bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Constructing a neoliberal exclusionary state: the role of far-right populism in economic policy change in post-war Austria
Authors: Ausserladscheider Valentina
Published: August 2022

How and to what extent does far-right populism impact the nation-specific implementation of neoliberal policymaking? While scholarship convincingly demonstrated the importance of ideas and the political agents propagating neoliberal ideas in policy paradigmatic shifts, there is little investigation of the role that far-right populists play in economic policy change. Exploring the ideational power and impact of far-right populism in neoliberal policymaking provides an important insight into how neoliberal political economies enact nationalist cultural exclusion. The paper traces the process through which the Austrian Freedom Party’s ideational trajectory evolved in post-war Austria and how it impacted the political mainstream. The analysis draws from the party’s discourse in manifestos, interviews, and other publications in the period 1956–2006. The results show how the specific far-right populist actor, the Austrian Freedom Party, played a significant role in rendering neoliberal ideas viable as policy option early on and ultimately constructing the neoliberal exclusionary state. By empirically showcasing how political actors from the fringes of the political spectrum can impact economic policy change, this presents an important contribution to the study of paradigm shifts, which predominantly focused on major national political actors. In light of the recent rise of far-right populism in Europe and beyond, this raises important questions for the continuity and change of the global paradigmatic dominance of neoliberalism.
Quantifying effects of tasks on group performance in social learning
Authors: Yao Gengjun , Wang Jingwei , Cui Baoguo , Ma Yunlong
Published: August 2022

Social learning is a learning process in which new behaviors can be acquired by observing and imitating others. It is the key to cultural evolution because individuals can exchange profitable information culturally within the group. Recent studies have over-focused on social learning strategies but paid rare attention to the learning tasks. In particular, in these studies, individuals rely on perfect imitation, directly copying the solutions of others, to improve their performance. However, imperfect imitation, a prevalent form of social learning in cultural evolution, has received little discussion. In this paper, the effects of three task features (task types, task complexity, and task granularity) on group performance are simulated with an agent-based model and quantified with decision trees. In the proposed model, individuals in a network learn from others via imperfect imitation, which means individuals make a trade-off between their solutions and socially acquired solutions. Here, status quo bias is introduced to represent the degree to which individuals adhere to their solutions. Results show that the performance of a group is not affected by task complexity in hard-to-easy tasks but declines with the task complexity rising in easy-to-hard tasks. Besides, groups usually perform better in fine-grained tasks than in coarse-grained ones. The main reason is that in coarse-grained tasks, conservative individuals encounter learning bottlenecks that prevent them from exploring superior solutions further. Interestingly, increasing task granularity can mitigate this disadvantage for conservative individuals. Most strikingly, the importance scores given by decision trees suggest that tasks play a decisive role in social learning. These findings provide new insights into social learning and have broad implications for cultural evolution.
Unsteady convective flow of a preheated water-in-oil emulsion droplet impinging on a heated wall
Authors: Piskunov Maxim , Khomutov Nikita , Semyonova Alexandra , Ashikhmin Alexander , Misyura Sergey
Published: August 2022

This work proposes a mechanism of deformation of an emulsion droplet upon collision with a wall, considering the vortex motion of a liquid inside the droplet. This motion leads to an increase in dissipative energy losses, affects spreading, corona splashing, and droplet relaxation at different liquid and wall temperatures, ranging from 20 °C to 80 °C, and influences the equilibrium shape of the drop during the liquid relaxation. For We = 100–900 and Re = 100–4000, a physical model is presented for the maximum spreading diameter of the emulsion droplet; it takes into account the heating of the boundary viscous layer and the development of temperature gradients along the droplet height, convective mixing of the liquid layers, and translational and vortex flow motion along the radius and height of the droplet. The process of corona splashing of the emulsion droplet has been studied, and the influence of the viscosity gradient due to the intermittent near-wall water film formation on the dynamics of the “corona” has been revealed. These differences led to the formation of an air gap, which in the case of an emulsion drop caused the development of a corona at lower We compared to homogeneous liquids. The duration of the liquid relaxation before capillary wetting was affected by the potential barrier of the contact line of the droplet, which depended on the vortex component of the velocity field as well as on the temperatures of the interacting media. Altering the initial thermal boundary conditions changed the relaxation time up to 60%.
Physical fitness and maternal body composition indices during pregnancy and postpartum: the GESTAFIT project
Authors: Marín‐Jiménez Nuria , Flor‐Alemany Marta , Baena‐García Laura , Coll‐Risco Irene , Castro‐Piñero José , Aparicio Virginia A.
Published: August 2022

We explored the association of physical fitness (PF) during pregnancy with maternal body composition indices along pregnancy and postpartum period. The study comprised 159 pregnant women (32.9 ± 4.7 years old). Assessments were carried out at the 16th and 34th gestational weeks (g.w.) and six weeks postpartum. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), muscular strength (absolute and relative values) and flexibility were measured. Body composition indices were obtained by using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry at postpartum. The results, after adjusting for potential covariates at the 16th g.w., indicated that greater CRF was associated with lower postpartum indices total fat mass, android and gynoid fat mass (all, p < 0.05). Greater absolute upper‐body muscular strength was associated with greater pre‐pregnancy body mass index (BMI), gestational weight gain (GWG); and postpartum indices body weight, BMI, lean mass, fat free mass, fat mass, gynoid fat mass, T‐score and Z‐score bone mineral density (BMD) (all, p < 0.05). Greater upper‐body flexibility was associated with lower pre‐pregnancy BMI; and postpartum indices body weight, BMI, lean mass, fat free mass, fat mass, android fat mass and gynoid fat mass, and with greater GWG (all, p < 0.05). At the 34th g.w., greater CRF was additionally associated with greater postpartum T‐score and Z‐score BMD (both, p < 0.05). In conclusion, this study reveals that greater PF levels, especially during early pregnancy, may promote a better body composition in the postpartum period. Therefore, clinicians and health promoters should encourage women to maintain or improve PF levels from early pregnancy.
Effects of sleep deprivation on perceived and performance fatigability in females: An exploratory study
Authors: Magnuson Justine R. , Kang Hogun J. , Debenham Mathew I. B. , McNeil Chris J. , Dalton Brian H.
Published: August 2022

Sleep deprivation (SD) is prevalent and impairs motor function; however, little is known about its effect on perceived and performance fatigability, especially in females. To examine the effects of 24 h of SD on these attributes of fatigue, nine females completed a 20‐min isometric, sustained elbow flexion contraction, followed by 10 min of recovery. The superimposed twitch (SIT) elicited via transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) assessed supraspinal drive. Biceps brachii electromyographic data indicated neural excitability in response to stimulation over the motor cortex (motor evoked potential; MEP), corticospinal tract (cervicomedullary motor evoked potential; CMEP), and brachial plexus (maximal M‐wave; Mmax). MEPs and CMEPs were recorded during a TMS‐induced silent period. At baseline, ratings of perceived effort (RPE; 2.9 vs. 1.6) and fatigue (RPF; 6.9 vs. 2.9), were higher for SD than control. Across the 20‐min contraction, RPE increased from 2.2 to 7.6, SIT and MEP/CMEP increased by 284 and 474%, respectively, whereas maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVC) torque and CMEP/Mmax decreased by 26 and 57%, respectively. No differences were found across conditions for MVC, SIT, Mmax, CMEP/Mmax, or MEP/CMEP prior to, during, and after the fatiguing task. During recovery, RPE (4.9 vs. 3.4), RPF (7.6 vs. 2.8), and perception of task difficulty (5.5 vs. 4.5) were greater for SD than control. Acute SD does not appear to alter performance fatigability development and subsequent recovery; however, it increases perceptions of fatigue, effort, and task difficulty. Thus, the disconnect between perceived and actual neuromuscular capacity following a sustained, submaximal isometric task is exacerbated by SD.
Bidirectional Relations Between Daily Stress and Sleep Among Black Emerging Adults
Authors: Maher Jaclyn P , Batts Marcus , Rebar Amanda L , Mead Michael P , Zaplatosch Mitchell E , Hevel Derek J , Adams William M , McGuirt Jared T
Published: August 2022

Background

Black adults experience higher levels of stress and more dysfunctional sleep patterns compared to their White peers, both of which may contribute to racial disparities in chronic health conditions. Dysfunctional sleep patterns are also more likely in emerging adults compared to other age groups. Daily stress–sleep relations in Black emerging adults are understudied.

Purpose

This study used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and wrist-worn actigraphy to examine bidirectional associations between daily stress and sleep among Black emerging adults.

Methods

Black college freshmen (N = 50) completed an EMA protocol (i.e., five EMA prompts/day) and wore an accelerometer for 7 days. The first EMA prompt of each day assessed sleep duration and quality. All EMA prompts assessed stress. Wrist-worn actigraphy assessed nocturnal sleep duration, sleep onset latency, sleep efficiency, and waking after sleep onset.

Results

At the within-person level, stress experienced on a given day was not associated with any sleep metrics that night (p > .05). On evenings when actigraphy-based sleep duration was shorter (B = −0.02, p = .01) and self-reported sleep quality was poorer (B = −0.12, p = .02) than usual, stress was greater the following day. At the between-person level, negative bidirectional relations existed between stress and actigraphy-based waking after sleep onset (stress predicting sleep: B = −0.35, p = .02; sleep predicting stress: B = −0.27, p = .04).

Conclusions

Among Black emerging adults, associations between daily sleep and stress vary at the between- and within-person level and are dependent upon the sleep metric assessed. Future research should compare these relations across different measures of stress and different racial/ethnic groups to better understand health disparities.
Constraining pterosaur launch: range of motion in the pectoral and pelvic girdles of a medium-sized ornithocheiraean pterosaur
Authors: Griffin Benjamin , Martin-Silverstone Elizabeth , Demuth Oliver , Pêgas Rodrigo , Palmer Colin , Rayfield Emily
Published: August 2022

Launch is the most energetically expensive part of flight and is considered a limiting factor in the size of modern flyers. Pterosaurs reached significantly larger sizes than modern flyers and are proposed to have launched either bipedallly or quadrupedally. We investigated the ability of a medium-sized ornithocheiraean pterosaur to assume the poses required to launch bipedally or quadrupedally. We applied range of motion (ROM) mapping methodology to the pectoral and pelvic girdles to identify viable poses at varying levels of appendicular cartilage based on the extant phylogenetic bracket. The ROMs were constrained by novel triangulated minimum stretch methodology, used to identify the restraining tissue ROM. Our study indicates that a medium-sized ornithocheiraean could assume the poses required to use a quadrupedal launch and, with an additional 10° of hindlimb abduction, a bipedal launch, although further analysis is required to determine whether sufficient muscular power and leverage was available to propel the animal into the air.
Co-evolution assists geographic dispersal: the case of Madagascar
Authors: Génin Fabien , Mazza Paul Pa , Pellen Romain , Rabineau Marina , Aslanian Daniel , Masters Judith C
Published: August 2022

Interspecific associations may limit the dispersal of individual species, but may also facilitate it when entire co-evolved systems expand their geographic ranges. We tested the recent proposal that episodic land bridges linked Africa and Madagascar at three stages during the Cenozoic by comparing divergence estimates of Madagascar’s angiosperm taxa with their dispersal mechanisms. Plants that rely on gravity for seed dispersal indicate at least two episodes of land connection between Africa and Madagascar, in the Early Palaeocene and Early Oligocene. Seed dispersal by strepsirrhine primates possibly evolved in the Palaeocene, with the divergence of at least one endemic Malagasy angiosperm genus, Burasaia (Menispermaceae). This genus may have facilitated the lemur colonization of Madagascar. Frugivory, nectarivory and gummivory probably generalized in the Oligocene, with the co-evolution of modern lemurs and at least 10 new Malagasy angiosperm families. In the Late Miocene, more angiosperms were probably brought from Africa by birds via a discontinuous land connection, and radiated on Madagascar in diffuse association with birds (asities) and dwarf nocturnal lemurs (cheirogaleids). During the same connective episode, Madagascar was probably colonized by hippopotamuses, which both followed and re-seeded a variety of plants, forming the grassy Uapaca ‘tapia’ forest and ericoid ‘savoka’ thicket.
Cytokine dynamics and targeted immunotherapies in autoimmune encephalitis
Authors: Ciano-Petersen Nicolás Lundahl , Muñiz-Castrillo Sergio , Birzu Cristina , Vogrig Alberto , Farina Antonio , Villagrán-García Macarena , Joubert Bastien , Psimaras Dimitri , Honnorat Jérôme
Published: August 2022

Autoimmune encephalitides constitute a diverse group of immune-mediated central nervous system disorders mainly characterized by the presence of antibodies targeting neuronal or glial antigens. Despite the notable contribution of antibody discovery to the understanding of their physiopathology, the specific immune cells and inflammatory mediators involved in autoimmune encephalitis are still poorly defined. However, cytokines have recently emerged as crucial signalling molecules in the pathogenesis of autoimmune encephalitis. Cytokines are biologically active, soluble, low-molecular-weight proteins or glycoproteins involved in a wide variety of physiological functions, including central nervous system development and homeostasis, immune surveillance, as well as proliferation and maturation of immune cells. Since unbalanced cytokine expression is considered a hallmark of many autoimmune central nervous system disorders, their identification and quantification has become an essential element in personalized medicine applied to the field of neuroimmunology. Several studies have explored the cytokine profile of autoimmune encephalitis, but their interpretation and comparison is challenging due to their small sample sizes and extremely high heterogeneity, especially regarding the cytokines analysed, type of sample used, and associated neural antibody. Only the cytokine profile of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis has extensively been investigated, with findings suggesting that, although humoral immunity is the main effector, T cells may also be relevant for the development of this disorder. A better understanding of cytokine dynamics governing neuroinflammation might offer the opportunity of developing new therapeutic strategies against specific immune cells, cytokines, antibodies, or intracellular signalling cascades, therefore leading to better outcomes and preventing undesired side effects of the presently used strategies. In this review, we first summarize the current knowledge about the role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of autoimmune encephalitis, combining theoretical analysis with experimental validations, to assess their suitability as clinical biomarkers. Second, we discuss the potential applicability of the novel targeted immunotherapies in autoimmune encephalitis depending on the immunobiology of the associated antibody, their limitations, as well as the main limitations that should be addressed in future studies.
Connectivity impairment of cerebellar and sensorimotor connector hubs in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Bagarinao Epifanio , Kawabata Kazuya , Watanabe Hirohisa , Hara Kazuhiro , Ohdake Reiko , Ogura Aya , Masuda Michihito , Kato Toshiyasu , Maesawa Satoshi , Katsuno Masahisa , Sobue Gen
Published: August 2022

Cognitive and movement processes involved integration of several large-scale brain networks. Central to these integrative processes are connector hubs, brain regions characterized by strong connections with multiple networks. Growing evidence suggests that many neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders are associated with connector hub dysfunctions. Using a network metric called functional connectivity overlap ratio, we investigated connector hub alterations in Parkinson’s disease. Resting-state functional MRI data from 99 patients (male/female = 44/55) and 99 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (male/female = 39/60) participating in our cross-sectional study were used in the analysis. We have identified two sets of connector hubs, mainly located in the sensorimotor cortex and cerebellum, with significant connectivity alterations with multiple resting-state networks. Sensorimotor connector hubs have impaired connections primarily with primary processing (sensorimotor, visual), visuospatial, and basal ganglia networks, whereas cerebellar connector hubs have impaired connections with basal ganglia and executive control networks. These connectivity alterations correlated with patients’ motor symptoms. Specifically, values of the functional connectivity overlap ratio of the cerebellar connector hubs were associated with tremor score, whereas that of the sensorimotor connector hubs with postural instability and gait disturbance score, suggesting potential association of each set of connector hubs with the disorder’s two predominant forms, the akinesia/rigidity and resting tremor subtypes. In addition, values of the functional connectivity overlap ratio of the sensorimotor connector hubs were highly predictive in classifying patients from controls with an accuracy of 75.76%. These findings suggest that, together with the basal ganglia, cerebellar and sensorimotor connector hubs are significantly involved in Parkinson’s disease with their connectivity dysfunction potentially driving the clinical manifestations typically observed in this disorder.
Hippocampal glutathione depletion with enhanced iron level in patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease compared with healthy elderly participants
Authors: Mandal Pravat K , Goel Anshika , Bush Ashley I , Punjabi Khushboo , Joon Shallu , Mishra Ritwick , Tripathi Manjari , Garg Arun , Kumar Natasha K , Sharma Pooja , Shukla Deepika , Ayton Scott Jonathan , Fazlollahi Amir , Maroon Joseph C , Dwivedi Divya , Samkaria Avantika , Sandal Kanika , Megha Kanu , Shandilya Sandhya
Published: August 2022

Oxidative stress has been implicated in Alzheimer’s disease, and it is potentially driven by the depletion of primary antioxidant, glutathione, as well as elevation of the pro-oxidant, iron. Present study evaluates glutathione level by magnetic resonance spectroscopy, iron deposition by quantitative susceptibility mapping in left hippocampus, as well as the neuropsychological scores of healthy old participants (N = 25), mild cognitive impairment (N = 16) and Alzheimer’s disease patients (N = 31). Glutathione was found to be significantly depleted in mild cognitive impaired (P < 0.05) and Alzheimer’s disease patients (P < 0.001) as compared with healthy old participants. A significant higher level of iron was observed in left hippocampus region for Alzheimer’s disease patients as compared with healthy old (P < 0.05) and mild cognitive impairment (P < 0.05). Multivariate receiver-operating curve analysis for combined glutathione and iron in left hippocampus region provided diagnostic accuracy of 82.1%, with 81.8% sensitivity and 82.4% specificity for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease patients from healthy old participants. We conclude that tandem glutathione and iron provides novel avenue to investigate further research in Alzheimer’s disease.
Unified fuzzy logic controller and power management for an isolated residential hybrid PV/diesel/battery energy system
Authors: Atoui Adil , Seghir Boucherit Mohamed , Benmansour Khelifa , Barkat Said , Djerioui Ali , Houari Azeddine
Published: August 2022

Hybrid systems based on renewable energies for the electrification of remote sites controlled by power management systems (PMSs) aim to reduce fossil fuels and increase the efficiency of renewable energy sources to minimize greenhouse gas emissions. The influential role of the PMS contributes to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of these systems by ensuring a balance between the different sources and loads in all operating modes. However, the abrupt transitions between the various operational modes selected by the PMS generate power loss and imbalance. To handle this issue, a fuzzy logic controller (FLC)-based PMS controlling a photovoltaic (PV) and diesel hybrid system with a battery storage element connected to a DC bus is proposed in this paper. The proposed PMS is wholly based on FLC to ensure a smooth transition between the different modes of the system. The success of using the suggested PMS lies in how well the FLC parameters are chosen before the system is processed. For this purpose, the particle swarm optimization algorithm is adapted to tune the FLC parameters. The resulting optimal intelligent PMS is tested and compared with a classical one using comprehensive simulations performed in a Simscape ElectricalTM MATLAB® environment. The obtained results show an overshoot attenuation at the DC-bus voltage of 2% when changing the mode and an improvement in the PV generator efficiency by 99.5%.
Oral Nirmatrelvir and Ritonavir in Nonhospitalized Vaccinated Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019
Authors: Ganatra Sarju , Dani Sourbha S , Ahmad Javaria , Kumar Ashish , Shah Jui , Abraham George M , McQuillen Daniel P , Wachter Robert M , Sax Paul E
Published: August 2022

Background

Treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir (NMV-r) in high-risk nonhospitalized unvaccinated patients reduced the risk of progression to severe disease. However, the potential benefits of NMV-r among vaccinated patients are unclear.

Methods

We conducted a comparative retrospective cohort study using the TriNetX research network. Patients ≥18 years of age who were vaccinated and subsequently developed COVID-19 between 1 December 2021 and 18 April 2022 were included. Cohorts were developed based on the use of NMV-r within 5 days of diagnosis. The primary composite outcome was all-cause emergency room (ER) visit, hospitalization, or death at a 30-day follow-up. Secondary outcomes included individual components of primary outcomes, multisystem symptoms, COVID-19–associated complications, and diagnostic test utilization.

Results

After propensity score matching, 1130 patients remained in each cohort. A primary composite outcome of all-cause ER visits, hospitalization, or death in 30 days occurred in 89 (7.87%) patients in the NMV-r cohort compared with 163 (14.4%) patients in the non–NMV-r cohort (odds ratio: .5; 95% confidence interval: .39–.67; P < .005) consistent with 45% relative risk reduction. A significant reduction in multisystem symptom burden and subsequent complications, such as lower respiratory tract infection, cardiac arrhythmia, and diagnostic radiology testing, were noted in NMV-r–treated patients. There was no apparent increase in serious complications between days 10 and 30.

Conclusions

Treatment with NMV-r in nonhospitalized vaccinated patients with COVID-19 was associated with a reduced likelihood of ER visits, hospitalization, or death. Complications and overall resource utilization were also decreased.
Cryptococcal Antigenemia in Advanced Human Immunodeficiency Virus Disease: Pathophysiology, Epidemiology, and Clinical Implications
Authors: Wake Rachel M , Molloy Síle F , Jarvis Joseph N , Harrison Thomas S , Govender Nelesh P
Published: August 2022

Cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) is detectable in blood prior to the onset of symptomatic cryptococcal meningitis (CM), a leading cause of death among people with advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease globally. Highly sensitive assays can detect CrAg in blood, and screening people with HIV with low CD4 counts, followed by preemptive antifungal treatment, is recommended and widely implemented as part of a global strategy to prevent CM and end cryptococcal-related deaths. Cryptococcal antigenemia encompasses a spectrum of conditions from preclinical asymptomatic infection (cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] CrAg-negative) through subclinical (CSF CrAg-positive without overt meningism) to clinical symptomatic cryptococcal disease, usually manifesting as CM. In this review, we summarize current understanding of the pathophysiology, risk factors for, and clinical implications of cryptococcal antigenemia within this spectrum. We also provide an update on global prevalence, recommended screening and treatment strategies, and future considerations for improving outcomes among patients with cryptococcal antigenemia.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 RNA Levels in Rectal and Seminal Compartments After Switching to Long-Acting Cabotegravir Plus Rilpivirine: A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Masiá Mar , Fernández-González Marta , Agulló Vanesa , Mascarell Paula , Padilla Sergio , García-Abellán Javier , Gutiérrez Félix
Published: August 2022

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 RNA levels were longitudinally evaluated in 211 rectal and 152 seminal samples from 12 virologically suppressed participants switching to monthly long-acting cabotegravir plus rilpivirine or continuing with daily dolutegravir-abacavir-lamivudine. Maintenance of viral suppression in rectal and seminal compartments was comparable, and blips occurred with similar frequency with both treatment regimens.

Clinical Trials Registration

NCT02938520.
The microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1/prostaglandin E2 axis induces recovery from ischaemia via recruitment of regulatory T cells
Authors: Amano Hideki , Eshima Koji , Ito Yoshiya , Nakamura Masaki , Kitasato Hidero , Ogawa Fumihiro , Hosono Kanako , Iwabuchi Kazuya , Uematsu Satoshi , Akira Shizuo , Narumiya Shuh , Majima Masataka
Published: August 2022

Aims

Microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1)/prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) induces angiogenesis through the prostaglandin E2 receptor (EP1–4). Among immune cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs), which inhibit immune responses, have been implicated in angiogenesis, and PGE2 is known to modulate the function and differentiation of Tregs. We hypothesized that mPGES-1/PGE2-EP signalling could contribute to recovery from ischaemic conditions by promoting the accumulation of Tregs.

Methods and results

Wild-type (WT), mPGES-1-deficient (mPges-1−/−), and EP4 receptor-deficient (Ep4−/−) male mice, 6–8 weeks old, were used. Hindlimb ischaemia was induced by femoral artery ligation. Recovery from ischaemia was suppressed in mPges-1−/− mice and compared with WT mice. The number of accumulated forkhead box protein P3 (FoxP3)+ cells in ischaemic muscle tissue was decreased in mPges-1−/− mice compared with that in WT mice. Expression levels of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and stromal cell derived factor-1 (SDF-1) in ischaemic tissue were also suppressed in mPges-1−/− mice. The number of accumulated FoxP3+ cells and blood flow recovery were suppressed when Tregs were depleted by injecting antibody against folate receptor 4 in WT mice but not in mPges-1−/− mice. Recovery from ischaemia was significantly suppressed in Ep4−/− mice compared with that in WT mice. Furthermore, mRNA levels of Foxp3 and Tgf-β were suppressed in Ep4−/− mice. Moreover, the number of accumulated FoxP3+ cells in ischaemic tissue was diminished in Ep4−/− mice compared with that in Ep4+/+ mice.

Conclusion

These findings suggested that mPGES-1/PGE2 induced neovascularization from ischaemia via EP4 by promoting the accumulation of Tregs. Highly selective EP4 agonists could be useful for the treatment of peripheral artery disease.
Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly of Callitettix versicolor (Rice Spittlebug)
Authors: Chen Hong , Qiao Gexia , Liang Aiping
Published: August 2022

The spittlebug family Cercopidae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadomorpha: Cercopoidea) is distributed worldwide. Some Cercopidae species are agricultural pests that are responsible for substantial economic damage. However, the genomics of spittlebugs has rarely been studied and their complete genome assembly is yet to be reported. Here, we present the draft reference genome of Callitettix versicolor Fabricius (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) at the chromosome level. The assembled draft genome was 974.99 Mb with a contig N50 of 5.63 Mb, and the longest contig being 24.54 Mb. Hi-C technology was used to obtain an approximately 958.71 Mb chromosome-level genome on 10 pseudochromosomes, which covered 98.33% of the assembly. Repeat sequences accounted for 38.88% of the genomic sequences. A total of 21,937 protein-coding genes were detected in the reference genome, 89.97% of which were annotated in public databases. The high-quality reference genome of C. versicolor reported in this study will provide a valuable genomic resource for future ecological and evolutionary studies of spittlebugs.
Protection of Reputation, Good Name and Personality Rights in Cross-Border Digital Media
Authors: De Miguel Asensio Pedro
Published: August 2022

Following the recent judgments of the Court of Justice in Mittelbayerischer Verlag and Gtflix tv, this paper analyses the European Union framework in relation to the enforcement of rights relating to personality, including those of legal persons, against harmful content posted online. As regards jurisdiction, special attention is given to the scope of the centre of interest of the victim as ground for jurisdiction. Furthermore, the fragmentation that results from attributing jurisdiction to the courts of the place(s) where the damage occurs under the so-called mosaic approach is discussed. Particular attention is devoted to the difficulties that arise in relation to the broad understanding by the Court of Justice of the place where the damage occurs as the connecting factor and its position regarding the mere accessibility of online content as the decisive element for determining jurisdiction. Additionally, the interplay between jurisdiction and choice of law and its implications on the territorial scope of orders and the cross-border recognition of judgments are considered.
Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease Specifically and Sensitively With pLG72 and Cystine/Glutamate Antiporter SLC7A11 AS Blood Biomarkers
Authors: Lane Hsien-Yuan , Lin Chieh-Hsin
Published: August 2022

Background

Reliable blood biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have been lacking. The D-amino acids oxidase modulator (named pLG72) modulates glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor activity. The cystine/glutamate antiporter contains a SLC7A11 subunit, which mediates glutamate release. This study aimed to determine the accuracy of pLG72 protein and SLC7A11 mRNA in diagnosing AD.

Methods

This study enrolled 130 healthy controls and 109 unmatched AD patients; among them, 40 controls and 70 patients were selected to match by age. We measured their pLG72 protein in plasma and SLC7A11 mRNA in white blood cells.

Results

AD patients had markedly higher pLG72 levels and SLC7A11 mRNA ΔCT values than healthy controls (in both unmatched and matched cohorts; all 4 P values <.001). The receiver operating characteristics analysis in the unmatched cohorts demonstrated that the pLG72 level had a high specificity (0.900) at the optimal cutoff value of 2.3285, the ΔCT of SLC7A11 mRNA displayed an excellent sensitivity (0.954) at the cutoff of 12.185, and the combined value of pLG72 and SLC7A11 ΔCT determined a favorable area under the curve (AUC) (0.882) at the cutoff of 21.721. The AUC of the combined value surpassed that of either biomarker. The specificity, sensitivity, and AUC of the matched cohort were like those of the unmatched cohort.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that pLG72 protein and SLC7A11 mRNA can distinguish AD patients from healthy controls with excellent specificity and sensitivity, respectively. The combination of pLG72 and SLC7A11 yields better AUC than either, suggesting the superiority of simultaneously measuring both biomarkers in identifying AD patients.
An asymptotic-preserving discretization scheme for gas transport in pipe networks
Authors: Egger H , Giesselmann J , Kunkel T , Philippi N
Published: August 2022

We consider the simulation of barotropic flow of gas in long pipes and pipe networks. Based on a Hamiltonian reformulation of the governing system, a fully discrete approximation scheme is proposed using mixed finite elements in space and an implicit Euler method in time. Assuming the existence of a smooth subsonic solution bounded away from vacuum, a full convergence analysis is presented based on relative energy estimates. Particular attention is paid to establishing error bounds that are uniform in the friction parameter. As a consequence, the method and results also cover the parabolic problem arising in the asymptotic large friction limit. The error estimates are derived in detail for a single pipe, but using appropriate coupling conditions and the particular structure of the problem and its discretization, the main results directly generalize to pipe networks. Numerical tests are presented for illustration.
Multilevel representations of isotropic Gaussian random fields on the sphere
Authors: Bachmayr Markus , Djurdjevac Ana
Published: August 2022

Series expansions of isotropic Gaussian random fields on $\mathbb {S}^2$ with independent Gaussian coefficients and localized basis functions are constructed. Such representations with multilevel localized structure provide an alternative to the standard Karhunen–Loève expansions of isotropic random fields in terms of spherical harmonics. The basis functions are obtained by applying the square root of the covariance operator to spherical needlets. Localization of the resulting covariance-dependent multilevel basis is shown under decay conditions on the angular power spectrum of the random field. In addition, numerical illustrations are given and an application to random elliptic PDEs on the sphere is analysed.
DDX58 Is Associated With Susceptibility to Severe Influenza Virus Infection in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Lee Sanghun , Zhang Yu , Newhams Margaret , Novak Tanya , Thomas Paul G , Mourani Peter M , Hall Mark W , Loftis Laura L , Cvijanovich Natalie Z , Tarquinio Keiko M , Schwarz Adam J , Weiss Scott L , Thomas Neal J , Markovitz Barry , Cullimore Melissa L , Sanders Ronald C , Zinter Matt S , Sullivan Janice E , Halasa Natasha B , Bembea Melania M , Giuliano John S , Typpo Katri V , Nofziger Ryan A , Shein Steven L , Kong Michele , Coates Bria M , Weiss Scott T , Lange Christoph , Su Helen C , Randolph Adrienne G ,   for the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators (PALISI) Pediatric Intensive Care Influenza (PICFlu) Investigators and the Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) Investigators
Published: August 2022

Background

Seasonal influenza virus infection causes a range of disease severity, including lower respiratory tract infection with respiratory failure. We evaluated the association of common variants in interferon (IFN) regulatory genes with susceptibility to critical influenza infection in children.

Methods

We performed targeted sequencing of 69 influenza-associated candidate genes in 348 children from 24 US centers admitted to the intensive care unit with influenza infection and lacking risk factors for severe influenza infection (PICFlu cohort, 59.4% male). As controls, whole genome sequencing from 675 children with asthma (CAMP cohort, 62.5% male) was compared. We assessed functional relevance using PICFlu whole blood gene expression levels for the gene and calculated IFN gene signature score.

Results

Common variants in DDX58, encoding the retinoic acid–inducible gene I (RIG-I) receptor, demonstrated association above or around the Bonferroni-corrected threshold (synonymous variant rs3205166; intronic variant rs4487862). The intronic single-nucleotide polymorphism rs4487862 minor allele was associated with decreased DDX58 expression and IFN signature (P < .05 and P = .0009, respectively) which provided evidence supporting the genetic variants’ impact on RIG-I and IFN immunity.

Conclusions

We provide evidence associating common gene variants in DDX58 with susceptibility to severe influenza infection in children. RIG-I may be essential for preventing life-threatening influenza-associated disease.
Calf rumen microbiome from birth to weaning and shared microbial properties to the maternal rumen microbiome
Authors: Woodruff Kelly L , Hummel Gwendolynn L , Austin Kathleen J , Lake Scott L , Cunningham-Hollinger Hannah C
Published: August 2022

Optimization of host performance in cattle may be achieved through programming of the rumen microbiome. Thus, understanding maternal influences on the development of the calf rumen microbiome is critical. We hypothesized that there exists a shared microbial profile between the cow and calf rumen microbiomes from birth through weaning. Specifically, our objective was to relate the calf’s meconium and rumen fluid microbiomes in early life to that of the cow rumen fluid prior to parturition and at weaning. Rumen fluid was collected from multiparous Angus crossbred cows (n = 10) prior to parturition and at weaning. Immediately following the parturition, meconium and rumen fluid were collected from the calf. Rumen fluid was collected again from the calf on day 2, day 28, and at weaning. The rumen fluid microbial profile and subsequent volatile fatty acid (VFA) profile were characterized using 16S rRNA sequencing and gas liquid chromatography, respectively. Microbial data was analyzed using QIIME2 and the GLM procedure of SAS was used to analyze the VFA profile. Alpha diversity was similar in the early gut microbiome (meconium, rumen fluid at birth and day 2; q ≥ 0.12) and between the cow and calf at weaning (q ≥ 0.06). Microbial composition, determined by beta diversity, differed in the early rumen microbiome (rumen fluid at birth, day 2, and day 28; q ≤ 0.04), and VFA profiles complimented these results. There were similarities in composition between meconium, rumen fluid at birth, and rumen fluid from the cow at weaning (q ≥ 0.09). These data indicate successive development of the rumen microbiome and stabilization over time. Similarities between meconium and rumen fluid at birth potentially indicates in utero colonization of the calf gastrointestinal tract. Similarities in composition between the early calf rumen microbiome and the cow at weaning prompt an interesting comparison and area for future consideration in terms of identifying at what stage of gestation might colonization begin. Overall, this study provides insight into similarities between the cow and calf microbiomes and may be helpful in developing hypotheses for the pathway of colonization and programming potential in the early gut.
TOC estimation of shale oil reservoir by combining nuclear magnetic resonance logging and nuclear physics logging
Authors: Feng Ziyan , Feng Cheng , Zhong Yuntao , Qin Zhijun , Mao Rui , Zhao Lei , Zong Xianghua
Published: August 2022

The evaluation of source rock properties has become a vital step in logging interpretation. Total organic carbon (TOC) content is the key to estimating the quality and hydrocarbon generation potential of source rocks. In the shale oilfield of the Junggar Basin, the conventional method of calculating the TOC of hydrocarbon source rocks cannot satisfy logging evaluation requirements. This paper predominantly deals with a method for the quantitative estimation of TOC in source rocks via nuclear physics and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logs. According to this method, the total hydrogen index of the source rock is the sum of the response of kerogen, clay minerals and fluid, expressed by corrected neutron porosity. The hydrogen index of fluid and clay minerals is indicated by the effective porosity of NMR and the estimated clay content, respectively. To eliminate the hydrogen index of fluid, the effective NMR porosity is subtracted from the corrected neutron porosity. On this basis, a new and overlapping method suitable for clay-rich rocks and oil reservoirs is proposed. This method was developed by overlaying the scaled clay content curve on the hydrogen index curve. In non-source rocks, the two curves regularly overlap. However, in organic-rich rocks the two curves will separate. The separation distance between the two curves was used to estimate TOC continuously. Possessing sound application and benefiting from the measured results of sweet spots, this method provides new insights for TOC quantitative prediction in shale oil reservoirs.
Seismic reflection waveform inversion based on Gauss–Newton optimization
Authors: Xu Wencai , Hu Guanghui , He Binghong , Du Zeyuan
Published: August 2022

Owing to the lack of long-offset signals and effective low-frequency components, it is extremely difficult for classical full-waveform inversion (FWI) to obtain the long-wavelength components of medium and deep elastic parameter models. Considering ray theory, reflection traveltime tomography is restricted by resolution, and the reflection waveform inversion (RWI) method of the wave equation, and its practicability, has received greater attention. However, previous studies into RWI have primarily used first-order optimization methods, in which convergence and resolution still need substantial improvement. Based on the second-order optimization inversion theory, we deduced the reflection wave-sensitive kernel, objective function gradient and Hessian operator of background and perturbation model. Additionally, we revealed the de-fuzzification effect of the Hessian matrix on the gradient of inversion and the working mechanism of background velocity updating on direction optimization and inversion resolution improvement. Experiments on the SEG/EAGE overthrust model showed that an RWI with the Gauss–Newton method using an approximate Hessian matrix significantly improved convergence and wide-spectrum modeling capability compared with the conjugate gradient method. On the streamer seismic data of the East China Sea, the second-order optimization RWI method surpassed the commonly used reflection traveltime tomography based on pre-stack depth migration. In addition, the RTM of inversion model can depict the complex fault system in the Changjiang sag with a high resolution, which improves the imaging quality of the deep basement.
Combined multi-branch selective kernel hybrid-pooling skip connection residual network for seismic random noise attenuation
Authors: Zeng Meng , Zhang Gulan , Li Yong , Luo Yiliang , Hu Guanghui , Huang Yanlin , Liang Chenxi
Published: August 2022

To improve the generalization ability of the single pooling (average or maximum pooling) skip connection residual network (SSN) for seismic random noise attenuation, we present a hybrid-pooling skip connection residual network (HSN). In HSN, the hybrid pooling consists of average and maximum pooling and aims to simultaneously capture the local and global features well, ultimately improving the detail recovery capability of HSN. To further improve the network performance and denoising ability of HSN, we propose a combined multi-branch selective kernel (CSK) hybrid-pooling skip connection residual network, which is referred to as CHSN. In CHSN, CSK consists of a three-branch selective kernel (TSK) and our suggested four-branch selective kernel (FSK), and aims to adaptively capture feature maps for high-accuracy effective information recovery. The superior random noise attenuation ability of CHSN is demonstrated in both synthetic three- and actual two-dimensional seismic data.
The Success of Oral Appliance Therapy Based on Symptom-Driven Titration
Authors: Kang Cpt Ryan S , Knowles Shelley , Dekow Matthew
Published: August 2022

Study Objective

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic condition that could lead to debilitating and sometimes life-threatening consequences. Oral appliance therapy (OAT) is effective in providing a conservative, nonsurgical treatment option for patients diagnosed with mild-to-moderate OSA. The primary goal of this study is to describe a symptom-based titration protocol and determine if the patients can be effectively managed with oral appliances (OAs).

Method

A retrospective chart review of patients who were treated with OAs was analyzed for the management of OSA. Patients were self-titrated for symptomatic improvement before posttreatment titration sleep studies were conducted.

Results

Our study has found that 87.5% of the test population was successfully managed with OAs after overnight titration. Seventy-five percentage of the patients were titrated to Apnea–Hypopnea Index (AHI) < 5 with an average of 79.6% reduction from the baseline. Statistical studies showed that patients’ body mass index and age at baseline polysomnogram studies significantly influenced the reduction in AHI achieved, whereas the baseline AHI did not show any significant correlation.

Conclusion

Oral appliance therapy (OAT) can be a reliable treatment modality to treat OSA, and performing a separate overnight posttreatment titration study further ensures its effectiveness. Furthermore, OAT can be an effective treatment modality even for moderate-to-severe OSA with posttreatment titration.
The impact of cosmic rays on dynamical balance and disc–halo interaction in L⋆ disc galaxies
Authors: Chan T K , Kereš Dušan , Gurvich Alexander B , Hopkins Philip F , Trapp Cameron , Ji Suoqing , Faucher-Giguère Claude-André
Published: August 2022

Cosmic rays (CRs) are an important component in the interstellar medium, but their effect on the dynamics of the disc–halo interface (<10 kpc from the disc) is still unclear. We study the influence of CRs on the gas above the disc with high-resolution FIRE-2 cosmological simulations of late-type L⋆ galaxies at redshift z ∼ 0. We compare runs with and without CR feedback (with constant anisotropic diffusion κ∥ ∼ 3 × 1029 cm2 s−1 and streaming). Our simulations capture the relevant disc–halo interactions, including outflows, inflows, and galactic fountains. Extra-planar gas in all of the runs satisfies dynamical balance, where total pressure balances the weight of the overlying gas. While the kinetic pressure from non-uniform motion (≳1 kpc scale) dominates in the mid-plane, thermal and bulk pressures (or CR pressure if included) take over at large heights. We find that with CR feedback, (1) the warm (∼104 K) gas is slowly accelerated by CRs; (2) the hot (>5 × 105 K) gas scale height is suppressed; (3) the warm-hot (2 × 104–5 × 105 K) medium becomes the most volume-filling phase in the disc–halo interface. We develop a novel conceptual model of the near-disc gas dynamics in low-redshift L⋆ galaxies: with CRs, the disc–halo interface is filled with CR-driven warm winds and hot superbubbles that are propagating into the circumgalactic medium with a small fraction falling back to the disc. Without CRs, most outflows from hot superbubbles are trapped by the existing hot halo and gravity, so typically they form galactic fountains.