bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analyzing the effect of hydrodynamic damping on the wake behavior in circular blade cascades: numerical study on a global mode
Authors: Gaiti Gabriele , Albicini Francesco , Dahal Dadi Ram , Trivedi Chirag
Published: August 2024

In this study, a numerical investigation has been performed to extract and compare the hydrodynamic damping of a non-rotating system of eight planar hydrofoils, arranged in a radial configuration, with the related wake behaviour downstream the structure. A modal acoustic analysis has been performed on the structure in order to extract the global modes corresponding to Nodal Diameter 0. Using the deformation related to the global mode, the hydrodynamic damping has been extracted for different velocities, ranging from 2 to 14 m/s, by analyzing the work done on the structure from the fluid, following the so-called “flutter” method developed by ANSYS®. The related wake behaviour has been analyzed for each specific velocity and hydrodynamic damping conditions. This numerical study has been performed in ANSYS Mechanical® and CFX®. The results for the present geometry suggest that the primary factor governing vortex shedding frequency is the motion of the body itself, in the present case locked to the excitation frequency of the global structural mode (ND0). The study identifies a lock-in region around 10 m/s, consistent with empirical formulas. After the region of lock-in, the fluctuations of velocity and pressure values tend to converge, indicating a stabilization of the wake dynamics. The observed hydrodynamic damping trend exhibits a linear pattern preceding the lock-in region, succeeded by a steep rise thereafter. This pattern aligns with established literature, affirming its consistency with prior research findings. Overall, this numerical approach offers valuable insights into wake behavior and hydrodynamic damping value serving as a promising tool for preliminary estimation and analysis of oscillating systems in water flowing environments. Its low computational complexity and rapid completion time make it a viable alternative to more complex FSI simulations, facilitating comprehensive exploration of multiple flow scenarios within a reasonable time frame of weeks.
Sustainable Manufacturing Practices in the Hydropower Industry: A review
Authors: Baral B. , Kharel B. , Dawadi A. , Timsina S. , Joshi R
Published: August 2024

Hydropower is a crucial source of renewable energy in the ever-changing world, contributing significantly to global electricity generation. As the world focuses more on sustainability, the manufacturing processes within the hydropower industry have undergone considerable transformations to align with eco-friendly practices. This review explores the landscape of sustainable manufacturing practices implemented in the hydropower sector, examining the various strategies, technologies, and initiatives adopted to minimize environmental impact while enhancing efficiency of the project. The review encompasses the significance of sustainable materials and manufacturing techniques within the context of hydropower, highlighting the industry’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint. It consists of the utilization of advanced materials and technologies aimed at optimizing the manufacturing processes, enhancing the durability and efficiency of hydropower components, and reducing resource consumption. Also, the review highlights the adoption of life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies in the development and manufacturing phases of hydropower components. These practices facilitate the evaluation of environmental impacts across the entire life cycle of hydropower projects. Furthermore, the review discusses about the implementation of innovative approaches such as Additive manufacturing and CNC machining process as well as casting methods, streamlining production while minimizing waste generation and energy consumption. It also includes the case study of best practices that are prevalent in the context of sustainable manufacturing Additionally, the review examines the role of regulatory frameworks, standards, and certifications in driving sustainable manufacturing practices within the hydropower industry scenario in the world. It also outlines potential future directions to further enhance sustainability in hydropower manufacturing.
Sizing and simulation of modular electric off-road vehicle using Scilab Xcos
Authors: Acharya I , Pant U , Baral B
Published: August 2024

As a sustainable transportation alternative, particularly in the realm of off-road vehicles, electric vehicles are rapidly gaining popularity. Despite the limitations that records have imposed including short-lived ranges and low speed as opposed to conventional vehicles, their eco-friendly nature and efficiency renders them to be appealing. The ongoing technological leaps in motor and battery technologies have improved the standing of long-distance electric vehicles, optimizing their performance by tailoring motors and batteries to suit specific regions and driving patterns. This study aims to size the motor and battery components of an off-road modular vehicle using Scilab Xcos, open-source software. The data obtained from the driving data accessed by driving the electric vehicle around 1 km of Dhulikhel is used as input for the simulation. The output of the simulation is used to understand the requirements of the motor and battery specifications. The motor was able to provide a maximum torque of 100 Nm and a nominal power of 10kW with peak power of 25 kW, while the battery was able to provide a battery power of 16kWh. The design went through theoretical validation and was compared against the established experimental data of the vehicle. Altogether, results affirm that the customized model aligns with the vehicle’s performance requirements by delivering adequate power, torque, and energy efficiency.
Living Well for Longer
Authors: Stringer Carys , Bryning Lucy , Spencer Llinos H , Anthony Bethany F , Ezeofor Victory , Lawrence Catherine L , Edwards Rhiannon T
Published: August 2024

Chapter 6 explores the economic case for investing in older people as assets through presenting economic evidence relating to older people (spanning interventions, policies, and practice relevant to the United Kingdom (UK)). We highlight the costs of loneliness and the contribution made by informal carers to the economy (known as the ‘grey pound’). In the UK, one in five people will be aged over sixty-five by 2030. As life expectancy has increased, time spent in poor health has also increased. This chapter focuses on how to create an environment in which older adults can flourish and is organized around themes identified by the World Health Organization as important for creating age-friendly environments: transportation; housing; social participation; respect and social inclusion; civic participation and employment; communication and information; community support and health services; and outdoor spaces and buildings. This chapter concludes with curiosity questions for the reader to consider.
Dying Well
Authors: Stringer Carys , Winrow Eira , Pisavadia Kalpa , Lawrence Catherine L , T. Edwards Rhiannon
Published: August 2024

Whilst we all expect agency in making decisions about our health, be that lifestyle choices to enhance our health or making decisions about the medical and holistic treatments for minor ailments or major health crises, this has not always been the case for people wishing to make choices about how and where they die. This chapter considers the factors that can influence what might be considered a ‘good death’: place of death; company in death; cause of death; and manner of facing death. This chapter explores the economic evidence of effective and cost-effective interventions to support people at the end of life. This chapter also considers the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on what we know about factors that can influence a good death. The chapter concludes with curiosity questions for the reader to consider.
One Person’s Trash
Authors: Ungemah Joe
Published: August 2024

This chapter distinguishes between collecting, as a form of fanaticism, and hoarding. Although the desire to acquire objects is common, hoarders and collectors deviate on what they do after they amass their items. Collectors are typically driven by sentimentality for past, the thrill of the hunt, and the challenge of puzzle-solving, which translates into behaviors focused on categorizing, curating, and sharing their collections with others. In contrast, hoarders may own great deal of items, but typically find sorting and categorizing items difficult, resulting in stacks and piles that are out of public view. Hoarders are characterized by fear about discarding items before their potential usefulness is realized, as well as losing a part of themselves in doing so. What starts off as a collection can take a turn into hoard, which has the potential to severely impact the life of the hoarder and those around them. Luckily, therapists have well established techniques that can help willing hoarders return to a healthy state of living.
Action
Authors: Ungemah Joe
Published: August 2024

The Conclusion ties together the wide range of fanatics profiled in this book by identifying a common set of motivations that propel individuals toward their specific passion area. Whereas previous research has concentrated on evaluating the relative strength of an individual’s fanaticism, this book has unearthed the reasons why someone becomes a fanatic and is willing to invest time and energy in its pursuit. A periodic table of twenty fanatic elements is proposed, which span the social, physical, cognitive, and emotive domains. These elements come together into unique molecules that tell the story of what attracted a fanatic to a given passion area and kept them there. Contributing to the molecule is a combination of the context, where the fanaticism is first encountered, and personality traits that predict whether an individual is likely to engage and stick with it. Despite fanaticism’s potential to overtake healthy living, having a passion and sharing it with others brings happiness and meaning to the world.
Language and Social Relations in Early Modern England
Authors: Taylor Hillary
Published: August 2024

This book examines the relationship between language, power, and socio-economic inequality in England, c.1550–1750. Early modern England was a hierarchical society that placed considerable emphasis on order and where language was bound up with the various structures of authority that made up the polity. Members of the labouring population were expected to accept their place, defer to their superiors, and refrain from ‘murmuring’ about a host of issues. While some early modern labouring people fulfilled these expectations, others did not; as a result of their defiance, the latter were more likely to make their way into the historical record, and historians have used the evidence that they generated to reconstruct the various forms of resistance and negotiation that were involved in everyday social relations. This book, by contrast, considers the limits that class power placed on popular expression, and with what implications. It revives domination and subordination as objects of inquiry and demonstrates the ways in which language—at the levels of ideology and social practice—reflected, reproduced, and naturalized inequality over the course of the period.
Language Ideologies in Early Modern England
Authors: Taylor Hillary
Published: August 2024

This chapter aims to demonstrate some of the ways in which language ideologies—that is, ideas about language and its use—became a force in early modern English social relations. It considers what standardization entailed and general contemporary ideas about what language meant. It then examines the range of ways in which contemporaries evaluated particular varieties of speech, with a focus on regional and socio-economic markers. It suggests that these evaluative criteria did not simply animate contemporaries who had a professional interest in them; rather, by the early eighteenth century (if not before) they were also employed by ‘regular’ people to judge non-standard forms of speech and, by extension, the people who spoke them.
The Politics of Testimony
Authors: Taylor Hillary
Published: August 2024

The unprecedented volume of litigation in early modern England enabled common people to speak about matters of significance in a society that denied them a formal role in the polity. But because of their subordination and dependency, their testimony could be co-opted in the service of their litigious superiors, and they could subsequently be accused of giving false evidence by the superiors they had testified against. This chapter reconstructs suspicions about the credibility poor and labouring people’s testimony; their thoughts about testifying; the factors that could coerce them into deposing or giving ‘false’ evidence; how they resisted efforts to extract their testimony; and their ideas about oaths, perjury, guilt, and sin. It advances a series of complementary arguments about the socio-economic relations involved in the production of legal depositions, and their implications for common people’s experiences and understandings of subordination.
Language and Labour Discipline
Authors: Taylor Hillary
Published: August 2024

This chapter explores how the politics of language played out in contemporary discourses and practices of labour discipline. It reconstructs an important strand of anxiety—suspicions about ‘eye service’—and how masters were advised to interact with workers in the interests of cultivating a durable sense of deferential diligence. But established ways of conceptualizing the operation of authority were increasingly not applicable in some settings, particularly where masters/employers and workers had less direct contact with each other. Employers were advised to respond to these developments in various ways, and some developed practical methods to address them. For the most part, contemporary discourses about authority and labour discipline evinced remarkable stability. By examining changes amidst these continuities, this chapter suggests that some contemporaries’ attempts to deal with problems presented by inherited ways of conceptualizing authority and discipline drove managerial innovations that shaped workers’ experiences beyond the early modern period.
The electron as a wave
Authors: Solymar Laszlo , Walsh Donald , Syms Richard
Published: August 2024

Describes a number of electrical aspects of material behaviour best understood using a wave rather than a particle model of an electron, including electron interference in the two-slit experiment, electron diffraction from a crystal, the electron microscope, electron wave packets and the uncertainty relationship.
The band theory of solids
Authors: Solymar Laszlo , Walsh Donald , Syms Richard
Published: August 2024

Presents several different and complementary physical pictures for the behaviour of electron waves in periodic arrangements of atoms that each lead to a band theory of solids, including the Kronig-Penney, Ziman, Feynman coupled mode and tight-binding models. Uses these models to introduce the idea of an ‘effective mass’ to predict the response of an electron to an electric field. Shows how the number of free electrons and number of states per band can be calculated, and how metals and insulators can be distinguished on the basis of their numbers of valence electrons. Introduces the idea of a ‘hole’ as an equivalent particle that simplifies description of the absence of an electron. Briefly discusses divalent metals, and the effect of temperature in determining the density of charge carriers available for conduction through the Fermi-Dirac function.
Principles of semiconductor devices
Authors: Solymar Laszlo , Walsh Donald , Syms Richard
Published: August 2024

Describes the operation of many different semiconductor devices, starting with the p-n junction (in equilibrium, forward bias and reverse bias), and shows how similar principles underpin the first important type of transistor, the bipolar transistor. Discusses more complex layered structures such as metal-semiconductor and metal-insulator-semiconductor junctions, including the role of surface states. Continues to variations on the diode theme - the tunnel diode, backward diode, Zener diode and varactor diode - and then the second important transistor type, the MOSFET. Discusses the formation of junctions between materials with different bandgap (heterostructures) and the potential advantages of wide-bandgap semiconductors. Describes alternative devices such as CCD arrays, the silicon controlled rectifier, the Gunn diode and semiconductor-based sensors including strain gauges, magnetic field sensors and gas sensors. Explains the details of microelectronic circuit fabrication, and its more recent adaptation to microelectromechanical systems and nanoelectronics. Concludes by discussing the social implications of microelectronics technology.
Lasers
Authors: Solymar Laszlo , Walsh Donald , Syms Richard
Published: August 2024

Begins by discussing the fundamentals of absorption and amplification in two-state optical systems, including energy levels, Planck’s radiation law, the Einstein A and B coefficients, the Lorentzian lineshape function, population inversion, amplification, optical resonators, and the conditions for oscillation and lasing. Introduces the main laser types, including solid state, gas discharge, dye, gas-dynamic, excimer, chemical, fibre, and semiconductor lasers. Details the main variants of semiconductor lasers, including the Fabry-Perot and distributed Bragg reflector lasers, lasers based on quantum wells, wires, dots and more general bandgap engineering, the laser array, and vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs). Introduces the idea of transverse and axial modes, and presents a number of methods for their control, including Q-switching, cavity dumping and mode locking. Covers a number of related topics including parametric oscillators, optical fibre amplifiers, masers, and noise. Concludes with a discussion of applications, including optical sensors, optical communications, holography and Raman scattering.
Reform and the Knights of 1258
Authors: Coss Peter
Published: August 2024

Chapter 5 turns to the crucial issue of the role of knights and of the county community in the reform and rebellion, examining the knights chosen to bring complaints before the justiciar in 1258, the sheriffs appointed by the baronial regime, reactions to the royalist revanche of 1261, and the involvement of knights in the subsequent warfare against the king, in order to ascertain whether the relationship between the reforming barons and county knights championed by Treharne and by subsequent scholars is in fact sustainable. In order to understand more fully how knights behaved during the political debacle of 1258–67, the chapter necessarily returns to how aristocratic society functioned when it came to vantage-seeking and to conflict. The chapter looks at how the commissioners of 1258 were chosen, at crucial social terminology, at shire wardens, and at Montfortian, royalist, and neutral knights.
Public Authority and the Provisions of Westminster
Authors: Coss Peter
Published: August 2024

This chapter is concerned with the exercise of public authority. It deals with corruption and malpractice and then the purpose, process, and significance of the legislation embodied in the Provisions of Westminster and the Statute of Marlborough. Particular concerns are the content of the reform itself, public opinion and the concept of the community of the realm, and the role of the judiciary and legal experts within the reform process. It examines the reissues of the Provisions of Westminster and the significance of the preambles to the Dictum of Kenilworth and the Statute of Marlborough. It utilizes several concepts in examining the public good, namely the deep state, interested consumers, and trustworthy men, and concludes with the rise of political thinking.
Conclusion
Authors: Coss Peter
Published: August 2024

The conclusion argues that once we have acknowledged the primacy of the revolt of the higher nobility in 1258 and abandoned the idea that reform emanated essentially from county communities, the events of the years 1258–67 become easier to interpret. Beneath the clash of personalities and personal aims lay differing approaches to the contemporary polity and to the institution of kingship. It then proceeds to examine key concepts such as the crown and the state, and to argue for the use of polity rather than constitution, the latter having teleological implications. The career of Simon de Montfort is placed in perspective. The chapter concludes by arguing for the use of crisis to describe the events of 1258–67, rather than revolution.
Is the mantid Brunneria borealis (Mantodea: Coptopterygidae) really a native North American, or actually a South American colonist?
Authors: Cabe Paul R , Trillo Mariana C , Cooper Gregory J , Hurd Lawrence E
Published: August 2024

The common grass mantid, Brunneria borealis Scudder, is well known as perhaps the only completely parthenogenetic species among the more than 2,400 named mantid species. An abundant mantid within its broad geographic range, it has long been considered a native North American endemic; however, all other known species in the genus Brunneria (and in its family, Coptopterygidae) are South American. We were able, for the first time, to perform a genetic comparison between B. borealis and a congeneric South American species, B. subaptera. We sequenced a standard segment of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene for which there is no variation among different populations among localities throughout the range of B. borealis, and compared this sequence with haplotypes from different South American populations of B. subaptera. The single B. borealis haplotype falls within the genetic variation of populations of B. subaptera, suggesting that the North American mantid is really a colonist from this South American species.
Quality of life in SCN1A-related seizure disorders across the lifespan
Authors: Minderhoud Crista A , Postma Amber , Jansen Floor E , Zinkstok Janneke R , Verhoeven Judith S , Berghuis Bianca , Otte Wim M , Jongmans Marian J , Braun Kees P J , Brilstra Eva H
Published: August 2024

This cohort study aims to describe the evolution of disease features and health-related quality of life per life stage in Dravet syndrome and other SCN1A-related non-Dravet seizure disorders which will enable treating physicians to provide tailored care. Health-related quality of life and disease features were assessed cross-sectionally in participants with a SCN1A-related seizure disorder, categorized per age group for Dravet syndrome, and longitudinally over seven years follow-up (2015–2022). Data were collected from questionnaires, medical records, and semi-structured telephonic interviews. Health-related quality of life was measured with the Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory, proxy-reported for participants with Dravet syndrome and for participants with non-Dravet aged younger than 18 years old and self-reported for participants with non-Dravet over 18 years old. Associations between health-related quality of life and disease features were explored with multivariable regression analyses, cross-sectionally in a cohort of 115 patients with Dravet and 48 patients with generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus and febrile seizures (non-Dravet) and longitudinally in a cohort of 52 Dravet patients and 13 non-Dravet patients. In the cross-sectional assessment in 2022, health-related quality of life was significantly lower in Dravet syndrome, compared to non-Dravet and normative controls. Health-related quality of life in the School and Psychosocial domain was significantly higher in older Dravet age groups. A higher health-related quality of life was associated with fewer behavioural problems [β = −1.1; 95% confidence interval (CI), (−1.4 to −0.8)], independent walking (β = 8.5; 95%CI (4.2–12.8)), compared to the use of a wheelchair), and fewer symptoms of autonomic dysfunction (β = −2.1, 95%CI (−3.2 to −1.0)). Longitudinally, health-related quality of life was significantly higher seven years later in the course of disease in Dravet participants (Δ8.9 standard deviation (SD) 18.0, P < 0.05), mediated by a lower prevalence of behavioural problems (β = −1.2, 95%CI (−2.0 to −0.4)), lower seizure frequency (β = −0.1, 95%CI (−0.2 to −0.0)) and older age (β = 0.03, 95%CI (0.01–0.04)). In summary, health-related quality of life was significantly higher at older age in Dravet syndrome. This finding may reflect the benefits of an advanced care strategy in recent years and a ceiling of severity of disease symptoms, possibly resulting in an increased wellbeing of parents and patients. The strong association with behavioural problems reinforces the need to incorporate a multidisciplinary approach, tailored to the age-specific needs of this patient group, into standard care.
Six types of loves differentially recruit reward and social cognition brain areas
Authors: Rinne Pärttyli , Lahnakoski Juha M , Saarimäki Heini , Tavast Mikke , Sams Mikko , Henriksson Linda
Published: August 2024

Feelings of love are among the most significant human phenomena. Love informs the formation and maintenance of pair bonds, parent-offspring attachments, and influences relationships with others and even nature. However, little is known about the neural mechanisms of love beyond romantic and maternal types. Here, we characterize the brain areas involved in love for six different objects: romantic partner, one’s children, friends, strangers, pets, and nature. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity, while we induced feelings of love using short stories. Our results show that neural activity during a feeling of love depends on its object. Interpersonal love recruited social cognition brain areas in the temporoparietal junction and midline structures significantly more than love for pets or nature. In pet owners, love for pets activated these same regions significantly more than in participants without pets. Love in closer affiliative bonds was associated with significantly stronger and more widespread activation in the brain’s reward system than love for strangers, pets, or nature. We suggest that the experience of love is shaped by both biological and cultural factors, originating from fundamental neurobiological mechanisms of attachment.
A Phase III Randomized Controlled Trial of Plitidepsin, a Marine-Derived Compound, in Hospitalized Adults With Moderate COVID-19
Authors: Landete Pedro , Caliman-Sturdza Olga-Adriana , Lopez-Martin Jose A , Preotescu Liliana , Luca Mihaela-Catalina , Kotanidou Anastasia , Villares Paula , Iglesias Shirley-Patricia , Guisado-Vasco Pablo , Saiz-Lou Elena-Maria , del Carmen Farinas-Alvarez Maria , de Lucas Esperanza Merino , Perez-Alba Eduardo , Cisneros Jose-Miguel , Estrada Vicente , Hidalgo-Tenorio Carmen , Poulakou Garyfallia , Torralba Miguel , Fortun Jesus , Garcia-Ocana Paula , Lemaignen Adrien , Marcos-Martin Miguel , Molina Maria , Paredes Roger , Perez-Rodriguez Maria Teresa , Raev Dimitar , Ryan Pablo , Meira Fernanda , Gomez Javier , Torres Nadia , Lopez-Mendoza Diego , Jimeno Jose , Varona Jose-Felipe
Published: August 2024

Background

Plitidepsin has shown potent preclinical activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and was generally well tolerated in a phase I trial of hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). NEPTUNO, a phase III, multicenter, randomized, controlled trial, was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of plitidepsin in the management of moderate COVID-19 in hospitalized adult patients.

Methods

Included patients had documented severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, required oxygen therapy, and had adequate organ function. The planned sample size was 609 patients. Patients were randomized 1:1:1 to at least 3 days of dexamethasone plus either plitidepsin (1.5 mg/day or 2.5 mg/day, for 3 days) or standard of care (control). The primary endpoint was the time to sustained withdrawal of supplemental oxygen. Secondary endpoints included time to sustained hospital discharge, clinical status, duration of oxygen support, percentage of patients requiring admission to the intensive care unit, and safety.

Results

After randomizing 205 patients, NEPTUNO was discontinued due to a notable drop in COVID-19–related hospitalizations. Available data suggest a 2-day improvement in the median time to sustained oxygen therapy discontinuation (5 vs 7 days) favoring both plitidepsin arms (hazard ratio, 1.37; 95% confidence interval, .96–1.96; P = .08 for plitidepsin 1.5 mg vs control; hazard ratio, 1.06; 95% confidence interval, .73–1.53; P = .78 for plitidepsin 2.5 mg vs control). Plitidepsin was generally well tolerated.

Conclusions

Despite the trial limitations, these results suggest that plitidepsin may have a positive benefit-risk ratio in the management of patients requiring oxygen therapy. Further studies with plitidepsin, including those in immunosuppressed patients, are warranted.

Results from this phase III trial suggest that plitidepsin, a first-in-class antiviral, may have a positive benefit-risk ratio in the management of hospitalized patients requiring oxygen therapy for moderate COVID-19.
Disentangling bottom-up and top-down controls on fish consumption of key prey in the Northeast US Shelf ecosystem
Authors: Gartland James , Latour Robert J
Published: August 2024

Exploited forage fishes serve a dual role in marine ecosystems by supporting directed fisheries and predator productivity, and thus both harvest and predatory removals should be accounted for when developing stock assessments and evaluating management trade-offs. Predator catch and stomach content data collected on the Northeast US Shelf from 1978 to 2019 by two fisheries-independent surveys were combined within multivariate spatiotemporal models to estimate time-series of consumptive removals during spring and fall for four commercially exploited prey; Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus), silver hake (Merluccius bilinearis), butterfish (Peprilus triacanthus), and longfin squid (Doryteuthis pealeii). Seasonal consumption trends were mostly synchronous for Atlantic herring and silver hake, asynchronous for butterfish and longfin squid, and predatory removals were generally greater during fall. Consumption has increased since the 1990s for all prey except Atlantic herring and butterfish during fall, which coincides with the widespread implementation of harvest constraints meant to rebuild predator and prey populations. These time-series were linked to hypothesized drivers using state-space regression models; prey availability (bottom-up; positive relationships) and commercial catch (top-down; primarily negative relationships) were the strongest predictors of consumption. Although the mechanisms underlying these relationships remain unresolved, these linkages highlight connections among the systemic drivers of productivity on the Northeast Shelf.
High-level ceftriaxone resistance due to transfer of penA allele 60.001 into endemic gonococcal lineages in Hangzhou, China
Authors: Yang Fan , Sun Xia , Fu Ying , Zhao Feng , Lin Xu’ai , Chen Yan , van der Veen Stijn
Published: August 2024

Objectives

Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains associated with the high-level ceftriaxone-resistant FC428 clone or containing its main resistance determinant, penA allele 60.001, have shown global transmission. In Hangzhou, China, 10% of the isolates were associated with the FC428 clone in 2019. Here, we investigated ceftriaxone resistance and the prevalence of FC428-associated strains in Hangzhou in 2020–22.

Methods

A total of 209 gonococcal isolates were investigated for antimicrobial susceptibility to ceftriaxone and other antibiotics by agar dilution method. Sequence types and penA alleles were determined by PCR and sequence analysis.

Results

Resistance to ceftriaxone (MIC > 0.125 mg/L) was observed for 16% (33/209) of the isolates, whereas 6.7% (14/209) of the isolates displayed high-level ceftriaxone resistance (MIC = 1 mg/L). These 14 high-level ceftriaxone-resistant isolates and another isolate displaying an MIC = 0.25 mg/L contained penA allele 60.001, with eight of these isolates, all from 2020 to 2021 belonging to MLST ST1903, the sequence type commonly associated with the original FC428 clone. Importantly, the six penA allele 60.001-containing isolates from 2022 belonged to MLST ST8123, ST7365 and ST7367, which are among the most frequently encountered sequence types found in China. Therefore, these results indicate that endemic lineages in China have acquired penA allele 60.001.

Conclusions

Here, we report continued transmission of gonococcal strains associated with the FC428 clone or containing penA allele 60.001 in Hangzhou. A major concern for public health is the acquisition of penA allele 60.001 by successful endemic lineages, which might enhance the transmission of this high-level ceftriaxone resistance trait.
Feasibility study of a telehealth school-based behavioral parent training group program for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Chung Sara , Lai Jasmine , Hawkey Elizabeth J , Dvorsky Melissa R , Owens Elizabeth , Huston Emma , Pfiffner Linda J
Published: August 2024

Objective

To evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of Telehealth Behavioral Parent Training (T-BPT), a school telehealth group intervention for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with a companion training program for school clinicians.

Methods

T-BPT was developed in an iterative three-phase design in partnership with community stakeholders during the COVID-19 pandemic. School clinicians (N = 4) delivered T-BPT over 8 weeks to parents (N = 21, groups of 5–6 per school) of children (Grades 2–5) with ADHD while simultaneously receiving training and consultation from PhD-level study trainers. A single-arm open trial was used to assess feasibility, engagement, and preliminary efficacy.

Results

Parents and school clinicians endorsed high feasibility, acceptability, and usability of T-BPT. Parent attendance was high (M = 94.6%) and a majority of parents (66.7%) attended all eight sessions. Preliminary outcomes indicate moderate to large reductions in parent-reported ADHD symptoms (ω2 = .36), functional and clinical global impairment (ω2s= .21 and .19, respectively), and distance learning challenges (ω2 = .22).

Conclusions

Results were in line with in-person delivery, indicating promising feasibility of school telehealth BPT groups. This study also provided further support for the feasibility of the remote training model for school clinicians. Implications of the commonly endorsed barriers and benefits beyond COVID-19 and relevance to under resourced communities are also discussed.
A general framework for regression with mismatched data based on mixture modelling
Authors: Slawski Martin , West Brady T , Bukke Priyanjali , Wang Zhenbang , Diao Guoqing , Ben-David Emanuel
Published: August 2024

The advent of the information age has revolutionized data collection and has led to a rapid expansion of available data sources. Methods of data integration are indispensable when a question of interest cannot be addressed using a single data source. Record linkage (RL) is at the forefront of such data integration efforts. Incentives for sharing linked data for secondary analysis have prompted the need for methodology accounting for possible errors at the RL stage. Mismatch error is a common consequence resulting from the use of nonunique or noisy identifiers at that stage. In this paper, we present a framework to enable valid postlinkage inference in the secondary analysis setting in which only the linked file is given. The proposed framework covers a variety of statistical models and can flexibly incorporate information about the underlying RL process. We propose a mixture model for linked records whose two components reflect distributions conditional on match status, i.e. correct or false match. Regarding inference, we develop a method based on composite likelihood and the expectation-maximization algorithm that is implemented in the R package pldamixture. Extensive simulations and case studies involving contemporary RL applications corroborate the effectiveness of our framework.
Lemon zinc finger protein ClSUP induces accumulation of reactive oxygen species and inhibits citrus yellow vein-clearing virus infection via interactions with ClDOF3.4
Authors: Liao Ping , Zeng Ting , Chen Yuan , Ding Dong-dong , Zhou Chang-yong , Zhou Yan
Published: August 2024

Citrus yellow vein-clearing virus (Potexvirus citriflavivenae; CYVCV) is an increasing threat to citrus cultivation. Notably, the role of zinc finger proteins (ZFPs) in mediating viral resistance in citrus plants is unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that ZFPs ClSUP and ClDOF3.4 enhanced citrus defense responses against CYVCV in Eureka lemon (Citrus limon ‘Eureka’). ClSUP interacted with the coat protein (CP) of CYVCV to reduce CP accumulation and inhibited its silencing suppressor function. Overexpression of CISUP triggered reactive oxygen species (ROS) and salicylic acid (SA) pathways, and enhanced resistance to CYVCV infection. In contrast, ClSUP silencing resulted in increased CP accumulation and down-regulated ROS and SA-related genes. ClDOF3.4 interacted with ClSUP to facilitate its interactions with CP. Furthermore, ClDOF3.4 synergistically regulated the accumulation of ROS and SA with ClSUP and accelerated down-regulation of CP accumulation. Transgenic plants co-expressing ClSUP and ClDOF3.4 significantly decreased the CYVCV. These findings provide a new reference for understanding the interaction mechanism between the host and CYVCV.
The Genetic Architecture of Recombination Rates is Polygenic and Differs Between the Sexes in Wild House Sparrows (Passer domesticus)
Authors: McAuley John B , Servin Bertrand , Burnett Hamish A , Brekke Cathrine , Peters Lucy , Hagen Ingerid J , Niskanen Alina K , Ringsby Thor Harald , Husby Arild , Jensen Henrik , Johnston Susan E
Published: August 2024

Meiotic recombination through chromosomal crossing-over is a fundamental feature of sex and an important driver of genomic diversity. It ensures proper disjunction, allows increased selection responses, and prevents mutation accumulation; however, it is also mutagenic and can break up favorable haplotypes. This cost–benefit dynamic is likely to vary depending on mechanistic and evolutionary contexts, and indeed, recombination rates show huge variation in nature. Identifying the genetic architecture of this variation is key to understanding its causes and consequences. Here, we investigate individual recombination rate variation in wild house sparrows (Passer domesticus). We integrate genomic and pedigree data to identify autosomal crossover counts (ACCs) and intrachromosomal allelic shuffling (r¯intra) in 13,056 gametes transmitted from 2,653 individuals to their offspring. Females had 1.37 times higher ACC, and 1.55 times higher r¯intra than males. ACC and r¯intra were heritable in females and males (ACC h2 = 0.23 and 0.11; r¯intra  h2 = 0.12 and 0.14), but cross-sex additive genetic correlations were low (rA = 0.29 and 0.32 for ACC and r¯intra). Conditional bivariate analyses showed that all measures remained heritable after accounting for genetic values in the opposite sex, indicating that sex-specific ACC and r¯intra can evolve somewhat independently. Genome-wide models showed that ACC and r¯intra are polygenic and driven by many small-effect loci, many of which are likely to act in trans as global recombination modifiers. Our findings show that recombination rates of females and males can have different evolutionary potential in wild birds, providing a compelling mechanism for the evolution of sexual dimorphism in recombination.
Inflammatory Biomarker Reduction With Fostemsavir Over 96 Weeks in Heavily Treatment-Experienced Adults With Multidrug-Resistant HIV-1 in the BRIGHTE Study
Authors: Clark Andrew , Prakash Manyu , Chabria Shiven , Pierce Amy , Castillo-Mancilla Jose R , Wang Marcia , Du Fangfang , Tenorio Allan R
Published: August 2024

Background

Fostemsavir, a first-in-class attachment inhibitor that binds to the viral envelope protein gp120, is approved for heavily treatment-experienced persons with HIV-1 with limited treatment options. We explored changes in immunologic and coagulopathy parameters in the BRIGHTE study: a phase 3 trial that evaluated fostemsavir plus optimized background therapy in heavily treatment-experienced adults with multidrug-resistant HIV-1.

Methods

CD4+ T-cell count, CD4+/CD8+ ratio, soluble CD14, soluble CD163, and D-dimer levels were measured through 96 weeks in participants with 1 or 2 fully active antiretroviral agents available at screening. No formal statistical analyses were performed.

Results

Among 272 participants, increases were observed from baseline to week 96 in CD4+ T-cell count (mean increase, +205 cells/mm3) and CD4+/CD8+ ratio (mean increase, +0.24). The proportion of observed participants with a CD4+/CD8+ ratio ≥0.45 increased from 9% (25/272) at baseline to 40% (85/213) at week 96. From baseline to week 96, we also observed trends toward decreases in the following (mean [SD] change): soluble CD14, −738.2 (981.8) µg/L; soluble CD163, −138.0 (193.4) µg/L; and D-dimer, −0.099 (0.521) mg/L fibrinogen-equivalent units. Decreases in biomarkers were generally observed among subgroups by baseline disease characteristics, virologic response, and CD4+ T-cell count.

Conclusions

These data suggest that heavily treatment-experienced persons with multidrug-resistant HIV-1 treated with fostemsavir + optimized background therapy may have improvements in immune parameters, including markers of monocyte activation and coagulopathy.

Clinical Trials Registration

NCT02362503 (ClinicalTrials.gov; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02362503).
Origins, belonging, and expectations: assessing resource compensation and reinforcement in academic educational trajectories
Authors: Burger Kaspar , Brack Nathan
Published: August 2024

Research has shown that socioeconomic and psychological resources may influence educational trajectories. There are still unanswered questions, however, about the unique roles of these resources and the interplay between them. We consider two such questions: First, how do major psychological resources—a sense of school belonging and optimistic future expectations—predict educational trajectories when controlling for the effect of socioeconomic resources? And, second, do these psychological resources compensate for lacking socioeconomic resources or do they reinforce the influence of socioeconomic resources on educational trajectories? We used data from a 15-year-long Swiss panel study (N = 1989) and investigated educational trajectories concerning individuals’ transitions from lower-secondary to academic upper-secondary education, and from there to university. Findings indicated that both socioeconomic and psychological resources were significantly associated with individuals’ probability of transitioning to academic upper-secondary education. We also uncovered some evidence of resource compensation between socioeconomic resources and future expectations, suggesting that optimistic expectations may buffer the adverse effect of scarce socioeconomic resources on educational attainment. Furthermore, we found that both the sense of school belonging and future expectations were significantly associated with individuals’ probability of transitioning to university. Overall, we conclude that psychological resources play a critical role in academically oriented educational trajectories and that they may partly compensate for the effects of limited socioeconomic resources on these trajectories.
Closing the Information Gap Between the Field and Scientific Literature for Improved Disease Management, with a Focus on Rice and Bacterial Blight
Authors: Loo Eliza P. I. , Szurek Boris , Arra Yugander , Stiebner Melissa , Buchholzer Marcel , Devanna B. N. , Vera Cruz Casiana M. , Frommer Wolf B.
Published: August 2024

A path to sustainably reduce world hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition is to close the crop yield gap and, particularly, lower losses due to pathogens. Breeding resistant crops is key to achieving this goal, which is an effort requiring collaboration among stakeholders, scientists, breeders, farmers, and policymakers. During a disease outbreak, epidemiologists survey the occurrence of a disease after which pathologists investigate mechanisms to stop an infection. Policymakers then implement strategies with farmers and breeders to overcome the outbreak. Information flow from the field to the lab and back to the field involves several processing hubs that require different information inputs. Failure to communicate the necessary information results in the transfer of meaningless data. Here, we discuss gaps in information acquisition and transfer between the field and laboratory. Using rice bacterial blight disease as an example, we discuss pathogen biology and disease resistance to point out the importance of reporting pathogen strains that caused an outbreak to optimize the deployment of resistant crop varieties. We examine differences between infection in the field and assays performed in the laboratory to draw awareness of possible misinformation concerning plant resistance or susceptibility. We discuss key data considered useful for reporting disease outbreaks, sampling bias, and suggestions for improving data quality. We also touch on the knowledge gap in the state-of-the-art literature regarding disease dispersal and transmission. We use a recent case study to exemplify the gaps mentioned. We conclude by highlighting potential actions that may contribute to food security and to closing the yield gap.

[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license .
The Art of Healthy Aging
Authors: Moffa Christine
Published: August 2024

It's never too early to think about growing older.
Improving access and outcomes for children with ADHD
Authors: Rowan Linda , Gary Annette , Geist Rebecca
Published: August 2024

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental health condition characterized by inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity as well as difficulties with social interaction, learning, and sometimes sleep. A variety of symptoms is possible, and three ADHD presentations have been defined. Owing to healthcare workforce shortages, particularly in mental health care, it is critical for family NPs and other primary care providers to possess accurate understanding of the disorder and its symptomatology, evaluation, diagnosis, and management in children and adolescents. In today's landscape, newer extended-release and long-acting stimulants support better medication administration and adherence, as well as maintain more consistent levels in the body throughout the day, for pediatric patients. This article aims to keep family NPs up to date in the latest in ADHD diagnosis and management to reduce patient barriers to care; it also provides NPs with critical information to convey to pediatric patients, their families, and their teachers during this back-to-school season.