bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differential risks of syringe service program participants in Central Ohio: a latent class analysis
Authors: Moon Kyle J. , Bryant Ian , Trinh Anne , Hasenstab Kathryn A. , Carter Brittany , Barclay Rick , Nawaz Saira
Published: July 2023

Background

Significant heterogeneity exists among people who use drugs (PWUD). We identify distinct profiles of syringe service program (SSP) clients to (a) evaluate differential risk factors across subgroups and (b) inform harm reduction programming.

Methods

Latent class analysis (LCA) was applied to identify subgroups of participants (N = 3418) in a SSP in Columbus, Ohio, from 2019 to 2021. Demographics (age, sex, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, housing status) and drug use characteristics (substance[s] used, syringe gauge, needle length, using alone, mixing drugs, sharing supplies, reducing use, self-reported perceptions on the impact of use, and treatment/support resources) were used as indicators to define latent classes. A five-class LCA model was developed, and logistic regression was then employed to compare risk factors at program initiation and at follow-up visits between latent classes.

Results

Five latent classes were identified: (1) heterosexual males using opioids/stimulants with housing instability and limited resources for treatment/support (16.1%), (2) heterosexual individuals using opioids with stable housing and resources for treatment/support (33.1%), (3) individuals using methamphetamine (12.4%), (4) young white individuals using opioids/methamphetamine (20.5%), and (5) females using opioids/cocaine (17.9%). Class 2 served as the reference group for logistic regression models, and at the time of entry, class 1 was more likely to report history of substance use treatment, overdose, HCV, sharing supplies, and mixing drugs, with persistently higher odds of sharing supplies and mixing drugs at follow-up. Class 3 was more likely to report history of overdose, sharing supplies, and mixing drugs, but outcomes at follow-up were comparable. Class 4 was the least likely to report history of overdose, HCV, and mixing drugs, but the most likely to report HIV. Class 5 was more likely to report history of substance use treatment, overdose, HCV, sharing supplies, and mixing drugs at entry, and higher reports of accessing substance use treatment and testing positive for HCV persisted at follow-up.

Conclusions

Considerable heterogeneity exists among PWUD, leading to differential risk factors that may persist throughout engagement in harm reduction services. LCA can identify distinct profiles of PWUD accessing services to tailor interventions that address risks, improve outcomes, and mitigate disparities.
Psychoactive drugs and male fertility: impacts and mechanisms
Authors: Hamed Moses Agbomhere , Ekundina Victor Olukayode , Akhigbe Roland Eghoghosoa
Published: July 2023

Although psychoactive drugs have their therapeutic values, they have been implicated in the pathogenesis of male infertility. This study highlights psychoactive drugs reported to impair male fertility, their impacts, and associated mechanisms. Published data from scholarly peer-reviewed journals were used for the present study. Papers were assessed through AJOL, DOAJ, Google Scholar, PubMed/PubMed Central, and Scopus using Medical Subjects Heading (MeSH) indexes and relevant keywords. Psychoactive drugs negatively affect male reproductive functions, including sexual urge, androgen synthesis, spermatogenesis, and sperm quality. These drugs directly induce testicular toxicity by promoting ROS-dependent testicular and sperm oxidative damage, inflammation, and apoptosis, and they also suppress the hypothalamic-pituitary–testicular axis. This results in the suppression of circulating androgen, impaired spermatogenesis, and reduced sperm quality. In conclusion, psychoactive drug abuse not only harms male sexual and erectile function as well as testicular functions, viz., testosterone concentration, spermatogenesis, and sperm quality, but it also alters testicular histoarchitecture through a cascade of events via multiple pathways. Therefore, offering adequate and effective measures against psychoactive drug-induced male infertility remains pertinent.
High prevalence of thrombophilic risk factors in patients with central retinal artery occlusion
Authors: Dziedzic Radosław , Zaręba Lech , Iwaniec Teresa , Kubicka-Trząska Agnieszka , Romanowska-Dixon Bożena , Bazan-Socha Stanisława , Dropiński Jerzy
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is a common cause of blindness and visual morbidity. In the majority of cases, it is related to thrombotic embolism. Nevertheless, the role of inherited or acquired thrombophilic risk factors in CRAO pathogenesis has not been comprehensively studied.

Methods

In 126 CRAO patients (66 [52.4%] men, median age 55 [range: 18–80] years) and 107 matched controls (56 [52.3%] men, median age 53 [range: 34–78] years) we evaluated classical atherosclerotic risk factors, including serum lipid profile and glucose level, analyzed intima-media complex thickness (IMT) of external carotid arteries, and performed transthoracic echocardiography. Furthermore, we established the prevalence of inherited and acquired thrombophilic risk factors, such as factor V Leiden (FVL) and prothrombin 20210 G/A genetic variants, plasma activity of factor (F) VIII, protein C and antithrombin activity, and free protein S levels. We also assessed the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (APLA) and evaluated blood homocysteine in all enrolled subjects. Additionally, we estimated the occurrence of Val34Leu polymorphism of the A subunit of coagulation factor XIII (FXIII-A) in both groups as a potential thrombosis-protecting factor.

Results

Among traditional atherosclerotic risk components, obesity/overweight and hypercholesterolemia were the most common in the CRAO group and occurred in 103 (81.7%) and 85 (67.5%) patients, respectively. CRAO patients also had elevated IMT and altered echocardiographic parameters, indicating diastolic cardiac dysfunction. In thrombophilia investigations, at least one laboratory risk factor occurred in 72.2% (n = 91) of CRAO patients, with APLA as the most frequent, detected in 38.1% (n = 48) of them (almost seven times more frequent than in controls, p < 0.001). Deficiencies in protein C activity and free protein S levels were also common in the CRAO group, reported in 17.5% (n = 22) and 19.8% (n = 25) of patients, respectively. Interestingly, among two analyzed prothrombotic genetic variants, only the FVL was related to CRAO, with the allelic frequency 2.4 times more prevalent than in controls (p = 0.044). Finally, the CRAO group was characterized by hyperhomocysteinemia, almost twice as common as in controls (p = 0.026). Antithrombin deficiency, elevated FVIII, and FXIII-A Val34Leu polymorphism were not associated with CRAO.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that thrombophilia plays a vital role in the pathogenesis of CRAO. Thus, proper laboratory screening should be considered in the primary and secondary prevention of those episodes, with implementing appropriate therapy as needed.
Involvement of the SIRT1-NLRP3 pathway in the inflammatory response
Authors: Chen Huiyue , Deng Jiayu , Gao Huan , Song Yanqing , Zhang Yueming , Sun Jingmeng , Zhai Jinghui
Published: July 2023

The silent information regulator 2 homolog 1-NACHT, LRR and PYD domains-containing protein 3 (SIRT1-NLRP3) pathway has a crucial role in regulation of the inflammatory response, and is closely related to the occurrence and development of several inflammation-related diseases. NLRP3 is activated to produce the NLRP3 inflammasome, which leads to activation of caspase-1 and cleavage of pro-interleukin (IL)-1β and pro-IL-18 to their active forms: IL-1β and IL-18, respectively. They are proinflammatory cytokines which then cause an inflammatory response.SIRT1 can inhibit this inflammatory response through nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and nuclear factor-kappa B pathways. This review article focuses mainly on how the SIRT1-NLRP3 pathway influences the inflammatory response and its relationship with melatonin, traumatic brain injury, neuroinflammation, depression, atherosclerosis, and liver damage.
A brain cytokine-independent switch in cortical activity marks the onset of sickness behavior triggered by acute peripheral inflammation
Authors: Kurki Samu N. , Ala-Kurikka Tommi , Lipponen Arto , Pospelov Alexey S. , Rolova Taisia , Koistinaho Jari , Voipio Juha , Kaila Kai
Published: July 2023

Systemic inflammation triggers protective as well as pro-inflammatory responses in the brain based on neuronal and/or cytokine signaling, and it associates with acutely and protractedly disrupted cognition. However, the multiple mechanisms underlying the peripheral–central inflammatory signaling are still not fully characterized. We used intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in freely moving mice with chronically implanted electrodes for recording of local field potentials (LFP) and electrocorticography (ECoG) in the hippocampus and neocortex, respectively. We show here that a sudden switch in the mode of network activity occurred in both areas starting at 10–15 min after the LPS injection, simultaneously with a robust change from exploration to sickness behavior. This switch in cortical mode commenced before any elevations in pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, TNFα, CCL2 or IL-6 were detected in brain tissue. Thereafter, this mode dominated cortical activity for the recording period of 3 h, except for a partial and transient recovery around 40 min post-LPS. These effects were closely paralleled by changes in ECoG spectral entropy. Continuous recordings for up to 72 h showed a protracted attenuation in hippocampal activity, while neocortical activity recovered after 48 h. The acute sickness behavior recovered by 72 h post-LPS. Notably, urethane (1.3 mg/kg) administered prior to LPS blocked the early effect of LPS on cortical activity. However, experiments under urethane anesthesia which were started 24 h post-LPS (with neuroinflammation fully developed before application of urethane) showed that both theta–supratheta and fast gamma CA1 activity were reduced, DG delta activity was increased, and sharp-wave ripples were abolished. Finally, we observed that experimental compensation of inflammation-induced hypothermia 24–48 h post-LPS promoted seizures and status epilepticus; and that LPS decreased the threshold of kainate-provoked seizures beyond the duration of acute sickness behavior indicating post-acute inflammatory hyperexcitability. Taken together, the strikingly fast development and initial independence of brain cytokines of the LPS-induced cortical mode, its spectral characteristics and simultaneity in hippocampus and neocortex, as well as inhibition by pre-applied urethane, strongly suggest that the underlying mechanisms are based on activation of the afferent vagus nerve and its mainly cholinergic ascending projections to higher brain areas.
Age-related mating rates among ecologically distinct lineages of bedbugs, Cimex lectularius
Authors: Bartonička Tomáš , Křemenová Jana , Balvín Ondřej , Šimek Zdeněk , Otti Oliver
Published: July 2023

Understanding how many mates an animal has in its lifetime is a critical factor in sexual selection. At the same time, differences in an organism's ecology, such as the quantity and quality of food, could be reflected in different mating rates. Mating rate had a significant effect on female net fitness (i.e., lifetime offspring production), however, laboratory measurements cannot well mirror the situation in wild. The common bedbug (Cimex lectularius) is a well-established model for studying traumatic insemination and sexual conflict. The species comprises two host lineages that feed on bats (BL) or humans (HL). HL can constantly feed on human hosts throughout the year, while BLs feed only during summer months when their bat hosts occupy the roosts. Because mating in female bedbugs is closely linked to foraging, this system provides a valuable model to study mating variation in the field. We established a new method for estimating age-dependent mating rates of females in the wild by relating the fluorescent pigment accumulation in the eyes of females to the number of mating scars that manifest as melanized spots caused by the injection of sperm through the wall of the female abdomen by the male into the spermalege. In addition, using laboratory bedbugs we found that three and a half observed matings on average lead to one observed melanized mating scar. Although young BL and HL females (with low pteridine concentrations) did not differ in the number of matings, the mating rate increased with age only in HL but not in BL females. We sampled on average older BL than HL females. The lack of access to food (bat blood) during winter could explain the lack of increase in the number of scars with age in BL. In species where mating leaves visible marks, using fluorescent pigments to determine female age (applicable to most arthropods) could be an important tool to study sexual selection and mating rate in the wild. The method can help formulate sustainable and biologically lucid approaches for their control.
Gender differences in physical morbidity in opioid agonist treatment patients: population-based cohort studies from the Czech Republic and Norway
Authors: Rolová Gabriela , Eide Desiree , Gabrhelík Roman , Odsbu Ingvild , Clausen Thomas , Skurtveit Svetlana
Published: July 2023

Background

Physical diseases represent a significant burden for opioid agonist treatment (OAT) patients. This study described physical morbidity in two national cohorts of OAT patients focusing on gender differences.

Methods

This population-based cohort study linking multiple health registers investigated physical diseases (ICD-10) in patients receiving OAT in the Czech Republic (N = 4,280) and Norway (N = 11,389) during 2010–2019. Gender-stratified analysis was performed.

Results

Overall, we found a large burden of physical morbidity across gender groups in OAT patients. In the Czech Republic and Norway, women in OAT had a significantly higher prevalence of physical diseases across most diagnostic chapters, notably genitourinary diseases and neoplasms. Injuries/external causes and infectious/parasitic diseases were among the most common diseases in both women and men. Viral hepatitis accounted for over half of infectious morbidity in women and men in both cohorts.

Conclusions

Our findings support the need for early screening, detection, and treatment of diseases and conditions across organ systems and the integration of health promotion activities to reduce physical morbidity in OAT patients. The gender differences underline the need for a tailored approach to address specific medical conditions.
The prognostic role of the low and very low baseline LDL-C level in outcomes of patients with cardiac revascularization; comparative registry-based cohort design
Authors: Rezaee Malihe , Fallahzadeh Aida , Sheikhy Ali , Ajam Ali , Sadeghian Saeed , Bsc Mina Pashang , Shirzad Mahmoud , Mansourian Soheil , Bagheri Jamshid , Hosseini Kaveh
Published: July 2023

Background

Although low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) level is considered one of the main prognostic factors in patients with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), the question about “the lower the better” is still unanswered. We aimed to evaluate and compare the outcomes of patients with CABG and low or very low baseline LDL-C, regardless of statin usage.

Methods

In this registry-based cohort study, 10,218 patients with low/very low (70–100 and ≤ 70 mg/dL) baseline LDL-C who underwent isolated and the first-time CABG without known previous history of cardio-cerebrovascular events, were included and compared. The median follow-up was 73.33 (72.15–74.51) months. Primary outcomes were all-cause mortality and major adverse cardio-cerebrovascular events (MACCE) (consisted of all-cause mortality, acute coronary syndrome, stroke or transient ischemic attack, and the need for repeat revascularization [percutaneous coronary intervention or redo-CABG]). Cox regression analyses before and after the propensity score matching (PSM) model were applied to evaluate and compare outcomes.

Results

The mean age of the study population was 66.17 ± 9.98 years old and 2506 (24.5%) were women. Diabetes mellitus and a history of cigarette smoking were significantly higher in the very low LDL group (P-value ≤ 0.001). In Cox regression analyses before applying PSM model, both all-cause mortality (14.2% vs. 11.9%, P-value = 0.004 and MACCE (26.0% vs. 23.6%, P-value = 0.006) were significantly higher in the very low LDL group compared to low LDL. However, these results were no longer significant after applying the PSM model (all-cause mortality HR: 1.115 [95% CI: 0.986–1.262], P = 0.083 and MACCE HR: 1.077 [95%CI: 0.984–1.177], P = 0.095). The sensitivity analysis to remove the statin effect demonstrated that very low LDL-C level was correlated to higher risk of all-cause mortality in both unmatched and PSM analyses.

Conclusion

Very low serum LDL-C levels (≤ 70 mg/dl) could increase long-term all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events in patients who have undergone isolated CABG.
Remission: Does it already exist in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis?
Authors: Chan Yvonne , Thamboo Andrew V. , Han Joseph K. , Desrosiers Martin
Published: July 2023

Background

Remission, defined as absence of symptoms and objective markers of disease, is emerging as the penultimate goal in the management of several chronic diseases. The concept of remission, well-established in Rheumatology as well as Gastroenterology, is currently emerging in Respiratory Medicine for asthma. It is interesting to consider whether the disease remission concept might successfully be applied to Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in the management of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP).

Objective

The purpose of this letter is to explore the evidence supporting the concept of remission under continued medical therapy in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis.

Methods

The authors reviewed the literature and summarized studies in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis evaluating for evidence of clinical, biochemical, and endoscopic remission.

Results

Findings of the studies revealed that endoscopic sinus surgery with continued medical therapy achieved remission in approximately 50% of all patients. CRSwNP patients after primary endoscopic sinus surgery were able to achieve remission in 72% of instances, however this drops to 42% for patients having revision sinus surgery. For CRSwNP patients with co-morbidities such as asthma and aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease, remission rate drops to 23% and 23.5%, respectively compared to non-asthmatic CRSwNP patients who present a remission rate under continued medical therapy of 60%.

Conclusion

Remission of symptoms and evidence of disease under medical therapy is indeed a concept achievable in patients with CRSwNP, as demonstrated by studies in the literature. Various co-morbidities, notably asthma, apparently influence rate of remission. Better defining this outcome through consensus-based definitions will allow for the development of strategies in CRSwNP care that can help affected patients attain complete relief from clinical, biochemical, and endoscopic markers of CRS with judicious use of medication and surgery. Future efforts will attempt to improve on these outcomes by achieving symptomatic and endoscopic control of disease following cessation of therapy, potentially paving the way towards clinical remission or a ‘cure’ in CRS.
Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Choleraesuis in a Swedish gilt-producing herd, a case report
Authors: Fjelkner Johanna , Hultén Cecilia , Jacobson Magdalena , Nörregård Erik , Young Beth
Published: July 2023

Background

When Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Choleraesuis (S. Choleraesuis) was detected in faecal samples collected within the Swedish Salmonella surveillance program from a gilt multiplying herd in September 2020, S. Choleraesuis had not been detected in domestic pigs or wild boar in Sweden for over 40 years. This report describes the subsequent investigation, identification of possible entry routes and measures undertaken to eliminate the pathogen from the herd.

Case presentation

In accordance with Swedish regulations, pig movements to and from the farm were restricted, internal biosecurity measures were enhanced, and a test-and-remove strategy was implemented. Testing included repeated faecal sampling, tissue samplings from all dead or euthanized pigs, and serological sampling of replacement gilts. Epidemiological investigations included scrutinising of production records, employee interviews, analysing feed and environmental samples, faecal samples from the herd’s purebred gilt supplier, and tissue and faecal samples from wild boars in the adjacent area. Testing of in-contact herds receiving gilts (n = 15) or 30-kg pigs (n = 7) from the multiplier included whole-herd faecal sampling and tissue cultures from pigs that died with signs of septicaemia. In total, S. Choleraesuis was detected in 12/4200 faecal and 5/1350 tissue samples from the herd, and the corresponding groups of pigs were euthanized. All feed and environmental samples as well as samples from the gilt supplier were negative. Testing of contact herds resulted in the identification and culling of one group of S. Choleraesuis-positive gilts. Replacement gilts introduced to the herd from January until May 2021 remained serologically negative during a surveillance-period of five months.

Conclusion

Although speculative, the epidemiological investigation identified indirect transmission from wild boar as possible source of introduction to the herd. Whole-genome sequencing of S. Choleraesuis isolates from wild boar in the area showed that they clustered with isolates from the herd. Repeated testing of the herd indicated that the test-and-remove strategy was successful. In August 2021, all restrictions were removed, and the herd was re-instated as a gilt producing herd. Compensation from the Swedish state to the farmer for production losses, culled animals and extra costs associated with the elimination cost totalled SEK 7 992 234.
Real-time fault diagnosis system for electrical panel using embedded systems
Authors: Parsafar Parsa , Qaderi Baban Payam
Published: July 2023

Regular maintenance inspections are necessary for industrial electrical panels. The project incorporated an IoT system that leverages embedded systems to streamline and expedite this process. This implementation rendered the electrical panel in real-time, enabling more efficient maintenance procedures. The project utilized an Odroid embedded system board as the central system controller and designed an electronic circuit for data communication. Software design was completed using the C++ programming language, and Dataplicity Cloud Commander was used as an interface for accessing the electrical panel online via phones or computers. This design allows technicians to continuously monitor the panel’s protective relays, temperatures, and power supply voltages. The system underwent testing for various operating conditions and potential errors, resulting in a low-cost intelligent system that significantly reduces troubleshooting time for electrical panels by providing essential information quickly and easily.
Neuroprotective compounds from marine invertebrates
Authors: Rivai Bachtiar , Umar Abd. Kakhar
Published: July 2023

Background

Neuroinflammation is a key pathological feature of a wide variety of neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, and Huntington’s disease. While current treatments for these disorders are primarily symptomatic, there is a growing interest in developing new therapeutics that target the underlying neuroinflammatory processes.

Main body

Marine invertebrates, such as coral, sea urchins, starfish, sponges, and sea cucumbers, have been found to contain a wide variety of biologically active compounds that have demonstrated potential therapeutic properties. These compounds are known to target various key proteins and pathways in neuroinflammation, including 6-hydroxydopamine (OHDH), caspase-3 and caspase-9, p-Akt, p-ERK, p-P38, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), amyloid-β (Aβ), HSF-1, α-synuclein, cellular prion protein, advanced glycation end products (AGEs), paraquat (PQ), and mitochondria DJ-1.

Short conclusion

This review focuses on the current state of research on the neuroprotective effects of compounds found in marine invertebrates and the potential therapeutic implications of these findings for treating neuroinflammatory disorders. We also discussed the challenges and limitations of using marine-based compounds as therapeutics, such as sourcing and sustainability concerns, and the need for more preclinical and clinical studies to establish their efficacy and safety.

Graphical abstract
Natural Language Processing to Automatically Extract the Presence and Severity of Esophagitis in Notes of Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy
Authors: Chen Shan , Guevara Marco , Ramirez Nicolas , Murray Arpi , Warner Jeremy L. , Aerts Hugo J. W. L. , Miller Timothy A. , Savova Guergana K. , Mak Raymond H. , Bitterman Danielle S.
Published: July 2023

PURPOSE

Radiotherapy (RT) toxicities can impair survival and quality of life, yet remain understudied. Real-world evidence holds potential to improve our understanding of toxicities, but toxicity information is often only in clinical notes. We developed natural language processing (NLP) models to identify the presence and severity of esophagitis from notes of patients treated with thoracic RT.

METHODS

Our corpus consisted of a gold-labeled data set of 1,524 clinical notes from 124 patients with lung cancer treated with RT, manually annotated for Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v5.0 esophagitis grade, and a silver-labeled data set of 2,420 notes from 1,832 patients from whom toxicity grades had been collected as structured data during clinical care. We fine-tuned statistical and pretrained Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers–based models for three esophagitis classification tasks: task 1, no esophagitis versus grade 1-3; task 2, grade ≤1 versus >1; and task 3, no esophagitis versus grade 1 versus grade 2-3. Transferability was tested on 345 notes from patients with esophageal cancer undergoing RT.

RESULTS

Fine-tuning of PubMedBERT yielded the best performance. The best macro-F1 was 0.92, 0.82, and 0.74 for tasks 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Selecting the most informative note sections during fine-tuning improved macro-F1 by ≥2% for all tasks. Silver-labeled data improved the macro-F1 by ≥3% across all tasks. For the esophageal cancer notes, the best macro-F1 was 0.73, 0.74, and 0.65 for tasks 1, 2, and 3, respectively, without additional fine-tuning.

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, this is the first effort to automatically extract esophagitis toxicity severity according to CTCAE guidelines from clinical notes. This provides proof of concept for NLP-based automated detailed toxicity monitoring in expanded domains.
A WNT4- and DKK3-driven canonical to noncanonical Wnt signaling switch controls multiciliogenesis
Authors: Cooney Riley A. , Saal Maxwell L. , Geraci Kara P. , Maynard Caitlin , Cleaver Ondine , Hoang Oanh N. , Moore Todd T. , Hwang Rosa F. , Axelrod Jeffrey D. , Vladar Eszter K.
Published: July 2023

Multiciliated cells contain hundreds of cilia whose directional movement powers the mucociliary clearance of the airways, a vital host defense mechanism. Multiciliated cell specification requires canonical Wnt signaling, which then must be turned off. Next, ciliogenesis and polarized ciliary orientation are regulated by noncanonical Wnt/planar cell polarity (Wnt/PCP) signaling. The mechanistic relationship between the Wnt pathways is unknown. We show that DKK3, a secreted canonical Wnt regulator and WNT4, a noncanonical Wnt ligand act together to facilitate a canonical to noncanonical Wnt signaling switch during multiciliated cell formation. In primary human airway epithelial cells, DKK3 and WNT4 CRISPR knockout blocks, whereas ectopic expression promotes, multiciliated cell formation by inhibiting canonical Wnt signaling. Wnt4 and Dkk3 single-knockout mice also display defective ciliated cells. DKK3 and WNT4 are co-secreted from basal stem cells and act directly on multiciliated cells via KREMEN1 and FZD6, respectively. We provide a novel mechanism that links specification to cilium biogenesis and polarization for proper multiciliated cell formation.
Glass and Liquid Chemistry of Coordination Polymers and MOFs
Authors: Horike Satoshi
Published: July 2023

The chemistry of coordination polymers and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has progressed largely with the development of crystallography. The study of “disordered systems” such as the liquid and glassy states of coordination polymers and MOFs has been developed in recent years, and various methods have been recognised to produce glasses from crystals. The structures of the glass and liquid phases are studied using synchrotron radiation X-rays and spectroscopy. Many of them have the coordination bond-based network structure found in the crystal structures. This suggests that the structural design principles of coordination chemistry can be applied to glasses and liquids of coordination polymers and MOFs. The inherent properties of the disordered system, such as wide compositions and high internal degrees of freedom, high material formability and softness, contribute to the coupled physicochemical properties.
Educational equity in England: the shortcomings of the UK Government’s COVID-19 response
Authors: Kippin Sean
Published: July 2023

The UK Government sought to respond to lockdowns and lost learning during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in multiple ways, including replacing cancelled examinations and compensating for lost learning through a National Tutoring Programme. In the case of the former, the system failed to realise the demands of equity by privileging wealthier students and beating a path back to a flawed ‘normality.’ In the case of the latter, while the idea of providing targeted, high quality small group and one on one tutoring to the most in-need students was well-conceived, implementation was a failure - particularly following its contracting out to a large outsourcing company. These two cases demonstrate that English education policy is adherent to a neoliberal conception of education equity, and that attempts to address inequalities are constrained, backfire, or both.
Russian-Venezuelan relations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The perspective of Russia's superpower interests
Authors: Miarka Agnieszka , Łapaj-Kucharska Justyna
Published: July 2023

Background: The fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has been instrumentalised on several occasions by powers that have seen a new sphere for realising their interests. One such power is the Russian Federation. The article aims to explain the importance of close relations with Venezuela for Russia's strategic objectives in expanding its political power in the Latin American region in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve the research objective, the authors focused on answering the following research questions: How has the political crisis in Venezuela affected the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic? Why and how does Russia consistently support the regime of Nicolás Maduro in times of a pandemic crisis? The article's research hypothesis is that Russia used the new conditions of superpower policy, the COVID-19 pandemic, to strengthen its influence on Venezuela's domestic politics to secure the realisation of its superpower interests. Methods: The authors used content analysis of media broadcasts, statements by politicians, and literature on the subject (in English, Russian and Spanish). In addition, the re-analysis of quantitative data made it possible, for example, to characterise the economic level of the relations. The main part of the research was completed in November 2021. The article uses methods characteristic of international relations research, including the method of decision analysis. 

Results: The results of the research confirm that Moscow’s activity in Latin America should be interpreted as one of the manifestations of the reactivity of Russian geostrategy, i.e. a response to U.S. actions in the post-Soviet area.  Conclusions: In this context, Caracas has a special position in Russia’s policy as a key regional partner in energy cooperation and a market for the sale of military technologies. The research was conducted on 13 March 2020 and ended before 24 February 2022.
Deep Impact
Authors: Excell Jon
Published: July 2023

An ambitious effort to take a manned submarine to the bottom of the Earth's five oceans is pushing subsea technology to its limits.
Orbex Unveils the World's Largest 3D Printed Rocket
Authors: Excell Jon
Published: July 2023

Scottish space firm's prototype is at the heart of plans to develop the UK's satellite launch capability
Diagnosing the RoboPatient
Authors: Fowler David
Published: July 2023

Robotics and AR will assist medical training procedures
Babcock Wins Type 31 Frigate Contract
Authors: Swallow John
Published: July 2023

Excellent news and good to see that the work will be spread around the UK.
Fusion Healing
Authors: Nathan Stuart
Published: July 2023

TAE Life Sciences chief Bruce Bauer says that particle accelerator technology spun out of fusion research could revolutionise cancer treatment
Atmospheric Cold Plasma (ACP) Treatment for Efficient Disinfestation of the Cowpea Weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus
Authors: Kirk-Bradley Nahndi Tirrell , Salau Tomilayo Grace , Salzman Keyan Zhu , Moore Janie McClurkin
Published: July 2023

Highlights

The exposure of C. maculatus to reactive gas species (RGS) from atmospheric cold plasma treatment (ACP) resulted in significant mortality at all life stages tested.

Three-minute ACP treatments at voltages of 70 kV have the best insecticidal effect.

The greatest impact of treatment was during the egg and young larval stages of C. maculatus.

Abstract. The insecticidal capability and mechanism of high-voltage atmospheric cold plasma were studied using a dielectric barrier discharge reactor against Callosobruchus maculatus, a significant insect pest in stored grain degradation. The mortality rate of > 90.0% for egg and larval stages can be achieved with a longer treatment time of 3 minutes and a higher voltage of 70 kV. However, this treatment condition, paired with a post-treatment retention time of 4 days, is required to kill 95% of adult insects. The use of atmospheric cold plasma has a considerable impact on the mortality of a range of insect life stages. Sufficient toxicity can be achieved by plasma process management using modified atmospheric pressure with a working gas of 65% oxygen, 30% carbon dioxide, and 5% nitrogen to address the insect lifecycle phases that are vectors for pathogens, which can increase mycotoxin contamination and degrade grain quality. Introducing atmospheric cold plasma treatment as an alternative to chemical fumigation may provide a safer alternative for integrated pest management. Keywords: Atmospheric cold plasma (ACP), Cowpea weevil, Dielectric barrier, Insecticidal effect, Integrated pest management (IPM), Pesticide, Reactive gas species (RGS).
La culminación del proceso de castellanización de los Requesens: una incorporación buscada a la nobleza castellana
Authors: Jurado Riba Víctor J.
Published: July 2023

La castellanización de la alta nobleza catalana es un proceso conocido que afectó a los grandes linajes del Principado. Gracias a la capacidad de atracción de las grandes familias castellanas sobre la nobleza del resto de reinos de la monarquía hispánica, se produjo una progresiva asimilación. Este proceso no fue ajeno a los Requesens, una de las principales casas catalanas durante el siglo XV, y que vivió durante el xvi una progresiva castellanización. En este texto se abordará la fase final de este proceso, la que protagonizó Luis de Requesens y Zúñiga (1528-1576), el gran personaje de la familia durante el siglo XVI, mostrando la realidad de su alejamiento mental de Cataluña, las opiniones de sus contemporáneos catalanes y su voluntad de emparentarse con la alta nobleza castellana.
La incidencia del movimiento comunero en el gobierno de las ciudades de la Corona de Castilla
Authors: Diago Hernando Máximo
Published: July 2023

En el artículo se presta atención a la política que las ciudades rebeldes adoptaron durante la revuelta comunera en relación con dos figuras institucionales clave del régimen de gobierno local de la Corona de Castilla en el Antiguo Régimen, los corregidores y los regidores. Se prioriza el estudio de las decisiones concretas que se tomaron en distintas ciudades en particular y, en cambio, no se tiene en cuenta la cuestión de si los rebeldes tenían un programa bien definido de reforma de las instituciones de gobierno local. Como principal fuente de información se utilizan los registros de cancillería, complementados con los libros de actas de concejo de algunas ciudades.
"I Connect with Nature Every Day": Brazilian Children and Their Contact with Nature during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Macena Christiane F. S. , Lauer-Leite Iani D. , Higuchi Maria Inês G. , Costa Jorge Antonio S. , Novais Jaílson S.
Published: July 2023

Abstract: Contact with nature contributes to children's healthy development, promotes their well-being, and leads to environmentally friendly behaviors. This study investigated 50 Brazilian children and their contact with nature during the COVID-19 pandemic. The qualitative study used metapresential focus groups to collect data, which were analyzed using the Discourse of the Collective Subject technique. Results indicate that children had frequent contact with nature during the COVID-19 pandemic because they had more free time and realized the importance of staying close to nature during social isolation. Such results suggest a (re)connection with nature.
Transmatriation? Avishag the Shunammite in Three Contemporary Israeli Novels
Authors: Koplowitz-Breier Anat
Published: July 2023

Abstract: While numerous postbiblical authors consider the major figures in the Davidic dynasty, others have turned their attention to the more peripheral characters in the David cycle. The three Israeli novels discussed in this article—Yael Lotan's Avishag (2002), Avraham Burg's Avishag (2011), and Eva Etzioni-Halevy's But the King Did Not Know Her (2014)—focus on Avishag the Shunammite. Although all draw on the same biblical text, each develops it in a particular direction. Lotan's Avishag embodies both political and feminist features, developing from a young maiden into a royal secret agent. Burg's reading is a political one: he remains loyal to the patriarchal point of view by choosing a male narrator; hence his Avishag is still a relatively minor character. Etzioni-Halevy's novel falls into the category of feminist historical/biblical romance. Her protagonist, Avishag, positioned as a romance heroine, develops from a passive maiden into a mature woman who seeks to determine her own fate. Moreover, since Avishag's character in the biblical narrative is mentioned in the middle of the inheritance struggle between David's sons Adonijah and Solomon, each of the novelists uses it as a springboard for rereading the Davidian story through a different prism. By choosing different narrators, different languages (English, pseudo-biblical Hebrew, and contemporary Hebrew), and slightly different genres, each of the authors adapts the biblical story to enhance a different reading of the Bible, making the ancient story accessible and fresh to contemporary readers as an "old vessel filled with new wine."
Did Jews Die as Muslims in Auschwitz? Specters of the Muselmann
Authors: Wittler Kathrin
Published: July 2023

Abstract: In the nazi concentration and extermination camps, especially in Auschwitz, prisoners marked by utter physical and psychological exhaustion were called Muselmänner ("Mussulmen"). In recent years, based on a passing remark by Giorgio Agamben, many have taken this linguistic phenomenon to mean that Jews died as Muslims in the Holocaust. Quickly absorbed into current political theory, intellectual discourses, and discussion forums on the internet, this idea has become as widespread as widely misunderstood, all but turning Muselmann into a buzzword which may be (mis)used for anything from Jewish Islamophobia to US-American torture practices. The paper retraces the historical semantics of the German word Muselmann and discusses the possible reasons for its introduction into the language of the concentration camps. Based on the finding that the word's Orientalist implications do not sufficiently explain its use in the concentration camps and that neither guards nor prisoners employed it with the intention of turning Jews into Muslims, the paper cautions against the transfer of this word's historically specific use, developed under extreme conditions, into the heated political debates of the present.
Joint polarization detection and degradation mechanisms for underwater image enhancement
Authors: Cai Cheng , Qiang Fu , Fu-Cheng Bao , Xian-Song Gu , You-Fei Hao , Yong Zhu , Jing-Hao Zhang , Yi Liu , Yang Tai , Long-Xiao Wang
Published: July 2023

Light absorption and scattering exist in the underwater environment,
which can lead to blurring, reduced brightness, and color distortion
in underwater images. Polarized images have the advantages of
eliminating underwater scattering interference, enhancing contrast,
and detecting material information of the object in underwater
detection. In this paper, from the perspective of polarization
imaging, different concentrations (0.15 g/ml, 0.30 g/ml,
and 0.50 g/ml), different wave bands (red, green, and blue),
different materials (copper, wood, high-density PVC, aluminum, cloth,
foam, cloth sheet, low-density PVC, rubber, and porcelain tile), and
different depths (10 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm, and
40 cm) are set up in a chamber for the experimental
environment. By combining the degradation mechanism of underwater
images and the analysis of polarization detection results, it is
proved that the degree of polarization images have greater advantages
than degree of linear polarization images, degree of circular
polarization images, S1, S2, and S3 images, and visible images
underwater. Finally, a fusion algorithm of underwater visible images
and polarization images based on compressed sensing is proposed to
enhance underwater degraded images. To improve the quality of fused
images, we introduce orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) in the
high-frequency part to improve image sparsity and consistency
detection in the low-frequency part to improve the image mutation
phenomenon. The fusion results show that the peak SNR values of the
fusion result maps using OMP in this paper are improved by 32.19% and
22.14% on average over those using backpropagation and subspace
pursuit methods. With different materials and concentrations, the
underwater image enhancement algorithm proposed in this paper improves
information entropy, average gradient, and standard deviation by
7.76%, 18.12%, and 40.8%, respectively, on average over previous
algorithms. The image NIQE value shows that the image quality obtained
by this paper’s algorithm is improved by about 69.26% over the
original S0 image.
Acousto-optic modulator-based improvement in imaging through scattering media
Authors: Debnath Bapan , M. S. Meena , Dharmadhikari Jayashree A. , Chaudhuri Saptarishi , Philip Reji , Ramachandran Hema
Published: July 2023

Reduced visibility is a common problem when light traverses through a scattering medium, and it becomes difficult to identify an object in such scenarios. What we believe to be a novel proof-of-principle technique for improving image visibility based on the quadrature lock-in discrimination algorithm in which the demodulation is performed using an acousto-optic modulator is presented here. A significant improvement in image visibility is achieved using a series of frames. We have also performed systematic imaging by varying the camera parameters, such as exposure time, frame rate, and series length, to investigate their effect on enhancing image visibility.
Combined finite-element and scalar diffraction simulation of light scattering on zone edges of diffractive intraocular lenses
Authors: Nemes-Czopf Anna , Erdei Gábor
Published: July 2023

A method has been developed to simulate the effects of scattered light on the image quality of optical systems. The coherent model is based on geometrical optics to take account of wavefront aberrations caused by lenses, applies finite-element calculation to solve Maxwell’s equations around small scattering structures such as edges of diffractive surface zones, and uses scalar diffraction for free-space light propagation. The implementation is discussed in detail, and the operation is demonstrated on diffractive intraocular lenses. Point spread and modulation transfer functions are evaluated for an axial object point, taking account of scattered light as a function of slant angle and round radius of diffractive zone edges. Results show that, at a distance of ±200 Airy radius (i.e., ±2.1∘) from the axis, scattered irradiance is about 5 times more than without considering edge effects. Optimum round radius was found to be 7% of the step height, which agrees with simple geometrical optical estimations.
Numerical simulation of the internal active phase-locking coherent beam combining system
Authors: Jin Kaikai , Chang Hongxiang , Long Jinhu , Su Rongtao , Ma Yanxing , Zhou Pu
Published: July 2023

As a promising way to realize high output power while maintaining high beam quality, coherent beam combining (CBC) of fiber lasers has drawn much interest. Phase control is one of the main technologies to fulfill CBC, which is employed to keep the phases of different fiber lasers consistent. Traditional phase control techniques employ beam splitters after the emitting array to obtain phase mismatch information. Different from the traditional phase-locking technique, the internal phase control technique can obtain phase mismatch information before the laser array output to free space, and the technique is compact and easy to expand to a lager array. In this paper, a CBC system based on an internal phase-locking technique is designed, and relative numerical simulations are studied. By using the cascaded technique, the phase control bandwidth can be greatly increased. The simulation results show that hundreds of laser beams can be effectively combined based on the technique. The results of the numerical simulations can provide significant reference for the compact CBC system design and phase control.