bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus and autoimmune hepatitis
Authors: Gomathy Saranya , Panigrahi Baikuntha , Tirlangi Praveen Kumar , Wig Naveet , Brijwal Megha , Sharma Mehar C. , Garg Ajay , Tripathi Manjari , Mohta Srikant , Doddamani Ramesh , Vibha Deepti , Singh Rajesh Kumar , Yadav Rajni , Sahu Saumya , Suri Vaishali , Kaur Kavneet , Tripathi Madhavi , Rohatgi Anshu , Elavarasi Arunmozhimaran
Published: May 2022

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a rare demyelinating central nervous system illness encountered in the setting of immunosuppressive conditions like human immunodeficiency virus / acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, autoimmune diseases and hematologic malignancies. We had a 54‐year‐old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus and coexisting autoimmune hepatitis who presented with progressive cognitive decline, right hemiparesis and ataxia who was found to have PML. She had severe CD4 lymphopenia. She was managed with low‐dose prednisolone and plasma exchange after which she showed significant clinical improvement. This case highlights the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges encountered in managing a case of PML in the setting of autoimmune conditions with profound lymphopenia.
Number of sexual partners and serum testosterone levels in a population‐based sample of unpartnered heterosexual men
Authors: Bozick Robert
Published: May 2022

Background

The relationship between men's testosterone levels and their sexual behaviors is unclear as existing studies find mixed results.

Objectives

The key objective of this study is to assess whether men's testosterone levels are affected by sexual behaviors and to explore whether this relationship varies by age. Specifically, this study addresses the question: Are men's testosterone levels affected by the number of sexual partners they accrue?

Methods

This analysis was based on a nationally representative sample of 977 unpartnered heterosexual men between the ages of 20 and 65 in the United States. Serum testosterone levels were measured from blood samples using isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and the number of sexual partners in the past 12 months was ascertained from an audio computer‐assisted personal self‐interview. Using ordinary least squares regression, serum testosterone levels were predicted as a function of the number of sexual partners that men reported, sociodemographic characteristics, and factors known to affect endocrine regulation. An interaction term between the number of sexual partners in the past 12 months and age was included.

Results

The correlation between the number of sexual partners in the past 12 months and testosterone levels is contingent upon age: The relationship is positive for younger men but negative for older men. Among 20‐year‐old unpartnered heterosexual men, an additional sexual partner in the past 12 months is associated with an increase of 5.55 ng/dl of testosterone (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.92, 8.19). This initial positive effect at age 20 is reduced by 0.25 ng/dl of testosterone (95% CI: −0.44, −0.06) with each year that men age.

Conclusion

Testosterone levels in men are related to reproductive behaviors, but the direction of this relationship changes as men age.
Too much of a good thing? Curvilinear effect of instrumental social support on task performance via work engagement
Authors: Yun Mansik , Beehr Terry
Published: May 2022

Based on the Threat‐to‐Self‐Esteem (TSE) model integrated with the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, we proposed an inverted U‐shaped curvilinear relationship between receiving instrumental social support and task performance, mediated by work engagement. Further, grounded on the TSE model, we proposed the provision of instrumental social support neutralises the curvilinear association between receiving instrumental social support and work engagement. We examined these hypotheses using two samples of South Korean employees. In Study 1, we collected three‐wave data (N = 302) from employees in a manufacturing company and found curvilinear associations between receiving instrumental social support and work outcomes (i.e. work engagement and task performance), supporting the Too‐Much‐of‐a‐Good‐Thing (TMGT) effects. However, we did not find support for the moderating (neutralising) effects. In Study 2, we replicated the model that was supported in Study 1 (curvilinear model), using a different sample and two‐wave daily diary method (N = 530, construction employees). Overall, based on the TSE model, the COR theory, and TMGT principles, in two settings and with different methods, we found support for curvilinear associations between receiving instrumental social support and work outcomes and an indirect curvilinear effect of receiving instrumental social support on task performance via work engagement.
Commentary on the identity and supererogatory actions of companies
Authors: Zsolnai Laszlo
Published: May 2022

This paper argues that identity economics and social psychology provide a useful frame of reference to interpret supererogatory actions and suggests that identity of companies can be a driving force behind these actions. Companies may perform actions against the narrow sense of economic rationality if those actions serve purposes of high importance for them. The climate crisis and the more recent COVID‐19 crisis call for supererogatory actions by companies more than ever before.
Opposing roles of HDAC6 in liver regeneration and hepatocarcinogenesis
Authors: Phorl Sophors , Memon Azra , Seo Yuri , Hoang Thi Oanh , Tran Trung Nghia , Nguyen Le Minh Tri , Lee Chang Hoon , Lee Woon Kyu , Lee Joo‐Yong
Published: May 2022

Histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6), a deacetylase of p53, has emerged as a privileged inhibitory target for cancer therapy because of its deacetylating activity for p53 at K120 and K373/382. However, intricate roles of HDAC6 in hepatocellular carcinogenesis have been suggested by recent evidence, namely that HDAC6 ablation suppresses innate immunity, which plays critical roles in tumor immunosurveillance and antitumor immune responses. Therefore, it is valuable to determine whether HDAC6 ablation inhibits hepatocellular carcinogenesis using in vivo animal models. Here, we firstly showed that HDAC6 ablation increased K320 acetylation of p53, known as pro‐survival acetylation, in all tested animal models but did not always increase K120 and K373/382 acetylation of p53, known as pro‐apoptotic acetylation. HDAC6 ablation induced cellular senescence in primary MEFs and inhibited cell proliferation in HepG2 cells and liver regeneration after two‐thirds partial hepatectomy. However, the genetic ablation of HDAC6 did not inhibit hepatocarcinogenesis, but instead slightly enhanced it in two independent mouse models (DEN + HFD and DEN + TAA). Notably, HDAC6 ablation significantly promoted hepatocarcinogenesis in a multiple DEN treatment hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) mouse model, mimicking chronic DNA damage in the liver, which correlated with hyperacetylation at K320 of p53 and a decrease in inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Our data from three independent in vivo animal HCC models emphasize the importance of the complex roles of HDAC6 ablation in hepatocellular carcinogenesis, highlighting its immunosuppressive effects.
An exploratory study of the impact of COVID‐19 on foster parenting
Authors: Hanlon Ryan , Kim JaeRan , Woo Cossette , Day Angelique , Vanderwill Lori , Dallimore Elise
Published: May 2022

As the COVID‐19 virus began to spread in the United States of America, states' child welfare administrators and policymakers responded differently. Some states implemented more restrictive policies, some less or did not require many restrictions (i.e., stay at home orders or masking in public spaces). Video‐based online focus groups with foster parents in four states utilized a consensual qualitative approach to identify themes relating to foster parenting during COVID‐19 and understand how policies related to COVID‐19 restrictions affected their caregiving decisions. Themes that emerged included pathways to foster parenting pre‐pandemic, the impact of COVID‐19 on both foster parents, children in care, and foster parents' ability to understand the broader importance of their caregiving. While participants in all of the states reported similar experiences relating to the need for resources and support and the challenge of managing both work and remote education for their children, those in states with restrictive policies were more likely to report pandemic‐specific concerns including a lack of agency communication or case progress, the mental health toll on foster children in their care and their concerns about accepting new placements. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.
Occurrence–habitat mismatching and niche truncation when modelling distributions affected by anthropogenic range contractions
Authors: Pang Sean E. H. , Zeng Yiwen , De Alban Jose Don T. , Webb Edward L.
Published: May 2022

Aims

Human‐induced pressures such as deforestation cause anthropogenic range contractions (ARCs). Such contractions present dynamic distributions that may engender data misrepresentations within species distribution models. The temporal bias of occurrence data—where occurrences represent distributions before (past bias) or after (recent bias) ARCs—underpins these data misrepresentations. Occurrence–habitat mismatching results when occurrences sampled before contractions are modelled with contemporary anthropogenic variables; niche truncation results when occurrences sampled after contractions are modelled without anthropogenic variables. Our understanding of their independent and interactive effects on model performance remains incomplete but is vital for developing good modelling protocols. Through a virtual ecologist approach, we demonstrate how these data misrepresentations manifest and investigate their effects on model performance.

Location

Virtual Southeast Asia.

Methods

Using 100 virtual species, we simulated ARCs with 100‐year land‐use data and generated temporally biased (past and recent) occurrence datasets. We modelled datasets with and without a contemporary land‐use variable (conventional modelling protocols) and with a temporally dynamic land‐use variable. We evaluated each model's ability to predict historical and contemporary distributions.

Results

Greater ARC resulted in greater occurrence–habitat mismatching for datasets with past bias and greater niche truncation for datasets with recent bias. Occurrence–habitat mismatching prevented models with the contemporary land‐use variable from predicting anthropogenic‐related absences, causing overpredictions of contemporary distributions. Although niche truncation caused underpredictions of historical distributions (environmentally suitable habitats), incorporating the contemporary land‐use variable resolved these underpredictions, even when mismatching occurred. Models with the temporally dynamic land‐use variable consistently outperformed models without.

Main conclusions

We showed how these data misrepresentations can degrade model performance, undermining their use for empirical research and conservation science. Given the ubiquity of ARCs, these data misrepresentations are likely inherent to most datasets. Therefore, we present a three‐step strategy for handling data misrepresentations: maximize the temporal range of anthropogenic predictors, exclude mismatched occurrences and test for residual data misrepresentations.
Age‐differences in network models of self‐regulation and executive control functions
Authors: Neubeck Markus , Johann Verena E. , Karbach Julia , Könen Tanja
Published: May 2022

Self‐regulation (SR) and executive control functions (EF) are broad theoretical concepts that subsume various cognitive abilities supporting the regulation of behavior, thoughts, and emotions. However, many of these concepts stem from different psychological disciplines relying on distinct methodologies, such as self‐reports (common in SR research) and performance‐based tasks (common in EF research). Despite the striking overlap between SR and EF on the theoretical level, recent evidence suggests that correlations between self‐report measures and behavioral tasks can be difficult to observe. In our study, participants from a life‐span sample (14–82 years) completed self‐report measures and behavioral tasks, which were selected to include a variety of different facets of SR (e.g., sensation seeking, mindfulness, grit, or eating behavior) and EF (working memory, inhibition, shifting). Using this broad approach, we systematically investigated connections and overlap of different aspects of SR and EF to improve their conceptual understanding. By comparing network models of a youth, middle‐aged, and older‐aged group, we identified key variables that are well connected in the SR and EF construct space. In general, we found connections to be stronger within the clusters of SR and EF than between them. However, older adults demonstrated more connections between SR and EF than younger individuals, likely because of declining cognitive resources.
Idaho's Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer Managed Aquifer Recharge Program
Authors: Hipke Wesley , Thomas Paul , Stewart‐Maddox Noah
Published: May 2022

The Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer (ESPA), Idaho's largest and most productive aquifer, has experienced substantial decline since the early 1950s due to changing climate conditions, increased demands, and evolving irrigation practices. To address this issue, the Idaho Water Resource Board (IWRB) developed the ESPA Comprehensive Aquifer Management Plan (CAMP). The CAMP outlines methods and goals for the replenishment of the aquifer, including the development of a managed aquifer recharge (MAR) program. In 2014, the State of Idaho has provided dedicated, long‐term funding for the MAR with the goal of achieving an average annual recharge rate of 0.3084 km3 (250,000 ac/ft). Since then, the IWRB has invested over $16 million dollars in investigations and infrastructure improvements to support MAR operations and program build‐out, resulting in an addition of over 62.3 m3/s (2,200 cfs) of instantaneous MAR capacity and total programmatic recharge of over 2.2203 km3 (1.8 million acre‐feet). Overall, the program has added an average of 0.3207 km3 (260,000 ac/ft) per year to the aquifer. Utilizing existing infrastructure and the IWRB's natural flow water rights has significantly reduced programmatic costs. The program's cost for conducting MAR since 2014 is $0.01 per cubic meter or $18 per acre‐foot accounting for capital cost, conveyance fees, operation and maintenance, and monitoring cost. Future capacity increases are planned to further assist the program in capturing excess water when it is available.
Pharmacokinetic profile of children with haemophilia A receiving low‐dose FVIII prophylaxis in Indonesia: A single centre experience
Authors: Primacakti Fitri , Sari Teny T. , Gatot Djajadiman , Sjakti Hikari A. , Chozie Novie A.
Published: May 2022

Background

Pharmacokinetic (PK) studies of low‐dose prophylaxis (LDP) of coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) in children with severe haemophilia A (SHA) are scarce.

Objective

This study aims to investigate the PK profile of children with SHA receiving LDP of FVIII.

Methods

Paediatric patients receiving FVIII infusions (10 IU/kg twice weekly) were included. PK profiles were estimated using the Web Accessible Population Pharmacokinetic Service for Haemophilia (WAPPS‐Haemo). The primary outcomes were the terminal half‐life (t1/2), concentration–time profile, and time to reach an FVIII level of < 1%. The secondary outcome was the suggested dosing interval of FVIII prophylaxis based on the individual PK profile.

Results

Twenty‐five patients were recruited; their mean age was 12.3 ± 3.0 years. The t1/2 differed among patients receiving LDP of FVIII twice weekly, with a median of t1/2 was 14.8 h (IQR 12.6–16). The median time to reach an FVIII level of < 1% was 73.8 h (IQR 58.8–80.3). Most patients could maintain a trough level of FVIII > 1% longer than 48 h. At 72–96 h, patients needed a second dose of FVIII infusion because the FVIII level was < 1%. The suggested dosing interval of FVIII prophylaxis ranged from daily to every 96 h, depending on the individual PK profile.

Conclusion

Our study identified inter‐individual differences in the PK parameters using LDP of FVIII twice weekly. The inter‐individual results in different dosing intervals advise the timing of LDP. Estimating individual PK parameters enables the identification of the optimal prophylaxis frequency to prevent bleedings.
Impacts of organisational culture on academic efficiency and productivity in selected private universities in the Niger delta region of Nigeria
Authors: Okure Dominic Uduakabasi
Published: May 2022

Organisational efficiency is a consistent quality that derives more from and thrives on strong internal culture than on isolated instances of timely and effortless accomplishments by corporate systems. This study sought to evaluate the relationship between organisational culture and enhanced productivity and efficiency among members of five universities in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, which with its peculiarities provided a unique context for the study. The quantitative and qualitative methods were used for data collection among 104 respondents. Faculty were assessed on the direct impacts of their organisations' culture on their research and publication, creativity and innovativeness, among others, while students were assessed on learning, career prospects and others. The study suggested that most of the five universities had no well‐articulated organisational culture. This significantly compromises their unique value addition to the educational system, implying that they risk losing their relative advantages unless they fortify their organisational cultural frontiers.
Thymic and extrathymic Aire‐expressing cells in maternal‐fetal tolerance*
Authors: Sun Im‐Hong , Gillis‐Buck Eva , Mackenzie Tippi C. , Gardner James M.
Published: May 2022

Healthy pregnancy requires maternal immune tolerance to both fetal and placental tissues which contain a range of self‐ and non‐self‐antigens. While many of the components and mechanisms of maternal‐fetal tolerance have been investigated in detail and previously and thoroughly reviewed (Erlebacher A. Annu Rev Immunol. 2013;31:387–411), the role of autoimmune regulator (Aire), a critical regulator of central tolerance expressed by medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs), has been less explored. Aire is known to facilitate the expression of a range of otherwise tissue‐specific antigens (TSAs) in mTECs, and here we highlight recent work showing a role for mTEC‐mediated thymic selection in maintaining maternal‐fetal tolerance. Recently, however, our group and others have identified additional populations of extrathymic Aire‐expressing cells (eTACs) in the secondary lymphoid organs. These hematopoietic antigen‐presenting cells possess the ability to induce functional inactivation and/or deletion of cognate T cells, and deletion of maternal eTACs during pregnancy increases T‐cell activation in the lymph nodes and lymphocytic infiltration of the uterus, leading to pregnancy complications including intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and fetal resorption. In this review, we briefly summarize findings related to essential Aire biology, discuss the known roles of Aire‐deficiency related to pregnancy complications and infertility, review the newly discovered role for eTACs in the maintenance of maternal‐fetal tolerance—as well as recent work defining eTACs at the single‐cell level—and postulate potential mechanisms by which eTACs may regulate this process.
The global ‘hot shop’: COVID‐19 as a union organising catalyst
Authors: Maffie Michael David
Published: May 2022

There is an emerging narrative that the global COVID‐19 pandemic has led to a resurgence of labour activism. Despite this popular narrative, scholars lack empirical data on the relationship between workers' exposure to the pandemic and their interest in collective representation. Using original survey data from 240 ride‐hail drivers, I find that greater exposure to the COVID‐19 virus is associated with greater interest in joining a labour union. This article provides the first empirical evidence linking the COVID‐19 pandemic to the recent wave of labour activism, giving rise to what I refer to as a ‘global hot shop’ phenomenon.
Genetic markers for methazolamide‐induced Stevens–Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis
Authors: Huang Po‐Wei , Chu Chia‐Yu
Published: May 2022

Linked article: M. Jiang et al. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2022; 36: 873–880. https://doi.org/10.1111/jdv.17980.
Dewlap colour variation in Anolis sagrei is maintained among habitats within islands of the West Indies
Authors: Scherrer Raphaël , Donihue Colin M. , Reynolds Robert Graham , Losos Jonathan B. , Geneva Anthony J.
Published: May 2022

Animal signals evolve in an ecological context. Locally adapting animal sexual signals can be especially important for initiating or reinforcing reproductive isolation during the early stages of speciation. Previous studies have demonstrated that dewlap colour in Anolis lizards can be highly variable between populations in relation to both biotic and abiotic adaptive drivers at relatively large geographical scales. Here, we investigated differentiation of dewlap colouration among habitat types at a small spatial scale, within multiple islands of the West Indies, to test the hypothesis that similar local adaptive processes occur over smaller spatial scales. We explored variation in dewlap colouration in the most widespread species of anole, Anolis sagrei, across three characteristic habitats spanning the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands, namely beach scrub, primary coppice forest and mangrove forest. Using reflectance spectrometry paired with supervised machine learning, we found significant differences in spectral properties of the dewlap between habitats within small islands, sometimes over very short distances. Passive divergence in dewlap phenotype associated with isolation‐by‐distance did not seem to explain our results. On the other hand, these habitat‐specific dewlap differences varied in magnitude and direction across islands, and thus, our primary test for adaptation—parallel responses across islands—was not supported. We suggest that neutral processes or selection could be involved in several ways, including sexual selection. Our results shed new light on the scale at which signal colour polymorphism can be maintained in the presence of gene flow, and the relative role of local adaptation and other processes in driving these patterns of dewlap colour variation across islands.
Preliminary evaluation of serum zonulin in canine chronic enteropathies
Authors: Dinesh N. , Slovak J. E. , Kogan C. , Kopper J. J.
Published: May 2022

Objectives

In humans, serum zonulin, a biomarker of intestinal permeability, correlates with underlying enteropathies and has potential application as a therapeutic target. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum zonulin as a biomarker for canine chronic enteropathy.

Materials and Methods

Prospective enrolment of twenty‐one client‐owned dogs with at least 1 of the following gastrointestinal (GI) signs for at least 3 weeks duration: anorexia, hyporexia, dysrexia, vomiting, weight loss or diarrhea. 21 control dogs, age and breed matched, were also enrolled. Dogs with gastrointestinal signs were diagnosed with chronic enteropathy based on a complete blood count, serum chemistry, specific canine pancreatic lipase, cobalamin, resting cortisol, abdominal ultrasound and gastrointestinal endoscopy with histopathology. Enrolled control dogs had an unremarkable physical examination, complete blood count, serum chemistry and no clinical signs of gastrointestinal disease. Dogs were ineligible if antibiotics or immunosuppressive medications were administered within 1 month of enrolment. Blood samples were analysed using a commercial canine serum zonulin quantitative ELISA.

Results

Dogs with chronic enteropathies had median serum zonulin values of 0.28 ng/mL (interquartile range: 0.04‐2.59), while control dogs of 0.27 ng/mL (0.05‐3.67). There was no significant difference in canine serum zonulin levels between these populations. The estimated difference in the median concentrations was −0.01 ng/mL (95% CI: −0.23 to 0.89).

Clinical Significance

In this study, using a commercial canine zonulin ELISA, serum zonulin levels did not differentiate between dogs with chronic enteropathies and control dogs.
Impact on follow‐up strategies in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis
Authors: Bergquist Annika , Weismüller Tobias J. , Levy Cynthia , Rupp Christian , Joshi Deepak , Nayagam Jeremy Shanika , Montano‐Loza Aldo J. , Lytvyak Ellina , Wunsch Ewa , Milkiewicz Piotr , Zenouzi Roman , Schramm Christoph , Cazzagon Nora , Floreani Annarosa , Liby Ingalill Friis , Wiestler Miriam , Wedemeyer Heiner , Zhou Taotao , Strassburg Christian P. , Rigopoulou Eirini , Dalekos George , Narasimman Manasa , Verhelst Xavier , Degroote Helena , Vesterhus Mette , Kremer Andreas E. , Bündgens Bennet , Rorsman Fredrik , Nilsson Emma , Jørgensen Kristin Kaasen , von Seth Erik , Cornillet Jeannin Martin , Nyhlin Nils , Martin Harry , Kechagias Stergios , Wiencke Kristine , Werner Mårten , Beretta‐Piccoli Benedetta Terziroli , Marzioni Marco , Isoniemi Helena , Arola Johanna , Wefer Agnes , Söderling Jonas , Färkkilä Martti , Lenzen Henrike ,   the International PSC Study Group
Published: May 2022

Background & Aims

Evidence for the benefit of scheduled imaging for early detection of hepatobiliary malignancies in primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is limited. We aimed to compare different follow‐up strategies in PSC with the hypothesis that regular imaging improves survival.

Methods

We collected retrospective data from 2975 PSC patients from 27 centres. Patients were followed from the start of scheduled imaging or in case of clinical follow‐up from 1 January 2000, until death or last clinical follow‐up alive. The primary endpoint was all‐cause mortality.

Results

A broad variety of different follow‐up strategies were reported. All except one centre used regular imaging, ultrasound (US) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Two centres used scheduled endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in addition to imaging for surveillance purposes. The overall HR (CI95%) for death, adjusted for sex, age and start year of follow‐up, was 0.61 (0.47–0.80) for scheduled imaging with and without ERCP; 0.64 (0.48–0.86) for US/MRI and 0.53 (0.37–0.75) for follow‐up strategies including scheduled ERCP. The lower risk of death remained for scheduled imaging with and without ERCP after adjustment for cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) or high‐grade dysplasia as a time‐dependent covariate, HR 0.57 (0.44–0.75). Hepatobiliary malignancy was diagnosed in 175 (5.9%) of the patients at 7.9 years of follow‐up. Asymptomatic patients (25%) with CCA had better survival if scheduled imaging had been performed.

Conclusions

Follow‐up strategies vary considerably across centres. Scheduled imaging was associated with improved survival. Multiple factors may contribute to this result including early tumour detection and increased endoscopic treatment of asymptomatic benign biliary strictures.
Clinical and microbiologic outcomes of central nervous system cryptococcosis: Re‐examining the need for a 2‐week cerebrospinal fluid analysis
Authors: Yetmar Zachary A. , Ranganath Nischal , Mendoza Maria A. , Razonable Raymund R.
Published: May 2022

Background

Cryptococcus spp. infection involving the central nervous system (CNS) is associated with poor outcomes. Current guidelines recommend repeating a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fungal culture after 2 weeks of treatment to evaluate for clearance. However, this practice has not clearly been associated with outcomes.

Objectives

We sought to assess the relationship between CSF fungal clearance at 2 weeks and 12‐month mortality in patients with CNS cryptococcosis.

Methods

This is a retrospective cohort study from 2011 to 2020 of patients with CNS cryptococcosis. Factors associated with 12‐month mortality were assessed with Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables and Mann–Whitney test for continuous variables.

Results

Among 51 patients with CNS cryptococcosis, 42 (82.4%) were initially CSF culture positive. Among 27 patients with follow‐up CSF culture at 2 weeks, 6 (22.2%) had a positive result. Factors associated with a positive CSF culture at 2 weeks were an initial CSF cryptococcal antigen titre ≥1:2560, fungaemia, and an elevated intracranial pressure requiring therapeutic lumbar punctures. The 12‐month mortality rate was 33.3%, and this was significantly associated with baseline fungaemia, extra‐CNS cryptococcal involvement and requirement of intensive care unit level of care. Lack of CSF culture clearance by 2 weeks was not associated with 12‐month mortality.

Conclusions

CNS cryptococcosis has a high mortality rate. A markedly elevated CSF cryptococcal antigen, and opening CSF pressure was associated with lack of CSF culture clearance at 2 weeks of treatment. Severe disseminated disease and cryptococcemia were associated with 12‐month mortality.
The new discourses of nation: The origins of nationalism in late eighteenth‐century Hungary (Part 1)
Authors: Almási Gábor , Šubarić Lav
Published: May 2022

The main thesis of this article is that nationalist political discourses emerged in Hungary more suddenly, radically and earlier than previously thought. An underlying assumption is that nationalism may be best understood through an analysis of political discourses. The sudden appeal of these kinds of political discourses demands explanation. How did the discourses of nation overwrite earlier discourses? How did they gain social, political and cultural legitimacy? How were they related to the Enlightenment? In answering these questions, we first point to the ambiguity and fluidity of new concepts and terms, such as nation, language, fatherland, patriot and foreigner. These key concepts of nationalist discourses provided innovative and independent sources of political legitimation. They enabled the frameworks of political life and thought to be re‐established. They made for an easy entry into politics because they were rooted in familiar, earlier political discourses. However, for the success of nationalism as a political paradigm, the new discourses of nation also had to make attractive ideological offers and project positive visions of the future. These offers, as we will show, were built on an appeal to ‘public happiness’. They bound together Magyarisation and nationalism and grew from an ideology into a political programme.
Happy riders are all alike? Ambivalent subjective experience and mental well‐being of food‐delivery platform workers in China
Authors: Wu Philip F. , Zheng Ruoshu , Zhao Ying , Li Yixi
Published: May 2022

This study draws upon organizational psychology and platform labor research to investigate how socio‐psychological factors affect the mental well‐being of platform workers and help them cope with the challenges of work. Based on a survey study of 500 food‐delivery workers (‘riders’) in China, we provide quantitative evidence of workers' ambivalent subjective experiences that complements the predominantly qualitative account in the extant literature. In particular, we assess the complex relationships between meaningfulness of work, autonomy at work, self‐perceived competence, and workers' subjective well‐being. Our data also show that the stress‐buffering effect of social support mainly comes from the riders' familial contact and their online group chat with other workers. Overall, despite the well‐documented precarity and stress in platform work, the riders in our sample appear to be able to mobilize inner and relational resources to achieve a relatively high‐level mental well‐being.
Detection of a novel HLA‐B allele, HLA‐B*48:54 in a Chinese individual
Authors: Ji Xin , Luo Chen , Wang Jue , Chen Qiang , Zhong Liu
Published: May 2022

The novel HLA‐B*48:54 allele was identified in an individual from the Sichuan province of China.
CAN SINNERS REALLY CHANGE? UNDERSTANDING PERSONAL SALVATION IN THE BLOCK UNIVERSE
Authors: Qureshi‐Hurst Emily
Published: May 2022

This article brings time and theology together constructively in response to a pressing problem for the doctrine of personal salvation. The problem arises within the physics and metaphysics of time, as these support a so‐called temporal B‐theory in which time does not pass and reality is comprised of a block universe. Within this static temporal metaphysic, objective change is highly problematized. Yet salvation requires an objective change from fallenness to redemption. So, how can we understand a salvation‐transformation in the block universe? In other words, can sinners really change? I argue that on a B‐theory of time, a salvation‐transformation is best understood as a form of qualitative, phenomenological, and subjective change, rather than a robust ontological change. I conclude that the individual's transformation from fallen to saved is one of mind‐dependent becoming. So, sinners can change. But, in this lifetime, that change can only be subjective.
Co-Optimization of Supply Chain Reconfiguration and Assembly Process Planning for Factory-in-a-Box Manufacturing
Authors: Nwodu Arriana , Pasha Junayed , Jiang Zhengqian , Guo Weihong , Dulebenets Maxim , Wang Hui , Minor Kayla
Published: May 2022

Factory in a box (FiB) is an emerging technology that meets the dynamic and diverse market demand by carrying a factory module on vehicles to perform on-site production near customers’ locations. It is suitable for meeting time-sensitive demands, such as the outbreak of disasters or epidemics/pandemics. Compared to traditional manufacturing, FiB poses a new challenge of frequently reconfiguring supply chain networks since the final production location changes as the vehicle carrying the factory travels. Supply chain network reconfiguration involves decisions regarding whether suppliers or manufacturers can be retained in the supply chain or replaced. Such a supply chain reconfiguration problem is coupled with manufacturing process planning, which assigns tasks to each manufacturer that impacts material flow in the supply chain network. Considering the supply chain reconfigurability, this article develops a new mathematical model based on nonlinear integer programming to optimize supply chain reconfiguration and assembly planning jointly. An evolutionary algorithm (EA) is developed and customized to the joint optimization of process planning and supplier/manufacturer selection. The performance of EA is verified with a nonlinear solver for a relaxed version of the problem. A case study on producing a medical product demonstrates the methodology in guiding supply chain reconfiguration and process planning as the final production site relocates in response to local demands. The methodology can be potentially generalized to supply chain and service process planning for a mobile hospital offering on-site medical services.
ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA Silver Medal in Noise 2021: Paul D. Schomer
Authors: Schomer Paul D.
Published: May 2022

The Silver Medal is presented to individuals, without age limitation, for contributions to the advancement of science, engineering, or human welfare through the application of acoustic principles, or through research accomplishment in acoustics.
The emergence of idiosyncratic patterns in the frequency-following response during the first year of life
Authors: Llanos Fernando , Zhao T. Christina , Kuhl Patricia K. , Chandrasekaran Bharath
Published: May 2022

The frequency-following response (FFR) is a scalp-recorded signal that reflects phase-locked activity from neurons across the auditory system. In addition to capturing information about sounds, the FFR conveys biometric information, reflecting individual differences in auditory processing. To investigate the development of FFR biometric patterns, we trained a pattern recognition model to recognize infants (N = 16) from FFRs collected at 7 and 11 months. Model recognition scores were used to index the robustness of FFR biometric patterns at each time. Results showed better recognition scores at 11 months, demonstrating the emergence of robust FFR idiosyncratic patterns during this first year of life.
Beyond traditional wind farm noise characterisation using transfer learning
Authors: Nguyen Phuc D. , Hansen Kristy L. , Lechat Bastien , Zajamsek Branko , Hansen Colin , Catcheside Peter
Published: May 2022

This study proposes an approach for the characterisation and assessment of wind farm noise (WFN), which is based on extraction of acoustic features between 125 and 7500 Hz from a pretrained deep learning model (referred to as deep acoustic features). Using data measured at a variety of locations, this study shows that deep acoustic features can be linked to meaningful characteristics of the noise. This study finds that deep acoustic features can reveal an improved spatial and temporal representation of WFN compared to what is revealed using traditional spectral analysis and overall noise descriptors. These results showed that this approach is promising, and thus it could provide the basis for an improved framework for WFN assessment in the future.
Assessment of clot degradation under the action of histotripsy and a thrombolytic drug
Authors: Hendley Samuel A. , Bader Kenneth B.
Published: May 2022

Deep vein thrombosis is a major global burden. For critical obstructions, administration of a thrombolytic drug via catheter infusion is the frontline therapy for restoration of flow. Histotripsy is a focused ultrasound therapy utilized for soft tissue ablation via the generation and action of bubble clouds. Thrombolytics have been shown to act synergistically with histotripsy to promote thrombus degradation via two hypothesized mechanisms: fractionation of erythrocytes within the thrombus (hemolysis) and enhanced thrombolytic delivery (fibrinolysis). The objective of this study was to quantify the relationship among histotripsy bubble activity, hemolysis, and fibrinolysis. Human whole blood clots were exposed to thrombolytic and histotripsy pulses. The strength of bubble cloud activity was quantified via passive cavitation images formed from acoustic emissions generated during the histotripsy pulse. Following histotripsy exposure, assays were conducted to quantify the generation of hemoglobin (metric of hemolysis) and D-dimer (metric of fibrinolysis). Using linear regression analysis, our findings indicated hemolysis and fibrinolysis contributed equally to overall treatment efficacy (clot mass loss). Moreover, the force generated by histotripsy bubble active promoted hemolysis or fibrinolysis in an equivalent fashion. These findings demonstrate histotripsy bubble clouds have more utility than ablation alone and reveal the benefits of this combination approach.
Microbubble-mediated adjunct treatment for cardiovascular bacterial infections
Authors: Lattwein Kirby R. , Starrenburg Margot E. , Kouijzer Joop J. , Leon-Grooters Mariël , de Maat Moniek P. , van Wamel Willem J. , Kooiman Klazina
Published: May 2022

Cardiovascular bacterial infections of tissue and indwelling devices are associated with high mortality rates. Infecting bacteria encase themselves in fibrin-based biofilms that hinder the immune system and antibiotics. In this in vitro study, we investigated sonobactericide to treat these biofilms using ultrasound and microbubbles, with and without a thrombolytic agent (rt-PA). Cardiovascular-mimicking biofilms were grown using human plasma inoculated with Staphylococcus aureus from an inner heart infection. Treatment consisted of ultrasound (2 MHz, 400 kPa, 100 cycles, every second for 30 s and 1 s continuous wave) every min for 10 min, either alone or with low-dose rt-PA (158 ng/ml), microbubbles, or rt-PA and microbubbles, and was assessed by time-lapse confocal microscopy. Ultrasound-activated microbubbles bent fibrin strands (≤5.2 μm), which returned to original positions (≤25.6 s), and dislodged bacteria from fibrin encasement. Ultrasound alone did not physically alter biofilms. Oscillating microbubbles with rt-PA present led to fibrin strand bending, with and without recovery and eventual breaking, and faster fibrin degradation liberating bacterial aggregates (322 ± 161 s) than rt-PA alone (518 ± 86 s; excluding ∼45 min from rt-PA exposure until degradation began). These results demonstrate that microbubble-induced effects could aid in the treatment of cardiovascular biofilm infections.
Polarized source model for the design of bulk active metamaterials
Authors: Kovacevich Dylan , Popa Bogdan-Ioan
Published: May 2022

Active acoustic metamaterials have the potential for the broadband realization of complex property distributions, such as those prescribed by transformation acoustics. Especially promising are metamaterials composed of unit cells consisting of paired sensors and drivers that generate a programmed acoustic response to the local pressure and particle velocity. Previous experimental works have used this approach to implement active metamaterials of theoretically controllable effective bulk modulus and mass density, but were limited to only one or a few non-interacting cells and were not applicable to general bulk media. Here, we further develop some of the theory necessary to overcome these limitations and enable the design of bulk active metamaterials with desired properties, including steep gradients and mass density anisotropy. We present a highly simplified model of sensor-driver unit cells as interacting polarized sources that allow us to derive closed-form expressions directly relating the effective acoustic properties to the required gains, or polarizabilities. We validate our model for several example geometries and property distributions by comparing the scattered fields of the theoretical metamaterials with those of the equivalent continuous media. In particular, we show compatibility with transformation acoustics and demonstrate cylindrical cloaks using polarized sources.
A quantitative assessment of uncertainty in the measurement of violin impact response
Authors: Lowery Seth , Piacsek Andrew A.
Published: May 2022

It is a commonly stated belief among violin players and luthiers that new violins require a period of “playing in” for the tone to develop. Several studies have worked towards an answer to this question, such as measuring the change in tone according to the human ear or the vibrational response of stimulated wood. As the effects of sustained excitation on the mechanical response of violins will likely be subtle, it is necessary to create a consistent method of measurement and to quantify the expected range of deviation among repeated measurements. We measure admittance (velocity/force) by tapping the bridge with a small modal impact hammer and recording the velocity response of the top plate near the opposite side of the bridge using a laser doppler vibrometer. The acoustic response is also measured in an anechoic chamber. Since measurements of the same violin on different days do not produce identical response curves, several methods of characterizing the deviation were developed and compared. These uncertainty metrics will be used in the second phase of the experiment to determine the significance of the results, and ultimately work towards a better understanding of the effects of breaking in violins.
Azimuthal deviation for outdoor sound propagation in a moving medium with a crosswind
Authors: Norris David , Ostashev Vladimir
Published: May 2022

Current codes for ray tracing in a moving atmosphere involve solutions of a set of differential equations. In this presentation, ray tracing is suggested, which is based on a closed-form expression for the sound propagation path in a stratified moving atmosphere. This approach can complement existing ray tracing codes, perform with improved computational efficiency, and serve as a benchmark solution. The closed-form expression for the sound propagation path enables other analytical formulations in geometrical acoustics such as the prediction of the azimuthal deviation as driven by the crosswind. This result also allows estimation of the crosswind provided that the azimuthal deviation between the true and apparent source location is measured. The result is validated by numerical simulations of sound propagation in the atmospheric surface layer with different meteorological regimes.
The use of infrasound from repeating explosion sequences in Oklahoma to probe the atmosphere
Authors: Arrowsmith Stephen , Averbuch Gil , Giannone Miro R. , Sabatini Roberto
Published: May 2022

Infrasound waves are sensitive to atmospheric processes that are unresolved in numerical weather prediction models, and to atmospheric properties at altitudes that are poorly constrained by observations. We report on the use of infrasound observations to probe atmospheric phenomena occurring over temporal scales from less than one hour to days, and at altitudes that extend up to the stratopause. Two measurement campaigns were conducted to capture infrasound signals from repeating explosion sequences from the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant in Oklahoma. The first campaign captured infrasound signals propagating in a tropospheric waveguide, while the second captured signals propagating in a stratospheric waveguide. In both cases, we resolve sub-hour variations in infrasound signal characteristics that we show are related to unresolved atmospheric phenomena. We further resolve day-to-day variations for the two different waveguides and assess how well these longer-term variations can be explained using meteorological models. Using a normal-mode code based on a Chebyshev collocation method, we also compared ground infrasonic recordings and numerically synthesized pressure waveforms. The results provide insight into the value that infrasound measurements can provide for meteorology over different temporal and spatial scales.
Microbarometer measurements to probe turbulent kinetic energy in the atmospheric boundary layer
Authors: Assink Jelle D.
Published: May 2022

Microbarometer networks are typically in place for the detection of atmospheric infrasound waves. The monitoring of such waves can be of interest for source characterization, which include a wide array of geophysical and man-made sources, as well as atmospheric infrasound propagation studies. In such studies, the presence of turbulence and other wind-induced effects are considered a nuisance. For this reason, wind noise filters are typically in place for suppression. As Cuxart et al. [BLM (2013)] pointed out, microbarometer measurements indeed have a value for detection of local and remote turbulence and measurements can be used to estimate turbulent kinetic energy (TKE). In this study, we compare microbarometer observations at the Cabauw atmospheric research site to co-located in-situ TKE measurements. Moreover, we compare turbulence timeseries to predictions from the high-resolution HARMONIE weather model in which this quantity is parameterized. This approach has two foreseen applications: (1) modeled TKE fields could possibly help in identifying regions that are most appropriate for infrasound monitoring due to low TKE values and (2) microbarometer observations could possibly be of use in the further refining of the modeled TKE parameter.