bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predicting the impact of no. of authors on no. of citations of research publications based on neural networks
Authors: Talaat Fatma M. , Gamel Samah A.
Published: May 2022

Any work's citations are regarded as a key characteristic that leads to its appraisal and study. Citations are one of the most important indicators of a research publication's quality. Citations can have a favorable or bad impact on any piece of work or publication depending on a variety of circumstances, including author skill, publication venue, research topic, and so on. The goal of this study is to see how the number of co-authors affects the number of citations in research papers. There will be a correlation analysis between the number of co-authors and the number of citations for research articles, and we will observe how the number of co-authors affects the number of citations for publications. Citation data is gathered from databases such as DBLP, ACM, MAG (Microsoft Academic Graph), and others. There are 629,814 papers and 632,752 citations in the initial version. We use two methods to examine the impact of co-author count on the number of citations in a research paper: (i) Pearson’s correlation coefficient (PCC), and (ii) multiple regression (MR). To test the impact of co-author count on citation count of research publications, we calculate Pearson’s correlation coefficient (ra) between the two variables number of authors (NA) and citation count (CC). We also calculate Pearson’s correlation coefficient between the citation count (CC) and the most effective variables to compare between the impact of the number of authors and the impact of the other factors such as (i) rc between number of countries (NC) and citation count (CC). (ii) rv between venue category (VC) and citation count (CC). (iii) ry between Year_From (YF) and citation count (CC). Empirical evidence shows that co-authored publications achieve higher visibility and impact. To predict the number of citations from the previously mentioned factors (NA, NC, VC, and YF), we use multiple linear regression (MLR). The goal of multiple linear regression (MLR) is to model the linear relationship between the explanatory (independent) variables and response (dependent) variables. The higher R-square, the tight relationship exists between dependent variables and independent variables. It is observed that the R-square decreases in the case of removing NA which means that the NA is the most influential factor (the relation between NA and CC is the most powerful relation). The main originality of this paper is to introduce an effective prediction module (EPM) which uses probabilistic neural network (PNN) to predict the number of citations from the most effective factors (NA, NC, VC, and YF).
Transcriptomic Profiling Reveals Discrete Poststroke Dementia Neuronal and Gliovascular Signatures
Authors: Waller Rachel , Hase Yoshiki , Simpson Julie E. , Heath Paul R. , Wyles Matthew , Kalaria Rajesh N. , Wharton Stephen B.
Published: May 2022

Poststroke dementia (PSD) is associated with pathology in frontal brain regions, in particular dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) neurons and white matter, remote from the infarct. We hypothesised that PSD results from progressive DLPFC neuronal damage, associated with frontal white matter gliovascular unit (GVU) alterations. We investigated the transcriptomic profile of the neurons and white matter GVU cells previously implicated in pathology. Laser-capture microdissected neurons, astrocytes and endothelial cells were obtained from the Cognitive Function After Stroke cohort of control, PSD and poststroke non-dementia (PSND) human subjects. Gene expression was assessed using microarrays and pathway analysis to compare changes in PSD with controls and PSND. Neuronal findings were validated using NanoString technology and compared with those in the bilateral common carotid artery stenosis (BCAS) mouse model. Comparing changes in PSD compared to controls with changes in PSND compared to controls identified transcriptomic changes associated specifically with dementia. DLPFC neurons showed defects in energy production (tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) binding and mitochondria), signalling and communication (MAPK signalling, Toll-like receptor signalling, endocytosis). Similar changes were identified in neurons isolated from BCAS mice. Neuronal findings accompanied by altered astrocyte communication and endothelium immune changes in the frontal white matter, suggesting GVU dysfunction. We propose a pathogenic model in PSD whereby neuronal changes are associated with frontal white matter GVU dysfunction leading to astrocyte failure in supporting neuronal circuits resulting in delayed cognitive decline associated with PSD. Therefore, targeting these processes could potentially ameliorate the dementia seen in PSD.
Polycentric and resilient perspectives for governing the commons: Strategic and law and economics insights for sustainable development
Authors: Gatto Andrea
Published: May 2022

Commons governance theory is central to identifying and managing conflicts arising from natural and cultural resources traps. Scholars – using game theory and economic analysis of law – have proposed alternative models, consisting of a set of mitigated scenarios, multiple players, and new equilibria in commons governance. Likewise, novel legal innovations of the commons have also been designed. Reinterpreting the commons in light of political economy, ecology, and pluralistic approaches, a critical review of existing scholarship, economic analysis of law, and case study investigations are performed. Examining an array of views – including governance of water in Ecuador, Bolivia, and Italy – a research and policy agenda is put forward to offer original interpretations and novel holistic perspectives. Germane environmental policy implications deriving from SDGs, resilient governance, and polycentric perspectives are thus extrapolated. Finally, pluralistic frameworks drafted by mitigation and adaptation are measured by improved sustainable development performance in commons, resource, and water governance.
Copying from a model that does not fit? How the school staff survey TALIS impacted the new ECEC staff survey TALIS Starting Strong
Authors: Seybel Carolyn , Turani Daniel , Bader Samuel
Published: May 2022

International organisations use large-scale assessment studies to systematically monitor the educational sector. In doing so, they often strive for synergies between different studies. This article focuses on the example of TALIS Starting Strong, an international comparative OECD survey of pedagogical staff and leaders in early childhood education and care (ECEC). Developed in the wake of the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), a study that targets school teachers and principals, it was conducted for the first time in 2018. This article shows which consequences the links to TALIS and the integration into OECD structures had on the genesis of TALIS Starting Strong and also discusses more concrete aspects like the adaptation of the TALIS methodology to the ECEC sector. Overall, the example shows that the alignment with a study for a different educational level has advantages and synergy effects on the one hand, but also poses specific challenges on the other. Thus, it is important to maintain a critical discourse on the structures that shape surveys and the characteristics of international large-scale surveys as a whole in order to ensure that the data collected is useful for the further development of the ECEC and higher education sectors.
Brain Tumor Classification Based on Attention Guided Deep Learning Model
Authors: Jun Wen , Liyuan Zheng
Published: May 2022

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Brain tumors count for one out of every four cancer deaths. Providing an accurate and timely diagnosis can result in timely treatments. In recent years, the rapid development of image classification has facilitated computer-aided diagnosis. The convolutional neural network (CNN) is one of the most widely used neural network models for classifying images. However, its effectiveness is limited because it cannot accurately identify the focal point of the lesion. This paper proposes a novel brain tumor classification model that integrates an attention mechanism and a multipath network to solve the above issues. An attention mechanism is used to select the critical information belonging to the target region while ignoring irrelevant details. A multipath network assigns the data to multiple channels, before converting each channel and merging the results of all branches. The multipath network is equivalent to grouped convolution, which reduces the complexity. Experimental evaluations on this model using a dataset consisting of 3064 MR images achieved an overall accuracy of 98.61%, which outperforms previous studies on this dataset.
THE AXIOM OF CHOICE IS FALSE INTUITIONISTICALLY (IN MOST CONTEXTS)
Authors: McCARTY CHARLES , SHAPIRO STEWART , KLEV ANSTEN
Published: May 2022

There seems to be a view that intuitionists not only take the Axiom of Choice (AC) to be true, but also believe it a consequence of their fundamental posits. Widespread or not, this view is largely mistaken. This article offers a brief, yet comprehensive, overview of the status of AC in various intuitionistic and constructivist systems. The survey makes it clear that the Axiom of Choice fails to be a theorem in most contexts and is even outright false in some important contexts. Of the systems surveyed, only intensional type theory renders AC a theorem, but the extent of AC in that theory does not include, for instance, real analysis. Only a small amount of extensionality is required in order for the obvious proof an intuitionist might offer for AC to break down.
Comparing steady and unsteady rectangular jets issuing into a crossflow
Authors: Tricouros Frank A. , Amitay Michael , Van Buren Tyler
Published: May 2022

The foundational differences of steady and unsteady jets issued into a laminar boundary layer crossflow are considered. Jets have been used widely for flow control applications, due to their ability to enhance mixing and mitigate separation, but it is unclear what role jet steadiness plays in flow control effectiveness. Here we compare experimentally unsteady (synthetic) and steady rectangular jets issued into a flat-plate laminar boundary layer with varying orifice pitch and skew. The coherent streamwise vortices produced by unsteady jets were shown to be much stronger than those produced by steady jets, despite producing similar flow patterns. These differences are rooted in how vorticity is generated in the orifice, through either a Stokes layer (unsteady) or a Blasius boundary layer (steady). Exploring the time- and phase-averaged vorticity transport equation reveals that the time-varying vorticity term is the reason for the enhanced vortical structure. When considering flow control metrics, we find that the unsteady jet produced greater added momentum in the boundary layer and added vorticity when compared to a momentum-matched steady jet. Both the steady and unsteady jets produced similar jet penetration characteristics.
Construction of age-structured branching processes by stochastic equations
Authors: Ji Lina , Li Zenghu
Published: May 2022

We provide constructions of age-structured branching processes without or with immigration as pathwise-unique solutions to stochastic integral equations. A necessary and sufficient condition for the ergodicity of the model with immigration is also given.
THE (IN)STABILITY OF DEMOCRACY
Authors: Ghosal Sayantan , Proto Eugenio
Published: May 2022

How stable are democracies? Building on Ghosal and Proto (2009,Journal of Public Economics, 93, 1078–1089), the conditions under which democracies are stable are analyzed. How these conditions relate to the threat of the rise of right wing populism poses to democracies is discussed.
Late Pleistocene aeolian deposition and human occupation on the eastern edge of the deglacial corridor, northeastern Alberta, Canada
Authors: Woywitka Robin , Froese Duane , Lamothe Michel , Wolfe Stephen
Published: May 2022

The lower Athabasca River basin in northeastern Alberta contains one of the highest known concentrations of prehistoric archaeological sites in the boreal forests of western Canada. This is due to the combination of readily available sources of lithic raw material stone near a major travel corridor, and extensive archaeological survey conducted in advance of oil sands mining. Typological studies have proposed immediate post-glacial occupations that were contemporaneous with, or immediately followed, the catastrophic glacial Lake Agassiz flood through the area at the end of the Pleistocene. Here, we complement the typology age estimates by using stratigraphic relations and infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) dating of aeolian material to determine the age of initial human occupation, and reconstruct the environment encountered by early inhabitants of the region. We find that the first occupations in our study area took place near the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary (ca. 11.3 ± 0.8 ka BP), shortly after catastrophic flooding from Lake Agassiz. The post-flood environment was dominated by cold climatic conditions that supported permafrost, presumably during the late Pleistocene, and underwent significant aeolian deposition. Our results indicate that this area represents a portion of the eastern edge of the deglacial corridor into which plants, animals, and humans dispersed following retreat of the Laurentide Ice Sheet.
Saccocoelioides kirchnerin. sp. (Digenea: Haploporidae) from the killifishCnesterodon decemmaculatus(Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae) from Argentina, morphological and molecular description
Authors: Martorelli S.R. , Montes M.M. , Barneche J. , Cardarella G. Reig , Curran S.S.
Published: May 2022

This paper presents a new haploporid digenean that expands the number of species ofSaccoccoelioidesto 27. The new species,Saccocoelioides kirchnerin. sp. was collected from the intestine ofCnesterodon decemmaculatus(Poeciliidae: Cyprinodontiformes) from Lago del Bosque, La Plata, Argentina. The new species possesses the diagnostic features forSaccocoelioides: a sac like ceca; the vitellarium confined in two irregular groups of follicles distributed between the ventral sucker and the anterior margin of the testis; and a uterus confined largely in the hind-body, but encroaching into the range of the ventral sucker. The new species is differentiated from the 26 congeners by the body size, pharynx size, ventral sucker size, posterior extent of ceca, posterior extent of uterus and egg size.S. kirchnerin. sp. also is supported by the molecular analysis.
Care-giving burden and life satisfaction among family care-givers of disabled older adults in China: the moderator role of care-giver wisdom
Authors: Lu Nan , Lou Vivian W. Q.
Published: May 2022

Care-giving to older adults with disabilities could lead to relatively high levels of care-giving burden and low levels of life satisfaction among their family care-givers. However, there is a lack of research examining the role of care-giver wisdom in the above stress process model. This study examined the moderator role of wisdom in the relationship between care-giver burden and life satisfaction among family care-givers of disabled older adults in urban China. A multi-stage quota sampling method was used to recruit 789 disabled older adult–family care-giver dyads in Shanghai in 2013. The average age of older adults and their family care-givers was 84 and 63 years old, respectively. Multiple-group path analysis was conducted to examine the proposed hypotheses. The results showed that care-giver wisdom played a moderator role in the association between care-giver burden and life satisfaction. Care-giver burden was found to only negatively affect life satisfaction among care-givers with relatively low wisdom levels. The findings highlight the influences of care-giver wisdom on the relationship between burden and life satisfaction in Chinese contexts. The concept of wisdom should be used in needs assessment among family care-givers of older adults with disabilities. Future social interventions should focus on promoting care-givers' capacities of reflective thinking, their understandings of reality and their feelings of compassion.
Political Targeting in Democracies
Authors: Lawson Chappell
Published: May 2022

Democratic erosion—the undermining of republican government by a leader with authoritarian tendencies—depends on the improper use of the state apparatus of the state against opponents (“political targeting”). Because political targeting sometimes falls into a legally gray area, and because officials have some maneuvering room in how to respond to the orders they receive, their preferences matter. In the United States, officials’ behavior seems to be most influenced by a) the professional risks of refusing improper orders, b) normative obligations to uphold the rule of law and to act ethically, and c) attitudes toward the leader. These factors are, in turn, largely a function of 1) how officials are selected and 2) the extent of oversight and procedural checks they face. These findings have potentially broad implications for democratic erosion.
Foldscope: Increasing Science Accessibility Worldwide
Authors: Moreno-Roman Paola , Bobick Katie
Published: May 2022

Foldscope Instruments, Inc. creates and distributes low-cost, high-quality scientific tools to communities around the world to help advance education, research, and medical diagnostics. The Foldscope—a high-quality microscope created for less than a dollar in parts—was created in 2015. To date, the Foldscope has reached 1.6 million people worldwide in over 160 countries. A few notable uses for the Foldscope include identification of microscopic eggs of agricultural pests in India, creation of a catalog of the biodiversity of soil arthropods in the Amazon, detection of fake currency and medicine, following toxic blooms, detection of bacteria in water samples, and mapping of pollen diversity in a city landscape.
Microscopy Society of America Focused Interest Groups: A Historical (and Personal) Perspective
Authors: Maleeff Beverly E.
Published: May 2022

“A Focused Interest Group (FIG) is a group of not less than ten MSA members who have organized, with the approval of MSA Council, to promote a specific discipline relevant to microscopy or microanalysis.” – mission statement from the FIG guidelines.
Describing Callous Unemotional Traits and Stressful Life Event Trajectories: Differences on Risk Factors and Mental Health Outcomes from the Age of 3 to 10
Authors: Pueyo Natalia , Navarro José-Blas , De La Osa Núria , Penelo Eva , Ezpeleta Lourdes
Published: May 2022

Callous Unemotional (CU) traits are associated with different environmental risk factors, such as negative stressful life events (SLE). The most common studied SLE associated with CU trait has been childhood maltreatment, but less is known about how other SLE impact the development of CU traits. Therefore, this work examines risk factors, personal factors (executive functioning), and mental health outcomes associated with the trajectories of Callous Unemotional (CU) traits and Stressful Life Events (SLE) in a community sample of children. A cohort of 377 preschoolers were followed up between ages 3 and 10. Several risk factors and outcomes for three trajectory groups (high CU/SLE; high CU/low SLE; and the reference group with low CU/SLE) were analyzed by using multiple post-hoc comparisons. We hypothesized that children with high CU/SLE would face more contextual risk factors, more executive functioning difficulties and more mental health problems than children with high CU/low SLE or the reference group. At the age of 3, children who showed high CU/SLE faced more early contextual adversity, including socioeconomic difficulties and maternal antisocial behavior than the other groups of children. At the age of 10, children with high CU/SLE presented more peer problems and higher psychopathology symptoms than the reference group, but no differences on mental health outcomes in comparison to the high CU/low SLE group. These results have potential implications for clinical practice and studies attempting to identify different CU subtypes in children.
Iron Limitation Drives the Globally Extreme Fluorescence/Chlorophyll Ratios of the Southern Ocean
Authors: Schallenberg Christina , Strzepek Robert F. , Bestley Sophie , Wojtasiewicz Bozena , Trull Thomas W.
Published: May 2022

The ratio between fluorescence (F) and chlorophyll‐a (Chl)—where fluorescence is measured with a saturating fluorometer—is variable in the world's oceans, with the highest ratios and highest variability observed in the Southern Ocean. While species composition and Chl packaging per cell are strong drivers for the observed variability, additional factors, including iron limitation, have to this date not specifically been evaluated. Radiometers on biogeochemical (BGC)‐Argo floats allow for an independent estimate of Chl concentration that is based on the light attenuation coefficient, Kd. Making use of 4,000 radiometry profiles from BGC‐Argo floats in the Southern Ocean, we estimate Chl based on Kd and investigate the variability in F/Chl. Our analysis reveals a positive correlation between F/Chl and a proxy for iron limitation based on non‐photochemical quenching dynamics. The strong influence of iron limitation on F/Chl is further corroborated by data from Southern Ocean phytoplankton cultures.
Tides, Stratification, and Counter Rotation: The German Bight ROFI in Comparison to Other Regions of Freshwater Influence
Authors: Kopte Robert , Becker Marius , Holtermann Peter , Winter Christian
Published: May 2022

The characteristics of tidal velocity profiles and their relation to stratification are investigated based on high‐resolution field data collected at four locations in the German Bight Region of Freshwater Influence (ROFI) in the North Sea. The deployments each include two to three tidal cycles and were conducted during field campaigns in August 2016 and May 2018. The depth‐averaged semidiurnal tidal motion is dominated by a standing wave directed toward the coast, but modified by a smaller, coast‐parallel progressive wave contribution. The time series of the tidal velocity profiles consistently show tidal asymmetries with higher flood than ebb velocities near the surface and counter‐clockwise rotation of the velocity trajectories at depth. Near the surface, phase‐locked periodic changes in the sense of rotation within the tidal cycle are evident for three deployments, resulting in periodic counter‐rotation of the upper and lower layer. During these episodes, stratification of the water column is observed. Counter‐rotation is initiated after a sudden decoupling developing from the surface downward, with subsequent rapid development of stratification and velocity shear. The observed decoupling is most likely triggered by advection of the plume‐induced lateral surface density gradient by weakly sheared ebb currents toward the study site. Due to the dominance of the standing wave in the German Bight ROFI, the observed intra‐tidal variations of stratification are more similar to the Liverpool Bay and differ significantly from the Rhine ROFI, where the tidal dynamics are controlled by a progressive Kelvin wave.
Large‐Scale Troughs on Asteroid 4 Vesta Accommodate Opening‐Mode Displacement
Authors: Cheng Hiu Ching Jupiter , Klimczak Christian
Published: May 2022

Asteroid 4 Vesta hosts two sets of enormous troughs, Divalia Fossae that encircle two‐thirds of the equator and Saturnalia Fossae located in the northern hemisphere. These troughs were interpreted as grabens, thus invoking faulting. The trough sizes, their linear arrangement, and overall morphology leave no doubt that their origin is tectonic, but structures other than faults have not been considered. To test if they are fault‐related or formed by accommodating opening‐mode displacement (i.e., jointing) without subsequent shear, we investigate the map patterns, cross‐sectional geometries, and variations of relief and width along the trough lengths. Relief and width could relate to the vertical displacement of faults and aperture of joints, respectively, and they therefore reveal differences in fracturing behavior. We analyzed six major troughs on Vesta, four belonging to Divalia Fossae, and two to Saturnalia Fossae. No map patterns are diagnostic of faulting or jointing. For each pair of trough‐bounding scarps, the maximum relief does not lie at the trough center, and the two maxima occur at different positions along the trough. In contrast, troughs are widest near the centers of the troughs. These characteristics are inconsistent with graben formation but are consistent with jointing. Furthermore, rock‐mechanical calculations that account for Vesta's low gravitational acceleration and degree of fracturing reveal that faulting is not favored to be initiated at depths above at least ∼3 but as much as 55 km within Vesta's lithosphere. Therefore, jointing or mixed‐mode fracturing, both involving opening‐mode displacements, are more plausible fracturing mechanisms for the Divalia Fossae.
Vertical Shears of Horizontal Winds in the Lower Thermosphere Observed by ICON
Authors: England Scott L. , Englert Christoph R. , Harding Brian J. , Triplett Colin C. , Marr Kenneth , Harlander John M. , Swenson Gary R. , Maute Astrid , Immel Thomas J.
Published: May 2022

Vertical shears of horizontal winds play an important role in the dynamics of the upper atmosphere. Prior observations have indicated that these shears predominantly occur in the lower thermosphere. MIGHTI observations from the Ionospheric Connection Explorer indicate that strong wind shears are a common feature of the lower thermosphere between 100–130 km, varying greatly between orbits. This work focuses on these strong shears, and examines their occurrences, horizontal scales and underlying organization. The wind shears can persist for 1000s km horizontally. Over a large data set, no preferred direction for the strong wind shears is found. The shears that persist for a short horizontal extent are slightly larger in amplitude and more numerous than those that persist across large horizontal scales. The altitude at which the strongest shears occur, regardless of the horizontal extent, show a downward progression with local time, following the climatological winds and upward propagating tides.
Dilution of Boundary Layer Cloud Condensation Nucleus Concentrations by Free Tropospheric Entrainment During Marine Cold Air Outbreaks
Authors: Tornow F. , Ackerman A. S. , Fridlind A. M. , Cairns B. , Crosbie E. C. , Kirschler S. , Moore R. H. , Painemal D. , Robinson C. E. , Seethala C. , Shook M. A. , Voigt C. , Winstead E. L. , Ziemba L. D. , Zuidema P. , Sorooshian A.
Published: May 2022

Recent aircraft measurements over the northwest Atlantic enable an investigation of how entrainment from the free troposphere (FT) impacts cloud condensation nucleus (CCN) concentrations in the marine boundary layer (MBL) during cold‐air outbreaks (CAOs), motivated by the role of CCN in mediating transitions from closed to open‐cell regimes. Observations compiled over eight flights indicate predominantly far lesser CCN concentrations in the FT than in the MBL. For one flight, a fetch‐dependent MBL‐mean CCN budget is compiled from estimates of sea‐surface fluxes, entrainment of FT air, and hydrometeor collision‐coalescence, based on in‐situ and remote‐sensing measurements. Results indicate a dominant role of FT entrainment in reducing MBL CCN concentrations, consistent with satellite‐observed trends in droplet number concentration upwind of CAO cloud‐regime transitions over the northwest Atlantic. Relatively scant CCN may widely be associated with FT dry intrusions, and should accelerate cloud‐regime transitions where underlying MBL air is CCN‐rich, thereby reducing regional albedo.
On the Asymmetry of the Tropical Pacific Thermocline Fluctuation Associated With ENSO Recharge and Discharge
Authors: Li Xiaofan , Hu Zeng‐Zhen , Zhao Sen , Ding Ruiqiang , Zhang Banglin
Published: May 2022

The El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) plays a crucial role in a successful climate prediction at seasonal‐interannual time scales. One of the challenges of forecasting the ENSO is from the non‐cyclical feature, which is linked to the ocean heat discharge and recharge processes of the equatorial Pacific. We note that there are appreciable differences in both the intensities and spatial patterns associated with preceding thermocline fluctuation in the tropical Pacific between the recharge and discharge phases of ENSO. Preceding thermocline anomalies in the western and central deep tropical Pacific contribute to the recharge phase of ENSO, while preceding thermocline anomalies in the western (eastern) tropical Pacific have a positive (negative) contribution to the discharge phase of ENSO. The contrastive connections with the preceding thermocline fluctuation are mainly due to the asymmetric wind stress anomalies associated with El Niño and La Niña.
Flowrate Time Series Processing in Engineering Tools for Water Distribution Networks
Authors: Ferreira Bruno , Carriço Nelson , Barreira Raquel , Dias Tiago , Covas Dídia
Published: May 2022

The current paper presents a comprehensive methodology for processing unevenly (and evenly) spaced flowrate time series for subsequent use in engineering tools, such as the calibration of hydraulic models or the detection and location of leaks and bursts. The methodology is a four‐step procedure: (a) anomaly identification and removal, (b) short‐duration gap reconstruction, (c) time step normalization, and (d) long‐duration gap reconstruction. The time step normalization is carried out by a numerical procedure prior to the reconstruction process. This reconstruction process uses a pattern model coupled with regression techniques (i.e., autoregressive integrated moving average and exponential smoothing). The methodology is calibrated using Monte Carlo simulations applied to a water utility flowrate time series and validated with two additional time series from different water utilities. Obtained results demonstrate that the proposed methodology can process flowrate time series from water supply systems with different characteristics (e.g., consumption pattern, data acquisition system, transmission settings) both for normal operating conditions and during the occurrence of abnormal events (e.g., pipe bursts). This methodology is a very useful tool for the daily management of water utilities, preparing the time series to be used in different engineering tools, namely, hydraulic simulation, model calibration or online burst detection.
Experimental method for haplotype phasing across the entire length of chromosome 21 in trisomy 21 cells using a chromosome elimination technique
Authors: Wakita Sachiko , Hara Mari , Kitabatake Yasuji , Kawatani Keiji , Kurahashi Hiroki , Hashizume Ryotaro
Published: May 2022

Modern sequencing technologies produce a single consensus sequence without distinguishing between homologous chromosomes. Haplotype phasing solves this limitation by identifying alleles on the maternal and paternal chromosomes. This information is critical for understanding gene expression models in genetic disease research. Furthermore, the haplotype phasing of three homologous chromosomes in trisomy cells is more complicated than that in disomy cells. In this study, we attempted the accurate and complete haplotype phasing of chromosome 21 in trisomy 21 cells. To separate homologs, we established three corrected disomy cell lines (ΔPaternal chromosome, ΔMaternal chromosome 1, and ΔMaternal chromosome 2) from trisomy 21 induced pluripotent stem cells by eliminating one chromosome 21 utilizing the Cre-loxP system. These cells were then whole-genome sequenced by a next-generation sequencer. By simply comparing the base information of the whole-genome sequence data at the same position between each corrected disomy cell line, we determined the base on the eliminated chromosome and performed phasing. We phased 51,596 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on chromosome 21, randomly selected seven SNPs spanning the entire length of the chromosome, and confirmed that there was no contradiction by direct sequencing.
Calreticulin enhances gastric cancer metastasis by dimethylating H3K9 in the E-cadherin promoter region mediating by G9a
Authors: Wang Lina , Chen Jun , Zuo Qianfei , Wu Chunmei , Yu Ting , Zheng Pengfei , Huang Hui , Deng Jun , Fang Lichao , Liu Huamin , Li Chenghong , Yu Peiwu , Zou Quanming , Zheng Junsong
Published: May 2022

The latest study shows that gastric cancer (GC) ranked the fifth most common cancer (5.6%) with over 1 million estimated new cases annually and the fourth most common cause of cancer death (7.7%) globally in 2020. Metastasis is the leading cause of GC treatment failure. Therefore, clarifying the regulatory mechanisms for GC metastatic process is necessary. In the current study, we discovered that calreticulin (CALR) was highly expressed in GC tissues and related to lymph node metastasis and patient’s terrible prognosis. The introduction of CALR dramatically promoted GC cell migration in vitro and in vivo, while the repression of CALR got the opposite effects. Cell migration is a functional consequence of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and is related to adhesion of cells. Additionally, we observed that CALR inhibition or overexpression regulated the expression of EMT markers (E-cadherin, ZO-1, Snail, N-cadherin, and ZEB1) and cellular adhesive moleculars (Fibronectin, integrin β1and MMP2). Mechanistically, our data indicated that CALR could mediate DNA methylation of E-cadherin promoter by interacting with G9a, a major euchromatin methyltransferase responsible for methylation of histone H3 on lysine 9(H3K9me2) and recruiting G9a to the E-cadherin promoter. Knockdown of G9a in CALR overexpressing models restored E-cadherin expression and blocked the stimulatory effects of CALR on GC cell migration. Taken together, these findings not only reveal critical roles of CALR medicated GC metastasis but also provide novel treatment strategies for GC.
The EXPANDER-1 trial: introduction of the novel Urocross™ Expander System for treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
Authors: Woo Henry H. , Huang Chi-Ping , Huang William J. , Chang Yi-Huei , Lien Chi-Shun , Chkhotua Archil , Elterman Dean S.
Published: May 2022

Purpose

To demonstrate the safety and feasibility of the Urocross Expander System (formerly branded as XFLO Expander System), an implantable nitinol tissue expander to trea t patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Materials and methods

Men of 50 years or older were eligible to participate in the international, prospective, three-arm, open-label EXPANDER-1 trial if they had a prostate volume between 30 and 80 cc, prostatic urethra length between 20 and 60/80 mm, international prostate symptom score (IPSS) > 13, peak urinary flow (Qmax) < 12 mL/s, post-void residual (PVR) urine volume < 250 mL and quality of life (QoL) score ≥ 3. Patients had pre-assigned implant indwell times (1, 6, and 12 months for Arm-1, Arm-2 and Arm-3 respectively) with follow-up through 6 months (Arm-1) and 3 years (Arm-2 and Arm-3) post-retrieval.

Results

Outcome from treated subjects with their 6-month post-retrieval will be presented in this manuscript, as data collection from longer-term follow-up is ongoing. As of May 24, 2021, 39 and 22 men (mean age: 65), respectively, had implants successfully deployed and retrieved without any complications. No cases of implant encrustation were observed. Device- and procedure-related adverse events were predominantly mild to moderate in severity. Three SAEs were reported. Only one patient required catheterization post-implant for more than three days. Improvements in clinical parameters such as IPSS, QoL, PVR and Qmax as well as sexual function were observed.

Conclusions

Preliminary results demonstrate that the Urocross Expander System is a feasible and safe procedure for treating BPH/LUTS. A strong signal of efficacy justifies further evaluation of this PRostatic Urethral Expansion (PURE) procedure. Negative features of earlier generations of prostatic implants such as biocompatibility, migrations and encrustation have possibly been overcome.
The antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of cannabinoids in chronic unpredictable stress: a preclinical systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Reuveni Noa , Carlson Cole A. , Schwartz Sarah , Meter Diana , Barrett Tyson S. , Freeman Sara M.
Published: May 2022

Neuroscience research presents contradictory evidence in support of both the protective and destructive effects of cannabinoids in depression. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis summarizes the existing preclinical literature on the effects of cannabinoid administration in the chronic unpredictable stress model of depression in order to evaluate the effects of cannabinoids and identify gaps in the literature. After protocol registration (PROSPERO #CRD42020219986), we systematically searched Scopus, Embase, Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection, APA PsychINFO, PubMed, CINAHL Complete, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global from the earliest record of the databases, February 1964, to November 2020 for articles that met inclusion criteria (e.g., rodent subjects and administration of a cannabinoid. A total of 26 articles were included representing a sample size estimate of 1132 rodents with the majority of articles administering daily intraperitoneal injections during chronic unpredictable stress. These articles were evaluated using a modified SYRCLE’s risk-of-bias tool. For each continuous behavioral measure, the standardized mean difference was calculated between cannabinoid and vehicle groups in rodents subjected to chronic unpredictable stress. The effects of cannabinoids on depressive-like behavior was evaluated using a multilevel mixed-effects model with effect size weights nested within control groups. Cannabinoid administration moderately improved the pooled negative effects of chronic unpredictable stress on anhedonia, learned helplessness, novelty suppressed feeding, time in the anxiogenic context, and entries into the anxiogenic context. Although the interpretations are limited, these findings suggest that with further investigation, cannabinoids may be a viable long-term treatment for stress-related psychopathologies such as depression.
Effectiveness, immunogenicity, and safety of COVID-19 vaccines for individuals with hematological malignancies: a systematic review
Authors: Piechotta Vanessa , Mellinghoff Sibylle C. , Hirsch Caroline , Brinkmann Alice , Iannizzi Claire , Kreuzberger Nina , Adams Anne , Monsef Ina , Stemler Jannik , Cornely Oliver A. , Bröckelmann Paul J. , Skoetz Nicole
Published: May 2022

The efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with hematological malignancies (HM) appears limited due to disease and treatment-associated immune impairment. We conducted a systematic review of prospective studies published from 10/12/2021 onwards in medical databases to assess clinical efficacy parameters, humoral and cellular immunogenicity and adverse events (AE) following two doses of COVID-19 approved vaccines. In 57 eligible studies reporting 7393 patients, clinical outcomes were rarely reported and rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection (range 0–11.9%), symptomatic disease (0–2.7%), hospital admission (0–2.8%), or death (0–0.5%) were low. Seroconversion rates ranged from 38.1–99.1% across studies with the highest response rate in myeloproliferative diseases and the lowest in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Patients with B-cell depleting treatment had lower seroconversion rates as compared to other targeted treatments or chemotherapy. The vaccine-induced T-cell response was rarely and heterogeneously reported (26.5–85.9%). Similarly, AEs were rarely reported (0–50.9% ≥1 AE, 0–7.5% ≥1 serious AE). In conclusion, HM patients present impaired humoral and cellular immune response to COVID-19 vaccination with disease and treatment specific response patterns. In light of the ongoing pandemic with the easing of mitigation strategies, new approaches to avert severe infection are urgently needed for this vulnerable patient population that responds poorly to current COVID-19 vaccine regimens.
Structural and biochemical mechanism for increased infectivity and immune evasion of Omicron BA.2 variant compared to BA.1 and their possible mouse origins
Authors: Xu Youwei , Wu Canrong , Cao Xiaodan , Gu Chunyin , Liu Heng , Jiang Mengting , Wang Xiaoxi , Yuan Qingning , Wu Kai , Liu Jia , Wang Deyi , He Xianqing , Wang Xueping , Deng Su-Jun , Xu H. Eric , Yin Wanchao
Published: May 2022

The Omicron BA.2 variant has become a dominant infective strain worldwide. Receptor binding studies show that the Omicron BA.2 spike trimer exhibits 11-fold and 2-fold higher potency in binding to human ACE2 than the spike trimer from the wildtype (WT) and Omicron BA.1 strains. The structure of the BA.2 spike trimer complexed with human ACE2 reveals that all three receptor-binding domains (RBDs) in the spike trimer are in open conformation, ready for ACE2 binding, thus providing a basis for the increased infectivity of the BA.2 strain. JMB2002, a therapeutic antibody that was shown to efficiently inhibit Omicron BA.1, also shows potent neutralization activities against Omicron BA.2. In addition, both BA.1 and BA.2 spike trimers are able to bind to mouse ACE2 with high potency. In contrast, the WT spike trimer binds well to cat ACE2 but not to mouse ACE2. The structures of both BA.1 and BA.2 spike trimer bound to mouse ACE2 reveal the basis for their high affinity interactions. Together, these results suggest a possible evolution pathway for Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 variants via a human-cat-mouse-human circle, which could have important implications in establishing an effective strategy for combating SARS-CoV-2 viral infections.
Multicenter phase II trial of Camrelizumab combined with Apatinib and Eribulin in heavily pretreated patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer
Authors: Liu Jieqiong , Wang Ying , Tian Zhenluan , Lin Ying , Li Hengyu , Zhu Zhaowen , Liu Qiang , Su Shicheng , Zeng Yinduo , Jia Weijuan , Yang Yaping , Xu Shengqiang , Yao Herui , Jiang Wen , Song Erwei
Published: May 2022

In the later-line setting or for patients with PD-L1-negative tumors, immunotherapy-based regimens remain ineffective against advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). In this multicentered phase II trial (NCT04303741), 46 patients with pretreated advanced TNBC were enrolled to receive camrelizumab 200 mg (day 1), and apatinib 250 mg daily, plus eribulin 1.4 mg/m2 (day 1 and 8) on a 21-day cycle until progression, or unacceptable toxicity. Primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) according to RECIST 1.1. Secondary endpoints included toxicities, disease control rate (DCR), clinical benefit rate, progression-free survival (PFS), and 1-year overall survival. With a median of 3 lines of prior chemotherapy in the advanced setting, 17.4% had received PD-1/PD-L1 blockade plus chemotherapy for advanced disease. The ORR was 37.0% (17/46, 95% CI 23.2–52.5). The DCR was 87.0% (40/46, 95% CI 73.7–95.1). Median PFS was 8.1 (95% CI 4.6–10.3) months. Tertiary lymphoid structure was associated with higher ORR. Patients with lower tumor PML or PLOD3 expression had favorable ORR and PFS. PD-L1 status was not associated with ORR/PFS. Grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 19 (41.3%) of 46 patients. Camrelizumab plus apatinib and eribulin shows promising efficacy with a measurable safety profile in patients with heavily pretreated advanced TNBC.
Non-selective distribution of infectious disease prevention may outperform risk-based targeting
Authors: Steinegger Benjamin , Iacopini Iacopo , Teixeira Andreia Sofia , Bracci Alberto , Casanova-Ferrer Pau , Antonioni Alberto , Valdano Eugenio
Published: May 2022

Epidemic control often requires optimal distribution of available vaccines and prophylactic tools, to protect from infection those susceptible. Well-established theory recommends prioritizing those at the highest risk of exposure. But the risk is hard to estimate, especially for diseases involving stigma and marginalization. We address this conundrum by proving that one should target those at high risk only if the infection-averting efficacy of prevention is above a critical value, which we derive analytically. We apply this to the distribution of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) among men-having-sex-with-men (MSM), a population particularly vulnerable to HIV. PrEP is effective in averting infections, but its global scale-up has been slow, showing the need to revisit distribution strategies, currently risk-based. Using data from MSM communities in 58 countries, we find that non-selective PrEP distribution often outperforms risk-based, showing that a logistically simpler strategy is also more effective. Our theory may help design more feasible and successful prevention.
P-selectin mobility undergoes a sol-gel transition as it diffuses from exocytosis sites into the cell membrane
Authors: Hellen Nicola , Mashanov Gregory I. , Conte Ianina L. , le Trionnaire Sophie , Babich Victor , Knipe Laura , Mohammed Alamin , Ogmen Kazim , Martin-Almedina Silvia , Török Katalin , Hannah Matthew J. , Molloy Justin E. , Carter Tom
Published: May 2022

In response to vascular damage, P-selectin molecules are secreted onto the surface of cells that line our blood vessels. They then serve as mechanical anchors to capture leucocytes from the blood stream. Here, we track individual P-selectin molecules released at the surface of live endothelial cells following stimulated secretion. We find P-selectin initially shows fast, unrestricted diffusion but within a few minutes, movement becomes increasingly restricted and ~50% of the molecules become completely immobile; a process similar to a sol-gel transition. We find removal of the extracellular C-type lectin domain (ΔCTLD) and/or intracellular cytoplasmic tail domain (ΔCT) has additive effects on diffusive motion while disruption of the adapter complex, AP2, or removal of cell-surface heparan sulphate restores mobility of full-length P-selectin close to that of ΔCT and ΔCTLD respectively. We have found P-selectin spreads rapidly from sites of exocytosis and evenly decorates the cell surface, but then becomes less mobile and better-suited to its mechanical anchoring function.
Structural variant-based pangenome construction has low sensitivity to variability of haplotype-resolved bovine assemblies
Authors: Leonard Alexander S. , Crysnanto Danang , Fang Zih-Hua , Heaton Michael P. , Vander Ley Brian L. , Herrera Carolina , Bollwein Heinrich , Bickhart Derek M. , Kuhn Kristen L. , Smith Timothy P. L. , Rosen Benjamin D. , Pausch Hubert
Published: May 2022

Advantages of pangenomes over linear reference assemblies for genome research have recently been established. However, potential effects of sequence platform and assembly approach, or of combining assemblies created by different approaches, on pangenome construction have not been investigated. Here we generate haplotype-resolved assemblies from the offspring of three bovine trios representing increasing levels of heterozygosity that each demonstrate a substantial improvement in contiguity, completeness, and accuracy over the currentBos taurusreference genome. Diploid coverage as low as 20x for HiFi or 60x for ONT is sufficient to produce two haplotype-resolved assemblies meeting standards set by the Vertebrate Genomes Project. Structural variant-based pangenomes created from the haplotype-resolved assemblies demonstrate significant consensus regardless of sequence platform, assembler algorithm, or coverage. Inspecting pangenome topologies identifies 90 thousand structural variants including 931 overlapping with coding sequences; this approach reveals variants affectingQRICH2,PRDM9,HSPA1A,TAS2R46, andGCthat have potential to affect phenotype.