bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multi-dimensional evaluation of cardiotoxicity in mice following respiratory exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics
Authors: Zhang Tianyi , Yang Sheng , Ge Yiling , Wan Xin , Zhu Yuxin , Yang Fei , Li Jie , Gong Saisai , Cheng Yanping , Hu Chengyu , Chen Zaozao , Yin Lihong , Pu Yuepu , Liang Geyu
Published: November 2023

Background

Nanoplastics (NPs) could be released into environment through the degradation of plastic products, and their content in the air cannot be ignored. To date, no studies have focused on the cardiac injury effects and underlying mechanisms induced by respiratory exposure to NPs.

Results

Here, we systematically investigated the cardiotoxicity of 40 nm polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) in mice exposed via inhalation. Four exposure concentrations (0 µg/day, 16 µg/day, 40 µg/day and 100 µg/day) and three exposure durations (1 week, 4 weeks, 12 weeks) were set for more comprehensive information and RNA-seq was performed to reveal the potential mechanisms of cardiotoxicity after acute, subacute and subchronic exposure. PS-NPs induced cardiac injury in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. Acute, subacute and subchronic exposure increased the levels of injury biomarkers and inflammation and disturbed the equilibrium between oxidase and antioxidase activity. Subacute and subchronic exposure dampened the cardiac systolic function and contributed to structural and ultrastructural damage in heart. Mechanistically, violent inflammatory and immune responses were evoked after acute exposure. Moreover, disturbed energy metabolism, especially the TCA cycle, in the myocardium caused by mitochondria damage may be the latent mechanism of PS-NPs-induced cardiac injury after subacute and subchronic exposure.

Conclusion

The present study evaluated the cardiotoxicity induced by respiratory exposure to PS-NPs from multiple dimensions, including the accumulation of PS-NPs, cardiac functional assessment, histology observation, biomarkers detection and transcriptomic study. PS-NPs resulted in cardiac injury structurally and functionally in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner, and mitochondria damage of myocardium induced by PS-NPs may be the potential mechanism for its cardiotoxicity.

Graphical abstract
Fourth-order fitted mesh scheme for semilinear singularly perturbed reaction–diffusion problems
Authors: Reda Birtukan Tebabal , Bullo Tesfaye Aga , Duressa Gemechis File
Published: November 2023

Objective

The main purpose of this work is to present a fourth-order fitted mesh scheme for solving the semilinear singularly perturbed reaction–diffusion problem to produce more accurate solutions.

Results

Quasilinearization technique is used to linearize the semilinear term. The scheme is formulated with discretizing the solution domain piecewise uniformly and then replacing the differential equation by finite difference approximations. This gives the system of difference algebraic equations and is solved by the Thomas algorithm. Convergence analysis are investigated using solution bound and the truncation error bound. Numerical illustrations are investigated to support the theoretical results and the method’s applicability. The method produces a more accurate solution than some existing methods in the literature.
Initiation of multiple-session psychological care in civilians exposed to the November 2015 Paris terrorist attacks
Authors: Pirard Philippe , Motreff Yvon , Stene Lise Eilin , Rabet Gabrielle , Vuillermoz Cécile , Vandentorren Stéphanie , Baubet Thierry , Messiah Antoine
Published: November 2023

Background

Terrorist attacks can induce post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, which require multiple-session psychological care (MSPC). This study aims at investigating MSPC initiation and associated factors.

Methods

Data were collected from a web-based survey of civilians 8–12 months after their exposure to the November 2015 Paris terrorist attacks. Depression and partial and full PTSD were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the PCL-5 checklist, respectively. Questionnaires collected data on socio-demographic variables, exposure to the attacks, psychological treatment history, social isolation, somatic problems, having received an outreach psychological support (OPS), consultations with a general practitioner, contact with an association for victims, MSPC initiation and, if not, reasons for not having initiated it. Logistic regressions were used to examine factors associated with MSPC initiation.

Results

Among the 450 respondents, 154 reported having initiated a MSPC after the attacks. Of the 134 who provided the MSPC initiation date, 50% did so during the first month. Among the respondents with at least one of the considered psychological disorders, 53% declared not having initiated yet a MSPC. The primary three reasons for not having initiated a MSPC among people with PTSD were “did not feel the need”, “it was not the right time to talk about it”, and “not offered”. For people with at least one psychological disorder, MSPC initiation was associated with the number of somatic problems, type of exposure (witness, threatened, indirectly exposed), prior psychological treatment, being a woman, being in a relationship, having consulted a psychiatrist or a psychologist, having received an OPS, and being in contact with association for victims.

Conclusion

The organization of adequate psychological care after a terror attack must take into account the need for healthcare that may emerge several months after the attack, and that witnesses seem less likely to receive MSPC than persons directly threatened despite their psychological disorder. Associations for victims and OPS seem to facilitate access to MSPC. Furthermore, our findings highlight the need to train physicians to screen for psychological disorders in persons exposed to terrorist attacks who present with somatic disorders.
Words You Burn Down: Toward a Poetics of Umfarshtandlekh Translation
Authors: Resnikoff Ariel
Published: November 2023

The present work addresses the deep intertangled poetic kithship between the Jewish German-language poet Paul Celan (1920 – 70) and his most prolific translator, the contemporary translingual American poet, Pierre Joris (b. 1946). Taking Joris's recent and final translated volume of Celan's poetry — Memory Rose into Threshold Speech (2020) — as its discursive perch, this essay constellates various key interlocutors between the two poets and examines Joris's tremendous half-century-long feat in translating Celan into an American idiom. The force and ultimate lasting power of Joris's translation project lies in its rare ability to hold and behold in English the mutilated music of Celan's umfarshtandlekh (incomprehensible) poetics, itself a form of German reimagined through a post-Holocaust expanded Yiddish.
Law's Numbers
Authors: Alvarez-Nakagawa Alexis
Published: November 2023

Albert Woodfox's Solitary, a memoir of four decades in solitary confinement, is a painful testimony of the violence of criminal justice and dramatic evidence of survival. This review essay considers Woodfox's account and contends that today African Americans live in a suffocating state displayed in law's numbers: high incarceration rates, police brutality, and summary killings. It argues against viewing Woodfox's testimony as a redemption story so as not to undermine its transformative power. To bring solitary confinement to an end, one must acknowledge that there is no reversal to the damage caused by law's numbers.
American Art Historiography, Slavery, and Its Aftermath
Authors: Sheehan Tanya
Published: November 2023

True to its cultural roots in the United States, the field of American art history has been slow to recognize centuries of slavery’s shaping of visual production and has only begun to address historiography’s persistent devaluation of Black lives. This article explores how scholars over the last decade are attempting to integrate discussions of slavery into studies of American art and reflects on the political implications of doing so. Their work invites us to look again at key moments in US history through the lens of art and slavery, holding out the possibility of reinventing the story of American art in relation to the African diaspora.
Jilali Gharbaoui and Decolonization
Authors: Powers Holiday
Published: November 2023

This paper proposes a new reading of Moroccan abstract painter Jilali Gharbaoui through the lens of decolonization. Gharbaoui fits uncomfortably into the narrative of modernism in Morocco. Unlike other painters, interested in direct connections between their shapes or abstractions and traditional visual culture or Islamic art as a postcolonial claim of local identity, Gharbaoui’s work is more elusive. Many critics have framed his abstraction primarily through his schizophrenia, as Gharbaoui died from suicide in 1971; this continual recourse to biography over the actual art objects puts Gharbaoui definitively at the margins of narratives of modernism. Moreover, this analysis precludes close attention to the ways in which Gharbaoui, like other painters of his generation, was shaped by the discourses of decolonization and the role that art could play in the new nation. Within this paper, in contrast, staying close to the work itself allows the possibility to understand the active ways in which Gharbaoui was negotiating questions of what postcolonial modernism could be. He sought to position himself as an international artist that was continually trying to bypass traditional aesthetics as a statement about modernity, but equally saw himself as deeply marked by his homeland. Read in dialogue and confrontation with cosmopolitanism, Gharbaoui’s oeuvre can be analyzed in terms of the multiple ways in which Gharbaoui tried to understand the materiality of the art itself, his relationship to the space of production, and the political stakes of abstraction.
Balanced cell division is secured by two different regulatory sites in OxyS RNA
Authors: Elgrably-Weiss Maya , Hussain Fayyaz , Georg Jens , Shraiteh Bushra , Altuvia Shoshy
Published: November 2023

The hydrogen peroxide-induced small RNA OxyS has been proposed to originate from the 3′ UTR of a peroxide mRNA. Unexpectedly, phylogenetic OxyS targetome predictions indicate that most OxyS targets belong to the category of “cell cycle,” including cell division and cell elongation. Previously, we reported thatEscherichia coliOxyS inhibits cell division by repressing expression of the essential transcription termination factornusG, thereby leading to the expression of the KilR protein, which interferes with the function of the major cell division protein, FtsZ. By interfering with cell division, OxyS brings about cell-cycle arrest, thus allowing DNA damage repair. Cell division and cell elongation are opposing functions to the extent that inhibition of cell division requires a parallel inhibition of cell elongation for the cells to survive. In this study, we report that in addition to cell division, OxyS inhibitsmepS, which encodes an essential peptidoglycan endopeptidase that is responsible for cell elongation. Our study indicates that cell-cycle arrest and balancing between cell division and cell elongation are important and conserved functions of the oxidative stress-induced sRNA OxyS.
Οι “νέες” αμερικανο-εβραϊκές ομάδες πίεσης, η σημασία τους στη διαμόρφωση της εξωτερικής πολιτικής των Η.Π.Α. και του Ισραήλ από τον πόλεμο του Λιβάνου (1982) μέχρι την 2η Ιντιφάντα (2003)
Authors: Δουλκερίδης Κωνσταντίνος
Published: November 2023

Σκοπός της διατριβής είναι να εξετάσει τον ρόλο και την επιρροή που ασκούν οι Αμερικανο-εβραϊκές οργανώσεις ως «ομάδες πίεσης» στη διαμόρφωση και λήψη των αποφάσεων της αμερικανικής και ισραηλινής εξωτερικής πολιτικής από τον πόλεμο του Λιβάνου μέχρι την κατάρρευση της ειρηνευτικής διαδικασίας του Όσλο. Διαμέσου της συλλογικής και υποστηρικτικής δράσης, βασισμένες στην αμερικανο-εβραϊκή ταυτότητα τους, οι Αμερικανο-εβραίοι και οι οργανώσεις τους προσπαθούν να διαφυλάξουν και να προωθήσουν τις ιδέες, τις ανάγκες και τα συμφέροντα τους στα κέντρα λήψης αποφάσεων των Η.Π.Α. Η ταυτότητα αυτή περιλαμβάνει ως ένα από τα βασικά στοιχεία της την επιβίωση και ευημερία του Ισραήλ. Όταν απειλούνται ή υπονομεύονται τα συμφέροντα του, οι Αμερικανο-εβραίοι και οι οργανώσεις τους κινητοποιούνται πολιτικά για να το υποστηρίξουν διπλωματικά, οικονομικά, διαμέσου και της κυβέρνησης τους. Όμως, για να επιτύχει η κινητοποίηση τους αυτή, πρέπει να συμβαδίζει με τα μακροχρόνια συμφέροντα, τις αξίες, αρχές της εξωτερικής πολιτικής και τις στρατηγικές επιδιώξεις των Η.Π.Α. Η μελέτη αυτή καταδεικνύει μέσα από διεθνή, περιφερειακά και διπλωματικά γεγονότα όπως ο πόλεμος του Λιβάνου, η Ιντιφάντα, η πτώση της Σοβιετικής Ένωσης, ο πρώτος πόλεμος του Κόλπου, η ειρηνευτική διαδικασία του Όσλο, πως αυτοί οι εσωτερικοί πολιτικοί δρώντες κινητοποιούνται για να επηρεάσουν τους επικεφαλής της νομοθετικής και εκτελεστικής εξουσίας των Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών που παίρνουν αποφάσεις πολιτικής. Ειδικά, κατά τη διάρκεια της ειρηνευτικής διαδικασίας του Όσλο, η διατριβή επιδιώκει να καταδείξει τη στάση και δράση φιλειρηνικών και κάποιων κεντρώων Αμερικανο-εβραϊκών οργανώσεων οι οποίες υποστήριζαν την ειρηνευτική διαδικασία, όπως οι δικές τους, αμερικανικές κυβερνήσεις και οι ισραηλινές υπό την ηγεσία των Y. Rabin, S. Peres και E. Barak έπρατταν. Μέσα από την επιστημονική αυτή εργασία αναδείχθηκε η πόλωση που επικράτησε την περίοδο αυτή μεταξύ των φιλειρηνικών οργανώσεων, υποστηρικτικών της διαδικασίας του Όσλο, και των οργανώσεων που αντιτίθονταν σε αυτή.
The Problem with a Peremptory Challange – a Tool of Racial Discrimination Within American Jury Selection Process
Authors: Machnik Iga
Published: November 2023

Jury duty serves as one of the fundamental pillars of American democracy, for it encourages direct citizen participation. Yet, the process of selecting its members is characterised by a flaw in form of a peremptory challenge — a tool with considerable potential for abuse since it permits covert discrimination against members of visible minority groups. Despite not being a procedural right protected by the Constitution of the United States, peremptories have entered the canon of provisions thought to be necessary for preserving the fairness of trial due to their long history of employment in the legal system. In the late 1980s, the Supreme Court in Batson v. Kentucky ruled the exclusion of jurors solely on the basis of their race to be unconstitutional and established the first preventative procedural standard against dubious usage of peremptories in form of the Batson Rule. The effectiveness of the said standard remains questionable, for it did not successfully deal with racial discrimination during voir dire but only enabled to formally object to the questionable juror’s strike. This paper aims to put racial discrimination within the American jury system into a historical perspective, analyze the arguments of both the supporters and the opponents of further peremptory challenge usage and consider probable alternatives that might be implemented to successfully prevent discriminatory practices within the American jury selection process.
The American Revolutionary Spirit
Authors: Sueyoshi Kiyotaka
Published: November 2023

The formation of Whitman’s poetics can be explained from various perspectives: mystical experience, Transcendentalism, politics, sexuality, and so on. Among these factors, the essay aims to study Whitman’s poetics in the context of politics, especially concerning the continuation of the spirit of ’76 — the American Revolutionary spirit. The essay emphasizes the influence of Jefferson on Whitman, particularly Jefferson’s ward system — the link so far overlooked — and argues that it has bearing on Whitman’s poetics. Jefferson sought the continuation of the American experiment of self-government, and, in this context, proposed a ward system — the county subdivision into smaller units. I will demonstrate that Whitman the Journalist showed great interest in Jefferson’s ward system, and that this new link puts Whitman’s poetics in a new light; Whitman’s “interior American republic” is a further subdivision of Jefferson’s “ward republic.” Before Whitman sought to solve the paradox of the individual and mass as well as the states and federal government — as the essay argues — Whitman, like Jefferson, needed to grapple with the paradox of the revolutionary spirit which includes contradictory elements, i.e. the spirit of the new and the concern with stability based on it.
Havertz, Ralf. Radical right populism in Germany: AfD, Pegida, and the identitarian movement. New York: Routledge, 2021, 202p. ISBN: 978-0-367-37146-3
Authors: Oppermann Daniel
Published: November 2023

A direita e o populismo radical de direita ganharam terreno em vários países nos últimos anos. Enquanto os populistas de direita chegaram ao poder em alguns países, outros viram uma presença de populistas de direita nos parlamentos e nas ruas durante anos. Este livro é um estudo de caso de organizações populistas de direita na Alemanha, enfocando especialmente o partido Alternativa para a Alemanha (AfD).Palavras-chave: Populismo. Alemanha. AfD.ABSTRACTRight-wing and radical right populism has gained ground in various countries in recent years. While right-wing populists have come to power in some countries, other countries have seen a presence of right-wing populists in parliaments and on the streets for years. This book is a case study of right-wing populist organizations in Germany, focusing mostly on the party Alternative for Germany (AfD).Keywords: Populism. Germany. AfD. Recebido em: 13 nov. 2022 | Aceito em: 17 mai. 2023.
(I)mobilidade Humana e Migrações de Crise: enquadramento teórico para o confinamento forçado de pessoas a partir da problemática colombiana | Human (im)mobility and crisis migration: theoretical framework for the problematic of people’s forced confinement in Colombia
Authors: Araújo de Jesus Raquel
Published: November 2023

Atualmente há um número crescente de pesquisas sobre migrações forçadas, isto é, sobre a mobilidade humana em contextos de conflito armado e de violação massiva de direitos humanos. Contudo, ainda são escassos os estudos sobre a mobilidade interna, ou seja, o deslocamento interno forçado de pessoas, e a imobilidade, ou o não-movimento, em meio a esses mesmos cenários. Neste sentido, a partir da problemática colombiana, o presente artigo tem como objetivo analisar a questão do confinamento forçado de pessoas, enquadrando-a teoricamente no subcampo das migrações de crise. Assim, por meio de uma análise teórica e do levantamento bibliográfico de dados secundários acerca do estado da arte do tema em estudo, é evidenciada a relação entre mobilidade e imobilidade humana forçada no país. Além disso, destaca-se: (i) como essa questão, que emerge em um contexto histórico de crise humanitária, é tratada nos ordenamentos jurídicos nacional e internacional; (ii) a interseccionalidade dessas afetações de direitos humanos; e (iii) como a dicotomia “escolha” versus “compulsoriedade” é passível de ser problematizada.
Recebido em: 07 mar. 2023 | Aceito em: 06 set. 2023.
Dental advice for children and young people with congenital heart disease: a survey of cardiac nurses
Authors: Dervish Aylen , Vaidyanathan Mina , Gaskin Kerry
Published: November 2023

Background/Aims

Optimum oral healthcare and dental education is vital for children and young people with congenital heart disease to reduce the risk of infective endocarditis. The aims of this study were to ascertain the information provided by cardiac nurses regarding preventative dental care for children and young people with congenital heart disease and their families.

Methods

Data about preventative dental advice were collected via a cross-sectional online survey of children and young people's cardiac nurses, conducted from November 2021–March 2022 and October–November 2022. A snowball sampling method was used to recruit respondents for the study, resulting in responses from 27 cardiac nurses across seven cardiac networks in England.

Results

Of the 27 participants, 24 (88.9%) gave dental advice to patients and their families, 21 (77.8%) and were moderately or highly confident about providing advice, but just over half (n=14, 51.9%) were unaware of national congenital heart disease dental standards. Three themes emerged from analysis of the survey: educational needs, resource availability and empowerment.

Conclusions

Despite the relatively low response rate, inconsistencies in the implementation of cardiac standards among different networks were evident. Recommendations include improving access to dental services, improving collaboration between dental and cardiac teams, providing dental education for children and young people's cardiac nurses and giving correct advice to parents to promote optimum dental health for this high-risk group.
Senior nutritional requirements for cats and dogs
Authors: Woods-Lee Georgia
Published: November 2023

Ageing is a normal process that will occur in all individuals with sufficient lifespan, starting just after maturity is reached. Although physiological changes occur, ageing is not considered to be a disease but a state in which homeostasis is reduced as a result of physiological and external stressors which reduce the individual's viability, leaving them prone to disease and ultimately death. Changes in body composition are a normal part of the ageing process and often resting metabolic rate decreases as pets age. Changes to digestion and kidney function can also occur. It is important that nutritional assessments are performed for each individual, to ensure specific nutritional needs are met. Dietary recommendations should be reviewed frequently because requirements may change more often in senior pets.
MAIS UM DESAFIO: governança para o desenvolvimento da Amazônia
Authors: Rocha Neto João Mendes
Published: November 2023

A questão das desigualdades regionais é histórica e com raízes estruturais, no Brasil. As políticas de desenvolvimento regional, desde o século XX, alternam seu espaço de visibilidade na agenda dos governos. No caso da Amazônia especificamente, a atuação do Estado brasileiro se deu de forma experimental, resultando em um processo de desenvolvimento problemático que, apesar das potencialidades existentes, configurou um quadro socioeconômico, marcado pela exclusão de grandes contingentes populacionais e uma economia bastante incipiente. O presente artigo pretende fazer uma discussão sobre a governança para o desenvolvimento regional da Amazônia. A reflexão partiu da revisão bibliográfica e se deteve na leitura do Plano Regional de Desenvolvimento, complementando-se pelo levantamento de dados e informações, as quais possibilitaram interpretações sobre os desafios na governança do plano. Concluiu-se que há um conjunto de fatores de ordem política, econômica e social, que se somam à dimensão institucional, que se constituem em obstáculos à consecução do plano.
Skin Deep: Cosmetics, Body Care, and Practical Kabbalah in Early Modern Jewish Books of Secrets
Authors: Gondos Andrea
Published: November 2023

Abstract: Contribution to the essay forum "The Jewish Recipe."
Sour-Cherry Dumplings and Sweet and Sour Meat: How to Cook for Hostile Friends
Authors: Shternshis Anna
Published: November 2023

Abstract: Contribution to the essay forum "The Jewish Recipe."
The Mystical Dynamics of the Holy Spirit in Moses Nahmanides' Writings
Authors: Afterman Adam
Published: November 2023

Abstract: This essay explores Nahmanides' teachings concerning the holy spirit. It demonstrates that he elevated the holy spirit to the highest possible gradation in the godhead—conceived as the divine essence that flows through the various gradations of the godhead and into the perfected individual, inducing a variety of revelations: subprophetic, prophetic, and eschatological. The holy spirit in Nahmanides' thought is the driving force behind his conceptualization of the godhead, the community of Israel and its leadership, and the individual Jew—throughout their various phases of self-actualization, that is, becoming spirit. He placed the holy spirit along a spectrum of spirituality—the least spiritual stage is that of people who glimpse the future and those men of the holy spirit, while the most spiritual stage is that of the eschatological state of being, in which the spiritual faculties permanently overtake the corporeal faculties. Furthermore, Nahmanides crafted spaces structured by the spirit in the forms of the Jerusalem temple and contemporary rabbinic courts. This essay concludes by drawing attention to the similarities between Nahmanides' conception of the holy spirit and the common conception of the holy spirit in medieval Christianity, thereby analyzing Nahmanides' conception of the holy spirit in its historical and religious context: situated between mystical, philosophical, and polemical tensions.
Self-Supervised Approach to Joint Imaging Inverse Problems
Authors: Hu Yolanda , Mendoza Rey , Nguyen Minh , Olsen Andrew , Zhu Judith Weng , Ganapati Vidya
Published: November 2023

In many computational imaging applications, only sparse measurements on a source are possible, hindering reconstruction. We present a probabilistic, self-supervised method, the physics-informed variational autoencoder (P-VAE), that jointly reconstructs many sources, each with sparse measurements.
Achieving the promise of femtosecond XFEL mesoscale imaging
Authors: Sandberg Richard L.
Published: November 2023

X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs) produce intense, femtosecond, and coherent x-ray suitable for ultrafast imaging of materials in extremes. In this talk, we will discuss challenges and opportunities of imaging materials dynamics with XFELs.
Laser Scanning Microscope Based Digital Holography for biomedical application
Authors: Zakharov Iurii , Muravyeva Maria , Perelman Lev T.
Published: November 2023

Digital holographic system is built on the base of Zeiss LSM-510 microscope. Using created algorithm and software for correct hologram reconstruction and quantitative phase imaging, reflection and phase map of cell cultures and tissues are obtained with other regular microscopic images.
Gain-managed nonlinear amplification of ultra-long mode-locked fiber laser
Authors: Stoliarov D. , Manuylovich E. , Koviarov A. , Galiakhmetova D. , Rafailov E.
Published: November 2023

In this study, we explored the gain-managed nonlinear (GMN) amplification of ultra-low repetition rate pulses in the range of less than 1 MHz. By seeding the developed 1040 nm ultralong fiber modelocked laser to the GMN amplifier, we achieved high gain and boosted the nonlinear pulse propagation effects. We demonstrated that GMN amplification of low repetition rate pulses provided amplification exceeding 32 dB and spectral broadening up to 91 nm at relatively low pump power levels. Achieving broadband 57 fs pulses with energy exceeding 55 nJ suggests that ultralong fiber lasers paired with GMN amplifiers can be effectively utilized as powerful tools for generating femtosecond broadband pulses at ultra-low repetition rates, with controllable spectral characteristics.
Single-shot ptychographic imaging of non-repetitive ultrafast events
Authors: Veler Ariel , Birk Michael , Dobias Caleb , Correa Rodrigo Amezcua , Sidorenko Pavel , Cohen Oren
Published: November 2023

We demonstrate experimentally high-speed ptychographic imaging of non-repetitive complex-valued events. Three time-resolved complex-valued frames are reconstructed from data recorded in a single camera snapshot. The temporal resolution of the microscope is determined by delays between illuminating pulses. The ability to image amplitude and phase of nonrepetitive events with ultrafast temporal resolution will open new opportunities in science and technology.
Inverse MTF filtering approach to atmospheric turbulence corrections for biometric analysis
Authors: Korotkova O. , Bastian K. O. , Voelz D. , Narayanswamy R. , Smith A. , King M.
Published: November 2023

Analytic modeling of the modulation transfer function of near-ground, horizontal, sub-kilometer range atmospheric turbulence with Fried parameter data fitting module is developed for image enhancement in biometric recognition.
The effect of N95 designs on respirator fit and its associations with gender and facial dimensions
Authors: Khairul Hasni Nurul Amalina , Ismail Rohaida , Muhamad Robat Rosnawati , Mohamad Nadia , Suib Fatin Amirah , Pahrol Muhammad Alfatih , Mahmud Haalah , Osman Baderin , Lim Yin Cheng , Seman Zamtira , Shaharudin Rafiza
Published: November 2023

This study examined the association of various brands of NIOSH-certified N95 filtering face-piece respirators (FFR) fit with facial dimensions and gender. One hundred and thirty-five participants (77 females and 58 males) were recruited from the previous facial anthropometry study among Malaysians in 2020. Quantitative respirator fit testing of six FFR were performed using the TSI Portacount Pro+ 8038 which comprised of four exercises (bending over, talking, up-down head movement, and side to side head movement). An overall fit factor (FF) of ≥ 100 was considered a pass for each FFR. Analysis was done using T-test, Pearson’s correlations, and generalised linear regression. The passing rates for the six FFR were 36.3% (Cup B), 50.4% (Trifold A), 54.1% (Duckbill A), 57.0% (Cup A), 74.1% (Trifold B), and 83.7% (Duckbill B). Both Duckbill B and Trifold B had the highest passing rates for both genders. However, certain FFR models (Cup B, Trifold A, Trifold B, and Duckbill A) fit better for participants with large facial size who were mostly males, while others (Cup A and Duckbill B) specifically fit better for those with small facial size, who were mostly females. This study showed significant positive effect of nose protrusion, nasal root and subnasale-sellion and the negative effect of menton-sellion, bigonial breadth and nose breadth on fit factors of various FFR. The results of this study emphasized the importance of choosing and designing FFR based on local anthropometry data, with careful consideration on the dimensions that affect the respirator fit. Since N95 are commonly used in the healthcare settings to prevent airborne transmission, the practice of respirator fit testing and selecting N95 with high passing rates for healthcare workers need to be emphasized.
Associations of serum keratin 1 with thyroid function and immunity in Graves’ disease
Authors: Cheng Chao-Wen , Fang Wen-Fang , Lin Jiunn-Diann
Published: November 2023

Background

Autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) can cause enormous health burdens; however, trustworthy biomarkers in identifying the onset and progression of AITD are limited. In this study, we attempted to discover new potential serum biomarkers to discriminate AITD using mass spectrometry (MS).

Methods

In the biomarker study cohort, 20 patients with Graves’ disease (GD), 20 patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT), and 20 healthy controls were enrolled for a liquid chromatographic-tandem MS assessment. A novel biomarker, keratin 1 (KRT1), was selected for further evaluation in the validation cohort, including 125 patients with GD, 34 patients with HT, and 77 controls. Relationships of serum KRT1 with AITD-related immunomodulatory cytokines were also analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs).

Results

In the MS analysis, KRT1 was the single marker overexpressed in GD, while it was underexpressed in HT. In the ELISA analysis of the validation cohort, KRT1 was consistently upregulated in GD, while it was not downregulated in HT. There were significant associations of KRT1 levels with thyroid function in GD, AITD, and overall subjects. Additionally, a significant association of KRT1 levels with thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibody (TSHRAb) levels was observed. Moreover, there were significant associations of KRT1 with osteopontin (OPN) and B-cell activating factor (BAFF) levels in GD.

Conclusions

Serum KRT1 levels were upregulated in GD and were associated with thyroid function and TSHRAb levels. Moreover, KRT1 was correlated with the BAFF and OPN levels in GD patients. Further molecular-based research to elucidate the role of KRT1 in the pathogenesis of AITD is needed.
Preparation of an elderberry anthocyanin film and fresh-keeping effect of its application on fresh shrimps
Authors: Guo Na , Song Miaomiao , Liu Wei , Zhang Fangyan , Zhu Guilan
Published: November 2023

A smart packaging film was developed employing the pH-indicating activity of elderberry anthocyanins to solve the problem of refrigerated food freshness monitoring. The effect of elderberry anthocyanins on the properties of gellan gum, gelatin composite films and preservation of fresh shrimp as an indicator of freshness was investigated. The results showed that the elderberry anthocyanin-gellan gum/gelatin film had improved on film thickness (7.8×10−2 mm), TS (tensile strength) (14.57×103 MPa), WVP (water vapor permeability) (36.96×10−8 g/m·s·Pa), and a reduced EAB (elongation at break) (17.92%), and water solubility (water-soluble time of 60.5 s). SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and FTIR (infrared spectrum analysis) showed excellent compatibility between its components. Moreover, the elderberry anthocyanin film exhibited good mechanical properties and pH indication effects. Therefore, the film can be considered suitable for maintaining the quality of fresh shrimp. The results could provide a reference for research and development into new active intelligent packaging films.
Causal association between dietary factors and esophageal diseases: A Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Zou Menglong , Liang Qiaoli , Zhang Wei , Zhu Ying , Xu Yin
Published: November 2023

Background

Using Mendelian randomization (MR) approach, our objective was to determine whether there was a causal association between dietary factors and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Barrett’s esophagus (BE), or esophageal cancer (EC).

Methods

Genome-wide association study (GWAS) data for eighteen types of dietary intake were obtained from the UK Biobank. GWAS data for GERD, BE, and EC were sourced from the FinnGen consortium. We performed univariable and multivariable MR analysis to assess the cause effect between dietary factors and esophageal diseases. MR results were expressed as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

Raw vegetable intake was associated with a lower risk of GERD (OR = 0.478; P = 0.011). On the contrary, cooked vegetable intake increased the risk of GERD (OR = 1.911; P = 0.024). Bread intake was associated with increased odds of BE (OR = 6.754; P = 0.007), while processed meat intake was associated with reduced risk of BE (OR = 0.210; P = 0.035). We also observed evidence that increased consumption of dried fruit (OR = 0.087; P = 0.022) and salt added to food (OR = 0.346; P = 0.045) could prevent EC. The results of multivariable MR showed that the protective effect of consumption of salt added to food on EC was no longer significant after adjusting for the consumption of dried fruit.

Conclusion

Vegetable consumption was associated with GERD, whereas consumption of bread and processed meat was associated with BE. Dried fruit intake was associated with a lower risk of EC, and the protective effect of consumption of salt added food on EC may also be mediated by consumption of dried fruit. Future research should be performed to investigate the mechanisms behind these cause-and-effect relationships to reduce the burden of disease caused by dietary habits.
The assessment of erectile dysfunction after radical prostatectomy using pudendal somatosensory evoked potential
Authors: Kwon Se Yun , Park Jin-Mo
Published: November 2023

Erectile dysfunction in patients who underwent radical prostatectomy was evaluated with pudendal somatosensory evoked potentials (PSEP) to measure and predict erectile dysfunction objectively. Fifty-seven patients who completed requirements were included in the study. Patients were divided into 2 groups (potency/non-potency). Erectile function recovery was defined as question 2 and 3 on the IIEF-5 questionnaire at 12 months after surgery. The two-channel PSEP test was performed at the day before RP and 3–6 months after RP. Twenty patients were assigned to the potency group and 37 to the non-potency group. Mean age was less in the potency group. Other clinical variables were similar in two groups. The non-potency group had prolonged lumbar and cortical latencies in postoperative PSEP, and the mean differences of latencies between pre- and postoperative PSEP in lumbar and cortical regions were also greater in the non-potency group. Logistic regression analysis showed that age, lumbar post-operative latency, cortical post-operative latency, and difference of latency in lumbar region were associated with non-potency; odds ratios were 1.292 (p = 0.018), 0.425 (p = 0.047), 1.637 (p < 0.001), and 3.272 (p = 0.010), respectively. This study suggests that PSEP is an effective means of evaluating erectile dysfunction in prostate cancer patients after surgery.
The oldest fossil bird-like footprints from the upper Triassic of southern Africa
Authors: Abrahams Miengah , Bordy Emese M.
Published: November 2023

Footprint morphology reflects the anatomy of the trackmaker’s foot and is direct evidence for the animal’s behaviour. Consequently, fossil tracks can be used to infer ancient diversity, ethology, and evolutionary trends. This is particularly useful for deep-time intervals during which the early history of an animal group is reliant upon limited fossil skeletal material. Fossil tracks of early birds and theropods, the co-existing dinosaurian ancestors of birds, co-occur in the rock record since the Early Cretaceous. However, the evolutionary transition from dinosaur to bird and the timing of the birds’ origin are still contested. Skeletal remains of the basal-most birds Aurornis, Anchiornis, Archaeopteryx and Xiaotingia are Middle to Late Jurassic, while tracks with tentative bird affinities, attributed to dinosaurs, are known from as early as the Late Triassic. Here, we present numerous, well-provenanced, Late Triassic and Early Jurassic tridactyl tracks from southern Africa, with demonstrable bird-like affinities, predating basal bird body fossils by c. 60 million years.
Exploring the gender care experiences and perspectives of individuals who discontinued their transition or detransitioned in Canada
Authors: MacKinnon Kinnon R. , Gould Wren Ariel , Enxuga Gabriel , Kia Hannah , Abramovich Alex , Lam June S. H. , Ross Lori E.
Published: November 2023

Background

Those who detransition have received increased public and scholarly attention and their narratives are often presented as evidence of limitations with contemporary gender-affirming care practices. However, there are scant empirical studies about how this population experienced their own process of gaining access to gender-affirming medical/surgical interventions, or their recommendations for care practice.

Aims

To qualitatively explore the care experiences and perspectives of individuals who discontinued or reversed their gender transitions (referred to as detransition).

Methods

Between October 2021-January 2022, Canadian residents aged 18 and older with experience of stopping, shifting, or reversing a gender transition were invited to participate in semi-structured, one-on-one, virtual interviews. A purposive sample of 28 was recruited by circulating study adverts over social media, to clinicians in six urban centres, and within participants’ social networks. Interviews ranged between 50–90 minutes, were audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Following constructivist grounded theory methodology, interview data were analyzed inductively and thematically following a two-phase coding process to interpret participants’ experiences of, and recommendations for, gender care.

Results

Participants were between the ages of 20–53 (71% were between 20–29). All participants identified along the LGBTQ2S+ spectrum. Twenty-seven out of 28 of the participants received medical/surgical interventions (60% were ages 24 and younger). A majority (57%) reported three or more past gender identities, with 60% shifting from a binary transgender identity at the time of initiating transition to a nonbinary identity later in their transition journey. To access medical/surgical interventions, most participants were assessed via the gender-affirming care model pathway and also engaged in talk therapy with a mental healthcare provider such as a psychologist or psychiatrist. Some participants experienced their care as lacking the opportunity to clarify their individual treatment needs prior to undergoing medical/surgical transition. Decisional regret emerged as a theme alongside dissatisfaction with providers’ “informed consent” procedures, such that participants felt they would have benefitted from a more robust discussion of risks/benefits of interventions prior to treatment decision-making. Overall, participants recommended an individualized approach to care that is inclusive of mental healthcare supports.

Conclusions

To optimize the experiences of people seeking and receiving gender care, a thorough informed consent process inclusive of individualized care options is recommended, as outlined by the World Professional Association of Transgender Health, standards of care, version 8.
Cas9 is mostly orthogonal to human systems of DNA break sensing and repair
Authors: Maltseva Ekaterina A. , Vasil’eva Inna A. , Moor Nina A. , Kim Daria V. , Dyrkheeva Nadezhda S. , Kutuzov Mikhail M. , Vokhtantsev Ivan P. , Kulishova Lilya M. , Zharkov Dmitry O. , Lavrik Olga I.
Published: November 2023

CRISPR/Cas9 system is а powerful gene editing tool based on the RNA-guided cleavage of target DNA. The Cas9 activity can be modulated by proteins involved in DNA damage signalling and repair due to their interaction with double- and single-strand breaks (DSB and SSB, respectively) generated by wild-type Cas9 or Cas9 nickases. Here we address the interplay between Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 and key DNA repair factors, including poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (SSB/DSB sensor), its closest homolog poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 2, Ku antigen (DSB sensor), DNA ligase I (SSB sensor), replication protein A (DNA duplex destabilizer), and Y-box binding protein 1 (RNA/DNA binding protein). None of those significantly affected Cas9 activity, while Cas9 efficiently shielded DSBs and SSBs from their sensors. Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of Cas9 detected for poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 2 had no apparent effect on the activity. In cellulo, Cas9-dependent gene editing was independent of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1. Thus, Cas9 can be regarded as an enzyme mostly orthogonal to the natural regulation of human systems of DNA break sensing and repair.
Pooled prevalence and its determinants of stunting among children during their critical period in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Kassaw Amare , Kassie Yohannes Tesfahun , Kefale Demewoz , Azmeraw Molla , Arage Getachew , Asferi Worku Necho , Munye Tigabu , Demis Solomon , simegn Amare , Agimas Muluken Chanie , Zeleke Shegaw
Published: November 2023

Background

Stunting is a major public health concern, particularly in low and middle-income countries. Globally, nearly 149 million under-five children are suffering from stunting. Despite it can occur in all age groups, the impact is more severe among children age less than 24 months as this period is critical time of very rapid growth and development. Therefore, this review aimed to determine the pooled prevalence and determinants of stunting among children during this critical period in Ethiopia.

Methods

The literature search was conducted using international electronic data bases (pumed, Google scholar, CINHAL, Hinari, open Google) and the hand search of reference lists of eligible articles. The presence of heterogeneity between studies was evaluated using Cochrane Q-test and I2 test statistics and sensitivity analysis was also checked. Small study effect was checked through graphical and statistical test. Sub-group analysis was performed to handle heterogeneity.

Results

This study included 14 studies with a total sample size of 8,056 children. The overall pooled estimate of stunting was 35.01(95% CI: 24.73–45.28, I2 = 98.98%) in the country with the highest prevalence in Amhara region. Increased Child’s age (OR = 3.83; 95% CI: 2.47–5.18, I2 = 97.76%), no maternal education (OR = 2.90; 95%CI: 1.59–4.20, I2 = 89.73%), no maternal postnatal follow up (OR = 1.81; 95% CI:1.51–2.10) less than four food diversity of the child (OR = 2.24;95%CI; 1.94–2.55,I2 = 21.55%), low maternal body mass index, failure to colostrum and exclusive breast feeding, two and more under five children in the household and poor wealth index of the family were significant factors of stunting.

Conclusion and recommendations

The pooled prevalence of stunting among children during their critical time is high. Increased Child’s age, no maternal education and no maternal postnatal follow up, less than four food diversity of the child, low maternal body mass index, failure to colostrum and exclusive breast feeding, two and more under five children in the household and poor wealth index of the family were determinants of stunting. Therefore, providing continuous maternal postnatal follow up, increase awareness of mothers on importance of colostrum and exclusive breast feeding, feeding of children the recommended variety of foods and at large to improve the wealth status of the households are crucial interventions to meet national and international targets of zero stunting in children less than 2 years.
Effects of different light intensity on the growth of tomato seedlings in a plant factory
Authors: Zheng Yifeng , Zou Jun , Lin Senmao , Jin Chengcui , Shi Mingming , Yang Bobo , Yang Yifan , Jin Dezhi , Li Rongguang , Li Yuefeng , Wen Xing , Yang Shaojun , Ding Xiaotao
Published: November 2023

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were the best artificial light source for plant factories. Red light-emitting diodes (LEDs, R) and blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs, B) were used to obtain different light intensities of uniform spectra, and the greenhouse environment was considered as a comparison. The results showed that root dry weight, shoot dry weight and stem diameter were superior in plant growth under 240 μmolm-2s-1, additionally, the Dixon Quality Index (DQI) was also best. Under 240 μmolm-2s-1, the net photosynthesis rate (Pn) was consistent with the greenhouse’s treatment, superior to other experimental groups. The results implied that the PPFD was more suitable for the cultivation of tomato seedlings under the condition of 240 μmolm-2s-1, and can replace the greenhouse conditions so as to save energy and reduce emissions.