bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ULTRASONIC GUIDED WAVES DEFECT SIGNATURES FOR DAMAGE IDENTIFICATION IN COMPOSITE AEROSPACE STRUCTURES
Authors: CAPRIOTTI MARGHERITA , VARELA KALIB , ELLISON ANDREW , KIM ERIC H. , SCALEA FRANCESCO LANZA DI , KIM HYONNY
Published: October 2022

Damage growth and tolerance are major drivers to determine the frequency and cost of inspections and the lifespan of structures. The detection and identification of damages together with the assessment of structural integrity by non-destructive evaluation (NDE) methods is of fundamental importance and requires analysis towards effective solutions. Among the numerous NDE techniques, ultrasonic guided waves (UGWs) are acknowledged as one of the most effective tools to identify damage in composite structures, offering promising results and research opportunities for their nonattenuative nature and complex behavior. Generating from a well-defined interaction of ultrasonic waves with bounded media, UGWs become “naturally” supported from the structure itself and show high susceptibility to interference on a propagation path (i.e. damage or boundary) providing many advantages as large-area coverage, crosssectional area inspection, sensitivity to multiple defects and cost-effectiveness. The implementation and interpretation of UGWs, though, are very challenging, due to the infinite set of mode-frequency combinations to probe structures with. The propagation of UGWs into composite materials (multilayered, anisotropic), aircraft geometries (thin uniquely shaped components, i.e. curved skin, stiffeners, etc.) and interaction with composite impact damage (3D, highly heterogenous, load-structure dependent) add layers of complexity, as wavemode conversion and coupling, and nonanalytical solutions. More studies are needed to advance knowledge in UGWs interaction with specific composite damage modes to fully exploit the potential of this advantageous yet complex inspecting modality. Building on the experimental results of UGWs inspection by transfer function extraction in damaged aircraft panels, this work focuses on the analysis of UGWs measurements to identify impact damage signatures in a variety of impact damage energy levels and on two panel locations.
APPLICATION OF DIGITAL IMAGE CORRELATION IN HYGROTHERMAL-MECHANICAL TESTING OF FIBER REINFORCED COMPOSITES
Authors: VOSSEN BASTIAAN VAN DER , SHONKWILER BRIAN , MAKEEV ANDREW
Published: October 2022

The Office of Naval Research High-Fidelity Building Block and Validation Protocols for NextGen Composite Methods project aims to develop validation protocols for NextGen structural analysis methods. For this purpose, more experimental validation data is needed in matrix dominated failure events and adhesive bonded joints under the effects of temperature and moisture. Matrix dominated events test articles and adhesive bonded joints were tested at elevated temperature wet (ETW, 180F), room temperature ambient (RTA, 70F), and cold temperature dry (CTD, -65F) conditions. Tests at cold and elevated temperatures are enabled by a custom oven that is designed for hot and cold mechanical tests with noncontact optical tracking of displacements and strains with minimal interference for the purpose of Digital Image Correlation (DIC). This article will discuss the use of DIC at hygrothermal mechanical loading and methods to mitigate interference in the optical measurements. Noise is introduced to the optical signals due to circulating air, moisture, and refraction. This is illustrated in applications in tensile, shear, and fracture specimens.
MULTISCALE ANALYSIS OF COMPOSITE STRUCTURES AND MATERIALS BY SWIFTCOMP MOBILE APP
Authors: ZHAO BANGHUA , YU WENBIN
Published: October 2022

SwiftComp mobile App based on iOS and Android platforms has been developed to analyze composite materials using Google’s Flutter framework and dart language. It is a user-friendly App for computing properties for composites by utilizing SwiftComp capability. The App is currently available to download on iOS AppStore and Google Play Store. The current functionalities of this App include the calculation of lamina stress/strain, lamina engineering constants, laminate stress/strain, laminate plate properties, laminate 3D properties, and composite properties for unidirectional fiber reinforced composites. More multiscale constitutive modeling capabilities of the desktop version of SwiftComp will be implemented in the future version of this App. The SwiftComp App is jointly developed by both authors and is free to use on smart phones.
ADVANCED COMPOSITE MATERIALS: THE PROCESSING-STRUCTURE-PROPERTY RELATIONSHIPS IN LAYERED HIERARCHIES
Authors: SONG KENAN , XU WEIHENG , JAMBULKAR SAYLI , RAVICHANDRAN DHARNEEDAR
Published: October 2022

Advanced composite materials (ACMs), especially nanoparticle-reinforced polymer composites (NpRPCs), exhibit desirable physical and chemical properties that include low density coupled with directed high stiffness and strength, optimal dimensional stability, superior temperature, and chemical resistance, as well as relatively cost-efficient manufacturing. Successful manufacturing of high-performance nanocomposites depends on the precise control of processing factors, including (i) uniform dispersion of the nanoparticles, (ii) effective matrix-filler interfacial interactions at the molecular level, and (iii) alignment/orientation of the nanoparticle and/or polymer chains. Discussions of layers at multiscale (e.g., nano, micron, and macro scales) and their effects on the processing-structure relationship, especially the nanoparticle assembly with different mechanisms, will be the focus of this research. In particular, thermoplastic and thermoset polymers, as well as nanoparticles of various morphologies (e.g., 1D or 2D), have been used for scalable fabrication of 1D fibers, 2D coatings, and 3D architectures via 3D printing. The demonstrations in structural supports, thermal dissipations, electrical conductors, plastics recycling, stimuliresponsive systems, and tissue scaffolds show massive potential in national defense, space exploration, energy storage, and human health.
EFFECT OF CRYSTALLINE CERAMIC OXIDE ON THE DENSIFICATION-CRYSTALLIZATION BEHAVIOR OF BINARY LITHIUM-DI SILICATE GLASS COMPOSITIONS
Authors: RAHMAN AKM , KAUR DAMANDEEP
Published: October 2022

In the present work the crystallization and densification behavior of Lithium-Disilicate (LD) glass compositions were studied with the presence of various nucleating agent and ceramic oxides. A 30 mol% Li2O-70 mol% SiO2 LD system was modified using Al2O3, P2O5 and ZrO2 by keeping SiO2/ Li2O ratio constant at 2.33. The role of 2 to 5 mol% Al2O3, P2O5 and ZrO2 were studied in terms of Differential Scanning Calorimetry, XRD and SEM. The DSC results suggest that glass transition temperature increased with the inclusion of Al2O3 and ZrO2. It is also found that, inclusion of Al2O3 and ZrO2 helped lowering melting temperatures which reduced energy cost for melt processing. The study also suggested that densification was aided by the inclusion of P2O5 and ZrO2. Keywords: Densification; Crystallization; Glass-Ceramics; DSC.
El derecho a la memoria
Authors: Rozo Esteban , Guglielmucci Ana , Páez Torres Magda
Published: October 2022

Ad portas de cumplirse seis años de la firma del Acuerdo de Paz con las Farc, en Colombia sigue en vilo la constitución del Museo de Memoria de Colombia que ha sido blanco de disputas políticas y de una serie de trabas que han causado malestar entre las víctimas. Así lo registra un análisis investigativo de la Universidad del Rosario.
La política exterior colombiana en materia de seguridad y paz desde el constructivismo: consolidando identidades e intereses
Authors: Pardo Calderón Daniel Ramiro
Published: October 2022

En 2018, Colombia se convirtió en “Socio Global” de la otan. El grueso de los análisis de la política exterior colombiana ha estudiado este acontecimiento de manera descriptiva y ha caído en lugares comunes al caracterizarlo. Para transitar hacia una lógica analítica, el enfoque constructivista de las Relaciones Internacionales contribuye al comprender la política exterior como un proceso influenciado por factores racionales ideacionales, objetivos y subjetivos; internos y externos. Este artículo presenta una aproximación crítica de la política exterior colombiana en seguridad y paz, a la luz de la relación entre Colombia y la otan, por medio del enfoque constructivista. La coooperación técnica, en el marco de una estrategia diplomática para la seguridad, ha ayudado a consolidar la identidad e interés del país de ser socio oferente de conocimientos y capacidades en esta materia. Esta mirada constituye un insumo valioso de cara a la formulación de una política integral y ajustada a un contexto internacional cambiante y complejo.
Distance-Based Service Priority: An Innovative Mechanism to Increase System Throughput and Social Welfare
Authors: Wang Zhongbin , Cui Shiliang , Fang Lei
Published: October 2022

Problem definition: The main goal of many nonprofit or nongovernmental organizations is to increase the number of customers who receive service (i.e., service coverage) and social welfare. However, the limited number of employees, volunteers, and service locations results in long service wait. In addition, getting customers living in remote areas to receive services by traveling long distances is difficult. We propose an innovative distance-based service priority policy that would reduce the service waiting time for customers who must travel farther for the service by giving them higher service priority, thereby providing them with a new incentive to seek service. Methodology/results: Using a game-theoretic queueing model, we show that the proposed policy can significantly attract more customers to a service. The increase can be up to 50% compared with the ordinary first-come-first-served service discipline. The policy can also achieve higher social welfare, however, that may come at the cost of reduced customer welfare. We therefore propose a possible remedy for a social planner to coordinate welfare under such circumstance. It ensures all stakeholders, including the service provider, customers, and society, can benefit from the policy at the same time. Finally, we compare our distance-based service priority policy with two existing strategies from the literature—namely, the price discrimination strategy and the probabilistic priority strategy. Managerial implications: Our proposed policy can play a pivotal role in a nonprofit service provider’s mission to increase service coverage and social welfare, especially when customers’ travel costs to obtain service are significant. Furthermore, our policy may create fewer implementation and fairness concerns compared with related strategies.

Funding: Z. Wang acknowledges financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grants 72001118 and 72132007], and L. Fang acknowledges financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant 72271129].

Supplemental Material: The online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2022.1157 .
Transportation Origin-Destination Demand Estimation with Quasi-Sparsity
Authors: Wang Jingxing , Lu Shu , Liu Hongsheng , Ban Xuegang (Jeff)
Published: October 2022

Origin-destination (OD) demands for a city or a region are essential input to many transportation applications. For a real-world transportation network, the OD demand matrix may present certain quasi-sparsity property, that is, most OD pairs have small demands, whereas only a small portion of OD pairs have large demands. In this paper, we formally define quasi-sparsity and propose a quasi-sparsity–based OD (QSOD) estimation framework to explore such a property for OD demand estimation. We study two QSOD models, that is, the fixed-mapping QSOD model and the bilevel QSOD model, by applying the compressed sensing technique. We theoretically and numerically show that under certain conditions the estimated OD matrix shares the same quasi-sparsity feature with the prior OD matrix, and the estimated demands of most OD pairs (of a large-size network) will be equal to either their prior values or zeros (or a very small value). Results show that the QSOD framework has the capability in keeping OD quasi-sparsity consistency and is computationally less demanding compared with existing methods. The practical implications of the QSOD framework are also discussed.

Funding: This work was supported by the National Science Foundation [Grants CMMI-1825053 and DMS-1814894].

Supplemental Material: The online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/trsc.2022.1178 .
A New and Different Method for Adrenaline Auto-injector Training
Authors: KAN Ahmet , ÜZEL Veysiye Hülya
Published: October 2022

Amaç: Adrenalin oto-enjektörü, anafilaksi tedavisinde ana ilaçtır. Polikliniklerin yoğunluğu ve eğitim süresinin kısalığı nedeniyle ebeveynler yetersiz oto-enjektör eğitimi alabilmektedir. Adrenalin oto enjektörü konusunda yüz yüze eğitimden sonra alternatif yöntemlere ihtiyaç duyulmaktadır. Bu nedenle, bir yapboz oyununun annelerin bu açıdan becerilerini geliştirebileceği hipotezini araştırdık.
Gereç ve Yöntemler: Grup 1’de anafilaksili hastaların annelerine sadece yüz yüze eğitim verildi. Grup 2’de katılımcılara yüz yüze eğitimin ardından bir puzzle oyunu verildi. Toplam süre ve puanlama gruplar arasında karşılaştırıldı. Kategorik değişkenler için ki-kare (χ2) testi ve gruplar arası sayısal değişkenleri karşılaştırmak için Mann-Whitney U testi (parametrik olmayan) veya Student t testi (parametrik) kullanıldı.
Bulgular: Çalışmaya toplam 80 katılımcı dahil edildi. Grup 2’de doğru oto-enjektör kullananların oranı (%85), grup 1’den (%67.5) daha yüksekti (p=0.020). Grup 2’de (14±2 saniye) doğru kullanıcılar, adrenalin oto-enjektörünün tüm adımlarını grup 1’den (19±2 saniye) önemli ölçüde daha hızlı gerçekleştirdi (p<0.001).
Sonuç: Bir yapboz oyunu ile adrenalin oto-enjektörleri üzerine eğitim, bakıcı becerilerinin eksikliğini gidermek için görsel ve pratik bir yöntem olarak faydalı olabilir. Rutin adrenalin oto-enjektör eğitiminin bir parçası olarak bir yapboz oyunu kullanılmalıdır.
Journal scan
Authors: Welyczko Nikki
Published: October 2022

A brief overview of recently published articles on gastroenterology, hepatology and stoma care
Staffing report from the RCN
Authors: Harrison Penny
Published: October 2022

Penny Harrison explores the recommendations from the latest report on staffing by the Royal College of Nursing and compares this to reports from previous years
Characterization of nanosecond laser-induced underwater filamentation using acoustic measurements
Authors: Yellaiah J.
Published: October 2022

This investigation aims to understand the temporal and spectral characteristics of underwater acoustic impulses due to

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laser-induced filamentation at various incident laser energies. In addition to the experimental study, finite element analysis (FEA) has been used in conjunction with experimentally acquired data to simulate and visualize acoustic impulse propagation and interaction across the water–rigid boundary. In the time domain, the increase in the underwater filament length is measured by the peak-to-peak (

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k

−

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k

) overpressures as a function of input laser energies. The

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k

−

P

k

overpressures are maximum around the focal plane and are symmetrical on either side. This variation in the

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k

−

P

k

overpressure is traced to characterize the spatial extent of the underwater filament. The arrival time of underwater acoustic impulse varies within the 8–9 µs for input laser energies. It was observed that with increasing laser beam power, the conversion efficiency of the acoustic impulse decreases, and the underwater filament length increases. In the frequency domain, with increasing input laser energy, the peak frequency of the underwater acoustic impulse shifts toward the lower frequencies. Using FEA, the short-time Fourier transform spectrogram simultaneously visualizes the arrival time and instantaneous frequency of the simulated acoustic impulse. The simulated acoustic impulse produced a single instantaneous peak frequency of around 76 kHz. Upon reflection from the water–rigid boundary, we observed that the reflected signal also has a single instantaneous peak frequency of around 76 kHz, while higher-frequency components are completely dissipated. Our results are promising for the development of remote laser-based acoustic generation and sensing applications.
Plug-and-play generation of non-Gaussian states of light at a telecom wavelength
Authors: Melalkia Mohamed F. , Gabbrielli Tecla , Petitjean Antoine , Brunel Léandre , Zavatta Alessandro , Tanzilli Sébastien , Etesse Jean , D’Auria Virginia
Published: October 2022

In the context of emerging quantum technologies, this work marks an important progress towards practical quantum optical systems in the continuous variable regime. It shows the feasibility of experiments where non-Gaussian state generation entirely relies on plug-and-play components from guided-wave optics technologies. This strategy is successfully demonstrated with the heralded preparation of low amplitude Schrödinger cat states via single-photon subtraction from a squeezed vacuum. All stages of the experiment are based on off-the-shelf fiber components. This leads to a stable, compact, and easily re-configurable realization, fully compatible with existing fiber networks and, more in general, with future out-of-the-laboratory applications.
Simple method to modulate the scattered light field under strong disturbance
Authors: Yang Zuogang , Huangfu Haolan , Zhao Ying , Duan Meigang , Wang Dequan , Zuo Haoyi
Published: October 2022

In this Letter, we propose a simple and robust method that we have named an optimal accumulation algorithm (OAA) to modulate a scattered light field. Compared with the simulated annealing algorithm (SAA) and genetic algorithm (GA), the OAA is very robust, that is to say it has a strong anti-disturbance capability. In experiments, the scattered light field through ground glass and a polystyrene suspension was modulated, where the polystyrene suspension supported a dynamic random disturbance. It was found that, even if the suspension is too thick to see the ballistic light, the OAA can still modulate the scattered field effectively, while the SAA and GA completely failed. In addition, the OAA is so simple that only addition and comparison are needed, and it can achieve multi-target modulation.
Directly diode-pumped femtosecond Cr:ZnS amplifier with ultra-low intensity noise
Authors: Qu Shizhen , Paudel Arun , Sebesta Aleksandar , Steinleitner Philipp , Nagl Nathalie , Poetzlberger Markus , Pervak Vladimir , Mak Ka Fai , Weigel Alexander
Published: October 2022

Diode-pumped Cr:ZnS oscillators have emerged as precursors for single-cycle infrared pulse generation with excellent noise performance. Here we demonstrate a Cr:ZnS amplifier with direct diode-pumping to boost the output of an ultrafast Cr:ZnS oscillator with minimum added intensity noise. Seeded with a 0.66-W pulse train at 50-MHz repetition rate and 2.4 µm center wavelength, the amplifier provides over 2.2 W of 35-fs pulses. Due to the low-noise performance of the laser pump diodes in the relevant frequency range, the amplifier output achieves a root mean square (RMS) intensity noise level of only 0.03% in the 10 Hz–1 MHz frequency range and a long-term power stability of 0.13% RMS over one hour. The diode-pumped amplifier reported here is a promising driving source for nonlinear compression to the single- or sub-cycle regime, as well as for the generation of bright, multi-octave-spanning mid-infrared pulses for ultra-sensitive vibrational spectroscopy.
Scaling of the terahertz emission from liquid water lines by plasma reshaping
Authors: Chen Yuxuan , He Yuhang , Liu Liyuan , Tian Zhen , Dai Jianming
Published: October 2022

Liquids are proposed to be promising terahertz (THz) sources. However, the detected THz electric field is limited by the collection efficiency and saturation effect. A simplified simulation based on the interference of ponderomotive-force-induced dipoles indicates that, by reshaping the plasma, the THz radiation is concentrated in the collection direction. Experimentally, by using a cylindrical lens pair to form a line-shaped plasma in transverse section, the THz radiation is redirected, and the pump energy dependence follows a quadratic trend, indicating that the saturation effect is significantly weakened. As a result, the detected THz energy is enhanced by a factor of ∼5. This demonstration provides a simple but effective way of further scaling detectable THz signals from liquids.
Ultrabroad (3.7–17 µm) tunable femtosecond optical parametric amplifier based on BaGa4Se7 crystal
Authors: Tian Kan , Wang Weizhe , Li Chunxiao , Wan Zhongjun , Hu Bo , He Linzhen , Xiang Maoxing , Yao Jiyong , Wu Han , Liang Houkun
Published: October 2022

We demonstrate the first (to the best of our knowledge) tunable femtosecond (fs) mid-infrared (MIR) optical parametric amplifier (OPA) based on BaGa4Se7 (BGSe) crystal with an ultra-broadband spectral range. Benefiting from the broad transparency range, high nonlinearity, and relatively large bandgap of BGSe, the MIR OPA pumped at 1030 nm with a repetition of 50 kHz has an output spectrum that is tunable across an extremely wide spectral range spanning from 3.7 to 17 µm. The maximum output power of the MIR laser source is measured as 10 mW at a center wavelength of 16 µm, corresponding to a quantum conversion efficiency of 5%. Power scaling is straightforwardly achieved by using a stronger pump in BGSe with an available large aperture size. A pulse width of 290 fs centered at 16 µm is supported by the BGSe OPA. Our experimental result indicates that BGSe crystal could serve as a promising nonlinear crystal for fs MIR generation with an ultra-broadband tuning spectral range via parametric downconversion for applications such as MIR ultrafast spectroscopy.
Characteristics of psychosocial interventions to improve ART adherence in people living with HIV: A systematic review
Authors: Costa-Cordella Stefanella , Rossi Alejandra , Grasso-Cladera Aitana , Duarte Javiera , Cortes Claudia P.
Published: October 2022

The HIV/AIDS pandemic continues to be a significant global public health crisis. The main HIV/AIDS treatment is the antiretroviral therapy (ART), which is highly effective but depends on the patient’s adherence to be successful. However, the adherence to antiretroviral therapy remains unsatisfactory across different populations, which raises considerable difficulties at both individual and collective levels. Suboptimal adherence to ART can be overcome through multidisciplinary management that includes evidence-based psychosocial interventions. Existing reviews on these interventions have focused mainly on studies with experimental designs, overlooking valuable interventions whose evidence comes from different study designs. Here, we aimed to carry out a comprehensive review of the current research on psychosocial interventions for ART adherence and their characteristics including studies with different designs. We conducted a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines. We searched five databases (Pubmed, EBSCO, LILACS, WoS and SCIELO) for articles reporting a psychosocial intervention to improve treatment adherence for people living with HIV (adults). The quality of each study was analyzed with standardized tools, and data were summarized using a narrative synthesis method. Twenty-three articles were identified for inclusion, and they demonstrated good to fair quality. Individual counseling was the most frequent intervention, followed by SMS reminders, education, and group support. Most interventions combined different strategies and self-efficacy was the most common underlying theoretical framework. This review provides insight into the main characteristics of current psychosocial interventions designed to improve ART treatment adherence.

PROSPERO number: CRD42021252449.
Leptospira enrichment culture followed by ONT metagenomic sequencing allows better detection of Leptospira presence and diversity in water and soil samples
Authors: Gorman Myranda , Xu Ruijie , Prakoso Dhani , Salvador Liliana C. M. , Rajeev Sreekumari
Published: October 2022

Background

Leptospirosis, a life-threatening disease in humans and animals, is one of the most widespread global zoonosis. Contaminated soil and water are the major transmission sources in humans and animals. Clusters of disease outbreaks are common during rainy seasons.

Methodology/Principal findings

In this study, to detect the presence of Leptospira, we applied PCR, direct metagenomic sequencing, and enrichment culture followed by PCR and metagenomic sequencing on water and soil samples. Direct sequencing and enrichment cultures followed by PCR or sequencing effectively detected pathogenic and nonpathogenic Leptospira compared to direct PCR and 16S amplification-based metagenomic sequencing in soil or water samples. Among multiple culture media evaluated, Ellinghausen-McCullough-Johnson-Harris (EMJH) media containing antimicrobial agents was superior in recovering and detecting Leptospira from the environmental samples. Our results show that enrichment culture followed by PCR can be used to confirm the presence of pathogenic Leptospira in environmental samples. Additionally, metagenomic sequencing on enrichment cultures effectively detects the abundance and diversity of Leptospira spp. from environmental samples.

Conclusions/Significance

The selection of methodology is critical when testing environmental samples for the presence of Leptospira. Selective enrichment culture improves Leptospira detection efficacy by PCR or metagenomic sequencing and can be used successfully to understand the presence and diversity of pathogenic Leptospira during environmental surveillance.
Sequences and proteins that influence mRNA processing in Trypanosoma brucei: Evolutionary conservation of SR-domain and PTB protein functions
Authors: Waithaka Albina , Maiakovska Olena , Grimm Dirk , do Nascimento Larissa Melo , Clayton Christine
Published: October 2022

Background

Spliced leader trans splicing is the addition of a short, capped sequence to the 5’ end of mRNAs. It is widespread in eukaryotic evolution, but factors that influence trans splicing acceptor site choice have been little investigated. In Kinetoplastids, all protein-coding mRNAs are 5’ trans spliced. A polypyrimidine tract is usually found upstream of the AG splice acceptor, but there is no branch point consensus; moreover, splicing dictates polyadenylation of the preceding mRNA, which is a validated drug target.

Methodology and principal findings

We here describe a trans splicing reporter system that can be used for studies and screens concerning the roles of sequences and proteins in processing site choice and efficiency. Splicing was poor with poly(U) tracts less than 9 nt long, and was influenced by an intergenic region secondary structure. A screen for signals resulted in selection of sequences that were on average 45% U and 35% C. Tethering of either the splicing factor SF1, or the cleavage and polyadenylation factor CPSF3 within the intron stimulated processing in the correct positions, while tethering of two possible homologues of Opisthokont PTB inhibited processing. In contrast, tethering of SR-domain proteins RBSR1, RBSR2, or TSR1 or its interaction partner TSR1IP, promoted use of alternative signals upstream of the tethering sites. RBSR1 interacts predominantly with proteins implicated in splicing, whereas the interactome of RBSR2 is more diverse.

Conclusions

Our selectable constructs are suitable for screens of both sequences, and proteins that affect mRNA processing in T. brucei. Our results suggest that the functions of PTB and SR-domain proteins in splice site definition may already have been present in the last eukaryotic common ancestor.
Victimization and witnessing of workplace bullying and physician-diagnosed physical and mental health and organizational outcomes: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Tsuno Kanami , Kawakami Norito , Tsutsumi Akizumi , Shimazu Akihito , Inoue Akiomi , Odagiri Yuko , Shimomitsu Teruichi
Published: October 2022

Background

Compared to the numerous reports on mental health outcomes of workplace bullying victims, research on organizational outcomes of witnesses and physical health outcomes of victims and witnesses is scarce. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between bullying victimization and witnessing and various physical and mental health outcomes and organizational outcomes such as sickness absence, work performance, and job satisfaction.

Methods

This study used cross-sectional data from a nationally representative, community-based sample of 5,000 Japanese residents aged 20–60. We analyzed data from 1,496 respondents after excluding those not working at the time of the survey and those with missing values. Workplace bullying, psychological distress, physical complaints, and job satisfaction were assessed with the New Brief Job Stress Questionnaire and work performance with the World Health Organization’s Health and Work Performance Questionnaire. In addition, subjective health status, physician-diagnosed mental or physical illness, and sickness absence were asked as one item. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis or Poisson regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between victimization/witnessing workplace bullying and health and organizational outcomes.

Results

Both victimization and witnessing workplace bullying were significantly associated with psychological distress, physical complaints, subjective poor health, physician-diagnosed mental disorders, and job dissatisfaction. Victimization of workplace bullying was further associated with physician-diagnosed respiratory diseases, sickness absence (≥7 days), and poor work performance. Victims were absent from work for 4.5 more sick days and had 11.2% lower work performance than non-victims.

Conclusions

The results showed that both victimization and witnessing workplace bullying were significantly associated with physical and mental outcomes and various organizational outcomes. Organizations should implement further measures to prevent personal and organizational losses due to workplace bullying.
Genome-wide SNP genotyping as a simple and practical tool to accelerate the development of inbred lines in outbred tree species: An example in cacao (Theobroma cacao L.)
Authors: Lopes Uilson Vanderlei , Pires José Luis , Gramacho Karina Peres , Grattapaglia Dario
Published: October 2022

Cacao is a globally important crop with a long history of domestication and selective breeding. Despite the increased use of elite clones by cacao farmers, worldwide plantations are established mainly using hybrid progeny material derived from heterozygous parents, therefore displaying high tree-to-tree variability. The deliberate development of hybrids from advanced inbred lines produced by successive generations of self-pollination has not yet been fully considered in cacao breeding. This is largely due to the self-incompatibility of the species, the long generation cycles (3–5 years) and the extensive trial areas needed to accomplish the endeavor. We propose a simple and accessible approach to develop inbred lines based on accelerating the buildup of homozygosity based on regular selfing assisted by genome-wide SNP genotyping. In this study we genotyped 90 clones from the Brazilian CEPEC´s germplasm collection and 49 inbred offspring of six S1or S2cacao families derived from self-pollinating clones CCN-51, PS-13.19, TSH-1188 and SIAL-169. A set of 3,380 SNPs distributed across the cacao genome were interrogated on the EMBRAPA multi-species 65k Infinium chip. The 90 cacao clones showed considerable variation in genome-wide SNP homozygosity (mean 0.727± 0.182) and 19 of them with homozygosity ≥90%. By assessing the increase in homozygosity across two generations of self-pollinations, SNP data revealed the wide variability in homozygosity within and between S1and S2families. Even in small families (<10 sibs), individuals were identified with up to ~1.5 standard deviations above the family mean homozygosity. From baseline homozygosities of 0.476 and 0.454, offspring with homozygosities of 0.862 and 0.879 were recovered for clones TSH-1188 and CCN-51 respectively, in only two generations of selfing (81–93% increase). SNP marker assisted monitoring and selection of inbred individuals can be a practical tool to optimize and accelerate the development of inbred lines of outbred tree species. This approach will allow a faster and more accurate exploitation of hybrid breeding strategies in cacao improvement programs and potentially in other perennial fruit and forest trees.
Publication games: In the web of reciprocity
Authors: Barta Zoltán
Published: October 2022

The present processes of research assessment, i.e. focusing on one or a few, related, scientometrics, foster questionable authorship practices, like gifting authorship to non-contributing people. An especially harmful one of these unethical practices is the formation of publication cartels, where authors offer gift authorship to each other reciprocally. Here, by developing a simple model and a simulation of the publication process I investigate how beneficial cartels can be and what measure can be used to restrict them. My results indicate that publication cartels can significantly boost members’ productivity even if paper counts are weighted by the inverse of author number (the 1/n rule). Nevertheless, applying the 1/n rule generates conflicts of interest both among cartel members themselves and between cartel members and non-members which might lead to the self-purification of the academic publishing industry.
A multimodal neuroimaging study of brain abnormalities and clinical correlates in post treatment Lyme disease
Authors: Marvel Cherie L. , Alm Kylie H. , Bhattacharya Deeya , Rebman Alison W. , Bakker Arnold , Morgan Owen P. , Creighton Jason A. , Kozero Erica A. , Venkatesan Arun , Nadkarni Prianca A. , Aucott John N.
Published: October 2022

Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne infectious disease in the United States. Post-treatment Lyme disease (PTLD) is a condition affecting 10–20% of patients in which symptoms persist despite antibiotic treatment. Cognitive complaints are common among those with PTLD, suggesting that brain changes are associated with the course of the illness. However, there has been a paucity of evidence to explain the cognitive difficulties expressed by patients with PTLD. This study administered a working memory task to a carefully screened group of 12 patients with well-characterized PTLD and 18 healthy controls while undergoing functional MRI (fMRI). A subset of 12 controls and all 12 PTLD participants also received diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to measure white matter integrity. Clinical variables were also assessed and correlated with these multimodal MRI findings. On the working memory task, the patients with PTLD responded more slowly, but no less accurately, than did controls. FMRI activations were observed in expected regions by the controls, and to a lesser extent, by the PTLD participants. The PTLD group also hypoactivated several regions relevant to the task. Conversely, novel regions were activated by the PTLD group that were not observed in controls, suggesting a compensatory mechanism. Notably, three activations were located in white matter of the frontal lobe. DTI measures applied to these three regions of interest revealed that higher axial diffusivity correlated with fewer cognitive and neurological symptoms. Whole-brain DTI analyses revealed several frontal lobe regions in which higher axial diffusivity in the patients with PTLD correlated with longer duration of illness. Together, these results show that the brain is altered by PTLD, involving changes to white matter within the frontal lobe. Higher axial diffusivity may reflect white matter repair and healing over time, rather than pathology, and cognition appears to be dynamically affected throughout this repair process.
Dispositional and ideological factor correlate of conspiracy thinking and beliefs
Authors: Arnulf Jan Ketil , Robinson Charlotte , Furnham Adrian
Published: October 2022

This study explored how the Big Five personality traits, as well as measures of personality disorders, are related to two different measures of conspiracy theories (CTs)The two measures correlated r = .58 and were applied to examine generalisability of findings. We also measured participants (N = 397) general knowledge levels and ideology in the form of religious and political beliefs. Results show that the Big Five and ideology are related to CTs but these relationships are generally wiped out by the stronger effects of the personality disorder scales. Two personality disorder clusters (A and B) were significant correlates of both CT measures, in both cases accounting for similar amounts of variance (20%). The personality disorders most predictive of conspiracy theories were related to the A cluster, characterized by schizotypal symptoms such as oddities of thinking and loose associations. These findings were corroborated by an additional analysis using Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA). LSA demonstrated that the items measuring schizotypal and related symptoms are cognitively related to both our measures of CTs. The implications for the studying of CTs is discussed, and limitations are acknowledged.
CSF TNF α levels were associated with conversion from mild cognitive impairment to dementia
Authors: Fu Pan , Peng Feifei ,   for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: October 2022

We aimed to examine the association of CSF tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) with conversion from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia. At baseline, there were a total of 129 participants with MCI in this study. The association of CSF TNFα levels with the incidence of dementia were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis adjusted for potential confounders. Individuals were categorized into groups based on the CSF TNFα tertiles. Compared to the low group (the reference group), the intermediate group progressed more rapidly to dementia [HR (95% CI) = 2.2 (1.15–4.1); p = 0.016] after adjusting for other covariates. However, the high group did not progress faster than the low group [HR (95% CI) = 1.5 (0.79–2.8); p = 0.214]. Our study suggested a potential non-relationship between CSF TNFα levels and the risk of development of dementia among MCI older people.
Societal cost of nine selected maternal morbidities in the United States
Authors: O’Neil Sasigant So , Platt Isabel , Vohra Divya , Pendl-Robinson Emma , Dehus Eric , Zephyrin Laurie , Zivin Kara
Published: October 2022

Objective

To estimate the cost of maternal morbidity for all 2019 pregnancies and births in the United States.

Methods

Using data from 2010 to 2020, we developed a cost analysis model that calculated the excess cases of outcomes attributed to nine maternal morbidity conditions with evidence of outcomes in the literature. We then modeled the associated medical and nonmedical costs of each outcome incurred by birthing people and their children in 2019, projected through five years postpartum.

Results

We estimated that the total cost of nine maternal morbidity conditions for all pregnancies and births in 2019 was $32.3 billion from conception to five years postpartum, amounting to $8,624 in societal costs per birthing person.

Conclusion

We found only nine maternal morbidity conditions with sufficient supporting evidence of linkages to outcomes and costs. The lack of comprehensive data for other conditions suggests that maternal morbidity exacts a higher toll on society than we found.

Policy implications

Although this study likely provides lower bound cost estimates, it establishes the substantial adverse societal impact of maternal morbidity and suggests further opportunities to invest in maternal health.
LGR5 promotes invasion and migration by regulating YAP activity in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma cells under inflammatory condition
Authors: Zhu Zijia , Yu Shuyuan , Niu Kai , Wang Ping
Published: October 2022

High leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein coupled receptor 5 (LGR5) expression caused by an inflammatory condition was reported to promote tumor proliferation and the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in various malignant tumors, but those effects have not been studied in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HSCC) and the molecular mechanism remains unclear. This study was aimed to determine whether YAP/TAZ is involved in the regulation of LGR5 expression in the inflammatory condition. Human hypopharyngeal carcinoma FaDu cells were stimulated with inflammatory medium. The cell invasion ability were evaluated through wound healing assay and transwell invasion assay. The expression levels of EMT-related proteins, LGR5, and p-YAP were detected by real time PCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence. The results showed that LGR5 expression and the EMT process were significantly enhanced under inflammatory condition. The expression of EMT-related proteins was up-regulated, while that of p-YAP was decreased. After inhibiting the high LGR5 expression with short interfering RNA, the expression of EMT-related proteins was also down-regulated, while that of p-YAP was significantly increased. The use of verteporfin (VP), an inhibitor of YAP activity that promotes YAP phosphorylation, did not affect LGR5 expression. In conclusion, we suggest that the inflammatory condition leads to high LGR5 expression, which up-regulating the expression of EMT-related proteins by inhibiting the YAP phosphorylation.
Negative air ions through the action of antioxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-apoptosis and angiogenesis ameliorate lipopolysaccharide induced acute lung injury and promote diabetic wound healing in rat
Authors: Cheng Yu-Hsuan , Li Hung-Keng , Yao Chien-An , Huang Jing-Ying , Sung Yi-Ting , Chung Shiu-Dong , Chien Chiang-Ting
Published: October 2022

Negative air ions (NAIs) being bioactive and negative charged molecules may confer antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. We assessed the effect of NAIs on two inflammatory diseases in animal models including lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced acute lung injury (ALI) and wound healing in diabetic rats. We used intra-tracheal infusion of LPS to induce ALI and made a full-thickness cutaneous wound in streptozotocin-induced diabetic female Wistar rats. We evaluated NAIs effects on reactive oxygen species amount, leukocyte infiltration, wound healing rate, western blot, and immunohistochemistry in the lungs of ALI and skin sections of wounds. Our data found NAIs exposed saline displayed higher antioxidant activity vs. non-exposed saline. NAIs exposure did not significantly affect arterial blood pressure and respiratory frequency in control and LPS treated groups. LPS increased leukocyte infiltration, caspase 3/Poly-ADP-ribose-polymerase-mediated apoptosis formation and decreased Beclin-1/LC3-II-mediated autophagy in lungs. NAIs exposure conferred pulmonary protection by depressed leukocyte infiltration and caspase 3/Poly-ADP-ribose-polymerase mediated apoptosis and enhanced LC3-II-mediated autophagy in LPS induced ALI. NAIs treatment resulted in a significantly accelerated wound closure rate, decreased erythrocyte accumulation and leukocyte infiltration mediated oxidative stress and inflammation, and upregulated expression of skin collagen, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) and factor transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) vs non-treated group. Based on these results, it is suggested that NAIs conferred a protection through the upregulating LC3-II-dependent autophagy mechanism and downregulating leukocyte infiltration mediated inflammation and caspase 3/Poly-ADP-ribose-polymerase signaling in the LPS-treated ALI and promoted diabetic wound healing through the enhancing skin collagen synthesis, VEGFR-2 and TGF-β1 pathways.
Efficiency of Malaysian states in managing the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 and 2021
Authors: Isnain Abdul Rahim , Che Dom Nazri , Abdullah Samsuri , Precha Nopadol , Salim Hasber
Published: October 2022

Introduction

Many developing countries have drastically imbalanced health systems in different regions. The COVID-19 outbreak posed a further challenge as hospital structures, equipped with doctors, critical care units and respirators, were not available to a sufficient extent in all regions.

Objective

This study is a descriptive study on the efficiency of Malaysian states in facing the COVID-19 outbreak.

Methodology

The efficiency of all Malaysian states was measured using Data Envelopment Analysis in which each state’s Score of COVID Index (SCI) was quantified. The SCI of these states were then further compared between the year 2020 and 2021. A greater disparity would indicate a decline in the performance of a state over time, where nearly all the states in Malaysia experienced an increase in the score of COVID Index (SCI).

Result

This study found that the central region was the most affected, since all the three states in the region (Selangor, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, and Federal Territory of Putrajaya) showed a situation of inadequacy (SCI: >0.75) due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Conclusion

The ranking of Malaysia’s states according to their vulnerability to an outbreak of COVID-19 is vitally significant for the purposes of assisting the government and policymakers in planning their responses to the outbreak and ensuring that resources are distributed appropriately.
Herd management and subsistence practices as inferred from isotopic analysis of animals and plants at Bronze Age Politiko-Troullia, Cyprus
Authors: Pilaar Birch Suzanne E. , Metzger Mary , Ridder Elizabeth , Porson Steven , Falconer Steven E. , Fall Patricia L.
Published: October 2022

The Bronze Age village of Politiko-Troullia, located in the foothills of the copper-bearing Troodos mountains of central Cyprus, was occupied ~2050–1850 cal BCE. Excavated evidence shows that community activities included copper metallurgy (ore processing, smelting and casting), crop cultivation, and rearing of livestock. Faunal analysis reveals day-to-day subsistence practices that included consumption of sheep, goat, cattle, and pig, as well as community-scale ritual feasting focused on fallow deer,Dama dama mesopotamica. In this paper, we present bone collagen stable isotope data from these taxa to infer how these animals were managed. We incorporate stable isotope baselines calculated from modern cereal grains and compare these to archaeological seeds from Politiko-Troullia. Mean values of δ13C and δ15N cluster for livestock consistent with a diet of C3 plants, with a wider range in goats that suggests free-browsing herds. Higher δ15N values in cattle may reflect supplemental feeding or grazing in manured fields. Plant isotope values suggest livestock diets were predominantly composed of cultivated taxa. In contrast, deer and pig bones produce more negative mean δ13C and δ15N values suggesting that the villagers of Politiko-Troulliacomplemented their management of domesticated animals with hunting of wild deer and feral pigs in the woodlands surrounding their village.