bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The influence of learning on robustness of working memory to distractors
Authors: Maria Ermolova , Valeriia Beliaeva , Nikita Novikov , Tommaso Fedele , Viktoria Moiseeva , Boris Gutkin , Matteo Feurra
Published: March 2022

Inhibition of irrelevant information is a crucial process within the working memory (WM) system. In the present study, we explored how inhibition of distractors is learned within a Sternberg-like WM task and how this learning process affects readout performance. We introduced distractors of varying strength as well as novel stimuli to a classic Sternberg task. Our findings show that the length of the training period affected obstructiveness of distractors as well as differences between WM loads. Significant differences between conditions observed early on in accuracy became void after general ceiling performance was reached. Moreover, accuracy and reaction times, which are commonly used as readouts of WM performance, were affected differently by training. While both improved significantly, only accuracy exhibited differential dependency of experimental conditions on training. It is essential to consider these dynamics when introducing a WM task which requires a long training period.
The benefits of Cu Kβ radiation for the single-crystal X-ray structure determination of crystalline sponges
Authors: Meurer Florian , von Essen Carolina , Kühn Clemens , Puschmann Horst , Bodensteiner Michael
Published: March 2022

The crystalline sponge method facilitates the X-ray structure determination of samples that do not crystallize or are too sparsely available to afford viable crystallization. By including these materials in a metal–organic framework, the structure of the guest molecules can be determined. Some of the inherent difficulties of this method are discussed and the use of Cu Kβ radiation is presented as a simple and effective means to improve the quality of the diffraction data that can be obtained from a sponge crystal.
Towards an understanding of actual business intelligence technology use: an individual user perspective
Authors: Trieu Van-Hau
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Although much is understood about Business Intelligence (BI) technology adoption, less is known about the complementary organisational resources that drive the actual use of BI systems and the impacts of BI systems at an individual employee level. This study aims to develop and test a model of the impact of key complementary organisational resources on employees' actual BI systems’ use behaviours and their decision-making performance.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the research model, a cross-sectional survey of 437 North American employees, who described themselves as using a BI system to make decisions, was conducted. The partial least square (PLS), a structural equational modelling (SEM) technique, was employed to analyse the survey data.

Findings

The survey findings attest to the influence of key complementary organisational resources (i.e. data-based culture (DBC), quality of data in source systems and decision-making autonomy) on employees' actual BI use (comprising BI system dependence and BI system infusion) and on their decision-making performance. Specifically, a DBC and the quality of data in source systems are found to significantly enhance BI system dependence and BI system infusion. Decision-making autonomy, DBC, BI system dependence and BI system infusion are significant contributors to achieving decision-making performance.

Originality/value

This study proposes a theoretical model of actual BI systems’ use from an individual user perspective that increases our understanding of both the complexity of BI usage and the complementary organisational resources that drive both actual BI systems’ use and the impacts of BI systems.
Environmental sustainability practices in the hotel industry in New Zealand
Authors: Guruge Dhammika (Dave)
Published: March 2022

Purpose

This paper analyses Environmental Sustainability (ES) policies of the hotel industry in New Zealand (NZ) and compares them with a recognised global standard – the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).

Design/methodology/approach

The study considered ES policies of ten major hotel groups (consisting of 208 accommodation providers) in NZ and employed content data analysis using Leximancer software to identify the themes relating to ES and benchmark them against the GRI standards.

Findings

Firms in the sample are lagging behind in regard to ES practices in comparison to GRI. Firstly, they did not follow the global standard guidelines strictly in reporting their environmental impact; secondly, they have not quantified the impact or related reductions to environmental damage and thirdly, they did not cover all relevant impact areas as outlined by the GRI in reporting some ES initiatives already in place.

Research limitations/implications

The research findings are based on the content data from websites and their executions were not validated. In addition to GRI, there could be other global organisations that can be used for future research.

Practical implications

This study confirms the prior research findings on environmental impact in NZ, induced by tourism-hospitality sector, and provides an opportunity for the practitioners to reflect upon and develop environmental policies in line with global practices such as GRI.

Originality/value

Prior studies on analysing ES of the businesses in the hotel industry are scarce. To the best of our knowledge, no prior study has attempted to analyse online content data of the NZ hotel industry to examine sustainability policies and practices and compare them against any global standard.
Technology, human resource competencies and productivity in nascent petroleum industries: an empirical study
Authors: Masiko Paul Buhenga , Oluka Pross Nagitta , Kajjumba George William , Mugurusi Godfrey , Nyesiga Sylvia Desire
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Technology competencies (TC) and human resources (HR) play a vital role in enhancing productivity in any industry. Yet the significance and interplay of these two factors in developing economies such as Uganda that are kick-starting oil exploration is not clear. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), the underlying relationship between technology, human resources and productivity in the petroleum industry is established.

Design/methodology/approach

To examine the interrelationship among the independent factors (TC and HR) and the dependent factor (productivity), a questionnaire was used to collect data from respondents in Uganda. All the targeted respondents come from the oil exploration side of the industry in Uganda. SEM, a multivariate statistical analysis technique, was applied to analyze the underlying relationships among variables.

Findings

The findings suggest that TC and HR positively and significantly influence the petroleum industry productivity (PI). Both TC and HR explain a 32% variation of the observed improvement in productivity. The relationship between the independent variables (TC and HR) and dependent variable (PI) is summarized using the equation ΔPI = 0.36 TC + 0.25 HR, with TC having a more significant effect on PI than HR.

Practical implications

The study thus proposes to governments and oil companies in resource constrained environments that adoption of advanced technologies in oil exploration plays a relatively much bigger role and has an overarching impact on productivity especially in countries with small scale production, or in hostile environments or with unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs.

Originality/value

For developing economies with fewer resources that often face economic tradeoffs, the study examines the significance of TC and HR development in expanding the oil and gas sectors. This work, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, is among the few studies that have examined the impact and the interplay of TC and HR on the productivity of emerging oil industries in developing economies such as Uganda.
Rodent scavenging of pig remains potentially increases oviposition sites for primary colonizers
Authors: Flint Casey A. , Sawyer Samantha J. , Rhinesmith‐Carranza Jennifer , Tomberlin Jeffery K.
Published: March 2022

The feeding of vertebrate scavengers on animal remains has been noted for at least 30 years in relation to the creation of postmortem artifacts. However, the subsequent impact on other necrophagous arthropods, which interact with these remains has not been well documented. Herein, we report a rodent (Rattus spp.) feeding event that altered a perimortem wound beneath the jaw of a decomposing swine carcass. Point trauma such as this has been cited as insufficient for insect colonization; however, the resulting enlargement of the wound due to scavenger feeding has the potential to serve as an oviposition site where colonization would typically not be expected otherwise (i.e., in the absence of a wound or the presence of a small wound such as point trauma). In fact, colonization was observed surrounding the site of scavenger alteration. If scavenger artifacts (e.g., postmortem alteration of remains by feeding) are not identified appropriately and recognized for the effects they may have on necrophagous arthropods then associated assessments in forensic investigations could be affected.
‘A Knowing but a Discrete Man’: Scribal News and Information Management in Restoration England
Authors: Peacey Jason
Published: March 2022

This article builds upon recent interest in scribal news by analysing official uses of manuscript newsletters during the Restoration, in domestic contexts as well as in relation to Anglo‐Dutch affairs. It uses official correspondence and diplomatic archives to trace official attitudes to scribal news, as well as the processes devised for utilising newsletters. In part, this is a study of ‘information management’, and it explores the methods used for acquiring and analysing intelligence, as well as the personnel involved. But it also emphasises that officials were conscious of the shifting landscape of news across the 17th century, and of popular demand for both printed and scribal news. As such, intelligence strategies involved more than just spies and intercepts, in terms of the need to both ‘consume’ and produce scribal news, to develop relationships with intelligencers and journalists, and to exchange information. Mapping this complex news ecosystem enhances our appreciation of the ongoing relevance of scribal newsletters, but it also highlights some intractable challenges faced by the government, in terms of the tensions between disseminating information to friendly correspondents and imperilling some of its most valued intelligencers.
‘Our Masters the Commons Begin Now to Roar’: Parliament in Scribal Verse, 1621–81*
Authors: Taylor Edward
Published: March 2022

Scribal verse was an important source of news and comment about parliament in 17th‐century Britain, especially in the 1620s and 1660s–80s. Unlike other forms of scribal news, poems that circulated in manuscript did not report on parliamentary proceedings as such, but either summarised parliamentary news or provided comment on parliament's actions, nature or wider purpose, and typically presented parliament as a unitary agent that expressed a single voice. Scribal verse overwhelmingly disseminated a view of parliament as an agent of oppositional/‘country’ politics in a polarised, partisan political landscape. In the 1620s, poems represented parliament in conflict with court figures such as Francis Bacon, Viscount St Alban, and George Villiers, duke of Buckingham. Most took an oppositional perspective, praising parliament as a virtuous, corruption‐fighting body, while some loyalist/‘court’ poems depicted it as the multitude's dangerous tool. Under Charles II, oppositional poems tended to emphasise that parliament was thwarted from its rightful oppositional role by threatened prorogation and corruption by the court, while loyalist poems discredited parliament with the memory of its revolutionary mid‐century predecessors. Evidence about readers, such as the clergyman John Rous in the 1620s and the student Peter Le Neve in the 1670s, indicates that poems were consumed as part of wider bundles of news media. Some poems were themselves embedded within parliamentary culture, being written by members of parliament such as Andrew Marvell and read by others such as Sir William Haward.
A prospective cohort study on cam morphology and its role in progression of osteoarthritis
Authors: Ahedi Harbeer , Winzenberg Tania , Bierma‐Zeinstra Sita , Blizzard Leigh , van Middelkoop Marienke , Agricola Rintje , Waarsing Jan H. , Cicuttini Flavia , Jones Graeme
Published: March 2022

Background

Cam morphology contributes to the development of hip osteoarthritis (OA) but is less studied in the general population. This study describes its associations with clinical and imaging features of hip OA.

Methods

Anteroposterior hip radiographs of 1019 participants from the Tasmanian Older Adult Cohort (TASOAC) were scored at baseline for α angle (cam morphology) in both hips. Using the Altman's atlas, radiographic hip OA (ROA) was assessed at baseline. Hip pain and right hip structural changes were assessed on a subset of 245 magnetic resonance images (MRI) at 5 years. Joint registry data for total hip replacement (THR) was acquired 14 years from baseline.

Results

Of 1906 images, cam morphology was assessed in 1016 right and 890 left hips. Cross‐sectionally, cam morphology modestly associated with age (prevalence ratio [PR]: 1.02 P = .03) and body mass index (BMI) (PR: 1.03‐1.07, P = .03) and strongly related to male gender (PR: 2.96, P < .001). Radiographically, cam morphology was prevalent in those with decreased joint space (PR: 1.30 P = .03) and osteophytes (PR: 1.47, P = .03). Longitudinally, participants with right cam and high BMI had more hip pain (PR: 17.9, P = .02). At the end of 5 years of follow‐up these participants were also more likely to have structural changes such as bone marrow lesions (BMLs) (PR: 1.90 P = .04), cartilage defects (PR: 1.26, P = .04) and effusion‐synovitis at multiple sites (PR: 1.25 P = .02). Cam morphology at baseline in either hip predicted up to threefold risk of THR (PR: 3.19, P = .003) at the end of 14 years.

Conclusion

At baseline, cam morphology was linked with age, higher weight, male gender, early signs of radiographic OA such as joint space narrowing (JSN) and osteophytes (OST). At follow‐up, cam predicted development of hip BMLs, hip effusion‐synovitis, cartilage damage and THR. These findings suggest that cam morphology plays a significant role in early OA and can be a precursor or contribute to hip OA in later life.
Optical coherence tomography angiography metrics predict normal tension glaucoma progression
Authors: Wang Yu Meng , Shen Ruyue , Lin Timothy P.H. , Chan Poemen P. , Wong Mandy O.M. , Chan Noel C.Y. , Tang Fangyao , Lam Alexander K.N. , Leung Dexter Y.L. , Tham Clement C.Y. , Cheung Carol Y.
Published: March 2022

Purpose

To prospectively determine the relationship between optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) metrics and visual field (VF) progression in eyes with normal tension glaucoma (NTG).

Methods

Prospective, cohort study conducted from January 2017 to October 2021. OCTA metrics at the peripapillary region (circumpapillary vessel density (cpVD), vessel diameter index (VDI) and fractal dimension (FD) in the radial superficial capillary network), and the macular region (macular vessel density, foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area, FAZ circularity and macular FD in superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP)), were investigated and measured by a customized MATLAB program. VF was evaluated semiannually using standard automated perimetry. Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the relationship of OCTA metrics at baseline to the risk of NTG progression over time.

Results

The cohort included 164 NTG patients (270 eyes), which were followed up for at least 2 years. Over a mean follow‐up period of 48.58 ± 7.98 months, 42 of the 270 NTG eyes (15.56%) developed VF deterioration. Among OCTA metrics at peripapillary region, lower superotemporal cpVD (HR per SD decrease, 1.401; 95% CI, 1.017–1.929) was associated with VF deterioration after adjusting for reported risk factors at baseline.

Conclusions

Lower superotemporal cpVD at peripapillary region measured from OCTA improves the prediction of VF deterioration in NTG. These findings provided further evidence to support the prognostic role of OCTA in the risk assessment of NTG progression.
Meta‐analysis: hepatitis B vaccination in inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Singh Anupam Kumar , Jena Anuraag , Mahajan Gaurav , Mohindra Ritin , Suri Vikas , Sharma Vishal
Published: March 2022

Background

The response rate of hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is variable. Increasing dose or accelerated schedule is the suggested strategy to improve seroconversion.

Aim

We performed a meta‐analysis to determine the pooled response rate of HBV vaccination and to identify the predictors of seroconversion.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Embase and Cochrane library databases. Studies reporting the response of HBV vaccination in IBD patients were included. Response was recorded as adequate immune response (AIR, >10 IU/L) and Effective immune response (EIR, >100 IU/L). Pooled AIR and EIR rates were calculated for different doses (10–20 μg or 40 μg) and schedules (standard: 0, 1 and 6 months or accelerated: 0, 1 and 2 months). Meta‐analysis was performed to identify the predictors of response.

Results

Twenty‐one studies including 2602 patients were eligible. Pooled AIR and EIR rates after HBV vaccination were 62% (95% CI, 55–68) and 42% (95% CI, 37–48), respectively. Pooled AIR and EIR rates for standard and double dose were similar. Pooled AIR and EIR rates were also comparable for different schedules of HBV vaccination. Gender, IBD subtype and disease activity did not affect the response rate. Use of immunosuppression [immunomodulators (RR: 0.73, 95% CI, 0.62–0.87) and anti‐TNFs (RR: 0.72, 95% CI, 0.60–0.87)] was a predictor of poor immune response compared to no immunosuppressive therapy.

Conclusion

Patients with IBD have a poor serological response after HBV vaccination. HBV screening and vaccination should preferably be done before starting the immunosuppressive drugs.
Transmission of the 2007–2008 financial crisis in advanced countries of the European Union
Authors: Tomczak Kamila
Published: March 2022

The aim of this paper is to identify the main factors responsible for the 2007–2008 crisis development and transmission across the 10 developed European Union (EU) countries. In order to achieve this objective, trade and financial linkages, crisis contagion from the United States and EU countries and countries' internal and external economic vulnerabilities are examined. The results of logistic regression model covering the period from 2002 to 2012 presented in this paper indicate that the transmission of the crisis occurred through contagion from the United States but also from other EU countries. Additionally, the empirical results confirm that high inflation, a decrease in the exchange rate, and a decrease in the US long‐term interest rates increased the probability of the 2007–2008 financial crisis.
Soil nitrogen mediates the effect of climatic distance on herbivory rates in a tropical herb
Authors: Moutouama Jacob K. , Gaoue Orou G.
Published: March 2022

The center‐periphery hypothesis predicts that species are most abundant at the center of their distribution range. Differential herbivory rates between center and periphery populations can explain this variation in species abundance. However, if the geographic center of a species distribution coincides with its ecological optimum, the resource availability hypothesis predicts higher herbivory rates and tolerances at the center compared to the periphery. Biogeographical studies on herbivory have treated these two mechanisms separately, limiting our mechanistic understanding of the role of herbivory in shaping species range limits. We analyzed the role of resource availability on herbivory variation from center to periphery using data collected across the distribution of Thunberbia atacorensis, a range‐limited species of West Africa. We used two types of distances: geographic distance (the distance from each plot to the geographic center of all populations) and climatic distance (the distance from each plot to the preferendum of the species). We found no increase in herbivory toward the periphery of the climatic and geographic ranges. However, herbivory rates increased with soil nitrogen. Soil nitrogen decreased from the center to the periphery of the climatic range. Phylogenetic diversity and competition from surrounding plants did not affect herbivory rates. Our study provides insights into how nutrient limitation can shape species center‐periphery distribution by altering spatial variation in herbivory rates.
Sleep and eye disease: A review
Authors: Lee Samantha S. Y. , Nilagiri Vinay K. , Mackey David A.
Published: March 2022

There is a growing body of literature on the effects of sleep disorders, in particular obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), on ocular health, with consistent evidence of an increased risk of floppy eyelid syndrome, non‐arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy, diabetic macular oedema, and other retinal vasculature changes in individuals with OSA. However, reports on OSA's associations with glaucoma, papilloedema, diabetic retinopathy, central serous chorioretinopathy, and keratoconus have been conflicting, while links between OSA and age‐related macular degeneration have only been described fairly recently. Despite numerous suggestions that OSA treatment may reduce risk of these eye diseases, well‐designed studies to support these claims are lacking. In particular, the ocular hypertensive effects of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for OSA requires further investigation into its potential impact on glaucoma risk and management. Reports of ocular surface complications secondary to leaking CPAP masks highlights the importance of ensuring good mask fit. Poor sleep habits have also been linked with increased myopia risk; however, the evidence on this association remains weak.
Quantifying the impact of economic sanctions on international trade in the energy and mining sectors
Authors: Larch Mario , Shikher Serge , Syropoulos Constantinos , Yotov Yoto V.
Published: March 2022

We study the impact of economic sanctions on international trade in the mining sector. We demonstrate that the gravity equation is well‐suited to model bilateral trade costs in mining and find that sanctions have been effective in impeding mining trade. Complete trade sanctions have reduced mining trade by about 44% on average. We also document significant heterogeneity in the sanctions effects on mining trade across industries, sanction episodes/cases, depending on the sanctioning and sanctioned countries, the type of sanctions, and the direction of trade. We take a close look at the impact of recent sanctions on Iran and Russia.
Chronic Pain and the Arcs of Suffering and Well‐Being: A Systems Model of/for Living with Psoriatic Arthritis
Authors: Singstock Mitchell , Hay M. Cameron , Hyland Kerby
Published: March 2022

Chronic pain is a phenomenon in which the biological sensations of pain interact synergistically with an individual's cultural world. Considerable anthropological work has been done on the senses and on the anthropology of chronic pain. Less attention has been given to the sensations of chronic pain, how they can escalate to suffering, and how they may be managed in daily life to enable well‐being. To develop an integrated understanding of chronic pain processes, we worked as a collaborative research team that included a patient coauthor. Together we synthesized a model that outlines the biological pathways of pain while taking into account the cultural factors that can magnify pain into arcs of suffering or temper pain toward arcs of well‐being. Drawing on scholarly literature, long‐term ethnographic research, and personal experience with autoimmune disease, we propose a dynamic model of the moment‐to‐moment arcs that maintain, magnify, or temper pain. [pain, suffering, well‐being, autoimmune disease, and systems model]

Spanish abstract: El dolor crónico es un fenómeno en el que las sensaciones biológicas del dolor son sinérgicamente interactivas con el mundo cultural del individuo. Ha sido mucho trabajo antropológico en los sentidos y la antropología del dolor crónico. Menos atención ha prestado a las sensaciones del dolor crónico, su crecimiento a sufrimiento y cómo estas sensaciones pueden ser manejadas en la vida cotidiana para facilitar el bienestar. El desarrollo de un entendimiento integrativo de los procesos del dolor crónico exigió un equipo de investigación integrativo y colaborativo, lo que incluyó un paciente como coautor. Juntos, resumimos un modelo que esboza las vías biológicas del dolor mientras abarcando los factores culturales que amplifican el dolor a ciclos de retroalimentación de sufrimiento o, alternativamente, templan el dolor a ciclos de retroalimentación de bienestar. Con el apoyo de literatura académica, investigaciones en etnografía prolongadas y experiencia personal de enfermedades autoinmunitarias, propongamos un modelo dinámico de ciclos de retroalimentación instantáneos que mantienen, magnifican otemplan el dolor. [dolor, sufrimiento, bienestar, enfermedad autoinmune, modelo sistemático]
Effects of BMAL1 on dentinogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells via PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway
Authors: Xu Hui , Zhao Jiajia , Chen Guangjin , Yuan Zhenglin , Liu Jiarong
Published: March 2022

Aim

This study aimed to investigate the effect of the circadian clock gene Bmal1 on dentinogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) under inflammatory conditions.

Methodology

Dental pulp stem cells were isolated from the pulp tissue of the healthy donor and were then stimulated with different concentrations of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to mimic inflammatory conditions. Real‐time polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the gene expression of circadian clock genes Bmal1, Clock, Per1, Per2, Cry1, and Cry2. Western blot (WB) was applied to analyse the protein expression of circadian clock proteins (BMAL1, CLOCK) and dentinogenic differentiation‐related proteins (DSPP, DMP1). In addition, the apoptosis and osteogenic differentiation of DPSCs were also analysed in the presence of different concentrations of LPS.

Results

The expression of circadian clock genes of DPSCs significantly changed in an inflammatory environment. WB analysis shows that BMAL1 is relevant to the dentinogenic differentiation of DPSCs. In low concentrations of LPS‐mimicked inflammatory conditions, the expression of BMAL1 increased and promoted the dentinogenic differentiation of DPSCs. However, under high concentrations of LPS‐mimicked inflammatory conditions, the expression of BMAL1 decreased and inhibited the dentinogenic differentiation of DPSCs. Moreover, the effects of BMAL1 on dentinogenic differentiation of DPSCs may be through PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

Conclusions

This study showed that the circadian clock gene Bmal1 affected dentinogenic differentiation of DPSCs, providing a new insight for clinical stem cell‐based restorative dentinogenesis therapies.
Modeling heat transfer during hot water sanitization of a commercial mushroom slicer
Authors: Lele Saurabh R. , Takhar Pawan S. , Anantheswaran Ramaswamy C.
Published: March 2022

A heat transfer model within a three‐lane mushroom slicer was solved using the Finite Element Method (FEM) to obtain a conservative estimate of the temperature at the cold spot within the slicer during hot water sanitization under natural convection. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of the heating of a single spacer by hot water under natural convection showed that the bottom surface of the spacer heated slower compared to the top surface. This was due to buoyancy forces and density gradients during natural convection leading to the formation of a wake of cold water at the bottom of the spacer. The FEM model predicted the location of the cold spot during hot water sanitization under natural convection to be at the bottom inside surface of a spacer at the center of the upper shaft and this agreed with the experimentally determined time–temperature data. The experimentally determined time for the cold spot to reach the target temperature during sanitization at 65°C was 5.2 min, whereas that predicted by the FEM model was 6.1 min. It is recommended that the higher value of the time to reach the target temperature at the cold spot as predicted by the FEM model be used as a come‐up time to establish the minimum treatment times for sanitization at 65°C.

Practical Applications

Many of the mushroom processing facilities use a three‐lane mushroom slicer manufactured by DutchTecSource (Netherlands). A practice used currently in the mushroom industry for routine sanitization of mushroom slicers is heating the slicer head in boiling water for an hour. Studies at Penn State have shown that Listeria monocytogenes can be eliminated from food contact surfaces using hot water sanitization. In order to validate sanitization treatments in a mushroom slicer, it is imperative to determine cold spots and the come‐up times to reach the target temperature therein. Since the geometry of this commercial three‐lane mushroom slicer is highly irregular, a FEM‐based approach was used to model heat transfer. The data obtained from this study can be used by mushroom processors to establish the minimum treatment times for hot water sanitization of commercial mushroom slicers.
Contributions of extended batch tests for assessing technical recyclability: A case study of low‐value battery flows
Authors: Mählitz Paul Martin , Korf Nathalie , Chryssos Georgios , Rotter Vera Susanne
Published: March 2022

Good product recyclability is a prerequisite for the transition to a circular economy. However, today's product complexity and diversity in the urban mine result in heterogeneous and variable waste flows affecting process recycling efficiency (RE) and thus product recyclability. For batteries, waste flow composition and subsequent RE are determined by usage behavior, collection, and sorting into chemical battery subsystems. This study aims to demonstrate how extended batch tests (EBTs) can be used as a method to (a) determine battery‐specific RE and (b) derive recommendations for assessing and improving the recyclability of batteries. Three EBTs comprising extensive characterization methods were carried out with mixtures of zinc‐based (AZ) and lithium‐based (LIB) batteries. The results showed that 0.20–0.27 kg/kg of the input mass was lost through flue gas and not recyclable. The metal fraction (0.15–0.19 kg/kg) was easily recyclable, while the mineral fractions of LIBs posed challenges for recycling and recovery (RR) due to the high elemental heterogeneity and pollutants originating from individual battery subsystems. In total, 0.79 kg/kg of AZs was recyclable, whereas 0.52 kg/kg of LIBs and 0.58 kg/kg of AZLIBs (a mixture of both) were recyclable after further treatment. In conclusion, the study demonstrated how the EBT approach can be used to extend recyclability assessment by providing waste flow characteristics for comparison with output quality requirements, enabling assignment of battery‐specific RE and identification of poorly recyclable battery subsystems. Thus, the EBT approach can help improve and assess technical recyclability in the future.
Anachronic: Viral Socialities and Project Time among HIV Support Groups in Barbados
Authors: Murray David A. B.
Published: March 2022

From 2005 to 2015, up to five support groups for people living with HIV (PLHIV) operated in Barbados. However, by early 2020, all but one had disappeared. What caused the demise of these groups and why? What does this demise tell us about the HIV response in Barbados, and more particularly, everyday life for PLHIV? More generally, what does it tell us about “viral socialities” (ties formed between groups of people as they confront the lived effects of infection and discrimination attributable to HIV) and the effects of “project time” (a time frame delimited through the priorities of global HIV/AIDS agencies) on these socialities? Through ethnographic and archival research methods, this article reveals how multiple, unstable project times create and transform viral socialities of Barbadian PLHIV with anachronic effects for some—i.e., a sense of alienation or being “out of time” in relation to the priorities of the global HIV response.
Cyphoderia ampulla(Cyphoderiidae: Rhizaria), a tale of freshwater sailors: The causes and consequences of ecological transitions through the salinity barrier in a family of benthic protists
Authors: González‐Miguéns Rubén , Soler‐Zamora Carmen , Useros Fernando , Nogal‐Prata Sandra , Berney Cédric , Blanco‐Rotea Andrés , Carrasco‐Braganza María Isabel , de Salvador‐Velasco David , Guillén‐Oterino Antonio , Tenorio‐Rodríguez Daniel , Velázquez David , Heger Thierry J. , Sanmartín Isabel , Lara Enrique
Published: March 2022

The salinity barrier that separates marine and freshwater biomes is probably the most important division in biodiversity on Earth. Those organisms that successfully performed this transition had access to new ecosystems while undergoing changes in selective pressure, which often led to major shifts in diversification rates. While these transitions have been extensively investigated in animals, the tempo, mode, and outcome of crossing the salinity barrier have been scarcely studied in other eukaryotes. Here, we reconstructed the evolutionary history of the species complexCyphoderia ampulla(Euglyphida: Cercozoa: Rhizaria) based on DNA sequences from the nuclear SSU rRNA gene and the mitochondrialcytochrome oxidase subunit Igene, obtained from publicly available environmental DNA data (GeneBank, EukBank) and isolated organisms. A tree calibrated with euglyphid fossils showed that four independent transitions towards freshwater systems occurred from the mid‐Miocene onwards, coincident with important fluctuations in sea level. Ancestral trait reconstructions indicated that the whole family Cyphoderiidae had a marine origin and suggest that ancestors of the freshwater forms were euryhaline and lived in environments with fluctuating salinity. Diversification rates did not show any obvious increase concomitant with ecological transitions, but morphometric analyses indicated that species increased in size and homogenized their morphology after colonizing the new environments. This suggests adaptation to changes in selective pressure exerted by life in freshwater sediments.
Implications of “slower” ventricular tachycardia on clinical management and detection and therapy function of implantable cardioverter defibrillators
Authors: Kantharia Bharat K. , Shah Arti N.
Published: March 2022

Sophisticated dual‐chamber atrioventricular and rate‐responsive pacing therapies, cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), detection and therapies for ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation (VT/VF) form some major components of multitask functions of current implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). Appropriate programming of these devices is necessary for them to perform all such tasks precisely. In this report, we describe a case of a patient with Chagas cardiomyopathy with marked cardiomegaly, scarred ventricles, prior epicardial and endocardial ablations and on antiarrhythmic pharmacotherapy for VT, who presented with symptomatic wide complex tachycardia at a slower rate than definition of VT, and in whom programming for detection and therapy for “slow” VT could not be performed due to default technological limitation of the CRT‐D.
Prospects for Augmenting Team Interactions with Real‐Time Coordination‐Based Measures in Human‐Autonomy Teams
Authors: Wiltshire Travis J. , van Eijndhoven Kyana , Halgas Elwira , Gevers Josette M. P.
Published: March 2022

Complex work in teams requires coordination across team members and their technology as well as the ability to change and adapt over time to achieve effective performance. To support such complex interactions, recent efforts have worked toward the design of adaptive human‐autonomy teaming systems that can provide feedback in or near real time to achieve the desired individual or team results. However, while significant advancements have been made to better model and understand the dynamics of team interaction and its relationship with task performance, appropriate measures of team coordination and computational methods to detect changes in coordination have not yet been widely investigated. Having the capacity to measure coordination in real time is quite promising as it provides the opportunity to provide adaptive feedback that may influence and regulate teams’ coordination patterns and, ultimately, drive effective team performance. A critical requirement to reach this potential is having the theoretical and empirical foundation from which to do so. Therefore, the first goal of the paper is to review approaches to coordination dynamics, identify current research gaps, and draw insights from other areas, such as social interaction, relationship science, and psychotherapy. The second goal is to collate extant work on feedback and advance ideas for adaptive feedback systems that have potential to influence coordination in a way that can enhance the effectiveness of team interactions. In addressing these two goals, this work lays the foundation as well as plans for the future of human‐autonomy teams that augment team interactions using coordination‐based measures.
How to Cover Additional Cooling Load Needs During COVID-19 Pandemic?
Authors: Erdemir Dogan , Dincer Ibrahim
Published: March 2022

It has been crystal clear to everyone that the fresh air supply is one of the highest priorities to keep people under safe indoor conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. In many buildings, either there are no mechanical ventilation systems or the air conditioning systems do not have adequate capacity to meet the additional cooling loads for the increased fresh air requirement. Providing fresh air without disturbing the thermal conditions in the building requires a substantially increased cooling load and operating costs. On the other hand, there may not be adequate power infrastructure to meet this additional energy demand item in many regions. In this technical brief paper, we aim to emphasize the importance of heat storage systems and provide a quick solution to illustrate that they can meet the fresh air demands without requiring additional chiller or chiller capacity. In addition, it is observed that heat storage systems can be a convenient solution to meet the urgent and additional cooling loads in a more sustainable way.
Reducing ischemic kidney injury through application of a synchronization modulation electric field to maintain Na
+
/K
+
-ATPase functions
Authors: Chen Wei , Wang Lei , Liang Pengfei , Mast Jason , Mathis Clausell , Liu Catherine Y. , Wei Jin , Zhang Jie , Fu Liying , Juncos Luis A. , Buggs Jacentha , Liu Ruisheng
Published: March 2022

Renal ischemia-reperfusion injury is an important contributor to the development of delayed graft function after transplantation, which is associated with higher rejection rates and poorer long-term outcomes. One of the earliest impairments during ischemia is Na
+
/K
+
-ATPase (Na/K pump) dysfunction due to insufficient ATP supply, resulting in subsequent cellular damage. Therefore, strategies that preserve ATP or maintain Na/K pump function may limit the extent of renal injury during ischemia-reperfusion. Here, we applied a synchronization modulation electric field to activate Na/K pumps, thereby maintaining cellular functions under ATP-insufficient conditions. We tested the effectiveness of this technique in two models of ischemic renal injury: an in situ renal ischemia-reperfusion injury model (predominantly warm ischemia) and a kidney transplantation model (predominantly cold ischemia). Application of the synchronization modulation electric field to a renal ischemia-reperfusion injury mouse model preserved Na/K pump activity, thereby reducing kidney injury, as reflected by 40% lower plasma creatinine (1.17 ± 0.03 mg/dl) in the electric field–treated group as compared to the untreated control group (1.89 ± 0.06 mg/dl). In a mouse kidney transplantation model, renal graft function was improved by more than 50% with the application of the synchronization modulation electric field according to glomerular filtration rate measurements (85.40 ± 12.18 μl/min in the untreated group versus 142.80 ± 11.65 μl/min in the electric field–treated group). This technique for preserving Na/K pump function may have therapeutic potential not only for ischemic kidney injury but also for other diseases associated with Na/K pump dysfunction due to inadequate ATP supply.
Innate PD-L1 limits T cell–mediated adipose tissue inflammation and ameliorates diet-induced obesity
Authors: Schwartz Christian , Schmidt Viviane , Deinzer Andrea , Hawerkamp Heike C. , Hams Emily , Bayerlein Jasmin , Röger Ole , Bailer Moritz , Krautz Christian , El Gendy Amr , Elshafei Moustafa , Heneghan Helen M. , Hogan Andrew E. , O’Shea Donal , Fallon Padraic G.
Published: March 2022

Obesity has become a major health problem in the industrialized world. Immune regulation plays an important role in adipose tissue homeostasis; however, the initial events that shift the balance from a noninflammatory homeostatic environment toward inflammation leading to obesity are poorly understood. Here, we report a role for the costimulatory molecule programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in the limitation of diet-induced obesity. Functional ablation of PD-L1 on dendritic cells (DCs) using conditional knockout mice increased weight gain and metabolic syndrome during diet-induced obesity, whereas PD-L1 expression on type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s), T cells, and macrophages was dispensable for obesity control. Using in vitro cocultures, DCs interacted with T cells and ILC2s via the PD-L1:PD-1 axis to inhibit T helper type 1 proliferation and promote type 2 polarization, respectively. A role for PD-L1 in adipose tissue regulation was also shown in humans, with a positive correlation between PD-L1 expression in visceral fat of people with obesity and elevated body weight. Thus, we define a mechanism of adipose tissue homeostasis controlled by the expression of PD-L1 by DCs, which may be a clinically relevant finding with regard to immune-related adverse events during immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.
Triazolopyrimidines Target Aerobic Respiration in Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Shelton Catherine , McNeil Matthew , Allen Renee , Flint Lindsay , Russell Dara , Berube Bryan , Korkegian Aaron , Ovechkina Yulia , Parish Tanya
Published: March 2022

We previously identified a series of triazolopyrimidines with antitubercular activity. We determined that
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
strains with mutations in QcrB, a subunit of the cytochrome
bcc-aa3
supercomplex, were resistant.
Considerations about the Geographic Distribution of
Histoplasma
Species
Authors: Taylor Maria Lucia , Reyes-Montes María del Rocío , Estrada-Bárcenas Daniel A. , Zancopé-Oliveira Rosely M. , Rodríguez-Arellanes Gabriela , Ramírez José Antonio
Published: March 2022

Histoplasmosis is a mycotic infection principally affecting pulmonary tissue; sometimes, histoplasmosis can progress into a systemic disease. This infection involves immunocompetent and immunosuppressed human and other mammalian hosts, depending on particular circumstances.
The Small RNA AmiL Regulates Quorum Sensing-Mediated Virulence in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1
Authors: Pu Jieying , Zhang Shebin , He Xi , Zeng Jianming , Shen Cong , Luo Yanfen , Li Honglin , Long Yifei , Liu Jianping , Xiao Qian , Lu Yang , Huang Bin , Chen Cha
Published: March 2022

P. aeruginosa
is a common nosocomial pathogen that causes diverse opportunistic infections in humans. The virulence crucial for infection is mainly regulated by QS.
Rare paediatric cardiopulmonary presentation of Behcet’s disease
Authors: Bradford-Duarte Rebecca , Smith Rebecca , Jheeta Jatinder
Published: March 2022

This case discusses a 10-year-old boy who presented in significant respiratory distress with cardiac tamponade with associated gross ascites and hepatomegaly, requiring urgent transfer for pericardiocentesis. On further investigation, he was found to have multiple pulmonary emboli and evidence of panserositis. An underlying rheumatological cause was suspected in the absence of any evidence of infection or malignancy, and blood tests were positive for anti-double stranded DNA, anticardiolipin and antiglycoprotein antibodies as well as HLA B51. In his medical history, he has previously had mouth ulcers, chronic anaemia of undetermined cause and erythema multiforme. These symptoms, along with clinical presentation, mean a diagnosis of Behcet’s disease and associated antiphospholipid syndrome was felt to be most likely. Anticoagulation therapy was commenced for treatment of the emboli, and colchicine was started for management of Behcet’s disease. The patient was discharged clinically well from the hospital and continues under specialist rheumatological and haematological follow-up.
Ectopic bone formation causing chronic pubis symphysis pain: successful management with resection and pubic fusion
Authors: Mofori Niki D , Chloros George D , Giannoudis Peter V
Published: March 2022

Chronic musculoskeletal anterior pelvic pain may originate from a variety of different sources making the diagnosis difficult. Ectopic bone formation on the pubic symphysis is extremely rare and may cause significant disability. Reported herein is the case of a very active patient with symphysis pubis ectopic bone formation causing disability for more than 10 years. Resection of the ectopic bone combined with pubis symphysis fusion led to a successful outcome allowing the patient to return to his previous recreational activities.