bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Building on the Academic Legacy of Pat Stelmachowicz and other Pioneers in Developmental Psychoacoustics and Pediatric Audiology: The Children's English/Spanish Speech Recognition Test (ChEgSS)
Authors: Leibold Lori J. , Calandruccio Lauren , Buss Emily
Published: March 2023

Basic research investigating auditory development often has implications for clinical diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss in children, but it can be challenging to translate those findings into practice. Meeting that challenge was a guiding principle of Pat Stelmachowicz's research and mentorship. Her example inspired many of us to pursue translational research and motivated the recent development of the Children's English/Spanish Speech Recognition Test (ChEgSS). This test evaluates word recognition in noise or two-talker speech, with target and masker speech produced in either English or Spanish. The test uses recorded materials and a forced-choice response, so the tester need not be fluent in the test language. ChEgSS provides a clinical measure of masked speech recognition outcomes for children who speak English, Spanish, or both, including estimates of performance in noise and two-talker speech, with the goal of maximizing speech and hearing outcomes for children with hearing loss. This article highlights several of Pat's many contributions to pediatric hearing research and describes the motivation and development of ChEgSS.
Use of Wideband Acoustic Immittance in Neonates and Infants
Authors: AlMakadma Hammam , Aithal Sreedevi , Aithal Venkatesh , Kei Joseph
Published: March 2023

With widespread agreement on the importance of early identification of hearing loss, universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) has become the standard of care in several countries. Despite advancements in screening technology, UNHS and early hearing detection and intervention programs continue to be burdened by high referral rates of false-positive cases due to temporary obstruction of sound in the outer/middle ear at birth. A sensitive adjunct test of middle ear at the time of screening would aid in the interpretation of screening outcomes, minimize unnecessary rescreens, and prioritize referral to diagnostic assessment for infants with permanent congenital hearing loss. Determination of middle ear status is also an important aspect of diagnostic assessment in infants. Standard single-frequency tympanometry used to determine middle ear status in infants is neither efficient nor accurate in newborns and young infants. A growing body of research has demonstrated the utility of wideband acoustic immittance (WAI) testing in both screening and diagnostic settings. Wideband power absorbance (WBA), a WAI measure, has been shown to be more sensitive than tympanometry in the assessment of outer/middle ear function in newborns. Furthermore, age-graded norms also support successful application of WBA in young infants. Despite its merits, uptake of this technology is low among pediatric audiologists and hearing screening health workers. This report describes normative data, methods for assessment and interpretation of WBA, test–retest variations, and other factors pertinent to clinical use of WAI in newborns and infants. Clinical cases illustrate the use of WAI testing in newborn and infant hearing assessment.
New spin-toque diodes show higher sensitivity while consuming less power
Authors: Green Leigh Ann
Published: March 2023

Magnetic tunnel junctions hold the key to more accurate and reliable devices.
Measurement of oxygen concentration in atmospheric air using ultrasound time of flight with humidity compensation
Authors: Fukuoka Hiroaki , Taskin Mahjabin , Teii Kungen , Kato Yoshimine
Published: March 2023

An absolute gas concentration can be measured from the variation in the speed of sound between two gases in principle. Owing to the small difference in the speed of sound between the atmospheric air and oxygen (O2) gas, measuring O2 concentration with high accuracy in the humid atmospheric air using ultrasound needs careful investigation. The authors show successfully a method to measure the absolute concentration of O2 gas in humid atmospheric air using ultrasound. It was possible to measure O2 concentration in the atmospheric air with accuracy by compensating for the influence of temperature and humidity by calculation. The O2 concentration was calculated from the conventional speed of sound equation by utilizing small mass variation for the change in moisture as well as temperature. This method using ultrasound enabled us to measure the O2 concentration in the atmospheric air as 21.0%, which is in agreement with the standard atmospheric dry air. The measurement error values after the humidity compensation are about 0.4% or less. Furthermore, this method takes only about a few ms for measuring O2 concentration and, thus, can be used as a high-speed portable O2 sensor for industrial, environmental, and biomedical instruments.
Effect of dislocations on the performance of GaSb-based diode lasers grown on silicon
Authors: Remis Andres , Monge-Bartolomé Laura , Boissier Guilhem , Waguaf Mounir , Rodriguez Jean-Baptiste , Cerutti Laurent , Tournié Eric
Published: March 2023

Silicon photonics is a promising technology for the fabrication of dense photonic chips, thanks to the very mature silicon industry. The direct epitaxial growth of III–V lasers on silicon is one of the main challenges for the realization of compact and robust mid-infrared sensors based on photonic integrated circuits. The crystal defects arising from this heteroepitaxial growth affect the laser performance and, therefore, need to be mitigated but also studied to better understand their impact on the laser operation. Here, we studied the effect of threading dislocations on laser performance by comparing the series of GaSb-based diode lasers grown on native GaSb and Si substrates with different numbers of quantum wells (nQW) in their active zones. As expected, the laser threshold currents are higher in the case of diode lasers on Si, and they rapidly vary with nQW. Still, the lowest threshold current densities are achieved with nQW = 1 for both substrates. With the help of a theoretical gain model, we attribute these results to the fact that dislocations create non-radiative recombination but do not introduce additional optical losses. This work allows a better understanding of the origin of performance degradation and the decision to be made regarding the heterostructure design.
Mechanism of proton-coupled electron transfer described with QM/MM implementation of coupled-perturbed density-functional tight-binding
Authors: Maag Denis , Böser Josua , Witek Henryk A. , Hourahine Ben , Elstner Marcus , Kubař Tomáš
Published: March 2023

Coupled-perturbed equations for degenerate orbitals were implemented for third order density-functional tight binding, which allowed the use of Mulliken charges as reaction coordinates. The method was applied to proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions in a model system and thoroughly tested for QM and QM/MM setups (i.e., coupled quantum and molecular mechanics). The performed enhanced sampling simulations were stable, and the obtained potentials of the mean force were able to address the thermodynamic and kinetic features of the reactions by showing the expected topography and energy barriers. Hence, this method has the potential to distinguish between concerted and sequential mechanisms and could next be applied to proton-coupled electron transfer reactions in more complex systems like proteins.
Analyzing the influence of square Maxwell coil’s assembly errors on the uniformity of magnetic field gradient
Authors: Wang Lei , Li Pengxuan , Feng Xiaoyang , Sun Zhiyin , Li Liyi , Jin Peng
Published: March 2023

A Maxwell coil is a gradient magnetic field source with high uniformity, and it is widely used in the experiment of magnetic effect in space gravitational wave detection, magnetic resonance molecular imaging, and other precision magnetic measurement experiments. In this paper, taking the square Maxwell coil as a research object, the influences of four kinds of assembly errors on the uniformity of magnetic field gradient (UOMFG) are systematically analyzed and the results are verified by simulation using the finite element method. We obtained variation rules of UOMFG changing with the four assembly errors and summarized three useful conclusions. These rules and conclusions are instructive in the design, processing, and assembly of the square Maxwell coil and are beneficial for the optimal utilization of the working area in the precision magnetic measurement experiments.
Effect of Si/Al addition on magnetic properties of Fe-Co alloy
Authors: Sato Takamasa , Takabayashi Hiroyuki
Published: March 2023

Fe-Co alloys are promising materials for high power density motors, since they have higher Bs than Fe-Si steels which are most commonly used as the motor cores. It is known, however, that the Fe-Co alloys generally have poor workability due to an existence of the brittle phase, ordered B2. In this study, effects of Co content and Si/Al addition with the Fe-Co alloys on the workability and magnetic properties were investigated. The neutron diffraction measurements of the Fe-Co alloys with different Co contents of 5, 18, 27, and 49 mass% were first conducted to know the existence of the ordered B2 phase. The result showed that the B2 phase was observed in the Fe-Co alloys with Co contents of 27 and 49 mass%, while the alloys with 5 and 18 mass% did not contain it, which suggests the latter two alloys have the better workability. Then, we checked the effect of Si/Al addition on the magnetic properties of the 82Fe-18Co alloy, and found that the co-addition of Si/Al reduce the coercivity, Hc to about 60 A/m and iron loss to less than 170 W/kg while maintaining a high B value at 30 000 A/m above 2.2 T.
Perception of wildfire behaviour potential among Swedish incident commanders, and their fire suppression tactics revealed through tabletop exercises
Authors: Granström Anders , Sjöström Johan , Vylund Lotta
Published: March 2023

Background Swedish wildfires are handled by multipurpose municipal rescue services, raising questions about how non-specialist incident commanders (ICs) perceive and interpret wildfire behaviour. Aims Elucidating ICs’ interpretations of fire behaviour, fuel complexes, weather, landscape structure and the role of these in tactical decisions. Methods We exposed Swedish ICs to questionnaires and tabletop exercises for different standardised fire scenarios. Key results Despite minimal formal wildfire training, ICs showed reasonable consensus in rating of fuels, fire behaviour, hose-lay production rates, etc. Tactics were to access the fire from the nearest road with hose-line laid from the engine and water ferried on trucks. In a scenario where initial attack failed, they typically fell back to roads, without burning off. This indicates a fundamental flaw in tactics employed for high-intensity fires, which easily breach forestry roads, and invite outflanking. Conclusions The IC wildfire knowledge is built on personal and group experience rather than formal education. We found reasonable competence, despite the organisations being designed primarily for other purposes. However, tactical understanding of complex, large incidents was poor. IC training should emphasise potential hazards of such incidents to enhance group competence despite their low frequency. Implications Standardised tabletop exercises can provide insight into decision-making of ICs that is otherwise hidden.
Bridging knowledge gaps on the role of spatial planning in wildfire risk reduction: insights from Portugal
Authors: Tedim Fantina , Samora-Arvela André , Aranha José , Coimbra Catarina , Correia Fernando , Pinto Diogo M.
Published: March 2023

Background This paper identifies the weaknesses of the Portuguese approach to promote wildfire risk reduction through spatial planning. Aims This paper contributes to bridging a critical gap in knowledge on the role of spatial planning in the reduction of wildfire hazard, given that the characteristics of fire hazard are distinctive from other natural hazards. Methods Firstly, we used an online questionnaire answered by 175 municipalities of Portugal in order to examine local technicians’ experience in applying spatial planning legislation and wildfire management policies. In a second step, we collected data from a Delphi survey with 27 experts with the aim of confirming or repudiating the importance of each need for integration between spatial planning and rural fire management indicated by the replies of the 175 municipalities. Key results, conclusions, and implications One of the main identified weaknesses relates to the integration of the National Hazard Map in the Constraints Map of the Master Plans, considering the high inter-annual variability of fire hazard and the long-term definition of the municipal spatial planning framework.
An onomasiological competition
Authors: Glebkin Vladimir
Published: March 2023

An onomasiological competition between lexical units, in which they compete to name a certain object (phenomenon,
process, event, etc.), rarely attracts the attention of linguists, mainly due to an interdisciplinary nature of such research and
the lack of a developed methodology for that. In this article, the author presents a case study of the onomasiological competition
between constructions of otkryvat' butylku (‘to open a bottle’) and otkuporivat' butylku (‘to
uncork a bottle’) during the 19th and 20th centuries and reveals sociocultural factors influencing the course and result of this
competition. Based on this analysis, a few sociocultural scenarios that should be taken into consideration in research of various
types of onomasiological competition are presented.
Constructing identity through code choice and code-switching
Authors: Ali Farah
Published: March 2023

With the presence of Catalan, Spanish, and a variety of migrant languages, multilingualism in Catalonia extends across the region and is a regular practice for native-born and migrant residents alike. This study examines language use and its relationship to identity construction among first and second-generation Muslim women immigrants in Barcelona. Data was collected from 34 female informants in Barcelona, all of whom identified as first or second-generation Muslim. Data consisted of questionnaires and interviews which were designed to learn about the informants’ linguistic background as well as the extent to which they used Spanish, Catalan and their native/heritage language(s). As a further case study, specific instances of code-switching among the South Asian Urdu-speaking informants were examined. Results point to a generational divide in terms of domains of use. However, informants demonstrated a greater tendency towards multilingual language use rather than restricting themselves to single language use in specific domains, a reflection of informants’ self-reported code-switching practices, which were found to be a widely accepted communicative tool that serves an array of socio-pragmatic functions.
A mechanism for dark matter and dark energy in the theory of causal fermion systems
Authors: Finster Felix , Isidro José M
Published: March 2023

It is shown that the theory of causal fermion systems gives rise to a novel mechanism for dark matter and dark energy. This mechanism is first worked out for cubical subsets of Minkowski space with periodic boundary conditions. Then it is studied in Friedmann–Lemaître–Roberson–Walker spacetimes. The magnitude of the effect scales like one over the lifetime of the Universe squared. In contrast to most models of dark matter and dark energy, our mechanism does not postulate any new particles. Instead, it is a result of the collective behavior of all the wave functions which form the Dirac sea, needed in order to arrange correlated initial and end quantum states of the Universe.
Spin filters based on two-dimensional materials Co2Si and Cu2Si
Authors: Meng Yexuan , Jiang Liwei , Zheng Yisong
Published: March 2023

Spintronic devices have several advantages compared with conventional electronic devices, including non-volatility, faster data processing speed, higher integration densities, less electric power consumption and so on. However, we still face challenges for efficiently generating and injecting pure spin polarized current. In this work, we utilize two kinds of two-dimensional materials Co2Si and Cu2Si with both lattice match and band match to construct devices and then research their spin filter efficiency. The spin filter efficiency can be improved effectively either by an appropriate gate voltage at Co2Si region, or by series connection. In both cases the filter efficiencies are much larger than two-dimensional prepared Fe3GeTe2 spin valve and ferromagnetic metallic chairlike O-graphene-H. Also at a quite small bias, we obtain a comparable spin polarized current as those obtained in Fe3GeTe2 spin valve and O-graphene-H obtained at a much larger bias.
Continuous-wave single-frequency holmium-doped fiber laser based on saturable absorber
Authors: Vladimirskaya A D , Kamynin V A , Lobach I A , Kablukov S I
Published: March 2023

The single-frequency holmium-doped fiber laser with spectral filtration based on a dynamics filter formed in heavily holmium-doped fiber is presented. The continuous wave lasing on a single longitudinal mode in the spectral region of 2.1 μm with an output power of 1.6 mW is shown when the filtering fiber is cooled with liquid nitrogen. The optical signal-to-noise ratio and the relative intensity noise were more than 30 dB and — 62.8 dB Hz−1, respectively. The developed source can be used for gas spectroscopy as well as for remote atmosphere sensing of such gases as carbon dioxide, nitric oxide, ammonia, carbon monoxide and others.
Structural, electronic, and Li-ion mobility properties of garnet-type Li7La3Zr2O12 surface: An insight from first-principles calculations
Authors: Wang Jing-Xuan , Sun Bao-Zhen , Li Mei , Wu Mu-Sheng , Xu Bo
Published: March 2023

Garnet-type Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) is a promising solid-state electrolyte for Li-ion batteries, but Li-dendrite’s formation greatly limits the applications. In this paper, we systematically investigate the stability, electronic properties, and Li-ion mobility of the LLZO surface by the first-principles calculations. We consider the (110) and (001) slab structures with different terminations in the t- and c-LLZO. Our results indicate that both (110) and (001) surfaces prefer to form Li-rich termination due to their low surface energies for either t- or c-LLZO. Moreover, with the decrease of Li contents the stability of Li-rich surfaces is improved initially and degrades later. Unfortunately, the localized surface states at the Fermi level can induce the formation of metallic Li on the Li-rich surfaces. In comparison, Li/La-termination has a relatively low metallic Li formation tendency due to its rather low diffusion barrier. In fact, Li-ion can spontaneously migrate along path II (Li3 → Li2) on the Li/La–T(001) surface. In contrast, it is more difficult for Li-ion diffusion on the Li–T(001) surface, which has a minimum diffusion barrier of 0.50 eV. Interestingly, the minimum diffusion barrier decreases to 0.34 eV when removing four Li-ions from the Li–T(001) surface. Thus, our study suggests that by varying Li contents, the stability and Li-ion diffusion barrier of LLZO surfaces can be altered favorably. These advantages can inhibit the formation of metallic Li on the LLZO surfaces.
Will biomimetic robots be able to change a hivemind to guide honeybees’ ecosystem services?
Authors: Lazic Dajana , Schmickl Thomas
Published: March 2023

We study whether or not a group of biomimetic waggle dancing robots is able to significantly influence the swarm-intelligent decision making of a honeybee colony, e.g. to avoid foraging at dangerous food patches using a mathematical model. Our model was successfully validated against data from two empirical experiments: one examined the selection of foraging targets and the other cross inhibition between foraging targets. We found that such biomimetic robots have a significant effect on a honeybee colony’s foraging decision. This effect correlates with the number of applied robots up to several dozens of robots and then saturates quickly with higher robot numbers. These robots can reallocate the bees’ pollination service in a directed way towards desired locations or boost it at specific locations, without having a significant negative effect on the colony’s nectar economy. Additionally, we found that such robots may be able to lower the influx of toxic substances from potentially harmful foraging sites by guiding the bees to alternative places. These effects also depend on the saturation level of the colony’s nectar stores. The more nectar is already stored in the colony, the easier the bees are guided by the robots to alternative foraging targets. Our study shows that biomimetic and socially immersive biomimetic robots are a relevant future research target in order to support (a) the bees by guiding them to safe (pesticide free) places, (b) the ecosystem via boosted and directed pollination services and (c) human society by supporting agricultural crop pollination, thus increasing our food security this way.
Liposomes loaded with quercetin for resolution of lung inflammation in a lipopolysaccharide-induced mouse model of sepsis
Authors: Zhai Zhiqi , Fu Yue , Zhang Xinyue , Zhang Yi , Zhou Chao , Huang Xiaojia , Deng Linhong
Published: March 2023

Quercetin (QU) has been widely used as a dietary supplement and proved useful to treat lung diseases. However, the therapeutic potential of QU may be restricted because of its low bioavailability and poor water solubility. In this study, we investigated the effects of developed QU-loaded liposomes on macrophage-mediated lung inflammation. In vivo, a mouse model of sepsis induced by lipopolysaccharide challenge was used to detect the anti-inflammatory effects of liposomal QU. Hematoxylin/eosin staining and immunostaining were utilized to reveal pathological damage and leukocyte infiltration into the lung tissues. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunoblotting were used to determine cytokine production in the mouse lungs. In vitro, mouse RAW 264.7 macrophages were treated with free QU and liposomal QU. Cell viability assay and immunostaining were utilized to detect cytotoxicity and distribution of QU in the cells. The in vivo results showed that liposomal encapsulation promoted the inhibitory effects of QU on lung inflammation. Liposomal QU decreased mortality in septic mice with no obvious toxicity on vital organs. Mechanistically, the anti-inflammatory effects of liposomal QU were associated with inhibition of nuclear factor-kappa B-dependent cytokine production and inflammasome activation in macrophages. Collectively, the results showed that QU liposomes mitigated lung inflammation in septic mice through inhibition of macrophage inflammatory signaling.
Scattering of aggregated multi-layered biological cells by Bessel beams
Authors: Bai Jing , Liu Xuan , Ge Cheng-Xian , Wu Zhen-Sen , Zhang Xiao-Xiao
Published: March 2023

Interactions between collective multi-layered cells and an off-axis high-order Bessel beam (HOBB) are investigated. The generalized Lorenz-Mie theory is applied to derive the expansion of HOBB. Based on the additional theorem, multiple scattering of collective multi-layered nanoparticles is obtained by considering the tangential continuous boundary conditions. The present theory and codes are proven to be effective by comparing with the simulations obtained from the computer simulation technology (CST) software. Numerical results concerning the effects of beam order, beam conical angle, spherical layer number, core radius and outer layer radius, outer layer refractive index and the spherical number on the scattering of various types of aggregated multi-layered particles are displayed in detail, which may provide critical support for analytically understanding the optical scattering characteristics of aggregated multi-layered biological cells of complex shapes and may find important applications in manipulating multi-layered biological structures.
A population-based retrospective cohort study of end-of-life emergency department visits by people with dementia: multilevel modelling of individual- and service-level factors using linked data
Authors: Williamson Lesley E , Leniz Javiera , Chukwusa Emeka , Evans Catherine J , Sleeman Katherine E
Published: March 2023

Background

emergency department (ED) visits have inherent risks for people with dementia yet increase towards the end-of-life. Although some individual-level determinants of ED visits have been identified, little is known about service-level determinants.

Objective

to examine individual- and service-level factors associated with ED visits by people with dementia in the last year of life.

Methods

retrospective cohort study using hospital administrative and mortality data at the individual-level, linked to health and social care service data at the area-level across England. The primary outcome was number of ED visits in the last year of life. Subjects were decedents with dementia recorded on the death certificate, with at least one hospital contact in the last 3 years of life.

Results

of 74,486 decedents (60.5% women; mean age 87.1 years (standard deviation: 7.1)), 82.6% had at least one ED visit in their last year of life. Factors associated with more ED visits included: South Asian ethnicity (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02–1.13), chronic respiratory disease as the underlying cause of death (IRR 1.17, 95% CI 1.14–1.20) and urban residence (IRR 1.06, 95% CI 1.04–1.08). Higher socioeconomic position (IRR 0.92, 95% CI 0.90–0.94) and areas with higher numbers of nursing home beds (IRR 0.85, 95% CI 0.78–0.93)—but not residential home beds—were associated with fewer ED visits at the end-of-life.

Conclusions

the value of nursing home care in supporting people dying with dementia to stay in their preferred place of care must be recognised, and investment in nursing home bed capacity prioritised.
The genome of the soybean gall midge (Resseliella maxima)
Authors: Melotto Gloria , Jones Megan W , Bosley Kathryn , Flack Nicole , Frank Lexi E , Jacobson Emily , Kipp Evan J , Nelson Sally , Ramirez Mauricio , Walls Carrie , Koch Robert L , Lindsey Amelia R I , Faulk Christopher
Published: March 2023

The cecidomyiid fly, soybean gall midge, Resseliella maxima Gagné, is a recently discovered insect that feeds on soybean plants in the Midwestern United States. R. maxima larvae feed on soybean stems that may induce plant death and can cause considerable yield losses, making it an important agricultural pest. From three pools of 50 adults each, we used long-read nanopore sequencing to assemble a R. maxima reference genome. The final genome assembly is 206 Mb with 64.88× coverage, consisting of 1,009 contigs with an N50 size of 714 kb. The assembly is high quality with a Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Ortholog (BUSCO) score of 87.8%. Genome-wide GC level is 31.60%, and DNA methylation was measured at 1.07%. The R. maxima genome is comprised of 21.73% repetitive DNA, which is in line with other cecidomyiids. Protein prediction annotated 14,798 coding genes with 89.9% protein BUSCO score. Mitogenome analysis indicated that R. maxima assembly is a single circular contig of 15,301 bp and shares highest identity to the mitogenome of the Asian rice gall midge, Orseolia oryzae Wood-Mason. The R. maxima genome has one of the highest completeness levels for a cecidomyiid and will provide a resource for research focused on the biology, genetics, and evolution of cecidomyiids, as well as plant–insect interactions in this important agricultural pest.
In vivo characterization of the critical interaction between the RNA exosome and the essential RNA helicase Mtr4 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Sterrett Maria C , Farchi Daniela , Strassler Sarah E , Boise Lawrence H , Fasken Milo B , Corbett Anita H
Published: March 2023

The RNA exosome is a conserved molecular machine that processes/degrades numerous coding and non-coding RNAs. The 10-subunit complex is composed of three S1/KH cap subunits (human EXOSC2/3/1; yeast Rrp4/40/Csl4), a lower ring of six PH-like subunits (human EXOSC4/7/8/9/5/6; yeast Rrp41/42/43/45/46/Mtr3), and a singular 3′-5′ exo/endonuclease DIS3/Rrp44. Recently, several disease-linked missense mutations have been identified in structural cap and core RNA exosome genes. In this study, we characterize a rare multiple myeloma patient missense mutation that was identified in the cap subunit gene EXOSC2. This missense mutation results in a single amino acid substitution, p.Met40Thr, in a highly conserved domain of EXOSC2. Structural studies suggest that this Met40 residue makes direct contact with the essential RNA helicase, MTR4, and may help stabilize the critical interaction between the RNA exosome complex and this cofactor. To assess this interaction in vivo, we utilized the Saccharomyces cerevisiae system and modeled the EXOSC2 patient mutation into the orthologous yeast gene RRP4, generating the variant rrp4-M68T. The rrp4-M68T cells show accumulation of certain RNA exosome target RNAs and show sensitivity to drugs that impact RNA processing. We also identified robust negative genetic interactions between rrp4-M68T and specific mtr4 mutants. A complementary biochemical approach revealed that Rrp4 M68T shows decreased interaction with Mtr4, consistent with these genetic results. This study suggests that the EXOSC2 mutation identified in a multiple myeloma patient impacts the function of the RNA exosome and provides functional insight into a critical interface between the RNA exosome and Mtr4.
Republicanismo y ciudadanía armada en la Constitución Nacional argentina
Authors: Tripolone Gerardo
Published: March 2023

In this work, we analyze the links between the theory of republicanism and armed citizenship in Argentinian debates in the nineteenth century. The theoretical and historical approach allows the interpretation of two articles of the National Constitution: Article 21, which establishes the obligation of all citizens “to bear arms in defense of the fatherland and of this Constitution”, and Article 22, which considers that “any armed force or meeting of persons assuming the rights of the people and petitioning in their name, commits the crime of sedition”. An analysis under the light of the republican conception of armed citizenship shows in these two clauses the paradox of popular sovereignty that, on the one hand, recognizes and maintains the constituent power in the people and, on the other hand, aims to restraints and subjects it by state authorities.
Repensando los préstamos constitucionales: un análisis crítico del uso de materiales foráneos desde la experiencia argentina
Authors: Toselli Matías
Published: March 2023

On regular basis, courts borrow foreign legal materials when deciding constitutional issues. In many countries, including Argentina, this practice is rarely contested. Within this framework, this paper is focused on studying legal borrowings in order to systematize them and highlight their potential risks. Considering Argentine jurisprudence, the article proposes a classification of the uses of foreign legal sources based on two variables: their authoritative nature and their weight in the judge’s final decision. After presenting the categorization, the article claims that any type of legal borrowing will imply certain risks, which will tend to increase progressively depending on how they are related to the aforementioned variables. Thus, based on the study of the impact of foreign materials on judicial decisions, this paper explores whether it should be discouraged the borrowing of comparative law.
Can fosfomycin be an alternative therapy for infections caused byE. coliharbouring dual resistance: NDM and four-amino acid insertion in PBP3?
Authors: Bakthavatchalam Yamuna Devi , Shankar Abirami , Manokaran Yuvasri , Walia Kamini , Veeraraghavan Balaji
Published: March 2023

NDM-expressing Escherichia coli infections are challenging to treat, due to limited treatment options. E. coli with four-amino acid inserts (YRIN/YRIK) are also common in India and it has been reported to reduce the susceptibility to aztreonam/avibactam and the clinically used triple combination ceftazidime/avibactam with aztreonam. Thus, there is a severe dearth of antibiotics to treat infections of NDM + PBP3 insert E. coli. In this study, we determined the susceptibility of E. coli with NDM and PBP3 insert to fosfomycin as an alternative option to treat serious infections. Non-duplicate well-characterized NDM-expressing (without or with co-expression of OXA-48-like) E. coli isolates (n = 213) subsequently carrying four-amino acid inserts in PBP3 were included in this study. MICs of fosfomycin were determined by the agar dilution method with glucose-6-phosphate supplementation, while for other comparators the broth microdilution method was used. Collectively, 98% of NDM-expressing E. coli isolates with PBP3 insert were susceptible to fosfomycin at the MIC of ≤32 mg/L. Resistance to aztreonam was noticed in 38% of the tested isolates. Putting together fosfomycin’s in vitro activity, clinical efficacy and safety in randomized controlled trials, we conclude that fosfomycin could be considered as an alternative option to treat infections caused by E. coli harbouring NDM and PBP3 insert resistance mechanisms.
Increasing Tax Collection in African Countries: The Role of Information Technology
Authors: Okunogbe Oyebola , Santoro Fabrizio
Published: March 2023

Many African countries struggle to collect an adequate amount of tax revenue to support needed investments in public services. This paper examines how African countries may take advantage of recent advances in technology to improve tax administration. It provides an overview of the potential and challenges of different tax categories in Africa: consumption taxes, real estate taxes, trade taxes and income taxes. It then describes the ways in which technology solutions may be deployed to address these challenges by helping to identify the tax base, monitor compliance and facilitate compliance. Lastly, it provides insights from interviews with senior tax administrators across the continent on their practical experiences in adopting technology for taxation.
The genetic basis of swine inflammation and necrosis syndrome and its genetic association with post-weaning skin damage and production traits
Authors: Leite Natália Galoro , Knol Egbert Frank , Nuphaus Stefanie , Vogelzang Roos , Tsuruta Shogo , Wittmann Margit , Lourenco Daniela
Published: March 2023

The swine inflammation and necrosis syndrome (SINS) is a syndrome visually characterized by the presence of inflamed and necrotic skin at extreme body parts, such as the teats, tail, ears, and claw coronary bands. This syndrome is associated with several environmental causes, but knowledge of the role of genetics is still limited. Moreover, piglets affected by SINS are believed to be phenotypically more susceptible to chewing and biting behaviors from pen mates, which could cause a chronic reduction in their welfare throughout the production process. Our objectives were to 1) investigate the genetic basis of SINS expressed on piglets’ different body parts and 2) estimate SINS genetic relationship with post-weaning skin damage and pre and post-weaning production traits. A total of 5,960 two to three-day-old piglets were scored for SINS on the teats, claws, tails, and ears as a binary phenotype. Later, those binary records were combined into a trait defined as TOTAL_SINS. For TOTAL_SINS, animals presenting no signs of SINS were scored as 1, whereas animals showing at least one affected part were scored as 2. Apart from SINS traits, piglets had their birth weight (BW) and weaning weight (WW) recorded, and up to 4,132 piglets were later evaluated for combined skin damage (CSD), carcass backfat (BF), and loin depth (LOD). In the first set of analyses, the heritability of SINS on different body parts was estimated with single-trait animal-maternal models, and pairwise genetic correlations between body parts were obtained from two-trait models. Later, we used four three-trait animal models with TOTAL_SINS, CSD, and an alternative production trait (i.e., BW, WW, LOD, BF) to access trait heritabilities and genetic correlations between SINS and production traits. The maternal effect was included in the BW, WW, and TOTAL_SINS models. The direct heritability of SINS on different body parts ranged from 0.08 to 0.34, indicating that reducing SINS incidence through genetic selection is feasible. The direct genetic correlation between TOTAL_SINS and pre-weaning growth traits (BW and WW) was favorable and negative (from −0.40 to −0.30), indicating that selection for animals genetically less prone to present signs of SINS will positively affect the piglet’s genetics for heavier weight at birth and weaning. The genetic correlations between TOTAL_SINS and BF and between TOTAL_SINS and LOD were weak or not significant (−0.16 to 0.05). However, the selection against SINS was shown to be genetically correlated with CSD, with estimates ranging from 0.19 to 0.50. That means that piglets genetically less likely to present SINS signs are also more unlikely to suffer CSD after weaning, having a long-term increase in their welfare throughout the production system.
Development and Immature Mortality of the Sawtoothed Grain Beetle (Coleoptera: Silvanidae), on Different Sorghum Fractions and Different Temperatures
Authors: Lampiri Evagelia , Scully Erin D , Arthur Frank H , Athanassiou Christos G
Published: March 2023

Developmental ability of Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.) (Coleoptera: Silvanidae) was examined on six different sorghum milling fractions: Bran, Shorts, Cgrits, Fgrits, Red dogs, Flour, and also on a standard diet of Oat Flakes. For this purpose, a 1-day-old egg was placed in a vial containing 1 g of one of the sorghum fractions and exposed to three temperatures: 25, 30, or 32°C. All vials were checked daily for pupal and adult emergence and mortality of immatures. The developmental time was significantly affected by the type of sorghum fraction. After two weeks, for most of the temperatures examined, the longest developmental times in most cases for both pupation and adult emergence were observed in Flour and Oat flakes. Increasing the temperature from 25 to 30 accelerated the development, while adult emergence time did not differ between 30 and 32°C for all fractions except Flour. Egg mortality ranged from 11 to 78%, while larval and pupal mortality ranged from 0 to 22 and 0 to 45%, respectively for all sorghum fractions and different temperatures tested. Moreover, the mean overall immature mortality occurred at 30°C was 49.2, 39.7, and 65.1% at 25, 30, and 32°C for all the diets examined. The findings of the present work show that O. surinamensis can develop and survive in sorghum milling fractions and that the optimal temperatures for growth enhancement are 30 and 32°C. The temperatures within sorghum milling facilities could support O. surinamensis development on milling fractions if they are not addressed through phytosanitary measures.
The effects of vaginal surgery and pelvic floor disorders on female sexual function
Authors: Li Shasha , Tan Cheng , Yang Xin
Published: March 2023

Background

The effects of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI) on sexual activity and female sexual dysfunction (FSD) remain unknown. How female sexual function is affected by surgery to treat SUI and/or POP remains controversial.

Aim

The objectives of this study were to identify the prevalence of FSD and potential risk factors in women with POP and/or SUI and to assess whether pelvic floor surgery leads to alterations in female sexual function.

Methods

This investigation was prospective and observational. Informed consent was obtained from women who were scheduled to undergo pelvic floor surgery to manage POP and/or SUI at Peking University People’s Hospital, which is an urban medical center. Sexual function was assessed by an investigator preoperatively and 12 months postoperatively.

Outcomes

Sexual activity and sexual function before and after surgery were investigated with potential risk factors. Sexual function was measured by 2 validated questionnaires: the Female Sexual Function Index and the PISQ-12 (Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire Short Form).

Results

A total of 233 women were recruited, and all were ethnically Chinese. The average age was 63 years (range, 31-83), and 47.2% were sexually active. The lack of sexual activity before surgery was associated with increasing age (mean ± SD, 56.3 ± 9.5 vs 68.4 ± 8.1 years; P < .001) and postmenopausal status (70.0% vs 97.6%, P < .001). Among the sexually active women, 62.7% were diagnosed with FSD. Increasing age (58.6 ± 9.6 vs 52.3 ± 7.8 years, P < .001) and postmenopausal status (82.6% vs 48.8%, P < .001) were associated with the presence of FSD. Overall there was no significant difference between the PISQ-12 score before and 12 months after surgery (34.7 ± 6.7 vs 33.9 ± 6.6, P = .14). Lubrication of the vagina (P = .044) was an independent factor associated with the improvement in quality of sexual life after surgery. Menopause negatively affected the improvement in quality of sexual life after surgery (P = .024).

Clinical Implications

Menopause and lubrication of the vagina might affect the improvement in sexual function after surgery.

Strengths and Limitations

Strengths include the prospective design, validated questionnaires, and adequate follow-up time. As a limitation, this study is a single-center study that included only Chinese patients with advanced POP/SUI, so it may not be generalizable to other populations.

Conclusion

Nearly half of women with symptomatic POP and/or SUI are still sexually active. Increasing age and menopause are associated with a lack of sexual activity. Premenopausal status and better lubrication of the vagina before surgery might lead to an improvement in sexual function after pelvic floor surgery.
Oscillations and tidal deformations of crystallized white dwarfs
Authors: Tang Yat-To , Lin Lap-Ming
Published: March 2023

Long predicted more than 50 years ago, strong evidence for the existence of crystalline cores inside white dwarfs has recently been obtained by the Gaia space telescope. It is thus important to investigate how a crystalline core may affect the properties and dynamics of white dwarfs. In this paper, we first study the dependence of the frequencies of the fundamental (f), interfacial (i), and shear (s) oscillation modes on the size of the crystalline core. We find that the frequencies of the i and s modes depend sensitively on the size of the core, while the frequency of the f mode is affected only slightly by at most a few percent for our chosen white dwarf models. We next consider the tidal deformability of crystallized white dwarfs and find that the effect of crystallization becomes significant only when the radius of the core is larger than about 70  per cent of the stellar radius. The tidal deformability can change by a few to about 10 per cent when a white dwarf becomes fully crystallized. We also show that there exist approximate equation-of-state insensitive relations connecting the mass, moment of inertia, tidal deformability, and f-mode frequency for pure fluid white dwarfs. Depending on the stellar mass and composition, however, these relations can be affected by a few percent when the white dwarf is crystallized. These changes could leave an imprint on the gravitational waves emitted from the late inspiral or merger of white dwarf binaries, which may be detectable by future space-borne gravitational wave detectors.
The Local Cluster Survey II: disc-dominated cluster galaxies with suppressed star formation
Authors: Finn Rose A , Vulcani Benedetta , Rudnick Gregory , Balogh Michael L , Desai Vandana , Jablonka Pascale , Zaritsky Dennis
Published: March 2023

We investigate the role of dense environments in suppressing star formation by studying $\rm \log _{10}(M_\star /M_\odot) \gt 9.7$ star-forming galaxies in nine clusters from the Local Cluster Survey (0.0137 < z < 0.0433) and a large comparison field sample drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We compare the star formation rate (SFR) with stellar mass relation as a function of environment and morphology. After carefully controlling for mass, we find that in all environments, the degree of SFR suppression increases with increasing bulge-to-total (B/T) ratio. In addition, the SFRs of cluster and infall galaxies at a fixed mass are more suppressed than their field counterparts at all values of B/T. These results suggest a quenching mechanism that is linked to bulge growth that operates in all environments and an additional mechanism that further reduces the SFRs of galaxies in dense environments. We limit the sample to B/T ≤ 0.3 galaxies to control for the trends with morphology and find that the excess population of cluster galaxies with suppressed SFRs persists. We model the time-scale associated with the decline of SFRs in dense environments and find that the observed SFRs of the cluster core galaxies are consistent with a range of models including a mechanism that acts slowly and continuously over a long (2–5 Gyr) time-scale, and a more rapid (<1 Gyr) quenching event that occurs after a delay period of 1–6 Gyr. Quenching may therefore start immediately after galaxies enter clusters.
Ultrasound-guided genicular nerve radiofrequency treatment: prospective randomized comparative trial of a 3-nerve protocol versus a 5-nerve protocol
Authors: Guven Kose Selin , Kirac Unal Zeynep , Kose Halil Cihan , Celikel Feyza , Akkaya Omer Taylan
Published: March 2023

Objectives

Genicular nerve radiofrequency procedures increasingly are being performed to treat chronic pain due to knee osteoarthritis. Targeting additional sensory nerves and improving target identification by using ultrasound guidance could improve treatment success. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of targeting only the traditional genicular nerves versus targeting the traditional genicular nerves plus 2 additional sensory nerves in ultrasound-guided genicular nerve radiofrequency procedures in patients with chronic knee osteoarthritis.

Methods

A total of 80 patients were randomized into 2 groups. Patients in the 3-nerve-targeted group received a genicular radiofrequency procedure in which the traditional genicular nerves were targeted: the superior lateral, superior medial, and inferior medial nerves. The 5-nerve-targeted group received a genicular radiofrequency procedure in which the recurrent fibular and infrapatellar branches of the saphenous nerve were targeted in addition to the traditional genicular nerves. The numeric rating scale, Short Form-36, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index, Quantitative Analgesic Questionnaire, and patient satisfaction were evaluated before treatment, at week 1 after treatment, and at months 1, 3, and 6 after treatment.

Results

Both techniques provided significant pain reduction and functional improvement up to 6 months after the procedure (P < .05). The 5-nerve-targeted group showed significant improvement with regard to the numeric rating scale, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index total, and Short Form-36 score compared with the 3-nerve-targeted group at each follow-up point. No differences in the Quantitative Analgesic Questionnaire or patient satisfaction scores were observed between the groups.

Conclusions

The ultrasound-guided 5-nerve-targeted technique is a safe method and a more effective therapeutic procedure than the traditional 3-nerve-targeted technique for chronic knee osteoarthritis.

Trial registration

www.ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05073887.