , Artz O. , Baudot J. , Bertolone G. , Besson A. , Bialas N. , Bugiel R. , Claus G. , Colledani C. , Darwish H. , Deveaux M. , Dorokhov A. , Dozière G. , El Bitar Z. , Fröhlich I. , Goffe M. , Hebermehl F. , Himmi A. , Hu-Guo C. , Jaaskelainen K. , Keller O. , Koziel M. , Matejcek F. , Michel J. , Morel F. , Müntz C. , Pham H. , Schmidt C. J. , Schreiber S. , Specht M. , Spicker D. , Stroth J. , Valin I. , Voss K.-O. , Weirich R. , Zhao Y. , Winter M.
Published: April 2023

Being installed as close as 5.5 mm to the beam axis, the Micro Vertex Detector (mvd) of the cbm experiment will be exposed to a sizable flow of heavy beam ions and nuclear fragments. The cmos Monolithic Active Pixel Sensor for the mvd, mimosis, must resist the related heavy ion impacts without permanent damage or frequent interrupt of operation as caused by single event effects (see). We motivate the requirements on the sensor and introduce our concept for protecting the device against sees. Moreover, we report the results of a related test campaign carried out with the first full size sensor prototype, mimosis-1, and different heavy ion beams at gsi.
Scintillation light detection performance for the DUNE ND-LAr 2 × 2 modules
Authors: Gauch A.
Published: April 2023

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) will be using a liquid argon time projection chamber (LAr TPC) with optically separated modules in the Near Detector (ND) complex. A prototype experiment, DUNE ND-LAr 2 × 2, is composed of four test modules. They detect ionization charge through a pixel-based readout and scintillation light through fibers in light collection modules and light traps called ArCLights. The light detection performance for two modules of DUNE ND-LAr 2 × 2 that took cosmic ray data at the University of Bern is shown. We present further the role of the 2 × 2 prototype in DUNE and how it is used to demonstrate the reconstruction capabilities of its light detectors in terms of energy thresholds and timing resolution.
Cooling effects of increased green fodder area on native grassland in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Liu Wenqi , Zhou Yuting , Dong Jinwei , Zhang Geli , Yang Tong , You Nanshan , Flynn K Colton , Wagle Pradeep , Yang Haoxuan
Published: April 2023

With increasing livestock production due to high demand for consumption, the planted area of green fodder, an essential livestock supplement, has grown rapidly and will continue to grow in China. However, the climate feedback of this rapid land cover conversion is still unclear. Using multisource data (e.g. remote sensing observation and meteorological data), we compared the land surface temperature of green fodder plantation areas and native grassland in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. The green fodder area was detected to be cooler than the native grassland by −0.54 ± 0.98 °C in the daytime throughout the growing season. The highest magnitude (−1.20 ± 1.68 °C) of cooling was observed in August. A nonradiative process, indicated by the energy redistribution factor, dominated the cooling effects compared to the radiative process altered by albedo variation. The results indicate the potential cooling effects of increasing green fodder area on native grassland, highlighting the necessity of investigating climate feedback from anthropogenic land use change, including green fodder expansion.
Contribution of the deepened Amundsen sea low to the record low Antarctic sea ice extent in February 2022
Authors: Wang Shaoyin , Liu Jiping , Cheng Xiao , Yang Dongxia , Kerzenmacher Tobias , Li Xinqing , Hu Yongyun , Braesicke Peter
Published: April 2023

The annual minimum Antarctic sea ice extent (SIE) in February 2022 hits a record low in the satellite era, with less than 2 million square kilometres observed on 25 February 2022, contrasting with the slightly positive trend in the Antarctic SIE prior to 2014. However, the preceding Amundsen Sea Low (ASL) in austral spring 2021 was the deepest since 1950. According to a linear regression model, the very low ASL contributed about 60% to the record low SIE in 2022. This study further investigates the underlying mechanism. The investigation of the lagged impact of the ASL on Antarctic SIE is based on observational data and state-of-the-art simulations. We found that (a) the deepened ASL associated with strengthened southerly winds accelerates the sea ice export away from the western Antarctic continent in spring, leading to the expansion of coastal polynyas (open water areas); (b) through the positive ice-ocean albedo feedback, the lack of the sea ice off the coastline enhances solar heating in the upper ocean and further sea ice melting in summer can occur. Specifically, in spring 2021, the deepest ASL is accompanied by a large sea-ice area flux of about 17.6 × 103 km2 across 70° S over the Ross Sea in October and November, contributing to a significant increase in net surface radiation of 20–30 W m−2 and upper ocean warming of about 0.5 K in summer. Therefore, the deepened ASL in spring 2021 plays a crucial role for the record low Antarctic SIE in February 2022. In addition, it is found that both the La Niña conditions and the strong stratospheric polar vortex contributed significantly to the very strong ASL in 2021. Currently, nearly 2/3 of Earth system models in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 have difficulties capturing the relationship between the ASL and the Antarctic SIE.
Corrigendum to “Stable black holes: In vacuum and beyond”
Authors: Giorgi Elena
Published: April 2023

This note is a corrigendum to the paper by Elena Giorgi [Bull. Amer. Math. Soc. 60 (2023), no. 1, 1–27] pointing out a misrepresentaton of the “Collapse conjecture”, which was proved by Christodoulou [The formation of black holes in general relativity, EMS Monographs in Mathematics, European Mathematical Society (EMS), Zürich, 2009].
Open Science in Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine: A Statement From the Behavioral Medicine Research Council
Authors: Segerstrom Suzanne C , Diefenbach Michael A , Hamilton Kyra , O’Connor Daryl B , Tomiyama A Janet ,   Behavioral Medicine Research Council, Bacon Simon L , Bennett Gary G , Brondolo Elizabeth , Czajkowski Susan M , Davidson Karina W , Epel Elissa S , Revenson Tracey A , Ruiz John M
Published: April 2023

Open Science practices include some combination of registering and publishing study protocols (including hypotheses, primary and secondary outcome variables, and analysis plans) and making available preprints of manuscripts, study materials, de-identified data sets, and analytic codes. This statement from the Behavioral Medicine Research Council (BMRC) provides an overview of these methods, including preregistration; registered reports; preprints; and open research. We focus on rationales for engaging in Open Science and how to address shortcomings and possible objections. Additional resources for researchers are provided. Research on Open Science largely supports positive consequences for the reproducibility and reliability of empirical science. There is no solution that will encompass all Open Science needs in health psychology and behavioral medicine’s diverse research products and outlets, but the BMRC supports increased use of Open Science practices where possible.
Applied Linguistics Communities of Practice: Improving the Research Practice Relationship
Authors: Becker Anna
Published: April 2023

Employing the concept of practice-based research (Sato and Loewen 2022), this study argues for the creation of applied linguistics communities of practice (CoPs) as a capacitating space for researchers and practitioners, mutual exchange, and meaningful collaboration. This is needed given the existing gap between research and practice, which is particularly alarming in the field of applied linguistics. The study draws on eight in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted with practice-oriented researchers from multiple country contexts zooming in on their identity negotiation between practitioner and researcher as well as their perceptions of and lived experiences with the research-practice relationship. The analysis showed that the relationship is indeed perceived as problematic even by very committed, practice-oriented researchers and that conditions to conduct meaningful, ethically responsible, and sustainable practice-based research need to be improved. The study proposes a practice-based research cycle to be used as template for joint projects, in which both practitioners and researchers are involved in and responsible for all stages from conception to implementation while capitalizing on the CoP members’ different strengths and mutual learning experiences.
Widespread genomic influences on phenotype in Dravet syndrome, a ‘monogenic’ condition
Authors: Martins Custodio Helena , Clayton Lisa M , Bellampalli Ravishankara , Pagni Susanna , Silvennoinen Katri , Caswell Richard ,   Genomics England Research Consortium, Ambrose John C , Arumugam Prabhu , Bevers Roel , Bleda Marta , Boardman-Pretty Freya , Boustred Christopher R , Brittain Helen , Brown Matthew A , Caulfield Mark J , Chan Georgia C , Giess Adam , Griffin John N , Hamblin Angela , Henderson Shirley , Hubbard Tim J P , Jackson Rob , Jones Louise J , Kasperaviciute Dalia , Kayikci Melis , Kousathanas Athanasios , Lahnstein Lea , Lakey Anna , Leigh Sarah E A , Leong Ivonne U S , Lopez Javier F , Maleady-Crowe Fiona , McEntagart Meriel , Minneci Federico , Mitchell Jonathan , Moutsianas Loukas , Mueller Michael , Murugaesu Nirupa , Need Anna C , O'Donovan Peter , Odhams Chris A , Patch Christine , Perez-Gil Daniel , Pereira Marina B , Pullinger John , Rahim Tahrima , Rendon Augusto , Rogers Tim , Savage Kevin , Sawant Kushmita , Scott Richard H , Siddiq Afshan , Sieghart Alexander , Smith Samuel C , Sosinsky Alona , Stuckey Alexander , Tanguy Mélanie , Tavares Ana Lisa Taylor , Thomas Ellen R A , Thompson Simon R , Tucci Arianna , Welland Matthew J , Williams Eleanor , Witkowska Katarzyna , Wood Suzanne M , Zarowiecki Magdalena , Brunklaus Andreas , Guerrini Renzo , Koeleman Bobby P C , Lemke Johannes R , Møller Rikke S , Scheffer Ingrid E , Weckhuysen Sarah , Zara Federico , Zuberi Sameer , Kuchenbaecker Karoline , Balestrini Simona , Mills James D , Sisodiya Sanjay M
Published: April 2023

Dravet syndrome is an archetypal rare severe epilepsy, considered ‘monogenic’, typically caused by loss-of-function SCN1A variants. Despite a recognizable core phenotype, its marked phenotypic heterogeneity is incompletely explained by differences in the causal SCN1A variant or clinical factors.

In 34 adults with SCN1A-related Dravet syndrome, we show additional genomic variation beyond SCN1A contributes to phenotype and its diversity, with an excess of rare variants in epilepsy-related genes as a set and examples of blended phenotypes, including one individual with an ultra-rare DEPDC5 variant and focal cortical dysplasia. The polygenic risk score for intelligence was lower, and for longevity, higher, in Dravet syndrome than in epilepsy controls. The causal, major-effect, SCN1A variant may need to act against a broadly compromised genomic background to generate the full Dravet syndrome phenotype, whilst genomic resilience may help to ameliorate the risk of premature mortality in adult Dravet syndrome survivors.
POP1 promotes the progression of breast cancer through maintaining telomere integrity
Authors: Zhu Min , Wu Chao , Wu Xuan , Song Ge , Li Mingyang , Wang Qiong
Published: April 2023

Breast cancer is one of the most common and disastrous neoplasm for women worldwide, especially triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Emerging evidences have demonstrated that RNase subunits are closely related to the occurrence and development of malignant tumors. However, the functions and underlying molecular mechanisms of Processing of Precursor 1 (POP1), a core component of RNase subunits, in breast cancer development have not been fully defined. Our study identified the POP1was upregulated in breast cancer cell lines and tissues and patients with higher POP1 expression were associated with poor outcomes. Overexpression of POP1 promoted cell progression in breast cancer cells, whereas silencing of POP1 induced cell cycle arrest. Moreover, Xenograft model reproduced its growth regulatory roles in breast cancer in vivo. Mechanistically, POP1 interacted and activated the telomerase complex by stabilizing the telomerase RNA component (TERC), thus protecting telomeres from shortening during division. Collectively, our findings demonstrate POP1 may as a novel prognostic marker and a therapeutic target for the management of breast cancer.
Understanding and Improving Consumer Reactions to Service Bots
Authors: Castelo Noah , Boegershausen Johannes , Hildebrand Christian , Henkel Alexander P
Published: April 2023

Many firms are beginning to replace customer service employees with bots, from humanoid service robots to digital chatbots. Using real human–bot interactions in lab and field settings, we study consumers’ evaluations of bot-provided service. We find that service evaluations are more negative when the service provider is a bot versus a human—even when the provided service is identical. This effect is explained by consumers’ belief that service automation is motivated by firm benefits (i.e., cutting costs) at the expense of customer benefits (such as service quality). The effect is eliminated when firms share the economic surplus derived from automation with consumers through price discounts. The effect is reversed when service bots provide unambiguously superior service to human employees—a scenario that may soon become reality. Consumers’ default reactions to service bots are therefore largely negative but can be equal to or better than reactions to human service providers if firms can demonstrate how automation benefits consumers.
Visualizing BDSM and AIDS Activism: Archiving Pleasures, Sanitizing History
Authors: Slagstad Ketil
Published: April 2023

The visual archive of AIDS and fetish activism is a rich resource for studying interlinkages between art and science, activism and public health, politics and medicine, pleasure and sexual health prevention. This article explores AIDS and fetish activism imagery from the first two decades of the Norwegian AIDS crisis. Interrogating the materiality and visual context of images – photographs, posters, flyers, and safer sex instructions – it maps out visualization practices in leather, BDSM and AIDS activism. AIDS and fetish imagery made some bodies, pleasures, and political goals visible – and rendered others unseen. The article explores the materiality of images and their visual, social, and historical context of production, and traces their social biographies and afterlives. Fetish images were vehicles for change and actors co-producing history. They took part in destigmatizing BDSM, challenging psychiatric classification, and creating infrastructure and networks between subcultures, communities, and authorities. The visualization of fetish activism was as much about communication strategies as it was about aesthetic, style, and motive. The politics of visibility in Norwegian fetish activism point to the vulnerable project of fighting for acceptance through “respectability,” while preserving the individuality and “otherness” of leather and fetish culture.
Measuring blood cell DNA damage using the PIG-A mutation and CBMN assay in pancreatic cancer patients: a pilot study
Authors: Nichols Lucy , Lawrence Rachel , Haboubi Hasan , Al-Sarireh Bilal , Doak Shareen , Jenkins Gareth
Published: April 2023

Pancreatic cancer still has one of the worst prognoses of all solid malignancies, despite developments in cancer knowledge and care. Research into pancreatic cancer has not fully translated into clinical improvements and as a result, fewer than 1% of patients survive 10 years post-diagnosis. This bleak outlook for patients could be improved by earlier diagnosis. The human erythrocyte phosphatidylinositol glycan class A (PIG-A) assay monitors the mutation status of the X-linked PIG-A gene by measuring glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins on the extracellular surface. We have previously identified an elevated PIG-A mutant frequency in oesophageal adenocarcinoma patients and here investigate whether this could be seen in a pancreatic cancer cohort, given the urgent need for novel pancreatic cancer biomarkers. In our pilot study, an elevated PIG-A mutant frequency (5.775 × 10−6 (95% CI 4.777–10) mutants per million) was seen in pancreatic cancer patients (n = 30) when compared to the non-cancer control group (n = 14) who had an erythrocyte mutant frequency of 4.211 × 10−6 (95% CI 1.39–5.16) mutants per million (p = 0.0052). A cut-off value of 4.7 mutants per million provided an AUROC of 0.7595 with a sensitivity of 70% and specificity of 78.57%. A secondary measure of DNA damage in an alternative blood cell population also showed an increase in peripheral lymphocytes using the cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay (p = 0.0164) (AUROC = 0.77, sensitivity = 72.22%, specificity = 72.73%). The micronucleus frequency and PIG-A status show some potential as blood-based biomarkers of pancreatic cancer, but further investigations of these DNA damage tests are required to assess their utility in pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
Shaping officer behaviour through training and policy
Authors: McLean Kyle , Alikhan Arif , Alpert Geoffrey P
Published: April 2023

Academic research aimed at measuring changes in officer behaviour typically focuses on agencies’ implementation of new training or modifications to policy. However, programmes to change officer behaviour are more likely to be successful when changes in policies are coupled with effective training. This paper reviews the importance of coupling training and policy changes to maximize the chances of modifying an officer’s behaviour. As an example, we present results from a quasi-experimental evaluation of a training programme paired with a policy modification regarding the application of an electronic control weapon (ECW). The evaluation used videos of a use-of-force encounter integrated into a pre- and post-survey asking officers for their recommended levels of force in the encounter. Results demonstrate that officers evaluated the circumstance differently after completing the training component and were less likely to recommend the use of the ECW.
Gunshot Detection Technology Time Savings and Spatial Precision: An Exploratory Analysis in Kansas City
Authors: Piza Eric L , Hatten David N , Carter Jeremy G , Baughman Jonas H , Mohler George O
Published: April 2023

Gunshot detection technology (GDT) is expected to impact gun violence by accelerating the discovery and response to gunfire. GDT should further collect more accurate spatial data, as gunfire is assigned to coordinates measured by acoustic sensors rather than addresses reported via 9-1-1 calls for service (CFS). The current study explores the level to which GDT achieves these benefits over its first 5 years of operation in Kansas City, Missouri. Data systems are triangulated to determine the time and location gunfire was reported by GDT and CFS. The temporal and spatial distances between GDT and CFS are then calculated. Findings indicate GDT generates time savings and increases spatial precision as compared to CFS. This may facilitate police responses to gunfire events and provide more spatially accurate data to inform policing strategies. Results of generalized linear and multinomial logistic regression models indicate that GDT benefits are influenced by a number of situational factors.
A COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR THE DETERMINATION OF ABSOLUTE ACTIVITIES IN CONTAMINATIONS AND SKIN DOSES
Authors: Dubeau Jacques , Sun Jiansheng , Hakmana Witharana Sampath S , Heinmiller Bruce E
Published: April 2023

At radiological facilities, protocols are in place to guide radiation protection personnel in the event of the radioactive contamination of surfaces. A count rate measurement is performed with a portable contamination survey meter and a sample of the contamination is taken for later analysis and identification of the radionuclides. If the contaminated surface was of a worker’s skin, then a skin dose assessment is made. The determination of the absolute activity of the radionuclides of the contamination often rests on the assumed detection efficiency of the survey meter used in the initial counting. This may lead to important underestimation or overestimation of the radionuclides’ activities as the detection efficiency of the instrument must depend on the radiation type, the energy and the backscatter characteristics of the surface. This paper reports on a user-friendly computer application that relies on databases of pre-calculated detection efficiencies and skin dose rate conversion factors for the accurate assessment of contamination activities and skin doses. The results of some cases are compared with the available data in the literature.
Development of a difficulty scoring system for laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy in the initial stage of the learning curve: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Peng Feng , He Ruizhi , Wang Hebin , Zhang Hang , Wang Min , Qin Tingting , Qin Renyi
Published: April 2023

Background:

It remains uncertain how surgeons can safely pass the learning curve of laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy (LPD) without potentially harming patients. We aimed to develop a difficulty scoring system (DSS) to select an appropriate patient for surgeons.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 773 elective pancreatoduodenectomy surgeries between July 2014 and December 2019, including 346 LPD and 427 open pancreatoduodenectomy cases, were included. A 10-level DSS for LPD was developed, and an additional 77 consecutive LPD surgeries which could provide information of the learning stage I of LPD externally validated its performance between December 2019 and December 2021.

Results:

The incidences of postoperative complications (Clavien–Dindo≥III) gradually decreased from the learning curve stage I–III (20.00, 10.94, 5.79%, P=0.008, respectively). The DSS consisted of the following independent risk factors: (1) tumor location, (2) vascular resection and reconstruction, (3) learning curve stage, (4) prognostic nutritional index, (5) tumor size, and (6) benign or malignant tumor. The weighted Cohen’s κ statistic of concordance between the reviewer’s and calculated difficulty score index was 0.873. The C-statistics of DSS for postoperative complication (Clavien–Dindo≥III) were 0.818 in the learning curve stage I. The patients with DSS<5 had lower postoperative complications (Clavien–Dindo≥III) than those with DSS≥5 (4.35–41.18%, P=0.004) in the training cohort and had a lower postoperative pancreatic fistula (19.23–57.14%, P=0.0352), delayed gastric emptying (19.23–71.43%, P=0.001), and bile leakage rate (0.00–21.43%, P=0.0368) in validation cohort in the learning curve stage I.

Conclusion:

We developed and validated a difficulty score model for patient selection, which could facilitate the stepwise adoption of LPD for surgeons at different stages of the learning curve.
A single neuron inC. elegansorchestrates multiple motor outputs through parallel modes of transmission
Authors: Huang Yung-Chi , Luo Jinyue , Huang Wenjia , Baker Casey M. , Gomes Matthew A. , Byrne Alexandra B. , Flavell Steven W.
Published: April 2023

Animals generate a wide range of highly coordinated motor outputs, which allows them to execute purposeful behaviors. Individual neuron classes in the circuits that generate behavior have a remarkable capacity for flexibility, as they exhibit multiple axonal projections, transmitter systems, and modes of neural activity. How these multi-functional properties of neurons enable the generation of highly coordinated behaviors remains unknown. Here we show that the HSN neuron inC. elegansevokes multiple motor programs over different timescales to enable a suite of behavioral changes during egg-laying. Using HSN activity perturbations and in vivo calcium imaging, we show that HSN acutely increases egg-laying and locomotion while also biasing the animals towards low-speed dwelling behavior over longer timescales. The acute effects of HSN on egg-laying and high-speed locomotion are mediated by separate sets of HSN transmitters and different HSN axonal projections. The long-lasting effects on dwelling are mediated by HSN release of serotonin that is taken up and re-released by NSM, another serotonergic neuron class that directly evokes dwelling. Our results show how the multi-functional properties of a single neuron allow it to induce a coordinated suite of behaviors and also reveal for the first time that neurons can borrow serotonin from one another to control behavior.
Analyzing Blood Digestion: Estimation of Active Trypsin Levels in the Mosquito Midgut
Authors: Reyes Jeremiah , Nuss Andrew , Gulia-Nuss Monika
Published: April 2023

TheNα-benzoyl-dl-arginine 4-nitroanilide hydrochloride (BApNA) assay is widely used to quantify trypsin in mosquito midguts and is highly sensitive. BApNA is a chromogenic substrate for proteolytic enzymes such as trypsin and amidase. Hydrolysis of BApNA at the bond between the arginine and the p-nitroaniline moieties releases the chromophore p-nitroaniline, which is detected by colorimetric analysis. The intensity of the color is directly proportional to the amount of trypsin in the solution. Here, we present a trypsin measurement assay specifically using the BApNA substrate.
Trypsin, the Major Proteolytic Enzyme for Blood Digestion in the Mosquito Midgut
Authors: Nuss Andrew B. , Gulia-Nuss Monika
Published: April 2023

When a female mosquito takes a blood meal, proteolytic activity surges in the midgut. Trypsin-like serine proteases are the major endoproteolytic enzyme induced by feeding in mosquitoes. The mosquito midgut lacks trypsin activity before the blood meal, but in most anautogenous mosquitoes, trypsin activity increases continuously up to 30 h after feeding and subsequently returns to baseline levels by 60 h. Trypsin activity in mosquitoes is restricted entirely to the posterior midgut lumen, where blood is stored and digested. Trypsin enzyme activity can be quantitatively measured using the artificialNα-benzoyl-DL-arginine 4-nitroanilide hydrochloride substrate, a method described in our associated protocol.
Corporate culture, innovation and board size: recent evidence from machine learning and earnings conference calls
Authors: Chatjuthamard Pattanaporn , Jiraporn Pornsit
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Taking advantage of a novel measure of innovative culture generated by advanced machine learning, this study aims to investigate how a culture of innovation is influenced by a crucial aspect of the board of directors, i.e. board size. The data on corporate culture of innovation are based on a textual analysis of earnings conference calls and represent a unique approach to capturing corporate culture.

Design/methodology/approach

In addition to the standard regression analysis, the authors also perform several sophisticated robustness checks, such as propensity score matching, entropy balancing, an instrumental-variable analysis, Oster’s (2019) method for testing coefficient stability, GMM dynamic panel data analysis and Lewbel’s (2012) heteroscedastic identification.

Findings

Corroborating the prediction of the resource dependence theory, the study results show that larger boards promote an innovative culture more effectively. A larger board with more directors provides the firm with additional resources, expertise and abilities, enabling it to develop an innovative culture more successfully.

Originality/value

This study is the first to examine the effect of board size on innovation using data on corporate culture generated by sophisticated computer algorithms. The authors advance the literature both in corporate governance and corporate innovation.
Early extubation in extracorporeal life support patients: A propensity score‐matched study
Authors: Behouche Alexandre , Gaide‐Chevronnay Lucie , Piot Juliette , Durost Maxime , Adolle Anais , Le Guen Yann , Vilotitch Antoine , Bosson Jean‐Luc , Sebestyen Alexandre , Durand Michel , Albaladejo Pierre
Published: April 2023

Background

Extubation strategy in extracorporeal life support patients remains unclear, and literature only reports studies with significant biases.

Objectives

To explore the prognostic impact of an early ventilator‐weaning strategy in assisted patients after controlling for confounding factors.

Methods

A 10‐year retrospective study included 241 patients receiving extracorporeal life support for at least 48 h, corresponding to a total of 977 days spent on assistance. The a priori probability of extubation for each day of assistance was calculated according to daily biological examinations, drug doses, clinical observations, and admission data to pair each day containing an extubation with one on which the patient was not extubated. The primary outcome was survival at day 28. The secondary outcomes were survival at day 7, respiratory infections, and safety criteria.

Results

Two similar cohorts of 61 patients were generated. Survival at day 28 was better in patients extubated under assistance in univariate and multivariate (HR = 0.37 [0.2–0.68], p‐value = 0.002) analyses. Patients who underwent failed early extubation did not have a different prognosis from those without early extubation. Successful early extubation was associated with a better outcome than a failed or no attempt at early extubation. Survival at day 7 and the rate of respiratory infections were better in early‐extubated patients. Safety data did not differ between the two groups.

Conclusions

Early extubation during assistance was associated with a superior outcome in our propensity‐matched cohort study. The safety data were reassuring. However, due to the lack of prospective randomized studies, the causality remains uncertain.
Brain‐specific glycosylation of protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type Z (PTPRZ) marks a demyelination‐associated astrocyte subtype
Authors: Takahashi Kazuto , Kanekiyo Kenji , Sakuda Kanoko , Muto Yui , Iguchi Masahiro , Matsuda Nozomu , Hashimoto Yuko , Kanai Kazuaki , Ogawa Haruko , Hirase Hajime , Kakita Akiyoshi , Bizen Norihisa , Takebayashi Hirohide , Kawaguchi Yasushi , Uzuki Miwa , Kitazume Shinobu
Published: April 2023

Astrocytes are the most abundant glial cell type in the brain, where they participate in various homeostatic functions. Transcriptomically, diverse astrocyte subpopulations play distinct roles during development and disease progression. However, the biochemical identification of astrocyte subtypes, especially by membrane surface protein glycosylation, remains poorly investigated. Protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type zeta (PTPRZ) is a highly expressed membrane protein in CNS glia cells that can be modified with diverse glycosylation, including the unique HNK‐1 capped O‐mannosyl (O‐Man) core M2 glycan mediated by brain‐specific branching enzyme GnT‐IX. Although PTPRZ modified with HNK‐1 capped O‐Man glycans (HNK‐1‐O‐Man+ PTPRZ) is increased in reactive astrocytes of demyelination model mice, whether such astrocytes emerge in a broad range of disease‐associated conditions or are limited to conditions associated with demyelination remains unclear. Here, we show that HNK‐1‐O‐Man+ PTPRZ localizes in hypertrophic astrocytes of damaged brain areas in patients with multiple sclerosis. Furthermore, we show that astrocytes expressing HNK‐1‐O‐Man+ PTPRZ are present in two demyelination mouse models (cuprizone‐fed mice and a vanishing white matter disease model), while traumatic brain injury does not induce glycosylation. Administration of cuprizone to Aldh1l1‐eGFP and Olig2KICreER/+;Rosa26eGFP mice revealed that cells expressing HNK‐1‐O‐Man+ PTPRZ are derived from cells in the astrocyte lineage. Notably, GnT‐IX but not PTPRZ mRNA was up‐regulated in astrocytes isolated from the corpus callosum of cuprizone model mice. These results suggest that the unique PTPRZ glycosylation plays a key role in the patterning of demyelination‐associated astrocytes.

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Effectiveness of online cognitive behavioural therapy on quality of life in adults with depression: A systematic review
Authors: Fadipe Melissa F. , Aggarwal Seema , Johnson Constance , Beauchamp Jennifer E. S.
Published: April 2023

Accessible Summary

What is known on the subject

Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide that negatively impacts quality of life. Talk therapy such as cognitive behavioural therapy is an effective treatment for depression. The Internet is an important tool for mental healthcare delivery. Internet‐delivered or online talk therapy interventions are associated with lower costs and improved accessibility.

Current reviews do not address the effectiveness of Internet‐delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) on quality of life (QoL).

What the paper adds to existing knowledge

Interventions for iCBT have better QoL improvements for individuals with greater depressive symptom severity, females, young adults and individuals with complex comorbid disorders. Support from a healthcare provider for iCBT interventions have better outcomes than self‐guided therapy interventions. Tailoring the iCBT intervention to the specialized needs of the population is beneficial.

What are the implications for practice

There is potential to address treatment gaps for managing the care of individuals with depression. Utilizing iCBT promotes the integration of accessible mental healthcare in clinical settings.

Healthcare providers can have a more comprehensive approach to delivering iCBT by considering adaptations relevant to the clinical population being treated.

Introduction

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability resulting from social, psychological and biological factors affecting quality of life (QoL). Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective psychotherapy for MDD. Internet‐delivered CBT (iCBT) is associated with lower costs and improved accessibility.

Aim

We aimed to examine the effectiveness of iCBT on QoL in adults with depression.

Method

PubMed, Embase and PsycINFO were searched between 2010 and 2022. Inclusion criteria were experimental designs, adults ≥18 years old, depression diagnosis or valid self‐report measure, iCBT intervention; and QoL outcome. Exclusion criteria were studies without depression analysis and intellectual disabilities or psychosis.

Results

Seventeen articles were included, with a negative correlation between depression severity and QoL. Sex, age and physical comorbidity positively influenced effectiveness. Depressive severity, dysfunctional attitude and negative thinking were predictors and moderators of QoL. Clinician support can impact social interactions and sense of belonging.

Discussion

Internet‐delivered cognitive behavioural therapy is effective for improving QoL in adults with MDD. Severe depression, females, younger age and comorbid disorders were associated with greater QoL improvements.

Implications for Practice

The findings suggest iCBT could address depression treatment gaps related to improving QoL. Utilizing iCBT potentially improves the care continuum for individuals with complex disorders.
Serum concentrations of secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor and IL6 can predict the onset of sepsis in pyometra bitches
Authors: Sasidharan Jisna Kuttiyeri , Patra Manas Kumar , De Ujjwal Kumar , Khan Javid Ahmad , Shah Irfan , Mathesh Karikalan , Saxena Abhishek Chandra , Dubal Zunjar Baburao , Singh Sanjay Kumar , Kumar Harendra , Krishnaswamy Narayanan
Published: April 2023

As onset of sepsis adversely affects the prognosis of canine pyometra, finding biomarkers that would distinguish sepsis status would be useful in the clinical management. Accordingly, we hypothesized that differential expression of endometrial transcripts and circulating concentration of certain inflammatory mediators would discriminate pyometra‐led sepsis (P‐sepsis+) from those of pyometra without sepsis (P‐sepsis−). Bitches with pyometra (n = 52) were classified into P‐sepsis+ (n = 28) and P‐sepsis− (n = 24) based on vital clinical score and total leukocyte count. A group of non‐pyometra bitches (n = 12) served as control. The relative fold changes in the transcripts of IL6, IL8, TNFα, IL10, PTGS2, mPGES1 and PGFS, SLPI, S100A8, S100A12 and eNOS were determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Furthermore, the serum concentrations of IL6, IL8, IL10, SLPI and prostaglandin F2α metabolite (PGFM) were assayed by ELISA. The relative fold changes in S100A12 and SLPI and mean concentrations of IL6 and SLPI were significantly (p < .05) higher in P‐sepsis+ than that of P‐sepsis− group. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that serum IL6 had a diagnostic sensitivity of 78.6% and a positive likelihood ratio (LR+) of 2.09, at a cut‐off value of 15.7 pg/mL to diagnose P‐sepsis+ cases. Similarly, serum SLPI had a sensitivity of 84.6% and an LR+ of 2.23, at a cut‐off value of 2.0 pg/mL. It was concluded that SLPI and IL6 would serve as putative biomarkers for pyometra‐led sepsis in bitches. Monitoring SLPI and IL6 would be a useful adjunct to the established haemato‐biochemical parameters in customizing the treatment strategies and arriving at the decision for management of pyometra bitches with critical illness.
Economic inclusion and social trust in Africa: The positive effects of political reach
Authors: Hutchison Marc L. , Johnson Kristin , Rundlett Ashlea
Published: April 2023

Using Afrobarometer survey data and statistical modeling techniques designed to mitigate concerns over endogeneity, we find that higher levels of political reach are associated with increased individual social trust. We further observe that political reach has a stronger effect on social trust in post‐conflict societies. These findings have significant implications for state‐building strategies focused on increasing social cohesion and post‐conflict governance.
Arabidopsis stromal carbonic anhydrases exhibit non‐overlapping roles in photosynthetic efficiency and development
Authors: Sharma Naveen , Froehlich John E. , Rillema Rees , Raba Daniel A. , Chambers Taylor , Kerfeld Cheryl A. , Kramer David M. , Walker Berkley , Brandizzi Federica
Published: April 2023

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are ubiquitous enzymes that accelerate the reversible conversion of CO2 to HCO3−. The Arabidopsis genome encodes members of the α‐, β‐ and γ‐CA families, and it has been hypothesized that βCA activity has a role in photosynthesis. In this work, we tested this hypothesis by characterizing the two plastidial βCAs, βCA1 and βCA5, in physiological conditions of growth. We conclusively established that both proteins are localized in the chloroplast stroma and that the loss of βCA5 induced the expression of βCA1, supporting the existence of regulatory mechanisms to control the expression of stromal βCAs. We also established that βCA1 and βCA5 have markedly different enzymatic kinetics and physiological relevance. Specifically, we found that βCA5 had a first‐order rate constant ~10‐fold lower than βCA1, and that the loss of βCA5 is detrimental to growth and could be rescued by high CO2. Furthermore, we established that, while a βCA1 mutation showed near wild‐type growth and no significant impact on photosynthetic efficiency, the loss of βCA5 markedly disrupted photosynthetic efficiency and light‐harvesting capacity at ambient CO2. Therefore, we conclude that in physiological autotrophic growth, the loss of the more highly expressed βCA1 does not compensate for the loss of a less active βCA5, which in turn is involved in growth and photosynthesis at ambient CO2 levels. These results lend support to the hypothesis that, in Arabidopsis,βCAs have non‐overlapping roles in photosynthesis and identify a critical activity of stromal βCA5 and a dispensable role for βCA1.
Antibacterial PES/Vancomycin ultrafiltration membranes with enhanced water flux and low BSA rejection
Authors: Abid Zubia , Abbas M. Asad , Janjua Hussnain A. , Ahmed Naveed , Ahmad Nasir M.
Published: April 2023

Polyethersulfone (PES) blended with glycopeptide Vancomycin was fabricated via phase inversion method. The fabricated membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), contact angle (CA) and optical profilometry. The PES/Vancomycin membranes showed a notable increase in hydrophilicity, porosity, pore size, antibacterial activity and water flux in comparison with pristine membranes. The changes are due to the hydrophilic nature of Vancomycin molecules and ability to form hydrogen bond quickly. The surface hydrophilicity of PES/Vancomycin membranes decreased up to 48° with increase in surface roughness (Ra), that is, 0.347 μm, thus increasing the water flux of PES/Vancomycin membranes up to 340 L/m2. h. The bovine serum albumin (BSA) rejection decreases, that is, pristine 70.9% to PES/Vancomycin 26% and BSA flux increases at constant ionic strength (0.1) and above the isoelectric point (IEP) of the BSA. Under these conditions, electrostatic interactions are expected to be minimum between protein and the membrane surfaces.
Inherent envelope fluctuations in forward masking: Effects of age and hearing loss
Authors: Brennan Marc A. , Svec Adam , Farhadi Afagh , Maxwell Braden N. , Carney Laurel H.
Published: April 2023

Forward masking is generally greater for Gaussian noise (GN) than for low-fluctuation noise maskers, i.e., GN disruption. Because the minimal hearing loss that is associated with older age may affect GN disruption differently than more significant hearing loss, the current study explored the contribution of minimal hearing loss associated with older age to GN disruption. GN disruption was measured using three masker-signal delays (25, 75, and 150 ms) for three adult groups: younger participants with normal hearing (NH), older participants with minimal hearing loss, and older participants with sensorineural hearing loss. The role of underlying mechanisms was tested using a computational model for midbrain neurons. The primary result suggests that older listeners with mild threshold elevations that typically occur with age may be more susceptible to the deleterious effects of masker envelope fluctuations than younger listeners with NH. Results from the computational model indicate that there may be a larger influence of efferent feedback and saturation of inner hair cells on forward masking and GN disruption than previously considered.
Modeling impedance boundary conditions and acoustic barriers using the immersed boundary method: The one-dimensional case
Authors: Bilbao Stefan
Published: April 2023

Immersed boundary methods are heavily used in computational fluid dynamics, as an alternative to volumetric meshing, when a problem contains irregular geometric features. In wave-based architectural and room acoustics, the dynamics are simplified, but boundary conditions and acoustic barriers are usually described in terms of frequency-dependent impedance and transmittance functions. In this article, a formulation of the immersed boundary method is developed in the informative special case of one-dimensional linear acoustics. It relies on dual driving terms applied to the conservation of mass and momentum equations separately and is directly tunable against boundary impedances and barrier transmittances. It is shown how the driving terms may be combined to model either an impermeable frequency-dependent boundary condition or a barrier with a given transmittance. An explicit time-domain numerical method of finite-difference time-domain type is presented, and it is shown how the immersed boundary condition may be included, at minimal additional computational cost. Special attention is paid to the discrete approximation of the Dirac delta function, necessary in immersed boundary methods, as well as the discretisation strategy for frequency-dependent boundary and barrier conditions. Numerical results are presented. A complete derivation of numerical stability conditions for this immersed boundary method appears in an appendix.
Three-dimensional time-domain Green's functions and spatial impulse responses for the van Wijngaarden wave equation
Authors: Holmes Vaughn E. , McGough Robert J.
Published: April 2023

An exact analytical three-dimensional time-domain Green's function is introduced for the van Wijngaarden wave equation when the coefficients of the two loss terms satisfy a specific relationship. This analytical Green's function, which describes frequency-squared attenuation in acoustic media such as water, enables the subsequent derivation of new expressions that describe the lossy spatial impulse response for a circular piston. Initial time-domain assessments, which compare the Green's functions for the van Wijngaarden, Stokes, and power law wave equations using the attenuation and sound speed for water, indicate that these three lossy wave equations yield nearly identical results at distances greater than or equal to 10 μm. Lossy spatial impulse responses are also evaluated with increasing distance in and near the paraxial region of a circular piston radiating in water to reveal some interesting time-domain interactions between frequency-squared attenuation and diffraction. Similar behaviors are also demonstrated for the lossy far-field spatial impulse. In addition, the convergence is demonstrated for two analytically equivalent expressions applied to numerical computations of the lossy spatial impulse response. The results show that these new expressions are ideal for describing and explaining fundamental interactions between frequency-squared attenuation and diffraction in the time-domain.
Active learning BSM parameter spaces
Authors: Goodsell Mark D. , Joury Ari
Published: April 2023

Active learning (AL) has interesting features for parameter scans of new models. We show on a variety of models that AL scans bring large efficiency gains to the traditionally tedious work of finding boundaries for BSM models. In the MSSM, this approach produces more accurate bounds. In light of our prior publication, we further refine the exploration of the parameter space of the SMSQQ model, and update the maximum mass of a dark matter singlet to 48.4 TeV. Finally we show that this technique is especially useful in more complex models like the MDGSSM.