bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
State Calculations and the Political Promise of Replication
Authors: Graizbord Diana
Published: November 2023

This article examines how and to what effect the scientific ideal and practice of replication is adopted by a Mexican federal government agency charged with measuring poverty. The commitment to replication among state poverty experts is traced to their self-conception as democratic reformers working against cultures of state opacity associated with an authoritarian past. These experts deploy the ideal of replication as a bureaucratic ethos and the practice of replication as a public-facing and legitimating strategy. Replication successfully performs transparency and generates trust by appealing to, and strengthening ties with, elite academic and policy actors. Ultimately, the article shows how scientific ideals and practices adopted by state actors are cast as democracy enhancing even as they produce elite closure and limit public participation.
Toxic Avoidance
Authors: Henry Emmanuel
Published: November 2023

If the words “our product is doubt” characterize the production of ignorance, in turn, the production of nonproblem could be encapsulated by “our product is silence.” This article looks behind both these words and this concept of nonproblems, drawing attention to public policy mechanisms whose effect (whether explicitly intended or not) is to reduce the attention paid to a given problem, resulting in public inaction, not taking charge of a problem. It highlights the role in those dynamics of two factors: the scientific instruments attempting to quantify environmental and occupational health issues and the scientific expertise in the field of the regulation of chemicals. Downstream of these regulatory processes, the use of science-based regulatory instruments implicitly steers regulatory policies in a direction that results in tolerance of certain risks (rendering them acceptable) and can lead to public inaction.
From Thin to Thick
Authors: Foster Jacob G.
Published: November 2023

This article argues that contemporary research practices in artificial intelligence will produce AI technologies incompatible with human flourishing, social complexity, or vibrant politics. Adopting James Scott's anarchist squint, it instead proposes a vision of AI that embraces local vernaculars, the multiplicity of objectives, the responsibilities that come with producing persons, and the potential of instigating rather than circumventing political contestation. To clarify the stakes, it draws on the key evolutionary idea of niche construction, contrasting the thin, universalizing, top-down construction characteristic of contemporary AI with thick, local, and contested co-construction. It also introduces the idea of semantic power, showing how AI's ability to impose objective functions on the world shapes our very categories of meaning. Finally, it calls for a new social science of possible worlds, outlining strategies for rigorous exploration of the imaginal world where unrealized but possible social arrangements reside.
White in the Deep Blue
Authors: Kosmatopoulos Nikolas
Published: November 2023

Although the imperial ship has been a key location through which to theorize colonialism and the origins of racial capitalism, little research exists on the postcolonial ship as an analytical indicator for the persistence and distinctiveness of contemporary racial capitalism. This article explores a largely uncharted territory through a critical appraisal of postwar Greek-owned shipping. Greece's dominant place in global shipping offers an illuminating and yet understudied entry point to political economies of neocolonial / racial capitalism at sea. The first part of this brief intervention invokes the Greek-owned tanker in threefold ways: as a geopolitical actor in response to the decolonization of maritime energy routes and to worldmaking at and through the sea; as a floating financial device that produces deterritorialized hierarchies of global space through processes of flagging-out and offshoring; and as a physical site where structures of racial capitalism, mainly in terms of labor, proliferate. The second part of the article discusses certain forms of community waters’ defense as a possible path toward decolonization and Indigenous efforts to “take sea back.”
Aerial Social Spaces and State Power
Authors: Zaidi Waqar
Published: November 2023

This article suggests that aerial networks can be usefully conceptualized as broad “aerial social spaces” that can (and often do) extend, produce, and reproduce state power. They are not easily created: their creation and maintenance require large resources both on land and in the air. The same aerial network can be embodied in multiple aerial social spaces that produce and reproduce state power in different ways. This article highlights two such pathways: the first through cultural and the second through logistical impact. In support it presents two case studies based on the expansion of civil aviation in the developing world in the 1940s and 1950s: the International Civil Aviation Authority's interventions in the Middle East and US involvement in Saudi Arabian aviation.
parazitCUB: An R package to streamline the process of investigating the adaptations of parasites' codon usage bias
Authors: Anwar Ali Mostafa , Bayoumi Salma , Elzalabany Sagy , Magdeldin Sameh , Ahmed Amr E.
Published: November 2023

Examining the intricate association between parasites and their hosts, particularly at the codon level, assumes paramount importance in comprehending evolutionary processes and forecasting the characteristics of novel parasites. While diverse metrics and statistical analyses are available to explore codon usage bias (CUB), there presently exists no dedicated tool for examining the co-adaptation of codon usage between parasites and hosts. Therefore, we introduce the parazitCUB R package to address this challenge in a scalable and efficient manner, as it is capable of handling extensive datasets and simultaneously analyzing of multiple parasites with optimized performance. parazitCUB enables the elucidation of parasite-host interactions and the evolutionary patterns of parasites through the implementation of various indices, cluster analysis, multivariate analysis, and data visualization techniques. The tool can be accessed at the following location: https://github.com/AliYoussef96/parazitCUB
BurkHostGEN: a study protocol for evaluating variations in the Burkholderia pseudomallei and host genomes associated with melioidosis infection
Authors: Angchagun Kesorn , Boonklang Phumrapee , Chomkatekaew Chalita , Pakdeerat Sukritpong , Wongsuwan Gumphol , Amornchai Premjit , Wuthiekanun Vanaporn , Panapipat Salwaluk , Ngernseng Thatsanun , Waithira Naomi , Walton Steve , Limmathurotsakul Direk , Surawong Anoree , Siriboon Suwatthiya , Chamnan Parinya , Chantratita Narisara , Dunachie Susie , Corander Jukka , Davenport Emma E. , Knight Julian , Parkhill Julian , Peacock Sharon J. , Thomson Nicholas R. , Day Nicholas P.J. , Chewapreecha Claire
Published: November 2023

Background Melioidosis is a frequently fatal disease caused by an environmental bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. The disease is prevalent in northeast Thailand, particularly among rice field farmers who are at risk of bacterial exposure through contact with contaminated soil and water. However, not all exposure results in disease, and infection can manifest diverse outcomes. We postulate that genetic factors, whether from the bacterium, the host or the combination of both, may influence disease outcomes. To address this hypothesis, we aim to collect, sequence, and analyse genetic data from melioidosis patients and controls, along with isolates of B. pseudomallei obtained from patients. Additionally, we will study the metagenomics of the household water supply for both patients and controls, including the presence of B. pseudomallei. Methods BurkHostGEN is an ongoing observational study being conducted at Sunpasitthiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand. We are obtaining consent from 600 melioidosis patients and 700 controls, spanning both sexes, to collect 1 mL of blood for host DNA analysis, 3 mL of blood for RNA analysis, as well as 5 L of household water supply for metagenomic analysis. Additionally, we are isolating B. pseudomallei from the melioidosis patients to obtain bacterial DNA. This comprehensive approach will allow us to identify B. pseudomallei and their paired host genetic factors associated with disease acquisition and severity. Ethical approvals have been obtained for BurkHostGEN. Host and bacterial genetic data will be uploaded to European Genome-Phenome Archive (EGA) and European Nucleotide Archive (ENA), respectively. Conclusions BurkHostGEN holds the potential to discover bacterial and host genetic factors associated with melioidosis infection and severity of illness. It can also support various study designs, including biomarker validation, disease pathogenesis, and epidemiological analysis not only for melioidosis but also for other infectious diseases.
A tribute to Tiina Randlane on her seventieth birthday!
Authors: Estonian lichenologists, colleagues & friends
Published: November 2023

The current 60th issue of Folia Cryptogamica Estonica is dedicated to Tiina Randlane on the occasion of her 70th birthday. She is an esteemed lichenologist and researcher who has made exceptional contributions to the field of lichenology in Estonia and worldwide. This collection of articles is prepared by admiring colleagues and friends who wished to pay tribute and celebrate this remarkable occasion.
Why could thrombolysis be an option for cats with acute aortic thromboembolism?
Authors: Guillaumin Julien
Published: November 2023

Feline aortic thromboembolism, or ‘saddle thrombus’, is a common syndrome initiated by the sudden migration of a left atrial thrombus into the systemic arteries. It is usually caused by cardiomyopathy of varying types and severity. It is easily diagnosed clinically using the ‘5P rule’ (pulselessness, pallor, polar, pain and paralysis). Although the prognosis for feline aortic thromboembolism has historically been considered poor, this is not validated by retrospective or prospective studies. Indeed, a prospective study on cats with aortic thromboembolism and bilateral pelvic limb paralysis showed a 37.5% discharge rate, with a calculated 95% confidence interval of 22.5% to 52.5%, and with some cats surviving for more than a year. Treatment includes supportive care, treatment of cardiac disease if applicable and nursing care. Thrombolysis is recommended in many thromboembolic diseases in humans, including pulmonary thromboembolism, acute myocardial infarction and acute ischemic stroke, and has been recently suggested in cats suffering from acute (within 6 hours) aortic thromboembolism. Most clinicians will use the tissue plasminogen activator alteplase. Complications of treatment of feline aortic thromboembolism, with or without thrombolysis, include acute kidney injury (20%) as well as reperfusion injuries (25%). Thromboprophylaxis with clopidogrel or clopidogrel and rivaroxaban is recommended for long-term management of cats with aortic thromboembolism.
Estimating Surface Current from HIMAWARI-8 SST Data using Particle Image Velocimetry Method (Case Study in The Flores Sea)
Authors: Wati Kadek Setiya , Osawa Takahiro , Karang I Wayan Gede Astawa
Published: November 2023

Four High-Frequency radar systems (HF) have been installed in Indonesia to monitor surface currents. In-situ ocean current observations are relatively expensive and limited by spatial and temporal resolution. Satellite remote sensing enables the estimate of surface current data generally from surface tracer data, including sea surface temperature (SST). Various methodologies have been developed to obtain surface currents. With Himawari-8 SST data, this study examines the accuracy of the resulting estimation. The cross-correlation fields of two identical-sized interrogation windows obtained from sequential images are employed in Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). The HF radar in Labuan Bajo was used to validate surface current velocity estimates. RMSE, bias, and the Willmott index determined the accuracy. According to the estimates of surface currents made on July 29, 2022, the results follow a monsoon characteristic wind pattern in the Flores Sea. HF radar observations better validate the V component current estimation than the U component current estimation. A study of sea surface currents from SST data is lacking in Indonesian seas, and more repetition is required. As a result, This method has the potential can be employed to observe aquatic environments in other Indonesian areas.
Shirley , History after Wuthering Heights
Authors: Lawson Kate
Published: November 2023

Abstract: What happens after the end of Wuthering Heights ? Charlotte Brontë's Shirley is not a sequel to Wuthering Heights but provides an account of the next phase of Yorkshire history. Shirley continues the historical narrative of Wuthering Heights by repeating, extending, and transforming elements from the previous phase. Robert Moore and Shirley Keeldar both resemble Heathcliff insofar as their paths to self-determination lie in disrupting and dominating what appears to be a closed system of property ownership and of familial and community relationships. Their complex relationships to property, speculation, and industrial capitalism limn the features of the next stage of Yorkshire history.
Oscar Wilde's Fairy Tales, Social Justice, and Aesthetic Disidentification
Authors: Campbell James
Published: November 2023

Abstract: This article addresses the incompatibility of Oscar Wilde's fairy tales with his persona as an aesthete who denied the ethical status of art. I claim that the fairy tales constitute acts of what queer theorist José Esteban Muñoz calls disidentification, or a refusal to identify completely with or against, in relation to Wilde's aesthetic image. The article centers on readings of the majority of the fairy tales that emphasize their claims in favor of social justice, including the implicit ethics of queer love.
Suppressing the false magnetic field in beam-splitting Faraday rotation measurement
Authors: Zhang Yapeng , Ma Zuolin , Liu Zhengdong , Yao Jiawen , Zhong Jiayong
Published: November 2023

In laser–plasma experiments, the beam-splitting Faraday rotation measurement is usually used for mapping the magnetic field. Due to the geometric characteristics of the beam-splitting configuration, the split beams are not always incident normally on the image plane, and their spots have different shapes and intensity distributions. Ignoring these issues will inevitably introduce errors in polarization calculation and then generate large false magnetic fields. We introduced the restoration method to recover the spots and suppress the false magnetic field. We applied this method to ZEMAX simulation data and Shenguang-II experimental data. Compared to the method of directly overlaying the spots, it can reduce the average false magnetic field by about 50%. And the false magnetic field at the edge of the spot is reduced by one order of magnitude. We can highly improve the accuracy of the magnetic field measurement with the Faraday rotation method.
High-performance amplified spontaneous emission in inorganic CsPbBr3 perovskite thin films grown on engineered quartz substrates
Authors: Xu Caixia , He Yanwei , Xiao Zhengguo , Xu Long
Published: November 2023

In this work, periodic rectangular arrays were fabricated on quartz substrates using the femtosecond laser ablation technique, on which inorganic cesium lead bromide thin films were grown using the spin coating method. Enhanced photoluminescence emission was investigated using a homebuilt confocal microscope, and increased light absorption due to the engineered structures was also measured. High-performance amplified spontaneous emission with typical narrow lasing emission peaks excited using a nanosecond laser centered at 266 nm was obtained. This work provides a method to modify the performance of optoelectrical devices, which helps develop light-emitting diodes, photodetectors, solar cells, and lasers.
Indirect measurement of infrared absorption spectrum through thermal emission of meta-cavity array
Authors: Chu Qiong Qiong , Zhang Feng Yuan , Zhang Ye , Zhu Shi Ning , Liu Hui
Published: November 2023

Controlling thermal emission is essential for various infrared spectroscopy applications. Metasurfaces can be utilized to control multiple degrees of freedom of thermal emission, enabling the compact thermal emission materials and devices. Infrared spectroscopy such as FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), usually requires external infrared radiation source and complex spectroscopic devices for absorption spectrum measurement, which hinders the implementation of integrated compact and portable measurement equipment. Measuring absorption spectrum through the thermal emission of pixelated thermal emitter array can facilitate the integration and miniaturization of measurement setup, which is highly demanded for on-chip spectroscopy applications. Here, we experimentally demonstrate an integrated technology that allows for indirect measurement of the absorption spectrum through the thermal emission of meta-cavity array. This indirect measurement method opens a new avenue for compact infrared spectroscopy analysis.
Ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy via chirped-pulse up-conversion with dispersion compensation
Authors: Tamaki Ryo , Suzuki Masashi , Kusaba Satoshi , Takeda Jun , Katayama Ikufumi
Published: November 2023

In this study, ultrafast transient signals were detected on a single-shot basis using chirped-pulse up-conversion spectroscopy with dispersion compensation. Unlike in the conventional time-encoding technique using chirped pulses, distortion of the ultrafast waveform was reduced by applying dispersion compensation to the chirped probe pulses and using sum-frequency generation with the chirped readout pulses. The method was applied to terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and near-infrared pump–probe spectroscopy, providing ultrafast observations with an improved temporal resolution comparable to the transform-limited pulse durations. Terahertz waveforms, Kerr rotation signals, and phonon-polariton oscillations were measured accurately with no significant waveform distortion, thereby showing the proposed scheme to be promising for single-shot pump–probe spectroscopy in a wide range of spectroscopic applications.
Low-threshold lasing from bound states in the continuum with dielectric metasurfaces
Authors: Xue Huiwen , Niu Jiebin , Chen Shengqiong , Li Longjie , Zhao Shengjie , Lu Cheng , Jin Feng , Xie Changqing , Shi Lina
Published: November 2023

Bound states in the continuum (BICs) with extremely large quality factors (Q factors) can enhance the light–matter interaction and thus achieve low-threshold lasing. Here, we theoretically propose and experimentally demonstrate the low-threshold lasing at room temperature based on BICs. A threshold of approximately 306.7 W/cm2 (peak intensity) under a 7.5 ns-pulsed optical excitation is presented in an all-dielectric metasurface system consisting of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanopillars with a dye film. Also, the multimode lasing can be excited by the higher pumping. Our results may find exciting applications in on-chip coherent light sources, filtering, and sensing.
Morphogenesis in Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes proceeds via a highly asymmetric cell division
Authors: Campbell Paul C. , de Graffenried Christopher L.
Published: November 2023

Trypanosoma cruziis a protist parasite that is the causative agent of Chagas disease, a neglected tropical disease endemic to the Americas.T.cruzicells are highly polarized and undergo morphological changes as they cycle within their insect and mammalian hosts. Work on related trypanosomatids has described cell division mechanisms in several life-cycle stages and identified a set of essential morphogenic proteins that serve as markers for key events during trypanosomatid division. Here, we use Cas9-based tagging of morphogenic genes, live-cell imaging, and expansion microscopy to study the cell division mechanism of the insect-resident epimastigote form ofT.cruzi, which represents an understudied trypanosomatid morphotype. We find thatT.cruziepimastigote cell division is highly asymmetric, producing one daughter cell that is significantly smaller than the other. Daughter cell division rates differ by 4.9 h, which may be a consequence of this size disparity. Many of the morphogenic proteins identified inT.bruceihave altered localization patterns inT.cruziepimastigotes, which may reflect fundamental differences in the cell division mechanism of this life cycle stage, which widens and shortens the cell body to accommodate the duplicated organelles and cleavage furrow rather than elongating the cell body along the long axis of the cell, as is the case in life-cycle stages that have been studied inT.brucei. This work provides a foundation for further investigations ofT.cruzicell division and shows that subtle differences in trypanosomatid cell morphology can alter how these parasites divide.
Phylogenomics of Leptospira santarosai, a prevalent pathogenic species in the Americas
Authors: Chinchilla Diana , Nieves Cecilia , Gutiérrez Ricardo , Sordoillet Vallier , Veyrier Frédéric J. , Picardeau Mathieu
Published: November 2023

Background

Leptospirosis is a complex zoonotic disease mostly caused by a group of eight pathogenic species (L. interrogans, L. borgpetersenii, L. kirschneri, L. mayottensis, L. noguchii, L. santarosai, L. weilii, L. alexanderi), with a wide spectrum of animal reservoirs and patient outcomes. Leptospira interrogans is considered as the leading causative agent of leptospirosis worldwide and it is the most studied species. However, the genomic features and phylogeography of other Leptospira pathogenic species remain to be determined.

Methodology/principal findings

Here we investigated the genome diversity of the main pathogenic Leptospira species based on a collection of 914 genomes from strains isolated around the world. Genome analyses revealed species-specific genome size and GC content, and an open pangenome in the pathogenic species, except for L. mayottensis. Taking advantage of a new set of genomes of L. santarosai strains isolated from patients in Costa Rica, we took a closer look at this species. L. santarosai strains are largely distributed in America, including the Caribbean islands, with over 96% of the available genomes originating from this continent. Phylogenetic analysis showed high genetic diversity within L. santarosai, and the clonal groups identified by cgMLST were strongly associated with geographical areas. Serotype identification based on serogrouping and/or analysis of the O-antigen biosynthesis gene loci further confirmed the great diversity of strains within the species.

Conclusions/significance

In conclusion, we report a comprehensive genome analysis of pathogenic Leptospira species with a focus on L. santarosai. Our study sheds new light onto the genomic diversity, evolutionary history, and epidemiology of leptospirosis in America and globally. Our findings also expand our knowledge of the genes driving O-antigen diversity. In addition, our work provides a framework for understanding the virulence and spread of L. santarosai and for improving its surveillance in both humans and animals.
Crowdsource authoring as a tool for enhancing the quality of competency assessments in healthcare professions
Authors: Lin Che-Wei , Clinciu Daniel L. , Salcedo Daniel , Huang Chih-Wei , Kang Enoch Yi No , Li Yu-Chuan (Jack)
Published: November 2023

The current Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is complex, costly, and difficult to provide high-quality assessments. This pilot study employed a focus group and debugging stage to test the Crowdsource Authoring Assessment Tool (CAAT) for the creation and sharing of assessment tools used in editing and customizing, to match specific users’ needs, and to provide higher-quality checklists. Competency assessment international experts (n = 50) were asked to 1) participate in and experience the CAAT system when editing their own checklist, 2) edit a urinary catheterization checklist using CAAT, and 3) complete a Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) questionnaire consisting of 14 items to evaluate its four domains. The study occurred between October 2018 and May 2019. The median time for developing a new checklist using the CAAT was 65.76 minutes whereas the traditional method required 167.90 minutes. The CAAT system enabled quicker checklist creation and editing regardless of the experience and native language of participants. Participants also expressed the CAAT enhanced checklist development with 96% of them willing to recommend this tool to others. The use of a crowdsource authoring tool as revealed by this study has efficiently reduced the time to almost a third it would take when using the traditional method. In addition, it allows collaborations to partake on a simple platform which also promotes contributions in checklist creation, editing, and rating.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake concerns in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Key population and healthcare workers perspectives
Authors: Shen Yanhan , Franks Julie , Reidy William , Olsen Halli , Wang Chunhui , Mushimbele Nadine , Mazala Richted Tenda , Tchissambou Tania , Malele Faustin , Kilundu Apolinaire , Bingham Trista , Djomand Gaston , Mukinda Elie , Ewetola Raimi , Abrams Elaine J. , Teasdale Chloe A.
Published: November 2023

Key populations (KP) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including female sex workers (SW), are disproportionally affected by HIV. Quantitative feedback surveys were conducted at seven health facilities in DRC with 70 KP clients enrolled in pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) services to measure benefits and concerns. The surveys also assessed satisfaction with PrEP services and experiences of stigma at the health facilities. Thirty healthcare workers (HCW) were surveyed to measure attitudes, beliefs, and acceptability of providing services to KP. KP client survey participants were primarily female SW. KP clients reported that the primary concern about taking PrEP was fear of side effects (67%) although few KP reported having experienced side effect (14%). HCW concurred with clients that experienced and anticipated side effects were a primary PrEP uptake concern, along with costs of clinic visits.
Resilience of Emiliania huxleyi to future changes in subantarctic waters
Authors: Armstrong Evelyn , Law Cliff S.
Published: November 2023

Lower pH and elevated temperature alter phytoplankton growth and biomass in short-term incubations, but longer-term responses and adaptation potential are less well-studied. To determine the future of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi, a mixed genotype culture from subantarctic water was incubated for 720 days under present-day temperature and pH, and also projected future conditions by the year 2100. The future population exhibited a higher growth rate relative to present-day cells transferred to future conditions after 309 days, indicating adaptation or genotype selection; this was reflected by an increase in optimum growth temperature of ~2.5°C by the end of the experiment. Following transfer to opposing conditions in short-term cross-over incubations, cell volume responded rapidly, within eight generations, confirming trait plasticity. The changes in growth rate and cell volume were larger than reported in previous single stressor relationships and incubations, suggesting synergistic or additive effects of combined elevated temperature and lower pH and highlighting the importance of long-term multiple stressor experiments. At the end of the incubation there were no significant differences in cellular composition (particulate organic content and chlorophyll a), or primary production between present-day and future populations. Conversely, two independent methods showed a 50% decrease in both particulate inorganic carbon and calcification rate, consistent with the decrease in cell volume, in the future population. The observed plasticity and adaptive capacity of E. huxleyi indicate resilience to future conditions in subantarctic waters, although changes in cell volume and carbonate may alter grazing loss and cell ballast, so influencing carbon export to the deep ocean.
Circulating levels of miR125a, miR126, and miR146a-5p in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and their relation with markers of endothelial dysfunction
Authors: Fadaei Reza , Fallah Soudabeh , Moradi Mohammad-Taher , Rostampour Masoumeh , Khazaie Habibolah
Published: November 2023

Background

obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent sleep disorder that is associated with increased risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Oxidative stress, insulin resistance, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction are increased in OSA patients and microRNAs (miRs) are regulatory elements that influence these pathological mechanisms. miR125a, miR126, and miR146a-5p play a role in these pathological mechanisms and have not been evaluated in patients with OSA.

Method

This case-control study was performed on 90 OSA patients and 34 controls. Circulating levels of miR125a, miR126, and miR146a-5 were determined using real-time PCR, and serum levels of hsCRP, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1 were evaluated using ELISA kits.

Results

miR125a and miR146a were elevated in patients with OSA compared to controls while miR126 decreased significantly. All three miRs indicated a remarkable difference between the mild-OSA group compared to the severe-OSA group. Furthermore, patients with OSA showed elevated levels of hsCRP, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1. Multiple linear regression indicated an independent association of miR125a with ICAM-1 and hsCRP, miR126 associated with VCAM-1 and total cholesterol, and miR146a-5p represented an association with apnea-hypopnea index and ICAM-1. Furthermore, miR146a-5p illustrated a good diagnostic ability to differentiate between OSA and controls.

Conclusions

Circulating miR125a, miR126, and miR146a-5p fluctuations in patients with OSA and their relations with markers of endothelial dysfunction provide in vivo evidence and suggest a potential role for these miRs with endothelial dysfunction in patients with OSA.
Tracking diachronic sentiment change of economic terms in times of crisis: Connotative fluctuations of ‘inflation’ in the news discourse
Authors: Fernández-Cruz Javier , Moreno-Ortiz Antonio
Published: November 2023

The present study focuses on the fluctuation of sentiment in economic terminology to observe semantic changes in restricted diachrony. Our study examines the evolution of the target term ‘inflation’ in the business section of quality news and the impact of the Great Recession. This is carried out through the application of quantitative and qualitative methods: Sentiment Analysis, Usage Fluctuation Analysis, Corpus Linguistics, and Discourse Analysis. From the diachronic Great Recession News Corpus that covers the 2007–2015 period, we extracted sentences containing the term ‘inflation’. Several facts are evidenced: (i) terms become event words given the increase in their frequency of use due to the unfolding of relevant crisis events, and (ii) there are statistically significant culturally motivated changes in the form of emergent collocations with sentiment-laden words with a lower level of domain-specificity.
Effects of spectral smearing on speech understanding and masking release in simulated bilateral cochlear implants
Authors: Cychosz Margaret , Xu Kevin , Fu Qian-Jie
Published: November 2023

Differences in spectro-temporal degradation may explain some variability in cochlear implant users’ speech outcomes. The present study employs vocoder simulations on listeners with typical hearing to evaluate how differences in degree of channel interaction across ears affects spatial speech recognition. Speech recognition thresholds and spatial release from masking were measured in 16 normal-hearing subjects listening to simulated bilateral cochlear implants. 16-channel sine-vocoded speech simulated limited, broad, or mixed channel interaction, in dichotic and diotic target-masker conditions, across ears. Thresholds were highest with broad channel interaction in both ears but improved when interaction decreased in one ear and again in both ears. Masking release was apparent across conditions. Results from this simulation study on listeners with typical hearing show that channel interaction may impact speech recognition more than masking release, and may have implications for the effects of channel interaction on cochlear implant users’ speech recognition outcomes.
Effects of topping on rhizome, and analysis of chemical composition, antioxidant activity and α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition of the aerial parts in Polygonatum cyrtonema
Authors: Tang Wenwen , Chen Yuan , Guo Fengxia
Published: November 2023

Polygonatum cyrtonema is a perennial plant, and it has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine for food and medicine. The medicinal part of P.cyrtonema is the rhizome; however, the aerial part has not been studied. To understand the effect of the topping of aerial parts on the yield and chemical components of rhizomes, as well as the chemical constituents, antioxidant, and in vitro hypoglycemic activities of the aerial stem, leave, and flower parts of P.cyrtonema, the present study was conducted. The results showed that compared to the control (CK) treatment, the topping of the aerial part increased rhizome weight gain coefficient (3.43) and the total saponin content (37.60 mg/g) significantly (P<0.01) than the CK treatment. The contents of total phenols and total flavonoids in PCL and PCF were significantly (P<0.01) higher than those in rhizomes; however, the polysaccharide content (10.47%) in PCR (whole rhizome) was higher than that in PCS (3.65%), PCL (5.99%), and PCF (4.76%) content. The protein and amino acid contents in PCS, PCL, and PCF were higher than those in rhizomes. The protein and amino acid contents in PCS, PCL, and PCF were higher than those in rhizomes. PCS, PCL, and PCF showed strong antioxidant activity (DPPH, ·OH, ABTS, and FRAP), which were better than traditional medicinal parts (the rhizome).In vitro hypoglycemic results showed that PCS, PCL, and PCF had certain inhibitory activities on α-amylase and α-glucosidase (66.25% and 52.81%), which were close to the hypoglycemic activity of rhizomes (67.96% and 52.22%). The leaf extracts also showed better inhibitory activity. To sum up, the topping measures can improve yield and total saponin content of the rhizomes from P.cyrtonema, which can be applied to improve production. The stems, leaves, and flowers had a much stronger antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities and higher the total polyphenols, flavonoids, proteins, and amino acid content. Therefore, stems, leaves, and flowers of Polygonatum can be fully developed according to different needs. they are typically used in animal feed, food storage and cosmetics.
University MOOC should be added with farmer interested sections and provide individualized service to adapt to farmer training
Authors: Zhang Zhi-ping , Hua Bing , Liu Jie-xia , Dai Hai-bo , Miao Min-min
Published: November 2023

Vegetables represent an important agricultural industry in China. New farmers and new technologies for vegetable production have emerged in recent years, which makes farmer training very necessary. On the other hand, massive open online courses (MOOCs) are currently widely used in universities. The purpose of this study is to investigate the importance of different sections of a university MOOC focused on olericulture to farmers with different demographic characteristics and provide a basis to improve university MOOCs for farmer training. The survey results suggest that the age, education level, gender, farmer scale, facility type and profit of farmer learners are important factors determining evaluations of the importance of different MOOC sections, indicating that services customized to different farmer populations are necessary. Among different sections of MOOC “Olericulture”, farmers with younger age, higher education, larger farm, more advanced facility and more profit were more interesting in sections include cultural, social and theoretical knowledge, and less interesting in practical skill sections. Based on the survey, eight new sections including one marketing subsection (new agricultural supplies and market news), one social subsection (laws and regulations), two practical subsections (practice videos, photos and videos from other farms), and three comprehensive subsections (discussion of practical issues, mechanization, and smart olericulture) were added to the original MOOC, and the results indicate that this improvement is efficient in enhancing the importance evaluations and profits of all farmer learners, especially among those with high education levels.
Serum antibody levels to SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) in convalescent patients and vaccinated individuals of northern Nevada
Authors: Hau Derrick , Pflughoeft Kathryn J. , Gates-Hollingsworth Marcellene A. , Kaur Simranjit , Hill Haydon J. , Arias-Umana Jose , Chung Chelsea C. , Smith Valerie L. , Riddle Mark S. , Healy Sara A. , AuCoin David P.
Published: November 2023

Antibodies reactive with the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein are associated with viral neutralization, however low antibody titers, specifically against SARS-CoV-2 variants, may result in reduced viral immunity post naturally acquired infection. A cohort study comprised of 121 convalescent individuals from northern Nevada was conducted looking at anti-RBD antibody levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum was collected from volunteers by staff at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine Clinical Research Center and assessed for antibodies reactive to various SARS-CoV-2 RBD domains relevant to the time of the study (2020–2021). A nonpaired group of vaccinated individuals were assessed in parallel. The goal of the study was to identify antibody levels against the RBD subunit in convalescent and vaccinated individuals from northern Nevada.
Do political parties always prefer loyalists? Evidence from South Korea
Authors: Lee Myeonghwa , Ha Shang E. , Lee Wonjae
Published: November 2023

This paper examines the relationship between ideological polarization and party disloyalty, focusing on the moderating role of the status of a political party in the legislature, i.e., the ruling party or the opposition party. It hypothesizes that the ruling party is willing to endorse disloyal candidates whose issue positions are not close to their own party’s platform, whereas the opposition party is likely to punish disloyal candidates to demonstrate party unity in the nomination process. The present study tests this hypothesis, using data from South Korea, where the nomination process for the parliamentary election is dominated by party leaders. The results are by and large consistent with the hypotheses. In line with previous studies, our results suggest that party loyalty is one of the driving forces of polarization in politics. In order to fully understand party polarization at the level of political elites, it is necessary to consider heterogeneous effects of party members’ behavior on candidate selection, varying across the party’s status, either the ruling party or the opposition party.
Effects of Tropical Cyclone (TC) Hellen on the north-westward movement of chlorophyll in the northern Mozambique Channel
Authors: Shen Hao , Bai Linfei , Huang Haojie , Ding Xiaoqi , Wang Rui , LÜ Haibin
Published: November 2023

An intense tropical cyclone (TC), TC Hellen, occurred in the northern Mozambique Channel on March 27, 2014, and moved from the east coast of the African continent to the northern Madagascar island. TC Hellen dramatically altered the marine environment in the northern Mozambique Channel, resulting in a significant chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) bloom. A giant surface Chl-a northwest-ward movement from the northwest coast of Madagascar Island was first observed after the passage of TC Hellen in the northern Mozambique Channel. The dynamic mechanisms of these phenomenon were studied by satellite remote sensing, multisource reanalysis data, and Argo float data. The results show that transient northwestward-moving eddies, upwelling, and winds had important effects on the Chl-a bloom and its northwestward movement. Ekman transport driven by coastal southeasterly winds entrained waters with high Chl-a concentrations to the northwest, while TC Hellen enhanced cyclonic eddy upwelling and uplifted nutrient-rich deep water to the upper ocean. This vertical mixing and upwelling in turn triggered the Chl-a bloom in the offshore surface layer. This study provides insight into the reflection of phytoplankton dynamics by TCs in the northern Mozambique Channel.
How is enrollees’ trust in health insurers associated with choosing health insurance?
Authors: van der Hulst Frank J. P. , Brabers Anne E. M. , de Jong Judith D.
Published: November 2023

In a healthcare system based on managed competition, health insurers are intended to be the prudent buyers of care on behalf of their enrollees. Equally, citizens are expected to be critical consumers when choosing a health insurance policy. The choice of a health insurance policy may be related to trust in the health insurer, as enrollees must believe that the health insurer will make the right choices for them when it comes to purchasing care. This study aims to investigate how enrollees’ trust in health insurers is associated with their choice of a health insurance policy in the Netherlands. We will focus on the switching behaviour of enrollees and the choice of a policy with restrictive conditions. In February 2022, a questionnaire was sent to a representative sample regarding gender and age of the adult Dutch population. In total 1,125 enrollees responded, a response rate of 56%. Respondents were asked about the choices they made in choosing health insurance. Trust in health insurers was measured using the Health Insurer Trust Scale (HITS), a validated multiple item scale. Descriptive statistics, a paired t-test and logistic regression models were conducted to analyse the results. Of all respondents, 35% indicated that they agree, or completely agree, with the statement that they trust health insurers completely. In addition, trust in enrollees’ own insurer is slightly higher than trust in other insurers (36.29 vs. 33.59, p<0.001). Furthermore, we found no significant associations between trust in health insurers, and whether enrollees have either switched health insurers or have chosen a policy with restrictive conditions. This study showed that enrollees’ trust in health insurance in the Netherlands is relatively low and that trust in their own insurer is slightly higher than trust in other insurers. Furthermore, this study does not show a relationship between trust in health insurers and, either switching health insurers, or choosing a policy with restrictive conditions. Nevertheless, attention for increasing the trust in health insurers might still be important, as low trust may have negative consequences for other elements of the functioning of the healthcare system.
Contact tracing: Characteristics of COVID-19 cases that provided contacts
Authors: Dorabawila Vajeera , Maduka Doris , Barnes Virgile , Ramesh Nirmala , Hoefer Dina
Published: November 2023

This cross-sectional study evaluated COVID-19 contact tracing efforts to identify variations in contact tracing outcomes in different population subgroups. Contact tracing was a critical tool to slow the COVID-19 epidemic. A literature gap evaluating contact tracing elicitation exits, particularly on prioritized groups. We analyzed data from COVID-19 cases linking statewide case management, immunization, laboratory testing, and hospitalization databases in New York State (NYS) outside of New York City from February 1 to November 30, 2021. Focus was cases in home-based residential settings (excluding congregate care) and prioritized groups (educational institutions, large households, close quarters, higher-risk persons, hospitalized). The primary outcome was completed interviews that provided a contact. Of the 550,850 cases interviewed during the study period, 316,645 (57.5%) provided at least one contact. Adults aged 18 to 49 years were most likely to provide contacts than those aged 65 years and older (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39–1.45). Compared to unvaccinated cases, boosted individuals (aOR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.50–1.73) were most likely to provide contacts, followed by persons with only a primary vaccine series (aOR, 1.3; 95%CI, 1.28–1.33) and partially vaccinated (aOR, 1.21; 95%CI, 1.18–1.24). Repeat cases (aOR, 1.07; 95%CI, 1.01–1.14), pregnant persons (aOR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1,19–1.34), those with underlying conditions (aOR 1.22; 95%CI, 1.20–1.23), and those in K-12 settings (aOR 1.55; 95%CI, 1.50–1.61) were more likely to provide contacts. There was no clear association between hospitalized, while zip code level income may (aOR, 1.006; 95%CI, 1.003, 1.009). Persons from larger households were more likely to provide contacts: aOR for two or more persons vs. one person households ranged from 2.49 to 4.7 (95%CI, 2.20–4.78). Our findings indicate success in eliciting contacts from prioritized groups and identify variable contact elicitation outcomes from different population groups. These results may serve as a tool for future contact tracing efforts.
Upregulation of human GD3 synthase (hST8Sia I) gene expression during serum starvation-induced osteoblastic differentiation of MG-63 cells
Authors: An So-Young , Yoon Hyun-Kyoung , Kim Kyoung-Sook , Kim Hee-Do , Cho Jong-Hyun , Kim Hyeon-Jun , Kim Cheorl-Ho , Lee Young-Choon
Published: November 2023

In this study, we have firstly elucidated that serum starvation augmented the levels of human GD3 synthase (hST8Sia I) gene and ganglioside GD3 expression as well as bone morphogenic protein-2 and osteocalcin expression during MG-63 cell differentiation using RT-PCR, qPCR, Western blot and immunofluorescence microscopy. To evaluate upregulation of hST8Sia I gene during MG-63 cell differentiation by serum starvation, promoter area of the hST8Sia I gene was functionally analyzed. Promoter analysis using luciferase reporter assay system harboring various constructs of the hST8Sia I gene proved that the cis-acting region at -1146/-646, which includes binding sites of the known transcription factors AP-1, CREB, c-Ets-1 and NF-κB, displays the highest level of promoter activity in response to serum starvation in MG-63 cells. The -731/-722 region, which contains the NF-κB binding site, was proved to be essential for expression of the hST8Sia I gene by serum starvation in MG-63 cells by site-directed mutagenesis, NF-κB inhibition, and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay. Knockdown of hST8Sia I using shRNA suggested that expressions of hST8Sia I and GD3 have no apparent effect on differentiation of MG-63 cells. Moreover, the transcriptional activation of hST8Sia I gene by serum starvation was strongly hindered by SB203580, a p38MAPK inhibitor in MG-63 cells. From these results, it has been suggested that transcription activity of hST8Sia I gene by serum starvation in human osteosarcoma MG-63 cells is regulated by p38MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway.