bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How do Mandarin-speaking children relate events in personal narratives?
Authors: Zhang Fangfang , Wang Yan , McCabe Allyssa
Published: April 2023

This study explored Mandarin-speaking children’s independent ability in using conjunctions to relate events in personal narration. Twenty three-year-olds, twenty four-year-olds, twenty five-year-olds and twenty six-year-olds participated, and they were prompted to tell personal stories. Conjunctions were assessed in terms of the use of seven types of connectives. With age, Mandarin-speaking children used more diversified conjunctions and produced more conjunctions in their personal narratives. Significant differences were found across age groups in the frequency of sequential, temporal, and simple connectives, but the proportional use of these three connectives did not differ across age groups. No gender differences were found in the use of any of the connectives. Mandarin-speaking children relied on sequential, temporal and simple connectives to relate events in their narratives, and the use of causal, additive, adversative and conditional connectives were rare. Chinese mothers’ greater emphasis on knowledge, social rules and moral standards may contribute to this.
Parallel phospholipid transfer by Vps13 and Atg2 determines autophagosome biogenesis dynamics
Authors: Dabrowski Rahel , Tulli Susanna , Graef Martin
Published: April 2023

During autophagy, rapid membrane assembly expands small phagophores into large double-membrane autophagosomes. Theoretical modeling predicts that the majority of autophagosomal phospholipids are derived from highly efficient non-vesicular phospholipid transfer (PLT) across phagophore–ER contacts (PERCS). Currently, the phagophore–ER tether Atg2 is the only PLT protein known to drive phagophore expansion in vivo. Here, our quantitative live-cell imaging analysis reveals a poor correlation between the duration and size of forming autophagosomes and the number of Atg2 molecules at PERCS of starving yeast cells. Strikingly, we find that Atg2-mediated PLT is non-rate limiting for autophagosome biogenesis because membrane tether and the PLT protein Vps13 localizes to the rim and promotes the expansion of phagophores in parallel with Atg2. In the absence of Vps13, the number of Atg2 molecules at PERCS determines the duration and size of forming autophagosomes with an apparent in vivo transfer rate of ∼200 phospholipids per Atg2 molecule and second. We propose that conserved PLT proteins cooperate in channeling phospholipids across organelle contact sites for non-rate-limiting membrane assembly during autophagosome biogenesis.
Macrophages in the synovial lining niche initiate neutrophil recruitment and articular inflammation
Authors: Zec Kristina , Schonfeldova Barbora , Ai Zhichao , Van Grinsven Erinke , Pirgova Gabriela , Eames Hayley L. , Berthold Dorothée L. , Attar Moustafa , Compeer Ewoud B. , Arnon Tal I. , Udalova Irina A.
Published: April 2023

The first immune-activating changes within joint resident cells that lead to pathogenic leukocyte recruitment during articular inflammation remain largely unknown. In this study, we employ state-of-the-art confocal microscopy and image analysis in a systemic, whole-organ, and quantitative way to present evidence that synovial inflammation begins with the activation of lining macrophages. We show that lining, but not sublining macrophages phagocytose immune complexes containing the model antigen. Using the antigen-induced arthritis (AIA) model, we demonstrate that on recognition of antigen–antibody complexes, lining macrophages undergo significant activation, which is dependent on interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5), and produce chemokines, most notably CXCL1. Consequently, at the onset of inflammation, neutrophils are preferentially recruited in the vicinity of antigen-laden macrophages in the synovial lining niche. As inflammation progresses, neutrophils disperse across the whole synovium and form swarms in synovial sublining during resolution. Our study alters the paradigm of lining macrophages as immunosuppressive cells to important instigators of synovial inflammation.
Ruth Scherz-Shouval: Together we can ask big questions
Authors: Van Emmenis Lucie
Published: April 2023

Ruth Scherz-Shouval is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomolecular Sciences at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel. Her lab is interested in the tumor microenvironment, how stress responses can shape the tumor microenvironment, and also how different cells within the tumor microenvironment interact. We talked about how her interest in science began at an early age, the impact of having strong female role models, and ways to encourage collaboration and create an engaging and welcoming lab environment.
Superconductivity in Ce-based cage compounds
Authors: Panday Suman Raj , Dzero Maxim
Published: April 2023

Cerium-based ternary compounds CeNi2Cd20 and CePd2Cd20 do not exhibit long-range order down to millikelvin temperature range. Given the large separation between Ce ions which significantly reduces the super-exchange interactions and vanishingly small Ruderman–Kittel–Kasuya–Yosida interaction, here we show that nodal superconductivity mediated by the valence fluctuations must be a ground state in these materials. We propose that the critical temperature for the superconducting transition can be significantly increased by applying hydrostatic pressure. We employ an extended periodic Anderson lattice model which includes the long-range Coulomb interactions between the itinerant electrons as well as the local Coulomb interaction between the predominantly localized and itinerant electrons to compute a critical temperature of the superconducting transition. Using the slave-boson approach we show that fluctuations mediated by the repulsive electron–electron interactions lead to the emergence of d-wave superconductivity.
PCTNet: depth estimation from single structured light image with a parallel CNN-transformer network
Authors: Zhu Xinjun , Han Zhiqiang , Zhang Zhizhi , Song Limei , Wang Hongyi , Guo Qinghua
Published: April 2023

Recent approaches based on convolutional neural networks significantly improve the performance of structured light image depth estimation in fringe projection and speckle projection 3D measurement. However, it remains challenging to simultaneously preserve the global structure and local details of objects for the structured light images in complex scenes. In this paper, we design a parallel CNN-transformer network (PCTNet), which consists of a CNN branch, a transformer branch, a bidirectional feature fusion module (BFFM), and a cross-feature multi-scale fusion module (CFMS). The BFFM and CFMS modules are proposed to fuse local and global features of the double branches in order to achieve better depth estimation. Comprehensive experiments are conducted to evaluate our model on four structured light datasets, i.e. our established simulated fringe and speckle structured light datasets, and public real fringe and speckle structured light datasets. Experiments demonstrate that the proposed PCTNet is an effective architecture, achieving state-of-the-art performance in both qualitative and quantitative evaluation.
Gearbox compound fault diagnosis method based on deep adversarial graph convolution transfer learning network under low label ratios
Authors: Kong Xiaojia , Su Yuanhao , Meng Liang , Lan Xiaosheng , Li Yunfeng , Xu Tongle
Published: April 2023

Advancement in measurement techniques has dramatically contributed to the development of the modern manufacturing industry. As the primary fault causing unplanned downtime of mechanical equipment, gearbox compound faults are usually coupled by single faults with unequal severity and are difficult to obtain. In industrial scenarios, monitoring data for extreme operating conditions is not available in advance, and labeling samples is time-consuming and costly. However, current research on unseen compound fault diagnosis relies on numerous labeled samples to train the model, and few studies are conducted on transfer learning and unseen compound fault diagnosis under low label ratios. To address the issue, a gearbox compound fault diagnosis method based on deep adversarial graph convolution transfer learning network (DAGCTLN) under low label ratios is proposed. Specifically, a novel DAGCTLN model, including a feature extractor, two label classifiers, and a discriminator, is constructed to realize the diagnosis of faults in the transfer domain and unseen compound faults in the source and target domains. The feature extractor of a three-layer graph convolutional network is presented to achieve deep extraction of fault features under low label ratios. Then a domain space adversarial mechanism between the feature extractor and discriminator is used to achieve global alignment of the source and target domain features. Furthermore, two label classifiers are constructed, and the adversarial adaptation of the decision boundary is realized by maxi-min the classifier difference to achieve subdomain alignment of the same class features in all domains. Experimental results indicate that DAGCTLN can achieve the highest fault diagnosis accuracy in the transfer domain compared to state-of-the-art algorithms. The average diagnosis accuracy of compound faults in all domains can reach 98.41% even if the label ratio is only 0.1, which provides guiding significance for the safe operation and predictive maintenance of mechanical equipment.
All-solution-processed perovskite/gallium nitride particles hybrid visible-blind ultraviolet photodetectors
Authors: He Jing , Jiang Sijie , Lu Lihua , Li Wenfeng , Zhang Jing , Wei Wenjie , Guo Zhongli , Hu Beier , Wan Ziang , Yun Yikai , Tian Yuanyuan , Huang Kai , Chen Mengyu , Li Cheng
Published: April 2023

Last decades have witnessed the rapid development of ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors in diversity of applications. The III-nitride semiconductor and metal halide perovskite have both performed promising UV-sensing optoelectronic properties. However, they are still suffering from either the high temperature epitaxial-growth or low photocurrent generated in UV range. In this work, we demonstrate an innovative MAPbCl3/GaN particle hybrid device with all-solution-processed deposition methods. Comparing to the control MAPbCl3 photoconductors, the photo-sensing ability of the hybrid device with the optimal concentration of GaN particles is more than one order of magnitude enhanced, and report a responsivity of 86 mA W−1, a detectivity of 3.1 × 1011 Jones and a rise/fall time of 1.1/10.7 ms at 360 nm. The photocurrent increment could be attributed to the enhanced UV absorption of GaN particles and facilitated charge separation and photoconductive gain at MAPbCl3/GaN heterojunction. This work paves a pathway towards the large-scale low-cost UV photodetectors in versatile applications.
Experimental and computational study of the role of defects and secondary phases on the thermoelectric properties of TiNi1+xSn (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.12) half Heusler compounds
Authors: Ascrizzi Eleonora , Casassa Silvia , Daga Loredana Edith , Dasmahapatra Atreyi , Maschio Lorenzo , Karttunen Antti J , Boldrini Stefano , Ferrario Alberto , Fanciulli Carlo , Aversano Francesco , Baricco Marcello , Castellero Alberto
Published: April 2023

The half Heusler TiNiSn compound is a model system for understanding the relationship among structural, electronic, microstructural and thermoelectric properties. However, the role of defects that deviate from the ideal crystal structure is far from being fully described. In this work, TiNi1+xSn alloys (x= 0, 0.03, 0.06, 0.12) were synthesized by arc melting elemental metals and annealed to achieve equilibrium conditions. Experimental values of the Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistivity, obtained from this work and from the literature, scale with the measured carrier concentration, due to different amounts of secondary phases and interstitial nickel. Density functional theory calculations showed that the presence of both interstitial Ni defects and composition conserving defects narrows the band gap with respect to the defect free structure, affecting the transport properties. Accordingly, results of experimental investigations have been explained confirming that interstitial Ni defects, as well as secondary phases, promote a metallic behavior, raising the electrical conductivity and lowering the absolute values of the Seebeck coefficient.
Nonlinear laser absorption on metal surface embedded with nanoparticles in the presence of external magnetic field
Authors: Simon Moses , Chauhan Prashant
Published: April 2023

A nonlinear analytical model is developed for the absorption of a p-polarized laser that is obliquely incident on a metal surface embedded with metallic nanoparticles under the influence of an external magnetic field. The model suggests that the absorption coefficient is proportional to the angle of incidence and cube of nanoparticle-radius, but inversely proportional to the square of interparticle separation. Obtained results show that the laser absorption by the nanoparticles is substantially amplified due to plasmon resonance in the presence of an external magnetic field. The absorption coefficient has a sharp peak at surface plasma resonance

ω
=

ω

p

/

3

,

where

ω

p

is the plasma frequency and it shows explicit dependence on the amplitude transmission coefficient

T

A

of the incident wave. Absorption coefficient is obtained for gold nanoparticles for different incident angles, radii and interparticle separations and this study is of direct relevance in high performance optoelectronic devices, solar cells and nanomedicines.
Numerical study of trailing-edge noise reduction mechanism of wind turbine with a novel trailing-edge serration
Authors: Song Boyang , Xu Li , Zhang Kaijun , Cai Jingjing
Published: April 2023

The serration assembly installed at the trailing-edge of wind turbines can reduce the turbulent boundary-layer trailing-edge noise. This work studies the aeroacoustic response and noise reduction capability of four different trailing-edge serrations, involving a novel Multi-Flapped-Serration with Iron-Shaped Edges (MFS-Iron) presented here. These four serrations are retrofitted to S809 and NACA643418 airfoils. The Large-eddy simulation (LES) method and Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings integration (FW-H) methods are respectively employed to predict the unsteady flow field and far-field noise based on optimized structured and unstructured hybrid grids. From the numerical simulation results, we explore the trailing-edge noise reduction mechanism. The results show that the proposed MFS-Iron can effectively realize noise reduction under appropriate design parameters and optimize the aerodynamic layout. When using the MFS-Iron serration, the cross-flow intensity between the serration gap is significantly reduced, and the original two groups of symmetrical horseshoe vortex are mixed into a single vortex, which has a positive impact on the suppression of high-frequency noise. By further studying the Lamb vector divergence vortex dynamics process near the surface of serrated trailing-edge, it is found that the Lamb vector divergence is directly related to the intensity of the noise source.
Enhanced up- and down-conversion luminescence from Dy3+-Sm3+ co-doped B2O3-SrCO3-TeO2-Al2O3-MgO glass hosts: effects of CuO nanoparticles embedment
Authors: Abdullahi I , Hashim S , Ghoshal S K , Sayyed M I , Thabit H A , Yusof N N
Published: April 2023

In the up-conversion nonlinear optical process, the absorption of lower energy photons causes the emission of photons at higher energy due to various mechanisms like sequential optical excitation, energy transfer, and nonlinear light-matter interaction processes. Improving the up- and down-conversion luminescence of different lanthanide-doped glasses via metallic nanoparticle embedment remains challenging. There has been no clear understanding of how copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONps) affect the spectroscopic properties of Dysprosium-Samarium ions (Dy3+-Sm3+)-co-doped glasses. Thus, new CuONps-infused strontium-telluro-aluminum-magnesium-borate glass samples were prepared using the standard melt-quenching technique with Dy3+-Sm3+ co-doping. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the samples' glassy nature. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) provided the orientation and size distribution of the embedded nanoparticles in the glass hosts. The downconversion luminescence emission (at 350 nm excitation) corresponds to 4F9/2 → 6H15/2, 4F9/2 → 6H13/2, and 4F9/2 → 6H11/2 transitions in Dy3+. Judd-Ofelt calculations for the CuONps embedded sample showed significant radiative properties. A branching ratio of 79.6% was attained. The upconversion luminescence emission (at 896 nm excitation) bands corresponded to 4F9/2 → 6H15/2 and 4F9/2 → 6H13/2 transitions for the Dy3+-doped glasses. In addition, an intense peak due to the 4G5/2 → 6H7/2 transition in Sm3+ was observed in the co-doped glasses. It was determined that the increased up-conversion luminescence was related to localized surface plasmon resonance, energy transfer, and local field enhancements caused by CuONps inclusion. It was confirmed that excited state absorption and energy transfer mechanisms were involved in the up-conversion luminescence. Synthesized glasses may be helpful for upconversion displays, optical data storage, and solid-state lasers.
Combined effects of total ionizing dose and electromagnetic pulse on a bipolar junction transistor
Authors: Wu W.B. , Zhou H.J. , Zhou Q.H. , Zhao Z.G. , Li G.R. , Liu Q.
Published: April 2023

Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs) are widely used in the presence of ionizing radiation, such as in space or in the surroundings of nuclear reactors. For the application in these fields, the influence of Total Ionization Dose (TID) and Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) on BJTs should be carefully considered. In this work, for the comprehension of the combined effects of TID and EMP on BJT, a numerical model of a NPN BJT (2N2222) is developed with the semiconductor device simulation software TCAD. The simulated results indicate that the TID of gamma-rays can increase the depletion layer area of the BJT and lead to a reduction of its current gain and that a negative base voltage may in these conditions cause the breakdown of the emitter junction. Therefore, the results obtained indicate that the combined TID and EMP can lower the breakdown voltage of the BJT.
Intensive Blood Pressure Control and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Elderly Patients: A Secondary Analysis of SPRINT Study Based on a 60-Year Age Cutoff
Authors: Cheema Manal F , Butt Zeeshan , Gilani Samreen , Shafiq Sidra , Cheema Shafiq , Das Manash K
Published: April 2023

Background

In the original SPRINT article, age was categorized at 75 years, which was contrary to many previous clinical trials which is at 60 years.

Methods

The SPRINT trial randomized 9,361 hypertensive patients to a target blood pressure of <120 vs. <140 mm Hg (intensive vs. standard treatment, respectively). Age was re-categorized as <60 and ≥60 years and hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for outcomes and adverse events.

Results

Intensive treatment reduced primary outcome significantly in both <60 and ≥60 years of age subgroups with a relative risk reduction (RRR) of 36% and 22%, respectively, and HR of 0.58 [95% CI, 0.36–0.94] and 0.78 [95% CI, 0.65–0.93], respectively. Although the intensive treatment rendered no effect on myocardial infarction (MI) in the overall comparison, it significantly reduced MI in patients <60 years of age with an RRR of 58% and HR of 0.39 [95% CI, 0.17–0.91]. In the ≥60-year age subgroup, reduced heart failure incidence was noted after intensive treatment, including death from other cardiovascular causes; however, these were not observed in the <60-year age subgroup. Intensive treatment resulted in significant hypotension, syncope, acute renal failure, or acute kidney injury in the ≥60-year age group; conversely, the risk of these adverse effects in patients <60 years of age did not increase.

Conclusions

Intensive blood pressure control is beneficial for elderly patients (age ≥60 years), albeit with increased risk of adverse events.
Witnessing (Dis)engagement: A Framework for Examining Legitimacy in the Criminal Courts
Authors: Kirby Amy
Published: April 2023

This paper examines legitimacy in the criminal courts from the perspective of witnesses, an under-researched setting and participant group. Based on interviews with witnesses and observations of court proceedings, the paper provides a framework for examining how witnesses engage with the courts, arguing that ‘engagement’ can be used as a lens through which to understand legitimacy. The findings suggest that witnesses often display weak levels of engagement with the court process, which is indicative of strain in the ongoing legitimacy ‘dialogue’ (Bottoms and Tankebe 2012) between citizens and the state. The implications of this are explored.
The influence of age and sex on the absolute cell numbers of the human brain cerebral cortex
Authors: Castro-Fonseca Emily , Morais Viviane , da Silva Camila G , Wollner Juliana , Freitas Jaqueline , Mello-Neto Arthur F , Oliveira Luiz E , de Oliveira Vilson C , Leite Renata E P , Alho Ana T , Rodriguez Roberta D , Ferretti-Rebustini Renata E L , Suemoto Claudia K , Jacob-Filho Wilson , Nitrini Ricardo , Pasqualucci Carlos A , Grinberg Lea T , Tovar-Moll Fernanda , Lent Roberto
Published: April 2023

The human cerebral cortex is one of the most evolved regions of the brain, responsible for most higher-order neural functions. Since nerve cells (together with synapses) are the processing units underlying cortical physiology and morphology, we studied how the human neocortex is composed regarding the number of cells as a function of sex and age. We used the isotropic fractionator for cell quantification of immunocytochemically labeled nuclei from the cerebral cortex donated by 43 cognitively healthy subjects aged 25–87 years old. In addition to previously reported sexual dimorphism in the medial temporal lobe, we found more neurons in the occipital lobe of men, higher neuronal density in women’s frontal lobe, but no sex differences in the number and density of cells in the other lobes and the whole neocortex. On average, the neocortex has ~10.2 billion neurons, 34% in the frontal lobe and the remaining 66% uniformly distributed among the other 3 lobes. Along typical aging, there is a loss of non-neuronal cells in the frontal lobe and the preservation of the number of neurons in the cortex. Our study made possible to determine the different degrees of modulation that sex and age evoke on cortical cellularity.
Endocarditis of the forgotten valve: vacuum-assisted aspiration (AngioVac) of the eustachian valve: a case report
Authors: Shah Sidra R , Haq Syed H , Golzarian Hafez , Patel Sandeep M
Published: April 2023

Background

Eustachian valve endocarditis (EVE) is a rare entity that traditionally has been treated with antibiotics or surgery, if refractory to antibiotic treatment.

Case summary

A 64-year-old man presented with right shoulder pain and new-onset hypoxia. His blood cultures were positive for methicillin-sensitive staphylococcal aureus (MSSA) 1 month ago and he was treated with antibiotics at that time. Blood cultures during this admission were again positive for MSSA. Trans-oesophageal echocardiogram showed a large independently mobile echogenic density consistent with vegetation (3.0 × 1.6 cm) on the eustachian valve (EV). The patient was a poor surgical candidate due to his multiple co-morbidities, and therefore, a non-invasive procedure called AngioVac® was selected.

Discussion

In the setting of infective endocarditis refractory to antibiotics, the large-bore percutaneous mechanical aspiration (AngioVac®, AngioDynamics, Latham, NY, USA) system is gaining increasing momentum as the treatment of choice over standard surgical intervention for debulking large vegetations. AngioVac® has provided a minimally invasive and effective measure especially in those unable to tolerate surgery. The novel percutaneous technique is linked to great success in right-sided endocarditis, with the tricuspid valve accounting for a majority of the cases. However, in rare instances, the EV may be involved. To our knowledge, we report the first case of EVE treated with AngioVac®.
Bovine pericardial versus porcine bioprosthetic mitral valves: results from a Korean Nationwide Cohort Study
Authors: Kim Hong Rae , Park Jino , Park Sung Jun , Kim Ho Jin , Kim Seonok , Kim Ye-Jee , Ahn Jung-Min , Kim Dae-Hee , Kim Joon Bum
Published: April 2023

OBJECTIVES

Comparisons of long-term clinical outcomes of mitral valve replacement (MVR) between bovine pericardial and porcine bioprostheses are conflicting, with limited research in large-scale real-world clinical settings. This study examined clinical outcomes in MVR according to bioprosthesis type using a national administrative claims database.

METHODS

This study included adult patients undergoing bioprosthetic MVR between 2003 and 2018 using administrative health care data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. Propensity score matching with competing risk analysis was used to compare the clinical outcomes according to the type of bioprosthesis. The end points were death, cardiac death, and valve-related events, including the incidence of reoperation, endocarditis, systemic thromboembolism, and major bleeding.

RESULTS

A total of 3151 patients underwent bioprosthetic MVR with bovine pericardial (n = 1628, 51.7%) or porcine (n = 1523, 48.3%) bioprostheses. After matching, 1170 pairs were included in the final analysis. During follow-up (median 4.49 years, interquartile range 1.87 –8.75 years), death occurred in 1178 patients (6.8%/patient-year), comprising 730 (4.3%/patient-year) cardiac death. No significant differences were noted between the bovine and porcine groups in the cumulative incidences of death from any cause [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR), 1.00; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.87–1.14], cardiac mortality (aHR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.81–1.14), or reoperation (aHR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.72–1.41).

CONCLUSIONS

This study on a nationwide comparison between bovine and porcine bioprostheses in MVR found no significant differences in clinical outcomes including mortality, and valve-related reoperation.
Efficacy and safety in patients treated with a novel radiofrequency balloon: a two centres experience from the AURORA collaboration
Authors: Bordignon Stefano , My Ilaria , Tohoku Shota , Rillig Andreas , Schaack David , Chen Shaojie , Reißmann Bruno , Urbanek Lukas , Hirokami Jun , Efe Tolga , Ebrahimi Ramin , Butt Mahi , Ouyang Feifan , Chun Julian K R , Metzner Andreas , Schmidt Boris
Published: April 2023

Aims

A novel irrigated radiofrequency (RF) balloon (RFB) for pulmonary vein (PV) isolation (PVI) was released in selected centres. We pooled the procedural data on efficacy and safety of RFB-PVI from two high volume German centres.

Methods and results

Consecutive patients with RFB procedures were enrolled. A 3D electroanatomical left atrial map guided the RFB navigation. Every RF delivery lasted 60 s, and duration was automatically reduced to 20 s for electrodes facing the posterior wall. Procedural data and post-procedural endoscopy data (<48 h) were analysed. Data from 140 patients were collected (57% male, 67 ± 11 years, 57% paroxysmal atrial fibrillation). There were 547 PVs identified, and 99.1% could be isolated using solely the RFB. Single-shot PVI was recorded in 330/547 (60%) PVs. Median time to isolation during the first application was 10 s (IQR 8–13). A total of 2.1 ± 1.8 applications per PV were delivered, with the left superior PV requiring more application compared to other PVs. Median procedure and fluoroscopy time were 77 min (61–99) and 13 min (10–17), respectively. Major safety events were recorded only in the first 25 cases at each centre and included 1/140(0.7%) cardiac tamponade, 1/140(0.7%) phrenic nerve palsy, and 2/140 strokes (1.4%). An oesophageal temperature rise was recorded in 81/547 (15%) PVs, and endoscopy detected oesophageal lesions in 7/85 (8%) patients undergoing endoscopy.

Conclusion

The RFB showed a high efficacy allowing for fast PVI procedures, and 60% of PVs could be isolated at the first application. Most safety events were recorded during the learning phase. An oesophageal temperature monitoring is suggested: oesophageal lesions were detected in 8% of patients.
Phenotypic selection in natural populations: what have we learned in 40 years?
Authors: Svensson Erik I
Published: April 2023

In 1983, Russell Lande and Stevan Arnold published “The measurement of selection on correlated characters,” which became a highly influential citation classic in evolutionary biology. This paper stimulated a cottage industry of field studies of natural and sexual selection in nature and resulted in several large-scale meta-analyses, statistical developments, and method papers. The statistical tools they suggested contributed to a breakdown of the traditional dichotomy between ecological and evolutionary time scales and stimulated later developments such as “eco-evolutionary dynamics”. However, regression-based selection analyses also became criticized from philosophical, methodological, and statistical viewpoints and stimulated some still ongoing debates about causality in evolutionary biology. Here I return to this landmark paper by Lande and Arnold, analyze the controversies and debates it gave rise to and discuss the past, present, and future of selection analyses in natural populations. A remaining legacy of Lande & Arnold, 1983 is that studies of selection and inheritance can fruitfully be decoupled and be studied separately, since selection acts on phenotypes regardless of their genetic basis, and hence selection and evolutionary responses to selection are distinct processes.
Ecological and life-history drivers of avian skull evolution
Authors: Hunt Eloise S E , Felice Ryan N , Tobias Joseph A , Goswami Anjali
Published: April 2023

One of the most famous examples of adaptive radiation is that of the Galápagos finches, where skull morphology, particularly the beak, varies with feeding ecology. Yet increasingly studies are questioning the strength of this correlation between feeding ecology and morphology in relation to the entire neornithine radiation, suggesting that other factors also significantly affect skull evolution. Here, we broaden this debate to assess the influence of a range of ecological and life-history factors, specifically habitat density, migration, and developmental mode, in shaping avian skull evolution. Using 3D geometric morphometric data to robustly quantify skull shape for 354 extant species spanning avian diversity, we fitted flexible phylogenetic regressions and estimated evolutionary rates for each of these factors across the full data set. The results support a highly significant relationship between skull shape and both habitat density and migration, but not developmental mode. We further found heterogenous rates of evolution between different character states within habitat density, migration, and developmental mode, with rapid skull evolution in species that occupy dense habitats, are migratory, or are precocial. These patterns demonstrate that diverse factors affect the tempo and mode of avian phenotypic evolution and that skull evolution in birds is not simply a reflection of feeding ecology.
Usual source and better quality of primary care are associated with lower loneliness scores: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Kaneko Makoto , Shinoda Satoru , Nakayama Izumi , Xu Juan , Yagome Susumu , Goto Atsushi
Published: April 2023

Background

Loneliness is a global issue, and primary care physicians play an important role in assessing and intervening with loneliness. This study aimed to examine the association between having a usual source of care (USC) or a good quality of primary care, and loneliness.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted in Japan in 2022. A total of 6,000 residents were randomly sampled from the general population, aged 20–74 years. The outcome was the total score of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) 3-item loneliness scale. The exposure included USC and the Person-Centered Primary Care Measure (PCPCM), which assesses the quality of primary care. We conducted a linear regression analysis to adjust for age, sex, educational status, annual household income, self-rated health, living status (whether alone or not), and the existence of physical health problems.

Results

Of the 6,000 residents, 1,277 responded to the survey. The median score of the UCLA 3-item loneliness scale was 6.0 and the mean total score of the PCPCM was 2.62. Of the 1,277 individuals, 713 (55.8%) had USC. Having USC was significantly associated with lower scores on the UCLA 3-item loneliness scale; the coefficient was −0.34 (95% confidence interval (CI): −0.57 to −0.12). Also, the total PCPCM score was significantly associated with lower loneliness scores; the coefficient was −0.56 (P < 0.001, 95% CI: −0.78 to −0.35).

Conclusions

Having USC and a better quality primary care were associated with a lower loneliness score. The quality of primary care could be a factor to mitigate patient loneliness.
Inclusion of Berberis vulgaris leaf in the diet of fattening lambs: effects on performance, nutrient intake, rumen fermentation, and carcass traits
Authors: Seyedin Seyed Morteza Vaghar , Ghavipanje Navid , Mojtahedi Mohsen , Farhangfar Seyyed Homayoun , Vargas-Bello-Pérez Einar
Published: April 2023

This study was aimed to first, determine the nutritional value of Berberis vulgaris leaf (BVL), using in vitro gas production technique and second, determine the effect of replacing alfalfa hay (AH) with BVL in lamb diets on nutrient intake, performance, and carcass traits. In vitro rumen gas kinetics and fermentation profile were assessed using three fistulated lambs and 96 h incubation of samples. For the in vivo trial, 21 Baluchi male lambs of 5–6 mo of age and 30.6 ± 1.28 kg body weight (BW) were randomly assigned to three treatment diets containing BVL at 0% (CTRL), 7.5% (BVL7.5), and 15% (BVL15) of the total dry matter (DM) inclusion. The study lasted 84 d, which included 14 d for adaption and 70 d for sample collection. In vitro results showed that BVL had lower gas yield (GY24, P ≤ 0.05) than AH. In vivo trial revealed that DM intake increased with BVL15 followed by BVL7.5 (P ≤ 0.05). Digestibility of DM, organic matter, NDF, and acid detergent lignin decreased (P ≤ 0.05) with BVL15. Total weight gain, average daily gain, hot carcass weight, and cold carcass weight were decreased (P ≤ 0.05) with BVL15, however, no differences were observed between the BVL7.5 and CTRL groups. Feed cost per kilogram BW gain decrease (P ≤ 0.05) by increasing the inclusion levels of BVL. In conclusion, BVL (up to 7.5% DM of diet) have positive consequences on performance, nutrient intake, rumen fermentation without deleterious effects on fattening performance.
An updated profile of the bovine acute phase response following an intravenous lipopolysaccharide challenge
Authors: Smock Taylor M , Rand Broadway P , Burdick Sanchez Nicole C , Carroll Jeffery A , Theurer Miles E , Hales Kristin E
Published: April 2023

The objective was to provide an updated profile of the bovine acute-phase response to include recent advancements in technologies and expanded hematological, cytokine, and serum chemistry variables. Beef steers (n = 32; body weight [BW] = 251 ± 19.5 kg) were fitted with indwelling jugular catheters 1 d before lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 0.25 µg LPS/kg BW from Escherichia coli O111:B4) administration to facilitate serial blood collection. Rectal temperature was measured using indwelling probes, and ocular temperature was measured using infrared thermal imaging. Blood samples were collected for subsequent analysis of serum chemistry, hematology, and cytokine concentrations. Pearson correlation of rectal temperature and ocular infrared temperature was 0.61 (P < 0.01) and the Spearman correlation coefficient was 0.56 (P < 0.01). Interactions of hour × method were observed for ocular and rectal measurements of body temperature in response to endotoxin exposure. Maximum observed temperature was 39.6 °C at 2.5 h for both rectal and ocular measurements. Body temperature differed by method at hours 0.5, 2.5, 4.5, 7.5, 12.5, 36.5, and 47.5 (P < 0.01), but were not different otherwise. All variables of serum chemistry and complete blood count were influenced by LPS administration, except creatinine, serum glucose, and percent basophils (P ≤ 0.02). Alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase peaked at hour 2 relative to LPS administration, returned to baseline at hour 12 and continued to decrease below the baseline value at hour 48 (P < 0.01). Total protein concentration decreased 3% in response to LPS (P = 0.01). Total white blood cell count decreased 75% after LPS administration at hour 1 (P < 0.01). Lymphocyte count recovered to baseline at hour 6; sooner than neutrophil count at hour 36. Serum cortisol concentration increased 294% relative to baseline at hour 1 followed by a sustained decrease and return to normal concentration at hour 4 (P < 0.01). Additionally, circulating cytokine concentrations changed with time in response to the LPS challenge, excluding aFGF, bFGF, IGF-1, IL-2, IL-4, MCP-1, and ANG-1 (P ≤ 0.08). Maximum observed concentration of TNF-α at hour 1 was 117% greater than the pre-challenge value (P < 0.01). Data presented herein add to existing works to understand the endocrine and immune responses of beef steers administered exogenous LPS, and incorporate recent technologies, additional biomarkers, and an expanded cytokine profile that can be used as referential data in future research.
The EU’s International Relations in the Practice of Criticizing the Human Rights Record of Russia
Authors: Jusufi Islam
Published: April 2023

The European Union’s international relations are organized into a series of practices that regulate its relationships with the third states, including with Russia. The primary practice is that of ‘criticizing’ the human rights record of Russia, and this represents a major part of the EU’s engagement with Russia. This article analyses the practice of EU criticism of Russia regarding its implementation of human rights norms and values as a case which helps define the role of human rights in EU-Russia relations. It proposes that the EU’s transformative power over Russia has been minimal. It further argues that the success of the practice of criticizing human rights records has been limited to the institutionalization of EU-Russia cooperation in this area.
Algebraic logic for the negation fragment of classical logic
Authors: González Luciano J
Published: April 2023

The general aim of this article is to study the negation fragment of classical logic within the framework of contemporary (Abstract) Algebraic Logic. More precisely, we shall find the three classes of algebras that are canonically associated with a logic in Algebraic Logic, i.e. we find the classes $\textrm{Alg}^*$, $\textrm{Alg}$ and the intrinsic variety of the negation fragment of classical logic. In order to achieve this, firstly, we propose a Hilbert-style axiomatization for this fragment. Then, we characterize the reduced matrix models and the full generalized matrix models of this logic. Also, we classify the negation fragment in the Leibniz and Frege hierarchies.
Carbon monoxide ices – a semicentennial review and update for crystalline CO along with the first IR spectrum and band strength for amorphous CO
Authors: Gerakines Perry A , Materese Christopher K , Hudson Reggie L
Published: April 2023

The intrinsic intensity (band strength) of the fundamental vibrational band of crystalline carbon monoxide (CO) was first determined 50 yr ago, but those pioneering measurements have seldom been revisited despite CO's importance in interstellar and Solar System chemistry and CO's abundance and distribution in extraterrestrial environments. On the semicentennial of those first measurements, which remain in wide use among observational and laboratory astrochemists, we have reexamined those infrared (IR) band-strength determinations, including the density and refractive index data on which they rest, and find that the published results rest on a mere two data points. Here we use new laboratory data to identify and address errors and concerns in that original work from a half-century ago, plus a result from nearly 100 yr ago. We report new IR intensities for crystalline CO's fundamental IR band over a range of temperatures and resolutions for the first time, finding that there is not a single unique band strength that applies to all conditions. Optical constants have been calculated, including a set at a higher resolution than in the literature. We also present the first direct IR intensity measurements of the fundamentals of solid 13C16O, 12C17O, and 12C18O. Finally, the first IR transmission spectrum of amorphous CO is presented along with a band-strength estimate. All results are for temperatures below 30 K, and so are relevant to studies of solid CO in the outer Solar System and the interstellar medium.
VLBI Astrometry of radio stars to link radio and optical celestial reference frames. I. HD 199178 & AR Lacertae
Authors: Chen Wen , Zhang Bo , Zhang Jingdong , Yang Jun , Xu Shuangjing , Sun Yan , Mai Xiaofeng , Shu Fengchun , Wang Min
Published: April 2023

To accurately link the radio and optical Celestial Reference Frames (CRFs) at optical bright end, i.e. with GaiaG-band magnitude $\lesssim$13, increasing number and improving sky distribution of radio stars with accurate astrometric parameters from both Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) and Gaia measurements are mandatory. We selected two radio stars HD 199178 and AR Lacertae as the target for a pilot program for the frame link, using the Very Long Baseline Array at 15 GHz at six epochs spanning about 1 yr, to measure their astrometric parameters. The measured parallax of HD 199178 is 8.949 ± 0.059 mas and the proper motion is μαcos δ = 26.393 ± 0.093 and μδ = −0.950 ± 0.083 mas yr−1, while the parallax of AR Lac is 23.459 ± 0.094 mas and the proper motion is μαcos δ = −51.906 ± 0.138 and μδ = 46.732 ± 0.131 mas yr−1. Our VLBI measured astrometric parameters have accuracies about 4–5 times better than the corresponding historic VLBI measurements and comparable accuracies with those from Gaia, validating the feasibility of frame link using radio stars. With the updated astrometric parameters for these two stars, there is a ∼25 per cent reduction of the uncertainties on the Y-axis for both orientation and spin parameters.
On the evolution of the size of Lyman alpha haloes across cosmic time: no change in the circumgalactic gas distribution when probed by line emission
Authors: Runnholm Axel , Hayes Matthew J , Lin Yu-Heng , Melinder Jens , Scarlata Claudia , Adamo Angela , Augustin Ramona , Bik Arjan , Blaizot Jérémy , Cannon John M , Cantalupo Sebastiano , Garel Thibault , Gronke Max , Herenz Edmund C , Leclercq Floriane , Östlin Göran , Peroux Celine , Rasekh Armin , Rutkowski Michael J , Verhamme Anne , Wisotzki Lutz
Published: April 2023

Lyman α (Lyα) is now routinely used as a tool for studying high-redshift galaxies, and its resonant nature means it can trace neutral hydrogen around star-forming galaxies. Integral field spectrograph measurements of high-redshift Lyα emitters indicate that significant extended Lyα halo emission is ubiquitous around such objects. We present a sample of redshift 0.23 to 0.31 galaxies observed with the Hubble Space Telescope selected to match the star formation properties of high-z samples while optimizing the observations for detection of low surface brightness Lyα emission. The Lyα escape fractions range between 0.7 and 37 per cent, and we detect extended Lyα emission around six out of seven targets. We find Lyα halo to UV scale length ratios around 6:1, which is marginally lower than high-redshift observations, and halo flux fractions between 60 and 85 per cent – consistent with high-redshift observations – when using comparable methods. However, our targets show additional extended stellar UV emission: we parametrize this with a new double exponential model. We find that this parametrization does not strongly affect the observed Lyα halo fractions. We find that deeper Hα data would be required to firmly determine the origin of Lyα halo emission; however, there are indications that Hα is more extended than the central FUV profile, potentially indicating conditions favourable for the escape of ionizing radiation. We discuss our results in the context of high-redshift galaxies, cosmological simulations, evolutionary studies of the circumgalactic medium in emission, and the emission of ionizing radiation.
Two Forms of Sexual Dimorphism in Gene Expression inDrosophila melanogaster: Their Coincidence and Evolutionary Genetics
Authors: Singh Amardeep , Agrawal Aneil F
Published: April 2023

Phenotypic sexual dimorphism can be mediated by sex differences in gene expression. We examine two forms of sexual dimorphism in gene expression in Drosophila melanogaster: 1) sex-biased gene expression (SBGE) in which the sexes differ in the amount a gene is expressed and 2) sexual dimorphism in isoform usage, that is, sex-specific splicing (SSS). In whole body (but not the head) expression, we find a negative association between SBGE and SSS, possibly suggesting that these are alternate routes to resolving sexual antagonistic selection. Next, we evaluate whether expression dimorphism contributes to the heterogeneity among genes in rmf, the intersexual genetic correlation in body expression that constrains the extent to which a gene's expression can evolve independently between the sexes. We find lower rmf values for genes with than without SSS. We find higher rmf values for male- than female-biased genes (except genes with extreme male bias), even though male-biased genes are known to have greater evolutionary divergence in expression. Finally, we examine population genetic patterns in relation to SBGE and SSS because genes with expression dimorphism have likely experienced a history of sex differences in selection. SSS is associated with reduced values of Tajima's D and elevated direction of selection (DoS) values, suggestive of higher rates of adaptive evolution. Though DoS is highly elevated for genes with extreme male bias, DoS otherwise tends to decline from female-biased to unbiased to male-biased genes. Collectively, the results indicate that SBGE and SSS are differentially distributed across the genome and are associated with different forms of selection.
The Risk Mitigation Decision-Making Model for Music Therapy Services During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Authors: Morgan Rachelle , Knott David
Published: April 2023

When the Covid-19 pandemic began, music therapists moved quickly to adapt services across many clinical settings. Many music therapists shifted their service delivery model to telepractice. Music therapists also worked to adapt in-person services to integrate the emerging risk mitigation strategies required or recommended by various public health bodies and healthcare organizations. When public health circumstances are changing rapidly, how do music therapists make decisions regarding service delivery and risk mitigation, while balancing the requirements of public health directives and organization policies? Considering evidence-based practice and ethical thinking, we propose a risk mitigation decision-making model for providing clinical music therapy services during the Covid-19 pandemic. We consider the intersection of public health guidelines and orders, service delivery options (i.e. telepractice), and risk mitigation strategies for in-person services. Case studies follow, as well as discussion of how to use this model in future public health crises.