bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Community Rankings and Affective Discipline: The Case of Fandometrics
Authors: Maris Elena , Baym Nancy
Published: May 2022

Tumblr’s Fandometrics is a metrics project that posts weekly fandom rankings for TV shows, movies, music, video games, ‘ships,’ and more. Tumblr describes the rankings as representing “each fandom’s influence across Tumblr.” This influence is determined with a measurement that does not account for sentiment and yet provides prominence and voice to the ‘loudest’ fandoms. Building on work on audience measurement, we argue Fandometrics encourages social jostling by online communities for relevance on the Tumblr platform, and within fandom and wider culture. By equating the strength of communities with their status as influencers or markets, these rankings usher fans towards subjectivities that put data and quantitative rankings at the centre of societal value and inter-community relationships. We argue that as metrics become more visible to users, some communities respond with a kind of affective discipline, at times exaggerating, restraining, cloaking, or reconfiguring positive and negative affect in their online engagement in line with algorithmic requirements for measurement. We identify and discuss the major affective and social implications for the communities ranked by Tumblr’s Fandometrics. Finally, we discuss efforts by some users to resist or withdraw from Fandometrics and/or the communities that value its rankings, and efforts by fans to (re)claim their own data through self-measurement. We argue that with platforms’ increasing concentration of data power, critical data studies must attend to such community-driven alternative models of data and metrics. The fandom metrics phenomenon reflects larger anxieties about value, relevance, and power in increasingly metrified online spaces.
Researching Public Trust in Datafication: Reflections on the Deliberative Citizen Jury as Method
Authors: Kennedy Helen , Steedman Robin , Jones Rhianne
Published: May 2022

How can we engage the public in issues relating to data, when these matters are often complex, opaque and difficult to understand? Answers to this question are urgently needed, given mounting concern about the potential negative consequences of data power and desire for data justice. The citizen jury offers one solution. Citizen juries bring diverse citizens together to debate a complex issue of social importance and make a policy recommendation. In this chapter, we reflect on a citizen jury experiment where participants discussed their criteria for the design of ethical, just and trustworthy data-driven systems. We argue that the synthesis of participants’ opinions resulting from the deliberative approach is a unique strength of the citizen jury as a method for researching public perceptions of data power. However, we also argue that experts, brought in to citizen juries to share their expertise and inform deliberation, shape the process and the conclusions that citizen jurors draw. In the social sciences, it is widely acknowledged that methods shape empirical research findings, yet this is rarely discussed in data studies, in research into public perceptions of datafication or in relation to citizen juries. We call for greater critical thinking about methods in the field of critical data studies, and in so doing, we contribute to the advancement of the field.
The Power of Data Science Ontogeny: Thick Data Studies on the Indian IT Skill Tutoring Microcosm
Authors: Rangaswamy Nimmi , Narasimhan Haripriya
Published: May 2022

New employment demands of a burgeoning Indian software service industry are spawning neo-educational structures, especially in the domain of data sciences through vibrant market mechanisms offering a scalable and industry-focused learning system. Since the 1990s, Indian software firms have developed expertise in carrying out outsourced back-office tasks and mid-level IT services like data entry, managing call centres, and performing software quality testing for foreign companies taking advantage of a technically trained local workforce. The trend of automating manual work practices in the IT industry has generated a different kind of demand for data sciences directed at upskilling and job readiness. India is witnessing a market-oriented groundswell of data science and IT skill tutoring ‘shops’, resituating science and engineering education. In this chapter we report from ethnographic research conducted in two IT skill training parks to underpin arguments about emerging neo-educational learning structures suited to a data science education for new livelihood opportunities in an IT-accredited India. Our chapter makes a case for looking at ‘data studies’ from an ethnographic perspective uncovering a ‘program’ of upward mobility through IT skilling and employment. What directions might data studies about tutoring data science skills in the Indian context lead to? Excerpts presented here from field research imagine new livelihoods, aspirations, and technology skills that are more often than not a reflection of the power of data science education.
Mapping Data Justice as a Multidimensional Concept Through Feminist and Legal Perspectives
Authors: Draude Claude , Hornung Gerrit , Klumbytė Goda
Published: May 2022

This chapter interrogates “data justice” through the lenses of feminist and legal studies to reconfigure data justice as a multidimensional, interdisciplinary practice in IT-design. First, we look at how data justice is framed in feminist research and feminist-informed critical data and design perspectives, as well as how it is conceptualised in law, particularly in the context of the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and legal debates around privacy in Europe. Second, we recommend conceptual shifts, design approaches, and legal measures towards data justice. Our chapter contributes to new perspectives in critical data studies by showing that data justice can provide a conceptual ground that serves both the needs of legal formalisation as well as feminist imperatives of contextualisation and specificity.
Participation and Influence in Urban Development: Does City E-Participation Strategy Matter?
Authors: Hovik Sissel , Legard Sveinung , McShane Ian , Middha Bhavna , Reichborn-Kjennerud Kristin , Ruano José M.
Published: May 2022

Most cities have introduced digital participatory tools. They, however, introduce these tools in different ways and for different reasons. This chapter investigates the impact of the e-participating strategies of Madrid, Melbourne, and Oslo upon local activist participation and influence in urban development. Data gathered from a survey of local activists in the three cities, shows that they often combine different participatory channels: formal and informal and digital and analogue. The data also unveils differences in the ways these actors participate, a variation that cannot be understood in the light of city e-participation strategy. The authors argue that institutionalized practices and a culture of citizen participation are more important. The data furthermore indicates that activists that combine many different participatory channels believe they have more impact on urban development than those using few channels. The study therefore reveals that the introduction of many participatory channels tends to create super participants, which is further accentuated by the introduction of digital participation tools.
Displacement and Citizen Participation: A Comparison of the Enactment of E-Participation Platforms in Oslo and Madrid
Authors: Legard Sveinung
Published: May 2022

The growing digitization of citizen participation has been accompanied by the concern that e-participation technologies will displace traditional forms of participation and representation. This chapter contributes to the discussions on ‘hybrid’ and ‘multichannel’ participation, by arguing that the relationship between e-participation and traditional, analogue forms of citizen participation is uneasy. The level of conflict and displacement caused by the introduction of e-participation technologies depends on how they are enacted. This chapter compares the introduction of e-participation platforms in Madrid and Oslo, and finds that the new technologies in Madrid deprived traditional channels of citizen participation or their role, but in Oslo were used to complement existing forms of analogue participation. This chapter uses technology enactment theory and an inductive case-study approach, to develop the hypothesis that e-participation technologies can both be enacted in ways that add something to an institutional environment, but also to achieve drastic change and that this is the outcome of agency.
The Impact of Digital Participation on Democratic Urban Governance
Authors: Legard Sveinung , Hovik Sissel
Published: May 2022

This concluding chapter examines the effect on democracy of different approaches to the digitalization of citizen participation. We investigate how well different e-participation models perform on the dimensions of inclusiveness, deliberation and popular control, the models examined being the online direct democracy model in Madrid, the digital crowdsourcing model in Melbourne and the e-bricolage model in Oslo. Digital technologies can, compared with analogue participation, enable cities to reach out to a larger number of people and strengthen the role of citizens in decision-making. The limitations of digital participation are revealed or confirmed by this study. Digital technologies can mobilize more citizens, but at the same time reinforce existing inequalities. High-quality deliberation is also difficult to achieve through online platforms. This study shows that the approach applied by cities to digitalization impacts the level of democracy achieved. This should be useful to practitioners designing systems of citizen participation in other cities.
Preliminary Design of a Flexible Haptic Surface
Authors: Le Magueresse Romain , Giraud Frédéric , Casset Fabrice , Kaci Anis , Desloges Brigitte , Colin Mikael
Published: May 2022

This paper presents the preliminary development of a flexible haptic surface in order to produce texture rendering on a large conformable area. For this purpose, Haptic Pixels vibrating at ultrasonic frequencies are actuated by piezoelectric elements and implanted on a flexible matrix. The design leads to square glass plates of 10 $$\times $$
×
10 mm$$^2$$

2

with a thickness of 500 $$\upmu $$
μ
m, actuated by PZT ceramics with a thickness of 200 $$\upmu $$
μ
m and a radius of 2.5 mm bonded on a 100 $$\upmu $$
μ
m thick PEEK film. Electromechanical characterizations validate the design. The PEEK film between two pixels is exploited to separate them, to obtain the flexibility of the surface and to create an area of friction reduction with a stationary wave. Haptic evaluations are carried out to confirm the performances of the approach on a Haptic Pixel.
Human Self-touch vs Other-Touch Resolved by Machine Learning
Authors: Ramasamy Aruna , Faux Damien , Hayward Vincent , Auvray Malika , Job Xavier , Kirsch Louise
Published: May 2022

Using a database of vibratory signals captured from the index finger of participants performing self-touch or touching another person, we wondered whether these signals contained information that enabled the automatic classification into categories of self-touch and other-touch. The database included signals where the tactile pressure was varied systematically, where the sliding speed was varied systematically, and also where the touching posture were varied systematically. We found that using standard sound feature-extraction, a random forest classifier was able to predict with an accuracy greater than 90% that a signal came from self-touch or from other-touch regardless of the variation of the other factors. This result demonstrates that tactile signals produced during active touch contain latent cues that could play a role in the distinction between touching and being touched and which could have important applications in the creation of artificial worlds, in the study of social interactions, of sensory deficits, or cognitive conditions.
Investigating Movement-Related Tactile Suppression Using Commercial VR Controllers
Authors: Schuetz Immo , McManus Meaghan , Fiehler Katja , Voudouris Dimitris
Published: May 2022

When we perform a goal-directed movement, tactile sensitivity on the moving limb is reduced compared to during rest. This well established finding of movement-related tactile suppression is often investigated with psychophysical paradigms, using custom haptic actuators and highly constrained movement tasks. However, studying more naturalistic movement scenarios is becoming more accessible due to increased availability of affordable, off-the-shelf virtual reality (VR) hardware. Here, we present a first evaluation of consumer VR controllers (HTC Vive and Valve Index) for psychophysical testing using the built-in vibrotactile actuators. We show that participants’ tactile perceptual thresholds can generally be estimated through manipulation of controller vibration amplitude and frequency. When participants performed a goal-directed movement using the controller, vibrotactile perceptual thresholds increased compared to rest, in agreement with previous work and confirming the suitability of unmodified VR controllers for tactile suppression research. Our findings will facilitate investigations of tactile perception in dynamic virtual scenarios.
Wearable Haptics in a Modern VR Rehabilitation System: Design Comparison for Usability and Engagement
Authors: Camardella Cristian , Gabardi Massimiliano , Frisoli Antonio , Leonardis Daniele
Published: May 2022

Modern immersive virtual reality (VR) systems include embedded hand tracking, stand-alone and wireless operation, fast donning and calibration: these features are precious for usability of rehabilitation serious games in the clinical practice, envisaging also home-care applications. Can wearable haptics well integrate with the above features? Different designs result in a trade-off between wearability and richness of feedback. Yet, engagement of the user is also one of the key-features for rehabilitation serious games. We developed two novel fingertip devices aiming the first at lightweight and wearability, the second at rich and powerful cutaneous feedback. We compared the two designs in terms of usability and users’ engagement within a modern rehabilitation system in immersive VR.
Guidance for the Design of Vibrotactile Patterns for Use on the Human Back
Authors: Kapppers Astrid M. L. , Plaisier Myrthe A.
Published: May 2022

In this paper, we present an overview of parameters that are of relevance for the perception of vibrotactile patterns on the back. These patterns are delivered via varying numbers of vibration motors fixed to the back rest of a chair, vests or belts. We present recent findings from the literature about vibrotactile anisotropy, timing, spacing, anchor points, resolution and intensity. From this overview, we derive recommendations that should be considered when designing a vibrotactile device for the back. The main recommendations are: 1) Use sequential stimulation for conveying spatial patterns; 2) Avoid tactors on the spine; 3) For a rectangular grid $$4\times 4$$

4
×
4

tactors seems optimal; 4) Carefully consider relative horizontal and vertical spacing. We hope that this overview will raise awareness of several issues that play a role in perception and that our recommendations will provide guidance when designing vibrotactile communication devices.
Führen in agilen Organisationsstrukturen
Authors: Grimm Julian , Tokarski Kim Oliver
Published: May 2022

Aufgrund der Globalisierung, der Auswirkungen einer VUCA-Welt sowie der hiermit verbundenen Anforderungen an resiliente Organisationen und Mitarbeitende stoßen klassische Führungsansätze vermeintlich an ihre Grenzen. So sind neue Ansätze gefragt, um das Bestehen und die Weiterentwicklung von Unternehmen sicherzustellen. Dem Konzept der agilen Führung kommt dabei eine besondere Bedeutung zu. Agile Führung ist keine klar umschriebene Führungstheorie mit einer einheitlichen Definition, sondern eher ein neues, sich im Wandel befindendes Konzept. Dabei wird agile Führung als Abkehr von klassischen Top-down-Führungskonzepten empfunden. Mitarbeitende übernehmen in agiler Führung mehr Verantwortung, und die Rolle der Führungskraft ändert sich. Das vorliegende Kapitel untersucht die Voraussetzungen, Ansätze und Ausprägungen agiler Führung sowie die Auswirkungen auf die Mitarbeitenden aus Praxissicht in Form einer qualitativen Untersuchung.
The Impact of International Organizations on the Field of Open, Distance, and Digital Education
Authors: Orr Dominic
Published: May 2022

This chapter argues that international organizations (IOs) are struggling to fulfill their mandate for change and improvement of society across the globe, and that they have been increasingly turning to open, distance, and digital education (ODDE) as part of their portfolio. Harnessing ODDE could be described as a “light-footed solution” for IOs and discussing and ideating around ODDE can be achieved without directly coming into conflict with the political and regulatory framework conditions of a specific country or region that formal educational systems and their institutions are usually entrenched in. This creates a situation in which there is a common discourse among IOs around the challenges that online and distance education should be tackling and an expectation that digital solutions can contribute to them. It is, however, also important to note that IOs focus on setting agendas and norms, but do not implement practices. This leaves a huge gap for ODDE that should be filled by research on what is implemented and “what really works,” but also why certain configurations around ODDE work in certain settings. This may require a more inclusive research framework with a focus on non-formal learning environments. Linking ODDE research to more expansive ideas of “learning in the wild,” that is, also outside of formal settings, will better reflect both the reality of learners in today’s digital world, and provide a foundation for contributing to better IO policies and supporting practices.
A universe field theory for JT gravity
Authors: Post Boris , van der Heijden Jeremy , Verlinde Erik
Published: May 2022

Abstract

We present a field theory description for the non-perturbative splitting and joining of baby universes in Euclidean Jackiw-Teitelboim (JT) gravity. We show how the gravitational path integral, defined as a sum over topologies, can be reproduced from the perturbative expansion of a Kodaira-Spencer (KS) field theory for the complex structure deformations of the spectral curve. We use that the Schwinger-Dyson equations for the KS theory can be mapped to the topological recursion relations. We refer to this dual description of JT gravity as a ‘universe field theory’. By introducing non-compact D-branes in the target space geometry, we can probe non-perturbative aspects of JT gravity. The relevant operators are obtained through a modification of the JT path integral with Neumann boundary conditions. The KS/JT identification suggests that the ensemble average for JT gravity can be understood in terms of a more standard open/closed duality in topological string theory.
Fgfr2b signaling is essential for the maintenance of the alveolar epithelial type 2 lineage during lung homeostasis in mice
Authors: Ahmadvand Negah , Lingampally Arun , Khosravi Farhad , Vazquez-Armendariz Ana Ivonne , Rivetti Stefano , Jones Matthew R. , Wilhelm Jochen , Herold Susanne , Barreto Guillermo , Koepke Janine , Samakovlis Christos , Carraro Gianni , Zhang Jin-San , Al Alam Denise , Bellusci Saverio
Published: May 2022

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2b (Fgfr2b) signaling is essential throughout lung development to form the alveolar epithelial lineage. However, its role in alveolar epithelial type 2 cells (AT2s) homeostasis was recently considered dispensable. SftpcCreERT2; Fgfr2bflox/flox; tdTomatoflox/flox mice were used to delete Fgfr2b expression in cells belonging to the AT2 lineage, which contains mature AT2s and a novel SftpcLow lineage-traced population called “injury activated alveolar progenitors” or IAAPs. Upon continuous tamoxifen exposure for either 1 or 2 weeks to delete Fgfr2b, a shrinking of the AT2 population is observed. Mature AT2s exit the cell cycle, undergo apoptosis and fail to form alveolospheres in vitro. However, the lung morphometry appears normal, suggesting the involvement of compensatory mechanisms. In mutant lungs, IAAPs which escaped Fgfr2b deletion expand, display enhanced alveolosphere formation in vitro and increase drastically their AT2 signature, suggesting differentiation towards mature AT2s. Interestingly, a significant increase in AT2s and decrease in IAPPs occurs after a 1-week tamoxifen exposure followed by an 8-week chase period. Although mature AT2s partially recover their alveolosphere formation capabilities, the IAAPs no longer display this property. Single-cell RNA seq analysis confirms that AT2s and IAAPs represent stable and distinct cell populations and recapitulate some of their characteristics observed in vivo. Our results underscore the essential role played by Fgfr2b signaling in the maintenance of the AT2 lineage in the adult lung during homeostasis and suggest that the IAAPs could represent a new population of AT2 progenitors.
IgM-associated gut bacteria in obesity and type 2 diabetes in C57BL/6 mice and humans
Authors: Pearson James A. , Ding Heyuan , Hu Changyun , Peng Jian , Galuppo Brittany , Wong F. Susan , Caprio Sonia , Santoro Nicola , Wen Li
Published: May 2022

Aims/hypothesis

IgM is the primary antibody produced by B cells and we hypothesise that IgM antibodies to gut microbiota may play a role in immunometabolism in obesity and type 2 diabetes. To test our hypothesis, we used B6 mice deficient in activation-induced cytidine deaminase (Aid−/−[also known asAicda−/−]) which secrete only IgM antibodies, and human faecal samples.

Methods

We studied the immunometabolic effects and gut microbial changes in high-fat-diet-induced obesity (HFDIO) inAid−/−B6 mice compared with wild-type mice. To determine similarities between mice and humans, human stool samples were collected from children and adolescents who were obese with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), obese with glucose intolerance (IGT), or obese and newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, for faecal microbiota transplant (FMT) into germ-free (GF) B6 mice and we assessed IgM-bound bacteria and immune responses.

Results

Compared with wild-type mice,Aid−/−B6 mice developed exacerbated HFDIO due to abundant levels of IgM. FMT fromAid−/−B6 to GF B6 mice promoted greater weight gain in recipient mice compared with FMT using wild-type mouse faecal microbiota. Obese youth with type 2 diabetes had more IgM-bound gut bacteria. Using the stools from the obese youth with type 2 diabetes for FMT to GF B6 mice, we observed that the gut microbiota promoted body weight gain and impaired glucose tolerance in the recipient GF B6 mice. Importantly, some clinical features of these obese young individuals were mirrored in the GF B6 mice following FMT.

Conclusions/interpretation

Our results suggest that IgM-bound gut microbiota may play an important role in the immuno-pathogenesis of obesity and type 2 diabetes, and provide a novel link between IgM in obesity and type 2 diabetes in both mice and humans.

Data availability

The 16s rRNA sequencing datasets supporting the current study have been deposited in the NCBI SRA public repository (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sra; accession no. SAMN18796639).

Graphical abstract
Genomic characterization of three bacteriophages targeting multidrug resistant clinical isolates of Escherichia, Klebsiella and Salmonella
Authors: Nepal Roshan , Houtak Ghais , Karki Sumeena , Dhungana Gunaraj , Vreugde Sarah , Malla Rajani
Published: May 2022

Application of bacteriophages (phages) to treat complex multidrug-resistant bacterial infection is gaining traction because of its efficacy and universal availability. However, as phages are specific to their host, a diverse collection of locally isolated phage from various geographical locations is required to formulate a wide host range phage cocktail. Here, we report morphological and genomic features of three newly isolated phages from river water of the urban region in Kathmandu, Nepal, targeting three different bacteria (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella enterica.) from the Enterobacteriaceae family. Morphological identification and genome analysis indicated that two phages (Escherichia phage vB_EcoM_TU01 and Klebsiella phage vB_KpnP_TU02) were strictly lytic and free from integrases, virulence factors, toxins and known antimicrobial resistance genes, whereas Salmonella phage vB_SalS_TU03 was possibly a temperate phage. The genomic features of these phages indicate that natural phages are capable of lysing pathogenic bacteria and may have potential in bacterial biocontrol.
Artificial intelligence-based PET denoising could allow a two-fold reduction in [18F]FDG PET acquisition time in digital PET/CT
Authors: Weyts Kathleen , Lasnon Charline , Ciappuccini Renaud , Lequesne Justine , Corroyer-Dulmont Aurélien , Quak Elske , Clarisse Bénédicte , Roussel Laurent , Bardet Stéphane , Jaudet Cyril
Published: May 2022

Purpose

We investigated whether artificial intelligence (AI)-based denoising halves PET acquisition time in digital PET/CT.

Methods

One hundred ninety-five patients referred for [18F]FDG PET/CT were prospectively included. Body PET acquisitions were performed in list mode. Original “PET90” (90 s/bed position) was compared to reconstructed ½-duration PET (45 s/bed position) with and without AI-denoising, “PET45AI and PET45”. Denoising was performed by SubtlePET™ using deep convolutional neural networks. Visual global image quality (IQ) 3-point scores and lesion detectability were evaluated. Lesion maximal and peak standardized uptake values using lean body mass (SULmax and SULpeak), metabolic volumes (MV), and liver SULmean were measured, including both standard and EARL1 (European Association of Nuclear Medicine Research Ltd) compliant SUL. Lesion-to-liver SUL ratios (LLR) and liver coefficients of variation (CVliv) were calculated.

Results

PET45 showed mediocre IQ (scored poor in 8% and moderate in 68%) and lesion concordance rate with PET90 (88.7%). In PET45AI, IQ scores were similar to PET90 (P = 0.80), good in 92% and moderate in 8% for both. The lesion concordance rate between PET90 and PET45AI was 836/856 (97.7%), with 7 lesions (0.8%) only detected in PET90 and 13 (1.5%) exclusively in PET45AI. Lesion EARL1 SULpeak was not significantly different between both PET (P = 0.09). Lesion standard SULpeak, standard and EARL1 SULmax, LLR and CVliv were lower in PET45AI than in PET90 (P < 0.0001), while lesion MV and liver SULmean were higher (P < 0.0001). Good to excellent intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) between PET90 and PET45AI were observed for lesion SUL and MV (ICC ≥ 0.97) and for liver SULmean (ICC ≥ 0.87).

Conclusion

AI allows [18F]FDG PET duration in digital PET/CT to be halved, while restoring degraded ½-duration PET image quality. Future multicentric studies, including other PET radiopharmaceuticals, are warranted.
Sensitive and specific detection of breast cancer lymph node metastasis through dual-modality magnetic particle imaging and fluorescence molecular imaging: a preclinical evaluation
Authors: Wang Guorong , Li Wenzhe , Shi Guangyuan , Tian Yu , Kong Lingyan , Ding Ning , Lei Jing , Jin Zhengyu , Tian Jie , Du Yang
Published: May 2022

Purpose

A sensitive and specific imaging method to detect metastatic cancer cells in lymph nodes to detect the early-stage breast cancer is still a challenge. The purpose of this study was to investigate a novel breast cancer–targeting and tumour microenvironment ATP-responsive superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIOs) imaging probe (abbreviated as SPIOs@A-T) that was developed to detect lymph node metastasis through fluorescence molecular imaging (FMI) and magnetic particle imaging (MPI).

Methods

The conjugation of the targeted peptide CREKA and SPIOs was via linker sulfo-SMCC, while the dsDNA-Cy5.5 was modified on SPIOs through the conjugation between maleimide group in sulfo-SMCC and sulfydryl group in dsDNA-Cy5.5. SPIOs@A-T was characterised for its imaging properties, targeting ability and toxicity in vitro. Mice with metastatic lymph node (MLN) of breast cancer were established to evaluate the FMI and MPI imaging strategy in vivo. Healthy mice with normal lymph node (NLN) were used as control group. Histological examination and biosafety evaluation were performed for further assessment.

Results

After injection with SPIOs@A-T, the obvious high fluorescent intensity and MPI signal were observed in MLN group than those in NLN group. FMI can specifically light up MLN using an ATP-responsive fluorescence design. On the other hand, MPI could complement the limitation of imaging depth from FMI and could detect MLN more sensitively. Besides, the biosafety evaluation results showed SPIOs@A-T had no detectable biological toxicity.

Conclusion

SPIOs@A-T imaging probe in combination with FMI and MPI can provide a promising novel method for the precise detection of MLN in vivo.
Predicting treatment outcome in depression: an introduction into current concepts and challenges
Authors: Rost Nicolas , Binder Elisabeth B. , Brückl Tanja M.
Published: May 2022

Improving response and remission rates in major depressive disorder (MDD) remains an important challenge. Matching patients to the treatment they will most likely respond to should be the ultimate goal. Even though numerous studies have investigated patient-specific indicators of treatment efficacy, no (bio)markers or empirical tests for use in clinical practice have resulted as of now. Therefore, clinical decisions regarding the treatment of MDD still have to be made on the basis of questionnaire- or interview-based assessments and general guidelines without the support of a (laboratory) test. We conducted a narrative review of current approaches to characterize and predict outcome to pharmacological treatments in MDD. We particularly focused on findings from newer computational studies using machine learning and on the resulting implementation into clinical decision support systems. The main issues seem to rest upon the unavailability of robust predictive variables and the lacking application of empirical findings and predictive models in clinical practice. We outline several challenges that need to be tackled on different stages of the translational process, from current concepts and definitions to generalizable prediction models and their successful implementation into digital support systems. By bridging the addressed gaps in translational psychiatric research, advances in data quantity and new technologies may enable the next steps toward precision psychiatry.
Genome editing and beyond: what does it mean for the future of plant breeding?
Authors: Van Vu Tien , Das Swati , Hensel Goetz , Kim Jae-Yean
Published: May 2022

Main conclusion

Genome editing offers revolutionized solutions for plant breeding to sustain food production to feed the world by 2050. Therefore, genome-edited products are increasingly recognized via more relaxed legislation and community adoption.

The world population and food production are disproportionally growing in a manner that would have never matched each other under the current agricultural practices. The emerging crisis is more evident with the subtle changes in climate and the running-off of natural genetic resources that could be easily used in breeding in conventional ways. Under these circumstances, affordable CRISPR-Cas-based gene-editing technologies have brought hope and charged the old plant breeding machine with the most energetic and powerful fuel to address the challenges involved in feeding the world. What makes CRISPR-Cas the most powerful gene-editing technology? What are the differences between it and the other genetic engineering/breeding techniques? Would its products be labeled as "conventional" or "GMO"? There are so many questions to be answered, or that cannot be answered within the limitations of our current understanding. Therefore, we would like to discuss and answer some of the mentioned questions regarding recent progress in technology development. We hope this review will offer another view on the role of CRISPR-Cas technology in future of plant breeding for food production and beyond.
Comparative analysis of lateral maxillary sinus augmentation with a xenogeneic bone substitute material in combination with piezosurgical preparation and bony wall repositioning or rotary instrumentation and membrane coverage: a prospective randomized clinical and histological study
Authors: Molnár Bálint , Jung Anne-Kathrin , Papp Zsuzsanna , Martin Anna , Orbán Kristóf , Pröhl Annica , Jung Ole , Barbeck Mike , Windisch Péter
Published: May 2022

Objectives

The present randomized controlled clinical study aimed to investigate if, in lateral maxillary sinus augmentation, the repositioned bony wall or the application of a collagen membrane results in more preferable new hard tissue formation.

Materials and methods

Forty patients were divided into two study groups. Both groups received a xenogeneic bone substitute material (BSM) during lateral sinus augmentation. In the bony wall group (BW), following piezosurgery, the retrieved bony wall was repositioned. In the collagen membrane group (CM), following rotary instrument preparation, collagen membrane coverage was applied. After 6 months, biopsies were taken to histologically analyze the percentage of BSM, connective tissue (CT), and newly formed bone (NFB) following both approaches.

Results

Forty implants were placed and 29 harvested biopsies could be evaluated. Duration of surgery, membrane perforations, and VAS were detected. Histomorphometrical analysis revealed comparable amounts of all analyzed parameters in both groups in descending order: CT (BW: 39.2 ± 9%, CM: 37,9 ± 8.5%) > BSM (BW: 32.9 ± 6.3%, CM: 31.8 ± 8.8%) > NB (BW: 27.8 ± 11.2%, CM: 30.3 ± 4.5%).

Conclusions

The results of the present study show that the closure of the access window by means of the retrieved bony wall or a native collagen membrane led to comparable bone augmentation results.

Clinical trial

clinicaltrials.gov NCT04811768.

Clinical relevance

Lateral maxillary sinus augmentation with the application of a xenogeneic BSM in combination with a native collagen membrane for bony window coverage represents a reliable method for surgical reconstruction of the posterior maxilla. Piezosurgery with bony window repositioning delivers comparable outcomes without membrane coverage.
Geldpolitik und Nachhaltigkeit
Authors: Hellwig Martin
Published: May 2022

ECB President Christine Lagarde and others have suggested that climate change creates risks for price stability and for the viability of counterparties to central bank interventions and therefore monetary policy should contribute to fighting climate change. However, pursuit of this new objective may occassionally conflict with price stability, in which case the legal mandate as well as the underlying rationale for this mandate and for ECB independence call for prioritising price stability. However, monetary policy will have a sustainability problem of its own if the viability of the monetary system is threatened by financial and fiscal instability.
Anaphylactic reaction to carboplatin diagnosed by skin testing—a reliable tool in platinum-based immediate-type hypersensitivity reactions
Authors: Marquart Elias , Jalili Ahmad , Mothes-Luksch Nadine , Wagner Stephan N. , Kinaciyan Tamar
Published: May 2022

Immediate-type hypersensitivity reactions (IHRs) to carboplatin (CA) are most commonly reported in ovarian cancer patients. A 54-year-old woman with stage IV melanoma suffering from metastasis in the entire right lower extremity was presented to our allergy outpatient clinic for diagnostic work-up due to an anaphylactic reaction with palmoplantar erythema, conjunctivitis along with facial erythema, and an incipient decrease in blood pressure during a chemotherapy regimen with dacarbazine and carboplatin upon re-administration. A subsequently carried out allergological work-up with skin testing (ST) revealed CA to be the culprit drug, whereas cisplatin (CI) was confirmed to be a safe alternative for the patient for following treatments. Here, we report a case of an IHR to carboplatin in a melanoma patient, with CI serving as a safe alternative diagnosed by skin testing.
Deliberating with the Autocrats? A Case Study on the Limitations and Potential of Political CSR in a Non-Democratic Context
Authors: Maier Anna-Lena , Gilbert Dirk Ulrich
Published: May 2022

Extant literature on Political CSR and the role of governments in the governance of business conduct tends to neglect key implications of the political-institutional macro-context for public deliberation. Contextual assumptions often remain rather implicit, leading to the need for a more nuanced, explicit and context-sensitive exploration of the theoretical and practical boundary conditions of Political CSR. In non-democratic political-institutional contexts, political pluralism and participation are limited, and governmental agencies continue to play the most central role in regulation and its enforcement. Drawing on a qualitative case study on a nuclear energy project in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, we show how both governments and MNCs co-create a context hostile to socially responsible business conduct in the sense of Political CSR. Utilizing rich qualitative data derived from interviews, public documents, and participant observation between 2008 and 2018, we specifically illuminate how—through which interactions and strategies—the multiple governmental and corporate actors involved counter civil society demands for public deliberation, indicating the limitations of Political CSR in non-democratic political-institutional contexts. We particularly contribute to the development of Political CSR by analysing the role of coercive and discursive forms of power. We thus offer a more nuanced perspective on the role of governments in constraining the room for public deliberation in the sense of Political CSR.
Platelet-Mediated Transfer of Cardioprotection by Remote Ischemic Conditioning and Its Abrogation by Aspirin But Not by Ticagrelor
Authors: Lieder Helmut Raphael , Tsoumani Maria , Andreadou Ioanna , Schrör Karsten , Heusch Gerd , Kleinbongard Petra
Published: May 2022

Purpose

The role of platelets during myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) is ambivalent. They contribute to injury but also to cardioprotection. Repeated blood flow restriction and reperfusion in a tissue/organ remote from the heart (remote ischemic conditioning, RIC) reduce myocardial I/R injury and attenuate platelet activation. Whether or not platelets mediate RIC’s cardioprotective signal is currently unclear.

Methods and Results

Venous blood from healthy volunteers (without or with pretreatment of 500/1000 mg aspirin or 180 mg ticagrelor orally, 2–3 h before the study, n = 18 each) was collected before and after RIC (3 × 5 min blood pressure cuff inflation at 200 mmHg on the left upper arm/5 min deflation). Washed platelets were isolated. Platelet-poor plasma was used to prepare plasma-dialysates. Platelets (25 × 103/µL) or plasma-dialysates (1:10) prepared before and after RIC from untreated versus aspirin- or ticagrelor-pretreated volunteers, respectively, were infused into isolated buffer-perfused rat hearts. Hearts were subjected to global 30 min/120 min I/R. Infarct size was stained. Infarct size was less with infusion of platelets/plasma-dialysate after RIC (18 ± 7%/23 ± 9% of ventricular mass) than with platelets/plasma-dialysate before RIC (34 ± 7%/33 ± 8%). Aspirin pretreatment abrogated the transfer of RIC’s cardioprotection by platelets (after/before RIC, 34 ± 7%/33 ± 7%) but only attenuated that by plasma-dialysate (after/before RIC, 26 ± 8%/32 ± 5%). Ticagrelor pretreatment induced an in vivo formation of cardioprotective factor(s) per se (platelets/plasma-dialysate before RIC, 26 ± 7%/26 ± 7%) but did not impact on RIC’s cardioprotection by platelets/plasma-dialysate (20 ± 7%/21 ± 5%).

Conclusion

Platelets serve as carriers for RIC’s cardioprotective signal through an aspirin-sensitive and thus cyclooxygenase-dependent mechanism. The P2Y12 inhibitor ticagrelor per se induces a humoral cardioprotective signal.

Graphical abstract
Political leaders with professional background in business and climate outcomes
Authors: Diaz-Serrano Luis , Kallis Giorgos
Published: May 2022

The literature on how the ideology of political parties in power correlates with climate policy outcomes is abundant, but there is no similar literature for the individual characteristics of government leaders. This assessment is the first study of its kind, building on a dataset of government leaders of OECD countries for the period 1992–2017. We find that national presidents or prime ministers with a professional background in business are strongly correlated with bad climate mitigation outcomes. In particular, higher emissions and lower renewable energy deployment are more likely to occur during the tenure of former business people. Our results suggest that voters and pressure groups should pay attention to candidates’ professional backgrounds, in addition to their party’s ideology.
A Systematic Meta-analysis of the Reliability and Validity of Subjective Cognitive Load Questionnaires in Experimental Multimedia Learning Research
Authors: Krieglstein Felix , Beege Maik , Rey Günter Daniel , Ginns Paul , Krell Moritz , Schneider Sascha
Published: May 2022

For more than three decades, cognitive load theory has been addressing learning from a cognitive perspective. Based on this instructional theory, design recommendations and principles have been derived to manage the load on working memory while learning. The increasing attention paid to cognitive load theory in educational science quickly culminated in the need to measure its types of cognitive load — intrinsic, extraneous, and germane cognitive load which additively contribute to the overall load. In this meta-analysis, four frequently used cognitive load questionnaires were examined concerning their reliability (internal consistency) and validity (construct validity and criterion validity). Results revealed that the internal consistency of the subjective cognitive load questionnaires can be considered satisfactory across all four questionnaires. Moreover, moderator analyses showed that reliability estimates of the cognitive load questionnaires did not differ between educational settings, domains of the instructional materials, presentation modes, or number of scale points. Correlations among the cognitive load types partially contradict theory-based assumptions, whereas correlations with learning-related variables support assumptions derived from cognitive load theory. In particular, results seem to support the three-factor model consisting of intrinsic cognitive load, extraneous cognitive load, and germane cognitive load. Results are discussed in relation to current trends in cognitive load theory and recommendations for the future use of cognitive load questionnaires in experimental research are suggested.
Epigenetic mechanisms of lung carcinogenesis involve differentially methylated CpG sites beyond those associated with smoking
Authors: Petrovic Dusan , Bodinier Barbara , Dagnino Sonia , Whitaker Matthew , Karimi Maryam , Campanella Gianluca , Haugdahl Nøst Therese , Polidoro Silvia , Palli Domenico , Krogh Vittorio , Tumino Rosario , Sacerdote Carlotta , Panico Salvatore , Lund Eiliv , Dugué Pierre-Antoine , Giles Graham G. , Severi Gianluca , Southey Melissa , Vineis Paolo , Stringhini Silvia , Bochud Murielle , Sandanger Torkjel M. , Vermeulen Roel C. H. , Guida Florence , Chadeau-Hyam Marc
Published: May 2022

Smoking-related epigenetic changes have been linked to lung cancer, but the contribution of epigenetic alterations unrelated to smoking remains unclear. We sought for a sparse set of CpG sites predicting lung cancer and explored the role of smoking in these associations. We analysed CpGs in relation to lung cancer in participants from two nested case–control studies, using (LASSO)-penalised regression. We accounted for the effects of smoking using known smoking-related CpGs, and through conditional-independence network. We identified 29 CpGs (8 smoking-related, 21 smoking-unrelated) associated with lung cancer. Models additionally adjusted for Comprehensive Smoking Index-(CSI) selected 1 smoking-related and 49 smoking-unrelated CpGs. Selected CpGs yielded excellent discriminatory performances, outperforming information provided by CSI only. Of the 8 selected smoking-related CpGs, two captured lung cancer-relevant effects of smoking that were missed by CSI. Further, the 50 CpGs identified in the CSI-adjusted model complementarily explained lung cancer risk. These markers may provide further insight into lung cancer carcinogenesis and help improving early identification of high-risk patients.
Comparison of drone and vessel-based collection of microbiological water samples in marine environments
Authors: Horricks Ryan A. , Bannister Cody , Lewis-McCrea Leah M. , Hicks James , Watson Kiersten , Reid Gregor K.
Published: May 2022

Many water quality metrics cannot be measured in situ and require collection of a physical sample for laboratory analysis. This includes microbiological samples for detection of fecal coliform bacteria in marine and freshwater systems which are a critical component of food safety programs for human consumption of bivalve shellfish worldwide. Water sample collection programs are typically vessel-based which can be time and resource intensive. In Canada, the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program aims to avoid consumption of contaminated molluscan bivalves by monitoring fecal coliform bacteria through vessel-based water sample collection. Uncrewed aerial vehicles or drones are becoming more commonly used for water sample collection given their relatively low cost but are rarely used to support microbiological analyses. A prerequisite for the acceptance of a new collection method for a regulatory program is to determine if the method of sample collection affects results. To assess this potential, we designed, developed, and tested a sampling device attached to the underside of a drone to collect water samples for bacteriological analysis. Drone and vessel-based samples were collected in the same location, at the same 20-cm depth, within a minute apart, at ten different geographic locations in coastal Nova Scotia waters to compare fecal coliform counts. Bacterial count estimates obtained from drone-collected samples were not significantly different than estimates obtained from vessel-collected samples (p < 0.5). Results from this study suggest novel water sampling techniques using drones could supplement or replace traditional vessel-based sampling methods.
Transitivity and homogeneity of orthosets and inner-product spaces over subfields of $${{\mathbb {R}}}$$
Authors: Vetterlein Thomas
Published: May 2022

An orthoset (also called an orthogonality space) is a set X equipped with a symmetric and irreflexive binary relation $$\perp $$
⊥
, called the orthogonality relation. In quantum physics, orthosets play an elementary role. In particular, a Hilbert space gives rise to an orthoset in a canonical way and can be reconstructed from it. We investigate in this paper the question to which extent real Hilbert spaces can be characterised as orthosets possessing suitable types of symmetries. We establish that orthosets fulfilling a transitivity as well as a certain homogeneity property arise from (anisotropic) Hermitian spaces. Moreover, restricting considerations to divisible automorphisms, we narrow down the possibilities to positive definite quadratic spaces over an ordered field. We eventually show that, under the additional requirement that the action of these automorphisms is quasiprimitive, the scalar field embeds into $${{\mathbb {R}}}$$
R
.