bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of mitotype diversity on metabarcoding biodiversity estimations in Insecta and Arachnida using different sample preparation strategies
Authors: Li Tian‐Chu , Miao Yun‐Heng , Wang Tao , Zu Guo‐Hao , Huang Da‐Wei , Xiao Jin‐Hua
Published: June 2022

DNA barcoding and metabarcoding have been increasingly used in species delimitation and species diversity assessment, respectively, and the molecular markers used in animals are mainly derived from mitochondrial DNA. It is well known that the phenomenon of multiple mitochondrial haplotypes within the same specimen (hereafter referred to as “mitotype diversity”) may have a negative impact on the proper assessment of biodiversity by metabarcoding. However, few studies have focused on the incidence of this phenomenon and its effects on metabarcoding results using different sample preparation strategies, such as mock community construction using pooled high‐throughput sequencing (HTS) data, DNA‐pooling and Tissue‐pooling. In this study, we investigated mitotype diversity and its influence on metabarcoding based on 398 specimens from 66 species of Insecta and 82 specimens from 16 species of Arachnida by HTS of the mitochondrial cox1 gene fragment. The results revealed that mitotype diversity was common in the studied taxa and significantly increased the number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) using the three sample preparation strategies. The results also showed that the bioinformatics pipeline based on authentic amplicon sequence variants was more reliable than the pipeline based on OTUs. Regarding the sample preparation strategies of DNA‐pooling and Tissue‐pooling commonly used in metabarcoding, our results revealed that their results of metabarcoding were quite similar, and the Tissue‐pooling strategy was therefore preferred because of its simplicity. Our study calls for additional attention to the interference of mitotype diversity on the results of DNA metabarcoding in biodiversity assessment.
Measuring understorey vegetation structure using a novel mixed‐reality device
Authors: Gorczynski Daniel , Beaudrot Lydia
Published: June 2022

Most ecological studies of vegetation structure have relied on manual field measurements that are labour‐intensive and time‐consuming. Many current alternatives to classical measurements are expensive or difficult to transport to field settings.

Here we evaluated a new method for measuring understorey vegetation with a novel mixed‐reality, remote sensing device, the Microsoft HoloLens. We developed a vegetation sensing application called VegSense that allows the HoloLens user to control the device's environmental scanners to measure understorey vegetation. Using VegSense, we tested the ability of the Microsoft HoloLens relative to classical field measurements to (a) detect trees and saplings, (b) measure diameter at breast height (DBH), (c) detect individual understorey vegetation structures and (d) estimate understorey vegetation complexity replicating the rod‐transect method.

We found that VegSense performed well in detecting and measuring trees with a DBH of 17 cm or more and estimating vegetation complexity and performed moderately at detecting understorey vegetation.

Our results indicate that the HoloLens is a suitable alternative for multiple classical field measurements of understorey vegetation. This method costs much less than typical terrestrial LiDAR systems, and can facilitate efficient, high‐quality environmental data collection. Further software development has the potential to reveal additional ways in which this device can be harnessed for applications to ecology and evolution.
Old‐growth structural attributes associated with the last giant subtropical conifers in South America
Authors: Scipioni Marcelo Callegari , Higuchi Pedro , Fockink Guilherme Diego , Allen Craig D.
Published: June 2022

Giant Araucaria trees in Brazilian Atlantic forests today are rare but remain critically important for structuring these ecosystems, providing unique and rare habitat elements that can serve as points of reference for their management. Old‐growth Araucaria trees, with their complex crowns and big trunk cavities, supply more important ecological services than smaller trees with simple crowns. Forest ecology managers lack information on the old‐growth structures of Brazilian Araucaria forest, their ecological importance and their potential societal values and uses. In this study, we investigated old‐growth attributes of Araucaria angustifolia and relate their wide structural variability to ecological management goals. In this study, we used currently available data on the last large old Araucaria trees, as well as our own new records, from large trees of 1.6–3.2 m diameter in the Araucaria forests in southern Brazil. In order to quantify the structural attributes of these remnant trees, their main trunks, any reiterated canopy trunks and trunk cavities were measured for diameters, heights and volumes. These old‐growth trees had an average height of 38.4 m, and total tree volumes ranged from 21.5 to 106.6 m3. The biggest reiterated trunk was 1.1 m in diameter and 17 m long, which is larger than most adult Araucaria trees. Number of cavities and number of reiterated trunks were all significantly related to the diameters of these large remnant Araucaria trees; both features are absent in Araucaria <50 cm in diameter. The maximum diameter and average length of reiterated trunks were correlated with the number and size of trunk cavities. Commercial wood values and uses are limited for all trees with main trunk diameters exceeding 1.5 m due to large internal cavities—however, these rare, relictual old‐growth structures are of high ecological value for the local fauna and flora.
Reading the present from the past in Hopkins, Belize
Authors: MOBERG MARK
Published: June 2022

The site of Douglas Taylor's landmark study of Garifuna language and culture, Hopkins, Belize, occupies a prominent place in the cultural anthropology of Central America. Over 70 years, this Afro‐Caribbean community has been visited by a series of ethnographers whose synchronic “snapshots” have proved short‐lived. In 1971 the first anthropologist to return described emerging livelihoods that defied Taylor's predictions. My late‐1980s fieldwork revealed stratification from unequal access to an expanding agricultural export market. Returning 30 years later, I found that tourism had privileged residents with cultural capital rather than those with ties to farming. Hopkins today is almost unrecognizable from its past portrayals, yet a close reading of earlier texts reveals hints of later changes. These clues were discounted under the paradigmatic assumptions guiding each episode of fieldwork. This reading of past ethnographic work demonstrates how shifting disciplinary fashions accord priority to some findings while neglecting others that later proved transformative. [restudies, fieldwork, knowledge production, tourism, Garifuna, Belize]
Tibial metaphyseal cones combined with short stems perform as well as long stems in revision total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Batinica Bruno , Bolam Scott M. , D'Arcy Matt , Zhu Mark , Monk A. Paul , Munro Jacob T.
Published: June 2022

Backgrounds

There is uncertainty around optimal tibial stem length in revision total knee arthroplasty (rTKA) utilizing a tibial trabecular metal (TM) cone. The purpose of this study was to compare: (1) functional outcomes, (2) radiographic outcomes and (3) implant survivorship in rTKA utilizing TM cones combined with either short stems (SS) or long stems (LS) at minimum 2 years follow‐up.

Methods

In this retrospective, multi‐centre study, patients undergoing rTKA utilizing a TM cone between 2008 and 2019 were included. Patients were divided into: SS group (no diaphyseal engagement), and LS group (diaphyseal engagement). All relevant clinical charts and post‐operative radiographs were examined. Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and EuroQol‐5D (EQ‐5D‐5L) data were collected at most recent follow‐up.

Results

In total, 44 patients were included: 18 in the SS group and 26 in the LS group. The mean time of follow‐up was 4.0 years. Failure free survival was 94.4% for the SS group and 92.3% for the LS group. All failures were for prosthetic joint infections managed with debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention. At most recent follow‐up, 3 patients demonstrated radiographic signs of lucency (1 SS 2 LS, P = 1) and the mean OKS were 37 ± 4 and 36 ± 6 (P = 0.73) in the SS and LS groups, respectively.

Conclusion

Tibial SS combined with TM cones performed as well as LS in rTKA at minimum 2 years follow‐up. A tibial SS in combination with a TM cone is a reliable technique to achieve stable and durable fixation in rTKA.
Cooperative movement and widespread prosperity across Italian regions
Authors: Costa Michele , Delbono Flavio , Linguiti Francesco
Published: June 2022

Our goal is to participate in the debate on regional well‐being. To this end, we explore the relationship between prosperity and the cooperative movement at the regional level in Italy between 2010 and 2019. We summarize prosperity through an index originally proposed by Amartya Sen and we apply it to classify Italian regions. We then perform panel analyses showing that there is a positive and significant association between such an index and the cooperative presence. We detect that, and explain why, the cooperative movement contributes to the regional prosperity more through its employment than in terms of the added value it generates.
Does Aid for Trade Promote Vertical Specialization?
Authors: Kim JunYun , Lee Hongshik , Lee Joonhyung
Published: June 2022

We study the impact of Aid for Trade (AfT) and analyze whether aid recipients participate in bilateral vertical specialization. Using data from 15 donors and 106 recipients for the years 2002 to 2018, we investigate whether bilateral AfT increases bilateral vertical specialization. To focus on the variation between donors and recipients over time, we absorb other sources of variation through donor–year, recipient–year and donor–recipient fixed effects. Our findings show that AfT helps expand bilateral vertical specialization for a particular group of countries, upper middle‐income countries. Subsequent analysis reveals that AfT improves the infrastructure of upper middle‐income countries, which promotes participation in vertical specialization. Our findings suggest that to promote vertical specialization in lower income countries, AfT should be provided more directly to improve their infrastructure.
Determinants of elementary‐school academic achievement: Component cognitive abilities and memory integration
Authors: Esposito Alena G. , Bauer Patricia J.
Published: June 2022

Children are on a quest for knowledge. To achieve it, children must integrate separate but related episodes of learning. The theoretical model of memory integration posits that the process is supported by component cognitive abilities. In turn, memory integration predicts accumulation of a knowledge base. We tested this model in two studies (data collected in 2016–2018) with second (8‐year‐olds; n = 391; 196 female; 36% Black, 27% Hispanic/Latinx, 29% White, and 8% multiracial) and third (9‐year‐olds; n = 282; 148 female; 36% Black, 31% Hispanic/Latinx, 27% White, and 5% multiracial) graders. The results support the theoretical model and the role of verbal comprehension in learning new information, and also indicate that verbal comprehension alone is not sufficient to build knowledge.
Consequences of economic sanctions on minority groups in the sanctioned states
Authors: Onder Mehmet
Published: June 2022

This study explores the effects of economic sanctions on vulnerable groups within target states. When a state uses economic sanctions to realize its foreign policy goals, the government in the sanctioned state usually pursues harsh domestic policies against its ethnic minority groups by employing rally around the flag effect policies. Resultant domestic policies work by casting members of minority groups as traitors and then scapegoating them as the cause underlying the sanctions. Many cases have resulted in the mistreatment and death of innocent people due to the target state governments' counter‐sanctions policies at the domestic level. In this paper, I analyze the negative effects of economic sanctions on minority groups with a focus on the economic, political, and social discrimination of minority groups within sanctioned states. I argue that comprehensive sanctions are more harmful than targeted sanctions on the minority groups in sanctioned states. By using panel data and logit regression models, I demonstrate that economic sanctions cause target states to enact policies that are discriminatory against members of minority groups. This study contributes to the literature by identifying the effects of comprehensive and targeted sanctions on minority groups in terms of political, economic, and societal dimensions.
Developing a signature pedagogy for doctoral education
Authors: Smith Kari
Published: June 2022

The number of doctoral students internationally is on the increase, yet low completion rates seem to be stable. Universities need to learn from each other to strengthen doctoral education. In doctoral education, the person and the doctoral project are intertwined and both must be nurtured and developed. This article presents the signature pedagogy of the Norwegian Research School in Teacher Education (NAFOL). The international and national context of NAFOL is described and the reasons for establishing NAFOL are presented. The pedagogical vision behind the research school is outlined, and examples of how the vision translates into activities are provided. The last part of the article analyses experiences from NAFOL and highlights points that might be useful to other research schools in different contexts. Based on the experience gained at NAFOL, a whole person approach to doctoral students in doctoral education is recommended.
Adrenal insufficiency among children treated with hormonal therapy for infantile spasms
Authors: Doré‐Brabant Gabrielle , Laflamme Geneviève , Millette Maude , Osterman Bradley , Chrestian Nicolas
Published: June 2022

Objective

Hormonal therapy is a standard treatment for children with infantile spasms. However, the high doses given and long treatment duration expose patients to the risk of adrenal insufficiency (AI). This study aims to quantify the cumulative incidence of AI among children with infantile spasms treated with high‐dose corticosteroids and/or adrenocorticotropic hormone.

Methods

A retrospective chart review of patients treated for infantile spasms was performed between January 2009 and March 2020 in one pediatric specialized hospital. Variables collected include patient and treatment characteristics, risk factors of AI, and adrenal function testing. Analysis included descriptive statistics such as incidence and bivariate analysis.

Results

Thirty‐one patients were included and received a total of 33 courses of treatment (17 corticosteroids [prednisone/prednisolone], 12 adrenocorticotropic hormone, and four combined). Physiologic hydrocortisone replacement therapy with stress supplementation was received after 32 of 33 (97%) courses of treatment. Adrenal function was assessed in 32 of 33 (97%) and AI occurred in 25 of 33 (76%, 95% confidence interval = 58–89). No predictive factor of AI was identified after hormonal treatment. No drug regimen was found to be safe. The two patients who developed an acute adrenal crisis presented to the emergency room within the days (between 2 and 7) following weaning off of hormonal treatment. They were the youngest children of the cohort, and both received prednisolone.

Significance

Adrenal insufficiency is frequent and can potentially lead to an adrenal crisis in this population. This study highlights the necessity of hydrocortisone replacement therapy until AI has been excluded in a patient who has received hormonal therapy to treat infantile spasms. As such, routine laboratory assessment of adrenal function should be done in all patients.
Radial eco‐efficiency in the presence of weakly disposable undesirable outputs: Evaluating agricultural sectors
Authors: Afzalinejad Mohammad
Published: June 2022

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a popular technique for evaluating relative efficiency. In many real‐world applications, undesirable outputs must be considered, and evaluating eco‐efficiency instead of operational efficiency is demanded. Unfortunately, eco‐efficiency models in DEA are problematic, especially in variable returns‐to‐scale (VRS) and weak disposability conditions. In this paper, the shortcomings of the available models are discussed and a new method is proposed to provide a valid eco‐efficiency measurement. The proposed model is capable of assessing radial efficiency which is not straightforward in the presence of undesirable outputs. Weak disposability condition plays an important role in modelling undesirable outputs. The proposed model also offers a new formulation for weak disposability in VRS technology. Compared to conventional DEA models with a large number of decision making units evaluated as efficient, the performance scores in the proposed model are much more dispersed, leading to a deeper assessment. None of the operational and environmental efficiencies is overlooked by the new method. The proposed model is used to evaluate the eco‐efficiency of the agriculture sector in 62 countries. The results confirm that poverty and extreme weather have negative impacts on environmental efficiency.
ENDOGENOUS PROCYCLICAL LIQUIDITY, CAPITAL REALLOCATION, AND q
Authors: Cao Melanie , Shi Shouyong
Published: June 2022

Capital reallocation is procyclical and an economic boom has a cleansing effect by shifting the distribution of firms from low quality to high quality. We explain these facts by modeling search frictions for used capital in the business cycle. The article characterizes the stochastic equilibrium analytically to prove that the liquidity and the price of reallocated capital are procyclical endogenously. We calibrate the model and construct proxies in the data for the unemployment rate of capital and the time on the market. These two variables have a strong positive relationship in both the model and the data.
The role of social psychological factors in vulnerability to financial hardship
Authors: Warmath Dee , Elizabeth O'Connor Genevieve , Wong Nancy , Newmeyer Casey
Published: June 2022

Previous research attributes vulnerability to financial hardship either to structural inequities or to poor financial behavior. Less attention has been paid to the role of social psychological factors or to the relative contribution of demographics, behavior, and social psychology in understanding an individual's vulnerability to financial hardship. While studies have examined psychosocial factors in financial outcomes, we argue that these factors represent a missing perspective in the construction of interventions to lessen vulnerability. We further argue that a holistic perspective considering all three factors is needed to address vulnerability to financial hardship. Capitalizing on the richness of the CFPB National Financial Well‐Being Survey data (n = 6394), we examine the unique contribution of psychosocial factors in explaining an individual's financial vulnerability over and above demographics and behaviors. Using four different measures of financial hardship, we find that all three types of factors play important roles in understanding vulnerability to financial hardship. Our findings suggest that more holistic measures and interventions are needed to enhance consumer financial well‐being.
The centres and margins of transnational law: potential developments and methodological challenges
Authors: GRISEL FLORIAN
Published: June 2022

This article challenges the dominant socio‐legal focus on the nation‐state by placing emphasis on its margins. Based on a review of the vibrant scholarship in the socio‐legal literature, the article sketches the features of social facts that can be found in the interstices of national legal systems and professions. Though these facts are marginalized from the perspective of these systems and professions, their role is no less real in the global arena, in whose centres they are situated. The study of these facts raises methodological questions that this article seeks to address. By attempting to shift the research focus from one object to another, in particular, the article casts light on methodological debates concerning the need to define research categories on a preliminary basis.
Knowledge‐sharing ties and equivalence in corporate online communities: A novel source to understand voluntary turnover
Authors: Chen Yuan , Cheng Hsing Kenneth , Liu Yang , Pu Jingchuan , Qiu Liangfei , Wang Ning
Published: June 2022

An increasing number of companies are using corporate online communities, a new information technology tool, to facilitate internal knowledge sharing. The corporate online community also offers companies a novel source to understand employee's behaviors such as voluntary turnover, an important part of workforce management. Little is known, however, about whether and to what extent an employee's voluntary turnover is related to their knowledge‐sharing activities in the corporate online community. In this study, we address this critical issue by jointly considering in‐degree ties (i.e., knowledge acquisition) and out‐degree ties (i.e., knowledge contribution), which we combine into two novel knowledge‐sharing indicators: (i) the existence of bidirectional (vs. unidirectional) knowledge‐sharing ties and (ii) the equivalence of knowledge‐sharing ties (i.e., the balance between in‐degree centrality and out‐degree centrality). We theorize the relationships between these two indicators and the likelihood of voluntary employee turnover, and we test our hypotheses by collaborating with a large company to collect official voluntary turnover records and a unique dataset of detailed knowledge‐sharing behaviors in its corporate online community. A survival model and a series of robustness checks consistently indicate that voluntary turnover is less likely among employees who establish bidirectional knowledge‐sharing ties (rather than unidirectional ties) and that voluntary turnover is less likely among those with a higher equivalence of knowledge‐sharing ties. In light of the critical role of workforce management and the extensive use of online communities, our study offers important managerial implications and can help companies better understand or predict employees’ voluntary turnover from their online knowledge‐sharing activities.
Managing equipment rentals: Unreliable fleet, impatient customers, and finite commitment capacity
Authors: Firouz Mohammad , Li Linda , Keskin Burcu B.
Published: June 2022

In this paper, we discuss fleet size decisions of an equipment rental firm. The availability of the rental equipment depends on the fleet size of the firm and has a direct impact on its profitability. In our setting, we allow for partial backordering, reneging, and finite commitment capacity. Moreover, we explicitly consider the breakdown possibility of the available equipment fleet. We develop an efficient recursive algorithm to solve the underlying two‐dimensional stochastic single‐player model. Our algorithm determines the global optimal fleet size of the firm for the same reneging and equipment return rates. Our extensive managerial insights quantify the behavior of various performance measures in the single‐player model with regard to repair performance of the firm, customer impatience level, traffic intensity, and equipment rental revenue. We demonstrate that by applying our model to a real case, there is a potential of more than a 4% (400,000 USD) increase in total daily profits. Extending our model to a two‐player game, we propose an approximation heuristic to derive closed‐form solutions to estimate equilibrium fleet sizes under complete information. Using our heuristic as the initial solution, we develop a simulation model to determine the exact equilibrium fleet sizes and draw a detailed comparison between the two‐player and single‐player models.
The ore‐forming fluids characteristics of quartz‐vein type scheelite deposits in eastern Yanbian, NE China: Evidence from in situ LA‐ICP‐MS rare earth elements of Yangjingou and Sidaogou deposits
Authors: Li Jingmou , Ren Yunsheng , Hao Yujie , Zeng Qingdong
Published: June 2022

The quartz‐vein type scheelite deposits distributed in the Hunchun SN‐trending gold‐copper‐tungsten belt in eastern Yanbian, Jilin Province, are a group of recent discovery for the past decade. To determine properties of the ore‐forming fluids and the mineralization mechanism, in situ laser ablation‐inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) rare earth elements (REE) analysis of the ore mineral scheelite was carried out for the selected Yangjingou and Sidaogou scheelite deposits in this metallogenic belt. The results showed that the substitution of REE3+ for Ca2+ in scheelite from the Yangjingou scheelite deposit can be accounted for the substitution mechanism: 3Ca2+ = 2REE3+ + □Ca (where □ is a site vacancy). It shows a slightly right‐dipped flat REE pattern with distinct positive Eu anomalies. The Sidaogou scheelite deposit, completes the substitution via the 2Ca2+ = REE3+ + Na+ and Ca2+ + W6+ = REE3+ + Nb5+ mechanisms. It shows left‐dipped REE pattern with relative enrichment of MREEs (mainly Dy) with negative Eu anomalies in the scheelite core and no or insignificant positive Eu anomalies in the scheelite rim. By comparing with the REE of granites which are close related to mineralization in the area, the ore‐forming fluids of these two scheelite deposits are determined to be mainly derived from magmatism. The inapparent correlation between EuN and Eu*N of the Yangjingou scheelite deposit and the high EuN/Eu*N values indicate that its ore‐forming fluids are reducing fluids. Its strong positive Eu anomalies are not entirely inherited from the mineralized tonalite, but is due to the release of Eu from the water‐rock reaction. The good correlation between EuN and Eu*N and the low EuN/Eu*N values in the Sidaogou scheelite deposit indicate that the ore‐forming fluids are oxidizing fluids. This may be caused by the mixing of the original magmatic fluid with a large amount of meteoric water. This study suggests that the water‐rock reaction is an important mineralization mechanism for the quartz vein‐type scheelite deposits in eastern Yanbian. In addition, fluid mixing is also important for the Sidaogou scheelite deposit. All these mechanisms influence the REE compositional characteristics of scheelite. The initial ore‐bearing fluids metasomatized the metamorphic rocks of Wudaogou Group, resulting in water‐rock reaction, and enriched ore‐forming materials such as Ca and W. As the ore‐forming fluids migrated upward along the NW‐trending structures, the escape of CO2 and CH4 caused by the tectonic decompression disrupted the physiochemical balance of the ore‐forming fluid system, catalyzed the combination of Ca2+ and WO42−, resulting in the precipitation and enrichment of the scheelite.
Statistical edutainment: You're the subject for our next subject!
Authors: Lesser Lawrence M. , Pearl Dennis K.
Published: June 2022

Readers are invited to participate in a data collection exercise that will be used subsequently in this series.
Study of simulations of double graded InGaN solar cell structures
Authors: Sarollahi Mirsaeid , Zamani-Alavijeh Mohammad , Allaparthi Rohith , Aldawsari Manal A. , Refaei Malak , Alhelais Reem , Maruf Md Helal Uddin , Mazur Yuriy I. , Ware Morgan E.
Published: June 2022

The performances of various configurations of InGaN solar cells are compared using nextnano semiconductor simulation software. Here, we compare a flat base-graded wall GaN/InGaN structure, with an InxGa1−xN well with sharp GaN contact layers, and an InxGa1−xN structure with InxGa1−xN contact layers, i.e., a homojunction. The doping in the graded structures is the result of polarization doping at each edge (10 nm from each side) due to the compositional grading, while the well structures and homojunctions are impurities doped at each edge (10 nm from each side) at levels equal to the polarization doping density in the graded structure with similar maximum indium concentration. The solar cells are characterized by their open-circuit voltage, Voc, short circuit current, Isc, solar efficiency, η, and energy band diagram. The results indicate that an increase in Isc and η results from increasing both the fixed and maximum indium compositions, while the Voc decreases. The maximum efficiency is obtained for the InGaN well with 60% In.
Development of a Versatile, Low-Cost Electrochemical System to Study Biofilm Redox Activity at the Micron Scale
Authors: Klementiev Alexander D. , Whiteley Marvin
Published: June 2022

Scanning electrochemical probe microscopy methods can provide information of the chemical environment along a spatial surface with micron-scale resolution. These methods often require expensive instruments that perform optimized and highly sensitive niche techniques.
Identification of a Stable Chromosomal Tandem Multicopy of
bla
VIM-63
, a New
bla
VIM-2
Carbapenemase
Authors: Pulido Marina R. , García-Montaner Andrea , López-Cerero Lorena , Fernández-Cuenca Felipe , Gutiérrez-Fernández José , Pascual Álvaro
Published: June 2022

VIM group metallo-β-lactamases are usually captured by
IntI1
integrases. This work describes the detection for the first time of a novel, previously unknown variant of VIM-2, VIM-63.
Crystal Structures of Flavivirus NS5 Guanylyltransferase Reveal a GMP-Arginine Adduct
Authors: Jia Hengxia , Zhong Yao , Peng Chao , Gong Peng
Published: June 2022

The methyltransferase (MTase) domain of flavivirus NS5 is unique in harboring guanylyltransferase (GTase), N7 MTase, and 2′-O MTase activities, playing a central role in viral RNA capping. However, the detailed mechanisms of the multistep capping process remain elusive.
A Novel Pathway for Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Transmission from Sows to Neonatal Piglets Mediated by Colostrum
Authors: Yuan Chen , Zhang Penghao , Liu Peng , Li Yuchen , Li Jianda , Zhang En , Jin Yuxin , Yang Qian
Published: June 2022

The colostrum represents an important infection route for many viruses. Here, we demonstrate the vertical transmission of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) from sows to neonatal piglets via colostrum.
MGEs as the MVPs of Partner Quality Variation in Legume-Rhizobium Symbiosis
Authors: Heath Katy D. , Batstone Rebecca T. , Cerón Romero Mario , McMullen John G.
Published: June 2022

Despite decades of research, we are only just beginning to understand the forces maintaining variation in the nitrogen-fixing symbiosis between rhizobial bacteria and leguminous plants. In their recent work, Alexandra Weisberg and colleagues use genomics to document the breadth of mobile element diversity that carries the symbiosis genes of
Bradyrhizobium
in natural populations.
BRET-Based Self-Cleaving Biosensors for SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro Inhibitor Discovery
Authors: Hou Ningke , Peng Chen , Zhang Lijing , Zhu Yuyao , Hu Qi
Published: June 2022

The virus proteases 3CLpro are validated drug targets for developing antivirals to treat coronavirus diseases, such as COVID-19. However, the development of 3CLpro inhibitors relies heavily on BSL-3 laboratories.
Non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy associated with elevated serum cobalt and accelerated wear of a metal-on-metal hip resurfacing
Authors: Rahman Tahsin M , Hall Deborah J , Darrith Brian , Liu Songyun , Jacobs Joshua J , Pourzal Robin , Silverton Craig D
Published: June 2022

A man in his late 30s developed non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy due to systemic cobalt toxicity associated with accelerated bearing surface wear from metal-on-metal hip resurfacing implanted in the previous 6 years. Following revision arthroplasty, the patient regained baseline cardiac function. Cobalt-induced cardiomyopathy is a grave condition that deserves early consideration due to potentially irreversible morbidity. We present this case to increase awareness, facilitate early detection and emphasise the need for research into the diagnosis and management of at-risk patients.
A call for citizen science in pandemic preparedness and response: beyond data collection
Authors: Tan Yi-Roe , Agrawal Anurag , Matsoso Malebona Precious , Katz Rebecca , Davis Sara L M , Winkler Andrea Sylvia , Huber Annalena , Joshi Ashish , El-Mohandes Ayman , Mellado Bruce , Mubaira Caroline Antonia , Canlas Felipe C , Asiki Gershim , Khosa Harjyot , Lazarus Jeffrey Victor , Choisy Marc , Recamonde-Mendoza Mariana , Keiser Olivia , Okwen Patrick , English Rene , Stinckwich Serge , Kiwuwa-Muyingo Sylvia , Kutadza Tariro , Sethi Tavpritesh , Mathaha Thuso , Nguyen Vinh Kim , Gill Amandeep , Yap Peiling
Published: June 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the need to partner with the community in pandemic preparedness and response in order to enable trust-building among stakeholders, which is key in pandemic management. Citizen science, defined here as a practice of public participation and collaboration in all aspects of scientific research to increase knowledge and build trust with governments and researchers, is a crucial approach to promoting community engagement. By harnessing the potential of digitally enabled citizen science, one could translate data into accessible, comprehensible and actionable outputs at the population level. The application of citizen science in health has grown over the years, but most of these approaches remain at the level of participatory data collection. This narrative review examines citizen science approaches in participatory data generation, modelling and visualisation, and calls for truly participatory and co-creation approaches across all domains of pandemic preparedness and response. Further research is needed to identify approaches that optimally generate short-term and long-term value for communities participating in population health. Feasible, sustainable and contextualised citizen science approaches that meaningfully engage affected communities for the long-term will need to be inclusive of all populations and their cultures, comprehensive of all domains, digitally enabled and viewed as a key component to allow trust-building among the stakeholders. The impact of COVID-19 on people’s lives has created an opportune time to advance people’s agency in science, particularly in pandemic preparedness and response.
Cross-sectional online survey of the impact of new tobacco health warnings in Colombia
Authors: Adams Sally , Clavijo Arturo , Tamayo Ricardo , Maynard Olivia
Published: June 2022

Objectives

This study aimed to explore the impact of a new set of six pictorial warnings introduced in 2018.

Design and setting

Using a cross-sectional design, we examined awareness of the new warnings among Colombian smokers across two time points of data collection.

Participants

Adult smokers (≥18 years of age), defined as having smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and currently smoking at least one cigarette per week participated at time 1, prior to the introduction of the new health warnings in Colombia in 2018 (n=1985, 72% male), and at time 2, 12 months post introduction (n=1572, 69% male).

Primary outcomes

At each time, we examined smokers’ responses to warnings on packs (negative affect, thinking about warning messages and cognitive elaboration), attitudes toward smoking (perceived likelihood and severity of harm, self-efficacy, response efficacy and quit intentions), knowledge of the health risks of smoking and responses to the new warnings (negative affect, believability, thinking about the harms, reactance and perceived message effectiveness).

Results

Awareness of the warnings was low, with only 59% of smokers reporting having seen them at time 2. Between times, we observed a reduction in negative affect toward current warnings (p<0.001), reduced thinking about (p<0.001) and cognitive elaboration of the warning message (p<0.001), and an increase in perceived severity of warnings (p<0.001). When asked about the six new health warnings, we found a reduction in negative affect (p<0.07), cognitions related to harm (p<0.01), believability (p<0.03), reactance (p<0.01) and perceived message effectiveness (p<0.02) between times.

Conclusions

Our data indicate that effectiveness was low prior to the introduction of the new health warnings and at 12 months post introduction. Tobacco control policy should seek to improve exposure to and noticeability of tobacco health warnings in Colombia.
Examining anti-inflammatory therapies in the prevention of cardiovascular events: protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Boczar Kevin Emery , Shin Sheojung , Bezzina Kathryn A , Geejo Aishwarya , Pearson Alexander Liam , Shahab Saba , Fehlmann Christophe A , Visintini Sarah , Beanlands Rob , Wells George A
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Inflammation is emerging as an important risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and has been a recent target for many novel therapeutic agents. However, comparative evidence regarding efficacy of these anti-inflammatory treatment options is currently lacking.

Methods and analysis

This systematic review will include randomised controlled trials evaluating the effect of anti-inflammatory agents on cardiovascular outcomes in patients with known cardiovascular disease. Studies will be retrieved from Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, as well as clinical trial registry websites, Europe PMC and conference abstract handsearching. No publication date or language restrictions will be imposed. Eligible interventions must have some component of anti-inflammatory agent. These include (but are not limited to): non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), colchicine, prednisone, methotrexate, canakinumab, pexelizumab, anakinra, succinobucol, losmapimod, inclacumab, atreleuton, LP-PLA2(darapladib) and sPLA2(varespladib). The primary outcomes will include major adverse cardiac events (MACE), and each individual component of MACE (myocardial infarction, stroke and cardiovascular death). Key secondary outcomes will include unstable angina, heart failure, all-cause mortality, cardiac arrest and revascularisation. Screening, inclusion, data extraction and quality assessment will be performed independently by two reviewers. Network meta-analysis based on the random effects model will be conducted to compare treatment effects both directly and indirectly. The quality of the evidence will be assessed with appropriate tools including the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation profiler or Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis tool.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval is not required for this systematic review. The findings will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed journal.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42022303289.
Endoscopy training through the COVID-19 pandemic: maintaining procedural volumes and key performance standards
Authors: Conlon Caroline , Campion John , Mehigan Farrelly Niamh , Ring Eabha , Dunne Talulla , Gorman Dora , Murphy Suzanne , Kelleher Barry , Stewart Stephen , Leyden Jan , Lahiff Conor
Published: June 2022

Objective

Endoscopy departments have experienced considerable challenges in the provision of endoscopy services since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several studies have reported a reduction of procedures performed by trainee endoscopists during the pandemic. The aim of this study was to assess the impact on colonoscopy training and quality in an academic centre throughout successive waves of the pandemic.

Methods

This was a single-centre, retrospective, observational study comparing colonoscopies performed at a tertiary endoscopy centre in Ireland at different stages of the pandemic with those performed during a similar time frame prepandemic. Data were collected using electronic patient records. Primary outcomes were procedure volumes, adenoma detection rate and mean adenoma per procedure.

Results

In the prepandemic period, 798 colonoscopies were performed. During the same period in 2020, 172 colonoscopies were performed. In 2021, during the third wave of the pandemic, 538 colonoscopies were performed. Percentages of colonoscopies performed by trainees were 46.0% (n=367) in 2019, 25.6% (n=44) in 2020 and 45.2% (n=243) in 2021. Adenoma detection rate was 21.3% in 2019, 38.6% in 2020 and 23.9% in 2021. Mean adenoma per procedure was 0.45 in 2019, 0.86 in 2020 and 0.49 in 2021. Caecal intubation rate was 90.74% in 2019, 90.9% in 2020 and 95.88% in 2021.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic initially had a negative impact on overall colonoscopy volumes and training. Despite a reduction in procedural volume, key performance standards were maintained by trainees. Maintenance of hands-on training is essential to allow trainees achieve and retain competency in endoscopy.
Nickel Pyrophosphate Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Structural, Thermal, Spectroscopic, and Dielectric Studies
Authors: Solanki P. D. , Oza Mahatta H. , Jethwa H. O. , Joshi Jaydeep , Joshi Girish , Jayavel R. , Joshi M. J.
Published: June 2022

Nickel pyrophosphate is very popular material having applications in energy storage devices as well as supercapacitors. In this study, a surfactant-mediated approach was adapted to synthesis nickel pyrophosphate nanoparticles. The prepared material was subjected to structural, optical, electrical and electrochemical property studies. Peak broadening in the powder XRD pattern confirmed the nanostructured nature and monoclinic structure of pure [Formula: see text]-Ni2P2O7nanoparticle with unit cell parameters of [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]. Pure [Formula: see text]-Ni2P2O7samples calcined at 300∘C, 600∘C, 900∘C show monoclinic structure. The average crystallite size and the internal strain were evaluated using Scherrer’s formula and Williamson–Hall (W-H) respectively. The TEM analysis confirmed the particle size in the range of 5–10[Formula: see text]nm for Ni2P2O7. Presence of symmetric and asymmetric stretching vibrations of P–O–P and PO3was determined by FT-IR spectroscopy. The spectral range of 210–1200[Formula: see text]nm was employed by the UV-NIR absorption spectroscopy, and the energy band gap calculated from Tauc’s plot is found to be 5.38[Formula: see text]eV for pure Ni2P2O7. The EDAX analysis confirmed the elemental composition. The TGA analysis reveals that the sample becomes anhydrous and remain stable beyond 600∘C. The higher dielectric constant observed for the sample is promising for semiconductor, DRAM memory devices and ceramic capacitors. The a.c. conductivity increases with increasing frequency and follows Jonscher’s Power law. On the basis of Jonscher parameters, small polaron QMT conduction model is prevailing. The cyclic voltammetry study was carried out to ascertain the application potential for supercapacitors.
Reinforcement Learning Applications in Unmanned Vehicle Control: A Comprehensive Overview
Authors: Liu Hao , Kiumarsi Bahare , Kartal Yusuf , Taha Koru Ahmet , Modares Hamidreza , Lewis Frank L.
Published: June 2022

This paper briefly reviews the dynamics and the control architectures of unmanned vehicles; reinforcement learning (RL) in optimal control theory; and RL-based applications in unmanned vehicles. Nonlinearities and uncertainties in the dynamics of unmanned vehicles (e.g. aerial, underwater, and tailsitter vehicles) pose critical challenges to their control systems. Solving Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman (HJB) equations to find optimal controllers becomes difficult in the presence of nonlinearities, uncertainties, and actuator faults. Therefore, RL-based approaches are widely used in unmanned vehicle systems to solve the HJB equations. To this end, they learn the optimal solutions by using online data measured along the system trajectories. This approach is very practical in partially or completely model-free optimal control design and optimal fault-tolerant control design for unmanned vehicle systems.
An Optimized Feature Selection Method Using Ensemble Classifiers in Software Defect Prediction for Healthcare Systems
Authors: Mohammad Uzma Ghulam , Imtiaz Salma , Shakya Manoj , Almadhor Ahmad , Anwar Fareeha
Published: June 2022

The healthcare systems are extensively being used with increased focus on safety of patients. Software engineering for healthcare applications is an emerging research area. Detecting defects is a critical step of software development process of healthcare applications. The performance of the Software Defect Prediction model (SDP) depends on the features of healthcare system; irrelevant features decrease the performance of the model. An optimized feature selection technique is needed to recognize and remove the irrelevant features. In this study, a new optimized feature selection technique, i.e., multiobjective Harris Hawk Optimization (HHO), is proposed for binary classification problem with Adaptive Synthetic Sampling (ADASYN) Technique. Multiobjective HHO is proposed with two main objectives, one to reduce the total amount of selected features and the other to maximize the performance of the proposed model. The multiobjective feature selection technique helps to find the optimal solution to achieve the desired objectives and increase the classification performance in terms of accuracy, AUC, precision, recall, and F1-measure. The study conducts an experiment on a healthcare dataset. Six different search techniques (RF, SVM, bagging, adaptive boosting, voting, and stacking) are implemented on the dataset. The proposed model helps to predict the software defects with a significant classification accuracy of 0.990 and AUC score of 0.992.
Performance and Emission Analysis of Waste Cooking Oil Biodiesel Mixed with Titanium Oxide Nano-Additives
Authors: Kumar Raj , Arunkumar M. , Shan D. Priestly , Patil Pravin P. , Kumar Ravi , Singh Bharat , Chowdary Velivela Lakshmikanth
Published: June 2022

People are using biodiesel in compression ignition engines because it is more environmentally friendly and can be used as a good alternative to diesel. There is a new technology called nanoparticles that can change the way a fuel works. Because waste cooking has a lot of oil in it, it can make biodiesel. To make biodiesel, transesterification was used to turn nonedible oil from waste cooking oil into biodiesel that could be used. Nanoparticles made of titanium oxide were studied by using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, as well as energy dispersive X-ray analysis, among other things. TiO2 nanoparticles are spread out in different amounts in the biodiesel blend. The dosage levels range from 25, 50, 75, and 100 ppm. Tests on how titanium nanoparticles in a waste cooking oil biodiesel blend affect a diesel engine’s performance and how it emits were conducted in this study too. At a steady speed, the engine was used when there was a lot of work to do. Tests show that the WCOME 20 TiO2 100 ppm blend worked well. With the increase in the concentration of nanoparticles, there is an increase in brake thermal efficiency and at the same time, there is a decrease in BSFC. It is also less harmful to the environment than other blends, except for NOx, which does no’t change.