bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Several factors influencing energy‐loss near‐edge structure calculations using Wien2k
Authors: Ding Yifan , Yang Junkai , Ji Yu , Guo Qinwen , Li Xiangfei , Wang Luyao , Meng Ying , Shen Xi , Yao Yuan , Yu Richeng
Published: May 2022

Electron energy‐loss spectroscopy (EELS) is widely applied combining with transmission electron microscopes with high spatial resolution, but its interpretation is a challenging task. One of the reasons is that the factors affecting EELS are very complicated. In this paper, we focus on the several factors involved in density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The sensitivity of calculated energy‐loss near‐edge structure (ELNES) to spin order, pressure and on‐site Coulomb energy U has been discussed. Since EELS technique detects the local environment of atoms, the influence of spin order cannot be ignored. The chemical shifts and peak intensity of ELNES are also closely related to corresponding pressure. The correlation effects are very important for transition metal compounds and play a key role in EELS simulations. An overview of the effects of these factors on the ELNES is presented with the help of Wien2k code. The antiferromagnetic order results in the decreasing of intensities of related peaks and the moving of the peaks to high energy loss. The decreasing of lattice parameters causes the ELNES peaks to shift to high energy loss, and the peak shifts at the higher energy loss are more significant. The increase of correlation effect leads to the ELNES peaks to shift to high energy loss accompanied by the increase of the relative intensity of the peaks which locate at higher energy loss. Our work helps to understand how these factors affect EELS and to explain and predict the experimental EELS spectra. Through the discussion of these factors, we propose that some factors could not be ignored in EELS simulations.
Assessment of hearing loss in patients with rosacea
Authors: Ayvaz Havva Hilal , Sivrice Mehmet Emre , Atay Emrah
Published: May 2022

Objectives/Aims

Rosacea is not only a skin condition but a systemic inflammatory disease that includes chronic inflammation, vascular alterations, and autoimmunity in pathogenesis. We aimed to evaluate the presence of a sensorineural hearing loss in the patients with rosacea in comparison with the healthy control group and, also to compare the audiometric results according to the severity of disease among the patient group.

Methods

Fifty‐three patients with erythematelangiectatic or papulopustular type of rosacea and 105 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls were included. Each participant had audiometric measurements after a complete ear–nose–throat examination by the same otorhinolaryngologist.

Results

The results of air and bone conduction thresholds showed statistically significant differences in particularly high frequencies between the groups in both the right and left ear (for all p < 0.05), but there was no correlation between audiometric measurements and the severity or the type of rosacea (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

Regardless of disease severity or type, rosacea patients are likely to have sensorineural hearing loss, and it is important to refer these patients in the early period.
Regulators CDCA8 as potential targets and biomarkers for the prognosis of human skin cutaneous melanoma
Authors: Guo Rong , Ying Jianghui , Jia Lingling , Zhuang Ni , Jiang Hua , Xiong Jiachao
Published: May 2022

Cutaneous melanoma (CM) is considered as the most malignant skin tumor with high distant metastasis and poor prognosis. Cell division cycle‐associated protein (CDCA) family has a role in regulating cell proliferation and modulating immune cell and tumor cell proliferation in the tumor microenvironment to regulate tumor oncogenesis, development and affect patient outcomes. However, the differential expression pattern and prognostic value of CDCA factors (CDCAs) have not been clarified. In this study, the role of CDCAs in CM was analyzed by using bioinformatics and found that the transcriptional expressions of CDCA1/2/3/5/6/8 were upregulating in CM samples than in normal compares. CM patients with downregulated of CDCA1/3/4/5/6/8 and high transcriptional levels of CDCA7 suggest a significantly better prognosis. Furthermore, the significant correlations among the expression of CDCAs and the infiltration of immune cells. In terms of the protein level, we found CDCA8 was upregulated in CM patients. In conclusion, CDCA8 is a powerful prognostic biomarker for CM and can be a novel target for immunotherapy.
A mathematical model to predict the probability of a successful pregnancy
Authors: Li Shihui , Li Dian , Ma Yanmin
Published: May 2022

Aim

To develop a scoring system for the prediction of a successful pregnancy.

Methods

Data were collected prospectively from women diagnosed with pregnancy from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2018. Pregnant days, hormone levels, and gestational sac diameters were recorded. Relationships among the pregnancy days, hormones, and gestational sac were analyzed by Spearman correlation analysis. A scoring system was established and stratified by the 5th, 50th, and 95th percentile of hormone levels and gestational sac diameters on different pregnancy days. Pregnancy outcomes were predicted by the scores using quadratic polynomial regression analyses. A portable desktop analyzer was developed and the performance was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

Results

In 273 successful pregnancy cases, the length of gestational days was significantly correlated to beta‐human chorionic gonadotropin (β‐hCG) (r = 0.74, p < 0.001) and E2 (r = 0.79, p < 0.001) levels, and the size of the gestational sac (r = 0.88, p < 0.001). Meanwhile, the size of gestational sac was positively correlated with β‐hCG (r = 0.93, p < 0.001) and E2 (r = 0.55, p < 0.001). For 273 delivery and 103 miscarriage cases included in this study, our scoring‐based prediction model rendered an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.86 with the sensitivity of 78.31% and the specificity of 80.83%.

Conclusions

We successfully developed a scoring‐based analyzer to evaluate the viability of embryos at different gestation stages and to predict the probability of a successful delivery, which would provide a reference for clinicians in postpregnancy management.
Distribution of mature and newly regenerated nerve fibres after tooth extraction and dental implant placement: An immunohistological study
Authors: Li Jian , Xue Shenghao , Liu Zhongning , Yao Dongyuan , Jiang Ting
Published: May 2022

Background

The time‐dependent peri‐implant innervation needs to be elucidated in detail.

Objectives

To examine the distribution of mature and newly regenerated nerves around the implant with immunofluorescence during 28‐day follow‐up after implantation.

Methods

35 male Sprague–Dawley rats were grouped into non‐operated (n = 5), extraction (n = 5) and implant (n = 25) groups. For rats in the extraction and implant groups, three right maxillary molars were extracted. One month later, a titanium implant was placed into the healed alveolar ridge in the implant group. The implant group was further divided into 5 subgroups according to day 1, 3, 7, 14 or 28 after implantation, on which day serial histological sections were prepared for immunohistochemistry. On day 28, the serial sections were also prepared in the non‐operated and extraction groups. Soluble protein‐100 and growth‐associated protein‐43 were used to immunolabel mature and newly regenerated nerve fibres, respectively.

Results

In the peri‐implant soft tissues, the number of both mature and newly regenerated nerves showed an increasing trend in 28 days. In the bone tissues, the number of mature or newly regenerated nerves in both areas at less than 100 μm and 100–200 μm from the implant surface on day 28 grew significantly compared with that on day 1 or 3. In addition, the closest distance from mature nerves to the implant surface decreased evidently.

Conclusion

The number of peri‐implant nerves increased in 28 days since implantation. The innervation in the soft tissue took place faster than in the bone tissue. The mature nerves in the bone tissue approached the implant gradually.
Structure‐function analysis for the development of peptide inhibitors for a Gram‐positive quorum sensing system
Authors: Abdullah Iman Tajer , Ulijasz Andrew T. , Girija Umakhanth Venkatraman , Tam Sien , Andrew Peter , Hiller Natalia Luisa , Wallis Russell , Yesilkaya Hasan
Published: May 2022

The Streptococcus pneumoniae Rgg144/SHP144 regulator‐peptide quorum sensing (QS) system is critical for nutrient utilization, oxidative stress response, and virulence. Here, we characterized this system by assessing the importance of each residue within the active short hydrophobic peptide (SHP) by alanine‐scanning mutagenesis and testing the resulting peptides for receptor binding and activation of the receptor. Interestingly, several of the mutations had little effect on binding to Rgg144 but reduced transcriptional activation appreciably. In particular, a proline substitution (P21A) reduced transcriptional activation by 29‐fold but bound with a 3‐fold higher affinity than the wild‐type SHP. Consistent with the function of Rgg144, the mutant peptide led to decreased utilization of mannose and increased susceptibility to superoxide generator paraquat. Pangenome comparison showed full conservation of P21 across SHP144 allelic variants. Crystallization of Rgg144 in the absence of peptide revealed a comparable structure to the DNA bound and free forms of its homologs suggesting similar mechanisms of activation. Together, these analyses identify key interactions in a critical pneumococcal QS system. Further manipulation of the SHP has the potential to facilitate the development of inhibitors that are functional across strains. The approach described here is likely to be effective across QS systems in multiple species.
‘That still goes on, doesn't it, in their religion?’ British values, Islam and vernacular discourse
Authors: Marsden Lee , Jarvis Lee , Atakav Eylem
Published: May 2022

This article explores ‘everyday’ or ‘vernacular’ conceptions of Muslims, Islam and their relationship to ‘British values’. Drawing on original data from focus groups in the East of England, it argues that the relationship is typically constructed around a series of binary pairings. Where Islam is held to be traditional, conservative, pious and outmoded, British values are seen as progressive, liberal, secular and modern. This opposition matters for three reasons. First, it is a contingent construction rather than reflection of realities; one that draws upon Orientalist tropes and militates against alternative ways of imagining this relationship. Second, it does important work at the vernacular level in explaining political dynamics, especially successful integration (because of British liberalism) and the failure thereof (because of Islam's traditionalism). Third, its predication on an essentialised claim of difference inflects even competing efforts to story the British values/Islam relationship which tend, we suggest, to reinforce the positioning of Muslims and their values as somehow beyond or external to Britishness.
Visual identifier systems for patients with cognitive impairment in healthcare settings: A survey of practice in UK hospitals
Authors: Kuberska Karolina , Dixon‐Woods Mary , Martin Graham ,   The DA VINCI Contributor Group
Published: May 2022

Background

People with dementia and other forms of cognitive impairment form a substantial proportion of patients admitted to hospitals, but problems in their care are persistent. One widely proposed improvement approach involves the use of systems using visual identifiers to help staff quickly recognise people with suspected dementia, with the goal of supporting more personalised care. The aim of this paper is to identify the identifier systems in use and staff perceptions of their strengths and weaknesses.

Methods

We undertook an online survey of staff providing care for people with dementia in acute and mental health hospitals across the United Kingdom. The questionnaire covered different types of visual identifier systems for dementia. It used categorical and open‐response questions to access staff views of their use in practice. Responses were analysed using descriptive statistics, and the Framework approach for free‐text answers.

Results

162 responses were received from staff in at least 48 hospitals. Of these, 128 had direct experience of using visual identifier systems. They reported that multiple identifier systems are in use, including schemes with national scope and locally developed approaches. Most respondents reported that more than one system is in use in their hospital. Different types of identifier were seen to have different strengths and weaknesses. Respondents had a broadly positive view of identifiers, but highlighted risks including lack of reliable and consistent use (linked to competing pressures on staff time), lack of staff training, uncertainty about patient and family views, and unclear consent processes.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that a wide range of identifier systems is in use in UK hospitals, with many hospitals using more than one. Further consideration should be given to ensuring that multiple perspectives—including those of patients and carers—are drawn on in optimising their design, resolving ethical issues and supporting implementation.
Severe atopic dermatitis in a 21‐month‐old boy successfully treated with dupilumab
Authors: Mazzoni Daniel , Lobo Yolanka , Levitt David , Wheller Laura
Published: May 2022

While dupilumab has emerged as a novel targeted systemic treatment for severe AD, efficacy and safety‐based data in young children are limited. We discuss the case of a 21‐month‐old child with severe recalcitrant atopic dermatitis successfully treated with dupilumab.
Our evolution in the treatment of hepatic artery and portal vein thrombosis in pediatric liver transplantation: Success with catheter‐directed therapies
Authors: Moreno Nicolas F. , Hernandez Jose Alberto , Huang Chun‐Sing , Desai Moreshwar S. , Haug Allison B. , Cleveland Heather , Upton Ashley , Koohmaraie Sarah , Goss Matthew B. , Leung Daniel H. , Banc‐Husu Anna M. , Justino Henri , Goss John A. , Galvan Nhu Thao. N.
Published: May 2022

Background

In pediatric liver transplant recipients, hepatic artery thrombosis and portal vein thrombosis are major causes of acute graft failure and mortality within 30 days of transplantation. There is, however, a strong possibility of graft salvage if flow can be re‐established to reduce ischemic injury. The current standard treatment is surgical revascularization, and if unsuccessful, retransplantation. Due to our success in treating these complications with catheter‐directed therapies, we sought to summarize and publish the outcomes of all patients who experienced hepatic artery thrombosis or portal vein thrombosis within 30 days of liver transplantation.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of 27 pediatric liver transplant recipients who experienced hepatic artery thrombosis (n = 13), portal vein thrombosis (n = 9), or both (n = 5) between September 2012 and March 2021. We collected and tabulated data on the patients and therapies performed to treat them, including success rates, primary and secondary patency, and clinical outcomes.

Results

Among these patients, 6 were managed with anticoagulation and relisting for transplant and 21 had a primary revascularization attempt. Surgical recanalization was attempted in 7 patients of which 3 had successful recanalization (43%) and catheter‐directed recanalization was attempted in 14 patients with 100% success in re‐establishing blood flow to the graft. Additionally, patency was increased, and mortality was decreased in patients treated with catheter‐directed recanalization compared to surgical revascularization or anticoagulation alone.

Conclusion

This data illustrates the need to further investigate catheter‐directed thrombolysis as a potential first‐line treatment for postoperative HAT and PVT in pediatric liver transplant recipients.
DTH8 overexpression induces early flowering, boosts yield, and improves stress recovery in rice cv IR64
Authors: Mishra Manjari , Rathore Ray Singh , Joshi Rohit , Pareek Ashwani , Singla‐Pareek Sneh Lata
Published: May 2022

Rice yield and heading date are the two discrete traits controlled by quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Both traits are influenced by the genetic make‐up of the plant as well as the environmental factors where it thrives. Drought and salinity adversely affect crop productivity in many parts of the world. Tolerance to these stresses is multigenic and complex in nature. In this study, we have characterized a QTL, DTH8 (days to heading) from Oryza sativa L. cv IR64 that encodes a putative HAP3/NF‐YB/CBF subunit of CCAAT‐box binding protein (HAP complex). We demonstrate DTH8 to be positively influencing the yield, heading date, and stress tolerance in IR64. DTH8 up‐regulates the transcription of RFT1, Hd3a, GHD7, MOC1, and RCN1 in IR64 at the pre‐flowering stage and plays a role in early flowering, increased number of tillers, enhanced panicle branching, and improved tolerance towards drought and salinity stress at the reproductive stage. The presence of DTH8 binding elements (CCAAT) in the promoter regions of all of these genes, predicted by in silico analysis of the promoter region, indicates the regulation of their expression by DTH8. In addition, DTH8 overexpressing transgenic lines showed favorable physiological parameters causing less yield penalty under stress than the WT plants. Taken together, DTH8 is a positive regulator of the network of genes related to early flowering/heading, higher yield, as well as salinity and drought stress tolerance, thus, enabling the crops to adapt to a wide range of climatic conditions.
Comparison of Rapid Cognitive Screen against Montreal Cognitive Assessment in screening for cognitive impairment in the old and old‐old
Authors: Chen Matthew Zhixuan , Chan Yiong Huak , Wong Michael Wai Kit , Merchant Reshma Aziz
Published: May 2022

Background

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was developed as a screening tool for mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Given the need for a rapid screening test in settings such as primary care, we compare the validity of the Rapid Cognitive Screen (RCS) against the MoCA, and determine cut‐off scores in the old and old‐old.

Methods

Cross‐sectional study involving community‐dwelling ‘old’ (65 to 79 years old) and ‘old‐old’ (≥ 80 years old) without dementia. Cognitive impairment was defined by MoCA score 17 to 22. Validation was done using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis: area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity (Sn), and specificity (Sp).

Results

Of the 183 participants (mean age 72.1 ± 5.2 years),15.8% (n = 29) were classified as cognitively impaired. The overall ROC curve had an AUC of 0.82 (95% CI 0.75–0.90, P < 0.01) with an optimal cut‐off of 7/8 on RCS (Sn 0.77, Sp 0.72). The ‘old’ and ‘old‐old’ group had AUC of 0.82 (95% CI 0.74–0.91, P < 0.01) with 8/9 as optimal cut‐off (Sn 0.51, Sp 0.96) and AUC of 0.85 (95% CI 0.66–1.03, P < 0.01) with 7/8 as optimal cut‐off (Sn 0.71, Sp 1.00) respectively. In multivariate analysis, age was associated with 0.05 (95% CI ‐0.10‐0.00, P < 0.04) point decrement, while >6 years of education was associated with 0.82 (95% CI 0.32–1.33, P < 0.01) point increment in RCS scores.

Conclusion

The three‐item RCS is quick and easy to administer. Although RCS met the criterion for good validity against MoCA in predicting cognitive impairment, its utility as a first‐line screening tool needs to be further validated in a large‐scale population study.
PubMed Text Data Mining Automation for Biological Validation on Lists of Genes and Pathways
Authors: Nies Hui Wen , Zakaria Zalmiyah , Chan Weng Howe , Kamsani Izyan Izzati , Hasan Nor Shahida
Published: May 2022

Abstract — A prognostic cancer marker is helpful in oncology to identify the abnormal cancer cells from the collected sample. This marker can be used as an indicator to determine a disease outcome, cancer treatment, and drug discovery. Identifying cancer markers is also beneficial to improve cancer patients’ survival rate in receiving the treatment decision-making. Cancer markers can be determined by testing every gene or pathway in the wet lab manually or using the text mining automation method. The use of text mining techniques effectively investigates hidden information and gathers new knowledge from many existing sources. Unfortunately, querying relevant text to excavate important information is a challenging task. PubMed text data mining is one of the applications that help explore potential cancer markers as the trend of scientific articles in PubMed is steadily increased. Besides, it can support biologists to concentrate on the identified small set of genes or pathways. PubMed identifiers (PMIDs) are then obtained as evidence to ascertain the relationship between diseases and genes (or pathways) used as biological validation. Thus, this technique can discover the biological relationship between disease and genes or pathways. Therefore, the PubMed text data mining automation is invented to link to the websites for saving time instead of manually.

Keywords — PubMed, text data mining, biological validation, cancer markers, diseases, genes, pathways.
3D Display for 3D Telepresence: A Review
Authors: Fadzli Fazliaty Edora , Nor’a Muhammad Nur Affendy , Ismail Ajune Wanis
Published: May 2022

Over the years, people have tried to advance 3D display technology and researchers as well as developers have created different innovations in recent decades. there are many other different types of 3D display technology that can be classified into stereoscopic, auto stereoscopic, holographic and volumetric 3D displays. This paper, however, discusses the 3D display technology that have been implemented in the telepresence system, which can be divided into two main devices, projectors and head mounted display (HMD). From these two devices, the 3D display technology using projector devices are on-stage hologram, auto stereoscopic display, and holographic projection; while for HMD can be divided into MR headset and VR HMD. This paper provides a review on these 3D display for telepresence. Finally, we make a comparison based on the features of the 3D display technologies such as life-size capability, viewable from different perspectives, headset-free experience number of viewers per device, level of ease of setup and the nausea of discomfort level. To choose the best 3D display technology for a telepresence system, we must first identify the number of users who will be projected and who will be viewed. The goal and activity of using telepresence technology will also define the appropriate type of 3D display.
A Conceptual Design for COMBI Dengue Prevention based on an Integrated Psychology and Persuasive Technology Models
Authors: Ghazali Masitah , Rosli Afzan , Ibrahim Noraini , Hisham Habel
Published: May 2022

Dengue prevention is the best way to prevent dengue outbreaks, as the tagline goes, “prevention is better than cure”. But the challenges lie on sustaining the preventive activity among the community, which commonly only takes place periodically, i.e. when they are dengue outbreaks, with the presence of health officers under the Communication for Behavioral Impact (COMBI) campaign. In this study, a behaviour change model based on the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) and trigger elements derived from the Fogg Behaviour Model (FBM) is proposed to sustain a community in carrying out preventive activities to prevent dengue. Furthermore, the intervention strategy is added to connect the TTM and FBM. In addition, an interview with the community leader, from the community which used to be a hotspot for dengue, and a survey with its residents are performed to give further insights into the development of the proposed model.
A Scheme of Pairwise Feature Combinations to Improve Sentiment Classification Using Book Review Dataset
Authors: Huspi Sharin Hazlin , Abubakar Haisal Dauda , Umar Mahmood
Published: May 2022

Sentiment Analysis is a Natural Language Processing (NLP) domain related to the identification or extraction of user sentiments or opinions from written language. Although the approaches to achieve the goals may vary, Machine Learning (ML) methods are gradually becoming the preferred method because of their ability to automatically draw useful insight from data regardless of their complexity. However, an important prerequisite for most ML algorithms to learn from text data is to encode them into numerical vectors. Popular approaches to this include word level representation methods TF-IDF, distributed word representations (word2vec) and distributed document representations (doc2vec). Each of these methods has demonstrated remarkable success in representing the encoded text, however we found that no method has been set to be excellence in all tasks. Motivated by this challenge, an improved scheme of pairwise fusion are proposed for sentiment classification of book reviews. In the experimental findings, Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Logistic Regression (LR) classifiers showed that the proposed scheme improved the performance compared to the single method vectorization method. We see that TF-IDF-word2vec performed best among other methods with a mean accuracy of 91.0% (ANN) and 92.5% (LR); showed an improvement of 0.7% and 0.2% respectively over TF-IDF which is the best single vector method. Thus, the proposed method can used as a compact alternative to the popular bag-of-n-gram models as it captures contextual information of encoded document with a less sparse data.
A Systematic Literature Review of Failure Prediction in Production Environment Using Machine Learning Technique
Authors: Majid Hanafi , Anuar Syahid
Published: May 2022

Context: Process continuity is one of the fundamental quality attributes of a production environment. The accurate prediction of a process failure is a significant challenge for the effective management of the production delivery process.

Objective: The primary aim of this paper is to present a systematic review of studies related to the prediction of failure of production environment using machine learning techniques. Several research questions are identified and investigated in this review, with the goal of providing a comprehensive summary, analyses, and discuss variously viewpoints concerning failure prediction measurements, datasets, metrics, measures of evaluation, individual models and also with the ensemble models.

Method: The study employs the usual systematic literature review methodology and is limited to the most widely used digital database libraries for computer science from January 2016 to May 2021.

Results: We examine 40 relevant research published in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. The findings indicate that there is just a small amount of activity in the region of the production environment using failure prediction compared with other service quality attributes. SVM, RF, DT, LR, and LSTM were the most commonly used ML techniques employed in the selected primary studies, and the most accurate is the prediction model using ANN. The majority of studies concentrated on regression problems and used supervised kinds of machine learning. Individual and ensemble prediction models were used in the majority of investigations, with the number of studies using each type being nearly equal.

 Conclusion: According to the findings of this comprehensive literature analysis, ensemble models outperformed individual models in terms of accuracy prediction and have been found to be helpful models for predicting the fault or unexpected events. However, their use is rather infrequent, and there is a pressing need to put these and other models to use in the real world to a large number of datasets with a diverse collection of datasets in order to improve the accuracy and consistency of the findings.
Landslides Susceptibility Mapping in R Program (Case study in Lima Puluh Kota Regency)
Authors: Ahyuni Ahyuni - , Bekti Susetyo Bigharta , Diva Isra Haryati , Mar’ah Zakiyah , Nur Hamdi , Nofrizal Adenan Yandra , Aziz Azwirda
Published: May 2022

Landslide susceptibility zonation is necessary to be considered in land use planning at various scales., different approaches and analytical methods can be used to evaluate and zone the area and processed with GIS software. However, there are constraints in its use, such as the cost of the licenses of software and source code that cannot be accessed and evaluated by users. The recent development of open-source software that can integrate data, analysis, and graphs in a representation such as the R program, has opened up opportunities for researchers to reevaluate and modify interpretation further from available ones to address issues. In this regard, this study aims to create functions in R using the Weight of Evidence (WoE) method, a form of bivariate statistic approach to acquire the significant factors controlling landslides and generate a susceptibility map. The case study is located in Limapuluh Kota Regency, West Sumatra Province of Indonesia, a hilly and mountainous region where its districts are prone to landslides. Eight of eleven factors such as geology, landform, land cover, elevation, density of vegetation greenness, slope, rainfall intensity, and proximity to stream were regarded to control landslides which set up four classes of landslide susceptibility zone (very low, low, moderate, and high).
Rho‐kinase inhibition improves haemodynamic responses and circulating ATP during hypoxia and moderate intensity handgrip exercise in healthy older adults
Authors: Racine Matthew L. , Terwoord Janée D. , Ketelhut Nathaniel B. , Bachman Nate P. , Richards Jennifer C. , Luckasen Gary J. , Dinenno Frank A.
Published: May 2022

Skeletal muscle haemodynamics and circulating adenosine triphosphate (ATP) responses during hypoxia and exercise are blunted in older (OA) vs. young (YA) adults, which may be associated with impaired red blood cell (RBC) ATP release. Rho‐kinase inhibition improves deoxygenation‐induced ATP release from OA isolated RBCs. We tested the hypothesis that Rho‐kinase inhibition (via fasudil) in vivo would improve local haemodynamic and ATP responses during hypoxia and exercise in OA. Healthy YA (25 ± 3 years; n = 12) and OA (65 ± 5 years; n = 13) participated in a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, crossover study on two days (≥5 days between visits). A forearm deep venous catheter was used to administer saline/fasudil and sample venous plasma ATP ([ATP]V). Forearm vascular conductance (FVC) and [ATP]V were measured at rest, during isocapnic hypoxia (80% ), and during graded rhythmic handgrip exercise that was similar between groups (5, 15 and 25% maximum voluntary contraction (MVC)). Isolated RBC ATP release was measured during normoxia/hypoxia. With saline, ΔFVC was lower (P < 0.05) in OA vs. YA during hypoxia (∼60%) and during 15 and 25% MVC (∼25–30%), and these impairments were abolished with fasudil. Similarly, [ATP]V and ATP effluent responses from normoxia to hypoxia and rest to 25% MVC were lower in OA vs. YA and improved with fasudil (P < 0.05). Isolated RBC ATP release during hypoxia was impaired in OA vs. YA (∼75%; P < 0.05), which tended to improve with fasudil in OA (P = 0.082). These data suggest Rho‐kinase inhibition improves haemodynamic responses to hypoxia and moderate intensity exercise in OA, which may be due in part to improved circulating ATP.

image

Key points

Skeletal muscle blood flow responses to hypoxia and exercise are impaired with age. Blunted increases in circulating ATP, a vasodilator, in older adults may contribute to age‐related impairments in haemodynamics.

Red blood cells (RBCs) are a primary source of circulating ATP, and treating isolated RBCs with a Rho‐kinase inhibitor improves age‐related impairments in deoxygenation‐induced RBC ATP release.

In this study, treating healthy older adults systemically with the Rho‐kinase inhibitor fasudil improved blood flow and circulating ATP responses during hypoxia and moderate intensity handgrip exercise compared to young adults, and also tended to improve isolated RBC ATP release.

Improved blood flow regulation with fasudil was also associated with increased skeletal muscle oxygen delivery during hypoxia and exercise in older adults.

This is the first study to demonstrate that Rho‐kinase inhibition can significantly improve age‐related impairments in haemodynamic and circulating ATP responses to physiological stimuli, which may have therapeutic implications.
Numerical Analysis of Water Jet Injection in the Draft Tube of a Francis Turbine at Part Load Operations
Authors: Khullar Subodh , Singh Krishna M. , Cervantes Michel J. , Gandhi Bhupendra K.
Published: May 2022

The off-design operation of Francis turbines results in the onset of flow instabilities. These instabilities lead to severe pressure pulsations, power swings, fatigue damage, and torque fluctuations in the turbine unit. Axial water jet injection in the draft tube is a relatively recent method proposed to reduce the detrimental effects of flow instabilities on turbine performance. However, its efficacy at different operating points needs to be ascertained before implementing in actual prototype turbines. This work reports the findings of numerical investigations performed with water injection at three different part-load conditions. These operating points represent distinct flow regimes in the draft tube. The effect of water injection on the velocity and pressure fields in the draft tube is investigated. The results indicate that the water jet strongly influences the turbine performance at part-loads involving a precessing vortex rope. However, little influence of water jet is observed at deep part-load operation. The interaction of the jet with the draft tube bend is also investigated. The results show that the amount of water jet needs to be cautiously controlled as higher water jet injection impacting the bend may deteriorate the performance. The influence of water jet injection on the pressure recovery, power output, and efficiency of the turbine unit is also reported.
Seven nonstandard models coupling quantum matter and gravity
Authors: Donadi Sandro , Bassi Angelo
Published: May 2022

We review seven models which consistently couple quantum matter and (Newtonian) gravity in a nonstandard way. For each of them, we present the underlying motivations, the main equations, and, when available, a comparison with experimental data.
Prefrontal Cortex Brain Activation During Texting and Walking: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Feasibility Study
Authors: Krasovsky Tal , Madi Rawda , Fruchter Eyal , Jahjah Elias , Holtzer Roee
Published: May 2022

Texting while walking is an increasingly common, potentially dangerous task but its functional brain correlates have yet to be reported. Therefore, we evaluated prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation patterns during single- and dual-task texting and walking in healthy adults. Thirteen participants (29–49 years) walked under single- and dual-task conditions involving mobile phone texting or a serial-7s subtraction task, while measuring PFC activation (functional near-infrared spectroscopy) and behavioral task performance (inertial sensors, mobile application). Head lowering during texting increased PFC activation. Texting further increased PFC activation, and decreased gait performance similarly to serial-7 subtraction. Our results support the key role of executive control in texting while walking.
Deontological Ethics, Naomi Osaka, and the 2021 French Open: A Teaching Case Study for Deontological Ethics
Authors: Provencio Chuck
Published: May 2022

This simulation scenario is based on the events surrounding Naomi Osaka’s decision to withdraw from the 2021 French Open tennis tournament, in which Osaka chose not to participate in media obligations due to mental health concerns. Tournament officials attempted to address her concerns, but Osaka did not find the response substantial enough and viewed the response as worsening the situation. Sport managers, athletes, and other stakeholders have responsibilities toward one another that may be best viewed through deontological ethics. Students will analyze the situation from the perspective of a sport manager using deontology as their guiding ethical framework. Learning objectives include developing a deeper understanding of Kant’s categorical imperative and Ross’s prima facie intuitionism, as well as providing opportunities for students to practice ethical leadership in a classroom setting.
Microbes and Climate Change - Science, People & Impacts
Authors:   American Society for Microbiology
Published: May 2022

Climate change is unarguably a critical existential threat to humanity in the 21st century. As the most abundant organisms on Earth, microorganisms make considerable contributions to and are greatly affected by a changing climate. Microbes are major drivers of elemental cycles (such are carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus), important producers and consumers of greenhouse gases, and pertinent pathogens of humans, animals and plants. While the threat of climate change looms large, conversations about the relationship between it and microorganisms are still rare outside of the microbial sciences community. To understand fully how our climate may change in the future, it is important to learn how a changing climate will impact microbes and their relationships with humans and their environment, as well as incorporate microbial processes into climate models. This report is based on the deliberations of experts who participated in a colloquium on Nov. 5, 2021 organized by the American Academy of Microbiology, the honorific leadership group and think tank within the American Society for Microbiology. These experts came from diverse disciplines and sectors and provided multifaceted perspectives and insights. Over the course of the discussion, the group made several major recommendations for academic, policy, and market partners to drive innovation for microbe-driven climate change solutions that support human well-being.
A CURE for the COVID-19 Era: A Vaccine-Focused Online Immunology Laboratory
Authors: Baid Srishti , Hefty P. Scott , Morgan Dyan E.
Published: May 2022

During the COVID-19 pandemic, universities across the globe quickly shifted to online education. Laboratory courses faced unique challenges and were forced to reevaluate learning objectives and identify creative projects to engage students online.
Draft Genome Sequence of
Desemzia
sp. Strain C1, Producing Hydrogen Peroxide, Isolated from Oil-Contaminated Soil
Authors: Ko Yongseok , Yang Youri , Ghatge Sunil , Kim Seunghyeon , Hur Hor-Gil
Published: May 2022

Here, we report the draft genome sequence of
Desemzia
sp. strain C1, which was isolated from oil-contaminated soil in South Korea and produces hydrogen peroxide (H
2
O
2
). The genome of
Desemzia
sp. strain C1 contains genes encoding various oxidases involved in H
2
O
2
production and resistance to oxidative stress.
Complete Genome Sequence of
Flagellimonas
sp. Strain CMM7, Isolated from a Marine Green Alga,
Codium minus
(Schmidt) Silva
Authors: Shin Jang-In , Bang Man-Seok , Kim Ji Young , Oh Chung-Hun
Published: May 2022

Here, we report the genome sequence of
Flagellimonas
sp. strain CMM7, which was isolated from a marine green alga,
Codium minus
(Schmidt) Silva, in Jeju Island, South Korea. The genome is complete and consists of 4,421,981 bp, with a GC content of 37.5%, 3,942 predicted protein-coding sequences, and 49 RNA genes.
Updated Genome Sequence of the Facultative Methanotroph
Methylocystis
sp. Strain SB2
Authors: Kang-Yun Christina S. , Chang Jin , Semrau Jeremy D.
Published: May 2022

The genome of
Methylocystis
sp. strain SB2, which was previously isolated from a spring bog in southeast Michigan, was sequenced using long-read sequencing technology. This new sequencing and assembly effort yielded a complete assembly of the genome in a single contig.
Genome Sequences of Two Methicillin-Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus Healthy Skin Isolates
Authors: Mills Krista B. , Jia Fan , Stein Michelle E. , Keim Klara C. , Davidson Rebecca M. , Horswill Alexander R.
Published: May 2022

The USA300 and USA600 clonal lineages are the cause of many serious
Staphylococcus aureus
infections. Here, we report the complete genomes of two methicillin-sensitive
S. aureus
strains isolated from the healthy skin of adults in Colorado, which are most phylogenetically similar to the USA300 and USA600 lineages.
System-Wide Analysis of the GATC-Binding Nucleoid-Associated Protein Gbn and Its Impact onStreptomycesDevelopment
Authors: Du Chao , Willemse Joost , Erkelens Amanda M. , Carrion Victor J. , Dame Remus T. , van Wezel Gilles P.
Published: May 2022

A large part of the chemical space of bioactive natural products is derived fromActinobacteria. Many of the biosynthetic gene clusters for these compounds are cryptic; in others words, they are expressed in nature but not in the laboratory.
The Nuclear DNA Sensor IFI16 Indiscriminately Binds to and Diminishes Accessibility of the HSV-1 Genome to Suppress Infection
Authors: Howard Timothy R. , Lum Krystal K. , Kennedy Michelle A. , Cristea Ileana M.
Published: May 2022

Mammalian host defense against viral infection includes broad-acting cellular restriction factors, as well as effectors of intrinsic and innate immunity. IFI16 is a critical nuclear host defense factor and intrinsic immune protein involved in binding viral DNA genomes, thereby repressing the replication of nucleus-replicating viruses, including the human herpes simplex virus 1.
SARS-CoV-2 Distribution in Residential Housing Suggests Contact Deposition and Correlates with
Rothia
sp.
Authors: Cantú Victor J. , Salido Rodolfo A. , Huang Shi , Rahman Gibraan , Tsai Rebecca , Valentine Holly , Magallanes Celestine G. , Aigner Stefan , Baer Nathan A. , Barber Tom , Belda-Ferre Pedro , Betty Maryann , Bryant MacKenzie , Casas Maya Martín , Castro-Martínez Anelizze , Chacón Marisol , Cheung Willi , Crescini Evelyn S. , De Hoff Peter , Eisner Emily , Farmer Sawyer , Hakim Abbas , Kohn Laura , Lastrella Alma L. , Lawrence Elijah S. , Morgan Sydney C. , Ngo Toan T. , Nouri Alhakam , Plascencia Ashley , Ruiz Christopher A. , Sathe Shashank , Seaver Phoebe , Shwartz Tara , Smoot Elizabeth W. , Ostrander R. Tyler , Valles Thomas , Yeo Gene W. , Laurent Louise C. , Fielding-Miller Rebecca , Knight Rob
Published: May 2022

Surface sampling for detecting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is increasingly being used to locate infected individuals. We tested which indoor surfaces had high versus low viral loads by collecting 381 samples from three residential units where infected individuals resided, and interpreted the results in terms of whether SARS-CoV-2 was likely transmitted directly (e.g., touching a light switch) or indirectly (e.g., by droplets or aerosols settling).
Raffinose Inhibits Streptococcus mutans Biofilm Formation by Targeting Glucosyltransferase
Authors: Ham So-Young , Kim Han-Shin , Cha Eunji , Lim Taehyeung , Byun Youngjoo , Park Hee-Deung
Published: May 2022

Dental caries is the most prevalent infectious disease and is expensive to manage. Dental biofilms can be eliminated via mechanical treatment or inhibited using antibiotics.
A Random Forest approach to predict geology from geophysics in the Pontiac subprovince, Canada
Authors: Darijani Mehrdad , Farquharson Colin G. , Perrouty Stéphane
Published: May 2022

Current “visual” integration approaches to map geology from geophysics are challenging, biased toward user assumptions, and time consuming. Applying a supervised machine learning Random Forest method to airborne geophysical data sets is an alternative solution to quickly generate interpretative maps, which can later be validated through targeted and therefore more efficient field campaigns. The approach is tested in the Malartic–Cadillac area of the Pontiac subprovince, Canada. Available airborne geophysical data sets include magnetic, frequency-domain electromagnetic, and radiometric data. Unlike the western part of the area, many studies have been done in the eastern part where the world-class Canadian Malartic gold deposit is located. The eastern part has abundant field observations and well-documented geology that are used as training data for Random Forest learning. A predicted map is built after preprocessing the data, gridding the area into a mesh of nodes and training using known geological knowledge. The results provide new information about the spatial distribution of lithological units, including diabase dikes, felsic-intermediate igneous rocks, mafic–ultramafic igneous rocks, and sedimentary rocks. Comparison between the predicted map and previous geological maps could suggest locations where future field mapping efforts should focus in the Malartic–Cadillac area.
Digital Assyriology—Advances in Visual Cuneiform Analysis
Authors: Bogacz Bartosz , Mara Hubert
Published: May 2022

Cuneiform tablets appertain to the oldest textual artifacts used for more than three millennia and are comparable in amount and relevance to texts written in Latin or ancient Greek. These tablets are typically found in the Middle East and were written by imprinting wedge-shaped impressions into wet clay. There is an increasing demand in the Digital Humanities domain for handwriting recognition, i.e., machine reading of handwritten script, focusing on historic documents. Current practice in text analysis of cuneiform script relies heavily on transliteration and translation, which are incomplete and influenced by the knowledge and experience of the expert that created them. The development of computational tools for cuneiform analysis presents many opportunities. An efficient and accurate sign spotting enables cross-referencing and statistical analyzes that are infeasible to perform manually. Furthermore, a wedge constellation spotting tool, provides experts with a significantly broader base of references to create more accurate and less time consuming transliterations and translations. Yet, cuneiform script has since resisted efforts to computational processing on basis of its basic constituents, its 3D wedge-shaped impressions and their free-form arrangements into signs. In this work, we review the literature on computational processing and recognition in the domain of cuneiform script. We introduce the different heterogeneous sources of cuneiform script, namely, manual ink-on-paper drawings, digital vector graphics drawings, photographs, and 3D scans of tablets. We describe the development of methods, beginning with the first computational classification using a hybrid manual encoding and computational comparison, to the latest methods making use of Generative Adversarial Neural Networks to recognize characters automatically. Finally, we give an overview of applications of these methods that enable quantitative mining in the small, e.g., patterns of wedge constellations, and in the large, e.g., networks of economic activity.