bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High‐frequency square‐wave voltage injection position sensorless control method using single current sensor
Authors: Lin Zhichen , Chen Wei , Yan Yan , Wang Zhiqiang , Shi Tingna , Xia Changliang
Published: July 2023

High‐frequency (HF) square‐wave voltage injection position sensorless control method for interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) is widely utilised in zero and low speed range due to its good dynamic performance and easy implementation. However, this method relies on the sampling accuracy of current sensors for rotor position estimation. To overcome this restriction, an HF square‐wave voltage injection position sensorless control method for IPMSM using a single current sensor (SCS) is proposed. Firstly, the impact of current sampling errors on HF square‐wave voltage injection position sensorless control is analysed, and it is concluded that the scaling errors of current sensors will cause the estimated position to oscillate at twice the fundamental frequency. Based on this conclusion, the phase currents reconstruction technology with SCS is adopted to avoid the impact of scaling errors on rotor position estimation. To reconstruct the phase currents containing HF component, a PWM cycle is divided into two parts, sampling stage and injection stage. By this way, the impact of HF square‐wave voltage injection on current reconstruction can be avoided. Then, the rotor position estimation is realised. The experiments are performed on a 20‐kW IPMSM platform and the results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Coordinated planning of charging swapping stations and active distribution network based on EV spatial‐temporal load forecasting
Authors: He Chenke , Zhu Jizhong , Borghetti Alberto , Liu Yun , Li Shenglin
Published: July 2023

Electric vehicles (EVs) charging swapping stations (CSSs), as well as multi‐functional integrated charging and swapping facilities (CSFs), have become important to reduce the impact of e‐mobility on the electric power distribution system. This paper presents a coordinated planning optimization strategy for CSSs/CSFs and active distribution networks (AND) that includes distributed generation. The approach is based on the application of a specifically developed spatial‐temporal load forecasting method of both plug‐in EVs (PEVs) and swapping EVs (SEVs). The approach is formulated as a mathematical programming optimization model that provides the location and sizing of new CSSs, the best active distribution network topology, the required distributed generation, and substation capacities. The developed model is solved using CPLEX, and its characteristics and performances are evaluated through a realistic case study.
Learnable interpolation and extrapolation network for fuzzy pulmonary lobe segmentation
Authors: Fan Xiaochen , Xu Xin , Feng Jianxing , Huang Haixia , Zuo Xiang , Xu Guohou , Ma Guanghui , Chen Bin , Wu Jianbin , Huang Yinhua , Luo Yang
Published: July 2023

Pulmonary lobe segmentation is an important prerequisite for accurately quantifying pulmonary damage in many pulmonary diseases and planning treatment. However, due to the incomplete lobar structures and morphological changes caused by diseases, the lobe segmentation still encounters great challenges. In this study, a Learnable Interpolation and Extrapolation Network (LIE‐Net) is proposed to form complete and consecutive fissure surfaces by learning to extract information of the fissures from existing fissure points and absent points (unsegmented points belonging to fissures) to predict the z coordinate of the absent fissure points. The completed pulmonary fissures are further used for accurate pulmonary lobe segmentation. Specifically, LIE‐Net takes the coordinate information of existing fissure points (their (x, y, z) coordinates) and absent fissure points (their (x, y) coordinates) as two independent inputs, and predicts the z coordinates of absent points. The proposed LIE‐Net makes voxel‐wise predictions based on the spatial structure characteristics of the lung fissure, and is able to provide a consecutive fissure surface in space. According to the evaluation of radiologists, the lobe segmentation performance was remarkably enhanced in approximately 76% of patients in our additional dataset after the application of LIE‐Net, especially for those cases with large‐scale missing fissures.
An extendable maneuver management framework with fault‐tolerant mechanism for vehicle platoon control system in highway scenario
Authors: Liu Chang , Luo Yugong , Li Pengfei , Xing Chunhui , Kong Weiwei
Published: July 2023

Vehicle platoons can encounter many complex scenarios in practice that were not considered in the design, which reveals the need to add new maneuvers. Platoon control system will face the challenge of the lack of maneuver scalability in practical applications. To address this problem, this study introduces an extendable maneuver management framework with fault‐tolerant mechanism on the basis of the hierarchical architecture for the platoon control system. Maneuvers and roles are two dimensions, based on which the management strategies are decoupled. They enable each vehicle in the platoon to execute management strategies of various maneuvers and make it possible to expanding new behaviors into existing strategies. The fault‐tolerant mechanism is designed as a maneuver triggered by hardware failures to remain safe before taking over. Furthermore, three typical maneuvers are selected for case studies to illustrate the management strategies in this framework. Finally, a comprehensive simulation scenario integrating different maneuvers is designed and a real‐world implementation using micro‐vehicles is conducted. The results demonstrate that the proposed two‐dimensional framework could effectively address various maneuvers and satisfy the computational real‐time requirements.
Machine learning based model predictive control for grid connected enhanced switched capacitor cross‐connected switched multi‐level inverter (ESC3SMLI)
Authors: Vijayakumar Arun , Stonier Albert Alexander , Peter Geno , Vignesh Ezhil , Ganji Vivekananda
Published: July 2023

This article describes an enhanced switched capacitor cross‐connected switched multilevel inverter (ESC3SMLI) with a machine learningbased model‐predictive control method (ML‐MPCM). The proposed ESC3SMLI produces nine levels using eight switches, including two bidirectional switching devices, a single DC source, and a capacitor. Additionally, the design generates a negative level without the use of extra circuitry like an H‐bridge, which implies that switches in ESC3SMLI are less subject to voltage stress. In comparison to a conventional H‐Bridge setup, only 3 switches conduct for each operating mode, leading to fewer switching transitions, reduced switching and conduction losses, and better efficiency. The exponential rise in computational complexity required to perform the optimisation, which consumes an unacceptably high quantity of computing resources, is the most important drawback of MPCMs. This article examines inverters static and dynamic behaviour since grid‐connected utility is intended. In specific, ESC3SMLI is controlled with high accuracy using the artificial neural network (ANN) model that was trained offline using the information gathered from the conventional MPC method. The rapid and accurate reaction, as well as the superior function, of the control scheme is demonstrated by its dynamic performance during sudden shifts in current and PF.
Constraints on (2060) Chiron’s size, shape, and surrounding material from the November 2018 and September 2019 stellar occultations
Authors: Braga-Ribas F. , Pereira C. L. , Sicardy B. , Ortiz J. L. , Desmars J. , Sickafoose A. , Emilio M. , Morgado B. , Margoti G. , Rommel F. L. , Camargo J. I. B. , Assafin M. , Vieira-Martins R. , Gomes-Júnior A. R. , Santos-Sanz P. , Morales N. , Kretlow M. , Lecacheux J. , Colas F. , Boninsegna R. , Schreurs O. , Dauvergne J. L. , Fernandez E. , van Heerden H. J. , González H. , Bihel D. , Jankowsky F.
Published: July 2023

Context. After the discovery of rings around the largest known Centaur object, (10199) Chariklo, we carried out observation campaigns of stellar occultations produced by the second-largest known Centaur object, (2060) Chiron, to better characterize its physical properties and presence of material on its surroundings.

Aims. We aim to provide constraints on (2060) Chiron’s shape for the first time using stellar occultations. We investigate the detectability of material previously observed in its vicinity using the 2018 occultation data obtained from South Africa Astronomical Observatory (SAAO).

Methods. We predicted and successfully observed two stellar occultations by Chiron. These observations were used to constrain its size and shape by fitting elliptical limbs with equivalent surface radii in agreement with radiometric measurements. We also obtained the properties of the material observed in 2011 with the same technique used to derive Chariklo’s ring properties in our previous works, used to obtain limits on the detection of secondary events in our 2018 observation.

Results. Constraints on the (2060) Chiron shape are reported for the first time. Assuming an equivalent radius of Requiv = 105−7+6 km, we obtained a semi-major axis of a = 126 ± 22 km. Considering Chiron’s true rotational light curve amplitude and assuming it has a Jacobi equilibrium shape, we were able to derive a 3D shape with a semi-axis of a = 126 ± 22 km, b = 109 ± 19 km, and c = 68 ± 13 km, implying in a volume-equivalent radius of Rvol= 98 ± 17 km. We determined the physical properties of the 2011 secondary events around Chiron, which may then be directly compared with those of Chariklo rings, as the same method was used. Data obtained from SAAO in 2018 do not show unambiguous evidence of the proposed rings, mainly due to the large sampling time. Meanwhile, we discarded the possible presence of a permanent ring similar to (10199) Chariklo’s C1R in optical depth and extension.

Conclusions. Using the first multi-chord stellar occultation by (2060) Chiron and considering it to have a Jacobi equilibrium shape, we derived its 3D shape, implying a density of 1119 ± 4 kg m−3. New observations of a stellar occultation by (2060) Chiron are needed to further investigate the material’s properties around Chiron, such as the occultation predicted for September 10, 2023.
Pressure, state and response: configurational analysis of organizational resilience in tourism businesses following the COVID-19 pandemic crisis
Authors: Zhao Ruiyi , Li Ling
Published: July 2023

Organizational resilience is key for tourism companies in coping with crises; however, little is known about how tourism companies can become more resilient. Furthermore, much of the empirical evidence in the extant literature comes from developed countries. The study identifies key factors affecting organizational resilience based on a “resource–capacity-relationship” theoretical framework, incorporating the number of COVID-19 cases as an external factor in the stress-state-response (PSR) model, with the epidemic as pressure, corporate governance, and redundant resources as the enterprise state, and CSR performance as the response. The fsQCA method was used to analyse the interaction and joint effects among multisource influencing factors such as pressure, state and response. Based on an empirical analysis of 35 listed tourism companies in China from 2010 to 2020, the research found the following: (1) Four groupings of high organizational resilience: redundant resource deficit under epidemic pressure with high pay incentive compensation, low financial risk, and CSR driven under low epidemic pressure, resource deployment and CSR driven under low financial risk and CSR driven under low financial risk. Of these, CSR at the response level as a core condition is key to developing high organizational resilience. (2) Corporate governance capabilities play a high role in fostering organizational resilience under epidemic pressure and can compensate for organizational deficiencies in resources and relationships. (3) Under specific objective endowment conditions, unabsorbed redundant resources and absorbed redundant resources can substitute to some extent for deficiencies in capabilities and relationships. (4) The low organizational resilience configurations suggest that potentially redundant resources may be the key to low organizational resilience. CSR is not the ‘golden key’ to organizational resilience but is influenced by redundant resources. Furthermore, the key variables affecting organizational resilience were significant during the studied period. The research provides a theoretical reference and practical guidance for the sustainable development of tourism enterprises in the context of major public health crises.
Macroscopic mechanical oscillator is herded into a Schrödinger cat state
Authors: Lopatka Alex
Published: July 2023

A new demonstration of a famous thought experiment has coaxed a classical 16 µg cluster of atoms to behave like a quantum object.
Capture alone isn’t sufficient to bottle up carbon dioxide
Authors: Kramer David
Published: July 2023

The US has practically boundless capacity to store carbon dioxide. It just needs to find a way to do it.
The reality of cosmology
Authors: Shapiro Irwin
Published: July 2023

The Whole Truth: A Cosmologist’s Reflections on the Search for Objective Reality, P. J. E. Peebles, Princeton U. Press, 2022, $27.95
Bidirectional causal relationship between depression and frailty: a univariate and multivariate Mendelian randomisation study
Authors: Sang Ni , Li Bo-Han , Zhang Meng-Yao , Wei Meng , Fang Ruo-Xuan , Liu Wen-Jing , Huang Li-E , Zhang Jing , Wu Guo-Cui
Published: July 2023

Background

cumulative evidence from cohort studies suggested that there were inconsistent conclusions as to whether there was a bidirectional association between depression and frailty. Therefore, this study used a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR) study to investigate the causal relationship between depression and frailty.

Methods

we performed univariate and multivariate bidirectional MR analyses to assess the causal association between depression and frailty. Independent genetic variants associated with depression and frailty were selected as instrumental variables. Inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR-Egger, weighted median and weighted mode were mainly used in univariate MR analysis. Multivariate MR (MVMR) analyses used multivariable inverse variance-weighted methods to individually and jointly adjust for three potential confounders, body mass index (BMI), age at menarche (AAM) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR, adjusted for BMI).

Results

univariate MR analysis showed a positive causal relationship between depression and risk of frailty (IVW, odds ratio (OR) = 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.23–1.37, P = 6.54E−22). Causal relationship between frailty and risk of depression (IVW, OR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.33–2.16, P = 2.09E−05). MVMR analysis revealed that the bidirectional causal association between depression and frailty remained after adjusting for three potential confounders, BMI, AAM and WHR (adjusted for BMI), individually and in combination.

Conclusions

our findings supported a causal relationship between genetically predicted depression and frailty in both directions.
The roles of phylogeny, body size and substrate use in trabecular bone variation among Philippine ‘earthworm mice’ (Rodentia: Chrotomyini)
Authors: Smith Stephanie M , Rowsey Dakota M , Nations Jonathan A , Angielczyk Kenneth D , Heaney Lawrence R
Published: July 2023

Trabecular bone is modelled throughout an animal’s life in response to its mechanical environment, but like other skeletal anatomy, it is also subject to evolutionary influences. Yet the relative strengths of factors that affect trabecular bone architecture are little studied. We investigated these influences across the Philippine endemic murine rodent clade Chrotomyini. These mammals have robustly established phylogenetic relationships, exhibit a range of well-documented substrate-use types, and have a body size range spanning several hundred grammes, making them ideal for a tractable study of extrinsic and intrinsic influences on trabecular bone morphology. We found slight differences in vertebral trabecular bone among different substrate-use categories, with more divergent characteristics in more ecologically specialized taxa. This suggests that the mechanical environment must be relatively extreme to affect trabecular bone morphology in small mammals. We also recovered allometric patterns that imply that selective pressures on bone may differ between small and large mammals. Finally, we found high intrataxonomic variation in trabecular bone morphology, but it is not clearly related to any variable we measured, and may represent a normal degree of variation in these animals rather than a functional trait. Future studies should address how this plasticity affects biomechanical properties and performance of the skeleton.
Support for Democratic Policing Among Frontline Police Officers: The Role of Social Dominance Orientation
Authors: Davis Jill A , Baluran Darwin A , Hassan Shahidul
Published: July 2023

Motivated by emerging research that connects officer psychological orientations to policing outcomes, we examine how Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), i.e. preference for group-based social hierarchy, is related to officer attitudes toward democratic policing practices. Analysing survey data collected from officers in a state-level police organization in the United States, we find that high SDO officers are more willing to use force and less willing to report peer misconduct than low SDO officers. High SDO officers are also less supportive of procedurally fair policing practices. These findings contribute to research on factors that may inhibit officer support for democratic policing. We discuss the implications of these results for organizational efforts to inculcate democratic values among frontline officers.
Being a scientific editor at Brain Communications
Authors: Marescotti Manuela
Published: July 2023

Our Scientific Editor discusses her role at Brain Communications.
Long-term analgesic effect of trans-spinal direct current stimulation compared to non-invasive motor cortex stimulation in complex regional pain syndrome
Authors: Hodaj Hasan , Payen Jean-Francois , Hodaj Enkelejda , Sorel Marc , Dumolard Anne , Vercueil Laurent , Delon-Martin Chantal , Lefaucheur Jean-Pascal
Published: July 2023

The aim of the present study was to compare the analgesic effect of motor cortex stimulation using high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation or transcranial direct current stimulation and transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation in patients with complex regional pain syndrome. Thirty-three patients with complex regional pain syndrome were randomized to one of the three treatment groups (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, n = 11; transcranial direct current stimulation, n = 10; transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation, n = 12) and received a series of 12 sessions of stimulation for 3 weeks (induction phase) and 11 sessions for 4 months (maintenance therapy). The primary end-point was the mean pain intensity assessed weekly with a visual numerical scale during the month prior to treatment (baseline), the 5-month stimulation period and 1 month after the treatment. The weekly visual numerical scale pain score was significantly reduced at all time points compared to baseline in the transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation group, at the last two time points in the repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation group (end of the 5-month stimulation period and 1 month later), but at no time point in the transcranial direct current stimulation group. A significant pain relief was observed at the end of induction phase using transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation compared to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (P = 0.008) and to transcranial direct current stimulation (P = 0.003). In this trial, transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation was more efficient to relieve pain in patients with complex regional pain syndrome compared to motor cortex stimulation techniques (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation). This efficacy was found during the induction phase and was maintained thereafter. This study warrants further investigation to confirm the potentiality of transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation as a therapeutic option in complex regional pain syndrome.
Sicilian semi- and supercentenarians: identification of age-related T-cell immunophenotype to define longevity trait
Authors: Ligotti Mattia Emanuela , Accardi Giulia , Aiello Anna , Aprile Stefano , Calabrò Anna , Caldarella Rosalia , Caruso Calogero , Ciaccio Marcello , Corsale Anna Maria , Dieli Francesco , Di Simone Marta , Giammanco Giovanni Maurizio , Mascarella Chiara , Akbar Arne N , Meraviglia Serena , Candore Giuseppina
Published: July 2023

The immunophenotype of oldest centenarians, i.e. semi- and supercentenarians, could provide important information about their ability to adapt to factors associated with immune changes, including ageing per se and chronic Cytomegalovirus infection. We investigated, by flow cytometry, variations in percentages and absolute numbers of immune cell subsets, focusing on T cells, and pro-inflammatory parameters in a cohort of 28 women and 26 men (age range 19–110 years). We observed variability in hallmarks of immunosenescence related to age and Cytomegalovirus serological status. The eight oldest centenarians showed the lowest percentages of naïve T cells, due to their age, and the highest percentages of T-effector memory cells re-expressing CD45RA (TEMRA), according to their cytomegalovirus status, and high levels of serum pro-inflammatory parameters, although their means were lower than that of remaining 90+ donors. Some of them showed CD8 naïve and TEMRA percentages, and exhaustion/pro-inflammatory markers comparable to the younger ones. Our study supports the suggestion that immune ageing, especially of oldest centenarians, exhibits great variability that is not only attributable to a single contributor but should also be the full result of a combination of several factors. Everyone ages differently because he/she is unique in genetics and experience of life and this applies even more to the immune system; everybody has had a different immunological history. Furthermore, our findings on inflammatory markers, TEMRA and CMV seropositivity in centenarians, discussed in the light of the most recent literature, suggest that these changes might be not unfavourable for centenarians, and in particular for the oldest ones.
Towards an evolutionary economic geography research agenda to study migration and innovation
Authors: Morrison Andrea
Published: July 2023

Different strands of literature have provided important insights into the economic effects of high-skilled migration. Evolutionary economic approaches have provided robust evidence and theories to explain how innovation unfolds in regions. However, with few exceptions they have been silent with regard to the role of migration in this process. This paper, while building on the insights of the above streams of literature, will elaborate a conceptual framework which applies evolutionary economic geography concepts to explore the link between migration, knowledge diffusion and regional diversification. By bringing together all the above arguments, this paper brings evolutionary economic geography (EEG) into an unchartered terrain, one where regional innovation meets migration studies. By engaging in these debates, EEG can prove its interpretative power and provide further insights into the drivers of regional economic dynamics and innovation.
Per-oral endoscopic myotomy is a safe and effective treatment for Zenker’s diverticulum: a retrospective multicenter study
Authors: Ward Marc A , Fair Lucas , Misenhimer Jennifer , Esteva Simón , Greenberg Ian , Ogola Gerald , Aladegbami Bola , Leeds Steven G , Kedia Prashant
Published: July 2023

Zenker per-oral endoscopic myotomy (ZPOEM) has become a promising technique for Zenker’s diverticulum (ZD). The aim of this study was to add to the limited body of literature evaluating the safety and efficacy of ZPOEM. A prospectively maintained database was retrospectively reviewed to identify patients who underwent ZPOEM at two separate institutions between January 2020 and January 2022. Demographics, preoperative and postoperative clinical data, intraoperative data, adverse events, and length of stay were analyzed. A total of 40 patients (mean age 72.5 years, 62.5% male) were included. Average operative time was 54.7 minutes and average length of stay was 1.1 days. There were three adverse events, and only one was related to the technical aspects of the procedure. Patients showed improvement in the Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) scores at 1 month (5 vs 7, p < 0.0001). The median FOIS scores remained 7 at both 6 and 12 months, although this improvement was not statistically significant at these time intervals (p = 0.46 and 0.37, respectively). Median dysphagia scores were decreased at 1 (2.5 vs 0, p < 0.0001), 6 (2.5 vs 0, p < 0.0001), and 12 months (2.5 vs 0, p = 0.016). The number of patients reporting ≥1 symptom was also decreased at 1 (40 vs 9, p < 0.0001) and 6 months (40 vs 1, p = 0.041). Although the number of patients reporting ≥1 symptom remained consistent at 12 months, this was not statistically significant (40 vs 1, p = 0.13). ZPOEM is a safe and highly effective treatment for the management of ZD.
Lipid distributions in the Global Diagnostics Network across five continents
Authors: Martin Seth S , Niles Justin K , Kaufman Harvey W , Awan Zuhier , Elgaddar Ola , Choi Rihwa , Ahn Sunhyun , Verma Rajan , Nagarajan Mahesh , Don-Wauchope Andrew , Gurgel Castelo Maria Helane Costa , Hirose Caio Kenji , James David , Truman Derek , Todorovska Maja , Momirovska Ana , Pivovarníková Hedviga , Rákociová Monika , Louzao-Gudin Pedro , Batu Janserey , El Banna Nehmat , Kapoor Hema
Published: July 2023

Aims

Lipids are central in the development of cardiovascular disease, and the present study aimed to characterize variation in lipid profiles across different countries to improve understanding of cardiovascular risk and opportunities for risk-reducing interventions.

Methods and results

This first collaborative report of the Global Diagnostics Network (GDN) evaluated lipid distributions from nine laboratory organizations providing clinical laboratory testing in 17 countries on five continents. This cross-sectional study assessed aggregated lipid results from patients aged 20–89 years, tested at GDN laboratories, from 2018 through 2020. In addition to mean levels, the World Health Organization total cholesterol risk target (<5.00 mmol/L, <193 mg/dL) and proportions in guideline-based low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) categories were assessed. This study of 461 888 753 lipid results found wide variation by country/region, sex, and age. In most countries, total cholesterol and LDL-C peaked at 50–59 years in females and 40–49 years in males. Sex- and age-group adjusted mean total cholesterol levels ranged from 4.58 mmol/L (177.1 mg/dL) in the Republic of Korea to 5.40 mmol/L (208.8 mg/dL) in Austria. Mean total cholesterol levels exceeded the World Health Organization target in Japan, Australia, North Macedonia, Switzerland, Germany, Slovakia, and Austria. Considering LDL-C categories, North Macedonia had the highest proportions of LDL-C results >4.91 mmol/L (>190 mg/dL) for both females (9.9%) and males (8.7%). LDL-C levels <1.55 mmol/L (<60 mg/dL) were most common among females in Canada (10.7%) and males in the UK (17.3%).

Conclusion

With nearly a half billion lipid results, this study sheds light on the worldwide variability in lipid levels, which may reflect inter-country differences in genetics, lipid testing, lifestyle habits, and pharmacologic treatment. Despite variability, elevated atherogenic lipid levels are a common global problem, and these results can help inform national policies and health system approaches to mitigate lipid-mediated risk of cardiovascular disease.
Management of anti-M antibody during pregnancy: a case report
Authors: Leibovitch Emily R , Carlisle Robert T
Published: July 2023

Background

Anti-M antibodies are relatively common and naturally occurring. When anti-M antibodies cross the placenta, they may cause hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN). Anti-M antibodies account for less than 15 cases of HDFN reported in the published English literature. HDFN can lead to foetal anaemia, hydrops fetalis, hypoxia, heart failure, and even death.

Objective

To review the general guidelines and propose a less intensive management approach of anti-M antibody during pregnancy through the context of a case report.

Methods

We report a 25-year-old healthy pregnant G3P1011 woman presenting for antepartum care. At the time of delivery for the patient’s second pregnancy, she was found to have a positive anti-M blood screen, though she birthed a healthy-term infant. For her current pregnancy, the initial and repeat testings for anti-M were positive.

Results

Since multiple samples from this patient were of low levels extensive maternal and foetal monitoring were deemed unnecessary in reflection of further reading and research. The patient had a spontaneous vaginal delivery of her third pregnancy at 38 weeks without complications.

Conclusion

Anti-RBC antibodies, including anti-M, are frequently identified in blood type and screening for pregnant patients. Guidelines call for intensive surveillance during pregnancy; however, knowledge of the specific antibody can help to provide more nuanced and less intensive care. As primary care physicians, being familiar with the guideline and the ability to counsel patients on anticipated care during pregnancy can help with family planning, compliance with testing, and patient anxiety and decrease intensive use of services that may not affect outcomes.
Irritable bowel syndrome in children with chronic gastrointestinal symptoms in primary care
Authors: Hogervorst Esmee M , Ganzevoort Ilse N , Berger Marjolein Y , Holtman Gea A
Published: July 2023

Background

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common functional gastrointestinal disorder in children. However, in primary care, it is still unknown whether there are differences in the prognosis of children with IBS compared to other diagnostic subgroups. Therefore, our aim was to describe the course of symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for children with chronic gastrointestinal symptoms who either do or do not fulfil the Rome criteria for IBS in primary care. Second, we compared the diagnosis of the general practitioner (GP) with the Rome criteria.

Methods

We conducted a prospective cohort study with 1-year follow-up, including children aged 4–18 years with chronic diarrhoea and/or chronic abdominal pain in primary care. During follow-up, the Rome III questionnaire, Child Health Questionnaire, and symptom questionnaires were completed.

Results

A total of 60/104 children (57.7%) fulfilled the Rome criteria for IBS at baseline. Compared to children without IBS, children with IBS were more commonly referred to secondary care, used more laxatives, and more often developed chronic diarrhoea and low physical HRQoL during 1 year. The diagnosis “IBS” from the GP matched the Rome criteria for only 10% of children, as most were diagnosed with “Constipation.”

Conclusions

There seems to be a difference in the treatment and prognosis of symptoms and HRQoL between children with and without IBS in primary care. This suggests that it is relevant to differentiate between these groups. The evaluation and use of feasible criteria to define IBS in different healthcare settings remains subject for further studies.
Identification of carbohydrate in Polygonatum sibiricum: fructo-oligosaccharide was a major component
Authors: Xia Jiabei , Zhang Cenrong , Zhu Kai , Mei Xingyu , Cheng Huan , Chen Shiguo , Ye Xingqian , Chen Jianle
Published: July 2023

Polygonatum sibiricum, famous for its physiological activities, is a popular Chinese food and a traditional Chinese herb containing many carbohydrates as the main component. However, except for most reported polysaccharides, other detailed compositions of carbohydrates are still not clear. To verify the controversial existence of starch and investigate other components, especially oligosaccharides, we used iodine–potassium iodide colorimetric detection and enzymatic hydrolysis to determine starch. Then, oligosaccharides were analyzed by thin-layer chromatography, gel permeation chromatography, high-performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection, and hydrophilic interaction chromatography–electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. The results showed that the rhizome of P. sibiricum lacked starch, and fructo-oligosaccharides were the main component, accounting for approximately 28.95%. Oligosaccharides with degrees of polymerization above 10 were the most abundant components. This study clearly illustrated the unknown carbohydrate components of the Polygonatum rhizome, promoting its functional value with new evidence.
Genetic factors inherited from both diploid parents interact to affect genome stability and fertility in resynthesized allotetraploid Brassica napus
Authors: Katche Elizabeth Ihien , Schierholt Antje , Schiessl Sarah-Veronica , He Fei , Lv Zhenling , Batley Jacqueline , Becker Heiko C , Mason Annaliese S
Published: July 2023

Established allopolyploids are known to be genomically stable and fertile. However, in contrast, most newly resynthesized allopolyploids are infertile and meiotically unstable. Identifying the genetic factors responsible for genome stability in newly formed allopolyploid is key to understanding how 2 genomes come together to form a species. One hypothesis is that established allopolyploids may have inherited specific alleles from their diploid progenitors which conferred meiotic stability. Resynthesized Brassica napus lines are often unstable and infertile, unlike B. napus cultivars. We tested this hypothesis by characterizing 41 resynthesized B. napus lines produced by crosses between 8 Brassica rapa and 8 Brassica oleracea lines for copy number variation resulting from nonhomologous recombination events and fertility. We resequenced 8 B. rapa and 5 B. oleracea parent accessions and analyzed 19 resynthesized lines for allelic variation in a list of meiosis gene homologs. SNP genotyping was performed using the Illumina Infinium Brassica 60K array for 3 individuals per line. Self-pollinated seed set and genome stability (number of copy number variants) were significantly affected by the interaction between both B. rapa and B. oleracea parental genotypes. We identified 13 putative meiosis gene candidates which were significantly associated with frequency of copy number variants and which contained putatively harmful mutations in meiosis gene haplotypes for further investigation. Our results support the hypothesis that allelic variants inherited from parental genotypes affect genome stability and fertility in resynthesized rapeseed.
A Framework for Assessing the Effects of Climate Change on Dementia Risk and Burden
Authors: Zuelsdorff Megan , Limaye Vijay S
Published: July 2023

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) represent a public health crisis poised to worsen in a changing climate. Substantial dementia burden is modifiable, attributable to risk rooted in social and environmental conditions. Climate change threatens older populations in numerous ways, but implications for cognitive aging are poorly understood. We illuminate key mechanisms by which climate change will shape incidence and lived experiences of ADRD, and propose a framework for strengthening research, clinical, and policy actions around cognitive health in the context of climate change. Direct impacts and indirect risk pathways operating through built, social, interpersonal, and biomedical systems are highlighted. Air pollution compromises brain health directly and via systemic cardiovascular and respiratory ailments. Flooding and extreme temperatures constrain health behaviors like physical activity and sleep. Medical care resulting from climate-related health shocks imposes economic and emotional tolls on people living with dementia and caregivers. Throughout, inequitable distributions of climate-exacerbated risks and adaptive resources compound existing disparities in ADRD incidence, comorbidities, and care burden. Translational research, including work prioritizing underserved communities, is crucial. A mechanistic framework can guide research questions and methods and identify clinical- and policy-level intervention loci for prevention and mitigation of climate-related impacts on ADRD risk and burden.
How Stories Can Contribute Toward Quality Improvement in Long-Term Care
Authors: Sion Katya Y J , Heerings Marjolijn , Blok Marije , Scheffelaar Aukelien , Huijg Johanna M , Westerhof Gerben , Pot Anne Margriet , Luijkx Katrien , Hamers Jan P H
Published: July 2023

It is important to evaluate how residents, their significant others, and professional caregivers experience life in a nursing home to improve quality of care based on their needs and wishes. Narratives are a promising method to assess this experienced quality of care as they enable a rich understanding, reflection, and learning. In the Netherlands, narratives are becoming a more substantial element within the quality improvement cycle of nursing homes. The added value of using narrative methods is that they provide space to share experiences, identify dilemmas in care provision, and provide rich information for quality improvements. The use of narratives in practice, however, can also be challenging as this requires effective guidance on how to learn from this data, incorporation of the narrative method in the organizational structure, and national recognition that narrative data can also be used for accountability. In this article, 5 Dutch research institutes reflect on the importance, value, and challenges of using narratives in nursing homes.
On Issue Survival: News Media and How Political Issues Remain Salient in the Face of Crisis
Authors: de León Ernesto
Published: July 2023

What happens when a crisis such as COVID-19 fully occupies the political and media agenda? Do previous political concerns, such as those on migration, remain salient? Here, I propose and validate a model of issue survival during times of crisis. I argue that issues remain salient when individuals are able to cognitively link “displaced” issues with the ongoing crisis. Such connections between displaced issues and the crisis can be influenced by the media, who, through a process of networked agenda setting, help establish connections between issues. I test this model on the salience of migration during the COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland and Germany. Leveraging panel surveys administered before and during lockdowns, I show that the issue of migration was displaced during the crisis. Nevertheless, as proposed by the model, this decline in issue salience did not occur for individuals connecting migration to the pandemic. Combining panels with individual-level media consumption data obtained through webtracking, I provide evidence that issue survival was significantly related to the consumption of news stories linking migration to the COVID-19 crisis. The study raises questions about the flow of public opinion during moments of mass uncertainty and highlights the key role media consumption can play in understanding previous issues in new a light.
Multivariate super-resolution without separation
Authors: Kurmanbek Bakytzhan , Robeva Elina
Published: July 2023

In this paper, we study the high-dimensional super-resolution imaging problem. Here, we are given an image of a number of point sources of light whose locations and intensities are unknown. The image is pixelized and is blurred by a known point-spread function arising from the imaging device. We encode the unknown point sources and their intensities via a non-negative measure and we propose a convex optimization program to find it. Assuming the device’s point-spread function is componentwise decomposable, we show that the optimal solution is the true measure in the noiseless case, and it approximates the true measure well in the noisy case with respect to the generalized Wasserstein distance. Our main assumption is that the components of the point-spread function form a Tchebychev system ($T$-system) in the noiseless case and a $T^{*}$-system in the noisy case, mild conditions that are satisfied by Gaussian point-spread functions. Our work is a generalization to all dimensions of the work [14] where the same analysis is carried out in two dimensions. We also extend results in [27] to the high-dimensional case when the point-spread function decomposes.
Latest Advances in the Application of Humanized Mouse Model for Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Zheng Ping , Liu Fang , Long Jinzhao , Jin Yuefei , Chen Shuaiyin , Duan Guangcai , Yang Haiyan
Published: July 2023

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is an important pathogen for humans and can cause a wide range of diseases, from mild skin infections, severe osteomyelitis to fatal pneumonia, sepsis, and septicemia. The mouse models have greatly facilitated the development of S. aureus studies. However, due to the substantial differences in immune system between mice and humans, the conventional mouse studies are not predictive of success in humans, in which case humanized mice may overcome this limitation to some extent. Humanized mice can be used to study the human-specific virulence factors produced by S. aureus and the mechanisms by which S. aureus interacts with humans. This review outlined the latest advances in humanized mouse models used in S. aureus studies.
The effects of stocking density on behavior and biological functioning of penned sheep under continuous heat load conditions
Authors: Mayes Bonnie T , Taylor Peta S , Cowley Frances C , Gaughan John B , Morton John M , Doyle Brendan P , Tait L Amy
Published: July 2023

Stocking density may impact sheep welfare during live export voyages that occur under hot and humid conditions. The aim of this study was to assess the welfare implications for sheep housed at three allometric stocking densities (k = 0.030, 0.033, 0.042), while exposed to hot and humid climatic conditions. For 21 d, Merino wethers (n = 216) were housed in 12 pens of 18 wethers, in two climate-controlled rooms where wet-bulb temperature (TWB) mimicked the conditions of a live export voyage with high heat and humidity, and limited diurnal variation. Scan sampling of standing and lying behaviors was conducted on days 2, 5, 8, 11, 15, 18, and 20, at hourly intervals. Agonistic interactions were scored continuously on the same days between 1750 and 1800 h. Liveweights were recorded at the start and end of the study. For a subset of focal wethers (3 per pen), whole blood variables were assessed at the start and end of the experiment, along with fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGCM), which were also assessed on days 7 and 14. Rumen temperatures (TRUM) of focal wethers were recorded at 10-min intervals, and their respiration rates (RR) were measured every 2 h on days 1, 3, and from days 7 to 21. Focal wethers were slaughtered for necropsy after the study, and both adrenal glands were excised and weighed. The expression of some lying positions was impaired at high stocking densities, and lying with outstretched legs increased at high TWB. For respiration rates, there was an interaction between stocking density and TWB, such that RR was reduced by the provision of additional space at high TWB. TRUM was relatively unaffected by stocking density but increased at higher TWB, and any effects of stocking density on FGCM concentrations, liveweights (LW), adrenal gland weights or blood variables were minimal. Necropsy examination showed no indication that the wethers had experienced ongoing respiratory distress. These results suggest that the wethers were able to cope with these increases in stocking density under the conditions imposed. However, based on this evidence, the provision of additional space under hot conditions may be beneficial to facilitating the expression of some lying positions. Whilst the experiment was designed to emulate certain conditions relevant during live export voyages, other factors that may induce stress during this mode of transport were not present, and so the conclusions must be interpreted in the context of the experimental conditions.
Learning in Standard-Form Contracts: Theory and Evidence
Authors: Dari-Mattiacci Giuseppe , Marotta-Wurgler Florencia
Published: July 2023

Why are some contractual terms revised continuously while others are stubbornly fixed? We offer an account of both change and stickiness in standard-form contracts. We hypothesize that drafters (sellers) are more likely to revise their standard terms when they have an opportunity to learn about the terms’ costs from experience. Consider a warranty. Offering a warranty in an initial period will expose sellers to claims about malfunction by purchasers, allowing sellers to learn whether it is desirable to offer it going forward. When drafters are unable to learn in this manner, either because they fail to experiment or because the term in question is one where there is no increased opportunity to learn from experience, such terms will be revised relatively less frequently. While learning and change occur through various channels, we posit that, all else equal, terms that carry an opportunity to learn from experience will be revised more frequently, whereas terms or term modalities that do not will contribute to stickiness and stagnation. Our results support this hypothesis. Using a large sample of changes in business and consumer standard-form contracts over a period of seven years, we find that sellers are more likely to revise terms that offer an opportunity to learn from experience than those that do not. These findings are further illustrated and supported by interviews with in-house counsel. The results suggest that standard-form contract terms evolve over time as sellers learn experientially about their costs and risks. Our analysis offers new accounts for the use of boilerplate, stickiness, and change and has normative implications for the optimal design of default rules and product features (JEL codes: K12).
Swarming and mate selection inAnopheles gambiaemosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae)
Authors: Charlwood Jacques Derek
Published: July 2023

Treating both male and female Anopheles gambiae as if they are “boids” (a computer program that mimics flocking in birds) explains much of the swarming and mating behavior in this important group of malaria vectors. It is suggested that species specific swarm sites act as the mate recognition system in anophelines and it is proposed that virgin females respond to the swarm site per se rather than the swarm itself. Given the high operational sex ratio and the inability of any male to dominate all females within the swarm, it is considered that chance, rather than sexual selection, is the most important determinant of mating. The male being in the swarm may be a sufficiently strong signal to the female of his fitness, so that more elaborate sexual selection is unnecessary. The possibility of alternative mechanisms for mating may also exist but need to be investigated further. Given the importance of swarms as the isolating mechanism between species, emphasis should be placed on determining the characteristics of swarm sites and markers between them.