bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Serum biomarker panel diagnostics in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: the clinical utility of soluble interleukins, IFN-γ, TNF-α and PD-1/PD-L1 in comparison to established serum tumor markers
Authors: Dorman Klara , Gerckens Miriam , Kruger Stephan , Krueger Kimberly , Mayer Zsuzsanna , Rupp Alexander , Zhang Danmei , Weiss Lena , Westphalen C. Benedikt , Haas Michael , Guenther Michael , Ormanns Steffen , Klawonn Frank , Werner Jens , von Bergwelt-Baildon Michael , Heinemann Volker , Boeck Stefan , Holdenrieder Stefan
Published: June 2022

Purpose

Novel biomarkers to better predict outcome and select the best therapeutic strategy for the individual patient are necessary for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

Methods

Using a panel assay, multiple biomarkers (IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, CEA, CA 19–9, CYFRA 21–1, HE4, PD-1 and PD-L1 levels) were measured in serum samples of 162 patients with resected, locally advanced and metastatic PDAC in this retrospective single-center study. Optimal cut-off values to differentiate prognostic subgroups with significantly different overall survival (OS) were determined by receiver operator characteristics and Youden Index analysis. Marker levels were assessed before the start of chemotherapy and correlated with OS by univariate and multivariate Cox analysis.

Results

Median OS for resected patients was 28.2 months, for locally advanced patients 17.9 months and for patients with metastatic disease 8.6 months. CYFRA 21–1 and IL-8 discriminated metastatic from locally advanced patients best (AUC 0.85 and AUC 0.81, respectively). In univariate analyses, multiple markers showed prognostic relevance in the various subgroups. However, multivariate Cox models comprised only CYFRA 21–1 in the resected group (HR 1.37, p = 0.015), IL-10 in locally advanced PDAC (HR 10.01, p = 0.014), as well as CYFRA 21–1 and CA 19–9 in metastatic PDAC (p = 0.008 and p = 0.010) as an independent prognostic marker for overall survival.

Conclusion

IL-10 levels may have independent prognostic value in locally advanced PDAC, whereas CYFRA 21–1 levels are prognostic after PDAC surgery. CYFRA 21–1 and IL-8 have been identified to best discriminate metastatic from locally advanced patients.
Autoregressive count data modeling on mobility patterns to predict cases of COVID-19 infection
Authors: Zhao Jing , Han Mengjie , Wang Zhenwu , Wan Benting
Published: June 2022

At the beginning of 2022 the global daily count of new cases of COVID-19 exceeded 3.2 million, a tripling of the historical peak value reported between the initial outbreak of the pandemic and the end of 2021. Aerosol transmission through interpersonal contact is the main cause of the disease’s spread, although control measures have been put in place to reduce contact opportunities. Mobility pattern is a basic mechanism for understanding how people gather at a location and how long they stay there. Due to the inherent dependencies in disease transmission, models for associating mobility data with confirmed cases need to be individually designed for different regions and time periods. In this paper, we propose an autoregressive count data model under the framework of a generalized linear model to illustrate a process of model specification and selection. By evaluating a 14-day-ahead prediction from Sweden, the results showed that for a dense population region, using mobility data with a lag of 8 days is the most reliable way of predicting the number of confirmed cases in relative numbers at a high coverage rate. It is sufficient for both of the autoregressive terms, studied variable and conditional expectation, to take one day back. For sparsely populated regions, a lag of 10 days produced the lowest error in absolute value for the predictions, where weekly periodicity on the studied variable is recommended for use. Interventions were further included to identify the most relevant mobility categories. Statistical features were also presented to verify the model assumptions.
Workload and job satisfaction among Austrian pediatricians: gender and generational aspects
Authors: Kohlfürst Daniela S. , Zöggeler Thomas , Karall Daniela , Kerbl Reinhold
Published: June 2022

Background

The aim of this study was to evaluate different factors that may contribute to workload and job satisfaction among Austrian pediatricians.

Methods

We conducted an online survey with 16 questions and performed statistical analyses.

Results

Of 375 participating pediatricians, 61% were female, 39% male, 61% clinicians, 21% panel doctors and 12% private doctors. Overall, job satisfaction was moderate (6 ± 2.4 on a positive scale of 0–10). Higher working hours (p = 0.014) and higher patient numbers (p = 0.000) were significantly associated with lower job satisfaction. Lowest satisfaction was described for administrative or other nonmedical work. Lack of time for patient consultation was also correlated with poor satisfaction. Pediatricians older than 65 years reported the highest job satisfaction whereas pediatricians between 55 and 65 years and younger than 36 years showed the lowest scores. Although male pediatricians worked significantly more often more than 40 h per week than females (75% vs. 53%, p = 0.000), female pediatricians were less satisfied about the proportion of administrative (p = 0.015) and other nonmedical work (p = 0.014).

Conclusion

New working models considering less workload, particularly less nonmedical work and intensified collaboration between pediatric clinicians and practitioners are needed to allow more available time per patient, to increase job satisfaction and thus to raise attractivity for pediatric primary care.
Anxiety, depression, health-related quality of life, and mortality among colorectal patients: 5-year follow-up
Authors: Orive Miren , Anton-Ladislao Ane , Lázaro Santiago , Gonzalez Nerea , Bare Marisa , Fernandez de Larrea Nerea , Redondo Maximino , Bilbao Amaia , Sarasqueta Cristina , Aguirre Urko , Quintana José M. ,   for the REDISSEC-CARESS/CCR group
Published: June 2022

Purpose

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measurement represents an important outcome in cancer patients. We describe the evolution of HRQoL over a 5-year period in colorectal cancer patients, identifying predictors of change and how they relate to mortality.

Methods

Prospective observational cohort study including colorectal cancer (CRC) patients having undergone surgery in nineteen public hospitals who were monitored from their diagnosis, intervention and at 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year periods thereafter by gathering HRQoL data using the EuroQol-5D-5L (EQ-5D-5L), European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer’s Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC-QLQ-C30), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaires. Multivariable generalized linear mixed models were used.

Results

Predictors of Euroqol-5D-5L (EQ-5D-5L) changes were having worse baseline HRQoL; being female; higher Charlson index score (more comorbidities); complications during admission and 1 month after surgery; having a stoma after surgery; and needing or being in receipt of social support at baseline. For EORTC-QLQ-C30, predictors of changes were worse baseline EORTC-QLQ-C30 score; being female; higher Charlson score; complications during admission and 1 month after admission; receiving adjuvant chemotherapy; and having a family history of CRC. Predictors of changes in HADS anxiety were being female and having received adjuvant chemotherapy. Greater depression was associated with greater baseline depression; being female; higher Charlson score; having complications 1 month after intervention; and having a stoma. A deterioration in all HRQoL questionnaires in the previous year was related to death in the following year.

Conclusions

These findings should enable preventive follow-up programs to be established for such patients in order to reduce their psychological distress and improve their HRQoL to as great an extent as possible.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:

NCT02488161
Early identification of cancer-related malnutrition in patients with colorectal cancer before and after surgery: a literature review
Authors: Wimmer Elke , Glaus Agnes
Published: June 2022

Purpose

The aim of this literature review is to provide a comprehensive overview of methods for early identification of cancer-related malnutrition and/or risk of malnutrition in patients with colorectal cancer. The focus is also on applicability and feasibility of the use of nutritional tools in oncology clinical practice.

Methods

The literature search was conducted from November to December 2020 in the health science databases by two independent persons. Inclusion criteria were English and German language and articles from 2010 to 2020. Data analysis was carried out through a structured procedure. The research questions guided the literature review.

Results

After removing duplicates and screening titles and abstracts, a total of 35 studies were identified as suitable publications and further analyzed. Eventually, nine original studies, with a total of 926 patients with colorectal cancer before or before and after surgery, addressed assessment measures for early identification of the risk or presence of malnutrition. The following types of nutritional assessment have been described: nutritional anthropometric measurements, laboratory chemistry diagnostics for malnutrition, and several validated nutritional screening and assessment tools. The nutritional tools demonstrate differences in terms of application and content. None of the reviewed studies was a randomized trial. There is little scientific evidence to underpin their specific application in identifying early cancer-related malnutrition in patients with colorectal cancer.

Conclusion

The early assessment of nutritional status in this patient group seems to lack evidence-based standardization in oncology clinical practice. Different groups of health professionals are involved; however, studies do not describe standardized roles. Physical activity as part of nutritional screening is not yet included in the analyzed screening tools.
Greener extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from soil and sediment using eucalyptus oil
Authors: Kariyawasam Thiloka , Prenzler Paul D. , Howitt Julia A. , Doran Gregory S.
Published: June 2022

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are toxic pollutants which persist in the environment. Extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons requires large volumes of toxic organic solvents, but the use of non-hazardous solvents provides a potentially cleaner approach to quantifying polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environmental matrices. Here we investigated the efficiency of eucalyptus oil to extract polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from spiked soil and sediment. Eucalyptus oil extraction conditions including temperature, time, and volume of oil were optimized employing a Box–Behnken experimental design, and the desorption kinetics of phenanthrene, pyrene, chrysene, and benzo[a]pyrene were evaluated using an empirical first order kinetic model. Results show that extraction efficiency from soil, of 112% for phenanthrene, 108% for pyrene, 102% for chrysene and 98% for benzo[a]pyrene, is higher than that from sediment, of 90, 111, 84 and 82%, respectively. This may be due to soil possessing 12 times more organic carbon. Recoveries higher than 77% were obtained over the concentration range 0.5–10 mg/kg for the tested polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, with limits of detection lower than 63 µg/kg and limits of quantitation lower than 125 µg/kg. These findings suggest that eucalyptus oil has potential as a safer solvent to extract hydrophobic contaminants.
Hutchinson’s ecological niche for individuals
Authors: Takola Elina , Schielzeth Holger
Published: June 2022

We here develop a concept of an individualized niche in analogy to Hutchison’s population-level concept of the ecological niche. We consider the individualized (ecological) niche as the range of environmental conditions under which a particular individual has an expected lifetime reproductive success of ≥ 1. Our concept has primarily an ecological function, as it refers to the match of an individual phenotype to its contemporary environment (niche fit) while we discuss evolutionary fitness as an evaluative parameter of this fit. We address four specific challenges that occur when scaling the niche down from populations to individuals. In particular, we discuss (1) the consequences of uniqueness of individuals in a population and the corresponding lack of statistical replication, (2) the dynamic nature of individualized niches and how they can be studied either as time-slice niches, as prospective niches or as trajectory-based niches, (3) the dimensionality of the individualized niche, that is greater than the population niche due to the additional dimensions of intra-specific niche space, (4) how the boundaries of individualized niche space can be defined by expected lifetime reproductive success and how expected reproductive success can be inferred by marginalizing fitness functions across phenotypes or environments. We frame our discussion in the context of recent interest in the causes and consequences of individual differences in animal behavior.
COMPRA: A COMPact Reactive Autonomy Framework for Subterranean MAV Based Search-And-Rescue Operations
Authors: Lindqvist Björn , Kanellakis Christoforos , Mansouri Sina Sharif , Agha-mohammadi Ali-akbar , Nikolakopoulos George
Published: June 2022

This work establishes COMPRA, a compact and reactive autonomy framework for fast deployment of Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs) in subterranean Search-and- Rescue (SAR) missions. A COMPRA-enabled MAV is able to autonomously explore previously unknown areas while specific mission criteria are considered e.g. an object of interest is identified and localized, the remaining useful battery life, the overall desired exploration mission duration. The proposed architecture follows a low-complexity algorithmic design to facilitate fully on-board computations, including nonlinear control, state-estimation, navigation, exploration behavior and object localization capabilities. The framework is mainly structured around a reactive local avoidance planner, based on enhanced Potential Field concepts and using instantaneous 3D pointclouds, as well as a computationally efficient heading regulation technique, based on depth images from an instantaneous camera stream. Those techniques decouple the collision-free path generation from the dependency of a global map and are capable of handling imprecise localization occasions. Field experimental verification of the overall architecture is performed in relevant unknown Global Positioning System (GPS)-denied environments.
Replication studies in top management journals: An empirical investigation of prevalence, types, outcomes, and impact
Authors: Block Jörn H. , Fisch Christian , Kanwal Narmeen , Lorenzen Solvej , Schulze Anna
Published: June 2022

Replication studies are important for the empirical research process. Yet, while there is an increased awareness of the need for replication in management research, it appears that such studies are rarely published in leading management journals. Importantly, we lack a comprehensive overview of replication studies in the top management journals that spans all sub-disciplines. Our systematic review closes this gap and provides an overview of the prevalence, types, outcomes, and impact of replication studies in management journals. We find that differences in the prevalence of replications between sub-disciplines exist and that most replications are wide replications. With regard to the replication outcome, our review shows that the share of non-confirming replications is low. Moreover, such replications are cited less often than confirming replications pointing towards a confirmation bias in management research. We discuss the implications of our results for authors, reviewers, and editors of management journals.
Augmented reality visualization of automated path planning for percutaneous interventions: a phantom study
Authors: Schwenderling Lovis , Heinrich Florian , Hansen Christian
Published: June 2022

Purpose

Insertion point identification is a major challenge for percutaneous interventions. Planning in 2D slice image data is time-consuming and inefficient. Automated path planning can help to overcome these challenges. However, the setup of the intervention room is difficult to consider. In addition, transferring the insertion point to the skin is often prone to error. Therefore, a visualization for an automated path planning was implemented.

Methods

A condition-based automated path planning was calculated with path length, distance to risk structures and insertion angle. The results were displayed on a phantom using projector-based augmented reality (AR) with an access point selection using the insertion needle. Two variants of the insertion visualization and three target displays were evaluated in a user study.

Results

A visualization of insertion points with a representation of the path quality resulted in a choice of safer paths, compared with no insertion point display or no coding of the path quality. A representation of the target was preferred in the final survey, but did not perform better. A target display separate from the insertion point visualization reduced interferences between visualizations.

Conclusion

A projector-based AR visualization of automated path planning results supports insertion point identification for percutaneous interventions. A display of the path quality enables the choice of safe access paths especially for unexperienced users. Further research is needed to identify clinical benefits and applicability.
The clinical effectiveness of the STUMBL score for the management of ED patients with blunt chest trauma compared to clinical evaluation alone
Authors: Callisto Elena , Costantino Giorgio , Tabner Andrew , Kerslake Dean , Reed Matthew J.
Published: June 2022

The STUMBL (STUdy of the Management of BLunt chest wall trauma) score is a new prognostic score to assist ED (Emergency Department) decision making in the management of blunt chest trauma. This is a retrospective cohort chart review study conducted in a UK University Hospital ED seeing 120,000 patients a year, comparing its performance characteristics to ED clinician judgement. All blunt chest trauma patients that presented to our ED over a 6-month period were included. Patients were excluded if age < 18, if they had immediate life-threatening injury, required critical care admission for other injuries or in case of missing identification data. Primary endpoint was complication defined as any of lower respiratory tract infection, pulmonary consolidation, empyema, pneumothorax, haemothorax, splenic or hepatic injury and 30-day mortality. Clinician judgement (clinician decision to admit) and STUMBL score were compared using the receiver-operating curve (ROC) and sensitivity analysis. Three hundred and sixty-nine patients were included. ED clinicians admitted 95 of 369 patients. ED clinician decision to admit had a sensitivity of 83.9% and specificity of 86.0% for predicting complications. STUMBL score ≥ 11 had a sensitivity of 79.0% and specificity of 77.9% for the same and would have led to 117 of 369 patients being admitted. Area under the curve (AUC) of STUMBL score and ED clinician decision to admit was 0.84 (95% CI 0.78–0.90) and 0.85 (95% CI 0.79–0.91), respectively. Our findings show that a STUMBL score ≥ 11 performs no better than ED clinician judgement and leads to more patients being admitted to hospital.
Impact of stereotactic body radiotherapy vs palliative radiotherapy on oncologic outcomes of patients with metastatic kidney cancer concomitantly treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: a preliminary, multicentre experience
Authors: Francolini Giulio , Campi Riccardo , Di Cataldo Vanessa , Detti Beatrice , Loi Mauro , Triggiani Luca , La Mattina Salvatore , Borghetti Paolo , Magrini Stefano Maria , Nicosia Luca , Alongi Filippo , Ghirardelli Paolo , Vavassori Vittorio , Allegra Andrea Gaetano , Aquilano Michele , Scoccimarro Erika , Peruzzi Anna , Pastina Pierpaolo , Visani Luca , Desideri Isacco , Serni Sergio , Meattini Icro , Livi Lorenzo
Published: June 2022

Purpose

To explore the benefit yielded by radiotherapy (RT), we report a series of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients treated with concomitant RT plus Nivolumab.

Methods/patients

Patients undergoing Nivolumab treatment plus concomitant RT (ablative or palliative) were included. RT was defined Ablative if >5 Gy/fraction were delivered.

Results

Ablative RT intent was the only independent predictor of both progression free and overall survival (HR 3.51, 95% CI 1.6–7.5, p = 0.0012 and HR 2.8, 95% CI 0.99–8.07, p = 0.05, respectively).

Conclusion

Ablative RT may improve oncologic outcomes in selected patients with metastatic RCC treated with Nivolumab as compared to palliative RT.
Exploring the factors that predict quality of life, and the relationship between recovery orientation and quality of life in adults with severe mental health difficulties
Authors: Murphy Orlagh , Looney Kathy , McNulty Muireann , O’Reilly Gary
Published: June 2022

Integration of intrapersonal, interpersonal and environmental factors has been proposed to enhance understanding of psychological quality of life (QOL) in adults with severe and enduring mental illness (SMI). This study examined the contribution of factors such as self-stigma, coping style and personal recovery orientation to psychological QOL in SMI; compared QOL outcomes to norms from the general population; and examined the association between personal recovery orientation and overall QOL. 70 participants with SMI completed measures of QOL (including psychological QOL), personal recovery orientation, coping, perceived stigma, psychological distress and demographic variables. Regression analysis found that only adaptive coping and psychological distress contributed significantly to psychological QOL. Personal recovery orientation was significantly associated with overall subjective QOL. Participants had lower QOL in the psychological and social relationships domains compared to the general population. Findings support the positive contribution of adaptive coping to psychological QOL, and the positive association between personal recovery orientation and overall QOL.
Sex differences in the Dark Triad are sensitive to socioeconomic conditions: the adaptive value of narcissism in the UK, Greece, and China
Authors: Luo Yu L. L. , Kovas Yulia , Wang Lizhong , Stalikas Anastasios , Kyriazos Theodoros A. , Gianniou Foteini-Maria , Likhanov Maxim V. , Papageorgiou Kostas A.
Published: June 2022

Research has shown that levels of the Dark Triad (i.e., traits of Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) vary across sex and age, with males and younger people reporting higher scores. The Dark Triad has also been found to be associated with personal economic status. We investigated whether sex and age differences in the Dark Triad varied across countries of different socioeconomic conditions. We further explored whether the dark traits predicted personal income to different extent across countries. We utilized three samples from the UK, Greece, and China (total N = 5,854), whose socioeconomic status varied from more to less developed according to the Human Development Index. Men scored higher than women on the Dark Triad, with the magnitude of sex differences being largest in the UK, followed by Greece and China. Younger people scored higher than older people on the Dark Triad, with the effect of age varying across countries. Narcissism positively predicted income, with its predictive power being significant in China and Greece but null in the UK. The results are consistent with the view that Dark Triad traits may be adaptive responses to environmental challenges. Specifically, the results suggest that sex differences in the Dark Triad and the relation between narcissism and personal income are responsive to socioeconomic conditions at the country level.
Some insight into “bronze quadrigati”: a multi-analytical approach
Authors: Debernardi Pierluigi , Corsi Jacopo , Borghi Alessandro , Cossio Roberto , Gambino Francesca , Ghignone Stefano , Scherillo Antonella , Re Alessandro , Giudice Alessandro Lo
Published: June 2022

One of the more obscure areas of Roman Republican early coinage are debased quadrigati, which traditionally are deemed to represent the last stage of this coin type. Starting from a pre-screening, based on low specific gravity samples, we first performed neutron diffraction analyses on a larger sample, which allowed us to single out the more debased series. Subsequently, we focused on those series and applied various additional physical investigations on 18 specimens. The focus of this paper is 17 samples displaying very low silver content. They all belong to a very particular group, refereed as “Apulian” quadrigati in previous literature. They are selected for their numismatic differences and to put in evidence the relevant details of their silver quality, which ranges from “apparently good” to “plain bronze.” In this work, we combine rigorous analytical investigations like X-ray fluorescence (both ordinary and micro-), scanning electron microscope, and neutron diffraction to our accurate numismatic classification of the specimens, leading to a clear correlation between series and debasement. This work aims in particular to gain better insights into these mysterious “silver” emissions, bringing new results that can disclose unknown financial and political facts pertaining to the Second Punic War.
Why are Roman-period dice asymmetrical? An experimental and quantitative approach
Authors: Eerkens Jelmer W. , de Voogt Alex
Published: June 2022

Roman-period six-sided dice are common in archaeological sites across Europe. While some dice approach true cubes, many are visibly non-cubic (i.e., asymmetric/lopsided) and favor certain rolls, especially the numbers 1 and 6. It is unclear if such dice were intentional and distinctive “types” used in specific games or activities, represent “cheaters” dice, or are simply part of a continuum of variation in die shape and configuration. To explore this issue, we examine shape distribution of 28 well-dated Roman-period dice from modern-day Netherlands. Results show that Roman die asymmetry varies in a continuous fashion from true cube to highly parallelepiped, where the long side is over 50% longer than the short side. We then conduct replication experiments to examine how naïve producers configure pips across a range of shapes. Our results show a production bias, where makers place the 6 on the largest die face, not to favor certain rolls, but due to space limitations and/or the order in which they place the pips. Overall, we interpret asymmetrical Roman dice as part of a single but highly variable artifact category, not distinct types. We argue that such extreme variation was acceptable because makers and users understood roll outcomes as the product of fate, rather than chance or probability. Conformity to a true symmetrical cube was not perceived as essential to die function, and asymmetrical forms were tolerated as simply part of the acceptable range in shape variation.
Vibration prediction and analysis of strip rolling mill based on XGBoost and Bayesian optimization
Authors: Zhang Yang , Lin Ranmeng , Zhang Huan , Peng Yan
Published: June 2022

The stable operation of strip rolling mill is the key factor to ensure the stability of product quality. The design capability of existing domestic imported and self-developed strip rolling mills cannot be fully developed, and the frequent occurrence of mill vibration and operation instability problems seriously restrict the equipment capacity and the production of high-end strip products. The vibration prediction analysis method for hot strip mill based on eXtreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) and Bayesian optimization (BO) is proposed. First, an XGBoost prediction model is developed based on a self-built data set to construct a complex functional relationship between process parameters and rolling mill vibration. Second, the important hyperparameters and parameters of XGBoost are optimized using Bayesian optimization algorithm to improve the prediction accuracy, computational efficiency, and stability of the model. Third, a comprehensive comparison is made between the prediction model in this paper and other well-known machine learning benchmark models. Finally, the prediction results of the model are interpreted using the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method. The proposed model outperforms existing models in terms of prediction accuracy, computational speed and stability. At the same time, the degree of influence of each feature on rolling mill vibration is also obtained.
Phylogenetic Diversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Communities Increases with Crop Age in Coffea arabica Plantations
Authors: Aguila Sofía Rengifo-Del , De la Sota-Ricaldi Ana Maria , Corazon-Guivin Mike Anderson , López-García Álvaro
Published: June 2022

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are key soil microorganisms that establish a mutualistic symbiotic relationship with plants. The establishment of crops represents an environmental filter that usually reduces the diversity and variability of AM fungal communities, affecting the ecosystem stability and functionality. Despite several studies addressing these effects, the temporal development of these soil microbes since crop establishment has not been studied. We hypothesized that the negative effect of cropping practices in terms of reducing AM fungal richness, phylogenetic, and beta diversity will increase in time as far as the new dynamics progressively filter the AM fungal community composition. This research tested the impact of crop establishment and the role that time has in the progressive assembly of soil microbial communities. The AM fungal communities were characterized using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism in coffee (Coffea arabica) plantations of different ages established in previous pristine tropical forest. We found that intraradical colonization and AM fungal phylogenetic diversity increased with plantation age. AM fungal richness was constant across time but a significant compositional turnover was detected. In relation to our initial hypothesis, these unexpected results face the current general view of the negative effects of crops on soil microbial diversity and highlight the need of studying temporal dynamics when assessing human impacts on soil biodiversity. Nevertheless, next steps would imply to put in context the found patterns by relativizing them to the original natural diversity inhabiting the studied areas.
Decolonizing African Knowledge
Authors: Falola Toyin
Published: June 2022

Addressing the consequences of European slavery, colonialism, and neo-colonialism on African history, knowledge and its institutions, this innovative book applies autoethnography to the understanding of African knowledge systems. Considering the 'Self' and Yoruba Being (the individual and the collective) in the context of the African decolonial project, Falola strips away Eurocentric influences and interruptions from African epistemology. Avoiding colonial archival sources, it grounds itself in alternative archives created by memory, spoken words, images and photographs to look at the themes of politics, culture, nation, ethnicity, satire, poetics, magic, myth, metaphor, sculpture, textiles, hair and gender. Vividly illustrated in colour, it uses diverse and novel methods to access an African way of knowing. Exploring the different ways that a society understands and presents itself, this book highlights convergence, enmeshing private and public data to provide a comprehensive understanding of society, public consciousness, and cultural identity.
Problem Solving
Authors: Pizlo Zygmunt
Published: June 2022

Intelligent mental representations of physical, cognitive and social environments allow humans to navigate enormous search spaces, whose sizes vastly exceed the number of neurons in the human brain. This allows us to solve a wide range of problems, such as the Traveling Salesperson Problem, insight problems, as well as mathematics and physics problems. As an area of research, problem solving has steadily grown over time. Researchers in Artificial Intelligence have been formulating theories of problem solving for the last 70 years. Psychologists, on the other hand, have focused their efforts on documenting the observed behavior of subjects solving problems. This book represents the first effort to merge the behavioral results of human subjects with formal models of the causative cognitive mechanisms. The first coursebook to deal exclusively with the topic, it provides a main text for elective courses and a supplementary text for courses such as cognitive psychology and neuroscience.
Don’t Feel Threatened by Law
Authors: Miotto Lucas
Published: June 2022

The idea that legal systems conditionally threaten citizens is taken by most legal and political philosophers as ‘reasonably uncontroversial,’ ‘obvious,’ or as portraying ‘a large part of how law operates.’ This paper clarifies and ultimately rejects this idea: our legal systems, it is argued, rarely address citizens via conditional threats. If correct, the conclusion defended in this paper might force us to re-examine core debates in legal and political philosophy that rely on the assumption that legal systems often threaten citizens: debates about the justification of the state, global justice, and the coerciveness of law.
Muscle weakness assessment tool for automated therapy selection in elbow rehabilitation
Authors: Gupta Sakshi , Agrawal Anupam , Singla Ekta
Published: June 2022

Clinical observations and subjective judgements have traditionally been used to evaluate patients with muscular and neurological disorders. As a result, identifying and analyzing functional improvements are difficult, especially in the absence of expertise. Quantitative assessment, which serves as the motivation for this study, is an essential prerequisite to forecast the task of the rehabilitation device in order to develop rehabilitation training. This work provides a quantitative assessment tool for muscle weakness in the human upper limbs for robotic-assisted rehabilitation. The goal is to map the assessment metrics to the recommended rehabilitation exercises. Measurable interaction forces and muscle correlation factors are the selected parameters to design a framework for muscular nerve cell condition detection and appropriate limb trajectory selection. In this work, a data collection setup is intended for extracting muscle intervention and assessment using MyoMeter, Goniometer and surface electromyography data for upper limbs. Force signals and human physiological response data are evaluated and categorized to infer the relevant progress. Based upon the most influencing muscles, curve fitting is performed. Trajectory-based data points are collected through a scaled geometric Open-Sim musculoskeletal model that fits the subject’s anthropometric data. These data are found to be most suitable to prescribe relevant exercise and to design customized robotic assistance. Case studies demonstrate the approach’s efficacy, including optimally synthesized automated configuration for the desired trajectory.
Health technology assessment: A matter of facts and values
Authors: van der Wilt Gert Jan , Oortwijn Wija
Published: June 2022

The unique task and contribution of health technology assessment (HTA) is to help identify those health technologies and their uses that are most likely to preserve and restore a population’s health in a way that is consonant with its values, including, for example, equity and access to high-quality care (1). Such a task is challenging for at least two reasons. First, because of the vast and constantly evolving number and diversity of health technologies and their applications. Second, because of the usual wide variety of competing views within communities and their stakeholders regarding what strategies are likely to be conducive to the goal of preserving and restoring population health. Although perhaps tempting, it would be a grave mistake to hold that the controversies that result from such competing views can be resolved by taking recourse to the facts only. For such controversies are usually fueled by different notions of health and disease and different specifications of values such as equity and individual and collective responsibility for health. For this reason, they cannot be resolved in a satisfactory way without also addressing those normative issues and their interplay with empirical analysis.*
Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance Across Age, Gender, and	Clinical Status of the Screen for Children Anxiety Related Emotional	Disorders
Authors: Robe Andreea , Dobrean Anca , Balazsi Robert , Georgescu Raluca D. , Păsărelu Costina R. , Predescu Elena
Published: June 2022

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine evidence of reliability, validity, and equity, for the Romanian version of The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), the 41-item child- (1,106 children and adolescents ranging from 9 to 16 years old) and parent-ratings (485 parents). Both versions of the instrument showed moderate to high internal consistency, with most subscales reaching acceptable levels. Results showed support for the original five-factor structure of the scale. Positive correlations with other measures of anxiety symptoms, such as The Penn State Worry Questionnaire, The Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents, The Children’s Automatic Thoughts Scale, whereas weak correlations with the syndrome scales for rule-breaking and aggressive behavior of the Youth Self-Report, respectively, Child Behavioral Checklist have demonstrated similar construct validity for the Romanian version of the scale as compared to the original one. Also, strict measurement invariance across age, gender, and clinical status was established. The current research provides evidence of reliability, validity, and equity for SCARED, arguing for its utility as a screening instrument for anxiety symptoms. Implications for theory, assessment, and future research are discussed.
Transnational Counseling for Mass Trauma
Authors: Roysircar Gargi , Suzuki Lisa A.
Published: June 2022

Abstract. The authors examined the experiences of nine American doctoral students completing a clinical psychology practicum in a primary care clinic in Blanchard, Haiti. This training followed natural and human-made disasters that have traumatized Haitians since the 2010 earthquake. The clinical psychology training program partnered with Haitian medical staff and the trainees provided diverse services, incorporating the use of community-based translators: individual counseling; art and play therapy groups for children; psychoeducational classes; and support groups for diabetic, cardiac, and sickle cell disorder patients. In addition, they conducted research on child disaster trauma assessment and engaged in community resilience-building conversations. The trainees wrote daily self-reflections recounting their challenges, cultural and economic differences, successes, expectations, fears, and personal and professional development. Ninety daily reflection notes were coded applying the consensual qualitative research method. A coding team identified domains and their respective categories/themes in relation to two research questions addressing doctoral clinical psychology trainees’ experiences of a practicum in Haiti and their Haitian clients’ mass trauma and responses to counseling interventions. The domains related to experiences of the Haiti practicum were Impact of Practicum Experiences in Haiti on Doctoral Trainees and Use of Translators in Global Mental Health Practice. The domains related to intervention experiences in this international trauma-affected community were Transnational Disaster Counseling, Respect for Human and Civic Rights, and Haitian Client-Specific Practice. The findings have direct implications for training in transnational disaster counseling and accessibility to services.
Statistical Analysis of Wave Propagation Properties of Equatorial Noise Observed at Low Altitudes
Authors: Hanzelka Miroslav , Němec František , Santolík Ondřej , Parrot Michel
Published: June 2022

Equatorial noise is an electromagnetic emission with line spectral structure, predominantly located in the vicinity of the geomagnetic equatorial plane at radial distances ranging from 2 to 8 Earth's radii. Here we focus on the rare events of equatorial noise occurring at ionospheric altitudes during periods of strongly increased geomagnetic activity. We use multicomponent electromagnetic measurements from the entire 2004–2010 DEMETER spacecraft mission and present a statistical analysis of wave propagation properties. We show that, close to the Earth, these emissions experience a larger spread in latitudes than they would at large radial distances and that their wave normals can significantly deviate from the direction perpendicular to local magnetic field lines. These results are compared to ray tracing simulations, in which whistler mode rays with initially nearly perpendicular wave vectors propagate down to the low altitudes with wave properties corresponding to the observations. We perform nonlinear fitting of the simulated latitudinal distribution of incident rays to the observed occurrence and estimate the distribution of wave normal angles in the source. The assumed Gaussian distribution provides the best fit with a standard deviation of 2° from the perpendicular direction. Ray tracing analysis further shows that small initial deviations from the meridional plane can rapidly increase during the propagation and result in deflection of the emissions before they can reach the altitudes of DEMETER.
SARS-CoV-2 virus NSP14 Impairs NRF2/HMOX1 activation by targeting Sirtuin 1
Authors: Zhang Shilei , Wang Jingfeng , Wang Lulan , Aliyari Saba , Cheng Genhong
Published: June 2022

Most deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic are due to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)-related respiratory failure. Cytokine storms and oxidative stress are the major players in ARDS development during respiratory virus infections. However, it is still unknown how oxidative stress is regulated by viral and host factors in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we found that activation of NRF2/HMOX1 significantly suppressed SARS-CoV-2 replication in multiple cell types by producing the metabolite biliverdin, whereas SARS-CoV-2 impaired the NRF2/HMOX1 axis through the action of the nonstructural viral protein NSP14. Mechanistically, NSP14 interacts with the catalytic domain of the NAD-dependent deacetylase Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and inhibits its ability to activate the NRF2/HMOX1 pathway. Furthermore, both genetic and pharmaceutical evidence corroborated the novel antiviral activity of SIRT1 against SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, our findings reveal a novel mechanism by which SARS-CoV-2 dysregulates the host antioxidant defense system and emphasize the vital role played by the SIRT1/NRF2 axis in host defense against SARS-CoV-2.
Probing TDP-43 condensation using an in silico designed aptamer
Authors: Zacco Elsa , Kantelberg Owen , Milanetti Edoardo , Armaos Alexandros , Panei Francesco Paolo , Gregory Jenna , Jeacock Kiani , Clarke David J. , Chandran Siddharthan , Ruocco Giancarlo , Gustincich Stefano , Horrocks Mathew H. , Pastore Annalisa , Tartaglia Gian Gaetano
Published: June 2022

Aptamers are artificial oligonucleotides binding to specific molecular targets. They have a promising role in therapeutics and diagnostics but are often difficult to design. Here, we exploited thecatRAPID algorithm to generate aptamers targeting TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), whose aggregation is associated with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. On the pathway to forming insoluble inclusions, TDP-43 adopts a heterogeneous population of assemblies, many smaller than the diffraction-limit of light. We demonstrated that our aptamers bind TDP-43 and used the tightest interactor, Apt-1, as a probe to visualize TDP-43 condensates with super-resolution microscopy. At a resolution of 10 nanometers, we tracked TDP-43 oligomers undetectable by standard approaches. In cells, Apt-1 interacts with both diffuse and condensed forms of TDP-43, indicating that Apt-1 can be exploited to follow TDP-43 phase transition. The de novo generation of aptamers and their use for microscopy opens a new page to study protein condensation.
Identification of a quasi-liquid phase at solid–liquid interface
Authors: Peng Xinxing , Zhu Fu-Chun , Jiang You-Hong , Sun Juan-Juan , Xiao Liang-Ping , Zhou Shiyuan , Bustillo Karen C. , Lin Long-Hui , Cheng Jun , Li Jian-Feng , Liao Hong-Gang , Sun Shi-Gang , Zheng Haimei
Published: June 2022

An understanding of solid–liquid interfaces is of great importance for fundamental research as well as industrial applications. However, it has been very challenging to directly image solid–liquid interfaces with high resolution, thus their structure and properties are often unknown. Here, we report a quasi-liquid phase between metal (In, Sn) nanoparticle surfaces and an aqueous solution observed using liquid cell transmission electron microscopy. Our real-time high-resolution imaging reveals a thin layer of liquid-like materials at the interfaces with the frequent appearance of small In nanoclusters. Such a quasi-liquid phase serves as an intermediate for the mass transport from the metal nanoparticle to the liquid. Density functional theory-molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that the positive charges of In ions greatly contribute to the stabilization of the quasi-liquid phase on the metal surface.
The obligate intracellular bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi differentiates into a developmentally distinct extracellular state
Authors: Atwal Sharanjeet , Wongsantichon Jantana , Giengkam Suparat , Saharat Kittirat , Pittayasathornthun Yanin Jaiyen , Chuenklin Suthida , Wang Loo Chien , Chung Taerin , Huh Hyun , Lee Sang-Hyuk , Sobota Radoslaw M. , Salje Jeanne
Published: June 2022

Orientia tsutsugamushi (Ot) is an obligate intracellular bacterium in the family Rickettsiaceae that causes scrub typhus, a severe mite-borne human disease. Its mechanism of cell exit is unusual amongst Rickettsiaceae, as Ot buds off the surface of infected cells enveloped in plasma membrane. Here, we show that Ot bacteria that have budded out of host cells are in a distinct developmental stage compared with intracellular bacteria. We refer to these two stages as intracellular and extracellular bacteria (IB and EB, respectively). These two forms differ in physical properties: IB is both round and elongated, and EB is round. Additionally, IB has higher levels of peptidoglycan and is physically robust compared with EB. The two bacterial forms differentially express proteins involved in bacterial physiology and host-pathogen interactions, specifically those involved in bacterial dormancy and stress response, and outer membrane autotransporter proteins ScaA and ScaC. Whilst both populations are infectious, entry of IB Ot is sensitive to inhibitors of both clathrin-mediated endocytosis and macropinocytosis, whereas entry of EB Ot is only sensitive to a macropinocytosis inhibitor. Our identification and detailed characterization of two developmental forms of Ot significantly advances our understanding of the intracellular lifecycle of an important human pathogen.