bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
All-optical logic gates based on anomalous Floquet photonic topological insulator structures
Authors: Merlo Juan M , Wu Xueyuan , Kempa Krzysztof , Naughton Michael J
Published: April 2021

Topological photonics is an incipient research area where the well-developed theory and applications of so-called topological insulators is applied to photonic systems. In that vein, specially-designed ring waveguides, arranged in a periodic structure and evanescently coupled, have shown the ability to propagate edge states that are robust against defects in the lattice. Here, we propose the application of photonic topologically-protected edge states (TPES) in the anomalous Floquet photonic topological insulator structures to develop a device that is able to behave as OR, AND, and XOR logic gates, depending on the characteristics of the excitation field. Materials and dimensions of the device are amenable to conventional fabrication methods, opening the possibility for implementation in on-chip photonic communication technology. We conclude by applying our results to the implementation of an all-optical two bit calculator based on TPES, a potential building block for future computational technology.
Near singular-phase optical biosensing with strongly coupled modes of a plasmonic–photonic trimer
Authors: Gupta Nitish Kumar , Tiwari Anjani Kumar , Wanare Harshawardhan , Ramakrishna S Anantha
Published: April 2021

A lithography-free plasmonic–photonic hybrid nanostructure exhibiting an interesting phenomenon of cavity-mediated normal-mode splitting among doubly-degenerate Tamm plasmon polariton modes has been designed and optimized to manifest three strongly coupled modes. The exotic dispersion of these supermodes is used to design a self-referenced spectroscopic refractive index sensor at optical frequencies with a substantial sensitivity value of 1410 nm RIU−1. The same structure is also shown to function as a singular-phase-based refractometric biosensing platform with multiple near-singular points, exhibiting a maximum sensitivity of around 27 000∘ RIU−1 with a sufficiently broad dynamic range of operation. Furthermore, the presence of three near-singular points provides the necessary flexibility in striking an appropriate balance between sensitivity and dynamic range of operation. The concomitant existence of the mentioned functionalities is an outcome of the strong coupling between the modes, which enables us to exhibit exquisite control over the dispersion of the supermodes. These distinctions enable our proposal to be of direct utility in highly demanding point-of-care biosensing applications.
Stress-dependent electrical impedance behaviours at fractal rough interfaces
Authors: Wang Xu , Zhai Chongpu , Gan Yixiang
Published: April 2021

This work investigates interfacial electro-mechanical properties, including electrical contact resistance, interfacial capacitance and characteristic frequency of contacts formed with various surface structures. Fractal rough surfaces were generated and characterised by fractal dimension and root-mean-square (RMS) roughness. The rough surface with a thin oxide layer was compressed by the rigid flat to form a capacitor. Electrical impedances of this contact capacitor were simulated using the finite element method across a wide range of frequencies. A power-law relationship was found between the electrical contact resistance and applied compression load. An analytical model is proposed to capture the interfacial capacitance behaviour with increasing contact loads, revealing a transition of predominated modes for the capacitance. Higher fractal dimension yields smaller overall capacitance in the gap dominant and transition zones. The dependence of the characteristic frequency on compression was found to follow a power-law function at the low load range. It is found that the exponent and magnitude of obtained power-law relations show strong correlations to the fractal dimension and RMS roughness, respectively. Results of this work provide insights into developing a potential impedance measurement protocol to determine the thickness of the oxide layer on conductive fractal rough surfaces.
Microstructure evolution and aging hardening in a Cu-25Ni-25Mn alloy
Authors: Ding Kang , Xie Mingwang , Luo Fuxin , Zhang Wenjing , Chen Huiming , Xie Weibin , Wang Hang , Yang Bin
Published: April 2021

The microstructure evolution and mechanical property of Cu-25Ni-25Mn alloy after solution treatment and aging treatment are investigated via TEM observation, XRD analysis and Vickers hardness test. The effect of the NiMn precipitates on hardness and its strengthening mechanism in the Cu-25Ni-25Mn alloy is quantitatively analyzed. The results show that in 450 °C aging process, Ni and Mn precipitate from the copper matrix and form nanoscale NiMn phase particle with a face-centered tetragonal (FCT) structure. The XRD analysis indicates that the NiMn precipitates have a lattice constant of a = b = 0.3693 ± 0.0004 nm, c = 0.3570 ± 0.0006 nm, which is fully coherent with the copper matrix. The precipitation of NiMn phase lead to a precipitation strengthening, which provides significant increase in hardness in the peak-aged Cu-25Ni-25Mn alloy. Compared to the solution treated sample, the hardness of peak-aged sample has been increased by 367 HV. The coherency strengthening and modulus strengthening are the dominant strengthening mechanisms. The hardness increment predicted by coherence strengthening and modulus strengthening mechanism has good consistency with the experiment results.
E-Glass/phenolic matrix/APP laminate as a potential candidate for battery casing of e-vehicle - experimental investigations
Authors: Santhosh M S , Sasikumar R , Natarajan Elango
Published: April 2021

The prime purpose of the current research is to investigate the influence of Intumescent flame retardant (IFR)-Ammonium polyphosphate (APP) on the mechanical properties of Phenolic resin/E-Glass hybrid configurations and suitability of hybrid configuration for battery casing in E-vehicle. Varying weight fractions viz. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 wt% of APP were used to fabricate -Phenolic resin/E-Glass/APP polymer composites. Tensile, flexural, low velocity impact, and quasi static indentation tests were conducted and analyzed. Among the developed hybrid configurations 6 wt% APP filled laminate shows the better tensile and flexural properties than other configurations. It is understood from low velocity Izod impact test, falling weight impact test and quasi static indentation tests that APP filled hybrid configurations have more energy absorption. 6 wt% APP filled laminate has high deformation in elastic phase and low deformation in plastic phase. Morphology and fracture mechanism of polymer laminates are also presented and discussed. It is concluded from the investigations that E-Glass/Phenolic matrix/APP laminate is found as a potential candidate for battery casings of E-vehicle.
The Dissonance of Modernity: On Baudelaire and Adorno
Authors: Acquisto Joseph
Published: April 2021

This essay considers 'modern' poetry and music as interrelated signifying practices in the works of Charles Baudelaire and Theodor Adorno through a focus on their approach to understanding dissonance. For Baudelaire, dissonance depends on consonance in order to be perceived at all, a fact which allows us to read the modern not just in terms of a break with the past but also as dependent on it. This essay demonstrates the mutually constitutive nature of consonance and dissonance by placing Baudelaire and Adorno’s writings on dissonance, with reference to the music of Beethoven, into a constellation that allows for insight into the function of ‘modern’ dissonance. It argues that Baudelaire’s approach is both new and dependent on long-standing understandings of dissonance and harmony, and that Adorno’s writings, in conjunction with Baudelaire’s, can make us attentive to the dissonance that operates within harmony rather than standing opposed to it.
A Survivorship-Period-Cohort Model for Cancer Survival: Application to Liver Cancer in Taiwan, 1997–2016
Authors: Peng Yan-Teng , Meng Fan-Tsui , Su Shih-Yung , Chiang Chun-Ju , Yang Ya-Wen , Lee Wen-Chung
Published: April 2021

Monitoring survival in cancer is a common concern for patients, physicians, and public health researchers. The traditional cohort approach for monitoring cancer prognosis has a timeliness problem. In this paper, we propose a survivorship-period-cohort (SPC) model for examining the effects of survivorship, period, and year-of-diagnosis cohort on cancer prognosis and for predicting future trends in cancer survival. We used the developed SPC model to evaluate the relative survival (RS) of patients with liver cancer in Taiwan (diagnosed from 1997 to 2016) and to predict future trends in RS by imputing incomplete follow-up data for recently diagnosed patient cohorts. We used cross-validation to select the extrapolation method and bootstrapping to estimate the 95% confidence interval for RS. We found that 5-year cumulative RS increased for both men and women with liver cancer diagnosed after 2003. For patients diagnosed before 2010, the 5-year cumulative RS rate for men was lower than that for women; thereafter, the rates were better for men than for women. The SPC model can help elucidate the effects of survivorship, period, and year-of-diagnosis cohort effects on cancer prognosis. Moreover, the SPC model can be used to monitor cancer prognosis in real time and predict future trends; thus, we recommend its use.
Evaluation of automated pipelines for tree and plot metric estimation from TLS data in tropical forest areas
Authors: Martin-Ducup Olivier , Mofack Gislain , Wang Di , Raumonen Pasi , Ploton Pierre , Sonké Bonaventure , Barbier Nicolas , Couteron Pierre , Pélissier Raphaël
Published: April 2021

Background and Aims

Terrestrial LiDAR scanning (TLS) data are of great interest in forest ecology and management because they provide detailed 3-D information on tree structure. Automated pipelines are increasingly used to process TLS data and extract various tree- and plot-level metrics. With these developments comes the risk of unknown reliability due to an absence of systematic output control. In the present study, we evaluated the estimation errors of various metrics, such as wood volume, at tree and plot levels for four automated pipelines.

Methods

We used TLS data collected from a 1-ha plot of tropical forest, from which 391 trees >10 cm in diameter were fully processed using human assistance to obtain control data for tree- and plot-level metrics.

Key Results

Our results showed that fully automated pipelines led to median relative errors in the quantitative structural model (QSM) volume ranging from 39 to 115 % at the tree level and 10 to 134 % at the 1-ha plot level. For tree-level metrics, the median error for the crown-projected area ranged from 46 to 59 % and that for the crown-hull volume varied from 72 to 88 %. This result suggests that the tree isolation step is the weak link in automated pipeline methods. We further analysed how human assistance with automated pipelines can help reduce the error in the final QSM volume. At the tree scale, we found that isolating trees using human assistance reduced the error in wood volume by a factor of 10. At the 1-ha plot scale, locating trees with human assistance reduced the error by a factor of 3.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that in complex tropical forests, fully automated pipelines may provide relatively unreliable metrics at the tree and plot levels, but limited human assistance inputs can significantly reduce errors.
‘Juntos Somos Fuertes’: Writing Participatory Corridos of Solidarity through a Critical Translingual Approach
Authors: De Los Ríos Cati V , Seltzer Kate , Molina Arturo
Published: April 2021

Changing demography in the Southwest USA has shifted the racial compositions of many neighborhoods that were once predominantly African American to majority Latinx immigrant communities (Orfield and Frankenberg 2014). Today, it’s common for these two youth communities to learn side-by-side in urban and suburban classrooms where they are often positioned to share each other’s cultural practices (Martinez 2017). However, language and literacy research often positions these two minoritized communities as mutually exclusive (Paris 2010). Moreover, while researchers have urged the analysis of these two youth communities comparatively few studies document classroom units that cultivate spaces for ‘linguistic solidarity’ (Martinez 2017). Drawing from an ethnographic study of an 11th-grade ethnic studies class, the authors explore how Arturo (third author) took up a critical translingual approach in his classroom where students—both Latinx and African American—collaborated through the cowriting of corridos (Mexican ballads) about their lived experiences with in/justice. The findings demonstrate the ways that this unit invited students to write across racial, ethnic, and linguistic borders and fostered language and cultural sharing, political consciousness, and solidarity.
Vegetative anatomy and photosynthetic performance of the only known winter-greenCypripediumspecies: implications for divergent and convergent evolution of slipper orchids
Authors: Zhang Wei , Feng Jing-Qiu , Kong Ji-Jun , Sun Lu , Fan Ze-Xin , Jiang Hong , Zhang Shi-Bao
Published: April 2021

Cypripedium subtropicum is the only known winter-green species in the genus Cypripedium, whereas the other nearly 50 species keep their leaves for less than half the year. Life form has an important effect on carbon acquisition and adaptation of plants. However, the physiological mechanism behind it remains unclear. In this study, we investigated vegetative anatomy and photosynthetic performance of C. subtropicum across with its leaf ages. These anatomical and photosynthetic traits were also compared with typical Cypripedium spp. and other members of subfamily Cypripedioideae. The obtained results confirmed that this species exhibited many characters of shade plants, such as thin leaves, extremely low photosynthetic rate and light saturation point and high chlorophyll content. Unlike the strategy adopted by typical Cypripedium spp. that quickly achieve annual carbon gain with a high assimilation rate in a short growing season, C. subtropicum obtains its carbon through a low assimilation rate but a much longer leaf lifespan. The local climate and favourable light condition guaranteed the comparable carbon income in winter to compensate for its low photosynthetic capacity. The long-lived, thin leaves of C. subtropicum, differing from the long-lived, thick leathery leaves in conduplicate-leaved genera, represent a distinct adaptive strategy in subfamily Cypripedioideae. Our findings shed light on the divergent and convergent evolution in slipper orchids, and we hope these findings will contribute to the conservation of such an endangered orchid.
UNC13B variants associated with partial epilepsy with favourable outcome
Authors: Wang Jie , Qiao Jing-Da , Liu Xiao-Rong , Liu De-Tian , Chen Yan-Hui , Wu Yi , Sun Yan , Yu Jing , Ren Rong-Na , Mei Zhen , Liu Yu-Xi , Shi Yi-Wu , Jiang Mi , Lin Si-Mei , He Na , Li Bin , Bian Wen-Jun , Li Bing-Mei , Yi Yong-Hong , Su Tao , Liu Han-Kui , Gu Wei-Yue , Liao Wei-Ping
Published: April 2021

The unc-13 homolog B (UNC13B) gene encodes a presynaptic protein, mammalian uncoordinated 13-2 (Munc13-2), which is highly expressed in the brain—predominantly in the cerebral cortex—and plays an essential role in synaptic vesicle priming and fusion, potentially affecting neuronal excitability. However, the functional significance of the UNC13B mutation in human disease is not known.

In this study, we screened for novel genetic variants in a cohort of 446 unrelated cases (families) with partial epilepsy without acquired causes by trio-based whole-exome sequencing.

UNC13B variants were identified in 12 individuals affected by partial epilepsy and/or febrile seizures from eight unrelated families. The eight probands all had focal seizures and focal discharges in EEG recordings, including two patients who experienced frequent daily seizures and one who showed abnormalities in the hippocampus by brain MRI; however, all of the patients showed a favourable outcome without intellectual or developmental abnormalities. The identified UNC13B variants included one nonsense variant, two variants at or around a splice site, one compound heterozygous missense variant and four missense variants that cosegregated in the families. The frequency of UNC13B variants identified in the present study was significantly higher than that in a control cohort of Han Chinese and controls of the East Asian and all populations in the Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD). Computational modelling, including hydrogen bond and docking analyses, suggested that the variants lead to functional impairment. In Drosophila, seizure rate and duration were increased by Unc13b knockdown compared to wild-type flies, but these effects were less pronounced than in sodium voltage-gated channel alpha subunit 1 (Scn1a) knockdown Drosophila. Electrophysiological recordings showed that excitatory neurons in Unc13b-deficient flies exhibited increased excitability.

These results indicate that UNC13B is potentially associated with epilepsy. The frequent daily seizures and hippocampal abnormalities but ultimately favourable outcome under anti-epileptic therapy in our patients indicate that partial epilepsy caused by UNC13B variant is a clinically manageable condition.
Three-Dimensional Synaptic Organization of Layer III of the Human Temporal Neocortex
Authors: Cano-Astorga Nicolás , DeFelipe Javier , Alonso-Nanclares Lidia
Published: April 2021

In the present study, we have used focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy (FIB/SEM) to perform a study of the synaptic organization of layer III of Brodmann’s area 21 in human tissue samples obtained from autopsies and biopsies. We analyzed the synaptic density, 3D spatial distribution, and type (asymmetric/symmetric), as well as the size and shape of each synaptic junction of 4945 synapses that were fully reconstructed in 3D. Significant differences in the mean synaptic density between autopsy and biopsy samples were found (0.49 and 0.66 synapses/μm3, respectively). However, in both types of samples (autopsy and biopsy), the asymmetric:symmetric ratio was similar (93:7) and most asymmetric synapses were established on dendritic spines (75%), while most symmetric synapses were established on dendritic shafts (85%). We also compared several electron microscopy methods and analysis tools to estimate the synaptic density in the same brain tissue. We have shown that FIB/SEM is much more reliable and robust than the majority of the other commonly used EM techniques. The present work constitutes a detailed description of the synaptic organization of cortical layer III. Further studies on the rest of the cortical layers are necessary to better understand the functional organization of this temporal cortical region.
Mortality Trends in Risk Conditions and Invasive Mycotic Disease in the United States, 1999–2018
Authors: Rayens Emily , Norris Karen A , Cordero José F
Published: April 2021

Background

Invasive fungal infections in the United States are chronically underdiagnosed and a lack of coordinated surveillance makes the true burden of disease difficult to determine. The purpose of this analysis was to capture mortality-associated burden of risk conditions and fungal infections.

Methods

We analyzed data from the National Vital Statistics System from 1999 through 2018 to estimate the mortality attributed to risk conditions and related fungal disease.

Results

The number of risk conditions associated with fungal disease is steadily rising in the United States, with 1 047 422 diagnoses at time of death in 2018. While fungal disease decreased substantially from 1999 to 2010, primarily due to the control of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, the number of deaths with fungal diagnosis has increased in the non-HIV cohort, with significant increases in patients with diabetes, cancer, immunosuppressive disorders, or sepsis.

Conclusions

The landscape of individuals at risk for serious fungal diseases is changing, with a continued decline in HIV-associated incidence but increased diagnoses in patients with cancer, sepsis, immunosuppressive disorders, and influenza. Additionally, there is an overall increase in the number of fungal infections in recent years, indicating a failure to control fungal disease mortality in these new immunocompromised cohorts. Improvement in the prevention and management of fungal diseases is needed to control morbidity and mortality in the rising number of immunocompromised and at-risk patients in the United States.
Plautus goes USA: the adaptation ofRudensby the Ladies’ Literary Society of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1884
Authors: Beine Julia Jennifer
Published: April 2021

This article investigates the first documented performance of a Plautine comedy in Latin in the USA. In 1884, The Ladies’ Literary Society of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, staged Plautus’ Rudens in Latin with an all-female cast. This performance offers a unique opportunity to analyse the Society’s understanding and interpretation of Plautus’ play as well as its adaptation for the nineteenth-century stage. Furthermore, the Society provided an English translation for its academic and especially its non-academic audience, evidence of how the Society dealt with the Plautine Latin text. Based on this translation and contemporary newspaper and journal articles, this article outlines the main characteristics of the Society’s adaptation. First, this production merits scrutiny in the historical context of staging ancient Greek and Roman plays in the USA during the late-nineteenth century, since the Society followed the trend, started by Harvard University’s staging of Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus in 1881, of presenting ancient plays ‘authentically’. Nevertheless, the Society seems to have staged this Roman comedy as a feminist response to Harvard’s production of a Greek tragedy. Secondly, the Society modernised Plautus’ comedy by adding strong melodramatic elements, and thirdly, it reflected the contemporary socio-cultural context by alluding to current American concerns.
Hydrocephalus in mouse B3glct mutants is likely caused by defects in multiple B3GLCT substrates in ependymal cells and subcommissural organ
Authors: Neupane Sanjiv , Goto June , Berardinelli Steven J , Ito Atsuko , Haltiwanger Robert S , Holdener Bernadette C
Published: April 2021

Peters plus syndrome, characterized by defects in eye and skeletal development with isolated cases of ventriculomegaly/hydrocephalus, is caused by mutations in the β3-glucosyltransferase (B3GLCT) gene. In the endoplasmic reticulum, B3GLCT adds glucose to O-linked fucose on properly folded thrombospondin type 1 repeats (TSRs). The resulting glucose–fucose disaccharide is proposed to stabilize the TSR fold and promote secretion of B3GLCT substrates, with some substrates more sensitive than others to loss of glucose. Mouse B3glct mutants develop hydrocephalus at high frequency. In this study, we demonstrated that B3glct mutant ependymal cells had fewer cilia basal bodies and altered translational polarity compared to controls. Localization of mRNA encoding A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase with ThromboSpondin type 1 repeat 20 (ADAMTS20) and ADAMTS9 suggested that reduced function of these B3GLCT substrates contributed to ependymal cell abnormalities. In addition, we showed that multiple B3GLCT substrates (Adamts3, Adamts9 and Adamts20) are expressed by the subcommissural organ, that subcommissural organ-spondin ((SSPO) also known as SCO-spondin) TSRs were modified with O-linked glucose–fucose and that loss of B3GLCT reduced secretion of SSPO in cultured cells. In the B3glct mutant, intracellular levels of SSPO were reduced and BiP levels increased, suggesting a folding defect. Secreted SSPO colocalized with BiP, raising the possibility that abnormal extracellular assembly of SSPO into Reissner’s fiber also contributed to impaired CSF flow in mutants. Combined, these studies underscore the complexity of the B3glct mutant hydrocephalus phenotype and demonstrate that impaired cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow likely stems from the collective effects of the mutation on multiple processes.
The grey zone of cyber-biological security
Authors: Dixon Thom
Published: April 2021

The convergence of the life sciences with the information and computing sciences is beginning to generate novel security vulnerabilities. As scientific and technological advances occur, new security vulnerabilities are discovered and new methods for exploiting those vulnerabilities are developed. Novel cyber-biological capabilities are likely to enable technologically sophisticated states to develop new methods of grey zone warfare. This article provides context to this multidisciplinary area of research by reviewing the emerging field of cyberbiosecurity for its relevance to developments in grey zone warfare. This article then analyses two long-term trends that have influenced the development of contemporary cyber-biological capabilities. These two trends are advances in novel uses of biology and advances in computing, automation and biodesign. The capability to exploit vulnerabilities unique to the links between cyber and biological systems differs significantly from previous security concerns noted for biotechnology and the life sciences. Scholars and practitioners of international relations will need to develop an understanding of engineering biology and the bioeconomy in order to forecast methods of grey zone manoeuvre that rely on cyber-biological capabilities. This article offers an entry point for the scholar and practitioner so that they may bring their own disciplinary lens to the issue of grey zone ambiguity and cyberbiosecurity.
Addendum: Action potential propagation and block in a model of atrial tissue with myocyte–fibroblast coupling
Authors: Mortensen Peter , Gao Hao , Smith Godfrey , Simitev Radostin D
Published: April 2021

The analytical theory of our earlier study (Mortensen et al., 2021, Math. Med. Biol., 38, 106–131) is extended to address the outstanding cases of fibroblast barrier distribution and myocyte strait distribution. In particular, closed-form approximations to the resting membrane potential and to the critical parameter values for propagation are derived for these two non-uniform fibroblast distributions and are in good agreement with numerical estimates.
General Affine Invariances Related to Mahler Volume
Authors: Xi Dongmeng , Zhao Yiming
Published: April 2021

General affine invariances related to Mahler volume are introduced. We establish their affine isoperimetric inequalities by using a symmetrization scheme that involves a total of $2n$ elaborately chosen Steiner symmetrizations at a time. The necessity of this scheme, as opposed to the usual Steiner symmetrization, is demonstrated with an example (see the Appendix).
Hiding in Plain Sight: Pedagogy and Power
Authors: Timperley Claire , Schick Kate
Published: April 2021

Pedagogy is fundamental to scholarship of global politics but too often remains unseen. Moreover, when it is seen, it is largely regarded as a narrow epistemological engagement concerned with the transmission of knowledge. We argue that pedagogies should be recognized as an ontological undertaking, shaping how we know, relate, and act. We draw attention to the subversive and generative potential of critical and creative pedagogies to critically interrogate dominant power structures and hegemonic narratives. The purpose of this article is not so much to point International Relations educators toward particular pedagogical practices, but to provoke reflection on what the pedagogies we habitually employ bring into being and what they foreclose. Revealing pedagogies as a source of power encourages intentional pedagogical practices to critique, diversify, and re-story global politics. In the final section of the article, we outline some of the ways we have transformed our pedagogical practices in recent years, paying particular attention to relationality and awareness of place and context.
Subversive Knowledge in Times of Global Political Crisis: A Manifesto for Ethnography in the Study of International Relations
Authors: Brigden Noelle , Mainwaring Ċetta
Published: April 2021

This paper explores the promises and pitfalls of using ethnographic methods to analyze global politics in turbulent times. Ethnography has not gone unnoticed by international relations (IR) scholars, but the method remains at the fringes of the discipline. While acknowledging more recent feminist and practice theorist contributions to ethnographic research in IR, this paper brings together contemporary research across diverse issue areas, ranging from humanitarian intervention to transnational migration, to ask about ethnography's larger contribution to understanding global politics: What kinds of knowledge does ethnography produce about IR? In what ways might ethnography, informed by local perspectives, challenge top-down approaches to the study of IR? We identify three primary justifications for ethnographic methods based on different, though overlapping, forms of knowledge that they can uncover: tacit knowledge, marginalized knowledge, and subversive knowledge. We acknowledge issues that complicate access, and we warn that ethnographers are far from immune to the imperialist arrogance of mainstream methodologies. Ultimately, we call for reflexive scholarship to navigate the international politics of a “post-truth” and post-Covid world.
Paradigms and Practice
Authors: Jabko Nicolas , Schmidt Sebastian
Published: April 2021

Thomas Kuhn's concept of paradigm has long been a part of ordinary parlance in political science. Aside from its role in metatheoretical debate, scholars have enlisted the paradigm concept to explain policy change, particularly in the international political economy (IPE) literature. In this context, policy paradigms are defined primarily in ideational terms and with respect to a specific domain of policymaking. We argue that this stance overstates the ideational coherence of policymaking and runs a risk of reification. We re-evaluate the paradigm concept by drawing a link to the recent literature on norm change that emphasizes the importance of practice and process. This analysis highlights theoretical difficulties in using the paradigm concept, as the relation of ideas to practical logics elides the distinctness of paradigmatic frameworks. Without clear boundaries, paradigms lose much of their analytical purchase. While the paradigm concept initially proved useful in highlighting the role of ideas, it is time to recognize its limits in explaining stability and change in policymaking.
Perioperative administration of cefazolin and metronidazole in obese and non-obese patients: a pharmacokinetic study in plasma and interstitial fluid
Authors: Dorn Christoph , Petroff David , Stoelzel Melanie , Kees Martin G , Kratzer Alexander , Dietrich Arne , Kloft Charlotte , Zeitlinger Markus , Kees Frieder , Wrigge Hermann , Simon Philipp
Published: April 2021

Objectives

To assess plasma and tissue pharmacokinetics of cefazolin and metronidazole in obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery and non-obese patients undergoing intra-abdominal surgery.

Patients and methods

Fifteen obese and 15 non-obese patients received an IV short infusion of 2 g cefazolin and 0.5 g metronidazole for perioperative prophylaxis. Plasma and microdialysate from subcutaneous tissue were sampled until 8 h after dosing. Drug concentrations were determined by HPLC-UV. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated non-compartmentally.

Results

In obese patients (BMI 39.5–69.3 kg/m2) compared with non-obese patients (BMI 18.7–29.8 kg/m2), mean Cmax of total cefazolin in plasma was lower (115 versus 174 mg/L) and Vss was higher (19.4 versus 14.2 L). The mean differences in t½ (2.7 versus 2.4 h), CL (5.14 versus 4.63 L/h) and AUC∞ (402 versus 450 mg·h/L) were not significant. The influence of obesity on the pharmacokinetics of metronidazole was similar (Cmax 8.99 versus 14.7 mg/L, Vss 73.9 versus 51.8 L, t½ 11.9 versus 9.1 h, CL 4.62 versus 4.13 L/h, AUC∞ 116 versus 127 mg·h/L). Regarding interstitial fluid (ISF), mean concentrations of cefazolin remained >4 mg/L until 6 h in both groups, and those of metronidazole up to 8 h in the non-obese group. In obese patients, the mean ISF concentrations of metronidazole were between 3 and 3.5 mg/L throughout the measuring interval.

Conclusions

During the time of surgery, cefazolin concentrations in plasma and ISF of subcutaneous tissue were lower in obese patients, but not clinically relevant. Regarding metronidazole, the respective differences were higher, and may influence dosing of metronidazole for perioperative prophylaxis in obese patients.
Computability and the Symmetric Difference Operator
Authors: Andrews Uri , Gerdes Peter M , Lempp Steffen , Miller Joseph S , Schweber Noah D
Published: April 2021

Combinatorial operations on sets are almost never well defined on Turing degrees, a fact so obvious that counterexamples are worth exhibiting. The case we focus on is the symmetric-difference operator; there are pairs of (nonzero) degrees for which the symmetric-difference operation is well defined. Some examples can be extracted from the literature, e.g. from the existence of nonzero degrees with strong minimal covers. We focus on the case of incomparable r.e. degrees for which the symmetric-difference operation is well defined.
The Association of Mitochondrial Copy Number With Sarcopenia in Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer
Authors: McCastlain Kelly , Howell Carrie R , Welsh Catherine E , Wang Zhaoming , Wilson Carmen L , Mulder Heather L , Easton John , Mertens Ann C , Zhang Jinghui , Yasui Yutaka , Hudson Melissa M , Robison Leslie L , Kundu Mondira , Ness Kirsten K
Published: April 2021

Background

Adult childhood cancer survivors are at risk for frailty, including low muscle mass and weakness (sarcopenia). Using peripheral blood mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) as a proxy for functional mitochondria, this study describes cross-sectional associations between mtDNAcn and sarcopenia among survivors.

Methods

Among 1762 adult childhood cancer survivors (51.6% male; median age = 29.4 years, interquartile range [IQR] = 23.3-36.8), with a median of 20.6 years from diagnosis (IQR = 15.2-28.2), mtDNAcn estimates were derived from whole-genome sequencing. A subset was validated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and evaluated cross-sectionally using multivariable logistic regression for their association with sarcopenia, defined by race-, age-, and sex-specific low lean muscle mass or weak grip strength. All statistical tests were 2-sided.

Results

The prevalence of sarcopenia was 27.0%, higher among female than male survivors (31.5% vs 22.9%; P < .001) and associated with age at diagnosis; 51.7% of survivors with sarcopenia were diagnosed ages 4-13 years (P = .01). Sarcopenia was most prevalent (39.0%) among central nervous system tumor survivors. Cranial radiation (odds ratio [OR] = 1.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.32 to 2.59) and alkylating agents (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.04 to 1.72) increased, whereas glucocorticoids decreased odds (OR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.56 to 0.93) of sarcopenia. mtDNAcn decreased with age (β = −0.81, P = .002) and was higher among female survivors (β = 9.23, P = .01) and among survivors with a C allele at mt.204 (β = −17.9, P = .02). In adjusted models, every standard deviation decrease in mtDNAcn increased the odds of sarcopenia 20% (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.07 to 1.34).

Conclusions

A growing body of evidence supports peripheral blood mtDNAcn as a biomarker for adverse health outcomes; however, this study is the first to report an association between mtDNAcn and sarcopenia among childhood cancer survivors.
Preoperative prediction of the localization of a solitary fibrous tumor using four-dimensional computed tomography: a case report
Authors: Nakamura Daisuke , Kobayashi Nobutaka , Miyazawa Masahisa , Satomi Hidetoshi
Published: April 2021

Solitary fibrous tumors of the pleura (SFTP) are relatively rare primary pleural tumors. Four-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) is reportedly useful in assessing parietal pleural invasion and adhesion in patients with lung cancer. We report a case in which 4D-CT was performed to evaluate SFTP localization and parietal pleural invasion and adhesions. A 62-year-old female presented with an abnormality on a chest radiograph. Chest CT revealed a well-demarcated solid nodule in the left lower lobe adjacent to the pleura. We considered that the tumor was intrapulmonary or arose from the visceral pleura, without adhesion or invasion to the chest wall based on 4D-CT. Primary lung cancer was suspected, and the tumor was resected. Pathological diagnosis revealed an SFTP. This case suggests that 4D-CT is useful in predicting the localization of SFTP and other thoracic tumors, assessing chest wall adhesion and invasion, and making surgical strategies.
The acidic domain of the chloroplast RNA-binding protein CP31A supports cold tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Okuzaki Ayako , Rühle Thilo , Leister Dario , Schmitz-Linneweber Christian
Published: April 2021

The processing of chloroplast RNA requires a large number of nuclear-encoded RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) that are imported post-translationally into the organelle. The chloroplast ribonucleoprotein 31A (CP31A) supports RNA editing at 13 sites and also supports the accumulation of multiple chloroplast mRNAs. In cp31a mutants it is the ndhF mRNA (coding for a subunit of the NDH complex) that is most strongly affected. CP31A becomes particularly important at low temperatures, where it is essential for chloroplast development in young tissue. Next to two RNA-recognition motifs (RRMs), CP31A has an N-terminal acidic domain that is phosphorylated at several sites. We investigated the function of the acidic domain in the role of CP31A in RNA metabolism and cold resistance. Using point mutagenesis, we demonstrate that the known phosphorylation sites within the acidic domain are irrelevant for any of the known functions of CP31A, both at normal and at low temperatures. Even when the entire acidic domain is removed, no effects on RNA editing were observed. By contrast, loss of the acidic domain reduced the ability of CP31A to stabilize the ndhF mRNA, which was associated with reduced NDH complex activity. Most importantly, acidic domain-less CP31A lines displayed bleached young tissue in the cold. Together, these data show that the different functions of CP31A can be assigned to different regions of the protein: the RRMs are sufficient to maintain RNA editing and to allow the accumulation of basal amounts of ndhF mRNA, while chloroplast development under cold conditions critically depends on the acidic domain.
Primer on Depression
Authors: Trivedi Madhukar H. , Greer Tracy L. , Mayes Taryn L.
Published: April 2021

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a serious, debilitating, life-shortening illness that affects many persons of all ages and backgrounds. The point prevalence of MDD is high (2.3–3.2% in men; 4.5–9.3% in women) and the lifetime risk for MDD is 7% to 12% for men and 20% to 25% for women. MDD is a disabling disorder that costs the United States over $200 billion per year in direct and indirect costs. Depression also has detrimental effects on all aspects of social functioning (e.g., self-care, social role, and family life, including household, marital, kinship, and parental roles). While there have been several treatments that are efficacious, many individuals suffering from depression experience lifelong challenges due to the often chronic and episodic nature of the disease. Identifying strategies to find the right treatments for the right patients is critical.
On a possibility of transfer of asteroids from the 2:1 mean motion resonance with Jupiter to the Centaur zone
Authors: Kazantsev Anatolii , Kazantseva Lilia
Published: April 2021

The paper analyses possible transfers of bodies from the main asteroid belt to the Centaur region. The orbits of asteroids in the 2:1 mean motion resonance (MMR) with Jupiter are analysed. We selected the asteroids that are in resonant orbits with e > 0.3 whose absolute magnitudes H do not exceed 16m. The total number of the orbits amounts to 152. Numerical calculations were performed to evaluate the evolution of the orbits over 100 000-yr time interval with projects for the future. Six bodies are found to have moved from the 2:1 commensurability zone to the Centaur population. The transfer time of these bodies to the Centaur zone ranges from 4600 to 70 000 yr. Such transfers occur after orbits leave the resonance and the bodies approach Jupiter. Where after reaching sufficient orbital eccentricities bodies approach a terrestrial planet, their orbits go out of the MMR. Accuracy estimations are carried out to confirm the possible asteroid transfers to the Centaur region.
Inferring Adaptive Codon Preference to Understand Sources of Selection Shaping Codon Usage Bias
Authors: de Oliveira Janaina Lima , Morales Atahualpa Castillo , Hurst Laurence D , Urrutia Araxi O , Thompson Christopher R L , Wolf Jason B
Published: April 2021

Alternative synonymous codons are often used at unequal frequencies. Classically, studies of such codon usage bias (CUB) attempted to separate the impact of neutral from selective forces by assuming that deviations from a predicted neutral equilibrium capture selection. However, GC-biased gene conversion (gBGC) can also cause deviation from a neutral null. Alternatively, selection has been inferred from CUB in highly expressed genes, but the accuracy of this approach has not been extensively tested, and gBGC can interfere with such extrapolations (e.g., if expression and gene conversion rates covary). It is therefore critical to examine deviations from a mutational null in a species with no gBGC. To achieve this goal, we implement such an analysis in the highly AT rich genome of Dictyostelium discoideum, where we find no evidence of gBGC. We infer neutral CUB under mutational equilibrium to quantify “adaptive codon preference,” a nontautologous genome wide quantitative measure of the relative selection strength driving CUB. We observe signatures of purifying selection consistent with selection favoring adaptive codon preference. Preferred codons are not GC rich, underscoring the independence from gBGC. Expression-associated “preference” largely matches adaptive codon preference but does not wholly capture the influence of selection shaping patterns across all genes, suggesting selective constraints associated specifically with high expression. We observe patterns consistent with effects on mRNA translation and stability shaping adaptive codon preference. Thus, our approach to quantifying adaptive codon preference provides a framework for inferring the sources of selection that shape CUB across different contexts within the genome.
PIN and CCCH Zn-finger domains coordinate RNA targeting in ZC3H12 family endoribonucleases
Authors: Garg Ankur , Roske Yvette , Yamada Shinnosuke , Uehata Takuya , Takeuchi Osamu , Heinemann Udo
Published: April 2021

The CCCH-type zinc finger (ZnF) containing ZC3H12 ribonucleases are crucial in post-transcriptional immune homoeostasis with ZC3H12A being the only structurally studied member of the family. In this study, we present a structural-biochemical characterization of ZC3H12C, which is linked with chronic immune disorders like psoriasis. We established that the RNA substrate is cooperatively recognized by the PIN and ZnF domains of ZC3H12C and analyzed the crystal structure of ZC3H12C bound to a single-stranded RNA substrate. The RNA engages in hydrogen-bonded contacts and stacking interactions with the PIN and ZnF domains simultaneously. The ZC3H12 ZnF shows unprecedented structural features not previously observed in any member of the CCCH-ZnF family and utilizes stacking interactions via a unique combination of spatially conserved aromatic residues to align the target transcript in a bent conformation onto the ZnF scaffold. Further comparative structural analysis of ZC3H12 CCCH-ZnF suggests that a trinucleotide sequence is recognized by ZC3H12 ZnF in target RNA. Our work not only describes the initial structure-biochemical study on ZC3H12C, but also provides the first molecular insight into RNA recognition by a ZC3H12 family member. Finally, our work points to an evolutionary code for RNA recognition adopted by CCCH-type ZnF proteins.
Petrosal Approach With Preservation of the Superior Petrosal Sinus (the Graceful Petrosal) for Resection of Giant Trigeminal Schwannoma: 2-Dimensional Operative Video
Authors: Almefty Kaith K , Al-Mefty Ossama
Published: April 2021

Trigeminal schwannomas are benign tumors amendable to curative surgical resection.
1
Excellent outcomes, with preservation and improvement of cranial nerve function, including trigeminal nerve function, have been reported with microsurgical resection through skull base approaches.
2
Dumbell shaped tumors, involving the middle and posterior fossa, are more challenging.
3
They are resected via a middle cranial fossa approach with the expanded Meckel cave providing access to the posterior fossa. However, tumors with a large caudal extension below the internal auditory meatus typically cannot be adequately accessed with this approach and the posterior petrosal approach is utilized.
2
Specific venous anatomy might deter from cutting the tentorium. This article describes the surgical resection of a trigeminal schwannoma with a large posterior fossa component through a petrosal approach without cutting the tentorium.
4

The patient is a 34-yr-old man who presented with headaches and gait disturbance. Neurological exam revealed hypoesthesia and hypoalgesia in the left V1 and V2 distributions. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a large dumbbell-shaped schwannoma causing brainstem compression. Magnetic resonance venography (MRV) demonstrated temporal lobe venous drainage into the superior petrosal sinus and tentorium proximal to the transverse sigmoid junction.

A single temporal-suboccipital bone flap and a retro-labrynthine mastoidectomy were performed. The petrous apex was drilled and Meckle's cave opened. The presigmoid dura was opened and extended toward the petrous apex region beneath the tentorium. This provided access to and safe resection of the tumor. A gross total tumor resection was achieved. The patient remained stable neurologically and was without tumor recurrence at 3 yr postoperatively.

The patient had consented to the procedure.

Figures in video at 4:06 from Jafez et al, Preservation of the superior petrosal sinus during the petrosal approach, J Neurosurg. 2011;114(5):1294-1298, with permission from JNSPG.
Murray River Societies in Australia through the Lens of Bioarchaeology
Authors: Littleton Judith , Karstens Sarah , Allen Harry
Published: April 2021

The Murray River Valley was one of the most densely occupied areas of inland Australia during the Holocene. Unlike other areas of Australia, the record of burials and human remains dominates archaeological narratives of this area’s Aboriginal experience. In this article, we review bioarchaeological evidence from the region. In addition to mortuary remains, also discussed in this article are evidence from human morphological variation, palaeopathology, and diet. While the valley is often treated as a single region, Aboriginal communities who lived along the Murray shared aspects of economic and cultural systems but also demonstrated diversity and local trajectories. Rather than a single grand narrative the valley’s bioarchaeological evidence shows variation which is the product of multiple local factors.