bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
InsectChange: a global database of temporal changes in insect and arachnid assemblages
Authors: van Klink Roel , Bowler Diana E. , Comay Orr , Driessen Michael M. , Ernest S. K. Morgan , Gentile Alessandro , Gilbert Francis , Gongalsky Konstantin B. , Owen Jennifer , Pe'er Guy , Pe'er Israel , Resh Vincent H. , Rochlin Ilia , Schuch Sebastian , Swengel Ann B. , Swengel Scott R. , Valone Thomas J. , Vermeulen Rikjan , Wepprich Tyson , Wiedmann Jerome L. , Chase Jonathan M.
Published: April 2021

Insects are the most ubiquitous and diverse group of eukaryotic organisms on Earth, forming a crucial link in terrestrial and freshwater food webs. They have recently become the subject of headlines because of observations of dramatic declines in some places. Although there are hundreds of long‐term insect monitoring programs, a global database for long‐term data on insect assemblages has so far remained unavailable. In order to facilitate synthetic analyses of insect abundance changes, we compiled a database of long‐term (≥10 yr) studies of assemblages of insects (many also including arachnids) in the terrestrial and freshwater realms. We searched the scientific literature and public repositories for data on insect and arachnid monitoring using standardized protocols over a time span of 10 yr or longer, with at least two sampling events. We focused on studies that presented or allowed calculation of total community abundance or biomass. We extracted data from tables, figures, and appendices, and, for data sets that provided raw data, we standardized trapping effort over space and time when necessary. For each site, we extracted provenance details (such as country, state, and continent) as well as information on protection status, land use, and climatic details from publicly available GIS sources. In all, the database contains 1,668 plot‐level time series sourced from 165 studies with samples collected between 1925 and 2018. Sixteen data sets provided here were previously unpublished. Studies were separated into those collected in the terrestrial realm (103 studies with a total of 1,053 plots) and those collected in the freshwater realm (62 studies with 615 plots). Most studies were from Europe (48%) and North America (29%), with 34% of the plots located in protected areas. The median monitoring time span was 19 yr, with 12 sampling years. The number of individuals was reported in 129 studies, the total biomass was reported in 13 studies, and both abundance and biomass were reported in 23 studies. This data set is published under a CC‐BY license, requiring attribution of the data source. Please cite this paper if the data are used in publications, and respect the licenses of the original sources when using (part of) their data as detailed in Metadata S1: Table 1.
Community change can buffer chronic nitrogen impacts, but multiple nutrients tip the scale
Authors: Wilcots Megan E. , Harpole W. Stanley , Seabloom Eric W. , Borer Elizabeth T.
Published: April 2021

Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) inputs are causing large changes in ecosystems worldwide. Many previous studies have examined the impact of N on terrestrial ecosystems; however, most have added N at rates that are much higher than predicted future deposition rates. Here, we present the results from a gradient of experimental N addition (0–10 g·N·m−2) in a temperate grassland. After a decade of N addition, we found that all levels of N addition changed plant functional group composition, likely indicating altered function for plant communities exposed to 10 yr of N inputs. However, N addition only had weak impacts on species composition and this functional group shift was not driven by any particular species, suggesting high levels of functional redundancy among grasslands species. Adding other nutrients (P, K, and micronutrients) in combination with N caused substantially greater changes in the relative abundance of species and functional groups. Together, these results suggest that compositional change within functional groups may buffer grasslands from impacts of N deposition, but concurrent eutrophication with other elements will likely lead to substantial changes in plant composition and biomass.
A trusted distributed routing scheme for wireless sensor networks using blockchain and meta‐heuristics‐based deep learning technique
Authors: Revanesh M , Sridhar Venugopalachar
Published: April 2021

The wireless sensor network (WSN) with fluctuating environs might be susceptible to diverse types of malicious cyber‐attacks, and they are mostly dependent on the authentication and encryption algorithm to astound this challenge. Most predominant routing schemes in literature are fall backs in characterizing the malicious nodes on networks due to the real time variation of routing information. Therefore, a reliable and trustworthy inter‐correlated routing scheme based on Block chain, Meta‐heuristic, and Deep Learning Algorithms are presented in this paper. The disseminated routing info in the WSN is handled by Block chain strategy, in which the optimal routing is accomplished with the help of Salp Swarm Optimization algorithm. The routing info variations between the nodes are envisaged and the optimal routing decisions are done by using the Deep Convolutional Neural network algorithm. The proposed routing scheme is implemented in NS2 and its performance is evaluated based on latency, energy consumption, and throughput metrics are analyzed. The efficiency of the method is improved as 97% and the evaluation is done for the malicious attacks, latency, and the delay. The comparison is made for the existing methods as particle swarm optimization, Markov decision process, security disjoint routing‐based verified message, trusted‐cluster–based routing, and reinforcement learning‐based neural network (RLNN) with the proposed method for the delay ratio.
Patient violence, physicians treatment decisions, and patient welfare: Evidence from China
Authors: Zhao Xin , Li Xiaoxue , Torgler Benno , Dulleck Uwe
Published: April 2021

Although violence in healthcare settings has become a common occurrence worldwide, there is limited evidence on the spillover effects of patient violence on physicians' medical decisions. Utilizing microdata on inpatients from a major public hospital, we investigated how extreme patient violence—the murder of a physician in China—affected physicians' treatment decisions and patient welfare in a hospital geographically distant from the murder site. By matching this patient dataset to physician profiles, we performed a difference‐in‐differences analysis in which the treatment group comprised patients admitted shortly before and after the murder shock, and the control group consisted of patients admitted during the same months in the previous year. Immediately after the shock, the provision of medical treatment was notably higher, with a 16.9% increase in the number of surgeries and a 9.5% increase in the treatment expenditures. However, patient health outcomes were worse, with an increased mortality rate of 0.9% points. Findings suggest that patient violence dramatically changed physician behavior, causing negative consequences on patients even when the healthcare workers were not direct victims of patient violence.
Digitisation and realtime sharing of unified surveillance tool and clinicopathological data for efficient management of disease outbreaks
Authors: Shrivastva Suyesh , Chakma Tapas , Das Aparup , Verma Anil Kumar
Published: April 2021

Existing chronic co‐morbidities in a population affect the clinical outcome of infectious diseases. In order to devise better management strategies at community level, patients related clinicopathological as well as local health care infrastructure data is required. The use of digitised, unified, multilingual surveillance tool may facilitate real‐time sharing of clinicopathological data and better service delivery to the affected communities. In this article, we discuss that how digital collection, collation and sharing of health‐related data may improve planning and management of disease outbreaks.
Bone regeneration in both small and large preclinical bone defect models using an injectable polymer‐based substitute containing hydroxyapatite and reconstituted with saline or autologous blood
Authors: Maurel Delphine B , Fénelon Mathilde , Aid‐Launais Rachida , Bidault Laurent , Le Nir Alice , Renard Martine , Fricain Jean‐Christophe , Letourneur Didier , Amédée Joëlle , Catros Sylvain
Published: April 2021

Microbeads consisting of pullulan and dextran supplemented with hydroxyapatite have recently been developed for bone tissue engineering applications. Here, we evaluate the bone formation in two different preclinical models after injection of microbeads reconstituted with either saline buffer or autologous blood. Addition of saline solution or autologous blood to dried microbeads packaged into syringes allowed an easy injection. In the first rat bone defect model performed in the femoral condyle, microcomputed tomography performed after 30 and 60 days revealed an important mineralization process occurring around and within the core of the microbeads in both conditions. Bone volume/total volume measurements revealed no significant differences between the saline solution and the autologous blood groups. Histologically, osteoid tissue was evidenced around and in contact of the microbeads in both conditions. Using the sinus lift model performed in sheep, cone beam computed tomography revealed an important mineralization inside the sinus cavity for both groups after 3 months of implantation. Representative Masson trichrome staining images showed that bone formation occurs at the periphery and inside the microbeads in both conditions. Quantitative evaluation of the new bone formation displayed no significant differences between groups. In conclusion, reconstitution of microbeads with autologous blood did not enhance the regenerative capacity of these microbeads compared to the saline buffer group. This study is of particular interest for clinical applications in oral and maxillofacial surgery.
Enhanced osteogenic potential of unzipped carbon nanotubes for tissue engineering
Authors: Patel Dinesh K. , Dutta Sayan Deb , Ganguly Keya , Kim Jin‐Woo , Lim Ki‐Taek
Published: April 2021

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted significant interest for various applications owing to their superior physicochemical properties. The unzipping of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes was accomplished by strong acid treatment. The solution of unzipped carbon nanotubes (u‐CNTs) was homogeneous and stable. The u‐CNTs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. The dimensions and morphologies of the synthesized u‐CNTs were examined by transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The u‐CNTs exhibited increased zeta potential and diameter compared with pure CNTs. A decrease in the thermal stability was observed in the u‐CNTs compared with pure CNTs. The u‐CNTs exhibited better biocompatibility than pure CNTs in the presence of bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells, showing improved biocompatibility. The u‐CNT‐treated media generated lower amounts of reactive oxygen species than pure CNTs. Enhanced mineralization was observed in the u‐CNT‐treated groups compared with the pure CNTs and the control, indicating its better osteogenic potential. The upregulation of osteogenic‐associated gene markers in u‐CNT groups compared with pure CNTs confirms their superior osteogenic potential. Thus, u‐CNTs are potential candidates for tissue engineering applications, especially bone tissue.
Factors Associated With Adherence to Osteoporosis Medications Among Male Veterans
Authors: Sagalla Nicole , Lee Richard , Sloane Richard , Lyles Kenneth , Colón‐Emeric Cathleen
Published: April 2021

Risk factors for nonadherence to osteoporosis medication have been well described for cohorts of women with osteoporosis, but little is known about predictors or mediators of nonadherence in men. We conducted a secondary analysis of a national cohort of male veterans to explore factors associated with nonadherence to osteoporosis medications. We included veterans with a prescription for an oral bisphosphonate or calcitonin between 2000 and 2010. We identified demographic, comorbid, and fracture‐related risk factors by their International Classification of Diseases‐9 (ICD‐9) and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes and used multivariable logistic regression to evaluate their association with adherence. Adherence was measured by medication possession ratio (MPR) over 5 years, starting at the time of their first prescription during the study period and censoring at death or end of study period. Of 135,306 men identified with at least one prescription for an osteoporosis medication during the study period, 90,406 (67%) were nonadherent (MPR < 0.80). The median duration of therapy was 3.2 years (interquartile range [IQR] = 1.7–5.0). In the fully adjusted model, the odds of adherence were lower in those aged <65 years (odds ratio [OR] = 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.84–0.89), with no copay (OR = 0.78; 95% CI 0.76–0.80), dementia (OR = 0.87; 95% CI 0.83–0.91), anxiety/depression (OR = 0.92; 95% CI 0.90–0.95), tobacco use (OR = 0.91; 95% CI 0.89–0.94), alcohol abuse (OR = 0.91; 95% CI 0.89–0.94), rheumatoid arthritis (OR = 0.92; 95% CI 0.87–0.97), and on androgen deprivation therapy (OR = 0.89; 95% CI 0.83–0.95). The odds of adherence were higher in whites (OR = 1.14; 95% CI 1.11–1.17), with a prior screening colonoscopy (OR = 1.12; 95% CI 1.09–1.14), on alendronate versus other agents (OR = 1.61; 95% CI 1.55–1.67), with a dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) (OR = 1.14; 95% CI 1.12–1.17), on glucocorticoids (OR = 1.08; 95% CI 1.02–1.14), and with recent fracture (OR = 1.07; 95% CI 1.04–1.10). In conclusion, adherence to oral bisphosphonates/calcitonin is poor, with particular subgroups at greatest risk. These findings may help tailor approaches for supporting adherence in men prescribed osteoporosis medications. © 2021 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. © 2021 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Genetic interaction between glyoxylate pathway regulator UCC1 and La‐motif‐encoding SRO9 regulates stress response and growth rate improvement in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Pandita Monika , Shoket Heena , Rakewal Aayushi , Wazir Shreya , Kumar Prabhat , Kumar Rakesh , Bairwa Narendra K.
Published: April 2021

Nonavailability of glucose as a carbon source results in glyoxylate pathway activation, which metabolizes nonfermentable carbon for energy generation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Ucc1p of S. cerevisiae inhibits activation of the glyoxylate pathway by targeting Cit2p, a key glyoxylate enzyme for ubiquitin‐mediated proteasomal degradation when glucose is available as a carbon source. Sro9p, a La‐motif protein involved in RNA biogenesis, interacts physically with the messenger RNA of UCC1; however, its functional relevance is yet to be discovered. This study presents binary epistatic interaction between UCC1 and SRO9, with functional implication on the growth rate, response to genotoxic stress, resistance to apoptosis, and petite mutation. Cells with ucc1Δsro9Δ, as their genetic background, exhibit alteration in morphology, improvement in growth rate, resistance to apoptosis, and petite mutation. Moreover, the study indicates a cross‐link between ubiquitin‐proteasome system and RNA biogenesis and metabolism, with applications in industrial fermentation and screening for cancer therapeutics.
The genetic counseling profession in Austria: Stakeholders’ perspectives
Authors: Schwaninger Gunda , Benjamin Caroline , Rudnik‐Schöneborn Sabine , Zschocke Johannes
Published: April 2021

In contrast to most European countries, genetic counseling in Austria, Germany, and German‐speaking Switzerland is exclusively carried out by medical doctors. In this study, we investigate the perspectives of key clinician stakeholders in Austrian genetics services regarding prerequisites, opportunities, and challenges of implementing master's trained genetic counselors. Semi‐structured interviews with open‐ended questions and thematic analysis were carried out with nine participants, mostly medical geneticists at different hierarchy levels from three Centers for Medical Genetics in Austria. Several Austrian medical geneticists strongly object to the implementation of non‐physician genetic counselors, and representatives of 3/6 medical genetic centers declined to be interviewed. Semantic framing was identified as a critical factor: In German medical language, patient consultations carried out by medical geneticists are generally called ‘Genetische Beratung’ (genetic counseling), and many medical geneticists see themselves primarily as ‘Genetische Berater’ (genetic counselors). ‘Genetic counseling’ is specified as an exclusively medical task in Austrian law. There is apprehension that the introduction of non‐physician genetic counselors could reduce quality and undermine the position of medical genetics as a clinical specialty. The situation in Austria resembles that in Germany. Our study highlights the need for a clear definition of roles, expertise, and scope of practice of different genetic professionals. The integration of genetic counselors into Austrian genetics services is most likely acceptable in multi‐professional teams, closely affiliated with medical genetic services, and under the medico‐legal oversight of medical geneticists.
Performance of two prognostic scores that incorporate genetic information to predict long‐term outcomes following resection of colorectal cancer liver metastases: An external validation of the MD Anderson and JHH‐MSK scores
Authors: Sasaki Kazunari , Gagnière Johan , Dupré Aurélien , Ardiles Victoria , O'Connor Juan Manuel , Wang Jaeyun , Moro Amika , Morioka Daisuke , Buettner Stefan , Gau Laurence , Ribeiro Mathieu , Wagner Doris , Andreatos Nikolaos , Løes Inger Marie , Fitschek Fabian , Kaczirek Klaus , Lønning Per Eystein , Kornprat Peter , Poultsides George , Kamphues Carsten , Imai Katsunori , Baba Hideo , Endo Itaru , Kwon Choon Hyuck David , Aucejo Federico N. , de Santibañes Eduardo , Kreis Martin E. , Margonis Georgios Antonios
Published: April 2021

Introduction

Two novel clinical risk scores (CRS) that incorporate KRAS mutation status were developed: modified CRS (mCRS) and GAME score. However, they have not been tested in large national and international cohorts. The aim of this study was to validate the prognostic discrimination utility and determine the clinical usefulness of the two novel CRS.

Methods

Patients undergoing hepatectomy for CRLM (2000‐2018) in 10 centers were included. The discriminatory abilities of mCRS, GAME, and Fong CRS were evaluated using Harrell's C‐index and Akaike's Information Criterion.

Results

In the entire cohort, the C‐index of the GAME score (0.61) was significantly higher than those of Fong score (0.57) and mCRS (0.54), while the C‐Index of mCRS was significantly lower than that of Fong score. When we compared the models in the various geographical regions, the C‐index of GAME score was significantly higher than that of mCRS in North America, Europe, and South America. The AIC of Fong score, mCRS, and GAME score were 14 405, 14 447, and 14 319, respectively.

Conclusion

In conclusion, using the largest and most heterogenous population of CRLM patients with known KRAS status, this independent, external validation demonstrated that the GAME score outperforms both the traditional Fong score and mCRS.
What induces the interdecadal shift of the dipole patterns of summer precipitation trends over the Tibetan Plateau?
Authors: Liu Yong , Chen Huopo , Li Hua , Zhang Guoqing , Wang Huijun
Published: April 2021

Precipitation on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) exert great impacts on the energy, water cycle, and regional ecosystem. But due to the wide differences in climate regimes and complicated topography, TP precipitation is characterized as greater spatial diversity and lower confidence of temporal tendency. Based on the precipitation datasets from in situ observations, reanalysis, and satellites, this study identifies the interdecadal shift of the summer precipitation trends in the southern and northern TP, which corresponds well with the remarkable changes of TP lakes area in recent years. The statistical results indicate that the TP summer precipitation has experienced an interdecadal transition in the late 1990s, with precipitation increasing and then decreasing in the southern TP, and decreasing and then increasing in the northern TP. Further analyses suggest that the changes in moisture budget and convection activities play an important role in the interdecadal variations of precipitation in the northern and southern TP, respectively. More specifically, the variations in the southern TP are contributed largely by the persistent weakening sensible heat source, which can depress the ascending motion and hinder the northward moisture transport in the southern TP. While in the northern TP, both observations and model sensitivity experiments indicate that the co‐effect of the cold interdecadal Pacific oscillation (IPO) and warm Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO) has profound impacts on the decadal shift of the net moisture budget in the northern TP. Specifically, the AMO can impact the Lake Baikal anticyclone through the anomalous wave propagation and then decrease the moisture output in the eastern TP. While the IPO can weaken the climatological westerlies and prompt the moisture to get stuck in the northern TP. Consequently, the variations in the net moisture budget can give rise to the decadal variations in summer precipitation in the northern TP.
Contributions of natural climate variability on the trends of seasonal precipitation extremes over China
Authors: Cao Fuqiang , Gao Tao , Dan Li , Zhao Fengxia , Gong Xiang , Zhang Xinyu , Long Xiaoyu , Zhan Junjie
Published: April 2021

The increased trends of extreme precipitation events over China have been partially attributed to global warming, while it is unclear how the natural climate variability affect these variations in extreme rainfall trends. Here we examine the contributions of large‐scale modes climate variability from the Pacific Ocean, which are represented by El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), on the trends of seasonal extreme events across China. Results show that the effects of climate variability modes on precipitation extremes exhibit evidently spatiotemporal characteristics at the seasonal scale. A significant positive trend is found over southeastern and northwestern China in four seasons, and substantial increases in two types of extreme events are also seen over northwestern China in spring and winter. Most of the seasonal trends of extreme precipitation events can be explained by the trends of the principal components. El Niño (La Niña) and PDO–like sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies over the Pacific have a close linkage with the variations in precipitation extremes. By modulating the large‐scale atmospheric circulations, these Pacific SST anomalies associated with climatic oscillations, such as ENSO and PDO, provide the conducive conditions responsible for the occurrences of seasonal precipitation extremes across China. The seasonal trends of extreme events can be largely explained by the variability of the ENSO and PDO episodes, with a relatively larger modulation of PDO as compared to ENSO. These researches have important implications for improving seasonal flood disaster predictability and climate model performances.
Comparison of organic substrates in urban rooftop agriculture, towards improving crop production resilience to temporary drought in Mediterranean cities
Authors: Parada Felipe , Ercilla‐Montserrat Mireia , Arcas‐Pilz Verónica , Lopez‐Capel Elisa , Carazo Núria , Montero Juan I , Gabarrell Xavier , Villalba Gara , Rieradevall Joan , Muñoz Pere
Published: April 2021

BACKGROUND

Urban agriculture contributes to meeting the growing food production demand in cities. In the context of low water availability, it is important to consider alternatives that are able to maintain production. Through a circular economy vision, this study aimed to assess the use of substrates made from local materials as an alternative for urban agriculture in periods of low water availability, due to water supply cuts. The substrates used were coir commercial organic substrate, vegetable compost from urban organic waste and perlite commercial standard substrate; a mixture of the urban compost and perlite (1:1) was used for three consecutive crop cycles of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. crispa). The crop cycles were performed in the spring and summer periods of 2018 to observe the performance during warmer periods of the year in an integrated rooftop greenhouse near Barcelona. Each substrate was assessed under conventional irrigation (0–5 kPa) and temporary water restricted conditions (irrigation stopped until the water tension reached −20 kPa perlite).

RESULTS

In terms of yield, our results show that the compost and mixture were similar to those obtained from perlite (11.5% and 3.7% more production under restricted water conditions). Organic substrates increased the crop's resilience to water restriction, in contrast to the perlite. In particular, water loss took longer in coir (one‐ and two‐crop cycle); however, when dryness began, it occurred quickly.

CONCLUSION

The vegetable compost and the substrate mixture presented tolerance to temporary water restriction when water restriction reached −20 kPa. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
The Case for Studying Highly Modified Agricultural Streams: Farming for Biogeochemical Insights
Authors: Tank Jennifer L. , Speir Shannon L. , Sethna Lienne R. , Royer Todd V.
Published: April 2021

A significant fraction of Earth's land surface is used for agriculture, which has led to extensive modification and degradation of streams and rivers. Although highly modified, agricultural streams offer important opportunities for advancing our understanding of agroecosystems and applying the principles of translational ecology. Using examples from the upper midwestern U.S., we discuss how highly modified agricultural streams can be used to gain insights into ecological and biogeochemical processes, though often this involves adjusting the paradigms and approaches used to study streams in less disturbed landscapes. We argue that highly modified agricultural streams could serve as a model for how less disturbed systems might respond to ongoing and future environmental change. Last, these streams often are targets for restoration, which opens the door to engaging with diverse stakeholders, including policymakers and nontraditional funding sources such as philanthropic foundations and industry groups.
Translating Evidence to Advanced Parkinson's Disease Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Nijhuis Frouke A.P. , Esselink Rianne , de Bie Rob M.A. , Groenewoud Hans , Bloem Bastiaan R. , Post Bart , Meinders Marjan J.
Published: April 2021

In the advanced stages of Parkinson's disease (PD), patients frequently experience disabling motor complications. Treatment options include deep brain stimulation (DBS), levodopa‐carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG), and continuous subcutaneous apomorphine infusion (CSAI). Choosing among these treatments is influenced by scientific evidence, clinical expertise, and patient preferences. To foster patient engagement in decision‐making among the options, scientific evidence should be adjusted to their information needs. We conducted a systematic review from the patient perspective. First, patients selected outcomes for a treatment choice: quality of life, activities of daily living, ON and OFF time, and adverse events. Second, we conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis for each treatment versus best medical treatment using Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). Finally, the evidence was transformed into comprehensible and comparable information. We converted the meta‐analysis results into the number of patients (per 100) who benefit clinically from an advanced treatment per outcome, based on the minimal clinically important difference and the cumulative distribution function. Although this approach allows for a comparison of outcomes across the three device‐aided therapies, they have never been compared directly. The interpretation is hindered by the relatively short follow‐up time in the included studies, usually less than 12 months. These limitations should be clarified to patients during the decision‐making process. This review can help patients integrate the evidence with their own preferences, and with their clinician's expertise, to reach an informed decision. © 2021 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Expanding the phenotype of CACNA1C mutation disorders
Authors: Gakenheimer‐Smith Lindsey , Meyers Lindsay , Lundahl Derek , Menon Shaji C. , Bunch T. Jared , Sawyer Briana L. , Tristani‐Firouzi Martin , Etheridge Susan P.
Published: April 2021

Background

Pathogenic variants in the L‐type Ca2+ channel gene CACNA1C cause a multi‐system disorder that includes severe long QT syndrome (LQTS), congenital heart disease, dysmorphic facial features, syndactyly, abnormal immune function, and neuropsychiatric disorders, collectively known as Timothy syndrome. In 2015, a variant in CACNA1C (p.R518C) was reported to cause cardiac‐only Timothy syndrome, a genetic disorder with a mixed phenotype of congenital heart disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), and LQTS that lacked extra‐cardiac features. We have identified a family harboring the p.R518C pathogenic variant with a wider spectrum of clinical manifestations.

Methods

A four‐generation family harboring the p.R518C pathogenic variant was reviewed in detail. The proband and his paternal great‐uncle underwent comprehensive cardiac gene panel testing, and his remaining family members underwent cascade testing for the p.R518C pathogenic variant.

Results

In addition to displaying cardinal features of CACNA1C disorders including LQTS, congenital heart disease, HCM, and sudden cardiac death, family members manifested atrial fibrillation and sick sinus syndrome.

Conclusion

Our report expands the cardiac phenotype of CACNA1C variants and reflects the variable expressivity of mutations in the L‐type Ca2+ channel.
Gas‐Phase Polyethylene Reactors—A Critical Review of Modeling Approaches
Authors: Alves Rita Ferreira , Casalini Tommaso , Storti Giuseppe , McKenna Timothy F. L.
Published: April 2021

Different approaches to modeling the gas phase polymerization of ethylene that have been considered in the literature are reviewed. It is shown that while simple, well‐mixed models can give an adequate representation of the average performance of a given polymerization reactor, they do not allow one to analyze certain modeling problems such as the existence of temperature gradients or particle segregation, nor can they be used to treat operational modes such as condensed cooling where there can be up to three different phases in different parts of the reactor. For this, more complex models are required. These can take the form of compartmentalized models or even models based on computation fluid dynamics. However, long computational times can be required to fully exploit these models. Furthermore, significant progress needs to be made if one needs to address important phenomena such as agglomeration or particle attrition during polymerization.
Attenuation of motion artifacts in fMRI using discrete reconstruction of irregular fMRI trajectories (DRIFT)
Authors: Parker David B. , Spincemaille Pascal , Razlighi Qolamreza R.
Published: April 2021

Purpose

Numerous studies report motion as the most detrimental source of noise and artifacts in fMRI. Current motion correction methods fail to completely address the motion problem. Retrospective techniques such as spatial realignment can correct for between‐volume misalignment but fail to address within volume contamination and spin‐history artifacts. Prospective motion correction can prevent spin‐history artifacts but currently cannot update the gradients fast enough to remove k‐space filling artifacts, calling for a hybrid approach to fully address these problems.

Theory and methods

Motion can be mathematically formulated into the MR signal equation to describe the motion artifacts at their origin in k‐space. From these equations, it is demonstrated that different motions have different effects on the signal. A novel motion correction algorithm is designed from these equations to remove motion‐induced artifacts directly in k‐space, discrete reconstruction of irregular fMRI trajectory (DRIFT). This method is evaluated rigorously using fMRI simulations and data from a rotating phantom inside the scanner.

Results

The results indicate that although some motion types have negligible effects on the MR signal, others produce catastrophic and lasting artifacts even after motion cessation. In simulation, DRIFT is able to remove motion artifacts in the absence of spin history. In a phantom scan, DRIFT significantly attenuates the motion artifacts in the fMRI data.

Conclusion

Neither prospective nor retrospective motion correction methods could completely remove the motion artifacts from the fMRI data. However, DRIFT, as a retrospective technique, when combined with prospective motion correction, can eliminate a significant portion of motion artifacts.
Pole‐zero assignment in model predictive control, using analytical tuning approach
Authors: Bagheri Peyman
Published: April 2021

This paper proposes a new analytical tuning strategy for Model Predictive Control (MPC). In the proposed approach, MPC tuning problem is restated as a pole‐zero placement problem. New analytically tuning equations are given and a deep study on the places of poles and zeros of the closed‐loop system is performed. It is known that, appropriate zero placement can improve the robust stability of the closed‐loop system, so the proposed tuning strategy can be applicable. In MPC tuning strategies, analytical equations are very interesting and useful. To achieve analytical equations, First Order plus Dead Time models are used in this work. These models with adequate accuracy can describe many industrial processes. With simulation studies, the effectiveness of the proposed pole‐zero assignment strategy is indicated.
Neoadjuvant Everolimus for Adult Giant Mesenteric Cystic Lymphangioma with mTOR Pathway Activation
Authors: El Zein Sophie , Gruel Nadège , Bonvalot Sylvie , Mir Olivier , Watson Sarah
Published: April 2021

Cystic lymphangioma are rare benign vascular or lymphatic tumors, diagnosed mostly in newborns or children, that may become life-threatening because of local invasiveness. Surgical “en-bloc” resection with negative margins is the only curative treatment, but some patients are diagnosed with unresectable tumors. We describe the case of a young adult with giant unresectable mesenteric lymphangioma. Extensive pathological characterization as well as whole exome and transcriptome sequencing enabled us to identify mTOR pathway activation within endothelial tumor cells. The patient was treated with everolimus and experienced major partial response, leading to the surgical resection of the residual lesions. This case highlights the importance of molecular characterization of adult cystic lymphangioma for mTOR pathway activation because multidisciplinary therapeutic approaches, including neoadjuvant everolimus and secondary surgery, can lead to complete cure of this rare condition.

Key Points
Longitudinal patterns of food insecurity, the home food environment, and parent feeding practices during COVID‐19
Authors: Adams Elizabeth L. , Caccavale Laura J. , Smith Danyel , Bean Melanie K.
Published: April 2021

Background

The economic impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) have drastically increased food insecurity in the United States. Initial data, collected a few months into the pandemic, showed that families, particularly those experiencing food insecurity, reported detrimental changes to their home food environment and parent feeding practices, compared to before COVID‐19.

Objective

This follow‐up study obtained longitudinal data from a sample of parents in the United States to quantify changes in food security status, the home food environment, and parent feeding practices, from before to across COVID‐19 as the pandemic continued to persist.

Methods

Parents (N = 433) completed online surveys May (T1) and September (T2) 2020 during COVID‐19. Food security, home food environment, and parent feeding practices were reported at each timepoint. At T1, parents also retrospectively reported on these factors pertaining to before COVID‐19. Chi square analyses and repeated measure mixed models examined associations among study variables.

Results

Low or very low food security increased from before COVID‐19 (37%) to T1 (54%) and decreased by T2 (45%). About 30% of families who became food insecure, and 44% who stayed food insecure from T1 to T2, reported a decrease in total food in their home; only 3%–6% who became/stayed food secure reported this decrease. Parents' concern for child overweight and use of monitoring increased from before COVID‐19 to T1, and decreased by T2, but remained elevated above pre–COVID‐19 values.

Conclusion

Rates of food insecurity remain high as this pandemic persists. Continued assessment of nutrition‐related factors and increased economic supports are critical for families to endure COVID‐19 and prevent long‐term obesity and health risks.
Beekeeping in, of or for the city? A socioecological perspective on urban apiculture
Authors: Sponsler Douglas B. , Bratman Eve Z.
Published: April 2021

The term ‘urban beekeeping’ connotes a host of meanings—sociopolitical, commercial, ecological and personal—beyond the mere description of where bees and beekeepers happen to coincide. Yet, these meanings are seldom articulated explicitly or brought into critical engagement with the relevant fields of urban ecology and political ecology.

Beginning with a brief account of the history of urban beekeeping in the United States, we draw upon urban ecological theory to construct a conceptual model of urban beekeeping that distinguishes beekeepingin,ofandforthe city. In our model, beekeepinginthe city describes the mere importation of the traditionally rural practice of beekeeping into urban spaces for the private reasons of the individual beekeeper, whereas beekeepingofthe city describes beekeeping that is consciously tailored to the urban context, often accompanied by (semi)professionalization of beekeepers and the formation of local expert communities (i.e. beekeeping associations). Beekeepingforthe city describes a shift in mindset in which beekeeping is directed to civic ends beyond the boundaries of the beekeeping community per se.

Using this framework, we identify and discuss specific socioecological assets and liabilities of urban beekeeping, and how these relate to beekeepingin,ofandforthe city. We then formulate actionable guidelines for maturing the practice of urban beekeeping into a beneficent and self‐critical form of urban ecological citizenship; these include fostering self‐regulation within the beekeeping community, harnessing beekeeping as a ‘gateway’ experience for a broader rapprochement between urban residents and nature, and recognizing the political‐ecological context of beekeeping with respect to matters of socioecological justice.

A freePlain Language Summarycan be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Fast prepare exfoliated montmorillonite water suspension with assistance of melamine cyanurate and the superlattice obtained by self‐assembly
Authors: Qin Peifan , Yi Deqi , Hao Jianwei , Zhao Min
Published: April 2021

To explore the exfoliation mechanism of montmorillonite (MMT) layers assisted by melamine cyanurate (MCA), the MCA crystal structures based on the concentration of raw materials and the preparation of MMT‐MCA superlattice are investigated. Here, the correlation between MCA crystal growth and concentration of cyanuric acid (CA) and melamine (MA) water solutions on glass substrate are analyzed using XRD and SEM. With the increasing of concentration of CA and MA water solutions, the stacking of MCA layers along [202] axis is enhanced gradually compared with the growth of single MCA layer along (202) plane, resulting in the transform of MCA morphology from sheet to column. The exfoliated MMT monolayers with sizes of hundreds on nanometer can be obtained and well dispersed in the supernatant of MMT‐MCA superlattice. After removing the solvent of the supernatant, the formed coating show that the MCA crystal with columnar structure is well inserted into MMT galleries, which is the main driving force that increases basal spacing (d‐space) of MMT layers. And, the sandwich‐like superlattice is formed by the restacking of MMT and MCA in the coating of MMT‐MCA suspension, where the MMT is single or few layers, and the d‐space of MMT can even be increased to micron‐scale.
A COVID‐19‐ready public health surveillance system: The Food and Drug Administration's Sentinel System
Authors: Cocoros Noelle M. , Fuller Candace C. , Adimadhyam Sruthi , Ball Robert , Brown Jeffrey S. , Dal Pan Gerald J. , Kluberg Sheryl A. , Lo Re Vincent , Maro Judith C. , Nguyen Michael , Orr Robert , Paraoan Dianne , Perlin Jonathan , Poland Russell E. , Driscoll Meighan Rogers , Sands Kenneth , Toh Sengwee , Yih W. Katherine , Platt Richard ,   And the FDA‐Sentinel COVID‐19 Working Group
Published: April 2021

The US Food and Drug Administration's Sentinel System was established in 2009 to use routinely collected electronic health data for improving the national capability to assess post‐market medical product safety. Over more than a decade, Sentinel has become an integral part of FDA's surveillance capabilities and has been used to conduct analyses that have contributed to regulatory decisions. FDA's role in the COVID‐19 pandemic response has necessitated an expansion and enhancement of Sentinel. Here we describe how the Sentinel System has supported FDA's response to the COVID‐19 pandemic. We highlight new capabilities developed, key data generated to date, and lessons learned, particularly with respect to working with inpatient electronic health record data.

Early in the pandemic, Sentinel developed a multi‐pronged approach to support FDA's anticipated data and analytic needs. It incorporated new data sources, created a rapidly refreshed database, developed protocols to assess the natural history of COVID‐19, validated a diagnosis‐code based algorithm for identifying patients with COVID‐19 in administrative claims data, and coordinated with other national and international initiatives.

Sentinel is poised to answer important questions about the natural history of COVID‐19 and is positioned to use this information to study the use, safety, and potentially the effectiveness of medical products used for COVID‐19 prevention and treatment.
Mechanical evolutionary behavior of steam‐cured concrete under the coupling effect of flexural fatigue and minus temperature
Authors: Wang Xu , Xie Youjun , Long Guangcheng , Ma Kunlin , Zeng Xiaohui , Pan ZiLi
Published: April 2021

Steam‐cured concrete products have been widely employed in building slab ballastless track for China High‐Speed Railway lines, such as track sleeper and track slab. These components are usually subjected to long‐term fatigue load due to the wheel‐rail interactions by high‐speed trains. Especially in Northeast China where the winter temperature keeps subzero for months, the concrete elements are exposed to the coupling effects of fatigue load and minus temperature environment. Therefore, this paper investigated the mechanical damage evolutionary behavior of steam‐cured concrete under coupling effects of flexural fatigue loading and minus temperature. Additionally, the mechanism behind it was discussed. The results showed that the mechanical damage of steam‐cured concrete subjected to fatigue loading under minus temperature was more significant than that under room temperature. The influences of ice content on the degradation in mechanical properties of steam‐cured concrete are illustrated by the phenomenological model. A two‐stage statistical damage variable can well reveal the impact of fatigue cycles and temperature on fatigue damage and total damage concrete. Steam‐cured concrete based on PC‐FA‐GGBS binder system exhibits better resistance to the flexural fatigue loading and minus temperature coupling effects due to its better pore structure and less ice content.
Outcome‐based comparison of SMFM and ISUOG definitions of fetal growth restriction
Authors: Roeckner J. T. , Pressman K. , Odibo L. , Duncan J. R. , Odibo A. O.
Published: April 2021

Objective

The recent international guidelines by the Society for Maternal–Fetal Medicine (SMFM) and the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG) differ in their definitions of fetal growth restriction (FGR). Our aim was to compare the performance of the two definitions in predicting neonatal small‐for‐gestational age (SGA) and composite adverse neonatal outcome (ANO).

Methods

This was a secondary analysis of data from a prospective study of women referred for fetal growth ultrasound examination between 26 + 0 and 36 + 6 weeks' gestation. The SMFM and ISUOG guidelines were used to define pregnancies with FGR. The SMFM definition of FGR is estimated fetal weight (EFW) or abdominal circumference (AC) < 10th percentile. The ISUOG‐FGR definition follows the Delphi consensus criteria and includes either EFW or AC < 3rd percentile or EFW or AC < 10th percentile combined with abnormal Doppler findings or a decrease in growth centiles. The primary outcome was the prediction of neonatal SGA, defined as birth weight < 10th percentile, and a composite of ANO, which was defined as one or more of: Grade‐III or ‐IV intraventricular hemorrhage, respiratory distress syndrome, neonatal death, cord blood pH < 7.1, seizures and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. Test characteristics (sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value and positive (LR+) and negative likelihood ratios) and area under the receiver‐operating‐characteristics curve were determined. The association between FGR detected by each definition and selected adverse outcomes was assessed using logistic regression analysis.

Results

Of the 1054 pregnancies that met the inclusion criteria, 137 (13.0%) and 55 (5.2%) were defined as having FGR by the SMFM and ISUOG definitions, respectively. Composite ANO and SGA neonate each occurred in 139 (13.2%) pregnancies. For the prediction of neonatal SGA, the SMFM‐FGR definition had a higher sensitivity (54.7%) than did the ISUOG definition (28.8%). The ISUOG‐FGR definition had higher specificity (98.4% vs 93.3%), LR+ (18.0 vs 8.2) and PPV (72.7% vs 55.5%) than did the SMFM definition for the prediction of a SGA neonate. The SMFM‐ and ISUOG‐FGR definitions had similarly poor performance in predicting composite ANO, with sensitivities of 15.1% and 10.1%, respectively.

Conclusions

The SMFM definition of FGR is associated with a higher detection rate for SGA neonates but at the cost of some reduction in specificity. The ISUOG‐FGR definition has a higher specificity, LR+ and PPV for the prediction of neonatal SGA. Both definitions of FGR performed poorly in predicting a composite ANO. © 2021 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.