bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using cognitive mapping to understand conservation planning
Authors: Biedenweg Kelly , Trimbach David , Delie Jackie , Schwarz Bessie
Published: November 2020

We considered a common research tool for understanding the mental models behind conservation decisions: cognitive mapping. Developed by cognitive psychologists, the elicitation of mental models with cognitive mapping has been used to understand soil management in Spain, invasive grass management in Australia, community forest management in the Bolivian Amazon, and small‐scale fisheries access in Belize, among others. A generalized cognitive mapping process considers specific factors associated with the design, data‐collection, data‐analyses, and interpretation phases of research. We applied this tool in a study about the integration of social data in shoreline master plans of Washington State. Fourteen policy makers and managers (approximately 85% of the region's potential sample) were asked to identify the factors they considered when making their plans. Researchers coded these factors into mental‐model objects and summarized mental‐object frequency and co‐occurrence trends. Although managers prioritized the perceived needs of social groups in their mental model of shoreline master plans, they focused specifically on tribal and private property rights, even though existing social data identified a diversity of interests around timber harvesting, tourism, and agriculture. Understanding their mental models allowed us to more effectively present this social data so that it could fit within their existing thoughts around planning. Although our case study provides a description of the cognition of a particular policy process, cognitive mapping can be used to understand cognitive processes that influence any conservation planning context.
Smart grid data access control scheme based on blockchain
Authors: Zhang Lihua , Li Jingjing , Hu Fangzhou , Huang Yang , Bai Jiayi
Published: November 2020

The smart grid communication parties need to process the data by the trusted central node, which will lead to security issues such as single‐point attacks and data tampering. This paper proposes a smart grid data access control scheme based on blockchain, the user completes the registration of the smart meter by three encryptions. After the registration is completed, the registration information will be uploaded to the blockchain. In the data access phase, the verification center verifies the user's data access request, the database will accept the user's request for data if the verification is passed, and that will be broadcasted on the entire network and uploaded to the blockchain. The security of the scheme is analyzed by using a random oracle model. Analysis shows that this scheme can resist public key replacement attacks and malicious key generation center (KGC) attacks. Compared with the existing scheme, this scheme can more effectively resist more types of attacks. It shows that the smart grid data access control scheme proposed in this paper is safe, reliable and efficient.
Association of quantitative CT lung density measurements and lung function decline in World Trade Center workers
Authors: Liu Xiaoyu , Reeves Anthony P. , Antoniak Katherine , San José Estépar Raúl , Doucette John T. , Jeon Yunho , Weber Jonathan , Xu Dongming , Celedón Juan C. , de la Hoz Rafael E.
Published: November 2020

Background

Occupational exposures at the WTC site after 11 September 2001 have been associated with presumably inflammatory chronic lower airway diseases.

Aims

In this study, we describe the trajectories of expiratory air flow decline, identify subgroups with adverse progression, and investigate the association of those trajectories with quantitative computed tomography (QCT) imaging measurement of increased and decreased lung density.

Methods

We examined the trajectories of expiratory air flow decline in a group of 1,321 former WTC workers and volunteers with at least three periodic spirometries, and using QCT‐measured low (LAV%, −950 HU) and high (HAV%, from −600 to −250 HU) attenuation volume percent. We calculated the individual regression line slopes for first‐second forced expiratory volume (FEV1slope), identified subjects with rapidly declining (“accelerated decliners”) and increasing (“improved”), and compared them to subjects with “intermediate” (0 to −66.5 mL/year) FEV1slope. We then used multinomial logistic regression to model those three trajectories, and the two lung attenuation metrics.

Results

The mean longitudinal FEV1 slopes for the entire study population, and its intermediate, decliner, and improved subgroups were, respectively, −40.4, −34.3, −106.5, and 37.6 mL/year. In unadjusted and adjusted analyses, LAV% and HAV% were both associated with “accelerated decliner” status (ORadj, 95% CI 2.37, 1.41–3.97, and 1.77, 1.08–2.89, respectively), compared to the intermediate decline.

Conclusions

Longitudinal FEV1 decline in this cohort, known to be associated with QCT proximal airway inflammation metric, is also associated with QCT indicators of increased and decreased lung density. The improved FEV1 trajectory did not seem to be associated with lung density metrics.
Seasonal environmental variability drives the swimming performance of a resident Iberian fish
Authors: Silva Sara Sofia , Alexandre Carlos Manuel , Quintella Bernardo Ruivo , de Almeida Pedro Raposo
Published: November 2020

Swimming performance is a determinant characteristic for the survival of fish species and is related to their response to environmental disturbance. In this study, we evaluated how seasonal environmental variability of Mediterranean intermittent rivers influences swimming performance of a resident Iberian fish, the ruivaco, Achondrostoma oligolepis. Approximately forty fish of A. oligolepis were captured in each annual season (i.e. winter, spring, summer and autumn), from a Portuguese intermittent river, and compared in terms of swimming behaviour and capacity (Ucrit test). We found a clear distinction in fish willingness to swim and swimming performance between seasons. Fish were more willing to swim during autumn and winter, as opposed to less energetic behaviour during spring and summer. Higher Ucrit values were observed during autumn (0.42 ± 0.17 m/s) and winter (0.48 ± 0.25 m/s), which in the studied river are typically characterised by high flows, strongly influenced by rainfall patterns. Results from this study contribute to increase the knowledge on movement dynamics of small, typically known as resident, fish species and how this relates to natural and seasonal environmental variability.
Genetic counselling for the prevention of mental health consequences of cannabis use: A randomized controlled trial‐within‐cohort
Authors: Zwicker Alyson , LeBlanc Marissa A. , Pavlova Barbara , Alda Martin , Denovan‐Wright Eileen M. , Uher Rudolf , Austin Jehannine C.
Published: November 2020

Background

Cannabis use is a risk factor for severe mental illness. However, cannabis does not affect everyone equally. Genetic information may help identify individuals who are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of cannabis on mental health. A common genetic variant within the AKT1 gene selectively increases risk of psychosis, only among those who use cannabis. Therapeutically oriented genetic counselling may enable us to reduce cannabis exposure among genetically sensitive individuals.

Methods

Using a trial‐within‐cohort design, we aim to test if genetic counselling, including the option to receive AKT1 rs2494732 genotype, reduces cannabis use. To this end, we have designed a genetic counselling intervention: Interdisciplinary approach to Maximize Adolescent potential: Genetic counselling Intervention to reduce Negative Environmental effects (IMAGINE).

Results

IMAGINE will be implemented in a cohort of children and youth enriched for familial risk for major mood and psychotic disorders. Approximately 110 eligible individuals aged 12–21 years will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to be offered a single genetic counselling session with a board‐certified genetic counsellor, or not. Allocated youth will also be invited to attend a follow‐up session approximately 1 month following the intervention. The primary outcome will be cannabis use (measured by self‐report or urine screen) at subsequent annual assessments as part of the larger cohort study. Secondary outcomes include intervention acceptability and psychopathology.

Conclusion

This study represents the first translational application of a gene–environment interaction to improve mental health and test an intervention with potential public health benefits. This study is registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03601026).
Perturbed differentiation of murine embryonic stem cells upon Pelota deletion due to dysregulated FOXO1/β‐catenin signaling
Authors: Elkenani Manar , Nyamsuren Gunsmaa , Toischer Karl , Adham Ibrahim M. , Mohamed Belal A.
Published: November 2020

Differentiation of the embryonic stem cells (ESCs) is regulated by a variety of different signaling pathways. Genetic depletion of murine Pelota gene (Pelo) leads to early embryonic lethality. Here, we aimed at determining the embryonic stage and deciphering the dysregulated signaling pathways affected upon Pelo deletion. We found that development of PELO‐null embryos is perturbed between the embryonic days E4.5 and E5.5, at which first differentiation process of ESCs takes place. Molecular analysis revealed enhanced activity of phosphoinositide 3‐kinase–protein kinase B/ AKT (PI3K‐PKB/AKT) signaling, but nuclear accumulation of forkhead box O1 (FOXO1), and upregulation of the pluripotency‐related gene, Oct4, in mutant ESCs cultured under differentiation condition. Despite increased levels of nuclear β‐catenin in PELO‐null ESCs as a result of decreased activity of glycogen synthase kinase‐3β, the activity of the canonical wingless (Wnt)/β‐catenin/T‐cell factor (TCF) was significantly attenuated as judged by the promoter reporter assay, downregulated Wnt/β‐catenin target genes, and impaired cell proliferation. Interestingly, we demonstrated an increased binding of β‐catenin to FOXO1 in PELO‐mutant ESCs cultured under differentiation condition that could explain, on one side, the nuclear accumulation of FOXO1 protein and hence persistent pluripotency of PELO‐mutant ESCs, and on the other side, the dysregulated transcriptional activity of β‐catenin/TCF and therefore attenuated PELO‐null ESC self‐renewal. Taken together, our results strongly suggest that PELO deletion averts ESC differentiation through promoting FOXO1/β‐catenin binding with subsequent dysregulation of FOXO1 and canonical β‐catenin/TCF signaling pathways.
The effect of dwell on thermomechanical fatigue in superaustenitic steel Sanicro 25
Authors: Petráš Roman , Šulák Ivo , Polák Jaroslav
Published: November 2020

Superaustenitic steel Sanicro 25 has been subjected to out‐of‐phase thermomechanical fatigue cycles with 10‐min dwell at peak temperature in the temperature range from 250°C to 700°C. The effect of the dwells on the cyclic response, internal structure and damage mechanism was studied. Cyclic hardening/softening curves, cyclic stress–strain curves and fatigue life curves were evaluated. The internal structure and nanoparticles representing the obstacles for dislocation motion were analysed and identified by energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy in scanning transmission electron microscope. Scanning electron microscopy combined with focused ion beam and electron backscatter diffraction was adopted to reveal the respective mechanisms responsible for fatigue crack nucleation and propagation. Effect of dwells in in‐phase and in out‐of‐phase cycling on the fatigue behaviour, on the modification of internal structure and damage mechanisms, were analysed and discussed.
Non‐native Chinook salmon add nutrient subsidies and functional novelty to Patagonian streams
Authors: Muñoz Nicolas J. , Reid Brian , Correa Cristian , Neff Bryan D. , Reynolds John D.
Published: November 2020

The impacts of non‐native species are hypothesised to be proportional to the functional distinctiveness of invaders in their invaded ecosystems. Throughout the Patagonia region of southern South America, Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) have recently established non‐native populations, and their anadromous, semelparous life cycle could be functionally unique such that marine‐derived nutrients are delivered to streams which have historically lacked such a resource linkage with the ocean.

We tested the hypothesis that salmon subsidise biofilm‐associated algae in streams throughout the Aysén province of southern Chile. Using spatial and temporal variation in the presence of salmon among multiple streams and across two spawning seasons, we found strong evidence of salmon‐subsidised algae in three out of four streams examined that have spawning salmon populations.

The biofilm of subsidised streams had enriched stable isotopic ratios of nitrogen and carbon, indicating that marine‐derived nutrients were incorporated by biofilms. This nutrient uptake translated into increased algal biomass and percent of total biofilm biomass composed of algae, indicating that the incorporation of marine‐derived nutrients stimulated autotrophic production of biomass.

In one stream, the incorporation of marine‐derived nutrients by biofilm occurred in only one of the two studied spawning seasons. Incorporation occurred in a year with low flows of water throughout salmon spawning (4.59 m3/s) and did not occur in a year with much higher flows (41.6 m3/s), suggesting that inter‐annual variation in discharge can mediate the subsidising effect of salmon.

These results indicate that Chinook salmon have bridged the historical gap between productive marine ecosystems and nutrient‐poor stream ecosystems in Patagonia. Anadromous salmon can be a significant source of nutrients in nutrient‐limited catchments, and their ongoing expansion in southern South America is likely to entail ecological impacts in stream and riparian food webs.
Low back pain is closely associated with frailty but not with sarcopenia: Cross‐sectional study of rural Japanese community‐dwelling older adults
Authors: Tsuji Shotaro , Shinmura Ken , Nagai Koutatsu , Wada Yosuke , Kusunoki Hiroshi , Tamaki Kayoko , Ito Masako , Sano Kyoko , Amano Manabu , Hasegawa Yoko , Kishimoto Hiromitsu , Maruo Keishi , Iseki Tomoya , Tachibana Toshiya
Published: November 2020

Aim

We speculated that low back pain, which is the most common ailment in older adults, is associated with frailty and/or sarcopenia and contributes to the progression of either condition. Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between low back pain, sarcopenia and frailty in rural Japanese community‐dwelling older adults.

Methods

We recruited 730 participants aged ≥65 years who underwent a comprehensive health examination between November 2016 and December 2018. The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) was used to assess low back pain quantitatively, and scores were compared for the frail groups determined by the Japanese version of Cardiovascular Health Study, and the sarcopenia groups as determined by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019.

Results

Among 730 participants, the prevalence of low back pain was 57.8%. There were significant differences in the ODI scores between the robust, prefrail and frail groups (P < 0.001). In contrast, there were no significant differences in the ODI scores among the robust, low appendicular skeletal muscle and sarcopenia groups. Logistic regression analysis showed that the prevalence of low back pain and the ODI scores were significantly associated with frailty after adjustment for age, sex and body mass index (odds ratio 3.41, 95% confidence interval 1.39–8.39, P = 0.008, and odds ratio 1.06, 95% confidence interval 1.04–1.09, P < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusions

To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to show the close association between low back pain and frailty, and suggests that not only the decline in physical function but also neuropsychiatric factors, including chronic pain, constitute a vicious cycle of frailty in community‐dwelling older adults. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; 21: 54–59.
Inclusion under the Mental Capacity Act (2005): A review of research policy guidance and governance structures in England and Wales
Authors: Ryan Hayley , Heywood Rob , Jimoh Oluseyi , Killett Anne , Langdon Peter E , Shiggins Ciara , Bunning Karen
Published: November 2020

Objective

To investigate how people with communication and understanding difficulties, associated with conditions such as dementia, autism and intellectual disability, are represented in research guidance supplementary to the Mental Capacity Act (MCA: 2005) in England and Wales.

Methods

A documentary survey was conducted. The sample comprised the MCA Code of Practice (CoP: 2007) and 14 multi‐authored advisory documents that were publicly available on the Health Research Authority website. Textual review of key words was conducted followed by summative content analysis.

Results

Representation of people with communication and understanding difficulties was confined to procedural information and position statements that focused mainly on risk management and protection. Whilst a need to engage potential participants was recognized, guidance provided was imprecise.

Conclusions

Tensions exist between the protection versus empowerment of people with communication and understanding difficulties in research. The development of structured, evidence‐based guidance is indicated.

Patient or public contribution

People with communication and understanding difficulties and carers participated in a working group to explore, discuss and interpret the findings.
A novel rapid method for the determination of frying oil quality: development of prototype and equations and examination with respect to legislation criteria
Authors: Kalogianni Eleni P. , Georgiou Despoina , Marinopoulou Anna , Exarhopoulos Stylianos , Petridis Dimitrios , Dimitreli Georgia
Published: November 2020

The present work presents a prototype apparatus developed for a novel method based on capillary penetration for the determination of frying oil quality and examines the method and the performance of the prototype. The work further assesses the method results in comparison with the results of established methods and proposes equations for calculating frying oil quality parameters relevant to legislation criteria. The examination of the method is performed by using 184 oil samples produced by frying different foods in different oils for forty‐five successive batches. Equations relating the method output with the total polar compounds, total polymers and viscosity are proposed. High correlation coefficients between legislation criteria and the method result are obtained: R2 = 0.96, R2 = 0.91 and R2 = 0.86 for correlation with the oil viscosity, the polymer compounds and the TPC of the fried oils, respectively. The false‐positive and false‐negative answers of the method are below 2.5% for all cases.
A bioinformatic approach to investigating cytokine genes and their receptor variants in relation to COVID‐19 progression
Authors: Karakas Celik Sevim , Cakmak Genc Gunes , Dursun Ahmet
Published: November 2020

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection produces a wide spectrum of manifestations, ranging from no symptom to viral pneumonia. This study aimed to determine the genetic variations in cytokines and their receptors in relation to COVID‐19 pathogenesis using bioinformatic tools. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of genes encoding the cytokines and cytokine receptors elevated in patients with COVID‐19 were determined from the National Biotechnology Information Center website (using the dbSNP database). Missense variants were found in 3 cytokine genes and 10 cytokine receptor genes. Computational analyses were conducted to detect the effects of these missense SNPs via cloud‐based software tools. Also, the miRSNP database was used to explore whether SNPs in the 3′‐UTR altered the miRNA binding efficiency for genes of cytokines and their receptors. Our in silico studies revealed that one SNP in the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) gene was predicted as deleterious using sorting intolerant from tolerant. Also, the stability of VEGFR2 decreased in the I‐Mutant2.0 (biotool for predicting stability changes upon mutation from the protein sequence or structure) prediction. It was suggested that the decrease in VEGFR2 function (due to the rs1870377 polymorphism) may be correlated with the progression of COVID‐19 or contribute to the pathogenesis. Moreover, 27 SNPs were determined to affect miRNA binding for the genes of cytokine receptors. CXCR2 rs1126579, TNFRSF1B rs1061624 and IL10RB rs8178562 SNPs were predicted to break the miRNA‐mRNA binding sites for miR‐516a‐3, miR‐720 and miR‐328, respectively. These miRNAs play an important role in immune regulation and lung damage repair. Further studies are needed to evaluate the importance of these miRNAs and the SNPs.
The challenge of interprofessional collaboration in emergency department team triage – An interpretive description
Authors: Dreher‐Hummel Thomas , Nickel Christian H. , Nicca Dunja , Grossmann Florian F.
Published: November 2020

Aims

To explore emergency nurses’ and physicians’ experience of collaboration and collective decision‐making when triaging older Emergency Department patients within the interprofessional team triage system.

Design

Qualitative.

Methods

Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with seven nurses and five physicians. Transcripts were analysed via Interpretive Description between September 2016–May 2017.

Results

‘Negotiating collaboration’ was developed as the main theme. Three subthemes influenced the negotiation process: Participants described divergent opinions on how an optimal triage system should work (‘preferences for triage systems’); they had conflicting perceptions of each profession's role (‘role perceptions’); and they expressed different coping strategies regarding ‘perceived time pressure’. The compatibility of participants’ views on these sub‐themes determined whether the nurse and physician were able to successfully negotiate their collaboration. These themes became more evident when the team triaged older ED patients.

Conclusion

Improving interprofessional team triage requires working with the involved nurses’ and physicians’ values and beliefs. The strengths of both professions need to be considered and a flexible approach to collaboration established according to the patients’ situations.

Impact

Emergency Department leaders need to consider nurses’ and physicians’ values and beliefs to promote interprofessional collaboration in team triage.
The influence of the deregulation of short‐selling on related‐party transactions: Evidence from China
Authors: Jiang Haiyan , Tian Gary , Zhou Donghua
Published: November 2020

We extend the current short‐selling literature on the disciplining role of short‐sellers by examining the effect of short‐selling on related‐party transactions (RPTs). Using data from the Chinese stock exchanges over the post‐short‐selling deregulation period of 2010–2017, we find a two‐faceted effect of short‐sales on RPTs in which short‐selling restrains detrimental RPTs but encourages beneficial RPTs. The findings reveal that short‐selling not only has a disciplinary effect but also induces managerial decisions that are beneficial to shareholders’ wealth. Additional analyses demonstrate that the two‐faceted effect depends on the strength of the external and internal governance mechanisms proxied by analysts following, media coverage, regional shareholder protection, and the firms’ internal control. Our findings are robust to a batch of tests conducted to alleviate concerns for endogeneity. A difference‐in‐difference test further confirms that the aforementioned effects result from the deregulation of short‐selling.
Land use and local environment affect macroinvertebrate metacommunity organization in Neotropical stream networks
Authors: Firmiano Kele R. , Cañedo‐Argüelles Miguel , Gutiérrez‐Cánovas Cayetano , Macedo Diego R. , Linares Marden S. , Bonada Núria , Callisto Marcos
Published: November 2020

Aim

Changes in land use and cover (hereafter land use) affect freshwater ecosystems at different spatial scales. We tested the effects of land use on the dispersal capacity of stream macroinvertebrates through local and regional processes.

Location

In all, 183 Brazilian headwater stream sites, located in the Neotropical Savanna with variable land use and covering a total area of 46,394 km2.

Taxon

Stream macroinvertebrates

Methods

We used multiple regression models for distance matrices to identify the relative importance of environmental and landscape characteristics to explain community dissimilarity of stream macroinvertebrates with different mobility traits. As predictors, we calculated four distance metrics: environmental distance describing the dissimilarity in local conditions, the network distance accounting for distances across the drainage system and two distances measuring landscape resistance to dispersal (topographic and land use). We classified macroinvertebrates in dispersal groups according to their dispersal abilities (flying and drifting) and life story traits (voltinism, adult life span and body size). We tested the effects of these distances on all taxa and on the different dispersal groups, to explore whether biological traits would result in different metacommunity patterns.

Results

Our hierarchical clustering analysis identified five macroinvertebrate dispersal groups. The dispersal group 1 was mainly composed by aquatic obligate taxa, dispersal group 2 by taxa with low drift propensity, dispersal group 3 represented taxa with high directional flight capacity, dispersal group 4 included taxa with medium drift propensity and dispersal group 5 represented taxa with high drift propensity. We found that environmental distance and land use distance were the most important predictors explaining community dissimilarity for most of the dispersal groups.

Main conclusion

The metacommunity patterns found in this study suggest that environmental filtering was the most important community assembly mechanism at a local scale, whereas land use could constrain dispersal at the regional scale. Understanding these processes is crucial to meet conservation and restoration goals, especially in biodiversity hotspots. Our results reinforce the importance of considering entire catchments for preserving stream health and aquatic biodiversity and indicate the need for a much more integrative research between terrestrial and aquatic ecology.
Proof of concept: visual categorization of carotenoid pigmentation in Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus L) can predict stress response
Authors: Backström Tobias , Brännäs Eva , Nilsson Jan , Carlberg Hanna , Johansson Kajsa , Magnhagen Carin
Published: November 2020

Carotenoid pigmentation in Salvelinus alpinus has been connected to stress responsiveness in earlier studies. This has, however, only been tested with time‐consuming image analysis from photos. Here, we used quick visual categorization of carotenoid pigmentation to investigate the stress responsiveness of the extreme groups. The visually selected charr were then exposed to a net restraint stressor. Arctic charr with few spots also had a lower stress responsiveness compared to charr with many spots. Thus, visual selection could be used as a simple method within aquaculture.
The role of UhpA in regulating the virulence gene expression in Edwardsiella piscicida
Authors: Ye Tingqi , Mu Cuimin , Chen Jiakang , Pan Guangchen , Wang Xuepeng
Published: November 2020

Edwardsiella piscicida (E. piscicida) is an important fish pathogen. However, the mechanism of Glu6P transport regulatory protein UhpA how to affect the virulence gene expression in E. piscicida is still unclear. The results in this study showed that the metabolism‐related gene expression of cysteine synthase (orf 1134) and sulphate transporter (ychM) in the uhpA mutant strain ΔuhpA was 0.76‐fold and 0.68‐fold lower than the ones in the wild strains (p < .05). The gene expression of ethA and ethB in the ΔuhpA strain was 0.80‐fold and 0.72‐fold lower than the ones in the wild strains (p < .05). However, the gene expression of fliC and flgN in the ΔuhpA was 1.51‐fold and 1.21‐fold higher than the ones in the wild strains (p < .05). The gene expression of T3SS (esrB and esrC) and T6SS (evpB and evpC) in the ΔuhpA was 1.27‐fold, 1.13‐fold, 1.28‐fold and 1.23‐fold higher than the ones in the wild strains (p < .05). This suggested that the uhpA gene could regulate the key virulence gene expression, and the uhpA gene was associated with the pathogenicity of E. piscicida in fish.
Identification of Lycium barbarum varieties based on hyperspectral imaging technique and competitive adaptive reweighted sampling‐whale optimization algorithm‐support vector machine
Authors: Tang Ningqiu , Sun Jun , Yao Kunshan , Zhou Xin , Tian Yan , Cao Yan , Nirere Adria
Published: November 2020

In order to distinguish different varieties of Lycium barbarum effectively, a fast nondestructive detection method based on hyperspectral imaging technology was proposed. Six varieties of L. barbarum were selected as the research objects to obtain hyperspectral images. With the whole L. barbarum taken as the object, the region of interest was obtained by threshold segmentation, and the average spectra value of the image points of a single L. barbarum was extracted as the spectral data of the sample. Initially, standard normalized variate was used to preprocess the original spectral data. Furthermore, compared with other methods, competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) was chosen to extract the characteristic wavelengths. Additionally, the model of support vector machine (SVM) was set. The results showed that the SVM model based on CARS had the best classification effect. The training set accuracy was 100%, and the prediction set accuracy was 85%. Finally, in order to improve the classification accuracy, the whale optimization algorithm (WOA) was introduced. The accuracy of training set and prediction set obtained by WOA‐SVM model were 89.44 and 88.33% respectively. Therefore, it was feasible to use hyperspectral imaging technology combined with CARS‐WOA‐SVM model to identify different varieties of L. barbarum.
Development of a new rainfall‐triggering index of flash flood warning‐case study in Yunnan province, China
Authors: Ma Meihong , Wang Huixiao , Yang Yan , Zhao Gang , Tang Guoqiang , Hong Zhen , Clark Robert A. , Chen Yun , Xu Hui , Hong Yang
Published: November 2020

Flash floods, characterized by rapid, short‐duration, and high‐velocity flows, are the major causes of property damage and casualties worldwide. Flash flood warning is one of the key measures to prevent flash floods. Relying upon rain gage data and official statistics of flash flood events with casualties, this study proposes a new rainfall triggering index, β, defined as the ratio of accumulated rainfall to intraday rainfall, which effectively divides floods into events triggered by heavy intraday rainfall (0 < β ≤ 5) and those triggered by high cumulative rainfall (β > 5). Then, historical disaster events were used to evaluate the performance of the proposed index. Results reveal that: (1) when 0 < β ≤ 5, the intensity–duration (I–D) curve method is more desirable, and the simulation result has a high correlation coefficient (r = 0.95) with the measured result; (2) when β > 5, the rainfall triggering index (RTI) method is more suitable (r = 0.8); (3) the cumulative critical rainfall using the RTI method ranges from 50 to 400 mm. This paper stretches the thought of flash flood warning method and provides the reference for flood‐prone regions.
Employment factors associated with daily time management in working people with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Nakao Tomomi , Takeishi Chizuko , Tsutsumi Chiyo , Sato Yuichi , Uchizono Yuji , Shimizu Yasuko
Published: November 2020

Aim

To determine the employment factors associated with daily time management in working people with type 2 diabetics.

Methods

A questionnaire survey was administered to 277 working people with type 2 diabetes. It included a daily time management scale, and questions about age, gender, hemoglobin A1c levels, shift work, managerial position, and average working hours. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between daily time management and each factor, adjusted for age, gender, and hemoglobin A1c.

Results

Responses were obtained from 220 individuals. Daily time management was associated with managerial position (being a manager) and working hours. Shift work was associated with “adjustment of life rhythms” and managerial position was associated with “adjustment of work” and “goal setting and behaviors consistent with personal values”. Hours of work were associated with “adjustment of life rhythms” and “time control”.

Conclusion

When providing support on time management to working people with type 2 diabetes mellitus, any assessment should consider the availability of shift work, whether they are in a managerial position and working hours.
Pipelines to Pathways: Medical School Commitment to Producing a Rural Workforce
Authors: Longenecker Randall L. , Andrilla C. Holly A. , Jopson Andrew D. , Evans David V. , Schmitz David , Larson Eric H. , Patterson Davis G.
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Despite the efforts of numerous medical schools to produce rural physicians, many rural communities in the United States still experience physician shortages. This study describes the current landscape of rural efforts in US undergraduate medical education and catalogs medical school characteristics and activities that evidence has suggested, and that many experts in rural medical education believe, may result in more graduates choosing rural practice.

Methods

This is a descriptive study of publicly available and rurally relevant characteristics of all 182 allopathic and osteopathic medical schools operating in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in 2016, with rural program information for these schools updated in 2019. The authors constructed a “rural program” definition in order to systematically catalog coordinated and strategic medical school efforts to produce a rural physician workforce.

Findings

Few (8.2%) medical schools expressed an explicit commitment to producing rural physicians in public mission statements. However, most (64.8%) provided rural clinical experiences and many demonstrated their commitment in other ways. Only 39 (21.4%) did so through a formal rural program.

Conclusions

In establishing an explicit rural program definition and documenting other markers of rural commitment, this paper provides a baseline for future studies of rural workforce production and medical school investment in these programs, activities, and personnel. Demonstrating the effectiveness of schools’ rural physician education efforts will require collaboration across institutions and more intensive evaluations of programs involving students who, though relatively few in number, have great potential for contributing to the health of rural communities across the nation.
Does a Rural Community‐Based Intervention Improve Knowledge and Attitudes of Opioid Use Disorder and Medication‐Assisted Treatment? A Report From the IT MATTTRs Study
Authors: Curcija Kristen , Zittleman Linda , Fisher Mary , Nease Donald E. , Dickinson L. Miriam , de la Cerda Dionisia , Sutter Christin , Ancona Jen , Rank James , Westfall John M.
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Understanding knowledge of and attitudes toward medication‐assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) is important to changing the conversation about this devastating public health problem. While several studies report clinician knowledge and attitudes and training, less is known about community member perspectives. As part of the Implementing Technology and Medication Assisted Treatment Team Training in Rural Colorado study (IT MATTTRs), this study describes the implementation of community‐based interventions developed by rural community members and researchers to increase awareness and promote positive attitudes toward MAT for OUD and explores changes in community members’ OUD and MAT knowledge and beliefs.

Methods

Using the Boot Camp Translation process, the High Plains Research Network and Colorado Research Network MAT Advisory Councils developed multicomponent interventions on MAT for OUD. Baseline and postintervention surveys were administered using venue‐based sampling of community members in rural communities.

Findings

Surveys were completed by 789 community members at baseline and 798 at postintervention. Nearly half (49%) reported exposure to at least 1 intervention product. Greater exposure to intervention materials was associated with beliefs that using opioids to get high in rural communities is a problem (P < .0001), that opioid addiction is a chronic disease (P = .0032), and that OUD can be treated locally (P = .0003).

Conclusions

Partnering with local community members resulted in the successful development and implementation of community‐based interventions, exposure to which was associated with OUD knowledge and beliefs. Locally created interventions should be included in comprehensive approaches to stem the OUD epidemic.
H‐NS‐like proteins in Pseudomonas aeruginosa coordinately silence intragenic transcription
Authors: Lippa Andrew M. , Gebhardt Michael J. , Dove Simon L.
Published: November 2020

The H‐NS‐like proteins MvaT and MvaU act coordinately as global repressors in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by binding to AT‐rich regions of the chromosome. Although cells can tolerate loss of either protein, identifying their combined regulatory effects has been challenging because the loss of both proteins is lethal due to induction of prophage Pf4 and subsequent superinfection of the cell. In other bacteria, H‐NS promotes the cellular fitness by inhibiting intragenic transcription from AT‐rich target regions, preventing them from sequestering RNA polymerase; however, it is not known whether MvaT and MvaU function similarly. Here, we utilize a parental strain that cannot be infected by Pf4 phage to define the collective MvaT and MvaU regulon and demonstrate that the combined loss of both MvaT and MvaU leads to increased intragenic transcription from loci directly controlled by these proteins. We further show that the loss of MvaT and MvaU leads to a striking redistribution of RNA polymerase containing σ70 to genomic regions vacated by these proteins. Our findings suggest that the ability of H‐NS‐like proteins to repress intragenic transcription is a universal function of these proteins and point to a second mechanism by which MvaT and MvaU may contribute to the growth of P. aeruginosa.
Poor sleep quality and oral health among older Brazilian adults
Authors: Bof de Andrade Fabíola , Watt Richard G. , Lima‐Costa Maria Fernanda , de Oliveira Cesar
Published: November 2020

Objectives

This study evaluates the association between normative and subjective oral health measures and poor self‐reported sleep quality among community‐dwelling older adults in Brazil.

Methods

This was a cross‐sectional study with data from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging. The dependent variable was the poor sleep quality. Independent variables of interest included number of teeth and self‐reported impact of oral health on eating/chewing and on maintaining emotional stability.

Results

Poor sleep quality was reported by 17.8 (95% CI 16.6; 19.2) of the participants, 29% of the participants were edentulous, and 30% had 20 or more teeth. Impacts of oral health on eating and maintaining emotional stability was found among 33.3% and 20% of the older adults, respectively. After adjusting for all oral health measures and covariates, the magnitude of the associations between the number of teeth and sleep quality was attenuated. Sleep quality was related to oral health impacts on eating (OR 1.19 [95% CI 1.00; 1.41]) and on emotional stability (OR 1.51 [95% CI 1.21; 1.87]).

Conclusions

This study found an association between oral health and sleep quality emphasizing the importance of oral health to general health.
Development and evaluation of deep learning for screening dental caries from oral photographs
Authors: Zhang Xuan , Liang Yuan , Li Wen , Liu Chao , Gu Deao , Sun Weibin , Miao Leiying
Published: November 2020

Objectives

To develop and evaluate the performance of a deep learning system based on convolutional neural network (ConvNet) to detect dental caries from oral photographs.

Methods

3,932 oral photographs obtained from 625 volunteers with consumer cameras were included for the development and evaluation of the model. A deep ConvNet was developed by adapting from Single Shot MultiBox Detector. The hard negative mining algorithm was applied to automatically train the model. The model was evaluated for: (i) classification accuracy for telling the existence of dental caries from a photograph and (ii) localization accuracy for locations of predicted dental caries.

Results

The system exhibited a classification area under the curve (AUC) of 85.65% (95% confidence interval: 82.48% to 88.71%). The model also achieved an image‐wise sensitivity of 81.90%, and a box‐wise sensitivity of 64.60% at a high‐sensitivity operating point. The hard negative mining algorithm significantly boosted both classification (p < .001) and localization (p < .001) performance of the model by reducing false‐positive predictions.

Conclusions

The deep learning model is promising to detect dental caries on oral photographs captured with consumer cameras. It can be useful for enabling the preliminary and cost‐effective screening of dental caries among large populations.
Fear of being single priming predicts maladaptive relationship pursuits
Authors: Spielmann Stephanie S. , Cantarella Isabel A.
Published: November 2020

We tested a priming paradigm for inducing fear of being single, and explored its causal role on longing for ex‐partners and settling for less. In Studies 1 and 2, fear of being single was primed by focusing on positive/negative aspects of singlehood/relationships. In Study 3, the paradigm focused only on the positive/negative aspects of singlehood and included a no‐task control. Across studies, focusing on negative aspects of singlehood produced greater fear of being single than focusing on positive aspects, an effect that appears to be driven by the negative focus. Mixed effects emerged when focusing on relationships. Supporting a causal effect, fear of being single prompted by the priming task predicted longing for ex‐partners and willingness to settle for less.
How partner‐satisfying decisions benefit relationships: An experience sampling study
Authors: Peetz Johanna , Milyavskaya Marina , Kammrath Lara
Published: November 2020

Sometimes, individuals must choose between acting in a way that satisfies their own desire or acting in a way that satisfies their partner's desire. What are the consequences of choosing one over the other for individuals' well‐being and relationship? Using experience sampling data (934 reports by 106 participants) that assessed daily decision conflicts in relationships, we examined consequences of partner‐satisfying decisions. A higher proportion of partner‐satisfying decisions predicted more perceived needs fulfillment and marginally higher perceived relationship quality over the course of a week. Additionally, immediately after the partner‐satisfying decision, participants reported feeling closer to their partner, and reported more positive and less negative affect, even when controlling for the quality of the relationship.
Internal split liver transplants reduce the waiting list time for teenagers with a low calculated Model for End‐stage Liver Disease score
Authors: Lemoine Caroline , Brandt Katherine , Carlos Caicedo Juan , Superina Riccardo
Published: November 2020

Background

Split liver transplantation allows for the simultaneous transplantation of two patients, typically a child and an adult, with a single organ. We report our experience with “internal splits” in which 10 pediatric patients from our institution were transplanted with five organs. We hypothesized that this would reduce the WL time for teenagers with a low calculated MELD score.

Methods

A retrospective chart review of those 10 patients was done. Their WL time was compared with local, regional, and national data. P < .05 was considered significant.

Results

The median age of the five primary recipients to whom the liver was first allocated was 2.3 years (0.7‐7.4) (median weight 10.4 kg (8.4‐17.7)). They received a segment 2‐3 graft. Five “secondary” recipients (median age 17.4 years (16.6‐18.9); median weight 66.2 kg (53.7‐70.0)) were identified on our WL to receive the trisector graft. At transplant, their median calculated MELD score was 11 (8‐20). Their mean WL time (241.6 ± 218.9 days) was significantly shorter than local (480.6 ± 833.6 days), regional (370.4 ± 563.4 days), and national patients (245.6 ± 465.4 days) with MELD ≤ 20 (P = .047). There was no significant difference between their WL time and that of patients with a MELD 8 ≤ x≤31 (equivalent to their median exception score, P = .63). Patient and graft survival was 100% for all 10 patients.

Conclusion

In our experience, simultaneous internal split liver transplantation allowed teenagers with a low calculated MELD score to be transplanted faster than patients with a similar score. Promoting the use of internal split liver transplantation could help reduce the pediatric waitlist mortality.
Economic and Distributional Impact of COVID‐19: Evidence from Macro‐Micro Modelling of the South African Economy
Authors: Chitiga‐Mabugu Margaret , Henseler Martin , Mabugu Ramos , Maisonnave Hélène
Published: November 2020

A computable general equilibrium model linked to a microsimulation model is applied to assess the potential short‐term effects on the South African economy of the ongoing COVID‐19 pandemic. With a particular focus on distributional outcomes, two simulations are run, a mild and a severe scenario. The findings show significant evidence of decline in economic growth and employment, with the decline harsher for the severe scenario. The microeconomic results show that the pandemic moves the income distribution curve such that more households fall under the poverty line while at the same time, inequality declines. The latter result is driven by the disproportionate decline in incomes of richer households while the poorest of the poor are cushioned by government social grants that are kept intact during the pandemic. The COVID‐19 pandemic is still unfolding and its economic modelling as well as the data used to operationalise the model will need to be updated and improved upon as more information about the disease and the economy becomes available.