bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of anti‐influenza agents from natural products
Authors: Zhang Zhi‐Jun , Morris‐Natschke Susan L. , Cheng Yung‐Yi , Lee Kuo‐Hsiung , Li Rong‐Tao
Published: July 2020

The influenza pandemic continues to threaten public health due to its high morbidity and mortality rates, despite some successes in antiviral research. Natural drugs are important alternative therapies in the treatment of and recovery from influenza and have been the subjects of intense investigation during the last few decades. Many reports have shown that the development of novel bioactive chemicals extracted from natural drugs has significant advantages. Oseltamivir is a successful case of an anti‐influenza drug synthesized using two natural products, quinic acid, and shikimic acid, as starting materials. In China, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) plays an important role in the treatment of influenza. TCM herbal extracts and prescriptions or their isolated bioactive constituents have shown significant therapeutic and preventive effects against influenza. For example, the roots of Isatis indigotica (Banlangen) fight viral infection by targeting both the virus and the host and have significantly different effects than those of synthetic chemicals. Lianhuaqingwen capsule exerts its anti‐influenza activity by regulating the immune response to interfere with both viral and host reactions and might well be an alternative therapeutic option to treat influenza virus infection. This paper reviews the chemical ingredients, crude extracts, and TCM prescriptions with anti‐influenza activity reported during the period of 2010–September 2019. We hope that this comprehensive review will not only fuel research on anti‐influenza active natural products and TCM research but also provide a promising alternative candidate for further anti‐influenza drug development.
Adult‐onset Krabbe disease due to a homozygous GALC mutation without abnormal signals on an MRI in a consanguineous family: A case report
Authors: Xia Zhou , Wenwen Yin , Xianfeng Yu , Panpan Hu , Xiaoqun Zhu , Zhongwu Sun
Published: July 2020

Background

The most frequent and common form of Krabbe disease (KD) is early‐onset KD in infants, and late‐onset KD has been reported to be a rare disease. In the present study, we reported an adult‐onset KD patient in a consanguineous Chinese family.

Methods

Clinical and radiological data were collected for a family pedigree. The patient was diagnosed with late‐onset KD through next‐generation sequencing. The result was confirmed by Sanger sequencing. GALC enzyme activity was also examined by the colorimetry method. Both the grey matter volume (GMV) and white matter volume values were examined and compared with the average values from ten age‐matched normal controls. Moreover, we reviewed all the available KD studies on PubMed to understand the correlation between the phenotype and genotype of the identified mutation.

Results

The main manifestations of the proband were sudden onset seizures and cognitive decline. Mutation analysis of the GALC revealed a homozygous c.1901T>C mutation in exon 16, which resulted in an amino acid change in p.L634S. Sanger sequencing results showed that the homozygous mutation was inherited from the patient's parents, both of whom were revealed to be heterozygous carriers. Moreover, a decrease in GALC enzyme activity was also detected. However, no abnormal signals were found in the brain MRI. Further structural MRI analysis revealed a significantly decreased GMV in the proband compared to the normal controls. Moreover, it is of interest that all patients with the c.1901T>C mutation had late‐onset KD and were selected from Asian countries, especially Japan and China.

Conclusions

This patient with a homozygous GALC mutation expands the clinical presentation and characteristics of adult‐onset KD, as indicated by grey matter atrophy without abnormal white matter signals.
A coupled system of nonlinear Caputo–Hadamard Langevin equations associated with nonperiodic boundary conditions
Authors: Matar Mohammed M. , Alzabut Jehad , Jonnalagadda Jagan Mohan
Published: July 2020

In this paper, we study the coupled system of nonlinear Langevin equations involving Caputo–Hadamard fractional derivative and subject to nonperiodic boundary conditions. The existence, uniqueness, and stability in the sense of Ulam are established for the proposed system. Our approach is based on the features of the Hadamard fractional derivative, the implementation of fixed point theorems, and the employment of Urs's stability approach. An example is introduced to facilitate the understanding of the theoretical findings.
A deep learning model to predict dose–volume histograms of organs at risk in radiotherapy treatment plans
Authors: Liu Zhiqiang , Chen Xinyuan , Men Kuo , Yi Junlin , Dai Jianrong
Published: July 2020

Purpose

To develop a deep learning‐based model to predict achievable dose–volume histograms (DVHs) of organs at risk (OARs) for automation of inverse planning.

Methods

The model was based on a connected residual deconvolution network (CResDevNet) and compared with UNet as a baseline. The DVHs of OARs are dependent on patient anatomical features of the planning target volumes and OARs, and these spatial relationships can be learned automatically from prior high‐quality plans. The contours of planning target volumes and OARs were parsed from the plan database and used as the input to the model, and the dose–area histograms (DAHs) of the OARs were output from the model. The model was trained from scratch by correlating anatomical features with DAHs of OARs, then accumulating these histograms to obtain the final predicted DVH for each OAR. Helical tomotherapy plans for 170 nasopharyngeal cancer patients were used to train and validate the model. An additional 60 patient treatment plans were used to test the predictive accuracy of the model. The DVHs and dose–volume indices (DVIs) of clinical interest for each OAR in the testing dataset were predicted to evaluate the accuracy of the models. The mean absolute errors in the DVIs for each OAR were calculated using each model and statistically compared using a paired‐samples t‐test. Dice similarity coefficients for areas of the DVHs were also evaluated.

Results

Dose–volume histograms of 21 OARs in nasopharyngeal cancer were predicted using the models. For each patient, 63 DVIs for all OARs were calculated. Using the 60 patient treatment plans in the testing dataset, 79% and 73% of the DVIs predicted using the CResDevNet and UNet models, respectively, were within 5% of the clinical values. The median value of the DVIs’ mean absolute errors was 3.2 ± 2.5% and 3.7 ± 2.9% for the CResDevNet and UNet models, respectively. The average dice similarity coefficient for all OARs was 0.965 using the CResDevNet model and 0.958 using the UNet model.

Conclusions

A deep learning model was developed for predicting achievable DVHs of OARs. The prediction accuracy of the CResDevNet model was evaluated using a planning database of nasopharyngeal cancer cases and shown to be more accurate than the UNet model. Prediction accuracy was also higher for larger‐volume OARs. The model can be used for automation of inverse planning and quality assessment of individual treatment plans.
Detailed 1H and 13C NMR structural assignments of four sesquiterpene lactones isolated from Eremanthus elaeagnus (Asteraceae)
Authors: Ferreira Alexsandro E. , Soares Ana Carolina F. , Pavan Julian C. S. , Kovatch Pedro Y. , Sakamoto Humberto T. , Lopes João L. Callegari , Palaretti Vinícius , Heleno Vladimir C. G.
Published: July 2020

A complete 1H and 13C NMR analysis for a group of four sesquiterpene lactones isolated from Eremanthus elaeagnus (Asteraceae) is described in this work. 1H NMR, 13C {1H} NMR, gCOSY, gHMQC, and gHMBC experiments were performed to provide sufficient structural information to allow an unequivocal assignment. All hydrogen coupling constants were measured, clarifying all hydrogen signal multiplicities.
Physiotherapists' lived experiences of decision making in therapeutic encounters with persons suffering from whiplash‐associated disorder: A hermeneutic phenomenological study
Authors: Hartholt Elles , Vuoskoski Pirjo , Hebron Clair
Published: July 2020

Conceptual discussions related to clinical reasoning and decision making have evolved over the years from biomedical to incorporating more holistic approach to reasoning. Empirical studies exploring clinical reasoning and decision making in physiotherapy practice have mostly focused on aspects of managing persons with low back pain, such as exercise prescription, education and communicating diagnosis. There is a paucity of studies exploring decision making in whiplash‐associated disorder (WAD); thus, the aim of this study was to explore the physiotherapists' lived experiences of decision making related to treating persons with WAD.

A qualitative research design based on hermeneutic phenomenological methodology was used in this study. Five participants (physiotherapists) were purposefully recruited, and data are collected via semistructured interviews, which were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used as a method for analysing the data. Emergent, superordinate and master themes emerged from the data to illuminate the lived experiences under exploration.

Three master themes were identified: (1) sense of collaboration; (2) sense of being out of control; and (3) sense of emotional engagement (subthemes: feeling of satisfaction and feelings of distress and uncertainty).

A sense of collaboration revealed varied meaning related to the role of persons receiving care, suggesting a lack of conceptual clarity related to shared‐decision making. A perceived loss of a sense of being in control was related to experienced emotions, such as feelings of distress and uncertainty. The findings of this study highlight the importance of providing space for reflection and mentoring in the workplace.
Dental caries and isotope studies in the population of Radom (Poland) between the 11th and 19th centuries
Authors: Tomczyk Jacek , Szostek Krzysztof , Lisowska‐Gaczorek Aleksandra , Mnich Barbara , Zalewska Marta , Trzeciecki Maciej , Olczak‐Kowalczyk Dorota
Published: July 2020

This study aims to assess changes in the diet of individuals from Radom (Poland) by applying odontological and physicochemical methods. We evaluated the intensity of dental caries and quality of diet through isotope analyses (δ13C and δ15N). Three consecutive time periods were selected: the early Medieval (EMP, 11th to 12th c.), late Medieval/early Modern (LMP, 14th to 17th c.) and Modern (MP, 18th to19th c.) periods. The dental remains of 247 adult individuals comprising a total of 3,850 permanent teeth were analysed. The intensity of dental caries increased in subsequent historical periods (EMP 38%, LMP 47% and MP 47%). The lowest proportion of terrestrial C3 diet was noted in the oldest EMP population. The LMP and MP were similar in terms of the type of diet. The proportion of the terrestrial C3 component of the diet was 82% and 79% for LMP and MP, respectively. It can be supposed that the EMP population had such a varied diet that cariogenic products (e.g., cereals) were not the basic source of food, thus slowing down the development of dental caries. Later, there was a clear increase in the cariogenic factor(s) between the EMP and LMP, and this may have been related to the intensification of agricultural production.
Psychometric and Validity Issues in Machine Learning Approaches to Personality Assessment: A Focus on Social Media Text Mining
Authors: Tay Louis , Woo Sang Eun , Hickman Louis , Saef Rachel M.
Published: July 2020

In the age of big data, substantial research is now moving toward using digital footprints like social media text data to assess personality. Nevertheless, there are concerns and questions regarding the psychometric and validity evidence of such approaches. We seek to address this issue by focusing on social media text data and (i) conducting a review of psychometric validation efforts in social media text mining (SMTM) for personality assessment and discussing additional work that needs to be done; (ii) considering additional validity issues from the standpoint of reference (i.e. ‘ground truth’) and causality (i.e. how personality determines variations in scores derived from SMTM); and (iii) discussing the unique issues of generalizability when validating SMTM for personality assessment across different social media platforms and populations. In doing so, we explicate the key validity and validation issues that need to be considered as a field to advance SMTM for personality assessment, and, more generally, machine learning personality assessment methods. © 2020 European Association of Personality Psychology
Synthesis and characterization of highly soluble wholly aromatic polyamides containing both furanyl and phenyl units
Authors: Yu Zuolong , Deng Ru , Rao Guiwei , Lu Yanyu , Wei Yunxiao , Fu Changchun , Yan Xiaoping , Cao Fei , Zhang Deyong
Published: July 2020

This paper presents the synthesis and characterization of two series of polymeric compounds comprising eight furan‐based polyamides prepared via melt polycondensation at low temperatures using various combinations of five aromatic raw materials. The chemical and physical structures and thermal stabilities of the obtained polyamides were investigated by various characterization methods. In addition, the polyamides were subjected to solubility testing in five common organic solvents. The results showed that the proposed furan‐based polyamides possessed thermal stabilities similar to those of conventional high‐performance aromatic polyamides, but with greatly improved solubility. Accordingly, the introduction of furan groups increased the solubility of the polyamides with respect to the solubility of their individual precursors, which is highly advantageous for subsequent polyamide processing and expanding their range of potential applications.
Minimality and identifiability of discrete‐time switched autoregressive exogenous systems
Authors: Petreczky M. , Bako L. , Lecoeuche S. , Motchon K. M. D.
Published: July 2020

This article studies the problem of minimality and identifiability for switched autoregressive exogenous (SARX) systems. We propose formal definitions of the concepts of identifiability and minimality for SARX models. Based on these formalizations, we derive conditions for minimality and identifiability of SARX systems. In particular, we show that polynomially parameterized SARX systems are generically identifiable.
Analysis of robustness of homogeneous systems with time delays using Lyapunov‐Krasovskii functionals
Authors: Efimov D. , Aleksandrov A.
Published: July 2020

This article is devoted to stability analysis of homogeneous time‐delay systems applying the Lyapunov‐Krasovskii theory, and a generic structure of the functional is given that suits for any homogeneous system of nonzero degree (and can also be used for any dynamics admitting a homogeneous approximation). The obtained stability conditions are utilized to evaluate the domain of attraction for the delayed twisting control algorithm.
Comparing publicly available databases to evaluate soil organic carbon in Maine, USA
Authors: Bai Xue , Fernandez Ivan J.
Published: July 2020

Elevated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have resulted in growing societal interest in natural climate solutions that include enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC). This study evaluated SOC from three USDA soil databases for Maine, a state that is nearly 90% forested. These databases were: (1) Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA), (2) NRCS Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO), and (3) Rapid Carbon Assessment (RaCA). We compared estimates of SOC density and concentration among databases and analyzed relationships between key soil properties and SOC densities and concentrations. Estimates of SOC density to a 20 cm depth which allows comparison among all three databases were 77 ± 1.2 Mg ha−1, 95 ± 0.3 Mg ha−1, and 39 ± 2.2 Mg ha−1 for SSURGO, RaCA, and FIA, respectively. Significant differences existed among databases in SOC density at shallow depth increments, and marked differences existed among databases in the soil depths measured. Analysis of the influence of soil texture and drainage class on SOC highlighted the importance of silt and clay in SOC retention. A hypothetical increase in forest and agricultural SOC was compared to reported Maine GHG emissions to illustrate potential policy implications in the use of soil databases. We conclude that all three databases are valuable but not interchangeable. The database should be carefully chosen to match the objectives of the user.
Factors that foster and deter STEM professional development among teachers
Authors: Affouneh Saida , Salha Soheil , Burgos Daniel , Khlaif Zuheir N. , Saifi Abdel G. , Mater Naela , Odeh Ahmed
Published: July 2020

The present study seeks to identify teachers' perceptions regarding STEM teaching professional development and to identify the factors that facilitate or hinder the success of teachers' professional development. The participants of the study were 35 teachers. A qualitative approach was used for data collection by conducting semistructured interviews with 11 teachers out of 35. All the participants were involved in the three focus group sessions. The findings of the study revealed that teachers have various perceptions toward the STEM professional development based on their experience, knowledge, and skills. Moreover, the study revealed different factors influencing STEM professional development among teachers including personal characteristics and internal factors including attitudes and beliefs toward STEM professional development activities, and teachers' capacity. Also, external factors such as design of the training program, availability of training material, and timing of training. The findings of the study could benefit the decision‐makers to be aware about these factors that influence professional development and the teachers' needs.
Digitally Driven Micro‐display System Based on Bit‐plane Compression
Authors: Song Yuansheng , Chen Yuansheng , Chen Wendong , Mu Tingzhou , Ji Yuan
Published: July 2020

The requirements for the resolution and refresh rate of micro‐displays in virtual reality applications are getting higher and higher. High resolution and high refresh rates mean that massive amounts of data will be transmitted, which will undoubtedly put tremendous pressure on bandwidth. To solve this problem, this paper considers the application scenarios of digitally driven micro‐displays in the field of virtual reality and proposes a compression scheme based on bit‐plane. On the one hand, the traditional just noticeable difference model is improved. A just noticeable difference model suitable for bit‐plane and virtual reality applications is established. On the other hand, combined with the correlation of video data, white block skipping encoding is optimized to achieve bit‐plane compression. Based on the proposed scheme, this paper builds a digitally driven micro‐ display system based on bit‐plane compression with FPGA as the core. The effectiveness of the system is verified by lighting a digitally driven silicon‐based OLED micro‐display. The experimental results show that the digitally driven micro‐display system based on bit‐plane compression effectively improves the compression efficiency and reduces the transmission data. The display effect is good, which meets the needs of virtual reality applications.
Study of Transfer‐Printing Technologies for Micro‐LED Displays
Authors: Li Jiayi , Yan Gewei , Luo Bingqing , Liu Zhaojun
Published: July 2020

Micro‐LED is an emerging display technology that has great saturated current, low power consumption, great brightness, and high resolution, it is expected to be the next generation of display technology. However, the commercial application of Micro‐LED still faces some difficulties, one of the most important is mass transfer. Mass transfer is a technology used to transfer millions of micro‐LED pixels from the growing sapphire substrate to the glass substrate for display, and it needs to meet the requirements of high efficiency and precision. Many researchers from companies and universities are working on mass transfer technologies and have proposed some methods, one of which is the elastomer stamp micro‐transfer‐printing technology based on adhesion. In this paper, we will review the representative mass transfer technologies and study the basic principles of micro‐transfer‐printing technology and review different implementation methods.
Investigation of Volumetric Three‐Dimensional Display Technologies
Authors: Yan Gewei , Li Jiayi , Zhao Chenxi , Lu Zengxiang , Liu Zhaojun
Published: July 2020

The three‐dimensional display is an important future land for the display industry. To reach a three‐dimensional display, several methods have been improved. For volumetric three‐dimensional display, due to a physical three‐dimensional display volume, the three‐dimensional image can provide an all‐around viewing without wearing any equipment. This article reviews several volumetric display methods using solid‐state volumetric display technology, free‐space volumetric technology, swept volume display technology combined with light field display technology. We discuss the benefits of using various display mediums and structure for a good performance in different situations.
A general method for elicitation, imputation, and sensitivity analysis for incomplete repeated binary data
Authors: Tompsett Daniel , Sutton Stephen , Seaman Shaun R. , White Ian R.
Published: July 2020

We develop and demonstrate methods to perform sensitivity analyses to assess sensitivity to plausible departures from missing at random in incomplete repeated binary outcome data. We use multiple imputation in the not at random fully conditional specification framework, which includes one or more sensitivity parameters (SPs) for each incomplete variable. The use of an online elicitation questionnaire is demonstrated to obtain expert opinion on the SPs, and highest prior density regions are used alongside opinion pooling methods to display credible regions for SPs. We demonstrate that substantive conclusions can be far more sensitive to departures from the missing at random assumption (MAR) when control and intervention nonresponders depart from MAR differently, and show that the correlation of arm specific SPs in expert opinion is particularly important. We illustrate these methods on the iQuit in Practice smoking cessation trial, which compared the impact of a tailored text messaging system versus standard care on smoking cessation. We show that conclusions about the effect of intervention on smoking cessation outcomes at 8 week and 6 months are broadly insensitive to departures from MAR, with conclusions significantly affected only when the differences in behavior between the nonresponders in the two trial arms is larger than expert opinion judges to be realistic.
Sensitivity analysis of treatment effect to unmeasured confounding in observational studies with survival and competing risks outcomes
Authors: Huang Rong , Xu Ronghui , Dulai Parambir S.
Published: July 2020

No unmeasured confounding is often assumed in estimating treatment effects in observational data, whether using classical regression models or approaches such as propensity scores and inverse probability weighting. However, in many such studies collection of confounders cannot possibly be exhaustive in practice, and it is crucial to examine the extent to which the resulting estimate is sensitive to the unmeasured confounders. We consider this problem for survival and competing risks data. Due to the complexity of models for such data, we adapt the simulated potential confounder approach of Carnegie et al (2016), which provides a general tool for sensitivity analysis due to unmeasured confounding. More specifically, we specify one sensitivity parameter to quantify the association between an unmeasured confounder and the exposure or treatment received, and another set of parameters to quantify the association between the confounder and the time‐to‐event outcomes. By varying the magnitudes of the sensitivity parameters, we estimate the treatment effect of interest using the stochastic expectation‐maximization (EM) and the EM algorithms. We demonstrate the performance of our methods on simulated data, and apply them to a comparative effectiveness study in inflammatory bowel disease. An R package “survSens” is available on CRAN that implements the proposed methodology.
Conductive Metal–Organic Frameworks: Design, Synthesis, and Applications
Authors: Meng Haibing , Han Ying , Zhou Chenhui , Jiang Qinyuan , Shi Xiaofei , Zhan Chenhao , Zhang Rufan
Published: July 2020

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have aroused worldwide interest over the last two decades due to their various excellent properties, such as porosity, modifiability, stability, etc. Based on these unique features, they have been widely exploited for applications from electrocatalysis to electrochemical devices. However, most MOFs are inherently insulated due to the lack of free charge carriers and low‐energy barriers for charge transfer, which largely restricts their further electrochemical applications. By imparting MOFs with electrical conductivity, their electrochemical process and catalysis efficiency can be effectively improved. Similarly, their applications in sensors, secondary batteries, electrochemical devices, etc., can be well developed. Over the past few years, many conductive MOFs have been constructed by formatting composite, postsynthesized modification, introducing guest molecules, etc. Meanwhile, their electrochemical applications depending on their good conductivity have been investigated detailedly. However, it remains a challenge to endow most MOFs with high conductivity due to the tedious synthesis process and weak charge transfer properties of MOFs. In this review, the latest designs and synthesis strategies of conductive MOFs as well as their conductive mechanisms are summarized. The direct/postsynthesis methods are mainly focused for constructing conductive MOFs. In addition, their applications in sensors, energy conversion, electronics, etc., are also introduced.
Isatidis Folium alleviates acetaminophen‐induced liver injury in mice by enhancing the endogenous antioxidant system
Authors: Ding Chuan‐Hua , Zhu He
Published: July 2020

Isatidis Folium (IF) has been clinically combined with acetaminophen (APAP), but the rationality of combinational therapy is still ambiguous. In the present study, the protective effect and related mechanism of IF on APAP‐induced hepatotoxicity were evaluated. Hepatic histopathology and blood biochemistry investigations clearly demonstrated that IF could restore APAP‐induced hepatotoxicity. Liver distribution study indicated that the hepatoprotective effect of IF on APAP is attributed to the reduction of N‐acetyl‐p‐benzoquinone imine (NAPQI) in liver, which is a known hepatotoxic metabolite of APAP. Further study suggested the reduction is not via decreasing the generation of NAPQI through inhibiting the enzyme activities of CYP 1A2, 2E1, and 3A4 but via accelerating the transformation of NAPQI to NAPQI‐GSH by promoting GSH and decreasing GSSG contents in liver. Furthermore, IF significantly enhanced the hepatic activities of GSH‐associated enzymes in APAP‐treated mice. In summary, IF could alleviate APAP‐induced hepatotoxicity by reducing the content of NAPQI via enhancing the level of GSH and the followed generation of NAPQI‐GSH which might be ascribed to the upregulation of GSH‐associated enzymes.
Multimodel validation of single wakes in neutral and stratified atmospheric conditions
Authors: Doubrawa Paula , Quon Eliot W. , Martinez‐Tossas Luis A. , Shaler Kelsey , Debnath Mithu , Hamilton Nicholas , Herges Thomas G. , Maniaci Dave , Kelley Christopher L. , Hsieh Alan S. , Blaylock Myra L. , van der Laan Paul , Andersen Søren Juhl , Krueger Sonja , Cathelain Marie , Schlez Wolfgang , Jonkman Jason , Branlard Emmanuel , Steinfeld Gerald , Schmidt Sascha , Blondel Frédéric , Lukassen Laura J. , Moriarty Patrick
Published: July 2020

Previous research has revealed the need for a validation study that considers several wake quantities and code types so that decisions on the trade‐off between accuracy and computational cost can be well informed and appropriate to the intended application. In addition to guiding code choice and setup, rigorous model validation exercises are needed to identify weaknesses and strengths of specific models and guide future improvements. Here, we consider 13 approaches to simulating wakes observed with a nacelle‐mounted lidar at the Scaled Wind Technology Facility (SWiFT) under varying atmospheric conditions. We find that some of the main challenges in wind turbine wake modeling are related to simulating the inflow. In the neutral benchmark, model performance tracked as expected with model fidelity, with large‐eddy simulations performing the best. In the more challenging stable case, steady‐state Reynolds‐averaged Navier–Stokes simulations were found to outperform other model alternatives because they provide the ability to more easily prescribe noncanonical inflows and their low cost allows for simulations to be repeated as needed. Dynamic measurements were only available for the unstable benchmark at a single downstream distance. These dynamic analyses revealed that differences in the performance of time‐stepping models come largely from differences in wake meandering. This highlights the need for more validation exercises that take into account wake dynamics and are able to identify where these differences come from: mesh setup, inflow, turbulence models, or wake‐meandering parameterizations. In addition to model validation findings, we summarize lessons learned and provide recommendations for future benchmark exercises.
Word problems for finite nilpotent groups
Authors: Camina Rachel D. , Iñiguez Ainhoa , Thillaisundaram Anitha
Published: July 2020

Let w be a word in k variables. For a finite nilpotent group G, a conjecture of Amit states that $$N_w(1)\ge |G|^{k-1}$$

N
w

(
1
)

≥

|
G
|

k
-
1

, where for $$g\in G$$

g
∈
G

, the quantity $$N_w(g)$$

N
w

(
g
)

is the number of k-tuples $$(g_1,\ldots ,g_k)\in G^{(k)}$$

(

g
1

,
…
,

g
k

)

∈

G

(
k
)

such that $$w(g_1,\ldots ,g_k)={g}$$

w
(

g
1

,
…
,

g
k

)
=
g

. Currently, this conjecture is known to be true for groups of nilpotency class 2. Here we consider a generalized version of Amit’s conjecture, which states that $$N_w(g)\ge |G|^{k-1}$$

N
w

(
g
)

≥

|
G
|

k
-
1

for g a w-value in G, and prove that $$N_w(g)\ge |G|^{k-2}$$

N
w

(
g
)

≥

|
G
|

k
-
2

for finite groups G of odd order and nilpotency class 2. If w is a word in two variables, we further show that the generalized Amit conjecture holds for finite groups G of nilpotency class 2. In addition, we use character theory techniques to confirm the generalized Amit conjecture for finite p-groups (p a prime) with two distinct irreducible character degrees and a particular family of words. Finally, we discuss the related group properties of being rational and chiral, and show that every finite group of nilpotency class 2 is rational.
Ethnic variations in duration of untreated psychosis: report from the CRIS-FEP study
Authors: Oduola Sherifat , Craig Tom K. J. , Morgan Craig
Published: July 2020

Objectives

There is inconsistent evidence on the influence of ethnicity on duration of untreated psychosis (DUP). We investigated ethnic differences in DUP in a large epidemiological dataset of first episode psychosis patients in an inner city area of south London, UK.

Methods

We analysed data on 558 first episode psychosis patients at the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, between 2010 and 2012. We performed multivariable logistic regression to estimate the odds of a short DUP (≤ 6 months) by ethnic group, controlling for confounders.

Results

There was no evidence that ethnicity is associated with duration of untreated psychosis. However, we found evidence that a short DUP was strongly associated with age, living circumstances, and pathways to care variables (involuntary admission, out of office hour contact, accident and emergency referral, criminal justice agency referral and family involvement in help-seeking). Conversely, a long DUP was associated with report of social isolation, living alone, being single and General Practitioner referral.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that indicators of social isolation were associated with long DUP. Our data also show that pathways into care characteristics play significant role in DUP. Thus, the challenge of tackling the issue of timely access to EI under the new Access and Waiting Time standard for psychosis requires a multilevel approach, including joint working with communities, public awareness of psychosis, less restrictive referral pathways and adequate resourcing of early intervention for psychosis services. These will go a long way in addressing patients’ needs rather than be determined by service structures.
Pericentromere clustering in Tradescantia section Rhoeo involves self-associations of AT- and GC-rich heterochromatin fractions, is developmentally regulated, and increases during differentiation
Authors: Golczyk Hieronim , Limanówka Arleta , Uchman-Książek Anna
Published: July 2020

A spectacular but poorly recognized nuclear repatterning is the association of heterochromatic domains during interphase. Using base-specific fluorescence and extended-depth-of-focus imaging, we show that the association of heterochromatic pericentromeres composed of AT- and GC-rich chromatin occurs on a large scale in cycling meiotic and somatic cells and during development in ring- and bivalent-forming Tradescantia spathacea (section Rhoeo) varieties. The mean number of pericentromere AT-rich domains per root meristem nucleus was ca. half the expected diploid number in both varieties, suggesting chromosome pairing via (peri)centromeric regions. Indeed, regular pairing of AT-rich domains was observed. The AT- and GC-rich associations in differentiated cells contributed to a significant reduction of the mean number of the corresponding foci per nucleus in relation to root meristem. Within the first 10 mm of the root, the pericentromere attraction was in progress, as if it was an active process and involved both AT- and GC-rich associations. Complying with Rabl arrangement, the pericentromeres preferentially located on one nuclear pole, clustered into diverse configurations. Among them, a strikingly regular one with 5–7 ring-arranged pericentromeric AT-rich domains may be potentially engaged in chromosome positioning during mitosis. The fluorescent pattern of pachytene meiocytes and somatic nuclei suggests the existence of a highly prescribed ring/chain type of chromocenter architecture with side-by-side arranged pericentromeric regions. The dynamics of pericentromere associations together with their non-random location within nuclei was compared with nuclear architecture in other organisms, including the widely explored Arabidopsis model.
Detrital zircon provenance of Carboniferous sandstones of the Variscan Externides (SW Poland) – record of the eastern Variscides exhumation
Authors: Zagórska Urszula , Kowalska Sylwia , Sláma Jiří , Dziubińska Beata , Wolański Krzysztof
Published: July 2020

The Variscan Externides in the area of south-western Poland (the basement of the Fore-Sudetic Monocline), are considered an extension of the Rheno-Hercynian Zone of the Variscan Orogen. The Externides are made of Carboniferous siliciclastic sediments, the exact stratigraphic age and provenance of which are not known in detail. To constrain the sedimentary evolution and detritus provenance of the Variscan external belt, eight sandstone samples from boreholes located in the area of SW Poland were selected for petrography, whole rock geochemistry and detrital zircon U–Pb dating. The results show abrupt change in detrital zircon U–Pb provenance, between strata that have been classified as Mississippian (L. Carboniferous) and Pennsylvanian (U. Carboniferous) based on previously published miospore zonation. The Pennsylvanian rocks (from the boreholes of Września-IG1 and Siciny IG1) bear a significant population of zircon grains with Lower Carboniferous ages (350–330 Ma), while such a zircon population is absent in Lower Carboniferous rocks (from the boreholes of Paproć-29 and Kobylin 1). The absence of Moscovian to Asselian zircons that are otherwise known from the adjacent areas with zircon-bearing volcanic activity, suggests that the studied Pennsylvanian sediments represent the lower part of Upper Carboniferous. The presented data indicate abrupt provenance change that occurred in the source areas at the Mississippian—Pennsylvanian turn, and that was probably caused by changes in the tectonic architecture of the Variscan Orogen. This tectonic changeover resulted in exhumation and erosion of the Lower Carboniferous rock complexes and manifested itself by recycling of the Lower Carboniferous zircon into Upper Carboniferous strata.
The Leland–Toft optimal capital structure model under Poisson observations
Authors: Palmowski Zbigniew , Pérez José Luis , Surya Budhi Arta , Yamazaki Kazutoshi
Published: July 2020

This paper revisits the optimal capital structure model with endogenous bankruptcy, first studied by Leland (J. Finance 49:1213–1252, 1994) and Leland and Toft (J. Finance 51:987–1019, 1996). Unlike in the standard case where shareholders continuously observe the asset value and bankruptcy is executed instantaneously without delay, the information of the asset value is assumed to be updated periodically at the jump times of an independent Poisson process. Under a spectrally negative Lévy model, we obtain the optimal bankruptcy strategy and the corresponding capital structure. A series of numerical studies provide an analysis of the sensitivity, with respect to the observation frequency, of the optimal strategies, optimal leverage and credit spreads.
The effectiveness of conservative interventions for the management of syndromic hypermobility: a systematic literature review
Authors: Palmer Shea , Davey Indi , Oliver Laura , Preece Amara , Sowerby Laura , House Sophie
Published: July 2020

Introduction

‘Syndromic hypermobility’ encompasses heritable connective tissue disorders such as hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and hypermobility spectrum disorders which are characterised by excessive joint range of motion and pain. Conservative interventions such as exercise are the cornerstone of management, yet their effectiveness is unclear.

Aim

To systematically appraise the effectiveness of conservative management for people with syndromic hypermobility.

Method

A systematic online database search was conducted (AMED, BND, CINAHL Plus, MEDLINE, PEDro, PsychINFO and SportDiscus). Potential articles were assessed for eligibility by two researchers against the following criteria: adults and children with a hEDS/HSD diagnosis (or equivalent diagnosis using specific criteria); non-pharmacological or non-surgical interventions; outcomes related to pain, physical function, psychological well-being or quality of life. Controlled trials and cohort studies were included. Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklists were used to assess methodological quality.

Results

Eleven studies were included, comprising eight controlled trials and three cohort studies. All studies investigated interventions that had exercise as the primary component. Three small controlled studies demonstrated superior effects of conservative management relative to a control group. However, those studies only focused on a single area of the body, only recruited women, and had no long-term follow-up. All studies reported improvements in a wide range of outcomes over time.

Conclusion

Controlled trial evidence for the superiority of conservative management over comparators is weak. There is some evidence that people improve over time. Robust randomised controlled trial research of the long-term effectiveness of ‘whole-body’ (rather than individual joints or body areas) conservative management is required.Key Points• Conservative management is the cornerstone of management of syndromic hypermobility.• The review found that evidence for the effectiveness of conservative management relative to no treatment or other conservative comparators was weak.• However, there was consistent evidence for effectiveness from pre- to post-treatment.• Further robust randomised controlled trial evidence is required.
Prognostic value of testosterone for the castration-resistant prostate cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Miura Noriyoshi , Mori Keiichiro , Mostafaei Hadi , Quhal Fahad , Sari Motlagh Reza , Abufaraj Mohammad , Pradere Benjamin , Aydh Abdulmajeed , Laukhtina Ekaterina , D’Andrea David , Saika Takashi , Shariat Shahrokh F.
Published: July 2020

Introduction

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the prognostic value of testosterone in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).

Materials and methods

PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were systematically searched until December 2019, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Review and Meta-analysis statement. The endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Results

We identified 11 articles with 4206 patients for systematic review and nine articles with 4136 patients for meta-analysis. Higher testosterone levels were significantly associated with better OS (pooled HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.58–0.95) and better PFS (pooled HR 0.51, 95% CI 0.30–0.87). Subgroup analyses based on the treatment type revealed that higher testosterone levels were significantly associated with better OS in CRPC patients treated with androgen receptor-targeted agents (ARTAs) (pooled HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.55–0.75), but not in those treated with chemotherapy (pooled HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.53–1.14).

Conclusion

This meta-analysis demonstrated that the PFS and OS were significantly greater in patients with CRPC in those with higher testosterone levels than that of those with lower testosterone levels. In the subgroup analyses, lower testosterone levels were a consistently poor prognostic factor for OS in patients treated with ARTAs, but not in those treated with chemotherapy. Therefore, higher testosterone levels could be a useful biomarker to identify patient subgroups in which ARTAs should be preferentially recommended in the CRPC setting.
Farmer-led approaches to increasing tree diversity in fields and farmed landscapes in Ethiopia
Authors: Derero Abayneh , Coe Richard , Muthuri Catherine , Hadgu Kiros M. , Sinclair Fergus
Published: July 2020

Increasing tree cover and managing trees better on farms in Ethiopia supports livelihoods and the environment but most tree-planting schemes promote only a few species. This research aimed to understand farmers’ tree planting priorities in Oromia, Ethiopia and address challenges involved in meeting them. Tree species and planting niches were elicited through focus group discussions. Participatory trials compared 17 tree species across seven on-farm planting niches and seedling survival and growth patterns were evaluated. Farmers suggested a high diversity of tree species suitable for each niche with fruit species mainly selected for homesteads. The diversity of desired tree species is much higher than that typically available in nurseries or promoted by tree planting projects. Meeting planting demands was difficult because the existing seedling supply does not support diversity. Evaluation of tree survival showed striking differences among species, farms, agroecologies and planting niches. There was high variation in seedling survival amongst the tree species planted on 1893 farm/planting niche locations, indicating impact of local level risk factors attributable to management, biotic and abiotic causes. Growth differences of the six shared species common to both agroecologies across different niches, showed that the effects of species and niche were significant on growth. A farmer-led approach to increasing tree cover that couples understanding of species and planting niche preferences with appropriate seedling supply and management is proposed as a means to increase the diversity of trees in farmed landscapes.
DP structure and internally headed relatives in Washo
Authors: Hanink Emily A.
Published: July 2020

This paper contributes to recent lines of inquiry addressing the nature of indices in definite expressions. The primary language of investigation is Washo, a North American isolate spoken in the western United States. Building on previous claims about the structure of anaphoric definites, I propose a unified analysis of the Washo DP that lends novel evidence to the claim that indices are best thought of as syntactic objects in their own right, independent from D. The structurally encoded index—introduced by a headidx—is shown to be overtly realized by the morphemegi/gein both pronouns and demonstratives, as well as at the periphery of internally headed relative clauses, which are themselves complex DPs. An important aspect of this proposal is the argument that idx can play two related semantic roles: The semantic index it hosts can be interpreted either as a variable, as previously proposed for familiar definites, or itself as avariable binder. The availability of the latter explains the appearance ofgi/gein internally headed relatives. I show moreover that the exponence of idx in Washo is sensitive to the type of complement it takes, a proposal that makes sense of the observed distribution ofgi/gein a range of definite expressions.
17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) limits the impact of ibuprofen upon respiration by streambed biofilms in a sub-urban stream
Authors: McClean Peter , Hunter William Ross
Published: July 2020

Pharmaceutical compounds such as the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen and the artificial estrogen 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) are contaminants of emerging concern in freshwater systems. Globally, human pharmaceutical use is growing by around ~ 3% per year; yet, we know little about how interactions between different pharmaceuticals may affect aquatic ecosystems. Here, we test how interactions between ibuprofen and EE2 affect the growth and respiration of streambed biofilms. We used contaminant exposure experiments to quantify how these compounds affected biofilm growth (biomass), respiration, net primary production (NPP) and gross primary production (GPP), both individually and in combination. We found no effects of either ibuprofen or EE2 on biofilm biomass (using ash-free dry mass as a proxy) or gross primary production. Ibuprofen significantly reduced biofilm respiration and altered NPP. Concomitant exposure to EE2, however, counteracted the inhibitory effects of ibuprofen upon biofilm respiration. Our study, thus, demonstrates that interactions between pharmaceuticals in the environment may have complex effects upon microbial contributions to aquatic ecosystem functioning.
Microglia: A Central Player in Depression
Authors: Deng Si-long , Chen Jian-guo , Wang Fang
Published: July 2020

Microglia are the major immune cells in the central nervous system and play a key role in the normal function of the brain. Microglia exhibit functional diversity, and they control the inflammation in central nervous system through releasing inflammatory cytokine, clearing apoptotic cells via phagocytosis, regulating synaptic plasticity and the formation of neural network by synapse pruning. Recent studies have strongly indicated that the microglial dysfunction is associated with a variety of neuropsychiatric diseases such as depression, which have been termed as “microgliopathy”. The emergency of advanced technologies and tools has enabled us to comprehensively understand the role of microglia in physiology and pathology, and growing studies have targetted microglia to explore the treatment of neuropsychiatric diseases. Here, we describe the key progress of microglia research, and review the recent developments in the understanding of the role of microglia in physiology and etiology of depression.