bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Detecting factors of quadratic variation in the presence of market microstructure noise
Authors: Kunitomo Naoto , Kurisu Daisuke
Published: February 2021

A method of detecting latent factors of quadratic variation (QV) of Itô semimartingales from a set of discrete observations is developed when the market microstructure noise is present. We propose a new way to determine the number of latent factors of quadratic co-variations of asset prices based on the SIML (separating information maximum likelihood) method by Kunitomo et al. (Separating information maximum likelihood estimation for high frequency financial data. Springer, Berlin, 2018). In high-frequency financial data, it is important to investigate the effects of possible jumps and market microstructure noise existed in financial markets. We explore the estimated variance–covariance matrix of latent (efficient) prices of the underlying Itô semimartingales and investigate its characteristic roots and vectors of the estimated quadratic variation. We give some simulation results to see the finite sample properties of the proposed method and illustrate an empirical data analysis on the Tokyo stock market.
Interdisciplinary Analysis of the Lehi Horse: Implications for Early Historic Horse Cultures of the North American West
Authors: Taylor William Timothy Treal , Hart Isaac , Jones Emily Lena , Brenner-Coltrain Joan , Thompson Jobe Jessica , Britt Brooks B. , McDonald H. Gregory , Li Yue , Zhang Chengrui , Le Roux Petrus , Shield Chief Gover Carlton Quinn , Schiavinato Stéphanie , Orlando Ludovic , Roberts Patrick
Published: February 2021

Although recognized as one of the most significant cultural transformations in North America, the reintroduction of the horse to the continent after AD 1492 has been rarely addressed by archaeological science. A key contributing factor behind this limited study is the apparent absence of equine skeletal remains from early historic archaeological contexts. Here, we present a multidisciplinary analysis of a horse skeleton recovered in Lehi, Utah, originally attributed to the Pleistocene. Reanalysis of stratigraphic context and radiocarbon dating indicates a historic age for this horse (cal AD 1681–1939), linking it with Ute or other Indigenous groups, whereas osteological features demonstrate its use for mounted horseback riding—perhaps with a nonframe saddle. DNA analysis indicates that the animal was a female domestic horse, which was likely cared for as part of a breeding herd despite outliving its usefulness in transport. Finally, sequentially sampled stable carbon, oxygen, and strontium isotope values from tooth enamel (δ13C, δ18O, and 87Sr/86Sr) suggest that the horse was raised locally. These results show the utility of archaeological science as applied to horse remains in understanding Indigenous horse pastoralism, whereas consideration of the broader archaeological record suggests a pattern of misidentification of horse bones from early historic contexts.
A People's Constitution: The Everyday Life of Law in the Indian Republic by Rohit De
Authors: JOHN Mathew
Published: February 2021

This marvellous book by Rohit De flows from the meeting of two important aspects of Indian constitutional practice. First, the organization of the republic fashioned at independence as an instrument of socio-political change granting the state vast power over social, economic, and cultural activity. Second, a state organized to separate institutional powers and to protect individual freedom in order to check the runaway exercise of institutional power. In De's own words, the book is organised as a ‘dialectic between the Indian Constitution as “politics of state desire” and the Constitution as “articulating insurgent orders of expectations from the state.”’ Set against these tensions in Indian constitutional practice, through a set of detailed ethnographies, De foregrounds citizen efforts to defend rights and freedoms that have operated to deepen constitutional culture in the early years of Indian independence.
Equivariant wrapped Floer homology and symmetric periodic Reeb orbits
Authors: KIM JOONTAE , KIM SEONGCHAN , KWON MYEONGGI
Published: February 2021

The aim of this article is to apply a Floer theory to study symmetric periodic Reeb orbits. We define positive equivariant wrapped Floer homology using a (anti-)symplectic involution on a Liouville domain and investigate its algebraic properties. By a careful analysis of index iterations, we obtain a non-trivial lower bound on the minimal number of geometrically distinct symmetric periodic Reeb orbits on a certain class of real contact manifolds. This includes non-degenerate real dynamically convex star-shaped hypersurfaces in

${\mathbb {R}}^{2n}$
which are invariant under complex conjugation. As a result, we give a partial answer to the Seifert conjecture on brake orbits in the contact setting.
Physical seed dormancy in Abrus precatorious (Ratti): a scientific validation of indigenous technique
Authors: Sharma Rajender Kumar
Published: February 2021

Seeds of Abrus precatorius L. (Fabaceae) were used as weight measure by Indigenous people. Where, the seeds were referred as Ratti; a traditional Indian unit of mass measurement. Seed weight fluctuates depending upon age, moisture, storage-period/conditions. Therefore, use of seeds as a weighing unit become dubious and need to be validated. For this purpose, seeds of A. precatorious were subjected to different moisture conditions and periodically monitored. Surprisingly, there was no change in seed weight was observed, indicating the impermeability of seed coat. The later was confirmed by scarification of seed coat which resulted in 53% increase in seed weight against 0% in control. Further, presence of a potent toxin (abrin) in the seed coat protects it from pests and microbes, and contributes to the maintenance of impermeability for longer period of time. The data validates the use of A. precatorious seeds as a weighing unit (ratti) by the indigenous people and discussed.
Oyster growth across a salinity gradient in a shallow, subtropical Gulf of Mexico estuary
Authors: Lebreton Benoit , Beseres Pollack Jennifer , Blomberg Brittany , Palmer Terence A. , Montagna Paul A.
Published: February 2021

An increase in oyster aquaculture as a sustainable method of shellfish production is one response to overharvest and degradation of natural oyster reefs over the past century. Successful aquaculture production requires determining the environmental conditions optimal for oyster growth. In this study, the salinity, temperature, chlorophyll a concentration and the growth of Crassostrea virginica were monitored at four locations within the Mission-Aransas Estuary, Texas (USA), a shallow subtropical estuary influenced by relatively low freshwater inflow. Mean growth of the oyster shell (0.205 mm d–1 and 0.203 g d–1) and soft tissues (3.447 mg d–1) was highest when salinity was low (mean = 15.5) and chlorophyll a concentration was high (8.4 μg l–1). Oyster growth also varied temporally with periods of spawning. In low-inflow estuaries such as the Mission-Aransas Estuary, oyster farms should be sited close to river mouths so that oysters can benefit from freshwater inflows and lower salinities.
Dual RNA-Seq transcriptome analysis of chicken macrophage-like cells (HD11) infected in vitro with Eimeria tenella
Authors: Sandholt Arnar K. S. , Xu Feifei , Söderlund Robert , Lundén Anna , Troell Karin , Svärd Staffan G. , Wattrang Eva
Published: February 2021

The study aimed to monitor parasite and host gene expression during the early stages of Eimeria tenella infection of chicken cells using dual RNA-Seq analysis. For this, we used chicken macrophage-like cell line HD11 cultures infected in vitro with purified E. tenella sporozoites. Cultures were harvested between 2 and 72 h post-infection and mRNA was extracted and sequenced. Dual RNA-Seq analysis showed clear patterns of altered expression for both parasite and host genes during infection. For example, genes in the chicken immune system showed upregulation early (2–4 h), a strong downregulation of genes across the immune system at 24 h and a repetition of early patterns at 72 h, indicating that invasion by a second generation of parasites was occurring. The observed downregulation may be due to immune self-regulation or to immune evasive mechanisms exerted by E. tenella. Results also suggested pathogen recognition receptors involved in E. tenella innate recognition, MRC2, TLR15 and NLRC5 and showed distinct chemokine and cytokine induction patterns. Moreover, the expression of several functional categories of Eimeria genes, such as rhoptry kinase genes and microneme genes, were also examined, showing distinctive differences which were expressed in sporozoites and merozoites.
Molecular and morphological description of the first Hepatozoon (Apicomplexa: Hepatozoidae) species infecting a neotropical turtle, with an approach to its phylogenetic relationships
Authors: Gutiérrez-Liberato Germán A. , Lotta-Arévalo Ingrid A. , Rodríguez-Almonacid Cristian C. , Vargas-Ramírez Mario , Matta Nubia E.
Published: February 2021

Haemogregarines (Adeleorina) have a high prevalence in turtles. Nevertheless, there is only one Hepatozoon species described that infects Testudines so far; it is Hepatozoon fitzsimonsi which infects the African tortoise Kinixys belliana. Colombia harbours a great diversity of chelonians; however, most of them are threatened. It is important to identify and characterize chelonian haemoparasite infections to improve the clinical assessments, treatments and the conservation and reintroduction programs of these animals. To evaluate such infections for the Colombian wood turtle Rhinoclemmys melanosterna, we analysed blood from 70 individuals. By using the morphological characteristics of blood stages as well as molecular information (18S rRNA sequences), here we report a new Hepatozoon species that represents the first report of a hepatozoid species infecting a semi-aquatic continental turtle in the world. Although the isolated lineage clusters within the phylogenetic clades that have morphological species of parasites already determined, their low nodal support makes their position within each group inconclusive. It is important to identify new molecular markers to improve parasite species identification. In-depth research on blood parasites infecting turtles is essential for increasing knowledge that could assess this potential unknown threat, to inform the conservation of turtles and for increasing the state of knowledge on parasites.
Rethinking the course of psychotic disorders: modelling long-term symptom trajectories
Authors: Morgan Craig , Dazzan Paola , Lappin Julia , Heslin Margaret , Donoghue Kim , Fearon Paul , Jones Peter B , Murray Robin M , Doody Gillian A , Reininghaus Ulrich
Published: February 2021

Background

The clinical course of psychotic disorders is highly variable. Typically, researchers have captured different course types using broad pre-defined categories. However, whether these adequately capture symptom trajectories of psychotic disorders has not been fully assessed. Using data from AESOP-10, we sought to identify classes of individuals with specific symptom trajectories over a 10-year follow-up using a data-driven approach.

Method

AESOP-10 is a follow-up, at 10 years, of 532 incident cases with a first episode of psychosis initially identified in south-east London and Nottingham, UK. Using extensive information on fluctuations in the presence of psychotic symptoms, we fitted growth mixture models to identify latent trajectory classes that accounted for heterogeneity in the patterns of change in psychotic symptoms over time.

Results

We had sufficient data on psychotic symptoms during the follow-up on 326 incident patients. A four-class quadratic growth mixture model identified four trajectories of psychotic symptoms: (1) remitting-improving (58.5%); (2) late decline (5.6%); (3) late improvement (5.4%); (4) persistent (30.6%). A persistent trajectory, compared with remitting-improving, was associated with gender (more men), black Caribbean ethnicity, low baseline education and high disadvantage, low premorbid IQ, a baseline diagnosis of non-affective psychosis and long DUP. Numbers were small, but there were indications that those with a late decline trajectory more closely resembled those with a persistent trajectory.

Conclusion

Our current approach to categorising the course of psychotic disorders may misclassify patients. This may confound efforts to elucidate the predictors of long-term course and related biomarkers.
Psychosocial and pharmacological treatments for cannabis use disorder and mental health comorbidities: a narrative review
Authors: Lees Rachel , Hines Lindsey A. , D'Souza Deepak Cyril , Stothart George , Di Forti Marta , Hoch Eva , Freeman Tom P.
Published: February 2021

Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug worldwide, and it is estimated that up to 30% of people who use cannabis will develop a cannabis use disorder (CUD). Demand for treatment of CUD is increasing in almost every region of the world and cannabis use is highly comorbid with mental disorders, where sustained use can reduce treatment compliance and increase risk of relapse. In this narrative review, we outline evidence for psychosocial and pharmacological treatment strategies for CUD, both alone and when comorbid with psychosis, anxiety or depression. Psychosocial treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy, motivational enhancement therapy and contingency management are currently the most effective strategy for treating CUD but are of limited benefit when comorbid with psychosis. Pharmacological treatments targeting the endocannabinoid system have the potential to reduce cannabis withdrawal and cannabis use in CUD. Mental health comorbidities including anxiety, depression and psychosis hinder effective treatment and should be addressed in treatment provision and clinical decision making to reduce the global burden of CUDs. Antipsychotic medication may decrease cannabis use and cannabis craving as well as psychotic symptoms in patients with CUD and psychosis. Targeted treatments for anxiety and depression when comorbid with CUD are feasible.
Twisted Donaldson invariants
Authors: KATO TSUYOSHI , SASAHIRA HIROFUMI , WANG HANG
Published: February 2021

Fundamental group of a manifold gives a deep effect on its underlying smooth structure. In this paper we introduce a new variant of the Donaldson invariant in Yang–Mills gauge theory from twisting by the Picard group of a 4-manifold in the case when the fundamental group is free abelian. We then generalise it to the general case of fundamental groups by use of the framework of non commutative geometry. We also verify that our invariant distinguishes smooth structures between some homeomorphic 4-manifolds.
N170 reflects visual familiarity and automatic sublexical phonological access in L2 written word processing
Authors: Yum Yen Na , Law Sam-Po
Published: February 2021

The literature has mixed reports on whether the N170, an early visual ERP response to words, signifies orthographic and/or phonological processing, and whether these effects are moderated by script and language expertise. In this study, native Chinese readers, Japanese–Chinese, and Korean–Chinese bilingual readers performed a one-back repetition detection task with single Chinese characters that differed in phonological regularity status. Results using linear mixed effects models showed that Korean–Chinese readers had bilateral N170 response, while native Chinese and Japanese–Chinese groups had left-lateralized N170, with stronger left lateralization in native Chinese than Japanese–Chinese readers. Additionally, across groups, irregular characters had bilateral increase in N170 amplitudes compared to regular characters. These results suggested that visual familiarity to a script rather than orthography-phonology mapping determined the left lateralization of the N170 response, while there was automatic access to sublexical phonology in the N170 time window in native and non-native readers alike.
Android Noahs and embryo Arks: ectogenesis in global catastrophe survival and space colonization
Authors: Edwards Matthew R.
Published: February 2021

To ensure long-term survival of humans and Earth life generally, strategies need to be in place to recolonize Earth after global catastrophes and to colonize exoplanets. In one strategy of space colonization, the physical barriers erected by time and space are circumvented by sending cryopreserved human and animal embryos to exoplanets rather than adult crews. There the embryos would be developed to neonates in artificial uterus (AU) systems. A similar strategy could also be used to repopulate Earth after human extinction events. In this paper, we review the status and future prospects of these embryonic survival strategies. A critical requirement in each scenario is an AU system for complete ectogenesis, i.e. complete development of embryos to neonates outside the natural womb. While such systems do not yet exist, they may soon be developed to afford clinical assistance to infertile women and reproductive choices to prospective parents. In human survival schemes, AU systems would likely first be used to extend conventional survival missions (e.g. subterranean bunkers) by replacing some adult crew members with cryopreserved embryos. For major mass extinctions and all far future events, adult crews would be entirely replaced by embryos and androids. The most advanced missions would feature orbiting embryo spacecraft for Earth recolonization and analogous interstellar spacecraft for colonizing exoplanets. We conclude that an advanced civilization using such an integrated, embryonic approach could eventually colonize distant parts of its home galaxy and potentially the wider universe.
Rekanalisation chronischer Koronarverschlüsse
Authors: Mashayekhi Kambis , Büttner Heinz Joachim
Published: February 2021

Zusammenfassung. Durch Weiterentwicklung der Rekanalisationstechniken und -materialien in den letzten Jahren haben sich die Erfolgsraten der perkutanen Koronarintervention (PCI) chronischer Koronarverschlüsse (CTO) kontinuierlich verbessert. Der am besten belegte klinische Nutzen einer CTO-PCI ist die Verbesserung der Symptomatik, basierend auf einer Reduktion der im Vorfeld nachgewiesenen myokardialen Ischämie. Dagegen wird ein in mehreren Beobachtungsstudien gezeigter prognostischer Effekt weiterhin kontrovers diskutiert. Für die Indikationsstellung zur CTO-PCI sollte somit die Beschwerdesymptomatik des Patienten, als auch das Ausmass der Ischämie im Vordergrund stehen. Für die individuelle Einschätzung von Nutzen und Risiko für den Patienten muss neben der technischen Komplexität der CTO-Läsion auch die Ausdehnung der koronaren Herzkrankheit und die Ventrikelfunktion mit einbezogen werden. Bei der CTO-PCI ist eine eskalierende Strategie sinnvoll, mit zunächst antegrader Technik, die in der Mehrzahl der Fälle zum Erfolg führen kann. Mit Einbeziehung der retrograden Rekanalisationstechniken können auch komplexere CTOs mit hoher Erfolgsrate (bis > 90 % in spezialisierten Zentren) und niedrigen Komplikationsraten rekanalisiert werden. So kann bei Patienten mit CTO und koronarer Mehrgefässerkrankung heute zumeist kathetertechnisch eine komplette Revaskularisation erzielt werden.
MINOCA und die invasive Messung der kardialen Mikrozirkulation
Authors: Candreva Alessandro , Gotschy Alexander , Templin Christian
Published: February 2021

Zusammenfassung. Bei ca. 10 % der Patienten, die mit dem Verdacht auf einen akuten Myokardinfarkts eine Koronarangiographie erhalten, lässt sich keine obstruktive Läsion der Koronararterien nachweisen. Diese Fälle werden als Myokardinfarkt mit nichtobstruktiven Koronararterien (MINOCA) klassifiziert, wenn nach einer strukturierten diagnostischen Abklärung alternative kardiale oder extra-kardiale Ursachen ausgeschlossen werden können. Eine Differenzialdiagnose zu MINOCA ist das Takotsubo Syndrom, dessen Pathophysiologie noch weitgehend unklar ist. Man vermutet, dass die mikrovaskuläre Dysfunktion eine wesentliche Rolle in der Genese der Erkrankung spielt, sodass intrakoronare Flussmessungen möglicherweise relevante pathophysiologische Aspekte aufdecken könnten.
TAVI – Neue Grenzen
Authors: Michel Jonathan M. , Heidenfelder Angela , Kasel Markus , Templin Christian
Published: February 2021

Zusammenfassung. Die Transkatheter-Aortenklappen-Implantation (TAVI) ist in vielen Ländern zur Standardbehandlung der schwer kalzifizierten Aortenklappenstenose bei Patienten mit hohem oder mittlerem Operationsrisiko geworden. Wichtige Fragen hinsichtlich der Haltbarkeit dieser Prothesen werden in Zukunft noch beantwortet werden; die zunehmende Erfahrung der Operateure, die rasante technologische Weiterentwicklung mit Evolution der TAVI-Systeme und die verbesserten klinischen Ergebnisse haben entscheidend dazu beigetragen, dass die TAVI gegenüber dem chirurgischen Aortenklappenersatz (SAVR) immer häufiger eingesetzt wird. In diesem Review heben wir einige der wichtigsten Herausforderungen und Behandlungsentscheidungen hervor, die bei der TAVI im Vordergrund stehen, darunter das Valve in Valve-Verfahren, die bikuspiden Aortenklappe und die Auswahl der antithrombotischen Therapie nach TAVI. Darüber hinaus wird die in Patienten-Subgruppen vorhandene Evidenz dargestellt, die von einer Indikationsausweitung profitieren könnten.
On the Structure of Affect
Authors: Wedderhoff Nadine , Gnambs Timo , Wedderhoff Oliver , Burgard Tanja , Bošnjak Michael
Published: February 2021

Abstract. The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; Watson et al., 1988 ) is a popular self-report questionnaire that is administered all over the world. Though originally developed to measure two independent factors, different models have been proposed in the literature. Comparisons among alternative models as well as analyses concerning their robustness in cross-national research have left an inconclusive picture. Therefore, the present study evaluates the dimensionality of the PANAS and differences between English and translated versions of the PANAS using a meta-analytic structural equation modeling approach. Correlation matrices from 57 independent samples ( N = 54,043) were pooled across subsamples. For both English and non-English samples, a correlated two-factor model including correlated uniquenesses provided the best fit. However, measurement invariance analyses indicated differences in factor loadings between subsamples. Thus, cross-national application of the PANAS might only be justified if measurement equivalence was explicitly tested for the countries at hand.
The Day of the Week Effect on Subjective Well-Being in the European Social Survey
Authors: Gnambs Timo
Published: February 2021

Abstract. In large-scale social surveys, respondents are typically interviewed on different days of the week. Because previous research established systematic daily fluctuations of people’s mood, it was hypothesized that subjective well-being ratings might be similarly affected by the day the interview takes place. Therefore, an individual-participant meta-analysis of 221 representative samples from the European Social Survey including 408,637 participants is presented. The random-effects meta-analysis found a negligible day of the week effect on life satisfaction and happiness ratings, even after accounting for selection and interviewer effects. Although significantly different ratings were observed on Sundays, the size of the obtained effects was trivial. These findings provide little evidence that the interview day has a meaningful impact on subjective well-being research in cross-sectional, large-scale studies.
New Inventory of Dust Emission Sources in Central Asia and Northwestern China Derived From MODIS Imagery Using Dust Enhancement Technique
Authors: Nobakht Mohamad , Shahgedanova Maria , White Kevin
Published: February 2021

The first inventory of dust emission sources in Central Asia and northwestern China (35–50°N, 50–100°E) derived from the twice daily MODIS imagery from 2003 to 2012 is presented. A high‐resolution (1 km) dust enhancement product was generated to produce maps of dust point sources (DPS), indicating geographical locations of the observed dust emissions, and gridded data sets of dust emission frequencies. About 13,500 DPS were detected over an area of ∼5 × 106 km2, however, their distribution was uneven. The highest frequency of DPS occurred in the northern and eastern Taklimakan, in the Aralkum, and in the regions, which were not widely reported in literature before, the Balkh delta in northern Afghanistan and the pre‐Aral, from the northern Caspian coast to the Betpak‐Dala desert in Kazakhstan. South of the Aral, DPS were mainly associated with fluvial features: drying lakes, dry river beds, alluvial deposits and agricultural activity which is closely linked to water availability in this arid region. In the pre‐Aral and Balkhash‐Junggar regions, land damaged by wildfire was the main source of dust. In China and eastern Kazakhstan dust emissions peaked in spring; in Central Asia and western Kazakhstan—in summer. The Aralkum was active throughout the year with a positive trend in emission frequency over the study period. Locations of DPS did not always correlate with high atmospheric optical depth (AOD) particularly west of the Aral and in the southern Taklimakan where few DPS were detected despite the high AOD values. This was attributed to dust transport from the upwind sources.
Data‐Driven Medium‐Range Weather Prediction With a Resnet Pretrained on Climate Simulations: A New Model for WeatherBench
Authors: Rasp Stephan , Thuerey Nils
Published: February 2021

Numerical weather prediction has traditionally been based on the models that discretize the dynamical and physical equations of the atmosphere. Recently, however, the rise of deep learning has created increased interest in purely data‐driven medium‐range weather forecasting with first studies exploring the feasibility of such an approach. To accelerate progress in this area, the WeatherBench benchmark challenge was defined. Here, we train a deep residual convolutional neural network (Resnet) to predict geopotential, temperature and precipitation at 5.625° resolution up to 5 days ahead. To avoid overfitting and improve forecast skill, we pretrain the model using historical climate model output before fine‐tuning on reanalysis data. The resulting forecasts outperform previous submissions to WeatherBench and are comparable in skill to a physical baseline at similar resolution. We also analyze how the neural network creates its predictions and find that, for the case studies analyzed, the model has learned physically reasonable correlations. Finally, we perform scaling experiments to estimate the potential skill of data‐driven approaches at higher resolutions.
Impact of Vegetation Physiology and Phenology on Watershed Hydrology in a Semiarid Watershed in the Pacific Northwest in a Changing Climate
Authors: Zhu Bowen , Huang Maoyi , Cheng Yanyan , Xie Xianhong , Liu Ying , Bisht Gautam , Chen Xingyuan
Published: February 2021

Changes in carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and nitrogen (N) availability can affect land surface processes by regulating physiological (e.g., stomatal opening and closure) and phenological (e.g., leaf area index) responses, which in turn influence terrestrial water cycle dynamics. In this study, we apply the Community Land Model version 5 to investigate how projected environment changes in the 21st century can affect the hydrologic budget in the Upper Columbia‐Priest Rapids watershed, a typical semiarid watershed located in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Nine numerical experiments were performed to quantifying contributions of climate change, CO2 concentration, and N availability to the watershed hydrologic budget under two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) (i.e., RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). Our results show that compared to its historical value, evapotranspiration (ET) over the watershed increases by 15% and 12% by the end of the century under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 in responses to changes in meteorological forcing, and further increases by 16% and 11% when elevated CO2 concentrations are accounted for. The effect of N availability on the water balance is insignificant. Such an increase in ET is contributed by the overall increase in leaf area index of vegetation in response to increases in precipitation and CO2 concentration. However, corn‐dominated regions can respond to these changes differently, caused by its increased stomatal resistance under an elevated CO2 concentration with limited N. Our results demonstrate physiological and phenological responses can modulate watershed hydrologic budgets under projected future changes.
Impact of diabetes and periodontal status on life quality
Authors: Desai Radhika , Khobaragade Bhushan , McCracken Giles , Wassall Rebecca , Taylor John J. , Bissett Susan M. , Pumerantz Andrew S. , Preshaw Philip M.
Published: February 2021

Objectives

To investigate impact of periodontal status on quality of life (QoL) in type-1 (T1D) and type-2 (T2D) diabetes patients pre- and post-periodontal treatment using the Well-being Questionnaire 12 (W-BQ12) and Audit of Diabetes-Dependent Quality of Life-19 (ADDQoL-19).

Methods

W-BQ12 and ADDQoL-19 were self-completed by 56 T1D and 77 T2D patients at baseline and by those with periodontitis 3 and 6-months after therapy.

Results

At baseline, T1D patients had significantly higher general W-BQ12 [Median (IQR); 24.00 (20.25–27.75)] and positive well-being scores [8.00 (6.00–9.00)] (indicating better QoL) compared to T2D patients [22.00 (15.50–26.00) and 6.00 (3.50–9.00)], respectively (p < 0.05). Within both groups, general W-BQ12 scores did not differ significantly between patients with periodontal health, gingivitis, or periodontitis (p > 0.05). Significantly higher general W-BQ12 scores were observed in T1D patients at month 3 [28.00 (22.00–29.50)] compared to baseline [22.00 (17.00–24.50)] (p < 0.01), suggesting an initial improvement in QoL post-treatment. ADDQoL-19 identified that diabetes had greatest impact on the domain ‘freedom to eat’, with participants placing most importance on ‘family life’. No significant changes in ADDQoL-19 scores were seen post-treatment (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

Diabetes had impacts upon aspects of life quality in both T1D and T2D patients, though any additional impact based on periodontal status was not observed when using W-BQ12 and ADDQoL-19.
Expanding the role of proteasome homeostasis in Parkinson’s disease: beyond protein breakdown
Authors: Bi Mingxia , Du Xixun , Jiao Qian , Chen Xi , Jiang Hong
Published: February 2021

Proteasome is the principal hydrolytic machinery responsible for the great majority of protein degradation. The past three decades have testified prominent advances about proteasome involved in almost every aspect of biological processes. Nonetheless, inappropriate increase or decrease in proteasome function is regarded as a causative factor in several diseases. Proteasome abundance and proper assembly need to be precisely controlled. Indeed, various neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s disease (PD) share a common pathological feature, intracellular protein accumulation such as α-synuclein. Proteasome activation may effectively remove aggregates and prevent the neurodegeneration in PD, which provides a potential application for disease-modifying treatment. In this review, we build on the valuable discoveries related to different types of proteolysis by distinct forms of proteasome, and how its regulatory and catalytic particles promote protein elimination. Additionally, we summarize the emerging ideas on the proteasome homeostasis regulation by targeting transcriptional, translational, and post-translational levels. Given the imbalanced proteostasis in PD, the strategies for intensifying proteasomal degradation are advocated as a promising approach for PD clinical intervention.
Diastolic left ventricular function in relation to the retinal microvascular fractal dimension in a Flemish population
Authors: Wei Fang-Fei , Thijs Lutgarde , Melgarejo Jesus D. , Cauwenberghs Nicholas , Zhang Zhen-Yu , Liu Chen , Kuznetsova Tatiana , Struijker-Boudier Harry A. J. , Verhamme Peter , Dong Yu-Gang , Staessen Jan A.
Published: February 2021

Fractal analysis provides a global assessment of vascular networks (e.g., geometric complexity). We examined the association of diastolic left ventricular (LV) function with the retinal microvascular fractal dimension. A lower fractal dimension signifies a sparser retinal microvascular network. In 628 randomly recruited Flemish individuals (51.3% women; mean age, 50.8 years), we measured diastolic LV function by echocardiography and the retinal microvascular fractal dimension by the box-counting method (Singapore I Vessel Assessment software, version 3.6). The left atrial volume index (LAVI), e′, E/e′ and retinal microvascular fractal dimension averaged (±SD) 24.3 ± 6.2 mL/m2, 10.9 ± 3.6 cm/s, 6.96 ± 2.2, and 1.39 ± 0.05, respectively. The LAVI, E, e′ and E/e′ were associated (P < 0.001) with the retinal microvascular fractal dimension with association sizes (per 1 SD), amounting to −1.49 mL/m2 (95% confidence interval, −1.98 to −1.01), 2.57 cm/s (1.31–3.84), 1.34 cm/s (1.07–1.60), and −0.74 (−0.91 to −0.57), respectively. With adjustments applied for potential covariables, the associations of E peak and E/e′ with the retinal microvascular fractal dimension remained significant (P ≤ 0.020). Over a median follow-up of 5.3 years, 18 deaths occurred. The crude and adjusted hazard ratios expressing the risk of all-cause mortality associated with a 1-SD increment in the retinal microvascular fractal dimension were 0.36 (0.23–0.57; P < 0.001) and 0.57 (0.34–0.96; P = 0.035), respectively. In the general population, a lower retinal microvascular fractal dimension was associated with greater E/e′, a measure of LV filling pressure. These observations can potentially be translated into new strategies for the prevention of diastolic LV dysfunction.
Association of dementia with immunoglobulin G N-glycans in a Chinese Han Population
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyu , Yuan Hui , Lyu Jihui , Meng Xiaoni , Tian Qiuyue , Li Yuejin , Zhang Jie , Xu Xizhu , Su Jing , Hou Haifeng , Li Dong , Sun Baoliang , Wang Wei , Wang Youxin
Published: February 2021

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) functionality can drastically change from anti- to proinflammatory by alterations in the IgGN-glycan patterns. Our previous studies have demonstrated that IgGN-glycans associated with the risk factors of dementia, such as aging, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and ischemic stroke. Therefore, the aim is to investigate whether the effects of IgGN-glycan profiles on dementia exists in a Chinese Han population. A case–control study, including 81 patients with dementia, 81 age- and gender-matched controls with normal cognitive functioning (NC) and 108 non-matched controls with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) was performed. Plasma IgGN-glycans were separated by ultra-performance liquid chromatography. Fourteen glycan peaks reflecting decreased of sialylation and core fucosylation, and increased bisectingN-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc)N-glycan structures were of statistically significant differences between dementia and NC groups after controlling for confounders (p < 0.05;q < 0.05). Similarly, the differences for these 14 initial glycans were statistically significant between AD and NC groups after adjusting for the effects of confounders (p < 0.05;q < 0.05). The area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) value of the model consisting of GP8, GP9, and GP14 was determined to distinguish dementia from NC group as 0.876 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.815–0.923] and distinguish AD from NC group as 0.887 (95% CI: 0.819–0.936). Patients with dementia were of an elevated proinflammatory activity via the significant changes of IgG glycome. Therefore, IgGN-glycans might contribute to be potential novel biomarkers for the neurodegenerative process risk assessment of dementia.
Cryo-EM model validation recommendations based on outcomes of the 2019 EMDataResource challenge
Authors: Lawson Catherine L. , Kryshtafovych Andriy , Adams Paul D. , Afonine Pavel V. , Baker Matthew L. , Barad Benjamin A. , Bond Paul , Burnley Tom , Cao Renzhi , Cheng Jianlin , Chojnowski Grzegorz , Cowtan Kevin , Dill Ken A. , DiMaio Frank , Farrell Daniel P. , Fraser James S. , Herzik Mark A. , Hoh Soon Wen , Hou Jie , Hung Li-Wei , Igaev Maxim , Joseph Agnel P. , Kihara Daisuke , Kumar Dilip , Mittal Sumit , Monastyrskyy Bohdan , Olek Mateusz , Palmer Colin M. , Patwardhan Ardan , Perez Alberto , Pfab Jonas , Pintilie Grigore D. , Richardson Jane S. , Rosenthal Peter B. , Sarkar Daipayan , Schäfer Luisa U. , Schmid Michael F. , Schröder Gunnar F. , Shekhar Mrinal , Si Dong , Singharoy Abishek , Terashi Genki , Terwilliger Thomas C. , Vaiana Andrea , Wang Liguo , Wang Zhe , Wankowicz Stephanie A. , Williams Christopher J. , Winn Martyn , Wu Tianqi , Yu Xiaodi , Zhang Kaiming , Berman Helen M. , Chiu Wah
Published: February 2021

This paper describes outcomes of the 2019 Cryo-EM Model Challenge. The goals were to (1) assess the quality of models that can be produced from cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) maps using current modeling software, (2) evaluate reproducibility of modeling results from different software developers and users and (3) compare performance of current metrics used for model evaluation, particularly Fit-to-Map metrics, with focus on near-atomic resolution. Our findings demonstrate the relatively high accuracy and reproducibility of cryo-EM models derived by 13 participating teams from four benchmark maps, including three forming a resolution series (1.8 to 3.1 Å). The results permit specific recommendations to be made about validating near-atomic cryo-EM structures both in the context of individual experiments and structure data archives such as the Protein Data Bank. We recommend the adoption of multiple scoring parameters to provide full and objective annotation and assessment of the model, reflective of the observed cryo-EM map density.
Reference gene selection for qRT-PCR analyses of luffa (Luffa cylindrica) plants under abiotic stress conditions
Authors: Chen Min-dong , Wang Bin , Li Yong-ping , Zeng Mei-juan , Liu Jian-ting , Ye Xin-ru , Zhu Hai-sheng , Wen Qing-fang
Published: February 2021

Selecting suitable internal reference genes is an important prerequisite for the application of quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). However, no systematic studies have been conducted on reference genes in luffa. In this study, seven reference genes were selected, and their expression levels in luffa plants exposed to various simulated abiotic stresses [i.e., cold, drought, heat, salt, H2O2, and abscisic acid (ABA) treatments] were analyzed by qRT-PCR. The stability of the reference gene expression levels was validated using the geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and RefFinder algorithms. The results indicated thatEF-1αwas the most stably expressed and suitable reference gene overall and for the heat, cold, and ABA treatments. Additionally,UBQexpression was stable following the salt treatment, whereasTUBwas identified as a suitable reference gene for H2O2and drought treatments. The reliability of the selected reference genes was verified by analyzing the expression of copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) gene in luffa. When the most unstable reference genes were used for data normalizations, the resulting expression patterns had obvious biases when compared with the expression patterns for the most ideal reference genes used alone or combined. These results will be conducive to more accurate quantification of gene expression levels in luffa.
A solver based on pseudo-spectral analytical time-domain method for the two-fluid plasma model
Authors: Morel B. , Giust R. , Ardaneh K. , Courvoisier F.
Published: February 2021

A number of physical processes in laser-plasma interaction can be described with the two-fluid plasma model. We report on a solver for the three-dimensional two-fluid plasma model equations. This solver is particularly suited for simulating the interaction between short laser pulses with plasmas. The fluid solver relies on two-step Lax–Wendroff split with a fourth-order Runge–Kutta scheme, and we use the Pseudo-Spectral Analytical Time-Domain (PSATD) method to solve Maxwell’s curl equations. Overall, this method is only based on finite difference schemes and fast Fourier transforms and does not require any grid staggering. The Pseudo-Spectral Analytical Time-Domain method removes the numerical dispersion for transverse electromagnetic wave propagation in the absence of current that is conventionally observed for other Maxwell solvers. The full algorithm is validated by conservation of energy and momentum when an electromagnetic pulse is launched onto a plasma ramp and by quantitative agreement with wave conversion of p-polarized electromagnetic wave onto a plasma ramp.
Factors based on optical coherence tomography correlated with vision impairment in diabetic patients
Authors: Endo Hiroaki , Kase Satoru , Tanaka Hikari , Takahashi Mitsuo , Katsuta Satoshi , Suzuki Yasuo , Fujii Minako , Ishida Susumu , Kase Manabu
Published: February 2021

The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between retinal structures and visual acuity in diabetic patients using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA). This study was a retrospective observational study conducted at a single medical center in Japan. Evaluation of retinal images was analyzed using spectral domain OCT. Twelve factors including central retinal thickness, length of disorganization of retinal inner layer (DRIL), number of inner hyperreflective foci, number of outer hyperreflective foci, height of intraretinal fluid, height of subretinal fluid, length of external limiting membrane disruption, length of external ellipsoid zone (EZ) disruption, vessel density of superficial capillary plexus (SCP), foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area, and FAZ circularity were analyzed based on OCT/OCTA findings. Multivariate analysis was used to investigate the OCT-based factors that could be correlated with poor visual acuity in treatment-naïve diabetic eyes. A total of 183 eyes of 123 diabetic patients with type 2 diabetes (mean age 61.9 ± 12.3 years, 66 men and 57 women) and 62 eyes of 55 control subjects (mean age 64.4 ± 12.5 years, 15 men and 40 women) was enrolled in this study. Multiple regression analysis showed that OCT-based factors correlated with visual acuity were length of DRIL (β = 0.24, P < 0.01), length of EZ disruption (β = 0.35, P < 0.001), and FAZ circularity (β =  − 0.14, P < 0.05). The other factors showed no significant correlation. In conclusion, the length of DRIL, length of EZ disruption, and FAZ circularity measured by OCT were identified as related factors for visual impairment in treatment-naïve diabetic eyes.
Associations between human leukocyte antigens and renal function
Authors: Lowe Marcus , Payton Antony , Verma Arpana , Worthington Judith , Gemmell Isla , Hamilton Patrick , Ollier William , Augustine Titus , Poulton Kay
Published: February 2021

Human leukocyte antigens (HLA) have been associated with renal function, but previous studies report contradictory findings with little consensus on the exact nature or impact of this observation. This study included 401,307 white British subjects aged 39–73 when they were recruited by UK Biobank. Subjects’ HLA types were imputed using HLA*IMP:02 software. Regression analysis was used to compare 362 imputed HLA types with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) as a primary outcome and clinical indications as secondary outcome measures. 22 imputed HLA types were associated with increased eGFR (and therefore increased renal function). Decreased eGFR (decreased renal function) was associated with 11 imputed HLA types, seven of which were also associated with increased risk of end-stage renal disease and/or chronic kidney disease. Many of these HLA types are commonly inherited together in established haplotypes, for example: HLA-A*01:01, B*08:01, C*07:01, DRB1*03:01, DQB1*02:01. This haplotype has a population frequency of 9.5% in England and each allele was associated with decreased renal function. 33 imputed HLA types were associated with kidney function in white British subjects. Linkage disequilibrium in HLA heritance suggests that this is not random and particularly affects carriers of established haplotypes. This could have important applications for the diagnosis and treatment of renal disease and global population health.
Combining expert knowledge and machine-learning to classify herd types in livestock systems
Authors: Brock Jonas , Lange Martin , Tratalos Jamie A. , More Simon J. , Graham David A. , Guelbenzu-Gonzalo Maria , Thulke Hans-Hermann
Published: February 2021

A detailed understanding of herd types is needed for animal disease control and surveillance activities, to inform epidemiological study design and interpretation, and to guide effective policy decision-making. In this paper, we present a new approach to classify herd types in livestock systems by combining expert knowledge and a machine-learning algorithm called self-organising-maps (SOMs). This approach is applied to the cattle sector in Ireland, where a detailed understanding of herd types can assist with on-going discussions on control and surveillance for endemic cattle diseases. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the SOM algorithm has been used to differentiate livestock systems. In compliance with European Union (EU) requirements, relevant data in the Irish livestock register includes the birth, movements and disposal of each individual bovine, and also the sex and breed of each bovine and its dam. In total, 17 herd types were identified in Ireland using 9 variables. We provide a data-driven classification tree using decisions derived from the Irish livestock registration data. Because of the visual capabilities of the SOM algorithm, the interpretation of results is relatively straightforward and we believe our approach, with adaptation, can be used to classify herd type in any other livestock system.
The evolution of humanitarian mapping within the OpenStreetMap community
Authors: Herfort Benjamin , Lautenbach Sven , Porto de Albuquerque João , Anderson Jennings , Zipf Alexander
Published: February 2021

In the past 10 years, the collaborative maps of OpenStreetMap (OSM) have been used to support humanitarian efforts around the world as well as to fill important data gaps for implementing major development frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals. This paper provides a comprehensive assessment of the evolution of humanitarian mapping within the OSM community, seeking to understand the spatial and temporal footprint of these large-scale mapping efforts. The spatio-temporal statistical analysis of OSM’s full history since 2008 showed that humanitarian mapping efforts added 60.5 million buildings and 4.5 million roads to the map. Overall, mapping in OSM was strongly biased towards regions with very high Human Development Index. However, humanitarian mapping efforts had a different footprint, predominantly focused on regions with medium and low human development. Despite these efforts, regions with low and medium human development only accounted for 28% of the buildings and 16% of the roads mapped in OSM although they were home to 46% of the global population. Our results highlight the formidable impact of humanitarian mapping efforts such as post-disaster mapping campaigns to improve the spatial coverage of existing open geographic data and maps, but they also reveal the need to address the remaining stark data inequalities, which vary significantly across countries. We conclude with three recommendations directed at the humanitarian mapping community: (1) Improve methods to monitor mapping activity and identify where mapping is needed. (2) Rethink the design of projects which include humanitarian data generation to avoid non-sustainable outcomes. (3) Remove structural barriers to empower local communities and develop capacity.