bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding the vibration response and acoustic radiation of a transient excited thin structure
Authors: King Allison M. , Dowling David R.
Published: November 2021

Remote sensing may be used to detect and locate acoustic sources on a structure as well as predict the geometry and material of the structure based on propagating vibration and acoustic waves. Use of remote sensing measurements to detect and locate impacts on a thin structure is desirable. For a transient excited thin structure, the coupling of the vibration waves in the structure and the acoustic waves radiating from the acoustic source can introduce difficulties with using traditional source localization techniques. To study this problem, the vibration of the structure must be modeled and understood before source localization can occur. Repeatable axisymmetric transient impact experiments are conducted by dropping a stainless-steel ball bearing on a 3.2-mm-thick aluminum plate surrounded by air on all sides. Accelerometers are utilized to verify vibration models based on a frequency-domain Green’s function as well as a finite element simulation. Wave speeds in the plate ranging between 420 and 1225 m/s are considered. A linear array of 13 microphones with 0.025 m spacing located just above the plate is used to study the resulting acoustic radiation. An acoustic-structure interaction model is developed based on these wave propagation measurements. [Sponsored by NAVSEA.]
Rail vibration and sensitive equipment—A study of mitigation opportunities in building concept design
Authors: Arshad Aamna , Pridham Brad
Published: November 2021

In the early stages of design for a building housing sensitive equipment there is a general level of uncertainty about how rail vibration will impact the development site. As vibration propagates from the rail line, through the ground, and within the building to the equipment, spectral analysis will show significant changes as certain frequencies are attenuated or amplified from one medium to another. Therefore, it is important to consider the entire system (soil, foundation, and floor framing) when making judgements about site feasibility. This also means that mitigation can be approached at several different points in the system, with considerable variation in cost-effectiveness. The US FTA detailed vibration analysis method provides some general guidance on foundation attenuation and floor resonances. This paper provides a detailed case study examining measured vibration data adjacent to a freight rail line. The investigations illustrate the potential for modifications to a building design in the concept/site feasibility stage to mitigate vibration impacts on sensitive equipment and reduce or in some cases eliminate the need for isolation systems.
A low-cost digital delay line for bat biosonar research
Authors: Roan Michael
Published: November 2021

Bat biosonar research and bat neuroscience as a whole relies heavily on experiments to determine bat responses to various stimuli. Typically, these are presented to the bat using real world targets such prey insects, but also via artificial stimuli using an ultrasonic loudspeaker. One key component of artificial target creation is the use of delay lines. Analog delay lines have been used for decades to generate artificial targets at programmable ranges. More recently, digital delay lines have become the norm. This talk will present the details of the development of a very low-cost digital delay line that can produce bat echoes with up to three glints. The main delay between the bat and the target as well as the inter-glint spacing are programmable with delays as small as 5 μs possible. The platform used is a commonly available SAMD51 microcontroller with a total system cost under $50. The talk will present experimental results, code development using commonly available programming tools, and schematics for an add-on board that uses microphone or general differential inputs. Finally, the talk will introduce an approach implement wideband Doppler shift (time-scaling) of digitally delayed echoes using direct memory access tools native to the SAMD51 microcontroller.
Room impulse response inference from the coherence properties of speech and music signals
Authors: Driscoll Erin , Bocko Mark , Smith Sarah R.
Published: November 2021

Analysis of the coherence properties of the harmonic partials of speech and music signals recorded in an acoustic space provides information about the impulse response of the space. When an acoustic signal is filtered by a space, the autocorrelation of individual partials and the cross-correlation between pairs of partials provides information about the frequency-dependent reverberation time of the space. The relationship between the coherence time of the original, dry, signal and the reverberation time of the acoustic space determines the information that is retrievable in this “blind” approach. Recovering information about the acoustic space can be done within bounds, given only minimal assumptions or knowledge of the signal. Specifically, the original signal is assumed to contain a set of harmonically related partials, with mutually correlated amplitude and phase modulations and that the coherence time of the signal is known. These modulations are modelled as a narrow band pseudo random process. This is a reasonable assumption based on the physics of sound generation in classes of realistic sources, such as wind musical instruments or the human vocal tract.
Relating tensile strength to acoustic and biological properties of sediments along a mud-sand gradient in Mobile Bay, AL
Authors: Dorgan Kelly M. , Lockridge Grant , Frey Madeline R. , Clemo W. Cyrus , Venegas Gabriel R. , Lee Kevin M. , Ballard Megan S. , Stark Nina , Brilli Nick , Calantoni Joseph
Published: November 2021

Nearshore and estuarine sediments experience varying sediment inputs that create sharp gradients in sediment properties over fairly small vertical and horizontal distances. In this study, we explored the sand-mud transition in sediment cores collected from Mobile Bay, AL, with acoustic and geotechnical approaches. A custom built instrument was used to measure depth profiles of tensile strength at cm-scale resolution. These measurements were compared to acoustic sound speed and attenuation across a range of frequencies. Cores collected exhibited a horizontal gradient from sand to mud across the study area with a sandy layer on top of muddier sediment in most cores. This study explicitly examines the relationship between acoustic sound speed and attenuation and strength-related properties of sediments such as cohesion that can be measured in situ more easily than textural properties (e.g., porosity and grain size). We compare our data to in situ normal incidence measurements and portable free fall penetrometer data as well as infaunal community composition to better relate acoustic, geotechnical, and biological properties across a gradient of sediments.
Impacts of infaunal activity and physical disturbance on acoustic properties of muddy coastal sediments
Authors: Clemo W. Cyrus , Dorgan Kelly M.
Published: November 2021

Storm disturbance of shallow coastal sediments can resuspend subtidal sediment and transport and deposit sand from beach erosion, creating sorted layers of differing grain sizes. These sediments provide habitat for diverse and abundant infaunal organisms that mix these layers (bioturbation), but how the reestablishment of disturbance-tolerant infauna affects recently disturbed sediment structure, including acoustic properties, is poorly understood. In this laboratory study, we compared the effects of physical disturbance (resuspension of surface muddy sediment and addition of sand, simulating a storm), infaunal activities (burrowing by brittle stars), and the combination of both on acoustic properties of sediments. We hypothesized that acoustic properties would reflect faster reconsolidation and more mixing of the initial mud layer with the deposited sand in sediment with infauna compared to defaunated sediment. At several timepoints following disturbance (1–14 days), we measured sound speed and attenuation at 400 kHz at multiple depths within and below the resuspended layer. After 14 days, we measured porosity, grain size, and bioturbation with tracer particles to relate to acoustic properties. Infaunal effects on post-storm sediment structure may be important to consider for acoustic mapping of reconsolidating sediment in shallow coastal areas.
Measuring and modeling time-dependent changes in seabed scatter caused by near-bottom hydrodynamics and biologic processes
Authors: Venegas Gabriel R. , Lyons Anthony P.
Published: November 2021

Acoustic backscatter systems (ABS) can sense time-dependent changes in seabed surface roughness, internal structure, and composition caused by near-bottom hydrodynamics and biologic processes. However, a better understanding of how these processes affect the acoustic backscatter is required before data from ABS can be effectively used as a remote sensing tool. A Simrad EK80 Wideband Acoustic Transceiver (WBAT) was deployed on the seafloor at two sites off the coast of New Hampshire, and long-term backscatter measurements were acquired at 38, 70, and 200 kHz. The first site was located at the mouth of the Piscataqua River, near New Castle Island (NC), and the second at Star Island (SI) within the Isle of Shoals. The NC site exhibited strong tidal currents and mixed sediment with burrowing infauna, while the SI site was more susceptible to storm events and contained a coarser sediment with large quantities of shell fragments. Measurements of ping-to-ping decorrelation of scattered acoustic pulses were used to quantify timescales involved with near-bottom currents and storm events, while finite-element techniques were employed to study the backscatter from idealized burrows located at the water-sediment interface. An overview of these techniques and results will be discussed. [Work supported by ONR.]
Breaking urinary stones to small size with burst wave lithotripsy
Authors: Ramesh Shivani , Bailey Michael R. , Maxwell Adam , Kim Ga Won , Williams James C. , Liu Ziyue , Colonius Tim , Cao Shunxiang , Kuznetsova Ekaterina , Thiel Jeff , Dunmire Barbrina , Kreider Wayne , Sorensen Mathew D. , Lingeman James E. , Sapozhnikov Oleg A.
Published: November 2021

It is hypothesized a 2.6-mm stone was too small to break with 390-kHz burst wave lithotripsy (BWL). In clinical trial NCT03873259, a 2.6-mm stone failed to break after 10 min of 390-kHz BWL and was removed intact. Ex vivo, the stone failed to break after another 30 min at 390 kHz but broke into four pieces in 4 min at 650 kHz. A linear elastic model was used to calculate the stress created inside stones of different sizes, shapes, and compositions by shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) and different BWL frequencies. The model predicts above a threshold frequency proportionate to wave speed over stone length, the maximum principal stress inside a stone increases to more than five times the acoustic pressure applied. Thus, smaller stones may fragment at higher but not lower frequency. Amplification remains with irregularly shaped stones but is not seen with an SWL waveform. Ex vivo, stones smaller than 3 mm broke fastest at 830 kHz while larger stones broke fastest with 390 kHz followed by 830 kHz. For small stones and fragments, increasing BWL frequency many produce, amplified stress in the stone causing the stone to break to smaller fragments to pass. [Work supported by NIH-P01-DK04331 and NIH-K01-DK104854.]
On the sensitivity of acoustic distance measures to different parameterizations of mel-frequency cepstral coefficients and temporal alignment algorithms
Authors: Redmon Charles H.
Published: November 2021

The increasing role of large speech databases in phonetic and psycholinguistic research has placed a premium on the efficiency and objectivity with which continuous acoustic signals are encoded in discrete parameters that may then be used in recognition models. One simple and common way speech has been encoded and compared in this work is by (1) converting the acoustic signal into a matrix of MFCCs, and (2) measuring the distance between two or more matrices following the application of a temporal alignment algorithm (e.g., dynamic time warping, cross-correlation) to account for differences in utterance rate. The specification of both the MFCCs and the alignment algorithm requires control over a wide array of variables, many of which have both theoretical and experimental implications, and yet most of these variables are set to default values specified in toolkits like the HTK and the Phonological CorpusTools software (Young et al., 2002; Hall et al., 2017). This project uses a large multispeaker database of nonword syllable production and perception (Woods et al., 2010) to test the performance of this acoustic distance procedure over the full parameter space, and evaluate the degree of accordance of such measurements with phonological theory and perceptual data.
High quality recordings and transcriptions of speech via remote platforms
Authors: Wright Jonathan , Parker Robert , Zehr Jeremy , Ryant Neville , Liberman Mark , Cieri Christopher , Fiumara James
Published: November 2021

High quality recordings and transcriptions of speech are important to a wide variety of disciplines from linguistics and human language technology to biomedical screening, diagnosis and tracking. The wide availability of internet connections and powerful mobile devices offers low cost opportunities for collecting speech data at scale. But even in the era of open source software, numerous challenges remain. For example, video call applications such as Zoom have become widespread and allow for recording, but only provide lossy codecs with low frame rates, and often contain missing, repeated, or interpolated frames, as well as freezes, longer dropouts and other audio artefacts. LDC has recently developed a suite of tools to allow high quality internet-based audio recordings and transcription, with a premium on portability and flexibility, using secure cloud computing services for storage and back-end processing. We present here the current design and capabilities of our software, as well as availability in terms of open source code and app distribution. We also discuss future plans; planned capabilities include 2 + sided conversational recordings, connecting participants via the internet, a modern extension of Conversational Telephone Speech (CTS) collections.
A viral RNA hijacks host machinery using dynamic conformational changes of a tRNA-like structure
Authors: Bonilla Steve L. , Sherlock Madeline E. , MacFadden Andrea , Kieft Jeffrey S.
Published: November 2021

A tricky mimicry

RNA viruses use dynamic, multifunctional folded elements to hijack host cellular machinery. Bonilla
et al
. used cryo–electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to explore an RNA element from Brome mosaic virus that tricks host cell tyrosine transfer RNA synthetase (TyrRS) into adding a tyrosine to the viral genome’s 3′ end. Visualizing this RNA both in isolation and bound to a cellular TyrRS revealed a bound structure unlike the canonical transfer RNA L-like shape and conformational rearrangements in the RNA upon binding to the TyrRS, which suggests a multistep process of enzyme recognition. This study highlights the power of cryo-EM to illustrate dynamic processes involving small structured RNAs and RNA-protein complexes. —DJ
Response to Comment on “A global environmental crisis 42,000 years ago”
Authors: Cooper Alan , Turney Chris S. M. , Palmer Jonathan , Hogg Alan , McGlone Matt , Wilmshurst Janet , Lorrey Andrew M. , Heaton Timothy J. , Russell James M. , McCracken Ken , Anet Julien G. , Rozanov Eugene , Friedel Marina , Suter Ivo , Peter Thomas , Muscheler Raimund , Adolphi Florian , Dosseto Anthony , Faith J. Tyler , Fenwick Pavla , Fogwill Christopher J. , Hughen Konrad , Lipson Matthew , Liu Jiabo , Nowaczyk Norbert , Rainsley Eleanor , Ramsey Christopher Bronk , Sebastianelli Paolo , Souilmi Yassine , Stevenson Janelle , Thomas Zoe , Tobler Raymond , Zech Roland
Published: November 2021

Our paper about the impacts of the Laschamps Geomagnetic Excursion 42,000 years ago has provoked considerable scientific and public interest, particularly in the so-called Adams Event associated with the initial transition of the magnetic poles. Although we welcome the opportunity to discuss our new ideas, Hawks’ assertions of misrepresentation are especially disappointing given his limited examination of the material.
Comment on “A global environmental crisis 42,000 years ago”
Authors: Picin Andrea , Benazzi Stefano , Blasco Ruth , Hajdinjak Mateja , Helgen Kristofer M. , Hublin Jean-Jacques , Rosell Jordi , Skoglund Pontus , Stringer Chris , Talamo Sahra
Published: November 2021

Cooper
et al
. (Research Articles, 19 February 2021, p. 811) propose that the Laschamps geomagnetic inversion ~42,000 years ago drove global climatic shifts, causing major behavioral changes within prehistoric groups, as well as events of human and megafaunal extinction. Other scientific studies indicate that this proposition is unproven from the current archaeological, paleoanthropological, and genetic records.
Fear balance is maintained by bodily feedback to the insular cortex in mice
Authors: Klein Alexandra S. , Dolensek Nate , Weiand Caroline , Gogolla Nadine
Published: November 2021

How the body regulates fear

Although fear is important for survival, it is maladaptive if it is either too strong, as in anxiety disorders, or too weak, as in exaggerated risk taking. Working in mice, Klein
et al
. observed that the insular cortex has an unparalleled dual role in either enhancing or weakening the extinction of fear, depending on the internal fear state of the animal (see the Perspective by Christianson). This insula function helps to maintain fear within a homeostatic range and depends on bodily feedback signals: Fear-induced freezing behavior is associated with a slowed heart rate, which in turn dampens fear-evoked activity of the insular cortex. Two opposite signals, prediction of threat by fear-associated cues and negative feedback signals from the body, are thus integrated within the insular cortex. —PRS
Create a COVID-19 commission
Authors: Chyba Christopher F. , Cassel Christine K. , Graham Susan L. , Holdren John P. , Penhoet Ed , Press William H. , Savitz Maxine , Varmus Harold
Published: November 2021

We need a definitive public reference for the history of events
Digging into X chromosome inactivation
Authors: Heard Edith , Rougeulle Claire
Published: November 2021

Characterizing X chromosome inactivation in nonhuman primates reveals some surprises
Shrinking snowpacks, anxious snow lovers
The Last Winter
Porter Fox
Little, Brown, 2021. 320 pp.
Authors: Serreze Mark
Published: November 2021

A cold-weather enthusiast confronts connections between the cryosphere and human culture
Untangling the evolution of dengue viruses
Authors: Rohani Pejman , Drake John M.
Published: November 2021

The push and pull of dengue virus serotype evolution influences epidemic potential
COVID-19 vaccines for children
Authors: Gerber Jeffrey S. , Offit Paul A.
Published: November 2021

Earlier this month, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended Pfizer’s COVID-19 messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine for children between 5 and 11 years of age—that’s 28 million children. Yet surveys show that 42 to 66% of parents of these children are reluctant or opposed to seeking this protection. Without vaccination, it is likely that almost everyone—including young children—will be infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at some point in their lives. So, the question for parents and caregivers is: Which is worse, vaccination or natural infection?
In Other Journals
Authors: Ash Caroline , Szuromi Phil , Vignieri Sacha , Scanlon Seth Thomas , Hurtley Stella M. , Lavine Marc S. , Smith H. Jesse
Published: November 2021

Editors’ selections from the current scientific literature
‘Zero COVID’ is getting harder—but China is sticking with it
Authors: Normile Dennis
Published: November 2021

Government aims to increase immunity further before relaxing controls and trying to live with the virus
Challenging the dipolar paradigm for Proterozoic Earth
Authors: Sears* James W.
Published: November 2021

A robust, geology-based Proterozoic continental assembly places the northern and eastern margins of the Siberian craton against the southwestern margins of Laurentia in a tight, spoon-in-spoon conjugate fit. The proposed assembly began to break apart in late Neoproterozoic and early Paleozoic time. Siberia then drifted clockwise along the Laurussian margin on coast-parallel transforms until suturing with Europe in late Permian time. The proposed drift path is permitted by a geocentric axial dipole (GAD) magnetic field from Silurian to Permian time. However, the Proterozoic reconstruction itself is not permitted by GAD. Rather, site-mean paleomagnetic data plotted on the reconstruction suggest a multipolar Proterozoic dynamo dominated by a quadrupole. The field may have resembled that of present-day Neptune, where, in the absence of a large solid inner core, a quadrupolar magnetic field may be generated within a thin spherical shell near the core-mantle boundary. The quadrupole may have dominated Earth’s geomagnetic field until early Paleozoic time, when the field became erratic and transitioned to a dipole, which overwhelmed the weaker quadrupole. The dipole then established a strong magnetosphere, effectively shielding Earth from ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation and making the planet habitable for Cambrian fauna.
Magmatism, migrating topography, and the transition from Sevier shortening to Basin and Range extension, western United States
Authors: Lundstern* Jens-Erik , Miller Elizabeth L.
Published: November 2021

The paleogeographic evolution of the western U.S. Great Basin from the Late Cretaceous to the Cenozoic is critical to understanding how the North American Cordillera at this latitude transitioned from Mesozoic shortening to Cenozoic extension. According to a widely applied model, Cenozoic extension was driven by collapse of elevated crust supported by crustal thicknesses that were potentially double the present ~30–35 km. This model is difficult to reconcile with more recent estimates of moderate regional extension (≤50%) and the discovery that most high-angle, Basin and Range faults slipped rapidly ca. 17 Ma, tens of millions of years after crustal thickening occurred. Here, we integrated new and existing geochronology and geologic mapping in the Elko area of northeast Nevada, one of the few places in the Great Basin with substantial exposures of Paleogene strata. We improved the age control for strata that have been targeted for studies of regional paleoelevation and paleoclimate across this critical time span. In addition, a regional compilation of the ages of material within a network of middle Cenozoic paleodrainages that developed across the Great Basin shows that the age of basal paleovalley fill decreases southward roughly synchronous with voluminous ignimbrite flareup volcanism that swept south across the region ca. 45–20 Ma. Integrating these data sets with the regional record of faulting, sedimentation, erosion, and magmatism, we suggest that volcanism was accompanied by an elevation increase that disrupted drainage systems and shifted the continental divide east into central Nevada from its Late Cretaceous location along the Sierra Nevada arc. The north-south Eocene–Oligocene drainage divide defined by mapping of paleovalleys may thus have evolved as a dynamic feature that propagated southward with magmatism. Despite some local faulting, the northern Great Basin became a vast, elevated volcanic tableland that persisted until dissection by Basin and Range faulting that began ca. 21–17 Ma. Based on this more detailed geologic framework, it is unlikely that Basin and Range extension was driven by Cretaceous crustal overthickening; rather, preexisting crustal structure was just one of several factors that that led to Basin and Range faulting after ca. 17 Ma—in addition to thermal weakening of the crust associated with Cenozoic magmatism, thermally supported elevation, and changing boundary conditions. Because these causal factors evolved long after crustal thickening ended, during final removal and fragmentation of the shallowly subducting Farallon slab, they are compatible with normal-thickness (~45–50 km) crust beneath the Great Basin prior to extension and do not require development of a strongly elevated, Altiplano-like region during Mesozoic shortening.
Resolution of possible acquired protein S deficiency after viral suppression in HIV infection
Authors: Cervino Leigh , Raybould Jillian , Fulco Patricia
Published: November 2021

Current literature suggests an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in people living with HIV (PLWH) with poorly controlled viraemia and immunodeficiency. VTE treatment guidelines do not specifically address anticoagulation management in PLWH. We report a case of a 33-year-old woman diagnosed with an unprovoked pulmonary embolism (PE) and deemed protein S deficient. Three years later, she was diagnosed with AIDS. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) was promptly initiated with viral suppression and immune reconstitution within 12 months. Eight years after her initial PE, the patient self-discontinued warfarin. Multiple repeat protein S values were normal. ART without anticoagulation has continued for 3 years with no thrombotic events. This case describes a patient with VTE presumably secondary to undiagnosed HIV with possible consequent acquired protein S deficiency. Additional research is needed to understand the characteristics of PLWH with VTE who may warrant long-term anticoagulation as opposed to shorter courses.
Permanent pacemaker implantation after On-X surgical aortic valve replacement: SWEDEHEART observational study
Authors: Dalén Magnus , Persson Michael , Glaser Natalie , Sartipy Ulrik
Published: November 2021

Objective

Bioprosthetic aortic valves with an extended subannular component, such as transcatheter valves, exert increased compression on the cardiac conduction system and increase the risk for permanent pacemaker implantation. It is unknown if the On-X mechanical prosthetic valve, which has an elongated subannular valve housing, increases the risk of permanent pacemaker implantation following aortic valve replacement.

Design

Observational nationwide cohort study.

Setting

Swedish population-based study.

Participants

All patients aged 18–65 years who underwent primary mechanical aortic valve replacement in Sweden between 2005 and 2018. We used the Swedish Web system for Enhancement and Development of Evidence-based care in Heart disease Evaluated According to Recommended Therapies register and other Swedish national health-data registers.

Exposure

Patients implanted with an On-X valve versus patients implanted with other bileaflet mechanical valves.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Primary outcome measure was permanent pacemaker implantation within 30 days of surgery.

Results

A total of 2602 patients were included, and 581 patients received an On-X valve and 2021 patients received a St Jude Masters/Regent (n=945) or Carbomedics Reduced valve (n=1076). In the total study population, 115 (4.4%) permanent pacemaker implantations were performed within 30 days after aortic valve replacement. In the propensity score matched population, there was no significant difference in the rate of permanent pacemaker implantation in the On-X group compared with the control group: 3.6% (95% CI: 2.4% to 5.5%) vs 4.0% (95% CI: 2.7% to 5.9%), p=0.877.

Conclusions

The On-X prosthetic heart valve was associated with a similarly low risk for permanent pacemaker implantation after aortic valve replacement compared with other conventional bileaflet mechanical valves. The On-X elongated subannular valve housing does not interfere with the cardiac conduction system.
Unravelling data for rapid evidence-based response to COVID-19: a summary of the unCoVer protocol
Authors: Peñalvo José L. , Mertens Elly , Ademović Enisa , Akgun Seval , Baltazar Ana Lúcia , Buonfrate Dora , Čoklo Miran , Devleesschauwer Brecht , Diaz Valencia Paula Andrea , Fernandes João C. , Gómez Enrique Javier , Hynds Paul , Kabir Zubair , Klein Jörn , Kostoulas Polychronis , Llanos Jiménez Lucía , Lotrean Lucia Maria , Majdan Marek , Menasalvas Ernestina , Nguewa Paul , Oh In-Hwan , O’Sullivan Georgie , Pereira David M. , Reina Ortiz Miguel , Riva Silvia , Soriano Gloria , Soriano Joan B. , Spilki Fernando , Tamang Mary Elizabeth , Trofor Antigona Carmen , Vaillant Michel , Van Ierssel Sabrina , Vuković Jakov , Castellano José M.
Published: November 2021

Introduction

unCoVer—Unravelling data for rapid evidence-based response to COVID-19—is a Horizon 2020-funded network of 29 partners from 18 countries capable of collecting and using real-world data (RWD) derived from the response and provision of care to patients with COVID-19 by health systems across Europe and elsewhere. unCoVer aims to exploit the full potential of this information to rapidly address clinical and epidemiological research questions arising from the evolving pandemic.

Methods and analysis

From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, partners are gathering RWD from electronic health records currently including information from over 22 000 hospitalised patients with COVID-19, and national surveillance and screening data, and registries with over 1 900 000 COVID-19 cases across Europe, with continuous updates. These heterogeneous datasets will be described, harmonised and integrated into a multi-user data repository operated through Opal-DataSHIELD, an interoperable open-source server application. Federated data analyses, without sharing or disclosing any individual-level data, will be performed with the objective to reveal patients’ baseline characteristics, biomarkers, determinants of COVID-19 prognosis, safety and effectiveness of treatments, and potential strategies against COVID-19, as well as epidemiological patterns. These analyses will complement evidence from efficacy/safety clinical trials, where vulnerable, more complex/heterogeneous populations and those most at risk of severe COVID-19 are often excluded.

Ethics and dissemination

After strict ethical considerations, databases will be available through a federated data analysis platform that allows processing of available COVID-19 RWD without disclosing identification information to analysts and limiting output to data aggregates. Dissemination of unCoVer’s activities will be related to the access and use of dissimilar RWD, as well as the results generated by the pooled analyses. Dissemination will include training and educational activities, scientific publications and conference communications.
Rationalising requests for preoperative sleep studies and postoperative HDU beds: a quality improvement project in paediatric ENT patients undergoing elective surgery
Authors: Morris Simon , Jones Rhodri , Puttasiddaiah Paramesh Mankunda , Eales Michael , Whittet Heikki
Published: November 2021

Background

Sleep disordered breathing represents a spectrum of upper airway obstruction including snoring, increased respiratory effort and obstructive sleep apnoea. An increasing demand for paediatric preoperative sleep studies and postoperative high dependency unit (HDU) beds was having a significant impact on service delivery at this ear, nose and throat (ENT) unit.

Methods

Retrospective and prospective review of all paediatric sleep study requests over a 30-month period in a single tertiary ENT department. Data were collected on indication for and result of sleep study, patient outcome, operative details and HDU bed occupancy. During the study period, a ‘Sleep Study’ proforma was introduced which incorporated the ‘I’m Sleepy Score’ (ISS) and ENT-UK national guidelines.

Results

Retrospective review included 198 sleep studies, of which 62% (n=118) showed no evidence of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). There was little consistency in patients’ sleep study results and need for monitoring on HDU following adenotonsillectomy. Prospective review following intervention included 60 patients, of which 62% (n=37) showed evidence of OSA. The mean ISS in this cohort was 4.7. Only those with moderate-to-severe OSA or with relevant risk factors underwent overnight HDU observation. The number of sleep study requests fell by >50%; from 11 per month to 5 per month. The total HDU bed occupancy was reduced by 50% following intervention (from n=18 to n=9).

Conclusion

The use of the ISS and incorporation of ENTUK’s recommendations has reduced the number of negative sleep studies being requested and has rationalised the number of paediatric HDU bed requests being made. This has helped provide a prudent elective paediatric ENT service in this unit with corresponding cost benefits.
TIGIT/CD155 axis mediates resistance to immunotherapy in patients with melanoma with the inflamed tumor microenvironment
Authors: Kawashima Shusuke , Inozume Takashi , Kawazu Masahito , Ueno Toshihide , Nagasaki Joji , Tanji Etsuko , Honobe Akiko , Ohnuma Takehiro , Kawamura Tatsuyoshi , Umeda Yoshiyasu , Nakamura Yasuhiro , Kawasaki Tomonori , Kiniwa Yukiko , Yamasaki Osamu , Fukushima Satoshi , Ikehara Yuzuru , Mano Hiroyuki , Suzuki Yutaka , Nishikawa Hiroyoshi , Matsue Hiroyuki , Togashi Yosuke
Published: November 2021

Background

Patients with cancer benefit from treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), and those with an inflamed tumor microenvironment (TME) and/or high tumor mutation burden (TMB), particularly, tend to respond to ICIs; however, some patients fail, whereas others acquire resistance after initial response despite the inflamed TME and/or high TMB. We assessed the detailed biological mechanisms of resistance to ICIs such as programmed death 1 and/or cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 blockade therapies using clinical samples.

Methods

We established four pairs of autologous tumor cell lines and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) from patients with melanoma treated with ICIs. These tumor cell lines and TILs were subjected to comprehensive analyses and in vitro functional assays. We assessed tumor volume and TILs in vivo mouse models to validate identified mechanism. Furthermore, we analyzed additional clinical samples from another large melanoma cohort.

Results

Two patients were super-responders, and the others acquired resistance: the first patient had a non-inflamed TME and acquired resistance due to the loss of the beta-2 microglobulin gene, and the other acquired resistance despite having inflamed TME and extremely high TMB which are reportedly predictive biomarkers. Tumor cell line and paired TIL analyses showed high CD155, TIGIT ligand, and TIGIT expression in the tumor cell line and tumor-infiltrating T cells, respectively. TIGIT blockade or CD155-deletion activated T cells in a functional assay using an autologous cell line and paired TILs from this patient. CD155 expression increased in surviving tumor cells after coculturing with TILs from a responder, which suppressed TIGIT+T-cell activation. Consistently, TIGIT blockade or CD155-deletion could aid in overcoming resistance to ICIs in vivo mouse models. In clinical samples, CD155 was related to resistance to ICIs in patients with melanoma with an inflamed TME, including both primary and acquired resistance.

Conclusions

The TIGIT/CD155 axis mediates resistance to ICIs in patients with melanoma with an inflamed TME, promoting the development of TIGIT blockade therapies in such patients with cancer.
‘Frog’s umbrella’ and ‘ghost’s face powder’: the cultural roles of mushrooms and other fungi for Canadian Indigenous Peoples
Authors: Turner Nancy J. , Cuerrier Alain
Published: November 2021

This paper describes the importance of fungi to Canadian Indigenous Peoples. Based on collaborative research with Indigenous knowledge holders and a review of literature, approximately 30–40 fungi are documented as having cultural roles for Canadian Indigenous groups. Some peoples have not eaten mushrooms traditionally, whereas others have a history of harvesting, cooking, storing, and trading mushrooms for their diets. Perennial tree fungi have application as tinder, fire starter, and for carving masks. They also have a range of medicinal uses, some being consumed as medicinal teas, and others applied externally, in some cases by moxibustion to relieve underlying pain. Puffballs also have a range of material and medicinal applications, especially for stopping haemorrhages. Fungi are widely known for spiritual or sacred associations and play key roles in rituals, ceremonies, stories, and beliefs, which are also reflected in the names of some species. The antiquity of peoples’ relationships with fungi is likely very deep, extending back to ancient Asian or European ancestors of Pleistocene times, whose descendants on those continents have used them in similar ways. Fungi continue to play important roles for Indigenous Peoples today, with some being harvested commercially, and many still used in traditional ways.
Multi-criteria assessment approach of slow-moving urban landslide hazard: the case of Moulay Yacoub, Morocco
Authors: Obda Ilias , El Kharim Younes , Bounab Ali , Lahrach Abderrahim , Ahniche Mohammed , Mansouri Hamou
Published: November 2021

During many decades, the town of Moulay Yacoub underwent an important urban expansion to meet the high demand on housing fuelled by tourism activities, which constitute the backbone of the town’s economy. Unfortunately, the majority of buildings, both private and public, suffer from varying levels of damage related to the lithological, climate, and geomorphic settings of the area. In fact, the town is built on a marly hill prone to various types of mass movements, ranging from shallow soil creep to large slides. In addition, vertical displacement related to swelling/shrinkage behaviour of these Miocene marls is widespread in the area. The present paper presents a multi-disciplinary approach to investigate the activity and the interaction between slow-moving urban landslides and expansive soils within the urban perimeter of Moulay Yacoub. In fact, the severe seasonal contrast characterised by intense rainfall over short periods constitutes the main triggering factor of the instability phenomena in the region. Moreover, the desiccation cracks affecting marly soils are indicators of their expansive behaviour, which is very obvious in geotechnical tests results. The other geotechnical parameters obtained from laboratory tests show that the shallow marl samples are severely weathered compared with those of the compact material extracted at greater depth. The borehole data and seismic noise survey allows the detection of several impedance contrasts corresponding to the weathered layer – bedrock boundary, which in some cases corresponds to the rupture surface of the inventoried landslides. The very slow but perennial activity of the later processes is well documented by the inclinometers, the PS-InSAR monitoring, and building damage assessment surveys. Indeed, this case study highlights the complementarity of techniques used in this multi-disciplinary approach that give a multi-faceted understanding of slope instability processes and should provide a blueprint for future site-specific studies in the region.
Effects of numbers of observations and predictors for various model types on the performance of forest inventory with airborne laser scanning
Authors: Cosenza Diogo N. , Packalen Petteri , Maltamo Matti , Varvia Petri , Räty Janne , Soares Paula , Tomé Margarida , Strunk Jacob L. , Korhonen Lauri
Published: November 2021

Semi- and nonparametric models are popular in the area-based approach (ABA) using airborne laser scanning. It is unclear, however, how many predictors and training plots are needed to provide accurate predictions without overfitting. This work aims to explore these limits for various approaches: ordinary least squares regression (OLS), generalized additive models (GAM), least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and Gaussian process regression (GPR). We modeled timber volume (m3·ha–1) for four boreal sites using ABA with 2–39 predictors and 20–500 training plots. OLS, GAM, LASSO, and SVM overfitted as the number of predictors approached the number of training plots. They required ≥15 plots per predictor to provide accurate predictions (RMSE ≤30%). GAM required ≥250 plots regardless of the number of predictors. The number of predictors only mildly affected RF and GPR, but they required ≥200 and ≥250 training plots, respectively. RF did not overfit in any circumstances, whereas GPR overfit even with 500 training plots. Overall, using up to 39 predictors did not generally result in overfit, and for most model types, it resulted in better accuracy for sufficiently large datasets (≥250 plots).
Effects of variable thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity on flow of Williamson nanofluid between two parallel disks
Authors: Hussain Mazmul , Khan Nargis
Published: November 2021

The variable nature of the thermal conductivity of nanofluid with respect to temperature plays an important role in many engineering and industrial applications including solar collectors and thermoelectricity. Thus, the foremost motivation of this article is to investigate the effects of thermal conductivity and electric conductivity due to variable temperature on the flow of Williamson nanofluid. The flow is considered between two stretchable rotating disks. The mathematical modeling and analysis have been made in the presence of magnetohydrodynamic and thermal radiation. The governing differential equations of the problem are transformed into non-dimensional differential equations by using similarity transformations. The transformed differential equations are thus solved by a finite difference method. The behaviors of velocity, temperature and concentration profiles due to various parameters are discussed. For magnetic parameter, the radial and tangential velocities have showed decreasing behavior, while converse behavior is observed for axial velocity. The temperature profile shows increasing behavior due to an increase in the Weissenberg number, heat generation parameter and Eckert number, while it declines by increasing electric conductivity parameter. The nanoparticle concentration profile declines due to an increase in the Lewis number and Reynolds number.
Taming singularities of the quantum Fisher information
Authors: Goldberg Aaron Z. , Romero José L. , Sanz Ángel S. , Sánchez-Soto Luis L.
Published: November 2021

Quantum Fisher information matrices (QFIMs) are fundamental to estimation theory: they encode the ultimate limit for the sensitivity with which a set of parameters can be estimated using a given probe. Since the limit invokes the inverse of a QFIM, an immediate question is what to do with singular QFIMs. Moreover, the QFIM may be discontinuous, forcing one away from the paradigm of regular statistical models. These questions of nonregular quantum statistical models are present in both single- and multiparameter estimation. Geometrically, singular QFIMs occur when the curvature of the metric vanishes in one or more directions in the space of probability distributions, while QFIMs have discontinuities when the density matrix has parameter-dependent rank. We present a nuanced discussion of how to deal with each of these scenarios, stressing the physical implications of singular QFIMs and the ensuing ramifications for quantum metrology.
A note on 1-2-3 conjecture for Halin graphs
Authors: Jiang Xiaoli , Miao Zhengke , Yu Xiaowei
Published: November 2021

The well-known 1-2-3 Conjecture asserts the edges of every connected graph with at least three vertices can be weighted with 1, 2 and 3 so that adjacent vertices receive distinct sums of weights. In this paper, we show this conjecture holds for Halin graph. Moreover, this bound is tight.
Multi-task Fuzzy Clustering–Based Multi-task TSK Fuzzy System for Text Sentiment Classification
Authors: Gu Xiaoqing , Xia Kaijian , Jiang Yizhang , Jolfaei Alireza
Published: November 2021

Text sentiment classification is an important technology for natural language processing. A fuzzy system is a strong tool for processing imprecise or ambiguous data, and it can be used for text sentiment analysis. This article proposes a new formulation of a multi-task Takagi-Sugeno-Kang fuzzy system (TSK FS) modeling, which can be used for text sentiment image classification. Using a novel multi-task fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm, the common (public) information among all tasks and the individual (private) information for each task are extracted. The information about clustering, for example, cluster centers, can be used to learn the antecedent parameters of multi-task TSK fuzzy systems. With the common and individual antecedent parameters obtained, a corresponding multi-task learning mechanism for learning consequent parameters is devised. Accordingly, a multi-task fuzzy clustering–based multi-task TSK fuzzy system (MTFCM-MT-TSK-FS) is proposed. When the proposed model is built, the information conveyed by the fuzzy rules formed is two-fold, including (1) common fuzzy rules representing the inter-task correlation information and (2) individual fuzzy rules depicting the independent information of each task. The experimental results on several text sentiment datasets demonstrate the validity of the proposed model.
Government Responsiveness in Developing Countries
Authors: Grossman Guy , Slough Tara
Published: November 2021

When and how do governments deliver public goods and services in response to citizen preferences? We review the current literature on government responsiveness, with a focus on public goods and service delivery in developing countries. We identify three types of actors that are commonly present in these accounts: politicians, bureaucrats, and citizens. Much of this literature examines interactions between dyads of these actors. The study of electoral accountability and constituency services emphasizes relationships between citizens (or voters) and politicians. Studies of bureaucratic incentives and political oversight of bureaucrats emphasize interactions between politicians and bureaucrats. Finally, studies of bureaucratic embeddedness and citizen oversight of bureaucrats elaborate the interactions between bureaucrats and citizens. We argue that an emerging literature that considers interactions between all three types of actors provides rich theoretical and empirical terrain for developing our understanding of responsiveness and accountability in low- and middle-income countries and beyond.