bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on a Bluetooth Low Energy Warning Method
Authors: Long Yan , Chen Yongli , Xiao Deyong , Li Zheng , Hou Tianpeng , Zhang Zhiwei
Published: September 2020

With the development of society, intelligent terminal equipment is used more and more widely. The use of intelligent terminals to locate children’s position, to ensure that children are in a safe and controllable range, is more favored by parents. But now the smart watch needs to install the mobile phone card, which depends on the mobile phone traffic to locate, and the cost is relatively high. This paper proposes a Bluetooth low energy warning method to solve this problem. The distance between the two devices is calculated by the signal strength indication value received by the intelligent terminal, and then compare the preset received signal strength indication value with the received signal strength indication value, as well as the preset distance value and the calculated distance value of the two devices. When the received signal strength indication value is less than the preset value or the distance between the devices exceeds any of the preset values, the wireless device and the intelligent terminal will send an alarm at the same time to remind the two sides wearing the intelligent terminal and the Bluetooth device that the distance between the two sides has exceeded the safety value. The Bluetooth low energy warning method proposed in this paper has the characteristics of low cost and low energy consumption.
Analysis and Research of Electric Bicycle Design Based on Hall Three-Dimensional Structure
Authors: Xie Jiawen , Xiong Zhiyong
Published: September 2020

Purpose In the context of the implementation of the Mandatory National Standard for Safety Technical Specifications for Electric Bicycles (hereinafter referred to as the “New National Standard”), in order to meet the needs of the target group for daily traveling, a general method for electric bicycle design is proposed. Method Based on Hall three-dimensional structure theory, focusing on the time axis, comparing with the existing products in the market, referring to the traditional electric bicycle system design flow from product positioning, draft design, type selection, performance target determination, component performance parameters and boundary dimension, in-depth design, rendering, to model making, combined with marketing and user research, conduct electric bicycle design research with the theme of “young” and “future”. Results Propose a general method for the design of electric bicycles based on Hall three-dimensional structure. Conclusion The model method helps to feedback the design progress in time, finding the problems in the design flow, improving design efficiency and shortening the design cycle.
Cloud-Assisted Curriculum Teaching Activity Design and Implementation
Authors: Wu J
Published: September 2020

The development of “Internet +” technology has greatly promoted the transformation of the education field. This article takes the course “Cloud Data Centre Architecture and Security Management” as an example, attempts to employ the resources in the existing teaching resource library deployed on the cloud computing platform to improve the traditional teacher-centred teaching model by using advanced teaching methods such as flip classrooms. Which changed the learning status of teaching materials with textbooks or reference books as the main learning resources. Through a year of teaching practice, it is shown that this curriculum teaching design based on the teaching resource library can not only change the teachers’ teaching concepts and teaching methods, but also fully mobilize the enthusiasm and initiative of students to achieve satisfactory teaching effect.
A Self-Adaptive Morphological Filter without Consideration of Window Size for Airborne LiDAR Point Clouds
Authors: Li Yong
Published: September 2020

Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) has the capability of rapidly collecting dense and accurate three-dimensional geospatial information, and therefore it is widely applied in various fields of geospatial applications. The morphological filtering approaches can filter non-ground points effectively, which is crucial for many tasks such as land cover classification and digital elevation model generation. A series of different windows are generally in need for removing non-ground objects with different sizes. In order to avoid the limitation of choosing the filtering windows, we adopt the geodesic transformations of mathematical morphology for filtering LiDAR point clouds. This algorithm enhances the robustness and automation without consideration of how to choose different windows. Experimental results demonstrate that this filtering algorithm is capable of effectively preserving terrain details and filtering various non-ground objects.
Design and Implement the Continuous Flickering SSVEP-BCI in Augmented Reality
Authors: Wang Ruiyan , Ke Yufeng , Liu Shuang , Du Jiale , Xu Cheng , Xing Bohao , Ming Dong
Published: September 2020

Brain-computer interface (BCI) provides a new way to express our minds without peripheral nerves and muscles. In this work, a process control recognition method based on continuous flickering is proposed to output continuous commands. Phase matching method was applied in this work, matching the test data with the template with the same phase to improve the accuracy. We also put forward a high tolerance criterion and give a new definition to the recognition result of attention shift period. We first conducted a screen-based continuous flickering feasibility verification experiment using correlation component analysis algorithm (TRCA) method, and the recognition accuracy reached 85% and 90% under high tolerance criterion. The average offline simulation information translates rate (ITR) was 455.8 bit/min, and the highest ITR reached 524.7bit/min, which certificated the feasibility. Furthermore, we carried out a drone control experiment based on augmented reality (AR)-BCI using extended filter bank canonical correlation analysis (extended-FBCCA), and achieved an average accuracy of 90% and ITR of 49.1 bit/min, having better performance than repetitive visual stimulus (RVS) with intervals.
Smooth Twin Bounded Support Vector Machine with Pinball Loss
Authors: Li Kai , Lv Zhen
Published: September 2020

The twin support vector machine improves the classification performance of the support vector machine by solving two smaller quadratic programming problems. However, for the twin support vector machine and some of its variants, the constructed models are usually transformed from the original space into the dual space to obtain the solutions. Meanwhile, the hinge loss function used in above models is sensitive to noise and unstable in resampling. In order to further improve the performance of the twin support vector machine, the pinball loss function is introduced into the twin bounded support vector machine directly, and the non-differentiable problem of the pinball loss function at zero is solved by constructing a smooth approximation function. Based on this, a smooth twin bounded support vector machine model with pinball loss is obtained. The model is solved iteratively in the original space by using the Newton-Armijo method, then a smooth twin bounded support vector machine with pinball loss algorithm is proposed. In the experiments, the proposed twin support vector machine is validated on the UCI datasets, which shows the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Research on Interaction Design of Diabetes Diet Health Based on GL Food Exchange Serving
Authors: Zhu Tianyang , Wang Xinlei , Zhang Yajun
Published: September 2020

Research on the application of food exchange serving based on the concept of glycemic load (GL) in the treatment of diabetes diet, the use of computer technology to compile a set of software for diabetic diet catering, and the use of interaction design thinking and methods to establish an interaction design for diabetic diet health. On the basis of literature research, through the user journey map, interaction flowchart and relevant stakeholder analysis methods, a logical table of the food exchange portion method of the concept of glycemic load (GL) is proposed. Using interaction design strategies, the GL concept of food exchange method is realized. Based on the concept of GL, the food exchange method is proposed, taking diet therapy as interaction scenario, integrating the visualization of diet medical information, eliminating information asymmetry, and improving the awareness of diabetic diet therapy so as to form a healthy diet.
Research on Children’s Smart Water Cup Design Based on Analytic Hierarchy Process
Authors: Wang Hui , Wang Fenghong
Published: September 2020

The children’s product market continues to expand, as a smart product with more contact with children’s mouth and hands, the design of children’s smart water cup needs to meet higher requirements. This paper studies the product value attribute of children’s smart water cup, explores the design possibility, and transforms it into a product in line with the market trend. Through market research and patent search to find design trends and combined with user interviews, children’s smart water cup products are decomposed into indicators to be evaluated, and quantitative data, The weight of each indicator was calculated by using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the comprehensive score was ranked, and the design concept of children’s smart water cup was proposed. The introduction of Analytic Hierarchy Process in the design of children’s smart water cup can effectively reduce the interference of scattered elements and improve the design efficiency.
Elevated CO2 decreases soil carbon stability in Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Zhao Guang , Liang Chao , Feng Xiaojuan , Liu Lingli , Zhu Juntao , Chen Ning , Chen Yao , Wang Li , Zhang Yangjian
Published: September 2020

The lack of ecosystem-scale CO2 enrichment experiments in alpine regions considerably restricts our ability to predict the feedback of the global carbon (C) cycle to climate change. Here we investigate soil C response in an experiment with 5-year CO2 enrichment and nitrogen (N) fertilization in a Tibetan meadow (4585 m above the sea level). We found that despite non-significant increase in bulk soil C pool, elevated CO2 dramatically altered the allocation of C in different soil fractions and soil mineralization potentials. By changing soil microbial composition and enhancing enzyme activities, elevated CO2 significantly accelerated soil organic matter (SOM) mineralization rates and stimulated the microbial utilization of ‘old C’ relative to that of ‘new C’. Furthermore, N fertilization under elevated CO2 altered the decomposition process, increased the fungi to bacteria ratio, and decreased the coarse particulate organic matter pool and enzyme activities, indicating that N fertilization counters the CO2 fertilization effect. Overall, our findings suggest a growing threat of elevated CO2 in reducing SOM stability, and highlight the key role of N availability in driving soil C turnover under elevated CO2.
Determination of spatial quantum states by using point diffraction interferometry
Authors: Pears Stefano Quimey , Rebón Lorena , Iemmi Claudio
Published: September 2020

We present a method to reconstruct pure spatial qudits of arbitrary dimension d, which is based on a point diffraction interferometer. In the proposed scheme, the quantum states are codified in the discretized transverse position of a photon field, once they are sent through an aperture consisting in d rectangular regions, with an extra region that provides a phase reference. To characterize these photonic quantum states, the complete phase wavefront is reconstructed through a phase-shifting technique. Combined with a multipixel detector, the acquisition can be parallelized, and only four interferograms are required to reconstruct any pure qudit, independently of the dimension d. We tested the method experimentally, for reconstructing states of dimension d = 6 randomly chosen. A mean fidelity values of 0.95 is obtained. Additionally, we develop an experimental scheme that allows to estimate phase aberrations affecting the wavefront upon propagation, and thus improve the quantum state estimation. In that regard, we present a proof-of-principle demonstration that shows the possibility to correct the influence of turbulence in a free-space communication, recovering mean fidelity values comparable to the propagation free of turbulence.
Formation of polarization singularity lattice through dual-phase modulation
Authors: Kumar Praveen , Pal Sushanta Kumar , Nishchal Naveen K , Senthilkumaran P
Published: September 2020

In this paper, we demonstrate the generation of different singularity lattices consisting of only V-points or only C-points using a versatile method based on double phase modulation. Overcoming the inherent problems with interferometry, the proposed approach utilizes a spatial light modulator for modulating the phase distributions of evaluated interference field into the light beams. This concept is used in a single optical set-up to realize different types of lattice fields of C-points and V-points. The proposed set-up not only reduces the complexity and alignment issues but alleviates the need of using a polarization controlling element such as a Q-plate.
Effects of ZnO nanoparticles on the antifungal performance of Fe3O4/ZnO nanocomposites prepared from natural sand
Authors: Taufiq Ahmad , Ulya Habibatun Nurul , Yogihati Chusnana Insjaf , Sunaryono  , Hidayat Nurul , Mufti Nandang , Masruroh  , Soda Shuto , Ishida Takayuki
Published: September 2020

In the present study, the eco-friendly and economical methods have been developed by employing natural iron sand as a main precursor to create Fe3O4/ZnO nanocomposites (NCs). The formation of Fe3O4/ZnO NCs was confirmed using XRD, synchrotron-based SAXS, FTIR spectroscopy, and SEM. The XRD results revealed that the Fe3O4and ZnO crystallised spinel cubic and hexagonal wurtzite structures. The SAXS results exposed the construction of fractal dimension with the values of 3.20–3.70, which indicated a compact structure in 3-dimensions. The SEM images showed that the morphology of the samples tended to agglomerate in nanometric size. The FTIR spectra proved the presence of the Fe–O and Zn–O bonds as the main components of the NCs. The UV–vis spectroscopy analysis revealed that the bandgap energy of the Fe3O4/ZnO NCs ranged from 2.244 to 3.533 eV. Furthermore, the Fe3O4/ZnO NCs demonstrated superparamagnetic behaviour with the blocking temperature below 212 K, and their saturation magnetisation increased with increasing Fe3O4content. Interestingly, all samples demonstrated excellent inhibitory performance againstC. albicans, which indicates that the Fe3O4/ZnO NCs synthesised by eco-friendly and economical methods from natural iron sand for the first time are novel candidates for use as high-performance antifungal agents.
Nanostructured phases, mechanical properties, exfoliation and intergranular corrosion behaviours of 7075 Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloy–Effect of one-stage and two-stage aging processes
Authors: Minh Ngo Tien , Thi Van Nguyen Thanh , Thi To Phung Hang , Le Bac Thanh , Nguyen Thi Hoai Phuong , Duc La Duong
Published: September 2020

The control of the aging conditions for the aluminium alloys has been considered as an effective strategy to improve the properties of the alloy, especially in enhancement of the corrosion resistance. In this study, a detailed investigation of the effect of one-stage (T6) and two-stage (T76x) aging temper on mechanical properties, exfoliation and intergranular corrosion behaviours of 7075 Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloy was implemented. Microstructures of the aged alloys were observed by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), exfoliation and intergranular corrosion behaviours were investigated according to ASTM G34-2001 and ASTM G110-1992, respectively; the mechanical properties of the aged alloys were determined followed the standard methods. The microstructures of the sample aged with the T6 temper showed the finer particle size of precipitates than that of obtained from T76x tempers. Additionally, while the T6-aged sample revealed no appearance of the Precipitate Free Zones (PFZ), the PFZ with 40–50 nm in width was observed in the alloys treated with T76x tempers. The mechanical properties of the sample aged with T76x temper were negligibly reduced comparing to that of obtained with T6 temper, however, the exfoliation and intergranular corrosion behaviours were significantly improved by using two-stage aging conditions. The mechanism in enhancement of the corrosion resistance of the alloys treated with T76x temper over T6 temper was also discussed.
Direct and Moderating Causal Effects of Network Support on Sleep Quality: Findings From the UC Berkeley Social Network Study
Authors: Child Stephanie , Ruppel Emily H , Zhong Mia , Lawton Leora
Published: September 2020

Background

Sleep is an important, restorative behavior for health, yet many adults report troubled sleep. The existence of a support network may be beneficial for sleep quality, including as a buffer for stressful events, yet few studies have examined these relationships longitudinally.

Purpose

To examine the causal effect of changes in personal network support on sleep quality both directly and as a buffer of negative life events among young and older adults.

Methods

The UC Berkeley Social Network survey collected data from young (21–30 year old, n = 475) and late middle-age (50–70 year old, n = 637) adults across three waves between 2015 and 2018. Participants reported on personal network characteristics, negative life events, and number of nights with trouble falling and staying asleep. Fixed effects models are used to examine causal relationships among each age cohort.

Results

Direct effects of network support on sleep quality were observed among older adults. Insufficient practical support predicted higher rates of trouble falling asleep (incident rate ratio [IRR] = 1.40, p < .01), while a desire for more social companions predicted lower rates of trouble staying asleep (IRR = 0.81, p < .01). Buffering effects of network support on sleep quality were observed among young adults. Changes in partnership status buffer the negative effects of the death of a close tie on trouble falling asleep (IRR = 0.75, p < .01) and persistent difficulties paying bills on trouble staying asleep (IRR = 0.45, p < 0.001) among young adults.

Conclusions

This study provides evidence for the direct and buffering role of network support on sleep quality. Our results indicate that efforts to improve sleep quality should address personal networks and the support they provide, perhaps especially during times of stress for younger adults.
Rich country, poor people
Authors: Pereira Anthony W.
Published: September 2020

‘Rich country, poor people’ explores the achievements and challenges of the Brazilian economy. Starting its colonial existence as a plantation economy, Brazil is now one of the most successful examples of 20th-century industrialization in the world. It has become an upper middle-income country that is part of the BRICS association of five major emerging economies. However, Brazil is currently caught in a low-growth trap. It is also one of the ten most unequal countries in the world. Thus, the Brazilian economy reflects a paradox: while the well-being of most people in the country has improved over the last three decades, the productive base that sustained that improvement is under threat.
Introduction
Authors: Newman Michael
Published: September 2020

What is socialism? The Introduction outlines the beliefs socialists have in common, including their opposition to gaps in wealth and equality and commitment to the creation of an egalitarian society. Socialism, capitalism, and liberalism are products of a post-19th-century age in which people see themselves as having the agency to effect change. Socialism’s detractors focus on its negative manifestations, such as Stalinism. Socialism has been interpreted differently around the world, inspiring distinct types of communism in Russia and China. Cuba has one of the best-known socialist political systems. Smaller socialist experiments include the kibbutz movement and post-colonial Arab and African efforts to combine socialism with existing traditions.
2. Cuban communism and Swedish social democracy
Authors: Newman Michael
Published: September 2020

After the split with communism, social democratic parties struggled with self-definition. ‘Cuban communism and Swedish social democracy’ focuses on two case studies, the golden age of the Swedish Social Democratic Party and the communist regime in Cuba under Fidel Castro. Both prioritized sustainable economic success as a markerof progress and demonstrated that greater opportunities for women and people from different ethnic backgrounds would have a positive effect on the economy. Both governments were constructed and supported in markedly different ways. Neither were complete successes but were important examples of how the implementation of socialist ideologies—equality, cooperation, and solidarity—might look in practice.
5. Socialism today and tomorrow
Authors: Newman Michael
Published: September 2020

‘Socialism today and tomorrow’ looks at tactics used to discredit socialism, throughout history and today. Is socialism still relevant? Do technological developments like automation threaten its future? What lessons should have been learned? Cooperation and social solidarity may be more important now than ever. Socialists still need to develop viable economic strategies and work towards genuinely democratic governments. Despite the difficulties in practice, 21st-century socialism should be internationalist. Modern socialists need to resist looking back at a ‘golden age’ of socialism but will still be able to learn positive lessons from the movements and utopias of the past.
3. ‘Pleasant’
Authors: Wixson Christopher
Published: September 2020

‘Pleasant’ examines the plays contained in George Bernard Shaw’s 1898 volume Plays Pleasant, namely Arms and the Man (1893–4), Candida (1894), The Man of Destiny (1895), and You Never Can Tell (1895–6), and concludes with the zenith of Shaw’s ‘pleasant’ comedy, Pygmalion (1912). In them, Shaw turned tropes drawn from romantic and sentimental comedy, the comedy of manners, and farce against one another, challenging the audience’s assumptions and expectations. Frequently making characters who adhere to conventional values and beliefs buffoonish, Shaw uses humour to reclaim the theatre as an arena dedicated to the dissection of the status quo.
What should I do?
Authors: Craig Edward
Published: September 2020

Outside Buddha, Confucius and the writers of some of the Vedas and Upanishads, Plato was one of the first philosophers to leave a substantial body of work. ‘What should I do? Plato’s Crito’ focuses on the Socratic dialogue of the same name, in which Socrates is in prison awaiting execution and debating with his friend Crito about whether to escape. The dialogue covers familiar philosophical questions. What will happen if I take a specific action? What if I don’t? What do we owe the state? What happens if we choose to disobey, and what if everyone else also chose to? The purpose of philosophy is not to simplify complex issues.
What am I?
Authors: Craig Edward
Published: September 2020

‘What am I? An unknown Buddhist on the self: King Milinda’s chariot’ looks at a para-canonical Buddhist text, in which King Milinda questions a monk, Nagasena, who demonstrates the Buddhist concept of anatta, or no-self. The monk refers to ‘Nagasena’ as a designation, not himself. When the king asks what then wears robes, eats food, and creates karma, Nagasena asks the king whether the constituent parts of a chariot form a chariot. The king agrees there is no inherent ‘chariot’ essence that transforms the sum of its parts. Is the chariot argument fully applicable to a person, or is it more useful as an illustration of Buddhist doctrine?
Some themes
Authors: Craig Edward
Published: September 2020

‘Some themes’ looks in more detail at some of the topics explored by Plato, Hume, and the author of ‘Milinda’s Questions’—ethical consequentialism (what happens as a result of someone’s choices), rationalism, integrity, family, the self or no-self, and the role of the state. Could Plato and Hobbes, 2,000 years apart, really be discussing the same thing? Are we right to identify parallels between philosophers from different times and backgrounds? What do we miss when we try to extricate philosophers from their social contexts and motivations? Our understanding of philosophy is cumulative. The challenge is not in becoming familiar with these themes, but in being sensitive to their variations.
Meta-Analysis and Sparse-Data Bias
Authors: Richardson David B , Cole Stephen R , Ross Rachael K , Poole Charles , Chu Haitao , Keil Alexander P
Published: September 2020

Meta-analyses are undertaken to combine information from a set of studies, often in settings where some of the individual study-specific estimates are based on relatively small study samples. Finite sample bias may occur when maximum likelihood estimates of associations are obtained by fitting logistic regression models to sparse data sets. Here we show that combining information from small studies by undertaking a meta-analytical summary of logistic regression estimates can propagate such sparse-data bias. In simulations, we illustrate 2 challenges encountered in meta-analyses of logistic regression results in settings of sparse data: 1) bias in the summary meta-analytical result and 2) confidence interval coverage that can worsen rather than improve, in terms of being less than nominal, as the number of studies in the meta-analysis increases.
Creating ‘Deep Knowledge’ and Transformative Change: A Critical Social Work Approach to Researching Formal Kinship Care
Authors: Borenstein Juliette , Frederico Margarita , McNamara Patricia
Published: September 2020

In a context of rapidly changing social and economic conditions and increasing practice complexity, critical research perspectives can create in-depth explanatory knowledge for social work practice. Drawing on a broader knowledge base, these approaches provide a comprehensive view of social phenomena and the causes of personal and social harm. They also offer a framework to guide ethical intervention based on principles of collaboration, social justice and social transformation. The aim of this article is to demonstrate how critically oriented research can deliver useful and actionable knowledge directly to the field and promote transformative change. The exemplar presented here is a critical participatory study exploring formal kinship care in Victoria, Australia. The research partnered actively with service users and practitioners, with mixed methods utilised and data analysed for content and themes. Findings revealed dissonant assumptions in relation to roles and responsibilities as an underlying cause of care and practice issues. New understandings and practical solutions for the field were generated by exploring study findings with stakeholders. This application of a critical research approach to the field of formal kinship care establishes that the method can provide a coherent, effective and ethical framework for inquiry.
Assessment of the Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis HScore in Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019
Authors: Clark Kristina E N , Nevin William D , Mahungu Tabitha , Lachmann Helen , Singh Animesh
Published: September 2020

The clinical manifestation of moderate to severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has parallels to secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) both clinically and based on molecular inflammatory response. We found no evidence to support the utility of risk-stratifying COVID-19 patients using risk scoring methodology designed for HLH.
Towards an SI-Traceable Reference Measurement System for Seven Serum Apolipoproteins Using Bottom-Up Quantitative Proteomics: Conceptual Approach Enabled by Cross-Disciplinary/Cross-Sector Collaboration
Authors: Cobbaert Christa M , Althaus Harald , Begcevic Brkovic Ilijana , Ceglarek Uta , Coassin Stefan , Delatour Vincent , Deprez Liesbet , Dikaios Ioannis , Dittrich Julia , Hoofnagle Andrew N , Kostner Gerhard M , Kronenberg Florian , Kuklenyik Zsusanna , Prinzing Urban , Vesper Hubert W , Zegers Ingrid , Ruhaak L Renee ,   for the IFCC Working Group for Standardization of Apolipoproteins by Mass Spectrometry
Published: September 2020

Current dyslipidemia management in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is based on traditional serum lipids. Yet, there is some indication from basic research that serum apolipoproteins A-I, (a), B, C-I, C-II, C-III, and E may give better pathophysiological insight into the root causes of dyslipidemia. To facilitate the future adoption of clinical serum apolipoprotein (apo) profiling for precision medicine, strategies for accurate testing should be developed in advance.

Recent discoveries in basic science and translational medicine set the stage for the IFCC Working Group on Apolipoproteins by Mass Spectrometry. Main drivers were the convergence of unmet clinical needs in cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients with enabling technology and metrology. First, the residual cardiovascular risk after accounting for established risk factors demonstrates that the current lipid panel is too limited to capture the full complexity of lipid metabolism in patients. Second, there is a need for accurate test results in highly polymorphic and atherogenic apolipoproteins such as apo(a). Third, sufficient robustness of mass spectrometry technology allows reproducible protein quantification at the molecular level. Fourth, several calibration hierarchies in the revised ISO 17511:2020 guideline facilitate metrological traceability of test results, the highest achievable standard being traceability to SI.

This article outlines the conceptual approach aimed at achieving a novel, multiplexed Reference Measurement System (RMS) for seven apolipoproteins based on isotope dilution mass spectrometry and peptide-based calibration. This RMS should enable standardization of existing and emerging apolipoprotein assays to SI, within allowable limits of measurement uncertainty, through a sustainable network of Reference Laboratories.
The Genetic Architecture of Emerging Fungicide Resistance in Populations of a Global Wheat Pathogen
Authors: Pereira Danilo , McDonald Bruce A , Croll Daniel
Published: September 2020

Containing fungal diseases often depends on the application of fungicidal compounds. Fungicides can rapidly lose effectiveness due to the rise of resistant individuals in populations. However, the lack of knowledge about resistance mutations beyond known target genes challenges investigations into pathways to resistance. We used whole-genome sequencing data and association mapping to reveal the multilocus genetic architecture of fungicide resistance in a global panel of 159 isolates of Parastagonospora nodorum, an important fungal pathogen of wheat. We found significant differences in azole resistance among global field populations. The populations evolved distinctive combinations of resistance alleles which can interact when co-occurring in the same genetic background. We identified 34 significantly associated single nucleotide polymorphisms located in close proximity to genes associated with fungicide resistance in other fungi, including a major facilitator superfamily transporter. Using fungal colony growth rates and melanin production at different temperatures as fitness proxies, we found no evidence that resistance was constrained by genetic trade-offs. Our study demonstrates how genome-wide association studies of a global collection of pathogen strains can recapitulate the emergence of fungicide resistance. The distinct complement of resistance mutations found among populations illustrates how the evolutionary trajectory of fungicide adaptation can be complex and challenging to predict.
Self-Perceptions of Aging and Everyday ICT Engagement: A Test of Reciprocal Associations
Authors: Köttl Hanna , Cohn-Schwartz Ella , Ayalon Liat
Published: September 2020

Objectives

Everyday information and communication technologies (EICTs), involving digital services, such as online shopping, e-banking, and video calling, are perceived to be associated with youth and a modern lifestyle. On the other hand, older adults are often portrayed as technology-alienated, less willing, and incapable of using EICT. The internalization of potentially negative age stereotypes may compromise actual later life engagement and the ability to perform EICT. At the same time, low engagement in EICT may also contribute to negative self-perceptions of aging (SPA), for example, related to physical loss, social loss, and personal competence. This study was, hence, designed to evaluate the temporal reciprocal associations of SPA and older adults’ EICT use.

Methods

The article was based on 2 waves (2014 and 2017) from the German Ageing Survey (DEAS), a nationally representative survey of middle-aged and older individuals aged 40 and older. A cross-lagged model (N = 3,600) was estimated to examine the reciprocal associations of SPA and EICT.

Results

The lagged effect of SPA on EICT engagement was nonsignificant, whereas the lagged effect of EICT engagement on SPA in the domain personal competence was significant, indicating that greater EICT engagement predicted more positive SPA related to personal competence 3 years later.

Discussion

These findings encourage researchers and policymakers to put further emphasis on the empowerment of older individuals in their EICT engagement. Interventions that promote lifelong learning and age-friendly environments can enhance a more positive aging experience.
Estimation of gravitational curvature through a deterministic approach and spectral combination of space-borne second-order gravitational potential derivatives
Authors: Romeshkani Mohsen , Sharifi Mohammad A , Tsoulis Dimitrios
Published: September 2020

Second- and third-order gravitational potential derivatives can be employed for the determination of the medium- and high-frequency parts of the Earth's gravity field. Due to the Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer mission, second-order derivatives (SOD) in particular, express currently observed functionals of high accuracy and global coverage. Third-order derivatives (TOD), or gravitational curvature data, provide significant gravity field information when applied regionally. The absence of directly observed TOD data underlines the importance of investigating the relationship between SOD and TOD. This paper discusses the combination of simulated SOD in order to obtain TOD at satellite altitude by applying the spectral combination method. For the determination of TOD integral equations are developed that utilize SOD data at satellite altitude, thus extending the well-known Meissl spectral scheme. The performance of the derived mathematical models is investigated numerically for the test area of Himalayas and the Tibet region. Two different TOD computational strategies are examined. First, we define a deterministic approach that recovers TOD data from noise-free simulated SOD data. Results show that retrieved TOD data at satellite level reach an agreement of the level of 1 × 10−17 m−1s−2 when compared with the true TOD data. Secondly, we propose a new mathematical model based on the spectral combination of integral relations and noisy SOD data with Gaussian noise for recovering TOD. Integral estimators of biased and unbiased types are examined in the cases of SOD data at satellite altitude. The used vertical SOD components show differences between the recovered and true vertical TOD components in the order of 1 × 10−17 m−1s−2 in magnitude, proving the vertical–vertical component of SOD as the best for validating purposes.
Macau martyr or Portuguese traitor? The Macanese communities of Macau, Hong Kong and Shanghai and the Portuguese nation
Authors: Chan Catherine S
Published: September 2020

This article rethinks a Luso-Asian community that existing literature has termed ‘Portuguese’ or ‘Macanese’ by exploring the differences between the Macanese communities of Macau, Hong Kong and Shanghai. It examines inter-port debates between 1926 and 1929 that triggered wide discussion in Portuguese and English-language newspapers regarding the political loyalty of the Macanese. Set against the framework of a burgeoning print capitalism and vibrant associational culture in Asia’s port-cities, the article argues that varying urban circumstances and political structures influenced the negotiation of the Macanese between imperial, civic and colonial identities to eventually construct three new imagined communities.
Anti-Amnesic and Neuroprotective Effects of Fluoroethylnormemantine in a Pharmacological Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Couly Simon , Denus Morgane , Bouchet Mélanie , Rubinstenn Gilles , Maurice Tangui
Published: September 2020

Background

Current therapies in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), including Memantine, have proven to be only symptomatic but not curative or disease modifying. Fluoroethylnormemantine (FENM) is a structural analogue of Memantine, functionalized with a fluorine group that allowed its use as a positron emission tomography tracer. We here analyzed FENM neuroprotective potential in a pharmacological model of AD compared with Memantine.

Methods

Swiss mice were treated intracerebroventricularly with aggregated Aβ 25–35 peptide and examined after 1 week in a battery of memory tests (spontaneous alternation, passive avoidance, object recognition, place learning in the water-maze, topographic memory in the Hamlet). Toxicity induced in the mouse hippocampus or cortex was analyzed biochemically or morphologically.

Results

Both Memantine and FENM showed symptomatic anti-amnesic effects in Aβ 25-35-treated mice. Interestingly, FENM was not amnesic when tested alone at 10 mg/kg, contrarily to Memantine. Drugs injected once per day prevented Aβ 25-35-induced memory deficits, oxidative stress (lipid peroxidation, cytochrome c release), inflammation (interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α increases; glial fibrillary acidic protein and Iba1 immunoreactivity in the hippocampus and cortex), and apoptosis and cell loss (Bcl-2–associated X/B-cell lymphoma 2 ratio; cell loss in the hippocampus CA1 area). However, FENM effects were more robust than observed with Memantine, with significant attenuations vs the Aβ 25-35-treated group.

Conclusions

FENM therefore appeared as a potent neuroprotective drug in an AD model, with a superior efficacy compared with Memantine and an absence of direct amnesic effect at higher doses. These results open the possibility to use the compound at more relevant dosages than those actually proposed in Memantine treatment for AD.
Dimension of the Exceptional Set in the Aronszajn–Donoghue Theorem for Finite Rank Perturbations
Authors: Liaw Constanze , Treil Sergei , Volberg Alexander
Published: September 2020

The classical Aronszajn–Donoghue theorem states that for a rank-one perturbation of a self-adjoint operator (by a cyclic vector) the singular parts of the spectral measures of the original and perturbed operators are mutually singular. As simple direct sum type examples show, this result does not hold for finite rank perturbations. However, the set of exceptional perturbations is pretty small. Namely, for a family of rank $d$ perturbations $A_{\boldsymbol{\alpha }}:= A + {\textbf{B}} {\boldsymbol{\alpha }} {\textbf{B}}^*$, ${\textbf{B}}:{\mathbb C}^d\to{{\mathcal{H}}}$, with ${\operatorname{Ran}}{\textbf{B}}$ being cyclic for $A$, parametrized by $d\times d$ Hermitian matrices ${\boldsymbol{\alpha }}$, the singular parts of the spectral measures of $A$ and $A_{\boldsymbol{\alpha }}$ are mutually singular for all ${\boldsymbol{\alpha }}$ except for a small exceptional set $E$. It was shown earlier by the 1st two authors, see [4], that $E$ is a subset of measure zero of the space $\textbf{H}(d)$ of $d\times d$ Hermitian matrices. In this paper, we show that the set $E$ has small Hausdorff dimension, $\dim E \le \dim \textbf{H}(d)-1 = d^2-1$.
Development and strategic competition in Asia: toward polarization?
Authors: Masujima Ken
Published: September 2020

The prioritization of economic development, considered as a key in understanding the co-existence of heightened security situations and growing economic interdependence in Asia, should be considered as a political strategy among many chosen by political elites in their own political context rather than a consensus implying general acquiescence to the idea. The recent competition between the Belt and Road Initiative by China and the Free and Open Indo-Pacific by the United States, Japan, Australia, and India confirms and reinforces the tendency toward the mobilization of development policy for increasingly strategic purposes in the context of rising tension between the United States and China. At the same time, there is some cooperative element in prioritizing development in Asia.
Situating Contributions from Underrepresented Groups and Geographies within the Field of Genocide Studies
Authors: Bachman Jeffrey S
Published: September 2020

Within genocide studies, a group of early scholars known as pioneers of the field made crucial contributions to genocide studies, raising the field's visibility and stature prior to its great expansion that began around the turn of the century. While recognizing the significance of the early contributions to the field, it is important that we also recognize their origins—mostly white American, European, and Anglophone men. Though the field has expanded exponentially over the last twenty years, it has not yet been determined whether such expansion has been accompanied by an increase in gender, ethnic and racial, and geographic diversity. Such diversity is essential to the advancement of key definitional, conceptual, and theoretical debates in the field. This paper surveys the field of genocide studies in order to assess the level of contributions coming from underrepresented groups and geographies while situating their contributions within the larger field of study.
Sofosbuvir/daclatasvir regimens for the treatment of COVID-19: an individual patient data meta-analysis
Authors: Simmons Bryony , Wentzel Hannah , Mobarak Sara , Eslami Gholamali , Sadeghi Anahita , Ali Asgari Ali , Abbaspour Kasgari Hamideh , Tirgar Fakheri Hafez , Merat Shahin , Hill Andrew
Published: September 2020

Background

The combination of sofosbuvir and daclatasvir has a well-established safety profile and improves clinical outcomes in HCV patients. In silico and in vitro studies suggest that sofosbuvir/daclatasvir may show antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2.

Methods

Three clinical trials comparing sofosbuvir/daclatasvir-based regimens with a comparator in hospitalized COVID-19 patients were combined in a meta-analysis. The primary outcomes measured were clinical recovery within 14 days of randomization, time to clinical recovery and all-cause mortality. A two-step approach was used to analyse individual-level patient data. The individual trial statistics were pooled using the random-effects inverse-variance model.

Results

Our search identified eight studies of which three met the inclusion criteria (n = 176 patients); two studies were randomized and one was non-randomized. Baseline characteristics were similar across treatment arms. Clinical recovery within 14 days of randomization was higher in the sofosbuvir/daclatasvir arms compared with control arms [risk ratio = 1.34 (95% CI = 1.05–1.71), P = 0.020]. Sofosbuvir/daclatasvir improves time to clinical recovery [HR = 2.04 (95% CI = 1.25–3.32), P = 0.004]. The pooled risk of all-cause mortality was significantly lower in the sofosbuvir/daclatasvir arms compared with control arms [risk ratio = 0.31 (95% CI = 0.12–0.78), P = 0.013].

Conclusions

Available evidence suggests that sofosbuvir/daclatasvir improves survival and clinical recovery in patients with moderate to severe COVID-19. However, the sample size for analysis was relatively small, one of the trials was not randomized and the designs were not standardized. These results need to be confirmed in larger randomized controlled trials.
Real-world insights from launching remote peer-to-peer mentoring in a safety net healthcare delivery setting
Authors: Lyles Courtney R , Sarkar Urmimala , Patel Urvashi , Lisker Sarah , Stark Allison , Guzman Vanessa , Patel Ashwin
Published: September 2020

Peer mentors have been proven to improve diabetes outcomes, especially among diverse patients. Delivering peer mentoring via remote strategies (phone, text, mobile applications) is critical, especially in light of the recent pandemic. We conducted a real-world evaluation of a remote diabetes intervention in a safety-net delivery system in New York. We summarized the uptake, content, and pre-post clinical effectiveness for English- and Spanish-speaking participants. Of patients who could be reached, 71% (n = 690/974) were enrolled, and 90% of those (n = 618/690) participated in coaching. Patients and mentors had a mean of 32 check-ins, and each patient set an average of 10 goals. 29% of the participants accessed the program via the smartphone application. Among participants with complete hemoglobin A1c data (n = 179), there was an absolute 1.71% reduction (P < .01). There are multiple lessons for successful implementation of remote peer coaching into settings serving diverse patients, including meaningful patient-mentor matching and addressing social determinants.
An evaluation of telehealth expansion in U.S. nursing homes
Authors: Alexander Gregory L , Powell Kimberly R , Deroche Chelsea B
Published: September 2020

Objective

This research brief contains results from a national survey about telehealth use reported in a random sample of U.S. nursing homes.

Methods and Materials

The sample includes nursing homes (N = 664) that completed surveys about information technology maturity, including telehealth use, beginning January 1, 2019, and ending August 4, 2020. A pre/post design was employed to examine differences in nursing home telehealth use for nursing homes completing surveys prior to and after telehealth expansion, on March 6, 2020. We calculated a cumulative telehealth score using survey data from 6 questions about extent of nursing home telehealth use (score range 0-42). We calculated proportions of nursing homes using telehealth and used logistic regression to look for differences in nursing homes based on organizational characteristics and odds ratios.

Results

Significant relationships were found between nursing home characteristics and telehealth use, and specifically, larger metropolitan homes reported greater telehealth use. Ownership had little effect on telehealth use. Nursing homes postexpansion used telehealth applications for resident evaluation 11.24 times more (P < .01) than did nursing homes pre-expansion.

Discussion

Administrators completing our survey reported a wide range of telehealth use, including approximately 16% having no telehealth use and 5% having the maximum amount of telehealth use. Mean telehealth use scores reported by the majority of these nursing homes is on the lower end of the range.

Conclusions

One solution for the current pandemic is to encourage the proliferation of telehealth with continued relaxed regulations, which can reduce isolation and preserve limited resources (eg, personal protective equipment) while maintaining proper distancing parameters.