bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Second Chance Pell sets the stage for rapid expansion of prison college programs
Authors: D’Orio Wayne
Published: August 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Higher education is in need of some good news. The Supreme Court has struck down affirmative action in college admissions and nixed President Biden's expansive idea to cancel $400 billion of student debt. Polls constantly show the public's faith in the importance of higher education is sliding, and to top it off, an enrollment cliff is imminent.
Know your rights before you discuss your religious beliefs at work
Authors: McCarthy Claudine
Published: August 2023

BOSTON — Although some higher education administrators and faculty members have the desire to express their religious/spiritual beliefs in the workplace, they tend to hesitate to do so because they fear being pigeonholed or thwarted or becoming a source of controversy, and they often misunderstand their legal rights in this area. That's according to Christy Moran Craft, Ph.D., Professor, and Department Chair at Kansas State University, who gave a presentation at the annual conference for National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) — Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.
Spreading the word for veterinary careers
Authors: Paterson Sue , Gray Arabella
Published: August 2023

As she starts her presidential year at the helm of the RCVS, Sue Paterson chats to Arabella Gray about her aspirations for the veterinary profession and what she can bring to the table.
Transferable skills from ECC career led to managing director role in startup business
Authors: Levy‐Hirsch Liron
Published: August 2023

After 12 years working in ECC – something he didn't plan to do – Liron Levy‐Hirsch took on a totally new challenge, concluding that making a career plan is great, but deviating from it can be even more rewarding.
Comparison between two scoring methods to assess tail damage of docked pig carcasses during postmortem inspection in Ireland
Authors: D'Alessio Roberta Maria , McAloon Conor G. , Boyle Laura Ann , Hanlon Alison , O'Driscoll Keelin
Published: August 2023

Background

Tail inspection in the abattoir is a tool to help determine the welfare status of pigs. However, methodologies vary widely. Moreover, meat inspection is moving from palpation and incision towards visual‐only (VIS) examination. This study investigated whether a VIS examination was sufficient to detect tail damage compared to handling (HAND), which ensures examination of all aspects of the tail.

Method

The severity of tail skin damage (0 [undamaged] – 4 [partial/full loss of tail]) and presence/absence of bruises was scored using both methods after scalding/dehairing of 5498 pig carcasses.

Results

There was a good relationship between methods when evaluating tail skin damage (sensitivity, 82.48%; specificity, 99.98%; accuracy, 98.98%; correlation ρ = 0.84). The results were similar for the presence of bruises (sensitivity, 74.98%; specificity, 99.09%; accuracy, 89.94%; correlation ρ = 0.79). However, the percentage of tails classified as undamaged was higher using VIS (69.9%) than HAND (63.55%) examination. Conversely, VIS detected fewer mild lesions (score 1 – 13.64%; score 2 – 11.73%) than HAND (score 1 – 15.21%; score 2 – 15.53%). A higher percentage of bruises was detected using HAND than VIS (37.96% vs. 29.03%).

Conclusions

Visual evaluation is a valid alternative to handling evaluation of carcass tail damage and bruising.
Pediatric otorhinolaryngology surgeries for foreign bodies: A retrospective observational study in Tamale Teaching Hospital
Authors: Alhassan Abdul R. , Iddrisu Mahadi , Abdul‐Karim Nurudeen , Iddrisu Rhubamatu , Baba Mohammed A.
Published: August 2023

Objective

This present study investigated the prevalence, characteristics, and management of ear, nose, and throat (ENT) foreign body (FB) in the pediatric population of Tamale.

Study Design

Retrospective observational study for otorhinolaryngology surgeries from 2019 to 2022 for children aged 17 years and below at Tamale Teaching Hospital.

Methods

A checklist created was used to collect data from the Otorhinolaryngology Surgeries records from 2019 to 2022. Chi‐square and binary logistics regression analysis were done for associations. The level of statistical significance was set at 0.05.

Results

Two hundred and sixty‐three cases were included in this study, and the mean age of the study participants was (4.3 ± 3.8) years with a minimum age of 1 month and a maximum age of 17 years. Most (65.4%) of the study participants were under‐5 years. The prevalence of FB in this study was 47.9%. The majority (54.8%) of the ENT FB incidence was through ingestion. Almost half (50.8%) of the ENT FB was removed through esophagoscopy. Among the foreign bodies, the coin was the most common (44.5%). Those less than 1 year were more likely to encounter FB than those 12 years and above (adust odds ratio [AOR] = 27.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.7–164.6). Again, those of 5 to less than 12 years were more likely to encounter ENT FB than those 12 years and above (AOR = 5.7, 95% CI = 1.2–26.3).

Conclusions

Foreign bodies are a common occurrence in pediatric otorhinolaryngology surgeries in Tamale Teaching Hospital. Younger children are more likely to report for otorhinolaryngology surgeries for FB in Tamale Teaching Hospital.
A semiempirical method optimized for modeling proteins
Authors: Stewart James J. P. , Stewart Anna C.
Published: August 2023

Context

In recent years, semiempirical methods such as PM6, PM6-D3H4, and PM7 have been increasingly used for modeling proteins, in particular enzymes. These methods were designed for more general use, and consequently were not optimized for studying proteins. Because of this, various specific errors have been found that could potentially cast doubt on the validity of these methods for modeling phenomena of biochemical interest such as enzyme catalytic mechanisms and protein-ligand interactions. To correct these and other errors, a new method specifically designed for use in organic and biochemical modeling has been developed.

Methods

Two alterations were made to the procedures used in developing the earlier PMx methods. A minor change was made to the theoretical framework, which affected only the non-quantum theory interatomic interaction function, while the major change involved changing the training set for optimizing parameters, moving the focus to systems of biochemical significance. This involved both the selection of reference data and the weighting factors, i.e., the relative importance that the various data were given. As a result of this change of focus, the accuracy in prediction of heats of formation, hydrogen bonding, and geometric quantities relating to non-covalent interactions in proteins was improved significantly.
Latest advancements in the lubricant simulations of geared systems: a technology ready for industrial applications
Authors: Concli Franco , Mastrone Marco N.
Published: August 2023

Energy efficiency represents an important aspect of mechanical design. Despite their long history, gears still play a determinant role in several applications ranging from the automotive, to the aeronautical sectors. The more and more stringent regulations in terms of efficiency have encouraged the gearbox manufacturers to increase the investments to achieve more efficient designs leading to energy saving, reduction of pollutant emission and increased reliability related to the reduction of the operating temperatures. A decrease of the power losses allows also a downsize and a reduction of the weight of the system, with an increase in the power density and performances. Engineering tools allowing a comparison of different design solutions already during the design stage can pave the way to a real transition to a sustainable future. Most available models are based on empirical relations and dimensional analyses resulting to be accurate only as far as the geometry and operating conditions reflect the ones used to calibrate the models. With the developments in computational performances the research started to focus on numerical approaches. However, while most of the numerical approaches have been proved to be sufficiently accurate to capture the power losses of geared systems, the high computational effort required for their application to real gearboxes is still hurting with the industrial practice. Moreover, new phenomena related to new lubricant (e.g aeration, channeling, circulation) could be not captured/simulated with the standard available models. In this paper the latest advancements to overcome both the computational effort issue and the lack of specific models are shown with practical industrial case studies.
Habitat use across the tidal cycle by black-headed gulls breeding in the Wadden Sea
Authors: van Bemmelen Rob S. A. , Duijns Sjoerd , Govers Laura L. , Fijn Ruben C.
Published: August 2023

Movements of birds foraging in intertidal areas are often strongly linked to the tidal cycle, as water levels determine where and when birds can forage. The strength of this link likely depends on the ability to forage in habitats other than intertidal areas and on constraints imposed by breeding duties. Few studies have focused on the use of intertidal areas by generalists, such as the black-headed gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus, that occupy a wide variety of habitats within and beside intertidal mudflats. We investigated to what degree black-headed gulls (1) use intertidal mudflats versus terrestrial habitats during different phases of the tidal cycle, (2) follow the tidal wave to exploit recently exposed mudflats and (3) whether these behaviours are influenced by central place foraging. For this, 11 black-headed gulls breeding on the Wadden Sea island Griend were tracked during two years using GPS loggers. When commuting to and from Griend, up to 75% of their time was spent in intertidal areas during low and incoming tide, which increased to 92% when not behaving as central place foragers. While their movements were strongly linked to the tidal cycle, they did not follow the tidal wave across the tidal basin during either period. Rather, individuals foraged either predominantly west or east of Griend during low and incoming tide and mostly remained visiting these areas when not behaving as central place foragers. As one of the most abundant species in the Wadden Sea, the extensive use of intertidal mudflats highlights the importance of black-headed gulls within the intertidal food web of the Wadden Sea.
A numerical procedure to estimate seismic fragility of cylindrical ground-supported steel silos containing granular-like material
Authors: Khalil Mohammad , Ruggieri Sergio , Tateo Vito , Nascimbene Roberto , Uva Giuseppina
Published: August 2023

The paper presents a study on the evaluation of seismic fragility of cylindrical ground-supported steel silos intended for storing solid material. Silos are a key facility in industrial processes. For example, cylindrical steel silos constitute the main structural component for several industrial activities, such as the ones aimed at the production of food and beverage, and seismic actions can cause high economic losses and long functionality interruptions. Thus, the main goal of this paper is to propose a numerical procedure aimed to assess the seismic fragility of different cylindrical steel silos, accounting for varying geometries and service conditions (i.e., filling level of granular-like material), and observing different failure modes. In detail, a set of smooth steel silos was selected, considering different geometrical configurations (i.e., varying from squattest to slenderest structures). Different service conditions were simulated, with the aim to observe the behaviour of empty and filled silos (30%, 60%, and 90% of filling degree with respect to the maximum capacity). For each configuration, a detailed numerical model was developed under proper boundary conditions, adequately simulating the shell structure, the solid material inside, and the interactions between them. After validating the numerical models against existing literature data, three different failure modes were identified and assessed, accounting for the most recurrent post-elastic buckling type (i.e., elephant foot) and considering the possible occurrence of the elastic ones (i.e., diamond or similar shape failures at the middle and top of the structures). Both static and dynamic analyses were performed to identify the most probable failure modes and evaluate the probability of exceeding each one. As the output of the proposed approach, the seismic performance of each silo under a specific limit state was provided in the form of fragility curves. The results highlight some novel aspects, starting from the role that service conditions assume in the silos seismic performance up to the possible differences in terms of failure modes for different silos geometrical structural configurations.
Characterization of oxidative stress-induced cgahp, a gene coding for alkyl hydroperoxide reductase, from industrial importance Corynebacterium glutamicum
Authors: Si Meiru , Hu Mengdie , Yang Mingfei , Peng Zhaoxin , Li Donghan , Zhao Yuying
Published: August 2023

Alkyl hydroperoxide reductase (Ahp), comprised of four different subunits AhpC, AhpD, AhpE, and AhpF, is a thiol-based antioxidative enzyme with the ability to protect bacteria against oxidative stress. Functionally, AhpC and AhpE considered as peroxidases directly detoxify peroxides, while AhpD and AhpF as oxidoreductases restore oxidized peroxidases to their reduced form. Corynebacterium glutamicum ncgl0877 encodes a putative Ahp with a unique Cys-Pro-Phe-Cys (C-P-G-C) active-site motif, similar with those of the thiol-disulfide oxidoreductases such as thioredoxin (Trx), mycoredoxin-1 (Mrx1) and AhpD. However, its physiological and biochemical functions remain unknown in C. glutamicum. Here, we report that NCgl0877, designated CgAhp, is involved in the protection against organic peroxide (OP) stress. The cgahp-deleted strain is notably more sensitive to OP stress. The cgahp expression is controlled by a MarR-type transcriptional repressor OasR (organic peroxide- and antibiotic-sensing regulator). The physiological role of CgAhp in resistance to OP stresses is corroborated by its induced expression under stresses. Although CgAhp has a weak peroxidase activity toward OP, it mainly supports the OP-scavenging activity of the thiol-dependent peroxidase preferentially linked to the dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (Lpd)/dihydrolipoamide succinyltransferase (SucB)/NADH system. The C-P-G-C motif of CgAhp is essential to maintain the reductase activity. In conclusion, our study identifies CgAhp, behaving like AhpD, as a key disulfide oxidoreductase involved in the oxidative stress tolerance and the functional electron donor for peroxidase.
Community Violence Exposure and Eating Disorder Symptoms among Belgian, Russian and US Adolescents: Cross-Country and Gender Perspectives
Authors: Isaksson Johan , Isaksson Martina , Stickley Andrew , Vermeiren Robert , Koposov Roman , Schwab-Stone Mary , Ruchkin Vladislav
Published: August 2023

Community violence exposure (CVE) is one of the most common adverse childhood experiences worldwide. Despite this, its potential effect on disordered eating in adolescents from different cultures is underexplored. In the present cross-sectional study, self-reported data were collected from 9751 students (Mean age = 14.27) from Belgium, Russia and the US on CVE (witnessing violence and violence victimization), eating disorder (ED) symptoms (ED thoughts with associated compensatory behaviors), and comorbid symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depression and anxiety. Increased CVE (from no exposure to witnessing to victimization) was associated with more ED symptoms, and the associations remained significant after adjusting for comorbid conditions. The associations were similar for adolescents across the three countries. No gender differences were observed in the association between CVE and ED symptoms, even though girls in general reported more ED symptoms than boys. We conclude that CVE appears to be associated with ED symptoms in three culturally different samples of adolescents.
Effect of flipped classroom learning approach on mathematics achievement and interest among secondary school students
Authors: Egara Felix Oromena , Mosimege Mogege
Published: August 2023

This study aimed at determining the effect of flipped classroom approach on mathematics achievement and interest of students. Given this, a quasi-experimental design was used, specifically non-equivalent pretest-posttest control group design. The study’s population comprised six hundred and seventy-three seniors in class one (SS 1) from Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area in Enugu State. The study’s participants were a sample of 86 learners selected from two schools purposively. Each school had two SS 1 classes, divided into experimental and control groups via balloting. Data were gathered through the instrumentality of the Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) and Mathematics Interest Inventory (MII), which have reliability scores of 0.88 and 0.79, respectively. Prior to and following a six-week course of treatment, each group completed a pretest and posttest. SPSS, a statistical tool for social sciences, was applied to analyse the acquired data. The mean and standard deviation were utilised to report the study’s questions, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was utilised to evaluate the hypotheses at a 0.05 significance level. Results established that learners taught mathematics utilising flipped classroom approach had higher mathematics achievement and interest scores than their peers taught using the conventional approach. Results also revealed that the achievement and interest scores of male and female learners who received mathematics instruction using flipped classroom approach were the same. Considering the findings, recommendations were given, among others, that mathematics teachers should use the flipped classroom approach to assist learners in boosting their achievement and interest in mathematics, especially in geometry.
Equity ownership concentration’s impact on corporate internal control: the moderating effects of female directors and board compensation
Authors: Ong Tze San , Zhou Jing , Teh Boon Heng , Di Vaio Assunta
Published: August 2023

By promoting diversity in equity ownership concentration, strengthening female representation on boards, aligning pay with sustainability goals, and implementing strong internal control processes, companies can integrate sustainable practices into their operations, improve their sustainability performance, and attain long-term environmental and societal health. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between ownership concentration and internal control through the sustainability lens, specifically focusing on the moderating effects of female directors and board compensation. Data from a sample of 1609 A-share listed businesses in Shanghai and Shenzhen between 2012 and 2021 were analyzed. The findings from the fixed effects model revealed the following: ownership concentration negatively affects internal control; the number of female directors positively influences internal control; female directors actively moderate the relationship between ownership concentration and internal control; and board compensation enhances the effectiveness of internal control. These insights provide valuable data for businesses to enhance their internal control systems, appoint key personnel, and advance their sustainability goals. This study suggests that linking board characteristics to corporate internal control can lead to strengthened sustainable objectives. It also incentivizes directors to prioritize and integrate sustainability concerns in their decision-making. Furthermore, by ensuring that compensation reflects sustainability performance, firms can cultivate a sustainability-based culture and drive effective internal controls that support sustainable practices, ultimately contributing to long-term environmental and social well-being.
Differences in both expression and protein activity contribute to the distinct functions of AINTEGUMENTA compared with AINTEGUMENTA-LIKE 5 and AINTEGUMENTA-LIKE 7
Authors: Krizek Beth A. , Iorio Caitlin Boling , Higgins Kevin , Han Han
Published: August 2023

Three members of the Arabidopsis AINTEGUMENTA-LIKE/PLETHORA (AIL/PLT) transcription factor family, AIL5/PLT5, AIL6/PLT3, and AIL7/PLT7, exhibit partially overlapping roles with AINTEGUMENTA (ANT) during flower development. Loss of ANT function alone results in smaller floral organs and female sterility indicating that some ANT functions cannot be provided by these related transcription factors. Previously, we showed that expression of AIL6 at the same levels and spatial pattern as ANT could largely rescue the defects of ant mutants. This suggested that the functional differences between ANT and AIL6 were primarily a consequence of expression differences. Here, we investigated the functional differences between ANT and both AIL5 and AIL7 by expressing these two AILs under the control of the ANT promoter. We found that only ANT:gAIL5 lines with much higher amounts of AIL5 mRNA as compared with ANT could compensate for loss of ANT function. ANT:gAIL7 lines with AIL7 mRNA levels similar to those of ANT were able to rescue some but not all aspects of the ant mutant phenotype. Thus, expression differences alone cannot explain the functional differences between ANT and these two related proteins. Studies in yeast show that AIL5 and AIL7 have lower transcriptional activation activities as compared with ANT and AIL6 when bound to the consensus ANT DNA binding site. Our results suggest that differences in both expression and protein activity contribute to the functional specificity of ANT compared with AIL5 and AIL7.
DNA methylation age acceleration contributes to the development and prediction of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Xia Mingfeng , Li Wenran , Lin Huandong , Zeng Hailuan , Ma Shuai , Wu Qi , Ma Hui , Li Xiaoming , Pan Baishen , Gao Jian , Hu Yu , Liu Yun , Wang Sijia , Gao Xin
Published: August 2023

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is prevalent in the aging society. Despite body weight reduction, the prevalence of NAFLD has been increasing with aging for unknown reasons. Here, we investigate the association of DNA methylation age acceleration, a hallmark of aging, with risk of NAFLD. Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles were measured in 95 participants who developed type 2 diabetes during 4-year follow-up, and 356 randomly sampled participants from Shanghai Changfeng Study. DNA methylation age was calculated using the Horvath’s method, and liver fat content (LFC) was measured using a quantitative ultrasound method. Subjects with highest tertile of DNA methylation age acceleration (≥ 9.5 years) had significantly higher LFC (7.2% vs 3.1%, P = 0.008) but lower body fat percentage (29.7% vs 33.0%, P = 0.032) than those with lowest tertile of DNA methylation age acceleration (< 4.0 years). After adjustment for age, sex, alcohol drinking, cigarette smoking, BMI, waist circumference, and different type blood cell counts, the risk of NAFLD was still significantly increased in the highest tertile group (OR, 4.55; 95% CI, 1.06–19.61). Even in subjects with similar LFC at baseline, DNA methylation age acceleration was associated with higher increase in LFC (4.0 ± 10.7% vs 0.9 ± 9.5%, P = 0.004) after a median of 4-year follow-up. Further analysis found that 6 CpGs of Horvath age predictors were associated with longitudinal changes in LFC after multivariate adjustment and located on genes that might lead to fat redistribution from peripheral adipose to liver. Combination of the key CpG methylation related to liver fat content with conventional risk factors improves the performance for NAFLD prediction.

Graphical Abstract
Long-Term Outcome of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy (LSG) on Weight Loss in Patients with Obesity: a 5-Year and 11-Year Follow-Up Study
Authors: Masry Mohamed Abdul Moneim El , Fiky Mostafa Abdel Megeed El
Published: August 2023

Background

Bariatric surgery is the most efficient treatment for patients with clinically severe obesity who have failed to obtain satisfactory weight loss through lifestyle modification and medical treatments. This study aimed to present our long-term laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) efficacy in terms of weight loss and obesity-related complications resolution.

Patients and Methods

This is a retrospective study that was based on prospectively collected data from patients undergoing LSG by the same surgeon from July 2011 to the end of August 2022. The LSG-associated short-term (at 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively) and long-term (at 5 years and 11 years postoperatively) weight loss, and the short-term (6 months postoperatively) and long-term (5 and 11 years postoperatively) rates of obesity-related complications were assessed.

Results

This study included 892 patients who underwent LSG over 11 years. At the 1-year follow-up, data on 860 patients were available, while at the 5-year and 11-year follow-ups, data on 193 patients and 48 patients, respectively, were available. The mean EBWL% was 84.57 ± 18.41%, 64.22 ± 15.53%, and 66.01 ± 8.66% at the 1-year, 5-year, and 11-year follow-ups, respectively.

Conclusion

This study adds new evidence concerning the short-term efficacy of LSG. The long-term assessment showed relatively sustainable weight loss and obesity-related complications resolution, with a regression of the short-term gains that was still far from the baseline burden.

Graphical Abstract
Emergency department crowding increases 10-day mortality for non-critical patients: a retrospective observational study
Authors: Eidstø Anna , Ylä-Mattila Jari , Tuominen Jalmari , Huhtala Heini , Palomäki Ari , Koivistoinen Teemu
Published: August 2023

The current evidence suggests that higher levels of crowding in the Emergency Department (ED) have a negative impact on patient outcomes, including mortality. However, only limited data are available about the association between crowding and mortality, especially for patients discharged from the ED. The primary objective of this study was to establish the association between ED crowding and overall 10-day mortality for non-critical patients. The secondary objective was to perform a subgroup analysis of mortality risk separately for both admitted and discharged patients. An observational single-centre retrospective study was conducted in the Tampere University Hospital ED from January 2018 to February 2020. The ED Occupancy Ratio (EDOR) was used to describe the level of crowding and it was calculated both at patient’s arrival and at the maximum point during the stay in the ED. Age, gender, Emergency Medical Service transport, triage acuity, and shift were considered as confounding factors in the analyses. A total of 103,196 ED visits were included. The overall 10-day mortality rate was 1.0% (n = 1022). After controlling for confounding factors, the highest quartile of crowding was identified as an independent risk factor for 10-day mortality. The results were essentially similar whether using the EDOR at arrival (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.07–1.61, p = 0.009) or the maximum EDOR (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.04–1.56, p = 0.020). A more precise, mortality-associated threshold of crowding was identified at EDOR 0.9. The subgroup analysis did not yield any statistically significant findings. The risk for 10-day mortality increased among non-critical ED patients treated during the highest EDOR quartile.
Survival with primary lung cancer in Northern Ireland: 1991–1992
Authors: MacKenzie Gilbert
Published: August 2023

Lung cancer is a major cause of death in Western countries, but survival had never been studied in Northern Ireland (NI) on a population basis prior to this study.

Aims

The primary aims were to describe the survival of patients with primary lung cancer, evaluate the effect of treatment, identify patient characteristics influencing survival and treatment and describe current trends in survival.

Methods

A population-based study identified all incident cases of primary lung cancer in NI during 1991–2 and followed them for 21 months. Their clinical notes were traced and relevant details abstracted. Survival status was monitored via the Registrar General’s Office, and ascertainment is thought to be near-complete. Appropriate statistical methods were used to analyse the survival data.

Results

Some 855 incident cases were studied. Their 1-year survival was 24.5% with a median survival time of 4.7 months. Surgical patients had the best 1-year survival, 76.8%; however, adjustment suggested that about half of the benefit could be attributed to case-mix factors. Factors influencing treatment allocation were also identified, and a screening test showed the discordance between ‘model’ and ‘medic’: 210 patients were misclassified. Finally, the current trend in 1-year survival observed in the Republic of Ireland was best in the British Isles.

Conclusions

Overall, survival remains poor. The better survival of surgical patients is due, in part, to their superior case-mix profiles. Survival with other therapies is less good suggesting that the criteria for treatment might be relaxed with advantage using a treatment model to aid decision-making.
Monitoring temporal changes in coastal mangroves to understand the impacts of climate change: Red Sea, Egypt
Authors: Moustafa Abdelraouf A , Abdelfath Amira , Arnous Mohamed O. , Afifi Ayman M , Guerriero Giulia , Green David R.
Published: August 2023

This paper focuses on the current state of mangroves in Egypt, analyses how climate change is affecting mangrove forests and suggests a conservation strategy to safeguard this valuable maritime resource. Mangroves in Egypt are primarily found in regions around the Red Sea, making them popular for ecotourism across the globe. A crucial breeding and feeding ground for many commercial fishery species, mangroves are a maritime habitat that is both economically and environmentally significant and a variety of living things call them home. Mangroves are one of the most threatened tropical and subtropical ecoregions in the world. These threats come from both natural and human sources, including oil spills, human waste runoff, herbicide use, and coastal development, all of which have the potential to harm the environment. Mangrove habitats are immediately impacted by salinity changes and rising sea levels brought on by climate change. This is unfortunate as mangroves are one of the most important global carbon sinks, and their loss due to climate change may accelerate sea level rise and ocean acidification, which will cause the extinction of numerous commercial fish species. A conservation strategy should be implemented to safeguard the mangroves around the Egyptian Red Sea by using mitigation techniques, creating marine protected zones near the mangroves, and consulting the owners of the mangrove stalks. Analysis of multi-temporal satellite imagery is one of the most significant methods to assist decision-makers and environmental planners in obtaining high-precision information about environmental and climatic changes. Analysis of satellite imagery is a valuable way to detect, monitor, assess and map the environmental, human, and natural activities that are threatening the growth of the mangrove forest ecosystem. Change detection analyses using satellite imagery were conducted to evaluate the effects of rapid coastal sustainable development, including human urban and tourism activities; the decline and destruction of large areas of the mangrove forest for animal feeding along camel trade roads; and the threat of natural impacts such as flash flooding, coastal and soil erosion or human impacts such as established desalination plants and other human activities along the coastal zone of the Egyptian Red Sea.
Inhibition of high level E2F in a RB1 proficient MYCN overexpressing chicken retinoblastoma model normalizes neoplastic behaviour
Authors: Zhang Hanzhao , Konjusha Dardan , Rafati Nima , Tararuk Tatsiana , Hallböök Finn
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Retinoblastoma, a childhood cancer, is most frequently caused by bi-allelic inactivation of RB1 gene. However, other oncogenic mutations such as MYCN amplification can induce retinoblastoma with proficient RB1. Previously, we established RB1-proficient MYCN-overexpressing retinoblastoma models both in human organoids and chicken. Here, we investigate the regulatory events in MYCN-induced retinoblastoma carcinogenesis based on the model in chicken.

Methods

MYCN transformed retinal cells in culture were obtained from in vivo MYCN electroporated chicken embryo retina. The expression profiles were analysed by RNA sequencing. Chemical treatments, qRT-PCR, flow cytometry, immunohisto- and immunocytochemistry and western blot were applied to study the properties and function of these cells.

Results

The expression profile of MYCN-transformed retinal cells in culture showed cone photoreceptor progenitor signature and robustly increased levels of E2Fs. This expression profile was consistently observed in long-term culture. Chemical treatments confirmed RB1 proficiency in these cells. The cells were insensitive to p53 activation but inhibition of E2f efficiently induced cell cycle arrest followed by apoptosis.

Conclusion

In conclusion, with proficient RB1, MYCN-induced high level of E2F expression dysregulates the cell cycle and contributes to retinoblastoma carcinogenesis. The increased level of E2f renders the cells to adopt a similar mechanistic phenotype to a RB1-deficient tumour.
Erich Auerbach und die DVjs: Eine Beziehungsgeschichte (1925–1951)
Authors: Dubbels Elke
Published: August 2023

Der Beitrag untersucht die Geschichte der Beziehung Erich Auerbachs zur DVjs, in der sich Wissenschaft und Politik kreuzen. Auerbach hat der DVjs eine wichtige Bedeutung in der frühen Phase seiner Karriere beigemessen und speziell zu Rothacker ein besonderes Verhältnis aufgebaut. Dies geht aus seinen Briefen an die Herausgeber der Zeitschrift hervor, die im Zentrum der Untersuchung stehen. Als Rothacker anfing, für den Nationalsozialismus Partei zu ergreifen, kehrte Auerbach der DVjs den Rücken. Nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg gehörte er dann zu den emigrierten Wissenschaftler*innen, um deren Mitarbeit die Zeitschrift warb. Die Auswirkungen der politischen Umbrüche 1933/45 auf die DVjs lassen sich an der Beziehung, in der Auerbach zu ihr stand, exemplarisch vor Augen führen.
Interplay of transport vesicles during plant-fungal pathogen interaction
Authors: Abubakar Yakubu Saddeeq , Sadiq Idris Zubair , Aarti Aarti , Wang Zonghua , Zheng Wenhui
Published: August 2023

Vesicle trafficking is an essential cellular process upon which many physiological processes of eukaryotic cells rely. It is usually the ‘language’ of communication among the components of the endomembrane system within a cell, between cells and between a cell and its external environment. Generally, cells have the potential to internalize membrane-bound vesicles from external sources by endocytosis. Plants constantly interact with both mutualistic and pathogenic microbes. A large part of this interaction involves the exchange of transport vesicles between the plant cells and the microbes. Usually, in a pathogenic interaction, the pathogen releases vesicles containing bioactive molecules that can modulate the host immunity when absorbed by the host cells. In response to this attack, the host cells similarly mobilize some vesicles containing pathogenesis-related compounds to the pathogen infection site to destroy the pathogen, prevent it from penetrating the host cell or annul its influence. In fact, vesicle trafficking is involved in nearly all the strategies of phytopathogen attack subsequent plant immune responses. However, this field of plant-pathogen interaction is still at its infancy when narrowed down to plant-fungal pathogen interaction in relation to exchange of transport vesicles. Herein, we summarized some recent and novel findings unveiling the involvement of transport vesicles as a crosstalk in plant-fungal phytopathogen interaction, discussed their significance and identified some knowledge gaps to direct future research in the field. The roles of vesicles trafficking in the development of both organisms are also established.
Presentation attack detection: an analysis of spoofing in the wild (SiW) dataset using deep learning models
Authors: Thapa Niraj , Chaudhari Meenal , Roy Kaushik
Published: August 2023

Presentation attacks are executed to attain illegitimate access to the system. They are categorized by their mode of action as a print attack, replay attack, and spoof attack, and by their media of action as iris, biometrics, fingerprint, and face. Though there has been a rise in computational algorithms and models to detect presentation attack, generalization across different datasets remain an essential aspect of performance measure. In this paper, we present presentation attack detection (PAD) and presentation attack types of classification (PATC) models based on convolutional neural networks (CNN). We utilize the different attacks presented on the Spoofing in the wild (SiW) dataset to build these models. The PAD-CNN model is developed with a minimal footprint to optimize training time. High-performing models such as Mobilenet and Inceptionv3 are also used in this research work. In this study, we perform an independent test on images extracted from videos of both seen and unseen subjects. Overall, PAD-CNN performed better or on par with Mobilenet and Inceptionv3, even with less training time. Furthermore, these models were also trained to classify the types of presentation attacks with good results. The benchmarking of these models were done on two different datasets, NUAA photo imposter database and Replay-attack database utilizing transfer learning. Together, these results suggest the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed presentation attack detection models based on CNN on the SiW dataset.
Hyperactivity of platelets and increased megakaryopoiesis in COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome
Authors: Wang Lingna , Liu Huicong , Liu Jiaqing , Yuan Haitao , Wu Chen , Li Xiyang , Xu Kaikai , Hong Jiang , Wu Guoyan , Zhu Fangfang
Published: August 2023

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2-induced Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused an overwhelming influence on public health because of its high morbidity and mortality. Critical-illness cases often manifest as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Previous evidence has suggested platelets and thrombotic events as key mediators of SARS-CoV-2-associated ARDS. However, how the balance of platelet regeneration from the hematopoietic system is changed in ARDS remains elusive. Here, we reported a more severe inflammation condition and hyperactivity of platelets in COVID-19 ARDS patients compared with those infected but without ARDS. Analysis of peripheral blood revealed an increased proportion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), common myeloid progenitors (CMPs), megakaryocyte-erythrocyte progenitors (MEPs), and megakaryocyte progenitors (MkPs) in ARDS patients, suggesting a megakaryocytic-differentiation tendency. Finally, we found altered gene expression pattern in HSCs in COVID-19 ARDS patients. Surprisingly, genes representing platelet-primed HSCs were downregulated, indicating these cells are being stimulated to differentiate. Taken together, our findings shed light on the response of the hematopoietic system to replenish platelets that were excessively consumed in COVID-19 ARDS, providing a mechanism for disease progression and further therapeutic development.

Graphical Abstract
Shunning from the Jehovah’s Witness Community: Is It Legal?
Authors: Grendele Windy A. , Flax Maya , Bapir-Tardy Savin
Published: August 2023

Drawing on a qualitative study conducted with both individuals who have been shunned from the Jehovah’s Witnesses community and those who were in a position to shun others, the authors identify areas of development within the Serious Crime Act 2015 and propose that there is scope to interpret the law broadly to include instances of people shunned from the Jehovah’s Witnesses community.
Campus food service users’ support for nudge strategies for fruit and vegetable-rich items: findings from a large Canadian national sample
Authors: Yi Sunghwan , Kanetkar Vinay , Brauer Paula
Published: August 2023

Although customer support is critical to the wider uptake of nudging strategies to promote fruits and vegetables (FV) in institutional food service (FS) settings, empirical research is sparse and typically based on small convenience samples. An online survey was conducted to assess support, perceived effectiveness and intrusiveness of nine nudge types drawn from Münscher et al.'s Taxonomy of Choice Architecture. We focused on the setting of campus FSs across Canada. A national sample of post-secondary students regularly using campus FSs was used (N 1057). Support for changing the range of options (B3) was the highest, closely followed by changing option-related effort (B2) and changing option-related consequences (B4). Facilitating commitment (C2), changing default (B1) and providing a social reference point (A3) received lowest support. Furthermore, we extracted three clusters of respondents based on perceived effectiveness and intrusiveness of nudge types. Characterised by a relatively low level of perceived effectiveness and moderately high level of intrusiveness, Cluster 1 (61⋅7 % of the sample) reported the lowest support for nudges. Cluster 2 (26⋅6 %), characterised by intermediate effectiveness and low intrusiveness of nudging, reported a high level of support for nudges. Lastly, Cluster 3 (11⋅7 %), characterised by high perceived effectiveness of as well as high perceived intrusiveness, reported the highest level of support for nudges. Findings confirm overall support for FV nudging, with significant differences across nudge types. Differences in customers’ acceptance and perception across nudge types offer campus FS operators initial priors in selecting nudges to promote FV.
Justice in the Vernacular: An Anthropological Critique of Commensuration
Authors: Goodale Mark
Published: August 2023

This article examines the far-reaching implications of Sally Engle Merry’s seminal multi-sited research on human rights measurement and monitoring. As she argued, human rights indicators, which form the basis for measurement, depend upon a highly elaborate, and largely obscured, process of commensuration. Through commensuration, complex social, legal, and economic phenomena are treated as variables that can be measured using statistical procedures that flatten the underlying complexities. Commensuration, in this sense, takes place at all levels: local, subnational, national, and international. At each stage, the process of “measuring justice” through commensuration has the paradoxical effect of becoming more precise as variables become more detached from the nuances of everyday conflicts. In Merry’s analysis, the global “seductions of quantification” reinforce the dominance of commensurability as an ideology of both scientific validity and social change. Drawing on both Merry’s work and wider comparative research in the anthropology of human rights and justice, this contribution to the symposium argues that the anthropological critique of commensuration carries important lessons for the meanings of “justice” more generally. How can justice be measured at a global level if, as Merry’s research shows, the underlying factors that supposedly reflect injustice are highly specific, contingent, and, most importantly, incommensurable? As a potential way out of this dilemma, the article explores the possibilities of conceptualizing “justice” in the vernacular, an approach grounded in local cultural and ethical realities.
Constitutionalism with Adjectives: Conceptual Innovation in the Comparative Study of Law
Authors: Kapiszewski Diana , Groen Deborah , Newman Katja
Published: August 2023

The latter half of the twentieth century and the early twenty-first century witnessed a global wave of constitution writing. Scholarly examination of these new charters found that most embodied liberalism and democracy. Additional study, however, found that textual convergence among these “higher law constitutions” belied important heterogeneity in constitutionalism—that is, in the principles underlying these charters and associated attitudes and behaviors. Scholars adopted several conceptual strategies to accommodate this variation, including attaching adjectives to constitutionalism (for example, “globalizing constitutionalism” and “abusive constitutionalism”). This article analyzes this conceptual innovation, drawing on an original dataset of all mentions of the word “constitutionalism” paired with a qualifying adjective found in the title/abstract of articles or in the title/first substantive page of books/dissertations, written in English, published between 1945 and 2019 and referenced on the Internet. We identified 1,621 “adjective-constitutionalism combinations,” including 564 unique combinations, suggesting both extraordinary empirical variation and little coordination among scholars with regard to conceptualization. Moreover, scholars’ conceptualizations of constitutionalism rarely reference equality, justice, or state responsibility for pursuing those ideals, despite these values being logical extensions of higher law constitutions’ core precepts; indeed, some conceptualizations even reflected illiberal or rights-limiting principles of governance. These findings raise the specter of a disconnect between constitutions and constitutionalism that we hope future studies will examine.
Good Debtor, Good Worker: Wage Garnishment in the Rise of Consumer Credit
Authors: Hyman Louis
Published: August 2023

Understanding the history of consumer debt in the twentieth century seems simple enough: market making. Debt has existed as long as civilization, but it was only in the last century that our petty debts became big business, and that was made possible by making markets for consumer debts akin to those of businesses and governments.
A Dynamic Perspective on Job Knowledge Characteristics during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Li Jiping , Zhang Lida L. , Mao Kaixian
Published: August 2023

Job knowledge characteristics have long been regarded as relatively fixed. However, this may no longer be the case given the dynamic and complex situations faced by employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the basis of event system theory and the work design literature, we argue that the onset of COVID-19 created an immediate decrease in job knowledge characteristics, which gradually increased over time in the post-onset period because of employees’ coping with the pandemic. The rate of increase in job knowledge characteristics is higher for those with higher individual task adaptivity than for others. We further argue that changes in job knowledge characteristics produced changes in job stress, and that this effect is weakened by job security. We conducted a 6-month, 6-wave longitudinal survey to gather data from 235 employees in Macau, China covering the pre-onset, onset, and post-onset periods of the COVID-19 outbreak. The results, based on discontinuous growth modeling and latent change score modeling, support our arguments. Our study advances the dynamic view of work design by identifying how a macro event may shape job knowledge characteristics and the implications of a time-to-time change in job knowledge characteristics. Overall, we suggest that there are psychological costs when employees cope at work with the business interruptions caused by COVID-19.