bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A review on room-temperature self-healing polyurethane: synthesis, self-healing mechanism and application
Authors: Li Yupeng , Jin Yong , Fan Wuhou , Zhou Rong
Published: August 2022

Polyurethanes have been widely used in many fields due to their remarkable features such as excellent mechanical strength, good abrasion resistance, toughness, low temperature flexibility, etc. In recent years, room-temperature self-healing polyurethanes have been attracting broad and growing interest because under mild conditions, room-temperature self-healing polyurethanes can repair damages, thereby extending their lifetimes and reducing maintenance costs. In this paper, the recent advances of room-temperature self-healing polyurethanes based on dynamic covalent bonds, noncovalent bonds and combined dual or triple dynamic bonds are reviewed, focusing on their synthesis methods and self-healing mechanisms, and their mechanical properties, healing efficiency and healing time are also described in detial. In addition, the latest applications of room-temperature self-healing polyurethanes in the fields of leather coatings, photoluminescence materials, flexible electronics and biomaterials are summarized. Finally, the current challenges and future development directions of the room-temprature self-healing polyurethanes are highlighted. Overall, this review is expected to provide a valuable reference for the prosperous development of room-temperature self-healing polyurethanes.

Graphical abstract
Implications of mitochondrial DNA variants in pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Jain Ayushi , Katiyar Amit , Singh Ritika , Bakhshi Sameer , Singh Harpreet , Palanichamy Jayanth Kumar , Singh Archna
Published: August 2022

Background

Research on the role of variations in the mitochondrial genome in pathogenesis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has been unfolding at a rapid rate. Our laboratory has previously described higher number of copies of the mitochondrial genomes per cell in pediatric ALL patients as compared to the healthy controls. In the current study, we evaluated the pattern of mitochondrial genome variations in 20 de-novo pediatric B-ALL cases and seven controls. Quantitative real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction was used for estimation of mitochondrial genomes’ copy number in bone marrow samples of each ALL patient and peripheral blood samples of controls. The complete mitochondrial genomes of all samples were sequenced using the Illumina platform.

Results

Sequencing data analysis using multiple mitochondrial genome databases revealed 325 variants in all 27 samples, out of which 221 variants were previously known while 104 were unassigned, new variants. The 325 variants consisted of 7 loss-of-function variants, 131 synonymous variants, 75 missense variants, and 112 non-coding variants. New, missense variants (n = 21) were identified in genes encoding the electron transport chain complexes with most of them encoding ND4, ND5 of complex I. Missense and loss-of-function variants were found to be deleterious by many predictor databases of pathogenicity. MuTect2 identified true somatic variants present only in tumors between patient-sibling pairs and showed overlap with missense and loss-of-function variants. Online MtDNA-server showed heteroplasmic and homoplasmic variants in mitochondrial genome.

Conclusions

The data suggest that some of these variations might have a deleterious impact on the expression of mitochondrial encoded genes with a possible functional relevance in leukemia.
A review on interleukins (IL10 and IL17) as biomarkers for hepatitis C-associated oral lichen planus
Authors: Hirani Suraiya , Charania Amynah , Salim Sandhiya , Faheem Sanam
Published: August 2022

Background

Hepatitis C virus is a viral infection associated with autoimmune disorders. This virus has hepatic and extrahepatic manifestations. One of the extrahepatic manifestations associated with the hepatitis C virus includes oral lichen planus. Oral lichen planus is an autoimmune disorder mainly affecting the tongue and buccal mucosa. It clinically represents grayish-white striae bilaterally on the buccal mucosa. The pathogenesis involves the progression of the hepatitis C virus, and oral lichen planus affects T lymphocytes. Specific proteins and cytokines activate these T lymphocytes, which act as biomarkers to detect certain diseases. Interleukin 10 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine, whereas interleukin 17 is a pro-inflammatory cytokine. These cytokines have a pathophysiological role and act as biomarkers for many diseases. Therefore, this review article aims to establish the role of interleukin 10 and interleukin 17 as biomarkers for hepatitis C-associated oral lichen planus.

Conclusion

Hepatitis C virus is an infectious disease that can lead to liver cirrhosis, and oral lichen planus is a premalignant lesion that can lead to oral carcinoma. As interleukin 10 lessens the immune pathologies and interleukin 17 mediates proinflammatory response, therefore, these biomarkers have a role in progression of these diseases.
Correct Aharonov-Bohm wave functions for half-integer flux
Authors: Das Siddhant
Published: August 2022

A missing angle-dependent prefactor in the wave functions for half-integer magnetic flux obtained in Aharonov Y. and Bohm D., Phys. Rev., 115 (1959) 485 is supplied, without which the result is not single-valued. No physical conclusions of the paper are affected.
Mineralocorticoid Receptors Mediate Diet-Induced Lipid Infiltration of Skeletal Muscle and Insulin Resistance
Authors: Hulse Jack L , Habibi Javad , Igbekele Aderonke E , Zhang Bingyue , Li Jessie , Whaley-Connell Adam , Sowers James R , Jia Guanghong
Published: August 2022

Excess circulating lipids increase total intramyocellular (IMC) lipid content and ectopic fat storage, resulting in lipotoxicity and insulin resistance in skeletal muscle. Consumption of a diet high in fat and refined sugars—a Western diet (WD)—has been shown to activate mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) and promote insulin resistance. However, our understanding of the precise mechanisms by which enhanced MR activation promotes skeletal muscle insulin resistance remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms by which enhanced MR signaling in soleus muscle promotes ectopic skeletal muscle lipid accumulation and related insulin resistance. Six-week-old C57BL/6J mice were fed either a mouse chow diet or a WD with or without spironolactone (1 mg/kg/day) for 16 weeks. Spironolactone attenuated 16 weeks of WD-induced in vivo glucose intolerance and insulin resistance, and improved soleus insulin metabolic signaling. Improved insulin sensitivity was accompanied by increased glucose transporter 4 (Glut4) expression in conjunction with decreased soleus free fatty acid and IMC lipid content, as well as CD36 expression. Additionally, spironolactone prevented WD-induced soleus mitochondria dysfunction. Furthermore, MR signaling also mediated WD/aldosterone-induced reductions in soleus microRNA (miR)-99a, which was identified to negatively target CD36 and prevented palmitic acid–induced increases in CD36 expression, lipid droplet formation, mitochondria dysfunction, and insulin resistance in C2C12 cells. These data indicate that inhibition of MR activation with spironolactone prevented diet-induced abnormal expression of miR-99a, which had the capacity to reduce CD36, leading to reduced IMC lipid content and improved soleus mitochondria function and insulin sensitivity.
Functions of Membrane Progesterone Receptors (mPRs, PAQRs) in Nonreproductive Tissues
Authors: Thomas Peter , Pang Yefei , Camilletti Maria Andrea , Castelnovo Luca F
Published: August 2022

Gender differences in a wide variety of physiological parameters have implicated the ovarian hormones, estrogens and progesterone, in the regulation of numerous nonreproductive tissue functions. Rapid, nongenomic (nonclassical) progesterone actions mediated by membrane progesterone receptors (mPRs), which belong to the progestin and adipoQ receptor family, have been extensively investigated in reproductive and nonreproductive tissues since their discovery in fish ovaries 20 years ago. The 5 mPR subtypes (α, β, γ, δ, ε) are widely distributed in vertebrate tissues and are often expressed in the same cells as the nuclear progesterone receptor (PR) and progesterone receptor membrane component 1, thereby complicating investigations of mPR-specific functions. Nevertheless, mPR-mediated progesterone actions have been identified in a wide range of reproductive and nonreproductive tissues and distinguished from nuclear PR-mediated ones by knockdown of these receptors with siRNA in combination with a pharmacological approach using mPR- and PR-specific agonists. There are several recent reviews on the roles of the mPRs in vertebrate reproduction and cancer, but there have been no comprehensive assessments of mPR functions in nonreproductive tissues. Therefore, this article briefly reviews mPR functions in a broad range of nonreproductive tissues. The evidence that mPRs mediate progesterone and progestogen effects on neuroprotection, lordosis behavior, respiratory control of apnea, olfactory responses to pheromones, peripheral nerve regeneration, regulation of prolactin secretion in prolactinoma, immune functions, and protective functions in vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells is critically reviewed. The ubiquitous expression of mPRs in vertebrate tissues suggests mPRs regulate many additional nonreproductive functions that remain to be identified.
Enhancer RNAs step forward: new insights into enhancer function
Authors: Harrison Laura J. , Bose Daniel
Published: August 2022

Enhancers confer precise spatiotemporal patterns of gene expression in response to developmental and environmental stimuli. Over the last decade, the transcription of enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) – nascent RNAs transcribed from active enhancers – has emerged as a key factor regulating enhancer activity. eRNAs are relatively short-lived RNA species that are transcribed at very high rates but also quickly degraded. Nevertheless, eRNAs are deeply intertwined within enhancer regulatory networks and are implicated in a number of transcriptional control mechanisms. Enhancers show changes in function and sequence over evolutionary time, raising questions about the relationship between enhancer sequences and eRNA function. Moreover, the vast majority of single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with human complex diseases map to the non-coding genome, with causal disease variants enriched within enhancers. In this Primer, we survey the diverse roles played by eRNAs in enhancer-dependent gene expression, evaluating different models for eRNA function. We also explore questions surrounding the genetic conservation of enhancers and how this relates to eRNA function and dysfunction.
Stable iPSC-derived NKX2-1+ lung bud tip progenitor organoids give rise to airway and alveolar cell types
Authors: Hein Renee F. C. , Conchola Ansley S. , Fine Alexis S. , Xiao Zhiwei , Frum Tristan , Brastrom Lindy K. , Akinwale Mayowa A. , Childs Charlie J. , Tsai Yu-Hwai , Holloway Emily M. , Huang Sha , Mahoney John , Heemskerk Idse , Spence Jason R.
Published: August 2022

Bud tip progenitors (BTPs) in the developing lung give rise to all epithelial cell types found in the airways and alveoli. This work aimed to develop an iPSC organoid model enriched with NKX2-1+ BTP-like cells. Building on previous studies, we optimized a directed differentiation paradigm to generate spheroids with more robust NKX2-1 expression. Spheroids were expanded into organoids that possessed NKX2-1+/CPM+ BTP-like cells, which increased in number over time. Single cell RNA-sequencing analysis revealed a high degree of transcriptional similarity between induced BTPs (iBTPs) and in vivo BTPs. Using FACS, iBTPs were purified and expanded as induced bud tip progenitor organoids (iBTOs), which maintained an enriched population of bud tip progenitors. When iBTOs were directed to differentiate into airway or alveolar cell types using well-established methods, they gave rise to organoids composed of organized airway or alveolar epithelium, respectively. Collectively, iBTOs are transcriptionally and functionally similar to in vivo BTPs, providing an important model for studying human lung development and differentiation.
Methods Matter: p-Hacking and Publication Bias in Causal Analysis in Economics: Comment
Authors: Kranz Sebastian , PÜtz Peter
Published: August 2022

Brodeur, Cook, and Heyes (2020) study hypothesis tests from economic articles and find evidence for p-hacking and publication bias, in particular for instrumental variable and difference-in-difference studies. When adjusting for rounding errors (introducing a novel method), statistical evidence for p-hacking from randomization tests and caliper tests at the 5 percent significance threshold vanishes for difference-in-differnce studies but remains for instrumental variable studies. Results at the 1 percent and 10 percent significance thresholds remain largely similar. In addition, Brodeur, Cook, and Heyes derive latent distributions of z-statistics absent publication bias using two different approaches. We establish for each approach a result that challenges its applicability. (JEL A14, C12, C52)
RETRACTED BY THE AUTHORS: Dividend Taxes and the Allocation of Capital
Authors: Boissel Charles , Matray Adrien
Published: August 2022

This paper investigates the 2013 threefold increase in the French dividend tax rate. Using administrative data covering the universe of firms from 2008 to 2017 and a quasi-experimental setting, we find that firms swiftly cut dividend payments and used this tax-induced increase in liquidity to invest more. Heterogeneity analyses show that firms with high demand and returns on capital responded most while no group of firms cut their investment. Our results reject models in which higher dividend taxes increase the cost of capital and show that the tax-induced increase in liquidity relaxes credit constraints, which can reduce capital misallocation. (JEL D22, G31, G35, H25, H32)
A novel technique for prevention of anterior fistula and facilitation of alveolar cleft repair: Gingivoperiosteoplasty with palatoplasty
Authors: Ahmed Owais , Yasmeen Sobia , Khan Muhammad Imran , Afzal Beg Mirza Shehab
Published: August 2022

Background & Objectives: The Cleft palate is one the most commonly encountered congenital deformity in plastic surgery clinics and can be associated with cleft lip and alveolus. Though palate repair can be associated with several complications, the most frequent and troublesome is anterior fistula formation. Various technical modifications are in practice to avoid this dreaded complication. We have started combining gingivoperiosteoplasty with palate repair to avoid postoperative anterior fistula formation and to close alveolar cleft at the same time.

Methods: A prospective study was performed at the department of plastic and reconstructive surgery, Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi and selected patients were enrolled in the study after informed consent. A total of 15 patients were operated on from January 2017 to December 2020. All patients had cleft palate repair along with primary gingivoperiosteoplasty (GPP) at the age of standard palatal repair. Buccal/oral and nasal layers of the alveolus were dissected as per standard gingivoperiosteoplasty and repaired in continuation with nasal and oral layers of the palate. Postoperatively, the standard cleft palate repair protocol was followed. Follow-up was done at four weeks, 12 weeks, and six months and repair integrity was checked. Future follow-up at 4-5 years of age is planned to see the effect on alveolar collapse, bone growth, and the need for secondary bone grafting.

Results: All patients were followed up regularly. None had a complication of fistula. The repairs of both palate and alveolus remained intact. Patients were kept on the follow-up to assess the need for alveolar bone grafting in the future.

Conclusion: Gingivoperiosteoplasty combined with the palatal repair is a novel technique for the prevention of anterior palatal fistula.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.7.5422

How to cite this:Ahmed O, Yasmeen S, Khan MI, Beg MSA. A novel technique for prevention of anterior fistula and facilitation of alveolar cleft repair: Gingivoperiosteoplasty with palatoplasty. Pak J Med Sci. 2022;38(7):1816-1820.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.7.5422

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Οι Έλληνες στα μάτια των Βουλγάρων
Authors: Παπαγιάννη Ειρήνη
Published: August 2022

Η εικόνα του Έλληνα στα μάτια των Βουλγάρων - που συνδέεται άμεσα και άρρηκτα με τη διαδικασία οικοδόμησης και σταθεροποίησης της βουλγαρικής εθνικής ταυτότητας- όπως αυτή παρουσιάστηκε στο δημόσιο λόγο των βουλγαρόφωνων εφημερίδων κατά το δεύτερο μισό του 19ου αιώνα, αποτελεί το περιεχόμενο της παρούσας διατριβής. Το πόνημα αποπειράται να εξετάσει τις αναπαραστάσεις, που συστηματικά συμπεριλαμβάνονται στις σελίδες των εφημερίδων της εποχής, για τον “άλλο” Έλληνα και ταυτόχρονα να ερμηνεύσει, γιατί ο σχηματισμός μιας εθνικής ταυτότητας, αυτή της βουλγαρικής, επηρεάστηκε ή εν γένει προέκυψε σε αντιδιαστολή ως προς τη φιγούρα του “άλλου”, που στην προκειμένη περίπτωση υπήρξε το “κοινό αίσθημα” για τους Έλληνες της Οθωμανικής αυτοκρατορίας και τη σχέση τους με το βουλγαρικό έθνος.H διαμόρφωση και η εμπέδωση της οικείας εθνικής ταυτότητας και η επικύρωση ενός μακραίωνου παρελθόντος, συνέκδοχο της συλλογικής ταυτότητας, που βρέθηκε στο επίκεντρο της βουλγαρικής αφηγηματικής παράστασης των μέσων του 19ου αιώνα, συνδέθηκε με μία αέναη πάλη με το ελληνικό έθνος. Σε αυτό το πλαίσιο, καταγράφηκε η προσπάθεια του βουλγαρικού έθνους για την πλήρη απεμπλοκή του από κάθε τι το ελληνικό, που υλοποιήθηκε και διαμορφώθηκε με την εμφάνιση αξιώσεων στην παροχή εκπαίδευσης που θα είχε ως άμεσο στόχο την πνευματική χειραφέτηση των Βουλγάρων, την προώθηση της βουλγαρικής γλώσσας έναντι της ελληνικής, στην ίδρυση αυτοκέφαλης εκκλησίας σε εθνική βάση και στην εδαφική συμπερίληψη των βουλγαρικών πληθυσμών περιοχών όπως η Μακεδονία και Θράκη.
The role of fairytales in socialization process and in configuration of gender identity of children in preschool age
Authors: Μελίστα Θεοδώρα
Published: August 2022

Η κοινωνικοποίηση αποτιμάται ως βασική ανθρώπινη διαδικασία, κατά την οποία στο άτομο δίνονται πληροφορίες, καθοδηγείται μέσω διαδικασιών μάθησης από διάφορους παράγοντες και σταδιακά μαθαίνει πώς να αλληλεπιδρά προσαρμοστικά και γόνιμα με την κοινωνία. Μία από τις κύριες οδούς κοινωνικοποίησης είναι η διαμόρφωση του φύλου: σε κάθε αναπτυξιακή φάση το άτομο εφοδιάζεται με νέες ιδέες σχετικά με το τι συνιστά συμπεριφορά κατάλληλη για το φύλο, επομένως καλείται κάποιος να αποκτήσει συμπεριφορά που αρμόζει στο κάθε φύλο. Η προσχολική ηλικία φαίνεται να είναι ένα κρίσιμο σημείο για την απόκτηση τόσο ενός δημιουργικού κοινωνικού ρόλου όσο και ενός στερεοτυπικού ρόλου του φύλου. Δεδομένου ότι οι αφηγήσεις των παραμυθιών είναι ένα συνηθισμένο εκπαιδευτικό εργαλείο για αυτές τις ηλικίες, η παρούσα μελέτη διερεύνησε πώς οι προαναφερθείσες μεταβλητές συνδέονται μεταξύ τους. Σκοπός της μελέτης: Στόχος αυτής της διατριβής ήταν να εξετάσει εάν η επαναλαμβανόμενη έκθεση σε κλασικά παραμύθια μπορεί να επηρεάσει σημαντικά τους αντιληπτούς και παρατηρήσιμους ρόλους των φύλων των παιδιών στην προσχολική εκπαίδευση αφενός και απο την άλλη κατά πόσον οι εκπαιδευτικοί και οι γονείς μπορεί να παρατηρήσουν μετά την παρέμβαση αλλαγή στις κοινωνικές συμπεριφορές των παιδιών. Μέθοδοι και ύλη: Το δείγμα αποτελείτο από N= 100 παιδιά ηλικίας 4-5 ετών, αγόρια και κορίτσια σε τυχαία επιλογή, χωρισμένα σε τάξεις προσχολικής εκπαίδευσης των 20 παιδιών. Τόσο οι παιδαγωγοί όσο και οι γονείς ενημερώθηκαν για τη διαδικασία πριν δώσουν τη συγκατάθεση τους. Η παρέμβαση συνίστατο στην έκθεση στα ακόλουθα κλασσικά παραμύθια: Σταχτοπούτα, Πεντάμορφη και το Τέρας, Χιονάτη, Κοκκινοσκουφίτσα, Μικρός Πρίγκιπας και Βασίλισσα της Χιονιού. Η κοινωνική συμπεριφορά των παιδιών αξιολογήθηκε με την Κλίμακα Παιδικής Συμπεριφοράς (Ladd & Profilet, 1996), ενώ ο ρόλος του φύλου τους ερευνήθηκε χρησιμοποιώντας την κλίμακα ταυτότητας φύλου που αναφέρθηκε από τους Egan και Perry (2001). Επιπλέον, τα ποσοτικά δεδομένα συμπληρώθηκαν με ποιοτικά δεδομένα μέσω ημιδομημένων συνεντεύξεων που πραγματοποιήθηκαν με παιδιά, γονείς και δασκάλους. Αποτελέσματα: Η στατιστική ανάλυση φαίνεται να επιβεβαιώνει τις υποθέσεις της έρευνας. Συζήτηση: Έχει μεγάλη αξία να αναγνωρίσουμε ότι τα κλασικά παραμύθια έχουν στατιστικά επίδραση στη διαδικασία κοινωνικοποίησης και στη διαμόρφωση του φύλου σε μαθητές προσχολικής ηλικίας.
Food Security in Shambles: Αn Impact from Sri Lanka National Economic Crisis
Authors: Manullang Abel Josafat
Published: August 2022

Sri Lanka, a state in the South Asia region, is now in the middle of a national economic crisis. The crisis has been mainly attributed to the state’s mounting foreign debts along with its inefficient management of the national economy. Apart from the obvious impact the crisis has over the domestic stability of the state, another impact worth noting is one on the state’s food security. The paper aims to provide analysis in answering the questions of how the national economic crisis affects the food security issue and what government policy was responsible for exacerbating the issue. With the use of a qualitative method of analysis, the concept of food security would also be present to better understand the issue. Later, it is explained how the crisis along with the economic state of Sri Lanka inhibits the government’s role to tackle the issue, hence worsening public opinion and the overall food crisis. For the government’s policy that exacerbated the issue, the past decision back in 2021 to ban the import of chemical fertilizers is believed to be it.
EU Searching for Gatekeepers: Lebanon in European Externalized Migration Management
Authors: Andreou Angeliki Anna
Published: August 2022

Today 1 per 5 people in Lebanon is a Syrian refugee. Lebanon, largely impacted by the Syrian-refugee crisis, followed a “non-policy” and later confining policy for refugees-management. Based on the EU Global Strategy of 2016, migration is identified as principal threat for European security. Recently, EU has exerted its external migration governance in refugee-hosting countries like Lebanon. Having the Union implemented a resilience-building approach, which ended up ignoring the Lebanese system’s structural deficiencies and not accomplishing the desired outcomes, this Policy Brief recommends:

Establishment of legal binding EU-Lebanon refugee governance agreement

Further EIDHR funding conditional to human rights and good governance alignment

Incentives to Lebanese private sector for refugees’ recruitment
Elevated shock index and modified shock index are associated with mortality and major adverse cardiac events in patients with acute myocardial infarction: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Pramudyo Miftah , Putra Iwan Cahyo Santosa , Kamarullah William , Prameswari Hawani Sasmaya , Saboe Aninka , Akbar Mohammad Rizki
Published: August 2022

Background

Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) have been studied extensively to predict unfavourable outcomes in patients suffering from an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Shock index (SI) and modified shock index (MSI) are two new emerging parameters that incorporate BP and HR into their calculations, thereby improving the predictive value of each HR and BP alone in AMI patients. Thus, our aim was to determine the prognostic utility of SI and MSI in AMI patients.

Methods

We searched PubMed, ProQuest, EBSCO Host, and Europe PMC from conception to May 2022. Studies were eligible if they evaluated the relationship of SI and MSI with all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiac events.

Results

A total of 16 studies involving 80,195 participants met the inclusion criteria and were included in this meta-analysis. Our study revealed significantly higher all-cause mortality risk for patients with high SI and MSI compared to patients with low indices, regardless of the periods of outcomes, study population, or diverse cut-off values. Moreover, both increased SI and MSI also predicted higher major adverse cardiac event rates.

Conclusions

According to our findings, both SI and MSI in the emergency department can predict all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiac events in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Given this growing body of evidence, as well as the fact that SI and MSI are very simple objective indices derived from two readily available vital signs, they should be used in daily clinical practice to risk stratify patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction.

PROSPERO registration CRD42022329558.
Variations in sexual network connectivity may explain dramatic variations in sexually transmitted infection prevalence between populations and over time: a selected four-country analysis
Authors: Kenyon Chris
Published: August 2022

Background: The incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) has been noted to vary dramatically between population groups and over time. Here, the hypothesis that changes in network connectivity underpin these changes is explored.

Methods: The incidence/prevalence estimates of HIV, herpes simplex virus-2, syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhoea, as well as two markers of sexual network connectivity (partner concurrency and multiple partnering) by ethnic group and sexual orientation in Kenya, South Africa, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (USA) were extracted from published studies. Pearson’s correlation was used to test the association between the markers of network connectivity and the incidence/prevalence of these five STIs. A literature review was performed to evaluate the possible causes of the increases and decreases in syphilis incidence over the past 60 years.

Results: In each country, the five STIs were found to cluster in particular ethnic groups and sexual orientations and to be positively associated with the two markers of network connectivity. Syphilis incidence in the UK and USA was found to increase dramatically in the 1960s/1970s, decline in the 1980s and again increase in the late 1990s. These changes took place predominantly in men who have sex with men, and were preceded by corresponding changes in network connectivity. The large decline in antenatal syphilis prevalence in Kenya and South Africa in the 1990s were likewise preceded by declines in network connectivity.

Conclusions: Although other explanatory variables are not controlled for, the present analysis is compatible with the hypothesis that differential network connectivity is a parsimonious explanation for variations in STI incidence over time and between populations.
Stability characterization of microfluidics lipid-stabilized double emulsions under physiologically-relevant conditions
Authors: Betterelli Giuliano Camila , Moran Joseph , Ayache Jessica , Muiznieks Lisa
Published: August 2022

Background: Double emulsions (DEs) are water-in-oil-in-water (or oil-in-water-in-oil) droplets with the potential to deliver combinatory therapies due to their ability to co-localize hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecules in the same carrier. However, DEs are thermodynamically unstable and only kinetically trapped. Extending this transitory state and rendering DEs more stable, would widen the possibilities of real-world applications, yet characterization of their stability in physiologically-relevant conditions is lacking.

Methods: In this work, we used microfluidics to produce lipid-stabilized DEs with reproducible monodispersity and high encapsulation efficiency. We investigated DE stability under a range of physicochemical parameters such as temperature, pH and mechanical stimulus.

Results: Stability through time was inversely proportional to temperature. DEs were significantly stable up to eight days at 4°C, five days at room temperature and two days at 37°C. When encapsulating a cargo, DE stability decreased significantly. When exposed to a pH change, unloaded DEs were only significantly unstable at the extremes (pH 1 and 13), largely outside physiological ranges. When exposed to flow, unloaded DEs behaved similarly regardless of the mechanical stimulus applied, with approximately 70% remaining after 100 flow cycles of 10s.

Conclusions: These results indicate that lipid-stabilized DEs produced via microfluidics could be tailored to endure physiologically-relevant conditions and act as carriers for drug delivery. Special attention should be given to the composition of the solutions, e.g. osmolarity ratio between inner and outer solutions, and the interaction of the molecules, e.g. carrier and cargo, involved in the final formulation.
Developing and using ontologies in behavioural science: addressing issues raised
Authors: Michie Susan , Hastings Janna , Johnston Marie , Hankonen Nelli , Wright Alison J. , West Robert
Published: August 2022

Ontologies are ways of representing aspects of the world in terms of uniquely defined classes of ‘entities’ and relationships between them. They are widely used in biological science, data science and commerce because they provide clarity, consistency, and the ability to link information and data from different sources. Ontologies offer great promise as representational systems in behavioural science and could revolutionise descriptions of studies and findings, and the expression of models and theories.

This paper discusses issues that have been raised about using ontologies in behavioural science and how these can be addressed. The issues arise partly from the way that ontologies represent information, which can be perceived as reductionist or simplistic, and partly from issues to do with their implementation. However, despite the simplicity of their structure, ontologies can represent complex entities that change over time, as well as their inter-relationships and highly nuanced information about them. Nevertheless, ontologies are only one of many ways of representing information and it is important to recognise when other forms are more efficient.

With regard to implementation, it is important to build ontologies with involvement from the communities who will be using them. Far from constraining intellectual creativity, ontologies that are broadly-based can facilitate expression of nuance, comparison of findings and integration of different approaches and theories. Maintaining and updating ontologies remain significant challenges but can be achieved through establishing and coordinating communities of practice.
Alteration of a radial forearm flap to adjust to the superficial radial artery: a case report
Authors: Jwa Seung Jun , Choi Jae Hyeok , Park Seonghyuk , Suh Young Chul
Published: August 2022

Aberrant branches of the radial artery at the level of the forearm have rarely been reported. Preoperative workups to identify aberrant branches of this type have also seldom been performed. However, surgeons elevating a radial artery-based flap should consider the possibility of aberrant arterial branching. Otherwise, the circulation of both the flap and hand may be endangered. We present a case of an anomalous radial artery branch that resulted in an intraoperative alteration of the flap design. A novel technique was used to preserve the circulation of the entire flap, and the patient recovered with adequate healing of the flap and donor areas. No hand function deficits or subjective complaints were noted. In conclusion, surgeons should be aware of the superficial radial artery or other aberrant branches of the radial artery that may be located in various locations during radial artery-related flap elevation.
Senses and Meaning of Hospitality
Authors: Lescourret Marie-Anne
Published: August 2022

Reading Caravagio’s painting of the Christian virtues, I focused on the duties of charity and hospitality as particularly relevant to the problematic of migration at stake in Europe nowadays. The question is: Do we have to welcome strangers, the homeless, unconditionally? The answer will come from the works of the philosopher Paul Ricoeur and the anthropologist Marcel Henaff, who both demonstrate that in order to preserve the social link, charity must rely upon reciprocity.
The Equal and the Same
Authors: Sepp Hans Rainer
Published: August 2022

The only superficial contradiction between equality and equal treatment on the one hand and absolute alterity on the other hand is to be resolved in the fact that the former is owed to the latter, the absolutely irreplaceable individual. In essence, it is a matter of specifying the all-too-understandable demand for equality by distinguishing – with a view to the basic sameness of our existence – what we inevitably are from what we all too willingly want to be, and of asking to what extent a reality of the Same stands in the way of the dream of equality and what possibilities emerge for dealing with this reality in the best possible way. Thus the guiding idea here is that only an analysis of the Same provides the necessary precondition for a clarification of dealing with the other person. In fulfilling this task, one should not be deterred by the risk of entering into the otherness of temporally and regionally of widely divergent documents, such as the biblical story of Cain and Abel, the Epic of Gilgamesh, and the debate about recognition in Fichte and Hegel.
Solidarity With and For the Other and Responsibility For the Other in Light of Reciprocity of Social Interactions: An Insight into Philosophy of the Other
Authors: Rebes Marcin
Published: August 2022

In this chapter, the author presents the evolution of the term “solidarity” and its contemporary meaning from a philosophical perspective and the political transformation in central Europe. The development of the meaning of solidarity is accompanied by the experience of responsibility and co-responsibility. The analysis starts with the concept of responsibility and its different meanings with different philosophers and ends with the experience of solidarity. The process that goes from the analysis of concepts to the experience of responsibility and solidarity in interpersonal relations is shown. From Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger through Emil Durkheim, Max Scheler to the philosophers of dialogue Emmanuel Levinas and Józef Tischner. These two experiences, i.e., solidarity and responsibility, are interdependent and intertwined. Their basis is the source experience of the other. The transformation from the notions of solidarity and responsibility to the presentation of their experience reveals the enormous influence that the experience of the other has on the life of individuals as well as societies. These two experiences link the individual to the collective, their own self-realization, and the building of social bonds.
Optimal Price Targeting
Authors: Smith Adam N. , Seiler Stephan , Aggarwal Ishant
Published: August 2022

The paper compares the profitability of personalized pricing policies that are generated from different models of demand and using different data inputs.
Oral hygiene and the cost of living crisis
Authors: Turner Amanda
Published: August 2022

A look at helping to change children's toothbrushing habits and dietary choices.
Rapid screening of a photochromic Padparadscha-like sapphire using absorption spectroscopy
Authors: Wang Zhen , Tsai Tsung-Han , Takahashi Hiroshi
Published: August 2022

The Padparadscha sapphire is attracting increasing interest due to its unique color combination of pink and orange. However, some Padparadscha sapphires exhibit an unstable orange color component; the stone turns from pink to orangey pink after longwave ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and the orange color fades out under a room light or halogen light source. This is of interest and concern since accuracy and consistency are important in colored stone identification services. This study investigates the UV visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectra of photochromic Padparadscha sapphires under illumination of different wavelengths between 250 and 600 nm. Our results show that shortwave UV induces the orange color more effectively than longwave UV, and Vis light near 450 nm reduces the orange color more effectively than a halogen light source. Based on these findings, we developed a prototype UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy device with two fiber-coupled light-emitting diodes at 265 and 455 nm. It can perform rapid screening of photochromic Padparadscha sapphires and has faster color recovery compared to current techniques.
Analysis of reaction between vitamin B6 and bovine serum albumin based on a terahertz metamaterial sensor
Authors: Wang Yuee , Qin Binyi , Li Zhi , Li Dongxia , Hu Fangrong , Zhang Huo , Yu Lingyao
Published: August 2022

A four-peak terahertz metamaterial sensor was used to detect the reaction between different concentrations of vitamin

B

6

(

V
B

6

) and bovine serum albumin (BSA), which achieves a concentration range (0.015–0.125 mg/µl) of

V
B

6

and a maximum binding concentration (0.05 mg/µl) of

V
B

6

and 0.0875 mg/µl BSA. To understand the combination of

V
B

6

and BSA, the reactants between VB (

V
B

1

,

V
B

3

, and

V
B

5

) with the same concentration (0.05 mg/µl) and a BSA solution with a concentration of 0.0875 mg/µl were carried on the surface of the sensor. Experimental results show that the reactants cause the four resonance peaks of the sensor to produce the coincident redshift, which is the same as the order of their binding coefficients determined by the fluorescence method. The experimental process indicates that it is feasible to use terahertz metamaterials to detect the reaction process of organic matter.
Multiple phase extraction using graphics processing unit assisted unitary transformation method in digital holographic interferometry
Authors: Ramaiah Jagadesh , Gannavarpu Rajshekhar
Published: August 2022

The article presents a method to estimate multiple phase maps from a moiré fringe signal obtained using digital holographic interferometry. The proposed method uses a unitary transformation based signal subspace approach, and shows high robustness against noise. In addition, the method facilitates the estimation of multiple phase maps in a single shot operation without the need for spectral filtering or multiple images. The computational efficiency of the method was improved by a high performance implementation using a graphics processing unit. The practical utility of the proposed method is demonstrated using simulation and experiment results.
Direction-sensitive rotational speed measurement based on the rotational Doppler effect of cylindrical vector beams
Authors: Sun Rusheng , Qiu Song , Han Fang , Liu Zhengliang , Cai Wei , Liu Tong , Ren Yuan
Published: August 2022

The Doppler effect has inspired numerous applications since its discovery, initially enabling measurement of the relative velocity between a moving object and a wave source. In recent years, it has been found that scalar vortex beams with orbital angular momenta can produce the rotational Doppler effect, which can be used to measure the rotational speeds of rotating objects. However, in practice, only the absolute value of the rotational Doppler frequency shift can be obtained, and it is difficult to distinguish the direction of the object directly by a single measurement. This difficulty can be solved by using cylindrical vector beams with spatially varying polarization states. The cylindrical vector beam is formed by coaxial superposition of two vortex beams with opposite orbital angular momenta and orthogonal polarization states. By using two different polarization channels, the rotation direction can be directly recognized according to the relative phase difference between the two channels. In this paper, the scattering point model is employed to analyze the rotational Doppler effect of cylindrical vector beams, and a variety of cylindrical vector beams are generated by using vortex half-wave plates. The scheme can realize measurement of the rotational speed and direction simultaneously, and the system has simple construction, high accuracy of angular velocity measurement, and accurate direction identification.
Real-time assessment of liver fat content using a filter-based Raman system operating under ambient light through lock-in amplification
Authors: Guo Hao , Tikhomirov Alexey B. , Mitchell Alexandria , Alwayn Ian Patrick Joseph , Zeng Haishan , Hewitt Kevin C.
Published: August 2022

During liver procurement, surgeons mostly rely on their subjective visual inspection of the liver to assess the degree of fatty infiltration, for which misclassification is common. We developed a Raman system, which consists of a 1064 nm laser, a handheld probe, optical filters, photodiodes, and a lock-in amplifier for real-time assessment of liver fat contents. The system performs consistently in normal and strong ambient light, and the excitation incident light penetrates at least 1 mm into duck fat phantoms and duck liver samples. The signal intensity is linearly correlated with MRI-calibrated fat contents of the phantoms and the liver samples.
STAR: a carrier sense agnostic MAC scheme for a crowded NLoS-FSOC optical LAN
Authors: Esubonteng Paa Kwesi , Nguyen Hieu Pham Trung , Rojas-Cessa Roberto
Published: August 2022

Nondirect line-of-sight free-space optical communications (NLoS-FSOC) operate based on an optical wireless broadcast channel shared by multiple stations to communicate, thus forming an optical local area network (OLAN). Such a channel in the NLoS-FSOC is generated by a diffuse reflector (DR) that reflects light equally in all directions except toward itself. While the broadcast channel of an OLAN is accessible to many stations as in radio-frequency wireless LANs, the signal strength of the reflected beam in an OLAN depends not only on the receiver-DR distance, but also on the angle of incidence of the transmitted beam. An incident beam with a wide angle generates a weak reflected signal that may be undetectable by some stations in the communication range. The loss of the reflected power may render channel sensing ineffective. To address this challenge, we propose the use of the access point to indicate the time to attempt accessing the channel. We also propose a medium access control (MAC) scheme for OLANs using explicit start rather than the conventional channel sensing. The proposed MAC scheme, called STAR, not only enables stations to contend for the available channel, but also decreases collisions, and in turn, stations experience high throughput and low delay. Furthermore, we generalize STAR for the transmission of voice, video, and data traffic. We compare STAR to leading MAC schemes, adapted for their use on an OLAN. We show that STAR achieves 83% throughput for differential traffic and is a 15% higher throughput than the throughput of IEEE 802.11.
Edge-enhanced graph neural network for DU-CU placement and lightpath provision in X-Haul networks
Authors: Wang Ruikun , Zhang Jiawei , Gu Zhiqun , Yan Shuangyi , Xiao Yuming , Ji Yuefeng
Published: August 2022

The emerging mobile services have imposed several new challenges on the radio access network (RAN), which stimulates its evolution from cloud-RAN to next-generation RAN (NG-RAN). In NG-RAN, baseband functions are redefined as the radio unit (RU), distributed unit (DU), and central unit (CU), which are, respectively, connected by optical front/mid/backhaul (X-Haul) networks. The DU-CU placement and lightpath provision need an elaborate strategy for allocating resources tailored to user requests. However, most existing methods fail to fully perceive network conditions and then make inappropriate solutions, which may result in over-consumption of processing and transmission resources. Therefore, we propose a reinforcement-learning-based DU-CU placement and lightpath provision strategy using an edge-enhanced graph neural network, i.e, EGNN-RL. The EGNN is leveraged to adequately exploit graph-structured features in X-Haul networks, while proximal-policy-optimization-based RL is introduced to maintain policy stability. In addition, this problem is formulated as an integer linear programming model to find the optimal solution. We validate the proposed strategy under different service types (i.e., enhanced mobile broadband, ultra-reliable low latency communication, and massive machine connections) and different numbers of services, respectively. The results show that our scheme can achieve higher resource efficiency compared with existing methods. Moreover, it also adapts to new networks with the same nodes through fine-tuning the model. This can decrease nearly 15% of the retaining time and obtain similar performance with retaining.
High-efficiency cladding-pumped 4-core erbium-doped fiber with a pedestal for space division multiplexing amplification
Authors: Gu Zhimu , Qiu Qiang , He Le , Chen Yang , Lou Yang , Yin Xiaoke , Liu Shaokun , Li Wenzhen , Zhao Xinyue , Xing Yingbin , Chu Yingbo , Dai Nengli , Li Jinyan
Published: August 2022

A cladding-pumped 4-core erbium-doped fiber (4C-EDF) with a pedestal structure has been firstly, to the best of our knowledge, proposed and fabricated for space division multiplexing (SDM) amplification. The numerical simulation shows that the index-raised pedestal around the fiber core can improve power conversion efficiency (PCE) by enhancing pump power usage. Compared with conventional 4C-EDF, the 4C-EDF with a pedestal has a gain improvement of 4.5 dB and a PCE enhancement of 91.8%, according to the experimental results (pedestal fiber: 9.55%, conventional fiber: 4.98%). For a 6 dBm total input signal power at L-band and a 7.8 W pump power at 976 nm, the pedestal 4C-EDF shows an average gain of 25 dB and an average noise figure (NF) of 6.5 dB over all cores in the wavelength range of 1570.41 nm to 1610.87 nm. The core-to-core gain variation is less than 2 dB.
Speedy light focusing through scattering media by a cooperatively FPGA-parameterized genetic algorithm
Authors: Guo Shu , Stern Richard , Zhang Hong , Pang Lin
Published: August 2022

We developed an accelerated Genetic Algorithm (GA) system based on the cooperation of a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and the optimized parameters that enables fast light focusing through scattering media. Starting at the searching space, which influences the convergence of the optimization algorithms, we manipulated the mutation rate that defines the number of mutated pixels on the spatial light modulator to accelerate the GA process. We found that the enhanced decay ratio of the mutation rate leads to a much faster convergence of the GA. A convergence-efficiency function was defined to gauge the tradeoff between the processing time and the enhancement of the focal spot. This function allowed us to adopt the shorter iteration number of the GA that still achieves applicable light focusing. Furthermore, the accelerated GA configuration was programmed in FPGA to boost processing speed at the hardware level. It shows the ability to focus light through scattering media within a few seconds, 150 times faster than the PC-based GA. The processing cycle could be further promoted to a millisecond-level with the advanced FPGA processor chips. This study makes the evolution-based optimization approach adaptable in dynamic scattering media, showing the capability to tackle wavefront shaping in biological material.