bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Draft Genome Sequence of Escherichia coli ARS-CC7049, a Sequence Type 38 Strain Isolated from Dry Cow Feces on a Commercial Dairy Operation
Authors: Kim Seon Woo , Van Kessel Jo Ann S. , Haley Bradd J.
Published: February 2022

Escherichia coli
is a diverse species of commensal and pathogenic strains, of which some can cause extraintestinal infections, such as sequence type 38 (ST38) strains. Here, we report the genome sequence of
E. coli
ARS-CC7049, an ST38 strain that was isolated from a composite fecal sample on a dairy farm.
Draft Genome Sequence of Bacillus wiedmannii Biovar
thuringiensis
ZZQ-138, Isolated from a Saline Lake
Authors: Lan Xiaojie , Wang Qi , Wu Tingjue , Li Na , Wang Hongxun , Zheng Ziqiang
Published: February 2022

Ecologically sound approaches to control mosquitoes like
Anopheles stephensi
, which are obligatory vectors for malaria transmission, are urgently needed because of increasing insecticide resistance. Bacteria from
Bacillus
are important resources. Here, we report the whole-genome sequence of
Bacillus wiedmannii
biovar Thuringiensis ZZQ-138, which was isolated from sediment from a saline lake.
Draft Genome Sequences of 77 Endemic Multidrug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Strains of SIT41 (TUR) Spoligotype from Bulgaria
Authors: Panaiotov Stefan , Tolchkov Vladimir , Hodzhev Yordan , Tsafarova Borislava , Trovato Alberto , Cirillo Daniela
Published: February 2022

Sequences of multidrug-resistant (MDR)Mycobacterium tuberculosisstrains are of particular interest to study the molecular mechanisms of drug resistance evolution. Here, we report the draft genome sequences of 77 endemic multidrug-resistantMycobacterium tuberculosisstrains of SIT41 (TUR) spoligotype from Bulgaria. SIT41 spoligotype is dominant (>40%) among the MDR-TB strains in Bulgaria.
Complete Mitochondrial Genome Sequence of a Seabird, Wedge-Tailed Shearwater (Ardenna pacifica)
Authors: Sarker Subir , Haque Md. Hakimul , Nath Babu Kanti , Talukder Saranika , Lavers Jennifer L. , Raidal Shane R.
Published: February 2022

Here, we report the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of a seabird, wedge-tailed shearwater (
Ardenna pacifica
). The circular genome has a size of 16,434 bp and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes. The study provides a reference mitochondrial genome of wedge-tailed shearwater for further molecular studies.
CREBRFmissense variant rs373863828 has both direct and indirect effects on type 2 diabetes and fasting glucose in Polynesian peoples living in Samoa and Aotearoa New Zealand
Authors: Russell Emily M , Carlson Jenna C , Krishnan Mohanraj , Hawley Nicola L , Sun Guangyun , Cheng Hong , Naseri Take , Reupena Muagututi‘a Sefuiva , Viali Satupa‘itea , Tuitele John , Major Tanya J , Miljkovic Iva , Merriman Tony R , Deka Ranjan , Weeks Daniel E , McGarvey Stephen T , Minster Ryan L
Published: February 2022

Introduction

The minor allele of a missense variant, rs373863828, inCREBRFis associated with higher body mass index (BMI), lower fasting glucose, and lower odds of type 2 diabetes. rs373863828 is common in Pacific Island populations (minor allele frequency (MAF) 0.096–0.259) but rare in non-Pacific Island populations (MAF <0.001). We examined the cross-sectional associations between BMI and rs373863828 in type 2 diabetes and fasting glucose with a large sample of adults of Polynesian ancestries from Samoa, American Samoa, and Aotearoa New Zealand, and estimated the direct and indirect (via BMI) effects of rs373863828 on type 2 diabetes and fasting glucose.

Research design and methods

We regressed type 2 diabetes and fasting glucose on BMI and rs373863828 stratified by obesity, regressed type 2 diabetes and fasting glucose on BMI stratified by rs373863828 genotype, and assessed the effects of rs373863828 on type 2 diabetes and fasting glucose with path analysis. The regression analyses were completed separately in four samples that were recruited during different time periods between 1990 and 2010 and then the results were meta-analyzed. All samples were pooled for the path analysis.

Results

Association of BMI with type 2 diabetes and fasting glucose may be greater in those without obesity (OR=7.77, p=0.015 and β=0.213, p=9.53×10−5, respectively) than in those with obesity (OR=5.01, p=1.12×10−9and β=0.162, p=5.63×10−6, respectively). We did not observe evidence of differences in the association of BMI with type 2 diabetes or fasting glucose by genotype. In the path analysis, the minor allele has direct negative (lower odds of type 2 diabetes and fasting glucose) and indirect positive (higher odds of type 2 diabetes and fasting glucose) effects on type 2 diabetes risk and fasting glucose, with the indirect effects mediated through adirectpositive effect of rs373863828 on BMI.

Conclusions

There may be a stronger effect of BMI on fasting glucose in Polynesian individuals without obesity than in those with obesity. Carrying the rs373863828 minor allele does not decouple higher BMI from higher odds of type 2 diabetes.
Factors associated with adherence to using removable cast walker treatment among patients with diabetes-related foot ulcers
Authors: Ababneh Anas , Finlayson Kathleen , Edwards Helen , Lazzarini Peter A
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Adherence to using knee-high offloading treatment is critical for healing diabetes-related foot ulcers (DFUs). However, few studies have investigated patients’ adherence to using knee-high offloading treatment. We aimed to investigate the levels and factors associated with adherence to using knee-high removable cast walker (RCW) treatment among patients with DFUs.

Research design and methods

In this multicenter cross-sectional study, we investigated adherence to using knee-high RCWs in 57 participants with DFUs. All participants were clinically examined for multiple sociodemographic, physiological, and psychosocial factors. Each participant’s adherence level to using RCWs was then objectively measured using dual activity monitors (attached to the wrist and RCW) over a 1-week period. Multiple linear regression was undertaken to determine those factors independently associated with adherence levels.

Results

The mean adherence level to using RCWs was 33.6% (SD 16.5) of weight-bearing activity. Factors independently associated with lower adherence levels were being male, longer diabetes duration, not having peripheral artery disease (PAD), and having higher perceived RCW heaviness (p≤0.05). No associations were found with psychosocial factors.

Conclusions

Patients with DFUs adhered to using their RCWs on average for only a third of their prescribed weight-bearing treatment duration. Factors linked to lower RCW adherence levels were being male, longer diabetes duration, not having PAD, and perceived heavier RCWs. These findings highlight the importance of using gold standard non-removable knee-high offloading device treatment. Furthermore, these findings suggest, when gold standard devices are containdicated, that these factors be considered when prescribing the second choice RCW offloading treatment to optimise adherence. Regardless, further longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these factors.
A framework for the promotion of ethical benefit sharing in health research
Authors: Bedeker Anja , Nichols Michelle , Allie Taryn , Tamuhla Tsaone , van Heusden Peter , Olorunsogbon Olorunyomi , Tiffin Nicki
Published: February 2022

There is an increasing recognition of the importance of including benefit sharing in research programmes in order to ensure equitable and just distribution of the benefits arising from research. Whilst there are global efforts to promote benefit sharing when using non-human biological resources, benefit sharing plans and implementation do not yet feature prominently in research programmes, funding applications or requirements by ethics review boards. Whilst many research stakeholders may agree with the concept of benefit sharing, it can be difficult to operationalise benefit sharing within research programmes. We present a framework designed to assist with identifying benefit sharing opportunities in research programmes. The framework has two dimensions: the first represents microlevel, mesolevel and macrolevel stakeholders as defined using a socioecological model; and the second identifies nine different types of benefit sharing that might be achieved during a research programme. We provide an example matrix identifying different types of benefit sharing that might be undertaken during genomics research, and present a case study evaluating benefit sharing in Africa during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. This framework, with examples, is intended as a practical tool to assist research stakeholders with identifying opportunities for benefit sharing, and inculcating intentional benefit sharing in their research programmes from inception.
SafeSpace: what is the feasibility and acceptability of a codesigned virtual reality intervention, incorporating compassionate mind training, to support people undergoing cancer treatment in a clinical setting?
Authors: O'Gara Geraldine , Murray Lisa , Georgopoulou Sofia , Anstiss Tim , Macquarrie Andrew , Wheatstone Pete , Bellman Barbie , Gilbert Paul , Steed Anthony , Wiseman Theresa
Published: February 2022

Objectives

The SafeSpace study codesigned and tested a virtual reality (VR) intervention, incorporating relaxation and compassionate mind training to determine acceptability/feasibility in an oncology setting and evaluate impact on physical/psychological well-being and quality of life.

Design

A two-phase study. Phase I determined key characteristics using an experienced-based codesign approach. Phase II evaluated the intervention using various measures and qualitative interviews in a mixed methods approach. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse measures data and framework analysis to analyse interviews.

Setting

A specialist cancer centre, UK.

Participants

11 in phase I and 21 in phase II. Participants were in cancer treatment, recovery or palliative care.

Primary and secondary outcome

Primary outcome: acceptability of the intervention, assessed by >60% uptake of three sessions. Secondary outcomes: impact on psychological well-being using EQ-5D/QLQ-C30, Profile of Mood Scale, Warwick and Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale, Depression and Anxiety Severity Scale 21, Self-Compassion Scale, Acceptance and Action Questionnaire and a locally developed questionnaire to capture self-compassion post use. Physiological impact was assessed by change in heart rate (HR)/HR variability and electrodermal activity (EDA).

Results

Twenty participants (mean age=48.7 years; SD=16.87); 65% (n=13) completed three sessions. Mental well-being improved following each use and from baseline to after session 3 (VR 1—z=2.846, p≤0.01; VR 2—z=2.501, p≤0.01; VR 3—z=2.492, p≤0.01). There was statistically significant difference in mean scores for EDA at mid-session and post session compared with pre session (F (1.658, 4.973)=13.364, p<0.05). There was statistically significant reduction in stress levels from baseline to post session 3. Participants found the intervention acceptable and highlighted areas for development.

Conclusion

The intervention is acceptable and feasible and has shown positive effects on mental well-being/stress in the oncology setting. Larger studies are needed to confirm findings.
Efficacy of prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) versus fresh frozen plasma (FFP) in reducing perioperative blood loss in cardiac surgery: study protocol for a non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial
Authors: Pei Lijian , Sun Chen , Lv Hong , Zhang Yuelun , Shi Jia
Published: February 2022

Objective

To explore whether prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) is not inferior to fresh frozen plasma (FFP) with regard to reducing perioperative blood loss in patients undergoing cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

Setting

Fu Wai Hospital, and Peking Union Medical College Hospital in China.

Participants

Patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass grafting, valve replacement or valvuloplasty under CPB, between 18 and 80 years old, will be included.

Design

This study is a non-inferiority, randomised controlled clinical trial. A total of 594 subjects will be randomly assigned to two groups (group PCC and group FFP) and given corresponding interventions when at least one of the following criteria is met: (1) international normalised ratio >1.7 measured 20 min after CPB, (2) prolonged prothrombin time or activated partial thromboplastin time (>1.5 times baseline) measured 20 min after CPB and (3) excessive bleeding observed. 4-factor PCC (15 IU/kg) and FFP (10 mL/kg) will be given to group PCC and group FFP, respectively. Preoperative management, anaesthetic and surgical techniques will be standardised for both groups.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The primary outcome is the volume of blood loss during and within 24 hours after surgery. The secondary outcomes include (1) the total units of allogeneic red blood cells transfused during and within 7 days after surgery, (2) re-exploration due to postoperative bleeding within 7 days after surgery, (3) adverse events and serious adverse events within 30 days after surgery and (4) length of intensive care unit stay and hospital stay.

Trial registration number

Registered underNCT04244981at ClinicalTrials.gov on 28 January 2020,https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04244981?cond=NCT04244981&draw=2&rank=1.

Ethics and dissemination

This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of Peking Union Medical College Hospital (ZS-2242).
Efficacy and safety of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for acute and chronic pain in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 381 studies (the meta-TENS study)
Authors: Johnson Mark I. , Paley Carole A. , Jones Gareth , Mulvey Matthew R. , Wittkopf Priscilla G.
Published: February 2022

Objective

To investigate the efficacy and safety of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for relief of pain in adults.

Design

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Data sources

Medline, Cochrane Central, Embase (and others) from inception to July 2019 and updated on 17 May 2020.

Eligibility criteria for study selection

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing strong non-painful TENS at or close to the site of pain versus placebo or other treatments in adults with pain, irrespective of diagnosis.

Data extraction and synthesis

Reviewers independently screened, extracted data and assessed risk of bias (RoB, Cochrane tool) and certainty of evidence (Grading and Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation). Mean pain intensity and proportions of participants achieving reductions of pain intensity (≥30% or >50%) during or immediately after TENS. Random effect models were used to calculate standardised mean differences (SMD) and risk ratios. Subgroup analyses were related to trial methodology and characteristics of pain.

Results

The review included 381 RCTs (24 532 participants). Pain intensity was lower during or immediately after TENS compared with placebo (91 RCTs, 92 samples, n=4841, SMD=−0·96 (95% CI −1·14 to –0·78), moderate-certainty evidence). Methodological (eg, RoB, sample size) and pain characteristics (eg, acute vs chronic, diagnosis) did not modify the effect. Pain intensity was lower during or immediately after TENS compared with pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments used as part of standard of care (61 RCTs, 61 samples, n=3155, SMD = −0·72 (95% CI −0·95 to –0·50], low-certainty evidence). Levels of evidence were downgraded because of small-sized trials contributing to imprecision in magnitude estimates. Data were limited for other outcomes including adverse events which were poorly reported, generally mild and not different to comparators.

Conclusion

There was moderate-certainty evidence that pain intensity is lower during or immediately after TENS compared with placebo and without serious adverse events.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42019125054.
What factors have influenced quality of life in people with dementia and their family carers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study
Authors: Daley Stephanie , Akarsu Nazire , Armsby Elise , Farina Nicolas , Feeney Yvonne , Fine Bethany , Hughes Laura , Pooley Joanna , Tabet Naji , Towson Georgia , Banerjee Sube
Published: February 2022

Objectives

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant disruption to health and social care services. For people with dementia and their family carers this is problematic, as a group who rely on timely and responsive services to live well with the condition. This study has sought to understand how COVID-19 has affected the quality of life of people diagnosed with dementia and their family carers.

Design

Our mixed-methods study was nested in a larger cohort study of an education programme, Time for Dementia.

Setting

The study took place in the South-East of England.

Participants

Existing study participants, family carers were approached about the COVID-19 nested study. A purposeful sample of participants were invited to take part in in-depth qualitative interview. The sample included family carers in a range of different caring situations.

Measurement

Interviews were undertaken remotely by telephone. Interviews sought to understand quality of life before the pandemic, impact of the restrictions on both the person with dementia and family carer, role of services and other agencies as well as supportive factors. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Results

16 family carers were interviewed. Seven themes were identified from our analysis: (1) decreased social interaction; (2) reduced support; (3) deteriorating cognitive and physical health for the person with dementia; (4) decreased carer well-being; (5) difficulties understanding COVID-19 restrictions; (6) limited impact for some and (7) trust and relationship with care home. There was little change between themes during the first and second wave of national lockdowns.

Conclusions

Our study provides an understanding the short-term impact of COVID-19 on the quality of life of people with dementia and their family carers. Our findings suggest that recovery between the first and second wave of the restrictions did not automatically take place.
Using provider–parent strategies to improve influenza vaccination in children and adolescents with special risk medical conditions: a randomised controlled trial protocol
Authors: Tuckerman Jane , Harper Kelly , Sullivan Thomas R , Fereday Jennifer , Couper Jennifer , Smith Nicholas , Tai Andrew , Kelly Andrew , Couper Richard , Friswell Mark , Flood Louise , Danchin Margaret , Blyth Christopher C , Marshall Helen
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Influenza immunisation is a highly cost-effective public health intervention. Despite a comprehensive National Immunisation Program, influenza vaccination in children and adolescents with special risk medical conditions (SRMCs) is suboptimal. Flutext-4U is an innovative, multi-component strategy targeting paediatric hospitals, general practice and parents of children and adolescents with SRMC. The Flutext-4U study aims to assess the impact of Flutext-4U to increase influenza immunisation in children and adolescents with SRMC.

Methods and analysis

This is a randomised controlled trial involving parents of children and adolescents (aged >6 months to <18 years) with SRMC receiving tertiary care at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH), Adelaide, South Australia, who are eligible for funded influenza immunisation with a hospital appointment between the start of the seasonal influenza vaccination season and 31 July 2021, their treating general practitioners (GPs), and WCH paediatric specialists.

Parents (of children/adolescents with SRMC) are randomised (1:1 ratio) to standard care plus intervention (SMS reminder messages to parents; reminders (written correspondence) for their child’s GP from the hospital’s Paediatric Outpatients Department) or standard care (hospital vaccine availability, ease of access and reminders for WCH subspecialists) with randomisation stratified by age-group (<5, 5–14, >14 to <18 years).

The primary outcome is influenza vaccination, as confirmed by the Australian Immunisation Register.

The proportion vaccinated (primary outcome) will be compared between randomised groups using logistic regression, with adjustment made for age group at randomisation. The effect of treatment will be described using an OR with a 95% CI.

Ethics and dissemination

The protocol and all study materials have been reviewed and approved by the Women’s and Children’s Health Network Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/20/WCHN/5). Results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publication and at scientific meetings, professional and public forums.

Trial registration number

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12621000463875).
Who is engaging with lateral flow testing for COVID-19 in the UK? The COVID-19 Rapid Survey of Adherence to Interventions and Responses (CORSAIR) study
Authors: Smith Louise E , Potts Henry WW , Amlôt Richard , Fear Nicola T , Michie Susan , Rubin G James
Published: February 2022

Objectives

To investigate uptake of lateral flow testing, reporting of test results and psychological, contextual and socio-demographic factors associated with testing.

Design

A series of four fortnightly online cross-sectional surveys.

Setting

Data collected from 19 April 2021 to 2 June 2021.

Participants

People living in England and Scotland, aged 18 years or over, excluding those who reported their most recent test was a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test (n=6646, n≈1600 per survey).

Main outcome measures

Having completed at least one lateral flow test (LFT) in the last 7 days.

Results

We used binary logistic regressions to investigate factors associated with having taken at least one LFT. Increased uptake of testing was associated with being vaccinated (adjusted ORs (aORs)=1.52–2.45, 95% CI 1.25 to 3.07, analysed separately by vaccine dose), employed (aOR=1.94, 95% CI 1.63 to 2.32), having been out to work in the last week (aOR=2.30, 95% CI 1.94 to 2.73) and working in a sector that adopted LFT early (aOR=2.54, 95% CI 2.14 to 3.02) . Uptake was higher in people who reported cardinal COVID-19 symptoms in the last week (aOR=1.89, 95% CI 1.34 to 2.66). People who had heard more about LFTs (aOR=2.28, 95% CI 2.06 to 2.51) and knew they were eligible to receive regular LFTs (aOR=2.98, 95% CI 2.35 to 3.78) were also more likely to have tested. Factors associated with not taking a test included agreeing that you do not need to test for COVID-19 unless you have come into contact with a case (aOR=0.51, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.55).

Conclusions

Uptake of lateral flow testing is low. Encouraging testing through workplaces and places of study is likely to increase uptake, although care should be taken not to pressurise employees and students. Increasing knowledge that everyone is eligible for regular asymptomatic testing and addressing common misconceptions may drive uptake.
Impact of one and two human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine doses on community-level HPV prevalence in South African adolescent girls: study protocol and rationale for a pragmatic before–after design
Authors: Machalek Dorothy , Rees Helen , Chikandiwa Admire , Munthali Richard , Travill Danielle , Mbulawa Zizipho , Petoumenos Kathy , Delany-Moretlwe Sinead , Kaldor John
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Vaccines against human papillomavirus (HPV) are the key to controlling cervical cancer in low/middle-income countries (LMICs) where incidence is highest, but there have been limited data from these settings on programme impact on HPV prevalence, and none in a population with endemic HIV infection. Furthermore, for many LMICs, the currently recommended two-dose schedule is difficult to deliver at scale, so there is mounting interest in a single-dose schedule.

Methods and analysis

The Human Papillomavirus One and Two-Dose Population Effectiveness Study is a hybrid impact evaluation of the national South African HPV vaccination programme, which has targeted grade 4 girls aged at least 9 years in public schools with two doses of vaccine since 2014, and a single-dose vaccine ‘catch-up’ programme delivered in one district in 2019. Impacts of both schedules on the prevalence of type-specific HPV infection will be measured using repeat cross-sectional surveys in adolescent girls and young women aged 17–18 years recruited at primary healthcare clinics in the four provinces. A baseline survey in 2019 measured HPV prevalence in the cohort who were ineligible for vaccination because they were already above the target age or grade under either the national programme or the single-dose programme in the selected district. HPV prevalence surveys are repeated in 2021 in the selected district, and in 2023 in all four provinces. We will calculate prevalence ratios to compare the prevalence of HPV types 16 and 18 in the single-dose (2021) and two-dose (2023) cohorts, with the vaccine-ineligible (2019) cohort.

Ethics and dissemination

The project was approved by the University of the Witwatersrand Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC #181005), and the University of New South Wales HREC (#181-005). Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, scientific meetings, reports and community forums.
Disorders and roles of tsRNA, snoRNA, snRNA and piRNA in cancer
Authors: Xiao Lin , Wang Jie , Ju Shaoqing , Cui Ming , Jing Rongrong
Published: February 2022

Most small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) with regulatory functions are encoded by majority sequences in the human genome, and the emergence of high-throughput sequencing technology has greatly expanded our understanding of sncRNAs. sncRNAs are composed of a variety of RNAs, including tRNA-derived small RNA (tsRNA), small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA), small nuclear RNA (snRNA), PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA), etc. While for some, sncRNAs’ implication in several pathologies is now well established, the potential involvement of tsRNA, snoRNA, snRNA and piRNA in human diseases is only beginning to emerge. Recently, accumulating pieces of evidence demonstrate that tsRNA, snoRNA, snRNA and piRNA play an important role in many biological processes, and their dysregulation is closely related to the progression of cancer. Abnormal expression of tsRNA, snoRNA, snRNA and piRNA participates in the occurrence and development of tumours through different mechanisms, such as transcriptional inhibition and post-transcriptional regulation. In this review, we describe the research progress in the classification, biogenesis and biological function of tsRNA, snoRNA, snRNA and piRNA. Moreover, we emphasised their dysregulation and mechanism of action in cancer and discussed their potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets.
Management of vascular causes of pulsatile tinnitus
Authors: Narsinh Kazim H , Hui Ferdinand , Duvvuri Madhavi , Meisel Karl , Amans Matthew R
Published: February 2022

Pulsatile tinnitus is a debilitating symptom affecting millions of Americans and can be a harbinger of hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke. Careful diagnostic evaluation of pulsatile tinnitus is critical in providing optimal care and guiding the appropriate treatment strategy. When a vascular cause of pulsatile tinnitus has been established, attention must be focused on the patient’s risk of hemorrhagic stroke, ischemic stroke, or blindness, as well as the risks of the available treatment options, in order to guide decision-making. Herein we review our approach to management of the vascular causes of pulsatile tinnitus and provide a literature review while highlighting gaps in our current knowledge and evidence basis.
Thermoregulation by Bullsnakes (Pituophis catenifer sayi): do burrows make life easier on the prairies?
Authors: Johnson Noah B. , Poulin Ray G. , Somers Christopher M.
Published: February 2022

Reptiles living in the grasslands of Western Canada cope with extremely variable environmental temperatures. We studied body temperatures (Tb) and operative environmental temperatures (Te) for Bullsnakes (Pituophis catenifer sayi (Schlegel, 1837)) to address uncertainties regarding challenges posed by the thermal environments of northern grasslands, and to evaluate conflicting hypotheses regarding thermoregulatory strategies. Despite potentially extreme surface temperatures (meanmin. = 9.3 °C, meanmax. = 31.4 °C), mammal burrows remained within voluntary limits (15–35 °C) for 93% of the active season and created thermal gradients (up to 27.2 °C) which may facilitate thermoregulation by creating high thermal heterogeneity. This evidence suggests that grasslands may actually be less challenging for thermoregulation than comparable forests. Fifty-eight percent (57.8%) of the variation in observed Tb (meanmin. = 20.1 °C, meanmax. = 29.1 °C) was explained by three simple variables: time of day, day of year, and bare ground Te. Bullsnakes thermoregulated by conforming to Te near their preferred range (21–27 °C), selecting locations that enabled heating up below this range and avoiding warmth above this range. Our results support broad hypotheses of reptilian thermoregulation that predict increased thermoregulation when (i) environmental temperatures deviate farther from preferred ranges and (ii) costs of thermoregulation are lower due to thermal heterogeneity.
How do human actions affect fisheries? Differences in perceptions between fishers and scientists in the Maine lobster fishery
Authors: McClenachan Loren , Record Nicholas R. , Waller Jesica
Published: February 2022

The degree to which human actions affect marine fisheries has been a fundamental question shaping people’s relationship with the sea. Today, divergences in stakeholder views about the impacts of human activities such as fishing, climate change, pollution, and resource management can hinder effective co-management and adaptation. Here, we used surveys to construct mental models of the Maine lobster fishery, identifying divergent views held by two key stakeholder groups: lobster fishers and marine scientists. The two groups were differentiated by their perceptions of the relative impact of pollution, water temperature, and fishing. Notably, many fishers perceive the process of fishing to have a positive effect on fisheries through the input of bait. Scientists exhibited a statistically significantly stronger concern for climate change and identified CO2 as one of the dominant pollutants in the Gulf of Maine. However, fishers and scientists agreed that management has a positive impact, which appeared to be a change over the past two decades, possibly due to increased collaboration between the two groups. This work contributes to the goal of decreasing the distance between stakeholder perspectives in the context of a co-managed fishery as well as understanding broader perceptions of impacts of human activities on marine ecosystems.
Troubles with global monopoles in quantum gravity
Authors: Kaloper Nemanja
Published: February 2022

A theory with a global [Formula: see text] symmetry broken at a scale [Formula: see text] admits topological configurations: global monopoles realized by Goldstone fields winding around the core of false vacuum. One may expect them to behave as heavy, big composite objects, difficult to make and therefore mostly harmless. However, after gravity is turned on, as long as Equivalence Principle holds, one finds that global monopoles have a negative mass, [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the field theory coupling. This could catalyze an instability in the space of a global monopole, by the production of additional global monopole–antimonopole pairs along with normal particles, leading to energy production ab nihilo, if the pair energy is dominated by their negative rest masses. In a theory with unbroken local Poincaré symmetry, this could lead to a divergent ‘decay rate’ of the global monopole configurations.
Cooling of isolated neutron stars with pion condensation: Possible fast cooling in a low-symmetry energy model
Authors: Dohi Akira , Liu Helei , Noda Tsuneo , Hashimoto Masa-Aki
Published: February 2022

In this paper, we studied thermal evolution of isolated neutron stars (NSs) including the pion condensation core, with an emphasis on the stiffness of equation of state (EOS). Many temperature observations can be explained by the minimal cooling scenario which excludes the fast neutrino cooling process. However, several NSs are cold enough to require it. The most crucial problem for NS cooling theory is whether the nucleon direct Urca (DU) process is open. The DU process is forbidden if the nucleon symmetry energy is significantly low. Hence, another fast cooling process is required in such an EOS. As the candidate to solve this problem, we consider the pion condensation. We show that the low-symmetry energy model can account for most cooling observations including cold NSs, with strong neutron superfluidity. Simultaneously, it holds the [Formula: see text] observations even if the pion condensation core exists. Thus, we propose the possibility of pion condensation, as an exotic state to solve the problem in low-symmetry energy EOSs. We examined the consistency of our EOSs with other various observations as well.
Spectral Model of Offshore Wind Turbines and Vibration Control by Pendulum Tuned Mass Dampers
Authors: Colherinhas Gino Bertollucci , de Morais Marcus Vinicius Girão , Machado Marcela Rodrigues
Published: February 2022

Offshore wind turbines (OWTs) are complex systems that may experience excessive vibrations due to winds, waves, rotor torque, or seismic loads during the operation. Tuned mass dampers (TMDs) have been a widely used vibration passive control device in structures, including wind turbines. The TMD works as a damper that transfers the kinetic energy from the main structure to a secondary mass usually attached to the hub. The spectral element method (SEM) is suitable for analyzing dynamic structural problemss with accuracy and low computational cost. This paper presents a monopile wind turbine fitted with a pendulum-TMD (PTMD) modeled by spectral elements. An optimum pendulum design is performed through the genetic algorithm technique. The wind turbine selected is a National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) monopile 5[Formula: see text]MW baseline wind turbine fitted with a PTMD, subjected to winds and waves simulated as random spectra in the analysis. Numerical results show the efficiency of the proposed spectral model and the optimum PTMD design for the OWT under random excitation.
Smoothing and growth bound of periodic generalized Korteweg–De Vries equation
Authors: Oh Seungly , Stefanov Atanas G.
Published: February 2022

For generalized Korteweg–De Vries (KdV) models with polynomial nonlinearity, we establish a local smoothing property in [Formula: see text] for [Formula: see text]. Such smoothing effect persists globally, provided that the [Formula: see text] norm does not blow up in finite time. More specifically, we show that a translate of the nonlinear part of the solution gains [Formula: see text] derivatives for [Formula: see text]. Following a new simple method, which is of independent interest, we establish that, for [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] norm of a solution grows at most by [Formula: see text] if [Formula: see text] norm is a priori controlled.
Seismic geomorphology of submarine landslides in the Chalk Group of the Danish Central Graben: implications for reservoir potential
Authors: Smit Florian W. H. , Stemmerik Lars
Published: February 2022

This study documents a variety of deposits created by submarine landslides within the Upper Cretaceous to lowermost Paleocene Chalk Group in the Danish Central Graben and investigates the impact of remobilization on porosity. Improved visualization of the landslides in 3D seismic data compared with previous studies was facilitated by better seismic data quality for the Chalk Group, the availability of a large stack of stratigraphy-consistent horizons and the use of spectral decomposition data. The illustrated examples are chosen to reflect the spectrum of deformation styles seen in the chalk and all have a well penetrating the affected succession. They include a large collapse (375 km
2
) of an inversion ridge within the Kraka and Gorm formations, a field of large slide blocks (100–1000 m, 10–26 m) of likely lowermost Danian age embedded in the uppermost Ekofisk Formation, a debris flow system within the uppermost Tor Formation probably originating from the Ringkøbing–Fyn High and fine-grained bottom current sediment waves within the lowermost Danian Ekofisk Formation. In general, porosities are higher (10–25 porosity units) in the remobilized chalk compared with time-equivalent pelagic chalk in nearby reference wells. In earlier studies this has been linked to lack of bioturbation (resulting in limited grain repacking) in the remobilized chalks owing to high sedimentation rates, resulting in a relatively open fabric during initial burial. In contrast, surrounding and covering pelagic deposits could be much more effectively bioturbated, leading to tighter grain packing during burial. The insights of this study help in the seismic characterization of mud-grade carbonate oozes and have important applications in the reservoir modelling of mud-grade carbonate reservoirs (also in light of carbon capture and storage), and in palaeo-reconstructions of pelagic seafloors since submarine landslides provide kinematic indicators.
Software-Managed Read and Write Wear-Leveling for Non-Volatile Main Memory
Authors: Hakert Christian , Chen Kuan-Hsun , Schirmeier Horst , Bauer Lars , Genssler Paul R. , von der Brüggen Georg , Amrouch Hussam , Henkel Jörg , Chen Jian-Jia
Published: February 2022

In-memory wear-leveling has become an important research field for emerging non-volatile main memories over the past years. Many approaches in the literature perform wear-leveling by making use of special hardware. Since most non-volatile memories only wear out from write accesses, the proposed approaches in the literature also usually try to spread write accesses widely over the entire memory space. Some non-volatile memories, however, also wear out from read accesses, because every read causes a consecutive write access. Software-based solutions only operate from the application or kernel level, where read and write accesses are realized with different instructions and semantics. Therefore different mechanisms are required to handle reads and writes on the software level. First, we design a method to approximate read and write accesses to the memory to allow aging aware coarse-grained wear-leveling in the absence of special hardware, providing the age information. Second, we provide specific solutions to resolve
access hot-spots
within the compiled program code (text segment) and on the application stack. In our evaluation, we estimate the cell age by counting the total amount of accesses per cell. The results show that employing all our methods improves the memory lifetime by up to a factor of 955×.
ARES: Persistently Secure Non-Volatile Memory with Processor-transparent and Hardware-friendly Integrity Verification and Metadata Recovery
Authors: Zou Yu , Zubair Kazi Abu , Alwadi Mazen , Shadab Rakin Muhammad , Gandham Sanjay , Awad Amro , Lin Mingjie
Published: February 2022

Emerging byte-addressable Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) technology, although promising superior memory density and ultra-low energy consumption, poses unique challenges to achieving persistent data privacy and computing security, both of which are critically important to the embedded and IoT applications. Specifically, to successfully restore NVMs to their working states after unexpected system crashes or power failure, maintaining and recovering all the necessary security-related metadata can severely increase memory traffic, degrade runtime performance, exacerbate write endurance problem, and demand costly hardware changes to off-the-shelf processors.

In this article, we designed and implemented ARES, a new FPGA-assisted processor-transparent security mechanism that aims at efficiently and effectively achieving all three aspects of a security triad—confidentiality, integrity, and recoverability—in modern embedded computing. Given the growing prominence of CPU-FPGA heterogeneous computing architectures, ARES leverages FPGA’s hardware reconfigurability to offload performance-critical and security-related functions to the programmable hardware without microprocessors’ involvement. In particular, recognizing that the traditional Merkle tree caching scheme cannot fully exploit FPGA’s parallelism due to its sequential and recursive function calls, we (1) proposed a Merkle tree cache architecture that partitions a unified cache into multiple levels with parallel accesses and (2) further designed a novel Merkle tree scheme that flattened and reorganized the computation in the traditional Merkle tree verification and update processes to fully exploit the parallel cache ports and to fully pipeline time-consuming hashing operations. Beyond that, to accelerate the metadata recovery process, multiple parallel recovery units are instantiated to recover counter metadata and multiple Merkle sub-trees.

Our hardware prototype of the ARES system on a Xilinx U200 platform shows that ARES achieved up to 1.4× lower latency and 2.6× higher throughput against the baseline implementation, while metadata recovery time was shortened by 1.8 times. When integrated with an embedded processor, neither hardware changes nor software changes are required. We also developed a theoretical framework to analytically model and explain experimental results.
AMPK and the Adaptation to Exercise
Authors: Spaulding Hannah R. , Yan Zhen
Published: February 2022

Noncommunicable diseases are chronic diseases that contribute to death worldwide, but these diseases can be prevented and mitigated with regular exercise. Exercise activates signaling molecules and the transcriptional network to promote physiological adaptations, such as fiber type transformation, angiogenesis, and mitochondrial biogenesis. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a master regulator that senses the energy state, promotes metabolism for glucose and fatty acid utilization, and mediates beneficial cellular adaptations in many vital tissues and organs. This review focuses on the current, integrative understanding of the role of exercise-induced activation of AMPK in the regulation of system metabolism and promotion of health benefits.
Perspective—On the Safety of Aged Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Preger Yuliya , Torres-Castro Loraine , Rauhala Taina , Jeevarajan Judith
Published: February 2022

Concerns about the safety of lithium-ion batteries have motivated numerous studies on the response of fresh cells to abusive, off-nominal conditions, but studies on aged cells are relatively rare. This perspective considers all open literature on the thermal, electrical, and mechanical abuse response of aged lithium-ion cells and modules to identify critical changes in their behavior relative to fresh cells. We outline data gaps in aged cell safety, including electrical and mechanical testing, and module-level experiments. Understanding how the abuse response of aged cells differs from fresh cells will enable the design of more effective energy storage failure mitigation systems.
Accelerated Degradation of SiO/NCM Cell Quick Rechargeability Due to Depth-of-Discharge Range Dependent Failure Induced Li Dendrite Formation
Authors: Kim Tae Hyeon , Park Sung Su , Kang Min Su , Kim Ye Rin , Park Ho Seok , Kim Hyun-seung , Jeong Goojin
Published: February 2022

The failure of the quick rechargeability of SiO-based lithium-ion batteries is examined based on different SOC ranges pre-cycling. In detail, the effect of the SiO electrode during normal C-rate applied cycling on the subsequent quick charge is analyzed. The degradation of the SiO electrode is greatly influenced by the design of cycling SOC range of the SiO/NCM811 cell, and severe mechanical and solid electrolyte interphase degradation of the SiO electrode occurred with highly utilized SiO electrodes, resulting in Li plating on the SiO surface under quick charge conditions due to the low open-circuit voltage of SiO electrode and high charge transfer resistance, which is derived from the Li-trap at SiO and subsequent SEI development and electrode crack. The degraded SiO electrode is vulnerable to Li plating at high C-rate applications; hence, the pre-cycling condition of the SiO electrode influences the quick rechargeability of the SiO/NCM811 cell. Consequently, proper manipulation of the cycling range of SiO-based cells should be conducted to enhance the durability of SiO-based quick rechargeable cells.
Teachers perception of the use on a low-cost pulse rate sensor for biology education
Authors: Dolenšek Jurij , Kos Tina , Stožer Andraž , Špernjak Andreja
Published: February 2022

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a commonly used concept in schools, implemented in laboratory work in the form of various digital devices. We evaluated the ICT implementation in cardiovascular physiology in Slovenian primary school education. Surprisingly, we showed a relatively low acceptance rate in biology classes: only 42.8% of involved Slovenian biology teachers used a pulse rate (PR) measuring device. As a part of a Slovenian Project, students designed, developed, and manufactured a device capable of low-cost, automatic, noninvasive, and straightforward PR sampling in real time. The device was named Fingerbeeper, and teachers’ perceptions of its efficacy and efficiency were evaluated in the elementary school biology lessons, comparing its ease of use with other commercially available devices: the systems from Vernier, Biopac, and the Gear Sport Samsung smartwatch. The most preferred system was the system from Vernier (36.4%), followed by the Fingerbeeper (29.1%), the system from Biopac (18.2%), and the smartwatch (16.3%). Teachers provided their opinion on the efficiency of the Fingerbeeper in terms of cost compared with the other three measurement devices. Its perception of efficiency was comparable to the other commercially available devices while having the estimated cost of only a few percent of the Biopac or Vernier systems. Considering the general low funding in the public primary schools in Slovenia, the bias toward Fingerbeeper seemed rational, outweighing the superior performance of the commercial systems. Further research and improvement of such low-cost and high-efficiency devices, also in general terms, would lead to broader acceptance and implementation of the ICT in curricula.
Aerobic exercise training improves endothelial function and attenuates blood pressure reactivity during maximal exercise in chronic kidney disease
Authors: Sprick Justin D. , Mammino Kevin , Jeong Jinhee , DaCosta Dana R. , Hu Yingtian , Morison Doree G. , Nocera Joe R. , Park Jeanie
Published: February 2022

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) exhibit increased blood pressure reactivity during exercise that is associated with endothelial dysfunction. Twelve weeks of structured, aerobic, exercise training improves endothelial function and attenuates peak blood pressure responses during exercise in CKD stages III–IV.
A Novel Problem to Solve the Logically Labeling of Corona between Paths and Cycles
Authors: ELrokh Ashraf , Ali Al-Shamiri Mohammed M. , Abd El-hay Atef
Published: February 2022

In this study, we propose a new kind of graph labeling which we call logic labeling and investigate the logically labeling of the corona between paths Pn and cycles Cn, namely, Pn⊙Cm. A graph is said to be logical labeling if it has a 0 − 1 labeling that satisfies certain properties. The corona G1⊙G2 of two graphs G1 (with n1 vertices and m1 edges) and G2 (with n2 vertices and m2 edges) is defined as the graph formed by taking one copy of G1 and n1 copies of G2 and then connecting the ith vertex of G1 with an edge to every vertex in the ith copy of G2.