bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experiences and Needs of Sexual and Gender Minority Young Adults with a History of Suicidal Ideation Regarding Formal and Informal Mental Healthcare
Authors: de Lange Jennifer , van Bergen Diana D. , Baams Laura , Timmerman Margaretha C. , Bos Henny M. W.
Published: October 2021

Introduction

Little is known about whether sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth and young adults with suicidal ideation receive adequate mental healthcare in the Netherlands. The aim of this study was to examine healthcare experiences and needs of SGM young adults and how formal and informal mental healthcare can be improved to support SGM youth with suicidal ideation.

Methods

In 2018 and 2019, qualitative interviews were conducted among (1) SGM young adults with a history of suicidal ideation (n = 23, age 18 to 35), (2) parents of SGM youth with suicidal ideation (n = 16), and (3) professionals and volunteers who work with SGM youth (n = 14). Thematic analysis was used for coding and analyzing the interviews.

Results

Analyses yielded several themes for all groups of participants. Similar themes related to addressing suicidal ideation and SGM issues were found across the three participant groups. Participants perceived a lack of knowledge among professionals regarding SGM issues and perceived that suicidal ideation was sometimes inadequately addressed. Participants expressed the need for training and information on addressing SGM issues and suicidal ideation for parents and professionals.

Conclusions

Formal mental healthcare is not yet affirmative of SGM identities. Informal and formal healthcare should be improved to address sexual orientation, gender identity, and suicidal ideation.

Policy Implications

Findings underpin the need for improving skills and knowledge of mental healthcare professionals to better support SGM youth with suicidal ideation. Parents would benefit from accessible information on SGM-related themes and suicidal ideation.
The National Conference on Health Disparities Student Research Forum
Authors: Ford Marvella E. , Malek Angela M. , Martino Erica , Abraham-Hilaire Latecia , Ariyo Oluwole , Burshell Dana , Callwood Gloria , Campbell Laura , Cannady Kimberly , Chavis Courtney , Crawford Brittney , Edwards Andie , Findlay Victoria , Finley Rita , Greenaway Chamiere , Hazelton Tonya , Hill Monique , Howard Marion , Knight Kendrea D. , Lopez-Littleton Vanessa , Moore Lloyd , Randle Diandra , Rivers David E. , Salley Judith D. , Seabrook Terry , Slaughter Sabra , Stukes James B. , Thorpe Roland J. , Ragster LaVerne
Published: October 2021

The annual National Conference on Health Disparities (NCHD) was launched in 2000. It unites health professionals, researchers, community leaders, and government officials, and is a catalyzing force in developing policies, research interventions, and programs that address prevention, social determinants, health disparities, and health equity. The NCHD Student Research Forum (SRF) was established in 2011 at the Medical University of South Carolina to build high-quality biomedical research presentation capacity in primarily underrepresented undergraduate and graduate/professional students. This paper describes the unique research training and professional development aspects of the NCHD SRF. These include guidance in abstract development, a webinar on presentation techniques and methods, a vibrant student-centric conference, and professional development workshops on finding a mentor and locating scholarship/fellowship funding, networking, and strategies for handling ethical issues in research with mentors. Between 2011 and 2018, 400 undergraduate and graduate/professional students participated in the NCHD SRF. Most students were women (80.5%). Approximately half were African American or black (52.3%), 18.0% were white, and 21.3% were of Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity. The NCHD SRF is unique in several ways. First, it provides detailed instructions on developing a scientific abstract, including content area examples. Second, it establishes a mandatory pre-conference training webinar demonstrating how to prepare a scientific poster. Third, it works with the research mentors, faculty advisors, department chairs, and deans to help identify potential sources of travel funding for students with accepted abstracts. These features make the NCHD SRF different from many other conferences focused on students’ scientific presentations.
Is There Really ‘Another’ Counterexample to the Secularization Thesis? Religious Dynamics in Italy between 1910 and 2013
Authors: Scappini Ettore
Published: October 2021

Background

Among the modern Western countries where the issue of religiosity has been studied, the United States and Italy offer the only examples of empirically verified periods when religious practice was consolidated or even revived to some extent. A recent study, however, shows that the nature of religious exceptionalism in the United States does not constitute a real counterexample. This leaves Italy as the only country that might provide evidence of the falseness of the assumption that the secularization process is inescapable.

Purpose

This study seeks to enhance our knowledge about the case of Italy, where the many surveys conducted over the years have produced a wide variety of often divergent results, prompting a fervent debate among scholars. Several authors argue that the level of participation remained almost constant from 1980 to 1990. Others, on the contrary, claim that the level of participation increased between 1980 and 2000. This paper contributes to this path of study, aiming to shed light on the development of religiosity in Italy between 1910 and 2013.

Methods

Different data sets—time use surveys, ‘stylized surveys’, direct surveys and other kind of data—and an innovative method will be used to develop the reasoning and trace the trend of secularization.

Results

As will be shown, there are discontinuities in the pattern of religious practice over time. These fractures were due to attrition caused in turn by factors related to economic phenomena like migration and political/ideological subcultures, which temporarily changed the level of religious practice and, at least for a time, counterbalanced the long-term trend away from religious practice.

Conclusions and Implications

The trends presented suggest that secularization in Italy developed without any discontinuity, leading to confirmation that modernization and religious action ‘counteracted’ each other in an extremely regular manner. Therefore, according to the current state of knowledge, no documented modern Western country constitutes a counterexample to the secularization thesis. It can thus be claimed that modernization and secularization are inextricably linked processes.
The pursuit of a dream, Francisco Javier Sayas and the HDG methods
Authors: Cockburn Bernardo
Published: October 2021

Franciso Javier Sayas, man of grit and determination, left his hometown of Zaragoza in 2007 in pursuit of a dream, to become a scholar in the USA. I hosted him in Minneapolis, where he spent three long years of an arduous transition before obtaining a permanent position at the University of Delaware. There, he enthusiastically worked on the unfolding of his dream until his life was tragically cut short by cancer, at only 50. In this paper, I try to bring to light the part of his academic life he shared with me. As we both worked on hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin methods, and he wrote a book on the subject, I will tell Javier’s life as it developed around this topic. First, I will show how the ideas of static condensation and hybridization, proposed back in the mid 60s, lead to the introduction of those methods. This background material will allow me to tell the story of the evolution of the hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin methods and describe Javier’s participation in it. Javier faced death with open eyes and poised dignity. I will end with a poem he liked.
Depth-camera-based rebar detection and digital reconstruction for robotic concrete spraying
Authors: Frangez Valens , Lloret-Fritschi Ena , Taha Nizar , Gramazio Fabio , Kohler Matthias , Wieser Andreas
Published: October 2021

In this paper, we tackle the challenge of detection and accurate digital reconstruction of steel rebar meshes using a set of industrial depth cameras. A construction example under investigation in this paper is robotic concrete spraying, where material is sprayed onto double-curved single layered rebar meshes. Before the spraying process can start, the location and geometry of the rebar mesh needs to be accurately know. We present an automatic image-based processing approach of depth images for grid point extraction at an accuracy of a few mm. Furthermore, we propose a sequence of execution steps in a robotic setup, including the hand–eye calibration, which enables the direct georeferencing of multiple data sets acquired from various poses into a common coordinate system. With the proposed approach we are able to digitally reconstruct a mesh of an unknown geometry in under 10 min with an accuracy better than 5 mm. The digitally reconstructed mesh allows for computation of material needed for its construction, enabling sustainable use of concrete in digital fabrication. The accurately reconstructed digital mesh, generated based on the proposed approach in this paper, is the input for the following spraying step, allowing for generation of accurate spray trajectories.
Association between antibiotic resistance in intensive care unit (ICU)–acquired infections and excess resource utilization: Evidence from Spain, Italy, and Portugal
Authors: Serra-Burriel Miquel , Campillo-Artero Carlos , Agodi Antonella , Barchitta Martina , López-Casasnovas Guillem
Published: October 2021

Background:

Intensive care unit (ICU)–acquired infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria have been associated with substantial health and economic costs. Moreover, southern Europe has historically reported high levels of antimicrobial resistance.

Objectives:

We estimated the attributable economic burden of ICU-acquired infections due to resistant bacteria based upon hospital excess length of stay (LOS) in a selected sample of southern European countries.

Methods:

We studied a cohort of adult patients admitted to the ICU who developed an ICU-acquired infection related to an invasive procedure in a sample of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese hospitals between 2008 and 2016, using data from The European Surveillance System (TESSy) released by the European Centers for Disease Control (ECDC). We analyzed the association between infections with selected antibiotic-resistant bacteria of public health importance and excess LOS using regression, matching, and time-to-event methods. We controlled for several confounding factors as well as time-dependent biases. We also computed the associated economic burden of excess resource utilization for each selected country.

Results:

In total, 13,441 patients with at least 1 ICU-acquired infection were included in the analysis: 4,106 patients (30.5%) were infected with antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, whereas 9,335 patients (69.5%) were infected with susceptible bacteria. The unadjusted association between resistance status and excess LOS was 7 days (95% CI, 6.13–7.87; P < .001). Fully adjusted models yielded significantly lower estimates: 2.76 days (95% CI, 1.98–3.54; P < .001) in the regression model, 2.60 days (95% CI, 1.66–3.55; P < .001) in the genetic matching model, and a hazard ratio of 1.15 (95% CI, 1.11–1.19; P < .001) in the adjusted Cox regression model. These estimates, alongside the prevalence of resistance, translated into direct hospitalization attributable costs per ICU-acquired infection of 5,224€ (95% CI, 3,691–6,757) for Spain, 4,461€ (95% CI, 1,948–6,974) for Portugal, and 4,320€ (95% CI, 1,662–6,977) for Italy.

Conclusions:

ICU-acquired infections associated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria are substantially associated with a 15% increase in excess LOS and resource utilization in 3 southern European countries. However, failure to appropriately control for significant confounders inflates estimates by ∼2.5-fold.
Transfer of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by fist bump versus elbow bump
Authors: Alhmidi Heba , Cadnum Jennifer L. , Wilson Brigid M. , Donskey Curtis J.
Published: October 2021

For 40 patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization, fist bump and elbow bump greetings resulted in frequent transfer of MRSA (25% vs 15%, respectively), but significantly fewer colonies were transferred via the elbow bump. Noncontact greetings should be encouraged to reduce the risk of transfer of healthcare-associated pathogens.
Temperature‐Independent Cloud Phase Retrieval From Shortwave‐Infrared Measurement of GCOM‐C/SGLI With Comparison to CALIPSO
Authors: Nagao Takashi M. , Suzuki Kentaroh
Published: October 2021

The shortwave infrared (SWIR) channels commonly accommodated in satellite‐borne passive sensors contain information on cloud thermodynamic phase as well as cloud optical thickness (COT) and cloud effective radius (CER). This study develops algorithms for simultaneous retrieval of COT, CER, and cloud thermodynamic phase to estimate the fractional probability of the cloud phase as an alternative to discrete discrimination into liquid and ice typical of operational cloud retrievals. Two algorithms were developed and applied to the SWIR channels centered at 1.05, 1.63, and 2.21 μm of Second‐generation Global Imager (SGLI). The first algorithm retrieves COT, CER, and ice COT fractions relative to the total COT, which is a continuous quantity representing the partitioning into liquid and ice phases. The second represents the cloud phase partitioning in the form of differences between radiances observed and simulated under the assumptions of either liquid or ice clouds when retrieving COT and CER. The cloud phases from these algorithms agreed quantitatively with each other, and were able to characterize the phase occurrence on a global scale. The two types of cloud phase characterization were further compared against CALIPSO to find that the zonal‐mean occurrences of the cloud phase from the first algorithm were broadly consistent with those from CALIPSO, except for significantly smaller occurrences of supercooled water clouds in SGLI than in CALIPSO over middle‐to‐high latitude oceans. The cloud phase occurrences were also found to systematically vary with CER and cloud‐top temperature on a global scale in a manner significantly different between SGLI and CALIPSO.
Lasers Have the Makings of a 21st-Century Geoscience Tool
Authors: Sima Richard
Published: October 2021

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy is a versatile geochemical tool being used in a wide range of applications, from Mars rovers to earthly rock identification.
Ion Heating in the Polar Cap Under Northwards IMF Bz
Authors: Lamarche Leslie J. , Varney Roger H. , Reimer Ashton S.
Published: October 2021

Joule heating deposits a significant amount of energy into the high‐latitude ionosphere and is an important factor in many magnetosphere‐ionosphere‐thermosphere coupling processes. We consider the relationship between localized temperature enhancements in polar cap measured with the Resolute Bay Incoherent Scatter Radar‐North (RISR‐N) and the orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). Based on analysis of 10 years of data, RISR‐N most commonly observes ion heating in the noon sector under northwards IMF . We interpret heating events in that sector as being primarily driven by sunwards plasma convection associated with lobe reconnection. We attempt to model two of the observed temperature enhancements with a data‐driven first principles model of ionospheric plasma transport and dynamics, but fail to fully reproduce the ion temperature enhancements. However, evaluating the ion energy equation using the locally measured ion velocities reproduces the observed ion temperature enhancements. This result indicates that current techniques for estimating global plasma convection pattern are not adequately capturing mesoscale flows in the polar cap, and this can result in underestimation of the energy deposition into the ionosphere and thermosphere.
A Wall‐Like Sharp Downward Branch of the Walker Circulation Above the Western Indian Ocean
Authors: Kohyama Tsubasa , Suematsu Tamaki , Miura Hiroaki , Takasuka Daisuke
Published: October 2021

In the zonal direction, the downward branch of the Walker circulation above the Indian Ocean is only 20° wide, whereas the Pacific counterpart is 90° wide. This zonal sharpness is notable because atmospheric disturbances smaller than the planetary scale can interact with the planetary‐scale Walker circulation through this branch. This zonal sharpness is also imprinted on a unique zonal discontinuity of the tropical rain belt above Northeast Africa. Therefore, we refer to this narrow downward branch as the “Wall,” investigate its climatology and interannual variability, and aim at determining its reason for existence. The strongest season of the lower tropospheric Wall in boreal summer is sustained by horizontal cold advection associated with the Asian Summer Monsoon, whereas another peak in boreal spring is explained by the seasonal migration of zonal winds. Two weak phases of the Wall correspond to two rainy seasons at the Eastern Horn of Africa, which are not reproduced well by the state‐of‐the‐art global climate models. Experiments using a convection‐permitting atmospheric model show that vertical mixing forced by mountain waves in East Africa is necessary for sustaining the Wall. After flattening the East African topography, zonal discontinuity of the tropical rain belt disappears. As for interannual variability, one standard deviation variability of vertical motions at the Wall is associated with one degree of sea surface temperature in the tropical Pacific, and the relationship is strongest in boreal autumn. Nevertheless, total variance is explained more by sea surface temperature in the tropical Indian Ocean.
MCPIP1 inhibits Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway activity and modulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition during clear cell renal cell carcinoma progression by targeting miRNAs
Authors: Gorka Judyta , Marona Paulina , Kwapisz Oliwia , Waligórska Agnieszka , Pospiech Ewelina , Dobrucki Jurek W. , Rys Janusz , Jura Jolanta , Miekus Katarzyna
Published: October 2021

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) refers to the acquisition of mesenchymal properties in cells participating in tumor progression. One hallmark of EMT is the increased level of active β-catenin, which can trigger the transcription of Wnt-specific genes responsible for the control of cell fate. We investigated how Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1-Induced Protein-1 (MCPIP1), a negative regulator of inflammatory processes, affects EMT in a clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) cell line, patient tumor tissues and a xenotransplant model. We showed that MCPIP1 degrades miRNAs via its RNase activity and thus protects the mRNA transcripts of negative regulators of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway from degradation, which in turn prevents EMT. Mechanistically, the loss of MCPIP1 RNase activity led to the upregulation of miRNA-519a-3p, miRNA-519b-3p, and miRNA-520c-3p, which inhibited the expression of Wnt pathway inhibitors (SFRP4, KREMEN1, CXXC4, CSNK1A1 and ZNFR3). Thus, the level of active nuclear β-catenin was increased, leading to increased levels of EMT inducers (SNAI1, SNAI2, ZEB1 and TWIST) and, consequently, decreased expression of E-cadherin, increased expression of mesenchymal markers, and acquisition of the mesenchymal phenotype. This study revealed that MCPIP1 may act as a tumor suppressor that prevents EMT by stabilizing Wnt inhibitors and decreasing the levels of active β-catenin and EMT inducers.
The effectiveness of enhanced evidence-based care for depressive disorders: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Xiao Le , Qi Han , Zheng Wei , Xiang Yu-Tao , Carmody Thomas J. , Mayes Taryn L. , Trivedi Madhukar H. , Wang Gang
Published: October 2021

Several care models have been developed to improve treatment for depression, all of which provide “enhanced” evidence-based care (EEC). The essential component of these approaches is Measurement-Based Care (MBC). Specifically, Collaborative Care (CC), and Algorithm-guided Treatment (AGT), and Integrated Care (IC) all use varying forms of rigorous MBC assessment, care management, and/or treatment algorithms as key instruments to optimize treatment delivery and outcomes for depression. This meta-analysis systematically examined the effectiveness of EEC versus usual care for depressive disorders based on cluster-randomized studies or randomized controlled trials (RCTs). PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and PsycInfo, EMBASE, up to January 6th, 2020 were searched for this meta-analysis. The electronic search was supplemented by a manual search. Standardized mean difference (SMD), risk ratio (RR), and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated and analyzed. A total of 29 studies with 15,255 participants were analyzed. EEC showed better effectiveness with the pooled RR for response of 1.30 (95%CI: 1.13–1.50, I2 = 81.9%, P < 0.001, 18 studies), remission of 1.35 (95%CI: 1.11–1.64, I2 = 85.5%, P < 0.001, 18 studies) and symptom reduction with a pooled SMD of −0.42 (95%CI: −0.61–(−0.23), I2 = 94.3%, P < 0.001, 19 studies). All-cause discontinuations were similar between EEC and usual care with the pooled RR of 1.08 (95%CI: 0.94–1.23, I2 = 68.0%, P = 0.303, 27 studies). This meta-analysis supported EEC as an evidence-based framework to improve the treatment outcome of depressive disorders.

Review registration: PROSPERO: CRD42020163668
ELK4-mediated lncRNA SNHG22 promotes gastric cancer progression through interacting with EZH2 and regulating miR-200c-3p/Notch1 axis
Authors: Mao Xiaqiong , Ji Tao , Liu Aiguo , Weng Yunqi
Published: October 2021

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important regulatory roles in the initiation and progression of various cancers. However, the biological roles and the potential mechanisms of lncRNAs in gastric cancers remain unclear. Here, we report that the expression of lncRNA SNHG22 (small nucleolar RNA host gene 22) was significantly increased in GC (Gastric Cancer) tissues and cells, which confers poor prognosis of patients. Knockdown of SNHG22 inhibited the proliferation and invasion ability of GC cells. Moreover, we identified that the transcriptional factor, ELK4 (ETS transcription factor ELK4), could promote SNHG22 expression in GC cells. In addition, using RNA pull-down followed MS assay, we found that SNHG22 directly bound to EZH2 (enhancer of zeste 2 polycomb repressive complex 2 subunit) to suppress the expression of tumor suppressor genes. At the same time, SNHG22 sponged miR-200c-3p to increase Notch1 (notch receptor 1) expression. Taken together, our findings demonstrated the role of SNHG22 on promoting proliferation and invasion of GC cells. And we revealed a new regulatory mechanism of SNHG22 in GC cells. SNHG22 is a promising lncRNA biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis and a potential target for GC treatment.
Essential role of zyxin in platelet biogenesis and glycoprotein Ib-IX surface expression
Authors: Yan Rong , Ge Xinxin , Pang Ningbo , Ye Honglei , Yuan Liuxia , Cheng Bin , Zhou Kangxi , Yang Mengnan , Sun Yueyue , Zhang Suqin , Ding Zhongren , Luo Jincai , Ruan Changgeng , Dai Kesheng
Published: October 2021

Platelets are generated from the cytoplasm of megakaryocytes (MKs) via actin cytoskeleton reorganization. Zyxin is a focal adhesion protein and wildly expressed in eukaryotes to regulate actin remodeling. Zyxin is upregulated during megakaryocytic differentiation; however, the role of zyxin in thrombopoiesis is unknown. Here we show that zyxin ablation results in profound macrothrombocytopenia. Platelet lifespan and thrombopoietin level were comparable between wild-type and zyxin-deficient mice, but MK maturation, demarcation membrane system formation, and proplatelet generation were obviously impaired in the absence of zyxin. Differential proteomic analysis of proteins associated with macrothrombocytopenia revealed that glycoprotein (GP) Ib-IX was significantly reduced in zyxin-deficient platelets. Moreover, GPIb-IX surface level was decreased in zyxin-deficient MKs. Knockdown of zyxin in a human megakaryocytic cell line resulted in GPIbα degradation by lysosomes leading to the reduction of GPIb-IX surface level. We further found that zyxin was colocalized with vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP), and loss of zyxin caused diffuse distribution of VASP and actin cytoskeleton disorganization in both platelets and MKs. Reconstitution of zyxin with VASP binding site in zyxin-deficient hematopoietic progenitor cell-derived MKs restored GPIb-IX surface expression and proplatelet generation. Taken together, our findings identify zyxin as a regulator of platelet biogenesis and GPIb-IX surface expression through VASP-mediated cytoskeleton reorganization, suggesting possible pathogenesis of macrothrombocytopenia.
Relationship between lysosomal dyshomeostasis and progression of diabetic kidney disease
Authors: Wu Man , Zhang Minjie , Zhang Yaozhi , Li Zixian , Li Xingyu , Liu Zejian , Liu Huafeng , Li Xiaoyu
Published: October 2021

Lysosomes are organelles involved in cell metabolism, waste degradation, and cellular material circulation. They play a key role in the maintenance of cellular physiological homeostasis. Compared with the lysosomal content of other organs, that of the kidney is abundant, and lysosomal abnormalities are associated with the occurrence and development of certain renal diseases. Lysosomal structure and function in intrinsic renal cells are impaired in diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Promoting lysosomal biosynthesis and/or restoring lysosomal function can repair damaged podocytes and proximal tubular epithelial cells, and delay the progression of DKD. Lysosomal homeostasis maintenance may be advantageous in alleviating DKD. Here, we systematically reviewed the latest advances in the relationship between lysosomal dyshomeostasis and progression of DKD based on recent literature to further elucidate the mechanism of renal injury in diabetes mellitus and to highlight the application potential of lysosomal homeostasis maintenance as a new prevention and treatment strategy for DKD. However, research on screening effective interventions for lysosomal dyshomeostasis is still in its infancy, and thus should be the focus of future research studies. The screening out of cell-specific lysosomal function regulation targets according to the different stages of DKD, so as to realize the controllable targeted regulation of cell lysosomal function during DKD, is the key to the successful clinical development of this therapeutic strategy.
Time-ordered dysregulated ceRNA networks reveal disease progression and diagnostic biomarkers in ischemic and dilated cardiomyopathy
Authors: Bai Ziyi , Sun Haoran , Li Xiuhong , Wu Jie , Yuan Hao , Zhang Guangde , Yang Haixiu , Shi Hongbo
Published: October 2021

Ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) are the two main causes of heart failure (HF). Despite similar clinical characteristics and common “HF pathways”, ICM and DCM are expected to have different personalized treatment strategies. The underlying mechanisms of ICM and DCM have yet to be fully elucidated. The present study developed a novel computational method for identifying dysregulated long noncoding RNA (lncRNA)–microRNA (miRNA)–mRNA competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) triplets. Time-ordered dysregulated ceRNA networks were subsequently constructed to reveal the possible disease progression of ICM and DCM based on the method. Biological functional analysis indicated that ICM and DCM had similar features during myocardial remodeling, whereas their characteristics differed during progression. Specifically, disturbance of myocardial energy metabolism may be the main characteristic during DCM progression, whereas early inflammation and response to oxygen are the characteristics that may be specific to ICM. In addition, several panels of diagnostic biomarkers for differentiating non-heart failure (NF) and ICM (NF-ICM), NF-DCM, and ICM-DCM were identified. Our study reveals biological differences during ICM and DCM progression and provides potential diagnostic biomarkers for ICM and DCM.
Incorporating functional priors improves polygenic prediction accuracy in UK Biobank and 23andMe data sets
Authors: Márquez-Luna Carla , Gazal Steven , Loh Po-Ru , Kim Samuel S. , Furlotte Nicholas , Auton Adam ,   23andMe Research Team, Agee Michelle , Alipanahi Babak , Bell Robert K. , Bryc Katarzyna , Elson Sarah L. , Fontanillas Pierre , Hinds David A. , McCreight Jey C. , Huber Karen E. , Kleinman Aaron , Litterman Nadia K. , McIntyre Matthew H. , Mountain Joanna L. , Noblin Elizabeth S. , Northover Carrie A. M. , Pitts Steven J. , Sathirapongsasuti J. Fah , Sazonova Olga V. , Shelton Janie F. , Shringarpure Suyash , Tian Chao , Tung Joyce Y. , Vacic Vladimir , Wilson Catherine H. , Price Alkes L.
Published: October 2021

Polygenic risk prediction is a widely investigated topic because of its promising clinical applications. Genetic variants in functional regions of the genome are enriched for complex trait heritability. Here, we introduce a method for polygenic prediction, LDpred-funct, that leverages trait-specific functional priors to increase prediction accuracy. We fit priors using the recently developed baseline-LD model, including coding, conserved, regulatory, and LD-related annotations. We analytically estimate posterior mean causal effect sizes and then use cross-validation to regularize these estimates, improving prediction accuracy for sparse architectures. We applied LDpred-funct to predict 21 highly heritable traits in the UK Biobank (avg N = 373 K as training data). LDpred-funct attained a +4.6% relative improvement in average prediction accuracy (avg prediction R2 = 0.144; highest R2 = 0.413 for height) compared to SBayesR (the best method that does not incorporate functional information). For height, meta-analyzing training data from UK Biobank and 23andMe cohorts (N = 1107 K) increased prediction R2 to 0.431. Our results show that incorporating functional priors improves polygenic prediction accuracy, consistent with the functional architecture of complex traits.
TET2 mutations are associated with hypermethylation at key regulatory enhancers in normal and malignant hematopoiesis
Authors: Tulstrup Morten , Soerensen Mette , Hansen Jakob Werner , Gillberg Linn , Needhamsen Maria , Kaastrup Katja , Helin Kristian , Christensen Kaare , Weischenfeldt Joachim , Grønbæk Kirsten
Published: October 2021

Mutations in the epigenetic modifier TET2 are frequent in myeloid malignancies and clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) and clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance (CCUS). Here, we investigate associations between TET2 mutations and DNA methylation in whole blood in 305 elderly twins, 15 patients with CCUS and 18 healthy controls. We find that TET2 mutations are associated with DNA hypermethylation at enhancer sites in whole blood in CHIP and in both granulocytes and mononuclear cells in CCUS. These hypermethylated sites are associated with leukocyte function and immune response and ETS-related and C/EBP-related transcription factor motifs. While the majority of TET2-associated hypermethylation sites are shared between CHIP and in AML, we find a set of AML-specific hypermethylated loci at active enhancer elements in hematopoietic stem cells. In summary, we show that TET2 mutations is associated with hypermethylated enhancers involved in myeloid differentiation in both CHIP, CCUS and AML patients.
Mechanistic insight into the chemical treatments of monolayer transition metal disulfides for photoluminescence enhancement
Authors: Li Zhaojun , Bretscher Hope , Zhang Yunwei , Delport Géraud , Xiao James , Lee Alpha , Stranks Samuel D. , Rao Akshay
Published: October 2021

There is a growing interest in obtaining high quality monolayer transition metal disulfides for optoelectronic applications. Surface treatments using a range of chemicals have proven effective to improve the photoluminescence yield of these materials. However, the underlying mechanism for the photoluminescence enhancement is not clear, which prevents a rational design of passivation strategies. Here, a simple and effective approach to significantly enhance the photoluminescence is demonstrated by using a family of cation donors, which we show to be much more effective than commonly used p-dopants. We develop a detailed mechanistic picture for the action of these cation donors and demonstrate that one of them, bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide lithium salt (Li-TFSI), enhances the photoluminescence of both MoS2 and WS2 to a level double that of the currently best performing super-acid trifluoromethanesulfonimide (H-TFSI) treatment. In addition, the ionic salts used in our treatments are compatible with greener solvents and are easier to handle than super-acids, providing the possibility of performing treatments during device fabrication. This work sets up rational selection rules for ionic chemicals to passivate transition metal disulfides and increases their potential in practical optoelectronic applications.
Shifting beams at normal incidence via controlling momentum-space geometric phases
Authors: Wang Jiajun , Zhao Maoxiong , Liu Wenzhe , Guan Fang , Liu Xiaohan , Shi Lei , Chan C. T. , Zi Jian
Published: October 2021

When hitting interfaces between two different media, light beams may undergo small shifts. Such beam shifts cannot be described by the geometrical optics based on Snell’s law and their underlying physics has attracted much attention. Conventional beam shifts like Goos-Hänchen shifts and Imbert-Fedorov shifts not only require obliquely incident beams but also are mostly very small compared to the wavelength and waist size of the beams. Here we propose a method to realize large and controllable polarization-dependent lateral shifts for normally incident beams with photonic crystal slabs. As a proof of the concept, we engineer the momentum-space geometric phase distribution of a normally incident beam by controlling its interaction with a photonic crystal slab whose momentum-space polarization structure is designed on purpose. The engineered geometric phase distribution is designed to result in a large shift of the beam. We fabricate the designed photonic crystal slab and directly observe the beam shift, which is ~5 times the wavelength and approaches the waist radius. Based on periodic structures and only requiring simple manipulation of symmetry, our proposed method is an important step towards practical applications of beam shifting effects.
Effects and prognostic values of miR-30c-5p target genes in gastric cancer via a comprehensive analysis using bioinformatics
Authors: Hu Shangshang , Liu Huaifeng , Zhang Jinyan , Li Shujing , Zhou Huadong , Gao Yu
Published: October 2021

Gastric cancer (GC) is a common cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. To improve the diagnosis and treatment of GC, it is necessary to identify new biomarkers by investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms. In this study, miR-30c-5p expression was significantly down-regulated in GC tissues by comprehensive analysis using multiple databases. The target genes of miR-30c-5p with up-regulated expression level in GC were identified, including ADAM12 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase12), EDNRA (the Endothelin receptor type A), STC1 (stanniocalcin 1), and CPNE8 (the calcium-dependent protein, copine 8). The expression level of ADAM12 was significantly related to depth of invasion (p = 0.036) in GC patients. The expression level of EDNRA was significantly related to grade (P = 0.003), depth of invasion (P = 0.019), and lymphatic metastasis (P = 0.001). The expression level of CPNE8 was significantly related to grade (P = 0.043) and TNM stage (P = 0.027).Gene set enrichment analysis showed that they might participate in GC progression through cancer-related pathways. CIBERSORT algorithm analysis showed that their expressions were related to a variety of tumor-infiltrating immune cells. The higher expression of those target genes might be the independent risk factor for poor survival of GC patients, and they might be potential prognostic markers in GC patients.
Genic microsatellite marker characterization and development in little millet (Panicum sumatrense) using transcriptome sequencing
Authors: Desai Hiral , Hamid Rasmieh , Ghorbanzadeh Zahra , Bhut Nishant , Padhiyar Shital M. , Kheni Jasminkumar , Tomar Rukam S.
Published: October 2021

Little millet is a climate-resilient and high-nutrient value plant. The lack of molecular markers severely limits the adoption of modern genomic approaches in millet breeding studies. Here the transcriptome of three samples were sequenced. A total of 4443 genic-SSR motifs were identified in 30,220 unigene sequences. SSRs were found at a rate of 12.25 percent, with an average of one SSR locus per 10 kb. Among different repeat motifs, tri-nucleotide repeat (66.67) was the most abundant one, followed by di- (27.39P), and tetra- (3.83P) repeats. CDS contained fewer motifs with the majority of tri-nucleotides, while 3′ and 5′ UTR carry more motifs but have shorter repeats. Functional annotation of unigenes containing microsatellites, revealed that most of them were linked to metabolism, gene expression regulation, and response to environmental stresses. Fifty primers were randomly chosen and validated in five little millet and 20 minor millet genotypes; 48% showed polymorphism, with a high transferability (70%) rate. Identified microsatellites can be a noteworthy resource for future research into QTL-based breeding, genetic resource conservation, MAS selection, and evolutionary genetics.
Supporting ultrathin “fish scale-like” BiOBr nanosheets on Bi6Mo2O15 sub-microwires for boosting photocatalytic performance
Authors: Yang Gui , Liang Yujun , Yang Jian , Wang Kun , Zeng Zikang , Xiong Zhuoran
Published: October 2021

A BiOBr/Bi6Mo2O15 edge-on heterostructure with fast electron transport could improve interface conductivity and accelerate charge-separation efficiency.
Coherent internal conversion from high lying electronic states to S1 in boron-dipyrromethene derivatives
Authors: Lee Changmin , Seo Kiho , Kim Munnyon , Joo Taiha
Published: October 2021

Coherent internal conversion between higher electronic excited states is observed directly by excitation of molecules to Sn (n ≥ 2) state and detection of fluorescence from S1 state by wave-packet-resolved time-resolved fluorescence.
Carbazole modification of ruthenium bipyridine–dicarboxylate oxygen evolution molecular catalysts
Authors: Otsuka Hiroki , Kobayashi Atsushi , Yoshida Masaki , Kato Masako
Published: October 2021

Two oxygen-evolution molecular catalysts bearing the carbazole moiety as the hole-mediating precursor were synthesized and their activities were evaluated.
Development of a pH-sensitive functionalized metal organic framework:in vitrostudy for simultaneous delivery of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide in breast cancer
Authors: Singh Ragini , Kumar Binayak , Sahu Ram Krishna , Kumari Soni , Jha Chandan Bhogendra , Singh Nahar , Mathur Rashi , Hedau Suresh T.
Published: October 2021

Exploration of an efficient dual-drug based nanocarrier with high drug loading capacity, specific targeting properties, and long-term stability is highly desirable in cancer therapy.
Recovery of Zn and Ge from zinc oxide dust by ultrasonic-H2O2 enhanced oxidation leaching
Authors: Xin Chunfu , Xia Hongying , Zhang Qi , Zhang Libo , Zhang Wei
Published: October 2021

Zn and Ge were selectively extracted from zinc oxide dust (ZOD) by the ultrasonic-H2O2 (UH) combined oxidation-leaching process.
A data mining‐based method for mining key factors affecting transient voltage stability for power systems with renewable energy sources
Authors: Huang Dan , Sun Huadong , Zhang Jian , Zhao Shanshan , Zhou Qinyong
Published: October 2021

Increasing penetration of renewable energy sources (RESs) into power systems has brought new challenges to guarantee transient voltage stability (TVS) of the system, due to complex and different characteristics of the RES compared with the synchronous generator. The related theories to the TVS for power systems with RES (PSRESs) are incomplete, and it is difficult to construct accurate physical model of the PSRES by using traditional TVS analysis method. Here a novel data mining‐based approach for extracting key factors that affect the TVS of a PSRES is put forward. The original Relief algorithm is modified to deal with the imbalance of sample size between stable and unstable samples of the practical data set and improve the calculation accuracy. Then, a data mining scheme based on the modified Relief algorithm is presented to acquire key factors affecting the TVS. With the proposed scheme, the influence degrees of different factors on the TVS can be evaluated quantitatively by their weighting values, and then the key factors as well as the influence patterns can be determined. Test results which are conducted on the modified IEEE‐39 test system with RESs are presented to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method.
A new modulation strategy and power balance method of unsymmetrical CHB inverter
Authors: Gong Renxi , Zhang Xinyu , Liu Jianfeng , Xue Bo
Published: October 2021

There exist the problems of the low utilization rate of DC voltage, power imbalance and current backflow in the modulation process of traditional unsymmetrical cascaded units. In view of these, a pulse width modulation strategy with an improved trapezoidal wave as the modulation wave and its corresponding power balance method are proposed. First, through double Fourier analysis of the output line voltage, an appropriate sine coefficient δ is obtained. Second, the waveform of the modulation wave is determined according to δ. Third, through the simple logic operation of the initial driving signals of the switch transistors, the required switch driving signals are obtained, and the power balance of each unit with the same voltage level is realized. In order to verify the effectiveness of the strategy and the method, a simulation and experiment platform are built, and a large number of simulations and experiments are carried out. The results show that compared with the traditional sinusoidal modulation method, the utilization rate of DC voltage obtained by the method can be improved by 22.28% and compared with the trapezoidal wave modulation method, the waveform distortion coefficient of the output voltage can be significantly reduced, and the utilization rate of DC voltage can be further improved. Meanwhile, the power balance can be achieved within one voltage cycle and the phenomenon of current backflow is eliminated.
Aging assessment method of oil–paper composite insulation based on repeated polarization current characteristics
Authors: Zhuang Yu , Wang Yonghong , Wang Meiying , Wei Xinlao
Published: October 2021

To explore the aging assessment method of the oil–paper insulation in power transformers, the polarization and depolarization current (PDC) characteristics of oil–paper composite insulation samples are investigated under high applied voltage. Based on the asymmetry of polarization absorption current and depolarization current and the polarity effect of insulation pressboard, the repeated polarization current test method is proposed. A novel aging characteristic parameter, which is the ratio of the normalized charge for the first polarization and the normalized charge for the second polarization, is extracted. The difference between the decay rates of the first polarization current and the second polarization current increases at first and then decreases with the polarization time, and decreases with increasing aging degree of the pressboard. The more serious the insulation aging is, the smaller the variation range of aging characteristic parameter with polarization time is, and the closer the value is to 1. With decrease in the DP, the maximum of aging characteristic parameter changes in a decreasing trend. The aging condition of the oil–paper composite insulation can be assessed by the repeated polarization current method and the relationship between the aging characteristic parameter and the polarization time.
Centaur 2013 VZ70: Debris from Saturn’s irregular moon population?
Authors: de la Fuente Marcos C. , de la Fuente Marcos R.
Published: October 2021

Context. Saturn has an excess of irregular moons. This is thought to be the result of past collisional events. Debris produced during such episodes in the neighborhood of a host planet can evolve into co-orbitals trapped in quasi-satellite and/or horseshoe resonant states. A recently announced centaur, 2013 VZ70, follows an orbit that could be compatible with those of prograde Saturn’s co-orbitals.

Aims. We perform an exploration of the short-term dynamical evolution of 2013 VZ70 to confirm or reject a co-orbital relationship with Saturn. A possible connection with Saturn’s irregular moon population is also investigated.

Methods. We studied the evolution of 2013 VZ70 backward and forward in time using N-body simulations, factoring uncertainties into the calculations. We computed the distribution of mutual nodal distances between this centaur and a sample of moons.

Results. We confirm that 2013 VZ70 is currently trapped in a horseshoe resonant state with respect to Saturn but that it is a transient co-orbital. We also find that 2013 VZ70 may become a quasi-satellite of Saturn in the future and that it may experience brief periods of capture as a temporary irregular moon. This centaur might also pass relatively close to known irregular moons of Saturn.

Conclusions. Although an origin in trans-Neptunian space is possible, the hostile resonant environment characteristic of Saturn’s neighborhood favors a scenario of in situ formation via impact, fragmentation, or tidal disruption as 2013 VZ70 can experience encounters with Saturn at very low relative velocity. An analysis of its orbit within the context of those of the moons of Saturn suggests that 2013 VZ70 could be related to the Inuit group, particularly Siarnaq, the largest and fastest rotating member of the group. Also, the mutual nodal distances of 2013 VZ70 and the moons Fornjot and Thrymr are below the first percentile of the distribution.