bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Not All Osteophytes Are Located on the Right Side of the Vertebrae in Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis: A Quantitative Analysis in Relation to the Position of Aorta
Authors: Chen Haojie , Zhou Qingshuang , Wang Sinian , Pu Xiaojiang , Zhou Haicheng , Wang Bin , Zhu Zezhang , Qiu Yong , Sun Xu
Published: September 2023

Objective

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is characterized by osteophytes in the anterior vertebrae, and the presence of aorta may have an impact on their formation. However, the anatomical positional relationship between the aorta and osteophytes in patients with DISH remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the position of osteophytes in relation to aorta in DISH, and the influence of aortic pulsation on the formation of osteophytes from the perspective of morphology.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective review of 101 patients diagnosed with DISH and symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis between June 2018 and December 2021. A total of 637 segments with heterotopic ossification in DISH were used for quantitative measurements on CT scans. The Cartesian coordinate system was built up on the axial CT scans to reflect the relative position between aorta and osteophytes. Osteophytes were divided into adjacent aorta group (AD group) and non‐adjacent aorta group (N‐AD group). In terms of the morphology, osteophytes in the AD group were further divided into convex, flat, and concave types. The relative position between aorta and osteophytes, and the aorta‐osteophyte distance and morphology of osteophytes were compared. Univariate analysis of variance was performed for multiple groups, and two independent‐samples t‐tests were used for two groups.

Results

From T5 to L4, aorta gradually descended from left side to middle of vertebrae, and osteophytes gradually shifted from right side of vertebrae (T5‐T10) to bilateral sides (T11‐L4). Of 637 osteophytes in DISH, 60.1% (383/637) were in AD group, including convex type 0.6% (4/637), flat type 34.7% (221/637), and concave type 24.8% (158/637). The N‐AD group accounted for 39.9% (254/637). Flat osteophytes were concentrated in T5‐T12, while concave osteophytes in T11‐L4. Overall, the aorta‐osteophyte distance of concave type was significantly smaller than that of flat type.

Conclusion

Osteophytes are not always located on the right side of vertebrae, but move with the position of the descending aorta. Furthermore, the morphology of osteophytes varies by vertebral segment in DISH, which is related to aorta descending anteriorly in the spine.
Petiole XLA (xylem to leaf area ratio) integrates hydraulic safety and efficiency across a diverse group of eucalypt leaves
Authors: Blackman Chris J. , Halliwell Ben , Hartill Gabrielle E. , Brodribb Timothy J.
Published: September 2023

A theoretical trade‐off between the efficiency and safety of water transport systems in plants is used to explain diverse ecological patterns, from tree size to community structure. Despite its pervasive influence, this theory has marginal empirical support. This may be partially due to obfuscation of associations by wide phylogenetic sampling or non‐standard sampling between studies. To address this, we examine the coordination of structural and anatomical traits linked to hydraulic safety and efficiency in the leaves of an ecologically diverse group of eucalypts. We introduce a new trait for characterising leaf water transport function measured as the cross‐sectional XA at the petiole divided by the downstream leaf area (XLApetiole). Variation in XLApetiole revealed support for a safety‐efficiency trade‐off in eucalypt leaves. XLApetiole was negatively correlated with theoretical petiole xylem conductivity (Ks_petiole) and strongly negatively correlated with leaf cavitation vulnerability (Ψ50leaf). Species with lower Ψ50leaf exhibited petiole xylem with narrower vessels and greater fibre wall area fractions. Our findings highlight XLApetiole as a novel integrative trait that provides insights into the evolution of leaf form and function in eucalypts and holds promise for wider use among diverse species.
Iodixanol supplementation in freezing extender improves the antioxidant capacity of semen
Authors: Marqui Fernanda N. , Martins Alicio , da Cruz Tairini Erica , Berton Tatiana Issa Uherara , de Paula Freitas‐Dell’Aqua Camila , Dell’Aqua José A. , Oba Eunice
Published: September 2023

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of supplementing bovine semen freezing extender with different concentrations of iodixanol on post‐thaw sperm characteristics. Six ejaculates of three Nellore bulls were pooled and diluted in commercial extender (BotuBov®) and then divided into 4 groups: control group (without adding iodixanol); groups G1.5, G3, or G6 according to the concentration of iodixanol solution (RedCushion®). After dilution, the samples were cooled and frozen. Post‐thaw semen evaluation included sperm motility by CASA immediately after thawing and after 60 min of incubation at 37°C, flow cytometry analysis for integrity of plasma and acrosomal membranes, membrane destabilization and translocation of phosphatidylserine, mitochondrial membrane potential, and formation of intracellular anion superoxide (), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and membrane lipid peroxidation. The group G6 presented significantly higher (p < .05) total and progressive motility, percentage of plasma and acrosomal membrane integrity, and H2O2than control and group G1.5. Furthermore, group G6 showed lower (p < .05) lipid peroxidation than control. In addition, regardless of the concentration used, the percentage of spermatozoa without phosphatidylserine translocation was higher (p < .05) in all iodixanol supplemented groups. In conclusion, iodixanol supplementation preserved the motility and integrity of sperm membranes during cryopreservation and protected against lipid peroxidation.
Teaching digital interprofessional collaboration
Authors: Cresswell Nikki Rose , Walker Steven Thomas , Harrison Claire , Kent Fiona
Published: September 2023

Background

Interprofessional communication in Australian clinical practice has recently shifted from paper records to electronic medical records (EMRs), and there is therefore a need for universities to prepare health graduates for digital communication.

Approach

An interprofessional team co‐designed and co‐facilitated an online interprofessional activity for third year pharmacy and fifth year medical students utilising a simulated EMR (EHR Go™). Students completed a series of profession‐specific tasks relating to a simulated patient, then came together in interprofessional groups of 10–12 to establish a collaborative medication charting plan.

Evaluation

A total of 640 students participated in the activity, of which 60% (386/640) were medical students. Immediately after the interprofessional workshop, students were invited to complete a voluntary anonymous evaluation. Five‐point Likert scales were used to rate the relevance to practice, achievement of learning outcomes, organisation and overall quality of the activity. Students were also asked to contribute qualitative feedback. Of the participants, 28% (180/640) completed the survey, and 53% (96/180) of respondents were medical students. A majority of survey respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the activity was relevant to practice (94%; 170/180), achieved the learning outcomes (84%; 151/180), was well organised (74%; 133/180) and was a quality learning experience (79%; 143/180). The positive feedback focused on appreciating the opportunity to discuss with interdisciplinary colleagues the rationale for admission medications. Constructive feedback included the need for clearer directives regarding pre‐workshop activities.

Implications

This interprofessional education (IPE) activity presents a feasible, innovative approach to teaching pharmacy and medical students digital communication and collaboration using a simulated EMR. Overall, a majority of learners were satisfied with the learning experience and felt that the IPE activity achieved the learning outcomes and was relevant to practice.
Telehealth in paediatric physical therapy education: Strategies and perceptions of interns and caregivers of children with disabilities in Brazil
Authors: Sudati Isabella Pessóta , Monteiro Rayane Félix Lôbo , Nasser Ana Beatriz , Rocha Nelci Adriana Cicuto Ferreira , de Campos Ana Carolina
Published: September 2023

Aims

To describe the implementation of paediatric rehabilitation telehealth at a physical therapy (PT) unit in Brazil during the COVID‐19 pandemic and to describe the perception about this modality by two groups: (1) undergraduate PT students using telehealth during their clinical rotations in this unit and (2) the caregivers of children with disabilities receiving the services.

Methods

Twenty‐one PT interns (19 females; 25 ± 2 years of age) and seven caregivers (seven females; 40 ± 6 years of age) of seven children with disabilities (five females; 10 ± 4 years of age; five children diagnosed with cerebral palsy) responded to an online questionnaire about their experience with the telehealth programme. Participant attendance and frequency of objective responses were reported descriptively; open‐ended responses were analysed qualitatively and grouped according to broad themes.

Results

71.4% of interns rated telehealth as an excellent or good experience, and 28.6% did not appreciate it. In addition, 28.6% of them thought that telehealth should be part of the mandatory internship. Regarding caregivers, 85.8% judged the telehealth programme as excellent or good. Both interns and caregivers cited pros and cons related to technology, professional resources, communication skills and caregiver‐related aspects, among others.

Conclusions

Specific teaching strategies had to be utilised for implementation of telehealth. Despite being a novel modality for interns and caregivers, telehealth was well accepted.
Fast Meshless Solution With Lumped Friction for Laminar Fluid Transients
Authors: Xu Yuanzhi , Deng Yang , Jiao Zongxia
Published: September 2023

Fluid transients without friction in pipelines can be solved by a time-domain exact solution, using a simple recursive process without computational grid. However, the calculation time cost of this approach is very high because of the recursion algorithm. Its improved method, named as the fast meshless solution (FMS), was developed to speed up the computation by introducing time-line interpolation. However, when the friction is considered, the conventional distributed friction model cannot be employed directly for the FMS is meshless. To address this problem, the fluid friction is lumped at pipe ends, and both steady and unsteady laminar flow are investigated. Three kinds of lumped models are proposed here, and compared with a numerical case of the water hammer. The laminar fluid transients can be calculated quickly by the present method, with a little reduced accuracy. This method may be of interest in a quick assessment of the piping fluid transients.
Experimental Investigation of High Frequency Flame Response on Injector Coupling in a Perfectly Premixed Multi-Jet Combustor
Authors: Rosenkranz Jan-Andre , Sattelmayer Thomas
Published: September 2023

High frequency injector-coupled thermoacoustic instabilities are a major threat to multi-jet combustors in rocket and gas turbine engines. The complex three-dimensional acoustic coupling between the combustion chamber and injector acoustics cause local fluctuations in heat release. In turn, multiple thermoacoustic feedback mechanisms close the thermoacoustic loop and serve as a source of the thermoacoustic instability. Except for the flame deformation and flame displacement mechanism, the underlying feedback mechanisms for high frequency instabilities are to a large extent unknown. The paper at hand gives new insights into the injector-coupled convective driving mechanisms that are present in multi-jet combustors at perfectly premixed conditions. The forced flame response to the first transverse combustor mode is investigated for two distinct injector tube lengths: one with an axial acoustic velocity node and one with a velocity antinode coupling at the injector–combustor interface. Phase locked OH* images reveal convectively transported coherent vortex structures as the main source of the flame response. The origin of the flame response can be linked to the axial acoustic velocity at the injector–combustor interface using numerical simulations. Both configurations show a clear oscillation of the heat release fluctuations in-phase with the acoustic pressure fluctuations. In similarity to time delay models in low frequency thermoacoustics, a wave number model is proposed to estimate the local flame response due to feed flow modulations and validated with the experimental results.
Ultrafast preparation and detection of entangled atoms
Authors: Eckart Sebastian , Trabert Daniel , Rist Jonas , Geyer Angelina , Schmidt Lothar Ph. H. , Fehre Kilian , Kunitski Maksim
Published: September 2023

Atoms can form a molecule by sharing their electrons in binding orbitals. These electrons are entangled. Is there a way to break a molecular bond and obtain atoms in their ground state that are spatially separated and still entangled? Here, we show that it is possible to prepare these spatially separated, entangled atoms on femtosecond time scales from single oxygen molecules. The two neutral atoms are entangled in the magnetic quantum number of their valence electrons. In a time-delayed probe step, we use nonadiabatic tunneling, which is a magnetic quantum number–sensitive ionization mechanism. We find a fingerprint of entanglement in the measured ionization probability as a function of the angle between the light’s quantization axis and the molecular axis. This establishes a platform for further experiments that harness the time resolution of strong-field experiments to investigate spatially separated, entangled atoms on femtosecond time scales.
Band-resolved Caroli–de Gennes–Matricon states of multiple-flux-quanta vortices in a multiband superconductor
Authors: Gozlinski Thomas , Li Qili , Heid Rolf , Nemoto Ryohei , Willa Roland , Yamada Toyo Kazu , Schmalian Jörg , Wulfhekel Wulf
Published: September 2023

Superconductors are of type I or II depending on whether they form an Abrikosov vortex lattice. Although bulk lead (Pb) is classified as a prototypical type-I superconductor, we show that its two-band superconductivity allows for single-flux-quantum and multiple-flux-quanta vortices in the intermediate state at millikelvin temperature. Using scanning tunneling microscopy, the winding number of individual vortices is determined from the real space wave function of its Caroli–de Gennes–Matricon bound states. This generalizes the topological index theorem put forward by Volovik for isotropic electronic states to realistic electronic structures. In addition, the bound states due to the two superconducting bands of Pb can be separately detected and the two gaps close independently inside vortices. This yields strong evidence for a low interband coupling.
An optical-based multipoint 3-axis pressure sensor with a flexible thin-film form
Authors: Wang Haoyang , Wang Wenqing , Kim Jae Joon , Wang Chunya , Wang Yan , Wang Binghao , Lee Sunghoon , Yokota Tomoyuki , Someya Takao
Published: September 2023

Multipoint 3-axis tactile pressure sensing by a high-resolution and sensitive optical system provides rich information on surface pressure distribution and plays an important role in a variety of human interaction–related and robotics applications. However, the optical system usually has a bulky profile, which brings difficulties to sensor mounting and system integration. Here, we show a construction of thin-film and flexible multipoint 3-axis pressure sensor by optical methods. The sensor can detect the distribution of 3-axis pressure on an area of 3 centimeter by 4 centimeter, with a high-accuracy normal and tangential pressure sensing up to 360 and 100 kilopascal, respectively. A porous rubber is used as a 3-axis pressure-sensitive optical modulator to omit the thick and rigid focusing system without sacrificing the sensitivity. In addition, by integrating thin and flexible backlight and imager, the sensor has a total thickness of 1.5 milimeter, making it function properly even when bent to a radius of 18 milimeter.
An underlying mechanism for MleR activating the malolactic enzyme pathway to enhance acid tolerance in
Lacticaseibacillus paracasei
L9
Authors: Huan Ran , Cao Zeyu , Zhai Zhengyuan , Feng Xin , Hao Yanling
Published: September 2023

Tolerance to acid stress is a crucial property of probiotics against gastric acids. The malolactic enzyme pathway is one of the most important acid resistance systems in lactic acid bacteria. It has been reported that the malolactic enzyme pathway was regulated by the transcriptional regulator, MleR. However, regulatory mechanisms underlying malolactic enzyme pathway to cope with acid stress remain unknown. In this study, the acid tolerance ability of the
ΔmleR
deletion strain was significantly lower than that of the wild-type strain, and the complementation of the
mleR
gene into the
ΔmleR
strain restored the acid tolerance of the
ΔmleR
strain, indicating that MleR was involved in acid tolerance response of
Lacticaseibacillus paracasei
L9. Real-time quantitative PCR and transcriptional fusion experiments confirmed MleR-activated transcription of the
mleST
gene cluster. Furthermore, MleR was confirmed to directly bind to the promoter region of the
mleST
operon using ChIP assays and EMSAs. The transcription start site G of the
mleST
operon was located at position −198 relative to the start codon of the
mleS
gene. The region from −80 to −61 upstream of the transcription start site was determined to be essential for MleR binding. Moreover, L-malic acid acted as an effector for MleR to activate the transcription of the
mleST
operon in a dose-dependent manner. These results revealed the regulatory mechanism behind MleR-mediated activation of the malolactic enzyme pathway to enhance acid tolerance in
Lc. paracasei
L9.

IMPORTANCE

Lacticaseibacillus paracasei
is extensively used as probiotics in human health and fermented dairy production. Following consumption,
Lc. paracasei
is exposed to a variety of physico-chemical stresses, such as low pH in the stomach and bile salts in the intestines. The high acidity of the stomach severely inhibits bacterial metabolism and growth. Therefore, the acid tolerance response is critical for
Lc. paracasei
to survive. It has been reported that the malolactic enzyme (MLE) pathway plays an important role for LAB to resist acid stress. However, the regulatory mechanism has not yet been investigated. In this study, we determined that the LysR-type regulator MleR positively regulated the MLE pathway to enhance acid tolerance by binding −80 to −61 upstream of the transcription start site of the
mleST
operon. Further, L-malic acid acts as a co-inducer for MleR transcriptional regulation. Our study provides novel insights into acid tolerance mechanisms in LAB.
Development of a HiBiT-tagged reporter hepatitis E virus and its utility as an antiviral drug screening platform
Authors: Nagashima Shigeo , Primadharsini Putu Prathiwi , Nishiyama Takashi , Takahashi Masaharu , Murata Kazumoto , Okamoto Hiroaki
Published: September 2023

Previously, we developed an infectious hepatitis E virus (HEV) harboring the nanoKAZ gene in the hypervariable region of the open reading frame 1 (ORF1) of the HEV3b (JE03-1760F/P10) genome and demonstrated the usefulness for screening anti-HEV drugs that inhibit the early infection process. In the present study, we constructed another reporter HEV (HEV3b-HiBiT) by placing a minimized HiBiT tag derived from NanoLuc luciferase at the 3′-end of the viral capsid (ORF2) coding sequence. It replicated efficiently in PLC/PRF/5 cells, produced membrane-associated particles identical to those of the parental virus, and was genetically stable and infectious. The HiBiT tag was fused to both secreted ORF2s (ORF2s-HiBiT) and ORF2c capsid protein (ORF2c-HiBiT). The ORF2c-HiBiT formed membrane-associated HEV particles (eHEV3b-HiBiT). By treating these particles with digitonin, we demonstrated that the HiBiT tag was expressed on the surface of capsid and was present inside the lipid membrane. To simplify the measurement of luciferase activity and provide a more convenient screening platform, we constructed an ORF2s-defective mutant (HEV3b-HiBiT/ΔORF2s) in which the secreted ORF2s are suppressed. We used this system to evaluate the effects of introducing small interfering RNAs and treatment with an inhibitor or accelerator of exosomal release on HEV egress and demonstrated that the effects on virus release can readily be analyzed. Therefore, HEV3b-HiBiT and HEV3b-HiBiT/ΔORF2s reporters may be useful for investigating the virus life cycle and can serve as a more convenient screening platform to search for candidate drugs targeting the late stage of HEV infection such as particle formation and release.

IMPORTANCE

The construction of recombinant infectious viruses harboring a stable luminescence reporter gene is essential for investigations of the viral life cycle, such as viral replication and pathogenesis, and the development of novel antiviral drugs. However, it is difficult to maintain the stability of a large foreign gene inserted into the viral genome. In the present study, we successfully generated a recombinant HEV harboring the 11‐amino acid HiBiT tag in the ORF2 coding region and demonstrated the infectivity, efficient virus growth, particle morphology, and genetic stability, suggesting that this recombinant HEV is useful for
in vitro
assays. Furthermore, this system can serve as a more convenient screening platform for anti-HEV drugs. Thus, an infectious recombinant HEV is a powerful approach not only for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of the viral life cycle but also for the screening and development of novel antiviral agents.
Predicting COVID-19 prognosis in hospitalized patients based on early status
Authors: Natanov David , Avihai Byron , McDonnell Erin , Lee Eileen , Cook Brennan , Altomare Nicole , Ko Tomohiro , Chaia Angelo , Munoz Carolayn , Ouellette Samantha , Nyalakonda Suraj , Cederbaum Vanessa , Parikh Payal D. , Blaser Martin J.
Published: September 2023

Predicting which patients are at greatest risk of severe disease from COVID-19 has the potential to improve patient outcomes and improve resource allocation. We developed machine learning models for predicting COVID-19 prognosis from a retrospective chart review of 969 hospitalized COVID-19 patients at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital during the first pandemic wave in the United States, focusing on 77 variables from patients’ first day of hospital admission. Our best 77-variable model was better able to predict mortality (receiver operating characteristic area under the curve [ROC AUC] = 0.808) than CURB-65, a commonly used clinical prediction rule for pneumonia severity (ROC AUC = 0.722). After identifying highly predictive variables in our full models using
Sh
apley
a
dditive ex
p
lanations values, we generated two models, platelet count, lactate, age, blood urea nitrogen, aspartate aminotransferase, and C-reactive protein (PLABAC) and platelet count, red blood cell distribution width, age, blood urea nitrogen, lactate, and eosinophil count (PRABLE), that use age and five common laboratory tests to predict mortality (PLABAC: ROC AUC = 0.796, PRABLE: ROC AUC = 0.793), which also outperformed CURB-65. We externally validated PLABAC using data from the National COVID Cohort Collaborative Data Enclave from 7901 hospitalized COVID-19 patients from the pre-vaccination period and 1547 from the vaccination period, yielding ROC AUCs of 0.755 and 0.766, respectively. This study demonstrates that our models can accurately predict COVID-19 outcomes from a small number of variables obtained early in a patient’s hospital stay in patients from institutions around the United States after the initial pandemic wave. These models can serve as a clinical prediction aid and accurately capture a patient’s prognosis using a small number of routinely obtained laboratory values.

IMPORTANCE

COVID-19 remains the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Predicting COVID-19 patient prognosis is essential to help efficiently allocate resources, including ventilators and intensive care unit beds, particularly when hospital systems are strained. Our PLABAC and PRABLE models are unique because they accurately assess a COVID-19 patient’s risk of death from only age and five commonly ordered laboratory tests. This simple design is important because it allows these models to be used by clinicians to rapidly assess a patient’s risk of decompensation and serve as a real-time aid when discussing difficult, life-altering decisions for patients. Our models have also shown generalizability to external populations across the United States. In short, these models are practical, efficient tools to assess and communicate COVID-19 prognosis.
Svalbox Digital Model Database: A geoscientific window into the High Arctic
Authors: Betlem Peter , Rodés Nil , Birchall Thomas , Dahlin Anders , Smyrak-Sikora Aleksandra , Senger Kim
Published: September 2023

Digital outcrop models (DOMs) have revolutionized the way twenty-first century geoscientists work. DOMs are georeferenced three-dimensional (3-D) digital representations of outcrops that facilitate quantitative work on outcrops at various scales. Outcrop digitalization has been traditionally conducted using laser scanners, but in the past decade, it has seen an exponential growth because of efficient and consumer-friendly structure-from-motion (SfM) algorithms concurrent with the rapid development of cost-effective aerial drones with high-resolution onboard cameras. While DOMs are routinely used in geoscientific research, education, and industry, enhanced DOM usage is restricted because raw data (e.g., photographs) and metadata are often incomplete and/or unavailable. In this contribution, we present the Svalbox Digital Model Database (Svalbox DMDb), a database of metadata and openly available data packages for individual DOMs. The Svalbox DMDb is a regional DOM database geographically constrained to the Norwegian High Arctic archipelago of Svalbard at 74°N–81°N and 10°E–35°E. Svalbard offers exceptional-quality, vegetation-free outcrops with a wide range of lithologies and tectono-magmatic styles, including extension, compression, and magmatism. Data and metadata of the systematically digitalized outcrops across Svalbard are shared according to FAIR principles through the Svalbox DMDb. Fully open-access and downloadable DOMs include not just the DOMs themselves, but also the input data, processing reports and projects, and other data products such as footprints and orthomosaics. Rich metadata for each DOM include both the technical and geological parameters (metadata), enabling visualization and integration with regional geoscientific data available through the Norwegian Polar Institute and the Svalbox online portal. The current release of Svalbox DMDb, documented in this contribution, covers 135 DOMs cumulatively covering 114 km of Proterozoic to Cenozoic stratigraphy.
Geoscience academic hiring networks reinforce historic patterns of inequity
Authors: Dahl Robyn Mieko
Published: September 2023

An analysis of the academic hiring networks in geoscience reveals a severe imbalance that favors graduates from a small handful of institutions. In this study, social network analysis was conducted on a database consisting of every individual with a Ph.D. working in a geoscience degree-granting program in the United States (n = 6694) between 2015 and 2021. Individuals were mapped from the institution where they earned their Ph.D. to the institution where they currently work. Of the 895 geoscience degree-granting institutions included in the database, 10 alone produced nearly a quarter (24.6%) of the entire academic geoscience workforce. Network analysis also identified a small, closed network consisting of five of the top-10 institutions, which suggests that these networks hire more frequently from one another than from other institutions in the network. When academic rank was used to analyze the network for change over time, no significant shift in the hiring patterns was found. These imbalances in faculty production disadvantage scientists who are educated at programs other than the top-placing institutions and ultimately reinforces longstanding inequities in the field, such as the underrepresentation of people who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), and first-generation college students in geoscience faculty. These patterns of inequity have also been shown to limit the spread of new scientific ideas throughout research communities.
Macro-Financial Stability in the COVID-19 Crisis: Some Reflections
Authors: Adrian Tobias , Natalucci Fabio M. , Qureshi Mahvash S.
Published: September 2023

The global financial system showed remarkable resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite a sharp decline in economic activity and the initial financial market upheaval in March 2020. This article takes stock of the factors that contributed to this resilience, focusing on the role of monetary and financial policies. Drawing on the existing literature, it argues that the swift and decisive policy actions of major central banks in response to the pandemic-induced crisis played a key role in easing financial conditions and sustaining the flow of credit to the real economy. While the pandemic crisis has underscored the importance of policies in preventing calamitous financial outcomes, it has also brought to the fore some unintended consequences of policy actions—in particular, of providing prolonged monetary policy support and of applying regulation to specific segments of the financial system rather than taking a broader approach—that could undermine financial stability in the future.
Automatic Diagnosis of Different Types of Retinal Vein Occlusion Based on Fundus Images
Authors: Wan Cheng , Hua Rongrong , Li Kunke , Hong Xiangqian , Fang Dong , Yang Weihua
Published: September 2023

Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is the second common cause of blindness following diabetic retinopathy. The manual screening of fundus images to detect RVO is time consuming. Deep‐learning techniques have been used for screening RVO due to their outstanding performance in many applications. However, unlike other images, medical images have smaller lesions, which require a more elaborate approach. To provide patients with an accurate diagnosis, followed by timely and effective treatment, we developed an intelligent method for automatic RVO screening on fundus images. Swin Transformer learns the hierarchy of low‐to high‐level features like the convolutional neural network. However, Swin Transformer extracts features from fundus images through attention modules, which pay more attention to the interrelationship between the features and each other. The model is more universal, does not rely entirely on the data itself, and focuses not only on local information but has a diffusion mechanism from local to global. To suppress overfitting, we adopt a regularization strategy, label smoothing, which uses one‐hot to add noise to reduce the weight of the categories of true sample labels when calculating the loss function. The choice of different models using a 5‐fold cross‐validation on our own datasets indicates that Swin Transformer performs better. The accuracy of classifying all datasets is 98.75 ± 0.000, and the accuracy of identifying MRVO, CRVO, BRVO, and normal, using the method proposed in the paper, is 94.49 ± 0.094, 99.98 ± 0.015, 98.88 ± 0.08, and 99.42 ± 0.012, respectively. The method will be useful to diagnose RVO and help decide grade through fundus images, which has the potency to provide patients with further diagnosis and treatment.
Experimental Study on a Small-Scale Transcritical CO2 Rankine Cycle for Solar Thermal Applications
Authors: Lee Wonkoo , Lee Kwon-Yeong
Published: September 2023

The supercritical CO2 cycle is one of the next generation’s power generation cycle. Especially, the transcritical CO2 Rankine cycle (TCRC) is a suitable candidate for dispersed generation systems with small-scale solar thermal applications. Compared to other cycle studies applied in other fields such as nuclear energy, there are limited reports on renewable energy fields. Therefore, in this study, the TCRC for a small-scale solar thermal heat source is investigated by thermodynamic and experimental methods. The experimental facility was built with approximately 12 kW of thermal capacity and commissioned to evaluate its performance using a case study. The maximum temperature of the cycle is the primary optimization variable of the experiment, and it has a significant impact on the cycle thermal efficiency. Based on the experimental data, the trends of the cycle thermal efficiency and generated power are simulated assuming that the TCRC is operating with real insolation during the daytime. As a result of the simulation, maximum efficiencies of 6.41 and 6.03% are obtained from maximum solar radiation amounts of 758 and 674 W/m2 in May and June, respectively. At that time, the amounts of power generated were 726 W and 626 W, respectively.
The Application of Raw Chickpeas and Nuts in the Development of Plant-Based Cheese Snack: Ideal Nutrition and Texture Properties
Authors: Nie Ying , Liu Yaqun , Luo Qiulan , Huang Yisheng , Hu Lei , Zou Xianghui , Zheng Yuzhong , Li Biansheng , Huang Yongping
Published: September 2023

Human and global health would be greatly improved by replacing animal-based foods with plant-based alternatives. This transition would be facilitated when more affordable, convenient, sustainable, nutritious, and tasty plant-based foods are available on the market. Interest in related research has surged these years, and dozens of plant-based cheese (PBC) products have been introduced to the market. However, studies found that most PBCs are far from comparable with dairy cheese in nutritional value, and the texture and sensory properties are still hurdles to the widespread consumption of PBCs. This paper focused on the “tissue disruption route” and adopted chickpeas and nuts as the main ingredients to form a cheese snack. Test results showed that our samples were high of nourishment value compared to the cheese sample and even healthier than the cheese in the terms of energy (

709.37
±
1.35

vs.

865.63
±
0.49

 kJ/100 g,

p
<
0.01

), K/Na ratio (

142.00
±
0.82

/

13.33
±
0.12

 mg/100 g vs.

121.67
±
2.05

/

44.23
±
0.05

 mg/100 g,

p
<
0.01

), DF (

6.99
±
0.01

 g/100 g vs. N/A,

p
<
0.01

), and cholesterol (

8.81
±
0.25

vs.

207.30
±
3.35

 mg/100 g,

p
<
0.01

). From the order of magnitude, the PBC samples are similar to the cheese sample in the aspects of cohesiveness (

p
<
0.05

) in texture test, and the fermentation process improved the imitation of texture properties in terms of hardness and cohesiveness (both

p
<
0.05

). The volatile compounds were similar between the two PBC samples; however, the fermentation process could increase the species of the volatile compounds and make the PBC a little more similar to the dairy cheese. Overall, the observed properties of our PBC snack using raw chickpeas and nuts make the “plant-based cheese substitutes” extremely promising because of their nutritional value, sensory, and texture properties.
Data from Nanoparticle Delivery of Immunostimulatory Alu RNA for Cancer Immunotherapy
Authors: Garland Kyle M. , Kwiatkowski Alexander J. , Tossberg John T. , Crooke Philip S. , Aune Thomas M. , Wilson John T.
Published: September 2023

It was recently found that patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis exhibit widespread loss of adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing, which contributes to the accumulation of immunostimulatory double-stranded Alu RNA in circulating leukocytes and an attendant increase in levels of proinflammatory cytokines (e.g., type I IFNs). A specific Alu RNA (i.e., AluJb RNA) was implicated in activating multiple RNA-sensing pathways and found to be a potent innate immune agonist. Here, we have performed a bioinformatic analysis of A-to-I RNA editing in human melanoma samples and determined that pre-therapy levels of A-to-I RNA editing negatively correlate with survival times, suggesting that an accumulation of endogenous double-stranded Alu RNA might contribute to cancer patient survival. Furthermore, we demonstrated that immunostimulatory Alu RNA can be leveraged pharmacologically for cancer immunotherapy. AluJb RNA was in vitro transcribed and then formulated with endosome-destabilizing polymer nanoparticles to improve intracellular delivery of the RNA and enable activation of RNA-sensing pathways. AluJb RNA/polymer complexes (i.e., Alu-NPs) were engineered to form colloidally stable nanoparticles that exhibited immunostimulatory activity in vitro and in vivo. Finally, the therapeutic potential of Alu-NPs for the treatment of cancer was demonstrated by attenuated tumor growth and prolonged survival in the B16.F10 murine melanoma tumor model. Thus, these data collectively implicate intratumoral Alu RNA as a potentiator of antitumor innate immunity and identify AluJb RNA as a novel nucleic acid immunotherapeutic for cancer.
Significance:
Loss of A-to-I editing leads to accumulation of unedited Alu RNAs that activate innate immunity via RNA-sensing pattern recognition receptors. When packaged into endosome-releasing polymer nanoparticles, AluJB RNA becomes highly immunostimulatory and can be used pharmacologically to inhibit tumor growth in mouse melanoma models. These findings identify Alu RNAs as a new class of nucleic acid innate immune agonists for cancer immunotherapy.
Association Between Alcohol Consumption and Ectopic Fat in the Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
Authors: Kazibwe Richard , Chevli Parag A. , Evans Joni K. , Allison Matthew , Michos Erin D. , Wood Alexis C. , Ding Jingzhong , Shapiro Michael D. , Mongraw‐Chaffin Morgana
Published: September 2023

Background

The relationship between alcohol consumption and ectopic fat distribution, both known factors for cardiovascular disease, remains understudied. Therefore, we aimed to examine the association between alcohol consumption and ectopic adiposity in adults at risk for cardiovascular disease.

Methods and Results

In this cross‐sectional analysis, we categorized alcohol intake among participants in MESA (Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) as follows (drinks/day): <1 (light drinking), 1 to 2 (moderate drinking), >2 (heavy drinking), former drinking, and lifetime abstention. Binge drinking was defined as consuming ≥5 drinks on 1 occasion in the past month. Visceral, subcutaneous, and intermuscular fat area, pericardial fat volume, and hepatic fat attenuation were measured using noncontrast computed tomography. Using multivariable linear regression, we examined the associations between categories of alcohol consumption and natural log‐transformed fat in ectopic depots. We included 6756 MESA participants (62.1±10.2 years; 47.2% women), of whom 6734 and 1934 had chest computed tomography (pericardial and hepatic fat) and abdominal computed tomography (subcutaneous, intermuscular, and visceral fat), respectively. In adjusted analysis, heavy drinking, relative to lifetime abstention, was associated with a higher (relative percent difference) pericardial 15.1 [95% CI, 7.1–27.7], hepatic 3.4 [95% CI, 0.1–6.8], visceral 2.5 [95% CI, −10.4 to 17.2], and intermuscular 5.2 [95% CI, −6.6 to 18.4] fat but lower subcutaneous fat −3.5 [95% CI, −15.5 to 10.2]). The associations between alcohol consumption and ectopic adiposity exhibited a J‐shaped pattern. Binge drinking, relative to light‐to‐moderate drinking, was also associated with higher ectopic fat.

Conclusions

Alcohol consumption had a J‐shaped association with ectopic adiposity. Both heavy alcohol intake and binge alcohol drinking were associated with higher ectopic fat.
Statin Treatment in Patients With Stroke With Low‐Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels Below 70 mg/dL
Authors: Kim Joon‐Tae , Lee Ji Sung , Kim Beom Joon , Kang Jihoon , Lee Keon‐Joo , Park Jong‐Moo , Kang Kyusik , Lee Soo Joo , Kim Jae Guk , Cha Jae‐Kwan , Kim Dae‐Hyun , Park Tai Hwan , Lee Kyungbok , Lee Jun , Hong Keun‐Sik , Cho Yong‐Jin , Park Hong‐Kyun , Lee Byung‐Chul , Yu Kyung‐Ho , Oh Mi Sun , Kim Dong‐Eog , Ryu Wi‐Sun , Choi Jay Chol , Kwon Jee‐Hyun , Kim Wook‐Joo , Shin Dong‐Ick , Yum Kyu Sun , Sohn Sung Il , Hong Jeong‐Ho , Lee Sang‐Hwa , Park Man‐Seok , Choi Kang‐Ho , Lee Juneyoung , Park Kwang‐Yeol , Bae Hee‐Joon
Published: September 2023

Background

It is unclear whether statin treatment could reduce the risk of early vascular events when baseline low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) levels are already low, at <70 mg/dL, at the time of the index stroke.

Methods and Results

This study was an analysis of a prospective, multicenter, nationwide registry of consecutive patients with first‐ever acute ischemic stroke with baseline low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels <70 mg/dL and without statin pretreatment. An inverse probabilities of treatment weights method was applied to control for imbalances in baseline characteristics. The primary outcome was a composite of stroke (either hemorrhagic or ischemic), myocardial infarction, and all‐cause death within 3 months. A total of 2850 patients (age, 69.5±13.4 years; men, 63.5%) were analyzed for this study. In‐hospital statin treatment was used for 74.2% of patients. The primary composite outcome within 3 months occurred in 21.5% of patients in the nonstatin group and 6.7% of patients in the statin group (
P
<0.001), but the rates of stroke (2.65% versus 2.33%), hemorrhagic stroke (0.16% versus 0.10%), and myocardial infarction (0.73% versus 0.19%) were not significantly different between the 2 groups. After inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis, the primary composite outcome was significantly reduced in patients with statin therapy (weighted hazard ratio [HR], 0.54 [95% CI, 0.42–0.69]). However, statin treatment did not increase the risk of hemorrhagic stroke (weighted HR, 1.11 [95% CI, 0.10–12.28]).

Conclusions

Approximately three‐quarters of the patients with first‐ever ischemic stroke with baseline low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels <70 mg/dL received in‐hospital statin treatment. Statin treatment, compared with no statin treatment, was significantly associated with a reduced risk of the 3‐month primary composite outcomes and all‐cause death but did not alter the rate of stroke recurrence.
Bridging Diverse Delusions of Time
Authors: Hancock P.A.
Published: September 2023

Efforts continue to determine how many differing forms of time connote reality. These numbers range from the many to the few. The most common integer is two. Here, one represents a property of externality and the other a property of internality, or more colloquially a characteristic of mind. Attempts to weld this dyad into a “grand unified theory of time” are legion. However, since the essentially unquestioned foundational premise, viz the reality of time, is false, all subsequent theorizing, however well-meaning, proves vacuous. The unacceptable alternative is to embrace the delusion of time. However, this assertion of zero-time theory is so repugnant to the deeply entrenched belief in time by living systems that this answer proves unpalatable at best and rejected forthwith in virtually all instances. Explanations of time predicated upon the premises of duality and reality prove intriguing but eventually fruitless paths to pursue.
Taxonomic revision of the soldier spider genus Falconina Brignoli, 1985 (Araneae: Corinnidae: Corinninae)
Authors: GARCÍA FABIÁN , BONALDO ALEXANDRE B.
Published: September 2023

The genus Falconina Brignoli, 1985 is revised and redescribed, including ten species. New records and documentation of morphological variation in F. gracilis (Keyserling, 1891) are presented; it and the type species, F. melloi (Schenkel, 1953), are rediagnosed. Falconina albomaculosa (Schmidt, 1971) is redescribed based on the female holotype and additional material from Ecuador, with the male being described for the first time. Falconina crassipalpis (Chickering, 1937) is redescribed based on the types and additional material from Barro Colorado, Panama. Six new species are described, diagnosed, and illustrated: F. iza sp. nov. (♂ from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil); F. taita sp. nov. (♂ from Chapare and ♀ from Sapecho, Bolivia); F. catirina sp. nov. (♂ from Piauí, Brazil); F. adriki sp. nov. (♂ and ♀ from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil); F. andresi sp. nov. (♀ from Meta, Colombia); and F. brignolii sp. nov. (♀ from Sucre, Venezuela). Additionally, distribution maps and an identification key to all of the known species of Falconina are provided.
Bathymetry-Aware Mesoscale Eddy Parameterizations across Upwelling Slope Fronts: A Machine Learning–Augmented Approach
Authors: Xie Chenyue , Wei Huaiyu , Wang Yan
Published: September 2023

Mesoscale eddy buoyancy fluxes across continental slopes profoundly modulate the boundary current dynamics and shelf–ocean exchanges but have yet to be appropriately parameterized via the Gent–McWilliams (GM) scheme in predictive ocean models. In this work, we test the prognostic performance of multiple GM variants in noneddying simulations of upwelling slope fronts that are commonly found along the subtropical continental margins. The tested GM variants range from a set of constant eddy buoyancy diffusivities to recently developed energetically constrained, bathymetry-aware diffusivities, whose implementation is augmented by an artificial neural network (ANN) serving to predict the mesoscale eddy energy based on the topographic and mean flow quantities online. In addition, an ANN is employed to parameterize the cross-slope eddy momentum flux (EMF) that maintains a barotropic flow field analogous to that in an eddy-resolving model. Our tests reveal that noneddying simulations employing the bathymetry-aware forms of the Rhines scale–based scheme and GEOMETRIC scheme can most accurately reproduce the heat contents and along-slope baroclinic transports as those in the eddy-resolving simulations. Further analyses reveal certain degrees of physical consistency in the ANN-inferred eddy energy, which tends to grow (decay) as isopycnal slopes are steepened (flattened), and in the parameterized EMF, which exhibits the correct strength of shaping the flow baroclinicity if a bathymetry-aware GM variant is jointly used. These findings provide a recipe of GM variants for use in noneddying simulations with continental slopes and highlight the potential of machine learning techniques to augment physics-based mesoscale eddy parameterization schemes.

Significance Statement

This study evaluates the predictive skill of parameterization schemes of water mass transports induced by ocean mesoscale eddies across continental slopes. Correctly parameterizing these transports in noneddying ocean models (e.g., ocean climate models) is crucial for predicting the ocean circulation and shelf–ocean exchanges. This work highlights the importance of bathymetric effects on eddy transports, as parameterization schemes that account for the influence of a sloping seafloor outperform those developed specifically for a flat-bottomed ocean. This work also highlights the efficacy of machine learning techniques to augment physics-based mesoscale eddy parameterization schemes, for instance, by estimating the mesoscale eddy energy online to realize energy-dependent parameterization schemes in noneddying simulations.