bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design methodology for mass personalisation enabled by digital manufacturing
Authors: Ozdemir Mehmet , Verlinden Jouke , Cascini Gaetano
Published: February 2022

Mass Personalisation (MP) is becoming more significant to answer diversifying customer needs, as a result of the advancements in digital manufacturing. In contrary to the modular design in mass customisation, Design for MP (DfMP) proposes more profound changes in product and active user involvement in the design process, while maintaining mass efficiency. Traditional product development methodologies fall short in guiding MP, as it has the distinct differences with product variability and the customer involvement with specific needs. In this study, a dedicated design methodology for MP is presented, focussing on these key dimensions. The proposed methodology guides the designer through the development process of a user modifiable design and demonstrates how to facilitate the user involvement in reaching a personalised design. It proposes a flexible and adaptable seed design architecture, and an interactive customer co-creation process. The development of a seed design, construction of its design space, and management of the solution space with a design solution algorithm are elaborated. The application of the methodology was illustrated on the personalisation of knitted footwear, and 3D printed saxophone mouthpiece. The examples show the potential of the methodology to deal with coupled MP cases. A systematic approach to DfMP will allow expanding MP to more products, and acts as a foundation for the customer co-creation oriented design in the context of this emerging paradigm.
Does endoscopic balloon dilatation improve intranasal drug delivery to the olfactory cleft? A pre-clinical cadaver feasibility study
Authors: Milk D Gershnabel , Khong G C , Çam O H , Fernando A , Tierney C , Kassem F , Leong S C
Published: February 2022

Background

Although systemic steroids have been shown to improve olfactory function, topical steroids have not demonstrated the same efficacy. This could a result of limited drug delivery to the narrow, superiorly placed olfactory cleft. This study aimed to examine the penetration of intranasal drugs to the olfactory cleft following endonasal balloon dilatation.

Methods

Balloon dilatation was performed in 12 thawed, fresh-frozen cadaver specimens. In the Mygind position, nasal drops mixed with blue food dye were administered into the nostril before and after the dilatation procedure. Endoscopic videos were recorded to assess dye staining of the olfactory cleft and osteo-meatal complex using a 4-point Likert scale.

Results

Prior to balloon dilatation, the mean penetration of nasal drops into the olfactory cleft was 1.34, which improved significantly (p < 0.05) to 2.66 following the procedure. There was no change in dye penetration into the osteo-meatal complex after balloon dilatation.

Conclusion

The results of this exploratory study suggest that balloon dilatation may improve the delivery of nasal drops to the olfactory cleft area. The clinical applicability and impact on olfactory function will require further assessment.
The Impacts of Benefit Sanctions: A Scoping Review of the Quantitative Research Evidence
Authors: PATTARO SERENA , BAILEY NICK , WILLIAMS EVAN , GIBSON MARCIA , WELLS VALERIE , TRANMER MARK , DIBBEN CHRIS
Published: February 2022

In recent decades, the use of conditionality backed by benefit sanctions for those claiming unemployment and related benefits has become widespread in the social security systems of high-income countries. Critics argue that sanctions may be ineffective in bringing people back to employment or indeed harmful in a range of ways. Existing reviews largely assess the labour market impacts of sanctions but our understanding of the wider impacts is more limited. We report results from a scoping review of the international quantitative research evidence on both labour market and wider impacts of benefit sanctions. Following systematic search and screening, we extract data for 94 studies reporting on 253 outcome measures. We provide a narrative summary, paying attention to the ability of the studies to support causal inference. Despite variation in the evidence base and study designs, we found that labour market studies, covering two thirds of our sample, consistently reported positive impacts for employment but negative impacts for job quality and stability in the longer term, along with increased transitions to non-employment or economic inactivity. Although largely relying on non-experimental designs, wider-outcome studies reported significant associations with increased material hardship and health problems. There was also some evidence that sanctions were associated with increased child maltreatment and poorer child well-being. Lastly, the review highlights the generally poor quality of the evidence base in this area, with few studies employing research methods designed to identify the causal impact of sanctions, especially in relation to wider impacts.
Real-time multitask multihuman–robot interaction based on context awareness
Authors: Yu Xinyi , Xu Chengjun , Zhang Xin , Ou Linlin
Published: February 2022

This study presents a novel context awareness multihuman–robot interaction (MHRI) system that allows multiple operators to interact with a robot. In the system, a monocular multihuman 3D pose estimator is first developed with the convolutional neural network. The estimator first regresses a set of 2D joints representations of body parts and then restores the 3D joints positions based on these 2D representations. Further, the 3D joints are assigned to the corresponding individual with a priority–redundancy association algorithm. The whole 3D pose of each person is reconstructed in real time, even in crowded scenes containing both self-occlusion of the body and inter-person occlusion. Then, the identities of multiple persons are recognized with action context and 3D skeleton tracking to improve interactive efficiency. For context-awareness multitask interaction, the robot control strategy is designed based on target goal generation and correction. The generated goal is taken as a reference to the model predictive controller (MPC) to generate motion trajectory. Different interactive requirements are adapted by adjusting the weight parameters of the energy function of the MPC controller. Multihuman–robot interactive experiments, including dynamic obstacle avoidance (human–robot safety) and cooperative handling, demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the MHRI, and the safety and collaborative efficiency of the system are evaluated with HRI metrics.
The incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury resulting in vocal cord paralysis following interventional congenital catheterisation procedures
Authors: Shahrier Aniqa Z. , Chinchilli Vernon M. , Qureshi Athar M. , Prieto Lourdes R. , Levi Daniel S. , Boe Brian A. , Turner Daniel R. , Rubio Agustin E. , Trucco Sara M. , Devanagondi Rajiv , Law Mark A. , Bass John L. , Pihkala Jaana I. , Weber Howard S.
Published: February 2022

Background:

Recurrent laryngeal nerve injury leading to vocal cord paralysis is a known complication of cardiothoracic surgery. Its occurrence during interventional catheterisation procedures has been documented in case reports, but there have been no studies to determine an incidence.

Objective:

To establish the incidence of left recurrent laryngeal nerve injury leading to vocal cord paralysis after left pulmonary artery stenting, patent ductus arteriosus device closure and the combination of the procedures either consecutively or simultaneously.

Methods:

Members of the Congenital Cardiovascular Interventional Study Consortium were asked to perform a retrospective analysis to identify cases of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury after the aforementioned procedures. Twelve institutions participated in the analysis. They also contributed the total number of each procedure performed at their respective institutions for statistical purposes.

Results:

Of the 1337 patients who underwent left pulmonary artery stent placement, six patients (0.45%) had confirmed vocal cord paralysis. 4001 patients underwent patent ductus arteriosus device closure, and two patients (0.05%) developed left vocal cord paralysis. Patients who underwent both left pulmonary artery stent placement and patent ductus arteriosus device closure had the highest incidence of vocal cord paralysis which occurred in 4 of the 26 patients (15.4%). Overall, 92% of affected patients in our study population had resolution of symptoms.

Conclusion:

Recurrent laryngeal nerve injury is a rare complication of left pulmonary artery stent placement or patent ductus arteriosus device closure. However, the incidence is highest in patients undergoing both procedures either consecutively or simultaneously. Additional research is necessary to determine contributing factors that might reduce the risk of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury.
Ear Talk Project: Participatory co-composition on YouTube and the Web
Authors: Tsuruoka Toshihisa , Ellis Brian , Chang Leo
Published: February 2022

In this article, we present Ear Talk – a co-composition and live performance project that enables remote music collaboration through technologically mediated systems. The Ear Talk project currently exists in two distinct implementations, one that repurposes YouTube’s live-streaming technology, and one that utilises a stand-alone website. Although Ear Talk was conceived prior to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the necessity for remote collaboration became more apparent during the lockdown, when a vast majority of live events and music concerts were cancelled. The Ear Talk project enables a socially distanced form of online musical collaboration and offers a platform through which to respond to such a crisis, and has grown to be adopted and presented by many different performing groups across the world. In addition to describing the technical implementations of these two systems, we discuss issues that arise from our participatory practice: from musical quality concerns in regard to social aesthetics and artistic ingenuity, to accessibility concerns when designing technologically mediated collaborative systems. Ear Talk embraces continuous musical loops as well as highly asynchronous (i.e., perpetual) collaborative paradigms among remote participants, which raises a conceptual inquiry as to which part of its sonic and social experience constitutes music in the end. Finally, we evaluate performer–audience relationships (i.e., hierarchical versus horizontal interactions) and the efficacy of the Ear Talk systems at enabling socially engaged co-composition.
Nutritional status of school-age children and adolescents in low- and middle-income countries across seven global regions: a synthesis of scoping reviews
Authors: Wrottesley Stephanie V , Mates Emily , Brennan Eilise , Bijalwan Vasundhara , Menezes Rachael , Ray Stephanie , Ali Zakari , Yarparvar Amirhossein , Sharma Deepika , Lelijveld Natasha
Published: February 2022

Objective:

To summarise available evidence on the nutritional status of school-age children and adolescents (5–19 years) from seven global regions and on interventions implemented to improve malnutrition in this population.

Setting:

Global.

Design:

Findings were compiled from seven scoping literature reviews, including data from low- and middle-income countries within the following UNICEF-defined global regions: East Asia and Pacific; Europe and Central Asia; South Asia; West and Central Africa; Eastern and Southern Africa; Middle East and North Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Results:

A double burden of malnutrition was evident across the world regions reviewed: stunting, thinness, anaemia and other micronutrient deficiencies persisted, alongside rising overweight and obesity prevalence. Transitions towards diets increasingly high in energy-dense, processed and micronutrient-poor foods were observed. Evidence from intervention studies was limited, but suggested that providing multiple micronutrient-fortified foods or beverages at school may effectively target micronutrient deficiencies and facilitate weight gain in undernourished populations. Interventions to prevent or manage overweight and obesity were even more limited. There was minimal evidence of using novel technological approaches to engage school-age children and adolescents, or of involving them in designing interventions.

Conclusion:

The limited data available on nutrition of school-age children and adolescents are neither standardised nor comparable. Consensus on methods for assessing nutritional status and its determinants for this age group is urgently needed to set targets and monitor progress. Additionally, strategies are required to ensure that nutritious, safe and sustainable diets are available, affordable and appealing.
Chabanon, the Listening Self and the Prosopopoeia of Aesthetic Experience
Authors: Kovaciny Stephen M.
Published: February 2022

Michel-Paul Guy de Chabanon (1730–1792), an aesthetician and partisan of Jean-Philippe Rameau's harmonic theories, is most often remembered for his rejection of musical mimesis and for his separation of music and language. In doing so, he advanced one of the first – if not the first – aesthetic theories of musical autonomy. Yet despite this achievement, little has been written about how or why he came to this conclusion. This article provides a long-overdue reconstruction of Chabanon's claims for autonomy while simultaneously resituating him in eighteenth-century musical discourse. Through a sylleptic reading of his writings and the intertexts that underpin them, I show that Chabanon was an insightful critic of the French Enlightenment's aesthetic project. I accomplish this by reconstructing his argument about music's ability to provoke aesthetic experiences within listeners. As I contend, Chabanon's own encounter with this question articulates an aesthetic theory based upon music's materiality, grounded at once through the science of acoustics, novel theories of sensory experience and the musical theories that they engendered. Using his documented experience of Rameau's Pigmalion (1748) as a point of departure, I argue that Chabanon's transformation of musical aesthetics into an autonomous discipline helps to turn the early-modern subject into the modern listening self.
Otherwise than quantum
Authors: Prozorov Sergei
Published: February 2022

The paper focuses on two problems with Alexander Wendt's unification of physical and social ontology on the basis of quantum theory. Firstly, by endowing social phenomena with an ontological foundation in physical reality defined in quantum terms Wendt risks reducing a plurality of worlds as ‘fields of sense’, ordered by their immanent rules, to the physical world ordered by the laws of quantum theory. Secondly, by defining his quantum social science as an ontology Wendt risks excluding from consideration all that which violates ontological laws, yet may still be said to exist or take place: event, potentiality, and alterity. Although the advantages of a scientific ontology are indisputable, the price we pay for it is a sense of ontological captivity, whereby everything that is definitely is so, being and non-being rigorously distinguished and separated with nothing between them. This captivity may be escaped by supplementing quantum ontology with ethics in the Levinasian sense of ‘otherwise than being’.
The quality of mental health care delivered to patients with schizophrenia and related disorders in the Italian mental health system. The QUADIM project: a multi-regional Italian investigation based on healthcare utilisation databases
Authors: Lora Antonio , Monzio Compagnoni Matteo , Allevi Liliana , Barbato Angelo , Carle Flavia , D'avanzo Barbara , Di Fiandra Teresa , Ferrara Lucia , Gaddini Andrea , Leogrande Melania , Saponaro Alessio , Scondotto Salvatore , Tozzi Valeria D. , Carbone Simona , Corrao Giovanni
Published: February 2022

Aims

To evaluate the quality of mental health care delivered to patients with schizophrenia and related disorders taken-in-care by mental health services in four Italian regions (Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, Sicily).

Methods

Thirty-one clinical indicators concerning accessibility, appropriateness, continuity and safety were defined and estimated using healthcare utilisation (HCU) databases, containing data on mental health treatments, hospital admissions, outpatient interventions, lab tests and drug prescriptions.

Results

A total of 70 586 prevalent patients with schizophrenia and related disorders treated in 2015 were identified, of whom 1752 were newly taken-in-care by the facilities of regional mental health services. For most patients community care was accessible and moderately intensive. However, care pathways were not implemented based on a structured assessment and only half of the patients received psychosocial treatments. One patient out of ten had access to psychological interventions and psychoeducation. Activities specifically addressed to families involved a third of prevalent patients and less than half of new patients. One patient out of six was admitted to a community residential facility, and one out of ten to a General Hospital Psychiatric Ward (GHPW); higher values were identified in new cases. In general hospitals, few patients had a length of stay (LoS) of more than 30 days, while one-fifth of the admissions were followed by readmission within 30 days of discharge. For two-thirds of patients, continuity of community care was met, and six times out of ten a discharge from a GHPW was followed by an outpatient contact within 2 weeks. For cases newly taken-in-care, the continuity of community care was uncommon, while the readiness of outpatient contacts after discharge was slightly more frequent. Most of the patients received antipsychotic medication, but their adherence to long-term treatment was low. Antipsychotic polytherapy was frequent and the control of metabolic side effects was poor. The variability between regions was high and consistent in all the quality domains.

Conclusions

The Italian mental health system could be improved by increasing the accessibility to psychosocial interventions, improving the quality of care for newly taken-in-care patients, focusing on somatic health and mortality, and reducing regional variability. Clinical indicators demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of the mental health system in these regions, and, as HCU databases, they could be useful tools in the routine assessment of mental healthcare quality at regional and national levels.
Cross-resistance to photosystem II inhibitors observed in target site–resistant but not in non–target site resistant common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)
Authors: Laforest Martin , Simard Marie-Josée , Meloche Sydney , Maheux Lydia , Tardif François , Page Eric
Published: February 2022

The full spectrum of herbicide resistance in a weed can vary according to the mechanistic basis and cannot be implied from the selective pressure. Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) is an important weed species of horticultural crops that has developed resistance to linuron based on either target site– or non–target site resistance mechanisms. The objective of the study is to characterize the cross-resistance to metribuzin of linuron-selected biotypes of A. artemisiifolia with target site– and non–target site resistance and determine its genetic basis. Crosses were made between two types of linuron-resistant biotype and a linuron-susceptible biotype, and the progeny were further backcrossed with susceptible plants to the third backcross (BC3) generation to determine their responses to both herbicides compared with parental lines. The target site–based linuron-resistant biotype was cross-resistant to metribuzin, and resistance to both herbicides was maintained at the same level in the BC3 line. In contrast, the linuron-selected biotype with a non–target site resistance mechanism was not cross-resistant to metribuzin. In addition, the BC3 lines deriving from the non–target site resistant parents had very low-level resistance. While the target site–resistance trait is maintained through multiple crosses, non–target site based resistance would be lost over time when selection is absent or insufficient to retain all genes involved in resistance as a complex trait. This would imply A. artemisiifolia biotypes with different mechanisms would need to be managed differently over time.
A nonnative Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) population in the Republic of South Africa is resistant to herbicides with different sites of action
Authors: Reinhardt Carl , Vorster Juan , Küpper Anita , Peter Falco , Simelane Adelaide , Friis Stephanus , Magson Jacques , Aradhya Chandrashekar
Published: February 2022

Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeriS. Watson) is not native to Africa. Based on the presence and persistence ofA. palmeripopulations, its invasive status in southern Africa is classified as “naturalized.” Globally,A. palmeriis one of the most troublesome weed species in several crops, including soybean [Glycine max(L.) Merr.], maize (Zea maysL.), and cotton (Gossypium hirsutumL.). Certain populations ofA. palmeriin various countries were reported to be resistant to herbicides with different sites of action (SOAs). Two biotypes ofA. palmeriin the United States reportedly each have resistance to herbicides representing five different SOAs, and between them a total of eight different SOAs are involved. Resistance mechanisms in these biotypes involve target-site and/or non–target site resistance. Here we characterize a specificA. palmeripopulation that was found in the Douglas district in South Africa and showed resistance to various herbicide SOAs. Initially, thisA. palmeripopulation was discovered in a glyphosate-tolerant cotton field, where it survived glyphosate treatment. Subsequently, greenhouse experiments were conducted to characterize thisA. palmeripopulation for potential resistance to herbicides of additional SOAs, and molecular analyses were conducted to reveal the mechanisms of herbicide resistance. Results indicated resistance to chlorimuron-ethyl and glyphosate in this population, while <90% control (decreased sensitivity) was observed at the label rate for mesotrione, atrazine, saflufenacil, andS-metolachlor. However, glufosinate, tembotrione, acifluorfen, dicamba, 2,4-D, metribuzin, acetochlor, isoxaflutole, diflufenican, and pyroxasulfone were effective at controlling this population. This profiling of herbicide sensitivity has allowed development of programs to control and potentially minimize the spread of this weed. In addition, molecular analysis ofEPSPSrevealed the role of higher copy number as a mechanism for glyphosate resistance in this population and a Ser-653-Asn target-site mutation likely conferring resistance to the acetolactate synthase–inhibitor chlorimuron-ethyl. No known target-site mutations were identified for the protoporphyrinogen oxidase–inhibitor group.
Qualität entwickeln mit und durch Bewegung in Kitas
Authors: Popp Verena , Gediga Günther , Ungerer-Röhrich Ulrike
Published: February 2022

Zusammenfassung. Im Projekt QueB 1 – Qualität entwickeln mit und durch Bewegung in Kitas – wurde untersucht, inwieweit Kitas unterstützt werden können, ihre Organisation so zu entwickeln, dass sowohl die Kinder als auch die pädagogischen Fachkräfte ihre Handlungsmöglichkeiten für einen aktiven Lebensstil nachhaltig erweitern. Die Kitas folgten einem 10-Schritte-Programm, das sich am Public Health Action Circle orientierte und von Coaches begleitet wurde. Verschiedene Methoden wie eine Kita-Check-App, eine Bewegungstagebuch-App und Schrittzähler wurden eingesetzt. Getestet wurde das Vorgehen in einer einjährigen Studie in zwei Regionen in Bayern mit Wartegruppe, prä-post-Design und mixed-methods Ansatz. Die Ergebnisse zeigen u.a. positive Veränderungen in den Bewegungsaktivitäten. Kinder machten rund 10% mehr Schritte und reduzierten ihre Sitzzeiten. Pädagogische Fachkräfte steigerten ihre Aktivität sogar um fast 15%. In der Kita wurden nicht nur die vorhandenen Möglichkeiten sich zu bewegen mehr genutzt, es wurden auch neue Bewegungsgelegenheiten geschaffen. Analysen der Ziele, die die Kitas individuell formulierten, zeigten vielfältiges Potential für die Kita-Entwicklung.
Elterliche Einschätzung früher mathematischer Kompetenzen
Authors: Tabeling Laura , Gasteiger Hedwig , Aumann Lena , Puca Rosa M.
Published: February 2022

Zusammenfassung. Frühe mathematische Kompetenzen entwickeln sich u.a. in der Auseinandersetzung mit Fragestellungen, die sich im Alltag ergeben. Dabei begleiten Eltern als primäre Bezugspersonen den Großteil der frühen mathematischen Entwicklung. Bedeutend ist dabei die Fähigkeit von Eltern, mathematische Kompetenzen ihrer Kinder einschätzen zu können. Auf dieser Basis können sie mit ihren Kindern adäquat interagieren und mathematische Lerngelegenheiten ermöglichen. Ziel dieser Studie ist es, zu untersuchen, wie genau Eltern die frühen mathematischen Kompetenzen ihrer Kinder einschätzen und wovon die Genauigkeit der Einschätzung abhängt. Dazu wurden Daten von 131 Kindern im Alter von 4 bis 6 Jahren und ihren Eltern erhoben und analysiert. Es zeigte sich eine mittlere bis gute Genauigkeit in der elterlichen Einschätzung. Neben der tatsächlichen Leistung des Kindes nahmen der sozioökonomische Status (SES) der Familie und das Geschlecht des Kindes Einfluss auf die elterliche Einschätzungsgenauigkeit. Aus den Ergebnissen ergeben sich bedeutende Implikationen für die pädagogische Praxis.
Flood Extent Mapping During Hurricane Florence With Repeat‐Pass L‐Band UAVSAR Images
Authors: Wang Chao , Pavelsky Tamlin M. , Yao Fangfang , Yang Xiao , Zhang Shuai , Chapman Bruce , Song Conghe , Sebastian Antonia , Frizzelle Brian , Frankenberg Elizabeth , Clinton Nicholas
Published: February 2022

Extreme precipitation events are intensifying due to a warming climate, which, in some cases, is leading to increases in flooding. Detection of flood extent is essential for flood disaster response, management, and prevention. However, it is challenging to delineate inundated areas through most publicly available optical and short‐wavelength radar data, as neither can “see” through dense forest canopies. In 2018, Hurricane Florence produced heavy rainfall and subsequent record‐setting riverine flooding in North Carolina, USA. NASA/JPL collected daily high‐resolution full‐polarized L‐band Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) data between September 18th and 23rd. Here, we use UAVSAR data to construct a flood inundation detection framework through a combination of polarimetric decomposition methods and a Random Forest classifier. Validation of the established models with compiled ground references shows that the incorporation of linear polarizations with polarimetric decomposition and terrain variables significantly enhances the accuracy of inundation classification, and the Kappa statistic increases to 91.4% from 64.3% with linear polarizations alone. We show that floods receded faster near the upper reaches of the Neuse, Cape Fear, and Lumbee Rivers. Meanwhile, along the flat terrain close to the lower reaches of the Cape Fear River, the flood wave traveled downstream during the observation period, resulting in the flood extent expanding 16.1% during the observation period. In addition to revealing flood inundation changes spatially, flood maps such as those produced here have great potential for assessing flood damages, supporting disaster relief, and assisting hydrodynamic modeling to achieve flood‐resilience goals.
What Drive Regional Changes in the Number and Surface Area of Lakes Across the Yangtze River Basin During 2000–2019: Human or Climatic Factors?
Authors: Xu Yuyue , Cheng Xing , Gun Zhao
Published: February 2022

The spatiotemporal distribution of lakes in the Yangtze River basin (YRB) has changed tremendously; however, research on how and why lakes changed across this basin is limited. In this study, based on Google Earth Engine, Landsat images were used to track lakes (>1 km2) across the YRB from 2000 to 2019. Then, the anthropogenic and climatic impacts on the evolution of lakes were fully discussed. Results showed that the distribution of lakes across the YRB was extremely uneven. From 2000 to 2019, the total number and the area (referring to the surface area) of lakes increased by 30 and declined by 885 km2, respectively, but the trends of them were unobvious. In contrast, these changes and related causes exhibited high spatial heterogeneity. Lakes in the upper reaches significantly increased (P < 0.01). The expanded and new lakes were mainly distributed in the headwater catchment of the Yangtze River, which was closely related to increased precipitation. The number of lakes in the middle reaches decreased significantly (P < 0.05), which was primarily affected by intense human activities, such as land reclamation and agricultural irrigation. Precipitation played a dominant role in the fluctuation of the lake area here. In the lower reaches, the number of lakes increased (P < 0.01) as a result of the policy of “returning farmland to lakes,” while the expansion of area (P < 0.05) was closely related to the precipitation and runoff. These findings have important policy implications for the conservation of lake resources.
Erosion Process of Multiple Debris Flow Surges Caused by Check Dam Removal: An Experimental Study
Authors: Wang Xi'an , Chen Jiangang , Chen Huayong , Chen Xiaoqing , Li Shuai , Zhao Wanyu
Published: February 2022

Debris flows are one of the most serious natural disasters on Earth and cause great losses in human life and property each year. Check dams have been widely utilized in debris flow hazard mitigation, and over time, some control projects have exceeded their designed service lifetime. However, the processes of stored sediment erosion with multiple surges of debris flows after check dam removal are unknown. Here, the stored sediment erosion processes associated with different reductions in the dam height (i.e., the removed height) were revealed by physical experiments. The results showed that erosion was concentrated on the stored sediment scarp formed by dam removal and that the erosion process mainly included undercutting and widening. The erosion efficiency of the debris flow gradually decreased with the development of erosion and was positively correlated with removed height, negatively correlated with the accumulated debris flow volume, and proportional to the remaining potential volume of sediment to be eroded. The erosion volume development process was well described by an exponential function model, and the physical meanings of the parameters in the model and their empirical values were clarified. Moreover, the distribution of the erosion volume along the flume was shown to satisfy the Weibull distribution, and the distribution parameters were related to the removed height, erosion volume, and sediment volume fraction of the debris flow. We anticipate that our results will serve as a starting point for the demolition and reconstruction of debris flow hazard mitigation engineering in mountainous areas.
A comprehensive profile of TCF1+ progenitor and TCF1− terminally exhausted PD-1+CD8+ T cells in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: implications for prognosis and immunotherapy
Authors: Wang Dikan , Fang Juan , Wen Shuqiong , Li Qunxing , Wang Jinming , Yang Lisa , Dai Wenxiao , Lu Huanzi , Guo Junyi , Shan Zhongyan , Xie Wenqiang , Liu Xiangqi , Wen Liling , Shen Jie , Wang Anxun , Chen Qianming , Wang Zhi
Published: February 2022

The heterogeneity of exhausted T cells (Tex) is a critical determinant of immune checkpoint blockade therapy efficacy. However, few studies have explored exhausted T cell subpopulations in human cancers. In the present study, we examined samples from two cohorts of 175 patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) by multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC) to investigate two subsets of Tex, CD8+PD1+TCF1+ progenitor exhausted T cells (TCF1+Texprog) and CD8+PD1+TCF1− terminally exhausted T cells (TCF1−Texterm). Moreover, fresh tumor samples from 34 patients with HNSCC were examined by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry to further investigate their properties and cytotoxic capabilities and their correlation with regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). mIHC and flow cytometry analysis showed that TCF1−Texterm represented a greater proportion of CD8+PD1+Tex than TCF1+Texprog in most patients. TCF1+Texprog produced abundant TNFα, while TCF1−Texterm expressed higher levels of CD103, TIM-3, CTLA-4, and TIGIT. TCF1−Texterm exhibited a polyfunctional TNFα+GZMB+IFNγ+ phenotype; and were associated with better overall survival and recurrence-free survival. The results also indicated that larger proportions of TCF1−Texterm were accompanied by an increase in the proportion of Tregs. Therefore, it was concluded that TCF1−Texterm was the major CD8+PD1+Tex subset in the HNSCC TIME and that these cells favor patient survival. A high proportion of TCF1−Texterm was associated with greater Treg abundance.
Computer-free computational imaging: optical computing for seeing through random media
Authors: Li Yunzhe , Tian Lei
Published: February 2022

Diffractive Deep Neural Network enables computer-free, all-optical “computational imaging” for seeing through unknown random diffusers at the speed of light.
Group B streptococci infection model shows decreased regulatory capacity of cord blood cells
Authors: Molnar Kriszta , Riedel Hannah , Schwarz Julian , Dietz Stefanie , Spring Bärbel , Haag Laura , Poets Christian F. , Gille Christian , Köstlin-Gille Natascha
Published: February 2022

Background

Sepsis is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the neonatal period. Compared to adults, neonates are more susceptible to infections, especially to systemic infections with Group B Streptococcus (GBS). Furthermore, neonates show defects in terminating inflammation. The immunological causes for the increased susceptibility to infection and the prolonged inflammatory response are still incompletely understood.

Methods

In the present study, we aimed to investigate the reaction of cord blood mononuclear cells (MNC) to stimulation with GBS in comparison to that of MNC from adult blood with focus on the proliferative response in an in vitro infection model with heat-inactivated GBS.

Results

We demonstrate that after stimulation with GBS the proliferation of T cells from adult blood strongly decreased, while the proliferation of cord blood T cells remained unchanged. This effect could be traced back to a transformation of adult monocytes, but not cord blood monocytes, to a suppressive phenotype with increased expression of the co-inhibitory molecule programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1).

Conclusions

These results point towards an increased inflammatory capacity of neonatal MNC after stimulation with GBS. Targeting the prolonged inflammatory response of neonatal immune cells may be a strategy to prevent complications of neonatal infections.

Impact

Neonatal sepsis often leads to post-inflammatory complications.

Causes for sustained inflammation in neonates are incompletely understood.

We show that cord blood T cells exhibited increased proliferative capacity after stimulation with group B streptococci (GBS) in comparison to adult T cells.

Adult monocytes but not cord blood monocytes acquired suppressive activity and expressed increased levels of PD-L1 after GBS stimulation.

Increased proliferative capacity of neonatal T cells and decreased suppressive activity of neonatal monocytes during GBS infection may contribute to prolonged inflammation and development of post-inflammatory diseases in newborns.
Nuclear genome-derived circular RNA circPUM1 localizes in mitochondria and regulates oxidative phosphorylation in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Gong Wei , Xu Jiancheng , Wang Yan , Min Qingjie , Chen Xu , Zhang Weimin , Chen Jie , Zhan Qimin
Published: February 2022

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) were shown to play an important role in the occurrence and progression of tumors. However, the functions of nuclear genome-derived circRNAs localized in mitochondria of tumor cells remain largely elusive. Here, we report that circPUM1, a circular RNA derived from back-splicing of pre-mRNAs of nuclear genome PUM1, localizes in mitochondria. The expression level of circPUM1 is positively correlated with HIF1α accumulation under CoCl2-induced intracellular hypoxic-like condition in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cell lines. Importantly, circPUM1 acts as a scaffold for the interaction between UQCRC1 and UQCRC2 in ESCC cell lines. Knock-down of circPUM1 would result in lower intracellular oxygen concentration, downregulated oxidative phosphorylation, decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential, increase of ROS generation and shrinking of mitochondria, respectively. CircPUM1 depletion induces dysfunction of the mitochondrial complex III and the cleavage of caspase3 spontaneously. Interestingly, disruption of circPUM1 led to pyroptosis that initiates the cell death of ESCC cell lines. Therefore, we conclude that circPUM1 plays a critical role in maintaining the stability of mitochondrial complex III to enhance oxidative phosphorylation for ATP production of ESCC cells and moreover propose that ESCC cells exploit circPUM1 during cell adaptation.
Fascin enhances the vulnerability of breast cancer to erastin-induced ferroptosis
Authors: Chen Cong , Xie Bojian , Li Zhaoqing , Chen Lini , Chen Yongxia , Zhou Jichun , Ju Siwei , Zhou Yulu , Zhang Xun , Zhuo Wenying , Yang Jingjing , Mao Misha , Xu Ling , Wang Linbo
Published: February 2022

Ferroptosis, which is characterized by intracellular iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation, is a newly described form of regulated cell death that may play a key role in tumour suppression. In the present study, we investigated the expression profiles and biological effects of fascin actin-bundling protein 1 (Fascin, gene name FSCN1) in breast cancer. In addition, bioinformatics analysis of the TCGA cancer database and gain- and loss-of-function studies showed that Fascin enhances sensitivity to erastin-induced ferroptosis. Mechanistically, Fascin directly interacts with cysteine/glutamate transporter (xCT, gene name SLC7A11) and decreases its stability via the ubiquitin-mediated proteasome degradation pathway. Furthermore, we observed that Fascin is substantially upregulated in tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cell lines, and drug-resistant cells were also more vulnerable to erastin-induced ferroptosis. Taken together, our findings reveal a previously unidentified role of Fascin in ferroptosis by regulating xCT. Thus, ferroptosis activation in breast cancer with high Fascin level may serve as a potential treatment.
The synergistic antitumor effect of IL-6 neutralization with NVP-BEZ235 in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Wang Yao , Miao Xiaolong , Jiang Yuancong , Wu Zelai , Zhu Xuhang , Liu Han , Wu Xiaoying , Cai Jinzhen , Ding Xianfeng , Gong Weihua
Published: February 2022

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) still ranks among the top cancers worldwide with high incidence and mortality. Due to abnormal activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway in HCC, targeting this pathway represents a potential therapeutic strategy. NVP-BEZ235 is a novel dual-targeted ATP-competitive PI3K/mTOR inhibitor that has shown effective antitumor effects. In this study, we found that interleukin-6 (IL-6) was significantly increased after exposure to NVP-BEZ235, and we proposed a treatment in which an anti-IL-6 antibody was combined with NVP-BEZ235 for HCC. In vitro results revealed that targeted inhibition of IL-6 potentiated the antitumor effects of NVP-BEZ235 in HCC cells. The mechanism might be attributed to their synergistic inhibitory activity on the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway. Furthermore, an in vivo study demonstrated that combined administration of NVP-BEZ235 and anti-IL-6 Ab reduced HCC tumour load more effectively than either NVP-BEZ235 or anti-IL-6 Ab treatment alone. These findings add guidance value to the analysis of HCC and provide a reference for clinical treatment.
MiR-652-5p elevated glycolysis level by targeting TIGAR in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Liu Shan , Wang Haobiao , Guo Wei , Zhou Xiaoyan , Shu Yi , Liu Haiyan , Yang Li , Tang Shi , Su Hongyu , Liu Ziyang , Zeng Lamei , Zou Lin
Published: February 2022

The effect of glycolysis remains largely elusive in acute T lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). Increasing evidence has indicated that the dysregulation of miRNAs is involved in glycolysis, by targeting the genes coding glycolysis rate-limiting enzymes. In our previous studies, we found that overexpression of the ARRB1-derived miR-223 sponge repressed T-ALL progress and reduced the expression of miR-652-5p. However, little is known about miR-652-5p on T-ALL. Here, we showed that impaired miR-652-5p expression inhibited growth, promoted apoptosis of T-ALL cells in vitro and prolonged overall survival (OS) in vivo. Based on the GO enrichment of miR-652-5p target genes, we uncovered that impaired miR-652-5p decreased glycolysis, including reduced the lactate, pyruvate, ATP level and the total extracellular acidification rate (ECAR), elevated oxygen consumption rate (OCR) in T-ALL cell lines. Mechanically, miR-652-5p targeted the 3ʹUTR of Tigar mRNA and inhibited its expression. Furthermore, the alteration of glycosis level was attributed to Tigar overexpression, consistent with the effect of impaired miR-652-5p. Additionally, Tigar suppressed the expression of PFKFB3, a glycolysis rate-limiting enzyme, in vivo and in vitro. Taken together, our results demonstrate that impaired miR-652-5p/Tigar axis could repress glycolysis, thus to slow growth of T-ALL cells, which support miR-652-5p as a novel potential drug target for T-ALL therapeutics.
Downregulation of macrophage migration inhibitory factor attenuates NLRP3 inflammasome mediated pyroptosis in sepsis-induced AKI
Authors: Li Tianlong , Sun Haibin , Li Yiming , Su Lianjiu , Jiang Jun , Liu Ye , Jiang Nanhui , Huang Rong , Zhang Jiahao , Peng Zhiyong
Published: February 2022

Sepsis-induced AKI (acute kidney injury) is considered an inflammation-related disease with high mortality. LPS-induced (Lipopolysaccharide) TLR4-NFκB pathway activation plays an important role in sepsis-induced AKI. Pyroptosis closely associated with inflammation response includes inflammasome formation, caspase1 activation and GSDMD N-terminal fragment cleavage that leads to cell membrane rupture and cell death, which may be related to the pathogenesis of sepsis-induced AKI. MIF (Macrophage migration inhibitory factor), associated with inflammation response, has been proved as a biomarker of sepsis, and perhaps regulate pyroptosis in sepsis-induced AKI. In this study, we focus on investigating the mechanism of MIF promoting pyroptosis in sepsis-induced AKI. MIF and pyroptosis-related proteins were up-regulated in kidney tissue of mice with CLP (cecum ligation puncture) surgery and in LPS-injured human kidney-2 (HK-2) cells. NLRP3 was down-regulated following the suppression of MIF topoisomerase activity by ISO-1 in kidney tissue of CLP mice. Knockdown of MIF alleviated NLRP3 inflammasome mediated pyroptosis in LPS-injured HK-2 cells. Meanwhile, we noted that phosphorylation of p65 was down-regulated by knockdown of MIF. Up-regulation of NLRP3 in response to LPS stimulation could be reversed by JSH-23, an inhibitor of NFκB pathway, but MIF was not affected. In conclusion, up-regulation of MIF in sepsis-induced AKI shows a renal damaged effect that aggravates NLRP3 inflammasome mediated cell pyroptosis through promoting phosphorylation of p65. This study demonstrated a novel mechanism of MIF regulating NLRP3 inflammasome mediated pyroptosis in sepsis-induced AKI.
Genetic associations with carotid intima-media thickness link to atherosclerosis with sex-specific effects in sub-Saharan Africans
Authors: Boua Palwende Romuald , Brandenburg Jean-Tristan , Choudhury Ananyo , Sorgho Hermann , Nonterah Engelbert A. , Agongo Godfred , Asiki Gershim , Micklesfield Lisa , Choma Solomon , Gómez-Olivé Francesc Xavier , Hazelhurst Scott , Tinto Halidou , Crowther Nigel J. , Mathew Christopher G. , Ramsay Michèle ,   AWI-Gen Study,   the H3Africa Consortium
Published: February 2022

Atherosclerosis precedes the onset of clinical manifestations of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). We used carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) to investigate genetic susceptibility to atherosclerosis in 7894 unrelated adults (3963 women, 3931 men; 40 to 60 years) resident in four sub-Saharan African countries. cIMT was measured by ultrasound and genotyping was performed on the H3Africa SNP Array. Two new African-specific genome-wide significant loci for mean-max cIMT, SIRPA (p = 4.7E-08), and FBXL17 (p = 2.5E-08), were identified. Sex-stratified analysis revealed associations with one male-specific locus, SNX29 (p = 6.3E-09), and two female-specific loci, LARP6 (p = 2.4E-09) and PROK1 (p = 1.0E-08). We replicate previous cIMT associations with different lead SNPs in linkage disequilibrium with SNPs primarily identified in European populations. Our study find significant enrichment for genes involved in oestrogen response from female-specific signals. The genes identified show biological relevance to atherosclerosis and/or CVDs, sex-differences and transferability of signals from non-African studies.
Enantioselective Cu(I)-catalyzed borylative cyclization of enone-tethered cyclohexadienones and mechanistic insights
Authors: Jadhav Sandip B. , Dash Soumya Ranjan , Maurya Sundaram , Nanubolu Jagadeesh Babu , Vanka Kumar , Chegondi Rambabu
Published: February 2022

The catalytic asymmetric borylation of conjugated carbonyls followed by stereoselective intramolecular cascade cyclizations with in situ generated chiral enolates are extremely rare. Herein, we report the enantioselective Cu(I)-catalyzed β-borylation/Michael addition on prochiral enone-tethered 2,5-cyclohexadienones. This asymmetric desymmetrization strategy has a broad range of substrate scope to generate densely functionalized bicyclic enones bearing four contiguous stereocenters with excellent yield, enantioselectivity, and diastereoselectivity. One-pot borylation/cyclization/oxidation via the sequential addition of sodium perborate reagent affords the corresponding alcohols without affecting yield and enantioselectivity. The synthetic potential of this reaction is explored through gram-scale reactions and further chemoselective transformations on products. DFT calculations explain the requirement of the base in an equimolar ratio in the reaction, as it leads to the formation of a lithium-enolate complex to undergo C-C bond formation via a chair-like transition state, with a barrier that is 22.5 kcal/mol more favourable than that of the copper-enolate complex.