bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reversed Conversion, Theodicy, and Cross-cultural Mission in Shūsaku Endō's Silence and Zhenyun Liu's Someone to Talk To
Authors: Li Jin , Ma Li
Published: September 2023

Abstract: To present the complex relationship between Christianity and modern non-Western societies, this article compares two novels from East Asia, Silence (1966) by Japanese writer Shūsaku Endō and Someone to Talk To (2009) by Chinese novelist Liu Zhenyun, that touch on themes of Christianity and cross-cultural tensions in indigenous contexts, including theodicy, suffering, and hope. Endō portrays a Japanese society through the eyes of a western Catholic priest. In comparison, Liu's literary innovation presents a possibility of missionary integration through humanly mundane details of life.
"Goddes Visitacion": Human Suffering and Divine Agency in Calvin and Herbert
Authors: Ridderman Erica
Published: September 2023

Abstract: In this article, I put John Calvin and George Herbert in conversation on the theological question of God's role in human suffering. For Calvin, God's providence implies that God actively wills all things that occur, including suffering, and that consolation comes from this acknowledgement. Despite agreement with Calvin in some respects, I argue that Herbert amends Calvin at two crucial points: the permissive will of God and the inexplicability of suffering. By analyzing two sets of poems, I hope to show that Herbert's poetry offers a more nuanced, compelling, and pastorally sensitive account of God's role in suffering.
Memory Work and Dirty Work: Writing the Labor of Eldercare
Authors: Fraiman Susan
Published: September 2023

Abstract: "Memory Work and Dirty Work: Writing the Labor of Eldercare" identifies the US eldercare memoir as a burgeoning subgenre of life writing. Typically written by daughters about nursing their parents at the end of life, these memoirs—searing accounts of care for declining bodies—make eldercare visible as a major category of unpaid feminized work. Most home care aides in the US are also women, many of them Black and/or immigrants, performing this important job for meager wages. Eldercare memoirs are thus substantially concerned with the nature and devaluation of a particular form of labor. Dramatizing its feminization, they lead me to pursue a further question: to what extent are female aides and their unequal, quasi-familial relationships with daughters given space in these narratives? Texts treated in detail include Sue Miller's The Story of My Father (2003) and Ruth Tosic's I Am Not the Girl: Memoirs of a Certified Nursing Assistant (2021).
The Double Repatriations of Cybernetics and Media Theory: Vilém Flusser and Heinz von Foerster
Authors: Jaffe Aaron
Published: September 2023

Abstract: Connecting the dots between Vilém Flusser and Heinz von Foerster, this essay explores the links and somewhat belated co-emergence of media theory and cybernetics as a vanishing mediator in modern literary history and the posthuman turn: first, media theory's cybernetic investments and re-deployments of certain concepts and, second, a much humbler claim for cybernetics, namely, its status as a media theory in all but name. Preeminently, the idea that there's no outside to the Whole, second-order observation, the key piece from von Foerster, is central to Flusserian thinking. There's always an observer observing, and that's in any type of epistemology that's a hard problem of complexity, like a problem that can't be easily resolved. The subject isn't a human per se but a knot and also a not of relations, as Flusser puts it, a juncture for various channels of information that also presents impedances. Von Foerster's transit is from physicist - interested in engineering and a systemic constructivism - to meta-physicist reaching into the impossibilities of the social sphere and cognition.
Detection of fluid motion direction based on the rotational Doppler effect of grafted perfect vortex beam
Authors: Lu Zhenzhong , Liu Min , Hu Ziqi , Han Biao , Sun Yanling , Liao Jiali , Wang Zihao , Huang Shangtao , Shi Pengyu
Published: September 2023

Vortex beams have attracted much attention due to their unique rotational Doppler effect. With the in-depth study of vortex beams, many new vortex beams have been proposed gradually, while the detection of fluid motion is of great significance for the study of ocean turbulence. Based on the rotational Doppler effect of the grafted perfect vortex beam, we propose a non-embedded optical method for real-time detection of the magnitude and direction of fluid velocity and establish a two-dimensional fluid model for simulation verification. It is proved that the grafted perfect vortex beam can detect the magnitude and direction of the fluid velocity at the same time, which may provide a new way and theoretical support for the detection of fluid motion direction.
Multimode optical switch based on cascaded Mach–Zehnder interferometer waveguides
Authors: Sun Shijie , Che Yuanhua , Xie Yuhang , Yu Qidong , Wang Fei , Wang Xibin , Zhang Daming
Published: September 2023

We present a 1 × 1 multimode optical switch for E11, E21, E12, and E22 modes based on cascaded Mach–Zehnder interferometer (MZI) waveguides, where the primary MZI is used to split E11, E21, E12, and E22 modes into E11 or E12 mode and then couple back to the original mode at the output, and the secondary MZIs are the modulation arms of the primary MZI. In addition, the secondary MZIs are designed to be mode-insensitive for switching E11 and E12 modes simultaneously. As a proof of concept, we fabricate the device with polymer material to achieve thermo-optic switching for the four modes. Our experimental device exhibits the extinction ratios of larger than 10.2 dB with a power consumption of 5.5 mW and response times of less than 1.28 ms for each mode. The presented device can be widely applied in mode-division multiplexing (MDM) systems where multimode switching is needed.
Lab-on-fiber: laser-induced micro-cavity for a relative humidity measurement
Authors: Wang Jiabin , Kou Yanru , Wang Anzhi , Hao Jiayu , Niu Chong , Jiang Hang , Meng Haoran , Sun Weimin , Geng Tao
Published: September 2023

The lab-on-fiber design philosophy is the foundation for creating high-performance integrated fiber sensors. Hence, this Letter proposes an ultra-compact Fabry–Perot interferometer (FPI) based on a laser-induced micro-cavity (LIMC-FPI) on a fiber end for measuring relative humidity. To our knowledge, this novel approach, named the fiber-end photopolymerization (FEP) technique, is applied to create a micro-cavity. Specifically, a pair of humidity-sensitive polymer pillars and a resin end cap obtained by FEP are integrated to generate the cavity. As the ambient humidity changes, the pillars lengthen or shorten, resulting in the spectral evolution of the LIMC-FPI. A typical humidity sensitivity of 0.18 nm/%RH is obtained experimentally. For monitoring the human breathing process, the LIMC-FPI is responsive in the breathing frequency range of 0.2 to 0.5 Hz, allowing a response and recovery time of less than 0.388 s and 1.171 s, respectively. This work introduces a fresh and cost-effective approach for developing lab-on-fiber concept-based sensors.
Optical readout and actuation of plasmonic nano-optomechanical drum resonators
Authors: Vandersmissen Jente , Meijer Randy A. , Sukham Johneph , Erkelens Aloys , Aans Jan Bonne , Verhagen Ewold
Published: September 2023

We demonstrate optical readout and actuation of nanomechanical motion
using plasmonic fields in a nanoscale gap waveguide. The top gold
layer of the waveguide is free to vibrate like a drumhead, and
patterned with an optical grating to facilitate efficient coupling to
free-space radiation. The change of the plasmonic gap mode with the
top layer position couples the plasmonic resonance to the mechanical
displacement of the drum. We characterize optical and mechanical
resonances of the system, and demonstrate sensing of nanomechanical
vibrations with ∼10−14 m/Hz sensitivity. The mechanical
resonators are actuated through plasmonic forces. Quantifying their
magnitude shows that plasmonic forces can significantly exceed pure
radiation pressure, indicating that their nature is dominated by a
photothermoelastic effect. This work opens avenues to the use of
plasmonic readout and control in nanomechanical sensing
applications.
Mechanistic multiscale modelling of energy metabolism in human astrocytes reveals the impact of morphology changes in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Farina Sofia , Voorsluijs Valérie , Fixemer Sonja , Bouvier David S. , Claus Susanne , Ellisman Mark H. , Bordas Stéphane P. A. , Skupin Alexander
Published: September 2023

Astrocytes with their specialised morphology are essential for brain homeostasis as metabolic mediators between blood vessels and neurons. In neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), astrocytes adopt reactive profiles with molecular and morphological changes that could lead to the impairment of their metabolic support and impact disease progression. However, the underlying mechanisms of how the metabolic function of human astrocytes is impaired by their morphological changes in AD are still elusive. To address this challenge, we developed and applied a metabolic multiscale modelling approach integrating the dynamics of metabolic energy pathways and physiological astrocyte morphologies acquired in human AD and age-matched control brain samples. The results demonstrate that the complex cell shape and intracellular organisation of energetic pathways determine the metabolic profile and support capacity of astrocytes in health and AD conditions. Thus, our mechanistic approach indicates the importance of spatial orchestration in metabolism and allows for the identification of protective mechanisms against disease-associated metabolic impairments.
The first multi-tissue genome-scale metabolic model of a woody plant highlights suberin biosynthesis pathways in Quercus suber
Authors: Cunha Emanuel , Silva Miguel , Chaves Inês , Demirci Huseyin , Lagoa Davide Rafael , Lima Diogo , Rocha Miguel , Rocha Isabel , Dias Oscar
Published: September 2023

Over the last decade, genome-scale metabolic models have been increasingly used to study plant metabolic behaviour at the tissue and multi-tissue level under different environmental conditions. Quercus suber, also known as the cork oak tree, is one of the most important forest communities of the Mediterranean/Iberian region. In this work, we present the genome-scale metabolic model of the Q. suber (iEC7871). The metabolic model comprises 7871 genes, 6231 reactions, and 6481 metabolites across eight compartments. Transcriptomics data was integrated into the model to obtain tissue-specific models for the leaf, inner bark, and phellogen, with specific biomass compositions. The tissue-specific models were merged into a diel multi-tissue metabolic model to predict interactions among the three tissues at the light and dark phases. The metabolic models were also used to analyse the pathways associated with the synthesis of suberin monomers, namely the acyl-lipids, phenylpropanoids, isoprenoids, and flavonoids production. The models developed in this work provide a systematic overview of the metabolism of Q. suber, including its secondary metabolism pathways and cork formation.
BMP suppresses WNT to integrate patterning of orthogonal body axes in adult planarians
Authors: Clark Eleanor G. , Petersen Christian P.
Published: September 2023

Adult regeneration restores patterning of orthogonal body axes after damage in a post-embryonic context. Planarians regenerate using distinct body-wide signals primarily regulating each axis dimension: anteroposterior Wnts, dorsoventral BMP, and mediolateral Wnt5 and Slit determinants. How regeneration can coordinate perpendicular tissue axes without symmetry-breaking embryonic events is not fully understood. Here, we report that the planarian dorsoventral regulator bmp4 suppresses the posterior determinant wnt1 to provide patterning input to the anteroposterior axis. Double-FISH identified distinct anteroposterior domains within dorsal midline muscle that express either bmp4 or wnt1. Homeostatic inhibition bmp4 and smad1 expanded the wnt1 expression anteriorly, while elevation of BMP signaling through nog1;nog2 RNAi reduced the wnt1 expression domain and elevated bmp4 expression. Homeostatic BMP signal perturbation broadly affected anteroposterior identity as measured by expression of posterior Wnt pathway factors, and caused mislocalization of AP-regionalized pharynx progenitors, without strongly affecting expression domains of anterior regulators. Additionally, wnt1 inhibition elevated bmp4 expression in the tip of the tail. Therefore, dorsal BMP signals and posterior wnt1 mutually antagonize for patterning the tail. Furthermore, homeostatic bmp4 RNAi caused medial expansion of the lateral determinant wnt5 and reduced expression of the medial regulator slit. By contrast, nog1;nog2 RNAi restricted wnt5 expression. Double RNAi of bmp4 and wnt5 resulted in lateral ectopic eye phenotypes, suggesting bmp4 acts upstream of wnt5 to pattern the mediolateral axis. These results indicate bmp4 controls dorsoventral information and also, through suppression of Wnt signals, influences anteroposterior and mediolateral identity. Based on related functions across vertebrates and Cnidarians, Wnt and BMP cross-regulation could form an ancient mechanism for coordinating orthogonal axis patterning.
Hepatitis B virus infection status and associated factors among health care workers in selected hospitals in Kisumu County, Kenya: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Mboya Frankline Otieno , Daud Ibrahim I. , Ondondo Raphael , Onguru Daniel
Published: September 2023

Poorly managed medical waste produced at the health facilities are potential source of infections including occupational exposure to Hepatitis B Virus (HBV). This study evaluated the prevalence of HBV infection among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Kisumu County. We determined prevalence of HBV infections among 192 HCWs from nine purposively selected high-patient volume public hospitals in Kisumu County. A structured questionnaire was administered, and 4.0 ml of venous blood sample collected for Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) and total hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) testing using enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Of 192 HCWs sampled, 52.1% were males and the median participants age was 34.4 years with interquartile range (IQR) of 11 (28–39) years. Most participants (44%) had worked for between 1–5 years. There was low HBV vaccine uptake with 35.9% completing the required 3 doses, while 40.6% had never been vaccinated. HBV prevalence was 18.8% (36/192), prevalence of past resolved infection was 25.5% (49/192), while 37.5% (72/192) of HCW had evidence of vaccine-derived immunity and 17.7% (34/192) were susceptible. HBV prevalence among HCW who had worked for less than one year and those who had never been vaccinated was 37.5% and 35.9% respectively. Significant risk of HBV lifetime exposure was noted among HCWs with one vaccine dose, those with no known exposure, while highest in those with knowledge on HBV transmission (aOR, 7.97; 95% CI, 2.10–153.3, p-value = 0.008). HCWs who had received ≥2 doses of HBV vaccine (aOR, 0.03; 95% CI, 0.01–0.10, p-value = <0.0001) had significant HBV protection. Duration of service was not associated with HBV among HCWs. HBV prevalence was high among HCWs from nine high patient volume public hospitals in Kisumu County. Efforts to strengthen HBV vaccination uptake and dose completion are needed to reduce HBV infections among HCWs.
Prevalence and risk factors for hepatitis C virus infection in an informal settlement in Karachi, Pakistan
Authors: Mansoor Munazza , de Glanville William A. , Alam Ridwa , Aslam Khawar , Ahmed Mubashir , Isaakidis Petros , Pasha Aneeta
Published: September 2023

The burden of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Pakistan is amongst the highest in the world. People living in slums are likely to be at high risk of infection. Here, we describe the results of a cross-sectional survey conducted in March 2022 that aimed to quantify the prevalence of HCV infection in Machar Colony, one of the largest and oldest slum settlements in Karachi. Risk factors for HCV seropositivity were identified using multi-level logistic regression. We recruited 1,303 individuals in a random selection of 441 households from Machar Colony. The survey-adjusted HCV-seroprevalence was 13.5% (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 11.1–15.8) and survey-adjusted viraemic prevalence was 4.1% (95% CI 3.1–5.4) with a viraemic ratio of 32% (95% CI 24.3–40.5). Of 162 seropositive people, 71 (44%) reported receiving previous treatment for chronic hepatitis C. The odds of HCV seropositivity were found to increase with each additional reported therapeutic injection in the past 12 months (OR = 1.07 (95% Credible Interval (CrI) 1.00–1.13)). We found weaker evidence for a positive association between HCV seropositivity and a reported history of receiving a blood transfusion (OR = 1.72 (95% CrI 0.90–3.21)). The seroprevalence was more than double the previously reported seroprevalence in Sindh Province. The overall proportion of seropositive people that were viraemic was lower than expected. This may reflect the long-term impacts of a non-governmental clinic providing free of cost and easily accessible hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment to the population since 2015. Reuse of needles and syringes is likely to be an important driver of HCV transmission in this setting. Future public health interventions should address the expected risks associated with iatrogenic HCV transmission in this community.
Costs of inpatient care and out-of-pocket payments for COVID-19 patients: A systematic review
Authors: Gholipour Kamal , Behpaie Sama , Iezadi Shabnam , Ghiasi Akbar , Tabrizi Jafar Sadegh
Published: September 2023

Objective

To identify the costs of hospital care for patients with COVID-19 and the amount of out-of-pocket payments.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review using Scopus and WEB OF SCIENCE and PubMed databases in April 5, 2022 and then updated in January 15, 2023. English articles with no publication year restrictions were included with study designs of cost-of-illness (COI) studies, cost analyses, and observational reports (cross-sectional studies and prospective and retrospective cohorts) that calculated the patient-level cost of care for COVID-19. Costs are reported in USD with purchasing power parity (PPP) conversion in 2020. The PROSPERO registration number is CRD42022334337.

Results

The results showed that the highest total cost of hospitalization in intensive care per patient was 100789 USD, which was reported in Germany, and the lowest cost was 5436.77 USD, which was reported in Romania. In the present study, in the special care department, the highest percentage of total expenses is related to treatment expenses (42.23 percent), while in the inpatient department, the highest percentage of total expenses is related to the costs of hospital beds/day of routine services (39.07 percent). The highest percentage of out-of-pocket payments was 30.65 percent, reported in China, and the lowest percentage of out-of-pocket payments was 1.12 percent, reported in Iran. The highest indirect cost per hospitalization was 16049 USD, reported in USA, and the lowest was 449.07 USD, reported in India.

Conclusion

The results show that the COVID-19 disease imposed a high cost of hospitalization, mainly the cost of hospital beds/day of routine services. Studies have used different methods for calculating the costs, and this has negatively impacted the comparability costs across studies. Therefore, it would be beneficial for researchers to use a similar cost calculation model to increase the compatibility of different studies.

Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42022334337
Diagnostic accuracy of chest ultrasound scan in the diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis
Authors: Erem Geoffrey , Otike Caroline , Okuja Maxwell , Ameda Faith , Nalyweyiso Dorothy Irene , Mubuuke Aloysius Gonzaga , Kakinda Michael
Published: September 2023

Chest Ultrasound Scan (CUS) has been utilized in place of CXR in the diagnosis of adult pneumonia with similar or higher sensitivity and specificity to CXR. However, there is a paucity of data on the use of CUS for the diagnosis of childhood TB. This study aimed to determine the diagnostic accuracy of CUS for childhood TB. This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Mulago National Referral Hospital in Uganda. Eighty children up to 14 years of age with presumptive TB were enrolled. They all had CUS and CXR performed and interpreted independently by radiologists. The radiologist who performed the CXR was blinded to the CUS findings, and vice versa. Radiologists noted whether TB was likely or unlikely. A two-by-two table was developed to compare the absolute number of children as either TB likely or TB unlikely on CXR or CUS. This was used to calculate the sensitivity and specificity of CUS when screening for TB in children, with a correction to accommodate the use of CXR as a reference test. The sensitivity of CUS was 64% (95% CI 48.5%-77.3%), while its specificity was 42.7% (95% CI 25.5%-60.8%). Both the CUS and CXR found 29 children with a likelihood of TB, and 27 children unlikely to have TB. CUS met the sensitivity target set by the WHO TPP for Triage, and it had a sensitivity and specificity comparable to that of CXR.
Digital finance and performance in innovation: Evidence from universities
Authors: Tan Song , Tao Lan
Published: September 2023

This study evaluated 72 universities’ performance innovation during 2011 to 2019 of panel data, using the data envelopment analysis–Malmquist method. The study used benchmark regression to analyse the relationship between digital finance and the universities’ innovation performance. The aim was to improve innovation performance and promote national innovation across countries. According to the results of the empirical analysis, digital finance positively affects innovation performance. That finding was confirmed through advanced robustness test evaluation, such as limited information maximum likelihood, two-stage least squares, and interactive fixed effects. Moreover, based on information theory, the digital finance influence mechanism improves credit demand and financial efficiency. Additionally, innovation performance survived spatial overflow effects. Lastly, the paper concludes with some implications for improving digital financial coverage and constructing innovation networks among universities.
Experience and memory of time and emotions two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Droit-Volet Sylvie , Martinelli Natalia , Dezecache Guillaume , Belletier Clément , Gil Sandrine , Chevalère Johann , Huguet Pascal
Published: September 2023

In this French longitudinal study, we assessed judgment of the passage of time in current life and the predictors of this judgment 2 years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, i.e., at a time when there was no lockdown and no protective measures. We then compared these measures with the same participants’ passage-of-time judgments assessed during each of the past three French lockdowns. We also assessed their memory representations of the passage of time in the past, i.e., for the various lockdowns. The results showed the persistence of the feeling of time slowing down outside of lockdown. However, this was no longer linked to external factors (lack of activity, disruption of everyday routines) as found in the previous studies conducted during the lockdowns, but to an individual internal factor, namely a high level of depression in the general population. Moreover, the results revealed that the experience of the passage of time for the past lockdowns was compressed in memory, being judged to be faster than it actually was. This time compression tended to be greater in depressed people. It was also associated with a positive bias for all the other examined factors (e.g., sleep quality, life routine, boredom, happiness). We assumed that this time compression would be related to processes involved in the recall of unfolding events, with certain moments being omitted or forgotten during recall, as well as to the process of reconstruction in autobiographical memory. Our study therefore shows the long-lasting effect of lockdowns on mental health of the general population, which was expressed by the persistent feeling of a slowing down of time. It is therefore necessary to take care of this psychologically fragile population and to avoid further lockdowns in response to a new health crisis, that they cannot cope with.
The impact of gender-exclusive language on women’s anticipated ostracism: A preregistered replication of Stout and Dasgupta (2011)
Authors: Rosenberger Erika J. , Claypool Heather M.
Published: September 2023

In a 2011 study, Stout and Dasgupta exposed men and women to what they termed gender-inclusive language, which used both male and female referents, or to what they termed gender-exclusive language, which used male referents only. They found that, in comparison to gender-inclusive language, a job description that used gender-exclusive language negatively impacted women; they reported higher anticipated job-based ostracism and perceived sexism and lower job-based motivation and identification. This work reports a high-powered, preregistered study with women that fully replicated Stout and Dasgupta’s findings. Moreover, in an exploratory analysis, we found that, for women, gender-exclusive language is perceived as sexist, which in turn predicted feelings of greater anticipated ostracism, which in turn predicted lower job-based motivation and identification. Therefore, our findings support past research that subtle linguistic cues can be interpreted as exclusionary, that this interpretation can trigger negative outcomes, and that people can experience group-level ostracism based on their social identity.
Multi-compartment head modeling in EEG: Unstructured boundary-fitted tetra meshing with subcortical structures
Authors: Galaz Prieto Fernando , Lahtinen Joonas , Samavaki Maryam , Pursiainen Sampsa
Published: September 2023

This paper introduces an automated approach for generating a finite element (FE) discretization of a multi-compartment human head model for electroencephalographic (EEG) source localization. We aim to provide an adaptable FE mesh generation tool for EEG studies. Our technique relies on recursive solid angle labeling of a surface segmentation coupled with smoothing, refinement, inflation, and optimization procedures to enhance the mesh quality. In this study, we performed numerical meshing experiments with the three-layer Ary sphere and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based multi-compartment head segmentation which incorporates a comprehensive set of subcortical brain structures. These experiments are motivated, on one hand, by the sensitivity of non-invasive subcortical source localization to modeling errors and, on the other hand, by the present lack of open EEG software pipelines to discretize all these structures. Our approach was found to successfully produce an unstructured and boundary-fitted tetrahedral mesh with a sub-one-millimeter fitting error, providing the desired accuracy for the three-dimensional anatomical details, EEG lead field matrix, and source localization. The mesh generator applied in this study has been implemented in the open MATLAB-based Zeffiro Interface toolbox for forward and inverse processing in EEG and it allows for graphics processing unit acceleration.
Expanding the repertoire of human tandem repeat RNA-binding proteins
Authors: Ormazábal Agustín , Carletti Matías Sebastián , Saldaño Tadeo Enrique , Gonzalez Buitron Martín , Marchetti Julia , Palopoli Nicolas , Bateman Alex
Published: September 2023

Protein regions consisting of arrays of tandem repeats are known to bind other molecular partners, including nucleic acid molecules. Although the interactions between repeat proteins and DNA are already widely explored, studies characterising tandem repeat RNA-binding proteins are lacking. We performed a large-scale analysis of human proteins devoted to expanding the knowledge about tandem repeat proteins experimentally reported as RNA-binding molecules. This work is timely because of the release of a full set of accurate structural models for the human proteome amenable to repeat detection using structural methods. The main goal of our analysis was to build a comprehensive set of human RNA-binding proteins that contain repeats at the sequence or structure level. Our results showed that the combination of sequence and structural methods finds significantly more tandem repeat proteins than either method alone. We identified 219 tandem repeat proteins that bind RNA molecules and characterised the overlap between repeat regions and RNA-binding regions as a first step towards assessing their functional relationship. We observed differences in the characteristics of repeat regions predicted by sequence-based or structure-based methods in terms of their sequence composition, their functions and their protein domains.
Prognostic significance of index (LANR) composed of preoperative lymphocytes, albumin, and neutrophils in patients with stage IB-IIA cervical cancer
Authors: Wang Shan , Wang Yuan , Zhuang Jiaru , Wu Yibo , Shi Weifeng , Wang Lei
Published: September 2023

Background

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of preoperative lymphocytes, albumin, neutrophils, and LANR in the prognosis of patients with stage IB-IIA cervical cancer (CC).

Methods

We made a retrospective analysis of the clinical information and related materials of 202 patients with stage IB-IIA primary cervical cancer who had undergone a radical hysterectomy in the Department of Gynecology at the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University between January 2017 and December 2018. The definition of LANR was as follows: LANR, lymphocyte × albumin / neutrophil. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was generated to determine the best cut-off values for these parameters, as well as the sensitivity and specificity of LANR in predicting recurrence and survival. The Kaplan–Meier method was employed to draw survival curves in our survival analysis. Univariate analysis, multifactorial analysis, and subgroup analysis were used to evaluate the prognostic significance of LANR in overall and progression-free survival.

Results

The median follow-up time of the study was 55 months. In overall survival, the area under the curve for LANR was 0.704 (95% CI: 0.590–0.818, p<0.05). And in progression-free survival, the area under the curve for LANR was 0.745 (95% CI: 0.662–0.828, p<0.05). Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that the value of LANR was associated with both overall survival and progression-free survival (p< 0.05). Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that OS (p< 0.001) and PFS (p< 0.001) in patients with high LANR levels were significantly higher than those with low LANR levels.

Conclusions

Our findings suggested that LANR might serve as a clinically reliable and effective independent prognostic indicator in patients with stage IB-IIA cervical cancer.
Last-percent improvement in eligibility rates of crop seeds based on quality evaluation using near-infrared imaging spectrometry
Authors: Matsuda Osamu , Ohara Yoshinori
Published: September 2023

As the world population continues to grow, the need for high-quality crop seeds that promise stable food production is increasing. Conversely, excessive demand for high quality is causing “seed loss and waste” due to slight shortfalls in eligibility rates. In this study, we applied near-infrared imaging spectrometry combined with machine learning techniques to evaluate germinability and paternal haplotype in crop seeds from 6 species and 8 cultivars. Candidate discriminants for quality evaluation were derived by linear sparse modeling using the seed reflectance spectra as explanatory variables. To systematically proceed with model selection, we defined the sorting condition where the recovery rate of seeds matches the initial eligibility rate (iP) as “standard condition”. How much the eligibility rate after sorting (P) increases from iP under this condition offers a reasonable criterion for ranking candidate models. Moreover, the model performance under conditions with adjusted discrimination strength was verified using a metric “relative precision” (rP) defined as (P–iP)/(1–iP). Because rP, compared to precision (= P), is less dependent on iP in relation to recall (R), i.e., recovery rate of eligible seeds, the rP-R curve and area under the curve also offer useful criteria for spotting better discriminant models. We confirmed that the batches of seeds given higher discriminant scores by the models selected with reference to these criteria were more enriched with eligible seeds. The method presented can be readily implemented in developing a sorting device that enables “last-percent improvement” in eligibility rates of crop seeds.
Donor activity is associated with US legislators’ attention to political issues
Authors: Goel Pranav , Malkin Nikolay , Gaynor SoRelle W. , Jojic Nebojsa , Miler Kristina , Resnik Philip
Published: September 2023

Campaign contributions are a staple of congressional life. Yet, the search for tangible effects of congressional donations often focuses on the association between contributions and votes on congressional bills. We present an alternative approach by considering the relationship between money and legislators’ speech. Floor speeches are an important component of congressional behavior, and reflect a legislator’s policy priorities and positions in a way that voting cannot. Our research provides the first comprehensive analysis of the association between a legislator’s campaign donors and the policy issues they prioritize with congressional speech. Ultimately, we find a robust relationship between donors and speech, indicating a more pervasive role of money in politics than previously assumed. We use a machine learning framework on a new dataset that brings together legislator metadata for all representatives in the US House between 1995 and 2018, including committee assignments, legislative speech, donation records, and information about Political Action Committees. We compare information about donations against other potential explanatory variables, such as party affiliation, home state, and committee assignments, and find that donors consistently have the strongest association with legislators’ issue-attention. We further contribute a procedure for identifying speech and donation events that occur in close proximity to one another and share meaningful connections, identifying the proverbial needles in the haystack of speech and donation activity in Congress which may be cases of interest for investigative journalism. Taken together, our framework, data, and findings can help increase the transparency of the role of money in politics.
Adoption and impact of improved teff varieties adoption on food security: Micro level evidence from North Eastern Amhara Regional state, Ethiopia
Authors: Tilaye Kindye Ayen , Delele Bosena Tegegne , Ogeto Mohammed Aman
Published: September 2023

This study investigates the adoption and impact of improved teff varieties (ITVs) on food security in North Eastern Amhara Region, Ethiopia. The result of binary probit model shows that the adoption decision of improved teff varieties is determined by total family size measured in adult equivalent, off-farm income, number of traders known by farmers, variety information from development agents and research center affects positively and distance of farmer’s residence from kebele office of agriculture negatively Endogenous switching regression (ESR)model was employed to evaluate the impacts of adoption of improved teff varieties on food security. The output from ESR asserted that had the adopter households decided not to adopt, their average daily calorie intake and annual food consumption expenditure per adult equivalent would have decreased by 417.908 kilocalorie and 1096.509 Ethiopian Birr(37.8.41 dollars) respectively. Thus, policies and development endeavors targeting to realize food security should facilitate the adoption of ITVs.
Evidence for a universal association of auditory roughness with musical stability
Authors: Milne Andrew J. , Smit Eline A. , Sarvasy Hannah S. , Dean Roger T.
Published: September 2023

We provide evidence that theroughnessof chords—a psychoacoustic property resulting from unresolved frequency components—is associated with perceived musical stability (operationalized as finishedness) in participants with differing levels and types of exposure to Western or Western-like music. Three groups of participants were tested in a remote cloud forest region of Papua New Guinea (PNG), and two groups in Sydney, Australia (musicians and non-musicians). Unlike prominent prior studies of consonance/dissonance across cultures, we framed the concept of consonance as stability rather than as pleasantness. We find a negative relationship between roughness and musical stability in every group including the PNG community with minimal experience of musical harmony. The effect of roughness is stronger for the Sydney participants, particularly musicians. We find an effect ofharmonicity—a psychoacoustic property resulting from chords having a spectral structure resembling a single pitched tone (such as produced by human vowel sounds)—only in the Sydney musician group, which indicates this feature’s effect is mediated via a culture-dependent mechanism. In sum, these results underline the importance of both universal and cultural mechanisms in music cognition, and they suggest powerful implications for understanding the origin of pitch structures in Western tonal music as well as on possibilities for new musical forms that align with humans’ perceptual and cognitive biases. They also highlight the importance of how consonance/dissonance is operationalized and explained to participants—particularly those with minimal prior exposure to musical harmony.
Assessing the effectiveness and implementation of a universal classroom-based set of educator practices to improve preschool children’s social-emotional outcomes: Protocol for a cluster randomized controlled type 2 hybrid trial in Singapore
Authors: Tan Evelyn S. , McLeod Bryce D. , Mildon Robyn A. , Shlonsky Aron , Seah Cheryl K. F. , McCrickerd Keri , Goh Esther , Kembhavi Gayatri
Published: September 2023

Background

Providing high-quality early childhood care and education is understood as key to maximizing children’s potential to succeed later in life, as it stimulates young children’s development of skills and competencies needed to promote optimal outcomes and success later in life. Despite the government’s efforts to support the early childhood sector, educators in Singapore continue to report difficulties in implementing practices in classrooms that promote children’s social, emotional, and cognitive development. To enhance educators’ skills in these domains, we developed the Enhancing And Supporting Early development to better children’s Lives (EASEL) Approach, a set of universal, educator-delivered practices for use with 3-6-year-old children in early childhood settings to improve social, emotional, behavioral, and executive functioning (SEB+EF) outcomes.

Methods

This study will evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of the EASEL Approach in improving early childhood educators’ teaching practices and, in turn, children’s SEB+EF outcomes. We will conduct a cluster randomized controlled trial with a type 2 hybrid effectiveness-implementation study in 16 childcare centers. The EPIS (Explore, Prepare, Implement, Sustain) Framework will be used to inform the implementation of the EASEL Approach. Implementation strategies include training, educator self-assessments, practice-based coaching, and data monitoring. Our primary outcome is educators’ teaching practices. Secondary outcomes include educators’ adoption of the EASEL Approach in everyday practice, the acceptability and feasibility of the EASEL Approach, and children’s SEB+EF outcomes. Quantitative and qualitative data will be collected at baseline, six months, and after implementation.

Conclusion

Findings from this study will provide significant evidence on the effectiveness of the EASEL Approach in improving educators’ teaching practices and its impact on children’s SEB+EF outcomes and the implementation of the EASEL Approach in early childhood classrooms in Singapore.

Trial registration

This study was prospectively registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier: NCT05445947 on 6th July 2022.
Human pathogenic bacteria on high-touch dry surfaces can be controlled by warming to human-skin temperature under moderate humidity
Authors: Konno Ayano , Okubo Torahiko , Enoeda Yoshiaki , Uno Tomoko , Sato Toyotaka , Yokota Shin-ichi , Yano Rika , Yamaguchi Hiroyuki
Published: September 2023

Healthcare-associated infections have become a major health issue worldwide. One route of transmission of pathogenic bacteria is through contact with “high-touch” dry surfaces, such as handrails. Regular cleaning of surfaces with disinfectant chemicals is insufficient against pathogenic bacteria and alternative control methods are therefore required. We previously showed that warming to human-skin temperature affected the survival of pathogenic bacteria on dry surfaces, but humidity was not considered in that study. Here, we investigated environmental factors that affect the number of live bacteria on dry surfaces in hospitals by principal component analysis of previously-collected data (n = 576, for CFU counts), and experimentally verified the effect of warming to human-skin temperature on the survival of pathogenic bacteria on dry surfaces under humidity control. The results revealed that PCA divided hospital dry surfaces into four groups (Group 1~4) and hospital dry surfaces at low temperature and low humidity (Group 3) had much higher bacterial counts as compared to the others (Group 1 and 4) (p<0.05). Experimentally, warming to human-skin temperature (37°C with 90% humidity) for 18~72h significantly suppressed the survival of pathogenic bacteria on dry surfaces, such as plastic surfaces [p<0.05 vs. 15°C (Escherichia coli DH5α, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and blaNDM-5 E. coli)] or handrails [p<0.05 vs. 15~25°C (E. coli DH5α, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, A. baumannii)], under moderate 55% humidity. Furthermore, intermittent heating to human-skin temperature reduced the survival of spore-forming bacteria (Bacillus subtilis) (p<0.01 vs. continuous heating to human-skin temperature). NhaA, an Na+/H+ antiporter, was found to regulate the survival of bacteria on dry surfaces, and the inhibitor 2-aminoperimidine enhanced the effect of warming at human-skin temperature on the survival of pathogenic bacteria (E. coli DH5α, S. aureus, A. baumannii) on dry surfaces. Thus, warming to human-skin temperature under moderate humidity is a useful method for impairing live pathogenic bacteria on high-touch surfaces, thereby helping to prevent the spread of healthcare-associated infections.
A rollover safety margin-based approach for quantifying the tractor-semitrailers’ emergency lane-changing response on expressway curves
Authors: Lv Wenzhen , Xu Jinliang , Gao Chao
Published: September 2023

In emergency scenarios, lane changing can provide a considerable advantage over braking by aiding in the prevention of rear-end collisions. However, executing lane changes on horizontal curves might lead to rollover collisions. This study proposes a systematic methodology for quantifying the rollover safety margin during lane-changing maneuvers by encompassing the complex characteristics of vehicle-road interactions. Specifically, an enhanced six-degree-of-freedom vehicle dynamics model was developed for a tractor-semitrailer and integrates road superelevation. Using this model, the rollover safety margin reduction rate (fS) was calculated. The fS represents the ratio of the difference between the lateral load transfer ratio margins under both reference state and emergency lane change conditions to the lateral load transfer ratio margin in the reference state. The reference state corresponds to vehicles maintaining 80 km·h-1 on a 270 m radius curve, while the emergency condition is defined as lane change durations of less than 4 seconds. The results reveal that emergency lane change maneuvers and roadway alignment significantly affect rollover safety margin. Shorter lane change duration, higher speed, and smaller radius worsen the rollover safety margin; these effects are further amplified when the lane change direction is opposite to the curve’s bending direction. When the tractor-semitrailer performs a lane change at 60 km·h-1 within a 4-second duration on a 600 m radius curve, the fS exceeds 100%, indicating an imminent rollover. Consequently, this study contributes valuable evidence to the development of more reliable and secure lane-change strategies.
Hybrid porous media gasification of urban solid waste pre-treated by hydrothermal carbonization
Authors: Vallejo Fidel , Díaz-Robles Luis , Carné-Seco Valentina , Pino-Cortés Ernesto , Espinoza-Pérez Andrea , Espinoza-Pérez Lorena
Published: September 2023

Global population growth and rising consumption levels have significantly increased resource use and energy demand, leading to higher greenhouse gas concentrations and increased waste output. As a result, alternative waste treatment methods for sustainable municipal solid waste (MSW) management are crucial. This research evaluates the efficiency of integrating hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) and gasification for an optimized MSW biomass blend. HTC was conducted for one hour at 220°C in a 5 L reactor, followed by gasification in a hybrid porous medium gasifier. The study investigated the effects of different filtration speeds on combustion temperature and hydrogen concentrations. The results showed that a filtration speed of 35 cm/s resulted in a maximum combustion temperature of 1035.7°C. The temperature remained consistent across filter speeds, while higher velocities yielded higher hydrogen concentrations. Additionally, increasing the filtration velocity raised temperatures in the hybrid bed while increasing the volumetric fraction of biomass decreased maximum temperatures. This research contributes to the understanding of merging HTC and gasification for MSW biomass blend treatment, aiming to reduce environmental impacts and costs while promoting renewable resources for long-term energy production.