bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abstract P158: Hepatic Trib1 Induces Proteosome-dependent Degradation Of C/ebpα In A Cop1- And Stk40- Dependent Manner
Authors: Matias Caio V , Jadhav Kavita S , Ha Elizabeth H , Nagiec Marek , Skepner Adam P , Soni Rajesh K , Bauer Robert C
Published: May 2022

The gene tribbles pseudokinase 1 (
TRIB1
) has been repeatedly linked to multiple human cardiometabolic traits through genome-wide association studies, including coronary artery disease, plasma cholesterol and triglycerides, and circulating liver transaminases, signaling that
TRIB1
is a key regulator of liver metabolism and health. Studies in liver specific
Trib1
KO mice have shown that hepatic TRIB1 regulates de novo lipogenesis and steatosis through the regulation of protein levels of the transcription factor C/EBPα, yet the mechanism governing this relationship in hepatocytes has not been investigated. We demonstrate here that human TRIB1 promotes the degradation of C/EBPα in both a COP1- and proteasome-dependent manner in human hepatoma cells. We also observe rapid degradation of TRIB1 protein in hepatoma cells, and find that this is also COP1- and proteasome-dependent. To identify hepatocyte-specific interacting partners of TRIB1 that regulate these processes, we performed tandem-affinity purification of TRIB1 in Huh7 cells and subsequent mass-spec analysis, and identified multiple novel TRIB1 binding partners including the pseudokinases serine/threonine kinase 38 (STK38) and 40 (STK40). We confirmed these interactions in vitro and found that STK40, but not STK38, is required for TRIB1-mediated proteasomal degradation of C/EBPα. Together, our results reveal that TRIB1 induces proteasomal degradation of CEBP/α in a COP1- and proteasome-dependent manner in human hepatocytes. Further, we identify the pseudokinase STK40 as a novel regulator of hepatic TRIB1 function, and ongoing work aims to investigate the role of STK40 in hepatic lipid metabolism. Finally, we show that TRIB1 is itself degraded by the proteosome in a COP1-dependent manner. As increased hepatic Trib1 confers a beneficial metabolic profile in mice, these findings could provide a novel avenue for therapeutic targeting of TRIB1 in the treatment of cardiometabolic disease. Overall, our findings add greater detail to the molecular mechanisms governing the regulation of metabolism by hepatic TRIB1, a gene which human genetics highlights as a crucial regulator of cardiometabolic traits in humans.
Abstract P164: Pronethalol Reduces Sox2 To Ameliorate Vascular Calcification
Authors: Zhang Daoqin , Qiao Xiaojing , Yao Jiayi , Wu Xiuju , Cai Xinjiang , Ma Jocelyn A , Bostrom Kristina I , Yao Yucheng
Published: May 2022

Vascular calcification is present in most people over 60 years of age and results in severe complications that increase all-cause mortality of cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease. Previous studies demonstrated that endothelial induction of SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 2 (Sox2) triggered endothelial-mesenchymal transitions (EndMTs) and drove endothelial cells (ECs) towards osteoblastic differentiation. The excess Sox2 induced mesenchymal markers and promoted ECs to acquire mesenchymal potential and undergo osteogenic differentiation. Recently, we reported that beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists (beta-blockers) decreased Sox2 expression in cerebrovascular endothelium and limited arteriovenous malformations. In this study, we hypothesize that the beta-blockers suppress Sox2 also in arterial endothelium to limit vascular calcification. To test this hypothesis, we used the

Mgp
-/-

mouse model, where the elastic arteries start to calcify at 1-2 weeks of age and exhibit severe calcification at 4 weeks of age. We treated

Mgp
-/-

mice with pronethalol for two weeks starting at 2 weeks of age and revealed that the pronethalol treatment significantly ameliorated the aortic calcification in

Mgp
-/-

aortas. To examine the time-course of the pronethalol effect on calcification, we started the pronethalol treatment at three different time points, at 1, 2 and 3 weeks of age. The treatments all ended at 5 weeks of age. The results showed that the total aortic calcium was immediately reduced if the pronethalol was started at 1 or 2 weeks of age and was maintained at low levels as the treatment continued. When the treatment was started at 3 weeks of age, it still reduced the aortic calcium but to a lesser degree. To determine if pronethalol limits vascular calcification also in atherosclerosis and diabetes, we treated

Apoe
-/-

mice and

Ins2
Akita/+

mice with pronethalol. Aortic calcium and histology showed that pronethalol reduced the atherosclerotic lesion calcification and decreased the calcification in

Ins2
Akita/+

mice. Together, the results suggest that the beta-blocker pronethalol reduces Sox2 expression in the arterial endothelium, thereby limiting EndMTs and vascular calcification.
Abstract P177: Pronethalol Decreases Rbpjk To Reduce Sox2 In Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformation
Authors: Qiao Xiaojing , Zhang Daoqin , Zhang Li , Yao Jiayi , Wu Xiuju , Cai Xinjiang , Bostrom Kristina I , Yao Yucheng
Published: May 2022

Cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are the common vascular malformations that tend to rupture and cause hemorrhagic strokes. Disruptions in the integrity of vascular endothelium and endothelial cell (EC) differentiation give rise to the formation of cerebral AVMs. In previous studies, we reported that endothelial-mesenchymal transitions (EndMTs) contributed to cerebral AVMs in that ECs lost their identity and gained mesenchymal plasticity to cause lumen disorder. We have shown that unwanted induction of Sry-box 2 (Sox2) signaling was responsible for the EndMTs in cerebral AVMs, and identified the beta-adrenergic antagonist pronethalol as an inhibitor of Sox2 expression that stabilized EC differentiation and lumen formation, thereby limiting the cerebral AVMs. We also showed that the depletion of beta-adrenergic receptors had no effect on the Sox2 expression, which suggested that the beta antagonists exerted their effect through other pathways. However, the nature of these pathways remains unclear. Here, we hypothesize that beta-adrenergic antagonist directly inhibits notch-associated transcription factor recombination signal binding protein for immunoglobulin kappa J (RBPJκ), a key component of Notch signaling, to limit induction of Sox2 so as to improve cerebral AVMs. We treated MGP CRISPR cells, in which matrix Gla protein (Mgp) was depleted by using gene-editing tool of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and its associated protein 9, with BMP6. We found that BMP6 induced Sox2, Notch1 and Jagged1 and 2. We further performed gene knockdown to reduce RBPJκ and found that the knockdown of RBPJκ abolished the Sox2 induction. We revealed that pronethalol significantly reduced the expression of RBPJκ but did not affect Notch1, Jagged1 or 2. We showed more enriched DNA-binding around the RBPJκ binding site in the Sox2 promoter of the MGP CRISPR cells than control cells. Excess RBPJκ DNA-binding was abolished by treatment of pronethalol in MGP CRISPR cells. Together, the results suggest that the beta antagonists reduce RBPJκ, thereby preventing excess BMP/Notch signaling from inducing Sox2.
Abstract P182: Recombinant Human Lecithin-cholesterol Acyltransferase Treatment In Patients With ASCVD Increases HDL Through Increases In Cholesterol Ester Content.
Authors: Reyes-soffer Gissette , Matveyenko Anastasiya , Lignos James , Matienzo Nelsa , Santos Baez Leinys , Yung Lau Y , Ramakrishnan Rajasekhar , George Richard T , Ginsberg Henry N
Published: May 2022

Lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) mediates the esterification of free cholesterol (FC) to cholesteryl ester (CE) in HDL and, therefore, plays a critical role in reverse cholesterol transport. MEDI6012, a recombinant human LCAT (rhLCAT) increases HDL-C. Our goal was to interrogate the pathways regulating the increase in HDL-C and effects of rhLCAT on apoB metabolism.

Methods:
We enrolled five subjects (4 Man, mean age 67) with stable ASCVD into a Phase II, placebo controlled, double-blind, randomized cross-over study to determine the effects of two IV doses of MEDI6012, administered 48-hrs apart, versus placebo, on plasma lipids and lipoproteins. Stable isotope kinetic studies with D2-Leu, 13C-Phe, D2-Glycerol were performed to examine the metabolism of apoB100, ApoA1, ApoA2 and triglyceride.

Results:
As expected two doses of IV MEDI6012 increased total cholesterol and HDL-C levels significantly (Table1). We did not observe significant changes in other measured lipids or lipoproteins. The significant increase in HDL-C was 34.9±10.3 (p=0.002) and due to an increase in the amount of CE (33±8.9 p=0.001); there was no change in free cholesterol (1.9±1.9). We found no changes in levels of sterols (i.e. Lathosterol) between the two periods. Preliminary in vivo kinetic studies of HDL metabolism in 3 subjects, showed no changes in the mean fractional clearance rate (FCR) or production rate (PR) of apoA1 between placebo (0.3±0.2pool/day, 1.3±0.5 mg/kg/day) and rhLCAT treatment (0.28±0.1pools/day, 1.3±0.3). There were no changes in ApoA2 FCR and PR after rhLCAT administration. Complete data for ApoA1, ApoA2 and ApoB100 and TG kinetics will be presented.

Conclusions:
In subjects with ASCVD, treatment with rhLCAT increased HDL-C mainly by increasing HDL CE; there were no changes in the FCR or PR of HDL ApoA1 or ApoA2. Together, these results suggest that rhLCAT treatment is associated with increased steady-state transport of CE by HDL.
Abstract 11935: The Index of Microcirculatory Resistance to Predict Subsequent Acute Cellular Rejection and Cardiac Events After Heart Transplantation
Authors: Ahn Jung-Min , Zimmermann Frederik , Gullestad Lars L , Angerås Oskar , Karason Kristjan , Russell Kristoffer , Lunde Ketil , Okada Kozo , Luikart Helen , Khush Kiran K , Honda Yasuhiro , Pijls Nico , Lee Sang Eun , Kim Jae-Joong , Park Seung-jung , Solberg Ole-Geir , Fearon William F
Published: May 2022

Introduction:
Single center data suggest that the index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) measured early after heart transplantation predicts subsequent acute cellular rejection.

Hypothesis:
To validate whether IMR measured early after transplantation can predict subsequent acute cellular rejection and long-term outcome in a large multicenter cohort.

Methods:
From 5 international heart transplantation cohorts, 237 patients who underwent IMR measurement early after transplantation were enrolled. The primary outcome was biopsy-proven acute cellular rejection of grade 2 or 3 within 1 year after transplantation. A key secondary outcome was major adverse cardiac events (MACE, the composite of death, re-transplantation, myocardial infarction, stroke, graft dysfunction, and readmission due to a cardiac cause) at 10 years.

Results:
IMR was measured at a median of 7 weeks (interquartile range: 3 to 10 weeks) post-transplantation. Patients with acute cellular rejection grade 2 or 3 at the time of IMR assessment were excluded. At 1 year, the incidence of acute cellular rejection was 14.0%. IMR was associated proportionally with the risk of acute cellular rejection (per increase of 1-unit IMR; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.06; P=0.002). The incidence of acute cellular rejection in patients with IMR ≥ 18 was 23.8%, while the incidence of acute cellular rejection in those with IMR < 18 was 5.5% (aHR, 4.09; 95% CI, 1.67-10.0; P=0.002). At 10 years, MACE occurred in 86 (36.3%) patients. IMR was significantly associated with the risk of MACE (per increase of 1-unit IMR; aHR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.05; P=0.002).

Conclusions:
IMR measured early after heart transplantation is associated with subsequent acute cellular rejection at 1 year and clinical events at 10 years. Early IMR measurement after transplantation identifies patients at higher risk and may guide personalized post-transplantation management.
Abstract 12569: Gender Differences in Patients’ Experiences of Discussions About and Attitudes Toward Replacement and Deactivation of Their ICD at End-of-Life
Authors: Hammash Muna H , Mc Kee Gabrielle , Ski Chantal , Thompson David , Thylen Ingela , Miller Jennifer , Lee Kyoung S , Fitzsimons Donna , O'Donnell Sharon , O'Brien Frances , Mooney Mary , Moser Debra K
Published: May 2022

Introduction:
Gender disparities are well documented in cardiovascular care, and women are underrepresented in cardiovascular studies. Gender differences in experiences and attitudes toward replacement and deactivation of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) at the end-of-life (EOL) are less well studied.

Purpose:
To determine if there are gender differences in patients’ experiences of discussions about and attitudes toward replacement of their ICD at end-of-service and ICD deactivation at EOL.

Methods:
This cross-sectional study included 3,465 ICD recipients living in the United States, Australia, Ireland, Sweden, and South Korea (21% women with mean age 65
+
12). We used the experiences subscale (10 items) and attitudes subscale (18 item) of the EOL-ICD questionnaire. Chi-square test was used to explore potential differences in experiences of discussion and attitude toward ICD treatment at EOL by gender; differences between the scale single items were assessed.

Results:
Women were more likely than men to think about questions concerning EOL,
X
2
(2,
N
= 3,444) = 34.1,
p
< .001). Women had more experience discussing battery replacement with their clinician (
p
< .01) and next of kin (
p
< .001), and ICD deactivation at EOL with their next of kin (
p
= .01), but they were less likely to discuss their illness trajectory with their clinician (
p
= .02)). There were no differences between women and men regarding the time they would like their clinician to start the conversation about ICD deactivation. Men were more reluctant than women to change their ICD battery or turn the device off even if they were dying of cancer or having daily shocks ((
p
< .001).

Conclusion:
Gender differences in patients’ attitude toward ICD treatment are evident. This might be related to many factors including prior experience of discussing EOL issues with their clinician. Further studies to explore the reasons for gender differences in patients’ experiences of discussions and attitude toward ICD treatment are warranted.
Sex‐Related Differences in Clinical Features and In‐Hospital Outcomes of Type B Acute Aortic Dissection: A Registry Study
Authors: Takahashi Toshiyuki , Yoshino Hideaki , Akutsu Koichi , Shimokawa Tomoki , Ogino Hitoshi , Kunihara Takashi , Usui Michio , Watanabe Kazuhiro , Kawata Mitsuhiro , Masuhara Hiroshi , Yamasaki Manabu , Yamamoto Takeshi , Nagao Ken , Takayama Morimasa
Published: May 2022

Background

The association between female sex and poor outcomes following surgery for type A acute aortic dissection has been reported; however, sex‐related differences in clinical features and in‐hospital outcomes of type B acute aortic dissection, including classic aortic dissection and intramural hematoma, remain to be elucidated.

Methods and Results

We studied 2372 patients with type B acute aortic dissection who were enrolled in the Tokyo Acute Aortic Super‐Network Registry. There were fewer and older women than men (median age [interquartile range]: 76 years [66–84 years], n=695 versus 68 years [57–77 years], n=1677;
P
<0.001). Women presented to the aortic centers later than men. Women had a higher proportion of intramural hematoma (63.7% versus 53.7%,
P
<0.001), were medically managed more frequently (90.9% versus 86.3%,
P
=0.002), and had less end‐organ malperfusion (2.4% versus 5.7%,
P
<0.001) and higher in‐hospital mortality (5.3% versus 2.7%,
P
=0.002) than men. In multivariable analysis, age (per year, odds ratio [OR], 1.06 [95% CI, 1.03–1.08];
P
<0.001), hyperlipidemia (OR, 2.09 [95% CI, 1.13–3.88];
P
=0.019), painlessness (OR, 2.59 [95% CI, 1.14–5.89];
P
=0.023), shock/hypotension (OR, 2.93 [95% CI, 1.21–7.11];
P
=0.017), non–intramural hematoma (OR, 2.31 [95% CI, 1.32–4.05];
P
=0.004), aortic rupture (OR, 26.6 [95% CI, 14.1–50.0];
P
<0.001), and end‐organ malperfusion (OR, 4.61 [95% CI, 2.11–10.1];
P
<0.001) were associated with higher in‐hospital mortality, but was not female sex (OR, 1.67 [95% CI, 0.96–2.91];
P
=0.072).

Conclusions

Women affected with type B acute aortic dissection were older and had more intramural hematoma, a lower incidence of end‐organ malperfusion, and higher in‐hospital mortality than men. However, female sex was not associated with in‐hospital mortality after multivariable adjustment.
Eighteen new species and fifteen new records of the genus Torodora Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Lecithoceridae) from China
Authors: YU SHUAI , ZHU YANMEI , WANG SHUXIA
Published: May 2022

Eighteen new species of the genus Torodora Meyrick, 1894 from China are described: T. acuminata sp. nov., T. atomata sp. nov., T. canaliculata sp. nov., T. costatiprolata sp. nov., T. dentisaccula sp. nov., T. gemella sp. nov., T. gongshanensis sp. nov., T. longicornis sp. nov., T. obliqua sp. nov., T. parisortilega sp. nov., T. procerispinata sp. nov., T. reniformis sp. nov., T. spectabilis sp. nov., T. stilliformis sp. nov., T. strigulosa sp. nov., T. ventrimaculata sp. nov., T. xizangensis sp. nov. and T. zhejiangensis sp. nov.; 15 species are newly recorded for China. Images of adults and genitalia for all newly described species and a checklist of the Chinese Torodora species are given.
Impact of Assimilating Adaptively Thinned AIRS Cloud-Cleared Radiances on the Analysis of Polar Lows and Mediterranean Sea Tropical-Like Cyclone in a Global Modeling and Data Assimilation Framework
Authors: Ganeshan Manisha , Reale Oreste , McGrath-Spangler Erica , Boukachaba Niama
Published: May 2022

Polar lows, and mesoscale convective cyclones bearing resemblance to tropical cyclones but originating outside of the tropics, are storms that are challenging to represent accurately in global analyses and models because of their small size, rapid growth at subsynoptic scales, occurrence in data poor oceanic regions, and difficulties in objectively validating them in analysis. Building on previous positive results obtained with respect to the representation of tropical cyclones (TCs) in a global model, a set of observing system experiments (OSEs) performed using the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS, version 5) are investigated, focusing on three case studies—a polar low in the Sea of Okhotsk, a polar low in the Southern Ocean, and a Mediterranean Sea tropical-like cyclone that occurred during the boreal fall season of 2014. Experiments assimilating adaptively thinned cloud-cleared hyperspectral infrared radiances from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on board the NASA Aqua satellite, with higher density in the vicinity of each storm and its pre-cyclogenesis environment, and lower density elsewhere, demonstrate a positive impact on the analyzed representation of each storm. The adaptive thinning experiments improve the storm intensity and structure, including vertical alignment, depth, symmetry, strength, and compactness of warm core compared to the reference experiments. The results suggest that jet-level processes associated with extremely strong horizontal velocity gradients as represented in the model analysis can be useful to locate dynamically active regions of the extratropical atmosphere where denser data coverage is likely to improve the analyzed representation of polar lows and other similar marine mesoscale convective cyclones.

Significance Statement

Extratropical maritime mesoscale convective cyclones are short-lived, elusive features that are difficult to represent accurately in global analyses. Previous work by this team demonstrated a positive impact of an adaptive thinning methodology for infrared radiances applied to the tropical cyclone (TC) analysis. The methodology allows a relatively greater volume of radiance data to be assimilated around TCs within a TC-centered moving domain in a global model, yielding an improvement in TC structure and intensity forecast. A similar approach is explored here for two polar lows and a Mediterranean Sea tropical-like cyclone, wherein infrared radiances are more densely assimilated in the vicinity of each storm and its pre-cyclogenesis environment, resulting in a positive impact on the representation of the storm. Strong jet-level horizontal velocity gradients appear to precede each storm, and could be used to automate the adaptive thinning strategy in the future.
A Spatiotemporal Perspective on the 31 May 2013 Tornado Evacuation in the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area
Authors: Hatzis Joshua J. , Klockow-McClain Kim E.
Published: May 2022

On 31 May 2013, an extremely large and violent tornado hit near the town of El Reno, Oklahoma, a small town in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The size and intensity of this tornado, coupled with the fact that it was heading toward Oklahoma City, prompted local broadcasters to warn residents to evacuate their homes and head south if they could not shelter belowground. This warning led to a large-scale evacuation of the metropolitan area and massive traffic jams on the interstates and major highways that could have caused casualties in the hundreds if the tornado had not dissipated before reaching Oklahoma City. The focus of this study was to understand the magnitude of the 31 May 2013 evacuation through the evaluation of traffic volume data and to determine how frequently such evacuations occur in Oklahoma City and other metropolitan areas. We found that of the six metropolitan areas tested, only Oklahoma City had mass anomalous traffic reversal (ATR) days (days with a mass evacuation signal) with 31 May 2013 having the largest mass ATR day by far. Despite the rarity of mass ATR days, the potential consequences of a large, violent tornado hitting gridlocked traffic is significant, and we recommend that communicators encourage more local sheltering options.

Significance Statement

On the evening of 31 May 2013, a large-scale evacuation of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area occurred as a result of a very large and dangerous tornado that had formed near the town of El Reno and was moving east toward Oklahoma City. If the tornado had not dissipated before it reached the city it could have caused hundreds of casualties as it passed over gridlocked roads. We sought to understand the frequency of such mass evacuations and found that no other event in six metropolitan areas studied during 2011–18 could compare. While such evacuations fortunately appear rare, more work should be done to understand why they happen when they do and to connect individuals with better local sheltering options.
Association Between Perivascular Adipose Tissue Density and Atherosclerosis in the Descending Thoracic Aorta
Authors: Zhang Qin-He , Li Ye , Xie Lu-Han , Ren Xue , Zhao Ying , Wang Nan , Chen Li-Hua , Ju Ye , Liu Yi-Jun , Xie Li-Zhi , Lin Liang-jie , Liu Ai-Lian
Published: May 2022

Radiodensity measured by computed tomography (CT) in Hounsfield Units (HU) is emerging as a clinical tool for detecting perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) inflammation. In the present study, we hypothesized that PVAT radiodensity might predict the risk of descending thoracic aorta atherosclerosis. A total of 73 subjects who underwent CT angiography to investigate aortic disease were retrospectively analyzed. PVAT radiodensity, aortic complex plaque (ACP), mean plaque-burden score (MPBS), and plaque density were measured, and the association between them was analyzed. Perivascular adipose tissue radiodensity (HU) in patients with different aortic plaques grades (grade 1, 2, 3, and 4) were −93.71 ± 2.50, −93.63 ± 3.93, −90.24 ± 4.49, and −89.90 ± 5.18, respectively, and the difference was significant (P = .010). In the regression analysis, PVAT radiodensity was an independent predictor of ACP, with an OR of 1.263. In the linear analysis, PVAT radiodensity was an independent predictor of MPBS, with a β-coefficient of .073. In the univariate analysis, only the PVAT radiodensity was significantly associated with plaque density, with a β-coefficient of −1.666. In conclusion, PVAT density was independently related to descending thoracic aorta atherosclerosis.
Impacts of decision-making process on social justice in the infrastructure equity in Ethiopia
Authors: Desalegn Ambaw , Solomon Negussie
Published: May 2022

Equity concerns the distribution of resources and is inevitably linked with concepts of fairness and social justice. What are the decision-making processes for fair allocation of infrastructure resources and its effect on social justice in Ethiopia? The article uses structural equation modeling-partial least square software for analysis. Therefore, the article finds that there is infrastructure inequity and social injustice owing to a lack of democratic decision-making and accountability in Ethiopia. Moreover, the Ethiopian government lacks the tools and institutions that provide the foundation for good decision-making processes and democratic accountability. There also exists a low level of social cohesion in Ethiopia today. Hence, the government needs a democratic decision-making process that would bring diverse interests together and solve the lack of intergovernmental relations (IGRs) as well as the lack of democratic accountability to improve citizens’ justice in the infrastructure sector in Ethiopia. As a result, it requires a focus on regional governments’ needs, reacting to their concerns, and keeping them justified on the equitable distribution of infrastructure across regional states in the country. This will also help to save Ethiopia from bloody conflicts.

Points for practitioners

In practice, the drive for public management is to increase the quality and efficiency of government-provided services. Professions in government agencies, public enterprises, and trusts that deal with policies and strategies that govern the equitable allocation and administration of public resources make up the public management and administration pathway. As a result, the most important takeaway for professionals is that creating a learning organization is a significant management strategy that public organizations must pursue in exercises.
A Meta-Synthesis of Disability Research in Western Africa
Authors: Blasko Alyssa M. , Morin Kristi L. , Bauer Kathleen , Johnson Kelsey M. , Enriquez Grace B. , Hunsicker Lindsey E. , Tasik Emily J. , Renz Theodore E.
Published: May 2022

Most disability research is conducted in high-income countries, despite much of the world’s population living in low- and middle-income countries. Given the flexible nature of qualitative research, studies using this methodology have the potential to provide important insights into how disability is perceived across the globe. The aim of the current study was to synthesize the results of disability research in Western Africa to elucidate prominent themes and identify methodological and participant characteristics. Secondary purposes were to evaluate the quality of included studies. A total of 223 studies were included in this meta-synthesis. Findings reveal a diversity of disability-related themes and a need to increase transparency in reporting qualitative research. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
An efficient dye-fixation technique with reactive dye for a wash-free process of silk fabrics without water discharge
Authors: Zhu Lei , Pei Liujun , Wang Jiping
Published: May 2022

Coloring textiles with less or without water discharge for sustainable and cleaner production has been a hot topic for a long time due to increasing social, environmental and consumer requirements. In this paper, a new and efficient dye-fixation technique with reactive dye for a wash-free process of silk fabrics without water discharge is presented. Here, decamethylcyclopentasiloxane is employed as the dyeing medium, Reactive Black 5 as the selected dye and sodium carbonate as the alkali. The results show that the dye-fixation rate is higher than 90% and the dyed silk fabrics have good color strength, tensile properties, hand values (including stiffness, softness and smoothness), washing fastness and wet rubbing fastness when adding proper alkali into the dye solution. A probable mechanism was proposed.
Public space on the move: Mediating mobility, stillness and encounter on a Cape Town bus
Authors: Rink Bradley
Published: May 2022

As a public space, the environment of public transportation services is maintained by an ordered set of rules and conditions. Such rules and conditions are prescribed by law as they are in generally-accepted norms of social behaviour within public space. Through the examination of the Conditions of Carriage that govern bus transportation in Cape Town, South Africa, using Golden Arrow Bus Services, this paper seeks to highlight the myriad ways that urban public space on the move is mediated, negotiated and controlled through rules of conduct that differentiate mobile public space from its counterpart in the environment outside the bus. Understood as a mundane part of the social life of the city and its inhabitants, mobility in the form of public transportation is constituted by micro-communities whose publics are in a constant state of flux and negotiation. Using analysis of the Conditions of Carriage and an ethnographic case study of bus passengering, this paper demonstrates how the Conditions mediate the situated and lived assemblage of actors in mobile public space that is a liminal zone between inclusion and exclusion.
Input-observer event-based consensus in linear multi-agent systems
Authors: Eslami Mohammad , Atrianfar Hajar , Menhaj Mohammad Bagher
Published: May 2022

This paper provides an input-observer event-based controller to solve consensus problems in multi-agent systems with general linear dynamics over fixed directed and undirected network topologies. A Lyapunov-based event condition is proposed to achieve consensus using neighbors’ output information. The proposed method is distributed in the sense that the event detectors only use neighbors’ information, and the controller updates its value by using intermittent communication. Finally, an example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of theoretical results.
Scaling up search engine audits: Practical insights for algorithm auditing
Authors: Ulloa Roberto , Makhortykh Mykola , Urman Aleksandra
Published: May 2022

Algorithm audits have increased in recent years due to a growing need to independently assess the performance of automatically curated services that process, filter and rank the large and dynamic amount of information available on the Internet. Among several methodologies to perform such audits, virtual agents stand out because they offer the ability to perform systematic experiments, simulating human behaviour without the associated costs of recruiting participants. Motivated by the importance of research transparency and replicability of results, this article focuses on the challenges of such an approach. It provides methodological details, recommendations, lessons learned and limitations based on our experience of setting up experiments for eight search engines (including main, news, image and video sections) with hundreds of virtual agents placed in different regions. We demonstrate the successful performance of our research infrastructure across multiple data collections, with diverse experimental designs, and point to different changes and strategies that improve the quality of the method. We conclude that virtual agents are a promising venue for monitoring the performance of algorithms across long periods of time, and we hope that this article can serve as a basis for further research in this area.
Community Media Coverage of Gender Issues: Struggles and Successes in Rural India
Authors: Sinha Annapurna
Published: May 2022

The study explores the struggles and successes of community media journalists in covering gender issues and violence against women in remote rural areas in India. The article introduces some small-scale community newspapers from the country's hindsight and presents an elaborative case study of Khabar Lahariya that prioritise gender issues in the content. The study records the presence and efforts of Khabar Lahariya in the reporting of gender issues by providing testimonies and examples from the field. The women journalists of the organisation successfully create a discourse around gender issues and bring about change in the Bundelkhand region by covering stories of violence and atrocities against women with their gender-sensitive perspective and unshakable confidence. At the same time, they put their own safety at risk for social change. Interestingly, a documentary film on the struggles of these women journalists has made its entry to Oscar nominations for the year 2022.
Does Self-Employment Contribute to Immigrants’ Economic Integration? Examining Patterns of Self-Employment Exit in Belgium
Authors: Lens Dries
Published: May 2022

This article assesses whether self-employment can help immigrants overcome some of the ongoing challenges they face in highly segmented labor markets, by investigating the reasons behind native-immigrant differences in exit from self-employment. While a considerable literature examines the factors influencing immigrants’ decision to become self-employed, surprisingly few studies address the factors that shape exit from self-employment. This article studies native-immigrant differences in self-employment exit, drawing on longitudinal data (2008–2017) for Belgium, and adds to previous research on immigrant self-employment by considering second-generation and female immigrant business owners. Results show that immigrants were much more likely than natives to become unemployed or leave the labor force after a period in self-employment, supporting the idea that immigrants are pushed out of self-employment. Second-generation immigrants generally had better self-employment outcomes than first-generation immigrants, whereas female immigrants sometimes experienced a “double disadvantage.” Weaker attachment to the labor market preceding self-employment entry helps explain why immigrants had worse self-employment outcomes than natives in Belgium. Hence, self-employment may not provide an independent path to economic integration that allows immigrants to overcome the hurdles they face in the labor market. Instead, how people fared in the labor market before becoming self-employed strongly influenced their success as self-employed workers. This article highlights the policy complexity of immigrants’ labor market integration in Western European labor markets. As it shows, it is not enough to promote self-employment as an easy way out of immigrants’ labor market exclusion. Instead, more is needed to counteract immigrants’ problematic labor market outcomes.
Ghosts, brands, and influencers: Emergent trends in scientific authorship
Authors: Biagioli Mario
Published: May 2022

This essay is about the unique role of proper nouns at the intersection of knowledge and property, both tangible and intangible. Nouns are central to any form of property and credit, from a person’s name listed on a property deed or copyright registration, to the name of an artist to whom a work is attributed, or that of a scientist after whom a discovery or theory is named. And names can also be found on the other end of the property spectrum, not as the names of authors and owners but as objects of property, as in the case of brand names. Here I trace some of the functions of these names as they move across different scenarios of knowledge-making and property-making, focusing on some of the effects those trajectories are having in the contemporary technosciences as they bring together the function of the author and that of the brand.
A Sociological Perspective on the Experience of Contention
Authors: Gøtzsche-Astrup Johan
Published: May 2022

Contention in the form of protests, riots, and direct action is a central political practice in contemporary democracies. It is also a staple of sociological analysis, after slowly crystallizing as a distinct object of analysis from the 1970s onward. Lately, however, it has become unclear what this distinctiveness consists of and how it may help guide studies of contention: What distinguishes contention from other practices? I argue that contention can be seen as an ontologically distinctive experience. What sets this experience apart is that it expresses a potential for conflict that underlies all social formations. We can take these expressions of conflict as objects of analysis. This means asking how the conflict expressed in contentious practices is ascribed meaning. I develop this perspective theoretically and show how it may facilitate new empirical analyses of contention’s boundaries, its relation to truth, and ethical relations in contention.
Sustained release of azithromycin from lipid liquid-crystalline nanoparticles laden in situ gel for the treatment of periodontitis: In vitro and efficacy study
Authors: Zheng Jing , Zhang Yuwen , Zhang Suxin
Published: May 2022

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting teeth, periodontal ligament and alveolar bone. Current treatment options include surgery or oral antibiotics. Oral dosage forms shows systemic side effects due to frequent dosing and it failed to reach the therapeutic concentration in the periodontal cavity. In this work, a novel in situ gel loaded with azithromycin laden lipid liquid-crystalline nanoparticles (cubosomes) was formulated for effective treatment of periodontitis. Cubosomes were prepared using DL-α-monoolein (MO) and Pluronic®F-127, and characterized for size, zeta potential, shape, and entrapment efficacy. In situ gel laden cubosomes were evaluated for pH, drug content, viscosity, syringeability, mucoadhesive strength, texture profile, gelation temperature, gel strength, in vitro release profile, antimicrobial activity and in vivo efficacy in rat model. Cubosomal size (137–450 nm) and entrapment efficacy (74–88%) increases with increase in the level of MO. The in situ gel-cubosomal batches showed sufficient viscosity (878–956 cp), syringeability (125–150N), mucoadhesive strength (25.7–26.2 dyne/cm2), gelation temperature (34.3–35.3oC), gel strength (45–51 s), and texture profile for periodontal application. The in vitro release profiles showed sustain azithromycin release for 24h from the in situ gel-cubosomal gels compared to 4h from the marketed azithromycin gel. The in vivo studies (alveolar bone loss and histopathology) in rat model confirmed the efficacy of in situ gel to treat periodontitis at low frequency of dosing compared to marketed gel. In conclusion, the study demonstrated the potential of cubosomes to sustain the release of azithromycin from in situ gelling system for effective treatment of periodontitis.
Hyper-Sensitivity to the Perpetrator and the Likelihood of Returning to Abusive Relationships
Authors: Lahav Yael
Published: May 2022

Study questions: Although most women who are subjected to intimate partner violence attempt to leave their abusive partners, many return, and resultantly are at risk for even greater violence. Research to date has documented relations between several factors (income and economic dependence, frequency of intimate partner violence (IPV), fear of violence escalations, history of childhood abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms) and women’s returning to their abusive partners. Nevertheless, the contribution of women’s emotional bonds with their violent partners, known as identification with the aggressor (IWA), in explaining their perceived likelihood of going back to the relationship, has remained unclear. Subjects: The current study, conducted among 258 Israeli women who had left their violent partners, aimed to fill this void. Methods: An online survey was conducted. Demographic variables, history of childhood abuse, frequency of IPV, economic dependence on former partner, fear of future violence escalation, post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, IWA, and perceived likelihood of returning to the relationship, were assessed via self-report questionnaire. Findings: Results indicated that two aspects of IWA—becoming hyper-sensitive to the perpetrator and adopting the perpetrator’s experience—were related to women’s perceived likelihood of returning to the relationship. Furthermore, a logistic regression analysis indicated that only two factors—income and becoming hyper-sensitive to the perpetrator—uniquely contributed to explaining the likelihood of returning to abusive partners. Major implications: The current findings suggest that women’s tendency to be highly attuned to their partners’ feelings and needs, as a part of IWA, may impede their ability to permanently leave abusive relationships.
Performance evaluation of electro-spark eroded high-volume fraction of Cr-Fe-Ni superalloy
Authors: Raj Atul , Misra Joy Prakash , Khanduja Dinesh
Published: May 2022

Current research aims to execute a viability study of electro-spark erosion technique to process Inconel 690, a high-volume fraction of Cr-Fe-Ni superalloy (∼32% Cr). The Box-Behnken design of response surface methodology with varying processing conditions is used to execute the experimental trails. Process performance is examined in terms of material removal rate and surface topography. The surface conditions of the processed surface are studied using scanning electron microscopy. The tool wear character and tribological behavior of the processed surface are also scrutinized to check the post-process consequences. The study explores the formation of oxide layers, craters, spherical droplets, and micro-cracks on the surface processed at Ton: 118 mu; Toff: 45 mu; Ip: 130 mu; Sv: 50 V ( parametrical settings for maximum material removal rate), and at Ton: 118 mu; Toff: 30 mu; Ip: 220 mu; Sv: 50 V ( parametrical settings for maximum surface roughness) attributing a deteriorating surface quality. The maximum material removal rate of 9.38 mm3/min and minimum surface roughness of 0.47 μm are achieved. A significant improvement of approximately 20 HV in micro-hardness is detected owing to the formation of a recast layer on the processed surface. Consequently, a noticeable improvement is observed in the wear resistance of the processed surface.
A high-performance neural network vehicle dynamics model for trajectory tracking control
Authors: Fang Peijun , Cai Yingfeng , Chen Long , Wang Hai , Li Yicheng , Sotelo Miguel Angel , Li Zhixiong
Published: May 2022

Traditional models of vehicle dynamics engineered from physical principles are usually simplified and assumed, resulting in the model cannot accurately reflect the actual dynamic characteristics of the vehicle under some working conditions, affecting the control accuracy and even safety. In view of this, inspired by the single-track model, this paper uses the data-driven methods to establish a new high-performance time-delay feedback neural network vehicle dynamics model. The feedback connection of a network can describe complex dynamics. The multi-time-step input of the state and control can include highly nonlinear and strong coupling characteristics of a vehicle. The test results of modeling accuracy show that the proposed model can achieve higher vehicle dynamics prediction accuracy than nonlinear vehicle model. Different from the traditional vehicle dynamics model, the proposed model has long-term memory cells, which can implicitly predict coefficient of friction and can be applied to different road conditions. Then, the trajectory tracking control algorithm is designed based on the proposed vehicle model. According to the steady-state steering assumption, the feedforward front wheel steering angle is calculated, and the steady-state sideslip angle is integrated into the steering feedback according to the reference path to realize the reference trajectory tracking control. Finally, Simulink/CarSim is used to conduct the simulation analysis under the double lane change conditions to evaluate the proposed control algorithm. The analysis results show that the control algorithm based on the proposed model can achieve an accurate tracking control effect of a vehicle at medium and high speeds, providing high-accuracy track tracking and good lateral stability of intelligent vehicles.
Experimental and simulation results of gasification of biomedical waste and Indian palm kernel shell in a fluidized bed gasifier under steam atmosphere
Authors: Karuppiah Panneer Selvam , Ganesan Pranesh , Tamilmani Thendral
Published: May 2022

Gasification is the process that converts the stored energy in biomass into useful energy. In this study, a fluidized bed gasifier is used to steam gasify Biomedical Waste (BMW) such as face shields, air respirators, syringes, hand gloves, glucose plastic bottles, gowns, aprons and Indian Palm Kernel Shell (PKS). An experimental investigation is carried out in which, the co-gasification of Indian PKS and BMW in the ratio of 80PKS:20BMW, 60PKS:40BMW, 40PKS:60BMW, 20PKS:80BMW are used to synthesize producer gas from a Fluidized Bed Gasifier (FBG) using mineral olivine is a magnesium iron silicate (Mg2+, Fe2+) 2SiO4 as a main catalytic agent. Co-feeding BMW with PKS is studied for its effects on gas, char, tar yield, carbon conversion efficiency, tar and gas composition. The tar and char yield are reduced but gas yield is increased for co-gasification of BMW and PKS. The carbon conversion efficiency of 80PKS:20BMW and 20PKS:80BMW has increased to 77.7% and 97% respectively. The H2 and CO content are increase for 20PKS:80BMW but methane, carbon dioxide and ethylene content are drops because of the usage of olivine as a main catalytic agent. The cyclone flow field pattern has been simulated and analyzed with the aid of velocity components and static pressure. It is found that the separation effect on small particles size ratio and pressure drop is reduced by 41% and 13.3% respectively. Whereas the separation efficiency is improved, the overall performance of the separator is also improved and the energy consumption is reduced.
Framing the Representation of Refugee Children and Adolescents: A Key Informant Review of the Italian Media
Authors: Baú Valentina
Published: May 2022

Unlike previous studies conducted through content analysis of media reporting on migrants, this article adds to the literature of media coverage on migration through the presentation of interviews carried out with organisations directly involved in influencing and shaping that media content. Most importantly, unlike previous research in this field, it does so by focusing specifically on the representation of refugee children and adolescents. Key informant interviews have been conducted with press officers/communication managers from six of the main organisations working on the migration response in Italy. These include the following: Oxfam, InterSos, Médecins Sans Frontières, Emergency, IOM (International Organization for Migration) and UNICEF. Not only do the findings aid in understanding the consequences that the present media coverage has on refugee children and adolescents, but they also introduce a lens that is useful in offering a more helpful representation of these groups. Ultimately, the ideas presented allow us to consider ways in which this representation can be reframed, with a vision towards a broader social change.
Cartoon Weapons Industry: Prejudicial News Reports and the Terrorising of Magazines
Authors: Barkdull Nicholas , Hutnyk John
Published: May 2022

Two decades of ‘terror’ crises have seen politicians, legal professionals and scholars struggle to cope with atrocities organised around some joke. From the alt-right smirk of the Christchurch killer at his televised court arraignment to the ‘Danish cartoons’ and the targeting of the satirical Charlie Hebdo magazine in France, a series of funny-not-so-funny international ‘incidents’ prompt us to ponder the cartoon nature of politics. Our investigation into cartooning, contextualised as part of ongoing war efforts, reveals a cultural-economic project that peddles weapons for conflicts against caricatured Muslim adversaries. To illustrate this point, we examine copycat cartoon tropes and conclude that while international cartoon politics is nothing new, cartoon contests and terrorist show-trials indicate an ever-greater reification hand-in-glove with the arms trade.