bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Discoidin domain receptor 2 signaling through PIK3C2α in fibroblasts promotes lung fibrosis
Authors: Ling Song , Kwak Doyun , Takuwa Yoh , Ge Chunxi , Franceschi Renny , Kim Kevin K
Published: February 2024

Pulmonary fibrosis, especially idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), portends significant morbidity and mortality, and current therapeutic options are suboptimal. We have previously shown that type I collagen signaling through discoidin domain receptor 2 (DDR2), a receptor tyrosine kinase expressed by fibroblasts, is critical for the regulation of fibroblast apoptosis and progressive fibrosis. However, the downstream signaling pathways for DDR2 remain poorly defined and could also be attractive potential targets for therapy. A recent phosphoproteomic approach indicated that PIK3C2α, a poorly studied member of the PI3 kinase family, could be a downstream mediator of DDR2 signaling. We hypothesized that collagen I/DDR2 signaling through PIK3C2α regulates fibroblast activity during progressive fibrosis. To test this hypothesis, we found that primary murine fibroblasts and IPF‐derived fibroblasts stimulated with endogenous or exogenous type I collagen led to the formation of a DDR2/PIK3C2α complex, resulting in phosphorylation of PIK3C2α. Fibroblasts treated with an inhibitor of PIK3C2α or with deletion of PIK3C2α had fewer markers of activation after stimulation with TGFβ and more apoptosis after stimulation with a Fas‐activating antibody. Finally, mice with fibroblast‐specific deletion of PIK3C2α had less fibrosis after bleomycin treatment than did littermate control mice with intact expression of PIK3Cα. Collectively, these data support the notion that collagen/DDR2/PIK3C2α signaling is critical for fibroblast function during progressive fibrosis, making this pathway a potential target for antifibrotic therapy. © 2024 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
Upcycling HOXB13: enhancing prostate cancer detection with a novel antibody†
Authors: Augspach Anke , Rubin Mark A
Published: February 2024

Prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent and, upon metastasis, deadliest cancers in men. Timely identification is essential for effective treatment. Furthermore, accurate determination of prostatic origin is crucial for personalized therapy once the cancer has spread. However, current prostate cancer screening methods are lacking. A recent article in The Journal of Pathology addresses this issue by utilizing an improved antibody to reevaluate HOXB13 as a lineage marker for prostate cancer. The study's findings support the concept that, despite decreased expression in advanced prostate cancer, HOXB13 remains highly suitable for determining prostatic origin due to its androgen receptor independence, high specificity, and sensitivity. © 2024 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
Innovations in endoscopic ultrasound for portal hypertension and its role in managing complications in clinical practice: Lessons learned from a tertiary referral public hospital
Authors: Lesmana Cosmas R. A. , Kalista Kemal F. , Nababan Saut H. H. , Kurniawan Juferdy , Jasirwan Chyntia O. M. , Sulaiman Andri S. , Hasan Irsan , Gani Rino A.
Published: February 2024

Portal hypertension (PH) poses significant challenges. This paper presents an innovative study on the utilization of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) for both the diagnosis and management of PH. Conducted at Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital in Jakarta, this retrospective case series included patients diagnosed with PH through clinical examination, imaging evaluation, and esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Exclusion criteria comprised a history of reduced blood consumption within the last 5 days, hepatocellular carcinoma, massive ascites, or elevated international normalized ratio (>1.4). EUS‐guided portal pressure gradient (PPG) measurements were performed using an innovative standard manometer. The study involved 15 patients, with 14 having liver cirrhosis and 1 diagnosed with Budd–Chiari syndrome. Among them, nine patients experienced bleeding due to gastroesophageal varices. Small and large esophageal varices were identified in four and eight patients, respectively. Gastroesophageal varices type 1 were observed in two patients, and type 2 in four patients. Isolated gastric fundal varices type 1 were present in one patient. Based on EUS‐PPG measurements, 14 patients exhibited clinically significant portal hypertension. Seven patients underwent endoscopic band ligation and three underwent EUS‐guided cyanoacrylate injection during the same session as the EUS‐PPG measurement procedure. Notably, no adverse events, such as abdominal pain, perforation, or bleeding were observed during or after the procedure. EUS emerges as a promising and accurate tool for both diagnosis and management.
Phase dependence of growth mechanisms in the daily energetics of the North Atlantic Oscillation
Authors: Kim Minju , Sung Mi‐Kyung , Yoo Changhyun
Published: February 2024

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is a dominant atmospheric variability in the Northern Hemisphere that has a substantial impact on weather and climate on various time scales. Here, we investigate the role of energy conversion terms day‐by‐day during the NAO life cycle. The relative timing and contribution of the energy conversion terms are quantified by projecting the terms onto the eddy total energy, eddy kinetic energy (EKE), and eddy available potential energy (EAPE) patterns associated with the NAO. The results show a remarkable phase dependence in the growth and maintenance mechanisms. For positive NAOs, the initial growth is driven by the barotropic interactions between the eddies propagating over North America. This suggests that a non‐local growth mechanism plays an important role in the initiation of positive NAOs. In contrast, it is the baroclinic processes that initiate negative NAOs. The conversion of the mean APE into the EAPE and then into the EKE, processes which include eddy heat fluxes and vertical motions, results in the relatively local growth of negative NAOs. During the mature phase, the largest source of energy is the conversion of the mean APE into EAPE. Part of this is converted to EKE, making a substantial contribution to the maintenance of the EKE. This process is particularly important for negative NAOs.
Detecting outliers in the multivariate control charts for dispersion monitoring
Authors: Ajadi Jimoh Olawale , Raji Ishaq Adeyanju , Abbas Nasir , Riaz Muhammad
Published: February 2024

Outlier detection is an important aspect of statistical process monitoring (SPM) because outliers affect the performance of control charts. SPM researchers study the negative impact of outliers on control charts for monitoring location parameters. However, there is little research on outlier detection in multivariate charts for monitoring process dispersion. This study aims to investigate the impact of outliers in multivariate control charts for monitoring covariance matrix of a process, and then to recommend techniques for detecting potential outliers present from Phase I samples. We propose a new multivariate dispersion chart that employs the determinant of logarithm of estimated covariance matrix as the monitoring statistic. Through Monte Carlo simulations, the results show how outliers from the first phase affect the overall performance of multivariate charts. The results also demonstrate that the minimum volume ellipsoid (MVE) estimator is effective in reducing the effect of outliers on the proposed control scheme than the other compared estimators.
The sedimentology of gravel beds in groundwater‐dominated chalk streams: Implications for sediment modelling and management
Authors: Mondon Beth , Sear David A. , Collins Adrian L. , Shaw Peter J. , Sykes Tim
Published: February 2024

Elevated fine sediment accumulation in a river system's gravel bed is known to cause detrimental ecological impacts. Current sediment targets and approaches to mitigation have failed due to the oversimplification of geomorphological processes controlling fine sediment accumulation and the lack of relevant scientific knowledge underpinning them. This is particularly apparent in chalk streams (groundwater‐dominated systems) which regularly exhibit high rates of sediment accumulation despite low suspended sediment yields. A necessary first step is to better characterise their sedimentology; thus, the novelty of this study was to determine the sedimentological characteristics of chalk stream gravel beds, specifically the quantity and distribution of fine sediment with depth. We collated published and unpublished freeze‐core data, encompassing 90 sites across 11 UK chalk streams. Results showed average quantities of fine sediment (<2 mm) in chalk stream gravel beds were 25% by weight, with >75% of beds exceeding thresholds for ecological degradation. Quantities of fine sediment increased with increasing depth into the bed, with an average increase between surface and subsurface layers of 54%, and 89% of the gravel bed over‐saturated with fine sediment. Regional differences were attributed to differences in stream power and local sediment sources, including surficial geology and catchment land use. Additionally, a major contrast was identified between experimental conditions in flume studies used to establish models describing interactions/mechanisms of fine sediment infiltration into immobile gravel beds and the natural conditions observed in chalk streams. As such, the use of such models as a basis to explore sediment management scenarios is unlikely to predict the outcome of such management techniques correctly in a real‐world situation.
Collateral benefits: River flow normalization for endangered fish enabled riparian rejuvenation
Authors: Rood Stewart B. , Hoffman Gregory C. , Merz Norm , Anders Paul , Benjankar Rohan , Burke Michael , Egger Gregory , Polzin Mary Louise , Soults Scott
Published: February 2024

Like most rivers worldwide, the transboundary North American Kootenay/i River has experienced multiple impacts including watershed developments, river channelization, and floodplain clearing, draining, and diking. Construction of Libby Dam was authorized by the 1964 Columbia River Treaty (CRT) between the United States and Canada, and in 1975 began regulating downstream flows for flood risk management and hydropower generation. Following cumulative impacts, the endemic Kootenai River White Sturgeon population collapsed and was designated as endangered in 1994 (U.S. Endangered Species Act). Subsequent Biological Opinions from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service prescribed Libby Dam operations to provide springtime flow pulses for sturgeon spawning. These provided the unanticipated benefit of substantial seedling recruitment of native and introduced riparian cottonwoods and willows. The regulated flow regime was further adaptively managed to provide a more normative (natural) regime, to balance ecological functions with flood risk management and hydropower generation. The broadened ecological considerations would be consistent with the proposed priorities for the modernization of the international CRT. The observed responses revealed that (1) diverse aquatic and riparian organisms are dependent on common river flow characteristics; (2) a normalized flow regime provided substantial ecological benefits; and (3) due to multiple influences, hybrid ecosystems develop along regulated rivers, with a blending of natural and altered processes and communities. For other regulated rivers, we recommend that (1) high springtime flows be allowed, as feasible; (2) followed by the gradual post‐peak recession; and (3) the maintenance of sufficient flows through the warm and dry interval of mid to late summer.
Synthesis of a new photosensitizer for ablation of Uppsala 87 Malignant Glioma cells
Authors: Liu Yixian , Bao Xiaowen , Li Jiaqi , Liang Guangshu , Chen Yajun , Yan Linping
Published: February 2024

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising therapeutic modality for cancer treatment. Herein, we reported the synthesis of a newly synthesized photosensitizer (PS), BTR, for photoablation of Uppsala 87 Malignant Glioma (U87MG) cells. BTR nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by co‐encapsulation with DSPE‐PEG‐2000. The results showed that BTR NPs possess extremely low dark toxicity after cellular uptake. To the opposite, significant phototoxicity of such NPs was observed with the help of a laser, leading to apparent cell apoptosis on U87MG cells. The results indicate that BTR NPs with excellent phototoxicity and low dark toxicity have some potential for photodynamic therapy against cancer cells.
Electronic Modulation in Cu Doped NiCo LDH/NiCo Heterostructure for Highly Efficient Overall Water Splitting
Authors: Xia Xuewen , Wang Shujuan , Liu Dan , Wang Fei , Zhang Xueqiang , Zhang Hao , Yu Xing , Pang Zhongya , Li Guangshi , Chen Chaoyi , Zhao Yufeng , Ji Li , Xu Qian , Zou Xingli , Lu Xionggang
Published: February 2024

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs), promising bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting, are hindered by their poor conductivity and sluggish electrochemical reaction kinetics. Herein, a hierarchical Cu‐doped NiCo LDH/NiCo alloy heterostructure with rich oxygen vacancies by electronic modulation is tactfully designed. It extraordinarily effectively drives both the oxygen evolution reaction (151 mV@10 mA cm−2) and the hydrogen evolution reaction (73 mV@10 mA cm−2) in an alkaline medium. As bifunctional electrodes for overall water splitting, a low cell voltage of 1.51 V at 10 mA cm−2 and remarkable long‐term stability for 100 h are achieved. The experimental and theoretical results reveal that Cu doping and NiCo alloy recombination can improve the conductivity and reaction kinetics of NiCo LDH with surface charge redistribution and reduced Gibbs free energy barriers. This work provides a new inspiration for further design and construction of nonprecious metal‐based bifunctional electrocatalysts based on electronic structure modulation strategies.
Model‐based analysis and specification of functional requirements and tests for complex automotive systems
Authors: Wiecher Carsten , Mandel Constantin , Günther Matthias , Fischbach Jannik , Greenyer Joel , Greinert Matthias , Wolff Carsten , Dumitrescu Roman , Mendez Daniel , Albers Albert
Published: February 2024

The specification of requirements and tests are crucial activities in automotive development projects. However, due to the increasing complexity of automotive systems, practitioners fail to specify requirements and tests for distributed and evolving systems with complex interactions when following traditional development processes. To address this research gap, we propose a technique that starts with the early identification of validation concerns from a stakeholder perspective, which we use to systematically design tests that drive a scenario‐based modeling and analysis of system requirements. To ensure complete and consistent requirements and test specifications in a form that is required in automotive development projects, we develop a Model‐Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodology. This methodology supports system architects and test designers in the collaborative application of our technique and in maintaining a central system model, in order to automatically derive the required specifications. We evaluate our methodology by applying it at KOSTAL (Tier1 supplier) and within student projects as part of the masters program Embedded Systems Engineering. Our study corroborates that our methodology is applicable and improves existing requirements and test specification processes by supporting the integrated and stakeholder‐focused modeling of product and validation systems, where the early definition of stakeholder and validation concerns fosters a problem‐oriented, iterative and test‐driven requirements modeling.
Membrane Transport, Molecular Machines, and Maxwell's Demon
Authors: Borsley Stefan
Published: February 2024

The spontaneous generation of transmembrane gradients is an important fundamental research goal for artificial nanotechnology. The active transport processes that give rise to such gradients directly mirror the famous Maxwell's Demon thought experiment, where a Demon partitions particles between two chambers to generate a nonequilibrium state. Despite these similarities, discussion of Maxwell's Demon is absent in the literature on artificial membrane transport. By contrast, the emergence of rational design principles for nonequilibrium artificial molecular motors can trace its intellectual roots directly to this famous thought experiment. This perspective highlights the links between Maxwell's Demon and nonequilibrium machines, and argues that understanding the implications of this 19th century thought experiment is crucial to the future development of transmembrane active transport processes.
Factors associated with attitudes toward research MRI in older Asian Americans
Authors: Kota Karthik J , Dawson Alice , Papas Julia , Sotelo Victor , Su Guibin , Li Mei‐Ling , Lee Woowon , Estervil Jaunis , Marquez Melissa , Sarkar Shromona , Lopez Lisa Lanza , Hu William T.
Published: February 2024

INTRODUCTION

South Asian (SA) and East Asian (EA) older adults represent the fastest‐growing racial/ethnic groups of Americans at risk for dementia. While recruiting older SA adults into a brain health study, we encountered unexpected hesitancy toward structural brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analysis and stigmatizing attitudes related to internal locus of control (LoC) for future dementia risks. We hypothesized that support for MRI‐related research was influenced by these attitudes as well as personal MRI experience, perceived MRI safety, and concerns for personal risk for future dementia/stroke.

METHODS

We developed a brief cross‐sectional survey to assess older adults’ MRI experiences and perceptions, desire to learn of six incidental findings of increasing impact on health, and attitudes related to dementia (including LoC) and research participation. We recruited a convenience sample of 256 respondents (74% reporting as 50+) from the New Jersey/New York City area to complete the survey (offered in English, Chinese, Korean, and Spanish) and modeled the proportional odds (PO) for favorable attitudes toward research activities.

RESULTS

Seventy‐seven SA and 84 EA respondents were analyzed alongside 95 White, Black, or Hispanic adults. White (PO = 2.54, p = 0.013) and EA (PO = 2.14, p = 0.019) respondents were both more likely than SA respondents to endorse healthy volunteers’ participation in research, and the difference between White and SA respondents was mediated by the latter's greater internal LoC for dementia risks. EA respondents had more worries for future dementia/stroke than SA respondents (p = 0.006) but still shared SA respondents’ lower wish (measured by proportion of total) to learn of incidental MRI findings.

DISCUSSION

SA—and EA compared to SA—older adults had low desire to learn of incidental MRI findings but had different attitudes toward future dementia/stroke risks. A culturally appropriate protocol to disclose incidental MRI findings may improve SA and EA participation in brain health research.

Highlights

Older Asian Americans have limited interest in incidental findings on research MRI

South Asians are most likely to attribute dementia to people's own behaviors

South Asians’ attitudes mediate lower support for healthy volunteers in research

South and East Asians differ in dementia worries and research‐related attitudes
Maximizing wind farm power output with the helix approach: Experimental validation and wake analysis using tomographic particle image velocimetry
Authors: van der Hoek Daan , den Abbeele Bert Van , Simao Ferreira Carlos , van Wingerden Jan‐Willem
Published: February 2024

Wind farm control can play a key role in reducing the negative impact of wakes on wind turbine power production. The helix approach is a recent innovation in the field of wind farm control, which employs individual blade pitch control to induce a helical velocity profile in a wind turbine wake. This forced meandering of the wake has turned out to be very effective for the recovery of the wake, increasing the power output of downstream turbines by a significant amount. This paper presents a wind tunnel study with two scaled wind turbine models of which the upstream turbine is operated with the helix approach. We used tomographic particle image velocimetry to study the dynamic behavior of the wake under the influence of the helix excitation. The measured flow fields confirm the wake recovery capabilities of the helix approach compared with normal operation. Additional emphasis is put on the effect of the helix approach on the breakdown of blade tip vortices, a process that plays an important role in re‐energizing the wake. Measurements indicate that the breakdown of tip vortices and the resulting destabilization of the wake are enhanced significantly with the helix approach. Finally, turbine measurements show that the helix approach was able to increase the combined power for this particular two‐turbine setup by as much as 15%.
Cosmological Einstein-$$\lambda $$-Perfect-Fluid Solutions with Asymptotic Dust or Asymptotic Radiation Equations of State
Authors: Friedrich Helmut
Published: February 2024

This article introduces the notions of asymptotic dust and asymptotic radiation equations of state. With these non-linear generalizations of the well known dust or (incoherent) radiation equations of state the perfect-fluid equations lose any conformal covariance or privilege. We analyse the conformal field equations induced with these equations of state. It is shown that the Einstein-$$\lambda $$
λ
-perfect-fluid equations with an asymptotic radiation equation of state allow for large sets of Cauchy data that develop into solutions which admit smooth conformal boundaries in the future and smooth extensions beyond. In the case of asymptotic dust equations of state sharp results on the future asymptotic behaviour are not available yet.
A simulation model to analyze the behavior of a faculty retirement plan: a case study in Mexico
Authors: Montufar-Benítez Marco Antonio , Mora-Vargas Jaime , Soto-Campos Carlos Arturo , Pérez-Lechuga Gilberto , Castro-Esparza José Raúl
Published: February 2024

The main goal in this study was to determine confidence intervals for average age, average seniority, and average money-savings, for faculty members in a university retirement system using a simulation model. The simulation—built-in Arena—considers age, seniority, and the probability of continuing in the institution as the main input random variables in the model. An annual interest rate of 7% and an average annual salary increase of 3% were considered. The scenario simulated consisted of the teacher and the university making contributions, the faculty 5% of his salary, and the university 5% of the teacher’s salary. Since the base salaries with which teachers join to university are variable, we considered a monthly salary of MXN 23 181.2, corresponding to full-time teachers with middle salaries. The results obtained by a simulation of 30 replicates showed that the confidence intervals for the average age at retirement were (55.0, 55.2) years, for the average seniority (22.1, 22.3) years, and for the average savings amount (329 795.2, 341 287.0) MXN. Moreover, the risk that a retiree of 62 years of age and more of 25 years of work, is alive after his savings runs out is approximately 98% and this happens at 64 years of age.
Valorization of waste paper sludge as a sustainable source for packaging applications
Authors: Quintana Elisabet , Valls Cristina , Roncero M. Blanca
Published: February 2024

Paper sludge consists mainly of wet short cellulose fibers that are lost during papermaking and of residual chemicals used in the manufacturing process that remain dissolved in the water. Each ton of paper generates about 40–50 kg of dry sludge, of which 70% is primary sludge. Paper production, which exceeded 400 million tons globally in 2020, generates vast volumes of solid waste. Primary sludge is usually fiber-rich and hence suitable to be recycled back into the papermaking process. However, if the sludge is to be disposed of in landfills, sustainable practices must be developed in order to recover the fibers as they are valuable source for manufacturing high value-added products. This study investigates the valorization of paper sludge discarded by a filter paper manufacturer, with the purpose of producing cellulose acetate films for food packaging. The process involves recovering cellulose fibers from the sludge, purifying them and through acetylation reaction produce cellulose acetate films. FTIR spectra confirmed successful acetylation of fibers and also that acetyl groups reduced the hydrophilicity of cellulose—the contact angle was increased to over 80° from 50° in native cellulose. The films exhibited very good water barrier properties at both 50% and 90% relative humidity (RH).

Graphical abstract
Overexpression of aquaporin-1 plays a vital role in proliferation, apoptosis, and pyroptosis of Wilms’ tumor cells
Authors: Liu Hong , Jin Chen , Xia Nan , Dong Qian
Published: February 2024

Background

Nephroblastoma, also known as Wilms’ tumor (WT), is an embryonic malignant tumor and one of the most common malignant tumors in the abdominal region of children. The exact role and underlying mechanisms of aquaporin-1 (AQP1) in the occurrence and development of nephroblastoma remain unclear.

Methods

After overexpression of AQP1, cell proliferation was assessed using the CCK-8 proliferation assay and EdU staining. Flow cytometry was employed to assess cell apoptosis, and Western blotting (WB) analysis was conducted to validate the expression of relevant protein markers. mRNA sequencing (mRNA-Seq) was performed on WT cells overexpressing AQP1 to predict and characterize the associated mechanisms. Transmission electron microscopy was utilized to observe changes in the ultrastructure of WT cells undergoing apoptosis and pyroptosis following AQP1 overexpression. Functional in vivo validation was conducted through animal experiments.

Results

We validated that overexpression of AQP1 inhibited cell proliferation and promoted cell apoptosis and pyroptosis both in vitro and in vivo. mRNA-Seq analysis of WT cells with AQP1 overexpression suggested that these effects might be mediated through the inhibition of the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. Additionally, we discovered that overexpression of AQP1 activated the classical pyroptosis signaling pathway dependent on caspase-1, thereby promoting pyroptosis in WT.

Conclusion

These findings highlight the important functional role of AQP1 in the pathobiology of nephroblastoma, providing novel insights into the development of this disease. Moreover, these results offer new perspectives on the potential therapeutic targeting of AQP1 as a treatment strategy for nephroblastoma.
Utilizing least squares variance component estimation to combine multi-GNSS clock offsets
Authors: Mansur Gustavo , Brack Andreas , Sakic Pierre , Männel Benjamin , Schuh Harald
Published: February 2024

The International GNSS Service (IGS) provides combined satellite and station clock products, which are generated from the individual clock solutions produced by the analysis centers (ACs). Combinations for GPS and GLONASS are currently available, but there is still a lack of combined products for the new constellations such as Galileo, BeiDou, and QZSS. This study presents a combination framework based on least squares variance component estimation using the ACs’ aligned clock solutions. We present the various alignments required to harmonize the solutions from the ACs, namely the radial correction derived from the differences of the associated orbits, the alignment of the AC clocks to compensate for different reference clocks within each AC solution, and the inter-system bias (ISB) alignment to correct for different AC ISB definitions when multiple constellations are used. The combination scheme is tested with IGS MGEX and repro3 products. The RMS computed between the combined product and the aligned ACs’ solutions differ for each constellation, where the lowest values are obtained for Galileo and GPS with on average below 45 psec (13 mm) and reaching more than 150 psec (45 mm) for QZSS. The same behavior is repeated when the process is performed with the repro3 products. A clock and orbit combination validation is done using precise point positioning (PPP) that shows ionosphere-free phase residuals below 10 mm for all constellations, comparable with the AC solutions that are in the same level.
Code is law: how COMPAS affects the way the judiciary handles the risk of recidivism
Authors: Engel Christoph , Linhardt Lorenz , Schubert Marcel
Published: February 2024

Judges in multiple US states, such as New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, California, and Florida, receive a prediction of defendants’ recidivism risk, generated by the COMPAS algorithm. If judges act on these predictions, they implicitly delegate normative decisions to proprietary software, even beyond the previously documented race and age biases. Using the ProPublica dataset, we demonstrate that COMPAS predictions favor jailing over release. COMPAS is biased against defendants. We show that this bias can largely be removed. Our proposed correction increases overall accuracy, and attenuates anti-black and anti-young bias. However, it also slightly increases the risk that defendants are released who commit a new crime before tried. We argue that this normative decision should not be buried in the code. The tradeoff between the interests of innocent defendants and of future victims should not only be made transparent. The algorithm should be changed such that the legislator and the courts do make this choice.
Rules of the Game and Credibility of Implementation in the Control of Corruption
Authors: Meyer Karl Z. , Luiz John M. , Fedderke Johannes W.
Published: February 2024

Research suggests that institutions affect the levels of corruption in a country. We take these arguments a step further and examine whether it is the presence of inclusive institutions and/or the credible and consistent implementation of institutions that matter, as regards corruption. We use a novel approach to theoretically conceptualise and empirically operationalise institutions along two analytically distinct dimensions: the nature of the institutions (the de jure dimension), and the extent to which they are credibly and consistently implemented over time (the de facto dimension), using a panel dataset for 148 countries covering 2012 to 2018. We find that formal institutions are most effective in reducing corruption when the rules are credibly and consistently implemented. Furthermore, this effect appears to operate differently at different levels of national income. The nature of the formal institutions appears important across income levels, but particularly so at the upper middle income level, while the credible and consistent implementation of these institutions is primarily influential at upper middle income levels. We explain why this may be the case and elaborate on the policy implications.
Long-Term Effect of Having a Child at Risk of Developmental Delays on Parental Labor Force Participation
Authors: Hu Yanan , Callander Emily
Published: February 2024

Objective

This study aimed to examine the long-term influence of having a child at risk of different developmental delays (communication, mobility, self-care, relating, learning, coping, or behaving) on parental labor force participation as the child grows.

Method

A retrospective cohort was conducted using data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children survey, Waves 1–8 covering birth to 15 years of age of children. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to explore the odds ratio of mothers being out of the labor force at different children’s ages. Cox proportional hazards models were utilized to identify the ‘risk’ of mothers returning to the workforce after leaving. All models were adjusted for the mother’s age, education attainment, and employment status at time of birth, as well as marital status at the current wave.

Results

There were 5,107 records of children, and 266 of them were at risk of any developmental delays at age 4–5 years. This sample represents 243, 026 children born in Australia in 2003/04. After adjusting for potential confounders, mothers of children at risk of each type of developmental delay (except mobility and self-care) had greater odds of being out of, and not returning to the labor force from children aged 2–3 to 14–15 years, when compared to mothers of children who are not at risk of developmental delays. Similar differences were found for fathers but were distinctly small and with narrower fluctuations, compared to mothers.

Conclusion

Policies and programs funded by the government are greatly needed to support the mothers of children at risk of developmental delays.
Improving 3D Object Detection with Context-Aware and Dimensional Interaction Attention
Authors: Zhou Jing , Gong Zixin , Zhang Junchi
Published: February 2024

Recently, 3D object detection technology based on point clouds has developed rapidly. However, too few points of distant and occluded objects are scanned by the sensor, and thus these objects suffer from too insufficient features to be detected. This case damages the detection accuracy. Therefore, we constitute a novel 3D object detection with Context-aware and dimensional Interaction Attention Network (CIANet) to explore vital geometric cues for enriching the feature representation of the object, thus boosting the overall detection performance. Specifically, in the first stage, we employ the 3D sparse convolution to extract voxel features, and then construct a Channel-Spatial Hybrid Attention (CSHA) module and a Contextual Self-Attention (CSA) module to enhance voxel features for generating proposals. The CSHA module aims to enhance the key information of the channel and spatial domains of 2D Bird’s Eye View (BEV) features, and the CSA module is applied to supplement contextual information to the enhanced BEV features, thus generating accurate proposals. In the second stage, we construct a Dimensional Interaction Attention (DIA) module to refine Region of Interest (RoI) features within the proposals. It enhances the interactions among the channel and spatial dimensions of RoI features to learn accurate boundaries of objects for proposal refinement. Extensive experiments on the KITTI and Waymo benchmarks show the superior detection performance of CIANet compared to recent methods, especially for objects such as pedestrians and cyclists.
The Possibility of a Uniform Legal Language at the Interplay of Legal Discourse, Semiotics and Blockchain Networks
Authors: Blandino Pierangelo
Published: February 2024

This paper explores the possibility of a standard legal language (e.g. English) for a principled evolution of law in line with technological development. In doing so, reference is made to blockchain networks and smart contracts to emphasise the discontinuity with the liberal legal tradition when it comes to decentralisation and binary code language. Methodologically, the argument is built on the underlying relation between law, semiotics and new forms of media adding to natural language; namely: code and symbols. In what follows, I will concentrate on the study of factors that explain why such approach can be fruitful for the future of law and innovation. I have three reasons for selecting this topic. The first is a more pragmatic reason, based on my current research of law as a linguistic phenomenon. Secondly, the topic does also touch the matter on binary code language, rivalrous to legal alphabetic language. Lastly, the study aims at emphasizing the pivotal role of the jurist as an interpreter in a changing society accommodating diverging realms of reality. The study is structured as follows. Firstly, a quick exam of the traits of blockchain networks would provide the contextual link to establish the arguments in support of the need of a standard legal language. Secondly, a comparison between liberal legal institutions and theory of semiotics is set to perceive their functioning and ascertain their limits in the light of todays unprecedented changes. Thirdly, a summary on blockchain networks’ legal features would constitute the thrust behind the idea of a uniform legal language. Methodologically, the argument does also establish some relations with classical laws of physics and philosophy of media. Its aim is to demonstrate how the suggested legal interpretation and semiotic-based approach can contribute to overcome existing stumbling blocks including, but not limited to, the lack of cooperation at the international level as well as the gap in State norms when it comes to innovation. In this sense, the proposed strategies do not intend to replace current advances in the legal thought. In contrast, it seeks to harmonise their results providing a methodical approach that can concur to inform a new technique to address new controversial issues. In practice, the proposed method regarding the adoption of a uniform legal language would lower transactive costs in terms of normative coordination in the matter of international cooperation and in the definition of applicable law among different legal systems. Alternatively, it might contribute to the convergence of legal systems and/or their underlying concepts. Differently put, article’s contribution can be envisaged in fostering juridical consistency with regards to different forms of languages’ coexistence.
The Instantaneous Response of the Geomagnetic Field, Near-Earth IMF, and Cosmic-Ray Intensity to Solar Flares
Authors: Takalo Jouni
Published: February 2024

We show using superposed epoch analysis (SEA) that the most energetic protons ($>60\text{ MeV}$
>
60
 MeV
) in the near-Earth interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) have a peak almost immediately (less than a day) after the peak in solar-flare index (SFI), while protons greater than 10 MeV peak one day after the SFI and protons greater than 1 MeV peak two days after the SFI.

The geomagnetic indices AU, -AL, PC, Ap, and -Dst peak after two to three days in SEAs after the peak in SFI. The auroral electrojet indices AU and -AL, however, have only low peaks. In particular, the response of the eastward electrojet, AU, to SFI is negligible compared to other geomagnetic indices.

The SEAs of the SFI and cosmic-ray counts (CR) show that the deepest decline in the CR intensity also follows with a 2 – 3-day lag the maximum of the SFI for Solar Cycles 20 – 24. The depths of the declines are related to the SFI strength of each cycle, i.e., the average decline is about 5% for Cycles 21 and 22, but only 3% for Cycle 24. The strongest Cycle 19, however, differs from the other cycles such that it has a double-peaked decline and lasts longer than the decline of the other cycles.

The double-superposed epoch analyses show that the response of IMF Bv2, which is about two days, and CR to SFI are quite simultaneous, but sometimes Bv2 may peak somewhat earlier than the decline existing in CR.
The Myth of Interiority (Le Psychologue Malgré Lui)
Authors: Travis Charles
Published: February 2024

Non-factive representing is what makes room for truth and falsehood. In the ontologically central aspect of the verb it comes in two forms: allorepresenting (saying-that), and autorepresenting (taking-that). Each form relates thinkers to thinkables in its proprietary way. Autorepresenting invites a certain sort of misunderstanding. It may seem to call for enabling in a particular determinate way. Just here psychologism despite oneself may strike. Allorepresenting rests on capacities of a different sort. It relates itself, and thereby its author, to a thinkable in what seems at first sight a manifestly different way than does autrorepresenting, one perhaps less likely to invite psychologism. In doing this it throws light on autorepresenting which, if rightly understood, I suggest, may undo the compulsion to psychologise this last. Armed with this tool I suggest a better picture of what autorepresenting is.
Virulence determinants and antibiotic resistance in staphylococci isolated from the skin of captive bred reptiles
Authors: Strompfová Viola , Štempelová Lucia , Bujňáková Dobroslava , Karahutová Lívia , Nagyová Mária , Siegfried Leonard
Published: February 2024

Knowledge of the composition and properties of skin microbiota in healthy reptiles is essential for preservation strategies and thus the prevention of skin dysbiosis leading to dermatological diseases. Despite the greatly increasing popularity of reptiles as pets, only a few studies have dealt with this topic. Therefore, the aim of this work was to analyse species composition of bacteria isolated from skin swabs of 40 reptiles (17 species) using MALDI-TOF spectrometry and to characterise the virulence properties of identified staphylococci (n = 51). The most common species were Staphylococcus xylosus and S. sciuri. Bacilli, enterococci, Escherichia coli, Salmonella sp. and Acinetobacter sp. were also common. The most frequent antimicrobial resistance in staphylococcal isolates was observed for ampicillin (100.0%) and cefoxitin (98.0%) with the blaZ gene being most prevalent (58.8%). In contrast, all staphylococci were susceptible to gentamicin, kanamycin and imipenem. Slime and biofilm production was observed in 86.3% and 76.5% of isolates, respectively. Gelatinase, DNase, protease and lipase activity was found more rarely (41.2%; 25.5%; 27.5% and 21.6%). Since reptiles are a reservoir of bacteria for their owners, common multi-drug resistance (84.3%, MAR index average 0.29 ± 0.09) and biofilm formation must be kept in mind, especially in the case of injury when handling reptiles.
Switching Off Vascular MAPK Signaling: A Novel Strategy to Prevent Delayed Cerebral Ischemia Following Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Edvinsson Lars , Krause Diana N.
Published: February 2024

Patients who initially survive the rupture and repair of a brain aneurysm often take a devastating turn for the worse some days later and die or suffer permanent neurologic deficits. This catastrophic sequela is attributed to a delayed phase of global cerebral ischemia (DCI) following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), but we lack effective treatment. Here we present our view, based on 20 years of research, that the initial drop in blood flow at the time of rupture triggers genomic responses throughout the brain vasculature that manifest days later as increased vasoconstriction and decreased cerebral blood flow. We propose a novel treatment strategy to prevent DCI by early inhibition of the vascular mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway that triggers expression of vasoconstrictor and inflammatory mediators. We summarize evidence from experimental SAH models showing early treatment with MAPK inhibitors “switches off” these detrimental responses, maintains flow, and improves neurological outcome. This promising therapy is currently being evaluated in clinical trials.
A note on Oishi’s lower bound for the smallest singular value of linearized Galerkin equations
Authors: Rump Siegfried M. , Oishi Shin’ichi
Published: February 2024

Recently Oishi published a paper allowing lower bounds for the minimum singular value of coefficient matrices of linearized Galerkin equations, which in turn arise in the computation of periodic solutions of nonlinear delay differential equations with some smooth nonlinearity. The coefficient matrix of linearized Galerkin equations may be large, so the computation of a valid lower bound of the smallest singular value may be costly. Oishi’s method is based on the inverse of a small upper left principal submatrix, and subsequent computations use a Schur complement with small computational cost. In this note some assumptions are removed and the bounds improved. Furthermore a technique is derived to reduce the total computationally cost significantly allowing to treat infinite dimensional matrices.
Empowering Tomorrow’s Cancer Specialists: Evaluating the Co-creation and Impact of Malawi’s First Surgical Oncology Summerschool
Authors: van Egmond Remco , van Kesteren Jurre , Kaomba Lucy , Philipo Godfrey Sama , Borgstein Eric , Rinkes Inne Borel , Rijken Marcus , Kruijff Schelto , Stortelder Eva
Published: February 2024

Annually more than 1 million newly diagnosed cancer cases and 500,000 cancer-related deaths occur in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA). By 2030, the cancer burden in Africa is expected to double accompanied by low survival rates. Surgery remains the primary treatment for solid tumours especially where other treatment modalities are lacking. However, in SSA, surgical residents lack sufficient training in cancer treatment. In 2022, Malawian and Dutch specialists co-designed a training course focusing on oncologic diseases and potential treatment options tailored to the Malawian context. The aim of this study was to describe the co-creation process of a surgical oncology education activity in a low resource setting, at the same time attempting to evaluate the effectiveness of this training program. The course design was guided and evaluated conform Kirkpatrick’s requirements for an effective training program. Pre-and post-course questionnaires were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness. Thirty-five surgical and gynaecological residents from Malawi participated in the course. Eighty-six percent of respondents (n = 24/28) were highly satisfied at the end of the course. After a 2-month follow-up, 84% (n = 16/19) frequently applied the newly acquired knowledge, and 74% (n = 14/19) reported to have changed their patient care. The course costs were approximately 119 EUR per attendee per day. This course generally received generally positively feedback, had high satisfaction rates, and enhanced knowledge and confidence in the surgical treatment of cancer. Its effectiveness should be further evaluated using the same co-creation model in different settings. Integrating oncology into the regular curriculum of surgical residents is recommended.
A case of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome of initially presented as cancer of unknown primary with lymph node metastases unveiled by genetic analysis
Authors: Yamada Juri , Fukuda Koji , Sugawara Tae , Makino Kenichi , Shimazu Kazuhiro , Yoshida Taichi , Taguchi Daiki , Shinozaki Hanae , Terada Yukihiro , Nanjo Hiroshi , Shibata Hiroyuki
Published: February 2024

Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) is a heterogeneous disease concept involving various malignant tumors. Understanding its pathophysiology is often difficult, together with its treatment. Here, we present a case of CUP with abdominal lymph node enlargement and elevated carbohydrate antigen 125 levels. It initially resembled a favorable prognosis type similar to ovarian cancer, but metastases were observed in cervical lymph nodes, indicating a somewhat atypical CUP compared to the typical ovarian cancer-like CUP. We identified a germline Breast Cancer 1 (BRCA1) p.L63* variant through a family history inquiry and BRCA analysis, indicating hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome. The patient achieved near-complete remission with platinum-based therapy followed by poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor. The variant has shown sensitivity in both clinical and pathogenic reports in the ClinVar database of the National Institutes of Health. No clinical studies reported on the efficacy of PARP inhibitors specific to this variant, but our case demonstrated the sensitivity of platinum-based therapy followed by PARP inhibitor. Reports of CUP in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome are very rare, with only a single report in the literature.