bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the contribution of case study research to the evidence base for occupational therapy practice: a scoping review protocol
Authors: McQuaid Leona , Thomson Katie , Bannigan Katrina
Published: May 2021

Objective:

This scoping review will explore the range and characteristics of case study research within the occupational therapy evidence base. It will examine how case study research is defined, the methodologies adopted, and the context in which it is applied. Most importantly, it will consider the viability of case study research for contributing to the evidence base for occupation and health.

Introduction:

Occupational therapists report barriers to conducting research due to the complexities of clinical practice, and lack of knowledge, time, and resources. Case study research is generating interest as a potentially manageable and practical solution to increase research engagement. However, it is not clear how this is being utilized by occupational therapists or how feasible it is to contribute to the evidence base.

Inclusion criteria:

Opinion, text, and empirical studies that explicitly use or discuss case study research methodology within an occupational therapy context will be included. Studies will be excluded where the occupational therapy context cannot be clearly defined, for example, where they are multi-disciplinary focused or where a case study research design is not explicit (eg, a descriptive case report without data collection). All countries and practice settings will be included.

Methods:

A three-step search following JBI methodology will be conducted across databases and websites for English-language, published peer-reviewed and gray literature from 1990. Study selection will be completed by two independent reviewers. A data extraction table developed and piloted by the authors will be used and data charted to align with the research questions.
Occupational therapy services provided to populations in non-urban areas: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Hayes Karen , Morante Danielle , Costigan Moses , Dos Santos Vagner
Published: May 2021

Objective:

The objective of this review is to complete a global synthesis of the evidence on occupational therapy services provided in non-urban areas.

Introduction:

Worldwide, non-urban populations experience higher levels of disease, mortality, and disease risk factors, yet most health services, including occupational therapy, are disproportionately located in urban areas. Research has predominantly focused on attracting therapists to non-urban practice by exploring generalized expressed needs from existing non-urban therapists, such as access to professional development, backfilling of jobs, peer and other practice supports, or enticing occupational therapy students through placement experiences. However, the types of service that non-urban occupational therapists routinely provide remains unclear. Clarifying the scope of occupational therapy services in non-urban areas will support educators and policy makers to plan curricula and services to support non-urban clinicians and communities.

Inclusion criteria:

This scoping review will consider qualitative and quantitative research studies and opinion pieces about occupational therapy services provided to any individuals or groups living in rural (non-urban) areas across the world.

Methods:

The search will be conducted in MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Emcare, and ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health, and limited to studies published from 2010 in English, French, Portuguese, or Spanish. Titles and abstracts will be screened by two independent reviewers against predefined inclusion criteria, followed by detailed assessment and appraisal by two independent reviewers. Reasons for including or excluding studies will be recorded. Data will be extracted using a charting table and presented in tabular form with a narrative summary describing how the results relate to the review question.
Introduction
Authors: Germann Julian
Published: May 2021

The introduction asks how Germany—a country long thought to be irrevocably European and committed to a more social market economy—could have emerged at the helm of a punitive program of neoliberalism within Europe. To resolve this puzzle, we need to revisit the crisis of the 1970s, when neoliberalism first appeared, and rethink the role of the German state in light of newly available archival material. From this viewpoint, Germany is revealed to be the “unwitting architect” of neoliberalism. Its parochial attempts to manage the crisis domestically promoted a regressive form of capitalism internationally that soon boomeranged back upon it, and which it promotes across Europe today so as not to practice at home. After a chapter-by-chapter summary of this argument, the Introduction lists the archival sources consulted for this book and discusses how an archival method can be integrated into critical International Political Economy.
Foreign Economic Policy and Advanced Unevenness
Authors: Germann Julian
Published: May 2021

This chapter develops an alternative framework to understand Germany’s role in the global rise of neoliberalism. Eschewing a comparative approach, it interrogates the German political economy as not only different from but fundamentally entwined with other national political economies. The lens of uneven and combined development is used to conceptualize this interconnectedness, emphasizing the co-evolution of national capitalisms, the systemic pressures that arise from their coexistence, and the interactive context of foreign economic decision making. This heuristic characterizes neoliberalism as an interactive process involving several states and diverse ideas, rather than an Anglo-American project writ large. Neoliberalism, in this view, did not arise from the domestic conditions prevailing in the US or the UK alone, but within a wider international environment structured by the German state for particular reasons that precede the Anglo-American turn and continue to shape its crisis management today.
Defeating Alternatives
Authors: Germann Julian
Published: May 2021

This chapter examines the development of a grand economic strategy pursued by the German state from the mid-1970s onward. Its primary objective was to shore up the domestic compact between capital and labor internationally, which required maintaining stable prices and open markets for its exports. To German policymakers, this meant that Germany could not afford to turn inward, or to expend its resources on lofty visions of solidarity. Instead, Germany mobilized its monetary and financial power in order to counter the threats of protectionism and imported inflation posed by leftist crisis responses. The chapter details how German officials, through European exchange-rate cooperation and financial interventions coordinated with the US, sought to commit its European partners to an anti-inflationary program that would complement their own. The result, the chapter explains, was to frustrate progressive resolutions of the crisis and move the world closer toward the neoliberal counter-revolution.
Deflecting Neoliberalism
Authors: Germann Julian
Published: May 2021

This chapter explores how the German political economy was transformed by the global rise of neoliberalism and how this change feeds into Germany’s approach to the eurocrisis. Rather than being pushed down an Anglo-American road, German policymakers still seek to preserve what is left of the domestic compromise between capital and labor. The chapter argues that China’s massive demand for German exports informs the long-term vision of a neoliberal Europe structurally adjusted to support the global position of German manufacturers. At the same time, the perceived threat of US interest rates rising out of step with economic conditions in Europe and emerging markets hardened the German stance on austerity during the fever-pitched policy battles at the height of the eurocrisis. Together, these international pressures and opportunities have produced the predicament of German primacy as a transformative and yet destabilizing force within the EU.
The Marvels of Nature in Buffon and Rameau
Authors: Cuillé Tili Boon
Published: May 2021

Taking Fontenelle’s famed comparison of nature to the opera somewhat literally, Chapter 1 considers the representation of natural phenomena in the Comte de Buffon’s Histoire naturelle and Jean-Philippe Rameau’s opera Zoroastre, which coincided in 1749. Lorraine Daston and Katherine Park have argued that wonder gave way to a more scientific curiosity in the Enlightenment. This chapter demonstrates that Buffon and Rameau to the contrary sought to sustain the wonder of the reader/spectator when confronted with natural marvels on the page and the stage. Wonder constituted the affective counterpart to encounters with the marvelous, which Rameau’s librettist Louis de Cahusac considered a defining feature of French tragic opera. The chapter likens plans for the improvement of special effects, the renovation of the opera, and the establishment of the National Museum of Natural History in the course of the century, designed to reconcile enlightenment and enchantment.
Doing Away With Empire
Authors: Methodieva Milena B.
Published: May 2021

The chapter examines how the transformations in the Bulgarian cities and countryside affected the Muslims and their institutions. From the first years of its establishment Bulgaria embarked upon an ambitious program of urban development whose goal was to do away with the vestiges of Ottoman imperial presence and bring the appearance of Bulgarian cities in line with European models. But these efforts were not targeting defunct institutions or obsolete practices; in reality, they affected Muslims and their institutions. In the countryside one of the most notable developments was the transfer of considerable amount of land from Muslim into Bulgarian hands. The chapter concludes with a discussion of public health measures, particularly those related to Muslim pilgrimage. These policies produced a sense of crisis among the local Muslims and in turn, they acted as a catalyst for the emergence of reform initiatives.
Conclusion
Authors: Methodieva Milena B.
Published: May 2021

The elation of Bulgaria’s Muslims with the revolution was short-lived. Soon after, Bulgaria declared independence, raising fears about a possible war with the Ottoman Empire. In this tense environment Muslim life came to a standstill. Tensions dissipated with the signing of a Bulgarian-Ottoman convention recognizing Bulgaria’s independence. The Bulgarian and the Ottoman authorities negotiated an agreement concerning Muslim religious organization and the vakıfs in Bulgaria. In reality, it largely formalized the existing situation, although the Ottomans and the Muslims had objected to it. This conclusion evaluates the period and events under discussion, as well as its significance for subsequent events.
Buried Language
Authors: Elsky Julia
Published: May 2021

This chapter marks a departure from the previous three authors treated in this book and looks at an author who questioned the role of a particular Jewish identity in French. Triolet shifted from writing about the painful and confining experience of being a bilingual writer in interwar France to celebrating French-Russian bilingualism in the war in her novel about the Communist Resistance in Lyon and its environs, Le Premier accroc coûte deux cents frances (A Fine of Two Hundred Francs). In the same novel, she also began to analyze Franco-Jewish identity. While she embraces bilingualism in the war, and while she includes Jews in the International struggle, she rejects a particular Jewish language and a particular Jewish experience of the war. The chapter traces her shifting approach to language and Jewishness through three symbols: the corset, a painting of a woman, and buried notebooks.
Soft Robot Based on Hyperelastic Buckling Controlled by Discontinuous Magnetic Field
Authors: Xu Yingdong , Yan Dongze , Zhang Kai , Li Xuequan , Xing Yufeng , Shao Li-Hua
Published: May 2021

Most untethered magnetic soft robots are controlled by a continuously applied magnetic field. The accuracy of their motion depends completely on the accuracy of external magnetic field, consequently any slight disturbance may cause a dramatic change. Here, we report a new structure and driven method design to achieve a novel magnetic soft robot, denoted as “BUCK”, which can achieve accurate and stable locomotion with weakly dependence on the magnetic field. The robot BUCK consists of functional magnetic composite materials with one central transportation platform and four crawling arms, whose motion is mainly based on hyperelastic buckling and recovering of the arms. BUCK is capable of cargo transportation with multimodal locomotion, such as crawling, climbing, and turning with high adaptability to various surfaces. Due to the applied discontinuous magnetic field, BUCK consumes much less driven energy compared with conventional magnetic robots. Moreover, we develop theoretical and numerical models to rationally design the precisely controlled BUCK. Our study shows applications in terms of transportation functions, such as for optical path adjustments and photographic tasks in complex circumstances. This work also provides new ideas on how to utilize nonlinear deformation more efficiently; one could combine the benefits for both the flexible electronics and actuation applications.
Ground Motion Intensity Measures for Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Steel Storage Tanks With Unanchored Support Conditions
Authors: Phan Hoang Nam , Paolacci Fabrizio , Nguyen Van My , Hoang Phuong Hoa
Published: May 2021

This paper aims to comprehensively evaluate the performance of a series of ground motion intensity measures (IMs) used in the seismic vulnerability assessment of steel storage tanks with unanchored support conditions. Sixteen well-known IMs are thus selected, which are classified into amplitude-, frequency-, and time-based categories. A comparative study is then performed on four different unanchored steel storage tanks subjected to a suite of 140 ground motion records that is comprised of seven different bins of records with different hazard levels. In this regard, the tanks are appropriately modeled based on a simplified approach, whose uplift and sliding nonlinear behaviors are properly implemented based on a three-dimensional nonlinear pushover analysis of the tanks. Four characteristics of the examined IMs including efficiency, practicality, proficiency, and sufficiency are evaluated based on a probabilistic seismic demand model of two critical failure modes of the tanks, i.e., plastic rotation of the shell-to-bottom connection and elephant's foot buckling of the shell plate. According to the comparative study, frequency-based IMs demonstrate their superior performance for all criteria compared with other groups; in particular, the average spectral acceleration gains the highest ranking. Finally, an appropriate range of the upper period considered in the average spectral acceleration IM is then proposed to optimize the efficiency of this IM for the examined tanks.
VEMERS UC: A Clinically Validated Emergency Mechanical Ventilator for COVID-19 and Postpandemic Use in Low Resource Communities
Authors: Chiang Luciano E. , Castro Felipe A.
Published: May 2021

In this article, we present a clinically validated invasive emergency mechanical ventilator developed in Chile called VEMERS UC. It has been clinically tested and validated in intubated Covid-19 patients. Once the pandemic hit Chilean soil in March 2020, it was quite clear that the number of mechanical ventilators available would not be enough. As in other parts of the world many initiatives sprung, most of them naively simple. Chilean medical societies joined engineering specialists and agreed early on in an organized and regulated open process for validating emergency mechanical ventilators, thus allowing for rapid development but with the required functionality, reliability, and safety features. VEMERS UC was one of a few that completed successfully all stages of the validating process, the final test being on five critically ill intubated Covid-19 patients for eight hours each. VEMERS UC is based on an electropneumatic circuit architecture, and its components are all low cost, off-the-shelf pneumatic, and electronic products easily obtained in industrial markets. It works in continuous mandatory volume control mode. The novel technical features of VEMERS UC are discussed here as well as the results obtained in each stage of the validating process. The validating process carried out in Chile is noteworthy by itself, and it could be used as an example in other developing countries. Furthermore, VEMERS UC can be used as a guiding design reference in other countries as well, since this design has already been thoroughly tested in human patients and has proven to work successfully.
Numerical Verifications on Heat Transfer to Supercritical Water Flowing Upward in a 4-m Long Bare Vertical Tube
Authors: Yang Dong , Chen Jiaxiang , Feng Yongchang , Chen Lin
Published: May 2021

Thermal efficiency and safety of generation-IV nuclear-power-reactor concept supercritical water-cooled reactor (SCWR) are largely dependent on the coupled supercritical water (SCW) thermophysical properties and heat transfer performance in the supercritical region. This paper presents the numerical investigation of the heat-transfer characteristics of SCW flow in a 4-m long circular tube (ID = 10 mm) based on computational fluid dynamics. Numerical model for SCW was established in this analysis and forced-convection heat transfer was studied at different operating conditions. The data were collected at pressure of about 24 MPa, inlet temperatures from 320 to 350 °C, mass flux from 1000 to 1500 kg/m2·s, and heat flux up to 1500 kW/m2. Results of numerical simulation predict the experimental data with reasonable accuracy. A dimensional analysis was conducted to derive the general form of an empirical supercritical water heat-transfer correlation. The decrease of turbulent viscosity due to the decrease of density leads to a lower turbulent diffusion and turbulent kinetic energy, which inhibits heat transfer. The increased wall temperature and localized heat transfer deterioration (HTD) would occur as the liquid in the core of the tube is isolated for the low-density fluid adheres to the near-wall region, which is characterized by low thermal capacity.
Experimental Investigation on the Retention of Soluble Particles by Pool Scrubbing
Authors: Vennemann R. , Klauck M. , Allelein H.-J.
Published: May 2021

In the late stage of a severe loss-of-coolant accident, the pressure in the containment building of a nuclear power plant could rise beyond the design limits and thus endanger its structural integrity. Therefore, to avoid pressure failure, it may be necessary to perform controlled venting of the containment. During the event of an accident, a large amount of fission and activation products are released into the containment as airborne particles (aerosols). These particles are filtered during the venting process, usually with the help of wet filters, in order to keep risks to the surrounding environment to a minimum. Consequently, the knowledge of the retention processes in a water reservoir (pool scrubbing) is of central importance for such filtered containment venting systems and for reactor concepts in which water reservoirs are used for pressure reduction (e.g., condensation chamber of a boiling water reactor (BWR)). Investigations on pool scrubbing are carried out in the severe accident aerosol behavior (SAAB) test facility at the Juelich Research Center in the framework of a national project (“severe accident aerosol behavior-II”). SAAB is a unique large-scale facility with the ability to perform a great variation of experiments using various measurement tools. The influence of numerous parameters, such as the height of the water pool, solubility of aerosols and concentration on the retention capacity, is investigated by means of separate effect studies on both insoluble and soluble particles. This technical brief gives a detailed overview over the facility and includes example results of the first test series with soluble particles including cesium iodine (CsI).
Are There Effective Intervention Strategies Available to Improve Physical Literacy in Adults? A Critically Appraised Topic
Authors: McKay Chloe , Hoch Johanna M , Dlugonski Deirdre
Published: May 2021

Clinical Scenario: Physical inactivity among adults is prevalent. Physical literacy is a potential modifiable factor that, if targeted effectively, may increase physical activity and decrease the risk of health conditions that are associated with physical inactivity. Clinical Question: Are there effective intervention strategies available to improve physical literacy in adults? Summary of Key Findings: Two nonrandomized experimental studies were included. Both studies assessed changes in physical literacy before and after a physical literacy intervention using two different sets of physical literacy outcome measures. Clinical Bottom Line: There is currently Level 2, limited quality, patient-oriented evidence that indicates that physical literacy can be improved in an adult population. The creation of a valid and reliable physical literacy outcome measure for adults is a necessary next step to enhance knowledge about physical literacy among adults. Future research should use a randomized control trial design to test the efficacy of physical literacy interventions with valid and reliable outcome measures. Strength of Recommendation: There is Level 2, limited quality, patient-oriented evidence for physical literacy interventions among adults. Due to the limited number of, and lack of consistency between studies, the authors did not make a formal grade recommendation.
Spiral morphology in an intensely star-forming disk galaxy more than 12 billion years ago
Authors: Tsukui Takafumi , Iguchi Satoru
Published: May 2021

Spiral features in the early Universe

The early assembly of galaxies is thought to have produced disturbed and asymmetric objects. Morphological features seen in nearby galaxies, such as stellar disks, bulges, and spiral arms, require time to form and would be disturbed by the frequent galaxy mergers that occurred at early times. Tsukui and Iguchi identified a distant galaxy containing a disk of gas with a spiral morphology. The galaxy also has a compact central mass concentration due to a combination of a supermassive black hole and a possible stellar bulge. These features must have formed within 1.4 billion years after the Big Bang.

Science
, abe9680, this issue p.
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Direct Cobamide Remodeling via Additional Function of Cobamide Biosynthesis Protein CobS from Vibrio cholerae
Authors: Ma Amy T. , Beld Joris
Published: May 2021

Cobamides are widespread cofactors that mediate metabolic interactions in complex microbial communities. Few studies directly examine cobamide profiles, but several have shown that mammalian gastrointestinal tracts are rich in cobamide analogs.
The Human Cytomegalovirus Protein UL116 Interacts with the Viral Endoplasmic-Reticulum-Resident Glycoprotein UL148 and Promotes the Incorporation of gH/gL Complexes into Virions
Authors: Siddiquey Mohammed N. A. , Schultz Eric P. , Yu Qin , Amendola Diego , Vezzani Giacomo , Yu Dong , Maione Domenico , Lanchy Jean-Marc , Ryckman Brent J. , Merola Marcello , Kamil Jeremy P.
Published: May 2021

HCMV is a betaherpesvirus that causes dangerous opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients as well as in the immune-naive fetus and preterm infants. The potential of the virus to enter new host cells is governed in large part by two alternative viral glycoprotein H (gH)/glycoprotein L (gL) complexes that play important roles in entry: gH/gL/gO and gH/gL/UL128-131.
Peptide: MHC-based DNA vaccination strategy to activate natural killer cells by targeting killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors
Authors: Rettman Pauline , Blunt Matthew D , Fulton Rebecca J , Vallejo Andres F , Bastidas-Legarda Leidy Y , España-Serrano Laura , Polak Marta E , Al-Shamkhani Aymen , Retiere Christelle , Khakoo Salim I
Published: May 2021

Background

Natural killer (NK) cells are increasingly being recognized as agents for cancer immunotherapy. The killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are expressed by NK cells and are immunogenetic determinants of the outcome of cancer. In particular, KIR2DS2 is associated with protective responses to several cancers and also direct recognition of cancer targets in vitro. Due to the high homology between activating and inhibitory KIR genes to date, it has been challenging to target individual KIR for therapeutic benefit.

Methods

A novel KIR2DS2-targeting therapeutic peptide:MHC DNA vaccine was designed and used to immunize mice transgenic for KIR genes (KIR-Tg). NK cells were isolated from the livers and spleens of vaccinated mice and then analyzed for activation by flow cytometry, RNA profiling and cytotoxicity assays. In vivo assays of NK cell function using a syngeneic cancer model (B16 melanoma) and an adoptive transfer model for human hepatocellular carcinoma (Huh7) were performed.

Results

Injecting KIR-Tg mice with the vaccine construct activated NK cells in both liver and spleens of mice, with preferential activation of KIR2DS2-positive NK cells. KIR-specific activation was most marked on the CD11b+CD27+ mature subset of NK cells. RNA profiling indicated that the DNA vaccine upregulated genes associated with cellular metabolism and downregulated genes related to histone H3 methylation, which are associated with immune cell maturation and NK cell function. Vaccination led to canonical and cross-reactive peptide:MHC-specific NK cell responses. In vivo, DNA vaccination led to enhanced antitumor responses against B16F10 melanoma cells and also enhanced responses against a tumor model expressing the KIR2DS2 ligand HLA-C*0102.

Conclusion

We show the feasibility of a peptide-based KIR-targeting vaccine strategy to activate NK cells and hence generate functional antitumor responses. This approach does not require detailed knowledge of the tumor peptidomes nor HLA matching with the patient. It therefore offers a novel opportunity for targeting NK cells for cancer immunotherapy.
Suppressor of cytokine signalling 3 (SOCS3) expressed in podocytes attenuates glomerulonephritis and suppresses autoantibody production in an imiquimod-induced lupus model
Authors: Fukuta Masashi , Suzuki Kotaro , Kojima Shotaro , Yabe Yoko , Suzuki Kazumasa , Iida Kazuma , Yamada Hiroyuki , Makino Shinichi , Iwata Arifumi , Tanaka Shigeru , Iwamoto Taro , Suto Akira , Nakagomi Daiki , Wakashin Hidefumi , Maezawa Yuko , Maezawa Yoshiro , Takemoto Minoru , Asanuma Katsuhiko , Nakajima Hiroshi
Published: May 2021

Objective

Recently, podocytes have been recognised not only as a physical barrier to prevent urinary protein loss but also as producers of proinflammatory cytokines. However, the roles of podocytes in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis (LN) remain largely unknown. This study aims to determine the roles of suppressor of cytokine signalling (SOCS) family members expressed in glomeruli in the regulation of LN.

Methods

We investigated the expression of SOCS family members in glomeruli in murine lupus model induced by repeated epicutaneous administration of the TLR7/8 agonist imiquimod. We also investigated the roles of SOCS3 expressed in podocytes in the imiquimod-induced glomerulonephritis and systemic autoimmunity by using podocyte-specific SOCS3-deficient mice (podocin-Cre x SOCS3fl/flmice (SOCS3-cKO mice)). Finally, we investigated the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in SOCS3-deficient podocyte cell lines.

Results

qPCR analysis revealed that among SOCS family members, SOCS3 was preferentially induced in glomeruli on epicutaneous administration of imiquimod and that interleukin 6 (IL-6) induced SOCS3 expression in podocyte cell lines. SOCS3-cKO mice exhibited severe glomerulonephritis, high levels of serum creatinine and urine albumin and decreased survival rate compared with control SOCS3-WT mice. Levels of anti-double-strand DNA antibody, SOCS (GC) formation and the numbers of follicular helper T (Tfh) cells and GC B cells in the spleen were higher in SOCS3-cKO mice than those in SOCS3-WT mice. Serum IL-6 levels and expression of IL-6 mRNA in glomeruli were also elevated in SOCS3-cKO mice. IL-6-induced IL-6 expression was enhanced in SOCS3-deficient podocyte cell lines compared with that in SOCS3-sufficient podocyte cell lines.

Conclusion

SOCS3 expressed in podocytes plays protective roles for the development of glomerulonephritis and inhibits autoantibody production in the imiquimod-induced lupus model presumably by suppressing IL-6 production of podocytes.
What are the topics you care about making trials in lupus more effective? Results of an Open Space meeting of international lupus experts
Authors: Mucke Johanna , Alarcon-Riquelme Marta , Andersen Jeanette , Aringer Martin , Bombardieri Stefano , Brinks Ralph , Cervera Ricard , Chehab Gamal , Cornet Alain , Costedoat-Chalumeau Nathalie , Czirják László , Doria Andrea , Fischer-Betz Rebecca , Furie Richard A , Gatto Mariele , Houssiau Frédéric A , Ines Luis , Liang Matthew H , Morand Eric , Mosca Marta , Pego-Reigosa José María , Rúa-Figueroa Iñigo , Ruiz-Irastorza Guillermo , Terrier Benjamin , Voss Anne , Schneider Matthias
Published: May 2021

Despite promising candidates for new therapeutic options in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), many clinical trials have failed in the past few years. The disappointing results have been at least partly be attributed to trial designs. With the aim of stimulating new developments in SLE trial design, an international open space meeting was held on occasion of the European Lupus Meeting 2018 in Duesseldorf, Germany about ‘What are the topics you care about for making trials in lupus more effective?’. The Open Space is a participant-driven technology, where the discussion topics and schedule are selected during the meeting by all participants and discussion rounds are led by the people attending encouraging active contributions. Eleven topics were selected for further discussion, of which 6 were voted to be more intensively discussed in two consecutive rounds. Major topics were the optimal handling of glucocorticoids in clinical trials, the improvement of outcome measures, reducing or controlling the placebo response and the identification of biomarkers and stratification parameters. Further, the importance of local and international networks was emphasised. By networking, collaborations are facilitated, patient recruitment is more efficient and treatment can be harmonised thus lead to more successful SLE trials. Further discussions are needed to substantiate the results and develop new trial designs.
Review on therapeutic targets for COVID-19: insights from cytokine storm
Authors: de Mélo Silva Júnior Mário Luciano , de Souza Lívia Maria Alves , Dutra Renata Ellen Maria Carvalho , Valente Ramon Gonçalves de Melo , Melo Thayanara Silva
Published: May 2021

Introduction

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been caused the greatest pandemic of our century. Many of the deaths related to it are due to a systemic inflammatory response, which has been called ‘cytokine storm’.

Objectives

We developed a comprehensive review of the pathophysiology mechanisms of COVID-19 and of the rationale for drugs and therapeutics that have been tested in clinical trials.

Methods

A narrative review of the literature was conducted using PubMed, SciELO, Bireme, Google Scholar and ClinicalTrials.

Results

SARS-CoV-2 has evolutive mechanisms that made it spread all around the globe, as a higher latency period and a lesser lethality than other coronaviruses. SARS-CoV-2 causes a delay in the innate immune response and it disarranges the immune system leading to an overwhelming inflammatory reaction (the ‘cytokine storm’). In this scenario, high levels of interleukins (IL), notably IL-6 and IL-1, create a positive feedback of chemokines and immune responses, and powers pulmonary and systemic tissue damage, leading to capillary leakage and SARS, the main cause of death in patients with COVID-19. On 17 July 2020, there were 1450 entries on ClinicalTrials.gov of ongoing studies on COVID-19. The mechanisms of the main therapeutic approaches were comprehensively reviewed throughout the text. Therapies focus on blocking viral entry (remdesivir, umifenovir, among others) and blocking of immune system for cytokine storm control (IL-1 and IL-6 inhibitors, glucocorticoids, convalescent plasma, among others).

Conclusions

Understanding of action mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 enables us to direct efforts on effective therapeutic targets. This comprehensive review helps to interpret the clinical results of the several trials ongoing.
An empirically based simulation model to inform flow management for endangered species conservation
Authors: Walsworth Timothy E. , Budy Phaedra
Published: May 2021

Increasing water demand, water development, and ongoing climate change have driven extensive changes to the hydrology, geomorphology and biology of arid-land rivers globally, driving an increasing need to understand how annual hydrologic conditions affect the distribution and abundance of imperiled desert fish populations. We analyzed the relationship between annual hydrologic conditions and the endangered Rio Grande silvery minnow (Hybognathus amarus) in the Middle Rio Grande, New Mexico, USA, using hurdle models to predict both presence and density as a function of integrated annual hydrologic metrics. Both presence and density were positively related to spring high flow magnitude and duration and negatively related to summer drying, as indicated by an integrated flow metric. Simulations suggest hydrologic conditions near the wettest observed in the data set would be required to meet recovery goals in a single year in all reaches. We demonstrate how the models developed herein can be used to examine alternative water management strategies, including strategies that may currently be socially and logistically infeasible to implement, to identify strategies minimizing trade-offs between conservation and other management goals.
7-Chloro-4-(phenylselanyl) quinoline reduces renal oxidative stress induced by oxaliplatin in mice
Authors: da Motta Ketlyn P. , Lemos Briana B. , Paltian Jaini J. , Reis Angélica S. dos , Blödorn Gustavo B. , Alves Diego , Luchese Cristiane , Wilhelm Ethel A.
Published: May 2021

The object of this study was to evaluate the relationship between oxidative damage induced by oxaliplatin (OXA) and the therapeutic potential of 7-chloro-4-(phenylselanyl) quinoline (4-PSQ) in kidney of mice. Mice received OXA (10 mg/kg) or vehicle intraperitoneally (days 0 and 2). Oral administration of 4-PSQ (1 mg/kg) or vehicle was performed on days 2 to 14. On day 15 the animals were euthanized and the kidneys and blood were collected. The effect of OXA and (or) 4-PSQ on urea, thiobarbituric acid reactive species, nonprotein thiol (NPSH), and protein carbonyl (PC) levels were investigated. Moreover, renal superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione S-transferase (GST), δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (δ-ALA-D), and Na+,K+ ATPase activities were evaluated. Our findings revealed an increase on urea levels and significant renal oxidative damage in OXA-induced mice. OXA exposure increased SOD, GPx, and GST activities and caused a reduction on NPSH levels and CAT and GR activities. Na+,K+ ATPase and δ-ALA-D activities were reduced by OXA. 4-PSQ decreased plasmatic urea levels and renal oxidative damage. SOD, GPx, CAT, GR, and Na+,K+ ATPase activities were restored by 4-PSQ. 4-PSQ may be a good prototype for the treatment of OXA-induced renal injury.
S.-S. Chern’s study of almost-complex structures on the six-sphere
Authors: Bryant Robert L.
Published: May 2021

In April 2003, Chern began a study of almost-complex structures on the six-sphere, with the idea of exploiting the special properties of its well-known almost-complex structure invariant under the exceptional group [Formula: see text]. While he did not solve the (currently still open) problem of determining whether there exists an integrable almost-complex structure on [Formula: see text], he did prove a significant identity that resolves the question for an interesting class of almost-complex structures on [Formula: see text].
Payoff-dependence learning ability resolves social dilemmas
Authors: Gao Bo , Li Binger , Dong Suyalatu , Wang Pingquan , Zhao Junlan
Published: May 2021

Understanding the appearance and maintenance of cooperation behavior is one of the most interesting challenges in natural and social sciences. Evolutionary game is a useful tool to study this issue. Here, we consider a basic strategy updating rule: the probability of a player updating its strategy is affected by the learning ability, which is determined by payoffs and an aspiration parameter [Formula: see text]. For positive [Formula: see text], learning ability is directly proportional to player’s own payoff. When [Formula: see text] equals 0, it returns to traditional situation. It is found that increasing the value of [Formula: see text] can promote the cooperation. With the increase of [Formula: see text], the player’s learning ability is continuously enhanced, and the probability of changing strategies is also increased. This paper verifies the influence of the introduced selection parameter [Formula: see text] on the cooperation rate from different aspects. We tested this hypothesis through the Monte Carlo simulation, and demonstrated that introducing [Formula: see text] changed the network of interaction effectively, therefore changing the effect of the adoption of the strategy on the uncertainty of cooperation evolution. This paper analyzed the results of the payoff-dependence learning ability of different players when they imitate the strategies of their opponents, which can effectively promote the evolution of cooperation.
An introduction to forensic soil science and forensic geology: a synthesis
Authors: Fitzpatrick Robert W. , Donnelly Laurance J.
Published: May 2021

Using forensic soil science and forensic geology as trace evidence and searches for burials is the theme of the papers in this Special Publication. The concept and design of this volume was initially established by the International Union of Geological Sciences, Initiative on Forensic Geology, which successfully brought together forensic geologists, forensic soil scientists, police officers and law enforcement agents in the investigation of crimes. In this introductory paper a brief overview is provided of the developments in interdisciplinary knowledge exchange with use of soil and geological materials (known as ‘earth materials’) in the search for burials and the provision of trace evidence. The aim is to provide background information on the role and value of understanding ‘earth materials’ ranging from the landscape scale, to the crime scene through to microscopic scale investigations to support law enforcement agencies in solving criminal, environmental, serious and organized crime, and terrorism. In this connection, recent advances in field and laboratory methods are highlighted. Finally, the 20 papers in the volume are briefly introduced and these include a diversity of global operational case studies that involve collection and analysis of earth material from crime scenes and searches for homicide graves and other buried targets.
Synthesis of equilibria in infinite-duration games on graphs
Authors: Bruyère Véronique
Published: May 2021

In this survey, we propose a comprehensive introduction to game theory applied to computer-aided synthesis. We study multi-player turn-based infinite-duration games played on a finite directed graph such that each player aims at maximizing a payoff function. We present the well-known notions of Nash equilibrium and subgame perfect equilibrium, as well as interesting strategy profiles of players as response to the strategy announced by a specific player. We provide classical and recent results about the related threshold synthesis problem.
Improvements in vascular function in response to acute lower limb heating in young healthy males and females
Authors: Cheng Jem L. , Williams Jennifer S. , Hoekstra Sven P. , MacDonald Maureen J.
Published: May 2021

This study demonstrates that lower limb hot water immersion is an effective strategy for acutely improving vascular function in young, healthy males and females, thereby encouraging the development of accessible modes of heat therapy for vascular health.
Postcontractile blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) response in Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Authors: Lopez Christopher , Taivassalo Tanja , Berru Maria G. , Saavedra Andres , Rasmussen Hannah C. , Batra Abhinandan , Arora Harneet , Roetzheim Alex M. , Walter Glenn A. , Vandenborne Krista , Forbes Sean C.
Published: May 2021

This study examined the postcontractile blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) response in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and unaffected controls, and correlated this measure to markers of disease severity. Our findings indicate that the postcontractile BOLD response is impaired in DMD after brief muscle contractions, is correlated to disease severity, and may be valuable to implement in future studies to evaluate treatments targeting microvascular function in DMD.
[Retracted] Using Sensor Network in Motion Detection Based on Deep Full Convolutional Network Model
Authors: Xu Qichang
Published: May 2021

Aiming at the shortcomings of traditional moving target detection methods in complex scenes such as low detection accuracy and high complexity, and not considering the overall structure information of the video frame image, this paper proposes a moving‐target detection based on sensor network. First, a low‐power motion detection wireless sensor network node is designed to obtain motion detection information in real time. Secondly, the background of the video scene is quickly extracted by the time domain averaging method, and the video sequence and the background image are channel‐merged to construct a deep full convolutional network model. Finally, the network model is used to learn the deep features of the video scene and output the pixel‐level classification results to achieve moving target detection. This method not only can adapt to complex video scenes of different sizes but also has a simple background extraction method, which effectively improves the detection speed.
An Efficient Early Frame Breaking Strategy for RFID Tag Identification in Large-Scale Industrial Internet of Things
Authors: He Zhiyong , Luo Hanguang
Published: May 2021

With the increase in the number of tags, an efficient approach of tag identification is becoming an urgent need in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). However, the identification performance of existing Aloha-based anticollision schemes is limited when the initial frame size is seriously mismatched with the actual tag population size. The performance will degrade further when IIoT is deployed in the error-prone channel environment. To optimize the identification performance of RFID system in an error-prone channel environment, we propose an efficient early frame breaking strategy based anticollision algorithm (EFB-ACA) with channel awareness. The EFB-ACA divides the whole tag identification process into two phases: convergence phase and identification phase. The function of convergence phase is to make the adjusted frame quickly converge to an appropriate size. The early frame breaking strategy is embedded in the convergence phase. Numerical results show that the proposed EFB-ACA algorithm outperforms the other methods on efficiency and stability in the error-prone channel. In addition, EFB-ACA algorithm also outperforms the other methods in the error-free channel.
Longitudinal Deformation Model and Parameter Analysis of Canal Lining under Nonuniform Frost Heave
Authors: He Pengfei , Dong Jianhua , Ren Xin , Wu Xiaolei
Published: May 2021

Due to the unique hydrothermal environments, the frost heave failure of the concrete lining of water conveyance canals in cold regions is still frequent. The deformation of lining after frost heaving and the stress distribution calculated by the mechanical model can be the reference for the lining design. However, previous research mainly focused on the mechanical model of the cross‐section while having little attention for the longitudinal nonuniform frost heave damage. In this study, a mechanical model of the bottom lining under the nonuniform frost heave deformation is built based on the Euler–Bernoulli beam and the Pasternak foundation model, and the analytical solution of the model is obtained. The internal stress of the lining is analyzed during the changes of subgrade coefficient, shear rigidity, transition section length, and frost heave amount inside the model. Also, the calculation process is proved to be correct. The result shows that dangerous cross‐sections are at the start and the end of the transition sections. The maximum normal stress and the tangential stress increase when the subgrade coefficient and the frost heave amount increase and the shear modulus and transition section length decrease. The frost heave amount in the frozen ground subgrade increases constantly, while the temperature decreases, but at the same time, the shear rigidity of the subgrade increases with it. The former increases the stress of lining, and the latter decreases it. Therefore, during the frost heaving process, the internal force of lining is coupled with these two elements. By analyzing a water conveyance canal lining under the nonuniform frost heave in the Xinjiang Tarim irrigation district, the maximum normal stress of the dangerous lining cross‐section is greater than its tensile strength when the transition section length smaller than 7 m at the frost heave amount is 0.031 m.