bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adaptive content suppression based on shared‐hidden‐layer convolutional autoencoder for blind image forensics
Authors: Rahmati Mohammad , Razzazi Farbod , Behrad Alireza
Published: August 2022

Double JPEG (DJPEG) compression detection is one of the crucial issues in detecting the presence of image forgery or tampering in blind image forensics. To address this challenge, this article investigates DJPEG compression detection in aligned and nonaligned tampering cases using adaptive image content removal based on a shared‐hidden‐layer convolutional autoencoder for preprocessing. Then the suppressed content images are classified with two convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in a parallel structure. These two networks are responsible for separating the small 64 × 64 single JPEG compression images from the DJPEG ones. The results indicate appropriate performance in the aligned and especially nonaligned cases. The detection possibility in the absence of alignment was investigated and favorable results were achieved. Since it is not possible to determine the exact values of the quality factor (QF) for optimal detection in some cases, we examined the network sensitivity to these QFs. The experimental results were satisfactory, especially in the aligned case. Comparing state‐of‐the‐art methods, we achieved a relative error reduction of about 69% in some cases. In addition, we determined the manipulated locations with high accuracy.
No difference in retinal fluorescence after oral curcumin intake in amyloid‐proven AD cases compared to controls
Authors: den Haan Jurre , Hart de Ruyter Frederique J. , Lochocki Benjamin , Kroon Maurice A.G.M. , Kemper E. Marleen , Teunissen Charlotte E. , van Berckel Bart , Scheltens Philip , Hoozemans Jeroen J. , de Kreeke Aleid van , Verbraak Frank D. , de Boer Johannes F. , Bouwman Femke H.
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Previous work has showed the in vivo presence of retinal amyloid in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients using curcumin. We aimed to replicate these findings in an amyloid biomarker–confirmed cohort.

Methods

Twenty‐six patients with AD (age 66 [+9], Mini‐Mental Status Examination [MMSE] ≥17) and 14 controls (age 71 [+12]) used one of three curcumin formulations: Longvida, Theracurmin, and Novasol. Plasma levels were determined and pre‐ and post‐curcumin retinal fluorescence scans were assessed visually in all cases and quantitatively assessed in a subset.

Results

Visual assessment showed no difference between AD patients and controls for pre‐ and post‐curcumin images. This was confirmed by quantitative analyses on a subset. Mean conjugated plasma curcumin levels were 198.7 nM (Longvida), 576.6 nM (Theracurmin), and 1605.8 nM (Novasol).

Discussion

We found no difference in retinal fluorescence between amyloid‐confirmed AD cases and control participants, using Longvida and two additional curcumin formulations. Additional replication studies in amyloid‐confirmed cohorts are needed to assess the diagnostic value of retinal fluorescence as an AD biomarker.
Secrecy rate optimization for dual‐functional radar‐communication system with energy receiver
Authors: Tong Xiao , Li Xin , Dong Fuwang , Wang Wei , Li Ang
Published: August 2022

This article studies the secrecy rate optimization in the downlink transmission of a dual‐functional radar‐communication system, under the simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) setting. Specifically, the base station (BS) simultaneously transmits information and energy signals while detecting the target, where the energy receiver (ER) also behaves as a potential eavesdropper. In order to ensure secure information transmission, we design the beamformer to avoid information leakage by maximizing the secrecy rate under the total transmit power budget, the received signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) target at the BS, and the received energy requirement of the ER. To deal with the non‐convexity of the cost function and constraints in the original problem, we first transform the problem into an equivalent semidefinite relaxation (SDR) version by linearizing the cost function with the introduced auxiliary variables. Thus, the off‐the‐shelf semidefinite programming (SDP) solver can be leveraged to obtain desired beamforming matrices, which is guaranteed to be rank‐1. To alleviate the computational costs of SDP, we further propose a sub‐optimal solution via the block coordinate descent method and the Taylor series expansion. Numerical results validate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed algorithms.
Antibiotic utilisation in primary and revision total hip replacement patients: A registry linkage cohort study of 106 253 patients using the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry
Authors: de Steiger Richard N. , Pratt Nicole L. , Gulyani Aarti , Duszynski Katherine M. , Inacio Maria C. , Graves Stephen E. , Smith Paul N. ,   For the Improving Joint Replacement Outcomes in Australia using National Data Linkage Study Working Group
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Infection is a major complication following joint replacement (JR) surgery. However, little data exist regarding antibiotic utilisation following primary JR and how use changes with subsequent revision surgery. This study aimed to examine variation in antibiotic utilisation rates before and after hip replacement surgery in those revised for infection, revised for other reasons and those without revision.

Methods

This retrospective cohort analysis used linked data from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry and Australian Government Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Patients were included if undergoing total hip replacement (THR) for osteoarthritis in private hospitals between 2002 and 2017. Three groups were examined: primary THR with no subsequent revision (n = 102 577), primary THR with a subsequent revision for reasons other than periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) (n = 3156) and primary THR with a subsequent revision for PJI (n = 520). Monthly antibiotic utilisation rates and prevalence rate ratios (PRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated in the 2 years pre‐ and post‐THR.

Results

Prior to primary THR antibiotic utilisation was 9%–10%. After primary THR, antibiotic utilisation rates were higher among patients revised for PJI (PRR 1.69, 95% CI 1.60–1.79) compared to non‐revised patients, while the utilisation rate was lower in patients revised for reasons other than infection (PRR 0.96, 95% CI 0.93–0.98). For those revised for infection, antibiotic utilisation post‐revision surgery was two times higher than those revised for other reasons (PRR 2.16, 95% CI 2.08–2.23). Utilisation of injectable antibiotics including, vancomycin, flucloxacillin and cephazolin was higher in those revised for PJI patients 0–2 weeks following surgery but not in those revised for other reasons compared to the non‐revised group.

Conclusions

Ongoing antibiotic utilisation after primary surgery may be an early signal of problems with the THR and should be a prompt for primary care physicians to refer patients to specialists for further appropriate investigations and management.
Prädiktive molekulare Diagnostik beim Mammakarzinom
Authors: Wild Peter J. , Denkert Carsten , Jackisch C.
Published: August 2022

Mit zunehmenden zielgerichteten Optionen zur Behandlung solider Tumoren wachsen für die Pathologie die Anforderungen an die prädiktive molekulare Diagnostik. Beim Mammakarzinom war das Erfordernis der Bestimmung genomischer prädiktiver Marker für zielgerichtete Therapien bisher überschaubar (Nachweis einer PIK3CA-Mutation beim endokrin vorbehandelten Luminaltumor und nur beim sekretorischen Mammakarzinom angezeigte Suche nach NTRK-Fusionen). Spätestens bei Nichtansprechen der Erst- bzw. Zweitlinienstandardtherapien ist eine Next-Generation-Sequencing-Panel-Diagnostik sinnvoll, um Resistenzmechanismen z. B. gegen die endokrine Therapie oder „cyclin-dependent kinase 4/cyclin-dependent kinase 6“ (CDK4/CDK6) abzuklären und Ansatzpunkte für in Entwicklung befindliche Therapien zu identifizieren. Die Interpretation sollte qualitätsgesichert gemäß internationalem Standard erfolgen und der interdisziplinären Tumorkonferenz zeitnah in einem transparenten und standardisierten Report zur Verfügung stehen.
Commoning the governance: a review of literature and the integration of power
Authors: Partelow Stefan , Manlosa Aisa O.
Published: August 2022

The concept of commoning is continuing to gain scholarly interest, with multiple definitions and interpretations across different research communities. In this article, we define commoning as the actions by groups with shared interests towards creating shared social and relational processes as the basis of governance strategy. Perhaps it can be more simply defined as collective ways of relating and governing. This article addresses two specific gaps in the commoning literature: (1) to bridge disparate strands of literature on commoning by briefly reviewing each and arguing for integration through epistemic pluralism, and (2) to explicitly examine how power is manifest in commoning processes by bringing in a framework on power (i.e., power over, power with, power to, power within) to understand the links between power and commoning governance processes in two case studies. The two cases are tourism governance on Gili Trawangan, Indonesia and aquatic food production systems in Bulacan, Philippines. We preface this analysis with the argument that power is an integral part of the commoning concept, but that it has yet to be analytically integrated to applications of the broader institutional analysis and development framework or within the networks of action situations approach. We argue that by making explicit how an analysis of power can be coupled to a network of action situations analysis in a qualitative way, we are advancing a key feature of the commoning concept, which we introduce as rooted in epistemic and analytical pluralism in the analysis of governance. In the discussion, we expand on how each case study reveals each of the four power dynamics, and how they improve the understanding of commoning as a pluralistic and perhaps bridging analytical concept.
HYPOTHESIS: Do LRIG Proteins Regulate Stem Cell Quiescence by Promoting BMP Signaling?
Authors: Herdenberg Carl , Hedman Håkan
Published: August 2022

Leucine-rich repeats and immunoglobulin-like domains (LRIG) proteins are evolutionarily conserved integral membrane proteins. Mammalian LRIG1 regulates stem cell quiescence in various tissue compartments, including compartments in the epidermis, oral mucosa, intestines, neural system, and incisors. The planarian LRIG1 homolog regulates the quiescence of multipotent neoblasts. The mechanism through which LRIG proteins regulate stem cell quiescence has not been well documented, although it is generally assumed that LRIG1 regulates the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or other receptor tyrosine kinases. However, Lrig-null (Lrig1-/-;Lrig2-/-; and Lrig3-/-) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) have been recently found to exhibit apparently normal receptor tyrosine kinase functions. Moreover, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling has been shown to depend on LRIG1 and LRIG3 expression. BMPs are well-known regulators of stem cell quiescence. Here, we hypothesize that LRIG1 might regulate stem cell quiescence by promoting BMP signaling.

Graphical abstract

HYPOTHESIS: Based on recent findings, it is hypothesized that LRIG1 regulates stem cell quiescence in mammalian tissues as well as in planarian neoblasts by promoting BMP signaling.
Diagenesis and pervasive dolomitization of pre- and post evaporite shallow marine carbonates, Ras Banas Peninsula, Red Sea Coast, Egypt
Authors: Abou Elmagd Kamal , Matsumoto Ryo
Published: August 2022

The present study deals with diagenesis and dolomitization modeling of Middle Miocene – Quaternary sedimentary sequence outcropped at Ras Banas Peninsula, Egyptian Red Sea Coast. This sequence is comprising successively overlapped clastics, carbonates, and evaporites attaining 254 m total thickness resting on the Pre-Cambrian basement rocks in the Peninsula. Diagenetic history and dolomitization were carefully investigated using several techniques including petrographic microscope, XRD, SEM, cathodoluminescence, atomic absorption, and isotopes of oxygen and carbon. The conspicuous phenomena is the pervasive dolomitization of directly pre- and post evaporite limestone components. These dolomites are mostly nonstochiometric, poorly to moderately ordered crystals. Based on all the results obtained from this study, the dolomitization processes of Ras Banas Peninsula are the result of complex geologic setting, paleo-climate changes, tectonic activity, and sea-level fluctuations. The proposed graphic model describes dolomitization mechanism which refers to mixed meteoric-hypersaline water environments.
Filters and Fragments: Making Feminist Sense of Security
Authors: Heathcote Gina
Published: August 2022

In this essay, I analyze how feminist work on security is read and understood, where it is located, and the relationship between feminist scholarship and conceptions of security pluralism. I pick up J. Benton Heath's argument that “pluralist security” is a good tool to address widened security agendas and to decolonize international law.1 I also develop Heath's account of “widened security”—which he associates with feminist security studies and with the women, peace, and security agenda—to argue that making feminist sense of widened security requires distinguishing between which feminist knowledge is incorporated into international law and the larger corpus of feminist work.2 I use feminist analysis as a tool for examining, and responding to, the structural inequalities within law, starting with gender, but expanding to intersectional3 and postcolonial feminist insight.4 This approach facilitates the deployment of gender as co-constituted through adjunct vectors of inequality, including, but not limited to, race, sexuality, ableism, or class, as well as the legacies of empire.5
Epistemic phariseeism
Authors: Dormandy Katherine
Published: August 2022

A prominent view in religious epistemology, which I call divine-help epistemology, says that people of faith are epistemically gifted by God, whereas non-believers are subject to the noetic effects of a fallen world. This view aims to show how religious beliefs for people of faith can be epistemically justified. But I argue that it makes such people prone to a cluster of epistemic vices that I call epistemic phariseeism. Divine-help epistemology is especially apt to promote these vices because its normativity is not just epistemic, but also religious and moral. I suggest an alternative epistemological view that is better suited to religious faith.
Wh-Dependency Processing in a Naturalistic Exposure Context: Sensitivity to Abstract Syntactic Structure in High-Working-Memory L2 Speakers
Authors: Berghoff Robyn
Published: August 2022

This study replicates Felser and Roberts (2007), which used a cross-modal picture priming task to examine indirect-object dependency processing in classroom L2 learners. The replication focuses on early L2 learners with extensive naturalistic L2 exposure (n = 22)—an understudied group in the literature—and investigates whether these learners, in contrast to those in the original study, reactivate the moved element at its original position in the sentence. Bayesian multilevel regression is used to analyze the data. The results suggest that higher-working-memory participants did reactivate the moved element at its structural origin. By extending previous research to an understudied group, the study contributes to our knowledge regarding sensitivity to abstract syntactic structure in L2 processing.
Examining the New Zealand school food environment: what needs to change?
Authors: Pillay Danika , Ali Ajmol , Wham Carol A.
Published: August 2022

Habitual dietary intakes and nutrition behaviours developed during childhood and adolescence pave the way for similar behaviours to manifest in adulthood. Childhood obesity rates have now reached a point where one in six children globally are classified as overweight or obese. Schools have the unique ability to reach almost all children during key developmental stages, making them an ideal setting for influencing children’s nutrition behaviours. Evidence suggests the school food environment is not always conducive to healthy food choices and may be obesogenic. The aim of this narrative review is to explore factors that influence the healthy food and drink environment in and around schools in New Zealand. The review focused on evidence from New Zealand and Australia given the close resemblance in education systems and school food guidance. Using the Analysis Grid for Environments Linked to Obesity (ANGELO) framework, the school food environment was categorised into the following domains: economic, political, physical and socio-cultural factors. Findings suggest that food policies are not utilised within schools, and guidelines to improve the school food environment are not well implemented. Canteen profit models, lack of staff support and resources, and higher availability of low-cost unhealthy foods are among barriers that hinder implementation. This review highlights recommendations from existing evidence, including canteen pricing strategies, restriction of unhealthy foods and using peer modelling in a time-scarce curriculum to improve the school food environment. Key areas for improvement, opportunities to enhance policy implementation and untapped avenues to improve the food and nutrition behaviours of children are highlighted.
Re-reading İstiklal Street using an optical toy: zoetrope montage
Authors: Özdamar Esen Gökçe
Published: August 2022

This article examines multi-modal perceptions of İstiklal Street, a public space in İstanbul, using a zoetrope, an optical, scientific, and educational instrument invented in the mid-nineteenth century that was a predecessor to film in early cinema. It discusses how this tool increases the awareness of architectural students to environmental perception through observation. Constructing a black curtained zoetrope with a radius of five metres allowed them to metaphorically inhabit the optical device as it was large enough for their bodies to enter. After experiencing İstiklal Street as flâneur/flâneuse, students aimed to understand its heterogenous and fragmented narrative using the zoetrope. Re-reading the street through a zoetrope enabled a paradoxical interplay between the device and its scale. By interacting with a zoetrope to create different fragmented movements and scales, movement in the urban space was understood as more than a visual perception or transient state of curiosity. Instead, the students comprehended architectural production through filmmaking as ‘a mode of reflection’ rather than as mere representation. The zoetrope became a medium through which the students’ visual, haptic, and kinaesthetic senses were fused together.
On the Potentials and Limitations of Attributing a Small‐Scale Climate Event
Authors: Matte Dominic , Christensen Jens H. , Feddersen Henrik , Vedel Henrik , Nielsen Niels Woetmann , Pedersen Rasmus A. , Zeitzen Rune M. K.
Published: August 2022

Intense convective storms can be hazardous when occurring over large populated cities. In a changing climate, decision makers and the general public increasingly need to be able to better understand if and to what extent these storms are influenced by anthropological climate change and what to expect as climate continues to warm. Unfortunately due to their limited ability to resolve small‐scale features in models, convective storms remain a challenge to the modeling community. Here, we use a forecast‐ensemble based method using a convection permitting model with full data‐assimilation, to assess the risk of exceeding certain precipitation thresholds related to a critical cloudburst event that occurred over Copenhagen, Denmark. Our results show that this set‐up is representing well the overall observed intensities. By adapting a pseudo‐global warming approach, we show that both the risk for flooding and the risk for reaching unprecedented precipitation intensity increases resulting from further warming.
Josephson diode effect from Cooper pair momentum in a topological semimetal
Authors: Pal Banabir , Chakraborty Anirban , Sivakumar Pranava K. , Davydova Margarita , Gopi Ajesh K. , Pandeya Avanindra K. , Krieger Jonas A. , Zhang Yang , Date Mihir , Ju Sailong , Yuan Noah , Schröter Niels B. M. , Fu Liang , Parkin Stuart S. P.
Published: August 2022

Cooper pairs in non-centrosymmetric superconductors can acquire finite centre-of-mass momentum in the presence of an external magnetic field. Recent theory predicts that such finite-momentum pairing can lead to an asymmetric critical current, where a dissipationless supercurrent can flow along one direction but not in the opposite one. Here we report the discovery of a giant Josephson diode effect in Josephson junctions formed from a type-II Dirac semimetal, NiTe2. A distinguishing feature is that the asymmetry in the critical current depends sensitively on the magnitude and direction of an applied magnetic field and achieves its maximum value when the magnetic field is perpendicular to the current and is of the order of just 10 mT. Moreover, the asymmetry changes sign several times with an increasing field. These characteristic features are accounted for by a model based on finite-momentum Cooper pairing that largely originates from the Zeeman shift of spin-helical topological surface states. The finite pairing momentum is further established, and its value determined, from the evolution of the interference pattern under an in-plane magnetic field. The observed giant magnitude of the asymmetry in critical current and the clear exposition of its underlying mechanism paves the way to build novel superconducting computing devices using the Josephson diode effect.
Quantifying Earth system interactions for sustainable food production via expert elicitation
Authors: Chrysafi Anna , Virkki Vili , Jalava Mika , Sandström Vilma , Piipponen Johannes , Porkka Miina , Lade Steven J. , La Mere Kelsey , Wang-Erlandsson Lan , Scherer Laura , Andersen Lauren S. , Bennett Elena , Brauman Kate A. , Cooper Gregory S. , De Palma Adriana , Döll Petra , Downing Andrea S. , DuBois Timothy C. , Fetzer Ingo , Fulton Elizabeth A. , Gerten Dieter , Jaafar Hadi , Jägermeyr Jonas , Jaramillo Fernando , Jung Martin , Kahiluoto Helena , Lassaletta Luis , Mackay Anson W. , Mason-D’Croz Daniel , Mekonnen Mesfin M. , Nash Kirsty L. , Pastor Amandine V. , Ramankutty Navin , Ridoutt Brad , Siebert Stefan , Simmons Benno I. , Staal Arie , Sun Zhongxiao , Tobian Arne , Usubiaga-Liaño Arkaitz , van der Ent Ruud J. , van Soesbergen Arnout , Verburg Peter H. , Wada Yoshihide , Zipper Sam , Kummu Matti
Published: August 2022

Several safe boundaries of critical Earth system processes have already been crossed due to human perturbations; not accounting for their interactions may further narrow the safe operating space for humanity. Using expert knowledge elicitation, we explored interactions among seven variables representing Earth system processes relevant to food production, identifying many interactions little explored in Earth system literature. We found that green water and land system change affect other Earth system processes strongly, while land, freshwater and ocean components of biosphere integrity are the most impacted by other Earth system processes, most notably blue water and biogeochemical flows. We also mapped a complex network of mechanisms mediating these interactions and created a future research prioritization scheme based on interaction strengths and existing knowledge gaps. Our study improves the understanding of Earth system interactions, with sustainability implications including improved Earth system modelling and more explicit biophysical limits for future food production.
A structure-based mechanism for displacement of the HEXIM adapter from 7SK small nuclear RNA
Authors: Pham Vincent V. , Gao Michael , Meagher Jennifer L. , Smith Janet L. , D’Souza Victoria M.
Published: August 2022

Productive transcriptional elongation of many cellular and viral mRNAs requires transcriptional factors to extract pTEFb from the 7SK snRNP by modulating the association between HEXIM and 7SK snRNA. In HIV-1, Tat binds to 7SK by displacing HEXIM. However, without the structure of the 7SK-HEXIM complex, the constraints that must be overcome for displacement remain unknown. Furthermore, while structure details of the TatNL4-3-7SK complex have been elucidated, it is unclear how subtypes with more HEXIM-like Tat sequences accomplish displacement. Here we report the structures of HEXIM, TatG, and TatFin arginine rich motifs in complex with the apical stemloop-1 of 7SK. While most interactions between 7SK with HEXIM and Tat are similar, critical differences exist that guide function. First, the conformational plasticity of 7SK enables the formation of three different base pair configurations at a critical remodeling site, which allows for the modulation required for HEXIM binding and its subsequent displacement by Tat. Furthermore, the specific sequence variations observed in various Tat subtypes all converge on remodeling 7SK at this region. Second, we show that HEXIM primes its own displacement by causing specific local destabilization upon binding — a feature that is then exploited by Tat to bind 7SK more efficiently.
Single-cell transcriptomic profiling unveils dysregulation of cardiac progenitor cells and cardiomyocytes in a mouse model of maternal hyperglycemia
Authors: Manivannan Sathiyanarayanan , Mansfield Corrin , Zhang Xinmin , Kodigepalli Karthik M. , Majumdar Uddalak , Garg Vidu , Basu Madhumita
Published: August 2022

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most prevalent birth defect, often linked to genetic variations, environmental exposures, or combination of both. Epidemiological studies reveal that maternal pregestational diabetes is associated with ~5-fold higher risk of CHD in the offspring; however, the causal mechanisms affecting cardiac gene-regulatory-network (GRN) during early embryonic development remain poorly understood. In this study, we utilize an established murine model of pregestational diabetes to uncover the transcriptional responses in key cell-types of the developing heart exposed to maternal hyperglycemia (matHG). Here we show that matHG elicits diverse cellular responses in E9.5 and E11.5 embryonic hearts compared to non-diabetic hearts by single-cell RNA-sequencing. Through differential-gene-expression and cellular trajectory analyses, we identify perturbations in genes, predominantly affecting Isl1+ second heart field progenitors and Tnnt2+ cardiomyocytes with matHG. Using cell-fate mapping analysis in Isl1-lineage descendants, we demonstrate that matHG impairs cardiomyocyte differentiation and alters the expression of lineage-specifying cardiac genes. Finally, our work reveals matHG-mediated transcriptional changes in second heart field lineage that elevate CHD risk by perturbing Isl1-GRN during cardiomyocyte differentiation. Gene-environment interaction studies targeting the Isl1-GRN in cardiac progenitor cells will have a broader impact on understanding the mechanisms of matHG-induced risk of CHD associated with diabetic pregnancies.
A high-performance wearable pressure sensor based on an MXene/PVP composite nanofiber membrane for health monitoring
Authors: Ren Mengna , Sun Zhongsen , Zhang Mengqi , Yang Xiaojun , Guo Dedong , Dong Shuheng , Dhakal Rajendra , Yao Zhao , Li Yuanyue , Kim Nam Young
Published: August 2022

We report the excellent sensing performance and health detecting applications of a flexible capacitive pressure sensor based on a Ti3C2Tx (MXene)/polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) composite nanofiber membrane.
The mid-infrared aliphatic bands associated with complex hydrocarbons
Authors: Jensen P. A. , Shannon M. J. , Peeters E. , Sloan G. C. , Stock D. J.
Published: August 2022

Context. The mid-infrared emission features commonly attributed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) vary in profile and peak position. These profile variations form the basis of their classification: Classes A, B, C reflect profiles with increasing central wavelength while Class D has similar central wavelength as Class B but a similar broad shape as Class C. A well-known empirical relationship exists between the central wavelength of these emission features in circumstellar environments and the effective temperature of their central stars. One posited explanation is that the presence of aliphatic hydrocarbons contributes to the variations in the shapes and positions of the features.

Aims. We aim to test this hypothesis by characterising the aliphatic emission bands at 6.9 and 7.25 µm and identifying relationships between these aliphatic bands and the aromatic features.

Methods. We have examined 5–12 µm spectra of 63 astronomical sources exhibiting hydrocarbon emission which have been observed by ISO/SWS, Spitzer/IRS, and SOFIA/FORCAST. We measured the intensities and central wavelengths of the relevant features and classified the objects based on their 7–9 µm emission complex. We examined correlations between the intensities and central wavelengths of the features, both aliphatic and aromatic, and investigated the behaviour of the aliphatic features based on the object type and hydrocarbon emission class.

Results. The presence of the 6.9 and 7.25 µm aliphatic bands depends on (aromatic) profile class, with aliphatic features detected in all Class D sources, 26% of the Class B sources, and no Class C sources. The peak position of the aliphatic features varies, with more variability seen in Class B sources than Class D sources, mimicking the degree of variability of the aromatic features in these classes. Variations are observed within Class D 6–9 µm profiles, but are significantly smaller than those in Class B. While a linear combination of Classes B and C emission can reproduce the Class D emission features at 6.2 and 7.7–8.6 µm, it cannot reproduce the aliphatic bands or the 11–14 µm hydrocarbon features. A correlation is found between the intensities of the two aliphatic bands at 6.9 and 7.25 µm, and between these aliphatic features and the 11.2 µm feature, indicating that conditions required for a population of neutral hydrocarbon particles are favourable for the presence of aliphatic material. A comparison with experimental data suggests a different assignment for the aliphatic 6.9 µm band in Class D and (some) Class B environments. Finally, we discuss evolutionary scenarios between the different classes.
Infectious disease specialists and teamwork strategies worldwide: the World Association against Infection in Orthopedics and Trauma (WAIOT) and SICOT continue to cooperate in fighting musculoskeletal infections
Authors: Romanò Carlo L. , Tsantes Andreas G. , Papadopoulos Dimitrios V. , Tsuchiya Hiroyuki , Benzakour Thami , Benevenia Joseph , del Sel Hernán , Drago Lorenzo , Mavrogenis Andreas F. ,   World Association against Infection in Orthopedics and Trauma (WAIOT) Study Group on Bone and Joint Infection Definitions
Published: August 2022

Bone and joint infections are associated with a devastating global burden. The successful treatment of these infections requires a multidisciplinary approach between orthopedic surgeons and experts of different disciplines. This multidisciplinary approach has gained ground over the past decades in modern infection units as a more effective treatment strategy, yielding better outcomes regarding infection eradication rates, length of hospital stay, and overall cost of treatments. Additionally, preventing and managing musculoskeletal infections requires strong connections between medical associations, biological laboratories, and the pharmaceutical industry worldwide. In this context, SICOT and World Association against Infection in Orthopaedics and Trauma (WAIOT) relationships have been increasing. The present editorial article discusses the multidisciplinary approach for managing bone and joint infections worldwide, explores the controversies in practices in terms of training, area of expertise, and extent of clinical involvement, and emphasizes the role of societies in research, prevention and management of musculoskeletal infections. The purpose is to acknowledge what orthopedics can obtain from specialists dealing with bone and joint infections and to consolidate their practice to provide the best care for orthopedic patients.
Method to traceably determine the refractive index by measuring the angle of minimum deviation
Authors: Kuiper Martine , Koops Richard , Nieuwland Rienk , van der Pol Edwin
Published: August 2022

The refractive index (RI) of a solid depends on the illumination wavelength, temperature and material properties, such as the chemical composition, crystal structure, and isotropy. RI measurements, however, also depend on environmental conditions, such as the temperature, pressure, CO2 concentration and humidity of the surrounding air. As these environmental conditions are not always reported, reported values of the RI are often irreproducible. Here we describe a new optical set-up based on the angle of minimum deviation to traceably measure the RI at controlled temperature, pressure, humidity, and CO2 concentration of the surrounding air. Advantages of the reported method are that (I) we perform RI measurements without the need for an independent measurement of the prism angles, and (II) correlations in the uncertainty propagation reduce the sensitivity coefficients greatly. The absolute RI of fused silica at 20.00 °C is 1.470 091 at 404.66 nm, 1.467 169 at 435.83 nm, 1.460 459 at 546.07 nm, and 1.459 237 at 579.07 nm. The expanded uncertainty (k = 2) of the set-up and procedure is 1.4 × 10−6 for 404.66 nm, 435.83 nm, and 546.07 nm and 1.7 × 10−6 for 579.07 nm. The main factors affecting the expanded uncertainty are the calibration uncertainty of the rotary stage, and the repeatability of the measurement.
Stratified Lie systems: theory and applications
Authors: Cariñena J F , de Lucas J , Wysocki D
Published: August 2022

A stratified Lie system is a nonautonomous system of first-order ordinary differential equations on a manifold M described by a t-dependent vector field

X
=

∑

α
=
1

r

g

α

X

α

, where X
1, …, X

r
are vector fields on M spanning an r-dimensional Lie algebra that are tangent to the strata of a stratification

F

of M while

g

1

,
…
,

g

r

:
R
×
M
→
R

are functions depending on t that are constant along integral curves of X
1, …, X

r
for each fixed t. We analyse the particular solutions of stratified Lie systems and how their properties can be obtained as generalisations of those of Lie systems. We illustrate our results by studying Lax pairs and a class of t-dependent Hamiltonian systems. We study stratified Lie systems with compatible geometric structures. In particular, a class of stratified Lie systems on Lie algebras are studied via Poisson structures induced by r-matrices.
Echinodermata
Authors: Mashanov Vladimir , Zueva Olga , Rubilar Tamara , Epherra Lucia , García-Arrarás Jose E.
Published: August 2022

Echinoderms are exclusively marine deuterostomes with about 7000 described living and roughly 13,000 extinct species. They are extremely diverse, occurring from the intertidal to the abyssal zones. They are unique among Bilateria for the secondary pentaradial symmetry of their body. Five sets of organs, including nerve cords, constitute radial units that are arranged around the oral–aboral axis. The radial body plan is clearly secondary, since all echinoderm larvae are bilaterally symmetrical. Likewise, some of the extinct echinoderms also had either a bilateral body plan or an asymmetrical body. Until recently the nervous system has been the most mysterious and the least understood part of the echinoderm body. The established clichés about its ‘diffuse’ and ‘decentralized’ organization, or else the ‘enigmatic’ nature of neural structures often precluded careful and unbiased analysis. One of the most serious impediments to studies of neural structures in many adult echinoderms has been heavy calcification of surrounding tissues, which often makes it a non-trivial task to properly fix and process samples for microscopy, immunohistochemistry, or in situ hybridization. This was probably a reason for the long-standing belief that echinoderms lacked classical chemical synapses. However, with time, the fixation protocols have been optimized to produce optimal and consistent results with well-preserved morphology, a growing panel of cell-type specific antibodies have been developed, and, most recently, the molecular mechanisms underlying development and maintenance of the echinoderm nervous system have started to be unravelled. This chapter sets out to summarize the latest progress in our understanding of the echinodermate nervous system.
The Impact of Hip Fracture on Geriatric Care and Mortality Among Older Swedes: Mapping Care Trajectories and Their Determinants
Authors: Meyer Anna C , Ebeling Marcus , Drefahl Sven , Hedström Margareta , Ek Stina , Sandström Glenn , Modig Karin
Published: August 2022

In this study, we examined the impact of hip fractures on trajectories of home care, nursing home residence, and mortality among individuals aged 65 years or more and explored the impacts of living arrangements, cohabitation, frailty, and socioeconomic position on these trajectories. Based on a linkage of nationwide Swedish population registers, our study included 20,573 individuals with first hip fracture in 2014–2015. Care trajectories during the 2 years following the fracture were visualized and compared with those of 2 hip-fracture–free control groups drawn from the general population: age- and sex-matched controls and health-matched controls identified through propensity score matching. Multistate modeling was employed to identify sociodemographic and health-related factors associated with care trajectories among hip fracture patients. We found that hip fracture patients already had worse health than the general population before their fracture. However, when controlling for prefracture health, hip fractures still had a considerable impact on use of elder-care services and mortality. Comparisons with the health-matched controls suggest that hip fractures have an immediate, yet short-term, impact on care trajectories. Long-term care needs are largely attributable to poorer health profiles independent of the fracture itself. This emphasizes the importance of adequate comparison groups when examining the consequences of diseases which are often accompanied by other underlying health problems.
It’s Time We Looked Under the Hood: An In-Depth Examination of Five Public California Area Agencies on Aging
Authors: Gallo Haley B , Marnfeldt Kelly Ann , Navarro Adria E , Wilber Kathleen H
Published: August 2022

Background and Objectives

As the older adult population grows, it is important to understand the effectiveness of service delivery systems that support aging in place. Studying service delivery processes and organizational structures of Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) is essential for future efforts to understand service delivery outcomes and innovations.

Research Design and Methods

We conducted site visits with 5 government-run California AAAs. We used a template and constant comparative analysis to analyze transcripts from site visits and focus groups with key informants.

Results

AAA representatives discussed how their organizational structure was related to (a) which services and programs they provided; (b) administrative cost savings and access to funding sources; (c) inter- and intra-agency coordination; and (d) visibility among clients and community partners.

Discussion and Implications

These findings can be used to guide decisions surrounding how changes in AAA structure may affect funding, coordination, service delivery, and visibility, among other factors. Consolidating the AAA with other departments and programs facilitates coordination and shared administrative costs, yet consolidation may reduce standalone AAAs’ visibility and ability to innovate. AAA structure should be tailored to fit community resources, local government organization, and the needs of older residents.
The dorsal hippocampal CA3 regulates spatial reference memory through the CtBP2/GluR2 pathway
Authors: Han Jia‐Xuan , Wen Chen‐Xi , Sun Rui , Tang Meng‐Yu , Li Xiao‐Ming , Lian Hong
Published: August 2022

The dorsal hippocampus plays a pivotal role in spatial memory. However, the role of subregion‐specific molecular pathways in spatial cognition remains unclear. We observed that the transcriptional coregulator C‐terminal binding protein 2 (CtBP2) presented CA3‐specific enrichment in expression. RNAi interference of CtBP2 in the dorsal CA3 (dCA3) neurons, but not the ventral CA3 (vCA3), specifically impaired spatial reference memory and reduced the expression of GluR2, the calcium permeability determinant subunit of AMPA receptors. Application of an antagonist for GluR2‐absent calcium permeable AMPA receptors rescued spatial memory deficits in dCA3 CtBP2 knockdown animals. Transcriptomic analysis suggest that CtBP2 may regulate GluR2 protein level through post‐translational mechanisms, especially by the endocytosis pathway which regulates AMPA receptor sorting. Consistently, CtBP2 deficiency altered the mRNA expression of multiple endocytosis‐regulatory genes, and CtBP2 knockdown in primary hippocampal neurons enhanced GluR2‐containing AMPA receptor endocytosis. Together, our results provide evidence that the dCA3 regulates spatial reference memory by the CtBP2/GluR2 pathway through the modulation of calcium permeable AMPA receptors.
Evaluating the association between amino acid and acylcarnitine profiles and different levels of coronary artery disease risk in postmenopausal women using targeted metabolomics technique
Authors: Hosseinkhani Shaghayegh , Emamgholipour Solaleh , Salari Pooneh , Khalagi Kazem , Shirani Shapour , Najjar Niloufar , Larijani Bagher , Pasalar Parvin , Razi Farideh
Published: August 2022

Objectives

Postmenopausal women are at increased risk of developing coronary artery disease (CAD). Metabolomic approaches aim at discovering more helpful biomarkers of CAD to reduce the disease burden in the future. Here, we intend to find potential blood biomarkers, amino acids, and acylcarnitines in postmenopausal women with different severity of CAD by using high-throughput methods.

Method

This cross-sectional study was performed on postmenopausal women (n = 183) who underwent coronary CT scans. Coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS) was assessed to detect plaque burden and degree of coronary artery obstruction. The participants were divided into three groups based on the score as follows (i) “low CACS” (n = 96); a score of 0 to 10, (ii) “medium CACS” (n = 35); a score between 11 and 100 and (iii) “high CACS” (n = 52); a score greater than 100. Metabolites, including amino acids and acylcarnitines, were quantified using a targeted mass spectrometry method in serum samples. The association between metabolites and disease status was evaluated using univariate and multivariate regression analyses with adjustment for confounding factors. Factor analysis was used to deal with multiple comparisons.

Results

Metabolites, including proline, glutamic acid, and phenylalanine, were significantly lower in the high CACS group than the low CACS one. Also, a lower level of lysine and phenylalanine in high CACS compared with medium one was observed. Concerning acylcarnitines, it was found that C4 and C8:1 significantly were higher in women with high CACS. The logistic regression analysis revealed that the circulating levels of these metabolites (except C4) were associated with the presence of coronary artery calcification independently of age, body mass index, and time of menopause. Also, the amino acids were associated independently of medication and diabetes.

Conclusions

The present study indicated that circulating levels of amino acids and acylcarnitines profile in postmenopausal women are partly associated with the severity of CAD in these participants.
Changes in serum endogenous estrogen concentrations are mediators of the effect of low-dose oral estradiol on vasomotor symptoms
Authors: Ensrud Kristine E. , Larson Joseph C. , Guthrie Katherine A. , Crandall Carolyn J. , LaCroix Andrea Z. , Reed Susan D. , Bhasin Shalender , Mitchell Caroline M. , Joffe Hadine
Published: August 2022

Objectives

The aim of this study was to quantify changes in serum total estradiol (E2) and estrone (E1) concentrations with initiation of low-dose oral estradiol treatment and evaluate whether changes in concentrations mediate the effect of treatment in reducing vasomotor symptom (VMS) frequency.

Methods

We analyzed baseline and week 8 (W8) data from 171 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with VMS enrolled in low-dose 17β estradiol (n = 72) and placebo (n = 99) groups of a randomized clinical trial.

Results

From baseline to W8, women in the low-dose estradiol group had a fourfold increase in E2, resulting in a W8 E2 of 23 pg/mL, and a fivefold increase in E1, resulting in a W8 E1 of 110.7 pg/mL. In contrast, E2 and E1 among women in the placebo group were unchanged from baseline to W8. Changes in E2 and E1 from baseline to W8 met criteria for mediating the effect of low-dose estradiol treatment on VMS frequency. With change in estrogen concentration added to treatment assignment in a regression model predicting W8 VMS frequency, the effect of treatment with low-dose estradiol versus placebo was attenuated, with change in E2 representing a 44.1% reduction (P = 0.03) and change in E1 representing a 69.5% reduction (P = 0.02) in total intervention effect.

Conclusion

Among perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with VMS, treatment with low-dose oral estradiol versus placebo results in four- to fivefold increases in serum E2 and E1. The increases in serum E2 and E1 with low-dose oral estradiol treatment seem to mediate in part the effect of treatment in reducing VMS frequency.
Cochlear and Vestibular Volumes in Inner Ear Malformations
Authors: Breitsprecher Tabita M. , Pscheidl Alexander , Bächinger David , Volkenstein Stefan , Dhanasingh Anandhan , Van Rompaey Vincent , Mlynski Robert , Dazert Stefan , Van de Heyning Paul , Langner Sönke , Roland Peter , Weiss Nora M.
Published: August 2022

Objective

A “gold standard” for quantitatively diagnosing inner ear malformations (IEMs) and a consensus on normative measurements are lacking. Reference ranges and cutoff values of inner ear dimensions may add in distinguishing IEM types. This study evaluates the volumes of the cochlea and vestibular system in different types of IEM.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort.

Setting

Tertiary academic center.

Patients

High-resolution CT scans of 115 temporal bones (70 with IEM; cochlear hypoplasia [CH]; n = 19), incomplete partition (IP) Types I and III (n = 16), IP Type II with an enlarged vestibular aqueduct (Mondini malformation; n = 16), enlarged vestibular aqueduct syndrome (n = 19), and 45 controls.

Interventions

Volumetry by software-based, semiautomatic segmentation, and 3D reconstruction.

Main Outcome Measures

Differences in volumes among IEM and between IEM types and controls; interrater reliability.

Results

Compared with controls (mean volume, 78.0 mm3), only CH showed a significantly different cochlear volume (mean volume, 30.2 mm3; p < 0.0001) among all types of IEM. A cutoff value of 60 mm3 separated 100% of CH cases from controls. Compared with controls, significantly larger vestibular system volumes were found in Mondini malformation (mean difference, 22.9 mm3; p = 0.009) and IP (mean difference, 24.1 mm3; p = 0.005). In contrast, CH showed a significantly smaller vestibular system volume (mean difference, 41.1 mm3; p < 0.0001). A good interrater reliability was found for all three-dimensional measurements (ICC = 0.86–0.91).

Conclusion

Quantitative reference values for IEM obtained in this study were in line with existing qualitative diagnostic characteristics. A cutoff value less than 60 mm3 may indicate an abnormally small cochlea. Normal reference values for volumes of the cochlea and vestibular system may aid in diagnosing IEM.