bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
To be (family) or not to be (family): the familiness effect over brand authenticity posts on social media and consumer engagement relationship
Authors: Bargoni Augusto , Ballerini Jacopo , Vrontis Demetris , Ferraris Alberto
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the impact of brand authenticity dimensions (i.e. aesthetic, symbolism, heritage, originality, quality commitment and virtue) on consumer engagement in the context of social media. This study answers to the need of scholars to understand consumer behaviour towards family and non-family firms’ brand authenticity constructs and for practitioners to find the correct levers to increase consumer engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

Top 10 European family firms with a retrievable Facebook (FB) page from the Global Family Business Index have been selected. Then, the study analysed family firms’ social media consumer engagement versus their non-family business direct competitors on a sample of 21.664 FB posts over a four-year period, leveraging multi-group analysis.

Findings

The results outline that three out of six brand authenticity dimensions posted on FB are statistically arousing more interactions respect to non-authenticity-related contents when posted by family firms. However, there are no statistically significant findings when brand authenticity content is posted by the non-family competitors.

Practical implications

This research is helpful for practitioners and entrepreneurs who might want to strengthen their social media brand strategies. With this regard, the study provides insights on which elements of brand authenticity are perceived by consumers as more engaging and which levers to use when communicating the familiness of the company.

Originality/value

To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is one of the earliest studies crosscutting the family business and brand authenticity literature streams to conduct an empirical analysis based on official FB data with a data set of over 20,000 observations. Moreover, this study assesses that not every dimension of the brand authenticity construct is relevant in the context of social media and that its effectiveness depends on the firms’ familiness.
A retrospective comparison between digital to conventional drainage systems for secondary spontaneous pneumothorax related to diffuse interstitial lung disease
Authors: Shikano Kohei , Abe Mitsuhiro , Hirama Ryutaro , Kitahara Shinsuke , Maruyama Kanae , Horiuchi Dai , Sakuma Noriko , Ishii Daisuke , Kawasaki Takeshi , Nakamura Hidenori , Suzuki Takuji
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP) occurs as one of the complications associated with interstitial pneumonia (IP). Chest drainage is performed when there is a large volume of air in the pleural space. Notably, SSP with IP (SSP‐IP) is frequently not curable by chest drainage only. A digital drainage system (DDS) provides an objective evaluation of air leakage and maintains a pre‐determined negative pressure, compared to an analog drainage system (ADS). Few studies have reported the effectiveness of DDS in the treatment of SSP‐IP. This study aimed to assess the usefulness of DDS for SSP‐IP.

Methods

This retrospective study included patients with SSP‐IP who had undergone chest drainage. We reviewed the included patients' medical records, laboratory data, computed tomography findings, and pulmonary function data.

Results

DDS was used in 24 patients and ADS in 49 patients. The mean duration of chest drainage was 11.4 ± 1.9 days in the DDS group and 14.2 ± 1.3 days in the ADS group, which was not significantly different (p = 0.218). Surgery, pleurodesis, and/or factor XIII administration were performed in 40 patients. Additionally, five (20.8%) patients in the DDS group and nine (18.4%) in the ADS group had a recurrence of pneumothorax within 4 weeks (p = 1.000). One patient (14%) in the DDS group and six (12.2%) in the ADS group (p = 0.414) were cured of pneumothorax but later died.

Conclusion

DDS did not demonstrate a significant difference in the shortening of chest drainage duration. Further study is needed to validate the results of this study.
Novel insights into orchid mycorrhiza functioning from stable isotope signatures of fungal pelotons
Authors: Zahn Franziska E. , Söll Erik , Chapin Thomas K. , Wang Deyi , Gomes Sofia I. F. , Hynson Nicole A. , Pausch Johanna , Gebauer Gerhard
Published: June 2023

Stable isotope signatures of fungal sporocarps have been instrumental in identifying carbon gains of chlorophyllous orchids from a fungal source. Yet, not all mycorrhizal fungi produce macroscopic sporocarps and frequently fungi of different taxa occur in parallel in orchid roots.

To overcome this obstacle, we investigated stable isotope signatures of fungal pelotons extracted from orchid roots and compared these data to the respective orchid and reference plant tissues. Anoectochilus sandvicensis and Epipactis palustris represented specialized or unspecialized rhizoctonia‐associated orchids. Epipactis atrorubens and Epipactis leptochila are orchids considered ectomycorrhiza‐associated with different preferences for Basidio‐ and Ascomycota.

13C enrichment of rhizoctonia pelotons was minor compared with plant tissues and significantly lower than enrichments of pelotons from ectomycorrhizal Epipactis species. 15N values of pelotons from E. leptochila and E. atrorubens showed similar patterns as known for respective sporocarps of ectomycorrhizal Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, however, with an offset towards lower 15N enrichments and nitrogen concentrations.

Our results suggest an explicit fungal nutrition source of orchids associated with ectomycorrhizal fungi, whereas the low 13C enrichment in rhizoctonia‐associated orchids and fungal pelotons hamper the detection of carbon gains from fungal partners. 15N isotopic pattern of orchids further suggests a selective transfer of 15N‐enriched protein‐nitrogen into orchids.
Emotion in the mind's eye: Imagination for adaptive cognition
Authors: Cocquyt Chantelle M. , Palombo Daniela J.
Published: June 2023

In a complex world, we are constantly faced with environmental stimuli that shape our moment‐to‐moment experiences. But just as rich and complex as the external world is the internal milieu—our imagination. Imagination offers a powerful vehicle for playing out hypothetical experiences in the mind's eye. It allows us to mentally time travel to behold what the future might bring, including our greatest desires or fears. Indeed, imagined experiences tend to be emotion‐laden. How and why are humans capable of this remarkable feat? Based on psychological findings, we highlight the importance of imagination for emotional aspects of cognition and behavior, namely in the generation and regulation of emotions. Based on recent cognitive neuroscience work, we identify putative neural networks that are most critical for emotional imagination, with a major focus on the default mode network. Finally, we briefly highlight the possible functional implications of individual differences in imagination. Overall, we hope to address why humans have the capacity to simulate hypothetical emotional experiences and how this ability can be harnessed in adaptive (and sometimes maladaptive) ways. We end by discussing open questions.
Did Dissociative Amnesia Evolve?
Authors: Patihis Lawrence
Published: June 2023

Dissociative amnesia is a diagnosis category that implies a proposed mechanism (often called dissociation) by which amnesia is caused by psychogenic means, such as trauma, and that amnesia is reversible later. Dissociative amnesia is listed in some of the most influential diagnostic manuals. Authors have noted the similarities in definition to repressed memories. Dissociative amnesia is a disputed category and phenomenon, and here I discuss the plausibility that this cognitive mechanism evolved. I discuss some general conditions by which cognitive functions will evolve, that is, the relatively continuous adaptive pressure by which a cognitive ability would clearly be adaptive if variation produced it. I discuss how adaptive gene mutations typically spread from one individual to the whole species. The article also discusses a few hypothetical scenarios and several types of trauma, to examine the likely adaptive benefits of blocking out memories of trauma, or not. I conclude that it is unlikely that dissociative amnesia evolved, and invite further development of these ideas and scenarios by others.
Development of a Portable Low-Cost System for the Metrological Verification of Wheelchair Roller Ergometers
Authors: Lancini Matteo , Spada Paolo , Muhametaj Ridi , Klerk Rick de , van der Woude Lucas H. V. , Vegter Riemer J. K.
Published: June 2023

Wheelchair ergometers are widely used in research, clinical practice, and sports environments. The majority of wheelchair ergometers are roller systems that allow for wheelchair propulsion in the personal wheelchair on one or two (instrumented) rollers. Oftentimes these systems are only statically calibrated. However, wheelchair propulsion is dynamic by nature, requiring a dynamic validation process. The aim of the current project was to present a low-cost portable system for the dynamic metrological verification of wheelchair roller ergometers, based on an instrumented reference wheel. The tangential force on the roller is determined, along with its uncertainty, from the reference wheel properties, and compared with the force measured by the ergometer. Uncertainty of this reference wheel system was found to be lower than the one of the ergometer used, indicating that this novel approach can be used for the metrological verification of ergometers.
Control-Oriented Reduced-Order Modeling of Conversion Efficiency in Dual-Layer Washcoat Catalysts With Accumulation and Oxidation Functions
Authors: Piqueras Pedro , Pla Benjamín , Sanchis Enrique José , García Elena
Published: June 2023

This work proposes a model for predicting conversion efficiency in multifunctional catalysts with dual-layer washcoat. The mass transfer is more relevant in these devices than in single-layer washcoats due to additional transport steps between the catalytic layers. In addition, the different reaction mechanisms between layers make the concentration of the chemical species differ in each layer. To deal with this boundary while considering the need for real-time computation, a reduced-order explicit solver for the convective diffusive reactive transport is presented for the case of dual-layer washcoats. Assuming one-dimensional quasi-steady flow, the solution procedure consisted of substituting the diffusive interfacial fluxes in the bulk gas and washcoat conservation equations by expressions that depend explicitly on the average concentration in the gas phase. The solution was then applied to model the performance of dual-layer oxidation catalysts with reductant accumulation in one washcoat layer, such as diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) and ammonia slip catalyst (ASC) systems, during driving cycles. First, the response of these catalysts was analyzed by comparing them against experimental data and considering additional parameters provided by the model. Next, the importance of the mass transfer limitations was discussed to complete the analysis. The proposed model was compared with a simplified solver where the mass transfer steps were omitted, thus deteriorating the prediction capabilities in some driving cycle phases. Finally, a sensitivity study was performed to assess the impact of the mesh size on the prediction capabilities and computational requirements.
Design Optimization of an Ethanol Heavy-Duty Engine Using Design of Experiments and Bayesian Optimization
Authors: Tekgül Bulut , Liu I-Han , Vittal Manohar , Schanz Robert , Johnson Bernard H. , Blumreiter Julie , Magnotti Gina M.
Published: June 2023

Diesel-fueled engines still hold a large market share in the medium and heavy-duty transportation sector. However, the increase in fossil fuel prices and the strict emission regulations are leading engine manufacturers to seek cleaner alternatives without a compromise in performance. Alcohol-based fuels, such as ethanol, offer a promising alternative to diesel fuel in meeting regulatory demands. Ethanol provides cleaner combustion and lower levels of soot due to its chemical properties, in particular its lower level of carbon content. In addition, the stoichiometric operating conditions of alcohol fueled engines enable the mitigation of NOx emissions in aftertreatment stage. With the promise of retrofitting diesel engines to run on ethanol to reduce emissions, the thermal efficiency of these engines remains the primary optimization target. In order to find the optimal ethanol-fueled engine design that maximizes the thermal efficiency, a large design space needs to be investigated using engineering tools. In this study, previous research by the authors on optimizing the design of a single-cylinder ethanol-fueled engine was extended to explore the design space for a heavy-duty multicylinder engine configuration. A heavy-duty engine setup with multiple operating conditions at different engine speeds and loads was considered. A design optimization analysis was performed to identify the potential designs that maximize the indicated thermal efficiency in an ethanol-fueled compression ignition engine. First, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of the engine was validated using experimental data for four drive cycle points. Using a design of experiments (DoE) approach and a parameterized piston bowl geometry, the model was then exercised to explore the relationship among geometric features of the piston bowl and spray targeting angle and indicated thermal efficiency across all tested operating conditions. After evaluating 165 candidate designs, a piston bowl geometry was identified that yielded an increase between 1.3% and 2.2% points in indicated thermal efficiency for all tested conditions, while satisfying the operational design constraints for peak pressure and maximum pressure rise rate. The increased performance was attributed to enhance mixing that led to the formation of a more homogeneous distribution of in-cylinder temperature and equivalence ratio, higher combustion temperatures, and shorter combustion duration. Finally, a Bayesian optimization (BOpt) analysis was employed to find the optimal piston bowl geometry with a fixed spray injector angle for one of the operating conditions. Using BOpt, a piston candidate was identified that resulted in a 1.9% point increase in thermal efficiency from the baseline design, yet only required 65% of the design samples investigated using the DoE approach.
Damping Effect and Fluid Dynamic Analysis on Closing Process of Axial Flow Check Valve
Authors: Guan An-Qi , Xu Jia-Xiang , Jin Zhi-Jiang , Qian Jin-Yuan
Published: June 2023

Axial flow check valve (AFCV) is widely used in piping systems because of its small flow resistance, low noise, and good sealing performance. Its working performance directly affects the safety of the pump unit and the reliability of piping system. In the event that an accident occurs in piping systems, AFCV is closed to prevent backflow. However, rapid closing of the valve can cause the disk to exert a large impact load on the seat, which can affect the service life of the valve and the process safety of the system loop. Therefore, it is necessary to study the transient closing characteristics of AFCV with damping structure. The dynamic mesh technology is used to simulate the closing process of AFCV with different damping structures. The effects of the structures of damping devices as well as the diameter of damping holes on the dynamic motion, fluid force, and damping characteristics are analyzed, respectively. The results show that the damping structure with damping holes not only has better performance in slow closing and deceleration than the damping structure with annular gap but also reduces pressure fluctuation more effectively. Moreover, the fluid damping force generated by the damping structure with damping holes during the closing process is linear with the square of the velocity. Also, the correlation between impact velocity and the diameter of damping holes is obtained. The selection strategy of machining accuracy of damping holes is proposed. This work can provide a certain reference value for the design of AFCV in practical engineering, and it can also benefit safety and maintenance of piping system.
Fundamentals of thin film depth profiling by glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy
Authors: Vesel Alenka , Zaplotnik Rok , Primc Gregor , Mozetic Miran
Published: June 2023

Glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES) is a useful technique for qualitative plasma characterization. It also enables depth profiling of solid materials upon exposure of samples to energetic positively charged ions from gaseous plasma, providing specifics of both surface- and gas-phase collision phenomena that are considered. The early stages of developing GDOES useful for the determination of surface composition and depth profiling of solid materials are reviewed and analyzed, stressing the contribution of early authors. The advantages as well as drawbacks of the GDOES technique are presented and discussed. The recent applications of this technique for depth profiling of various materials are presented, and the directions for constructing a laboratory-scale device are provided.
Review of virtual substrate technologies for 6.3 Ångström lattice constants
Authors: Svensson Stefan P. , Mahadik Nadeemullah A. , Kipshidze Gela , Donetski Dmitri , Zhao Jingze , Belenky Gregory
Published: June 2023

Virtual substrates with lattice constants in the range mid-way between InAs and InSb have been developed using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The III–V alloys in this range are of particular interest for narrow bandgap device applications, such as infrared detection. In all cases, GaSb was used as the real substrate and the lattice constant was increased using linear, analog grades of GaInSb or AlGaInSb. We determined the resulting threading dislocation density with x-ray topography in InAsSb films grown on top. We describe the importance of defect reduction for determination of basic materials properties, such as fundamental bandgap, give examples of new device structures that are enabled by this technology, and discuss future directions for possible further improvements.
Three-stage hybrid neural beamformer for multi-channel speech enhancement
Authors: Kuang Kelan , Yang Feiran , Li Junfeng , Yang Jun
Published: June 2023

This paper proposes a hybrid neural beamformer for multi-channel speech enhancement, which comprises three stages, i.e., beamforming, post-filtering, and distortion compensation, called TriU-Net. The TriU-Net first estimates a set of masks to be used within a minimum variance distortionless response beamformer. A deep neural network (DNN)-based post-filter is then utilized to suppress the residual noise. Finally, a DNN-based distortion compensator is followed to further improve speech quality. To characterize the long-range temporal dependencies more efficiently, a network topology, gated convolutional attention network, is proposed and utilized in the TriU-Net. The advantage of the proposed model is that the speech distortion compensation is explicitly considered, yielding higher speech quality and intelligibility. The proposed model achieved an average 2.854 wb-PESQ score and 92.57% ESTOI on the CHiME-3 dataset. In addition, extensive experiments conducted on the synthetic data and real recordings confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method in noisy reverberant environments.
A SARS-CoV-2 and influenza double hit vaccine based on RBD-conjugated inactivated influenza A virus
Authors: Wang Zhenzhen , Li Zhenhua , Shi Weiwei , Zhu Dashuai , Hu Shiqi , Dinh Phuong-Uyen C. , Cheng Ke
Published: June 2023

The circulating flu viruses merging with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic raises a more severe threat that promotes the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 associated with higher mortality rates. Here, we conjugated recombinant receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein onto inactivated influenza A virus (Flu) to develop a SARS-CoV-2 virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine with two-hit protection. This double-hit vaccine (Flu-RBD) not only induced protective immunities against SARS-CoV-2 but also remained functional as a flu vaccine. The Flu core improved the retention and distribution of Flu-RBD vaccine in the draining lymph nodes, with enhanced immunogenicity. In a hamster model of live SARS-CoV-2 infection, two doses of Flu-RBD efficiently protected animals against viral infection. Furthermore, Flu-RBD VLP elicited a strong neutralization activity against both SARS-CoV-2 Delta pseudovirus and wild-type influenza A H1N1 inactivated virus in mice. Overall, the Flu-RBD VLP vaccine is a promising candidate for combating COVID-19, influenza A, and coinfection.
Monthly excess mortality across counties in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic, March 2020 to February 2022
Authors: Paglino Eugenio , Lundberg Dielle J. , Zhou Zhenwei , Wasserman Joe A. , Raquib Rafeya , Luck Anneliese N. , Hempstead Katherine , Bor Jacob , Preston Samuel H. , Elo Irma T. , Stokes Andrew C.
Published: June 2023

Excess mortality is the difference between expected and observed mortality in a given period and has emerged as a leading measure of the COVID-19 pandemic’s mortality impact. Spatially and temporally granular estimates of excess mortality are needed to understand which areas have been most impacted by the pandemic, evaluate exacerbating factors, and inform response efforts. We estimated all-cause excess mortality for the United States from March 2020 through February 2022 by county and month using a Bayesian hierarchical model trained on data from 2015 to 2019. An estimated 1,179,024 excess deaths occurred during the first 2 years of the pandemic (first: 634,830; second: 544,194). Overall, excess mortality decreased in large metropolitan counties but increased in nonmetropolitan counties. Despite the initial concentration of mortality in large metropolitan Northeastern counties, nonmetropolitan Southern counties had the highest cumulative relative excess mortality by July 2021. These results highlight the need for investments in rural health as the pandemic’s rural impact grows.
An independent regulator of global release pathways in astrocytes generates a subtype of extracellular vesicles required for postsynaptic function
Authors: Levy-Myers Reuben , Daudelin Daniel , Na Chan Hyun , Sockanathan Shanthini
Published: June 2023

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are heterogeneous in size, composition, and function. We show that the six-transmembrane protein glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase 3 (GDE3) regulates actin remodeling, a global EV biogenic pathway, to release an EV subtype with distinct functions. GDE3 is necessary and sufficient for releasing EVs containing annexin A1 and GDE3 from the plasma membrane via Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein family member 3 (WAVE3), a major regulator of actin dynamics. GDE3 is expressed in astrocytes but not neurons, yet mice lacking GDE3 [
Gde3
knockout (KO)] have decreased miniature excitatory postsynaptic current (mEPSC) amplitudes in hippocampal CA1 neurons. EVs from cultured wild-type astrocytes restore mEPSC amplitudes in
Gde3
KOs, while EVs from
Gde3
KO astrocytes or astrocytes inhibited for WAVE3 actin branching activity do not. Thus, GDE3-WAVE3 is a nonredundant astrocytic pathway that remodels actin to release a functionally distinct EV subtype, supporting the concept that independent regulation of global EV release pathways differentially regulates EV signaling within the cellular EV landscape.
Unique amphipathic α helix drives membrane insertion and enzymatic activity of ATG3
Authors: Nishimura Taki , Lazzeri Gianmarco , Mizushima Noboru , Covino Roberto , Tooze Sharon A.
Published: June 2023

Autophagosome biogenesis requires a localized perturbation of lipid membrane dynamics and a unique protein-lipid conjugate. Autophagy-related (ATG) proteins catalyze this biogenesis on cellular membranes, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. Focusing on the final step of the protein-lipid conjugation reaction, the ATG8/LC3 lipidation, we show how the membrane association of the conjugation machinery is organized and fine-tuned at the atomistic level. Amphipathic α helices in ATG3 proteins (AH
ATG3
) have low hydrophobicity and contain less bulky residues. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that AH
ATG3
regulates the dynamics and accessibility of the thioester bond of the ATG3~LC3 conjugate to lipids, enabling the covalent lipidation of LC3. Live-cell imaging shows that the transient membrane association of ATG3 with autophagic membranes is governed by the less bulky-hydrophobic feature of AH
ATG3
. The unique properties of AH
ATG3
facilitate protein-lipid bilayer association, leading to the remodeling of the lipid bilayer required for the formation of autophagosomes.
Rewilding of laboratory mice enhances granulopoiesis and immunity through intestinal fungal colonization
Authors: Chen Ying-Han , Yeung Frank , Lacey Keenan A. , Zaldana Kimberly , Lin Jian-Da , Bee Gavyn Chern Wei , McCauley Caroline , Barre Ramya S. , Liang Shen-Huan , Hansen Christina B. , Downie Alexander E. , Tio Kyle , Weiser Jeffrey N. , Torres Victor J. , Bennett Richard J. , Loke P’ng , Graham Andrea L. , Cadwell Ken
Published: June 2023

The paucity of blood granulocyte populations such as neutrophils in laboratory mice is a notable difference between this model organism and humans, but the cause of this species-specific difference is unclear. We previously demonstrated that laboratory mice released into a seminatural environment, referred to as rewilding, display an increase in blood granulocytes that is associated with expansion of fungi in the gut microbiota. Here, we find that tonic signals from fungal colonization induce sustained granulopoiesis through a mechanism distinct from emergency granulopoiesis, leading to a prolonged expansion of circulating neutrophils that promotes immunity. Fungal colonization after either rewilding or oral inoculation of laboratory mice with
Candida albicans
induced persistent expansion of myeloid progenitors in the bone marrow. This increase in granulopoiesis conferred greater long-term protection from bloodstream infection by gram-positive bacteria than by the trained immune response evoked by transient exposure to the fungal cell wall component β-glucan. Consequently, introducing fungi into laboratory mice may restore aspects of leukocyte development and provide a better model for humans and free-living mammals that are constantly exposed to environmental fungi.
An armed anti-immunoglobulin light chain nanobody protects mice against influenza A and B infections
Authors: Liu Xin , Balligand Thomas , Carpenet Claire , Ploegh Hidde L.
Published: June 2023

The immune system eliminates pathogen intruders such as viruses and bacteria. To recruit immune effectors to virus-infected cells, we conjugated a small molecule, the influenza neuraminidase inhibitor zanamivir, to a nanobody that recognizes the kappa light chains of mouse immunoglobulins. This adduct was designed to achieve half-life extension of zanamivir through complex formation with the much-larger immunoglobulins in the circulation. The zanamivir moiety targets the adduct to virus-infected cells, whereas the anti-kappa component simultaneously delivers polyclonal immunoglobulins of indeterminate specificity and all isotypes. Activation of antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity and complement-dependent cytotoxicity promoted elimination of influenza neuraminidase-positive cells. A single dose of the conjugate protected mice against influenza A or B viruses and was effective even when given several days after infection with a lethal dose of virus. In the absence of circulating immunoglobulins, we observed no in vivo protection from the adduct. The type of conjugates described here may thus find application for both anti-influenza prophylaxis and therapy.
Maximizing the potential of high-throughput next-generation sequencing through precise normalization based on read count distribution
Authors: Brennan Caitriona , Salido Rodolfo A. , Belda-Ferre Pedro , Bryant MacKenzie , Cowart Charles , Tiu Maria D. , González Antonio , McDonald Daniel , Tribelhorn Caitlin , Zarrinpar Amir , Knight Rob
Published: June 2023

Next-generation sequencing technologies have enabled many advances across diverse areas of biology, with many benefiting from increased sample size. Although the cost of running next-generation sequencing instruments has dropped substantially over time, the cost of sample preparation methods has lagged behind. To counter this, researchers have adapted library miniaturization protocols and large sample pools to maximize the number of samples that can be prepared by a certain amount of reagents and sequenced in a single run. However, due to high variability of sample quality, over and underrepresentation of samples in a sequencing run has become a major issue in high-throughput sequencing. This leads to misinterpretation of results due to increased noise, and additional time and cost rerunning underrepresented samples. To overcome this problem, we present a normalization method that uses shallow iSeq sequencing to accurately inform pooling volumes based on read distribution. This method is superior to the widely used fluorometry methods, which cannot specifically target adapter-ligated molecules that contribute to sequencing output. Our normalization method not only quantifies adapter-ligated molecules but also allows normalization of feature space; for example, we can normalize to reads of interest such as non-ribosomal reads. As a result, this normalization method improves the efficiency of high-throughput next-generation sequencing by reducing noise and producing higher average reads per sample with more even sequencing depth.

IMPORTANCE

High-throughput next generation sequencing (NGS) has significantly contributed to the field of genomics; however, further improvements can maximize the potential of this important tool. Uneven sequencing of samples in a multiplexed run is a common issue that leads to unexpected extra costs or low-quality data. To mitigate this problem, we introduce a normalization method based on read counts rather than library concentration. This method allows for an even distribution of features of interest across samples, improving the statistical power of data sets and preventing the financial loss associated with resequencing libraries. This method optimizes NGS, which already has huge importance across many areas of biology.
Supplemental Material: Asymmetric glaciation, divide migration, and postglacial fluvial response times in the Qilian Shan
Authors: Lai Jingtao , Huppert Kimberly
Published: June 2023

Supplemental text providing details of the numerical model and simulation setups. 
Suprachoroidal and vitreous haemorrhage as a presenting feature of metastatic melanoma
Authors: Kaur Jeeventh , Popovic Marko , Krema Hatem , Koushan Keyvan
Published: June 2023

A man in his 70s presented with right ocular pain, vision loss and temporal headache 4 days after undergoing laser peripheral iridotomy. The patient had lost 10 lbs over the preceding 6 weeks and had a medical history significant for a previously excised melanoma of the left arm. During the course of investigations, the patient was referred to oncology for workup, ultimately leading to a diagnosis of metastatic melanoma. Visceral metastases were identified in the lungs, right anterior fourth rib, left femoral distal diaphysis and medial side of the right globe. The patient decompensated and died shortly after his first radiotherapy treatment.

This is the first published report of suprachoroidal haemorrhage secondary to metastasis from suspected cutaneous melanoma. The case highlights the importance of considering malignancy on the differential diagnosis for a suprachoroidal haemorrhage of unknown aetiology and involving oncology early for workup and treatment.
Bilateral cryptophthalmos with overlapping features of Manitoba oculo-tricho-anal (MOTA) syndrome and Fraser syndrome 2
Authors: Mwipopo Ernestina , Massomo Mariam Mngoya , Moshiro Robert , Manji Karim Premji
Published: June 2023

A male baby with bilateral cryptophthalmos without eyebrows, distorted anterior hairline, bifid nasal tip, low-set ears, hypertelorism and low anorectal anomaly who was phenotypically diagnosed with Manitoba oculo-tricho-anal syndrome (mutation inFREM1gene) had an overlapping genotypic diagnosis of autosomal recessive Fraser syndrome 2 because of the presence of a closely related mutation inFREM2. This heterozygous variant was likely to be sporadic. Another mutation was identified in theCEP85Lgene indicating lissencephaly 10. This genetic condition has abnormal gyri pattern in the occiput area. This form of lissencephaly is characterised by phenotypic heterogeneity whereby some patients have only mild mental retardation, while others have a very complex clinical picture.

In conclusion, this rare condition with the overlap of genetics between several conditions highlights the need for genetic testing even in an low middle income country (LMIC).
Youngest pancreas transplantation alone in the UK for type 1 diabetes and severe subcutaneous insulin resistance
Authors: Ho Garm Chi , Samuel Sajanee Liz , Haroon Usman , Drage Martin
Published: June 2023

A child diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus during her middle childhood developed severe subcutaneous insulin resistance as her illness progressed. This resulted in recurrent episodes of diabetic ketoacidosis and hypoglycaemia, eventually leading to intravenous insulin dependence. Despite intensive investigations, an organic cause was not found.

The patient was in her late adolescence when she eventually received her pancreas transplant alone, the youngest patient in the UK. This case highlights severe peripheral insulin resistance as an important indication for whole organ pancreas transplantation in the paediatric population, as well as early recognition in the failure of conventional medical therapy.
Evaluation of a multimodal pain therapy approach with relapse prophylaxis for back pain (MMS-RFP study): a study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial
Authors: Krueger Kathrin , Schmetsdorf Julia , Pavlovic Maja , Runde Werner , Zechel Georg , Hemken Norbert , Krauth Christian
Published: June 2023

Introduction

The need for an interdisciplinary multimodal approach to the treatment of back pain has already been demonstrated by various studies. However, when considering the periods of incapacity to work in the longitudinal course after the multimodal pain therapy (MPT), limits in terms of its sustainable effect become clear. Patients who receive MPT subsequently return to standard outpatient care, which is associated with a risk of relapse. A 12-month relapse prophylaxis (RP) programme, intended to follow a 4-week MPT, was developed to help patients make the transition to health-conscious and physically active behaviour in everyday life and to identify and prevent impending relapses at an early stage. The evaluation, based on a cluster randomised controlled trial, seeks to provide information on the benefits of early and intensive RP as part of MPT, examine whether it is cost effective, reduces the days of incapacity to work and increases functional capacity, as well as to examine other parameters.

Methods and analysis

The study population comprises members of a regional statutory health insurance fund in Germany, who are ≤62 years old, gainfully employed and have been incapacitated for work for at least 21 days due to a diagnosis of back pain. Over a recruitment period of 24 months, a maximum of 368 individuals can potentially be included in the MPT. The intervention group (IG) and control group (CG) will both receive MPT, after randomisation IG will receive RP and CG will receive no further therapy or support as part of the trial. The evaluation is carried out on the following levels: structural, process and results quality. Cost effectiveness is also assessed by means of a health economic evaluation. In addition to the collection of qualitative and quantitative primary data, claims data from the regional health insurance fund are also included in the analysis.

Ethics and dissemination

This study has received approval by the ethics committee of the Hannover Medical School (reference number: 8548_BO_S_2019). The study results will be disseminated in national and international journals and conference presentations.

Trial registration number

DRKS00017654.
Patient compliance and satisfaction with a new forehead device for positional obstructive sleep apnoea treatment: a post hoc analysis of a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Hidalgo-Armas Laura , Inglés Sandra , Vaca Rafaela , Cordero-Guevara José , Durán-Carro Joaquín , Ullate Jorge , Rigau Jordi , Durán-Cantolla Joaquin
Published: June 2023

Background

The influence of body position in obstructive sleep apnoea patients is well known. A positional therapy device placed at the forehead has proven to be effective in reducing the severity of positional obstructive sleep apnoea (POSA) symptoms. The aim of the study was to evaluate patients’ therapy compliance and satisfaction in the short term and mid-term.

Methods

A post hoc analysis of a randomised controlled trial was conducted using an inactive device (ID) or an active device (AD) for 3 months. The primary outcomes were device usage and the percentage of patients with good compliance (defined as device use for more than 4 hours per night and more than 70% of nights per week). Secondary outcomes included time spent with head in the supine position, patient satisfaction and side effects.

Results

The median duration of using the device was 6.9 hours in the ID group and 6.7 hours in the AD group (p=0.309), and the durations were similar throughout the follow-up period and from the first day of use. The percentage of patients with good compliance was similar and greater than 60% in both groups. The median time spent with head in the supine position was significantly lower in the AD group (2.9%) than in the ID group (12.4%) since the first day of treatment. Both groups showed satisfaction scores values above 8.5 (out of 10) in all items, while side effects were scarcely reported.

Conclusion

High device compliance was achieved in POSA patients, both in terms of device usage time and percentage of days used. Patients were highly satisfied, and the device effectively reduced the time spent with the head in the supine position from the first day of use.
Vitamin D status and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease risk: a prospective UK Biobank study
Authors: Zhu Zheng , Wan Xinglin , Liu Jiannan , Zhang Dandan , Luo Pengfei , Du Wencong , Chen Lulu , Su Jian , Hang Dong , Zhou Jinyi , Fan Xikang
Published: June 2023

Background

Low vitamin D status has been linked to an increased risk for various inflammatory diseases. Conflicting results have been reported regarding chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study aims to investigate the associations of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations with COPD risk and survival.

Methods

We included 403 648 participants with serum 25(OH)D measurements and free of COPD at baseline from UK Biobank. Follow-up was until 30 September 2021. Multivariable-adjusted cox regression models were applied to estimate HRs and 95% CIs for the associations of season-standardised 25(OH)D concentrations with COPD risk and survival. The restricted cubic splines were used to assess dose–response relationship. Kaplan-Meier estimation was used to create graphs of the survival curves.

Results

During a median follow-up of 12.3 (IQR: 11.4–13.2) years, 11 008 cases of COPD were recorded. We observed a non-linear inverse association between 25(OH)D concentrations and COPD risk. Compared with participants in the fourth quintile of 25(OH)D, those in the lowest quintile were associated with a 23% higher risk (HR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.16 to 1.31). Stronger associations were observed for the risk in men and current smokers (Both p for interaction <0.05). In survival analyses, compared with the fourth quintile, cases in the lowest quintile had a 38% higher risk for overall death (HR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.22 to 1.56).

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that serum 25(OH)D concentrations are non-linearly negatively associated with incidence and mortality of COPD, suggesting a potential protective role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of COPD.
OAC Union soybean
Authors: Yoosefzadeh-Najafabadi Mohsen , Stirling Bryan , Brandt Robert , Torabi Sepideh , Eskandari Milad
Published: June 2023

The OAC Union cultivar of soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is semi-determinate, has large seeds suitable for food-grade purposes, and offers high yield potential with elevated concentrations of seed protein and oil. Additionally, it displays resistance to soybean cyst nematode. OAC Union is developed and recommended for soybean-growing areas in southwestern Ontario with 2800 or greater crop heat units and has a relative maturity of 1.4.
OAC Stirling soybean
Authors: Yoosefzadeh-Najafabadi Mohsen , Stirling Bryan , Brandt Robert , Torabi Sepideh , Eskandari Milad
Published: June 2023

OAC Stirling is a semi-determinate large-seeded food-grade soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivar with high yield potential, high seed protein concentration, and resistance to soybean cyst nematode. OAC Stirling is developed and recommended for soybean growing areas in southwestern Ontario with 3100 or greater crop heat units and has a relative maturity of 2.3.
Artificial intelligence (BirdNET) supplements manual methods to maximize bird species richness from acoustic data sets generated from regional monitoring
Authors: Ware Lena , Mahon C. Lisa , McLeod Logan , Jetté Jean-François
Published: June 2023

Processing methods that maximize species richness from acoustic recordings obtained from regional monitoring programs can increase detections of uncommon, rare, and cryptic species and provide key information on species status and distribution. Using data from regional bird monitoring in Yukon, Canada, we (1) compared the number of bird species detected (species richness) and the cost associated with four acoustic processing methods ( Listening, Visual Scanning, Recognizer, and Recognizer with Validation) and (2) combined Listening and Recognizer with Validation information to increase detections of all bird species at the ecoregion scale. We used comprehensive Visual Scanning to detect all bird species on the recordings. We processed ∼1% of the recordings using Listening and detected 56% of the bird community with 71.5 h of human effort. We used Recognizer (multispecies recognizer BirdNET) with Validation and detected 89% of the bird community with ∼22% of the effort required for Visual Scanning (56 and 257 h, respectively). As an application of our approach, we combined Listening and Recognizer with Validation to process recordings from five northern ecoregions and found a 23%–63% increase in the number of bird species detected with little additional effort. Combining Listening and Recognizer with Validation can maximize species detections from large passive acoustic monitoring data sets.
$$\varLambda {\bar{\varLambda }}$$ final-state interaction in the reactions $$e^+e^- \rightarrow \phi {\varLambda }{\bar{{\varLambda }}}$$ and $$e^+e^- \rightarrow \eta {\varLambda }{\bar{{\varLambda }}}$$
Authors: Haidenbauer Johann , Meißner Ulf-G.
Published: June 2023

Near-threshold$$\varLambda {\bar{\varLambda }}$$ΛΛ¯mass spectra for the reactions$$e^+e^- \rightarrow \eta \varLambda {\bar{\varLambda }}$$e+e-→ηΛΛ¯and$$e^+e^- \rightarrow \phi \varLambda {\bar{\varLambda }}$$e+e-→ϕΛΛ¯are investigated with an emphasis on the role played by the interaction in the$$\varLambda {\bar{\varLambda }}$$ΛΛ¯system. A variety of$$\varLambda {\bar{\varLambda }}$$ΛΛ¯potential models is employed that have been established in the analysis of data on$$p{\bar{p}}\rightarrow \varLambda {\bar{\varLambda }}$$pp¯→ΛΛ¯in the past. It is shown that the near-threshold enhancement observed for the two$$e^+e^-$$e+e-reactions can be reproduced by considering the$$\varLambda {\bar{\varLambda }}$$ΛΛ¯final-state interaction in the partial waves suggested by the helicity-angle analysis of the experiments. For$$e^+e^- \rightarrow \eta \varLambda {\bar{\varLambda }}$$e+e-→ηΛΛ¯the same$$\varLambda {\bar{\varLambda }}$$ΛΛ¯S-wave interaction as in$$e^+e^- \rightarrow \varLambda {\bar{\varLambda }}$$e+e-→ΛΛ¯is relevant and with it a consistent description of the pertinent measurements can be achieved. It is pointed out that a nonzero threshold cross section as observed for the latter reaction is not supported by the new$$\eta \varLambda {\bar{\varLambda }}$$ηΛΛ¯data.
Study of cosmic acceleration in modified theories of gravity through Kaniadakis holographic dark energy
Authors: Jawad Abdul , ul Abideen Zain , Rani Shamaila
Published: June 2023

In this paper, we investigate the cosmic analysis of Kaniadakis holographic dark energy model in the frameworks of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] modified theories of gravity. We reconstruct functional forms of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] models by using a well-known power-law form of scale factor and flat FRW metric. The behavior of these functional forms with respect to their arguments is discussed. Using these models, various cosmic parameters like energy conditions, effective equation of state parameter, deceleration parameter and squared speed of sound parameters are explored to discuss the accelerated expansion of the universe. We obtain some consistent results for accelerated expansion of the universe related to specific values of model parameters.
Asymmetry engendered by symmetric kink–antikink scattering in a degenerate two-field model
Authors: Simas Fabiano C. , Nobrega K. Z. , Bazeia D. , Gomes Adalto R.
Published: June 2023

In this paper, we analyze the scattering process in a two-field model in [Formula: see text] dimensions, with the special property to have several topological solutions: (i) one with higher rest mass, characterized by a nested defect (lump inside a kink) and (ii) four others having lower rest mass, degenerated, and characterized by a kink inside kink. We investigate kink–antikink symmetric scattering, where the kink and antikink have higher rest mass and the same initial velocity modulus [Formula: see text]. The output of scattering presents a wide range of behaviors, such as annihilation of the kink–antikink pair, the emission of radiation jets, the generation of oscillating pulses and the change of the topological sector. We show that the changing of the topological sector is favored, and only two of the four sectors are possible as outcomes. Moreover, despite the degeneracy in energy, the distribution of the final states is asymmetric in the phase space, being an effect of the presence of vibrational states.
Incoherent pumping field and Er3+ ion concentration effects on diffraction pattern of transmitted light in Er3+ doped YAG crystal
Authors: Chen Junle
Published: June 2023

The effect of Er[Formula: see text] ion concentration and incoherent pumping field on the Fraunhofer diffraction pattern of the transmitted light beam in Er[Formula: see text]: YAG crystal is discussed. It is shown that under different concentration of Er[Formula: see text] ion in crystal, the energy of the probe light can transfer to the higher orders of the grating. Also, it is shown that the switching from electromagnetically induced grating to electromagnetically induced phase gratin or vice versa can be obtained by different concentration of Er[Formula: see text] ion and incoherent pumping rate in crystal. Moreover, we have found that by replacing the probe light by optical vortex light, the asymmetric diffraction pattern can be obtained by tuning the optical vorticity of optical vortex light. In this case, the asymmetric diffraction pattern can also be controlled at different ion concentration.