bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Measuring fundamental care using complexity science: A descriptive case study of a methodological innovation
Authors: Conroy Tiffany , Pinero de Plaza Maria Alejandra , Mudd Alexandra , Mitchell Merle , Kitson Alison
Published: June 2021

Aims and objectives

This paper presents an exploratory account of an innovative methodology to record and evaluate fundamental care. Fundamental care is defined as the care required by everyone for survival, health and welfare.

Background

Fundamental care has been informed by the development and testing of the Fundamentals of Care Framework, which describes how fundamental care is complex and multidimensional, and consists of three interrelated dimensions and 38 elements. This accords with a broader re‐examination of care provision as part of a complex adaptive system in which existing linear models of cause and effect are inadequate to describe the totality of activity.

Design

Informed by graph theory and complexity science, this paper presents a novel methodological innovation. It uses the Fundamentals of Care Framework to create a Matrix to quantify the relationships between different elements within the Framework.

Methods

We use a Matrix methodology to process care recipient narratives to generate three outputs: a heat map, a summary table and a network analysis.

Conclusions

The three outputs serve to quantify and evaluate fundamental care in a multidimensional manner. They capture different perspectives (care recipients and their families, direct care providers and care managers) to improve care outcomes. The future aim is to advance this exploration into digitalising and operationalising the Matrix in a user‐friendly manner for it to become a real‐time mechanism to evaluate and potentially predict patterns of fundamental care.
A meta‐analysis of neonatal outcomes in pregnant women with immune thrombocytopenic purpura
Authors: Luo Hongqiang , Li Dan , Gao Feidan , Hong Pan , Feng Weiying
Published: June 2021

Aim

Thrombocytopenia is an autoimmune disorder characterized by reduced platelet counts. Neonatal thrombocytopenia incidence has been linked with immune thrombocytopenic purpura in mothers during pregnancy, possibly because antiplatelet antibodies can cross the placental barrier. To date, no study has attempted to evaluate the actual prevalence of neonatal thrombocytopenia in infants born to mothers with immune thrombocytopenic purpura. In this meta‐analysis of the available literature, we attempt to fill this gap. We want to evaluate the overall prevalence of neonatal thrombocytopenia, its severity, and the incidence of hemorrhage in infants with thrombocytopenia born from mothers with immune thrombocytopenic purpura.

Methods

Adhering to PRISMA guidelines, we systematically scanned four academic databases including EMBASE, CENTRAL, Scopus, and MEDLINE to identify relevant literature. We performed a meta‐analysis to summarize thrombocytopenia incidence rate and severity in newborn infants of mothers with immune thrombocytopenic purpura.

Results

We identified 21 eligible studies involving 1951 mothers and 1844 neonates. Meta‐analysis showed high prevalence for neonatal thrombocytopenia (24%). Within these, severe cases were the most prevalent (41.2%), followed by moderate (37.7%) and mild (17.6%) cases. Hemorrhage was only reported in 4.1% of the observed neonatal thrombocytopenia cases.

Conclusion

This review provides preliminary evidence that neonatal thrombocytopenia incidence is high in infants born to mothers with immune thrombocytopenic purpura. This study further reports that the largest proportion of these cases are severe.
Case of adenomyosis causing the activation of the coagulation system after a complete loss of endometrium following microwave endometrial ablation
Authors: Kimura Fuminori , Hanada Tetsuro , Nakamura Akiko , Amano Tsukuru , Tsuji Shunichiro , Kita Nobuyuki , Murakami Takashi
Published: June 2021

The formation of microbleed and minute tissue necrosis inside adenomyosis after the shedding of endometrial or endometrial‐like tissue within the myometrium during menstruation is receiving attention as a new pathological condition of uterine adenomyosis. These formations might greatly affect coagulation and fibrinolysis function. However, these modulations might occur due to indirect effects of massive hemorrhage from the uterus with adenomyosis. We present a case of adenomyosis in which the patient's coagulation system was markedly activated despite the absence of menstruation due to previous microwave endometrial ablation to prevent massive uterine hemorrhage. Although no uterine bleeding was observed at all, the patient's serum levels of thrombin–antithrombin complex and soluble fibrin were abnormally elevated at the time when she complained of lower abdominal pain. As the first such case in the world, the present case is valuable for showing that the coagulation function can be modified by uterine adenomyosis.
The relation between fibrinogen level, neutrophil activity and nucleosomes in the onset of disseminated intravascular coagulation in the critically ill
Authors: Müller Marcella C.A. , Dujardin Romein W.G. , Thachil Jecko , van Mierlo Gerard , Zeerleder Sacha S. , Juffermans Nicole P.
Published: June 2021

Background

Nucleosomes and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are important in the pathophysiology of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Fibrinogen, as an acute phase reactant, may be protective by engaging neutrophils. We hypothesize that DIC can occur when NET formation becomes uncontrolled in relation to low fibrinogen levels.

Patients/method

The ratio of both circulating nucleosomes and human neutrophil elastase alpha‐1‐antitrypsine complexes (HNE‐a1ATc) to fibrinogen was correlated to thrombocytopenia, DIC and organ failure in 64 critically ill coagulopathic patients.

Results

A high nucleosome to fibrinogen ratio correlated with thrombocytopenia and organ failure (ρ −0.391, p 0.01 and ρ 0.556, p 0.01, respectively). A high HNE‐a1ATc to fibrinogen ratio correlated with thrombocytopenia, DIC and organ failure (ρ −0.418, p 0.01, ρ 0.391, p 0.01 and ρ 0.477, p 0.01 respectively).

Conclusion

These findings support the hypothesis that fibrinogen is protective against DIC by counterbalancing excessive neutrophil activation.
School readiness screening and educational achievement at 9–10 years of age
Authors: Shah Rajesh , Brown Gavin T L , Keegan Peter , Harding Jane E , McKinlay Christopher J D ,   CHYLD Study Group
Published: June 2021

Aim

To determine whether a multi‐domain school readiness screening, the Before School Check (B4SC), identifies children at risk of low educational achievement and to compare the educational outcomes between those referred for intervention and those with B4SC concerns who were not referred.

Methods

In this longitudinal cohort study of children born at risk of neonatal hypoglycaemia (N 331), the B4SC was performed at 4.5 years of age and a standardised curriculum‐based measure of educational achievement was completed at 9–10 years of age. Outcomes of school readiness screening were categorised into ‘school readiness concern’ or ‘no school readiness concern’ while ‘below standard’ and ‘well below standard’ ratings of educational achievement were combined into a single category of ‘low educational achievement’.

Results

Overall, 52% of children had ≥1 school readiness concerns at the B4SC, predominantly about behaviour (46%). Having ≥1 school readiness concern was associated with a nearly twofold increase in the likelihood of low academic achievement (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.14, 3.02), which was apparent only for behaviour concerns. Of the 128 children with behaviour concerns, only 10 (8%) were referred for further interventions. There was a statistically non‐significant increase in the rates of low academic achievement among those referred than those non‐referred (60% vs. 47%).

Conclusion

Identification of behaviour concerns during B4SC is associated with a moderate increase in the likelihood of low academic achievement at 9–10 years. Further, research is needed to determine how academic achievement can be improved in children with behaviour concerns at school entry.
The role of long‐term continuous positive airway pressure in the progression of obstructive sleep apnoea: A longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Sugiyama Ai , Shiota Satomi , Yanagihara Mariko , Nakayama Hideaki , Tsuiki Satoru , Hayashida Kenichi , Inoue Yuichi , Takahashi Kazuhisa
Published: June 2021

Recent evidence suggests that short‐term obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) treatment could affect OSA pathogenesis such as ventilatory control. The aim of our present study was to identify the impact of long‐term treatment on the change in pathogenesis and natural progression of OSA. In a longitudinal analysis of a non‐obese cohort study, patients with OSA treated with either continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or an oral appliance (OA), interrupted their treatment for 1 week and underwent a polysomnography (PSG) off treatment that was compared with their initial PSG taken 5 years before treatment initiation. In all, 154 consecutive patients with OSA who were treated by CPAP using an auto‐titrating continuous positive airway pressure device (CPAP‐APAP) (n = 112), or by OA (n = 27) or were untreated (n = 15), PSG was performed twice with a median (range) follow‐up of 93 (60–176) months. Multivariate logistic regression showed that reduction of body mass index (BMI) and good treatment adherence to be significant predictors of favourable OSA progression, as represented by an improved or unchanged apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) (odds ratios were 5.14 and 2.89, respectively). Amongst the patients with an unchanged BMI and good CPAP‐APAP adherence (n = 55), the improvement in AHI was significantly associated with the decrease in supine non‐rapid eye movement‐AHI and mixed apnoea index/apnoea index, which are generally recognised to be determinants of ventilator instability. These findings suggest that not only weight but also treatment adherence are determinants in the natural progression of OSA severity.
The Algae Foundation® and Algae Technology Educational Consortium
Authors: Levine Ira A. , Gerk Cindy L. , Gómez Stephen M. , Nalley Jakob O. , Nalley Marissa M.
Published: June 2021

The Algae Foundation established in February 2013 has developed a diverse portfolio of algal‐based education and workforce development programs covering education levels from kindergarten through college, aquaculture extension, and free online courses. The Algae Foundation created the Algae Technology Educational Consortium (ATEC) with five major foci including community college certificate program in algae cultivation; community college curriculum adopted for algal biotechnology degree programs; Algal Massive Open Online Courses (Algal MOOCs); Algae Academy, a kindergarten to 12th grade STEM curriculum initiative; and aquaculture extension education through the Algae Cultivation Extension Short courses (ACES). The results include the education and training of over 102,000 students, aquaculturists, entrepreneurs, and bioeconomy‐based professionals aged 8–75 years in all 50 U.S. states and 66 countries. ATEC has completed agreements with 21 community colleges and universities located in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. The first ATEC‐sponsored certificate degree program graduation was in May 2018. The Algae MOOC #1 has had over 15,752 students enrolled. ATEC initiated the Algae Academy in spring 2016 in Carlsbad, CA, and expanded to serving over 34,000 students in 46 states during the academic year 2019–2020. ACES has enrolled over 1,550 students from 66 countries.
A new Amaryllidaceae genus, Shoubiaonia, from Yunnan Province, China
Authors: Qin Wei‐Hua , Meng Wei‐Qi , Zhang Dong , Wang Ying , Li Zhong‐Lin , Sun Lu , Liu Kun
Published: June 2021

Shoubiaonia yunnanensis is described here as a new genus and species of Amaryllidaceae from Yunnan Province, southwest China. Phylogenetic analyses based on DNA sequences of nuclear ribosomal ITS and three plastid regions (matK, ndhF and rbcL) strongly support Shoubiaonia as a member in the tribe Lycorideae of the Eurasian clade of Amaryllidaceae. However, morphologically S. yunnanensis is readily distinguished from the other genera in the Eurasian clade by its 2‐valved spathe, 3‐lobed stigma, ovary with two ovules per locule and silver black, subglobose seeds. The new genus is the second genus of the subfamily Amaryllidoideae distributed in natural habitat in China.
Two new species of Hedyotis L. (Rubiaceae) from Hainan, China
Authors: Jiang Guo‐Bin , Wang Rui‐Jiang
Published: June 2021

Hedyotis howii and H. interrupta, two new species from China are described and illustrated here. Hedyotis howii is similar to H. hainanensis, but can be distinguished by its tetragonal and sparsely puberulent shoots, obovate or ovoid and slightly 4‐ribbed hypanthium, and 5–6 mm long corolla tube. Hedyotis interrupta is similar to H. communis and H. cathayana, but differs in having a sharply tetragonal winged stem with constrictions at each node, 1.5–4.0 cm long petioles, and triangular stipules with apiculate to aristate apex. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on the combined nuclear ITS and chloroplast petD, rps16 and trnH‐psbA sequences revealed that H. howii is related to H. ovata and H. exserta, and H. interrupta to H. communis. According to IUCN criteria and categories, two new species are both evaluated as Least Concern.
Error, consistency and triviality
Authors: Tiefensee Christine , Wheeler Gregory
Published: June 2021

In this paper, we present a new semantic challenge to the moral error theory. Its first component calls upon moral error theorists to deliver a deontic semantics that is consistent with the error‐theoretic denial of moral truths by returning the truth‐value false to all moral deontic sentences. We call this the ‘consistency challenge’ to the moral error theory. Its second component demands that error theorists explain in which way moral deontic assertions can be seen to differ in meaning despite necessarily sharing the same intension. We call this the ‘triviality challenge’ to the moral error theory. Error theorists can either meet the consistency challenge or the triviality challenge, we argue, but are hard pressed to meet both.
An ethylene‐hypersensitive methionine sulfoxide reductase regulated by NAC transcription factors increases methionine pool size and ethylene production during kiwifruit ripening
Authors: Fu Bei‐ling , Wang Wen‐qiu , Liu Xiao‐fen , Duan Xue‐wu , Allan Andrew C. , Grierson Donald , Yin Xue‐ren
Published: June 2021

Ethylene plays an important role in regulating fruit ripening by triggering dynamic changes in expression of ripening‐associated genes, but the functions of many of these genes are still unknown.

Here, a methionine sulfoxide reductase gene (AdMsrB1) was identified by transcriptomics‐based analysis as the gene most responsive to ethylene treatment in ripening kiwifruit.

The AdMsrB1 protein exhibits a stereospecific activity toward the oxidative stress‐induced R enantiomer of methionine sulfoxide (MetSO), reducing it to methionine (Met). Stable overexpression of AdMsrB1 in kiwifruit significantly increased the content of free Met and 1‐aminocyclopropane‐1‐carboxylic acid (ACC), the immediate precursor of ethylene, and increased ethylene production. Dual‐luciferase assays indicated that the AdMsrB1 promoter was not directly upregulated by ethylene treatment but was modulated by two ethylene‐inducible NAM/ATAF/CUC transcription factors (AdNAC2 and AdNAC72) that bind directly to the AdMsrB1 promoter. Overexpression of AdNAC72 in kiwifruit not only enhanced AdMsrB1 expression, but also increased free Met and ACC content and ethylene production rates.

This finding establishes an unexpected regulatory loop that enhances ethylene production and the concentration of its biosynthetic intermediates.
Iron isotopes as an ore‐fluid tracer: Case study of Qingchengzi Pb‐Zn‐Au(‐Ag) orefield in Liaoning, NE China
Authors: Li Dedong , Wang Yuwang , Wang Jingbin , Lai Chunkit , Qiu Jinzhu , Wang Wei , Li Shenghui , Zhang Zhichao
Published: June 2021

The Qingchengzi Pb‐Zn‐Au (‐Ag) orefield (eastern Liaoning province, NE China) is located in the northeastern margin of the North China Craton. The unconventional Fe isotopes of pyrites were analyzed to unravel the ore‐material source and migration pathway of the ore fluids. Pyrite samples of ores and wallrocks from various deposits in the orefield were collected and the solutions were analyzed by MC‐ICP‐MS. The results show that most pyrite samples contain heavier Fe isotopes than the international pyrite standard IRMM‐014. Within a particular deposit, Fe isotopes become lighter with depth. For example, the pyrite δ56Fe values drop from 0.216 ~ 0.408‰ (150‐m level) to −0.284 to −0.132‰ (210‐m level) at the Zhenzigou deposit. Gold deposits in the orefield also have similar features: At Baiyun (Huangdianzi), the pyrite δ56Fe values (0.394 ~ 0.627‰) of the silicic‐/potassic‐altered rock‐type ore (130‐m level) are significantly higher than that (0.359‰) of the quartz vein‐type ore (440‐m level). The lamprophyre δ56Fe values from different deposits are largely similar (0.040 ~ 0.024‰), whereas those in the wallrocks vary considerably (0.144 ~ 1.238‰). Compiling the pyrite δ56Fe values from many important sedimentary/metamorphic rock units in the region and magmatic‐hydrothermal deposits around the world, we concluded that the Qingchengzi Pb‐Zn‐Au(‐Ag) deposits belong to intrusion‐related magmatic‐hydrothermal type. The spatial fluid isotope variation pattern, and the fact that early‐formed sulfides have lighter isotopes than later ones, suggest that the Qingchengzi ore fluids may have originated from Zhenzigou‐Diannan (hydrothermal center) and outflown to Xiaotongjiapuzi, Gujiapuzi‐Baiyun and Erdao‐Xiquegou areas. The spatial fluid isotope variation pattern also suggests another possible hydrothermal center at Baiyun‐Gujiapuzi. The ability to identify hydrothermal center(s) and delineate fluid migration pathways suggests that pyrite Fe isotopes can serve as a tool for precious and base metals prospecting.
The cultural politics of new Tibetan entrepreneurship in contemporary China: Valorisation and the question of neoliberalism
Authors: Yeh Emily T.
Published: June 2021

Over the past decade, new forms of Tibetan entrepreneurship have emerged and proliferated in China, at the intersection of a national push for entrepreneurship in response to a slowing economy, the closure of non‐governmental organisations in Tibetan areas, declining state‐sector employment, and state concerns about stability. This paper explores the rise of these new Tibetan entrepreneurs in relation to two inter‐related concerns. First, it contributes to geographers’ calls for comparative studies of culturally specific meanings of entrepreneurship across the Global South. It explores the cultural politics of Tibetan entrepreneurship – active debates about what it means to be a proper Tibetan, in terms of religious commitments and cultural pride, in relation to money‐making activities. Second, it analyses these in relation to critiques of neoliberal subjectivities associated with entrepreneurship. One of the key themes of Tibetan entrepreneurship is the effort to create economic value in the service of cultural value and a sense of self‐worth for Tibetans living in rural areas. Thus, elements of the neoliberal self are sutured together with a sense of responsibility to Tibetan communities and historically sedimented idioms to form an entrepreneurial subjectivity that is broadly oriented to the project of revalorising Tibetan places and people.
Analysis on In-Plane 2:2:1 Internal Resonance of a Complex Cable-Stayed Bridge System Under External Harmonic Excitation
Authors: Kang Houjun , Guo Tieding , Zhu Weidong
Published: June 2021

Nonlinear dynamic analysis of a cable-stayed bridge has been a hot topic due to its structural flexibility. Based on integro-partial differential equations of a double-cable-stayed shallow-arch model, in-plane 2:2:1 internal resonance among three first in-plane modes of two cables and a shallow arch under external primary or subharmonic resonance is considered. Galerkin's method and the method of multiple scales are used to derive averaged equations of this cable-stayed bridge system. Nonlinear dynamic behaviors of the system are investigated via numerical simulation. Results show rich nonlinear phenomena of the cable-stayed bridge system and some new phenomena are observed. Two identical cables that are symmetrically located above the shallow arch can have different dynamic behaviors even when initial conditions of the system are symmetrically given. Two cables with some differences between their parameters can exhibit either softening or hardening characteristics.
Acceleration and Jerk After a Jump Stabilization Task in Individuals With and Without Chronic Ankle Instability
Authors: Kosik Kyle B. , Lucas Kathryn , Hoch Matthew C. , Hartzell Jacob T. , Bain Katherine A. , Gribble Phillip A.
Published: June 2021

Studies have demonstrated that individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) have diminished dynamic stability. Jerk-based measures have been utilized to examine dynamic balance because of their ability to quantify changes in acceleration and may provide an understanding of the postural corrections that occur during stabilizing following a jumping task. The purpose of this study was to compare acceleration and jerk following a jump stabilization task between individuals with CAI and the uninjured controls. Thirty-nine participants volunteered to participate in this case control study. Participants completed a jump stabilization task requiring them to jump off 2 feet, touch a marker set at 50% of their maximal vertical jump height, land on a single limb, and maintain balance for 3 seconds. Acceleration was calculated as the second derivative, and jerk was calculated as the third derivative of the displacement of the resultant vector position. Participants with CAI had greater acceleration (mean difference = 55.6 cm/s2; 95% confidence interval, 10.3 to 100.90; P = .017) and jerk compared with the uninjured controls (mean difference = 1804.5 cm/s3; 95% confidence interval, 98.7 to 3510.3; P = .039). These results suggest that individuals with CAI made faster and more frequent active postural control corrections to regain balance following a jump compared with the uninjured controls.
The Impact of a Randomized Controlled Trial Testing the Implementation of Function-Focused Care in Assisted Living on Resident Falls, Hospitalizations, and Nursing Home Transfers
Authors: Resnick Barbara , Boltz Marie , Galik Elizabeth , Zhu Shijun
Published: June 2021

The purpose of this study was to test the impact of function-focused care on adverse outcomes in assisted living. This was a randomized trial including 85 settings. The age of the 794 recruited participants was 89.48 (SD = 7.43) years, the majority was female (n = 561, 71%) and White (n = 771, 97%). The percentage of residents in the treatment group experiencing a fall decreased at 12 months from 26% to 20% and the control group increased from 24% to 25%,p = .02. A greater percentage of residents in the treatment group transferred to nursing facilities at 4 months (4–1% in control vs. 4–5% in treatment,p = .02) and 12 months (4–2% in control and 4–7% in treatment,p = .01). There was no treatment effect on emergency room or hospital transfers. The findings support the safety of function-focused care related to falls and need for hospital transfers.
Transition to marine ice cliff instability controlled by ice thickness gradients and velocity
Authors: Bassis J. N. , Berg B. , Crawford A. J. , Benn D. I.
Published: June 2021

Cliff collapse

Tall ice cliffs at the edges of ice sheets can collapse under their own weight in spectacular fashion, a process that can considerably hasten ice sheet mass loss. Bassis
et al.
used a dynamic ice model to demonstrate that this kind of collapse can be slowed either by upstream thinning of the ice sheet or by the resistive forces from sea ice and calved debris (see the Perspective by Golledge and Lowry). Conversely, when there is upstream ice thickening, a transition to catastrophic collapse can occur.

Science
, abf6271, this issue p.
1342
; see also abj3266, p.
1266
Reframing strategic, managed retreat for transformative climate adaptation
Authors: Mach Katharine J. , Siders A. R.
Published: June 2021

Human societies will transform to address climate change and other stressors. How they choose to transform will depend on what societal values they prioritize. Managed retreat can play a powerful role in expanding the range of possible futures that transformation could achieve and in articulating the values that shape those futures. Consideration of retreat raises tensions about what losses are unacceptable and what aspects of societies are maintained, purposefully altered, or allowed to change unaided. Here we integrate research on retreat, transformational adaptation, climate damages and losses, and design and decision support to chart a roadmap for strategic, managed retreat. At its core, this roadmap requires a fundamental reconceptualization of what it means for retreat to be strategic and managed. The questions raised are relevant to adaptation science and societies far beyond the remit of retreat.
Preparing macrophages for the future
Authors: Nandagopal Nagarajan , Jambhekar Ashwini , Lahav Galit
Published: June 2021

Temporal dynamics of a key immune transcription factor shape the epigenome and future cell responses
Draft Genome Sequences of 80 Salmonella enterica Serovar Infantis Strains Isolated from Food, Environmental, Human, and Veterinary Sources in Brazil
Authors: Vilela Felipe Pinheiro , Pribul Bruno Rocha , Rodrigues Dália dos Prazeres , Balkey Maria , Allard Marc , Falcão Juliana Pfrimer
Published: June 2021

Salmonella enterica
serovar Infantis is a broadly distributed serovar infecting humans and animal reservoirs globally. Here, we report 80 draft genome sequences of
S
. Infantis strains isolated from diverse sources in Brazil. These data will improve our understanding of the specific traits of
S.
Infantis isolated in this country.
Genome Sequences for Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli Strains Isolated from Different Water Sources
Authors: Gray Holly A. , Biggs Patrick J. , Midwinter Anne C. , Burgess Sara A.
Published: June 2021

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing
Enterobacteriaceae
are considered a critical priority by the World Health Organization. Presented here are two genome sequences of
Escherichia coli
strains isolated from New Zealand freshwater. The genome sequences’ mean size was 5.2 Mb, with a mean of 4,848 coding sequences. Both genomes carried the ESBL
bla
CTX-M
gene.
Efficacy of a carrageenan gel in preventing anal human papillomavirus (HPV) infection: interim analysis of the Lubricant Investigation in Men to Inhibit Transmission of HPV Infection (LIMIT-HPV) randomised controlled trial
Authors: Laurie Cassandra , El-Zein Mariam , Tota Joseph E , Khosrow-Khavar Farzin , Tellier Pierre-Paul , Coutlée François , de Pokomandy Alexandra , Franco Eduardo L
Published: June 2021

Background

Carrageenan, a non-toxic gelling agent derived from red algae, has potent anti-human papillomavirus (HPV) activity in in vitro and animal studies. We assessed, in an interim analysis, the efficacy of a carrageenan-based gel in reducing the risk of new detections of anal HPV among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM).

Methods

The LIMIT-HPV study (Lubricant Investigation in Men to Inhibit Transmission of HPV Infection) is a phase IIb, double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised controlled trial conducted in Montreal, Canada. gbMSM were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive a carrageenan-based or placebo gel. Participants were instructed to apply the gel to the anus, condom and/or partners’ penis before and—as required—during receptive anal intercourse. Questionnaire data and anal samples were collected at 0, 1, 2, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. We estimated new detections of anal HPV infection(s) detected via Linear Array using Cox proportional hazards models.

Results

Participants recruited from February 2016 to December 2019 were randomly assigned to the carrageenan (n=127) or placebo (n=128) arm. The efficacy and safety analyses included 201 and 210 participants. The median follow-up time was 7.6 months (range: 0–28.5) in the carrageenan group and 9.3 months (range: 0–40.7) in the placebo group. The HR for new detections was 1.21 (95% CI 0.86 to 1.70): 69.4% and 65.1% new detections of HPV in the carrageenan and placebo arms, respectively. More adverse events were reported in the carrageenan (59.8%) compared with the placebo (39.8%) arm.

Conclusions

The interim analysis did not demonstrate a protective effect of carrageenan on the risk of new detections of anal HPV infection among gbMSM. Carrageenan gel use was associated with a higher proportion of adverse events. Given these findings and the (assumed) low probability that a beneficial effect would be found by the study’s end, the trial was terminated as recommended by the Data Safety and Monitoring Board.

Trial registration number

NCT02354144.
Induced triploidy reduces mercury bioaccumulation in a piscivorous fish
Authors: Farrell Collin J. , Johnson Brett M. , Hansen Adam G. , Myrick Christopher A.
Published: June 2021

We compared mercury bioaccumulation in triploid and diploid walleye (Sander vitreus) in Narraguinnep Reservoir, Colorado, USA, and made several hypotheses that sex- and ploidy-specific differences in the allocation of energy towards reproductive development would affect mercury bioaccumulation. We tested our hypotheses with linear regression and a bioenergetics model informed by field data. We found diploid walleye had 28%–31% higher mercury concentrations on average than triploids, but there were no differences between sexes of the same ploidy. Triploids of mature age exhibited minimal gonadal development when compared to diploids. After accounting for reproductive investment, the bioenergetics model accounted for most of the observed difference in average mercury concentration between ploidies for females. Conversely, the energetic cost of producing testes was low, and gonadal development could not explain observed patterns for males. Costs associated with elevated swimming activity and metabolism by diploid males relative to other groups could explain the difference but requires further investigation. The use of triploid fish in stocking programs could prove useful for reducing mercury in fish destined for human consumption.
Optimized locations of landings in forest operations
Authors: Flisberg Patrik , Rönnqvist Mikael , Willén Erik , Forsmark Victoria , Davidsson Aron
Published: June 2021

In recent years, increasing attention has been drawn to improving productivity in logging passages while reducing negative impact on soil and water. The position of landings and extraction routes is crucial in these efforts, as it has a huge impact on efficient and sustainable forwarder passages. In this paper, we propose a two-phase approach to identify the best possible landing locations integrated with log extraction route design. The first phase identifies potential landing zones adjacent to forest roads. It considers practical restrictions such as slopes, stoniness, and closeness to infrastructure. The second phase uses an optimization model to evaluate the potential impact of each zone and aggregate zones, selecting one or two complete landings. This model is a relaxation of a formulation for an extraction route design; it is used to minimize a weighted objective of the total driving distance, avoid steep terrains and impact on soil and water. The proposed approach has been tested on a set of harvest areas in southern Sweden. The results not only show the potential to identify feasible landing zones but also identify a shorter driving distance and hence lower contractual cost with optimized positioning. The possibility to increase efficiency in forest operations by performing scenario analysis and thus forwarding distances with different landing sites is among the results.
Transcriptomic analysis reveals anthocyanin biosynthesis regulation in blueberry (Vaccinium ashei) fruit
Authors: Gao Xuan , Chen Qiang , Yang Yan , Zhu Bo , Xiao Jiaxin
Published: June 2021

Blueberry (Vaccinium ashei) is a popular fruit due to its high anthocyanin content. This study aimed to analyze the transcriptome profile of V. ashei cv. ‘Brightwell’ fruits at different stages of development. A total of 314.26 GB of clean data were obtained and de novo assembled into 254 196 unigenes. In comparisons between the early and late stages of fruit ripening, 27 genes (including PAL, CHS, F3H, F3′H, F3′5′H, LDOX, etc.) were found to cover the main steps in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. Most of these genes were highly expressed in the late stage of fruit development, suggesting that anthocyanins mainly accumulate in the late stage. During the late stage of fruit development, most structural and regulatory genes such as F3′5′H and F3′H, which are involved in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway, were upregulated, causing the fruit to turn blue. Decreased expression of a large number of chloroplast-related genes during the fruit ripening period could explain why the green fruit color fades over time. Additionally, abscisic acid and ethylene may play positive roles in promoting fruit ripening and anthocyanin accumulation. This research reveals the transcriptomic characteristics of immature and mature fruits and enhances our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of anthocyanin biosynthesis and accumulation in blueberry fruit.
Predictors and predictands of linear response in spatially extended systems
Authors: Tomasini Umberto Maria , Lucarini Valerio
Published: June 2021

The goal of response theory, in each of its many statistical mechanical formulations, is to predict the perturbed response of a system from the knowledge of the unperturbed state and of the applied perturbation. A new recent angle on the problem focuses on providing a method to perform predictions of the change in one observable of the system using the change in a second observable as a surrogate for the actual forcing. Such a viewpoint tries to address the very relevant problem of causal links within complex system when only incomplete information is available. We present here a method for quantifying and ranking the predictive ability of observables and use it to investigate the response of a paradigmatic spatially extended system, the Lorenz ’96 model. We perturb locally the system and we then study to what extent a given local observable can predict the behaviour of a separate local observable. We show that this approach can reveal insights on the way a signal propagates inside the system. We also show that the procedure becomes more efficient if one considers multiple acting forcings and, correspondingly, multiple observables as predictors of the observable of interest.
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND INTENTION FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Authors: YALCINTAS MURAT , IYIGÜN OYKÜ , KARABULUT GOKHAN
Published: June 2021

This study analyzes the relationship between entrepreneurship intention and personal characteristics and skills by using the surveys we conducted in Turkey on 1465 senior university students. We use a modified version of the Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) scale and the Political Skills Inventory to measure some personal characteristics and skills. We also use the nine sub-dimensions of these two scales. Probit model and wavelet coherence analysis results show that proactivity, entrepreneurship, and networking sub-dimensions of the scales are related to entrepreneurship intention. We also find that gender, the number of siblings, the grade point average (GPA) of the students, their family’s education level, the parent’ ownership of an enterprise, and the number of non-governmental organizations (NGO) that they are a member of are also related to entrepreneurship intention. Results may be useful to understand and enhance entrepreneurship potential.
Study on structural design and analysis of 18 ft CFRP leisure boat
Authors: Bae Sung-Youl , Kim Yun-Hae
Published: June 2021

The purpose of this study is to develop a lightweight design model for an 18ft leisure boat. The existing leisure boat is manufactured using glass fiber-reinforced plastics (GFRP) material and the hand lay-up process. Carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP) was applied to the new design to reduce the boat’s weight, while an automated tape laying machine was applied to the lightweight boat’s manufacturing process to increase boat manufacturing productivity. The newly designed CFRP model is 25% lighter than the existing GFRP model. It was confirmed that the newly designed lightweight hull has sufficient structural integrity compared to the existing hull through the structural integrity evaluation by the FEA.
Fretting wear behavior of thermal-oxidation on titanium alloy in air and vacuum atmosphere
Authors: Sheng Liangliang , Deng Xiangtao , Li Hao , Ren Yuxuan , Gou Guoqing , Xu Xiaojun , Wang Zhaodong , Zhu Minhao
Published: June 2021

In this work, an in-situ XPS analysis test combined self-designed high precision fretting wear tester was carried out to study the fretting wear behavior and the resulting tribo-oxidation of thermal-oxidation film on Ti6Al4V titanium alloy under the varied working atmosphere. The fretting-induced tribo-oxidation under the air and vacuum ([Formula: see text] Pa) environment was analyzed and its response on the resulting fretting wear resistance and damage mechanism was discussed. Results show that the working environment plays a significant role in the formation of tribo-oxidation and then determining the fretting wear resistance. Thermal-oxidation film in the vacuum atmosphere shows a better fretting wear resistance than that in the air atmosphere for all fretting regimes, except for partial slip regime (PSR) where there is an equivalent fretting wear resistance. Compared with the substrate Ti6Al4V titanium alloy, the thermal-oxidation film in the vacuum atmosphere performs a good protection for titanium alloy, especially for slip regime (SR), but not applied for air atmosphere.
Computational and bright soliton solutions and sensitivity behavior of Camassa–Holm and nonlinear Schrödinger dynamical equation
Authors: Raza Nauman , ur Rahman Riaz , Seadawy Aly , Jhangeer Adil
Published: June 2021

In this paper, we sketch and scrutinize the solitonic wave solution of Camassa–Holm equation by applying Kudryashov’s new method. We promote the algorithm of our new method to find the new solutions of this essential model. Camassa–Holm equation is a recent model in the point of distortion of hierarchies composition of integrability systems. It has been displayed that these solutions have the shape of dark, bright and singular solitons solutions of Camassa–Holm nonlinear Schrodinger equation. Graphically changing of extracted results of this model (CH) has been separated to grasp the substantial evolution. We analyze the sensitivity of the obtained solutions on behalf of different boundary conditions. It is fair that our model furnishes an impressive mathematical mechanism for manufacturing the solutions of the traveling wave for many models in physics and mathematics. The strategy utilized here is straightforward and succinct.
Thin film growth by single and multi-center DLA model: Fractal analysis
Authors: Zhou Xun , Zhang Min , Deng Chaoyong
Published: June 2021

A modified Diffusion Limited Aggregation (DLA) model has been established for single and multi-center fractal growth. Number of particles [Formula: see text], size of one step [Formula: see text], deposition probability [Formula: see text], growth direction, and interaction effect are had been take into consideration for fractal analysis. In addition, the effect of internal interaction in multi-center growth have been taken into consideration. Fractal growth morphology shows strong boundary and interaction effects.
Polarization properties of iron emission lines as a tool to identify the finite thickness of disks with moderately super-Eddington accretion rate
Authors: Tang Ze-Yuan , Yuan Ye-Fei
Published: June 2021

The Fe-K[Formula: see text] fluorescence lines are commonly observed in AGNs and X-ray binaries. The lines are believed to be originated from the reflection of the hard X-ray continuum near the inner-most region of the accretion disks of black holes. The geometry of the accretion disk is usually assumed to be infinitely thin, but this assumption is not appropriate when the accretion rate is moderately super-Eddington. With the increase of the accretion rate, the disk becomes thick, which will significantly affect the properties of the fluorescence lines. For instance, the polarized radiation is strongly depended on the geometry of the accretion disk. In this work, based on the lamp-post model, we study the polarization properties of the relativistic Fe-K[Formula: see text] lines from thick disks in the framework of fully general relativity. We find that with the increase of the disk thickness, the polarization degree (PD) at the blue edge of the iron line increase significantly, and there appears a peak at the profile of the PD of the iron emission line, which at most is one order higher that of the line from the thin disk. Thus, the polarization properties of relativistic broad Fe-K[Formula: see text] lines can be used to as a tool to diagnose the disk thickness.
Gauge theory of the Maxwell and semi-simple extended (anti) de Sitter algebra
Authors: Kibaroğlu Salih , Cebecioğlu Oktay
Published: June 2021

In this paper, a semi-simple and Maxwell extension of the (anti) de Sitter algebra is constructed. Then, a gauge-invariant model has been presented by gauging the Maxwell semi-simple extension of the (anti) de Sitter algebra. We firstly construct a Stelle–West-like model action for five-dimensional spacetime in which the effects of spontaneous symmetry breaking have been taken into account. In doing so, we get an extended version of Einstein’s field equations. Next, we decompose the five-dimensional extended Lie algebra and establish a MacDowell–Mansouri-like action that contains the Einstein–Hilbert term, the cosmological term as well as new terms coming from Maxwell extension in four-dimensional spacetime where the torsion-free condition is assumed. Finally, we have shown that both models are equivalent for an appropriately chosen gauge condition.
Internet congestion control: From stochastic to dynamical models
Authors: Amigó José M. , Giménez Angel , Martínez-Bonastre Oscar , Valero José
Published: June 2021

Since its inception, control of data congestion on the Internet has been based on stochastic models. One of the first such models was Random Early Detection. Later, this model was reformulated as a dynamical system, with the average queue sizes at a router’s buffer being the states. Recently, the dynamical model has been generalized to improve global stability. In this paper we review the original stochastic model and both nonlinear models of Random Early Detection with a two-fold objective: (i) illustrate how a random model can be “smoothed out” to a deterministic one through data aggregation and (ii) how this translation can shed light into complex processes such as the Internet data traffic. Furthermore, this paper contains new materials concerning the occurrence of chaos, bifurcation diagrams, Lyapunov exponents and global stability robustness with respect to control parameters. The results reviewed and reported here are expected to help design an active queue management algorithm in real conditions, that is, when system parameters such as the number of users and the round-trip time of the data packets change over time. The topic also illustrates the much-needed synergy of a theoretical approach, practical intuition and numerical simulations in engineering.
Guest Column
Authors: Knop A. , Lovett S. , McGuire S. , Yuan W.
Published: June 2021

Communication complexity studies the amount of communication necessary to compute a function whose value depends on information distributed among several entities. Yao [Yao79] initiated the study of communication complexity more than 40 years ago, and it has since become a central eld in theoretical computer science with many applications in diverse areas such as data structures, streaming algorithms, property testing, approximation algorithms, coding theory, and machine learning. The textbooks [KN06,RY20] provide excellent overviews of the theory and its applications.
Recent Progress in the Physics of Axions and Axion-Like Particles
Authors: Choi Kiwoon , Im Sang Hui , Shin Chang Sub
Published: June 2021

The axion is a light pseudoscalar particle postulated to solve issues with the Standard Model, including the strong CP problem and the origin of dark matter. In recent years, there has been remarkable progress in the physics of axions in several directions. An unusual type of axion-like particle termed the relaxion was proposed as a new solution to the weak scale hierarchy problem. There are also new ideas for laboratory, astrophysical, or cosmological searches for axions; such searches can probe a wide range of model parameters that were previously inaccessible. On the formal theory side, the weak gravity conjecture indicates a tension between quantum gravity and a trans-Planckian axion field excursion. Many of these developments involve axions with hierarchical couplings. In this article, we review recent progress in axion physics, with particular attention paid to hierarchies between axion couplings. We emphasize that the parameter regions of hierarchical axion couplings are the most accessible experimentally. Moreover, such regions are often where important theoretical questions in the field are addressed, and they can result from simple model-building mechanisms.
The correlation between quadriceps muscle strength and endurance and exercise performance in patients with COPD
Authors: Vaes A. W. , Sillen M. J. H. , Goërtz Y. M. J. , Machado F. V. C. , Van Herck M. , Burtin C. , Franssen F. M. E. , van 't Hul A. J. , Spruit M. A.
Published: June 2021

Our findings identified quadriceps muscle function as an important determinant of exercise capacity across a wide spectrum of lung function. Quadriceps muscle endurance appears to be a more important determinant than quadriceps muscle strength, underlining the importance of including both the measurement of quadriceps muscle strength and endurance in routine assessment for all patient with COPD.
Low noncarbonic buffer power amplifies acute respiratory acid-base disorders in patients with sepsis: an in vitro study
Authors: Langer Thomas , Brusatori Serena , Carlesso Eleonora , Zadek Francesco , Brambilla Paolo , Ferraris Fusarini Chiara , Duska Frantisek , Caironi Pietro , Gattinoni Luciano , Fasano Mauro , Lualdi Marta , Alberio Tiziana , Zanella Alberto , Pesenti Antonio , Grasselli Giacomo
Published: June 2021

Patients with sepsis are poorly protected against acute respiratory acid-base derangements due to a lower noncarbonic buffer power, which is caused both by a reduction in the major noncarbonic buffers, i.e. hemoglobin and albumin, and by a reduced buffering capacity of albumin. Electrolyte shifts from and to the red blood cells determining acute variations in strong ion difference are the major buffering mechanism during acute respiratory acid-base disorders.