bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Targeting Adiponectin Receptor 1 Phosphorylation Against Ischemic Heart Failure
Authors: Zhu Di , Zhang Zhen , Zhao Jianli , Liu Demin , Gan Lu , Lau Wayne Bond , Xie Dina , Meng Zhijun , Yao Peng , Tsukuda Jumpei , Christopher Theodore A. , Lopez Bernard L. , Gao Erhe , Koch Walter J. , Wang Yajing , Ma Xin-Liang
Published: May 2022

Background:

Despite significantly reduced acute myocardial infarction (MI) mortality in recent years, ischemic heart failure continues to escalate. Therapeutic interventions effectively reversing pathological remodeling are an urgent unmet medical need. We recently demonstrated that AdipoR1 (APN [adiponectin] receptor 1) phosphorylation by GRK2 (G-protein–coupled receptor kinase 2) contributes to maladaptive remodeling in the ischemic heart. The current study clarified the underlying mechanisms leading to AdipoR1 phosphorylative desensitization and investigated whether blocking AdipoR1 phosphorylation may restore its protective signaling, reversing post-MI remodeling.

Methods:

Specific sites and underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for AdipoR1 phosphorylative desensitization were investigated in vitro (neonatal and adult cardiomyocytes). The effects of AdipoR1 phosphorylation inhibition upon APN post-MI remodeling and heart failure progression were investigated in vivo.

Results:

Among 4 previously identified sites sensitive to GRK2 phosphorylation, alanine substitution of Ser
205
(AdipoR1
S205A
), but not other 3 sites, rescued GRK2-suppressed AdipoR1 functions, restoring APN-induced cell salvage kinase activation and reducing oxidative cell death. The molecular investigation followed by functional determination demonstrated that AdipoR1 phosphorylation promoted clathrin-dependent (not caveolae) endocytosis and lysosomal-mediated (not proteasome) degradation, reducing AdipoR1 protein level and suppressing AdipoR1-mediated cytoprotective action. GRK2-induced AdipoR1 endocytosis and degradation were blocked by AdipoR1
S205A
overexpression. Moreover, AdipoR1
S205E
(pseudophosphorylation) phenocopied GRK2 effects, promoted AdipoR1 endocytosis and degradation, and inhibited AdipoR1 biological function. Most importantly, AdipoR1 function was preserved during heart failure development in AdipoR1-KO (AdipoR1 knockout) mice reexpressing hAdipoR1
S205A
. APN administration in the failing heart reversed post-MI remodeling and improved cardiac function. However, reexpressing hAdipoR1
WT
in AdipoR1-KO mice failed to restore APN cardioprotection.

Conclusions:

Ser
205
is responsible for AdipoR1 phosphorylative desensitization in the failing heart. Blockade of AdipoR1 phosphorylation followed by pharmacological APN administration is a novel therapy effective in reversing post-MI remodeling and mitigating heart failure progression.
Fibroblasts Drive Metabolic Reprogramming in Pacemaker Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Chou Pei-Chun , Liu Chih-Min , Weng Ching-Hui , Yang Kai-Chien , Cheng Mei-Ling , Lin Yuh-Charn , Yang Ruey-Bing , Shyu Bai-Chuang , Shyue Song-Kun , Liu Jin-Dian , Chen Shih-Pin , Hsiao Michael , Hu Yu-Feng
Published: May 2022

Background:

The sino
atrial node (SAN) is characterized by the microenvironment of pacemaker cardiomyocytes (PCs) encased with fibroblasts. An altered microenvironment leads to rhythm failure. Operable cell or tissue models are either generally lacking or difficult to handle. The biological process behind the milieu of SANs to evoke pacemaker rhythm is unknown. We explored how fibroblasts interact with PCs and regulate metabolic reprogramming and rhythmic activity in the SAN.

Methods:

Tbx18 (T-box transcription factor 18)-induced PCs and fibroblasts were used for cocultures and engineered tissues, which were used as the in vitro models to explore how fibroblasts regulate the functional integrity of SANs. RNA-sequencing, metabolomics, and cellular and molecular techniques were applied to characterize the molecular signals underlying metabolic reprogramming and identify its critical regulators. These pathways were further validated in vivo in rodents and induced human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

Results:

We observed that rhythmicity in Tbx18-induced PCs was regulated by aerobic glycolysis. Fibroblasts critically activated metabolic reprogramming and aerobic glycolysis within PCs, and, therefore, regulated pacemaker activity in PCs. The metabolic reprogramming was attributed to the exclusive induction of Aldoc (aldolase c) within PCs after fibroblast-PC integration. Fibroblasts activated the integrin-dependent mitogen-activated protein kinase-E2F1 signal through cell-cell contact and turned on Aldoc expression in PCs. Interruption of fibroblast-PC interaction or Aldoc knockdown nullified electrical activity. Engineered Tbx18-PC tissue sheets were generated to recapitulate the microenvironment within SANs. Aldoc-driven rhythmic machinery could be replicated within tissue sheets. Similar machinery was faithfully validated in de novo PCs of adult mice and rats, and in human PCs derived from induced pluripotent stem cells.

Conclusions:

Fibroblasts drive Aldoc-mediated metabolic reprogramming and rhythmic regulation in SANs. This work details the cellular machinery behind the complex milieu of vertebrate SANs and opens a new direction for future therapy.
The Colony: An Evo Devo Art Performance on Social Life
Authors: Lindemann Anna
Published: May 2022

The Colony is an opera-theater performance about the evolution of social life in ants and humans. As part of a genre called Evo Devo Art, The Colony takes inspiration from evolutionary and developmental biology (i.e., Evo Devo) in both its subject matter and creation process. The work features projected animations and video, spoken performance, and music for soprano, keyboard, and electronics, composed using algorithms modeled on biological processes. The Colony combines art and science with the two-fold purpose of inspiring appreciation for our diverse biological world and using the ant colony to reflect on the challenges of human connection.
Visual Language: Geologic and Artistic Interactions with Landscape
Authors: Schneiderman Jill S.
Published: May 2022

This article describes the relationship between geologic and artistic interactions with landscape. It spotlights the imperative shared by geologists and artists to immerse oneself in landscapes under study as part of the experiential engagement with Earth.
A new species of the deep-sea shrimp genus Glyphocrangon A. Milne-Edwards, 1880 (Decapoda: Caridea: Glyphocrangonidae) from the South China Sea off Pratas Island
Authors: KOMAI TOMOYUKI , CHANG SU-CHING , CHAN TIN-YAM
Published: May 2022

A new species of the deep-sea caridean genus Glyphocrangon A. Milne-Edwards, 1880, G. obtusis n.sp., is described and illustrated on the basis of the material collected in the South China Sea off the Pratas Island. It appears close to G. hakuhoae Takeda & Hanamura, 1994 and G. robusta Komai, 2004 among the 93 described species in Glyphocrangon. From G. hakuhoae, the new species is distinguished by the rostrum with less developed convexity on the dorsolateral margin and lacking transverse septa, and the less elevated median carinae on the pleomeres 1–5. From G. robusta, the new species differs in lacking transverse septa at the rostrum, the fourth carina on the carapace with the two anterior parts unaligned and the posterior part divided into four lobes. Molecular genetic analysis using the barcoding segment of the mitochondrial COI gene supports the establishment of the new species.
Study of the Subfamily Anabropsinae (Orthoptera: Anostostomatidae) in China V: Two new species of Anabropsis (Apteranabropsis) from Guangxi and phylogenetic analysis of the genus Anabropsis
Authors: LU XIANGYI , LIN LI , LIU JING , LIANG LI LI , BIAN XUN
Published: May 2022

This paper is the fifth study of the subfamily Anabropsinae in China and contributes two new species from Guangxi, China, viz. Anabropsis (Apteranabropsis) multispinula sp. nov. (Chinese name: 多刺黯螽) and Anabropsis (Apteranabropsis) shii sp. nov. (Chinese name: 石氏黯螽). The paraproctal processes and male genitalia of Anabropsis (Apteranabropsis) tonkinensis Rehn, 1906 are illustrated. The entire mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of three species of Anabropsis were sequenced. The complete mitochondrial genomes of A. (Apteranabropsis) multispinula sp. nov., A. (Apteranabropsis) shii sp. nov. and A. (Apteranabropsis) guangxiensis were 16023 bp, 16087 bp and 16148 bp in length, respectively. Entire mitogenome and all protein-coding genes (PCGs) displayed high AT-content values. Besides A. (Pteranabropsis) carnarius and A. (Apteranabropsis) guangxiensis, other species of Anabropsis were not found repeated elements in the A+T-rich region. The phylogenetic relationships were constructed among nine samples of eight species of Anabropsis and two outgroups based on 13 PCGs using both Bayesian Inference (BI) and Maximum Likelihood (ML). The phylogenetic analysis did not support for the monophyly of subgenus Apteranabropsis. It's important to obtain more samples to derive accurate phylogenetic relationships.
Parameterized Tropical Cyclone Precipitation Model for Catastrophe Risk Assessment in China
Authors: Yi Lu , Peiyan Chen , Hui Yu , Pingzhi Fang , Ting Gong , Xiaodong Wang , Shengnan Song
Published: May 2022

Inland flooding and mudslides from tropical cyclone (TC) rainstorms are among the most destructive natural hazards in China, resulting in considerable direct economic losses and large numbers of fatalities. In this paper, a TC precipitation model (TCPM) is improved by incorporating the effects of complex terrain through a set of new parameters (e.g., slope, roughness, and attenuation distance) for a more accurate assessment of TC rainfall hazards in China. Moreover, by introducing parameterized spiral rainbands, the model could more accurately capture the intensity of extreme precipitation. The model comprehensively considers dynamic and thermodynamic precipitation factors and is adept at capturing the climate characteristics of TC precipitation and the probability distribution of extreme TC precipitation in China. The model is verified by providing two comparisons. One is analysis including detailed results of three typical TC cases, and the other uses empirical cumulative distribution functions for extreme observations and simulations of historical landfalling TCs in China during the period 1960–2018. The comparisons reveal that the TCPM shows impressive performance for strong TCs with heavy precipitation within 200–300 km of the TC center. Moreover, both the modeled extreme hourly and total TC precipitation probability distributions are consistent with the observations. However, the model needs to be further improved for TCs with dispersive or long-distance precipitation.

Significance Statement

In this paper, an optimized and physics-based model for the simulation of tropical cyclone precipitation is described and used to estimate the risk of TC rainfall hazards in China. The work is innovative in that it considers the effect of complex terrain from three perspectives, including slope, roughness, and attenuation distance. The simulations demonstrated that the model is adept at capturing the main climate characteristics of TC precipitation and the probability distribution of extreme TC precipitation in China, which is simple to run several hundred thousand times, with bright application prospects in catastrophe risk assessment.
A New K–ε Turbulence Parameterization for Mesoscale Meteorological Models
Authors: Zonato Andrea , Martilli Alberto , Jimenez Pedro A. , Dudhia Jimy , Zardi Dino , Giovannini Lorenzo
Published: May 2022

A new one-dimensional 1.5-order planetary boundary layer (PBL) scheme, based on the K–ε turbulence closure applied to the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations, is developed and implemented within the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model. The new scheme includes an analytic solution of the coupled equations for turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation rate. Different versions of the PBL scheme are proposed, with increasing levels of complexity, including a model for the calculation of the Prandtl number, a correction to the dissipation rate equation, and a prognostic equation for the temperature variance. Five different idealized cases are tested: four of them explore convective conditions, and they differ in initial thermal stratification and terrain complexity, while one simulates the very stable boundary layer case known as GABLS. For each case study, an ensemble of different large-eddy simulations (LES) is taken as reference for the comparison with the novel PBL schemes and other state-of-the-art 1- and 1.5-order turbulence closures. Results show that the new PBL K–ε scheme brings improvements in all the cases tested in this study. Specifically, the more significant are obtained with the turbulence closure including a prognostic equation for the temperature variance. Moreover, the largest benefits are obtained for the idealized cases simulating a typical thermal circulation within a two-dimensional valley. This suggests that the use of prognostic equations for dissipation rate and temperature variance, which take into account their transport and history, is particularly important with the increasing complexity of PBL dynamics.
The Relationship Between Sensory Processing and Attachment Patterns: A Scoping Review
Authors: Kerley Lachlan J. , Meredith Pamela J. , Harnett Paul H.
Published: May 2022

Background. Clinicians and researchers have observed that sensory processing and attachment difficulties frequently co-occur; however, little is known about which sensory processing and attachment patterns are interrelated across populations. Purpose. To review evidence of empirical relationships between sensory processing and attachment patterns across the life span. Method. Using the Arksey and O’Malley framework, four databases were searched up to June 2021 for studies that investigated relationships between sensory processing and attachment patterns. Findings. Twenty-two studies met inclusion criteria: nine considered sensory and attachment patterns in children/adolescents and thirteen in adults. In children, sensory modulation was positively associated with attachment security. In adults, more extreme patterns of sensory modulation (e.g., higher sensory sensitivity) were generally associated with attachment insecurity. Implications. Findings indicate empirical relationships between sensory processing and attachment constructs in children and adults that warrant further investigation. Occupational therapists should consider both sensory processing and attachment patterns when planning interventions.
Indigenous knowledge and social work education in Nigeria: Challenges and need for sustainable development
Authors: Nnama-Okechukwu Chinwe , McLaughlin Hugh , Okoye Uzoma , Hendricks Eleanor , Imaan Loveness , Malinga Tumani , Wizi-Kambala Agnes , Ebimgbo Samuel , Veta Oghenechoja , Imo Nnachi
Published: May 2022

Social work education in Africa is faced with a myriad of challenges that require immediate attention for a sustainable future. If the principles of social justice, human rights and respect for diversities are central to the social work profession, then the education and practice of social work in Nigeria should be culturally relevant in engaging people and structures to address challenges. Participants for the study included four social work educators, 10 social work students and four social work practitioners. Findings from the research suggest the need for a paradigm shift from Western pedagogy to a more inclusive Nigerian pedagogy for a sustainable future.
Do Citizens’ Preferences Matter? Shaping Legislator Attitudes Towards Peace Agreements
Authors: García-Sánchez Miguel , Matanock Aila M , Garbiras-Díaz Natalia
Published: May 2022

To what extent are legislators, responsible for the implementation of many peace agreements, responsive to citizens’ preferences? Examining the 2016 Colombian peace agreement, we embed an experiment in the 2019 wave of a survey of all the members of Congress. We inform legislators about the attitudes of the general population and residents of conflict-affected regions on a provision included in the peace agreement: the creation of 16 special seats in the House of Representatives reserved for conflict areas. We find that legislators underestimate citizen support for this policy, and the magnitude of their misconception is correlated with the positions of their parties on the issue. Moreover, we find that providing information about citizens’ support for the policy does not affect legislator support for the provision.
Wartime Experiences and Popular Support for Peace Agreements: Comparative Evidence from Three Cases
Authors: Dyrstad Karin , Binningsbø Helga M. , Bakke Kristin M.
Published: May 2022

Peace agreements are negotiated and signed by representatives of the government and the rebels, often after many years of violent conflict, but their ability to transform a war-torn society hinges on the approval of ordinary people. Yet we have little systematic knowledge of what ordinary people think of peace agreements in the long run. This study begins to fill that gap, drawing on a set of comparative public opinion surveys from Guatemala, Nepal, and Northern Ireland, three cases where long civil wars were ended by peace agreements. The peace agreements in these countries have strong popular support, though there is variation across specific provisions. Across these cases, our findings suggest that legacies of violence are not generally associated with long-term support for peace agreements. However, when we look at provisions that grant concessions to the rebels, there is some evidence of lasting legacies.
Evaluating the Teacher Professional Identity of Student Teachers: Development and Validation of the Teacher Professional Identity Scale
Authors: Wong C.Y. Ethan , Liu W. C.
Published: May 2022

This study sought to develop and validate an instrument to measure teacher professional identity of student teachers. Through a literature review, three indicators, namely teacher self-efficacy, commitment to teaching and professional orientation, were chosen to form the construct for validation. The factor structure was first tested through confirmatory factor analysis using a sample of 185 student teachers and cross-validated using a new sample of 412. Evidence from goodness-of-fit statistics, parameter estimates and internal consistency indicated that the three indicators are valid factors of the construct. The instrument can provide information to better meet the developmental needs of student teachers.
Multicultural Competence as a Common Factor in the Process and Outcome of Counseling
Authors: Bathje Geoff J. , Pillersdorf Daniel , Eddir Hadeel
Published: May 2022

Much research has been conducted on multicultural competence (MCC) over the past four decades, though there is still a need to conduct further research into the role of MCC within actual counseling relationships and in relation to additional variables. The present survey study was designed to better elaborate on the relationship between MCC and several common factor therapy and outcome variables within counseling relationships. Findings indicated that MCC was more strongly correlated with all measured variables (except perceived change) within counseling relationships where client and/or counselor identified as BIPOC than in White–White client counselor dyads. MCC was associated with higher ratings on the other measured variables regardless of client–counselor race or ethnicity. Finally, path analysis supported a model where MCC (a therapist factor) influenced process factors, which in turn influenced therapeutic outcomes. The results provide support for the importance of MCC to the process and outcome of counseling, particularly for BIPOC clients.
Teaching Music Authentically: Strategies for Successful Implementation in the Music Classroom
Authors: Torchon Jeff
Published: May 2022

A priority of music educators across the globe continues to be the incorporation of music from various cultures into the classroom. In this article, the term authenticity is introduced as it applies to music education. Authentic music teaching experiences for use in the classroom from the West African Ewe music, Cuban cha-cha-chá, and Indonesian gamelan traditions are discussed. These examples can give music educators ways to set manageable expectations for student success in their classrooms.
Environmental risk assessment of inter-well partitioning tracer compounds shortlisted for the offshore oil and gas industry
Authors: Vora Mehul , Gamlem Njau John-Sigvard , Sanni Steinar , Flage Roger
Published: May 2022

Quantifying residual oil saturation (SOR) in the inter-well region of oil and gas reservoirs is key for successfully implementing EOR solutions. Partitioning inter-well tracer tests (PITTs) has become a common method for quantifying SOR. A new group of seven chemicals – pyridine, 2,3-dimethyl pyrazine, 2,6-dimethyl pyrazine, 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol, 3,4-dimethoxybenzyl alcohol, 4-chlorobenzyl alcohol, and 2,6-dichlorobenzyl alcohol – have been proposed as potential partitioning tracers for quantifying SOR. Using these tracers can lead to their environmental release in the marine environment through produced water discharges, with currently limited knowledge on impacts in the marine ecosystem. The primary objective of the present study is to assess the environmental risk of discharging the tracer compounds in the marine environment. We investigated the fate and effect of these tracers in the marine environment. Biodegradability in seawater was measured to understand the fate of tracers in the marine environment. The acute toxicity of tracers was measured in terms of the percent cell viability of a rainbow trout gill cell line (RTgill-W1) and growth inhibition of the algae Skeletonema costatum. The ecotoxicological information obtained from these experiments was used in the dynamic risk and effects assessment model (DREAM) to calculate the tracers’ contribution to the environmental impact factor (EIF). The results from the DREAM simulations suggest no contribution towards EIF values from any of the tracers at the expected back-produced concentrations. Results from simulations at higher concentrations suggest that both pyrazines have the lowest environmental risk, followed by 3,4-dimethoxybenzyl alcohol, 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol, and pyridine; while both chlorobenzyl alcohols show the highest environmental risk.
Ethics for the majority world: AI and the question of violence at scale
Authors: Ricaurte Paola
Published: May 2022

In this work, I argue that hegemonic AI is becoming a more powerful force capable of perpetrating global violence through three epistemic processes: datafication (extraction and dispossession), algorithmisation (mediation and governmentality) and automation (violence, inequality and displacement of responsibility). These articulated epistemic mechanisms lead to global classification orders and epistemic, economic, social, cultural and environmental inequality. Hegemonic AI can be thought of as a bio-necro-technopolitical machine that serves to maintain the capitalist, colonialist and patriarchal order of the world. To make this point, the proposed approach bridges the macro and micropolitical, building on Suely Rolnik’s call for understanding the effects of the macropolitical in the micropolitical, as well as what feminist black scholar Patricia Hill Collins made visible about oppressive systems operating at the structural, institutional and individual levels. A critical AI ethics is one that is concerned with the preservation of life and the coresponsibility of AI harms to the majority of the planet.
Discuss practical importance of results based on interval estimates and p-value functions, not only on point estimates and null p-values
Authors: Amrhein Valentin , Greenland Sander
Published: May 2022

It has long been argued that we need to consider much more than an observed point estimate and a p-value to understand statistical results. One of the most persistent misconceptions about p-values is that they are necessarily calculated assuming a null hypothesis of no effect is true. Instead, p-values can and should be calculated for multiple hypothesized values for the effect size. For example, a p-value function allows us to visualize results continuously by examining how the p-value varies as we move across possible effect sizes. For more focused discussions, a 95% confidence interval shows the subset of possible effect sizes that have p-values larger than 0.05 as calculated from the same data and the same background statistical assumptions. In this sense a confidence interval can be taken as showing the effect sizes that are most compatible with the data, given the assumptions, and thus may be better termed a compatibility interval. The question that should then be asked is whether any or all of the effect sizes within the interval are substantial enough to be of practical importance.
Reactive task and motion planning for robust whole-body dynamic locomotion in constrained environments
Authors: Zhao Ye , Li Yinan , Sentis Luis , Topcu Ufuk , Liu Jun
Published: May 2022

Contact-based decision and planning methods are becoming increasingly important to endow higher levels of autonomy for legged robots. Formal synthesis methods derived from symbolic systems have great potential for reasoning about high-level locomotion decisions and achieving complex maneuvering behaviors with correctness guarantees. This study takes a first step toward formally devising an architecture composed of task planning and control of whole-body dynamic locomotion behaviors in constrained and dynamically changing environments. At the high level, we formulate a two-player temporal logic game between the multi-limb locomotion planner and its dynamic environment to synthesize a winning strategy that delivers symbolic locomotion actions. These locomotion actions satisfy the desired high-level task specifications expressed in a fragment of temporal logic. Those actions are sent to a robust finite transition system that synthesizes a locomotion controller that fulfills state reachability constraints. This controller is further executed via a low-level motion planner that generates feasible locomotion trajectories. We construct a set of dynamic locomotion models for legged robots to serve as a template library for handling diverse environmental events. We devise a replanning strategy that takes into consideration sudden environmental changes or large state disturbances to increase the robustness of the resulting locomotion behaviors. We formally prove the correctness of the layered locomotion framework guaranteeing a robust implementation by the motion planning layer. Simulations of reactive locomotion behaviors in diverse environments indicate that our framework has the potential to serve as a theoretical foundation for intelligent locomotion behaviors.
Nonanatomic All-Inside Arthroscopic Anterior Talofibular Ligament Repair With a High-Position Anchor versus Anatomic Repair: An Analysis Based on 3D CT
Authors: Lee Sung Hyun , Yang Je Heon , Kim Isac
Published: May 2022

Background:

In patients with chronic ankle instability, it is important to repair the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) at the anatomic origin site. However, there are limited reports on the clinical outcomes according to anatomic ATFL repair.

Purpose:

To compare the clinical outcomes after arthroscopic ATFL repair according to whether the anchor is fixed at an anatomic position.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

We performed a retrospective review of consecutive patients who underwent arthroscopic ATFL repair for chronic ankle instability and were available for a minimum 2-year follow-up. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to the anchor position at the distal fibula on 3-dimensional computed tomography: anatomic arthroscopic ATFL repair (anatomic group), subanatomic arthroscopic ATFL repair (subanatomic group), and nonanatomic arthroscopic ATFL repair (nonanatomic group). The visual analog scale for pain, Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS), and Karlsson ankle functional score were measured as subjective outcomes. Posturographic analysis and radiologic evaluation using stress radiographs and axial view magnetic resonance imaging were performed as objective outcomes.

Results:

Of 96 patients, 16 were excluded per the exclusion criteria, and 80 were evaluated (anatomic group, n = 24; subanatomic group, n = 42; nonanatomic group, n = 14). The mean age of the patients was 34.5 years, and the mean follow-up period was 27.4 months. A between-group comparison revealed significant differences in FAOS, Karlsson score, and fall risk evaluated by posturography at the final follow-up. Post hoc analysis revealed that the anatomic group had better clinical scores on the FAOS than did the nonanatomic group in all 5 domains (all P < .017). Patients in the anatomic and subanatomic groups had better Karlsson scores and fall risk than those in the nonanatomic group ( P = .004 and P = .013, respectively). In terms of objective outcomes, patients in the anatomic and subanatomic groups had better outcomes in fall risk than did those in the nonanatomic group (both P = .001). There were no differences in clinical scores and objective outcomes between the anatomic and subanatomic groups.

Conclusion:

Nonanatomic ATFL repair showed inferior outcomes when compared with anatomic ATFL repair. When arthroscopic ATFL repair is performed, the anchor should be fixed in the anatomic position to improve prognosis.
Food Insecurity Among the Adult Population of Colombia Between 2016 and 2019: The Post Peace Agreement Situation
Authors: Sinclair Kate , Thompson-Colón Theresa , Matamoros Sara Eloísa Del Castillo , Olaya Eucaris , Melgar-Quiñonez Hugo
Published: May 2022

Background:

In 2016, a Peace Agreement, explicitly addressing the right to food, was signed, marking the end of more than 50 years of armed conflict and the longest war in the Americas. The expectation was that the years to follow would be marked by rapid social and political change, with the potential to improve food security.

Objectives:

(i) Ascertain changes in the prevalence of food insecurity in Colombia between 2016 and 2019; (ii) examine which population subgroups (eg, urban women, rural women, urban men, and rural men) were most vulnerable; and (iii) determine significant individual-level factors predicting food insecurity in these 2 years.

Methods:

This study used the Gallup World Poll 2016 and 2019 nationally representative samples of Colombian adults aged 15 and older for the analyses (n ≈ 1000 per year). Food insecurity was measured using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Complex Samples (version 26).

Results:

Food insecurity in Colombia increased by 7 percentage points between 2016 and 2019 (from 33% to 40%); women living in rural areas in 2019 reported the highest prevalence (50%). Results from logistic analysis confirm low income, unemployment, and lack of social support were significant predictors of food insecurity in both years. In 2019, gender, low education, and lack of autonomy were also significant predictors. Further research on the determinants of food insecurity is necessary to inform Colombian policies and programs that address food insecurity. The urgency to act is more apparent than ever, given the country’s worsening food security profile.
Evaluation of an Interactive Computer-Enabled Tabletop Learning Tool for Children with Special Needs
Authors: Hasan Nazmul , Islam Muhammad Nazrul , Choudhury Nazim
Published: May 2022

The research on computer mediated interventions and technologies (e.g., digital tabletop tool) that have seminal relevance to the intervention strategies designed for the children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) mostly remain confined within the developed nation. The objective of this study is threefold: firstly, to reveal the design principles to be followed in developing an interactive and affordable computer-enabled table-top tool for the children with special needs; secondly, to develop a physical prototype following the revealed principles; and finally, to evaluate the usability performance of this tool. This study presents a mixed method research while the data collection process includes both ethnographic study and semi-structured interviews of both the teachers and students of a special school dedicated for teaching the children with ASD. As outcomes, along with a list of design principles, and a prototype of a computer-enabled, single touch, single user, and affordable educational intervention tool targeting the children diagnosed with ASD, the results of the empirical evaluation of the prototype demonstrated high effectiveness (72% average success rate for the students vs. 92% for the teachers), efficiency (1.20 minutes average task completion time for the students vs. 0.48 minutes for the teachers) and satisfaction rate (4.46 for the students vs. 4.66 for the teachers out of 5) for the developed tool. Both types of the participants were found satisfied with the usability of the tabletop prototype and positively endorsed its effectiveness in improving the learning environment of the children with special needs.
Cypermethrin induces apoptosis of Sertoli cells through the endoplasmic reticulum pathway
Authors: Shen Junyu , Wang Lushan , Wang Xuxu , Xie Jiafei , Yao Tingting , Yu Yue , Wang Qi , Ding Zhen , Zhang Jinpeng , Zhang Meirong , Xu Lichun
Published: May 2022

Cypermethrin, an extensively used pyrethroid pesticide, is regarded as one of many endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) with anti-androgenic activity to damage male reproductive systems. We previously found cypermethrin-induced apoptosis in mouse Sertoli cells TM4. We hypothesized cypermethrin-induced TM4 apoptosis by the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) pathway. This study aimed to explore the roles of the ER pathway in cypermethrin-induced apoptosis in TM4 cells. The cells were treated with cypermethrin for 24 h at various concentrations (0 µM, 10 µM, 20 µM, 40 µM, and 80 µM). Flow cytometry was used to test for apoptosis. Western blot was used to test protein expressions in the ER stress pathway. The results showed that the apoptosis rate of TM4 cells increased with increased concentrations of cypermethrin, and a significant difference was detected in the 80-μM group. The protein expressions of glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), protein kinase R (PKR)-like ER kinase (PERK), p-PERK, α subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF2α), p-eIF2α, activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), caspase-12, caspase-9, and caspase-3 increased with increased concentrations of cypermethrin. The results suggested cypermethrin-induced apoptosis in TM4 cells regulated by the ER pathway involving PERK-eIF2α-ATF4-CHOP. The study provides a new insight into cypermethrin-induced apoptosis in Sertoli cells.
The Economic Burden of Intimate Partner Violence in Colombia: Estimated Health Costs Among Females Aged 13–24
Authors: Brown Derek , Meinhart Melissa , Poulton Catherine , Stark Lindsay
Published: May 2022

Background

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the most pervasive form of gender-based violence, often first experienced in adolescence. While the prevalence of IPV is known to be exacerbated in humanitarian settings, little is known in regard to the economic burden of IPV between conflict-affected and non–conflicted-affected groups of women and girls. This top-down costing study examines the total health burden of physical IPV in Colombia, and whether these costs differ by conflict exposure.

Methods

We utilized a nationally representative sample of 13–24-year-old females from the Violence Against Children Surveys (VACS) in Colombia conducted in 2018. Using physical IPV prevalence, the analysis was conducted in four steps: 1) estimate the relative risk of seven IPV-associated health outcomes among the sample and subgroups, 2) estimate the population attributable fraction of IPV for each health outcome, 3) quantify the burden of IPV in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and 4) assign health costs in US dollars to the estimated DALYs.

Results

We found that the single year health burden associated with physical IPV was $90.6 million USD. Moreover, nearly 40% of the economic burden of physical IPV among females aged 13–24 in Colombia was from those who were conflict-affected (24%).

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrate that at least 16% of the overall health costs among females 13–24 in Colombia is from the preventable epidemic of physical IPV. In order to prevent and mitigate the costs of gender-based violence, multi-lateral and government investment is critically needed to prevent IPV and support women and girls.
Computational analysis of rotating flow of hybrid nanofluid over a stretching surface
Authors: Lei Tongfei , Siddique Imran , Ashraf Muhammad Kamran , Hussain Sajjad , Abdal Sohaib , Ali Bagh
Published: May 2022

Rotating flow for hybrid nanofluid over a stretching surface in the presence of magnetic effect is examined numerically. Hybrid nanofluid consists of graphene oxide and molybdenum disulfide in water base fluid. The inclusion of more than one nanoparticle is carried out due to some outstanding features such as astonishing thermal conduction, which are substantial in heat exchangers, nanotechnology, electronics, and material sciences. In order to attain numerical resolution, the partial differential formulation has been transformed into the corresponding ordinary differential equations. By implementation of apposite similarity variables, the classical Runge–Kutta method and shooting argument have been held to yield finding for the dependent quantities. Thermal transportation enhancement is the need of the day, so this study is made to meet the necessity of industries. A velocity component shows an upsurge with raise in the magnetic field parameter. The magnitude of the velocity component for hybrid nanofluid has a lower boundary as compared to single nanofluid. The temperature profile expressed that hybrid nanofluid is more effective than single nanofluid. These investigations are applicable to the field of the biomedical, automotive industry, nuclear cooling systems, and heat exchangers.
Determining the acceptability of point-of-care urine tenofovir testing and its performance in predicting HIV RNA suppression
Authors: Marryshow Terry A , Muhairwe Josephine , Tang Alice , Molulela Maleliha Morake M , Matta Riya , Jordan Michael R
Published: May 2022

Background

The detection of tenofovir (TFV) metabolites by point-of-care (POC) urine lateral flow immunoassays (LFIA) indicates adherence to tenofovir-containing HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis. However, the association between urine TFV metabolites as detected by LFIA and HIV viral load suppression in people receiving TFV-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) is unknown as is patient and clinician acceptability of POC urine LFIA testing in clinical practice in low- and middle-income country settings.

Methods

We enrolled 409 people living with HIV from two HIV clinics in Lesotho and investigated the performance of POC urine LFIA TFV testing in predicting viral suppression. We interviewed 12 study participants and conducted a focus-group discussion with 5 clinicians to gather opinions on POC urine TFV testing.

Results

Using a viral load threshold of 1000 copies/mL, 398 (98%) participants were virologically suppressed, and 8 were viremic. Tenofovir was detected in the urine of 405 (99%) participants. The sensitivity of the POC urine LFIA test in detecting TFV in participants with viral suppression was 99.3% (95% CI: 97.8–99.8); the specificity was 12.5% (95% CI: 0.3–52.6). The positive and negative predictive values were 98.3% and 25%, respectively. Point-of-care urine TFV testing was viewed favorably by both participants and clinicians. However, clinicians stated that the 2–3-days detection window of the assay studied limits adherence categorization.

Conclusions

In our study cohort, urine POC TFV testing demonstrated high sensitivity in predicting viral suppression, but low specificity and negative predictive value. Urine POC TFV testing was highly acceptable to participants and clinicians; however, clinicians expressed concern about its clinical utility because of its limitations. While further research is needed to assess performance in less adherent populations, this test may support adherence counseling in some clinical settings.
News media and the politics of fear: Normalization and contrastive discourses in the reporting on terrorist attacks in Sweden and the UK
Authors: Ekström Mats , Patrona Marianna , Thornborrow Joanna
Published: May 2022

This paper provides a comparative critical discourse analysis of news discourse on terrorism with respect to the coverage by two Swedish and two UK broadsheet newspapers of the terrorists attacks that took place in Stockholm and in London respectively in the year 2017. The research goal is to investigate the type of discourses mobilized that help enact a ‘politics of fear’, and to compare the constitutive elements of this rhetoric within the same, and across the two national contexts. The findings point to three major representations as points on a continuum of discourses that emphatically affirm, give rise to, but also resist and counteract, a politics of fear. The paper sheds light on processes of normalization at work in the routine discursive practices of press coverage, but also to the rise of counter-discourses that resist, downplay, or take a critical stance toward the core elements of a politics of fear. It is argued that these latter discursive practices may work in the opposite direction, namely to de-normalize or marginalize a dominant politics of fear.
Clean energy in the European Union: Transition or evolution?
Authors: Ślosarski Radosław
Published: May 2022

In this paper, we analyse two phenomena. First, the relationship between greenhouse gases emission and effectiveness of the European Union energy policies and second the transition from the fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. We run two-step data analysis concerning 25 European Union member states in the period from 1990 to 2018. We use information on greenhouse gases emission, introduction of new energy policies, source of energy supplied and merge it with macroeconomic data on the countries’ structural characteristics. We assess their long-run relationship and direction of causality using panel cointegration tests and dynamic panel data models. We identify a statistically significant effect of energy supply source, energy policy introduction and greenhouse gases emission. However, we were not able to confirm that European Union energy sector is in transition. Thus, obtained results confirm that the EU energy policies are effective however not sufficient enough in decreasing use of fossil fuels to call it a transition towards renewables.
Habitat conditions of molluscs in the valleys of the Talaya and Bartat Rivers (Krasnoyarsk forest steppe, Russia) in the middle and late-Holocene
Authors: Yamskikh Galina Yu , Makarchuk Darya E , Zharinova Natalya Yu
Published: May 2022

Here we have analysed the Holocene mollusc successions in the valleys of the Talaya and Bartat rivers (Krasnoyarsk forest-steppe), which, based on three radiocarbon dates, cover at least the last 6000 years. By studying more than 8700 mollusc shells, we aimed to reconstruct the development of alluvial conditions. Existing palynological data from the nearby Eleneva Cave provide deeper insights into the reconstruction of habitat conditions. A total of 13 freshwater and 18 terrestrial mollusc species were identified. Some of the land snail species are the first records for the region, with the finding of Vertigo substriata pushing its distribution limit eastward. The Talaya sequence consisted of five successional stages recognised based on Coniss analysis. The major successional pathway in the mollusc record reflects an increase in temperature and fluctuations in precipitation during the Middle Holocene. Over time, an abundant assemblage of freshwater molluscs was gradually replaced by the dominance of open-country and wetland terrestrial snails. In contrast, cooling at the beginning of the Late-Holocene resulted in a reduction in terrestrial snail species diversity at the expense of aquatic molluscs, again indicating increased moisture in riparian habitats. Although the Bartat River succession covered only the last 600 years, it showed a fairly stable mollusc community composition with some terrestrialization observed in the most recent part of the succession.
Characterization of recombinant Ybgf protein for the detection of Coxiella antibodies in ruminants
Authors: Ferrara Gianmarco , Colitti Barbara , Pagnini Ugo , Iovane Giuseppe , Rosati Sergio , Montagnaro Serena
Published: May 2022

Q fever remains a One Health problem, posing a zoonotic threat and causing significant economic losses to the livestock industry. The advancement of detection tools is critical to the effective control of infection. In humans, laboratory investigations depend largely on the immunofluorescence assay, considered the gold standard. In contrast, serologic tools routinely used for veterinary screening have several gaps, resulting in interpretations that are frequently misleading. We investigated the potential application of recombinant Ybgf antigen (r-Ybgf), a periplasmic protein described as one of the most immunodominant antigens in humans, in an indirect ELISA. Following successful expression in the prokaryotic system and the preliminary evaluation of immunoreactivity in western blot, we used r-Ybgf to develop an in-house ELISA using serum samples from sheep, goats, and cattle, which were tested in parallel with an Idexx ELISA kit. The results obtained with the 2 tests were compared, and r-Ybgf performed favorably, with 81.8% sensitivity and 90.1% specificity and substantial agreement, as revealed by receiver operating characteristic analysis. Moreover, we evaluated the serologic response against phase I (PhI) and phase II (PhII) antigens, and r-Ybgf antigen induced by vaccination, using phase-specific ELISAs. The dynamics of antibody response showed a significant increase in reactivity against PhI and PhII, but not against r-Ybgf, antigens. This property may be very useful given the absence of a protocol for the differentiation of infected from vaccinated animals.