bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Soluble vascular endothelial glycocalyx proteoglycans as potential therapeutic targets in inflammatory diseases
Authors: Kunnathattil Maneesha , Rahul Pedapudi , Skaria Tom
Published: November 2023

Reducing the activity of cytokines and leukocyte extravasation is an emerging therapeutic strategy to limit tissue‐damaging inflammatory responses and restore immune homeostasis in inflammatory diseases. Proteoglycans embedded in the vascular endothelial glycocalyx, which regulate the activity of cytokines to restrict the inflammatory response in physiological conditions, are proteolytically cleaved in inflammatory diseases. Here we critically review the potential of proteolytically shed, soluble vascular endothelial glycocalyx proteoglycans to modulate pathological inflammatory responses. Soluble forms of the proteoglycans syndecan‐1, syndecan‐3 and biglycan exert beneficial anti‐inflammatory effects by the removal of chemokines, suppression of proinflammatory cytokine expression and leukocyte migration, and induction of autophagy of proinflammatory M1 macrophages. By contrast, soluble versikine and decorin enhance proinflammatory responses by increasing inflammatory cytokine synthesis and leukocyte migration. Endogenous syndecan‐2 and mimecan exert proinflammatory effects, syndecan‐4 and perlecan mediate beneficial anti‐inflammatory effects and glypican regulates Hh and Wnt signaling pathways involved in systemic inflammatory responses. Taken together, targeting the vascular endothelial glycocalyx–derived, soluble syndecan‐1, syndecan‐2, syndecan‐3, syndecan‐4, biglycan, versikine, mimecan, perlecan, glypican and decorin might be a potential therapeutic strategy to suppress overstimulated cytokine and leukocyte responses in inflammatory diseases.
New sights of low dose IL‐2: Restoration of immune homeostasis for viral infection
Authors: Su Rui , Zhang Tingting , Wang Hui , Yan Gaofei , Wu Ruihe , Zhang Xin , Gao Chong , Li Xiaofeng , Wang Caihong
Published: November 2023

Viral infection poses a significant threat to human health. In addition to the damage caused by viral replication, the immune response it triggers often leads to more serious adverse consequences. After the occurrence of viral infection, in addition to the adverse consequences of infection, chronic infections can also lead to virus‐related autoimmune diseases and tumours. At the same time, the immune response triggered by viral infection is complex, and dysregulated immune response may lead to the occurrence of immune pathology and macrophage activation syndrome. In addition, it may cause secondary immune suppression, especially in patients with compromised immune system, which could lead to the occurrence of secondary infections by other pathogens. This can often result in more severe clinical outcomes. Therefore, regarding the treatment of viral infections, restoring the balance of the immune system is crucial in addition to specific antiviral medications. In recent years, scientists have made an interesting finding that low dose IL‐2 (ld‐IL‐2) could potentially have a crucial function in regulating the immune system and reducing the chances of infection, especially viral infection. Ld‐IL‐2 exerts immune regulatory effects in different types of viral infections by modulating CD4+T subsets, CD8+T cells, natural killer cells, and so on. Our review summarised the role of IL‐2 or IL‐2 complexes in viral infections. Ld‐IL‐2 may be an effective strategy for enhancing host antiviral immunity and preventing infection from becoming chronic; additionally, the appropriate use of it can help prevent excessive inflammatory response after infection. In the long term, it may reduce the occurrence of infection‐related autoimmune diseases and tumours by promoting the restoration of early immune homeostasis. Furthermore, we have also summarised the application of ld‐IL‐2 in the context of autoimmune diseases combined with viral infections; it may be a safe and effective strategy for restoring immune homeostasis without compromising the antiviral immune response. In conclusion, focusing on the role of ld‐IL‐2 in viral infections may provide a new perspective for regulating immune responses following viral infections and improving prognosis.
Radiofrequency ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation in a patient with situs inversus totalis and interrupted inferior vena cava
Authors: Zou Fengwei , Flomenbaum David , Chowdhuri Nilarun , Grupposo Vito , Di Biase Luigi , Zhang Xiaodong
Published: November 2023

Introduction

Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) has emerged as the most effective therapy. However, rare anatomical abnormalities such as situs inversus totalis, dextrocardia, or interrupted inferior vena cava can make ablation challenging.

Methods and Results

We report a case of a 55‐year‐old woman with situs inversus totalis, dextrocardia, surgical atrial septal defect repair, left‐sided dual chamber pacemaker in place, and symptomatic recurrent persistent AF who underwent successful pulmonary vein and posterior wall isolation by the superior access from the left internal jugular vein.

Conclusions

It is a feasible and safe approach with support of transesophageal echocardiography and multiple emerging technologies.
The association between alcohol drinking and glycemic management among people with type 2 diabetes in China
Authors: Ye Qing , Ouyang Xiaojun , Qin Zhenzhen , Chen Yijia , Zhang Xuening , Liu Ye , Lou Qinglin , Xu Fei
Published: November 2023

Introduction

To investigate the association between alcohol drinking and glycemic management among adult patients with type 2 diabetes in regional China.

Materials and Methods

In this cross‐sectional survey conducted in Nanjing Municipality of China in 2018, adult type 2 diabetes patients were randomly selected from urban and rural communities. The outcome variable was the glycemic management status. The explanatory measure was alcohol drinking. Mixed‐effects regression models were employed to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for examining the associations of alcohol drinking with glycemic management among type 2 diabetes patients.

Results

Among the overall 5,663 participants, the glycemic management rate was 39.8% (95% CI = 38.5, 41.1), with 41.2% (95% CI = 39.7, 42.7), 43.9% (95% CI = 38.9, 48.8), and 34.1% (95% CI = 31.5, 36.7) for non‐drinkers, mild/moderate drinkers, and heavy drinkers, respectively. After adjustment for potential confounders and community‐level clustering effect, heavy and mild/moderate alcohol drinkers were at 0.76 (95% CI = 0.66, 0.89) and 1.04 (95% CI = 0.87, 1.28) times odds to have glycemia under control than non‐drinkers among the overall participants. Furthermore, when stratified separately by gender and use of anti‐diabetes agents, the scenario within men, either regular or irregular users of anti‐diabetes agents was the same as that for overall participants, while the association between alcohol drinking and glycemic management became non‐significant among women.

Conclusions

Heavy alcohol drinking might have a negative effect on glycemic management among patients with type 2 diabetes irrespective of the use of anti‐diabetes agents in regional China. This study has important public health implications regarding precision intervention on patients' glycemia control for type 2 diabetes management.
The effects of pesticides on tomato pollinators depend on application practices and floral visitor assemblage
Authors: Franceschinelli Edivani Villaron , Bergamini Leonardo Lima , Paniago Luiz Gustavo Fraga Rosa , Marcelo Vanessa Gonzaga , Madureira de Assis Igor , Cardoso Melissa Duarte Tavares , de Melo e Silva‐Neto Carlos , Brito Pedro Vale de Azevedo , Carvalheiro Luísa Gigante
Published: November 2023

Pesticide use affects biodiversity and ecosystem service provision. Yet, such effects may vary between pesticides, dosage, application timing and pollinator assemblage in the study area. Understanding such diversity of effects is essential to enable integrated pest management practices that minimize negative impacts on pollinators. Here, we use a controlled experiment to compare different strategies of pesticide application in tomato crops: no application, low‐intensity applications (every 7 days) and high‐intensity application (every 3–4 days) with the last being the usual practice used by farmers in the study region. We focus on imidacloprid that is a neonicotinoid insecticide commonly used in Brazil. We show the negative effects of imidacloprid on the pollinator visitation rate of tomato flowers varied between flower visitor species. While the bee Paratrigona lineata was negatively affected by the imidacloprid application, no effects were detected when analysing all other bees as a group, indicating a null net effect. Although some studies have shown this insecticide is extremely harmful to bees' health, others showed that some bees do not avoid it, which may explain our results. However, the visitation rate recovery for P. lineata was only detected in the less than the more intensive treatment after imidacloprid applications ceased. The fact that no differences in fruit production were detected between treatments (including control blocks) could result from a null net effect of the negative effects on pollinators and positive effects on pest control. Further studies would be needed to disentangle the two effects.
Comparison of the characteristics of the CF‐H290I and PCF‐Q260JI colonoscopes in non‐sedated patients with a history of abdominal or pelvic surgery: a randomized controlled study
Authors: Chen Xujin , Zhu Xianlan , Wei Bingni , Ji Lin , Yang Cheng , Zhan Qiang
Published: November 2023

Background and Aim

The purpose of this randomized controlled study was to compare the characteristics of the CF‐H290I (high‐definition) colonoscope with those of the PCF‐Q260JI (high‐resolution) colonoscope in non‐sedated patients with a history of abdominal or pelvic surgery in an effort to help endoscopists to select more effectively and objectively between the various colonoscopes.

Methods

A total of 397 patients who underwent colonoscopy at the Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, between August 2022 and October 2022 were randomized to a CF‐H290I group (n = 198) or a PCF‐Q260JI group (n = 199) using a computer‐generated allocation method. We compared the adenoma detection rate (ADR), patient satisfaction with the examination, discomfort associated with colonoscopy including abdominal distension and pain, cecal intubation time, and patient willingness to undergo colonoscopy in the future between the CF‐H290I and PCF‐Q260JI groups.

Results

There was no statistically significant difference in the overall ADR between the CF‐H290I and PCF‐Q260JI groups (81 [40.9%] vs 63 [31.7%], Z = 3.674, P = 0.055). However, the ADRs in the transverse colon and left colon were significantly higher in the CF‐H290I group (22 [11.1%] vs 6 [3.0%], Z = 9.588, P = 0.002 and 57 [28.8%] vs 37 [18.6%], Z = 5.212, P = 0.017, respectively). More sessile serrated lesions were detected in the CF‐H290I group (52 [26.3] vs 30 [15.1%], Z = 7.579, P = 0.006). Patient satisfaction with colonoscopy was better in the PCF‐Q260JI group (8.91 ± 1.09 vs 8.51 ± 1.44, t = −3.158, P < 0.01) with less likelihood of discomfort (23 [11.6%] vs 41 [20.7%], Z = 6.144, P = 0.013), The number of patients willing to undergo colonoscopy in the future was significantly greater in the PCF‐Q260JI group (168 [84.4%] vs 149 [75.3%], Z = 5.186, P = 0.023). The cecal intubation time was significantly shorter in the CF‐H290I group (256.09 ± 155.70 s vs 315.64 ± 171.64 s, P = 0.004). There were no complications such as perforation or bleeding in either group.

Conclusion

The CF‐H290I and PCF‐Q260JI colonoscopes each have advantages when used in patients with a history of abdominal or pelvic surgery. The CF‐H290I has higher ADRs in the transverse and left colon whereas the PCF‐Q260JI is less painful and better accepted by patients. This study was approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Wuxi People's Hospital and was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200063092).
Analysis of the suitable thawing endpoint of the frozen chicken breast using video recording analysis, shear force, and bioelectrical impedance measurement
Authors: Feng Yanqiu , Zhu Xinyao , Wang Peng , Xu Xinglian , Xiao Qian , Liu Xuan , Zeng Xianming , Zhao Tinghui
Published: November 2023

This study focuses on analyzing the texture properties and bioelectrical impedance characteristics of frozen chicken breasts during low‐temperature thawing, meanwhile, we also compared the differences in physiochemical properties. Frozen chicken breasts were thawed at 4 ± 2°C for 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 h separately, then the physiochemical properties (color, pH, water‐holding capacity, water distribution), the texture properties (easy‐to‐cut level), and the bioelectrical impedance were determined and analyzed. The easy‐to‐cut level of the samples was evaluated by the sensory panel and two indexes, one is Warner‐Bratzler shear force measured by texture analysis machine, and the other is cutting speed value calculated by the consumer‐oriented cutting behavior analysis using frame‐by‐frame video recording analysis method. These two methods were used to characterize the easy‐to‐cut level of the frozen samples during thawing from the industrial processing and home cooking standpoint. Strong correlations were observed between the easy‐to‐cut level and the bioelectrical impedance of the frozen chicken breasts during thawing. The impedance magnitude at 100 kHz showed a high correlation coefficient (R2 = .9417) with Warner‐Bratzler shear force, and the impedance magnitude at 50 Hz showed a high correlation coefficient (R2 = .8658) with cutting speed. Our results indicated the acceptability of using bioelectrical impedance to evaluate the easy‐to‐cut thawing endpoint for both industry processing and home cooking.
What does ‘belongingness’ mean in relation to diverse medical student groups?
Authors: Kirtchuk David
Published: November 2023

Kitchuk comments on ways in which identity threats and identity safety impact ‘belongingness’ for diverse students, highlighting that there remains need to further explore what is meant by belonging and the effects this has on students.
The LysR‐type transcription factor LsrB regulates beta‐lactam resistance in Agrobacterium tumefaciens
Authors: Schmidt Janka J. , Remme Donata C. L. E. , Eisfeld Jessica , Brandenburg Vivian B. , Bille Hannah , Narberhaus Franz
Published: November 2023

Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a plant pathogen, broadly known as the causal agent of the crown gall disease. The soil bacterium is naturally resistant to beta‐lactam antibiotics by utilizing the inducible beta‐lactamase AmpC. Our picture on the condition‐dependent regulation of ampC expression is incomplete. A known regulator is AmpR controlling the transcription of ampC in response to unrecycled muropeptides as a signal for cell wall stress. In our study, we uncovered the global transcriptional regulator LsrB as a critical player acting upstream of AmpR. Deletion of lsrB led to severe ampicillin and penicillin sensitivity, which could be restored to wild‐type levels by lsrB complementation. By transcriptome profiling via RNA‐Seq and qRT‐PCR and by electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we show that ampD coding for an anhydroamidase involved in peptidoglycan recycling is under direct negative control by LsrB. Controlling AmpD levels by the LysR‐type regulator in turn impacts the cytoplasmic concentration of cell wall degradation products and thereby the AmpR‐mediated regulation of ampC. Our results substantially expand the existing model of inducible beta‐lactam resistance in A. tumefaciens by establishing LsrB as higher‐level transcriptional regulator.
Autonomic and cytokine mechanisms of acute electroacupuncture in a rodent model of functional dyspepsia
Authors: Zhang Sujuan , Liu Yi , Li Shiying , Ye Feng , Yin Jieyun
Published: November 2023

Background

Cytokines have been presumed to play an important role in the pathophysiology of functional dyspepsia (FD). Electroacupuncture (EA) has been used for FD treatment; however, its mechanisms remain largely unknown. This study aimed to (1) compare the plasma levels of cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, interleukin (IL)‐1β, IL‐6, and IL‐10, in “FD” rats with normal control rats; (2) investigate whether EA, using chronically implanted electrodes, could inhibit the release of these cytokines; and (3) explore the correlation of cytokine levels with plasma norepinephrine (NE) levels and gastric emptying (GE).

Methods

A rodent model of FD was established via neonatal treatment with intragastric iodoacetamide. After 8 weeks, the rats were implanted with electrodes at acupoint ST36 for EA. The plasma levels of cytokines and NE were measured using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. We explored the correlations of cytokine levels with NE levels and GE.

Key Results

(i) “FD” rats demonstrated increased levels of TNF‐α, IL‐1β, and IL‐6 (p < 0.05 each) compared with the control rats. (ii) EA significantly decreased the plasma levels of TNF‐α, IL‐1β, and IL‐6 in “FD” rats (p < 0.05 each) compared with sham EA. (iii) The plasma levels of NE were positively correlated with those of IL‐6 (r = 0.86, p < 0.05) and IL‐1β (r = 0.81, p < 0.05), whereas NE levels and GE were negatively correlated with IL‐10 levels (r = −0.870, p < 0.05 and r = −0.791, p < 0.05, respectively).

Conclusions

EA inhibits the release of proinflammatory cytokines probably via the suppression of sympathetic activity in “FD” rats.
Auxin homeostasis is maintained by sly‐miR167‐SlARF8A/B‐SlGH3.4 feedback module in the development of locular and placental tissues of tomato fruits
Authors: Hua Bing , Wu Junqing , Han Xiaoqian , Bian Xinxin , Xu Zhijing , Sun Chao , Wang Renyin , Zhang Wenyan , Liang Fei , Zhang Huimin , Li Shuang , Li Zhengguo , Wu Shuang
Published: November 2023

The locular gel, produced by the placenta, is important for fruit flavor and seed development in tomato. However, the mechanism underlying locule and placenta development is not fully understood yet.

Here, we show that two SlARF transcription factors, SlARF8B and SlARF8A (SlARF8A/B), promote the development of locular and placenta tissues. The expression of both SlARF8A and SlARF8B is repressed by sly‐microRNA167 (sly‐miR167), allowing for the activation of auxin downstream genes.

In slarf8a, slarf8b, and slarf8a/b mutants, the auxin (IAA) levels are decreased, whereas the levels of inactive IAA conjugates including IAA‐Ala, IAA‐Asp, and IAA‐Glu are increased. We further find that SlARF8B directly inhibits the expression of SlGH3.4, an acyl acid amino synthetase that conjugates the amino acids to IAA. Disruption of such auxin balance by the increased expression of SlGH3.4 or SlGH3.2 results in defective locular and placental tissues.

Taken together, our findings reveal an important regulatory module constituted by sly‐miR167‐SlARF8A/B‐SlGH3.4 during the development of locular and placenta tissues of tomato fruits.
Leaf thermal safety margins decline at hotter temperatures in a natural warming ‘experiment’ in the Amazon
Authors: Kullberg Alyssa T. , Coombs Lauren , Soria Ahuanari Roy D. , Fortier Riley P. , Feeley Kenneth J.
Published: November 2023

The threat of rising global temperatures may be especially pronounced for low‐latitude, lowland plant species that have evolved under stable climatic conditions. However, little is known about how these species may acclimate to elevated temperatures. Here, we leveraged a strong, steep thermal gradient along a natural geothermal river to assess the ability of woody plants in the Amazon to acclimate to elevated air temperatures.

We measured leaf traits in six common tropical woody species along the thermal gradient to investigate whether individuals of these species: acclimate their thermoregulatory traits to maintain stable leaf temperatures despite higher ambient temperatures; acclimate their photosynthetic thermal tolerances to withstand hotter leaf temperatures; and whether acclimation is sufficient to maintain stable leaf thermal safety margins (TSMs) across different growth temperatures.

Individuals of three species acclimated their thermoregulatory traits, and three species increased their thermal tolerances with growth temperature. However, acclimation was generally insufficient to maintain constant TSMs. Notwithstanding, leaf health was generally consistent across growth temperatures.

Acclimation in woody Amazonian plants is generally too weak to maintain TSMs at high growth temperatures, supporting previous findings that Amazonian plants will be increasingly vulnerable to thermal stress as temperatures rise.
Conceptualizing weight management for night shift workers: A mixed‐methods systematic review
Authors: Davis Corinne , Huggins Catherine E. , Kleve Sue , Leung Gloria K. W. , Bonham Maxine P.
Published: November 2023

Shift workers have an increased risk of obesity and metabolic conditions. This mixed‐methods systematic literature review on night shift workers aimed to: (1) identify barriers/enablers of weight management; (2) examine effectiveness of weight management interventions; and (3) determine whether interventions addressed enablers/barriers. Six databases were searched, articles screened by title/abstract, followed by full‐text review, and quality assessment. Eligible qualitative studies documented experiences of behaviors related to weight change. Eligible quantitative studies were behavior change interventions with weight/body mass index outcomes. A thematic synthesis was undertaken for qualitative studies using the social‐ecological model (SEM). Interventions were synthesized narratively including: weight/body composition change; components mapped by behavior change taxonomy; and SEM. A synthesis was undertaken to identify if interventions addressed perceived enablers/barriers. Eight qualitative (n = 169 participants) and 12 quantitative studies (n = 1142 participants) were included. Barriers predominated discussions: intrapersonal (time, fatigue, stress); interpersonal (work routines/cultural norms); organizational (fatigue, lack of: routine, healthy food options, breaks/predictable work); community (lack of healthy food options). The primary outcome for interventions was not weight loss and most did not address many identified enablers/barriers. One intervention reported a clinically significant weight loss result. Weight loss interventions that address barriers/enablers at multiple SEM levels are needed.
Telengiectatic osteosarcoma of mandible with special emphasis on immunohistochemical and molecular characteristics: A case report with review of literature
Authors: Khan Eram , Verma Saloni , Sivakumar N. , Sharma Pooja , Chandra Shaleen , Gupta Shalini
Published: November 2023

Background

Telangiectatic osteosarcoma (TOS) is an uncommon pathology accounting for about 0.4%–12% of all osteosarcomas with predilection for younger adults. It is most frequently seen in the metaphysis of long bones, appearing as painful osteolytic mass that histopathologically characterized by dilated, blood‐filled vascular spaces lined by malignant osteoblasts along with osteoid formation. It has exchangeable clinical, radiological and pathological features with benign lesions like aneurysmal bone cyst and giant cell tumour of bone as well. Thus, delineating this malignancy from its benign counterparts is a crucial part in the therapeutic management.

Aim

To report a case of telengiectatic osteosarcoma of jaw in a 17 year old female patient with special highlights on molecular diagnostics and therapeutic modules.

Materials and Methods

A panel of immunohistochemical markers comprising of SATB2, CDK4, MDM2, panCK, CD31, desmin, NKX2.2 and TLE1 were employed in combination with fluorescent in‐situ hybridization to detect the prevalence of rearrangement in CDK4 and MDM2 genes.

Results

On immunohistochemistry, the neoplastic cells were strongly positive for SATB2 and negative for CDK4, MDM2, panCK, CD31, desmin, NKX2.2 and TLE1. Fluorescent in‐situ hybridization of CDK4 and MDM2 genes was also negative.

Conclusion

Considering its rarity in jaws combined with clinicopathological overlap with other benign pathologies, diagnosis of this entity is crucial in treatment planning and prognostic significance. Moreover, only five cases of TOS have been reported so far in the craniofacial region. Here, we have reported the sixth case of its kind with detailed clarification pertaining to its immunohistochemical and molecular aspects.
Left atrial appendage closure for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation patients: A promise that came true
Authors: Jiang Xi , Xiong Qingsong , Yin Yuehui , Ling Zhiyu
Published: November 2023

Anticoagulation therapy plays a crucial role in the management of atrial fibrillation (AF), considering the high morbidity and mortality of AF‐related ischemic strokes. With the plausible hypothesis that left atrial appendage is the main source of thrombus in AF patients, left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) has been regarded as a potential substitute to oral anticoagulation in order to meet the unmet needs for stroke prevention, particularly in patients with high bleeding risk. Notable advancements in safety, efficacy, and device innovation have been made in recent years, albeit concerns still remain regarding the insufficient efficacy data, device‐related complications, and the need for procedural optimization. We aim to review current knowledge about LAAC and provide potential future directions for the remaining key issues.
Integrating household survey with inoperability input–output model of critical infrastructure systems: A case study of Hurricane Sandy
Authors: Santos Joost , Meng Sisi , Mozumder Pallab
Published: November 2023

Critical infrastructures are ubiquitous and their interdependencies have become more complex leading to their uncertain behaviors in the aftermath of disasters. The article develops an integrated economic input–output model that incorporates household‐level survey data from Hurricane Sandy, which made its landfall in 2012. In this survey, 427 respondents who were living in the state of New Jersey during Hurricane Sandy were used in the study. The integration of their responses allowed us to show the probability and duration of various types of critical infrastructure failures due to a catastrophic hurricane event and estimate the economic losses across different sectors. The percentage of disruption and recovery period for various infrastructure systems were extracted from the survey, which were then utilized in the economic input–output model comprising of 71 economic sectors. Sectors were then ranked according to: (i) inoperability, the percentage in which a sector is disrupted relative to its ideal level, and (ii) economic loss, the monetary worth of business interruption caused by the disaster. With the combined infrastructure disruptions in the state of New Jersey, the model estimated an economic loss of $36 billion, which is consistent with published estimates. Results from this article can provide insights for future disaster preparedness and resilience planning.
An unexpected shift in constant year effects in female elite handball
Authors: Schorer Jörg , Wattie Nick , Faber Irene R. , Büsch Dirk , Baker Joseph
Published: November 2023

One of the most convincing studies about the importance of the cutoff date in relative age effects was when Helsen et al. (2000) showed that a shift in the date directly resulted in a change of birth month distributions in soccer. Over the past four decades, the role of the birth year has also been associated with relative age effects (as reflected in constant year effects). In this investigation, two studies attempted to replicate the shift of birth year distributions caused by a change in birth years in international female handball. In Study 1, the results from the female handball world championship 2017 showed a significant within‐year effect overall and a constant year effect for players born 1988 and after. A second study was conducted with female players from world championships in 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015. Results demonstrated small effect sizes for most tests. However, there was an unexpected trend toward a constant year effect shift at the age of 28 years. Several hypotheses are presented as an explanation for this trend.
Scale‐oriented temporal analysis of movement data: A series‐based approach
Authors: Zhang Pengdong , Van de Weghe Nico
Published: November 2023

The ubiquity of movement data has led to new research interest in aspects of temporal scale. Few of the approaches analyzing movement data have been developed specifically for scale‐oriented temporal analysis. To overcome this limitation, this article proposes a series‐based approach to perform scale‐oriented temporal analysis of movement data. Key to the proposed approach is the construction of four types of series (one type of identical‐scale series and three types of cross‐scale series) based on the continuous triangular model (CTM). Two distinct research goals are derived from this: to investigate the changes in motion attributes of moving individuals across different temporal scales, and to detect the time intervals during which active events might have occurred. The results based on real football movement data show that finer changes in motion attributes can be found and more accurate time intervals can be detected through the proposed approach.
A philosophical analysis of the emergence of language
Authors: Tabatabaei Ghomi Hamed , Benítez‐Burraco Antonio
Published: November 2023

There is a research programme in linguistics that is founded on describing language as an emergent phenomenon. This paper clarifies how the core concept of emergence is deployed in this emergentist programme. We show that if one adopts the weak understandings of the concept of language emergence, the emergentist programme is not fundamentally different from the other non‐emergentist research programmes in linguistics. On the other hand, if one adopts the stronger understandings of emergence then the programme would have a unique character, but at the cost of some corollaries (philosophical, but not only) which the emergentist linguists would seemingly want to avoid. We show that if the emergentists accept those corollaries, the resulting hypothetical emergentist programme would be totally different from the emergentist programme in its present shape. We conclude that the emergentist programme, as it stands, should be either abandoned or reshaped in both theory and methodology.
Creatine kinase and its isoenzymes in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of healthy canines
Authors: Kopanke Jennifer H. , Chen Annie V. , Brune Jourdan E. , Brenna Amanda C. , Thomovsky Stephanie A.
Published: November 2023

Background

Creatine kinase (CK) exists as three isoenzymes (CK‐MM, CK‐MB, and CK‐BB) that are predominantly expressed in specific tissues and can be detected in both the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). CSF CK has been relatively unstudied in veterinary medicine, although studies in human medicine have demonstrated that changes in total CSF CK activity can indicate neurologic abnormalities.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to establish reference intervals for CK and its three major isoenzymes in the serum and CSF of clinically healthy dogs. By establishing a definitive reference interval for this enzyme in healthy canines, the diagnostic use and possible significance of CK in clinical disease can be studied.

Methods

Serum and/or CSF were collected from healthy dogs. Total CK activity was measured spectrophotometrically, and isoenzyme distributions were determined using the QuickGel CK Vis Isoenzyme Kit and a densitometric scanner. Total CK and CK isoenzyme activities were determined within 8 h of collection.

Results

The median serum total CK in healthy canines was 159.0 U/L (range: 53.0–539.0 U/L), while the median CSF total CK was 3.7 U/L (range: 2.0–84.0 U/L). CK‐BB and CK‐MM were approximately equal in the serum, while CK‐MM was the predominant isoenzyme in the CSF.

Conclusions

Knowledge of the normal distribution and concentration of CK in canine serum and CSF will set the foundation for future studies of canine CK as a potentially clinically useful biomarker.
Comparison of insulin infusion protocols for management of canine and feline diabetic ketoacidosis
Authors: Gant Poppy , Barfield Dominic , Florey Jessica
Published: November 2023

Objective

Describe the use of fixed‐rate intravenous insulin infusions (FRIs) in cats and dogs with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and determine if this is associated with faster resolution of ketosis compared to variable‐rate intravenous insulin infusions (VRIs). Secondary objectives were to evaluate complication rates, length of hospitalization (LOH), and survival to discharge (STD).

Design

Randomized clinical trial (January 2019 to July 2020).

Setting

University veterinary teaching hospital and private referral hospital.

Animals

Dogs and cats with DKA and venous pH <7.3, blood glucose concentration >11 mmol/L (198 mg/dL), and β‐hydroxybutyrate (BHB) concentration >3 mmol/L were eligible for inclusion. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either FRI or VRI.

Interventions

Neutral (regular) insulin was administered IV as an FRI or VRI. For FRI, the rate was maintained at 0.01 IU/kg/h. For VRI, the dose was adjusted according to blood glucose concentration.

Measurements and Results

Sixteen cats and 20 dogs were enrolled. Population characteristics, mean insulin infusion rate, time to resolution of ketosis (BHB <0.6 mmol/L), complications, LOH, and STD were evaluated. In cats, overall resolution of ketosis was low (9/16 [56.3%]), limiting comparison of protocols. In dogs, resolution of ketosis was high (19/20 dogs [95.0%]) but the time to resolution in the FRI group was not different than that in the VRI group (P = 0.89), despite a 25% higher average insulin infusion rate in the FRI group (P = 0.04). The incidence of complications was low and did not differ between protocols. In cats, LOH and STD did not differ between protocols. All cats that died (5/16) did so within 78 hours and none had resolution of ketosis. Dogs receiving FRI had a shorter LOH (P = 0.01) but STD did not differ between protocols. Six dogs (30.0%) did not survive to hospital discharge but all had resolution of ketosis.

Conclusions

FRIs can be used in veterinary species but may not hasten resolution of ketosis.
Review on Membrane Materials for Ethanol/Water Separation by Pervaporation
Authors: Rakkapao Natthida , Marthosa Sutida , Anancharoenwong Ekasit
Published: November 2023

Bioethanol is produced through the fermentation of biomass. It has garnered significant research attention due to its potential as the next generation of sustainable energy. The fermentation broth must be purified before it can be used. This article reviews membrane materials for the separation of ethanol and water using pervaporation membranes. It covers the pervaporation mechanism, membranes for ethanol dehydration, membranes for ethanol recovery, and the prospects of using membranes in this application.
Fabrication and Surface Modification of PVDF Membrane for Zinc and Cadmium ions Removal
Authors: Mokhter Akmail , Abdul Fatah Nor Aiza , Jia Huan Chang , Kamaludin Roziana , Adam Mohd Ridhwan , Jamil Siti Munira , Mohd Taib Nadzirah Husna Mohd Taib
Published: November 2023

Rapid industrialization and urbanization in this era have leads to water pollution and worsen the water scarcity. In this study, a modified poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membrane was used to remove zinc and cadmium ions from solutions with concentrations of 10 ppm and 50 ppm, respectively. The hydrophobic PVDF support membrane was modified by a Layer-by-Layer (LbL) deposition technique with polycation, chitosan, and polyanion, poly(styrene sulfonate) to increase its hydrophilicity and metal ions rejection percentage as well as decreasing membrane fouling. Chitosan's hydroxyl and amine groups created an electrostatic interaction with the sulfonate group of poly(styrene sulfonate).The polyelectrolyte-modified membranes were characterized by using infrared spectroscopy and water contact angle measurements. The membrane filtering experiments revealed that the 5, 6, 9, and 10 layers of polyelectrolytes deposited membranes retained zinc/ and cadmium ions well, demonstrating the practicality of polyelectrolytes deposition on organic membranes because all rejection percentages were greater than 25%. The robustness of modified membranes was also tested by repeating 10 consecutive filtrations with the same membrane, and it was demonstrated that the modified membrane still had a higher rejection percentage that was two times higher and was less likely to foul due to less decreasing trends in permeate flux when compared to the unmodified membrane. It is expected that electrostatic repulsion and attraction as well as the steric effect were the primary mechanisms by which the modified membrane removed metal ions from contaminated solution.
The algorithm used for the calculation of gas exchange affects the estimation of O2 uptake kinetics at the onset of moderate‐intensity exercise
Authors: Francescato Maria Pia , Cettolo Valentina
Published: November 2023

At the start of a moderate‐intensity square‐wave exercise, after a short delay, breath‐by‐breath O2 uptake at the mouth is approximated to a mono‐exponential function, whose time constant is considered matched to that of the O2 uptake of the working muscles. We compared the kinetic parameters obtained from the breath‐by‐breath gas exchange data yielded by the ‘Independent‐breath’ algorithm (IND), which accounts for the changes in lung gas stores, with those obtained with the classical ‘Expiration‐only’ algorithm (EXP). The two algorithms were applied on the same flow and gas fraction traces acquired on 10 healthy volunteers, performing 10 times the same moderate‐intensity exercise transition. Repeated O2 uptake responses were stacked together and the kinetic parameters of a mono‐exponential function were estimated by non‐linear regression, removing the data pertaining to 1‐s progressively longer initial periods (ΔTr). Independently of ΔTr, the mean response time (time constant + time delay) obtained for the IND data was faster compared to the EXP data (∼43 s vs. ∼47 s, P < 0.001), essentially because of shorter time delays. Between ΔTr = 16 s and ΔTr = 29s, the time constants of the IND data decreased (30.7 s vs. 28.0 s, P < 0.05; drop = 10%), but less than those of the EXP data (32.2 s vs. 26.2 s, P < 0.001; drop = 23%); with the same ΔTr, the time constants of the two algorithms’ data were not different (P > 0.07). The different decrease in the time constant, together with the different mean response time, suggests that the data yielded by the two algorithms provide a different picture of the phenomena occurring at the beginning of the exercise.
Design and Development of Solar Array Deployment and Stabilization System for NASA MINDS Student Competition
Authors: Preller Evan , Dillard Joshua , Botchway Brandon , Iwuchukwu Kelechi , Gebre Fisseha L. , Xu Jiajun
Published: November 2023

In NASA’s new ARTEMIS mission, the agency aims to land the first woman and first person of color on the moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface. Currently the agency is working with several American companies to deliver science and technology to the lunar surface through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. To meet the mission’s energy requirements solar arrays must be deployed above the shadowed regions of the lunar south pole. It is important to increase students’ awareness of engineering design and its importance in engineering applications. In current study, a design is proposed via integrating NASA MINDS competition in undergraduate capstone project course and a team at University of the District of Columbia successfully competed in this design competition by developing an integrated system that will facilitate deployment and retraction of a self-fabricated extending mast which will expand vertically from a leveling platform. This extension/retraction cycle will require the design of a durable, lightweight deployment mechanism and accompanying mast constructed from high strength materials capable of being stowed for transport. The student team performed extensive analysis and design of the folding and expansion mechanism and a prototype was produced to validate the proposed approaches. This paper summarizes their study and finding from this experience.
Zero Parasitic Shift Pivoting Kinematic Structures Based on Coupled n-RRR Planar Parallel Mechanisms for Flexure Pivot Design
Authors: Tissot-Daguette Loïc , Thalmann Etienne , Cosandier Florent , Henein Simon
Published: November 2023

Flexure pivots, which are widely used for precision mechanisms, generally have the drawback of presenting parasitic shifts accompanying their rotation. The known solutions for canceling these undesirable parasitic translations usually induce a loss in radial stiffness, a reduction of the angular stoke, and a nonlinear moment-angle characteristics. This article introduces a novel family of kinematic structures based on coupled n-RRR planar parallel mechanisms which presents exact zero parasitic shifts, while alleviating the drawbacks of some known pivoting structures. Based on this invention, three symmetrical architectures have been designed and implemented as flexure-based pivots. The performance of the newly introduced pivots has been compared via Finite Element models with that of two known planar flexure pivots having theoretically zero parasitic shift. The results show that the newly introduced flexure pivots are an order of magnitude radially stiffer than the considered pivots from the state of the art, while having zero parasitic shift properties and equivalent angular strokes. These advantages are key to applications such as mechanical time bases, surgical robotics, or optomechanical mechanisms. Polymer mockups and a titanium alloy prototype have been manufactured for future experimental validation.
Control Co-Design With Approximate Explicit Model Predictive Controllers
Authors: Tsai Ying-Kuan , Malak Richard J.
Published: November 2023

This paper presents a novel methodology for control co-design (CCD) with approximate explicit model predictive controllers. This paper also investigates how approximation errors impact the decision-making for design of dynamic systems. The explicit nonlinear control policies are approximated and represented as surrogate models by a function of states and plant parameters, which allows for offline solving control problems and reducing the computational time required for CCD optimization. Set invariance theory and Lyapunov stability theory are employed to ensure the stability of designed systems. To facilitate design exploration, a multi-objective optimization problem is formulated to trade-off between performance and probability of state-constraint satisfaction. A probability assessment for system stability with the sampled initial states and multiple pre-computed controllers is included in the optimization constraints. The approach is benchmarked using a numerical example and an engineering case study of a satellite attitude control system. Some of the non-dominated designs are selected to visualize their state and control trajectories for comparison. The visualization shows the successful implementation of explicit model predictive controllers in CCD problems while ensuring stability. The results of this study highlight the importance of including plant design and performing CCD to achieve system-optimal solutions and better understand dynamic characteristics.
Hierarchical Gaussian Process Surrogate Modeling Framework for Heterogeneous Multi-Fidelity Dataset
Authors: Lee Juyoung , Lee Mingyu , Lee Bong Jae , Lee Ikjin
Published: November 2023

Multi-fidelity (MF) surrogate modeling has been used to a variety of situations in the last few decades. The MF surrogate model integrates data from different levels of fidelity to enhance the efficiency of surrogate modeling. However, the majority of MF surrogate modeling research has been conducted in regression settings, which tries to approximate continuous responses, and few studies have focused on classification problems with discrete target responses. Furthermore, none of them have considered the MF dataset, which contains different types of responses together. In this paper, a hierarchical Gaussian process (HGP) surrogate modeling framework is proposed for various types of MF datasets. To manage diverse MF datasets in the same framework, the core strategy postulates low-fidelity (LF) models as a trend of high-fidelity (HF) models. The proposed framework adopts Bayesian inference and adapts Laplace approximation to MF classification-based surrogate models. Additionally, a local scaling factor is proposed to improve the accuracy of MF classification-based surrogate models when the correlation between HF and LF models is low. The proposed framework is then applied to synthetic and engineering examples, and its efficiency is compared to that of single-fidelity surrogate models. In the engineering example, the proposed MF surrogate model is used to predict the state of electrolyte, and it has a decreased error than the SF surrogate model by more than 50%.
Inverse Design of 2D Shape-Morphing Structures
Authors: Abu-Mualla Mohammad , Jirón Victor , Huang Jida
Published: November 2023

This study proposes an inverse method for synthesizing shape-morphing structures in the lateral direction by integrating two-dimensional hexagonal unit-cell with curved beams. Analytical expressions are derived to formulate the effective Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio for the base unit cell as a function of its geometric parameters. The effective lateral Poisson’s ratio can be controlled by manipulating a set of geometric parameters, resulting in a dataset of over 6000 data points with Poisson’s ratio values ranging from −1.2 to 10.4. Furthermore, we utilize the established dataset to train an inverse design framework that utilizes a physics-guided neural network algorithm, and the framework can predict design parameters for a targeted shape-morphing structure. The proposed approach enables the generation of structures with tailored Poisson’s ratio ranging from −1.2 to 3.4 while ensuring flexibility and reduced stress concentration within the predicted structure. The generated shape-morphing structures’ performance is validated through numerical simulation and physical tensile testing. The FEA simulation results confirm agreement with the designed values for the shape-morphing structure, and the tensile testing results reveal the same trend in shape-morphing behavior. The proposed design automation framework demonstrates the feasibility of creating intricate and practical shape-morphing structures with high accuracy and computational efficiency.