bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intermolecular And Dynamic Investigation of The Mechanism of Action of Reldesemtiv on Fast Skeletal Muscle Troponin Complex Toward the Treatment of Impaired Muscle Function
Authors: Issahaku Abdul Rashid , Ibrahim Mahmoud A. A. , Mukelabai Namutula , Soliman Mahmoud E. S.
Published: March 2023

Muscle weakness as a secondary feature of attenuated neuronal input often leads to disability and sometimes death in patients with neurogenic neuromuscular diseases. These impaired muscle function has been observed in several diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Charcot–Marie–Tooth, spinal muscular atrophy and Myasthenia gravis. This has spurred the search for small molecules which could activate fast skeletal muscle troponin complex as a means to increase muscle strength. Discovered small molecules have however been punctuated by off-target and side effects leading to the development of the second-generation small molecule, Reldesemtiv. In this study, we investigated the impact of Reldesemtiv binding to the fast skeletal troponin complex and the molecular determinants that condition the therapeutic prowess of Redesemtiv through computational techniques. It was revealed that Reldesemtiv binding possibly potentiates troponin C compacting characterized by reduced exposure to solvent molecules which could favor the slow release of calcium ions and the resultant sensitization of the subunit to calcium. These conformational changes were underscored by conventional and carbon hydrogen bonds, pi-alkyl, pi-sulfur and halogen interactions between Reldesemtiv the binding site residues. Arg113 (−3.96 kcal/mol), Met116 (−2.23 kcal/mol), Val114 (−1.28 kcal/mol) and Met121 (−0.63 kcal/mol) of the switch region of the inhibitory subunit were among the residues that contributed the most to the total free binding energy of Reldesemtiv highlighting their importance. These findings present useful insights which could lay the foundation for the development of fast skeletal muscle small molecule activators with high specificity and potency.
Substitution benefits of British Columbia’s mitigation strategies in the bioeconomy
Authors: Xie Sheng H. , Kurz Werner A. , McFarlane Paul N.
Published: March 2023

Globally, efforts to increase land sector contributions to net-zero emissions are pursued. Harvested wood products may retain carbon, and substitute emission-intensive products. The emission reductions achieved through substitution, or substitution benefits, can inform the design of climate-effective wood-use strategies. Mitigation analyses of a wood-based bioeconomy therefore need to include substitution to evaluate the mitigation outcomes across sectors. Substitution benefits can be estimated using displacement factors, which quantify the emissions avoided per unit of wood use. Here, we calculated the displacement factors of timber constructions and wood-derived biofuels to be around 1.03 and 0.45 tCO2e/tCO2e, respectively. Assuming substitution was achieved when changes in human behavior increased the share of wood use relative to the reference market share, we added the substitution benefits to a previous analysis that focused on biogenic emissions in British Columbia, Canada. At projected declining harvest rates, the theoretical maximum reduction that forest products can contribute over the period 2016 to 2050 is 66 MtCO2e·year−1 with an uncertainty range of 45–79 MtCO2e·year−1, relative to the baseline, by focusing on long-lived, high-displacement construction applications. However, because construction uses of wood in foreign markets are not guaranteed, and constrained by market access, the practical strategy that combines construction and biofuel uses can achieve 17.4 MtCO2e·year−1, equivalent to 30% of British Columbia’s 2050 target. Although a transformation of the bioeconomy may help achieve both climate and socio-economic benefits, potential conflict exists between maximizing regional and global benefits. How and where wood will be used can influence the desired mitigation outcomes.
Designing innovative digital platforms from both human and nonhuman perspectives
Authors: Kimura Risa , Nakajima Tatsuo
Published: March 2023

Digital platforms are becoming critical infrastructures for supporting a variety of innovative services that enhance our everyday lives. These platforms need to offer not only rational services but also ludic or slow services that focus on human pleasure. One important aspect of creating innovative digital platforms is that their concrete requirements and potential opportunities are vague before they are designed. Thus, designing, prototyping and evaluating digital platforms iteratively is essential for refining or customizing them, as knowledge is gradually gained throughout these iterations. However, it is costly to develop prototype platforms and evaluate them with traditional methods. A better tool that can be used to reveal these platforms’ potential opportunities by conceiving them in a simple and rapid way is needed. In this paper, we present our journey to develop nine digital platforms that share collective human sight and hearing with the Human-Material-Pleasure (HMP) annotation method, which is a tool that we use to describe the visually structured annotations of multiple digital platforms based on the annotated portfolio method. The most significant part of the paper presents annotated portfolios based on the HMP annotation method for the nine digital platforms that we develop and shows how these annotated portfolios play an essential role in revealing and exploring the potential opportunities of our platforms during the refinement process. We also discuss how the HMP annotation method is used in the context of exploring the potential opportunities of wearable shape-changing robotic devices; these devices have significantly different characteristics from our digital platforms, which allows for showing insights more objectively by extracting diverse insights from an alternative angle.
TGFBR3L is associated with gonadotropin production in non-functioning gonadotroph pituitary neuroendocrine tumours
Authors: Kolnes Anders Jensen , Øystese Kristin Astrid Berland , Sjöstedt Evelina , Olarescu Nicoleta Cristina , Heck Ansgar , Pahnke Jens , Dahlberg Daniel , Berg-Johnsen Jon , Ringstad Geir , Casar-Borota Olivera , Bollerslev Jens , Jørgensen Anders Palmstrøm
Published: March 2023

Purpose

Transforming growth factor-beta receptor 3-like (TGFBR3L) is a pituitary enriched membrane protein selectively detected in gonadotroph cells. TGFBR3L is named after transforming growth factor-beta receptor 3 (TGFBR3), an inhibin A co-receptor in mice, due to sequence identity to the C-terminal region. We aimed to characterize TGFBR3L detection in a well-characterized, prospectively collected cohort of non-functioning pituitary neuroendocrine tumours (NF-PitNETs) and correlate it to clinical data.

Methods

144 patients operated for clinically NF-PitNETs were included. Clinical, radiological and biochemical data were recorded. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for FSHβ and LHβ was scored using the immunoreactive score (IRS), TGFBR3L and TGFBR3 were scored by the percentage of positive stained cells.

Results

TGFBR3L staining was selectively present in 52% of gonadotroph tumours. TGFBR3L was associated to IRS of LHβ (median 2 [IQR 0–3] in TGFBR3L negative and median 6 [IQR 3–9] in TGFBR3L positive tumours, p < 0.001), but not to the IRS of FSHβ (p = 0.32). The presence of TGFBR3L was negatively associated with plasma gonadotropin concentrations in males (P-FSH median 5.5 IU/L [IQR 2.9–9.6] and median 3.0 [IQR 1.8–5.6] in TGFBR3L negative and positive tumours respectively, p = 0.008) and P-LH (median 2.8 IU/L [IQR 1.9–3.7] and median 1.8 [IQR 1.1-3.0] in TGFBR3L negative and positive tumours respectively, p = 0.03). TGFBR3 stained positive in 22% (n = 25) of gonadotroph tumours with no correlation to TGFBR3L.

Conclusion

TGFBR3L was selectively detected in half (52%) of gonadotroph NF-PitNETs. The association to LHβ staining and plasma gonadotropins suggests that TGFBR3L may be involved in hormone production in gonadotroph NF-PitNETs.
How do universities’ organizational characteristics, management strategies, and culture influence academic research collaboration? A literature review and research agenda
Authors: Kienast Sarah-Rebecca
Published: March 2023

In the contemporary science and higher education system, national and supranational governments fund and foster universities to collaborate through specific funding lines and competition in World University Rankings, making it indispensable for universities to demonstrate collaboration at the organizational level. Thus, universities strive to encourage their scientific members to collaborate – and to different degrees – facilitate forms of collaboration. Questions on how universities as organizations influence academic research collaboration arise. To go beyond the existing literature, this study firstly develops an analytical two-dimensional framework organizing the literature on four levels of investigation (meta, macro, meso, micro). Based on this framework, the paper presents a literature review of the current state of the art in academic research collaboration. Secondly, the paper establishes a research agenda by synthesizing organizational influences found as organizational characteristics, management strategies, and organizational culture and presents three research avenues for future research. The paper concludes that we have only just begun to study the organizational influences of universities (especially the organizational culture) on academic research collaboration and how these organizational categories are interrelated.
The use of cellular telecommunication towers as nesting sites by pied crows (Corvus albus) in an urban mosaic landscape
Authors: Senoge Ntaki D. , Downs Colleen T.
Published: March 2023

Corvids are known for their urban exploitation, often using artificial infrastructure to roost and nest. In many areas of its distribution range, the pied crow (Corvus albus) is often common in areas of anthropogenic land use, often breeding and foraging near human settlements. In this study, we monitored pied crow use of cellular telecommunication towers as nesting sites in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, during three breeding seasons. We found that of the 36 towers situated across the urban mosaic landscape, pied crows used 17 (47.2%) as nesting sites while 19 were not used. Many towers were used in subsequent years as nesting sites. Overall, 41 pied crow nests on towers in urban mosaic landscapes were counted by the end of the study. Towers had a mean (± SE) distance of 1595.2 ± 151.0 m between them and were located mainly in the suburbs of Edendale and Northdale. As shown by the hotspot analysis and spatial distribution of used and unused towers, it was unclear why some towers were not being used as nesting sites. We assessed the relationship between pied crow nesting sites and land cover features. We found that tower nesting was best explained by cropland (wi = 0.58), forest (wi = 0.94), grassland (wi = 0.66), schools (wi = 0.56) and relief (wi = 0.56). The continued persistence of pied crows in urban mosaic landscapes with natural and /or managed green spaces, the availability of anthropogenic infrastructure and food in these, and their behavioural plasticity will likely increase their numbers in such landscapes.
Dynamical Modelling of the Global Cement Production and Supply System, Assessing Climate Impacts of Different Future Scenarios
Authors: Sverdrup Harald Ulrik , Olafsdottir Anna Hulda
Published: March 2023

The global cement and concrete demand, production, supply, and the general global market price was modelled using the WORLD7 model for different future scenarios. The model was used to analyze some possible measures to reduce the climate impact of cement production. The main result from this study is that three factors may bring regulatory limitations to be imposed on cement production. The contribution of CO2 to the atmosphere, the amount of iron used in construction and the use of energy in production are the main factors that may cause limitations. Cement accounts for about 8% of the global CO2 emissions and energy use at present, and this fraction is projected by the simulations to continue to increase. To reduce CO2 emissions from cement production, ending fossil fuel use for calcination, combined with a change towards using mortar as an alternative for making concrete should be considered. Our conclusion is that the long-term limitation for cement production is the availability of carbon-free energy, and the availability of iron for reinforcement bars. Eliminating the use of hydrocarbons for cement calcination may reduce the future the contribution from cement by 38%. Eliminating the use of hydrocarbons for calcination combined with substituting cement with mortar to 50%, the contribution to the future global average temperature increase is reduced by 62%. Eliminating the use of hydrocarbons for calcination combined with substituting cement with mortar to 90% is a reduction by 90% in the contribution from cement.
Identifying Critical Defect Sizes From Pore Clusters in Nickel-based Superalloys Using Automated Analysis and Casting Simulation
Authors: Bellomo Naomi Piera , Öztürk Irem , Günzel Michael , Reed Rachel , Sundar Veeraraghavan , Ammar Amine , Schwalbe Caspar
Published: March 2023

Porosity can form during investment casting as a result of the solidification conditions. Significant porosity can result in agglomerations (pore clusters) which are a primary crack initiation source and can result in reduced fatigue life of Nickel-based superalloys. Such clusters of porosity are today conventionally measured using 2D micrographs. An approach to accurately predict and analyze casting porosity from 2D cuts while facing in reality a 3D shape problem is currently missing. In this work, an approach that combines automation and simulation to assess the representative pore dimension, their interconnectivity and the porosity position is presented. On a LPT blade made of IN100, the porosity percentage and Feret diameter have been measured in multiple cuts and the porosity was found to be in the range of 0.88 to 5.4 pct. From the same micrographs the critical defect sizes were estimated with an automated tool to be in the range of 200 to 1800

$$\mu$$

μ

m. The simulated shrinkage porosity for the same part, was predicted to be in the range of 1.67 to 2.33 pct. This study shows that the scaling factor between the pore Feret diameter and the critical pore size is equal to 2.9, in accordance to the proportionality of critical pores size clusters calculated from a 2D and 3D dataset. Finally, the simulated casting porosity was compared to that measured on cast blades in critical regions and the predictive accuracy is discussed in detail.
Cytotoxic n-Hexane Fraction of the Egyptian Pteris vittata Functions as Anti-breast Cancer Through Coordinated Actions on Apoptotic and Autophagic Pathways
Authors: Mohany Khalid M. , Abdel Shakour Abo Bakr , Mohamed Sara Ibrahim , Hanna Randa Samir , Nassar Ahmed Y.
Published: March 2023

We investigated the possible anticancer mechanisms of Pteris vittata [PV] n-hexane extract on MCF-7 [breast cancer cell line]. Cultured cell lines were treated with various concentrations of this extract ± Baf-A1 [autophagic inhibitor]. Cells’ viability, apoptotic markers [caspase-7, Bax, and Bcl-2], autophagic markers [light chain 3 [LC-3] and P62/SQSTM1]], and the tumor suppressor P53 and its mRNA were checked by their corresponding methods. Treated cell lines showed significant concentration and time-dependent reductions in cell viability in response to PV-n-hexane extract and also exhibited a concomitant induction of apoptosis [increased chromatin condensation, nuclear fragmentation, and pro-apoptotic Bax, and cleaved caspase-7 levels while decreased Bcl-2 levels] and autophagy [increased autophagosomes vacuoles, and LC3B II levels while decreased P62/SQSTM1 levels]. Moreover, PV-n-hexane extract-treated cells showed significant increases in the P53 and its mRNA levels. The addition of Baf-A1 reversed the PV-n-hexane extract autophagic effects and increased apoptotic cell percentage with a much increase in the cleaved caspase-7 and P53 protein and its mRNA levels. We concluded that the PV-n-hexane extract exhibits cytotoxic effects on the MCF-7 cell line with significant reductions in cell viability and concomitant autophagy and apoptosis induction. Inhibition of autophagy in the PV-treated MCF-7 cells enhances apoptosis via a p35-dependent pathway.
Sedimentary deposits and bioturbation in an Early Cretaceous subarctic stormy greenhouse shelf environment
Authors: Leszczyński Stanisław , Warchoł Michał J. , Nemec Wojciech
Published: March 2023

This study of the Aptian lower part of the Carolinefjellet Formation in Svalbard, Norwegian high Arctic, is based on well cores and outcrop section in the Adventdalen area of Spitsbergen and reports on the deposits and bioturbation structures of an ancient subpolar marine shelf from a well-known period of global greenhouse climate. The study documents the sedimentation conditions and benthic fauna activity on a warm-water aggrading shelf subject to harsh Arctic wave climate and eurybatic base-level changes, with episodic bottom incursions of cold polar water. Lithofacies associations and 38 observed ichnotaxa represent subenvironments ranging from offshore to lower shoreface and hosting the Cruziana ichnofacies in its distal to proximal expression, with a brief mid-Aptian encroachment of middle shoreface zone with a distal expression of the Skolithos ichnofacies. The ichnofacies are variously impoverished compared to their archetypes. The sediment bioturbation intensity varies, but similar lithofacies associations show a comparable intensity throughout the stratigraphic succession, which indicates an ichnofauna ecology controlled by the seafloor hydraulic regime and oxygenation, and thus mainly by the wave climate and relative sea-level changes. Sandstone tempestites indicate high-frequency storms, commonly exceeding the magnitude of largest modern hurricane events. The study confirms that a change in global climate mode, such as the Early Cretaceous warming, entails extreme weather conditions.
Energy Efficiency of the Vulcanization Process of a Bicycle Tyre
Authors: Pentakota Lohit Kumar , Albertelli Paolo , Strano Matteo
Published: March 2023

The production of tyres is one of the most energy consuming manufacturing activities in the rubber sector. In the production cycle of a tyre, the curing operation has the maximum energy loss. This is mostly due to the extensive use of steam as a source of heat and pressure in the vulcanization process. To the author’s knowledge, no scientific work is available in the literature where the energy efficiency of a tyre vulcanization press is estimated by means of a comprehensive model of all main components, including the moulds, the press with its heated plates, the bladder and, of course, the tyre. The present work aims at filling this gap. First, the press used for developing the model is described, along with its components and its typical product, a bicycle tyre. The instruments used for measuring flow rates, temperatures and pressures are also listed. Then, a numerical model is presented, that predicts the energy transfers occurring in the vulcanization press during a full process cycle. The numerical model, developed with the software Simcenter Amesim 2021.1, has been validated by means of measurements taken at the press. The results indicate that the amount of energy which is actually consumed by the tyre for its reticulation process amounts to less than 1% of the total energy expenditure. The paper demonstrates that the tyre industry is in urgent need of an electrification conversion of the traditional steam-based processes.
Effects of powder properties on the 3D printing of BaTiO3 ceramic resins by stereolithography
Authors: Stefan Elena , Didriksen Terje , Sunde Tor Olav , Fontaine Marie-Laure , Ræder Henrik , Rørvik Per Martin
Published: March 2023

Stereolithography is a layer-by-layer building fabrication technique enabling production of advanced ceramic 3D shapes that are not achievable by other methods. Critical parameters of stereolithography are associated with the preparation of a ceramic resin exhibiting suitable rheological and optical properties, as well as tunable curing property to achieve the desired level of resolution of complex 3D parts. However, tailoring the cure depth for each layer is challenging for functional ceramics due to their high refractive index giving increased light scattering. Here, the stereolithography 3D printing of BaTiO3 ceramic resins is investigated by employing a desktop 3D printer (λ = 405 nm) and a commercial base resin. The effects of two BaTiO3 powders with different size distributions (one micro-sized powder with grains in the range 1–20 µm, and one agglomerated nano-sized powder in the range 60–100 nm), on the viscosity and curing characteristics of the ceramic resins were investigated. It is shown that the nano-sized powder resulted in increased viscosity, increased scattering, and reduced cure depth compared to the micro-sized BaTiO3 ceramic resin. In general, the cure depth decreased with increasing ceramic loading. Successful prints were obtained for an overcuring of at least 40% between layers to assure good adherence between the layers. The printing properties of the ceramic resins from both powders were suitable for printing green parts with 50 µm layer thickness.
Histological characterization of wild cucumber resistance to Meloidogyne species
Authors: Ramatsitsi Ndivhuwo , Ramachela Khosi
Published: March 2023

Using nematode resistant varieties is one of effective and environmental sound strategies being adopted in the management of economically important Meloidogyne species. Wild cucumber (Cucumis africanus) has been reported to possess resistance to Meloidogyne species. Two mechanism of nematode resistance, pre- and post-penetration resistance, had been identified, with post-penetration mechanism being used in plant breeding programs and crop rotation systems. The objective of this study was to determine the mechanism of nematode resistance in C. africanus to M. incognita and M. javanica. 6 weeks old C. africanus seedlings were separately inoculated with 100 s-stage juveniles (J2) of M. incognita and M. javanica. For 30 days, five seedlings were harvested from both M. incognita and M. javanica experiments every other day. Seedlings’ roots were examined for necrotic spots, rootlet interferences, giant cells and root gall numbers as indicators of successful or unsuccessful nematode penetration. Harvesting times were highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) on necrotic spot, rootlet interference and root gall numbers in both C. africanus—M. incognita and—M. javanica relations, but were not significant for giant cell number in C. africanus—M. incognita. The results suggested that C. africanus have post-penetration nematode resistance to both Meloidogyne species.
Statehood for Sale: Derecognition, “Rental Recognition”, and the Open Flanks of International Law
Authors: de Oliveira Victor S. Mariottini
Published: March 2023

State derecognition, defined as the withdrawal of recognition from a putative state, has been more impactful as a diplomatic subculture in the last decades than is often assumed. Recent practice suggests that when states engage in derecognition, they do not mechanically assess whether a state no longer fulfils the traditional criteria for statehood, but rather employ derecognition as a tool of foreign policy, tailored to enhance their own economic and geopolitical interests. The bargaining dynamics of derecognition and “rental recognition” policies adopted by a range of smaller states create a precarious hostage-like situation for the targeted entities who helplessly watch their international status being traded in a recognition market. As the success of some claims to statehood risks beings reduced to a matter of pricing, a process of commodification emerges: state recognition is granted to the “highest bidder” regardless of factual reality or legal considerations. With this backdrop, the present paper seeks to clarify how international law conceptualizes derecognition and its hypotheses of legality, offering an overview of contemporary events of derecognition and expedient shifts in recognition to clarify the role and deficiencies of international law as it stands before the emerging phenomenon of “statehood commodification”
Beginning Syntax
Authors: Roberts Ian
Published: March 2023

A coherent introduction to generative syntax by a leader in the field, this textbook leads students through the theory from the very beginning, assuming no prior knowledge. Introducing the central concepts in a systematic and engaging way, it covers the goals of generative grammar, tacit native-speaker knowledge, categories and constituents, phrase structure, movement, binding, syntax beyond English, and the architecture of grammar. The theory is built slowly, showing in a step-by-step fashion how different versions of generative theory relate to one-another. Examples are carefully chosen to be easily understood, and a comprehensive glossary provides clear definitions of all the key terms introduced. With end of chapter exercises, broader discussion questions, and annotated further reading lists, 'Beginning Syntax' is the ideal resource for instructors and beginning undergraduate students of syntax alike. Two further textbooks by Ian Roberts, 'Continuing Syntax' and 'Comparing Syntax', will take students to intermediate and advanced level.
The Art of the Reprint
Authors: Parry Rosalind
Published: March 2023

The Art of the Reprint is a vivid and engaging history of the nineteenth-century novel as it was re-imagined for everyday readers by four extraordinary twentieth-century illustrators. It focuses especially on four reprints: a 1929 edition of Thomas Hardy's The Return of the Native (1878) with engravings by Clare Leighton, a 1930 edition of Herman Melville's Moby Dick (1851) with images by Rockwell Kent, a 1943 edition of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre (1847) with woodblocks by Fritz Eichenberg, and a complete set of Jane Austen's novels (1786-1817) illustrated from 1957 to 1974 by Joan Hassall. Taken together, these reprints are indicative of a legacy crafted from historical distance, through personal, political, and artistic circumstance, and for a new century. With biographical, archival, and art- and literary-historical sources as well as close readings of images and texts, this is a richly illustrated account of how artists reinvent canons for the general reader.
Parzival
Authors: Eschenbach Wolfram von
Published: March 2023

Wolfram's Parzival continues to inspire and influence, in modern times works as diverse as Wagner's Parsifal and Lohengrin, Franz Kafka's The Castle, Terry Gilliam's film The Fisher King, and Umberto Eco's Baudolino.
Telic for whom? The Lexical Underspecification Hypothesis
Authors: Rastelli Stefano
Published: March 2023

The Aspect Hypothesis (AH) claims that L2 beginners use the perfective morpheme first with telic predicates (e.g., ‘arrive’, ‘build the house’) and only later with atelic ones (e.g., ‘know’, ‘work’). In contrast, the Lexical Underspecification Hypothesis (LUH) claims that beginners cannot represent the lexical aspect of L2 predicates (hence the telic vs. atelic distinction), because this distinction is a separate component of verb meaning. To investigate whether L2 learners distinguish between telic and atelic predicates, this study compares the responses from 299 L2 Italian learners (with different L1 backgrounds) and responses from 91 native speakers (NS) to the “for/in + time span” adverbial test (Dowty 1979). The analysis shows that native speakers and L2 learners’ responses to the adverbial test diverge significantly, with learners’ proficiency and – to a lesser extent – L1 modulating their ratings. The results suggest that native speakers and beginning-intermediate L2 learners might not represent telicity alike, either because L2 aspectual competence is still developing or because beginning learners rely on the semantic representations of their L1. These findings support the predictions of the LUH and suggest caution when trying to assess learners’ aspectual representations.
Assessing 2019 Hurricane Harvey Recovery in Aransas County, Texas Through Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER)
Authors: Gutiérrez Tyler Carla , Salinas Albesa , Guevara Angel , Alva Herminia , Ruiz Mauro , Prot Emilie Y
Published: March 2023

Objectives:

The objective of this study was to assess recovery of Aransas County, Texas households 2 years after Category 4 Hurricane Harvey made landfall.

Methods:

A 2-stage cluster sampling method used to conduct a Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) on May 3 - 4 and May 18 - 19, 2019. A household-based survey was administered through face-to-face interviews, selected through systematic random sampling using weighted analysis of the county population. Field teams collected 175 surveys (83.3% completion rate).

Results:

Approximately 57% households experienced repairable damage, 23% had destroyed homes, and 19% had minimal damage. 38% stated having ‘no need,’ 18% needed financial assistance, 16% needed household repairs, and over 8% had behavioral health needs. 17% experiencing a behavioral health concern were seeking services. Of the 35% of households who did not seek services, 14% felt there was no need, and 4% were not aware of the resources available.

Conclusions:

Households reported high levels of preparedness, but gaps remain in evacuation intention and behavioral health care access. CASPERs are effective in assessing long-term recovery of communities impacted by major disasters.
Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Related to COVID-19 and Its Determinants Among Prisoners, Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Moges Sisay , Lajore Bereket Abrham , Mekango Dejene Ermias , Wontamo Tekle Ejajo , Erkalo Desta , Sadore Abinet Arega , Hanfore Lolemo Kelbiso , Tamrat Habtamu
Published: March 2023

Background:

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may affect anybody, and prisoners are a susceptible group in terms of the risk of contracting infectious illnesses owing to a variety of situations such as overcrowding, confinement, and poor cleanliness. Therefore, this study aimed to assess prisoners’ Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) of COVID-19 and its determinants in southern Ethiopia.

Method:

The Institutional cross-section study was conducted among 404 prisoners selected using simple random sampling obtained from the prisoner’s registration book. To collect data from prisoners, an interviewer-based face-to-face data-collecting technique was used. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression was used to identify determinants of KAP toward COVID-19.

Results and Conclusions:

The majority of the prisoners had limited understanding and poor preventive strategies application toward COVID-19. Being male, living in a rural area, having a low educational standing, and being a farmer were related to limited knowledge, negative attitude, and poor practice toward COVID-19. Furthermore, having little understanding was linked with poor practice toward COVID-19. As a result, the focus should be on convicts, creating awareness, and addressing specific socioeconomic features of prisoners, as well as boosting COVID-19 preventive activities that should get attention in the prison.
Compensation and crash incidence: Evidence from the National Survey of Driver Wages
Authors: Ryley Walter T. , Belzer Michael H.
Published: March 2023

Commercial motor vehicle driving is one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States. The production of most trucking services takes places on public roadways, which makes commercial motor vehicle safety a topic of concern for industry stakeholders, supply chain operations, policy makers, and the general public. This study explores the relationship between new employee driver compensation and for-hire interstate truckload motor carrier crash incidence. The results suggest that, all else constant, higher benefits are associated with fewer crashes. While mileage pay rates predict crashes, we find that higher mileage rates can be correlated with either higher or lower crash frequency – depending on the carrier’s existing starting pay level. This may be due to pernicious incentives created by piece-rate pay structures, because drivers who have more unpaid non-driving work time may earn a slightly higher mileage pay rate, which only partially compensates them for unpaid labour time. Regardless, these results suggest that compensation is an important predictor of safety and the existing pay practices in the industry may be unsafe. It also suggests that the role of compensation in motor carrier safety performance deserves further exploration with better quality data–especially full documentation of hours of work and pay rates.
An energetic signature for breaking inception in surface gravity waves
Authors: Boettger Daniel G. , Keating Shane R. , Banner Michael L. , Morison Russel P. , Barthélémy Xavier
Published: March 2023

A dynamical understanding of the physical process of surface gravity wave breaking remains an unresolved problem in fluid dynamics. Conceptually, breaking can be described by inception and onset, where breaking inception is the initiation of unknown irreversible processes within a wave crest that precede the visible manifestation of breaking onset. In the search for an energetic indicator of breaking inception, we use an ensemble of non-breaking and breaking crests evolving within unsteady wave packets simulated in a numerical wave tank to investigate the evolution of each term in the kinetic energy balance equation. We observe that breaking onset is preceded by around one quarter of a wave period by a rapid increase in the rate of convergence of kinetic energy that triggers an irreversible acceleration of the kinetic energy growth rate. This energetic signature, which is present only for crests that subsequently break, arises when the kinetic energy growth rate exceeds a critical threshold. At this point the additional kinetic energy convergence cannot be offset by converting excess kinetic energy to potential energy or by dissipation through friction. Our results suggest that the ratio of the leading terms of the kinetic energy balance equation at the time of this energetic signature is proportional to the strength of the breaking crest. Hence this energetic inception point both predicts the occurrence of breaking onset and indicates the strength of the breaking event.
The supervisor's paradox: Why different psychological contract types lead to varied supervisory mentoring
Authors: Shih Chih-Ting , Lin Cheng-Chen , Lee Chih-Jung
Published: March 2023

Supervisory mentoring represents a type of social dilemma called a delayed social fence. This study adopts a social dilemma perspective to examine how the three types of psychological contracts (balanced, relational, and transactional) perceived by supervisors differently influence their mentoring. Drawn on social dilemma perspective, we proposed that supervisory mentoring would be more likely to occur when supervisors perceived benefit return from their mentoring provision in a timely manner. The results obtained from a sample of 596 supervisor–subordinate matched data from the self-reported questionnaires completed by 225 sales agent teams in the insurance industry in Taiwan support our predictions. Consistent with the social dilemma perspective, supervisory mentoring is more likely among subordinates whose supervisors perceived balanced psychological contract, while supervisory mentoring is less likely among subordinates whose supervisors perceived transactional psychological contract. Furthermore, we found that supervisory mentoring is positively related to subordinate performance. Our mentor-centric multilevel framework helps identify the social dilemma nature underlying mentoring provision, and verify the positive influence of mentoring on protégé performance.
Controlling the attitude and two flexure-modes of a flexible satellite
Authors: Smith E. H. , Gill K. F.
Published: March 2023

Many space satellites consist of a pair of highly-flexible solar panels attached to a relatively rigid centre-body, the recently launched CTS is a good example. The panels supply electrical power to the communications equipment and attitude sensors which are usually mounted on the centre-body. It would appear that in the current generation of vehicles the flexure of the panels does not degrade the quality of the attitude control. This may not be so, however, in the next generation of satellites which will of necessity carry much larger solar panels. If the same high pointing accuracy is to be maintained in these vehicles and problems due to structural damage are to be avoided, then the flexure of the panels will have to be controlled.
Spray from aircraft undercarriages at high speed—a model investigation
Authors: Barrett R. V.
Published: March 2023

The ability to operate when runways are flooded or slush-covered to some degree, must be demonstrated during the certification programme of any new civil transport aircraft. Failure to meet the requirements laid down will result in operating restrictions which may jeopardise the sales prospects of the aircraft. Most other types of aircraft will also have to operate occasionally in these adverse conditions.

The main problems result from the spray generated at the wheels, and are engine malfunction due to spray ingestion and damage due to its impingement on the airframe. An associated problem is the packing of slush into ducts, flap cavities, undercarriage bays, etc, with the attendant risks of damage to internal systems and jamming of mechanical parts. There is also a large additional drag load on the aircraft, due to the displacement of fluid by wheels and to spray impact on the airframe: this increases roughly in proportion to the depth and effectively limits the slush depth that can be tolerated on the runway. For many aircraft this limit is little more than one centimetre.
On the linear superposition of aerodynamic forces on wings in periodic gusts
Authors: Patel M. H.
Published: March 2023

Calculations of the aerodynamic loads on wings in atmospheric gusts are an essential part of aircraft design for three main reasons. Firstly, an estimate of the gust loads which the aircraft must withstand is an important element of the structural design calculations in terms of ensuring both static load bearing capability and an adequate fatigue life. Secondly, the calculated gust loads provide the input to a suitable mathematical model of the aircraft structure in order to arrive at an assessment of aircraft accelerations and ride behaviour in expected levels of atmospheric turbulence. This is particularly significant for high speed military aircraft operating at low altitudes. Thirdly, aerodynamic loads due to gusts can be viewed as perturbing influences to aircraft stability so that the performance of an active control, gust alleviation or ride control system has to be considered with a detailed knowledge of the time variance of aerodynamic gust loads in mind.
The use of wing tip sails to reduce vortex drag
Authors: Spillman J. J.
Published: March 2023

With the increasing need for fuel economy all possible areas of drag reduction need investigating. One form which offers considerable promise is lift-dependent drag which for most transport aircraft is approximately 30% of the total drag in the cruise and more at lower speeds. A reduction in lift-dependent drag at a given flight speed would directly reduce the operating costs of existing aircraft. Even greater savings might be obtained for twin-engined airliners where the wing loading is fixed by the high lift-dependent drag at climb-out from the airfield. A method of increasing the effective aspect ratio of a wing would allow new aircraft of this type to have lower wing areas and weights in addition to higher cruise lift-drag ratios.
A feasibility study of using a high-definition intra-operative exoscope in teaching septorhinoplasty
Authors: Rosario E , Navaratnam A V , Ferguson M , Rennie C , Saleh H A
Published: March 2023

Objective

This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility of using a high-definition intra-operative exoscope in teaching septorhinoplasty.

Methods

The exoscope was used in septorhinoplasty cases with different trainers and trainees. A high-definition screen displayed real-time, magnified images. Post-procedure, a questionnaire was completed by trainer and trainees, assessing the feasibility, safety and content validity of the exoscope as a septorhinoplasty training tool.

Results

Trainees and trainers assigned favourable ratings to all aspects of the exoscope as a training tool, particularly with regard to teaching anatomy and improving visualisation.

Conclusion

The exoscope is a potentially effective training tool in septorhinoplasty, and is especially useful in improving visualisation, without restricting the operator. Annotatable intra-operative photographs and videos allow trainees to study cases outside of the operating theatre environment. The use of an exoscope for septorhinoplasty in the UK may facilitate increased hands-on involvement earlier in training than is currently typical.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy as the initial presentation of mitochondrial disease in an infant born to a diabetic mother
Authors: Byun Jun Chul , Choi Hee Joung
Published: March 2023

In contrast to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy caused by maternal diabetes, neonatal mitochondrial cardiomyopathy is rare and has a poor prognosis. We report an infant born to a mother with maternal diabetes with persistent ventricular hypertrophy, who was diagnosed with mitochondrial disease associated with m.3243A>G mutation in a mitochondrial tRNA leucine 1 gene. The hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was his initial and only clinical presentation.
Transection and reimplantation of anomalous right coronary artery from single left coronary artery in a collegiate athlete
Authors: Kalustian Alyssa B. , Eilers Lindsay F. , Doan Tam T. , Reaves-O’Neal Dana , Molossi Silvana , Binsalamah Ziyad M.
Published: March 2023

Coronary artery anomalies may induce myocardial ischaemia and sudden cardiac death when associated with areas of compression or stenosis. We present a case of transection and reimplantation of an anomalous interarterial right coronary artery arising from a single left main coronary artery. The 18-year-old collegiate athlete had exertional chest pain and haemodynamically significant compromise to coronary blood flow.
Ginger Smock: Narratives of Perpetual Discovery, Jazz Historiography, and the “Swinging Lady of the Violin”
Authors: Risk Laura
Published: March 2023

Ginger Smock (1920–95), an African American jazz and classical violinist, was a popular Los Angeles entertainer and one of the first African American women bandleaders on television. This article traces her career from Los Angeles’ Central Avenue to Las Vegas showroom orchestras, drawing on archival materials from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Through a close reading of a 1951DownBeatprofile of Smock, I interrogate racialized constructions of gender in that magazine and frame mid-century jazz reporting on women instrumentalists via a “narrative of perpetual discovery” that positions these women as waiting for a career break that never comes. As an antidote to the effacement implicit in such narratives, I propose close documentation of sustained artistic practice: That is, the day-to-day facts of a working musician's life. This article reads Smock's professional trajectory through an intersectional lens to offer a critical perspective on the ways in which social identities, especially race and gender, may shape both musical careers and our historicization of those careers.
Glyphosate-resistant downy brome (Bromus tectorum) control using alternative herbicides applied postemergence
Authors: Geddes Charles M. , Pittman Mattea M.
Published: March 2023

Downy brome is a troublesome facultative winter-annual grass weed that invades agricultural and nonagricultural lands in western North America and can cause substantial crop yield losses particularly in no-till winter wheat. Glyphosate-resistant (GR) downy brome was identified in southern Alberta in 2021, representing the first confirmation of a GR grass weed in Canada. This study was designed to evaluate alternative herbicides and herbicide mixtures applied postemergence (POST) for control of GR and glyphosate-susceptible (GS) downy brome populations at the seedling stage under a controlled environment. The GR downy brome did not exhibit cross-resistance to other herbicides applied POST. Quizalofop alone or in combination with imazamox, imazamox + bentazon, or imazamox/imazethapyr, and glufosinate mixed with either clethodim or tiafenacil resulted in ≥80% visible control, plant mortality, and reduction in biomass of both GR and GS downy brome populations 21 d after treatment. Diligent stewardship of these remaining herbicide options is warranted since downy brome populations with resistance to herbicides that inhibit acetyl-CoA carboxylase or acetolactate synthase have been reported in neighboring states.
Nitrite Oxidation Across the Full Oxygen Spectrum in the Ocean
Authors: Sun Xin , Frey Claudia , Ward Bess B.
Published: March 2023

Fixed nitrogen limits primary productivity in most areas of the surface ocean. Nitrite oxidation is the main source of nitrate, the most abundant form of inorganic fixed nitrogen. Even though known as an aerobic process, nitrite oxidation is not always stimulated by increased oxygen concentration, and nitrite oxidation occurs in layers of oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) where oxygen is not detectable. Nitrite‐oxidizing bacteria, known since their original isolation as aerobes, were also detected in these layers. Whether and how nitrite oxidation is occurring in the anoxic seawater is debated. Here, we reassess recent advances in marine nitrite oxidation in OMZ regions using previous work and new data sets we collected in two Pacific OMZs. We analyze the complex relationship between nitrite oxidation and oxygen. We discuss potential mechanisms explaining nitrite oxidation in different layers of OMZs based on recent findings and propose future directions to resolve the controversial question of apparently anaerobic nitrite oxidation in anoxic layers.
Modular-designed engineered bacteria for precision tumor immunotherapy via spatiotemporal manipulation by magnetic field
Authors: Ma Xiaotu , Liang Xiaolong , Li Yao , Feng Qingqing , Cheng Keman , Ma Nana , Zhu Fei , Guo Xinjing , Yue Yale , Liu Guangna , Zhang Tianjiao , Liang Jie , Ren Lei , Zhao Xiao , Nie Guangjun
Published: March 2023

Micro-nano biorobots based on bacteria have demonstrated great potential for tumor diagnosis and treatment. The bacterial gene expression and drug release should be spatiotemporally controlled to avoid drug release in healthy tissues and undesired toxicity. Herein, we describe an alternating magnetic field-manipulated tumor-homing bacteria developed by genetically modifying engineeredEscherichia coliwith Fe3O4@lipid nanocomposites. After accumulating in orthotopic colon tumors in female mice, the paramagnetic Fe3O4nanoparticles enable the engineered bacteria to receive and convert magnetic signals into heat, thereby initiating expression of lysis proteins under the control of a heat-sensitive promoter. The engineered bacteria then lyse, releasing its anti-CD47 nanobody cargo, that is pre-expressed and within the bacteria. The robust immunogenicity of bacterial lysate cooperates with anti-CD47 nanobody to activate both innate and adaptive immune responses, generating robust antitumor effects against not only orthotopic colon tumors but also distal tumors in female mice. The magnetically engineered bacteria also enable the constant magnetic field-controlled motion for enhanced tumor targeting and increased therapeutic efficacy. Thus, the gene expression and drug release behavior of tumor-homing bacteria can be spatiotemporally manipulated in vivo by a magnetic field, achieving tumor-specific CD47 blockage and precision tumor immunotherapy.