bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oxaliplatin-related dysphagia: Mixed-methods study
Authors: Kenny Ciarán , Regan Julie , Balding Lucy , Higgins Stephen , O'Leary Norma , Kelleher Fergal , McDermott Ray , Armstrong John , Mihai Alina , Tiernan Eoin , Westrup Jennifer , Thirion Pierre , Walsh Declan
Published: February 2024

Objectives

To evaluate participant-reported atypical dysphagia symptoms and their association with oxaliplatin treatment.

Methods

This observational study recruited 73 adults with solid tumours outside the head, neck or upper gastrointestinal tract. All had dysphagia, were in hospital or hospice and were treated by Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology or Palliative Care. Participants reported their experiences of swallowing difficulties by semistructured interview. Oral Health Assessment Tool was used to ensure swallow difficulties were not due to mucositis. Responses were transcribed and analysed by content analysis. Atypical difficulties were examined for association with oxaliplatin treatment by Fischer’s Exact.

Results

Oxaliplatin treatment was associated with three unusual dysphagia symptoms: problems with cold or hot bolus (p=0.01), pins and needles (p=0.001) and throat spasm (p=0.035). Carbonation was problematic for one participant. Chemotherapy commencement coincided with swallow problem onset for 67%. Dysphagia symptoms were unrelated to mucositis (p=0.165).

Conclusions

Swallowing difficulties in oxaliplatin-treated patients are atypical and attributable to chemotherapy commencement. Previous research suggests that dysphagia is triggered by cold exposure, but hot and carbonated boluses also caused problems here. Dysphagia symptoms and triggers should be studied more fully to help patients safely enjoy their meals and prevent food avoidance, which could exacerbate malnutrition.
Numerical modeling of ice control on the Albany River, Ontario, Canada
Authors: Knack Ian M. , Shaw Jason , Groeneveld Joe , McHenry Joanne , Lavender S. Thomas , Friday W. Leo
Published: February 2024

The Kashechewan First Nation (KFN) community is located on a floodplain of the north branch of the Albany River, on the west coast of James Bay. Each spring, the community faces the uncertain prospect of evacuation due to ice-jam flooding, the most severe of which occurred in 2006. A study was conducted to develop long-term options for reducing the flood risk to the community, which included dams, dykes, pier and weir type ice-control structures, and conveyance channels. This paper presents a numerical model study on the Albany River in Ontario, Canada to develop ice control as a potential means for mitigating ice-jam flooding at the KFN community using the two-dimensional ice dynamics model DynaRICE. A method was developed to simulate pier type ice-control structures within the model such that the physical channel conditions, flow conditions, and combinations of ice control could be evaluated. The model allowed detailed simulation of ice retention, resulting inundation, and the forces on the individual piers. To optimize the design of the piers, including pier spacing, height, and size, various combinations of ice, flow, and pier conditions were simulated. Numerical modeling facilitated a comparative examination of flood risk reduction to the community from the various ice control options.
Amended FRW universe: thermodynamics and heat engine
Authors: Bhadra Jhumpa , Debnath Ujjal , Pradhan Anirudh
Published: February 2024

Thermodynamics of non-flat Amended Friedmann–Robertson–Walker (AFRW) universe with cosmological constant as thermodynamic pressure is studied. The unified first law of thermodynamics, the Clausius relation and the gravity equations yield entropy on the dynamic apparent horizon. Temperature, volume, pressure, enthalpy, Gibb’s free energy and Helmholtz’s free energies, and specific heat capacity with constant pressure of the universe are calculated in terms of surface area of dynamic apparent horizon. The study shows a non-negative Joule–Thomson coefficient, indicating the cooling nature of the AFRW universe. Inversion pressure and inversion temperature are expressed in terms of the surface area of the apparent horizon. Finally, the thermodynamical AFRW universe is considered as a heat engine. Work done for the Carnot engine is derived with maximum efficiency, and a new engine is also considered for which the work done, and its efficiency are calculated for AFRW universe.
The Generalized 3-Connectivity of Exchanged Crossed Cube
Authors: Ning Wantao , Guo Litao
Published: February 2024

Let [Formula: see text] be a connected graph, and [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text]. [Formula: see text] refers to the maximum number [Formula: see text] of edge-disjoint trees [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] for distinct [Formula: see text]. The generalized [Formula: see text]-connectivity of [Formula: see text], denoted by [Formula: see text], is defined as the minimum value of [Formula: see text] over all [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text]. In fact, [Formula: see text] is exactly the traditional connectivity of [Formula: see text]. Exchanged crossed cube [Formula: see text], a variation of hypercube, has better properties than other variations of hypercube. In this work we obtain that [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text].
Fast Recurrent Neural Network with Bi-LSTM for Handwritten Tamil Text Segmentation in NLP
Authors: C. Vinotheni , Pandian S. Lakshmana
Published: February 2024

Tamil text segmentation is a long-standing test in language comprehension that entails separating a record into adjacent pieces based on its semantic design. Each segment is important in its own way. The segments are organised according to the purpose of the content examination as text groups, sentences, phrases, words, characters or any other data unit. That process has been portioned using rapid tangled neural organisation in this research, which presents content segmentation methods based on deep learning in natural language processing (NLP). This study proposes a bidirectional long short-term memory (Bi-LSTM) neural network prototype in which fast recurrent neural networks (FRNNs) are used to learn Tamil text group embedding and phrases are fragmented using text-oriented data. As a result, this prototype is capable of handling variable measured setting data and gives a vast new dataset for naturally segmenting text in Tamil. In addition, we develop a segmentation prototype and show how well it sums up to unnoticeable regular content using this dataset as a base. With Bi-LSTM, the segmentation precision of FRNN is superior to that of other segmentation approaches; however, it is still inferior to that of certain other techniques. Every content is scaled to the required size in the proposed framework, which is immediately accessible for the preparation. This means, each word in a scaled Tamil text is employed to prepare neural organisation as fragmented content. The results reveal that the proposed framework produces high rates of segmentation for manually authored material that are nearly equivalent to segmentation-based plans.
Conditional Generative Adversarial Network for Early Classification of Longitudinal Datasets Using an Imputation Approach
Authors: Pingi Sharon Torao , Nayak Richi , Bashar Md Abul
Published: February 2024

Early classification of longitudinal data remains an active area of research today. The complexity of these datasets and the high rates of missing data caused by irregular sampling present data-level challenges for the Early Longitudinal Data Classification (ELDC) problem. Coupled with the algorithmic challenge of optimising the opposing objectives of early classification (i.e., earliness and accuracy), ELDC becomes a non-trivial task. Inspired by the generative power and utility of the Generative Adversarial Network (GAN), we propose a novel context-conditional, longitudinal early classifier GAN (LEC-GAN). This model utilises informative missingness, static features and earlier observations to improve the ELDC objective. It achieves this by incorporating ELDC as an auxiliary task within an imputation optimization process. Our experiments on several datasets demonstrate that LEC-GAN outperforms all relevant baselines in terms of F1 scores while increasing the earliness of prediction.
Drug–Drug Interaction Relation Extraction Based on Deep Learning: A Review
Authors: Dou Mingliang , Tang Jijun , Tiwari Prayag , Ding Yijie , Guo Fei
Published: February 2024

Drug–drug interaction (DDI) is an important part of drug development and pharmacovigilance. At the same time, DDI is an important factor in treatment planning, monitoring effects of medicine and patient safety, and has a significant impact on public health. Therefore, using deep learning technology to extract DDI from scientific literature has become a valuable research direction to researchers. In existing DDI datasets, the number of positive instances is relatively small. This makes it difficult for existing deep learning models to obtain sufficient feature information directly from text data. Therefore, existing deep learning models mainly rely on multiple feature supplementation methods to collect sufficient feature information from different types of data. In this study, the general process of DDI relation extraction based on deep learning is introduced first for comprehensive analysis. Next, we summarize the various feature supplement methods and analyze their merits and demerits. We then review the state-of-the-art literature related to DDI extraction from the deep neural network perspective. Finally, all the feature supplement methods are compared, and some suggestions are given to approach the current problems and future research directions. The purpose of this article is to give researchers a more complete understanding of the feature complementation methods used in DDI extraction to be able to rapidly design and implement custom DDI relation extraction methods.
Effect of resveratrol on insulin action in primary myotubes from lean individuals and individuals with severe obesity
Authors: Park Sanghee , Jevtovic Filip , Krassovskaia Polina M. , Chaves Alec B. , Zheng Donghai , Treebak Jonas T. , Houmard Joseph A.
Published: February 2024

A physiologically relevant dose of resveratrol increases insulin-stimulated glucose oxidation and glycogen synthesis in myotubes from individuals with severe obesity. Furthermore, resveratrol improved insulin signal transduction in myotubes from lean individuals but not from individuals with obesity. Activation of AMPK plays a role in resveratrol-induced improvements in glucose metabolism in individuals with severe obesity.
Improving motor imagery through a mirror box for BCI users
Authors: Gómez Diana Margarita Casas , Braidot Ariel Andrés Antonio
Published: February 2024

The increase in motor imagery recorded with EEG after MVF (mirror visual feedback) suggests that the mirror box made it easier to imagine movements. Our results demonstrate that MVF could be used as a training tool to improve motor imagery.
Reuse of Sewage Sludge as Organic Agricultural Products: An Efficient Technology-Based Initiative
Authors: Balkrishna Acharya , Banerjee Srimoyee , Ghosh Sourav , Chauhan Divya , Kaushik Ilika , Arya Vedpriya , Singh Sumit Kumar
Published: February 2024

Rapid urbanisation has led to a dramatic increase in sewage sludge production. There are limited methods of managing sewage sludge along with high energy and monetary investment. A cost-effective, environment-friendly, and sustainable solution needs to be developed for the management of sewage sludge. In the current study, sludge from the Jagjeetpur sewage treatment plant (STP) had been collected, composted, and characterized during January and February 2022. A comparison of STP sludge compost and compost made from farmyard manure showed the presence of essential agricultural nutrients in them, due to which they find application for plant growth. Two products, Jaivik Poshak and Jaivik Prom, containing farmyard compost, were compared with the amended version of the same, containing compost from STP sludge instead of normal compost. The results showed that the modified Jaivik Poshak was the best for maintaining pH and increasing electrical conductivity. The available nitrogen in the soil upon its application increased by 1.6 times (p<0.001) with respect to control, and it brought about 100% tomato seed germination within sixteen days. The above finding has been validated by goodness of fit value, factor analysis, and hierarchical analysis. The product, modified Jaivik Prom increased organic carbon content and brought about 5.81 and 8 times the enhancement in available phosphorous (p<0.001) and potassium (p<0.001) content in soil, respectively, with respect to the control set. The heavy metal content in the soil as a result of all types of treatment was within the permissible limit. This study thus proves that sludge from STP may be used for agricultural uses after proper fortification and testing to convert waste to wealth along with environmental sustenance.
Development of the RP-HPLC Method for Simultaneous Determination and Quantification of Artemether and Lumefantrine in Fixed-Dose Combination Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms
Authors: Nyarko Simon , Ofori-Kwakye Kwabena , Johnson Raphael , Kuntworbe Noble , Otu Desmond Asamoah Bruce , Yar Denis Dekugmen , Osei Yaa Asantewaa
Published: February 2024

Developing countries face enormous challenges with substandard and falsified antimalarial drugs. One specific issue is the lack of a simple, cost-effective, and robust HPLC method to simultaneously determine and quantify the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in fixed-dose artemether-lumefantrine pharmaceutical dosage forms. The current study developed a novel, simple, sensitive, precise, accurate, and cost-effective RP-HPLC method for the simultaneous determination and quantification of artemether and lumefantrine in pharmaceutical dosage forms. The HPLC analysis was carried out on an Agilent 1260 Infinity Series HPLC system equipped with an ODS Intersil-C8 (150 × 4.6 mm) 5.0 µm column, by isocratic elution. The mobile phase composition consisted of acetonitrile and 0.05% orthophosphoric acid buffer of pH 3.5 in the ratio of 70 : 30 v/v. The analysis was performed at a 1 mL/min flow rate and a column temperature of 25°C. The total run time was 6 minutes. The detection was done with a variable wavelength detector (VWD) at an isosbestic point wavelength (λ) of 210 nm. The developed method was validated according to the ICH guidelines concerning system suitability, specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision, and robustness. The system suitability of the developed method revealed satisfactory theoretical plates and symmetry factors. The method proved to be specific, with no interference of mobile phase or excipients. The calibration plot exhibited linearity over the concentration range of 275–1925 μg/mL with R2 = 0.9992 for artemether and a range of 150–1050 μg/mL with R2 = 0.9985 for lumefantrine. The accuracy of the method, determined by the recovery study, was 99.79–100.16% for artemether and 99.04–99.50% for lumefantrine. The % RSD values for intraday precision were 0.175 and 0.203, while interday precision values were 0.340 and 0.554 for artemether and lumefantrine, respectively. The method demonstrated robustness when subjected to slight modifications in the flow rate, column temperature, and mobile phase composition. The developed analytical method proved satisfactory as per ICH guidelines and hence can be used for the determination and quantification of artemether and lumefantrine in bulk drug and pharmaceutical dosage forms.
Occurrence of Typical Domestic Animal Viruses in Wild Carnivorans: An Emerging Threat to the Conservation of Endangered Species
Authors: Martins Nathana B. , de Almeida Julio C. Neves , Gonçalves Marianne S. S. , Gila Lana I. , Yogui Débora R. , Alves Mario H. , Desbiez Arnaud L. J. , Brandão Paulo E. , da Hora Aline S.
Published: February 2024

Wild species are susceptible to several typical domestic animal pathogens, and the increasingly close contact between these groups is a predictive factor for disease exposure. Some viruses are important and old‐known, and others are emerging or reemerging for domestic carnivorans and have been identified as threats to the conservation of wild mammals. The purpose of the study was to investigate the occurrence of bocaparvoviruses (BoVs, Parvoviridae family, Parvovirinae subfamily, Bocaparvovirus genus), parvoviruses (Parvoviridae family, Parvovirinae subfamily, Protoparvovirus genus, Protoparvovirus carnivoran1), hepadnaviruses (Hepadnaviridae family), coronaviruses (Coronaviridae family, Orthocoronavirinae subfamily), paramyxoviruses (Paramyxoviridae family) and canine distemper virus (Orthoparamyxovirinae subfamily, Morbillivirus genus, Morbillivirus canis), poxviruses (Poxviridae family), feline herpesvirus (Orthoherpesviridae family, Alphaherpesvirinae subfamily, Varicellovirus genus, Varicellovirus felidalpha1), feline calicivirus (Caliciviridae family, Vesivirus genus, FCV), feline immunodeficiency virus (Retroviridae family, Orthoretrovirinae subfamily, Lentivirus genus, FIV), feline leukemia virus (Retroviridae family, Orthoretrovirinae subfamily, Gammaretrovirus genus, FeLV), and gammaherpesviruses (Orthoherpesviridae family, Gammaherpesvirinae subfamily) in wild carnivorans. A total of 30 biological samples from the families Canidae, Felidae, Mephitidae, Mustelidae, and Procyonidae were evaluated. All animals were victims of vehicular collisions in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Canine parvovirus (CPV‐2) DNA was detected in the spleen of a bush dog (Speothos venaticus), a jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi), and a jaguar (Panthera onca), FeLV proviral DNA was found in the spleen of an ocelot (Leopardus pardalis); while CDV RNA was detected in the liver of a jaguarundi. Phylogenetic analysis carried out with the partial sequence of the CPV‐2 VP2 gene and the U3 (LTR) gag region of FeLV showed 100% identity with strains obtained from domestic dogs and cats, respectively. The approximation between wild and domestic animals favors the transmission of pathogens, especially between phylogenetically close species, such as members of the Canidae and Felidae families. Identification of the DNA and RNA of potentially fatal viruses such as CPV‐2, FeLV, and CDV in four wilds endangered to extinction and understudied species contributes to our understanding of the pathogens circulating in this free‐ranging and vulnerable population.
Study of the Soil Seed Bank Composition in Arjo-Diga Humid Afromontane Forest under Different Land Use Types and Its Implications for the Restoration of Degraded Lands in Western Ethiopia
Authors: Berihun Tariku , Bekele Tamrat , Lulekal Ermias , Asfaw Zemede
Published: February 2024

The soil seed bank present in forests serves as a crucial indicator of soil resilience following disturbances. The objective of this study was to investigate the composition, density, and vertical distribution of the soil seed bank in the Diga District of Western Ethiopia across four land use types: forestland, grassland, bare land, and shrubland. Soil samples were collected from plots measuring 225 square centimeters with a depth of 9 cm. A total of 108 soil samples were collected, representing the four land use types. Each plot was sampled at three different soil layers: 0–3 cm, 3–6 cm, and 6–9 cm depths. From the soil seed bank, 51 plant species were identified, with 46 (90.2%) being herbs, 3 (5.88%) trees, and 2 (3.92%) shrubs. The Asteraceae (13.30%), Poaceae (11.53%), and Fabaceae (9.61%) families exhibited the highest species composition, accounting for 38.44% of the total. Species richness varied significantly across all land use types and soil layers (p<0.05), with shrubland having the highest species richness and bare land having the lowest count. The total seed bank density in the soil across all plots was 92153 seeds/m2, with the highest density observed in the top 3 cm of the soil layer. The first and second soil layers exhibited a high Jaccard similarity coefficient of 0.76. Forestland and shrubland displayed the highest Jaccard coefficient of similarity (0.72), while the lowest was observed between bare land and shrubland (0.43). There was greater species similarity between the first and second soil layers (0.76) and lower similarity between the middle and bottom layers (0.32). The study found limited similarity between aboveground vegetation and the soil seed bank due to the low regeneration of woody species. Forestland and shrubland exhibited a high Jaccard similarity coefficient to aboveground vegetation, while grassland had the lowest similarity coefficient. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the shrubland land use types had high soil seed bank composition and density. Therefore, the conservation of shrubs in the Arjo-Diga Forest should be considered for the restoration of degraded areas, taking into account the soil seed bank in the shrubland ecosystem.
Protective and Ameliorative Effects of Hydroethanolic Extract of Piper nigrum (L.) Stem against Antiretroviral Therapy-Induced Hepatotoxicity and Dyslipidemia in Wistar Rats
Authors: Enyang Doreen , Sonibare Mubo A. , Tchamgoue Armelle D. , Tchokouaha Lauve R. Y. , Yadang Fanta S. , Nfor Gael N. , Kom Christelle W. , Betote Patrick D. H. , Tchinda Cedric F. , Tiogo Steveng S. K. , Agbor Gabriel A.
Published: February 2024

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has revolutionized the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS by overall improving their quality of life and increasing life expectancy. However, ART-associated hepatotoxicity and metabolic disorders in HIV/AIDS patients are growing concerns to clinicians, especially due to the long-term use of the drugs. This study reported on the phytochemical and pharmacological profile of hydroethanolic extracts of Piper nigrum stem (PNS) and evaluated its protective effect against tenofovir/lamivudine/efavirenz (TLE)-induced hepatotoxicity and dyslipidemia in Wistar rats. Cytotoxic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory assays were performed on PNS. Thirty-six rats divided into 6 groups of 6 animals/group were administered: distilled water, 17 mg/kg TLE, 17 mg/kg TLE and 100 mg/kg silymarin, 17 mg/kg TLE, and Piper extract (200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg, or 800 mg/kg) orally for 28 days. The body weight of animals was recorded every 7 days. On Day 29, the rats were sacrificed, and blood samples were collected for hematological and biochemical tests. Portions of the liver and kidneys were collected for histological evaluation, while liver homogenates were prepared from the rest to measure antioxidant enzymes. PNS possessed in vitro cytotoxic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. A significant decrease p<0.05 in the body weight of rats treated with PNS was observed. A significant high platelet count p<0.05 was observed in the PNS800 mg/kg group. A considerable decrease in alkaline phosphatase and triglycerides was observed in the silymarin and PNS group compared to the TLE-only group. The findings also show a significant increase in catalase and glutathione in the TLE-only group compared to the normal group, while SOD decreased. Histological observations revealed normal hepatic and renal tissues in the silymarin, and PNS-treated groups compared to the normal control, while leucocyte infiltration was observed in the TLE-only group. These results suggest that PNS extract possessed antioxidant activity that alleviated TLE-induced toxicity. Further studies are necessary to understand the pharmacokinetic interactions between ART and PNS.
Research on Nonlinear Vibration of Dual Mass Flywheel Considering Piecewise Linear Stiffness and Damping
Authors: Wei Cuicui , Niu Hongen , Zeng Liping
Published: February 2024

Nonlinear torsional vibration differential equation of the nested arc-shaped short spring dual mass flywheel (DMF) is established, considering the piecewise linear stiffness and damping of the spring. The first-order approximate analytical solution under sinusoidal excitation and the amplitude–frequency characteristic function are obtained by means of the average method which verified by the Runge–Kutta (R–K) method. The effects of the parameters of input excitation, inertia, and piecewise linear stiffness and damping of DMF on the resonant amplitude, resonant frequency band, and equivalent linear natural frequency of the system are analyzed. The results show that the amplitude–frequency characteristic curve bending and jumping with the changes of excitation frequency and the peak of resonant amplitude can be obviously reduced by increasing the inertia of the primary flywheel and decreasing the inertia of the secondary flywheel. The complex nonlinear dynamic phenomena such as Period 1, quasi-periodic, and chaos are obtained by analyzing the forced vibration response under the different excitation frequencies.
Lingual Denervation Improves the Efficacy of Anti-PD-1 Immunotherapy in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas by Downregulating TGFβ Signaling
Authors: Tao Zhuo-Ying , Wang Leilei , Zhu Wang-Yong , Zhang Gao , Su Yu-Xiong
Published: February 2024

Purpose:

Intratumoral nerve infiltration relates to tumor progression and poor survival in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). How neural involvement regulates antitumor immunity has not been well characterized. This study aims to investigate molecular mechanisms of regulating tumor aggressiveness and impairing antitumor immunity by nerve-derived factors.

Experimental Design:

We performed the surgical lingual denervation in an immunocompetent mouse OSCC model to investigate its effect on tumor growth and the efficacy of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. A trigeminal ganglion neuron and OSCC cell coculture system was established to investigate the proliferation, migration, and invasion of tumor cells and the PD-L1 expression. Both the neuron-tumor cell coculture in vitro model and the OSCC animal model were explored.

Results:

Lingual denervation slowed down tumor growth and improved the efficacy of anti-PD-1 treatment in the OSCC model. Coculturing with neurons not only enhanced the proliferation, migration, and invasion but also upregulated TGFβ-SMAD2 signaling and PD-L1 expression of tumor cells. Treatment with the TGFβ signaling inhibitor galunisertib reversed nerve-derived tumor aggressiveness and downregulated PD-L1 on tumor cells. Similarly, lingual denervation in vivo decreased TGFβ and PD-L1 expression and increased CD8+ T-cell infiltration and the expression of IFNγ and TNFα within tumor.

Conclusions:

Neural involvement enhanced tumor aggressiveness through upregulating TGFβ signaling and PD-L1 expression in OSCC, while denervation of OSCC inhibited tumor growth, downregulated TGFβ signaling, enhanced activities of CD8+ T cells, and improved the efficacy of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. This study will encourage further research focusing on denervation as a potential adjuvant therapeutic approach in OSCC.

Significance:

This study revealed the specific mechanisms for nerve-derived cancer progression and impaired antitumor immunity in OSCC, providing a novel insight into the cancer-neuron-immune network as well as pointing the way for new strategies targeting nerve-cancer cross-talk as a potential adjuvant therapeutic approach for OSCC.
A Tia Pequena contra Marie Kondo: reflexões semióticas sobre consumo e religião
Authors: Leone Massimo
Published: February 2024

Este artigo explora a interação entre práticas de consumo e crenças religiosas. Utilizando o exemplo pessoal da “Tia Pequena”, que acumulava objetos, examina-se como valores religiosos e culturais influenciam a maneira como as pessoas consomem e preservam bens materiais. Analisa-se ainda a ideologia subjacente a esses padrões de consumo, relacionando-os com a doutrina cristã e a semiótica religiosa e comparando-as com ideologias de consumo contemporâneas, destacando as diferenças e semelhanças entre elas.
Reproductive ecology and natural history of Kinosternon herrerai (Testudines: Kinosternidae) at the center of its distribution
Authors: Mimila-Manzur Flor D. , Ramírez-Bautista Aurelio , Macip-Ríos Rodrigo , Díaz-Marín César A.
Published: February 2024

Mexico harbors 10 endemic species of mud turtles of genus Kinosternon, but natural history information is lacking for most of them. Herein we describe some generalities of the reproductive ecology and natural history of one population of the Mexican endemic, Herrera’s mud turtle, K. herrerai from Hidalgo, Mexico. Females and males were similar in body mass and carapace length. Additionally, larger and heavier turtles moved more than smaller and lighter ones. Clutch size varied from one to six eggs, with an average of 3.4 ± 1.7, and egg laying occurred at environmental temperatures between 15 and 21°C (x̅ = 18.6°C). Total nesting time (from selection of nesting site to oviposition) lasted ca. 37 min, and the incubation period was 75 days in situ. These results enhance our understanding of natural history aspects of Kinosternon mud turtles, which are necessary to carry out conservation actions to preserve all of its populations.
Cartografia e Restauração: John Narborough e o processo de legitimação da expansão ultramarina inglesa no Estreito de Magalhães através dos mapas
Authors: Barbosa Rodrigo Canossa
Published: February 2024

O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar e analisar as formas de construção de um discurso espacial colonialista realizado no Estreito de Magalhães por Sir John Narborough entre 1669 e 1671, sob ordens diretas de Carlos II da Inglaterra. A cartografia no século XVII era muito mais que apenas uma forma de representação pictórica de espaços geográficos, era uma linguagem com poder intrínseco de possessão e legitimação territorial dentro da política dos impérios ultramarinos europeus. Narborough deixou mapas e um diário sobre sua expedição, além de mapas subsequentes feitos por outros cartógrafos terem sido baseados nos seus; compreendê-los ante termos humanos revela-nos outras formas de competição e colonialismo encontrados pelas potências marítimas da Europa para justificar suas navegações. Na discussão apresentada neste artigo, a política externa e as competições mercantis do final do século XVII serão compreendidas pela metodologia da cartografia crítica. Os contextos restauracionistas de 1640 de Portugal e 1660 da Inglaterra cruzaram-se em 1662 com o casamento de D. Catarina de Bragança com Carlos II, e o ápice do processo inglês de legitimação colonial ultramarina nessa época ocorreria com a expedição de 1669, parcialmente impulsionada pela recente aliança anglo-lusitana.
NIITA KALAGA, LUGAL URI: A memória de Gilgamesh como mecanismo para a construção da ideia de rei-deus no período de Ur-III
Authors: Guimarães Ana Clara Reis de
Published: February 2024

No presente artigo, as referências à Primeira Dinastia de Uruk, nos textos literários escritos durante o reinado de Shulgi  de Ur III (2.094 – 2.047 a.E. C.), são consideradas como  conceito de memória cultural. Por meio dessa análise, a tradição acerca destes reis míticos influenciou o processo de transformação de Shulgi em deus, sendo esse processo entendido como estratégia política frente à crise suscitada pela morte precoce de seu antecessor. Dessa forma, o artigo visa discorrer sobre a recuperação da memória de um passado sumério idealizado como ferramenta para a construção de uma figura carismática num contexto de busca por legitimação do poder territorial.
“Perniciozas a republica”: enlaces entre meretrício e escândalo social na São Paulo setecentista
Authors: Cordeiro Maria Eduarda Martins Mendes
Published: February 2024

Este estudo busca analisar os tensionamentos e particularidades históricas da prostituição na capitania de São Paulo em sua ligação com a temática do escândalo, o que expressa a necessidade de serem investigadas, conjuntamente, outras práticas sociais que se entrelaçam ou mesmo se confundem com o meretrício nos setecentos. A partir de uma retomada sumária da abordagem historiográfica sobre o tema, não apenas restrita ao século XVIII, e da investigação de duas fontes manuscritas, ambas endereçadas ao capitão-general D. Luís Antônio de Sousa Botelho Mourão, torna-se possível indicar as preferências discursivas sobre uma prática que não tem, como inerente a si, a necessidade de repressão na América Portuguesa. Com isso, objetiva-se avaliar a atuação cotidiana de meretrizes como representativa de um contraponto à formulação a-histórica e simplista de “profissão mais antiga do mundo”.
Exercise Inhibits Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity via Regulating B Cells
Authors: Wang Jing , Liu Shuqin , Meng Xinxiu , Zhao Xuan , Wang Tianhui , Lei Zhiyong , Lehmann H. Immo , Li Guoping , Alcaide Pilar , Bei Yihua , Xiao Junjie
Published: February 2024

BACKGROUND:

Doxorubicin is an effective chemotherapeutic agent, but its use is limited by acute and chronic cardiotoxicity. Exercise training has been shown to protect against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity, but the involvement of immune cells remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the role of exercise-derived B cells in protecting against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity and to further determine whether B cell activation and antibody secretion play a role in this protection.

METHODS:

Mice that were administered with doxorubicin (5 mg/kg per week, 20 mg/kg cumulative dose) received treadmill running exercise. The adoptive transfer of exercise-derived splenic B cells to μMT
−/−
(B cell–deficient) mice was performed to elucidate the mechanism of B cell regulation that mediated the effect of exercise.

RESULTS:

Doxorubicin-administered mice that had undergone exercise training showed improved cardiac function, and low levels of cardiac apoptosis, atrophy, and fibrosis, and had reduced cardiac antibody deposition and proinflammatory responses. Similarly, B cell pharmacological and genetic depletion alleviated doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity, which phenocopied the protection of exercise. In vitro performed coculture experiments confirmed that exercise-derived B cells reduced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and fibroblast activation compared with control B cells. Importantly, the protective effect of exercise on B cells was confirmed by the adoptive transfer of splenic B cells from exercised donor mice to μMT
−/−
recipient mice. However, blockage of Fc gamma receptor IIB function using B cell transplants from exercised Fc gamma receptor IIB
−/−
mice abolished the protection of exercise-derived B cells against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. Mechanistically, we found that Fc gamma receptor IIB, an important B cell inhibitory receptor, responded to exercise and increased B cell activation threshold, which participated in exercise-induced protection against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our results demonstrate that exercise training protects against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by upregulating Fc gamma receptor IIB expression in B cells, which plays an important anti-inflammatory role and participates in the protective effect of exercise against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.
The Liturgical Targum to Pesach
Authors: Verrijssen Jeroen
Published: February 2024

This paper presents the Targum text to Exod. 13:17–15:26 (the reading for the seventh day of Pesach) in the form that it is preserved in mahzorim (or festival prayerbooks). These liturgical manuscripts are witnesses to a textual tradition, hereafter named the “Liturgical Targum” (LTg), that is genealogically related to the broader Palestinian Targum tradition (PalTg), sharing a common source with other PalTg witnesses such as Targum Neofiti and the Fragment Targums. As reading traditions changed over time, and the role of Targum diminished within the synagogue, the text of LTg evolved: units ranging from individual words to entire verses of PalTg were removed or replaced with units of Targum Onqelos (TgOnq). Other PalTg texts show signs of this process of “Onqelosization,” including the text of Fragment Targum P (FragTgP), an enigmatic manuscript that contains the festival reading for the seventh day of Pesach (among other things). This paper will argue two main points: 1. the units of Targum that are shared between LTg and other members of the PalTg tradition show influence by TgOnq (i.e., “Onqelosization”); 2. FragTgP contains part of a text that is directly related to LTg and also contains Onqelosization.
Unconditionally conditional
Authors: Duffley Patrick , Larrivée Pierre
Published: February 2024

The purpose of this study is to assess from a corpus-based discourse-pragmatic perspective certain claims made in the literature concerning English wh- concessive conditional constructions (e.g. Whoever/No matter who comes to the party, it will be fun), namely that these utterance-types correlate with interrogative semantics, scalarity and potential modality. By means of an extensive investigation of corpus data these claims are shown to be largely unsupported by attested usage. Based on Dancygier and Sweetser’s classification of conditional constructions, it is found that potential modality is paradigmatic only of content-level concessive conditionals, and not of the epistemic, speech-act or metalinguistic varieties. Contrary to claims in the literature, scalarity is demonstrated to not be typical of wh- concessive conditionals. The lack of scalarity in most wh- concessive conditionals is argued to cast into doubt the category label “concessive conditional” applied to these constructions in a substantial part of the literature and to favour an alternative designation such as “irrelevance conditional.” The empirical data further reveals that wh- concessive conditionals practically never involve pure ignorance, and this is argued to be problematic on the discourse-pragmatic level for the claim that they have interrogative semantics.
Expressive commitments
Authors: Villalba Xavier
Published: February 2024

Pragmatics has made a Copernican shift from Gricean intentional approaches to normative approaches based in commitments. This has been good news for assertions, and questions of several stripes, but we still don’t know whether the commitment approach can be extended to expressive speech acts in general, and exclamations in particular. In this article, I will show that an approach to exclamations based on commitments at different levels of meaning, namely, the descriptive and expressive level, can be devised and it can offer interesting answers to old issues, like the contribution of exclamations to discourse, or their at-issue status, while raising new theoretical and empirical questions on lying and deceiving and commitment strength.
Prototype-based pragmatics of confessing
Authors: Yamanaka Nobuhiko
Published: February 2024

This paper discusses a subtype of the speech act of confessing, namely, telling something which the speaker assumes to be unknown to the hearer and damaging to him/herself. Based on Coleman and Kay (1981), a prototype of that subtype is hypothesised and cases lacking in any of its elements are illustrated. Further, the prototypical scenario proposed in Lakoff (1987) is applied to the speech act of confessing to describe all the processes and effects of confessing. The data consist of confessional scenes played by characters in literary works either written in or translated into English.
A Climatology of Intensity Change and Translation Speed of Landfalling North American Tropical Cyclones between 1971 and 2020
Authors: Grondin Nicholas S. , Ellis Kelsey N.
Published: February 2024

In this study, we investigated the translation speed and intensity change characteristics for landfalling North American tropical cyclones (TCs) from 1971 to 2020. We calculated three variables—intensity change, mean translation speed, and translation speed change—prior to each TC landfall and investigated the climatology of these variables for seven coastal segments. We found that lower-latitude segments generally had greater positive intensity changes prior to landfall, and higher-latitude segments had greater translation speeds. Longitude primarily influenced translation speed changes, with landfalling TCs along the Atlantic coast of the United States notably accelerating prior to landfall. Temporal trends in each of these variables were inconsistent geographically, but most segments showed an increase in positive intensity changes over time, demonstrating the increasing likelihood of intensifying TCs before landfall in recent years. We defined extreme intensification and extreme weakening as the 90th and 10th percentile of all landfalling TC intensity changes, respectively. We found that extreme intensification and weakening have been increasing and decreasing in frequency, respectively. Results from this study can be used in a variety of future applications, including in operational forecasting and model production, and provide a baseline for climate attribution studies investigating extreme intensity change events.

Significance Statement

Landfalling tropical cyclones pose significant hazards to life and property in coastal regions across North America. This study develops a comprehensive climatology of intensity change and translation speed of tropical cyclones during the final 36 h prior to landfall. We found that incidences of extreme intensification and weakening of landfalling North American tropical cyclones have increased and decreased, respectively, since 1971. We also identify lower-latitude coastal segments tend to average faster translation speeds that higher-latitude segments, while segments on the east coast of the United States tended to average a greater acceleration. These results show the importance of looking at tropical cyclone characteristics regionally and provide a useful baseline to assess how tropical cyclone risk is changing in a warming climate.
The Relationship between Convectively Coupled Waves and the East Pacific ITCZ
Authors: Fahrin Fouzia , Gonzalez Alex O. , Chrisler Brett , Stachnik Justin P.
Published: February 2024

Longstanding climate model biases in tropical precipitation exist over the east Pacific (EP) Ocean, especially during boreal winter and spring when models have excessive Southern Hemisphere (SH) precipitation near the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ). In this study, we document the impact of convectively coupled waves (CCWs) on EP precipitation and the ITCZ using observations and reanalyses. We focus on the months when SH precipitation peaks in observations: February–April (FMA). CCWs explain 93% of total precipitation variance in the SH, nearly double the percent (48%) of the NH during FMA. However, we note that these percentages are inflated as they inevitably include the background variance. We further investigate the three leading high-frequency wave bands: mixed Rossby–gravity waves and tropical depression–type disturbances (MRG–TD type), Kelvin waves, and n = 0 eastward inertia–gravity waves (IG0). Compared to their warm pool counterparts, these three CCWs have a more zonally elongated and meridionally narrower precipitation structure with circulations that resemble past observational studies and/or shallow water theory. We quantify the contribution of all CCWs to four different daily ITCZ “states”: Northern Hemisphere (NH) (nITCZ), SH (sITCZ), double (dITCZ), and equatorial (eITCZ) using a new precipitation-based ITCZ-state algorithm. We find that the percent of total precipitation variance explained by each of the CCWs is heightened for sITCZs and eITCZs and diminished for nITCZs. Last, we find that nITCZs are most prevalent weeks after strong CCW activity happens in the NH, whereas CCWs and sITCZs peak simultaneously in the SH.

Significance Statement

Convectively coupled atmospheric waves (CCWs) are a critical feature of tropical weather and are an important source of precipitation near the region of highest precipitation on Earth called the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ). Given three decades of climate model biases in CCWs and ITCZ precipitation over the east Pacific (EP) Ocean during spring, few studies have examined the relationship between CCWs and the springtime EP ITCZ. We explored the CCWs and EP ITCZ relationship through calculations of the percent of precipitation that comes from CCWs. A significant portion of the tropical precipitation is associated with CCWs during spring. CCWs are even more impactful when the ITCZ is in the SH or on the equator, which are both problematic in climate models.
Four-Dimensional Computed Tomography for Parathyroid Adenoma Localization: A Pre-Operative Imaging Protocol
Authors: Bellamkonda Nikhil , Highland Julie , McCrary Hilary C , Slattery Lauren , King Brody , Teames Charles , LeBaron Kaylee , Wiggins Richard H , Abraham Dev , Hunt Jason P
Published: February 2024

Objective:

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) affects approximately 0.86% of the population, with surgical resection as the treatment of choice. A 4D computed tomography (CT) is a highly effective tool in localizing parathyroid adenomas; however, there is currently no defined role for 4D CT when stratified against ultrasonography (USG) and nuclear medicine Technetium Sestamibi SPECT/CT (SES) imaging.

Study Design:

Retrospective Study.

Setting:

University Hospital.

Methods:

All patients who underwent parathyroidectomy for PHPT between 2014 and 2019 at a single institution were reviewed. Patients who had a 4D CT were included. We compared outcomes of 4D CT as a second line imaging modality to those of USG and SES as first line modalities. An imaging algorithm was proposed based on these findings.

Results:

There were 84 patients identified who had a 4D CT after unsuccessful first line imaging. A 4D CT localized parathyroid adenoma to the correct quadrant in 64% of cases, and to the correct laterality in 75% of cases. Obese patients had significantly lower rates of adenoma localization with USG (33.4%), compared to non-obese patients (67.5%; P = .006). In determining multigland disease the sensitivity of 4D CT was 86%, while the specificity was 87%.

Conclusions:

A 4D CT has impressive rates of accurate localization of parathyroid adenomas; however due to the radiation exposure involved, it should remain a second line imaging modality. PHPT patients should first be evaluated with USG, with 4D CT used if this is unsuccessful and patients are greater than 40 years old, have a high BMI, or are having revision surgery.
An Area-Level Hierarchical Bayes Bivariate Threefold Linear Model for US State and County Indicators of Adult Skills in Literacy and Numeracy
Authors: Krenzke Tom , Erciulescu Andreea L. , Mohadjer Leyla , Fay Robert , Li Jianzhu
Published: February 2024

Significant enhancements have been made in small area estimation (SAE) methodology because there has been an increased demand for reliable estimates through SAE over the past decades. This article describes the advanced statistical methodology used to produce state and county model-based estimates of average scores and various proficiency levels of adults for all states and counties, using data from the first cycle of the US Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies and the American Community Survey. Challenges and issues are discussed especially in light of the small number of sample counties with survey data. Each major stage of the estimation process is discussed, including the approach for generating design-based survey estimates and modelled variances, identifying a set of predictor variables (available and measured consistently for all counties), the hierarchical Bayes linear threefold models, including bivariate models for proportions, and the diagnostics and evaluation.