bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of a clot-adhesive coating to improve the performance of thrombectomy devices
Authors: Skarbek Charles , Anagnostakou Vania , Procopio Emanuele , Epshtein Mark , Raskett Christopher M , Romagnoli Romeo , Iviglia Giorgio , Morra Marco , Antonucci Marta , Nicoletti Antonino , Caligiuri Giuseppina , Gounis Matthew J
Published: March 2023

Background

The first-pass complete recanalization by mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for the treatment of stroke remains limited due to the poor integration of the clot within current devices. Aspiration can help retrieval of the main clot but fails to prevent secondary embolism in the distal arterial territory. The dense meshes of extracellular DNA, recently described in stroke-related clots, might serve as an anchoring platform for MT devices. We aimed to evaluate the potential of a DNA-reacting surface to aid the retention of both the main clot and small fragments within the thrombectomy device to improve the potential of MT procedures.

Methods

Device-suitable alloy samples were coated with 15 different compounds and put in contact with extracellular DNA or with human peripheral whole blood, to compare their binding to DNA versus blood elements in vitro. Clinical-grade MT devices were coated with two selected compounds and evaluated in functional bench tests to study clot retrieval efficacy and quantify distal emboli using an M1 occlusion model.

Results

Binding properties of samples coated with all compounds were increased for DNA (≈3-fold) and decreased (≈5-fold) for blood elements, as compared with the bare alloy samples in vitro. Functional testing showed that surface modification with DNA-binding compounds improved clot retrieval and significantly reduced distal emboli during experimental MT of large vessel occlusion in a three-dimensional model.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that clot retrieval devices coated with DNA-binding compounds can considerably improve the outcome of the MT procedures in stroke patients.
Access for Cancer Caregivers to Education and Support for Shared Decision Making (ACCESS) intervention: a cluster cross-over randomised clinical trial
Authors: Oliver Debra Parker , Washington Karla , Benson Jacquelyn , Kruse Robin L , Popejoy Lori , Liu Jingxia , Smith Jami , Pitzer Kyle , White Patrick , Demiris George
Published: March 2023

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to test an intervention named ACCESS (Access for Cancer Caregivers to Education and Support for Shared Decision Making). The intervention uses private Facebook support groups to support and educate caregivers, preparing them to participate in shared decision-making during web-based hospice care plan meetings. The overall hypothesis behind the study was that family caregivers of hospice patients with cancer would experience lower anxiety and depression as a result of participating in an online Facebook support group and shared decision-making with hospice staff in a web-based care plan meeting.

Methods

This is a cluster cross-over randomised three-arm clinical trial where one group participated in both the Facebook group and the care plan team meeting. A second group participated only in the Facebook group and the third group was a control group and received usual hospice care.

Results

There were 489 family caregivers who participated in the trial. There were no statistically significant differences between the ACCESS intervention group and the Facebook only or the control group on any outcome. The participants in the Facebook only group, however, experienced a statistically significant decrease in depression compared with the enhanced usual care group.

Conclusions

While the ACCESS intervention group did not experience significant improvement in outcomes, caregivers assigned to the Facebook only group showed significant improvement in depression scores from baseline as compared with the enhanced usual care control group. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms of action leading to reduced depression.
Increase of unmotivated and hardened smokers in Hong Kong: a repeated cross-sectional trend analysis
Authors: Zhao Sheng Zhi , Wu Yongda , Cheung Derek Yee Tak , Luk Tzu Tsun , Weng Xue , Tong Henry Sau Chai , Lai Vienna , Chan Sophia Siu Chee , Lam Tai Hing , Wang Man Ping
Published: March 2023

Objectives

To examine the trends in the prevalence of hardening indicators and hardened smokers in Hong Kong, where the low smoking prevalence has plateaued in the recent decade.

Methods

This is an analysis of repeated cross-sectional data from 9 territory-wide smoking cessation campaigns conducted annually from 2009 to 2018 (except 2011). Participants were 9837 biochemically verified daily cigarette smokers aged ≥18 years (18.5% female, mean age 43.2±14.2 years) recruited from the communities. Hardening indicators included heavy smoking (>15 CPD), high nicotine dependence (Heaviness of Smoking Index ≥5), no intention to quit within next 30 days and no past-year quit attempt. Perceived importance, confidence and difficulty of quitting were measured (each ranged 0–10). Multivariable regressions were used to model the changes in hardening indicators by calendar year, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics.

Results

From 2009 to 2018, the prevalence of heavy smoking decreased from 57.6% to 39.4% (p<0.001), high nicotine dependence also decreased from 10.5% to 8.6% (p=0.06). However, the proportion of smokers with no intention to quit (12.7%–69.0%) and no past-year quit attempt (74.4%–80.4%) significantly increased (both p values <0.001). Hardened smokers (heavy smoking, no intention to quit, no past-year attempt quit attempt) significantly increased from 5.9% to 20.7% (p<0.001). Mean perceived importance (from 7.9±2.3 to 6.6±2.5) and confidence (from 6.2±2.6 to 5.3±2.4) of quitting also decreased significantly (all p values <0.001).

Conclusions

Daily cigarette smokers in Hong Kong were motivational hardening, but not dependence hardening. Effective tobacco control policies and interventions are warranted to motivate quitting to further reduce smoking prevalence.
Of mice, ticks, and fleas: host behaviour and co-occurring parasites
Authors: Caron-Lévesque Merlin , Careau Vincent
Published: March 2023

Host behaviour should be a key determinant of the acquisition of “sit-and-wait” and nidicolous ectoparasitic arthropods that ambush the host in their environment and/or nest. Here, we tested the association between parasitism and individual differences in exploratory and grooming behaviours in white-footed mice ( Peromyscus leucopus (Rafinesque, 1818)), the primary host for the black-legged tick ( Ixodes scapularis Say, 1821) in its larval stage. During 4333 captures of 1035 individual mice over five summers (2016–2020) in Ontario, Canada, the probability and intensity of tick parasitism were both significantly higher when the mouse was also parasitized by fleas, suggesting co-occurrence of these two parasites on host mice. Distance moved by mice in a novel environment was negatively and positively affected by tick and flea parasitism, respectively. Interestingly, there was a significant “tick × flea” statistical interaction on distance moved, such that fleas were positively associated with activity/exploration only when ticks were absent. There was no relationship between grooming behaviour and parasite presence. This study suggests that co-occurring parasite species (ticks and fleas) may differentially affect their host's behaviour depending on the presence/absence of the other parasite on the host. Alternatively, host behaviour may differentially affect individual susceptibility to being infested with ticks, fleas, or both.
Three types of Landauer’s erasure principle: a microscopic view
Authors: Oriols Xavier , Nikolić Hrvoje
Published: March 2023

An important step to incorporate information in the second law of thermodynamics was done by Landauer, showing that the erasure of information implies an increase in heat. Most attempts to justify Landauer’s erasure principle are based on thermodynamic argumentations. Here, using just the time-reversibility of classical microscopic laws, we identify three types of the Landauer’s erasure principle depending on the relation between the two final environments: the one linked to a logical input 1 and the other to logical input 0. The strong type (which is the original Landauer’s formulation) requires the final environments to be in thermal equilibrium. The intermediate type giving the entropy change of $$k_{\textrm{B}} \ln 2$$

k
B

ln
2

occurs when the two final environments are identical macroscopic states. Finally, the weak Landauer’s principle, providing information erasure with no entropy change, when the two final environments are macroscopically different. Even though the above results are formally valid for classical erasure gates, a discussion on their natural extension to quantum scenarios is presented. This paper strongly suggests that the original Landauer’s principle (based on the assumption of thermalized environments) is fully reasonable for microelectronics, but it becomes less reasonable for future few-atoms devices working at THz frequencies. Thus, the weak and intermediate Landauer’s principles, where the erasure of information is not necessarily linked to heat dissipation, are worth investigating.
Myers-type theorems via m-Bakry–Émery Ricci curvatures of quartic decays
Authors: Tadano Homare
Published: March 2023

We establish several Myers-type theorems for [Formula: see text]-dimensional complete Riemannian manifolds assuming some quartic decays of the [Formula: see text]-Bakry–Émery and [Formula: see text]-modified Bakry–Émery Ricci curvatures with [Formula: see text] in terms of the distance function from a fixed point.
Expanders on matrices over a finite chain ring, I
Authors: Ha Dung M. , Ngo Hieu T.
Published: March 2023

In this work and its sequel, we study the expanding phenomenon of matrices over a finite chain ring of large residue field. A sum-product estimate is proved. It is shown that [Formula: see text] is a moderate expander on [Formula: see text] matrices with exponent [Formula: see text]. These results generalize the main theorems in the recent work [29] of Xie and Ge. The proofs use spectral graph theory and elementary divisor theory.
Assessing the Impact of Source Pocket Length Variation to Examine DC/RF to Linearity Performance of DG-TFET
Authors: Yadav Dharmendra Singh , Singh Prabhat , Roat Prajawal
Published: March 2023

This research examines the variation in source pocket length at the corner region of source–channel interface (SCi) with hetero-oxide triple metal gate. The investigated DC and analog parameters include energy band profile in ON/OFF state, electric field ([Formula: see text]), potential, transconductance ([Formula: see text]), capacitance gate to source and gate to drain ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]), cut-off frequency ([Formula: see text]), gain bandwidth product, transconductance generation factor, transconductance frequency product, transit time ([Formula: see text]) and for linearity figure of merit it includes [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], 1-dB compression point. The comprehensive study is done with varying lengths of source pocket, and while keeping doping of source pocket same and keeping work function of triple metal gate constant, it shows the enhancement in overall device performance triple metal gate hetero-oxide corner source pocket double gate TFET (TMG-HO-CSP-DGTFET).
The Value of Preexisting Structures for Digital Access: Modelling the Resolutions of the Dutch States General
Authors: Koolen Marijn , Hoekstra Rik , Oddens Joris , Sluijter Ronald , Van Koert Rutger , Brouwer Gijsjan , Brugman Hennie
Published: March 2023

The Resolutions of the Dutch States General (1576–1796) is an archive covering over two centuries of decision making and consists of a heterogeneous series of handwritten and printed documents. The archive, which has recently been digitised, is a rich source for historical research. However, owing to the archive’s heterogeneity and dispersion of information, historians and other researchers find it hard to use the archive for their research.

In this article, we describe how we deal with the challenges of structuring and connecting the information in this archive. We focus on identifying the existing structural elements, to turn the archive from a set of pages into a set of meeting dates and individual resolutions, with rich metadata for each resolution. To deal with the challenges of historical language change, spelling variation, and text recognition mistakes, we exploit the repetitive nature of the language of the resolutions and use fuzzy string searching to identify structural elements by the formulaic expressions that signal their boundaries. We also discuss and provide an analysis of the value of extracting different types of entities from the text and argue that the choice of which types of entities to focus on should be made based on how they support relevant research questions and methods. In the resolutions, we choose to prioritise person qualifications such as profession, legal status, or title, over person names. Qualifications allow users to select certain groups of people and to meaningfully combine with other layers of metadata, whereas person names lack contextual information to disambiguate them, making it unclear which and how many persons are referred to by selecting a specific person name. We show how our methodology results in a computational platform that allows users to explore and analyse the archive through many connected layers of metadata.
Effects of AI and Logic-Style Explanations on Users’ Decisions Under Different Levels of Uncertainty
Authors: Cau Federico Maria , Hauptmann Hanna , Spano Lucio Davide , Tintarev Nava
Published: March 2023

Existing eXplainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) techniques support people in interpreting AI advice. However, although previous work evaluates the users’ understanding of explanations, factors influencing the decision support are largely overlooked in the literature. This article addresses this gap by studying the impact of
user uncertainty
,
AI correctness
, and the interaction between
AI uncertainty
and
explanation logic-styles
for classification tasks. We conducted two separate studies: one requesting participants to recognize handwritten digits and one to classify the sentiment of reviews. To assess the decision making, we analyzed the
task performance, agreement
with the AI suggestion, and the user’s
reliance
on the XAI interface elements. Participants make their decision relying on three pieces of information in the XAI interface (image or text instance, AI prediction, and explanation). Participants were shown one explanation style (between-participants design) according to three styles of logical reasoning (inductive, deductive, and abductive). This allowed us to study how different levels of AI uncertainty influence the effectiveness of different explanation styles. The results show that user uncertainty and AI correctness on predictions significantly affected users’ classification decisions considering the analyzed metrics. In both domains (images and text), users relied mainly on the instance to decide. Users were usually overconfident about their choices, and this evidence was more pronounced for text. Furthermore, the inductive style explanations led to overreliance on the AI advice in both domains—it was the most persuasive, even when the AI was incorrect. The abductive and deductive styles have complex effects depending on the domain and the AI uncertainty levels.
Fielded Human-Robot Interaction for a Heterogeneous Team in the DARPA Subterranean Challenge
Authors: Riley Danny G. , Frew Eric W.
Published: March 2023

Human supervision of multiple fielded robots is a challenging task which requires a thoughtful design and implementation of both the underlying infrastructure and the human interface. It also requires a skilled human able to manage the workload and understand when to trust the autonomy, or manually intervene. We present an end-to-end system for human-robot interaction with a heterogeneous team of robots in complex, communication-limited environments. The system includes the communication infrastructure, autonomy interaction, and human interface elements. Results of the DARPA Subterranean Challenge Final Systems Competition are presented as a case study of the design and analyze the shortcomings of the system.
Finite Element and Multibody Dynamics Analysis of a Ball Mill Glass Crusher
Authors: Rishmany Jihad , Imad Rodrigue
Published: March 2023

Recycling and sustainability constitute a major challenge to preserve human life quality and ensure a good standard of living for future generations. Like other recyclable waste products, glass waste can be a major problem if it is not recycled. When glass waste is turned into powder, environmental impacts are minimized by reducing or eliminating the dependency on landfills. Within this context, the objective of this work is to design a low-cost glass crusher machine that can be acquired by individuals. For this purpose, a glass crusher machine based on the ball mill concept is designed to transform glass waste into powder of 2 mm particle size. The main enhanced features of this machine with respect to state-of-the-art designs are the continuous feed aspect and the powder discharge technique. The design methodology consisted of mathematical modeling coupled with numerical simulations to ensure a safe and functioning design. This was achieved via different types of simulations using SolidWorks: static stress analysis, free vibration analysis, and motion study. Finally, a market study shows that a breakeven period is reached after a period of 5 months.
Defatted Black Soldier Fly Meal in Diet for Grow-Out Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata L. 1758): Effects on Growth Performance, Gill Cortisol Level, Digestive Enzyme Activities, and Intestinal Histological Structure
Authors: Gai Francesco , Cusimano Giovanni Marco , Maricchiolo Giulia , Caccamo Letteria , Caimi Christian , Macchi Elisabetta , Meola Martina , Perdichizzi Anna , Tartarisco Gennaro , Gasco Laura
Published: March 2023

A trial was performed to study the effects of a partially defatted Hermetia illucens (L. 1758) larvae meal (HIM) to replace a fish meal in the diet of an adult gilthead sea bream. The fish were fed for 120 days with diets containing HIM: 0% (CTRL), 25 (HI25), 50 (HI50), and 75% (HI75), corresponding to inclusion levels of 0, 9.2, 18.4, and 27.6%. A digestibility trial was carried out to evaluate the apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC). Growth performance, morphometric and biometric indexes, gill cortisol, status of gut mucosa, and the gut enzymes’ (alkaline proteases, lipase, and amylase) activity were evaluated. Morphometric and biometric indexes, digestibility, gill cortisol, and gut enzymes were not affected by the diet. Conversely, the 27.6% HI inclusion level worsened the specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio, and protein efficiency ratio. Histology showed no significant differences between CTRL and HI25 groups. Conversely, in many of HI50 and HI75 fish, anatomo-functional changes in the gut were observed. No statistical differences were found among diets for ADC of dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, and gross energy. The results showed that defatted HIM can be used as an alternative protein source up to 18.4% of the inclusion level without impacting the growth performance, gill cortisol, morphometric and biometric indexes, ADCs, and gut enzymes.
Examining the Design of Different Types of DM EMI Filters and Their Effect on EMI Noise and Control Characteristics for Cuk DC-DC Converter
Authors: Şehirli Erdal
Published: March 2023

In this paper, DM EMI filters including LC, LC with damping, and Pi and LCL filters are designed for DC-DC Cuk converter operated in BCM. Although, DM EMI is so important for any power converter, the effect of DM filter is not investigated in detail in literature with respect to control characteristics and DM noise reduction. The main contribution of this paper is comparisons of DM EMI filter topologies regarding control characteristics and EMI noise reduction which is not presented in the literature. Another contribution is to give a practical design methodology for EMI filter design avoiding complex mathematical procedures. Besides, the paper designs an LCL filter, popular for inverter applications, for Cuk converter that is not introduced in the literature. Examining the filter effect on the converter from the control point of view is a very complicated issue because a linearized model of the converter which is naturally nonlinear should be obtained. To do so, the converter’s small signal analysis must be derived. Therefore, for examining the effect of filters, a small signal analysis of the Cuk converter is made through an average state-space model. After that, transfer functions of each filter topology are obtained. Lastly, the entire transfer functions of the system using both the Cuk converter and each filter are acquired, separately. By using the transfer functions of overall systems, the effect of each filter topology is investigated by root locus and bode plots. Moreover, experimental verification of all filters is realized over a 15 W Cuk converter with a 25 kHz switching frequency. It is validated by applications that the LCL filter provides better control characteristics on the Cuk converter, the total inductor value is reduced by 30% and the total capacitor value is reduced by 25% compared to other filters. However, with respect to DM noise Pi and LC filters give better results.
Optimization for Metro Operation Scheme of Suburban Lines: A New Method for Dealing with the Imbalanced Passenger Flow
Authors: Ding Xiaobing , Shi Gan , Jin Jiangang , Yang Lixing , Liu Zhigang
Published: March 2023

The development of some central cities tends to be saturated, so some mega cities try to adopt the express and local mode of the metro. Suburban lines with imbalanced passenger flow between stations will lead to extremely crowded passenger flow in some stations, while scarce passenger flow in other stations. To balance the train’s carrying capacity with the imbalanced passenger flow, this study explores the collaborative optimization of train operation under the new mode of express and local. First, a time-stamped data cropping strategy based on fine-grained time zones as the grid index is developed, which is used to deeply explore the OD spatiotemporal representation of passenger flow correlation mapping mechanism based on multisource data; then, the calculation model of the proportion of trains matching with the OD temporal and spatial characteristics of suburban passenger flow are constructed, and an efficient solution algorithm is developed to solve the problem of interest. Finally, a set of numerical experiments with operation data from Shanghai Metro Line 16 are conducted to verify the performance and effectiveness of the proposed model and algorithm. The experimental results show that the proposed approach can effectively realize the collaborative optimization of passenger OD prediction, train proportion, stop scheme, and travel time, so as to provide decision-making support and method guidance for the optimization of metro organizations in megacities.
A Successful Living Donor Liver Transplantation Using Hepatic Iron Deposition Graft Suspected by Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Kurata Nobuhiko , Shizuku Masato , Jobara Kanta , Ishizu Yoji , Ishigami Masatoshi , Ogura Yasuhiro
Published: March 2023

Recently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been developed as a widely available and noninvasive method for detecting and evaluating hepatic iron overload. This case report presents a successful living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) in which the donor was suspected to have hepatic iron deposition by MRI evaluation. A preoperative donor liver biopsy and genetic examination were performed to exclude hereditary hemochromatosis and other chronic liver diseases. A liver biopsy showed an almost normal liver specimen with a slight deposition of iron in 2-3% of hepatocytes, and a genetic examination of hereditary hemochromatosis revealed no typical mutations in HFE, TFR2, HJV, HAMP, or SLC40A1. Despite the traumatic hemothorax complication caused by the liver biopsy, the liver transplant eligibility was confirmed. Two months after the hemothorax complication, an LDLT donor operation was performed. The donor was discharged from the hospital on postoperative day (POD) #17 with favorable liver function. The recipient’s posttransplant clinical course was generally favorable except for acute cellular rejection and biliary complications, and the recipient was discharged from the hospital on POD #87 with excellent graft function. A one-year follow-up liver biopsy of the recipient demonstrated almost normal liver with iron deposition in less than 1% of the hepatocytes, and no iron deposition was identified in the liver graft by MRI examination. Liver biopsy and genetic examination are effective methods to evaluate the eligibility of liver transplant donors with suspected hepatic iron deposition. The living donor with slight hepatic iron deposition, if hereditary hemochromatosis was ruled out, can donate partial liver safely.
Examining Guidelines and New Evidence in Oncology Nutrition: a Position Paper on Gaps and Opportunities in Multimodal Approaches to Improve Patient Care
Authors: Prado Carla M. , Laviano Alessandro , Gillis Chelsia , Sung Anthony D. , Gardner Maureen , Yalcin Suayib , Dixon Suzanne , Newman Shila M. , Bastasch Michael D. , Sauer Abby C. , Hegazi Refaat , Chasen Martin R.
Published: March 2023

Malnutrition, muscle loss, and cachexia are prevalent in cancer and remain key challenges in oncology today. These conditions are frequently underrecognized and undertreated and have devastating consequences for patients. Early nutrition screening/assessment and intervention are associated with improved patient outcomes. As a multifaceted disease, cancer requires multimodal care that integrates supportive interventions, specifically nutrition and exercise, to improve nutrient intake, muscle mass, physical functioning, quality of life, and treatment outcomes. An integrated team of healthcare providers that incorporates societies’ recommendations into clinical practice can help achieve the best possible outcomes. A multidisciplinary panel of experts in oncology, nutrition, exercise, and medicine participated in a 2-day virtual roundtable in October 2020 to discuss gaps and opportunities in oncology nutrition, alone and in combination with exercise, relative to current evidence and international societies’ recommendations. The panel recommended five principles to optimize clinical oncology practice: (1) position oncology nutrition at the center of multidisciplinary care; (2) partner with colleagues and administrators to integrate a nutrition care process into the multidisciplinary cancer care approach; (3) screen all patients for malnutrition risk at diagnosis and regularly throughout treatment; (4) combine exercise and nutrition interventions before (e.g., prehabilitation), during, and after treatment as oncology standard of care to optimize nutrition status and muscle mass; and (5) incorporate a patient-centered approach into multidisciplinary care.
Challenges Posed by the Banff Classification: Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Active T-Cell-Mediated Rejection
Authors: Yamamoto Izumi , Kawabe Mayuko , Hayashi Ayaka , Kobayashi Akimitsu , Yamamoto Hiroyasu , Yokoo Takashi
Published: March 2023

The three primary sites of acute T-cell-mediated rejection (TCMR) in transplanted kidneys are the tubular epithelial cells, interstitium, and the vascular endothelial cells. The pathology of acute lesions is characterized by inflammatory cell infiltration; the final diagnosis suggested by the Banff 2019 classification is guided by grading of tubulitis (the t score), interstitial inflammation (the i score), and endarteritis (the v score). Consistent major issues when using the Banff classification are the etiological classifications of interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (IFTA). From 2015 to 2019, technological advances (i.e., genetic analysis in paraffin sections) increased our understanding of IFTA status in patients with smoldering acute TCMR and the roles played by inflammatory cell infiltration (the i-IFTA score) and tubulitis (the t-IFTA score) in IFTA. These two scores were introduced when establishing the diagnostic criteria for chronic active TCMR. Despite the increase in complexity and the lack of a consensus treatment for chronic active TCMR, the Banff classification may evolve as new techniques (i.e., genetic analysis in paraffin sections and deep learning of renal pathology) are introduced. The Banff conference proceeded as follows. First, lesions were defined. Next, working groups were established to better understand the lesions and to derive better classification methods. Finally, the new Banff classification was developed. This approach will continue to evolve; the Banff classification will become a very useful diagnostic standard. This paper overviews the history of TCMR diagnosis using the Banff classification, and the clinical importance, treatment, and prospects for acute and chronic active TCMR.
Effect of Age and Sex on Gene Expression-Based Radiation Biodosimetry Using Mouse Peripheral Blood
Authors: Broustas Constantinos G. , Shuryak Igor , Duval Axel J. , Amundson Sally A.
Published: March 2023

Blood-based gene expression profiles that can reconstruct radiation exposure are being developed as a practical approach to radiation biodosimetry. However, age and sex could potentially limit the accuracy of the approach. In this study, we determined the impact of age on the peripheral blood cell gene expression profile of female mice exposed to radiation and identified differences and similarities with a previously obtained transcriptomic signature of male mice. Young (2 months) and old (24 months) female mice were irradiated with 4 Gy X-rays, total RNA was isolated from blood 24 hours later and subjected to whole-genome microarray analysis. Dose reconstruction analyses using a gene signature trained on gene expression data from irradiated young male mice showed accurate reconstruction of 0 or 4 Gy doses with root mean square error of ±0.75 Gy (R2 = 0.90) in young female mice. Although dose reconstruction for irradiated old female mice was less accurate than young female mice, the deviation from the actual radiation dose was not statistically significant. Pathway analysis of differentially expressed genes revealed that after irradiation, apoptosis-related functions were overrepresented, whereas functions related to quantities of various immune cell subtypes were underrepresented, among differentially expressed genes from young female mice, but not older animals. Furthermore, young mice significantly upregulated genes involved in phagocytosis, a process that eliminates apoptotic cells and preserves tissue homeostasis. Both functions were also overrepresented in young, but not old, male mice following 4 Gy X-irradiation. Lastly, functions associated with neutrophil activation that is essential for killing invading pathogens and regulating the inflammatory response were predicted to be uniquely enriched in young but not old female mice. This work supports the concept that peripheral blood gene expression profiles can be identified in mice that accurately predict physical radiation dose exposure irrespective of age and sex.
Platelets at the Vessel Wall in Non-Thrombotic Disease
Authors: Aggarwal Anu , Jennings Courtney L. , Manning Emily , Cameron Scott J.
Published: March 2023

Platelets are small, anucleate entities that bud from megakaryocytes in the bone marrow. Among circulating cells, platelets are the most abundant cell, traditionally involved in regulating the balance between thrombosis (the terminal event of platelet activation) and hemostasis (a protective response to tissue injury). Although platelets lack the precise cellular control offered by nucleate cells, they are in fact very dynamic cells, enriched in preformed RNA that allows them the capability of de novo protein synthesis which alters the platelet phenotype and responses in physiological and pathological events. Antiplatelet medications have significantly reduced the morbidity and mortality for patients afflicted with thrombotic diseases, including stroke and myocardial infarction. However, it has become apparent in the last few years that platelets play a critical role beyond thrombosis and hemostasis. For example, platelet-derived proteins by constitutive and regulated exocytosis can be found in the plasma and may educate distant tissue including blood vessels. First, platelets are enriched in inflammatory and anti-inflammatory molecules that may regulate vascular remodeling. Second, platelet-derived microparticles released into the circulation can be acquired by vascular endothelial cells through the process of endocytosis. Third, platelets are highly enriched in mitochondria that may contribute to the local reactive oxygen species pool and remodel phospholipids in the plasma membrane of blood vessels. Lastly, platelets are enriched in proteins and phosphoproteins which can be secreted independent of stimulation by surface receptor agonists in conditions of disturbed blood flow. This so-called biomechanical platelet activation occurs in regions of pathologically narrowed (atherosclerotic) or dilated (aneurysmal) vessels. Emerging evidence suggests platelets may regulate the process of angiogenesis and blood flow to tumors as well as education of distant organs for the purposes of allograft health following transplantation. This review will illustrate the potential of platelets to remodel blood vessels in various diseases with a focus on the aforementioned mechanisms.
Coreference Resolution through a seq2seq Transition-Based System
Authors: Bohnet Bernd , Alberti Chris , Collins Michael
Published: March 2023

Most recent coreference resolution systems use search algorithms over possible spans to identify mentions and resolve coreference. We instead present a coreference resolution system that uses a text-to-text (seq2seq) paradigm to predict mentions and links jointly. We implement the coreference system as a transition system and use multilingual T5 as an underlying language model. We obtain state-of-the-art accuracy on the CoNLL-2012 datasets with 83.3 F1-score for English (a 2.3 higher F1-score than previous work [Dobrovolskii, 2021]) using only CoNLL data for training, 68.5 F1-score for Arabic (+4.1 higher than previous work), and 74.3 F1-score for Chinese (+5.3). In addition we use the SemEval-2010 data sets for experiments in the zero-shot setting, a few-shot setting, and supervised setting using all available training data. We obtain substantially higher zero-shot F1-scores for 3 out of 4 languages than previous approaches and significantly exceed previous supervised state-of-the-art results for all five tested languages. We provide the code and models as open source.1
From the Universal Brotherhood to the Lodge of Soldiers
Authors: Hess Karolina Maria
Published: March 2023

The article analyses the idea of service in Theosophy, and the initiatives directly related to the theme in the Theosophical structures. The main focus are three organizations active in Poland: Theosophical Association of Service, League of Service (operating as the league of the Theosophical Order of Service), and the Order of the Brothers of Service, and their connections to the international initiatives. The analyses of archival sources show, on the one hand, how Polish Theosophists were influenced by local political and historical context of newly regained national independence, and on the other how leading Theosophists, especially George S. Arundale influenced the Polish discourse about national identity in the Theosophical context. It also shows how various ideas of service crystalized as military service during the Second World War and lead to establishing the Polish speaking lodge in London.
Investor-State Arbitration and Indigenous Rights
Authors: Kwan-Parsons Inigo
Published: March 2023

Investment treaties and investor-state dispute settlement (isds) have significantly affected indigenous rights, and led to legal developments regarding both the substantive rights in investments treaties (such as the inclusion of ‘carve out clauses’ intended to preserve the rights of indigenous peoples from foreign investors), and how tribunals deal with indigenous rights when adjudicating disputes. This article examines developments in this niche jurisprudence and discusses the implications thereof. It firstly considers the various rights of indigenous peoples seen to be at play in an international law context, and the various legal instruments in which some of those rights are reflected and derived from. Secondly, the article examines a selection of relevant investment treaties which have provisions affecting the rights of indigenous peoples that have been considered by tribunals. More recent investment treaties that have developed provisions which affect indigenous rights are also considered. Thirdly, this article examines how indigenous rights have been applied by tribunals in isds. Fourthly, it explores how indigenous rights may be further applied in isds and considers the practical application thereof. In doing so, it is argued that the development of isds jurisprudence in cases concerning indigenous rights, indicates an openness to considering, incorporating, and applying indigenous rights in isds.
الزواج في مجتمع بلاد الرافدين في ضوء النصوص المسمارية
Authors: الأنصاري داليا
Published: March 2023

Families in the Mesopotamian society are based on strong relations, such as marriage, which is accepted by traditions, customs and laws. Many marriage contracts were authenticated on muddy boards (tablets).

Marriage is a social, legislative and legal union between man and woman, its aim is to produce children, to establish a family and create social, economic relations that will have an effect on the future. The impact of these relations will affect many of the families that have a direct relationship between the husband and the wife.

The economic situations, the social status and the intellectual aspects of the Mesopotamian society have contributed to identifying the marriage system. Although there is no sufficient information about the first aspects of marriage in Mesopotamia, it may be affected by different phases which affect also primitive unions before they were civilized.

Through studying the legal items and analyzing the daily documents of marriage, it is revealed that its rules were developed and made complicated in Mesopotamia and they did not differ from the rules of marriage in the Eastern communities of our present time.

Marriage has specific rituals according to customs and traditions. Marriage rituals differ according to those prevalent in each community; depending on the environmental circumstances and the social and culture aspects of the community.

The agricultural communities are similar to the community of Mesopotamia; marriage in the rural community is a necessary demand up till now, aiming at bringing children to the world or motivating women to help men in their work, such as sowing the land.
Persianate Fiqh in Indonesia: Majmuʿih-yi Khani as a Rare Legal Manuscript in a Cosmopolitan Context
Authors: Daneshgar Majid
Published: March 2023

It is often said that the Shafiʿi school of law was the main source of the Malay-Indonesian Islamic legal tradition and codes during the last couple of centuries. However, one may wonder if further Islamic legal schools were welcomed in the archipelago and, if so, how and under what circumstances. On this subject, the author examines a rare, thick, fragile, and rare Persian manuscript. Copied in the seventeenth century, the manuscript in question is a work that was not only in the possession of Malay-speaking people. The manuscript clearly shows an attempt to translate it into local languages and to expand its jurisprudential clauses. Being a comprehensive source for the study and practice of Islamic law, it includes both Sunni and Shiʿi classical legal treatises, their Qurʾanic commentaries on “legal verses,” and relevant theological comments. This source has the potential to invite scholars to re-examine the context of seventeenth and eighteenth-century Southeast Asian manuscripts which used to be known as the turning point towards “Shariatization” by means of Arabo-Sunni legal and theological treatises, and to raise a more robust conjecture about the cosmopolitan nature of the Indonesian archipelago.
Entangled Impurities in Contemporary Sindh: Some Evidence from Law and Bureaucracy
Authors: Farrukhi Ghazal Asif
Published: March 2023

This article lays out a framework for conceptualizing how religious differences and hierarchical, hereditary inequality consolidate in contemporary Sindh. I argue that the terms Hindu, Dalit, and hari are often conflated due to their entangled trajectories. Addressing this conflation sheds light on how structural inequality and discrimination function in Sindh. The article begins by focusing on a government document that limits potential applicants for a sanitation job to “non-Muslims.” Next, it explores how the religious category of Hindu has become, over time, susceptible to ritual stigmas, social marginalization, caste oppression, and hierarchization. Last, it addresses a legal judgment that hinges on recognizing caste inequality but cannot say so. Analysis of the decision reveals how the entanglement of Hindu, Dalit, and hari legal categories produces certain citizen-subjects as perpetual legal minors requiring the state’s paternalistic protection. Throughout, the article illustrates how the production of multiple hierarchies in the social fabric of Sindh and Pakistan broadly operates through the deployment of caste stigma as a public secret.
بلاغة الأمل في قصيدة ”إرادة الحياة“ لأبي القاسم الشابّي (1909–1934)
Authors: Al Mabkhout (شكري المبخوت) Shokri
Published: March 2023

المستخلص

‫يحلّل المقال قصيدة ”إرادة الحياة“ لأبي القاسم الشابّي انطلاقًا من فرضيّة مفادها أنّ دلالة الأمل في هذه القصيدة لا تُدرَك إلّا داخل العالم الشعريّ الذي بناه الشابّي في مدوّنته، وهو عالم لا تناقُض فيه بين ”بلاغة الأمل“ و”بلاغة اليأس،“ فلكلتا البلاغتين عمق خياليّ وفكريّ غير الظاهر منه في هذه القصيدة أو تلك. وللوصول إلى تحديد مآتي الأمل في شعر الشابّي، يقارب المقال عالمه الشعريّ داخل إطارين نظريّين: أوّلهما ما تقترحه علينا نظريّة الاستعارة التصوّريّة لدى لايكوف (Lakoff ) وجونسن (Johnson)، ومن سار على نهجهما، من طرقٍ في بنْيَنَة النسيج اللغويّ-الاستعاريّ-التصوّريّ للأمل في القصيدة؛ وثانيهما ما نجده في نظريّة جلبار دوران (Gilbert Durand) من منطلقات وتصوّرات في شأن الأبنية الأنتروبولوجيّة للخيال، عسى أن نصل إلى تحديد الكون الخياليّ لدى الشابّي، وموقع موضوع الأمل فيه، وشبكة الصور والرموز التي تبنيه وتولّده شعريًّا. ويبيّن التحليل أنّ للبعد ”الثوريّ المتفائل“ في البيتين اللّذين اشتُهرا من قصيدة ”إرادة الحياة“ منابتَ أعمق تُستمدّ جذورها من الفضاء الاستعاريّ الخياليّ الذي يغذّي شعر الشابّي كلّه. ويصل عن طريق ذلك إلى صياغة أولى لما يمكن أن نسمّيه ”بلاغة الأمل“ (أو ”شعريّة الأمل“)، وهي بلاغة لا تكتفي بالظاهر اللغويّ للقول بل تحاول وصله بالأساس التصوّريّ-الخياليّ.‬
A Comparative Study of Emission Reduction Performance of Rare Earth Hydroxide Fuel Additives on Marine Diesel Engines
Authors: Junwu Guo , Leyang Guo
Published: March 2023

To deal with the environmental pollution caused by diesel engine exhaust gas, this paper calls for the use of fuel additives to improve the fuel quality or combustion quality to reduce the generation of harmful components in diesel engine exhaust gas. Based on the excellent REDOX capacity
of rare earth elements, rare earth hydroxide is adopted as fuel additive. Firstly, the rare earth hydroxide is prepared, the contributory factors are analyzed, and the properties are characterized. Then through the building diesel engine test platform, different concentrations of rare earth
hydroxide additives (60 mg/L, 80 mg/L and 100 mg/L) are respectively added to 0# diesel oil to make three kinds of oil samples, and the comparison test is conducted to compare with 0# diesel oil. The emission reduction ability of rare earth hydroxide additives is tested by measuring the content
of harmful components in diesel exhaust gas. The experimental results show that the emission reduction performance of lanthanum hydroxide is better than that of cerium hydroxide, the 80 mg/L is the optimal amount of lanthanum hydroxide additives, its maximum reduction of NOX,
CO and HC emissions is 29.3%, 40.0% and 45.7% respectively, and its maximum increment of PM emissions is 9.5%. Therefore, suitable additives can be selected according to actual needs of PM emission.
Exploring Application in Lung Cancer Treatment Evaluation via Construction of Exosomes/CTCs Isolation and Identification System and Determination of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α/FGFR
Authors: Liu Yong , Cao Chengsong , Li Qing , Jin Xin , Zhao Qingqing , Ning Bo
Published: March 2023

This study aims to realize efficient enrichment of lung cancer exosomes/CTCs and identified by immunofluorescence technique. The multi-site immunolipid magnetic ball were designed using CD63 (for exosomes) and EGFR (for CTCs). Patient’s peripheral blood sample patients with lung
cancer were collected (n = 42) before and after treatment with apatinib. The exosomes/CTCs it was it was isolated and identified by transmission electron microscopy, concentration, particle tracer, immunofluorescence check. In addition, the number and identification of CTCs in the included
samples were also tested. The results showed that the peripheral blood exosomes increased and the plasma extracellular vesicle concentration decreased significantly after lung cancer treatment. Through detecting genes in the exosomes, Studies have shown that protein expression levels HIF and
FGFR gene decreased after apatinib treatment. The decrease of exosomes level and the increase of recurrence after lung cancer may be helpful for tumor monitoring and evaluation of treatment effect. The EGFR-based CTC identification system has high detection ratio and good stability. This exosomal/CTC
isolation system is a promising integrated analysis tool and a potential non-invasive diagnostic platform.