bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficiency of energy and enstrophy transfers in periodical flows
Authors: De Leo A. , Stocchino A.
Published: March 2023

We apply a coarse-graining technique to understand the efficiency of scale-to-scale transport of energy and enstrophy in a quasi-two-dimensional weakly turbulent periodic flow. The investigated periodic flow resembles the propagation of a monochromatic tide in a tidal channel, connected to open sea through an inlet. The interaction of the periodic flow with the inlet mouth generates vortical structures in a wide spectrum of scales, and recently, how the corresponding energy and enstrophy fluxes change their signs depending on the tidal phase has been shown. In the present study, we are interested to extend the analysis to the efficiency of the nonlinear transfer rates by analyzing the geometric alignment between the turbulent stresses and the strain rates for the energy, and the vorticity stress and large-scale vorticity gradient for the enstrophy. Our results suggest that, depending on the phase of the period, energy is efficiently transferred to larger scales (inverse cascade) in a finite range of scales, whereas the observed direct energy cascade for very small and very large scales is much less efficient. Enstrophy shows similar behaviors in terms of transitions between direct and inverse cascading; however, all transfers seem to be relatively inefficient.
Transition in steady streaming and pumping caused by a sphere oscillating in a viscous incompressible fluid
Authors: Felderhof B. U.
Published: March 2023

The steady streaming flow pattern caused by a no-slip sphere oscillating in an unbounded viscous incompressible fluid is calculated exactly to second order in the amplitude. The pattern depends on a dimensionless scale number, determined by sphere radius, frequency of oscillation, and kinematic viscosity of the fluid. At a particular value of the scale number, there is a transition with a reversal of flow. The analytical solution of the flow equations is based on a set of antenna theorems. The flow pattern consists of a boundary layer and an adjacent far field of long range, falling off with the inverse square distance from the center of the sphere. The boundary layer becomes thin in the limit where inertia dominates over viscosity. The system acts as a pump operating in two directions, depending on the scale number. The efficiency of the pump is estimated from a comparison of the rate of flow with the rate of dissipation.
Enhancement of thermal rectification by asymmetry engineering of thermal conductivity and geometric structure for multi-segment thermal rectifier
Authors: Du Fu-Ye , Zhang Wang , Wang Hui-Qiong , Zheng Jin-Cheng
Published: March 2023

Thermal rectification is an exotic thermal transport phenomenon, an analog to electrical rectification, in which heat flux along one direction is larger than that in the other direction and is of significant interest in electronic device applications. However, achieving high thermal rectification efficiency or rectification ratio is still a scientific challenge. In this work, we performed a systematic simulation of thermal rectification by considering both efforts of thermal conductivity asymmetry and geometrical asymmetry in a multi-segment thermal rectifier. It is found that the high asymmetry of thermal conductivity and the asymmetry of the geometric structure of multi-segment thermal rectifiers can significantly enhance the thermal rectification, and the combination of both thermal conductivity asymmetry and geometrical asymmetry can further improve thermal rectification efficiency. This work suggests a possible way for improving thermal rectification devices by asymmetry engineering.
Enhanced mechanical and thermal properties of two-dimensional SiC and GeC with temperature and size dependence
Authors: Huang Lei , Ren Kai , Zhang Huanping , Qin Huasong
Published: March 2023

Two-dimensional materials with novel mechanical and thermal properties are available for sensors, photodetectors, thermoelectric, crystal diode and flexible nanodevices. In this investigation, the mechanical and thermal properties of pristine SiC and GeC are explored by molecular dynamics simulations. First, the fracture strength and fracture strain behaviors are addressed in the zigzag and armchair directions at 300 K. The excellent toughness of SiC and GeC is demonstrated by the maximal fracture strain of 0.43 and 0.47 in the zigzag direction, respectively. The temperature-tunable tensile strength of SiC and GeC is also investigated. Then, using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) calculations, the thermal performances of SiC and GeC are explored. In particular, the thermal conductivity of SiC and GeC shows a pronounced size dependence and reaches up to 85.67 W⋅m−1⋅K−1 and 34.37 W⋅m−1⋅K−1, respectively. The goal of our work is to provide a theoretical framework that can be used in the near future. This will enable us to design an efficient thermal management scheme for two-dimensional materials in electronics and optoelectronics.
Constitutional Dialogue Under Pressure: Constitutional Remedies in Israel as a Test Case
Authors: Yosef Bell E
Published: March 2023

Constitutional dialogue theory has some great qualities. It is balanced, democratic, and deliberative. It has a special legitimacy-enhancing role due to the place that it gives to legislatures and to the political process. Even its name has a positive aspect. However, this important theory has a major flaw: it does not protect human rights well. This theory puts most of the weight on institutional interaction, and not enough weight on the petitioners’ rights.

This Article wishes to strengthen this criticism through a discussion of the strong connection between constitutional dialogue and constitutional remedies. The court choice of remedy can facilitate the legislature’s ability to enact a legislative response as a part of the ongoing dialogue between courts and legislatures. The constitutional remedies are an invitation, directed to the political branches, that can leave the discretion regarding desired policy in the political field, while minimizing the judicial intervention in the legislative fora. An invitation to take (or restore) constitutional responsibility and sensitivity.

However, this invitation sees only political institutions, instead of the ones who need the remedy the most: the petitioners. Soft and legitimacy-enhancing designing of constitutional remedies cast the price on the petitioners’ shoulders, who do not win full remedying in the name of constructive inter-institutional dynamics. Thus, using the Israeli Supreme Court’s use of constitutional remedies as a test case, the main argument is a claim in favor of judicial use of strong and status-quo changing remedies that protect the petitioners’ rights. Counterintuitive as it may seem, the dialogue theory—which is built upon the political branches ability to respond—enables and legitimizes the choice to use strong remedies. The latter is the outcome of the responsive nature of the theory and the temporal nature of the constitutional remedies.
Rebating Antitrust Fines to Encourage Private Damages Negotiations
Authors: Emons Winand , Lenhard Severin
Published: March 2023

To encourage private negotiations for damages in antitrust cases some jurisdictions subtract a fraction of the redress from the fine. We analyze the effectiveness of this policy. Such a rebate does not encourage settlement negotiations that would otherwise not occur. If, however, the parties settle without the rebate, the introduction of the reduction may increase the settlement amount. Yet, deterrence for those wrongdoers who are actually fined always goes down. Under a leniency program, the rebate does not affect the leniency applicant: she does not pay a fine that can be reduced. The overall effect of a fine reduction on deterrence is therefore negative.
A feature extraction method based on noise reduction for circRNA-miRNA interaction prediction combining multi-structure features in the association networks
Authors: Wang Xin-Fei , Yu Chang-Qing , You Zhu-Hong , Li Li-Ping , Huang Wen-Zhun , Ren Zhong-Hao , Li Yue-Chao , Wei Meng-Meng
Published: March 2023

Motivation

A large number of studies have shown that circular RNA (circRNA) affects biological processes by competitively binding miRNA, providing a new perspective for the diagnosis, and treatment of human diseases. Therefore, exploring the potential circRNA-miRNA interactions (CMIs) is an important and urgent task at present. Although some computational methods have been tried, their performance is limited by the incompleteness of feature extraction in sparse networks and the low computational efficiency of lengthy data.

Results

In this paper, we proposed JSNDCMI, which combines the multi-structure feature extraction framework and Denoising Autoencoder (DAE) to meet the challenge of CMI prediction in sparse networks. In detail, JSNDCMI integrates functional similarity and local topological structure similarity in the CMI network through the multi-structure feature extraction framework, then forces the neural network to learn the robust representation of features through DAE and finally uses the Gradient Boosting Decision Tree classifier to predict the potential CMIs. JSNDCMI produces the best performance in the 5-fold cross-validation of all data sets. In the case study, seven of the top 10 CMIs with the highest score were verified in PubMed.

Availability

The data and source code can be found at https://github.com/1axin/JSNDCMI.
Integrative analysis of individual-level data and high-dimensional summary statistics
Authors: Fu Sheng , Deng Lu , Zhang Han , Wheeler William , Qin Jing , Yu Kai
Published: March 2023

Motivation

Researchers usually conduct statistical analyses based on models built on raw data collected from individual participants (individual-level data). There is a growing interest in enhancing inference efficiency by incorporating aggregated summary information from other sources, such as summary statistics on genetic markers’ marginal associations with a given trait generated from genome-wide association studies. However, combining high-dimensional summary data with individual-level data using existing integrative procedures can be challenging due to various numeric issues in optimizing an objective function over a large number of unknown parameters.

Results

We develop a procedure to improve the fitting of a targeted statistical model by leveraging external summary data for more efficient statistical inference (both effect estimation and hypothesis testing). To make this procedure scalable to high-dimensional summary data, we propose a divide-and-conquer strategy by breaking the task into easier parallel jobs, each fitting the targeted model by integrating the individual-level data with a small proportion of summary data. We obtain the final estimates of model parameters by pooling results from multiple fitted models through the minimum distance estimation procedure. We improve the procedure for a general class of additive models commonly encountered in genetic studies. We further expand these two approaches to integrate individual-level and high-dimensional summary data from different study populations. We demonstrate the advantage of the proposed methods through simulations and an application to the study of the effect on pancreatic cancer risk by the polygenic risk score defined by BMI-associated genetic markers.

Availability and implementation

R package is available at https://github.com/fushengstat/MetaGIM.
Impairment of central language processing in critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 patients with delirium
Authors: Ferré Fabrice , Buffières William , Heine Lizette , Riu Beatrice , Curot Jonathan , Corneyllie Alexandra , Sarton Benjamine , Perrin Fabien , Silva Stein
Published: March 2023

Accumulating evidence indicates that coronavirus disease 2019 is a major cause of delirium. Given the global dimension of the current pandemic and the fact that delirium is a strong predictor of cognitive decline for critically ill patients, this raises concerns regarding the neurological cost of coronavirus disease 2019. Currently, there is a major knowledge gap related to the covert yet potentially incapacitating higher-order cognitive impairment underpinning coronavirus disease 2019 related delirium. The aim of the current study was to analyse the electrophysiological signatures of language processing in coronavirus disease 2019 patients with delirium by using a specifically designed multidimensional auditory event-related potential battery to probe hierarchical cognitive processes, including self-processing (P300) and semantic/lexical priming (N400). Clinical variables and electrophysiological data were prospectively collected in controls subjects (n = 14) and in critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 patients with (n = 19) and without (n = 22) delirium. The time from intensive care unit admission to first clinical sign of delirium was of 8 (3.5–20) days, and the delirium lasted for 7 (4.5–9.5) days. Overall, we have specifically identified in coronavirus disease 2019 patients with delirium, both a preservation of low-level central auditory processing (N100 and P200) and a coherent ensemble of covert higher-order cognitive dysfunctions encompassing self-related processing (P300) and sematic/lexical language priming (N400) (spatial–temporal clustering, P-cluster ≤ 0.05). We suggest that our results shed new light on the neuropsychological underpinnings of coronavirus disease 2019 related delirium, and may constitute a valuable method for patient’s bedside diagnosis and monitoring in this clinically challenging setting.
A process study of high-quality Zn(O,S) thin-film fabrication for thin-film solar cells
Authors: Sun Qi , Li Boyan , Huang Xingye , Han Zhihua , Zhong Dalong , Zhao Ying
Published: March 2023

The Zn(O,S) thin film is considered a most promising candidate for a cadmium-free buffer layer of the Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) thin-film solar cell due to its advantages of optical responses in the short-wavelength region and adjustable bandgap. In this paper, the thin-film growth mechanism and process optimization of Zn(O,S) films fabricated using the chemical bath deposition method are systematically investigated. The thickness and quality of Zn(O,S) films were found to be strongly affected by the concentration variation of the precursor chemicals. It was also revealed that different surface morphologies of Zn(O,S) films would appear if the reaction time were changed and, subsequently, the optimum reaction time was defined. The film-growth curve suggested that the growth rate varied linearly with the deposition temperature and some defects appeared when the temperature was too high. In addition, to further improve the film quality, an effective post-treatment approach was proposed and the experimental results showed that the microstructure of the Zn(O,S) thin film was improved by an ammonia etching process followed by an annealing process. For comparison purposes, both Zn(O,S)-based and CdS-based devices were fabricated and characterized. The device with a Zn(O,S)-CIGS solar cell after post-treatment showed near conversion efficiency comparable to that of the device with the CdS-CIGS cell.
Application of non-isolated bidirectional DC–DC converters for renewable and sustainable energy systems: a review
Authors: Sutikno Tole , Aprilianto Rizky Ajie , Purnama Hendril Satrian
Published: March 2023

The primary challenge in renewable-energy utilization is an energy-storage system involving its power converter. The systems have to promise high efficiency, reliability and durability. Also, all of these can be realized at an economical cost. Buck and boost converters connected in parallel can convert power in both directions. It is the basic non-isolated bidirectional topology commonly used with energy-storage systems. The primary issue with the buck–boost non-isolated bidirectional converter is how to enhance its performance, so the modification involving this topology is still conducted. This paper examines 29 proposed converters from 30 research publications published in the last 10 years, the most recent of which focuses on modified non-isolated bidirectional converters based on the buck–boost topology. These are classified into eight modification schemes, which involve adding new components or circuits to the base topology. Each is evaluated against six parameters: the number of components, control complexity, power-rating applications, soft-switching ability, efficiency outcome and capacity to minimize losses. Moreover, each modified non-isolated bidirectional converter was compared from the renewable-energy-based power-generation-source perspective utilized. Based on these studies, researchers might think of ways to improve the buck–boost converter by changing it to make a new non-isolated bidirectional converter that can be used in systems that need it.
Do agri-environment measures help improve environmental and economic efficiency? Evidence from Bavarian dairy farmers
Authors: Ait Sidhoum Amer , Mennig Philipp , Sauer Johannes
Published: March 2023

This study presents an innovative empirical application to the assessment of agri-environment measures on environmental and economic efficiency. Using a multi-equation representation with desirable technology and its accompanying undesirable by-production technology, we investigate the effects of agri-environment measures on farm-level environmental and economic efficiency. A combination of propensity score matching and a difference-in-difference approach is used to estimate the policy effect. The application focuses on a balanced sample of Bavarian dairy farms surveyed between 2013 and 2018. Results suggest that agri-environment schemes do not alter farms’ economic efficiency, whereas environmental efficiency does not seem to be stimulated by schemes participation.
Supratherapeutic utilization of paracetamol versus ibuprofen among <12-year-old children in primary care in Istanbul
Authors: Bayram Dilara , Vizdiklar Caner , Aydin Volkan , Akici Narin , Atac Omer , Akici Ahmet
Published: March 2023

Background

Paracetamol and ibuprofen are the most preferred analgesics for pain and fever management in children. Prescribing of these drugs in supratherapeutic doses may predispose to their toxicity. We aimed to compare prescribing patterns and potential overdosing of paracetamol and ibuprofen in primary care for <12-year-old children.

Methods

We analysed paracetamol- and ibuprofen-containing prescriptions (PCPs, n = 173,575 and ICPs, n = 145,655) of 1- to 11-year-old children, issued by 3:1 systematically sampled primary care physicians (n = 1,431) in Istanbul during 2016. We compared drug use parameters and prescriptions surpassing daily and single-use dose limits for paracetamol and ibuprofen.

Results

We identified that 29.9% of PCPs and 20.8% of ICPs were generated for those aged 1–2 years. Concomitant analgesic use was higher in ICPs than in PCPs (15.1% vs. 12.8%). We found that 4.4% of PCPs and 3.1% of ICPs exceeded maximum daily dose limit of paracetamol and ibuprofen, respectively (P < 0.001). This was more common in girls (5.1% and 3.3%, respectively) and at 1 year of age in both groups (9.2% and 8.5%, respectively). Single-use supratherapeutic dosing was encountered in 16.5% of PCPs and 13.2% of ICPs (P < 0.001, pessimistic model) and in 8.6% of PCPs and 10.6% of ICPs (P < 0.001, optimistic model).

Conclusions

Paracetamol and ibuprofen were generally used in primary care for similar clinical conditions with subtle differences. However, more pronounced in younger children and girls, potential overdosing seems to be more practiced for paracetamol than ibuprofen both in terms of maximal daily and single-use setting.
Insights into the transcriptional regulation of poorly characterized alcohol acetyltransferase-encoding genes (HgAATs) shed light into the production of acetate esters in the wine yeast Hanseniaspora guilliermondii
Authors: Seixas Isabel , Santos Diogo , Vasconcelos Isabel , Mira Nuno P , Mendes-Ferreira Ana
Published: March 2023

Hanseniaspora guilliermondii is a well-recognized producer of acetate esters associated with fruity and floral aromas. The molecular mechanisms underneath this production or the environmental factors modulating it remain unknown. Herein, we found that, unlike Saccharomyces cerevisiae, H. guilliermondii over-produces acetate esters and higher alcohols at low carbon-to-assimilable nitrogen (C:N) ratios, with the highest titers being obtained in the amino acid-enriched medium YPD. The evidences gathered support a model in which the strict preference of H. guilliermondii for amino acids as nitrogen sources results in a channeling of keto-acids obtained after transamination to higher alcohols and acetate esters. This higher production was accompanied by higher expression of the four HgAATs, genes, recently proposed to encode alcohol acetyl transferases. In silico analyses of these HgAat’s reveal that they harbor conserved AATs motifs, albeit radical substitutions were identified that might result in different kinetic properties. Close homologues of HgAat2, HgAat3, and HgAat4 were only found in members of Hanseniaspora genus and phylogenetic reconstruction shows that these constitute a distinct family of Aat’s. These results advance the exploration of H. guilliermondii as a bio-flavoring agent providing important insights to guide future strategies for strain engineering and media manipulation that can enhance production of aromatic volatiles.
Human Pineal Gland Involutionary Process: New Findings
Authors: Junemann Olga , Bukreeva Inna , Otlyga Dmitry A , Cedola Alessia , Fratini Michela , Saveliev Sergei V
Published: March 2023

In this work, we report preliminary results about the involution of the human pineal gland involution. The detailed analysis of pineal structure was done on autopsy material of 77 persons in age 27–96 using x-ray phase-contrast tomography, histology, and immunohistochemistry. Our study suggests that the pineal gland alteration in older adults may be more profound than has been reported to date. We identified and described a new form of pineal gland involution that eventually led to the total degradation of the pineal gland. To our knowledge, this study is the first to report on the complete replacement of pineal gland parenchyma with connective tissue in older adults.
Morphology identification of gas hydrate based on a machine learning method and its applications on saturation estimation
Authors: Zhu Xiangyu , Liu Tao , Ma Shuai , Liu Xuewei , Li Anyu
Published: March 2023

Proper identification of hydrate morphology is an essential pre-condition for the quantification and exploitation of gas hydrate resources. However, the morphology results from core-based analysis and resistivity-based imaging could be discontinuous in hydrate-bearing intervals. Rock physical model-based methods could predict morphology within complete hydrate-bearing intervals, but the accuracy is not much satisfactory in some cases. In this study, we propose a machine learning (ML) method using the wavelet twin support vector machine (WTWSVM) to accurately differentiate the pore-filling and grain-displacing hydrate. By employing different combinations of well logs as the inputs of the WTWSVM, we find the optimal one for the data set in Hydrate Ridge, offshore Oregon is the combination of gamma-ray, resistivity, compressional and shear wave velocity logs, with an accuracy of 88.6 per cent and F1-score of 82.89 per cent. Compared with the two traditional rock-physics-based methods and three typical ML algorithms, the WTWSVM with those optimal inputs performs better in terms of accuracy and F1-score. We then use the WTWSVM to predict the hydrate morphology in the hydrate-bearing intervals at an unlabelled (i.e. unidentified hydrate morphology) site 1250F and a partially labelled (i.e. only a portion of the hydrate and its morphology is identified by IR images) site 1247B at Hydrate Ridge. Finally, the hydrate-morphology-related rock physics models are employed to construct 3-D crossplots of density, compressional and shear wave velocity, on which hydrate concentration, as well as other reservoir parameters, are estimated through projecting. The proposed WTWSVM method and workflow are proved to be valid based on the good agreement between the reservoir parameters from core measurement and elastic properties.
Coseismic deformation of the 1976Ms 7.3 Chaldiran earthquake in eastern Turkey measured by satellite imagery, in comparison with field measurements
Authors: Lu Lejun , Zhou Yu
Published: March 2023

Large continental earthquakes are infrequent, but they are important for understanding active tectonics. Many pre-1990, magnitude greater than 7 earthquakes have not been well documented due to a lack of data. The declassification of KeyHole (KH) imagery provides opportunities for investigating those historical events. In this study, we present new geodetic observations of surface deformation from the 1976 November 24 Ms 7.3 Chaldiran earthquake in eastern Turkey. We use various historical KH imagery and modern Pleiades stereo imagery to determine the coseismic deformation, providing new constraints on the 1976 rupture. Based on the image measurements, we resolve the coseismic slip at depth. The inverted slip from a simple elastic dislocation model, ∼4.0 m at shallow depth of the Hidirmentes segment, is larger than the surface displacement, around 3 m from previous field surveys, suggesting that the coseismic deformation is a combination of slip on the primary fault with 30 ± 16 per cent off-fault deformation. We also measure cumulative offsets at two sites with well-preserved features, and find a constant ratio of horizontal to vertical offsets throughout the past few earthquake cycles. Both the observed constant slip ratio in this study and offset clusters from previous field measurements support that the Chaldiran fault exhibits a characteristic slip behaviour in the late Quaternary. By combining all the geodetic and geological observations in the broader region, we also present a brief analysis of the slip rate of the Chaldiran fault.
Semi-analytical solution for the elastic wave propagation due to a dislocation source in a transversely isotropic half-space
Authors: Raoofian-Naeeni Mehdi , Pan Ernian , Eskandari-Ghadi Morteza , Han Shin-Chan
Published: March 2023

In this paper, the 3-D theoretical seismogram at the free surface of an elastic half-space with ‘vertical transverse isotropy (VTI)’ and an ‘elliptic anisotropy‘ is synthesized via semi-analytical formulation. To this end, the time-domain solution is obtained via the Hankel and Laplace integral transforms and the Cagniard contour integration scheme. The formulations include complete Green's functions expressed in compact and elegant formulations in terms of some elementary line integrals over the finite interval (0, π/2), due to the general point force and point double-couple source of arbitrary orientation, varying with time as Heaviside step function. This solution is further implemented to model seismic waves generated from moment tensor source with a ramp-type slip function. The solution clearly delineates compressional P waves, shear SV waves and SH waves, diffracted SPwaves and surface Rayleigh waves, with two critical distances in which the mode conversion happens. The first marks the conversion of the total reflection of SV wave into the diffracted SPwave travelling on the free surface with the velocity of compressional wave. The second, however, marks a location where the order of arrival times of SP and SH waves is reversed. The interesting phenomenon of shear wave splitting by the apparent time lag between the arrivals of SV and SHwaves is further demonstrated. Studied also is the effect of non-double-couple (non-DC) components of the moment tensor of the shear fault. Particularly, it is shown that non-DC components may lead to large amplitude of the P wave in the presence of anisotropy, resulting in the changed polarity of P wave at the onset of the motion. It is found that for the elliptic anisotropy, and for oblique-thrust faults, the isotropic moment (ISO) is always negative if the elastic constants satisfy C11 > C33 and C44 > C66, whereas it is always positive if C11 < C33 and C44 < C66 (for oblique-reverse faults, the situation is reversed). It is shown that for some sedimentary rocks, the decomposition of moment tensor in the general VTI and in its elliptic approximation are close to each other, and that the moment tensor decomposition in VTI media is very sensitive to the elastic coefficients, such that a small change in the elastic constants may lead to a remarkable change in the moment tensor decomposition. Particularly, the effect of elastic constant C13 is shown to be significant. While the time-domain solution obtained in this paper can be also degenerated to the solution in the corresponding isotropic half-space, the Mathematica code of the solution provided can be served as benchmark to other numerical solutions, applicable for the computation of the theoretical seismogram in the involved media.
Genoese Rome and Genoa–Rome relations in the late seventeenth century (1644–1700)
Authors: Ceccarelli Alessia
Published: March 2023

The late seventeenth century in Genoa presents aspects of great fascination, some of which are largely unexplored, as in the case of relations with Rome (city, court and Curia). These were decades in which Genoa tried to find an alternative route to the Spanish Mediterranean, to relaunch its navy towards the Levant and the Far East (as an ideal goal). Its diplomats for this purpose went to Constantinople, London and Holland, although their most important forum remained Rome, the court of the courts, where, from the death of Urban VIII Barberini (1644) onwards, they managed tough negotiations, assisted by the most eminent prelates of their nation. The crisis of the protectorate (for the entire second half of the seventeenth century, Genoa did not have a cardinal protector) and that of St. John the Baptist, a national church, hospital and confraternity, is also inscribed in this framework of relations. Furthermore, from the pontificate of Innocent X Pamphilj (1644–55) onwards, the postmaster generals of Genoa had the task of renewing and managing communications between the Holy See and the nunciature in Madrid, the apostolic see to which the papacy entrusted the task of mediating between Spain and France, in view of the agreements of Westphalia (1648) and the Pyrenees (1659).
The constitutional quandary of social rights: Questions in times of the Polish illiberal turn
Authors: Krajewski Michał
Published: March 2023

Scholars have intensely debated the justiciability of constitutional social rights, an essential aspect of transformative constitutionalism in Central and Eastern Europe. This article examines the reasons for displacing social rights in the Polish constitutional discourse and the obstacles in the way of these rights’ gaining normative substance. Polish society came out of socialist authoritarian rule with a strong attachment to social welfare but quickly embraced the neo-liberal economy. However, this attachment was recently recalled by the electoral successes of the social welfare platform of illiberal forces, which prompts questions about the place of social welfare in the constitutional settlement. The article relies on an inquiry into the constitution-making process and the practice of constitutional review during the global financial crisis. It argues that the displacement of social rights has been contingent upon the specific political and intellectual climate of stimulating a free-market economy and crisis-driven austerity, despite minority voices for alternative solutions. It was also due to structural weaknesses of constitutional review, operating in a challenging institutional and political context. This case study raises broader questions about whether and how constitutionalism can gain popular support in times of populist challenges by addressing persisting societal problems.
Imaging Tumor-Targeting Bacteria Using 18F-Fluorodeoxysorbitol Positron Emission Tomography
Authors: Ordonez Alvaro A , Saupe Falk , Kasper Christoph A , Turner Mitchell L , Parveen Sadiya , Flavahan Kelly , Shin Hyunsoo , Artemov Dmitri , Ittig Simon J , Jain Sanjay K
Published: March 2023

Background

Microbial-based cancer treatments are an emerging field, with multiple bacterial species evaluated in animal models and some advancing to clinical trials. Noninvasive bacteria-specific imaging approaches can potentially support the development and clinical translation of bacteria-based cancer treatments by assessing the tumor and off-target bacterial colonization.

Methods

18F-Fluorodeoxysorbitol (18F-FDS) positron emission tomography (PET), a bacteria-specific imaging approach, was used to visualize an attenuated strain of Yersinia enterocolitica, currently in clinical trials as a microbial-based cancer treatment, in murine models of breast cancer.

Results

Y. enterocolitica demonstrated excellent 18F-FDS uptake in in vitro assays. Whole-body 18F-FDS PET demonstrated a significantly higher PET signal in tumors with Y. enterocolitica colonization compared to those not colonized, in murine models utilizing direct intratumor or intravenous administration of bacteria, which were confirmed using ex vivo gamma counting. Conversely, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET signal was not different in Y. enterocolitica colonized versus uncolonized tumors.

Conclusions

Given that PET is widely used for the management of cancer patients, 18F-FDS PET could be utilized as a complementary approach supporting the development and clinical translation of Y. enterocolitica-based tumor-targeting bacterial therapeutics.
Outbreak by KPC-62-producing ST307 Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates resistant to ceftazidime/avibactam and cefiderocol in a university hospital in Madrid, Spain
Authors: Castillo-Polo Juan Antonio , Hernández-García Marta , Morosini María Isabel , Pérez-Viso Blanca , Soriano Cruz , De Pablo Raúl , Cantón Rafael , Ruiz-Garbajosa Patricia
Published: March 2023

Objectives

Ceftazidime/avibactam and cefiderocol are two of the latest antibiotics with activity against a wide variety of Gram-negatives, including carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales. We sought to describe the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of ceftazidime/avibactam- and cefiderocol-resistant KPC-Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC-Kp) detected during an outbreak in 2020 in the medical ICU of our hospital.

Methods

We collected 11 KPC-Kp isolates (6 clinical; 5 surveillance samples) resistant to ceftazidime/avibactam and cefiderocol from four ICU patients (November 2020 to January 2021), without prior exposure to these agents. All patients had a decontamination regimen as part of the standard ICU infection prevention protocol. Additionally, one ceftazidime/avibactam- and cefiderocol-resistant KPC-Kp (June 2019) was retrospectively recovered. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined by broth microdilution. β-Lactamases were characterized and confirmed. WGS was also performed.

Results

All KPC-Kp isolates (ceftazidime/avibactam MIC  ≥16/4 mg/L; cefiderocol MIC ≥4 mg/L) were KPC + CTX-M-15 producers and belonged to the ST307 high-risk-clone (ST307-HRC). KPC-62 (L168Q) was detected in all isolates involved in the 2020 outbreak, contained in January 2021. KPC-31 (D179Y) was identified in the KPC-Kp from 2019. Cloning experiments demonstrated that both blaKPC-62 and blaKPC-31 were responsible for ceftazidime/avibactam resistance (MIC >16 mg/L) and an increased cefiderocol MIC. Additionally, mutations in OmpA and EnvZ/OmpR porin proteins (in KPC-62-Kp) and in PBP2 (in KPC-31-Kp) were found and may be involved in cefiderocol resistance.

Conclusions

The emergence of resistance to both ceftazidime/avibactam and cefiderocol in KPC-Kp-HRCs, together with the diversification of novel KPC enzymes displaying different antibiotic resistance phenotypes, is an epidemiological and clinical risk.
The XylR/NtrC-type regulator CbsR positively regulates upstream pathway of chlorobenzene degradation inPandoraea pnomenusa
Authors: Xiang Yang , Xiong Jia-Xi , Xie Ze-Feng , Huang Duo , Song Qi , Wu Jing , Yan Dazhong , Chao Hong-Jun
Published: March 2023

Aims

Pandoraea pnomenusa MCB032 completely degrades chlorobenzene, whose metabolic pathway is encoded by cbs and clc gene clusters. The putative regulatory factors ClcR and CbsR are predicted to regulate the cbs and clc gene clusters. This research aims to understand the function of ClcR and CbsR.

Methods and results

RT-PCR analyses demonstrated that the cbsFAaAbAcAdB operon that encodes catabolic pathways for the degradation of chlorobenzene to chlorocatechol is located on an operon. Moreover, the clcABCDE operon is involved in the 3-chlorocatechol pathway. Gene knockout and transcriptional analysis showed that the transcription of the cbsFAaAbAcAdB operon is positively regulated by CbsR, whereas the clcABCDE operon is activated by ClcR. Primer extension analysis was used to locate the transcription start sites of the cbsFAaAbAcAdB and cbsR operons. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay analyses showed that CbsR is bound to the sites in the promoter regions of cbsFAaAbAcAdB and cbsR operons.

Conclusion

The XylR/NtrC-type regulator CbsR positively regulates the transcription of the cbsFAaAbAcAdB operon encoding the upstream pathway of chlorobenzene catabolism, while the LysR-type regulator ClcR activates the clcABCDE operon encoding the downstream pathway.
5-Hydroxytryptophan inhibits β-casein biosynthesis and promotes goat mammary epithelial cell apoptosis through the JAK2/STAT5a axis and the HTR7
Authors: Du Wei , Zhang Zhi Fei , Xiao Jia Ying , Wang Ying , Liu Weng Yi , Zheng Hui Ling
Published: March 2023

5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is an amine produced in both the mammary gland and the central nervous system. Tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1) catalyzes the conversion of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) into l-tryptophan, which is then converted into 5-HT by monoamine-oxidase (MAO-A). In the mammary gland, 5-HT has been shown to have a variety of paracrine-autocrine actions, including suppressing lactation, controlling the destiny of mammary epithelial cells, and maintaining calcium homeostasis throughout the transition from pregnancy to lactation. To examine the effects of 5-HT on the composition of colostrum and milk, a total of 30 transition Guan Zhong dairy goats were intramuscularly injected with 5-HTP (1.0 mg/kg) every morning before feeding from 10 d before the projected parturition date to the day of parturition. The average number of days animals received injections was 8.2 ± 3.2 d. 5-HTP treatment increased serum 5-HT concentration from days 5 to 2 relative to parturition (P < 0.05), and decreased the casein concentration of colostrum (P < 0.05). In the in vitro experiment, mammary epithelial cells isolated from three individual goats’ mammary glands were separately treated with 200 μM 5-HTP, 30 μM PCPA (the specific inhibitor of TPH1), or 200 μM 5-HTP + 50 μM SB269970 (the selective antagonist of 5-HTR7). The results showed that 200 μM 5-HTP inhibited the expression of β-casein, downregulated the activity of the JAK2/ STAT5a signaling pathway, and promoted the apoptosis of goat mammary epithelial cells (GMECs) (P < 0.05). When GMECs were treated with 30 μM Four-chloro-dl-phenylalanine (PCPA), a specific inhibitor of 5-HT synthesis, the mRNA expression of STAT5a and the phosphorylated STAT5a protein level were upregulated. The 50 μM SB269970 treatment rescued the effects of 5-HTP on GMECs (P < 0.05). Taken together, the results indicated that 5-HTP exerted an inhibitory effect on β-casein synthesis and a proapoptotic effect in GMECs via HTR7 and the JAK2/STAT5a axis.
Foreign National Prisoners and Religious Practice in Irish Prisons
Authors: Doyle David M , Garrihy Joe , Cleary Maria , Murphy Muiread
Published: March 2023

This policy and practice note will investigate the extent to which Foreign National Prisoners (FNPs) feel that religious expression is respected in Irish prisons and explore the degree to which the Irish Prison Service (IPS) facilitates these prisoners’ religious dietary preferences. Drawing on 82 semi-structured interviews across eight prisons, the findings demonstrate that while the IPS is generally progressive in accommodating FNPs’ religious needs, provision could be improved in certain respects. The policy and practice note briefly concludes that the IPS could potentially draw on some ‘promising practice’ that has been implemented with respect to religious expression and practice in other European prisons.
The lattice of all 4-valued implicative expansions of Belnap–Dunn logic containing Routley and Meyer’s basic logic Bd
Authors: Robles Gemma , Méndez José M
Published: March 2023

The well-known logic first degree entailment logic (FDE), introduced by Belnap and Dunn, is defined with $\wedge $, $\vee $ and $\sim $ as the sole primitive connectives. The aim of this paper is to establish the lattice formed by the class of all 4-valued C-extending implicative expansions of FDE verifying the axioms and rules of Routley and Meyer’s basic logic B and its useful disjunctive extension B$^{\textrm {d}}$. It is to be noted that Boolean negation (so, classical propositional logic) is definable in the strongest element in the said class.
Ecological predictors of mosquito population and arbovirus transmission synchrony estimates
Authors: McMillan Joseph R , Chaves Luis Fernando , Armstrong Philip M
Published: March 2023

Quantifying synchrony in species population fluctuations and determining its driving factors can inform multiple aspects of ecological and epidemiological research and policy decisions. We examined seasonal mosquito and arbovirus surveillance data collected in Connecticut, United States from 2001 to 2020 to quantify spatial relationships in 19 mosquito species and 7 arboviruses timeseries accounting for environmental factors such as climate and land cover characteristics. We determined that mosquito collections, on average, were significantly correlated up to 10 km though highly variable among the examined species. Few arboviruses displayed any synchrony and significant maximum correlated distances never exceeded 5 km. After accounting for distance, mixed effects models showed that mosquito or arbovirus identity explained more variance in synchrony estimates than climate or land cover factors. Correlated mosquito collections up to 10–20 km suggest that mosquito control operations for nuisance and disease vectors alike must expand treatment zones to regional scales for operations to have population-level impacts. Species identity matters as well, and some mosquito species will require much larger treatment zones than others. The much shorter correlated detection distances for arboviruses reinforce the notion that focal-level processes drive vector-borne pathogen transmission dynamics and risk of spillover into human populations.
Evaluating colonoscopy screening intervals in patients with Lynch syndrome from a large Canadian registry
Authors: Aronson Melyssa , Gryfe Robert , Choi Yun-Hee , Semotiuk Kara , Holter Spring , Ward Thomas , Gallinger Steve , Cohen Zane , Briollais Laurent
Published: March 2023

Background

Lynch syndrome (LS) screening guidelines originally recommended colonoscopy every 1 to 2 years, beginning between the ages of 20 and 25 years. Recent studies have questioned the benefits of these short screening intervals in preventing colorectal cancer (CRC). Our goal is to determine how colonoscopy screening intervals impact CRC in patients with LS.

Methods

We analyzed the demographics, screening practices, and outcomes of patients with LS identified through the clinic based Familial Gastrointestinal Cancer Registry at the Zane Cohen Centre, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Canada.

Results

A total of 429 patients with LS were identified with median follow-up of 9.2 years; 44 developed CRC. We found a positive trend between shorter screening intervals and the number of adenomas detected during colonoscopy. Any new adenoma detected at screening decreased 10-year CRC incidence by 11.3%. For MLH1 carriers, a screening interval of 1-2 years vs 2-3 years led to a 20-year cumulative CRC risk reduction of 28% and 14% in females and males, respectively. For MSH2 carriers, this risk reduction was 29% and 17%, respectively, and for male MSH6 carriers 18%. Individuals without any adenomas detected (53.4% of LS carriers) had an increased 20-year CRC risk of 25.7% and 57.2% for women and men, respectively, compared with those diagnosed with adenomas at screening.

Conclusions

The recommended colonoscopy screening interval of 1-2 years is efficient at detecting adenomas and reducing CRC risk. The observation that 53.4% of LS patients never had an adenoma warrants further investigation about a possible adenoma-free pathway.
Effects of material characteristics on thermal stress around an equiangular polygonal hole in a thermoelectric material
Authors: Shen Ming-Ho , Liao Yi-Lun , Tseng Shao-Chen , Chao Ching-Kong
Published: March 2023

In this study, we conducted a theoretical analysis of thermal stress around an arbitrarily shaped hole in a thermoelectric material under electric current density and energy flux loading. Based on complex variable methods, conformal mapping, and analytical continuation theorem, the exact solutions of the thermal stress around a hole were obtained for the Seebeck coefficient and electric and heat conductivity. Based on the conversion efficiency equation of thermoelectric materials, higher electrical conductivity and lower heat conductivity should be selected to achieve an optimal design. The theoretical results indicated that higher electrical conductivity could reduce the thermal stress around the hole. However, energy flux and thermal stress concentration might be generated around the adiabatic hole due to the presence of a matrix with lower heat conductivity. Hence, thermoelectric materials with lower thermal conductivity should be selected carefully to avoid premature failure around the hole caused by thermal stress concentration. Finally, we also obtained and discussed the stress intensity factors of a hypocycloid-type crack.
Scrotal squamous cell carcinoma: a case report
Authors: Žulpaitė Giedrė , Žulpaitė Rūta , Vėželis Alvydas
Published: March 2023

Scrotal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a rare condition that typically manifests in the sixth decade of life and usually presents as a painless, solitary nodule that slowly increases in size, ulcerates, and gets infected. The diagnosis is often delayed, as the majority of patients tend to avoid seeking medical help due to embarrassment. We present a 62-year-old male with a massive 8 cm ulcerating painless tumor in the scrotum. A patient underwent scrotal extirpation with bilateral orchofuniculectomy and diagnostic bilateral inguinal lymphadenectomy. Histopathology revealed a well-differentiated SCC of the scrotal skin. Ignorance, lack of self-awareness, knowledge about risk factors and aggravated access to healthcare facilities remain important reasons for late diagnosis.
Sigmoid volvulus in a 14-year-old male mimicking acute gastroenteritis
Authors: Senanayake Tharindu , McEwen Ellie C , Naidoo Taryn , Al-Mahaidi Senan , Al-Mahaidi Saad
Published: March 2023

Sigmoid volvulus is a rare but life-threatening diagnosis in the paediatric population and has only been reported a handful of times in the literature. We describe the case of a 14-year-old boy with abdominal pain and diarrhoea who was diagnosed with a sigmoid volvulus after initially being managed for infectious gastroenteritis. The patient initially presented with a 5-day history of watery stool, 1-day history of profuse vomiting and colicky abdominal pain. Whilst admitted, the patient developed worsening abdominal pain, distention and hyperresonance to percussion. Computed tomography demonstrated a dilated sigmoid colon, with a mesenteric ‘whirl sign’ around the inferior mesenteric artery. The patient underwent a laparotomy, which confirmed a sigmoid volvulus, requiring an anterior resection. This case emphasises the importance for general surgeons to consider the rare diagnosis of sigmoid volvulus in children.