bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Zebrafish Models of Cardiac Disease: From Fortuitous Mutants to Precision Medicine
Authors: González-Rosa Juan Manuel
Published: June 2022

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Despite decades of research, most heart pathologies have limited treatments, and often the only curative approach is heart transplantation. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop new therapeutic approaches for treating cardiac diseases. Animal models that reproduce the human pathophysiology are essential to uncovering the biology of diseases and discovering therapies. Traditionally, mammals have been used as models of cardiac disease, but the cost of generating and maintaining new models is exorbitant, and the studies have very low throughput. In the last decade, the zebrafish has emerged as a tractable model for cardiac diseases, owing to several characteristics that made this animal popular among developmental biologists. Zebrafish fertilization and development are external; embryos can be obtained in high numbers, are cheap and easy to maintain, and can be manipulated to create new genetic models. Moreover, zebrafish exhibit an exceptional ability to regenerate their heart after injury. This review summarizes 25 years of research using the zebrafish to study the heart, from the classical forward screenings to the contemporary methods to model mutations found in patients with cardiac disease. We discuss the advantages and limitations of this model organism and introduce the experimental approaches exploited in zebrafish, including forward and reverse genetics and chemical screenings. Last, we review the models used to induce cardiac injury and essential ideas derived from studying natural regeneration. Studies using zebrafish have the potential to accelerate the discovery of new strategies to treat cardiac diseases.
Demystifying the Deep Self View
Authors: Gorman August
Published: June 2022

Deep Self views of moral responsibility have been criticized for positing mysterious concepts, making nearly paradoxical claims about the ownership of one’s mental states, and promoting self-deceptive moral evasion. I defend Deep Self views from these pervasive forms of skepticism by arguing that some criticism is hasty and stems from epistemic injustice regarding testimonies of experiences of alienation, while other criticism targets contingent features of Deep Self views that ought to be abandoned. To aid in this project, I provide original naturalistic analyses of “Self” and “internality” that replace the view’s metaphorical language with common-sensical concepts that make clear their usefulness.
Deciphering “cryptic” nature of European rock-dwelling Pyramidula snails (Gastropoda: Stylommatophora)
Authors: Horsáková Veronika , Líznarová Eva , Razkin Oihana , Nekola Jeffrey C. , Horsák Michal
Published: June 2022

Many molecular phylogenetic studies conclude by reporting discoveries of new “cryptic” species. However, these putative biological entities are typically left unverified outside of the dna evidence or subjected to only superficial post-hoc analyses. Minute land snails of the Western Palearctic Pyramidula represent one of such examples being considered a cryptic species complex based on previously conducted molecular phylogeny. Several species appear indistinguishable due to noticeable shell tendency towards either high-spired (Pyramidula rupestris and P. jaenensis) or low-spired (P. saxatilis and P. pusilla) morphotype. Here, we challenge this conclusion by using mt DNA, n DNA, morphometric analyses and qualitative shell features, and seek for a potential evolutionary mechanism behind the conchological similarities. Through an empirical integration of multiple data types we document that the studied taxa can be visually distinguished. Unlike isolated shell measurements, cva s based on traditional morphometrics and geometric morphometrics have power to separate all species from each other, except for P. saxatilis and P. pusilla. However, only a use of previously overlooked shell surface microsculpture makes it possible to identify individuals of all species. Considering tight associations between shell measurements and climate, we propose an evolutionary explanation based on optimization of thermal flux under different climatic selection pressures. Our study brings the awareness towards microscopic shell features, and outlines a general protocol to identify robust visual identification criteria in taxonomic groups containing cryptic (and non-cryptic) members. It also exemplifies an integration of various data types for macroscale species identification, which we believe should follow any discovery of putatively cryptic species.
Taxonomic revision of the parrot snake Leptophis ahaetulla
(Serpentes, Colubridae)
Authors: DE ALBUQUERQUE NELSON RUFINO , FERNANDES DANIEL S.
Published: June 2022

The Neotropical parrot snake genus Leptophis comprises a group of 12 colubrine snakes widely distributed in Mexico, Central- and South America. Among the currently recognized taxa in the genus, L. ahaetulla constitutes a morphologically diverse assemblage of typically slender snakes, with subspecies recorded from Mexico to most of South America. Though extremely variable in scalation, coloration, size and dentition, many of these subspecies are still poorly known, with at least three being known from few specimens, hampering the diagnosability and determination of the taxonomic status of certain populations. Accumulation of new specimens and new analytical approach for species delimitation supported a comprehensive taxonomic revision of these snakes based on the examination of meristic, morphometric, color pattern and hemipenial characters of 1625 specimens. Accordingly, the following taxa are herein referred to as full species: L. a. ahaetulla, L. a. bocourti, L. a. bolivianus, L. a. liocercus, L. a. marginatus, L. a. nigromarginatus, L. a. occidentalis, L. a. praestans and L. a. urostictus. Moreover, L. a. ortoni is placed in the synonymy of L. nigromarginatus, whereas L. coeruleodorsus, a former subspecies recently elevated to species rank, is redescribed, and L. haileyi is placed in the synonymy of this latter taxon. In addition, a dichotomous key including all recognized species of Leptophis is provided.
Causes for the Negative Scaling of Extreme Precipitation at High Temperatures
Authors: Sun Xiaoming , Wang Guiling
Published: June 2022

Although the intensity of extreme precipitation is predicted to increase with climate warming, at the weather scale precipitation extremes over most of the globe decrease when temperature exceeds a certain threshold, and the spatial extent of this negative scaling is projected to increase as the climate warms. The nature and cause of the negative scaling at high temperature and its implications remain poorly understood. Based on subdaily data from observations, a reanalysis product, and output from a coarse-resolution (∼200 km) global model and a fine-resolution (4 km) convection-permitting regional model, we show that the negative scaling is primarily a reflection of high temperature suppressing precipitation over land and storm-induced temperature variations over the ocean. We further identify the high temperature–induced increase of saturation deficit as a critical condition for the negative scaling of extreme precipitation over land. A large saturation deficit reduces precipitation intensity by slowing down the convective updraft condensation rate and accelerating condensate evaporation. The heat-induced suppression of precipitation, both for its mean and extremes, provides one mechanism for the co-occurrence of drought and heatwaves. As the saturation deficit over land is expected to increase in a warmer climate, our results imply a growing prevalence of negative scaling, potentially increasing the frequency of compound drought and heat events. Understanding the physical mechanisms underlying the negative scaling of precipitation at high temperature is, therefore, essential for assessing future risks of extreme events, including not only flood due to extreme precipitation but also drought and heatwaves.

Significance Statement

Negative scaling, a decrease of extreme precipitation at high local temperature, is a poorly understood phenomenon. It was suggested that the negative scaling may be a reflection of precipitation’s influence on temperature. Here we show based on observational data, a reanalysis product, and climate models that the negative scaling results primarily from the impact of the high temperature–induced saturation deficit on precipitation over land and from storm-induced temperature variations over the ocean. In hot weather when moisture is limited (as is over land), a large saturation deficit reduces precipitation intensity by slowing down the convective updraft condensation rate and accelerating condensate evaporation, leading to a negative scaling. The same mechanism can also contribute to increased compound drought and heat events.
Severe Weather Experience and Climate Change Belief among Small Woodland Owners: A Study of Reciprocal Effects
Authors: Denny Riva C. H. , Marchese Julia , Fischer A. Paige
Published: June 2022

Climate change is threatening forest ecosystem services, but people who manage their own forestland are in a unique position to observe these threats and take steps to reduce their impacts, especially if they believe that climate change is a contributing factor. We investigate the nature of the relationship between small woodland owner experiences of drought and severe storms and climate change belief in the upper midwestern United States using survey data and structural equation modeling. We find for both events that experience has a modest, positive effect on climate change belief, but only indirectly through perceptions of changing trends in these types of events. In addition, we find that trend perception and climate change belief have an important reciprocal relationship. Our findings suggest that experience as well as cognitive biases are related to believing in climate change, and that greater attention should be given to the potential of bidirectional relationships between key concepts related to climate change belief.

Significance Statement

Belief in climate change increases the likelihood of supporting and participating in climate change mitigation actions. We wanted to better understand the relationships between experiencing severe weather events, believing in global climate change, and noticing changes in the local patterns of severe weather events. Using data from a survey of individual and family forestland owners, also known as small woodland owners, in the upper Midwest, we found that severe weather experience increases climate change belief by increasing the perception that severe weather event trends are changing. The nature of this relationship is also important for informing how future analyses are constructed to avoid misleading findings that overestimate the influence that severe weather experience has on climate change belief.
Financial Distress Experienced By Privately Insured Pediatric Hearing Aid Patients: A Pilot Study
Authors: Ostrowski Tyler , Mouzakes Jason
Published: June 2022

The high cost associated with pediatric hearing aids is a major barrier to the acquisition of these medically essential tools. This pilot study describes the experiences of pediatric hearing aid users with their private insurers’ hearing aid reimbursement at one academic institution in upstate New York. The families interviewed had purchased an average of 3.6 units for an average price of $2353.40 per unit, resulting in an average cost of $877.62 after insurer reimbursement. These families had an average household income of $150 419.40 per annum and an average monthly family-rated insurance premium of $481.60. Of 36 families, 20 (55.6%) reported previous feelings of financial distress or concerns about future financial distress associated with high costs incurred from purchasing their child’s hearing aids. This study reveals the financial distress associated with pediatric hearing aids and the need for expanded research into individual families’ experiences and this problem on a broader scale.
Spatialities of peace zones
Authors: Macaspac Nerve V.
Published: June 2022

Peace zones are popularly understood as demilitarized geographic areas. While many peace zones have been documented around the world, scholarly research on the topic is surprisingly sparse. Furthermore, the existing literature focuses toward analyzing the complex social and temporal dynamics of peace zones. There is less work that examines the spatial processes that are mobilized in making the peace zones work. Building upon the analytical innovations of the geographic and spatial approaches to peace that highlight the spatialities of scale, space, and place, this article foregrounds the multiple spatialities of peace zones. Through a case study of the peace zone in the indigenous community of Sagada in the Philippines, this article argues that the peace zone is maintained through territoriality, interdependence, and the refusal of violence that weave together the politics of scale, space, and place.
Life-Cycle Economic Returns to Educational Mobility in Denmark
Authors: Birkelund Jesper Fels , Karlson Kristian Bernt , Yaish Meir
Published: June 2022

Although most studies of the transition from school to work take a snapshot perspective in examining economic returns to education, such returns evolve over an individual’s lifetime. We empirically test a theoretical formulation derived from the cumulative advantage mechanism about enduring life-cycle effects of educational mobility on income. We analyse income trajectories for all Danes born in 1960–1961, and we consider how the welfare state may counteract certain mechanisms of intergenerational transmission that give children with college-educated parents better opportunities in the labour market. We find only small direct effects of parental college attainment on earnings trajectories after we control for offspring college attainment. Thus, schooling acts as a powerful and enduring economic leveller of family background effects in Denmark. Our analyses also show direct effects on trajectories in property income derived from wealth, suggesting that the welfare state has a harder time equalising income from wealth than from earnings.
Moderating Contentious Care Relations: Meat Consumption among Finnish Consumers
Authors: Koskinen Outi
Published: June 2022

In the Global North, meat consumption is both an integral part of everyday diets and under increasing pressure to be reduced, owing to its various harmful effects. There has been much research on the issues that forestall less meat-dominated diets. Based on interview and participant observation data of consumers with a wide variety of meat relations in Finland, this article extends these discussions by framing the issue as navigating contentious relations of care. This enables a two-fold contribution. First, the article brings together previously disconnected research on these themes and makes explicit the benefits of studying meat consumption through care. Second, it demonstrates how this approach contributes an understanding of the persistence of meat on our plates, by showing how contentious care relations within meat consumption are navigated through moderation: varying degrees of engagement with care, defined by distances and realignments as well as disconnections in the processes of caring.
The Costs of Caring: Navigating Material Challenges When Adults Informally Host Youth Facing Homelessness
Authors: VanMeeter Mallory , Curry Susanna R. , Tully Brenda A. , Ault Stacey , Nesmith Ande , White Jacqueline
Published: June 2022

Couch hopping is a significant feature of youth homelessness in the United States. Every year, half of youth ages 18 to 25 who experience housing instability report couch hopping—also known as couch surfing or doubling up. Emerging work suggests that in some intergenerational informal hosting arrangements, youth and their adult hosts can form meaningful and supportive relationships. However, hosts also navigate material challenges that could threaten the stability of these arrangements. Based on in-depth interviews with nine youth ages 17 to 23 in informal hosting arrangements and 10 informal hosts, we describe how increased household costs and lease and benefits restrictions can impact stability, and the strategies hosts and youth mobilized to address them. We place hosts’ instability in the context of intergenerational poverty and structural racism, reframing material challenges as opportunities to strengthen the village of support youth need to make sustained exits from homelessness.
Political investorism: Conceptualising the political participation of shareholders and investors
Authors: O’Brien Erin , Coneybeer Justine , Boersma Martijn , Payne Alice
Published: June 2022

This article establishes a new basis for examining the participation, mobilisation and impact of investors at a time when market-based activism for social change is rising in prominence. Existing terminology describing the expression of political values through investment decisions lacks conceptual clarity. Political participation by shareholders and other investors is variously described as shareholder activism or socially responsible investment, and currently conceptualised under the banner of political consumerism. However, this term fails to capture the unique political role and diverse actions of investors. We put forward ‘political investorism’ as a cohering term for investment-based political participation to remedy existing conceptual confusion, to distinguish between investors and consumers as political actors and to set an agenda for the future study of market-based activism. This article defines and develops the concept of political investorism, drawing upon illustrative cases from Australia to identify hallmarks, actors and tactics of this form of political participation.
Increasing recreational nitrous oxide use: Should we worry? A narrative review
Authors: van Amsterdam Jan GC , Nabben Ton , van den Brink Wim
Published: June 2022

Background:

Since 2000, the prevalence of recreational nitrous oxide (N2O) use has increased in the Western world. Although N2O is a relatively safe drug, the overall increase in the use of N2O has concomitantly also initiated a modest but important increase in the number of young excessive users. The recent introduction of large 2 kg N2O tanks, allowing high and prolonged dosing, has facilitated this excessive use. This is of concern, because repeated exposure to high doses of N2O for a prolonged time is known to induce neurological damage, such as (irreversible) neuropathy and paralysis due to N2O-induced vitamin B12 deficiency. The increasing trend of recreational users with N2O-induced neurological damage at emergency departments confirms the urgency of this development.

Objective/Methods:

This narrative review describes recent trends in N2O use and misuse, the adverse health effects associated with excessive use and the risk factors of excessive use.

Results:

Considering the rising trend in N2O use, particularly among young and other vulnerable people, we propose to take legislative action to limit the availability of N2O, and also advocate for better and timely education of non-users, users and medical professionals about the serious side-effects associated with excessive N2O use.

Conclusion:

It is concluded that the increase in excessive N2O use is of serious concern.
Innovative Method for Estimating Large Truck Volume Using Aggregate Volume and Occupancy Data Incorporating Empirical Knowledge Into Linear Programming
Authors: Gu Yangsong , Liu Diyi , Stanford John , Han Lee D.
Published: June 2022

Monitoring large trucks (LT) plays an essential role in the operation and planning of transportation and economics. Although many “advanced” traffic detectors (e.g., infrared, microwave, and magnetic sensors) can identify LT, those technologies are not as widely deployed as loop detectors, and their performance is disputed. While many previous studies have investigated estimation of truck traffic using gross volume and occupancy information from loop detectors, most of them are based on mean effective vehicle length (MEVL), and thereby vulnerable to dynamic traffic conditions and dependence on exogenous data sources. This paper aims to develop an original method of estimating LT volume using detector output (i.e., volume and occupancy). A linear optimization problem is formulated by minimizing the difference between observed occupancy and theoretical “best guess.” LT and short vehicle (SV) lengths and their counts are devised as decision variables to compensate for variations in speed and length. To assess the proposed method, volume and occupancy data output in 30 s granularity from three different cases are prepared: microscopic simulation, Tennessee Radar Detector System (TN-RDS), and California Freeway Performance Measures System (PeMS). For the simulation, 12 different scenarios were built up and the results indicate that the mean absolute error of LT estimates increases with traffic volume and truck penetration. In two real-world cases, the LT estimates are close to ground truth from video and weigh-in-motion (WIM) station records. Furthermore, this simple and online LT volume estimate approach can be extended to other stations and to monitor a wide range of LT activities.
Mining Teacher Informal Online Learning Networks: Insights From Massive Educational Chat Tweets
Authors: Du Hanxiang , Xing Wanli , Zhu Gaoxia
Published: June 2022

Social-media-based teacher learning networks have the affordance to grant flexibility of time and space for teachers’ professional learning, support the development and sustainability of social networking, and meet their just-in-time needs for exchanging knowledge, negotiating meaning and accessing resources. However, most existing research on teacher online learning networks relies on qualitative methods and self-report data. There is a lack of study using quantitative methods to study large networks, especially using authentic data from social media. This work adds to the literature through mining teacher informal online learning networks using authentic data retrieved from Twitter. Specifically, we collected around half a million tweets and developed a network with the data. Then, various social network analysis techniques were utilized to explore the network structure and characteristics, participants’ behavioral patterns and how individuals connected with each other. We found that members of massive teacher informal online learning networks tended to communicate more with others of similar characteristics forming homogeneous communities, while hub participants connected many small communities which are significantly from one another, and hence, are the key to degree heterogeneity in a large network.
Multi-objective nozzle design optimization for maximum thrust vectoring performance
Authors: Afridi Saadia , Khan Tariq Amin
Published: June 2022

Thrust vectoring is a promising technology that offers the potential for improved maneuverability, control efficiency, and stealth characteristics of aircraft. Optimized nozzle design over a range of operating conditions is one of the most crucial factors for maximum thrust vectoring operation. Our goal was to investigate the optimal design of bypass dual throat nozzle to maximize thrust vectoring. We performed a multi-objective optimization study by varying the nozzle bypass angle, convergence angle, and bypass width to see what impact these parameters had on the performance of the bypass dual throat nozzle. A steady numerical simulation has been performed on 55 different nozzle configurations to compare their thrust vectoring performance and losses. In all simulations, the k- ϵ turbulence model is used to determine the vectoring states of the nozzle. The computational fluid dynamics analysis was followed by a multi-objective optimization process using the Response Surface Methodology within the ModeFrontier software. The testing of the optimized nozzle shapes using ANSYS FLUENT verified the accuracy and reliability of the multi-objective optimization algorithm. These findings suggest that nozzle convergence does not significantly affect thrust vectoring. In contrast, bypass width and bypass angle significantly affected thrust vectoring.
Book review: Achal Malhotra, The South Caucasus: Transition from Subjugation to Independence
Authors: Unnikrishnan Nandan
Published: June 2022

Achal Malhotra, The South Caucasus: Transition from Subjugation to Independence (ICWA/Macmillan Education, 2020). Pp. 248, ₹1985.
Examining the Marital Relationship After the Death of a Child
Authors: Buchanan Danette A.
Published: June 2022

This paper explores the parental grief process for married couples who have lost a child and the relationship challenges to cope with the loss. The death of a child is a shared experience unique to each couple that can result in the couple moving closer to each other; however, marital problems often develop with the loss of a child. The circumstances surrounding the death are a critical factor in the long-term outcome of parental grief and the strength of the marriage relationship. Effective dyadic coping skills are highlighted for understanding how couples cope with shared grief. I will examine parental loss and marital satisfaction through the lens of Attachment Theory and the Trauma Model. Since grief and loss are universal and a shared experience, many counselors will encounter grief issues in counseling sessions. Yet, grief training is not required in most counselor education programs. With training and experience, counselors can feel more comfortable and knowledgeable in working with grieving clients.
Ferroptosis in Neurological Disease
Authors: David Samuel , Ryan Fari , Jhelum Priya , Kroner Antje
Published: June 2022

Iron accumulation in the CNS occurs in many neurological disorders. It can contribute to neuropathology as iron is a redox-active metal that can generate free radicals. The reasons for the iron buildup in these conditions are varied and depend on which aspects of iron influx, efflux, or sequestration that help maintain iron homeostasis are dysregulated. Iron was shown recently to induce cell death and damage via lipid peroxidation under conditions in which there is deficient glutathione-dependent antioxidant defense. This form of cell death is called ferroptosis. Iron chelation has had limited success in the treatment of neurological disease. There is therefore much interest in ferroptosis as it potentially offers new drugs that could be more effective in reducing iron-mediated lipid peroxidation within the lipid-rich environment of the CNS. In this review, we focus on the molecular mechanisms that induce ferroptosis. We also address how iron enters and leaves the CNS, as well as the evidence for ferroptosis in several neurological disorders. Finally, we highlight biomarkers of ferroptosis and potential therapeutic strategies.
“It’s Just Too Much”: The Financial Calculus in Medicare Hospice
Authors: Cabin William
Published: June 2022

There is extensive literature on the significance of financial incentives in the Hospice Medicare Benefit (HMB) and the growth of proprietary ownership of hospices in the United States. A literature review indicates a paucity of information on hospice nurses’ and hospice social workers’ perceptions of the impact of the HMB’s financial structure on care planning and delivery decisions. In a previous issue of this journal, the author addressed the literature gap by presenting a study on hospice nurses’ perceptions of the impact of financial factors on their decision-making regarding care for Medicare hospice beneficiaries. The study presented in this article is a companion qualitative study to the nurses’ study. This article presents background on the topic and an initial, exploratory study to address the literature gap, based on interviews of a convenience sample of 37 hospice social workers from 6 different hospices between December 1, 2018 and January 31, 2020, in the New York City metropolitan area. Six themes emerged from the interviews: finances are the guiding principle in care planning and service delivery decisions; balancing patient care needs, cost, and finance-related length of stay (LOS) is a challenge; the emphasis on finance diminishes the social workers’ ability to address hospice patient needs; the emphasis on finance diminishes the social workers’ ability to address hospice caregiver needs; the social work role is diminished because of the role of nurses in developing and implementing the plan of treatment, which influences finances; and the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) is the crucial clinical and financial decision-making setting, but gives limited weight to social work input.
Manipulating Belief in Free Will and Its Downstream Consequences: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Genschow Oliver , Cracco Emiel , Schneider Jana , Protzko John , Wisniewski David , Brass Marcel , Schooler Jonathan W.
Published: June 2022

Ever since some scientists and popular media put forward the idea that free will is an illusion, the question has risen what would happen if people stopped believing in free will. Psychological research has investigated this question by testing the consequences of experimentally weakening people’s free will beliefs. The results of these investigations have been mixed, with successful experiments and unsuccessful replications. This raises two fundamental questions: Can free will beliefs be manipulated, and do such manipulations have downstream consequences? In a meta-analysis including 145 experiments (95 unpublished), we show that exposing individuals to anti–free will manipulations decreases belief in free will and increases belief in determinism. However, we could not find evidence for downstream consequences. Our findings have important theoretical implications for research on free will beliefs and contribute to the discussion of whether reducing people’s belief in free will has societal consequences.
Imagining beyond nature-culture dualism: An exploration of ecological justice
Authors: Roquebert Claire-Isabelle , Debucquet Gervaise
Published: June 2022

In the face of rising sustainability issues, increasing numbers of organisations are trying to build compromises between their economic purpose and ecological objectives. Organisational studies focus on the analysis of such compromise processes but most studies do not seek to grasp the substantial changes advocated by ecological critiques. Our research is aimed at addressing that gap by clarifying the radical view sustained by ecological imaginary beyond conventional compromise processes. We engage in a qualitative study of biodynamics – an agricultural method based on a radical ecological imaginary – to evaluate its moral underpinnings through Boltanski and Thévenot’s Economies of Worth framework. Our findings help us to grasp the radical moral substance of ecological critique and to extend that framework beyond its dualist assumption. By highlighting antagonisms between meta-conceptions of justice rather than analysing compromises, our research provides insights into the radical organisational changes advocated by ecological critiques.
The Extent of Résumé Whitening
Authors: Ruedin Didier , Van Belle Eva
Published: June 2022

Persistent hiring discrimination as demonstrated by correspondence experiments incites immigrant job candidates and their descendants to modify their résumé to hide their immigrant status, that is, résumé whitening. To date, we have little to no empirical evidence on how common this is in practice. We test the extent of résumé whitening with a representative survey of immigrants in Switzerland (N = 7659). Around 9% of the immigrants used some résumé whitening. Immigrants appear to use résumé whitening strategically when experiencing or anticipating discrimination. Future correspondence experiments should take this into account to maximize external validity.
Fully automated natural frequency identification based on deep-learning-enhanced computer vision and power spectral density transmissibility
Authors: Chen Zhi-Wei , Ruan Xu-Zhi , Liu Kui-Ming , Yan Wang-Ji , Liu Jian-Tao , Ye Dai-Cheng
Published: June 2022

As image acquisition devices have outstanding potential for gathering vibration information, computer vision has received a lot of interest in structural health monitoring (SHM). In this work, a fully automated peak picking methodology based on computer vision in tandem with deep learning is proposed to realize vibration measurements and identify natural frequencies from the plot of the power spectral density transmissibility (PSDT). A deep-learning-enhanced image processing technology was used to extract the vibration signals with automatic active pixel selection, while a convolutional neural network was used to further process the vibration measurements so that the frequencies could be identified from PSDT-based functions. The proposed method was verified by three case studies, including the dynamic testing of two laboratory models and the field testing of the stay cable. The findings showed that the proposed deep-learning-enhanced approach has a high potential for use in SHM by automatically performing vibration measurement and frequency extraction.
Use and changes in the use of the Internet for obtaining services among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal population-based survey study
Authors: Heponiemi Tarja , Virtanen Lotta , Kaihlanen Anu-Marja , Kainiemi Päivikki Koponen Emma , Koskinen Seppo
Published: June 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in the digitalisation of services that poses the risk of digital exclusion, especially among older adults. We examined the predictors of Internet use for services and its increase or decrease among a longitudinal population-based sample of 1426 older adults from Finland aged between 70 and 100 years, gathered in 2017 and 2020. High education and high income positively predicted the use of the Internet for services, and age, deteriorated health and deteriorated memory negatively. High age, low education and a change to living alone predicted a decrease in use. High education predicted the increased Internet use due to COVID-19. Thus, it seems that those older adults who have low education level are very old, whose health or memory has deteriorated and those who have changed to living alone are particularly in danger of digital exclusion. Actions targeted to these people are needed.
Normalizing player surveillance through video game infographics
Authors: Švelch Jan
Published: June 2022

As video game production is becoming increasingly data-driven, player surveillance shapes the everyday realities of users and developers. Remote online tracking and the resulting optimization and governance of in-game activity subscribe to the Big Data methodology as a way of accounting for entire player populations. By design, player surveillance serves the interests of developers and publishers, who have exclusive access to this proprietary data. Yet, discursively, these parties attempt to present surveillance as a mutually beneficial endeavor aimed at improving video games. A part of this strategy is the video game industry’s selective information disclosure, which I explore empirically on the example of telemetry infographics. Based on a thematic analysis of 200 infographics from 127 games, I show how publicly disseminated infographics contribute to the normalization of player surveillance by presenting it as a source of harmless trivia to be collected and shared by fans and the specialized press.
Chimney Technique and Single-Branched Stent Graft for the Left Subclavian Artery Preservation During Zone 2 Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair for Type B Acute Aortic Syndromes
Authors: Chang Haiyang , Jin Die , Wang Yongzheng , Liu Bin , Wang Wujie , Li Yuliang
Published: June 2022

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of zone 2 thoracic endovascular aortic repair assisted by the chimney technique or single-branched stent graft for the preservation of the left subclavian artery, and summarize our single-center experience with the techniques.

Materials and methods:

From February 2017 to June 2020, 137 patients who underwent left subclavian artery revascularization during zone 2 thoracic endovascular aortic repair were enrolled. Patients had acute type B aortic dissection and penetrating aortic ulcer associated with intramural hematoma. The chimney technique was performed in 68 patients (group A), and single-branched stent graft was deployed in 69 patients (group B). All procedures were performed during the acute phase. Primary technical success, immediate postoperative endoleak, neurologic complications (stroke or spinal cord ischemia), 30-day mortality, 1-year technical success, all-cause mortality, patency of the left subclavian artery, and reintervention were analyzed. Comparing the occurrence of the Bird-Beak Configuration, defined as a gap between the aortic wall and the sent graft with stent protrusion into the aortic lumen more than 5 mm, was also performed.

Results:

Primary technique success was achieved in 66 and 67 patients in groups A and B, respectively. The incidence of immediate postoperative endoleak, neurologic complications (stroke or spinal cord ischemia), and 30-day mortality were 5.9%, 1.5%, and 4.4% in group A, and 2.9%, 2.9%, and 2.9% in group B, respectively. During follow-up, the 1-year technical success rate was similar in both groups. All-cause mortality was similar in both groups (3.1% in group A and 4.5% in group B). The patency of the left subclavian artery was not significantly different between the 2 groups with 2 and 3 occlusions in groups A and B, respectively. The rate of reintervention was higher in group B (3.1% vs 1.6%, p=0.536), with a non-significant difference. Bird-Beak Configuration was more prominent in group B with the incidence of 59.42%.

Conclusions:

Acting as minimally invasive alternatives, both techniques are feasible for left subclavian artery preservation during zone 2 thoracic endovascular aortic repair for type B acute aortic syndromes with encouraging mid-term outcomes. Long-term follow-up is required to confirm these findings.
Alternariol ameliorates lung carcinoma via reprogramming cytokine signaling associated with PI3K/Akt cascade in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Li Qiufang , Yang Yanzi , Wang Xiaokai , Yang Xiaopeng , Zhao Yaosong , Wu Qiuge , Zhao Yanli
Published: June 2022

Objectives

The lung cancer is most frequently diagnosed cancer incidence worldwide. A large number of populations are heavily affected to this every year with poor prognosis.

Methods

Our study investigated the anticancer effect of alternariol, a secondary metabolite, on A549 lung cancer cell line and benzo-α-pyrene induced lung carcinoma model on balb/c mice. The cytotoxicity assay, DAPI staining and the flow cytometry was performed to assess the anticancer efficacy of alternariol in A549 lung cancer cell. For in vivo study the toxicity study was performed. The lung cancer was developed in the animals via intraperitoneal administration of benzo-α-pyrene and subsequently 2 weeks later alternariol treatment was carried out for 24 weeks. The chemotherapeutic effect of alternariol was assessed through histopathological analysis, followed by immunohistochemistry and in vivo antioxidant study.

Results

The in vitro data suggested a significant percentage of early and late apoptotic events in A549 cells with G0/G1 phase arrest which ultimately caused apoptosis followed by alternariol therapy. The in vivo study showed that alternariol therapy decreased the pulmonary fibrosis and formation of granuloma in lung tissue and restored the normal histopathological characteristics of lung. Furthermore, alternariol treatment downregulated the expression of PI3K, Akt and inflammatory mediators such as IL-6, TNF-α and increased the expression of apoptotic markers, p53.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the treatment with alternariol effectively decreased the progression of lung cancer through the inhibition of carcinogenic markers by reprogramming the p53/PI3K/Akt pathway and IL-6/TNF-α mediated cytokine signaling in mice.
A visible-light-responsive DiSCn(3)-type fluorescent probe for the rapid, sensitive, and specific detection of tin(II) ions in aqueous solution
Authors: Li Ruiji , Wang Dong , Li Xiaoyun , Zhang Zehui , Li Wei
Published: June 2022

Visible-light-excited fluorescent probes with excellent water solubility are of significant research importance in the biomedical field. In this work, a series of visible-light-responsive carbocyanine fluorescent compounds [DiSCn(3)] are synthesized from 2-methylbenzothiazole and are employed as fluorescent probes for detecting tin(II) ions. Upon addition of tin(II) ions to an aqueous solution of compounds DiSCn(3)-3 and 4, both exhibit considerable changes in their absorption and fluorescent intensity, respectively. These spectral changes may correspond to the binding between tin(II) ions and the sulfur atom in the benzothiazole unit to form a metal complex. This indicates that DiSCn(3)-3 and 4 can be used as promising fluorescent chemical sensors for detecting tin(II) ions in aqueous solution via visible-light excitation.
Circ_0062491 alleviates LPS-induced apoptosis and inflammation in periodontitis by regulating miR-498/SOCS6 axis
Authors: Wang Lie , Li Yanli , Hong Feifei , Ning Haiyan
Published: June 2022

Periodontitis is a prevalent chronic inflammatory disease. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been revealed to play roles in the inflammatory response. Hence, this work aimed to explore the role and mechanism of circ_0062491 in periodontitis progression. Human periodontal ligament cells (PDLCs) were isolated from the periodontal ligament (PDL) of the healthy teeth with orthodontic requirement after tooth extraction. In vitro experiments were conducted by cell counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, flow cytometry, Western blot, and ELISA to determine cell viability, apoptosis, and inflammatory response. The binding between miR-498 and circ_0062491 or SOCS6 was confirmed using dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. Circ_0062491 expression was decreased in periodontitis and LPS-induced PDLCs. Restoration of circ_0062491 attenuated LPS-induced apoptosis and inflammation in PDLCs in vitro. Mechanistically, circ_0062491 functioned as a sponge for miR-498, and miR-498 directly targeted SOCS6. Rescue experiments showed that miR-498 up-regulation reversed the protective action of circ_0062491 on PDLCs under LPS treatment. Moreover, silencing of miR-498 protected PDLCs from LPS-induced apoptosis and inflammation, which were abolished by SOCS6 knockdown. Circ_0062491 protected PDLCs from LPS-induced apoptosis and inflammation, suggesting a new target for the amelioration of periodontitis patients.
Postmortem Imaging of an Unusual Case of Fatal Heart and Lung Perforation Due to Self-Treatment
Authors: Ali Zabiullah , Mourtzinos Nikki
Published: June 2022

Intentional or accidental cardiothoracic injuries caused by needles and pins are rare and commonly reported in individuals with psychiatric conditions or intravenous drug users. Although rare, these cases could result in serious injury during the performance of an autopsy and highlight the importance of post-mortem radiology. Therapeutic complications with cardiac perforation have been reported due to pericardiocentesis and acupuncture. The majority of reported cases were not fatal and some had a prolonged asymptomatic period of weeks or even years after insertion. Needles or other sharp objects can reach the cardiovascular system directly through the chest wall, indirectly from any segment of the gastrointestinal tract after swallowing needles, or through migration of broken needles from distant injection sites in intravenous drug users. We report a case of rapidly fatal cardiopulmonary injuries following “self-treatment” to “pop” a cyst with a piercing needle. The scene, autopsy, computed tomography, and digital x-ray findings of this unique case are discussed with a review of selective literature. In this case, the right lung and heart showed multiple perforations, possibly resulting from heartbeats or respirations pushing the organs against the needle. To our knowledge, perforations in this setting of “self-treatment” have not been previously reported in the literature.
Neither Absent nor Ambient: Incidental News Exposure From the Perspective of News Avoiders in the UK, United States, and Spain
Authors: Palmer Ruth , Toff Benjamin
Published: June 2022

Scholars have long argued that incidental news exposure (INE) is a potentially valuable way citizens gain political information and learn about current affairs. Yet growing scholarship on news avoidance suggests many people still manage to consume little news, and algorithmic curation may decrease the likelihood that they will be exposed to it incidentally. In this article, we put the literatures on INE, news avoidance, and political talk into dialogue with one another. Then, by inductively analyzing over a hundred in-depth interviews conducted from 2016 to 2020 with news avoiders in the UK, Spain, and the United States, we explore how they encounter news incidentally and to what extent they feel the news is accessible and available to them. Our audience-centric approach highlights that interviewees often did not make a clear distinction between direct encounters with professional news (“firsthand news”) and discussions of news (“secondhand news”), especially online. When they did make a distinction, the latter was often more salient for them. We also find that just as news consumers have repertoires of news sources on which they habitually rely, news avoiders have repertoires of sources for incidental exposure to news to stay informed about major events and anything that might affect them directly. And yet, those repertoires catch only the biggest and most sensational stories of the day and do little to help them contextualize or understand the news they encounter, contributing to their sense that news is neither entirely absent nor ambient in the way scholars have theorized.
The association between pre-operative malnutrition and post-amputation clinical outcomes: A systematic review
Authors: Zheng Xiaomei , Yeo Mei En Joy , Lew Charles Chin Han
Published: June 2022

Background:

In patients who underwent lower limb amputation (LLA), the prevalence of malnutrition and its association with clinical outcomes are unclear.

Objectives:

This systematic review aims to identify literature and summarise existing information on (1) the prevalence of malnutrition in the patients with LLA and (2) the association between pre-operative nutritional status and post-surgery clinical outcomes in patients who require amputation.

Methods:

A search was conducted in four electronic databases (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, CINAHL and Scopus) to identify eligible studies. The search strategy was based on keywords – amputation, malnutrition and undernutrition. Article were included regardless of the study design; and if they were written in English; included adult patients with lower limb or foot amputation; and performed pre-amputation nutrition assessments.

Results:

Seven articles met the eligibility criteria. Malnutrition was assessed by biochemistry and/or anthropometry – none of which are validated nutrition assessment tools. Nevertheless, abnormal biochemistry and/or anthropometry results were associated with delayed wound healing, complications and failed amputation compared to normal ranges. The association between abnormal biochemistry and/or anthropometry parameters and mortality was less consistent. Only one study used a validated nutrition screen tool and found half of the population with LLA were at risk of malnutrition, but no association was reported.

Conclusions:

The association between malnutrition and clinical outcomes in patients who underwent LLA remains unclear as all the eligible studies that investigated association used unvalidated nutrition assessment tools. There is an urgent need to address this knowledge gap in future research.