bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pre‐treatment of ram semen extender with magnetic nanoparticles on freeze‐thawed spermatozoa
Authors: Moradi Maryam , Hajarian Hadi , Karamishabankareh Hamed , Soltani Leila , Soleymani Bijan
Published: December 2021

Background

Extensive use of different nanoparticles caused significant concerns about their biological safety.

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of cryopreservation on ram semen after adding magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) to separate X and Y chromosome‐bearing spermatozoa.

Methods

The experimental ram sperms in this research included treated spermatozoa (50 μg/ml MNPs) and non‐treated spermatozoa. DNA damage of spermatozoa was examined using an acridine orange (AO) assay. Sperm viability, membrane functionality, abnormality and malondialdehyde (MDA) level were also measured.

Results

Results indicated that the pre‐treatment of ram semen extender with MNPs did not significantly affect the semen parameters such as viability, membrane functionality, abnormality, as well as lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels and DNA integrity in comparison with the control group (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

These observations suggest that pre‐treatment of ram semen extender with MNPs after semen sexing did not have adverse effects on different semen parameters after cryopreservation.
The Bumpy Road to Relevance: Croatia, Hungary and Lithuania in Perspective
Authors: Ilonszki Gabriella , Boban Davor , Gudelis Dangis
Published: December 2021

This chapter examines how has the relevance of political science developed in Croatia, Hungary and Lithuania, that is how is the profession engaged with important audiences, namely the student body, society at large and pragmatic politics. Similar to the Western context the normative and pragmatic understanding of relevance appear in these emerging political science communities while identity formation and the achievement and preservation of legitimacy also define how political science can become relevant. The concept of relevance is built on three dimensions related to three potential fields of engagement: knowledge provision, social presence and practical impact. This chapter highlights that the profession continues to be beset by problems relating to the issue of relevance but differences between the countries are pronounced. Moreover, the three main aspects of relevance have not been achieved to the same level within the same country although we can duly expect a degree of adjustment as the three aspects are interconnected and will influence one another. This chapter argues that the development of relevance is a two-way process: government and university policies act as the external context, while the profession’s interests, commitment and ambitions constitute the internal force marking the way forward.
Transnational Spaces of Resistance
Authors: Çağatay Selin , Liinason Mia , Sasunkevich Olga
Published: December 2021

This chapter lays out the theoretical foundation of the book. It conceptualizes resistance as a space in-between small-scale mundane practices with a low level of collective organizing and large-scale protest activities which often exemplify resistance in social movement studies. In line with feminist and queer conceptualization of resistance, the authors suggest to examine multi-scalarity of resistant practices. The chapter attends to three scales of feminist and LGBTI+  activism in Russia, Turkey, and Scandinavia. The first scale analyzes activism in relation to the civil society-state-market triad. The second scale problematizes the notion of solidarity in relations between feminist and LGBTI+  activists from different geopolitical regions and countries as well as between small- and large-scale activist organizations and groups. Finally, the third scale focuses on individual resistant practices and the role of individual bodies in emergence of collective political struggles.
Transforming Conditions of Feminist and LGBTI+ Activism
Authors: Çağatay Selin , Liinason Mia , Sasunkevich Olga
Published: December 2021

This chapter provides an in-depth understanding of the conditions for feminist and LGBTI+ activism in Russia, Turkey, and Scandinavia, including legislative frames, access to resources and funding, employment conditions, and geographical and geopolitical locality. Instead of taking the relations between the state, civil society, and feminist and LGBTI+ activists for granted as an overarching explanatory model for comparative analysis, the chapter examines the multifaceted nature of the relations between the state, civil society and feminist and LGBTI+ activists in Russia, Turkey, and Scandinavia. Further, the chapter scrutinizes transnational, national, and local scales that influence the conditions of activism across the three research contexts. The discussions in the chapter are wrapped up by an interrogation of how donor politics influence the activist agenda in Russia, Turkey, and Scandinavia and of what resistant practices activists lean on in their everyday work.
Spaces of Appearance and the Right to Appear: March 8 in Local Bodily Assemblies
Authors: Çağatay Selin , Liinason Mia , Sasunkevich Olga
Published: December 2021

Aiming to deepen our understandings of corporeal and embodied dimensions of transnational feminist and LGBTI + activism, this chapter is driven by the question: Why does the body still remain an important instrument of queer and feminist struggles in the era of digital solidarities? Following the International Women’s Day in diverse locales in Sweden, Turkey, and Russia, the ethnographic analyzes in this chapter bring forth the significance of embodied forms of resistance for the (re)making of space and explore how resistance flows across various scales. Engaging with the ambiguities of embodied resistance, this chapter visualizes the potential of corporeal modes of resistance to shift from the individual to the collective, showing that attention to multiple scales of resistance can provide more fine-grained understandings of the possibilities and constraints within which feminist and LGBTI+ struggles are located.
Missing scalars at the cosmological collider
Authors: Lu Qianshu , Reece Matthew , Xianyu Zhong-Zhi
Published: December 2021

Abstract

Light scalar fields typically develop spatially varying backgrounds during inflation. Very often they do not directly affect the density perturbations, but interact with other fields that do leave nontrivial signals in primordial perturbations. In this sense they become “missing scalars” at the cosmological collider. We study potentially observable signals of these missing scalars, focusing on a special example where a missing scalar distorts the usual oscillatory features in the squeezed bispectrum. The distortion is also a useful signal distinguishing the de Sitter background induced thermal mass from a constant intrinsic mass.
Proof of the universal density of charged states in QFT
Authors: Magán Javier M.
Published: December 2021

Abstract

We prove a recent conjecture by Harlow and Ooguri concerning a universal formula for the charged density of states in QFT at high energies for global symmetries associated with finite groups. An equivalent statement, based on the entropic order parameter associated with charged operators in the thermofield double state, was proven in a previous article by Casini, Huerta, Pontello, and the present author. Here we describe how the statement about the entropic order parameter arises, and how it gets transformed into the universal density of states. The use of the certainty principle, relating the entropic order and disorder parameters, is crucial for the proof. We remark that although the immediate application of this result concerns charged states, the origin and physics of such density can be understood by looking at the vacuum sector only. We also describe how these arguments lie at the origin of the so-called entropy equipartition in these type of systems, and how they generalize to QFT’s on non-compact manifolds.
Momentum-space entanglement in scalar field theory on fuzzy spheres
Authors: Kawamoto Shoichi , Kuroki Tsunehide
Published: December 2021

Abstract

Quantum field theory defined on a noncommutative space is a useful toy model of quantum gravity and is known to have several intriguing properties, such as nonlocality and UV/IR mixing. They suggest novel types of correlation among the degrees of freedom of different energy scales. In this paper, we investigate such correlations by the use of entanglement entropy in the momentum space. We explicitly evaluate the entanglement entropy of scalar field theory on a fuzzy sphere and find that it exhibits different behaviors from that on the usual continuous sphere. We argue that these differences would originate in different characteristics; non-planar contributions and matrix regularizations. It is also found that the mutual information between the low and the high momentum modes shows different scaling behaviors when the effect of a cutoff becomes important.
Real-Analytic Non-Integrable Functions on the Plane with Equal Iterated Integrals
Authors: Bernal-González Luis , Calderón-Moreno María del Carmen , Jung Andreas
Published: December 2021

In this note, a vector space of real-analytic functions on the plane is explicitly constructed such that all its nonzero functions are non-integrable but yet their two iterated integrals exist as real numbers and coincide. Moreover, it is shown that this vector space is dense in the space of all real continuous functions on the plane endowed with the compact-open topology.
On the black slope: analysis of the course of a blunt renal trauma collective in a winter sports region
Authors: Deininger Christian , Freude Thomas , Wichlas Florian , Kriechbaumer Lukas Konstantin , Deininger Sebastian Hubertus Markus , Törzsök Peter , Lusuardi Lukas , Pallauf Maximilian , Deluca Amelie , Deininger Susanne
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The aim of this study was to analyze the injury patterns and clinical course of a winter sport dominated by blunt renal trauma collective.

Methods

Blunt renal trauma cases (N = 106) treated in a Level 1 Trauma Center in Austria were analyzed.

Results

We encountered 12.3% grade 1, 10.4% grade 2, 32.1% grade 3, 38.7% grade 4 and 6.6% grade 5 renal traumata classified according to the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST). The mechanisms of injury (MOI) did not have an influence on the frequency of HG trauma (i.e., grade 4 and 5). No concomitant injuries (CIs) were found in 57.9% of patients. The number of patients without CIs was significantly higher in the sports associated trauma group compared to other MOIs (p < 0.01). In 94.3% the primary treatment was a non-operative management (NOM) including 56.6% conservative, 34.0% endourological, and 3.8% interventional therapies. A follow-up computed tomography (FU-CT) was performed in 81.1%, 3.3 days after trauma. After FU-CT, the primary therapy was changed in 11.4% of cases (grade ≥ 3). Comparing the Hb loss between the patients with grade 3 and 4 kidney trauma with and without revision surgery, we find a significantly increased Hb loss within the first 96 h after the trauma in the group with a needed change of therapy (p < 0.0001). The overall rate of nephrectomy (primary or secondary) was 9.4%. Independent predictors of nephrectomy were HG trauma (p < 0.01), age (p < 0.05), and sex (p < 0.05). The probability of nephrectomy was lower with (winter) sports-associated trauma (p < 0.1).

Conclusions

Sports-associated blunt renal trauma is more likely to occur isolated, and has a lower risk of severe outcomes, compared to other trauma mechanisms. NOM can successfully be performed in over 90% of all trauma grades.
Image quality and radiologists’ subjective acceptance using model-based iterative and deep learning reconstructions as adjuncts to ultrahigh-resolution CT in low-dose contrast-enhanced abdominopelvic CT: phantom and clinical pilot studies
Authors: Nishikawa Makiko , Machida Haruhiko , Shimizu Yuta , Kariyasu Toshiya , Morisaka Hiroyuki , Adachi Takuya , Nakai Takehiro , Sakaguchi Kosuke , Saito Shun , Matsumoto Saki , Koyanagi Masamichi , Yokoyama Kenichi
Published: December 2021

Purpose

In contrast-enhanced abdominopelvic CT (CE-APCT) for oncologic follow-up, ultrahigh-resolution CT (UHRCT) may improve depiction of fine lesions and low-dose scans are desirable for minimizing the potential adverse effects by ionizing radiation. We compared image quality and radiologists’ acceptance of model-based iterative (MBIR) and deep learning (DLR) reconstructions of low-dose CE-APCT by UHRCT.

Methods

Using our high-resolution (matrix size: 1024) and low-dose (tube voltage 100 kV; noise index: 20–40 HU) protocol, we scanned phantoms to compare the modulation transfer function and noise power spectrum between MBIR and DLR and assessed findings in 36 consecutive patients who underwent CE-APCT (noise index: 35 HU; mean CTDIvol: 4.2 ± 1.6 mGy) by UHRCT. We used paired t-test to compare objective noise and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and Wilcoxon signed-rank test to compare radiologists’ subjective acceptance regarding noise, image texture and appearance, and diagnostic confidence between MBIR and DLR using our routine protocol (matrix size: 512; tube voltage: 120 kV; noise index: 15 HU) for reference.

Results

Phantom studies demonstrated higher spatial resolution and lower low-frequency noise by DLR than MBIR at equal doses. Clinical studies indicated significantly worse objective noise, CNR, and subjective noise by DLR than MBIR, but other subjective characteristics were better (P < 0.001 for all). Compared with the routine protocol, subjective noise was similar or better by DLR, and other subjective characteristics were similar or worse by MBIR.

Conclusion

Image quality, except regarding noise characteristics, and acceptance by radiologists were better by DLR than MBIR in low-dose CE-APCT by UHRCT.

Graphical abstract
Analysis of semi-open queueing networks using lost customers approximation with an application to robotic mobile fulfilment systems
Authors: Otten Sonja , Krenzler Ruslan , Xie Lin , Daduna Hans , Kruse Karsten
Published: December 2021

We consider a semi-open queueing network (SOQN), where one resource from a resource pool is needed to serve a customer. If on arrival of a customer some resource is available, the resource is forwarded to an inner network to complete the customer’s order. If no resource is available, the new customer waits in an external queue until one becomes available (“backordering”). When a resource exits the inner network, it is returned to the resource pool. We develop a new solution approach. In a first step we modify the system such that new arrivals are lost if the resource pool is empty (“lost customers”). We adjust the arrival rate of the modified system such that the throughputs in all nodes of the inner network are pairwise identical to those in the original network. Using queueing theoretical methods, in a second step we reduce this inner network to a two-station system including the resource pool. For this two-station systems, we invert the first step and obtain a standard SOQN which can be solved analytically. We apply our results to storage and delivering systems with robotic mobile fulfilment systems (RMFSs). Instead of sending pickers to the storage area to search for the ordered items and pick them, robots carry shelves with ordered items from the storage area to picking stations. We model the RMFS as an SOQN to determine the minimal number of robots.
Prediction of prostate cancer grade using fractal analysis of perfusion MRI: retrospective proof-of-principle study
Authors: Michallek Florian , Huisman Henkjan , Hamm Bernd , Elezkurtaj Sefer , Maxeiner Andreas , Dewey Marc
Published: December 2021

Objectives

Multiparametric MRI has high diagnostic accuracy for detecting prostate cancer, but non-invasive prediction of tumor grade remains challenging. Characterizing tumor perfusion by exploiting the fractal nature of vascular anatomy might elucidate the aggressive potential of a tumor. This study introduces the concept of fractal analysis for characterizing prostate cancer perfusion and reports about its usefulness for non-invasive prediction of tumor grade.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the openly available PROSTATEx dataset with 112 cancer foci in 99 patients. In all patients, histological grading groups specified by the International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) were obtained from in-bore MRI-guided biopsy. Fractal analysis of dynamic contrast-enhanced perfusion MRI sequences was performed, yielding fractal dimension (FD) as quantitative descriptor. Two-class and multiclass diagnostic accuracy was analyzed using area under the curve (AUC) receiver operating characteristic analysis, and optimal FD cutoffs were established. Additionally, we compared fractal analysis to conventional apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements.

Results

Fractal analysis of perfusion allowed accurate differentiation of non-significant (group 1) and clinically significant (groups 2–5) cancer with a sensitivity of 91% (confidence interval [CI]: 83–96%) and a specificity of 86% (CI: 73–94%). FD correlated linearly with ISUP groups (r2 = 0.874, p < 0.001). Significant groupwise differences were obtained between low, intermediate, and high ISUP group 1–4 (p ≤ 0.001) but not group 5 tumors. Fractal analysis of perfusion was significantly more reliable than ADC in predicting non-significant and clinically significant cancer (AUCFD = 0.97 versus AUCADC = 0.77, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Fractal analysis of perfusion MRI accurately predicts prostate cancer grading in low-, intermediate-, and high-, but not highest-grade, tumors.

Key Points

• In 112 prostate carcinomas, fractal analysis of MR perfusion imaging accurately differentiated low-, intermediate-, and high-grade cancer (ISUP grade groups 1–4).

• Fractal analysis detected clinically significant prostate cancer with a sensitivity of 91% (83–96%) and a specificity of 86% (73–94%).

• Fractal dimension of perfusion at the tumor margin may provide an imaging biomarker to predict prostate cancer grading.
Protective effect of HINT2 on mitochondrial function via repressing MCU complex activation attenuates cardiac microvascular ischemia–reperfusion injury
Authors: Li Su , Chen Jinxiang , Liu Muyin , Chen Yuqiong , Wu Yuan , Li Qiyu , Ma Teng , Gao Jinfeng , Xia Yan , Fan Mengkang , Chen Ao , Lu Danbo , Su Enyong , Xu Fei , Chen Zhangwei , Qian Juying , Ge Junbo
Published: December 2021

Current evidence indicates that coronary microcirculation is a key target for protecting against cardiac ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury. Mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) complex activation and mitochondrial calcium ([Ca2+]m) overload are underlying mechanisms involved in cardiovascular disease. Histidine triad nucleotide-binding 2 (HINT2) has been reported to modulate [Ca2+]m via the MCU complex, and our previous work demonstrated that HINT2 improved cardiomyocyte survival and preserved heart function in mice with cardiac ischemia. This study aimed to explore the benefits of HINT2 on cardiac microcirculation in I/R injury with a focus on mitochondria, the MCU complex, and [Ca2+]m overload in endothelial cells. The present work demonstrated that HINT2 overexpression significantly reduced the no-reflow area and improved microvascular perfusion in I/R-injured mouse hearts, potentially by promoting endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression and phosphorylation. Microvascular barrier function was compromised by reperfusion injury, but was repaired by HINT2 overexpression via inhibiting VE-Cadherin phosphorylation at Tyr731 and enhancing the VE-Cadherin/β-Catenin interaction. In addition, HINT2 overexpression inhibited the inflammatory response by suppressing vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). Mitochondrial fission occurred in cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (CMECs) subjected to oxygen–glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) injury and resulted in mitochondrial dysfunction and mitochondrion-dependent apoptosis, the effects of which were largely relieved by HINT2 overexpression. Additional experiments confirmed that [Ca2+]m overload was an initiating factor for mitochondrial fission and that HINT2 suppressed [Ca2+]m overload via modulation of the MCU complex through directly interacting with MCU in CMECs. Regaining [Ca2+]m overload by spermine, an MCU agonist, abolished all the protective effects of HINT2 on OGD/R-injured CMECs and I/R-injured cardiac microcirculation. In conclusion, the present report demonstrated that HINT2 overexpression inhibited MCU complex-mitochondrial calcium overload-mitochondrial fission and apoptosis pathway, and thereby attenuated cardiac microvascular ischemia–reperfusion injury.
Modelling and Simulation of Phase Formations in Martensitic Stainless Steels
Authors: Kresser Simona , Schneider Reinhold , Zunko Horst , Sommitsch Christof
Published: December 2021

Modelling and simulation of solidification processes and solid-state phase transformation have become key instruments in the field of alloy development and heat treatment optimization. Apart from equilibrium-controlled processes, also diffusion-based effects need to be considered. This contribution presents some typical approaches at the example of martensitic stainless steels. Important aspects affecting the production and properties of these steels, such as alloying limits with nitrogen, the formation of ledeburitic structures, or the retained austenite content after heat treatment, can be predicted with reasonable accuracy.
The Brief Observation of Symptoms of Autism (BOSA): Development of a New Adapted Assessment Measure for Remote Telehealth Administration Through COVID-19 and Beyond
Authors: Dow Deanna , Holbrook Alison , Toolan Christina , McDonald Nicole , Sterrett Kyle , Rosen Nicole , Kim So Hyun , Lord Catherine
Published: December 2021

Interest in telehealth assessment for autism has increased due to COVID-19 and subsequent expansion of remote psychological services, though options that are easy for clinicians to adopt and available through the lifespan are limited. The Brief Observation of Symptoms of Autism (BOSA) provides a social context with standardized materials and activities that can be coded by clinicians trained in the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. The current project examined psychometric properties to determine optimal use for each BOSA version. Three hundred and seven participants with 453 BOSAs were included to determine best performing items for algorithms, validity, sensitivity, specificity, recommended cut-offs, and proposed ranges of concern. While preliminary, the BOSA provides a promising new option for telehealth-administered assessment for autism.
Implications of the Resource Nexus on International Relations: The Case of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
Authors: Bleischwitz Raimund , Kirschke Sabrina , Adam Nora
Published: December 2021

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is causing tensions and potential for conflict along the Nile. Egypt fears water losses and threatens sanctions; Ethiopia plans to expand the electric power supply. The United Nations Security Council is advocating negotiations under the auspices of the African Union. Against this backdrop, this article discusses the nexus between water and energy in International Relations. A constructivist perspective helps to elaborate potential solutions on energy systems, water demand management and food that may be helpful in upcoming talks and in institution-building in similar endeavours.
An Integrated Deep Learning and Belief Rule Base Intelligent System to Predict Survival of COVID-19 Patient under Uncertainty
Authors: Ahmed Tawsin Uddin , Jamil Mohammad Newaj , Hossain Mohammad Shahadat , Islam Raihan Ul , Andersson Karl
Published: December 2021

The novel Coronavirus-induced disease COVID-19 is the biggest threat to human health at the present time, and due to the transmission ability of this virus via its conveyor, it is spreading rapidly in almost every corner of the globe. The unification of medical and IT experts is required to bring this outbreak under control. In this research, an integration of both data and knowledge-driven approaches in a single framework is proposed to assess the survival probability of a COVID-19 patient. Several neural networks pre-trained models: Xception, InceptionResNetV2, and VGG Net, are trained on X-ray images of COVID-19 patients to distinguish between critical and non-critical patients. This prediction result, along with eight other significant risk factors associated with COVID-19 patients, is analyzed with a knowledge-driven belief rule-based expert system which forms a probability of survival for that particular patient. The reliability of the proposed integrated system has been tested by using real patient data and compared with expert opinion, where the performance of the system is found promising.
Selective laser melting of Al and AlSi10Mg: parameter study and creep experiments
Authors: Fiedler Torben , Dörries Kai , Rösler Joachim
Published: December 2021

Selective laser melted (SLM) aluminum alloys are widely used for many technical applications. However, the application is limited to low temperatures due to their relatively poor creep resistance. The creep resistance and strength could be enhanced by oxide dispersion-strengthening. A hypothesis is that oxygen intake during selective laser melting can lead to formation of fine aluminum oxides and thus strengthen the SLMed part. To elucidate this in more detail, selective laser melted AlSi10Mg was tested in creep experiments at temperatures of 300 °C. Although, in other studies at lower temperatures, a relatively large stress exponent for creep was found, the high temperatures in this work led to a creep exponent of just 7 to 8, indicating no significant dispersion strengthening. Furthermore, for future research, it was necessary to investigate the feasibility of SLM with pure aluminum. For this purpose, a parameter study was carried out and an optimum parameter set for pure aluminum was found. Dense samples with a porosity below 0.2% were produced. Selective laser melting was carried out with a varying oxygen content in the inert-gas atmosphere to elucidate the hypothetic strengthening effects by oxygen intake. However, even at 800 ppm oxygen in the atmosphere, no effect on hardness and microstructure could be observed.
Reactivity and selectivity modulation within a molecular assembly: recent examples from photochemistry
Authors: Sempere Yeshua , Morgenstern Martin , Bach Thorsten , Plaza Manuel
Published: December 2021

In recent years, photochemical reactions have emerged as powerful transformations which significantly expand the repertoire of organic synthesis. However, a certain lack of selectivity can hamper their application and limit their scope. In this context, a major research effort continues to focus on an improved control over stereo- and chemoselectivity that can be achieved in molecular assemblies between photosubstrates and an appropriate host molecule. In this tutorial review, some recent, representative examples of photochemical reactions have been collected whose unique outcome is dictated by the formation of a molecular assembly driven by non-covalent weak interactions.

Graphical Abstract
Reprogramming Mycobacterium Tuberculosis CRISPR System for Gene Editing and Genome-Wide RNA Interference Screening
Authors: Rahman Khaista , Jamal Muhammad , Chen Xi , Zhou Wei , Yang Bin , Zou Yanyan , Xu Weize , Lei Yingying , Wu Chengchao , Cao Xiaojian , Tyagi Rohit , Naeem Muhammad Ahsan , Lin Da , Habib Zeshan , Peng Nan , Fu Zhen F. , Cao Gang
Published: December 2021

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), which is still the leading cause of mortality from a single infectious disease worldwide. The development of novel anti-TB drugs and vaccines is severely hampered by the complicated and time-consuming genetic manipulation techniques for M. tuberculosis. Here, we harnessed an endogenous type III-A CRISPR/Cas10 system of M. tuberculosis for efficient gene editing and RNA interference (RNAi). This simple and easy method only needs to transform a single mini-CRISPR array plasmid, thus avoiding the introduction of exogenous protein and minimizing proteotoxicity. We demonstrated that M. tuberculosis genes can be efficiently and specifically knocked in/out by this system as confirmed by DNA high-throughput sequencing. This system was further applied to single- and multiple-gene RNAi. Moreover, we successfully performed genome-wide RNAi screening to identify M. tuberculosis genes regulating in vitro and intracellular growth. This system can be extensively used for exploring the functional genomics of M. tuberculosis and facilitate the development of novel anti-TB drugs and vaccines.
Art and Ocean Objects of Early Modern Eurasia
Authors: Grasskamp Anna
Published: December 2021

During the early modern period, objects of maritime material culture were removed from their places of origin and traded, collected and displayed worldwide. Focusing on shells and pearls exchanged within local and global networks, this monograph compares and connects Asian, in particular Chinese, and European practices of oceanic exploitation in the framework of a transcultural history of art with an understanding of maritime material culture as gendered. Perceiving the ocean as mother of all things, as womb and birthplace, Chinese and European artists and collectors exoticized and eroticized shells' shapes and surfaces. Defining China and Europe as spaces entangled with South and Southeast Asian sites of knowledge production, source and supply between 1500 and 1700, the book understands oceanic goods and maritime networks as transcending and subverting territorial and topographical boundaries. It also links the study of globally connected port cities to local ecologies of oceanic exploitation and creative practices.
Isaac Newton and the Study of Chronology
Authors: Schilt Cornelis J.
Published: December 2021

Isaac Newton (1642-1727) devoted ample time to the study of ancient chronology, resulting in the posthumously published The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms Amended (1728). Here, Newton attempted to show how the antiquity of Greece, Egypt, Assyria, Persia, and other Mediterranean nations could be reinterpreted to fit the timespan allowed for by Scripture. Yet, as the hundreds of books from his library and the thousands of manuscript pages devoted to the topic show, the Chronology was long in the making. This volume provides the first full analysis of the genesis and evolution of Newton's studies of ancient history and demonstrates how these emerged from that other major project of his, the interpretation of the apocalyptic prophecies in Scripture. A careful study of Newton's reading, note-taking, writing, and ordering practices provides the key to unravelling and reconstructing the chronology of Newton's chronological studies, bringing to light writings hitherto hidden in the archives.
Primary school education resources on conservation in New Zealand over-emphasise killing of non-native mammals
Authors: Morris Michael C.
Published: December 2021

Guidelines for sustainability linked to the government-approved National Curriculum for education in New Zealand emphasise values of empathy and respect for all life. These instruct educators to discuss different values around sustainability and conservation.

I reviewed educational resources published or endorsed by government agencies to determine compliance with these sustainability Guidelines. The resources reviewed promote the view that non-native mammals should be killed. Some resources go further in giving instructions to children on how to do this, and how to source kill traps.

Children are provided with material designed to engender dislike towards non-native mammals, particularly possums. Resources conflate issues of conservation by tying it in with protection of tourism, ornamental plants and primary industries.

This encouragement of killing in environmental educational resources appears unique to New Zealand. It is discussed in light of increasing evidence that performing or witnessing animal abuse is a causal factor for future violence towards human and non-human animals.
Incidence of idiopathic benign paroxysmal positional vertigo subtype by hospital visit type: experience of a single tertiary referral centre
Authors: Kim C-H , Jeong H , Shin J E
Published: December 2021

Objective

To investigate the incidence of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo subtype by hospital visit type (i.e. out-patient department vs emergency room), in a single tertiary referral centre.

Methods

A total of 772 consecutive patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo were included. Using head-roll and Dix–Hallpike tests, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo subtype was determined as canalolithiasis posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, geotropic horizontal semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo or apogeotropic benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

Results

The posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo patients who were evaluated via the out-patient department outnumbered those evaluated via the emergency room, while those with horizontal semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo who were evaluated via the emergency room outnumbered those evaluated via the out-patient department.

Conclusion

A significantly higher proportion of patients who visited the emergency room had horizontal semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo than posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. These results suggest that the true incidence of horizontal semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo might be higher than previously reported.
A systematic review of facial plastic surgery simulation training models
Authors: Mohd Slim M A , Hurley R , Lechner M , Milner T D , Okhovat S
Published: December 2021

Objectives

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has led to a need for alternative teaching methods in facial plastics. This systematic review aimed to identify facial plastics simulation models, and assess their validity and efficacy as training tools.

Methods

Literature searches were performed. The Beckman scale was used for validity. The McGaghie Modified Translational Outcomes of Simulation-Based Mastery Learning score was used to evaluate effectiveness.

Results

Overall, 29 studies were selected. These simulated local skin flaps (n = 9), microtia frameworks (n = 5), pinnaplasty (n = 1), facial nerve anastomosis (n = 1), oculoplastic procedures (n = 5), and endoscopic septoplasty and septorhinoplasty simulators (n = 10). Of these models, 14 were deemed to be high-fidelity, 13 low-fidelity and 2 mixed-fidelity. None of the studies published common outcome measures.

Conclusion

Simulators in facial plastic surgical training are important. These models may have some training benefits, but most could benefit from further assessment of validity.
Maternal suicide attempts and deaths in the first year after cesarean delivery
Authors: Zhang Tianyang , Mantel Ängla , Runeson Bo , Sidorchuk Anna , Rück Christian , Stephansson Olof , Larsson Henrik , Chang Zheng , Mataix-Cols David , Fernández de la Cruz Lorena
Published: December 2021

Background

Cesarean delivery (CD) has been associated with postpartum psychiatric disorders, but less is known about the risk of suicidal behaviors. We estimated the incidence and risk of suicide attempts and deaths during the first postpartum year in mothers who delivered via CD v. vaginally.

Method

All deliveries in Sweden between 1973 and 2012 were identified. The mothers were followed since delivery for 12 months or until the date of one of the outcomes (i.e. suicide attempt or death by suicide), death by other causes or emigration. Associations were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression models.

Results

Of 4 016 789 identified deliveries, 514 113 (12.8%) were CDs and 3 502 676 (87.2%) were vaginal deliveries. During the 12-month follow-up, 504 (0.098%) suicide attempts were observed in the CD group and 2240 (0.064%) in the vaginal delivery group (risk difference: 0.034%), while 11 (0.0037%) deaths by suicide were registered in the CD group and 109 (0.0029%) in the vaginal delivery group (risk difference: 0.008%). Compared to vaginal delivery, CD was associated with an increased risk of suicide attempts [hazard ratio (HR) 1.46; 95% CI 1.32–1.60], but not of deaths by suicide (HR 1.44; 95% CI 0.88–2.36).

Conclusions

Maternal suicidal behaviors during the first postpartum year were uncommon in Sweden. Compared to vaginal delivery, CD was associated with a small increased risk of suicide attempts, but not death by suicide. Improved understanding of the association between CD and maternal suicidal behaviors may promote more appropriate measures to improve maternal mental well-being and further reduce suicidal risks.
EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING MOTIVATION AND PROFICIENCY
Authors: Dunn Karen , Iwaniec Janina
Published: December 2021

A foundation of second language motivational theory has been that motivation contributes to explaining variance in language learning proficiency; however, empirical findings have been mixed. This article presents an innovative approach to exploring L2 proficiency and motivations of teenage English language learners in Madrid, Spain (N = 1773). Participants completed a multiskill English language test, plus an eight-scale questionnaire operationalizing constructs from Dörnyei’s L2 Motivational Self System (Dörnyei, 2005). Data were analysed using Latent Variable Mixture Modeling, a person-centered profiling approach. Results indicated five distinct classes of students, characterized by differing motivation-proficiency profiles. The importance of this study is that the analysis does not assume a homogenous relationship between motivational traits and proficiency levels across the learner sample; whilst there is undoubtedly a connection between the two areas, it is not a straightforward correlation, explaining to some extent discrepancies in previous findings and laying groundwork for further, more nuanced, investigation.
Interleukin-18 and COVID-19
Authors: Schooling C. M. , Li M. , Au Yeung S. L.
Published: December 2021

Vulnerability to coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 varies due to differences in interferon gamma (IFNγ) immunity. We investigated whether a key modifiable interferon precursor, interleukin-18, was related to COVID-19, overall and by severity, using Mendelian randomisation. We used four established genome-wide significant genetic predictors of interleukin-18 applied to the most recent genome-wide association study of COVID-19 (June 2021) to obtain Mendelian randomisation inverse variance weighted estimates by severity, i.e. any (cases = 112 612, non-cases = 2 474 079), hospitalised (cases = 24 274, non-cases = 2 061 529) and very severe (cases = 8779, non-cases = 1 001 875) COVID-19. To be comprehensive, we also conducted an exploratory analysis for IFNγ and two related cytokines with less well-established genetic predictors, i.e. interleukin-12 and interleukin-23. Genetically predicted interleukin-18 was associated with lower risk of any COVID-19 (odds ratio (OR) 0.96 per standard deviation, 95% confidence interval (0.94–0.99, P-value 0.004)) and of very severe COVID-19 (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.78–0.999, P-value 0.048). Sensitivity analysis and a more liberal genetic instrument selection gave largely similar results. Few genome-wide significant genetic predictors were available for IFNγ, interleukin-12 or interleukin-23, and no associations with COVID-19 were evident. Interleukin-18 could be a modifiable target to prevent COVID-19 and should be further explored in an experimental design.
Double aortic arch: an elusive diagnosis in a child with CHD
Authors: Lemos Mariana , Fogaça da Mata Miguel , Coutinho Santos Ana
Published: December 2021

An 18-month-old male with pulmonary atresia and ventricular septal defect presented with stridor after neonatal systemic-to-pulmonary artery shunt surgery, that persisted on follow-up. CT angiography revealed a vascular ring with balanced double aortic arch.
Takotsubo syndrome as a cardiac manifestation of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children
Authors: Ludwikowska Kamila M. , Tracewski Paweł , Kusa Jacek
Published: December 2021

Cases of severe heart damage in patients presenting with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children are one of the most intriguing phenomena during the coronavirus disease of 2019 pandemic. The pathophysiology of myocardial changes in the course of this syndrome has not been fully understood yet. We present a case of a child with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and with cardiac changes corresponding to Takotsubo syndrome.
Henry Foe's dilemma
Authors: Ward Ian
Published: December 2021

In 1722, Daniel Defoe publishedA Journal of the Plague Year– a supposed account of the ‘great plague’ of 1665. It is commonly thought to be one of his most incisive pieces of ‘realist’ fiction. And, in our moment, one of his most prescient. The purpose of this paper is to revisit Defoe'sJournalin order to stimulate reflection on our present experience of living through the ‘plague year’ of 2020. There is much, as we shall see, about governance during a plague that is resonant – but much also about ‘hearts melted into tears’, about suffering, how it is felt and how it is perceived. The purpose of theJournal, according to Defoe at least, was to inform ‘those who come after’, so that they might be better prepared, so that they would not make the same mistakes. We will see.
Doubts About the Role of Rehearsal in the Irrelevant Sound Effect
Authors: Samper Jamielyn R. , Morrison Alexandra , Chein Jason
Published: December 2021

Abstract. The irrelevant sound effect (ISE) describes the disruption of processes involved in maintaining information in working memory (WM) when irrelevant noise is present in the environment. While some posit that the ISE arises due to split obligation of attention to the irrelevant sound and the to-be-remembered information, others have argued that background noise corrupts the order of information within WM. Support for the latter position comes from research showing that the ISE appears to be most robust in tasks that emphasize ordered maintenance by a serial rehearsal strategy, and diminished when rehearsal is discouraged or precluded by task characteristics. This prior work confounds the demand for seriation with rehearsal. Thus, the present study aims to disentangle ordered maintenance from a rehearsal strategy by using a running memory span task that requires ordered output but obviates the utility of rehearsal. Across four experiments, we find a significant ISE that persists under conditions that should discourage the use of rehearsal and among individuals who self-report use of alternative strategies. These findings indicate that rehearsal is not necessary to produce an ISE in a serial recall task and thus fail to corroborate accounts of the ISE that emphasize the involvement of rehearsal.
Need for Closure, Morality, and Prejudice
Authors: Theodorou Annalisa , Kosic Ankica
Published: December 2021

Abstract. Several studies demonstrated that a high need for closure (NFC) is associated with higher prejudice toward the out-group. This study aims to investigate how this effect can be moderated by attributions of morality to the in-group and the out-group. A questionnaire was administered to 725 participants. The results showed a positive relationship between NFC and prejudice when the in-group was evaluated as more moral than the out-group. This relationship was weaker when the out-group was evaluated as more moral than the in-group. These findings implicated that it is possible to reduce prejudice in individuals with high NFC by manipulating perceptions of in-group and out-group morality.
Distinguishing the Explicit Power Motives
Authors: Schattke Kaspar , Marion-Jetten Ariane S.
Published: December 2021

Abstract. Power is an important motivator at work, particularly for leaders. However, power also relates to dark personality traits, which negatively affect employees and organizations. Therefore, we argue that a high explicit power motive is a double-edged sword depending on whether people desire power for dominance, prestige, or leadership. We explored these research questions in a cross-sectional ( N = 151 employees) and a prospective study ( N = 371 leaders). Both studies revealed that dominance is most strongly related to Machiavellianism and moderately to narcissism and psychopathy. Prestige related strongly to narcissism and weakly to Machiavellianism, while leadership only weakly related to narcissism. Dominance best predicted counterproductive work behavior (CWB), while leadership best-predicted organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). In addition, Study 2 showed that transformational and, to a lesser extent, transactional leadership styles mediated the relations between the three power motives with OCB and CWB, respectively. Thus, promoting transformational leadership might be a fruitful way of channeling leaders’ power motives into pro-social actions.
Mercury-Based Gold Mining Haunts Peruvian Rain Forests
Authors: Tripathy-Lang Alka
Published: December 2021

In Peru, gold mining harms rain forests and human health. Satellite data can now track forest recovery in protected areas and the migration of informal miners to less regulated areas.
Elevated EDAR signalling promotes mammary gland tumourigenesis with squamous metaplasia
Authors: Williams Rebecca , Jobling Stephanie , Sims Andrew H. , Mou Chunyan , Wilkinson Lorna , Collu Giovanna M. , Streuli Charles H. , Gilmore Andrew P. , Headon Denis J. , Brennan Keith
Published: December 2021

Ectodysplasin A receptor (EDAR) is a death receptor in the Tumour Necrosis Factor Receptor (TNFR) superfamily with roles in the development of hair follicles, teeth and cutaneous glands. Here we report that human Oestrogen Receptor (ER) negative breast carcinomas which display squamous differentiation express EDAR strongly. Using a mouse model with a high Edar copy number, we show that elevated EDAR signalling results in a high incidence of mammary tumours in breeding female mice. These tumours resemble the EDAR-high human tumours in that they are characterised by a lack of oestrogen receptor expression, contain extensive squamous metaplasia, and display strong β-catenin transcriptional activity. In the mouse model, all of the tumours carry somatic deletions of the third exon of the CTNNB1 gene that encodes β-catenin. Deletion of this exon yields unconstrained β-catenin signalling activity. We also demonstrate that β-catenin activity is required for transformed cell growth, showing that increased EDAR signalling creates an environment in which β-catenin activity can readily promote tumourigenesis. Together, this work identifies a novel death receptor oncogene in breast cancer, whose mechanism of transformation is based on the interaction between the WNT and Ectodysplasin A (EDA) pathways.