bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interview: Claire McKay Bowen
Authors: Bennett Hayley
Published: February 2023

Hayley Bennett interviews Significance’s newest editorial board member, Claire McKay Bowen. A data privacy expert at non-profit, The Urban Institute, a research organisation based in Washington, DC, Claire works on new ways to help people access sensitive data so that it can be used for public good. She’s also the author of Protecting Your Privacy in a Data-Driven World.
Andreas Georgiou
Authors: Tarran Brian
Published: February 2023

As the persecuted former national statistician of Greece awaits a European Court of Human Rights decision and a slander appeal hearing, Brian Tarran surveys the story so far, and considers what could happen next
Entropy as a Measure of Auditory Environment Diversity: An Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) Approach
Authors: Wu Yu-Hsiang , Stangl Elizabeth , Dunn Camille , Oleson Jacob
Published: February 2023

Objectives:

To determine the validity and usefulness of entropy computed using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) data as a measure of auditory environment diversity.

Design:

We conducted two secondary analyses on existing EMA datasets. The first determined the construct validity of auditory environment entropy by examining the effect of COVID-19 on entropy. To demonstrate entropy’s usefulness, the second examined if entropy could predict the benefit of hearing aid (HA) noise reduction features.

Results:

Consistent with the known effect of COVID-19 on social lifestyle, COVID-19 significantly reduced auditory environment diversity, supporting entropy’s construct validity. HA users with higher entropy reported poorer outcomes and perceived more benefit from HA features, supporting the feasibility of using entropy to predict communication performance and feature benefit.

Conclusions:

Entropy derived from EMA data is a valid and useful auditory environment diversity measure. This measure could allow researchers to better understand the communication needs of people with hearing loss.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF OCT AND OCT ANGIOGRAPHY CHARACTERISTICS IN EARLY DIABETIC RETINOPATHY
Authors: Le David , Dadzie Albert , Son Taeyoon , Lim Jennifer I. , Yao Xincheng
Published: February 2023

Purpose:

To assess the quantitative characteristics of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) for the objective detection of early diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Methods:

This was a retrospective and cross-sectional study, which was carried out at a tertiary academic practice with a subspecialty. Twenty control participants, 15 people with diabetics without retinopathy (NoDR), and 22 people with mild nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) were included in this study. Quantitative OCT characteristics were derived from the photoreceptor hyperreflective bands, i.e., inner segment ellipsoid (ISe) and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). OCTA characteristics, including vessel diameter index (VDI), vessel perimeter index (VPI), and vessel skeleton density (VSD), were evaluated.

Results:

Quantitative OCT analysis indicated that the ISe intensity was significantly trending downward with DR advancement. Comparative OCTA revealed VDI, VPI, and VSD as the most sensitive characteristics of DR. Correlation analysis of OCT and OCTA characteristics revealed weak variable correlation between the two imaging modalities.

Conclusion:

Quantitative OCT and OCTA analyses revealed photoreceptor and vascular distortions in early DR. Comparative analysis revealed that the OCT intensity ratio, ISe/RPE, has the best sensitivity for early DR detection. Weak variable correlation of the OCT and OCTA characteristics suggests that OCT and OCTA are providing supplementary information for DR detection and classification.
Current developments and therapeutic potentials of exosomes from induced pluripotent stem cells-derived mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Aldoghachi Ahmed Faris , Loh Jit-Kai , Wang Mong-Lien , Yang Yi-Ping , Chien Chian-Shiu , Teh Hui Xin , Omar Alfaqih Hussain , Cheong Soon-Keng , Yeap Swee Keong , Ho Wan Yong , Ong Alan Han-Kiat
Published: February 2023

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells derived from adult human tissues that have the ability to proliferate in vitro and maintain their multipotency, making them attractive cell sources for regenerative medicine. However, MSCs reportedly show limited proliferative capacity with inconsistent therapeutic outcomes due to their heterogeneous nature. On the other hand, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) have emerged as an alternative source for the production of various specialized cell types via their ability to differentiate from all three primary germ layers, leading to applications in regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and drug therapy. Notably, iPSCs can differentiate into MSCs in monolayer, commonly referred to as induced mesenchymal stem cells (iMSCs). These cells show superior therapeutic qualities compared with adult MSCs as the applications of the latter are restricted by passage number and autoimmune rejection when applied in tissue regeneration trials. Furthermore, increasing evidence shows that the therapeutic properties of stem cells are a consequence of the paracrine effects mediated by their secretome such as from exosomes, a type of extracellular vesicle secreted by most cell types. Several studies that investigated the potential of exosomes in regenerative medicine and therapy have revealed promising results. Therefore, this review focuses on the recent findings of exosomes secreted from iMSCs as a potential noncell-based therapy.
CCNB2 as a potential biomarker of bladder cancer via the high throughput technology
Authors: Zhang Lei , Liu Bin , Su Jianzhi
Published: February 2023

Bladder cancer and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) seriously affect people’s health. However, the relationship between bladder cancer and OSCC remains unclear. Got GSE138206, GSE146483, GSE184616, and bladder cancer datasets GSE65635, GSE100926 from Gene Expression Omnibus database. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis was used to identify the significant module. Functional enrichment analysis was performed via the Gene Ontology analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. Furthermore, the Gene Set Enrichment Analysis was also used to complete the enrichment analysis. Comparative Toxicogenomics Database found most relevant diseases to core genes. TargetScan is used to forecast analysis of microRNA and target genes. In Gene Ontology analysis, differentially expressed genes were mostly concentrated in cell differentiation, extrallular region, structural molecule activity, and actin binding. In Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis, the differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, pathway in cancer, and extracellular matrix-receptor interaction. Seven hub genes (cyclin B2 [CCNB2], TK1, CDC20, PCNA, CKS1B, CDCA5, MCM4) were obtained. Hub genes (CCNB2, CDC20) are highly expressed in OSCC and bladder cancer samples. CCNB2 was one common oncogene of bladder cancer and OSCC.
Emerging approaches in neurostimulation for epilepsy
Authors: Lundstrom Brian Nils , Osman Gamaleldin M. , Starnes Keith , Gregg Nicholas M. , Simpson Hugh D.
Published: February 2023

Purpose of review

Neurostimulation is a quickly growing treatment approach for epilepsy patients. We summarize recent approaches to provide a perspective on the future of neurostimulation.

Recent findings

Invasive stimulation for treatment of focal epilepsy includes vagus nerve stimulation, responsive neurostimulation of the cortex and deep brain stimulation of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus. A wide range of other targets have been considered, including centromedian, central lateral and pulvinar thalamic nuclei; medial septum, nucleus accumbens, subthalamic nucleus, cerebellum, fornicodorsocommissure and piriform cortex. Stimulation for generalized onset seizures and mixed epilepsies as well as increased efforts focusing on paediatric populations have emerged. Hardware with more permanently implanted lead options and sensing capabilities is emerging. A wider variety of programming approaches than typically used may improve patient outcomes. Finally, noninvasive brain stimulation with its favourable risk profile offers the potential to treat increasingly diverse epilepsy patients.

Neurostimulation for the treatment of epilepsy is surprisingly varied. Flexibility and reversibility of neurostimulation allows for rapid innovation. There remains a continued need for excitability biomarkers to guide treatment and innovation. Neurostimulation, a part of bioelectronic medicine, offers distinctive benefits as well as unique challenges.
The PAAR5 Protein of a Polarly-Localized Type VI Secretion System (T6SS-5) is Required for the Formation of Multinucleated Cells (MNCs) and Virulence byBurkholderia pseudomallei
Authors: French Christopher T. , Bulterys Philip , Ceja-Navarro Javier , Deshazer David , Ng Kenneth
Published: February 2023

TheBurkholderia pseudomalleicomplex (Bpc) includesB. pseudomallei, B. malleiandB. thailandensis. These species share conserved virulence determinants that facilitate survival in mammalian cells and can spread from cell to cell by a unique mechanism involving fusion of plasma membranes. The activity of a contractile type VI secretion system, T6SS-5, is a central requirement. Using fluorescence confocal microscopy, we found localization and dynamic turnover of fluorescently-labeled T6SS-5 components at the forward pole ofBurkholderiaresiding at the ends of actin protrusions. We identified the proline-alanine-alanine-arginine repeat protein of T6SS-5 (PAAR5), which forms the heteromeric tip of the T6SS-5 apparatus along with VgrG5. Mutational analysis revealed a unique N-terminal extension (NTE) of PAAR5 that is indispensable for cell fusion. Deletion ofpaar5allowed us to uncouple fusogenic activity from the functionality of T6SS-5 for exploring the role of cell fusion in pathogenesis.B. pseudomalleiΔpaar5deletion mutants retained a functional T6SS-5 apparatus and the ability to secrete the Hcp5 protein. In cellular and animal infection models, Δpaar5mutants mirrored the phenotype of a T6SS-5-defective ΔvgrG5strain, being defective for cell fusion and avirulent in hamsters. These results demonstrate concordance between the fusogenic andin vivovirulence phenotypes, suggesting that T6SS-5-mediated cell fusion may be a central feature ofB. pseudomalleipathogenesis and not anin vitroartifact.
Extracellular Matrix Regulates Neuronal Chloride Concentration via K+-Cl−-Cotransporter 2
Authors: Yelhekar Tushar Devanand , Kuznetsova Tatiana , Malinina Evgenya , Ponimaskin Evgeni , Dityatev Alexander , Druzin Michael , Johansson Staffan
Published: February 2023

The neuronal intracellular chloride concentration [Cl−]iis critical for γ‐aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptor‐mediated transmission. Degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) is associated with raised [Cl−]Ibut neither the mechanisms underlying this effect nor the consequences for GABA‐ mediated transmission are well understood. Hitherto it has been unclear how to reconcile the effect of the ECM on [Cl−]iwith the established role of cation‐chloride cotransporters in setting [Cl−]I. In the present work we clarify the role of the ECM in the control of neuronal [Cl−]i. By measuring [Cl−]iin central neurons from male rats we show that the ECM affects basal [Cl−]ias well as the rate of Cl−extrusion after a high load. The mechanism is not via impermeant anions but through regulation of K+‐Cl−‐cotransporter 2 (KCC2). ECM degradation is accompanied by an N‐type Ca2+‐channel‐ and calpain‐dependent reduction in the amount of KCC2 protein, increased basal [Cl−]i, reduced Cl−extrusion capacity as well as by reduced inhibitory, or even an excitatory, effect of intense GABAA‐ receptor mediated trans mission. This implies a previously unrecognized pathway for the control of neuronal [Cl−]iand excitability by the ECM.

Graphical abstract
Conservation and Expansion of Transcriptional Factor Repertoire in theFusarium oxysporumSpecies Complex
Authors: Yu Houlin , Yang He , Haridas Sajeet , Hayes Richard D. , Lynch Hunter , Andersen Sawyer , Li Gengtan , Martínez-Soto Domingo , Milo-Cochavi Shira , Hazal Ayhan Dilay , Zhang Yong , Grigoriev Igor V. , Ma Li-Jun
Published: February 2023

TheFusarium oxysporumspecies complex (FOSC) includes both plant and human pathogens that cause devastating plant vascular wilt diseases and threaten public health. EachF. oxysporumgenome comprises core chromosomes (CCs) for housekeeping functions and accessory chromosomes (ACs) that contribute to host-specific adaptation. This study inspected global transcription factor profiles (TFomes) and their potential roles in coordinating CCs and ACs functions to accomplish host-specific pathogenicity. Remarkably, we found a clear positive correlation between the sizes of TFome and proteome of an organism, and FOSC TFomes are larger due to the acquisition of ACs. Among a total of 48 classified TF families, 14 families involved in transcription/translation regulations and cell cycle controls are highly conserved. Among 30 FOSC expanded families, Zn2-C6 and Znf_C2H2 are most significantly expanded to 671 and 167 genes per family, including well-characterized homologs of Ftf1 (Zn2-C6) and PacC (Znf_C2H2) involved in host-specific interactions. Manual curation of characterized TFs increased the TFome repertoires by 3%, including a disordered protein Ren1. Expression profiles revealed a steady expression of conserved TF families and specific activation of AC TFs. Functional characterization of these TFs could enhance our understanding of transcriptional regulation involved in FOSC cross-kingdom interactions, disentangle species-specific adaptation, and identify targets to combat diverse diseases caused by this group of fungal pathogens.
Disrupted sleep in dystonia depends on cerebellar function but not motor symptoms in mice
Authors: Leon Luis E. Salazar , Sillitoe Roy V.
Published: February 2023

Although dystonia is the third most common movement disorder, patients often also experience debilitating nonmotor defects including impaired sleep. The cerebellum is a central component of a “dystonia network” that plays various roles in sleep regulation. Importantly, the primary driver of sleep impairments in dystonia remains poorly understood. The cerebellum, along with other nodes in the motor circuit, could disrupt sleep. However, it is unclear how the cerebellum might alter sleep and mobility. To disentangle the impact of cerebellar dysfunction on motion and sleep, we generated two mouse genetic models of dystonia that have overlapping cerebellar circuit miswiring but show differing motor phenotype severity:Ptf1aCre;Vglut2fx/fxandPdx1Cre;Vglut2fx/fxmice. In both models, excitatory climbing fiber to Purkinje cell neurotransmission is blocked, but only thePtf1aCre;Vglut2fx/fxmice have severe twisting. Usingin vivoECoG and EMG recordings we found that both mutants spend greater time awake and in NREM sleep at the expense of REM sleep. The increase in awake time is driven by longer awake bouts rather than an increase in bout number. We also found a longer latency to reach REM in both mutants, which is similar to what is reported in human dystonia. We uncovered independent but parallel roles for cerebellar circuit dysfunction and motor defects in promoting sleep quality versus posture impairments in dystonia.
Exploring satisfaction with social networking sites through the lens of fan page visiting: uncertainty reduction and general systems theory perspective
Authors: Shin Soo Il , Hall Dianne , Lee Kyung Young , Han Sumin
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The purpose of the current study is to examine a social network site (SNS) users' overall satisfaction with SNS use in conjunction with their fan page visiting activities. We examined overall satisfaction with SNS usage from the lens of people's perceptions acquired from the use of sub-components of SNS.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study employed uncertainty reduction theory (URT) and general systems theory (GST) to examine antecedents affecting overall satisfaction with SNS use. Five constructs were adopted: interactive and passive uncertainty reduction strategies, perceived usefulness and continuance visiting behavior, satisfaction, and perceived functional benefits. Using a web-based survey, we analyzed 200 SNS users who follow at least one company's fan page, utilizing seemingly unrelated regression models to test hypotheses empirically.

Findings

Research findings reveal that uncertainty reduction strategies supported by URT are significantly associated with the perceived usefulness of a company's fan page. In turn, we found that perceived usefulness becomes a strong motivator to continuance visits to the fan page. The frequency of return visiting behaviors eventually accounts for overall satisfaction with SNS. Perceived functional benefits moderates the relationship between perceived usefulness and visiting behaviors significantly.

Originality/value

The current study contributes to information systems (IS), electronic communication, and their adjacent academic disciplines in providing evidence, including (1) the impact of uncertainty reduction strategies on continuance visiting behaviors in the SNS context, (2) SNS functionalities influencing the relationship between people's belief and behavior, and (3) theoretical significant perceptional link between a sub-component and a whole.
Groups of politically connected firms, political uncertainty and earnings credibility in Pakistan
Authors: Ahmad Fawad , Bradbury Michael Eric , Habib Ahsan
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This paper examines the influence of different types of political connections and political uncertainty on earnings credibility in Pakistan. Based on discernible differences, connected firms are grouped into civil connected and military connected firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors provide evidence concerning the earnings credibility incentives of groups of political connected firms and report that their incentives are significantly different. The findings remain robust to alternate methods of earnings credibility.

Findings

The findings evidence that civil (military) connected firms report less (more) credible earnings than the control group. High political uncertainty reduces the credibility of earnings. Results for the interaction of political connections and political uncertainty variables are not significant.

Research limitations/implications

The paper investigates just one aspect of Pakistan's political economy, i.e. credibility of earnings; thus, it requires to be cautious on part of readers and policymakers. To reach a clearer conclusion, earnings credibility should be ex amined in the larger context, i.e. in conjunction with rent extractions, etc. A possible extension of the paper can be to investigate the channels of rent extractions used by the two types of connected firms.

Practical implications

The paper has contribution for policymakers as well as users of general purpose financial reports. The findings indicate that the users of general purpose financial reports should be more careful in the use of financial information during political uncertain periods and also of politically connected firms. Furthermore, policymakers should keep the larger context at the forefront while attempting to strengthen the enforcemnet regime.

Originality/value

This paper adds to extant political connections literature by identifying two types of politically connected firms and report that both groups have divergent financial reporting incentives. Furthermore, political uncertainty reduces the credibility of earnings.
Online knowledge sharing in blockchains: towards increasing participation
Authors: Xie Renqiang , Zhang Wende
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to propose a system dynamics model of blockchain online community knowledge sharing, with the following goals: to reveal the internal mechanism of blockchain technology on community knowledge sharing; to show the impact of blockchain technology on knowledge sharing; and to promote knowledge sharing and the self-development of blockchain online communities.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the core characteristic factors of blockchain technology, including incentive mechanism, trust mechanism, information protection mechanism, etc., a knowledge sharing analysis framework is established. Through the use of the Vensim PLE (Personal Learning Version) software, according to the steps of “putting forward a dynamic hypothesis”, “establishing a system dynamic equations”, and then “model testing” and “simulation”, the article analyzes in depth the process and extent of the impact of the above features on online community knowledge sharing.

Findings

The results show that the blockchain incentive mechanism, trust mechanism and information protection mechanism all contribute to promoting an increase in the number of community knowledge sharing users, as well as in the total amount of knowledge shared. The results also show that the token reward in the incentive mechanism has in fact a higher degree of influence than the trust and information protection mechanisms.

Originality/value

At present, no research on the internal mechanism of knowledge sharing in blockchain online communities has been carried out. This article plays a complementary role in research in this field, and offers significant guidance for promoting online community knowledge management and online community development.
Does corporate governance improve integrated reporting quality? A meta-analytical investigation
Authors: Dragomir Voicu D. , Dumitru Mădălina
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The relationships between integrated reporting quality (IRQ) and corporate governance characteristics have been studied extensively, but the results are still inconclusive and, sometimes, contradictory. The purpose of this paper is to systematize the results of previously published studies on the relationship between corporate governance and IRQ.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses several complementary theoretical perspectives (agency, stakeholder and signaling theory). The relevant aspects of the corporate governance system are the attributes and composition of the board, the existence of a social responsibility committee, the quality of the audit committee, integrated report assurance and ownership structures. The sample consisted of 61 papers published in top journals between 2015 and 2021. Meta-analytic procedures were applied on bivariate and partial correlations between IRQ and the identified corporate governance characteristics.

Findings

The results confirm that director independence, the existence of a social responsibility committee, institutional ownership and the hiring of a Big 4 auditor are significantly correlated with IRQ. On the other hand, board gender diversity, audit committee independence and dedicated assurance have a positive but nonsignificant impact on IRQ. Chairperson-chief executive officer duality does not seem to impact report quality, while ownership concentration has a negative but nonsignificant impact on IRQ.

Research limitations/implications

Future research can improve the measurement of focal indicators by using a common set of variables for comparability, favoring disaggregate measures of corporate governance and updating the measurement of some indicators. Future research could also propose new indicators in the area of corporate governance and expand the theoretical domain of IRQ research.

Originality/value

The findings emphasize the need to explicitly consider the role of corporate governance structures and arrangements in improving IRQ. Through meta-analysis, the paper aims to provide a comprehensive and generalizable set of findings, suggesting that corporate governance indicators cannot be overlooked as predictors of integrated reporting.
Uncovering the structures of privacy research using bibliometric network analysis and topic modelling
Authors: van Dijk Friso , Gadellaa Joost , van Toledo Chaïm , Spruit Marco , Brinkkemper Sjaak , Brinkhuis Matthieu
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This paper aims that privacy research is divided in distinct communities and rarely considered as a singular field, harming its disciplinary identity. The authors collected 119.810 publications and over 3 million references to perform a bibliometric domain analysis as a quantitative approach to uncover the structures within the privacy research field.

Design/methodology/approach

The bibliometric domain analysis consists of a combined directed network and topic model of published privacy research. The network contains 83,159 publications and 462,633 internal references. A Latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic model from the same dataset offers an additional lens on structure by classifying each publication on 36 topics with the network data. The combined outcomes of these methods are used to investigate the structural position and topical make-up of the privacy research communities.

Findings

The authors identified the research communities as well as categorised their structural positioning. Four communities form the core of privacy research: individual privacy and law, cloud computing, location data and privacy-preserving data publishing. The latter is a macro-community of data mining, anonymity metrics and differential privacy. Surrounding the core are applied communities. Further removed are communities with little influence, most notably the medical communities that make up 14.4% of the network. The topic model shows system design as a potentially latent community. Noteworthy is the absence of a centralised body of knowledge on organisational privacy management.

Originality/value

This is the first in-depth, quantitative mapping study of all privacy research.
Tear gas in orbit
Authors: Silver Jake
Published: February 2023

What does outer space smell like? On the one hand, space scientists have used scent as a hint to discover the molecular histories of the cosmos. On the other, Palestinian astronomers, who regularly encounter Israel's vertical military arsenal, joke that it smells like Israel. Based on three years of fieldwork in the occupied West Bank, this article follows these astronomers and reveals how colonial experience can emerge in faraway realms, even past our planet. I position the space sciences alongside these Palestinian perspectives, arguing that such encounters with a superterranean state reveal the increasingly extraplanetary contours of colonial struggle. The Israeli‐Palestinian conflict, in other words, orbits earth. Scale thus emerges not as something that divides the (space) sciences, colonialism, and everyday sensory encounters into separable domains, but as a relational concept through which we can better grasp the dimensions of colonialism, politics, and power today.
Using realist methods for intervention development to fill a methodological gap: A case study showing the development of an oral hygiene intervention for people with intellectual developmental disabilities
Authors: Mac Giolla Phadraig Caoimhin , Asimakopoulou Koula , Faulks Denise , Van Harten Maria , Ledger Lorraine , Spencer Ann , Roux Sarah , Cleary Ceara , Daly Blanaid , Waldron Catherine
Published: February 2023

Background

Realist methods offer a novel approach to intervention design. Such novelty is needed for effective oral health promotion interventions with people with intellectual developmental disabilities (IDD) and their carers because existing interventions are poorly described and lack theoretical underpinning. In this study, the steps between inception and final intervention development are presented, with an aim to expand understanding of how realist theorizing can be used to develop interventions, and to demonstrate theory‐driven intervention development in the field of oral health promotion.

Methods

In this intervention development study, the use of realist methods to develop an intervention aiming to improve the oral hygiene of people with IDD is presented. Realist theories (RTs) arising from a mixed synthesis were used to develop the Keep My Teeth intervention. The use of realist theory in intervention development was mapped across seven domains and 18 actions with emphasis on how theory informed key actions.

Results

Realist theories informed many but not all actions in the development process. Where gaps arose, this was augmented with other systems of intervention development, such as the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) and Behaviour Change Technique (BCT) systems. The resulting intervention and underlying theory are presented using TiDieR criteria.

Conclusions

It is demonstrated how realist methods could be integrated with substantive theory when developing an intervention. RTs enhanced the contextualization of the intervention that was developed but were insufficient in their own right to guide the development process from conception to intervention. This was overcome by augmenting with substantive theory, in this case, using the BCW and BCT behaviour change systems, to select and specify the behaviours that needed to change. In essence, the BCTs guided which techniques to select, while the RTs guided how to develop and intervene. Robust intervention development in the field of oral health promotion is also presented in this study.
Clinical outcomes of full‐arch immediate fixed prostheses supported by two axial and two tilted implants: A retrospective cohort study with 12–15 years of follow‐up
Authors: Agliardi Enrico Luigi , Pozzi Alessandro , Romeo Davide , Del Fabbro Massimo
Published: February 2023

Purpose

To retrospectively assess clinical and radiographic outcomes of immediately loaded full‐arch fixed prostheses supported by axial and tilted implants up to 15 years of function.

Materials and Methods

Patients with one completely edentulous arch received an immediate full‐arch fixed prosthesis supported by two anterior axial and two posterior tilted implants. Definitive prosthesis consisting of a CAD‐CAM titanium framework and acrylic teeth was delivered 6 months later. Patients were regularly followed to assess clinical parameters and marginal bone level (MBL) change. Multilevel regression analysis was performed to investigate factors affecting implant failure and MBL.

Results

Six hundred ninety‐two implants were placed in 72 maxillae and 101 mandibles. Seven maxillary implants (5 axial and 2 tilted) in 6 patients and 12 mandibular implants (6 axial and 6 tilted) in 5 patients failed. 15‐year cumulative implant survival was 97.51% and 96.91% in maxilla and mandible, respectively (p = .64). After 10 years, the difference in MBL between axial and tilted implants was not significant in the maxilla (p = .47, 65 patients), while it was in the mandible (p < .001, 80 patients). Significant higher bone loss was reported in the mandible at both 5‐ and 10‐year follow‐up (p < .001 and p = .004, respectively). Mixed‐effect multilevel linear regression evidenced a correlation between arch and bone loss at 5‐ and 10‐year follow‐up, while no correlation was found with age, gender, smoking, diabetes, and history of periodontal disease.

Conclusion

This long‐term study suggests that the present technique can be considered a viable treatment modality for the immediate rehabilitation of both maxilla and mandible.
An experimental study measuring the generalization of fine‐tuned language representation models across commonsense reasoning benchmarks
Authors: Shen Ke , Kejriwal Mayank
Published: February 2023

In the last 5 years, language representation models, such as BERT and GPT‐3, based on transformer neural networks, have led to enormous progress in natural language processing (NLP). One such NLP task is commonsense reasoning, where performance is usually evaluated through multiple‐choice question answering benchmarks. Till date, many such benchmarks have been proposed, and ‘leaderboards’ tracking state‐of‐the‐art performance on those benchmarks suggest that transformer‐based models are approaching human‐like performance. Because these are commonsense benchmarks, however, such a model should be expected to generalize, that is, at least in aggregate, should not exhibit excessive performance loss across independent commonsense benchmarks regardless of the specific benchmark on (the training set of) which it has been fine‐tuned. In this article, we evaluate this expectation by proposing a methodology and experimental study to measure the generalization ability of language representation models using a rigorous and intuitive metric. Using five established commonsense reasoning benchmarks, our experimental study shows that the models do not generalize well, and may be (potentially) susceptible to issues such as dataset bias. The results therefore suggest that current performance on benchmarks may be an over‐estimate, especially if we want to use such models on novel commonsense problems for which a ‘training’ dataset may not be available, for the language representation model, to fine‐tune on.
Effect of pectin and temperature on sunflower meal colloidal particles for emulsion structure and stabilisation
Authors: Giarola Raquel Carolina , Ferrari Roseli Aparecida , Troya Raineri Fiocco Ana Clara , Netto Flavia Maria , da Cunha Rosiane Lopes , Nabeshima Elizabeth Harumi , Eisner Peter , Muranyi Isabel , Sadahira Mitie Sonia
Published: February 2023

This study evaluated the formation and dispersion effects with 4% w/w total biopolymer [sunflower meal protein (SMP) and pectin (P)] at SMP:P ratio 1:0, 25:1, 15:1, 5:1, pH 3.7, prepared at room temperature (RT) or heat treated (HT) at 98 °C on emulsion stabilisation. At RT, increasing P concentration increased apparent viscosity and gel‐like behaviour of biopolymer dispersions and emulsions. At SMP:P‐RT ratio 5:1, the dispersion structure showed protein attached to pectin and individual pectin dispersed in the continuous phase. Under this condition, the emulsion presented stability regarding creaming, flocculation and/or coalescence. Whereas when HT, all samples showed low apparent viscosity, but at SMP:P ratio 25:1 and 15:1 emulsions exhibit gel‐like behaviour. However, SMP:P ratio 5:1 dispersion presented spheroid particles and emulsion behaved as liquid‐like material with lower creaming, flocculation and/or coalescence. Therefore, depending on the process parameters, sunflower meal may be used as an ingredient to obtain different food emulsion structure.
Thermal stability of sea cucumber collagen and effects of gallic acid crosslinking
Authors: Zhu Lulu , Wang Weixia , Meng Yuqian , Tian Qiaoji , Hao Li , Hou Hu
Published: February 2023

The thermal processing characteristics of sea cucumber collagen (SCC) are closely related to its triple helix structure, self‐assembly and aggregation ability. The effect of heat treatment on SCC was studied by apparent viscosity, circular dichroism spectra and so on. As heating time increased from 10 to 160 min, apparent viscosity decreased from 400 to 300 mPa·s at 80 °C, indicating the structure of SCC changed. The decrease in SCC self‐assembly and aggregation ability showed the structural change. Positive peak at 220 nm was decreased from 24 to 0 mdeg at 60 °C for 10–160 min, which revealed that SCC triple helix structure was uncoiled and disappeared. Fluorescence intensity was increased and the absorption peak showed a red shift during thermal treatment. Gallic acid crosslinking could improve thermal stability and inhibit the degradation of collagen. It could provide theoretical guidance for sea cucumber processing.
Strength use and workers' job burnout in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The mediating role of psychological capital
Authors: Bai Chengzhi , Bai Baoyu
Published: February 2023

Aim

This research aimed to explore the link of strength use with job burnout and investigate the role of psychological capital in the strength use–job burnout relationship among Chinese workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Design

A descriptive, cross‐sectional design.

Method

This study was conducted from September to October 2020. A total of 351 employees working at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from five cities in China completed a series of valid and reliable instruments, namely, Strengths Use Questionnaire, Positive Psychological Capital Questionnaire and Job Burnout Questionnaire. The PROCESS macro was used to test our hypotheses.

Results

We found that people with higher strength use had lower job burnout compared with those with lower levels of strength use. Furthermore, resilience and hope acted as mediators of the relationship between strength use and job burnout. Moreover, resilience and hope played equally important roles in the strength use–job burnout relationship.

Conclusion

Resilience and hope mediate the association of strength use with job burnout in workers of Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Impact

Health authorities can alleviate employees' job burnout by encouraging strength use and building their psychological capital, especially resilience and hope.
Field Welds in Pressure Pipe Lines of Steam Systems
Authors: Boetcher H. N.
Published: February 2023

Fusion welding has in these later years come to be an important method of making all types of joints in construction work. The paper is confined to welding as it is done in the field on pipe lines to be operated under high pressures and temperatures. Based on the author’s tests and investigations, as well as on service experience extending over many years and on published and unpublished data obtained elsewhere, it is indicated that oxyacetylene welding fills the requirements in regard to soundness and adaptation to service conditions better than electric-arc welding, although it is not intended to claim any superiority of gas over electric-arc welding.
Some Design Aspects of the Rigid Airship
Authors: Arnstein Karl
Published: February 2023

This paper reviews earlier airship design and present-day trends in the light of modern design practise as exemplified in the construction of large size airships such as the “Akron” and “Macon.”

It is pointed out by the author that a saving in specific deadweight has always accompanied increases in airship size, except in those cases where specifications have been markedly altered or where the designer has deliberately sacrificed a weight advantage for an expected improvement in performance.

The design of bulkheads and main frames is discussed with regard to the restraint of gas cells and the distribution of planar loads. The influence of the number of corridors in strengthening the main frames against torsion and in assisting in the support of the intermediate frames is also discussed.

There have been but few developments in the engine field during the past few years but it does appear that in the matter of power-plant location the “inboard” installations will have the advantage over “outboard” installations for the faster long-range airships now projected for commercial service.

In discussing means of maintaining the ship’s equilibrium under varying conditions the author touches on disposal of ballast and aerodynamic lift to compensate for localized loss of gas, water recovery from the exhaust to replace the weight of the fuel consumed in a ship using liquid fuel, some advantages and disadvantages of gaseous fuels, and general design problems involved in guarding against uncontrolled descent.
Pulsating Air Flow
Authors: Bailey Neil P.
Published: February 2023

Mechanically induced air flow is pulsating even when it may seem steady to the physical senses. This pulsation causes errors in velocity measurement that are often as great as twenty per cent when the conventional pitot tube or orifice is used with a liquid manometer, and it causes an increase in the velocity-energy and fluid-friction loss that can easily reach fifty per cent.

A simple portable instrument has been developed by the author which gives the true average air velocity for any amount of pulsation. In this instrument, the air velocity creates a water velocity through a submerged orifice, and this water velocity is always proportional to the air velocity at that instant, and can therefore be used to determine the true average air velocity, regardless of the amount of pulsation.

The instrument was first verified by checking it on velocity-wave forms of known characteristics. Following that a blower was tested for several conditions of operation and the air velocity was determined with the instrument and compared with the values given by the conventional instruments. In a similar manner the intake air velocity was measured for single-, four-, and six-cylinder internal-combustion engines, and the effectiveness of a receiver tank for damping pulsations was studied.

The last section of the paper is devoted to similar tests on the slip-stream velocity of an airplane propeller where the effect of pulsation on the efficiency of the propeller was worked out.
Flow Distribution in Forced-Circulation Once-Through Steam Generators
Authors: Solberg H. L. , Hawkins G. A. , Potter A. A.
Published: February 2023

Forced-circulation, once-through steam generators of large capacity are constructed of several parallel circuits connected between inlet and discharge headers. Unequal flow distribution between these circuits, possibly resulting in tube failure, may be due to unequal frictional resistances, unequal heat absorption, or improper arrangements of circuits. The investigation which is reported in this paper was undertaken in order to determine the effect of unequal heat absorption, unequal circuit resistances, and the location of equalizers upon the flow distribution in the circuits of forced-circulation steam generators.

Pressure-drop calculations were based on the measurement of friction factors of water at temperatures between 57 and 694 F; also, of superheated steam at pressures between 1120 and 3578 lb per sq in abs with a maximum temperature of 806 F. Head-loss measurements were made with a special glass manometer for pressures up to 2200 lb per sq in., and for higher pressures by radiographs of the mercury level in a steel-tube manometer.

An analysis of flow distribution between parallel circuits leads to the following conclusions:

(1) Parallel circuits connected between the feedwater header and the superheater outlet header are unstable, the pressure drop being nearly independent of the flow rate. Consequently, slight variations in frictional resistance or heat-transfer rates may result in decreased flow and in overheated tubes.

(2) The flow in unstable circuits can be controlled by the use of an inlet resistance such as a section of small-diameter tube.

(3) The use of a common header or equalizer on each side of the evaporating zone will stabilize the flow in parallel circuits.

(4) Superheater and economizer circuits are more stable than evaporating-zone circuits.

(5) If only one equalizer is used, it should be placed at the end of the economizer section rather than at the end of the evaporating surface.

(6) The stability of circuits is independent of their capacity.

(7) The stability of superheater circuits is independent of pressure. Combined evaporating zone and superheater circuits are more stable at high pressures.

Curves are presented to show the extent to which the enthalpy of the steam and of the water delivered from parallel circuits will vary as a result of unequal circuit resistances and unequal heat absorption.
A New Method of Investigating Performance of Bearing Metals
Authors: Connelly John R.
Published: February 2023

Any method to be used to investigate the performance of bearing metals should reproduce wear under service conditions and in addition it should show variation in wear with unit pressure. Various methods have been proposed in the past, one of which involves an accelerated test using an abrasive between two surfaces rubbing across each other, and another utilizes two tangent cylinders rotating relatively to each other and making contact along their common element. The first method does not reproduce wear under service conditions, while the second results in a constant contact area so that in order to test a metal completely many runs must be made at various unit pressures. The new method described in this paper reproduces wear under service conditions and gives variation in rate of wear with unit pressure.
Radiation Intensities and Heat Transfer by Radiation in Boiler Furnaces
Authors: Croft Huber O. , Schmarje C. F.
Published: February 2023

This paper describes the development of an absorption calorimeter with a fused-quartz window and discusses its use in connection with a series of boiler tests. The results of these tests are compared with the Hudson-Orrok formula and the Wohlenberg method of computing radiation heat transfer.

A tentative empirical equation is given for computing radiation intensities, taking into account the dirtiness of the cold surfaces. Tentative formulas are also given for computing the average heat transfer by radiation in boiler furnaces.
Pitot-Tube Practice
Authors: Cole Edward S.
Published: February 2023

The author reviews the history of the pitot tube and, on the basis of experimental results, discusses the accuracy of the pitot-traverse method of water measurement. In connection with the practical application of the pitot tube to flow measurement, the author discusses the calibration of the tube, corrections for the effect of the projected area of the rod, and the errors caused by angularity of flow in a pipe. The degree of angularity of flow in the normal pipe line was investigated by means of a current-vane indicator and a motion-picture camera. Reference is made to investigations of the effect of eddying flow on pitot-tube readings as conducted by means of a series of ratings made with three pitot tubes of similar design used under three different conditions of flow, viz: Still water, the smooth or parallel flow of a large venturi throat, and the irregular or eddying flow of a 12-in. pipe line. In making the comparative ratings, coefficient corrections are made for the projected area of the pitot tube in the 12-in. pipe. The author shows that with normal flow in a pipe line, the manometer readings will vary through a series of cycles. These cycles, with pitot tubes in a 40-in. and a 12-in. pipe, were observed with a motion-picture camera.
Stresses in Three-Dimensional Pipe Bends
Authors: Hovgaard William
Published: February 2023

The paper presents first an algebraic method of calculating the couples, forces, and stresses in a three-dimensional pipe line fixed at the ends, consisting of straight parts at right angles to each other connected by quarter bends. The solution is complete in that it takes account of bending, torsion, compression, and shearing. It comprises a special discussion of the rotations and deflections of quarter bends when subjected to forces and couples acting normal to their plane, with particular application to the three-dimensional pipe line. The author also gives an analysis of the stresses at the terminal sections and in the bends, together with a discussion of the strength criteria and the permissible working stresses. A numerical example is given to illustrate the application of the formulas.
An Airfoil-Type Propeller Blower for Ventilating Electrical Machines
Authors: Peck C. E. , Ross M. D.
Published: February 2023

The authors discuss the development of an airfoil-type propeller blower, the design of which was influenced by space limitations in connection with the motor-driven blower equipment for a 165,000-kw turbine-generator unit installed at the Richmond station of the Philadelphia Electric Company. After the fan was designed, a model was built and tested before the full-size equipment was constructed. The authors present performance data for both the model and the full-size blower.