bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
When increasing risk perception does not work. Using behavioral psychology to increase smoke alarm ownership
Authors: Jansen Patty , Snijders Chris , Willemsen Martijn C.
Published: December 2023

The central question of our study is which determinants drive smoke alarm ownership and intention to purchase one, and whether we can increase smoke alarm ownership by addressing these determinants in a communication‐based intervention. We first made an inventory of possible determinants for smoke alarm prevention by consulting prominent prevention behavior theories protection motivation theory and Health Belief Model and other relevant literature. We expanded this list of determinants based on interviews (n = 15) and used survey data representative for the Netherlands to decide to focus on smoke alarm ownership (rather than installation or maintenance). We then tested the determinants of smoke alarm ownership and buying intention in a survey (n = 622). Based on these results, we ran an A/B test (n = 310) of two messages to stimulate smoke alarm ownership: one emphasized the determinants we found to be strong predictors in the survey (know‐how, social norm, annoyance) and one emphasized typical determinants that are often addressed in campaigns but were poor predictors in the survey (vulnerability, severity, benefits). Results showed that the message based on the strong determinants resulted in a significant increase in smoke alarm ownership (9.1%) compared to the control group (0.9%; p = 0.027), while the message using the typical determinants did not lead to significant effects. Taken together, our results give a promising direction for interventions to increase smoke alarm ownership, and above all, show that a comprehensive problem analysis for a specific target behavior is a necessary step to induce behavioral change.
3D‐seismic evidence for thick‐skinned tectonics in a ‘classic’ thin skinned tectonics region (external Alpine foreland, Switzerland)
Authors: Schöpfer Kateřina , Decker Kurt , Nazari Fatemeh , Madritsch Herfried
Published: December 2023

The north‐western Alpine foreland in Switzerland and France comprises the Late Miocene Jura Mountains, considered a type example for thin‐skinned thrusting where deformation of the sedimentary cover is decoupled from the basement along a regional basal detachment. To what extent basement faults were involved during its deformation is a matter of debate. We use 3D seismic data to investigate the deformation style along the easternmost tip of the Jura range in unprecedented detail. Here, basement‐rooted normal faults were not only repeatedly reactivated before thrust belt formation but also contemporaneously active as reverse/transpressional faults. They either propagated up into the Mesozoic succession without interruption (‘hard linkage’) or apparently controlled the localisation of Mesozoic faults via smaller‐scale shear zones (‘soft linkage’). Our analysis of the resulting fault geometries questions the existence of a large‐scale basal detachment in this area and points out the importance of thick‐skinned fault reactivation.
Closing the Rent Index Gap – A Quantitative Approach to Rental‐Sector Gentrification
Authors: Banabak Selim
Published: December 2023

This paper advocates for a greater emphasis on supply sided concepts such as the rent gap in the empirical operationalizations of gentrification. It provides a novel framework to identify rental‐sector gentrification areas through index construction by drawing on insights from the gentrification, rent gap, price index and hedonic regression literatures. The approach is highly adaptable to a variety of regulatory contexts and other housing market idiosyncrasies through the design of the underlying regression model. Drawing on data from the city of Vienna, local rent changes and their relationship to price‐effective transformations of the rental housing supply are quantified. After computing the respective indices, bivariate mapping is utilized to identify potential gentrification areas.
The operational and financial impact of adding anaerobic screening of platelets
Authors: Rios Jorge , Webb Jonathan , Dy Beth , Young Pampee P.
Published: December 2023

Background and Objectives

We evaluated the operational and safety impact of implementing anaerobic culture screening of apheresis and pooled platelets at the American Red Cross on the already established use of the aerobic culture screening of each donation performed no sooner than 24 h following collection.

Materials and Methods

Platelets were screened for bacterial contamination with the BACT/ALERT 3D® (bioMérieux, Durham, NC) microbial detection testing system. The addition of anaerobic culture to the already existing aerobic culture resulted in sampling an additional 8–10 mL from each donation.

Results

Implementation of anaerobic testing resulted in an approximate 3.5‐fold increased rate of False Positive BACT/ALERT alarms. There was a modest increase in the rate of True Positive alarms of 1.4‐fold with increased detection of Klebsiella and Propionibacterium species, including Cutibacterium acnes. In addition, there was an approximate 3.5‐fold increase rate of False Positives and a 13.5‐fold increase rate of Indeterminates, the majority (~57%) were due to Cutibacterium acnes. The combined costs and lost revenue associated with adding anaerobic screening increased by ~$1,000,000/year due to testing cost and product discards.

Conclusion

The addition of anaerobic culture to aerobic culture to the original donation (without the introduction of sampling delay) resulted in a significant increase in the rate of alerts. The 40% increased rate of True Positive alarms may have modestly improved platelet safety. However, there was a disproportionate increase in the rate of False Positive and Indeterminate bacterial culture alarms, which added substantial cost and overall loss of platelet products.
Influence of light, nutrients, and soil moisture on the growth and resource allocation of Arundo donax
Authors: Herod Megan , Martina Jason
Published: December 2023

Understanding how invasive species respond to changes in abiotic factors and what influences their ability to colonise newly disturbed areas is necessary to predict species expansion, prioritise management efforts, and develop ecological models. We conducted a fully factorial greenhouse experiment using rhizome fragments to examine the effects of four nutrients levels, three soil moisture levels, and two light levels (with five replicates, n = 120) on the growth and resource allocation patterns of Arundo donax, a large‐statured invasive wetland species. We predicted that A. donax's performance‐related traits—traits that directly influence the functionality and fitness of an individual—such as aboveground biomass (AGB), belowground biomass (BGB), net photosynthesis, and average stem height, would be highest under high light, high soil moisture and high nutrient conditions due to the ability of aggressive invasive species to capitalise on greater resource availability. Analyses using general linear mixed‐effects models revealed significant interactions between soil moisture and light. Plants grown in saturated, high light conditions exhibited the highest values for performance‐related traits. However, contrary to predictions, nutrients did not significantly influence these traits. Multivariate analysis of variance demonstrated that nutrients did influence biomass allocation patterns, with plants grown with added nitrogen and phosphorus displaying higher AGB:BGB and stem:leaf ratios. This research highlights A. donax's unique response to nutrient addition and the plasticity of biomass allocation patterns. By understanding how invasive species respond to common abiotic factors, we can better predict their expansion and prioritise management efforts, such as focusing on areas of low overstory shading, while also providing crucial information for ecological model development.
The Thermal Conductivity of Insulating and Other Materials
Authors: Taylor T. S.
Published: December 2023

Despite the fact that numerous thermal-conductivity measurements have been made, but very few data are available for such materials as are used in the construction of electrical machinery. To further investigate this field the author accordingly conducted a series of tests based upon two methods, both of which are explained in detail in this paper. The results obtained are tabulated for such materials as fish paper, fuller board, cambric, mica tape, various kinds of woods, asbestos, plate glass sheet steel, wool felt, etc.
An Improved Decoupled Finite Element Analysis Method of Ultra-Large Offshore Wind Turbine Subjected to Combined Wind–Wave Actions
Authors: Lu Dongzhe , Wang Wenhua , Li Xin
Published: December 2023

Owing to the simplification of the wind turbine, it is difficult to accurately simulate the interaction between the rotor system and the supporting structure using the decoupling finite element method. Therefore, when using this method for safety assessment and dynamic response research of the offshore wind turbine (OWT), there is a deviation between the simulation result and the real response of the OWT. In this study, an improved decoupled finite element analysis method is proposed based on a theoretical derivation. A simplified finite element model of a 10 MW jacket OWT with an equivalent substructure was established, and the dynamic response of the OWT under wind and waves was studied. By comparing the results of the fully coupled analysis method and the traditional finite element method, the applicability of the traditional finite element analysis method to the dynamic analysis of an OWT under typical winds and waves is discussed. The limitations of using the traditional finite element method to study or evaluate an OWT complex dynamic system were revealed, and the effectiveness and applicability of the improved method proposed in this study were qualitatively and quantitatively verified. Subsequently, based on the proposed improved decoupled finite element analysis method, a numerical calculation corresponding to a fully coupled test was performed. Compared with the numerical results obtained by the traditional finite element method, the improved decoupled finite element method proposed in this study obtained more consistent results with the fully coupled test.
Semi-Active Groundhook Control of Offshore Tension Leg Platforms Using Tuned Mass Damper With Optimized Parameters and Magneto-Rheological Damper Under Multiple Hazards
Authors: Patra Suryasish , Das Diptesh
Published: December 2023

The purpose of the current study is to recommend an offshore tension leg platform (TLP) semi-active control system to lessen vibrations caused by various risks, such as the wind load and regular and irregular waves. State-of-the-art indicates that there has not been much study on semi-active management of offshore TLPs exposed to numerous hazards while taking into account system nonlinearities and employing a control method that is resilient to uncertainty. An augmented velocity–displacement-based groundhook (AVDB-GH) semi-active control scheme using magneto-rheological (MR) dampers, which is an improvement over the displacement-based groundhook (DB-GH) control algorithm, is proposed. The proposed controller uses a semi-active tuned mass damper (SATMD) consisting of a passive tuned mass damper (TMD) and two semi-active MR dampers as the control devices. Constrained nonlinear optimization is used to determine the SATMD's optimized parameters in order to produce the best control performance. A significant reduction in surge response of TLP is observed both in the time domain and the frequency domain. Compared to the SATMD using the usual DB-GH algorithm, the suggested control strategy more successfully decreases the key response variables—deck displacement, power spectral density, and acceleration. The effectiveness of the controller is better for regular waves than for irregular waves and wind forces. Because the performance of the controller is unaffected by changes in the mass and stiffness of the TLP, the controller can be regarded as robust.
Tribological Behavior and Mechanism of Surface-Modified Mullite as Polyurea Grease Additive
Authors: Qiang He , Li Guotao , Du Zhicai , Ren Shuaiyang , Xu Zehua , Xu Yuan
Published: December 2023

The excellent tribological performance of nanoparticles as additives in lubricating greases has attracted widespread attention. In this study, a silane coupling agent (KH550) was used to chemically modify nanoscale mullite (composed of Al2O3 and SiO2), and the modified nano-KH-mullite was dispersed as an additive in polyurea grease at different ratios (0.01, 0.05, 0.07, 0.1, and 0.3 wt%). The friction and wear performance of the compound polyurea greases were evaluated using a four-ball friction tester. Professional instruments will be utilized to analyze the micro-morphology, 3D profile, elemental content, and valence state of the worn surface, aiming to investigate the lubrication and antiwear mechanism of the nano-KH-mullite additive. The results indicate that nano-mullite effectively improves the antiwear and antifriction performance of the polyurea grease. When the additional content is 0.05 wt%, the friction coefficient (COF) and the wear scar diameter (WSD) are reduced by approximately 19.97% and 11.1%, respectively, and the roughness of the worn surface is also reduced. The excellent tribological performance of the composite grease is attributed not only to the good dispersibility of KH-mullite but also to its ability to promote the formation of a composite lubrication film on the friction pair surface. The component KH-Al2O3 in the KH-mullite can fill and repair scratches and grooves on the worn surface, while the other component KH-SiO2 can bear the load and convert the friction mode to rolling friction.
On the Role of Friction Modifier Additives in the Oil Control Ring and Piston Liner Contact
Authors: Tomlinson Kate , Davison Sam , King Paul , Howell-Smith Sebastian , Slatter Tom , Morris Nick
Published: December 2023

In-cylinder internal combustion engine parasitic frictional losses continue to be an area of interest to improve efficiency and reduce emissions. This study investigates the frictional behavior at the oil control ring–cylinder liner conjunction of lubricants with anti-wear additives, varying dispersant concentration, and a range of friction modifiers. Experiments are conducted at a range of temperatures on a cylinder liner with a nickel silicon carbide coating. A novel motored reciprocating tribometer, with a complete three-piece oil control ring and cylinder liner, was used to isolate the friction at the segment–liner interfaces. Four lubricants were tested, three with the same 3% dispersant concentration and 1% zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate (ZDDP) anti-wear additive: the first with no friction modifier, the second with inorganic friction modifier (molybdenum dithiocarbamates), and the third with organic friction modifier (amide). A fourth lubricant with an organic friction modifier with a 9% dispersant concentration was tested to compare the effect of the level of dispersant with the friction modifier. Results indicate that the inorganic friction modifier reduces friction comparatively to the other lubricants, showing the importance of friction modifier selection with anti-wear additives.
General Design and Analysis Information
Authors:   Commentary Task Group
Published: December 2023

The design examples are taken from projects carried out by Scanscot Technology AB during 1992-2008, except for the one shown in Figure 6 that is taken from the paper “Increased plastic strains in containment steel liners due to concrete cracking and discontinuities in the containment structure”, P. Anderson and O. Jovall, presented at 19th SMiRT Conference, August 2007.
Design
Authors:   Commentary Task Group
Published: December 2023

The code presents criteria for the design of a safe, reliable nuclear power plant containment. These criteria have been extrapolated from conventional codes and experience that has been built up through involvement with actual containment designs and testing programs.
Front Matter
Authors:   Commentary Task Group
Published: December 2023

This frontmatter contains the Dedication, Contents, Acknowledgments, Contents, References and Introduction. It is available for access by clicking on the PDF icon below.

eBook keywords: nuclear, containment, structures, concrete, reinforced, steel, stresses, stress, loads, pressure, standards, codes, anchors, liners, forces, impact, tendon.
Blending Physical Activity, Fitness, and Health and Public Health in Kinesiology
Authors: Ainsworth Barbara
Published: December 2023

Early physical education programs were interested in how exercise and physical fitness can improve student health and well-being. This interest in improving health is a foundational purpose of public health. The emergence of physical activity (PA) as a health-enhancing behavior prompted epidemiologists and researchers to identify associations between PA, morbidity, and mortality and to understand the doses needed to enhance health outcomes. Public health experts convened consensus meetings, agreeing that physical inactivity was a public health problem. PA leaders and educators created workshops to train researchers and public health practitioners in topics on PA and public health. Kinesiology departments have embraced the PA and public health agenda. Eleven kinesiology departments have joined the Schools of Public Health, and some offer degrees or concentrations in PA and public health. Most kinesiology departments not in a School of Public Health offer undergraduate courses in PA, fitness, and health, blending kinesiology and public health topics.
Oxidation of iron by giant impact and its implication on the formation of reduced atmosphere in the early Earth
Authors: Choi Jinhyuk , Husband Rachel J. , Hwang Huijeong , Kim Taehyun , Bang Yoonah , Yun Seohee , Lee Jeongmin , Sim Heehyeon , Kim Sangsoo , Nam Daewoong , Chae Boknam , Liermann Hanns-Peter , Lee Yongjae
Published: December 2023

Giant impact–driven redox processes in the atmosphere and magma ocean played crucial roles in the evolution of Earth. However, because of the absence of rock records from that time, understanding these processes has proven challenging. Here, we present experimental results that simulate the giant impact–driven reactions between iron and volatiles (H
2
O and CO
2
) using x-ray free electron laser (XFEL) as fast heat pump and structural probe. Under XFEL pump, iron is oxidized to wüstite (FeO), while volatiles are reduced to H
2
and CO. Furthermore, iron oxidation proceeds into formation of hydrides (γ-FeH

x

) and siderite (FeCO
3
), implying redox boundary near 300-km depth. Through quantitative analysis on reaction products, we estimate the volatile and FeO budgets in bulk silicate Earth, supporting the Theia hypothesis. Our findings shed light on the fast and short-lived process that led to reduced atmosphere, required for the emergence of prebiotic organic molecules in the early Earth.
An observed population of intermediate-mass helium stars that have been stripped in binaries
Authors: Drout M. R. , Götberg Y. , Ludwig B. A. , Groh J. H. , de Mink S. E. , O’Grady A. J. G. , Smith N.
Published: December 2023

The hydrogen-rich outer layers of massive stars can be removed by interactions with a binary companion. Theoretical models predict that this stripping produces a population of hot helium stars of ~2 to 8 solar masses (
M
☉
), however, only one such system has been identified thus far. We used ultraviolet photometry to identify potential stripped helium stars then investigated 25 of them using optical spectroscopy. We identified stars with high temperatures (~60,000 to 100,000 kelvin), high surface gravities, and hydrogen-depleted surfaces; 16 stars also showed binary motion. These properties match expectations for stars with initial masses of 8 to 25
M
☉
that were stripped by binary interaction. Their masses fall in the gap between subdwarf helium stars and Wolf-Rayet stars. We propose that these stars could be progenitors of stripped-envelope supernovae.
Object lessons
So Much Stuff: How Humans Discovered Tools, Invented Meaning, and Made More of Everything
Chip Colwell
University of Chicago Press, 2023. 304 pp.
Authors: Robb John
Published: December 2023

An anthropologist confronts the history and ubiquity of human-made items
Chasing an equation for awareness
Putting Ourselves Back in the Equation
George Musser
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2023. 336 pp.
Authors: Firestone Chaz , Phillips Ian
Published: December 2023

A writer seeks connections between consciousness and fundamental physics
Breakdowns of the Year
Authors: Mervis Jeffrey , Malakoff David , Service Robert F. , Kupferschmidt Kai
Published: December 2023

What went wrong in the world of science
Phase I study, and dosing regimen selection for a pivotal COVID-19 trial of GST-HG171
Authors: Zhang Hong , Zhou Jing , Chen Hong , Mao John , Tang Yanan , Yan Wenhao , Zhang Tianxiang , Li Chuanjing , Chen Shikui , Li Guoping , Zhang George , Ding Yanhua , Liu Li
Published: December 2023

This study is aimed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics (PK), as well as to select an appropriate dosing regimen for the pivotal clinical trial of GST-HG171, an orally bioavailable, potent, and selective 3CL protease inhibitor by a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled phase I trial in healthy subjects. We conducted a Ph1 study involving 78 healthy subjects to assess the safety, tolerability, and PK of single ascending doses (150–900 mg) as well as multiple ascending doses (MADs) (150 and 300 mg) of GST-HG171. Additionally, we examined the food effect and drug–drug interaction of GST-HG171 in combination with ritonavir through a MAD regimen of GST-HG171/ritonavir (BID or TID) for 5 days. Throughout the course of these studies, no serious AEs or deaths occurred, and no AEs necessitated study discontinuation. We observed that food had no significant impact on the exposure of GST-HG171. However, the presence of ritonavir substantially increased the exposure of GST-HG171, which facilitated the selection of the GST-HG171/ritonavir dose and regimen (150/100 mg BID) for subsequent phase II/III trials. The selected dose regimen was achieved through concentrations continuously at 6.2–9.9-fold above the levels required for protein-binding adjusted 50% inhibition (IC50) of viral replication
in vitro
. The combination of 150 mg GST-HG171/100 mg ritonavir demonstrated favorable safety and tolerability profiles. The PK data obtained from GST-HG171/ritonavir administration guided the selection of appropriate dose for a pivotal phase II/III trial currently in progress. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under identifier NCT05668897).
Wastewater surveillance for bacterial targets: current challenges and future goals
Authors: Philo Sarah E. , De León Kara B. , Noble Rachel T. , Zhou Nicolette A. , Alghafri Rashed , Bar-Or Itay , Darling Amanda , D'Souza Nishita , Hachimi Oumaima , Kaya Devrim , Kim Sooyeol , Gaardbo Kuhn Katrin , Layton Blythe A. , Mansfeldt Cresten , Oceguera Bethany , Radniecki Tyler S. , Ram Jeffrey L. , Saunders Lauren P. , Shrestha Abhilasha , Stadler Lauren B. , Steele Joshua A. , Stevenson Bradley S. , Vogel Jason R. , Bibby Kyle , Boehm Alexandria B. , Halden Rolf U. , Delgado Vela Jeseth
Published: December 2023

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) expanded rapidly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the public health emergency has ended, researchers and practitioners are looking to shift the focus of existing wastewater surveillance programs to other targets, including bacteria. Bacterial targets may pose some unique challenges for WBE applications. To explore the current state of the field, the National Science Foundation-funded Research Coordination Network (RCN) on Wastewater Based Epidemiology for SARS-CoV-2 and Emerging Public Health Threats held a workshop in April 2023 to discuss the challenges and needs for wastewater bacterial surveillance. The targets and methods used in existing programs were diverse, with twelve different targets and nine different methods listed. Discussions during the workshop highlighted the challenges in adapting existing programs and identified research gaps in four key areas: choosing new targets, relating bacterial wastewater data to human disease incidence and prevalence, developing methods, and normalizing results. To help with these challenges and research gaps, the authors identified steps the larger community can take to improve bacteria wastewater surveillance. This includes developing data reporting standards and method optimization and validation for bacterial programs. Additionally, more work is needed to understand shedding patterns for potential bacterial targets to better relate wastewater data to human infections. Wastewater surveillance for bacteria can help provide insight into the underlying prevalence in communities, but much work is needed to establish these methods.

IMPORTANCE

Wastewater surveillance was a useful tool to elucidate the burden and spread of SARS-CoV-2 during the pandemic. Public health officials and researchers are interested in expanding these surveillance programs to include bacterial targets, but many questions remain. The NSF-funded Research Coordination Network for Wastewater Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and Emerging Public Health Threats held a workshop to identify barriers and research gaps to implementing bacterial wastewater surveillance programs.
Diversity and host specificity of
Borrelia burgdorferi
’s outer surface protein C (
ospC
) alleles in synanthropic mammals, with a notable
ospC
allele U absence from mixed infections
Authors: Shifflett Scarlet A. , Ferreira Francisco C. , González Julia , Toledo Alvaro , Fonseca Dina M. , Ellis Vincenzo A.
Published: December 2023

Interactions among pathogen genotypes that vary in host specificity may affect overall transmission dynamics in multi-host systems.
Borrelia burgdorferi
, a bacterium that causes Lyme disease, is typically transmitted among wildlife by
Ixodes
ticks. Despite the existence of many alleles of
B. burgdorferi
’s
sensu stricto
outer surface protein C (
ospC
) gene, most human infections are caused by a small number of
ospC
alleles [“human infectious alleles” (HIAs)], suggesting variation in host specificity associated with
ospC
. To characterize the wildlife host association of
B. burgdorferi
’s
ospC
alleles, we used metagenomics to sequence
ospC
alleles from 68 infected individuals belonging to eight mammalian species trapped at three sites in suburban New Brunswick, New Jersey (USA). We found that multiple allele (“mixed”) infections were common. HIAs were most common in mice (
Peromyscus
spp.) and only one HIA was detected at a site where mice were rarely captured.
ospC
allele U was exclusively found in chipmunks (
Tamias striatus
), and although a significant number of different alleles were observed in chipmunks, including HIAs, allele U never co-occurred with other alleles in mixed infections. Our results suggest that allele U may be excluding other alleles, thereby reducing the capacity of chipmunks to act as reservoirs for HIAs.
IgA coating of vaginal bacteria is reduced in the setting of bacterial vaginosis (BV) and preferentially targets BV-associated species
Authors: Murphy Kerry , Gromisch Matthew , Srinivasan Sujatha , Wang Tao , Wood Lianna , Proll Sean , Liu Congzhou , Fiedler Tina , Valint D. J. , Fredricks David N. , Keller Marla J. , Herold Betsy C.
Published: December 2023

Immunoglobulin (Ig) bacterial coating has been described in the gastrointestinal tract and linked to inflammatory bowel disease; however, little is known about Ig coating of vaginal bacteria and whether it plays a role in vaginal health including bacterial vaginosis (BV). We examined Ig coating in 18 women with symptomatic BV followed longitudinally before, 1 week, and 1 month after oral metronidazole treatment. Immunoglobulin A (IgA) and/or immunoglobulin G (IgG) coating of vaginal bacteria was assessed by flow cytometry, and Ig coated and uncoated bacteria were sorted and characterized using 16S rRNA sequencing. Despite higher levels of IgG compared to IgA in cervicovaginal fluid, the predominant Ig coating the bacteria was IgA. The majority of bacteria were uncoated at all visits, but IgA coating significantly increased after treatment for BV. Despite similar amounts of uncoated and IgA coated majority taxa ( >1% total) across all visits, there was preferential IgA coating of minority taxa (0.2%–1% total) associated with BV including
Sneathia
, several
Prevotella
species, and others. At the time of BV, we identified a principal component (PC) driven by proinflammatory mediators that correlated positively with an uncoated BV-associated bacterial community and negatively with an IgA coated protective
Lactobacillus
bacterial community. The preferential coating of BV-associated species, increase in coating following metronidazole treatment, and positive correlation between uncoated BV-associated species and inflammation suggest that coating may represent a host mechanism designed to limit bacterial diversity and reduce inflammatory responses. Elucidating the role of Ig coating in vaginal mucosal immunity may promote new strategies to prevent recurrent BV.
Draft genome sequence of
Monascus ruber
strain FM39-7
Authors: Yang Lei , Jing Yongfeng , Cheng Zhijun , Huang Ke , Yang Xianhai , Xiang Dong , Hilde LudwigSimaneka Omuwa , Zhang Huilin , Liu Yong
Published: December 2023

In China, certain
Monascus ruber
strains are traditionally used as edible fungi. We sequenced the genome of
M. ruber
FM39-7 strain, an isolate from fermented rice. The genome is 25.89 Mb with a G + C content of 48.86%, containing 8485 annotated genes.
Dissecting components of the
Campylobacter jejuni fetMP-fetABCDEF
gene cluster under iron limitation
Authors: Richardson-Sanchez Tomas , Chan Anson C. K. , Sabatino Brendil , Lin Helen , Gaynor Erin C. , Murphy Michael E. P.
Published: December 2023

Campylobacter jejuni
is a leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. Acute infection can be an antecedent to highly debilitating long-term sequelae. The expression of iron acquisition systems is vital for
C. jejuni
to survive the low iron availability within the human gut. The
C. jejuni fetMP-fetABCDEF
gene cluster is known to be upregulated during human infection and under iron limitation. While FetM and FetP have been functionally linked to iron transport in prior work, here we assess the contribution of each of the downstream genes (
fetABCDEF
) to
C. jejuni
growth during both iron-depleted and iron-replete conditions. Significant growth impairment was observed upon disruption of
fetA
,
fetB, fetC
, and
fetD
, suggesting a role in FetMP-mediated iron acquisition for each encoded protein. FetA expression was not dependent on the presence of FetB, FetC, FetD, FetE, or FetF. The functions of the putative thioredoxins FetE and FetF were redundant under iron-limited growth, requiring a double deletion (Δ
fetEF
) to exhibit a growth defect.
C. jejuni
FetE was expressed, and the structure was solved to 1.50 Å, revealing structural similarity to thiol-disulfide oxidases. Functional characterization in biochemical assays showed that FetE reduced insulin at a slower rate than
Escherichia coli
Trx and that together, FetEF promoted substrate oxidation in cell extracts, suggesting that FetE (and presumably FetF) are oxidoreductases that can mediate oxidation
in vivo
. This study advances our understanding of the contributions of the
fetMP-fetABCDEF
gene cluster to virulence at a genetic and functional level, providing foundational knowledge toward mitigating
C. jejuni
-related morbidity and mortality.

IMPORTANCE

Campylobacter jejuni
is a bacterium that is prevalent in the ceca of farmed poultry such as chickens. Consumption of ill-prepared poultry is thus the most common route by which
C. jejuni
infects the human gut to cause a typically self-limiting but severe gastrointestinal illness that can be fatal to very young, old, or immunocompromised people. The lack of a vaccine and an increasing resistance to current antibiotics highlight a need to better understand the mechanisms that make
C. jejuni
a successful human pathogen. This study focused on the functional components of one such mechanism—a molecular system that helps
C. jejuni
thrive despite the restriction on growth-available iron by the human body, which typically defends against pathogens. In providing a deeper understanding of how this system functions, this study contributes toward the goal of reducing the enormous global socioeconomic burden caused by
C. jejuni
.
Associations of diabetes, hypertension and obesity with COVID-19 mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Li Chaoyang , Islam Nazrul , Gutierrez Juan Pablo , Gutiérrez-Barreto Samuel Eloy , Castañeda Prado Andrés , Moolenaar Ronald L , Lacey Ben , Richter Patricia
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Despite a growing body of scholarly research on the risks of severe COVID-19 associated with diabetes, hypertension and obesity, there is a need for estimating pooled risk estimates with adjustment for confounding effects. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the pooled adjusted risk ratios of diabetes, hypertension and obesity on COVID-19 mortality.

Methods

We searched 16 literature databases for original studies published between 1 December 2019 and 31 December 2020. We used the adapted Newcastle-Ottawa Scale to assess the risk of bias. Pooled risk ratios were estimated based on the adjusted effect sizes. We applied random-effects meta-analysis to account for the uncertainty in residual heterogeneity. We used contour-funnel plots and Egger’s test to assess possible publication bias.

Results

We reviewed 34 830 records identified in literature search, of which 145 original studies were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled adjusted risk ratios were 1.43 (95% CI 1.32 to 1.54), 1.19 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.30) and 1.39 (95% CI 1.27 to 1.52) for diabetes, hypertension and obesity (body mass index ≥30 kg/m2) on COVID-19 mortality, respectively. The pooled adjusted risk ratios appeared to be stronger in studies conducted before April 2020, Western Pacific Region, low- and middle-income countries, and countries with low Global Health Security Index scores, when compared with their counterparts.

Conclusions

Diabetes, hypertension and obesity were associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 mortality independent of other known risk factors, particularly in low-resource settings. Addressing these chronic diseases could be important for global pandemic preparedness and mortality prevention.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42021204371.
Association between alcohol consumption and risk of hyperuricaemia among adults: a large cross-sectional study in Chongqing, China
Authors: Chen Siyu , Ding Rui , Tang Xiaojun , Chen Liling , Luo Qinwen , Xiao Meng , Ding Xianbin , Peng Bin
Published: December 2023

Objective

To investigate the relationship between alcohol consumption and hyperuricaemia (HUA), we conducted a study based on a large population.

Setting

Cross-sectional study.

Participants

A total of 20 833 participants aged 30–79 years were enrolled in the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort, Chongqing region.

Outcomes

The serum level of uric acid, fasting blood glucose and blood lipids were tested. Basic demographic statistics such as age, gender, marital status, education level, family annual income and the detail information of alcohol consumption were collected using a standardised questionnaire.

Results

After controlling for potential confounders, compared with participants who never consumed alcohol, participants who drank 3–5 days per week had the highest risk of HUA (OR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.25 to 1.82) and those who drank alcohol harmfully had the highest risk of HUA (OR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.41 to 2.32). In addition, we found that those who drank moderately had no significant association with risk of HUA. However, among men, compared with participants who never consumed alcohol, those who drank moderately was also a risk factor of HUA (OR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.46) and those who drank alcohol harmfully had the highest risk of HUA (OR: 2.13, 95% CI: 1.64 to 2.78). Compared with participants who drank alcohol moderately, the OR (95% CI) for those who drank alcohol harmfully had the highest risk of HUA was 1.88 (1.42 to 2.48), and the corresponding OR (95% CI) for each level increment in the degree of alcohol consumption was 1.22 (1.12 to 1.33). Among men, compared with participants who drank alcohol moderately, those who drank alcohol harmfully had the highest risk of HUA (OR: 1.93, 95% CI: 1.45 to 2.57), as well as the corresponding OR (95% CI) for each level increment in the degree of alcohol consumption was 1.24 (1.13 to 1.35).

Conclusion

This study suggested that the frequency and degree of alcohol consumption may be the risk factors for HUA, especially in males.
Strong and graded associations between level of asthma severity and all-cause hospital care use and costs in the UK
Authors: Jacobs Anya , Wu Runguo , Tomini Florian , De Simoni Anna , Mihaylova Borislava
Published: December 2023

Background

Hospital admissions account for a large share of the healthcare costs incurred by people with asthma. We assessed the hospital care use and costs associated with asthma severity using the UK Biobank cohort and linked healthcare data.

Methods

Adult participants with asthma at recruitment were classified using their prescription data into mild and moderate-to-severe asthma and matched separately to asthma-free controls by age, sex, ethnicity and location. The associations of asthma, by severity, with the annual number of all-cause hospital admissions, days spent in hospital and hospital costs were estimated over a 10-year follow-up period using three specifications of negative binomial regression models that differed according to the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics adjusted for.

Results

Of the 25 031 participants with active asthma, 80% had mild asthma and 20% had moderate-to-severe asthma. Compared with participants with mild asthma, those with moderate-to-severe asthma were on average 2.7 years older, more likely to be current (13.7% vs 10.4%) or previous (40.2% vs 35.2%) smokers, to have a higher body mass index (BMI), and to be suffering from a variety of comorbid diseases. Following adjustments for age, sex, ethnicity and location, people with mild asthma experienced on average 36% more admissions (95% CI 28% to 40%), 43% more days in hospital (95% CI 35% to 51%) and 36% higher hospital costs (95% CI 31% to 41%) annually than asthma-free individuals, while people with moderate-to-severe asthma experienced excesses of 93% (95% CI 81% to 107%), 142% (95% CI 124% to 162%) and 98% (95% CI 88% to 108%), respectively. Further adjustments for socioeconomic deprivation, smoking status, BMI and comorbidities resulted in smaller though still highly significant positive associations, graded by severity, between asthma and hospital use and costs.

Conclusions

Strong graded associations are reported between asthma severity and the extent of hospital use and costs in the UK. These findings could inform future assessments of the value of asthma management interventions.
Changes in the soil fungal communities of steppe grasslands at varying degradation levels in North China
Authors: Han Qiqi , Chen Yuhang , Li Zichao , Zhang Zhuo , Qin Yuao , Liu Zhongkuan , Liu Guixia
Published: December 2023

The grasslands in North China are rich in fungal resources. However, the knowledge of the structure and function of fungal communities and the role of microbial communities in vegetation restoration and succession are limited. Thus, we used an Illumina HiSeq PE250 high-throughput sequencing platform to study the changing characteristics of soil fungal communities in degraded grasslands, which were categorized as non-degraded (ND), lightly degraded, moderately degraded, and severely degraded (SD). Moreover, a correlation analysis between soil physical and chemical properties and fungal communities was completed. The results showed that the number of plant species, vegetation coverage, aboveground biomass, and diversity index decreased significantly with increasing degradation, and there were significant differences in the physical and chemical properties of the soil among the different degraded grasslands. The dominant fungal phyla in the degraded grassland were as follows: Ascomycota, 44.88%–65.03%; Basidiomycota, 12.68%–29.91%; and unclassified, 5.51%–16.91%. The dominant fungi were as follows: Mortierella, 6.50%–11.41%; Chaetomium, 6.71%–11.58%; others, 25.95%–36.14%; and unclassified, 25.56%–53.0%. There were significant differences in the microbial Shannon–Wiener and Chao1 indices between the ND and degraded meadows, and the composition and diversity of the soil fungal community differed significantly as the meadows continued to deteriorate. The results showed that pH was the most critical factor affecting soil microbial and fungal communities in SD grasslands, whereas soil microbial and fungal communities in ND grasslands were mainly affected by water content and other environmental factors.
Additional Higgs Bosons near 95 and 650 GeV in the NMSSM
Authors: Ellwanger Ulrich , Hugonie Cyril
Published: December 2023

Hints for an additional Higgs boson with a mass of about 95 GeV originate from LEP and searches in the diphoton channel by CMS and ATLAS. A search for resonant production of SM plus BSM Higgs bosons in the diphoton plus $$b\bar{b}$$

b

b

¯

channel by CMS showed some excess for a 650 GeV resonance decaying into the SM Higgs plus a 95 GeV Higgs boson. We investigate whether these phenomena can be interpreted simultaneously within the NMSSM subject to the latest constraints on couplings of the SM Higgs boson, on extra Higgs bosons from the LHC, and on dark matter direct detection cross sections. We find that the hints for a 95 GeV Higgs boson in the diphoton channel by CMS and ATLAS and in the diphoton plus $$b\bar{b}$$

b

b

¯

channel by CMS can be fitted simultaneously within the $$2\,\sigma $$

2

σ

 level.
Review of "Tuning in to Soundwriting by Kyle D. Stedman, Courtney S. Danforth, & Michael J. Faris," Stedman, K. D., Danforth, C. S., & Faris, M. J. (Eds.). (2021). Tuning in to soundwriting. enculturation/Intermezzo. http://intermezzo.enculturation.net/14-stedman-et-al/index.html
Authors: Coulter Andi
Published: December 2023

Sonic rhetoric is still a relatively small field within writing studies. For the uninitiated, the editors define soundwriting as the study and practice of writing recorded texts. As a digital and multimodal text,Tuning in to Soundwritingexplores how aural rhetoric should be given as much consideration as visual and written composition. Building on their 2018 edited collection,Songwriting Pedagogies, editors Kyle D. Stedman, Courtney S. Danforth, and Michael J. Faris explore compositional approaches to soundwriting through interdisciplinary practices. All five chapters are grounded in practical applications showcasing how soundwriting can be a generative approach to composition, allowing students to consider accessibility, technology, and audience reception in meaning making.
Efficient Version Space Algorithms for Human-in-the-loop Model Development
Authors: Palma Luciano Di , Diao Yanlei , Liu Anna
Published: December 2023

When active learning (AL) is applied to help users develop a model on a large dataset through interactively presenting data instances for labeling, existing AL techniques often suffer from two main drawbacks: First, to reach high accuracy they may require the user to label hundreds of data instances, which is an onerous task for the user. Second, retrieving the next instance to label from a large dataset can be time-consuming, making it incompatible with the interactive nature of the human exploration process. To address these issues, we introduce a novel version-space-based active learner for kernel classifiers, which possesses strong theoretical guarantees on performance and efficient implementation in time and space. In addition, by leveraging additional insights obtained in the user labeling process, we can factorize the version space to perform active learning in a set of subspaces, which further reduces the user labeling effort. Evaluation results show that our algorithms significantly outperform state-of-the-art version space strategies, as well as a recent factorization-aware algorithm, for model development over large datasets.
Enhancing Coherence and Diversity in Multi-class Slogan Generation Systems
Authors: Ahmad Pir Noman , Liu Yuanchao , Ullah Inam , Shabaz Mohammad
Published: December 2023

Many problems related to natural language processing are solved by neural networks and big data. Researchers have previously focused on single-task supervised goals with limited data management to train slogan classification. A multi-task learning framework is used to learn jointly across several tasks related to generating multi-class slogan types. This study proposes a multi-task model named slogan generative adversarial network systems (Slo-GAN) to enhance coherence and diversity in slogan generation, utilizing generative adversarial networks and recurrent neural networks (RNN). Slo-GAN generates a new text slogan-type corpus, and the training generalization process is improved. We explored active learning (AL) and meta-learning (ML) for dataset labeling efficiency. AL reduced annotations by 10% compared to ML but still needed about 70% of the full dataset for baseline performance. The whole framework of Slo-GAN is supervised and trained together on all of these tasks. The text with the higher reporting score level is filtered by Slo-GAN, and a classification accuracy of 87.2% is achieved. We leveraged relevant datasets to perform a cross-domain experiment, reinforcing our assertions regarding both the distinctiveness of our dataset and the challenges of adapting bilingual dialects to one another.
Embedding Compression in Recommender Systems: A Survey
Authors: Li Shiwei , Guo Huifeng , Tang Xing , Tang Ruiming , Hou Lu , Li Ruixuan , Zhang Rui
Published: December 2023

To alleviate the problem of information explosion, recommender systems are widely deployed to provide personalized information filtering services. Usually, embedding tables are employed in recommender systems to transform high-dimensional sparse one-hot vectors into dense real-valued embeddings. However, the embedding tables are huge and account for most of the parameters in industrial-scale recommender systems. In order to reduce memory costs and improve efficiency, various approaches are proposed to compress the embedding tables. In this survey, we provide a comprehensive review of embedding compression approaches in recommender systems. We first introduce deep learning recommendation models and the basic concept of embedding compression in recommender systems. Subsequently, we systematically organize existing approaches into three categories: low precision, mixed dimension, and weight sharing. Lastly, we summarize the survey with some general suggestions and provide future prospects for this field.