bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coping with natural disasters: Political leadership framing of the 2018 wildfires in Greece
Authors: Triantafillidou Amalia , Yannas Prodromos
Published: September 2022

The present study examines the discourse of the then Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, following the 2018 July wildfire disaster in the Eastern Attica suburbs including Mati to reveal the frames employed by the main protagonist utilizing existing framing models while also incorporating the notions of ethic of care and strategic ambiguity. The then government received extensive criticism by the media and political opponents in regard to the management and communication responses of the then Prime Minister. A content analysis was conducted to the statements made by the then Prime Minister. Findings indicate that Tsipras during the initial stages of the crisis acknowledged the extent of crisis while also emphasizing the successful crisis response efforts. Moreover, strategic ambiguity along with low levels of “caring” were important elements of Tsipras' narrative at the initial stage. As the public outrage and criticism intensified, Tsipras incorporated a more caring profile and presented the disaster as a “critical opportunity” by shifting the blame to previous governments and proposing policy changes.
Population identification strategies for counterfeit coin detection
Authors: Christian Joel B.
Published: September 2022

Advances in manufacturing, 3‐d imaging, and globalization have led to a rise in fraudulent coinage and a world‐wide interest in coin authentication. Modern manufacturing methods allow the alloy, construction, and struck image of coins to be more readily reproduced. Larger coin denominations and efforts to reduce the cost of coining add additional incentive. Detection of fraudulent coinage can parallel authentication of food, beverages, and manufactured goods by studying product‐inherent features. Reverse‐quality‐engineering provides clues to authenticity. One promising method is in the use of finite mixture models to compare individual measurements of groups of coins to assist in authentication. An example is provided using the coin weights of two groups of coins. Authentication of a Questioned set of coins is explored, comparing the weight population of Example coins drawn from circulation with the weights of a Questioned set drawn from an unknown origin. In the test, just over half of the Questioned coin set matched the distribution of the Example coin set. The other portion, nearly half of the coin sample, did not match the Example coins drawn from circulation. If this were combined with a similar analysis of other coin properties, similar results would help validate the finding. The example shows that groups of coins can be authenticated by using one or more measures of properties of populations of Questioned coins versus Example coins that are largely authentic.
Malta: Political Developments and Data in 2021
Authors: FENECH DOMINIC
Published: September 2022

Politics in 2021 were much calmer and more settled than the previous year, despite the wake that government and opposition had still to navigate. Issues of rule of law and financial transparency continued claiming the attention of the government, which chose compliance over contention in the face of external pressure to put its house in order, and thus avoid long‐term damage to the national reputation and to the economic well‐being experienced in recent years. The coronavirus pandemic maintained its pressure on public finances, but otherwise was handled competently and a semblance of normality returned. The opposition meanwhile failed to overcome internal problems and render itself credibly electable as the 2022 elections drew near.
The Great Society, Reagan's Revolution, and Generations of Presidential Voting
Authors: Ghitza Yair , Gelman Andrew , Auerbach Jonathan
Published: September 2022

We build a model of American presidential voting in which the cumulative impression left by political events determines the preferences of voters. The impression varies by voter, depending on their age at the time the events took place. We use the Gallup presidential approval‐rating time series to reflect the major events that influence voter preferences, with the most influential occurring during a voter's teenage and early adult years. Our fitted model is predictive, explaining more than 80% of the variation in voting trends over the last half‐century. It is also interpretable, dividing voters into five meaningful generations: New Deal Democrats, Eisenhower Republicans, 1960s Liberals, Reagan Conservatives, and Millennials. We present each generation in context of the political events that shaped its preferences, beginning in 1940 and ending with the 2016 election.
A Pre‐registered sticky mittens study: active training does not increase reaching and grasping in a swedish context
Authors: van den Berg Linda , Libertus Klaus , Nyström Pär , Gottwald Janna. M. , Licht Victoria , Gredebäck Gustaf
Published: September 2022

Several studies have previously investigated the effects of sticky mittens training on reaching and grasping development. However, recent critique casted doubts on the robustness of the motor effect of this training. The current study presents a pre‐registered report that aimed to generalize these effects to Swedish infants. Three‐month‐old infants N = 96, 51 females, mostly White middle class in Uppsala, received daily, parent‐led sticky mittens or observational training for 2 weeks or no training in 2019. Reaching and grasping abilities were assessed before and after training, using motion tracking and a 4‐step reaching task. Sticky mittens training did not facilitate successful reaching. These results indicate that beneficial motor effects of sticky mittens training did not generalize to this sample.
Novel stop‐gain RNF170 variation detected in a Chinese family with adolescent‐onset hereditary spastic paraplegia
Authors: Fu Jing‐Xin , Wei Qiao , Chen Yu‐Lan , Li Hong‐Fu
Published: September 2022

Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is a heterogeneous group of inherited neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive lower limb spasticity. Recent studies revealed that biallelic variants in RNF170 gene cause autosomal recessive complicated HSP with infancy onset. Here, we report an adolescent‐onset HSP patient from a consanguineous Chinese family, with lower extremity stiffness, spastic gait, and unstable straight‐line walking as the main manifestations. Whole‐exome sequencing identifies a novel RNF170 mutation c.190C>T (p.R64*), which co‐segregates with the disease in this pedigree. Functional analysis, including quantitative real‐time PCR (RT‐qPCR) and Western blot, indicates that both the mRNA and protein levels of mutant RNF170 are significantly reduced, which confirms the loss‐of‐function mechanism. Our study expands the spectrum of RNF170‐associated HSP, while the RNF170 protein‐involved degradation of the inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate receptor in neurodegenerative motor neuron disorders deserves further investigation.
Advanced clinical parameters: A complementary hydroxyurea adherence evaluation in sickle cell anemia treatment
Authors: Moreira Isabela Delfino , Lessa Carem Luana Machado , Rocha Gueverson Leonardo Gonçalves , Schmitz Laura Dewes , Jahnke Viviane Schmitt , Fogliatto Laura Maria , Werlang Maria Cristina , Rotta Liane Nanci
Published: September 2022

Objectives

Given the complex pathology of sickle cell anemia (SCA) and low adherence to hydroxyurea (HU) treatment, there is a need to seek parameters that identify recent changes in patient status. The advanced clinical parameters (ACPs) allow an early analysis of hematopoiesis. We aimed to draw the demographic profile of non‐adherent SCA patients and to verify the use of ACPs as a measure of HU treatment adherence.

Method

In a cross‐sectional study, we divided 83 SCA subjects treated with HU into Children (<12 years old) and adolescents/adults (≥12 years old). Their hemogram with the ACPs, electronic medical charts and pharmacy claim data were analyzed.

Results

Non‐adherent ≥12 years old patients had significantly increased WBC, absolute neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, and basophil counts, RBC, RET, RDW, and PLT, and significantly decreased MCV and MCH. Subjects in the adolescent/adult group with IG† ≥0.035 cells/mm3 had the RR for non‐adherence increased by 4.6 times (p = .014), and the systemic immune inflammation index (SII) of non‐adherent patients was also significantly higher (p = .042).

Conclusion

IG† presents clinical utility in early identification of non‐adherence to HU, especially when combined with other parameters, suggesting the evaluation of ACPs in laboratory routine, as they can be easily implemented.
White matter integrity and key structures affected in Alzheimer's disease characterized by diffusion tensor imaging
Authors: Xiao Danqing , Wang Kesheng , Theriault Luke , Charbel Elhelou ,   Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: September 2022

White matter (WM) degeneration is suggested to predict the early signs of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The exact structural regions of brain circuitry involved are not known. This study aims to examine the associations between WM tract integrity, represented by the diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures, and AD diagnosis and to denote the key substrates in predicting AD. It included DTI measures of mean diffusivity (MD), fractional anisotropy, radial diffusivity and axial diffusivity of 18 main WM tracts in 84 non‐Hispanic white participants from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative dataset. The multivariable general linear model was used to examine the association of AD diagnosis with each DTI measure adjusting for age, gender and education. The corpus callosum, fornix, cingulum hippocampus, uncinate fasciculus, sagittal striatum, left posterior thalamic radiation and fornix‐stria terminalis showed significant increases in MD, radial and axial diffusivity, whereas the splenium of corpus callosum and the fornix showed significant decreases in fractional anisotropy among AD patients. Variable cluster analysis identified that hippocampus volume, mini‐mental state examination (MMSE), cingulate gyrus/hippocampus, inferior fronto‐occipital fasciculus and uncinate fasciculus are highly correlated in one cluster with MD measures. In conclusion, there were significant differences in DTI measures between the brain WM of AD patients and controls. Age is the risk factor associated with AD, not gender or education. Right cingulum gyrus and right uncinate fasciculus are particularly affected, correlating well with a cognitive test MMSE and MD measures for dementia in AD patients and could be a region of focus for AD staging.
PP2A‐B55 and its adapter proteins IER2 and IER5 regulate the activity of RB family proteins and the expression of cell cycle‐related genes
Authors: Doi Kuriko , Takeuchi Hiroto , Sakurai Hiroshi
Published: September 2022

The retinoblastoma (RB) tumour suppressor protein regulates cell proliferation, motility, differentiation and apoptosis. The phosphorylation state of RB is modulated by kinases and phosphatases, and RB exhibits phosphorylation‐sensitive interactions with E2F family transcription factors. Here, we characterize RB dephosphorylation by protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). The growth factor‐inducible immediate early response (IER) proteins IER2 and IER5 possess an adapter‐like function in which IER proteins bind to both PP2A and its target proteins and enhance PP2A activity towards the proteins. IER2 interacts with RB and facilitates dephosphorylation of RB at T821/T826 by PP2A. In IER2 knockdown cells, elevated phosphorylation of RB resulted in reduced binding of RB to the promoters and derepression of cyclin D1 and p21. IER5 binds to both RB and RB‐like 1 (p107/RBL1), enhances dephosphorylation of these proteins by PP2A and represses the expression of various cell cycle‐related genes. However, IER2‐regulated dephosphorylation at T821/T826 is not necessary for the repression function of RB in cell mobility‐related gene expression. Our data identify PP2A adapter proteins as critical regulators of RB family proteins and suggest that the phosphorylation status of RB differentially affects gene expression.
Geographies of running cultures and practices
Authors: Cook Simon , Larsen Jonas
Published: September 2022

Running is inherently geographical, with spaces, places, movement and bodies central to the practice. Running has captured the geographical imagination over the last decade and this paper reaches across such work to provide a state‐of‐the‐art synthesis of the geographies of running. The review is structured around six key themes that characterise contemporary running geographies and demonstrate the value geography and running bring to each other: (1) different running practices; (2) theorising and researching running; (3) senses, experiences and embodiment; (4) running, space and place; (5) events; and (6) technologies and objects. The paper concludes by considering what is next for running geographies by highlighting three new avenues: (1) further engagement with digital geographies; (2) the runnability of places; and (3) diversifying who does running geography and who it studies.
Cruel (im)mobilities and the nearly utopian intimacies of Italian migrants’ personal relationships
Authors: Humbracht Michael , Williams Allan M , Cohen Scott
Published: September 2022

Most research on visits focuses on (semi)successful connections that equate valued intimacy to adaptation to transnational life and ethno‐national kin obligations. In contrast, we highlight important migrant relationships where adaptation is minimal and contact diminishes, yet they also take on heightened affective intensity. Drawing from a multi‐sited ethnography that includes migrants and friends and family, we examine the affective and ethical dimensions of visits and ICTs (information and communications technology) within the personal relationships of highly skilled Italian migrants in London. Deploying the concepts cruel optimism and polyrhythmia, the paper examines how contrasting rhythms of visits and ICTs provoke reflections and feelings on whether intimacies at a distance are ‘real’. Despite difficulties, informants suggest intimacies ‘feel normal’, imbuing relations with hope for their authenticity that grounds relations in a state of mobile impasse: where feelings of normalcy lead to less interest in recreating connections yet also constructs hope that sustains visits and digital connections.
Dietary intake of thiamine and riboflavin in relation to severe headache or migraine: A cross‐sectional survey
Authors: Li Dan , Guo Yang , Xia Mingrong , Zhang Jiewen , Zang Weizhou
Published: September 2022

Objective

The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of severe headache or migraine and the association between dietary thiamine and riboflavin intake with headache history using a large, nationally representative population sample.

Background

Severe headache and migraine are common and disabling neurological disorders worldwide. Previous studies revealed that the B vitamin group, as an important nutrient of diet, can reduce migraine disability.

Methods

We performed a cross‐sectional study of American adults surveyed in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2004. Information on headache history was collected in the Miscellaneous Pain section of the Questionnaire Data. Dietary intake data of thiamine and riboflavin were obtained by 24‐h dietary recall interview.

Results

The present study included 13,439 participants and indicated that 2745/13,439 (21.6%) adults (aged ≥20 years) experienced severe headache or migraine in the past 3 months. Dietary thiamine intake was significantly inversely associated with severe headache or migraine (odds ratio [OR] = 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.88–1.00, p = 0.046). In the stratified analysis, the relationship was maintained in the female group (OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.82–0.98, p = 0.022), and the sex interaction term was significant (p = 0.020). However, no significant interaction was found between the age groups (p = 0.352). For dietary riboflavin, no significant negative association was observed between dietary riboflavin intake and headache history (OR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.94–1.02, p = 0.367). After stratifying by sex or age, there remained no significant relationship between dietary riboflavin and migraine.

Conclusions

We found that high intake of thiamine was significantly associated with lower odds of migraine, especially in females. In the future, more clinical studies are needed to confirm our conclusions, and additional experiments are needed to explore the possible mechanisms of prevention and treatment for migraine.
WHAT'S IN A NAME? PAST POSSIBILITIES AND THE CHALLENGES OF HISTORICIZING COUNTERFACTUAL HISTORY
Authors: Rosenfeld Gavriel D.
Published: September 2022

As wondering “what if?” about the past has become increasingly prominent in Western life, scholars have sought to historicize the phenomenon. The latest attempt to do so is Quentin Deluermoz and Pierre Singaravélou's A Past of Possibilities: A History of What Could Have Been. A stimulating, if somewhat meandering, book of essayistic reflections on historical speculation, A Past of Possibilities highlights the challenges of, and continuing opportunities for, historicizing the field that today is called “counterfactual history.” Ever since the mid‐nineteenth century, historians have recognized the presence of “what‐ifs” in historical scholarship, but they have disagreed about what to call them. For over a century, they have embraced a bewildering array of phrases, including “imaginary history,” “hypothetical history,” “subjunctive history,” “conjectural history,” “conditional history,” “probable history,” “iffy history,” “alternate history,” “allohistory,” “uchronia,” “historical might‐have‐beens,” and “historical ifs.” Deluermoz and Singaravélou continue this tradition by employing many different terms for historical counterfactuals in their effort to explain their increasing prominence. This conceptual pluralism, which is rooted in an interdisciplinary methodology, enables the authors to arrive at important insights about the field of counterfactual history. However, it also prevents them from generating a systematic argument that builds toward a larger conclusion. A Past of Possibilities is thus an important study that nevertheless highlights the need for further research.
Exploring the patterns in political consumption: A review and identification of future research agenda
Authors: Chow Dawn Yi Lin , (Grace) Oh Ga‐Eun , Anand Amitabh
Published: September 2022

Of late, political consumption (PC) has gained currency within the marketing and management literature, however, due to its cross‐disciplinary nature, it is also one of its more fragmented concepts. Based on a theme‐based structured systematic review of the literature, we adopt a wide conceptualization of the term and examine prior used methods and research themes. We offer several important contributions. First, we present the current state of PC literature, and show that the emergent literature streams on the concept have moved on from consideration of political consumption, and more toward consumer political polarization. In particular, research has coalesced around a motivated socio‐cognitive perspective of consumer political ideology. Second, we provide a comprehensive framework that links antecedents, processes and outcomes. Last, we discuss directions for a deeper research agenda on PC, and propose future research themes.
The effect of cryotherapy on oral mucositis management in patients undergoing stem cell transplantation: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Sezgin Merve Gözde , Bektas Hicran , Özer Zeynep
Published: September 2022

Aim

This study aimed to investigate the effect of cryotherapy on oral mucositis management in patients undergoing stem cell transplantation.

Background

Oral mucositis is among the most common symptoms of stem cell transplantation. Cryotherapy may be an important treatment option in the oral mucositis process.

Design

A systematic review.

Data Sources

A literature review of studies published in the English language was conducted on Web of Science, Springer Link, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, Ovid, EBSCOhost/CINAHL Complete and MEDLINE databases until April 2022. The studies reviewed covered the years between 2006 and 2020. The data were summarized narratively.

Review Methods

This systematic review was organized in accordance with the Cochrane 2022 guidelines and reported using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses.

Results

Nine studies were included in the systematic review. No significant publication bias was found in the main results. The results showed that the cryotherapy intervention had a positive effect on oral mucositis in patients undergoing stem cell transplantation.

Conclusions

In this systematic review of nine randomized controlled trials, the majority of the studies show that cryotherapy intervention can be an effective method for reducing oral mucositis in patients undergoing stem cell transplantation.
A quartered typology of welfare attitudes: Evidence from the World Values Survey Wave 7
Authors: Peng Lujie
Published: September 2022

Based on a typological approach and data from the World Values Survey Wave 7 and utilising the comparative method of variation‐finding and a multi‐level mixed‐effects model, this study formulated a quartered typology of welfare attitudes on the country level informed by people's attitudes towards government responsibility for social welfare (welfare attitudes) and their associations with socio‐political orientation. This typology substantiated the cross‐national variations in welfare attitudes. Outcome measures included Welfare Attitudes Score, and explanatory measures included subjective social class and political orientation score. This study concludes that country‐specific welfare attitudes and their associations with political orientation inform an empirically quartered typology of welfare attitudes. Implications feature closer examinations of within‐country variances of welfare attitudes and the correlations of country‐specific intercepts and coefficients and highlight further theoretical and conceptual examination and substantiation of this new typology of welfare attitudes.
An examination of gender difference in advancement and salary for Marriage and Family Therapy faculty members working in public universities
Authors: Edwards Lindsay L. , Leone Rosemary A. , Culver Kevin
Published: September 2022

Evidence for inequitable advancement and salary disparity for women in academia is compelling, but only a marginal amount of research has explored this in the field of Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) specifically. Current research provides preliminary evidence that women remain underrepresented at the Full Professor rank and are paid less than men MFT faculty. This study collected publicly available data for MFT faculty in public universities to explore gender differences in advancement between ranks, salary disparity, and the representation of women and men in the highest and lowest paying niches of MFT academia. Results showed that, despite being 60.15% of MFTs in public universities, women were paid an average of $5596.25 less than men. Men were 1.40 times more likely than women to be promoted to Full Professor on time—within 13 years of their terminal degree. Implications for addressing inequitable advancement and salary disparity for women MFT faculty are discussed.
Concomitant use of radiofrequency and high intensity focused electromagnetic field energies for full‐body remodeling: MRI evidence‐based prefatory trial
Authors: Katz Bruce
Published: September 2022

Background

Radiofrequency and HIFEM have been used as standalone modalities in body contouring. The novel device allows their synchronous emission simultaneously in a single applicator.

Objectives

This prelusive trial aims to investigate the safety and efficacy of such treatment when used on multiple body parts on the same day for a full‐body remodeling.

Methods

Three female subjects (21.0 ± 2.0 years) underwent 4 treatment sessions. The treatment was applied to the abdomen, saddlebags, inner thighs, and buttocks, during each visit, lasting 30 min for each site. The outcomes were assessed through examination of MRI images acquired at baseline and 3 months post‐treatment. Fat and muscle thickness were measured at predefined locations. Weight and waist, hip, and thigh circumference records along with digital photographs were also taken.

Results

Fat thickness measurement showed a reduction of 17.57 ± 3.22 mm in the saddlebag region, 12.43 ± 1.93 mm in inner thighs, and 10.65 ± 1.26 mm in the abdomen. The fat in the buttock region showed negligible changes. The muscle thickness increased on average by 2.98 ± 0.60 mm for rectus abdominis and 7.42 ± 1.56 mm for gluteus maximus. The circumferential reduction was also observed on the waist (7.83 ± 2.25 cm), at the level of outer thighs (2.83 ± 1.53 cm), and inner thighs (3.58 ± 1.84 cm). Digital photographs showed noticeable improvement in the overall body appearance. The treatments were safe, and no side effects were noted.

Conclusion

The preliminary outcomes indicate that the procedure delivering HIFEM and RF simultaneously on multiple body areas on the same day could be an effective and comfortable treatment for fat reduction on multiple body parts, thickening of underlying muscles, and overall improved aesthetic appearance.
Retrospective analysis of the use of tranexamic acid in critically ill dogs and cats (2018–2019): 266 dogs and 28 cats
Authors: Kelley Morgan , Sinnott‐Stutzman Virginia , Whelan Megan
Published: September 2022

Objective

To describe the signalment, dosing, adverse events, and patient diagnosis for dogs and cats admitted to the critical care unit (CCU) receiving tranexamic acid (TXA).

Design

Case series from 2018 to 2019.

Setting

Private referral and primary care veterinary hospital.

Animals

Two hundred and sixty‐six dogs and 28 cats.

Interventions

None.

Measurements and Main Results

Records of dogs and cats admitted to the CCU that received TXA were evaluated. A diagnosis was assigned to each patient based on the International Statistical Classification of Diseases system. “Neoplasia” ([most frequently] hemangiosarcoma) (89/226 [39%]) and “diseases of the blood and blood forming organs” (idiopathic hemoabdomen, pericardial effusion) (78/226 [34%]) were the most common disease processes for which dogs received TXA. In cats, “diseases of the blood and blood forming organs” (idiopathic hemoabdomen) (9/28 [32%]), “neoplasia” (hemangiosarcoma, mast cell tumor, carcinoma) (7/28 [25%]), and “injury, poisoning, or certain other consequences of external causes” (high‐rise syndrome) (5/28 [17%]) were most common. One hundred and forty‐eight dogs (65%) and 13 cats (46%) underwent an invasive procedure during hospitalization. Thirty percent (70/226) of dogs received a packed RBC (pRBC) transfusion. Administration of TXA before or after pRBC transfusion did not significantly affect median dose of pRBC administered (P = 0.808). The median IV dose of TXA was similar for dogs and cats at 10 mg/kg. One cat received a 10 times overdose of TXA and did not suffer any appreciable adverse effects. Adverse events were reported in 1.7% (4/226) of dogs including hypersalivation (3/226) and seizure (1/226) in a dog that received a cumulative dose of 280 mg/kg of TXA. Hypersalivation was the only adverse event reported in 3% (1/28) of cats.

Conclusion

TXA is primarily utilized in critically ill dogs and cats diagnosed with neoplasia, bleeding disorders, and trauma at this institution. Adverse events were infrequent and largely mild.
Ultrasonographic quantitative evaluation of acute and chronic renal disease using the renal cortical thickness to aorta ratio in dogs
Authors: Choo Donghyeok , Kim Sung‐Soo , Kwon Danbee , Lee Kichang , Yoon Hakyoung
Published: September 2022

The renal cortical thickness (RCT) has been correlated with renal function. Previous studies have also reported that the RCT:Abdominal aorta(Ao) ratio is constant in normal dogs with various physical factors. This multi‐center, retrospective, analytical study aimed to determine if there are differences between actual RCT and predicted value of RCT considering physical factors in dogs with acute or chronic renal disease. We also aimed to demonstrate whether the RCT and Ao ratio index would be useful for evaluating renal pathology. A total of 54 dogs with acute or chronic renal disease and 30 normal healthy dogs were included in this study. The RCT was measured at the center of the renal pyramid as the shortest distance perpendicular to the renal capsule from the base of the renal medullary pyramid at three points. The diameter of the Ao was measured just caudal to the branch of the left renal artery in the sagittal plane in systole. The RCT:Ao ratio of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients was 0.50 ± 0.11 (mean ± standard deviation). The RCT:Ao ratio in normal dogs was 0.67 ± 0.07. The RCT:Ao ratio in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) was 0.83 ± 0.05. There was a statistically significant difference between normal dogs and dogs with CKD (P < 0.001) and between normal dogs and dogs with AKI (P < 0.001). In conclusion, findings from the current study supported using the RCT:Ao ratio as a non‐invasive quantitative method for characterizing kidney pathology in dogs with acute or chronic renal disease.
The dynamic interplay of PIP2 and ATP in the regulation of the KATP channel
Authors: Pipatpolkai Tanadet , Usher Samuel G. , Vedovato Natascia , Ashcroft Frances M. , Stansfeld Phillip J.
Published: September 2022

ATP‐sensitive potassium (KATP) channels couple the intracellular ATP concentration to insulin secretion. KATP channel activity is inhibited by ATP binding to the Kir6.2 tetramer and activated by phosphatidylinositol 4,5‐bisphosphate (PIP2). Here, we use molecular dynamics simulation, electrophysiology and fluorescence spectroscopy to show that ATP and PIP2 occupy different binding pockets that share a single amino acid residue, K39. When both ligands are present, simulations suggest that K39 shows a greater preference to co‐ordinate with PIP2 than with ATP. They also predict that a neonatal diabetes mutation at K39 (K39R) increases the number of hydrogen bonds formed between K39 and PIP2, potentially accounting for the reduced ATP inhibition observed in electrophysiological experiments. Our work suggests that PIP2 and ATP interact allosterically to regulate KATP channel activity.

image

Key points

The KATP channel is activated by the binding of phosphatidylinositol 4,5‐bisphosphate (PIP2) lipids and inactivated by the binding of ATP.

K39 has the potential to bind to both PIP2 and ATP. A mutation to this residue (K39R) results in neonatal diabetes.

This study uses patch‐clamp fluorometry, electrophysiology and molecular dynamics simulation.

We show that PIP2 competes with ATP for K39, and this reduces channel inhibition by ATP.

We show that K39R increases channel affinity to PIP2 by increasing the number of hydrogen bonds with PIP2, when compared with the wild‐type K39. This therefore decreases KATP channel inhibition by ATP.
REVIEWS OF ACOUSTICAL PATENTS
Authors: Fulop Sean A.
Published: September 2022

The purpose of these acoustical patent reviews is to provide enough information for a Journal reader to decide whether to seek more information from the patent itself. Any opinions expressed here are those of the reviewers as individuals and are not legal opinions. Patents are available via the internet at the USPTO website.
Patterns in Prenatal Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior: Associations With Blood Pressure and Placental Features in the MoMHealth Cohort
Authors: Lane Abbi , Catov Janet , Jones Melissa A. , Barone Gibbs Bethany
Published: September 2022

Background: Moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior (SED) are associated with blood pressure (BP) and adverse pregnancy outcomes. The authors investigated associations of prenatal MVPA and SED patterns with BP and with placental malperfusion features. Methods: Women enrolled in this prospective cohort study in the first trimester. MVPA, SED, and BP were measured objectively each trimester. MVPA and SED trajectories were constructed. Placental examinations were conducted in a subset. Associations of trajectories with BPs were assessed with linear regression adjusted for age, race, education, prepregnancy body mass index, and gestational age. Associations with placental malperfusion lesions and weight were adjusted for key covariates. Results: One hundred eleven participants were included; placental exams were available in 50. Participants with high (vs low) SED were younger and more likely to have adverse pregnancy outcomes. High SED (vs low) was associated with higher first trimester systolic (β = 5.3; 95% confidence interval, 0.0 to 10.6) and diastolic (β = 5.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.4 to 8.6) and higher second trimester diastolic (β = 4.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.6 to 8.2) BP. Medium and high MVPA groups were associated with lower postpartum diastolic BP. Trajectories were not associated with placental malperfusion. Conclusions: MVPA and SED patterns were differentially associated with prenatal and postpartum BP. Encouraging favorable levels of both might help women achieve lower BP during and after pregnancy.
On the origins of fatigue strength in crystalline metallic materials
Authors: Stinville J. C. , Charpagne M. A. , Cervellon A. , Hemery S. , Wang F. , Callahan P. G. , Valle V. , Pollock T. M.
Published: September 2022

Metallic materials experience irreversible deformation with increasing applied stress, manifested in localized slip events that result in fatigue failure upon repeated cycling. We discerned the physical origins of fatigue strength in a large set of face-centered cubic, hexagonal close-packed, and body-centered cubic metallic materials by considering cyclic deformation processes at nanometer resolution over large volumes of individual materials at the earliest stages of cycling. We identified quantitative relations between the yield strength and the ultimate tensile strength, fatigue strength, and physical characteristics of early slip localization events. The fatigue strength of metallic alloys that deform by slip could be predicted by the amplitude of slip localization during the first cycle of loading. Our observations provide a physical basis for well-known empirical fatigue laws and enable a rapid method of predicting fatigue strength as reflected by measurement of slip localization amplitude.
Toward product-based regulation of crops
Authors: Gould Fred , Amasino Richard M. , Brossard Dominique , Buell C. Robin , Dixon Richard A. , Falck-Zepeda Jose B. , Gallo Michael A. , Giller Ken E. , Glenna Leland L. , Griffin Timothy , Magraw Daniel , Mallory-Smith Carol , Pixley Kevin V. , Ransom Elizabeth P. , Stelly David M. , Stewart C. Neal
Published: September 2022

Current process-based approaches to regulation are no longer fit for purpose
Zimbabwe find illuminates dawn of the dinosaurs
Authors: Reese April
Published: September 2022

Nearly complete specimen shows earliest dinosaurs needed a temperate climate
Thoracoscopic-assisted rib plating (TARP): initial single-center case series, including TARP in the super elderly, technical lessons learned, and proposed expanded indications
Authors: Zhang Gary , Shurtleff Eric , Falank Carolyne , Cullinane Daniel , Carter Damien , Sheppard Forest
Published: September 2022

Objectives

The application of surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) remains inconsistent due to evolving indications and perceived associated morbidity. By implementing thoracoscopic-assisted rib plating (TARP), a minimally invasive SSRF approach, we expanded our SSRF application to patients who otherwise might not be offered fixation. This report presents our initial experience, including fixation in super elderly (aged ≥85 years), and technical lessons learned.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study at a level 1 trauma center of admitted patients who underwent TARP between August 2019 and October 2020. Patient demographics, injury characteristics, surgical indications and outcomes are represented as mean±SD, median or percentage.

Results

A total of 2134 patients with rib fractures were admitted. In this group, 39 SSRF procedures were performed, of which 54% (n=21) were TARP. Average age was 68.5±16 years. Patients had a median of 5 fractured ribs, with an average of 1 rib that was bicortically displaced, and 19% presented with ‘clicking’ on inspiration. Patient outcomes were a mean hospital length of stay (LOS) of 11±3.7 days, mean postoperative LOS of 8 days, and mean intensive care unit LOS of 6.6±2.9 days. Five patients were ≥85 years old with a mean age of 90.8±4.7 years. They presented with an average of 4 rib fractures, of which an average of 2.4 ribs were plated. The procedure was well tolerated in this age group with a hospital LOS of 9.4±2 days, and all five patients were discharged to a rehab facility with no in-hospital mortalities.

Conclusion

Our experience incorporating TARP at our institution demonstrated feasibility of the technique and application across a broad range of patients. This approach and its application warrants further evaluation and potentially expands the application of SSRF.

.
Towards Reliable Driver Drowsiness Detection Leveraging Wearables
Authors: Cao Yetong , Li Fan , Liu Xiaochen , Yang Song , Wang Yu
Published: September 2022

Driver drowsiness is a significant factor in road crashes. However, existing solutions for driver drowsiness detection have major drawbacks of requiring special hardware, constrained recording conditions, and cannot handle the asynchronous and contradictory nature of multiple indicators. In view of this, we propose FDWatch, a novel drowsiness detection system that exploits the low-cost
Photoplethysmogram (PPG)
sensor and motion sensor integrated into wrist-worn devices. We design a set of novel algorithms to extract multiple drowsiness-related indicators covering major categories of human factors. In particular, we demonstrate that commodity PPG sensors can be utilized to detect yawning behavior; it contributes as an important indicator for drowsiness detection. The core of FDWatch is based on the Dempster-Shafer evidence theory. It considers different indicators as evidence describing the state of the driver from different angles. To make the extracted indicators applicable to Dempster-Shafer evidence theory, we employ backpropagation neural networks to obtain the basic probability assignment. Moreover, we propose a similarity-distance-based method to handle evidence conflicts. Extensive experiments with real-road driving data show that FDWatch can accurately detect driver drowsiness with a missing alarm rate of 3.57% and a false alarm rate of 3.68%.
Economic Efficiency Measurement Algorithm of Strategic Emerging Industries Based on Multifeature Fusion
Authors: Jing Su
Published: September 2022

The steady and healthy development of strategic emerging industries (SEI) can enable the Republic of China to smoothly transform its economic progression mode and realize the upgradation and optimization of its industrial organization. In this way, China can take the initiative in the process of globalization. The strategic emerging industry economy has long argued for the influence of resilient firm dynamic aptitudes on innovative product growth. This study takes strategic emerging industrial economies as an important part and establishes a comprehensive evaluation index system for economic efficiency of SEI in the Republic of China from the perception of interorganizational interactions and entrepreneurial coordination features. We use the Random Forest (RF) algorithm to perform multifeature fusion and establish an economic efficiency measurement algorithm for SET through survey data from several Chinese companies. We find, in addition, that entrepreneurial coordination affects the firms’ inclination and aptitude to exploit relationship profits and by this means significantly strengthening the effects of vertical interactions however weakening the effects of horizontal interactions. When compared with the BP and MLP approaches, the suggested approach has achieved 86.98% accuracy, while the other has 86.02% and 85.75%, respectively.
Multi-Dimensional Attention Based Spatial-Temporal Networks for Traffic Forecasting
Authors: Xu Guangxia , Hu Xinting
Published: September 2022

Traffic flow prediction is the key problem of intelligent transportation system. Accurate prediction results are indispensable for traffic management and road planning. However, due to the complex spatial-temporal correlation of traffic flow data, including the spatial correlation and temporal correlation of adjacency, periodicity, and trend that exist between different roads. The existing forecasting methods consider the spatial-temporal correlation but lack the dynamic modeling of spatial-temporal correlation. To deal with this dynamic feature, this paper proposes a multi-dimensional attention-based spatial-temporal network (MA-STN). It mainly contains three parts, the spatial-temporal attention unit, the spatial-temporal feature extraction unit based on Graph Convolutional Network (GCN) and the fusion prediction unit, and the residual connection is also added to the model to avoid the gradient disappearance problem. Meanwhile, this paper divides the dataset into three subsets to deal with the three features in the temporal dimension separately. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed model, two real-world road traffic flow data collected by PeMS system are used for validation. By comparing six different models, the proposed network in this paper has a 7% accuracy improvement compared to the baseline model. To verify the effectiveness of the attention mechanism, ablation experiments are used in this paper for validation, and the results show that the attention mechanism can achieve a 5% accuracy improvement.
A Rare Case of Meningitis Caused by Alcaligenes faecalis in an Immunocompetent Patient
Authors: Cantillo García Kevin , Calderón Duran Oscar , Acosta Pérez Tomás , Vásquez Jiménez Ángel , Madrid Pérez Emerson , Martínez-Ávila María Cristina , Rodríguez Yánez Tomás , Almanza-Hurtado Amilkar
Published: September 2022

Alcaligenes faecalis (A. faecalis) is a Gram-negative rod rarely isolated as an infective bacterium worldwide. The first cases of infections caused by this microorganism, such as pneumonia, soft tissue infections, urinary tract infections, bacteremia, and meningitis, date back more than 40 years and are almost entirely in newborns and immunosuppressed hosts. Optimal antibiotic therapy for A. faecalis has not been well established in the literature. We report a case of an immunocompetent patient in Colombia who had meningitis due to A. faecalis after a dental procedure. It is important to know about this microorganism that nowadays could be considered a potentially emerging pathogen in immunocompetent adults.
WBC Image Segmentation Based on Residual Networks and Attentional Mechanisms
Authors: Wu Jiangping , Zheng Xin , Liu Deyang , Ai Liefu , Tang Pan , Wang Boyang , Wang Yuanzhi
Published: September 2022

White blood cell (WBC) morphology examination plays a crucial role in diagnosing many diseases. One of the most important steps in WBC morphology analysis is WBC image segmentation, which remains a challenging task. To address the problems of low segmentation accuracy caused by color similarity, uneven brightness, and irregular boundary between WBC regions and the background, a WBC image segmentation network based on U-Net combining residual networks and attention mechanism was proposed. Firstly, the ResNet50 residual block is used to form the main unit of the encoder structure, which helps to overcome the overfitting problem caused by a small number of training samples by improving the network's feature extraction capacity and loading the pretraining weight. Secondly, the SE module is added to the decoder structure to make the model pay more attention to useful features while suppressing useless ones. In addition, atrous convolution is utilized to recover full-resolution feature maps in the decoder structure to increase the receptive field of the convolution layer. Finally, network parameters are optimized using the Adam optimization technique in conjunction with the binary cross-entropy loss function. Experimental results on BCISC and LISC datasets show that the proposed approach has higher segmentation accuracy and robustness.
Optimal Control and Cost‐Effectiveness Analysis of Cholera with Vaccination
Authors: Tessema Fikru Shiferaw , Koya Purnachandra Rao , Bole Boka Kumsa
Published: September 2022

Cholera has been a major global public health problem that is caused due to unsafe water and improper sanitation. These causes have been mainly occurring among the developing country. In this paper, a deterministic model for cholera is formulated with the inclusion of drug resistance compartment. Also, vaccination of newly born babies is considered so as to study its effect on the control. The total population in the present model is divided into five compartments, namely, susceptible, vaccinated newborns, infected, drug resistance, and recovered. The model is mathematically formulated resulting in a system of five ordinary differential equations. In order to verify that the model is valid, it is shown that the solution of the system of equations exists and is both positive and bounded. Fundamental properties of the model such as the basic reproduction number are calculated by employing the method of next‐generation matrix. Also, the equilibrium points are identified and their stability analysis is checked. Further in this work, Pontryagin’s maximum principle is employed so as to determine the optimal control strategies of the epidemic. The simulation study has revealed that the application of prevention methods will play a significant role in controlling or minimizing the spread of the disease. From the simulated graphs, we observed that an increment in vaccinated population leads to the reduction of the number of infectious population. Moreover, it is shown that if all the intervention strategies are employed together, then the disease will get eradicated within a short span of time. Also, the analysis of cost‐effectiveness is conducted. Finally, the simulated values of optimal controls show that the combination of prevention, education, and treatment of individuals with drug resistance is the most efficient and less costly so as to eradicate disease from the community.
Application of Factorial Design and Response Surface Methodology in the Optimization of Clindamycin Nanocomposites
Authors: Almahamid Yousef Rezek , Hussein-Al-Ali Samer Hasan , Haddad Mike Kh.
Published: September 2022

This study is aimed at achieving the optimized preparation of a new extended‐release formulation of clindamycin (CLD) via loading of the CLD onto chitosan‐chondroitin sulfate (CS‐Chondro). The CS‐Chondro‐CLD nanocomposites were prepared by mixing different masses of CS (50, 100, and 200 mg) with Chondro (50, 100, and 200 mg) and different masses of CLD (75, 150, and 300 mg). The prepared nanocomposites were characterized by different techniques including loading efficiency (LE), X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and release study. The XRD spectra of CS‐Chondro‐CLD nanocomposites showed two peaks at 2θ= 22.5° and 40.7°, indicating amorphous forms. The FTIR data shows incorporation of CLD into the CS‐Chondro polymers. Anin vitrorelease study of CLD from nanocomposites was carried out using PBS at pH 7.4. The result showed that the release rate was completed after 25 hours. This study showed that the CS‐Chondro‐CLD nanocomposites have promising applications in the delivery of CLD drug.