bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Network connectivity of Minnesota waterbodies and implications for aquatic invasive species prevention
Authors: Kao Szu-Yu Zoe , Enns Eva A. , Tomamichel Megan , Doll Adam , Escobar Luis E. , Qiao Huijie , Craft Meggan E. , Phelps Nicholas B. D.
Published: May 2021

Connectivity between waterbodies influences the risk of aquatic invasive species (AIS) invasion. Understanding and characterizing the connectivity between waterbodies through high-risk pathways, such as recreational boats, is essential to develop economical and effective prevention intervention to control the spread of AIS. Fortunately, state and local watercraft inspection programs are collecting significant data that can be used to quantify boater connectivity. We created a series of predictive models to capture the patterns of boater movements across all lakes in Minnesota, USA. Informed by more than 1.3 million watercraft inspection surveys from 2014–2017, we simulated boater movements connecting 9182 lakes with a high degree of accuracy. Our predictive model accurately predicted 97.36% of the lake pairs known to be connected and predicted 91.01% of the lake pairs known not to be connected. Lakes with high degree and betweenness centrality were more likely to be infested with an AIS than lakes with low degree (p < 0.001) and centrality (p < 0.001). On average, infested lakes were connected to 1200 more lakes than uninfested lakes. In addition, boaters that visited infested lakes were more likely to visit other lakes, increasing the risk of AIS spread to uninfested lakes. The use of the simulated boater networks can be helpful for determining the risk of AIS invasion for each lake and for developing management tools to assist decision makers to develop intervention strategies.
Asset bubbles in explaining top income shares
Authors: Sarkar Saikat , Tuomala Matti
Published: May 2021

This paper considers the role of asset price bubbles (crashes) as an important determinant in seeking a further explanation for top income shares. The asset price bubbles caused at least in part by monetary policies, along with other determinants such as top tax rates and innovativeness are the important drivers to explain the surge in top income shares. The empirical results show that correlation between asset bubbles and top inequality is positive and significant. The regression coefficient of stock and housing market bubbles have a positive effect on top income shares, while the stock and housing market crashes fail to reduce the surge in top income shares. In sum, as the asset markets grow, the share of income going to those at the very top increases and the accumulation of income accelerates if the duration of bubbles expands. Concentration of income at the very top is much more important when capital gains are counted as income.
Exact and approximate analytical solutions for nonlocal nanoplates of arbitrary shapes in bending using the line element-less method
Authors: Di Matteo A. , Pavone M. , Pirrotta A.
Published: May 2021

In this study, an innovative procedure is presented for the analysis of the static behavior of plates at the micro and nano scale, with arbitrary shape and various boundary conditions. In this regard, the well-known Eringen’s nonlocal elasticity theory is used to appropriately model small length scale effects. The proposed mesh-free procedure, namely the Line Element-Less Method (LEM), only requires the evaluation of simple line integrals along the plate boundary parametric equation. Further, variations of appropriately introduced functionals eventually lead to a linear system of algebraic equations in terms of the expansion coefficients of the deflection function. Notably, the proposed procedure yields approximate analytical solutions for general shapes and boundary conditions, and even exact solutions for some plate geometries. In addition, several applications are discussed to show the simplicity and applicability of the procedure, and comparison with pertinent data in the literature assesses the accuracy of the proposed approach.
Comparison of sleep between youth elite amateur athletes and professional athletes
Authors: Penttilä Elina , Vuorinen Ville-Pekka , Kivimäki Marko , Ahlberg Jari , Airaksinen Olavi , Tuomilehto Henri
Published: May 2021

Recent studies suggest that professional athletes seem to experience significant sleeping problems. However, little is still known about the occurrence of sleeping challenges at different stages of an athletic career. This descriptive study aimed to compare the sleep of professional athletes with younger elite amateur athletes. A total of 401 sportsmen, 173 youth elite amateur athletes and 228 professional athletes fulfilled a validated questionnaire. The self-estimated quality of sleep (on a linear scale 0–10) was significantly better in youth, being 7.9 compared to 7.4 (p < 0.001). The professional athletes had a significantly higher risk for sleeping problems, especially during the competitive season (OR = 7.3, 95% confidence interval 4.1–12.9) and they also used significantly more sleep medications (OR = 8.3, 95% confidence interval 1.7–4.1). Interestingly, majority of youth athletes (85.4%) had received adequate sleep counselling compared with professional athletes (58.1%), (p < 0.001). Furthermore, 75.8% of professional athletes considered that additional sleep counselling would improve their performance compared with only 45.6% of youth athletes (p < 0.001). Our study demonstrates that compared with the younger counterparts, professional athletes experience impaired sleep quality and significantly more sleeping problems. There may be various underlying factors to induce the problems. The early intervention with sleep counselling may play an important role in preventing these problems and, therefore, it is recommended to be integrated in athletes’ overall training process.
Effect of grinding and extraction conditions on the determination of antioxidant activity and phenolic acids in barley
Authors: Zhou Bing , Jin Zhao , Schwarz Paul B. , Li Yin
Published: May 2021

In the present study, the objective was to evaluate the effects of barley kernel size, grind level, and extract solvent on the antioxidant activities associated with total phenolic content and phenolic acid compositions. Three barley varieties (Kindred, Azure, and Tradition), were used and the results showed that with the exception of superoxide anion radical scavenging activity, thin kernel size fraction (2.0 mm) showed much higher antioxidant activities and total phenolic content than those in the 2.4 mm and 2.8 mm fractions when averaged across barley cultivar, grind level, and extract solvent. A similar trend was found for individual phenolic acid compositions among kernel sizes. Simple correlation analysis revealed that total phenolic content showed strong correlation with DPPH· scavenging activity, ABTS + scavenging activity, and reducing power. Generally, fine grind and 80% acetone extract showed averaged highest values in antioxidant activities, total phenolic content, and individual phenolic acid compositions. Stepwise linear regression showed that extract solvent was the most important factor for DPPH· scavenging activity, ABTS + scavenging activity, reducing power, and iron chelating activity. The sum of syringic acid and caffeic acid exhibited a dominant role in explaining the major variation in antioxidant activities except for superoxide anion radical scavenging activity.
Quality and utility of [123I]I-metaiodobenzylguanidine cardiac SPECT imaging in nondiabetic postinfarction heart failure patients qualified for implantable cardioverter defibrillator
Authors: Teresińska Anna , Woźniak Olgierd , Maciąg Aleksander , Wnuk Jacek , Jezierski Jarosław , Fronczak Aneta , Biernacka Elżbieta Katarzyna
Published: May 2021

Objective

Impaired cardiac adrenergic activity has been demonstrated in heart failure (HF) and in diabetes mellitus (DM). [123I]I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) enables assessment of the cardiac adrenergic nervous system. Tomographic imaging of the heart is expected to be superior to planar imaging. This study aimed to determine the quality and utility of MIBG SPECT in the assessment of cardiac innervation in postinfarction HF patients without DM, qualified for implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) in primary prevention of sudden cardiac death.

Methods

Consecutive patients receiving an ICD on the basis of contemporary guidelines were prospectively included. Planar MIBG studies were followed by SPECT. The essential analysis was based on visual assessment of the quality of SPECT images (“high”, “low” or “unacceptable”). The variables used in the further analysis were late summed defect score for SPECT images and heart-to-mediastinum rate for planar images. MIBG images were assessed independently by two experienced readers.

Results

Fifty postinfarction nondiabetic HF subjects were enrolled. In 13 patients (26%), the assessment of SPECT studies was impossible. In addition, in 13 of 37 patients who underwent semiquantitative SPECT evaluation, the assessment was equivocal. Altogether, in 26/50 patients (52%, 95% confidence interval 38–65%), the quality of SPECT images was unacceptable or low and was limited by low MIBG cardiac uptake and by comparatively high, interfering MIBG uptake in the neighboring structures (primarily, in the lungs).

Conclusions

The utility of MIBG SPECT imaging, at least with conventional imaging protocols, in the qualification of postinfarction HF patients for ICD, is limited. In approximately half of the postinfarction HF patients, SPECT assessment of cardiac innervation can be impossible or equivocal, even without additional damage from diabetic cardiac neuropathy. The criteria predisposing the patient to good-quality MIBG SPECT are: high values of LVEF from the range characterizing the patients qualified to ICD (i.e., close to 35%) and left lung uptake intensity in planar images comparable to or lower than heart uptake.
A Comprehensive Overview on the Latest Progress in the Additive Manufacturing of Metal Matrix Composites: Potential, Challenges, and Feasible Solutions
Authors: Dadkhah Mehran , Mosallanejad Mohammad Hossein , Iuliano Luca , Saboori Abdollah
Published: May 2021

Nowadays, as an emerging technology, additive manufacturing (AM) has received numerous attentions from researchers around the world. The method comprises layer-by-layer manufacturing of products according to the 3D CAD models of the objects. Among other things, AM is capable of producing metal matrix composites (MMCs). Hence, plenty of works in the literature are dedicated to developing different types of MMCs through AM processes. Hence, this paper provides a comprehensive overview on the latest research that has been carried out on the development of the powder-based AM manufactured MMCs from a scientific and technological viewpoint, aimed at highlighting the opportunities and challenges of this innovative manufacturing process. For instance, it is documented that AM is not only able to resolve the reinforcement/matrix bonding issues usually faced with during conventional manufacturing of MMCs, but also it is capable of producing functionally graded composites and geometrically complex objects. Furthermore, it provides the opportunity for a uniform distribution of the reinforcing phase in the metallic matrix and is able to produce composites using refractory metals thanks to the local heat source employed in the method. Despite the aforementioned advantages, there are still some challenges needing more attention from the researchers. Rapid cooling nature of the process, significantly different coefficient of expansion of the matrix and reinforcement, processability, and the lack of suitable parameters and standards for the production of defect-free AM MMCs seem to be among the most important issues to deal with in future works.
Effects of acid drainage from abandoned coal mines on the microbial community of Shandi River sediment, Shanxi Province
Authors: Chen Di , Feng Qiyan , Li Wenbo , Song Yuan , Zhao Chunhong
Published: May 2021

The discharge of acid mine drainage from abandoned high sulfur (S) coal mines has caused serious pollution in the Shandi River, Yangquan, Shanxi Province. To determine the impact of long-term acid mine drainage on the microorganisms in the river, we collected river sediments from a polluted tributary (Group P) and the mainstream of Shandi River (Group R) to study the bacterial diversity and community composition. The results showed that the tributary was seriously polluted by acid drainage from abandoned coal mines, with the pH value of the sediment being < 2.5, resulting in the low bacterial richness and diversity of the tributary samples. Acidophillic Fe- and S-metabolizing bacteria, such as Metallibacterium, Acidiphilium, and Acidithiobacillus, were the dominant genera in Group P samples, while the Group R was dominated by the neutral anaerobic iron-reducing bacteria Geothrix and Geobacter. Results of principal co-ordinates analysis (PCoA) revealed that the bacterial communities are significantly different between groups P and R, and the significant different species were mainly attributed to phylum Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria. The distribution of the microbial community is mainly influenced by pH, and the Fe and Cd concentrations. Metallicactrium, the dominant genus, is negatively correlated with pH (R2 = − 0.95) and positively correlated with Fe (R2 = 0.99), while Geothrix and Geobacter, are mainly affected by the heavy metals. This study determined the impact of river pollution caused by abandoned coal mine drainage, especially on the microbial diversity and community composition within the river sediment.
Experimental investigations and numerical simulations of innovative lightweight glass–plastic-composite panels made of thin glass and PMMA
Authors: Hänig Julian , Weller Bernhard
Published: May 2021

Composites are being increasingly used for industrial applications and combine the advantageous properties of two or more constituents. The urge to reduce material to a minimum and the trend towards lightweight glass structures require further developments in high performance and fully transparent composite structures for the building industry. Novel innovative glass–plastic-composite panels combining a lightweight polymer polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) interlayer core and cover layers of thin glass are currently under development. The panels exhibit high structural load-bearing performance, are durable and fully transparent with a low self-weight. These properties make the composite panels suitable for slender and lightweight glass constructions and reveal new design possibilities for the building industry. However, the material properties of the modified PMMA polymer interlayer core for precise design considerations are lacking. Furthermore, the material behaviour of thermoplastic polymers changes over time, ages due to environmental influences and is temperature-dependent. This significantly affects the composite load-bearing behaviour and defines the limits of application for the composite panels in the building industry. In order to facilitate during the development process and to build a design basis for the composite panels, material model parameters and simulation methods are required. Hence, an extensive test programme was conducted to investigate the material properties of the PMMA interlayer core by means of dynamic mechanical thermal analysis as well as uniaxial tensile and creep tests. The dataset and subsequent implementation into finite element software allowed for realistic simulations of the glass–plastic-composite panels and an extension of experimental results. Numerical simulations were performed with the commercial finite element programme ANSYS Workbench 19.3. Additionally, four-point bending tests were performed on composite test specimens with a different build-up and conventional glass panels to validate the material model and finite element simulations. These investigations and adopted material properties formed the basis for a numerical parametric study to evaluate the influence of stiffness, the load-bearing and lightweight performance in different build-ups. All the results are evaluated in detail and discussed in comparison with conventional monolithic and laminated glass panels. The dataset and material model parameters can be applied to further developments and design of lightweight glass–plastic-composite panels for structural applications in the building industry.
Homophily at a glance: visual homophily estimation in network graphs is robust under time constraints
Authors: Reimann Daniel , Schulz André , Gaschler Robert
Published: May 2021

Network graphs are used for high-stake decision making in medical and other contexts. For instance, graph drawings conveying relatedness can be relevant in the context of spreading diseases. Node-link diagrams can be used to visually assess the degree of homophily in a network—a condition where a presence of the link is more likely when nodes are similar. In an online experiment (N = 531), we tested how robustly laypeople can judge homophily from node-link diagrams and how variation of time constraints and layout of the diagrams affect judgments. The results showed that participants were able to give appropriate judgments. While granting more time led to better performance, the effects were small. Rather, the first seconds account for most of the information an individual can extract from the graphs. Furthermore, we showed a difference in performance between two types of layouts (bipartite and polarized). Results have consequences for communicating the degree of homophily in network graphs to the public.
Evidence for a causal association between milk intake and cardiometabolic disease outcomes using a two-sample Mendelian Randomization analysis in up to 1,904,220 individuals
Authors: Vimaleswaran Karani Santhanakrishnan , Zhou Ang , Cavadino Alana , Hyppönen Elina
Published: May 2021

Background

High milk intake has been associated with cardio-metabolic risk. We conducted a Mendelian Randomization (MR) study to obtain evidence for the causal relationship between milk consumption and cardio-metabolic traits using the lactase persistence (LCT-13910 C > T, rs4988235) variant as an instrumental variable.

Methods

We tested the association of LCT genotype with milk consumption (for validation) and with cardio-metabolic traits (for a possible causal association) in a meta-analysis of the data from three large-scale population-based studies (1958 British Birth Cohort, Health and Retirement study, and UK Biobank) with up to 417,236 participants and using summary statistics from consortia meta-analyses on intermediate traits (N = 123,665–697,307) and extended to cover disease endpoints (N = 86,995–149,821).

Results

In the UK Biobank, carriers of ‘T’ allele of LCT variant were more likely to consume milk (P = 7.02 × 10−14). In meta-analysis including UK Biobank, the 1958BC, the HRS, and consortia-based studies, under an additive model, ‘T’ allele was associated with higher body mass index (BMI) (Pmeta-analysis = 4.68 × 10−12) and lower total cholesterol (TC) (P = 2.40 × 10−36), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (P = 2.08 × 10−26) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (P = 9.40 × 10−13). In consortia meta-analyses, ‘T’ allele was associated with a lower risk of coronary artery disease (OR:0.86, 95% CI:0.75–0.99) but not with type 2 diabetes (OR:1.06, 95% CI:0.97–1.16). Furthermore, the two-sample MR analysis showed a causal association between genetically instrumented milk intake and higher BMI (P = 3.60 × 10−5) and body fat (total body fat, leg fat, arm fat and trunk fat; P < 1.37 × 10−6) and lower LDL-C (P = 3.60 × 10−6), TC (P = 1.90 × 10−6) and HDL-C (P = 3.00 × 10−5).

Conclusions

Our large-scale MR study provides genetic evidence for the association of milk consumption with higher BMI but lower serum cholesterol levels. These data suggest no need to limit milk intakes with respect to cardiovascular disease risk, with the suggested benefits requiring confirmation in further studies.
Correction: 2D oxides on metal materials: concepts, status, and perspectives
Authors: Barcaro Giovanni , Fortunelli Alessandro
Published: May 2021

Correction for ‘2D oxides on metal materials: concepts, status, and perspectives’ by Giovanni Barcaro et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2019, 21, 11510–11536, DOI: 10.1039/C9CP00972H.
Four-step thermosensitive dielectric response arising from motionable low-symmetry ammonium confined in deformable supramolecular cages
Authors: Jia Zhi-Hui , Liu Jing-Yan , Liu De-Xuan , Zhang Shi-Yong , Du Zi-Yi , He Chun-Ting , Zhang Wei-Xiong , Chen Xiao-Ming
Published: May 2021

An ionic crystal exhibits a four-step thermosensitive dielectric response accompanying a series of structural phase transitions, which is mainly due to the gradually enhanced motion of the Me2EtNH+ ions confined in deformable supramolecular cages.
Correction: A roadmap for laser optimization of Yb:Ca3(NbGa)5O12-CNGG-type single crystal garnets
Authors: Álvarez-Pérez J. O. , Cano-Torres J. M. , Ruiz A. , Serrano M. D. , Cascales C. , Zaldo C.
Published: May 2021

Correction for ‘A roadmap for laser optimization of Yb:Ca3(NbGa)5O12-CNGG-type single crystal garnets’ by J. O. Álvarez-Pérez et al., J. Mater. Chem. C, 2021, 9, 4628–4642, DOI: 10.1039/d0tc05718e.
Role of Diffusion-Weighted Imaging in the Evaluation of Perianal Fistulae
Authors: Boruah Deb K. , Hazarika Karuna , Ahmed Halimuddin , Borah Krishna K. , Borah Samudra , Malakar Seema , Hajoari Nobojit
Published: May 2021

Background Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the imaging modality of choice for evaluating perianal fistulae, due to its ability to show the relationship of perianal fistulae with anal sphincters, fistula extensions, secondary ramifications and associated complications.

Aim To evaluate the role of diffusion-weighted MRI in the evaluation of perianal fistulae.

Settings and Design A hospital-based cross-sectional study.

Materials and Methods The study group composed of 47 patients of perianal fistula. MRI with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) was performed with Philips 0.5 T Ingenia scanner. DWI with different b-values (b = 50, b = 400, and b = 800 smm2) were obtained. The MRI findings were correlated with local clinical examination and or surgical findings.

Statistical Analysis Used Chi-square test, independent samples t-test, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.

Result Fifty-nine perianal fistulas in 47 patients were included in the study sample. The visibility of perianal fistula on DWI was less than T2-weighted (T2W) and combined DWI-T2W images. Distinctly visualized (visibility score 2) perianal fistulas were observed in 47 fistulas (79.6%) on DWI, 54 (91.5%) on T2W, and 58 (98.3%) on DWI-T2W images. The mean of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of active fistula was 0.972 ± 0.127 [SD] 10−3 mm2/s and inactive was 1.232 ± 0.185 [SD] 10−3 mm2/s with a significant difference (p-value < 0.0005). A cut-off mean ADC value of 1.105 × 10−3 mm2/s was used to differentiate active from the inactive fistula with a sensitivity of 87.5% and specificity of 73.3%.

Conclusion Combined DWI-T2W evaluation had a better performance in the detection of fistula than DWI or T2W alone. DWI with mean ADC calculation had a good performance in differentiating active from the inactive fistulas.
Demystifying Sacral Masses: A Pictorial Review
Authors: Senne Julie , Nguyen Van , Staner Derek , Stensby James D. , Bhat Ambarish P.
Published: May 2021

The sacrum is a triangular shaped bone made up of five fused vertebral bodies. It is composed of bone, cartilage, marrow elements as well as notochord remnants and is a common site for both benign and malignant (primary and secondary) tumors. Familiarity with the imaging features and clinical presentations of sacral bone tumors could be helpful in narrowing the differential diagnosis. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography are the preferred imaging modalities for evaluating sacral masses. This pictorial review will highlight imaging features of common sacral tumors with pathologic correlation. Additionally, this article will review some critical principles and helpful tips to successfully biopsy these lesions.
A Pattern-based Imaging Approach to Pediatric Jaw Lesions
Authors: Sahu Biswanath , Anand Rama , Kumar Sandeep , Solanki Ravi Shankar , Mehra Pravesh , Jain Manjula
Published: May 2021

Jaw lesions in the pediatric population, although infrequently encountered in clinical practice, can cause functional impairment and cosmetic disfiguring. It is further complicated by the difficulty in diagnosis due to complex anatomy and facial developmental process during infancy and childhood. Intraosseous pediatric jaw lesions may vary from odontogenic to nonodontogenic types with nonspecific clinical features in most cases. They deserve careful attention by a systematic approach to provide a relevant diagnosis or differential diagnosis for timely management. Imaging plays a major role in diagnosis with orthopantomograph being the foremost investigation, followed by cross-sectional imaging, essentially computed tomography as a problem-solving tool. This article highlights the imaging spectrum of various jaw lesions in the pediatric population with a pattern-based approach for radiological diagnosis.
Pomacea maculata.
Authors: Cowie Rob , Burks Romi L. , Miller Amy E. , Hill Alexandria L.
Published: May 2021

P. maculata is a freshwater snail native to a wide geographical area in South America from the Rio de la Plata in Argentina and Uruguay to the Amazon in Brazil. It is commonly confused with any number of similar large apple snails, including the well-known invasive golden apple snail Pomacea canaliculata (listed among '100 of the world's worst invasive species'). Both species have been introduced to South-East and East Asia, although for many years they were not distinguished and the Asian introductions were widely identified as "golden apple snails" and the name P. canaliculata was applied to them. Due to the confusion in species identification, the history of introduction of P. maculata remains somewhat uncertain as does its invasiveness and pest potential. Much of the literature is confounded, for example, the snails illustrated by Cowie (2002) as P. canaliculata are in fact P. maculata. The majority of invasive populations in Asia appear to be P. canaliculata, often not mixed with P. maculata (Hayes et al., 2008; Tran et al., 2008) and the pest potential of P. canaliculata in such cases is clear. However, much less has been written about the invasiveness and pest potential of 'P. maculata'.
NeuroCirc: an integrative resource of circular RNA expression in the human brain
Authors: Walsh Kieran , Gokool Akira , Alinejad-Rokny Hamid , Voineagu Irina
Published: May 2021

Motivation

CircRNAs are covalently closed RNA molecules that are particularly abundant in the brain. While circRNA expression data from the human brain is rapidly accumulating, integration of large-scale datasets remains challenging and time-consuming, and consequently an integrative view of circRNA expression in the human brain is currently lacking.

Results

NeuroCirc is a web-based resource that allows interactive exploration of multiple types of circRNA data from the human brain, including large-scale expression datasets, circQTL data and circRNA expression across neuronal differentiation and cellular maturation time-courses. NeuroCirc also allows users to upload their own circRNA expression data and explore it in the integrative platform, thereby supporting circRNA prioritization for experimental validation and functional studies.

Availability and implementation

NeuroCirc is freely available at: https://voineagulab.github.io/NeuroCirc/. The source code and user documentation are available at: https://github.com/Voineagulab/NeuroCirc.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Interfacing Seurat with the R tidy universe
Authors: Mangiola Stefano , Doyle Maria A , Papenfuss Anthony T
Published: May 2021

Motivation

Seurat is one of the most popular software suites for the analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing data. Considering the popularity of the tidyverse ecosystem, which offers a large set of data display, query, manipulation, integration and visualization utilities, a great opportunity exists to interface the Seurat object with the tidyverse. This interface gives the large data science community of tidyverse users the possibility to operate with familiar grammar.

Results

To provide Seurat with a tidyverse-oriented interface without compromising efficiency, we developed tidyseurat, a lightweight adapter to the tidyverse. Tidyseurat displays cell information as a tibble abstraction, allowing intuitively interfacing Seurat with dplyr, tidyr, ggplot2 and plotly packages powering efficient data manipulation, integration and visualization. Iterative analyses on data subsets are enabled by interfacing with the popular nest-map framework.

Availability and implementation

The software is freely available at cran.r-project.org/web/packages/tidyseurat and github.com/stemangiola/tidyseurat.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Still New Chronic Q Fever Cases Diagnosed 8 Years After a Large Q Fever Outbreak
Authors: Buijs Sheila B , Bleeker-Rovers Chantal P , van Roeden Sonja E , Kampschreur Linda M , Hoepelman Andy I M , Wever Peter C , Oosterheert Jan Jelrik
Published: May 2021

Background

Chronic Q fever usually develops within 2 years after primary infection with Coxiella burnetii. We determined the interval between acute Q fever and diagnosis of chronic infection, assessed what factors contribute to a longer interval, and evaluated the long-term follow-up.

Methods

From 2007 to 2018, patients with chronic Q fever were included from 45 participating hospitals. The interval between acute and chronic infection was calculated in patients with a known day of first symptoms and/or serological confirmation of acute Q fever. Chronic Q fever-related complications and mortality were assessed by 2 investigators based on predefined criteria.

Results

In total, 313 (60.3%) proven, 81 (15.6%) probable, and 125 (24.1%) possible chronic Q fever patients were identified. The date of acute Q fever was known in 200 patients: in 45 (22.5%), the interval was longer than 2 years, with the longest observed interval being 9.2 years. Patients in whom serological follow-up was performed after acute Q fever were diagnosed less often after this 2-year interval (odds ratio, 0.26; 95% confidence interval, 0.12–0.54). Chronic Q fever-related complications occurred in 216 patients (41.6%). Chronic Q fever-related mortality occurred in 83 (26.5%) of proven and 3 (3.7%) of probable chronic Q fever patients.

Conclusions

Chronic Q fever is still being diagnosed and mortality keeps occurring 8 years after a large outbreak. Intervals between acute Q fever and diagnosis of chronic infection can reach more than 9 years. We urge physicians to perform microbiological testing for chronic Q fever even many years after an outbreak or acute Q fever disease.
The Humanization of Jus ad Bellum: Prospects and Perils
Authors: Lieblich Eliav
Published: May 2021

In its recent General Comment no. 36 (GC 36), the Human Rights Committee (HRC) engaged for the first time, in a substantial manner, with the relations between the law on the use of force (jus ad bellum) and the right to life. This article uses the HRC’s position on these relations as a platform for a long-needed discussion on the theoretical underpinnings, and implications, of a possible human rights law on the resort to force between states. This article identifies and conceptualizes three pillars in GC 36’s position, which subject traditional questions of jus ad bellum to international human rights law considerations: first, the view that aggression is not only a violation of jus ad bellum but also that the killings it entails are ipso facto violations of the right to life, even in cases where these killings would be lawful under the laws of armed conflict (jus in bello); second, that states bear the ‘responsibility’ to oppose aggression as a matter of human rights; and, third, that a state’s failure to reasonably attempt to resolve disputes peacefully could amount to a violation of the duty to ensure the right to life of its people. The article analyses these pillars doctrinally and then moves to discuss the theoretical commitments required to accept each of them as well as their costs. Namely, they all require breaking with the traditional view that jus ad bellum is strictly an interstate issue. Although, as the article argues, this development is based on sound ethical premises, the humanization of jus ad bellum through human rights law carries risks that should not be overlooked: chiefly, the securitization of human rights and the depoliticization of war. The prospects and perils of the humanization of jus ad bellum, as this article demonstrates, open a new area of theoretical inquiry and legal possibilities.
The impact of orthognathic surgery on quality of life in individuals with oral clefts
Authors: Feitosa Mariana Chaves Petri , Garib Daniela , de Cássia Moura Carvalho Lauris Rita , Herkrath Ana Paula Queiroz , Vettore Mario Vianna
Published: May 2021

Background/objectives

To evaluate the relationships between individual, environmental, clinical factors and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP) following orthognathic surgery.

Materials and methods

A follow-up study was conducted involving 69 adults with unilateral and bilateral CLP under orthodontic treatment. Interviews and oral examinations were conducted prior to orthognathic surgery (T0) to evaluate age, gender, psychological well-being, dental caries, malocclusion, social support, social networks, family income and education and OHRQoL. All participants were reviewed after 6 months (T1) to re-assess psychological well-being, malocclusion and OHRQoL. Structural equation modeling estimated the associations between the variables.

Results

OHRQoL total scores reduced following orthognathic surgery, from 11.7 to 6.9 (P < 0.01). Occlusal characteristics and psychological well-being improved between T0 and T1. In the structural equation modeling, reduction of malocclusion (β = 0.02) between T0 and T1 directly predicted poor OHRQoL at T1. Improvement of psychological well-being between T0 and T1 was associated with better OHRQoL at T1 (β = −0.07). Dental caries and malocclusion at T0 were indirectly linked to poor OHRQoL at T1 (β = 0.02).

Limitations

The short follow-up period of 6 months after orthognathic surgery.

Conclusions/implications

This represents the first prospective study examining the interrelationships of predictors of OHRQoL in patients with CLP after orthognathic surgery. OHRQoL and psychological well-being improved after orthognathic surgery. Clinical and psychological characteristics were important determinants of OHRQoL. These findings suggest the importance of the biopsychosocial model of health and the patient-centered approach in oral health care in individuals with CLP.
Birds of a Feather, Do Sanctioned States Flock Together?
Authors: Early Bryan R
Published: May 2021

Despite several high-profile cases of cooperation between sanctioned states, little is understood about how being sanctioned affects target states’ incentives to cooperate with one another and what forms that cooperation might take. I theorize that sanctioned states will tend to seek out sanctions-surviving assistance from nonsanctioned states in most cases. Being sanctioned constrains how much useful assistance that sanctioned states can provide to one another, as they suffer from similar trade constraints, levels of economic turmoil, and governmental resource limitations. I test my theory's predictions that sanctioned states are less likely to cooperate with one another via two different large-n tests involving cooperation via engaging in trade-based sanctions-busting and civil nuclear cooperation. Both of these distinct tests provide strong support for my theory. The final portion of the study conducts an exploratory analysis of why sanctioned states still sometimes cooperate with one another, finding that such cooperation may involve risky or taboo transactions, like arms sales, and that sanctioned parties have incentives to keep their cooperation a secret in such cases. These findings improve our understanding of the various cooperative strategies that states employ to survive sanctions.
Going Nativist: How Nativism and Economic Ideology Interact to Shape Beliefs about Global Trade
Authors: Powers Kathleen E , Reifler Jason , Scotto Thomas J
Published: May 2021

Existing research explains variation in trade attitudes by pitting explanations rooted in the foreign part of foreign economic policy, like nativism, against economic beliefs like a commitment to free market principles. But what happens when these factors create significant cross-pressures—how do free market-oriented nativists think about trade? We argue that nativism is a higher-order belief that constrains the relationship between lower-order economic attitudes and beliefs about international trade. We test our argument using representative samples from the United States and United Kingdom. First, we analyze observational data and find a significant interaction whereby nativism moderates the relationship between free market attitudes and beliefs that trade provides national and global benefits. Second, we report results from a survey experiment to show that a message about the long-term benefits from free trade increases support for free trade in both samples. Importantly, we also find that nativist values weaken the treatment effect in the US sample. As long as international relations scholars focus on cultural or economic antecedents on their own, we miss much about how elements in belief systems interact.
Committed Moderates and Uncommitted Extremists: Ideological Leaning and Parties’ Narratives on Military Interventions in Italy
Authors: Curini Luigi , Vignoli Valerio
Published: May 2021

Current research highlights that ideology decisively affects political contestation concerning peace and security operations in European countries. In particular, recent studies suggest that party preferences on this issue follow a curvilinear distribution along the left-right axis, delineating a conflict between moderate and extreme parties. However, the impact of this cleavage on the use of strategic narratives to either support or criticize these missions requires more attention. This article aims to fill this gap by employing seeded latent Dirichlet allocation, a semi-supervised automated text analysis method, to analyze parliamentary debates on Italy's most significant troop deployments between 1994 and 2013. We expect to find that while moderates express a supportive narrative aimed at justifying the use of force, extremists attempt to delegitimize military interventions. Accordingly, we hypothesize that moderate parties emphasize more on the multilateral and humanitarian framework of a mission, while extremist parties focus more on its military means. The empirical findings largely confirm our hypotheses. By means of its method and results, the article contributes both empirically and methodologically to the debate on the party politics of military interventions in Europe.
Our Tangled Family Tree: New Genomic Methods Offer Insight into the Legacy of Archaic Admixture
Authors: Ahlquist K D , Bañuelos Mayra M , Funk Alyssa , Lai Jiaying , Rong Stephen , Villanea Fernando A , Witt Kelsey E
Published: May 2021

The archaic ancestry present in the human genome has captured the imagination of both scientists and the wider public in recent years. This excitement is the result of new studies pushing the envelope of what we can learn from the archaic genetic information that has survived for over 50,000 years in the human genome. Here, we review the most recent ten years of literature on the topic of archaic introgression, including the current state of knowledge on Neanderthal and Denisovan introgression, as well as introgression from other as-yet unidentified archaic populations. We focus this review on four topics: 1) a reimagining of human demographic history, including evidence for multiple admixture events between modern humans, Neanderthals, Denisovans, and other archaic populations; 2) state-of-the-art methods for detecting archaic ancestry in population-level genomic data; 3) how these novel methods can detect archaic introgression in modern African populations; and 4) the functional consequences of archaic gene variants, including how those variants were co-opted into novel function in modern human populations. The goal of this review is to provide a simple-to-access reference for the relevant methods and novel data, which has changed our understanding of the relationship between our species and its siblings. This body of literature reveals the large degree to which the genetic legacy of these extinct hominins has been integrated into the human populations of today.
Sperm donation: an alternative to improve post-ICSI live birth rates in advanced maternal age patients
Authors: Mignini Renzini M , Dal Canto M , Guglielmo M C , Garcia D , De Ponti E , La Marca A , Vassena R , Buratini J
Published: May 2021

STUDY QUESTION

Can sperm donation increase live birth rates following ICSI in advanced maternal age (AMA) patients?

SUMMARY ANSWER

Sperm donation increases the live birth rate in AMA ICSI cycles.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

In ICSI practice, sperm donation has been predominantly applied to overcome male infertility. The involvement of paternal age and lower sperm quality in the severe reduction in fertility observed in AMA patients remains to be clarified.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

Retrospective multicenter cohort study including data generated between 2015 and 2019 from 755 ICSI cycles achieving a fresh embryo transfer, of which 337 were first homologous cycles (normozoospermic partner sperm and homologous oocytes) and 418 were first sperm donation cycles (donor sperm and homologous oocytes). The association of sperm origin (partner vs donor) with live birth was assessed by multivariate analysis in non-AMA (<37 years, n = 278) and AMA (≥37 years, n = 477) patients, separately, including in the model all variables previously found to be associated with live birth in a univariate analysis (number of MII oocytes recovered, number of embryos transferred, and maternal age). ICSI outcomes were compared between sperm donation and homologous cycles in overall, non-AMA and AMA patients.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

The study was conducted in three fertility clinics and included 755 Caucasian patients aged 24–42 years undergoing their first homologous or sperm donation ICSI cycle achieving a fresh embryo transfer.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

The multivariate analysis revealed that sperm donation was positively associated with the likelihood of a live birth independently of all other variables tested in AMA (P = 0.02), but not in non-AMA patients. Live birth, delivery, and miscarriage rates differed substantially between sperm donation and homologous AMA cycles; live birth and delivery rates were 70–75% higher (25.4% vs 14.5% and 22.5% vs 13.5%, respectively; P < 0.01), while miscarriage occurrence was less than half (18.0% vs 39.5%; P < 0.01) in sperm donation compared to homologous AMA cycles.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

This study is limited by its retrospective nature, differences in patients profiles between sperm donation and homologous-control groups and varying proportion of donor cycles between fertility centers, although these variations have been controlled for in the statistical analysis.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

The findings suggest that sperm donation increases live birth rates while reducing miscarriage occurrence in AMA patients, and thus may be a valid strategy to improve ICSI outcomes in this growing and challenging patient group.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

N/A.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

N/A.
Analysing different exposures identifies that wearing masks and establishing COVID-19 areas reduce secondary-attack risk in aged-care facilities
Authors: Reyné Bastien , Selinger Christian , Sofonea Mircea T , Miot Stéphanie , Pisoni Amandine , Tuaillon Edouard , Bousquet Jean , Blain Hubert , Alizon Samuel
Published: May 2021

Background

The COVID-19 epidemic has spread rapidly within aged-care facilities (ACFs), where the infection-fatality ratio is high. It is therefore urgent to evaluate the efficiency of infection prevention and control (IPC) measures in reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Methods

We analysed the COVID-19 outbreaks that took place between March and May 2020 in 12 ACFs using reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) and serological tests for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Using maximum-likelihood approaches and generalized linear mixed models, we analysed the proportion of infected residents in ACFs and identified covariates associated with the proportion of infected residents.

Results

The secondary-attack risk was estimated at 4.1%, suggesting a high efficiency of the IPC measures implemented in the region. Mask wearing and the establishment of COVID-19 zones for infected residents were the two main covariates associated with lower secondary-attack risks.

Conclusions

Wearing masks and isolating potentially infected residents appear to be associated with a more limited spread of SARS-CoV-2 in ACFs.
The Presence or Absence of Symptoms Among Cases of Urethral Gonorrhoea Occurring in a Cohort of Men Taking Human Immunodeficiency Virus Pre-exposure Prophylaxis in the PrEPX Study
Authors: Donovan Lucy C , Fairley Christopher K , Aung Ei T , Traeger Michael W , Wright Edwina J , Stoové Mark A , Chow Eric P F
Published: May 2021

We aimed to estimate how often urethral gonorrhoea is symptomatic among men in the Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Expanded Victoria study. Eighty-seven percent of 213 cases of urethral gonorrhoea were symptomatic. Ensuring men with urethral gonorrhoea both recognize and present early for treatment is critical to reduce transmission.
First Reported Case of Invasive Cutaneous Penicillium cluniae Infection in a Patient With Acute Myelogenous Leukemia: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Mehta Devanshi , Hofacker Samuel A , Villalba Julian A , Duncan Lyn M , Branda John A , Cañete-Gibas Connie , Wiederhold Nathan , Moran Jenna , Fathi Amir T , Chen Steven T , Cervantes Jessica , Hammond Sarah P
Published: May 2021

Certain Penicillium species are emerging opportunistic pathogens. While these can be common causes of airborne contamination of clinical cultures, an increasing number of reports describe clinically significant disease in the immunocompromised population, particularly in patients with hematologic malignancy. The typical site of infection is respiratory, but disseminated infection is also reported with some frequency. Therefore, culture growth of Penicillium in respiratory and other clinical samples from immunocompromised patients requires thorough investigation with clinical correlation. Here we report a case of angioinvasive Penicillium cluniae infection of the right shin in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia and review reported cases of invasive Penicillium infection (excluding Talaromyces marneffei) in hematologic malignancy patients to characterize the emerging pathogen in this vulnerable population.
Infected Aneurysm of the Native Aorta due to Coccidioides posadasii
Authors: Huang Jeffrey , Cano Edison J , Shweta Fnu , Shah Aditya S , Schuetz Audrey N , Bois Melanie , Gurram Pooja R
Published: May 2021

Coccidioidomycosis is an endemic fungal infection that is typically asymptomatic or associated with pulmonary disease. Extrapulmonary disease may involve the skin, bones, or central nervous system, yet endovascular infections are exceedingly rare. We report the first case, to our knowledge, of coccidioidomycosis of the native aorta in an immunocompromised host.