Dynamic Entities Research Articles

Chapter 2. Tectonics, Climate and Sedimentation in the Albertine Rift

The tectonically active early continental Albertine Rift basins are dynamic entities, constantly evolving through time. Periods of crustal extension cause rift valley floor subsidence to create accommodation space and accumulate sediment in basinal depositional centres (‘depocentres’). Periods when stress fields change across a rift can move the maximum rupture along main rift bounding faults to shift depocentre locations over time, often producing a series of syn-rift phases in basin development. In the Albertine Rift, the Lake Edward basin displays superb structural geomorphology that, in this study, could be mapped across the whole width of the rift valley. Often cited in the literature as a classic asymmetric half-graben, it is now clear that this basin is undergoing a change in rift phase, developing into an extremely asymmetric graben with a faulted eastern flexural arch. Tectonics does not operate alone, but forms a coupled dynamo with climate, that together drive and control the sedimentary fill of an early continental rift basin. The theoretical effects of this are modelled for Lake Edward to indicate basinal deposition when tectonics and climate are in, and out, of phase. Finally, the ‘sedimentary geodynamic elements’ that might be expected to characterise early continental rift basins are outlined.

Waiting for the Perfect Time: Perfectionistic Concerns Predict the Interpretation of Ambiguous Utterances About Time

Abstract Across numerous languages, individuals frequently employ two spatial perspectives – namely, the Moving Time and Moving Ego metaphors – to represent the movement of events in time. Specifically, the Moving Time perspective conceptualizes time as a dynamic entity that moves toward a stationary observer situated in a fixed location. In contrast, the Moving Ego metaphor positions the individual (the “ego”) as the one traversing through time, while time itself remains static. Previous research has established a positive association between procrastination and the adoption of the Moving Ego perspective. Drawing on findings that highlight the robust link between procrastination and perfectionistic concerns, we hypothesized that perfectionistic tendencies would correlate with a greater propensity to invoke an ego-moving representation of time. The present research tests this hypothesis and provides substantial support for this relationship. We demonstrate that a well-established measure of perfectionistic concerns is linked to an increased use of the Moving Ego perspective when interpreting ambiguous temporal utterances. Furthermore, this relationship is mediated by procrastination. This study presents the first empirical evidence that individual differences in perfectionistic concerns may influence how people perceive and interpret temporal relationships.

Dynamics of amylopectin granule accumulation during the course of the chronic Toxoplasma infection is linked to intra-cyst bradyzoite replication.

The contribution of amylopectin granules (AG), comprised of a branched chain storage homopolymer of glucose, to the maintenance and progression of the chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection has remained undefined. Here we describe the role of AG in the physiology of encysted bradyzoites by using a custom developed imaging-based application AmyloQuant that permitted quantification of relative levels of AG within in vivo derived tissue cysts during the initiation and maturation of the chronic infection. Our findings establish that AG are dynamic entities, exhibiting considerable heterogeneity among tissue cysts at all post infection time points examined. Quantification of relative AG levels within tissue cysts exposes a previously unrecognized temporal cycle defined by distinct phases of AG accumulation and utilization over the first 6 weeks of the chronic phase. This AG cycle is temporally coordinated with overall bradyzoite mitochondrial activity implicating amylopectin in the maintenance and progression of the chronic infection. In addition, the staging of AG accumulation and its rapid utilization within encysted bradyzoites was associated with a burst of coordinated replication. As such our findings suggest that AG levels within individual bradyzoites, and across bradyzoites within tissue cysts may represent a key component in the licensing of bradyzoite replication, intimately linking stored metabolic potential to the course of the chronic infection. This extends the impact of AG beyond the previously assigned role that focused exclusively on parasite transmission. These findings force a fundamental reassessment of the chronic Toxoplasma infection, highlighting the critical need to address the temporal progression of this crucial stage in the parasite life cycle.

NF-κB signaling pathway in tumor microenvironment.

The genesis and progression of tumors are multifaceted processes influenced by genetic mutations within the tumor cells and the dynamic interplay with their surrounding milieu, which incessantly impacts the course of cancer. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a complex and dynamic entity that encompasses not only the tumor cells but also an array of non-cancerous cells, signaling molecules, and the extracellular matrix. This intricate network is crucial in tumor progression, metastasis, and response to treatments. The TME is populated by diverse cell types, including immune cells, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, alongside cytokines and growth factors, all of which play roles in either suppressing or fostering tumor growth. Grasping the nuances of the interactions within the TME is vital for the advancement of targeted cancer therapies. Consequently, a thorough understanding of the alterations of TME and the identification of upstream regulatory targets have emerged as a research priority. NF-κB transcription factors, central to inflammation and innate immunity, are increasingly recognized for their significant role in cancer onset and progression. This review emphasizes the crucial influence of the NF-κB signaling pathway within the TME, underscoring its roles in the development and advancement of cancer. By examining the interactions between NF-κB and various components of the TME, targeting the NF-κB pathway appears as a promising cancer treatment approach.

Altered Microbiome Promotes Pro-Inflammatory Pathways in Oesophago-Gastric Tumourigenesis.

The upper gastrointestinal microbiome is a dynamic entity that is involved in numerous processes including digestion, production of vitamins and protection against pathogens. Many external and intrinsic factors may cause changes in the proportions of bacteria within the microbial community, termed 'dysbiosis'. A number of these have been identified as risk factors for a range of diseases, including oesophago-gastric carcinoma. A narrative review was conducted to elucidate the current evidence on the role of the microbiome in promoting oesophago-gastric tumourigenesis. Significant causes of dysbiosis including age, medications and GORD were examined and key pro-inflammatory pathways implicated in tumourigenesis and their interaction with the microbiome were described. An association between microbial dysbiosis and development of oesophago-gastric cancer may be mediated via activation of pro-inflammatory pathways, the inflammasome and the innate immune system. Advances in sequencing technology allow microbial communities to be fingerprinted by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene, enabling a deeper understanding of the genera that may be implicated in driving tumourigenesis. Developing a greater understanding of the influence of the microbiota on oesophago-gastric tumourigenesis may enable advances to be made in the early detection of malignancy and in the development of novel systemic therapies, leading to improved rates of survival.

12293 Dynamic Clinical Evolution: Why Patients Require Long-Term Follow-up Over Time

Abstract Disclosure: A. Attre: None. A. Syeda: None. A. Khan: None. B. Esayag-Tendler: None. Dynamic Clinical Evolution: Why Patients Require Long-Term Follow-up Over Time Introduction Primary Hyperaldosteronism (PHA) is an increasingly recognized cause of secondary hypertension amenable to specific therapy. We describe a case of PHA with change in management trajectory over time. Case A 48-year-old woman was diagnosed with PHA in 2009 based on an aldosterone level of 42.7 ng/dL, plasma renin activity of <0.1 ng/mL/hr, and a low potassium of 3.4 mmol/L. At that time, simultaneous adrenal venous sampling (AVS) had revealed a bilateral etiology of aldosterone excess. Original imaging with CT scan had shown fullness on both adrenal glands, and she was treated with 50mg daily spironolactone. Follow-up with CT scan in 2018 revealed similar imaging phenotype. When she established care with us in 2020, the abdomen MRI revealed a 2.5 cm x 1.9 cm right adrenal nodule. In addition, the blood pressure readings were noted to be high despite increasing doses of spironolactone to 150mg. Her laboratory results revealed aldosterone 151 ng/dL [< 31 ng/dL], cortisol 0.8 µg/dL, plasma renin activity 0.8 ng/mL/hr [0.2 ng/mL/hr - 1.6 ng/mL/hr], ACTH 12.5 pg/mL [7.2 pg/mL - 63.3 pg/mL], normal plasma metanephrine and a normal thyroid panel. A decision was made to repeat AVS in 2023 following Dr. Doppman’s protocol. The patient’s spironolactone was held before AVS and the plasma renin activity before the procedure was 0.4-0.8 ng/mL/hr. Results: Repeat AVS in 2023 showed mean pre-ACTH right to left lateralization index (LI) of 29.9 and mean post-ACTH LI of 9.7 (cutoff >4). This is concordant with the right adrenal nodule noted on imaging. The selectivity index confirmed adequate adrenal venous sampling data. Analysis of our findings confirmed right adrenal excess and left adrenal suppression compared to the IVC results. This patient underwent a laparoscopic right adrenalectomy in 2023. This patient's aldosterone levels were measured two days postoperatively and were found to be 4.2 ng/dL, showing immediate improvement. Six months postoperatively, our patient’s home and clinic blood pressures are in 120s/60s mmHg range without any medications. The aldosterone remains less than 6 ng/dL and the plasma renin activity is no longer low. Her potassium remains around 4.9 mmol/L. Discussion Based on current literature, surgical treatment is preferred when there is a confirmed unilateral cause of PHA. Adrenalectomy is recommended in patients with confirmed unilateral hyperaldosteronism especially when they do not achieve clinical and biochemical goals (renin plasma activity >1 ng/mL/hr, resolution of hypokalemia and optimal BP control) despite the use of MRA at appropriate doses. Suppressed renin is known to be associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity. This case serves as an important example of the need to follow patients long-term because PHA is a dynamic clinical entity that affects quality of life. Presentation: 6/3/2024

What Is a Plant Cell Type in the Age of Single-Cell Biology? It's Complicated.

One of the fundamental questions in developmental biology is how a cell is specified to differentiate as a specialized cell type. Traditionally, plant cell types were defined based on their function, location, morphology, and lineage. Currently, in the age of single-cell biology, researchers typically attempt to assign plant cells to cell types by clustering them based on their transcriptomes. However, because cells are dynamic entities that progress through the cell cycle and respond to signals, the transcriptome also reflects the state of the cell at a particular moment in time, raising questions about how to define a cell type. We suggest that these complexities and dynamics of cell states are of interest and further consider the roles signaling, stochasticity, cell cycle, and mechanical forces play in plant cell fate specification. Once established, cell identity must also be maintained. With the wealth of single-cell data coming out, the field is poised to elucidate both the complexity and dynamics of cell states.

The Evolution of Mate Attachment.

AbstractWhether natural selection leads to attachment in monogamous pair bonds has seldom been addressed. Operationally defining attachment as a behavioral modifier that decreases divorce probability with pair duration, we develop a model for the evolution of attachment. If divorce (the ending of a pair bond when both individuals survive to the next breeding season) is more likely to occur out of poor-quality reproductive opportunities (i.e., poor territory or low-quality mate), individuals in experienced pairs are more likely to be found in high-quality opportunities. Consequently, when divorce decisions occur using imperfect information from reproductive success, pair duration provides individuals with information about the quality of their reproductive opportunity and attachment can evolve. We show that high survival rates, divorce propensities, and probabilities of nest failure favor the evolution of attachment. Attachment is also more likely to evolve when individuals can directly assess the quality of their reproductive opportunity (as opposed to relying on imperfect information from reproductive success), when the quality of the reproductive opportunity has adult survival ramifications, and when divorce coevolves with attachment. We show that our core conclusions are robust to a variety of assumptions using individual-based simulations. Our results clarify how attachment can be adaptive and suggest that studying pair bonds as dynamic entities is a promising avenue for future work.

Nearshore optical video object detector based on temporal branch and spatial feature enhancement

The computing power of nearshore and ship-borne devices is limited, posing significant challenges for accurately detecting objects in real-time on such devices. We propose a nearshore video object detector (NVID) to tackle these challenges. Considering the abundance of dynamic entities in the nearshore environment, we have developed you can look more (YCLM) to perceive the temporal characteristics of these objects. Furthermore, to improve the ability to detect objects of different sizes of networks, we designed parallel deformable attention (PDA) based on the spatial features of objects. More importantly, we developed fast re-parameterization convolution (FREConv) and faster conv (FConv). Building on these innovations, we proposed a fast re-parameterization network (FRENet) specifically tailored to produce low-parameter, multi-scale feature outputs. With end-to-end training, our pipeline outperforms other state-of-the-art (SOTA) methods on the nearshore objects (NearshoreObjects) dataset (90.4 average precision (AP) 50 (＋4.7), 9.3 parameters (Params) (−1.0M), 24.8 frames per second (FPS) (Jetson Nano) (＋0.6)). In addition, NVID also achieved excellent results in the on board (OnBoard) dataset (90.3 AP50 (＋2.8), 9.3 params (−1.0M), 26.5 FPS (Jetson Nano) (＋0.8)). The source code can be accessed at https://github.com/Yuanlin-Zhao/NVID.

The Transformative Role of Digital Tools in Comic Book Preservation

Traditionally viewed as static repositories, archives are now seen as dynamic entities capable of continuous reconfiguration and reinterpretation. This study examines how digital practices in comic book archiving maintain historical and emotional integrity, while making these artefacts relevant to contemporary audiences. This paper explores the theories of Wolfgang Ernst, Michel Foucault, Lev Manovich, and others in order to explain digital archiving as a dynamic and interpretive act that shapes historical narratives and cultural memory. Digital restoration of comic books focuses on preserving the original aesthetic and historical context, while recoloring revitalizes visual elements to enhance appeal. Reimagining involves comprehensive reinterpretation and aligns with new media theories in order to offer fresh perspectives on historical narratives. The discussion shows how these practices democratize access to cultural heritage, transforming archives into active sites of cultural engagement and potentiality. By balancing technical precision and interpretive insight, digital artists and archivists aim at ensuring that comic books remain vibrant and meaningful cultural treasures for future generations.

Dynamic entity formed by protein and its hydration water

The interaction between protein and water plays a pivotal role in shaping the structure, dynamics, and function of biomacromolecules. A comprehensive understanding of this intricate interplay necessitates a systematic evaluation of interaction strength and its consequential impact on the dynamics of proteins and water across diverse protein systems. Despite numerous works on understanding the dynamics of water and proteins and the coupling between them, there are still unanswered questions. Here, we combine neutron scattering and isotope labeling to probe the dynamics of proteins and their hydration water in a variety of protein systems. We consider proteins of different structures and varying thermostability as well as proteins within living cells with distinct growth temperatures. Simultaneous characterization of protein and hydration water dynamics across diverse systems was achieved. Moreover, we performed water sorption isothermal measurements on three representative proteins to correlate the observed dynamics with the strength of the interaction energies governing each system. The experimental results underscore that proteins manifesting stronger attractive interactions with water display diffusionlike dynamics with higher flexibility upon hydration, concomitant with a reduced mobility in hydration water. Significantly, our findings suggest that, in fact, it is the interaction between protein and its hydration water that facilitates the transfer of mobility from water to protein, with stronger interactions correlating to greater protein flexibility and slower hydration water diffusion. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

P65 signaling dynamics drive the developmental progression of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells through cell cycle regulation

Most gene functions have been discovered through phenotypic observations under loss of function experiments that lack temporal control. However, cell signaling relies on limited transcriptional effectors, having to be re-used temporally and spatially within the organism. Despite that, the dynamic nature of signaling pathways have been overlooked due to the difficulty on their assessment, resulting in important bottlenecks. Here, we have utilized the rapid and synchronized developmental transitions occurring within the zebrafish embryo, in conjunction with custom NF-kB reporter embryos driving destabilized fluorophores that report signaling dynamics in real time. We reveal that NF-kB signaling works as a clock that controls the developmental progression of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) by two p65 activity waves that inhibit cell cycle. Temporal disruption of each wave results in contrasting phenotypic outcomes: loss of HSPCs due to impaired specification versus proliferative expansion and failure to delaminate from their niche. We also show functional conservation during human hematopoietic development using iPSC models. Our work identifies p65 as a previously unrecognized contributor to cell cycle regulation, revealing why and when pro-inflammatory signaling is required during HSPC development. It highlights the importance of considering and leveraging cell signaling as a temporally dynamic entity.

Amazonian rivers are leaky barriers to gene flow in forest understory birds.

Ever since Alfred Russel Wallace's nineteenth-century observation that related terrestrial species are often separated on opposing riverbanks, major Amazonian rivers have been recognized as key drivers of speciation. However, rivers are dynamic entities whose widths and courses may vary through time. It thus remains unknown how effective rivers are at reducing gene flow and promoting speciation over long timescales. We fit demographic models to genomic sequences to reconstruct the history of gene flow in three pairs of avian taxa fully separated by different Amazonian rivers, and whose geographic ranges do not make contact in headwater regions where rivers may cease to be barriers. Models with gene flow were best fit but still supported an initial period without any gene flow, which ranged from 187 000 to over 959 000 years, suggesting that rivers are capable of initiating speciation through long stretches of allopatric divergence. Allopatry was followed by either bursts or prolonged episodes of gene flow that retarded genomic differentiation but did not fully homogenize populations. Our results support Amazonian rivers as key barriers that promoted speciation and the build-up of species richness, but they also suggest that river barriers are often leaky, with genomic divergence accumulating slowly owing to episodes of substantial gene flow.

Dynamic human–object interaction detection for feature exclusion in visual simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM)

Visual simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) remains a focal point in robotics research, particularly in the realm of mobile robots. Despite the existence of robust methods such as ORBSLAM3, their effectiveness is limited in dynamic scenarios. The influence of moving entities in these scenarios poses challenges to data association, leading to compromised pose estimation accuracy. This paper proposes a novel approach that utilizes spatial reasoning to reduce the influence of dynamic entities present in an environment. Our approach, known as human–object interaction detection, identifies the dynamic nature of an object by evaluating the intersecting area between the bounding boxes of a person and the object. We tested our approach by extending the ORBSLAM3 RGB-D SLAM algorithm. Consequently, all ORB features associated with dynamic objects are filtered out from the ORBSLAM3 tracking thread. To validate our approach, we conducted evaluations on highly dynamic sequences extracted from the TUM RGB-D dataset. Our results exhibited a significant performance enhancement over ORBSLAM3. Furthermore, in comparison to other state-of-the-art research, our results remained competitive, given the simplicity of our approach.

Revised Prasad and Kuppuswamy socioeconomic scales for India in 2024: Methods and Updates

Socioeconomic scales are vital to public health research to measure associations and impacts on health. BG Prasad classification and the Kuppuswamy scales are two commonly used socio-economic scales for India as they are cost-effective and efficient. While BG Prasad classification is based on per capita family income, Kuppuswamy also measures education and occupation of the family head in addition to monthly family income. Since income is a dynamic entity affected by economic changes such as inflation and cost of consumption, there is a need to update the Prasad and Kuppuswamy classification. This research updates both the classifications as per the latest consumer price index values for January 2024. The research also discussed the steps to update the classifications for future use.

The edifying body: the role of embodied practices in the social production of servicescapes

PurposeThis research aims to explore and theorize the role of embodied practices – orchestrated by service providers – in the social production of servicescapes. It is claimed that the social character of the servicescape is shaped not only by narratives and materialities but also through the body. Bodily physical behaviors like physical movements in space, gestures, facial expressions, postures and tactile engagements with the surrounding materiality constitute a body language that conveys information and expresses meanings. In this kinetic capacity, the body becomes a building agent in the social constitution of the servicescape. As the author empirically demonstrates in the context of city tourism with diverse experiential opportunities, it is due to the body’s discriminatory orientation, walking, looking, pointing and acting in selective ways that the city emerges as a servicescape of particular kind.Design/methodology/approachMarket-oriented ethnography was conducted in Saint Petersburg, Russia, where the author observed the guiding practices of tour guides leading international tourists during two-day city excursions.FindingsThis research identifies and unpacks three clusters of embodied practices deployed by service providers as they guide customers at the servicescape: spatializing, emplacing and regulating. The role of the body and its association with narratives and materialities is identified in each cluster.Practical implicationsA number of embodied practices are provided for use by contact employees as they guide customers in the servicescape. Specific guidelines are also offered to service providers for the strategic employment of body language, their training is navigational skills and the coordination of body, narratives and materialities.Originality/valueThis study extends current materialistic and communicative approaches on the construction of servicescapes by claiming that the servicescape in not only a physical and narrative construction but something that is also configured through the body; provides three clusters of embodied practices deployed by service providers; theorizes the intertwined nature of narratives, materiality and the body; defines servicescapes as dynamic socio-spatial entities emerging from the constant {narrative-material-body} arrangements orchestrated by service providers; and sheds light on the mediating role of the body in the social production of servicescapes.

Elementary students’ shared understanding of angle during an educational robotics task

IntroductionPrior research has documented students’ struggles in conceiving of angle and angle measurement, which may stem from textbook and curriculum representations of angles as static. In this study, we examined grade 3-5 students’ mathematical thinking of angle during an educational robotics task implemented within a making space learning environment in a school setting (i.e., hybrid making space).MethodsOur analysis included 19 video recordings of six groups of students in grades 3-5.ResultsResults from this study demonstrate how students negotiated a shared understanding of angle through multiple epistemic tools (e.g., gestures, bodily actions, language) that were situated and contextualized within the task. This included developing a shared language, conceptualizing angle as a dynamic entity, and perceiving angle through directionality and degree measures.DiscussionWe contend that learning experiences within a hybrid making space provide young students with opportunities to engage in mathematics as a social phenomenon and human activity.

Accessing activity and viscoelastic properties of artificial and living systems from passive measurement.

Living systems are complex dynamic entities that operate far from thermodynamic equilibrium. Their active, non-equilibrium behaviour requires energy to drive cellular organization and dynamics. Unfortunately, most statistical mechanics approaches are not valid in non-equilibrium situations, forcing researchers to use intricate and often invasive methods to study living processes. Here we experimentally demonstrate that an observable termed mean back relaxation quantifies the active mechanics of living cells from passively observed particle trajectories. The mean back relaxation represents the average trajectory of a particle after a recent motion and is calculated from three-point probabilities. We show that this parameter allows the detection of broken detailed balance in confined systems. We experimentally observe that it provides access to the non-equilibrium generating energy and viscoelastic properties of artificial bulk materials and living cells. These findings suggest that the mean back relaxation can function as a marker of non-equilibrium dynamics and is a non-invasive avenue to determine viscoelastic material properties from passive measurements.

Research trends in manual therapy: a bibliometric review of the last 10 years

Manual therapy (MT) is a dynamic entity progressing rapidly. The current trend stimulates a direction toward higher specificity in the research. This is the first bibliometric review to identify the trends in MT in the last ten years (till 2023). The Scopus database was selected to retrieve the bibliographic records. Biblioshiny (Bibliometrix), PowerBI, MS Excel, and MS Access were used to visualize and analyze the results. 1208 relevant studies were included in the analysis. Publishing has a rising character. The four-author articles are the most common, while only 68 are single-author studies. In 2021, the highest number of publications (n=178) was published. The Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies has published the highest number of publications (75). The USA is the most prolific country in publishing (361 studies) and total citations (4869). Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (Spain) is the most productive and cited institution. Fernández-De-Las-Peñas C. is the most productive, and Mark D. Bishop is the most cited author. The USA, Australia, Canada, and European countries have the most frequent collaborations. MT was the most common research focus from 2017 to 2019. The topics of exercise therapy, musculoskeletal therapy, physical therapy, and physiotherapy have been the focus of research in the context of MT lately. The present study reported the research-related trends in MT applying bibliometric methods and identified the most productive countries, institutions, and researchers over the past decade. These findings are intended to assist the researchers in better orientation in the research field and to specify the trends for future research studies. Keywords: Manual therapy; physiotherapy; research trends; bibliometrics; thematic evolution; research collaboration

Space jam: how retail technologies are influencing store space production

PurposeTechnologies are dramatically reshaping various aspects of the store space, modifying design, services and usage. Accordingly, several studies tackled technology impact on each of these aspects, investigating design, service and usage singularly, but lacking a holistic viewpoint. Thus, this paper aims to identify the different dimensions of the store space (levels) and assess the impact of technology introduction on store space dimensions (levels).Design/methodology/approachThe research employs a qualitative approach based on direct observations of apparel brand stores located in London between March and April 2023. Data collection followed a structured observation protocol covering store information, adopted technologies and their effects across various store space levels, i.e. consumption activities, service environment and customer experience.FindingsResults show that the store space can be defined as the sum of different dimensions consisting of consumption activities, service environment and customer experience. Accordingly, technology introduction holistically influences each of the three store space levels as follows: (1) first, technologies redefine how activities are performed or alters the location where certain activities are consumed; (2) within the service environment, technologies replace traditional elements, fill empty spaces and enhance the atmospherics; finally, (3) customer experience is enhanced in hedonic and/or utilitarian terms due to technology adoption.Originality/valueThis paper defines the space as a dynamic entity, providing a deeper understanding of how the store space is produced, from a holistic point of view and the role of retail technology in this process.