bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of temperature on 13C and 15N incorporation rates and discrimination factors in two North American fishes
Authors: Maitland Bryan M. , Rio Carlos Martínez del , Rahel Frank J.
Published: May 2021

The biological parameters needed to interpret isotopic field data on food webs — namely isotopic incorporation and discrimination (Δ13C and Δ15N) — are unknown for many animals. We investigated the effects of temperature on carbon and nitrogen incorporation and discrimination in creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus) and white sucker (Catostomus commersonii) by rearing wild-caught fish on a distinct diet at 12 and 20 °C for 160 days. Mass specific growth rates were higher at 20 °C. Isotopic turnover was mainly influenced by metabolic processes as opposed to growth in both species, especially white sucker. Cold-reared fish had slower rates of isotopic incorporation and higher isotopic residence times than warm-reared fish. Discrimination factors were generally smaller for Δ15N (range = 1.9 to 3.0) and larger for Δ13C (range = 1.4 to 2.3) than values reported for other fishes. Variable temperature effects on discrimination suggests unmeasured effects of the experimental diet which will require additional experimentation to tease apart. These results support the hypothesis that metabolic rates are correlated with isotopic incorporation rates in animals dependent on environmental temperature.
Perturbative S-matrix unitarity (S†S = 1) in Rμν2 gravity
Authors: Abe Yugo , Inami Takeo , Izumi Keisuke
Published: May 2021

We show that in the quadratic curvature theory of gravity, or simply [Formula: see text] gravity, the tree-level unitarity bound (tree unitarity) is violated in the UV region but an analog for [Formula: see text]-matrix unitarity [Formula: see text] is satisfied. This theory is renormalizable, and hence the failure of tree unitarity is a counter example of Llewellyn Smith’s conjecture on the relation between them. We have recently proposed a new conjecture that [Formula: see text]-matrix unitarity gives the same conditions as renormalizability. We verify that [Formula: see text]-matrix unitarity holds in the matter-graviton scattering at the tree level in the [Formula: see text] gravity, demonstrating our new conjecture.
Attention U-Net with Feature Fusion Module for Robust Defect Detection
Authors: Xiong Yu-Jie , Gao Yong-Bin , Wu Hong , Yao Yao
Published: May 2021

U-Net shows a remarkable performance and makes significant progress for segmentation task in medical images. Despite the outstanding achievements, the common case of defect detection in industrial scenes is still a challenging task, due to the noisy background, unpredictable environment, varying shapes and sizes of the defects. Traditional U-Net may not be suitable for low-quality images with low illumination and corruption, which are often presented in the practical collections in real-world scenes. In this paper, we propose an attention U-Net with feature fusion module for combining multi-scale features to detect the defects in noisy images automatically. Feature fusion module contains convolution kernels of different scales to capture shallow layer features and combine them with the high-dimensional features. Meanwhile, attention gates are used to enhance the robustness of skip connection between the feature maps. The proposed method is evaluated on two datasets. The best precision rate and MIoU of defect detection are 95.6% and 92.5%. The best F-score of concrete crack detection is 95.0%. Experimental results show that the proposed approach achieves promising results in both datasets. It demonstrates that our approach consistently outperforms other U-Net-based approaches for defect detection in low-quality images. Experimental results have shown the possibility of developing a mixture system that can be deployed in many applications, such as remote sensing image analysis, earthquake disaster situation assessment, and so on.
Energy conditions for inhomogeneous EOS and its thermodynamics analysis with the resolution on finite time future singularity problems
Authors: Kar Alokananda , Sadhukhan Shouvik , Chattopadhyay Surajit
Published: May 2021

In this paper, we study two different cases of inhomogeneous EOS of the form [Formula: see text]. We derive the energy density of dark fluid and dark matter component for both the cases. Further, we calculate the evolution of energy density, gravitational constant and cosmological constant. We also explore the finite time singularity and thermodynamic stability conditions for the two cases of EOS. Finally, we discuss the thermodynamics of inhomogeneous EOS with the derivation of internal energy, Temperature and entropy and also show that all the stability conditions are satisfied for the two cases of EOS.
A highly sensitive quartz crystal microbalance sensor assisted with ZnO nanosheets for nerve agent detection
Authors: Kim Dong In , Jeong Rak Hyun , Lee Ji Won , Park Seong , Boo Jin-Hyo
Published: May 2021

ZnO is known as a promising material for surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor devices because of its piezoelectric property. Recently, quartz crystal microbalances (QCMs) have been promising as a sensor platform due to their high sensitivity and ease of measurement. In particular, the alignment of ZnO nanosheets (NSs) into ordered nanoarrays is expected to improve the device sensitivity and stability due to large specific surface area, which allows the captured significant quantities of gas molecules. In this study, we fabricated a quartz crystal microbalance sensor with ZnO NSs structures using polyvinylidene fluoride as a receptor for nerve agent detection. We synthesized two-dimensional NSs by chemical bath deposition (CBD) via the potassium hydroxide etching method. CBD is an excellent method that can easily form uniform structures at low cost. We fabricated ZnO NSs modified with polyvinylidene fluoride and used it for detection of dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) gas. The NSs structure indicated that, when a similar functional group material is coated, the specific surface area increased compared to the nanorods (NRs) structure. As a result, the sensitivity of the quartz crystal microbalance sensor to DMMP gas was improved.
A Survey on the Use of Preferences for Virtual Machine Placement in Cloud Data Centers
Authors: Alashaikh Abdulaziz , Alanazi Eisa , Al-Fuqaha Ala
Published: May 2021

With the rapid development of virtualization techniques, cloud data centers allow for cost-effective, flexible, and customizable deployments of applications on virtualized infrastructure. Virtual machine (VM) placement aims to assign each virtual machine to a server in the cloud environment. VM Placement is of paramount importance to the design of cloud data centers. Typically, VM placement involves complex relations and multiple design factors as well as local policies that govern the assignment decisions. It also involves different constituents including cloud administrators and customers that might have disparate preferences while opting for a placement solution. Thus, it is often valuable to return not only an optimized solution to the VM placement problem but also a solution that reflects the given preferences of the constituents. In this article, we provide a detailed review on the role of preferences in the recent literature on VM placement. We examine different preference representations found in the literature, explain their existing usage, and explain the adopted solving approaches. We further discuss key challenges and identify possible research opportunities to better incorporate preferences within the context of VM placement.
Bidirectional Typing
Authors: Dunfield Jana , Krishnaswami Neel
Published: May 2021

Bidirectional typing combines two modes of typing: type checking, which checks that a program satisfies a known type, and type synthesis, which determines a type from the program. Using checking enables bidirectional typing to support features for which inference is undecidable; using synthesis enables bidirectional typing to avoid the large annotation burden of explicitly typed languages. In addition, bidirectional typing improves error locality. We highlight the design principles that underlie bidirectional type systems, survey the development of bidirectional typing from the prehistoric period before Pierce and Turner’s local type inference to the present day, and provide guidance for future investigations.
A Survey of Network-on-Chip Security Attacks and Countermeasures
Authors: Charles Subodha , Mishra Prabhat
Published: May 2021

With the advances of chip manufacturing technologies, computer architects have been able to integrate an increasing number of processors and other heterogeneous components on the same chip. Network-on-Chip (NoC) is widely employed by multicore System-on-Chip (SoC) architectures to cater to their communication requirements. NoC has received significant attention from both attackers and defenders. The increased usage of NoC and its distributed nature across the chip has made it a focal point of potential security attacks. Due to its prime location in the SoC coupled with connectivity with various components, NoC can be effectively utilized to implement security countermeasures to protect the SoC from potential attacks. There is a wide variety of existing literature on NoC security attacks and countermeasures. In this article, we provide a comprehensive survey of security vulnerabilities in NoC-based SoC architectures and discuss relevant countermeasures.
Adversarial Machine Learning Attacks and Defense Methods in the Cyber Security Domain
Authors: Rosenberg Ishai , Shabtai Asaf , Elovici Yuval , Rokach Lior
Published: May 2021

In recent years, machine learning algorithms, and more specifically deep learning algorithms, have been widely used in many fields, including cyber security. However, machine learning systems are vulnerable to adversarial attacks, and this limits the application of machine learning, especially in non-stationary, adversarial environments, such as the cyber security domain, where actual adversaries (e.g., malware developers) exist. This article comprehensively summarizes the latest research on adversarial attacks against security solutions based on machine learning techniques and illuminates the risks they pose. First, the adversarial attack methods are characterized based on their stage of occurrence, and the attacker’ s goals and capabilities. Then, we categorize the applications of adversarial attack and defense methods in the cyber security domain. Finally, we highlight some characteristics identified in recent research and discuss the impact of recent advancements in other adversarial learning domains on future research directions in the cyber security domain. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first to discuss the unique challenges of implementing end-to-end adversarial attacks in the cyber security domain, map them in a unified taxonomy, and use the taxonomy to highlight future research directions.
A Survey on Stream-Based Recommender Systems
Authors: Al-Ghossein Marie , Abdessalem Talel , BARRÉ Anthony
Published: May 2021

Recommender Systems (RS) have proven to be effective tools to help users overcome information overload, and significant advances have been made in the field over the past two decades. Although addressing the recommendation problem required first a formulation that could be easily studied and evaluated, there currently exists a gap between research contributions and industrial applications where RS are actually deployed. In particular, most RS are meant to function in batch: they rely on a large static dataset and build a recommendation model that is only periodically updated. This functioning introduces several limitations in various settings, leading to considering more realistic settings where RS learn from continuous streams of interactions. Such RS are framed as Stream-Based Recommender Systems (SBRS).

In this article, we review SBRS, underline their relation with time-aware RS and online adaptive learning, and present and categorize existing work that tackle the corresponding problem and its multiple facets. We discuss the methodologies used to evaluate SBRS and the adapted datasets that can be used, and finally we outline open challenges in the area.
Integrating Viral Metagenomics into an Ecological Framework
Authors: Sommers Pacifica , Chatterjee Anushila , Varsani Arvind , Trubl Gareth
Published: May 2021

Viral metagenomics has expanded our knowledge of the ecology of uncultured viruses, within both environmental (e.g., terrestrial and aquatic) and host-associated (e.g., plants and animals, including humans) contexts. Here, we emphasize the implementation of an ecological framework in viral metagenomic studies to address questions in virology rarely considered ecological, which can change our perception of viruses and how they interact with their surroundings. An ecological framework explicitly considers diverse variants of viruses in populations that make up communities of interacting viruses, with ecosystem-level effects. It provides a structure for the study of the diversity, distributions, dynamics, and interactions of viruses with one another, hosts, and the ecosystem, including interactions with abiotic factors. An ecological framework in viral metagenomics stands poised to broadly expand our knowledge in basic and applied virology. We highlight specific fundamental research needs to capitalize on its potential and advance the field.
The Integration of Whole-Cell Biosensors for the Field-Ready Electrochemical Detection of Arsenic
Authors: Sánchez Sergio , McDonald Mhairi , Silver Dylan M. , de Bonnault Sandie , Chen Cheng , LeBlanc Katie , Hicks Emily C. , Mayall Robert M.
Published: May 2021

Rapid on-site measurements of arsenic (As) are essential for the timely remediation of As-contaminated groundwater for both municipal and emergency response applications. Current field tests suffer from either complicated end-user instructions or a lack of accuracy and specificity. The system presented here combines a whole-cell bacterial biosensor with an electrochemical measurement that provides enhanced accuracy and signal intensity compared to traditional bacterial-detection approaches. When integrated within a customized hardware system, this whole-cell sensor demonstrated excellent specificity and sensitivity. This fast, sensitive, and easy-to-use approach is a viable alternative for on-site arsenic testing.
Aluminium-Nitride Thin-Films On Polymer Substrates Obtained by Adhesive Bonding
Authors: Azrak Edy , Michaud Laurent G. , Reinhardt Alexandre , Tardif Samuel , Bousquet Marie , Vaxelaire Nicolas , Eymery Joël , Fournel Frank , Montmeat Pierre
Published: May 2021

A scalable manufacturing method is demonstrated for the transfer of crystalline AlN thin-films deposited on 200 mm Si wafer onto a flexible and stretchable polymer. The resulting AlN-On-Polymer (AOP) can be bent and stretched. This novel transfer process allows a straightforward strain-engineering method of semiconductor thin-films when transferred onto polymer. Straining controllably semiconductor thin-films may alter their properties, which may boost the performance of the corresponding devices; e.g. the piezoelectric properties of AlN are enhanced upon tensile strain. We present here the transfer process of AlN thin-films onto polymer substrates; we discuss the influence of uniaxial strain on microstructural properties of AOP after in situ Raman spectroscopy assessments and relative strain evaluations by X-ray diffractions of AlN thin-films embedded in different types of stack configurations.
Certain Distance-Based Topological Indices of Parikh Word Representable Graphs
Authors: Thomas Nobin , Mathew Lisa , Sriram Sastha , Nagar Atulya K. , Subramanian K. G.
Published: May 2021

Relating graph structures with words which are finite sequences of symbols, Parikh word representable graphs (PWRGs) were introduced. On the other hand, in chemical graph theory, graphs have been associated with molecular structures. Also, several topological indices have been defined in terms of graph parameters and studied for different classes of graphs. In this study, we derive expressions for computing certain topological indices of PWRGs of binary core words, thereby enriching the study of PWRGs.
Identifying Delay Time of Detonator for a Millisecond Blasting
Authors: Zhifei Song , Man Ke , Xiaoli Liu
Published: May 2021

Based on wavelet transform, the blasting vibration signals are analyzed here. For millisecond blasting, the blasting effect is mostly affected by the actual delay time. Local characteristics of the analyzed signals could be highlighted by the wavelet transform. The simultaneous initiation of large explosive quantity could be avoided by the use of multistage detonators, while the vibration resistance effect could be better. For the same level of detonator segment, the larger the arranged time interval, the less the possibility of initiation at the same time, which is not conducive to the vibration resistance. Therefore, it is suggested to use high‐level detonators with detonating cord or high‐precision digital electronic detonators to minimize the initiation error. Furthermore, by identifying the delay time using wavelet transform, the interval delay time of different detonator segments could be obtained. Moreover, the nominal delay time, actual delay time, and interval delay time are further compared and analyzed. It is suggested that the millisecond delay series of detonators should be selected in the whole section blasting, and the segment should be jumped as much as possible, so as to increase the secondary breakage time. Detonators with longer interval delay time should be avoided to the full.
Application of Blockchain and Internet of Things in Healthcare and Medical Sector: Applications, Challenges, and Future Perspectives
Authors: Ratta Pranav , Kaur Amanpreet , Sharma Sparsh , Shabaz Mohammad , Dhiman Gaurav
Published: May 2021

Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the recent innovations in Information Technology, which intends to interconnect the physical and digital worlds. It introduces a vision of smartness by enabling communication between objects and humans through the Internet. IoT has diverse applications in almost all sectors like Smart Health, Smart Transportation, and Smart Cities, etc. In healthcare applications, IoT eases communication between doctors and patients as the latter can be diagnosed remotely in emergency scenarios through body sensor networks and wearable sensors. However, using IoT in healthcare systems can lead to violation of the privacy of patients. Thus, security should be taken into consideration. Blockchain is one of the trending research topics nowadays and can be applied to the majority of IoT scenarios. Few major reasons for using the Blockchain in healthcare systems are its prominent features, i.e., Decentralization, Immutability, Security and Privacy, and Transparency. This paper’s main objective was to enhance the functionality of healthcare systems using emerging and innovative computer technologies like IoT and Blockchain. So, initially, a brief introduction to the basic concepts of IoT and Blockchain is provided. After this, the applicability of IoT and Blockchain in the medical sector is explored in three major areas—drug traceability, remote patient-monitoring, and medical record management. At last, the challenges of deploying IoT and Blockchain in healthcare systems are discussed.
Optimized Double-Regional Filtering Algorithm on MRI Three-Dimensional Reconstructed Images for the Evaluation of Effects of Delivery on the Pelvis of Primiparas
Authors: Jin Qiong , Huang Mian , Lin Jun , Wu Shansan , Shen Zhang , Wang Haibing
Published: May 2021

This study was to explore the denoising and segmentation effect of dual-domain image denoising (DDID) algorithm, and the Galois field (GF) and nonlocal means (NLM) algorithms were introduced for comparative analysis. 40 primiparas in the hospital from January 2018 to January 2020 were divided into an experimental group (caesarean section (CS), group E) and a control group (vaginal delivery (VD), group C). The peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and segmentation parameters of DDID algorithm were compared with GF algorithm and NLM algorithm. It was found that the DDID showed higher overall accuracy (OA) and lower false positive rate (FPR) and false negative rate (FNR). The PSNR of DDID was higher than the other two algorithms. GF algorithm showed the highest edge retention index (ERI). The incidence of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in group E and group C was 9/20 (45%) and 5/20 (25%), respectively, with extreme difference (

P
<
0.05

). Evaluation of the effects of delivery on the pelvis of primiparas with MRI three-dimensional (3D) reconstructed images based on the optimized DDID showed a superior and stable denoising effect and good segmentation, so it was worthy of clinical promotion and application.
Mass Transfer during Atmospheric and Vacuum Frying of Chorizo
Authors: Castillo Piedad Margarita Montero , Díaz Lesly Torres , Díaz Sandy Torres , Correa Diofanor Acevedo , Martelo Gómez Raúl J.
Published: May 2021

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the kinetics of moisture and oil uptake during chorizo deep-fat frying as compared to atmospheric and vacuum conditions. The conditions in the process were 90, 120, and 150°C for vacuum frying and 160, 170, and 180°C for atmospheric frying. The kinetics of moisture loss during atmospheric and vacuum frying was studied from the analytical solution of Fick’s second law for cylinder geometry. Oil absorption was also determined using a first-order kinetic model. The moisture content decreased by 33.72% at the maximum process temperature and time during vacuum frying (150°C, 360 s), as compared to the atmospheric frying, which was 28.61% (180°C). The oil content at the end of the process (360 s) was 27.79% (90°C), 27.31% (120°C), and 24.82% (150°C) for vacuum-fried chorizos, and higher values were obtained in the atmospheric frying, obtaining values of 34.45% (160°C), 31.36% (170°C), and 28.47% (180°C) (p<0.05). In summary, the vacuum frying yielded sausages with a lower final oil percentage and higher moisture content; these results are promising because they may influence consumer preference for sensory parameters.
C2S2‐LOOP: Circular Chessboard‐Based Secure Source Location Privacy Model Using ECC‐ALO in WSN
Authors: Jan Naveed , Khan Sarmadullah , Al-Bayatti Ali H. , Alassafi Madini O. , Alfakeeh Ahmed S. , Alqarni Mohammad A.
Published: May 2021

Source location privacy (SLP) is a serious issue in wireless sensor networks (WSN) since Eavesdroppers tries to determine the source location. Hunting Animals in Forest is considered as an example for SLP. Many conventional schemes have been proposed for SLP in WSN, namely, Random Walk Routing, and Fake Messages Transmission, which cause critical issues (less safety period, packet delivery latency, and high energy consumption). Furthermore, the security analysis is not properly investigated in any previous work. In this paper, we propose a new model called the circular chessboard‐based secure source location privacy model (C2S2‐LOOP) with the following tasks: key generation, network topology management (clustering), intercluster routing (travel plan), and data packets encryption. All sensor nodes are deployed in a circular chessboard (Circular Field) and the key generation (PUK, SEK) is invoked using elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) with Ant Lion Optimization algorithm, which mitigate the issues of conventional ECC. Then, the network topology is managed using clustering where residual energy of the nodes is used for Cluster Head (CH) selection. Intercluster routing is implemented using packet traversing using clockwise and anticlockwise directions, which are mainly concerned with establishing a secure route between the source to the destination node. To ensure data security, we present the Chaotic Artificial Neural Network (C‐ANN) in which encryption is executed. Assume that CH near to the source node has a high trust value, then it traverses (clock‐wise) real packets towards sink node and similarly in the left side region (anticlockwise), fake packets are transmitted. Network simulations (OMNeT++) are evaluated and compared with the previous approaches, and finally, our proposed scheme concludes that it maintains not only source node location privacy (large safety period) and also reduces energy consumption by more than 40% and latency by more than 35%.
Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Remodel the Tumor Immune Environment to Enhance Immune Checkpoint Blockade Efficacy
Authors: Pelly Victoria S. , Moeini Agrin , Roelofsen Lisanne M. , Bonavita Eduardo , Bell Charlotte R. , Hutton Colin , Blanco-Gomez Adrian , Banyard Antonia , Bromley Christian P. , Flanagan Eimear , Chiang Shih-Chieh , Jørgensen Claus , Schumacher Ton N. , Thommen Daniela S. , Zelenay Santiago
Published: May 2021

Identifying strategies to improve the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) remains a major clinical need. Here, we show that therapeutically targeting the COX2/PGE2/EP2-4 pathway with widely used nonsteroidal and steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs synergized with ICB in mouse cancer models. We exploited a bilateral surgery model to distinguish responders from nonresponders shortly after treatment and identified acute IFNγ-driven transcriptional remodeling in responder mice, which was also associated with patient benefit to ICB. Monotherapy with COX2 inhibitors or EP2-4 PGE2 receptor antagonists rapidly induced this response program and, in combination with ICB, increased the intratumoral accumulation of effector T cells. Treatment of patient-derived tumor fragments from multiple cancer types revealed a similar shift in the tumor inflammatory environment to favor T-cell activation. Our findings establish the COX2/PGE2/EP2-4 axis as an independent immune checkpoint and a readily translatable strategy to rapidly switch the tumor inflammatory profile from cold to hot.

Significance:

Through performing in-depth profiling of mice and human tumors, this study identifies mechanisms by which anti-inflammatory drugs rapidly alter the tumor immune landscape to enhance tumor immunogenicity and responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors.

See related commentary by Melero et al., p. 2372.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 2355
AT II Receptor Blockade and Renal Denervation: Different Interventions with Comparable Renal Effects?
Authors: Rodionova Kristina , Hindermann Martin , Hilgers Karl , Ott Christian , Schmieder Roland E. , Schiffer Mario , Amann Kerstin , Veelken Roland , Ditting Tilmann
Published: May 2021

Background: Angiotensin II (Ang II) and the renal sympathetic nervous system exert a strong influence on renal sodium and water excretion. We tested the hypothesis that already low doses of an Ang II inhibitor (candesartan) will result in similar effects on tubular sodium and water reabsorption in congestive heart failure (CHF) as seen after renal denervation (DNX). Methods: Measurement of arterial blood pressure, heart rate (HR), renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), renal plasma flow (RPF), urine volume, and urinary sodium. To assess neural control of volume homeostasis, 21 days after the induction of CHF via myocardial infarction rats underwent volume expansion (0.9% NaCL; 10% body weight) to decrease RSNA. CHF rat and controls with or without DNX or pretreated with the Ang II type-1 receptor antagonist candesartan (0.5 ug i.v.) were studied. Results: CHF rats excreted only 68 + 10.2% of the volume load (10% body weight) in 90 min. CHF rats pretreated with candesartan or after DNX excreted from 92 to 103% like controls. Decreases of RSNA induced by volume expansion were impaired in CHF rats but unaffected by candesartan pointing to an intrarenal drug effect. GFR and RPF were not significantly different in controls or CHF. Conclusion: The prominent function of increased RSNA – retaining salt and water – could no longer be observed after renal Ang II receptor blockade in CHF rats.
Management of Retinal Detachment Associated with Morning Glory Disc Syndrome
Authors: Etheridge Tyler , Oakey Zackery , Altaweel Michael M.
Published: May 2021

We report a case of morning glory disc anomaly in a young patient with tractional retinal detachment successfully repaired with complex pars plana vitrectomy, membrane peel, laser, and oil tamponade. A 19-year-old female with a history of right morning glory disc anomaly associated with PAX6 gene mutation presented with floaters, photopsia, central scotoma, and visual acuity (VA) of 1/200. A complex macula-involving tractional retinal detachment centered around the optic nerve with a morning glory disc anomaly. Retinal detachment was treated with 25-gauge pars plana vitrectomy with difficult separation of the posterior hyaloid. Fibrous preretinal membranes were peeled, a temporal relaxing retinotomy was required, subretinal fluid was drained through a superonasal retinotomy during air-fluid exchange, endolaser was applied, and tamponade was achieved with 1,000-centistoke silicone oil. The retina remained attached at 1-year follow-up, with VA count fingers throughout. Morning glory disc is a rare congenital anomaly associated with PAX6 gene mutation that most often occurs unilaterally. It is rarely associated with tractional retinal detachment. Optimization of visual outcome is imperative despite a poor visual prognosis.
A Novel Culprit in a Patient with Budd-Chiari Syndrome
Authors: Polman Jeremy , Reddy Sainandan , Williams Aaron C. , DeWitt Aaron
Published: May 2021

Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) is an uncommon illness that is characterized by obstruction of hepatic venous outflow. Patients typically present with nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, which can further progress into signs associated with liver failure, including jaundice, encephalopathy, and coagulopathy. The most common causes of BCS include pathologies that induce portal vein thrombosis, such as myeloproliferative disorders, malignancy, and acquired hypercoagulable states. In this case report, a patient who presented with abdominal pain and distention is diagnosed with BCS caused by an unusual etiology. He was found to have significant eosinophilia, prompting additional evaluation for parasitic infections. Using stool diagnostics/studies, he was found to have Dientamoeba fragilis trophozoites. The patient was treated with enoxaparin, warfarin, and metronidazole with a resolution of his symptoms. This case outlines a novel cause of BCS as well as the proposed mechanism of Dientamoeba fragilis induction of BCS.
Fungal Viability of Nail Dust from Onychomycosis Abrasion: A Pilot Study
Authors: Di Chiacchio Nilton , de Sá Menezes Carvalho Gustavo , Di Chiacchio Nilton Gioia , Borges Figueira de Mello Cristina Diniz , Veasey John Verrinder
Published: May 2021

Introduction: Onychomycosis is a frequent complaint in dermatological practice and corresponds to the most common nail disease. The treatment of onychomycosis remains a challenge, as several factors end up compromising and making treatment difficult. Nail abrasion is considered a useful method in many cases. However, there is controversy about this approach, as there is an aerosol formation that could contaminate the environment and cause fungal changes or hypersensitivity reactions by the disseminated dust. We conducted a pilot study to investigate the fungal viability of nail particles from nails with onychomycosis after abrasion procedure. Methods: In this study, nail dust from the gloves and mask, used in the procedure, was collected from 9 patients with clinical and dermoscopic diagnoses of onychomycosis. Results: Hyaline septate hyphae were found in 12 materials (gloves and/or masks) from 7 patients. However, these hyphae were morphologically deformed or mutilated in all exams. In Mycosel® agar, there was no growth of any fungus. Discussion/Conclusion: The absence of dermatophyte isolation in all fungal cultures may demonstrate that the deformed fungal structures shown are not viable and would not present risks of contamination after nail abrasion.
The Effectiveness of Antibiotic-Coated Ventriculoperitoneal Shunts for Prevention of Shunt Infections in Patients with Myelomeningocele
Authors: Ertuğrul Bilal , Kaplan Metin , Batu Hergünsel Ömer , Akgün Bekir , Öztürk Sait , Serhat Erol Fatih
Published: May 2021

Purpose: Hydrocephalus is a common comorbidity among the newborns, with myelomeningocele (MMC) and ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts being frequently used for the treatment of such patients. In this study, we aimed to compare the effectiveness of antibiotic-free and antibiotic-coated shunts to reduce the rate of shunt infection in patients with hydrocephalus and accompanying MMC. Methods: 116 patients with hydrocephalus and MMC who were treated with VP shunts were included in the study. Shunt infection rates among antibiotic-free and antibiotic-coated shunts were compared. Results: Of the 116 patients included in the study, 39 had antibiotic-coated shunts and 77 had antibiotic-free shunts. Shunt infection developed in 4 of the 39 cases treated with antibiotic-coated shunts and in 5 of the 77 cases treated with shunts without antibiotics. No significant statistical difference was found between antibiotic-coated and antibiotic-free VP shunts in terms of shunt infection (p = 0.450, p > 0.05). Conclusion: In patients with MMC, using VP shunts containing antibiotics was found not to have a protective effect in preventing shunt infection. Whether the sac is intact or ruptured does not affect this result.
“Mutig werden kann ich lernen”: Kognitive Verhaltenstherapie bei ausgeprägter Angstsymptomatik, Entwicklungsstörung und Intelligenzminderung
Authors: Knappe Susanne
Published: May 2021

Hintergrund: Die psychotherapeutische Behandlung von Kindern und Jugendlichen mit geistiger Behinderung unterliegt einer Vielzahl von Barrieren. Fallbericht: Der hier vorgestellte Behandlungsfall illustriert die erfolgreiche Anwendung kognitiver Verhaltenstherapie bei einem 10-jährigen Mädchen bei Entwicklungsstörung und Intelligenzminderung. Nach einer medizinisch notwendigen Untersuchung entstanden ausgeprägte Angstsymptome und Verhaltensprobleme. Infolge einer bekannten Epilepsie war der Einsatz expositionsbasierter Techniken fraglich. Die kognitive Verhaltenstherapie umfasste 64 Behandlungseinheiten. Das Vorgehen zur Selbstbeobachtung, Rationalvermittlung und Angstbewältigung war stark handlungsbezogen und wenig kognitiv orientiert und fand im häuslichen Setting mit Einbezug der Familienmitglieder statt. Nachfolgend wurden – auch aufgrund der zunehmenden Reifung des Kindes – kognitiv anspruchsvollere Techniken eingesetzt. Zur 38. Behandlungseinheit wurden zuvor angstbesetzte Situationen dem Entwicklungsstand angemessen und selbstständig bewältigt. Eine nachfolgende medizinische Untersuchung ähnlich der Auslösesituation wurde therapeutisch vorbereitet und sicher bewältigt. Zu Behandlungsende waren die Alltagskompetenzen maßgeblich erweitert. Schlussfolgerungen: Entgegen der Vorannahmen bedurfte es nur weniger Anpassungen an das Setting und die Behandlungstechniken im Vergleich zum Vorgehen bei ähnlicher Symptomatik ohne geistige Behinderung. Durch die psychotherapeutische Behandlung konnte kurz- und langfristig eine Manifestation (Eskalation) von weiterem Problemverhalten verhindert werden. Das Erkennen und die Auseinandersetzung mit dem “Anderssein” infolge der geistigen Behinderung und verfügbarer Alltagskompetenzen bergen Entwicklungsrisiken und -chancen, die durch eine psychotherapeutische Begleitung gut bewältigt werden können.
Ocular and Systemic Complement Activation during Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Treatment and Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 Dietary Supplementation in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Authors: Altay Lebriz , Lemke Julia , Schröder-Braunstein Jutta , Gietzelt Caroline , Sitnilska Vasilena , Schaub Friederike , Cursiefen Claus , Enders Philip , Fauser Sascha
Published: May 2021

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of dietary supplementation using Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) on complement activation in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) under ongoing treatment. Methods: In this prospective, single-center, controlled, open-label investigator-initiated trial, eligible nAMD patients were randomized at a ratio of 1:1 in 2 groups: those with and without dietary AREDS2 supplementation for 4 weeks. Zinc, plasma, and aqueous humor (AH) complement levels were quantified via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results: Fifty of 62 enrolled patients completed the trial (AREDS2 n = 27, controls n = 23). Systemic zinc and complement levels were not different at baseline between the 2 groups (p > 0.1). At the final visit, systemic zinc levels were significantly higher in the AREDS2 group (10.16 ± 2.08 μmol/L; 8.66 ± 1.17 μmol/L; p = 0.007), whereas systemic and AH complement levels were not different (p > 0.1). In both groups, no significant change was observed in systemic levels of C3, C3a, FH, FI, and sC5b-9 (p > 0.1). Only systemic complement component Ba showed an increase from baseline to the end visit (p = 0.01). This increase was higher in the control group (p = 0.02) than in the AREDS2 group (p = 0.23). Conclusions: Short-term dietary AREDS2 supplementation leads to a significant increase in systemic zinc levels without any influence on complement activation levels.
Coronary Heart Disease Risk Associated with Primary Isolated Hypertriglyceridemia; a Population‐Based Study
Authors: Saadatagah Seyedmohammad , Pasha Ahmed K. , Alhalabi Lubna , Sandhyavenu Harigopal , Farwati Medhat , Smith Carin Y. , Wood‐Wentz Christina M. , Bailey Kent R. , Kullo Iftikhar J.
Published: May 2021

Background

Hypertriglyceridemia is associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease but the association is often attributed to concomitant metabolic abnormalities. We investigated the epidemiology of primary isolated hypertriglyceridemia (PIH) and associated cardiovascular risk in a population‐based setting.

Methods and Results

We identified adults with at least one triglyceride level ≥500 mg/dL between 1998 and 2015 in Olmsted County, Minnesota. We also identified age‐ and sex‐matched controls with triglyceride levels <150 mg/dL. There were 3329 individuals with elevated triglyceride levels; after excluding those with concomitant hypercholesterolemia, a secondary cause of high triglycerides, age <18 years or an incomplete record, 517 patients (49.4±14.0 years, 72.0% men) had PIH (triglyceride 627.6±183.6 mg/dL). The age‐ and sex‐adjusted prevalence of PIH in adults was 0.80% (0.72–0.87); the diagnosis was recorded in 60%, 46% were on a lipid‐lowering medication for primary prevention and a triglyceride level <150 mg/dL was achieved in 24.1%. The association of PIH with coronary heart disease was attenuated but remained significant after adjustment for demographic, socioeconomic, and conventional cardiovascular risk factors (hazard ratio [HR], 1.53; 95% CI, 1.06‐2.20;
P
= 0.022). There was no statistically significant association between PIH and cerebrovascular disease (HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.65‐1.73,
P
= 0.813), peripheral artery disease (HR, 1.27; 95% CI, 0.43‐3.75;
P
= 0.668), or the composite end point of all 3 (HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 0.92‐1.80;
P
=0.148) in adjusted models.

Conclusions

PIH was associated with incident coronary heart disease events (although there was attenuation after adjustment for conventional risk factors), supporting a causal role for triglycerides in coronary heart disease. The condition is relatively prevalent but awareness and control are low.
Novitates neocaledonicae. XIII. Taxonomy and nomenclature of the genus Xyris (Xyridaceae, Poales) in New Caledonia, with description of a new species
Authors: MOREL JÉRÉMIE , MUNZINGER JÉRÔME
Published: May 2021

Three endemic species of Xyris (Xyridaceae, Poales) are currently recognized in New Caledonia. A recent multivariate analysis of 18 morphological characters based on 129 specimens of Xyris from New Caledonia, supported by 10 anatomical and micromorphological observations, suggested that three species should be recognized in the New Caledonian archipelago. However, the three published names did not correspond to the three entities identified via the multivariate analyses. The results showed that Xyris neocaledonia Rendle was morphologically distinct but requires lectotypification, Xyris guillauminii Conert was indistinct from X. pancheri Rendle, and that a new morphologically distinct species required description. We therefore propose to clarify the taxonomy of the genus for New Caledonia, by designating a lectotype, making this synonymy and describing the new species. The new species, Xyris desquamatus J.R.Morel & Munzinger, sp. nov., has the remarkable feature of leaves that are shed as the plant senesces, and is reflected in the specific epithet for this new species. Line drawings are provided for the new species, along with colour photos for the three New Caledonian Xyris species and a distribution map. Three identification keys are provided, the first based on vegetative characters, the second on reproductive characters and the third on anatomical features of the leaf. Xyris desquamatus is preliminarily assigned an IUCN risk of extinction assessment of vulnerable.
Miersia putaendensis sp. nov. (Gilliesieae, Amaryllidaceae), a new species endemic to Central Chile

Authors: CÁDIZ-VÉLIZ ARÓN
Published: May 2021

A new species, Miersia putaendensis (Amaryllidaceae), endemic to Central Chile, is described. The new species differs from all known species of Miersia by featuring a white staminal tube with a purple spot and two upper linear, cuneiform floral appendages directed towards the front in its frontal lobe, the apex of which is toothed and deflexed. It inhabits southern slopes of sclerophyll woodlands and scrubs, particularly along rocks. Currently, the species is critically endangered. A detailed description, illustration, distribution map of the new species, and a dichotomous key with all accepted species of Miersia are provided.
A new species of Begonia (Sect. Diploclinium, Begoniaceae) from Sikkim, India

Authors: SHERPA PHURBA LHAMU , PRADHAN ADITYA , CHETTRI ARUN , AGRAWALA DINESH KUMAR , BIATE DAVID LALSAMA
Published: May 2021

A new species, Begonia ahooensis P.L.Sherpa, Aditya Pradhan & Arun Chettri, is described from Sikkim, India. A detailed description along with an illustrative photo plate is provided. Affinity with the allied species B. grandis is discussed.
Typifications of Stevia diversipapposa and its infraspecific names, with a re-description of S. vaga (Asteraceae, Eupatorieae)

Authors: RODRÍGUEZ-CRAVERO JUAN FACUNDO , GUTIÉRREZ DIEGO GERMÁN , GROSSI MARIANA ANDREA
Published: May 2021

Stevia diversipapposa was first described by Hieronymus in 1897, along with its forms breviaristata, exaristata and longiaristata. All these names are considered as later synonyms of S. vaga, a widespread shrub from northwestern and central Argentina, described by Grisebach in 1874. During our revision of the Argentinian species of Stevia, we found that type designations were missing for S. diversipapposa and its forms breviaristata and exaristata. Three specimens of CORD herbarium are chosen here as the lectotype of S. diversipapposa, and the neotypes of S. diversipapposa f. breviaristata and S. diversipapposa f. exaristata. Additionally, we provide a re-description of the species and a distribution map of S. vaga.
Mammal type specimens in the Macleay Collections, University of Sydney
Authors: PARNABY HARRY , GILL ANTHONY C.
Published: May 2021

Type material of 12 mammal taxa originally proposed as species or subspecies are housed in the former Macleay Museum (now Macleay Collections, Chau Chak Wing Museum), University of Sydney and consist of seven holotypes and 12 syntypes. These were published from 1875 to 1887, five by N.N. Miklouho-Maclay and seven by E.P. Ramsay, of which six are currently considered valid taxa. Six type specimens are identified in the Collection for the first time. This includes rediscovery of the holotype skull of the New Guinean forest wallaby Dorcopsis chalmersii Miklouho-Maclay not reported since its description in 1884, a likely syntype of the bandicoot Perameles macroura torosa Ramsay, and three additional syntypes of the flying fox Pteropus (Epomops?) epularius Ramsay. The holotype of the dasyurid Antechinus (Podabrus) froggatti Ramsay, housed at the Australian Museum since before 1959, is also discussed. Limited specimen data currently prevents validation of an additional six specimens identified here as suspected syntypes of four further names: the macropodoids Halmaturus mastersii Krefft, Halmaturus crassipes Ramsay and Hypsiprymnodon moschatus Ramsay, and the bandicoot Perameles moresbyensis Ramsay. Individual accounts are given for a total of 21 proposed names. Type material of four of these remain unlocated in world collections and it is not known if they were ever in the Macleay Collections: the bandicoot Brachymelis garagassi Miklouho-Maclay, 1884; the wallaby Macropus tibol Miklouho-Maclay, 1885; the cuscus Cuscus chrysorrhous var. goldiei Ramsay and the giant rat Hapalotis papuanus Ramsay. The nomenclatural status of the possum Phalangista pinnata Ramsay, 1877, a possible nomen nudum, is also discussed. No nomenclatural actions are taken in this paper.
Two new species of Microterys Thomson, 1876 (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) from Tibet, China
Authors: LI HONG-LIANG , ZHANG YAN-ZHOU
Published: May 2021

Two new species of Microterys (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), Microterys motuoensis Li & Zhang sp. nov. and Microterys tibetensis Li & Zhang sp. nov., are described from Tibet, China. Microterys motuoensis was reared from Kermes sp. (Hemiptera: Kermesidae) on Castanea sp. (Fagales: Fagaceae), and Microterys tibetensis from Saissetia sp. (Hemiptera: Coccidae) on Tetracera sarmentosa Vahl. (Dilleniales: Dilleniaceae).
Sardinella ventura n. sp. (Actinopterygii: Clupeiformes: Clupeidae), a new sardine from Mauritius
Authors: HATA HARUTAKA , MOTOMURA HIROYUKI
Published: May 2021

The new sardine Sardinella ventura n. sp. (Teleostei: Clupeiformes: Clupeidae) is described on the basis of 10 specimens collected from Mauritius. The new species is most similar to Sardinella dayi Regan 1917 in having non-deciduous scales with pores and discontinuous striae, a dark spot on the dorsal-fin origin, the pelvic fin with 8 rays, and similar number of gill rakers, in addition to very similar numbers of keeled scutes. However, the new species is distinguished from S. dayi by having a shorter caudal peduncle [6.2–7.6% SL (mean 7.0%) vs. 8.2–12.0% (9.2%) in S. dayi], larger eye [8.4–9.9% (9.0%) vs. 6.8–8.0% (7.4%)] and orbit [9.6–12.3% (10.7%) vs. 8.5–10.2% (9.3%)], longer pectoral [21.0–22.7% (21.5%) vs. 17.0–21.0% (19.8%)] and pelvic fins [12.5–13.5% (12.8%) vs. 10.4–12.2% (11.2%)], and a greater numbers of pseudobranchial filaments [17–19 (modally 17) vs. 18–22 (19)], lateral scale rows in longitudinal series [41–43 (41) vs. 38–42 (40)] and transverse scales [11 or 12 (12) vs. 11]. There were significant differences in seven meristic and 14 morphometric characters between the two species.