bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complete sequencing of the mouse pseudoautosomal region, the most rapidly evolving ‘chromosome’
Authors: Kasahara Takaoki , Mekada Kazuyuki , Abe Kuniya , Ashworth Alan , Kato Tadafumi
Published: March 2022

The pseudoautosomal region (PAR) of mammalian sex chromosomes is a small region of sequence identity that allows pairing, crossover, recombination, and proper chromosome segregation during male meiosis. The structure of the mouse PAR is largely unknown. Here, we developed a new assembly method to robustly resolve repetitive sequences and employed highly accurate long-read sequencing data to reveal the entire PAR sequence. The PAR of the widely-used inbred strain C57BL/6J is ∼700 kb, comprising 10 protein- coding genes in a mass of complex repetitive sequences. A large segmental duplication exhibiting copy-number polymorphisms even among C57BL/6J littermates is present. High GC-content exons and short introns are common properties of PAR genes and are the consequence of maintaining gene function, while PAR is rapidly evolving. Elucidating the mouse PAR sequence completes the mouse euchromatic genome sequencing and enables the exploration of the function and evolution of the PAR using modern molecular genetic approaches.
Versican binds collagen via its G3 domain and regulates the organization and mechanics of collagenous matrices
Authors: Chen Dongning , Du Yu , Llewellyn Jessica , Bonna Arkadiusz , Zuo Biao , Janmey Paul A. , Farndale Richard W. , Wells Rebecca G.
Published: March 2022

Type I collagen is the most abundant structural protein in the body and, with other fibrillar collagens, forms the fibrous network of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Another group of ECM polymers, the glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and GAG-modified proteoglycans, play important roles in regulating collagen behaviors and contribute to the compositional, structural and mechanical complexity of the ECM. While the binding between collagen and small leucine-rich proteoglycans (SLRPs) has been studied in detail, the interactions between collagen and the large bottlebrush proteoglycan versican are not well understood. Here, we report that versican binds collagen directly and regulates collagen structure and mechanics. Versican colocalizes with collagen fibers in vivo and binds to collagen via its C-terminal G3 domain (a non-GAG-modified domain present in all known versican isoforms) in vitro; it promotes the deposition of a highly-aligned collagen-rich matrix by fibroblasts. Versican also shows an unexpected effect on the rheology of collagen gels in vitro, causing decreased stiffness and attenuated shear strain stiffening, and the cleavage of versican in liver results in reduced tissue compression stiffening. Thus, versican is an important collagen binding partner, playing a role in modulating collagen organization and mechanics.
A four-dimensional model for the Ba–Ti–O dodecagonal quasicrystal
Authors: Yamada Tsunetomo
Published: March 2022

A four-dimensional (4D) model is presented of the first oxide dodecagonal quasicrystal found in a Ba–Ti–O ultra-thin film on a Pt(111) single-crystal substrate. The 4D model, with a 4D dodecagonal lattice constant a

d
 = 8.39 Å, was derived by considering a tile decoration model of dodecagonal Niizeki–Gähler tiling composed of squares, triangles and 30° rhombuses. The model consists of four kinds of occupation domain, and 4D positional vectors defining the shape of each occupation domain are given. Moreover, the atomic arrangement of two Ba–Ti–O periodic approximants, the sigma-phase approximant and a 25.6 Å approximant were derived from the 4D model by the introduction of linear phason strains.
Correlating structural complexity and acoustic noise performance of electric motors
Authors: Ibrahim Issah , Mohammadi Mohammad Hossain , Ghorbanian Vahid , Lowther David
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Acoustic noise is a crucial performance index in the design of electrical machines. Due to the challenges associated with modelling a complete motor, the stator is often used to estimate the sound power in the prototyping stage. While this approach greatly reduces lengthy simulations, the actual sound power of the motor may not be known. But, from the acoustic noise standpoint, not much is known about the correlation between the stator and complete motor. This paper, therefore, aims to use the sound pressure levels of the stator and the full motor to investigate the existence of correlations in the interior permanent magnet synchronous motor.

Design/methodology/approach

A multiphysics simulation framework is proposed to evaluate the sound pressure levels of multiple motor geometries in a given design space. Then, a statistical analysis is performed on the calculated sound pressure levels of each geometry over a selected speed range to compare the correlation strength between the stator and the full model.

Findings

It was established that the stator and the complete motor model are moderately correlated. As such, a reliance on the stator sound power for design and optimization routines could yield inaccurate results.

Originality/value

The main contribution involves the use of statistical tools to study the relationship between sound pressure levels associated with the stator geometry and the complete electric motor by increasing the motor sample size to capture subtle acoustic correlation trends in the design space of the interior permanent magnet synchronous motor.
Experimental verification of STATCOM based on quasi impedance source inverter for power quality enhancement in the hybrid distributed generation system
Authors: R. Karthick , C. Ramakrishnan , S. Sridhar
Published: March 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to introduce the quasi impedance source inverter (qZSI)-based static compensator (STATCOM), which is incorporated into the hybrid distributed power generation system for enhancement of power quality. The distributed power generation system includes the photovoltaic (PV), wind energy conversion system (WECS) and battery energy storage system.

Design/methodology/approach

The WECS is used by the self-excited induction generator (SEIG) and the flywheel energy storage system (FESS). To regulate its terminal voltage and frequency, the SEIG requires adjustable volt-ampere reactive (VAR). A combination of a STATCOM and a fixed condenser bank usually serves to satisfy the VAR demand. The maximum correntropy criterion-based adaptive filter technique (AFT) is proposed to control the qZSI-STATCOM and to guarantee that the voltage at the SEIG terminal is harmonic-free while providing non-linear three-phase and single-phase loads.

Findings

The coordinated operation of the suggested voltage control and flywheel control systems ensures that load voltage and frequency are retained in their respective values at very low harmonic distortions regardless of wind speed and load variation. The simulation and experimental studies are carried out under different load conditions to validate the efficiencies of the PV-assisted STATCOM.

Originality/value

To improve system stability and minimize total costs, extra load current sensors can also be avoided. This paper proposes to control the SEIG terminal voltage and harmonic elimination in the standalone WECS systems using maximum correntropy criterion-based AFT with a fuzzy logic controller.
Oil price shocks on shale oil supply and energy security: a case study of the United States
Authors: Kazemzadeh Emad , Ahmadi Shadmehri Mohammad Taher , Ebrahimi Salari Taghi , Salehnia Narges , Pooya Alireza
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine oil price shocks on US shale oil supply and energy security during the period 2000q1–2020q4.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, the Shannon–Wiener index was used to calculate energy security, and then a structural vector autoregression (VAR) was applied to measure the effect of oil price shocks.

Findings

The results of the variance decomposition indicate that oil prices account for about 20% of changes in US shale oil production, while it explains only about 3% of changes in energy security. Finally, historical decomposition confirms the results of impulse response functions.

Originality/value

The novelty of this study is that so far, no study has examined the effect of oil price shock on shale oil production and energy security in the USA using the structural VAR model. This study also used the latest Shannon–Wiener index as a measure of energy security in the USA. The reason for selecting this index is that, in addition to considering the share of the total consumption of each primary energy, the share of energy imports from each country as well as the political risk of energy exporting countries to the USA are also included.
Strategic alliances and firms’ chances to survive “black swans” in B2B industries
Authors: Xue Rui , Li Lee
Published: March 2022

Purpose

This study aims to propose that, in business-to-business (B2B) industries, number of strategic alliances firms established before a “black swan” event enhances their chances to survive the black swan, and the enhancements take place through moderation effects. Changes in firms’ core structures – their stated goals, authority structure, core technologies and marketing strategies – to adapt to business jolts have adverse effects on firm performance. Firms’ existing B2B strategic alliances moderate the effects negatively by outsourcing different goals, authority structures, core technologies and marketing strategies to partners who fit the changed environment.

Design/methodology/approach

This study collected quantitative data and analyzed the data with the regression method.

Findings

Using data from Chinese firms in five technology industries during the 2007–2009 economic crisis, this study finds that firms’ internal adaptation is negatively correlated with their performance during economic crises, and B2B strategic alliances negatively moderate this relationship.

Research limitations/implications

First, this study focuses on B2B strategic alliances, and it is not clear whether the findings apply to B2C industries, where strategic alliances may not be common. Perhaps firms can use other means of survival in addition to strategic alliances in B2C industries. Second, this study does not differentiate between fast-moving and slow-moving industries, and it is not clear whether strategic alliances play the same role in both industries. Third, this study does not differentiate firm ages and sizes. It remains unclear how large, established and small, young firms differ when facing crises. Finally, this study is based on the Chinese setting, and it is not clear whether the findings apply to other markets as well. These issues should be explored in future studies.

Practical implications

Changing firms’ core structures harms their performance during black swan crises because such crises are unpredictable, and planned changes may not adapt firms to crises. Managers should not attempt to change their core structures during crises. B2B strategic alliances provide an effective means for firms to survive crises.

Originality/value

This paper makes two contributions to the existing literature: First, this paper demonstrates that changes of one of the four core structures of a firm to cope with black swan events have negative impacts on firm performance. Second, this paper identifies the importance of holding a variety of strategic alliances previously to the black swan events to reduce the negative impacts of changing core structures.
Health‐related quality of life in patients with alopecia areata: Results of a Japanese survey with norm‐based comparisons
Authors: Ito Taisuke , Kamei Kazumasa , Yuasa Akira , Matsumoto Fumihiro , Hoshi Yayoi , Okada Masafumi , Noto Shinichi
Published: March 2022

Alopecia areata (AA) is a non‐scarring hair loss disorder affecting approximately 2% of the global population. AA is reported to have a significant negative impact on the emotional and psychological well‐being of the patients. This study aimed to evaluate the health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) of Japanese patients with AA in comparison to the Japanese population norms (national standard values for Japanese) using Short Form Health Survey 36 Item Version 2.0 (SF‐36v2). The study also aimed to access the negative effect of AA on patients’ daily lives and the proportion of patients having anxiety and/or depression. This cross‐sectional, non‐interventional web‐based survey study included 400 participants aged 17–84 years currently suffering from medically diagnosed AA. The assessment tools integrated in the online questionnaire included SF‐36v2, the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). All outcome measures from the tools were evaluated across the study population. SF‐36v2 subscale scores for patients with AA revealed lower scores specifically for mental health (45.7 ± 10.1 points), social functioning (45.8 ± 10.9 points), vitality (46.2 ± 9.8 points), and role emotional (46.9 ± 11.6 points) as compared to the Japanese population norms of 50 ± 10 points each. The DLQI questionnaire‐based analysis indicated that 32.1% of respondents showed a moderate to extremely large effect on their lives; and HADS‐A (anxiety) and HADS‐D (depression) scores categorized 46.0% and 41.8% respondents as doubtful‐to‐definite cases, respectively. Multivariate linear regression revealed that hair loss range, age, comorbidities, and depression significantly worsened DLQI scores. In conclusion, the results of this survey demonstrated that a significant decrease in the HRQoL scores was observed in Japanese patients with AA in comparison with the national norms. Hence, emphasis on mental health is crucial for AA management.
Using generative adversarial networks (GAN) to simulate central‐place foraging trajectories
Authors: Roy Amédée , Fablet Ronan , Bertrand Sophie Lanco
Published: March 2022

Miniature electronic devices have recently enabled ecologists to document relatively large amounts of animal trajectories. Modelling such trajectories may contribute to explaining the mechanisms underlying observed behaviours and to clarifying ecological processes at the scale of the population by simulating multiple trajectories. Existing approaches to animal movement modelling have mainly addressed the first objective, and are often limited when used for simulation purposes. Individual‐based models generally rely on ad hoc formulation and their empirical parametrization lacks generability, while random walks based on mathematically sound statistical inference typically consist of first‐order Markovian models calibrated at the local scale which may lead to overly simplistic description and simulation of animal trajectories.

We investigate a recent deep learning tool—generative adversarial networks (GAN)—to simulate animal trajectories. GANs consist of a pair of deep neural networks that aim to capture the data distribution of some experimental dataset. They enable the generation of new instances of data that share statistical properties. This study aims at identifying relevant deep network architectures to simulate central‐place foraging trajectories, as well as at evaluating GANs drawbacks and benefits over classical methods, such as state‐switching hidden Markov models (HMM).

We demonstrate the outstanding ability of deep convolutional GANs to simulate and to capture medium‐ to large‐scale properties of seabird foraging trajectories. GAN‐derived synthetic trajectories reproduced the Fourier spectral density of observed trajectories better than those simulated using HMMs. However, unlike HMMs, GANs do not adequately capture local‐scale descriptive statistics, such as step speed distributions.

GANs provide a new likelihood‐free approach to calibrate complex stochastic processes and thus open new research avenues for animal movement modelling. We discuss the potential uses of GANs in movement ecology and future developments to better capture local‐scale features. In this context, embedding HMM‐based priors in GAN schemes appears as a promising research direction.
Multimodal neuroimaging of metabotropic glutamate 5 receptors and functional connectivity in alcohol use disorder
Authors: Smart Kelly , Worhunsky Patrick D. , Scheinost Dustin , Angarita Gustavo A. , Esterlis Irina , Carson Richard E. , Krystal John H. , O'Malley Stephanie S. , Cosgrove Kelly P. , Hillmer Ansel T.
Published: March 2022

Background

People recovering from alcohol use disorder (AUD) show altered resting brain connectivity. The metabotropic glutamate 5 (mGlu5) receptor is an important regulator of synaptic plasticity potentially linked with synchronized brain activity and a target of interest in treating AUD. The goal of this work was to assess potential relationships of brain connectivity at rest with mGlu5 receptor availability in people with AUD at two time points early in abstinence.

Methods

Forty‐eight image data sets were acquired with a multimodal neuroimaging battery that included resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and mGlu5 receptor positron emission tomography (PET) with the radiotracer [18F]FPEB. Participants with AUD (n = 14) were scanned twice, at approximately 1 and 4 weeks after beginning supervised abstinence. [18F]FPEB PET results were published previously. Primary comparisons of fMRI outcomes were performed between the AUD group and healthy controls (HCs;n = 23) and assessed changes over time within the AUD group. Relationships between resting‐state connectivity measures and mGlu5 receptor availability were explored within groups.

Results

Compared to HCs, global functional connectivity of the orbitofrontal cortex was higher in the AUD group at 4 weeks of abstinence (p = 0.003), while network‐level functional connectivity within the default mode network (DMN) was lower (p < 0.04). Exploratory multimodal analyses showed that mGlu5 receptor availability was correlated with global connectivity across all brain regions (HCs,r = 0.41; AUD group at 1 week of abstinence,r = 0.50 and at 4 weeks,r = 0.46; allp < 0.0001). Furthermore, a component of cortical and striatal mGlu5 availability was correlated with connectivity between the DMN and salience networks in HCs (r = 0.60,p = 0.003) but not in the AUD group (p > 0.3).

Conclusions

These preliminary findings of altered global and network connectivity during the first month of abstinence from drinking may reflect the loss of efficient network function, while exploratory relationships with mGlu5 receptor availability suggest a potential glutamatergic relationship with network coherence.
Transnational Migration and Educational Change: Examples of Afropolitan Schooling from Senegal and Ghana
Authors: Abotsi Emma , Hoechner Hannah
Published: March 2022

Studies on migration and education have examined homeland returns as part of family strategies around acquiring desired cultural capital. However, the impact of return migration and transnational mobility on homeland educational landscapes remains under‐researched. Using ethnographic data from Ghana, Senegal, the UK and the US, this paper shows how ‘international’ schools on the African continent have emerged as places where young transnational Africans can acquire cosmopolitan and Afropolitan competencies and outlooks.
Allergen immunotherapy for asthma prevention: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized and non‐randomized controlled studies
Authors: Farraia Mariana , Paciência Inês , Castro Mendes Francisca , Cavaleiro Rufo João , Shamji Mohamed , Agache Ioana , Moreira André
Published: March 2022

Background

Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is a disease‐modifying treatment for IgE‐mediated diseases. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) support AIT's potential role in asthma prevention but evidence from non‐randomized studies of interventions (NRSI) and longitudinal observational studies has been poorly addressed. Therefore, we aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta‐analysis to assess clinical data from all study types to evaluate quantitatively the preventive role of AIT in asthma onset.

Methods

We search three databases. Studies were screened, selected and evaluated for quality using risk‐of‐bias (ROB) tools. Data were descriptively summarized and meta‐analysed using random effects. We performed a sensitivity, influence and subgroup analyses. Publication bias and heterogeneity were assessed.

Results

From the 4549 identified studies, 24 (12 RCTs and 12 NRSI) were included in the qualitative synthesis and 18 underwent meta‐analysis. One study was at low ROB, seven had moderate ROB, and 15 were proven of high ROB. Random‐effects analysis showed a significant decrease in the risk of developing asthma following AIT by 25% (RR, 95% CI: 0.75, 0.64–0.88). This effect was not significant in the sensitivity analysis. Publication bias raised concerns, together with the moderate heterogeneity between studies (I2 = 58%). Subgroup analysis showed a remarkable preventive effect of AIT in children (RR, 95% CI: 0.71, 0.53–0.96), when completing 3 years of therapy (RR, 95% CI: 0.64, 0.47–0.88), and in mono‐sensitized patients (RR, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.39–0.61).

Conclusions

Our findings support a possible preventive effect of AIT in asthma onset and suggest an enhanced effect when administered in children, mono‐sensitized, and for at least 3 years, independently of allergen type.
Does Horizontal‐Paradigm Aid Weaken the Governance of Recipient Countries? Evidence from China
Authors: Liu Luhao , Hu Xudong , Zhao Zhongxiu
Published: March 2022

China's aid has always been an interesting topic in the field of development economics, and the effectiveness of aid is also a controversial subject in the literature. This paper explores the relationship between China's aid and the governance of its recipient countries from 2000 to 2014. We found that, compared with the “vertical paradigm” of traditional donors, China's “horizontal paradigm” has unique features, promoting the governance of recipient countries. We employed a cross‐sectional estimation and panel analysis with several regression methods. While our cross‐sectional findings did not yield robust evidence to support a relationship between Chinese aid and its recipients' governance, our panel data regressions found a significant and positive relationship. The results were robust in a dynamic panel, even after correcting for endogeneity. Thus, China's aid has a positive influence on governance with the inclusion of time series. The relationship was found to vary according to aid types.
Real‐world assessment of the relationship between migraine‐related disability and healthcare costs in the United States
Authors: Harris Linda , L’Italien Gilbert , Kumar Anil , Seelam Prafullakumar , LaVallee Chris , Coric Vladimir , Lipton Richard B.
Published: March 2022

Objective

The objective of this study was to determine the associations among migraine disability assessment scores, healthcare resource utilization (HCRU; medical visits and pharmacy use) and direct medical costs among people with episodic migraine in a real‐world setting.

Background

Migraine is a public health concern associated with a substantial economic burden in the United States. However, the association between migraine disability and direct medical costs among people with migraine is unknown.

Method

This retrospective, cohort study used claims and electronic health record data from the Decision Resources Group database. Adults with migraine with or without aura, defined by International Classification of Disease Revision 9 (ICD‐9) or ICD Revision 10 (ICD‐10) codes, and a completed Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS) questionnaire from January 2016 to December 2018 were included (chronic migraine codes not included). The associations of MIDAS score with the cost of HCRU for the 6 months after MIDAS assessment were explored. Results were stratified by treatment setting.

Results

Among 7662 included patients, MIDAS scores were distributed as: 3348 (43.7%; I, little/none), 1107 (14.4%; II, mild), 1225 (16.0%; III, moderate), 893 (11.7%; IVa, severe), and 1089 (14.2%; IVb, very severe). Worsening disability was associated with higher medical costs (adjusted from a multivariable model). In the primary care setting, healthcare visit costs were $206 (95% confidence interval: $144–294) for grade I and $631 ($384–1036) for grade IVb patients; corresponding pharmacy costs were $203 (grade I; $136–301) and $719 (grade IVb; $410–1259). For specialty care (e.g., neurologist), healthcare visits cost $509 ($411–629) for grade I and $885 ($634–1236) for grade IVb patients; corresponding pharmacy costs were $494 (grade I; $378–645) and $1020 (grade IVb; $643–1620).

Conclusion

Higher levels of migraine‐related disability (MIDAS assessed) are associated with increased HCRU costs among Americans with episodic migraine. Migraine disability assessment could be useful in the development, testing, and prescription of cost‐effective treatments for people with high migraine‐related disability.
Value of pseudopod sign on high‐frequency ultrasound in predicting the pathological invasion of extramammary Paget's disease lesions
Authors: Shan D. , Wu N. , Wang Q. , Ren W. , Zhu A. , Wang L. , Liu Y. , Sun L. , Guo L. , Xu H.
Published: March 2022

Background

Vertical invasion of extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) is associated with poor prognosis. The usual vertical invasion route is directly downward or along the skin appendages. High‐frequency ultrasound (HFUS) can be used to measure the EMPD lesion thickness, and visualize the pseudopod extensions due to skin appendage involvement. It is a non‐invasive method for evaluating the extent of vertical invasion in EMPD.

Objective

To investigate the value of HFUS in predicting the extent of vertical invasion in EMPD.

Methods

In this retrospective study, 85 patients with EMPD were divided into two groups based on the pathology: invasive EMPD (iEMPD) group (n = 13) andin situEMPD group (n = 72). The clinical and HFUS features of both the groups were analysed. The different types of pseudopodia morphology on HFUS were as follows: no pseudopodia, irregular bottom, small sphere, short strip, long strip, vase shape and nodular convex. These were further stratified into low‐risk and high‐risk levels.

Results

The clinical features were comparable between the two groups (P > 0.05). There were significant differences between the two groups in the HFUS features (lesion thickness, lesion shape, bottom shape, layer involvement, pseudopodia morphology and colour Doppler blood flow signal; allP < 0.05). The distribution of the pseudopodia morphology types in thein situEMPD and iEMPD groups was as follows: no pseudopodia, 30/72 and 0/13; irregular bottom, 5/72 and 0/13; small sphere, 5/72 and 0/13; short strip, 21/72 and 0/13; long strip, 8/72 and 3/13; vase shape, 3/72 and 3/13; and nodular convex, 0/72 and 7/13 (P < 0.05 for all). The sensitivity and specificity of high‐risk pseudopodia in identifying iEMPD were 100% and 84.7%, respectively.

Conclusions

High‐frequency ultrasound provides morphological information regarding EMPD lesions. Risk stratification for pseudopodia can help to distinguish between iEMPD andin situEMPD lesions.
Integrated risk assessment in sago preparation process using fuzzy petri net model
Authors: Selvaraj Poomagal , Ramalingam Sujatha
Published: March 2022

Tapioca starch is one among the staple foods for human, especially in Tamil Nadu, India. The sago pearls can be produced from tapioca starch through a preparation process (PP). During PP failure may occur in the processing unit, and it may affect the quality of sago pearls, which is a major issue in sago industries. Hence, in our study, a risk assessment method based on fuzzy petri net (FPN) is proposed for the assessment of sago PP. FPN is a graphical mathematical modeling, which provides the basis for modeling the systems with uncertain and inadequate information. Evaluation of weights for places and transitions is a major concern in FPN models, to overcome this limitation, this study proposes a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process to evaluate the weights of the places and transitions in FPN. A FPN model for sago processing unit is defined and by using a matrix‐based reasoning algorithm, risk values for various levels and for the entire system is evaluated. Our method is the one of the reliable methods in risk evaluation of the sago mills and production factories.

Practical Applications

A specific case study on sago manufacturing process in a factory at Namakkal district, Tamil Nadu is adopted to project the significance of the proposed FPN model with FAHP. For evaluation process, risk factors and token value of the risk factors for FPN model are acquired from the experts in the industry. From the evaluated results of the study attained from the proposed models, it is observed that the results are more consistent with the actual condition. Although the results obtained from the proposed are too reliable with the actual condition of the factory, the proposed FPN‐based risk evaluation methodology for the sago manufacturing process offers reasonable support to the Fault diagnosing unit to avoid the failure in the industry.
Cytokines in temporomandibular joint synovial fluid and tissue in relation to inflammation
Authors: Ulmner Mattias , Sugars Rachael , Naimi‐Akbar Aron , Alstergren Per , Lund Bodil
Published: March 2022

Background

Synovial tissue is known to be the origin of inflammation in joint disease. Despite this, synovial fluid is the main biological specimen of choice in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) inflammation and pathology biomarker research. No comparison of TMJ protein content between synovial fluid and synovial tissue has been made.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate whether cytokine concentrations in synovial fluid can be related to cytokine concentrations in synovial tissue and to analyse correlation of clinical parameters reflecting local inflammation to cytokine concentrations.

Methods

Synovial tissue and fluid samples were obtained during the same surgical procedure from a cohort of 101 patients with TMJ disorders. Interleukin (IL) 1β, IL‐6, IL‐8, IL‐10 and tumour necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) were analysed in the samples and an intraindividual correlation made. Various patient‐specific factors related to TMJ inflammation were associated with the cytokine concentrations in synovial fluid and tissue.

Results

No correlation between cytokine concentration in synovial fluid and synovial tissue was found, except for IL‐8 (ρ = .284,p = .024). Synovial tissue cytokines correlated strongly to inflammation‐related factors: diagnosis (IL‐1β,p = .001; TNF‐α,p = .000; IL‐10,p = .000), TMJ palpation pain (IL‐1β,p = .024; TNF‐α,p = .025), synovitis score (IL‐1β,p = .015) and subjective TMJ pain (TNF‐α,p = .016). Synovial fluid cytokines showed no significant relations to inflammation.

Conclusions

The investigated cytokine concentrations showed weak correlations between synovial fluid and synovial tissue, besides IL‐8. Synovial tissue appeared to reflect inflammation to a higher extent than synovial fluid. Thus, suggesting that synovial tissue research should complement synovial fluid in future explorations of TMJ pathology and inflammation.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Schatzker Type II Tibial Plateau Fracture with An Isolated Bone Fragment: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Zhou Wei , Li Meng , Ma Ruixiang , Yao Gang , Zhu Chen , Chen Guang
Published: March 2022

Background

An isolated bone fragment from the posterolateral tibial plateau retrieved from the patellofemoral compartment is a rarely seen Schatzker type II tibial plateau fracture and is prone to misdiagnosis. To the best of our knowledge, this injury mechanism has not been previously described.

Case presentation

A 63‐year‐old female sustained left knee pain and activity limitation after falling off an electric bicycle. Local hospital ignored the intra‐articular bone fragment and failed to provide effective treatment. This case described an uncommon Schatzker type II tibial plateau fracture with an isolated bone fragment, its physical examination and radiological findings, the potential injury mechanism, and surgical protocol.

Conclusions

Combining the physical examination and radiological findings to evaluate the potential injury mechanism is important for developing an appropriate surgical protocol.
Oropéndolas: artes y literatura en la Colombia de los siglos XX y XXI
Authors: Ramírez Gómez Liliana
Published: March 2022

En 2020, cumplidos noventa años del restablecimiento de la Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, la Colección Noventa Ideas rinde homenaje al pensamiento crítico y al diálogo de saberes que han caracterizado a esta casa de estudios desde sus inicios. Los ensayos originales que el lector encontrará en esta colección son una invitación a seguir pensando y construyendo de forma continua el mundo en que vivimos. Así mismo, en las sobrecubiertas de los libros de la colección, el lector podrá apreciar algunas imágenes provenientes de libros antiguos, raros e incunables que hacen parte de la Biblioteca de Filosofía y Teología Mario Valenzuela, S. J., y que dan cuenta del rico patrimonio artístico y bibliográfico de la Universidad.
Genome Sequence and Description of Paracoccus denitrificans Strain R-1, Isolated from Activated Sludge
Authors: Hu Chunchen , Wu Jiapeng , Wang Limei , Hong Yiguo
Published: March 2022

Paracoccus denitrificans
strain R-1 was isolated from an activated sludge sample from a sewage treatment plant in Taiwan. The complete genome, which was sequenced on the NovaSeq 6000 and PacBio Sequel platforms, consists of one chromosome with 4.05 Mb and one plasmid with 689 kb. Genome annotation predicts 4,167 protein-coding genes, 49 tRNAs, and 8 rRNAs.
Contact building: emotional exchanges between counsellees and counsellors in the late socialist period in Poland
Authors: Kościańska Agnieszka
Published: March 2022

In Poland after World War II, the related fields of sexology, sex education and sex counselling developed a distinctive model of communication between counsellees and counsellors. This article focuses on Wiesław Sokoluk, one of the key Polish youth counsellors and sex educators active during the late socialist period (the 1970s and 1980s), looking at his path to becoming a sex educator and youth counsellor as well as his practice in both fields. It treats his story as a case study that illustrates the distinctive development of the related disciplines of sex counselling and education. It specifically focuses on the communication between Sokoluk and his counsellees, school pupils, correspondents and readership. It shows how the distinctive methods underpinning emotion-driven communication between counsellor and counsellee developed, while presenting them as products of particular economic, political and religious conditions of late socialism, including state-funded education and healthcare as well as the relative sexual openness resulting from the struggle between the state and the Catholic Church.
A data-directed paradigm for BSM searches: the bump-hunting example
Authors: Volkovich Sergey , De Vito Halevy Federico , Bressler Shikma
Published: March 2022

We propose a data-directed paradigm (DDP) to search for new physics. Focusing on the data without using simulations, exclusive selections which exhibit significant deviations from known properties of the standard model can be identified efficiently and marked for further study. Different properties can be exploited with the DDP. Here, the paradigm is demonstrated by combining the promising potential of neural networks (NN) with the common bump-hunting approach. Using the NN, the resource-consuming tasks of background and systematic uncertainty estimation are avoided, allowing rapid testing of many final states with only a minor degradation in the sensitivity to bumps relative to standard analysis methods.
The reheating constraints to natural inflation in Horndeski gravity
Authors: Chien Chen-Hsu , Koh Seoktae , Tumurtushaa Gansukh
Published: March 2022

For the subclass of Horndeski theory of gravity, we investigate the effects of reheating on the predictions of natural inflation. In the presence of derivative self-interaction of a scalar field and its kinetic coupling to the Einstein tensor, the gravitational friction to inflaton dynamics is enhanced during inflation. As a result, the tensor-to-scalar ratio r is suppressed. We place the observational constraints on a natural inflation model and show that the model is now consistent with the observational data for some plausible range of the model parameter $$\varDelta $$
Δ
, mainly due to the suppressed tensor-to-scalar ratio. To be consistent with the data at the $$1\sigma $$

1
σ

($$68\%$$

68
%

confidence) level, a slightly longer natural inflation with $$N_k\gtrsim 60$$

N
k

≳
60

e-folds, longer than usually assumed, is preferred. Since the duration of inflation, for any specific inflaton potential, is linked to reheating parameters, including the duration $$N_{re}$$

N

re

, temperature $$T_{re}$$

T

re

, and equation-of-state $$\omega _{re}$$

ω

re

parameter during reheating, we imposed the effects of reheating to the inflationary predictions to put further constraints. The results show that reheating consideration impacts the duration of inflation $$N_k$$

N
k

. If reheating occurs instantaneously for which $$N_{re}=0$$

N

re

=
0

and $$\omega _{re}=1/3$$

ω

re

=
1
/
3

, the duration of natural inflation is about $$N_k\simeq 57$$

N
k

≃
57

e-folds, where the exact value is less sensitive to the model parameter $$\varDelta $$
Δ
compatible with the CMB data. The duration of natural inflation is longer (or shorter) than $$N_k\simeq 57$$

N
k

≃
57

e-folds for the equation of state larger (or smaller) than 1/3 hence $$N_{re}\ne 0$$

N

re

≠
0

. The maximum temperature at the end of reheating is $$T_{re}^\text {max}\simeq 3\times 10^{15}$$

T

re

max

≃
3
×

10
15

GeV, which corresponds to the instantaneous reheating. The low reheating temperature, as low as a few MeV, is also possible when $$\omega _{re}$$

ω

re

is closer to 1/3.
A DENOISING METHOD OF DIAPHRAGM ELECTROMYOGRAM SIGNALS BASED ON DUAL-THRESHOLD FILTER
Authors: LI SHUANGMIAO , LI ZHIWEI , ZHANG JIANHENG , ZHANG HAN
Published: March 2022

Diaphragmatic electromyography (EMGdi) signals can effectively reflect human respiratory process and effort, but simultaneously interfered by electrocardiogram (ECG) signals, leading to the limited application of EMGdi signals. Conventional denoising schemes for ECG cancellation from EMGdi signals are usually limited to the cases of irregular ECG signals. For this purpose, this paper proposes a denoising method of ECG signals by using a dual-threshold filter, which performs effectively in the scenarios of irregular ECG condition, such as arrhythmia. Specifically, we first employ wavelet transform to decompose EMGdi signals to wavelets of different frequencies, by which QRS complex detection is performed to determine the location of ECG signals. Then we propose to remove the ECG interference by reforming the interference range with the adjacent signals. Experimental results indicate that the proposed denoising method performs superior to the state-of-the-art schemes, especially for the cases of weak EMGdi signal scenarios.
Privacy-Aware Traffic Flow Prediction Based on Multi-Party Sensor Data with Zero Trust in Smart City
Authors: Wang Fan , Li Guangshun , Wang Yilei , Rafique Wajid , Khosravi Mohammad R. , Liu Guanfeng , Liu Yuwen , Qi Lianyong
Published: March 2022

With the continuous increment of city volume and size, a number of traffic-related urban units (e.g., vehicles, roads, buildings, etc.) are emerging rapidly, which plays a heavy burden on the scientific traffic control of smart cities. In this situation, it is becoming a necessity to utilize the sensor data from massive cameras deployed at city crossings for accurate traffic flow prediction. However, the traffic sensor data are often distributed and stored by different organizations or parties with zero trust, which impedes the multi-party sensor data sharing significantly due to privacy concerns. Therefore, it requires challenging efforts to balance the trade-off between data sharing and data privacy to enable cross-organization traffic data fusion and prediction. In light of this challenge, we put forward an accurate LSH (locality-sensitive hashing)-based traffic flow prediction approach with the ability to protect privacy. Finally, through a series of experiments deployed on a real-world traffic dataset, we demonstrate the feasibility of our proposal in terms of prediction accuracy and efficiency while guaranteeing sensor data privacy.
Memory-Throughput Trade-off for CNN-Based Applications at the Edge
Authors: Minakova Svetlana , Stefanov Todor
Published: March 2022

Many modern applications require execution of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) on edge devices, such as mobile phones or embedded platforms. This can be challenging, as the state-of-the art CNNs are memory costly, whereas the memory budget of edge devices is highly limited. To address this challenge, a variety of CNN memory reduction methodologies have been proposed. Typically, the memory of a CNN is reduced using methodologies such as pruning and quantization. These methodologies reduce the number or precision of CNN parameters, thereby reducing the CNN memory cost. When more aggressive CNN memory reduction is required, the pruning and quantization methodologies can be combined with CNN memory reuse methodologies. The latter methodologies reuse device memory allocated for storage of CNN intermediate computational results, thereby further reducing the CNN memory cost. However, the existing memory reuse methodologies are unfit for CNN-based applications that exploit pipeline parallelism available within the CNNs or use multiple CNNs to perform their functionality. In this article, we therefore propose a novel CNN memory reuse methodology. In our methodology, we significantly extend and combine two existing CNN memory reuse methodologies to offer efficient memory reuse for a wide range of CNN-based applications.
Synthesis of ZnO@ZIF-8 Nanorods with Enhanced Response to VOCs
Authors: Huang Bo , Zeng Wen , Li Yanqiong
Published: March 2022

It is an effective way to produce core–shell composite materials by coating nano-metal oxides with metal-organic framework. A self-sacrificial method was reported. ZnO was transformed into ZIF-8 and attached to ZnO. Through the in situ transformation of zinc oxide particles in the matrix, a great many pores are formed to ensure that all parts of ZnO can contact the gas. ZnO has three main functions, providing Zn2+ for ZIF-8 and serving as a template for ZIF-8’s growth, and as an active material to detect gases. ZIF-8 has two functions. Firstly, it has hydrophobicity to avoid the impact of steam on the gas detection of ZnO; secondly, it can provide a large amount of pores, increase the specific surface area. A great many defects created at the interface of the two materials increases the active sites. The gas-sensing performance of ZnO to volatile organic compounds can be improved using the advantages of both materials. The composite sensor has an optimal operating temperature of 350 °C and has more than tripled its response to 50 ppm gases relative to the ZnO sensor. In addition, a gas-sensing mechanism is proposed. An effective strategy for developing high-response VOC sensors is presented in this work.
Feudal Multiagent Reinforcement Learning for Interdomain Collaborative Routing Optimization
Authors: Li Zhuo , Zhou Xu , De Turck Filip , Li Taixin , Ren Yongmao , Qin Yifang
Published: March 2022

In view of the inability of traditional interdomain routing schemes to meet the sudden network changes and adapt the routing policy accordingly, many optimization schemes such as modifying Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) parameters and using software-defined network (SDN) to optimize interdomain routing decisions have been proposed. However, with the change and increase of the demand for network data transmission, the high latency and flexibility of these mechanisms have become increasingly prominent. Recent researches have addressed these challenges through multiagent reinforcement learning (MARL), which can be capable of dynamically meeting interdomain requirements, and the multiagent Markov Decision Process (MDP) is introduced to construct this routing optimization problem. Thus, in this paper, an interdomain collaborative routing scheme is proposed in interdomain collaborative architecture. The proposed Feudal Multiagent Actor-Critic (FMAAC) algorithm is designed based on multiagent actor-critic and feudal reinforcement learning to solve this competition-cooperative problem. Our multiagent learns about the optimal interdomain routing decisions, focused on different optimization objectives such as end-to-end delay, throughput, and average delivery rate. Experiments were carried out in the interdomain testbed to verify the convergence and effectiveness of the FMAAC algorithm. Experimental results show that our approach can significantly improve various Quality of Service (QoS) indicators, containing reduced end-to-end delay, increased throughput, and guaranteed over 90% average delivery rate.
Deep Scale-Variant Network for Femur Trochanteric Fracture Classification with HP Loss
Authors: Kang Yuxiang , Ren Zhipeng , Zhang Yinguang , Zhang Aiming , Xu Weizhe , Zhang Guokai , Dong Qiang
Published: March 2022

Achieving automatic classification of femur trochanteric fracture from the edge computing device is of great importance and value for remote diagnosis and treatment. Nevertheless, designing a highly accurate classification model on 31A1/31A2/31A3 fractures from the X-ray is still limited due to the failure of capturing the scale-variant and contextual information. As a result, this paper proposes a deep scale-variant (DSV) network with a hybrid and progressive (HP) loss function to aggregate more influential representations of the fracture regions. More specifically, the DSV network is based on the ResNet and integrated with the designed scale-variant (SV) layer and HP loss, where the SV layer aims to enhance the representation ability to extract the scale-variant features, and HP loss is intended to force the network to condense more contextual clues. Furthermore, to evaluate the effect of the proposed DSV network, we carry out a series of experiments on the real X-ray images for comparison and evaluation, and the experimental results demonstrate that the proposed DSV network could outperform other classification methods on this classification task.