bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of 10 years of medical errors investigated by the Poznan University Forensic Medicine Department
Authors: Kordel Piotr , Szemień Michał , Dolińska-Kaczmarek Klaudia , Burchardt Bartosz , Aurast Zuzanna , Żaba Czesław , Żaba Zbigniew
Published: January 2023

At the turn of 2005 and 2006, Polish emergency medical service underwent profound changes. Emergency medical service teams (EMS) were divided into P-type, which included only paramedics, and S-type, which consisted of paramedics and a physician (Statue from 8th September 2006 about State Medical Rescue). This study aimed to determine which elements of the medical rescue system in Poland most often occurred, what kind of errors they were, and how often they resulted in a patient's death. This article analyzed 147 opinions issued by the Forensic Medicine Department at Poznań University of Medical Sciences in 2005-2015 that concerned medical errors in emergency medicine commissioned by judicial authorities from all over Poland. The study excluded opinions on the areas covered by the jurisdiction of the Appellate Prosecutor's Office in Poznań and the District Prosecutor's Office in Ostrów Wlkp., which is about 85% of the country's territory. The results of the analyses identified the Hospital Emergency Departments as the place where the most significant number of errors of all types had been committed, which were not particularly surprising. The results concerning mistakes made by the EMS teams seemed much more significant. They showed that errors in the P-type ambulances (i.e., without a doctor in the rescue team) had occurred much more often, including those resulting in the patient's death. It can therefore be concluded that the higher level of preparation of the emergency medical team members translates into a higher level of patient safety. However, some scientific reports indicate that this does not have to be the case. The most significant limitation of this study lies in the source of the analyzed data. Opinions of the Department of Forensic Medicine in Poznań in cases concerning errors in emergency medicine reflect only a tiny percentage of medical errors.
Safety of transglutaminase-induced corneal collagen cross-linking on the central cornea thickness and intraocular pressure in vivo
Authors: Sitorasmi Puspita Hapsari , Ningtiyas Yuniar Sarah , Wahyuni Indri , Primitasari Yulia
Published: January 2023

Background: Corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) is a procedure for making bonds that connect polymer chains to one another. Corneal CXL aims to slow or stop the progression of keratoconus by using photooxidative therapy so as to increase stromal rigidity. Transglutaminase enzymes are currently widely used in the food industry. Recent studies have shown that mRNA, fibronectin, and transglutaminase were found to be more abundant in human corneal keratocytes treated with UVA and riboflavin. Transglutaminase is considered to reduce discomfort caused by UVA irradiation.

Methods: A total of 21 white New Zealand rabbits were divided into three groups, namely, transglutaminase-induced CXL group, epithelial-off CXL group, and transepithelial CXL group. The ocular surface was treated with a 1 U/mL microbial transglutaminase solution, and both the epithelial-off and transepithelial groups were exposed to clinical ultraviolet A-riboflavin (UVA/RF). The efficacy of each group was evaluated on the 14th day after the procedures. The central corneal thickness (CCT) and intraocular pressure (IOP) were evaluated using Corneal Visualization Scheimpflug Technology (Corvis ST).

Results: The transglutaminase-induced CXL group exhibited the highest mean CCT (370.14 ± 38.85) in comparison with the UVA/RF epithelial-off group (368.00 ± 25.48) and the UVA/RF transepithelial group (369.86 ± 23.43). The transglutaminase-induced CXL group had the highest IOP mean (8.50 ± 3.02) compared with the UVA/RF epithelial-off (6.50 ± 3.07) and UVA/RF transepithelial groups (7.00 ± 1.90). There were no significant differences in CCT (p = 0.990) or IOP (p = 0.563) between the groups.

Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that there are no significant differences between the transglutaminase-induced CXL group and the UVA/RF CXL group. The safety of transglutaminase-induced CXL could be comparable to that of UVA/RF CXL in terms of altering CCT and IOP, which are two factors contributing to corneal rigidity.
ISCB Student Council Symposium 2021, a virtual global venue: challenges and lessons learned
Authors: Osorio-Mogollon Cleidy , Grentzinger Victor , Olguin-Orellana Gabriel J. , Ayala-Ruano Sebastian , Gupta Shruti , Eranti Pradeep , Grover Aayush , Cuypers Bart , Fatima Nazeefa , Shome Sayane , Rahman Farzana , Parra R. Gonzalo
Published: January 2023

Since 2004, the ISCB Student Council has been organizing different symposia worldwide, gathering together the community of young computational biologists. Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic situation, the world scientific community was forced to cancel in-person meetings for almost two years, imposing the adoption of virtual formats instead. After the successful editions of our continental symposia in 2020 in the USA, Latin America, and Europe, we organized our flagship global event, the Student Council Symposium (SCS) 2021, trying to apply all previous lessons learned and to exploit the advantages that virtuality has to offer.
Sherlock: an open-source data platform to store, analyze and integrate Big Data for computational biologists
Authors: Bohar Balazs , Fazekas David , Madgwick Matthew , Csabai Luca , Olbei Marton , Korcsmáros Tamás , Szalay-Beko Mate
Published: January 2023

In the era of Big Data, data collection underpins biological research more than ever before. In many cases, this can be as time-consuming as the analysis itself. It requires downloading multiple public databases with various data structures, and in general, spending days preparing the data before answering any biological questions. Here, we introduce Sherlock, an open-source, cloud-based big data platform (https://earlham-sherlock.github.io/) to solve this problem. Sherlock provides a gap-filling way for computational biologists to store, convert, query, share and generate biology data while ultimately streamlining bioinformatics data management. The Sherlock platform offers a simple interface to leverage big data technologies, such as Docker and PrestoDB. Sherlock is designed to enable users to analyze, process, query and extract information from extremely complex and large data sets. Furthermore, Sherlock can handle different structured data (interaction, localization, or genomic sequence) from several sources and convert them to a common optimized storage format, for example, the Optimized Row Columnar (ORC). This format facilitates Sherlock’s ability to quickly and efficiently execute distributed analytical queries on extremely large data files and share datasets between teams. The Sherlock platform is freely available on GitHub, and contains specific loader scripts for structured data sources of genomics, interaction and expression databases. With these loader scripts, users can easily and quickly create and work with specific file formats, such as JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) or ORC. For computational biology and large-scale bioinformatics projects, Sherlock provides an open-source platform empowering data management, analytics, integration and collaboration through modern big data technologies.
The genome sequence of the bluish flesh fly, Sarcophaga (Robineauella) caerulescens (Zetterstedt, 1838)
Authors: Falk Steven ,   University of Oxford and Wytham Woods Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life programme,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: DNA Pipelines collective,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective, Mulley John F. ,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: January 2023

We present a genome assembly from an individual male Sarcophaga caerulescens (the bluish flesh fly; Arthropoda; Insecta; Diptera; Sarcophagidae). The genome sequence is 597 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into seven chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the assembled X and Y sex chromosomes. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 21.1 kilobases in length. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 16,559 protein coding genes.
Tick Size, Competition for Liquidity Provision, and Price Discovery: Evidence from the U.S. Treasury Market
Authors: Fleming Michael , Nguyen Giang , Ruela Francisco
Published: January 2023

This paper studies how a tick size change affects market quality, price discovery, and the competition for liquidity provision by dealers and high-frequency trading firms (HFTs) in the U.S. Treasury market. Using difference-in-differences regressions around the November 19, 2018, tick size reduction in the 2-year Treasury note and a similar change in the 2-year futures eight weeks later, we find significantly improved market quality. Moreover, dealers become more competitive in liquidity provision and price improvement, consistent with the hypothesis that HFTs find liquidity provision less profitable in the smaller tick size environment. Last, we find a significant shift in short-run price discovery toward the cash market, which then reverses when the futures market tick size is reduced, suggesting that the finer pricing grid in the cash market allows traders to act on small information signals that are not profitable to exploit in the larger-tick futures market. Our findings suggest that reducing the tick size in tick-constrained and highly liquid markets like the Treasury market is on balance beneficial.

This paper was accepted by Bruno Biais, finance.

Funding: F. Ruela acknowledges support from the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program [Grant DGE-1746045]. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendix are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4663 .
Dynamic Programming Principles for Mean-Field Controls with Learning
Authors: Gu Haotian , Guo Xin , Wei Xiaoli , Xu Renyuan
Published: January 2023

Multiagent systems—such as recommendation systems, ride-sharing platforms, food-delivery systems, and data-routing centers—are areas of rapid technology development that require constant improvements to address the lack of efficiency and curse of dimensionality. In the paper “Dynamic Programming Principles for Mean-Field Controls with Learning,” we show that multiagent systems with mean-field approximation and learning can be recast as general forms of reinforcement learning problems, where the state variable is replaced by the probability distribution. This reformulation paves the way for developing efficient value-based and policy-based algorithms for mean-field controls with learning. It is also the first step toward future theoretical development of learning problem with mean-field controls.
Dementia and delirium: recognising common factors
Authors: Dening Karen Harrison , Moore Angela
Published: January 2023

Delirium is a multifactorial syndrome that, when superimposed on dementia, can lead to twice the risk of being admitted to acute care than for a person who is cognitively intact. Early detection of delirium can be a challenge, especially when there is an existing diagnosis of dementia. Despite the wealth of literature, there continues to be a widespread lack of knowledge about delirium, and under-detection in all types of health and social care settings. This lack of recognition may lead to poor health outcomes and increased mortality. There is a need for effective training for staff working in community settings, and effective communication between health and social care staff and families who are affected by delirium. Furthermore, delirium superimposed on dementia is common, and may cause distress for patients, caregivers and staff. This article will explore some of the common factors when delirium is comorbid with dementia.
An ethnobotanical study of plants used in socio-religious activities in Bhutan
Authors: JIGME JIGME , YANGCHEN KARMA
Published: January 2023

Abstract. Jigme, Yangchen K. 2022. An ethnobotanical study of plants used in socio-religious activities in Bhutan. Asian J Ethnobiol 5: 44-51. Ethnobotany encompasses all elements of plants’ natural and direct interaction with humans. Plants have been linked to human civilization since antiquity. Like Hindu people, Buddhists worship plants or use their components in different ways to perform various socio-religious ceremonies. However, this indigenous knowledge is diminishing rapidly due to the disinterest shown by the younger generation. Therefore, there need to document this indigenous knowledge regarding the usage of religious plants. The present study was conducted in Kanglung Gewog under Trashigang Dzongkhag, Bhutan, to document the plant species used for religious purposes. The ethnobotanical data were collected through semi-structured telephone interviews. A total of 24 plant species belonging to 16 families and 22 genera used in religious practices were documented. Among the 16 families, the most utilized species belong to the family Poaceae (4 species), followed by the family Ericaceae and Cupressaceae (3 species each) and Pinaceae (2 species). Out of these, trees account for 58 percent of all plants reported, followed by herbs (25%), shrubs (13%), and climbers (4%). The tree's trunk's most utilized parts, followed by the leaves, whole plant, seeds, and fruits. The majority of the plants recorded (58%) are used for religious ceremonies, and 42 percent of the plants are used for making religious items. The people of Kanglung have extensive indigenous knowledge on using plants in socio-religious activities. Still, rapid socio-economic development and the disinterest of the younger generation have become a major threat to preserving this indigenous knowledge. Therefore, it is necessary to preserve this indigenous knowledge on using plants in socio-religious activities by proper documentation and identification of plant species used to save these plants from further loss and sustainable utilization.
Ethnobotanical survey of plants used by the riparian population of Banco National Park (Abidjan, Ivory Coast)
Authors: GNAHORE ERIC , KOUADIO KOUASSI RICHARD , AMBA ACHIEDO JEAN GREVIN , KONE MOUSSA , BAKAYOKO ADAMA
Published: January 2023

Abstract. Gnahore E, Kouadio KR, Amba AJG, Kone M, Bakayoko A. 2022. Ethnobotanical survey of plants used by the riparian population of Banco National Park (Abidjan, Ivory Coast). Asian J Ethnobiol 5: 121-129. Situated at the "heart" of Abidjan, Banco National Park (BNP), Ivory Coast, is the rare relics of moist, dense rainforests coveted everywhere. This work was undertaken with an aim of identifying the plants most usually used by the riparian population of BNP in human food, animal food, and pharmacopeia. An ethnobotanical survey was carried out of the riparian population of the BNP. The method consists of an ethnobotanical survey realized among the inhabitants of the park and those of the surrounding urban districts. The method used was semi-structured interviews. This study targeted 294 people, including 20% men and 80% women, aged between 30 and 60. A total of 36 plant species from 34 genera and 28 families were recorded. Thirteen species were used in food, three fodder species, and thirty others used to treat several ailments in the area. Two of these plants have strong ratio utilization in human food: Myrianthus arboreus P.Beauv. (15.25%) and M. libericus Rendle (14%). Thus, in the area study, five species are respectively considered threatened and three species rare. Leaves (32.55%) and bark (20.93%) are the most used organ. Decoction (98%) was the most common traditional medicine preparation method. Indigenous knowledge distribution in the community showed significant differences (p<0.05) in the study groups for factors of age, sex, gender, and educational level. The number of resources used can seriously impact the forest negatively. It is urgent to adopt a lasting management plan for sustainable harvest for the safeguard and preservation of the plant cash of the BNP.
Sustainability level of mangrove forest management based on RAP-MForest approach in Pancer Cengkrong, Trenggalek District, Indonesia
Authors: SABRINA AGRA DEWI , RAMADHANDI ANANDA RILO , NUR ALYA AFRA INAS , LIZA NOR , SUTARNO SUTARNO , YAP CHEE KONG , INDRAWAN MUHAMMAD , SETYAWAN AHMAD DWI
Published: January 2023

Abstract. Sabrina AD, Ramadhandi AR, Nur AAI, Liza N, Sutarno, Yap CK, Indrawan M, Setyawan AD. 2022. Sustainability level of mangrove forest management based on RAP-MForest approach in Pancer Cengkrong, Trenggalek District, Indonesia. Intl J Bonorowo Wetlands 12: 82-88. Mangrove forest area is a coastal resource that benefits the community's welfare. Protection and preservation of the mangrove ecosystem need to be carried out by taking into account various aspects to achieve sustainability. This study aims to analyze the level of sustainability of mangrove forest management and the contributing factors in the Pancer Cengkrong Mangrove Forest area in Karanggandu Village, Trenggalek District, East Java, Indonesia. This research was conducted in June 2022 through field interviews and literature studies. Three dimensions (ecological, economic, and social) were selected, along with their attributes. Each attribute was scored to indicate the status of sustainability. Then, the data obtained were processed by Multi-Dimensional Scaling (MDS) analysis using the Rapid Appraisal for Mangrove Forest (RAP-MForest) method. Furthermore, leverage analysis determines the sensitive attributes in each dimension. The results depicted that management in Pancer Cengkrong Mangrove Forest is less sustainable in the economic dimension and fairly sustainable in the two remaining dimensions. The social dimension achieved the highest sustainability index value at 72.92. Furthermore, knowledge of the sustainability index and sensitive factors can help provide recommendations for management in the Pancer Cengkrong mangrove area to achieve a sustainable level. In this case, the economic dimension should be more concerned with promoting environmentally sustainable development.
Ethnobotanical study of the medicinal plant by local communities in karst area of Pacitan District, East Java, Indonesia
Authors: AMMAR LANTIP ASYAM , KURNIAWATI BELLA , ANGGOROWATI DARAVITA , CAHYANINGSIH AGUSTINA PUTRI , SETYAWAN AHMAD DWI
Published: January 2023

Abstract. Ammar LA, Kurniawati B, Anggorowati D, Cahyaningsih AP, Setyawan AD. 2021. Ethnobotanical study of the medicinal plant used by local communities in karst area of Pacitan District, East Java, Indonesia. Intl J Trop Drylands 5: 84-93. Local people's trust in traditional medicine methods is still high, especially in rural areas. Most of the villagers in Tulakan Sub-district, Pacitan District, East Java, Indonesia, grow their medicinal plants in their yards. However, local people's knowledge of various medicinal plant types is only conveyed orally from parents to children and community practice habits. Information about the using medicinal plants may begin to degrade from time to time. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge of local communities regarding the use of medicinal plants and the plant diversity, especially in the village of karst areas. The research was conducted in Bungur Village and Tulakan Village, Tulakan Sub-district, Pacitan District, East Java, Indonesia. Data collection was carried out using the snowball technique through open interviews and field surveys. A total of 40 respondents with 7 people of young age range 15-40 years and 33 people of old age range 41-75 years. Respondents with the most educational backgrounds are high school graduates. A total of 51 species were found, from 46 genera and 29 families, with 35 diseases being treated. Fever, cough, and external wounds are the most commonly treated diseases. The most widely used medicinal plant is Zingiber officinale Roscoe to warm the body, prevent fever, and increase immunity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the villagers orally consumed ginger for post-COVID-19 positive recovery and maintained health. The most used plant parts are leaves and rhizomes by decoction and consumption orally. Based on the research results, it is known that the knowledge of the local communities and the use of medicinal plants is still quite good among the older and younger people with various types of plants.
Ethnobotany of semi-arid medicinal plants used by Bunaq Tribe in Lamaknen, Belu District, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
Authors: BRIA EMILIA JULIYANTI , MELA YOSEF JEFRIANTO ADE , TNUNAY ITE MORINA YOSTIANTI
Published: January 2023

Abstract. Mela YJA, Bria EJ, Tnunay IMY. 2022. Ethnobotany of semi-arid medicinal plants used by Bunaq Tribe in Lamaknen, Belu District, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Intl J Trop Drylands 6: 16-25. The diversity of traditional medicinal plants of the Bunaq Tribe in Lamaknen, Belu District, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, is a basic study of the development of local potential in supporting plant conservation in the border areas of Indonesia. This study aimed to determine the types of medicinal plants, the organs used, processing methods and ways of using plants as traditional medicines, and species use-values ??(SUV) by the Bunaq Tribe in Belu District, a semi-arid climatic area in Timor Island, Indonesia. This study uses a descriptive qualitative and quantitative approach. The research method used was semi-structured interviews with village shamans. The results showed that there were 26 families consisting of 63 species of plants used as medicine. Fabaceae had the highest number of species used in medicine. The most widely used growth form was a tree and the most frequently used plant part was the leaf (30%). The most widely applied processing method was boiling. Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) showed the highest use-value, 0.57, compared to other species. In conclusion, the Bunaq Tribe still preserves traditional knowledge of medicinal plants through village shamans. This information can be used as the basis for developing the social and cultural values of the Bunaq Tribe in the border areas of Indonesia.
Policy learning from crises: lessons learned from the Italian food stamp programme
Authors: Busetti Simone , Righettini Maria Stella
Published: January 2023

Advancing learning is a central tenet for improving public action. Recent calls for agility, robustness, prototyping and other strategies for coping with crises imply continual learning and improvement. This article contributes to challenging this ideal interpretation of the learning process. It provides conceptual and methodological tools to investigate the relationship between policy learning and policy change and sheds light on the diverse dynamics and types of learning that can emerge from crises. At the conceptual level, the article presents a learning matrix that classifies the possible outcomes in the relationship between learning and change. On methods, our research design includes process tracing, binary comparisons, and an innovative real-time approach to the study of learning. The article investigates three municipal case studies from the Italian food stamp programme implemented during the COVID-19 lockdowns. The repetition of the programme over a short period of time offers the opportunity to investigate inter-crisis learning, the process by which lessons from the first wave of implementation contributed to reforms in the second delivery. The coronavirus crisis magnified the acquisition of knowledge and provided radical inter-programme lessons – long-term, non-incremental learning beyond the management of the emergency. Yet, the findings also highlight how this window of opportunity for learning quickly closed and how certain lessons learned may be lost in the process of reform, hard to implement or are unlikely to be extrapolated across contexts.
Broadband dual-mode 3  dB power splitter using bricked subwavelength gratings
Authors: Lu Mengjia , Deng Chunyu , Sun Yu , Wang Dongyu , Liu Pengcheng , Lin Dongdong , Cheng Wei , Shi Shangqing , Lin Tong , Hu Guohua , Yun Binfeng , Cui Yiping
Published: January 2023

The multimode power splitter plays an essential role in on-chip mode-division multiplexing systems. In this work, a broadband dual-mode optical power splitter based on the self-imaging effect in the multimode interference (MMI) engineered by bricked subwavelength gratings (BSWGs) is proposed. The dual-mode power splitter is optimized by combining the 3D finite difference time domain (FDTD) and the particle swarm optimization (PSO) method. For the input

T
E

0

mode, the insertion loss (IL) and the imbalance (IB) are lower than 0.55 dB and 0.65 dB, while the IL and IB for the input

T
E

1

mode are, respectively, lower than 0.7 dB and 0.37 dB over 150 nm bandwidth in the wavelength range of 1.5–1.65 µm. In addition, the cross talk (CT) is lower than

−

25

d
B

for the two modes over this wavelength range. Furthermore, the minimum feature size of the gratings is as large as 135 nm, and only a single etch step is required, which is beneficial for the fabrication.
Large group delay and low loss optical delay line based on chirped waveguide Bragg gratings
Authors: Li Yaoshuai , Xu Liang , Wang Danlu , Huang Qingzhong , Zhang Chi , Zhang Xinliang
Published: January 2023

On-chip optical delay lines (ODLs) based on chirped waveguide Bragg gratings (CWBG) have attracted much attention in recent years. Although CWBGs are well developed, the CWBG which have large group delay (GD), large delay-bandwidth product and low loss while is circulator-free have little been investigated so far. In this work, we propose and experimentally demonstrate such a CWBG-based ODL. This device is fabricated on a low-loss 800-nm-height silicon nitride platform, combining 20.11-cm long index-chirped multi-mode spiral waveguide antisymmetric Bragg gratings with a directional coupler. The bandwidth of this circulator-free ODL is 23 nm. The total GD is 2864 ps and the delay-bandwidth product is 65.87 ns·nm, which both are the largest values achieved by on-chip CWBG reported to our knowledge. Its loss is 1.57 dB/ns and the total insertion loss of the device is 6 dB at the central wavelength near 1550 nm. This integrated CWBG can be explored in practical applications including microwave photonics, temporal optics, and optical communication.
Control of the sensitivity of the detection of ionized air using photonic crystal waveguides
Authors: Fujimoto Masanao , Takahashi Yuki , Kikunaga Kazuya , Takahashi Yasushi
Published: January 2023

Ionized air is used in various industries to control electrostatic charge. On the other hand, ionized air molecules can also cause various problems since electrification of materials can induce electrostatic discharges. Therefore, compact sensors that enable a quantitative detection of ionized air will help to improve industrial processes and safety. Here we report on the detection of negatively ionized air using a photonic crystal (PC) waveguide with a length of 800 µm. In this type of detector, the PC is exposed to a flux of air ions that transfers a part of the excess charges to the PC. The light transmitted through the waveguide is then attenuated by free carrier absorption due to the excess charges from the ionized air molecules. We show that the electron density in the PC can be estimated from the magnitude of the attenuation, and that this magnitude depends on the wavelength of the light propagating in the PC waveguide. Due to the wavelength dispersion of the group velocity, light at longer wavelengths is subject to stronger attenuation than light at shorter wavelengths. This property is useful for the development of ionized-air sensors with a variable detection range.
Type II taste cells participate in mucosal immune surveillance
Authors: Qin Yumei , Palayyan Salin Raj , Zheng Xin , Tian Shiyi , Margolskee Robert F. , Sukumaran Sunil K.
Published: January 2023

The oral microbiome is second only to its intestinal counterpart in diversity and abundance, but its effects on taste cells remains largely unexplored. Using single-cell RNASeq, we found that mouse taste cells, in particular, sweet and umami receptor cells that express taste 1 receptor member 3 (Tas1r3), have a gene expression signature reminiscent of Microfold (M) cells, a central player in immune surveillance in the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) such as those in the Peyer’s patch and tonsils. Administration of tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily member 11 (TNFSF11; also known as RANKL), a growth factor required for differentiation of M cells, dramatically increased M cell proliferation and marker gene expression in the taste papillae and in cultured taste organoids from wild-type (WT) mice. Taste papillae and organoids from knockout mice lackingSpib(SpibKO), a RANKL-regulated transcription factor required for M cell development and regeneration on the other hand, failed to respond to RANKL. Taste papillae fromSpibKOmice also showed reduced expression of NF-κB signaling pathway components and proinflammatory cytokines and attracted fewer immune cells. However, lipopolysaccharide-induced expression of cytokines was strongly up-regulated inSpibKOmice compared to their WT counterparts. Like M cells, taste cells from WT but notSpibKOmice readily took up fluorescently labeled microbeads, a proxy for microbial transcytosis. The proportion of taste cell subtypes are unaltered inSpibKOmice; however, they displayed increased attraction to sweet and umami taste stimuli. We propose that taste cells are involved in immune surveillance and may tune their taste responses to microbial signaling and infection.
A unitary model of auditory frequency change perception
Authors: Siedenburg Kai , Graves Jackson , Pressnitzer Daniel
Published: January 2023

Changes in the frequency content of sounds over time are arguably the most basic form of information about the behavior of sound-emitting objects. In perceptual studies, such changes have mostly been investigated separately, as aspects of either pitch or timbre. Here, we propose a unitary account of “up” and “down” subjective judgments of frequency change, based on a model combining auditory correlates of acoustic cues in a sound-specific and listener-specific manner. To do so, we introduce a generalized version of so-called Shepard tones, allowing symmetric manipulations of spectral information on a fine scale, usually associated to pitch (spectral fine structure, SFS), and on a coarse scale, usually associated timbre (spectral envelope, SE). In a series of behavioral experiments, listeners reported “up” or “down” shifts across pairs of generalized Shepard tones that differed in SFS, in SE, or in both. We observed the classic properties of Shepard tones for either SFS or SE shifts: subjective judgements followed the smallest log-frequency change direction, with cases of ambiguity and circularity. Interestingly, when both SFS and SE changes were applied concurrently (synergistically or antagonistically), we observed a trade-off between cues. Listeners were encouraged to report when they perceived “both” directions of change concurrently, but this rarely happened, suggesting a unitary percept. A computational model could accurately fit the behavioral data by combining different cues reflecting frequency changes after auditory filtering. The model revealed that cue weighting depended on the nature of the sound. When presented with harmonic sounds, listeners put more weight on SFS-related cues, whereas inharmonic sounds led to more weight on SE-related cues. Moreover, these stimulus-based factors were modulated by inter-individual differences, revealing variability across listeners in the detailed recipe for “up” and “down” judgments. We argue that frequency changes are tracked perceptually via the adaptive combination of a diverse set of cues, in a manner that is in fact similar to the derivation of other basic auditory dimensions such as spatial location.
Leaders or laggards in climate action? Assessing GHG trends and mitigation targets of global megacities
Authors: Sethi Mahendra , Creutzig Felix
Published: January 2023

Urban areas account for between 71% and 76% of CO2 emissions from global final energy use and between 67–76% of global energy use. The highest emitting 100 urban areas (defined as contiguous population clusters) account for 18% of the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To date there is no comprehensive study of megacities (10 million+ population) analysing their historic population, economic and emission patterns and contributions to global GHGs. A key challenge is that a majority of these megacities (33 out of 41) are located in developing countries, making it challenging to track their rapidly mounting emissions. In this research, we capitalize on recently released open-access datasets—the Global Human Settlements Database (R2019A) and the World Urbanization Prospects (2018) for analyzing megacity development and GHG trends, vis-à-vis the mitigation targets outlined in their climate action plans. We find that as leading political and economic centres in their nations, though most megacities have initiated climate action plans, the aggregate impact of megacities on global emissions is limited. Based on this evidence, we explore how rapidly growing megacities can hedgehop to effectively reduce their GHG emissions while urbanizing and developing economically.
Growth model for international academic medicine partnerships: Qualitative analysis of Ghana postgraduate Ob/Gyn training program
Authors: Rager Theresa L. , Kekulawala Melani , Braunschweiga Yael , Samba Ali , Johnson Tim R. B. , Anderson Frank W. J.
Published: January 2023

This study aims to detail the capacity strengthening process of the Ghana Ob/Gyn postgraduate training program in order to inform a model by which international academic medicine partnerships can form, grow, and effectively tackle development challenges. A qualitative analysis with grounded theory methodological approach was utilized. Convenience and purposive sampling were used to select certified Ob/Gyn training program graduates. Interviews were conducted face-to-face in in Accra, Kumasi, Cape Coast, and Tamale, Ghana between June 21 to August 20, 2017. An additional data analysis of 48 semi-structured interviews previously collected for another study were examined for factors pertinent to graduate career development. Coded data were grouped according to themes and subthemes. Emerging themes demonstrated that graduates further complete the maternal care team and facilitate collaboration amongst healthcare workers. Themes also included graduates’ pursuit of subspecialty training and research. Graduates cited the training program as key to their professional development. Graduates assume leadership roles in hospital management and operations, teaching, mentoring, interprofessional maternal care team, and knowledge-sharing. Graduates expressed eagerness to subspecialize and to advance their research training and skills. The results suggest a growth model of international academic medicine partnerships from basic obstetric training to advanced training. The model is developed for adaptability in other SSA countries and low-resource settings so that it may effectively strengthen health workforce capacity. We hope that this program can serve as a model for other partnerships in medical specialties.
Social support and very young adolescent girl’s knowledge on sexual relationships: A comparative qualitative study of Girl Only Clubs’ participants and non-participants in rural Malawi
Authors: Chimwaza-Manda Wanangwa , Kamndaya Mphatso , Pilgrim Nanlesta , Mathur Sanyukta , Chipeta Effie Kondwani , Sikweyiya Yandisa
Published: January 2023

Early sexual relationships are associated with an increased risk of acquiring sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDs, teenage pregnancies, and unsafe abortions among other negative health outcomes. Understanding sexual relationships among very young adolescents (VYAs) is important to equip them to protect themselves from negative sexual health (SH) outcomes. DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe) is an HIV prevention initiative that provided an evidence-based core package of interventions to VYAs to prevent HIV acquisition in 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The Girl Only Club (GOC) was the primary context for the interventions. Our objective in this study was to explore if there was any difference in social support (SS) received concerning sexual relationships between the VYA girls who attended GOCs and those who did not. In-depth interviews were conducted with 43 VYA girls, aged 10–14 years, in two rural southern districts, Zomba and Machinga, in Malawi. Twenty-three VYA girls were participants in GOCs and 20 VYA girls did not participate. A thematic, descriptive approach that involved a constant comparative analysis guided the data analysis, and Nvivo 12 software was used. In both study sites available SS concerning sexual relationships is informational support including information from parents, older relatives, and friends. However, club participants differed from non-club participants in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) knowledge and use. Club participants reported consulting others on decision-making and information on sexual relationships; receiving detailed SH information from clubs; condom use due to education received from the clubs; quitting sexual relationships; and correcting misinformation with club information. GOC participants received more SS which made them more knowledgeable and better at handling sexual relationship issues than those not in clubs. Interventions that integrate SS including social asset building and safe spaces are critical for VYA SRH programming.
Biorefinery and sustainability for the production of biofuels and value-added products: A trends analysis based on network and patent analysis
Authors: Barragán-Ocaña Alejandro , Merritt Humberto , Sánchez-Estrada Omar Eduardo , Méndez-Becerril José Luis , del Pilar Longar-Blanco María
Published: January 2023

Biorefineries are modern mechanisms used for producing value-added products and biofuels from different biomass sources. However, a crucial challenge is to achieve a sustainable model for their adequate implementation. Challenges related to technical efficiency and economic feasibility are two of the most relevant problems. Therefore, the present study sought to determine the current trends in basic research and technological development around biorefining and sustainability. We carried out a co-occurrence analysis and a patent analysis using data obtained from the Scopus and Lens databases to provide a general overview of the current state of this area of knowledge. The co-occurrence analysis intends to provide an overview of biorefining and sustainability based on terms associated with these two concepts as a starting point to determine the progress and existing challenges of the field. The results of the patent analysis consisted in identifying the main technological sectors, applicants, and territories where inventions associated with biorefining are registered. The analysis of the information showed that bioeconomy, techno-economic aspects, circular economy, technical issues associated with biomass production, and biofuels represent the focal point of basic research in a wide range of disciplines. Technology development is focused on fermentation, enzymes, and microorganisms, among other areas, which shows the validity of these traditional techniques in addressing the problems faced by the bioeconomy. This scenario shows that developed economies are the driving force behind this area of knowledge and that the PCT system is fundamental for the protection and commercialization of these inventions in places different from where they originated. Furthermore, the challenge lies in learning to work in alternative and complementary technological sectors, beyond microbiology and enzyme applications, in pursuit of the sector’s technical and economic feasibility.
“The person in power told me to”—European PhD students’ perspectives on guest authorship and good authorship practice
Authors: Goddiksen Mads Paludan , Johansen Mikkel Willum , Armond Anna Catharina , Clavien Christine , Hogan Linda , Kovács Nóra , Merit Marcus Tang , Olsson I. Anna S. , Quinn Una , Santos Júlio Borlido , Santos Rita , Schöpfer Céline , Varga Orsolya , Wall P. J. , Sandøe Peter , Lund Thomas Bøker
Published: January 2023

Questionable authorship practices in scientific publishing are detrimental to research quality and management. The existing literature dealing with the prevalence, and perceptions, of such practices has focused on the medical sciences, and on experienced researchers. In contrast, this study investigated how younger researchers (PhD students) from across the faculties view fair authorship attribution, their experience with granting guest authorships to more powerful researchers and their reasons for doing so. Data for the study were collected in a survey of European PhD students. The final dataset included 1,336 participants from five European countries (Denmark, Hungary, Ireland, Portugal, and Switzerland) representing all major disciplines. Approximately three in ten reported that they had granted at least one guest authorship to “a person in power”. Half of these indicated that they had done so because they had been told to do so by the person in power. Participants from the medical, natural and technical sciences were much more likely to state that they had granted a guest authorship than those from other faculties. We identified four general views about what is sufficient for co-authorship. There were two dominant views. The first (inclusive view) considered a broad range of contributions to merit co-authorship. The second (strongly writing-oriented) emphasised that co-authors must have written a piece of the manuscript text. The inclusive view dominated in the natural, technical, and medical sciences. Participants from other faculties were more evenly distributed between the inclusive and writing oriented view. Those with an inclusive view were most likely to indicate that they have granted a guest authorship. According to the experiences of our participants, questionable authorship practices are prevalent among early-career researchers, and they appear to be reinforced through a combination of coercive power relations and dominant norms in some research cultures, particularly in the natural, technical, and medical sciences.
“I decided in my heart I have to complete the sessions”: A qualitative study on the acceptability of an evidence-based HIV risk reduction intervention among women engaged in sex work in Uganda
Authors: Sensoy Bahar Ozge , Nabunya Proscovia , Nabayinda Josephine , Witte Susan , Kiyingi Joshua , Nsubuga Edward , Schriger Simone , Nattabi Jennifer , Mayo-Wilson Larissa Jennings , Nakigudde Janet , Tozan Yesim , Ssewamala Fred M.
Published: January 2023

Background

The HIV burden remains a critical public health concern and women engaged in sex work [WESW] are at significantly higher risk compared to the general adult population. Similar to other sub-Saharan African countries, Uganda reports high rates of HIV prevalence among WESW. Yet, they have not been targeted by theory-informed HIV prevention intervention approaches.

Methods

We conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with 20 WESW upon intervention completion to explore their experiences with an evidence-based HIV risk reduction intervention that was implemented as part of a combination intervention tested in a clinical trial in Uganda (2018–2023. Specifically, we explored their initial motivations and concerns for participating in the intervention, barriers and facilitators to attendance, and their feedback on specific intervention characteristics.

Results

The main expectations revolved around access to health-related information, including information on STIs, HIV, and PrEP as well as on how one can protect themselves while engaging in sex work. Initial concerns were around potential breach of confidentiality and fear of arrest. The main facilitators for session attendance were the motivation to learn health-related information, the attitude of facilitators, and the incentives received for participation, whereas main challenges were related to family commitments and work schedules. WESW appreciated the group format of the intervention and found the location and times of the intervention delivery acceptable.

Discussion and conclusions

Overall, our findings suggest that the HIV risk reduction intervention was appropriate and acceptable to WESW. Yet, WESW experience unique concerns and barriers that need to be accounted for when designing interventions targeting this population, especially in resource-limited settings where sex work is illegal and highly stigmatized.

Clinical trial registration

NCT03583541.
Development of a simple screening tool for determining cognitive status in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Chang Hsin-Te , Chiu Pai-Yi
Published: January 2023

Cognitive screening is often a first step to document cognitive status of patients suspected having Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Unfortunately, screening neuropsychological tests are often insensitivity in the detection. The goal of this study was to develop a simple and sensitive screening neuropsychological test to facilitate early detection of AD. This study recruited 761 elderly individuals suspected of having AD and presenting various cognitive statuses (mean age: 77.69 ± 8.45 years; proportion of females: 65%; cognitively unimpaired, CU, n = 133; mild cognitive impairment, MCI, n = 231; dementia of Alzheimer’s type, DAT, n = 397). This study developed a novel screening neuropsychological test incorporating assessments of the core memory deficits typical of early AD and an interview on memory function with an informant. The proposed History-based Artificial Intelligence-Show Chwan Assessment of Cognition (HAI-SAC) was assessed in terms of psychometric properties, test time, and discriminative ability. The results were compared with those obtained using other common screening tests, including Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (CASI), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and an extracted Mini-Mental State Examination score from CASI. HAI-SAC demonstrated acceptable internal consistency. Factor analysis revealed two factors: memory (semantic and contextual) and cognition-related information from informants. The assessment performance of HAI-SAC was strongly correlated with that of the common screening neuropsychological tests addressed in this study. HAI-SAC outperformed the other tests in differentiating CU individuals from patients with MCI (sensitivity: 0.87; specificity: 0.58; area under the curve [AUC]: 0.78) or DAT (sensitivity: 0.99; specificity: 0.89; AUC: 0.98). Performance of HAI-SAC on differentiating MCI from DAT was on par with performances of other tests (sensitivity: 0.78; specificity: 0.84; AUC: 0.87), while the test time was less than one quarter that of CASI and half that of MoCA. HAI-SAC is psychometrically sound, cost-effective, and sensitive in discriminating the cognitive status of AD.