bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lettuce seed pelleting with Pseudomonas sp. 31-12: plant growth promotion under laboratory and greenhouse conditions
Authors: Kangsopa Jakkrapong , Hynes Russell K. , Siri Boonmee
Published: August 2024

Plant growth promotion by Pseudomonas sp. 31-12 incorporated into a lettuce seed pelleting matrix was studied. We examined (1) the effect of five rhizosphere derived bacterial strains on green oak lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L.) seed germination, root and shoot growth, as a strain selection step for seed coating and seed pelletizing studies, (2) population stability of Pseudomonas sp. 31-12 incorporated into a pelleting matrix on lettuce seed stored three months at 4 °C, and (3) lettuce growth promotion in the laboratory and greenhouse by Pseudomonas sp. 31-12 coated and pelletized seed. A spontaneous streptomycin mutant of Pseudomonas sp. 31-12 (str) was used to determine population size on seed and roots of 15- and 30-day-old lettuce. The population of Pseudomonas sp. 31-12str on coated and pelleted seed decreased from 104 cfu/seed to 103 cfu/seed after 3 months storage at 4 °C. However, the population exceeded 104 cfu/g root dry mass and 105/g root dry mass after 15 days and 30 days in the greenhouse. Leaf fresh mass was significantly increased ( P ≤ 0.05) with Pseudomonas sp. 31-12 seed treatment as compared to noninoculated seed. In conclusion, pelletized lettuce seed with Pseudomonas sp. 31-12 promoted growth and yield in the greenhouse.
Geometric phases in neutral kaon mixing and CP violation
Authors: Sangiri Swarup
Published: August 2024

We studied the formalism for construction of geometric phases (Berry phases) in the neutral kaon mixing system. We explicitly calculated the geometric phases for the [Formula: see text] conserving and [Formula: see text] violating scenarios with effective meson field theory and the [Formula: see text] violating phase δ has been shown to be of geometrical origin.
Policy implications for the nexus of climate change and gender-based issues in Thailand: case study of waste management
Authors: Hung Jason
Published: August 2024

This perspective engages in the complex connections between environmental challenges and gender-based issues in Thailand, revealing a critical intersection that demands immediate attention. This perspective unveils persistent disparities within the environmental realm, particularly in waste management. The perspective advocates for a comprehensive, sustainable strategy to effectively address these challenges. By dissecting the nexus of environmental and gender concerns, the perspective highlights the urgency of dismantling gender-related disparities within waste management and broader environmental conservation efforts. The proposed policy reforms and recommendations underpin the necessity of a holistic approach, integrating cultural shifts and community empowerment initiatives. This perspective envisions a more equitable future, emphasising the imperative of safeguarding both men’s and women’s active participation and benefit in environmental conservation endeavours.
New procedure for evaluation of U(3) coupling and recoupling coefficients
Authors: Dang Phong , Draayer Jerry P. , Pan Feng , Becker Kevin S.
Published: August 2024

A simple method to calculate Wigner coupling coefficients and Racah recoupling coefficients for U(3) in two group–subgroup chains is presented. While the canonical $$\rm U(3)\supset U(2)\supset U(1)$$

U
(
3
)
⊃
U
(
2
)
⊃
U
(
1
)

coupling and recoupling coefficients are applicable to any system that respects U(3) symmetry, the $$\rm U(3) \supset SO(3)$$

U
(
3
)
⊃
SO
(
3
)

coupling coefficients are more specific to nuclear structure studies. This new procedure precludes the use of binomial coefficients and alternating sums which were used in the 1973 formulation of Draayer and Akiyama, and in so doing provides a faster and more accurate determination of any and all required results. The resolution of the outer multiplicity is based on the null space concept of the U(3) generators proposed by Alex et al., whereas the inner multiplicity in the angular momentum subgroup chain is obtained from the dimension of the null space of the SO(3) raising operator. It is anticipated that a C++ library will ultimately be available for determining generic coupling and recoupling coefficients associated with both the canonical and the physical group–subgroup chains of U(3).
A criterion for modularity of the subgroup lattice of a finite soluble group
Authors: Liu A-Ming , Wang Sizhe , Safonov Vasily G. , Skiba Alexander N.
Published: August 2024

Let [Formula: see text] be a finite group and [Formula: see text] the subgroup lattice of [Formula: see text]. A subgroup [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] is called: (i) modular in [Formula: see text], if [Formula: see text] is a modular element (in the sense of Kurosh) of the lattice [Formula: see text]; (ii) submodular in [Formula: see text] if [Formula: see text] has a chain of subgroups [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is modular in [Formula: see text] for all [Formula: see text]. If [Formula: see text] is a subgroup of [Formula: see text], then we denote by [Formula: see text] the subgroup of [Formula: see text], generated by all of its subgroups that are modular in [Formula: see text].

We say that a subgroup [Formula: see text] is [Formula: see text]-modular in [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]), if for some modular subgroup [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text], containing [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] avoids the pair [Formula: see text], i.e. [Formula: see text].

We prove that if [Formula: see text] is a soluble finite group and each of its submodular subgroups is [Formula: see text]-modular in [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the nilpotent residual of [Formula: see text], then the lattice [Formula: see text] is modular.
Non-abelian extension theory of Lie rings
Authors: Singh Dev Karan , Pandey Mani Shankar , Kumar Shiv Datt
Published: August 2024

In this paper, we establish fundamental results concerning non-abelian extensions of Lie rings. Specifically, we demonstrate one-to-one correspondence between the equivalence classes of non-abelian extensions of Lie ring [Formula: see text] by Lie ring [Formula: see text] and the elements of second cohomology group [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] acts on [Formula: see text]. Additionally, we provide necessary and sufficient condition under which such extensions exist, particularly when a specific abstract kernel is involved.
Online Euclidean Spanners
Authors: Bhore Sujoy , Tóth Csaba D.
Published: August 2024

In this article, we study the online Euclidean spanners problem for points in

\(\mathbb{R}^{d}\)

. Given a set

\(S\)

of

\(n\)

points in

\(\mathbb{R}^{d}\)

, a

\(t\)

-spanner on

\(S\)

is a subgraph of the underlying complete graph

\(G=(S,\binom{S}{2})\)

, that preserves the pairwise Euclidean distances between points in

\(S\)

to within a factor of

\(t\)

, that is the
stretch factor
. Suppose we are given a sequence of

\(n\)

points

\((s_{1},s_{2},\ldots,s_{n})\)

in

\(\mathbb{R}^{d}\)

, where point

\(s_{i}\)

is presented in step

\(i\)

for

\(i=1,\ldots,n\)

. The objective of an online algorithm is to maintain a geometric

\(t\)

-spanner on

\(S_{i}=\{s_{1},\ldots,s_{i}\}\)

for each step

\(i\)

. The algorithm is allowed to
add
new edges to the spanner when a new point is presented but cannot
remove
any edge from the spanner. The performance of an online algorithm is measured by its competitive ratio, which is the supremum, over all sequences of points, of the ratio between the weight of the spanner constructed by the algorithm and the weight of an optimum spanner. Here, the weight of a spanner is the sum of all edge weights.

First, we establish a lower bound of

\(\Omega(\varepsilon^{-1}\log n/\log\varepsilon^{-1})\)

for the competitive ratio of any online

\((1+\varepsilon)\)

-spanner algorithm, for a sequence of

\(n\)

points in 1-dimension. We show that this bound is tight, and there is an online algorithm that can maintain a

\((1+\varepsilon)\)

-spanner with competitive ratio

\(O(\varepsilon^{-1}\log n/\log\varepsilon^{-1})\)

. Next, we design online algorithms for sequences of points in

\(\mathbb{R}^{d}\)

, for any constant

\(d\geq 2\)

, under the

\(L_{2}\)

norm. We show that previously known incremental algorithms achieve a competitive ratio

\(O(\varepsilon^{-(d+1)}\log n)\)

. However, if the algorithm is allowed to use additional points (Steiner points), then it is possible to substantially improve the competitive ratio in terms of

\(\varepsilon\)

. We describe an online Steiner

\((1+\varepsilon)\)

-spanner algorithm with competitive ratio

\(O(\varepsilon^{(1-d)/2}\log n)\)

. As a counterpart, we show that the dependence on

\(n\)

cannot be eliminated in dimensions

\(d\geq 2\)

. In particular, we prove that any online spanner algorithm for a sequence of

\(n\)

points in

\(\mathbb{R}^{d}\)

under the

\(L_{2}\)

norm has competitive ratio

\(\Omega(f(n))\)

, where

\(\lim_{n\rightarrow\infty}f(n)=\infty\)

. Finally, we provide improved lower bounds under the

\(L_{1}\)

norm:

\(\Omega(\varepsilon^{-2}/\log\varepsilon^{-1})\)

in the plane and

\(\Omega(\varepsilon^{-d})\)

in

\(\mathbb{R}^{d}\)

for

\(d\geq 3\)

.
Enhanced BERT-based Multi-Head Self-Attention Transformer for Transformation of Marathi Text to Marathi Sign Language Gloss
Authors: Waghmare Prachi Pramod , Deshpande Ashwini Mangesh
Published: August 2024

One recent advancement in the field of machine learning is the translation of text into sign language gloss, which is a form of natural language for the deaf community. The work presented is a new method to translate Marathi text to Marathi sign language gloss by combining salient features of Bidirectional Encoder Representation from Transformer (BERT) for tokenization and complementing the tokenized frame with Encoder with Attention mechanism and decoding with the LSTM decoder. The work conducted experiments on the created corpora of Marathi text and Marathi sign language gloss sentence pairs. The experiments that employed three models show that the suggested model performs better than the existing approaches. The results show that the translation of Marathi text to sign gloss achieves improved performances with an accuracy of 91.5% and the BLEU scores BLEU-1: 85, BLEU-2: 75, BLEU-3: 65, and BLEU-4: 57.
Flexichain: Flexible Payment Channel Network to Defend Against Channel Exhaustion Attack
Authors: Mohanty Susil Kumar , Tripathy Somanath
Published: August 2024

The payment channel network (PCN) is an effective off-chain scaling solution widely recognized for reducing operational costs on permissionless blockchains. However, it still faces challenges such as lack of flexibility, channel exhaustion, and poor sustainability. Currently, a separate deposit is required for each payment channel, which locks a significant amount of coins for a longer period. This restricts the ability to move locked coins across their channels off-chain. Additionally, unbalanced (unidirectional) transfers can lead to channel exhaustion, rendering the channel unsustainable. To address these issues, we propose a novel off-chain flexible PCN protocol called
Flexichain
. Unlike existing approaches, Flexichain allows users to deposit coins per user rather than per channel. This provides flexibility to move coins freely between channels without relying on the blockchain or disrupting the off-chain cycle. Flexichain is proven to be secure under the Universal Composability framework and resistant against channel exhaustion attacks. To assess the performance of Flexichain, we conduct experiments on both on-chain and off-chain operations using snapshots of the Lightning Network. We evaluate the on-chain gas costs, success ratio and success amount of off-chain payments under uniform and skewed payment demands, as well as the computational and communication overheads of the off-chain contracts.
Standardized Methods to Assess the Impacts of Thermal Stress on Coral Reef Marine Life
Authors: Voolstra Christian R. , Alderdice Rachel , Colin Luigi , Staab Sebastian , Apprill Amy , Raina Jean-Baptiste
Published: August 2024

The Earth's oceans have absorbed more than 90% of the excess, climate change–induced atmospheric heat. The resulting rise in oceanic temperatures affects all species and can lead to the collapse of marine ecosystems, including coral reefs. Here, we review the range of methods used to measure thermal stress impacts on reef-building corals, highlighting current standardization practices and necessary refinements to fast-track discoveries and improve interstudy comparisons. We also present technological developments that will undoubtedly enhance our ability to record and analyze standardized data. Although we use corals as an example, the methods described are widely employed in marine sciences, and our recommendations therefore apply to all species and ecosystems. Enhancing collaborative data collection efforts, implementing field-wide standardized protocols, and ensuring data availability through dedicated, openly accessible databases will enable large-scale analysis and monitoring of ecosystem changes, improving our predictive capacities and informing active intervention to mitigate climate change effects on marine life.
Preparation and Property Optimization of High Capacity O3-type NaNi0.4Fe0.2Mn0.4O2
Authors: Li Xiaoning , Liu Mengmeng , Zhang Wenjuan , Zhang Yanli , Zhou Jiakun , Zhou Wenzhang , Wang Naixin , Xu Weiwei , Dai Kehua
Published: August 2024

O3-type NaNi0.4Fe0.2Mn0.4O2 cathode materials are structurally stable and have a high nickel content, allowing for stable high-capacity output. However, their performance needs further improvement. First, we investigated the effects of different sodium contents on the structure, morphology, and electrochemical performance of NaxNi0.4Fe0.2Mn0.4O2(x = 0.85, 0.9, 0.95, 1, 1.05) materials. The Na0.9Ni0.4Fe0.2Mn0.4O2 material exhibited initial discharge specific capacities of 148.11 and 181.80 mAh·g−1 at voltage ranges of 2–4.1 V and 2–4.2 V, respectively. To further optimize the cycling performance of the material, we doped NaNi0.4Fe0.2Mn0.4O2 with different calcium contents. Ca2+ doping significantly enhanced the electrochemical performance of the material. Subsequently, we synthesized Na0.96Ca0.02(NMF)0.95Zn0.05O2, and the dual-doped NMF-Ca0.02Zn0.05 maintains approximately 80% capacity retention at 1–4.05 V, and around 70% as the cut-off voltage increases to 4.15 V in full cells.
Impact of Cobalt Addition on Single-Crystal Li1+x(Ni0.6Mn0.4)1−xO2 Cathode Material Performance
Authors: Rathore Divya , Zhang Ning , Zaker Nafiseh , Shalchi Amirkhiz Babak , Dutta Animesh , Tariq Hassaan , Dahn J. R.
Published: August 2024

Nickel and manganese-based layered oxides with a nickel content ranging from 50% to 80% are promising cathode materials for high-energy density lithium-ion batteries. However, these materials face challenges such as poor rate capability and limited cycling stability. The addition of excess lithium can mitigate these issues to some extent. This study examines the impact of incorporating small amounts of cobalt (5% or 10%) into these materials through an “all-dry” synthesis approach in stoichiometric and excess lithium-containing compositions. Results indicate that adding even these small amounts of cobalt decreases the cation mixing, improves crystallinity, reduces electronic resistance, and influences the morphology depending on whether nickel or manganese is replaced. The materials can accommodate up to 15% excess lithium without significant surface impurities. The addition of cobalt further enhances the rate capability of the material in excess lithium materials, but increasing cobalt content tends to compromise cycling stability when the materials are cycled up to 4.4 V. Materials in which 5% cobalt replaces nickel still exhibit superior rate capability and cycling performance compared to materials without cobalt. Therefore, incorporating small amounts of cobalt can positively impact the performance of Li1+x(Ni0.6Mn0.4)1−xO2 materials, offering a balance between improved rate capability and cycling stability.
Electrochemical and Kinetic Analysis of Manganese Electrolytes for Redox Flow Batteries
Authors: Ramirez Erlantz Villar , Lindström Rakel Wreland , Khataee Amirreza
Published: August 2024

The hybrid hydrogen-manganese redox flow battery (H2-Mn RFB) is a promising and sustainable electrochemical system for long-duration energy storage. One strong reason is the excellent features of manganese, such as low cost, abundance, environmental friendliness, and relatively high standard potential (+1.51 V). Nevertheless, the electrochemical and kinetic parameters of manganese electrolytes have not been studied in detail for flow batteries. In the present work, the kinetics of the Mn2+/Mn3+ redox species in an electrolyte composed of 1M TiOSO4 and 1M MnSO4 in 3M H2SO4 were studied on carbon paper electrodes. The kinetic analysis of manganese redox species (Mn2+/Mn3+) in the presence of TiO2+ was performed using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques within the H2-Mn RFB set-up. The results were compared to reference redox species vanadium (VO2+/VO2
+) within H2-V RFB system. The results showed that the heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (8.6 × 10−7 cm s−1) of manganese is comparable to that of vanadium (4.8 × 10−6 cm s−1), with less than an order of magnitude difference between them.
Utilization of NiO-rGO Nanoarchitectures-Based Composite Electrodes for High-Performance Electrochemical Applications
Authors: Ullah Muhammad Mitee , Draz Umar , Tariq Ammar , Nasir Rafia , Irfan Muhammad , Ramay Shahid M. , Atiq Shahid
Published: August 2024

The urge to transition from fossil fuels to sustainable energy solutions has driven the exploration of advanced energy conversion and storage technologies. In this context, supercapacitors have garnered substantial interest for their high cyclic life span and power density. This study presents the facile synthesis of NiO and NiO/rGO composites (NO-I, NO-II, and NO-III) for battery-type applications, with a focus on their structural, morphological, and electrochemical characterizations. The results indicate the successful fabrication of crystalline materials with notable porosity in NO-III. Electrochemical analysis reveals battery-type behavior, with an inverse relationship between specific capacity (Q) and scan rates. Galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) measurements highlight enhanced charge storage capability, particularly in NO-III. GCD results showed the maximum values for (Q = 288 Cg−1), energy density (E = 36.12 Wh kg−1), and power density (P = 3.06 kW h−1) at 1.7 Ag−1 for NO-III, underscoring its potential for advanced energy storage systems.
The foundation of excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal muscle: communication between the transverse tubules and sarcoplasmic reticulum
Authors: Rall Jack A.
Published: August 2024

The least understood part of the series of events in excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal muscle was how information was transmitted from the transverse tubules to the sarcoplasmic (SR) and how Ca2+ was released from the SR. Through an explosion of technical approaches including physiological, biochemical, structural, pharmacological, and molecular genetics, much was discovered between 1970 and 1988. By the end of 1988, the foundation of EC coupling in skeletal muscle was established.
Intermittent Finite‐Time Synchronization for Reaction‐Diffusion Competitive Neural Networks with Different Time Scales
Authors: Hu Renxi , Liu Jie
Published: August 2024

This paper focuses on the finite‐time synchronization issue for reaction‐diffusion competitive neural networks (RCNNs) with different time scales and time‐varying delays. To reduce the waste of network resources, a periodically intermittent control strategy is presented based on two time scales (short and long memory) and time‐varying delay. By constructing the Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional, with the help of Lyapunov stability theory and auxiliary inequality technique, the finite‐time synchronization can be guaranteed and the settling time is exactly estimated. Finally, an exhaustive numerical analysis is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the controller and the correctness of theoretical results.
Evaluation of the Bonding Shear Strength between Enamel and Dentin Feldspathic Porcelain and Two Different Monolithic Zirconia with Low and High Translucency
Authors: Fathi Amirhossein , Natanzian Yeganeh , Ghorbani Mahsa , Mosharraf Ramin
Published: August 2024

Introduction. The utilization of ceramics in the field of dentistry has seen a significant rise owing to their esthetic appeal and excellent functional properties. The use of ceramics in the field of dentistry has witnessed a notable surge, driven by their appealing esthetics and exceptional functional attributes. Zirconia, distinguished by its exceptional mechanical strength, plays a pivotal role in the fabrication of posterior crowns and bridges. Among zirconia variants, monolithic zirconia stands out, where the entire restoration is crafted from zirconia material. In parallel, feldspathic porcelain, chosen for its remarkable resemblance to natural tooth enamel, represents another significant ceramic type. This study aims to evaluate the shear bond strength (SBS) between two types of monolithic zirconia with two types of feldspathic porcelain. Methods and Materials. Forty‐four monolithic zirconia veneered discs with feldspathic porcelain were subjected to SBS testing. The dimensions of the discs were 7 mm in diameter and 5 mm in height (3 mm of zirconia and 2 mm of porcelain). Subsequently, the specimens were subjected to a universal testing machine at a speed of 0.5 mm/min until failure occurred. The type of failure was examined using scanning electron microscopy. One‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA), two‐way ANOVA, Fisher’s test, and multiple Tukey comparisons were used as statistical analyses. Results. The highest SBS was achieved by the high‐translucency monolithic zirconia with enamel porcelain group (18.81 ± 3.18 MPa) and the high‐translucency monolithic zirconia with dentin porcelain group (17.89 ± 2.75 MPa), followed by the low‐translucency monolithic zirconia with dentin porcelain group (15.04 ± 2.24 MPa) and the low‐translucency monolithic zirconia with enamel porcelain group (14.33 ± 2.00 MPa), respectively. Additionally, the most common type of failure pattern observed was mixed, followed by adhesive failure. Conclusion. The translucency of the porcelain did not significantly affect SBS, while the type of monolithic zirconia used had a significant impact. Furthermore, there was no discernible relationship between the four groups in terms of the distribution of failure patterns.
Figure 4 from Estrogen Receptor Blockade Potentiates Immunotherapy for Liver Metastases by Altering the Liver Immunosuppressive Microenvironment
Authors: Benslimane Yasmine , Amalfi Kevin , Lapin Sara , Perrino Stephanie , Brodt Pnina
Published: August 2024

Estrogen depletion increases the M1/M2 macrophage ratio in both the recruited and liver-resident macrophage populations. FC was performed on macrophages isolated 12 days post injection of 5 × 105 MC-38 cells and stained with the indicated antibodies. Shown in A and B are flow cytometric contour plots (left) and M1/M2 macrophage ratios (right, n = 4). Representative confocal images obtained from 15 μm liver sections labeled as indicated are shown in C (left) and cell counts per field (means ± SD, n = 10) are shown in C (right). *, P ≤ 0.05; ****, P ≤ 0.0001, Student t test.
Data from Estrogen Receptor Blockade Potentiates Immunotherapy for Liver Metastases by Altering the Liver Immunosuppressive Microenvironment
Authors: Benslimane Yasmine , Amalfi Kevin , Lapin Sara , Perrino Stephanie , Brodt Pnina
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Liver metastases (LM) remain a major cause of cancer-related death and are a major clinical challenge. LM and the female sex are predictors of a poorer response to immunotherapy but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We previously reported on a sexual dimorphism in the control of the tumor microenvironment (TME) of colorectal carcinoma liver metastases (CRCLM) and identified estrogen as a regulator of an immunosuppressive TME in the liver. Here we aimed to assess the effect of estrogen deprivation on the cytokine/chemokine profile associated with CRCLM, using a multiplex cytokine array and the RNAscope technology, and its effects on the innate and adaptive immune responses in the liver. We also evaluated the benefit of combining the selective estrogen-receptor degrader Fulvestrant with immune checkpoint blockade for the treatment of CRCLM. We show that estrogen depletion altered the cytokine/chemokine repertoire of the liver, decreased macrophage polarization, as reflected in reduced accumulation of tumor infiltrating M2 macrophages and increased the accumulation of CCL5+/CCR5+ CD8+ T and NKT cells in the liver TME. Similar results were obtained in a murine pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma model. Importantly, treatment with Fulvestrant also increased the accumulation of CD8+CCL5+, CD8+CCR5+ T and NK cells in the liver TME and enhanced the therapeutic benefit of anti-PD1 immunotherapy, resulting in a significant reduction in the outgrowth of LM. Taken together, our results show that estrogen regulates immune cell recruitment to the liver and suggest that inhibition of estrogen action could potentiate the tumor-inhibitory effect of immunotherapy in hormone-independent and immunotherapy-resistant metastatic cancer.
Significance:
The immune microenvironment of the liver plays a major role in controlling the expansion of hepatic metastases and is regulated by estrogen. We show that treatment of tumor-bearing mice with an estrogen receptor degrader potentiated an anti-metastatic effect of immunotherapy. Our results provide mechanistic insight into clinical findings and a rationale for evaluating the efficacy of combination anti-estrogen and immunotherapy for prevention and/or treatment of hepatic metastases in female patients.
Neratinib Alone or in Combination with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors with or without Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Inhibitors in Patients with Fibrolamellar Carcinoma
Authors: Abou-Alfa Ghassan K. , Meyer Tim , Do Richard Kinh Gian , Piha-Paul Sarina A. , Light Joseph S. , Sherrin Scott , Yaqubie Amin , O’Neill Alison Clemens , Harding James J. , Al-Rajabi Raed , Denlinger Crystal S. , Cano Pablo , Cornelius Albert S. , O'Reilly Eileen M. , DiPrimeo Daniel , Eli Lisa D. , Gordan John D. , Solit David B.
Published: August 2024

Introduction: Fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) displays upregulation of several oncogenes, including HER2, and multiple immune-suppressive mechanisms. We investigated the efficacy and safety of the pan-HER tyrosine kinase inhibitor neratinib as monotherapy (SUMMIT phase 2 basket study) or with immune checkpoint and/or mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors (compassionate-use program) in patients with FLC. Methods: Patients received neratinib 240 mg/day orally in SUMMIT, or as doublet or triplet combinations with pembrolizumab 2 mg/kg intravenously every 3 weeks, nivolumab 240 mg intravenously every 2 weeks, everolimus 7.5 mg/day orally, or sunitinib 37.5 mg/day orally under compassionate use. The primary endpoint in SUMMIT was objective response rate; safety was a secondary endpoint. Results: Fifteen patients with FLC received neratinib monotherapy in SUMMIT. The objective response rate was 5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0–21.8) and the disease control rate was 13.3% (95% CI: 1.7–40.5). Upon progression, five had added immune checkpoint inhibitors with or without everolimus or sunitinib. Two additional patients received neratinib-based combinations outside of SUMMIT, for a total of 17 neratinib-treated patients. One patient who received neratinib plus pembrolizumab had a confirmed partial response, one treated with neratinib plus everolimus had stable disease lasting 6 months, and one who received neratinib plus pembrolizumab plus sunitinib had stable disease lasting 16 months. Grade 3/4 adverse events with neratinib monotherapy occurred in 10 (66.7%)/2 (13.3%) patients, respectively. Grade 3 adverse events with neratinib-based combinations were hyperglycemia (n = 1; neratinib plus pembrolizumab), hepatic failure, and anaphylaxis (n = 1 each, neratinib plus pembrolizumab plus everolimus). There were no grade 4 adverse events with combination therapy. Conclusion: In patients with FLC, single-agent neratinib had limited efficacy, but clinical benefit was observed with neratinib in combination with immunotherapy and/or mTOR-targeted agents.
Abstract 1248: Effects of Fenofibrate on Cardiovascular (CVD) Events in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) after Adjustment for Statin Use and Other Drugs: the FIELD Study
Authors: Simes John , Voysey Merryn , O’Connell Rachel , Best James , Scott Russell , Glasziou Paul , Pardy Chris , Ehnholm Christian , Byth Karen , Keech Anthony
Published: August 2024

The FIELD study randomised 9795 patients with DM to fenofibrate or placebo. Fenofibrate was associated with an 11% relative risk reduction (RRR) in total CVD events (hazard ratio [HR] 0.89, 95% CI 0.80 – 0.99; p=0.035) and a nonsignificant 11% reduction in the primary outcome, coronary events (coronary heart disease death or nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI)), (HR 0.89, 0.75–1.05; p=0.16),

Lancet

2005
;
366
;
1849
–61

. However a greater uptake of other drugs, especially statins, among patients assigned placebo meant intention-to-treat effects of fenofibrate were attentuated. For patients who took other drugs, we assumed future CVD events were reduced by 25% by statins (based on randomised trial evidence), by 20% for a first other major CVD drug (antihypertensives, antiplatelets) and by 15% for additional CVD drugs. Fenofibrate effects were
adjusted for uptake of other drugs
by applying these estimates to each patient for the period from drug commencement. Fenofibrate effects were then also adjusted for those discontinuing fenofibrate (
adjusted for drop-out
:

Stat Med

1988
;
7
:
1179

). Among 4895 assigned fenofibrate average non-usage of the study drug over the 5 year trial period was 11%, while statin use was 8%. Among 4900 assigned placebo, statin use was 16%. There was a slightly greater use of other CVD drugs in the placebo group (1 to 3% extra). After adjustment for these additional therapies, statistical evidence of treatment benefit was stronger and the effect of fenofibrate on coronary and total CVD events was greater (table

). Further, the excess of CVD deaths associated with fenofibrate was reduced and remains consistent with a chance imbalance. Effects of fenofibrate on CVD events were underestimated in the original analysis. Adjusted results suggest a plausible 15% reduction of CVD events with fenofibrate. The methods used preserve comparisons between the randomised groups and are applicable to other long-term trials.

Fenofibrate effects % Risk Redn (95% CI)
2024 Update to the 2020 ACC/AHA Clinical Performance and Quality Measures for Adults With Heart Failure: A Report of the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Joint Committee on Performance Measures
Authors: Kittleson Michelle M. , Breathett Khadijah , Ziaeian Boback , Aguilar David , Blumer Vanessa , Bozkurt Biykem , Diekemper Rebecca L. , Dorsch Michael P. , Heidenreich Paul A. , Jurgens Corrine Y. , Khazanie Prateeti , Koromia George Augustine , Van Spall Harriette G.C.
Published: August 2024

This document describes performance measures for heart failure that are appropriate for public reporting or pay-for-performance programs and is meant to serve as a focused update of the “2020 ACC/AHA Clinical Performance and Quality Measures for Adults With Heart Failure: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Performance Measures.” The new performance measures are taken from the “2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines” and are selected from the strongest recommendations (Class 1 or Class 3). In contrast, quality measures may not have as much evidence base and generally comprise metrics that might be useful for clinicians and health care organizations for quality improvement but are not yet appropriate for public reporting or pay-for-performance programs. New performance measures include optimal blood pressure control in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors for patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, and the use of guideline-directed medical therapy in hospitalized patients. New quality measures include the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors in patients with heart failure with mildly reduced and preserved ejection fraction, the optimization of guideline-directed medical therapy prior to intervention for chronic secondary severe mitral regurgitation, continuation of guideline-directed medical therapy for patients with heart failure with improved ejection fraction, identifying both known risks for cardiovascular disease and social determinants of health, patient-centered counseling regarding contraception and pregnancy risks for individuals with cardiomyopathy, and the need for a monoclonal protein screen to exclude light chain amyloidosis when interpreting a bone scintigraphy scan assessing for transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis.
Impact of Hypertension on the Dose-Response Association Between Physical Activity and Stroke: A Cohort Study
Authors: McLellan Hannah L. , Dawson Ellen A. , Eijsvogels Thijs M.H. , Thijssen Dick H.J. , Bakker Esmée A.
Published: August 2024

BACKGROUND:

Regular physical activity is associated with a reduced stroke risk. However, this relationship might be attenuated in the presence of hypertension and antihypertensive medication use. We examined the dose-response relationship between physical activity and stroke in normotensive and hypertensive individuals.

METHODS:

A Dutch population-based cohort including 139 930 individuals (41% men; mean age, 44±13) was performed (median follow-up, 6.75 years). Participants were stratified at baseline as hypertensive (44%) or normotensive (56%) and categorized into quartiles of the lowest (Q1) to the highest (Q4) moderate-to-vigorous, self-reported physical activity. The primary outcome was incident stroke (fatal and nonfatal). Cox regression estimated hazard ratios and 95% CIs. The main analyses were stratified on baseline blood pressure and adjusted for confounders. Hypertensives were stratified into medicated (21%) or non-medicated (79%).

RESULTS:

Compared with Q1, adjusted hazard ratios were 0.87 (0.69–1.10;
P
=0.23), 0.75 (0.59–0.95;
P
=0.02), and 0.94 (0.74–1.20;
P
=0.64) for Q2 to Q4, respectively in the total population. Hazard ratios for normotensives were 0.79 (0.50–1.25;
P
=0.32), 0.75 (0.48–1.18;
P
=0.22), 0.97 (0.62–1.51;
P
=0.90) for Q2 to Q4, respectively. In hypertensives, hazard ratios were 0.89 (0.68–1.17;
P
=0.41), 0.74 (0.56–0.98;
P
=0.03), 0.92 (0.69–1.23;
P
=0.56) for Q2 to Q4, respectively. There was no significant interaction between hypertension status for the relation between physical activity and stroke risk. The stratified analysis revealed a smaller benefit of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in medicated hypertensives compared with nonmedicated hypertensives, but no significant interaction effect was found.

CONCLUSIONS:

Regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is beneficial for stroke risk reduction (Q3 compared with Q1), which is not affected by hypertension. Antihypertensive medication may be associated with a smaller benefit of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity on the risk of stroke, but further research is warranted.
Idiosyncratic long call-like vocalisations in two zoo-housed Bornean orang-utan females
Authors: Roth Tom S. , von Wulffen Clemens , Fox Megan , Askew James , Spierings Michelle , Perea-Garcia Juan Olvido
Published: August 2024

Orang-utans are well-known for their vocal flexibility. However, the described vocal repertoire of female orang-utans is relatively limited. This anecdotal report discusses the occurrence of long call-like vocalisations in two zoo-housed Bornean orang-utan females. While Temmy demonstrated these vocalisations in response to playbacks of male long calls, Eloise proactively produced vocalisations during her ovulation before her reproductive senescence. The vocalisations produced by Temmy and Eloise seem to differ in many aspects from known orang-utan calls, although they bear some similarities to male long calls. Thus, the vocal repertoire of female orang-utans may be more extensive than previously thought. We carefully suggest that these calls might indicate proceptivity, while also discussing methodological limitations and theoretical considerations.
Redescription of two species of the genus Tricirronema Siddiqi, 1993 (Rhabditida, Bicirronematidae) from Vietnam, including SEM study for both species
Authors: Abolafia Joaquín , Ruiz-Cuenca Alba N. , Nguyen Thi Anh Duong
Published: August 2024

Two species of the genus Tricirronema: T. tamdaoense and T. tentaculatum, are studied from agricultural soils of Vietnam. Both species are morphologically and morphometrically characterised based on LM and SEM studies. These species are mainly differentiated by the morphology of the vagina, sigmoid in T. tamdaoense and straight in T. tentaculatum, and males with more robust spicules in T. tamdaoense. SEM studies of both species are provided. Molecular analysis based on 18S and 28S rDNA fragments is included for T. tentaculatum, showing relationship with members of the genus Eucephalobus. In addition, a key to species identification of the genus Tricirronema is included, as well as illustrations and a compendium table with the main measurements of the three species.
6. Bartleby
Authors: Tumino Stephen
Published: August 2024

Chapter Six ("Bartleby"): Melville's "Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Tale of Wall St." has become a signpost in cultural theory for a "new" politics of a "new" capitalism without borders in which wealth and inequality are assumed to acquire "materiality" in the circuits of exchange and thus invalidate the classical Marxist critique. Whether understood in terms of a "refusal of work" (Negri), or as signifying a "new" form of praxis of a "coming community" (e.g., Žižek, Agamben), contemporary readings of "Bartleby" serve as a lexicon in which capitalism is represented as having outlived its basic contradiction inscribed in wage-labor/capital relations and therefore the best mode of "resistance" to capitalism is the "interrupting" of the flows of exchange value. Against what I argue are such accommodationist views— accomodationist in the sense that they all, no matter their surface differences, argue that the time for revolutionary change is over and thus accommodate the domination of finance capital—in this chapter I give an original reading of "Bartleby," along with some exemplary instances of its cyber-left readers, as providing an ideology of capitalism that limits resistance to the realm of circulation and instead will argue for the new not as cultural change in the terms of exploitation but the new as abolishing exploitation.

Keywords: Melville; Bartleby, cyber-capitalism; Žižek; Negri; Agamben.
9. Twin Peaks
Authors: Tumino Stephen
Published: August 2024

Chapter Nine ("Twin Peaks"): In this chapter I address the question why Twin Peaks was "happening again" in 2017 after twenty-five years. To do so I read it against the socioeconomic and ideological background of the last quarter century.

The original series first aired during the early years of the neoliberal period of global capitalism heralded by neoconservative and Reagan administration functionary Francis Fukuyama as the "end of history." What that meant in neoliberal sociology was the superiority of "free markets" over the ideological driven politics of the past. In cultural theory, class was no longer taken to be the operative division in society on the view that in the "knowledge economy" all have equal access to "cultural capital." Twin Peaks reflected its time. It presented the vision of a world in which material conflicts are resignified as cultural differences and inverts causal explanations into the undecidable play of endless interpretations.

In line with the contemporary historical moment Twin Peaks: The Return presents a much darker vision of the world. If in its original iteration Twin Peaks presented the dark forces of the Black Lodge threatening to engulf the heartland of small town American values, today it depicts a world where the Black Lodge has most decisively triumphed and the show now shows the rapacious spirit of BOB to be a technologically wired and borderless power (moving from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, South Dakota to Buenos Aries), served by a reserve army of unemployed, that New York City billionaires are seeking to harness through science (with the Glass Box device).

Beyond the surface difference of a shift from postmodern cultural politics to a new "materialist" populist politics, what has not fundamentally changed in Twin Peaks: The Return is the basic way that the show performs the ideological function of occulting the class relations that alone explain the state of the world by projecting the cause onto demonic "others"—a secret cabal of evildoers now represented by the "swarthy" doppelgänger of Cooper himself.

Keywords: Twin Peaks; David Lynch; Fukuyama; cultural theory; ideology.
Development of an Advance Research WRF-Based Operational Forecast System for Forcing Ocean Models and Evaluation of Its Winds Using Buoys in the Indian Ocean
Authors: Modi Anuradha , Harikumar R. , Nair T. M. Balakrishnan
Published: August 2024

This paper presents the development of a high-resolution mesoscale atmospheric numerical model Advanced Research version of WRF (ARW 3.7, henceforth ARW)-based operational forecast system and evaluation of its surface wind forecasts using buoys and satellite data in the Indian Ocean. This was set up as part of the ocean-state forecasting system to force the operational ocean models at the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS). Evaluation of winds is carried out by comparing the ARW forecasts with ocean buoys and scatterometer observations during 2016. The analysis is conducted separately with coastal and open ocean buoys, revealing marginally better performance in the open ocean simulations. The comparison of ARW forecasted winds against offshore buoy winds shows mean differences for wind speed and direction of −0.1 m s−1 and −3.3°, with root-mean-square errors (RMSEs) of 2.1 m s−1 and 39.0° and correlations of 0.75 and 0.42, respectively. At coastal regimes, the mean differences for wind speed and direction are 0.6 m s−1 and 2.6°, with RMSEs of 2.2 m s−1 and 57° and correlations of 0.63 and 0.60, respectively. The ARW model performs reasonably well compared to the National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) model in capturing wind speed variability in the Arabian Sea compared to the Bay of Bengal. Particularly during the Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) Vardah, the ARW model provided more accurate forecasts (high skill score 80%–90%) compared to the NCMRWF model. These results indicate the efficacy of the WRF-based forecast system in predicting surface wind fields in the Indian Ocean region, particularly in the coastal areas, thus endorsing its use for an effective operational ocean forecasting at INCOIS.
Mobilization Capacity and Violence Against Local Leaders: Anticlerical Violence During the Spanish Civil War
Authors: Aguilar Paloma , de la Cuesta Fernando , Sánchez-Cuenca Ignacio , Villamil Francisco
Published: August 2024

Research on civilian victimization usually treats all civilians as a unitary group. But not all civilians are the same, nor are they killed for the same reasons. This study highlights a form of wartime civilian victimization that is little understood, even if pervasive across conflicts: violence against local leaders. We argue that this category of civilians are pre-emptively targeted because of their potential to mobilize support. Local leaders with greater mobilization capacity are more likely to be killed. We test this argument using original data on clergy killings during the Spanish Civil War. Results show that clerics were more likely to be killed in municipalities where their capacity for mobilizing people against the Republic was higher, making themselves a potential threat to local armed actors. This study highlights the need to disaggregate the category of civilians, which has suffered from conceptual and empirical overaggregation.
Where A/B Testing Goes Wrong: How Divergent Delivery Affects What Online Experiments Cannot (and Can) Tell You About How Customers Respond to Advertising
Authors: Braun Michael , Schwartz Eric M.
Published: August 2024

Marketers use online advertising platforms to compare user responses to different ad content. But platforms’ experimentation tools deliver different ads to distinct and undetectably optimized mixes of users that vary across ads, even during the test. Because expo­sure to ads in the test is nonrandom, the estimated comparisons confound the effect of the ad content with the effect of algorithmic targeting. This means that experimenters may not be learning what they think they are learning from ad A/B tests. The authors document these “divergent delivery” patterns during an online experiment for the first time. They explain how algorithmic targeting, user heterogeneity, and data aggregation conspire to confound the magnitude, and even the sign, of ad A/B test results. Analytically, the authors extend the potential outcomes model of causal inference to treat random assignment of ads and user exposure to ads as separate experimental design elements. Managerially, the authors explain why platforms lack incentives to allow experimenters to untangle the effects of ad content from proprietary algorithmic selection of users when running A/B tests. Given that experimenters have diverse reasons for comparing user responses to ads, the au­thors offer tailored prescriptive guidance to experimenters based on their specific goals.
The Interrelationships Between Chinese English-as-a-Foreign-Language Teachers’ Immediacy and Clarity with Learners’ Boredom
Authors: Xu Jieping , Pan Yuehong , Derakhshan Ali
Published: August 2024

Since boredom significantly contributes to diminished motivation among learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), there is a need to identify factors that influence boredom. Amidst various elements that can precipitate students’ boredom, educational-related concepts have garnered particular attention, with the learning environment emerging as a chief focal point due to its consequential importance to learners. Specifically, the role of teachers’ clarity and immediacy in manipulating learners’ performance, enthusiasm, and involvement has been widely recognized. Consequently, in this study, we scrutinized the impact of EFL teachers’ immediacy and clarity in mitigating learners’ boredom. To this end, we collected data from 383 Chinese students through the administration of three scales measuring their perceptions of teacher clarity, teacher immediacy, and learners’ boredom. We identified significant associations between teachers’ clarity and immediacy and learners’ boredom. In Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis, both teacher immediacy and clarity were robust predictors of students’ boredom, with about 48% of the variance in students’ boredom accounted for by teachers’ immediacy, and 53% of this variance attributed to teachers’ clarity. We elaborate upon the implications of these findings in our discussion.