bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The 3 Wishes Program Improves Families’ Experience of Emotional and Spiritual Support at the End of Life
Authors: Neville Thanh H. , Taich Zachary , Walling Anne M. , Bear Danielle , Cook Deborah J. , Tseng Chi-Hong , Wenger Neil S.
Published: May 2022

Background

The end-of-life (EOL) experience in the intensive care unit (ICU) is emotionally challenging, and there are opportunities for improvement. The 3 Wishes Program (3WP) promotes the dignity of dying patients and their families by eliciting and implementing wishes at the EOL.

Aim

To assess whether the 3WP is associated with improved ratings of EOL care.

Program Description

In the 3WP, clinicians elicit and fulfill simple wishes for dying patients and their families.

Setting

2-hospital academic healthcare system.

Participants

Dying patients in the ICU and their families.

Program Evaluation

A modified Bereaved Family Survey (BFS), a validated tool for measuring EOL care quality, was completed by families of ICU decedents approximately 3 months after death. We compared patients whose care involved the 3WP to those who did not using three BFS–derived measures: Respectful Care and Communication (5 questions), Emotional and Spiritual Support (3 questions), and the BFS-Performance Measure (BFS-PM, a single-item global measure of care).

Results

Of 314 completed surveys, 117 were for patients whose care included the 3WP. Bereaved families of 3WP patients rated the Emotional and Spiritual Support factor significantly higher (7.5 vs. 6.0, p = 0.003, adjusted p = 0.001) than those who did not receive the 3WP. The Respectful Care and Communication factor and BFS-PM were no different between groups.

Discussion

The 3WP is a low-cost intervention that may be a feasible strategy for improving the EOL experience.
Particle Vibration, an Instrument to Study Particle Accumulation Structures On Board the International Space Station
Authors: Lappa Marcello , Burel Thomas , Kerr Monica , Crewdson Georgie , Boaro Alessio , Capobianchi Paolo , Bonnieu Sebastien Vincent , Murphy Lesley , Randall Peter , Hens Steven
Published: May 2022

The scientific and technological aspects of the PARTICLE VIBRATION Project (also known as T-PAOLA i.e. “Thermovibrationally-driven Particle self-Assembly and Ordering mechanisms in Low grAvity”) are described in detail. The project relies on the combined use of the Selectable Optical Diagnostics Instrument (SODI), a Class-2 device developed by ESA for scientific experiments in the field of fluids on board the International Space Station, and the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG), a Class-1 general purpose facility under the responsibility of NASA. The related modular architecture has recently been expanded under the umbrella of new scientific research funded by the UK Space Agency to allow for a novel class of experiments dealing with multiphase (solid-liquid) flows. The final aim of this microgravity project is the identification of new dispersed-phase self-organization phenomena driven by the application of vibrations and the ensuing development of new contactless particle manipulations strategies. In the present paper, emphasis is given to the related space hardware and software, the experiment protocol, the ground tests and procedures and all the adaptations that had to be implemented to overcome a number of technological and physical issues, both general and system-specific.
Symptomatic Care in Multiple System Atrophy: State of the Art
Authors: Grossauer Anna , Sidoroff Victoria , Heim Beatrice , Seppi Klaus
Published: May 2022

Without any disease-modifying treatment strategy for multiple system atrophy (MSA), the therapeutic management of MSA patients focuses on a multidisciplinary strategy of symptom control. In the present review, we will focus on state of the art treatment in MSA and additionally give a short overview about ongoing randomized controlled trials in this field.
Provenance of Mesozoic sandstones from the northwestern Gulf of Suez, Egypt: new evidence from petrography and whole-rock geochemistry
Authors: Sallam Emad S. , Garzanti Eduardo , Li Xianghui , Ruban Dmitry A.
Published: May 2022

New investigations of petrographic and geochemical characteristics of Mesozoic sandstones from the northwestern Gulf of Suez in Egypt have been undertaken, documenting dominance of quartzose sandstones containing on average ~ 5% of mostly sedimentary and subordinately metamorphic lithic fragments (siltstone, sandy siltstone, and, more rarely slate, metasiltstone, limestone, dolostone, quartz-muscovite schist, and gneiss). These sandstones are depleted in many chemical elements and display low Al2O3/SiO2 and K2O/Na2O ratios. Mineralogical and geochemical parameters point at extensive recycling from older (i.e., Paleozoic) siliciclastic strata. Relatively constant composition throughout the Mesozoic contrasts with successive palaeogeographic changes associated to the major events of rifting and dispersal, which may be explained by the widespread distribution of Paleozoic clastic wedges all across northern Gondwana.
Bioactive peptide inhibits acute myeloid leukemia cell proliferation by downregulating ALKBH5-mediated m6A demethylation of EIF4EBP1 and MLST8 mRNA
Authors: Zhang Le , Su Xiulan
Published: May 2022

Purpose

N6-methyladenosine (m6A), the most prevalent mRNA modification, plays an essential role in tumorigenesis. Notably, increasing interest has been directed to bioactive peptides (BPs) with antitumor activities. Here, we set out to investigate the potential of the BP-regulated ALKBH5/MLST8/EIF4EBP1 axis on prevention and treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Methods

The biological effects of BP on AML cells were detected by MTT and ApoLive-Glo™ multiplex assays. The role of BP in tumor growth was determined by a subcutaneous xenograft model. The ALKBH5/MLST8/EIF4EBP1 axis was identified as a potential BP target in AML via methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) combined with RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Western blot, RT-qPCR, MeRIP-qPCR, dual-luciferase reporter and RNA stability assays were performed to validate the function and mode of action of the BP-regulated ALKBH5/MLST8/EIF4EBP1 axis. The clinical relevance of the BP-regulated ALKBH5/MLST8/EIF4EBP1 axis in AML was confirmed by TCGA data analysis.

Results

We found that BP can inhibit AML cell proliferation and promote apoptosis in vitro, and repress AML tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, we found that BP downregulated ALKBH5 expression, which in turn repressed m6A demethylation of MLST8 and EIF4EBP1 mRNAs. Reduction of the m6A levels of MLST8 and EIF4EBP1 facilitated MLST8 and EIF4EBP1 mRNA decay, resulting in inhibition of AML cell proliferation. Furthermore, we found that the BP-regulated ALKBH5/MLST8/EIF4EBP1 axis closely correlates with AML patient prognosis.

Conclusions

Our data indicate that BP can inhibit acute myeloid leukemia cell proliferation by downregulating ALKBH5-mediated m6A demethylation of EIF4EBP1 and MLST8 mRNAs, which may have potential to prevent and treat this disease.
Erratum to: Si-based polymer-derived ceramics for energy conversion and storage
Authors: Wen Qingbo , Qu Fangmu , Yu Zhaoju , Graczyk-Zajac Magdalena , Xiong Xiang , Riedel Ralf
Published: May 2022

Besides the original acknowledgements, the authors Ralf Riedel and Magdalena Graczyk-Zajac would like to also acknowledge EU support in the frame of H2020 project SIMBA under grant agreement number 963542.
Updating obesity management strategies: an audit of Italian specialists
Authors: Busetto Luca , Carbonelli Maria Grazia , Caretto Antonio , Colao Annamaria , Cricelli Claudio , De Luca Maurizio , Giorgino Francesco , Gnessi Lucio , Medea Gerardo , Pappagallo Giovanni , Santini Ferruccio , Sbraccia Paolo , Zappa Marco Antonio
Published: May 2022

Obesity negatively affects physical and psychological health and increases health care costs. Although there is increasing interest in early diagnosis and timely intervention, there are several principles of care included in the current guidelines for clinical management of obesity that can potentially be updated and improved to address the “clinical inertia” and, consequently, to optimize the management of adult obesity. Using an online Delphi-based process, an Italian board of experts involved in the management of obesity discussed the usefulness of a pro-active approach to the care of patients with obesity, providing a consensus document with practical indications to identify risk factors for morbidity and death and raise awareness throughout the treatment continuum, including the early stages of the disease. In clinical practice, it seems inappropriate to delay an intervention that could avoid progression to a more severe level of obesity and/or prevent the onset of obesity-related comorbidities.

Level of evidence Level V, report of expert committee.
I tumori neuroendocrini ben differenziati di grado 3 del pancreas: definizione e gestione clinica
Authors: Sparano Clotilde , Petrone Luisa , Maggi Mario , Antonuzzo Lorenzo
Published: May 2022

Sommario

I tumori neuroendocrini di grado 3 rappresentano una recente entità patologica con caratteristiche intermedie tra i carcinomi neuroendocrini e i tumori neuroendocrini a basso grado. Il pancreas rappresenta il primo organo in cui questa nuova categoria è stata identificata e riguardo alla quale si dispongono di maggiori evidenze cliniche. Emergenti peculiarità scintigrafiche e terapeutiche rendono questo sottogruppo di neoplasie attuale oggetto di studio, nell’ottica di una futura e consapevole personalizzazione del percorso di cura.
Hunting the pertinency of hash and bloom filter combinations on GPU for fast pattern matching
Authors: Bhat Radhakrishna , Thilak Reddy Kanala , Vaibhav Reddy Panyala
Published: May 2022

There has been rapid growth in the field of graphical processing unit (GPU) programming due to the drastic increase in the computing hardware manufacturing. The technology used in these devices is now more affordable and accessible to the general public. With this growth, many serial programming applications that are now being transformed into more efficient parallel programming applications with significant improvement in the performance. The best example for this is parallel implementation of the probabilistic data structure Bloom filter in set membership queries. However, despite of it’s remarkable performance in speed and memory usage, there is a computational overhead in the calculation of hashes in Bloom filter. In this paper, the impact of the choice of hash functions on the qualitative properties of the Bloom filter has been experimentally recorded and the results show that there is a possibility of large performance gap among various hash functions. We have implemented the Bloom filter based pattern matching technique on GPU using compute unified device architecture (CUDA) and benchmark the performance of several cryptographic and non-cryptographic hash functions.
Was bleibt übrig vom Kindergarten? Zur Entwicklung des Kindergartens im Kanton Bern nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg
Authors: Schmid Elias
Published: May 2022

Nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg näherte sich der Kindergarten des Kantons Bern kontinuierlich der Primarschule an. Bis in die Gegenwart kam es zur strukturellen, professionellen und curricularen Integration. Gegenstand des Artikels sind ebendiese Annäherungs- und Integrationsprozesse, dargestellt anhand von Schul- und Kindergartenerlassen, amtlichen Berichten, Lehrplänen und ausgewählten Forschungsergebnissen. Wie die Prozesse einzuschätzen sind, wird im Diskussionsteil erörtert: Wurde der Kindergarten verschult? Die Primarschule verkindergartet? Was ist eigentlich neu an der Eingangsstufe?
RNA2Immune: A Database of Experimentally Supported Data Linking Non-Coding RNA Regulation to the Immune System
Authors: Wang Jianjian , Li Shuang , Wang Tianfeng , Xu Si , Wang Xu , Kong Xiaotong , Lu Xiaoyu , Zhang Huixue , Li Lifang , Feng Meng , Ning Shangwei , Wang Lihua
Published: May 2022

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), such as microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), have emerged as important regulators of the immune system and are involved in the control of immune cell biology, disease pathogenesis, as well as vaccine responses. A repository of ncRNA–immune associations will facilitate our understanding of ncRNA-dependent mechanisms in the immune system and advance the development of therapeutics and prevention for immune disorders. Here, we describe a comprehensive database, RNA2Immune, which aims to provide a high-quality resource of experimentally supported database linking ncRNA regulatory mechanisms to immune cell function, immune disease, cancer immunology, and vaccines. The current version of RNA2Immune documents 50,433 immune–ncRNA associations in 42 host species, including (1) 6690 ncRNA associations with immune functions involving 31 immune cell types; (2) 38,672 ncRNA associations with 348 immune diseases; (3) 4833 ncRNA associations with cancer immunology; and (4) 238 ncRNA associations with vaccine responses involving 26 vaccine types targeting 22 diseases. RNA2Immune provides a user-friendly interface for browsing, searching, and downloading ncRNA–immune system associations. Collectively, RNA2Immune provides important information about how ncRNAs influence immune cell function, how dysregulation of these ncRNAs leads to pathological consequences (immune diseases and cancers), and how ncRNAs affect immune responses to vaccines. RNA2Immune is available at http://bio-bigdata.hrbmu.edu.cn/rna2immune/home.jsp.
Constitutional Statecraft in Malaysian Courts: A Naive ‘Schmittian’ Misappropriation
Authors: Balasubramaniam R. Rueban
Published: May 2022

In her recent book, Constitutional Statecraft in Asian Courts, Yvonne Tew develops an ambitious argument for empowering Malaysian judges to promote constitutional democracy. Her arguments rely on the idea of an unamendable constitutional ‘basic structure’ or ‘meta-Constitution’ expressive of that ideal. I argue that her proposals are normatively inadequate to this task because Tew relies on resources in constitutional theory traceable to the conservative German thinker Carl Schmitt, whose views about constitutional legitimacy and limits to constitutional amendment form part of an authoritarian political logic designed to subvert constitutional democracy that subordinates legality to power politics. I then argue that Tew's proposals, if applied to Malaysia, risk feeding into elements of Schmittian authoritarian logic that plausibly underwrite Malaysia's ethnocratic context, and conjecture (through case-analysis) that authoritarian judges could easily reconfigure her proposals to legitimate ethno-authoritarian rule. Conversely, conscientious judges who defend constitutional democracy would adopt a non-Schmittian approach that emphasises the normative priority of legality as a constraint on political power to counter ethno-authoritarian rule. Consequently, despite Tew's aspiration to equip judges with tools to defend constitutional democracy, the tools she provides threaten to undermine this aspiration such that her proposals may be characterised as a naïve Schmittian misappropriation.
Capturing the influence of intermolecular potential in rarefied gas flows by a kinetic model with velocity-dependent collision frequency
Authors: Yuan Ruifeng , Wu Lei
Published: May 2022

A kinetic model called the$\nu$-model is proposed to replace the complicated Boltzmann collision operator in the simulation of rarefied flows of monatomic gas. The model follows the relaxation-time approximation, but the collision frequency (i.e. inverse relaxation time) is a function of the molecular velocity to reflect part of the collision details of the Boltzmann equation, and the target velocity distribution function (VDF) to which the VDF relaxes is close to that used in the Shakhov model. Based on the numerical simulation of strong non-equilibrium shock waves, a half-theoretical and half-empirical collision frequency is designed for different intermolecular potentials: the$\nu$-model shows significantly improved accuracy, and the underlying mechanism is analysed. The$\nu$-model also performs well in canonical rarefied microflows, especially in thermal transpiration, where kinetic models with velocity-independent collision frequency lack the capability to distinguish the influence of intermolecular potentials.
Structure of iso-scalar sets
Authors: Gauding M. , Thiesset F. , Varea E. , Danaila L.
Published: May 2022

An analytical framework is proposed to explore the structure and kinematics of iso-scalar fields. It is based on a two-point statistical analysis of the phase indicator field which is used to track a given iso-scalar volume. The displacement speed of the iso-surface, i.e. the interface velocity relative to the fluid velocity, is explicitly accounted for, thereby generalizing previous two-point equations dedicated to the phase indicator in two-phase flows. Although this framework applies to many transported quantities, we here focus on passive scalar mixing. Particular attention is paid to the effect of Reynolds (the Taylor based Reynolds number is varied from 88 to 530) and Schmidt numbers (in the range 0.1 to 1), together with the influence of flow and scalar forcing. It is first found that diffusion in the iso-surface tangential direction is predominant, emphasizing the primordial influence of curvature on the displacement speed. Second, the appropriate normalizing scales for the two-point statistics at either large, intermediate and small scales are revealed and appear to be related to the radius of gyration, the surface density and the standard deviation of mean curvature, respectively. Third, the onset of an intermediate ‘scaling range’ for the two-point statistics of the phase indicator at sufficiently large Reynolds numbers is observed. The scaling exponent complies with a fractal dimension of 8/3. A scaling range is also observed for the transfer of iso-scalar fields in scale space whose exponent can be estimated by simple scaling arguments and a recent closure of the Corrsin equation. Fourth, the effects of Reynolds and Schmidt numbers together with flow or scalar forcing on the different terms of the two-point budget are highlighted.
Drag reduction on a transonic airfoil
Authors: Quadrio Maurizio , Chiarini Alessandro , Banchetti Jacopo , Gatti Davide , Memmolo Antonio , Pirozzoli Sergio
Published: May 2022

Flow control for turbulent skin-friction drag reduction is applied to a transonic airfoil to improve its aerodynamic performance. The study is based on direct numerical simulations (with up to 1.8 billion cells) of the compressible turbulent flow around a supercritical airfoil, at Reynolds and Mach numbers of

$Re_\infty = 3 \times 10^{5}$

and

$M_\infty =0.7$

. Control via spanwise forcing is applied over a fraction of the suction side of the airfoil. Besides locally reducing friction, the control modifies the shock wave and significantly improves the aerodynamic efficiency of the airfoil by increasing lift and decreasing drag. Hence, the airfoil can achieve the required lift at a lower angle of attack and with a lower drag. Estimates at the aircraft level indicate that substantial savings are possible; when control is active, its energy cost becomes negligible thanks to the small application area. We suggest that skin-friction drag reduction should be considered not only as a goal, but also as a tool to improve the global aerodynamics of complex flows.
On the Sn/n problem
Authors: Christensen Sören , Fischer Simon
Published: May 2022

The Chow–Robbins game is a classical, still partly unsolved, stopping problem introduced by Chow and Robbins in 1965. You repeatedly toss a fair coin. After each toss, you decide whether you take the fraction of heads up to now as a payoff, otherwise you continue. As a more general stopping problem this reads
$V(n,x) = \sup_{\tau }\mathbb{E} \left [ \frac{x + S_\tau}{n+\tau}\right]$
, where S is a random walk. We give a tight upper bound for V when S has sub-Gaussian increments by using the analogous time-continuous problem with a standard Brownian motion as the driving process. For the Chow–Robbins game we also give a tight lower bound and use these to calculate, on the integers, the complete continuation and the stopping set of the problem for
$n\leq 489\,241$
.
The life and times of Pteridinium simplex
Authors: Darroch Simon A. F. , Gibson Brandt M. , Syversen Maggie , Rahman Imran A. , Racicot Rachel A. , Dunn Frances S. , Gutarra Susana , Schindler Eberhard , Wehrmann Achim , Laflamme Marc
Published: May 2022

Pteridinium simplex is an iconic erniettomorph taxon best known from late Ediacaran successions in South Australia, Russia, and Namibia. Despite nearly 100 years of study, there remain fundamental questions surrounding the paleobiology and paleoecology of this organism, including its life position relative to the sediment–water interface, and how it fed and functioned within benthic communities. Here, we combine a redescription of specimens housed at the Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Frankfurt with field observations of fossiliferous surfaces, to constrain the life habit of Pteridinium and gain insights into the character of benthic ecosystems shortly before the beginning of the Cambrian. We present paleontological and sedimentological evidence suggesting that Pteridinium was semi-infaunal and lived gregariously in aggregated communities, preferentially adopting an orientation with the long axis perpendicular to the prevailing current direction. Using computational fluid dynamics simulations, we demonstrate that this life habit could plausibly have led to suspended food particles settling within the organism's central cavity. This supports interpretation of Pteridinium as a macroscopic suspension feeder that functioned similarly to the coeval erniettomorph Ernietta, emblematic of a broader paleoecological shift toward benthic suspension-feeding strategies over the course of the latest Ediacaran. Finally, we discuss how this new reconstruction of Pteridinium provides information concerning its potential relationships with extant animal groups and state a case for reconstructing Pteridinium as a colonial metazoan.
“This Hearing Should Be Flipped”: Democratic Spectatorship, Social Media, and the Problem of Demagogic Candor
Authors: LITVIN BORIS
Published: May 2022

How concerning should it be that most citizens encounter political life chiefly as audiences? Facing this fact, democratic theorists increasingly respond by reconceptualizing “the spectator” as an empowered agent. Yet this response risks overlooking how evolving forms of media reconstitute audiences in ways that undermine efforts to ascribe agency to any given spectating activity. To illustrate this problem, I consider Jeffrey Green’s idealization of candor, which holds spectators to be empowered when leaders are denied scripted appearances. In contrast, I show that social media occasion a case of irreverent candor wherein spectators claim authenticity by derailing online conversations, thereby valorizing a kind of unscriptedness that perpetuates outgroup marginalization and facilitates demagogy. Paradoxically, such candor disempowers spectators while rendering them more “active” agents. I thus argue that empowerment requires audiences to interrogate their own spectating practices—a possibility I locate in Hannah Arendt’s thought and interactions surrounding Black Lives Matter protests.
The Triumphs of Pelops and Bellerophon: Unique Mosaic Evidence ofRomanitasin Late Roman Britain
Authors: Beeson Anthony , Nichol Matt , Massey Richard
Published: May 2022

A Roman villa building at Mud Hole, Boxford, West Berkshire, was examined by excavation in 2017 and 2019, and found to be of probable fourth-century date. One room of this otherwise seemingly modest villa contained a remarkable late fourth-century figured mosaic, which features a number of rare mythological subjects not previously encountered in Britain. Inscriptions suggest the name of the villa owner (Caepio) and his wife (Fortunata), with a possible Spanish connection. The mosaic's central panel is ornamented with the triumphs of Pelops and Bellerophon, the former known only from two other mosaics, in Syria and Spain. The borders also contain depictions of stories unknown on other mosaics, but all concerned with aspects of triumph. The central panel is upheld by walkingtelamones(giants), otherwise only known on a mosaic from Tusculum, and the mosaicists have attempted to use foreshortening to give the floor atrompe l'oeileffect. The rare subjects depicted on the floor all relate to either Poseidon, Pelops, Bellerophon or Atlas, and suggest high standards of mythological knowledge and longevity of classical culture amongst the villa-owning inhabitants of late fourth-century Berkshire. The mosaic shows a connection to earlier depictions of the Pelops story, but is highly original in its interpretation of them and follows a contemporary trend, not previously encountered in Britain, of its subjects breaking out from their ornamental borders. The mosaic is an altogether exceptional discovery and can be considered an important example of late Roman art so far found in Britain.
The lasting impact of war experiences on quality of life in long-lived retirement homes residents: The birth cohort 1906–1928
Authors: Perinić Lewis Ana , Škarić-Jurić Tatjana , Despot Lučanin Jasminka , Smolić Šime
Published: May 2022

Only a few studies have been conducted so far on the long-term impact of war. We investigated whether a life-long impact of the war experiences could be detected in advanced-agers who have successfully overcome all life's challenges. The participants in this study were oldest-old (80+ years) residents of retirement homes in Zagreb (Croatia), who were divided into two groups – ‘war-exposed’ and ‘not-exposed’ – according to their direct war experience (First World War, Second World War, Croatian Homeland War). Within this 1906–1928 birth cohort, a higher percentage of participants with war experiences reached extreme longevity (95+ years). We found no significant difference (p< 0.01) between the two groups concerning demographic and socio-economic characteristics, their life satisfaction, their self-rated current health and functional ability status. Despite numerous similarities, several traits related to life-history, current quality of life, attitudes and reflections distinguish the group of participants with direct war experience. The kind of war involvement – active military service, imprisonment in concentration camps or prisons, forced migration due to war and war-related death of close family members – stretched through various aspects of the life-history features, quality of life and attitudes. It differed for men and women, so it is no wonder that the significance pattern in the two genders mostly seems mutually exclusive. Socio-economic situations strongly differed by gender and according to the kind of war exposure, amplifying the differences within the ‘war-exposed’ group in terms of the life-long impact of wars on their lives. Therefore, we could claim that the war experiences were not the same for everybody, and that they had lasting consequences on the lifecourse of persons who directly faced war-related events. The results also point to the high resilience capacity as a common feature among persons who survived direct exposure to at least two wars and yet survived to exceptionally old age.
Efficient representation of piecewise linear functions into Łukasiewicz logic modulo satisfiability
Authors: Preto Sandro , Finger Marcelo
Published: May 2022

This work concerns the representation of a class of continuous functions into Logic, so that one may automatically reason about properties of these functions using logical tools. Rational McNaughton functions may be implicitly represented by logical formulas in Łukasiewicz Infinitely-valued Logic by constraining the set of allowed valuations; such a restriction contemplates only those valuations that satisfy specific formulas. This work investigates two approaches to such depiction, called representation modulo satisfiability. Furthermore, a polynomial-time algorithm that builds this representation is presented, producing a pair of formulas consisting of the representative formula and the constraining one, given as input a rational McNaughton function in a suitable encoding. An implementation of the algorithm is discussed.
Stonehouse: Scotland's last new town, c. 1967–1977
Authors: Fair Alistair
Published: May 2022

This article examines the proposals for Stonehouse, designated as the sixth Scottish new town in 1972 but abandoned in 1976. Several themes emerge, with lessons for the wider urban and political histories of 1970s Britain. First, the evolving plans demonstrate the ‘malleability’ of the post-war ‘new town idea’, conceptually and organizationally. Second, cancellation was the consequence of short-term factors, changing strategic objectives and local government reform, rather than being the result of a sudden ideological pivot towards inner-city renewal. Third, Stonehouse counters established narratives of the practice and decline of regional planning in post-war Britain. At least in a Scottish context, regional planning took on new forms during the mid-1970s.
Fifty Years of Prolog and Beyond
Authors: KÖRNER PHILIPP , LEUSCHEL MICHAEL , BARBOSA JOÃO , COSTA VÍTOR SANTOS , DAHL VERÓNICA , HERMENEGILDO MANUEL V. , MORALES JOSE F. , WIELEMAKER JAN , DIAZ DANIEL , ABREU SALVADOR , CIATTO GIOVANNI
Published: May 2022

Both logic programming in general and Prolog in particular have a long and fascinating history, intermingled with that of many disciplines they inherited from or catalyzed. A large body of research has been gathered over the last 50 years, supported by many Prolog implementations. Many implementations are still actively developed, while new ones keep appearing. Often, the features added by different systems were motivated by the interdisciplinary needs of programmers and implementors, yielding systems that, while sharing the “classic” core language, in particular, the main aspects of the ISO-Prolog standard, also depart from each other in other aspects. This obviously poses challenges for code portability. The field has also inspired many related, but quite different languages that have created their own communities. This article aims at integrating and applying the main lessons learned in the process of evolution of Prolog. It is structured into three major parts. First, we overview the evolution of Prolog systems and the community approximately up to the ISO standard, considering both the main historic developments and the motivations behind several Prolog implementations, as well as other logic programming languages influenced by Prolog. Then, we discuss the Prolog implementations that are most active after the appearance of the standard: their visions, goals, commonalities, and incompatibilities. Finally, we perform a SWOT analysis in order to better identify the potential of Prolog and propose future directions along with which Prolog might continue to add useful features, interfaces, libraries, and tools, while at the same time improving compatibility between implementations.
Better than expected: client and clinician experiences of videoconferencing therapy (VT) during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Dowling Daniel , Martland Natasha , King Sophie , Nguyen Jen , Neely Elizabeth , Ball Jack , Grant Nina , Dom Gabriele , McNulty Nicholas
Published: May 2022

Videoconferencing therapy (VT) has been an emerging medium of psychological therapy, and during the COVID-19 pandemic there has been substantial growth in its usage as a result of home working. However, there is a paucity of research into client and clinician perceptions of VT. This study sought to assess client and staff experiences of VT. This mixed methods study produced both quantitative and qualitative data. Seven clients who had previously received VT and 11 psychotherapists who had previously delivered VT were recruited from two NHS sites. Clients and psychotherapists took part in qualitative interviews which were analysed using thematic analysis. Quantitative surveys were developed based on themes generated from the interviews and were completed by 172 clients and 117 psychotherapists. These were analysed using simple percentages. VT often exceeded client and psychotherapist expectations and overall experiences of VT were generally positive, although there were mixed findings regarding the therapeutic alliance. Several barriers to VT were cited, such as IT issues, and challenges identified in conducting behavioural experiments, and potential exclusion of certain populations were also cited. The medium of VT was received well by both clients and clinicians, with advantages around convenience seemingly outweighing losses in quality of therapeutic relationship. Future research should focus on overcoming barriers to accessing VT in populations prone to digital exclusion. NHS services not currently employing VT may wish to reconsider their stance, expanding choice of therapy delivery and improving accessibility.

Key learning aims

(1)

To gain insight into client and clinician experiences of VT during the COVID-19 pandemic.

(2)

To assess the acceptability and feasibility of VT within two NHS short-term psychological support services.

(3)

To identify barriers and facilitators to the implementation of VT within two NHS short-term psychological support services.
Boulder Detection in the Shallow Sub‐Seafloor by Diffraction Imaging With Beamforming on Ultra‐High Resolution Seismic Data—A Feasibility Study
Authors: Römer‐Stange N. , Wenau S. , Bihler V. , Keil H. , Ramos Córdova C. A. , Spiess V.
Published: May 2022

Small‐scale heterogeneities within the seafloor such as glacial boulders, concretions, or unexploded ordnance are of major scientific and economic interest. Because of their small size, such objects are hardly imageable by conventional seismic methods since they produce only faint diffractions. Despite the growing interest, reliable and efficient object detection methods are still not established. So, a marine acquisition system to image objects in the size range 0.3–4.1 m in the near‐surface has been designed and workflows have been developed. Source signals with a central frequency of ∼1,000 Hz are necessary to generate diffractions for the object size range. Performing beam pattern analyses, a rigid tow frame with the dimensions 8 × 3 m and attached hydrophones was designed. A synthetic aperture approach is realized to improve the resolution. Reflection events are suppressed in Normal‐Move‐Out corrected shot gathers by the muting of high singular values to enhance the diffractions. The diffractions are imaged with a beamforming algorithm with a high efficiency, as a total swath angle of about 80° in across‐track direction is covered. The processing of synthetic data sets allows an optimization and validation of the workflow and sensitivity analyses. Ground truthing is achieved with 1–2 m large boulders on the seafloor in 22 m depth, which were identified in a Multi‐Beam Echo Sounder data set. Although diffractions are only weak events in seismic data sets, 3D object detection with seismic beamforming has been found to be an efficient and reliable method to perform derisking for offshore infrastructure installations, drillings, or geologic interpretation.
Large‐Eddy Simulations of a Convection Cloud Chamber: Sensitivity to Bin Microphysics and Advection
Authors: Yang Fan , Ovchinnikov Mikhail , Thomas Subin , Khain Alexander , McGraw Robert , Shaw Raymond A. , Vogelmann Andrew M.
Published: May 2022

Bin microphysics schemes are useful tools for cloud simulations and are often considered to provide a benchmark for model intercomparison. However, they may experience issues with numerical diffusion, which are not well quantified, and the transport of hydrometeors depends on the choice of advection scheme, which can also change cloud simulation results. Here, an atmospheric large‐eddy simulation model is adapted to simulate a statistically steady‐state cloud in a convection cloud chamber under well‐constrained conditions. Two bin microphysics schemes, a spectral bin method and the method of moments, as well as several advection methods for the transport of the microphysical variables are employed for model intercomparison. Results show that different combinations of microphysics and advection schemes can lead to considerable differences in simulated cloud properties, such as cloud droplet number concentration. We find that simulations using the advection scheme that suffers more from numerical diffusion tends to have a smaller droplet number concentration and liquid water content, while simulation with the microphysics scheme that suffers more from numerical diffusion tends to have a broader size distribution and thus larger mean droplet sizes. Sensitivities of simulations to bin resolution, spatial resolution, and temporal resolution are also tested. We find that refining the microphysical bin resolution leads to a broader cloud droplet size distribution due to the advection of hydrometeors. Our results provide insight for using different advection and microphysics schemes in cloud chamber simulations, which might also help understand the uncertainties of the schemes used in atmospheric cloud simulations.
A Methodology for Studying the Hydroelastic Response of Submerged Flexible Vegetation
Authors: Gundersen D. G. , Christensen K. T. , Blois G.
Published: May 2022

Most fluvial vegetation canopies embody some degree of structural flexibility, resulting in hydroelastic phenomena linking plant deformation and fluid flow. Quantification of such coupled fluid‐structure motion is critical in investigating key fluvial processes. The present work presents an experimental protocol that enables such quantification. High‐speed particle image velocimetry data of unidirectional flow surrounding idealized, submerged canopy elements, consisting of polyurethane rubber models, together with the corresponding solid displacement field, were simultaneously obtained by combining fluorescent imaging and refractive index matching. The operating principle of the approach employed herein involves seeding the two phases with different tracers, facilitating independent interrogation of the dynamics of each. Time‐resolved data allowed for observation of the dynamic link between a deformable object and the surrounding flow field.
METTL3-mediated m6A RNA methylation regulates dorsal lingual epithelium homeostasis
Authors: Xiong Qiuchan , Liu Caojie , Zheng Xin , Zhou Xinyi , Lei Kexin , Zhang Xiaohan , Wang Qian , Lin Weimin , Tong Ruizhan , Xu Ruoshi , Yuan Quan
Published: May 2022

The dorsal lingual epithelium, which is composed of taste buds and keratinocytes differentiated from K14+ basal cells, discriminates taste compounds and maintains the epithelial barrier. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant mRNA modification in eukaryotic cells. How METTL3-mediated m6A modification regulates K14+ basal cell fate during dorsal lingual epithelium formation and regeneration remains unclear. Here we show knockout of Mettl3 in K14+ cells reduced the taste buds and enhanced keratinocytes. Deletion of Mettl3 led to increased basal cell proliferation and decreased cell division in taste buds. Conditional Mettl3 knock-in mice showed little impact on taste buds or keratinization, but displayed increased proliferation of cells around taste buds in a protective manner during post-irradiation recovery. Mechanically, we revealed that the most frequent m6A modifications were enriched in Hippo and Wnt signaling, and specific peaks were observed near the stop codons of Lats1 and FZD7. Our study elucidates that METTL3 is essential for taste bud formation and could promote the quantity recovery of taste bud after radiation.
Optical metrology embraces deep learning: keeping an open mind
Authors: Pan Bing
Published: May 2022

Optical metrology practitioners ought to embrace deep learning with an open mind, while devote continuing efforts to look for its theoretical groundwork and maintain an awareness of its limits.
Mental disorders following COVID-19 and other epidemics: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Leung Candi M. C. , Ho Margaret K. , Bharwani Alina A. , Cogo-Moreira Hugo , Wang Yishan , Chow Mathew S. C. , Fan Xiaoyan , Galea Sandro , Leung Gabriel M. , Ni Michael Y.
Published: May 2022

COVID-19 has imposed a very substantial direct threat to the physical health of those infected, although the corollary impact on mental health may be even more burdensome. Here we focus on assessing the mental health impact of COVID-19 and of other epidemics in the community. We searched five electronic databases until December 9, 2020, for all peer-reviewed original studies reporting any prevalence or correlates of mental disorders in the general population following novel epidemics in English, Chinese or Portuguese. We synthesised prevalence estimates from probability samples during COVID-19 and past epidemics. The meta-analytical effect size was the prevalence of relevant outcomes, estimated via random-effects model.I2statistics, Doi plots and the LFK index were used to examine heterogeneity and publication bias. This study is pre-registered with PROSPERO, CRD42020179105. We identified 255 eligible studies from 50 countries on: COVID-19 (n = 247 studies), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS;n = 5), Ebola virus disease (n = 2), and 1918 influenza (n = 1). During COVID-19, we estimated the point prevalence for probable anxiety (20.7%, 95% CI 12.9–29.7), probable depression (18.1%, 13.0–23.9), and psychological distress (13.0%, 0–34.1). Correlates for poorer mental health include female sex, lower income, pre-existing medical conditions, perceived risk of infection, exhibiting COVID-19-like symptoms, social media use, financial stress, and loneliness. Public trust in authorities, availability of accurate information, adoption of preventive measures and social support were associated with less morbidity. The mental health consequences of COVID-19 and other epidemics could be comparable to major disasters and armed conflicts. The considerable heterogeneity in our analysis indicates that more random samples are needed. Health-care professionals should be vigilant of the psychological toll of epidemics, including among those who have not been infected.
Acetylation stabilizes stathmin1 and promotes its activity contributing to gallbladder cancer metastasis
Authors: Fan Kun , Ni Xiaojian , Shen Sheng , Gong Zijun , Wang Jiwen , Xin Yanlei , Zheng Bohao , Sun Wentao , Liu Han , Suo Tao , Ni Xiaoling , Liu Houbao
Published: May 2022

Gallbladder cancer is the most common biliary tract malignant tumor with highly metastatic characters and poor prognosis. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Stathmin1 is ubiquitous phosphoprotein, regulating microtubule stabilization. We identified the acetylation of stahtmin1 at lysine 9 (K9) in gallbladder cancer. K9 acetylation of stathmin1 was reversely regulated by the acetyltransferase PCAF and the deacetylases sirt2. K9 acetylation of stathmin1 inhibited the combining of stathmin1 to E3 ubiquitin ligase RLIM, thereby inhibiting its ubiquitination degradation. Moreover, K9 acetylation also promoted the activity of stahtmin1 interacting and destabilizing microtubule through the inhibition of stathmin1 phosphorylation. K9 acetylated stathmin1 significantly promoted gallbladder cancer cell migration and invasion viability in vitro and lung metastasis in vivo, and indicated poor prognosis of nude mice. IHC assay suggested the positive correlation of high levels of K9 acetylation and stathmin1 expression in gallbladder cancer. Our study revealed that K9 acetylation up-regulated stathmin1 protein stability and microtubule-destabilizing activity to promoted gallbladder cancer metastasis, which provides a potential target for gallbladder cancer therapy.
Theory-guided design of hydrogen-bonded cobaltoporphyrin frameworks for highly selective electrochemical H2O2 production in acid
Authors: Zhao Xuan , Yin Qi , Mao Xinnan , Cheng Chen , Zhang Liang , Wang Lu , Liu Tian-Fu , Li Youyong , Li Yanguang
Published: May 2022

The pursuit of selective two-electron oxygen reduction reaction to H2O2 in acids is demanding and largely hampered by the lack of efficient non-precious-metal-based electrocatalysts. Metal macrocycles hold promise, but have been relatively underexplored. Efforts are called for to promote their inherent catalytic activities and/or increase the surface exposure of active sites. In this contribution, we perform the high-throughput computational screening of thirty-two different metalloporphyrins by comparing their adsorption free energies towards key reaction intermediates. Cobalt porphyrin is revealed to be the optimal candidate with a theoretical overpotential as small as 40 mV. Guided by the computational predictions, we prepare hydrogen-bonded cobaltoporphyrin frameworks in order to promote the solution accessibility of catalytically active sites for H2O2 production in acids. The product features an onset potential at ~0.68 V, H2O2 selectivity of >90%, turnover frequency of 10.9 s−1 at 0.55 V and stability of ~30 h, the combination of which clearly renders it stand out from existing competitors for this challenging reaction.
Enhancers regulate 3′ end processing activity to control expression of alternative 3′UTR isoforms
Authors: Kwon Buki , Fansler Mervin M. , Patel Neil D. , Lee Jihye , Ma Weirui , Mayr Christine
Published: May 2022

Multi-UTR genes are widely transcribed and express their alternative 3′UTR isoforms in a cell type-specific manner. As transcriptional enhancers regulate mRNA expression, we investigated if they also regulate 3′UTR isoform expression. Endogenous enhancer deletion of the multi-UTR gene PTEN did not impair transcript production but prevented 3′UTR isoform switching which was recapitulated by silencing of an enhancer-bound transcription factor. In reporter assays, enhancers increase transcript production when paired with single-UTR gene promoters. However, when combined with multi-UTR gene promoters, they change 3′UTR isoform expression by increasing 3′ end processing activity of polyadenylation sites. Processing activity of polyadenylation sites is affected by transcription factors, including NF-κB and MYC, transcription elongation factors, chromatin remodelers, and histone acetyltransferases. As endogenous cell type-specific enhancers are associated with genes that increase their short 3′UTRs in a cell type-specific manner, our data suggest that transcriptional enhancers integrate cellular signals to regulate cell type-and condition-specific 3′UTR isoform expression.