bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of possible biological control of Fusarium sp. using plant extracts and antagonistic species of microbes in vitro
Authors: Hasan Mohammed Faruk , Islam Mohammed Asadul , Sikdar Biswanath
Published: December 2020

Background: Fusarium species is one of the most devastating fungi responsible for fruit and vegetable crops rot worldwide. The present study was designed to find an ecofriendly control measure for pathogenic Fusarium species, using suitable bioagents.

Methods: Medicinal plant extracts were evaluated or their antifungal activities against Fusarium species using the poisoned food method. Antagonistic potency of some nonpathogenic microbes was also assessed on Fusarium species using the dual culture method.

Results: Highest inhibition of growth of Fusarium sp. was observed with 68.1% (0.389 mg per 90 mm Petri plate) of mycelia on Coccinia grandis plant leaf extract, in comparison to the control grown with 100.0% (1.22 mg/dish). The highest inhibition of radial growth was observed using Trichoderma viride on Fusarium sp. (46.01% inhibition).

Conclusions: The findings of present study would be benevolent for antifungal drug development to control Fusarium sp. causing fruit and vegetable rot.
Benchmark assessment of molecular geometries and energies from small molecule force fields
Authors: Lim Victoria T. , Hahn David F. , Tresadern Gary , Bayly Christopher I. , Mobley David L.
Published: December 2020

Background: Force fields are used in a wide variety of contexts for classical molecular simulation, including studies on protein-ligand binding, membrane permeation, and thermophysical property prediction. The quality of these studies relies on the quality of the force fields used to represent the systems.

Methods: Focusing on small molecules of fewer than 50 heavy atoms, our aim in this work is to compare nine force fields: GAFF, GAFF2, MMFF94, MMFF94S, OPLS3e, SMIRNOFF99Frosst, and the Open Force Field Parsley, versions 1.0, 1.1, and 1.2. On a dataset comprising 22,675 molecular structures of 3,271 molecules, we analyzed force field-optimized geometries and conformer energies compared to reference quantum mechanical (QM) data.

Results: We show that while OPLS3e performs best, the latest Open Force Field Parsley release is approaching a comparable level of accuracy in reproducing QM geometries and energetics for this set of molecules. Meanwhile, the performance of established force fields such as MMFF94S and GAFF2 is generally somewhat worse. We also find that the series of recent Open Force Field versions provide significant increases in accuracy.

Conclusions: This study provides an extensive test of the performance of different molecular mechanics force fields on a diverse molecule set, and highlights two (OPLS3e and OpenFF 1.2) that perform better than the others tested on the present comparison. Our molecule set and results are available for other researchers to use in testing.
isa4j: a scalable Java library for creating ISA-Tab metadata
Authors: Psaroudakis Dennis , Liu Feng , König Patrick , Scholz Uwe , Junker Astrid , Lange Matthias , Arend Daniel
Published: December 2020

Experimental data is only useful to other researchers if it is findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR). The ISA-Tab framework enables scientists to publish metadata about their experiments in a plain text, machine-readable format that aims to confer that interoperability and reusability. A Python software package (isatools) is currently being developed to programmatically produce these metadata files. For Java-based environments, there is no equivalent solution yet. While the isatools package provides a lot of flexibility and a wealth of different features for the Python ecosystem, a package for JVM-based applications might offer the speed and scalability needed for writing very large ISA-Tab files, making the ISA framework available in an even wider range of situations and environments. Here we present a light-weight and scalable Java library (isa4j) for generating metadata files in the ISA-Tab format, which elegantly integrates into existing JVM applications and especially shines at generating very large files. It is modeled after the ISA core specifications and designed in keeping with isatools conventions, making it consistent and intuitive to use for the community.

isa4j is implemented in Java (JDK11+) and freely available under the terms of the MIT license from the Central Maven Repository (https://mvnrepository.com/artifact/de.ipk-gatersleben/isa4j). The source code, detailed documentation, usage examples and performance evaluations can be found at https://github.com/IPK-BIT/isa4j.
In silico prediction of structure and function for a large family of transmembrane proteins that includes human Tmem41b
Authors: Mesdaghi Shahram , Murphy David L. , Sánchez Rodríguez Filomeno , Burgos-Mármol J. Javier , Rigden Daniel J.
Published: December 2020

Background:Recent strides in computational structural biology have opened up an opportunity to understand previously uncharacterised proteins.  The under-representation of transmembrane proteins in the Protein Data Bank highlights the need to apply new and advanced bioinformatics methods to shed light on their structure and function.  This study focuses on a family of transmembrane proteins containing the Pfam domain PF09335 ('SNARE_ASSOC'/ ‘VTT ‘/’Tvp38’). One prominent member, Tmem41b, has been shown to be involved in early stages of autophagosome formation and is vital in mouse embryonic development as well as being identified as a viral host factor of SARS-CoV-2.

Methods:We used evolutionary covariance-derived information to construct and validateab initiomodels, make domain boundary predictions and infer local structural features. 

Results:The results from the structural bioinformatics analysis of Tmem41b and its homologues showed that they contain a tandem repeat that is clearly visible in evolutionary covariance data but much less so by sequence analysis.  Furthermore, cross-referencing of other prediction data with covariance analysis showed that the internal repeat features two-fold rotational symmetry. Ab initiomodelling of Tmem41b and homologues reinforces these structural predictions.  Local structural features predicted to be present in Tmem41b were also present in Cl-/H+antiporters. 

Conclusions:The results of this study strongly point to Tmem41b and its homologues being transporters for an as-yet uncharacterised substrate and possibly using H+antiporter activity as its mechanism for transport.
COVID-19 IDD: A global survey exploring family members’ and paid staff’s perceptions of the impact of COVID-19 on individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers.
Authors: Linehan Christine , Araten-Bergam Tal , Baumbusch Jennifer , Beadle-Brown Julie , Bigby Christine , Birkbeck Gail , Bradley Valerie , Brown Michael , Bredewold Femmianne , Chirwa Masauso , Cui Jialiang , Godoy Gimenez Marta , Gomiero Tiziano , Kanova Sarka , Kroll Thilo , MacLachlan Mac , Mirfin-Veitch Brigit , Narayan Jayanthi , Nearchou Finiki , Nolan Adam , O'Donovan Mary-Ann , Santos Flavia H. , Siska Jan , Stainton Tim , Tideman Magnus , Tossebro Jan
Published: December 2020

Background: This protocol outlines research to explore family members’ and paid staff’s perceptions of the impact of COVID-19 on individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers. Evidence suggests that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities experience disparities in healthcare access and utilisation. This disparity was evident early in the pandemic when discussions arose regarding the potential exclusion of this population to critical care.

Methods: An anonymous online survey will be conducted with caregivers, both family members and paid staff, to explore their perceptions of the impact of COVID-19 in terms of demographics, living arrangements, access to services, social distancing, and carer wellbeing. The survey will be developed by the research team, many of whom are experts in intellectual disability within their own jurisdictions. Using back-translation our team will translate the survey for distribution in 18 countries worldwide for international comparison. The survey team have extensive personal and professional networks and will promote the survey widely on social media with the support of local disability and advocacy agencies. Statistical descriptive and comparative analyses will be conducted. Ethical approval has been obtained for this study from University College Dublin’s Human Research Ethics Committee (HS-20-28-Linehan).

Dissemination: Study findings will be prepared in a number of formats in order to meet the needs of different audiences. Outputs will include academic papers, lessons learned paper, practice guidelines, reports, infographics and video content. These outputs will be directed to families, frontline and management delivering disability services, national-level policy makers, healthcare quality and delivery authorities, national pandemic organisations and international bodies.
Digitization of Education: a Socio-Pedagogical Experiment from the Perspective of Social Philosophy
Authors: Viktoruk Elena , Mineev V. , Artemyeva Svetlana
Published: December 2020

The introduction of components of distance education in terms of the current pandemic is seen as a rather unexpected but successful socio-pedagogical experiment on the way to global digital education. This article is aimed to emphasize the possibilities of using the distance learning format as a space and a means of continuous monitoring of the educational process. This format allows establishing countless feedbacks between the participants in the process, implementing a synergistic approach at the local and global levels. Some results obtained in the course of surveys conducted by the faculty of the Department of Philosophy, Sociology and Religious Studies in the KSPU named after V.P. Astafiev are cited. These results testify, in particular, to some positive changes in attitudes towards the realities of “the remote” by both teachers and students. Moreover, such polls help to correct the process in practice and can serve as tracers of a wide range of not only technological problems, but essentially socio-philosophical ones related to the emergence of a new system of values. The notion that the digitalization of education is a promising strategy generally contributing to the development of civilization towards the dominance of post-material values is promoted.
Features of Physical Education of Students at the University
Authors: Karpinskiy A. , Karpinskaya N. , Karpinskiy A.
Published: December 2020

This work examines the issues of increasing the effectiveness of physical education of students at the university, their attitude to physical education, the formation of a healthy lifestyle. The following indicators are analyzed: hardening procedures, daily walks in the fresh air in order to increase physical activity, independent performance of physical exercises by students during the academic year. 110 students of the first and second years of full-time education, involved in compulsory physical education in the main and preparatory medical groups, were evaluated. It was noted that only 17% of students regularly do morning exercises, 12% of students perform hardening procedures constantly, 26% are engaged in sports sections.
Aggressive Behavior and Problems of Self-Identity of 14–17 Years Old Adolescents
Authors: Pavlova E.
Published: December 2020

The problem of aggressive behavior of adolescents remains unresolved, and arouses great interest among psychologists, sociologists, criminologists. This is confirmed by a large number of articles and reports devoted to this problem, which appear annually in collections of scientific conferences. However, despite excessive quantity of theoretical literature devoted to adolescent psychology, there is a significant gap between theory and practice. The article attempts to move the problem of aggressive behavior of adolescents beyond individual external (social) and internal (characterological) factors to the global personological level and to consider it in the aspect of self-identity problems.
Initial Coin Offerings, Speculation, and Asset Tokenization
Authors: Gan Jingxing (Rowena) , Tsoukalas Gerry , Netessine Serguei
Published: December 2020

Initial coin offerings (ICOs) are an emerging form of fundraising for blockchain-based startups. We examine how ICOs can be leveraged in the context of asset tokenization, whereby firms issue tokens backed by future assets (i.e., inventory) to finance growth. We (i) make suggestions on how to design such “asset-backed” ICOs—including optimal token floating and pricing for both utility and equity tokens (a.k.a. security token offerings)—taking into account moral hazard (cash diversion), product characteristics, and customer demand uncertainty; (ii) make predictions on ICO success/failure; and (iii) discuss implications on firm operating strategy. We show that in unregulated environments, ICOs can lead to significant agency costs, underproduction, and loss of firm value. These inefficiencies, however, fade as product margins and demand characteristics (mean/variance) improve, and they are less severe under equity (rather than utility) token issuance. Importantly, the advantage of equity tokens stems from their inherent ability to better align incentives and thus continues to hold even absent regulation.

This paper was accepted by Vishal Gaur, operations management.
To Pool or Not to Pool: Queueing Design for Large-Scale Service Systems
Authors: Cao Ping , He Shuangchi , Huang Junfei , Liu Yunan
Published: December 2020

In large-scale service systems, it is a common practice to organize customers with similar service requirements into a single queue served by a group of servers. This pooled queue structure is deemed highly efficient because the servers’ idleness will be minimized. In “To Pool or Not to Pool: Queueing Design for Large-Scale Service Systems,” Cao, He, Huang, and Liu demonstrate that the dedicated queue structure, under which each server has her own queue, could be more advantageous for improving the system’s service level. Moreover, the servers’ additional idleness induced by the dedicated queue structure will be negligible when the system scale is large. By solving a staffing problem, this study also intends to help service system designers answer the following question: To achieve a specified service-level objective in a more efficient manner, should the servers have a common queue or separate queues?
Surname as a text-forming factor of dialect text
Authors:   State Institution Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University, Hlukhovtseva Kateryna
Published: December 2020

The article analyzes the structure of the East Slobozhansk dialect text, which motivates the origin of the nickname. The author argues that dialect texts on the origin, interpretation and history of rural nicknames have a similar structure, which allows in the text ‘origin of the nickname’ as a model of a separate class of texts with hierarchically organized prototype features (semiotic, structural, intentional, pragmatic and others) identify the following semantic and structural parts: nickname, word-motivator, motivational-interpretative text, additional evidence of the person, narrator, etc. The first two parts are usually required. Others may be either completely absent or characterized by varying degrees of detail. The motivational text usually provides a wide range of evidence about the features of mental traits, traditions, beliefs, preferences of the language community. Motivators of rural nicknames can be words of proprial vocabulary (name of father, mother, surname, reduced-loving forms of names of the bearer of a nickname, surnames of known actors, names of radio or TV programs) or appellation (names of birds, animals, any general names or derived adjectives, tokens used in children's speech, dialectisms, artificially created words, etc.). When a nickname occurs, there is a metaphorical rethinking of the meaning of the appellation. Texts about the origin of nicknames produced by a dialect carrier are based on the pretext (a certain event or situation in the life of the language community, which became the basis for the emergence of its own name; individual traits of a member of the language community, etc.). The macrotext „nickname” is a synthesis of thematic-semantic, pragmatic and functional-stylistic factors. It represents the intentions of the author, ie the purpose of creating the text of the nickname, the personal characteristics of the author, the nature of addressing. Most nicknames are characterized by stylistic and semantic significance, often crudely expressive. Therefore, the text, which explains the origin of the nickname, is marked mainly by a negative connotation, the center of which is the nickname itself, and on the periphery there are tokens that complement, clarify, express the nickname and the word motivator.
Phrasemics of Mykola Rudenko’s poetic works
Authors:   Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University, Hlukhovtseva Iryna
Published: December 2020

The article presents a general description of the phrasemicon of M. Rudenko, used in the poetry of the artist, clarifies its function and pragmatic intentions of the author. The subject of consideration were the poetic works of the artist, placed in the collection of Mykola Rudenko „Poetry” (Kyiv, 1991). The research introduces a descriptive method of studying linguistic phenomena with its procedures of semantic-stylistic and contextual-interpretive analysis. Phrases used in the poetic works of M. Rudenko complement and clarify the metaphorically expressed idea. It is no coincidence that the leading role in the poetic texts of the artist belongs to the figurative and expressive phraseology, which often includes metaphorical units. In his poems, the writer opens up greater opportunities for the realization of his creative ideas. Therefore, in addition to these stable combinations of words, the author uses constant comparisons, euphemisms, hyperboles. The thematic grouping of poetic works allows us to identify stable combinations of words used by the master of the word to depict the image of the author, his opponent. Therefore, we can talk about the phraseological portrait of the Ukrainian people in the poetry of M. Rudenko, his native land, as well as the lyrical hero and his opponent. With the help of phrases the poet figuratively reproduces the attitude of different groups of the population to the language, determines the place of the native language in the life of the Ukrainian people. Using various ways of stylistic use and contextual transformation of phraseological units (creation of semantic oppositions, use of antonymous opposition, semantic renewal), the poet often modifies them in order to give the expression a certain connotation, strengthen the expressiveness of the phrase, update its semantic nuances. This is served by the methods of expanding the component composition of a stable combination of words, permutation of components, introduction of a phrase into a new context, lexical replacement of one component by another. Using the image, which became the basis of common phraseology, the author often forms a stable combination of words.
Working toward my dream
Authors: Hussain Alisha
Published: December 2020

Alisha Hussain shares her journey – from dental nurse to student dental hygienist and therapist
How the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting paediatric orthopaedic practice in Turkey
Authors: Birsel Sema Ertan , Sarıkaya İlker Abdullah , Şeker Ali , Erdal Ozan Ali , Görgün Barış , İnan Muharrem
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Changes to routine clinical approaches during the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are necessary to decrease the risk of infection in patients and healthcare providers. Because the treatment of many conditions is time sensitive, it is crucial to modify the management of paediatric orthopaedic cases by minimizing any subsequent morbidity. Our purpose was to describe the different measures and management strategies that have been applied by paediatric orthopaedic surgeons and to show how paediatric orthopaedic practice is affected in Turkey.

Methods

All active practicing members of the Turkish Society of Children's Orthopedic Surgery (TSCOS) were contacted via telephone and asked to fill out a survey (24 questions). For participants, either an email or web link was sent to their mobile phones. An online survey generator was used.

Results

A total of 54 survey responses were collected, for a response rate of 55%. In all, 62% reported a 75% decrease in their outpatient frequency, whilst 75% reported a 75% decrease in their surgery frequency. A total of 86% of the performed surgeries were emergency cases. None of the participants performed elective surgeries, and 61% did not have the consent form specific to COVID. Choice of protective measures have changed considerably; 96% stated that they needed an algorithm to follow for situations such as pandemic.

Conclusion

This national survey revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a detrimental effect on paediatric orthopaedic practice and practitioner response varies in terms of reactions and precautions. The necessity of creating a protocol based on what we have learned must be taken into consideration.

Level of evidence

V
INFLUENCE OF TIME OF GLYPHOSATE APPLICATION IN THE CONTROL OF BRACHIARIA
Authors: Moraes Hugo Marcus Fialho e , Souza Wendel Magno de , Faria Rodrigo Magalhães , Ferreira Lino Roberto , Matos Christiano da Conceição de , Cecon Paulo Roberto , Adriano Rodrigo Cabral , Furtado Ivan Ferreira
Published: December 2020

The no-tillage system is considered an important tool for sustainable production. In this system, the burndown of brachiaria is usually performed with the application of systemic herbicides, such as glyphosate. As a result of environmental conditions (temperature, relative humidity and winds), the timing of spraying can directly interfere in the control efficiency. Therefore, the objective was to study different times of application of glyphosate in the control efficiency of Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu. The glyphosate was applied in the morning, afternoon and evening, at doses of 0; 360; 720; 1080; 1440 and 2160 g a.e. ha-1. To analyse the efficiency of U. brizantha burndown, the phytotoxicity was evaluated at 21 days after application. At 42 after application a mowing was done and 90 days after mowing, the dry matter accumulation and the Leaf Area Index of regrowth were determined. The best control results of Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu were obtained in the applications of glyphosate during the morning and afternoon. Evening applications of glyphosate should be avoided.
Insights into the structural evolution of the pre-Variscan rocks of the Eastern Pyrenees from La Molina quartz veins; constraints on chlorite and fluid inclusion thermometry
Authors: González-Esvertit Eloy , Canals Àngels , Casas Josep Maria , Nieto Fernando
Published: December 2020

Quartz veins hosted in the infra and overlying series to the (Sardic) Upper Ordovician Unconformity provide new insights into the structural and thermal evolution of the pre-Variscan rocks of the Eastern Pyrenees. In the La Molina area (Canigó massif), two generations of metric quartz veins (V1 and V2) are distinguished by their distribution patterns and their relationships to the deformational macro, meso, and microstructures. P-T formation conditions are obtained by combining chlorite geothermometry and fluid inclusion microthermometry data. Discrepancy on formation temperature for chlorites located at different positions within the veins are discussed, concluding that veins grew in a low fluid/rock ratio regime. V1 veins can be related to the Late Ordovician syn-sedimentary faulting episode as revealed by their distribution patterns, formation mechanisms, and fluid-rock interactions. We propose an Alpine age for the V2 veins, based on their structure and the emplacement conditions of 318 ± 12°C and 2.4 ± 0.2kbar, with an estimated geothermal gradient of 34°C∙km-1 and a burial depth of ca. 9km. Results obtained here are compared with other quartz veins spread throughout the Paleozoic basement of the Eastern Pyrenees.
Analysis method of the Offner hyperspectral imaging spectrometer based on vector aberration theory
Authors: Zhang Jialun , Zheng Yuquan , Lin Chao , Ji Zhenhua , Wu Hao
Published: December 2020

Compact hyperspectral imaging spectrometers with a wide field of view
(FoV) have significant application value. However, the aberration
field of such imaging spectrometers is sensitive, and varies for
different wavelengths when reducing the spectrometer volume. It is
difficult to explain the variation in the aberration field using
traditional aberration theory. In this study, we extend the vector
aberration theory (VAT) to the Offner imaging spectrometer. We deduce
the expression of the aberration field decenter vector of the Offner
spectrometer based on the real ray-trace method. Furthermore, we
derive the expression of the third-order vector aberration of the
system. Subsequently, we explain some common phenomena in the Offner
imaging spectrometer. This new analysis method can provide useful
guidance for designing a compact wide FoV Offner imaging spectrometer.
With this new insight, we designed a compact wide FoV Offner imaging
spectrometer with a freeform tertiary mirror. Compared to conventional
spectrometers with the same specifications, the total length of the
spectrometer decreased by 37%, and the volume by 75%. After the
tolerance analysis, the freeform optics satisfied the existing
machining technology. The analysis method presented in this paper
furthers the designer’s understanding of the aberration field of the
Offner imaging spectrometer. The method is significant in the design
of a compact wide FoV Offner imaging spectrometer with freeform
optics.
Dynamic laser speckle analysis using the event sensor
Authors: Ge Zhou , Meng Nan , Song Li , Lam Edmund Y.
Published: December 2020

Dynamic laser speckle analysis (DLSA) can obtain useful information about the scene dynamics. Traditional implementations use intensity-based imaging sensors such as a complementary metal oxide semiconductor and charge-coupled device to capture time-varying intensity frames. We use an event sensor that measures pixel-wise asynchronous brightness changes to record speckle pattern sequences. Our approach takes advantage of the low latency and high contrast sensitivity of the event sensor to implement DLSA with high temporal resolution. We also propose two evaluation metrics designed especially for event data. Comparison experiments are conducted in identical conditions to demonstrate the feasibility of our proposed approach.
Resolution limit of single-pixel speckle imaging using multimode fiber and optical phased array
Authors: Fukui Taichiro , Nakano Yoshiaki , Tanemura Takuo
Published: December 2020

Imaging through a multimode fiber (MMF) is a promising strategy forin vivoendoscopy due to its nature of simultaneously realizing high spatial resolution and minimal invasiveness. In MMF-based speckle imaging systems, a spatial light modulator (SLM) with a large number of pixels is commonly employed to enable independent controls of all the linearly polarized (LP) modes inside the MMF. Here, instead, we show that such an SLM can be replaced by a compact optical phased array (OPA) with a much smaller number of phase shifters without causing any penalty in resolution or sensitivity. Due to the nonlinear process inherent in field-to-intensity conversion, an OPA withNphase shifters is capable of generating∼N2independent illumination patterns. Since the resolution limit imposed by an MMF withMLP modes per polarization is approximated as4M, we show that only4Mphase shifters are essentially required to utilize the full spatial capacity of MMF. We can therefore enjoy the unique benefits of a low-cost, compact, and high-speed OPA that does not require thousands of phase shifters to achieve high-resolution imaging through an MMF.
Second-harmonic generation of single-mode Laguerre-Gaussian beams with an improved quasi-phase-matching method
Authors: Zhao Ruizhi , Xu Yaguang , Lu Ronger , Chen Yongchuang , Zou Jincheng , Hong Xuhao , Yuan Xudong , Ma Yibing , Feng Xia , Zhang Chao , Qin Yiqiang , Zhu Yongyuan
Published: December 2020

In the second-harmonic generation processes involving Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams, the generated second-harmonic wave is generally composed of multiple modes with different radial quantum numbers. To generate single-mode second-harmonic LG beams, a type of improved quasi-phase-matching method is proposed. The Gouy phase shift has been considered in the optical superlattice designing and an adjustment phase item is introduced. By changing the structure parameters, each target mode can be phase-matched selectively, whose purity can reach up to 95%. The single LG mode generated from the optical superlattice can be modulated separately and used as the input signals in the mode division multiplexing system.
Grandiose narcissism and performance in organizations: mediating role of subjective wellbeing
Authors: Sakkar Sudha Kiran , Shahnawaz M. Ghazi
Published: December 2020

Narcissism is imbued with emotional dynamism and there is a strong need to assess the linkages with outcomes by analyzing their fusion. The present study examined the relationship between grandiose narcissism and performance through analyzing the mediating role of subjective wellbeing (positive affect, negative affect and life satisfaction). The wholesome assessment of performance was done by considering task performance, team-work and cognitive motivational effectiveness among 293 senior-level Indian employees of a big public sector organization. Data were analyzed by using SPSS 22 and Smart PLS 2.0. The correlation results showed that grandiose narcissism was negatively related to performance, life satisfaction and positively related to negative affect. The indirect pathways (through mediation analyses) revealed that negative affect and life satisfaction mediated the relationship between grandiose narcissism and performance. The study effectively contributes to the narcissism and performance literature by presenting clearer pathways of grandiose narcissism (through self-regulated emotions and subjective wellbeing). Practical implications were
also highlighted beside the theoretical concerns.
Insights on cross-species transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from structural modeling
Authors: Rodrigues João P. G. L. M. , Barrera-Vilarmau Susana , M. C. Teixeira João , Sorokina Marija , Seckel Elizabeth , Kastritis Panagiotis L. , Levitt Michael
Published: December 2020

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the ongoing global pandemic that has infected more than 31 million people in more than 180 countries worldwide. Like other coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 is thought to have been transmitted to humans from wild animals. Given the scale and widespread geographical distribution of the current pandemic and confirmed cases of cross-species transmission, the question of the extent to which this transmission is possible emerges, as well as what molecular features distinguish susceptible from non-susceptible animal species. Here, we investigated the structural properties of several ACE2 orthologs bound to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. We found that species known not to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection have non-conservative mutations in several ACE2 amino acid residues that disrupt key polar and charged contacts with the viral spike protein. Our models also allow us to predict affinity-enhancing mutations that could be used to design ACE2 variants for therapeutic purposes. Finally, our study provides a blueprint for modeling viral-host protein interactions and highlights several important considerations when designing these computational studies and analyzing their results.
An unhealing wound and subcutaneous nodules due to Sporothrix globosa after a cat bite
Authors: Liu Yanbin , Liu Lina , Kang Mei , Zong Zhiyong
Published: December 2020

A 51-year-old man with 3-month unhealing cat bite wound was diagnosed with sporotrichosis, a subacute-to-chronic infection caused by the worldwide endemic, dimorphic fungus Sporothrix globosa. The case would help clinicians to raise awareness of human sporotrichosis due to cat bites, which remains rare and is likely to be underrecognized and misdiagnosed.
Targeting female flight for genetic control of mosquitoes
Authors: Navarro-Payá David , Flis Ilona , Anderson Michelle A. E. , Hawes Philippa , Li Ming , Akbari Omar S. , Basu Sanjay , Alphey Luke
Published: December 2020

Aedes aegypti Act4 is a paralog of the Drosophila melanogaster indirect flight muscle actin gene Act88F. Act88F has been shown to be haploinsufficient for flight in both males and females (amorphic mutants are dominant). Whereas Act88F is expressed in indirect flight muscles of both males and females, expression of Act4 is substantially female-specific. We therefore used CRISPR/Cas9 and homology directed repair to examine the phenotype of Act4 mutants in two Culicine mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus. A screen for dominant female-flightless mutants in Cx. quinquefasciatus identified one such mutant associated with a six base pair deletion in the CxAct4 coding region. A similar screen in Ae. aegypti identified no dominant mutants. Disruption of the AeAct4 gene by homology-dependent insertion of a fluorescent protein marker cassette gave a recessive female-flightless phenotype in Ae. aegypti. Reproducing the six-base deletion from Cx. quinquefasciatus in Ae. aegypti using oligo-directed mutagenesis generated dominant female-flightless mutants and identified additional dominant female-flightless mutants with other in-frame insertions or deletions. Our data indicate that loss of function mutations in the AeAct4 gene are recessive but that short in-frame deletions produce dominant-negative versions of the AeAct4 protein that interfere with flight muscle function. This makes Act4 an interesting candidate for genetic control methods, particularly population-suppression gene drives targeting female viability/fertility.
Patient-derived and artificial ascites have minor effects on MeT-5A mesothelial cells and do not facilitate ovarian cancer cell adhesion
Authors: Estermann Manuela , Huang Yen-Lin , Septiadi Dedy , Ritz Danilo , Liang Ching-Yeu , Jacob Francis , Drasler Barbara , Petri-Fink Alke , Heinzelmann-Schwarz Viola , Rothen-Rutishauser Barbara
Published: December 2020

The presence of ascites in the peritoneal cavity leads to morphological and functional changes of the peritoneal mesothelial cell layer. Cells loose cell-cell interactions, rearrange their cytoskeleton, activate the production of fibronectin, and change their cell surface morphology in a proinflammatory environment. Moreover, ovarian cancer cell adhesion has been shown to be facilitated by these changes due to increased integrin- and CD44-mediated binding sites. In this study, the biological responsiveness of the human pleural mesothelial cell line MeT-5A to patient-derived and artificial ascites was studiedin vitroand adhesion of ovarian cancer cells, i.e. SKOV-3 cells, investigated. Changes were mainly observed in cells exposed to artificial ascites containing higher cytokine concentrations than patient-derived ascites. Interestingly, reduced cell-cell interactions were already observed in untreated MeT-5A cells and effects on tight junction protein expression and permeability upon exposure to ascites were minor. Ascites induced upregulation of CDC42 effector protein 2 expression, which affects stress fiber formation, however significant F-actin reorganization was not observed. Moreover, fibronectin production remained unchanged. Analysis of mesothelial cell surface characteristics showed upregulated expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1, slightly increased hyaluronic acid secretion and decreased microvillus expression upon exposure to ascites. Nevertheless, the observed changes were not sufficient to facilitate adhesion of SKOV-3 cells on MeT-5A cell layer. This study revealed that MeT-5A cells show a reduced biological responsiveness to the presence of ascites, in contrast to published studies on primary human peritoneal mesothelial cells.
CTRP3 and serum triglycerides in children aged 7-10 years
Authors: Alamian Arsham , Marrs Jo-Ann , Clark W. Andrew , Thomas Kristy L. , Peterson Jonathan M.
Published: December 2020

Introduction

The prevalence of obesity-related disorders has been steadily increasing over the past couple of decades. Diseases that were once only detected in adults are now prevalent in children, such as hyperlipidemia. The adipose tissue-derived hormonal factor C1q TNF Related Protein 3 (CTRP3) has been linked to triglyceride regulation especially in animal models. However, the relationship between circulating CTRP3 levels and obesity-related disorders in human subjects is controversial. CTRP3 can circulate in different oligomeric complexes: trimeric (<100 kDa), middle molecular weight (100–300 kDa), and high molecular weight (HMW) oligomeric complexes (>300 kDa). Previous work has identified that it is not the total amount of CTRP3 present in the serum, but the specific circulating oligomeric complexes that appear to be indicative of the relationship between CTRP3 and serum lipids levels. However, this work has not been examined in children. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the levels of different oligomeric complexes of CTRP3 and circulating lipid levels among young children (aged 7–10 years).

Methods

Morphometric data and serum samples were collected and analyzed from a cross-sectional population of 62 children of self-identified Hispanic origin from a community health center, between 2015 and 2016. Serum analysis included adiponectin, insulin, leptin, ghrelin, glucagon, C-reactive peptide, triglyceride, cholesterol, IL-6, TNF, and CTRP3. Correlation analyses were conducted to explore the relationships between CTRP3 and other biomarkers.

Results

Total CTRP3 concentrations were significantly positively correlated with total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol. Whereas, HMW CTRP3 was not significantly associated with any variable measured. Conversely, the middle molecular weight (MMW) CTRP3 was negatively correlated with triglycerides levels, and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), insulin, and body mass index (BMI). The negative correlations between MMW CTRP3 and triglycerides and VLDLs were particularly strong (r2= -0.826 and -0.827, respectively).

Conclusion

Overall, these data indicate that the circulating oligomeric state of CTRP3 and not just total CTRP3 level is important for understanding the association between CTRP3 and metabolic diseases. Further, this work indicates that MMW CTRP3 plays an important role in triglyceride and VLDL regulation which requires further study.
Genome-wide characterization of WRKY gene family in Helianthus annuus L. and their expression profiles under biotic and abiotic stresses
Authors: Li Juanjuan , Islam Faisal , Huang Qian , Wang Jian , Zhou Weijun , Xu Ling , Yang Chong
Published: December 2020

WRKY transcription factors play important roles in various physiological processes and stress responses in flowering plants. Sunflower (Helianthus annuusL.) is one of the important vegetable oil supplies in the world. However, the information aboutWRKYgenes in sunflower is limited. In this study, ninetyHaWRKYgenes were identified and renamed according to their locations on chromosomes. Further phylogenetic analyses classified them into four main groups including a species-specific WKKY group. Besides,HaWRKYgenes within the same group or subgroup generally showed similar exon-intron structures and motif compositions. The gene duplication analysis showed that five pairs ofHaWRKYgenes (HaWRKY8/9,HaWRKY53/54,HaWRKY65/66,HaWRKY66/67andHaWRKY71/72) are tandem duplicated and fourHaWRKYgene pairs (HaWRKY15/82,HaWRKY25/65,HaWRKY28/55andHaWRKY50/53) are also identified as segmental duplication events, indicating that these duplication genes were contribute to the diversity and expansion ofHaWRKYgene families. The dN/dS ratio of these duplicated gene pairs were also calculated to understand the evolutionary constraints. In addition, synteny analyses of sunflowerWRKYgenes provided deep insight to the evolution ofHaWRKYgenes. Transcriptomic and qRT-PCR analyses ofHaWRKYgenes displayed distinct expression patterns in different plant tissues, as well as under various abiotic and biotic stresses, which provide a foundation for further functional analyses of these genes. Those functional genes related to stress tolerance and quality improvement could be applied in marker assisted breeding of the crop.
Kumaraswamy inverse Gompertz distribution: Properties and engineering applications to complete, type-II right censored and upper record data
Authors: El-Morshedy M. , El-Faheem Adel A. , El-Dawoody M.
Published: December 2020

This article proposes and studies a new three-parameter generalized model of the inverse Gompertz distribution, in the so-called Kumaraswamy inverse Gompertz distribution. The main advantage of the new model is that it has "an upside down bathtub-shaped curve hazard rate function" depending upon the shape parameters. Several of its statistical and mathematical properties including quantiles, median, mode, moments, probability weighted moment, entropy function, skewness and kurtosis are derived. Moreover, the reliability and hazard rate functions, mean time to failure, mean residual and inactive lifetimes are also concluded. The maximum likelihood approach is done here to estimate the new model parameters. A simulation study is conducted to examine the performance of the estimators of this model. Finally, the usefulness of the proposed distribution is illustrated with different engineering applications to complete, type-II right censored, and upper record data and it is found that this model is more flexible when it is compared to well-known models in the statistical literature.
Psychological trauma occurring during adolescence is associated with an increased risk of greater waist circumference in Early Psychosis patients treated with psychotropic medication
Authors: Alameda Luis , Levier Axel , Gholam-Rezaee Mehdi , Golay Philippe , Vandenberghe Frederik , Delacretaz Aurélie , Baumann Philipp , Glatard Anaïs , Dubath Céline , Herane-Vives Andres , Rodriguez Victoria , Solida Alessandra , Do Kim Q. , Eap Chin B. , Conus Philippe
Published: December 2020

Background

It has been suggested that exposure to Childhood Trauma [CT] may play a role in the risk of obesity in Early Psychosis [EP] patients; however, whether this is independently of age at exposure to CT and the medication profile has yet to be investigated.

Methods

113 EP-patients aged 18–35 were recruited from the Treatment and Early Intervention in Psychosis Program [TIPP-Lausanne]. Body Mass Index [BMI], Weight Gain [WG] and Waist Circumference [WC] were measured prospectively at baseline and after 1, 2, 3, 6 and 12 months of weight gain inducing psychotropic treatment. Patients were classified as Early-Trauma and Late-Trauma if the exposure had occurred before age 12 or between ages 12 and 16 respectively. Generalized Linear Mixed-Models were adjusted for age, sex, socioeconomic status, baseline BMI, medication and for diagnosis of depression.

Results

Late-Trauma patients, when compared to Non-Trauma patients showed greater WCs during the follow-up [p = 0.013]. No differences were found in any of the other follow-up measures.

Conclusions

Exposition to CT during adolescence in EP-patients treated with psychotropic medication is associated with greater WC during the early phase of the disease. Further investigation exploring mechanisms underlying the interactions between peripubertal stress, corticoids responsiveness and a subsequent increase of abdominal adiposity is warranted.
Comparison of physical properties of voluntary coughing, huffing and swallowing in healthy subjects
Authors: Yawata Akiko , Tsujimura Takanori , Takeishi Ryosuke , Magara Jin , Yu Li , Inoue Makoto
Published: December 2020

Coughing, huffing and swallowing protect the airway from aspiration. This study was conducted to compare the physical properties of voluntary coughing, huffing and swallowing in healthy subjects. Ten healthy men were asked to huff, cough and swallow repeatedly. Electromyograms (EMGs) were recorded from the left side of the external oblique (EO), sternocleidomastoid, suprahyoid (SH) and thyrohyoid muscles. Airflow was recorded using a face mask with two-way non-rebreathing valves. The expiratory velocity of huffing and coughing and the SH EMG of all actions presented high intraclass correlation coefficients (> 0.8). The inspiratory and expiratory velocities did not differ significantly between coughing and huffing. The expiratory acceleration of coughing was significantly higher than that of huffing, whereas the expiratory volume of coughing was significantly smaller than that of huffing. The EO EMG of coughing and huffing were significantly larger than that of swallowing. The EO EMG activity during the expiratory phase was significantly higher than that of the other phases of both coughing and huffing. The SH EMG of coughing and huffing were significantly smaller than that of swallowing. Correlation analysis revealed that the expiratory velocity of coughing was strongly positively correlated with that of huffing. The expiratory volume of huffing was significantly positively correlated with hand grip strength. These results suggest that EO and SH muscle activities during huffing or coughing differ those during swallowing, and huffing and coughing may work similarly in expiratory function.
Dynamic measures for transportation networks
Authors: Lordan Oriol , Sallan Jose M.
Published: December 2020

Most complex network analyses of transportation systems use simplified static representations obtained from existing connections in a time horizon. In static representations, travel times, waiting times and compatibility of schedules are neglected, thus losing relevant information. To obtain a more accurate description of transportation networks, we use a dynamic representation that considers synced paths and that includes waiting times to compute shortest paths. We use the shortest paths to define dynamic network, node and edge measures to analyse the topology of transportation networks, comparable with measures obtained from static representations. We illustrate the application of these measures with a toy model and a real transportation network built from schedules of a low-cost carrier. Results show remarkable differences between measures of static and dynamic representations, demonstrating the limitations of the static representation to obtain accurate information of transportation networks.
Dimensionality analysis of forearm muscle activation for myoelectric control in transradial amputees
Authors: McClanahan Alexander , Moench Matthew , Fu Qiushi
Published: December 2020

Establishing a natural communication interface between the user and the terminal device is one of the central challenges of hand neuroprosthetics research. Surface electromyography (EMG) is the most common source of neural signals for interpreting a user’s intent in these interfaces. However, how the capacity of EMG generation is affected by various clinical parameters remains largely unknown. In this study, we examined the EMG activity of forearm muscles recorded from 11 transradially amputated subjects who performed a wide range of movements. EMG recordings from 40 able-bodied subjects were also analyzed to provide comparative benchmarks. By using non-negative matrix factorization, we extracted the synergistic EMG patterns for each subject to estimate the dimensionality of muscle control, under the framework of motor synergies. We found that amputees exhibited less than four synergies (with substantial variability related to the length of remaining limb and age), whereas able-bodied subjects commonly demonstrate five or more synergies. The results of this study provide novel insight into the muscle synergy framework and the design of natural myoelectric control interfaces.