bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Functional genome mining and taxono‐genomics reveal eco‐physiological traits and species distinctiveness of aromatic‐degrading Pseudomonas bharatica sp. nov.
Authors: Mohapatra Balaram , Nain Sonam , Sharma Rakesh , Phale Prashant S.
Published: April 2022

Assistive eco‐physiological traits are necessary for microbes to adapt and colonize at polluted niches, enabling efficient clean‐up. To demarcate species distinctiveness and eco‐physiological traits of aromatic compounds metabolizing Pseudomonas sp. CSV86T (earlier identified as Pseudomonas putida), an Indian isolate from a petrol station soil, comparative genome mining, taxono‐genomic, and physiological analyses were performed. A 6.79 Mbp genome (62.72 G + C mol%) of CSV86T encodes 6798 CDS and 238 unique genes. Naphthalene metabolism and Co‐Zn‐Cd resistance gene clusters were part of distinct genomic islands. Abundance of transporters (aromatics, organic acids, amino acids, and metals) and mobile elements (integrases, transposases, conjugative proteins) differentiated CSV86T from its closest relatives. Enhanced siderophore production for Fe‐uptake during aromatic metabolism, indole acetic acid production, and fusaric acid resistance wasvalidated by genomic attributes. Full‐length 16S‐rRNA phylogeny revealed Pseudomonas japonica WLT as a closest relative of CSV86T. However, lower genomic indices (<97% gyrB‐rpoB‐rpoD homology, <90% ANI, <50% DNA–DNA relatedness) and taxonomic differences (assimilation of organic acids, amino acids, fatty acids composition) substantially differentiated CSV86T from its closest relatives, indicating it to be a novel species as Pseudomonas bharatica. Preferential metabolism of aromatics with advantageous eco‐physiological traits renders CSV86T an ideal candidate for bioremediation and host for metabolic engineering.
Circ_0020123 plays an oncogenic role in non‐small cell lung cancer depending on the regulation of miR‐512‐3p/CORO1C
Authors: Zhang Heng , Huang Ting , Yuan Shisi , Long Yuxi , Tan Shuai , Niu Guoliang , Zhang Puhua , Yang Meiling
Published: April 2022

Background

Non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the leading causes responsible for cancer‐associated death globally. The aim of this study was to illustrate the function of circular RNA_0020123 (circ_0020123) in NSCLC progression and its associated mechanism.

Methods

RNA and protein expression was determined by reverse transcription‐quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) and western blot assay. Cell proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, apoptosis and autophagy were analyzed to assess the role of circ_0020123/microRNA‐512‐3p (miR‐512‐3p)/coronin 1C (CORO1C) axis in NSCLC cells. Tumorigenesis in nude mice was analyzed to determine the in vivo role of circ_0020123. The intermolecular target relation was confirmed by dual‐luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays.

Results

Circ_0020123 expression was aberrantly upregulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. Circ_0020123 interference markedly restrained cell proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis and autophagy and induced cell apoptosis of NSCLC cells. Circ_0020123 knockdown suppressed xenograft tumor growth in vivo. Circ_0020123 acted as a molecular sponge for miR‐512‐3p. Circ_0020123 silencing‐induced effects in NSCLC cells were largely reversed by the knockdown of miR‐512‐3p. miR‐512‐3p interacted with the 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) of CORO1C. CORO1C overexpression largely reversed miR‐512‐3p accumulation‐induced influences in NSCLC cells. Circ_0020123 positively regulated CORO1C expression by sponging miR‐512‐3p in NSCLC cells.

Conclusion

Circ_0020123 aggravated NSCLC progression by binding to miR‐512‐3p to induce CORO1C expression, which provided new potential targets for the treatment of NSCLC.
S‐adenosyl‐L‐homocysteine extends lifespan through methionine restriction effects
Authors: Ogawa Takafumi , Masumura Koji , Kohara Yuki , Kanai Muneyoshi , Soga Tomoyoshi , Ohya Yoshikazu , Blackwell T. Keith , Mizunuma Masaki
Published: April 2022

Methionine restriction (MetR) can extend lifespan and delay the onset of aging‐associated pathologies in most model organisms. Previously, we showed that supplementation with the metabolite S‐adenosyl‐L‐homocysteine (SAH) extends lifespan and activates the energy sensor AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, the mechanism involved and whether SAH can extend metazoan lifespan have remained unknown. Here, we show that SAH supplementation reduces Met levels and recapitulates many physiological and molecular effects of MetR. In yeast, SAH supplementation leads to inhibition of the target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) and activation of autophagy. Furthermore, in Caenorhabditis elegans SAH treatment extends lifespan by activating AMPK and providing benefits of MetR. Therefore, we propose that SAH can be used as an intervention to lower intracellular Met and confer benefits of MetR.
Epidemic Infrastructures and the Politics of Responsibility in Lahore
Authors: Rehman Nida
Published: April 2022

In 2011, an outbreak of dengue fever struck the most urbanised districts of Punjab. After an initially slow response, the Punjab Government set up a digital disease surveillance system which was soon hailed as a model for epidemic control and public health governance. Despite these successes, Aedes aegypti mosquitoes have continued to take advantage of the micro‐ecologies of Lahore’s urban landscape—in part because of the fragmented and uneven socio‐spatial dynamics of water access, storage, and use. This paper brings into conversation, and in tension, these different infrastructural dimensions of dengue, namely the celebrated system of vector surveillance and the fractured infrastructures of water, within a single frame of “epidemic infrastructures”. It conceptualises the long‐standing unevenness of Lahore’s water systems as “infrastructures of transmission” and techno‐managerial systems of control as “infrastructures of problematisation”. The paper uses the lens of heterogeneity to bring together different components of these systems and explore their intersecting effects. I show how the transmission of dengue paradoxically follows both the scarcity and abundance of water use in the city. Yet these socio‐ecological complexities are bypassed in the technical matrices to visualise, enumerate, and emplace vectors, which also provide the means to narrativise state successes. I argue that epidemic infrastructures work together to reinforce individualised responsibilities for infrastructural maintenance and urban health to residents and workers.
Bioengineering solutions for ureteric disorders: clinical need, challenges and opportunities
Authors: Kapetanos Konstantinos , Light Alexander , Thakare Niyukta , Mahbubani Krishnaa , Saeb‐Parsy Kasra , Saeb‐Parsy Kourosh
Published: April 2022

Objectives

To summarise the causes of ureteric damage and the current standard of care, discussing the risks and benefits of available therapeutic options. We then focus on the current and future solutions that can be provided by ureteric bioengineering and provide a description of the ideal characteristics of a bioengineered product.

Methods

We performed a literature search in February 2021 in: Google Scholar, Medline, and Web of Science. Three searches were conducted, investigating: (a) the epidemiology of ureteric pathology, (b) the current standard of care, and (c) the state of the art in ureteric bioengineering.

Results

The most‐common causes of ureteric damage are iatrogenic injury and external trauma. Current approaches to treatment include stent placement or surgical reconstruction. Reconstruction can be done using either urological tissue or segments of the gastrointestinal tract. Limitations include scarring, strictures, and infections. Several bioengineered alternatives have been explored in animal studies, with variations in the choice of scaffold material, cellular seeding populations, and pre‐implantation processing. Natural grafts and hybrid material appear to be associated with superior outcomes. Furthermore, seeding of the scaffold material with stem cells or differentiated urothelial cells allows for better function compared to acellular scaffolds. Some studies have attempted to pre‐implant the graft in the omentum prior to reconstruction, but this has yet to prove any definitive benefits.

Conclusion

There is an unmet clinical need for safer and more effective treatment for ureteric injuries. Urological bioengineering is a promising solution in preclinical studies. However, substantial scientific, logistic, and economic challenges must be addressed to harness its transformative potential in improving outcomes.
From fibre to function: are we accurately representing muscle architecture and performance?
Authors: Charles James , Kissane Roger , Hoehfurtner Tatjana , Bates Karl T.
Published: April 2022

The size and arrangement of fibres play a determinate role in the kinetic and energetic performance of muscles. Extrapolations between fibre architecture and performance underpin our understanding of how muscles function and how they are adapted to power specific motions within and across species. Here we provide a synopsis of how this ‘fibre to function’ paradigm has been applied to understand muscle design, performance and adaptation in animals. Our review highlights the widespread application of the fibre to function paradigm across a diverse breadth of biological disciplines but also reveals a potential and highly prevalent limitation running through past studies. Specifically, we find that quantification of muscle architectural properties is almost universally based on an extremely small number of fibre measurements. Despite the volume of research into muscle properties, across a diverse breadth of research disciplines, the fundamental assumption that a small proportion of fibre measurements can accurately represent the architectural properties of a muscle has never been quantitatively tested. Subsequently, we use a combination of medical imaging, statistical analysis, and physics‐based computer simulation to address this issue for the first time. By combining diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and deterministic fibre tractography we generated a large number of fibre measurements (>3000) rapidly for individual human lower limb muscles. Through statistical subsampling simulations of these measurements, we demonstrate that analysing a small number of fibres (n < 25) typically used in previous studies may lead to extremely large errors in the characterisation of overall muscle architectural properties such as mean fibre length and physiological cross‐sectional area. Through dynamic musculoskeletal simulations of human walking and jumping, we demonstrate that recovered errors in fibre architecture characterisation have significant implications for quantitative predictions ofin‐vivodynamics and muscle fibre function within a species. Furthermore, by applying data‐subsampling simulations to comparisons of muscle function in humans and chimpanzees, we demonstrate that error magnitudes significantly impact both qualitative and quantitative assessment of muscle specialisation, potentially generating highly erroneous conclusions about the absolute and relative adaption of muscles across species and evolutionary transitions. Our findings have profound implications for how a broad diversity of research fields quantify muscle architecture and interpret muscle function.
Adolescents' adherence to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Clough Isabelle M. , Drozdova Anna D. , Cavanagh Caitlin , Gile Thomas April
Published: April 2022

Background

The outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic in the United States resulted in safety guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) intended to curb the spread of the virus. Adolescents are potentially at risk for disregarding these guidelines due to their reduced psychosocial maturity compared with adults. The current study examined the relationship between adolescents' psychosocial maturity, perceived importance of the CDC guidelines and adherence to the CDC guidelines within some of the highest risk groups for contracting COVID‐19 in a county particularly impacted by the pandemic (i.e., Hispanic and low‐SES youth in El Paso, Texas).

Methods

Participants completed a phone interview with a research assistant regarding their thoughts and behaviours in the initial months of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Adolescents (N = 68) were 15.38 years old on average (SD = 1.05, range = 13, 17), predominantly male (60.3%) and nearly exclusively Hispanic/Latino (94.1%).

Results

Results indicated that although more psychosocially mature adolescents reported greater adherence to the CDC guidelines than less psychosocially mature adolescents, the association between psychosocial maturity and adherence was fully mediated by how important adolescents felt it was to follow the guidelines. Specifically, greater perceived importance was associated with greater adherence to the guidelines.

Conclusions

The current study found that more psychosocially mature adolescents adhere to CDC's safety guidelines better than less psychosocially mature adolescents because they are more likely to view the guidelines as important. Information that attempts to increase adolescent adherence to the guidelines should therefore emphasize not only that following the guidelines is important, but why following the guidelines is so important. Less psychosocially mature adolescents may benefit most from interventions efforts and targeted messages regarding the importance of following the CDC's guidelines, as more psychosocially mature adolescents already recognize this importance.
Weston Hurst hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis: A novel association with mixed connective tissue disease: uncloaking the “unholy” etiology underneath
Authors: Ghosh Ritwik , Chatterjee Subhankar , Roy Dipayan , Finsterer Josef , Lahiri Durjoy , Dubey Souvik , Benito‐León Julián
Published: April 2022

Background

Weston Hurst syndrome (WHS), also known as acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis (AHLE), has not been previously associated with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), a rare rheumatologic disorder.

Case presentation

We report a case of a 35‐year‐old female who presented with deep coma with features of previously undiagnosed MCTD and responded favorably to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy. On detailed historical enquiry, clinical examination, and investigation, AHLE was diagnosed. Furthermore, our patient showed significant improvement with IVIG administration, even though initial steroid therapy was unsuccessful.

Conclusion

AHLE, an associated novel neurological manifestation of MCTD, can be responsive to IVIG, which makes this case reportable from the diagnostic as well as the therapeutic point of view.
The clinical and biochemical hallmarks generally associated with GLUT1DS may be caused by defects in genes other than SLC2A1
Authors: Sánchez‐Lijarcio Obdulia , Yubero Delia , Leal Fátima , Couce María L. , González Gutiérrez‐Solana Luis , López‐Laso Eduardo , García‐Cazorla Àngels , Pías‐Peleteiro Leticia , de Azua Brea Begoña , Ibáñez‐Micó Salvador , Mateo‐Martínez Gonzalo , Troncoso‐Schifferli Monica , Witting‐Enriquez Scarlet , Ugarte Magdalena , Artuch Rafael , Pérez Belén
Published: April 2022

Glucose transporter 1 deficiency syndrome (GLUT1DS) is a neurometabolic disorder caused by haploinsufficiency of the GLUT1 glucose transporter (encoded by SLC2A1) leading to defective glucose transport across the blood–brain barrier. This work describes the genetic analysis of 56 patients with clinical or biochemical GLUT1DS hallmarks. 55.4% of these patients had a pathogenic variant of SLC2A1, and 23.2% had a variant in one of 13 different genes. No pathogenic variant was identified for the remaining patients. Expression analysis of SLC2A1 indicated a reduction in SLC2A1 mRNA in patients with pathogenic variants of this gene, as well as in one patient with a pathogenic variant in SLC9A6, and in three for whom no candidate variant was identified. Thus, the clinical and biochemical hallmarks generally associated with GLUT1DS may be caused by defects in genes other than SLC2A1.
Military humanitarian and disaster governance networks in Southeast Asia: framework and analysis
Authors: Trias Angelo Paolo L. , Cook Alistair D.B.
Published: April 2022

Behind humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) efforts are governance networks of actors working together to facilitate, coordinate, and deliver joint aid and response initiatives. Militaries are key stakeholders in these networks because of their unique capabilities, particularly in Southeast Asia. This paper explores the role of military governance networks in shaping HADR affairs. It presents a framework for examining military‐to‐military relational structures in humanitarian and disaster contexts using network theory and social network analysis. It also assesses the nature of military ties and their influence on two capability areas essential to humanitarian activities in the region: (i) the distribution of military assets and equipment used in HADR; and (ii) the coordination of HADR exercises and training. This paper seeks to provide insights into how governance network features and properties affect the capacity of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) militaries to use available resources efficiently and to achieve shared objectives in regional disaster response.
Mixed T cell CHIMERISM in bone marrow at day+30 after allogeneic stem cell transplantation: Correlation with acute GVHD grades III–IV and no impact on relapse and overall survival
Authors: Guidotti Samantha , Bassi Simona , Rossi Angela , Borotti Elena , Cortellazzi Pilade , Ferrarese Diego , Ronda Elena , Scarpa Alice , Schiro Alice , Merli Francesco , Prezioso Lucia , Bonifazi Francesca , Narni Franco , Fabrizi Enrico , Vallisa Daniele
Published: April 2022

Objectives

Early chimerism analysis is important to assess engraftment in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantations.

Methods

We retrospectively investigated the impact of T‐cell chimerism at day 30 in bone marrow on acute graft‐versus‐host disease (aGVHD), relapse, and overall survival in 142 adult allo‐transplanted patients.

Results

The majority of patients (89%) received myeloablative conditioning and 90% have undergone T‐cell replete donor graft. At day 30, 103 patients showed T‐complete chimerism with prevalence in haploidentical transplants, whereas 39 cases had CD3+ mixed chimerism, including 30 patients transplanted with HLA identical donors, and 21 with T‐cell donors<90%.

T‐cell chimerism at day 30 was weakly inversely related to aGVHD grades II–IV (p = .078) with no cases of grades III–IV aGVHD in patients with CD3+ <95%. Mixed T‐cell chimerism did not impact on relapse (p = .448) and five of the seven patients who relapsed had T‐cell chimerism ≤90%. Older age and active disease at transplant had a statistically significant negative effect on overall survival (p = .01 and p = .0001, respectively), whereas mixed CD3+ chimerism did not.

Conclusions

T lymphocyte chimerism analysis at day +30 in bone marrow could identify allo‐transplanted patients at major risk of aGVHD grades III–IV (CD3+ donors >95%) mainly post‐myeloablative conditioning regimen.
A Method for Evaluating Coastal Underground Barrier Wall Using Groundwater Tidal Response
Authors: Shirahata Katsushi , Yoshimoto Shuhei , Tsuchihara Takeo , Nakazato Hiroomi , Ishida Satoshi
Published: April 2022

Tidal response methods are usually used to estimate the hydraulic parameters of coastal aquifers. In this study an analytical model for aquifer tidal response was used. An existing analytical solution for tidal response of groundwater levels was extended to evaluate a subsurface barrier wall to prevent saltwater penetration in a coastal aquifer. A field feasibility study was conducted at the Komesu Dam, Japan. Groundwater levels were observed at pairs of sites on the seaward and reservoir sides of the wall. Groundwater‐level time series data collected from a reservoir‐side site near a horizontal hollow pipe penetrating the wall contained a visible sinusoidal tidal component, whereas data from another reservoir‐side site did not. Analysis of these observations on the groundwater tidal response derived hydraulic parameters of the barrier wall between the paired observation sites. Although the parameters derived by the used simple formulas seem only approximate or apparent, the difference of the results for the two pairs indicated that the extended tidal response method can be useful for evaluation of the barrier function of the wall.
Sleepwalking, sleep terrors, sexsomnia and other disorders of arousal: the old and the new
Authors: Idir Yannis , Oudiette Delphine , Arnulf Isabelle
Published: April 2022

Disorders of arousal (DOA) is an umbrella term initially covering classical sleepwalking, sleep terrors, and confusional arousals, and now including a wider spectrum of specialised forms of non rapid eye movement (non REM) parasomnias such as sexsomnia, sleep‐related eating disorder, and sleep‐related choking syndrome. Growing evidence has shown that DOA are not restricted to children but are also prevalent in adults (2%–4% of the adult population). While DOA run in family, genetics studies remain scarce and inconclusive. In addition to the risk of injury on themselves and others (including sexual assaults in sexsomnia), adults with DOA frequently suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness, pain, and altered quality of life. The widespread view of DOA as automatic and amnesiac behaviours has now been challenged by subjective (dream reports) and objective (dream‐enacting behaviours documented on video‐polysomnography) observations, suggesting that sleepwalkers are ‘dream walking’ during their episodes. Behavioural, experiential, cognitive, and brain (scalp electroencephalography [EEG], stereo‐EEG, high density‐EEG, functional brain imaging) data converge in showing a dissociated pattern during the episodes. This dissociated pattern resembles the new concept of local arousal with a wake‐like activation in motor and limbic regions and a preserved (or even increased) sleep intensity over a frontoparietal network. EEG and behavioural criteria supporting the DOA diagnosis with high sensitivity and specificity are now available. However, treatment is still based on controlling priming and precipitating factors, as well as on clinicians’ personal experience with sedative drugs. Placebo‐controlled trials are needed to improve patients’ treatment. DOA deserve more attention from sleep researchers and clinicians.
Life‐history attributes of juvenile Anopheles gambiae s.s. in central Uganda; implications for malaria control interventions
Authors: Batume Charles , Akol Anne M. , Mukwaya Louis G. , Birungi Josephine , Kayondo Jonathan K.
Published: April 2022

Malaria is among the leading causes of death in Uganda, and Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto (s.s.) is the predominant vector. Although current vector control interventions have greatly reduced the malaria burden, the disease persists. New interventions are needed in order to eradicate them. Evaluation of new tools will require the availability of well‐characterized test vector populations. Juvenile An. gambiae s.s. from Kibbuye and Kayonjo‐derived populations were characterized under semi‐field and laboratory conditions, given that various vector traits, including abundance and fitness are dependent on development profiles at this life stage. Ten replicates comprising 30 first instar larvae each were profiled for various life‐history attributes (egg hatching, larval development time, larval survivorship, pupal weight and pupation rate). All parameters were similar for the two sites under laboratory conditions. However, the similarities or differences between field and laboratory development were parameter‐specific. Whereas, larval survivorship and pupal weight were similar across seasons and laboratory in colonies from both sites, in the semi‐field settings, pupation rate and larval survivorship differed between seasons in both sites. In addition, the average larval development time during the wet season was longer than that of the laboratory for both sites. Availability of mirror field sites is important for future tool evaluations.
Vegetative phenologies of lianas and trees in two Neotropical forests with contrasting rainfall regimes
Authors: Medina‐Vega José A. , Wright S. Joseph , Bongers Frans , Schnitzer Stefan A. , Sterck Frank J.
Published: April 2022

Among tropical forests, lianas are predicted to have a growth advantage over trees during seasonal drought, with substantial implications for tree and forest dynamics. We tested the hypotheses that lianas maintain higher water status than trees during seasonal drought and that lianas maximize leaf cover to match high, dry‐season light conditions, while trees are more limited by moisture availability during the dry season.

We monitored the seasonal dynamics of predawn and midday leaf water potentials and leaf phenology for branches of 16 liana and 16 tree species in the canopies of two lowland tropical forests with contrasting rainfall regimes in Panama.

In a wet, weakly seasonal forest, lianas maintained higher water balance than trees and maximized their leaf cover during dry‐season conditions, when light availability was high, while trees experienced drought stress. In a drier, strongly seasonal forest, lianas and trees displayed similar dry season reductions in leaf cover following strong decreases in soil water availability.

Greater soil moisture availability and a higher capacity to maintain water status allow lianas to maintain the turgor potentials that are critical for plant growth in a wet and weakly seasonal forest but not in a dry and strongly seasonal forest.
RELIGIOUS INNOVATION AND ELITE IDEOLOGY AT BRONZE AGE HAZOR
Authors: Susnow Matthew
Published: April 2022

Hazor was the largest Bronze Age site in the southern Levant, established as an urban centre with many temples. This study explores how Hazor's elites used religion as an ideological tool to promote their legitimacy, to reinforce social hierarchy, and to maintain control over the populace. Accordingly, a methodology employing the spatial analysis of temple assemblages will be used to show that the use patterns of many of Hazor's temples diverge from other contemporary temples in the region. These anomalies, it is argued, resulted from Hazor's elites actively controlling and manipulating the performance of ritual throughout the site. Hazor's elites also made use of highly recognizable forms of cultic space so as to engage the non‐elite sectors of society while altering the manner in which those spaces were used and who had access to them. This religious innovation at Hazor was directly related to an elite ideology that strived to maintain control over non‐elites, while also aiming to integrate the various socially stratified groups into a community joined together in a sacred landscape.
When private governance impedes multilateralism: The case of international pesticide governance
Authors: Kinniburgh Fiona , Selin Henrik , Selin Noelle E. , Schreurs Miranda
Published: April 2022

Private standards play an increasingly important governance role, yet their effects on state‐led policymaking remain understudied. We examine how the operation of private agricultural standards influences multilateral pesticide governance with a particular focus on the listing of substances under the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, a treaty‐based information‐sharing mechanism that allows countries to refuse hazardous chemical imports. We find that private agricultural standard‐setting bodies use the Rotterdam Convention's pesticide list to develop their own lists of banned substances. This alters the Rotterdam Convention's intended role, impeding efforts to add substances to the treaty, as attempts by private actors to impose stricter governance than state actors can undermine the potential for international state‐based governance to become more stringent. We characterize this as a “confounding interaction” whereby institutional linkages between actions by public and private actors with broadly aligned goals results in unexpected negative consequences for governance.
Quality‐of‐life of people with keloids and its correlation with clinical severity and demographic profiles
Authors: Sitaniya Sakshi , Subramani Dharshini , Jadhav Avinash , Sharma Yugal K. , Deora Mahendra S. , Gupta Aayush
Published: April 2022

Although the impairment of quality of life (QoL) in individuals with keloids is profound, it has neither been well quantified nor correlated with severity in people with skin of colour. This cross‐sectional, questionnaire‐based study comprised 110 patients with keloid(s). A physician measured the severity of keloids using the Vancouver Scar scale and impairment of QoL using the patient‐filled Hindi version of Dermatology Life Quality Index questionnaire. The relationship among QoL and severity score as well as with components of demographic data was analysed using SPSS. Our study found the severity of keloid(s) to be moderately but significantly correlated with the QoL of its sufferers. Individuals with multiple keloids were found to be significantly younger than those with solitary ones. Itching, pain, along with restricted mobility significantly impacted the QoL as well as severity of keloids. Individuals who had undergone prior treatment were found to have a worse QoL than the treatment naive. Recurrence was found to be associated with lower scar severity, multiple keloids, and younger age. Increasing age, though associated with greater scar severity, lacked any relationship with the QoL. Our study also found that individuals with bigger keloids sought treatment earlier and more often. Hyperpigmented keloid(s), more common in individuals with skin of colour, were associated with a significantly worse QoL and a higher scar severity.
The Dynamics of Public Attention to Online Disaster Information
Authors: Zhu Weiwei , Zhang Gaorong , Shen Qi , Liao Chuanhui
Published: April 2022

This study explored the dynamics of public attention to online news on disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370). Results revealed that increase of public attention to news has a leading effect on media attention. Moreover, public attention is influenced by daily news pressure, square of timelines, news topic, nationality of media organizations. In addition, public’ interest in news content is different in various phases of the disappearance. In the early aftermath, public purse news on stakeholder responses, and then public attention focus shift to disaster survey. Finally, news on stakeholder responses and disaster relief attracts more public attention.
Cartographic storytelling: reflecting on maps through an ethnographic application in Siberia
Authors: Saxinger Gertrude , Sancho Reinoso Alexis , Wentzel Sigrid Irene
Published: April 2022

In this paper, we explore the methodical, methodological, epistemological and outreach potential – and related challenges – of cartographic storytelling in ethnographic research, based on the online portal Life of BAM. Our extensive literature review highlights the need for deep self-reflection in the cartographic production of manifold realities and the way in which visualised stories can be co-produced by local people and researchers. It also describes cartography’s conceptual turns and its role in anthropology and ethnography. As an outreach tool, the Life of BAM portal conveys knowledge about social and infrastructural configurations in the greater area of the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) and Amur-Yakutsk Mainline (AYaM) railroads in Eastern Siberia, through a series of lay-language and visualised ‘episodes’ built into the ArcGIS StoryMaps online tool. Interlinking qualitative and quantitative data in the cartographic visualisation of manifold realities can trigger better comprehension of complex matters, through multimodal forms of representing stories in space. Cartographic storytelling, as a means of knowledge and science communication, supports – in our case – civil society, education, heritage work and policy making, and is a way of making local concerns more tangible for state officials and corporate actors. By engaging with cartographic storytelling and building the Life of BAM portal, we affirm that a reflective attitude towards the multiplicity of stories’ ontologies in narration, collection, comprehension and representation is of key importance if we want to do justice to a decolonial approach towards Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and research partners in the field.
Comprensión de las ciudades contemporáneas como estructuras organizacionales. Aporte a la categoría de ciudades inteligentes
Authors: Mejía Jiménez Juliana , Quintero Ramírez Santiago
Published: April 2022

El presente artículo reflexivo parte de hacer un recorrido en las concepciones teóricas de las ciudades contemporáneas para aproximarlas al concepto de estructura organizacional. Posteriormente, se concentra en la noción de la ciudad inteligente como categoría y analiza el proceso de generación de conocimiento derivado de dicha consideración teórica para centrarse en algunas reflexiones frente a los sistemas de medición y la creación de conocimiento, aprendizaje y adaptabilidad que son propios de las estructuras organizacionales
Condiciones sociohabitacionales y de salud en áreas urbanas vulnerables
Authors: Marcos Mariana , Mera Gabriela , Fernández Melián María Clara , Chiara Camila
Published: April 2022

El objetivo de este trabajo es desarrollar y aplicar una propuesta metodológica orientada a hacer emerger y visibilizar el entramado de factores territorialmente superpuestos que pueden condicionar el acceso pleno a la salud y la calidad de vida en áreas vulnerables, tomando como caso el área de servicio de un centro de salud ambiental en el área metropolitanade Buenos Aires, Argentina. Se propone un diseño metodológico cuantitativo —que articula técnicas mixtas de recolección de datos— de perspectiva microespacial, pensado para un territorio de tamaño reducido y basado en datos provenientes de fuentes secundarias y primarias. Por un lado, se indaga sobre las posibilidades y limitaciones  de las fuentes de datos secundarios para dar cuenta de algunos elementos que permiten la presencia de condiciones socio-habitacionales saludables; y, por otro lado, se desarrolla una propuesta de relevamiento primario, en la que confluyen observaciones de campo y entrevistas estructuradas a un informante clave por cuadra.
Caracterización de vendedores informales de alimentos, ubicados en el espacio público de la UPZ Chapinero
Authors: Quilaguy Ayure Diana Milena , Chaves Coronel Julián Alberto
Published: April 2022

La venta informal de alimentos es una de las principales actividades que se realiza en el espacio público, por lo cual es  mportante conocer la población que labora de esta manera. Esta investigación busca establecer un perfil demográfico de los vendedores informales de alimentos que trabajan en la UPZ Chapinero, además de conocer las motivaciones que los llevan a optar por este trabajo, así como algunas características de los negocios en los cuales laboran. Para esto se realizó una encuesta a 52 vendedores, usando como instrumento un cuestionario el cual fue aplicado mediante entrevista. La mayoría de las personas manifiestan ser mujeres, tener secundaria, saber leer y escribir, no cotizar a pensión, estar afiliadas al Plan Obligatorio de Salud, vivir en arriendo, ganar menos de un millón de pesos mensuales, y que su principal motivación para trabajar en la informalidad es la falta de oportunidad para conseguir otro empleo.
Runa Allpa Sumaq, herramienta de evaluación de la sostenibilidad en edificaciones del Ecuador
Authors: Cordero Gulá Raúl , Pérez Pérez Marina
Published: April 2022

El proyecto de investigación “Complementos para las herramientas de evaluación de la sostenibilidad de la arquitectura, una evaluación más universal RUNA ALLPA SUMAQ”, propone evaluar la arquitectura en sus aspectos estéticos y emocionales, atendiendo a las  diferencias culturales y considerando los aspectos sociales, energéticos y de medio ambiente.  Runa Allpa Sumaq, como ejercicio preliminar, se aplica a edificios de América y Europa y permite observar las relaciones entre los criterios estéticos-emocionales y su relación con los energéticos y medioambientales. De ello se presentan dos casos de estudio:el Caixa fórum en Madrid y el Aeropuerto de Baltra en Galápagos, en los cuales se encuentran dicotomías para la aplicación de Runa Allpa Sumaq. Con los resultados obtenidos de la aplicación Runa Allpa Sumaq se dan, a modo de conclusiones, lo que aconsideración de los autores son características de la arquitectura estéticas-sostenibles.
Remodelación urbana del Poblado dirigido de Orcasitas: evaluación gráfica de la intervención
Authors: Cervero Sánchez Noelia
Published: April 2022

Los conjuntos de vivienda protegida construidos entre los años cuarenta y sesenta del siglo XX en España constituyen puntos vulnerables de la ciudad, debido a que se ven afectados por una superposición de dificultades a distintas escalas y ámbitos. Para acometer su renovación urbana, se hacen necesarias políticas integradas de gran complejidad y novedad que carecen de un control global de las actuaciones. El artículo presenta una metodología gráfica que contribuye a la regulación de estos procesos, sistematizando el análisis del estado de los conjuntos y la calidad de las intervenciones, y su aplicación enla evaluación de la remodelación urbana del Poblado Dirigido de Orcasitas, situado en Madrid. Así, se exponen los factores de éxito y fracaso de la operación, y la evolución del conjunto hasta hoy, al sacar a la luz las verdaderas consecuencias de cada una de las acciones y sus efectos en la población residente.
Aproximación cuantitativa a la apropiación, como variable de pertinencia en intervenciones del espacio público. Caso de estudio: Corredor Urbano de Movilidad del Tranvía de Ayacucho
Authors: Agudelo Vélez Nelson Enrique , Cuervo Calle Juan José
Published: April 2022

Las intervenciones urbanas en Medellín han generado debates sobre su pertinencia. El objetivo de este artículo es encontrar criterios para definirla en proyectos en el espacio público, basándose en su apropiación. Se comprende el espacio público como un bien común, donde el concepto de apropiación no se vincula a la propiedad, ya que no es posible hablar de propiedad de un bien común, en consecuencia, la monofuncionalidad es una manera de hacer propiedad de este, por esto se hace uso del término diversidad urbana como variable para interpretar la apropiación. Se presenta como caso de estudio el “Corredor Urbano de Movilidad del Tranvía de Ayacucho” en la ciudad de Medellín, un sector consolidado que modifica sus dinámicas tradicionales. Allí, se aplica un método que involucra técnicas cuantitativas para valorar fenómenos cualitativos como la diversidad urbana, la apropiación del espacio público, y definir la pertinencia de las intervenciones
Los espacios arquitectónicos y los estilos de vida en las fincas cafetaleras del Soconusco, México
Authors: Mejía Robledo Ana Johari
Published: April 2022

Los espacios arquitectónicos de las fincas cafetaleras del Soconusco se organizan según las necesidades productivas, el aprovechamiento de los recursos naturales, las estructuras sociales y una división del trabajo preestablecida. A pesar de los procesos históricos, se pueden apreciar en la actualidad tres zonas —geográfica, social y morfológicamente diferenciadas— que organizan los asentamientos variados y las múltiples procedencias de los habitantes de las fincas. Destaca dentro del conjunto habitable la Casa Grande, cabeza del orden jerárquico del espacio, realizada frecuentemente con un sistema de construcción prefabricado y adquirida en el extranjero por sus propietarios de origen germano-guatemalteco. Este artículo revisa los espacios arquitectónicos de siete plantaciones de México, su estudio permite un acercamiento a este universo particular de la vida dentro de las plantaciones, las divisiones sociales que surgen dentro de ella, las relaciones con el entorno, desde un punto de vista espacial-arquitectónico, social, cultural o familiar
Revitalización de espacios públicos periféricos a través del deporte en las ciudades de Xalapa y Veracruz-México
Authors: Hernández Bonilla Mauricio
Published: April 2022

Hasta 2018, existieron diversos programas gubernamentales para el mejoramiento de losespacios públicos en las ciudades mexicanas. Dentro de estos, la intervención de espaciosbaldíos y/o abandonados en las colonias de la periferia urbana, como espacios para el deporte fue un recurso para el mejoramiento urbano, recuperación del tejido social, y una estrategia para combatir la inseguridad urbana. A través de una metodología cualitativa, éste artículo tiene como finalidad explorar cómo los espacios públicos en las colonias periféricas han generado polos de interacción y convivencia social a través de las actividades deportivas. Específicamente, se analizan dos casos ubicados en las zonas periféricas de las ciudades de Xalapa y Veracruz, los cuales demuestran que la ciudadanía juega un papel de vital importancia a través de las estrategias de apropiación y uso para del rescate y revitalización de estos espacios en las ciudades.
Digital Twins About Humans—Design Objectives From Three Projects
Authors: Bomström Henri , Annanperä Elina , Kelanti Markus , Xu Yueqiang , Mäkelä Satu-Marja , Immonen Milla , Siirtola Pekka , Teern Anna , Liukkunen Kari , Päivärinta Tero
Published: April 2022

Digital twin (DT) emerges as a key concept of the Industry 4.0 paradigm and beyond. However, the current literature lacks focus on humans and human activities as a part of complex system DTs. Acknowledging human aspects in DTs can enhance work performance, well-being, motivation, and personal development of professionals. This study examines emerging requirements for human digital twins (HDTs) in three use cases of industry–academia collaboration on complex systems. The results draw together the overall design problem and four design objectives for HDTs. We propose to combine the machine and human-related aspects of DTs and highlight the need for virtual-to-virtual interoperability between HDTs and machines alike. Furthermore, we outline differences between humans and machines regarding digital twinning by addressing human activities and knowledge-based behavior on systems. Design of HDTs requires understanding of individual professional characteristics, such as skills and information preferences, together with twinning between the physical and digital machine entities and interactions between the human and machine DTs. As the field moves toward including humans as a part of the DT concept, incorporating HDTs in complex systems emerges as an increasingly significant issue.
Design of a Two-Speed Load Adaptive Variable Transmission for Energetic Optimization of an Accessible Prosthetic Hand
Authors: Butin Côme , Chablat Damien , Aoustin Yannick , Gouaillier David
Published: April 2022

This work proposed the design of a simple, robust, and inexpensive motion transmission for hand prostheses. The main challenge to be solved is to generate not only fast movements for the closing of the fingers during the grasping but also important forces to hold these objects. A two-speed load adaptive variable transmission is introduced to solve this challenge using a planetary gear train to reduce the speed and a selector clutch with wrap spring. The main properties of these two systems are recalled and a guideline is introduced to reach the user requirement. Finally, an application example is presented and the proposed prototype is analyzed.
Morphology of Ge thin films crystallized by Au-induced layer exchange at low temperature (220 °C)
Authors: Sunthornpan Narin , Kimura Kenjiro , Kyuno Kentaro
Published: April 2022

The influence of the original amorphous Ge (a-Ge) layer thickness on the crystallization behavior by Au-induced crystallization at low temperature (220 °C) is studied. Initially, the coverage of the crystalline Ge (c-Ge) layer increases as the a-Ge layer thickness increases. A further increase in a-Ge layer thickness, however, results in the decrease of the coverage and appearance of the second Ge layer on top of the first layer, which results in the increase of surface roughness. The bottom c-Ge layer has a better crystal quality compared to the top layer. The maximum coverage of ∼97% with only a small amount of second layer is obtained by annealing an a-Ge(46 nm)/Au(29 nm) bilayer and a Hall effect hole mobility of as high as ∼85 cm2/V s is achieved.
Athletic Trainers’ Perceptions of Patient-Reported Outcomes After Completing a Clinic-Wide Implementation Program
Authors: Gardner Lauren M. , Kasamatsu Tricia M. , Montgomery Melissa M.
Published: April 2022

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are important for capturing patients’ perspectives on quality of life and aiding in provision of whole-person patient care; yet, PROs are not routinely used in athletic training practice. We investigated the athletic trainers’ perceptions of using PROs after they had completed a required PRO implementation program. Athletic trainers had positive perceptions after integrating PROs into clinical practice. Barriers associated with PRO use may be improved with a support structure that requires accountability and provides resources such as reminders and professional development to recognize ways that PROs can be used to improve patient care.
Retention of Athletic Trainers in the Secondary School Setting
Authors: Schellhase Kristen Couper , Tran Emily , Carmody Shannon , Dawry Peter , Mangum L. Colby
Published: April 2022

Research has explored factors related to retention of athletic trainers in collegiate settings but less is known about retention of athletic trainers in secondary school settings. This study aimed to investigate factors that increase retention of secondary school athletic trainers. Twenty-two secondary school athletic trainers (10 females and 12 males, length of employment 14.65 ± 5.01 years) participated in a semistructured video call interview with seven open-ended questions. A phenomenological approach revealed three themes and eight subthemes: (a) support (administration, partner athletic trainer, and non-work-related); (b) connections (impact on patients, school community, and wider community); and (c) security (financial and nonfinancial). Although participants acknowledged challenges, they identified aspects that positively influenced their retention.