bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In situ manipulation of the active Au-TiO
2
interface with atomic precision during CO oxidation
Authors: Yuan Wentao , Zhu Beien , Fang Ke , Li Xiao-Yan , Hansen Thomas W. , Ou Yang , Yang Hangsheng , Wagner Jakob B. , Gao Yi , Wang Yong , Zhang Ze
Published: January 2021

Rotation during reaction

Determining changes in heterogeneous catalysts under reaction conditions can provide insight into mechanisms. Under reaction conditions, not only can metal nanoparticles change shape but their interaction with the oxide support could also be affected. Yuan
et al.
used aberration-corrected environmental transmission electron microscopy to study gold nanoparticles on titanium surfaces at low electron beam doses. During carbon monoxide (CO) oxidation at total pressures of a few millibars and 500°C, they observed that gold nanoparticles rotated by about 10° but returned to their original position when CO was removed. Density function theory calculations indicated that rotation was induced by changes in the coverage of adsorbed molecular oxygen at the interface.

Science
, this issue p.
517
Colony-specific dialects of naked mole-rats
Authors: Buffenstein Rochelle
Published: January 2021

Colony dialects are learned in early life but are modulated by the reigning queen
Targeting enzyme aging
Authors: Becker Friedrich , Rudolph K. Lenhard
Published: January 2021

Age-associated changes in enzyme activity drive aging in mice and are possible drug targets
Going beyond eloquent words
Authors: Parikh Sudip
Published: January 2021

As the United States steadies itself, recovering from COVID-19 and preparing for future crises, it must draw upon what Eric Lander, the nominee for director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), called “America's greatest asset…our unrivaled diversity.” To achieve this goal, OSTP must have the resources and authority to go beyond eloquent words and deliver solid accomplishments for the nation and world.
Evaluating the Role of STAT3 in CD4
+
T Cells in Susceptibility to Invasive Aspergillosis
Authors: Gohir Wajiha , McTaggart Lisa , Kus Julianne V. , Mazzulli Tony , Kumar Deepali , Humar Atul , Husain Shahid
Published: January 2021

We aimed to determine whether T cell-specific STAT3 deletion influences the immune response to
Aspergillus
in the immunosuppressed context in CD4

Stat3

−/−
mice. Immunosuppressed and nonimmunosuppressed CD4

Stat3

−/−
mice and littermate Stat3
flox/flox
(Stat3
fl/fl
) mice were infected with
Aspergillus fumigatus
in an aerosol chamber, and the weight, activity, appearance, and respiratory rate of the mice were monitored daily for 21 days to evaluate their survival.
Aspergillus
infection was confirmed by lung fungal culture counts, histology, and a galactomannan test.
Performance of Saliva, Oropharyngeal Swabs, and Nasal Swabs for SARS-CoV-2 Molecular Detection: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Lee Rose A. , Herigon Joshua C. , Benedetti Andrea , Pollock Nira R. , Denkinger Claudia M.
Published: January 2021

Nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs are considered the highest-yield sample for diagnostic testing for respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. The need to increase capacity for SARS-CoV-2 testing in a variety of settings, combined with shortages of sample collection supplies, have motivated a search for alternative sample types with high sensitivity.
Contact-Dependent Transmission of Langat and Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus in Type I Interferon Receptor 1-Deficient Mice
Authors: Schreier Sarah , Cebulski Kristin , Kröger Andrea
Published: January 2021

Tick-borne encephalitis is a severe disease of the central nervous system caused by the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). Every year, between 10,000 and 12,000 people become infected with this flavivirus.
CAGE-Seq Reveals that HIV-1 Latent Infection Does Not Trigger Unique Cellular Responses in a Jurkat T Cell Model
Authors: Matsui Hiroyuki , Shirakawa Kotaro , Konishi Yoshinobu , Hirabayashi Shigeki , Sarca Anamaria Daniela , Fukuda Hirofumi , Nomura Ryosuke , Stanford Emani , Horisawa Yoshihito , Kazuma Yasuhiro , Matsumoto Tadahiko , Yamazaki Hiroyuki , Murakawa Yasuhiro , Battivelli Emilie , Verdin Eric , Koyanagi Yoshio , Takaori-Kondo Akifumi
Published: January 2021

Latent HIV-1 infection is established as early as the first viral exposure and remains the most important barrier in obtaining the cure for HIV-1 infection. Here, we used cap analysis of gene expression (CAGE) to compare the transcriptional landscape of latently infected cells with that of noninfected or productively infected cells.
Organic biomorphs may be better preserved than microorganisms in early Earth sediments
Authors: Nims Christine , Lafond Julia , Alleon Julien , Templeton Alexis S. , Cosmidis Julie
Published: January 2021

The Precambrian rock record contains numerous examples of microscopic organic filaments and spheres, commonly interpreted as fossil microorganisms. Microfossils are among the oldest traces of life on Earth, making their correct identification crucial to our understanding of early evolution. Yet, spherical and filamentous microscopic objects composed of organic carbon and sulfur can form in the abiogenic reaction of sulfide with organic compounds. Termed organic biomorphs, these objects form under geochemical conditions relevant to the sulfidic environments of early Earth. Furthermore, they adopt a diversity of morphologies that closely mimic a number of microfossil examples from the Precambrian record. Here, we tested the potential for organic biomorphs to be preserved in cherts; i.e., siliceous rocks hosting abundant microbial fossils. We performed experimental silicification of the biomorphs along with the sulfur bacterium Thiothrix. We show that the original morphologies of the biomorphs are well preserved through encrustation by nano-colloidal silica, while the shapes of Thiothrix cells degrade. Sulfur diffuses from the interior of both biomorphs and Thiothrix during silicification, leaving behind empty organic envelopes. Although the organic composition of the biomorphs differs from that of Thiothrix cells, both types of objects present similar nitrogen/carbon ratios after silicification. During silicification, sulfur accumulates along the organic envelopes of the biomorphs, which may promote sulfurization and preservation through diagenesis. Organic biomorphs possessing morphological and chemical characteristics of microfossils may thus be an important component in Precambrian cherts, challenging our understanding of the early life record.
Bardet-Biedl syndrome presenting with laryngeal web and bifid epiglottis
Authors: Kaur Parminder , Chaudhry Chakshu , Neelam Harsha , Panigrahi Inusha
Published: January 2021

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a rare autosomal recessive ciliopathy characterised by rod-cone dystrophy, obesity, postaxial polydactyly, cognitive impairment, hypogonadism, renal abnormalities, and rarely, laryngeal webs or bifid epiglottis. Most patients present with obesity. Multiple genes are involved in causation of BBS and there is also evidence of triallelic inheritance. We herein report an Asian boy who had weak cry and stridor since birth, and on evaluation was found to have both laryngeal web and bifid epiglottis. Mutation analysis revealed a homozygous variant in BBS10 gene.
Recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding due to jejunal artery vasculitis as debut presentation of granulomatosis with polyangiitis
Authors: Yasin Saddam , Mehmood Kanwal
Published: January 2021

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is characterised by systemic necrotising vasculitis of small arteries and veins with multitude of organ involvement, with the most common being the upper and lower respiratory tract and renal system. Gastrointestinal involvement is a rare late manifestation with a high mortality rate and usually results in intestinal perforation. Our patient presented with gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to jejunal artery vasculitis. Gastrointestinal bleeding as initial presentation of GPA is very rarely documented. CT mesenteric angiogram is helpful for the localisation of bleed in these cases. In case of refractory bleeding, surgical excision is required.
Recurrent disseminatedMycobacterium aviumin a female patient from Thailand with anti-interferon-gamma autoantibodies: dilemma on treatment approach
Authors: Zeitler Kristen , Walter Jolan , Khan Fatima , Sriaroon Chakrapol
Published: January 2021

Anti-interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) autoantibodies has been recognised as an adult-onset immunodeficiency in the past decade in people who originate from Southeast Asia. These patients are susceptible to particular opportunistic infections, especially non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). We present the case of a woman whom originally came from Thailand with disseminatedMycobacterium aviumcomplex infection (pleural, pericardium, bloodstream and lung parenchymal involvement). Her infection continued to progress while receiving proper antibiotic treatment. Once high titre neutralising anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies were detected, rituximab was added as adjunctive treatment. The patient had remarkable clinical improvement against persistence of anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies. Although her lung disease has improved, the patient continues on triple therapy for NTM. The kinetics of anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies in the context of clinical progression, indication and length for rituximab and triple therapy is discussed in view of the current literature.
Typical and reverse Takotsubo syndromes as initial manifestations of consecutive Addisonian crises in a 38-year-old patient: the heart has its reasons!
Authors: Tso Melissa , Nosib Shravan
Published: January 2021

We report an interesting case of a 38-year-old woman presenting with reverse Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) secondary to an Addisonian crisis, her second such episode. A few years prior, she had presented with typical TTS in the setting of Addisonian crisis; diagnostic work-up revealing Auto-Immune Polyglandular Syndrome Type II (APS II). We believe this to be the first case report of typical and variant phenotypes of TTS in a patient with APS II. The pathogenic link between these two conditions is explored. In patients presenting with Addisonian crises and refractory shock, the possibility of concurrent TTS should be considered. TTS muddies the diagnostic waters and poses therapeutic challenges as outlined.
Pseudoaneurysm of the gastroduodenal artery secondary to diverticulitis of the first part of duodenum: a rare presentation of upper gastrointestinal bleed
Authors: Sinduja Ramanan , Vijayakumar Chellappa , Sudharshan Mahalingam , Kumbhar Uday Shamrao , Naik Bharat Manohara , Naik Debasis
Published: January 2021

Acute upper gastrointestinal (UGI) bleeding is one of the most frequent presentations to a surgical emergency. Most of them respond to initial resuscitation, and a definite diagnosis is established as soon as possible, thereby helping the clinician in management. We present the diagnostic challenges that we faced with a 70-year-old man who presented with UGI bleed. He initially responded to resuscitation, but later deteriorated and became haemodynamically unstable. The source of the UGI bleed on evaluation was found to be pseudoaneurysm of the gastroduodenal artery (PsGDA) and treated successfully by coil embolisation. The cause of the PsGDA was diverticulum arising from the first part of duodenum with changes of diverticulitis. Diverticulum originating from the first part of the duodenum is seldom reported. Moreover, diverticulitis involving this part and causing PsGDA has not been reported so far.
Isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia in a young child
Authors: Ramamurthy H Ravi , Auti Onkar , Raj Vimal , Viralam Kiran
Published: January 2021

A 16-month-old, healthy, asymptomatic male child presented with a diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy. Cardiovascular examination and chest radiograph were normal. ECG revealed sinus rhythm, and the augmented vector left lead showed raised ST segment, T wave inversion and q waves. Echocardiography showed a globular left ventricle with notched cardiac apex, abnormal echogenicity in the left ventricular apical myocardium, single papillary muscle and normal biventricular function. Cardiac MRI scan revealed a globular left ventricle with fibrofatty changes and retraction of the apex, the papillary muscles closely approximated, and the right ventricle wrapping around the apex of the left ventricle. This is described as isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia. Diagnosis of this rare entity can be made by MRI, and it has been diagnosed largely in adults. The pathophysiology and long-term outcomes are unknown. We characterise the echocardiography findings of this rare anomaly in a child for the first time in the literature.
Giant intradural myxopapillary ependymoma: review of literature
Authors: De Jesus Orlando
Published: January 2021

This report presents the longest spanning intradural myxopapillary ependymoma consisting of 23 vertebral segments in the literature. An 11-year-old boy presented with right arm pain, mid back pain and progressive paraparesis associated with urinary retention. On MRI, the patient was found to have an intradural lesion extending from C5 to S3. The patient underwent T7 and T8 laminectomies with an almost total resection except for a minimal residual adhering to the spinal cord. The patient with the largest spanning spinal cord ependymoma was managed satisfactorily without significant morbidity. A small laminectomy may be used in some occasions despite the tumour’s extensive size because it may have a single point of attachment to the cord.
Nasopharyngeal diffuse large B-cells lymphoma causing acute airway obstruction amid COVID-19 crisis: an anaesthetist’s nightmare
Authors: Yeap Tat Boon , Teah Ming Kai , Quay Yen Ju Joanne , Wong Melvin Teck Fui
Published: January 2021

Acute stridor is often an airway emergency. We present a valuable experience handling an elderly woman who was initially treated as COVID-19 positive during the pandemic in November 2020. She needed an urgent tracheostomy due to nasopharyngeal (NP) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma causing acute airway obstruction. Fortunately, 1 hour later, her NP swab real-time PCR test result returned as SARS-CoV-2 negative. This interesting article depicts the importance of adequate preparations when handling potentially infectious patients with anticipated difficult airway and the perioperative issues associated with it.
Association between county level cannabis dispensary counts and opioid related mortality rates in the United States: panel data study
Authors: Hsu Greta , Kovács Balázs
Published: January 2021

Objective

To examine county level associations between the prevalence of medical and recreational cannabis stores (referred to as dispensaries) and opioid related mortality rates.

Design

Panel regression methods.

Setting

812 counties in the United States in the 23 states that allowed legal forms of cannabis dispensaries to operate by the end of 2017.

Participants

The study used US mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention combined with US census data and data from Weedmaps.com on storefront dispensary operations. Data were analyzed at the county level by using panel regression methods.

Main outcome measure

The main outcome measures were the log transformed, age adjusted mortality rates associated with all opioid types combined, and with subcategories of prescription opioids, heroin, and synthetic opioids other than methadone. The associations of medical dispensary and recreational dispensary counts with age adjusted mortality rates were also analyzed.

Results

County level dispensary count (natural logarithm) is negatively related to the log transformed, age adjusted mortality rate associated with all opioid types (β=−0.17, 95% confidence interval −0.23 to −0.11). According to this estimate, an increase from one to two storefront dispensaries in a county is associated with an estimated 17% reduction in all opioid related mortality rates. Dispensary count has a particularly strong negative association with deaths caused by synthetic opioids other than methadone (β=−0.21, 95% confidence interval −0.27 to −0.14), with an estimated 21% reduction in mortality rates associated with an increase from one to two dispensaries. Similar associations were found for medical versus recreational storefront dispensary counts on synthetic (non-methadone) opioid related mortality rates.

Conclusions

Higher medical and recreational storefront dispensary counts are associated with reduced opioid related death rates, particularly deaths associated with synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. While the associations documented cannot be assumed to be causal, they suggest a potential association between increased prevalence of medical and recreational cannabis dispensaries and reduced opioid related mortality rates. This study highlights the importance of considering the complex supply side of related drug markets and how this shapes opioid use and misuse.
Agile Innovation to transform healthcare: innovating in complex adaptive systems is an everyday process, not a light bulb event
Authors: Holden Richard J , Boustani Malaz A , Azar Jose
Published: January 2021

Innovation is essential to transform healthcare delivery systems, but in complex adaptive systems innovation is more than ‘light bulb events’ of inspired creativity. To achieve true innovation, organisations must adopt a disciplined, customer-centred process. We developed the process of Agile Innovation as an approach any complex adaptive organisation can adopt to achieve rapid, systematic, customer-centred development and testing of innovative interventions. Agile Innovation incorporates insights from design thinking, Agile project management, and complexity and behavioural sciences. It was refined through experiments in diverse healthcare organisations. The eight steps of Agile Innovation are: (1) confirm demand; (2) study the problem; (3) scan for solutions; (4) plan for evaluation and termination; (5) ideate and select; (6) run innovation development sprints; (7) validate solutions; and (8) package for launch. In addition to describing each of these steps, we discuss examples of and challenges to using Agile Innovation. We contend that once Agile Innovation is mastered, healthcare delivery organisations can habituate it as the go-to approach to projects, thus incorporating innovation into how things are done, rather than treating innovation as a light bulb event.
Geographical disparities in access to hospital care in Ontario, Canada: a spatial coverage modelling approach
Authors: Ge Erjia , Su Min , Zhao Ruiling , Huang Zhiyong , Shan Yina , Wei Xiaolin
Published: January 2021

Objectives

Previous studies on geographical disparities in healthcare access have been limited by not accounting for the healthcare provider’s capacity, a key determinant of supply and demand relationships.

Design

This study proposed a spatial coverage modelling approach to evaluate disparities in hospital care access using Canadian Institute for Health Information data in 2007.

Setting

This study focusses on accessibility of inpatient and emergency cares at both levels of individual hospital and the administrative regions of Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) levels.

Measures

We integrated a set of traffic and geographical data to precisely estimate travel time as a measure of the level of accessibility to the nearest hospital by three scenarios: walking, driving and a combination of the both. We estimated population coverage rates, using hospital capacities and population in the catchments, as a measure of the level of the healthcare availability. Hospital capacities were calculated based on numbers of medical staff and beds, occupation rates and annual working hours of healthcare providers.

Results

We observed significant disparities in hospital capacity, travel time and population coverage rate across the LHINs. This study included 25 teaching and 148 community hospitals. The teaching hospitals had stronger capacities with 489 209 inpatient and 130 773 emergency patients served in the year, while the population served in community hospitals were 2.64 times higher. Compared with north Ontario, more locations in the south could reach to hospitals within 30 min irrespective of the travel mode. Additionally, Northern Ontario has higher population coverage rates, for example, with 42.6~46.9% for inpatient and 15.7~44% for emergency cares, compared with 2.4~34.7% and 0.35~14.6% in Southern Ontario, within a 30 min catchment by driving.

Conclusion

Creating a comprehensive, flexible and integrated healthcare system should be considered as an effective approach to improve equity in access to care.
Effectiveness and safety of brain-computer interface technology in the treatment of poststroke motor disorders: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhang Xiaolin , Cao Di , Liu Junnan , Zhang Qi , Liu Mingjun
Published: January 2021

Introduction

About 85% of stroke survivors have upper extremity dysfunction, and more than 60% have continuing hand dysfunction and cannot live independently after treatment. Numerous recent publications have explored brain-computer interfaces technology as rehabilitation tools to help subacute and chronic stroke patients recover upper extremity movement. Our study aims to synthesise results from randomised controlled trials to assess the effectiveness and safety of brain-computer interface technology in the treatment of poststroke motor disorders（PSMD）.

Methods and analysis

English and Chinese search strategies will be conducted in eight databases: the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Scientific Journal Database, Wanfang Database, China Doctoral Dissertations Full-Text Database, China Master’s Theses Full-Text Database, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed and Embase. In addition, manual retrieval of research papers, conference papers, ongoing experiments and internal reports, among others, will supplement electronic retrieval. The searches will select all eligible studies published on or before 8 June 2020. To enhance the effectiveness of the study, only randomised controlled trials related to brain-computer interface technology for poststroke motor disorders will be included. The Fugl-Meyer Motor Function score will be the primary outcome measure; the Modified Barthel Index, Modified Ashworth Score and the upper extremity freehand muscle strength assessment will be secondary outcomes. Side effects and adverse events will be included as safety evaluations. To ensure the quality of the systematic evaluation, study selection, data extraction and quality assessment will be independently performed by two authors, and a third author will handle any disagreement. Review Manager V.5.3.3 and STATA V.15.1 will be used to perform the data synthesis and subgroup analysis.

Ethics and dissemination

This systemic review will evaluate the efficacy and safety of brain-computer interface technology combined with routine rehabilitation treatment for treatment of poststroke motor disorders. Since all included data will be obtained from published articles,the review does not require ethical approval. The review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020190868.
Postneoadjuvant surveillance and surgery as needed compared with postneoadjuvant surgery on principle in multimodal treatment for oesophageal cancer: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Schmucker Christine , Nagavci Blin , Hipp Julian , Schmoor Claudia , Meerpohl Joerg , Hoeppner Jens
Published: January 2021

Introduction

In current medical practice of curative treatment for non-metastatic oesophageal cancer, surgery on principle is carried out by oesophagectomy after neoadjuvant treatment. However, oesophagectomy is often associated with postoperative morbidity and mortality. Taking into account that modern neoadjuvant therapy is effective and many of patients show no vital tumour cells in the operative specimens, we aim to perform a scoping review as part of the development phase for a prospectively planned multicentre randomised controlled trial investigating ‘surgery as needed vs surgery on principle in patients with postneoadjuvant complete response of oesophageal cancer’ (Prospective trial registration number DRKS00022801). This scoping approach will allow us to finally define and/or adapt the research question including the design and methodology of the randomised controlled trial taking into account the findings for example, research gaps and/or pitfalls in the currently available study pool addressing this or very similar questions.

Methods and analysis

To identify relevant research, we will conduct searches in the electronic databases Medline, Web of Science Core Collection, Cochrane Library and Science Direct. We will also check references of relevant studies and perform a cited reference research (forward citation tracking). Titles and abstracts of the records identified by the searches will be screened and full texts of all potentially relevant articles will be obtained. We will consider randomised trials and non-randomised controlled studies. Data extraction tables will be set up, including study and patients’ characteristics, aim of study and reported outcomes. We will summarise the data using tables and figures (eg, bubble plots) to present the research landscape and to describe potential clusters and/or gaps to support the planning of a randomised trial in this patient population.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval is not required for this scoping review. Study findings will be shared by publication in a peer-reviewed journal and by presentation to key stakeholders on scientific meetings.
Therapeutic shutdown of HBV transcripts promotes reappearance of the SMC5/6 complex and silencing of the viral genome in vivo
Authors: Allweiss Lena , Giersch Katja , Pirosu Andrea , Volz Tassilo , Muench Robert C , Beran Rudolf K , Urban Stephan , Javanbakht Hassan , Fletcher Simon P , Lütgehetmann Marc , Dandri Maura
Published: January 2021

Objective

Therapeutic strategies silencing and reducing the hepatitis B virus (HBV) reservoir, the covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), have the potential to cure chronic HBV infection. We aimed to investigate the impact of small interferring RNA (siRNA) targeting all HBV transcripts or pegylated interferon-α (peg-IFNα) on the viral regulatory HBx protein and the structural maintenance of chromosome 5/6 complex (SMC5/6), a host factor suppressing cccDNA transcription. In particular, we assessed whether interventions lowering HBV transcripts can achieve and maintain silencing of cccDNA transcription in vivo.

Design

HBV-infected human liver chimeric mice were treated with siRNA or peg-IFNα. Virological and host changes were analysed at the end of treatment and during the rebound phase by qualitative PCR, ELISA, immunoblotting and chromatin immunoprecipitation. RNA in situ hybridisation was combined with immunofluorescence to detect SMC6 and HBV RNAs at single cell level. The entry inhibitor myrcludex-B was used during the rebound phase to avoid new infection events.

Results

Both siRNA and peg-IFNα strongly reduced all HBV markers, including HBx levels, thus enabling the reappearance of SMC5/6 in hepatocytes that achieved HBV-RNA negativisation and SMC5/6 association with the cccDNA. Only IFN reduced cccDNA loads and enhanced IFN-stimulated genes. However, the antiviral effects did not persist off treatment and SMC5/6 was again degraded. Remarkably, the blockade of viral entry that started at the end of treatment hindered renewed degradation of SMC5/6.

Conclusion

These results reveal that therapeutics abrogating all HBV transcripts including HBx promote epigenetic suppression of the HBV minichromosome, whereas strategies protecting the human hepatocytes from reinfection are needed to maintain cccDNA silencing.
Ambient air pollution exposure and chronic bronchitis in the Lifelines cohort
Authors: Doiron Dany , Bourbeau Jean , de Hoogh Kees , Hansell Anna L
Published: January 2021

Background

Few large studies have assessed the relationship of long-term ambient air pollution exposure with the prevalence and incidence of symptoms of chronic bronchitis and cough.

Methods

We leveraged Lifelines cohort data on 132 595 (baseline) and 65 009 (second assessment) participants linked to ambient air pollution estimates. Logistic regression models adjusted for sex, age, educational attainment, body mass index, smoking status, pack-years smoking and environmental tobacco smoke at home were used to assess associations of air pollution with prevalence and incidence of chronic bronchitis (winter cough and sputum almost daily for ≥3 months/year), chronic cough (winter cough almost daily for ≥3 months/year) and prevalence of cough and sputum symptoms, irrespective of duration.

Results

Associations were seen for all pollutants for prevalent cough or sputum symptoms. However, for prevalent and incident chronic bronchitis, statistically significant associations were seen for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and black carbon (BC) but not for fine particulate matter (PM2.5). For prevalent chronic bronchitis, associations with NO2showed OR: 1.05 (95% CI: 1.02 to 1.08) and with BC OR: 1.06 (95% CI: 1.03 to 1.09) expressed per IQR; corresponding results for incident chronic bronchitis were NO2OR: 1.07 (95% CI: 1.02 to 1.13) and BC OR: 1.07 (95% CI: 1.02 to 1.13). In subgroup analyses, slightly stronger associations were observed among women, never smokers and younger individuals.

Conclusion

This is the largest analysis to date to examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between ambient air pollution and chronic bronchitis. NO2and BC air pollution was associated with increased odds of prevalent and incident chronic bronchitis.
Phytohormone requirements for pollination drop secretion in Ginkgo biloba ovules
Authors: Che Wanqing , Mao Danyang , Zhang Tiantian , Jiang Bei , Lu Zhaogeng , Wang Li
Published: January 2021

Pollination drop (PD) plays a crucial role in the sexual reproduction of gymnosperms. However, the molecular mechanism regulating PD secretion has not been reported. In our study, we successfully constructed cDNA libraries in ovules between PD secretion and PD withdrawal stages, and identified 2975 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). These genes were involved in biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, fatty acid biosynthesis, fatty acid metabolism, and hormone-related pathways. We especially identified DEGs related to jasmonic acid (JA) metabolism and signal transduction, including Gb_39942 (SDP1), Gb_03931 (OPR2), and Gb_18696 (4CLL4), which were all upregulated at the stage of PD secretion in Ginkgo biloba L. Gb_17431 (TIF3B) and Gb_17432 (TIF9), which encode the negative regulator JAZ protein, were downregulated during this period. We also found that KO1 (Gb_05787 and Gb_38576) and GA20ox1 (Gb_16591), which are related to gibberellin (GA) synthesis, were upregulated, whereas Gb_17754, encoding the GA receptor GID1, was downregulated during PD secretion. From these results, we predicted that JA and GA may play important roles in the regulation of PD secretion in G. biloba ovules.
Storage duration, light, temperature, and salinity exposure influence germination of the glycophyte Rhanterium epapposum
Authors: Bhatt Arvind , Carón María Mercedes , Gallacher David , Souza-Filho Paulo Roberto de Moura
Published: January 2021

Regeneration of native species is the first priority for biodiversity conservation and restoration. To this end, it is key to have seeds properly conserved in seed banks and knowledge of seed longevity and (or) dormancy alleviation at different storage time intervals. In addition, understanding the germination response of the stored seeds to environmental conditions improves the efficiency of restoration and rehabilitation projects. We investigated the influence of storage duration (1–5 years), light (0 or 12 h of illumination), thermoperiod (night/day temperatures of 15/20 and 20/25 °C), and salinity (0, 100, 200. and 400 mmol/L of NaCl) on seed germination of Rhanterium epapposum, a glycophytic species from the Arabian Peninsula. Seeds maintained viability after five years of storage indoors at room temperature. Three years of storage alleviated seed dormancy. Exposure to 12 h light per day and thermoperiods of 15/20 °C enhanced seed germination. The seeds were glycophytic; after-ripened seeds exposed to salinity exhibited reduced rates of germination that did not recover after the salinity was alleviated.
Thermal sensitivity and flow-mediated migratory delays drive climate risk for coastal sockeye salmon
Authors: Atlas William I. , Seitz Karl M. , Jorgenson Jeremy W.N. , Millard-Martin Ben , Housty William G. , Ramos-Espinoza Daniel , Burnett Nicholas J. , Reid Mike , Moore Jonathan W.
Published: January 2021

Climate change is subjecting aquatic species to increasing temperatures and shifting hydrologic conditions. Understanding how these changes affect individual survival can help guide conservation and management actions. Anadromous Pacific salmon ( Oncorhynchus spp.) in some large river systems are acutely impacted by the river temperatures and flows encountered during their spawning migrations. However, comparatively little is known about drivers of en route mortality for salmon in smaller coastal watersheds, and climate impacts may differ across watersheds and locally adapted salmon populations. To understand the effects of climate on the survival of coastal sockeye salmon ( Oncorhynchus nerka; hísn in Haíɫzaqv), we tagged 1785 individual fish with passive integrated transponders across four migration seasons in the Koeye River—a low-elevation watershed in coastal British Columbia—and tracked them during their relatively short migration (∼13 km) from river entry to spawning grounds. Overall, 64.7% of sockeye survived to enter the spawning grounds, and survival decreased rapidly when water temperatures exceeded 15 °C. The best-fitting model included an interaction between river flow and temperature, such that temperature effects were worse when flows were low, and river entry ceased at the lowest flows. Results revealed temperature-mediated mortality and migration delays from low water that may synergistically reduce survival among sockeye salmon returning to coastal watersheds.
Measurement of the helicity asymmetry E for the reaction $$ \gamma p\rightarrow \pi ^0 p$$
Authors: Gottschall M. , Afzal F. , Anisovich A. V. , Bayadilov D. , Beck R. , Bichow M. , Brinkmann K. Th. , Crede V. , Dieterle M. , Dietz F. , Dutz H. , Eberhardt H. , Elsner D. , Ewald R. , Fornet-Ponse K. , Friedrich St. , Frommberger F. , Gridnev A. , Grüner M. , Gutz E. , Hammann Ch. , Hannappel J. , Hartmann J. , Hillert W. , Hoffmeister Ph. , Honisch Ch. , Jude T. , Kammer S. , Kalinowsky H. , Keshelashvili I. , Klassen P. , Klein F. , Klempt E. , Koop K. , Krusche B. , Kube M. , Lang M. , Lopatin I. , Mahlberg P. , Makonyi K. , Metag V. , Meyer W. , Müller J. , Müllers J. , Nanova M. , Nikonov V. , Novotny R. , Piontek D. , Reicherz G. , Rostomyan T. , Sarantsev A. , Schmidt Ch. , Schmieden H. , Seifen T. , Sokhoyan V. , Spieker K. , Thiel A. , Thoma U. , Urban M. , Pee H. van , Walther D. , Wendel Ch. , Werthmüller D. , Wiedner U. , Wilson A. , Winnebeck A. , Witthauer L. , Wunderlich Y.
Published: January 2021

A measurement of the double-polarization observable E for the reaction $$\gamma p\rightarrow \pi ^0 p$$

γ
p
→

π
0

p

is reported. The data were taken with the CBELSA/TAPS experiment at the ELSA facility in Bonn using the Bonn frozen-spin butanol (C$$_4$$

4

H$$_9$$

9

OH) target, which provided longitudinally-polarized protons. Circularly-polarized photons were produced via bremsstrahlung of longitudinally-polarized electrons. The data cover the photon energy range from $$E_\gamma =600$$

E
γ

=
600

to 2310 MeV and nearly the complete angular range. The results are compared to and have been included in recent partial wave analyses.
Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease Using Deep Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Kaur Swapandeep , Gupta Sheifali , Singh Swati , Gupta Isha
Published: January 2021

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a disease that gradually develops and causes degeneration of the cells of the brain. The leading cause of AD is dementia that results in a person’s inability to work independently. In the early stages of AD, a person forgets recent conversations or the occurrence of an event. In the later stages, there could be severe loss of memory such that the person is not able to even perform everyday tasks. The medicines currently available for AD may improve its symptoms on a temporary basis in the early stage of the disease. Since no treatment is available for curing AD, its detection becomes extremely important. As the clinical treatments are very expensive, the need for automated diagnosis of AD is of critical importance. In this paper, a deep learning model based on a convolutional neural network has been used and applied to four classes of images of AD that is very mild demented, mild demented, average demented, and non-demented. It was found that the moderate demented class had the highest accuracy of 98.9%, a classification error rate of 0.01, and a specificity of 0.992. Also, the lowest false positive rate of 0.007 was obtained.
Fuzzy Logic Depth Based Energy Aware Routing Protocol for Underwater Acoustic Sensor Network: FLDEAR
Authors: Natesan Sathish Kumar , Krishnan Raja Kumar
Published: January 2021

The Underwater Acoustic Sensor Network (UASN) plays a dynamic role in various application extents like surveillance, military, terrestrial networks and industrial application. In UASN, each Underwater Sensor Node (USN) is deployed in many places. The multiple paths are always used for transmitting data from USN to the Sink Node (SN). Each sensor constitutes a set of small devices and a small battery. If data is received from multiple nodes at the same time then, there is a chance for a collision and also it will bring down network lifetime. In recent years, only a few research works are done in fuzzy based routing in UASN. For increasing the network’s lifetime, there is always a need for an optimum routing path in UASN with improved parameters related to propagation delay, energy and throughput. The present paper proposes the Fuzzy Logic Depth based Energy-Aware Routing (FLDEAR) path in UASN. A static USN was utilized in the proposed system. Each USN is assigned a Priority Number (PN) by the SN. The PN is used for avoiding collision in the proposed model. The simulation is conducted employing Aqua-Sim (AS) which is based on Network Simulator-2(NS2). The simulation results illustrate that this system outperforms the existing routing protocol such as protocols of Energy Efficient Cooperative Opportunistic Routing (EECOR), Fuzzy Depth Based Routing (FDBR) and Depth Based Routing (DBR) in terms of improved parameters related to energy, propagation delay and throughput. Finally, the lifetime of UASN is improved by 70–80% by the implementation of the proposed FLDEAR protocol.
Corporate Board Committees and Corporate Outcomes: An International Systematic Literature Review and Agenda for Future Research
Authors: Alhossini Mohammed A. , Ntim Collins G. , Zalata Alaa Mansour
Published: January 2021

This paper comprehensively reviews the current body of international accounting literature regarding advisory/monitoring committees and corporate outcomes. Specifically, it synthesizes, appraises, and extends current knowledge on the (a) theoretical (i.e., economic, accounting/corporate governance, sociological and socio-psychological) perspectives and (b) empirical evidence of the observable and less visible attributes at both the individual and committee levels and their link with a wide range (financial/non-financial) of corporate outcomes. Using the systematic literature review method, 304 articles from 59 journals in the fields of accounting and finance that were published between January 1992 and December 2018 are reviewed. The main findings are as follows. First and theoretically, agency theory is the most dominant applied theory/studies with no application of theory at all (descriptive), while the application of integrated theoretical frameworks is lacking in the reviewed articles. Secondly, the existing empirical evidence focusses excessively on (a) monitoring instead of advisory committees and (b) observable rather than less visible committee attributes. Thirdly, scarcity of cross-country studies along with methodological limitations relating to measurement inconsistencies, insufficiency of variables, and dominance of quantitative studies, among others, are identified. Finally, promising future research avenues are outlined.
Refractive index characteristics of edible oils based on spectrometry and effects of oil dispersion on OCT
Authors: Xu ShiJun , Li XiaoKang
Published: January 2021

It is necessary to investigate the wavelength-dependent variation rules of the refractive index of edible oils so as to explore the specificity of the dispersion in light propagation, imaging, and interference processes among different types of edible oil products. In this study, by deriving the refractive index equations of the double glass sheet holding device and oil, the reflectance spectra of three different types of oil samples, namely, peanut oil, colza oil, and kitchen waste oil, were measured via a spectrometer. Furthermore, the refractive index model of these different types of oil samples was investigated. Additionally, based on the oil dispersion characteristics, the dispersion of oil in optical coherence tomography (OCT) was compensated via deconvolution. In the wavelength range of [Formula: see text] (380, 1500)[Formula: see text]nm, the analytical expressions of the double glass sheet holding device and oils are featured by practical reliability. The refractive indexes of three different types of oils [Formula: see text] (1.38, 1.52) show normal dispersion characteristics. The Cauchy coefficient matrix of the oil refractive index can be used for oil identification; in particular, the healthy oil and waste oil differ significantly in terms of the Cauchy coefficient matrix in the infrared band. Oil dispersion has almost no influence on the phase spectra of oils but can enhance their amplitude spectra. The dispersion mismatch can be eliminated by calculating the convolution kernel. The envelope broadening factors of OCT interference signals of oil products are 0.84, 0.64, and 0.91, respectively. According to the present research results, the refractive index model of oil can effectively remove the influence of the holding device. The refractive indexes of three different types of oil samples show similar wavelength-dependent variation characteristics, which confirms the existence of many correlated components in these oil samples. The established refractive index model of oil in a wide spectral range, from the ultraviolet to the infrared band, can be adequately employed for identifying different types of oils. The numerical dispersion compensation based on the established refractive index model can enhance the axial resolution in OCT imaging.
Perceptual Image Compression with Block-Level Just Noticeable Difference Prediction
Authors: Tian Tao , Wang Hanli , Kwong Sam , Kuo C.-C. Jay
Published: January 2021

A block-level perceptual image compression framework is proposed in this work, including a block-level just noticeable difference (JND) prediction model and a preprocessing scheme. Specifically speaking, block-level JND values are first deduced by utilizing the OTSU method based on the variation of block-level structural similarity values between two adjacent picture-level JND values in the MCL-JCI dataset. After the JND value for each image block is generated, a convolutional neural network–based prediction model is designed to forecast block-level JND values for a given target image. Then, a preprocessing scheme is devised to modify the discrete cosine transform coefficients during JPEG compression on the basis of the distribution of block-level JND values of the target test image. Finally, the test image is compressed by the max JND value across all of its image blocks in the light of the initial quality factor setting. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed block-level perceptual image compression method is able to achieve 16.75% bit saving as compared to the state-of-the-art method with similar subjective quality. The project page can be found at https://mic.tongji.edu.cn/43/3f/c9778a148287/page.htm.
Elimination Voltammetry with Linear Scan (ELSV) Study of Methanol Electro-Oxidation on Galvanostatically Deposited Ni
Authors: Crespo-Yapur Diego , Hernandez-Gonzalez Alma Paola , Angeles Olvera Zuraya , Salinas Maria Paula , Videa Marcelo
Published: January 2021

Elimination voltammetry with linear scan (EVLS) is an analysis method that allows the decomposition of the measured current into its capacitive, diffusional, and kinetic contributions. This method was applied to study the electro-oxidation of methanol on nickel films deposited galvanostatically on gold. This analysis suggests a strong dependence of the NiOOH formation and methanol oxidation on the scan rate. According to the EVLS deconvolution, at high scan rates (> 100 mV s−1), the oxidation of Ni(OH)2 to NiOOH has a remarkable resemblance to a reaction that proceeds in an adsorbed state. Decreasing the scan rate results in qualitative changes of the particular currents, implying the occurrence of electrochemical processes that require a larger time scale (>0.5 s), like the formation of the water intercalated γ-NiOOH. For the methanol electro-oxidation process, the main contribution comes from the kinetic current; however, increasing the scan rate reveals a parallel diffusional process related to the oxygen evolution.
Developing a Voltammetric Method for Meloxicam Determination Using a Glassy Carbon Electrode Modified with Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (GC/MWCNT)
Authors: Cerón-Pérez A. , Juárez-Moreno M. G. , Martínez-Sánchez M. M. , González-Leal M. , Sosa-Domínguez A.
Published: January 2021

Meloxicam (MLC) is an oxicam with powerful anti-inflammatory effects with a recommended daily dose of 7.5 to 15 mg. The risk for cardiovascular and stroke events increases when the recommended dose is exceeded. Electroanalytical methods, such as voltammetry, given its selectivity for the oxicams family, offer high sensitivity, easy handling, and a short time response at a low cost. This article explores the development of a voltammetric method for meloxicam determination using a vitreous carbon electrode modified with carbon nanotubes. As a result, a voltammogram with an oxidation peak of 0.624 V., and a linearity range from 1x10-9 M to 3.5x10-3 M, was obtained. In the same way, a curve of calibration with a determination coefficient of 0.9487 was achieved. Finally, the amount of meloxicam determined for the pharmaceutical form was reported to be 15.7096 mg in comparison to that of the manufacturer with a value of 15 mg.
The Electrochemical Activity of Mg and Mg-Ca0.3 in Hank’s Physiological Solution
Authors: Gonzalez Jose Luis , Veleva Lucien
Published: January 2021

This research reports the electrochemical degradation of Mg and the Mg-Ca (0.3% wt.) alloy up to 14 days of exposure to Hank’s solution as a physiological medium at 37°C. The elemental composition (SEM-EDS) of the formed layer revealed that the intermetallic particles of Mg2Ca-phase appeared on Mg-Ca0.3 surface before and after immersion tests. XPS analysis suggested that the layers formed contain Mg(OH)2, Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2, and CaCO3. The current density fluctuations were considered as electrochemical noise and the result suggest that the corrosion occurs as persistent stationary process. The pitting index (PI) for Mg was two times greater and its electrochemical noise resistance 5.5 lower than those of Mg-Ca0.3. The concentration of the released Mg-ions was ~ 3 times higher for Mg than that of Mg-Ca0.3. The positive effect of Ca may be considered as a consequence of the formed layer, which impedes the cathodic hydrogen evolution and Mg-ions release.