bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Some more properties of the bisect-diagonal quadrilateral
Authors: de Villiers Michael
Published: October 2021

Martin Josefsson [1] has coined the term ‘bisect-diagonal quadrilateral’ for a quadrilateral with at least one diagonal bisected by the other diagonal, and extensively explored some of its properties. This quadrilateral has also been called a ‘bisecting quadrilateral’ [2], a ‘sloping-kite’ or ‘sliding-kite’ [3], or ‘slant kite’ [4]. The purpose of this paper is to explore some more properties of this quadrilateral.
A triangular exploration
Authors: De Prithwijit , Leversha Gerry
Published: October 2021

In this Article we study the following problem: Let ΔABC be an acute-angled triangle. Let the points D, E, F on the sides BC, CA and AB, respectively, be such that AD is the median from A, BE is the internal angle bisector of ∠ABC, and CF is the altitude from C. This is shown in Figure 1.
Functional outcomes of early laryngeal cancer – endoscopic laser surgery versus external beam radiotherapy: a systematic review
Authors: Boyle K , Jones S
Published: October 2021

Objective

Current evidence suggests there is no difference between endoscopic laser surgery and radiotherapy with regards to oncological outcomes of early laryngeal cancer. Patient management may therefore be directed towards voice and quality of life outcomes. This systematic review compares functional outcomes with respect to voice character, swallowing outcomes and quality of life for endoscopic laser surgery versus radiotherapy for T1 and T2 stage laryngeal carcinoma.

Method

Search terminology was designed by both authors and used in Cochrane, PubMed and Web of Science databases. Studies of adult patients treated for primary T1 and T2 laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma utilising one objective (validated) measure of quality of life, swallowing or voice were included.

Results

Initial searches identified 1767 studies. After inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, 42 studies were identified for full-text review.

Conclusion

This review concluded that neither treatment is clearly advantageous. Future research should be composed of further prospective studies that use a standardised assessment regime to allow valid comparison.
Lichen algae: the photosynthetic partners in lichen symbioses
Authors: Sanders William B. , Masumoto Hiroshi
Published: October 2021

A review of algal (including cyanobacterial) symbionts associated with lichen-forming fungi is presented. General aspects of their biology relevant to lichen symbioses are summarized. The genera of algae currently believed to include lichen symbionts are outlined; approximately 50 can be recognized at present. References reporting algal taxa in lichen symbiosis are tabulated, with emphasis on those published since the 1988 review by Tschermak-Woess, and particularly those providing molecular evidence for their identifications. This review is dedicated in honour of Austrian phycologist Elisabeth Tschermak-Woess (1917–2001), for her numerous and significant contributions to our knowledge of lichen algae (some published under the names Elisabeth Tschermak and Liesl Tschermak).
Livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in slaughtered pigs in England
Authors: Smith R. P. , Sharma M. , Gilson D. , Anjum M. , Teale C. J.
Published: October 2021

This study was performed to investigate the occurrence of livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) in batches of pigs at slaughter and at different stages along the slaughter line. Nasal and ear skin swabs were collected from 105 batches of 10 pigs at six abattoirs. Cultures (pooled or individual) were performed for MRSA using selective media; presumptive MRSA were confirmed by mecA and nuc gene detection and a selection was spa-typed. MRSA was detected in 46 batches. All spa-types detected were those associated with LA-MRSA clonal complex 398. The proportion of positive batches varied among abattoirs (0–100%). Two abattoirs were subsequently further investigated, with samples taken at post-stunning, chiller and either at lairage or post-singe. Results suggested cross-contamination occurred between the lairage and point of post-stunning, but the slaughter processes appeared effective at reducing contamination before carcases entered the chiller. One abattoir provided only negative samples in the initial study and in the subsequent study along the slaughter line (26 batches in total), suggesting differences possibly in the MRSA status of pigs on arrival from supply farms or in its abattoir practices affecting the MRSA status of pigs at the sampling points. This study highlights that in the investigated abattoirs, MRSA was detected in 43.8% of batches of pigs at slaughter using sensitive selective culture methods.
Comparative assessment of SCoT and ISSR markers for analysis of genetic diversity and population structure in some Aegilops tauschii Coss. accessions
Authors: Nouri Atefeh , Golabadi Maryam , Etminan Alireza , Rezaei Abdolmajid , Mehrabi Ali Ashraf
Published: October 2021

Aegilops tauschii, the diploid progenitor of the wheat D-genome, is a valuable genetic resource for wheat breeders. In this study, we compared the efficiency of inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) (as an arbitrary technique) and start codon targeted (SCoT) (as a gene-targeting technique) markers in determining the genetic diversity and population structure of 90 accessions of Ae. tauschii. SCoT markers indicated the highest values for polymorphism information content, marker index and effective multiplex ratio compared to ISSR markers. The total genetic diversity (Ht) and genetic diversity within populations (Hs) parameters were comparably modest for the two marker systems. The results of the analysis of molecular variance showed that the genetic variation within populations was significantly higher than among them (ISSR: 92 versus 8%; SCoT: 88 versus 12%). Furthermore, SCoT markers discovered a high level of genetic differentiation among populations than ISSRs (0.19 versus 0.05), while the amount of gene flow detected by ISSR was higher than SCoT (2.13 versus 8.62). Cluster analysis and population structure of SCoT and ISSR data divided all investigated accessions into two and four main clusters, respectively. Our results revealed that SCoT and ISSR fingerprinting could be used to further molecular analysis in Ae. tauschii and other wild species. The high-genetic variability found in this study also indicates the valuable genetic potential present in the investigated Ae. tauschii germplasm, which could be utilized for future genetic analysis and linkage mapping in breeding programmes.
The false promise of global IR: exposing the paradox of dependent development
Authors: Aydinli Ersel , Erpul Onur
Published: October 2021

Concerned about the continued dominance of Western International Relations (IR) theories, the global IR community has proposed various measures to address disciplinary hierarchies through encouraging dialogue and pluralism. By investigating the pedagogical preferences of instructors from 45 countries, this paper questions the global IR initiative's emancipatory potential, arguing that disciplinary practices in IR resemble those of dependent development. The study develops a new typology of IR theoretical (IRT) scholarship and examines the readings assigned in 151 IRT syllabi worldwide for evidence of similarity, replication, and assimilation. The findings show that mainstream core IRTs dominate syllabi globally, regardless of region, language of instruction, or instructors' educational/linguistic backgrounds. This domination extends to periphery scholars not using their own local products. Even when they do seek alternative approaches, they prefer to import core alternatives, that is, critical traditions, rather than homegrown IRTs. Finally, the results show that even in syllabi taught in local languages the readings remain dominated by core IRT works. These findings expose a structural defect in the current cry for global IR, by revealing the system's dependent development paradox. The paper concludes with suggestions for creating a symmetric interdependent structure, in the aim of achieving a genuine globalization of IR.
Validating Communicative Tests of Reading and Language Use of Classical Greek
Authors: Coniam David , Poupounaki-Lappa Polyxeni , Peristeri Tzortzina
Published: October 2021

This paper builds on the work presented previously in this journal by Poupounaki-Lappa et al. (2021), which described the development of a communicative test of Reading and Language Use of Classical Greek calibrated to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) at levels A1 and A2 (Council of Europe, 2001). In the current paper, the two tests of Classical Greek are calibrated both together and to the CEFR. In addition to describing the methodology for comparing the two separate tests of Classical Greek, the paper is also designed to be of interest to educators of other classical languages. It is hoped that they may find it useful not only by facilitating robust test design, but also by demonstrating the methods by which tests can be linked together on a common scale (as with the CEFR) or linking tests one to another (e.g., different end-of-year tests, at different points in time).
Discriminating Tectonic Setting of Igneous Rocks Using Biotite Major Element chemistry−A Machine Learning Approach
Authors: Saha Rupashree , Upadhyay Dewashish , Mishra Biswajit
Published: October 2021

The composition of igneous biotite is a potential indicator of the geologic environment of its host rock. Here, we apply two machine learning models−eXtreemly Greedy tree Boosting (XGBoost) and light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM) to classify biotite in igneous rocks from five tectonic settings−oceanic intraplate, continental intraplate, continental arc, island arc, and rift, using their major element chemistry compiled from a global dataset. The two models are successfully able to discriminate among biotite from the five tectonic settings. The classifiers quantitatively search for unique geochemical signatures in the training dataset, mapping each biotite analysis to its corresponding tectonic setting. Both models yielded good classification accuracy (∼90% on average) on an unseen dataset, suggesting that biotite major element chemistry can successfully discriminate the tectonic setting of many igneous rocks. The Shapley Additive exPlanations algorithm, which measures the impact of every element, indicates that Na, Mn, Ba, Mg, Al, Cr, and O2− constitute important geochemical discriminators. According to both models, high Na, low Na, low Ba, high Mn, and low Mn of biotite have the strongest influence on the prediction of continental arc, continental intraplate, island arc, oceanic intraplate, and rift settings, respectively. The classifier models have been applied to investigate the Neoproterozoic geodynamics of the Aravalli‐Delhi Belt, northwestern India. The models show that igneous activity related to the Erinpura granites (∼835 Ma) and the Malani Igneous Suite (∼750 Ma) can be ascribed to continental intraplate setting related to extensional tectonics prior to the break‐up of the Rodinia supercontinent.
Characteristics, Origins, and Biosignature Preservation Potential of Carbonate‐Bearing Rocks Within and Outside of Jezero Crater
Authors: Tarnas J. D. , Stack K. M. , Parente M. , Koeppel A. H. D. , Mustard J. F. , Moore K. R. , Horgan B. H. N. , Seelos F. P. , Cloutis E. A. , Kelemen P. B. , Flannery D. , Brown A. J. , Frizzell K. R. , Pinet P.
Published: October 2021

Carbonate minerals have been detected in Jezero crater, an ancient lake basin that is the landing site of the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, and within the regional olivine‐bearing (ROB) unit in the Nili Fossae region surrounding this crater. It has been suggested that some carbonates in the margin fractured unit, a rock unit within Jezero crater, formed in a fluviolacustrine environment, which would be conducive to preservation of biosignatures from paleolake‐inhabiting lifeforms. Here, we show that carbonate‐bearing rocks within and outside of Jezero crater have the same range of visible‐to‐near‐infrared carbonate absorption strengths, carbonate absorption band positions, thermal inertias, and morphologies. Thicknesses of exposed carbonate‐bearing rock cross‐sections in Jezero crater are ∼75–90 m thicker than typical ROB unit cross‐sections in the Nili Fossae region, but have similar thicknesses to ROB unit exposures in Libya Montes. These similarities in carbonate properties within and outside of Jezero crater is consistent with a shared origin for all of the carbonates in the Nili Fossae region. Carbonate absorption minima positions indicate that both Mg‐ and more Fe‐rich carbonates are present in the Nili Fossae region, consistent with the expected products of olivine carbonation. These estimated carbonate chemistries are similar to those in martian meteorites and the Comanche carbonates investigated by the Spirit rover in Columbia Hills. Our results indicate that hydrothermal alteration is the most likely formation mechanism for non‐deltaic carbonates within and outside of Jezero crater.
Association between circadian activity rhythms and mood episode relapse in bipolar disorder: a 12-month prospective cohort study
Authors: Esaki Yuichi , Obayashi Kenji , Saeki Keigo , Fujita Kiyoshi , Iwata Nakao , Kitajima Tsuyoshi
Published: October 2021

A significant proportion of patients with bipolar disorder experience mood episode relapses. We examined whether circadian activity rhythms were associated with mood episode relapses in patients with bipolar disorder. This prospective cohort study included outpatients with bipolar disorder who participated in a study titled “Association between the Pathology of Bipolar Disorder and Light Exposure in Daily Life (APPLE) cohort study.” The participants’ physical activity was objectively assessed using a wrist-worn accelerometer over 7 consecutive days for the baseline assessment and then at the 12-month follow-up for mood episode relapses. The levels and timing of the circadian activity rhythms were estimated using a cosinor analysis and a nonparametric circadian rhythm analysis. Of the 189 participants, 88 (46%) experienced mood episodes during follow-up. The Cox proportional hazards model adjusting for potential confounders showed that a robust circadian activity rhythm, including midline-estimating statistic of rhythm (MESOR) and amplitude by cosinor analysis and 10 consecutive hours with the highest amplitude values (M10) by the nonparametric circadian rhythm analysis, was significantly associated with a decrease in mood episode relapses (per counts/min, hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]: MESOR, 0.993 [0.988–0.997]; amplitude, 0.994 [0.988–0.999]; and M10, 0.996 [0.993–0.999]). A later timing of the circadian activity rhythm (M10 onset time) was significantly associated with an increase in the depressive episode relapses (per hour; 1.109 [1.001–1.215]). We observed significant associations between circadian activity rhythms and mood episode relapses in bipolar disorder.
Prefused lysosomes cluster on autophagosomes regulated by VAMP8
Authors: Chen Qixin , Hao Mingang , Wang Lei , Li Linsen , Chen Yang , Shao Xintian , Tian Zhiqi , Pfuetzner Richard A. , Zhong Qing , Brunger Axel T. , Guan Jun-Lin , Diao Jiajie
Published: October 2021

Lysosome–autophagosome fusion is critical to autophagosome maturation. Although several proteins that regulate this fusion process have been identified, the prefusion architecture and its regulation remain unclear. Herein, we show that upon stimulation, multiple lysosomes form clusters around individual autophagosomes, setting the stage for membrane fusion. The soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) protein on lysosomes—vesicle-associated membrane protein 8 (VAMP8)—plays an important role in forming this prefusion state of lysosomal clusters. To study the potential role of phosphorylation on spontaneous fusion, we investigated the effect of phosphorylation of C-terminal residues of VAMP8. Using a phosphorylation mimic, we observed a decrease of fusion in an ensemble lipid mixing assay and an increase of unfused lysosomes associated with autophagosomes. These results suggest that phosphorylation not only reduces spontaneous fusion for minimizing autophagic flux under normal conditions, but also preassembles multiple lysosomes to increase the fusion probability for resuming autophagy upon stimulation. VAMP8 phosphorylation may thus play an important role in chemotherapy drug resistance by influencing autophagosome maturation.
The interaction of S100A16 and GRP78 actives endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated through the IRE1α/XBP1 pathway in renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis
Authors: Jin Runbing , Zhao Anran , Han Shuying , Zhang Dan , Sun Hui , Li Min , Su Dongming , Liang Xiubin
Published: October 2021

Recent studies have indicated that the development of acute and chronic kidney disease including renal fibrosis is associated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. S100 calcium-binding protein 16 (S100A16) as a novel member of the S100 family is involved in kidney disease; however, few studies have examined fibrotic kidneys for a relationship between S100A16 and ER stress. In our previous study, we identified GRP78 as a protein partner of S100A16 in HK-2 cells. Here, we confirmed a physical interaction between GRP78 and S100A16 in HK-2 cells and a markedly increased expression of GRP78 in the kidneys of unilateral ureteral occlusion mice. S100A16 overexpression in HK-2 cells by infection with Lenti-S100A16 also induced upregulation of ER stress markers, including GRP78, p-IRE1α, and XBP1s. Immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that the interaction between S100A16 and GRP78 predominantly occurred in the ER of control HK-2 cells. By contrast, HK-2 cells overexpressing S100A16 showed colocalization of S100A16 and GRP78 mainly in the cytoplasm. Pretreatment with BAPTA-AM, a calcium chelator, blunted the upregulation of renal fibrosis genes and ER stress markers induced by S100A16 overexpression in HK-2 cells and suppressed the cytoplasmic colocalization of GRP78 and S100A16. Co-immunoprecipitation studies suggested a competitive binding between S100A16 and IRE1α with GRP78 in HK-2 cells. Taken together, our findings demonstrate a significant increase in S100A16 expression in the cytoplasm following renal injury. GRP78 then moves into the cytoplasm and binds with S100A16 to promote the release of IRE1α. The subsequent phosphorylation of IRE1α then leads to XBP1 splicing that activates ER stress.
Comparison of triblock copolymeric micelles based on α- and ε-poly(L-lysine): a Cornelian choice
Authors: Marquet Franck , Patrulea Viorica , Borchard Gerrit
Published: October 2021

Due to the lack of safe carriers for the delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA), clinical applications of nucleotide-based therapeutics have been limited. In this study, biodegradable amphiphilic triblock copolymers with tailored molecular weights for each block composed of methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (2000 g/mol), poly(L-lysine) (1300 g/mol) and poly(D,L-lactic acid) (1800 g/mol) (mPEG45-α-PLL10-PLA25) were synthesized and fully characterized. The peptide synthesis was carried out on a solid phase to limit the presence of cationic charges. The arrangement and availability of cationic amino groups within a micellar vector were investigated to determine the colloidal stability as well as the predisposition of these systems to vectorize siRNAs in addition to their already known ability to improve the solubility of hydrophobic compounds. For this purpose, a triblock copolymer containing an epsilon poly(L-lysine) was synthesized similarly. Accordingly, the arrangement of the cationic segment modifies the rigidity involving a complexation constraint due to limited cationic charges available on the surface, which can compromise the efficiency of delivery into cells. In addition, the two vectors were biocompatible in different human cell lines.
Dynamical symmetry indicators for Floquet crystals
Authors: Yu Jiabin , Zhang Rui-Xing , Song Zhi-Da
Published: October 2021

Various exotic topological phases of Floquet systems have been shown to arise from crystalline symmetries. Yet, a general theory for Floquet topology that is applicable to all crystalline symmetry groups is still in need. In this work, we propose such a theory for (effectively) non-interacting Floquet crystals. We first introduce quotient winding data to classify the dynamics of the Floquet crystals with equivalent symmetry data, and then construct dynamical symmetry indicators (DSIs) to sufficiently indicate the inherently dynamical Floquet crystals. The DSI and quotient winding data, as well as the symmetry data, are all computationally efficient since they only involve a small number of Bloch momenta. We demonstrate the high efficiency by computing all elementary DSI sets for all spinless and spinful plane groups using the mathematical theory of monoid, and find a large number of different nontrivial classifications, which contain both first-order and higher-order 2+1D anomalous Floquet topological phases. Using the framework, we further find a new 3+1D anomalous Floquet second-order topological insulator (AFSOTI) phase with anomalous chiral hinge modes.
Phase separation of Nur77 mediates celastrol-induced mitophagy by promoting the liquidity of p62/SQSTM1 condensates
Authors: Peng Shuang-zhou , Chen Xiao-hui , Chen Si-jie , Zhang Jie , Wang Chuan-ying , Liu Wei-rong , Zhang Duo , Su Ying , Zhang Xiao-kun
Published: October 2021

Liquid-liquid phase separation promotes the formation of membraneless condensates that mediate diverse cellular functions, including autophagy of misfolded proteins. However, how phase separation participates in autophagy of dysfunctional mitochondria (mitophagy) remains obscure. We previously discovered that nuclear receptor Nur77 (also called TR3, NGFI-B, or NR4A1) translocates from the nucleus to mitochondria to mediate celastrol-induced mitophagy through interaction with p62/SQSTM1. Here, we show that the ubiquitinated mitochondrial Nur77 forms membraneless condensates capable of sequestrating damaged mitochondria by interacting with the UBA domain of p62/SQSTM1. However, tethering clustered mitochondria to the autophagy machinery requires an additional interaction mediated by the N-terminal intrinsically disordered region (IDR) of Nur77 and the N-terminal PB1 domain of p62/SQSTM1, which confers Nur77-p62/SQSTM1 condensates with the magnitude and liquidity. Our results demonstrate how composite multivalent interaction between Nur77 and p62/SQSTM1 coordinates to sequester damaged mitochondria and to connect targeted cargo mitochondria for autophagy, providing mechanistic insight into mitophagy.
Magnetoencephalography reveals differences in brain activations for fast and slow responses to simple multiplications
Authors: Arcara Giorgio , Pezzetta Rachele , Benavides-Varela S. , Rizzi G. , Formica S. , Turco C. , Piccione F. , Semenza C.
Published: October 2021

Despite decades of studies, it is still an open question on how and where simple multiplications are solved by the brain. This fragmented picture is mostly related to the different tasks employed. While in neuropsychological studies patients are asked to perform and report simple oral calculations, neuroimaging and neurophysiological studies often use verification tasks, in which the result is shown, and the participant must verify the correctness. This MEG study aims to unify the sources of evidence, investigating how brain activation unfolds in time using a single-digit multiplication production task. We compared the participants' brain activity—focusing on the parietal lobes—based on response efficiency, dividing their responses in fast and slow. Results showed higher activation for fast, as compared to slow, responses in the left angular gyrus starting after the first operand, and in the right supramarginal gyrus only after the second operand. A whole-brain analysis showed that fast responses had higher activation in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. We show a timing difference of both hemispheres during simple multiplications. Results suggest that while the left parietal lobe may allow an initial retrieval of several possible solutions, the right one may be engaged later, helping to identify the solution based on magnitude checking.
Mapping of UV-C dose and SARS-CoV-2 viral inactivation across N95 respirators during decontamination
Authors: Geldert Alisha , Su Alison , Roberts Allison W. , Golovkine Guillaume , Grist Samantha M. , Stanley Sarah A. , Herr Amy E.
Published: October 2021

During public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, ultraviolet-C (UV-C) decontamination of N95 respirators for emergency reuse has been implemented to mitigate shortages. Pathogen photoinactivation efficacy depends critically on UV-C dose, which is distance- and angle-dependent and thus varies substantially across N95 surfaces within a decontamination system. Due to nonuniform and system-dependent UV-C dose distributions, characterizing UV-C dose and resulting pathogen inactivation with sufficient spatial resolution on-N95 is key to designing and validating UV-C decontamination protocols. However, robust quantification of UV-C dose across N95 facepieces presents challenges, as few UV-C measurement tools have sufficient (1) small, flexible form factor, and (2) angular response. To address this gap, we combine optical modeling and quantitative photochromic indicator (PCI) dosimetry with viral inactivation assays to generate high-resolution maps of “on-N95” UV-C dose and concomitant SARS-CoV-2 viral inactivation across N95 facepieces within a commercial decontamination chamber. Using modeling to rapidly identify on-N95 locations of interest, in-situ measurements report a 17.4 ± 5.0-fold dose difference across N95 facepieces in the chamber, yielding 2.9 ± 0.2-log variation in SARS-CoV-2 inactivation. UV-C dose at several on-N95 locations was lower than the lowest-dose locations on the chamber floor, highlighting the importance of on-N95 dose validation. Overall, we integrate optical simulation with in-situ PCI dosimetry to relate UV-C dose and viral inactivation at specific on-N95 locations, establishing a versatile approach to characterize UV-C photoinactivation of pathogens contaminating complex substrates such as N95s.
Technological rejection in regions of early gold innovation revealed by geospatial analysis
Authors: Erb-Satullo Nathaniel L.
Published: October 2021

In research on early invention and innovation, technological “firsts” receive enormous attention, but technological “lasts”—instances of abandonment and rejection—are arguably more informative about human technological behavior. Yet, cases of technological discontinuance are largely ignored in studies of early innovation, as the lack of robust datasets makes identification and analysis difficult. A large-scale geospatial analysis of more than 4500 gold objects from the Caucasus, an early center of gold innovation, shows a precipitous decline at 1500 BC in precisely the places with the earliest global evidence of gold mining (c. 3000 BC). Testing various causal models reveals that social factors, rather than resource limitations or demographic disruption, were the primary causes of this rejection. These results indicate that prior models of technological rejection and loss have underestimated the range of conditions in which they can occur, and provide empirical support for theories of innovation that reject notions about the linearity of technological progress.
Genome﻿-wide stress sensitivity moderates the stress-depression relationship in a nationally representative sample of adults
Authors: Davidson Trent , Braudt David B. , Keers Robert , Assary Elham , Harris Kathleen Mullan , Boardman Jason D.
Published: October 2021

We re-evaluate the findings of one of the most cited and disputed papers in gene-environment interaction (GxE) literature. In 2003, a paper was published in Science in which the authors demonstrated that the relationship between stress and depression is moderated by a polymorphism in the promoter region (5-HTTLPR) of the gene SLC6A4. Replication has been weak and led many to challenge the overall significance of GxE research. Here, we utilize data from Add Health, a large, nationally representative, and well-powered longitudinal study to re-examine the genetic determinants of stress sensitivity. We characterize environmental sensitivity using a genome-wide polygenic indicator rather than relying on one polymorphism in a single candidate gene. Our results provide support for the stress-diathesis perspective and validate the scientific contributions of the original paper.
Identification of antiviral phytochemicals as a potential SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) inhibitor using docking and molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Patel Chirag N. , Jani Siddhi P. , Jaiswal Dharmesh G. , Kumar Sivakumar Prasanth , Mangukia Naman , Parmar Robin M. , Rawal Rakesh M. , Pandya Himanshu A.
Published: October 2021

Novel SARS-CoV-2, an etiological factor of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), poses a great challenge to the public health care system. Among other druggable targets of SARS-Cov-2, the main protease (Mpro) is regarded as a prominent enzyme target for drug developments owing to its crucial role in virus replication and transcription. We pursued a computational investigation to identify Mpro inhibitors from a compiled library of natural compounds with proven antiviral activities using a hierarchical workflow of molecular docking, ADMET assessment, dynamic simulations and binding free-energy calculations. Five natural compounds, Withanosides V and VI, Racemosides A and B, and Shatavarin IX, obtained better binding affinity and attained stable interactions with Mpro key pocket residues. These intermolecular key interactions were also retained profoundly in the simulation trajectory of 100 ns time scale indicating tight receptor binding. Free energy calculations prioritized Withanosides V and VI as the top candidates that can act as effective SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors.
A novel benchmark for COVID-19 pandemic testing effectiveness enables the accurate prediction of new Intensive Care Unit admissions
Authors: Nikoloudis Dimitris , Kountouras Dimitrios , Hiona Asimina
Published: October 2021

The positivity rate of testing is currently used both as a benchmark of testing adequacy and for assessing the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, since the former is a prerequisite for the latter, its interpretation is often conflicting. We propose as a benchmark for COVID-19 testing effectiveness a new metric, termed ‘Severity Detection Rate’ (SDR), that represents the daily needs for new Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admissions, per 100 cases detected (t − i) days ago, per 10,000 tests performed (t − i) days ago. Based on the announced COVID-19 monitoring data in Greece from May 2020 until August 2021, we show that beyond a certain threshold of daily tests, SDR reaches a plateau of very low variability that begins to reflect testing adequacy. Due to the stabilization of SDR, it was possible to predict with great accuracy the daily needs for new ICU admissions, 12 days ahead of each testing data point, over a period of 10 months, with Pearson r = 0.98 (p = 10–197), RMSE = 7.16. We strongly believe that this metric will help guide the timely decisions of both scientists and government officials to tackle pandemic spread and prevent ICU overload by setting effective testing requirements for accurate pandemic monitoring. We propose further study of this novel metric with data from more countries to confirm the validity of the current findings.
Machine learning identification of specific changes in myeloid cell phenotype during bloodstream infections
Authors: Gosset Christian , Foguenne Jacques , Simul Mickaël , Tomsin Olivier , Ammar Hayet , Layios Nathalie , Massion Paul B. , Damas Pierre , Gothot André
Published: October 2021

The early identification of bacteremia is critical for ensuring appropriate treatment of nosocomial infections in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The aim of this study was to use flow cytometric data of myeloid cells as a biomarker of bloodstream infection (BSI). An eight-color antibody panel was used to identify seven monocyte and two dendritic cell subsets. In the learning cohort, immunophenotyping was applied to (1) control subjects, (2) postoperative heart surgery patients, as a model of noninfectious inflammatory responses, and (3) blood culture-positive patients. Of the complex changes in the myeloid cell phenotype, a decrease in myeloid and plasmacytoid dendritic cell numbers, increase in CD14+CD16+ inflammatory monocyte numbers, and upregulation of neutrophils CD64 and CD123 expression were prominent in BSI patients. An extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) algorithm called the “infection detection and ranging score” (iDAR), ranging from 0 to 100, was developed to identify infection-specific changes in 101 phenotypic variables related to neutrophils, monocytes and dendritic cells. The tenfold cross-validation achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) of 0.988 (95% CI 0.985–1) for the detection of bacteremic patients. In an out-of-sample, in-house validation, iDAR achieved an AUROC of 0.85 (95% CI 0.71–0.98) in differentiating localized from bloodstream infection and 0.95 (95% CI 0.89–1) in discriminating infected from noninfected ICU patients. In conclusion, a machine learning approach was used to translate the changes in myeloid cell phenotype in response to infection into a score that could identify bacteremia with high specificity in ICU patients.
Patterns and correlates of sedentary behaviour among people with multiple sclerosis: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Fortune Jennifer , Norris Meriel , Stennett Andrea , Kilbride Cherry , Lavelle Grace , Hendrie Wendy , Victor Christina , Ryan Jennifer Mary
Published: October 2021

High levels of sedentary behaviour are associated with poor health outcomes in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Identifying modifiable correlates of sedentary behaviour for people with MS is essential to design effective intervention strategies to minimise sedentary time. This study aimed to quantify patterns and identify correlates of sedentary behaviour among adults with MS. Fatigue, self-efficacy, walking capability, the physical and psychological impact of MS, health-related quality of life, and participation and autonomy were assessed by questionnaire. Participants wore an activPAL monitor. Total (min/day), prolonged bouts (≥ 30 min) and breaks in sedentary time were calculated. Associations were examined using regression analysis adjusted for demographic and clinical confounders. Fifty-six adults with MS participated (mean ± SD age: 57.0 ± 9.25 years; 66% female). Self-efficacy for control over MS was associated with sedentary time (β = 0.16, 95% CI 0.01, 0.30). Self-efficacy in function maintenance (β = 0.02, 95% CI 0.00, 0.04), health-related quality of life (EuroQol-5D) (β = 31.60, 95% CI 7.25, 55.96), and the autonomy indoors subscale of the Impact on Participation and Autonomy Questionnaire (β = − 5.11, 95% CI − 9.74, − 0.485) were associated with breaks in sedentary time. Future studies should consider self-efficacy, health-related quality of life and participation and autonomy as potential components of interventions to reduce sedentary behaviour.
Long-term prediction of $$^{137}$$Cs in Lake Onuma on Mt. Akagi after the Fukushima accident using fractional diffusion model
Authors: Suetomi Eiichi , Hatano Yuko , Fujita Masakiyo , Okada Yukiko , Suzuki Kyuma , Watanabe Shun
Published: October 2021

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident also contaminates lakes in Japan. Especially in closed lakes, there is a problem of prolonged low-level $$^{137}$$

137

Cs contamination because the activity concentration of $$^{137}$$

137

Cs declines sharply immediately after the accident, but then begins to decrease slowly. In this paper, we derived a long-term prediction formula based on the fractional diffusion model (FDM) for the temporal variation in $$^{137}$$

137

Cs activity concentrations of the water in Lake Onuma on Mt. Akagi, one of the closed lakes, and of pond smelt (Hypomesus nipponensis), a typical fish species inhabiting in the lake. The formula reproduced well the measured $$^{137}$$

137

Cs activity concentration of the lake water and pond smelt for 5.4 years after the accident. Next, we performed long-term prediction for 10,000 days using this formula and compared it with the prediction results of the two-component decay function model (TDM), which is the most common model. The results suggest that the FDM prediction will lead to a longer period of contamination with low-level $$^{137}$$

137

Cs than the TDM prediction.
Electrophysiological frequency domain analysis of driver passive fatigue under automated driving conditions
Authors: Zhang Yijing , Ma Jinfei , Zhang Chi , Chang Ruosong
Published: October 2021

With the continuous improvement of automated vehicles, researchers have found that automated driving is more likely to cause passive fatigue. To explore the impact of automation and scenario complexity on the passive fatigue of a driver, we collected electroencephalography (EEG), detection-response task (DRT) performance, and the subjective report scores of 48 drivers. We found that in automated driving under monotonic conditions, after 40 min, the alpha power of the driver’s EEG indicators increased significantly, the accuracy of the detection reaction task decreased, and the reaction time became slower. The receiver characteristic curve was used to calculate the critical threshold of the alpha power during passive fatigue. The determination of the threshold further clarifies the occurrence time and physiological characteristics of passive fatigue and improves the passive fatigue theory.
Diffraction limited photonic hook via scattering and diffraction of dual-dielectric structures
Authors: Pacheco-Peña Victor , Riley Joseph Arnold , Liu Cheng-Yang , Minin Oleg V. , Minin Igor V.
Published: October 2021

Photonic hooks have demonstrated to be great candidates for multiple applications ranging from sensing up to optical trapping. In this work, we propose a mechanism to produce such bent structured light beams by exploiting the diffraction and scattering generated by a pair of dielectric rectangles immersed in free space. It is shown how the photonic hooks are generated away from the output surface of the dielectrics by correctly engineering each individual dielectric structure to generate minimum diffraction and maximum scattering along the propagation axis. Different scenarios are studied such as dual-dielectric structures having different lateral dimensions and refractive index as well as cases when both dielectrics have the same lateral dimensions. The results are evaluated both numerically and theoretically demonstrating an excellent agreement between them. These results may open new avenues for optical trapping, focusing and sensing devices via compact and simple dual-dielectric structures.
Future heat adaptation and exposure among urban populations and why a prospering economy alone won’t save us
Authors: Krummenauer Linda , Costa Luís , Prahl Boris F. , Kropp Jürgen P.
Published: October 2021

When inferring on the magnitude of future heat-related mortality due to climate change, human adaptation to heat should be accounted for. We model long-term changes in minimum mortality temperatures (MMT), a well-established metric denoting the lowest risk of heat-related mortality, as a function of climate change and socio-economic progress across 3820 cities. Depending on the combination of climate trajectories and socio-economic pathways evaluated, by 2100 the risk to human health is expected to decline in 60% to 80% of the cities against contemporary conditions. This is caused by an average global increase in MMTs driven by long-term human acclimatisation to future climatic conditions and economic development of countries. While our adaptation model suggests that negative effects on health from global warming can broadly be kept in check, the trade-offs are highly contingent to the scenario path and location-specific. For high-forcing climate scenarios (e.g. RCP8.5) the maintenance of uninterrupted high economic growth by 2100 is a hard requirement to increase MMTs and level-off the negative health effects from additional scenario-driven heat exposure. Choosing a 2 °C-compatible climate trajectory alleviates the dependence on fast growth, leaving room for a sustainable economy, and leads to higher reductions of mortality risk.
A microfluidic study of oil displacement in porous media at elevated temperature and pressure
Authors: Saadat Marzieh , Vikse Nora Birgitte , Øye Gisle , Dudek Marcin
Published: October 2021

Microfluidics methods offer possibilities for visual observations of oil recovery processes. Good control over test parameters also provides the opportunity to conduct tests that simulate representative reservoir conditions. This paper presents a setup and procedure development for microfluidic oil recovery tests at elevated temperature and pressure. Oil recovery factors and displacement patterns were determined in single- or two-step recovery tests using two crude oils, high salinity salt solutions and low salinity surfactant solutions. Neither the displacement pattern nor the recovery factor was significantly affected by the pressure range tested here. Increasing temperature affected the recovery factor significantly, but with opposite trends for the two tested crude oils. The difference was justified by changes in wettability alteration, due to variations in the amounts and structure of the acidic and basic oil fractions. Low salinity surfactant solutions enhanced the oil recovery for both oils.
Uplift resistance capacity of anchor piles used in marine aquaculture
Authors: Gui Fukun , Kong Jianqiao , Feng Dejun , Qu Xiaoyu , Zhu Fang , You Yang
Published: October 2021

Anchor piles are widely used in marine aquaculture, and the safety is largely determined by the uplift resistance capacity,especially in harsh ocean environments. However, there are few practical guides to the design and installation of the anchor piles for mooring the body of marine aquaculture equipment. Laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of the initial tension angle, pile diameter, embedded depth, and pile configuration on the uplift resistance capacity of anchor piles under oblique loads. CCD camera and load cell were utilized to measure the corresponding displacement and load, respectively. The results show that increasing the initial tension angle of circular and square single piles can significantly improve the uplift resistance capacity. The failure load of the square single pile was slightly higher than that of the circular single pile. Increasing the pile diameter can effectively improve the failure load and delay the development speed of the pile top displacement. Increasing the embedded depth can effectively improve the failure load and increase the lateral displacement of the pile top. The uplift resistance capacity of the dual anchor piles was better than that of the single anchor piles. The layout configuration has little effect on the failure load, but has a large effect on the displacement development.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Novel magnetic organic–inorganic hybrids based on aromatic polyamides and ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles with biological activity
Authors: Eivazzadeh-Keihan Reza , Ghafori Gorab Mostafa , Aghamirza Moghim Aliabadi Hooman , mahdavi Mohammad , Akbarzadeh Ali Reza , Maleki Ali , Ghafuri Hossein
Published: October 2021

Magnetic nanoparticles were creatively selected as stable, inexpensive, biodegradable, facile recoverable, and functionalizable supports for a variety of synthetic and natural polymers. Herein, for the first time, aromatic polyamide was synthesized on the magnetic core of zinc iron oxide (ZnFe2O4). Terephthaloyl chloride and derivations of phenylenediamine were employed as monomers in this polymerization process. The toxicity of the synthesized hybrid at the highest concentration (1000 μg/ml) is 13.65% and on the other hand, the cell viability percentage is 86.35%. So, the prepared hybrid is biocompatible and non-toxic to Hu02 cells. Also, it has antibacterial ability against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Because the results show that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the synthesized polymer for bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 is in the range of 500–1000 µg/ml. Moreover, the hemolytic effect of ZnFe2O4 based hybrid was below 9% at the concentration of 1000 μg/ml. Therefore, it is compatible with red blood cells.
Footwear microclimate and its effects on the microbial community of the plantar skin
Authors: Miao Te , Wang Peihua , Zhang Nan , Li Yuguo
Published: October 2021

The association between the footwear microclimate and microbial community on the foot plantar skin was investigated by experiments with three participants. Novel methods were developed for measuring in-shoe temperature and humidity at five footwear regions, as well as the overall ventilation rate inside the footwear. Three types of footwear were tested including casual shoes, running shoes, and perforated shoes for pairwise comparison of footwear microclimate and corresponding microbial community on the skin. The major findings are as follows: (1) footwear types make a significant difference to in-shoe temperature at the instep region with the casual shoes sustaining the warmest of all types; (2) significant differences were observed in local internal absolute humidity between footwear types, with the casual shoes sustaining the highest level of humidity at most regions; (3) the perforated shoes provided the highest ventilation rate, followed by running and casual shoes, and the faster the gait, the larger the discrepancy in ventilation rate between footwear types; (4) the casual shoes seemed to provide the most favorable internal environment for bacterial growth at the distal plantar skin; and (5) the bacterial growth at the distal plantar skin showed a positive linear correlation with the in-shoe temperature and absolute humidity, and a negative linear correlation with the ventilation rate. The ventilation rate seemed to be a more reliable indicator of the bacterial growth. Above all, we can conclude that footwear microclimate varies in footwear types, which makes contributions to the bacterial growth on the foot plantar skin.