bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The olivary input to the cerebellum dissociates sensory events from movement plans
Authors: Pi Jay S. , Fakharian Mohammad Amin , Hage Paul , Sedaghat-Nejad Ehsan , Muller Salomon Z. , Shadmehr Reza
Published: April 2024

Neurons in the inferior olive are thought to anatomically organize the Purkinje cells (P-cells) of the cerebellum into computational modules, but what is computed by each module? Here, we designed a saccade task in marmosets that dissociated sensory events from motor events and then recorded the complex and simple spikes of hundreds of P-cells. We found that when a visual target was presented at a random location, the olive reported the direction of that sensory event to one group of P-cells, but not to a second group. However, just before movement onset, it reported the direction of the planned movement to both groups, even if that movement was not toward the target. At the end of the movement if the subject experienced an error but chose to withhold the corrective movement, only the first group received information about the sensory prediction error. We organized the P-cells based on the information content of their olivary input and found that in the group that received sensory information, the simple spikes were suppressed during fixation, then produced a burst before saccade onset in a direction consistent with assisting the movement. In the second group, the simple spikes were not suppressed during fixation but burst near saccade deceleration in a direction consistent with stopping the movement. Thus, the olive differentiated the P-cells based on whether they would receive sensory or motor information, and this defined their contributions to control of movements as well as holding still.
Extraintestinal migration of Pharyngostomum cordatum metacercariae in experimental rodents
Authors: Shin E.H. , Chai J.Y. , Lee S.H.
Published: April 2024

Extraintestinal migration patterns of Pharyngostomum cordatum (Digenea: Neodiplostomidae) were studied in experimental rodents such as mice, rats, and hamsters. When metacercariae isolated from grass snakes were infected orally to rodents, they penetrated the intestinal wall at days 2–3 post-infection (p.i.) and were discovered mainly in the diaphragm, intercostal muscles, and vital organ such as the lungs at days 7–28 p.i., without morphological changes. Interestingly, from several rodents which died suddenly at days 2–9 p.i., small to considerable numbers of metacercariae were found, not only in the lungs, but also in the heart and brain. Within the tissues, worms were freely motile until day 7 p.i., but later they were surrounded by host cells, and finally tissue cysts were formed. When metacercariae harvested from the snakes and intercostal muscles of rodents were infected orally to cats, they developed into adult flukes in the small intestine. The results show that P. cordatum undergoes considerable extraintestinal migration including the vital organs of its rodent hosts.
Chromosomes of Aspidogaster conchicola
Authors: Petkeviciute R.
Published: April 2024

Analysis of mitotic and meiotic chromosome spreads of Aspidogaster conchicola (Trematoda: Aspidogastrea) reveals a diploid number of 10 for this species. Haploid sets containing 5 bivalents confirm the diploid number. The karyotype consists of one pair of comparatively long subtelocentric chromosomes and four pairs of shorter acrocentric elements. The results are discussed in comparison with existing data on chromosomes of aspidogastrean species and other related helminth groups.
Fecundity and egg output by Toxocara canis in the red fox, Vulpes vulpes
Authors: Richards D.T. , Lewis J.W.
Published: April 2024

The role of the red fox Vulpes vulpes in the dissemination of eggs of Toxocara canis into the environment is considered with reference to female worm fecundity and egg output in the faeces of infected foxes collected from four localities in southern England. A significant positive correlation was found between female worm size and the number of eggs in the uterus but there was no significant relationship between T. canis worm numbers and egg output in fox faeces. Reliable estimates of worm burdens in foxes could not, therefore, be determined from faecal egg counts alone. The highest mean egg output of 2145.0 epg recorded from adult foxes indicated that fox cubs are not necessarily the main sources of environmental contamination with T. canis eggs. Saturated magnesium sulphate was found to be a more effective flotation solution than zinc sulphate and sodium chloride for recovering eggs from fox faecal samples.
Molecular cloning and characterization of a 21 kDa protein secreted from Trichinella pseudospiralis
Authors: Nagano I. , Wu Z. , Nakada T. , Matsuo A. , Takahashi Y.
Published: April 2024

Recombinant protein was produced from the cDNA library of Trichinella pseudospiralis, which seemed to form part of the excretory–secretory (ES) products. The library was constructed from cDNA of muscle larvae at 1 month post-infection, and immunoscreened with antibody against T. pseudospiralis ES products. A clone, designated Tp21-3, contained a cDNA transcript of 657 bp in length with a single open reading frame, which encoded 172 amino acids (19617 Da in the estimated molecular mass). The predicted amino acid sequence of clone Tp21-3 had a similarity of 76% to that of clone ORF 17.20 (GenBank under accession number U88239) from T. spiralis. The recombinant fusion proteins encoded by clone Tp21-3 were produced in an Escherichia coli expression system and affinity purified. On Western blotting analysis, Tp21-3 recombinant proteins migrated at 40 kDa and reacted to antibody against T. pseudospiralis ES products and T. pseudospiralis-infected sera. Sera were developed against Tp 21-3 recombinant proteins, which reacted to a single band migrating at 21 kDa in crude worm extract and ES products from T. pseudospiralis on Western blotting analysis, and reacted with stichocytes of T. pseudospiralis on immunohistochemical staining.
The influence of inoculum size and time post-infection on the number and position of Toxocara canis larvae recovered from the brains of outbred CD1 mice
Authors: Good B. , Holland C.V. , Stafford P.
Published: April 2024

Outbred CD1 mice were administered doses of 1000 and 3000 Toxocara canis eggs and postmortem took place on days 7, 42 and 120 post-infection. Mice were killed by cervical dislocation and brains were sagitally bisected and fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin prior to histological preparation and examination. The number of T. canis larvae were counted per brain and per section and the number of larvae cited for the first time per section were also recorded. These observations were compared by dose administered and by day of postmortem. The total number of larvae per brain and per section was higher for the 3000 dose compared to the 1000 dose. A different pattern emerged for the number of larvae observed in the brain over the three postmortem days depending upon the dose received. For the 1000 dose larval numbers increase from day 7 to day 120 whereas for the 3000 dose the opposite trend occurs. Larvae were assigned to one of five regions in the brain – the telencephalon, diencephalon, cerebellum, medulla, pons and brain stem and the olfactory bulb. Larvae did not show a random distribution in the brain. The majority of larvae were recorded from the telencephalon and the cerebellum. The percentage of sections with larvae in them is higher for the 3000 dose compared to the 1000 dose for all regions of the brain. For the majority of regions, the percentage of sections with larvae in them increases between day 7 and 42 and then decreases by day 120 and this is most pronounced for the cerebellum. For the telencephalon and diencephalon only, more larvae were detected on the right hand side of the brain compared to the left hand side. Statistical analysis revealed that dose and brain region are significant factors which influence the number of larvae observed in histological sections of the brain but day post-infection is not.
ESM Cloud Toolkit: A Copilot for Energy Storage Material Research
Authors: Xu 许 Jing 晶 , Xiao 肖 Ruijuan 睿娟 , Li 李 Hong 泓
Published: April 2024

Searching and designing new materials play crucial roles in the development of energy storage devices. In today’s world where machine learning technology has shown strong predictive ability for various tasks, the combination with machine learning technology will accelerate the process of material development. Herein, we develop ESM Cloud Toolkit for energy storage materials based on MatElab platform, which is designed as a convenient and accurate way to automatically record and save the raw data of scientific research. The ESM Cloud Toolkit includes multiple features such as automatic archiving of computational simulation data, post-processing of experimental data, and machine learning applications. It makes the entire research workflow more automated and reduces the entry barrier for the application of machine learning technology in the domain of energy storage materials. It integrates data archive, traceability, processing, and reutilization, and allows individual research data to play a greater role in the era of AI.
Poles and residues of lossy and dispersive electromagnetic metamaterials
Authors: Aladadi Yosef T , Alkanhal Majeed A S
Published: April 2024

This paper proposes a system-based pole-residue approach to describe loss and dispersion in double-positive (DPS), epsilon-negative (ENG), and epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) isotropic metamaterials. The matrix pencil (MP) method extracts the poles and residues from the damped sinusoids of the singular expansion (SEM) of the impulse responses of the transmitted and reflected waves. The complex values of poles and residues serve as a basis for a computational tool to discriminate between lossless, lossy, and dispersive materials. The extracted poles and residues can also be used to classify the material under test as a DPS, an ENG, or an ENZ metamaterial. The proposed method delivers reliable results even with noisy transmission and reflection data.
Unraveling the effects of non-parabolicity on electron energy levels in InP/InAs/InP heterostructures
Authors: Davlatov A , Gulyamov G , Nabiyev A , Feddi E , Feddi K , Abdukarimov A , Botirjonov A
Published: April 2024

In this research, electron energy levels were calculated analytically using Nelson’s formula, the shooting method, and Garrett’s formula for effective mass. These calculations were performed for a rectangular finite deep potential well, focusing on the InP/InAs/InP heterostructure, which is a narrow-bandgap semiconductor system. Our results demonstrate that the nonparabolicity of the dispersion has a more significant effect on higher energy levels compared to lower ones, with deviations of up to 15% for the third energy level. An equation estimating the number of observable energy levels in the potential well is suggested, revealing that considering nonparabolicity leads to a 20% increase in the number of levels compared to the parabolic dispersion case. The relationship between the widths of infinite and finite potential wells for equivalent energy levels follows a linear behaviour, with bonding coefficients ranging from 95,93% to 97,49% and a maximum difference of 1.5% between parabolic and non-parabolic cases. The transcendental equation for the energy levels is linearized, yielding a fourth-order equation that provides results within 98% accuracy compared to the original equation. These findings contribute to the understanding of the energy distribution in InP/InAs/InP heterostructures with a view to their application in optoelectronic devices such as lasers, light-emitting diodes
Structural and optical properties of highly Ag-doped TiO2 thin films prepared by flash thermal evaporation
Authors: Amrani Rachid , Lekoui Fouaz , Garoudja Elyes , Zenati Yacine , Hamri Asma , Filali Walid , Meziane Lila , Kezzoula Faouzi , Oussalah Slimane , Hassani Salim
Published: April 2024

The present study investigates the structural and optical properties of silver (Ag)-doped titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films prepared via flash thermal evaporation using TiO2 and Ag powders mixture at various mass ratios. The crystallinity and surface morphology of the films were studied by varying the percentage of Ag content. Structural properties were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while optical properties were assessed through optical transmission spectra analysis. Results indicate that Ag doping enhances crystallinity, as evidenced by XRD and Raman spectroscopy, and induces surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption attributed to Ag nanoparticles. SEM micrographs reveal agglomerated silver particles on the film surface, confirming Ag diffusion during annealing. Surface analysis through Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) measurements illustrated the diffusion of Ag within the TiO2 samples and its subsequent accumulation at the surface. We have suggested that the crystallization observed in the evaporated TiO2-Ag thin films may primarily result from the thermal diffusion of Ag metal rather than the annealing process alone. Optical transmission spectra demonstrate a shift in the absorption edge towards the visible region with increasing Ag concentration, indicating enhanced light absorption properties.
Collision-aware deflection model for boundary-constrained intersecting pedestrian streams
Authors: Zhan Zhonghao , Song Weiguo , Zhang Jun
Published: April 2024

We propose a new model of boundary-constrained intersecting pedestrian flow based on the collision-free velocity model, named the collision-aware deflection model (CADM). The movement of pedestrians in the new model depends on the positions and velocities of other pedestrians ahead. A pedestrian walks in the desired direction at a free speed until an obstacle appears in the desired direction. When there is an obstacle in the desired direction, pedestrians tend to choose the direction with the smallest deflection angle. When the decision of a pedestrian conflicts with the movement of the nearest neighbor in front, the pedestrian stops moving. Comparing CADM with other models, the evacuation time of CADM during the simulation is very close to the time in the experiment. CADM also successfully reproduced the stripe phenomenon in boundary-constrained intersecting pedestrian streams, which was difficult to accomplish with the compared model. CADM also inherits several advantages of the original model, in that it can reproduce the corresponding self-organization phenomena in straight corridors and bottlenecks.
Aerodynamic and Flow Characteristics of a Rough Airfoil: A Numerical Study
Authors: Rafat Tanzim , Shuchi Tanjim Zahin , Evan Faizur Rahman , Rabby Insiat Islam
Published: April 2024

A computational study explores the aerodynamic and flow properties of rough-surfaced NACA-0018 airfoils using turbulent K-omega SST methodology and the control volume method. Ansys Fluent 2022 R2 was used to do the simulations, and Reynolds numbers between 5000 and 10000 were used. The analysis of how the rough surface affects the performance of the airfoil was the main goal of the study. The skin friction coefficient, drag force, lift force, pressure contours, and stream functions were among the many variables assessed. To have a thorough understanding of the flow behavior, these parameters were studied at various Reynolds numbers. The findings revealed a clear pattern: along the wall of the airfoil, the average drag force, lift force, and skin friction coefficient all increased linearly as the Reynolds number rose from 5000 to 10000. This discovery sheds important light on how the rough surface affects the overall aerodynamic performance of the airfoil. This study advances knowledge of the aerodynamic behavior of rough airfoils by illuminating the flow characteristics and their relationship to surface roughness. Significant results impact aeronautics, wind turbine design, and other airfoil applications.
Laminar Convective Heat Transfer Across a Circular Pipe by using MWCNT + Fe3O4 Hybrid Nanofluid: A Numerical Study
Authors: Rashid Mahatab Bin , Islam Nafiul , Rabby Insiat Islam
Published: April 2024

MWCNT + Fe3O4 - water hybrid nanofluid’s heat transfer due to convection through a pipe was studied numerically and presented in this paper. Using the ANSYS FLUENT 22 software, the single phase energy equation of second order, momentum equation, and mass equation are all solved. The diameter of the pipe was 4mm and lthe lengthwas 800mm. Water which was considered the base fluid was used with different volume fractions (0% to t%) of MWCNT + Fe3O4 nanoparticles for a wide variety of Reynolds number (300 to 1000) at a steady heat flux of 2000 W/m2 at the wall of the tubes. The result demonstrates that for both MWCNT + Fe3O4 -H2O nanofluid and water, increasing Reynolds number increases the Surface Nusselt number, skin friction coefficient and also the pressure loss in the evolved region.
Development process of composite polymer tiles with an antimicrobial agent using plastic wastes as raw materials
Authors: Uddin M S , Abedin M Z , Rashid A B
Published: April 2024

Plastic is a delinquent substance that affects all ecosystems. Unfortunately, plastic is being utilized more frequently than it was previously used. The bad dispatch is that they are thrown away in the wild once they have been used. Their buildup does not degrade, and it is harmful to the environment. An appropriate procedure for recovering plastic wastes and converting them into standardized material to produce composite tiles with their application can be a viable solution to this dangerous situation. The paper aims to find an effective means of disposing of plastic waste by designing and developing plastic tiles with the insertion of antimicrobial properties. At first, plastic waste was collected, cleaned, and shredded accordingly. Then the waste plastic is melted in a pyrolysis plant, mixed with sand, and poured into the prefabricated mold. As a walkway tile, the mold size was chosen as 12-inch length, 10-inch width, and 0.8-inch height. It has been found that 70 % sand and 30 % plastic exhibit better mechanical properties. For the insertion of antimicrobial properties into the tiles, ginger powder is added to the mixture of the composite tiles. An antibacterial study was performed against gram-positive S. aureus bacteria to evaluate their antimicrobial property. The analysis shows that the composite tiles could kill 40.58% gram-positive S. aureus in six hours.
CNN-based Clinical Diagnosis and Decision Support System for Chest X-ray
Authors: Magar Bipin Thapa , Shrestha Kumar , Rahman Md. Asadur
Published: April 2024

Chest radiographs are popularly used as a first-line diagnostic tool for various chest diseases. However, the correct interpretation of information while reading a radiograph is a major challenge. We aim to develop a suitable convolutional neural network (CNN) framework for the automatic detection of disease in chest radiographs. We have designed a 15-layered CNN architecture with 3 output classes: covid, normal, and pneumonia. This architecture was trained with 10,011 images. To avoid the risk of over-fitting, data augmentation techniques were implemented on training samples while dropout layers were implemented in CNN architecture. During training, we were able to obtain 98.24% accuracy on the training dataset. On the other hand, the experimental results of the test dataset indicate that the classification accuracy is 95.8%, precision is 95.83%, recall is 95.77% and the f1-score is 95.79% on average which is comparatively superior to several existing research works.
CNN application for automated determination of the patient’s size to obtain the size-specific dose estimated in CT
Authors: Hernández-Dávila Erik R , Torres-García Eugenio , Aranda-Lara Liliana , Roldan-Valadez Ernesto , Isaac-Olivé Keila , Flores-Reyes Mario
Published: April 2024

Introduction. The currently available dosimetry techniques in computed tomography can be inaccurate which overestimate the absorbed dose. Therefore, we aimed to provide an automated and fast methodology to more accurately calculate the SSDE using

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obtained by using CNN from thorax and abdominal CT study images. Methods. The SSDE was determined from the 200 records files. For that purpose, patients’ size was measured in two ways: (a) by developing an algorithm following the AAPM Report No. 204 methodology; and (b) using a CNN according to AAPM Report No. 220. Results. The patient’s size measured by the in-house software in the region of thorax and abdomen was 27.63 ± 3.23 cm and 28.66 ± 3.37 cm, while CNN was 18.90 ± 2.6 cm and 21.77 ± 2.45 cm. The SSDE in thorax according to 204 and 220 reports were 17.26 ± 2.81 mGy and 23.70 ± 2.96 mGy for women and 17.08 ± 2.09 mGy and 23.47 ± 2.34 mGy for men. In abdomen was 18.54 ± 2.25 mGy and 23.40 ± 1.88 mGy in women and 18.37 ± 2.31 mGy and 23.84 ± 2.36 mGy in men. Conclusions. Implementing CNN-based automated methodologies can contribute to fast and accurate dose calculations, thereby improving patient-specific radiation safety in clinical practice.
Virtual and bound states in low-energy positron scattering by atoms and molecules via modified effective range theory
Authors: Fedus Kamil , Karwasz Grzegorz
Published: April 2024

Modified effective range theory is applied as a tool to determine bound and virtual state energies in low-energy positron elastic scattering by atoms and molecules. This is achieved by the S-matrix continuation into the complex momentum plane, allowing to identify poles related to shallow energy states. The influence of the long-range polarization potential (∼r
−4) on the bound and virtual-state pole positions is analyzed for noble gases and nonpolar molecules such as H2, N2, and CH4. The quantitative relations between the S-matrix poles and the s-wave scattering length accounting for dipole polarization are introduced.
The potential role of airborne and floating wind in the North Sea region
Authors: Vos Hidde , Lombardi Francesco , Joshi Rishikesh , Schmehl Roland , Pfenninger Stefan
Published: April 2024

Novel wind technologies, in particular airborne wind energy (AWE) and floating offshore wind turbines, have the potential to unlock untapped wind resources and contribute to power system stability in unique ways. So far, the techno-economic potential of both technologies has only been investigated at a small scale, whereas the most significant benefits will likely play out on a system scale. Given the urgency of the energy transition, the possible contribution of these novel technologies should be addressed. Therefore, we investigate the main system-level trade-offs in integrating AWE systems and floating wind turbines into a highly renewable future energy system. To do so, we develop a modelling workflow that integrates wind resource assessment and future cost and performance estimations into a large-scale energy system model, which finds cost-optimal system designs that are operationally feasible with hourly temporal resolution across ten countries in the North Sea region. Acknowledging the uncertainty on AWE systems’ future costs and performance and floating wind turbines, we examine a broad range of cost and technology development scenarios and identify which insights are consistent across different possible futures. We find that onshore AWE outperforms conventional onshore wind regarding system-wide benefits due to higher wind resource availability and distinctive hourly generation profiles, which are sometimes complementary to conventional onshore turbines. The achievable power density per ground surface area is the main limiting factor in large-scale onshore AWE deployment. Offshore AWE, in contrast, provides system benefits similar to those of offshore wind alternatives. Therefore, deployment is primarily driven by cost competitiveness. Floating wind turbines achieve higher performance than conventional wind turbines, so they can cost more and remain competitive. AWE, in particular, might be able to play a significant role in a climate-neutral European energy supply and thus warrants further study.
An Instrumentalist Theory of Political Legitimacy
Authors: Brinkmann Matthias
Published: April 2024

This book defends instrumentalism, the claim that political legitimacy rests on promoting justice. This entails that power can be permissibly exercised without consent, democracy, or public justification. In the book’s first part, a revisionary understanding of the problem of legitimacy is defended. Legitimacy is defined as the permissibility of exercising power. This entails that the problem of legitimacy is separate from the problem of justifying political obligations. Furthermore, legitimacy can exist without political authority. Instrumentalism is described and defended in the book’s second part. The view is based on a hybrid theory of justice that recognizes both aims and constraints. The importance of justice is defended against competitor views which prioritize stability or perfection. A series of suggestions is made how instrumentalism should be formulated, in particular, that it should take a sophisticated two-level structure. The third part of the book argues against three competing theories. It is argued that consent is not necessary for legitimacy, and that strong, moral rights can be made compatible with the instrumentalist view. Proceduralist views which ground legitimacy on democracy are also rejected, but the possibility that democracy is a ‘secondary value’ within instrumentalism is explored. Lastly, it is shown that legitimacy does not rely on justifiability to reasonable people, but that legitimate governments can nonetheless accommodate disagreement in natural ways.
Theories of Legitimacy
Authors: Brinkmann Matthias
Published: April 2024

This chapter surveys major theories of legitimacy, classifying them into voluntarist, relational, anti-moralist, and rationalist families, as well as hybrid combinations of these. Voluntarism is subdivided into explicit and implicit consent theories, consent ‘light’ approaches, democratic theories, as well as hypothetical-consent and public-justification views. Fair-play and associative theories together constitute the family of relational views, while self-interest and realist theories form the anti-moralist family. Natural-duty approaches, Raz’s normal justification thesis, consequentialism, and instrumentalism are classed as versions of rationalism. Strengths and weaknesses of all approaches are discussed, with the first three families of theories found wanting.
The Importance of Justice
Authors: Brinkmann Matthias
Published: April 2024

This chapter argues for the priority of justice over other values, specifically when it comes to judging the legitimacy of political institutions. The justice-based instrumentalist theory of legitimacy is contrasted with two families of competitors. Minimalist theories claim that legitimacy is based on promoting stability, peace, or some similar value, with justice deemed too demanding a goal. Maximalist theories claim that justice is not enough and that legitimate institutions must be assessed against their promotion of welfare or human perfection. The chapter argues against both competitors, coming to the result that justice enjoys greater weight than competing values, although probably not in the form of lexical priority.
Democracy as a Secondary Value
Authors: Brinkmann Matthias
Published: April 2024

This chapter argues that democracy possesses secondary value: we should, in many cases, value democratic procedures for their own sake, but they are normally less important than the outcomes they bring about. The secondary-value view occupies an intermediate position between the radical claim that democracy has merely instrumental value and the mainstream view that it has intrinsic and primary value. Three versions of the secondary-value view are discussed. First, democracy might be a weak aim, in the sense that it possesses inferior weight when compared to other aims. Second, the value of democracy might be conditional. Third, democracy might be a constraint, but a lenient one that restricts few practical choices.
Legitimacy without Public Justification
Authors: Brinkmann Matthias
Published: April 2024

This chapter argues that legitimacy does not require power to be justifiable to reasonable people, and that an instrumentalist view can accommodate reasonable disagreement in several natural ways. The justificatory position is outlined, and its appeal located in its supposed sensitivity to reasonable disagreement in pluralistic societies. The position is rejected on the basis of five objections. Then the chapter answers the objection that instrumentalism cannot deal with reasonable disagreement by describing five strategies how the view can accommodate disagreement. The chapter ends with some reflections on the role of truth in politics and the moral tragedy of being wrong on normative issues.
Closing Reflections
Authors: Brinkmann Matthias
Published: April 2024

This chapter recapitulates themes from the book in six separate reflections, revisiting and expanding on questions discussed throughout the book. (I) Does instrumentalism provide us with any hints about which moral relations obtain between rulers and ruled? (II) What is the foundational argument for instrumentalism, and where might we resist it? (III) Where do the different ways to formulate instrumentalism leave us, and do they provide us with any insights? (IV) Have we successfully argued against all competitor views to instrumentalism, and which alternative remains the strongest? (V) In which ways is instrumentalism based on preservationist and revisionist methodological impulses? (VI) What does instrumentalism mean in practice?
The ‘Existential Fabric’ of War: Explaining the Phrase of War in the Laws of War
Authors: Lukin Annabelle , García Marrugo Alexandra
Published: April 2024

Across the texts constituting the laws of war, the word war is one of the most frequent lexical items, its dominant lexicogrammatical environment being in the phrase of war. While this combination seems unremarkable, given the durability of organized violence and the significance of this register for attempts to regulate the violence of war, the paper explores the ideological work of this phrase, including both the effects of the dominant pattern and its lexicogrammatical ‘opportunity cost’. The paper argues that the patterning of war in the laws of war shows a naturalizing of war in which the category is taken for granted, despite its context being the construction of law. In addition, the patterning reveals a paradoxical aversion to putting war at the centre of the laws of war. We argue this ‘decentring’ of war in the laws of war is a token of Malešević’s ‘ontological dissonance’ at the heart of modernity, a profound inability to reconcile our abhorrence of violence with the killing that is tolerated and defended as the ‘legitimate’ price of war.
Clinical evaluation of the efficacy of limbus artificial intelligence software to augment contouring for prostate and nodes radiotherapy
Authors: Starke Alison , Poxon Jacqueline , Patel Kishen , Wells Paula , Morris Max , Rudd Pandora , Tipples Karen , MacDougall Niall
Published: April 2024

Objectives

To determine if Limbus, an artificial intelligence (AI) auto-contouring software, can offer meaningful time savings for prostate radiotherapy treatment planning.

Methods

Three clinical oncologists recorded the time taken to contour prostate and seminal vesicles, lymph nodes, bladder, rectum, bowel, and femoral heads on CT scans for 30 prostate patients (15 prostate, 15 prostate and nodes). Limbus 1.6.0 was used to generate these contours on the 30 CT scans. The time taken by the oncologists to modify individual Limbus contours was noted and compared with manual contouring times. The geometric similarity of Limbus and expert contours was assessed using the Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC), and the dosimetric impact of using un-edited Limbus organs at risk contours was studied.

Results

Limbus reduced the time to produce clinically acceptable contours by 26 minutes for prostate and nodes patients and by 13 minutes for the prostate only patients. DSC values of greater than 0.7 were calculated for all contours, demonstrating good initial agreement. A dosimetric study showed that 5 of the 20 plans optimized using unmodified AI structures required unnecessary compromise of PTV coverage, highlighting the importance of expert review.

Conclusions

Limbus offers significant time saving and has become an essential part of our clinical practice.

Advances in knowledge

This article is the first to include bowel and lymph nodes when assessing potential time savings using Limbus software. It demonstrates that Limbus can be used as an aid for prostate and node radiotherapy treatment planning.
Deciphering three predominant biopsy-proven phenotypes of IgG4-associated kidney disease: a retrospective study
Authors: Luo Sulin , Guo Luying , Yang Zhenzhen , Shen Rongfang , Zhang Tianlu , Wang Meifang , Zhou Qin , Wang Huiping , Li Xiayu , Chen Jianghua , Wang Rending
Published: April 2024

Background

IgG4-associated kidney disease (IgG4-RKD) encompasses a spectrum of disorders, predominantly featuring tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) and membranous glomerulonephropathy (MGN). The limited understanding of the co-occurrence of IgG4-RD-TIN with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) poses a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge.

Methods

We examined 49 cases, comprising 21 cases of IgG4-RD-TIN (group A), 10 cases of IgG4-RD-TIN accompanied with MGN (group B), and 18 cases of IgG4-RD-TIN concurrent with AAV (group C), at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, China, from June 2015 to December 2022.

Results

The mean age and gender of the three IgG4-RKD subtypes were not statistically significant. IgG4-RD-TIN exhibited higher serum creatinine and a higher incidence of hypocomplementemia (group A 47.6%, group B 30%, group C 16.7%). IgG4-RD-TIN-MGN was characterized by proteinuria (group A 0.3 g/d, group B 4.0 g/d, group C 0.8 g/d, P < 0.001) and hypoalbuminemia. IgG4-RD-TIN-AAV exhibited hypohemoglobinemia (group A 103.45 g/l, group B 119.60 g/l, group C 87.94 g/l, P < 0.001) and a high level of urine erythrocytes. The primary treatment for IgG4-RD-TIN was steroids alone, whereas IgG4-RD-TIN-MGN and IgG4-RD-TIN-AAV necessitated combination therapy. Group A experienced two relapses, whereas groups B and C had no relapses. There was no significant difference in patient survival among the three groups, and only two cases in group C suffered sudden death.

Conclusions

This study provides valuable insights into clinical manifestations, auxiliary examination features, pathological characteristics, and prognosis of IgG4-RD-TIN, IgG4-RD-TIN-MGN, and IgG4-RD-TIN concurrent AAV. Large-scale studies are required to validate these findings.
Mast cells: a novel therapeutic avenue for cardiovascular diseases?
Authors: Poto Remo , Marone Gianni , Galli Stephen J , Varricchi Gilda
Published: April 2024

Mast cells are tissue-resident immune cells strategically located in different compartments of the normal human heart (the myocardium, pericardium, aortic valve, and close to nerves) as well as in atherosclerotic plaques. Cardiac mast cells produce a broad spectrum of vasoactive and proinflammatory mediators, which have potential roles in inflammation, angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis, tissue remodelling, and fibrosis. Mast cells release preformed mediators (e.g. histamine, tryptase, and chymase) and de novo synthesized mediators (e.g. cysteinyl leukotriene C4 and prostaglandin D2), as well as cytokines and chemokines, which can activate different resident immune cells (e.g. macrophages) and structural cells (e.g. fibroblasts and endothelial cells) in the human heart and aorta. The transcriptional profiles of various mast cell populations highlight their potential heterogeneity and distinct gene and proteome expression. Mast cell plasticity and heterogeneity enable these cells the potential for performing different, even opposite, functions in response to changing tissue contexts. Human cardiac mast cells display significant differences compared with mast cells isolated from other organs. These characteristics make cardiac mast cells intriguing, given their dichotomous potential roles of inducing or protecting against cardiovascular diseases. Identification of cardiac mast cell subpopulations represents a prerequisite for understanding their potential multifaceted roles in health and disease. Several new drugs specifically targeting human mast cell activation are under development or in clinical trials. Mast cells and/or their subpopulations can potentially represent novel therapeutic targets for cardiovascular disorders.
Ncf1 knockout in smooth muscle cells exacerbates angiotensin II–induced aortic aneurysm and dissection by activating the STING pathway
Authors: Liu Hao , Yang Peiwen , Chen Shu , Wang Shilin , Jiang Lang , Xiao Xiaoyue , Le Sheng , Chen Shanshan , Chen Xinzhong , Ye Ping , Xia Jiahong
Published: April 2024

Aims

Aortic aneurysm and dissection (AAD) is caused by the progressive loss of aortic smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and is associated with a high mortality rate. Identifying the mechanisms underlying SMC apoptosis is crucial for preventing AAD. Neutrophil cytoplasmic factor 1 (Ncf1) is essential in reactive oxygen species production and SMC apoptosis; Ncf1 absence leads to autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammation. Here, the role of Ncf1 in angiotensin II (Ang II)–induced AAD was investigated.

Methods and results

Ncf1 expression increased in injured SMCs. Bioinformatic analysis identified Ncf1 as a mediator of AAD-associated SMC damage. Ncf1 expression is positively correlated with DNA replication and repair in SMCs of AAD aortas. AAD incidence increased in Ang II–challenged Sm22CreNcf1fl mice. Transcriptomics showed that Ncf1 knockout activated the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) and cell death pathways. The effects of Ncf1 on SMC death and the STING pathway in vitro were examined. Ncf1 regulated the hydrogen peroxide–mediated activation of the STING pathway and inhibited SMC apoptosis. Mechanistically, Ncf1 knockout promoted the ubiquitination of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), thereby inhibiting the negative regulatory effect of NRF2 on the stability of STING mRNA and ultimately promoting STING expression. Additionally, the pharmacological inhibition of STING activation prevented AAD progression.

Conclusion

Ncf1 deficiency in SMCs exacerbated Ang II–induced AAD by promoting NRF2 ubiquitination and degradation and activating the STING pathway. These data suggest that Ncf1 may be a potential therapeutic target for AAD treatment.
Spontaneous coronary artery dissection outcomes among pregnant vs. non-pregnant women
Authors: Krittanawong Chayakrit , Patel Neelkumar , Bandyopadhyay Dhrubajyoti , Maitra Neil Sagar , Khawaja Muzamil , Wang Zhen , Alam Mahboob , Shani Jacob , Frankel Robert , Sharma Samin , Jneid Hani
Published: April 2024

Aims

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) has become increasingly recognized. It accounts for <1-4% of acute coronary syndrome presentations. Overall, however, it makes up over 40% of pregnancy-associated myocardial infarction. Furthermore, pregnancy-associated spontaneous coronary artery dissection (P-SCAD) is described to have a greater degree of clinical manifestations, including left ventricular dysfunction, shock, and left main or multivessel involvement. The findings are disconcerting, though many studies evaluating P-SCAD are based on case series data or are single centre studies.

Methods and results

The aim of this study was to evaluate a larger national dataset to evaluate the outcomes of SCAD and specifically P-SCAD in an attempt to better characterize the severity and clinical nature of this condition. To conduct this study, we analysed the National Readmission Database from January 2016 to December 2020. Propensity matching was done using the Greedy 1:1 method. Multivariate logistics and time-to-event Cox regression analysis models were built by including all confounders significantly associated with the outcome on univariable analysis with a cut-off P-value of 0.2. In multivariate regression analysis, P-SCAD patients had a non-propensity matched odds ratio (OR) of 0.21 (0.3-1.54, P = 0.123) of dying and a propensity matched OR of 0.11 (0.02-0.61, P = 0.012) of dying. Thirty-day readmission rate for P-SCAD was 15.8% (n = 93) and for non-pregnant spontaneous coronary artery dissection (NP-SCAD) was 11.2% (n = 2286); non-propensity matched OR for readmission for PSCAD patients was 1.68 (1.24-2.29, P = 0.001) and propensity matched OR was 3.39 (1.93-5.97, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Among hospitalized patient, P–SCAD was associated with similar clinical outcomes and reduced incidence of death when compared with NP–SCAD, though had higher rates of 30–day readmission. Larger–scale observational data will be needed to ascertain the true incidence of cardiovascular complications as it relates to P–SCAD.
Left atrial to ventricular volume ratio and relation to fitness, cardiovascular risk factors, and diastolic function in healthy individuals: the HUNT Study
Authors: Sabo Sigbjorn , Dalen Havard , Nyberg John , Grenne Bjørnar Leangen , Jakobsen Even Olav , Nes Bjarne Martens , Wisløff Ulrik , Letnes Jon Magne
Published: April 2024

Aims

Left atrial (LA) and ventricular (LV) remodelling is thought to be balanced in healthy individuals, and the LA end-systolic volume (LAV) to LV end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) ratio (LA:LV) could help discriminate between pathological and physiological LA enlargement. We aimed to assess LA:LV and its associations with age, sex, and cardiovascular risk factors HbA1C, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure, and peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak). The association to measures of LV diastolic function and filling pressures were compared with LAV and LA reservoir strain.

Methods and results

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing and measurement of risk factors 10 years apart and echocardiography at follow-up was performed in 1348 healthy adults [52% women, mean (SD) age 59 (12) years] prospectively included in a large population study. All risk factors were significantly associated with LA:LV in univariate analyses, while BMI and VO2peak were significantly associated with LA:LV in adjusted models. A higher LA:LV was associated with increased odds ratio (OR) of diastolic dysfunction [OR (95% CI) 2.6 (2.1, 3.3)]. Measures of LV filling pressures were more closely associated with LA:LV than LAV and LA reservoir strain, but LA reservoir strain was more closely related to some diastolic function measures. In individuals with LAV > 34 mL/m2, the LA:LV explained 29% of variance in VO2peak (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

A higher LA:LV was associated with, and may improve, assessment of diastolic dysfunction and filling pressures. The LA:LV differentiates VO2peak in individuals with enlarged LAV and may have a role in evaluating whether LA enlargement reflects pathology.
Comparison of modified Del Nido and Custodiol® cardioplegia in minimally invasive mitral valve surgery
Authors: Kang Jagdip , Hoyer Alexandro , Dieterlen Maja-Theresa , Oetzel Hanna , Otto Wolfgang , Ginther André , Pfannmüller Bettina , Misfeld Martin , Noack Thilo , Kiefer Philipp , Borger Michael A
Published: April 2024

OBJECTIVES

In this study, we evaluated if modified Del Nido cardioplegia delivers comparable cardiac protection in comparison to Custodiol® in patients undergoing isolated minimally invasive mitral valve repair.

METHODS

From January 2018 to October 2021, all patients undergoing non-emergent isolated minimally invasive mitral valve repair were included in this study. The cardioplegia was chosen at the surgeons’ discretion. The primary end points of this study were peak postoperative cardiac enzyme levels. Secondary end points were in-hospital mortality, hospital stay, occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias, pacemaker implantations, postoperative lactate and sodium levels and postoperative incidence of renal failure requiring dialysis.

RESULTS

A total of 355 patients were included in this study. The mean age of patients was 57. After propensity score matching, a total of 156 pairs were identified. There was no difference in cross-clamp time between both groups. Postoperative creatine kinase levels were higher in patients receiving Custodiol on the 1st and 2nd postoperative days. Creatine kinase isoenzyme MB levels were higher in patients receiving Custodiol on the 2nd postoperative day (0.5 ± 0.2 vs 0.4 ± 0.1 µmol/l s; P < 0.001). Postoperative Troponin T concentrations were similar between both groups. Maximum lactate concentrations were higher in patients receiving Custodiol on the day of surgery (2.4 ± 1.9 vs 2.0 ± 1.1 mmol/l; P = 0.04). The overall hospital stay was longer in patients receiving Del Nido cardioplegia (10.6 ± 3.2 vs 8 ± 4.1 days; P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Modified Del Nido cardioplegia based on Ionosteril® solution offers equivalent protection compared to Custodiol for isolated minimally invasive mitral valve repair.
Intracoronary imaging to guide percutaneous coronary intervention: from evidence to guidelines
Authors: Biccirè Flavio Giuseppe , Gatto Laura , Prati Francesco
Published: April 2024

Despite notable advances in devices and techniques, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is still affected by a substantial number of complications and failure rates. Over the years, the use of intracoronary imaging (ICI) has dramatically improved the understanding of mechanical and technical factors related to successful and failed PCI, becoming a mainstay in complex trans-catheter interventions. However, ICI modalities are invasive, time-consuming, and costly, and a net clinical benefit needs to be shown in order to recommend their routine use in clinical practice. In the past, the lack of evidence from randomized trials has been reflected in the scepticism shown by international guidelines. The recent publication of large randomized clinical trials conducted worldwide has provided new evidence regarding the clinical usefulness of ICI guidance in PCI. The consistent reduction of adverse events achieved in these trials, also demonstrated in an updated meta-analysis, suggested that the use of ICI in PCI is compelling to achieve optimal technical results and better outcomes, especially in complex high-risk interventions. Also considering the burden of information provided by ICI on coronary artery disease, looking from the inside seems today an opportunity that modern cardiology cannot ignore anymore.
Screening for dilated cardiomyopathy in immediate family members: to whom, how, when (and where)
Authors: Pieroni Maurizio , Ciabatti Michele , Zocchi Chiara
Published: April 2024

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is defined by the presence of left ventricular dilation and systolic dysfunction in the absence of coronary artery disease, valvular disease, congenital heart disease, or altered haemodynamic conditions. Dilated cardiomyopathy can recognize multiple aetiologies, including infectious processes, effect of toxic substances, immunological mechanisms, and genetic causes. In recent years, many genes coding for proteins involved in the structure and function of the cardiomyocytes have been associated with the development of DCM, making the identification of familial forms increasingly frequent. At the same time, an ever-increasing use of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging has made it possible to identify early morpho-functional alterations in subjects with initial forms of the disease, or carriers of pathogenic genetic variants. The increasingly in-depth understanding of the genetic and molecular mechanisms operating in DCM has also favoured the development of new therapeutic strategies including drugs with molecular targets and gene therapies. In this panorama, screening of family members of patients affected by DCM represents an important tool for early diagnosis, treatment, and prognostic stratification. In relation to its clinical relevance and its complexity, it is important that family screening and follow-up of identified patients are carried out in units dedicated to the treatment and study of cardiomyopathies.