bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modeling snowflake divertors in MAST-U Tokamak
Authors: Khrabry A.I. , Soukhanovskii V.A. , Rognlien T.D. , Umansky M.V. , Moulton D. , Harrison J.R.
Published: October 2021

In a snowflake (SF) divertor, two magnetic field nulls are placed close to each other, creating four strike points (SPs) compared to two in a standard X-point divertor. In preparation for MAST-U experiments, magnetic configurations with the standard and SF divertors with various locations and separation distances of the nulls were modeled using the two-dimensional multi-fluid code UEDGE with a full plasma transport model featuring charge-state-resolved sputtered carbon impurities. The complex interplay of the plasma transport and magnetic configurations was comprehensively studied using a simple model for the theoretically predicted fast plasma mixing driven by the ‘churning’ mode instability in the two-null SF region. The modeling results show that (1) all SF-plus configurations and SF-minus configuration with closely located nulls produce the same plasma parameters and heat fluxes at the same SPs; (2) SF divertors approach the outer and inner SP detachment conditions at lower upstream density w.r.t. the standard divertor; (3) heat flux profiles at primary SPs are substantially broadened and peak values are reduced in SF configurations w.r.t. SN divertors; this broadening becomes more pronounced with the fast plasma mixing increase.
Reconstruction of three-dimensional lumbar vertebrae from biplanar x-rays
Authors: Su Chia-Wei , Lin Cheng-Li , Fang Jing-Jing
Published: October 2021

Objective. Vertebrae models from computer tomographic (CT) imaging are extensively used in image-guided surgical systems to deliver percutaneous orthopaedic operations with minimum risks, but patients may be exposed to excess radiation from the pre-operative CT scans. Generating vertebrae models from intra-operative x-rays for image-guided systems can reduce radiation exposure to the patient, and the surgeons can acquire the vertebrae’s relative positions during the operation; therefore, we proposed a lumbar vertebrae reconstruction method from biplanar x-rays. Approach. Non-stereo-corresponding vertebral landmarks on x-rays were identified as targets for deforming a set of template vertebrae; the deformation was formulated as a minimisation problem, and was solved using the augmented Lagrangian method. Mean surface errors between the models reconstructed using the proposed method and CT scans were measured to evaluate the reconstruction accuracy. Main results. The evaluation yielded mean errors of 1.27 mm and 1.50 mm in in vitro experiments on normal vertebrae and pathological vertebrae, respectively; the outcomes were comparable to other template-based methods. Significance. The proposed method is a viable alternative to provide digital lumbar to be used in image-guided systems, where the models can be used as a visual reference in surgical planning and image-guided applications in operations where the reconstruction error is within the allowable surgical error.
Nonrelativistic effective quantum mechanics of the Coulomb interaction
Authors: Jacobs David M , Jankowski Matthew
Published: October 2021

We apply the ideas of effective field theory to the nonrelativistic quantum mechanics of the Coulomb problem. Utilizing an artificial boundary of ignorance as a calculational tool, we develop this effective theory using boundary conditions to encode short-ranged effects that are deliberately not modeled; thus, the boundary conditions play a role similar to the effective action in field theory. We find that this effective theory can predict the bound state energies of hydrogen-like systems to very high accuracy with a small number of fitting parameters. It is also shown to be equivalent to the theory of quantum defects, but derived here using an effective framework. The method respects electromagnetic gauge invariance and also can describe decays due to short-ranged interactions, such as those found in positronium. Potential applications of this approach include atomic and condensed matter systems that admit analytic long-range descriptions, but whose short-ranged effects are not reliably or efficiently modeled. It may also provide a useful perspective for the study of blackholes.
Network analytics for drug repurposing in COVID-19
Authors: Siminea Nicoleta , Popescu Victor , Sanchez Martin Jose Angel , Florea Daniela , Gavril Georgiana , Gheorghe Ana-Maria , Iţcuş Corina , Kanhaiya Krishna , Pacioglu Octavian , Popa Laura Ioana , Trandafir Romica , Tusa Maria Iris , Sidoroff Manuela , Păun Mihaela , Czeizler Eugen , Păun Andrei , Petre Ion
Published: October 2021

To better understand the potential of drug repurposing in COVID-19, we analyzed control strategies over essential host factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection. We constructed comprehensive directed protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks integrating the top-ranked host factors, the drug target proteins and directed PPI data. We analyzed the networks to identify drug targets and combinations thereof that offer efficient control over the host factors. We validated our findings against clinical studies data and bioinformatics studies. Our method offers a new insight into the molecular details of the disease and into potentially new therapy targets for it. Our approach for drug repurposing is significant beyond COVID-19 and may be applied also to other diseases.
DeepCap-Kcr: accurate identification and investigation of protein lysine crotonylation sites based on capsule network
Authors: Khanal Jhabindra , Tayara Hilal , Zou Quan , To Chong Kil
Published: October 2021

Lysine crotonylation (Kcr) is a posttranslational modification widely detected in histone and nonhistone proteins. It plays a vital role in human disease progression and various cellular processes, including cell cycle, cell organization, chromatin remodeling and a key mechanism to increase proteomic diversity. Thus, accurate information on such sites is beneficial for both drug development and basic research. Existing computational methods can be improved to more effectively identify Kcr sites in proteins. In this study, we proposed a deep learning model, DeepCap-Kcr, a capsule network (CapsNet) based on a convolutional neural network (CNN) and long short-term memory (LSTM) for robust prediction of Kcr sites on histone and nonhistone proteins (mammals). The proposed model outperformed the existing CNN architecture Deep-Kcr and other well-established tools in most cases and provided promising outcomes for practical use; in particular, the proposed model characterized the internal hierarchical representation as well as the important features from multiple levels of abstraction automatically learned from a small number of samples. The trained model was well generalized in other species (papaya). Moreover, we showed the features and properties generated by the internal capsule layer that can explore the internal data distribution related to biological significance (as a motif detector). The source code and data are freely available at https://github.com/Jhabindra-bioinfo/DeepCap-Kcr.
Cutevariant: a standalone GUI-based desktop application to explore genetic variations from an annotated VCF file
Authors: Schutz Sacha , Monod-Broca Charles , Bourneuf Lucas , Marijon Pierre , Montier Tristan
Published: October 2021

Cutevariant is a graphical user interface (GUI)-based desktop application designed to filter variations from annotated VCF file. The application imports data into a local SQLite database where complex filter queries can be built either from GUI controllers or using a domain-specific language called Variant Query Language. Cutevariant provides more features than existing applications and is fully customizable thanks to a complete plugins architecture.

Availability and implementation

Cutevariant is distributed as a multiplatform client-side software under an open source license and is available at https://github.com/labsquare/cutevariant.
SigTools: exploratory visualization for genomic signals
Authors: Masoumi Shohre , Libbrecht Maxwell W , Wiese Kay C
Published: October 2021

Motivation

With the advancement of sequencing technologies, genomic data sets are constantly being expanded by high volumes of different data types. One recently introduced data type in genomic science is genomic signals, which are usually short-read coverage measurements over the genome. To understand and evaluate the results of such studies, one needs to understand and analyze the characteristics of the input data.

Results

SigTools is an R-based genomic signals visualization package developed with two objectives: (i) to facilitate genomic signals exploration in order to uncover insights for later model training, refinement and development by including distribution and autocorrelation plots; (ii) to enable genomic signals interpretation by including correlation and aggregation plots. In addition, our corresponding web application, SigTools-Shiny, extends the accessibility scope of these modules to people who are more comfortable working with graphical user interfaces instead of command-line tools.

Availability and implementation

SigTools source code, installation guide and manual is freely available on http://github.com/shohre73
CHRAC1 promotes human lung cancer growth through regulating YAP transcriptional activity
Authors: Wang Mingwei , Li Shasha , Guo Wencong , Wang Lulu , Huang Jiaxin , Zhuo Junzhe , Lai Botao , Liao Chenqi , Ge Tianlan , Nie Yuxuan , Jin Su , Wang Manxiang , Zhang Yanggeling , Liu Yimeng , Li Xiaowen , Zhang Huixia
Published: October 2021

ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes regulate chromatin structure and play important roles in gene expression, differentiation, development and cancer progression. Dysregulation in the subunits of the complexes often has been found in different cancers, but how they influence cancer initiation and progression is not fully understood. Here, we show that Chromatin Accessibility Complex Subunit 1 (CHRAC1), the accessory subunit of chromatin remodeling complex, is highly expressed in lung cancer tissues, which correlates with poor prognosis in lung cancer patients. CHRAC1 overexpression promotes lung cancer cell proliferation and migration in vitro and tumor growth in genetically engineered KrasG12D.LSL lung adenocarcinoma mouse model. Consistent with this, CHRAC1 silencing inhibits cell proliferation and migration in lung cancer cells and suppresses tumor growth in xenograft mouse model. Further, CHRAC1 binds to the transcription coactivator Yes-associated protein (YAP), enhances the transcription of downstream target oncogenes in Hippo pathway and thus promotes the tumor growth. Together, our study defines a critical role of CHRAC1 in promoting YAP transcriptional activity and lung cancer tumorigenesis, which makes it a potential target for lung cancer.
A new iteration for the single-access large-bore technique during Impella supported complex and high-risk coronary intervention: a case report
Authors: Araco Marco , Quagliana Angelo , Pedrazzini Giovanni , Valgimigli Marco
Published: October 2021

Background

Complex and high-risk coronary intervention (CHIP-PCI) and PCI in cardiogenic shock complicating acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are increasingly performed under mechanical circulatory support—so-called protected PCI. Among the available options, Impella Cardiac Power (CP) heart pump (Abiomed) is percutaneously inserted over the femoral artery and typically requires a second arterial access to perform PCI, which further enhances the risk of vascular and bleeding complications. The single-access technique allows Impella CP placement and PCI performance through the same vascular access. When a 7 Fr system is desirable, only a long and entirely hydrophilic coated sheath has been previously used, which is not available in Europe.

Case summary

A 85-year-old patient admitted with non ST-elevation - acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS), severely reduced left ventricular function and three-vessel coronary artery disease underwent single-access CHIP-PCI under Impella CP support. After a failed attempt to insert a standard 7 Fr long femoral sheath alongside the Impella catheter, we successfully introduced a 7.5 Fr sheathless guiding catheter and delivered the planned percutaneous treatment with the benefits conferred by a 7 Fr—rather than 6—lumen catheter, without the need for an additional arterial access.

Discussion

This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first case of CHIP-PCI performed under Impella support utilizing the single-access technique with a 7.5 Fr sheathless guiding catheter. Beyond advantages of the single-access technique in sparing time and avoiding vascular complications associated with gaining a second arterial access, the lower outer diameter of the sheathless catheter compared with standard 7 Fr sheaths may allow improved limb perfusion and lower chance of interference with the Impella CP catheter.
Cardiovascular disease in an intensive care unit: patterns of an often fatal omen
Authors: Rocha B , Cunha G , Maltes S , Moura A N N E , Coelho F , Torres J , Santos P , Monteiro F , Monteiro F , Almeida G , Lamas T , Simoes I , Gaspar I , Mendes M , Carmo E
Published: October 2021

Background

Care for the critically ill patient with Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) requires a unique management approach, as the theoretical critical threshold for decompensation is lower and inherent adaptive mechanisms may be compromised. We aimed to characterize the prognostic impact of CVD in patients admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Methods

We performed a cohort study of consecutive patients admitted to an ICU from January to December 2019. Patients were stratified as follows: (1) established CVD – presence of either atrial fibrillation, heart failure, coronary artery disease and/or peripheral artery disease; (2) at higher risk of CVD – known arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus and/or current smoking, in the absence of established CVD; and (3) at lower risk of CVD – i.e. none of the above. The co-primary endpoints were all-cause death in ICU and death during index hospitalization.

Results

During 2019, there were 334 admissions in ICU, comprising a total of 296 patients (mean age 67±15 years, 58.1% male). Overall, 69 (23.3%) and 108 (36.5%) died in ICU and during index hospitalization, respectively. Compared to patients at lower risk of CVD, those at higher CVD risk or with established CVD had markers of more severe disease, as noted by higher risk scores (e.g., SAPS-II 35.0±20.0 vs. 43.5±22.3 vs. 52.6±20.0; p<0.001), higher rates of mechanical ventilation (41.5 vs. 57.3 vs. 63.9%; p=0.020), shock during ICU stay (34.0 vs. 52.7 vs. 66.9%; p<0.001) and acute kidney injury (26.4 vs. 35.5 vs. 57.9%; p<0.001), respectively, as well as higher death rates in ICU (5.7 vs. 21.8 vs. 31.6%; p=0.001) and index hospitalization (9.4 vs. 37.3 vs. 46.6%; p<0.001). In multivariate analysis, adjusted for age and cause of admission, established CVD independently predicted the risk of all-cause death in ICU (HR: 2.084; 95% CI: 1.136–3.823; p=0.018) and during index hospitalization (HR 1.712; CI: 1.009–2.889; p=0.046). The analysis for the group of patients at higher risk of CVD yielded similar results to the abovementioned.

Conclusion

Roughly 4 in every 5 patients admitted in ICU were at risk of or had established CVD. The presence of either of the above independently predicted a two- to three-fold higher risk of death during hospitalization. Our findings emphasize the considerable burden of CVD in ICU and underscore the importance of comprehensive management of the complex critically ill patient.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.
Redistribution of garbage codes to underlying causes of death: a systematic analysis on Italy and a comparison with most populous Western European countries based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Authors: Monasta Lorenzo , Alicandro Gianfranco , Pasovic Maja , Cunningham Matthew , Armocida Benedetta , J L Murray Christopher , Ronfani Luca , Naghavi Mohsen ,   GBD 2019 Italy Causes of Death Collaborators, Monasta Lorenzo , Alicandro Gianfranco , Pasovic Maja , Cunningham Matthew , Armocida Benedetta , Albano Luciana , Beghi Ettore , Beghi Massimiliano , Bosetti Cristina , Bragazzi Nicola Luigi , Carreras Giulia , Castelpietra Giulio , Catapano Alberico L , Cattaruzza Maria Sofia , Collatuzzo Giulia , Conti Sara , Damiani Giovanni , Ferrara Pietro , Fornari Carla , Gallus Silvano , Giampaoli Simona , Golinelli Davide , Isola Gaetano , Lauriola Paolo , La Vecchia Carlo , Leonardi Matilde , Magnani Francesca Giulia , Minelli Giada , Moccia Marcello , Pedersini Paolo , Perico Norberto , Raggi Alberto , Remuzzi Giuseppe , Sanmarchi Francesco , Sattin Davide , Unim Brigid , Villafañe Jorge Hugo , Violante Francesco S , Murray Christopher J L , Ronfani Luca , Naghavi Mohsen
Published: October 2021

Background

The proportion of reported causes of death (CoDs) that are not underlying causes can be relevant even in high-income countries and seriously affect health planning. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study identifies these ‘garbage codes’ (GCs) and redistributes them to underlying causes using evidence-based algorithms. Planners relying on vital registration data will find discrepancies with GBD estimates. We analyse these discrepancies, through the analysis of GCs and their redistribution.

Methods

We explored the case of Italy, at national and regional level, and compared it to nine other Western European countries with similar population sizes. We analysed differences between official data and GBD 2019 estimates, for the period 1990–2017 for which we had vital registration data for most select countries.

Results

In Italy, in 2017, 33 000 deaths were attributed to unspecified type of stroke and 15 000 to unspecified type of diabetes, these making a fourth of the overall garbage. Significant heterogeneity exists on the overall proportion of GCs, type (unspecified or impossible underlying causes), and size of specific GCs among regions in Italy, and among the select countries. We found no pattern between level of garbage and relevance of specific GCs. Even locations performing below average show interesting lower levels for certain GCs if compared to better performing countries.

Conclusions

This systematic analysis suggests the heterogeneity in GC levels and causes, paired with a more detailed analysis of local practices, strengths and weaknesses, could be a positive element in a strategy for the reduction of GCs in Italy.
Hsp90 interaction networks in fungi—tools and techniques
Authors: Crunden Julia L , Diezmann Stephanie
Published: October 2021

Heat-shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is a central regulator of cellular proteostasis. It stabilizes numerous proteins that are involved in fundamental processes of life, including cell growth, cell-cycle progression and the environmental response. In addition to stabilizing proteins, Hsp90 governs gene expression and controls the release of cryptic genetic variation. Given its central role in evolution and development, it is important to identify proteins and genes that interact with Hsp90. This requires sophisticated genetic and biochemical tools, including extensive mutant collections, suitable epitope tags, proteomics approaches and Hsp90-specific pharmacological inhibitors for chemogenomic screens. These usually only exist in model organisms, such as the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Yet, the importance of other fungal species, such as Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans, as serious human pathogens accelerated the development of genetic tools to study their virulence and stress response pathways. These tools can also be exploited to map Hsp90 interaction networks. Here, we review tools and techniques for Hsp90 network mapping available in different fungi and provide a summary of existing mapping efforts. Mapping Hsp90 networks in fungal species spanning >500 million years of evolution provides a unique vantage point, allowing tracking of the evolutionary history of eukaryotic Hsp90 networks.
Sharp stability for finite difference approximations of hyperbolic equations with boundary conditions
Authors: Coulombel Jean-François , Faye Grégory
Published: October 2021

In this article, we consider a class of finite rank perturbations of Toeplitz operators that have simple eigenvalues on the unit circle. Under a suitable assumption on the behavior of the essential spectrum, we show that such operators are power bounded. The problem originates in the approximation of hyperbolic partial differential equations with boundary conditions by means of finite difference schemes. Our result gives a positive answer to a conjecture by Trefethen, Kreiss and Wu that only a weak form of the so-called uniform Kreiss–Lopatinskii condition is sufficient to imply power boundedness.
Factors Associated With Infectious Disease Fellowship Fill Rate: An Analysis of 2019, 2020, and 2021 Match Cycles
Authors: Lanjewar Swapnil , Filipiak Rachel , Osman Fauzia , Tischendorf Jessica S
Published: October 2021

Historically, there has been a relative paucity of applicants to infectious disease fellowships. This leads to a significant number of programs being unfilled in the fellowship match. We sought to identify predictors of a program filling all positions offered in the match through retrospective review of available match and program data for the 2019–2021 match cycles. In the 2021 match, hospital and research rankings were associated with filling, as were offering specialized training tracks and having an active Twitter account. Knowledge of these associations can help programs direct resources to optimize recruitment and enrichment of infectious disease fellows.
Comparison of different antimicrobial use indicators and antimicrobial resistance data in food-producing animals
Authors: Sanders Pim , Mevius Dik , Veldman Kees , van Geijlswijk Inge , Wagenaar Jaap A , Bonten Marc , Heederik Dick
Published: October 2021

Objectives

To explore the effects of using different indicators to quantify antimicrobial usage (AMU) in livestock and compare outcomes with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) data.

Methods

Three indicators were used to quantify AMU, two indicators in which the denominator varied: defined daily doses per average mass of the animals present per year (DDD/AY) and defined daily doses per population correction unit (DDD/PCU) and one in which the numerator varied: milligrams of active ingredient per PCU (mg/PCU). AMU was compared with antimicrobial resistance data from the national monitoring programme from 2013 to 2018 with the proportion of Escherichia coli isolates fully susceptible to a predefined panel of antimicrobials for the broiler, dairy cattle and pig farming livestock sectors in the Netherlands.

Results

The ranking of livestock sectors differs between sectors when using different indicators to express AMU. Dairy cattle rank lowest when expressing AMU in DDD/AY, followed by pigs and broilers corresponding to the rankings of the sectors for AMR. When changing the denominator to PCU, the ranking in AMU is reversed: use ranks highest in dairy cattle and lowest broilers.

Conclusions

Using different denominators in AMU indicators has a major impact on measured use. This might result in misinterpretation of effects of interventions on AMU and the associations of AMU with AMR across animal sectors. From an epidemiological perspective, indicators that take into account time at risk of exposure to antimicrobials are to be preferred and reflect the AMR risk most accurately.
NGLY1: insights from Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Lehrbach Nicolas John
Published: October 2021

Peptide:N-glycanase is an evolutionarily conserved deglycosylating enzyme that catalyses the removal of N-linked glycans from cytosolic glycoproteins. Recessive mutations that inactivate this enzyme cause NGLY1 deficiency, a multisystemic disorder with symptoms including developmental delay and defects in cognition and motor control. Developing treatments for NGLY1 deficiency will require an understanding of how failure to deglycosylate NGLY1 substrates perturbs cellular and organismal function. In this review, I highlight insights into peptide:N-glycanase biology gained by studies in the highly tractable genetic model animal Caenorhabditis elegans. I focus on the recent discovery of SKN-1A/Nrf1, an N-glycosylated transcription factor, as a peptide:N-glycanase substrate critical for regulation of the proteasome. I describe the elaborate post-translational mechanism that culminates in activation of SKN-1A/Nrf1 via NGLY1-dependent ‘sequence editing’ and discuss the implications of these findings for our understanding of NGLY1 deficiency.
Are Pesticides Used to Control Thrips Harmonious with Soil-Dwelling Predatory Mite Cosmolaelaps sabelis (Mesostigmata: Laelapidae)?
Authors: Barroso G , Pazini J B , Iost Filho F H , Barbosa D P L , de Paiva A C R , Matioli T F , Yamamoto P T
Published: October 2021

Edaphic predatory mites could be introduced in pest management programs of pests that live, or spend part of their life cycle, in the soil. Some mesostigmatic mites have been widely used for the management of different species of thrips (Thysanoptera), especially in protected cultivation. The edaphic predator Cosmolaelaps sabelis (Mesostigmata: Laelapidae) was a model species in this study, being exposed to the most applied insecticides for the control of thrips in Brazil. After lethal, sublethal and transgenerational effects were evaluated. The pesticides acephate, acetamiprid + etofenprox, azadirachtin, spinetoram, formetanate hydrochloride, and imidacloprid were classified according to the IOBC/WPRS (International Organization for Biological Control-West Paleartic Regional Section) recommendation, considering the acute toxicity and the effects on adult females’ reproduction, in the maternal and first generation. The pesticides acetamiprid + etofenprox and azadirachtin were classified as slightly harmful (Class 2), while spinetoram was classified as moderately harmful (Class 3). Acephate and formetanate hydrochloride were classified as harmful (Class 4). Only imidacloprid didn’t cause negative effects on the females. Regarding effects on the first generation, acetamiprid + etofenprox, azadirachtin, and spinetoram caused reduction in the oviposition rates. Therefore, we suggest that complimentary bioassays should be done under semi-field and field conditions using the pesticides that were considered harmful in this study, to assess their effects on this predator in other environments prior to recommending not to use them in integrated programs to manage soil-based pests using chemical and biological tools.
Creating ‘a palace of art’
Authors: Hilary John
Published: October 2021

Nineteenth-century art collecting in Britain is typically characterized as a rejection of the earlier aristocratic tradition of amassing Old Masters in favour of a bourgeois preference for more relevant contemporary paintings. Inspired by the intellectual ideal of ‘Bildung’, however, German-Jewish collectors settling in fin-de-siècle London brought with them an expectation of high cultural engagement with the most important masterworks of the European tradition. This paper’s reconstruction of the lost collection of Leopold and Mathilde Hirsch reveals a level of sophistication and personal involvement with the art market which dispels any suggestion that these were uncultured parvenus seeking to secure a place in high society by means of conspicuous consumption. It also requires us to distinguish between German-Jewish migrant collectors and their British contemporaries when describing the different models of collecting among those who shared a non-aristocratic family background.
Bats in the megafire: assessing species’ site use in a postfire landscape in the Sierra Nevada
Authors: Mirts Haley E , McLaughlin John P , Weller Theodore J , White Angela M , Young Hillary S , Sollmann Rahel
Published: October 2021

Large high-severity fires are increasing in frequency in many parts of the world, including the coniferous forests of the Sierra Nevada mountains. These “megafires” alter vegetation and environmental conditions in forests, yet their impacts on native wildlife remain poorly understood. Bats play an important role in forest ecosystems, but their responses to megafires likewise are understudied. We investigated bat responses to the King Fire, a megafire that burned nearly 40,000 ha within the Eldorado National Forest in 2014, half of it at high severity. From June to September 2017, we used remote acoustic recorders to survey bats at 26 sites with varying fire severity (unburned, mixed, and high severity). We analyzed data with Royle–Nichols occupancy models to investigate how bat space use was influenced by megafires, and whether this response was driven by prey availability, fire severity, or fire-altered habitat conditions. We calculated prey species richness, biomass, and abundance, from moths sampled with blacklight surveys. Vegetation covariates included tree density, canopy cover, and shrub density, measured along vegetation transects. To capture general effects of fire, we also included fire severity and the percentage of dead trees as potential covariates on space use. Prey variables were highest in unburned forests, were the most common predictors of, and generally had positive effects on bat space use. Responses to tree density and canopy cover varied by species; the most common vegetation covariate, shrub density, had weak positive effects on bat space use. In spite of the varying prey and vegetation conditions across fire severity categories, most bats showed weak to no response in space use to fire severity and tree mortality. We attribute this to the highly mobile nature of bats, which reduces the impact of potentially negative local conditions.
Perception and Process: Towards a Behavioural Theory of Compliance
Authors: Peat Daniel
Published: October 2021

Nowhere is the integration of behavioural insights into international legal theory more important than in relation to compliance. Such insights offer the potential to give us a more accurate understanding of how states behave, permitting both the development of more effective, empirically grounded normative propositions for legal and institutional change, as well as the creation of more convincing theories of compliance. Drawing on theoretical, empirical and experimental studies from political science and international relations, the article suggests that we need to understand compliance decision-making as a broader process that requires analysis of how and why decision-makers perceive new information the way that they do, and how the process by which they make decisions, such as their style of reasoning, might affect decision outcomes. To develop this point, the article uses data from international financial institutions and a novel sentiment analysis of Argentinian parliamentary debates to test empirically hypotheses generated by realist, liberal, and constructivist theories of compliance, the results of which demonstrate the benefit of adopting a behavioural approach to compliance.
Spindle Cell Sarcoma (SCS); a case of primary leiomyosarcoma (LMS) of the sigmoid colon presented as intestinal obstruction
Authors: Al Laham Omar , Albrijawy Reham , Atia Fareed , Shaheen Jack , AlTabbakh Hani
Published: October 2021

Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is a common form of soft tissue sarcoma. Primary colonic LMS is an extremely rare entity, comprising 1–2% of gastrointestinal malignancies. Primary mesenchymal sarcomas of the gastrointestinal system are rare and constitute just 0.1–3% of all gastrointestinal tumours. LMS is the most common variant of such tumours and represents just 0.12% of colorectal malignancies.

We present a case of a 65-year-old female, who presented to the emergency department with 3 days history of obstipation and generalized abdominal pain. Radiology (X-ray and ultrasound) indicated a large pelvic mass compressing the sigmoid colon and its surrounding structures.

Histopathological analysis indicated a primary LMS of the sigmoid colon. Diagnosis is established mostly postoperatively after histopathological evaluation. Prognosis and treatment modalities for this aggressive malignancy remain insufficient. LMS is relatively impervious to chemotherapy/radiotherapy. Our patient was treated by surgical excision of the tumour and referred postoperatively for adjuvant chemotherapy.
Responses of a Pre-hospital Emergency Medical Service During Military Conflict Versus COVID-19: A Retrospective Comparative Cohort Study
Authors: Jaffe Eli , Sonkin Roman , Alpert Evan Avraham , Zerath Erik
Published: October 2021

Background

Decreases in routine healthcare practices have been shown to occur during disasters. However, research regarding the impacts of natural disasters, pandemics, or military conflicts on emergency medical services (EMS) is scarce.

Objectives

This study assessed the impact of a military conflict versus the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on a national EMS organization in terms of responses to overall daily emergencies, medical illnesses, motor vehicle collisions, and other injuries.

Methods

This retrospective comparative cohort study assessed daily routine emergency ambulance calls to Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s national EMS organization. This included overall emergency calls as well as those related to medical illnesses, motor vehicle collisions (MVCs), and other injuries. All data were obtained from the MDA command and control database. During the military conflict Operation Protective Edge (2014), the civilian population was subjected to intensive rocket attacks for 24 days, followed by 26 days of a progressive withdrawal of operations and then to a post-conflict period. During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (March-April 2020), the population was subjected to 32 days of total lockdown, followed by 27 days of progressive relief of confinement, and then to a post-lockdown period.

Results

The total number of emergency calls in this study was 330,430. During the conflict, the mean number of daily calls decreased, followed by an increase during Relief and Post-Conflict with higher values in Post-Conflict than in Pre-Conflict. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a decrease in the mean daily number of calls during Lockdown. It remained low during Relief and increased during Post-Lockdown. However, it remained lower in Post-Lockdown than during Pre-Lockdown. Calls related to medical illnesses decreased during the conflict and during the lockdown. The post-conflict period was characterized by a similar baseline call magnitude but not during the post-lockdown period. Decreases in calls for MVC and other injuries were significant during the lockdown but not during the military conflict. Post-lockdown was accompanied by return to baseline call volumes for MVC, whereas calls for other injuries increased above baseline both after the lockdown and military conflict.

Conclusion

This study shows decreasing trends in routine daily calls for EMS during both Operation Protective Edge and COVID-19. However, different patterns of needs for EMS were evidenced for medical illnesses, MVC, or calls concerning other injuries. These results are instrumental for managing the operational demands of EMS during military conflicts and pandemics.
HPV-Related Cancers: A Growing Threat to U.S. Military Health and Readiness
Authors: Seay Julia , Matsuno Rayna , Buechel Jennifer , Tannenbaum Karen , Wells Natalie
Published: October 2021

The incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV) related cancers is growing in the United States. Active duty service members (ADSM) have higher rates of HPV infection than civilians and are therefore at greater risk of developing HPV-related cancers. The purpose of this commentary is to examine the burden of HPV-related cancers in ADSM. The current HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening uptake rates of U.S. ADSM are presented, including a literature review of military-focused studies on HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screenings. We provide directions for future research, interventions, and policy recommendations to improve HPV-related cancer prevention among ADSM.
Mechanistic studies of the cofactor assembly in class Ib ribonucleotide reductases and protein affinity for MnII and FeII
Authors: Jayachandran Megha , Yoon Jennifer , Wu Jacky , Cipurko Denis , Quon Joyce , Makhlynets Olga
Published: October 2021

Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) is an essential enzyme found in all organisms. The function of RNR is to catalyze the conversion of nucleotides to deoxynucleotides. RNRs rely on metallocofactors to oxidize a conserved cysteine in the active site of the enzyme into a thiyl radical, which then initiates nucleotide reduction. The proteins required for MnIII2–Y• cluster formation in class Ib RNRs are NrdF (β-subunit) and NrdI (flavodoxin). An oxidant is channeled from the FMN cofactor in NrdI to the dimanganese center in NrdF, where it oxidizes the dimanganese center and a tyrosyl radical (Y•) is formed. Both Streptococcus sanguinis and Escherichia coli MnII2–NrdF structures have a constriction in the channel immediately above the metal site. In E. coli, the constriction is formed by the side chain of S159, whereas in the S. sanguinis system it involves T158. This serine-to-threonine substitution was investigated using S. sanguinis and Streptococcus pneumoniae class Ib RNRs but it is also present in other pathogenic streptococci. Using stopped-flow kinetics, we investigate the role of this substitution in the mechanism of MnIII2–Y• cluster formation. In addition to different kinetics observed in the studied streptococci, we found that affinity constants of NrdF for MnII and FeII are about 1 µM and the previously reported preference for MnII could not be explained by affinity only.
Judicial Reform and the European Court: Not a Numbers Game
Authors: Bradley Kieran
Published: October 2021

Judicial Reform and the European Court: Not a Numbers Game examines the reforms, and major proposals for reform, of the European Union court. The most successful reforms have been initiated by the Court of Justice itself, concerned about its burgeoning workload, and have comprised either increasing the number of judges, or establishing a new judicial body competent at first instance for direct actions. The latter approach led first to the setting up of the General Court, and subsequently a specialized court. The Court has now changed tack, and the number of General Court judges has been doubled. To address the rising volume of preliminary ruling requests, an ‘EU Appeals’ procedure is proposed, allowing the Court of Justice largely to control its own workload. It would be a radical change, designed to break the mould before the mould breaks the system.
Establishing Auditing Intermediaries to Verify Platform Data
Authors: Wagner Ben , Kuklis Lubos
Published: October 2021

This chapter provides an overview of the main problems associated with basing public regulatory decisions on unverified data, before sketching out some ideas of what a solution might look like. In order to do this, the chapter develops the concept of auditing intermediaries. After discussing which problems the concept of auditing intermediaries is designed to solve, it then discusses some of the main challenges associated with access to data, potential misuse of intermediaries, and the general lack of standards for the provision of data by large online platforms. In conclusion, the chapter suggests that there is an urgent need for an auditing mechanism to ensure the accuracy of transparency data provided by large online platform providers about the content on their services. Transparency data that have been audited would be considered verified data in this context. Without such a transparency verification mechanism, existing public debate is based merely on a whim, and digital dominance is likely to only become more pronounced.
Epilogue
Authors: Glannon Walter
Published: October 2021

This section summarizes the main neuroscientific and philosophical issues regarding neural prosthetics. It comments on the therapeutic potential of more and less invasive systems to restore sensory, motor, and cognitive functions. It also speculates on future neural prosthetics and how they might change our view of the brain–mind relation and our concept of ourselves as humans. The current state of neural prosthetics does not indicate that machines and implants control the thought and behaviour of people to whom they are connected or in whom they are implanted. There is no loss of control but shared control between these artificial systems and the people who use them. The rehabilitative and restorative capacity of neural prosthetics enable those with neurological or physical disabilities to acquire or regain functional independence.
Technology to Prevent Criminal Behaviour
Authors: Marco Gabriel De , Douglas Thomas
Published: October 2021

This chapter assesses the use of technology to solve social problems such as crime. Starting with a type of education programme that few would find problematic, it details step-by-step a range of interventions that might be offered to rehabilitate offenders. These interventions include a device that not only gives a signal when it detects a precursor of the urge for criminal behaviour, but also releases a drug that is reliably effective at neutralizing these urges. The chapter then presents a view according to which, if we accept the education programme, then we ought to accept all of the other technological interventions. This would mean accepting a greatly expanded role for technology in our criminal justice systems, compared to what we see at present.
Characterising the Distinct Crustal Protoliths of Roberts Victor Type I and II Eclogites
Authors: Hardman Matthew F , Stachel Thomas , Pearson D Graham , Cano Erick J , Stern Richard A , Sharp Zachary D
Published: October 2021

The origin of the eclogites that reside in cratonic mantle roots has long been debated. In the classic Roberts Victor kimberlite locality in South Africa, the strongly contrasting textural and geochemical features of two types of eclogites have led to different genetic models. We studied a new suite of 63 eclogite xenoliths from the former Roberts Victor Mine. In addition to major- and trace-element compositions for all new samples, we determined 18O/16O for garnet from 34eclogites. Based on geochemical and textural characteristics we identify a large suite of Type I eclogites (n = 53) consistent with previous interpretations that these rocks originate from metamorphosed basaltic-picritic lavas or gabbroic cumulates from oceanic crust, crystallised from melts of depleted mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) mantle. We identify a smaller set of Type II eclogites (n = 10) based on geochemical and textural similarity to eclogites in published literature. We infer their range to very low δ18O values combined with their varied, often very low zirconium-hafnium (Zr-Hf) ratios and light rare earth element-depleted nature to indicate a protolith origin via low-pressure clinopyroxene-bearing oceanic cumulates formed from melts that were more depleted in incompatible elements than N-MORB. These compositions are indicative of derivation from a residual mantle source that experienced preferential extraction of incompatible elements and fractionation of Zr/Hf during previous melting.
Creating an Applied, Multi-disciplinary Research Field: The World Health Organization and Health Systems Research 1960–2000
Authors: Weisz George
Published: October 2021

From the 1960s, the World Health Organization (WHO) sought to reconcile ambitious international goals with scarce resources and the socio-economic realities of low- and middle-income countries by developing a field called Health Systems Research (HSR). This field remained small, marginal and largely confined to WHO during the second half of the twentieth century. The WHO worked to promote HSR, apply it to concrete problems and define its scope and methodologies while linking it to policymaking. Results were seriously limited by lack of interest from policymakers, confusion about its scope and methods, and competition from numerous disciplines working on overlapping subjects, notably economic analysis. This latter rivalry originated with debates about Primary Health Care versus Selective Primary Healthcare in the late 1970s and was overcome, rhetorically, in the late 1980s. Tensions however remained, and by the end of the twentieth century, economic analysis had temporarily triumphed at the WHO.
Development and Identification of a Novel Wheat–Thinopyrum scirpeum 4E (4D) Chromosomal Substitution Line with Stripe Rust and Powdery Mildew Resistance
Authors: Gong Biran , Zhang Hao , Yang Yulu , Zhang Juwei , Zhu Wei , Xu Lili , Wang Yi , Zeng Jian , Fan Xing , Sha Lina , Zhang Haiqin , Wu DanDan , Chen Guoyue , Zhou Yonghong , Kang Houyang
Published: October 2021

Stripe rust caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici and powdery mildew caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici are devastating diseases of wheat worldwide. Exploration of new disease-resistant genes from cultivated wheat and wild relatives are the most effective means of reducing the amounts of fungicides applied to combat these diseases. Thinopyrum scirpeum (2n = 4x = 28, EEEE) is an important promising reservoir of useful genes, including stripe rust and powdery mildew resistance, and may be useful for increasing wheat disease resistance. Here, we characterize a novel wheat–Th. scirpeum disomic substitution line, K16-730-3, and chromosome-specific markers were developed that can be used to trace the Th. scirpeum chromosome or chromosome segments transferred into wheat. Genomic in situ hybridization and fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses indicated that K16-730-3 is a new 4E (4D) chromosomal substitution line. Evaluation of seedling and adult disease responses revealed that K16-730-3 is resistant to stripe rust and powdery mildew. In addition, no obvious difference in grain yield was observed between K16-730-3 and its wheat parents. Genotyping-by-sequencing analyses indicated that 74 PCR-based markers can accurately trace chromosome 4E, which were linked to the disease resistance genes in the wheat background. Further marker validation analyses revealed that 13 specific markers can distinguish between the E-genome chromosomes of Th. scirpeum and the chromosomes of other wheat-related species. The new substitution line K16-730-3 carrying the stripe rust and powdery mildew resistance genes will be useful as novel germplasm in breeding for disease resistance. The markers developed in this study can be used in marker-assisted selection for increasing disease resistance in wheat.