bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Events and Exposures Leading to Construction Injuries in Developing Countries: The Case of Lebanon
Authors: Hatoum M B , Nassereddine H , Hamzeh F , Khoury H
Published: February 2022

There is unanimous agreement that the complex and dynamic nature of construction jobsites is coupled with inherent risks. Global occupational and health agencies revealed that the construction industry leads with the number of fatal injuries incurred every year. Lebanon, a developing country in the Middle East, is no exception. Studies on construction safety in the country showed that the industry has failed to implement safety regulations, while also witnessing a lack of safety incentives, training, and education. The situation worsens with the absence of a national experience multiplier that could reflect on contractors’ safety statuses and hold them accountable for their safety performance. This study addresses the problem by proposing a cost model that evaluates construction injuries. An analysis was performed on more than 3,000 accident claims collected from insurance companies to understand the events and exposures that construction labour face. Results showed that there are 17 different types of events and exposures which can be grouped into three clusters depending on their frequency and average cost. This paper presents and expands on the three clusters and identifies the events that fall under each of them. The findings will serve as the base of the cost model in a future study.
The reuse of discarded plastic water bottles as an insulating material for external walls in buildings
Authors: Mousakhani E , Simons A , Harris D , Yavarkhani M , Anvari A
Published: February 2022

The thermal conductivity of exterior wall insulation affects the overall energy consumption of a given building. Fiberglass insulation is often used for this application. This research investigated the feasibility of replacing typical fiberglass insulation with used empty Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles. In addition to potential cost savings, replacing fiberglass insulation with PET bottles on a large scale could help alleviate the environmental impact of sending these bottles to landfills. A small 8-inch by 8-inch wall section constructed with sheet metal and drywall was used for testing, maintaining a 3-inch airspace for proposed insulation. Thermal resistance was measured with the airspace packed with empty water bottles and comparisons were made to the same wall sections void of any water bottles. Testing was conducted both with and without a 1/2-inch foam board present for comparison. Kapton heaters and temperature sensors were used for the simulation. Preliminary testing showed promise for the proposed application. The effectiveness of the plastic water bottles at providing insulation properties increased with decreasing voltage in both test setups (both with and without the foam board) and was most effective when the foam board was present. Further research is needed to determine how the use of PET bottles for exterior wall insulation can be implemented on a larger scale and how R-values can be improved.
Effect of stress-relief annealing on isothermal fatigue life of a new hot stamping die steel 4Cr2Mo2V
Authors: Jiang Bin , Li Xiaocheng , Zuo Pengpeng , Wu Xiaochun
Published: February 2022

For 4Cr2Mo2V hot stamping die steel, the isothermal fatigue test was suspended at different cycles, and the stress-relief annealing was carried outin situ. After annealing, the fatigue tests were continued. The stress-relief annealing was carried out at 30%, 50% and 70% of the cycle life when the total strain amplitude was 0.5%, and the fatigue life was increased by 30.27%, 23.84% and 10.24% respectively. On the basis of Basquin-Coffin-Manson life prediction model, by adding the influence of stress-relief annealing on life, obtained the stress-relief annealing life prediction model. The dislocation density, microstructure and pole figure were analyzed by TEM and XRD to explore the mechanism of stress-relief annealing on prolonging fatigue life. After stress-relief annealing, the full width at half maximum (FWHM) decreased, and the dislocations originally piled up at the grain boundary moved into the grain, delayed the time of dislocation cell or wall formation. At the same time, it could also eliminate the trend of consistent orientation of most grains in the fatigue process. This is the main reason why stress-relief annealing prolongs fatigue life.
A review of silver nanowire-based composites for flexible electronic applications
Authors: Sharma Neha , Nair Nitheesh M , Nagasarvari Garikapati , Ray Debdutta , Swaminathan Parasuraman
Published: February 2022

Silver nanowires (Ag NWs) have become a ubiquitous part of flexible electronic devices. The good electrical conductivity of silver, coupled with the excellent ductility and bendability exhibited by the wires make them ideal for flexible devices. Additionally, deposited films of Ag NWs are also found to be transparent due to the incomplete areal coverage of the wires. Thus, Ag NWs are widely used as transparent conducting electrodes (TCEs) for flexible and wearable electronics, replacing the traditionally used metal oxide based TCEs. The properties and functionality of NWs can be further improved by forming composites with other materials. Composites have been synthesized by combining Ag NWs with metals, metal oxides, and polymers. Both dry- and wet-techniques have been used to synthesize and deposit these composites, which have unique structural, chemical, and functional properties leading to myriad applications. This review focuses on recent developments in the field of Ag NW-based composites. An overview of the various fabrication techniques is provided, with a particular focus on coating and printing techniques, which are widely used for depositing Ag NWs. The application of the composites in diverse fields is also discussed. While the most common application for these composites is as TCEs, they are also used in sensors (physical, chemical, and biological), displays, and energy-related applications. The structural and environmental stability of the composites is also discussed. Given the wide interest in the development of printed flexible electronic devices, new Ag NW-based composites and application areas can be expected to be developed going forward.
Dirac materials under linear polarized light: quantum wave function time evolution and topological Berry phases as classical charged particles trajectories under electromagnetic fields
Authors: Ibarra-Sierra V G , Sandoval-Santana J C , Kunold A , Herrera Saúl A , Naumis Gerardo G
Published: February 2022

The response of electrons under linearly polarized light in Dirac materials as borophene or graphene is analyzed in a continuous wave regime for an arbitrary intense field. Using a rotation and a time-dependent phase transformation, the wave function evolution is shown to be governed by a spinor-component decoupled Whittaker–Hill equation. The numerical solution of these equations enables to find the quasienergy spectrum. For borophene it reveals a strong anisotropic response. By applying an extra unitary transformation, the wave functions are proven to follow an Ince equation. The evolution of the real and imaginary parts of the wave function is interpreted as the trajectory of a classical charged particle under oscillating electric and magnetic field. The topological properties of this forced quantum system are studied using this analogy. In particular, in the adiabatic driving regime, the system is described with an effective Matthieu equation while in the non-adiabatic regime the full Whittaker–Hill equation is needed. From there, it is possible to separate the dynamical and Berry phase contributions to obtain the topological phase diagram due to the driving. Therefore, a different path to perturbation theory is developed to obtain time-driven topological phases.
Progress toward a one-electron model for the non-valence correlation-bound anions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Authors: Mulvey Devin M , Jordan Kenneth D
Published: February 2022

A one-electron model Hamiltonian is used to characterize the non-valence correlation-bound (NVCB) anions of hexagonal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)

C

6
n

2

H

6
n

(n = 3–7). The model incorporates atomic electrostatic moments up to the quadrupole, coupled inducible charges and dipoles, and atom-centered repulsive Gaussians to describe the interaction between the excess electron and PAH. These model components are parameterized on and validated against all-electron calculations. Good agreement is found between the static dipole polarizabilities obtained from the model and those from PBE0 density functional theory and second-order Møller–Plesset perturbation theory calculations. In the model, charge flow dominates the in-plane polarizability of PAHs larger than C54H18, yielding an approximately quadratic scaling of the mean polarizabilty with the number of carbon atoms. Inclusion of electrostatic interactions decreases the electron binding energies for the largest PAHs considered by about 20% and shift charge distribution from above and below the plane of the ring system toward the periphery. Analysis of the electrostatic and polarization interactions provides insight into qualitative trends in the electron binding energy and the charge distribution of the lowest energy NVCB anion.
Extending Harvey’s surface kernel maps
Authors: Gilman Jane
Published: February 2022

Let

S
S

be a compact Riemann surface and

G
G

a group of conformal automorphisms of

S
S

with

S
0

=
S

/

G

S_0=S/G

.

S
S

is a finite regular branched cover of

S
0

S_0

. If

U
U

denotes the unit disc, let

Γ
\Gamma

and

Γ
0

\Gamma _0

be the Fuchsian groups with

S
=
U

/

Γ

S= U/\Gamma

and

S
0

=
U

/

Γ
0

S_0 = U/\Gamma _0

. There is a group homomorphism of

Γ
0

\Gamma _0

onto

G
G

with kernel

Γ
\Gamma

and this is termed a surface kernel map. Two surface kernel maps are equivalent if they differ by an automorphism of

Γ
0

\Gamma _0

. In his

1971
1971

paper Harvey showed that when

G
G

is a cyclic group, there is a unique simplest representative for this equivalence class. His result has played an important role in establishing subsequent results about conformal automorphism groups of surfaces. We extend his result to some surface kernel maps onto arbitrary finite groups. These can be used along with the Schreier-Reidemeister Theory to find a set of generators for

Γ
\Gamma

and the action of

G
G

as an outer automorphism group on the fundamental group of

S
S

putting the action on the fundamental group and the induced action on homology into a relatively simple format. As an example we compute generators for the fundamental group and an integral homology basis together with the action of

G
G

when

G
G

is

S

3

\mathcal {S}_3

, the symmetric group on three letters. The action of

G
G

shows that the homology basis found is not an adapted homology basis.
A short proof of Greenberg’s Theorem
Authors: Jones Gareth
Published: February 2022

Greenberg proved that every countable group

A
A

is isomorphic to the automorphism group of a Riemann surface, which can be taken to be compact if

A
A

is finite. We give a short and explicit algebraic proof of this for finitely generated groups

A
A

.
Cyclic and dihedral actions on Klein surfaces with 2 boundary components
Authors: Bujalance E. , Etayo J. , Martínez E.
Published: February 2022

In this paper, we obtain the cyclic and dihedral groups which occur as a group of automorphisms of Klein surfaces of topological genus

g
g

with 2 boundary components, either orientable or non-orientable. For each of those groups

G
G

we determine the values of

g
g

such that

G
G

acts on a surface of genus

g
g

both in orientable or non-orientable cases. As a noteworthy result we obtain that whenever the cyclic group

C
N

C_N

acts on a surface of genus

g
g

and given orientability character, the dihedral group

D
N

D_N

of order

2
N

2N

also acts on a surface of the same topological type. Besides, we give a topological action of the group on the surface, by using the uniformization by means of NEC groups. The results are computable, and we exhibit explicitly, distinguishing according to the orientability, all groups

C
N

C_N

and

D
N

D_N

acting on surfaces of each genus

g
g

for

1
≤
g
≤
5

1\leq g\leq 5

.
Comparative anatomy of leaf petioles in temperate trees and shrubs: the role of plant size, environment and phylogeny
Authors: Filartiga Arinawa Liz , Klimeš Adam , Altman Jan , Nobis Michael Peter , Crivellaro Alan , Schweingruber Fritz , Doležal Jiří
Published: February 2022

Background and Aims

Petioles are important plant organs connecting stems with leaf blades and affecting light-harvesting ability of the leaf as well as transport of water, nutrients and biochemical signals. Despite the high diversity in petiole size, shape and anatomy, little information is available regarding their structural adaptations across evolutionary lineages and environmental conditions. To fill this knowledge gap, we investigated the variation of petiole morphology and anatomy of mainly European woody species to better understand the drivers of internal and external constraints in an evolutionary context.

Methods

We studied how petiole anatomical features differed according to whole-plant size, leaf traits, thermal and hydrological conditions, and taxonomic origin in 95 shrubs and trees using phylogenetic distance-based generalized least squares models.

Key Results

Two major axes of variation were related to leaf area and plant size. Larger and softer leaves are found in taller trees of more productive habitats. Their petioles are longer, with a circular outline and are anatomically characterized by the predominance of sclerenchyma, larger vessels, interfascicular areas with fibres and indistinct phloem rays. In contrast, smaller and tougher leaves are found in shorter trees and shrubs of colder or drier habitats. Their petioles have a terete outline, phloem composed of small cells and radially arranged vessels, fibreless xylem and lamellar collenchyma. Individual anatomical traits were linked to different internal and external drivers. Petiole length and vessel diameter increase with increasing leaf blade area. Collenchyma becomes absent with increasing temperature, and petiole outline becomes polygonal with increasing precipitation.

Conclusions

We conclude that species’ temperature and precipitation optima, plant height, and leaf area and thickness exerted a significant control on petiole anatomical and morphological structures not confounded by phylogenetic inertia. Species with different evolutionary histories but similar thermal and hydrological requirements have converged to similar petiole anatomical structures.
The false dichotomy of surgical futility in the emergency laparotomy setting: scoping review
Authors: Javanmard-Emamghissi Hannah , Lockwood Sonia , Hare Sarah , Lund Jon N. , Tierney Gillian M. , Moug Susan J.
Published: February 2022

Background

Futile is defined as ‘the fact of having no effect or of achieving nothing’. Futility in medicine has been defined through seven guiding principles, which in the context of emergency surgery, have been relatively unexplored. This scoping review aimed to identify key concepts around surgical futility as it relates to emergency laparotomy.

Methods

Using the Arksey and O’Malley framework, a scoping review was conducted. A search of the Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, and Embase was performed up until 1 November 2021 to identify literature relevant to the topic of futility in emergency laparotomy.

Results

Three cohort studies were included in the analysis. A total of 105 157 patients were included, with 1114 patients reported as futile. All studies were recent (2019 to 2020) and focused on the principle of quantitative futility (assessment of the probability of death after surgery) within a timeline after surgery: two defining futility as death within 48 hours of surgery and one as death within 72 hours. In all cases this was derived from a survival histogram. Predictors of defined futile procedures included age, level of independence prior to admission, surgical pathology, serum creatinine, arterial lactate, and pH.

Conclusion

There remains a paucity of research defining, exploring, and analysing futile surgery in patients undergoing emergency laparotomy. With limited published work focusing on quantitative futility and the binary outcome of death, research is urgently needed to explore all principles of futility, including the wishes of patients and their families.
Impact of AJCC prognostic staging on prognosis and postmastectomy radiotherapy decision-making in hormone receptor-positive and HER2-positive breast cancer
Authors: Li Guan-Qiao , Yu Yang , Zhang Wen-Wen , Zhou Ping , Lian Chen-Lu , He Zhen-Yu , Wu San-Gang
Published: February 2022

Background

The role of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) in patients with node-positive hormone receptor-positive (HoR) and HER2-positive breast cancer (BC) regarding AJCC pathological prognostic staging (PPS) has not been fully determined. This study aimed to validate PPS in patients with node-positive HoR+/HER2+ BC after mastectomy and to investigate the role of PPS on PMRT decision-making in this patient subset.

Methods

Patients diagnosed with BC from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database were included. Patients were classified based on the anatomical staging (AS) and PPS. Breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) was calculated.

Results

In total, 6862 patients were included: 4306 (62.8 per cent) patients received PMRT and 2556 (37.2 per cent) patients had not. Compared to AS, PPS downstaged 5260 patients (76.7 per cent) and no patients were upstaged. The C-index was similar between PPS and AS (0.690 versus 0.682; P = 0.346). Regarding AS, patients who received PMRT had significantly better BCSS than those who had not in stage IIIA (P = 0.017) and stage IIIC (P < 0.001) disease, but not in stage IB (P = 0.675), IIA (P = 0.677), IIB (P = 0.100), and IIIB (P = 0.747) disease. Regarding PPS, patients who received PMRT had significantly better BCSS than those who had not in stage IIIA (P = 0.038) and stage IIIB (P = 0.017) disease, but not in stage IA (P = 0.336), IB (P = 0.893), IIA (P = 0.815), and IIB (P = 0.120) disease. PPS might allow approximately 1390 stage III patients (45.0 per cent) in the AS criterion to avoid PMRT.

Conclusion

PPS does not provide better risk discriminatory ability in predicting prognosis than AS in patients with node-positive HoR+/HER2+ BC after mastectomy. However, PPS is valuable in providing prognostic counselling to patients and may also guide PMRT decision-making.
Rapid automated validation, annotation and publication of SARS-CoV-2 sequences to GenBank
Authors: Underwood Beverly A , Yankie Linda , Nawrocki Eric P , Palanigobu Vasuki , Gotvyanskyy Sergiy , Calhoun Vincent C , Kornbluh Michael , Smith Thomas G , Fleischmann Lydia , Sinyakov Denis , Bollin Colleen J , Karsch-Mizrachi Ilene
Published: February 2022

Rapid response to the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic requires fast dissemination of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genomic sequence data in order to align diagnostic tests and vaccines with the natural evolution of the virus as it spreads through the world. To facilitate this, the National Library of Medicine’s National Center for Biotechnology Information developed an automated pipeline for the deposition and quick processing of SARS-CoV-2 genome assemblies into GenBank for the user community. The pipeline ensures the collection of contextual information about the virus source, assesses sequence quality and annotates descriptive biological features, such as protein-coding regions and mature peptides. The process promotes standardized nomenclature and creates and publishes fully processed GenBank files within minutes of deposition. The software has processed and published 982 454 annotated SARS-CoV-2 sequences, as of 21 October 2021. This development addresses the needs of the scientific community as the sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 genomes increases and will facilitate unrestricted access to and usability of SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequence data, providing important reagents for scientific and public health activities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Database URL https://submit.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sarscov2/genbank/
Characterisation of the E. coli and Salmonella qseC and qseE mutants reveals a metabolic rather than adrenergic receptor role
Authors: Hamed Abdalla , Pullinger Gillian , Stevens Mark , Farveen Fathima , Freestone Primrose
Published: February 2022

Catecholamine stress hormones (norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine) are signals that have been shown to be used as environmental cues, which affect the growth and virulence of normal microbiota as well as pathogenic bacteria. It has been reported that Escherichia coli and Salmonella use the two-component system proteins QseC and QseE to recognise catecholamines and so act as bacterial adrenergic receptors. In this study, we mutated the E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium genes encoding QseC and QseE and found that this did not block stress hormone responsiveness in either species. Motility, biofilm formation, and analysis of virulence of the mutants using two infection models were similar to the wild-type strains. The main differences in phenotypes of the qseC and qseE mutants were responses to changes in temperature and growth in different media particularly with respect to salt, carbon, and nitrogen salt sources. In this physiological respect, it was also found that the phenotypes of the qseC and qseE mutants differed between E. coli and Salmonella. These findings collectively suggest that QseC and QseE are not essential for E. coli and Salmonella to respond to stress hormones and that the proteins may be playing a role in regulating metabolism.
Effect of Wuda granule on gastrointestinal function recovery after laparoscopic intestinal resection: a randomized–controlled trial
Authors: Zeng Haiping , Wang Wei , Cao Lixing , Wu Yuyan , Ouyang Wenwei , Diao Dechang , Wan Jin , Chen Qicheng , Chen Zhiqiang
Published: February 2022

Background

Previous studies have suggested that the Wuda granule (WDG) could promote the recovery of gastrointestinal (GI) function after gynecologic abdominal surgery. This trial aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of WDG in the rapid recovery of GI function in patients after laparoscopic intestinal resection in the setting of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS)-based perioperative care.

Methods

We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial. Thirty patients who met the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to either the WDG group or the placebo group in a 1:1 ratio. The patients received WDG or placebo twice a day in addition to ERAS-based perioperative care, starting on post-operative Day 1 until Day 3. The primary outcomes were time to first bowel movement and time to first tolerance of solid food. The secondary outcomes were time to first flatus, length of hospital stay (LOS), and post-operative ileus-related morbidity. Adverse events were also recorded.

Results

There were no statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups. The median time to first bowel movement was significantly decreased in the WDG group compared with the control group (27.6 vs 50.1 h; P < 0.001), but the median times to first flatus (22.9 vs 25.1 h; P > 0.05) and LOS (5.0 vs 5.0 days; P > 0.05) were not statistically different. The occurrence rates of post-operative nausea, vomiting, abdominal distension, and abdominal pain were similar in the two groups. No adverse events occurred in any patients.

Conclusions

The addition of WDG to ERAS post-operative care after laparoscopic intestinal resection can safely promote the rapid recovery of GI function.
Alcohol Use and Blood Pressure Among Older Couples: The Moderating Role of Negative Marital Quality
Authors: Birditt Kira S , Turkelson Angela , Polenick Courtney A , Cranford James A , Blow Frederic C
Published: February 2022

Objectives

Spouses often have concordant drinking behaviors and important influences on one another’s cardiovascular health. However, little is known about the implications of dyadic drinking patterns for blood pressure, and the marital factors that confer risk or resilience. This article examined links between alcohol use and blood pressure within individuals and opposite-sex couples over time, and whether those links vary by negative marital quality among older adults.

Methods

Participants were from the nationally representative longitudinal Health and Retirement Study that included 4,619 respondents in 2,682 opposite-sex couples who participated in at least 2 of the waves from 2006 to 2016. Participants reported the number of drinks they typically consume per week, negative marital quality, and had their blood pressure measured via a cuff.

Results

Analyses revealed that greater drinking was associated with increased systolic blood pressure among both husbands and wives. Furthermore, husbands who drank more had higher blood pressure when wives drank more alcohol, whereas there was no association between husbands’ drinking and blood pressure when wives drank less alcohol. Interactions with negative marital quality showed that drinking concordance may be associated with increased blood pressure over time in more negative marriages.

Discussion

Findings indicated that spousal drinking concordance, although often associated with positive marital quality, may have negative long-term health effects.
A nomogram to predict residual cavity formation after thoracoscopic decortication in chronic tuberculous empyema
Authors: Zhu Pengfei , Xu Xudong , Ye Bo , Yu Guocan , Fang Likui , Yu Wenfeng , Zhong Fangming , Qiu Xiaowei , Yang Xin
Published: February 2022

OBJECTIVES

The goal of this study was to develop and validate a nomogram for predicting residual cavity formation after video-assisted thoracoscopic decortication in patients with chronic tuberculous empyema (CTE).

METHODS

We retrospectively analysed patients who were diagnosed and treated for CTE at our hospital from January 2017 to December 2020. We used univariable and binary logistic regression analyses to identify independent risk factors. A predictive nomogram was developed and validated for predicting the risk of residual cavity formation after video-assisted thoracoscopic decortication in patients with CTE. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was used to evaluate the nomogram.

RESULTS

Data from 103 patients were analysed. The contact area between the lung and empyema (P = 0.001, odds ratio [OR] 1.017, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.007–1.028), calcification (P = 0.004, OR 0.12, 95% CI 0.029–0.501) and thickness of the pleura (P = 0.02, OR 1.315, 95% CI 1.045–1.654) were risk factors for residual cavity formation after video-assisted thoracoscopic decortication. A 50% residual cavity formation rate was used as the cut-off to validate the nomogram model. The area under the ROC curve for the nomogram was 0.891 (95% CI, 0.82–0.963). The sensitivity and specificity of the nomogram were 86.67% and 82.19%, respectively. The calibration curve indicated good consistency between the predicted and actual risks.

CONCLUSIONS

The preliminary nomogram could contribute to preventing postoperative residual cavity formation and making appropriate surgical decisions.
Daptomycin susceptibility testing and therapeutic use in enterococcal bloodstream infection (EBSI) in a setting with high rates of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm)
Authors: Kelly John , Tysall Luke , Dewar Simon
Published: February 2022

Background

There is in vitro and clinical evidence to suggest daptomycin has good activity against Enterococcus. In 2019, CLSI produced clinical breakpoints for Enterococcus spp.

Objectives

To describe the distribution of MICs of daptomycin for enterococcal bloodstream infection (EBSI) isolates in a large Scottish health board, the indications for local daptomycin susceptibility testing and daptomycin doses used in vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) infection.

Methods

We investigated all EBSIs over a 21 month period and identified isolates tested against daptomycin. We recorded the distribution of MICs, as well as indications for daptomycin susceptibility testing and information on daptomycin dosing, where it was used.

Results

There were 293 blood culture isolates of Enterococcus spp., of which 37 had daptomycin susceptibility testing performed, from 31 individual patients. Of the 293 isolates, 103 were E. faecium, of which 63 were VREfm. Daptomycin testing was indicated by vancomycin resistance in 24/37 isolates. All E. faecium isolates tested were in the CLSI ‘susceptible dose-dependent (SDD)’ range of MICs. All other Enterococcus spp. tested were in the ‘susceptible’ range. Twelve patients received daptomycin, and dosing information was recovered for 10. Nine of these patients received 8–12 mg/kg/day dosing. There were no recorded adverse drug reactions. Ten of 12 patients were alive at the time of data collection.

Conclusions

Daptomycin MIC distribution for EBSI isolates suggests a high local rate of susceptibility, according to CLSI breakpoints, in a population with high rates of VREfm. CLSI-recommended doses of daptomycin were used, with encouraging survival outcomes.
NRF2 pathway activation attenuates ageing-related renal phenotypes due to α-klotho deficiency
Authors: Zhao Mingyue , Murakami Shohei , Matsumaru Daisuke , Kawauchi Takeshi , Nabeshima Yo-ichi , Motohashi Hozumi
Published: February 2022

Oxidative stress is one of the major causes of the age-related functional decline in cells and tissues. The KEAP1–NRF2 system plays a central role in the regulation of redox balance, and NRF2 activation exerts antiageing effects by controlling oxidative stress in aged tissues. α-Klotho was identified as an ageing suppressor protein based on the premature ageing phenotypes of its mutant mice, and its expression is known to gradually decrease during ageing. Because α-klotho has been shown to possess antioxidant function, ageing-related phenotypes of α-klotho mutant mice seem to be attributable to increased oxidative stress at least in part. To examine whether NRF2 activation antagonizes ageing-related phenotypes caused by α-klotho deficiency, we crossed α-klotho–deficient (Kl−/−) mice with a Keap1-knockdown background, in which the NRF2 pathway is constitutively activated in the whole body. NRF2 pathway activation in Kl−/− mice extended the lifespan and dramatically improved ageing-related renal phenotypes. With elevated expression of antioxidant genes accompanied by an oxidative stress decrease, the antioxidant effects of NRF2 seem to make a major contribution to the attenuation of ageing-related renal phenotypes of Kl−/− mice. Thus, NRF2 is expected to exert an antiageing function by partly compensating for the functional decline of α-Klotho during physiological ageing.
Overlap Between Complicity and Positive Obligations: What Advantages in Resorting to Positive Obligations in Case of Partnered Operations?
Authors: Liguori Anna
Published: February 2022

Partnered operations are very frequent and pose complex questions in international law, such as the allocation of responsibility in cases of violations of international human rights law and/or international humanitarian law (IHL). The present article deals with the question of complicity in partnered operations between States and between States and/or non-State actors, focusing on the possible overlap between responsibility for complicity and responsibility for breach of positive obligations in partnered operations in the light of the relevant case law of the International Court of Justice and of the European Court of Human Rights. As the requirements laid down by art. 16 of the International Law Commission Draft Articles on the Responsibility of States with respect to complicity are often difficult to meet, the author intends to explore the potential advantages of resorting to positive obligations in light of the due diligence standard. Although the article focuses primarily on human rights violations, in the final section the author investigates the benefits of this approach also with respect to breaches of IHL.
Revisiting the Law on UN Peace Operations’ Support to Partner Forces
Authors: Mamiya Ralph , Vestner Tobias
Published: February 2022

Modern UN peace operations frequently deploy in non-international armed conflicts (NIACs). Their activities tend to support governmental forces in stabilizing the country, including the combat against non-state actors. This is one of the most prominent examples of ‘support relationships’ or ‘partnered warfare’, namely situations in which a foreign partner provides military support for an ally in an armed conflict. This also raises the question, however, of the legal status of UN peace operations and their activities in such circumstances. This article examines the legal situation and finds that the current legal tenets regarding UN peace operations becoming a party to a conflict and individual peacekeepers directly participating in hostilities do not address the issue in a satisfactory manner. It also finds that while the International Committee of the Red Cross has proposed the support-based approach to clarify the issue, this lacks an appropriate legal basis. The article argues that a ‘totality-of-the-circumstances’ approach regarding the existence of a NIAC, which corresponds to the original spirit of Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, provides a proper legal basis which addresses identified concerns. The article concludes by discussing such an approach’s advantages and drawbacks in the case of support relationships.
The Strategies of the International Chamber of Commerce to Eliminate Double Taxation
Authors: Polonskaya Ksenia
Published: February 2022

This article focuses on the role of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in developing the regime on the elimination of double taxation in the twentieth century. The objective of the article is to determine the ICC’s strategies and its structural advantages in developing the regime and contextualize these strategies in a broader socio-legal and historical context. The article adopts the interactional theory of Jutta Brunée and Stephan Toope to emphasize the actor-oriented outlook upon the development of the regime on double taxation. It relies on the micro-and macro-histories teased out from archival sources, biographies of prominent decision-makers, and deliberations of committee members in the League of Nations and the United Nations. The article concludes that the ICC is a strategic player within the community of practice in the international tax regime, which utilized its structural advantages and employed different strategies to facilitate the elimination of double taxation.
Revocation of PepsiCo India’s rights over Lay’s potato variety
Authors: Ghimire Saurav
Published: February 2022

Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority, Kavitha Kuruganti v PepsiCo India Holdings Private Limited, New Delhi, 3 December 2021

The chairperson of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority revoked the registration of PepsiCo India’s potato variety FL 2027. The decision was based on three major grounds: firstly, PepsiCo India had furnished incorrect information to acquire the certificate of registration; secondly, PepsiCo India was ineligible to hold the certificate; thirdly, there was a violation of public interest by PepsiCo India suing farmers on the basis of the certificate.
Serial ultrathin sections to identify ultrastructural localization of GLUT1 molecules in vesicles in brain endothelial cells—correlative light and electron microscopy in depth
Authors: Yamada Akane , Nishida Yoichiro , Wake Kenjiro , Nakamura Ayako , Sakamaki Yuriko , Kuwahara Hiroya , Uchihara Toshiki , Yokota Takanori
Published: February 2022

Precise immunolocalization of molecules in relation to ultrastructural features is challenging, especially when the target is small and not frequent enough to be included in tiny ultrathin sections randomly selected for electron microscopy (EM). Glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) is in charge of transporting glucose across brain capillary endothelial cells (BCECs). Paraformaldehyde-fixed floating sections (50 μm thick) of mouse brain were immunolabeled with anti-GLUT1 antibody and visualized with fluoronanogold. Fluorescent images encompassing the entire hemisphere were tiled to enable selection of GLUT1-positive BCECs suitable for subsequent EM and landmark placement with laser microdissection to guide trimming. Sections were then fixed with glutaraldehyde, gold enhanced to intensify the labeling and fixed with osmium tetroxide to facilitate ultrastructural recognition. Even though a region that contained target BCECs was successfully trimmed in the resin block, it was only after observation of serial ultrathin sections that GLUT1 signals in coated vesicles on the same cross section corresponding to the cross section preidentified by confocal laser microscope. This is the first ultrastructural demonstration of GLUT1 molecules in coated vesicles, which may well explain its functional relevance to transport glucose across BCECs. Successful ultrastructural localization of molecules in relation to well-preserved target structure in native tissue samples, as achieved in this study, will pave the way to understand the functional relevance of molecules and their relation to ultrastructural details.
Improving the Utility of Poisson-Distributed, Differentially Private Synthetic Data Via Prior Predictive Truncation with an Application to CDC WONDER
Authors: Quick Harrison
Published: February 2022

CDC WONDER is a web-based tool for the dissemination of epidemiologic data collected by the National Vital Statistics System. While CDC WONDER has built-in privacy protections, they do not satisfy formal privacy protections such as differential privacy and thus are susceptible to targeted attacks. Given the importance of making high-quality public health data publicly available while preserving the privacy of the underlying data subjects, we aim to improve the utility of a recently developed approach for generating Poisson-distributed, differentially private synthetic data by using publicly available information to truncate the range of the synthetic data. Specifically, we utilize county-level population information from the US Census Bureau and national death reports produced by the CDC to inform prior distributions on county-level death rates and infer reasonable ranges for Poisson-distributed, county-level death counts. In doing so, the requirements for satisfying differential privacy for a given privacy budget can be reduced by several orders of magnitude, thereby leading to substantial improvements in utility. To illustrate our proposed approach, we consider a dataset comprised of over 26,000 cancer-related deaths from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania belonging to over 47,000 combinations of cause-of-death and demographic variables such as age, race, sex, and county-of-residence and demonstrate the proposed framework’s ability to preserve features such as geographic, urban/rural, and racial disparities present in the true data.
On the modeling and verification of the spread of fake news, algebraically
Authors: Aldini Alessandro
Published: February 2022

In recent years, one of the major issues concerning the study of online social network phenomena is related to the diffusion of misinformation, commonly known as fake news. In the literature, several mathematical tools are used to investigate both the identifying attributes of fake news and their spreading model. This work concentrates on the latter aspect and follows the lines of research inspired by the analysis of epidemic models. Its main contribution is the definition of a modeling framework based on process algebra for the explicit, formal representation of typical behavioral patterns of agents in social networks, and the use of a probabilistic verification framework based on modal logics and model checking for the quantitative analysis of the fake news spread.
Markov chain model representation of information diffusion in social networks
Authors: Dennis Louise A , Fu Yu , Slavkovik Marija
Published: February 2022

The spread of information in a social network has received renewed interest as social media becomes an increasingly popular channel of communication. We are interested in the phenomenon of social diffusion of a piece of information in the presence of a contradicting information in the network. Specifically we explore the use of formal methods for verification in studying this phenomena. Using Monte Carlo simulation and the probabilistic model checker (PRISM) we are able to represent social networks and confirm an earlier conjecture that disseminating new information rapidly is resistant to the presence of contradicting information.
The impact of brain invasion criteria on the incidence and distribution of WHO grade 1, 2, and 3 meningiomas
Authors: Rebchuk Alexander D , Chaharyn Bradley M , Alam Armaghan , Hounjet Celine D , Gooderham Peter A , Yip Stephen , Makarenko Serge
Published: February 2022

Background

In 2016 brain invasion was added as a standalone diagnostic criterion for Grade 2 meningiomas in the WHO Classification of Brain Tumors. The aim of this study was to compare the incidence and distribution of meningiomas, and agreement, between the 2007 and 2016 WHO criteria.

Methods

All cases of intracranial meningiomas diagnosed between 2007 and 2020 at a tertiary care academic hospital were identified. The incidence of each meningioma grade in the WHO 2007 and WHO 2016 cohorts were compared. Additionally, each case in the 2007 cohort was re-graded according to the WHO 2016 criteria to determine the intra-class correlation (ICC) between criteria.

Results

Of 814 cases, 532 (65.4%) were in the 2007 WHO cohort and 282 (34.6%) were in the 2016 WHO cohort. There were no differences in the distribution of meningioma grades between cohorts (P = .11). Incidence rates were: 75.0% vs. 75.2% for Grade 1, 22.7% vs. 24.5% for Grade 2, and 2.3% vs. 0.4% for Grade 3, for the 2007 and 2016 cohorts, respectively. Upon re-grading, 21 cases (3.9%) were changed. ICC between original and revised grade was 0.92 (95% CI: 0.91–0.93). Amongst Grade 2 meningiomas with brain invasion, 75.8% had three or more atypical histologic features or an elevated mitotic index.

Conclusions

Including brain invasion as a standalone diagnostic criterion for Grade 2 meningiomas had minimal impact on the incidence of specific meningioma grade tumors. There is strong agreement between the 2007 and 2016 WHO criteria, likely due to cosegregation of grade elevating features.
Do blue galaxy-clusters have hot intracluster gas?
Authors: Misato Rana , Toba Yoshiki , Ota Naomi , Yamamoto Naoaki , Kodama Tadayuki , Okabe Nobuhiro , Oguri Masamune , Mitsuishi Ikuyuki
Published: February 2022

We present herein a systematic X-ray analysis of blue galaxy clusters at z = 0.84 discovered by the Subaru telescope. The sample consisted of 43 clusters identified by combining red-sequence and blue-cloud surveys, covering a wide range of emitter fractions (i.e., 0.3–0.8). The spatial extent of the over-density region of emitter galaxies was approximately 1 Mpc in radius. The average cluster mass was estimated as 0.6(<1.5) × 1014 M⊙ from the stacked weak-lensing measurement. We analyzed the XMM-Newton archival data, and measured the X-ray luminosity of the hot intracluster medium. As a result, diffuse X-ray emission was marginally detected in 14 clusters, yielding an average luminosity of 5 × 1042 erg s−1. To the contrary, it was not significant in 29 clusters. The blue clusters were significantly fainter than the red-dominated clusters, and the X-ray luminosity did not show any meaningful correlation either with emitter fraction or richness. The X-ray surface brightness was low, but the amount of gas mass was estimated to be comparable to that observed in the 1013–1014 M⊙ cluster. Based on the results, we suggest that the blue clusters are at the early formation stage, and the gas is yet to be compressed and heated up to produce appreciable X-rays. Follow-up spectroscopic measurements are essential to clarify the dynamical status and co-evolution of galaxies and hot gas in the blue clusters.
A long noncoding RNA functions in high-light-induced anthocyanin accumulation in apple by activating ethylene synthesis
Authors: Yu Jiaxuan , Qiu Kainan , Sun Wenjing , Yang Tuo , Wu Ting , Song Tingting , Zhang Jie , Yao Yuncong , Tian Ji
Published: February 2022

Anthocyanin production in apple (Malus domestica) fruit and their consequent coloration can be induced by high-light treatment. The hormone ethylene is also essential for this coloration, but the regulatory relationships that link ethylene and light with anthocyanin-associated coloration are not well defined. In this study, we observed that high-light treatment of apple fruit increased anthocyanin accumulation more than moderate-light treatment did and was the main contributor of induced ethylene production and activation of anthocyanin biosynthesis. A transcriptome study of light-treated apple fruit suggested that a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), MdLNC610, the corresponding gene of which is physically located downstream from the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxygenase (ACO) ethylene biosynthesis gene MdACO1, likely affects anthocyanin biosynthesis under high-light treatment. Expression and promoter β-glucuronidase reporter analyses further showed that MdLNC610 upregulates expression of MdACO1 and so likely participates in high-light-induced ethylene biosynthesis. Overexpression of MdACO1 and MdLNC610 in apple fruit and calli indicated that a major increase in MdLNC610 expression activates MdACO1 expression, thereby causing an increase in ethylene production and anthocyanin levels. These results suggest that MdLNC610 participates in the regulation of high-light-induced anthocyanin production by functioning as a positive regulator to promote MdACO1 expression and ethylene biosynthesis. Our study provides insights into the relationship between mRNA and lncRNA networks in the ethylene biosynthetic pathway and anthocyanin accumulation in apple fruit.
The Puzzle of Functional Recovery in Schizophrenia-Spectrum Disorders—Replicating a Network Analysis Study
Authors: Moura Bernardo Melo , Isvoranu Adela-Maria , Kovacs Veronika , Van Rooijen Geeske , Van Amelsvoort Therese , Simons Claudia J P , Bartels-Velthuis Agna A , Bakker P Roberto , Marcelis Machteld , De Haan Lieuwe , Schirmbeck Frederike
Published: February 2022

Background and hypothesis

Recovery from psychosis is a complex phenomenon determined by an array of variables mutually impacting each other in a manner that is not fully understood. The aim of this study is to perform an approximated replication of a previous network analysis study investigating how different clinical aspects—covering psychopathology, cognition, personal resources, functional capacity, and real-life functioning—are interrelated in the context of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.

Study design

A sample of 843 subjects from a multisite cohort study, with the diagnosis of a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder, was used to estimate a network comprising 27 variables. The connectivity and relative importance of the variables was examined through network analysis. We used a quantitative and qualitative approach to infer replication quality.

Study results

Functional capacity and real-life functioning were central and bridged different domains of the network, in line with the replicated study. Neurocognition, interpersonal relationships, and avolition were also key elements of the network, in close relation to aspects of functioning. Despite significant methodological differences, the current study could substantially replicate previous findings.

Conclusions

Results solidify the network analysis approach in the context of mental disorders and further inform future studies about key variables in the context of recovery from psychotic disorders.