bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Common scab disease: structural basis of elicitor recognition in pathogenic
Streptomyces
species
Authors: Kerff Frédéric , Jourdan Samuel , Francis Isolde M. , Deflandre Benoit , Ribeiro Monteiro Silvia , Stulanovic Nudzejma , Loria Rosemary , Rigali Sébastien
Published: October 2023

In
Streptomyces scabiei
, the main causative agent of common scab disease of root and tuber crops, the interaction between the substrate-binding protein (SBP) CebE (CebE
scab
) and cellotriose released by the plant host (
K

D

in the nanomolar range) is the first event for the onset of its pathogenic lifestyle. Here, we report the structure of CebE
scab
in complex with cellotriose at a resolution of 1.55 Å, adopting a general fold of the B subcluster of SBPs. The interaction between CebE
scab
and cellotriose involves multiple direct or water-mediated hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions, with the glucose monomer at the non-reducing end occupying the most conserved part of the substrate-binding cleft. As main interactions between the two domains of CebE involve cellotriose itself, the closed conformational state of CebE is performed via an induced-fit ligand binding mechanism where cellotriose binding triggers the domain movement. Analysis of regulon predictions revealed that the signaling pathway from CebE-mediated cellotriose transport to the transcriptional activation of thaxtomin phytotoxin biosynthesis is conserved in
Streptomyces
spp. causing common scab, except for
Streptomyces ipomoeae,
which specifically colonizes sweet potatoes and responds to other and yet unknown virulence elicitors. Interestingly, strains belonging to the pathogenic species
turgidiscabies
and
caniscabiei
have a cellotriose-binding protein orthologous to the CebE protein of the saprophytic species
Streptomyces reticuli
with lower affinity for its substrate (
K

D

in the micromolar range), suggesting higher cellotriose concentrations for perception of their host. Our work also provides the structural basis for the uptake of cellobiose and cellotriose by non-pathogenic cellulose-decomposing
Streptomyces
species.

IMPORTANCE

Common scab is a disease caused by a few
Streptomyces
species that affects important root and tuber crops including potato, beet, radish, and parsnip, resulting in major economic losses worldwide. In this work, we unveiled the molecular basis of host recognition by these pathogens by solving the structure of the sugar-binding protein CebE of
Streptomyces scabiei
in complex with cellotriose, the main elicitor of the pathogenic lifestyle of these bacteria. We further revealed that the signaling pathway from CebE-mediated transport of cellotriose is conserved in all pathogenic species except
Streptomyces ipomoeae,
which causes soft rot disease in sweet potatoes. Our work also provides the structural basis of the uptake of cellobiose and cellotriose in saprophytic
Streptomyces
species, the first step activating the expression of the enzymatic system degrading the most abundant polysaccharide on earth, cellulose.
Awake endotracheal intubation using a hyperangulated video laryngoscope with a Total Control Introducer in a patient with a history of difficult intubation
Authors: Campbell Blake A , Dziuba Adam , Perala Hunter , Pollard Jacob E
Published: October 2023

We report the first use of a fully articulating introducer called the Total Control Introducer (TCI) in combination with a hyperangulated video laryngoscope (VL) to perform an awake intubation in a patient with a history of difficult intubation. After appropriate airway topicalisation, a VL with a hyperangulated blade was inserted to visualise the glottis. A TCI articulating introducer was then used to dynamically navigate through the oropharynx into the trachea. Under indirect visualisation, an endotracheal tube was then passed over the TCI. The TCI was removed and the endotracheal tube was secured. General anaesthesia was induced after confirmation of intubation with capnography and auscultation. The patient was successfully intubated on the first attempt without complications.
Acute abdomen caused by internodular bleeding from a multiple myoma pseudocapsule in a postmenopausal woman
Authors: Yokoe Takuya , Fukuda Hisato , Noda Yuri , Kita Masato
Published: October 2023

A woman in her 50s presented with lower abdominal pain. She had a diagnosis of multiple uterine myomas 3 years earlier, followed by menopause. CT showed a pelvic mass of 19.5×9.4×10.2 cm in size, containing a haemorrhagic component. It was assumed that the tumour was the previously diagnosed myoma, and that it had increased to 150% of the size noted 3 years ago. An emergent hysterectomy was performed, and the pathological diagnosis was a uterine leiomyoma, with no components suggestive of sarcoma or degeneration. We witnessed a rare case of acute abdomen caused by internodular bleeding of multiple myomas. We assumed that the source of bleeding was the vessels of the myoma pseudocapsule. These cases may be more likely to occur in patients with multiple myomas presenting around the commencement of menopause. For symptomatic relief, emergent hysterectomy is considered to be the best treatment.
Feminae: an international multisite innovative project for female athletes
Authors: Elliott-Sale Kirsty J , Ackerman Kathryn E , Lebrun Constance M , Minahan Clare , Sale Craig , Stellingwerff Trent , Swinton Paul A , C Hackney Anthony
Published: October 2023

Sufficient high-quality studies in sport science using women as participants are lacking, meaning that our knowledge and understanding of female athletes in relation to their ovarian hormone profiles is limited. Consortia can be used to pool talent, expertise and data, thus accelerating our learning on a given topic and reducing research waste through collaboration. To this end, we have assembled an international multisite team, described here, to investigate the effects of the menstrual cycle and contraceptive pill phase on aspects of exercise physiology and sports performance in female athletes. We intend to produce an adequately powered, high-quality dataset, which can be used to inform the practices of female athletes. Our approach will also employ research transparency—through the inclusion of a process evaluation—and reproducibility—through a standardised study protocol.
Matched-pair analysis of patients with ischemic stroke undergoing thrombectomy using next-generation balloon guide catheters
Authors: Kim Lily H , Choi John , Zhou James , Wolman Dylan , Pendharkar Arjun V , Lansberg Maarten G , Albers Gregory W , Dodd Robert , Do Huy M , Pulli Benjamin , Heit Jeremy J , Telischak Nicholas A
Published: October 2023

Background

Balloon guide catheters (BGCs) have not been widely adopted, possibly due to the incompatibility of past-generation BGCs with large-bore intermediate catheters. The next-generation BGC is compatible with large-bore catheters. We compared outcomes of thrombectomy cases using BGCs versus conventional guide catheters.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study of 110 thrombectomy cases using BGCs (n=55) and non-BGCs (n=55). Sixty consecutive thrombectomy cases in whom the BOBBY BGC was used at a single institution between February 2021 and March 2022 were identified. Of these, 55 BGC cases were 1:1 matched with non-BGC cases by proceduralists, age, gender, stent retriever + aspiration device versus aspiration-only, and site of occlusion. First-pass effect was defined as Thrombolysis In Cerebral Infarction 2b or higher with a single pass.

Results

The BGC and non-BGC cohorts had similar mean age (67.2 vs 68.9 years), gender distribution (43.6% vs 47.3% women), median initial National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (14 vs 15), and median pretreatment ischemic core volumes (12 mL vs 11.5 mL). BGC and non-BGC cases had similar rates of single pass (60.0% vs 54.6%), first-pass effect (58.2% vs 49.1%), and complications (1.8% vs 9.1%). In aspiration-only cases, the BGC cohort had a significantly higher rate of first-pass effect (100% vs 50.0%, p=0.01). BGC was associated with a higher likelihood of achieving a modified Rankin Scale score of 2 at discharge (OR 7.76, p=0.02). No additional procedural time was required for BGC cases (46.7 vs 48.2 min).

Conclusion

BGCs may be safely adopted with comparable procedural efficacy, benefits to aspiration-only techniques, and earlier functional improvement compared with conventional guide catheters.
Impact of gender, ethnicity and social deprivation on access to surgical or transcatheter aortic valve replacement in aortic stenosis: a retrospective database study in England
Authors: Rice Caoimhe T , Barnett Sophie , O'Connell Shea P , Akowuah Enoch , Appleby Clare E , Chambers John B , Shah Benoy N , Blackman Daniel J
Published: October 2023

Objective

To assess gender, ethnicity, and deprivation-based differences in provision of aortic valve replacement (AVR) in England for adults with aortic stenosis (AS).

Methods

We retrospectively identified adults with AS from the English Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) between April 2016 and March 2019 and those who subsequently had an AVR. We separately used HES-linked Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) to identify people with AVR and evaluate the timeliness of their procedure (CPRD-AVR cohort). ORs for AVR in people with an AS diagnosis were estimated using multivariable logistic regression adjusted for age, region and comorbidity. AVR was considered timely if performed electively and without evidence of cardiac decompensation before AVR.

Results

183 591 adults with AS were identified in HES; of these, 31 436 underwent AVR. The CPRD-AVR cohort comprised 10 069 adults. Women had lower odds of receiving AVR compared with men (OR 0.65; 95% CI 0.63 to 0.66); as did people of black (OR 0.70; 95% CI 0.60 to 0.82) or South Asian (OR 0.75; 95% CI 0.69 to 0.82) compared with people of white ethnicities. People in the most deprived areas were less likely to receive AVR than the least deprived areas (OR 0.8; 95% CI 0.75 to 0.86). Timely AVR occurred in 65% of those of white ethnicities compared with 55% of both those of black and South Asian ethnicities. 77% of the least deprived had a timely procedure compared with 58% of the most deprived; there was no gender difference.

Conclusions

In this large, national dataset, female gender, black or South Asian ethnicities and high deprivation were associated with significantly reduced odds of receiving AVR in England. A lower proportion of people of minority ethnicities or high deprivation had a timely procedure. Public health initiatives may be required to increase clinician and public awareness of unconscious biases towards minority and vulnerable populations to ensure timely AVR for everyone.
Stroke depression: a concept with clinical applicability
Authors: Mu Jun , Ravindran Arun V , Cuijpers Pim , Shen Yiqing , Yang Wensong , Li Qi , Zhou Xinyu , Xie Peng
Published: October 2023

Stroke is a common neurological condition and among the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Depression is both a risk factor for and complication of stroke, and the two conditions may have a complex reciprocal relationship over time. However, the secondary effects of depression on stroke are often overlooked, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. In the previous concept of ‘poststroke depression’, stroke and depression were considered as two independent diseases. It often delays the diagnosis and treatment of patients. The concept ‘stroke depression’ proposed in this article will emphasise more the necessity of aggressive treatment of depression in the overall management of stroke, thus to reduce the incidence of stroke and in the meantime, improve the prognosis of stroke. Hopefully, it will lead us into a new era of acute stroke intervention.
Src inhibition rescues FUNDC1-mediated neuronal mitophagy in ischaemic stroke
Authors: Tang Tianchi , Hu Li-bin , Ding Chao , Zhang Zhihua , Wang Ning , Wang Tingting , Zhou Hang , Xia Siqi , Fan Linfeng , Fu Xiong-jie , Yan Feng , Zhang Xiangnan , Chen Gao , Li Jianru
Published: October 2023

Background

Ischaemic stroke triggers neuronal mitophagy, while the involvement of mitophagy receptors in ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury-induced neuronal mitophagy remain not fully elucidated. Here, we aimed to investigate the involvement of mitophagy receptor FUN14 domain-containing 1 (FUNDC1) and its modulation in neuronal mitophagy induced by I/R injury.

Methods

Wild-type and FUNDC1 knockout mice were generated to establish models of neuronal I/R injury, including transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) in vivo and oxygen glucose deprivation/reperfusion in vitro. Stroke outcomes of mice with two genotypes were assessed. Neuronal mitophagy was analysed both in vivo and in vitro. Activities of FUNDC1 and its regulator Src were evaluated. The impact of Src on FUNDC1-mediated mitophagy was assessed through administration of Src antagonist PP1.

Results

To our surprise, FUNDC1 knockout mice subjected to tMCAO showed stroke outcomes comparable to those of their wild-type littermates. Although neuronal mitophagy could be activated by I/R injury, FUNDC1 deletion did not disrupt neuronal mitophagy. Transient activation of FUNDC1, represented by dephosphorylation of Tyr18, was detected in the early stages (within 3 hours) of neuronal I/R injury; however, phosphorylated Tyr18 reappeared and even surpassed baseline levels in later stages (after 6 hours), accompanied by a decrease in FUNDC1-light chain 3 interactions. Spontaneous inactivation of FUNDC1 was associated with Src activation, represented by phosphorylation of Tyr416, which changed in parallel with the level of phosphorylated FUNDC1 (Tyr18) during neuronal I/R injury. Finally, FUNDC1-mediated mitophagy in neurons under I/R conditions can be rescued by pharmacological inhibition of Src.

Conclusions

FUNDC1 is inactivated by Src during the later stage (after 6 hours) of neuronal I/R injury, and rescue of FUNDC1-mediated mitophagy may serve as a potential therapeutic strategy for treating ischaemic stroke.
Physiological and nutrition-related challenges as perceived by spinal cord-injured endurance hand cyclists
Authors: Gordon Reno Eron , Scrooby Belinda , Havemann-Nel Lize
Published: October 2023

This study explored the perceptions of spinal cord-injured (SCI) endurance hand cyclists regarding their physiological and nutrition-related challenges and the perceived impact of these challenges on nutritional intake and exercise capacity. This was an interpretive qualitative descriptive study in which semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 adult South African national-level SCI endurance hand cyclists. Thematic analysis was used to explore perceptions regarding physiological and nutrition-related challenges and the impact thereof on nutritional practices and exercise capacity. Four themes emerged from the interviews: (i) physiological challenges experienced, (ii) nutrition-related challenges experienced, (iii) changes in nutritional practices, and (iv) compromised exercise capacity. The SCI endurance hand cyclists reported a number of physiological and nutrition-related challenges. Bowel and bladder challenges, limited hand function, muscle spasms, thermoregulatory challenges, pressure sores, menstrual periods, and low iron levels/anaemia were perceived to predominantly impact food and fluid intake (restrict intake) and compromise exercise capacity. This information can assist to devise tailored guidelines aimed to optimise fluid intake, overcome bladder challenges and ensure adequate nutritional intake in light of limited hand function.
$$\theta $$-diagram technique for $${\mathcal {N}}=1$$, $$d=4$$ superfields
Authors: Bason D. , Billò M.
Published: October 2023

We describe a diagrammatic procedure to carry out the Grassmann integration in super-Feynman diagrams of 4d theories expressed in terms of $${\mathcal {N}}=1$$

N
=
1

superfields. This method is alternative to the well known D-algebra approach. We develop it in detail for theories containing vector, chiral and anti-chiral superfields, with the type of interactions which occur in $${\mathcal {N}}=2$$

N
=
2

SYM theories with massless matter, but it would be possible to extend it to other cases. The main advantage is that this method is algorithmic; we implemented it as a Mathematica program that, given the description of a super Feynman diagram in momentum space, returns directly the polynomial in the momenta produced by the Grassmann integration.
Probing gluon GTMDs through exclusive coherent diffractive processes
Authors: Boer Daniël , Setyadi Chalis
Published: October 2023

We extend a previous GTMD model to improve the description of the HERA data on diffractive dijet production, and include exclusive coherent diffractive $$J/\psi $$

J
/
ψ

production data. We find that within our gluon GTMD model context and assumptions, there is considerable tension between the data for these two types of processes concerning the t dependence. Photo- and electroproduction data for protons and nuclei from EIC and UPC data from LHC and RHIC can help to establish whether a common GTMD description is possible, as one would expect, and to facilitate studies of such data we provide predictions for the various experiments. We point out explicitly in which sense this goes beyond the description in terms of GPDs.
A braneworld model in a massive gravity
Authors: Yang Ke , Guo Shi-Fa , Gu Bao-Min
Published: October 2023

A Randall–Sundrum-like braneworld scenario is constructed in a 5D extension of the Lorentz-violating massive gravity. The gauge hierarchy problem is solved in current model. The linear perturbations are calculated, and it is found that the tensor and vector perturbations are robust and free from the ghost and tachyonic instabilities, however, the scalar perturbation is a ghost filed. After Kaluza–Klein reduction, all the tensor, vector and scalar modes are massive and possess the mass splitting of order of TeV in their respective mass spectra. The massive ground states of tensor and scalar modes propagate only along the brane, however, the vector ground state is absent in the mass spectrum. By introducing the Goldberger-Wise mechanism to stabilize the extra dimension, the 4D effective theory on the brane includes a nearly massless graviton plus three towers of very massive spin-2, spin-1 and ghost spin-0 particles.
A fractional matter sector for general relativity
Authors: Palacios J. , Teodoro A. Di , Fuenmayor E. , Contreras E.
Published: October 2023

In this work, we construct a fractional matter sector for general relativity. In particular, we propose a suitable fractional anisotropy function relating both the tangential and radial pressure of a spherically symmetric fluid based on the Grünwald–Letnikov fractional derivative. The system is closed by implementing the polytropic equation of state for the radial pressure. We solve the system of integro-differential equations by Euler’s method and explore the behavior of the physical quantities, namely, the normalized density energy, the normalized mass function, and the compactness.
How does Twitter account moderation work? Dynamics of account creation and suspension on Twitter during major geopolitical events
Authors: Pierri Francesco , Luceri Luca , Chen Emily , Ferrara Emilio
Published: October 2023

Social media moderation policies are often at the center of public debate, and their implementation and enactment are sometimes surrounded by a veil of mystery. Unsurprisingly, due to limited platform transparency and data access, relatively little research has been devoted to characterizing moderation dynamics, especially in the context of controversial events and the platform activity associated with them. Here, we study the dynamics of account creation and suspension on Twitter during two global political events: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the 2022 French Presidential election. Leveraging a large-scale dataset of 270M tweets shared by 16M users in multiple languages over several months, we identify peaks of suspicious account creation and suspension, and we characterize behaviors that more frequently lead to account suspension. We show how large numbers of accounts get suspended within days of their creation. Suspended accounts tend to mostly interact with legitimate users, as opposed to other suspicious accounts, making unwarranted and excessive use of reply and mention features, and sharing large amounts of spam and harmful content. While we are only able to speculate about the specific causes leading to a given account suspension, our findings contribute to shedding light on patterns of platform abuse and subsequent moderation during major events.
Physics of generalized couette flow of immiscible fluids in anisotropic porous medium
Authors: Jaiswal Sneha , Yadav Pramod Kumar
Published: October 2023

This study presents an investigation on the generalized Couette flow of two immiscible Newtonian fluids in an anisotropic porous medium. The flow occurs between two parallel plates, driven by the combined effects of an axial pressure gradient and the movement of the upper plate. The region between the plates is filled with an anisotropic porous medium characterized by directional permeability. An exact solution is derived for the proposed problem by considering appropriate boundary and interface conditions. The slip condition is employed at the lower plate of the channel which has a significant role in the flow mechanics of fluids flowing through porous medium. The effects of directional permeability on the flow of immiscible fluids are explored, and specific cases are presented. This study reveals a significant influence of directional permeability on the flow velocity of both fluids. Furthermore, quantitative conclusions are drawn regarding the shear stress at the lower and upper wall of the channel, with implications for the anisotropic nature of blood arteries. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of fluid flow in anisotropic porous media and have potential applications in various engineering domains.
Effects of Brownian and thermophoresis on the nanofluid flow with zero nanoparticle mass flux and convective conditions through non-linearly expanding Riga plate
Authors: Sharma Ram Prakash , Mishra S. R. , Panda G. K. , Pattnaik P. K.
Published: October 2023

The present flow phenomena characterize the behavior of the Brownian motion and thermophoresis considering the Buongiorno model nanofluid through a non-linearly expanding Riga plate. The conjunction of thermal radiation with zero nanoparticle mass flux and convective boundary conditions enriches the thermal properties of the nanofluid. With the recent need in various industrial applications, the biomedical sector, for the design and development of the production process of various equipment, the role of nanofluid is vital. Further, the suitable variables leading to transformation rules are useful to get rid of the dimensional form of the governing equations. Traditional numerical technique with the help of shooting-based Runge–Kutta fourth-order technique is adopted for the solution of a transformed set of equations. The physical behavior of the characterizing components is presented and described briefly. Further, the important outcomes are the use of Hartmann number that overshoots the velocity profile, whereas the heat transfer retards significantly and enhanced thermophoresis attenuates the heat transfer rate.
Numerically hydrothermal fully developed forced convective hybrid nanofluid flow through annular sector duct
Authors: Ahmed Farhan , Akbar Noreen Sher , Tripathi Dharmendra
Published: October 2023

In this paper, fully developed forced convective flow properties of hybrid nanofluid through annular sector duct are discussed. The studies of hybrid nanofluid, i.e. the combination of a nanofluid (nanoparticles plus water) with another nanoparticles’ volume fraction, are considered. Hybrid nanofluids become most important due to enhancement in the heat transfer rate. Copper oxide (CuO)–water is taken as the nanofluid. The volume fraction of CuO nanoparticles in water is kept fixed at 4%, whereas the volume fractions of Cu nanoparticles are taken in the range of 0–4% in this study. Under the assumption of hydrodynamically and thermally fully developed flow, the deviation in the velocity components along the axial direction vanishes in the case of momentum equations; however, the deviation in the temperature becomes constant in the case of energy equation. After dimensionless analysis, the finite volume method is applied to find the numerical solutions for velocity, temperature, heat transfer rate and fanning friction factor. During physical analysis, it has been concluded that the percentage enhancement in heat transfer rate is comparably more than fanning friction factor when we increase the volume fraction of Cu nanoparticles in the CuO–water nanofluid. Furthermore, the same observation has been noticed in the case of heat transfer rate when the platelet shape factor of the nanoparticles has been used instead of brick and cylinder shape factors. Increase in fRe is 8.01% when we increase the Cu nanoparticles’ volume fraction from 1% to 4%, whereas the increments in Nu are 15.09%, 18.56% and 20.81% for the brick-, cylinder- and platelet-shaped nanoparticles, respectively, for all values of the ratio of radii, [Formula: see text], and apex angle, [Formula: see text], in both thermal cases.
Political Affiliate Clustering with Machine Learning in Vietnam Stock Exchange Market
Authors: Ngoc Can Dinh , Huy Tam Phan , Thi Cam Tu Ta , Thi My Tam Luong , Thi Thuy Hien Nguyen , Hai Minh Ngo
Published: October 2023

This paper aims to cluster politically affiliated groups using machine learning. The sample used in the study is enterprises listed on the stock exchanges of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, research data during the period from 2015 to 2020. Data used in the study include state ownership ratio, the degree of political connection of business leaders and financial indicators in the listed financial statements of enterprises. The author’s study measures political connection by K-means algorithm and then compares the results of the K-means clustering with the traditional method of manual measurement of political connection including two values of 0 and 1, where 0 is no political affiliation and 1 is political affiliation. At the same time, the author runs three clusters to have in-depth insight. The authors conclude that machine learning clustering using the k-means model can replace the traditional method. Politically connected businesses listed on HOSE and HNX with political connections bring many benefits to businesses in investment activities, in accessing resources as well as capital; however, that businesses have a negative impact on business performance. The authors recommend that a moderate degree of political affiliation will help businesses achieve better performance.
The HotBENT Experiment: objectives, design, emplacement and early transient evolution
Authors: Kober Florian , Schneeberger Raphael , Vomvoris Stratis , Finsterle Stefan , Lanyon Bill
Published: October 2023

The High Temperature Effects on Bentonite Buffers (HotBENT) Experiment, conducted at the Grimsel Test Site, aims to obtain monitoring and sampling data from an
in situ
large-scale and long-term test of an engineered barrier system (EBS) consisting primarily of a bentonite buffer exposed to high temperatures (up to 200°C at the heater surface). The
in situ
data complemented by laboratory testing and modelling will enhance existing databases and strengthen the understanding of buffer performance at such high temperatures. A robust assessment of the effect of such higher thermal loading on the most relevant safety functions and the resulting requirements on buffer performance would allow further optimization in the design, realization and operation of geological repositories and the management of interim storage facilities. This optimization would lead to reduced repository footprints (reduced number and/or spacing of disposal canisters and buffer dimensions) or new strategies for canister loading and, hence, requirements for cooling periods. HotBENT will contribute to assessing the effects of this higher thermal loading under realistic gradients and conditions, which cannot be obtained in the laboratory. It will allow an assessment of mineralogical, physical and chemical processes, such as smectite–illite transformation or cementation processes, which could impact the swelling, thermal and hydraulic properties and, hence, the key safety-relevant properties of the bentonite buffer. HotBENT was constructed in the period 2019–21 and has been operating at target temperatures since May 2022. The objectives, design and implementation of HotBENT, as well as the early transient phase of heating and hydration, are summarized in this paper.

Thematic collection:
This article is part of the Sustainable geological disposal and containment of radioactive waste collection available at:
https://www.lyellcollection.org/topic/collections/radioactive
How do I compare to the other people?": Older Adults' Perspectives on Personal Smart Home Data for Self-Management"
Authors: Caldeira Clara , Nurain Novia , Heintzman Anna A. , Molchan Haley , Caine Kelly , Demiris George , Siek Katie A. , Reeder Blaine , Connelly Kay
Published: October 2023

Research on smart home monitoring for older adults has predominantly focused on systems whose data and alerts are directed towards family members, caregivers, or healthcare providers. Older adults have expressed interest in engaging with these systems by seeing and using their data, but they are often limited to a passive role as subjects of monitoring. This paper presents qualitative results of a longitudinal smart home project with older adults living independently in the community. Based on interviews conducted throughout the 2.5-year study with 12 participants, we report on their lived experiences of having the monitoring system in their homes and on how they reflected on the data collected by the system. The results show how participants were able to extract meaningful information from the monitoring data without finding the system invasive or intrusive. Specifically, older adults exhibited interest in data that they found indicative of living an active lifestyle, such as time spent outside the home. Drawing from critical literature on active aging, we discuss implications for incorporating peer comparisons to support reflection on personal health data without reinforcing a deficit narrative of aging.
"How Do You Quantify How Racist Something Is?": Color-Blind Moderation in Decentralized Governance
Authors: Wu Qunfang , Semaan Bryan
Published: October 2023

Volunteer moderators serve as gatekeepers for problematic content, such as racism and other forms of hate speech, on digital platforms. Prior studies have reported volunteer moderators' diverse roles in different governance models, highlighting the tensions between moderators and other stakeholders (e.g., administrative teams and users). Building upon prior research, this paper focuses on how volunteer moderators moderate racist content and how a platform's governance influences these practices. To understand how moderators deal with racist content, we conducted in-depth interviews with 13 moderators from city subreddits on Reddit. We found that moderators heavily relied on AutoMod to regulate racist content and racist user accounts. However, content that was crafted through covert racism and "color-blind'' racial frames was not addressed well. We attributed these challenges in moderating racist content to (1) moderators' concerns of power corruption, (2) arbitrary moderator team structures, and (3) evolving forms of covert racism. Our results demonstrate that decentralized governance on Reddit could not support local efforts to regulate color-blind racism. Finally, we discuss the conceptual and practical ways to disrupt color-blind moderation.
"Keeping the Program Going": Technology Use by Community Organizations to Support the Social Connectedness of Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Xing Yushan , Kelly Ryan M. , Rogerson Melissa J. , Waycott Jenny
Published: October 2023

Social programs run by community organizations provide an important outlet for social connectedness among older adults. However, these programs were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. In this study, we aimed to understand how community organizations used digital technologies to continue running social programs online for older adults during COVID-19. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 staff members from local councils, libraries, community groups and care providers. We found that the use of technology benefited organizations by revealing new program delivery opportunities, and by strengthening their social bonds with older adults. However, organizations experienced challenges when transitioning social programs online. Some organizations lacked financial and human resources to support online programs; staff needed to upskill themselves and put significant effort into transferring older adults online; and it was difficult to replicate in-person experiences in online settings. Staff developed ad-hoc strategies to help older adults participate by providing extra guidance and training to increase digital literacy, and by offering accessible technical support. We discuss the significance of continuing online social programs beyond the pandemic and the importance of scaffolding to enable the online participation of older people in social programs. We outline design considerations for technology-mediated social programs run by community organizations.
Working Together (to Undermine Democratic Institutions): Challenging the Social Bot Paradigm in SSIO Research
Authors: Polychronis Cole , Kogan Marina
Published: October 2023

Unlike most other forms of coordinated, inauthentic behavior occurring online, the goals of state-sponsored information operations, or SSIOs, are often complex and multifaceted. These goals range from flooding conversations with a certain narrative, to increasing the public's engagement with news sources of questionable quality, to stoking tensions between ideologically opposed groups to weaken public trust. The prevailing theoretical framework for understanding SSIOs is to treat them as a social botnet: a behaviorally homogeneous cluster of coordinated activity. However, the social bot framework is both at odds with some of the behaviors observed in early SSIOs and more broadly with the wide swathe of goals these operations set out to accomplish. To examine the fit of the social bot framework in the SSIO context, we develop a novel bag-of-words based method for clustering and describing user activity traces. Applying this method to a comprehensive repository of SSIOs conducted on Twitter over the last decade, we find that SSIOs violate both the core assumption of the social bot framework, and how it is operationalized in practical work. Instead, we find that SSIOs exhibit a clear division of labor and propose cooperative work with social roles as a more effective theoretical framework for understanding SSIOs. Through applying this framework, we find that the roles that SSIO agents take on have become more stable and simple over time, which holds substantial implications for developing methods for detection of these operations in the wild.
The Work to Make Piecework Work: An Ethnographic Study of Food Delivery Work in India During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Shaikh Riyaj , Lampinen Airi , Brown Barry
Published: October 2023

This paper considers food delivery work as a form of piecework that is conducted via a particular workflow system -- the food delivery platform and its delivery app. We offer an ethnographic account of food delivery labor during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Indian city of Pune. Our inquiry is focused on (1) the workflow that structures food delivery work and (2) how economic considerations shape how workers work with and around the workflow. Our findings depict both the workflow that structures the delivery work and the efforts workers make beyond it to deal with contingencies and unexpected requirements they encounter on the ground. We recognize the workers' efforts as essential to make the workflow work but also to make the piecework arrangement work for them. We highlight how, in this setting, money is not just the motivation for engaging in gig work; rather, economic considerations infuse every aspect of the work process. Acknowledging the distinct shape gig work takes in a Global South context, our study highlights the value of in-depth,in situ understandings of how gig workers' economic considerations are entangled with their interactions with the technology that structures their work. Our key contribution lies in mapping outthe workflow of piecework andthe work to make piecework work, specifically in a Global South setting, by drawing upon classic CSCW themes around workflows and piecework to strengthen the contemporary scholarly discussion concerning gig work.
"You Shouldn't Need to Share Your Data": Perceived Privacy Risks and Mitigation Strategies Among Privacy-Conscious Smart Home Power Users
Authors: Lenhart Anna , Park Sunyup , Zimmer Michael , Vitak Jessica
Published: October 2023

Fueled by Internet-of-Things technologies and spanning a wide range of sensors, speakers, and cameras, smart homes promise to make our lives easier and automate routine tasks. From speakers to security cameras, smart home devices (SHDs) answer our questions, monitor our home environment, and conserve energy. They also collect significant data, ranging from on/off commands to audio and video data, and they do this in some of our most private spaces. In this paper, we explore the privacy risks associated with SHDs by focusing on privacy-conscious smart home power users--those who spend significant time and money to research, install, and integrate devices throughout their homes and engage in advanced device and network management strategies to mitigate privacy concerns. Drawing on data from 10 focus groups with 32 privacy-conscious power users, we identify the key privacy risks they perceive from this technology, as well as how they mitigate those risks through increasingly complex strategies. Our findings reveal that navigating the technical landscape that makes up the smart home environment--including what data is collected, what options are available for managing or restricting data flows, and who has access to data collected by SHDs--is complex and often confusing, even for people who spend significant time researching devices and integration options. We use these findings to argue for further development of tools that are transparent, easy to use, and aligned with the privacy needs of a diverse userbase.
'Don't Fall for This': Communications about Cybersafety from the AARP
Authors: McDonald Nora , Mentis Helena M.
Published: October 2023

Older adults face unique risks in trying to secure their online activities. They are not only the frequent targets of scams and fraud; they are the targets of a barrage of cybersafety communiqués whose impact is unclear. AARP, the United States advocacy group focusing on issues facing older adults over the age of 50, is among those educators whose strategies remain underexplored, yet their reach makes it imperative that we understand what they are saying, to whom, and to what effect. Drawing on an analysis of AARP publications about cybersafety and privacy, we sought to better understand their discourse on the topic. We report on findings that AARP's language may have the effect of portraying bad actors ("fraudsters") as individuals, rather than enterprises, which at the target end, personalizes interactions, placing too much onus on individual users to assess and deflect threats. AARP's positioning of, and guidance about, threats may sometimes prompt a thought process that puts users at the center of the narrative and may encourage engagement. Instructing older Americans, or anyone, on the forensics of cyber-sleuthing is enormously difficult. We conclude with a discussion of different approaches to cybersafety, one that involves educating older adults about the rudiments of surveillance capitalism.
(Re)collecting Craft: Reviving Materials, Techniques, and Pedagogies of Craft for Computational Makers
Authors: Cheatle Amy , Jackson Steven
Published: October 2023

This paper examines craft's foundational relations to materials, techniques, and collaborative modes of teaching and learning, and these can be called upon to strengthen and extend computational craft as practiced in fields like CSCW and HCI. Drawing from literature in HCI, craft studies and Science and Technology Studies (STS), we explore craft's modern formation at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution across three formative sites: Scandinavian Slöyd, British Arts and Crafts, and Japanese Mingei. From this review we identify three key (and still evolving) features: craft's accountabilities to natural materials and local ecologies; craft's holistic ways of making with 'head, heart, and hand'; and craft's distinctly collaborative and embodied styles of teaching and learning. We then show how these lessons can be applied to contemporary practices and pedagogies of computational making. We argue that doing so can help to rebalance computation's ecological ties and relations, recenter its practice on a sensorially rich and 'whole-self' concept of making, and support more collaborative modes of teaching and learning that are inclusive, relational, and heterogeneous.
A Tale of Two Communities: Privacy of Third Party App Users in Crowdsourcing - The Case of Receipt Transcription
Authors: Pei Weiping , Likhtenshteyn Yanina , Yue Chuan
Published: October 2023

Mobile and web apps are increasingly relying on the data generated or provided by users such as from their uploaded documents and images. Unfortunately, those apps may raise significant user privacy concerns. Specifically, to train or adapt their models for accurately processing huge amounts of data continuously collected from millions of app users, app or service providers have widely adopted the approach of crowdsourcing for recruiting crowd workers to manually annotate or transcribe the sampled ever-changing user data. However, when users' data are uploaded through apps and then become widely accessible to hundreds of thousands of anonymous crowd workers, many human-in-the-loop related privacy questions arise concerning both the app user community and the crowd worker community. In this paper, we propose to investigate the privacy risks brought by this significant trend of large-scale crowd-powered processing of app users' data generated in their daily activities. We consider the representative case of receipt scanning apps that have millions of users, and focus on the corresponding receipt transcription tasks that appear popularly on crowdsourcing platforms. We design and conduct an app user survey study (n=108) to explore how app users perceive privacy in the context of using receipt scanning apps. We also design and conduct a crowd worker survey study (n=102) to explore crowd workers' experiences on receipt and other types of transcription tasks as well as their attitudes towards such tasks. Overall, we found that most app users and crowd workers expressed strong concerns about the potential privacy risks to receipt owners, and they also had a very high level of agreement with the need for protecting receipt owners' privacy. Our work provides insights on app users' potential privacy risks in crowdsourcing, and highlights the need and challenges for protecting third party users' privacy on crowdsourcing platforms. We have responsibly disclosed our findings to the related crowdsourcing platform and app providers.
Towards Intersectional Moderation: An Alternative Model of Moderation Built on Care and Power
Authors: Gilbert Sarah
Published: October 2023

Shortcomings of current models of moderation have driven policy makers, scholars, and technologists to speculate about alternative models of content moderation. While alternative models provide hope for the future of online spaces, they can fail without proper scaffolding. Community moderators are routinely confronted with similar issues and have therefore found creative ways to navigate these challenges. Learning more about the decisions these moderators make, the challenges they face, and where they are successful can provide valuable insight into how to ensure alternative moderation models are successful.

In this study, I perform a collaborative ethnography with moderators of r/AskHistorians, a community that uses an alternative moderation model, highlighting the importance of accounting for power in moderation. Drawing from Black feminist theory, I call this "intersectional moderation." I focus on three controversies emblematic of r/AskHistorians' alternative model of moderation: a disagreement over a moderation decision; a collaboration to fight racism on Reddit; and a period of intense turmoil and its impact on policy. Through this evidence I show how volunteer moderators navigated multiple layers of power through care work. To ensure the successful implementation of intersectional moderation, I argue that designers should support decision-making processes and policy makers should account for the impact of the sociotechnical systems in which moderators work.
Understanding Autistic Adults' Use of Social Media
Authors: Van Driel Martine , Vines John , Barros Pena Belén , Koteyko Nelya
Published: October 2023

Autism is a developmental condition that impacts 1 in 100 people \citeNationalAutisticSociety2021. It affects autistic people's interactional and sensory preferences and behaviours. Autistic people can find interactions difficult in part due to sensory overwhelm. Interacting online can provide a positive alternative that allows for interactions on their own terms. However, most social media platforms are designed by neurotypical standards and can therefore inhibit full participation by autistic users. We demonstrate through the analysis of 34 semi-structured interviews with autistic adults that current social media design is not sufficient for creating an inclusive environment and enabling participation from autistic adults. We identified six themes across the interviews: (1) 'Social Media compared to In-Person Interactions', (2) 'Social Media as Enabling/Overwhelming', (3) 'Perceived Social Norms', (4) 'Keeping Connected and Finding New Communities', (5) 'Keeping Control through Systematic Practices', and (6) 'Being Authentic'. The themes demonstrate the attention that autistic adults give to online interaction, suggesting that online interactions may be just as fraught as in-person interactions have been shown to be. In order to become more inclusive of autistic adults, we recommend that social media platforms expand low-effort participation features, provide increased control over algorithmic content, support expression of intent and tone, aid discovery of interactional norms, and reinforce interest-based sociality.