bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A role for BDNF- and NMDAR-induced lysosomal recruitment of mTORC1 in the regulation of neuronal mTORC1 activity
Authors: Khamsing Dany , Lebrun Solène , Fanget Isabelle , Larochette Nathanaël , Tourain Christophe , de Sars Vincent , Brunstein Maia , Oheim Martin , Carrel Damien , Darchen François , Desnos Claire
Published: July 2021

Memory and long term potentiation require de novo protein synthesis. A key regulator of this process is mTORC1, a complex comprising the mTOR kinase. Growth factors activate mTORC1 via a pathway involving PI3-kinase, Akt, the TSC complex and the GTPase Rheb. In non-neuronal cells, translocation of mTORC1 to late endocytic compartments (LEs), where Rheb is enriched, is triggered by amino acids. However, the regulation of mTORC1 in neurons remains unclear. In mouse hippocampal neurons, we observed that BDNF and treatments activating NMDA receptors trigger a robust increase in mTORC1 activity. NMDA receptors activation induced a significant recruitment of mTOR onto lysosomes even in the absence of external amino acids, whereas mTORC1 was evenly distributed in neurons under resting conditions. NMDA receptor-induced mTOR translocation to LEs was partly dependent on the BDNF receptor TrkB, suggesting that BDNF contributes to the effect of NMDA receptors on mTORC1 translocation. In addition, the combination of Rheb overexpression and artificial mTORC1 targeting to LEs by means of a modified component of mTORC1 fused with a LE-targeting motif strongly activated mTOR. To gain spatial and temporal control over mTOR localization, we designed an optogenetic module based on light-sensitive dimerizers able to recruit mTOR on LEs. In cells expressing this optogenetic tool, mTOR was translocated to LEs upon photoactivation. In the absence of growth factor, this was not sufficient to activate mTORC1. In contrast, mTORC1 was potently activated by a combination of BDNF and photoactivation. The data demonstrate that two important triggers of synaptic plasticity, BDNF and NMDA receptors, synergistically power the two arms of the mTORC1 activation mechanism, i.e., mTORC1 translocation to LEs and Rheb activation. Moreover, they unmask a functional link between NMDA receptors and mTORC1 that could underlie the changes in the synaptic proteome associated with long-lasting changes in synaptic strength.
Bradycardia in a newborn with accidental severe hypothermia: treat or don’t touch? A case report
Authors: Kuonen Astrid , Riva Thomas , Erdoes Gabor
Published: July 2021

Background

Hypothermia significantly affects mortality and morbidity of newborns. Literature about severe accidental hypothermia in neonates is limited. We report a case of a neonate suffering from severe accidental hypothermia. An understanding of the physiology of neonatal thermoregulation and hypothermia is important to decide on treatment.

Case presentation

A low-birth-weight newborn was found with severe accidental hypothermia (rectal temperature 25.7 °C) due to prolonged exposure to low ambient temperature. The newborn presented bradycardic, bradypnoeic, lethargic, pale and cold. Bradycardia, bradypnea and impaired consciousness were interpreted in the context of the measured body temperature. Therefore, no reanimation or intubation was initiated. The newborn was closely monitored and successfully treated only with active and passive rewarming.

Conclusion

Clinical parameters such as heart frequency, blood pressure, respiration and consciousness must be interpreted in light of the measured body temperature. Medical treatment should be adapted to the clinical presentation. External rewarming can be a safe and effective measure in neonatal patients.
Verbal intelligence is a more robust cross-sectional measure of cognitive reserve than level of education in healthy older adults
Authors: Boyle R. , Knight S. P. , De Looze C. , Carey D. , Scarlett S. , Stern Y. , Robertson I. H. , Kenny R. A. , Whelan R.
Published: July 2021

Background

Cognitive reserve is most commonly measured using socio-behavioural proxy variables. These variables are easy to collect, have a straightforward interpretation, and are widely associated with reduced risk of dementia and cognitive decline in epidemiological studies. However, the specific proxies vary across studies and have rarely been assessed in complete models of cognitive reserve (i.e. alongside both a measure of cognitive outcome and a measure of brain structure). Complete models can test independent associations between proxies and cognitive function in addition to the moderation effect of proxies on the brain-cognition relationship. Consequently, there is insufficient empirical evidence guiding the choice of proxy measures of cognitive reserve and poor comparability across studies.

Method

In a cross-sectional study, we assessed the validity of 5 common proxies (education, occupational complexity, verbal intelligence, leisure activities, and exercise) and all possible combinations of these proxies in 2 separate community-dwelling older adult cohorts: The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA; N = 313, mean age = 68.9 years, range = 54–88) and the Cognitive Reserve/Reference Ability Neural Network Study (CR/RANN; N = 234, mean age = 64.49 years, range = 50–80). Fifteen models were created with 3 brain structure variables (grey matter volume, hippocampal volume, and mean cortical thickness) and 5 cognitive variables (verbal fluency, processing speed, executive function, episodic memory, and global cognition).

Results

No moderation effects were observed. There were robust positive associations with cognitive function, independent of brain structure, for 2 individual proxies (verbal intelligence and education) and 16 composites (i.e. combinations of proxies). Verbal intelligence was statistically significant in all models. Education was significant only in models with executive function as the cognitive outcome variable. Three robust composites were observed in more than two-thirds of brain-cognition models: the composites of (1) occupational complexity and verbal intelligence, (2) education and verbal intelligence, and (3) education, occupational complexity, and verbal intelligence. However, no composite had larger average effects nor was more robust than verbal intelligence alone.

Conclusion

These results support the use of verbal intelligence as a proxy measure of CR in cross-sectional studies of cognitively healthy older adults.
Ambiguous genitalia: clinical management of adult female with male assigned gender: a case report
Authors: Ali Mahamudu Ayamba , Maalman Raymond Saa-Eru , Donkor Yaw Otchere , Mensah James Edward
Published: July 2021

Background

Disorders of sex development are anomalies in which the development of urogenital ridge is undifferentiated for the male and female child. Imaging plays a vital role in investigating the gross anatomy and associated anomalies. Ultrasonography, such as genitography and magnetic resonance, is the primary modality for demonstrating internal gonads and genitalia. Early multidisciplinary approach in the management of ambiguous genitalia including early surgical intervention is the predominant practice, with few current considerations on deferral of genital reconstruction until adolescent age.

Case presentation

We report the rare case of a 24-year-old adult female from a majority ethnic group of the Volta region, Ghana who was diagnosed and raised as male, now requiring surgical restoration to the female gender. The surgical team decided to assign external genitalia to correspond with the already intact internal organs, thus constructing the vulva. Consent was given by the client and her family members for management and surgical intervention. The surgery was scheduled and duly performed with a successful outcome. Understanding and consent was sought from the patient for the purpose of using her images for teaching, scientific publication, and demonstrations.

Conclusion

The advantages of deferring surgical reconstruction with psychological counseling after early assessment need to be considered to prevent inappropriate gender assignment.
A rational approach on the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in severe hypoxemia: advanced technology is not a panacea
Authors: Akoumianaki Evangelia , Jonkman Annemijn , Sklar Michael C. , Georgopoulos Dimitris , Brochard Laurent
Published: July 2021

Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a helpful intervention in patients with severe refractory hypoxemia either because mechanical ventilation cannot ensure adequate oxygenation or because lung protective ventilation is not feasible. Since ECMO is a highly invasive procedure with several, potentially devastating complications and its implementation is complex and expensive, simpler and less invasive therapeutic options should be first exploited. Low tidal volume and driving pressure ventilation, prone position, neuromuscular blocking agents and individualized ventilation based on transpulmonary pressure measurements have been demonstrated to successfully treat the vast majority of mechanically ventilated patients with severe hypoxemia. Veno-venous ECMO has a place in the small portion of severely hypoxemic patients in whom these strategies fail. A combined analysis of recent ARDS trials revealed that ECMO was used in only 2.15% of patients (n = 145/6736). Nevertheless, ECMO use has sharply increased in the last decade, raising questions regarding its thoughtful use. Such a policy could be harmful both for patients as well as for the ECMO technique itself. This narrative review attempts to describe together the practical approaches that can be offered to the sickest patients before going to ECMO, as well as the rationale and the limitations of ECMO. The benefit and the drawbacks associated with ECMO use along with a direct comparison with less invasive therapeutic strategies will be analyzed.
Economics of contracts in African food systems: evidence from the malt barley sector in Ethiopia
Authors: Tefera Delelegne A. , Bijman Jos
Published: July 2021

Foreign direct investment (FDI) facilitates modernization of domestic agri-food systems in emerging economies through increased use of vertical coordination. This paper sheds lights on how international brewer investments in African food systems affect smallholder market participation and value chain development. In particular, we analyze the impact of contracts among malt barley producers in Ethiopia. Using cross-sectional survey data, we employ inverse probability-weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA) and propensity score matching (PSM) techniques to analyze the economic impact of contracting. We find that contrary to popular belief, contracting has positive and significant impact on malt barley production, intensification, commercialization, quality improvement, and farm gate prices, ultimately resulting in increased net income and spillover into the productivity of other food crops.
A national study of choanal atresia in tertiary care centers in Canada – part I: Clinical presentation
Authors: Paradis Josee , Dzioba Agnieszka , El-Hakim Hamdy , Hong Paul , Kozak Frederick K. , Nguyen Lily H. P. , Perera Demitri , Propst Evan Jon , Siu Jennifer M. , Wojtera Monika , Husein Murad ,   National Choanal Atresia Study Working Group
Published: July 2021

Background

To evaluate the clinical presentation of choanal atresia (CA) in tertiary centers across Canada.

Methods

Multi-centre case series involving six tertiary care pediatric hospitals across Canada. Retrospective chart review of patients born between 1980 and 2010 diagnosed with CA at a participating center.

Results

The health charts of 215 patients (59.6% female) with CA were reviewed and included in this study. The mean age of patients at time of CA presentation was 0.4 months (range 0.1 to 7.2 months) for bilateral CA and 37.8 months (range 0.1 to 164.1 months) for unilateral cases. The most common presenting symptoms for bilateral CA in decreasing order were respiratory distress (96.4%), feeding difficulties (68.2%), and rhinorrhea (65.5%), and for unilateral cases in decreasing order were rhinorrhea (92.0%), feeding difficulties (24.7%), and respiratory distress (18.0%). For the majority of patients (73.2%), the obstruction comprised mixed bony and membranous tissue, with only 10.5% presenting with a purely membranous obstruction. Familial history of CA was confirmed in only 3.3% of cases. One half of patients with CA presented with one or more associated anomalies and 30.6% had a syndrome.

Conclusions

The present investigation is the first national multi-institutional study evaluating the clinical presentation of CA over three decades. The present cohort of CA patients presented with a breadth of co-morbidities with highly variable presentations, with bilateral cases being more severely affected than unilateral cases. Further investigation into hereditary linkages to CA development is warranted.

Graphical Abstract
Design of more potent quinazoline derivatives as EGFRWT inhibitors for the treatment of NSCLC: a computational approach
Authors: Ibrahim Muhammad Tukur , Uzairu Adamu , Uba Sani , Shallangwa Gideon Adamu
Published: July 2021

Background

Lung cancer remains the leading and deadly type of cancer worldwide. It was estimated to account for about 25% of the 7 million people that died as a result of cancer-related issues/mortality every year in the world. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the lethal/deadly class of lung cancer with nearly 1.5 million reported cases and less than 20% survival rate. Therefore, it becomes necessary to explore more effective NSCLC drugs.

Result

A computational approach was employed here to design ten new EGFRWT inhibitors using compound 18 as a template for the design identified with the best binding affinity and good pharmacokinetic properties previously reported in our work. The modeled inhibitory activities of these newly designed EGFRWT inhibitors (range from 7.746966 to 11.09261) were better than that of the hit compound with pIC50 of 7.5639 and gefitinib the positive control with pIC50 of 5.879426. The ligand-binding interaction between these newly designed EGFRWT inhibitors and the EGFR tyrosine kinase receptor as shown in Table 3 was investigated and elucidated using molecular docking protocol. Based on the molecular docking results, the binding affinities of these newly designed EGFRWT inhibitors were found to be between − 8.8 and − 9.5 kcal/mol. The designed compound SFD10 has the highest binding affinity of − 9.5 kcal/mol followed by compound SFD8 (with a binding affinity of − 9.3 kcal/mol), then by compound SFD9 and 4 (each with a binding affinity of − 9.3 kcal/mol). None of them was found to have more than one violation of the filtering criterion used in this study thereby showing good ADMET properties.

Conclusion

The modeled inhibitory activities and binding affinities of these newly designed EGFRWT inhibitors were found to be higher than that of the template compound and the control (gefitinib) used in this research. They were also seen to be non-toxic with good pharmacokinetic properties.
A theory of pedestrian-induced footbridge vibration comfortability based on sensitivity model
Authors: Chen Deyi , Huang Shiping , Wang Zhenyu
Published: July 2021

Pedestrian-induced footbridge vibration comfort level is a complex problem that has been studied for a long time. However, no consensus has been reached on a quantitative calculation index for assessing vibration comfort level. Only simple comfort limits, rather than specific relationships between comfort level and the vibration endurance capacity of pedestrians, are currently available for assessing vibration comfort level of footbridges. This article aims to propose a sensitivity model for pedestrian-induced vibration comfort calculation based on the vibration endurance capacity of pedestrians and the vibration response of footbridges. The concepts of “human body resistance” and “vibration effect” were established according to the principle of probability and statistics. Mathematical definition of sensitivity was put forward. Calculation expressions for a pedestrian and pedestrians were deduced respectively. A theory of pedestrian-induced footbridge vibration comfort level was proposed. Field survey and experiment were conducted, the results of the field survey demonstrated that sensitivity values were in good agreement with the international vibration comfort standards. Furthermore, the field experiment results showed that the errors between the experimental results and the calculated results were within 6%. The proposed sensitivity theory can be used for pedestrian-induced footbridge vibration comfort quantitative calculation.
Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Infants field trial: concurrent validity
Authors: Brann Peter , Culjak Gordana , Kowalenko Nick , Dickson Rosemary , Coombs Tim , Burgess Philip , Williams Anne Sved , Hoehn Elisabeth , Hoyland Margaret
Published: July 2021

Background

A review of Australian mental health services identified a gap in routine outcome measures addressing social, emotional and behavioural domains for pre-schoolers and infants. A Child and Adolescent Mental Health Information Development Expert Advisory Panel working group developed the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Infants (HoNOSI), a clinician-reported routine outcome measure for infants 0–47 months. Prior face validity testing showed that the HoNOSI was considered useful in measuring mental health outcomes.

Aims

To examine the concurrent validity of the HoNOSI.

Method

Mental health clinicians providing assessment and treatment to infants in routine clinical practice participated in the study. The mental health status of 108 infants were rated by a minimum of 26 clinicians with the HoNOSI, the Parent-Infant Relationship Global Assessment Scale (PIR-GAS) and measures of symptom severity and distress.

Results

The HoNOSI was statistically significantly correlated with the PIR–;GAS, rs = −0.73; Clinical Worry, rs = 0.77; and Severity Judgement ratings, rs = 0.85; P < 0.001. A good level of internal consistency was found. Using the COsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) criteria for judging instrument acceptability, the HoNOSI meets the standard for both concurrent validity and internal consistency.

Conclusions

There has been a clear need for a routine outcome measure for use with infants. This study provides positive evidence of aspects of validity. These findings, along with those from the prior face validity study, support a controlled release of the HoNOSI accompanied by further research and development.
Development and Validation of a Simulation Model–Based Clinical Decision Tool: Identifying Patients Where 21-Gene Recurrence Score Testing May Change Decisions
Authors: Jayasekera Jinani , Sparano Joseph A. , O'Neill Suzanne , Chandler Young , Isaacs Claudine , Kurian Allison W. , Kushi Lawrence , Schechter Clyde B. , Mandelblatt Jeanne
Published: July 2021

PURPOSE

There is a need for industry-independent decision tools that integrate clinicopathologic features, comorbidities, and genomic information for women with node-negative, invasive, hormone receptor–positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2–negative (early-stage) breast cancer.

METHODS

We adapted an extant Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network simulation model to estimate the 10-year risk of distant recurrence, breast cancer–specific mortality, other-cause mortality, and life-years gained with chemoendocrine versus endocrine therapy. We simulated outcomes for 1,512 unique patient subgroups based on all possible combinations of age, tumor size, grade, and comorbidity level; simulations were performed with and without 21-gene recurrence scores (RSs). Model inputs were derived from clinical trials, large US cohort studies, registry, and claims data. External validation was performed by comparing results to observed rates in two independent sources. We highlight results for one scenario where treatment choice may be uncertain.

RESULTS

Chemoendocrine versus endocrine therapy in a 65-69-year-old woman with a small (≤ 2 cm), intermediate-grade tumor, and mild comorbidities provides a 1.3% absolute reduction in 10-year distant recurrence risk, with 0.23 life-years gained. With these tumor features, a woman like this will have a 28% probability of having an RS 16-20, 18% RS 21-25, and 11% RS 26+. If testing is done, and her RS is 16-20, chemoendocrine therapy reduces 10-year distant recurrence risk to 1%, with 0.20 life-years gained, a similar result as without testing. The absolute benefits would increase to 4.8%-5.5% if the RS was 26+. The model closely reproduced observed rates in both independent data sets.

CONCLUSION

Our validated clinical decision tool is flexible, readily adaptable to include new therapies, and can support discussions about genomic testing and early breast cancer treatment.
Fast and robust particle shuttling for quantum science and technology
Authors: Qi L. , Chiaverini J. , Espinós H. , Palmero M. , Muga J. G.
Published: July 2021

We review methods to shuttle quantum particles fast and robustly. Ideal robustness amounts to the invariance of the desired transport results with respect to deviations, noisy or otherwise, from the nominal driving protocol for the control parameters; this can include environmental perturbations. “Fast” is defined with respect to adiabatic transport times. Special attention is paid to shortcut-to-adiabaticity protocols that achieve, in faster-than-adiabatic times, the same results of slow adiabatic driving.
Charging power and stability of always-on transitionless driven quantum batteries
Authors: Moraes Luiz F. C. , Saguia Andreia , Santos Alan C. , Sarandy Marcelo S.
Published: July 2021

The storage and transfer of energy through quantum batteries are key elements in quantum networks. Here, we propose a charger design based on transitionless quantum driving (TQD), which allows for inherent control over the battery charging time, with the speed of charging coming at the cost of the internal energy available to implement the dynamics. Moreover, the TQD-based charger is also shown to be locally stable, which means that the charger can be disconnected from the quantum battery (QB) at any time after the energy transfer to the QB, with no full energy backflow to the charger. This provides a highly charged QB in an always-on asymptotic regime. We illustrate the robustness of the QB charge against time fluctuations and the full control over the evolution time for a feasible TQD-based charger.
The Conquest of Española as a “Structure of Conjuncture”
Authors: Stone Erin W.
Published: July 2021

This article delves into the conquest and early years of colonization of Española from the perspective of the “structure of the conjuncture.” By doing so it prioritizes the Indigenous perspective of conquest, particularly that of the cacique Guacanagarí, who formed the first alliance with the Spaniards in 1492. The article follows the development of the historic alliance, digging beneath the surface of historical chronicles to reveal Indigenous cosmology and agency throughout the skirmishes and intrigue of colonization. In so doing it shows that during the first years of Caribbean colonization, the Spaniards were not in control as all actors were engaging in a novel environment, the structure of the conjuncture. The situation did change by the early 1500s, but the imprint of the structure of the conjuncture was felt for decades to come.
Accusing and Identifying theKalku: The Perception of Sorcery in Mapuche Society (Seventeenth to Eighteenth Centuries)
Authors: Ambrogio Oriol
Published: July 2021

This article examines accusations of sorcery as a way to understand the perceptions of sorcery among the Mapuche of central-southern Chile during the colonial period. Local communities believed that illnesses and unfortunate events were caused by the actions of sorcerers, known as kalku, and therefore consulted ritual healers and diviners, the machi and dugul, to identify and punish the supposed evildoers. In accusing local members of being kalku, the ritual specialists expressed a precise perception of sorcery and developed clear strategies for counteracting the sorcerers. This article argues that the accusations of sorcery became political and social instruments in the hands of the local authorities and that they shaped the meaning of sorcery and its perception among the Mapuche.
Estimating Adult Death Rates From Sibling Histories: A Network Approach
Authors: Feehan Dennis M. , Borges Gabriel M.
Published: July 2021

Hundreds of millions of people live in countries that do not have complete death registration systems, meaning that most deaths are not recorded and that critical quantities, such as life expectancy, cannot be directly measured. The sibling survival method is a leading approach to estimating adult mortality in the absence of death registration. The idea is to ask survey respondents to enumerate their siblings and to report about their survival status. In many countries and periods, sibling survival data are the only nationally representative source of information about adult mortality. Although a vast amount of sibling survival data has been collected, important methodological questions about the method remain unresolved. To help make progress on this issue, we propose reframing the sibling survival method as a network sampling problem. This approach enables a formal derivation of statistical estimators for sibling survival data. Our derivation clarifies the precise conditions that sibling history estimates rely on, leads to internal consistency checks that can help assess data and reporting quality, and reveals important quantities that could potentially be measured to relax assumptions in the future. We introduce the R package siblingsurvival, which implements the methods we describe.
Occupational Inflexibility and Women's Employment During the Transition to Parenthood
Authors: Ishizuka Patrick , Musick Kelly
Published: July 2021

The typical U.S. workplace has adapted little to changes in the family and remains bound to norms of a workweek of 40 or more hours. How jobs are structured and remunerated within occupations shapes gender inequality in the labor market, and this may be particularly true at the critical juncture of parenthood. This study provides novel evidence showing how the inflexibility of occupational work hours shapes new mothers' employment. We use a fixed-effects approach and individual-level data from nationally representative panels of the Survey of Income and Program Participation (N = 2,239 women) merged with occupational characteristics from the American Community Survey. We find that women in pre-birth occupations with higher shares working 40 or more hours per week and higher wage premiums to longer work hours are significantly less likely to be employed post-birth. These associations are small in magnitude and not statistically significant for men, and placebo regressions with childless women show no associations between occupational inflexibility and subsequent employment. Results illustrate how individual employment decisions are jointly constrained by the structure of the labor market and persistent gendered cultural norms about breadwinning and caregiving.
Žižek
Authors: Gane Mike
Published: July 2021

Two very substantial new books by Slavoj Žižek were published in early 2020; they are at two different ends of the spectrum that runs from obscure Hegelian-Lacanian philosophical reflections (Sex and the Failed Absolute) to uninhibited short Maoist-Leninist political “interventions” (A Left That Dares to Speak Its Name). Žižek claims to have completed an intellectual system (continuing the idea of earlier essays) that, as a philosophical foundation, currently informs his political writings. The review follows the sexual problematic through Žižek's philosophy (its antihumanist ethical and political orientations) to the politics of “the impossible” act or event.
Suv420 enrichment at the centromere limits Aurora B localization and function
Authors: Herlihy Conor P. , Hahn Sabine , Hermance Nicole M. , Crowley Elizabeth A. , Manning Amity L.
Published: July 2021

Centromere structure and function are defined by the epigenetic modification of histones at centromeric and pericentromeric chromatin. The constitutive heterochromatin found at pericentromeric regions is highly enriched for H3K9me3 and H4K20me3. Although mis-expression of the methyltransferase enzymes that regulate these marks, Suv39 and Suv420, is common in disease, the consequences of such changes are not well understood. Our data show that increased centromere localization of Suv39 and Suv420 suppresses centromere transcription and compromises localization of the mitotic kinase Aurora B, decreasing microtubule dynamics and compromising chromosome alignment and segregation. We find that inhibition of Suv420 methyltransferase activity partially restores Aurora B localization to centromeres and that restoration of the Aurora B-containing chromosomal passenger complex to the centromere is sufficient to suppress mitotic errors that result when Suv420 and H4K20me3 is enriched at centromeres. Consistent with a role for Suv39 and Suv420 in negatively regulating Aurora B, high expression of these enzymes corresponds with increased sensitivity to Aurora kinase inhibition in human cancer cells, suggesting that increased H3K9 and H4K20 methylation may be an underappreciated source of chromosome mis-segregation in cancer.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
The Bardet–Biedl syndrome complex component BBS1 controls T cell polarity during immune synapse assembly
Authors: Cassioli Chiara , Onnis Anna , Finetti Francesca , Capitani Nagaja , Brunetti Jlenia , Compeer Ewoud B. , Niederlova Veronika , Stepanek Ondrej , Dustin Michael L. , Baldari Cosima T.
Published: July 2021

Components of the intraflagellar transport (IFT) system that regulates the assembly of the primary cilium are co-opted by the non-ciliated T cell to orchestrate polarized endosome recycling and to sustain signaling during immune synapse formation. Here, we investigated the potential role of Bardet–Biedl syndrome 1 protein (BBS1), an essential core component of the BBS complex that cooperates with the IFT system in ciliary protein trafficking, in the assembly of the T cell synapse. We demonstrated that BBS1 allows for centrosome polarization towards the immune synapse. This function is achieved through the clearance of centrosomal F-actin and its positive regulator WASH1 (also known as WASHC1), a process that we demonstrated to be dependent on the proteasome. We show that BBS1 regulates this process by coupling the 19S proteasome regulatory subunit to the microtubule motor dynein for its transport to the centrosome. Our data identify the ciliopathy-related protein BBS1 as a new player in T cell synapse assembly that functions upstream of the IFT system to set the stage for polarized vesicular trafficking and sustained signaling.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Growth rates of the chokka squid Loligo reynaudii d’Orbigny, 1845 (Cephalopoda: Myopsida: Loliginidae) off South Africa, investigated over two years
Authors: Mwanangombe Collette H. , Durholtz Deon , Yemane Dawit , Githaiga-Mwicigi Jean , Sauer Warwick H. H. , Lipiński Marek R.
Published: July 2021

Growth of adult chokka squid Loligo reynaudii d’Orbigny was modelled using mantle length and age data derived from samples collected over two years (2003 and 2004) from a single, large cohort of mature and spawning squid. A total of 588 statoliths were examined (310 males, 278 females) from individuals of 71–425 mm mantle length (ML). The maximum size of chokka squid was 425 mm ML for males and 263 mm ML for females. The Francis Growth Model and Linear Growth model were selected for further analysis from six models considered. Males and females attain similar ages, although mantle length-based daily growth rates ranged from 0.75 to 1.02 (0.88 quantile _50) mm/day for males and 0.32–0.45 (0.38 quantile _50) mm/day for females, explaining the sexual dimorphism apparent in the sizes of individuals of this species.
Barreiras para a prática de atividade física em idosos: revisão de escopo de estudos brasileiros
Authors: Socoloski Thiego da Silva , Rech Cassiano Ricardo , Correa Junior Jaime Alves , Lopes Rodrigo Meireles , Hino Adriano Akira Ferreira , Guerra Paulo Henrique
Published: July 2021

Com objetivo de identificar as barreiras à prática de atividade física (AF) em idosos, foi conduzida uma revisão de escopo, com buscas em sete bases de dados eletrônicas e em listas de referências, abrangendo artigos disponíveis até dezembro de 2020. Procurou-se por estudos originais, desenvolvidos no Brasil, que investigaram barreiras à prática de AF em amostras de pessoas ≥ 60 anos. Dos 911 artigos iniciais, 13 compuseram a síntese, envolvendo idosos participantes de grupos de convivência, institucionalizados e participantes de projetos de AF, com predominância de mulheres. Foram identificadas 31 barreiras, sendo 18 delas classificadas como intrapessoais (58,1%). “Doença, dor ou lesão” foi a barreira mais frequentemente mencionada entre os estudos (n = 9), estando também associada à inatividade física em um artigo. Também merecem destaque: “falta de segurança” (n = 6), “medo de cair/se machucar” (n = 3) e “sentir-se suficientemente ativo” (n = 3). As barreiras intrapessoais são as mais percebidas pelos idosos brasileiros, sendo a barreira “dor, doença e/ou lesão” a mais frequentemente mencionada, seguida das barreiras “falta de segurança”; “medo de cair/se machucar” e “sentir-se suficientemente ativo”. Mesmo que esta evidência esteja amparada, em sua maior parte, por dados provenientes da região Sul do país, o reconhecimento destas barreiras pode ser incorporada nos distintos cenários de oferta da AF para idosos. Complementarmente, futuros estudos são importantes, tanto para apresentação das principais barreiras para a AF nas distintas regiões do país, quanto para a análise das suas possíveis associações à inatividade física.
Forecasting Airport Transfer Passenger Flow Using Real-Time Data and Machine Learning
Authors: Guo Xiaojia , Grushka-Cockayne Yael , De Reyck Bert
Published: July 2021

Problem definition: Airports and airlines have been challenged to improve decision making by producing accurate forecasts in real time. We develop a two-phased predictive system that produces forecasts of transfer passenger flows at an airport. In the first phase, the system predicts the distribution of individual transfer passengers’ connection times. In the second phase, the system samples from the distribution of individual connection times and produces distributional forecasts for the number of passengers arriving at the immigration and security areas. Academic/practical relevance: To our knowledge, this work is the first to apply machine learning for predicting real-time distributional forecasts of journeys in an airport using passenger level data. Better forecasts of these journeys can help optimize passenger experience and improve airport resource deployment. Methodology: The predictive system developed is based on a regression tree combined with copula-based simulations. We generalize the tree method to predict distributions, moving beyond point forecasts. We also formulate a newsvendor-based resourcing problem to evaluate decisions made by applying the new predictive system. Results: We show that, when compared with benchmarks, our two-phased approach is more accurate in predicting both connection times and passenger flows. Our approach also has the potential to reduce resourcing costs at the immigration and transfer security areas. Managerial implications: Our predictive system can produce accurate forecasts frequently and in real time. With these forecasts, an airport’s operating team can make data-driven decisions, identify late passengers, and assist them to make their connections. The airport can also update its resourcing plans based on the prediction of passenger flows. Our predictive system can be generalized to other operations management domains, such as hospitals or theme parks, in which customer flows need to be accurately predicted.

Funding: This work was funded by Eurocontrol (APOC Business Process Reengineering Big Data Study) [Grant 15-220643-AWP6.3.1].

Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2021.0975 .
In-hours acute home visits by advanced nurse practitioners in primary care: a qualitative study
Authors: Wells Alison , Tolhurst Edward
Published: July 2021

Background:

The extension of roles within the primary care team is one approach recommended to address the shortage of GPs in the UK. A key aspect of care that advanced nurse practitioners (ANPs) can undertake is acute home visits.

Aim:

To evaluate the perspectives of ANPs performing acute in-hours home visits in primary care.

Methods:

Qualitative data were gathered in eight semi-structured interviews across a primary care locality, then analysed via a process of thematic analysis.

Findings:

Three key themes were identified: providing holistic care; engaging with the home setting; and negotiating role ambiguity.

Conclusion:

Practices wishing to involve ANPs in acute home visits should ensure clear definition and good understanding of the ANP role. Effective interprofessional relationships should be fostered with appropriate mentorship and clinical supervision to support ANPs in optimising their contribution to acute home visits.
Diagnosis and management of coeliac disease in children
Authors: Paul Siba Prosad , Ranjan Abeeran , Bremner Gillian , Gillett Peter Michael
Published: July 2021

Coeliac disease (CD) is an autoimmune gluten-dependent condition with a prevalence of 1% in the population, if screened. However, approximately only a third of children with CD are diagnosed. When CD is suspected, serological screening with anti-tissue transglutaminase titres should be performed. Children with a positive result should be referred to a specialist in CD for confirmation of the diagnosis. The European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition revised their diagnostic guidance for CD in 2020 and this article discusses the current diagnostic pathways. Lifelong strict adherence to a gluten-free diet is necessary to prevent complications. Nurses and specialist paediatric dietitians have an important role in recognising and diagnosing CD early, as well as offering ongoing dietary and clinical support.
Can PROMIS measures be used to create subgroups for patients seeking orthopaedic care?
Authors: George Steven Z. , Yan Xiaofang , Luo Sheng , Olson Steven A. , Reinke Emily K. , Bolognesi Michael P. , Horn Maggie E.
Published: July 2021

Aims

Patient-reported outcome measures have become an important part of routine care. The aim of this study was to determine if Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measures can be used to create patient subgroups for individuals seeking orthopaedic care.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study of patients from Duke University Department of Orthopaedic Surgery clinics (14 ambulatory and four hospital-based). There were two separate cohorts recruited by convenience sampling (i.e. patients were included in the analysis only if they completed PROMIS measures during a new patient visit). Cohort #1 (n = 12,141; December 2017 to December 2018,) included PROMIS short forms for eight domains (Physical Function, Pain Interference, Pain Intensity, Depression, Anxiety, Sleep Quality, Participation in Social Roles, and Fatigue) and Cohort #2 (n = 4,638; January 2019 to August 2019) included PROMIS Computer Adaptive Testing instruments for four domains (Physical Function, Pain Interference, Depression, and Sleep Quality). Cluster analysis (K-means method) empirically derived subgroups and subgroup differences in clinical and sociodemographic factors were identified with one-way analysis of variance.

Results

Cluster analysis yielded four subgroups with similar clinical characteristics in Cohort #1 and #2. The subgroups were: 1) Normal Function: within normal limits in Physical Function, Pain Interference, Depression, and Sleep Quality; 2) Mild Impairment: mild deficits in Physical Function, Pain Interference, and Sleep Quality but with Depression within normal limits; 3) Impaired Function, Not Distressed: moderate deficits in Physical Function and Pain Interference, but within normal limits for Depression and Sleep Quality; and 4) Impaired Function, Distressed: moderate (Physical Function, Pain Interference, and Sleep Quality) and mild (Depression) deficits.

Conclusion

These findings suggest orthopaedic patient subgroups differing in physical function, pain, and psychosocial distress can be created from as few as four different PROMIS measures. Longitudinal research is necessary to determine whether these subgroups have prognostic validity. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2021;2(7):493–502.
High order optimal anisotropic mesh adaptation using hierarchical elements
Authors: Bois R. , Fortin M , Fortin A. , Couët A
Published: July 2021

Anisotropic mesh adaptation has made spectacular progress in the past few years. The introduction of the notion of a metric, directly linked to the interpolation error, has allowed to control the elongation of elements as well as the discretisation error. This approach is however essentially restricted to linear (P(1)) finite element solutions, though there exists some generalisations. A completely general approach leading to optimal meshes and this, for finite element solution of any degree, is still missing. This is precisely the goal of this work where we show how to estimate the error on a finite element solution of degree k using hierarchical basis for Lagrange finite element polynomials. We then show how to use this information to produce optimal anisotropic meshes in a sense that will be precised.
A finite element for laminar flow of incompressible fluids with inertia effects and thermomechanical coupling
Authors: Heuzé Thomas , Leblond Jean-Baptiste , Bergheau Jean-Michel , Feulvarch Éric
Published: July 2021

The Friction Stir Spot Welding (FSSW) process involves large deformations in the neighborhood of the tool. The simulation of this process has to account for a pasty phase in which the material is stirred, and a phase remaining solid. An Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) approach combined with respectively fluid and solid behaviours in each of those phases may allow to simulate a lot of rotations of the tool into the material while following the boundaries of the sheets. This work focuses on a first stage of this study, the development of a mixed formulation temperature/velocity/pressure of a fluid finite element P1+/P1 in the unsteady case.
Higher-order accurate compact difference solutions for vibration problems of one dimensional continuous systems
Authors: Yahiaoui Mondher
Published: July 2021

In this paper, we present a fourth-order accurate and a seventh-order accurate, one-step compact difference methods. These methods can be used to solve initial or boundaryvalue problems which can be modeled by a first-order linear system of differential equations. It is then shown in detail how these methods can be used to solve vibration problems of onedimensional continuous systems. Natural frequencies of a cantilever beam in transverse vibrations are computed and the results are compared to analytical ones to prove the high accuracy and efficiency of both methods. A comparison was also made to a finite element solution and the results have shown that both compact-difference methods yield more accurate values even with a reduced number of intervals.
Friction-induced vibration and stick-slip waves
Authors: Oueslati Abdelbacet
Published: July 2021

This paper presents a short review and new results about the self-excited responses under the form of stick-slip regimes. First, the Van-der Pol oscillator with one degree of freedom is considered. Then it is shown that it is possible to build semi-analytical and numerical (by the FEM.) solutions of stick-slip-separation waves for a brake-like system. Then, we present new results concerning the mechanical model composed of a rigid half space in frictional sliding with an elastic half-space. The method of solution, based on periodic complex Radoks potentials, is novel and differs from those in literature. Besides, in contrast with many works, we shall consider the longitudinal elongation which plays a crucial rule in the solution procedure. A unique and weakly singular solution is found and satisfies all stick-slip conditions except over a narrow zone at transition points which implies a cracklike behaviour at the stick-slip borders.
A recursive finite element method for computing tyre vibrations
Authors: Duhamel Denis , Erlicher Silvano , Hai Nguyen Hong
Published: July 2021

A numerical method is described for computing tyre vibrations over a large frequency range. It is based on a recursive finite element method for building the dynamic stiffness matrix of a complete tyre from the knowledge of a finite element model of a small part of the structure. The present method is compared to full three-dimensional finite element solutions showing a perfect agreement for low frequencies. However, this method allows computations for medium and high frequencies which are needed for the analysis of noise generated by a tyre. The influence of various parameters on the frequency response functions like the positions where the responses are computed, the mechanical parameters of the tyre or the internal air-pressure are described.
United States Air Force Research Laboratory: introduction to the focus issue
Authors: LeMaster Daniel , Allen Jeffery , Fanto Michael , Guha Shekhar , Grigsby Curt , Pereira Wellesley , Spencer Mark
Published: July 2021

This focus issue on the United States Air Force Research Laboratory
(AFRL) spans the latest trends in imaging and detectors, atmospheric
characterization, laser sources and propagation, optics and optical
assemblies, optical characterization of materials, photonics, optical
processing, and machine learning for applications that cover
everything from stellar interferometry to studying damage to the
plasma membranes of living cells.
Plankton reconstruction through robust statistical optical tomography
Authors: Ronen Roi , Attias Yacov , Schechner Yoav Y. , Jaffe Jules S. , Orenstein Eric
Published: July 2021

Plankton interact with the environment according to their size and three-dimensional (3D) structure. To study them outdoors, these translucent specimens are imaged in situ. Light projects through a specimen in each image. The specimen has a random scale, drawn from the population’s size distribution and random unknown pose. The specimen appears only once before drifting away. We achieve 3D tomography using such a random ensemble to statistically estimate an average volumetric distribution of the plankton type and specimen size. To counter errors due to non-rigid deformations, we weight the data, drawing from advanced models developed for cryo-electron microscopy. The weights convey the confidence in the quality of each datum. This confidence relies on a statistical error model. We demonstrate the approach on live plankton using an underwater field microscope.