bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A survey of critical care pharmacists on venous thromboembolism prophylaxis dosing practices with enoxaparin in adult trauma patients
Authors: McNeill Sydney E. , Alexander Kaitlin M. , Ladd Kelsey , Liu‐DeRyke Xi , Smith Chadwick , Hobbs Brandon
Published: January 2023

Enoxaparin is the preferred treatment for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis in trauma patients, but timing of initiation, optimal dosing, and therapeutic drug monitoring remain controversial. The objective of this study was to evaluate enoxaparin VTE prophylaxis practices in adult trauma patients across trauma centers in the United States and compare results to current guideline recommendations. An online survey designed by the study investigators was sent to pharmacist members of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Critical Care Practice Research Network (PRN) and residency directors of institutions with accredited Critical Care Pharmacy Residency programs in the fall of 2021. This survey queried pharmacists' self‐reported practices regarding enoxaparin dosing and monitoring in trauma patients. One hundred five responses were collected with an estimated response rate of 5.3%. Most respondents reported using a standard enoxaparin dose of 30 mg subcutaneously (SUBQ) every 12 h (67%; 70/104) in trauma patients with normal renal function and higher initial dosing for obese trauma patients (75%; 78/104). The most common body mass index (BMI) threshold for dose adjustments in obesity was a BMI ≥40 kg/m2; whereas 100 kg or more was commonly reported for a weight threshold. Multiple alternative enoxaparin dosing regimens were reported for obese and overweight patients. Of respondents who monitor anti‐Factor Xa (anti‐Xa) levels, 84% (61/73) reported monitoring peak levels with 47% (29/61) targeting a peak anti‐Xa goal of 0.2–0.4 units/ml. Seventy‐five percent (51/68) of respondents who adjust enoxaparin dosing based on anti‐Xa level monitoring reported adjusting doses by increments of 10 mg SUBQ every 12 h, and 41% (28/68) indicated having a pharmacist‐driven protocol for dose adjustments. Significant variation exists in enoxaparin dosing and monitoring strategies for VTE prophylaxis. Consensus among clinical practice guidelines is needed to standardize practice nationally.
Bayesian estimation of Marshall Olkin extended inverse Weibull under progressive type II censoring
Authors: Lin Yu‐Jau , Okasha Hassan M. , Basheer Abdulkareem M. , Lio Yuh Long
Published: January 2023

The estimations of parameters and percentiles for a three‐parameter Marshall Olkin extended inverse Weibull distribution based on progressively type‐II censored sample are concerned. The Bayesian, least‐squares, maximum likelihood and percentiles estimate methods for the model parameters have been developed. Comparing all estimate methods, the least‐squares, maximum likelihood and percentiles estimate methods are shown not stable due to the identification problem in the extended parametric space. Therefore, the Bayes estimate methods are focused. Three Bayesian estimations of the distribution parameters andppercentiles for 2.5, 50 and 97.5 under the squared error loss, absolute error loss and LINEX loss functions are respectively calculated by using the Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling procedure. Moreover, two real data sets are presented for the application illustration. Finally, concluding remarks are addressed.
Neuroadaptive global sliding mode control for nonlinear systems and its application
Authors: Chu Yundi , Fei Juntao , Hou Shixi
Published: January 2023

One type of adaptive controller on the basis of an original dual‐loop recursive fuzzy neural network (DRFNN) with two closed loop structures for a kind of nonlinear dynamic systems is designed in this paper. Though the conventional FNN could approximate arbitrary smooth functions, the inner network parameters need to be set up in advance. Usually, the setting of the base width and central vector are lack of theoretical guidance to some degree and need to be debugged many times. However, the initial values of the center vector and the base width can be arbitrarily set and stable to optimal ones in the light of adaptive mechanism of the proposed dual recursive FNN. Besides, the dynamic dual recursive FNN possesses the ability of storing more beneficial information through constructing signal back loops, meanwhile accuracy of the approximation is higher than the traditional FNN. Furthermore, the learning speed and detection accuracy can be improved due to the fact that expert knowledge is a priori knowledge in the network structure by including if‐then rules of this FNN. To validate effectiveness of the developed scheme, simulations and three suits of experiments are carried out on a set of active power filter to demonstrate that this presented global sliding mode control using DRFNN can achieve expected performance. Eventually, some comparisons among FNN and the proposed DRFNN are implemented to suggest the dual recursive FNN can obtain more superior properties.
Extraction of Cerium (III) by a Solvent Extraction Technique Using Diaminododecylphosphonic Acid (DADTMTPA): Experimental, Density Functional Theory and Molecular Dynamic Studies
Authors: Ouazene Mokhtar , Yahia Cherif Fatima , Guendouzi Abdelmadjid , Kaid M'hamed , Villemin Didier , Abdelmouiz Ahmed , Guendouzi Abdelkrim
Published: January 2023

This paper aims to present the recent results progress on diaminododecylphosphonic acid (DADTMTPA) as an extractant of cerium (III) from Ce(NO3)3.6H2O solution medium. Different parameters including pH, temperature, extractant concentration, and foreign ions present in the aqueous phase were examined to investigate the extractional mechanism. The optimum conditions of solvent extraction of Ce(III) are as follows: under experimental conditions of 298 K and the initial concentration of Ce(III) being kept at 10−4 M at pH 3.50. The agitation duration of 5 min for a volume ratio equal to 2, and the best yield is 77 % in one‐step. An increase in the temperature reduced the extraction process. The DADTMTPA extracts Ce(III) after the second cycle with a yield of 95 %. The extraction thermodynamic parameters such as ΔG, ΔHand ΔS are also determined and reported. On the other hand, density functional theory (DFT) based on B97D3 functional with 6‐311++G(d,p) basis set analysis and molecular dynamics simulations were used to extremely fast methods at calculating the non‐bonded interactions and to understand its properties of molecular interactions, which have proved to be an adopted and useful tool to predict and describe the chemical behavior of the evolution of the system.
Relational interpretation of quantum mechanics and Alexander Bogdanov's worldview
Authors: Rovelli Carlo
Published: January 2023

There is a surprising parallel between the conceptual step taken by the theoretical physicists who discovered quantum mechanics in the 1920s and the philosophical work of Alexander Bogdanov. Both were under the direct cultural influence of the ideas of Ernst Mach. Even more surprisingly, there are aspects of the current debate on the physical interpretation of the quantum formalism that closely mirror the Lenin‐Bogdanov debate, in particular on the confusion between subjectivity and relationality. It seems to me that the ideas of Alexander Bogdanov can still bring clarity and be fertile today when applied to open issues in the foundations of physics.
Study of cell protective effects of alcohols against UV-C radiation and comparison to gamma radiation
Authors: Neužilová Barbora , Čuba Václav , Crhánová Michaela , Múčka Viliam
Published: January 2023

A singlet oxygen production was monitored using a singlet oxygen sensor green chemical probe; reaction of chemical probe with singlet oxygen produces a fluorescent endoperoxide. Adding ethanol to the irradiated system resulted in decrease of the fluorescence signal, which indicates a decrease in concentration of singlet oxygen formed under UV-C irradiation. Thus, ethanol was likely to quench singlet oxygen in a system under study. This quenching did not occur with the use of methanol. When irradiating E. coli cells in the presence of ethanol and Rose Bengal for higher singlet oxygen production, there was a greater reduction in the radiation sensitivity of the cells compared to the system without Rose Bengal. Higher concentration of ethanol caused greater protection of cells; thus, it is likely that ethanol can scavenge singlet oxygen and provide a partial protection of bacteria from the effects of UV-C radiation. These results were compared with previously published data where the bacteria were irradiated by gamma radiation in presence of alcohols.
A new set of estimated cardiorespiratory fitness equations are associated with cognitive performance in older adults
Authors: Velázquez-Díaz Daniel , Cadenas-Sanchez Cristina , Molina-Guzmán Flor Abril , Sáenz-Carrasco Jesús Alfredo , Gonzalez-Rosa Javier J. , Erickson Kirk I. , Carbonell-Baeza Ana , Jiménez-Pavón David
Published: January 2023

This study aimed to develop new equations to estimate cardiorespiratory fitness specifically for older adults and, secondly, to analyze the associations of cardiorespiratory fitness, both objectively measured and estimated using new equations, with cognitive performance. Ninety-two older adults (41 females, 65–75 years) from baseline data of a randomized controlled trial were analyzed (“ClinicalTrials.gov” Identifier: NCT03923712). Participants completed 4 measurement sessions including (i) physiological and health indicators in a laboratory setting, (ii) field-based fitness tests, (iii) sociodemographic and physical activity questionnaires, and (iv) a battery of neuropsychological tests to evaluate cognitive performance. The main findings were as follows: (i) a set of new equations with good predictive value for estimated cardiorespiratory fitness were developed (74–87%), using different scenarios of complexity and/or equipment requirements, and (ii) higher estimated cardiorespiratory fitness, even using its simplest equation (eCRF =  − 1261.99 + 1.97 × 6 min walking test (m) + 1.12 × bioimpedance basal metabolic rate (kcal/day) + 5.25 × basal heart rate (bpm)), was associated with better cognitive performance evaluated by several neuropsychological tests (i.e., language, cognitive flexibility, fluency, attention, and working memory), similar to using objectively measured cardiorespiratory fitness. In summary, a new set of estimated cardiorespiratory fitness equations have been developed with predictive values ranging from 74 to 87% that could be used based on necessity, availability of equipment, resources, or measurement context. Moreover, similar to objectively measured cardiorespiratory fitness, this measure of estimated cardiorespiratory fitness was positively associated with performance on language, fluency, cognitive flexibility, attention, and working memory, independently of sex, age, and education level.
Comparison of Hydrodynamic Performances Between Single Pontoon and Double Pontoon Floating Breakwaters Through the SPH Method
Authors: Chen Yong-kun , Liu Yong , Meringolo Domenico D.
Published: January 2023

A numerical study adopting the 2D δ-SPH model is performed to compare the hydrodynamic characteristics of a single pontoon floating breakwater and a double pontoon floating breakwater. Numerical simulations are performed using the δ-SPH model and experimental tests are conducted to validate the numerical model. The numerical results of both the free surface elevations and motions of the floating breakwater are in good agreement with the experimental results. Numerical results show that when the pontoon drafts are larger, the double pontoon floating breakwater performs better in wave attenuations compared with the single pontoon floating breakwater, and for all the drafts, the amplitudes of motions including sway, heave and roll of the double pontoon floating breakwater is always smaller. In addition, increasing the spacing between the two pontoons can further reduce the amplitudes of pontoon motions and improve the wave attenuation ability of the double pontoon floating breakwater.
Investigation on Effects of Mooring Line Fractures and Connector Failures for A Hybrid Modular Floating Structure System
Authors: Liu Ya-qiong , Ren Nian-xin , Ou Jin-ping
Published: January 2023

The present work reports a Hybrid Modular Floating Structure (HMFS) system with typical malfunction conditions. The effects of both fractured mooring lines and failed connectors on main hydrodynamic responses (mooring line tensions, module motions, connector loads and wave power production) of the HMFS system under typical sea conditions are comparatively investigated. The results indicate that the mooring tension distribution, certain module motions (surge, sway and yaw) and connector loads (Mz) are significantly influenced by mooring line fractures. The adjacent mooring line of the fractured line on the upstream side suffers the largest tension among the remaining mooring lines, and the case with two fractured mooring lines in the same group on the upstream side is the most dangerous among all cases of two-line failures in view of mooring line tensions, module motions and connector loads. Therefore, one emergency strategy with appropriate relaxation of a proper mooring line has been proposed and proved effective to reduce the risk of more progressive mooring line fractures. In addition, connector failures substantially affect certain module motions (heave and pitch), certain connector loads (Fz and My) and wave power production. The present work can be helpful and instructive for studies on malfunction conditions of modular floating structure (MFS) systems.
Bioacoustic evidence for a continuous summer presence of the greater noctule bat, Nyctalus lasiopterus, in the Italian Alps
Authors: Paniccia Chiara , Zingg Peter E. , Bellè Alex , Hilpold Andreas , Reichegger Florian , Tappeiner Ulrike , Ladurner Eva
Published: January 2023

The greater noctule bat, Nyctalus lasiopterus (Schreber, 1780), is one of the rarest bat species in Europe. Data on its distribution in the central and western parts of the continent are largely lacking. For the first time, N. lasiopterus was observed in South Tyrol (Northern Italy) using bat detectors in the summer of 2016 and in the following years until 2021. The five sites where the species was detected are located in a limited area of the Adige Valley, which is characterised by low elevation and a mild climate. Multiple recordings indicated a continuous summer presence of N. lasiopterus on the southern side of the Alps. Additionally, we present insights on echolocation and species identification, including statistically significant differences in the call metrics of N. lasiopterus compared to Tadarida teniotis. These results are important at a European level given that data is lacking on the populations of N. lasiopterus in Europe outside the Mediterranean.
Tools for assessing teacher digital literacy: a review
Authors: Nguyen Lan Anh Thuy , Habók Anita
Published: January 2023

With the rapid advancement of technology, digital literacy has become a key component in educators’ professional development. A wide range of assessment tools has been developed to measure teacher digital literacy; however, there has been no previous attempt to systematically synthesize and scrutinize those tools to improve evaluation of this ability among educators. The current study reviews literature on instruments that assess teacher digital literacy with the purposes of ascertaining the main aspects of it that recent researchers focus on in their evaluation, instrument types used for assessment, and the reliability and validity report, as well as the frameworks or models used to design assessment tools. The review selected 33 English-language publications in the field of educational technology from peer-reviewed journals indexed in the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Web of Science, and Scopus. The study period spanned from 2011 to 2022 with the objective of reviewing the tools used to assess teacher digital competence. The major findings demonstrate that scholars focus on digital competence in teachers’ use of educational technology, teaching and learning, professional development, and support for learners through digital competence. Other researchers emphasize the ability of educators to apply technology to the assessment of learner outcomes or to empower students in using technology to enhance learning. Additionally, self-evaluation instruments are common, whereas a few studies promote subjective evaluation in combination with objective assessment to provide a comprehensive understanding of teacher digital competence. The results form the basis for several recommendations for future research for the further examination of teacher digital literacy.
Photocatalytic activity of P-doped TiO2 photocatalyst
Authors: Rescigno Raffaella , Sacco Olga , Venditto Vincenzo , Fusco Alessandra , Donnarumma Giovanna , Lettieri Mariateresa , Fittipaldi Rosalba , Vaiano Vincenzo
Published: January 2023

In this study, P-doped TiO2 photocatalysts with different molar percentages (in the range 0.071–1.25 mol %) of the non-metallic element were prepared and their photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation was tested. All achieved samples were characterized by XRD, Raman, UV–Vis DRS and SEM–EDX techniques. XRD and Raman analysis showed that all doped photocatalysts were in anatase phase and evidenced that P ions were successfully incorporated into the TiO2 crystal lattice, affecting also the crystallinity degree of the P-doped TiO2 photocatalysts. Noticeably, the UV–Vis DRS spectra evidenced that the highest redshift in absorption edge was observed for the photocatalyst with the lowest P content (0.071PT), which showed also the lowest bandgap (2.9 eV). The photocatalytic performances of all P-doped TiO2 samples were compared with that of commercial TiO2 by evaluating the decolorization of methylene blue (MB) dye under visible light irradiation. Results showed that phosphorus doping strongly promoted photocatalytic activity in the presence of visible light. Furthermore, the most active photocatalyst in visible light tests (0.071PT) also showed better photocatalytic activity than commercial TiO2 in the decolorization of MB under simulated sunlight irradiation. Finally, 0.071PT photocatalyst was preliminarily tested against Escherichia coli (E. coli) under simulated solar light, showing an inactivation efficiency of 90% after 2 h of treatment time.

Graphical abstract
Phase I Study of Safety and Pharmacokinetics of RO7297089, an Anti-BCMA/CD16a Bispecific Antibody, in Patients with Relapsed, Refractory Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Plesner Torben , Harrison Simon J. , Quach Hang , Lee Cindy , Bryant Adam , Vangsted Annette , Estell Jane , Delforge Michel , Offner Fritz , Twomey Patrick , Choeurng Voleak , Li Junyi , Hendricks Robert , Ruppert Shannon M. , Sumiyoshi Teiko , Miller Karen , Cho Eunpi , Schjesvold Fredrik
Published: January 2023

Introduction

This phase 1 trial assessed the safety, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary antitumor activity of RO7297089, an anti-BCMA/CD16a bispecific antibody.

Methods

RO7297089 was administered weekly by intravenous infusion to patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. The starting dose was 60 mg in this dose-escalation study utilizing a modified continual reassessment method with overdose control model.

Results

Overall, 27 patients were treated at doses between 60 and 1850 mg. The maximally administered dose was 1850 mg due to excipients in the formulation that did not allow for higher doses to be used. The maximum tolerated dose was not reached. The most common adverse events irrespective of grade and relationship to the drug were anemia, infusion-related reaction, and thrombocytopenia. Most common treatment-related grade ≥ 3 toxicities were ALT/AST increase and reduced lymphocyte count. Pharmacokinetic studies suggested non-linear pharmacokinetics and target-mediated drug disposition, with a trend of approaching linear pharmacokinetics at doses of 1080 mg and higher. Partial response was observed in two patients (7%), minimal response in two patients (7%), and stable disease in 14 patients (52%).

Conclusions

RO7297089 was well tolerated at doses up to 1850 mg, and the efficacy data supported activity of RO7297089 in multiple myeloma. Combination with other agents may further enhance its potential as an innate immune cell engager in multiple myeloma.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04434469; Registered June 16, 2020; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04434469.
Reproductive Realities in Modern China
Authors: Mellors Rodriguez Sarah
Published: January 2023

Lasting from 1979 to 2015, China's One Child Policy is often remembered as one of the most ambitious social engineering projects to date and considered emblematic of global efforts to regulate population growth during the twentieth century. Drawing on a rich combination of archival research and oral history, Sarah Mellors Rodriguez analyses how ordinary people, particularly women, navigated China's shifting fertility policies before and during the One Child Policy era. She examines the implementation and reception of these policies and reveals that they were often contradictory and unevenly enforced, as men and women challenged, reworked, and co-opted state policies to suit their own needs. By situating the One Child Policy within the longer history of birth control and abortion in China, Reproductive Realities in Modern China exposes important historical continuities, such as the enduring reliance on abortion as contraception and the precariousness of state control over reproduction.
The Dutch Republic in the Seventeenth Century
Authors: Prak Maarten
Published: January 2023

Rembrandt, Hals and Vermeer are still household names, even though they died over three hundred years ago. In their lifetimes they witnessed the extraordinary consolidation of the newly independent Dutch Republic and its emergence as one of the richest nations on earth. As one contemporary wrote in 1673: the Dutch were 'the envy of some, the fear of others, and the wonder of all their neighbours'. During the Dutch Golden Age, the arts blossomed and the country became a haven of religious tolerance. However, despite being self-proclaimed champions of freedom, the Dutch conquered communities in America, Africa and Asia and were heavily involved in both slavery and the slave trade on three continents. This substantially revised second edition of the leading textbook on the Dutch Republic includes a new chapter exploring slavery and its legacy, as well as a new chapter on language and literature.
The Business of Armaments
Authors: Spear Joanna
Published: January 2023

How did Britain's most prominent armaments firms, Armstrongs and Vickers, build their businesses and sell armaments in Britain and overseas from 1855 to 1955? Joanna Spear presents a comparative analysis of these firms and considers the relationships they built with the British Government and foreign states. She reveals how the firms developed and utilized independent domestic strategies and foreign policies against the backdrop of imperial expansion and the two world wars. Using extensive new research, this study examines the challenges the two firms faced in making domestic and international sales including the British Government's commitment to laissez faire policies, prejudices within the British elite against those in trade, and departmental resistance to dealing with private firms. It shows the suite of strategies and tactics that the firms developed to overcome these obstacles to selling arms at home and abroad and how they built enduring relationships with states in Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East.
Coloniality of Waithood: Africa’s Wait for COVID-19 Vaccines amid COVAX and TRIPS
Authors: Hagan Ampson
Published: January 2023

African nations have struggled to secure lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines, while rich nations have purchased more than they needed, depleting the global supply. High vaccine prices and intellectual property regulations that block the production of cheaper generics have contributed to a condition of African waithood. Hagan examines this waithood, which characterizes the disjuncture between African countries’ existential and humanitarian need for COVID-19 vaccines and corporations’ quest for profits in the pandemic. African waithood, produced by pharmaceutical companies including Moderna and Pfizer, is a direct product of colonialism. Waithood echoes the ongoing colonial relations between African nations and the corporations that continue to exploit them.
Merging of the superbanana plateau and transport regimes in nearly quasisymmetric stellarators
Authors: Catto Peter J. , Tolman Elizabeth A. , Parra Felix I.
Published: January 2023

Alpha particle confinement is one of the most demanding issues for stellarators. It now seems clear that it is possible to design optimized stellarators that confine the background plasma at near tokamak radial transport levels. Moreover, adequate collisionless alpha particle confinement is possible in the core of a highly optimized stellarator. Here, the collisional confinement of barely trapped alphas in an optimized stellarator is considered by accounting for the resonance due to the reversal in direction of the drift within a flux surface and investigating the sensitive role of magnetic shear in keeping this resonance close to the passing boundary in some nearly quasisymmetric stellarator configurations. The treatment relies on a narrow collisional boundary layer formulation that combines the responses of both these resonant pitch angle alphas and the remaining barely trapped alphas. A novel merged regime treatment leads to explicit expressions for the energy diffusivity for both superbanana plateau (or resonant plateau) and

$\sqrt \nu$

transport in the large aspect ratio limit for a slowing down tail alpha distribution function, where

$\nu$

is the effective pitch angle scattering collision frequency of the trapped alphas off the background ions. Depending on the details of the optimization scheme and the sign of the magnetic shear, modest magnetic shear can be used to reduce superbanana (or resonant) plateau transport to below the

$\sqrt \nu$

transport level. In addition, a quasilinear equation retaining spatial diffusion is derived for a general alpha distribution function that allows the radial alpha transport to modify the distribution so it is no longer isotropic in velocity space.
Comparison of theoretical and experimental models for knee flexion/extension using a cable-driven robot
Authors: Gonçalves Rogério S. , Kaufmann Yasmin V.
Published: January 2023

To support and facilitate the rehabilitation of patients with physical limitations and aid the therapist, several robotic structures are being studied. Among the structures, the cable-driven robots stand out. The cable-driven robots are structures actuated by cables and have the advantages of being flexible and reconfigurable for each patient. The objective of this paper is to develop a theoretical model for knee flexion/extension force and moment using a cable-driven robot. The proposed model is necessary for elaborating a referential to which diagnosis can be made and the improvement of the patient evaluated. The presented theoretical model was validated through experiments with twelve sedentary and healthy volunteers. The first procedure tested ten subjects in three thigh angles for knee flexion motion; the second procedure tested two subjects in flexion and extension for the same thigh angle. The results show the validity of the model for 88.58% of the tests in an ANOVA analysis with a 99% confidence interval. The similarity of data for different gender, ages, and intrinsic factors was noted, implying that the model is representative and independent of the subject’s individuality. Differences between flexion and extension values were observed, which need to be studied in the future.
Crystal structure of elvitegravir Form II, C23H23ClFNO5
Authors: Kaduk James A. , Gates-Rector Stacy , Blanton Thomas N.
Published: January 2023

The crystal structure of elvitegravir Form II has been solved and refined using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data, and optimized using density functional theory techniques. Elvitegravir Form II crystallizes in space group P21 (#4) with a = 11.54842(7), b = 14.04367(5), c = 13.33333(8) Å, β = 90.0330(6)°, V = 2162.427(14) Å3, and Z = 4. The crystal structure consists of alternating layers of parallel molecules perpendicular to the b-axis. The mean planes of the oxoquinoline ring systems in molecules 1 and 2 are 1(22)-1 and -1(22)1. Between the stacks are layers of the halogenated phenyl rings. These exhibit herringbone stacking. In each molecule, the carboxylic acid group forms a strong intramolecular O–H⋯O hydrogen bond to the nearby carbonyl group. The hydroxyl group of each molecule forms a strong hydrogen bond to the carbonyl group of the carboxylic acid of the other molecule. These O–H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the molecules into dimers, with a graph set R2,2(18) > a > c. The powder pattern has been submitted to ICDD for inclusion in the Powder Diffraction File™ (PDF®).
The Development of the Missing-Letter Effect Revisited
Authors: Roy-Charland Annie , Collin Marie-Michelle , Richard Jacques
Published: January 2023

Abstract. When participants read a text for comprehension while identifying a target letter, the letter is more often missed in a frequent function word than in a less frequent content word. This is the missing-letter effect. Studies have shown the importance of both frequency and word function. The role of each of these factors in development is less understood. The goal of this study was to revisit the influence of frequency and word function in the missing-letter effect in development with better-controlled stimuli. Two hundred sixteen participants took part in this study and were divided into five groups (6–7 years, 8 years, 9 years, 10–11 years, and university students). They were asked to read four experimental texts for comprehension and to circle a target letter. The results showed a basic missing-letter effect with more omissions for a frequent function word than a less frequent content word for every group. When frequency was controlled, we found a word function effect as early as 6–7 years of age, with more omissions for a function word than a content word. In contrast, when word function was controlled, an effect of frequency was only significant for adults and 8-year-olds. These results clarify discrepancies in the literature and support the importance of rigorous stimuli control.
Potentially Good News for Solar Energy During Wildfires
Authors: Duncombe Jenessa
Published: January 2023

A preliminary analysis suggests that the impact of smoke blocking the Sun during 2020’s megafires was minimal for the nation’s solar panels.
Fate of charge order in overdoped La-based cuprates
Authors: von Arx K. , Wang Qisi , Mustafi S. , Mazzone D. G. , Horio M. , Mukkattukavil D. John , Pomjakushina E. , Pyon S. , Takayama T. , Takagi H. , Kurosawa T. , Momono N. , Oda M. , Brookes N. B. , Betto D. , Zhang W. , Asmara T. C. , Tseng Y. , Schmitt T. , Sassa Y. , Chang J.
Published: January 2023

In high-temperature cuprate superconductors, stripe order refers broadly to a coupled spin and charge modulation with a commensuration of eight and four lattice units, respectively. How this stripe order evolves across optimal doping remains a controversial question. Here we present a systematic resonant inelastic x-ray scattering study of weak charge correlations in La2−xSrxCuO4 and La1.8−xEu0.2SrxCuO4. Ultra high energy resolution experiments demonstrate the importance of the separation of inelastic and elastic scattering processes. Long-range temperature-dependent stripe order is only found below optimal doping. At higher doping, short-range temperature-independent correlations are present up to the highest doping measured. This transformation is distinct from and preempts the pseudogap critical doping. We argue that the doping and temperature-independent short-range correlations originate from unresolved electron–phonon coupling that broadly peaks at the stripe ordering vector. In La2−xSrxCuO4, long-range static stripe order vanishes around optimal doping and we discuss both quantum critical and crossover scenarios.
The ETS transcription factor ETV6 constrains the transcriptional activity of EWS–FLI to promote Ewing sarcoma
Authors: Lu Diana Y. , Ellegast Jana M. , Ross Kenneth N. , Malone Clare F. , Lin Shan , Mabe Nathaniel W. , Dharia Neekesh V. , Meyer Ashleigh , Conway Amy , Su Angela H. , Selich-Anderson Julia , Taslim Cenny , Byrum Andrea K. , Seong Bo Kyung A. , Adane Biniam , Gray Nathanael S. , Rivera Miguel N. , Lessnick Stephen L. , Stegmaier Kimberly
Published: January 2023

Transcription factors (TFs) are frequently mutated in cancer. Paediatric cancers exhibit few mutations genome-wide but frequently harbour sentinel mutations that affect TFs, which provides a context to precisely study the transcriptional circuits that support mutant TF-driven oncogenesis. A broadly relevant mechanism that has garnered intense focus involves the ability of mutant TFs to hijack wild-type lineage-specific TFs in self-reinforcing transcriptional circuits. However, it is not known whether this specific type of circuitry is equally crucial in all mutant TF-driven cancers. Here we describe an alternative yet central transcriptional mechanism that promotes Ewing sarcoma, wherein constraint, rather than reinforcement, of the activity of the fusion TF EWS–FLI supports cancer growth. We discover that ETV6 is a crucial TF dependency that is specific to this disease because it, counter-intuitively, represses the transcriptional output of EWS–FLI. This work discovers a previously undescribed transcriptional mechanism that promotes cancer.
Genome-scale metabolic reconstruction of 7,302 human microorganisms for personalized medicine
Authors: Heinken Almut , Hertel Johannes , Acharya Geeta , Ravcheev Dmitry A. , Nyga Malgorzata , Okpala Onyedika Emmanuel , Hogan Marcus , Magnúsdóttir Stefanía , Martinelli Filippo , Nap Bram , Preciat German , Edirisinghe Janaka N. , Henry Christopher S. , Fleming Ronan M. T. , Thiele Ines
Published: January 2023

The human microbiome influences the efficacy and safety of a wide variety of commonly prescribed drugs. Designing precision medicine approaches that incorporate microbial metabolism would require strain- and molecule-resolved, scalable computational modeling. Here, we extend our previous resource of genome-scale metabolic reconstructions of human gut microorganisms with a greatly expanded version. AGORA2 (assembly of gut organisms through reconstruction and analysis, version 2) accounts for 7,302 strains, includes strain-resolved drug degradation and biotransformation capabilities for 98 drugs, and was extensively curated based on comparative genomics and literature searches. The microbial reconstructions performed very well against three independently assembled experimental datasets with an accuracy of 0.72 to 0.84, surpassing other reconstruction resources and predicted known microbial drug transformations with an accuracy of 0.81. We demonstrate that AGORA2 enables personalized, strain-resolved modeling by predicting the drug conversion potential of the gut microbiomes from 616 patients with colorectal cancer and controls, which greatly varied between individuals and correlated with age, sex, body mass index and disease stages. AGORA2 serves as a knowledge base for the human microbiome and paves the way to personalized, predictive analysis of host–microbiome metabolic interactions.
Precision targeting of autoantigen-specific B cells in muscle-specific tyrosine kinase myasthenia gravis with chimeric autoantibody receptor T cells
Authors: Oh Sangwook , Mao Xuming , Manfredo-Vieira Silvio , Lee Jinmin , Patel Darshil , Choi Eun Jung , Alvarado Andrea , Cottman-Thomas Ebony , Maseda Damian , Tsao Patricia Y. , Ellebrecht Christoph T. , Khella Sami L. , Richman David P. , O’Connor Kevin C. , Herzberg Uri , Binder Gwendolyn K. , Milone Michael C. , Basu Samik , Payne Aimee S.
Published: January 2023

Muscle-specific tyrosine kinase myasthenia gravis (MuSK MG) is an autoimmune disease that causes life-threatening muscle weakness due to anti-MuSK autoantibodies that disrupt neuromuscular junction signaling. To avoid chronic immunosuppression from current therapies, we engineered T cells to express a MuSK chimeric autoantibody receptor with CD137-CD3ζ signaling domains (MuSK-CAART) for precision targeting of B cells expressing anti-MuSK autoantibodies. MuSK-CAART demonstrated similar efficacy as anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T cells for depletion of anti-MuSK B cells and retained cytolytic activity in the presence of soluble anti-MuSK antibodies. In an experimental autoimmune MG mouse model, MuSK-CAART reduced anti-MuSK IgG without decreasing B cells or total IgG levels, reflecting MuSK-specific B cell depletion. Specific off-target interactions of MuSK-CAART were not identified in vivo, in primary human cell screens or by high-throughput human membrane proteome array. These data contributed to an investigational new drug application and phase 1 clinical study design for MuSK-CAART for the treatment of MuSK autoantibody-positive MG.
Cross-ancestry genome-wide analysis of atrial fibrillation unveils disease biology and enables cardioembolic risk prediction
Authors: Miyazawa Kazuo , Ito Kaoru , Ito Masamichi , Zou Zhaonan , Kubota Masayuki , Nomura Seitaro , Matsunaga Hiroshi , Koyama Satoshi , Ieki Hirotaka , Akiyama Masato , Koike Yoshinao , Kurosawa Ryo , Yoshida Hiroki , Ozaki Kouichi , Onouchi Yoshihiro ,   BioBank Japan Project, Matsuda Koichi , Murakami Yoshinori , Kamatani Yoichiro , Takahashi Atsushi , Matsuda Koichi , Murakami Yoshinori , Aburatani Hiroyuki , Kubo Michiaki , Momozawa Yukihide , Terao Chikashi , Oki Shinya , Akazawa Hiroshi , Kamatani Yoichiro , Komuro Issei
Published: January 2023

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac arrhythmia resulting in increased risk of stroke. Despite highly heritable etiology, our understanding of the genetic architecture of AF remains incomplete. Here we performed a genome-wide association study in the Japanese population comprising 9,826 cases among 150,272 individuals and identified East Asian-specific rare variants associated with AF. A cross-ancestry meta-analysis of >1 million individuals, including 77,690 cases, identified 35 new susceptibility loci. Transcriptome-wide association analysis identified IL6R as a putative causal gene, suggesting the involvement of immune responses. Integrative analysis with ChIP-seq data and functional assessment using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes demonstrated ERRg as having a key role in the transcriptional regulation of AF-associated genes. A polygenic risk score derived from the cross-ancestry meta-analysis predicted increased risks of cardiovascular and stroke mortalities and segregated individuals with cardioembolic stroke in undiagnosed AF patients. Our results provide new biological and clinical insights into AF genetics and suggest their potential for clinical applications.
MedMNIST v2 - A large-scale lightweight benchmark for 2D and 3D biomedical image classification
Authors: Yang Jiancheng , Shi Rui , Wei Donglai , Liu Zequan , Zhao Lin , Ke Bilian , Pfister Hanspeter , Ni Bingbing
Published: January 2023

We introduce MedMNIST v2, a large-scale MNIST-like dataset collection of standardized biomedical images, including 12 datasets for 2D and 6 datasets for 3D. All images are pre-processed into a small size of 28 × 28 (2D) or 28 × 28 × 28 (3D) with the corresponding classification labels so that no background knowledge is required for users. Covering primary data modalities in biomedical images, MedMNIST v2 is designed to perform classification on lightweight 2D and 3D images with various dataset scales (from 100 to 100,000) and diverse tasks (binary/multi-class, ordinal regression, and multi-label). The resulting dataset, consisting of 708,069 2D images and 9,998 3D images in total, could support numerous research/educational purposes in biomedical image analysis, computer vision, and machine learning. We benchmark several baseline methods on MedMNIST v2, including 2D/3D neural networks and open-source/commercial AutoML tools. The data and code are publicly available at https://medmnist.com/.
Chromosome-level genome assembly of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata
Authors: Yan Junjie , Zhang Chaowei , Zhang Mengdi , Zhou Hang , Zuo Zhangqi , Ding Xinhua , Zhang Runzhi , Li Fei , Gao Yulin
Published: January 2023

The Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) is one of the most notorious insect pests of potatoes globally. Here, we generated a high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly of L. decemlineata using a combination of the PacBio HiFi sequencing and Hi-C scaffolding technologies. The genome assembly (−1,008 Mb) is anchored to 18 chromosomes (17 + XO), with a scaffold N50 of 58.32 Mb. It contains 676 Mb repeat sequences and 29,606 protein-coding genes. The chromosome-level genome assembly of L. decemlineata provides in-depth knowledge and will be a helpful resource for the beetle and invasive biology research communities.
Validity of outcome measures used in randomized clinical trials and observational studies in degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis
Authors: Wertli M. M. , Rossi D. , Burgstaller J. M. , Held U , Ulrich N. H. , Farshad M. , Steurer J. , Brunner F.
Published: January 2023

It is unclear whether outcome measures used in degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (DLSS) have been validated for this condition. Cross-sectional analysis of studies for DLSS included in systematic reviews (SA) and meta-analyses (MA) indexed in the Cochrane Library. We extracted all outcome measures for pain and disability. We assessed whether the studies provided external references for the validity of the outcome measures and the quality of the validation studies. Out of 20 SA/MA, 95 primary studies used 242 outcome measures for pain and/or disability. Most commonly used were the VAS (n = 69), the Oswestry Disability Index (n = 53) and the Zurich Claudication Questionnaire (n = 22). Although validation references were provided in 45 (47.3%) primary studies, only 14 validation studies for 9 measures (disability n = 7, pain and disability combined n = 2) were specifically validated in a DLSS population. The quality of the validation studies was mainly poor. The Zurich Claudication Questionnaire was the only disease specific tool with adequate validation for assessing treatment response in DLSS. To compare results from clinical studies, outcome measures need to be validated in a disease specific population. The quality of validation studies need to be improved and the validity in studies adequately cited.
Inference of monopartite networks from bipartite systems with different link types
Authors: Baltakys Kestutis
Published: January 2023

Many of the real-world data sets can be portrayed as bipartite networks. Since connections between nodes of the same type are lacking, they need to be inferred. The standard way to do this is by converting the bipartite networks to their monopartite projection. However, this simple approach renders an incomplete representation of all the information in the original network. To this end, we propose a new statistical method to identify the most critical links in the bipartite network projection. Our method takes into account the heterogeneity of node connections. Moreover, it can handle situations where links of different types are present. We compare our method against the state-of-the-art and illustrate the findings with synthetic data and empirical examples of investor and political data.
Universal properties of non-Hermitian viscoelastic channel flows
Authors: Li Yuke , Steinberg Victor
Published: January 2023

An addition of long-chain, flexible polymers strongly affects laminar and turbulent Newtonian flows. In laminar inertia-less viscoelastic channel flow, the supercritical elastic instability of non-normal eigenmodes of non-Hermitian equations at finite-size perturbations leads to chaotic flow. Then three chaotic flow regimes: transition, elastic turbulence (ET), and drag reduction (DR), accompanied by elastic waves, are observed and characterized. Here we show that independently of external perturbation strength and structure, chaotic flows above the instability onset in transition, ET, and DR flow regimes reveal similar scaling of flow properties, universal scaling of elastic wave speed with Weissenberg number, Wi, defined the degree of polymer stretching, and the coherent structure of velocity fluctuations, self-organized into cycling self-sustained process, synchronized by elastic waves. These properties persist over the entire channel length above the instability threshold. It means that only an absolute instability exists in inertia-less viscoelastic channel flow, whereas a convective instability, is absent. This unexpected discovery is in sharp contrast with Newtonian flows, where both convective and absolute instabilities are always present in open flows. It occurs due to differences in nonlinear terms in an elastic stress equation, where except for the advective term, two key terms describing polymer stretching along the channel length are present.
Breaking the tight genetic linkage between the a1 and sh2 genes led to the development of anthocyanin-rich purple-pericarp super-sweetcorn
Authors: Anirban Apurba , Hayward Alice , Hong Hung T. , Masouleh Ardashir Kharabian , Henry Robert J. , O’Hare Tim J.
Published: January 2023

The existence of purple-pericarp super-sweetcorn based on the supersweet mutation, shrunken2 (sh2), has not been previously reported, due to its extremely tight genetic linkage to a non-functional anthocyanin biosynthesis gene, anthocyaninless1 (a1). Generally, pericarp-pigmented starchy purple corn contains significantly higher anthocyanin. The development of purple-pericarp super-sweetcorn is dependent on breaking the a1–sh2 tight genetic linkage, which occurs at a very low frequency of < 1 in 1000 meiotic crossovers. Here, to develop purple-pericarp super-sweetcorn, an initial cross between a male purple-pericarp maize, ‘Costa Rica’ (A1Sh2.A1Sh2) and a female white shrunken2 super-sweetcorn, ‘Tims-white’ (a1sh2.a1sh2), was conducted. Subsequent self-pollination based on purple-pericarp-shrunken kernels identified a small frequency (0.08%) of initial heterozygous F3 segregants (A1a1.sh2sh2) producing a fully sh2 cob with a purple-pericarp phenotype, enabled by breaking the close genetic linkage between the a1 and sh2 genes. Resulting rounds of self-pollination generated a F6 homozygous purple-pericarp super-sweetcorn (A1A1.sh2sh2) line, ‘Tim1’. Genome sequencing revealed a recombination break between the a1 and yz1 genes of the a1–yz1-x1–sh2  multigenic interval. The novel purple-pericarp super-sweetcorn produced a similar concentration of anthocyanin and sugar as in its purple-pericarp maize and white super-sweetcorn parents, respectively, potentially adding a broader range of health benefits than currently exists with standard yellow/white sweetcorn.