bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on the Path of Promoting the High-quality Development of State-owned Enterprises in the New Era
Authors: Li Xin
Published: January 2023

High quality development is an important proposition put forward at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and a new requirement for all-round economic development. As an important material and political foundation of socialism with Chinese characteristics, whether state-owned enterprises can make substantial steps in high-quality development is of great significance for building a modern economic system, promoting high-quality development of regional and national economies, promoting the transformation of growth rate and quality status, replacing scale with efficiency, and upgrading power.
Analysis of Urban Ecological Vulnerability and prospects under the Impact of Urban Expansion
Authors: Yang Xingyu
Published: January 2023

Currently, urban expansion has been an important means of urban economic development, but the coercive impact of its rapid expansion on the ecological vulnerability of the region has become an increasingly important issue that restricts sustainable urban development. This paper uses a SWOT analysis method to analyze this phenomenon, and then proposes solutions based on the problem in order to better grasp the future and lead the development of a new type of city that is low-carbon and ecological.
Exploration of Rural Revitalization Planning in Guangdong under the Strategy of Rural Revitalization: An Example from Youshan Town of Nanxiong City
Authors: Li Youhuan , Shou Songtao
Published: January 2023

To achieve common prosperity is the fundamental goal of socialism, and the implementation of rural revitalization strategy is an inevitable requirement for achieving common prosperity. Based on the background of rural revitalization strategy, this paper summarizes the theories related to rural revitalization in line with China’s national conditions, clarifies the main tasks of rural revitalization planning in Guangdong, further analyzes the ways to promote rural revitalization planning in Guangdong, and on this basis, takes the rural revitalization planning of Youshan Township in Nanxiong City, which was concluded and promulgated in July 2022 under the auspices of the author, as an example, and discusses the four aspects of planning background, general requirements, main tasks and guarantee measures. This is with a view to providing certain reference and reference for the relevant functional departments to prepare and improve the rural revitalization plan.
Research on Training Objectives of Civil Engineering Talents in Local Engineering Colleges Based on OBE Concept
Authors: Yang Zhao , Xiao Liangli
Published: January 2023

The OBE concept is the concept of results-oriented education and the core concept of engineering education certification. Under the background of rapid industrial development, China has put forward higher requirements for talent training. However, at present, many colleges and universities, especially a large number of local colleges and universities, still have problems such as unclear positioning, insufficient basis and unreasonable standards for the training objectives of professional talents, which need to be studied and improved according to the OBE concept. Taking the civil engineering specialty of Wuhan University of Science and Technology as an example, this paper carries out relevant analysis from four aspects : the formulation basis, specific content, open channel and rationality evaluation of professional training objectives. The research results can provide reference for the research on talent training objectives of local engineering colleges.
The Application of Post-Humanism in Digital Media Visual Design——Cyberpunk 2077 as an Example
Authors: Zhang Xuefei
Published: January 2023

This paper answers the meaning of “post-humanism” and explains the characteristics of Cybopunk digital media style under the influence of post-humanism. Based on this, we analyze the application of this art style in games by taking Cybopunk 2077 as an example. Finally, I will explain the value of posthumanism to modern media technology and digital culture. To explain the value of post-humanism in modern media technology and digital culture is to better convey the art philosophy of “post-humanism” and the artistic attitude behind it to the public, promote the development of media technology, and further promote and expand the diversity of digital culture.
The Comeback of the Medium: The History and Contemporary Revival of the Vinyl Record Industry
Authors: Guo Yiqian
Published: January 2023

As an important vehicle in the development of music and recording art, vinyl records have gone through a series of journeys from birth, and development to decline over the past hundred years. However, in recent years, the industry has seen a resurgence and has been called a “renaissance” in the digital music era by some scholars and media practitioners. This paper explores the historical changes and market evolution of the vinyl record industry since its birth, and focuses on the industrial situation, reasons for the revival, characteristics, and future development expectations of the industry during the contemporary “revival” period, in an attempt to explore the artistic value positioning of vinyl records in different periods, and the relationship with the technology and audience psychology of the times, in order to gain useful insights for art communication and its industrial marketization.
Multimedia Advertising and Marketing Methods in the Context of Digital Communication
Authors: Zhou Shen
Published: January 2023

This study uses a longitudinal multi-case study design and the objectives of the study are: 1. to explore the application of digital content marketing (DCM) strategies in the context of digital communication; 2. to identify the communication objectives used in their DCM strategies for social media using luxury car brands as a case study; 3. to assess the engagement (reactions, shares, views) of each brand on social media; 4. to use Facebook as a case study to examine the type of media used for his advertising content (text, links, photos, videos, hashtags). The analysis included identifying marketing communication objectives through media content types, social media content marketing strategies and social media indicators. The research results show that brand awareness, brand personality and brand distinctiveness are the most frequently used goals in multimedia advertising and marketing, which makes the focus of digital content advertising marketing used by brands on social media more visible and recognizable, and humanized features and attitudes are reflected on social media.
The Cognition Trend of Chinese Traditional Media on Feminism and the Underlying Reason for Existing Negative Reports
Authors: Cao Yining
Published: January 2023

With the positive development of the media, various mainstream cultures and ideologies have also changed. It is difficult for the two to accommodate. “Feminism”, as a progressive thought, spreads in the media space and has a great impact on the cognition of social equality between men and women. This paper studies and analyses about 200 articles from two traditional Chinese print media, exploring the cognition trend of Chinese traditional media on feminism and the deep reasons for existing negative reports. Conclusions can be drawn that the general attitude of traditional Chinese media to feminism is neutral and positive, while both the traditional dualism of patriarchal society and the reform of social economic structure have influenced the cognition and inclusiveness of traditional media to feminism.
Is There a Barrier between Seniors and Smartphone Use in The Internet Age? A Study of Digital Disconnection among Older Adults
Authors: Jiao Ruotong
Published: January 2023

With internet and smartphone usage increasing every year, seniors are being exposed to digital media, either actively or passively. To help the elderly better integrate into the information society, clarifing the causes of their digital disconnection and developing appropriate solutions is essential. In this study, semi-structured interviews are utilized to investigate the self-adjustment and external intervention of the elderly in the age of digital media and to explore the ways, causes, and effects of digital disconnection of the elderly. The focus issue of this study is to clear the subjective and objective factors of digital disconnection, especially cognitive problems, group influences, and technological access barriers in the elderly population concerning digital devices and the Internet.
Automatic Detection of Weld Defects in Pressure Vessel X-Ray Image Based on CNN
Authors: XIAO Wenkai , FENG Xiang , NAN Shuiyu , ZHANG Linlin
Published: January 2023

The visual automatic detection method based on artificial intelligence has attracted more and more attention. In order to improve the performance of weld nondestructive defect detection, we propose DRepDet (Dilated RepPoints Detector). First, we analyze the weld defect dataset in detail and summarize the distribution characteristics of weld defect data, that is, the defect scale is very different and the aspect ratio distribution range is large. Second, according to the distribution characteristics of defect data, we design DResBlock module, and introduce dilated convolution with different dilated rates in the process of feature extraction to expand the receptive field and improve the detection performance of large-scale defects. Based on DResBlock and anchor-free detection framework RepPoints, we design DRepDet. Extensive experiments show that our proposed detector can detect 7 types of defects. When using combined dilated rate convolution network in detection, the AP50 and Recall50 of big defects are improved by 3.1% and 3.3% respectively, while the performance of small defects is not affected, almost the same or slightly improved. The final performance of the whole network is improved a large margin, with 6% AP50 and 4.2% Recall50 compared with Cascade R-CNN and 1.4% AP50 and 2.9% Recall50 compared with RepPoints.
Improving inclusivity in introductory physics
Authors: Lim Alane
Published: January 2023

Physics students should be introduced to the wonderful globalism of scientific discovery.
Differential effects of anti-CD20 therapy on CD4 and CD8 T cells and implication of CD20-expressing CD8 T cells in MS disease activity
Authors: Shinoda Koji , Li Rui , Rezk Ayman , Mexhitaj Ina , Patterson Kristina R. , Kakara Mihir , Zuroff Leah , Bennett Jeffrey L. , von Büdingen H.-Christian , Carruthers Robert , Edwards Keith R. , Fallis Robert , Giacomini Paul S. , Greenberg Benjamin M. , Hafler David A. , Ionete Carolina , Kaunzner Ulrike W. , Lock Christopher B. , Longbrake Erin E. , Pardo Gabriel , Piehl Fredrik , Weber Martin S. , Ziemssen Tjalf , Jacobs Dina , Gelfand Jeffrey M. , Cross Anne H. , Cameron Briana , Musch Bruno , Winger Ryan C. , Jia Xiaoming , Harp Christopher T. , Herman Ann , Bar-Or Amit
Published: January 2023

A small proportion of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients develop new disease activity soon after starting anti-CD20 therapy. This activity does not recur with further dosing, possibly reflecting deeper depletion of CD20-expressing cells with repeat infusions. We assessed cellular immune profiles and their association with transient disease activity following anti-CD20 initiation as a window into relapsing disease biology. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from independent discovery and validation cohorts of MS patients initiating ocrelizumab were assessed for phenotypic and functional profiles using multiparametric flow cytometry. Pretreatment CD20-expressing T cells, especially CD20
dim
CD8
+
T cells with a highly inflammatory and central nervous system (CNS)-homing phenotype, were significantly inversely correlated with pretreatment MRI gadolinium-lesion counts, and also predictive of early disease activity observed after anti-CD20 initiation. Direct removal of pretreatment proinflammatory CD20
dim
CD8
+
T cells had a greater contribution to treatment-associated changes in the CD8
+
T cell pool than was the case for CD4
+
T cells. Early disease activity following anti-CD20 initiation was not associated with reconstituting CD20
dim
CD8
+
T cells, which were less proinflammatory compared with pretreatment. Similarly, this disease activity did not correlate with early reconstituting B cells, which were predominantly transitional CD19
+
CD24
high
CD38
high
with a more anti-inflammatory profile. We provide insights into the mode-of-action of anti-CD20 and highlight a potential role for CD20
dim
CD8
+
T cells in MS relapse biology; their strong inverse correlation with both pretreatment and early posttreatment disease activity suggests that CD20-expressing CD8
+
T cells leaving the circulation (possibly to the CNS) play a particularly early role in the immune cascades involved in relapse development.
L’intelligence interculturelle
Authors: Durieux Christine
Published: January 2023

Dans le cadre de l’étude des interactions entre l’intelligence artificielle et l’intelligence interculturelle, une
première observation s’impose : dans le rapprochement de ces deux dénominations, le terme ‘intelligence’ ne renvoie pas au même
référent. Si l’intelligence artificielle se positionne dans le prolongement, voire en miroir, de l’intelligence humaine,
l’intelligence interculturelle s’inscrit dans un tout autre paradigme, agglomérant les concepts d’intelligence collective,
d’intelligence culturelle et d’intelligence économique.

Une étude diachronique ayant pour objet de tracer l’évolution des différentes acceptions du terme ‘intelligence’
conduit à mettre en évidence son extension sémantique. Cette analyse permet ensuite de fonder une définition de ce qu’est
l’intelligence interculturelle dans sa dimension pragmatique.
Vers l’intelligence (inter)culturelle dans la traduction et l’interprétation
Authors: Tran Le Bao Chan
Published: January 2023

Le présent article vise à rendre compte d’une étude ergonomique des pratiques professionnelles en traduction
technique et en interprétation de conférence. Il s’agit d’une étude que nous avons menée durant douze mois auprès de six
traducteurs professionnels, trois interprètes de conférence franco-vietnamiens, une entreprise de traduction technique en les
suivant dans leurs missions authentiques. Les résultats révèlent que le professionnalisme de la traduction et de l’interprétation
se construit à travers les différentes démarches de réflexivité du traducteur/interprète. Dans la première
partie, nous présenterons le cadre théorique, le contexte et la méthodologie constituant notre recherche ainsi que les résultats
obtenus ; nous étudierons dans la deuxième partie les concepts de « réflexivité linguistique » et « hospitalité langagière » dans
les pratiques traductives et interprétatives de nos enquêtés en analysant en quoi ces capacités réflexives constituent de
l’intelligence interculturelle dans l’acte de traduire ; nous aborderons dans la troisième partie nos réflexions quant à la
réflexivité professionnelle des traducteurs et interprètes en analysant comment cette démarche réflexive contribue à former
l’éthos et la professionnalité des traducteurs et interprètes.
Intelligence interculturelle et technologies numériques
Authors: Cohen Joëlle
Published: January 2023

Nous interrogeons les liens reliant la technologie, la cognition et la culture. La technique engendre des
artefacts. Ils ne deviennent instruments qu’à la condition qu’un sujet projette sur eux des schèmes d’utilisation. L’espace
numérique relève ainsi d’un construit culturellement situé et partagé par des concepteurs et des utilisateurs. Nous relevons
quelques unes des « dimensions cachées » des marqueurs graphico-structurels dans la conception des interfaces numériques. Ces
marqueurs racontent toujours une histoire ; celle d’une société avec ses valeurs, ses croyances et ses univers de sens. Nous
rappelons comment nos étudiants sont incités à décoder ces marqueurs en comparant, pour un domaine d’activité donné, des
interfaces créées dans des aires culturelles distinctes.
La dimension morale des intelligences artificielles au sein de la traductologie
Authors: Hleihel Rhéa
Published: January 2023

Tout acte ou entreprise comportent en soi une dimension morale. Le présent article appelle à l’inclusion des
traducteurs présentant des handicaps visuels et auditifs dans la conception des logiciels de traduction assistée qui répondent à
leurs besoins spécifiques. Élaborant le cadre théorique aboutissant à ce raisonnement, l’article examine l’étendue morale des
intelligences artificielles qui gouvernent les progrès technologiques en matière de traduction assistée, et la confronte à la
notion de l’empathie. La finalité est l’établissement d’un lien entre la traductologie morale et les technologies de la
traduction.
315 W, 1.94 μm, Tm:YAP InnoSlab laser
Authors: Mao Y F , Long Q L , Gao J M , Wang Q C , Gao Y , Wang L
Published: January 2023

In this letter, a high power, continuous-wave Tm:YAP InnoSlab laser has been developed. It produces 315 W of laser output power with an emission wavelength of 1.94 μm. The optical-to-optical efficiency and slope efficiency with respect to the absorbed pump power are 53.4% and 63.8%, respectively. At the output power of 300 W, the beam quality factors M
2 are 201 in the x-direction and 3 in the y-direction, respectively. The beam shape is rectangular, thus it is ideal for pumping a Ho:YLF laser crystal in InnoSlab design for oscillator and amplifier.
40 W high beam quality Tm:YLF InnoSlab amplifier
Authors: Gao Jimeng , Long Qunlong , Wang Lei , Mao Yefei , Xu Zhaopeng
Published: January 2023

We demonstrated a compact and excellent beam quality Tm:YLF InnoSlab amplifier at 1908 nm for the first time. The power of the seed laser was 10 W with beam quality factors of M
2 ⩽ 1.04. With the high-efficiency coupling of the pump light and the seed laser, the amplified power of 40.1 W was achieved under the pump power of 318.7 W without ASE. The beam quality factors M
2 were 1.07 and 1.37 in the vertical and horizontal directions, respectively. The RMS instability was measured to be less than 0.15% in 30 min. Meantime, we had established a general and simplified CW Tm:YLF laser amplifier model.
Artificial intelligence techniques for retinal prostheses: a comprehensive review and future direction
Authors: Wang Chuanqing , Fang Chaoming , Zou Yong , Yang Jie , Sawan Mohamad
Published: January 2023

Objective. Retinal prostheses are promising devices to restore vision for patients with severe age-related macular degeneration or retinitis pigmentosa disease. The visual processing mechanism embodied in retinal prostheses play an important role in the restoration effect. Its performance depends on our understanding of the retina’s working mechanism and the evolvement of computer vision models. Recently, remarkable progress has been made in the field of processing algorithm for retinal prostheses where the new discovery of the retina’s working principle and state-of-the-arts computer vision models are combined together. Approach. We investigated the related research on artificial intelligence techniques for retinal prostheses. The processing algorithm in these studies could be attributed to three types: computer vision-related methods, biophysical models, and deep learning models. Main results. In this review, we first illustrate the structure and function of the normal and degenerated retina, then demonstrate the vision rehabilitation mechanism of three representative retinal prostheses. It is necessary to summarize the computational frameworks abstracted from the normal retina. In addition, the development and feature of three types of different processing algorithms are summarized. Finally, we analyze the bottleneck in existing algorithms and propose our prospect about the future directions to improve the restoration effect. Significance. This review systematically summarizes existing processing models for predicting the response of the retina to external stimuli. What’s more, the suggestions for future direction may inspire researchers in this field to design better algorithms for retinal prostheses.
Acceptability of strategy promotes cooperation in a spatial prisoner’s dilemma game
Authors: Su Ran , Qian Jia-Li , Hao Qing-Yi , Wu Chao-Yun , Guo Ning , Ling Xiang
Published: January 2023

The emotions of individuals are one of the most important factors for affecting cooperation in human society. An individual’s acceptability of her/his own strategy, as one kind of powerful emotion that can be influenced by the neighbors’ strategies, can prompt the individual to adjust her/his strategy in the evolution process of a spatial game. Based on this fact, a spatial prisoner’s dilemma game with acceptability involved is studied in this paper. The average acceptability in the community is introduced to the individual’s fitness in the model. The numerical experiments show that individuals considering average acceptability can greatly facilitate cooperation under certain conditions. Furthermore, when the temptation value is small, rational individuals to blind conformity behavior can promote cooperative behavior, but for a high temptation value, rational individuals are not conducive to cooperation. These results may offer insights to comprehensively understand the mechanism of emotion promoting cooperation.
Degradation of signal-to-noise ratio in counting detectors due to pile-up effects
Authors: Magalhaes D. , Fajardo P.
Published: January 2023

This work proposes a methodology to quantify how the non-linearity of counting detectors due to pulse pile-up effects impacts detrimentally the signal-to-noise ratio of measurements and the resulting DQE. The method is presented from a conceptual point of view, justified and validated by both analytical and Monte Carlo methods applied to the ideal theoretical pile-up models usually discussed in the literature. Although the motivation of this work is the application to photon counting X-ray detectors, the study may be relevant for other type of particle or radiation detection systems operating at high count rate regimes, when pile-up is not negligible. The high count rates can be managed in actual experiments by implementing pile-up compensation methods in the detector readout chain, by applying correction algorithms to the measured data or by a combination of both. What has been less discussed in literature is the impact of those pile-up compensation techniques on the final statistical properties of the resulting data, and the proposed method can be potentially used for that purpose. The application of the method to more realistic systems is illustrated with an example of a simulated 2D X-ray photon counting detector that includes all the primary physical effects and the full readout chain.
Microstructure and mechanical properties of extruded TiB2/2024 aluminum matrix composites
Authors: Hua Guangxin , Ran Linghao , Zhang Shuaibo , Su Yong
Published: January 2023

TiB2/2024 aluminum matrix composites were prepared in situ from the Al–K2TiF6–KBF4 reaction system; then, we investigated the microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites in the as-cast and extruded states. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electronic microscope (SEM) analyses showed that TiB2 particles were successfully produced in the matrix by the in situ reactions. The optimal content of TiB2 particles in the composites was 3 wt%; moreover, the size of α-Al grains in the microstructure of the composites with 3 wt% content was the smallest among the composites reinforced with different content of TiB2 particles, and the TiB2 particles showed a uniform distribution. The tensile strength and elongation of the composites (246 MPa and 9.8%, respectively) were 21.8% and 18.1% higher compared with those of the alloy matrix. When the TiB2 particle content was 5 wt%, the cast composite exhibited the highest hardness of 113 HBW, which was 43.0% higher than that of the base alloy. Fracture analysis showed that the fracture mode changed from ductile to brittle as the mass fraction of TiB2 in the composite increased. The mechanical properties of the 3 wt% TiB2/2024 aluminum matrix composite were significantly improved after hot extrusion, with tensile strength and elongation values of 375 MPa and 19.7%, respectively, which were 52.4% and 101% higher than those of the as-cast material.
Neuromorphic control of a simulated 7-DOF arm using Loihi
Authors: DeWolf Travis , Patel Kinjal , Jaworski Pawel , Leontie Roxana , Hays Joe , Eliasmith Chris
Published: January 2023

In this paper, we present a fully spiking neural network running on Intel’s Loihi chip for operational space control of a simulated 7-DOF arm. Our approach uniquely combines neural engineering and deep learning methods to successfully implement position and orientation control of the end effector. The development process involved four stages: (1) Designing a node-based network architecture implementing an analytical solution; (2) developing rate neuron networks to replace the nodes; (3) retraining the network to handle spiking neurons and temporal dynamics; and finally (4) adapting the network for the specific hardware constraints of the Loihi. We benchmark the controller on a center-out reaching task, using the deviation of the end effector from the ideal trajectory as our evaluation metric. The RMSE of the final neuromorphic controller running on Loihi is only slightly worse than the analytic solution, with 4.13% more deviation from the ideal trajectory, and uses two orders of magnitude less energy per inference than standard hardware solutions. While qualitative discrepancies remain, we find these results support both our approach and the potential of neuromorphic controllers. To the best of our knowledge, this work represents the most advanced neuromorphic implementation of neurorobotics developed to date.
RNAdegformer: accurate prediction of mRNA degradation at nucleotide resolution with deep learning
Authors: He Shujun , Gao Baizhen , Sabnis Rushant , Sun Qing
Published: January 2023

Messenger RNA-based therapeutics have shown tremendous potential, as demonstrated by the rapid development of messenger RNA based vaccines for COVID-19. Nevertheless, distribution of mRNA vaccines worldwide has been hampered by mRNA’s inherent thermal instability due to in-line hydrolysis, a chemical degradation reaction. Therefore, predicting and understanding RNA degradation is a crucial and urgent task. Here we present RNAdegformer, an effective and interpretable model architecture that excels in predicting RNA degradation. RNAdegformer processes RNA sequences with self-attention and convolutions, two deep learning techniques that have proved dominant in the fields of computer vision and natural language processing, while utilizing biophysical features of RNA. We demonstrate that RNAdegformer outperforms previous best methods at predicting degradation properties at nucleotide resolution for COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. RNAdegformer predictions also exhibit improved correlation with RNA in vitro half-life compared with previous best methods. Additionally, we showcase how direct visualization of self-attention maps assists informed decision-making. Further, our model reveals important features in determining mRNA degradation rates via leave-one-feature-out analysis.
A novel Bayesian framework for harmonizing information across tissues and studies to increase cell type deconvolution accuracy
Authors: Deng Wenxuan , Li Bolun , Wang Jiawei , Jiang Wei , Yan Xiting , Li Ningshan , Vukmirovic Milica , Kaminski Naftali , Wang Jing , Zhao Hongyu
Published: January 2023

Computational cell type deconvolution on bulk transcriptomics data can reveal cell type proportion heterogeneity across samples. One critical factor for accurate deconvolution is the reference signature matrix for different cell types. Compared with inferring reference signature matrices from cell lines, rapidly accumulating single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data provide a richer and less biased resource. However, deriving cell type signature from scRNA-seq data is challenging due to high biological and technical noises. In this article, we introduce a novel Bayesian framework, tranSig, to improve signature matrix inference from scRNA-seq by leveraging shared cell type-specific expression patterns across different tissues and studies. Our simulations show that tranSig is robust to the number of signature genes and tissues specified in the model. Applications of tranSig to bulk RNA sequencing data from peripheral blood, bronchoalveolar lavage and aorta demonstrate its accuracy and power to characterize biological heterogeneity across groups. In summary, tranSig offers an accurate and robust approach to defining gene expression signatures of different cell types, facilitating improved in silico cell type deconvolutions.
Neoveil versus TachoSil in the treatment of pulmonary air leak following open lung surgery: a prospective randomized trial
Authors: Bachmann Helga , Dackam Sandrine V C , Hojski Aljaz , Jankovic Jelena , Vogt Deborah R , Wiese Mark N , Lardinois Didier
Published: January 2023

OBJECTIVES

Prolonged air leak (PAL) is often associated with pain and immobilization and is a major limiting factor for discharge from the hospital. The efficacy of 2 surgical patches was investigated in the treatment of air leak following open surgery.

METHODS

Forty-five patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio either to treatment with Neoveil (polyglycolic acid) (n = 22) or TachoSil (collagen sponge) (n = 23). Air leak was monitored at 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 h after surgery and then daily at 8 am and 6 pm, using a digital recording system. The primary outcome was the time to air leak closure. Secondary outcomes were incidence, air leak intensity, incidence of PAL and incidence of pneumonia.

RESULTS

Air leak 2 h after surgery was observed in 11/22 (50%) vs 14/23 (61%) patients treated with polyglycolic acid, respectively, with collagen sponge. On average, air loss within the first 24 h after surgery was lower and declined faster in patients treated with polyglycolic acid. Time to pulmonary air leak closure was somewhat shorter with polyglycolic acid (median [interquartile range] 10 [2, 52] h) compared to collagen sponge (19 [2, 141] h). However, the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.35, Wilcoxon rank-sum test). PAL occurred in 3/22 (14%) vs 6/23 (26%) patients, and pneumonia occurred in 2/22 (9%) vs 3/23 (13%) patients treated with polyglycolic acid, respectively, collagen sponge.

CONCLUSIONS

Both systems are effective in the treatment of air leak. Our results suggest a possible superiority of Neoveil over TachoSil in post-surgery air leak control.

Clinical trial registration number

NCT04065880
Characterization and biofouling potential analysis of two cyanobacterial strains isolated from Cape Verde and Morocco
Authors: Romeu Maria J , Morais João , Gomes Luciana C , Silva Raquel , Vasconcelos Vítor , Mergulhão Filipe J M
Published: January 2023

Cyanobacteria are new sources of value-added compounds but also ubiquitous and harmful microfoulers on marine biofouling. In this work, the isolation and identification of two cyanobacterial strains isolated from Cape Verde and Morocco, as well as their biofilm-forming ability on glass and Perspex under controlled hydrodynamic conditions, were performed. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that cyanobacterial strains isolated belong to Leptothoe and Jaaginema genera (Leptothoe sp. LEGE 181153 and Jaaginema sp. LEGE 191154). From quantitative and qualitative data of wet weight, chlorophyll a content and biofilm thickness obtained by optical coherence tomography, no significant differences were found in biofilms developed by the same cyanobacterial strain on different surfaces (glass and Perspex). However, the biofilm-forming potential of Leptothoe sp. LEGE 181153 proved to be higher compared with Jaaginema sp. LEGE 191154, particularly at the maturation stage of biofilm development. Three-dimensional biofilm images obtained from confocal laser scanning microscopy showed different patterns between both cyanobacterial strains and also among the two surfaces. Because standard methodologies to evaluate cyanobacterial biofilm formation, as well as two different optical imaging techniques, were used, this work also highlights the possibility of integrating different techniques to evaluate a complex phenomenon like cyanobacterial biofilm development.
Breaking the Mould—Britain’s New Office for Environmental Protection
Authors: Macrory Richard
Published: January 2023

An unexpected consequence of Brexit has been the creation under the Environment Act 2021 of a new public body, the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP). OEP is more than a watchdog body and has important functions in advising government on proposed new environmental law, reporting to Parliament on progress in meeting statutory targets and reviewing the implementation of environmental law. Its enforcement role relates to the environmental duties of government and public bodies. The procedures are a specialised form of judicial review but are designed to secure a constructive settlement before reaching court. OUP is a novel and important addition to Britain's structure of environmental governance.
The Myth of the “Poor Man's Atomic Bomb”: Knowledge, Method, and Ideology in the Study of Chemical, Biological, and Nuclear Weapons
Authors: Poor Toulabi Biejan
Published: January 2023

Chemical and biological weapons (CBWs) have often been characterized as a “poor man's atomic bomb”: a cheap and easy to acquire alternative to nuclear weapons that is particularly appealing to so-called Third World states. This idea is also reflected in Western government and expert estimates that have long exaggerated the spread of CBWs, especially among states in the Global South. In this article, I break down the ways in which the idea that the spread of CBWs is prevalent and that it primarily happens among states in the Global South has come to exist and persist. By dissecting an oft-cited dataset on CBW spread, I unravel frequently occurring methodological flaws—such as conceptual confusion, misinterpretation of sources, and a bias toward proliferation charges originating from the US government—that breed and sustain inflated estimates and faulty allegations. Subsequently, I show that a dominant cognitive framework that centers on the metaphorical use of the terms “proliferation” and “poor man's atomic bomb” primes analysts and policymakers to interpret the history and future of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons as being characterized by inevitable spread, particularly among the non-Western “Other.” In conclusion, I offer ways to counter the orthodoxies of this ideology in teaching, research, and policy.
Knowing and learning: from Hirst to Ofsted
Authors: Davis Andrew John
Published: January 2023

Hirst always highlighted knowledge when reflecting on the school curriculum. He replaced his early focus on liberal education, the development of mind and theoretical knowledge by emphasizing the practical and practices as a curriculum starting point and for the framing of educational aims. In this paper I explore links between Hirst’s philosophical treatment of knowledge and some currently contested aspects of UK government education policies. I also note some ways in which his work relates to selected present-day debates in philosophy of education. Examples of UK government policy will include Ofsted’s definition of learning as a ‘change in long-term memory’ and the ways in which they place ‘logical sequencing’ at the heart of teaching, learning, and curriculum. Their learning definition treats knowledge as an individual asset rather than something about individuals as embedded in the social world of practices, a perspective more in keeping with Hirst’s later views. The critique of individualistic notions of knowledge and learning includes some explorations of how learners move into the ‘space of reasons’. Where I draw attention to relationships between Hirst’s thought and contemporary philosophy of education debates, I do not always draw any definite conclusions.
On Deniability
Authors: Dinges Alexander , Zakkou Julia
Published: January 2023

Communication can be risky. Like other kinds of actions, it comes with potential costs. For instance, an utterance can be embarrassing, offensive, or downright illegal. In the face of such risks, speakers tend to act strategically and seek ‘plausible deniability’. In this paper, we propose an account of the notion of deniability at issue. On our account, deniability is an epistemic phenomenon. A speaker has deniability if she can make it epistemically irrational for her audience to reason in certain ways. To avoid predictable confusion, we distinguish deniability from a practical correlate we call ‘untouchability’. Roughly, a speaker has untouchability if she can make it practically irrational for her audience to act in certain ways. These accounts shed light on the nature of strategic speech and suggest countermeasures against strategic speech.
Tuning heat transport via coherent structure manipulation: recent advances in thermal turbulence
Authors: Xia Ke-Qing , Huang Shi-Di , Xie Yi-Chao , Zhang Lu
Published: January 2023

Tuning transport properties through the manipulation of elementary structures has achieved great success in many areas, such as condensed matter physics. However, the ability to manipulate coherent structures in turbulent flows is much less explored. This article reviews a recently discovered mechanism of tuning turbulent heat transport via coherent structure manipulation. We first show how this mechanism can be realized by applying simple geometrical confinement to a classical thermally driven turbulence, which leads to the condensation of elementary coherent structures and significant heat-transport enhancement, despite the resultant slower flow. Some potential applications of this new paradigm in passive heat management are also discussed. We then explain how the heat transport behaviors in seemingly different turbulence systems can be understood by this unified framework of coherent structure manipulation. Several future directions in this research area are also outlined.
The Epidemiology and Clinical Features of Non-Keratitis Acanthamoeba Infections in the United States, 1956–2020
Authors: Haston Julia C , O’Laughlin Kevin , Matteson Kelsey , Roy Shantanu , Qvarnstrom Yvonne , Ali Ibne K M , Cope Jennifer R
Published: January 2023

Background

Acanthamoeba is a free-living ameba that can cause severe disease affecting the central nervous system, skin, sinuses, and other organs, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. These rare but severe infections are often fatal, yet incompletely described.

Methods

Cases included were either reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Free-Living Ameba program or published in scientific literature. Characteristics of all patients in the United States with laboratory-confirmed non-keratitis Acanthamoeba infections were described using descriptive statistics, and associations with survival were determined using χ2 and Fisher exact tests.

Results

Of 173 patients identified, 71% were male and the median age was 44 years (range, 0–87 years). Of these, 26 (15%) survived. Most patients (88%) had at least 1 immunocompromising condition, most commonly human immunodeficiency virus (39%), cancer (28%), and solid organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (28%). Granulomatous amebic encephalitis (GAE) was the most common disease presentation (71%). Skin (46%), sinuses (29%), lungs (13%), and bone (6%) were also involved. Nearly half of patients (47%) had involvement of >1 organ system. Survival was less frequent among those with GAE (3%, P < .001) compared with cutaneous disease, rhinosinusitis, or multiorgan disease not including GAE. Of 7 who received the currently recommended treatment regimen, 5 (71%) survived.

Conclusions

Non-keratitis Acanthamoeba infections occur primarily in immunocompromised individuals and are usually fatal. Survival may be associated with disease presentation and treatment. Providers who care for at-risk patients should be aware of the various disease manifestations to improve early recognition and treatment.
Unconsummated marriage among Chinese couples: a retrospective study
Authors: Xi Yu , Xia Tingting , Colonnello Elena , Wang Chunlin , Lai Yufen , Zhang Yan
Published: January 2023

Background

Unconsummated marriage (UCM) is a significant problem among couples who are unable to achieve successful sexual intercourse and penovaginal penetration, and the etiology and clinical characteristics of UCM in Chinese couples remain unknown.

Aim

In a retrospective analysis of patients with UCM, we investigated clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes among Chinese couples with UCM.

Methods

During the period from January 2019 to May 2021, we examined 127 consecutive couples with unconsummated marriage. The couples were evaluated separately by andrologists and gynecologists, and combined treatments were conducted by therapists.

Outcomes

We calculated the distribution of etiologies of UCM in Chinese couples.

Results

Among the couples whose data were evaluated, 93 couples visited the andrologist first and 34 couples visited the gynecologist first. The most common complaints associated with sexual dysfunction were erectile dysfunction (ED) in male patients and vaginismus and dyspareunia in female patients. Unconsummated marriage among Chinese couples was caused primarily by female factors (55.8%). With couple-oriented treatment conducted by sexual therapists, the success rate was 67.7%.

Clinical Translation

If a couple is diagnosed with UCM, both the husband and wife should be treated individually receive guidance from a sex therapist toward successful sexual intercourse.

Strengths and Limitations

This is to our knowledge the first report regarding the etiology of UCM in Chinese couples. Here we report our routine diagnostic and therapeutic workups. However, we were not able to perform hormonal and imaging studies of the female partners. Moreover, patients presenting with UCM who visited our department without a partner were not included in the statistics.

Conclusions

Unconsummated marriage among Chinese couples may be caused byfactors affecting both the husband and wife or the husband and wife individually; however, factors affecting women are the predominant causes of UCM. Lack of knowledge about sex-related issues, as well as cultural beliefs, play an important role. A preliminary evaluation by an andrologist and a gynecologist, followed by couple treatment conducted by the sex therapist, is highly `recommended to treat UCM effectively.
Pain specialist management of sexual pain—I: foundations
Authors: Vogel John J
Published: January 2023

Introduction

The biopsychosocial model of care for women with sexual pain is a widely endorsed approach melding the expertise of multiple professional disciplines. Interventional pain management provides specialized diagnosis and treatment of chronic pain as part of the interdisciplinary care team. Diagnosis and treatment strategies are built on the foundational knowledge of the causes of female sexual pain, appreciation of the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and sociocultural contexts which shape pain, and the psychological and neurophysiological effect of chronic pain. This first paper in a series of four lays the groundwork for applying the perspectives, approaches, and therapeutic treatment options inherent in the specialty of pain management.

Objectives

To provide a current summary of the neurobiology, intrapersonal and interpersonal aspects of female sexual pain within a chronic pain paradigm. Describe the role of an interventional pain specialist as part of an interdisciplinary sexual pain team.

Methods

Internet search engines, PubMed and Cochrane Library were searched for relevant articles on female sexual pain within the scope of practice of pain management.

Results

A thorough review of the literature was conducted to include basic science studies, clinical trials, systematic reviews, consensus statements, and case-reports. The neurobiological and psychological aspects of sexual pain were described within a chronic pain paradigm. The perspective of a pain specialist on female sexual pain was presented.

Conclusion

The care of women with sexual pain is highly complex and must be individualized based on the characteristics of the pain, its chronicity, and all the ways the condition impacts each woman. Physiological changes seen in chronic pain are likely to be present in most women with sexual pain. Awareness of the replete biopsychosocial dimensions of sexual pain promotes the goals of interdisciplinary care and provides a foundation for each specialty in the team. The way pain management specialists employ that knowledge for women with sexual pain will be examined in subsequent papers.
Cigarette smoking and erectile dysfunction: an updated review with a focus on pathophysiology, e-cigarettes, and smoking cessation
Authors: Allen Mark S , Tostes Rita C
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Cigarette smoking has major health implications and causes substantial damage to all organ systems. Approximately one-third of men are active smokers worldwide, and most men are unaware that cigarette smoking can contribute to erectile dysfunction (ED).

Objectives

This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of research conducted on cigarette smoking and ED, with a particular focus on pathophysiology, electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), and smoking cessation.

Methods

A manual literature search was conducted on all research conducted on cigarette smoking and ED up to October 2022.

Results

Substantial evidence is now available showing that past and current cigarette smoking has dose-dependent associations with ED in studies controlling for age and important health comorbidities. Cigarette smoke contains nicotine, carbon monoxide, oxidant chemicals, and metals that can damage the endothelium and disrupt erectile processes. For current smokers, smoking abstinence can strengthen the endothelium and reverse diminished erectile function. The effect of e-cigarettes on endothelial damage and ED remains largely untested. E-cigarettes expose users to fine and ultrafine particles and toxins that can increase risk of cardiovascular injury, but these acute effects appear less potent than conventional cigarettes (long-term cardiovascular effects are still unknown). E-cigarettes are therefore likely to have less harmful effects on ED than conventional cigarettes.

Conclusions

Smoking cessation programs that focus on nicotine replacement therapy (transdermal patches, gum, or inhalers), behavioral counseling, social support, and education programs can be effective approaches to ED treatment in active smokers. Temporarily transferring from regular cigarettes to e-cigarettes—which transmit some of the same carcinogens as conventional cigarettes and are likely to have some long-term cardiovascular effects that disrupt erectile function—might also be useful for long-term smoking cessation and treatment of ED.