bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High-Temperature Performance of Silicone Fluids in Journal Bearings
Authors: Brophy J. E. , Larson J. , Militz R. O.
Published: December 2022

This investigation covers the use of the dimethyl silicone polymer fluids and methyl phenyl copolymers at elevated temperatures. A specially designed small-bearing machine was used at bearing temperatures of 325 F to 500 F and at ambient or plate temperatures as high as 650 F. Hard chromium-plated journals were used in conjunction with bearings of 89 per cent copper, 4 per cent tin and 4 per cent lead, and 3 per cent zinc alloy. Loads up to 8500 psi were carried at 425 to 500 F, and loads up to 13,000 psi at 180 to 200 F, using the dimethyl silicone fluid. Comparisons are made of the lubricating characteristics of the two classes of silicone fluids investigated. For satisfactory operation, either a long break-in or a silicone pretreatment of the bearings is desirable. Data on safe operating temperatures and rates of increase of viscosity are presented.
Wave-By-Wave Prediction in Narrowly Spread Seas Using Fixed- and Drifting-Point Wave Records: Validation Using Physical Measurements
Authors: Hlophe Thobani , Wolgamot Hugh , Taylor Paul H. , Kurniawan Adi , Orszaghova Jana , Draper Scott
Published: December 2022

Accurate and reliable phase-resolved prediction of ocean surface waves is crucial for many offshore operations in ocean engineering and marine science. One important application is in optimal control of a power take-off in a wave energy converter, leading to significantly higher power production. Our interest is forecasting wave fields based on measurements obtained from multiple upwave locations in moderate seas with small directional spreading angles, as occurs along the south coast of Australia. The prediction model, based on FFTs and propagation of waves according to the linear dispersion relation, is applied to both wave groups and irregular wave fields generated in a wave basin and, additionally, to ocean waves measured with drifting wave buoys. To account for spreading, the model numerically advances linear, plane (i.e., long-crested) waves in space at an optimum offset angle equal to the underlying sea-state root mean square spreading angle. Averaging predictions from a few slightly separated measurement locations, each weighted according to its estimated variance, results in more accurate predictions than from any single location. We also assess in detail the effect of drifting buoy measurements in both long-crested and short-crested seas using synthetic wave records and show that it is possible to satisfactorily reconstruct the signal at fixed points based on the Doppler shift felt by the drifting buoy. The reconstructed signals give much better predictions compared to those completely neglecting the effect of even rather slow drift due to current.
Machine Learning To Stratify Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Risk among Hospitalized Patients with Community-Acquired Pneumonia
Authors: Rhodes Nathaniel J. , Rohani Roxane , Yarnold Paul R. , Pawlowski Anna E. , Malczynski Michael , Qi Chao , Sutton Sarah H. , Zembower Teresa R. , Wunderink Richard G.
Published: December 2022

Methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) is an uncommon but serious cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). A lack of validated MRSA CAP risk factors can result in overuse of empirical broad-spectrum antibiotics.
Small RNAs Activate Salmonella Pathogenicity Island 1 by Modulating mRNA Stability through the
hilD
mRNA 3′ Untranslated Region
Authors: Abdulla Sabrina Z. , Kim Kyungsub , Azam Muhammad S. , Golubeva Yekaterina A. , Cakar Fatih , Slauch James M. , Vanderpool Carin K.
Published: December 2022

Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhimurium is a prominent foodborne pathogen, infecting millions of people a year. To express virulence genes at the correct time and place in the host,
Salmonella
uses a complex regulatory network that senses environmental conditions.
Characterization of the Second Apoptosis Inhibitor Encoded by Guinea Pig Cytomegalovirus
Authors: Satoh Keisuke , Takahashi Keita , Noguchi Kazuma , Kobayashi Yuhki , Majima Ryuichi , Iwase Yoshihiko , Yamaguchi Keisuke , Masuda Yukina , Koshizuka Tetsuo , Inoue Naoki
Published: December 2022

Although GPCMV provides a useful animal model for studies on the pathogenesis of congenital CMV infection and the development of CMV vaccine strategies, our understanding of the viral mechanisms by which it evades apoptosis of infected cells has been limited in comparison with those of murine and human CMVs. Here, we report a second GPCMV apoptosis inhibitor (42 amino acids in length) that interacts with BAK, a Bcl-2 family proapoptotic protein.
Genome Sequences of 23 SARS-CoV-2 Omicron-Lineage Strains from Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain Mohabbat , Bin Manjur Omar Hamza , Hasda Lincon , Habib Mohammad Tanbir , Afrad Mokibul Hassan , Khan Manjur Hossain , Banik Nandita , Afreen Nawroz , Alam Ahmed Nawsher , Ayub Mustak Ibn , Rahman Mohammed Ziaur , Rahman Mustafizur , Khanam Farhana , Banu Sayera , Thomson Nicholas R. , Shirin Tahmina , Qadri Firdausi
Published: December 2022

We announce the coding-complete genome sequences of 23 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron strains obtained from Bangladeshi individuals. The Oxford Nanopore Technologies sequencing platform was utilized to generate the genomic data, deploying ARTIC Network-based amplicon sequencing.
Draft Genome Sequence of Priestia megaterium MWU16-30321, Isolated from a Cranberry Stem Gall in Massachusetts
Authors: Stephens Keenan , Harrison Alisha , Soby Scott
Published: December 2022

Priestia megaterium
MWU16-30321 was isolated from a mixed bacterial culture in a cranberry stem gall in Massachusetts following a severe winter. The genome is 5,623,390 bp in size and putatively encodes indole-3-acetic acid acetyltransferase, a key enzyme in tryptophan-dependent indole-3-acetic acid production.
Dynamic Monitoring of Changes in Fecal Flora of Giant Pandas in Mice: Co-Occurrence Network Reconstruction
Authors: Gan Baoxing , Sun Ning , Lai Jing , Wan Zhiqiang , Li Lianxin , Wang Yanyan , Zeng Yan , Zeng Dong , Pan Kangcheng , Fang Jing , Shu Gang , Wang Hesong , Xin Jinge , Ni Xueqin
Published: December 2022

The giant panda is a unique vulnerable mammal in western China, and its main cause of death is digestive system diseases regardless of whether these animals are in the wild or in captivity. The relationship between the intestinal flora and the host exerts a significant impact on the nutrition and health of the giant pandas.
A Combination of Zinc and Arginine Disrupt the Mechanical Integrity of Dental Biofilms
Authors: Gloag Erin S. , Khosravi Yalda , Masters James G. , Wozniak Daniel J. , Amorin Daep Carlo , Stoodley Paul
Published: December 2022

Mechanical removal of dental plaque is augmented with therapeutic compounds to promote oral health. A dentifrice containing the ingredients zinc and arginine has shown efficacy at reducing dental plaque both
in vitro
and
in vivo
.
Supplemental Material: Genesis and source affinities of heterogeneous ultramafic rocks in the North Kongling Complex, Yangtze craton: Architecture of a Paleoproterozoic accretionary orogen
Authors: Peng Hongtao , Peng Songbai , al. et
Published: December 2022

Table S1: Mineral major elements of harzburgites and pyroxenites from the North Kongling Complex. Table S2: Mineral trace elements of harzburgites from the North Kongling Complex. Table S3: LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb data of harzburgites and pyroxenites from the North Kongling Complex. Table S4: LA-ICP-MS zircon rare earth element values (ppm) of harzburgites and pyroxenites from the North Kongling Complex. Table S5: Whole-rock major and trace elements of harzburgites and pyroxenites from the North Kongling Complex. Table S6: Whole-rock Sm-Nd isotopic compositions of harzburgites and pyroxenites from the North Kongling Complex. Table S7: Whole-rock Re-Os isotopic compositions of harzburgites and pyroxenites from the North Kongling Complex.
Magneto-Intersubband Oscillations under the Conditions of Overlapping Landau Bands
Authors: Bykov A. A. , Strygin I. S. , Rodyakina E. E. , Bakarov A. K.
Published: December 2022

Magneto-intersubband oscillations in a highly mobile two-subband electron system with one-dimensional periodic modulation of the potential under the conditions of overlapping Landau bands have been experimentally investigated. A significant modification of magneto-intersubband oscillations relative to the amplitude and phase is found: the amplitude decreases and the reversal of magneto-intersubband oscillations occurs in some ranges of magnetic fields. The obtained experimental data can be explained by a two-humped structure of the electron energy spectrum in Landau bands.
Protocol to develop a core outcome set in incisional hernia surgery: the HarMoNY Project
Authors: Harji Deena , Thomas Christophe , Antoniou Stavros , Chandraratan Harsha , Griffiths Ben , Heniford B Todd , Horgan Liam , Koeckerling Ferdinand , Lopez-Cano Manuel , Massey Lisa , Miserez Marc , Montgomery Agneta , Muysoms Filip , Poulose Benjamin , Reinpold Wolfgang , Smart Neil
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Incisional hernia has an incidence of up to 20% following laparotomy and is associated with significant morbidity and impairment of quality of life. A variety of surgical strategies including techniques and mesh types are available to manage patients with incisional hernia. Previous works have reported significant heterogeneity in outcome reporting for abdominal wall herniae, including ventral and inguinal hernia. This is coupled with under-reporting of important clinical and patient-reported outcomes. The lack of standardisation in outcome reporting contributes to reporting bias, hinders evidence synthesis and adequate data comparison between studies. This project aims to develop a core outcome set (COS) of clinically important, patient-oriented outcomes to be used to guide reporting of future research in incisional hernia.

Methods

This project has been designed as an international, multicentre, mixed-methods project. Phase I will be a systematic review of current literature to examine the current clinical and patient-reported outcomes for incisional hernia and abdominal wall reconstruction. Phase II will identify the outcomes of importance to all key stakeholders through in depth qualitative interviews. Phase III will achieve consensus on outcomes of most importance and for inclusion into a COS through a Delphi process. Phase IV will achieve consensus on the outcomes that should be included in a final COS.

Ethics and dissemination

The adoption of this COS into clinical and academic practice will be endorsed by the American, British and European Hernia Societies. Its utilisation in future clinical research will enable appropriate data synthesis and comparison and will enable better clinical interpretation and application of the current evidence base. This study has been registered with the Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials initiative.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42018090084.
What is the prevalence of COVID-19 detection by PCR among deceased individuals in Lusaka, Zambia? A postmortem surveillance study
Authors: Gill Christopher J , Mwananyanda Lawrence , MacLeod William B , Kwenda Geoffrey , Pieciak Rachel C , Etter Lauren , Bridges Daniel , Chikoti Chilufya , Chirwa Sarah , Chimoga Charles , Forman Leah , Katowa Ben , Lapidot Rotem , Lungu James , Matoba Japhet , Mwinga Gift , Mubemba Benjamin , Mupila Zachariah , Muleya Walter , Mwenda Mulenga , Ngoma Benard , Nakazwe Ruth , Nzara Diana , Pawlak Natalie , Pemba Lillian , Saasa Ngonda , Simulundu Edgar , Yankonde Baron , Thea Donald M
Published: December 2022

Objectives

To determine the prevalence of COVID-19 postmortem setting in Lusaka, Zambia.

Design

A systematic, postmortem prevalence study.

Setting

A busy, inner-city morgue in Lusaka.

Participants

We sampled a random subset of all decedents who transited the University Teaching Hospital morgue. We sampled the posterior nasopharynx of decedents using quantitative PCR. Prevalence was weighted to account for age-specific enrolment strategies.

Interventions

Not applicable—this was an observational study.

Primary outcomes

Prevalence of COVID-19 detections by PCR. Results were stratified by setting (facility vs community deaths), age, demographics and geography and time.

Secondary outcomes

Shifts in viral variants; causal inferences based on cycle threshold values and other features; antemortem testing rates.

Results

From 1118 decedents enrolled between January and June 2021, COVID-19 was detected among 32.0% (358/1116). Roughly four COVID-19+ community deaths occurred for every facility death. Antemortem testing occurred for 52.6% (302/574) of facility deaths but only 1.8% (10/544) of community deaths and overall, only ~10% of COVID-19+ deaths were identified in life. During peak transmission periods, COVID-19 was detected in ~90% of all deaths. We observed three waves of transmission that peaked in July 2020, January 2021 and ~June 2021: the AE.1 lineage and the Beta and Delta variants, respectively. PCR signals were strongest among those whose deaths were deemed ‘probably due to COVID-19’, and weakest among children, with an age-dependent increase in PCR signal intensity.

Conclusions

COVID-19 was common among deceased individuals in Lusaka. Antemortem testing was rarely done, and almost never for community deaths. Suspicion that COVID-19 was the cause of deaths was highest for those with a respiratory syndrome and lowest for individuals <19 years.
Does recruiting patients to diabetes prevention programmes via primary care reinforce existing inequalities in care provision between general practices? A retrospective observational study
Authors: Parkinson Beth , McManus Emma , Sutton Matt , Meacock Rachel
Published: December 2022

Background

Primary care plays a crucial role in identifying patients’ needs and referring at-risk individuals to preventive services. However, well-established variations in care delivery may be replicated in this prevention activity.

Objective

To examine whether recruiting patients to the English NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme via primary care reinforces existing inequalities in care provision between practices, in terms of clinical quality, accessibility and resources.

Methods

We generated annual practice-level counts of referrals across the first 4 years of the programme (June 2016 to March 2020). These were linked to 15 indicators of practice clinical quality, access and resources measured during 2018/19. We used random effects Poisson regressions to examine associations between referrals and these indicators, controlling for practice and population characteristics, for 6871 practices in England.

Results

On average, practices made 3.72 referrals per 1000 population annually and rates varied substantially between practices. Referral rates were positively associated with the quality of clinical care provided. A 1 SD higher level of achievement on Quality and Outcomes Framework diabetes indicators was associated with an 11% (95% CI: 8% to 14%) higher referral rate. This positive association was consistent across all five clinical quality indicators. There was no association between referral rates and accessibility, overall payments or staffing. Associations between referrals and receiving different supplementary payments over the core contract were mixed, with 8%–11% lower referral rates for some payments but not for others.

Conclusion

Recruiting patients to diabetes prevention programmes via primary care reinforces existing inequalities between general practices in the clinical quality of care they provide. This leaves patients registered with practices providing lower quality clinical care even more disadvantaged. Providing additional support to lower quality practices or using alternative recruitment methods may be necessary to avoid differential engagement in prevention programmes from widening these variations and potential health inequalities further.
Context of injury prevention strategies in Swiss basketball: survey of athletes, medical staff and coaches
Authors: Bel Loïc , Duc Michaël , Bizzini Mario , Fournier Pierre-Etienne , Allet Lara
Published: December 2022

Objectives

This project aims to assess opinions, attitudes, knowledge, beliefs, practices and perceived barriers and facilitators of injury prevention (IP) strategies in Swiss basketball teams.

Methods

An online survey was sent to athletes, coaches and medical staff of the three best basketball leagues in Switzerland. The survey was subdivided in four sections: (1) characteristic of participants, (2) knowledge, opinions, attitudes and beliefs, (3) practices and (4) barriers and facilitators.

Results

Among 105 persons (n=45 female, n=60 male) who answered the survey, more than 60% (n=68) considered the risk of injury for basketball athletes as being high to very high. The ankle, knee and the hand were considered as being the most at risk. More than 80% of participants considered that recovery, training load and the warm-up quality were very important factors for IP. More than 90% of participants considered IP as either important or very important with 53 (50.5%) of the participants indicating using exercise-based IP in their clubs. Athletes and coaches’ motivation and compliance were judged as either important or very important for successful IP implementation by more than 80% of participants, with the coach being reported as the most influential person. Environmental barriers towards human or infrastructural resources were also reported as factors influencing IP strategies, namely by female participants.

Conclusion

Good knowledge and positive attitude towards IP were reported by participants, but exercise-based IP strategies lack implementation. The coach was considered as the most influential person and was reported with the athletes as playing an important role towards successful implementation.
Primary antibody deficiency-associated arthritis shares features with spondyloarthritis and enteropathic arthritis
Authors: Pott Nina Mee , Atschekzei Faranaz , Pott Carl Christoph , Ernst Diana , Witte Torsten , Sogkas Georgios
Published: December 2022

Objective

The clinical spectrum of primary antibody deficiencies (PADs) and especially common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) includes various autoimmune disorders. We studied the prevalence and the features of articular rheumatic disease in a cohort of patient with PADs.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, complete clinical data of 268 patients with PADs, mainly consisting of patients with CVID, visiting the immunology outpatient clinic of a German tertiary hospital between 2018 and 2021 were collected. Those included case history, physical examination, laboratory as well as radiological findings.

Results

Inflammatory arthritis was diagnosed in 16.4% of studied patients and was significantly more common among patients with PAD-associated enteropathy (OR 13.39, p=0.0001), splenomegaly (OR 6.09, p=0.0001) or atopic diseases (OR 3.31, p=0.021). Given HLA-B27 status, the involvement of the axial skeleton and the presence of features, such as anterior uveitis, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis and/or dactylitis, 75% of studied patients fulfilled the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society classification criteria.

Conclusion

PAD-associated arthritis frequently shares features with spondyloarthritis (SpA) and enteropathic arthritis. The latter may suggest the interconnected pathomechanisms of inflammatory arthritis in SpA and PADs.
Covariant transport equation and gravito-conductivity in generic stationary spacetimes
Authors: Liu Song , Hao Xin , Liu Shaofan , Zhao Liu
Published: December 2022

We find a near detailed balance solution to the relativistic Boltzmann equation under the relaxation time approximation with a collision term which differs from the Anderson–Witting model and is dependent on the stationary observer. Using this new solution, we construct an explicit covariant transport equation for the particle flux in response to the generalized temperature and chemical potential gradients in generic stationary spacetimes, with the transport tensors characterized by some integral functions in the chemical potential and the relativistic coldness. To illustrate the application of the transport equation, we study probe systems in Rindler and Kerr spacetimes and analyze the asymptotic properties of the gravito-conductivity tensor in the near horizon limit. It turns out that both the longitudinal and lateral parts (if present) of the gravito-conductivity tend to be divergent in the near horizon limit. In the weak field limit, our results coincide with the non-relativistic gravitational transport equation which follows from the direct application of the Drude model.
The synchrotron radiation source PETRA III and its future ultra-low-emittance upgrade PETRA IV
Authors: Schroer Christian G. , Wille Hans-Christian , Seeck Oliver H. , Bagschik Kai , Schulte-Schrepping Horst , Tischer Markus , Graafsma Heinz , Laasch Wiebke , Baev Karolin , Klumpp Stephan , Bartolini Riccardo , Reichert Harald , Leemans Wim , Weckert Edgar
Published: December 2022

PETRA III at DESY is one of the brightest synchrotron radiation sources worldwide. It serves a broad international multidisciplinary user community from academia to industry at currently 25 specialised beamlines. With a storage-ring energy of 6 GeV, it provides mainly hard to high-energy X-rays for versatile experiments in a very broad range of scientific fields. It is ideally suited for an upgrade to the ultra-low emittance source PETRA IV, owing to its large circumference of 2304 m. With a targeted storage ring emittance of $$20 \times 5\,\textrm{pm}^{2}\,\textrm{rad}^{2},$$

20
×
5

pm
2

rad
2

,

PETRA IV will reach spectral brightnesses two to three orders of magnitude higher than today. The unique beam parameters will make PETRA IV the ultimate in situ 3D microscope for biological, chemical, and physical processes helping to address key questions in health, energy, mobility, information technology, and earth and environment.
Robotic Vision for Human-Robot Interaction and Collaboration: A Survey and Systematic Review
Authors: Robinson Nicole , Tidd Brendan , Campbell Dylan , Kulić Dana , Corke Peter
Published: December 2022

Robotic vision, otherwise known as computer vision for robots, is a critical process for robots to collect and interpret detailed information related to human actions, goals, and preferences, enabling robots to provide more useful services to people. This survey and systematic review presents a comprehensive analysis on robotic vision in human-robot interaction and collaboration (HRI/C) over the past 10 years. From a detailed search of 3,850 articles, systematic extraction and evaluation was used to identify and explore 310 papers in depth. These papers described robots with some level of autonomy using robotic vision for locomotion, manipulation, and/or visual communication to collaborate or interact with people. This article provides an in-depth analysis of current trends, common domains, methods and procedures, technical processes, datasets and models, experimental testing, sample populations, performance metrics, and future challenges. Robotic vision was often used in action and gesture recognition, robot movement in human spaces, object handover and collaborative actions, social communication, and learning from demonstration. Few high-impact and novel techniques from the computer vision field had been translated into HRI/C. Overall, notable advancements have been made on how to develop and deploy robots to assist people.
RANKL and RANK in Cancer Therapy
Authors: Onji Masahiro , Penninger Josef M.
Published: December 2022

Receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (RANK) and its ligand (RANKL) are key regulators of mammalian physiology such as bone metabolism, immune tolerance and antitumor immunity, and mammary gland biology. Here, we explore the multiple functions of RANKL/RANK in physiology and pathophysiology and discuss underlying principles and strategies to modulate the RANKL/RANK pathway as a therapeutic target in immune-mediated cancer treatment.
Särndal Approach and Separate Type Quantile Robust Regression Type Mean Estimators for Nonsensitive and Sensitive Variables in Stratified Random Sampling
Authors: Shahzad Usman , Ahmad Ishfaq , Al-Noor Nadia H. , Iftikhar Soofia , Abd Ellah A. H. , Benedict Troon J.
Published: December 2022

Surprising perceptions may happen in survey sampling. The arithmetic mean estimator is touchy to extremely enormous or potentially small observations, whenever selected in a sample. It can give one‐sided (biased) results and eventually, enticed to erase from the selected sample. These extremely enormous or potentially small observations, whenever known, can be held in the sample and utilized as supplementary information to expand the exactness of estimates. Also, a supplementary variable is consistently a well‐spring of progress in the exactness of estimates. A suitable conversion/transformation can be utilized for getting much more precise estimates. In the current study, regarding population mean, we proposed a robust class of separate type quantile regression estimators under stratified random sampling design. The proposed class is based on extremely enormous or potentially small observations and robust regression tools, under the framework of Särndal. The class is at first defined for the situation when the nature of the study variable is nonsensitive, implying that it bargains with subjects that do not create humiliation when respondents are straightforwardly interrogated regarding them. Further, the class is stretched out to the situation when the study variable has a sensitive nature or theme. Sensitive and stigmatizing themes are hard to explore by utilizing standard information assortment procedures since respondents are commonly hesitant to discharge data concerning their own circle. The issues of a population related to these themes (for example homeless and nonregular workers, heavy drinkers, assault and rape unfortunate casualties, and drug users) contain estimation errors ascribable to nonresponses as well as untruthful revealing. These issues might be diminished by upgrading respondent participation by scrambled response devices/techniques that cover the genuine value of the sensitive variable. Thus, three techniques (namely additive, mixed, and Bar‐Lev) are incorporated for the purposes of the article. The productivity of the proposed class is also assessed in light of real‐life dataset. Lastly, a simulation study is also done to determine the performance of estimators.
Investigation of p‐y Behaviors of a Cyclic Laterally Loaded Pile in Saturated Silty Sand
Authors: Baek Sung-Ha , Kim Joonyoung
Published: December 2022

This study aimed to evaluate the p‐y behavior of pile foundations installed in saturated silty sand subject to cyclic lateral loading. Model piles were installed in saturated silty sand with three relative densities (40%, 70%, 90%), and lateral loads of three magnitudes were repeatedly applied. The model test results revealed that as the cyclic lateral loading was applied to the piles, the soil around the piles became densified in the loose soil (relative density of 40%), and the stiffness of the p‐y curve increased. In contrast, in dense soil (relative density of 70% and 90%), the stiffness of the p‐y curve decreased as the soil around the piles was disturbed. Special attention was devoted to the development of static and cyclic p‐y curves for assessing the lateral behavior of offshore pile foundations installed in saturated silty sand. A comparison between the p‐y curves derived in this study and the existing p‐y curves for silica sand revealed that the existing p‐y curves were more likely to overestimate the lateral load capacity of a pile installed in silty sand.
Novel Synthesis of Polyimide Foams with Aromatic and 1,6-Diaminohexane Imide Bonding
Authors: Chen Dong-Sen , Chen Chun-Hua , Whang Wha-Tzong , Su Chun-Wei
Published: December 2022

A novel type of polyimide foams (PIFs) with chemically inserted flexible aliphatic diamine (1,6-diaminohexane (HMDA)) segments was successfully synthesized and characterized in this research. The aliphatic HMDA segments were randomly incorporated in the long chain aromatic imide bonds. The obtained PIFs containing various HMDA contents (0 to 20 mol%) exhibited different morphologies such as lowered density and larger cell diameter (with higher HMDA content), and open cell ratio was increased as well. HMDA rendered flexibility to the copolymer leading to decreased rigidity. Compared to using 4,4

′

-oxydianiline (ODA) as the sole diamine source, incorporating low cost of HMDA would increase the PIF’s flexibility and improve its processibility while making the production more cost effective. Within some range of compromised thermal and mechanical properties, this proposed method could be feasible for industrial applications.
Impact of Seepage on the Underground Water Level in a Complex Soil‐Water‐Structure System
Authors: Li Youfeng , Mu Linlong , Cao Jie
Published: December 2022

The antifloating design of underground structures is very important in areas with high underground water levels, and reasonable evaluation of the buoyancy is based on accurately describing the distribution of the groundwater level. However, the natural groundwater flow would be disturbed by the structure, which is not considered in the antifloating design. In the present paper, the influence of the width of an underground structure on the groundwater level in homogeneous soil is investigated through an indoor physical model test in the first place, which serves as a benchmark for the numerical simulation. Then, the parametrical study is carried out with numerical simulation. The results show that the width of the structure has the greatest influence on the water level around the structure, followed by the influence of the insertion depth, whereas the length has little influence. The hydraulic gradient has a significant effect on that as well. Moreover, the hydraulic conductivity ratio between different soil layers also affects the water level magnitude. Based on the results, a prediction method for the groundwater level around the structure for both homogeneous soil and multilayer soil has been developed and evaluated.
On Solution of Nonlinear Integral and Fractional Differential Equations via Discontinuous Nonlinear Contractions
Authors: Kumar Santosh , Tomar Anita , Prasad Gopi
Published: December 2022

The aim of this research work is to demonstrate the survival of exactly one common fixed point for nonlinear contractions without assuming containment of range spaces of an involved pair of mappings, commutativity, and continuity (or any of their weaker forms). It is interesting to note that these findings involve different techniques of proof and comparatively fewerassumptions related to underlying mappings to find the existence of common fixed points of certain mappings. In this way, such investigations are generalizations and improvements over the several prominent recent results of the existing literature. For the application part, we solve the system of nonlinear integral equations of Fredholm and Volterra type and fractional differential equation of Caputo type to validate our results. Moreover, we validate the main conclusion with the help of an example.
Metabolic Basis and Pathogenesis of Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction as Cause of Frailty in Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Wesson Donald E. , Mathur Vandana , Tangri Navdeep
Published: December 2022

Background: Frailty is common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), as is its physical component, phenotypic frailty, and each contributes to CKD-related disability and are associated with increased mortality. Chronic kidney disease has been described as a model of premature aging and its phenotypic frailty shares features with that which has been better characterized for aging. Summary: Decreased skeletal muscle function contributes to the phenotypic frailty of CKD and aging and potentially remediable metabolic derangements appear to mediate both. Key Messages: Metabolic derangements of skeletal muscle dysfunction shared by CKD-related and aging-related phenotypic frailty offer potential research avenues to help identify additional preventive and treatment strategies. Those derangements distinctive for CKD provide potential treatment targets for the kidney care community to enhance the quality and quantity of life for patients with CKD.
Interference with Lipoprotein Maturation Sensitizes Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus to Human Group IIA-Secreted Phospholipase A2 and Daptomycin
Authors: Kuijk Marieke M. , Wu Yongzheng , van Hensbergen Vincent P. , Shanlitourk Gizem , Payré Christine , Lambeau Gérard , Man-Bovenkerk Sandra , Herrmann Jennifer , Müller Rolf , van Strijp Jos A.G. , Pannekoek Yvonne , Touqui Lhousseine , van Sorge Nina M.
Published: December 2022

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been classified as a high priority pathogen by the World Health Organization underlining the high demand for new therapeutics to treat infections. Human group IIA-secreted phospholipase A2 (hGIIA) is among the most potent bactericidal proteins against Gram-positive bacteria, including S. aureus. To determine hGIIA-resistance mechanisms of MRSA, we screened the Nebraska Transposon Mutant Library using a sublethal concentration of recombinant hGIIA. We identified and confirmed the role of lspA, encoding the lipoprotein signal peptidase LspA, as a new hGIIA resistance gene in both in vitro assays and an infection model in hGIIA-transgenic mice. Increased susceptibility of the lspA mutant was associated with enhanced activity of hGIIA on the cell membrane. Moreover, lspA deletion increased susceptibility to daptomycin, a last-resort antibiotic to treat MRSA infections. MRSA wild type could be sensitized to hGIIA and daptomycin killing through exposure to LspA-specific inhibitors globomycin and myxovirescin A1. Analysis of >26,000 S. aureus genomes showed that LspA is highly sequence-conserved, suggesting universal application of LspA inhibition. The role of LspA in hGIIA resistance was not restricted to MRSA since Streptococcus mutans and Enterococcus faecalis were also more hGIIA-susceptible after lspA deletion or LspA inhibition, respectively. Overall, our data suggest that pharmacological interference with LspA may disarm Gram-positive pathogens, including MRSA, to enhance clearance by innate host defense molecules and clinically applied antibiotics.
Ministers on Salvation: Soteriological Views of Pioneers and Pastors in the Protestant Church in the Netherlands
Authors: Paas Stefan , Stoppels Sake , Zwijze-Koning Karen
Published: December 2022

Missiology has always been inspired by soteriology, that is, Christian views of salvation. However, little is known about the actual soteriological beliefs of missionary practitioners. This article is an explorative qualitative study of soteriological beliefs among Dutch Protestant ministers who work in pioneer settings (N=20) and established churches (N=40). Our research shows that, contrary to what might be expected, these two groups (termed ‘pioneers’ and ‘pastors’) are very much alike with regard to their soteriological beliefs. The majority are convinced of the uniqueness of Jesus, and the connection of salvation with God and/or Jesus – even if this salvation is often expressed in immanent terms. Only two differences have been found between pastors and pioneers. Pioneers experience more challenges in communicating the uniqueness of Christianity and they are more likely to have traditional views of ‘eternal lostness’.
Fascination and Action at a Distance in Francis Bacon
Authors: Rusu Doina-Cristina
Published: December 2022

Throughout his writings, Francis Bacon shows a great interest in the power of the imagination, both on other minds and on other bodies, a crucial part of natural magic. Convinced of the overall value of magic, Bacon nevertheless takes issue with the corrupt state into which he saw this discipline as having descended, overrun with false theories and invented stories. Bacon’s reform of experimental natural philosophy includes a naturalisation of magic, and this can be best illustrated when we look at his conception of fascination. In this paper, I show that the characteristics of this naturalisation are: (1) the definition of the object of study and the classification of phenomena; (2) the use of models and analogical thinking when the topic under study is difficult to observe; (3) the introduction of measurements and quantification of natural phenomena; (4) the need for replicability and diversification of experiments; and (5) the rejection of explanations in terms of occult qualities and their replacement with explanations in terms of the motion(s) of the spiritual matter emitted from the active body, which is impressed on the motion of the spiritual matter of the passive body.
The Distant Action of the Heavens in Girolamo Borri’s Tidal Theory
Authors: Omodeo Pietro Daniel
Published: December 2022

The Aristotelian professor of natural philosophy and courtier at the Medici in Florence, Girolamo Borri, developed a theory based on heat to explain the tidal motions of the sea. In his dialogues on this phenomenon, he deemed that tides follow from the ‘moderate’ simmering of the waters as an effect of lunar light. His tidal theory displaced the theory of the Moon’s distant action on terrestrial waters from its traditionally astrological connotation. Moreover, his theory was not ‘empirical’ but rather inserted in a broad natural philosophical and cosmological framework. Although Galileo Galilei later dismissed heat-based explanations of the tides, such explanations are historically relevant as part of the larger scientific picture, in which controversies over the phenomenon of the tides of the sea fuelled cosmological, even post-Copernican assessments of the connection between terrestrial physics and incipient celestial physics.
Explaining Astrological Influence with Cartesian Natural Philosophy: Peter Megerlin’s Manuscript Astrologia Cartesiana (ASHB1530, circa 1680)
Authors: Garau Rodolfo
Published: December 2022

Action at a distance was one of the key features of astrology. Once a thriving discipline, astrology in the early modern period entered a crisis that ultimately culminated in its marginalization from the domain of scholarly recognition. Critics of astrology took issue, among other things, with the causative process of the supposed astrological action at a distance – traditionally based on the light shed by celestial bodies – denying that light could be a conduit of astrological influence. In response to such criticisms, some astrologers attempted to explain astrological influence based on different theoretical and natural-philosophical foundations, as, for instance, by employing Cartesianism. This paper focuses on the so far-unpublished manuscript Laurenziana ASHB1530, Astrologia Cartesiana, by the German astronomer, mathematician and astrologer Peter Megerlin (1623–1686), a professor in Basel. It shows Megerlin’s eclectic use of Cartesian elements in his treatment of the natural-philosophical bases of astrology, paying particular attention to his attempt to explain astrological influence on corpuscularian grounds. It also contributes to the reconstruction of Megerlin’s biographical and scholarly profile, focusing on the significance of his engagement with Copernican cosmology and astrology in seventeenth-century Basel.
Hell’s Kitchen: The Banquet in the Hereafter and the Reflexion of Zoroastrian Eschatological Motifs in the Qurʾān
Authors: Bitsch Sebastian
Published: December 2022

This article discusses potential Zoroastrian prefigurations concerning the Qurʾānic imagination of tormenting and distasteful food in hell. Although research on paradise and hell in the Qurʾān and the Islamic tradition has recently undergone a significant revival, recognizing potential allusions to Jewish, Christian, and—to a lesser extent—ancient Arabic traditions, Zoroastrian texts continue to be largely neglected. While scholars have argued that the banquet scenes in hell have no antecedents in Jewish or Christian literature and should therefore be understood as echoing or rather inverting and perverting ancient Arabic evocations of generous hospitality, some remarkable parallels in the Zoroastrian tradition will be brought to attention here. It is thus intended to argue for the plausibility of a reflection of Zoroastrian ideas in the Qurʾānic milieu, particulary in relation to eschatological ideas.
Theorising Affective Habitus in Historical Geographies of Mobilities: Unfolding Spatio-Temporal Modalities
Authors: Christou Anastasia
Published: December 2022

This essay applies a case study approach to theorise a research agenda for critical explorations of emotions and mobilities centred on three core concepts and key phenomena: affective habitus, spatio-temporal modalities and historical geographies. The analysis offers novel perspectives on the interplay between the affectivity of geographies of social difference and the multiscalar dynamics shaping social relations through mobility. This is demonstrated in how emotions linked to agency provide a generative lens to explore how social relationships and political subjectivities intersect to inform mobile identities/lifeworlds. The case studies offer critical insights of how migrants/refugees/indigenous people in navigating challenging structural conditions can reflect conceptualisations of the mutually constitutive contexts of emotionality and intersectional inequity with indigeneity and (im)mobility. A temporal-historical lens reveals how emotional mobilities are shaped by structural/social dynamics including, but not limited to, trauma and exclusion, historical divisions, cultural identities, border and racialised regimes, intergenerationality. These exemplifications through a case study empirical lens draw from research focusing on indigenous and Palestinian peoples.
Using Ancient Maps to Examine Historical Changes in China’s Territory and Concept of Territory
Authors: Lin Gang
Published: December 2022

When using maps to study China’s historical concept of itself, we find that the research can be divided into two schools: the “Map of the Traces of Yu” (Yu ji tu 禹跡圖) system and the “Unification Map” (yitong tu 一統圖) system. There are also two major classifications for the type of map used: the “China Proper” type and the type that includes the outlying areas. These competing concepts of what constitutes China reflect the different modes of life that have existed alongside each other throughout China’s long history, namely the agrarian and the nomadic lifestyles. The relationship between these two economic modes has alternated between peaceful and hostile and this tumultuous relationship has influenced who are considered “real” Chinese and who are the outsiders. This paper explores the evolution of what is considered China’s territory and what is not.
Memory decay enhances central bias in time perception
Authors: Ueda Natsuki , Tanaka Kanji , Watanabe Katsumi
Published: December 2022

Temporal expectations are essential for appropriately interacting with the environment, but they can be biased. This tendency, called central bias, places higher weights on expected rather than actual duration distributions when perceiving incoming sensory stimuli. In particular, the central bias is strengthened in order to decrease total response error when incoming sensory stimuli are unclear. In the present study, we investigated whether the central bias was enhanced via memory decay. For this, we used a delayed reproduction task, manipulating retention periods by introducing delays between the sample interval and the reproduction phase (0.4, 2, 4 s in Experiment 1; 0.4, 2, 8 s in Experiments 2 and 3). Through three experiments, we found the gradual strengthening of the central bias as a function of the retention period (i.e., short-term memory decay). This suggests that the integration of temporal expectation, generated from past trials and stored sensory stimuli, in a current trial occurs in the reproduction phase in the delayed reproduction task.
Transplantation of the lung
Authors: Higenbottam T , Otulana BA , Wallwork J
Published: December 2022

The introduction of cyclosporine as a highly effective immunosuppressive agent and the development of new techniques for heart-lung and lung transplantation have led to a new treatment for a wide range of fatal cardiopulmonary diseases. Indications for surgery are now becoming clear, together with major contra-indications. Suppurative lung disease, such as cystic fibrosis, can be effectively treated by heart-lung transplant (HLT). A whole new field of pulmonary medicine is emerging to provide the physiological monitoring and diagnostic techniques for major complications such as opportunistic lung infection and pulmonary rejection. Obliterative bronchiolitis, a consequence of frequent and severe rejection, still provides a major challenge to the immunological scientist and respiratory physician. Lung transplantation, by disrupting the vascular supply and innervation of the lung, is raising major questions about the generally accepted beliefs of regulation of breathing and pulmonary mechanics. Finally, as the survival rate improves beyond the current 50% at 3 yrs, lung transplantation will perhaps present further challenges to our understanding of the pathogenesis of various diseases such as asthma and cystic fibrosis.
The daily variability of bronchial responsiveness to methacholine
Authors: Trigg CJ , Jhalli N , Herdman MJ , Cundell DR , Thomas JM , Davies RJ
Published: December 2022

Ten mild atopic asthmatics on inhaled beta 2-agonists alone were studied in order to determine the repeatability of methacholine inhalation provocation tests at 24 h intervals over a period of 5 days. Such patients are most frequently studied in therapeutic trials of anti-asthmatic medications. There were no significant differences in results obtained on any of the days and no evidence for the development of tolerance to methacholine in this group of patients at one day intervals. The 95% confidence interval for repeatability of the results was +/- 1.05 doubling doses of methacholine, and 95% range +/- 2.36 doubling doses, comparable to the results obtained by other investigators on similar patients. Some investigators have produced more highly repeatable results but these have generally been obtained using highly selected groups of patients.
Breathing muscle activity during expiration in patients with chronic airflow obstruction
Authors: Morris MJ , Madgwick RG , Frew AJ , Lane DJ
Published: December 2022

During quiet ventilation in 10 patients with severe chronic airflow obstruction (AFO) there were large tidal swings of pleural pressure, 15.8 +/- 5.1 cmH2O, with high negative pressures achieved, 15.2 +/- 5.2 cmH2O. The pattern of pleural pressure mirrored that of tidal expiratory flow with a rapid rise to maximum of pleural pressure and flow at the beginning of expiration, a slow decline of both throughout most of expiration, and just before the onset of inspiration at flow reversal, a sharp fall in pleural pressure and expiratory flow. The shape of expiratory flow and pleural pressure tracings and the pattern of EMG recordings are compatible with loss of post-inspiratory muscle braking of flow. The generally negative pleural pressure and the EMG silence during expiration indicated relaxation of expiratory muscles throughout expiration. Extrapolation of the tidal expiratory flow curve to zero, and calculation of the area under the extrapolated curve showed the volume of dynamic hyperinflation to be a small proportion of the total increase in functional residual capacity above the predicted value in these patients.