Wide Body Research Articles

Review: The different adaptive trajectories in Neanderthals and Homo sapiens and their implications for contemporary human physiological variation

Neanderthals are our one of our closest evolutionary cousins, but while they evolved in Eurasia, we (anatomically modern humans, AMH) originated in Africa. This contrasting evolutionary history has led to morphological and genetic distinctions between our species. Neanderthals are characterised by a relatively stocky build, high body mass, proportionally wide bodies and shorter limbs, a bell-shaped ribcage with a wide pelvis, and a long, low cranial vault compared with AMH. Classic readings of Neanderthal morphology link many of these traits to cold climate adaptations, however these interpretations have been questioned and alternative hypotheses including behavioural factors, dietary adaptations, locomotor specialisations, evolutionary history and neutral evolutionary processes have been invoked. Compared with AMH, Neanderthals may have been adapted for strength and power rather than endurance and may have consumed a diet high in animal products. However, reviewing these hypotheses highlights a number of limitations in our understanding of contemporary human physiology and metabolism, including the relationship between climate and morphology in AMH and Neanderthals, physiological limits on protein consumption, and the relationship between gut morphology and diet. As various relevant factors are clearly linked (e.g. diet, behaviour, metabolism, morphology, activity), ultimately a more integrated approach may be needed to fully understand Neanderthal biology. Variation among contemporary AMHs may offer, with caveats, a useful model for understanding the evolution of both Neanderthal and modern human characteristics, which in turn may further deepen our understanding of variability within and between contemporary humans.Neanderthals; Anatomically modern humans; morphology; climate adaptation; power adaptations; metabolism; diet; physiology; endurance running;

EFFECTIVENESS OF INFLUENCE OF MINERAL PHYTOBIOTIC ADDITIVE ON AGE DYNAMICS OF LINEAR GROWTH OF SHEEP

The article presents the results of research on the linear growth of young sheep grown on diets enriched with a mineral phytobiotic additive. Indexes of body structure have been determined, which make it possible to establish the relative development of individual parts of the animals’ body. Body structure indexes characterize the sex, age and constitutional characteristics of animals and their typical differences and have a great importance for the animals characteristic.
 In order to determine certain patterns of linear growth, coefficients of variability were calculated.
 The study of the linear growth of control and experimental animals in our experiments allowed us to reveal the peculiarities of the body structure of the best constitutional types, sexual characteristics, productivity nature and evaluate the principles of the formation of meat qualities of the sheep. In particular, it was established that the growth rate of live mass is accompanied by significant changes in the axial skeleton.
 The height measurements and body length of experimental sheep and rams were higher than the control ones accordingly on 4,30-5,92 % and 5,52-5,28 %. The body length of the experimental ones were higher on 6,05 % in sheep and 6,76 % in rams. When determining the width and depth of the chest and the width at the hips, the difference between the control and experimental ones was 13,00-13,10 %, and these indicators increased with age.
 The determination of volumetric measurements proves a more stable regularity of age changes. According to the girth of the chest behind the shoulder blades, the experimental sheep exceeded the control ones on 10,96-13,73 %, and the rams on 7,37-12,14 %.
 In the rams, compared to the sheep, both in the control and in the experimental ones, the diameters of the parts of the body were higher. They were characterized by a higher height, long enough, wide and deep body and well-defined meat forms of the exterior.
 Therefore, our research revealed that according to the parameters of linear growth, the young animals of the experimental group significantly exceeded the animals of the control group of sheep. These advantages are characterized in detail the indexes of body structure, which emphasize the relative proportionality and compactness of individual parts of the body and reflect important productive qualities of animals, especially the meat qualities.
 Age-related changes experience the indexes in stretch, chest indexes, and body mass development. In particular, the sheep of the experimental group had an advantage over animals of the control group of 9,81-10,3 7 %. The massiveness index according to scientist Durst experienced more significant age changes between experimental and control young sheep.

Secure Message Authentication in the Presence of Leakage and Faults

Security against side-channels and faults is a must for the deployment of embedded cryptography. A wide body of research has investigated solutions to secure implementations against these attacks at different abstraction levels. Yet, to a large extent, current solutions focus on one or the other threat. In this paper, we initiate a mode-level study of cryptographic primitives that can ensure security in a (new and practically-motivated) adversarial model combining leakage and faults. Our goal is to identify constructions that do not require a uniform protection of all their operations against both attack vectors. For this purpose, we first introduce a versatile and intuitive model to capture leakage and faults. We then show that a MAC from Asiacrypt 2021 natively enables a leveled implementation for fault resilience where only its underlying tweakable block cipher must be protected, if only the tag verification can be faulted. We finally describe two approaches to amplify security for fault resilience when also the tag generation can be faulted. One is based on iteration and requires the adversary to inject increasingly large faults to succeed. The other is based on randomness and allows provable security against differential faults.

Cuttlefish color change as an emerging proxy for ecotoxicology.

Lately, behavioral ecotoxicology has flourished because of increasing standardization of analyses of endpoints like movement. However, research tends to focus on a few model species, which limits possibilities of extrapolating and predicting toxicological effects and adverse outcomes at the population and ecosystem level. In this regard, it is recommended to assess critical species-specific behavioral responses in taxa playing key roles in trophic food webs, such as cephalopods. These latter, known as masters of camouflage, display rapid physiological color changes to conceal themselves and adapt to their surrounding environments. The efficiency of this process depends on visual abilities and acuity, information processing, and control of chromatophores dynamics through nervous and hormonal regulation with which many contaminants can interfere. Therefore, the quantitative measurement of color change in cephalopod species could be developed as a powerful endpoint for toxicological risk assessment. Based on a wide body of research having assessed the effect of various environmental stressors (pharmaceutical residues, metals, carbon dioxide, anti-fouling agents) on the camouflage abilities of juvenile common cuttlefish, we discuss the relevance of this species as a toxicological model and address the challenge of color change quantification and standardization through a comparative review of the available measurement techniques.

Chitosan-Based Biomaterials: Insights into Chemistry, Properties, Devices, and Their Biomedical Applications.

Chitosan is a marine-origin polysaccharide obtained from the deacetylation of chitin, the main component of crustaceans' exoskeleton, and the second most abundant in nature. Although this biopolymer has received limited attention for several decades right after its discovery, since the new millennium chitosan has emerged owing to its physicochemical, structural and biological properties, multifunctionalities and applications in several sectors. This review aims at providing an overview of chitosan properties, chemical functionalization, and the innovative biomaterials obtained thereof. Firstly, the chemical functionalization of chitosan backbone in the amino and hydroxyl groups will be addressed. Then, the review will focus on the bottom-up strategies to process a wide array of chitosan-based biomaterials. In particular, the preparation of chitosan-based hydrogels, organic-inorganic hybrids, layer-by-layer assemblies, (bio)inks and their use in the biomedical field will be covered aiming to elucidate and inspire the community to keep on exploring the unique features and properties imparted by chitosan to develop advanced biomedical devices. Given the wide body of literature that has appeared in past years, this review is far from being exhaustive. Selected works in the last 10 years will be considered.

Young Masculinities and Right-Wing Populism in Australia

This paper offers insights into the nexus of youth, masculinity, and right-wing populism in Australia. Here, we make reference to a wide body of international literature that suggests some affinity between disenfranchised (white) working-class young men and radical right ideas. Survey data were collected for a project on masculinity and the far right in Australia. A total of 203 young male informants worked primarily in ‘blue collar’ sectors of the Australian labour force. Some survey responses located them partly or potentially within the field of the populist right-wing, with many expressing anti-government sentiments and the discourse of white male victimhood. The majority were nostalgic for stereotypical masculinity. While right-wing populist movements across the world certainly differ, they often share a discourse promoting traditional gender roles.

Revisiting embodiment for brain–computer interfaces

ABSTRACT Researchers increasingly explore deploying brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) for able-bodied users, with the motivation of accessing mental states more directly than allowed by existing body-mediated interaction. This motivation seems to contradict the long-standing HCI emphasis on embodiment, namely the general claim that the body is crucial for cognition. This paper addresses this apparent contradiction through a review of insights from embodied cognition and interaction. We first critically examine the recent interest in BCIs and identify the extent cognition in the brain is integrated with the wider body as a central concern for research. We then define the implications of an integrated view of cognition for interface design and evaluation. A counterintuitive conclusion we draw is that embodiment per se should not imply a preference for body-mediated interaction over BCIs. It can instead guide research by 1) providing body-grounded explanations for BCI performance, 2) proposing evaluation considerations that are neglected in modular views of cognition, and 3) through the direct transfer of its design insights to BCIs. We finally reflect on HCI’s understanding of embodiment and identify the neural dimension of embodiment as hitherto overlooked.

Stressors inherent to clinical practices and their relationship with emotional intelligence in nursing students: A cross sectional study

BackgroundThere is a wide body of knowledge about Emotional Intelligence and its benefits in health care, generating better productivity, clinical performance and communication with work teams, patients and families. Its relationship with stress and with performance of clinical practices has also been studied, although the results are not conclusive or up-to-date. ObjectivesTo study and correlate the perception of Emotional Intelligence and the stressors inherent to Nursing students' clinical practices. DesignA multicenter and observational study was carried out through cross-sectional surveys with Nursing students during the 2021/2022 academic year. Participants377 students were included in the study, recruited through non-probabilistic sampling in four Spanish universities. MethodsSociodemographic and academic variables were collected, as well as the following main variables: perceived Emotional Intelligence and stressors in clinical practices. ResultsThe study sample consisted of 377 students (89.1 % women; mean age of 23.15 ± 5.50). The perception of Emotional Intelligence obtained adequate ranges. The stressors that generate most concern are being attacked by the patients, lack of competence, and impotence and uncertainty. There are statistically significant differences in Emotional Intelligence by gender and university, as well as in stressors between each other. The Emotional Intelligence dimensions are weakly correlated with the stressors, although with statistical significance. ConclusionsThis study shows that Emotional Intelligence slightly influences the stressors inherent to clinical practices, so that EI can help cope with the difficulties of clinical work. Specifically, emotional clarity has an inverse relationship with some stressors. However, the attention and repair dimensions do not present such a clear relationship in our study or in previous ones. This shows the need to include Emotional Intelligence training in Nursing training curricula.

Type I Diabetes Pathoetiology and Pathophysiology: Roles of the Gut Microbiome, Pancreatic Cellular Interactions, and the 'Bystander' Activation of Memory CD8+ T Cells.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) arises from the failure of pancreatic β-cells to produce adequate insulin, usually as a consequence of extensive pancreatic β-cell destruction. T1DM is classed as an immune-mediated condition. However, the processes that drive pancreatic β-cell apoptosis remain to be determined, resulting in a failure to prevent ongoing cellular destruction. Alteration in mitochondrial function is clearly the major pathophysiological process underpinning pancreatic β-cell loss in T1DM. As with many medical conditions, there is a growing interest in T1DM as to the role of the gut microbiome, including the interactions of gut bacteria with Candida albicans fungal infection. Gut dysbiosis and gut permeability are intimately associated with raised levels of circulating lipopolysaccharide and suppressed butyrate levels, which can act to dysregulate immune responses and systemic mitochondrial function. This manuscript reviews broad bodies of data on T1DM pathophysiology, highlighting the importance of alterations in the mitochondrial melatonergic pathway of pancreatic β-cells in driving mitochondrial dysfunction. The suppression of mitochondrial melatonin makes pancreatic β-cells susceptible to oxidative stress and dysfunctional mitophagy, partly mediated by the loss of melatonin's induction of PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1), thereby suppressing mitophagy and increasing autoimmune associated major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-1. The immediate precursor to melatonin, N-acetylserotonin (NAS), is a brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mimic, via the activation of the BDNF receptor, TrkB. As both the full-length and truncated TrkB play powerful roles in pancreatic β-cell function and survival, NAS is another important aspect of the melatonergic pathway relevant to pancreatic β-cell destruction in T1DM. The incorporation of the mitochondrial melatonergic pathway in T1DM pathophysiology integrates wide bodies of previously disparate data on pancreatic intercellular processes. The suppression of Akkermansia muciniphila, Lactobacillus johnsonii, butyrate, and the shikimate pathway-including by bacteriophages-contributes to not only pancreatic β-cell apoptosis, but also to the bystander activation of CD8+ T cells, which increases their effector function and prevents their deselection in the thymus. The gut microbiome is therefore a significant determinant of the mitochondrial dysfunction driving pancreatic β-cell loss as well as 'autoimmune' effects derived from cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. This has significant future research and treatment implications.

Introducing “navigating failure in ethnography”: a forum about failure in ethnographic research

PurposeThe authors introduce a recurrent section for the Journal of Organizational Ethnography which scrutinizes the various manifestations and roles of failure in ethnographic research.Design/methodology/approachThe authors peruse a wide body of literature which tackles the role of failure in ethnographic research and draw on the experiences to argue for a more sustained and in-depth conversation on the topic.Findings“Failure” regularly occurs in ethnographic research, yet remains under-examined. Increased discussion on the topic will enrich debates on methodology and fieldwork in particular.Originality/valueWhile various scholars have commented on the role of “failure” in ethnographic research, an in-depth and sustained examination of the topic is lacking.

Maternal immune activation affects socio-communicative behavior in adult rats

A wide body of evidence suggests a relationship between maternal immune activation (MIA) and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Since social and communicative deficits are included in the first diagnostic criterion of ASD, we aimed to characterize socio-communicative behaviors in the MIA model based on prenatal exposure to poly(I:C). Our previous studies demonstrated impaired socio-communicative functioning in poly(I:C)-exposed adolescent rats. Therefore, the current study sought to clarify whether these changes would persist beyond adolescence. For this purpose, we analyzed behavior during the social interaction test and recorded ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) accompanying interactions between adult poly(I:C) rats. The results demonstrated that the altered pattern of social behavior in poly(I:C) males was accompanied by the changes in acoustic parameters of emitted USVs. Poly(I:C) males also demonstrated an impaired olfactory preference for social stimuli. While poly(I:C) females did not differ from controls in socio-positive behaviors, they displayed aggression during the social encounter and were more reactive to somatosensory stimulation. Furthermore, the locomotor pattern of poly(I:C) animals were characterized by repetitive behaviors. Finally, poly(I:C) reduced parvalbumin and GAD67 expression in the cerebellum. The results showed that prenatal poly(I:C) exposure altered the pattern of socio-communicative behaviors of adult rats in a sex-specific manner.

When tracheotomy was the only resort in paediatric tracheo-bronchial foreign body: case report

The pediatric individual is likely to present with an aspirated foreign body that maybe oriented as such that it may necessitate often an alternate route for removal. Rigid bronchoscopy with jet ventilation is the intervention undertaken at the earliest. In wide caliber foreign bodies a different approach has to be adopted. Tracheotomy, thoracotomy, bronchotomy and pneumonectomy are the next level procedures. A cervical tracheostomy had to be undertaken in a child with a week old impacted conical tail cap of a ball point pen.

Dissolvable Self-Locking Microneedle Patches Integrated with Immunomodulators for Cancer Immunotherapy.

Advancements in micro-resolution 3D printers have significantly facilitated the development of highly complex mass-producible drug delivery platforms. Conventionally, due to the limitations of micro-milling machineries, dissolvable microneedles (MNs) are mainly fabricated in cone-shaped geometry with limited drug delivery accuracy. Herein, to overcome the limitations of conventional MNs, a novel projection micro-stereolithography 3D printer-based self-locking MN for precise skin insertion, adhesion, and transcutaneous microdose drug delivery is presented. The geometry of self-locking MN consists of a sharp skin-penetrating tip, a wide skin interlocking body, and a narrow base with mechanical supports fabricated over a flexible hydrocolloid patch to improve the accuracy of skin penetration into irregular surfaces. Melanoma, a type of skin cancer, is selected as the model for the investigation of self-locking MNs due to its irregular and uneven surface. In vivo immunotherapy efficacy is evaluated by integrating SD-208, a novel transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) inhibitor that suppresses the proliferation and metastasis of tumors, and anti-PD-L1 (aPD-L1 Ab), an immune checkpoint inhibitor that induces T cell-mediated tumor cell death, into self-locking MNs and comparing them with intratumoral injection. Evaluation of (aPD-L1 Ab)/SD-208 delivery effectiveness in B16F10 melanoma-bearing mice model confirms significantly improved dose efficacy of self-locking MNs compared with intratumoral injection.

The Species Diversity Assessment of Azygia Looss, 1899 (Digenea: Azygiidae) from the Volga, Ob, and Artyomovka Rivers Basins (Russia), with Description of A. sibirica n. sp.

This study is devoted to the investigation of Azygia (Digenea: Azygiidae) species diversity using classical morphological, recent molecular tools (28S rRNA and cox1 mtDNA for genetic-based inference) and robust statistical techniques (Principal component analysis, PCA). The analysis revealed that the genus Azygia included four valid species: A. lucii, A. longa, A. hwangtsiyui, and A. sibirica n. sp. The distribution of the type species A. lucii was confirmed in the largest Russian rivers: the Volga and the Ob. The worms isolated from Perccottus glenii were determined as the Chinese species A. hwangtsiyui, according to the genetic data for the cox1 mtDNA gene, at 1.32–1.56%. The new species, Azygia sibirica n. sp, was described from Esox lucius in the Ob River and differentiated from the type species A. lucii by the smaller ovary, testes and prostatic sac, wider body, very narrow pharyngeal lumen and form of anterior margin of ovary. In addition, multivariate analysis and three methods for species delimitation (ABGD, GMYC, bPTP) showed the subdivision of A. lucii and A. sibirica n. sp. into two separate groups, one from the Volga River and another from the Ob River, respectively. To conclude, A. lucii infects Esox lucius in the western (European part of Russia, the Volga River basin), and northern (Western Siberia, the Ob River basin) parts of Russia; A. sibirica n. sp. has also been found to infect Esox lucius in the Ob River, while A. hwangtsiyui infects Perccottus glenii in the South of the Russian Far East (the Artymovka River basin).

ЛИНЕЙНЫЙ ПРОФИЛЬ БЫКОВ ГОЛШТИНСКОЙ ПОРОДЫ ИМПОРТНОЙ СЕЛЕКЦИИ В ЗАВИСИМОСТИ ОТ ВЕЛИЧИНЫ ИНДЕКСА ГЕНОМНОЙ ПЛЕМЕННОЙ ЦЕННОСТИ

Much attention is paid to the study of the use of linear assessment of dairy cattle in cattle breeding practice. The purpose of the work is to analyze the linear profile data of imported bulls, depending on the value of the genomic breeding value index GTPI. The object of the study is Holstein bulls of the imported selection of JSC GPP Elita, which are used in selection and breeding work in the Republic of Tatarstan. To study the animals' exterior, a linear genomic profile was compiled. When studying the linear genomic profile of imported bulls, it was found that they are generally characterized by average height, not a deep body, insufficient body strength, the sacrum is in the correct position, but the width of the pelvis is well developed, while the legs are developed towards elephantiasis, and the hoof has a high heel. The characteristics of the udder are generally positive, the front lobes are tightly attached, as well as the rear lobes, the lobes are wide at the back and separated by a groove, according to the assessment, the ligament is not strong, the bottom of the udder is located high, and the teats are of medium setness and are slightly close together, and the hind legs also have good staging. When studying the linear profile of bulls with different indexes of genomic breeding value, data was obtained that allows us to talk about an improvement in exterior indicators in animals in the group with a GTPI index from 2401 to 2600, while they are tall, have a wide body, strong physique, and have good milk shape and developed udder. But animals have only one negative indicator based on the placement of their hind legs. As a result of the research, it can be recommended to better use imported bulls with GTPI from 2401 to 2600 to improve the exterior of animals.

Modelling and Design Optimization of a Novel Wide‐Body Transport Aircraft to Improve the Structural Integrity

One of the most challenging next‐generation issues is examining a novel and sustainable aircraft to reduce emissions and fuel burn. IATA addressed these issues in collaboration with the EU, GARDEN, and Clean Sky programs to tackle the challenges using retrofit design and upgraded systems. This study aims to create a sustainable aircraft design to solve the fuel burn issue by minimizing the maximum take‐off weight (MTOW). An optimized wide‐body aircraft is established by selecting twelve aerodynamic design variables and fourteen flight mission constraints (retrofit, operational performance, and stability). To develop a sustainable wide body aircraft structure, this study proposes a hybrid design optimization algorithm combined with the multicriteria decision‐making (MCDM) technique. The CRITIC‐WASPAS technique is used to obtain the baseline aircraft, and the optimal design of the baseline aircraft is achieved by solving the proposed nonlinear constrained optimization model. The selected baseline aircraft was compared with the optimized result to validate and determine the robustness of the objective function. The findings reflect that the formulation has improved the MTOW, empty weight fraction, fuel weight, and performance by 3.75%, 28.38%, 2.06%, and 8.63%, respectively.

Editorial: Introduction to CriSTaL Special Issue: Thinking with ocean/s for reconceptualising scholarship in higher education

There are growing moves in higher education to reconceptualisescholarship in contemporary contexts. Located in a wide body of critical work including feminist new materialism, posthumanism, decolonial and indigenous thinking, efforts to reimagine and reconfigure pedagogical and research practices in higher educationare proliferating. Scholars are increasingly challenging the dominant colonial, patriarchal, eurowestern logics which neoliberal, corporatised academia has intensified.

Breeding characteristics of Romanov sheep depending on polymorphism of growth hormone gene

The search for new markers of high productivity of sheep and the introduction of evaluation and selection methods for these indicators is an urgent direction in breeding of Russian sheep. The material for the research was the results of assessment of exterior, live weight of Romanov sheep. Genetic studies were carried out using tissue samples (ear plucking). Polymorphism of growth hormone gene in Romanov sheep was evaluated by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and polymerase chain reaction. Evaluation of polymorphism of growth hormone gene in the population of Romanov sheep showed the presence of three allelic variants - AA, AB and BB, with a frequency of 0.24, 0.63 and 0.14, respectively. The statistically significant difference between the indicators of live weight in animals with genotypes GHAB and GHAA, GHAB and GHBB was: at birth 210 g and 140 g (P 0.95), respectively; at weaning 350 g and 1260 g (P 0.95), respectively. The phenotypic variability of live weight was the highest at birth and at weaning and amounted to 31.732.5 % for all genotypes. Animals with genotypes GHAA and GHAB outperformed their peers with genotype GHBB in dimensions of rump width in tuber coxae, rump width in tuber trochanterica, chest width, chest circumference, and therefore, had a wide body. When studying the phenotypic and genetic correlations of measurements of exterior and live weight at the age of 12 months, a reliable positive relationship was established with height at withers height (rP = +0.13*; rG = +0.02), rump height (rP = +0.14**; rG = +0.03), rump length (rP = +0.14**; rG = +0.02). The new knowledge gained about polymorphism of GH gene and its relationship with productive traits of Romanov sheep will allow for in-depth evaluation, targeted selection and selection of individuals with desirable genotypes.

On a strengthening of the Blaschke–Leichtweiss theorem

The Blaschke–Leichtweiss theorem (Leichtweiss in Abh Math Semin Univ Hambg 75:257–284, 2005) states that the smallest area convex domain of constant width w in the 2-dimensional spherical space \({\mathbb {S}}^2\) is the spherical Reuleaux triangle for all \(0<w\le \frac{\pi }{2}\). In this paper we extend this result to the family of wide r-disk domains of \({\mathbb {S}}^2\), where \(0<r\le \frac{\pi }{2}\). Here a wide r-disk domain is an intersection of spherical disks of radius r with centers contained in their intersection. This gives a new and elementary proof of the Blaschke–Leichtweiss theorem. Furthermore, we investigate the higher dimensional analogue of wide r-disk domains called wide r-ball bodies. In particular, we determine their minimum spherical width (resp., inradius) in the spherical d-space \({\mathbb {S}}^d\) for all \(d\ge 2\). Also, it is shown that any minimum volume wide r-ball body is of constant width r in \({\mathbb {S}}^d\), \(d\ge 2\).

Polymorphic microbes: a new emerging hallmark of cancer.

Recognition of the microbiome (and 'polymorphic microbes' within them) as a new emerging hallmark of cancer reflects a wide body of rapidly evolving research. Microbes may be directly carcinogenic, impact host immune responses to promote malignancy, and may be key effectors in determining the efficacy of anticancer therapy. Manipulation of the microbiome is showing promise as an opportunity to influence cancer outcomes.