bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recent advances and future directions in practical diet formulation and adoption in tropical Palinurid lobster aquaculture
Authors: Nankervis Leo , Jones Clive
Published: March 2022

The spiny lobsters Panulirus ornatus and Panulirus homarus are important developing tropical aquaculture species, with high demand and limited supply. The established industry in Vietnam relies on wild‐caught mixed seafood bycatch as feed, a practice linked to water quality degradation and potentially disease proliferation in lobster aquaculture, necessitating formulated feed development. The emerging Indonesian and Australian industries lack the crustacean and mollusc component of the seafood bycatch used in Vietnam, increasing the need for manufactured feeds. The development of such feeds is reliant on knowledge of nutrient requirements, ingredient quality, physical feed requirements, and the link between feeding behaviour and feeding methods. This review will elaborate on the development of these knowledge areas to date and outline the two main reference diet recipes that are available as the basis for future research. Research to date has focused on developing a feed recipe that will be consumed and supports adequate growth rather than steering commercial least‐cost formulation practices. Future research is clearly needed to inform formulation, but equally an understanding of the disparate emerging lobster farming industries and their drivers for the adoption of formulated feeds is required to ensure that such research is applied. This will require engagement throughout the supply chain to ensure that research is implementable and to address farmer perception toward formulated feeds. Technical aspects of feed manufacture and scale‐up of feed developments will be critical to the adoption of research results, while validation through semi‐commercial benchmarks and demonstration farm models are expected to increase commercial uptake of developed feeds.
510 not found: The reterritorialization of Sino‐Southeast Asian relations in the Chinese hinterland
Authors: Zhou Taomo
Published: March 2022

Most existing studies use ‘reterritorialization’ to describe the outward expansion of Chinese power in Southeast Asia. This paper, however, flips this familiar narrative. It examines Sino‐Southeast Asian diplomacy hidden in the Chinese hinterland and embedded in the everyday. I focus on the landlocked province of Jiangxi, where the Chinese government created two enclaves for communist exiles and displaced diaspora respectively—both hailing from Southeast Asia. I argue that this domestic operation of foreign affairs helped absorb the impact of unfavourable foreign policy outcomes or drastic policy reversals. As post‐Mao China re‐engaged with the world, the PRC state's management of Cold War migrants enabled its reconstruction of geopolitical relations with Southeast Asia. With China's foreign policy reorientation and the progression of market reform, the state's governing strategy in the two study areas changed from one of privileged segregation to a strong push for economic self‐reliance. Meanwhile, the entrepreneurial individuals from these two communities represented, repackaged and retooled an inconvenient past the state tried to erase for the elevation of their individual socioeconomic statuses and the development of their respective communities. Through their creative mediation, the history of PRC's Cold War engagement with Southeast Asia is reinscribed in new time‐space contexts.
A family of models in support of realistic drug interdiction location decision‐making
Authors: Price Ashleigh N. , Curtin Kevin M. , Magliocca Nicholas R. , Turner Daniel , Mitchell Penelope , McSweeney Kendra , Summers Diana L.
Published: March 2022

Long‐standing federal drug‐control policy aims to reduce the flow of narcotics into the USA, in part by intercepting cocaine shipments en route from South American production regions to North American consumer markets. Drug interdiction efforts operate over a large geographic area, containing complex drug trafficking networks in a dynamic environment. The extant interdiction models in the operations research and location science literature do not realistically model the objectives of and constraints on the interdiction forces, and therefore counterdrug organizations do not employ those models in their decision‐making processes. This article presents three new models built on the maximal covering location problem (MCLP): the maximal covering location problem for interdiction (MCLP‐I), multiple‐demand maximal covering location problem (MD‐MCLP), and multiple‐type maximal covering location problem (MT‐MCLP). These are novel formulations that permit multiple types of demands and facilities to be covered, and the utility of these formulations is demonstrated in the context of counterdrug operations. Optimal interdiction locations are determined within the geography of the Central American transit zone, using a coupled GIS and optimization framework. The results identify the optimal interdiction locations for known or estimated drug shipments and can constrain those optimal locations by differentiating among drug traffickers, the types of interdiction resources, and agency jurisdictions. This research both demonstrates the flexibility in designing alternative interdiction scenarios and presents novel covering models that may be extended to other application areas and operational contexts.
Visions of TAVR Future: Development and Optimization of a Second Generation Novel Polymeric TAVR
Authors: Kovarovic Brandon , Helbock Ryan , Baylous Kyle , Rotman Oren M. , Slepian Marvin J. , Bluestein Danny
Published: March 2022

Tissue-based transcatheter aortic valve (AV) replacement (TAVR) devices have been a breakthrough approach for treating aortic valve stenosis. However, with the expansion of TAVR to younger and lower risk patients, issues of long-term durability and thrombosis persist. Recent advances in polymeric valve technology facilitate designing more durable valves with minimal in vivo adverse reactions. We introduce our second-generation polymeric transcatheter aortic valve (TAV) device, designed and optimized to address these issues. We present the optimization process of the device, wherein each aspect of device deployment and functionality was optimized for performance, including unique considerations of polymeric technologies for reducing the volume of the polymer material for lower crimped delivery profiles. The stent frame was optimized to generate larger radial forces with lower material volumes, securing robust deployment and anchoring. The leaflet shape, combined with varying leaflets thickness, was optimized for reducing the flexural cyclic stresses and the valve's hydrodynamics. Our first-generation polymeric device already demonstrated that its hydrodynamic performance meets and exceeds tissue devices for both ISO standard and patient-specific in vitro scenarios. The valve already reached 900 × 106 cycles of accelerated durability testing, equivalent to over 20 years in a patient. The optimization framework and technology led to the second generation of polymeric TAV design- currently undergoing in vitro hydrodynamic testing and following in vivo animal trials. As TAVR use is rapidly expanding, our rigorous bio-engineering optimization methodology and advanced polymer technology serve to establish polymeric TAV technology as a viable alternative to the challenges facing existing tissue-based TAV technology.
Insight to Innovation- an Overview of Research Journey of Dr. Satish Kandlikar
Authors: Raghupathi Pruthvik , Owens Alyssa , Steinke Mark , Lin Ting Yu , Kalani Ankit , Moreira Debora , Gonzalez-Hernandez Jose-Luis , Lu Zujie , Banerjee Rupak , Daino Michael , Jaikumar Arvind , Chauhan Aranya , Rishi Aniket , Raya Isaac Parez , Emery Travis , Guimarães Aguiar Fernando
Published: March 2022

Professor Satish G. Kandlikar has been an outstanding researcher in the field of heat transfer having published some of the most widely cited publications over the last 30 years. Throughout these years, he has co-authored 212 journal paper in various areas of heat transfer. The present paper provides a compressive look at Professor Kandlikar's research work over the years. The research work has been broadly categorized into 1) flow boiling correlations, 2) fluid flow and heat transfer in microchannels, 3) roughness effect at microscale, 4) pool boiling heat transfer and CHF modeling, 5) surface enhancements for pool boiling, 6) numerical modeling of bubble growth in boiling, 7) water transport in PEM fuel cells and 8) infrared imaging to detect breast cancer. The research conducted in each of these areas has produced some landmark findings, some of the most widely used theoretical models and an abundance of high quality experimental data. The focus of this paper is to collate major finding and highlights some of the common themes that guided the research in Professor Kandlikar's group. This will help the readers gain a broad understanding of each of the areas of study in Professor Kandlikar's group and place the findings of the papers in a larger context.
Balloon-borne two-channel infrared spectral photometer for observation of atmospheric greenhouse effect by undergraduates
Authors: Blanchard Gerard T. , Adesina Fawaz A. , Belkwell William Cole , Dyess James R. , Frabbiele Victoria A. , McGibboney Conor S. , Rumsey Ryan D.
Published: March 2022

We present a simple design of a balloon-borne infrared spectral photometer that can be built and used by undergraduate students to perform an experiment demonstrating the atmospheric greenhouse effect. The experiment demonstrates that the Earth radiates heat to space in the infrared region but that the radiation at the top of the atmosphere has a much lower effective radiation temperature than at the surface of the Earth, which is the essence of the greenhouse effect. The experiment also demonstrates that the greenhouse effect is much more pronounced in molecular absorption bands than in the so-called infrared window. The thrill of putting together a balloon experiment aside, students performing this experiment also gained experience in practical applications of Planck's law.
Simulation led optical design assessments: Emphasizing practical and computational considerations in an upper division physics lecture course
Authors: Rossi Vincent M.
Published: March 2022

Employing simulation led optical design assessments (SLODAs) in an upper division optics course provides students with a deeper understanding of optical design, interactions, and devices, while reinforcing their understanding of computational methods. The upper division optics course discussed here did not have a required lab component as would be typical at many institutions. Therefore, the practical and expanded experiences students gained via SLODA in lieu of a laboratory experience were particularly crucial in developing advanced student understanding and skills in both optical design and computational applications. SLODA can also supplement a laboratory-based course with computational skill development. After introducing students to various computational methods during the early part of the course via scaffolding in-class preliminary computational activities, students were then assigned more complicated application based SLODA. This paper details each of the preliminary computational activities and SLODA, including their implementation and both the optical and computational considerations these activities and assessments were designed to introduce. An example SLODA is detailed. A reflection on the implementation of SLODA is provided for those interested in adopting the curriculum. A list of online resources is given in the Appendix for faculty wishing to implement SLODA. Finally, a sample of the student work submitted is presented and discussed in the journal's supplementary material. While success was specifically found via the implementation of SLODA in an upper division optics course, the potential exists for adaptation of the simulation led design assessment approach to other practical, design-based courses such as electronics or those within the engineering disciplines.
Surface wave of the r−3/2 order terms due to the point-like horizontal excitation source (L)
Authors: Jin Boao , Gao Yan
Published: March 2022

In this letter, the higher order terms of the time-harmonic solution due to a point-like horizontal excitation source are investigated. It is found that the surface wave of the r−3/2 order terms polarize in both radial and azimuthal directions, complementing the findings in the literature. At the ground surface, the polarization distribution of this wave demonstrates similar behavior as the magnetic induction lines of a magnetic dipole. It suggests that this wave can be observed near the horizontal excitation source, and thereby its effects need to be taken into account for the application of shallow buried object detection.
Surface parameters and bedrock properties covary across a mountainous watershed: Insights from machine learning and geophysics
Authors: Uhlemann Sebastian , Dafflon Baptiste , Wainwright Haruko Murakami , Williams Kenneth Hurst , Minsley Burke , Zamudio Katrina , Carr Bradley , Falco Nicola , Ulrich Craig , Hubbard Susan
Published: March 2022

Bedrock property quantification is critical for predicting the hydrological response of watersheds to climate disturbances. Estimating bedrock hydraulic properties over watershed scales is inherently difficult, particularly in fracture-dominated regions. Our analysis tests the covariability of above- and belowground features on a watershed scale, by linking borehole geophysical data, near-surface geophysics, and remote sensing data. We use machine learning to quantify the relationships between bedrock geophysical/hydrological properties and geomorphological/vegetation indices and show that machine learning relationships can estimate most of their covariability. Although we can predict the electrical resistivity variation across the watershed, regions of lower variability in the input parameters are shown to provide better estimates, indicating a limitation of commonly applied geomorphological models. Our results emphasize that such an integrated approach can be used to derive detailed bedrock characteristics, allowing for identification of small-scale variations across an entire watershed that may be critical to assess the impact of disturbances on hydrological systems.
Rhes protein transits from neuron to neuron and facilitates mutant huntingtin spreading in the brain
Authors: Ramírez-Jarquín Uri Nimrod , Sharma Manish , Shahani Neelam , Li Yuqing , Boregowda Siddaraju , Subramaniam Srinivasa
Published: March 2022

Rhes (
RASD2
) is a thyroid hormone–induced gene that regulates striatal motor activity and promotes neurodegeneration in Huntington disease (HD) and tauopathy. Rhes moves and transports the HD protein, polyglutamine-expanded huntingtin (mHTT), via tunneling nanotube (TNT)–like membranous protrusions between cultured neurons. However, similar intercellular Rhes transportation in the intact brain was unknown. Here, we report that Rhes induces TNT-like protrusions in the striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) and transported between dopamine-1 receptor (D1R)–MSNs and D2R-MSNs of intact striatum and organotypic brain slices. Notably, mHTT is robustly transported within the striatum and from the striatum to the cortical areas in the brain, and Rhes deletion diminishes such transport. Moreover, Rhes moves to the cortical regions following restricted expression in the MSNs of the striatum. Thus, Rhes is a first striatum-enriched protein demonstrated to move and transport mHTT between neurons and brain regions, providing new insights into interneuronal protein transport in the brain.
Room-temperature skyrmion lattice in a layered magnet (Fe
0.5
Co
0.5
)
5
GeTe
2
Authors: Zhang Hongrui , Raftrey David , Chan Ying-Ting , Shao Yu-Tsun , Chen Rui , Chen Xiang , Huang Xiaoxi , Reichanadter Jonathan T. , Dong Kaichen , Susarla Sandhya , Caretta Lucas , Chen Zhen , Yao Jie , Fischer Peter , Neaton Jeffrey B. , Wu Weida , Muller David A. , Birgeneau Robert J. , Ramesh Ramamoorthy
Published: March 2022

Novel magnetic ground states have been stabilized in two-dimensional (2D) magnets such as skyrmions, with the potential next-generation information technology. Here, we report the experimental observation of a Néel-type skyrmion lattice at room temperature in a single-phase, layered 2D magnet, specifically a 50% Co–doped Fe
5
GeTe
2
(FCGT) system. The thickness-dependent magnetic domain size follows Kittel’s law. The static spin textures and spin dynamics in FCGT nanoflakes were studied by Lorentz electron microscopy, variable-temperature magnetic force microscopy, micromagnetic simulations, and magnetotransport measurements. Current-induced skyrmion lattice motion was observed at room temperature, with a threshold current density,
j
th
= 1 × 10
6
A/cm
2
. This discovery of a skyrmion lattice at room temperature in a noncentrosymmetric material opens the way for layered device applications and provides an ideal platform for studies of topological and quantum effects in 2D.
Wearable plasmonic paper–based microfluidics for continuous sweat analysis
Authors: Mogera Umesha , Guo Heng , Namkoong Myeong , Rahman Md Saifur , Nguyen Tan , Tian Limei
Published: March 2022

Wearable sweat sensors have the potential to provide clinically meaningful information associated with the health and disease states of individuals. Current sensors mainly rely on enzymes and antibodies as biorecognition elements to achieve specific quantification of metabolite and stress biomarkers in sweat. However, enzymes and antibodies are prone to degrade over time, compromising the sensor performance. Here, we introduce a wearable plasmonic paper–based microfluidic system for continuous and simultaneous quantitative analysis of sweat loss, sweat rate, and metabolites in sweat. Plasmonic sensors based on label-free surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) can provide chemical “fingerprint” information for analyte identification. We demonstrate the sensitive detection and quantification of uric acid in sweat at physiological and pathological concentrations. The well-defined flow characteristics of paper microfluidic devices enable accurate quantification of sweat loss and sweat rate. The wearable plasmonic device is soft, flexible, and stretchable, which can robustly interface with the skin without inducing chemical or physical irritation.
Full-nitro-nitroamino cooperative action: Climbing the energy peak of benzenes with enhanced chemical stability
Authors: Sun Qi , Ding Ning , Zhao Chaofeng , Zhang Qi , Zhang Shaowen , Li Shenghua , Pang Siping
Published: March 2022

More nitro groups accord benzenes with higher energy but lower chemical stability. Hexanitrobenzene (HNB) with a fully nitrated structure has stood as the energy peak of organic explosives since 1966, but it is very unstable and even decomposes in moist air. To increase the energy limit and strike a balance between energy and chemical stability, we propose an interval full-nitro-nitroamino cooperative strategy to present a new fully nitrated benzene, 1,3,5-trinitro-2,4,6-trinitroaminobenzene (TNTNB), which was synthesized using an acylation-activation-nitration method. TNTNB exhibits a high density (
d
: 1.995 g cm
−3
at 173 K, 1.964 g cm
−3
at 298 K) and excellent heat of detonation (
Q
: 7179 kJ kg
−1
), which significantly exceed those of HNB (
Q
: 6993 kJ kg
−1
) and the state-of-the-art explosive CL-20 (
Q
: 6534 kJ kg
−1
); thus, TNTNB represents the new energy peak for organic explosives. Compared to HNB, TNTNB also exhibits enhanced chemical stability in water, acids, and bases.
Listeria
delivers tetanus toxoid protein to pancreatic tumors and induces cancer cell death in mice
Authors: Selvanesan Benson Chellakkan , Chandra Dinesh , Quispe-Tintaya Wilber , Jahangir Arthee , Patel Ankur , Meena Kiran , Alves Da Silva Rodrigo Alberto , Friedman Madeline , Gabor Lisa , Khouri Olivia , Libutti Steven K. , Yuan Ziqiang , Li Jenny , Siddiqui Sarah , Beck Amanda , Tesfa Lydia , Koba Wade , Chuy Jennifer , McAuliffe John C. , Jafari Rojin , Entenberg David , Wang Yarong , Condeelis John , DesMarais Vera , Balachandran Vinod , Zhang Xusheng , Lin Ken , Gravekamp Claudia
Published: March 2022

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly metastatic disease. Tumors are poorly immunogenic and immunosuppressive, preventing T cell activation in the tumor microenvironment. Here, we present a microbial-based immunotherapeutic treatment for selective delivery of an immunogenic tetanus toxoid protein (TT
856-1313
) into PDAC tumor cells by attenuated
Listeria monocytogenes
. This treatment reactivated preexisting TT-specific memory T cells to kill infected tumor cells in mice. Treatment of KrasG12D,p53R172H, Pdx1-Cre (KPC) mice with
Listeria
-TT resulted in TT accumulation inside tumor cells, attraction of TT-specific memory CD4 T cells to the tumor microenvironment, and production of perforin and granzyme B in tumors. Low doses of gemcitabine (GEM) increased immune effects of
Listeria
-TT, turning immunologically cold into hot tumors in mice. In vivo depletion of T cells from
Listeria
-TT + GEM–treated mice demonstrated a CD4 T cell–mediated reduction in tumor burden. CD4 T cells from TT-vaccinated mice were able to kill TT-expressing Panc-02 tumor cells in vitro. In addition, peritumoral lymph node–like structures were observed in close contact with pancreatic tumors in KPC mice treated with
Listeria
-TT or
Listeria
-TT + GEM. These structures displayed CD4 and CD8 T cells producing perforin and granzyme B. Whereas CD4 T cells efficiently infiltrated the KPC tumors, CD8 T cells did not.
Listeria
-TT + GEM treatment of KPC mice with advanced PDAC reduced tumor burden by 80% and metastases by 87% after treatment and increased survival by 40% compared to nontreated mice. These results suggest that
Listeria
-delivered recall antigens could be an alternative to neoantigen-mediated cancer immunotherapy.
The niacin receptor HCAR2 modulates microglial response and limits disease progression in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Moutinho Miguel , Puntambekar Shweta S. , Tsai Andy P. , Coronel Israel , Lin Peter B. , Casali Brad T. , Martinez Pablo , Oblak Adrian L. , Lasagna-Reeves Cristian A. , Lamb Bruce T. , Landreth Gary E.
Published: March 2022

Increased dietary intake of niacin has been correlated with reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Niacin serves as a high-affinity ligand for the receptor HCAR2 (GPR109A). In the brain, HCAR2 is expressed selectively by microglia and is robustly induced by amyloid pathology in AD. The genetic inactivation of
Hcar2
in 5xFAD mice, a model of AD, results in impairment of the microglial response to amyloid deposition, including deficits in gene expression, proliferation, envelopment of amyloid plaques, and uptake of amyloid-β (Aβ), ultimately leading to exacerbation of amyloid burden, neuronal loss, and cognitive deficits. In contrast, activation of HCAR2 with an FDA-approved formulation of niacin (Niaspan) in 5xFAD mice leads to reduced plaque burden and neuronal dystrophy, attenuation of neuronal loss, and rescue of working memory deficits. These data provide direct evidence that HCAR2 is required for an efficient and neuroprotective response of microglia to amyloid pathology. Administration of Niaspan potentiates the HCAR2-mediated microglial protective response and consequently attenuates amyloid-induced pathology, suggesting that its use may be a promising therapeutic approach to AD that specifically targets the neuroimmune response.
Rapid Pivot of CURE Wet Lab to Online with the Help of Instructor Communities
Authors: González-Orta Enid T. , Tobiason Deborah , Gasper Brittany J. , Raja Aarti , Miller Sarah
Published: March 2022

The pivot to remote and hybrid learning during the Covid-19 pandemic presented a challenge for many in academia. Most institutions were not prepared to support this rapid change, and instructors were left with the burden of converting a traditional face-to-face course into multiple modalities with very limited preparation time.
Heparanase Blockade as a Novel Dual-Targeting Therapy for COVID-19
Authors: Xiang Jingyu , Lu Mijia , Shi Min , Cheng Xiaogang , Kwakwa Kristin A. , Davis Jennifer L. , Su Xinming , Bakewell Suzanne J. , Zhang Yuexiu , Fontana Francesca , Xu Yalin , Veis Deborah J. , DiPersio John F. , Ratner Lee , Sanderson Ralph D. , Noseda Alessandro , Mollah Shamim , Li Jianrong , Weilbaecher Katherine N.
Published: March 2022

The complex pathogenesis of COVID-19 consists of two major pathological phases: an initial infection phase elicited by SARS-CoV-2 entry and replication and an inflammation phase that could lead to tissue damage, which can evolve into acute respiratory failure or even death. While the development and deployment of vaccines are ongoing, effective therapy for COVID-19 is still urgently needed.
Epigenetic Landscape of HIV-1 Infection in Primary Human Macrophage
Authors: Lu Fang , Zankharia Urvi , Vladimirova Olga , Yi Yanjie , Collman Ronald G. , Lieberman Paul M.
Published: March 2022

Macrophages serve as a reservoir for long-term persistence and chronic production of HIV. We found an atypical epigenetic control of HIV in macrophages marked by heterochromatic H3K9me3 despite active viral transcription. HIV infection induced changes in macrophage nuclear morphology and epigenetic regulatory factors. These findings may identify new mechanisms to control chronic HIV expression in infected macrophages.
PPRV-Induced Autophagy Facilitates Infectious Virus Transmission by the Exosomal Pathway
Authors: Wan Yangli , Chen Yan , Wang Ting , Zhao Bao , Zeng Wei , Zhang Leyan , Zhang Yanming , Cao Shengyan , Wang Jingyu , Xue Qinghong , Qi Xuefeng
Published: March 2022

Autophagy plays an important role in PPRV pathogenesis. The role of exosomes in viral infections is beginning to be appreciated.
Complete Genome Sequence of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Podophage Piffle
Authors: Kirchhoff Megan , Ortega Carlos , Clark James , Le Tram , Burrowes Ben , Liu Mei
Published: March 2022

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
is an emerging multidrug-resistant opportunistic human pathogen causing various nosocomial infections. Here, we characterize the genome of
S. maltophilia
podophage Piffle. Its 76,332-bp genome is most closely related to the N4-like
S. maltophilia
podophage Pokken, with over 86% genome-wide nucleotide identity and 84 shared proteins.
High-Content Screening and Computational Prediction Reveal Viral Genes That Suppress the Innate Immune Response
Authors: Ng Tai L. , Olson Erika J. , Yoo Tae Yeon , Weiss H. Sloane , Koide Yukiye , Koch Peter D. , Rollins Nathan J. , Mach Pia , Meisinger Tobias , Bricken Trenton , Chang Timothy Z. , Molloy Colin , Zürcher Jérôme , Chang Roger L. , Mitchison Timothy J. , Glass John I. , Marks Debora S. , Way Jeffrey C. , Silver Pamela A.
Published: March 2022

Infectious diseases caused by viral pathogens exacerbate health care and economic burdens. Numerous viral biomolecules suppress the human innate immune system, enabling viruses to evade an immune response from the host.
Quercetin Reduces the Virulence of S. aureus by Targeting ClpP to Protect Mice from MRSA-Induced Lethal Pneumonia
Authors: Jing Shisong , Kong Xiangri , Wang Li , Wang Heming , Feng Jiaxuan , Wei Lin , Meng Ying , Liu Chang , Chang Xiren , Qu Yishen , Guan Jiyu , Yang Haimiao , Zhang Chi , Zhao Yicheng , Song Wu
Published: March 2022

The resistance of
Staphylococcus aureus
(
S. aureus
) to various antibiotics has increased dramatically, and thus the development of new anti-infective drugs with new targets is urgently needed to combat resistance. Caseinolytic peptidase P (ClpP) is a casein hydrolase that has been shown to regulate a variety of important virulence factors in
S. aureus
.
Global eHealth capacity: secondary analysis of WHO data on eHealth and implications for kidney care delivery in low-resource settings
Authors: Okpechi Ikechi G , Muneer Shezel , Ye Feng , Zaidi Deenaz , Ghimire Anukul , Tinwala Mohammed M , Saad Syed , Osman Mohamed A , Lunyera Joseph , Tonelli Marcello , Caskey Fergus , George Cindy , Kengne Andre P , Malik Charu , Damster Sandrine , Levin Adeera , Johnson David , Jha Vivekanand , Bello Aminu K
Published: March 2022

Objective

To describe the use of electronic health (eHealth) in support of health coverage for kidney care across International Society of Nephrology (ISN) regions.

Design

Secondary analysis of WHO survey on eHealth as well as use of data from the World Bank, and Internet World Stats on global eHealth services.

Setting

A web-based survey on the use of eHealth in support of universal health coverage.

Participants

125 WHO member states provided response.

Primary outcome measures

Availability of eHealth services (eg, electronic health records, telehealth, etc) and governance frameworks (policies) for kidney care across ISN regions.

Results

The survey conducted by the WHO received responses from 125 (64.4%) member states, representing 4.4 billion people globally. The number of mobile cellular subscriptions was <100% of the population in Africa, South Asia, North America and North East Asia; the percentage of internet users increased from 2015 to 2020 in all regions. Western Europe had the highest percentage of internet users in all the periods: 2015 (82.0%), 2019 (90.7%) and 2020 (93.9%); Africa had the least: 9.8%, 21.8% and 31.4%, respectively. The North East Asia region had the highest availability of national electronic health record system (75%) and electronic learning access in medical schools (100%), with the lowest in Africa (27% and 39%, respectively). Policies concerning governance aspects of eHealth (eg, privacy, liability, data sharing) were more widely available in high-income countries (55%–93%) than in low-income countries (0%–47%), while access to mobile health for treatment adherence was more available in low-income countries (21%) than in high-income countries (7%).

Conclusion

The penetration of eHealth services across ISN regions is suboptimal, particularly in low-income countries. Increasing utilisation of internet communication technologies provides an opportunity to improve access to kidney education and care globally, especially in low-income countries.
In critique of anthropocentrism: a more-than-human ethical framework for antimicrobial resistance
Authors: Cañada Jose A , Sariola Salla , Butcher Andrea
Published: March 2022

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is often framed as a One Health issue, premised on the interdependence between human, animal and environmental health. Despite this framing, the focus across policymaking, implementation and the ethics of AMR remains anthropocentric in practice, with human health taking priority over the health of non-human animals and the environment, both of which mostly appear as secondary elements to be adjusted to minimise impact on human populations. This perpetuates cross-sectoral asymmetries whereby human health institutions have access to bigger budgets and technical support, limiting the ability of agricultural, animal health or environmental institutions to effectively implement policy initiatives. In this article, we review these asymmetries from an ethical perspective. Through a review and analysis of contemporary literature on the ethics of AMR, we demonstrate how the ethical challenges and tensions raised still emerge from an anthropocentric framing, and argue that such literature fails to address the problematic health hierarchies that underlie policies and ethics of AMR. As a consequence, they fail to provide the necessary tools to ethically evaluate the more-than-human challenges that the long list of actors involved in managing AMR face in their everyday practices. In response to such shortcomings, and to make sense of these challenges and tensions, this article develops an ethical framework based on relationality, care ethics and ambivalence that attends to the more-than-human character of AMR. We formulate this approach without overlooking everyday challenges of implementation by putting the framework in conversation with concrete situations from precarious settings in West Africa. This article concludes by arguing that a useful AMR ethics framework needs to consider and take seriously non-human others as an integral part of both health and disease in any given ecology.
Transforaminal lumbar puncture for spinal anesthesia or novel drug administration: a technique combining C-arm fluoroscopy and ultrasound
Authors: Berde Charles , Formanek Anna , Khan Asif , Camelo Carlos Rafael , Koka Anjali , Riley Bobbie L , Padua Horacio
Published: March 2022

Background

Lumbar puncture (LP) may be challenging for patients with scoliosis and other conditions following previous posterior fusion and instrumentation from thoracic to sacral levels. Interventional radiologists have described CT approaches to transforaminal LP. We hypothesized that combined C-arm fluoroscopy and ultrasound could be a feasible approach to transforaminal LP for interventional pain physicians and regional anesthesiologists.

Methods

With institutional review board approval, we reviewed medical records and imaging of six patients with spinal muscular atrophy and prior spine fusion. Non-cutting needles of 24 or 25 gage were advanced through 20-gage introducers. Prior imaging guided selection of a preferred side and spinal level. Initial procedures were performed in the interventional radiology suite. Subsequent procedures were performed in an operating room (OR). We report on technical success and complications and describe a case using this approach for spinal anesthesia.

Results

Six patients underwent a total of 54 transforaminal LPs, including 51 for administration of the antisense oligonucleotide nusinersen, 2 for myelography, and 1 for spinal anesthesia; 45 of these procedures were performed using OR C-arm fluoroscopy and ultrasound. Transient paresthesias and short-term headaches occurred; none required intervention. No other complications were noted.

Conclusions

Transforaminal LP appears technically feasible for patients with full-spine fusions using a straight-needle approach with combined fluoroscopy and ultrasound guidance. Larger case series and prospective studies may better define the success rates, risks, and benefits of this approach relative to alternative approaches to intrathecal access for patients with previous long-segment posterior spine fusions.
Thoracic ultrasound influences physiotherapist’s clinical decision-making in respiratory management of critical care patients: a multicentre cohort study
Authors: Le Neindre Aymeric , Hansell Louise , Wormser Johan , Gomes Lopes Andreia , Diaz Lopez Carlos , Romanet Christophe , Choukroun Gerald , Nguyen Maxime , Philippart François , Guinot Pierre-Grégoire , Buscher Hergen , Bouhemad Bélaid , Ntoumenopoulos George
Published: March 2022

Background

The potential influence of thoracic ultrasound on clinical decision-making by physiotherapists has never been studied. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of thoracic ultrasound on clinical decision-making by physiotherapists for critical care patients.

Methods

This prospective, observational multicentre study was conducted between May 2017 and November 2020 in four intensive care units in France and Australia. All hypoxemic patients consecutively admitted were enrolled. The primary outcome was the net reclassification improvement (NRI), quantifying how well the new model (physiotherapist’s clinical decision-making including thoracic ultrasound) reclassifies subjects as compared with an old model (clinical assessment). Secondary outcomes were the factors associated with diagnostic concordance and physiotherapy treatment modification.

Results

A total of 151 patients were included in the analysis. The NRI for the modification of physiotherapist’s clinical decisions was—40% (95% CI (−56 to −22%), p=0.02). Among the cases in which treatment was changed after ultrasound, 41% of changes were major (n=38). Using a multivariate analysis, the physiotherapist’s confidence in their clinical diagnosis was associated with diagnostic concordance (adjusted OR=3.28 95% CI (1.30 to 8.71); p=0.014). Clinical diagnosis involving non-parenchymal conditions and clinical signs reflecting abolished lung ventilation were associated with diagnostic discordance (adjusted OR=0.06 95% CI (0.01 to 0.26), p<0.001; adjusted OR=0.26 95% CI (0.09 to 0.69), p=0.008; respectively).

Conclusion

Thoracic ultrasound has a high impact on the clinical decision-making process by physiotherapists for critical care patients.

Trial registration number

NCT02881814;https://clinicaltrials.gov.
Artificial neural network modelling of generalised parton distributions
Authors: Dutrieux H. , Grocholski O. , Moutarde H. , Sznajder P.
Published: March 2022

We discuss the use of machine learning techniques in effectively nonparametric modelling of generalised parton distributions (GPDs) in view of their future extraction from experimental data. Current parameterisations of GPDs suffer from model dependency that lessens their impact on phenomenology and brings unknown systematics to the estimation of quantities like Mellin moments. The new strategy presented in this study allows to describe GPDs in a way fulfilling theory-driven constraints, keeping model dependency to a minimum. Getting a better grip on the control of systematic effects, our work will help the GPD phenomenology to achieve its maturity in the precision era commenced by the new generation of experiments.
Time-varying Metamaterial-enabled Directional Modulation Schemes for Physical Layer Security in Wireless Communication Links
Authors: Nooraiepour Alireza , Vosoughitabar Shaghayegh , Wu Chung-Tse Michael , Bajwa Waheed U. , Mandayam Narayan B.
Published: March 2022

Novel transmission schemes, enabled by recent advances in the fields of metamaterial (MTM), leaky-wave antenna (LWA) and directional modulation (DM), are proposed for enhancing the physical layer (PHY) security. MTM-LWAs, which offer compact, integrated, and cost-effective alternatives to the classic phased-array architectures, are particularly of interest for emerging wireless communication systems including Internet-of-Things. The proposed secure schemes are devised to accomplish the functionalities of directional modulation (DM) transmitters for orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) and non-contiguous OFDM transmissions, while enjoying the implementation benefits of MTM-LWAs. Specifically, transmitter architectures based on the idea of time-modulated MTM-LWA have been put forth as a promising solution for PHY security for the first time. The PHY security for the proposed schemes are investigated from the point of view of both passive and active attacks where an adversary aims to decode secret information and feed spurious data to the legitimate receiver, respectively. Numerical simulations reveal that even when the adversary employs sophisticated state-of-the-art deep learning based attacks, the proposed transmission schemes are resistant to these attacks and reliably guarantee system security.
BERIS: An mBERT-based Emotion Recognition Algorithm from Indian Speech
Authors: Mehra Pramod , Verma Shashi Kant
Published: March 2022

Emotions, the building blocks of the human intellect, play a vital role in Artificial Intelligence (AI). For a robust AI-based machine, it is important that the machine understands human emotions. COVID-19 has introduced the world to no-touch intelligent systems. With an influx of users, it is critical to create devices that can communicate in a local dialect. A multilingual system is required in countries like India, which has a large population and a diverse range of languages. Given the importance of multilingual emotion recognition, this research introduces BERIS, an Indian language emotion detection system. From the Indian sound recording, BERIS estimates both acoustic and textual characteristics. To extract the textual features, we used Multilingual Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers. For acoustics, BERIS computes the Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients and Linear Prediction coefficients, and Pitch. The features extracted are merged in a linear array. Since the dialogues are of varied lengths, the data are normalized to have arrays of equal length. Finally, we split the data into training and validated set to construct a predictive model. The model can predict emotions from the new input. On all the datasets presented, quantitative and qualitative evaluations show that the proposed algorithm outperforms state-of-the-art approaches.
The Development and Deployment of Formal Methods in the UK
Authors: Jones Cliff B. , Thomas Martyn
Published: March 2022

In addition to the major UK contributions to research underpinning formal approaches to the specification and development of computer systems—and perhaps as a consequence of this—some significant attempts to deploy the ideas into practical environments have taken place in the United Kingdom. The authors of this article have been involved in formal methods for many years and both had contact with a significant proportion of this history. This article both lists key ideas and indicates where attempts were made to use the ideas in practice. Not all of these deployment stories have been a complete success and an attempt is made to tease out lessons that influence the probability of successful long-term changes to software engineering.
Machine Learning for the Discovery, Design, and Engineering of Materials
Authors: Duan Chenru , Nandy Aditya , Kulik Heather J.
Published: March 2022

Machine learning (ML) has become a part of the fabric of high-throughput screening and computational discovery of materials. Despite its increasingly central role, challenges remain in fully realizing the promise of ML. This is especially true for the practical acceleration of the engineering of robust materials and the development of design strategies that surpass trial and error or high-throughput screening alone. Depending on the quantity being predicted and the experimental data available, ML can either outperform physics-based models, be used to accelerate such models, or be integrated with them to improve their performance. We cover recent advances in algorithms and in their application that are starting to make inroads toward ( a) the discovery of new materials through large-scale enumerative screening, ( b) the design of materials through identification of rules and principles that govern materials properties, and ( c) the engineering of practical materials by satisfying multiple objectives. We conclude with opportunities for further advancement to realize ML as a widespread tool for practical computational materials design.
Coreceptor functions of cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans
Authors: Hayashida Kazutaka , Aquino Rafael S. , Park Pyong Woo
Published: March 2022

Receptor-ligand interactions play an important role in many biological processes by triggering specific cellular responses. These interactions are frequently regulated by coreceptors that facilitate, alter, or inhibit signaling. Coreceptors work in parallel with other specific and accessory molecules to coordinate receptor-ligand interactions. Cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) function as unique coreceptors because they can bind to many ligands and receptors through their HS and core protein motifs. Cell surface HSPGs are typically expressed in abundance of the signaling receptors and, thus, are capable of mediating the initial binding of ligands to the cell surface. HSPG coreceptors do not possess kinase domains or intrinsic enzyme activities and, for the most part, binding to cell surface HSPGs does not directly stimulate intracellular signaling. Because of these features, cell surface HSPGs primarily function as coreceptors for many receptor-ligand interactions. Given that cell surface HSPGs are widely conserved, they likely serve fundamental functions to preserve basic physiological processes. Indeed, cell surface HSPGs can support specific cellular interactions with growth factors, morphogens, chemokines, extracellular matrix (ECM) components, and microbial pathogens and their secreted virulence factors. Through these interactions, HSPG coreceptors regulate cell adhesion, proliferation, migration, and differentiation, and impact the onset, progression, and outcome of pathophysiological processes, such as development, tissue repair, inflammation, infection, and tumorigenesis. This review seeks to provide an overview of the various mechanisms of how cell surface HSPGs function as coreceptors.
Free fatty acid treatment of mouse preimplantation embryos demonstrates contrasting effects of palmitic acid and oleic acid on autophagy
Authors: Leung Zuleika C. L. , Abu Rafea Basim , Watson Andrew J. , Betts Dean H.
Published: March 2022

Treatment of mouse preimplantation embryos with elevated palmitic acid (PA) reduces blastocyst development, whereas cotreatment with PA and oleic acid (OA) together rescues blastocyst development to control frequencies. To understand the mechanistic effects of PA and OA treatment on early mouse embryos, we investigated the effects of PA and OA, alone and in combination, on autophagy during preimplantation development in vitro. We hypothesized that PA would alter autophagic processes and that OA cotreatment would restore control levels of autophagy. Two-cell stage mouse embryos were placed into culture medium supplemented with 100 μM PA, 250 μM OA, 100 μM PA and 250 μM OA, or potassium simplex optimization media with amino acid (KSOMaa) medium alone (control) for 18–48 h. The results demonstrated that OA cotreatment slowed developmental progression after 30 h of cotreatment but restored control blastocyst frequencies by 48 h. PA treatment elevated light chain 3 (LC3)-II puncta and p62 levels per cell whereas OA cotreatment returned to control levels of autophagy by 48 h. Autophagic mechanisms are altered by nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) treatments during mouse preimplantation development in vitro, where PA elevates autophagosome formation and reduces autophagosome degradation levels, whereas cotreatment with OA reversed these PA effects. Autophagosome-lysosome colocalization only differed between PA and OA alone treatment groups. These findings advance our understanding of the effects of free fatty acid exposure on preimplantation development, and they uncover principles that may underlie the associations between elevated fatty acid levels and overall declines in reproductive fertility.