bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Identification of CELSR3 and Other Potential Cell Surface Targets in Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancer
Authors: Van Emmenis Lucie , Ku Sheng-Yu , Gayvert Kaitlyn , Branch Jonathan R. , Brady Nicholas J. , Basu Subhasree , Russell Michael , Cyrta Joanna , Vosoughi Aram , Sailer Verena , Alnajar Hussein , Dardenne Etienne , Koumis Elena , Puca Loredana , Robinson Brian D. , Feldkamp Michael D. , Winkis Annmarie , Majewski Nathan , Rupnow Brent , Gottardis Marco M. , Elemento Olivier , Rubin Mark A. , Beltran Himisha , Rickman David S.
Published: July 2023

Although recent efforts have led to the development of highly effective androgen receptor (AR)-directed therapies for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer, a significant subset of patients will progress with resistant disease including AR-negative tumors that display neuroendocrine features [neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC)]. On the basis of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data from a clinical cohort of tissue from benign prostate, locally advanced prostate cancer, metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and NEPC, we developed a multi-step bioinformatics pipeline to identify NEPC-specific, overexpressed gene transcripts that encode cell surface proteins. This included the identification of known NEPC surface protein CEACAM5 as well as other potentially targetable proteins (e.g., HMMR and CESLR3). We further showed that cadherin EGF LAG seven-pass G-type receptor 3 (CELSR3) knockdown results in reduced NEPC tumor cell proliferation and migration in vitro. We provide in vivo data including laser capture microdissection followed by RNA-seq data supporting a causal role of CELSR3 in the development and/or maintenance of the phenotype associated with NEPC. Finally, we provide initial data that suggests CELSR3 is a target for T-cell redirection therapeutics. Further work is now needed to fully evaluate the utility of targeting CELSR3 with T-cell redirection or other similar therapeutics as a potential new strategy for patients with NEPC.

Significance:

The development of effective treatment for patients with NEPC remains an unmet clinical need. We have identified specific surface proteins, including CELSR3, that may serve as novel biomarkers or therapeutic targets for NEPC.
Exploring the Onset and Progression of Prostate Cancer through a Multicellular Agent-based Model
Authors: Passier Margot , van Genderen Maisa N.G. , Zaalberg Anniek , Kneppers Jeroen , Bekers Elise M. , Bergman Andries M. , Zwart Wilbert , Eduati Federica
Published: July 2023

Over 10% of men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. Arising from luminal cells of the prostatic acinus, prostate cancer is influenced by multiple cells in its microenvironment. To expand our knowledge and explore means to prevent and treat the disease, it is important to understand what drives the onset and early stages of prostate cancer. In this study, we developed an agent-based model of a prostatic acinus including its microenvironment, to allow for in silico studying of prostate cancer development.

The model was based on prior reports and in-house data of tumor cells cocultured with cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) and protumor and/or antitumor macrophages. Growth patterns depicted by the model were pathologically validated on hematoxylin and eosin slide images of human prostate cancer specimens. We identified that stochasticity of interactions between macrophages and tumor cells at early stages strongly affect tumor development. In addition, we discovered that more systematic deviations in tumor development result from a combinatorial effect of the probability of acquiring mutations and the tumor-promoting abilities of CAFs and macrophages. In silico modeled tumors were then compared with 494 patients with cancer with matching characteristics, showing strong association between predicted tumor load and patients’ clinical outcome. Our findings suggest that the likelihood of tumor formation depends on a combination of stochastic events and systematic characteristics. While stochasticity cannot be controlled, information on systematic effects may aid the development of prevention strategies tailored to the molecular characteristics of an individual patient.

Significance:

We developed a computational model to study which factors of the tumor microenvironment drive prostate cancer development, with potential to aid the development of new prevention strategies.
Dual Blockade of EP2 and EP4 Signaling is Required for Optimal Immune Activation and Antitumor Activity Against Prostaglandin-Expressing Tumors
Authors: Francica Brian J. , Holtz Anja , Lopez Justine , Freund David , Chen Austin , Wang Dingzhi , Powell David , Kipper Franciele , Panigrahy Dipak , Dubois Raymond N. , Whiting Chan C. , Prasit Peppi , Dubensky Thomas W.
Published: July 2023

While the role of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in promoting malignant progression is well established, how to optimally block the activity of PGE2 signaling remains to be demonstrated. Clinical trials with prostaglandin pathway targeted agents have shown activity but without sufficient significance or dose-limiting toxicities that have prevented approval. PGE2 signals through four receptors (EP1–4) to modulate tumor progression. EP2 and EP4 signaling exacerbates tumor pathology and is immunosuppressive through potentiating cAMP production. EP1 and EP3 signaling has the opposite effect through increasing IP3 and decreasing cAMP. Using available small-molecule antagonists of single EP receptors, the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor celecoxib, or a novel dual EP2/EP4 antagonist generated in this investigation, we tested which approach to block PGE2 signaling optimally restored immunologic activity in mouse and human immune cells and antitumor activity in syngeneic, spontaneous, and xenograft tumor models. We found that dual antagonism of EP2 and EP4 together significantly enhanced the activation of PGE2-suppressed mouse and human monocytes and CD8+ T cells in vitro as compared with single EP antagonists. CD8+ T-cell activation was dampened by single EP1 and EP3 antagonists. Dual EP2/EP4 PGE2 receptor antagonists increased tumor microenvironment lymphocyte infiltration and significantly reduced disease burden in multiple tumor models, including in the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC)min+/− spontaneous colorectal tumor model, compared with celecoxib. These results support a hypothesis that redundancy of EP2 and EP4 receptor signaling necessitates a therapeutic strategy of dual blockade of EP2 and EP4. Here we describe TPST-1495, a first-in-class orally available small-molecule dual EP2/EP4 antagonist.

Significance:

Prostaglandin (PGE2) drives tumor progression but the pathway has not been effectively drugged. We demonstrate significantly enhanced immunologic potency and antitumor activity through blockade of EP2 and EP4 PGE2 receptor signaling together with a single molecule.
Clinical and Pathophysiologic Insights of Free triiodothyronine/Free thyroxine Ratio in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: Data from the NETDiamond Cohort
Authors: Leite Ana Rita , Neves João Sérgio , Angélico-Gonçalves António , Vasques-Nóvoa Francisco , Saraiva Francisca A. , Pinho Inês Beatriz , Oliveira Ana Cristina , Borges-Canha Marta , von Hafe Madalena , Vale Catarina , Lourenço André P. , Macedo Filipe , Araújo José Paulo , von Hafe Pedro , Almeida Jorge , Ferreira João Pedro , Leite-Moreira Adelino
Published: July 2023

Background: Thyroid dysfunction is common in patients with heart failure (HF). Impaired conversion of free T4 (FT4) into free T3 (FT3) is thought to occur in these patients, decreasing the availability of FT3 and contributing to HF progression. In HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), it is not known whether changes in conversion of thyroid hormones (THs) are associated with clinical status and outcomes. Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of FT3/FT4 ratio and TH with clinical, analytical, and echocardiographic parameters, as well as their prognostic impact in individuals with stable HFpEF. Methods: We evaluated 74 HFpEF participants of the NETDiamond cohort without known thyroid disease. We performed regression modeling to study the associations of TH and FT3/FT4 ratio with clinical, anthropometric, analytical, and echocardiographic parameters, and survival analysis to evaluate associations with the composite of diuretic intensification, urgent HF visit, HF hospitalization, or cardiovascular death over a median follow-up of 2.8 years. Results: The mean age was 73.7 years and 62% were men. The mean FT3/FT4 ratio was 2.63 (standard deviation: 0.43). Subjects with lower FT3/FT4 ratio were more likely to be obese and have atrial fibrillation. Lower FT3/FT4 ratio was associated with higher body fat (β = −5.60 kg per FT3/FT4 unit, p = 0.034), higher pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP) (β = −10.26 mm Hg per FT3/FT4 unit, p = 0.002), and lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (β = 3.60% per FT3/FT4 unit, p = 0.008). Lower FT3/FT4 ratio was associated with higher risk for the composite HF outcome (HR = 2.50, 95% CI: 1.04–5.88, per 1-unit decrease in FT3/FT4, p = 0.041). Conclusions: In patients with HFpEF, lower FT3/FT4 ratio was associated with higher body fat, higher PASP, and lower LVEF. Lower FT3/FT4 predicted a higher risk of diuretic intensification, urgent HF visits, HF hospitalization, or cardiovascular death. These findings suggest that decreased FT4 to FT3 conversion might be a mechanism associated with HFpEF progression.
O compromisso político de Bertolt Brecht
Authors: Calló Beatriz
Published: July 2023

Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956), dramaturgo e diretor alemão, dedicou o conjunto de sua obra ao pensamento crítico e à exploração dos funcionamentos dos processos sociais. Seu compromisso com as questões políticas e culturais de sua época – como o avanço do nazifascismo, sua vida no exílio e as críticas ao capitalismo –, assim como a formulação teórica de uma nova forma de produção teatral que se contrapõe ao teatro burguês, hegemônico e mercadológico, encontram concretude em sua prática artística, realizada coletivamente no trabalho do Berliner Ensemble, grupo teatral criado por ele e Helene Weigel, em setembro de 1949. Foi seu envolvimento com as questões sociais que o levou a desenvolver um novo jeito de fazer teatro e a radicalizar e refuncionalizar o aparelho. A partir do diálogo com Adorno e Benjamin, o artigo debate a questão do engajamento brechtiano, à luz de aspectos de sua obra.
Rank-Aware Negative Training for Semi-Supervised Text Classification
Authors: Murtadha Ahmed , Pan Shengfeng , Bo Wen , Su Jianlin , Cao Xinxin , Zhang Wenze , Liu Yunfeng
Published: July 2023

Semi-supervised text classification-based paradigms (SSTC) typically employ the spirit of self-training. The key idea is to train a deep classifier on limited labeled texts and then iteratively predict the unlabeled texts as their pseudo-labels for further training. However, the performance is largely affected by the accuracy of pseudo-labels, which may not be significant in real-world scenarios. This paper presents a Rank-aware Negative Training (RNT) framework to address SSTC in learning with noisy label settings. To alleviate the noisy information, we adapt a reasoning with uncertainty-based approach to rank the unlabeled texts based on the evidential support received from the labeled texts. Moreover, we propose the use of negative training to train RNT based on the concept that “the input instance does not belong to the complementary label”. A complementary label is randomly selected from all labels except the label on-target. Intuitively, the probability of a true label serving as a complementary label is low and thus provides less noisy information during the training, resulting in better performance on the test data. Finally, we evaluate the proposed solution on various text classification benchmark datasets. Our extensive experiments show that it consistently overcomes the state-of-the-art alternatives in most scenarios and achieves competitive performance in the others. The code of RNT is publicly available on GitHub.
MENLI: Robust Evaluation Metrics from Natural Language Inference
Authors: Chen Yanran , Eger Steffen
Published: July 2023

Recently proposed BERT-based evaluation metrics for text generation perform well on standard benchmarks but are vulnerable to adversarial attacks, e.g., relating to information correctness. We argue that this stems (in part) from the fact that they are models of semantic similarity. In contrast, we develop evaluation metrics based on Natural Language Inference (NLI), which we deem a more appropriate modeling. We design a preference-based adversarial attack framework and show that our NLI based metrics are much more robust to the attacks than the recent BERT-based metrics. On standard benchmarks, our NLI based metrics outperform existing summarization metrics, but perform below SOTA MT metrics. However, when combining existing metrics with our NLI metrics, we obtain both higher adversarial robustness (15%–30%) and higher quality metrics as measured on standard benchmarks (+5% to 30%).
‘In fact’ on PTT Gossip
Authors: Liu Hui-Wen
Published: July 2023

This study used shell noun as the starting point to analyze language activities that used the word shì shí shàng ‘in fact’ by Internet users on PTT, to understand the truth event that this empty shell noun signifies; and to identify the characteristics of pragmatic practice in the texts screened by the shell noun. Through the PTT Tool, posts with more than 100 comments on the PTT Gossip board during the level 3 alert were first screened out, after which comments that used the word “in fact” were identified. A total of 867 comments contained the word “in fact”. Next, content analysis was applied to classify these comments according to their literal themes. The author discovered that the functional word “in fact” was a word used to provide multiple evidence and create words with ‘objective’ effects. When used to express dissenting opinions, “in fact” enables netizens to use it for shifting their tone, willingly abandoning the responsibility for the speech.
The Sound of Diaspora: The Evolution and Transformation of Indo-Caribbean Music
Authors: Khan Shazia , Sahoo Ajaya K.
Published: July 2023

Traditional North-Indian music has played a crucial role in creating a distinct identity for Indians in the Caribbean since the arrival of the first indentured migrants in 1838. The use of socio-cultural and political elements to connect with the homeland is one of the important features of Indo-Caribbean music. ‘Creolisation’ is indisputable in Caribbean music, which was a result of merging Indian music with local Caribbean music, giving rise to different styles of music, i.e., Baithak Gana, Chutney, and Chutney Soca. This article examines diasporic metamorphoses as a means to understanding how immigrants from India asserted their ethnic identity through such metrics of music. One of the important findings of this research shows that Indians in the Caribbean tried to keep Hindustani music alive despite constant changes taking place in the field as a result of globalisation.
What Impact? Communicating Severity Forecast Information through the Winter Storm Severity Index
Authors: Semmens Kathryn , Hogan Carr Rachel , Montz Burrell , Maxfield Keri
Published: July 2023

Communicating the threat of severe winter weather is not simply a matter of the number of inches of snow or degrees of cold; it also considers the potential impacts of the storm. The winter storm severity index (WSSI) is a graphical product from the National Weather Service that presents anticipated impacts from forecast winter weather for a range of winter conditions. To assess the utility of the WSSI and how an impact-based winter weather forecast product is interpreted and used to inform decision-making, a mixed-methods social science study was conducted by the Nurture Nature Center in coordination with the Weather Prediction Center. Through focus groups and surveys, testing in the Hydrometeorological Testbed, and iterations on design and category descriptions, several themes emerged about how professional stakeholders understand, interpret, and use this product for communicating about impending winter weather. There is perceived utility in the WSSI for situational awareness and as part of a package of other information to inform decision-making. However, there is variability in interpretations of impacts, resulting from differences in geography, community readiness, and experience, among other factors, which creates complications in communicating the forecast. Furthermore, many users seek quantities related to winter weather, suggesting that education about what impact-based products include and what data are shown is necessary. Understanding the factors that influence perspectives on impact levels and the variable needs for winter weather information across regions improves forecasters’ abilities to effectively communicate and provide critical information that helps end users prepare for severe winter weather.

Significance Statement

Effectively communicating severe winter weather is critical to supporting communities in being prepared for and mitigating weather-related losses and damages. The winter storm severity index focuses on impacts to provide awareness of impending winter weather, information that is useful but not always interpreted consistently, requiring an understanding of factors influencing perspectives on impact levels and user education.
Understanding Patterns and Trends in Income Mobility through Multiverse Analysis
Authors: Engzell Per , Mood Carina
Published: July 2023

Rising inequalities in rich countries have led to concerns that the economic ladder is getting harder to climb. Yet, research on trends in intergenerational income mobility finds conflicting results. To better understand this variation, we adopt a multiverse approach that estimates trends over 82,944 different definitions of income mobility, varying how and for whom income is measured. Our analysis draws on comprehensive register data for Swedish cohorts born 1958 to 1977 and their parents. We find that income mobility has declined, but for reasons neglected by previous research: improved gender equality in the labor market raises intergenerational persistence in women’s earnings and the household incomes of both men and women. Dominant theories that focus on childhood investments have blinded researchers to this development. Methodologically, we show how multiverse analysis can be used with abduction—inference to the best explanation—to improve theory-building in social science.
Standardizing Refuge: Pipelines and Pathways in the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program
Authors: Watson Jake
Published: July 2023

How do bureaucracies pattern durable inequalities? Predominant approaches emphasize the role of administrative categories, which prioritize certain populations for valued resources based on broader regimes of human worth. This article extends this body of work by examining how categorical inequalities become embedded within administrative infrastructures and institutional pathways. I develop this argument through a case study of the United States’ refugee resettlement program. Drawing together previously unseen government statistics, expert interviews, and documentary analysis, I show that U.S. resettlement is organized through administrative pipelines that create path dependent imbalances in the distribution of scarce resettlement spaces. Social and political logics of immigrant worthiness are important, yet a full understanding of these imbalances requires attention to the tendency of pipelines to become self-reproducing. I identify three factors that account for this tendency: calculative rationales, administrative reactivity, and structured visibility. This three-part conceptualization of pipelines can be applied to other institutional contexts to study the origins, dynamics, and durability of social inequalities. My findings also demonstrate the analytically autonomous role of policy administration in shaping ethnoracial imbalances in immigrant selection.
Renal Implications of Long-Term Systemic Bevacizumab for Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis
Authors: Robinson Cal H. , Hart-Matyas Michael , Morgenstern Daniel A. , Noone Damien , Campisi Paolo
Published: July 2023

Background:

Bevacizumab is a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor that is used off-label for select cases of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) that are severe, involve the distal airway or lung parenchyma, and refractory to other forms of adjuvant therapy. However, there is limited safety data for the use of bevacizumab in children and VEGF inhibitors are reported to have a range of adverse renal effects, including hypertension, proteinuria, and thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA).

Case-Diagnosis/Treatment:

This report describes a case of severe juvenile-onset RRP that had an exceptionally high operative burden that was refractory to several adjuvant treatment strategies (including intralesional cidofovir and subcutaneous pegylated interferon). Bevacizumab treatment resulted in a dramatic and sustained improvement in disease control over a 5-year period. However, after 3 years of treatment, the patient developed hypertension and proteinuria and was found to have evidence of a glomerular TMA on kidney biopsy. These complications were successfully managed with a reduction in bevacizumab frequency and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor initiation.

Conclusions:

Clinicians caring for children treated with VEGF inhibitors should be aware of the potential renal complications and their management.
Posttraumatic Growth as a Process Beginning Before Bereavement: New Perspectives on Theory Development
Authors: Kondo Megumi , Sakaguchi Yukihiro , Kihira Tomoki , Tamura Keiko
Published: July 2023

Calhoun and Tedeschi’s growth model focuses on cognitive processing after bereavement but it does not show the change in life narrative from beforehand. Our qualitative study aimed to clarify bereaved family growth and revealed new perspectives on posttraumatic growth (PTG), including that the PTG process involves a pre-bereavement experience and is not limited to positive psychological changes.

Based on the two new perspectives, a discussion of PTG theory reveals that bereaved families’ PTG can only be accurately captured if the pre-loss experience is included; thus, Calhoun and Tedeschi’s growth model, which only captures the post-loss process, is insufficient. Additionally, positive psychological changes are not the only type of growth. When considering growth, one must focus on the process, including the experience of the person realizing that it is “okay to be who they are.”
Aiming Movement After Stroke: Do Time-Since-Injury and Impairment Severity Influence Ipsilateral Performance?
Authors: de Andrade Flávia Priscila Paiva Vianna , de Freitas Sandra Maria Sbeghen Ferreira , Giangiardi Vivian Farahte , Banjai Renata Morales , Alouche Sandra Regina
Published: July 2023

In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated post-stroke ipsilesional (less affected) upper limb aiming movement in individuals whose strokes were either 2–5 months ( n = 16) or >6 months ( n = 17) prior to our testing; we also compared both stroke groups to a control group of healthy individuals ( n = 14). We evaluated the participants’ level of movement impairment in the contralateral upper limb from the site of the cerebrovascular lesion as an indicator of the severity of the participants’ impairment. Participants were asked to move a stylus on a tablet with their ipsilesional upper limb according to a visual stimulus seen on a monitor. Those who had experienced more recent strokes showed poorer movement planning and execution, regardless of their impairment level. Since the stroke occurred, the amount of time was significantly associated with the ipsilesional aiming movement, and improvement over time brought performance levels closer to that of healthy controls.
Women Are No Better Than Men: Gender and Memory for People’s Physical Features
Authors: McGrath Marianne P. , Horgan Terrence G.
Published: July 2023

Psychological essentialist beliefs about gender suggest that women outperform men at remembering what other people look like. Much of the research on gender and interpersonal memory supports this view. We explored which aspects of appearance women remember better than men. We hypothesized that women will outperform men only in memory for what other people are wearing. Participants watched a video of either a male or a female in ‘workout clothes,’ and were later given a memory survey. Results showed that women were no better than men at remembering the physical attributes of another person. Women’s memory advantage was limited to what another female was wearing. Self-socialization and appearance rigidity in childhood and their relation to gender essentialism are discussed.
La « sécularisation » des discours et des pratiques en contexte islamique : le cas du Parti pour la justice et le développement au Maroc
Authors: MUNTEANU Anca , SENIGUER Haoues
Published: July 2023

By putting in the Moroccan context the concept of ‘multiple secularities’, this paper digs the process of conceptualization of ‘secularization’ at the initiative of the Islamist leader, Saadeddine al-Othmani. The latter supported the acceptability of a secular principle adequate to religion, its symbols and their presence in the political and public space. Through the analysis of his writings as well as of other leaders’ discourses, this article follows the compromises between religious and secular revendications during the process of conceptualization inside the PJD-MUR. Using the theories of ‘secularization’ and ‘de-théologisation’, this study highlights the strategy of ‘rejection’ and ‘adaptation’ developed by the PJD. Rejecting the hypothesis of a linear secularization of Islamist ideology, it also examines the ongoing or incomplete structural mutations resulted from the ‘distinction’ ( tamiyyîz) between the party and the movement, as well as between the socio-political spheres.
A kinetic grid for fabric draping simulation
Authors: Tao Chen , Yu Wei , Cao Jingzhe , Hong Xinghua
Published: July 2023

In allusion to the hot issue of fabric simulation, this paper proposes a kinetic grid for reproducing the drape profile of fabric in three-dimensional space. In our model, the interaction inside fabric is built up through a constraint factor as well as an attenuation factor, and the contact between the flexible body of the fabric and the rigid plane is emulated with a touch-counteract mechanism. The forces on the particles in the grid, which are calculated with grid deformation, are then used to generate the additional displacement of the grid. Evolution of the grid is led by step-by-step iteration so that the draping kinetics of the virtual fabric can be achieved. When the draping process meets its steady state, the drape coefficient is worked out through identifying and quantifying the projection area of the grid. The unevenness of the ripples along the drape surface is characterized and manifested by emulating the mechanical anisotropy of the fabric through differentiated constraint factors. The evolution algorithm is improved and an optimized version that reduces calculation error using the third-order Taylor theorem is presented, by which a smoother curved surface for the drape can be produced. The convergence of the grid under different fineness values is explored to reveal the capacity of the model, and a reasonable grid scale has been identified. The computed drape is then compared to a real drape featuring different strengths in the warp and weft, and adjusted to meet the target drape coefficient, as well as drape unevenness considering the anisotropy index. The result shows they are properly matched. The virtual drape is also tested in additional scenes including square support with sharp corners, one-way overhanging and mixed. It has turned out to be a simple, rapid and precise model for fabric drape simulation and assessment.
Three-lead in vivo measurement method for determining the skin-electrode impedance of textile electrodes
Authors: Gunnarsson Emanuel , Seoane Fernando
Published: July 2023

The rise of interest in wearable sensing of bioelectrical signals conducted via smart textile systems over the past decades has resulted in many investigations on how to develop and evaluate such systems. All measurements of bioelectrical signals are done by way of electrodes. The most critical parameter for an electrode is the skin-electrode impedance. A common method for measuring skin-electrode impedance is the two-lead method, but it has limitations because it relies on assumptions of symmetries of the body impedance in different parts of the body as well as of the skin-electrode impedances. To address this, in this paper we present an easy-to-use and reliable three-lead in vivo method as a more accurate alternative. We aim to show that the in vivo three-lead method overcomes all such limitations. We aim at raising the awareness regarding the possibility to characterize textile electrodes using a correct, accurate and robust method rather than limited and sometimes inadequate and uninformative methods. The three-lead in vivo method eliminates the effect of body impedance as well as all other contact impedances during measurements. The method is direct and measures only the skin-electrode impedance. This method is suitable for characterization of skin-electrode interface of textile electrodes intended for both bioelectrical signals as well as for electrostimulation of the human body. We foresee that the utilization of the three-lead in vivo method has the potential to impact the further development of wearable sensing by enabling more accurate and reliable measurement of bioelectrical signals.
Honest to God in context
Authors: Grimley Matthew
Published: July 2023

This article explores the cultural and social context of Honest to God. It focuses on the media controversy about the book, and broader 1960s debates about permissiveness and secularization.
Two theological critics of Honest to God
Authors: Gill Robin
Published: July 2023

This article looks critically at the arguments of two of Bishop John Robinson’s Honest to God’s most formidable theological critics – Archbishop Michael Ramsey and Professor Eric Mascall.
Honestly, no God: Baby Boomers and the decline of Anglicanism
Authors: Day Abby
Published: July 2023

Anglican Baby Boomers left religion, typically after confirmation, and later raised their Millennial children to be non-religious. During recent research, many expressed views that resonated with Robinson’s themes – particularly that there is no old man in the sky, spirits are both here and there, and ethical relationality is preferred over religion.
Thermal insecurity: Violence of heat and cold in the urban climate refuge
Authors: Hamstead Zoé A
Published: July 2023

Often described as a silent killer or invisible threat, heat contributes to more fatalities than other types of climate change-exacerbated extreme weather, and the impacts are especially pronounced in racialised and segregated urban communities. In an era of climate urbanism, efforts to scientifically categorise heat and link heat to health impacts are helping to support early warning systems and urban investments in heat mitigation infrastructure, bolstering climate urbanism branding strategies. Meanwhile, relatively little research has examined lived experiences with heat-related dangers, and cold rarely features in climate health discourse even though it contributes to many more fatalities than heat. Here, I present household interviews on thermal lived experiences that inform a notion of thermal (in)security, asserting that heat and cold-related threats are forms of structural violence intertwined with housing, energy and related social determinants of health. Juxtaposing city-level climate refuge narratives with lived experiences on the ground, I find that residents’ thermal insecurities are linked to the interpersonal, contractual and bureaucratically-structured relationships that constrain adaptations to heat and cold. This research contributes to an emerging critical heat studies agenda, which aims to shift thermal discourse from its current meteorological orientation to instead centre people’s everyday adaptive thermal practices and struggles.
A systematic exploratory review investigating the relationship between working memory and emotion regulation: implications for working memory training
Authors: Papé Tarryn L , Maree David JF
Published: July 2023

Working memory training (WM-T), as an intervention strategy to improve emotion regulation (ER), has become popular in cognitive psychology. However, it poses many different challenges for researchers, and far-transfer effects on subsequent ER have been debated. This systematic exploratory review investigates how the WM-ER dyad is implicated in WM-T as an intervention strategy for improving ER. Systematic review protocols were followed for the selection of studies investigating the relationship between WM and ER, and WM-T to improve ER. An electronic database search following the PRISMA statement was conducted in which 15 studies were considered eligible. The studies were assessed for quality control using an adapted Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool for quantitative studies. Studies were analysed using the population, variables, and outcomes (PVO) strategy for systematic exploratory reviews. Five studies included psychological disorders and one study used brain imaging. From a neural perspective, the coupling of the prefrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex over the amygdala was involved in the WM-ER dyad. Although there was a lack of evidence of far-transfer effects of WM-T to improve ER, the mechanisms of reward-enhancing effects in WM-T, as well as dopamine release (involved in brain-reward circuitry), should be explored further. This will allow researchers to re-evaluate the direction that the investigation is taking. More concerningly, there is a need for quality control in WM-T studies due to several studies acking sufficient attention to ethical considerations standardisation. Future WM-T studies must ensure that research is founded on quality evidence.
Attitude control of quadrotor UAV based on integral backstepping active disturbance rejection control
Authors: Yu Susu , Fan Xuan , Qi Jingjing , Wan Luanfei , Liu Bingyou
Published: July 2023

For the attitude control system of a quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), an integral backstepping active disturbance rejection control strategy is proposed to solve the tracking and disturbance rejection problems in flight control. To solve the problem of buffeting near the origin of traditional nonlinear functions, this paper designs a function [Formula: see text] with better smoothness near the origin. Second, to improve the observation performance of the extended state observer and the anti-disturbance performance of the controller, an improved expanded state observer (IESO) based on error is designed according to the working principle of expanded state observer (ESO) and the tracking law of state variables. Then, to improve the tracking accuracy of the controller, the integral term is introduced into the backstepping method and uses the idea of recursion to design the nonlinear backstepping integral control law. Combining the disturbance estimation and compensation functions of active disturbance rejection control (ADRC), an integral backstepping active disturbance rejection control is designed and applied to the attitude angle control channel of quadrotor UAV. Finally, experimental results indicate that the designed control strategy can realize high-precision tracking of the attitude angle of a quadrotor UAV, achieve fast dynamic response, and improve the anti-interference.
Lightweight and intelligent model based on enhanced sparse filtering for rotating machine fault diagnosis
Authors: Ling Yunhan , Fu Dianyu , Jiang Peng , Sun Yong , Yuan Chao , Huang Dali , Lu Jingfeng , Lu Siliang
Published: July 2023

Rotating machine fault diagnosis plays a vital role in reducing maintenance costs and preventing accidents. Machine learning (ML) methods and Internet of things (IoT) technologies have been recently introduced into machine fault diagnosis and have generated inspiring results. An ML model with more trainable parameters can typically generate a higher fault diagnostic accuracy. However, the IoT nodes have limited computation and storage resources. How to design an ML model with high accuracy and computational efficiency is still a difficulty and challenge. This work develops an enhanced sparse filtering (ESF) method for mining and fusing the features of the machine signals for fault diagnosis. First, a dimension reduction algorithm is utilized for obtaining the principal components of the vibration signals that are hindered by noises. The distinct features of the principal components are then exploited by using sparse filtering (SF). To reduce the overfitting of the SF model, the L1/2 norm is applied to regularize the objective function. Finally, the obtained features are combined as the inputs of a softmax classifier for machine fault pattern recognition. The effectiveness, superiority, and robustness of the proposed ESF method are validated by the simulated signals and the practical bearing and motor fault signals compared with the other conventional methods. The lightweight and intelligent ESF algorithm is also deployed onto an edge computing node to realize online motor fault diagnosis. The designed model and the proposed method show great potential in highly accurate and efficient rotation machine fault diagnosis.
Reservoir characterization of the shallow to deep Longmaxi formation in the Weiyuan Block, southwestern Sichuan Basin
Authors: Hao Yuexiang , Li Yizhen , Zhang Qing , Jiang Wei , Liang Xusheng , Wang Benqiang , Lu Yanjun , Zhu Hongjian
Published: July 2023

Marine shale gas exploration targets are reaching into shallow to deep or ultradeep burial depths. Rock microstructure and reservoir quality emerge as the main risk considerations for a profitable reservoir at these large depths. Shallow to deep marine shales occur in the Silurian Longmaxi Formation of the Weiyuan Block, which is located on the southwestern margin of the Sichuan Basin. However, few details of the characteristics of the Longmaxi shales in this Block have been reported. In this study, five wells approximately 3500 m deep were drilled. Field emission scanning electron microscopy, low-pressure gas adsorption and core plug porosity-permeability measurements are conducted on 6 shallow (2651–2940 m) and 11 deep (3539–3575 m) Longmaxi samples to obtain the organic geochemical characteristics, mineral constitutions, pore structures and petrophysical properties, and they are the major controls on reservoir quality. The results show similar mineralogical and organic geochemical characteristics in all samples from the various depths. Both shallow and deep shales are mainly composed of quartz, carbonate and clays and have a total organic carbon (TOC) content more than 2 wt.% and a mean S1 + S2 value more than 52 mg/g. Source rock quality criteria using the TOC and S1 + S2 suggest most shale samples fall excellent source rocks. The samples are mostly siliceous rocks that contain organic pores, intraparticle dissolution pores, interparticle quartz pores and interparticle clay pores and they play a positive role in improving reservoir quality. Pore surface area and pore volume increase with increasing TOC, indicating that the porous organic fraction is a major control on pore structure and porosity. We suggested that siliceous deep Longmaxi formation in Weiyuan Block belongs to a high-quality shale with an average TOC value of 3.9 wt.% and well-developed pore networks, which should be the important target for deep shale gas exploration.
Energy analysis of a hybrid parabolic trough collector with a steam power plant in Jordan
Authors: Asfar Jamil Al , Alrbai Mohammad , Qudah Nezar
Published: July 2023

In this work, a hybrid system consisting of a parabolic trough collector and a steam power plant is proposed. The effect of utilizing the parabolic trough collector on improving the performance of the plant and reducing fuel consumption has been studied experimentally. This study was implemented on a lab scale hybrid energy system consisting of a parabolic trough collector unit incorporated into a biomass-oil shale fired steam power plant during startup conditions. To determine the performance of this lab-scale hybrid system, the efficiency of the parabolic trough collector standalone system has been measured and the flow rate of the system has been tuned to 0.31 L/min to obtain an efficiency of 10.2%. The biomass-oil shale fired power plant worked with superheated steam at 377 °C temperature and 0.6 MPa pressure. The thermal efficiency of the power plant was 12.6% with net output power of 6.3 kW without using the parabolic trough collector unit. It was found that the performance of the hybrid system has shown better efficiency than the standalone biomass fired power plant with the same fuel mixture ratio and steam flowrate. The fuel mixture consumed in the hybrid system decreased by 62.0% at starting up condition. This result may be extended to steady-state operating conditions by increasing the number of parabolic trough collector units utilized. Furthermore, the overall thermal efficiency of the hybrid parabolic trough collector power plant system may reach 33.3% during steady-state operation if 48 parabolic trough collector similar units were used. These parabolic trough collector units should be arranged in three parallel rows, each row of 16 units in series.
Modeling and characteristic analysis of viscous resistance in annulus gap of coalbed gas well drainage pump
Authors: Hu Hao , Zhang Fen-na , Jing Chuan-kai , Wang Bin , Zhang Ying-ying , Qi Yao-guang
Published: July 2023

The viscous resistance caused by the relative motion of plunger and pump barrel is an important factor in the dynamic analysis of the drainage and production mechanism during coalbed methane exploitation. Existing studies mostly focus on deep well (1000–3000 m) large-displacement pump (usually 80–300 m3/d), and the interstitial medium is mainly crude oil. Regression fitting is mainly carried out based on empirical formula or experimental simulation method, without considering the characteristics of shallower coalbed gas well (400–800 m) small-displacement pump (<10 m3/d). The variation of the clearance between plunger and barrel and the variation of viscous resistance between plunger and barrel are not revealed. Based on the Navier-Stokes equation and Newton's internal friction law, a mathematical model of the annular viscous resistance between the plunger and the pump barrel is established, and an analytical method is used to describe the influence of stroke times, annular clearance, and differential pressure between the upper and lower plungers on the viscous resistance. The results show that the plunger stroke is directly proportional to the variation range of viscous resistance, and low stroke is beneficial to reduce the viscous resistance. The effect of differential pressure between upper and lower plunger of rod pump on viscous resistance of small displacement coalbed gas well is significantly greater than that of plunger running speed. The annular clearance is directly proportional to the differential pressure between the upper and lower parts of the plunger, the inertia force of the plunger, and the shear force of the moving fluid. The annular viscous resistance model between plunger and pump barrel is helpful to improve the calculation accuracy of suspending point load of coalbed gas well pumping unit, analyze the working condition of coalbed gas drainage gas production process, and provide basis for the optimization design of coalbed gas well rod pump clearance.
A Systematic Review on the Effectiveness of Systems-Based Practice Curricula in Health Professions Education
Authors: Lim Raymond Boon Tar , Hoe Kenneth Wee Beng , Tan Claire Gek Ling , Zheng Huili
Published: July 2023

This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of systems-based practice (SBP) curricula from the perspective of health professions students and workers. A total of 8468 citations were sourced from six electronic databases and manual searches conducted independently by two researchers, of which 44 studies were eventually included. A meta-analysis using a random effects model and a meta-synthesis using the thematic synthesis approach were conducted. Most studies targeted medical students, residents, and resident physicians from various clinical specialties. Almost half of all studies focused on didactic or knowledge-based interventions to teach SBP. About a third of all studies measured non-self-evaluated knowledge change, clinical abilities, and clinical outcomes. Both meta-analysis and meta-synthesis results revealed positive outcomes of increased knowledge of SBP, increased recognition of SBP as a core competency in one’s profession, and increased application of SBP knowledge in one’s profession. Meta-synthesis results also revealed negative outcomes at the institutional and teacher/health professions level. This review highlights the importance of SBP education and supports the effectiveness of SBP curricula. There is a need to address the negative outcomes at the institutional and teacher/health professions level. Moreover, future studies could investigate the integration of self-assessment outcomes with comparison to some external standard.
Neurofilament Light Chain: A Translational Safety Biomarker for Drug-Induced Peripheral Neurotoxicity
Authors: Theil Diethilde , Kuhle Jens , Brees Dominique , Tritto Elaine , Pognan François , Frieauff Wilfried , Penraat Kelley , Meseck Emily , Valdez Reginald , Hartmann Andreas
Published: July 2023

Branaplam is a splicing modulator previously under development as a therapeutic agent for Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1 and Huntington’s disease. Branaplam increased the levels of survival motor neuron protein in preclinical studies and was well tolerated in early clinical studies; however, peripheral neurotoxicity was observed in a preclinical safety study in juvenile dogs. The aim of this study was to determine whether serum neurofilament light chain (NfL) concentrations in dogs could serve as a monitoring biomarker for branaplam-induced peripheral neurotoxicity. A 30-week time-course investigative study in dogs treated with vehicle control (negative control), neurotoxic pyridoxine (positive control), or branaplam was conducted to assess neuropathology, nerve morphometry, electrophysiological measurements, gene expression profiles, and correlation to NfL serum concentrations. In branaplam-treated animals, a mild to moderate nerve fiber degeneration was observed in peripheral nerves correlating with increased serum NfL concentrations, but there were no observed signs or changes in electrophysiological parameters. Dogs with pyridoxine-induced peripheral axonal degeneration displayed clinical signs and electrophysiological changes in addition to elevated serum NfL. This study suggests that NfL may be useful as an exploratory biomarker to assist in detecting and monitoring treatment-related peripheral nerve injury, with or without clinical signs, associated with administration of branaplam and other compounds bearing a neurotoxic risk.
Novel operative technique for Scimitar syndrome: Posterior flap technique
Authors: Maeda Toshi , Yoshizawa Kosuke , Mori Otohime , Sakazaki Hisanori , Ikeda Tadashi
Published: July 2023

Various surgical techniques have been reported for Scimitar syndrome, because of the heterogenous anatomy of the disease. We developed a novel surgical method to repair Scimitar syndrome, in which, a new pulmonary venous route is constructed behind the inferior vena cava using autologous flaps of the inferior vena cava and the interatrial septum. An adult case of Scimitar syndrome was repaired by this method with good results.