bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative analysis of the plasma parameters of ECR and combined ECR + RF discharges in the TOMAS plasma facility
Authors: Kovtun Yu , Wauters T , Goriaev A , Möller S , López-Rodríguez D , Crombé K , Brezinsek S , Dinklage A , Nicolai D , Linsmeier Ch , Van Schoor M , Buermans J , Moon S , Ragona R , Petersson P
Published: October 2021

The toroidal magnetized system (TOMAS) plasma facility aims at complementary research on wall conditioning methods, plasma production and plasma–surface interaction studies. This paper explores for the first time the parameters in helium electron-cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma and combined ECR + radio-frequency (RF) discharges in TOMAS. The ECR discharge in this work, at 2.45 GHz and 87.6 mT, is the main one for creating and maintaining the plasma, while the addition of RF power at 25 MHz allows to broaden the achievable electron temperature and density at a given gas flow, as evidenced by triple Langmuir probe measurements. This effect of the combined ECR + RF discharge provides flexibility to study particular aspects of wall conditioning techniques relevant to larger devices, or to approach plasma conditions relevant to fusion edge plasmas for particular surface interaction studies.
Low-voltage broadband piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting enabled by a highly-coupled harvester and tunable PSSHI circuit
Authors: Zhao Sheng , Radhakrishna Ujwal , Lang Jeffrey H , Buss Dennis
Published: October 2021

This paper presents a system-level design approach for widening the bandwidth and lowering the operating voltage of a piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting system (PVEHS). The proposed strategy involves co-optimization of the two constituent parts: (1) a highly-coupled piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting device (PVEHD) and (2) a phase-shift tunable parallel-SSHI (PS-PSSHI) interface power-electronic circuit. First, we analyze the interaction between them to achieve an overall reduction of system voltage and to widen bandwidth. Next, a co-designed system is experimentally demonstrated to validate the analysis. The implemented PVEHS consists of (i) a customized PVEHD designed for high electromechanical coupling and well-separated short-circuit (f
SC) and open-circuit (f
OC) resonances, and (ii) a tunable PS-PSSHI circuit which has an active rectification with low voltage drop to increase system efficiency. The system achieves an output power of 148 µW with a bandwidth of 81 Hz, an increase of 337% compared to conventional full-bridge rectifier. In addition, the system rectification voltage is lowered by 30% which makes it viable to power low-voltage Internet-of-Things sensor nodes.
Novel shape-lockable self-propelling robot with a helical mechanism and tactile sensing for inspecting the large intestine
Authors: Liu Jianbin , Chen Zhiwei , Wang Shuxin , Zuo Siyang
Published: October 2021

This paper presents a pneumatic colonoscopic robot with tactile sensing and shape-locking abilities. With the integration of a helical rotating propulsion module, a specially designed soft-sensing module, and a wire-tension-based shape-locking module, the proposed robot achieves excellent efficiency, visualization quality, and safety. The propulsion module can generate a helical rotating motion in tubular environments with good adaptivity to rigid, flexible, vertical, and elbow tubes. The sensing module, employing a specially designed soft sensor based on conductive rubber, can monitor the contact status between the robot and the environment to avoid slippage and reduce discomfort to patients. In conjunction with actuating balloons, the shape-locking module can keep the robot in any helical formation, which allows the camera attached to the robot to obtain a stable view. Experimental results show that the robot has great adaptability to tubes of different diameters (26–32 mm) and considerable propelling velocity (as fast as 20 mm s−1 with 30 mm tube diameter). The feasibility and practicability of the sensing module and shape-locking module are also demonstrated. A screening test in a simulated colon tube validates its excellent comprehensive performance and indicates good potential for the proposed robot.
DC modeling and characterization of HTS coils with non uniform current density distribution
Authors: Fawaz Sara , Menana Hocine , Douine Bruno , Queval Loïc
Published: October 2021

In this paper, a fast and realistic approach is proposed for the DC modeling of superconducting coils made of first-generation (1G) high temperature superconducting (HTS) tapes, taking into consideration the non-uniformity of the electric current density distribution in the HTS tapes cross-section, by using a power minimization criterion with the dependence of the critical current density on the magnetic flux density (MFD). Integral equations are used to evaluate the MFD, enabling to discretize only the active parts of the system. The model is then combined with an inverse procedure for the characterization of non-inductive HTS coils using measurements.
Negative group delay of reflected Weyl quasiparticles
Authors: Yang Mou , Li Hai-Yan , Wang Rui-Qiang
Published: October 2021

When an electron is incident from a Weyl material to an insulator and totally reflected, it suffers a reflection group delay and a reflection shift (Goos–Hänchen and/or Imbert–Fedorov shifts). We found the group delay is negative for half of the incident states. The negative group delay does not mean the electron is bounced back before its injection, but is an effective acceleration of the electron near the interface induced by self-interference. The reflection shift orients circulating the points at which the surface-bulk state transition occurs. The reflection shift and the group delay cause velocity correction of the bound states in the Weyl material sandwiched by two insulators. The velocity correction features induced by the negative group delay were verified by a tight-binding calculation, in which the concept of group delay is not used.
Corrigendum: Numerical Analysis of Initially Imperfect Pretensioned Bolted Connections (2021 IOP Conf. Ser.: Mater Sci Eng. 1150 012020)
Authors: Abdallah Mostafa Nour Eldin M. , Salem Emad , Ibrahim Sherif M. , Dessouki Abdelrahim K.
Published: October 2021

Please see Article PDF for corrigendum text.
Crash behaviour of unidirectional oil palm empty fruit bunch fibre-reinforced polypropylene composite car bumper fascias using finite element analysis
Authors: Wong Kien Pang , Hassan Cik Suhana , Pei Qiang , Sapuan Salit Mohd , Abdul Aziz Nuraini , Mohamed Yusoff Mohd Zuhri
Published: October 2021

The number of road accidents has increased annually over the last 20 years, and this is a matter of considerable concern. Automobile safety systems must therefore be carefully evaluated to ensure they are able to serve their purpose in protecting passengers. One of these safety systems is the car bumper system. The bumper system plays a vital role, especially in protection against frontal impact. In this study, using finite element analysis employing LS-DYNA software, we analyse the crash behaviour of bumper fascias made of unidirectional oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fibre-reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites. The incorporation of OPEFB fibres into the bumper part stems from the growth of environmental concerns and is in line with national sustainable development goals. In this analysis, the composite bumper was subjected to a frontal low impact speed of 4 km h−1 in accordance with Part 581 of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard regulations enforced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for low-velocity impacts. Comparative study was made with existing bumper materials, namely steel, aluminium alloy and PP. The effect of fibre orientation and fibre content of the composite on the crash performance of the bumper was also investigated. The fibre orientation was varied between vertical, 45° and horizontal directions while fibre content varied between 25%, 35%, 45% and 55%. Our results show that the composite bumper fascia has comparable specific energy absorption to existing bumper materials. An increase in the fibre content of the composite results in an increase in the energy absorption ability, while fibre orientation made no significant difference to the impact performance.
Adhesion strategies for heterogeneous soft materials—A review
Authors: Yang Hui , He Tian , Yan Xixi
Published: October 2021

Adhesion is a long-term research topic of great importance attracting plenty of attention. In past few years, many remarkable advances have been made in the field of heterogeneous soft material adhesion, considerably boosting the functional diversity and viability of heterogeneous soft material assemblies. This review focuses on the status quo of this field with attention leaning towards recently active and outstanding bioinspiration and biomimetic areas. First, the fundamental mechanisms of adhesion, including chemical bonds, topological entanglement, and gradient connections, are introduced. Then influence factors on adhesion strength are derived from the adhesion mechanisms. The influence factors are classified into two categories: physical factors, including interface geometry (interface stress singularity for macroscopic and interface roughness for microscopic) and mismatch of material properties, and chemical factors, including chemical complementarities and ambient conditions. Abundant examples from recent representative research efforts are provided to demonstrate how these factors are tuned to enable or improve an adhesion. As a fabrication process dealing with multiple material interfaces, additive manufacturing (AM) is discussed separately emphasizing on its space and time discretization nature. After that, several adhesion enhancement strategies are presented, among them is one synergistically integrating covalent bonds, noncovalent complexes, polymer chains/networks, and nanoparticles. Finally, based on the current research status, it is proposed that general methodologies for adhesion strategy selection and simulation models capable of accurately predicting adhesion strength are greatly needed. Heterogeneous material adhesion is also expected to acquire insights and impetuses from fields like cell differentiation and tissue development.
America and the transatlantic Enlightenment
Authors: Ratner-Rosenhagen Jennifer
Published: October 2021

‘America and the transatlantic Enlightenment’ explores how America played an important role in the making of the Enlightenment. The New World offered a startling new picture of the natural world and all the living things in it. America catalyzed new ideas about science, natural history, and human nature, which both shaped and were shaped by Enlightenment thought. British Americans drew on classical republican thought and contemporary ideas about natural law and this coalesced into a revolutionary republicanism—the nexus of ideas that animated the Revolutionary War. Though many of the ideas to emerge out of eighteenth-century America promised a radical new world of freedom and human possibility, they were also blinkered by long-standing racial and gender prejudices.
Against universalism
Authors: Ratner-Rosenhagen Jennifer
Published: October 2021

‘Against universalism’ explores the myriad challenges to universalism—in philosophy, social and political theory, and the arts—during the late twentieth century. It opens with a new view of 1960s radicalism, showing how its various quests for liberation radiated out into all arenas of American thought. Thomas Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962) helped pave the way for the fire and fury of postmodernism, though many of the antiessentialist ideas of postmodernism were already present in early twentieth-century was rooting in dramatic transformations of thought. The 1980s and 1990s gave rise to identity politics and the culture wars, further challenging the notion of unified American ideals and identity.
Age-specific rates of hospital transfers in long-stay nursing home residents
Authors: Tu Wanzhu , Li Ruohong , Stump Timothy E , Fowler Nicole R , Carnahan Jennifer L , Blackburn Justin , Sachs Greg A , Hickman Susan E , Unroe Kathleen T
Published: October 2021

Introduction

hospital transfers and admissions are critical events in the care of nursing home residents. We sought to determine hospital transfer rates at different ages.

Methods

a cohort of 1,187 long-stay nursing home residents who had participated in a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid demonstration project. We analysed the number of hospital transfers of the study participants recorded by the Minimum Data Set. Using a modern regression technique, we depicted the annual rate of hospital transfers as a smooth function of age.

Results

transfer rates declined with age in a nonlinear fashion. Rates were the highest among residents younger than 60 years of age (1.30-2.15 transfers per year), relatively stable between 60 and 80 (1.17-1.30 transfers per year) and lower in those older than 80 (0.77-1.17 transfers per year). Factors associated with increased risk of transfers included prior diagnoses of hip fracture (annual incidence rate ratio or IRR: 2.057, 95% confidence interval (CI): [1.240, 3.412]), dialysis (IRR: 1.717, 95% CI: [1.313, 2.246]), urinary tract infection (IRR: 1.755, 95% CI: [1.361, 2.264]), pneumonia (IRR: 1.501, 95% CI: [1.072, 2.104]), daily pain (IRR: 1.297, 95% CI: [1.055,1.594]), anaemia (IRR: 1.229, 95% CI [1.068, 1.414]) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (IRR: 1.168, 95% CI: [1.010,1.352]). Transfer rates were lower in residents who had orders reflecting preferences for comfort care (IRR: 0.79, 95% CI: [0.665, 0.936]).

Discussion

younger nursing home residents may require specialised interventions to reduce hospital transfers; declining transfer rates with the oldest age groups may reflect preferences for comfort-focused care.
Normalized coefficient of variation (nCV): a method to evaluate circadian clock robustness in population scale data
Authors: Wu Gang , Francey Lauren J , Ruben Marc D , Hogenesch John B
Published: October 2021

Robust oscillation of clock genes is a core feature of the circadian system. Relative amplitude (rAMP) measures the robustness of clock gene oscillations but only works for longitudinal samples. We lack a method for estimating robust oscillations from human samples without labeled time. We show that the normalized coefficient of variation (nCV) of 10 clock genes is linearly correlated with their normalized rAMP, independent of time labels. We found that the mean nCV of clock genes are consistently decreased in tumors compared to nontumors, suggesting a new therapeutic target in cancer treatment by enhancing clock robustness. nCV can provide a simple measure of the clock robustness in population-level datasets.

Availability and implementation

The nCV package (https://github.com/gangwug/nCV) and web application (https://github.com/gangwug/nCVapp) are available on the GitHub repository.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Prediction of risk of osteoporosis after gastrectomy for gastric cancer
Authors: Park Ki Bum , Jeon Chul Hyo , Lee Han Hong , Chin Hyungmin , Song Kyo Young
Published: October 2021

Introduction

There are few guidelines for screening of osteoporosis in patients who have undergone gastrectomy. This study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram to predict the risk of osteoporosis after gastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer.

Methods

Bone densitometry results for 522 patients with gastric cancer and 2088 individuals from a health-promotion centre were compared using propensity score matching to develop a nomogram to predict osteoporosis after gastrectomy. External validation was performed using an independent data set.

Results

In the 10 years after gastrectomy 53.5 per cent of patients developed osteoporosis. In multivariable analysis, the odds ratios of subtotal gastrectomy and total gastrectomy were 5.46 and 8.69 (P < 0.001 for both). Seven risk factors (type of gastrectomy, age, sex, BMI, and serum levels of albumin, creatinine and phosphorus) were incorporated into the nomogram. The prediction accuracy of the nomogram in the development set was 0.830 (area under the curve (AUC)); (95 per cent c.i. 0.812 to 0.848). In the validation set, the AUC was 0.807 (95 per cent c.i. 0.741 to 0.873).

Conclusion

Gastrectomy was a risk factor for osteoporosis, and its incidence in the first 10 years after surgery was high. This nomogram can help clinicians to identify patients with gastric cancer most at risk of developing osteoporosis after surgery.
Ultrasound-guided abdominal wall infiltration versus freehand technique in anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome (ACNES): randomized clinical trial
Authors: Jacobs Monica L Y E , van den Dungen-Roelofsen Rosanne , Heemskerk Jeroen , Scheltinga Marc R M , Roumen Rudi M H
Published: October 2021

Background

The optimal technique of abdominal wall infiltration for chronic abdominal wall pain due to anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome (ACNES) is unknown. The aim of this study was to compare pain reduction after an abdominal wall anaesthetic injection by use of an ultrasound-guided technique (US) or given freehand (FH).

Methods

In this multicentre non-blinded randomized trial, adult patients with ACNES were randomized (1:1) to an US or a FH injection technique. Primary outcome was the proportion of injections achieving a minimum of 50 per cent pain reduction on the Numeric Rating Scale (range 0–10) 15–20 min after abdominal wall infiltration (‘successful response’). Secondary outcomes were treatment efficacy after 6 weeks and 3 months, and the influence of the subcutaneous tissue thickness on treatment outcome.

Results

Between January 2018 and April 2020, 391 injections (US = 192, FH = 199) were administered in 117 randomized patients (US = 55, FH = 62; 76.0 per cent female, mean age 45 years). The proportion of successful responses did not significantly differ immediately after the injection regimen (US 27.1 per cent versus FH 33.2 per cent; P = 0.19) or after 3 months (US 29.4 per cent versus FH 30.5 per cent; P = 0.90). Success was not determined by subcutaneous tissue thickness.

Conclusion

Pain relief following abdominal wall infiltration by a US or FH technique in ACNES is similar and not influenced by subcutaneous tissue thickness.

Registration number

Dutch Clinical Trial Register NL8465.
Assessment and Monitoring of Salinity of Soils After Tsunami in Nagapattinam Area Using Fuzzy Logic-Based Classification
Authors: Jiji W , Merlin G , Rajesh A
Published: October 2021

The research attempts to know the salinity level and how much agricultural land was affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in the study area. Nagapattinam province of Tamilnadu, which was strongly hit by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, is selected as the demonstration site. IKONOS and QuickBird image for the periods 2003 (pre-tsunami, IKONOS), 2004 (immediate tsunami, IKONOS) and 2006 (post-tsunami, QuickBird) have been used in this study. The purpose of this research is to detect the effects of the tsunami in the study area. Multispectral images were obtained in order to detect the salt-affected soils and compare the data with images after the tsunami. The near-infrared reflectance spectra contain significant information related to soil components. The development of remote sensing techniques can support the monitoring and efficient mapping of salinity level in soil for environmental assessment. In this research, we have implemented the techniques in four levels: image preprocessing, extracting land region, feature extraction and image classification. Image preprocessing is the first step in the image processing chain and is usually necessary prior to image classification and analysis. In the second level, land regions are extracted from the study area using the Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Indices. In the feature extraction level, we have extracted 15 salinity features from the image data and performed the feature selection method to select the best five features of soil. In the classification stage, the salt-affected land region is classified into three classes (C1, highly saline; C2, saline; and C3, non-saline) using the fuzzy logic method. In the immediate tsunami and after-tsunami data, 95.15- and 121.4-hectare area, respectively, were detected as a salt-affected area.
Smart Multimedia Compressor—Intelligent Algorithms for Text and Image Compression
Authors: Oswald C , Sivaselvan B
Published: October 2021

A number of text compression algorithms have been proposed in the past decades, which have been very effective and usually operate on conventional character/word-based approaches. A novel data compression perspective of data mining is explored in this research and the paper focuses on novel frequent sequence/pattern mining approach to text compression. This work attempts to make use of longer-range correlations between words in languages for achieving better text compression. We propose a novel and efficient method by making the compression of any word-level text in a universal manner for corpora across domains referred as Universal Huffman Tree-based encoding. The major contribution of this work is in terms of avoidance of code table communication to the decoder. Simulation results over benchmark datasets indicate that Universal Huffman encoding employing frequent sequence mining (achieves [20%, 89%] improvement in compression in reduced time. The paper also contributes a usable interface for Data compression that employs the proposed frequent sequent mining-based data compression algorithm. The interface supports features such as feedback, consistency, usability, navigation, visual appeal, performance and accessibility on par with existing compression softwares. The work results in an intelligent data compression software employing knowledge engineering perspective.
HeartMate 3: new challenges in ventricular tachycardia ablation
Authors: Nof Eyal , Peichl Petr , Stojadinovic Predrag , Arceluz Martin , Maury Philippe , Katz Moshe , Tedrow Usha B , Singh Robin M , Narui Ryohsuke , John Roy M , Stevenson William G , Beinart Roy , Grupper Avishay , Sternik Leonid , Lavee Jacob , Sacher Frédéric , Kautzner Josef , Sabbag Avi
Published: October 2021

Aim

To describe clinical characteristics, procedural details, specific challenges, and outcomes in patients with HeartMate3™ (HM3), a left ventricular assist device system with a magnetically levitated pump, undergoing ventricular tachycardia ablation (VTA).

Methods and results

Data were collected from patients with an HM3 system who underwent VTA in seven tertiary centres. Data included baseline patient characteristics, procedural data, mortality, and arrhythmia-free survival. The study cohort included 19 patients with cardiomyopathy presenting with ventricular tachycardia (VT) (53% with VT storm). Ventricular tachycardias were induced in 89% of patients and a total of 41 VTs were observed. Severe electromagnetic interference was present on the surface electrocardiogram. Hence, VT localization required analysis of intra-cardiac signals or the use of filter in the 40–20 Hz range. The large house pump HM3 design obscured the cannula inflow and therefore multi imaging modalities were necessary to avoid catheter entrapment in the cannula. A total of 32 VTs were mapped and were successfully ablated (31% to the anterior wall, 38% to the septum and only 9% to the inflow cannula region). Non-inducibility of any VT was reached in 11 patients (58%). Over a follow-up of 429 (interquartile range 101–692) days, 5 (26%) patients underwent a redo VT ablation due to recurrent VTA and 2 (11%) patients died.

Conclusions

Ventricular tachycardia ablation in patients with HM3 is feasible and safe when done in the appropriate setup. Long-term arrhythmia-free survival is acceptable but not well predicted by non-inducibility at the end of the procedure.
Do non-communicable diseases influence sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa? A panel autoregressive distributive lag model approach
Authors: Kabajulizi Judith , Awuku Darko Francis
Published: October 2021

The burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Sub-Saharan Africa has been on the surge during the last two decades. This study examines the relationship between NCDs, measured by disability-adjusted life years, and sustainable development in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. We adopt a panel autoregressive distributed lag model to evaluate the association between NCDs and sustainability of development, alternately measured by adjusted net savings and gross domestic savings, in 24 SSA countries, from 1990 to 2017. The results show that NCDs adversely affect sustainable development in the long run. The findings demonstrate an urgent need to mitigate the rapidly rising burden of NCDs. We argue that reducing the current trend of NCDs in the sub-region is necessary for countries to be on a sustainable development trajectory.
Modelling chemical releases from fish farms: impact zones, dissolution time, and exposure probability
Authors: Sævik Pål Næverlid , Agnalt Ann-Lisbeth , Samuelsen Ole Bent , Myksvoll Mari
Published: October 2021

Tarpaulin bath treatments are used in open net-pen finfish aquaculture to combat parasitic infections, in particular sea lice. After treatment, the toxic wastewater is released directly into the ocean, potentially harming non-target species in the vicinity. We model the dispersion of wastewater chemicals using a high-resolution numerical ocean model. The results are used to estimate the impact area, impact range, dissolution time, and exposure probability for chemicals of arbitrary toxicity. The study area is a fish-farming intensive region on the Norwegian western coast. Simulations are performed at 61 different release dates, each on 16 locations. In our base case where the chemical is toxic at 1% of the treatment concentration, the release of a 16000 m³ wastewater plume traverses a median distance of 1.9 km before being completely dissolved. The median impacted area is 0.9 km² and the median dissolution time is 6.8 hours. These figures increase to 5.9 km, 7.0 km², and 21 hours, respectively, if the chemical is toxic at 0.1 % of the treatment concentration. Locations within fjords have slower dissolution rates and larger impact zones compared to exposed locations off the coast, especially during summer.
Transient Liver Damage and Hemolysis Are Associated With an Inhibition of Ebola Virus Glycoprotein-Specific Antibody Response and Lymphopenia
Authors: Fausther-Bovendo Hugues , Qiu Xiangguo , Babuadze George Giorgi , Azizi Hiva , Pedersen Jannie , Wong Gary , Kobinger Gary P
Published: October 2021

Numerous studies have demonstrated the importance of the adaptive immunity for survival following Ebola virus (EBOV) infection. To evaluate the contribution of tissue damage to EBOV-induced immune suppression, acute liver damage or hemolysis, 2 symptoms associated with lethal EBOV infection, were chemically induced in vaccinated mice. Results show that either liver damage or hemolysis was sufficient to inhibit the host humoral response against EBOV glycoprotein and to drastically reduce the level of circulating T cells. This study thus provides a possible mechanism for the limited specific antibody production and lymphopenia in individuals with lethal hemorrhagic fever infections.
Weather shocks and migration intentions in Western Africa: insights from a multilevel analysis
Authors: Bertoli Simone , Docquier Frédéric , Rapoport Hillel , Ruyssen Ilse
Published: October 2021

We use a multilevel approach to investigate whether a general and robust relationship between weather shocks and (internal and international) migration intentions can be uncovered in Western African countries. We combine individual survey data with measures of localized weather shocks for 13 countries over the 2008–2016 period. A meta-analysis on results from about 51,000 regressions is conducted to identify the specification of weather anomalies that maximizes the goodness of fit of our empirical model. We then use this best specification to document heterogeneous mobility responses to weather shocks. We find that variability in Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index/rainfall is associated with changing intentions to move locally or internationally in a few countries only. However, the significance, sign and magnitude of the effect are far from being robust and consistent across countries. These differences might be due to imperfections in the data or to differences in long-term climate conditions and adaptation capabilities. They may also suggest that credit constraints are internalized differently in different settings, or that moving internally is not a relevant option as weather conditions are spatially correlated while moving abroad is an option of last resort. Although our multilevel approach allows us to connect migration intentions with the timing and spatial dimension of weather shocks, identifying a common specification that governs weather-driven mobility decisions is a very difficult, if not impossible, task, even for countries belonging to the same region. Our findings also call for extreme caution before generalizing results from specific case studies.
Using Community-Based Truth Commissions to Address Poverty and Related Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Violations: The UK Poverty Truth Commissions as Transformative Justice
Authors: Cahill-Ripley Amanda , Graham Luke David
Published: October 2021

Following the financial crisis and the imposition of austerity measures within the UK, poverty across the country has widened and deepened. The resulting severe negative impacts on the realization of economic and social rights are still being felt. Accountability of the State for such poverty related human rights violations has predominantly been addressed by judicial or quasi-judicial remedies. However, it is contended that due to limitations of scope and reach, alternative and additional mechanisms encompassing broader forms of justice are required to effectively address poverty and related violations of rights. This article explores the value-added of addressing poverty and related violations of economic, social and cultural rights (ESCRs) using alternative and additional ‘justice’ mechanisms drawn from the practice of transitional justice, in particular truth and reconciliation commissions (TRCs). Drawing upon the experience of community-based truth and reconciliation commissions, we evaluate the effectiveness of the UK Poverty Truth Commissions (PTCs) as a mechanism for realizing justice for poverty and related human rights violations. The central contention is that while the PTCs constitute an important and meaningful form of transformative justice, there is significant value-added in using a more explicit ESCRs agenda to enhance accountability, recompense and equality and fairness. Overall, the PTCs can help to close the ‘justice gap’ (Lederach 2001) and make a valuable contribution to transformative justice, tackling poverty and realizing ESCRs within the UK.
The extreme properties of the nearby hyper-Eddington accreting active galactic nucleus in IRAS 04416+1215
Authors: Tortosa Alessia , Ricci Claudio , Tombesi Francesco , Ho Luis C , Du Pu , Inayoshi Kohei , Wang Jian-Min , Shangguan Jinyi , Li Ruancun
Published: October 2021

The physical properties of the accretion flow and of the X-ray emitting plasma, in supermassive black holes accreting at extreme Eddington rates, are still very unclear. Here we present the analysis of simultaneous XMM–Newton and NuSTAR observations of the hyper-Eddington Seyfert 1 galaxy IRAS 04416+1215, carried out in 2020. The main goal of these observations is to investigate the properties of the X-ray corona, as well as the structure of the accretion flow and of the circumnuclear environment, in this regime of extreme accretion. IRAS 04416+1215 has one of the highest Eddington ratio (λEdd ≃ 472) in the local Universe. It shows an interesting spectral shape, very similar to the standard narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy’s spectra, with the presence of multiphase absorption structure composed of three phases, whose estimate of the minimum and maximum distances suggests two different interpretations, one consistent with the three X-ray winds being cospatial, and possibly driven by magnetohydrodynamical processes, the other consistent with the multiphase winds being also multiscale. The X-ray spectrum of IRAS 04416+1215 also has a prominent soft excess component and a hard X-ray emission dominated by a reflection component. Moreover, our detailed spectral analysis shows that IRAS 04416+1215 has the lowest coronal temperature measured so far by NuSTAR (kTe = 3–22 keV, depending on the model). This is consistent with a hybrid coronal plasma, in which the primary continuum emission is driven by pair production due to high-energy tail of the energy distribution of non-thermal electrons.
Loss of full-length hnRNP R isoform impairs DNA damage response in motoneurons by inhibiting Yb1 recruitment to chromatin
Authors: Ghanawi Hanaa , Hennlein Luisa , Zare Abdolhossein , Bader Jakob , Salehi Saeede , Hornburg Daniel , Ji Changhe , Sivadasan Rajeeve , Drepper Carsten , Meissner Felix , Mann Matthias , Jablonka Sibylle , Briese Michael , Sendtner Michael
Published: October 2021

Neurons critically rely on the functions of RNA-binding proteins to maintain their polarity and resistance to neurotoxic stress. HnRNP R has a diverse range of post-transcriptional regulatory functions and is important for neuronal development by regulating axon growth. Hnrnpr pre-mRNA undergoes alternative splicing giving rise to a full-length protein and a shorter isoform lacking its N-terminal acidic domain. To investigate functions selectively associated with the full-length hnRNP R isoform, we generated a Hnrnpr knockout mouse (Hnrnprtm1a/tm1a) in which expression of full-length hnRNP R was abolished while production of the truncated hnRNP R isoform was retained. Motoneurons cultured from Hnrnprtm1a/tm1a mice did not show any axonal growth defects but exhibited enhanced accumulation of double-strand breaks and an impaired DNA damage response upon exposure to genotoxic agents. Proteomic analysis of the hnRNP R interactome revealed the multifunctional protein Yb1 as a top interactor. Yb1-depleted motoneurons were defective in DNA damage repair. We show that Yb1 is recruited to chromatin upon DNA damage where it interacts with γ-H2AX, a mechanism that is dependent on full-length hnRNP R. Our findings thus suggest a novel role of hnRNP R in maintaining genomic integrity and highlight the function of its N-terminal acidic domain in this context.
The Eukaryotic Linear Motif resource: 2022 release
Authors: Kumar Manjeet , Michael Sushama , Alvarado-Valverde Jesús , Mészáros Bálint , Sámano-Sánchez Hugo , Zeke András , Dobson Laszlo , Lazar Tamas , Örd Mihkel , Nagpal Anurag , Farahi Nazanin , Käser Melanie , Kraleti Ramya , Davey Norman E , Pancsa Rita , Chemes Lucía B , Gibson Toby J
Published: October 2021

Almost twenty years after its initial release, the Eukaryotic Linear Motif (ELM) resource remains an invaluable source of information for the study of motif-mediated protein-protein interactions. ELM provides a comprehensive, regularly updated and well-organised repository of manually curated, experimentally validated short linear motifs (SLiMs). An increasing number of SLiM-mediated interactions are discovered each year and keeping the resource up-to-date continues to be a great challenge. In the current update, 30 novel motif classes have been added and five existing classes have undergone major revisions. The update includes 411 new motif instances mostly focused on cell-cycle regulation, control of the actin cytoskeleton, membrane remodelling and vesicle trafficking pathways, liquid-liquid phase separation and integrin signalling. Many of the newly annotated motif-mediated interactions are targets of pathogenic motif mimicry by viral, bacterial or eukaryotic pathogens, providing invaluable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying infectious diseases. The current ELM release includes 317 motif classes incorporating 3934 individual motif instances manually curated from 3867 scientific publications. ELM is available at: http://elm.eu.org.
Limited plasticity of anatomical and hydraulic traits in aspen trees under elevated CO2 and seasonal drought
Authors: Lauriks Fran , Salomón Roberto Luis , De Roo Linus , Goossens Willem , Leroux Olivier , Steppe Kathy
Published: October 2021

The timing of abiotic stress elicitors on wood formation largely affects xylem traits that determine xylem efficiency and vulnerability. Nonetheless, seasonal variability of elevated CO2 (eCO2) effects on tree functioning under drought remains largely unknown. To address this knowledge gap, 1-year-old aspen (Populus tremula L.) trees were grown under ambient (±445 ppm) and elevated (±700 ppm) CO2 and exposed to an early (spring/summer 2019) or late (summer/autumn 2018) season drought event. Stomatal conductance and stem shrinkage were monitored in vivo as xylem water potential decreased. Additional trees were harvested for characterization of wood anatomical traits and to determine vulnerability and desorption curves via bench dehydration. The abundance of narrow vessels decreased under eCO2 only during the early season. At this time, xylem vulnerability to embolism formation and hydraulic capacitance during severe drought increased under eCO2. Contrastingly, stomatal closure was delayed during the late season, while hydraulic vulnerability and capacitance remained unaffected under eCO2. Independently of the CO2 treatment, elastic, and inelastic water pools depleted simultaneously after 50% of complete stomatal closure. Our results suggest that the effect of eCO2 on drought physiology and wood traits are small and variable during the growing season and question a sequential capacitive water release from elastic and inelastic pools as drought proceeds.
APAP-Induced IκBβ/NFκB Signaling Drives Hepatic Il6 Expression and Associated Sinusoidal Dilation
Authors: Sherlock Laura G , Balasubramaniyan Durganili , Zheng Lijun , Grayck Maya , McCarthy William C , De Dios Robert C , Zarate Miguel A , Orlicky David J , De Dios Robyn , Wright Clyde J
Published: October 2021

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose results in high morbidity and mortality, with limited treatment options. Increased understanding of the cellular signaling pathways activated in response to toxic APAP exposure is needed to provide insight into novel therapeutic strategies. Toxic APAP exposure induces hepatic nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) activation. NFκB signaling has been identified to mediate the proinflammatory response but also induces a prosurvival and regenerative response. It is currently unknown whether potentiating NFkB activation would be injurious or advantageous after APAP overdose. The NFκB inhibitory protein beta (IκBβ) dictates the duration and degree of the NFκB response following exposure to oxidative injuries. Thus, we sought to determine whether IκBβ/NFκB signaling contributes to APAP-induced hepatic injury. At late time points (24 h) following toxic APAP exposures, mice expressing only IκBβ knock-in mice (AKBI mice) exhibited increased serologic evidence of hepatic injury. This corresponded with increased histologic injury, specifically related to sinusoidal dilatation. When compared with wild type mice, AKBI mice demonstrated sustained hepatic nuclear translocation of the NFκB subunits p65 and p50, and enhanced NFκB target gene expression. This included increased expression of interleukin-6 (Il-6), a known contributor to hepatic sinusoidal dilation. This transcriptional response corresponded with increased plasma protein content of Il-6, as well as increased activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3.
Otolaryngology residency selection: are we doing it right?
Authors: Pittman Corinne A. , Standiford Taylor C. , Bowe Sarah N.
Published: October 2021

Purpose of review

This article will provide an overview of recent disruptions to the otolaryngology residency match process and conclude with questions and resources that can guide future selection system design.

Recent findings

During the implementation of the single accreditation system, the loss of osteopathic programs, reduction of osteopathic leadership positions, and lack of interest in Osteopathic Recognition represent serious threats to the profession; this has implications for the distribution of the otolaryngology workforce, plausibly decreasing healthcare access in less-populated communities. Next, the impacts of COVID-19 reverberated throughout the application process, including the reduction/elimination of away rotations, modification of application requirements, conversion to virtual interviews, and initiation of preference signaling. Soon, the transition to pass/fail scoring for the United States Medical Licensing Exam Step 1 could stimulate a paradigm shift, with a heightened emphasis on holistic review.

The last two match cycles have been the most dynamic and unpredictable in decades. Out of the commotion, the otolaryngology community has an opportunity for a fresh start, combining insights from past literature with recent articles compiled for this review. Moving forward, it will be advantageous to approach residency selection as a well-executed quality improvement project, requiring continuous assessment and adjustment.
Enhancing the Appearance of the “Six-Pack” Muscles Using Cryolipolysis: A Safe and Effective Method
Authors: Lim Tingsong , Ding Siew Wen , Chua Chong Hwee , Moey Hui Xian
Published: October 2021

Many individuals desire a defined and athletic body with “six-pack” abdominal muscles, but even with a strict regimen of diet and exercise, this result is unattainable for many. Cryolipolysis is a noninvasive method of reducing the subcutaneous adipose tissues lying above the rectus abdominis muscles, enhancing the six-pack appearance. Eleven nonobese adults with an average body mass index of 22.5 kg/m2 were enrolled in this study. All subjects were treated with the CoolSculpting cryolipolysis system, with most of them undergoing two rounds of treatment. Improvement in appearance of the abdominal muscles was rated using the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale, and adverse events and subjects’ satisfaction scores were recorded. Treatments were well tolerated, with no reported instances of blanching, bruising, or blistering, and with only mild cases of edema, erythema, and numbness reported by some. Mean Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale rating was 1.7, corresponding to a rating of improved to much improved. Subjects were comfortable with the procedure and satisfied with the results. In conclusion, cryolipolysis is an effective and well-tolerated method for noninvasive enhancement of abdominal muscle definition.
The Efficacy of Schwann-Like Differentiated Muscle-Derived Stem Cells in Treating Rodent Upper Extremity Peripheral Nerve Injury
Authors: Xun Helen , Yesantharao Pooja , Musavi Leila , Quan Amy , Xiang Sinan , Alonso-Escalante Jose C. , Wang Howard , Tammia Markus , Cetinkaya-Fisgin Aysel , Lee W. P. Andrew , Brandacher Gerald , Kumar Anand , Lopez Joseph
Published: October 2021

Background:

There is a pressing need to identify alternative mesenchymal stem cell sources for Schwann cell cellular replacement therapy, to improve peripheral nerve regeneration. This study assessed the efficacy of Schwann cell–like cells (induced muscle-derived stem cells) differentiated from muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) in augmenting nerve regeneration and improving muscle function after nerve trauma.

Methods:

The Schwann cell–like nature of induced MDSCs was characterized in vitro using immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, microarray, and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. In vivo, four groups (n = 5 per group) of rats with median nerve injuries were examined: group 1 animals were treated with intraneural phosphate-buffered saline after cold and crush axonotmesis (negative control); group 2 animals were no-injury controls; group 3 animals were treated with intraneural green fluorescent protein–positive MDSCs; and group 4 animals were treated with green fluorescent protein–positive induced MDSCs. All animals underwent weekly upper extremity functional testing. Rats were euthanized 5 weeks after treatment. The median nerve and extrinsic finger flexors were harvested for nerve histomorphometry, myelination, muscle weight, and atrophy analyses.

Results:

In vitro, induced MDSCs recapitulated native Schwann cell gene expression patterns and up-regulated pathways involved in neuronal growth/signaling. In vivo, green fluorescent protein–positive induced MDSCs remained stably transformed 5 weeks after injection. Induced MDSC therapy decreased muscle atrophy after median nerve injury (p = 0.0143). Induced MDSC- and MDSC-treated animals demonstrated greater functional muscle recovery when compared to untreated controls (hand grip after induced MDSC treatment: group 1, 0.91 N; group 4, 3.38 N); p < 0.0001) at 5 weeks after treatment. This may demonstrate the potential beneficial effects of MDSC therapy, regardless of differentiation stage.

Conclusion:

Both MDSCs and induced MDSCs decrease denervation muscle atrophy and improve subsequent functional outcomes after upper extremity nerve trauma in rodents.
SMaRT Assessment Tool: An Innovative Approach for Objective Assessment of Flap Designs
Authors: Jaberi Mehrad , Abi-Rafeh Jad , Chocron Yehuda , Zammit Dino , Al-Halabi Becher , Gilardino Mirko S.
Published: October 2021

The teaching and assessment of ideal surgical markings for local flaps required for optimal aesthetic and functional outcomes remain a challenge in the present era of competency-based surgical education. The authors utilized the bilobed flap for nasal reconstruction as a proof of concept for the development of an innovative objective assessment tool based on statistical shape analysis, with a focus on providing automated, evidence-based, objective, specific, and practical feedback to the learner. The proposed tool is based on Procrustes statistical shape analysis, previously used for the assessment of facial asymmetry in plastic surgery. For performance boundary testing, a series of optimal and suboptimal designs generated in deliberate violation of the established ideals of optimal bilobed flap design were evaluated, and a four-component feedback score ofScale,Mismatch,Rotation, andTranslation (SMaRT) was generated. The SMaRT assessment tool demonstrated the capacity to proportionally score a spectrum of designs (n= 36) ranging from subtle to significant variations of optimal, with excellent computational and clinically reasonable performance boundaries. In terms of shape mismatch, changes in SMaRT score also correlated with intended violations in designs away from the ideal flap design. This innovative educational approach could aid in incorporating objective feedback in simulation-based platforms in order to facilitate deliberate practice in flap design, with the potential for adoption in other fields of plastic surgery to automate assessment processes.