bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Throttling effect on the availability and sustainability of a gasoline-fuelled spark ignited multi-cylinder engine
Authors: Hamada Khalaf I , Ibrahim Thamir K , Rahim M F , Rahman M M , Bakar Rosli A
Published: November 2023

Large energy waste is one of the internal combustion engine challenges, making it unsustainable and unfriendly to the environment. Charging the spark ignition engine with the required fuel-air mixture is associated with a particular quantity of energy loss due to flow throttling. Throttle position effect on the availability, sustainability, and environmental trends of a gasoline, spark-ignited engine was evaluated based on thermodynamic analyses of real experiments. The availability and sustainability analyses were performed utilizing the relations governing the thermodynamic system under various engine speeds (1500–4000 rpm) at part and wide-open throttle (POT and WOT) conditions. The results indicated that the WOT position mostly ensures the best sharing of useful availability, i.e., 2% greater, more sustainable, i.e., 3% better, and environmentally friendly, i.e., 16% healthier, engine operation for the entire tested speed range. On the other hand, an optimum engine speed, mostly 3000 rpm, of the tested engine yielded the maximum efficiencies, i.e., 3% higher, lowest entropy production, i.e., 15% lower, and best availability proportions, as well as the most sustainable and environmentally friendly operation mode. Furthermore, a considerable perspective of the waste heat recovery of the associated availability with exhaust gases was achieved under POT and WOT conditions. The acquired improvement in engine efficiency based on the recovery potential was in the range of 3% to 19.7% and 13.6% to 24% for the WOT and POT conditions, respectively. However, the detected recovery rate and efficiency improvement were randomly tended with engine speed variation. In terms of the recovery potential, the highest engine efficiencies were about 46% and 50% at 3000 rpm, for the POT and WOT conditions, respectively. Finally, in average around 10% and 52% increment with 20% and 24% reduction was detected for the environmental impact of the CO2, NOx, CO and HC, respectively, under the WOT condition in comparison with POT condition.
Improved multi objective particle swarm optimization based reactive power optimization for ensuring voltage security of power systems
Authors: Hilawie Ahadu , Shewarega Fekadu
Published: November 2023

In this study an improved multi objective particle swarm optimization (IMOPSO) algorithm is proposed for power system reactive power optimization with the objective of ensuring voltage security. The multi objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) is improved by introducing an adapted binary crossover (ABX) to the new positions obtained by the basic particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. Additionally, diversity maintenance strategy is added to the algorithm by employing crowding distance (CD) calculation. The developed algorithm is tested and compared with standard MOPSO and non dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NASGA II). The comparison is made based on the degree of closeness to the true pareto front, as measured by the inverted generational distance (IGD), and based on diversity, as measured by the CDs . The test is made using ZDT1, ZDT2, and ZDT3 test functions. The IMOPSO showed improved performance over MOPSO and NASGA II algorithms in terms of convergence to the true pareto front (PF) and in terms of the speed of convergence as well as in maintaining diversity. The algorithm is then implemented to reactive power optimization of IEEE 14 bus test system. For the implementation purpose, the voltage stability and voltage deviation components of voltage security are formulated as a multi objective functions. The implementation has resulted diverse options of optimal settings of reactive power controlling parameters. The optimal settings proved to produce an improved voltage security as measured in terms of voltage deviation and voltage stability.
Calibration of uncertainty in the active learning of machine learning force fields
Authors: Thomas-Mitchell Adam , Hawe Glenn , Popelier Paul L A
Published: November 2023

FFLUX is a machine learning force field that uses the maximum expected prediction error (MEPE) active learning algorithm to improve the efficiency of model training. MEPE uses the predictive uncertainty of a Gaussian process (GP) to balance exploration and exploitation when selecting the next training sample. However, the predictive uncertainty of a GP is unlikely to be accurate or precise immediately after training. We hypothesize that calibrating the uncertainty quantification within MEPE will improve active learning performance. We develop and test two methods to improve uncertainty estimates: post-hoc calibration of predictive uncertainty using the CRUDE algorithm, and replacing the GP with a student-t process. We investigate the impact of these methods on MEPE for single sample and batch sample active learning. Our findings suggest that post-hoc calibration does not improve the performance of active learning using the MEPE method. However, we do find that the student-t process can outperform active learning strategies and random sampling using a GP if the training set is sufficiently large.
High-uniformity atomic layer deposition of superconducting niobium nitride thin films for quantum photonic integration
Authors: Lennon C T , Shu Y , Brennan J C , Namburi D K , Varghese V , Hemakumara D T , Longchar L A , Srinath S , Hadfield R H
Published: November 2023

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) has been identified as a promising growth method for high-uniformity superconducting thin films for superconducting quantum photonic applications, offering superior uniformity, thickness control and conformality to techniques such as reactive sputtering. The potential scalability of ALD makes this method especially appealing for fabrication of superconducting nanowires and resonators across large areas. We report on the growth of highly uniform superconducting NbN thin films via plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) with radio frequency substrate biasing, on a 200 mm (8 inch) Si wafer, specifically for superconducting nanowire single-photon detector applications. Niobium nitride films were grown using (tert-butylimido)-tris(diethylamido)-niobium(V) precursor and an H2/Ar plasma. The superconducting properties of a variable thickness series of films (5.9–29.8 nm) show critical temperature (T
c) of 13.5 K approaching bulk thickness (28.8 nm) with low suppression down to the ultrathin regime (5.9 nm), with T
c = 10.2 K. T
c across the 200 mm wafer with 8 nm thick NbN, measured in 15 mm intervals, exhibits minimal variation (<7%). Microbridge structures fabricated on 8 nm thick NbN films also exhibit high critical current densities (J
c), > 10 MA cm−2 at 2.6 K. PEALD could therefore be a pivotal technique in enabling large-scale fabrication of integrated quantum photonic devices across a variety of applications.
Local Smoothing Estimates for Schrödinger Equations on Hyperbolic Space
Authors: Lawrie Andrew , Lührmann Jonas , Oh Sung-Jin , Shahshahani Sohrab
Published: November 2023

We establish global-in-time frequency localized local smoothing estimates for Schrödinger equations on hyperbolic space

H

d

\mathbb {H}^d

,

d
≥
2

d \geq 2

. In the presence of symmetric first and zeroth order potentials, which are possibly time-dependent, possibly large, and have sufficiently fast polynomial decay, these estimates are proved up to a localized lower order error. Then in the time-independent case, we show that a spectral condition (namely, absence of threshold resonances) implies the full local smoothing estimates (without any error), after projecting to the continuous spectrum. In the process, as a means to localize in frequency, we develop a general Littlewood–Paley machinery on

H

d

\mathbb {H}^d

based on the heat flow. Our results and techniques are motivated by applications to the problem of stability of solitary waves to nonlinear Schrödinger-type equations on

H

d

\mathbb {H}^{d}

. Specifically, some of the estimates established in this paper play a crucial role in the authors’ proof of the nonlinear asymptotic stability of harmonic maps under the Schrödinger maps evolution on the hyperbolic plane; see Lawrie, Lührmann, Oh, and Shahshahani, 2023.

As a testament of the robustness of approach, which is based on the positive commutator method and a heat flow based Littlewood-Paley theory, we also show that the main results are stable under small time-dependent perturbations, including polynomially decaying second order ones, and small lower order nonsymmetric perturbations.
Total Positivity is a Quantum Phenomenon: The Grassmannian Case
Authors: Launois S. , Lenagan T. , Nolan B.
Published: November 2023

The main aim of this paper is to establish a deep link between the totally nonnegative grassmannian and the quantum grassmannian. More precisely, under the assumption that the deformation parameter

q
q

is transcendental, we show that “quantum positroids” are completely prime ideals in the quantum grassmannian

O

q

(

G

m
n

(

F

)
)

{\mathcal O}_q(G_{mn}(\mathbb {F}))

. As a consequence, we obtain that torus-invariant prime ideals in the quantum grassmannian are generated by polynormal sequences of quantum Plücker coordinates and give a combinatorial description of these generating sets. We also give a topological description of the poset of torus-invariant prime ideals in

O

q

(

G

m
n

(

F

)
)

{\mathcal O}_q(G_{mn}(\mathbb {F}))

, and prove a version of the orbit method for torus-invariant objects. Finally, we construct separating Ore sets for all torus-invariant primes in

O

q

(

G

m
n

(

F

)
)

{\mathcal O}_q(G_{mn}(\mathbb {F}))

. The latter is the first step in the Brown-Goodearl strategy to establish the orbit method for (quantum) grassmannians.
Potential Estimates and Quasilinear Parabolic Equations with Measure Data
Authors: Nguyen Quoc-Hung
Published: November 2023

In this memoir, we study the existence and regularity of the quasilinear parabolic equations:

u
t

−
div
⁡
(
A
(
x
,
t
,
∇
u
)
)
=
B
(
u
,
∇
u
)
+
μ
,

\begin{equation*} u_t-\operatorname {div}(A(x,t,\nabla u))=B(u,\nabla u)+\mu , \end{equation*}

in either

R

N
+
1

\mathbb {R}^{N+1}

or

R

N

×
(
0
,
∞
)

\mathbb {R}^N\times (0,\infty )

or on a bounded domain

Ω
×
(
0
,
T
)
⊂

R

N
+
1

\Omega \times (0,T)\subset \mathbb {R}^{N+1}

where

N
≥
2

N\geq 2

. We shall assume that the nonlinearity

A
A

fulfills standard growth conditions, the function

B
B

is a continuous and

μ
\mu

is a radon measure. Our first task is to establish the existence results with

B
(
u
,
∇
u
)
=
±

|

u

|

q
−
1

u

B(u,\nabla u)=\pm |u|^{q-1}u

, for

q
>
1

q>1

. We next obtain global weighted-Lorentz, Lorentz-Morrey and Capacitary estimates on gradient of solutions with

B
≡
0

B\equiv 0

, under minimal conditions on the boundary of domain and on nonlinearity

A
A

. Finally, due to these estimates, we solve the existence problems with

B
(
u
,
∇
u
)
=

|

∇
u

|

q

B(u,\nabla u)=|\nabla u|^q

for

q
>
1

q>1

.
The excellence of function fields of conics
Authors: Laghribi Ahmed , Mukhija Diksha
Published: November 2023

LetFFbe a field of characteristic22. Our aim in this paper is to prove that the extension given by the function field of a singular conic is excellent for bilinear forms. We also give examples showing that in general this extension is not excellent for quadratic forms of arbitrary dimension.
Performance evaluation of heparin-induced platelet aggregation vs serotonin release assay
Authors: Barouqa Mohammad , Matta Milad , Reyes-Gil Morayma
Published: November 2023

Objectives

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a rare but life-threatening condition that requires rapid diagnosis for proper management. Laboratory testing should only be performed on patients with intermediate- or high-risk pretest probability. The platelet factor 4 (PF4) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is the screening test that should be confirmed by higher specificity testing such as the heparin-induced platelet aggregation (HIPA) or the serotonin release assay (SRA). This study aims to evaluate the performance of the HIPA in comparison to the SRA, establish cutoffs of the PF4 ELISA to predict positivity for HIPA/SRA, and study the mortality rate between patients with suspected HIT confirmed as HIT positive vs negative.

Methods

All positive PF4 ELISA cases with confirmatory HIPA and SRA testing were included. As the SRA was considered the gold standard, the HIPA performance was evaluated in comparison to SRA before and after the implementation of a new standardized interpretation guide in 2022. The mortality of these cases was also documented by chart reviews.

Results

In total, 232 cases with positive or indeterminate anti-PF4 IgG ELISA had confirmatory testing with HIPA and SRA. The sensitivity of the HIPA improved from 55.4% in 2018 to 2021 to 73.8% in 2022. The specificity remained similarly high in 2018 to 2021 vs 2022 (94.9% vs 87.5%). The negative predictive value (NPV) improved in 2022. The PF4 optical density cutoff to predict the positivity of SRA was 0.85 vs 1.47 to predict the positivity of HIPA but decreased to 0.83 when combining HIPA and/or SRA. There was no significant difference in mortality between patients with suspected HIT confirmed positive vs negative.

Conclusions

Although the HIPA has a lower sensitivity than the SRA, the new standardized interpretation guide improved its sensitivity and NPV in 2022. Future improvements are needed to use the HIPA as a stand-alone confirmatory test with the goal to shorten hospital length of stay and expedite proper anticoagulation management.
Identifying local associations in biological time series: algorithms, statistical significance, and applications
Authors: Ai Dongmei , Chen Lulu , Xie Jiemin , Cheng Longwei , Zhang Fang , Luan Yihui , Li Yang , Hou Shengwei , Sun Fengzhu , Xia Li Charlie
Published: November 2023

Local associations refer to spatial–temporal correlations that emerge from the biological realm, such as time-dependent gene co-expression or seasonal interactions between microbes. One can reveal the intricate dynamics and inherent interactions of biological systems by examining the biological time series data for these associations. To accomplish this goal, local similarity analysis algorithms and statistical methods that facilitate the local alignment of time series and assess the significance of the resulting alignments have been developed. Although these algorithms were initially devised for gene expression analysis from microarrays, they have been adapted and accelerated for multi-omics next generation sequencing datasets, achieving high scientific impact. In this review, we present an overview of the historical developments and recent advances for local similarity analysis algorithms, their statistical properties, and real applications in analyzing biological time series data. The benchmark data and analysis scripts used in this review are freely available at http://github.com/labxscut/lsareview.
Inferring delays in partially observed gene regulation processes
Authors: Hong Hyukpyo , Cortez Mark Jayson , Cheng Yu-Yu , Kim Hang Joon , Choi Boseung , Josić Krešimir , Kim Jae Kyoung
Published: November 2023

Motivation

Cell function is regulated by gene regulatory networks (GRNs) defined by protein-mediated interaction between constituent genes. Despite advances in experimental techniques, we can still measure only a fraction of the processes that govern GRN dynamics. To infer the properties of GRNs using partial observation, unobserved sequential processes can be replaced with distributed time delays, yielding non-Markovian models. Inference methods based on the resulting model suffer from the curse of dimensionality.

Results

We develop a simulation-based Bayesian MCMC method employing an approximate likelihood for the efficient and accurate inference of GRN parameters when only some of their products are observed. We illustrate our approach using a two-step activation model: an activation signal leads to the accumulation of an unobserved regulatory protein, which triggers the expression of observed fluorescent proteins. With prior information about observed fluorescent protein synthesis, our method successfully infers the dynamics of the unobserved regulatory protein. We can estimate the delay and kinetic parameters characterizing target regulation including transcription, translation, and target searching of an unobserved protein from experimental measurements of the products of its target gene. Our method is scalable and can be used to analyze non-Markovian models with hidden components.

Availability and implementation

Our code is implemented in R and is freely available with a simple example data at https://github.com/Mathbiomed/SimMCMC.
Klotho: a potential therapeutic target in aging and neurodegeneration beyond chronic kidney disease—a comprehensive review from the ERA CKD-MBD working group
Authors: Kanbay Mehmet , Copur Sidar , Ozbek Lasin , Mutlu Ali , Cejka Daniel , Ciceri Paola , Cozzolino Mario , Haarhaus Mathias Loberg
Published: November 2023

Klotho, a multifunctional protein, acts as a co-receptor in fibroblast growth factor 23 and exerts its impact through various molecular pathways, including Wnt, hypoxia-inducible factor and insulin-like growth factor 1 pathways. The physiological significance of Klotho is the regulation of vitamin D and phosphate metabolism as well as serving as a vital component in aging and neurodegeneration. The role of Klotho in aging and neurodegeneration in particular has gained considerable attention. In this narrative review we highlight several key insights into the molecular basis and physiological function of Klotho and synthesize current research on the role of Klotho in neurodegeneration and aging. Klotho deficiency was associated with cognitive impairment, reduced growth, diminished longevity and the development of age-related diseases in vivo. Serum Klotho levels showed a decline in individuals with advanced age and those affected by chronic kidney disease, establishing its potential diagnostic significance. Additionally, multiple medications have been demonstrated to influence Klotho levels. Therefore, this comprehensive review suggests that Klotho could open the door to novel interventions aimed at addressing the challenges of aging and neurodegenerative disorders.
Responses to systemic therapy in metastatic pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma: a retrospective multicenter cohort study
Authors: Fischer Alessa , Kloos Simon , Remde Hanna , Dischinger Ulrich , Pamporaki Christina , Timmers Henri J L M , Robledo Mercedes , Fliedner Stephanie M J , Wang Katharina , Maurer Julian , Reul Astrid , Bechmann Nicole , Hantel Constanze , Mohr Hermine , Pellegata Natalia S , Bornstein Stefan R , Kroiss Matthias , Auernhammer Christoph J , Reincke Martin , Pacak Karel , Grossman Ashley B , Beuschlein Felix , Nölting Svenja
Published: November 2023

Objective

The therapeutic options for metastatic pheochromocytomas/paragangliomas (mPPGLs) include chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide/vincristine/dacarbazine (CVD), temozolomide monotherapy, radionuclide therapies, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as sunitinib. The objective of this multicenter retrospective study was to evaluate and compare the responses of mPPGLs including those with pathogenic variants in succinate dehydrogenase subunit B (SDHB), to different systemic treatments.

Design

This is a retrospective analysis of treatment responses of mPPGL patients (n = 74) to systemic therapies.

Methods

Patients with mPPGLs treated at 6 specialized national centers were selected based on participation in the ENSAT registry. Survival until detected progression (SDP) and disease-control rates (DCRs) at 3 months were evaluated based on imaging reports.

Results

For the group of patients with progressive disease at baseline (83.8% of 74 patients), the DCR with first-line CVD chemotherapy was 75.0% (n = 4, SDP 11 months; SDHB [n = 1]: DCR 100%, SDP 30 months), with somatostatin peptide receptor-based radionuclide therapy (PPRT) 85.7% (n = 21, SDP 17 months; SDHB [n = 10]: DCR 100%, SDP 14 months), with 131I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine (131I-MIBG) 82.6% (n = 23, SDP 43 months; SDHB [n = 4]: DCR 100%, SDP 24 months), with sunitinib 100% (n = 7, SDP 18 months; SDHB [n = 3]: DCR 100%, SDP 18 months), and with somatostatin analogs 100% (n = 4, SDP not reached). The DCR with temozolomide as second-line therapy was 60.0% (n = 5, SDP 10 months; SDHB [n = 4]: DCR 75%, SDP 10 months).

Conclusions

We demonstrate in a real-life clinical setting that all current therapies show reasonable efficacy in preventing disease progression, and this is equally true for patients with germline SDHB mutations.
Towards English language learners’ wellbeing: Contributing factors and stressors
Authors: Khajavy Gholam Hassan , Vaziri Mahdieh
Published: November 2023

Understanding and enhancing wellbeing are at the heart of positive psychology. Both ELT teachers and researchers have recently been urged to prioritize wellbeing in their teaching and research. However, far too little attention has been paid to wellbeing among ELT learners, especially from their own perspective. Accordingly, this study aimed at developing an understanding of ELT learners’ perceptions of their stressors in class and recommendations to improve their wellbeing. Out of eighty survey participants, we selected nine participants with the highest and nine participants with the lowest scores on a wellbeing measure. Then, we conducted oral survey interviews with each of these participants, and the data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The findings indicated four main stressors for ELT learners: lack of preparation, assessment, speaking English, and lack of understanding. Participants also made several recommendations to teachers, the university, and for themselves which they believe would help enhance their wellbeing.
EAM highlights in FEMS 2023: from the Petri dish to planet Earth
Authors: Vogel Jörg , de Lorenzo Victor
Published: November 2023

On 9–13 July 2023, the 10th FEMS Congress took place in Hamburg, Germany. As part of this major event in European microbiology, the European Academy of Microbiology (EAM) organized two full sessions. One of these sessions aimed to highlight the research of four recently elected EAM fellows and saw presentations on bacterial group behaviours and development of resistance to antibiotics, as well as on new RNA viruses including bacteriophages and giant viruses of amoebae. The other session included five frontline environmental microbiologists who showcased real-world examples of how human activities have disrupted the balance in microbial ecosystems, not just to assess the current situation but also to explore fresh approaches for coping with external disturbances. Both sessions were very well attended, and no doubt helped to gain the EAM and its fellows more visibility.
Chromosome-level phased genome assembly of “Antonovka” identified candidate apple scab-resistance genes highly homologous to HcrVf2 and HcrVf1 on linkage group 1
Authors: Švara Anže , Sun Honghe , Fei Zhangjun , Khan Awais
Published: November 2023

Apple scab, a fungal disease caused by Venturia inaequalis, leads to losses in both yield and fruit quality of apples (Malus domestica Borkh.). Most commercial apple cultivars, including those containing the well-characterized Rvi6-scab-resistance locus on linkage group (LG) 1, are susceptible to scab. HcrVf2 and HcrVf1 are considered the main paralogs of the Rvi6 locus. The major apple scab-resistance loci Vhc1 in “Honeycrisp” and Rvi17 in “Antonovka,” were identified in close proximity to HcrVf2. In this study, we used long-read sequencing and in silico gene sequence characterization to identify candidate resistance genes homologous to HcrVf2 and HcrVf1 in Honeycrisp and Antonovka. Previously published chromosome-scale phased assembly of Honeycrisp and a newly assembled phased genome of Antonovka 172670-B were used to identify HcrVf2 and HcrVf1 homologs spanning Vhc1 and Rvi17 loci. In combination with 8 available Malus assemblies, 43 and 46 DNA sequences highly homologous to HcrVf2 and HcrVf1, respectively, were identified on LG 1 and 6, with identity and coverage ranging between 87–95 and 81–95%, respectively. Among these homologs, 2 candidate genes in Antonovka and Honeycrisp haplome A are located in close physical proximity to the scab-resistance marker Ch-Vf1 on LG 1. They showed the highest identity and coverage (95%) of HcrVf2 and only minor changes in the protein motifs. They were identical by state between each other, but not with HcrVf2. This study offers novel genomic resources and insights into the Vhc1 and Rvi17 loci on LG 1 and identifies candidate genes for further resistance characterization.
Toxoplasma gondii IgG Serointensity Is Positively Associated With Frailty
Authors: Mohyuddin Hira , Laffon Blanca , Teixeira João P , Costa Solange , Teixeira-Gomes Armanda , Pásaro Eduardo , Constantine Niel , Dagdag Aline , Ortmeyer Heidi K , Tizenberg Boris , Afram Liubov , Yen Poyu , Marano Christopher , Lowry Christopher A , Hoisington Andrew J , RachBeisel Jill A , Valdiglesias Vanessa , Lema-Arranz Carlota , Fernández-Bertólez Natalia , Maseda Ana , Millán-Calenti José C , Kovacs Elizabeth J , Gostner Johanna M , Fuchs Dietmar , Brenner Lisa A , Lorenzo-López Laura , Postolache Teodor T
Published: November 2023

Background

Persistent inflammation related to aging (“inflammaging”) is exacerbated by chronic infections and contributes to frailty in older adults. We hypothesized associations between Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), a common parasite causing an oligosymptomatic unremitting infection, and frailty, and secondarily between T. gondii and previously reported markers of immune activation in frailty.

Methods

We analyzed available demographic, social, and clinical data in Spanish and Portuguese older adults [N = 601; age: mean (SD) 77.3 (8.0); 61% women]. Plasma T. gondii immunoglobulin G (IgG) serointensity was measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The Fried criteria were used to define frailty status. Validated translations of Mini-Mental State Examination, Geriatric Depression Scale, and the Charlson Comorbidity Index were used to evaluate confounders. Previously analyzed biomarkers that were significantly associated with frailty in both prior reports and the current study, and also related to T. gondii serointensity, were further accounted for in multivariable logistic models with frailty as outcome.

Results

In T. gondii-seropositives, there was a significant positive association between T. gondii IgG serointensity and frailty, accounting for age (p = .0002), and resisting adjustment for multiple successive confounders. Among biomarkers linked with frailty, kynurenine/tryptophan and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor II were positively associated with T. gondii serointensity in seropositives (p < .05). Associations with other biomarkers were not significant.

Conclusions

This first reported association between T. gondii and frailty is limited by a cross-sectional design and warrants replication. While certain biomarkers of inflammaging were associated with both T. gondii IgG serointensity and frailty, they did not fully mediate the T. gondii–frailty association.
An illiberal power? EU bordering practices and the liberal international order
Authors: Fassi Enrico , Ceccorulli Michela , Lucarelli Sonia
Published: November 2023

The relevance of bordering practices and dynamics for the European Union has significantly increased in recent years, ranging from Brexit to the open-border policies towards Ukrainians fleeing Russia's military aggression, through the crises in the Schengen area due to migration and COVID–19. In its attempts to respond to these challenges, the EU has been widely criticized in particular for its approach to migration; it has been alluded to as being cynical, negligent and even ‘illiberal’. The aim of this article is to analyse whether and in which sense this allegation is correct, providing clear normative criteria. Drawing from political theory, we identify three different understandings of ‘just’ migration governance, all compatible with a liberal approach, and use them as benchmarks to evaluate the EU's stance. Focusing on selected EU bordering practices—physical, administrative and external bordering—we detect a general trend towards re-bordering, meaning processes through which the control of borders is enhanced and their exclusionary meaning is increased. Most of all, the article shows that EU policies have been leaning towards one specific understanding of liberalism to the detriment of the others, which poses significant challenges to the EU's credentials as a pillar of the liberal international order (LIO).
A Systematic Review on the Increasing Incidence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Southeast Asia: Looking Beyond the Urbanization Phenomenon
Authors: Chew Deborah Chia Hsin , Khoo Xin-Hui , Lee Tiong See , Chin Kok-Yong , Raja Ali Raja Affendi , Muhammad Nawawi Khairul Najmi , Wan Ibrahim Nik Razima , Hilmi Ida
Published: November 2023

The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been increasing in Southeast Asia (SEA) in tandem with its economic growth and urbanization over the past 2 decades. Specific characteristics of IBD in SEA are similar to East Asia and the West, such as the declining ratio of ulcerative colitis to Crohn’s disease. However, exceptionally low familial aggregation is seen. Smoking is also not a common risk factor in patients with Crohn’s disease. The incidence of perianal disease is higher in SEA than in Australia and is comparable to the West. In a multiracial population, such as Singapore and Malaysia, Indians have the highest incidence and prevalence rates, which are likely to be due to important putative mutations. For instance, a higher frequency of the NOD2 predisposing mutation SNP5 and IBD risk allele IGR2198a and IGR2092a were found in Indians. Although differences in the genetic constitution play an important role in the epidemiology and prognosis of IBD in SEA, the emergence of this disease offers a unique opportunity to identify potential exposomes that contribute to its pathogenesis.
Pregnancy-associated Breast Cancer: Why Breast Imaging During Pregnancy and Lactation Matters
Authors: Pyle Chelsea , Hill Molly , Sharafi Shahrzad , Forton Camelia , Sohaey Roya
Published: November 2023

Pregnancy-associated breast cancer is characterized as breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy, within the first postpartum year, or during lactation. It usually presents as a palpable mass, although the large majority of palpable masses during pregnancy are benign. Breast cancer is the most common invasive malignancy diagnosed during pregnancy and lactation, and its incidence is increasing as more women delay childbearing. Understanding the appropriate methods for screening and diagnostic workup of breast findings in this population is imperative for radiologists to promptly diagnose pregnancy-associated breast cancer. Use of available imaging modalities should be tailored to patient-specific factors, with US typically the first-line modality due to patient age and decreased sensitivity of mammography in the setting of lactational changes. This article illustrates the spectrum of imaging appearances of pregnancy-associated breast cancer, the appropriate diagnostic imaging workup, and the unique challenges encountered in evaluation of this patient population.
Refining age at legal-size estimation in the Newfoundland & Labrador populations of the snow crab Chionoecetes opilio (Fabricius, 1788) (Decapoda: Brachyura: Oregoniidae)
Authors: Mullowney Darrell , O’Connell Nicole , Kilada Raouf , Rochette Rémy
Published: November 2023

Current knowledge of age at legal size in Newfoundland & Labrador (NL) and other snow-crab stocks is incomplete due to historic estimations not accounting for skip-molting growth delays. Previous work has shown skip-molting incidence to occasionally be very high in males, both in NL and some other major snow-crab stocks. This warrants research to better understand impacts of skip-molting on snow-crab age and growth dynamics, which are central to population assessment and resource management. We simulated the impact of skip-molting on growth dynamics of snow crabs from three regions around NL by coupling a nineteen year time series of molt-type probabilities derived from field trawl surveys to historical data on age-at-instar based on cohort analysis of wild populations that do not consider skip-molting in making age estimations. Trawl surveys and simulations showed that skip-molting is a prominent feature in NL snow crabs, with up to four skip-molts being a reasonable maximum possible estimate for males in portions of the NL snow-crab stock. A complementary analysis examining the ability to age snow crabs using gastric mill band counts showed overall strong agreement with published growth trajectories that were modified to include skip-molting as well as reasonable average age approximations for most crabs, but unexpectedly high variability in age estimates for individuals of a same instar stage and unexpectedly low age estimates for younger crabs. Our study leads to a refinement of age at legal size for NL snow crab from the current nine-year estimate to a range of 9–13 years. Although this range is deemed to capture virtually every crab reaching legal size in NL snow-crab populations, ages higher than 11 years to fishery recruitment (2 skip-molts) are relatively infrequent.
Potential distribution of marsupials (Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae) in Mexico under 2 climate change scenarios
Authors: Ortiz-Acosta Miguel Á , Galindo-González Jorge , Castro-Luna Alejandro A , Mota-Vargas Claudio
Published: November 2023

Climate change is one of the main threats to biodiversity in the 21st century. However, the effects that it may have on different mammal species are unknown, making it difficult to implement conservation strategies. In this paper, we used species distribution models (SDM) to assess the effect of global climate change on the potential distribution of the 8 of the 9 marsupial species in Mexico, and analyzed their distribution in the current system of natural protected areas (NPAs). We used presence records for each species and bioclimatic variables from the present and the future (2050 and 2080) with 2 contrasting possible scenarios (representative concentration pathways RCP 4.5 and 8.5). We found that Tlacuatzin canescens would have the most stable potential range under any climate change scenario, while the remaining species (Caluromys derbianus, Chironectes minimus, Didelphis marsupialis, D. virginiana, Philander opossum, Marmosa mexicana, and Metachirus nudicaudatus) would undergo notable range losses in the future, though there would not only be losses—according to our SDMs, for all species there would be some range gain under the different climate scenarios, assuming the vegetation cover remained. The current system of NPAs in Mexico currently protects and under the 2 future scenarios would protect less than 20% of the potential range of marsupials, so a reevaluation of their areas beyond the NPAs is highly recommended for the long-term conservation of this group. Our results provide relevant information on the estimated effects of global climate change on marsupials, allowing us to design more effective methodologies for the protection of this portion of the mammalian fauna in Mexico.
On Becoming an Artist Anew: Refugees’ Arrival in the Field of Cultural Production in Austria
Authors: Parzer Michael
Published: November 2023

This article focuses on how artists who had to flee Syria between 2011 and 2016 have restarted their artistic careers in Austria. Pries’ concept of arrival and Lamont’s symbolic boundary approach offer an analytical framework for examining the process of becoming an artist anew. By drawing on data collected from a 4-year ethnography in various fields of cultural production in Vienna, this article sheds light on the barriers these artists face in their process of arriving. The findings show two superordinate challenges: ‘having to start from zero’ and ‘struggling to be seen and recognized as artist’. A better understanding of the factors that affect refugees’ artistic practices could be particularly beneficial regarding the role of art as a means of social inclusion. Finally, the question arises as to what extent artistic pathways can serve as a lens for studying the experience of arrival in the context of forced migration.
Methodological observations concerning word rankings and z-score refinements
Authors: Ilsemann Hartmut
Published: November 2023

This article evaluates word rankings suggested by Ary L. Goldberger, Albert C. Yang, and C. Peng as a means of establishing the authorship of texts in the light of Delta, developed by John Burrows at about the same time. The tests carried out with high ranking function words and results established with the more modern approaches of Rolling Delta, Rolling Classify, and the General Imposters method give clear evidence that word rankings only return crude and unreliable results that cannot keep up with non-traditional modern methods. Even though the stylistic difference between Marlowe and Shakespeare plays could be stated, word rankings failed to recognize Shakespearean stylistics in The Jew of Malta, Edward II, and Doctor Faustus. It was only through the use of z-scores that a wider vocabulary provided a larger degree of differentiation.
Songs at the Docks: Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc and Musical Entanglements in Seventeenth-Century Marseille
Authors: Van der Miesen Leendert
Published: November 2023

Building on recent musicological research that emphasizes the mobility of songs, this article investigates Marseille as a site of cultural encounter and highlights the musical presence of enslaved galley rowers and translators in the city. It focuses on several descriptions of music-making in southern France by the French antiquarian Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc and his efforts to find materials on Ottoman and Persian music for the music theorist Marin Mersenne. Utilizing the constant influx of goods and people into the city, Peiresc relied on mercantile networks to obtain transcriptions of songs and music theoretical texts, engaging various informers and translators from the eastern Mediterranean. Focusing on a transcription of a single song that has been lost, the article traces the song’s connections to cultures of collection, cultural translation, and transcription, with singing constituting a central site in which to negotiate and perform otherness.
Unique spectral manifestations around the D3 line observed in the region close to the seismic source of a large solar flare
Authors: Lozitska N I , Yakovkin I I , Lozitsky V G
Published: November 2023

The main goal of our research is to search for super-strong magnetic fields in active processes on the Sun. Our method is based on Stokes V spectro-polarimetry in a wide spectral range from −14 Å to +29 Å relative to the D3 He i line. The object of the study is the area of a seismic source in the large solar flare on 2003 October 28 of the X17.2/4B class. The novelty of our study: we found characteristic spectral manifestations – secondary Stokes V peaks – far from D3 line, at distances of several angstroms. These secondary peaks have the following features: (a) their amplitudes reach 4 per cent – almost an order of magnitude more than previously detected in other flares, (b) in the general picture, the sign of the circular polarization changes when passing through the D3 centre, and (c) narrower spectral peculiarities were found at distances of +4.0, +6.3, and +8.5 Å, where the polarization sign also changes sharply. This unusual feature likely results from significant factors in the area of the seismic source, including substantial descending plasma velocities which exceed 400 km s−1 and, perhaps, super-strong magnetic fields.
Wait-and-scan management in sporadic Koos grade 4 vestibular schwannomas: A longitudinal volumetric study
Authors: Schouten Sammy M , Cornelissen Stefan , Langenhuizen Patrick P H J , Jansen Thijs T G , Mulder Jef J S , Derks Jolanda , Verheul Jeroen B , Kunst Henricus P M
Published: November 2023

Background

Volumetric natural history studies specifically on large vestibular schwannomas (VSs), commonly classified as Koos grade 4, are lacking. The aim of the current study is to present the volumetric tumor evolution in sporadic Koos grade 4 VSs and possible predictors for tumor growth.

Methods

Volumetric tumor measurements and tumor evolution patterns from serial MRI studies were analyzed from selected consecutive patients with Koos grade 4 VS undergoing initial wait-and-scan management between January 2001 and July 2020. The significant volumetric threshold was defined as a change in volume of ≥10%.

Results

Among 215 tumors with a median size (IQR) of 2.7 cm3 (1.8–4.2), 147 tumors (68%) demonstrated growth and 75 tumors (35%) demonstrated shrinkage during follow-up. Growth-free survival rates (95% CI) at 1, 2, 5, and 10 years were 55% (48–61), 36% (29–42), 29% (23–36), and 28% (21–34), respectively and did not significantly differ in tumors> 20 mm (Chi-square = .40; P-value = .53). Four tumor evolution patterns (% of total) were observed: continued growth (60); initial growth then shrinkage (7); continued shrinkage (27); and stability (5). Good hearing (adjusted HR 2.21, 95% CI 1.48–3.30; P < .001) and peritumoral edema (adjusted HR 2.22, 95% CI 1.18–4.13; P = .01) at diagnosis were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of growth.

Conclusions

Koos grade 4 VSs show a wide variety in size and growth. Due to variable growth patterns, an initial wait-and-scan strategy with short scan intervals may be an acceptable option in selected tumors, if no significant clinical symptoms of mass effect that warrant treatment are present.
Circulating Tumor Cells Prediction in Hormone Receptor Positive HER2-Negative Advanced Breast Cancer: A Retrospective Analysis of the MONARCH 2 Trial
Authors: Gerratana Lorenzo , Kocherginsky Masha , Davis Andrew A , D’Amico Paolo , Reduzzi Carolina , Puglisi Fabio , Cristofanilli Massimo
Published: November 2023

Background

The MONARCH 2 trial (NCT02107703) showed the efficacy of abemaciclib, a cyclin-dependent kinase 4 & 6 inhibitor (CDK4/6i), in combination with fulvestrant for hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer (MBC). The aim of this analysis was to explore the prediction of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) stratification using machine learning for hypothesis generation of biomarker-driven clinical trials.

Patients and Methods

Predicted CTCs were computed in the MONARCH 2 trial through a K nearest neighbor (KNN) classifier trained on a dataset comprising 2436 patients with MBC. Patients were categorized into predicted Stage IVaggressive (pStage IVaggressive, ≥5 predicted CTCs) or predicted Stage IVindolent (pStage IVindolent, <5 predicted CTCs). Prognosis was tested in terms of progression-free-survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) through Cox regression.

Results

Patients classified as predicted pStage IVaggressive and predicted pStage Stage IVindolent were, respectively, 183 (28%) and 461 (72%). After multivariable Cox regression, predicted CTCs were confirmed as independently associated with prognosis in terms of OS, together with ECOG performance status, liver involvement, bone-only disease, and treatment arm. Patients in the pStage Stage IVindolent subgroup treated with abemaciclib experienced the best prognosis both in terms of PFS and OS. The treatment effect of abemaciclib on OS was then explored through subgroup analysis, showing a consistent benefit across all subgroups.

Conclusion

This study is the first analysis of CTCs modeling for stage IV disease stratification. These results show the need to expand biomarker profiling in combination with CTCs stratification for improved biomarker-driven drug development.
Transcription factor SlWRKY50 enhances cold tolerance in tomato by activating the jasmonic acid signaling
Authors: Wang Lihui , Chen Hui , Chen Guoyu , Luo Guangbao , Shen Xinyan , Ouyang Bo , Bie Zhilong
Published: November 2023

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a cold-sensitive crop but frequently experiences low-temperature stimuli. However, tomato responses to cold stress are still poorly understood. Our previous studies have shown that using wild tomato (Solanum habrochaites) as rootstock can significantly enhance the cold resistance of grafted seedlings, in which a high concentration of jasmonic acids (JAs) in scions exerts an important role, but the mechanism of JA accumulation remains unclear. Herein, we discovered that tomato SlWRKY50, a Group II WRKY transcription factor that is cold inducible, responds to cold stimuli and plays a key role in JA biosynthesis. SlWRKY50 directly bound to the promoter of tomato allene oxide synthase gene (SlAOS), and overexpressing SlWRKY50 improved tomato chilling resistance, which led to higher levels of Fv/Fm, antioxidative enzymes, SlAOS expression, and JA accumulation. SlWRKY50-silenced plants, however, exhibited an opposite trend. Moreover, diethyldithiocarbamate acid (a JA biosynthesis inhibitor) foliar treatment drastically reduced the cold tolerance of SlWRKY50-overexpression plants to wild-type levels. Importantly, SlMYC2, the key regulator of the JA signaling pathway, can control SlWRKY50 expression. Overall, our research indicates that SlWRKY50 promotes cold tolerance by controlling JA biosynthesis and that JA signaling mediates SlWRKY50 expression via transcriptional activation by SlMYC2. Thus, this contributes to the genetic knowledge necessary for developing cold-resistant tomato varieties.
Sfrp1 as a Pivotal Paracrine Factor in the Trained Pericardial Stem Cells that Foster Reparative Activity
Authors: Zhu Hongtao , Liu Xueqing , Ouyang Weili , Hao Yingcai , Ding Zheheng , Tan Kezhe , Tang Jianfeng , Zhao Jianfeng , Ding Xiaojun , Teng Zenghui , Deng Xiaoming , Wu Weidong , Ding Zhaoping
Published: November 2023

Tissue damage often induces local inflammation that in turn dictates a series of subsequential responses, such as stem cell activation and growth, to maintain tissue homeostasis. The aim of the study is to testify the possibility of using inflammation-trained stem cells as optimal donor cells to augment the efficacy of cell therapy. The pericardial stem/stromal cells derived from the animals after myocardial infarction (MI-pSC) showed an enhanced myogenic potential and augmented reparative activity after transplantation in the injured hearts, as compared to the Sham-pSC. Bulk RNA-Seq analysis revealed significant upregulation of a panel of myogenic and trophic genes in the MI-pSC and, notably, Sfrp1 as an important anti-apoptotic factor induced robustly in the MI-pSC. Injection of the MI-pSC yielded measurable numbers of surviving cardiomyocytes (Tunel and Casp-3 negative) within the infarct area, but the effects were significantly diminished by siRNA-based silence of Sfrp1 gene in the pSC. Primed Sham-pSC with pericardial fluid from MI rats mimicked the upregulation of Sfrp1 and enhanced myogenic potential and reparative activity of pSC. Taken together, our results illustrated the inflammation-trained pSC favor a reparative activity through upregulation of Sfrp1 gene that confers anti-apoptotic activity in the injured cardiomyocytes. Therefore, the active form of stem cells may be used as a cardiac protective agent to boost therapeutical potential of stem cells.