bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Native doublet microtubules fromTetrahymena thermophilareveal the importance of outer junction proteins
Authors: Kubo Shintaroh , Black Corbin , Joachimiak Ewa , Yang Shun Kai , Legal Thibault , Peri Katya , Khalifa Ahmad , Ghanaeian Avrin , Valente-Paterno Melissa , De Bellis Chelsea , Huynh Phuong , Fan Zhe , Wloga Dorota , Bui Khanh Huy
Published: October 2022

Cilia are ubiquitous eukaryotic organelles responsible for cellular motility and sensory functions. The ciliary axoneme is a microtubule-based cytoskeleton consisting of two central singlets and nine outer doublet microtubules. Cryo-electron microscopy-based studies have revealed a complex network inside the lumen of both tubules composed of microtubule-inner proteins (MIPs). However, the functions of most MIPs remain unknown. Here, we present single-particle cryo-EM-based analyses of theTetrahymena thermophilanative doublet microtubule and identify 38 MIPs. These data shed light on the evolutionarily conserved and diversified roles of MIPs. In addition, we identified MIPs potentially responsible for the assembly and stability of the doublet outer junction. Knockout of the evolutionarily conserved outer junction component CFAP77 moderately diminishesTetrahymenaswimming speed and beat frequency, indicating the important role of CFAP77 and outer junction stability in cilia beating generation and/or regulation.
The nuclear import receptor Kapβ2 modifies neurotoxicity mediated by poly(GR) in C9orf72-linked ALS/FTD
Authors: Cicardi ME , Kankate V , Sriramoji S , Krishnamurthy K , Markandaiah SS , Verdone BM , Girdhar A , Nelson A , Rivas LB , Boehringer A , Haeusler AR , Pasinelli P , Guo L , Trotti D.
Published: October 2022

Summary

Expanded intronic G4C2repeats in theC9orf72gene cause several cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). These repeats are translated through a non-AUG-dependent mechanism into five different dipeptides (DPRs), including poly-glycine-arginine (GR), which is aggregation-prone and eventually neurotoxic. Here, we report that Kapβ2 and GR interact, co-aggregating in primary neuronsin-vitroand CNS tissuein-vivo. Importantly, this interaction improves the overall survival of neurons expressing GR. Downregulation of Kap β2 is detrimental to the survival of neurons only if GR is expressed, whereas increased Kap β2 levels mitigate GR-mediated neurotoxicity. notably, we did not find any changes in TDP-43 localization nor in the dynamic properties of the GR aggregates when Kapβ2 was over-expressed. These findings support the design of therapeutic strategies aimed at modulating Kap β2 levels as a potential new avenue for contrasting neurodegeneration in C9orf72-ALS/FTD.
Active antennal movements in Drosophila tune wind encoding
Authors: Suver Marie P , Medina Ashley M , Nagel Katherine I
Published: October 2022

Many insects actively move their antennae, but how these movements influence sensory encoding is not fully understood. Antennae are used to smell odors1,2, detect auditory cues3,4, and sense mechanosensory stimuli such as wind5 and objects6–8, frequently by combining active movement with sensation. Genetic access to antennal motor systems would thus provide a powerful tool for dissecting the circuit mechanisms underlying active sensing, but little is known about how the most genetically tractable insect, Drosophila melanogaster, moves its antennae. Here we use DeepLabCut to measure how tethered Drosophila move their antennae in the presence of sensory stimuli, and identify genetic reagents for controlling antennal movement. We find that flies perform both slow and fast antennal movements in response to wind-induced deflections, but not the attractive odor apple cider vinegar. We describe four muscles in the first antennal segment that control antennal movements, and identify genetic driver lines that provide access to two groups of antennal motor neurons and an antennal muscle. Through optogenetic inactivation, we provide evidence that antennal motor neurons are specialized for different movement speeds. Finally, we show that activation of antennal motor neurons and muscles can improve the gain and acuity of wind direction encoding. Together, our experiments provide insight into the neural control of antennal movement and suggest that Drosophila actively position their antennae to tune the precision of wind encoding.
Optical Metabolic Imaging Uncovers Sex- and Diet-dependent Lipid Changes in Aging Drosophila Brain
Authors: Li Yajuan , Chang Phyllis , Sankaran Shiriya , Jang Hongje , Nie Yuhang , Zeng Audrey , Hussain Sahran , Wu Jane Y. , Chen Xu , Shi Lingyan
Published: October 2022

Aging is associated with progressive declines in physiological integrity and functions alongside increases in vulnerability to develop a number of diseases. The brain regulates sensory and motor functions as well as endocrine functions, and age-associated changes in brain are likely prerequisite for the organismal aging. Lipid metabolism has been associated with brain aging, which could be easily intervened by diets and lifestyles. However, the underlying mechanism through which brain lipid metabolism is regulated by diet during aging is elusive. Using stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) imaging combined with deuterium water (D2O) labeling, we visualized that lipid metabolic activities were changed by diet manipulation in agingDrosophilabrain. Furthermore, we illuminated that insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) pathway mediates the transformation of brain lipid metabolic changes in both an aging- and a diet-dependent manner. The lipid droplets (LDs) in the brain gradually became inert in both activities of lipid synthesis and mobilization with aging. High sugar diets enhanced the metabolic activity through promoting lipogenesis while dietary restriction increased the metabolic activity in both lipogenesis and lipolysis in brain LDs. However, these effects were impaired in bothchico1/+anddfoxo Drosophilamutants. We also observed that oldchico1/+brains maintained high metabolic activities, whilst the ageddfoxobrains acted exactly the opposite. More interestingly, the sexual dimorphism in brain lipid metabolism was impaired under diet regulation in bothchico1/+anddfoxomutants. Locally reduced IIS activity in glial cells can mimic the systemic changes in systematic IIS mutants to maintain lipogenesis and lipolysis in aged brains, providing mechanistic insight into the anti-aging effects of IIS pathway. Our results highlight the manipulation of glia-specific IIS activity as a promising strategy in anti-aging treatments.
Memory CD4 T cell subset organization in the female reproductive tract is regulated via the menstrual cycle through CCR5 signaling
Authors: Swaims-Kohlmeier Alison , Wein Alexander N. , Hardnett Felica P. , Sheth Anandi N. , Li Zheng-Rong Tiger , Williams M. Elliot , Radzio-Basu Jessica , Zheng HaoQiang , Dinh Chuong , Haddad Lisa B. , Collins Elizabeth M.B. , Lobby Jenna L. , Kost Kirsten , Hayward Sarah L. , Ofotokun Igho , Antia Rustom , Scharer Christopher D. , Lowen Anice C. , Garcia-Lerma J. Gerardo , Kohlmeier Jacob E.
Published: October 2022

Despite their importance for immunity against sexually transmitted infections (STIs), the composition of the female reproductive tract (FRT) memory CD4 T cell population in response to changes in the local tissue environment during the menstrual cycle remains poorly defined. Here we show that across humans, non-human primates (NHP), and mice, FRT CD4 T cells comprise distinct subsets corresponding to migratory memory (TMM) and resident memory (TRM) cells. TMM display tissue-itinerant trafficking characteristics, restricted FRT tissue distribution, with distinct transcriptional properties and effector responses to infection. CD4 T cell subset fluctuations synchronized with cycle-driven proinflammatory changes within the local tissue environment and oral administration of a CCR5 antagonist inhibited cycle phase-specific migratory T cell surveillance. This study provides novel insights into the dynamic nature of FRT memory CD4 T cells and identifies the menstrual cycle as a key regulator of memory T cell defense at the site of STI exposure.

The menstrual cycle regulates memory T cell surveillance.
Overexpression of AMPKγ2 increases AMPK signaling to augment human T cell metabolism and function
Authors: Braverman Erica L. , McQuaid Margaret A. , Monlish Darlene A. , Dobbs Andrea K. , Ramsey Manda J , Ramgopal Archana , Brown Harrison , Byersdorfer Craig A.
Published: October 2022

T cell-based cellular therapies benefit from a product with reduced differentiation and enhanced oxidative metabolism. Methods to achieve this balance without negatively impacting T cell expansion or impairing T cell function have proven elusive. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a cellular energy sensor which promotes mitochondrial health and improves oxidative metabolism. We hypothesized that increasing AMPK activity in human T cells would augment their oxidative capacity, creating an ideal product for adoptive cellular therapies. Lentiviral transduction of the regulatory AMPKγ2 subunit stably enhanced intrinsic AMPK signaling and promoted mitochondrial respiration with increased basal oxygen consumption rates (OCR), higher maximal OCR, and augmented spare respiratory capacity. These changes were accompanied by increased mitochondrial density and elevated expression of proteins involved in mitochondrial fusion. AMPKγ2-transduction also increased T cell glycolytic activity. This combination of metabolic reprogramming enhanced in vitro T cell expansion while promoting memory T cell yield. Finally, when activated under decreasing glucose conditions, AMPKγ2-transduced T cells maintained higher levels of both proliferation and inflammatory cytokine production. Together, these data suggest that augmenting intrinsic AMPK signaling via overexpression of AMPKγ2 can improve the expansion and function of human T cells for subsequent use in adoptive cellular therapies.

Key points

Lentiviral Transduction of AMPKγ2 increases oxidative metabolism in human T cells

AMPKγ2 transduction enhances in vitro proliferation without inducing exhaustion

AMPKγ2-transduced T cells function better under low glucose conditions
Biophysical characterisation of the structure of a SARS-CoV-2 self-amplifying - RNA (saRNA) vaccine
Authors: Myatt Daniel P , Wharram Lewis , Graham Charlotte , Liddell John , Branton Harvey , Pizzey Claire , Cowieson Nathan , Rambo Robert , Shattock Robin J
Published: October 2022

The current SARS-Covid-2 pandemic has led to an acceleration of messenger – ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine technology. The development of production processes for these large mRNA molecules, especially self-amplifying mRNA (saRNA) has required concomitant development of analytical characterisation techniques. Characterising the purity, shape and structure of these biomolecules is key to their successful performance as drug products. This paper describes the biophysical characterisation of the Imperial College London Self-amplifying viral RNA vaccine (IMP-1) developed for SARS-CoV-2. A variety of analytical techniques have been used to characterise the IMP-1 RNA molecule. In this paper we use UV spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), size-exclusion chromatography small angle scattering (SEC-SAXS) and circular dichroism (CD) to determine key biophysical attributes of IMP-1. Each technique provides important information about the concentration, size, shape, structure and purity of the molecule.

Statement of significance

This paper is highly significant as it provides a prescient biophysical characterisation of an efficacious Sars-Cov-2 vaccine self-amplifying (sa)RNA molecule. RNA vaccines have been a major scientific breakthrough of the Covid-19 pandemic. saRNA is a further development of conventional mRNA vaccines, amplifying the RNA of interest in the cell, allowing the vaccine to be administered at lower dosages. These new biologics are distinct from previous biologics and have required distinct analytical characterisation. The analytics described herein provide detailed information on the size, shape, and structure of the RNA molecule. This paper is therefore an important step in characterising large saRNA biological relevant molecules.
Smoothly adapting viscosity to velocity during comanipulation pointing movements
Authors: Dong Lin , Richer Florian , Roby-Brami Agnes , Morel Guillaume
Published: October 2022

Purpose

When a robot comanipulates an object with a human user, damping is a useful function. This is achieved by programming the robot to exhibit a viscous field. For some specific applications, the viscosity is required to change according to the manipulation velocity. A reported method is programming the viscosity varying inversely to the velocity. In this paper, this method is experimentally shown to distort human’s natural motion performance. This paper aims to propose a solution to solve this instability problem.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors performed a point-to-point targeting movement, where it was observed that the instability results from a sudden reduction of robot’s resistance to motion, which further results from the abrupt viscosity drop when the subject tries to accelerate. Therefore, the authors propose a solution where a first-order linear filter is added to the viscosity coefficient so as to slow down its variation.

Findings

The experimental results confirm that the proposition is effective, with the ability to stabilize the comanipulated dynamics and to restore the human’s natural behavior.

Originality/value

This paper concerns applications of comanipulation where the viscosity coefficient is designed to decrease as the velocity increases. An instability problem, which was of vital importance in terms of safety and performance but unreported in the literature, was experimentally studied through human–robot experiments. A solution was proposed by including a secondary dynamics in the variations of the viscosity. Its effectiveness was supported by the practical point-to-point motion experiments.
A low power high speed single phase clock level restoring 16T master-slave flip-flop
Authors: Mishra Alok Kumar , Chopra Urvashi , D. Vaithiyanathan , Kaur Baljit
Published: October 2022

Purpose

A low power flip-flop circuit is designed for energy-efficient devices. Digital sequential circuits are in huge demand because every processor has most of the parts of digital circuit. The sequential circuits consist of a basic data storing element, a latch is used to store single bit data. The flip-flop takes a sufficient portion of the total chip area and overall power consumption as well. This study aims to the low power energy-efficient applications like laptops, mobile phones and palmtops.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper proposes a new type of flip-flop that consists of the only 16 transistors with a single-phase clock. The flip-flop has two blocks, master and slave latch. In this design, the authors have focused on only master latch, which includes a level restoring circuit. It is used to help the master latch in data retention process. The latch circuit has two inverters in back-to-back arrangement. The proposed flip-flop is implemented on 65 nm complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology using Cadence Virtuoso environment and compared with other reported flip-flops.

Findings

The proposed flip-flop architecture outperformed the peak percentage, i.e. 79.25% as compared to transmission gate flip-flop and a minimum of 20.02% compared to 18 T true single phase clocking (TSPC) improvement in terms of power. It also improved C to Q delay and power delay product. In addition, by reducing the number of transistors the total area of the proposed flip-flop is reduced by a minimum of 13.76% with respect to 18TSPC and existing flip-flop. For reliability checking the Monte Carlo simulation is performed for thousand samples and it is compared with the recently reported 18TSPC flip-flop.

Originality/value

This work is tested by using a test circuit with a load capacitor of 0.2 fF. The proposed work uses a new topology to work as master-slave. Power consumption of this technique is very less and it is best suitable for low power applications. This circuit is working properly up to 2 GHz frequency.
Ethical issues in virtual workplaces: evidence from an emerging economy
Authors: Gupta Shubhi , Pathak Govind Swaroop
Published: October 2022

Purpose

However, while the benefits of adopting virtual work structures have been extensively discussed, ethical considerations have been largely ignored in the existing literature. To fill this gap, this study aims to investigate the key ethical issues associated with virtual workplaces. It also aimed to examine the various preventive measures that could be considered for effectively managing such challenges.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted an inductive research approach using qualitative methodology. Data was collected by executing the technique of dual moderator focus group discussion. By using the purposive sampling technique, the sample comprised 24 software professionals from emerging economies such as India. All sessions were transcribed, and the data were analysed using the content analysis method.

Findings

The study reports some interesting results related to various ethical issues and the preventive measures to handle such issues in virtual workplaces. The themes that emerged related to ethical issues have been categorised into three broad categories, i.e. People, Technology and Culture. In contrast, preventive measures have been reported in both contexts, i.e. pre-preventive and post-preventive measures. Furthermore, few recommendations have been made to improve virtual work experiences for remote work professionals. The identified themes and categories were classified and arranged in “Network View”, a feature embedded in Atlas.ti7 software, to analyse the conceptual relationships.

Practical implications

The findings may help managers regarding various ethical issues in virtual work settings. It may also provide an insight to the managers about the benefits of adopting preventive measures for handling ethical dilemmas in virtual workplaces in an emerging economy like India.

Originality/value

The study may be seen as one of the earliest attempts to consider the lingering debate on ethics in virtual workplaces. The findings of the study have implications for further theoretical research on the topic.
Crisis management: personal financial well-being and public attitudes toward government intervention
Authors: Lawlor Andrea , Girard Tyler , Wodnicki Philippe , Goode Miranda
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Crises precipitate strong fiscal responses by government – sometimes toward austerity, other times toward renewed social spending. This variation in approaches to crisis handling has the potential to highlight factors that drive public opinion toward government interventions that may be quite different from those in non-crisis times. This study aims to discuss the aforementioned issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This article brings together theories of government policymaking in crises, policy responsiveness and economic voting to assess how personal financial (egocentric) concerns and/or national financial (sociotropic) concerns may influence opinions toward government handling of direct financial supports in a crisis and, more generally, opinions toward social policy interventions. The authors assess this dynamic in the Canadian context using original national survey data collected in the initial stage of the pandemic-based crisis in June and July of 2020 (N = 1290).

Findings

The authors find strong evidence in support of sociotropic concerns shaping government approval and support for greater social policy interventions, but limited evidence to support egocentric concerns, suggesting that social policy attitudes may be more insulated from personal factors than anticipated.

Research limitations/implications

The authors’ findings suggest that crises may prompt enhanced support for interventionist social policy measures that may lack broad-based support in non-crisis times.

Originality/value

The authors’ findings speak to the ongoing discussion around the possibility for crises to function as policy windows for enhanced social spending and for entrenching targeted financial supports for vulnerable individuals.
It is time to fix the low financing trap: public spending on education revisited
Authors: Lewin Keith M.
Published: October 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to explore whether there is a “low financing trap” that results in underfunding of education systems in low and lower middle income countries (LICs and LMICs). It shows public investment in education has not increased over the last two decades despite extensive advocacy and has equilibrated at about 4% of GDP. More than 6% of GDP is needed to achieve the sustainable development goals.

Design/methodology/approach

This research uses large scale data from the UNESCO Institute of Statistics and the World Bank to analyse patterns of investment across sub-Saharan Africa. The most recent data downloaded in 2022 are used for each country. The analysis uses time series analysis to show how flows of resources for education have evolved and illustrates the limits to growth.

Findings

The research develops a taxonomy of countries and identifies three bands of effort for investment in education. Individual countries tend to remain in the same band of expenditure level and only the highest band countries are likely to be able to finance their development goals from their own resources between now and 2030. Escape from the low financing trap is critical for future educational development.

Originality/value

Innovative approaches to external assistance are needed which recognise that domestic revenues are at the heart of sustainable financing and that greater efficiency and effectiveness are critical to sustainable solutions. The priority is to accelerate the development of fiscal states, which can finance public goods from domestic revenue and make good use of concessionary assistance.
Multicultural emergency medicine epidemiology: A health economic analysis of patient visits
Authors: Moore Nicholas , Abid Ali , Ren Shiquan , Robinson Kent , Middleton Paul
Published: October 2022

Objective

There is growing evidence to suggest that culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients cost the health system more than non‐CALD patients because of a higher burden of disease and increased resource consumption. The present study aimed to compare the ED resource utilisation of CALD and non‐CALD patients at a tertiary hospital in Sydney, Australia.

Methods

The total ED resource utilisation was calculated by separating each visit into diagnostic test cost and time spent in ED components. The time component was calculated using the product of the total length of stay and a resource cost per unit time measure. Diagnostic tests were costed using the Australian Medicare Benefit Schedule. A generalised additive model was developed to estimate the isolated effect of CALD status on the resource utilisation during an ED visit.

Results

CALD patients had a higher median resource utilisation than non‐CALD patients ($736.93 vs $701.36, P < 0.0001); however, the generalised additive model demonstrated that CALD status was not independently associated with increased resource utilisation.

Conclusion

CALD status is not an independent influence on ED resource utilisation but other explanatory variables such as increased age and altered case‐mix appear to have a much greater influence. There may, however, be other reasons to consider CALD loading such as equity in healthcare and to address poorer overall health outcomes for CALD patients.
Impact of artificial intelligence in human resource management: a qualitative study in the Malaysian context
Authors: Sithambaram Rani Angammah , Tajudeen Farzana Parveen
Published: October 2022

This study examines the usage and impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in HRM among 12 companies located in Malaysia. In‐depth interviews were conducted with the companies' representatives. Thematic analysis was applied to analyze the data. Results showed that AI in HRM was mainly used for recruitment, talent management, HR shared service operations, learning and development, reporting and analytics and self‐service assistance. The results also disclosed that AI usage in HRM could generate operational, managerial, strategic, organizational, informational and compliance benefits for companies. The outcome of this study offers a better understanding of the usage and impact of AI‐based software in HRM, hence the better implementation of AI in HRM. Companies in Malaysia can then make better AI investment decisions.
A case of clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis in a Filipino woman
Authors: Amadore Rene A. , Bangayan Ramar John , Natividad Therese Eileen L.
Published: October 2022

This is a case of a 59‐year‐old woman who presented with a 2‐year history of heliotrope rash, Gottron’s papules, shawl sign, V‐neck sign, and muscle weakness. She was previously managed as a case of systemic lupus erythematosus and initially responded to unrecalled corticosteroids. She was admitted due to a 1‐month progressively enlarging sacral mass, which eventually turned out to be an abscess. While the abscess was being treated, her autoimmune condition was worked up, and she was then managed as a case of clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM) with interstitial lung disease (ILD). She received corticosteroids and underwent the first cycle of cyclophosphamide infusion prior to discharge.
imageseg: An R package for deep learning‐based image segmentation
Authors: Niedballa Jürgen , Axtner Jan , Döbert Timm Fabian , Tilker Andrew , Nguyen An , Wong Seth T. , Fiderer Christian , Heurich Marco , Wilting Andreas
Published: October 2022

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and deep learning are powerful and robust tools for ecological applications, and are particularly suited for image data. Image segmentation (the classification of all pixels in images) is one such application and can, for example, be used to assess forest structural metrics. While CNN‐based image segmentation methods for such applications have been suggested, widespread adoption in ecological research has been slow, likely due to technical difficulties in implementation of CNNs and lack of toolboxes for ecologists.

Here, we present R package imageseg which implements a CNN‐based workflow for general purpose image segmentation using the U‐Net and U‐Net++ architectures in R. The workflow covers data (pre)processing, model training and predictions. We illustrate the utility of the package with image recognition models for two forest structural metrics: tree canopy density and understorey vegetation density. We trained the models using large and diverse training datasets from a variety of forest types and biomes, consisting of 2877 canopy images (both canopy cover and hemispherical canopy closure photographs) and 1285 understorey vegetation images.

Overall segmentation accuracy of the models was high with a Dice score of 0.91 for the canopy model and 0.89 for the understorey vegetation model (assessed with 821 and 367 images respectively). The image segmentation models performed significantly better than commonly used thresholding methods, and generalized well to data from study areas not included in training. This indicates robustness to variation in input images and good generalization strength across forest types and biomes.

The package and its workflow allow simple yet powerful assessments of forest structural metrics using pretrained models. Furthermore, the package facilitates custom image segmentation with single or multiple classes and based on colour or grayscale images, for example, for applications in cell biology or for medical images. Our package is free, open source and available from CRAN. It will enable easier and faster implementation of deep learning‐based image segmentation within R for ecological applications and beyond.
Genetic basis of muscle‐related traits in sheep: A review
Authors: Talebi Reza , Ghaffari Mohammad Reza , Zeinalabedini Mehrshad , Abdoli Ramin , Mardi Mohsen
Published: October 2022

Sheep is a major contributor to global food production among livestock and one of the great sources of red meat for human consumption. Several QTL and numerous genes with major and minor effects have been identified in association with the muscle characteristics in sheep breeds worldwide. Understanding the genetic background of growth and carcass‐related traits in sheep is a major factor in increasing muscle growth, muscle hypertrophy and, eventually, meat production. This review concisely shows how major signaling pathways control skeletal muscle growth. Herein we aimed to discuss and summarize different research findings on genomic regions related to carcass traits and meat production in sheep. Several causative mutations with major effects on different muscle‐related traits have been reported in various sheep breeds. A general overview of the studies on main candidate genes showed that some alleles have major phenotypic effects in different breeds with commercial and farm level usability. However, numerous genes with minor effects were also reported regarding the polygenic nature of muscle‐related traits. The knowledge of the candidate genes involved in growth traits and their effects provides valuable information for breeding and selection of muscularity traits.
Limited commitment, endogenous credibility and the challenges of price‐level targeting
Authors: Cateau Gino , Shukayev Malik
Published: October 2022

This paper studies the cost of limited commitment when a central bank commits to a price‐level target path but retains the discretion to re‐optimize it whenever the cost of honouring its commitment exceeds a tolerance threshold. Such discretion undermines the credibility of the price‐level target path and weakens its effectiveness to stabilize the economy. Endogenous target resets are more costly than exogenous target re‐optimizations and can give rise to multiple equilibria, including a low credibility equilibrium with frequent target resets and high volatility. Canadian data suggest that price‐level target resets could be quite frequent in practice.
Radiographic density changes may be associated with overloading and implant loss on short implants: A 5‐year analysis of a randomized controlled clinical trial
Authors: Gil Alfonso , Strauss Franz J. , Hämmerle Christoph H. F. , Wolleb Karin , Schellenberg Roman , Jung Ronald , Thoma Daniel S.
Published: October 2022

Objectives

To analyze changes in radiographic bone density around short implants with and without cantilevers at 5 years post‐loading.

Materials and Methods

Thirty‐six patients with two adjacent posterior missing teeth participated in this randomized controlled clinical trial. All patients were randomly allocated to receive either two short implants (6 mm) with single‐unit restorations (group TWO) or one single short implant (6 mm) with a cantilever restoration (group ONE‐C). Patients were followed up at 6 months, 1, 3, and 5 years. Radiographic analysis was performed, through an arbitrary gray scale value (GSV) of the peri‐implant bone, assessing the changes in radiographic density between groups and between time points. Differences in GSV between groups and over time were calculated using a generalized estimating equation to allow for adjustments for the correlation within individuals and between time points.

Results

At 5 years, 26 patients remained in the study (15 in group ONE‐C; 11 in group TWO). Implant survival rates were 80.4% in group TWO and 84.2% in group ONE‐C (p = 0.894). The radiographic analysis revealed that GSVs increased in both groups over time (p < 0.001). The overall radiographic density was higher in group ONE‐C than in group TWO in the maxilla (p = 0.030). Conversely, in the mandible, these significant differences between the groups were not found (p > 0.05). Compared to the implants that survived, the implants that failed demonstrated a distinct radiographic density pattern (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Within the limitations of the present study, the radiographic bone density in the maxilla appears to increase distinctly around short implants when cantilevers are used. In contrast, the radiographic density in the mandible appears to be unaffected by the use of a cantilever, suggesting a lower threshold of adaptation to occlusal forces and thus a higher susceptibility to overload and implant loss at earlier time points.
Presentations to emergency departments in Melbourne, Australia diagnosed as allergic contact dermatitis
Authors: Dear Kate E. , Felmingham Claire , Ronaldson Claire , Nixon Rosemary L.
Published: October 2022

Background

This study investigated cases diagnosed as allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) in emergency departments (EDs) and management.

Methods

A multisite retrospective study of patients attending EDs in metropolitan Melbourne between July 2017 and June 2018 was performed. Using International Statistical Classification of Disease‐10 (ICD‐10) codes, the Victorian Agency for Health Information generated a list of cases of contact dermatitis (CD). Demographic and clinical data were analysed.

Results

Two hundred twenty‐eighty patients from 14 different sites were diagnosed with ACD. Hair dyes caused the most cases, and one such case was admitted to hospital.

It was apparent from the specified causes that cases of irritant CD were misdiagnosed as ACD.

There were significant differences in management with dermatology input, with dermatologists more often advising oral corticosteroids (33.3% vs. 14.5%, P = 0.004) topical corticosteroids (92.9% vs. 38.7%, P < 0.01), emollients (38.1% vs. 20.4%, P = 0.01) and less often advising antihistamines (16.7% vs. 44.6%, P < 0.001). With dermatology input, potent or very potent steroids were more likely to be prescribed (69.3% vs. 11.1%, P < 0.001); without, a mild potency steroid was more likely to be prescribed (63.9% vs. 4%, P = 0.01).

Conclusion

Improved understanding, diagnosis and management of CD are needed in EDs.
Does Dowry Drive Labor Export? Evidence from Pakistan
Authors: Cheema Ahmed Raza , Coxhead Ian
Published: October 2022

In Pakistan, one household in six receives remittances from family members working elsewhere. Using household data from a national living standards survey, we find that propensity to receive remittances is strongly associated with a higher number of dependent girls relative to total children in a household. The effect is significant for younger households and for households with lower permanent income, and increases as girls approach expected marriage age. After controlling for other demographic and economic factors known to be associated with migration, we conclude that the need to save for dowry to be paid on the marriage of a daughter is likely to contribute to the labor export decision.
Effects of density and heat treatment of C/C preforms on microstructure and mechanical properties of C/C–SiC composites
Authors: Ye Zhiyong , Wang Yalei , Wen Qingbo , Liu Yufeng , Liu Congcong , Xiong Xiang
Published: October 2022

Twill multidirectional carbon‐fiber‐reinforced carbon and silicon carbide composites (i.e., C/C–SiC) were prepared via chemical vapor infiltration combined with reactive melt infiltration process. The effect of heat treatment (HT) on the microstructure and mechanical properties of C/C–SiC composites obtained by C/C preforms with different densities was thoroughly investigated. The results show that as the bulk density of C/C preforms increases, the thickness of the pyrolytic carbon (PyC) layer increases and open pore size distribution narrows, making the bulk density and residual silicon content of C/C–SiC composites decrease. Moreover, the flexural strength and tensile strength of the C/C–SiC composites were improved, which can be attributed to the increased thickness of the PyC layer. The compressive strength reduces due to the decrease of the ceramic phase content. HT improves the graphitization degree of PyC, which reduces the silicon–carbon reaction rate and thereby the content of the SiC phase. HT induces microcracks and porosity but not obviously affects the mechanical properties of C/C–SiC composites. However, the negative impact of HT can be compensated by the increased density of the C/C preforms.
A new unique impulse response function in linear vector autoregressive models
Authors: Shi Yanlin
Published: October 2022

This article proposes a new unique impulse response function (IRF) measure, or MIRF, based on the popular vector autoregressive model to study interdependency of multivariate time series. Same as the orthogonal IRF, the estimator of MIRF has an analytical form with well‐established asymptotics, and is invariant to ordering of series. Compared to alternative unique IRF measures, MIRF does not depend on extreme identifications, and the associated forecast error variance measure is explainable. An illustrative empirical example is also provided.
Development and validation of IHS4‐55, an IHS4 dichotomous outcome to assess treatment effect for hidradenitis suppurativa
Authors: Tzellos Thrasivoulos , van Straalen Kelsey R. , Kyrgidis Athanassios , Alavi Afsaneh , Goldfarb Noah , Gulliver Wayne , Jemec Gregor B. E. , Lowes Michelle A. , Marzano Angelo Valerio , Prens Errol P. , Sayed Christopher J. , van der Zee Hessel H. , Zouboulis Christos C.
Published: October 2022

Background

Validated, inclusive and easy‐to‐use outcomes for hidradenitis suppurativa are essential both in the clinical trial setting and clinical practice. The continuous IHS4 is a validated tool that dynamically assesses nodules/abscesses/draining tunnels and classifies disease severity as mild/moderate/severe. However, dichotomous outcomes are often required for clinical trials reporting.

Objective

To develop and validate a dichotomous outcome based on IHS4 that can be used in clinical trial settings and day‐to‐day clinical practice.

Methods

De‐identified data from the PIONEER‐I and ‐II studies were accessed through Vivli. Potential IHS4 thresholds were analysed using baseline to Week 12 data from adalimumab‐ and placebo‐treated hidradenitis suppurativa patients in the PIONEER‐I trial. The final threshold was chosen based on its ability to discriminate between patients treated with adalimumab or placebo and its association with reduction in inflammatory lesions. The final threshold was validated using data from baseline to Week 12 from adalimumab‐ and placebo‐treated hidradenitis suppurativa patients in both the PIONEER‐II and the combined PIONEER‐I and ‐II studies.

Results

The best performing cut‐off for the IHS4 was a 55% reduction of the IHS4 score (IHS4‐55). Patients who achieved the IHS4‐55 had an odd's ratio of 2.00 [95%‐CI 1.26–3.18, p = 0.003], 2.79 (95%‐CI 1.76–4.43, p < 0.001) and 2.16 (95%‐CI 1.43–3.29, p < 0.001) for being treated with adalimumab rather than placebo in PIONEER‐I, PIONEER‐II and the combined dataset, respectively. Additionally, the achievement of the IHS4‐55 was associated with a significant reduction in inflammatory nodules, abscesses and draining tunnels in all analysed datasets.

Conclusions

IHS4‐55, a novel dichotomous IHS4 version, based on a 55% reduction of the total score was developed. The IHS4‐55 performs similarly to the HiSCR in discriminating between adalimumab‐ and placebo‐treated hidradenitis suppurativa patients and shows significant associations with reductions in lesion counts. Moreover, the IHS4‐55 addresses some of the HiSCR drawbacks by dynamically including draining tunnels in a validated manner. By allowing the analysis of hidradenitis suppurativa patients with an abscess and nodule count below 3 but many draining tunnels, this outcome measure will improve inclusivity in clinical trials.
The empirical status of semantic perceptualism
Authors: Calzavarini Fabrizio
Published: October 2022

Semantic perceptualism is the thesis that meaning experiences are forms of perceptual experiences. According to its defenders, this view is motivated not only by philosophical considerations, but also by empirical evidence. In the present article, I shall provide the first comprehensive and critical review of the empirical evidence in support of semantic perceptualism, including a detailed analysis of the relevant neuroanatomical data. The conclusions of my analysis are largely pessimistic. I believe that the relevant behavioral, cognitive, and patient data are suggestive but hardly conclusive. Moreover, neuroanatomical data speak strongly against semantic perceptualism.
Host plant intraspecific variation determines gall traits
Authors: Cardoso J. C. F. , Gonçalves P. H. P. , Oliveira D. C. , Rezende U. C.
Published: October 2022

Galls display a multiplicity of traits, including colours, which are driven by pigment accumulation. Their conspicuousness has attracted researchers' attention and several hypotheses have been raised. However, plants themselves vary intra‐specifically, including in their pigment concentrations. As galls are a result of host tissue development, colours may be a by‐product of the host's own traits, being more conspicuous simply because the sites where galls develop already have the predisposition to accumulate more pigment. Here, we call this the host variation hypothesis.

We test this hypothesis using the system of galls induced by Palaeomystella oligophaga on Macairea radula host plant. Using spectrophotometry, we calculated the Anthocyanin Reflectance Index (ARI) of gall projections, which are responsible for their characteristic colours. We tested the influence of occupant identity (galling insect or any natural enemy), gall volume, parenchyma thickness, height from the ground, ARI of leaf, ARI of gall surface and ARI of the respective stem.

We corroborated the host variation hypothesis since the anthocyanin content in stems and in galls' projections were positively related. Moreover, anthocyanin in galls' projections was positively related to anthocyanin in the gall surface and negatively related to gall volume and parenchyma thickness. This shows that, besides the host specificities, galls' own traits may also be responsible for pigment accumulation, influencing their colours.

In this study, using colour as an example, we show that although galls tend to be considered complex expressions of galling insects' stimuli, their traits may be simply influenced by previous and specific attributes of the host organs.
Differences by cognitive impairment in detailed processes for basic activities of daily living in older adults with dementia
Authors: Shimokihara Suguru , Tabira Takayuki , Hotta Maki , Tanaka Hiroyuki , Yamaguchi Tomoharu , Maruta Michio , Han Gwanghee , Ikeda Yuriko , Ishikawa Tomohisa , Ikeda Manabu
Published: October 2022

Background

Impairment of activities of daily living in patients with dementia has a fundamental and lasting impact on their quality of life and requires a detailed assessment. This study investigated to clarify characteristic of basic activities of daily living (BADL) processes with the severity of cognitive impairment in community‐dwelling older adults with dementia using the Process Analysis of Daily Activity for Dementia (PADA‐D).

Methods

Participants were recruited from outpatient departments of 24 hospitals, daycare centres, and home rehabilitation services in Japan. The severity of cognitive impairment was determined using the Mini‐mental State Examination (mild: score ≥ 20; moderate: 10 ≤ score < 20; severe: score < 10). Patient's BADL were assessed according to the PADA‐D by observation of the occupational therapist and interviews with family members. Basic information and the scores of BADL items of the PADA‐D were compared between the three groups. Subsequently, we compared the percentage of independent or non‐independent processes included in the sub‐items of BADL in the PADA‐D.

Results

A total of 143 patients were included in the analysis. Performance on BADL was shown to decrease significantly with increasing severity of cognitive impairment. The percentage of all BADL processes performed ranged from 58% to 100% in mild, 38% to 97% in moderate, and 0% to 88% in severe. Some of the processes included in BADL of PADA‐D showed no significant differences in independence between the three groups.

Discussion/Conclusion

Most BADL processes differed with respect to different independence rates depending on the severity of cognitive impairment of the older adults with dementia. However, some BADL processes were not associated with the severity of cognitive impairment. Our findings may suggest that a detailed BADL assessment of patients with dementia is useful in terms of caregiver education to avoid excessive caregiving and in predicting BADL impairment.
Transcriptome analysis of selected cytokine and chemokines in the eosinophilic plaques of cats with atopic skin syndrome
Authors: Vargo Cheryl , Howerth Elizabeth W. , Banovic Frane
Published: October 2022

Background

Previous evaluations of cytokine and chemokine gene expressions [messenger (m)RNA] in the skin of allergic cats were mostly unsuccessful in detecting the T‐helper 2 (Th2) pathway, which is associated with the major effector cytokines interleukin (IL)‐4, IL‐5 and IL‐13.

Hypothesis/Objective

To evaluate differences in the mRNA expression in eosinophilic plaques of cats diagnosed with feline atopic skin syndrome (FASS) compared to healthy controls.

Animals

Four client‐owned cats with FASS with eosinophilic plaques and five healthy control cats.

Materials and Methods

Gene expressions (mRNA) of 14 cytokines and chemokines from eosinophilic plaque skin of cats with FASS and site‐matched skin samples from healthy controls were analysed using quantitative reverse‐transcription PCR analysis.

Results

Eosinophilic plaques were characterized by upregulation of Th2 cytokines IL‐4 (p ≤ 0.01), IL‐5 (p ≤ 0.01) and IL‐13 (p ≤ 0.01) and Th2‐attracting chemokine CCL17 (p ≤ 0.05). Moreover, there was higher expression of S100 calcium‐binding protein A 8 (p ≤ 0.01) as well as C‐X‐C Motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10; p ≤ 0.01), IL‐10 (p ≤ 0.05) and the Th17 cytokine IL‐17A (p ≤ 0.01) in lesional skin compared to healthy samples. There was no difference in gene expressions of IL‐12A, IL‐31, IL‐33, thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) or CCL5.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

Results demonstrate that eosinophilic plaques feature dominant Th2 and IL‐17A inflammatory responses in the skin. Further larger‐sample transcriptome studies are needed to advance our understanding of the pathogenesis of different skin lesions in FASS.
System Identification of an Actuated Inclined Ball Mechanism Via Causation Entropy
Authors: Elinger Jared , Rogers Jonathan
Published: October 2022

Grey-box and black-box dynamic models are routinely used to model the behavior of real-world dynamic systems. When creating such models, the identification of an accurate model structure (often referred to as covariate selection, feature selection, or sparsity identification) is a critical step required to achieve suitable predictive performance by minimizing the effects of overfitting. Recently, causation entropy has been shown to be quite useful in data-driven covariate selection as it provides a mechanism to measure the causal relationships between the set of covariates and the state dynamics. This work extends previous results by applying the causation entropy covariate selection technique to data from an experimental nonlinear system consisting of a ball rolling on an actuated inclined ramp. Data collected from the system is processed by the causation entropy-based algorithm and covariate selection is performed on a black-box dynamic model. The resulting optimized model is shown to provide better predictive performance than an optimized black-box model which includes extraneous covariates. This study represents the first application of causation entropy-based covariate selection to real-world experimental data, illustrating its use as a practical system identification method.