bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Economic barriers and gaps to reach the desirable consumption of salt, sugar, and fat in Iran: a qualitative study
Authors: Amerzadeh Mohammad , Takian Amirhossein , Pouraram Hamed , Akbari Sari Ali , Ostovar Afshin
Published: January 2023

Background

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), also known as chronic diseases, specifically cardiovascular diseases (CVD), cancers, respiratory diseases, and diabetes are the main reason for more than two-thirds of global deaths, in which the unhealthy diet is one of the primary risk factors. The golden solution to reducing obesity and CVD linked to an unhealthy diet is to reduce calories, salt, sugar, and fat intake. Besides, activities highlighting lifestyles that contain healthy diets usually focus on reducing salt, sugar, and saturated fat consumption. As a result, the researchers aimed to study the gaps and economic barriers to recommended consumption of salt, sugar, and fat in Iran, based on WHO recommendations.

Methods

This is a qualitative study. We conducted semi-structured and in-depth interviews with 30 stakeholders, including academics, experts, and key informants in different sectors from December 2018 until August 2019 in Tehran, Iran. We used a purposeful and snowball sampling method to select participants. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed using MAXQDA 11.

Results

Economic problems and inflation in Iran caused people to eat more unhealthy foods, while a healthy diet consumption was reduced due to higher prices. Unfair political sanctions imposed on the country caused economic pressure and adversely affected family nutrition. Worse still, despite legal bans, advertising unhealthy foods via media, mainly to generate revenue, encouraged more consumption of unhealthy food. The lack of targeted subsidies and failure in tax legislation and implementation related to the unhealthy products deteriorated the conditions.

Conclusion

Some economic barriers have hampered plans to reduce salt, fat, and sugar consumption in Iran. Fundamental reforms in the tax and subsidy system are required to improve people’s eating habits. In particular, citizens’ income that has been continuously shrinking due to economic conditions, imposed sanctions, and the inevitably high inflation needs to be addressed urgently. Unless the government of Iran deals with the economic barriers to healthy nutrition, the pathway for implementing the national action plan for prevention and control of NCDs toward a 30% mortality reduction due to NCDs by 2030 looks unlikely to reach.
Does stature of female affect Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score following knee arthroplasty surgery: an observational pilot study
Authors: Ahuja Vanita , Gill Karnjot , Thapa Deepak , Bishnoi Sonika , Garg Sudhir , Nandi Souvik
Published: January 2023

Background

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) occurs frequently in females. So far, no study has evaluated postoperative outcome measures in females based on body height. We aimed to evaluate postoperative pain relief and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) at 6 months in women following total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

In this prospective, observational pilot study, 20 women, 50–70 years, American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) physical status I and II, undergoing TKA surgery were enrolled. The patients were allocated to Group I (n = 10), women with a height less than 153 cm, and Group II (n= 10), women with a height greater than 153 cm. All patients received paracetamol, diclofenac, and epidural analgesia postoperatively for up to 72 h. The primary outcome was a comparison of KOOS scores from preoperative baseline value to 6 months following TKA.

Results

The baseline demographics, KOOS, waist-hip ratio, and knee range of motion were similar. The height mean ± standard deviation (SD) (range) in Group I was 149.85 ± 3.28 (142.5–152.5) cm versus 157.25 ± 2.99 (155–165) cm in Group II, p = 0.001. KOOS score improved in patients of both Groups I and II as compared to the respective baseline. At 6 months, the KOOS pain score improved to 96.50 ± 3.14 [94.26–98.74 (89–100)] in Group I as compared to 89.40 ± 6.45 [84.79–94.01 (81–100)] in Group II, p value = 0.02.

Conclusions

Postoperative KOOS pain score at 6 months was superior in short stature versus normal stature women following TKA surgery.
Incorporating Intraoperative Mechanomyography to Peripheral Nerve Decompression Surgery
Authors: Guerrero Jaime R. , Taghlabi Khaled M. , Bhenderu Lokeshwar S. , Cruz-Garza Jesus G. , Javeed Saad , Dibble Christopher F. , Ray Wilson Z. , Faraji Amir H.
Published: January 2023

BACKGROUND:

Mechanomyography (MMG) is a novel intraoperative tool to detect and quantify nerve activity with high sensitivity as compared with traditional electromyographic recordings. MMG reflects the mechanical vibrations of single motor units detected through accelerometer sensors after direct motor neuron stimulation.

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the feasibility of applying intraoperative MMG during peripheral nerve surgery.

METHODS:

A total of 20 consecutive patients undergoing surgical decompression of the ulnar nerve at the cubital tunnel or common peroneal nerve at the fibular head were included in this study. Intraoperatively, the common peroneal and ulnar nerves were directly stimulated through the MMG electrode probe starting at 0.1 mA threshold and increasing by 0.1 mA increments until target muscle activity was noted. The lowest threshold current required to elicit a muscle response was recorded before decompression and after proximal and distal nerve decompression.

RESULTS:

Of the patients, 80% (16/20) had MMG signals detected and recorded. Four patients were unable to have MMG signal detected despite direct nerve visualization and complete neurolysis. The mean predecompression stimulus threshold was 1.59 ± 0.19 mA. After surgical decompression, improvement in the mean MMG stimulus threshold was noted (0.47 ± 0.03 mA, P = .0002). Postoperatively, all patients endorsed symptomatic improvement with no complications.

CONCLUSION:

MMG may provide objective guidance for the intraoperative determination of the extent of nerve decompression. Lower stimulus thresholds may represent increased sparing of axonal tissue. Future work should focus on validating normative values of MMG stimulus thresholds in various nerves and establishing clinical associations with functional outcomes.
Transfrontal Approach to the Amygdala for Ablation With Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy: An Epilepsy Case Report
Authors: Lamsam Layton , Brigido Mauricio Mandel , Sivaraju Adithya , Hirsch Lawrence J. , Spencer Dennis D. , Chiang Veronica , Damisah Eyiyemisi
Published: January 2023

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE:

Stereotactic laser amygdalohippocampotomy (SLAH) using laser interstitial thermal therapy is a minimally invasive surgery used to treat mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. It uses laser probes inserted through occipital and temporo-occipital trajectories to ablate the hippocampus and amygdala. However, these trajectories are limited in their ability to ablate the superior amygdala and entorhinal cortex (ERC). We present a trajectory through the middle frontal gyrus as an alternative to the temporo-occipital trajectory, which provides more complete ablation of the amygdala and anterior ERC through a single pass.

CLINICAL PRESENTATION:

A 70-year-old woman with seizures characterized by fear were localized to the left superomedial amygdala on intracranial electroencephalography. They developed after resection of a left temporal arteriovenous malformation and were refractory to medication. Her age and prior craniotomy made open resection less desirable. A frontal and occipital SLAH achieved Engel 1a at 1-year follow-up without decline in neuropsychological performance scores.

CONCLUSION:

Typical SLAH uses trajectories that have limited ability to ablate the superior and medial amygdala and ERC in a single passage. A combined approach using an occipital and frontal trajectory allows more complete ablation of the amygdala, hippocampus, and ERC.
Three-Dimensional Exoscopic Versus Microscopic Resection of Vestibular Schwannomas: A Comparative Series
Authors: Veldeman Michael , Rossmann Tobias , Huhtakangas Justiina , Nurminen Ville , Eisenring Christian , Sinkkonen Saku T. , Niemela Mika , Lehecka Martin
Published: January 2023

BACKGROUND:

Microsurgical resection of vestibular schwannoma (VS) is highly challenging, especially because surgical treatment nowadays is mainly reserved for larger (Koos grade 3 and 4) tumors.

OBJECTIVE:

To assess the performance of three-dimensional exoscope use in VS resection in comparison with the operative microscope.

METHODS:

Duration of surgery and clinical and radiological results were collected for 13 consecutive exoscopic schwannoma surgeries. Results were compared with 26 preceding microsurgical resections after acknowledging similar surgical complexity between groups by assessment of tumor size (maximum diameter and Koos grade), the presence of meatal extension or cystic components, and preoperative hearing and facial nerve function.

RESULTS:

Total duration of surgery was comparable between microscopically and exoscopically operated patients (264 minutes ± 92 vs 231 minutes ± 84, respectively; P = .276). However, operative time gradually decreased in consecutive exoscopic cases and in a multiple regression model predicting duration of surgery, and exoscope use was associated with a reduction of 58.5 minutes (95% CI −106.3 to −10.6; P = .018). Tumor size was identified as the main determinant of duration of surgery (regression coefficient = 5.50, 95% CI 3.20-7.80) along meatal extension and the presence of cystic components. No differences in postoperative hearing preservation and facial nerve function were noted between the exoscope and the microscope.

CONCLUSION:

Resection of VS using a foot switch–operated three-dimensional exoscope is safe and leads to comparable clinical and radiological results as resection with the operative microscope.
Defining the Clival Recess Surgical Corridor and Clival Classification System for Approach to Sellar Pathology
Authors: Yaghi Nasser K. , Mazur-Hart David J. , Larson Erik W. , Munger Daniel N. , Nugent Joseph G. , Richie Emma A. , Rimmer Ryan A. , Fleseriu Maria , Dogan Aclan , Geltzeiler Mathew , Ciporen Jeremy N.
Published: January 2023

BACKGROUND:

Sellar masses within the pars intermedius, bordered anteriorly by normal pituitary gland/stalk, and/or with ectatic cavernous carotid anatomy are challenging and high risk when approached through the endonasal standard direct/anterior sellar approach. This approach portends itself to a higher risk of pituitary gland/stalk injury and subtotal resection with the aforementioned anatomic variants.

OBJECTIVE:

To describe the indirect clival recess corridor approach to sellar lesions. This corridor is a “silent” point of access to lesions in this region endoscopically. While skull base teams may have used this approach to some degree, it has not yet been described in the literature to our knowledge.

METHODS:

We defined the clival recess surgical corridor with skull base craniometric measurements and use a case example with aberrant anatomy to illustrate the approach. We cross-sectionally reviewed 42 patients with sellar and suprasellar masses. To describe the approach's anatomy, we devised and defined the terms dorsum sella plumb line, anatomic corridor, angle of osseous, and operative corridor.

RESULTS:

Created novel clival aeration grade informing surgical planning. Classified clival aeration as Grade 1 (100%-75% aeration), Grade 2 (75%-50% aeration), Grade 3 (50%-25% aeration), and Grade 4 (25%-0% aeration). This classification system determines extent of drilling of the clivus required to optimize the clival recess corridor approach and its limitations.

CONCLUSION:

The clival recess surgical corridor is effective for accessing pituitary lesions within the sella. Consider the indirect approach when a standard direct/anterior sellar approach has high risk for vascular injury and/or endocrinological dysfunction.
Censorship and Reputation
Authors: Hauser Daniel N.
Published: January 2023

I study how a firm manages its reputation by both investing in the quality of its product and censoring, hiding bad news from consumers. Without censorship, the threat of bad news provides strong incentives for investment. I highlight discontinuities in the firm’s maximum equilibrium payoff that censorship creates. When censorship is inexpensive, the firm never invests and a patient firm’s payoffs approach the lowest possible. In contrast, when censorship is moderately expensive, there exist equilibria where product quality is persistently high and payoffs approach the first-best, which can exceed the maximum equilibrium payoff if it was unable to censor. (JEL D21, D82, D83, G31, G32, L15)
Sequential Learning
Authors: Antler Yair , Bird Daniel , Oliveros Santiago
Published: January 2023

We develop a model in which two players sequentially and publicly examine a project. In our model the player who moves first can fabricate evidence to influence the second mover, which creates a moral hazard problem. We find that early strategic uncertainty can mitigate this problem. In particular, for intermediate prior beliefs about the project’s quality, the Pareto-dominant equilibrium is in mixed strategies and consists of an early stage in which evidence may be fabricated and a later stage in which evidence is always authentic. Our findings shed light on the dynamics of R&D, quality assurance, and drug approval. (JEL D82, D83, L15)
Misbehavior in Common Value Auctions: Bidding Rings and Shills
Authors: Levin Dan , Peck James
Published: January 2023

We characterize the optimal misbehavior by bidding rings or an auctioneer in the ascending English auction with common values. We also show, in an extended game, that in equilibrium potential members join and truthfully reveal their signals. Under a separability assumption, behavior does not change if nonring bidders are informed about the ring’s existence. In general, misbehavior in dynamic settings is more profitable than in outcome-equivalent static settings. However, under a stronger separability assumption, the ring can do no better in the dynamic English format than in the outcome-equivalent, static Sophi format. (JEL D44, D82)
Benign lesions with 68Ga-FAPI uptake: a retrospective study
Authors: Shu Qiaoqiao , Wang Yudi , Deng Maoxue , Chen Xi , Liu Mengna , Cai Liang
Published: January 2023

Objectives:

Although FAPI, as a pan-tumor tracer, shows high expression in the malignancy imaging, FAPI uptake is also seen in some benign lesions. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively analyze the characteristics of benign lesions with FAPI uptake on 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT imaging.

Methods:

The electronic medical and imaging records of patients undergoing 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT imaging in the Department of Nuclear Medicine of our hospital from March 2020 to March 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with benign lesions confirmed by histopathological analysis or long-term follow-up of FAPI-positive lesions were included in the study.

Results:

A total of 44 patients (i.e., 44 benign lesions) were included in this study, including 14 women and 30 men, ranging in age from 19 to 74 years. Benign lesions involved eight systems, including liver (n = 3), tail of pancreas (n = 3), stomach (n = 3), esophagus (n = 1), lung (n = 14), and mediastinum (n = 2), sinuses (n = 1), brain (n = 2), lymph nodes (n = 5), kidneys (n = 4), bones (n = 2), muscles (n = 1), thyroid (n = 1), parathyroid gland (n = 1), and breast (n = 1). The mean SUVmax (p = 0.471) and mean TBR (p = 0.830) of benign lesions in the eight systems were not significantly different.

Conclusion:

Our studies have shown that in addition to malignant tumors, certain benign lesions also show uptake of FAPI, and it is necessary for doctors to distinguish these benign lesions from true malignant tumors.

Advances in knowledge:

Benign lesions may also show FAPI expression, which may make the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant lesions difficult and should be alerted by physicians.
Comparative study on real-time pose estimation of vision-based unmanned underwater vehicles
Authors: Li Ming , Yang Ke , Qin Jiangying , Zhong Jiageng , Jiang Zipeng , Su Qin
Published: January 2023

Background: Navigation and localization are key to the successful execution of autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) in marine environmental monitoring, underwater 3D mapping, and ocean resource surveys. The estimation of the position and the orientation of autonomous UUVs are a long-standing challenging and fundamental problem. As one of the underwater sensors, camera has always been the focus of attention due to its advantages of low cost and rich content information in visibility waters, especially in the fields of visual perception of the underwater environment, target recognition and tracking. At present, the visual real-time pose estimation technology that can be used for UUVs is mainly divided into geometry-based visual positioning algorithms and deep learning-based visual positioning algorithms.

Methods: In order to compare the performance of different positioning algorithms and strategies, this paper uses C++ and python, takes the ORB-SLAM3 algorithm and DF-VO algorithm as representatives to conduct a comparative experiment and analysis.

Results: The geometry-based algorithm ORB-SLAM3 is less affected by illumination, performs more stably in different underwater environments, and has a shorter calculation time, but its robustness is poor in complex environments. The visual positioning algorithm DF-VO based on deep learning takes longer time to compute, and the positioning accuracy is more easily affected by illumination, especially in dark conditions. However, its robustness is better in unstructured environments such as large-scale image rotation and dynamic object interference.

Conclusions: In general, the deep learning-based algorithm is more robust, but multiple deep learning networks make it need more time to compute. The geometry-based method costs less time and is more accurate in low-light and turbid underwater conditions. However, in real underwater situations, these two methods can be connected as binocular vision or methods of multi-sensor combined pose estimation.
Studying ancient human oral microbiomes could yield insights into the evolutionary history of noncommunicable diseases
Authors: Gancz Abigail S , Weyrich Laura S
Published: January 2023

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) have played a critical role in shaping human evolution and societies. Despite the exceptional impact of NCDs economically and socially, little is known about the prevalence or impact of these diseases in the past as most do not leave distinguishing features on the human skeleton and are not directly associated with unique pathogens. The inability to identify NCDs in antiquity precludes researchers from investigating how changes in diet, lifestyle, and environments modulate NCD risks in specific populations and from linking evolutionary processes to modern health patterns and disparities. In this review, we highlight how recent advances in ancient DNA (aDNA) sequencing and analytical methodologies may now make it possible to reconstruct NCD-related oral microbiome traits in past populations, thereby providing the first proxies for ancient NCD risk. First, we review the direct and indirect associations between modern oral microbiomes and NCDs, specifically cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer's disease. We then discuss how oral microbiome features associated with NCDs in modern populations may be used to identify previously unstudied sources of morbidity and mortality differences in ancient groups. Finally, we conclude with an outline of the challenges and limitations of employing this approach, as well as how they might be circumvented. While significant experimental work is needed to verify that ancient oral microbiome markers are indeed associated with quantifiable health and survivorship outcomes, this new approach is a promising path forward for evolutionary health research.
Association between gambling and financial trading: A systemic review.
Authors: Lee Uibin , E. Lewis Lauren , J. Mills Devin
Published: January 2023

Background: Financial trading is often categorized separately from traditional forms of gambling (e.g., blackjack, poker, lottery, slot machines), as it is often viewed from an investing lens. However, the arbitrary line separating investing from gambling has become increasingly questioned, especially as it relates to high-risk trading behaviors (e.g., day trading, trading on margin) and riskier financial assets (e.g., options, cryptocurrencies). Further, the risk of gambling-related harms among financial traders appears to be amplified by new financial technologies, which have increased access to riskier financial assets and have encouraged riskier trading behaviors. Thus, the aim of the present study is to systematically review the literature assessing problem gambling among financial traders as well as the association between financial trading frequency and problem gambling. Methods: Twelve articles from three databases (SCOPUS, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) met the inclusion criteria, and were reviewed. Results:  The prevalence of problem gambling was generally higher among individuals who engage in trading financial products, but rates varied substantially (1.4% to 47.2%) due in large part to differences in the study population, the problem gambling measures used, and the cutoff scores employed. Similarly, financial trading frequency was consistently associated with more severe problem gambling, but the strength of these associations ranged across studies. Conclusion:  Collectively, while findings from these studies suggest that financial traders are at greater risk for problem gambling, it is evident that trading riskier assets and engaging in riskier trading behaviors place individuals at a substantially greater risk for problem gambling. Recommendations for future research include focusing on at-risk populations, practical implications for the intervention and policy, and emerging issues of digital technologies.
Effect of arsenic exposure on MDA, SOD, H2O2 and TNF-α levels of uterus homogenate of female Sparague-Dawleys rats
Authors: Irnawati Irnawati , Idroes Rinaldi , Akmal Muslim , Suhartono Eko , Seriana Irma
Published: January 2023

Background and Aim: Arsenic exposure to the body through the oral, dermal, and inhalation routes have a detrimental impact on health, including women’s reproductive health. However, the effect of arsenic exposure through the vulva of women is unclear. The present study therefore examined the effects of long-term arsenic exposure of vulva on uterus inflammation mediated by oxidative stress and inflammatory mechanism.

Materials and Methods: Female Rattus norvegicus L was used as the animal model and the arsenic were exposed through vulvar immersion. The arsenic solution was made into four concentrations while the duration of exposure was made in four-time combinations. Uterus inflammation was assessed through histopathological observation of uterus tissue through hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Oxidative stress was assessed using malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2); while inflammatory profile was assessed by measuring using tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα).

Results: Our data suggested that inflammation could occur at the permissible quality standard concentrations when arsenic was exposed for more than two weeks. At higher concentrations and a longer exposure time, arsenic exposure could lead to chronic inflammation. Arsenic exposure was able to increase the levels of MDA and H2O2 and reduced the SOD suggesting stress oxidative of the organ. Arsenic also could increase the level of TNFα at any concentration after 6 and 8 weeks of exposure suggesting the inflammation process in the uterus.

Conclusion: Continuous exposure of vulva with arsenic could induce oxidative stress and chronic inflammation of the uterus. Further study to investigate this finding in human is critical as basic to propose health campaign program to the community in the high arsenic regions.
Cefotaxime: A Reappraisal in Lower Respiratory Tract Infections
Authors: Jain Nikhilesh
Published: January 2023

Lower respiratory Tract Infection (LRTI) is one of the fourth most common cause of mortality across the globe, and constitutes to be a major portion in critically ill patients associated with prolonged hospitalisation. Apart from age factor, other risk factors which predispose to the LRTI include poor sanitization, severe malnutrition, and lack of breast feeding for infants, HIV infection, lack of immunization, chronic illness, family history of LRTI and exposure to tobacco smoke/air pollutants.

The third generation cephalosporins are used in management and treatment of gram-negative and gram-positive organism. Common bacteria implicated in these infections include S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus. Third generation cephalosporins also target respiratory ailments like acute bronchitis, pneumonia, acute exacerbation of chronic lung diseases (such as COPD or bronchiectasis).  Cefotaxime and ceftriaxone have been widely recommended in guidelines to be used for many infections and diseases, but, some serious adverse effects have been seen in past few years with ceftriaxone like cholelithiasis, encephalopathy, memory impairment, tonic- clonic seizures, neurotoxicity and auto-immune haemolytic anaemia. This fact compels us to revisit the clinically safer and efficacious drug Cefotaxime which have been used since decades but have not developed any resistance till date. Cefotaxime has been found to be well tolerated and not associated with hypo-prothrombinemia/coagulopathies, disulfiram-like reactions, as with other cephalosporins. It can readily cross the blood-brain barrier when administered intravenously and may treat gram-negative infections resistant to previous generations of cephalosporins.

Cefotaxime, demonstrates good efficacy and safety in the management of LRTIs including CAP, hospital acquired/nosocomial acquired pneumonia, acute exacerbation of pneumonia and acute bronchitis caused by both gram positive as well as gram negative bacteria.

Keywords: LRTI, Cefotaxime, cephalosporins, CAP, pneumonia, respiratory tract
Formative assessments during COVID-19 pandemic: an observational study on performance and experiences of medical students
Authors: Lavallard Vanessa , Cerutti Bernard , Audétat-Voirol Marie-Claude , Broers Barbara , Sader Julia , Galetto-Lacour Annick , Hausmann Stéphane , Savoldelli Georges L. , Nendaz Mathieu , Escher Monica
Published: January 2023

Background: Because of COVID-19, the 2020 written medical examinations were replaced by mandatory formative online assessments. This study aimed to determine students’ performance, self-assessment of performance, and perception about the switch from a summative to a formative approach.

Methods: Medical students from year 2 to 5 (n=648) were included. They could repeat each test once or twice. They rated their performance after each attempt and were then given their score. Detailed feedback was given at the end of the session. An online survey determined medical students’ perception about the reorganization of education. Two items concerned the switch from summative to formative assessments

Results: Formative assessments involved 2385 examinees totaling 3197 attempts. Among examinees, 30.8% made at least 2 attempts. Scores increased significantly at the second attempt (median 9.4, IQR 10.8), and duration decreased (median -31.0, IQR 48.0). More than half of examinees (54.6%) underestimated their score, female students more often than male. Low performers overestimated, while high performers underestimated their scores. Students approved of the switch to formative assessments. Stress was lessened but motivation for learning decreased.

Conclusions: Medical students’ better scores at a second attempt support a benefit of detailed feedback, learning time and re-test opportunity on performance. Decreased learning motivation and a minority of students repeating the formative assessments point to the positive influence of summative assessment on learning.
Local Memory and Urban Space
Authors: Łupienko Aleksander
Published: January 2023

The paper ponders over the issue of memory and urban space. It shows how these categories have been discussed in the literature and how they are connected to the problem of place identity. The paper also highlights the need to appreciate and assess the physical aspect of objects, which act as memory markers in the urban space. The author argues that what is being memorialised and conveyed as meaning is the past lived experience. As a case in point, two memory acts are analysed in the paper, clearly showing the interdependence of various temporalities in the anniversary celebrations. In the festivities celebrating the 100th (in 1881) and 150th (in 1931/2) anniversaries of the consecration of the Lutheran church in Warsaw, the capital of the Kingdom of Poland in the Russian partition and later the capital of a resurrected independent Polish state after 1918, the different present-oriented needs were mirrored in the narratives and commemorations of the past. Idiosyncratic visions of the past help make the small and vulnerable community of Lutherans in an otherwise primarily Roman Catholic environment more coherent, as its members may lay claim to history and construct and stabilise their identification process as descendants of past generations. Moreover, the material fabric of the church seems to be an indispensable factor. The parishioners’ lived experience appears to be a crucial component of commemorations in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
The General Procurators of the Teutonic Order Towards the Polish-Teutonic Conflict
Authors: Bar Přemysl
Published: January 2023

The article deals with the activities of the General Procurators of the Teutonic Order regarding the Polish-Teutonic dispute in the first thirty years of the fifteenth century. Based on their dispatches sent to Marienburg, it can be assumed that the Procurators were not passive executors of the Grand Master’s orders. Their frequently occurring disagreements resulted not only from their distinctive personal qualities but also from their different perspectives on assessing what was in the best interest of the Teutonic Order. The Grand Masters lacked professional knowledge not only of law (especially canon law) but also of how the Roman curia functioned.
Modernistyczne tynki szlachetne w Gdańsku jako element wizualnej identyfikacji narodowej w okresie powojennej odbudowy
Authors: Stasińska Weronika
Published: January 2023

Tynki szlachetne stanowiły istotny element architektury doby modernizmu. Były niezwykle popularne w niemal całej Europie, zarówno w dwudziestoleciu międzywojennym, jak i po drugiej wojnie światowej. Nie da się jednak zaobserwować ich powszechnego stosowania w okresie międzywojennym w Gdańsku – krajobraz architektoniczny tego miasta kreowany był głównie przez architekturę ceglaną. Wiązało się to ze znaczeniem, jakie niosła architektura modernistyczna, kojarzona z nowoczesnością i utylitaryzmem, co w silnie zakorzenionym w tradycji i historii Gdańsku było odbierane jako zagrożenie. Kształtowanie architektury miasta opartej na ceglanej elewacji miało być wyrazem niemieckości. Z problemem tożsamości wyrażanej przez krajobraz architektoniczny spotkały się po wojnie także władze Polski. Ponieważ zabudowa odzwierciedlała niemiecki charakter miasta, mogła ją odmienić szeroko zakrojona akcja tynkowania budynków. Po 1945 roku tynki szlachetne zaczęły pojawiać się w architekturze miejskiej coraz częściej, ale nie można mówić o sukcesie kampanii „przykrywania niemieckości”, gdyż do dzisiaj w przestrzeni Gdańska wiele kwartałów jest zdominowanych przez ceglane elewacje. Tynkowane mury są raczej efektem prac remontowych prowadzonych ówcześnie przez nowych, napływowych mieszkańców, zaznajomionych z technologią tynku szlachetnego. Elementem, który wprowadził zmiany w krajobrazie kulturowym miasta, były natomiast wznoszone z inicjatywy władz nowe budynki. Ich formy zasadniczo odbiegały od typowych dla dotychczasowej gdańskiej zabudowy, a szlachetne wyprawy rzutowały na ich ostateczny wyraz. Można je zatem uznać za jeden z elementów, który przyczynił się do ukształtowania wizji Gdańska jako polskiego miasta.
Brand Building to Deter Entry and Its Impact on Brand Value
Authors: Bar Ron N. , Haviv Avery
Published: January 2023

Brand valuation methods traditionally focus on the value a brand generates via its ability to enhance demand and, accordingly, profitability. However, this paper explores how a brand can generate value for a firm through the ability to deter entry of new competitors. In this respect, we distinguish between a brand’s direct effect on demand and its strategic effect on the behavior of rival firms. We investigate this within the context of the U.S. stacked chips category using a dynamic model that endogenizes brand building and entry decisions. We find that up to 63% of a brand’s value can be derived from its ability to deter entry. Furthermore, we find that a brand is most valuable when the cost of entry that potential entrants face is moderate: neither too high nor too low.

This paper was accepted by Matt Shum, marketing.

Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendix are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4608 .
Pressing issues in healthcare digital technologies and AI
Authors: Tingle John
Published: January 2023

John Tingle Lecturer in Law, Birmingham Law School, University of Birmingham, discusses several reports addressing patient safety, ethical and legal issues in healthcare digital technologies and artificial intelligence
Bluetooth Turns 20
Authors: Tyler Neil
Published: January 2023

Even after 20 years, the commercialization of Bluetooth continues apace, with the Bluetooth Mesh specification set to drive the market forward.
Fuelling Photonics
Authors: Grylls Bethan
Published: January 2023

A PHOTONICS INNOVATION HUB SAYS IT WILL CREATE 750 JOBS.
Software and Security
Authors: Tyler Neil
Published: January 2023

LAST MONTH, EMBEDDED WORLD ONCE AGAIN DEMONSTRATED WHY IT’S REGARDED AS THE LEADING EXHIBITION FOR THE INTERNATIONAL EMBEDDED COMMUNITY.
Ten Years on …
Authors: Tyler Neil
Published: January 2023

… THE ENOCEAN ALLIANCE HAS MORE THAN 400 MEMBERS. SO WHY HASN’T ITS TECHNOLOGY BEEN TAKEN UP MORE WIDELY?
Is Anyone Listening?
Authors: Pitcher Graham
Published: January 2023

Voice interfaces are becoming more popular, but what are the analogue signal chain requirements?
A Better Approach?
Authors: Tyler Neil
Published: January 2023

Hereford University of Technology and Engineering, the first new university to open in Britain in 30 years, is looking to provide a dramatically different approach to studying engineering.
Rewarding Excellence
Authors: Millard Frank
Published: January 2023

IBTTA’s Toll Excellence Awards recognize the very best projects and programs the international tolling industry has to offer. Now, TTi can reveal this year’s winners
Analytical Study of Nanomaterials Under High Pressure
Authors: Gupta Rohit , Gupta Mohit
Published: January 2023

Our previous study we extended an equation of state model for second order bulk modulus from recent predicted model and calculated variation of pressure with volume for several nanomaterials. Now we use such a model for few other nanomaterials like, TiO₂ (anatase), Ni (20 nm), CdSe (rock salt phase), AlN (Hexagonal), 3C-SiC (30 nm) and Rb₃C₆₀., compare with some other equation of state for nanomaterials and experimental data. The Microsoft Office software has been used to do the calculations. The studies gives great agreement with other EOS and experimental data. The study must be useful at high pressure when the experimental data are not available. So the given study must we useful at high pressure.
Optical interference coatings: measurement problem 2022 [Invited]
Authors: Trost Marcus , Schröder Sven , Carstens Florian , Ristau Detlev
Published: January 2023

The 2022 Optical Interference Measurement Problem comprised the determination of the refractive index of a thin tantalum pentoxide film at a wavelength of 532 nm and the characterization of the UV band edge as an optional task.
Photonic Computing for Sale
Authors: Cartlidge Edwin
Published: January 2023

Companies are increasingly being set up to commercialize optical
processors—a technology with huge potential benefits, as well as
some sticking points.
Advancing Nanolasers
Authors: Hwang Min-Soo , Park Hong-Gyu , Song Qinghai , Kivshar Yuri
Published: January 2023

Recent advances in technology and physics offer new possibilities
for efficient control of nanolasers, to enable faster information
processing at lower powers.
Two Breakthroughs That Revolutionized Optics
Authors: Jeff Hecht
Published: January 2023

The joint history of lasers and fiber optics illustrates the many interconnected steps through which truly revolutionary breakthroughs unfold.
Curve-shaped ultrashort laser pulses with programmable spatiotemporal behavior
Authors: Franco Enar , Martínez-Matos Óscar , Rodrigo José A.
Published: January 2023

Structured ultrashort laser pulses with controlled spatiotemporal properties are emerging as a key tool for the study and application of light–matter interactions in different fields such as microscopy, time-resolved imaging, laser micro-machining, particle acceleration, and attosecond science. In practice, a structured ultrashort pulse focused along a target trajectory with controlled pulse dynamics is required, e.g., to set the trajectory and velocity of the resulting intensity peak. Here, to address this challenging problem, we present a technique and experimental setup that allows straightforward engineering of structured ultrashort laser pulses with control of their spatiotemporal properties enabling tailored pulse propagation dynamics along the target trajectory. Our theoretical framework describes the design and control of this kind of curve-shaped laser pulse in terms of the curve geometry and phase prescribed along it. We have derived a closed-form expression that describes the interplay between the curve geometry and prescribed phase governing the pulse dynamics, including the temporal behavior of the pulse peak intensity while preserving the pulse duration. The theoretical results and the corresponding numerical simulations allow us to analyze the pulse dynamics on the example of femtosecond curve-shaped vortex pulses, including contour-shaped pulses created to follow the outline of objects at micrometer scale. The experimental results demonstrate the generation of these structured ultrashort pulses. These findings could pave the way for the next generation of ultrashort laser-based optical tools for the study and control of light–matter interactions.
Early transcriptional and epigenetic divergence of CD8+ T cells responding to acute versus chronic infection
Authors: Quezada Lauren K. , Jin Wenhao , Liu Yi Chia , Kim Eleanor S. , He Zhaoren , Indralingam Cynthia S. , Tysl Tiffani , Labarta-Bajo Lara , Wehrens Ellen J. , Jo Yeara , Kazane Katelynn R. , Hattori Christopher , Zuniga Elina I. , Yeo Gene W. , Chang John T.
Published: January 2023

During a microbial infection, responding CD8+ T cells give rise to effector cells that provide acute host defense and memory cells that provide sustained protection. An alternative outcome is exhaustion, a state of T cell dysfunction that occurs in the context of chronic infections and cancer. Although it is evident that exhausted CD8+ T (TEX) cells are phenotypically and molecularly distinct from effector and memory CD8+ T cells, the factors regulating the earliest events in the differentiation process of TEX cells remain incompletely understood. Here, we performed single-cell RNA-sequencing and single-cell ATAC-sequencing of CD8+ T cells responding to LCMV-Armstrong (LCMV-Arm) or LCMV-Clone 13 (LCMV-Cl13), which result in acute or chronic infections, respectively. Compared to CD8+ T cells that had undergone their first division in response to LCMV-Arm (Div1ARM) cells, CD8+ T cells that had undergone their first division in response to LCMV-Cl13 (Div1CL13) expressed higher levels of genes encoding transcription factors previously associated with exhaustion, along with higher levels of Ezh2, the catalytic component of the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) complex, which mediates epigenetic silencing. Modulation of Ezh2 resulted in altered expression of exhaustion-associated molecules by CD8+ T cells responding to LCMV-Cl13, though the specific cellular and infectious contexts, rather than simply the level of Ezh2 expression, likely determine the eventual outcome. Taken together, these findings suggest that the differentiation paths of CD8+ T cells responding to acute versus chronic infections may diverge earlier than previously appreciated.
Detection of Wuchereria bancrofti in the city of São Luís, state of Maranhão, Brazil: New incursion or persisting problem?
Authors: Araújo Tatiane Alexandre de , Lima de Albuquerque Alessandra , Melo Danielle Cristina Tenório Varjal de , Santos Eloína Maria de Mendonça , Oliveira André Luiz Sá de , Ayres Constância Flávia Junqueira , Oliveira Cláudia Maria Fontes de
Published: January 2023

Background

The elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF) from Brazil by 2020 was not accomplished; however, this goal can be achieved in the upcoming years with the assistance of specific strategies. The surveillance of LF can be performed using molecular xenomonitoring (MX), a noninvasive method used to infer the presence of the parasite in the human population. Herein, São Luís (state of Maranhão) was the first city to be investigated to identify whether LF transmission in Brazil has been interrupted and if there were any new incursions.

Methodology/Principal findings

Mosquitoes were collected by aspiration at 901 points distributed among 11 neighborhoods in São Luís with records of patients with microfilaremia. Pools of engorged or gravid Culex quinquefasciatus females were evaluated by WbCx duplex PCR with endogenous control for mosquitoes and target for W. bancrofti for determining the vector infection rate. Among the 10,428 collected mosquitoes, the most abundant species were C. quinquefasciatus (85%) and Aedes aegypti (12%). Significantly larger numbers of mosquitoes were collected from the neighborhoods of Areinha and Coreia (p<0.05). MX performed using PCR validated 705 pools of engorged or gravid females, fifteen of which were positive for Wuchereria bancrofti in two neighborhoods.

Conclusions

The high density of engorged C. quinquefasciatus females per home, inadequate sanitation, and detection of W. bancrofti-infected mosquitoes in the city of São Luís represent a warning of the possible upsurge of LF, a disease that is still neglected; this underscores the need for the ostensive monitoring of LF in Brazil.
ROS is a master regulator of in vitro matriptase activation
Authors: Gaymon Darius O. , Barndt Robert , Stires Hillary , Riggins Rebecca B. , Johnson Michael. D.
Published: January 2023

Matriptase is a type II transmembrane serine protease that is widely expressed in normal epithelial cells and epithelial cancers. Studies have shown that regulation of matriptase expression and activation becomes deranged in several cancers and is associated with poor disease-free survival. Although the central mechanism of its activation has remained unknown, our lab has previously demonstrated that inflammatory conditions such as intracellular pH decrease strongly induces matriptase activation. In this investigation, we first demonstrate clear matriptase activation following Fulvestrant (ICI) and Tykerb (Lapatinib) treatment in HER2-amplified, estrogen receptor (ER)-positive BT474, MDA-MB-361 and ZR-75-30 or single ER-positive MCF7 cells, respectively. This activation modestly involved Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) activation and occurred as quickly as six hours post treatment. We also demonstrate that matriptase activation is not a universal hallmark of stress, with Etoposide treated cells showing a larger degree of matriptase activation than Lapatinib and ICI-treated cells. While etoposide toxicity has been shown to be mediated through reactive oxygen species (ROS) and MAPK/ERK kinase (MEK) activity, MEK activity showed no correlation with matriptase activation. Novelly, we demonstrate that endogenous and exogenous matriptase activation are ROS-mediated in vitro and inhibited by N-acetylcysteine (NAC). Lastly, we demonstrate matriptase-directed NAC treatment results in apoptosis of several breast cancer cell lines either alone or in combination with clinically used therapeutics. These data demonstrate the contribution of ROS-mediated survival, its independence of kinase-mediated survival, and the plausibility of using matriptase activation to indicate the potential success of antioxidant therapy.
Material Media-Making in the Digital Age, Daniel Binns (2021)
Authors: Khalfan Wafa
Published: January 2023

Review of: Material Media-Making in the Digital Age, Daniel Binns (2021)

Bristol: Intellect Books, 194 pp.,

ISBN 978-1-78938-349-2, h/bk, GBP 80
‘European bays of hope’: Trans-Mediterranean fatalities and African migration crisis in selected migritude poems
Authors: Adeniyi Emmanuel
Published: January 2023

This article discusses the tragic deaths of African migrants on the Mediterranean Sea, especially the 2013 Lampedusa migrant shipwreck where close to 400 African migrants drowned. Apart from the Lampedusa tragedy, other migrant shipwrecks occurred in Malta in 2007 and 2014; Mediterranean in 2009, 2011, and 2015; Libya in 2009, 2014, and 2015; Catania in 2015 as well as Crotone in 2015, leaving thousands of Africans fleeing privation, violence and wars in their respective countries dead. The article uses Everett Lee’s push-pull and Chris Brown’s centre-periphery models to expound the hypothesis that migration from developing countries is primarily induced by their enforced integration into the capitalist world market economy and the dependency roles assigned to their population. It argues that the capitalist world system is skewed to engender inequality among countries of the world, thus creating a dominant, wealthy core and a subservient, impoverished periphery. Using selected poems of established and up-and-coming African poets, it interrogates literary representation of African migrant crisis, the politics of European border control, complicity of family remittances and the role of effete leadership in African migration crisis.