bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular subtyping of gastroesophageal dysplasia heterogeneity according to TCGA/ACRG classes
Authors: Angerilli Valentina , Pennelli Gianmaria , Galuppini Francesca , Realdon Stefano , Fantin Alberto , Savarino Edoardo , Farinati Fabio , Mastracci Luca , Luchini Claudio , Fassan Matteo
Published: August 2022

Gastric adenocarcinoma has recently been classified into several subtypes on the basis of molecular profiling, which has been successfully reproduced by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridization (ISH). A series of 73 gastroesophageal dysplastic lesions (37 gastric dysplasia and 36 Barrett dysplasia; 44 low-grade dysplasia and 29 high-grade dysplasia) was investigated for mismatch repair proteins, E-cadherin, p53, and EBER status, to reproduce The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Asian Cancer Research Group (ACRG) molecular clustering. Overall, the dysplastic lesions were classified as follows: according to TCGA classification, EBV, 0/73 (0%), MSI, 6/73 (8.2%), GS, 4/73 (5.5%), CIN, 63/73 (86.3%); according to ACRG molecular subtyping, MSI, 6/73 (8.2%), MSS/EMT, 4/73 (5.5%), MSS/TP53−, 33/73 (45.2%), MSS/TP53+, 30/73 (41.1%). A positive association was found between MSS/TP53− and Barrett dysplasia (p = 0.0004), between MSS/TP53+ and LG dysplasia (p = 0.001) and between MSS/TP53+ and gastric dysplasia (p = 0.0018). Gastroesophageal dysplastic lesions proved to be heterogenous in terms of TCGA/ACRG classes, but with a different distribution from that of cancers, with no EBV-positive cases, an increasing presence of mismatch repair deficiency from low grade to high grade lesions, and a prevalence of p53 aberrations in Barrett dysplasia. The present study further demonstrated that gastroesophageal dysplastic lesions may be characterized by alterations in predictive/prognostic biomarkers, and this should be considered in routine diagnostic.
Prediction of laparoscopic skills: objective learning curve analysis
Authors: Rahimi A. Masie , Hardon Sem F. , Uluç Ezgi , Bonjer H. Jaap , Daams Freek
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Prediction of proficiency of laparoscopic skills is essential to establish personalized training programs. Objective assessment of laparoscopic skills has been validated in a laparoscopic box trainer with force, motion and time recognition. The aim of this study is to investigate whether acquiring proficiency of laparoscopic skills can be predicted based on performance in such a training box.

Methods

Surgical residents in their first year of training performed six different tasks in the Lapron box trainer. Force, motion and time data, three objective measures of tissue manipulation and instrument handling, were collected and analyzed for the six different tasks. Linear regression tests were used to predict the learning curve and the number of repetitions required to reach proficiency.

Results

A total of 6010 practice sessions performed by 42 trainees from 13 Dutch hospitals were assessed and included for analysis. Proficiency level was determined as a mean result of seven experts performing 42 trials. Learning curve graphs and prediction models for each task were calculated. A significant relationship between force, motion and time during six different tasks and prediction of proficiency was present in 17 out of 18 analyses.

Conclusion

The learning curve of proficiency of laparoscopic skills can accurately be predicted after three repetitions of six tasks in a training box with force, path length and time recognition. This will facilitate personalized training programs in laparoscopic surgery.
Konzeptionen von Simulationen mit Simulationspersonen für die Medizinethik-Lehre
Authors: Seifart Carola , Schönbauer Andrea , Monteverde Settimio , Krones Tanja
Published: August 2022

Simulationen mit Simulationspersonen (Schauspieler*innen) gehören in der medizinischen Lehre zum Ausbildungs-Standard. In der medizinethischen Lehre ist dies bisher nicht in gleichem Umfang der Fall. Für ihren Einsatz, insbesondere in der klinischen Ethik, können gute Gründe angeführt werden, wie beispielsweise die Möglichkeit konkreter Erfahrungen als Lehrelement und die situationsspezifische Verbindung von Wissen, Können und Haltungen in einem Lernprozess. Die Konzeption von Simulationen mit Simulationspersonen in der medizinethischen Lehre ist jedoch voraussetzungsreich. Es müssen die mehrdimensionalen Lernziele und die Anforderungen an die medizinethische Lehre berücksichtigt werden. Der Beitrag möchte anhand eines konkreten Beispiels einen Überblick über die Entwicklung und Konzeption von Drehbüchern bzw. Rollen-Skripten für Simulationen mit Simulationspersonen für die Lehre in der klinischen Ethik als wichtigem Teilbereich der Medizinethik geben. Dabei wird auf die besonderen Voraussetzungen und Spezifika dieser Simulationen eingegangen. Abschließend wird kritisch diskutiert, welchen Stellenwert das Training von kommunikativen Fertigkeiten in der medizinethischen Theorie und klinisch-ethischen Praxis haben kann und soll. Der Beitrag schließt mit der Überlegung, ob nicht auch in der Fortbildung von klinischen Ethiker*innen Simulationspersonen zum Einsatz kommen sollten.
A confirmatory factorial analysis of the Chatbot Usability Scale: a multilanguage validation
Authors: Borsci Simone , Schmettow Martin , Malizia Alessio , Chamberlain Alan , van der Velde Frank
Published: August 2022

The Bot Usability Scale (BUS) is a standardised tool to assess and compare the satisfaction of users after interacting with chatbots to support the development of usable conversational systems. The English version of the 15-item BUS scale (BUS-15) was the result of an exploratory factorial analysis; a confirmatory factorial analysis tests the replicability of the initial model and further explores the properties of the scale aiming to optimise this tool seeking for the stability of the original model, the potential reduction of items, and testing multiple language versions of the scale. BUS-15 and the usability metrics for user experience (UMUX-LITE), used here for convergent validity purposes, were translated from English to Spanish, German, and Dutch. A total of 1292 questionnaires were completed in multiple languages; these were collected from 209 participants interacting with an overall pool of 26 chatbots. BUS-15 was acceptably reliable; however, a shorter and more reliable solution with 11 items (BUS-11) emerged from the data. The satisfaction ratings obtained with the translated version of BUS-11 were not significantly different from the original version in English, suggesting that the BUS-11 could be used in multiple languages. The results also suggested that the age of participants seems to affect the evaluation when using the scale, with older participants significantly rating the chatbots as less satisfactory, when compared to younger participants. In line with the expectations, based on reliability, BUS-11 positively correlates with UMUX-LITE scale. The new version of the scale (BUS-11) aims to facilitate the evaluation with chatbots, and its diffusion could help practitioners to compare the performances and benchmark chatbots during the product assessment stage. This tool could be a way to harmonise and enable comparability in the field of human and conversational agent interaction.
Imbalance of Th17, Treg, and helper innate lymphoid cell in the peripheral blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Wang Ting , Rui Jinbing , Shan Wenqi , Xue Fei , Feng Dingqi , Dong Liyang , Mao Jiahui , Shu Yang , Mao Chaoming , Wang Xuefeng
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease involving a variety of immune cells, including adaptive T and B cells and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs). Understanding the pathogenic role of these immune cells in RA provides new insights into the intervention and treatment of RA.

Methods

A total of 86 patients with RA (RA group) and 50 healthy controls (HC) were included in the study. The immune cells of CD4+, CD19+ B, NK, Th17, Treg, ILCs, and their subsets (i.e., ILC1s, ILC2s, and ILC3s) were characterized in peripheral blood mononuclear cells by flow cytometry. Cytokines (i.e., IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10, IL-17A, IL-22, and IL-33) in sera were detected using ELISA. The above immune cells and cytokines were analyzed in patients with different disease activity status and positive ( +) or negative ( −) rheumatoid factor (RF)/anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA).

Results

Patients with RA had higher percentages of CD4+ T, CD19+ B, Th17, ILC2s, and ILC3s and lower percentages of Treg and ILC1s than HC. Patients with RA had elevated levels of IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-17A, and IL-22 and decreased level of IL-10. Compared with HC, patients with high disease activity had higher percentages of Th17, ILC2s, and ILC3s; lower percentages of ILC1s; and lower level of IL-10. The percentage of Treg cells in remission, low, moderate, and high disease activities decreased, whereas the level of IL-17A increased compared with HC. Furthermore, RF+ or ACPA+ patients exhibited elevated percentages of CD19+ B, ILC2s, and ILC3s and had decreased percentage of ILC1s and Treg cells than HC. The percentage of Th17 cells increased in RF−/ACPA− and RF+/ACPA+ patients. However, the above immune cells between RF or ACPA positive and negative patients were not significantly different.

Conclusion

Th17, Treg, and ILC subset dysregulations are present in patients with RA but may not be associated with conventionally defined seropositive RF and ACPA.

Key Points• Th17, Treg, and ILC subset dysregulations are present in patients with RA but may reflect inflammation rather than specific diseases and stages.• No difference for the distribution of Th17, Treg, and ILC subsets between RF+and RF− patients and between ACPA+and ACPA− patients. The screening spectrum of RF and ACPA serology should be expanded to elucidate the role of immune cells in RA pathogenesis.
Analysis of control strategies for VIVA OpenHBM with active reflexive neck muscles
Authors: Putra I Putu A. , Thomson Robert
Published: August 2022

Modeling muscle activity in the neck muscles of a finite element (FE) human body model can be based on two biological reflex systems. One approach is to approximate the Vestibulocollic reflex (VCR) function, which maintains the head orientation relative to a fixed reference in space. The second system tries to maintain the head posture relative to the torso, similar to the Cervicocolic reflex (CCR). Strategies to combine these two neck muscle controller approaches in a single head-neck FE model were tested, optimized, and compared to rear-impact volunteer data. The first approach, Combined-Control, assumed that both controllers simultaneously controlled all neck muscle activations. In the second approach, Distributed-Control, one controller was used to regulate activation of the superficial muscles while a different controller acted on deep neck muscles. The results showed that any muscle controller that combined the two approaches was less effective than only using one of VCR- or CCR-based systems on its own. A passive model had the best objective rating for cervical spine kinematics, but the addition of a single active controller provided the best response for both head and cervical spine kinematics. The present study demonstrates the difficulty in completely capturing representative head and cervical spine responses to rear-impact loading and identified a controller capturing the VCR reflex as the best candidate to investigate whiplash injury mechanisms through FE modeling.
Stochastic modelling and simulation of PTEN regulatory networks with miRNAs and ceRNAs
Authors: Carletti Margherita , Spaletta Giulia
Published: August 2022

In this work, three genetic regulatory networks are considered, that model the post–transcriptional regulation of the PTEN onco–suppressor gene, mediated by microRNAs and competitive endogenous RNAs, in glioblastoma multiforme, the most severe of brain tumours. We simulate solutions of the resulting stochastic differential systems and discuss the effects of this miRNA–fashioned regulation on PTEN expression.
Economies of Scale: The Rationale Behind the Multinationality-Performance Enigma
Authors: Eckert Stefan , Koppe Max , Burkatzki Eckhard , Eichentopf Simon , Scharf Constantin
Published: August 2022

In a widely acclaimed contribution to Management International Review, Hennart (2007) challenged one of the mainstream theories of International Business, the S-curve relationship between multinationality and performance, by arguing that there is no positive impact on performance aside from the scale enhancing effect resulting from increasing multinationality. We examine his arguments by analyzing 3876 firms from Canada, Germany, Japan, the UK and the US over the period from 2002 to 2016. We find that the empirical evidence for a direct positive impact of multinationality on performance is not convincing. However, increasing multinationality leads to a significantly higher firm performance via the economies of scale-channel. Multinationality seems to be more important as a means to increase scale for firms from small home markets compared to firms from large domestic markets. Intangible assets appear to amplify the impact of scale on performance much more than the impact of multinationality on performance. In the end, it's size that matters.
Travel in the Time of COVID: A Review of International Travel Health in a Global Pandemic
Authors: Flaherty Gerard T. , Hamer Davidson H. , Chen Lin H.
Published: August 2022

Purpose of Review

This review critically considers the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global travel and the practice of travel medicine, highlights key innovations that have facilitated the resumption of travel, and anticipates how travel medicine providers should prepare for the future of international travel.

Recent Findings

Since asymptomatic transmission of the virus was first recognized in March 2020, extensive efforts have been made to characterize the pattern and dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 transmission aboard commercial aircraft, cruise ships, rail and bus transport, and in mass gatherings and quarantine facilities. Despite the negative impact of further waves of COVID-19 driven by the more transmissible Omicron variant, rapid increases of international tourist arrivals are occurring and modeling anticipates further growth. Mitigation of spread requires an integrated approach that combines masking, physical distancing, improving ventilation, testing, and quarantine. Vaccines and therapeutics have played a significant role in reopening society and accelerating the resumption of travel and further therapeutic innovation is likely.

COVID-19 is likely to persist as an endemic infection, and surveillance will assume an even more important role. The pandemic has provided an impetus to advance technology for telemedicine, to adopt mobile devices and GPS in contact tracing, and to apply digital applications in research. The future of travel medicine should continue to harness these novel platforms in the clinical, research, and educational arenas.
Design of scalable metalens array for optical addressing
Authors: Hu Tie , Feng Xing , Yang Zhenyu , Zhao Ming
Published: August 2022

Large-scale trapped-ion quantum computers hold great promise to outperform classical computers and are crucially desirable for finance, pharmaceutical industry, fundamental chemistry and other fields. Currently, a big challenge for trapped-ion quantum computers is the poor scalability mainly brought by the optical elements that are used for optical addressing. Metasurfaces provide a promising solution due to their excellent flexibility and integration ability. Here, we propose and numerically demonstrate a scalable off-axis metalens array for optical addressing working at the wavelength of 350 nm. Metalens arrays designed forxlinearly polarized and left circularly polarized light respectively can focus the collimated addressing beam array into a compact focused spot array with spot spacing of 5 μm, featuring crosstalk below 0.82%.

Graphical Abstract
To CT or not to CT: Questioning the Cost-Effectiveness of CT Thorax in Head and Neck Cancers
Authors: Usman Nawaz , Shetty Preethi S. , Dikhit Punit Singh , Dinker Diksha , Kumar Naveena A. N. , Palod Akhil , Prakashini Koteshwara , Sankaran Priya P. , Somu G.
Published: August 2022

Computed tomography (CT) scan has been an integral part of the diagnostic workup for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Our study was designed to find out the incidence of distant metastasis and second primary tumor and to correlate the cost-effectiveness of CT thorax in detecting the same. This study was conducted among 326 cancer patients who visited our center with curative intent in the year 2021, with lesions in various head and neck subsites. Data were collected based on their pathological TNM staging and the presence of distant metastasis as evident on their CT thorax imaging with various variables related to the disease. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated for detecting a single metastatic deposit and second primary tumor in terms of Indian currency and was correlated to each subsite and stage of disease at presentation. Out of these 326 patients, 281 patients were included in our study after considering the inclusion criteria, and among these 281 patients, 235 of them underwent CT thorax for metastatic workup. No patient was found to have a second primary. Metastases were found in 12 patients. The site of primary lesion and clinical tumor (cT) staging were found to be significantly influencing the incidence of metastasis on CT thorax. ICER was least for larynx, pharynx, and paranasal sinuses and was highest for oral cavity primaries and early-stage disease. As per our observations and results of ICER, CT thorax is indeed a valuable modality but should be used judiciously when it comes to initial diagnostic workup.
Relay intercropping can efficiently support weed management in cereal-based cropping systems when appropriate legume species are chosen
Authors: Leoni Federico , Lazzaro Mariateresa , Ruggeri Matteo , Carlesi Stefano , Meriggi Pierluigi , Moonen Anna Camilla
Published: August 2022

Relay intercropping of subsidiary legumes with durum wheat (living mulch) can be a viable option to support ecological weed control and optimize nutrient cycling in cereal-based cropping systems. However, the lack of knowledge on suitable legume species is often identified as the main bottleneck for the successful application of legume living mulches. This study aimed to evaluate the suitability of 12 different legumes for relay intercropping with wheat in two contrasting Mediterranean cereal-based cropping systems respectively characterized by low-input and integrated management. Each legume was monitored from the undersowing in wheat until the following spring and we compared direct drilling to broadcast sowing of legumes. None of the undersown legumes showed a negative effect on the wheat grain yield. Relay intercropping of legumes proved to be an effective solution to control weeds before and after the wheat harvest, provided suitable legumes species are chosen. Suitable legumes reduced the weed biomass up to the 90% during the intercropping and up to 94% in the following spring. On the contrary, legumes such as Trifoliumresupinatum, Viciavillosa, Medicagotruncatula, and Medicagoscutellata boosted weed growth in the following spring in comparison with the control. According to the performance of legumes, Medicagosativa, Trifoliumrepens and Medicagolupulina had the most suitable characteristics for relay intercropping with durum wheat at the Ravenna site, in a highly productive region whereas Medicagosativa, Hedysarumcoronarium and Trifoliumsubterraneum performed better in the low-input system near Pisa, where yields are generally lower. This is the first time that such a diversity in legumes species is tested in the same experiment for relay intercropping under diversified environmental and management conditions. The results of this study can support farmers in selecting the most appropriated legume species for their specific cropping systems and local conditions.
The methodology wars and outdoor and environmental education: Feminism, positivism, and causation
Authors: Reed Jack
Published: August 2022

How causation is approached has, for some time now, been a central debate within the archives of educational research. Despite rich discussion in broader literature, the influence of what has been described as the ‘methodology wars’ has rarely featured within the field(s) of outdoor and environmental education (OEE). This paper explores causation in this context, employing a feminist paradigmatic approach to investigate the role of causation in OEE research. A positivist approach is also considered in parallel, asking whether and how research in OEE navigates causation, and the potential influences of this upon competing audiences (e.g., policy makers and funders). Drawing on a conceptual causal pluralist approach to causation within the feminist paradigm, four key touchstones are presented that stand ready to facilitate inclusive, equitable, and reflexive research for OEE post-pandemic. The paper reflects on the general position of OEE presently, and responds to increasing sociocultural complexity as it is lived and felt within the profession and beyond.
Introduction of TROPS ionospheric TEC products for FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2 mission
Authors: Yeh Wen-Hao , Huang Cheng-Yung , Chen Kun-Lin , Tseng Tzu-Pang , Hsiao Tung-Yuan , Ho Hsu-Hui , Wu Jing-Mei , Huang Jyun-Ying , Li Hsiu-Wen , Lin Ching-Chieh , Lee I.-Te , Liu Tie-Yue
Published: August 2022

Six low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites were launched on June 25th, 2019 for a radio occultation (RO) mission for the FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2 (F7/C2) program. The GPS and GLONASS RO signals received by these F7/C2 satellites can be used to retrieve atmospheric and ionospheric parameter profiles for atmospheric and ionospheric research. In order to process the received RO signal, the processing system named Taiwan Radio Occultation Processing System (TROPS) is built. TROPS is developed by National Space Organization, Taiwan Analysis Center for COSMIC, and GPS Science and Application Research Center in Taiwan. The ionospheric products of TROPS are electron density profile, ionospheric scintillation index (S4 index), and absolute total electron content (TEC). S4 index has been calculated on board the satellites and other two products are retrieved by TROPS after the observation data downlink to ground. TEC is the linear integration of electron density along the signal propagation path. The electron density profile is retrieved from the relative TEC when the elevation angle of GNSS satellite is negative from F7/C2 satellite. The absolute TEC is the TEC from GNSS satellite to F7/C2 satellite. The difference between absolute and relative TEC is the TEC with/without differential code bias (DCB) correction. Currently, the data for the electron density profile and absolute TEC are provided by TROPS. Users can obtain the products freely from the internet. In this study, the retrieval method and the preliminary F7/C2 ionospheric TEC products retrieved by TROPS are presented in detail.
Comparing the Performance of Navigation Systems Under Complex Environment
Authors: Aslam Muhammad
Published: August 2022

Mardia–Watson–Wheeler is applied for testing whether the circulation observations differ significantly or not. The existing Mardia–Watson–Wheeler test is applied when all circulation observations are determined, precise, and certain. In this paper, Mardia–Watson–Wheeler is introduced under neutrosophic statistics. The proposed test applies when the circular data are not exact, in the interval, imprecise and indeterminate. The test statistic of Mardia–Watson–Wheeler is extended for neutrosophic statistics. The decision criteria for testing the null hypothesis are explained with the help of circular observations obtained from two boat navigation systems. The real example and comparative studies show that the proposed test outperforms the existing Mardia–Watson–Wheeler test under classical statistics in terms of flexibility and information. From the application and comparative studies, it can be concluded that the proposed test can be applied effectively in an uncertain environment.
The Cambridge Handbook of Chinese Linguistics
Authors: Hsu Yu-Yin
Published: August 2022

The linguistic study of Chinese, with its rich morphological, syntactic and prosodic/tonal structures, its complex writing system, and its diverse socio-historical background, is already a long-established and vast research area. With contributions from internationally renowned experts in the field, this Handbook provides a state-of-the-art survey of the central issues in Chinese linguistics. Chapters are divided into four thematic areas: writing systems and the neuro-cognitive processing of Chinese, morpho-lexical structures, phonetic and phonological characteristics, and issues in syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and discourse. By following a context-driven approach, it shows how theoretical issues in Chinese linguistics can be resolved with empirical evidence and argumentation, and provides a range of different perspectives. Its dialectical design sets a state-of-the-art benchmark for research in a wide range of interdisciplinary and cross-lingual studies involving the Chinese language. It is an essential resource for students and researchers wishing to explore the fascinating field of Chinese linguistics.
De facto International Prosecutors in a Global Era
Authors: Rankin Melinda
Published: August 2022

In the past decades, great strides have been made to ensure that crimes against humanity and state-sponsored organized violence are not committed with impunity. Alongside states, large international organizations such as the United Nations and forums such as the International Criminal Court, 'de facto international prosecutors' have emerged to address these crimes. Acting as investigators and evidence-gathers to identify individuals and officials engaged in serious human rights violations, these 'private' non-state actors, and state legal 'officials' in a foreign court, pursue criminal accountability for those most responsible for core international crimes. They do so when local options to investigate fail and an international criminal tribunal remains unavailable. This study outlines three case studies of witnesses and victims who pursue those most responsible, including former heads of state. It examines their practices and strategies, and shows how witnesses and victims of core crimes emerge as key leaders in the accountability process.
Elasticity in Healthcare Communication
Authors: Zhang Grace Qiao , Tseng Ming-Yu
Published: August 2022

Elastic language is a phenomenon in linguistics that refers to how we stretch the meanings of words, depending on the context in which they are used – for example many, about 20, perhaps, could be. This study looks specifically at elastic language in the fields of medicine and healthcare, showing how it is used to serve both the patient's and the professional's needs. It explores the pragmatics and metapragmatics of elasticity in the delivery of online medical information as a way of avoiding miscommunication. Based on data from Chinese and English sources, it takes a cross-cultural perspective, to present an account of harmony and disharmony between professional medical websites and their users. Adding exciting new dimensions to the fields of health communication and pragmatics, it is essential reading for scholars and advanced students in semantics, pragmatics, discourse analysis and interactional linguistics, as well as professionals involved in healthcare and communication.
Hausdorff dimension of Dirichlet non-improvable set versus well-approximable set
Authors: LI BIXUAN , WANG BAOWEI , XU JIAN
Published: August 2022

Dirichlet’s theorem, including the uniform setting and asymptotic setting, is one of the most fundamental results in Diophantine approximation. The improvement of the asymptotic setting leads to the well-approximable set (in words of continued fractions)
$$ \begin{align*} \mathcal{K}(\Phi):=\{x:a_{n+1}(x)\ge\Phi(q_{n}(x))\ \textrm{for infinitely many }n\in \mathbb{N}\}; \end{align*} $$
the improvement of the uniform setting leads to the Dirichlet non-improvable set
$$ \begin{align*} \mathcal{G}(\Phi):=\{x:a_{n}(x)a_{n+1}(x)\ge\Phi(q_{n}(x))\ \textrm{for infinitely many }n\in \mathbb{N}\}. \end{align*} $$
Surprisingly, as a proper subset of Dirichlet non-improvable set, the well-approximable set has the same s-Hausdorff measure as the Dirichlet non-improvable set. Nevertheless, one can imagine that these two sets should be very different from each other. Therefore, this paper is aimed at a detailed analysis on how the growth speed of the product of two-termed partial quotients affects the Hausdorff dimension compared with that of single-termed partial quotients. More precisely, let
$\Phi _{1},\Phi _{2}:[1,+\infty )\rightarrow \mathbb {R}^{+}$
be two non-decreasing positive functions. We focus on the Hausdorff dimension of the set
$\mathcal {G}(\Phi _{1})\!\setminus\! \mathcal {K}(\Phi _{2})$
. It is known that the dimensions of
$\mathcal {G}(\Phi )$
and
$\mathcal {K}(\Phi )$
depend only on the growth exponent of
$\Phi $
. However, rather different from the current knowledge, it will be seen in some cases that the dimension of
$\mathcal {G}(\Phi _{1})\!\setminus\! \mathcal {K}(\Phi _{2})$
will change greatly even slightly modifying
$\Phi _1$
by a constant.
Universal minimal flows of extensions of and by compact groups
Authors: BARTOŠOVÁ DANA
Published: August 2022

Every topological group G has, up to isomorphism, a unique minimal G-flow that maps onto every minimal G-flow, the universal minimal flow
$M(G).$
We show that if G has a compact normal subgroup K that acts freely on
$M(G)$
and there exists a uniformly continuous cross-section from
$G/K$
to
$G,$
then the phase space of
$M(G)$
is homeomorphic to the product of the phase space of
$M(G/K)$
with K. Moreover, if either the left and right uniformities on G coincide or G is isomorphic to a semidirect product
$G/K\ltimes K$
, we also recover the action, in the latter case extending a result of Kechris and Sokić. As an application, we show that the phase space of
$M(G)$
for any totally disconnected locally compact Polish group G with a normal open compact subgroup is homeomorphic to a finite set, the Cantor set
$2^{\mathbb {N}}$
,
$M(\mathbb {Z})$
, or
$M(\mathbb {Z})\times 2^{\mathbb {N}}.$
Air entrapment of a neutral drop impacting onto a flat solid surface in electric fields
Authors: Tian Yu , Liu Yanchu , Peng Zihan , Xu Chenghao , Ye Dong , Guan Yin , Zhou Xinping , Deng Weiwei , Huang YongAn
Published: August 2022

When a charge neutral drop impacts on a flat solid substrate, a small air bubble is always trapped underneath due to the lubrication pressure coming from the viscous stress in the squeezed air film. Herein we find experimentally and numerically that the process of the air entrapment and the initial contact state of the drop with the substrate can be profoundly altered via an external electric field. In an electric field, the induced electric stresses at the bottom of the drop increase drastically right before the drop contacts the substrate, which acts against the lubrication pressure, resulting in reduced initial contact radius and air bubble size. When the external electric field reaches a critical value, the electrical stress accelerates the flow near the bottom of the drop and generates a conical tip quickly instead of a dimple, resulting in a centre contact and eliminating the air bubble entrapment. Based on the dipole mirror charge model, we find the dimensionless strength of critical electric field scales with the square root of capillary number based on the air viscosity. This scaling law of the critical electric field for eliminating the air bubble entrapment is verified experimentally and numerically. This work may offer a new way to mitigate defects caused by air bubble entrapment for inkjet printing and droplet-based additive manufacturing.
Developmental plasticity in deep time: a window to population ecological inference
Authors: Brombacher Anieke , Schmidt Daniela N. , Ezard Thomas H. G.
Published: August 2022

Developmental plasticity, where traits change state in response to environmental cues, is well studied in modern populations. It is also suspected to play a role in macroevolutionary dynamics, but due to a lack of long-term records, the frequency of plasticity-led evolution in deep time remains unknown. Populations are dynamic entities, yet their representation in the fossil record is a static snapshot of often isolated individuals. Here, we apply for the first time contemporary integral projection models (IPMs) to fossil data to link individual development with expected population variation. IPMs describe the effects of individual growth in discrete steps on long-term population dynamics. We parameterize the models using modern and fossil data of the planktonic foraminiferTrilobatus sacculifer. Foraminifera grow by adding chambers in discrete stages and die at reproduction, making them excellent case studies for IPMs. Our results predict that somatic growth rates have almost twice as much influence on population dynamics than survival and more than eight times more influence than reproduction, suggesting that selection would primarily target somatic growth as the major determinant of fitness. As numerous paleobiological systems record growth rate increments in single genetic individuals and imaging technologies are increasingly available, our results open up the possibility of evidence-based inference of developmental plasticity spanning macroevolutionary dynamics. Given the centrality of ecology in paleobiological thinking, our model is one approach to help bridge eco-evolutionary scales while directing attention toward the most relevant life-history traits to measure.
Adequate levels of dietary sulphur amino acids impart improved liver and gut health in juvenile yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi)
Authors: Candebat Caroline Lourdes , Stephens Frances , Booth Mark A. , Fernando Fernando , Lopata Andreas , Pirozzi Igor
Published: August 2022

The sulphur amino acids methionine (Met) and cysteine (Cys) and their derivative taurine (Tau) are metabolically active molecules with interlinked roles in nutritional requirements. Deficiencies in these nutrients are linked to poor growth and health; however, the impacts of these deficiencies on organ structure and function are largely unknown. This study examined the effects of dietary Met, Cys and Tau fed at different levels on yellowtail kingfish (YTK) liver histology and surface colour, plasma biochemistry and posterior intestine histology. Samples were collected from two dose–response feeding trials that quantified (1) the Tau requirement and sparing effect of Met by feeding YTK diets containing one of seven levels of Tau at one of two levels of Met and (2) the Met requirement and sparing effect of Cys by feeding YTK diets containing one of five levels of Met at one of two levels of Cys. YTK fed inadequate levels of dietary Met, Cys and Tau exhibited thicker bile ducts, less red livers, more intestinal acidic goblet cell mucus and supranuclear vacuoles and less posterior intestinal absorptive surface area. Further, thicker bile ducts correlated with less red livers (a*, R), whereas increased hepatic fat correlated with a liver yellowing (b*). Our results indicate a shift towards histological properties and functions indicative of improved intrahepatic biliary condition, posterior intestinal nutrient absorption and homoeostasis of YTK fed adequate amounts of Met, Cys and Tau. These findings may assist in formulating aquafeed for optimised gastrointestinal and liver functions and maintaining good health in YTK.
A longitudinal study of unilateral Ménière's disease and clinical evolutionary models
Authors: Pérez-Carbonell T , Orts-Alborch M , Pérez-Guillén V , Tenías-Burillo J M , Pla-Gil I , Marco-Algarra J , Pérez-Garrigues H
Published: August 2022

Objective

The heterogeneity of Ménière's disease is presently defined by a variety of subtypes. This study introduced three different subtypes of unilateral Ménière's disease based on the evolution of vertigo crises from their inception.

Method

A longitudinal descriptive study of 327 unilateral Ménière's disease patients was performed. In a subgroup of patients followed from the onset of the disease, 3 subtypes of unilateral Ménière's disease were defined according to the vertiginous crises suffered during the first 10 years of the disorder.

Results

Data was available for 87 patients with unilateral Ménière's disease from the start of their disease (26.6 per cent of the original sample). These patients were grouped into three models according to their symptomatic evolution. Model 3 was associated with a worse hearing prognosis, a greater number of Tumarkin's otolithic crises and the need for surgery. Model 1 presented less hearing loss.

Conclusion

Unilateral Ménière's disease models based on the evolution of vertiginous crises present differences according to aspects such as hearing loss, vertiginous crisis, Tumarkin's otolithic crisis and the need for surgery.
Novel insertions in the mitochondrial maxicircle of Trypanosoma musculi, a mouse trypanosome
Authors: Wang Ju-Feng , Lin Ruo-Hong , Zhang Xuan , Hide Geoff , Lun Zhao-Rong , Lai De-Hua
Published: August 2022

Trypanosoma musculi is a, globally distributed, mouse-specific haemoflagellate, of the family Trypanosomatidae, which shares similar characteristics in morphology with Trypanosoma lewisi. The kinetoplast (mitochondrial) DNA of Trypanosomatidae flagellates is comprised of catenated maxicircles and minicircles. However, genetic information on the T. musculi kinetoplast remains largely unknown. In this study, the T. musculi maxicircle genome was completely assembled, with PacBio and Illumina sequencing, and the size was confirmed at 34 606 bp. It consisted of 2 distinct parts: the coding region and the divergent regions (DRs, DRI and II). In comparison with other trypanosome maxicircles (Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi and T. lewisi), the T. musculi maxicircle has a syntenic distribution of genes and shares 73.9, 78.0 and 92.7% sequence identity, respectively, over the whole coding region. Moreover, novel insertions in MURF2 (630 bp) and in ND5 (1278 bp) were found, respectively, which are homologous to minicircles. These findings support an evolutionary scenario similar to the one proposed for insertions in Trypanosoma cruzi, the pathogen of American trypanosomiasis. These novel insertions, together with a deletion (281 bp) in ND4, question the role of Complex I in T. musculi. A detailed analysis of DRII indicated that it contains numerous repeat motifs and palindromes, the latter of which are highly conservative and contain A5C elements. The comprehensively annotated kinetoplast maxicircle of T. musculi reveals a high degree of similarity between this parasite and the maxicircle of T. lewisi and suggests that the DRII could be a valuable marker for distinguishing these evolutionarily related species.
High overlap of zoonotic helminths between wild mammalian predators and rural dogs – an emerging One Health concern?
Authors: Tull Ants , Valdmann Harri , Tammeleht Egle , Kaasiku Triin , Rannap Riinu , Saarma Urmas
Published: August 2022

The concept of One Health emphasizes the interdependence of human, animal and environmental health and is of growing significance, in part owing to the problems related to emerging infectious diseases of wildlife origin. Wild mammalian predators are a potential risk factor for transmission of zoonotic pathogens to domesticated animals and humans. This is especially relevant in rural areas, where transmission of zoonotic pathogens can occur particularly efficiently when free-ranging dogs are present. The main aim of this study was to determine helminth infections among wild mammalian predators and evaluate the overlap between helminth faunas of wild mammals and dogs. Scat samples of predators were collected in coastal areas of Western Estonia and genetic methodology applied for the correct identification of predator species from their scat. Parasitic helminths of mammalian predators in the scat samples were analysed and compared with dog data from a previous study. High helminth prevalence (~90%) was found in dominant predator species in the area, namely the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and golden jackal (Canis aureus). Moreover, the helminth fauna of both wild species, including potentially zoonotic helminths, overlapped largely with that of rural dogs in the same area. The results, together with the ones from earlier parasitological studies among humans in Estonia, emphasize the potential risk of pathogen transmission from wild mammalian predators to dogs and from dogs to humans, making parasitic diseases of wildlife a One Health concern.
Transgenerational plasticity alters parasite fitness in changing environments
Authors: Sun Syuan-Jyun , Dziuba Marcin K. , Mclntire Kristina M. , Jaye Riley N. , Duffy Meghan A.
Published: August 2022

Transgenerational plasticity can help organisms respond rapidly to changing environments. Most prior studies of transgenerational plasticity in host–parasite interactions have focused on the host, leaving us with a limited understanding of transgenerational plasticity of parasites. We tested whether exposure to elevated temperatures while spores are developing can modify the ability of those spores to infect new hosts, as well as the growth and virulence of the next generation of parasites in the new host. We exposed Daphnia dentifera to its naturally co-occurring fungal parasite Metschnikowia bicuspidata, rearing the parasite at cooler (20°C) or warmer (24°C) temperatures and then, factorially, using those spores to infect at 20 and 24°C. Infections by parasites reared at warmer past temperatures produced more mature spores, but only when the current infections were at cooler temperatures. Moreover, the percentage of mature spores was impacted by both rearing and current temperatures, and was highest for infections with spores reared in a warmer environment that infected hosts in a cooler environment. In contrast, virulence was influenced only by current temperatures. These results demonstrate transgenerational plasticity of parasites in response to temperature changes, with fitness impacts that are dependent on both past and current environments.
David Wiggins: A Personal Philosophical Memoir
Authors: Peacocke Christopher
Published: August 2022

My first encounter with David Wiggins’ thought occurred a few weeks before I took my undergraduate final examinations in Oxford in 1971. In Blackwell's Bookshop I came across a slim blue volume Identity and Spatio-Temporal Continuity. I purchased it and read it cover-to-cover the same day. It was immediately clear that this was contemporary writing in a different league from anything I had previously read on the topic.
Prospective network analysis of proinflammatory proteins, lipid markers, and depression components in midlife community women
Authors: Zainal Nur Hani , Newman Michelle G.
Published: August 2022

Background

Vulnerability theories propose that suboptimal levels of lipid markers and proinflammatory proteins predict future heightened depression. Scar models posit the reverse association. However, most studies that tested relationships between non-specific immune/endocrine markers and depression did not separate temporal inferences between people and within-person and how different immunometabolism markers related to unique depression symptoms. We thus used cross-lagged prospective network analyses (CLPN) to investigate this topic.

Methods

Community midlife women (n = 2224) completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale and provided biomarker samples across five time-points spanning 9 years. CLPN identified significant relations (edges) among components (nodes) of depression (depressed mood, somatic symptoms, interpersonal issues), lipid markers [insulin, fasting glucose, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL)], and proinflammatory proteins [C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen], within and across time-points. All models adjusted for age, estradiol, follicle-stimulating hormone, and menopausal status.

Results

In within-person temporal networks, higher CRP and HDL predicted all three depression components (d = 0.131–2.112). Increased LDL preceded higher depressed mood and interpersonal issues (v. somatic symptoms) (d = 0.251–0.327). Elevated triglycerides predicted more somatic symptoms (v. depressed mood and interpersonal problems) (d = 0.131). More interpersonal problems forecasted elevated fibrinogen and LDL levels (d = 0.129–0.331), and stronger somatic symptoms preceded higher fibrinogen levels (d = 0.188).

Conclusions

Results supported both vulnerability and scar models. Long-term dysregulated immunometabolism systems, social disengagement, and related patterns are possible mechanistic accounts. Cognitive-behavioral therapies that optimize nutrition and physical activity may effectively target depression.
La théorie quantitative de la monnaie en conditions de sous-emploi Doctrine et applications de conjoncture économique
Authors: Dupriez Léon H.
Published: August 2022

La présente étude a pour objet d'analyser la théorie quantitative de la monnaie sous un angle bien déterminé; elle tend à élargir le champ des réactions normales qui se situent au sein de l'identité MV = PQ, de manière à mieux couvrir la réalité complexe dans les diverses phases de la conjoncture économique.

Plus précisément, l'intention est de montrer que la doctrine quantitative, dans la forme de l'équation des transactions proposée par Irving Fisher en 1911, est implicitement conçue, comme d'ailleurs la majeure partie du corps de doctrine de l'époque, en condition de plein emploi. I,es postulats et les préoccupations qui conduisent à une théorie ainsi formulée seront mis en évidence. Lorsque les limitations de l'acception traditionnelle seront démontrées, une tâche positive restera à accomplir : élargir le champ des relations nor-males entre les membres de l'équation, pour y inclure celles qui sont typiques de conditions de sous-emploi. Enfin, il n'est pas inutile de corroborer les conclusions théoriques par un examen de la réalité conjoncturelle.
Les finances privées
Authors: Roger Charles
Published: August 2022

Les événements internationaux de fin juin 1950 ont marqué toute la vie économique de notre pays, en donnant à partir du mois de juillet, une orientation nouvelle aux tendances qui se manifes-taient jusque là tant dans les domaines monétaire et financier que commercial et industriel.

Au début de l'année, les perspectives économiques s'avéraient incertaines, les exportations rencontraient des difficultés nombreuses en raison des prix élevés du charbon et des hauts salaires; la crainte de l'augmentation d'un chômage conjoncturel était vive. Le climat fut tout différent au cours du second semestre, par suite de l'amélioration de la conjoncture dont l'origine se situe dans le réarmement américain et ses répercussions internationales.
Les industries diverses en 1950
Authors: Pâquet Roger
Published: August 2022

La consommation d'énergie électrique continue à augmenter; le rythme d'accroissement qui avait décru en 1949 a repris un nouvel essor. L'augmentation de l'énergie produite est principalement imputable aux centrales des producteurs-distributeurs, alors que l'activité des auto-producteurs est restée stationnaire ; pour ces derniers, les résultats défavorables de l'activité industrielle au cours du premier semestre ont compensé la reprise de fin d'année.

Au point de vue production d'énergie, une augmentation est enregistrée dans les charbonnages, les industries des métaux non ferreux, du papier, des fabrications métalliques, les industries chimiques et alimentaires. Les carrières et les cimenteries maintiennent leur production alors qu'une diminution se manifeste dans la sidérurgie, les cokeries, les glaceries et les verreries.