bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Post-buckling analysis of shell-like structures using an implicit dynamic time integration scheme
Authors: Boutagouga Djamel , Mamouri Said
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate post-buckling responses of shell-like structures using an implicit conservative-decaying time integration dynamic scheme.

Design/methodology/approach

In this work, the authors have proposed the use of a four-node quadrilateral flat shell finite element with drilling rotational degree of freedom within the framework of an updated Lagrangian formulation mutually with an implicit conservative-dissipative time integration dynamic scheme.

Findings

Several numerical simulations were considered to evaluate the accuracy, robustness, stability and the capacity of the considered time integration scheme to dissipate numerical noise in the presence of high frequencies. The obtained results illustrate a very satisfying performance of the implicit conservative-dissipative direct time integration scheme conjointly with the quadrilateral flat shell finite element with drilling rotation.

Originality/value

The authors have investigated the potential of the implicit dynamic scheme to deal with unstable branches after limit points in the non-linear post-buckling response of shell structures with no need for structural damping. The capability of the studied algorithm to study buckling and post-buckling behaviour of thin shell structures is illustrated through several numerical examples.
Humble leadership and employee creative performance in China: the roles of boundary spanning behavior and traditionality
Authors: Zheng Zhang , Ahmed Rahil Irfan
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This paper examined the mediating role of boundary spanning behavior and the moderating effects of traditionality linking humble leadership and employee creative performance from the perspective of Social Exchange Theory (SET) to reveal the behavioral mechanism and boundary condition regarding the influence of humble leadership on creative performance.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 276 employees and the supervisors from 8 companies in China was taken using two-wave data.

Findings

The results indicated that humble leadership was positively related to employee creative performance, and boundary spanning behavior partially mediated the relationship between humble leadership and employee creative performance. Traditionality strengthens the mediation process when traditionality is high.

Practical implications

These findings provide several theoretical and practical implications for the domains of humble leadership and boundary spanning behavior. For example, human resource (HR) departments can recruit leaders with high humility and cultivate team leaders through systematic training programs about self-awareness, openness and self-transcendence; team leaders should encourage employees to participate in boundary spanning activities and hiring managers select employees with high traditionality to synergize with leader humility.

Originality/value

Based on the SET, this paper explored the behavioral mechanism between humble leadership and creative performance and enriched the prior research, which is from the cognitive or emotional view, and further answered the question “what are the employees' behavioral responses when they confront the humble leadership”.
Application of SCADA data in wind turbine fault detection – a review
Authors: Ma Junyan , Yuan Yiping
Published: November 2022

Purpose

With the rapid increase in the number of installed wind turbines (WTs) worldwide, requirements and expenses of maintenance have also increased significantly. The condition monitoring (CM) of WT provides a strong “soft guarantee” for preventive maintenance. The supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system records a huge amount of condition data, which has become an effective means of CM. The main objective of the present study is to summarize the application of SCADA data to fault detection in wind turbines, analyze its advantages and disadvantages and predict the potential of future investigations on the use of SCADA data for fault detection.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors first review the means of WT CM and summarize the characteristics of CM based on SCADA data. To ensure the quality of SCADA data, data preprocessing methods are analyzed and compared. Then, the failure modes of the key components are discussed and the SCADA data used for fault detection of each component are compared. Moreover, the fault detection methods for WT are classified and a general framework for fault detection is proposed. Finally, the issues in the WT fault detection method based on SCADA data are reviewed.

Findings

Based on the performed analyses, it is found that although the fault detection accuracy based on SCADA data is relatively poor, it has low capital expenses and low computational cost. More specifically, when there is scarce fault data, the normal SCADA data can be used to detect the fault time. However, the specific fault type cannot be identified in this way. When a large amount of fault data are accumulated in the SCADA system, it can not only detect the occurrence time of the fault but also identify the specific fault type.

Originality/value

The main contribution of the present study is to summarize the pre-processing methods for SCADA data, the data required for fault detection of key components and the characteristics of the fault detection model. Then we propose a general fault detection framework for wind turbines based on SCADA data, where the maintenance workers can choose the appropriate fault detection method according to different fault detection requirements and data resources. This article is expected to provide guidance for fault detection based on time-series sensor signals and be of interest to researchers, maintenance workers and managers.
The value of dermoscopy and high‐frequency ultrasound in staging morphea
Authors: Zhang Shan , Zhu Qing‐Li , Xiao Meng‐Su , Liu Jie
Published: November 2022

Morphea is an autoimmune disease characterized by skin sclerosis. According to the disease progression, morphea can be divided into inflammatory, sclerotic, and atrophic stages. Dermoscopy and high‐frequency ultrasound (HF‐US) have been applied in the noninvasive evaluation of many inflammatory diseases, but studies on the skin imaging features of the different stages of morphea are limited. To analyze the dermoscopic and HF‐US features of the different stages of morphea and explore their auxiliary value in staging the disease, we followed 34 patients with histopathology‐confirmed morphea between April 2018 and July 2021 who underwent dermoscopy and 50 and 20 MHz HF‐US. Fisher's exact test was used to assess the differences in dermoscopic and HF‐US features among patients with different stages of morphea. Seven patients were classified as the inflammatory stage, 20 as the sclerotic stage, and seven as the atrophic stage by histopathology. The most common dermoscopic features of inflammatory lesions were red structureless areas (100%) and linear curved vessels (85.7%). White clouds and shiny white streaks could be seen in 100% and 90% of sclerotic lesions, respectively. Among atrophic lesions, pigmentary structures (100%) and red structureless areas (85.7%) were the main features. In the HF‐US examination, inflammatory lesions showed hypoechogenicity around the appendages (85.7%), a hypoechogenic dermis (71.4%), and an unclear boundary between the dermis and the subcutaneous fat (71.4%). Among lesions of the sclerotic stage, the main HF‐US characteristics included a hyperechogenic dermis (85.0%), acoustic attenuation of the dermis (70.0%), and an unclear boundary between the dermis and the subcutaneous fat (85.0%). All atrophic lesions showed a hyperechogenic dermis, and 28.6% showed an unclear boundary between the dermis and the subcutaneous fat. Dermoscopy and HF‐US can reveal the characteristic features of the different stages of morphea and show good correspondence with the histopathology. Dermoscopy and HF‐US can provide important information for the staging of morphea.
Privacy‐Enhancing Factors and Consumer Concerns: The Moderating Effects of the General Data Protection Regulation
Authors: Evans Richard , Hajli Nick , Nisar Tahir M.
Published: November 2022

Privacy is a fundamental right, with humans often wanting to keep their information private. Technological advancements are now challenging this right by reducing our control and creating enhanced privacy risks. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a law introduced to protect this right. The aim of this paper is to analyse how privacy‐enhancing factors can influence consumer privacy concerns and whether these have been affected by consumer beliefs relating to the GDPR. This paper examines the influence of four privacy‐enhancing factors (i.e. organizational trust, perceived personalization value, perceived consumer control and data transparency), which mostly have personality or attitude‐like traits, and the GDPR as a moderating variable. Data were collected from 1154 respondents residing in European Union countries. Results reveal that personalization value has a significant negative relationship with privacy concerns, while consumer control shares a significant positive relationship with privacy concerns. Organizational trust and data transparency did not have a significant effect on privacy concerns. The relationship between the privacy‐enhancing factors and privacy concerns was not moderated by consumer belief in the GDPR. Implications and recommendations are provided to indicate which privacy‐enhancing factors should be chosen to reduce privacy concerns and to highlight the role of the GDPR in moderating these relationships. Ultimately, the study's findings provide useful insights for firms operating online in Europe and marketers aiming to reduce their consumers’ privacy concerns.
Homeobox protein A1‐like and DNA methylation regulate embryo‐specific Zinc finger protein 615 gene expression and embryonic development in the silkworm Bombyx mori
Authors: Tian Yu‐Lin , Fu Tong‐Yu , Zhong Qi‐En , Lin Yi‐Guang , Zheng Si‐Chun , Xu Guan‐Feng
Published: November 2022

DNA methylation and transcription factors play roles in gene expression and animal development. In insects, DNA methylation modifies gene bodies, but how DNA methylation and transcription factors regulate gene expression is unclear. In this study, we investigated the mechanism that regulates the expression of Bombyx mori Zinc finger protein 615 (ZnF 615), which is a downstream gene of DNA methyltransferase 1 (Dnmt1), and its effects on the regulation of embryonic development. By progressively truncating the ZnF 615 promoter, it was found that the −223 and −190 nt region, which contains homeobox (Hox) protein cis‐regulatory elements (CREs), had the greatest impact on the transcription of ZnF 615. RNA interference (RNAi)‐mediated knockdown and overexpression of Hox family genes showed that Hox A1‐like can enhance the messenger RNA level of ZnF 615. Further studies showed that Hox A1‐like regulates ZnF 615 expression by directly binding to the −223 and −190 nt region of its promoter. Simultaneous RNAi‐mediated knockdown or overexpression of Hox A1‐like and Dnmt1 significantly inhibited or enhanced the regulatory effect of either gene alone on ZnF 615 expression, suggesting that both DNA methylation of gene bodies and binding of transcription factors to promoters are essential for gene expression. RNAi‐mediated knockdown of Hox A1‐like and Dnmt1 showed that the embryonic development was retarded and the hatching rate was decreased. Taken together, these data suggest that Hox A1‐like and DNA methylation enhance the expression of ZnF 615, thereby affecting the development of B. mori embryos.
Digitizing the coral reef: Machine learning of underwater spectral images enables dense taxonomic mapping of benthic habitats
Authors: Schürholz Daniel , Chennu Arjun
Published: November 2022

Coral reefs are the most biodiverse marine ecosystems, and host a wide range of taxonomic diversity in a complex spatial community structure. Existing coral reef survey methods struggle to accurately capture the taxonomic detail within the complex spatial structure of benthic communities.

We propose a workflow to leverage underwater hyperspectral image transects and two machine learning algorithms to produce dense habitat maps of 1150 m2 of reefs across the Curaçao coastline. Our multi‐method workflow labelled all 500+ million pixels with one of 43 classes at taxonomic family, genus or species level for corals, algae, sponges, or to substrate labels such as sediment, turf algae and cyanobacterial mats.

With low annotation effort (only 2% of pixels) and no external data, our workflow enables accurate (Fbeta of 87%) survey‐scale mapping, with unprecedented thematic detail and with fine spatial resolution (2.5 cm/pixel). Our assessments of the composition and configuration of the benthic communities of 23 image transects showed high consistency.

Digitizing the reef habitat and community structure enables validation and novel analysis of pattern and scale in coral reef ecology. Our dense habitat maps reveal the inadequacies of point sampling methods to accurately describe reef benthic communities.
COVID‐19‐related medicine utilization study in pregnancy: The COVI‐PREG cohort
Authors: Favre Guillaume , Gerbier Eva , Maisonneuve Emeline , Pomar Léo , Winterfeld Ursula , Lepigeon Karine , Bloemenkamp Kitty W. M. , de Bruin Odette , Hurley Eimir , Nordeng Hedvig , Siiskonen Satu J. , Sturkenboom Miriam C. J. M. , Baud David , Panchaud Alice ,   the COVI‐PREG and CONSIGN group
Published: November 2022

Aim

The objective of this study was to describe the use of COVID‐19‐related medicines during pregnancy and their evolution between the early/late periods of the pandemic.

Methods

Pregnant women who tested positive for SARS‐CoV‐2 from March 2020 to July 2021 were included using the COVI‐PREG registry. Exposure to the following COVID‐19‐related medicines was recorded: antibiotics, antivirals, hydroxychloroquine, corticosteroids, anti‐interleukin‐6 and immunoglobulins. We described the prevalence of medicines used, by trimester of pregnancy, maternal COVID‐19 severity level and early/late period of the pandemic (before and after 1 July 2020).

Findings

We included 1964 pregnant patients who tested positive for SARS‐CoV‐2. Overall, 10.4% (205/1964) received at least one COVID‐19‐related medicine including antibiotics (8.6%; 169/1694), corticosteroids (3.2%; 62/1964), antivirals (2.0%; 39/1964), hydroxychloroquine (1.4%; 27/1964) and anti‐interleukin‐6 (0.3%; 5/1964). The use of at least one COVID‐19‐related medicine was 3.1% (12/381) in asymptomatic individuals, 4.2% (52/1233) in outpatients, 19.7% (46/233) in inpatients without oxygen, 72.1% (44/61) in those requiring standard oxygen, 95.7% (22/23) in those requiring high flow oxygen, 96.2% (25/26) in patients who required intubation and 57.1% (4/7) among patients who died. The proportion who received medicines to treat COVID‐19 was higher before than after July 2020 (16.7% vs. 7.7%). Antibiotics, antivirals and hydroxychloroquine had lower rates of use during the late period.

Conclusion

Medicine use in pregnancy increased with disease severity. The trend towards increased use of corticosteroids seems to be aligned with changing guidelines. Evidence is still needed regarding the effectiveness and safety of COVID‐19‐related medicines in pregnancy.
Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interaction between DWP16001, an sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor and metformin in healthy subjects
Authors: Kim Byungwook , Huh Ki Young , Hwang Jun Gi , Nah JaeJin , Huh Wan , Cho Jae Min , Jang In‐Jin , Yu Kyung‐Sang , Kim Yun , Lee SeungHwan
Published: November 2022

Aims

DWP16001 is a novel sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor for the treatment of type 2 diabetes with selective and sustained sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibition. We aimed to evaluate whether the coadministration of DWP16001 and metformin causes any changes in pharmacokinetics (PK) or pharmacodynamics (PD).

Methods

A randomized, open‐label, single‐ and multiple‐dose, 2‐sequence, crossover study was conducted in healthy male subjects. Subjects received the following treatments: a single oral dose of DWP16001 (DWP) 2 mg, metformin immediate release 1000 mg (MET) twice daily for 7 days and a single oral dose of DWP and MET at steady‐state for metformin (DWP+MET). Serial blood and interval urine were collected for PK and PD analyses. Safety and tolerability profiles were assessed throughout the study.

Results

DWP+MET displayed increased peak concentration and area under the concentration–time curve from time 0 to time of the last quantifiable concentration compared with DWP (per standard bioequivalence boundaries, 0.8–1.25); the geometric mean ratios (GMRs) and their 90% confidence intervals (CIs) were 1.22 (1.13–1.31) and 1.09 (1.05–1.14), respectively. DWP+MET and MET showed similar peak concentration and area under the concentration–time curve within a dosing interval at steady state for metformin; the GMRs and 90% CIs were 0.98 (0.90–1.06) and 1.05 (0.98–1.13), respectively. The amount of urinary glucose excretion from time 0 to 144 h was also comparable between DWP+MET and DWP (GMR and 90% CI; 0.99, 0.94–1.05).

Conclusion

The results suggest that DWP16001 and metformin could be coadministered without clinically relevant PK and PD interactions.
In vivo human keyhole limpet hemocyanin challenge in early phase drug development: A systematic review
Authors: Drennan Philip G. , Karponis Dimitrios , Richards Duncan , Coles Mark , Fullerton James N.
Published: November 2022

Experimental exposure of healthy volunteers to the T‐cell dependent neoantigen keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) permits the evaluation of immunomodulatory investigational medicinal product (IMP) pharmacology prior to the recruitment of patient populations. Despite widespread use, no standardized approach to the design and conduct of such studies has been agreed. The objective of this systematic review was to survey the published literature where KLH was used as a challenge agent, describing methodology, therapeutic targets addressed, and pharmacodynamic outcome measures. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, clinicaltrials.gov, and Cochrane CENTRAL for studies using KLH challenge in humans between January 1, 1994, and April 1, 2022. We described key study features, including KLH formulation, dose, use of adjuvants, route of administration, co‐administered IMPs, and end points. Of 2421 titles and abstracts screened, 46 met the inclusion criteria, including 14 (31%) early phase trials of IMP, of which 10 (71%) targeted T‐cell co‐stimulation. IMPs with diverse mechanisms demonstrated modulation of the humoral response to KLH, suggesting limited specificity of this end point. Two early phase IMP studies (14%) described the response to intradermal re‐challenge (delayed type hypersensitivity). Challenge regimens for IMP assessment were often incompletely described, and exhibited marked heterogeneity, including primary KLH dose (25‐fold variation: 100–2500 mcg), KLH formulation, and co‐administration with adjuvants. Methodological heterogeneity and failure to exploit the access to tissue‐level mechanism‐relevant end points afforded by KLH challenge has impaired the translational utility of this paradigm to date. Future standardization, characterization, and methodological development is required to permit tailored, appropriately powered, mechanism‐dependent study design to optimize drug development decisions.
Developmental changes in the categorization of speech and song
Authors: Vanden Bosch der Nederlanden Christina M. , Qi Xin , Sequeira Sarah , Seth Prakhar , Grahn Jessica A. , Joanisse Marc F. , Hannon Erin E.
Published: November 2022

Music and language are two fundamental forms of human communication. Many studies examine the development of music‐ and language‐specific knowledge, but few studies compare how listeners know they are listening to music or language. Although we readily differentiate these domains, how we distinguish music and language—and especially speech and song— is not obvious. In two studies, we asked how listeners categorize speech and song. Study 1 used online survey data to illustrate that 4‐ to 17‐year‐olds and adults have verbalizable distinctions for speech and song. At all ages, listeners described speech and song differences based on acoustic features, but compared with older children, 4‐ to 7‐year‐olds more often used volume to describe differences, suggesting that they are still learning to identify the features most useful for differentiating speech from song. Study 2 used a perceptual categorization task to demonstrate that 4–8‐year‐olds and adults readily categorize speech and song, but this ability improves with age especially for identifying song. Despite generally rating song as more speech‐like, 4‐ and 6‐year‐olds rated ambiguous speech–song stimuli as more song‐like than 8‐year‐olds and adults. Four acoustic features predicted song ratings: F0 instability, utterance duration, harmonicity, and spectral flux. However, 4‐ and 6‐year‐olds’ song ratings were better predicted by F0 instability than by harmonicity and utterance duration. These studies characterize how children develop conceptual and perceptual understandings of speech and song and suggest that children under age 8 are still learning what features are important for categorizing utterances as speech or song.

Research Highlights

Children and adults conceptually and perceptually categorize speech and song from age 4.

Listeners use F0 instability, harmonicity, spectral flux, and utterance duration to determine whether vocal stimuli sound like song.

Acoustic cue weighting changes with age, becoming adult‐like at age 8 for perceptual categorization and at age 12 for conceptual differentiation.

Young children are still learning to categorize speech and song, which leaves open the possibility that music‐ and language‐specific skills are not so domain‐specific.
Public governance and firm total factor productivity: Evidence from a quasi‐natural event in China
Authors: Cheng Maoyong , Li Zhenjun
Published: November 2022

Employing a quasi‐natural event, that is, gangdom and evil forces (GEs) elimination in China, we examine how public governance proxied by GEs elimination affects firm total factor productivity (TFP) using data on Chinese‐listed firms between 2009 and 2020. Our findings show that GEs elimination significantly reduces firm TFP through two complementary channels: increase in environmental uncertainty and the weakening of the protective umbrella. We also reveal that the effects of GEs elimination on firm TFP are more prominent in SOEs and in firms exposed to weaker media attention. Our main results pass a series of robustness and endogeneity checks. We provide clear policy implications to regulators by identifying firm‐level evidence.
Soil fertility shifts the relative importance of saprotrophic and mycorrhizal fungi for maintaining ecosystem stability
Authors: Zhang Hongjin , Dong Lizheng , Yao Xiaodong , Wang Wei
Published: November 2022

Soil microbial communities are essential for regulating the dynamics of plant productivity. However, how soil microbes mediate temporal stability of plant productivity at large scales across various soil fertility conditions remains unclear. Here, we combined a regional survey of 51 sites in the temperate grasslands of northern China with a global grassland survey of 120 sites to assess the potential roles of soil microbial diversity in regulating ecosystem stability. The temporal stability of plant productivity was quantified as the ratio of the mean normalized difference vegetation index to its standard deviation. Soil fungal diversity, but not bacterial diversity, was positively associated with ecosystem stability, and particular fungal functional groups determined ecosystem stability under contrasting conditions of soil fertility. The richness of soil fungal saprobes was positively correlated with ecosystem stability under high‐fertility conditions, while a positive relationship was observed with the richness of mycorrhizal fungi under low‐fertility conditions. These relationships were maintained after accounting for plant diversity and environmental factors. Our findings highlight the essential role of fungal diversity in maintaining stable grassland productivity, and suggest that future studies incorporating fungal functional groups into biodiversity–stability relationships will advance our understanding of their linkages under different fertility conditions.
Stress rupture of SiC/SiC composite tubes under high‐temperature steam
Authors: Koyanagi Takaaki , Karakoc Omer , Hawkins Charles , Lara‐Curzio Edgar , Deck Christian , Katoh Yutai
Published: November 2022

SiC‐fiber–reinforced SiC matrix composite cladding for light water reactor fuel elements must withstand high‐temperature steam oxidation in a loss‐of‐coolant accident scenario (LOCA). Current composite designs include an outer monolithic SiC layer, in part, to increase steam oxidation resistance. However, it is not clear how such a structure would behave under high‐temperature steam in the case when the monolithic layer cracks and carbon interphases and SiC fibers are exposed to the environment. To fill this knowledge gap, stress‐rupture tests of prototypic SiC composite cladding at 1000°C under steam and inert environments were conducted. The applied stress was ∼120 MPa, which was beyond the initial cracking stress. The failure lifetime under steam was 400–1300 s, while 75% of the composite specimens did not fail after 3 h of total exposure under inert gases. Microstructural observations suggest that steam oxidation activated slow crack growth in the fibers, which led to failure of the composite. The results from this study suggest that stress rupture in steam environments could be a limiting factor of the cladding under reactor LOCA conditions.
ARID1A downregulation promotes cell proliferation and migration of colon cancer via VIM activation and CDH1 suppression
Authors: Baldi Salem , Zhang Qianshi , Zhang Zhenyu , Safi Mohammed , Khamgan Hassan , Wu Han , Zhang Mengyan , Qian Yuanyuan , Gao Yina , Shopit Abdullah , Al‐Danakh Abdullah , Alradhi Mohammed , Al‐Nusaif Murad , Zuo Yunfei
Published: November 2022

According to our prior findings, ARID1A expression is decreased in colon cancer, which has a poor prognosis. In this study, we investigated the ARID1A‐VIM/CDH1 signalling axis's role in colon cancer proliferation and migration. The differentially expressed genes in cells that might be controlled by ARID1A were discovered by a database screening for ARID1A knockout. qPCR was used to analyse ARID1A and EMT markers expression levels in colon cancer. We utilized siRNA RID1A to explore the influence of ARID1A silencing on EMT in CRC cells. The function of ARID1A in the colon was investigated utilizing the wound healing, transwell and CCK‐8 WST‐ assays. The molecular mechanism by which ARID1A regulates VIM and CDH1 was elucidated using chip‐qPCR. Numerous genes involved in EMT were dysregulated in the absence of ARID1A. VIM expression increased in cells lacking ARID1A expression and vice versa. Many COAD samples with high ARID1A mRNA expression had low VIM mRNA expression, despite the relevance. CDH1 gene was positively correlated with ARID1A. Moreover, siRNA‐ARID1A‐transfected cells accelerated cell migration and invasion and increased cell proliferation rate in vitro. Chip‐qPCR analysis showed that ARID1A binds to the promoters of both genes and changes their expression in colon cancer. ARID1A inactivation is associated with VIM activation and CDH1 suppression, which might serve as crucial molecules influencing COAD prognosis, accelerate tumour progression, and shorten patients' survival time, and promote metastases of COAD. Thus, depletion of ARID1A can be therapeutically exploited by targeting downstream effects to improve cancer treatment‐related outcomes.
A ‘Geopolitical Commission’: Supranationalism Meets Global Power Competition
Authors: Haroche Pierre
Published: November 2022

This article examines the origins and operationalisation of the concept of a ‘geopolitical Commission’, which has been promoted by President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen since 2019. This concept has been used to guide the stronger co‐ordination of the external aspects of the Commission's work. It is also symptomatic of the growing role of strategic considerations in the Commission's recent initiatives, particularly through the objective of strengthening the EU's ‘open strategic autonomy’. To explain this phenomenon, I combine three different theoretical perspectives: neorealism, neofunctionalism, and geoeconomics. I conclude that the geopolitical Commission should be understood as the result of the interactions between exogenous factors – the intensification of global power competition and the rise of geoeconomic strategies – and endogenous factors, such as the rivalry between the Commission and the European External Action Service and the functional link between the Commission's economic powers and international security issues.
Shared decision‐making in the realm of uncertainty: The example of coronary artery disease through an EBM and complexity science lens
Authors: Sturmberg Joachim P. , Kissling Bruno , Kühlein Thomas
Published: November 2022

Patients look to their clinicians for explanations and treatments that achieve predictable cures with certainty. Clinicians usually respond accordingly. Acknowledging uncertainty, while necessary, is difficult, anxiety‐provoking and at times overwhelming for patients and clinicians alike. We here present three case studies to illustrate the uncertainties of managing patients with potentially life‐threatening illnesses. Research aims to provide answers to clinical problems. But, conducting research almost inevitably entails a reduction of real‐world complexities. Research ultimately can only provide ‘partial or in general answers’ mostly revealing new questions. Due to the complexity of clinical care, research cannot really achieve certainty and predictability for an individual within his specific living context and values. In an unavoidably uncertain environment, instead of oversimplifying, clinicians like patients—as far as possible—ought to better embrace a complexity thinking frame. This provides a deeper understanding how living bodies function as‐a‐whole within their living contexts. Uncertainty and unpredictability, being inherent elements of complexity thinking, cannot be overcome. However, it may be made easier to cope with uncertainty by at least adopting the thinking in probabilities for benefits and harms of patient related outcomes as introduced in Sackett's Evidence‐Based Medicine framework. Through the lenses of evidence‐based medicine and complexity sciences this paper critically explores the clinical management of three patients diagnosed as having coronary artery disease. They all received the same treatment even though they presented with very different clinical complaints arising from different disease manifestations. Looking at these case studies the authors reflect on the reasons behind this astonishing, but widely seen medical behaviour of ‘one size fits all’. They critically reflect the importance of research and evidence in view of a person‐centred solution.
A recombinant baculovirus vector vaccine (BacMCP) against the infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV)
Authors: Zhu Min , Shen Zeen , Gu Yuchao , Tong Xinyu , Zhang Yaxin , Pan Jun , Feng Yongjie , Hu Xiaolong , Wang Yujun , Cao Guangli , Xue Renyu , Gong Chengliang
Published: November 2022

The infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) is a highly lethal virus, which has brought significant losses to aquaculture. Therefore, a new vaccine against ISKNV with high efficiency, safety and convenience must be developed. While baculoviruses are more commonly used as protein expression systems for vaccine antigen production, this paper used baculovirus technology to develop a live‐vector vaccine, BacMCP, which contains the coding sequence of the major capsid protein (MCP) (GenBank accession no. AF371960) of ISKNV and is driven by a CMV promoter. Real‐time PCR and immunofluorescence showed that the MCP gene was successfully delivered to and expressed in fish cells and tissues inoculated with BacMCP. Immune‐related gene (IgM, TGF‐β, IL‐1, IL‐8, TNF‐α) expression was induced in BacMCP‐treated groups of largemouth bass compared with control groups. Specific antibodies could be detected in the serum of BacMCP injection‐vaccinated largemouth bass by ELISA. After injection or immersion vaccination with BacMCP for 21 days, largemouth bass were infected with ISKNV. The immune effect of the injected immunization on fish in different sizes was evaluated. The vaccine efficacy of injection‐vaccinated bass was 100% in small bass and 85.7% in large bass. The vaccine efficacy of immersion‐vaccinated small bass was 77.3%. This study suggested that BacMCP can be used as a vector‐based vaccine candidate to prevent the diseases caused by ISKNV infection.
Lianas rapidly colonize early stages of tropical forests, presumably through leaf trait diversification
Authors: Mumbanza Francis M. , Bauters Marijn , Makelele Isaac , Meunier Félicien , Kearsley Elizabeth , Boeckx Pascal , Verheyen Kris , Ewango Corneille , Mbula Innocent M. , Lubini Constantin A. , Verbeeck Hans
Published: November 2022

Questions

Ecological succession is the process during which ecosystems recover after disturbances. Studies investigating community reassembly during tropical forest succession have rarely compared lianas to trees. We addressed two questions: (1) how do changes in stem density, total basal area and species richness of lianas and trees compare throughout a secondary succession, and to what extent does the relative basal area of lianas change along a secondary succession; and (2) how do the successional trajectories of functional community trait values of lianas and trees compare?

Location

Yoko forest reserve, central Congo basin.

Methods

Using univariate Bayesian modeling techniques, we analyzed differences in successional pathways between lianas and trees in terms of community structure, and functional assembly in a replicated chronosequence spanning from young to old‐growth forests.

Results

We found divergent structural trajectories between lianas and trees along the forest chronosequence. The stem density of lianas peaked at the intermediate stage, while that of trees almost linearly decreased from early to late stages of succession. The basal area of lianas increased at a higher rate than that of trees, which translated into a marginal increase of liana relative basal area over succession. On the contrary, we observed a lower rate of increase in species richness for lianas than trees over succession. We found a progressive convergence in the responses of lianas and trees to changes with succession in terms of specific leaf area and leaf nitrogen content, but a diverging response in terms of leaf phosphorus content. These functional composition patterns most probably resulted from environmental filtering, induced by a change from nitrogen to phosphorus limitation as the succession progressed to a mature forest.

Conclusions

These findings underscore the rapid colonization of tropical forests by lianas after agricultural abandonment, presumably by deploying a more diverse leaf economic spectrum early in succession.
The Aer2 chemoreceptor from Vibrio vulnificus is a tri‐PAS‐heme oxygen sensor
Authors: Stuffle Erwin C. , Suzuki Tise , Orillard Emilie , Watts Kylie J.
Published: November 2022

The marine pathogen Vibrio vulnificus senses and responds to environmental stimuli via two chemosensory systems and 42–53 chemoreceptors. Here, we present an analysis of the V. vulnificus Aer2 chemoreceptor, VvAer2, which is the first V. vulnificus chemoreceptor to be characterized. VvAer2 is related to the Aer2 receptors of other gammaproteobacteria, but uncharacteristically contains three PAS domains (PAS1‐3), rather than one or two. Using an E. coli chemotaxis hijack assay, we determined that VvAer2, like other Aer2 receptors, senses and responds to O2. All three VvAer2 PAS domains bound pentacoordinate b‐type heme and exhibited similar O2 affinities. PAS2 and PAS3 both stabilized O2 via conserved Iβ‐Trp residues, but PAS1, which was easily oxidized in vitro, was unaffected by Iβ‐Trp replacement. Our results support a model in which PAS1 is largely dispensable for O2‐mediated signaling, whereas PAS2 modulates PAS3 signaling, and PAS3 signals to the downstream domains. Each PAS domain appeared to be positionally optimized, because PAS swapping caused altered signaling properties, and neither PAS1 nor PAS2 could replace PAS3. Our findings strengthen previous conclusions that Aer2 receptors are O2 sensors, but with distinct N‐terminal domain arrangements that facilitate, modulate and tune responses based on environmental signals.
Leukemia/lymphoma oral infiltration and its impact on disease outcomes: A Brazilian study
Authors: de Sena Ana Carolina Velasco Pondé , de Arruda José Alcides Almeida , Bemquerer Larissa Marques , Pantuzzo Erika Soares , Kakehasi Fabiana Maria , Fonseca Felipe Paiva , Fournier Benjamin P. J. , Abreu Lucas Guimarães , Travassos Denise Vieira , Silva Tarcília Aparecida
Published: November 2022

Objective

Oral malignant infiltrations (OMI) are relevant for the diagnosis and prognosis of leukemia/lymphoma. This study analysed the oral health status and OMI of individuals with leukemia/lymphoma.

Materials and Methods

A retrospective analysis (2010–2021) of data from individuals seen at a specialized hospital‐based dental service in Brazil.

Results

A total of 781 cases of leukemia/lymphoma were surveyed. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (30.1%), acute myeloid leukemia (AML; 26.0%), and non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (22.2%) were the most common diagnoses. The first (21.3%) and second (19.3%) decades of life were the most affected. Overall, dental caries (36.7%) and periodontal changes (34.6%) were the most frequent oral conditions. OMI occurred in 25 (3.2%) individuals. Lesions mainly involved the gingiva (80%) and patients diagnosed with AML (64%). Death (p < 0.001) and worse periodontal condition (p = 0.036) were more frequent among adults with OMI than among those without OMI. Death (p = 0.002) was more frequent among paediatric individuals with OMI than among those without OMI. When controlling for underlying disease, no association was observed between OMI and these outcomes.

Conclusion

Oral status of individuals with leukemia, particularly those with acute leukemia or lymphoma, should be closely monitored since one or multiple conditions may occur, including OMI, which may influence disease outcomes.
EPFL peptide signalling ensures robust self‐pollination success under cool temperature stress by aligning the length of the stamen and pistil
Authors: Negoro Satomi , Hirabayashi Tomo , Iwasaki Rie , Torii Keiko U. , Uchida Naoyuki
Published: November 2022

Successful sexual reproduction of plants requires temperature‐sensitive processes, and temperature stress sometimes causes developmental asynchrony between male and female reproductive tissues. In Arabidopsis thaliana, self‐pollination occurs when the stamen and pistil lengths are aligned in a single flower so that pollens at the stamen tip are delivered to the stigma at the pistil tip. Although intercellular signalling acts in several reproduction steps, how signalling molecules, including secreted peptides, contribute to the synchronous growth of reproductive tissues remains limited. Here, we show that the mutant of the secreted peptide EPIDERMAL PATTERNING FACTOR LIKE 6 (EPFL6), which shows no phenotypes at a moderate temperature, fails in fruit production at a cool temperature due to insufficient elongation of stamens. EPFL6 is expressed in stamen filaments and promotes filament elongation to achieve the alignment of stamen and pistil lengths at a cool temperature. We also found that, at a moderate temperature, all EPFL6‐subfamily genes are required for stamen elongation. Furthermore, we showed that ERECTA (ER), known as a common receptor for EPFL‐family peptides, mediates the stamen–pistil growth coordination. Lastly, we provided evidence that modulation of ER activity rescues the reproduction failure caused by insufficient stamen elongation by realigning the stamen and pistil lengths.
Naming and analyticity
Authors: Capuano Antonio
Published: November 2022

My aim in this paper is to connect naming and analyticity and to argue that, like “Hesperus is Hesperus”, “Hesperus is Phosphorus” is analytic. In the paper, I also discuss several other unexpected cases of analytic truth like “Aristotle existed”.
Performance Prediction Method for Forward Variable Area Bypass Injector of Variable Cycle Engine Based on Numerical Simulation
Authors: Zhen Man , Dong Xue-zhi , Zheng Jun-chao , Liu Xi-yang , Tan Chun-qing
Published: November 2022

As an evolutional concept of aero engine, the variable cycle engine (VCE) can adjust the thermodynamic cycle via working on different modes to meet different flight missions. These working modes lead to the performance and stability of variable geometries for mode switching under different mission profiles. This paper aims at the performance prediction under different working conditions on the key variable geometry, namely, the forward variable area bypass injector (FVABI). The rotary and translating mathematical calculation models are established and validated via the three-dimensional numerical simulation. It considers the choked flow state caused by area change at FVABI and mode selector valve (MSV). The variable geometry schedules at the typical subsonic cruise working condition are analyzed based on the zero-dimensional engine performance model. It verifies the efficiency of the improved zero-dimensional bypass mixing calculation model to predict the mixing characteristics of the FVABI on different operating modes. The maximum error of the total pressure recovery coefficient and the ejection ratio is 2.3% and 6.2%, respectively. This performance prediction method can lay foundations for the variable geometry design and performance optimization of the VCE under typical mission profiles.
Design of a Novel Tendon-Sheath-Driven Upper Limb Exoskeleton for Assisting Surgeon Performing Microlaryngoscopic Surgery
Authors: Wang Zhengyu , Song Wenjun , Qian Sen , Wang Daoming , Jia Zirui , Yu Xiang
Published: November 2022

Microlaryngoscopic surgery is a type of laryngeal surgery performed by surgeons using microsurgical instruments under the observation of a specially designed laryngoscope. While performing a microlaryngoscopic operation, the surgeons must maintain their arms' position for a long time, which can cause arms' soreness and affect the accuracy of the operation. In this study, a tendon-sheath-driven upper limb auxiliary exoskeleton (TULAE) is proposed and developed. The flexible cables are compressed by a wave-shaped pressing mechanism to fix the TULAE's rotating joints. The TULAE can assist surgeons in laryngoscopy operations by providing suitable support for their arms to reduce the surgical risks caused by muscle fatigue. The TULAE has four degrees-of-freedom (DOFs) on each arm. The shoulder flexion/extension, shoulder abduction/adduction, and elbow internal rotation/external rotation can be fixed by the control box. The shoulder internal rotation/external rotation is a passive DOF obtained using hinges. The TULAE's shoulder, upper arm and forearm links are designed with lengths adjustable to accommodate wearers of different heights and weights. A large-scale but risk-free workspace is analyzed through rigid body kinematics using the spinor method. The control hardware of the TULAE is developed based on the open-source Arduino board. Finally, the experimental results show that this TULAE can significantly reduce the range of wrists shaking and assist surgeons in laryngoscopy surgery.
Synthetic Fault Mode Generation for Resilience Analysis and Failure Mechanism Discovery
Authors: Hulse Daniel , Irshad Lukman
Published: November 2022

Traditional risk-based design processes seek to mitigate operational hazards by manually identifying possible faults and devising corresponding mitigation strategies—a tedious process which critically relies on the designer’s limited knowledge. In contrast, resilience-based design seeks to embody generic hazard-mitigating properties in the system to mitigate unknown hazards, often by modelling the system’s response to potential randomly generated hazardous events. This work creates a framework to adapt these scenario generation approaches to the traditional risk-based design process to synthetically generate fault modes by representing them as a unique combination of internal component fault states, which can then be injected and simulated in a model of system failure dynamics. Based on these simulations, the designer may then better understand the underlying failure mechanisms and mitigate them by design. The performance of this approach is evaluated in a model of an autonomous rover, where cluster analysis shows that elaborating the faulty state-space in the drive system uncovers a wider range of possible hazardous trajectories and failure consequences within each trajectory than would be uncovered from manual mode identification. However, this increase in hazard information gained from exhaustive mode sampling comes at a high computational expense, highlighting the need for advanced, efficient methods to search and sample the faulty state-space.
A sweet solution to complex microprinting
Authors: Johnson Blake N.
Published: November 2022

A simple sugar mixture transfers functional components to surfaces with intricate geometry
Autobiography of a gut bacterium
Authors: Schmidt Florian
Published: November 2022

Recordings of transient transcriptional events shed light on the gut microbiome
Impact of community asymptomatic rapid antigen testing on covid-19 related hospital admissions: synthetic control study
Authors: Zhang Xingna , Barr Ben , Green Mark , Hughes David , Ashton Matthew , Charalampopoulos Dimitrios , García-Fiñana Marta , Buchan Iain
Published: November 2022

Objective

To analyse the impact of voluntary rapid testing for SARS-CoV-2 antigen in Liverpool city on covid-19 related hospital admissions.

Design

Synthetic control analysis comparing hospital admissions for small areas in the intervention population with a group of control areas weighted to be similar for past covid-19 related hospital admission rates and sociodemographic factors.

Setting

Liverpool city, UK, 6 November 2020 to 2 January 2021, under the intervention of Covid-SMART (systematic meaningful asymptomatic repeated testing) voluntary, open access supervised self-testing with lateral flow devices, compared with control areas selected from the rest of England.

Population

General population of Liverpool (n=498 042) and a synthetic control population from the rest of England.

Main outcome measure

Weekly covid-19 related hospital admissions for neighbourhoods in England.

Results

The introduction of community testing was associated with a 43% (95% confidence interval 29% to 57%) reduction (146 (96 to 192) in total) in covid-19 related hospital admissions in Liverpool compared with the synthetic control population (non-adjacent set of neighbourhoods with aggregate trends in covid-19 hospital admissions similar to Liverpool) for the initial period of intensive testing with military assistance in national lockdown from 6 November to 3 December 2020. A 25% (11% to 35%) reduction (239 (104 to 333) in total) was estimated across the overall intervention period (6 November 2020 to 2 January 2021), involving fewer testing centres, before England’s national roll-out of community testing, after adjusting for regional differences in tiers of covid-19 restrictions from 3 December 2020 to 2 January 2021.

Conclusions

The city-wide pilot of community based asymptomatic testing for SARS-CoV-2 was associated with substantially reduced covid-19 related hospital admissions. Large scale asymptomatic rapid testing for SARS-CoV-2 could help reduce transmission and prevent hospital admissions.