bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
GATM-Mediated Creatine Biosynthesis Enables Maintenance of FLT3-ITD–Mutant Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Zhang Yuan , Newsom Kimberly J. , Zhang Mei , Kelley Jeffry S. , Starostik Petr
Published: October 2021

FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) is one of the most frequently mutated genes in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), with the most common mutation being internal tandem duplications (ITD). The presence of FLT3-ITD in AML carries a particularly poor prognosis and renders therapeutic resistance. New druggable targets are thus needed in this disease. In this study, we demonstrate the effects of de novo creatine biosynthesis upregulation by FLT3-ITD on AML sustainability. Our data show that FLT3-ITD constitutively activates the STAT5 signaling pathway, which upregulates the expression of glycine amidinotransferase (GATM), the first rate-limiting enzyme of de novo creatine biosynthesis. Pharmacologic FLT3-ITD inhibition reduces intracellular creatinine levels through transcriptional downregulation of genes in the de novo creatine biosynthesis pathway. The same reduction can be achieved by cyclocreatine or genetic GATM knockdown with shRNA and is reflected in significant decrease of cell proliferation and moderate increase of cell apoptosis in FLT3-ITD–mutant cell lines. Those effects are at least partially mediated through the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway. This study uncovers a previously uncharacterized role of creatine metabolic pathway in the maintenance of FLT3-ITD–mutant AML and suggests that targeting this pathway may serve as a promising therapeutic strategy for FLT3-ITD–positive AML.

Implications:

FLT3-ITD mutation in AML upregulates de novo creatine biosynthesis that we show can be suppressed to diminish the proliferation and survival of blast cells.
Mesenteric Variceal Haemorrhage and Ectopic Cushing’s Syndrome as Presenting Features of a Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumour Recurrence
Authors: Weerasuriya Scott , Palmer Kieran , Gregory Stephen , Whitelaw Benjamin C. , Gonzalez Elisa , Srirajaskanthan Rajaventhan
Published: October 2021

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours can have varied and complex presentations. Whilst hormone hypersecretion often induces characteristic clinical syndromes, non-specific symptoms may arise due to localized tumour effects. Malignant invasion of local vasculature is an increasingly recognized complication of these neoplasms and can be associated with significant morbidity. Herein, we present the case of a 47-year-old male with a recurrence of a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour who presented with unusual upper gastrointestinal bleeding. The tumour had recurred within the superior mesenteric vein, replacing the vessel and invading its branches. This resulted in porto-mesenteric hypertension and the formation of bleeding mesenteric varices. The patient subsequently developed progressive metabolic disturbances and was diagnosed with ectopic Cushing’s syndrome, despite his primary tumour having been non-functional. This case demonstrates not only a rare pattern of tumour recurrence but also the potential for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours to de-differentiate and change from non-functional to hormone secreting, a phenomenon which may complicate diagnosis and management.
Ultra low bitrate retinal image compression using integer lifting scheme and subband encoder
Authors: Habchi Yassine , Aimer Ameur Fethi , Beladgham Mohammed , Bouddou Riyadh
Published: October 2021

Recently, ophthalmic clinics have seen many complaints related to retinal diseases. The degree of clarity of the blood vessels (BV) in the eye can be an important indicator of some diseases affecting the retina such as diabetic retinopathy. To diagnose it, we need to intervene more than a medical team, especially in some difficult cases, through the exchange of medical images obtained by photography. This method has contributed significantly to the production of large data that can quickly saturate transmission, storage systems and increase processing time, so the need to compress images efficiently without modifying the content before transmission represents a major challenge. This paper provides an effective method for compressing color retinal images (CRI), which relies on the use of an integer lifting scheme (ILS) based on cohen daubechies-feaveau wavelet (CDFW9/7) and the set partitioning in hierarchical trees (SPIHT) to encode large coefficients. The obtained results demonstrate that the suggested method reduce algorithmic complexity, improve the retinal image quality and achieves high objective parameters values for ultra-low bitrate compared to the conventional methods.
Evolutionary approach to secure mobile telecommunication networks
Authors: Ghazli Abdelkader , Alipacha Adda , Said Naima Hadj
Published: October 2021

A series of encryption algorithms called A5 is used to secure mobile telephone communications, producing a pseudo-random sequence that will be exclusive OR (XORed) with the data flowing in the air interface in order to secure them. These algorithms are essentially composed of shift registers with linear feedback, controlled generally by a function or with another register in order to favor the randomness character of the keystream generated. Evolutionary algorithms are bioinspired calculation methods, whose principle is inspired by the theory of evolution, which consists in evolving a set of solutions to a problem given in order to find better results. This paper presents an improvement of the A5/1 algorithm by an evolutionary approach based on the use of particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) in order to limit some weaknesses and drawbacks found in the conventional A5/1 version, which have been cryptanalysed and several attacks have been published such as time memory trade off attacks and guess and determine attacks. Our technique does not alter the A5/1's architecture, but it does help to improve its shifting system by an evolutionary approach, which guarantees the quality of the keystream generated and makes it more complex and more secure.
Design of dual band slotted reconfigurable antenna using electronic switching circuit
Authors: Al-Saeedi Mustafa M. , Hashim Ahmed A. , Al-Bayati Omer , Rasheed Ali Salim , Finjan Rasool Hasan
Published: October 2021

This paper proposes a dual band reconfigurable microstrip slotted antenna for supporting the wireless local area network (WLAN) and worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) applications, providing coverage where both directive and omni-directive radiations are needed. The design consists of a feedline, a ground plane with two slots and two gaps between them to provide the switching capability and a 1.6 mm thick flame retardant 4 (FR4) substrate (dielectric constant Ɛ=4.3, loss tangent δ=0.019), modeling an antenna size of 30x35x1.6 mm3. The EM simulation, which was carried out using the connected speech test (CST) studio suite 2017, generated dual wide bands of 40% (2-3 GHz) with -55 dB of S11 and 24% (5.2-6.6 GHz) higher than its predecessors with lower complexity and -60 dB of S11 in addition to the radiation pattern versatility while maintaining lower power consumption. Moreover, the antenna produced omnidirectional radiation patterns with over than 40% bandwith at 2.4 GHz and directional radiation patterns with 24% bandwith at the 5.8 GHz band. Furthermore, a comprehensive review of previously proposed designs has also been made and compared with current work.
The absorber and buffer layer thicknesses for CdTe/CdS based thin film solar cell efficiency at various operational temperatures
Authors: Ghazal Omar Ghanim , Kasim Ahmed Waleed , Tawfeeq Nabeel Zuhair
Published: October 2021

Cadmium telluride (CdTe)/cadmium sulfide (CdS) solar cell is a promising candidate for photovoltaic (PV) energy production, as fabrication costs are compared by silicon wafers. We include an analysis of CdTe/CdS solar cells while optimizing structural parameters. Solar cell capacitance simulator (SCAPS)-1D 3.3 software is used to analyze and develop energy-efficient. The impact of operating thermal efficiency on solar cells is highlighted in this article to explore the temperature dependence. PV parameters were calculated in the different absorber, buffer, and window layer thicknesses (CdTe, CdS, and SnO2). The effect of the thicknesses of the layers, and the fundamental characteristics of open-circuit voltage, fill factor, short circuit current, and solar energy conversion efficiency were studied. The results showed the thickness of the absorber and buffer layers could be optimized. The temperature had a major impact on the CdTe/CdS solar cells as well. The optimized solar cell has an efficiency performance of >14% when exposed to the AM1.5 G spectrum. CdTe 3000 nm, CdS 50 nm, SnO2 500 nm, and (at) T 300k were the I-V characteristics gave the best conversion open circuit voltage (Voc)=0.8317 volts, short circuit current density (Jsc)=23.15 mA/cm2, fill factor (FF)%=77.48, and efficiency (η)%=14.73. The results can be used to provide important guidance for future work on multi-junction solar cell design.
Soil parameter detection of soil test kit-treated soil samples through image processing with crop and fertilizer recommendation
Authors: Montañez John Joshua Federis
Published: October 2021

Standard laboratory soil testing is deemed to be expensive and time-consuming. Utilizing a soil test kit is considered to be a cost-efficient and time-saving way of soil testing. This project study aims to develop a prototype that detects soil parameters (i.e., soil pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) and gives crop and fertilizer recommendations after the soil sample has undergone a soil treatment test kit and its acceptability for possible users. The prototype development primarily used image processing to detect the needed parameters that lead to crop and fertilizer recommendations. In the evaluation of the effectiveness of the prototype, 50 trials were conducted per parameter. All of the said parameters were recorded as highly effective except for nitrogen Low, which is interpreted as effective only. There were 30 possible users invited to assess the acceptability of the prototype. A survey based on the technology acceptance model was administered to the 30 respondents garnering a 4.85 weighted mean interpreted as excellent. The prototype was proven effective and accepted as a device that can detect soil pH and primary macronutrient levels. It gives the appropriate crop and fertilizer recommendations based on the gathered data.
IL (Interleukin)-17A Acts in the Brain to Drive Neuroinflammation, Sympathetic Activation, and Hypertension
Authors: Cao Yiling , Yu Yang , Xue Baojian , Wang Ye , Chen Xiaolei , Beltz Terry G. , Johnson Alan Kim , Wei Shun-Guang
Published: October 2021

IL (Interleukin)-17A is a key inflammatory mediator contributing to chronic tissue inflammation. The present study sought to determine whether IL-17A plays a role in regulating neuroinflammation, hemodynamics, and sympathetic outflow in normal and hypertensive animals. In urethane-anesthetized rats, intravenous injection of IL-17A induced dramatic and prolonged increases in blood pressure, heart rate, and renal sympathetic nerve activity, which were significantly attenuated by an IL-17RA (IL-17 receptor A) siRNA in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Either intracerebroventricular or PVN microinjection of IL-17A also elicited a similar excitatory response in blood pressure, heart rate, and renal sympathetic nerve activity. Intravenous injection of IL-17A upregulated the mRNA level of IL-17A, IL-17F, and IL-17RA in the PVN. Additionally, intravenous injection of IL-17A activated brain-resident glial cells and elevated the gene expression of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the PVN, which were markedly diminished by PVN microinjection of IL-17RA siRNA. Pretreatments with microglia or astrocyte inhibitors attenuated the increase in blood pressure, heart rate, and renal sympathetic nerve activity in response to PVN IL-17A. Moreover, intracerebroventricular injection of IL-17A activated TGF (transforming growth factor)-β activated kinase 1, p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase, and transcriptional nuclear factor κB in the PVN. IL-17A interacted with tumor necrosis factor-α or IL-1β synergistically to exaggerate its influence on hemodynamic and sympathetic responses. Central intervention suppressing IL-17RA in the PVN significantly reduced angiotensin II–induced hypertension, neuroinflammation, and sympathetic tone in the rats. Collectively, these data indicated that IL-17A in the brain promotes neuroinflammation to advance sympathetic activation and hypertension, probably by a synergistic mechanism involving the interaction with various inflammatory mediators within the brain.
Sex Differences in Cardiovascular Research: A Scientometric Analysis
Authors: Millenaar Dominic , Dillmann Markus , Fehlmann Tobias , Flohr Alexander , Mehran Roxana , Al‐Lamee Rasha , Lauder Lucas , Ukena Christian , Böhm Michael , Keller Andreas , Mahfoud Felix
Published: October 2021

Background

We sought to investigate sex‐specific differences in authorship of cardiovascular research over the past decade.

Methods and Results

All 387 463 cardiovascular publications between 2010 and 2019 were retrieved from Web of Science. Articles increased from 19 960 to 29 604 articles per year (
P
>0.001). The number of articles written by female first authors increased by 76.3% (6434–11 343 articles) and by 35.0% for male first authors (13 526–18 261) (
P
<0.001). The first author was more likely to be a female author in articles with female last authors. The median impact factor (IF) for articles by female first authors was lower (2.46 [interquartile range, 7 1.11–4.03] versus 2.51 [interquartile range, 1.17–4.10];
P
<0.001). Female authorship articles reached the highest IF in North America (average IF, 3.7), with the lowest in Africa (average IF, 1.8).

Conclusions

Publications in cardiovascular research have increased over the past decade, particularly by female authors. Female researchers are cited less often compared with their male peers. The IF remains lower for articles by female researchers.
Improving the predictive capability of Framingham Risk Score for the risk of myocardial infarction based on coronary artery calcium score in healthy Singaporeans
Authors: Yeo Ching Yee Ivory , Allen John Carson Jr , Huang Weiting , Tan Wei Ying , Kong Siew Ching , Yeo Khung Keong
Published: October 2021

Introduction:

Cardiovascular disease was the top cause of deaths and disability in Singapore in 2018, contributing extensively to the local healthcare burden. Primary prevention identifies at-risk individuals for the swift implementation of preventive measures. This has been traditionally done using the Singapore-adapted Framingham Risk Score (SG FRS). However, its most recent recalibration was more than a decade ago. Recent changes in patient demographics and risk factors have undermined the accuracy of SG FRS, and the rising popularity of wearable health metrics has led to new data types with the potential to improve risk prediction.

Methods:

In healthy Singaporeans enrolled in SingHEART study (absence of any clinical outcomes), we investigated improvements in SG FRS to predict myocardial infarction risk based on high/low classification of the Agatston score (surrogate outcome). Logistic regression, receiver operating characteristic and net reclassification index (NRI) analyses were conducted.

Results:

We demonstrated a significant improvement in the area under curve (AUC) of SG FRS (AUC = 0.641) after recalibration and incorporation of additional variables (fasting blood glucose and wearable-derived activity levels) (AUC = 0.774) (P < 0.001). SG FRS++ significantly increases accuracy in risk prediction (NRI = 0.219, P = 0.00254).

Conclusion:

Existing Singapore cardiovascular disease risk prediction guidelines should be updated to improve risk prediction accuracy. Recalibrating existing risk functions and utilising wearable metrics that provide a large pool of objective health data can improve existing risk prediction tools. Lastly, activity levels and prediabetic state are important factors for coronary heart disease risk stratification, especially in low-risk individuals.
Feasting with Buddhist Women: Food Literacy in Religious Belonging
Authors: Kolata Paulina , Gillson Gwendolyn
Published: October 2021

This ethnographic study shows that women’s knowledge and practices involving food in Japanese Buddhist contexts circulate as gendered currency. It emphasizes how what we term “food literacy” cultivates aesthetic and affective senses of belonging among Buddhist practitioners. We argue that this embodied knowledge helps women negotiate their experiences of Buddhism and show how these experiences articulate the complexities of their bounded and self-disciplining Buddhist selves. Women use food literacy to teach, learn, and practice the way Buddhism feels and etch it into their own and others’ emotional, social, and material bodies. By recognizing women as stewards of religion, particularly through food literacy, we also elucidate how women’s uses of mundane practices illuminate food literacy as a value carrier that generates belonging through food. Such practices can equally become sites of failure to connect if the intended recipients do not share understandings or appreciations of the aesthetic and affective dimensions of it.
Plato, Xenophon, and the Laws of Lycurgus
Authors: Schofield Malcolm
Published: October 2021

The relation between the opening section of Plato’s Laws and Xenophon’s Constitution of the Lacedaemonians usually goes unnoticed. This paper draws attention to its importance for understanding Plato’s project in the dialogue. It has three sections. In the first, it will be shown that the view proposed by Plato’s Athenian visitor that Lycurgus made virtue in its entirety the goal of his statecraft was anticipated in Xenophon’s treatise. It has to be treated as an interpretation of the Spartan politeia, alternative to that advanced by Cleinias and Megillus, and accepted by (for example) Aristotle, which Plato could expect or at any rate hope to be taken seriously as such. In the second, the argument will focus on the contents of the legislative programme the Athenian says he had hoped to hear Cleinias ascribe to the Cretan and Spartan lawgivers. The case will be made that Plato can expect recognition by the reader (as by the Athenian’s interlocutors) that the programme is properly Spartan and Cretan by virtue of its echoes of the programme attributed to Lycurgus by Xenophon. Finally, the third section will argue that in making law primarily concerned with fostering the proper development, conduct, and treatment of human beings at every stage of the life cycle, above all by provision for sound customary practices (ἐπιτηδεύματα) and the like, Plato adopts the approach to law making taken by Xenophon’s Lycurgus.
The Birth of Unlawful Freedom in Plato’s Laws 3
Authors: de Nicolay René
Published: October 2021

Plato’s pronouncements about political freedom in the Laws have sparked renewed interest in the literature. The present paper takes a new angle on that vexed question. It focusses on Plato’s account of the birth of unlawful freedom, or ‘theatrocracy’, at the end of book 3. By studying the transition from moderate to excessive freedom, it wishes to shed light on what sets the two apart. The paper provides a causal analysis of the key passage (700a3–701c2), suggesting four compatible and complementary explanations for the process it describes. The first is presented as the main one, but it is made more likely by the addition of the three others.
Law and Legislator in the Philosophy of Julian the Emperor
Authors: O’Meara Dominic J.
Published: October 2021

This paper surveys the conceptions of law and of legislation to be found in the philosophy of Julian the Emperor. A hierarchy of levels of law is described, going from transcendent divine orders and paradigmatic laws down to the laws of nature, laws innate in human souls and regional laws. Julian’s ideal legislator is discussed, as inspired by transcendent, paradigmatic laws and as subordinate to law and its protector. An example of Julian’s legislation is discussed. Attention is paid to Julian’s use of Plato’s Republic, Statesman, and Laws.
Explaining Resistance to Early Nineteenth-Century British Emigrants to New South Wales
Authors: Burkett Melanie
Published: October 2021

In the 1830s, the British government commenced a programme of relocating poor labourers to its Australian colony of New South Wales, a practice known as ‘assisted migration’. Though intended to address the colony’s labour shortage, the new arrivals were met with hostility by the colonial elite, who claimed the immigrants were immoral and unsuitable as workers. While migration historians have shown these judgements to be largely unfair, the forces underpinning these perceptions await a thorough interrogation. This article examines colonial public rhetoric about immigration to reveal attitudes shaped by a tangle of overlapping and reinforcing political, economic, and cultural factors. Ultimately, the colonial elite wanted to control who could enter their community, both physically and socially, which became a temporally persistent pattern vital to the settler colonial project.
Two new species of Lagenandra (Araceae) from the Wet Zone of Sri Lanka
Authors: MADOLA INDRAKHEELA , YAKANDAWALA DEEPTHI , YAKANDAWALA KAPILA , KARUNARATNE SENANI
Published: October 2021

Taxonomic revisions are the most reliable pathway in unfolding new species to the world. During such a revision of the genus Lagenandra in Sri Lankan, we came across two new species: Lagenandra kalugalensis and Lagenandra srilankensis from the Wet Zone of Sri Lanka. The two new species were studied in detail and compared with the morphology of the other species described in the genus, and based on field collected data conservation assessments were performed. A detailed description for the two new species and an updated taxonomic key to the Sri Lankan Lagenandra is presented here for easy identification. Recognizing two new endemic members enhances the number of Sri Lankan species of Lagenandra to eleven and global to nineteen. According to the IUCN red data category guidelines, L. kalugalensis qualifies for Critically Endangered category under Criterion B1ab (ii,iii,v) + B2ab (ii,iii,v) while L. srilankensis qualifies for Critically Endangered category under B1ab (iii, iv) + C2 (a) (i, ii). Hence, immediate conservation measures are imperative.
New records of Myxomycetes (Amoebozoa) from the tropical Andes
Authors: TREVIÑO-ZEVALLOS ITALO , GARCÍA-CUNCHILLOS IVÁN , LADO CARLOS
Published: October 2021

The Myxomycetes comprise a remarkably diverse group of organisms within Amoebozoa, with over 1000 species currently recognized. These organisms, at the end of their life cycles produce fruiting bodies which are the basis for their systematics. Despite being a biodiversity hotspot, the tropical Andes has a myxobiota that remains barely explored so far. In this study, we report the occurrence of three species inhabiting the highlands of the Peruvian Andes between 3000–5000 m.a.s.l. Arcyodes incarnata and Trichia mirabilis are reported for the first time in the Southern Hemisphere and the Neotropics, respectively, while Metatrichia floripara represents the third record in the world, previously only known from Rwanda and Brazil. Fruiting bodies of T. mirabilis were detected as already developed in the field, while the previous reports only included moist chamber culture-derived specimens. These results notably enlarge the geographical distribution of these species and highlight the interest of the tropical Andes, which remains a challenging region to explore and determine its whole myxobiota.
On some deep-sea Stenheliinae from the Gulf of California and the west coast of the Baja California Peninsula (Mexico): Pseudostenhelia bathyalis sp. nov., and Beatricella calidafornax sp. nov. (Copepoda: Harpacticoida: Miraciidae)
Authors: GÓMEZ SAMUEL
Published: October 2021

At present, only a handful of harpacticoid species of the families Ameiridae Boeck, Ancorabolidae Sars, Argestidae Por, and Rhizothrichidae Por have been described from the deep sea of the Gulf of California and west coast of the Baja California Peninsula. Recent efforts resulted in the description of a new genus, Wellstenvalia Gómez & Cruz-Barraza, 2021, closely related to Muohuysia Özdikmen, 2009 and Wellstenhelia Karanovic & Kim, 2014 and some new deep-sea species of Delavalia Brady, 1869. Other new stenheliin genera from the Gulf of California and the west coast of the Baja California Peninsula are the subjects of another contribution in this volume. The present contribution deals with the description of the first deep-sea representatives of Pseudostenhelia Wells, 1967 and Beatricella Scott, 1905, two typically shallow brackish water and marine genera. Some comments on their relationships are given.
Deep sea without limits—four new closely related species of Emertonia Wilson, 1932 (Copepoda: Harpacticoida: Paramesochridae) show characters with a world-wide distribution
Authors: MATHISKE ANNABEL , THISTLE DAVID , GHEERARDYN HENDRIK , VEIT-KÖHLER GRITTA
Published: October 2021

The large-scale dispersal of deep-sea harpacticoid copepods is an increasing focus for ecological studies. A fundamental prerequisite for monitoring and explaining their geographical distribution is precise descriptions of their morphology. Four new, closely related species of the family Paramesochridae (Copepoda, Harpacticoida) were found in the deep sea of the Pacific (San Diego Trough and off Chile), the Atlantic Ocean (Porcupine Abyssal Plain and Angola Basin), and the Atlantic and Indian Ocean sectors of the Southern Ocean (Weddell Sea and off Crozet Island). The discovery of Emertonia berndi sp. nov., E. hessleri sp. nov., E. ilse sp. nov., and E. serrata sp. nov. increases the number of known deep-sea species in this genus to ten. The new species are placed in Emertonia Wilson, 1932 because of their one-segmented endopods on the second and third swimming legs. The presence of a two-segmented endopod on the fourth swimming leg allocates them to the “andeep-group” within this genus. The four species can be distinguished from their congeners by the strongly serrated spines on the exopods of their swimming legs and an outwardly directed flexible seta on the exopod of the fifth leg. It is conveivable that these two specific characters evolved only once in the genus Emertonia. Their apparently cosmopolitan distribution covers thousands of kilometres and spans all major oceans. This biogeographical pattern may be explained by resuspension events followed by passive transport by benthic currents. Discrepancies in their dispersal ranges may be a result of changing geological and oceanographic boundaries.
John Berkeley James (John) Wells (1935–2018)––Life, career and remembrances
Authors: COULL BRUCE C. , BRADFORD-GRIEVE JANET M. , HICKS GEOFFREY R.F.
Published: October 2021

John Wells, who died at age 83 on 12 November 2018, was a research scientist, teacher, Professor of Zoology, Dean of Science at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, family man and community leader. He was a man of his time, surviving World War II, progressing to a career that stretched around the world.
Impact of Giant Sea Salt Aerosol Particles on Precipitation in Marine Cumuli and Stratocumuli: Lagrangian Cloud Model Simulations
Authors: Dziekan Piotr , Jensen Jørgen B. , Grabowski Wojciech W. , Pawlowska Hanna
Published: October 2021

The impact of giant sea salt aerosols released from breaking waves on rain formation in marine boundary layer clouds is studied using large-eddy simulations (LES). We perform simulations of marine cumuli and stratocumuli for various concentrations of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and giant CCN (GCCN). Cloud microphysics are modeled with a Lagrangian method that provides key improvements in comparison to previous LES of GCCN that used Eulerian bin microphysics. We find that GCCN significantly increase precipitation in stratocumuli. This effect is strongest for low and moderate CCN concentrations. GCCN are found to have a smaller impact on precipitation formation in cumuli. These conclusions are in agreement with field measurements. We develop a simple parameterization of the effect of GCCN on precipitation, accretion, and autoconversion rates in marine stratocumuli.

Significance Statement

Breaking sea waves release salt particles into the atmosphere. Cloud droplets formed on these salt particles can grow larger than droplets formed on other smaller particles. Therefore, sea salt particles can be important for rain formation over oceans. To investigate this effect, we performed idealized computer simulations of stratocumulus and cumulus clouds. Sea salt particles were modeled with an unprecedented precision thanks to the use of an emerging modeling method. In our simulations sea salt particles significantly enhance rain formation in stratocumuli, but not in cumuli. Our study has implications for climate models, because stratocumuli are important for Earth’s energy budget and for rain enhancement experiments.
The Effect of Body Mass Index on the Creation of an End-Colostomy in Rectal Cancer Patients
Authors: Grimes Arthur D. , Stewart Kenneth E. , Morris Katherine T. , Dunn Gary D. , Booth Kristina K. , Carter Steven N. , Garwe Tabitha , Sarwar Zoona , Fischer Laura E.
Published: October 2021

With the increasing prevalence of obesity, there has been a parallel increase in the incidence of rectal cancer. The association of body mass index (BMI) and end-colostomy creation versus primary anastomosis in patients undergoing proctectomy for rectal cancer has not been described. This is a retrospective study of patients with rectal cancer from 2012 to 2018 using data from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Project. 16,446 (92.1%) underwent primary anastomosis and 1,418 (7.9%) underwent creation of an end-colostomy. Patients with a BMI of 25-29.9 (overweight) comprised the most frequent group to have a proctectomy (reference group), but the least likely to have an end-colostomy. Patients with severe obesity (BMI 50+) had an adjusted odds ratio for end-colostomy of 2.7 (95% CI 1.5-4.7) compared to the reference group. Patients who have severe obesity should be counseled regarding the likelihood of an end-colostomy and may benefit from medical weight management or weight-loss surgery.
The Multilevel Effects of Changes in Disadvantage on Changes in Crime
Authors: Wenger Marin R.
Published: October 2021

While social disorganization theory suggests the importance of change, most prior research examining macro-level criminological associations uses cross-sectional data. The current study examines the multilevel relationship between changes in disadvantage and changes in crime over time using four data sources: the National Neighborhood Crime Study, the 2000 U.S. Census, crime-incidents occurring between 2005 and 2009, and the 2005–2009 American Community Survey. Analyzing 6,068 census tracts within 53 large U.S. cities using multilevel models with time nested within tracts nested within cities, I parse out the contribution of changes in tract-level disadvantage from city-level disadvantage to changes in robbery and burglary rates. Results indicate the importance of both static and dynamic associations between disadvantage and crime, at both the neighborhood and city level.
Understanding the difference in softness of Australian Soft Rolling Skin wool and conventional Merino wool
Authors: Yu Hao , Hurren Christopher , Liu Xin , Wang Xungai
Published: October 2021

Softness is one of the key elements of textile comfort and is one of the main considerations when consumers make purchasing decisions. In the wool industry, softness can reflect the quality and value of wool fibers. There is verifiable difference in subjective softness between Australian Soft Rolling Skin (SRS) wool and conventional Merino (CM) wool, yet the key factors responsible for this difference are not yet well understood. Fiber attributes, such as crimp (curvature), scale morphology, ortho-to-cortex (OtC) ratio and moisture regain, may have a significant influence on softness performance. This study has examined these key factors for both SRS and CM wool and systematically compared the difference in these factors. There was no significant difference in the crimp frequency between these two wools; however, the curvature of SRS wool was lower than that of CM wool within the same fiber diameter ranges (below 14.5 micron, 16.5–18.5 micron). This difference might be caused by the lower OtC ratio for SRS wool (approximately 0.60) than for CM wool (approximately 0.66). The crystallinity of the two wools was similar and not affected by the change in OtC ratio. SRS wool has higher moisture regain than CM wool by approximately 2.5%, which could reduce the stiffness of wool fibers. The surface morphology for SRS wool was also different from that of CM wool. The lower cuticle scale height for SRS wool resulted in its smoother surface than CM wool. This cuticle height difference was present even when they both had similar cuticle scale frequency.
Sitting in the Pews: Theological Beliefs and Racial/Ethnic Identity Among African American Adolescents
Authors: Martin Pamela P. , Butler-Barnes Sheretta T. , Hope Meredith O.
Published: October 2021

Church attendance, prayer, and faith practices play a significant role in the life experiences among African Americans, especially youth. Few studies on religious behaviors among African American youth investigate the relationship between theological orientations and racial identity. These orientations include biblical principles, other-worldliness, and social legacy. A total of 187 African American adolescents ( Mage = 15) attending 18 predominantly Black churches in two Midwestern cities participated in the study. Results provided support for two theological orientations that were associated with racial/ethnic identity in distinct ways. More specifically, other-worldliness was linked to more negative feelings about the appearance of African American adolescents and being more likely to endorse negative stereotypes about African Americans. Adolescents who perceived their church as communicating a theology based upon biblical principles reported rejecting negative stereotypes about African Americans. Study findings suggest theological orientations may be associated with shaping racial/ethnic identity attitudes among African American adolescents.
Machiavelli and the Play-Element in Political Life
Authors: Marasco Robyn
Published: October 2021

This essay interprets Machiavelli’s famous letter to Francesco Vettori in terms of a play-element that runs across his works. The letter to Vettori is a masterpiece of epistolary form, but beyond its most memorable passage, where Machiavelli recounts his evening in study, it has not received much scholarly attention. Reading the letter in its entirety is to discover Machiavelli’s account of an eclectic political education and the pleasures of playing with others. Machiavelli’s letter speaks to a basic ludicity in his political thinking, in which play is not opposed to the serious, and diverse play forms can be thought together. Hans-George Gadamer’s Truth and Method, Johan Huizinga’s Homo Ludens, and Roger Caillois’s Man, Play, and Games provide resources for reconstructing this play-element in Machiavelli’s thought.
Emotional Labor and Professionalism: Finding Balance at the Local Level
Authors: Humphrey Nicole M.
Published: October 2021

When examining emotions and professionalism, scholars have questioned how these concepts can coexist. Using ten interviews with local administrators, this exploratory study suggests that emotions and professionalism are interrelated—to be professional, an administrator must be skilled in emotional labor. Specifically, professionalism acts as a display rule regulating the emotional behavior of employees. An employee's ability to meet this display rule impacts their individual social capital, along with experiences of emotional contagion from other organizational members. By connecting emotional labor to professionalism, these findings suggest that the emotional competencies of local administrators should receive greater emphasis in professional training programs.
Emotional Threat Perception and Its Association with Neurocognition in Social Anxiety Disorder
Authors: Mathai Anjali Thomas , Rai Shweta , Behere Rishikesh V.
Published: October 2021

Background:

The negative appraisal of emotional stimuli is a feature of social anxiety disorder (SAD). People with SAD demonstrate deficits in neurocognitive performance while performing tasks of attention. However, the relationship between attentional control, working memory, and threat perception in SAD has not been studied well. The present study aimed to identify patterns of threat perception in relation to performance on attention and visuospatial working memory tasks in individuals with SAD.

Methods:

Subjects with SAD ( n = 27) and a healthy comparative (HC) group ( n = 26) completed tasks of sustained and focused attention, visuospatial working memory, computerized emotion identification, and pictorial emotional Stroop.

Results:

The SAD group had decreased performance in the domains of sustained (P = 0.001) and focused attention (P = 0.04). They also had an enhanced threat perception as demonstrated by greater reaction time to anger (P = 0.03), lower emotion recognition accuracy (P = 0.05), and higher over-identification of the threat to neutral and nonthreatening faces. However, the Stroop effect was not demonstrated across the groups. No group difference was seen in the performance on the visuospatial working memory tasks. Lower focused attention was significantly correlated with higher emotional threat perception (ETP; P = 0.001) in the SAD group.

Conclusion:

People with SAD have greater deficits in attention processing and ETP. The attention deficits were associated with enhanced ETP in social anxiety. The link between threat perception and cognitive functions would aid in a better understanding of SAD and in planning appropriate intervention.
The Utility of Point-of-Care Ultrasound in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Watkins Laura A. , Dial Sharon P. , Koenig Seth J. , Kurepa Dalibor N. , Mayo Paul H.
Published: October 2021

Objectives: Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) in adult critical care environments has become the standard of care in many hospitals. A robust literature shows its benefits for both diagnosis and delivery of care. The utility of POCUS in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), however, is understudied. This study describes in a series of PICU patients the clinical indications, protocols, findings and impact of pediatric POCUS on clinical management. Design: Retrospective analysis of 200 consecutive POCUS scans performed by a PICU physician. Patients: Pediatric critical care patients who required POCUS scans over a 15-month period. Setting: The pediatric and cardiac ICUs at a tertiary pediatric care center. Interventions: Performance of a POCUS scan by a pediatric critical care attending with advanced training in ultrasonography. Measurement and Main Results: A total of 200 POCUS scans comprised of one or more protocols (lung and pleura, cardiac, abdominal, or vascular diagnostic protocols) were performed on 155 patients over a 15-month period. The protocols used for each scan reflected the clinical question to be answered. These 200 scans included 133 thoracic protocols, 110 cardiac protocols, 77 abdominal protocols, and 4 vascular protocols. In this series, 42% of scans identified pathology that required a change in therapy, 26% confirmed pathology consistent with the ongoing plans for new therapy, and 32% identified pathology that did not result in initiation of a new therapy. Conclusions: POCUS performed by a trained pediatric intensivist provided useful clinical information to guide patient management.
Commemorating Martial Law as Treason
Authors: Rossmiller Ela
Published: October 2021

How and why have Polish state institutions constructed an official public memory of martial law (1981–1983) despite plural interpretations and growing apathy and amnesia in the broader society? Between 1992 and 2018, parliament passed eight commemorative resolutions endorsing a single interpretation of martial law as treason. This political consensus is surprising given not only the lack of social consensus but also the political polarization that existed between and among post-communist and post-Solidarity parties. Drawing on LaClau and Mouffe’s discourse theory as well as Brian Grodsky’s theory of transitional justice measures as political goods, this article analyzes the official discourse of martial law as articulated in commemorative resolutions, transcripts of parliamentary deliberations, parliamentary journals, court rulings, and reports of committees, subcommittees, special commissions, and governmental offices. It considers how this discourse has been deployed to legitimate the ruling elite, attack political rivals, and justify controversial initiatives, policies, and reforms. It contributes to the literature on the politics of memory during times of political transformation by examining a case of surprising stability despite factors that would seem to favor change over time.
Boon or Burden? Evaluating the Competing Effects of House-Price Shocks on Regional Entrepreneurship
Authors: Kacher Nicholas , Petach Luke
Published: October 2021

This paper examines the impact of changes in housing affordability on regional entrepreneurship. Two-way fixed-effects estimates suggest an increase in the level of house prices in a commuting zone results in a decline in establishment openings as a share of existing establishments—consistent with a crowding-out effect. In contrast, an increase in the growth rate of house prices results in a small (although not always statistically significant) increase in establishment openings—consistent with a positive wealth effect from capital gains. To address endogeneity concerns, the authors adopt two alternative instruments for commuting zone house-price growth: a measure of local real estate lending and a geography-based measure of the elasticity of local housing supply. They extend the analysis using restricted-use establishment-level microdata from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) for the state of Colorado. Results from the QCEW data are consistent with those from the commuting zone sample.
A 5700-year-old beach-ridge set at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and its implication for Holocene sea-level history in the southeastern USA
Authors: Rodrigues Kathleen , Stapor Frank W , Rink William J , Dunbar James S , Doran Glen
Published: October 2021

The Cape Canaveral Peninsula is the largest Holocene coastal sand deposit composed of beach ridges on the Atlantic coast of Florida. It is composed of 16 beach-ridge sets that are separated by erosional surfaces. Despite its prominence as a Holocene coastal depocenter, there are a limited amount of chronological data constraining the timing of its formation. In this study, we apply optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating on sand-sized quartz and radiocarbon dating on individual marine shells to develop a refined chronology of the Cape Canaveral beach-ridge plain with particular focus on constraining the depositional age of the northwesterly-most, and geographically oldest, beach-ridge set on the peninsula. We obtain an average OSL age of 5680 ± 240 years ( n = 4) for the initiation of coastal deposition at Cape Canaveral. The new ages, and the organization of beach ridges into 16 distinct sets indicates that the Cape Canaveral beach-ridge plain experienced an ~5700-year history of alternating deposition and erosion, with 75% of present-day Cape Canaveral (Beach-ridge Sets 5–16) deposited over the past 2000 years and Beach-ridge Sets 8–16 comprising 50% of the area over the past 1000 years. Because the minimum swale elevations of the ~5700-year Beach-ridge Set 1, and those of all the younger beach-ridge sets, are within several decimeters of present-day mean higher high water, we hypothesize that all the beach ridges present at Cape Canaveral could have been deposited at or within decimeters of present-day sea level. There is no evidence for Holocene “highstand” events over the past 5700 years in the published sea level curves from northeast and south Florida, which are based on subsurface estuarine foraminifera/leaf litter and mangrove peat data, respectively. This dichotomy illustrates the need to integrate both subaerial and subsurface data to produce a more realistic Holocene sea-level curve for the southeastern United States.
The Jack-Roller and the Life History Method: Notes on the Chicago School’s Clifford Shaw and Howard Becker’s Humanistic Narrative of Young Male and Female Delinquents in Different Ages
Authors: Blackman Shane
Published: October 2021

Clifford Shaw’s (1930) The Jack-Roller is a landmark study of naturalism, ethnography and crime. It is the ‘own story’ of Stanley—a young delinquent in Chicago. Shaw’s series of ethnographic studies on delinquency sought to humanize deviance in opposition to pathological understandings of delinquency. The article looks on the representation of crimes committed and punishment received by young male and female delinquents. Shaw’s argument focuses on structural inequalities and poverty as the cause of deviance; as a result, female delinquency was not explained by sexual promiscuity, although he failed to recognize young women’s vulnerabilities. The second edition of The Jack-Roller introduced by Howard Becker (1966, Introduction. The Jack-Roller: A delinquent boy’s own story, pp. v–xviii) redefined Shaw’s study within the symbolic interactionist tradition. From the 1950s, Shaw and Becker disagreed over the writing of the deviant’s ‘own story,’ the control of the narrative and the authorial voice. The article adds to the literature on narrative, female deviance and youth delinquency.
The predictive role of lymphocyte subsets and laboratory measurements in COVID-19 disease: a retrospective study
Authors: Wang Lin , Chen Jun , Zhao Jun , Li Feng , Lu Shuihua , Liu Ping , Liu Xu-hui , Huang Qin , Wang He , Xu Qing nian , Liu Xiaomin , Yu Shijun , Liu Li , Lu Hongzhou
Published: October 2021

Aim:

The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive role of lymphocyte subsets and other laboratory measurements in patients with COVID-19.

Methods:

Electronic medical records of adult patients with confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 from the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center were reviewed retrospectively to obtain relevant data.

Results:

The mean age of patients was 40.98 ± 15.95 years, with 58% of the patients being males. The cutoff values at the intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mechanical ventilation, and mortality were CD4+ cells (267, 198, and 405), CD8+ cells (263, 203, and 182), and CD4+ /CD8+ cells (1.4, 1.8, and 1.4). The cutoffs below these values indicate the higher chances of disease progression. Higher CD4+ cell count led to lesser chances for ICU admission [odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.994 (0.991, 0.997); p = 0.0002] and mortality [OR (95% CI): 0.988 (0.979, 0.99); p = 0.001], higher CD8+ count was an independent risk factor for ICU admission. T-cell count positively correlated with total lymphocyte count and platelets, while negatively correlated with D-dimer and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Among patients with non-severe COVID-19, median CD8+ T cell, CD4+ T cell, total lymphocyte count, and platelets were 570, 362, 1.45, and 211, respectively, while median values decreased to 149, 106, 0.64, and 172, respectively, in patients with severe COVID-19.

Conclusion:

Lower T lymphocyte subsets were significantly associated with higher admission to ICU, mechanical ventilation, and mortality among patients with COVID-19. A cutoff value of ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and mortality below CD4+ cells (267, 198, and 405), CD8+ cells (263, 203, 182), and CD4+/CD8+ cells (1.4, 1.8, 1.4) may help identify patients at high risk of disease progression. The continuous evaluation of laboratory indices may help with dismal prognosis and prompt intervention to improve outcomes.