bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distribution Grid Resource Business Center Integrating Dynamic Migration Algorithm and Lightweight System
Authors: Zhu Haipeng , Zhao Lei , Qin Kun , Li He , Wang Di , Zhang Shiwei
Published: June 2022

The existing power system does not have a unified grid resource management model. The basic data of equipment assets cannot be stored, managed, and maintained in a unified manner. The production systems of different departments are developed by different manufacturers at different times, which leads to the problem of production data silos and high maintenance costs. To solve this problem, a grid resource business middle platform based on State grid-corporation public data model (SG-CIM, CIM) model is designed in this paper. Firstly, the concept and core technology of the middle platform in the power grid resource business are introduced. Then a dynamic data migration strategy based on the FA algorithm is proposed. Finally, the model based on SG-CIM and the application scenario of power transmission and distribution are built and its effectiveness is analyzed.
Algorithm of ant colony optimization (ACO) for 3D variation traveling salesman problem
Authors: Riabko A V , Zaika O V , Kukharchuk R P , Vakaliuk T A , Hordiienko I V
Published: June 2022

The article discusses the solution of the spatial traveling salesman problem (TSP 3D variation) using Ant Colony Optimization (ACO). The traveling salesman problem considers n bridges and a matrix of pairwise distances between them. It is necessary to find such an order of visiting cities so that the total distance traveled was minimal, each city was visited exactly once and the salesman returned to the city from which he began his route. In the TSP 3D variation problem, each “city” has 3 coordinates x, y, z. The analysis of the main methods of solving, in particular, the metaheuristic algorithms to which ACO belongs, is performed. At each iteration of these methods, a new solution of the problem is built, which is based not on one, but several solutions of the population. The ACO uses an idea that is based on collecting statistical information about the best solutions. The program code is implemented in MATLAB. During computational experiments, various network topologies were randomly generated, and the number of iterations at which the optimal cycle was achieved was recorded. The execution time of the code for the TSP 3D task is almost the same as the execution time of TSP 2D. The results can be used for spatial tasks of the salesman (TSP 3D-variation), which arise in the process of 3D printing, planning UAV trajectories (UAV) in mountain conditions or multi-story urban development, road planning in multi-story buildings.
Mathematical model of the base unit of the biotechnical system as a type of edge devices
Authors: Nikitchuk T M , Vakaliuk T A , Andreiev O V , Korenivska O L , Osadchyi V V , Medvediev M G
Published: June 2022

The rapid development of computer biometrics over the past 2-3 decades is largely due to the development and widespread introduction into clinical practice of new methods of studying the human body health, including pulse methods. It is possible to judge changes in hemodynamic characteristics, heart rate and blood flow rate in the studied part of the body based on the parameters of the pulse wave signal. At the same time, the physical processes of formation of the pulse wave shape have not been fully studied, although the number of biophysical models of blood circulation is quite significant. The development of such a model will allow to effectively apply modern developments in digital signal processing to the pulse wave and increase its diagnostic value. Qualitative model of pulse signal can be entrusted to the development of the base unit of the biotechnical system as a type of edge devices. The work is devoted to the improvement of methods of rapid diagnosis of the cardiovascular system based on the analysis of model pulsegrams. An adequate mathematical model of the pulse wave, which corresponds to real pulse signals in different states of the human body and contains mathematical relationships between the main parameters of pulsegrams, has been refined. The algorithm of express diagnostics with the established criteria of the analysis of pulsograms is offered.
Data mining of the healthcare system based on the machine learning model developed in the Microsoft azure machine learning studio
Authors: Klochko O V , Gurevych R S , Nagayev V M , Yu Dudorova L , Zuziak T P
Published: June 2022

This article presents data mining, which is based on the methods of mathematical statistics and machine learning, describes the features of applying regression analysis methods in the machine learning systems. The developed machine learning model includes the regression analysis modules based on the Bayesian linear, artificial neural network, decision tree, decision forest, and linear regressions. In the process of applying this machine learning model, using the mentioned algorithms, the corresponding regression models were constructed and their comparative analysis was performed, the results were analyzed. The results obtained indicate the feasibility of using data mining in the medical research using machine learning systems. The presented methods can serve as a basis for strategic development of a new directions of the medical data processing and decision-making in this field. We have identified the prospects for further research aimed at applying data mining methods to the healthcare system, namely, clustering, classification, anomaly detection.
The effect of the flipped classroom model on quality of the students‘ performance in biology education in high school
Authors: Zupanec V , Vlasic D , Pribicevic T , Lazarevic T
Published: June 2022

This study investigated the effectiveness of flipped classroom model (FC) and traditional classroom model (TC) in Biology on the quality of the high school students‘ performance. The research sample consisted of a total of 280 first grade high school students in Novi Sad, Serbia. The students in the experimental group learned Biology topic through the FC model, whereas the students in the control group were taught the same topic by the TC model. The instruments used in the research (the pretest and the posttest) contained the questions belonging to three different levels of cognitive learning according to the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy. The results indicated that students that were instructed by the flipped classroom in Biology performed better on the posttest as a whole, and in solving the tasks of all three levels of knowledge (remembering, understanding, and applying) than those instructed by the traditional teaching method. On the basis of the obtained results, a grater implementation of FC model in high school biology teaching is recommended as a way of improving the quality of biology teaching in our and other countries over the world and the level of our students‘ digital competencies.
A model of learning the online course “Creative Thinking through Learning Elementary Maths”
Authors: Achkan V V , Vlasenko K V , Chumak O O , Sitak I V , Kovalenko D A
Published: June 2022

The article considers the development of the online educational model “Creative Thinking through Learning Elementary Maths” and the results of the effciency to implement this course for students of the specialization “Mathematics” while learning Elementary Mathematics. The research represents the development of learning materials for the online course posted in free access on the educational platform “Higher School Mathematics Teacher”. The course components (theoretical, practical, and feedback) are focused on the organization of motivated and consistent students’ activity; open and integrative Rich tasks of three levels of complexity. The course participants’ activity, focused on the recognition, classification, solution, creation of Rich tasks, encourages the formation of the main components of creative thinking that include a problem statement, fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration. The first version of the course materials was improved following course users’ wishes, and then the effciency of online course education was checked using an experiment. The analysis of results of the experiment allows concluding about the effciency of the developed model of learning an online course.
STEM education in the context of improving the science and mathematics literacy of pupils
Authors: Hrynevych L M , Khoruzha L L , Rudenko N M , Proshkin V V
Published: June 2022

The article considers the problem of STEM education in the context of improving the quality of science and mathematics literacy of pupils. The results of the monitoring study conducted by the “OsvitAnalityka” Analytical Center of Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University in cooperation with the Kyiv City Educational Agency and the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment are presented. The state of formation of science and mathematical literacy of pupils as the ability to apply knowledge to solve practical problems for the implementation of STEM education has been established. Examples of practice-oriented integrated tasks in geography, chemistry, biology and physics that reveal the possibilities of STEM education are given. The success of the implementation of individual tasks, which involved subject integration and the use of knowledge in practice is analyzed. The most important factors influencing the quality of STEM education are highlighted: professional level of teachers, material and technical and educational-methodical support, motivation of pupils, practice-oriented content of education. As a result of the monitoring study, recommendations were prepared for general secondary education institutions for further implementation of STEM education.
Incorporation of upcycling techniques into technology education
Authors: Shuhailo Ya V , Derkach T M , Shpetna A V , Ustenko T
Published: June 2022

By surveying 95 students studying design and technology in the light industry, the problems in mastering upcycling technologies were explored, and ways to overcome them were outlined. The analysis of existing problems is carried out at three levels - personal perception of upcycling, the formation of relevant skills and knowledge and lack of experience in scaling personal expertise to a business startups level. All respondents are roughly divided into those who practice upcycling frequently and those who do it occasionally. Another 15% of respondents did not decide on their preferences. Respondent attitude, control of behaviour, and behavioural intentions are the most influential factors that encourage upcycling. The influence of social factors, perceived habits and the presence of facilitating conditions is more moderate. Interviewed students have a poor understanding of the benefits of upcycling. Competence for creativity, which is key to mastering upcycling techniques, is absent in educational and professional programs in technology and design. Several examples of possible changes in curricula from 4 disciplines aimed at the formation of creativity are given. The main reasons that complicate the scaling of acquired skills and knowledge in developing business startups with upcycling are analysed. An example of a designed startup is given.
Association of statin pretreatment with presentation characteristics, infarct size and outcome in older patients with acute coronary syndrome: the Elderly ACS-2 trial
Authors: Toso Anna , Morici Nuccia , Leoncini Mario , Villani Simona , Ferri Luca A , Piatti Luigi , Grosseto Daniele , Bossi Irene , Sganzerla Paolo , Tortorella Giovanni , Cacucci Michele , Ferrario Maurizio , Tondi Stefano , Ravera Amelia , Bellandi Francesco , Cavallini Claudio , Antonicelli Roberto , De Servi Stefano , Savonitto Stefano
Published: June 2022

Background

prior statin treatment has been shown to have favourable effects on short- and long-term prognosis in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). There are limited data in older patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of previous statin therapy and presentation characteristics, infarct size and clinical outcome in older patients, with or without atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), included in the Elderly-ACS 2 trial.

Methods

data on statin use pre-admission were available for 1,192 of the 1,443 patients enrolled in the original trial. Of these, 531 (44.5%) were already taking statins. Patients were stratified based on established ASCVD and statin therapy. ACS was classified as non-ST elevation or ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Infarct size was measured by peak creatine kinase MB (CK-MB). All-cause death in-hospital and within 1 year were the major end points.

Results

there was a significantly lower frequency of STEMI in statin patients, in both ASCVD and No-ASCVD groups. Peak CK-MB levels were lower in statin users (10 versus 25 ng/ml, P < 0.0001). There was lower all-cause death in-hospital and within 1 year for subjects with ASCVD already on statins independent of other baseline variables. There were no differences in all-cause death for No-ASCVD patients whether or not on statins.

Conclusions

statin pretreatment was associated with more favourable ACS presentation and lower myocardial damage in older ACS patients both ASCVD and No-ASCVD. The incidence of all-cause death (in-hospital and within 1 year) was significantly lower in the statin treated ASCVD patients.
Plasma ceramides independently predict all-cause mortality in men aged 85+
Authors: Strandberg Timo E , Kivimäki Mika , Urtamo Annele , Jyväkorpi Satu , Laaksonen Reijo
Published: June 2022

Background

assessing cardiovascular and mortality risk with conventional biomarkers is challenging in oldest-old due to multimorbidity and polypharmacy. Ceramides are bioactive lipids shown to predict mortality in late middle-aged cohorts.

Objective

to assess whether plasma ceramides have independent prognostic value for mortality among oldest-old (85+).

Design

longitudinal cohort study (Helsinki Businessmen Study, HBS) with a 3.5-year follow-up.

Setting and subjects

survivors of HBS (125 men born in 1919–1934) visited the clinic for laboratory and clinical examination.

Methods

functional status including physical (short physical performance battery) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) cognitive performance was assessed and laboratory examinations included a large set of biomarkers. Plasma ceramide concentration (Cer(d18:1/16:0)) was measured using a targeted liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry assay. Mortality was retrieved from national registers.

Results

median age was 88 years, two-thirds had multimorbidity and 59% were on statin treatment. During the follow-up, 22 (18%) men died. In a model adjusted for variables associated with mortality in the whole cohort at P < 0.20 (log glucose, SPPB, MoCA and statin use), Cer(d18:1/16:0) as a continuous trait was associated with increased mortality: hazard ratio (HR) per 1 SD 1.64 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23–2.18). Compared with the bottom tertile of Cer(d18:1/16:0), HR of mortality was 5.44-fold (95% CI 1.17–25.3) in the top tertile.

Conclusions

these data raise the hypothesis that plasma ceramide concentrations and especially Cer(d18:1/1:60) may offer a clinically useful biomarker to evaluate prognosis in very old age. Such biomarkers are needed for geriatrics, where multimorbidity and pharmacotherapies, such as statins are prevalent hampering assessment of prognosis using conventional methods.
Monitoring Worker Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica: Application for Data-driven Predictive Modeling for End-of-Shift Exposure Assessment
Authors: Wolfe Cody , Chubb Lauren , Walker Rachel , Yekich Milan , Cauda Emanuele
Published: June 2022

In the ever-expanding complexities of the modern-day mining workplace, the continual monitoring of a safe and healthy work environment is a growing challenge. One specific workplace exposure concern is the inhalation of dust containing respirable crystalline silica (RCS) which can lead to silicosis, a potentially fatal lung disease. This is a recognized and regulated health hazard, commonly found in mining. The current methodologies to monitor this type of exposure involve distributed sample collection followed by costly and relatively lengthy follow-up laboratory analysis. To address this concern, we have investigated a data-driven predictive modeling pipeline to predict the amount of silica deposition quickly and accurately on a filter within minutes of sample collection completion. This field-based silica monitoring technique involves the use of small, and easily deployable, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers used for data collection followed by multivariate regression methodologies including Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Partial Least Squares (PLS). Given the complex nature of respirable dust mixtures, there is an increasing need to account for multiple variables quickly and efficiently during analysis. This analysis consists of several quality control steps including data normalization, PCA and PLS outlier detection, as well as applying correction factors based on the sampler and cassette used for sample collection. While outside the scope of this article to test, these quality control steps will allow for the acceptance of data from many different FTIR instruments and sampling types, thus increasing the overall useability of this method. Additionally, any sample analyzed through the model and validated using a secondary method can be incorporated into the training dataset creating an ever-growing, more robust predictive model. Multivariant predictive modeling has far-reaching implications given its speed, cost, and scalability compared to conventional approaches. This contribution presents the application of PCA and PLS as part of a computational pipeline approach to predict the amount of a deposited mineral of interest using FTIR data. For this specific application, we have developed the model to analyze RCS, although this process can be implemented in the analysis of any IR-active mineral, and this pipeline applied to any FTIR data.
Rapid Robot-Aided On-site Testing of Fume Cupboards
Authors: Bittner Matthias , Moirandat Claude
Published: June 2022

Although containment testing of fume cupboards (FC) according to the standards EN 14175-3 (2019) or ANSI/ASHRAE 110 (2016) is well established for type testing, its application is currently much less accepted and practised for evaluating containment on-site. Few of the several million FC in the market have been tested at installation and commissioning, and even less undergo verification of containment during their service life in the laboratories. Several reasons have led to this unsafe situation. To address this challenge, a new concept has been developed to allow for rapid on-site testing of FC to gain knowledge as to the functional efficiency as well as to safety aspects for the operator. The concept consists of a movable robot-aided test equipment that can be installed quickly to the FC in running labs. Multiple sensors detect the tracer gas isopropanol. Within a test run of only 10-min data is collected to quantify containment at the sash opening and to determine purge efficiency. The method reveals impact from interfering effects such as draughts, air distribution, and movements and from equipment installed, and is a tool for the optimization of operating conditions of a lab. This article presents an advanced alternative to the existing containment tests, particularly for on-site testing. The method assesses not only proper operation of the FC in its environment, but also the suitability of a FC for a given use under aspects of health and safety evaluation.
Urban-regional disparities in mental health signals in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic: a study via Twitter data and machine learning models
Authors: Wang Siqin , Zhang Mengxi , Huang Xiao , Hu Tao , Li Zhenlong , Sun Qian Chayn , Liu Yan
Published: June 2022

This study establishes a novel empirical framework using machine learning techniques to measure the urban-regional disparity of the public’s mental health signals in Australia during the pandemic, and to examine the interrelationships amongst mental health, demographic and socioeconomic profiles of neighbourhoods, health risks and healthcare access. Our results show that the public’s mental health signals in capital cities were better than those in regional areas. The negative mental health signals in capital cities are associated with a lower level of income, more crowded living space, a lower level of healthcare availability and more difficulties in healthcare access.
‘Prevention is better than cure’: warning for comedications in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors to avoid acute kidney injury
Authors: Belliere Julie , Sprangers Ben
Published: June 2022

The introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) has resulted in significant improvement in cancer care, but has been accompanied by the occurrence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Also, kidney irAEs have been reported, and the most frequent one is acute tubulointerstitial disease which impacts renal and overall prognosis. There is an unmet need to stratify renal risk in oncologic patients, to allow individualized monitoring and therefore, early detection of ICI-related acute kidney injury (ICI-AKI). Although risk factors for ICI-AKI have been described in previous case–control studies, where ‘cases’ were ICI-AKI patients and ‘controls’ ICI-treated patients without AKI, there is limited epidemiologic knowledge concerning patients developing different irAEs. In this issue of the Clinical Kidney Journal, Gerard et al. describe five factors that were associated with the development of ICI-AKI: older age, previous chronic kidney disease, and concomitant use of fluindione, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and proton pump inhibitors. These findings suggest that ICI may be a ‘second hit’ that precipitates AKI caused by a concomitant drug. These results urge an increased focus to prevent the prescription of potential nephrotoxic drugs in ICI-treated patients, avoiding iatrogenic events.
Two explanations for the paucity of cyber-military, cross-domain operations
Authors: Katagiri Nori
Published: June 2022

This article investigates why states have launched so few cross-domain operations—in this case, operations between cyber and military domains—when they have launched so many cyberattacks. I explore a set of five hypotheses for why most cyberattacks do not occur at the same time as military strikes. My analysis reveals that of the five, two are compelling. First, state attackers make strategic decisions not to “cross the domain” for organizational reasons that are based on the internal division of labor. Second, many cyberattackers face significant technical challenges with cross-domain operations even if their cyber and military forces are integrated. The other three reasons are not as persuasive, including fear of conflict escalation, international law applied to cyberspace, and norms of cyberspace behavior.
A chromosome-level, fully phased genome assembly of the oat crown rust fungus Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae: a resource to enable comparative genomics in the cereal rusts
Authors: Henningsen Eva C , Hewitt Tim , Dugyala Sheshanka , Nazareno Eric S , Gilbert Erin , Li Feng , Kianian Shahryar F , Steffenson Brian J , Dodds Peter N , Sperschneider Jana , Figueroa Melania
Published: June 2022

Advances in sequencing technologies as well as development of algorithms and workflows have made it possible to generate fully phased genome references for organisms with nonhaploid genomes such as dikaryotic rust fungi. To enable discovery of pathogen effectors and further our understanding of virulence evolution, we generated a chromosome-scale assembly for each of the 2 nuclear genomes of the oat crown rust pathogen, Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae (Pca). This resource complements 2 previously released partially phased genome references of Pca, which display virulence traits absent in the isolate of historic race 203 (isolate Pca203) which was selected for this genome project. A fully phased, chromosome-level reference for Pca203 was generated using PacBio reads and Hi-C data and a recently developed pipeline named NuclearPhaser for phase assignment of contigs and phase switch correction. With 18 chromosomes in each haplotype and a total size of 208.10 Mbp, Pca203 has the same number of chromosomes as other cereal rust fungi such as Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici and Puccinia triticina, the causal agents of wheat stem rust and wheat leaf rust, respectively. The Pca203 reference marks the third fully phased chromosome-level assembly of a cereal rust to date. Here, we demonstrate that the chromosomes of these 3 Puccinia species are syntenous and that chromosomal size variations are primarily due to differences in repeat element content.
Increased gene dosage and mRNA expression from chromosomal duplications in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Ragipani Bhavana , Albritton Sarah Elizabeth , Morao Ana Karina , Mesquita Diogo , Kramer Maxwell , Ercan Sevinç
Published: June 2022

Isolation of copy number variations and chromosomal duplications at high frequency in the laboratory suggested that Caenorhabditis elegans tolerates increased gene dosage. Here, we addressed if a general dosage compensation mechanism acts at the level of mRNA expression in C. elegans. We characterized gene dosage and mRNA expression in 3 chromosomal duplications and a fosmid integration strain using DNA-seq and mRNA-seq. Our results show that on average, increased gene dosage leads to increased mRNA expression, pointing to a lack of genome-wide dosage compensation. Different genes within the same chromosomal duplication show variable levels of mRNA increase, suggesting feedback regulation of individual genes. Somatic dosage compensation and germline repression reduce the level of mRNA increase from X chromosomal duplications. Together, our results show a lack of genome-wide dosage compensation mechanism acting at the mRNA level in C. elegans and highlight the role of epigenetic and individual gene regulation contributing to the varied consequences of increased gene dosage.
DNA Methylation “GrimAge” Acceleration Mediates Sex/Gender Differences in Verbal Memory and Processing Speed: Findings From the Health and Retirement Study
Authors: O’Shea Deirdre M , Maynard Taylor , Tremont Geoffrey
Published: June 2022

Whether sex/gender differences in rates of biological aging mediate sex/gender differences in cognition in older adults has not been fully examined. The aim of the current study was to investigate this association. Data from up to 1 928 participants (mean age = 75, standard deviation = 7.04, female = 57%) who took part in the 2016 Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol and Venous Blood Study; substudies of the Health and Retirement Study were included in the current study. The residuals from 4 age-adjusted epigenetic clocks (Horvath, Hannum, PhenoAge, and GrimAge) were used to measure biological age acceleration. Sex/gender differences in cognition were tested using a series of analyses of covariance. Mediation analyses tested whether the measures of age acceleration accounted for these sex/gender differences, controlling for age, education, smoking status, and white blood cell count. Women outperformed men on measures of verbal learning, verbal memory, visual scanning, and processing speed. No other significant sex/gender differences were identified. Results from mediation analyses revealed that women’s slower rates of GrimAge fully accounted for their faster processing speeds and partially accounted for their better performances on verbal learning, verbal memory, and visual scanning measures. None of the other measures of age acceleration were significant mediators. Accounting for sex/gender differences in biological aging may differentiate between cognitive sex/gender differences that are driven by universal (ie, age-related) versus sex-specific mechanisms. More broadly, these findings support the growing evidence that the GrimAge clock outperforms other clocks in predicting cognitive outcomes.
Subjective Memory Decline Predicts Incident Cognitive Impairment Among White—But Not Black or Hispanic—Older Adults
Authors: Ferraro Kenneth F , Sauerteig-Rolston Madison R , Barnes Lisa L , Friedman Elliot , Sands Laura P , Thomas Patricia A
Published: June 2022

Background and Objectives

This study investigates whether subjective memory decline (SMD) in a racially diverse sample of older adults without cognitive impairment at baseline is associated with incident cognitive impairment during a 12-year follow-up period.

Research Design and Methods

With panel data from a national sample (N = 9,244) of cognitively intact Black, White, and Hispanic Americans 65 years or older in 2004, we examine if SMD is associated with the loss of normal cognition by 2016. Cognitive status was assessed every 2 years with a modified version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status to identify the transition from normal cognition to cognitive impairment.

Results

Estimates from Weibull accelerated failure-time models reveal that SMD is associated with earlier incident cognitive impairment (time ratio = 0.96, p < .05). In subsequent models stratified by race-ethnicity, this association was evident among White respondents (time ratio = 0.95, p < .01) but not among Black, U.S.-born Hispanic, or foreign-born Hispanic respondents.

Discussion and Implications

Given that the prognostic validity of SMD differs by race and ethnicity, caution is warranted when using it as a screening or clinical tool in diverse populations.
Move and you're dead: commercial trawl fisheries select for fish that don't move far
Authors: de Castro Francisco , Kraak Sarah B M , Shephard Samuel , Sadykov Alexander , Reid David G , Farnsworth Keith D
Published: June 2022

Recent research on harvest-induced evolution of behaviour in (especially aquatic) animals has focused on the shy-bold axis, but foraging and dispersal behaviour have received little attention. Here, we consider the selective effect of systematically localised trawl harvesting from a wild population of mobile animals that vary phenotypically in their range of movement (resulting in a continuum between wide-ranging and sedentary behaviours). We use a spatially explicit individual-based model of an empirically-based demersal fish population and trawl fishing in a realistic seascape. We test whether a sustained spatially concentrated pattern of fishing can select for or against wide-ranging vs. more sedentary behaviour as the fish perform biased random foraging in a seascape of spatially varying resource quality, leading to an approximation of the ideal free distribution. The simulation predicted a strong micro-evolutionary shift towards more sedentary behaviour as wide-ranging animals flow into a population sink caused by concentrated fishing. The shift towards short-rangers increased with fishing intensity and spatial precision with which fishing activity matches fish abundance; it decreased with habitat spatial complexity (fragmentation of suitable habitat). Most cases led to the effective extinction of the trait values at the upper end of the ranging continuum, indicating important implications for the management of exploited fish stocks.
Untangling the oral–gut axis in the pathogenesis of intestinal inflammation
Authors: Kitamoto Sho , Kamada Nobuhiko
Published: June 2022

An increasing body of literature reveals that host–microbe networks are well coordinated and impact human health and disease. Recently, it has become evident that an abnormal alteration in bacterial configuration in the oral cavity, namely oral dysbiosis, caused by periodontal inflammation, is associated with various distant inflammatory diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease. However, the extent to which the relationships between oral and distant disorders are merely an association or are causally triggered by oral microorganisms remains debated. In this mini-review, we highlight mechanisms in inter-related organ system diseases, particularly the one between oral and gut inflammation. Further, we discuss clinical perspectives and propose a novel concept of a multi-hit hypothesis in the pathogenesis of gut inflammation, on the basis of our updated knowledge of shared microbiological and immunological pathways between the oral and gut mucosae.
Carfentanil Blood Concentrations in Impaired Driving Investigations in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Wallage H Rachelle , Elliot Marie , Rajotte James W
Published: June 2022

Carfentanil is a potent opioid with no medical use in humans; it presents a serious threat to public health and road safety due to its presence in the illicit drug supply, the potency of the drug and instances of use prior to the operation of a motor vehicle. The identification and quantitation of carfentanil using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry was performed in blood samples obtained through impaired driving-related investigations from 2017 to 2019. In a series of 66 cases submitted to the Centre of Forensic Sciences in Ontario, Canada, blood concentrations of carfentanil ranged from <0.04 to 2.1 ng/mL in the population studied. Driving behaviors frequently came to the attention of concerned citizens, decreased levels of consciousness were commonly reported and a variety of medical interventions were required, in some cases, to preserve life due to apparent opioid toxicity.
A New Record of the Introduced Species Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in Mexico
Authors: Martínez-Hernández F , Villalobos G , Montañez-Valdez O D , Martínez-Ibarra J A
Published: June 2022

Here, we report a new record of Triatoma infestans (Klug) in Mexico after 50 years and provide a brief description of the discovery area. Fifty-nine specimens (71.2% adults) of the introduced species were collected from the peridomestic areas of a single house in the port of Manzanillo in the state of Colima, Mexico. Thirty-one specimens (52.5%) were collected from the exterior walls of the house and were apparently attracted to light. The other specimens (47.5%) were associated with chickens. No specimen was infected with Trypanosoma cruzi Chagas, the causative agent of Chagas disease, possibly because they were feeding on chickens. We speculate that the introduced species travelled from South America to Mexico via seed shipment in a twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) maritime container. Because Mexican phytosanitary regulations demand only the cargo to be inspected, the triatomines could have escaped notice during inspection. Subsequently, as the cargo was unloaded and the TEU was stored, the triatomines likely flew to and invaded the nearby residential areas. The rediscovery of this domestic vector of T. cruzi in Mexico warrants further investigation owing to the potential risk of transmission to the inhabitants of the study area.
Contrasting adaptation and optimization of stomatal traits across communities at continental scale
Authors: Liu Congcong , Sack Lawren , Li Ying , He Nianpeng
Published: June 2022

Shifts in stomatal trait distributions across contrasting environments and their linkage with ecosystem productivity at large spatial scales have been unclear. Here, we measured the maximum stomatal conductance (g), stomatal area fraction (f), and stomatal space-use efficiency (e, the ratio of g to f) of 800 plant species ranging from tropical to cold-temperate forests, and determined their values for community-weighted mean, variance, skewness, and kurtosis. We found that the community-weighted means of g and f were higher in drier sites, and thus, that drought ‘avoidance’ by water availability-driven growth pulses was the dominant mode of adaptation for communities at sites with low water availability. Additionally, the variance of g and f was also higher at arid sites, indicating greater functional niche differentiation, whereas that for e was lower, indicating the convergence in efficiency. When all other stomatal trait distributions were held constant, increasing kurtosis or decreasing skewness of g would improve ecosystem productivity, whereas f showed the opposite patterns, suggesting that the distributions of inter-related traits can play contrasting roles in regulating ecosystem productivity. These findings demonstrate the climatic trends of stomatal trait distributions and their significance in the prediction of ecosystem productivity.
Risks of femoral localized periosteal thickening in patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases
Authors: Sato Hiroe , Kondo Naoki , Takai Chinatsu , Kurosawa Yoichi , Hasegawa Eriko , Wakamatsu Ayako , Kobayashi Daisuke , Nakatsue Takeshi , Abe Asami , Kazama Junichiro James , Kuroda Takeshi , Ito Satoshi , Ishikawa Hajime , Endo Naoto , Narita Ichiei
Published: June 2022

Objectives

The incidence of femoral localized periosteal thickening (LPT), which can precede atypical femoral fracture (AFF), is not low (1–10%) in Japanese patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIRDs). We explored the associations between underlying AIRDs and the prevalence of LPT.

Methods

We conducted post hoc analyses of two cohorts that included a total of 280 Japanese women, 105 of whom had AIRDs and had been taking bisphosphonate (BP) and prednisolone (PSL) and 175 of whom had rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Results

LPT was detected in a total of 18 patients (6.4%) and 3 (1.1%) developed AFFs. RA was negatively correlated with LPT. A disease other than RA requiring glucocorticoid treatment, BP use ≥5 years, PSL use ≥7 years, and a PSL dose ≥5.5 mg/day were positively correlated with LPT. After adjusting for age, diabetes mellitus, and BP duration or daily PSL dose, RA was no longer associated with LPT.

Conclusions

LPT in Japanese patients with AIRDs was associated with BP and glucocorticoid treatment rather than underlying AIRDs. When PSL dose ≥5.5 mg/day is required long-term [typically combined with long-term BP treatment (≥5 years)], clinicians need to pay particular attention in cases LPT and AFF as well as glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.
Expansion microscopy allows high resolution single cell analysis of epigenetic readers
Authors: Acke Aline , Van Belle Siska , Louis Boris , Vitale Raffaele , Rocha Susana , Voet Thierry , Debyser Zeger , Hofkens Johan
Published: June 2022

Interactions between epigenetic readers and histone modifications play a pivotal role in gene expression regulation and aberrations can enact etiopathogenic roles in both developmental and acquired disorders like cancer. Typically, epigenetic interactions are studied by mass spectrometry or chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing. However, in these methods, spatial information is completely lost. Here, we devise an expansion microscopy based method, termed Expansion Microscopy for Epigenetics or ExEpi, to preserve spatial information and improve resolution. We calculated relative co-localization ratios for two epigenetic readers, lens epithelium derived growth factor (LEDGF) and bromodomain containing protein 4 (BRD4), with marks for heterochromatin (H3K9me3 and H3K27me3) and euchromatin (H3K36me2, H3K36me3 and H3K9/14ac). ExEpi confirmed their preferred epigenetic interactions, showing co-localization for LEDGF with H3K36me3/me2 and for BRD4 with H3K9/14ac. Moreover addition of JQ1, a known BET-inhibitor, abolished BRD4 interaction with H3K9/14ac with an IC50 of 137 nM, indicating ExEpi could serve as a platform for epigenetic drug discovery. Since ExEpi retains spatial information, the nuclear localization of marks and readers was determined, which is one of the main advantages of ExEpi. The heterochromatin mark, H3K9me3, is located in the nuclear rim whereas LEDGF co-localization with H3K36me3 and BRD4 co-localization with H3K9/14ac occur further inside the nucleus.
Clinical significance and molecular annotation of cellular morphometric subtypes in lower-grade gliomas discovered by machine learning
Authors: Liu Xiao-Ping , Jin Xiaoqing , Seyed Ahmadian Saman , Yang Xu , Tian Su-Fang , Cai Yu-Xiang , Chawla Kuldeep , Snijders Antoine M , Xia Yankai , van Diest Paul J , Weiss William A , Mao Jian-Hua , Li Zhi-Qiang , Vogel Hannes , Chang Hang
Published: June 2022

Background

Lower-grade gliomas (LGG) are heterogeneous diseases by clinical, histological, and molecular criteria. We aimed to personalize the diagnosis and therapy of LGG patients by developing and validating robust cellular morphometric subtypes (CMS) and to uncover the molecular signatures underlying these subtypes.

Methods

Cellular morphometric biomarkers (CMBs) were identified with artificial intelligence technique from TCGA-LGG cohort. Consensus clustering was used to define CMS. Survival analysis was performed to assess the clinical impact of CMBs and CMS. A nomogram was constructed to predict 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) of LGG patients. Tumor mutational burden (TMB) and immune cell infiltration between subtypes were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test. The double-blinded validation for important immunotherapy-related biomarkers was executed using immunohistochemistry (IHC).

Results

We developed a machine learning (ML) pipeline to extract CMBs from whole-slide images of tissue histology; identifying and externally validating robust CMS of LGGs in multicenter cohorts. The subtypes had independent predicted OS across all three independent cohorts. In the TCGA-LGG cohort, patients within the poor-prognosis subtype responded poorly to primary and follow-up therapies. LGGs within the poor-prognosis subtype were characterized by high mutational burden, high frequencies of copy number alterations, and high levels of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and immune checkpoint genes. Higher levels of PD-1/PD-L1/CTLA-4 were confirmed by IHC staining. In addition, the subtypes learned from LGG demonstrate translational impact on glioblastoma (GBM).

Conclusions

We developed and validated a framework (CMS-ML) for CMS discovery in LGG associated with specific molecular alterations, immune microenvironment, prognosis, and treatment response.
Changes in Tobacco Use in the Early Phase of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic in Hong Kong: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyu , Sun Yuying , Cheung Derek Yee Tak , Wang Man Ping , Wu Yongda , Chak Kin Yeung , Chen Jianjiu , Leung Lok Tung , Li William Ho Cheung , Lam Tai Hing , Ho Sai Yin
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Changes in tobacco use and related personal and environmental factors amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic can be captured by qualitative studies, but they are few in non-Western populations.

Aims and Methods

We assessed the perceived links between tobacco use and COVID-19, and changes in the use of cigarettes, electronic cigarettes (ECs), and heated tobacco products (HTPs) in the early phase of the pandemic in Hong Kong, where lockdown was not implemented. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted from January to June 2021 in 95 participants (36 EC users, 28 HTP users, and 32 exclusive cigarette users). Transcriptions were coded using deductive and inductive approaches, and factors for changes were nested in the social-ecological model.

Results

Two-thirds of participants perceived their infection susceptibility was the same as never tobacco users, and 44.2% perceived more severe COVID-19 disease if infected. Amid the pandemic, tobacco use decreased overall but increased indoors for all three products. Increased tobacco use was mostly attributed to increased emotional distress, while decreases were attributed to various personal (health concerns) and environmental factors (e.g., COVID-19 regulations). Perceived convenience and lower costs were reasons for increased EC use. Limited access to HTPs was compensated by cigarette use.

Conclusions

Many participants were unaware of the potential harm of tobacco use on COVID-19. Overall tobacco use decreased due to COVID-19 regulations, which may not be sustainable post-pandemic. Indoor consumption increased, supporting a comprehensive smoke-free policy that covers private indoor areas. Better cessation services targeting EC, HTP, and cigarette use are needed.

Implications

Smokers need better awareness of the risk of tobacco use on COVID-19. Smoking cessation services can be improved by offering brief advice, strengthening advocacy against secondhand smoke, and covering EC and HTP use, highlighting their potential harms to users and others, and their risk of addiction and relapse to cigarette use.
Unity and Universality, Locality and Diversity in Anglicanism
Authors: Williams Rowan
Published: June 2022

The challenge of being the church ‘local, regional, universal’ forms the subject matter of the first Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) agreed statement to draw explicitly on Receptive Ecumenism: Walking Together on the Way (2017). This chapter examines part of that challenge from an Anglican perspective aware of a heritage plagued by temptations of political positivism, nationalism, insularity, and cultural self-satisfaction but which also attempts to embody a faithfulness to the conviction of authoritative revelation and universal Christian consensus and continuity. It first sketches the historical context in which the Church of England sought to develop processes of theological discernment which avoided a supreme magistracy—whether located in the papal office or the court of Christian princes. Having located the dilemma of historic Anglicanism as the denial of a central executive authority, while remaining concerned for a Christian identity that is not simply local, the chapter moves on to consider some current issues which illustrate the ongoing nature of this dilemma, including the ordination of women and the Anglican Covenant. Such Anglican self-scrutiny raises a question for all churches regarding a language and practice of faith that is not dependent on any kind of magistracy.
‘Mutual Flourishing’ in the Church of England
Authors: Thomas Gabrielle
Published: June 2022

This chapter employs Receptive Ecumenism both to: (a) identify a wound in the practice of the Church of England; and (b) suggest a possible way forward through drawing on theology which lies at the heart of the Orthodox Christian tradition. It begins by describing recent research drawing on the principles of Receptive Ecumenism to investigate women’s experiences of working in various churches in England. During this research, several Anglican ordained priests identified what they described as a ‘wound’ in the current practice of the Church of England; namely, the outworking of ‘mutual flourishing’ as described in the ‘Five Guiding Principles’. The chapter then explores how the image of God in the theology of Gregory of Nazianzus might contribute to healing this ‘wound’ as a gift to be received into the life of the Church of England from an Orthodox theological tradition.
Developing Catholic Understanding and Practice of Ordained Ministry through Receptive Learning
Authors: Lennan Richard
Published: June 2022

The ordained ministry, in both its theology and practice, has long been an obstacle to deeper communion between the Christian churches. This chapter explores how receptive learning might alter the ecumenical landscape in relation to this ordained ministry of the Catholic Church. Three periods of development are considered: (a) Vatican II; (b) between the council and the end of the century; and (c) the twenty-first century. Principles from the Second Vatican Council are compared with relevant ecumenical documents from the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches. Recognizing the hermeneutical nature of reception, ways in which insights from contemporary theology might help to create among the churches an environment conducive to receptive learning about ordained ministry are proposed.