bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Matching markets with middlemen under transferable utility
Authors: Atay Ata , Bahel Eric , Solymosi Tamás
Published: December 2022

This paper studies matching markets in the presence of middlemen. In our framework, a buyer–seller pair may either trade directly or use the services of a middleman; and a middleman may serve multiple buyer–seller pairs. For each such market, we examine the associated TU game. We first show that, in our context, an optimal matching can be obtained by considering the two-sided assignment market where each buyer–seller pair is allowed to use the mediation services of any middleman free of charge. Second, we prove that matching markets with middlemen are totally balanced: in particular, we show the existence of a buyer-optimal (seller-optimal) core allocation where each buyer (seller) receives her marginal contribution to the grand coalition. In general, the core does not exhibit a middleman-optimal allocation, not even when there are only two buyers and two sellers. However, we prove that in these small markets the maximum core payoff to each middleman is her marginal contribution. Finally, we establish the coincidence between the core and the set of competitive equilibrium payoff vectors.
Resonance response of fluid-conveying pipe with asymmetric elastic supports coupled to lever-type nonlinear energy sink
Authors: Cao Runqing , Wang Zhijian , Zang Jian , Zhang Yewei
Published: December 2022

This paper studies the vibration absorber for a fluid-conveying pipe, where the lever-type nonlinear energy sink (LNES) and spring supports are coupled to the asymmetric ends of the system. The pseudo-arc-length method integrated with the harmonic balance method is used to investigate the steady-state responses analytically. Meanwhile, the numerical solution of the fluid-conveying pipe is calculated with the Runge-Kutta method. Moreover, a special response, called the collapsible closed detached response (CCDR), is first observed when the vibration response of mechanical structures is studied. Then, the relationship between the CCDR and the main structure primary response (PR) is obtained. In addition, the closed detached response (CDR) is also observed to research the resonance response of the fluid-conveying pipe. The appearance of either the CCDR or the CDR does affect the resonance attenuation. Furthermore, the mentioned two phenomena underline that the trend of vibration responses under external excitation goes continuous and gradual. Besides, the main advantage of the LNES is presented by contrasting the LNES with the nonlinear energy sink (NES) coupled to the same pipe system. It is found that the LNES can reduce the resonance response amplitude by 91.33%.
Local parameter identification with neural ordinary differential equations
Authors: Yin Qiang , Cai Juntong , Gong Xue , Ding Qian
Published: December 2022

The data-driven methods extract the feature information from data to build system models, which enable estimation and identification of the systems and can be utilized for prognosis and health management (PHM). However, most data-driven models are still black-box models that cannot be interpreted. In this study, we use the neural ordinary differential equations (ODEs), especially the inherent computational relationships of a system added to the loss function calculation, to approximate the governing equations. In addition, a new strategy for identifying the local parameters of the system is investigated, which can be utilized for system parameter identification and damage detection. The numerical and experimental examples presented in the paper demonstrate that the strategy has high accuracy and good local parameter identification. Moreover, the proposed method has the advantage of being interpretable. It can directly approximate the underlying governing dynamics and be a worthwhile strategy for system identification and PHM.
Achiasmatic meiosis in the unisexual Amazon molly, Poecilia formosa
Authors: Dedukh Dmitrij , da Cruz Irene , Kneitz Susanne , Marta Anatolie , Ormanns Jenny , Tichopád Tomáš , Lu Yuan , Alsheimer Manfred , Janko Karel , Schartl Manfred
Published: December 2022

Unisexual reproduction, which generates clonal offspring, is an alternative strategy to sexual breeding and occurs even in vertebrates. A wide range of non-sexual reproductive modes have been described, and one of the least understood questions is how such pathways emerged and how they mechanistically proceed. The Amazon molly,Poecilia formosa, needs sperm from males of related species to trigger the parthenogenetic development of diploid eggs. However, the mechanism, of how the unreduced female gametes are produced, remains unclear. Cytological analyses revealed that the chromosomes of primary oocytes initiate pachytene but do not proceed to bivalent formation and meiotic crossovers. Comparing ovary transcriptomes ofP. formosaand its sexual parental species revealed expression levels of meiosis-specific genes deviating fromP. mexicanabut not fromP. latipinna. Furthermore, several meiosis genes show biased expression towards one of the two alleles from the parental genomes. We infer from our data that in the Amazon molly diploid oocytes are generated by apomixis due to a failure in the synapsis of homologous chromosomes. The fact that this failure is not reflected in the differential expression of known meiosis genes suggests the underlying molecular mechanism may be dysregulation on the protein level or misexpression of a so far unknown meiosis gene, and/or hybrid dysgenesis because of compromised interaction of proteins from diverged genomes.
From an offender-based to an offense-based justice: Changes in sentencing patterns in the juvenile justice system in São Paulo from 1990 to 2006
Authors: Oliveira Thiago R. , Alvarez Marcos Cesar , Gisi Bruna
Published: December 2022

Juvenile justice systems around the globe are becoming increasingly more similar to criminal justice systems. In Brazil, previous legislations focused on the individuals themselves and did not distinguish between young offenders and children in precarious conditions, but a new legislation in 1990 marked a rupture and introduced elements of criminal law. We leverage a unique data set representative of every adolescent who has been through the juvenile justice system in the state of São Paulo between 1990 and 2006 and provide a quantitative assessment of the changes in sentencing patterns in the period. Results suggest that judges increasingly prioritise violent and drug-related offenses when convicting adolescent defendants, indicating that the Brazilian juvenile justice system progressively resembles the criminal justice rationale by emphasising the ideal of proportionality between crime and punishment. We conclude with a discussion on pendular justice, suggesting that juvenile justice in Brazil is moving from a positivist-inspired to a classic-inspire justice system.
Validation of Soil Thermal Conductivity Models
Authors: Wessolek Gerd , Bohne Klaus , Trinks Steffen
Published: December 2022

This study describes the generation of a uniform data base of 2733 non-stationary thermal conductivity laboratory measurements of about 158 soil cores with varying texture, bulk density, soil organic matter, pH, and carbonate content. This data set has been used to validate ten well established pedo-transfer functions for predicting thermal conductivity by using easily available soil information such as soil texture, bulk density, and water content. Models were grouped into (i) physically based and (ii) empirical ones that need measured data for its calibration. The classical physical based transfer-function of deVries et al. has been finally chosen to set up a framework of standard values for the USDA soil classes. For planning purposes, these$$\lambda$$λestimates for selected pressure heads only need information on soil texture and bulk density and may be more valuable than single point values of thermal conductivity.
Viscosity Correlation for Aqueous Lithium Bromide Solution
Authors: Fleßner Christian , Ziegler Felix
Published: December 2022

A correlation for dynamic viscosity of aqueous lithium bromide solution is proposed. The correlation is based on an empirical approach accounting for physical limitations. The data are compiled from 11 sources over a temperature range from − 20 $$^{\circ }$$

∘

C to 110 $$^{\circ }$$

∘

C and from pure water to salt mass fractions of 65 %. The correlation succeeds in predicting the solution’s viscosity over the chosen range of measured data. In most parts of its validity range the accuracy is significantly improved compared to previous equations.
The relative importance of forest cover and patch-level drivers for phyllostomid bat communities in the Amazonian Savannas
Authors: Carvalho William Douglas , Rosalino Luís Miguel , da Silva Xavier Bruna , de Castro Isaí Jorge , Hilário Renato , Marques Tiago Miranda , de Toledo José Júlio , Vieira Marcus Vinícius , Palmeirim Jorge M. , Mustin Karen
Published: December 2022

Context

Analyze the multiple dimensions of biodiversity under a local and landscape lens in natural habitats, such as Amazonian savannas, is fundamental for the conservation of species and ecosystems.

Objectives

We aim to explore how landscape forest cover and patch-level variables affect the patterns of species abundance, functional traits, and taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic α-diversity of Phyllostomid bats in forest patches of the Savannas of Amapá, in both the wet and dry seasons.

Methods

We used mist nets to survey bats in 26 forest patches. We also quantified forest cover in buffers of 500, 1000, 1500, 2000 and 2500 m around each patch, and tree height, basal area, canopy cover, and vegetation clutter in the understorey at the patch level. We used hierarchical partitioning to relate the different indices with our predictor variables.

Results

Taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity in the wet season increased with the proportion of forest cover in the 2500 m buffer. Vegetation clutter was negatively related to taxonomic and functional diversity in the wet season. In the dry season, average tree height positively affected taxonomic and functional diversity. Patch-level variables were more important than forest cover in explaining the average functional traits in both seasons.

Conclusion

We found seasonal variation in the relationships between components of bat diversity and different drivers. Since both forest cover in the landscape and patch-level variables are important for Phyllostomid bat diversity, conservation plans should consider forest conservation at the landscape level and maintenance of forest patch quality.
Functional Trait Analysis and the Multi-metric Integrity Model, Based on Stream Fish Indicators, and Their Relations to Chemical Water Quality
Authors: Jargal Namsrai , Atique Usman , Kim Ji-Yoon , Mamun Md , An Kwang-Guk
Published: December 2022

Functional trait and biological integrity approaches in stream ecology enable the determination and prediction of aquatic community responses to a variety of environmental stressors, such as chemical pollution, habitat disturbance, and biological invasion. Here, we used multi-trait based functional groups (FGs) to predict the functional responses of fish assemblages to the physicochemical and ecological health gradients in a temperate stream. The multi-metric biological integrity model (mIBI model) was used to evaluate stream ecological health. The FGs were derived from the distance matrix of trophic, tolerance, and physical habitat traits among fish species. The leading water quality indicators (conductivity [EC], total suspended solids [TSS], and chlorophyll-a [CHL-a]) varied conspicuously with the stream gradient and anthropogenic pollution. The multi-metric water-pollution index (mWPI) showed differences in chemical health from upstream to downstream. Monsoon precipitation may have affected the variations in fish species and associated changes linked to irregular chemical health. The fish FGs varied more by space (longitudinal) than by season (premonsoon and postmonsoon). Functional metrics, which reflected trophic and tolerance traits, as well as vertical position preference, were strongly correlated with water quality degradation downstream. Changes were evident in FG (II, III, and IV) combinations from the upstream to downstream reaches. Furthermore, the structure of the fish assemblages from FG-II and FG-III was significantly correlated with chemical (R2 = 0.43 and 0.35, p < 0.001) and ecological health (R2 = 0.69 and 0.66, p < 0.001), as well as the metrics of mWPI. In conclusion, the results indicate significant variations in both trait-based FGs and biological integrity among stream-fish communities, influenced by chemical water quality gradients. The causes included longitudinal zones and intensifying degradation of water quality downstream. Therefore, multi-trait based FGs can facilitate ecological health assessment and develop the mIBI model based on fish assemblages by reflecting the prevailing chemical health status of streams and rivers.
Principles of Quantum Chemistry
Authors: Pranita Ram Yatan Prasad
Published: December 2022

Principles of Quantum Chemistry is a textbook that conforms to the postgraduate sylabus of chemistry at different Indian universities. Written in a lucid manner, it deals with the fundamental concepts of quantum chemistry and provides rigorous and thorough mathematical techniques. The text also answer frequently asked questions and highlights the most important conclusions and essential mathematical formulae. It will be of great use to students of theoretical chemistry, molecular physics, quantum chemistry and chemical physics. It will also appeal to researchers to calculate various properties of atoms and molecules.
Urbanizing Human Rights Law: Cities, Local Governance and Corporate Power
Authors: Pieterse Marius
Published: December 2022

This article considers ways in which human rights law ought to respond to a growingly urban global order of blurred private—corporate—and state power. Fragmented and dispersed power comes together, in different configurations of public and private, in the cities and towns of the world. For this reason, local government presents the appropriate scale at which to re-conceptualize the operation of international human rights norms, also against private power. This requires engaging not only with the reach and leanings of international human rights standards but also with the manner in which they are rendered applicable, through domestic constitutional law, against state and non-state actors at a local scale. The urbanization of human rights law accordingly also requires a second look at the powers, competencies and responsibilities of urban local government under domestic constitutional law.
Hossou v. Benin (Judgment on Jurisdiction) (Afr. Ct. H.P.R.)
Authors: Lyons Scott Woodruff
Published: December 2022

On March 24, 2020, Benin notified the African Union Commission that it was withdrawing from the optional aspect of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights (Court) that entitled non-governmental organizations and individuals to bring cases directly to the Court. Benin withdrew due to perceived interference by the Court in a domestic commercial transaction and numerous decisions against Benin involving political opposition, with the state noting “serious incongruities.” Benin also indicated its intention to attempt to reform the Court at the next African Union Summit.
Three-dimensional vortex dynamics and transitional flow induced by a circular cylinder placed near a plane wall with small gap ratios
Authors: Li Jianghua , Wang Bofu , Qiu Xiang , Wu Jianzhao , Zhou Quan , Fu Shixiao , Liu Yulu
Published: December 2022

The flow past a cylinder in proximity to a plane wall is investigated numerically for small gap ratios. Three vortex dynamic processes associated with different hairpin vortex generation mechanisms are identified for the first time, and the wake-induced turbulent transition is analysed. The vortex shedding is suppressed at

$G/D = 0.1$

, while the spanwise vortex is generated via a Kelvin–Helmholtz instability and evolves into hairpin vortices. For

$G/D= 0.3$

, the upper and lower rollers alternatively shedding from the cylinder, interact with the secondary vortex. The split secondary vortex merges with the upper roller and results in a new vortex downstream, which develops into hairpin vortices. When

$G/D = 0.9$

, the secondary vortex interacts with the lower roller and then evolves into hairpin vortices. A tertiary vortex induced by the secondary vortex is observed, rotating in the opposite direction to the secondary vortex the wake-induced transitions share the same route. The velocity fluctuations deviate from the optimal growth theory in the pre-transitional region. In the transitional region low-frequency disturbances penetrate the sheltering edge to generate streaks where the disturbance energy declines. In the turbulent region the logarithmic layer is formed, indicating that the turbulent equilibrium is established.
Reduction of noise in cold and hot supersonic jets using active flow control guided by a genetic algorithm
Authors: Zigunov Fernando , Sellappan Prabu , Alvi Farrukh. S.
Published: December 2022

This study demonstrates an experimental platform for active jet noise reduction comprising of an automated system that performs a search for the optimal actuator locations and parameters, powered by a genetic algorithm (GA). Sideline noise reduction levels of 7.3 dB were achieved for a cold overexpanded (nozzle pressure ratio,

$NPR=2.8$

) jet, beyond the state-of-the-art for jet noise reduction with air injection. The reduction in noise was achieved at a mass flow rate of 1.4 % of the main jet, requiring no prior knowledge of the flow physics to inform the placement of the actuators. The same actuator pattern was tested in hot conditions (nozzle temperature ratio,

$NTR=1.88$

), achieving 4.7 dB sideline noise reduction. Detailed examination of the solutions obtained unveils some of the mechanisms leveraged by the GA to accomplish these high levels of noise reduction through microphone measurements and schlieren flow visualization. The GA found that actuating at the diverging wall of the convergent–divergent nozzle, where flow is supersonic, is very effective when combined with air injection near the nozzle lip, outside of the nozzle. Although the external actuation is effective at eliminating the screech tone, it is by actuating inside the nozzle at the diverging wall that sufficient disruption of the shock cell train can be achieved in order to reduce the broadband shock-associated noise.
Spin-down of a baroclinic vortex by irregular small-scale topography
Authors: Radko Timour
Published: December 2022

This study explores the impact of small-scale variability in the bottom relief on the dynamics and evolution of broad baroclinic flows in the ocean. The analytical model presented here generalizes the previously reported barotropic ‘sandpaper’ theory of flow–topography interaction to density-stratified systems. The multiscale asymptotic analysis leads to an explicit representation of the large-scale effects of irregular bottom roughness. The utility of the multiscale model is demonstrated by applying it to the problem of topography-induced spin-down of an axisymmetric vortex. We find that bathymetry affects vortices by suppressing circulation in their deep regions. As a result, vortices located above rough topography tend to be more stable than their flat-bottom counterparts. The multiscale theory is validated by comparing corresponding topography-resolving and parametric simulations.
A note on the appearance of wave-packets in steady-state triple-deck solutions of supersonic flow past a compression corner
Authors: Exposito D. , Gai S.L. , Neely A.J.
Published: December 2022

This study is an attempt at solving steady-state triple-deck equations using the method of Bos & Ruban (Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond.A, vol. 358, issue 1777, 2000, pp. 3063–3073) for supersonic flow past a compression corner. This was motivated by the fact that in their above paper, they show solutions for scale angles up to 8, the highest obtained so far in the literature. However, we encountered a stationary wave-packet at the corner for scale angles 1.82 and 1.96, depending on the values of stretching factors. Our solutions are then compared with the steady-state solutions produced using the method of Logue, Gajjar & Ruban (Phil. Trans. R. Soc.A, vol. 372, issue 2020, 2014, 20130342), which do not show such wave-packets. These wave-packets do not appear to be the result of flow instability, as flow instabilities should only appear with unsteady equations (Cassel, Ruban & Walker,J. Fluid Mech., vol. 300, 1995, pp. 265–285). It is therefore suggested that the method of Bos & Ruban (Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond.A, vol. 358, issue 1777, 2000, pp. 3063–3073) produces these spurious wave-packets as a consequence of their numerical method. This has important implications in the interpretation of triple-deck solutions.
Preferences for dietary oils and fats in cooking and food preparation methods: a cross-sectional analysis of Australian adults
Authors: Wilson Nina A. , Villani Anthony , Mantzioris Evangeline
Published: December 2022

Dietary oils and fats contain different fatty acid compositions that are associated with cardiometabolic disease risk. Despite their influence on disease outcomes, the types of dietary oils and fats predominately used in Australian households remain unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of dietary oils and fats in cooking and food preparation in Australia. Adults living in Australia completed a cross-sectional online survey outlining their current household oil and fat use from July to December 2021. The survey was disseminated via social media platforms and included questions about the types of dietary oils and fats used for different cooking methods and the perceived motivators for choosing the main household oil. A total of 1248 participants responded to the survey. Participants were mostly female (91·6 %) aged between 25 and 44 years (56·7 %). The majority of participants (84·5 %) reported using some form of olive oil as their main source of oil for cooking and food preparation. Almost two-thirds of the sample (65·4 %) reported using extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), mainly in raw food preparation (71·5 %) or savoury baking and roasting (58 %). Fewer households reported using rice bran oil (4·6 %), canola oil (4·3 %) and vegetable oil (1·8 %). Almost half of all participants (49·6 %) identified perceived health benefits as the primary motivating factor for their main choice of oil, followed by sensory preference (46·7 %), versatility (10·2 %) and convenience (8·8 %). Australian adults frequently use olive oil, specifically EVOO, as the main oil for cooking and food preparation in the household.
NON-FORCIBLE MEASURES AND THE LAW OF SELF-DEFENCE
Authors: Buchan Russell
Published: December 2022

The right of self-defence is usually presented as an exception to the principle of non-use of force. Conventional wisdom therefore holds that the right of self-defence can only be relied on to justify those measures constituting a threat or use of force. This article rejects that claim. It argues that self-defence is a general right under international law and, as such, can be invoked to justify all measures necessary to repel an armed attack regardless of whether they are forcible or non-forcible in nature. To support this argument, this article examines the genesis of the right of self-defence under customary international law, the text of Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, the structure of the United Nations Charter and State practice on Article 51.
Intergenerational effects of maternal lifetime stressor exposure on offspring telomere length in Black and White women
Authors: Mayer Stefanie E. , Guan Joanna , Lin Jue , Hamlat Elissa , Parker Jordan E. , Brownell Kristy , Price Candice , Mujahid Mahasin , Tomiyama A. Janet , Slavich George M. , Laraia Barbara A. , Epel Elissa S.
Published: December 2022

Background

Although maternal stressor exposure has been associated with shorter telomere length (TL) in offspring, this literature is based largely on White samples. Furthermore, timing of maternal stressors has rarely been examined. Here, we examined how maternal stressors occurring during adolescence, pregnancy, and across the lifespan related to child TL in Black and White mothers.

Method

Mothers (112 Black; 110 White; Mage = 39) and their youngest offspring (n = 222; Mage = 8) were part of a larger prospective cohort study, wherein mothers reported their stressors during adolescence (assessed twice during adolescence for the past year), pregnancy (assessed in midlife for most recent pregnancy), and across their lifespan (assessed in midlife). Mother and child provided saliva for TL measurement. Multiple linear regression models examined the interaction of maternal stressor exposure and race in relation to child TL, controlling for maternal TL and child gender and age. Race-stratified analyses were also conducted.

Results

Neither maternal adolescence nor lifespan stressors interacted with race in relation to child TL. In contrast, greater maternal pregnancy stressors were associated with shorter child TL, but this effect was present for children of White but not Black mothers. Moreover, this effect was significant for financial but not social pregnancy stressors. Race-stratified models revealed that greater financial pregnancy stressors predicted shorter telomeres in offspring of White, but not Black mothers.

Conclusions

Race and maternal stressors interact and are related to biological aging across generations, but these effects are specific to certain races, stressors, and exposure time periods.
Verismo's Dramatised Deviants: Lombroso's Criminal Anthropology in Tosca
Authors: Sylvester Jane
Published: December 2022

Following the premiere of Tosca in January 1900, Giacomo Puccini's progressive critics generally took issue with two main aspects of the opera: the first was the composer's supposedly unoriginal modes of expression, and the second was the work's scandalous plot. While many attributed the dark tone of Tosca to its French source, Sardou's melodrama La Tosca, I contend that there is an underlying context for both the dramatic and the musical unsavouriness of Puccini's verismo opera: the Italian fascination with criminology. Beginning in the 1870s after Italian unification, positivist criminologists, led by Cesare Lombroso, sought to locate the organic causes of criminality and believed that deviancy was objectively readable through the body. Lombroso further conceptualised the ‘born criminal’ as an exceptional individual that was predisposed to artistic expression. His theories, rooted in deeply troubling stereotypes and conventional wisdom, gained traction with a bourgeois public as well as with contemporary luminaries, including Giuseppe Giacosa, one of Puccini's librettists. Drawing on Lombroso's writings, letters and archived objects, I show how the criminologist's bourgeois version of perversity provides a valuable framework to evaluate the derivative modes of deviant expression present not only in Tosca, but within verismo opera at large.
Electronic Portal Imaging Device in Pre-Treatment Patient-Specific Quality Assurance of volumetric-modulated arc therapy delivery
Authors: Lau M. L. , Abdullah R. , Jayamani J.
Published: December 2022

Background:

Radiotherapy treatment delivery is evaluated by a pre-treatment patient-specific quality assurance (PSQA) procedure to ensure the patient receives an accurate radiation dose. The current PSQA practice by using conventional phantoms requires more set-up time and cost of purchasing the tools. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the efficiency of an electronic portal imaging device (EPID) of linear accelerator (LINAC) as a PSQA tool for volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) planning technique for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treatment delivery.

Methods:

A NPC VMAT plan on a Rando phantom was performed by following the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 0615 protocol. The gamma passing rate of the EPID and PSQA phantom (ArcCHECK) were compared among the gamma criteria of 3%/3 mm, 2%/2 mm and 1%/1 mm, respectively.

Results:

Both EPID and ArcCHECK phantom had distinguishable gamma passing rates in 3%/3 mm and 2%/2 mm with a difference of 0·87% and 0·30%, respectively. Meanwhile, the EPID system had a lower gamma passing rate than the ArcCHECK phantom in 1%/1 mm (21·23% difference). Furthermore, the sensitivity of the EPID system was evaluated and had the largest deviation in gamma passing rate from the reference position in gamma criteria of 2%/2 mm (41·14%) compared to the 3%/3 mm (25·45%) and 1%/1 mm (31·78%), discretely. The best fit line of the linear regression model for EPID was steeper than the ArcCHECK phantom in 3%/3 mm and 2%/2 mm, and vice versa in gamma criteria of 1%/1 mm. This indicates that the EPID had a higher sensitivity than the ArcCHECK phantom in 3%/3 mm and 2%/2 mm but less sensitivity in 1%/1 mm.

Conclusions:

The EPID system was efficient in performing the PSQA test of VMAT treatment in HUSM with the gamma criteria of 3%/3 mm and 2%/2 mm.
A rare case of Buschke–Lowenstein tumour of vulva treated with radical radiotherapy
Authors: Chakrabarti Sutanuka , Kulshrestha Asmita , Patel Sonal , Kunikullaya Suryanarayana , Sharma Ankit
Published: December 2022

Introduction:

Buschke–Lowenstein tumour (BLT) is a rare verrucous lesion often associated with human papillomavirus infection. It is an indolent but locally aggressive lesion usually arising from the genitalia or anorectum, with a potential risk of recurrence and malignant transformation. The first line of management is surgical or laser excision. Topical agents cryotherapy, radiotherapy and chemo-immunomodulators are reserved for residual or recurrent cases and smaller lesions.

Methods:

A 24-year-old female on antiretroviral therapy presented in our department with a large cauliflower-shaped growth involving the perineum, vulva and lower vagina. A biopsy of the lesion was suggestive of a BLT. Due to the extensive nature of the disease, surgery was deferred. The lesion was treated with definitive external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) using a 6-megavoltage photon beam on a Cobalt-60 unit.

Results:

Radiotherapy resulted in a significant response without any acute toxicity, following which, topical podophyllin application was advised for the residual perianal lesion. The patient is disease free after 9 months of follow-up.

Conclusions:

A multidisciplinary approach is important to treat the BLT. Lesions not amenable to surgery or local therapies can be treated with EBRT with reasonable control and acceptable toxicities.
Intramedullary spinal cord metastases from non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) associated with carcinomatous meningitis: a case report
Authors: D’Silva R. , Jaiswal J. , Turaka A.
Published: December 2022

Background:

Carcinomatous meningitis with metastases to the spinal cord [intramedullary spinal cord (IMSC)] is very rare, and a quick intervention to management of these patients is important in preventing neurological deterioration.

Methods:

We report a case of IMSC metastases from a stage IV non-small cell lung carcinoma in a 57-year-old man who presented with Brown-Sequard syndrome along with multiple brain metastases with associated carcinomatous meningitis and managed with urgent palliative external beam radiation therapy.

Conclusion:

A quick, short course of palliative radiation therapy for inoperable patients with IMSC metastases provides improvement in neurological function in the management of these oncologic emergencies in patients with short survival times.
If There Is Phosphine on Venus, There Isn’t Much
Authors: Rehnberg Morgan
Published: December 2022

New observations of the Venusian atmosphere collected from an airborne observatory showed no sign of the potential biosignature gas, casting additional doubt on a previous report of its detection.
The Importance of Springs and Why Humanity Needs to Protect Them
Authors: Currell Matthew , Katz Brian
Published: December 2022

A new book explores why springs are critical for humanity and ecosystems, the threats they are facing, and how we can act now to protect and restore them.
The Interannual Variability of Sea Ice Area, Thickness, and Volume in the Southern Sea of Okhotsk and Its Likely Factors
Authors: Toyota Takenobu , Kimura Noriaki , Nishioka Jun , Ito Masato , Nomura Daiki , Mitsudera Humio
Published: December 2022

The lowest latitude sea ice in the world (excluding coastal freezing) is in the southern Sea of Okhotsk (south of 46°N), where it has significant impacts on freshwater input and primary production. This region is subject to climate change, and accordingly the monitoring of sea ice conditions is important. However, the interannual variability of the region's sea ice is poorly understood due to its logistical challenges. Sea ice observations have been conducted in this region every winter for the period 1996–2020. The interannual variability of the ice conditions and the likely factors responsible for it were investigated using visual observations following the international ASPeCt protocol, combined with satellite SSM/I‐SSMIS ice concentration data (1988–2020). AMSR‐derived ice drift data sets and ERA5 meteorological reanalysis data sets were also analyzed to examine the effects of dynamic and thermodynamic processes. Our analysis revealed that (a) sea ice area in this region varies differently from that in the central and northern Sea of Okhotsk, where decreasing trends are reported, (b) sea ice volume has remarkable interannual variation and the peaks appeared much to more affected by dynamically deformed ice than freezing conditions, and (c) prominently deformed ice can be explained by taking shear components into account based on sea ice rheology. These results suggest the importance of including the proper sea ice rheology in numerical sea ice models to reproduce the realistic sea ice volume and deformation processes, for all seasonal ice zones.
Particulate Organic Matter Mobilization and Transformation Along a Himalayan River Revealed by ESI‐FT‐ICR‐MS
Authors: Menges Johanna , Hovius Niels , Poetz Stefanie , Osterholz Helena , Sachse Dirk
Published: December 2022

Tracing pathways and transformations of particulate organic carbon from landscape sources to oceanic sinks is commonly done using the isotopic composition or biomarker content of particulate organic matter (POM). However, similarity of source characteristics and complex mixing in rivers often preclude a robust deconvolution of individual contributions. Moreover, these approaches are limited in detecting organic matter transformations. This impedes understanding of carbon cycling. Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry (FT‐ICR‐MS) can simultaneously identify many molecular formulas from mixtures of organic matter, and provide direct information on its compositional variability. Here, we investigate how FT‐ICR‐MS can give insight into POM dynamics on a landscape scale, focusing on the trans‐Himalayan Kali Gandaki River, Nepal. Using molecular information, we identify source tracers in the solvent extractable lipid fraction of riverine POM, finding up to 102 indicative molecular formulas for individual sources. Further, we assess molecular transformations of the lipid fraction of POM during its transfer from litter into topsoil, and onwards into the river. A large number of shared mass formulas and a well‐preserved isoprenoidal patterns suggest efficient incorporation of litter into topsoil. In contrast, we observe a selective loss of mass formulas and a preferential export of formulas with low double bond equivalents and a low nominal oxidation state of carbon after organic matter entrainment in the river. Our results demonstrate the potential of FT‐ICR‐MS for source‐to‐sink studies, allowing detailed organic matter source characterization and discrimination, and tracking of molecular transformations along organic matter pathways spanning different spatial and temporal scales.
Single-cell discovery of the scene and potential immunotherapeutic target in hypopharyngeal tumor environment
Authors: Lin Chen , Li Yanguo , Chu Yidian , Lu Yaqin , Wei Zhengyu , Deng Hongxia , Gu Shanshan , Ding Qi , Shen Zhisen , Liao Qi
Published: December 2022

Hypopharyngeal carcinoma is a cancer with the worst prognosis. We constructed the first single-cell transcriptome map for hypopharyngeal carcinoma and explored its underlying mechanisms. We systematically studied single-cell transcriptome data of 17,599 cells from hypopharyngeal carcinoma and paracancerous tissues. We identified categories of cells by dimensionality reduction and performed further subgroup analysis. Focusing on the potential mechanism in the cellular communication of hypopharyngeal carcinoma, we predicted ligand-receptor interactions and verified them via immunohistochemical and cellular experiments. In total, seven cell types were identified, including epithelial and myeloid cells. Subsequently, subgroup analysis showed significant tumor heterogeneity. Based on the pathological type of squamous cell carcinoma, we focused on intercellular communication between epithelial cells and various cells. We predicted the crosstalk and inferred the regulatory effect of cellular active ligands on the surface receptor of epithelial cells. From the top potential pairs, we focused on the BMPR2 receptor for further research, as it showed significantly higher expression in epithelial cancer tissue than in adjacent tissue. Further bioinformatics analysis, immunohistochemical staining, and cell experiments also confirmed its cancer-promoting effects. Overall, the single-cell perspective revealed complex crosstalk in hypopharyngeal cancer, in which BMPR2 promotes its proliferation and migration, providing a rationale for further study and treatment of this carcinoma.
Binocular visual field in adults with horizontal strabismus and driving requirements
Authors: Alfaqawi Fadi , Young Jane , Kaye Stephen B.
Published: December 2022

Objective

To determine the horizontal extent of the binocular visual field (BVF) in subjects with horizontal strabismus and whether the BVF falls below the driving standard.

Methods and analysis

Adults with congenital esotropia and infantile exotropia ≤45 Prism Dioptres (PD), and subjects with orthotropia were recruited. The manifest angle of deviation was measured using a simultaneous prism cover test. Monocular Visual Field (MVF) and BVF were measured using the Esterman visual field test. Subjects with diplopia or a manifest angle of strabismus that varied by>8PD or the present of a vertical tropia >8PD were excluded.

Results

Forty-nine subjects were included: 10 with orthotropia, 20 with exotropia and 19 with esotropia. The horizontal extent of BVF (degrees) was significantly smaller in esotropes (122.8 ± 18.8) than in orthotropes (141 ± 6.6) or exotropes (138.3 ± 8.3) (p < 0.01). In 6 (31.6%) subjects with an esotropia, the BVF was below the driving standard. The horizontal extent of the visual field (VF) of the amblyopic eyes of patients with esotropia (98.70 degrees, SD 19.76) and exotropia (104.75 degrees, SD16.93) were significantly smaller than those with orthotropia (121.00 degrees SD 3.16) by 22.3 degrees (p = 0.004) and 16.25 degrees (p = 0.045), respectively. The difference between the summation of MVFs and the BVF was significantly greater in orthotropes (100.6 ± 2.7) than in exotropes (68.9 ± 34.4) and esotropes (74.2 ± 20.7) (p < 0.01).

Conclusion

The horizontal extent of BVF is significantly smaller and more variable in adults with congenital esotropia and may fall below the driving standard.

Strengths and limitations

Largest study on visual fields in subjects with horizontal strabismus including an orthotropic control group who do not have diplopia and who would otherwise meet the driving standard.

Visual field quality was high but limitation is that visual field repeatability was not undertaken.

How this study might affect research, practice, or policy

The findings of this study would suggest that people with an esotropia should be offered the opportunity to have a binocular visual field test before applying for a driving license. The DVLA may want to consider requesting people with an esotropia to have a binocular visual field test as is a requirement with other ophthalmic conditions such as glaucoma.
Association of blood pressure and hypertension between parents and offspring: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Authors: Jang Seoyun , Kim Susan Taejung , Kim Yun-Kyung , Song Young Hwan
Published: December 2022

As the number of hypertension cases in the pediatric population is growing, we aimed to investigate the parent-offspring association of hypertension in Korea. We performed a cross-sectional analysis using the data of children and adolescents aged 10–18 years and their parents extracted from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2008–2018). We analyzed the correlation of blood pressure (BP) between offspring and their parents and investigated the odds ratio (OR) of having hypertension in offspring based on parental hypertensive status. A total of 3996 children and adolescents (2224 boys and 1772 girls) aged 10–18 years and their parents (3197 fathers and 3197 mothers) were evaluated. Both boys and girls had positive associations with both parents for systolic and diastolic BP. When neither parent, only the father, only the mother, or both parents were hypertensive, 6.6%, 10.4%, 13.3%, and 25.3% of boys and 6%, 12%, 12.7%, and 22.1% of girls had hypertension, respectively. The risk of having hypertension among offspring was approximately two times higher when one parent was hypertensive and over four times higher when both parents were hypertensive compared to that among controls whose parents were not hypertensive (OR: 2.230, 1.655, and 5.021 in boys with hypertension and 2.321, 2.169, and 4.554 in girls with hypertension in the mother only, the father only, and both parents, respectively). We identified familial aggregation of hypertension in Korea. As there was an increased likelihood of having hypertension in children with parental hypertension, parental hypertension may be utilized as a screening tool for hypertension in children.
Implementation of portable head CT imaging in patients with severe acute brain injury in a French ICU: a prospective before–after design pilot study
Authors: Yoann Launey , Clément Mycinski , François Eugène , Elise Bellec , Hubert Serpolay , Jean-Christophe Ferré , Philippe Seguin , Jean-Yves Gauvrit
Published: December 2022

Head-CT-scanning is a cornerstone procedure during the management of patients admitted for acute brain injury (ABI) in intensive care unit (ICU). But intrahospital transfer for these procedure is known to increase the rate of severe adverse events potentially worsening the brain injuries. Portable head-CT (pCTH) may facilitate pCTH performance in safer conditions for the patients avoiding transfer out of the ICU. To evaluate the safety and the time duration required to use a portable head CT (pCTH) scanner in the intensive care unit (ICU) in the French healthcare system in ICU patients admitted for acute brain injury, we prospectively included all ICU-patients admitted for severe ABI over a 2-year period following before–after design. As the main outcome, we compared the time required to perform a scan with pCTH to that with conventional head CT (cCTH) and reported adverse events and reactions. In total, forty-six patients were included and finally, 41 patients were analyzed (21 in the pCTH group and 20 in the cCTH group). The median (interquartile) time required to perform a scan with pCTH was 28 (23–48) minutes compared to 30 (25–36) minutes with cCTH (p = 0.825). The duration time required to perform a pCTH was similar to that with cCTH in an ICU of the French healthcare system without significant difference in adverse events reactions.
Light-switched selective catalysis with NADH mimic functionalized metal–organic capsules
Authors: Wei Jianwei , Zhao Liang , Zhang Yu , Zhou Peng , Liu Guangzhou , Duan Chunying
Published: December 2022

By decoration of a NADH model in a capsule, a novel approach that adjusts two reduction pathways of nitro groups in the inner and outer space of the cavity was developed for the selective photoreduction of nitroaromatics to azoxy and amino compounds.
Low-temperature selective oxidation of methane to methanol over a platinum oxide
Authors: Takagaki Atsushi , Tsuji Yuta , Yamasaki Tatsuya , Kim Sun , Shishido Tetsuya , Ishihara Tatsumi , Yoshizawa Kazunari
Published: December 2022

Supported platinum oxide was found to activate methane near room temperature and selectively afford methanol in the presence of oxygen.
From two-dimensional networks to three-dimensional metal–organic frameworks mediated by solvent ratio: luminescence and gas adsorption properties
Authors: Yin Jia-Ling , Yin Meng-Ru , Yong Guo-Ping
Published: December 2022

Various two-dimensional networks ((4,4) network and unique quasi-“long and short brick” network) and three-dimensional frameworks are induced only through changing the solvent ratio (acetonitrile : water).
Excess-electron capture and energy transfer to bulk water for aqueous DNA nucleotide
Authors: Zhang Yan , Chen Xuanning , Yin Shuhui , Ma Yinhua , Yang Songqiu
Published: December 2022

After an excess electron is attached to a DNA nucleotide in the explicit aqueous solutions, the structural relaxation would produce large energy dissipation into bulk water.
Depth-resolved oxidational studies of Be/Al periodic multilayers investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
Authors: Kumar Niranjan , Pleshkov Roman S. , Prathibha B. S. , Polkovnikov Vladimir N. , Chkhalo Nikolay I. , Golyashov Vladimir A. , Tereshchenko Oleg E.
Published: December 2022

The quantification of surface and subsurface oxidation of Be/Al periodic multilayer mirrors due to exposure in the ambient atmosphere was investigated by depth-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.
Sodium dithionite mediated one-pot, tandem chemoselective reduction/cyclization for the synthesis of pyrrole fused N-heterocycles
Authors: Laha Joydev K. , Panday Surabhi , Gupta Pankaj , Seth Shiv Raj
Published: December 2022

A chemoselective reduction of a nitro group in the presence of an aldehyde or ester group integrated with another synthetic transformation leading to the expedient synthesis of important heterocycles is the subject of this current investigation.
Unveiling the reconstructed active phase of Ni3Se2model for water splitting
Authors: Lin Hao Yang , Yang Genning , Liu Peng Fei
Published: December 2022

The dynamical evolution of Ni3Se2was studied with real active sites for oxygen evolution and hydrogen evolution reactions in alkali media.
Asymmetric synthesis of the perhydroepoxyethanoindole core via sequential [4 + 2]-addition/reduction/fluoroannulation reactions
Authors: Prasad Madavi S. , Sivaprakash Murugesan
Published: December 2022

Asymmetric synthesis of fluoro-perhydroepoxyethanoindole was achieved through a sequential aminocatalytic [4 + 2]-addition/reduction/fluoroannulation reactions.
Catecholase-catalyzed synthesis of wedelolactone, a natural coumestan and its analogs
Authors: Achari Anushree , Chatterjee Sourav , Dey Sudip , Kundu Tapas K. , Jaisankar Parasuraman
Published: December 2022

A green approach, catalyzed by the catecholase enzyme obtained from sweet potato, to generate bioactive wedelolactone and many of its analogs which are useful precursors for a variety of coumestan-based natural products.
Correction: Click functionalized biocompatible gadolinium oxide core-shell nanocarriers for imaging of breast cancer cells
Authors: Siribbal Shifaa M. , Ilyas Shaista , Renner Alexander M. , Iqbal Sumiya , Vázquez Sergio Muñoz , Moawia Abubakar , Valldor Martin , Hussain Muhammad S. , Schomäcker Klaus , Mathur Sanjay
Published: December 2022

Correction for ‘Click functionalized biocompatible gadolinium oxide core-shell nanocarriers for imaging of breast cancer cells’ by Shifaa M. Siribbal et al., RSC Adv., 2022, 12, 31830–31845, https://doi.org/10.1039/D2RA00347C.