bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abstract PR006: Evolution of evolvability
Authors: Gallaher Jill A. , Strobl Maximilian , West Jeffrey , Roberston-Tessi Mark , Anderson Alexander R. A.
Published: February 2024

The purpose of this work is to better understand how the rate of phenotypic adaptation of cells in a tumor affects its ability to survive treatment. Drug resistance is an ongoing problem for maintaining a sustained response in treating advanced cancers. Regardless of their lineage, heritable phenotypic adaptions may be beneficial for the tumor to survive stepwise changes in the environment during tumor growth. There may be further benefit for cells to develop the trait of being adaptable - to respond to large shifts in the microenvironment, survive metastasis to a new organ, and thrive when treatments are applied. Genomic instability and phenotypic redundancy may aid in adaptations, but there may be limits. With too much mutation and deviation from the parental phenotype, cells lose important regulatory and maintenance functions necessary to survive. So is there an optimal rate of evolvability? We use an off-lattice agent-based model to investigate how the rate of change through phenotypic trait space affects tumor growth and response to treatment. We assign cells with different combinations of proliferation rates and migration speeds and test how the variance from the parental cell on division affects the selection of trait combinations over time. During growth, heterogeneity is gained quickly and space matters less if evolvability is forced to continually increase, but there is more selection for proliferative phenotypes and slower evolvability if its rate is allowed to drift freely. We found that tradeoffs generally imposed a greater selection force leading to faster recurrence and the coexistence of proliferation or migration specialists. We compared responses to continuous, intermittent, and adaptive treatment schedules of an anti-proliferative drug. At some point with treatment, there is an optimal evolvability, as larger increases in diversity allows for cells to fall back into a sensitive state and be killed by treatment. We aim to design better treatment strategies that work for tumors with different levels of evolvability by understanding how the rate of tumor evolution affects growth and treatment response.

Citation Format: Jill A. Gallaher, Maximilian Strobl, Jeffrey West, Mark Roberston-Tessi, Alexander R. A. Anderson. Evolution of evolvability [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Translating Cancer Evolution and Data Science: The Next Frontier; 2023 Dec 3-6; Boston, Massachusetts. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(3 Suppl_2):Abstract nr PR006.
Supplementary Table 4 from ORAOV1, CCND1, and MIR548K Are the Driver Oncogenes of the 11q13 Amplicon in Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Mahieu Céline I. , Mancini Andrew G. , Vikram Ellee P. , Planells-Palop Vicente , Joseph Nancy M. , Tward Aaron D.
Published: February 2024

TCGA HNSCC tumor selection
Supplementary data file S1 from PKCδ Regulates Chromatin Remodeling and DNA Repair through SIRT6
Authors: Affandi Trisiani , Haas Ami , Ohm Angela M. , Wright Gregory M. , Black Joshua C. , Reyland Mary E.
Published: February 2024

Supplementary data file S1. Results of mass spectrometry histone profiling of shNT, shð110 and shδ680 cells.
Supplementary Figure 1 from PKCδ Regulates Chromatin Remodeling and DNA Repair through SIRT6
Authors: Affandi Trisiani , Haas Ami , Ohm Angela M. , Wright Gregory M. , Black Joshua C. , Reyland Mary E.
Published: February 2024

Supplementary Figure 1. Correlation of copy number variants (CNV) and PKCð expression in LUAD and HNSCC.
Supplementary Figure Legends 1-4 from Exosomal lncRNA NEAT1 Inhibits NK-Cell Activity to Promote Multiple Myeloma Cell Immune Escape via an EZH2/PBX1 Axis
Authors: Wang Qing-Ming , Lian Guang-Yu , Sheng Su-Mei , Xu Jing , Ye Long-Long , Min Chao , Guo Shu-Fang
Published: February 2024

Supplementary Figure Legends 1-4
Supplementary figure 6 from Mitochondrial Translocase TOMM22 Is Overexpressed in Pancreatic Cancer and Promotes Aggressive Growth by Modulating Mitochondrial Protein Import and Function
Authors: Haastrup Mary Oluwadamilola , Vikramdeo Kunwar Somesh , Anand Shashi , Khan Mohammad Aslam , Carter James Elliot , Singh Seema , Singh Ajay Pratap , Dasgupta Santanu
Published: February 2024

This file contains supplementary figure 6 and its figure legend
Supplementary Figure 4 from Integrating Clinical Cancer and PTM Proteomics Data Identifies a Mechanism of ACK1 Kinase Activation
Authors: Balasooriya Eranga R. , Madhusanka Deshan , López-Palacios Tania P. , Eastmond Riley J. , Jayatunge Dasun , Owen Jake J. , Gashler Jack S. , Egbert Christina M. , Bulathsinghalage Chanaka , Liu Lu , Piccolo Stephen R. , Andersen Joshua L.
Published: February 2024

Comparison of ACK1 WT and mutants by phospho-substrate protein array.
Data from Mitochondrial Translocase TOMM22 Is Overexpressed in Pancreatic Cancer and Promotes Aggressive Growth by Modulating Mitochondrial Protein Import and Function
Authors: Haastrup Mary Oluwadamilola , Vikramdeo Kunwar Somesh , Anand Shashi , Khan Mohammad Aslam , Carter James Elliot , Singh Seema , Singh Ajay Pratap , Dasgupta Santanu
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Pancreatic cancer has the worst prognosis among all cancers, underscoring the need for improved management strategies. Dysregulated mitochondrial function is a common feature in several malignancies, including pancreatic cancer. Although mitochondria have their own genome, most mitochondrial proteins are nuclear-encoded and imported by a multi-subunit translocase of the outer mitochondrial membrane (TOMM). TOMM22 is the central receptor of the TOMM complex and plays a role in complex assembly. Pathobiologic roles of TOMM subunits remain largely unexplored. Here we report that TOMM22 protein/mRNA is overexpressed in pancreatic cancer and inversely correlated with disease outcomes. TOMM22 silencing decreased, while its forced overexpression promoted the growth and malignant potential of the pancreatic cancer cells. Increased import of several mitochondrial proteins, including those associated with mitochondrial respiration, was observed upon TOMM22 overexpression which was associated with increased RCI activity, NAD+/NADH ratio, oxygen consumption rate, membrane potential, and ATP production. Inhibition of RCI activity decreased ATP levels and suppressed pancreatic cancer cell growth and malignant behavior confirming that increased TOMM22 expression mediated the phenotypic changes via its modulation of mitochondrial protein import and functions. Altogether, these results suggest that TOMM22 overexpression plays a significant role in pancreatic cancer pathobiology by altering mitochondrial protein import and functions.
Implications:
TOMM22 bears potential for early diagnostic/prognostic biomarker development and therapeutic targeting for better management of patients with pancreatic cancer.
FIGURE 7 from Genome-wide p63-Target Gene Analyses Reveal TAp63/NRF2-Dependent Oxidative Stress Responses
Authors: Napoli Marco , Deshpande Avani A. , Chakravarti Deepavali , Rajapakshe Kimal , Gunaratne Preethi H. , Coarfa Cristian , Flores Elsa R.
Published: February 2024

TAp63 promotes the NRF2-dependent oxidative stress response. A, Venn diagram of the differentially regulated genes in the indicated ΔNp63-competent versus deleted murine primary epithelial cell types. Listed are the pathways enriched in each respective section. B, Venn diagram of the differentially regulated genes in the indicated TAp63-competent versus deleted murine primary cell types. Listed are the pathways enriched in both epithelial cell types. C, Scatter plot of the metabolic pathways differentially regulated in WT versus TAp63−/− epidermal cells. Labeled are the NRF2-dependent metabolic pathways. D, Quantification of the CellRox signal in KER-CT cells transfected with the indicated siRNAs and treated with H2O2. The CellRox signal is normalized with respect to the siControl untreated cells. Data are mean ± SD, n = 8, * versus siControl H2O2, # versus siTAp63 H2O2, and $ versus siNRF2 H2O2, P < 0.005, two-tailed t test. E–R, Representative images of CellRox signal in KER-CT cells transfected with the indicated siRNAs and treated with H2O2. Scale bars, 100 µm.
Single-cell Multiomics Analysis of Myelodysplastic Syndromes and Clinical Response to Hypomethylating Therapy
Authors: Campillo-Marcos Ignacio , Casado-Pelaez Marta , Davalos Veronica , Ferrer Gerardo , Mata Caterina , Mereu Elisabetta , Roué Gael , Valcárcel David , Molero Antonieta , Zamora Lurdes , Xicoy Blanca , Palomo Laura , Acha Pamela , Manzanares Ana , Tobiasson Magnus , Hellström-Lindberg Eva , Solé Francesc , Esteller Manel
Published: February 2024

Alterations in epigenetic marks, such as DNA methylation, represent a hallmark of cancer that has been successfully exploited for therapy in myeloid malignancies. Hypomethylating agents (HMA), such as azacitidine, have become standard-of-care therapy to treat myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), myeloid neoplasms that can evolve into acute myeloid leukemia. However, our capacity to identify who will respond to HMAs, and the duration of response, remains limited. To shed light on this question, we have leveraged the unprecedented analytic power of single-cell technologies to simultaneously map the genome and immunoproteome of MDS samples throughout clinical evolution. We were able to chart the architecture and evolution of molecular clones in precious paired bone marrow MDS samples at diagnosis and posttreatment to show that a combined imbalance of specific cell lineages with diverse mutational profiles is associated with the clinical response of patients with MDS to hypomethylating therapy.

Significance:

MDS are myeloid clonal hemopathies with a low 5-year survival rate, and approximately half of the cases do not respond to standard HMA therapy. Our innovative single-cell multiomics approach offers valuable biological insights and potential biomarkers associated with the demethylating agent efficacy. It also identifies vulnerabilities that can be targeted using personalized combinations of small drugs and antibodies.
Chronic Liver Disease in Patients with Prolidase Deficiency: A Case Series
Authors: Gopalakrishna Harish , Asif Bilal , Rai Anjali , Conjeevaram Hari S. , Mironova Maria , Kleiner David E. , Freeman Alexandra F. , Heller Theo
Published: February 2024

Introduction: Prolidase deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by variants in the PEPD gene. Patients usually have multi-organ involvement and a wide range of clinical features including recurrent skin ulcers, dysmorphic facial features, recurrent infections, intellectual disability, and splenomegaly. Studies have shown that patients with prolidase deficiency may have hepatic manifestations including hepatomegaly and abnormal liver enzymes. However, there is no detailed description of liver disease in this patient population. Case Presentation: Here, we present 3 patients with prolidase deficiency with varying extents of hepatic involvement. Conclusion: Prolidase deficiency patients with liver disease should be followed up long term to understand more about the pathophysiology and the impact of liver disease on long-term outcomes.
The complexities of Triana collections: Unraveling the original materials of Pterogastra major (Melastomataceae)
Authors: NUNES DA SILVA DIEGO , REINALES SANDRA , FERNANDES GUIMARÃES PAULO JOSÉ
Published: February 2024

The monophyletic tribe Melastomateae Bartling (1830: 329) comprises 44 genera distributed across America, Africa and Asia (Veranso-Libalah et al. 2022). Among the Neotropical genera, Pterogastra Naudin (1850: 32) + Pterolepis (DC.) Miquel (1840: 72) form an intriguing clade that is sometimes considered sister to the Neotropical clade of Melastomateae, sister to the Paleotropical clade, or sister to both clades (see a detailed history in Veranso-Libalah et al. 2022; see also Penneys et al. 2022). The genus Pterogastra occurs in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and Guyana (Renner 1993; Silva et al. 2023), and is composed by three herbaceous, subshrubby and shrubby taxa: P. divaricata (Bonpl.) Naudin (1850: 33), P. divaricata var. glabra (Gleason) Renner (1994: 68), and P. minor Naudin (1850: 33) (Renner 1994). Pterogastra major Triana (1872: 40), a heterotypic synonym of P. divaricata (Renner 1994), was described based on at least four collections: Bonpland s.n. collected next to Villavicencio (Colombia), Goudot s.n. collected in Chaparral (Colombia), Triana s.n. probably collected in Fusagasugá and Susumuco (Colombia), and Mathews 1278 collected next to Moyabamba (Peru). In the taxonomic revision of the genus, the specimen Triana s.n. deposited at BM was selected as the lectotype of Pterogastra major (Renner 1994). Nevertheless, after investigating the Triana collections associated with the original material of P. major and based on the information contained in each label, we reassessed the nomenclatural status of each exsiccate, providing clarifications for all materials of this species collected by Triana.
Systematic assessment of the brown tree frog (Anura: Pelodryadidae: Litoria ewingii) reveals two endemic species in South Australia
Authors: PARKIN TOM , ROWLEY JODI J. L. , ELLIOTT-TATE JESSICA , MAHONY MICHAEL J. , SUMNER JOANNA , MELVILLE JANE , DONNELLAN STEPHEN C.
Published: February 2024

The brown tree frog (Litoria ewingii) is a relatively widespread, commonly encountered pelodryadid frog from south-eastern Australia, known for its characteristic whistling call. The distribution of Litoria ewingii spans over more than 350,000 km2, encompassing a range of moist temperate habitats, and is fragmented by well-known biogeographic barriers. A preliminary analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences revealed evidence for deep phylogenetic structure between some of these fragmented populations. In this study, we sought to re-evaluate the systematics and taxonomy of Litoria ewingii sensu lato by analysing variation in nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, adult morphology and male advertisement calls throughout the species’ range. Our analyses reveal two additional, deeply divergent and allopatric lineages in South Australia. We herein re-describe Litoria ewingii from Tasmania, southern New South Wales, Victoria and south-eastern South Australia, resurrect the name Litoria calliscelis for a species occurring in the Mount Lofty Ranges and Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia, and describe a new species, Litoria sibilus sp. nov., endemic to Kangaroo Island.
Revision of the Mexican ladybird genus Vedalia Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)
Authors: CZERWIŃSKI TOMASZ , SZAWARYN KAROL
Published: February 2024

The ladybird genus Vedalia was established by Mulsant in 1850 to accommodate a single species Vedalia sieboldii Mulsant. Since its description the genus attracted little attention, and its systematic position in modern classification of the subfamily Coccinellinae remained unclear. Here we provide revisionary study based on the type and non-type material from various collections. Male and female genitalia are illustrated for the first time, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) illustrations of the key characters are also provided. Position of the genus within the tribe Chnoodini Mulsant is confirmed. Distribution and biology of Vedalia are also discussed.
Differences in Time to Reported First Arrest by Race, National Origin, and Immigrant Generation: A Test of Assimilation Theories
Authors: Inkpen Christopher
Published: February 2024

This study examines immigrant assimilation theories by focusing on arrest during adolescence and adult life using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, a nationally representative panel study that follows children from adolescence through adulthood. The analysis compares outcomes for the first and second-generation of Mexican origin and other parts of Latin America to third- and fourth-plus generation (1) non-Hispanic white, (2) non-Hispanic black, and (3) Hispanic respondents. This investigation employs survival analyses to account for the timing of arrest and other events (e.g., graduation, childbirth, and employment). Results indicate the first generation, both of Mexican and Other Hispanic origin, are less likely to experience arrest than their higher-generation counterparts, regardless of race/ethnicity of the comparison group.
Telemedicine Trends and Lessons Learned During the COVID-19 Pandemic—World Trade Center Health Program, 2020-2021
Authors: Azofeifa Alejandro , Liu Ruiling , Dupont Hannah , Reissman Dori B.
Published: February 2024

The World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program, a limited federal health care program for eligible people exposed to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, expanded telemedicine services during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021). We analyzed service use trends from January 2020 through December 2021 to describe how the program implemented telemedicine services. About three-quarters (75%) of telemedicine visits were for mental health–related services. In the second quarter of 2020 (April–June), the number of telemedicine visits per 1000 members (n = 367) increased, exceeding in-person visits (n = 152) by 1.4-fold. The number of telemedicine visits per 1000 members decreased gradually during the rest of the study period but still represented 38% of total visits by the end of 2021. Changes in telemedicine visits were offset by comparable changes for in-person visits, such that the rate of total visits was essentially constant during the study period. Multivariate logistic regression models showed differences in telemedicine visit rates by member type and by demographic characteristics. Survivor members (vs responder members), those self-identified as non-Hispanic Other races (vs non-Hispanic White), those with preferred language not English (vs preferred language English), and those not living in the New York metropolitan area (vs living in the New York metropolitan area) were less likely to use telemedicine. Implementing telemedicine services in the WTC Health Program during the COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of extensive collaboration among partners, the capacity to rapidly develop necessary technical guidance, and the flexibility to address frequent regulatory guidance updates in a timely fashion. These lessons learned may guide similar health care providers posed with time-sensitive disruptions of in-person services.
Design of a yarn feeder based on a piezoelectric actuator
Authors: Peng Laihu , Zhou Yuexin , Qi Yubao , Ru Xin , Hou Liangmei
Published: February 2024

Yarn feeding is a crucial step in various stages of the textile industry, and plays an important role in ensuring the stable operation of knitting machines. In response to the working environment of yarn feeders and the periodic intermittent yarn usage in loop forming systems, this paper proposes a new type of piezoelectric-actuated yarn feeder with the characteristics of small size, low energy consumption, switchable yarn feeding modes, and self-locking. The working principle of the new yarn feeder is systematically analyzed and simulated, and the performance of the yarn feeder is experimentally investigated and compared with theoretical analysis. The relationship curves between yarn feeding speed and driving frequency, as well as yarn feeding speed and driving voltage peak-to-peak value, are drawn, and the stability segmentation line of the yarn feeder is defined. The yarn feeding accuracy of the proposed yarn feeder is verified, and the displacement-time relationship curves of yarn under different conditions are plotted to explore the yarn feeding characteristics. In summary, the proposed piezoelectric-actuated yarn feeder has good performance and can meet the needs of practical production processes. It provides a valuable reference for the combination of piezoelectric driving and the textile industry.
Effects of yarn properties on aerosol filtration performance of single jersey fabrics
Authors: Kiryaman Didem , Vinod Kaushik N , Fang Tiegang , DenHartog Emiel
Published: February 2024

A pandemic caused by airborne pathogens raises a great need for N95 respirators and surgical masks. Subsequently, the risk of undersupply becomes a primary challenge requiring the prioritization of those masks for healthcare workers. Health agencies recommend wearing cloth masks in low-risk groups to reduce the demand. Unlike N95 respirators and surgical masks, cloth masks can be made from various fabrics, and their filtration performance becomes material-dependent. However, the existing literature presents limited and contradictory results on the property-performance relationship of fabrics used for cloth masks. Thus, the fundamental parameters determining the effectiveness of the fabrics remain unknown. Herein, we investigated the effects of yarn properties and multilayering on the filtration performance of single jersey fabrics. The fabrics performed up to 45% particle filtration efficiency, with the range of air permeability from 110–330 ft3/min/ft2. The results revealed that while the structural differences associated with the yarn choice had a smaller impact on the particle filtration efficiency of the fabrics compared to air permeability, their effects were great enough to yield statistically significant differences between the fabrics. In addition, our findings demonstrated that multilayering effectively improved the filtration performance of fabrics but resulted in a greater increase in airflow resistance than particle filtration efficiency. To limit the tradeoff between air permeability and particle filtration efficiency, yarn properties should be considered in the material selection of multilayer masks. We anticipate that our work will be a starting point for a guide on cloth masks with minimal filtration and breathability requirements.
Don Cupitt: theological pioneer?
Authors: Graham Elaine , Smith Graeme
Published: February 2024

This final article in a three-part series exploring the contemporary significance of the theologian and philosopher of religion Don Cupitt examines the extent to which he might be considered a ‘theological pioneer’. There are three possible areas of innovation: Cupitt’s work on non-realism, his adoption of postmodern philosophy and his advocacy of a religion of everyday speech. In each of these, Cupitt carried out ground-breaking work, but it is less clear whether his ideas have exercised a significant and lasting influence. While the Sea of Faith television series (1984) generated a substantial popular following, his work has not been widely adopted or developed by successive generations of theologians or scholars of religion.
How Mixed-Methods Research Can Improve the Policy Relevance of Impact Evaluations
Authors: Barnow Burt S. , Pandey Sanjay K. , Luo Qian “Eric”
Published: February 2024

This paper describes how mixed methods can improve the value and policy relevance of impact evaluations, paying particular attention to how mixed methods can be used to address external validity and generalization issues. We briefly review the literature on the rationales for using mixed methods; provide documentation of the extent to which mixed methods have been used in impact evaluations in recent years; describe how we developed a list of recent impact evaluations using mixed methods and the process used to conduct full-text reviews of these articles; summarize the findings from our analysis of the articles; discuss three exemplars of using mixed methods in impact evaluations; and discuss how mixed methods have been used for studying and improving external validity and potential improvements that could be made in this area. We find that mixed methods are rarely used in impact evaluations, and we believe that increased use of mixed methods would be useful because they can reinforce findings from the quantitative analysis (triangulation), and they can also help us understand the mechanism by which programs have their impacts and the reasons why programs fail.
Predictive value of cerebrovascular time constant for delayed cerebral ischemia after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage
Authors: Uryga Agnieszka , Kasprowicz Magdalena , Budohoski Karol , Nasr Nathalie , Czosnyka Marek
Published: February 2024

Time constant of the cerebral arterial bed (τ) is a transcranial Doppler (TCD) based metric that is expected to quantify the transit time of red blood cells from the insonation point to the arteriole-capillary boundary during a cardiac cycle. This study aims to assess the potential of τ as an early predictor of delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI). Consecutive patients (56 ± 15 years) treated for aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage were included in the study. τ was assessed through a modelling approach that involved simultaneous recordings of arterial blood pressure and cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) from TCD's first recordings. 71 patients were included. 17 patients experienced DCI. τ was significantly shorter in patients who later developed DCI: 187 ± 64 ms vs. 249 ± 184 ms; p = 0.040 with moderate effect size (rG = 0.24). Logistic regression showed that there was a significant association between increased CBFV, shortened τ, and the development of DCI (χ2 = 11.54; p = 0.003) with AUC for the model 0.75. Patients who had both shortened τ and increased CBFV were 20 times more likely to develop DCI (OR = 20.4 (2.2–187.7)). Our results suggest that early alterations in τ are associated with DCI after aSAH. The highest performance of the model including both CBFV and τ may suggest the importance of both macrovascular and microvascular changes assessment.
Premonitory symptoms in migraine: A REFORM Study
Authors: Thuraiaiyah Janu , Ashina Håkan , Christensen Rune H , Al-Khazali Haidar M , Wiggers Astrid , Amin Faisal Mohammad , Steiner Timothy J , Ashina Messoud
Published: February 2024

Background

Estimates of proportions of people with migraine who report premonitory symptoms vary greatly among previous studies. Our aims were to establish the proportion of patients reporting premonitory symptoms and its dependency on the enquiry method. Additionally, we investigated the impact of premonitory symptoms on disease burden using Headache Impact Test (HIT-6), Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) and World Health Organization Disability Assessment 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0), whilst investigating how various clinical factors influenced the likelihood of reporting premonitory symptoms.

Methods

In a cross-sectional study, premonitory symptoms were assessed among 632 patients with migraine. Unprompted enquiry was used first, followed by a list of 17 items (prompted). Additionally, we obtained clinical characteristics through a semi-structured interview.

Results

Prompted enquiry resulted in a greater proportion reporting premonitory symptoms than unprompted (69.9% vs. 43.0%; p < 0.001) and with higher symptom counts (medians 2, interquartile range = 0–6 vs. 1, interquartile range = 0–1; p < 0.001). The number of symptoms correlated weakly with HIT-6 ( ρ = 0.14; p < 0.001) and WHODAS scores ( ρ = 0.09; p = 0.041). Reporting postdromal symptoms or triggers increased the probability of reporting premonitory symptoms, whereas monthly migraine days decreased it.

Conclusions

The use of a standardized and optimized method for assessing premonitory symptoms is necessary to estimate their prevalence and to understand whether and how they contribute to disease burden.
Liquid fertilizers produced by microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis of livestock and poultry wastes and their effects on hot pepper cultivation
Authors: Hashem Inas A , Hu Ronggui , Abbas Mohamed HH , Hashem Taghred A , Saleem Muhammad Hamzah , Zhou Wenbing , Xiao Naidong
Published: February 2024

Liquid fertilizers (LFs) produced by microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis of livestock and poultry wastes were applied to potted hot pepper ( Capsicum annuum L.) to evaluate their potential to be used as amino acid LFs. A preliminary experiment was conducted to determine the optimum acid-hydrolysis conditions for producing LFs from a mixture of pig hair and faeces (P) and another mixture of chicken feathers and faeces (C). Two LFs were produced under the optimum acid-hydrolysis conditions (acidification by sulphuric acid (7.5 mol L−1) in a microwave (200 W) for 90 minutes), and a commercial amino acid LF (Guo Guang (GG)) was used for comparison. P, C and GG fertilizers were tested in potted hot pepper cultivation at two doses, whereas no fertilizer application served as the control (CK). P and C fertilizers significantly increased the fruit yield compared with GG fertilizer, particularly at the higher dose. Moreover, the treatments improved the fruit vitamin C and soluble sugar contents in the order of C > P > GG compared with CK. These results could be attributed to more types of amino acids in C fertilizer than in P and GG fertilizers. The results also indicated that the prepared fertilizers could significantly increase the shoot and root dry weight, soil available nitrogen and phosphorus contents and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) uptake by plants compared with CK. In conclusion, microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis could effectively convert unusable wastes into valuable fertilizers comparable or even superior to commercial fertilizers.
Contested visions of sustainable development in conflicts over renewable energy, land, and human rights: A case study of Unión Hidalgo, Mexico
Authors: Schwab De La O Lorena , Jones Peris
Published: February 2024

The so-called ‘green shift’ poses dilemmas in developing sustainable sources of energy while ensuring the respect and protection of the rights of affected communities. The article seeks to advance understanding of how prevailing conceptualisations of Sustainable Development – as formulated in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – are constructed and adopted at different scales and are implicated in and shape struggles over land and environmental conflicts. The exceptional geographical conditions for wind energy production in the region of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca have led to significant investments in wind energy projects. In Unión Hidalgo, two projects are already in operation, the focus here. A content analysis was carried out of 36 documents published by three key actors involved (local defenders, companies, and the government at the state and federal levels). The results are then triangulated with insights from semi-structured interviews with local environmental defenders. The article shows how rights-based dimensions are perceived in a highly variable way and power relations unfold in discursive practices. That the project was eventually stopped, does, however, suggest the polyvalence of human rights, but that they are highly contingent – in this case, critically, part of social mobilisation, domestic litigation, and extra-territorial obligations of a company headquartered in France, all of which appear to rebalance power asymmetries uncovered in the analysis here.
Energy recovery from landfill gas emissions using a stepped piston segregated scavenge engine
Authors: Hooper Peter R
Published: February 2024

Atmospheric landfill gas emissions present serious problems when trying to counter the effects of global warming. The main constituent of landfill gas is methane, a more damaging greenhouse gas than CO2. European Union directives require the control and collection of landfill gases and promote energy recovery via combustion of the gas. A key challenge for combustion of landfill gas is the highly corrosive nature of the gas constituents which causes heightened maintenance and failure of applied engine systems. Conventional engines suffer from the effects of corrosion; however, stepped piston engine technology has yet to be considered for operational use at landfill sites. The engine has inherent advantages for such an application when compared with current conventional engines. The engine allows improved lubricating oil health compared to conventional engines and hence reduced oil use. This study discusses the challenges along with modelling of stepped piston and equivalent four-stroke engine solutions.
Determination of correlations in multivariate count data with informative observation times
Authors: Huang Chia-Hui
Published: February 2024

We consider there are various types of recurrent events and the total number of occurrences are collected at the random observation times. It has concerned that the observation process may not be independent to the multivariate event processes, hence the total counts and observation times may be correlated and the dependence may exist among different types of the event processes as well. Many methods have developed nonparametric models to accommodate such unknown structures; however, it is difficult to assess and directly quantify their correlation relationships. A multivariate frailty model is proposed to this study, in which the event and observation processes are linked by frailty variables whose joint distribution can be implicitly specified through the multivariate normal distribution with some unknown covariance matrix. The Bayesian inference method is conducted to obtain the estimates of the regression coefficients and correlation parameters. We use a form of trigonometric functions to represent the covariance matrix, so that it meets the positive-definiteness condition efficiently during the estimation schemes. The simulation studies demonstrate the utility of the proposed models. We apply the model to a skin cancer prevention study, and aim to determine the covariate and association effects. We found treatment is significant in determining the duration of examination times; prior-counts, age and gender are significant variables on the occurrence rates of tumor counts. Using the covariance matrix to access the underlying dependent structure, the mutual correlations among them are all positive, and the basal cell counts are more related to the examination times.
Optimal design for inference on the threshold of a biomarker
Authors: Baldi Antognini Alessandro , Frieri Rosamarie , Rosenberger William F , Zagoraiou Maroussa
Published: February 2024

Enrichment designs with a continuous biomarker require the estimation of a threshold to determine the subpopulation benefitting from the treatment. This article provides the optimal allocation for inference in a two-stage enrichment design for treatment comparisons when a continuous biomarker is suspected to affect patient response. Several design criteria, associated with different trial objectives, are optimized under balanced or Neyman allocation and under equality of the first two empirical biomarker’s moments. Moreover, we propose a new covariate-adaptive randomization procedure that converges to the optimum with the fastest available rate. Theoretical and simulation results show that this strategy improves the efficiency of a two-stage enrichment clinical trial, especially with smaller sample sizes and under heterogeneous responses.
From combat boots to running shoes: The role of military service in shaping masculine identity in Israeli long-distance running groups
Authors: Lev Assaf
Published: February 2024

This study examines the social construction of masculinity within the Israeli society, focusing on the associations between masculine identity, prior military service, and current involvement in long-distance running. A 2-year ethnographic research design was utilized, involving two running groups, which incorporated participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and running websites. The findings shed light on the significance of military service experience and the utilization of military discourse as strategies employed by runners to navigate the challenges of long-distance running and to reinforce their masculine identity. Through an analysis of the runners’ military discourse and behavior, it becomes evident that the integration of women into traditionally masculine domains of intense physical activity poses a threat to masculine dominance, eliciting various responses from men, such as intensified sports training and the use of sexist and aggressive language. These coping mechanisms contribute to the perpetuation of male dominance within the long-distance running sphere while simultaneously providing male runners with a pseudo-corrective experience associated with their personal history of non-combat military involvement.
Upper Urothelial Tract Extraosseous Bone Formation: An Unexpected Finding and Differential Diagnostic Considerations
Authors: Potterveld Susan K. , Wang Nancy , Sangoi Ankur R.
Published: February 2024

Extraosseous bone formation of the upper urothelial tract is an unusual phenomenon with limited documentation in the uropathology literature, reported in only 2 clinical series of patients undergoing percutaneous nephrolithotomy for the management of renal stones. While speculations regarding the pathogenesis of this occurrence have been published, heterotopic ossification is still poorly understood. We report the finding of extraosseous bone formation in the renal pelvis of a 30-year-old male patient with a history of kidney stones. Histologic sections of the ureter and renal pelvis showed submucosal nodules of woven bone. Ancillary fluorescence in-situ hybridization studies were negative for MDM2 amplification and USP6 rearrangement.
Microstructure characterisation of electromagnetic pulse welded high-strength aluminium alloys
Authors: Shipley-Jones Mason , Li Zaidao , Robertson Stuart , Jepson Mark A.E. , Barbatti Carla , Hogg Simon
Published: February 2024

Electromagnetic pulse welding is a high-velocity impact joining process employed with the intention of forming fast and effective solid-state bonds. Electron microscopy techniques, including SEM and TEM, revealed that bonding was not fully accomplished in the solid state; instead, local melting can occur. These locally melted areas likely occur around the point of first contact during the welding process and are associated with a debonded region that runs alongside or through the centre of melted zones. Microstructural characterisation showed dispersoid-free regions, columnar grains, epitaxial growth, and localised increases in O, Fe, Si, and Mn content in locally melted areas. This region contrasts with the solid-state bonded region, in which the interface exhibited sub-micron grains.
Quasi-equal strength and toughness matching rail steel joint obtained via friction welding below Ac1 temperature
Authors: Zhang Han , Li Chang’an , Xie Jiaqi , Zhu Zhiming
Published: February 2024

U75V rail steel rods underwent continuous-drive friction welding (CDFW). Joint properties were evaluated through microstructural analysis and mechanical testing (tensile, impact, and microhardness). The thermo-mechanical behaviour of the CDFW process was simulated by the finite element method, while a computed continuous cooling transformation diagram was used to predict phase transformation, microstructures, and hardness variations. By reducing the spindle speed to 1000 r/min, the peak temperature in the weld centre zone (WCZ) remained below Ac1. Microstructures in WCZ exhibited a high density of geometrically necessary dislocations. The joints demonstrated comparable tensile strength, impact toughness, and microhardness to BM, with underlying mechanisms elucidated. This study showcases CDFW's potential in achieving rail steel joints with quasi-equal strength and toughness to the BM.
Erotic habitus and collapsed masculinity in male-dominated spaces: The case of the no Fap relapse spaces
Authors: Dashiell Steven , Rowland Alexis
Published: February 2024

This paper examines how men in online discourses are constrained by sexual ideals, and use curated discourses in an effort to empower their social selves. Drawing from Adam Green’s work, we speculate that an erotic habitus surrounding sexual ideas allows men who see themselves besieged by porn and masturbation addiction to craft specific male-oriented language. In this paper, we demonstrate how men operationalize this erotic habitus through discursive behaviors. We use thematic analysis to analyze the forum posts of men in the No Fap community, a worldwide association of men who have sworn off masturbation ( n = 610). Particularly, we consider how the men articulate an antagonistic relationship with online pornography, and use an erotic habitus framed in language to note their reaction to perceived adversaries and their own strength to remain abstinent, devoid of humor, or sarcasm. These discourses have underlying elements of a muted relationship with patriarchal ideals, consistent with a collapsed masculinity. However, through the erasure of topics from these conversations, a heterosexist and women-absent conversation still implies a male-centric power.
From case to context: A case-driven comprehensive review on Kirschner wire migration to the cervical spine and neck
Authors: Hrubovčák Ján , Tulinský Ľubomír , Jelínek Petr , Potičný Slavomír , Roman Jan , Szeliga Jiří
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Osteosynthesis using Kirschner wires constitutes a fundamental technique within the realms of traumatology and orthopaedics. Despite its widespread application and popularity, it is susceptible to migration of the wires.

Case Report

A 36-year-old patient presented with neck pain; subsequent radiographic imaging identified two Kirschner wires that had migrated to the cervical spine following failed removal after K-wiring of a fractured left clavicle 16 years previously. Surgical removal was undertaken complicated by a parapharyngeal abscess that needed surgical drainage and neurological symptoms in terms of left shoulder weakness and left arm/hand paraesthesia. All neurological symptoms resolved after many months of rehabilitation excepting some residual paraesthesia on the ulnar border of the left hand.

Discussion

A thorough literature review reveals 30 other cases of K-wire migration to the cervical spine. Vague symptoms are the norm with <25% presenting focal neurological symptoms, with only 6 penetrating the spinal cord, two of which were left with severe deficits. The other 28 patients had no long-term significant deficits.

Conclusion

The migration of K-wires into the spinal canal, is a rare but recognised complication. Functional outcomes are contingent on spinal cord injuries arising from the implantation. In the absence of spinal cord injury, a high probability of complete functional restoration and symptom resolution exists.
Activist Co-production for the Right to Occupy, Hold Ground, and Upgrade
Authors: Pimentel Walker Ana Paula , Arquero de Alarcón María , Friendly Abigail , Barbosa Benedito Roberto , Ribeiro de Souza Marilene , Nobre Sheila Cristiane Santos
Published: February 2024

This article theorises a multi-year participatory action research engagement focusing on young land occupations and consolidated favelas in São Paulo’s south periphery, providing an arsenal of tools for activist-scholars. Building on Paulo Freire's legacy, we call on academia to embrace activist co-production, learn from and support informal dwellers’ everyday urbanisms, and join social movements’ struggles for social transformation. We advance three modalities of action: awareness raising through emancipatory education and capacity building; articulatção through knowledge exchange between young and consolidated informal communities; and advocacy through policy reform for the right to occupy, hold ground, and upgrade.
Impact of climate change on long-term damage detection for structural health monitoring of bridges
Authors: Figueiredo Eloi , Peres Nuno , Moldovan Ionut , Nasr Amro
Published: February 2024

The effects of operational and environmental variability have been posed as one of the biggest challenges to transit structural health monitoring (SHM) from research to practice. To deal with that, machine learning algorithms have been proposed to learn from experience based on a reference data set. These machine learning algorithms work well if the operational and environmental conditions under which the bridge operates do not change over time. Meanwhile, climate change has been posed as one of the biggest concerns for the health of bridges. Although the uncertainty associated with the magnitude of the change is large, the fact that our climate is changing is unequivocal. Therefore, it is expected that climate change can be another source of environmental variability, especially the temperature. So, what happens if the mean temperature changes over time? Will it significantly affect the dynamics of bridges? Will the reference data set used for the training of algorithms become outdated? Are machine learning algorithms robust enough to deal with those changes? This is a pioneering work on the impact of climate change on the long-term damage detection in the context of bridge SHM. A classifier rooted in machine learning is trained using one-year data from the Z-24 Bridge in Switzerland and tested with current and future data. Three climate change scenarios are assumed, centered in three future periods, namely 2035, 2060, and 2085. This study concludes that climate change may be seen as another source of operational and environmental variability to be considered when using machine learning algorithms for long-term damage detection.
Turning Older Women’s Life Stories into Hypermedia: Reflections on the Production of Feminist Creative Analytic Practices
Authors: Choi Kimburley Wing Yee , Chan Anita Kit Wa , Chan Annie Hau Nung
Published: February 2024

This article discusses our development of a new form of feminist Creative Analytic Practices (CAP) by creating knowledge through interactive video installation and web-based interactive re-storytelling ( https://kimchoi.net/a-story-of-ones-own/ ). Since the 1990s, qualitative social researchers have been developing alternative methods and forms to capture and represent the complexity of lived experiences. Through referencing feminist postconstructionist CAP, Deleuzian rhizomatic narrative inquiry, and feminist film theories and films, our project – consisting of reflexive writing experiments and re-enactment of 43 older Hong Kong women’s life stories in hypermedia – contributes to this expansive knowledge. Specifically, we describe our writing and production processes, including the strategies and tools considered, medium specificity and cinematic apparatuses used, and challenges encountered when attempting to create a nonlinear, multi-layered, polyphonic, and interactive narrative. Our main concerns are: How can researchers produce a self-conscious, research-based creative work that highlights women’s agency under socio-cultural constraints, whilst acknowledging selfhood as rhizomatic, knowledge as situated, and “truths” as partial and multiple under conditions of its own making? How can we produce alternative social science research practices that carry both logic and affect? How can we engage the audience to open up and interpret older women’s life stories in embodied and experiential ways?
A stochastic analysis of the 4 × 100 m relay
Authors: Karlsson Niklas , Lunander Anders
Published: February 2024

The baton exchanges are undoubtedly the most critical parts of the 4 × 100 m relay race. Timing of the outgoing runner is critical. In this paper we analyze the race as a minimization problem under uncertainty. We formulate a stochastic model in which the outgoing runner at the baton exchange cannot perfectly assess the incoming runner's exact location relatively a checkmark position, and therefore potentially misjudges the right moment to start running. Also, the team members’ daily shape is subject to uncertainty. To understand the effect of these two random variables—incoming runners’ distance to checkmark and the daily shape of the running team—we conduct a simulation study to investigate the trade-off between the team's expected race time and their probability of being disqualified due to overrunning the takeover zone. Conditioning on a low disqualification probability, the difference in expected race time is shown to be substantial between teams with different variation in distance assessment and forecasting running performance, respectively.