bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamically adjusting case reporting policy to maximize privacy and public health utility in the face of a pandemic
Authors: Brown J Thomas , Yan Chao , Xia Weiyi , Yin Zhijun , Wan Zhiyu , Gkoulalas-Divanis Aris , Kantarcioglu Murat , Malin Bradley A
Published: January 2022

Objective

Supporting public health research and the public’s situational awareness during a pandemic requires continuous dissemination of infectious disease surveillance data. Legislation, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and recent state-level regulations, permits sharing deidentified person-level data; however, current deidentification approaches are limited. Namely, they are inefficient, relying on retrospective disclosure risk assessments, and do not flex with changes in infection rates or population demographics over time. In this paper, we introduce a framework to dynamically adapt deidentification for near-real time sharing of person-level surveillance data.

Materials and Methods

The framework leverages a simulation mechanism, capable of application at any geographic level, to forecast the reidentification risk of sharing the data under a wide range of generalization policies. The estimates inform weekly, prospective policy selection to maintain the proportion of records corresponding to a group size less than 11 (PK11) at or below 0.1. Fixing the policy at the start of each week facilitates timely dataset updates and supports sharing granular date information. We use August 2020 through October 2021 case data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to demonstrate the framework’s effectiveness in maintaining the PK11 threshold of 0.01.

Results

When sharing COVID-19 county-level case data across all US counties, the framework’s approach meets the threshold for 96.2% of daily data releases, while a policy based on current deidentification techniques meets the threshold for 32.3%.

Conclusion

Periodically adapting the data publication policies preserves privacy while enhancing public health utility through timely updates and sharing epidemiologically critical features.
Moving, Fast or Slow: How Perceived Speed Influences Mental Representation and Decision Making
Authors: Shani-Feinstein Yael , Kyung Ellie J , Goldenberg Jacob
Published: January 2022

Can the sensation of moving fast versus slow systematically influence consumer behavior? With recent technological innovations, people increasingly experience speed during decision making. They can be physically on the move with their devices or virtually immersed in speed simulated through their devices. Through seven experiments, we provide evidence for a speed-abstraction effect, where the perception of moving faster (vs. slower) leads people to rely on more abstract (vs. concrete) mental representations during decision making. This effect manifests for virtually simulated (experiment 1) and physically experienced (experiment 2) movement on moving trains. We suggest that it stems from an underlying speed-abstraction schema where people associate faster speed with abstraction and slower speed with concreteness (experiments 3a–3c). Weakening this schema attenuates the effect (experiment 4). Through a field study, experiment 5 demonstrates that video ads placed on Facebook are more engaging when virtually simulated speed matches the linguistic abstraction level of the message. Dimensions of psychological distance (time, space) and factors influencing mental representation (affect, fluency, spatial orientation) are addressed as possible alternative explanations that cannot account for the effect. We propose a framework for understanding how experiencing speed—both physical and virtual—can influence decision making.
How Torture and National Security Have Corrupted the Right to Fair Trial in the 9/11 Military Commissions
Authors: McCall-Smith Kasey
Published: January 2022

Now passing its tenth year of pre-trial, the 9/11 military commission involves five men on trial for war crimes and terrorism in relation to the attacks against the USA on 11 September 2001. This article examines specific issues regarding the relationship between the prohibition against torture, national security and the right to fair trial that have arisen in the pre-trial phase of the case. The most obvious connection between the prohibition against torture and the right to fair trial has traditionally played out in the context of the exclusion of evidence obtained through torture. However, the frenetic nature of engagement between the defense and the prosecution in the courtroom reinforces that the US government’s efforts to hide the torture of the defendant victims diminishes the further range of protections that make up the right to fair trial, in particular this article examines various components of the right to an effective defense. In analysing these issues, the article contributes to the legal literature and understanding about the interrelated nature of torture and fair trial in the Guantánamo military commissions by demonstrating how efforts to conceal torture using the guise of national security prevents the defendants from fully engaging their rights to a fair trial in the 9/11 military commission.
Semi-Quantitative Detection ofDrosophila suzukii(Diptera: Drosophilidae) From Bulk Trap Samples Using PCR Technology
Authors: Renkema Justin M , McFadden-Smith Wendy , Chen Shu
Published: January 2022

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is a ubiquitous global pest of several fruit crops. Trapped adult numbers are used to monitor populations and make control decisions, but differentiating D. suzukii from other trapped Drosophila spp. is laborious. We developed a real-time PCR method for specific detection and semi-quantification of D. suzukii from trap samples. The PCR assay did not amplify DNA from 29 other Drosophilidae species tested. Drosophila suzukii was detected from ≥0.96 pg target DNA and from laboratory samples containing one D. suzukii in 2000 other Drosophila spp. flies. We tested DNA stability of one D. suzukii in 100 Drosophila spp. flies in water or ethanol at 20, 25, or 30°C for 1, 4, or 7 d. Only water at 30°C for 7 d fully impaired D. suzukii DNA detectability. Substituting mouthwash for water resulted in D. suzukii detection in all samples held for 7 d at 30°C or daily fluctuating temperatures of 33/23°C. Traps with mouthwash as a drowning liquid had D. suzukii captures equal to traps with water. A calibration curve was established using samples in mouthwash containing 1/1,000—100/1,000 D. suzukii/total Drosophila spp. flies and incubated at 25°C for 7 d. The curve had a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.9279 between D. suzukii numbers from the PCR and the true D. suzukii numbers in samples prepared in 70% ethanol. Collecting samples in mouthwash is expected to improve detection accuracy, and the qPCR method can be a useful tool to support D. suzukii monitoring and management.
Ontogeny and synchrony of diving behavior in Humpback whale mothers and calves on their breeding ground
Authors: Huetz Chloé , Saloma Anjara , Adam Olivier , Andrianarimisa Aristide , Charrier Isabelle
Published: January 2022

For humpback whales, the mother–calf pair is the only stable social unit with calves following their mother after birth and staying in close proximity. This following strategy ensures the maintenance of such close proximity between the mother and her calf, with calves benefiting from maternal protection and care. Using multi-sensor tags, we recorded the diving behavior of calves at three different age-classes (C1, C2, C3) to assess how calves developed in their natural environment at an early stage of their life. From 29 deployments on calves, we extracted the diving metrics from two C1 neonate calves, eight C2 calves, and 19 C3 calves, and we found that some diving metrics (dive duration, time at bottom, maximal depth, or maximal dive duration) differed among calves’ age-classes. On 23 tagged mothers, we analyzed if their diving profiles also varied depending on calf’s age-class. We showed that only two dive metrics of mothers varied with the age of their own calves (time spent at the bottom, and time interval between dives), but all others were not reliant on the calf’s age. Simultaneous deployments on seven mother–calf pairs in 2016 and 2017 revealed highly synchronized dives, with mothers leading the diving pattern. This work represents an extensive study investigating the diving behavior in humpback whale mother–calf pairs on their breeding ground.
Impacts of an Opioid Safety Initiative on US Veterans Undergoing Cancer Treatment
Authors: Vitzthum Lucas K , Nalawade Vinit , Riviere Paul , Marar Mallika , Furnish Timothy , Lin Lewei A , Thompson Reid , Murphy James D
Published: January 2022

Background

There is limited research on how the opioid epidemic and consequent risk reduction policies have affected pain management among cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to analyze how the Opioid Safety Initiative (OSI) implemented at the Veterans Health Administration affected opioid prescribing patterns and opioid-related toxicity.

Methods

We performed an interrupted time series analysis of 42 064 opioid-naïve patients treated at the Veterans Health Administration for prostate, lung, breast, and colorectal cancer from 2011 to 2016. Segmented regression was used to evaluate the impact of the OSI on the incidence of any new opioid prescriptions, high-risk prescriptions, persistent use, and pain-related emergency department (ED) visits. We compared the cumulative incidence of adverse opioid events including an opioid-related admission or diagnosis of misuse before and after the OSI. All statistical tests were 2-sided.

Results

The incidence of new opioid prescriptions was 26.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 25.0% to 28.4%) in 2011 and increased to 50.6% (95% CI = 48.3% to 53.0%) by 2013 before OSI implementation (monthly rate of change: +3.3%, 95% CI = 1.3% to 4.2%, P < .001). After the OSI, there was a decrease in the monthly rate of change for new prescriptions (−3.4%, 95% CI = −3.9 to −2.9%, P < .001). The implementation of the OSI was associated with a decrease in the monthly rate of change of concomitant benzodiazepines and opioid prescriptions (−2.5%, 95% CI = −3.2% to −1.8%, P < .001), no statistically significant change in high-dose opioids (−1.2%, 95% CI = −3.2% to 0.9%, P = .26), a decrease in persistent opioid use (−5.7%, 95% CI = −6.8% to −4.7%, P < .001), and an increase in pain-related ED visits (+3.0%, 95% CI = 1.0% to 5.0%, P = .003). The OSI was associated with a decreased incidence of opioid-related admissions (3-year cumulative incidence: 0.9% [95% CI = 0.7% to 1.0%] vs 0.5% [95% CI = 0.4% to 0.6%], P < .001) and no statistically significant change in the incidence of opioid misuse (3-year cumulative incidence: 1.2% [95% CI = 1.0% to 1.3%] vs 1.2% [95% CI = 1.1% to 1.4%], P = .77).

Conclusions

The OSI was associated with a relative decline in the rate of new, persistent, and certain high-risk opioid prescribing as well as a slight increase in the rate of pain-related ED visits. Further research on patient-centered outcomes is required to optimize opioid prescribing policies for patients with cancer.
Presumed Dissent? Opt-out Organ Donation and the Exclusion of Organs and Tissues
Authors: Williams Nicola J , O’Donovan Laura , Wilkinson Stephen
Published: January 2022

It is often claimed that a legitimate approach to organ donation is an opt-out system, also known as ‘presumed consent’, ‘deemed consent’, or ‘deemed authorisation’, whereby individuals are presumed or deemed willing to donate at least some of their organs and tissues after death unless they have explicitly refused permission. While sharing a default in favour of donation, such systems differ in several key respects, such as the role and importance assigned to the family members of prospective donors and their preferences, and exclusions and safeguards which often specify the demographic groups, purposes, or organs and tissues that will remain outside the scope of the opt-out system. Using the recent shift to opt-out in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland as case studies, and by reference to the key goals motivating this shift across the UK, this article asks whether and, if so, why, and how, opt-out systems for post-mortem organ donation should restrict the types of organs and tissues for which consent is deemed. In other words, ought opt-out systems for PMOD presume dissent regarding the donation of certain organs and tissues?
Moderate and Severe Acute Normobaric Hypoxia and the 3-Repetition Deadlift, Hand-Release Push-Up, and Leg Tuck Events From the Army Combat Fitness Test
Authors: Jenkins Jasmin R , Salmon Owen F , Smith Cory M
Published: January 2022

Introduction

The newly implemented Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) of the U.S. Army seeks to revolutionize the Army’s fitness culture and reduce the rate of preventable injuries among soldiers. The initial rollout of the ACFT has been met with several challenges, including a gender-neutral scoring system. The ACFT has undergone several revisions to adapt to the present state of U.S. Army physical fitness; however, the test faces several more obstacles as more data become available. The ACFT was designed to measure combat readiness, a useful tool for units facing deployment or a change in duty station to a high-altitude environment. Reduced oxygen availability (hypoxia) at high altitude influences many physiological functions associated with physical fitness, such that there is an increased demand for oxygen in exercising muscle. Therefore, the purpose was to investigate the effects of normoxic and two levels of hypoxia exposure (moderate and severe; fraction of inspired oxygen [FiO2]: 16.0% and 14.3%) during the 3-repetition deadlift (MDL), hand-release push-up (HRP), and leg tuck (LTK) events of the ACFT.

Materials and Methods

Fourteen recreationally active men (n = 10) and women (n = 4) soldier analogs (27.36 ± 1.12 years, height 1.71 ± 2.79 m, weight 80.60 ± 4.24 kg) completed the MDL, HRP, and LTK at normoxia and acute normobaric moderate (MH; FiO2 16%) and severe (SH; FiO2 14.3%) hypoxic exposure. Scores and performance were recorded for each event, and heart rate (HR) and total body oxygen saturation (SpO2) were monitored throughout. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess differences in modified ACFT scores, performance, HR, and SpO2 among hypoxic conditions, with follow-up one-way ANOVA and paired t-test when appropriate.

Results

Total body oxygen saturation was decreased at MH and SH conditions compared to normoxia but did not vary between ACFT events. Heart rate was not influenced by altitude but did increase in response to exercise. Scores of the modified total and individual ACFT events were not different between normoxia, MH, and SH. There was also no difference in performance based on the amount of weight lifted during the MDL and number of repetitions of the HRP and LTK events in response to hypoxic exposure.

Conclusions

Performance and scores of the modified ACFT were not influenced by acute normobaric MH and SH exposure compared to normoxia. Further investigations should examine the full testing battery of the ACFT to provide a comprehensive analysis and potential evidence for such differences.
Investigation of fluconazole heteroresistance in clinical and environmental isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans complex and Cryptococcus gattii complex in the state of Amazonas, Brazil
Authors: Moreira Izabela de Mesquita Bárcia , Cortez Ana Cláudia Alves , de Souza Érica Simplício , Pinheiro Silviane Bezerra , de Souza Oliveira Juliana Gomes , Sadahiro Aya , Cruz Katia Santana , Matsuura Ani Beatriz Jackisch , Melhem Márcia de Souza Carvalho , Frickmann Hagen , de Souza João Vicente Braga
Published: January 2022

Heteroresistance, defined as the occurrence of apparently homogeneous subpopulations of microbial cells showing different levels of antimicrobial susceptibility is a problem that has been associated with therapeutical failure in cryptococcosis. The purpose of the study was an investigation on the level of heteroresistance to fluconazole (LHF) as observed in clinical and environmental C. neoformans/C. gattii complex species isolates from Amazonas State (AM), Brazil. A total of 45 isolates and 9 type strains were analyzed. The assessments comprised testing for minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs), for LHFs, for the strains’ capacity of adaptation to high fluconazole (FLC) concentrations above the LHF, and for the stability of the heteroresistance phenomenon. The mean MICs for clinical isolates of C. gattii (6.4 µg/ml) were higher than those observed for environmental C. gattii strains (1.7 µg/ml) and clinical (3.7 µg/ml) as well as environmental (1.5 µg/ml) C. neoformans isolates. The phenomenon of heteroresistance to FLC was recorded for all isolates. On average, the LHF (8–256 µg/ml) of the isolates was 16 times higher than the FLC MICs (0.5–16 µg/ml) and a proportion of 85% isolates showed LHFs ≥ 16 µg/ml, 40% even ≥ 32 µg/ml. According to the adaptation assay, a considerable number of isolates (58%) showed the capacity of adaptation to MICs even higher than the initially recorded LHF. After the adaptation experiment, the adaptative-LHF values (8–512 µg/ml) were about 60 times higher than the original MIC values. After nine subsequent passages in drug-free broth, the isolates had their adaptative-LHF reduced. However, the LHF did not revert to the initially measured level. Our findings challenge the clinical interpretation of the antifungal MIC testing and motivate future studies correlating the levels of heteroresistance and parameters like LHF and adaptative-LHF with cryptococcosis-associated morbidity and mortality.

Lay summary

Cryptococcosis affects many people and is caused by fungi of the Cryptococcus neoformans/Cryptococcus gattii complexes. These agents appear to become more resistant to antifungals when exposed to increasing concentrations of antifungals due to a phenomenon called heteroresistance.
The physics governing the upper truncation mass of the globular cluster mass function
Authors: Hughes Meghan E , Pfeffer Joel L , Bastian Nate , Martig Marie , Kruijssen J M Diederik , Crain Robert A , Reina-Campos Marta , Trujillo-Gomez Sebastian
Published: January 2022

The mass function of globular cluster (GC) populations is a fundamental observable that encodes the physical conditions under which these massive stellar clusters formed and evolved. The high-mass end of star cluster mass functions are commonly described using a Schechter function, with an exponential truncation mass Mc, *. For the GC mass functions in the Virgo galaxy cluster, this truncation mass increases with galaxy mass (M*). In this paper, we fit Schechter mass functions to the GCs in the most massive galaxy group ($M_{\mathrm{200}} = 5.14 \times 10^{13} \, {\rm M}_{\odot }$) in the E-MOSAICS simulations. The fiducial cluster formation model in E-MOSAICS reproduces the observed trend of Mc, * with M* for the Virgo cluster. We therefore examine the origin of the relation by fitting Mc, * as a function of galaxy mass, with and without accounting for mass loss by two-body relaxation, tidal shocks and/or dynamical friction. In the absence of these mass-loss mechanisms, the Mc, *-M* relation is flat above $M_* \gt 10^{10}\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$. It is therefore the disruption of high-mass GCs in galaxies with $M_{*}\sim 10^{10} \, {\rm M}_{\odot }$ that lowers the Mc, * in these galaxies. High-mass GCs are able to survive in more massive galaxies, since there are more mergers to facilitate their redistribution to less-dense environments. The Mc, * − M* relation is therefore a consequence of both the formation conditions of massive star clusters and their environmentally dependent disruption mechanisms.
Age dissection of the vertical breathing motions in Gaia DR2: evidence for spiral driving
Authors: Ghosh Soumavo , Debattista Victor P , Khachaturyants Tigran
Published: January 2022

Gaia DR2 has revealed breathing motions in the Milky Way, with stars on both sides of the Galactic mid-plane moving coherently towards or away from it. The generating mechanism of these breathing motions is thought to be spiral density waves. Here, we test this hypothesis. Using a self-consistent, high-resolution simulation with star formation, and which hosts prominent spirals, we first study the signatures of breathing motions excited by spirals. In the model, the breathing motions induced by the spiral structure have an increasing amplitude with distance from the mid-plane, pointing to an internal cause for them. We then show that, at fixed height, the breathing motion amplitude decreases with age. Next, we investigate the signature of the breathing motions in the Gaia DR2 data set. We demonstrate that, at the location with a consistently large breathing motion, the corresponding amplitude increases monotonically with distance from the mid-plane, in agreement with the model. Furthermore, we show that at the same location, the breathing motion amplitude decreases with age, again similar to what we find in the model. This strengthens the case that the observed breathing motions are driven by spiral density waves.
Constraining density and metallicity of the Milky Way’s hot gas halo from O vii spectra and ram-pressure stripping
Authors: Martynenko Nickolay
Published: January 2022

Milky Way’s (MW) hot gaseous halo extends up to the Galactic virial radius (∼200 kpc) and contains a significant component of baryon mass of the Galaxy. The halo properties can be constrained from X-ray spectroscopic observations and from satellite galaxies’ ram-pressure stripping studies. Results of the former method crucially depend on the gas metallicity assumptions while the latter one’s are insensitive to them. Here, a joint analysis of both kinds of data is presented to constrain electron density and metallicity of the gas. The power law is assumed for the electron density radial profile, while for the metallicity, a common-used constant-metallicity assumption is relaxed by introducing of a physically motivated spherical profile. The model is fitted to a sample of 431 (18) sightlines for O vii emission (absorption) measurements and seven electron density constraints from ram-pressure stripping studies. The best-fitting halo-associated electron density profile of ne ∝ r−(0.9...1.1) (where r ≫ 1 kpc is the Galactocentric radius) is found. The metallicity is constrained as Z ≃ (0.1...0.7) Z⊙ (subscript ⊙ represents the solar values) at $r \gtrsim 50$ kpc. These imply a total hot gas mass of M ≃ (2.4...8.7) × 1010 M⊙, which accounts for ∼(17...100) per cent of the MW’s missing baryon mass. The model uncertainties are discussed, and the results are examined in the context of previous studies.
Chemical reactions in H2O:CO interstellar ice analogues promoted by energetic heavy-ion irradiation
Authors: de Barros A L F , Mejía C , Seperuelo Duarte E , Domaracka A , Boduch P , Rothard H , da Silveira E F
Published: January 2022

H2O:CO, at concentrations of (3:2) and (10:1), was condensed on CsI substrate at 15 K and irradiated with 46-MeV 58Ni11 + ion beam. Radiolysis induced by fast heavy ions was analyzed by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The formation of nine molecular species: CO2, H2O2, HCOOH, HCO, H2CO, 13CO2, CH3OH, O3, and C3O2 was observed. For both concentrations, carbon dioxide (CO2), formaldehyde (H2CO), formic acid (HCOOH), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) are the most abundant products species, and tricarbon dioxide (C3O2) is much less abundant. Precursor destruction cross-sections and formation cross-sections of products are determined. The CO destruction cross-section for the (3:2) concentration is almost five times higher than that of water, while those for the (10:1) concentration are practically the same. Atomic sputtering yields are estimated for the two ice films, the total mass sputtered is approximately 2.5 × 106 u per impact. These results contribute to figure out the chemical pathways of compounds synthesized from the two most abundant organic species (H2O and CO) observed in the ices of grain mantles of the circumstellar envelopes and interstellar medium. In additional, the finding results reveal that molecular astronomical percentages are comparable to those obtained after 15 eV molec−1 of deposited dose in current experiments compared with the relative concentration of molecules in solid phase observed in MYSO, LYSO, BG Stars, and Comets.
Tracking X-ray Outflows with Optical/IR Footprint Lines
Authors: Falcão Anna Trindade , Kraemer S B , Crenshaw D M , Melendez M , Revalski M , Fischer T C , Schmitt H R , Turner T J
Published: January 2022

We use Cloudy photoionisation models to predict the flux profiles for optical/IR emission lines that trace the footprint of X-ray gas, such as [Fe X] 6375Å and [Si X] 1.43μm. These are a subset of coronal lines, from ions with ionisation potential ≥ that of O VII, i.e., 138eV. The footprint lines are formed in gas over the same range in ionisation state as the H and He-like of O and Ne ions, which are also the source of X-ray emission lines. The footprint lines can be detected with optical and IR telescopes, such as the Hubble Space Telescope/STIS and James Webb Space Telescope/NIRSpec, and can potentially be used to measure the kinematics of the extended X-ray emission gas. As a test case, we use the footprints to quantify the properties of the X-ray outflow in the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4151. To confirm the accuracy of our method, we compare our model predictions to the measured flux from archival STIS spectra and previous ground-based studies, and the results are in good agreement. We also use our X-ray footprint method to predict the mass profile for the X-ray emission-line gas in NGC 4151 and derive a total spatially-integrated X-ray mass of 7.8( ± 2.1) × 105 M⊙, in comparison to 5.4( ± 1.1) × 105 M⊙ measured from a Chandra X-ray analysis. Our results indicate that high-ionisation footprint emission lines in the optical and near-infrared can be used to accurately trace the kinematics and physical conditions of AGN ionised, X-ray emission line gas.
Probing the thermal history during reionization using a seminumerical photon-conserving code script
Authors: Maity Barun , Choudhury Tirthankar Roy
Published: January 2022

The ionization and thermal state of the intergalactic medium (IGM) during the epoch of reionization has been of interest in recent times because of their close connection to the first stars. We present in this paper a seminumerical code which computes the large-scale temperature and ionized hydrogen fields in a cosmologically representative volume accounting for the patchiness in these quantities arising from reionization. The code is an extension to a previously developed version for studying the growth of ionized regions, namely, Semi Numerical Code for ReionIzation with PhoTon Conservation (script). The main additions in the present version are the inhomogeneous recombinations which are essential for temperature calculations. This extended version of script also implements physical consequences of photoheating during reionization, e.g. radiative feedback. These enhancements allow us to predict observables which were not viable with the earlier version. These include the faint-end of the ultra-violet luminosity function of galaxies (which can get affected by the radiative feedback) and the temperature-density relation of the low-density IGM at z ∼ 6. We study the effect of varying the free parameters and prescriptions of our model on a variety of observables. The conclusion of our analysis is that it should be possible to put constraints on the evolution of thermal and ionization state of the IGM using available observations accounting for all possible variations in the free parameters. A detailed exploration of the parameter space will be taken up in the future.
Modelling nearest neighbour distributions of biased tracers using hybrid effective field theory
Authors: Banerjee Arka , Kokron Nickolas , Abel Tom
Published: January 2022

We investigate the application of hybrid effective field theory (HEFT) – which combines a Lagrangian bias expansion with subsequent particle dynamics from N-body simulations – to the modelling of k-nearest neighbour cumulative distribution functions (kNN-CDFs) of biased tracers of the cosmological matter field. The kNN-CDFs are sensitive to all higher order connected N-point functions in the data, but are computationally cheap to compute. We develop the formalism to predict the kNN-CDFs of discrete tracers of a continuous field from the statistics of the continuous field itself. Using this formalism, we demonstrate how kNN-CDF statistics of a set of biased tracers, such as haloes or galaxies, of the cosmological matter field can be modelled given a set of low-redshift HEFT component fields and bias parameter values. These are the same ingredients needed to predict the two-point clustering. For a specific sample of haloes, we show that both the two-point clustering and the kNN-CDFs can be well-fit on quasi-linear scales (≳ 20h−1Mpc) by the second-order HEFT formalism with the same values of the bias parameters, implying that joint modelling of the two is possible. Finally, using a Fisher matrix analysis, we show that including kNN-CDF measurements over the range of allowed scales in the HEFT framework can improve the constraints on σ8 by roughly a factor of 3, compared to the case where only two-point measurements are considered. Combining the statistical power of kNN measurements with the modelling power of HEFT, therefore, represents an exciting prospect for extracting greater information from small-scale cosmological clustering.
Effect of Nitinol surface with nanotubes and/or ordered nanopores on cell behavior
Authors: Vrchovecká Kateřina , Mrázková Jana , Pávková Goldbergová Monika
Published: January 2022

Recent medical applications have specific requirements on materials and Nitinol can fulfill them due to its exceptional characteristics, which can be further improved by modifications of the material surface. Various surface nanostructuring methods are utilized to enhance characteristics of oxide layer, which naturally develops on the Nitinol surface, leading to improved biocompatibility and corrosion resistance. This review is focused on studies investigating the behavior of various cell types on surface nanotubes and ordered nanopores prepared by anodic oxidation, a technique allowing fabrication of nanostructures with defined parameters. Results showed that certain dimensions of nanotubes positively affect adhesion and viability of osteoblasts and endothelial cells on the surface, contrary to negative effect on smooth muscle cells, both required by the medical applications. Furthermore, increased antibacterial effect correlated with the nanostructure topography and release rates of Ni ions.
Sociodemographic Disparities in Tobacco Retailer Density in the United States, 2000–2017
Authors: Mills Sarah D , Kong Amanda Y , Reimold Alexandria E , Baggett Chris D , Wiesen Christopher A , Golden Shelley D
Published: January 2022

Introduction

Studies find differences in tobacco retailer density according to neighborhood sociodemographic characteristics, raising issues of social justice, but not all research is consistent.

Aims and Methods

This study examined associations between tobacco retailer density and neighborhood sociodemographic characteristics in the United States at four timepoints (2000, 2007, 2012, and 2017) and investigated if associations remained stable over time. Data on tobacco retailers came from the National Establishment Time-Series Database. Adjusted log-linear models examined the relationship between retailer density and census tract sociodemographic characteristics (% non-Hispanic Black [Black], % Hispanic, % vacant housing units, median household income), controlling for percentage of youth, urbanicity, and US region. To examine whether the relationship between density and sociodemographic characteristics changed over time, additional models were estimated with interaction terms between each sociodemographic characteristic and year.

Results

Tobacco retailer density ranged from 1.22 to 1.44 retailers/1000 persons from 2000 to 2017. There were significant, positive relationships between tobacco retailer density and the percentage of Black (standardized exp(b) = 1.05 [95% CI: 1.04% to 1.07%]) and Hispanic (standardized exp(b) = 1.06 [95% CI: 1.05% to 1.08%]) residents and the percentage of vacant housing units (standardized exp(b) =1.08 [95% CI: 1.07% to 1.10%]) in a census tract. Retailer density was negatively associated with income (standardized exp(b) = 0.84 [95% CI: 0.82% to 0.86%]). From 2000 to 2017, the relationship between retailer density and income and vacant housing units became weaker.

Conclusions

Despite the weakening of some associations, there are sociodemographic disparities in tobacco retailer density from 2000 to 2017, which research has shown may contribute to inequities in smoking.

Implications

This study examines associations between tobacco retailer density and neighborhood sociodemographic characteristics in the United States at four timepoints from 2000 to 2017. Although some associations weakened, there are sociodemographic disparities in tobacco retailer density over the study period. Research suggests that sociodemographic disparities in retailer density may contribute to inequities in smoking. Findings from this study may help identify which communities should be prioritized for policy intervention and regulation.
Enhancing canola breeding by editing a glucosinolate transporter gene lacking natural variation
Authors: He Yizhou , Yang Zhiquan , Tang Minqiang , Yang Qing-Yong , Zhang Yuanyuan , Liu Shengyi
Published: January 2022

A low seed glucosinolate resource was developed in polyploid B. napus using a method that identifies the functions of genes with rare or no genetic variation.
MdWRKY126 modulates malate accumulation in apple fruit by regulating cytosolic malate dehydrogenase (MdMDH5)
Authors: Zhang Lihua , Ma Baiquan , Wang Changzhi , Chen Xingyu , Ruan Yong-Ling , Yuan Yangyang , Ma Fengwang , Li Mingjun
Published: January 2022

The content of organic acids greatly influences the taste and storage life of fleshy fruit. Our current understanding of the molecular mechanism of organic acid accumulation in apple (Malus domestica) fruit focuses on the aluminum-activated malate transporter 9/Ma1 gene. In this study, we identified a candidate gene, MdWRKY126, for controlling fruit acidity independent of Ma1 using homozygous recessive mutants of Ma1, namely Belle de Boskoop “BSKP” and Aifeng “AF.” Analyses of transgenic apple calli and flesh and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit demonstrated that MdWRKY126 was substantially associated with malate content. MdWRKY126 was directly bound to the promoter of the cytoplasmic NAD-dependent malate dehydrogenase MdMDH5 and promoted its expression, thereby enhancing the malate content of apple fruit. In MdWRKY126 overexpressing calli, the mRNA levels of malate-associated transporters and proton pump genes also significantly increased, which contributed to the transport of malate accumulated in the cytoplasm to the vacuole. These findings demonstrated that MdWRKY126 regulates malate anabolism in the cytoplasm and coordinates the transport between cytoplasm and vacuole to regulate malate accumulation. Our study provides useful information to improve our understanding of the complex mechanism regulating apple fruit acidity.
Autophagy is required for self-incompatible pollen rejection in two transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana accessions
Authors: Macgregor Stuart R , Lee Hyun Kyung , Nelles Hayley , Johnson Daniel C , Zhang Tong , Ma Chaozhi , Goring Daphne R
Published: January 2022

Successful reproduction in the Brassicaceae is mediated by a complex series of interactions between the pollen and the pistil, and some species have an additional layer of regulation with the self-incompatibility trait. While the initial activation of the self-incompatibility pathway by the pollen S-locus protein 11/S locus cysteine-rich protein and the stigma S Receptor Kinase is well characterized, the downstream mechanisms causing self-pollen rejection are still not fully understood. In previous studies, we detected the presence of autophagic bodies with self-incompatible (SI) pollinations in Arabidopsis lyrata and transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana lines, but whether autophagy was essential for self-pollen rejection was unknown. Here, we investigated the requirement of autophagy in this response by crossing mutations in the essential AUTOPHAGY7 (ATG7) and ATG5 genes into two different transgenic SI A. thaliana lines in the Col-0 and C24 accessions. By using these previously characterized transgenic lines that express A. lyrata and Arabidopsis halleri self-incompatibility genes, we demonstrated that disrupting autophagy weakened their SI responses in the stigma. When the atg7 or atg5 mutations were present, an increased number of SI pollen was found to hydrate and form pollen tubes that successfully fertilized the SI pistils. Additionally, we confirmed the presence of GFP-ATG8a-labeled autophagosomes in the stigmatic papillae following SI pollinations. Together, these findings support the requirement of autophagy in the self-incompatibility response and add to the growing understanding of the intracellular mechanisms employed in the transgenic A. thaliana stigmas to reject self-pollen.
Shedding Light on the Dark Figure of Police Mental Health Calls for Service
Authors: Koziarski Jacek , Ferguson Lorna , Huey Laura
Published: January 2022

Recent discussions around police reform have acquired a significant degree of traction. Within these discussions have been calls to remove the police as primary responders to calls involving persons with perceived mental illness (PwPMI). While previous research shows that ∼1% of all calls for service involve PwPMI, limitations around police data recording practices likely mask the true proportion of PwPMI within and across calls for service. Accordingly, following manual review and text search of qualitative data appended to all calls for service made to a Canadian police service in 2019, we sought to identify the true proportion of calls for police service that involve PwPMI and predict the extent to which PwPMI are involved within and across different call classifications. Our findings reveal that while the ‘Mental Health’ call classification only comprised 0.9% (n = 397) of calls for service, PwPMI were in fact involved in 10.8% (n = 4,646) of calls. Furthermore, logistic regression models reveal that PwPMI are more likely to be involved in certain call classifications relative to others. Implications for police practice and reform are discussed.
Scope and convergence of the hopping parameter expansion in finite-temperature quantum chromodynamics with heavy quarks around the critical point
Authors: Wakabayashi Naoki , Ejiri Shinji , Kanaya Kazuyuki , Kitazawa Masakiyo
Published: January 2022

Hopping parameter expansion is a useful tool for investigating heavy dynamical quarks in lattice quantum chromodynamics (QCD), though its range of applicability has sometimes been questioned. We study the convergence and the valid range of the hopping parameter expansion in determining the critical point (critical quark mass) of QCD with heavy quarks at finite temperature and density. On lattices with sufficiently large spatial extent, the terms in the hopping parameter expansion are classified into Wilson loop terms and Polyakov-type loop terms. We first study the case of the worst convergence in which all the gauge link variables are unit matrices and thus the Wilson loops and the Polyakov-type loops get their maximum values. We perform explicit calculation up to more than the 100th order of the hopping parameter expansion. We show that the hopping parameter expansion is convergent up to the chiral limit of free Wilson quarks. We then perform a Monte Carlo simulation to measure correlation among Polyakov-type loop terms up to the 20th order of the hopping parameter expansion. In previous studies, strong correlation between the leading-order Polyakov loop term and the next-to-leading-order bent Polyakov loop terms was reported and used to construct an effective theory to incorporate the next-to-leading-order effect by a shift of the leading-order coupling parameter. We establish that the strong correlation among Polyakov-type loop terms also holds at higher orders of the hopping parameter expansion, and extend the effective theory to incorporate higher-order effects up to high orders. Using the effective theory, we study the truncation error of the hopping parameter expansion. We find that the previous next-to-leading-order result for the critical point for Nt = 4 is reliable. For Nt ≥ 6, we need to incorporate higher-order effects in the effective theory.
Bear Beta or Speculative Beta?—Reconciling the Evidence on Downside Risk Premium
Authors: Wang Tong
Published: January 2022

This article develops a new approach to explain why risk factors constructed from index option returns are priced in the stock market. We decompose an option-based factor into three main components and identify the one responsible for the beta–return relationship. Applying this method to the bear risk factor proposed by Lu and Murray reveals that the negative correlation between bear betas and stock returns does not reflect systematic risk premia. Instead, it represents an anomaly closely related to the betting-against-beta puzzle. We trace the root of this anomaly to disagreement concerning the aggregate stock market. Our work reconciles the conflicting evidence concerning downside risk by showing that neither ex-post nor ex-ante downside risk is priced in the cross-section of stocks while making a methodological contribution that facilitates more accurate interpretation of option-based risk factors in future research.
Neural correlates of successful costly punishment in the Ultimatum game on a trial-by-trial basis
Authors: Mussel Patrick , Weiß Martin , Rodrigues Johannes , Heekeren Hauke , Hewig Johannes
Published: January 2022

Costly punishment describes decisions of an interaction partner to punish an opponent for violating rules of fairness at the expense of personal costs. Here, we extend the interaction process by investigating the impact of a socio-emotional reaction of the opponent in response to the punishment that indicates whether punishment was successful or not. In a modified Ultimatum game, emotional facial expressions of the proposer in response to the decision of the responder served as feedback stimuli. We found that both honored reward following acceptance of an offer (smiling compared to neutral facial expression) and successful punishment (sad compared to neutral facial expression) elicited a reward positivity, indicating that punishment was the intended outcome. By comparing the pattern of results with a probabilistic learning task, we show that the reward positivity on sad facial expressions was specific for the context of costly punishment. Additionally, acceptance rates on a trial-by-trial basis were altered according to P3 amplitudes in response to the emotional facial reaction of the proposer. Our results are in line with the concept of costly punishment as an intentional act following norm-violating behavior. Socio-emotional stimuli have an important influence on the perception and behavior in economic bargaining.
Mean platelet volume as a predictor of platelet count recovery in dengue patients
Authors: Martínez-Ruíz Diana Marcela , Tovar-Rios Diego Alejandro , Valencia-Orozco Andrea , Florez-Elvira Liliana Janeth , Agudelo Olga Lucia , Parra-Lara Luis Gabriel , Rosso Fernando
Published: January 2022

Background

Thrombocytopenia is a marker of severity in dengue, and its resolution predicts clinical improvement. The objective was to evaluate mean platelet volume (MPV) trajectories as a predictor of platelet count (PC) recovery in dengue patients.

Methods

An observational, longitudinal and analytical study was conducted at Fundación Valle del Lili (Cali, Colombia). Patients diagnosed with dengue during 2016–2020 were included. The association between PC and the covariates was evaluated using simple linear, quadratic and non-parametric spline smoothing regression models. A longitudinal linear mixed model was adjusted and then validated for PC measurements.

Results

A total of 71 patients were included. The median age was 27 y, 38.5% were women and half had dengue with warning signs. A statistically significant PC decrease was observed when MPV was 13.87 fL and 4.46 d from the onset of symptoms, while PC displayed a significant constant increase with neutrophils count. Then, PC recovery was achieved with an MPV of 13.58 fL, 4.5 d from the onset of symptoms and a minimum neutrophils count of 150 μL.

Conclusion

MPV may be a predictor of PC recovery in dengue patients. PC recovery is expected when a patient has an MPV of 13.58 fL, an onset time of 4.5 d and a neutrophils count of 150 μL.
Development of a Diagnostic Assay for Differentiation Between Genetic Groups in Clades I, II, III, and IV of Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici
Authors: Szabo Les J. , Olivera Pablo D. , Wanyera Ruth , Visser Botma , Jin Yue
Published: January 2022

Wheat stem rust has reemerged as a serious disease caused by new variants of Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici. Variants with significant virulence and broad geographic distribution (Africa, Central Asia, and Europe) include the Ug99 race group, race TTRTF, and TKTTF race group. Genetic analysis has placed isolates representing these critical new virulent races into 12 genetic groups that make up clades I to IV. Development of molecular diagnostic assays for these 12 genetic groups will be an important component of global surveillance efforts. A single-nucleotide polymorphism database was mined for candidate markers that would differentiate between these 12 genetic groups. Thirty-five candidate markers were screened, and a core set of 17 markers was tested against a set of 94 isolates representing a broad range of genotypes and race phenotypes. These core markers were 100% accurate in identifying the 12 genetic groups for 52 isolates in clades I to IV, and no false positives were observed with nontarget isolates. The assay has built-in redundancy so that minor genetic changes or errors in genotyping calling will not affect the accuracy of the results. This assay is also effective in identifying the genetic groups in clade V from Germany and Georgia, the three main subgroups in North American clade VI, and clade VII consisting of race TTTTF found in North and South America. This assay provides a rapid diagnostic tool for both living and nonliving samples to detect these critical new races or race groups of P. graminis f. sp. tritici.

[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .