bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigating the susceptibility of treatment-resistant oesophageal tumours to natural killer cell-mediated responses
Authors: Mylod Eimear , McKenna Ellen , Davern Maria , Barr Martin P. , Donlon Noel E. , Bibby Becky A. S. , Bhardwaj Anshul , Reynolds John V. , Lysaght Joanne , Maher Stephen G. , Conroy Melissa J.
Published: April 2022

The majority of oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) patients do not respond to multimodal treatment regimens and face dismal survival rates. Natural killer (NK) cells are crucial anti-tumour immune cells, and this study investigated the susceptibility of treatment-resistant OAC cells to these potent tumour killers. Natural killer receptor (NKR) ligand expression by OE33CisP (cisplatin-sensitive) and OE33CisR (cisplatin-resistant) cells was investigated. The immunomodulatory effects of OE33CisP and OE33CisR cells on NK cell phenotype and function were assessed. Finally, the impact of chemotherapy regimens on NKR ligand shedding was examined. Our data revealed significantly less surface expression of activating ligands B7-H6, MICA/B, ULBP-3 and activating/inhibitory ligands PVRL-1 and PVRL-4 by OE33CisR cells, compared to OE33CisP cells. Co-culture with OE33CisR cells reduced the frequencies of NKp30+ and NKp46+ NK cells and increased frequencies of TIGIT+, FasL+ and TRAIL+ NK cells. Frequencies of IFN-γ-producing NK cells increased while frequencies of TIM-3+ NK cells decreased after culture with OE33CisP and OE33CisR cells. Frequencies of circulating NKp30+ NK cells were significantly lower in OAC patients with the poorest treatment response and in patients who received FLOT chemotherapy, while B7-H6 shedding by OAC tumour cells was induced by FLOT. Overall, OE33CisR cells express less activating NKR ligands than OE33CisP cells and have differential effects on NKR expression by NK cells. However, neither cell line significantly dampened NK cell cytokine production, death receptor expression or degranulation. In addition, our data indicate that FLOT chemotherapy may promote B7-H6 shedding and immune evasion with detrimental consequences in OAC patients.
Determining Clinically-Viable Biomarkers for Ischaemic Stroke Through a Mechanistic and Machine Learning Approach
Authors: Benemerito Ivan , Narata Ana Paula , Narracott Andrew , Marzo Alberto
Published: April 2022

Assessment of distal cerebral perfusion after ischaemic stroke is currently only possible through expensive and time-consuming imaging procedures which require the injection of a contrast medium. Alternative approaches that could indicate earlier the impact of blood flow occlusion on distal cerebral perfusion are currently lacking. The aim of this study was to identify novel biomarkers suitable for clinical implementation using less invasive diagnostic techniques such as Transcranial Doppler (TCD). We used 1D modelling to simulate pre- and post-stroke velocity and flow wave propagation in a typical arterial network, and Sobol’s sensitivity analysis, supported by the use of Gaussian process emulators, to identify biomarkers linked to cerebral perfusion. We showed that values of pulsatility index of the right anterior cerebral artery > 1.6 are associated with poor perfusion and may require immediate intervention. Three additional biomarkers with similar behaviour, all related to pulsatility indices, were identified. These results suggest that flow pulsatility measured at specific locations could be used to effectively estimate distal cerebral perfusion rates, and ultimately improve clinical diagnosis and management of ischaemic stroke.
Top-income adjustments and official statistics on income distribution: the case of the UK
Authors: Jenkins Stephen P.
Published: April 2022

UK official statistics on income distribution have incorporated top-income adjustments to household survey data since 1992. This article reviews the work undertaken by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Office for National Statistics, and the academic research that influenced them, and reflects on the lessons to learn from the UK experience.
Optimal survival trees
Authors: Bertsimas Dimitris , Dunn Jack , Gibson Emma , Orfanoudaki Agni
Published: April 2022

Tree-based models are increasingly popular due to their ability to identify complex relationships that are beyond the scope of parametric models. Survival tree methods adapt these models to allow for the analysis of censored outcomes, which often appear in medical data. We present a new Optimal Survival Trees algorithm that leverages mixed-integer optimization (MIO) and local search techniques to generate globally optimized survival tree models. We demonstrate that the OST algorithm improves on the accuracy of existing survival tree methods, particularly in large datasets.
Some thoughts on silicon and carbon trade-offs in plants
Authors: Hodson Martin J. , Guppy Christopher N.
Published: April 2022

In 1983, Raven suggested that silica could substitute for lignin or cellulose as a structural material in plants, and should be favoured because of its lower energetic costs. He then asked the question why more plants did not use silica for structural support. Raven’s idea eventually led to a whole series of investigations into the substitution of silicon for carbon in plants, so-called trade-offs. In this Opinion we offer some, hopefully helpful, thoughts on this research, and we attempt to answer Raven’s question. We conclude that more focus on the distribution of silicon and carbon at the cellular level is needed, and that we should be more careful to avoid teleological thinking.
Potential stressors in (prospective) physical education teachers: a comparison of different career stages
Authors: Pels Fabian , Hartmann Ulrike , Schäfer-Pels Alina , von Haaren-Mack Birte
Published: April 2022

Previous studies have identified stressors in physical education (PE) teachers. However, these studies lack a comprehensive consideration of potential teaching-related stressors combined with an analysis of differences in these potential stressors between different career stages. Given that many physical education teachers suffer from stress, the purpose of the present study was to investigate potential stressors in three career stages of (prospective) physical education teachers (student teachers, pre-service teachers, teachers) in order to further develop their education in terms of stress management. The results of a survey of 723 German (prospective) physical education teachers (255 student teachers, 117 pre-service teachers, 351 teachers) showed that, overall, noise, heterogeneity of students, and inadequate curriculum were reported to be the most frequent potential stressors. When controlling for teaching hours per week, teachers, and pre-service teachers did not differ in the frequency of potential stressors. However, both teachers and pre-service teachers reported significantly less lack of facilities/equipment, pupils’ discipline problems, and lack of pupils’ motivation than student teachers, and significantly more noise than PE student teachers. Additionally, teachers reported more heterogeneity of pupils than student teachers. These findings can be explained by characteristics of the specific career stages. For practical application, it can be concluded that there is a need for coping interventions that are tailored to the stressors which are salient in a specific career phase. In future research, studies should investigate stressors in different career stages longitudinally.
Assessment and characterisation of groundwater quality in Akure metropolis, southwestern Nigeria
Authors: Afolabi Olubukola O. , Ogundana Ayodeji K. , Ogundipe Ibukun E.
Published: April 2022

The geology of an area plays a significant role in the chemistry of groundwater. The quality of groundwater can also be adversely affected by anthropogenic activities if not properly monitored. The composition of groundwater in Akure was assessed and characterised in order to determine the chemical behavior of the groundwater system within the city. A total of thirty-six representative groundwater samples were randomly collected within Akure metropolis. The chemical composition of the water samples was analysed and determined using AAS, flame photometry and titration methods. The analysis of the results showed that the chemical concentrations of EC ranged from 35.5 to 1670.0µS/cm; TDS (in mg/l) ranged from 5.0 to 1700.0; Na+(1.0–122.0); K+(1.2–156.7); Ca2+(1.2–17.3); Mg2+(3.9–6.4); Fe3+(0.03–1.03); HCO3− (0.0–622.5); NO3−(0.01–0.25); Cl−(1.99–216.4); SO42−(22.6–`873.9); Mn2+(0.05–0.30); Zn2+(0.06–0.78); Cu2+(0.02–0.32); Pb2+(0.01–0.18); Ni2+(0.0–0.02); Cr3+(0.02–0.32); and Se2+(0.06–0.37). Statistical evaluation of the data showed that the water samples collected within the centre of the ancient city as well as the samples obtained from downstream of the major river draining the city have elevated EC and TDS higher than the WHO and NIS recommended limits. Further evaluation of the results by piper diagram, Gibb’s plot and Chadha classifications showed that the chemistry of the groundwater system in Akure metropolis is largely dominated by rock water interactions. The primary character of the water falls within the alkali metals exceeding alkaline earth metals and strong acidic anions exceeding weak anions. The indicates that the groundwater system in the study area has salinity challenges for both domestic uses and irrigation purposes.
Research on Deformation Reconstruction Based on Structural Curvature of CFRP Propeller With Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor Network
Authors: Ding Guoping , Wang Fu , Gao Xiaoling , Jiang Siyuan
Published: April 2022

The deformation and reconstruction of the composite propeller under the static load in the laboratory is studied so as to provide the basic research for the deformation and reconstruction of the underwater deformed propeller. The fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor is proposed to be used for strain monitoring and deformation reconstruction of the carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) propeller, and a reconstruction algorithm of structural curvature deformation of the CFRP propeller based on strain information is presented. The reconstruction algorithm is verified by using variable-thickness CFRP laminates in the finite element software. The results show that the relative error of the reconstruction algorithm is within 8%. Then, an experimental system of strain monitoring and deformation reconstruction for the CFRP propeller based on the FBG sensor network is built. The propeller blade is loaded in the form of the cantilever beam, and the blade deformation is reconstructed by the strain measured by the FBG sensor network. Compared with the blade deformation measured by three coordinate scanners, the reconstruction relative error is within 15%.
Hyper-Spectral Speckle Imaging for Space Situational Awareness
Authors: Hall Ryan , Jefferies Stuart M.
Published: April 2022

When observing targets in the near-Earth space environment using ground-based telescopes, the Earth’s turbulent atmosphere and the telescope’s aperture combine to act as a low-resolution spectrometer. The light at disparate wavelengths from a given point in the object lands at different spatial locations in the focal plane. Here we investigate the feasibility of capitalizing on this effect to provide snapshot hyper-spectral imaging of targets in the near-Earth space environment through ultra-broadband speckle imaging. In particular, we focus on the potential for using ultra-broadband speckle images for high-resolution, high-contrast imaging of closely spaced objects with a large contrast in brightness. It was found that this technique is capable of distinguishing closely spaced objects down to 0.14 arc-seconds and providing estimates on the spectra. The primary component of the closely spaced objects had very good recovery, while the secondary’s recovery was dependent on dependent on separation and contrast ratio.
Automorphism groups and normal forms in Normaliz
Authors: Bruns Winfried
Published: April 2022

We discuss the computation of automorphism groups and normal forms of cones and polyhedra in Normaliz and indicate its implementation via nauty. The types of automorphisms include integral, rational, Euclidean and combinatorial, as well as algebraic for polytopes defined over real algebraic number fields. Examples treated in detail are the icosahedron and linear-ordering polytopes whose Euclidean automorphism groups are determined.
Use of Individual Tree and Product Level Data to Improve Operational Forestry
Authors: Keefe Robert F. , Zimbelman Eloise G. , Picchi Gianni
Published: April 2022

Purpose of Review

Individual tree detection (ITD) methods and technologies for tracking individual forest products through a smart operational supply chain from stump to mill are now available. The purpose of this paper is to (1) review the related literature for audiences not familiar with remote sensing and tracking technologies and (2) to identify knowledge gaps in operational forestry and forest operations research now that these new data and systems are becoming more common.

Recent Findings

Past research has led to successful development of ITD remote sensing methods for detecting individual tree information and radio frequency identification (RFID), branding, and other product tracing methods for individual trees and logs. Blockchain and cryptocurrency that allow independent verification of transactions and work activity recognition based on mobile and wearable sensors can connect the mechanized and motor-manual components of supply chains, bridging gaps in the connectivity of data. However, there is a shortage of research demonstrating use of location-aware tree and product information that spans multiple machines.

Commercial products and technologies are now available to digitalize forest operations. Research should shift to evaluation of applications that demonstrate use. Areas for improved efficiencies include (1) use of wearable technology to map individual seedlings during planting; (2) optimizing harvesting, skidding and forwarder trails, landings, and decking based on prior knowledge of tree and product information; (3) incorporation of high-resolution, mapped forest product value and treatment cost into harvest planning; (4) improved machine navigation, automation, and robotics based on prior knowledge of stem locations; (5) use of digitalized silvicultural treatments, including microclimate-smart best management practices; and (6) networking of product tracking across multiple, sensorized machines.
Conversion of Catalytically Inert 2D Bismuth Oxide Nanosheets for Effective Electrochemical Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Catalysis via Oxygen Vacancy Concentration Modulation
Authors: Wu Ziyang , Liao Ting , Wang Sen , Mudiyanselage Janith Adikaram , Micallef Aaron S. , Li Wei , O’Mullane Anthony P. , Yang Jianping , Luo Wei , Ostrikov Kostya , Gu Yuantong , Sun Ziqi
Published: April 2022

Oxygen vacancies (Vo) in electrocatalysts are closely correlated with the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity. The role of vacancy defects and the effect of their concentration, however, yet remains unclear. Herein, Bi2O3, an unfavorable electrocatalyst for the HER due to a less than ideal hydrogen adsorption Gibbs free energy (ΔGH*), is utilized as a perfect model to explore the function of Vo on HER performance. Through a facile plasma irradiation strategy, Bi2O3 nanosheets with different Vo concentrations are fabricated to evaluate the influence of defects on the HER process. Unexpectedly, while the generated oxygen vacancies contribute to the enhanced HER performance, higher Vo concentrations beyond a saturation value result in a significant drop in HER activity. By tunning the Vo concentration in the Bi2O3 nanosheets via adjusting the treatment time, the Bi2O3 catalyst with an optimized oxygen vacancy concentration and detectable charge carrier concentration of 1.52 × 1024 cm−3 demonstrates enhanced HER performance with an overpotential of 174.2 mV to reach 10 mA cm−2, a Tafel slope of 80 mV dec−1, and an exchange current density of 316 mA cm−2 in an alkaline solution, which approaches the top-tier activity among Bi-based HER electrocatalysts. Density-functional theory calculations confirm the preferred adsorption of H* onto Bi2O3 as a function of oxygen chemical potential (∆μO) and oxygen partial potential (PO2) and reveal that high Vo concentrations result in excessive stability of adsorbed hydrogen and hence the inferior HER activity. This study reveals the oxygen vacancy concentration-HER catalytic activity relationship and provides insights into activating catalytically inert materials into highly efficient electrocatalysts.
An Endotenon Sheath-Inspired Double-Network Binder Enables Superior Cycling Performance of Silicon Electrodes
Authors: Jiang Meifang , Mu Pengzhou , Zhang Huanrui , Dong Tiantian , Tang Ben , Qiu Huayu , Chen Zhou , Cui Guanglei
Published: April 2022

Silicon (Si) has been regarded as an alternative anode material to traditional graphite owing to its higher theoretical capacity (4200 vs. 372 mAh g−1). However, Si anodes suffer from the inherent volume expansion and unstable solid electrolyte interphase, thus experiencing fast capacity decay, which hinders their commercial application. To address this, herein, an endotenon sheath-inspired water-soluble double-network binder (DNB) is presented for resolving the bottleneck of Si anodes. The as-developed binder shows excellent adhesion, high mechanical properties, and a considerable self-healing capability mainly benefited by its supramolecular hybrid network. Apart from these advantages, this binder also induces a Li3N/LiF-rich solid electrolyte interface layer, contributing to a superior cycle stability of Si electrodes. As expected, the DNB can achieve mechanically more stable Si electrodes than traditional polyacrylic acid and pectin binders. As a result, DNB delivers superior electrochemical performance of Si/Li half cells and LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2/Si full cells, even with a high loading of Si electrode, to traditional polyacrylic acid and pectin binders. The bioinspired binder design provides a promising route to achieve long-life Si anode-assembled lithium batteries. "Image missing"
Employment Outcomes for Men and Women Following an Economic Downturn: Labour Underutilisation in Australia
Authors: Baum Scott , Mitchell William
Published: April 2022

In Australia, as elsewhere, there has been continuing interest in understanding questions regarding unequal employment opportunities. While aggregate patterns provide a useful overview, it is insightful to consider employment outcomes across segmented markets. One such segmented market is between men and women, where it is widely understood that labour market engagement opportunities will differ. This paper provides an investigation of these uneven labour market outcomes. It presents an analysis of labour underutilisation for men and women using panel data, taking account of both individual-level supply-side factors together with the strength of the local labour market (demand side) and the performance of the broader macroeconomic environment. The result is an analysis that accounts for the impact of changing macroeconomy, local labour market conditions and men and women's employability assets.
The effect of copper on the multiple carbon nanofilaments growths by the methane decomposition over the oxidized diamond-supported nickel–copper bimetallic catalyst
Authors: Shiraishi M. , Nakagawa K. , Ando T. , Nishitani-Gamo M.
Published: April 2022

To clarify the indispensable parameters for the multiple carbon nanofilaments (CNFs) growths, in other words, having a unique Octopus-like morphology consisting of the Marimo-like carbon (MC), we have systematically studied to synthesize the MC by the decomposition of methane using oxidized diamond-supported Ni–Cu bimetallic catalysts. We discovered that a Cu addition of 20 wt.% by weight and a growth temperature in the region of 550 °C to 600 °C resulted in many CNF forms from a single catalyst particle, specifically the "Octopus-like" morphology of CNFs. We also discovered that the several CNFs forms might occur from the carbon dissolved in the sintered catalyst particles. We described a model process of the unique structure formation. We expect that the Octopus-like CNFs growth gives enough space volume in the MC for a mass transfer, consequently, it should contribute to realizing a higher power generation performance of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) although under a higher-voltage generation region.
Applied methods to detect and prevent vulnerabilities within PLC alarms code
Authors: Serhane Abraham , Raad Raad , Susilo Willy , Raad Mohamad
Published: April 2022

Adversaries may target alerting alarms raised by PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) to prevent notifying operators of critical conditions, to hide faults, to disrupt operations, to cause damages to ICS (Industrial Control Systems) and surrounding environment, or to lead to financial loss. The paper focuses on exposing vulnerabilities of the ladder logic code that handles the alerting alarm messages and how to mitigate them. A real-time test bed of a PLC alarms code was developed and used to conduct several stealthy attack techniques to suppress or hinder alarms by exploiting code vulnerabilities. A novel ladder logic solution that consists of countermeasures against the introduced attacks was proposed, demonstrated, and tested. The countermeasure techniques, such as scan time and heartbeat techniques, were able to detect and prevent the code vulnerabilities and other abnormalities. The provided countermeasure techniques in this experiment could be applied to any PLC to enhance the validity and security of its PLC alarms code.

Article Highlights

Four stealthy attack models were introduced to exploit PLC alarms code. They were embedded to skip, delete, fake out, or delay alerting alarms.

Real-time countermeasure solutions with different techniques were introduced: scan time code, heartbeat code, and physical plausibility check. They effectively detected and prevented the introduced attack models.

PLC alarms Code general abnormalities was validated and detected using scan time techniques.

A list of general best code practices for PLC alarms code was introduced to mitigate code vulnerabilities.
Lead electrodeposition from aliphatic polyamines solutions
Authors: Ciszewski Mateusz , Drzazga Michał , Kowalik Patrycja , Orda Szymon , Hawełek Łukasz
Published: April 2022

Hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processing of ores and concentrates generates large amount of various solid residues. These may contain significant amount of heavy metals, particularly lead is of great importance. It is present in form of anglesite, cerrusite or lead oxides. Hydrometallurgical processing of leaching residues, dusts, and fly ashes is used to recover valuable metals from these streams. Acid leaching in sulfuric acid solutions or spent electrolyte results in producing high amount of lead sulfate that is still very attractive material to fulfill demand of lead acid battery market. Aliphatic linear polyamines are solvent extracting agents very selective towards lead sulfate. Here we report the comparative tests of four different linear aliphatic homologs, namely ethylenediamine, diethylenetriamine, triethylenetetramine, and tetraethylenepentamine as potential extracting agents of lead sulfate. The core research was devoted to the possibility of direct electrodeposition of lead from various polyamines solutions. Electrochemical tests performed at current density 200 A/m2, 60 °C, with an addition of selected inhibitor showed the possibility to produce metal layer with 97.2% purity for triethylenetetramine.

Graphical abstract
Hormone Concentrations in Transgender Women Who Self-Prescribe Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Salakphet Tanadon , Mattawanon Natnita , Manojai Natthaporn , Muangmool Tanarat , Tangpricha Vin
Published: April 2022

Background

Self-prescribed gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) is common practice among transgender women, especially in resource-limited countries, yet the effectiveness of each GAHT regimen to achieve female range sex hormone concentrations is not known.

Aim

To describe the use and sex hormone concentrations of various GAHT regimens among transgender women who self prescribe in Thailand.

Methods

This was a retrospective study in a community-based setting. Five hundred and 27 records of transgender women taking GAHT who were receiving care at a community health center between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2020 were included for the analysis.

Main Outcome Measures

Blood total testosterone and estradiol concentration after at least a 6-month period of GAHT.

Results

Multiple GAHT regimens were identified including oral estradiol valerate (EV), transdermal 17β-estradiol gel, injectable EV with hydroxyprogesterone caproate, injectable estradiol benzoate with progesterone, oral EV with cyproterone acetate (CPA), and oral contraceptive pills (OCPs). The most common GAHT regimen used by 49.1% of the participants was OCPs that contained 0.035 mg of ethinyl estradiol and 2 mg of CPA. Only 25.2% of this group had female range testosterone concentrations (<50 ng/dL). Oral EV and CPA were used by 23.1% of the participants. Most of them used 12.5 mg of CPA and 47.7% of this group had female range testosterone concentrations. There was no statistical significance between mean testosterone concentrations in CPA 12.5 and 25 mg groups, (P = .086).

Clinical Implications

The inadequate sex hormone levels found in these commonly self-prescribed GAHT regimens provide information regarding the efficacy and safety of GAHT regimens for health care providers working with transgender women in a community-based setting.

Strengths and Limitations

This study reflected a real-world situation and provided hormonal profiles among transgender women taking self-prescribed GAHT. However, issues in recall, medical literacy, and adherence to the medication may limit the results.

Conclusion

Combined hormonal contraceptive pill was a commonly used GAHT regimen in Thai transgender women who self prescribe GAHT. However, this regimen was not effective to decrease testosterone concentrations to the recommended range of less than 50 ng/dL. Overall, self-prescription of GAHT does not appear to be effective in reaching target sex hormone concentrations. Including health care providers in the prescription and monitoring of GAHT may be a more effective approach in the delivery of GAHT.
Establishment of a Rapid Response, 100-Bedded COVID-19 Hospital With General Wards and Intensive Care Unit Within 35 Days in North Karnataka, India: Report From the Field
Authors: Hegde Kiran , Sharma Himanshu , Killedar Makhdoom , Betadur Deepak
Published: April 2022

In the state of Karnataka, India, the first case of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was diagnosed on March 9, 2020. As stated by the WHO, around 15% of COVID-19 patients require treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Keeping this in mind, along with the increase in COVID-19 patients in Karnataka, it was predicted that the prevailing general wards and ICUs would be overburdened with the added non-COVID-19 diseases and infirmities. Hence, it was decided to set up a separate infrastructure to reduce the chances of transmission among the patients within the hospital. Thus, the board at SDM College of Medical Sciences & Hospital, Dharwad, Karnataka, took the responsibility to establish a fully equipped 100-bedded hospital in its premise as part of the national and state services to combat the outbreak. The aim of the study was to establish an isolated, fully functional hospital, equipped with all necessary diagnostic and critical care facilities to treat patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in North Karnataka, India.
Extreme wave statistics of surface elevation and velocity field of gravity waves over a two-dimensional bathymetry
Authors: Lawrence Christopher , Trulsen Karsten , Gramstad Odin
Published: April 2022

This paper presents the effects of two-dimensional bathymetry on the evolution of skewness and kurtosis of the surface elevation and velocity field in long-crested irregular waves propagating over a circular shoal and a submerged bar with a semicircular step. For a circular shoal, we show that the surface elevation has a local maximum of skewness and kurtosis on top of the shoal. We find that the skewness of the horizontal velocity field has similar behaviour to the surface elevation, but the kurtosis of the horizontal velocity field has two local maxima at different locations on the lee side of the shoal. For a semicircular step, which acts similar to a converging lens, we find that refraction contributes to the statistical properties of the surface elevation and horizontal velocity field to deviate from Gaussian statistics.
Beneath the skin: method and perception in Hippocratic medicine
Authors: Torres Jorge
Published: April 2022

This paper examines some neglected aspects of Hippocratic medicine, drawing special attention to certain methodological questions concerning the role of sense perception in the acquisition of medical knowledge. I argue that there is greater epistemological uniformity among the texts of the HippocraticCorpusthan is sometimes assumed. I provide a careful reading of seemingly inconsistent Hippocratic treatises in the light of a plausible and coherent epistemological model. The impression that we are dealing with different, indeed inconsistent, epistemological views can be explained away by the specific dialectical contexts of each work and their historical background. Most importantly, a proper justification of this model will require us to delve into the epistemological foundations of Hippocratic medicine.
Ca’ Granda, an avant-garde hospital between the Renaissance and Modern age: a unique scenario in European history
Authors: Mattia Mirko , Biehler-Gomez Lucie , Sguazza Emanuela , Galimberti Paolo Maria , Vaglienti Folco , Gibelli Daniele , Poppa Pasquale , Caccia Giulia , Caccianiga Marco , Vanin Stefano , Manthey Laura , Jantz Richard L. , Di Candia Domenico , Maderna Emanuela , Albini Giuliana , Pawaskar Sachin , Damann Franklin , Fedeli Anna Maria , Belgiovine Elena , Capuzzo Daniele , Slavazzi Fabrizio , Cattaneo Cristina
Published: April 2022

The Ospedale Maggiore, known as Ca’ Granda, was founded in 1456 by will of Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, and was considered for almost five centuries a model for Milanese, Italian and even European healthcare. Attracting patients from all over Europe, the Ca’ Granda distinguished itself for the introduction of new treatments and innovative health reforms. In the burial ground of the hospital still lie the bodies of the deceased patients, who came from the poorest strata of the population. The study of their remains aims to give back a general identity and a story to each of these persons as well as reconstruct a fraction of the sixteenth century population of Milano as concerns lifestyle and disease and examine practises and therapy of this exceptional hospital. It is estimated that about two million commingled bones and articulated skeletons rest in the crypt, together with other types of findings (e.g., ceramic, coins, clothing). These remains are the object of a large project involving various disciplines ranging from humanities to hard sciences. The aim of this paper is to bring this historical gem to the attention of scholars and provide a glimpse of what its contents have already revealed.
Immigrant Irishwomen and maternity services in New York and Boston, 1860–1911
Authors: Breathnach Ciara
Published: April 2022

Medical acculturation forms a crucial part of the process of migration, and equally, the influx of migrants can shape how medical structures develop in receiving societies – nowhere is that more evident than in the American metropolis. In the late nineteenth century, few ethnic groups caused such sustained bio-hazard concerns as the Irish in America. Poverty and the sheer numbers migrating in the post-Famine (1852-) era, caused the immigrant Irish body to be pathologised, or described in medical terms, to a much greater degree and for longer than their Anglo-Saxon or German counterparts. With a particular focus on Irishwomen’s use of maternity services in New York and Boston, this article aims to elucidate the potential of medical records to flesh out the understandings of how immigrants navigated healthcare. By adopting a case study approach to hospital records in tandem with other data sources, it shows what is being lost through restrictive data protection legislation. It discusses how Irishness was politicised in the contexts of immigration, the social history of medicine and medicalisation.
A CONTINUOUS HOMOMORPHISM OF A THIN SET ONTO A FAT SET
Authors: CHALEBGWA TABOKA PRINCE , MORRIS SIDNEY A.
Published: April 2022

A thin set is defined to be an uncountable dense zero-dimensional subset of measure zero and Hausdorff measure zero of an Euclidean space. A fat set is defined to be an uncountable dense path-connected subset of an Euclidean space which has full measure, that is, its complement has measure zero. While there are well-known pathological maps of a set of measure zero, such as the Cantor set, onto an interval, we show that the standard addition on
$\mathbb {R}$
maps a thin set onto a fat set; in fact the fat set is all of
$\mathbb {R}$
. Our argument depends on the theorem of Paul Erdős that every real number is a sum of two Liouville numbers. Our thin set is the set
$\mathcal {L}^{2}$
, where
$\mathcal {L}$
is the set of all Liouville numbers, and the fat set is
$\mathbb {R}$
itself. Finally, it is shown that
$\mathcal {L}$
and
$\mathcal {L}^{2}$
are both homeomorphic to
$\mathbb {P}$
, the space of all irrational numbers.
Rethinking Central Europe as a Migration Space: From the Ottoman Empire through the Cold War and the Refugee Crisis
Authors: Kahn Michelle Lynn
Published: April 2022

What is central Europe? As I write this article in 2021, three decades after the fall of communism, this question seems as salient as ever. I am not the only Central European History reader to think about this topic in recent years. In a 2018 CEH article, provocatively titled “Habsburg History, Eastern European History … Central European History?,” Chad Bryant argued that scholarship on these three nominally distinct fields had become blurred in the wake of the post-communist opening of archives and the transnational turn. It was time, Bryant insisted, not only for CEH readers to reconsider the category of “central Europe” itself, but also to engage with a new set of questions, ones that would move beyond the predominant emphasis on “how and why regimes collapsed.” Compellingly, he advocated for studies that would help us understand the post-1989 era, such as the long-term legacies of communism, the integration of individual countries into the European Union, and present-day migration to the region.
Dividing the Indivisible: Cold War Sovereignty, National Division, and the German Question at the United Nations
Authors: Gehrig Sebastian
Published: April 2022

Divided Germany became one of the focal points for international disputes over sovereignty in the late 1960s and early seventies. In a period that is commonly associated with West German Ostpolitik and the diplomatic recognition of German division, the international community disputed how the sovereignty of “divided nations” should be framed under international law. The German-German battle over the terms of détente unfolded within these politics of sovereignty surrounding conflicts over “national divisions” along Cold War front lines as well as the simultaneous confrontations over postcolonial sovereignty. At the United Nations, the issues of German and Chinese division converged at the height of decolonization when East German concepts of sovereignty and self-determination challenged the UN foundational principle of “one nation, one seat” rooted in ethnic nationality. Eventually, the United Nations accepted a German exceptionalism in admitting both German states as members in 1973 based on historical rather than legal explanations for divided German sovereignty, while conflicts around “divided countries” in Asia remained unresolved. In turn, these clashes over international law transformed older German legal traditions of sovereignty and self-determination and opened up Staatsrecht frameworks to legal concepts originating from decolonization.
The Long Shadow of Jean Bodin
Authors: Smith Helmut Walser
Published: April 2022

Neither the historiographical focus on sovereignty nor the concept of sovereignty is new. What is new is the stress on it as a negotiated concept, as a field for claims, and as a gray zone between the public and the private, the state and the individual. This new approach locates sovereignty not only with the sovereign, but also with the people over whom the sovereign rules; more precisely, it locates it in a field of force betwixt and between the two. Sovereignty is less a thing to be measured than it is a dynamic to be followed, a question to be asked, even a rhetorical device. Focusing on different kinds of actors, from colonial profiteers to NGO officials, this new lens allows one to see sovereign power from above as only one locus of sovereignty. Another is the individual. For her, protracted negotiations and staking of claims often define the general contours and limits of sovereignty.
The Sufi and the Sickle: Theorizing Mystical Marxism in Rural Pakistan
Authors: Raza Shozab
Published: April 2022

In worlds of difference, how might certain unities be forged for liberation? This paper pursues this question from the vantage-point of the dialectical tension between Marxism and religion. While some scholars have noted parallels between the two, philosophers of critical realism have aimed to establish a deeper equivalence between Marxism and religion. This paper, however, considers how an equivalence may be forged by subaltern actors in the context of political struggles—how a religious Marxism might look as a theoretical and political practice. I do this by historically reconstructing the life of Sufi Sibghatullah Mazari, a locally influential communist from Pakistan who equated Sufism with Mao-inflected Marxism. Born into a poor farming family from South Punjab, he would go on to lead peasant movements against “feudal” landlords (jagirdars) during the 1970s and be recruited into the Mazdoor Kisan Party, the country’s historically largest communist party, which drew inspiration from Mao Tse-tung. Sibghatullah’s introduction to Maoist thought and practice, especially its emphasis on a vernacular-driven communist universalism, led him to comparatively reflect on circulating insurgent Sufisms and their own universalist possibilities. Maoism and Sufism’s shared universalist elements then allowed him to equate the two: an equivalence he centered on the concept of Truth (Haqiqat). Sibghatullah also expressed this “mystical Marxism” in his political practice, as he mentored revolutionary Sufi disciples, recruited Sufi-inflected mullahs into the communist party, built alternative insurgent mosques, and even challenged the tribal and patriarchal “honor” codes, practices that, in undermining landlordism’s hegemony over Islam, threatened its reproduction.
Garland's Million; or, the Tragedy and Triumph of Legal History: American Society for Legal History Plenary Lecture, New Orleans, 2021
Authors: Witt John Fabian
Published: April 2022

This article reprises the Plenary Lecture from the American Society for Legal History Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, in November, 2021. Witt presents the story of cases that are quintessential examples of the kind of broken success that law makes available and that legal history helps us see. In other words, these cases make visible that the at-best-tragic realization of ideals is built into the mechanisms of the law.
„Digitale Kompetenz“: Wie können wir sie lernen und lehren?
Authors: Brenner Andrea
Published: April 2022

Zusammenfassung. Welche Kompetenzen benötigen Pflegefachpersonen, um auf die „Digitale Transformation“ im Gesundheitswesen vorbereitet zu sein? Wie kann das Pflegestudium zu berufsspezifischer digitaler Handlungskompetenz beitragen? Diese Fragen stehen im Zentrum eines Pilotprojekts zur Digitalisierung des Studiengangs „Bachelor of Science in Pflege“.
Examining Consequentialist Punishment Motives in One-Shot Social Dilemmas
Authors: Funk Friederike , Mischkowski Dorothee
Published: April 2022

Abstract. We investigated whether consequentialist motives may underlie punishment decisions in single-round (i.e., one-shot) social dilemmas in which there is no prospect of reciprocity. In particular, we used an incentivized public goods game to examine how the prospect of receiving information on the effect of punishment (i.e., information that indicates potential regret and intention for future behavioral change on the part of the transgressor) affects people’s punishment decisions. We also took person-situation interactions into account and studied whether prosocial individuals (i.e., persons high in Honesty-Humility and Social Value Orientation) punish more strongly when they receive consequentialist information. The data did neither reveal the hypothesized effects of information availability on punishment decisions nor were these effects conditional on dispositional prosociality. We discuss potential limitations of these findings as well as open questions for future research.
Evidence for Whistler Waves Propagating Into the Electron Diffusion Region of Collisionless Magnetic Reconnection
Authors: Zhong Z. H. , Zhou M. , Graham D. B. , Khotyaintsev Yu. V. , Wu Y. F. , Le Contel O. , Li H. M. , Tao X. , Tang R. X. , Deng X. H.
Published: April 2022

Despite a growing number of observations of whistler waves in/around the reconnection diffusion region, the origin of the whistler waves in the diffusion region and their role in reconnection remain elusive. This paper investigates the whistler‐mode waves within an electron‐scale reconnecting current sheet observed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission on 23 December 2016. These whistlers were observed in both the electron diffusion region (EDR) and the immediate inflow region of the electron‐scale magnetic reconnection site. The dispersion relation of these whistlers is measured and compared to predictions from linear theory for the first time in these regions. The comparison shows that the field‐aligned drifting electron component critically modifies the dispersion relation of whistlers in the EDR due to the Doppler‐shift effects. We demonstrate that these whistlers propagated into the EDR from outside rather than locally excited, however, they did not provide sufficiently large anomalous dissipation in this EDR.
Intra‐Crater Eruption Dynamics at Nyiragongo (D.R. Congo), 2002–2021
Authors: Barrière Julien , Nicolas d’Oreye  , Smets Benoît , Oth Adrien , Delhaye Louise , Subira Josué , Mashagiro Niche , Derauw Dominique , Smittarello Delphine , Syavulisembo Adalbert Muhindo , Kervyn François
Published: April 2022

Nyiragongo is one of the rare volcanoes on Earth hosting a lava lake. However, the understanding of its plumbing and lava lake systems remains limited, with, until recently, only sporadic or time‐limited historical observations and measurements. Combining dense accurate lava lake and crater floor level measurements based on 1,703 satellite radar images and topographic reconstructions using photogrammetry, we obtain the first reliable picture and time evolution of intra‐crater erupted lava volumes between the two last flank eruptions in January 2002 and May 2021. The filling of the crater by lava, initiated in 2002 and continued up to May 2021, is seen as an evidence of a long‐term pressure build up of the magmatic system. This filling occurs through irregular pulsatory episodes of rising lava lake level, some of which overflow and solidify on the surrounding crater floor. Pauses of stable molten lava lake level and sudden numerous level drops also marked the summit's eruptive activity. The joint analysis with seismic records available since 2015 revealed that the largest lava lake drops are synchronous with seismic swarms associated with deep magma intrusions, generally preceded by an increase of extrusion rate within the crater. The appearance of a spatter cone in the summit crater in 2016, most likely superficially branched to the lava lake, was a clear marker of the change in eruption dynamics. This first long‐term time series of Nyiragongo's crater topography between two hazardous flank eruptions might further help to better decipher Nyiragongo's past and future behavior using multi‐parameter observations.
Differential Ablation of Organic Coatings From Micrometeoroids Simulated in the Laboratory
Authors: DeLuca Michael , Sternovsky Zoltan , Armes Steven P. , Fielding Lee A. , Horányi Mihály , Janches Diego , Kupihar Zoltan , Munsat Tobin , Plane John M. C.
Published: April 2022

Micrometeoroids contain organic material that may undergo differential ablation during atmospheric entry, potentially depositing organic material into Earth's atmosphere and affecting the radar detectability of meteors. To investigate the differential ablation of organics, we used a dust accelerator to shoot submicron polypyrrole‐coated olivine particles at speeds of 10–20 km/s into a gas target containing air. A set of biased electrodes placed along the path of the particles measured the charges generated when the particles ablated and the ablated molecules collided with gas molecules. We observed that the particles differentially ablate their organic polypyrrole coatings prior to their inorganic olivine cores, producing spikes in charge production, with charge yields of 104–105 C/kg even at relatively low speeds. These measurements suggest that large organic molecules survived ablation and are responsible for the observed charge production since small molecules either do not produce ions at those speeds or produce them in much lower quantities than observed. We modeled the ablation using basic meteor physics by assuming that the polypyrrole coating decomposes into pyrrole monomer. Extending these results to the ablation of micrometeoroids in the atmosphere indicates that organic coatings should ablate at high altitudes within relatively narrow altitude ranges, which has consequences for the detectability of meteors by radar. Since the ablated coatings generate relatively large molecules, the results also suggest that micrometeoroids can deliver complex organic material into planetary atmospheres by ablating them during entry, potentially serving as a source of prebiotic organics.
Identification and validation of ecto-5' nucleotidase as an immunotherapeutic target in multiple myeloma
Authors: Ray Arghya , Song Yan , Du Ting , Buon Leutz , Tai Yu-Tzu , Chauhan Dharminder , Anderson Kenneth C.
Published: April 2022

Interaction of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) with multiple myeloma (MM) cells, T- or NK-effector cells in the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment induces tumor cell growth, as well as inhibits innate and adaptive immune responses. Defining pDC-MM interaction-triggered immunosuppressive mechanism(s) will enable design of interventional therapies to augment anti-MM immunity. In the present study, we show that pDC-MM interactions induce metabolic enzyme Ecto-5' Nucleotidase/CD73 in both pDCs and MM cells. Gene expression database from MM patients showed that CD73 levels inversely correlate with overall survival. Using our pDC-MM coculture models, we found that blockade of CD73 with anti-CD73 Abs: decreases adenosine levels; activates MM patient pDCs; triggers cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) activity against autologous patient MM cells. Combination of anti-CD73 Abs and an immune-stimulating agent TLR-7 agonist enhances autologous MM-specific CD8+ CTL activity. Taken together, our preclinical data suggest that the therapeutic targeting of CD73, alone or in combination with TLR-7 agonist, represents a promising novel strategy to restore host anti-MM immunity.