bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
IoT based body weight tracking system for obese adults in Indonesia using realtime database
Authors: Mae Johannes , Oey Endra , Kristiady Ferdian Stanley
Published: March 2020

Obesity has become a serious issue in many countries with increasing prevalence every year. People with obesity has higher risk for several serious health complications and on a larger scale, this could bring negative implications for economic growth and human wellbeing of a nation. Many studies have been conducted to overcome this issue and some suggested that regular self weighing could promote weight loss and weight maintenance. Based on those findings, a body weight tracking system is made as an approach from technological side. The purpose of this system is to raise health awareness by using easy-to-use technology to monitor user weight from time to time. The system consists of a realtime database, a smartphone application, and a modified digital weight scale. The weight scale is tested to have more than 99% accuracy and can active for estimated 40 hours of usage, while the realtime database storage for this implementation is adequate for more than half a million users.
Sales Revenue Sharing Model using Dynamics NAV Modification in Health Industries
Authors: Noerlina  , Chandra Agus , Mursitama Tirta Nugraha
Published: March 2020

ERP system is a general system known in this era. One of the ERP System is Dynamics NAV used by IGMLabs. Nevertheless, with the revenue sharing process at IGMLabs, modification is needed to automate the manual summarizing hospital transactions from excel and to automate the manual sales invoice creation process. The sales process, especially the revenue sharing process will be analyzed with ABC or Activity-Based Costing method and the modification will be implemented with Agile technique with steps from Roger S. Pressman’s Extreme Programming (XP) model and the testing will use the Blackbox Testing method. The result will automate the summarizing process of transactions from hospitals via web service with one simple step and automate the sales invoice creation just with a simple button.
Analysis and Evaluation of EB Connect Portal in PT Asuransi Jiwa Sequis Financial by Using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)
Authors: Ranugalih N , Riyadie V M , Heriprayoco S
Published: March 2020

The research aims to analyze acceptance implementation factorsofEBConnect portal used in PT Asuransi Jiwa Sequis Financial. EB Connect is a web portal to support business activities, particularly sales process. The method used is the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which will be inserted to SmartPLS to help the calculation. Analysis based on the users’ survey resulted measurements of each indicators of the TAM model. The study identified insignicant factors within TAM that alters actual use of the system, which are External Variables to Perceived Ease of Use (E), Perceived Ease of Use (E) to Perceived Usefulness (U), Perceived Ease of Use (U) to Attitude Toward Using (A), Attitude Toward Using (A) to Behavioral Intention to Use (BI) and Behavioral Intention to Use (BI) to Actual System Use. Meanwhile, there are insignificant relation which are External Variables to Perceived Usefulness (U), Perceived Usefulness (U) to Behavioral Intention to Use (BI) and Perceived Ease of Use (E) to Attitude Toward Using (A). The study found the problems causing the insignificant relationare due to product sold within the portal does not meet user requirements, lack of user socialization and training to use the portal, and server problems.
Use of Six Sigma Methods to Reduce Packaging Defect in Sweetened Condensed Milk Sachets: A Case Study in XYZ Milk Industry, Indonesia
Authors: Rawendra Reynetha D.S. , Puspita Vini Octaviani
Published: March 2020

The purpose of this study was to determine the causes of the defects in sweetened condensed milk sachets packaging of XYZ Milk Industry, Indonesia and take corrective actions on the problem. The use of Six Sigma method with DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) is expected to increase sigma level. Pareto diagram, Ishikawa diagram, and why-why analysis were utilized as tools to analyze the cause of defects on products. Three major packaging defects were identified, namely horizontal leak, folded, and vertical leaks, which were caused by machine A, machine B, machine C, respectively. Based on the results of the analysis, the main problem was caused by inappropriate condition of the machine part such as dirty sealer, hollow on nozzle, and worn stator pump. By focusing on improvements of the problem, sigma level increased from 4.58 to 4.79. Therefore, periodic maintenance activities are important to do so that all machines may perform in its best conditions and comply with internal and regulatory quality standards.
The application of microbial extracellular polymeric substances in food industry
Authors: Widyaningrum D , Meindrawan B.
Published: March 2020

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are the biopolymers that naturally produced and secreted by wide species of microorganism. EPS are composed of protein, nucleic acid, lipid, and other bioactive molecules, but the main composition is polysaccharides. The EPS chemical composition and physical properties are different between species that influence their functional properties. The microbial EPS are utilized in various application such as wastewater treatment, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and food industry mostly as flocculant, thickener, and emulsifier. This paper outlined the microbial EPS, especially their unique properties and application in the food industry. Moreover, we discussed the potential application of microbial EPS as edible coating.
Microstructural analysis of sintered pure-titanium and titanium/hydroxyapatite (HA) surgical implant materials under different temperatures and HA doped conditions produced by powder metallurgy
Authors: Aygul Ebuzer , Yalcinkaya Senai , Sahin Yusuf
Published: March 2020

In this study, pure titanium and hydroxyapatite (HA) doped titanium alloys used as Surgical Implant Materials by weight percentage (wt%) of 5% and 10% were sintered by powder metallurgy method. Total 9 samples of these alloys are produced, three of them are pure titanium’s, which are sintered at 900, 1000 and 1150 °C temperatures, respectively, for 4 h. From the rest of 6 samples, 3 samples were added 5 wt% HA and the last 3 samples were produced by doped 10 wt% HA. Titanium alloys produced by admixture with HA are sintered for 4 h at 900, 1000, 1150 °C temperatures, respectively. Titanium and HA powders were milled for 2 h in a ball-milling mixer and then pressed for half an hour at 20 MPa pressure. EDX, SEM, XRD and Vickers hardness tests were carried out for the analysis of the samples. As a result of the analysis, it was observed that different sintering temperatures caused to various Vickers hardness values and micro-structural changes occurred for pure titanium and HA doped titanium alloys. In addition, multiple phase and Ti plus HA structures were detected in XRD diffractometers of the samples at these temperatures. Most importantly, for the first time in our study, P3Ti5 phase was revealed with 00-045-0888 > XRD card. Finally, the effects of sintering temperatures and HA-doped amounts on particle sizes and pore sizes of the samples were determined by SEM analysis.
Thermal deformation strengthening of WC-10Co4Cr coating prepared by high velocity air-fule process
Authors: Wang Jianghui , Zhang Zhimin
Published: March 2020

In this paper, WC-10Co4Cr coating was prepared on the surface of LC9 aluminum alloy by high velocity air-fule (HVAF) process. And a thermal deformation method was developed to enhance the coating properties. Experimental results show that, during the process of thermal deformation, the increase of temperature and deformation amount could improve the microhardness of coating surface. With temperature of 480 °C and deformation amount of 16% (0.8 mm), the microhardness reached the maximum value of 1349 HV0.3, which increased nearly 20% compared with that of specimen (1137 HV0.3) without compressive deformation. Besides, the strengthening effects of thermal deformation temperature and deformation amount on the bonding strength of coating were obvious. With deformation temperature of 450 °C and deformation amount of 8% (4 mm), the bonding strength reached the maximum critical load of 188 N, which was 17.5% higher than that of initial state.
Optofluidic liquid sensing on electromicrofluidic devices
Authors: Oliva-Ramírez Manuel , Wang Siang-Lin , Rico-Gavira Víctor , López-Santos Carmen , Fan Shih-Kang , González-Elipe Agustín R
Published: March 2020

Electromicrofluidic (EMF) devices are used to handle and move tiny amounts of liquids by electrical actuation, including electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) and dielectrophoresis (DEP). Monitoring the liquid characteristics in one of these devices requires suitable sensing transducers incorporated within the microfluidic structure. In the present work, we describe the incorporation of an optofluidic photonic transducer in an EMF device to monitor the refractive index of a liquid during its manipulation. The incorporated transducer consists of a responsive porous Bragg Microcavity (BM) deposited via physical vapor oblique angle deposition. Besides reporting the manufacturing procedure of the sensing-EMF device combining liquid handling and monitoring, the performance of the BM is verified by infiltrating several liquids dripped on its surface and comparing the responses with those of liquid droplets electrically moved from the delivery part of the chip to the BM location. This study proved that modified EMF devices can incorporate photonic structures to analyze very low liquid volumes (∼0.2 μL) during its handling.
Hydrogen storage capacity on Li-decorated covalent organic framework-1: A first-principles study
Authors: Zhao Hui , Guan Yurou , Guo Hailong , Du Renjun , Yan Cuixia
Published: March 2020

2D covalent organic framework-1 (COF-1) membrane is a potential hydrogen storage material. The hydrogen storage capacity of Li-decorated COF-1 has been studied by first-principles calculation. The results show its hydrogen storage capacity has been improved significantly by Li decoration, which is 7.69 wt%. Then ab initio molecular dynamics simulations at 300 K have been carried out and the results show that 12 H2 molecules are stably absorbed on the double sides of COF-1 unit cell decorated by 6 Li atoms and the hydrogen storage capacity is 5.26 wt%.
Cognitive training interventions and depression in mild cognitive impairment and dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Chan Joyce Y C , Chan Tak Kit , Kwok Timothy C Y , Wong Samuel Y S , Lee Allen T C , Tsoi Kelvin K F
Published: March 2020

Background

Depression is common in people with cognitive impairment but the effect of cognitive training in the reduction of depression is still uncertain.

Aims

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of cognitive training interventions in the reduction of depression rating scale score in people with cognitive impairment.

Methods

Literature searches were conducted via OVID databases. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluated the effect of cognitive training interventions for the reduction of depression rating scale score in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia were included. Mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to combine the results of Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Standardized mean difference (SMD) was used to combine the results of different depression rating scales. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to the types of cognitive training and severity of cognitive impairment, i.e. MCI and dementia.

Results

A total of 2551 people with MCI or dementia were extracted from 36 RCTs. The baseline mean score of GDS-15 was 4.83. Participants received cognitive training interventions had a significant decrease in depression rating scale score than the control group (MD of GDS-15 = -1.30, 95% CI = -2.14–−0.47; and SMD of eight depression scales was −0.54 (95% CI = −0.77–−0.31). In subgroup analyses, the effect size of computerized cognitive training and cognitive stimulation therapy were medium-to-large and statistically significant in the reduction of depression rating scale score.

Conclusions

Cognitive training interventions show to be a potential treatment to ameliorate depression in people with cognitive impairment.
Cadmium Exposure and Ovarian Reserve in Women Aged 35–49 Years: The Impact on Results From the Creatinine Adjustment Approach Used to Correct for Urinary Dilution
Authors: Upson Kristen , O’Brien Katie M , Hall Janet E , Tokar Erik J , Baird Donna D
Published: March 2020

Cadmium is toxic to the ovaries in animal studies, but its association with diminished ovarian reserve in women is not established. We investigated urinary cadmium, a biomarker of long-term exposure, in relation to diminished ovarian reserve, as indicated by elevated serum follicle-stimulating hormone concentrations (≥10 IU/L), in women aged 35–49 years (unweighted n = 1,681). Using data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988–1994), we conducted Poisson regression to estimate adjusted relative risks and 95% confidence intervals. Because the best approach to correcting for urinary dilution in spot samples with creatinine remains controversial, we employed 3 approaches: standardization, covariate adjustment, and covariate-adjusted standardization. Our data suggested a modest association with standardization (highest quartile vs. lowest: relative risk (RR) = 1.3, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.8, 1.9; P for trend = 0.06) and covariate-adjusted standardization (highest quartile vs. lowest: RR = 1.3, 95% CI: 0.9, 1.9; P for trend = 0.05) and a stronger association with covariate adjustment (highest quartile vs. lowest: RR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.2, 2.9; P for trend = 0.01). The stronger association with covariate adjustment may reflect bias from conditioning on urinary creatinine, a collider in the hypothesized causal pathway. We conclude that cadmium may contribute to ovarian aging in women and that careful consideration of the creatinine adjustment approach is needed to minimize bias.
Seeking confirmation: A puzzle for norms of inquiry
Authors: Millson Jared A
Published: March 2020

Like other epistemic activities, inquiry seems to be governed by norms. Some have argued that one such norm forbids us from believing the answer to a question and inquiring into it at the same time. But another, hither-to neglected norm seems to permit just this sort of cognitive arrangement when we seek to confirm what we currently believe. In this paper, I suggest that both norms are plausible and that the conflict between them constitutes a puzzle. Drawing on the felicity conditions of confirmation requests and the biased interrogatives used to perform them, I argue that the puzzle is genuine. I conclude by considering a response to the puzzle that has implications for the debate regarding the relationship between credences and beliefs.
mUSP: a high-accuracy map of thein situcrosstalk of ubiquitylation and SUMOylation proteome predicted via the feature enhancement approach
Authors: Xu Hao-Dong , Liang Ru-Ping , Wang You-Gan , Qiu Jian-Ding
Published: March 2020

Reversible post-translational modification (PTM) orchestrates various biological processes by changing the properties of proteins. Since many proteins are multiply modified by PTMs, identification of PTM crosstalk site has emerged to be an intriguing topic and attracted much attention. In this study, we systematically deciphered the in situ crosstalk of ubiquitylation and SUMOylation that co-occurs on the same lysine residue. We first collected 3363 ubiquitylation-SUMOylation (UBS) crosstalk site on 1302 proteins and then investigated the prime sequence motifs, the local evolutionary degree and the distribution of structural annotations at the residue and sequence levels between the UBS crosstalk and the single modification sites. Given the properties of UBS crosstalk sites, we thus developed the mUSP classifier to predict UBS crosstalk site by integrating different types of features with two-step feature optimization by recursive feature elimination approach. By using various cross-validations, the mUSP model achieved an average area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.8416, indicating its promising accuracy and robustness. By comparison, the mUSP has significantly better performance with the improvement of 38.41 and 51.48% AUC values compared to the cross-results by the previous single predictor. The mUSP was implemented as a web server available at http://bioinfo.ncu.edu.cn/mUSP/index.html to facilitate the query of our high-accuracy UBS crosstalk results for experimental design and validation.
Prevalence of Mycoplasma genitalium Infection, Antimicrobial Resistance Mutations, and Symptom Resolution Following Treatment of Urethritis
Authors: Bachmann Laura H , Kirkcaldy Robert D , Geisler William M , Wiesenfeld Harold C , Manhart Lisa E , Taylor Stephanie N , Seña Arlene C , McNeil Candice J , Newman Lori , Myler Noelle , Fuchs Rachael , Bowden Katherine E ,   MAGNUM Laboratory Working Group, Danavall Damien , Morris Monica , Katz Samantha , Nash Evelyn , Kersh Ellen
Published: March 2020

Background

Antimicrobial resistance in Mycoplasma genitalium (MG), a cause of urethritis, is a growing concern. Yet little is known about the geographic distribution of MG resistance in the United States or about its associated clinical outcomes. We evaluated the frequency of MG among men with urethritis, resistance mutations, and posttreatment symptom persistence.

Methods

We enrolled men presenting with urethritis symptoms to 6 US sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics during June 2017–July 2018; men with urethritis were eligible for follow-up contact and, if they had persistent symptoms or MG, a chart review. Urethral specimens were tested for MG and other bacterial STDs. Mutations in 23S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) loci (macrolide resistance–associated mutations [MRMs]) and in parC and gyrA (quinolone-associated mutations) were detected by targeted amplification/Sanger sequencing.

Results

Among 914 evaluable participants, 28.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 23.8–33.6) had MG. Men with MG were more often Black (79.8% vs 66%, respectively), <30 years (72.9% vs 56.1%, respectively), and reported only female partners (83.7% vs 74.2%, respectively) than men without MG. Among MG-positive participants, 64.4% (95% CI, 58.2–70.3%) had MRM, 11.5% (95% CI, 7.9–16.0%) had parC mutations, and 0% had gyrA mutations. Among participants treated with azithromycin-based therapy at enrollment and who completed the follow-up survey, persistent symptoms were reported by 25.8% of MG-positive/MRM-positive men, 13% of MG-positive/MRM-negative men, and 17.2% of MG-negative men.

Conclusions

MG infection was common among men with urethritis; the MRM prevalence was high among men with MG. Persistent symptoms following treatment were frequent among men both with and without MG.
The Vocational Specificity of Educational Systems and Youth Labour Market Integration: A Literature Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Blommaert Lieselotte , Muja Ardita , Gesthuizen Maurice , Wolbers Maarten H J
Published: March 2020

Comparative research on the impact of the vocational specificity of educational systems on youth labour market integration has expanded rapidly in the past decades. The present study reviews this body of research, focusing on how it has conceptualized the vocational specificity of educational systems and theorized its effect on youth labour market integration. Moreover, this study synthesizes the empirical evidence compiled in this research using a meta-analytical approach. Our review reveals that this research area is theoretically fragmented. A commonly accepted definition of the vocational specificity of educational systems is lacking and various theoretical approaches and conceptual frameworks are invoked to theorize the effect of vocational specificity, while exact mechanisms that are assumed to underlie the effect are often left unspecified. Our meta-analysis includes 105 effect estimates nested in 19 studies, published between 2003 and 2018, that used methods enabling a formal meta-analytical comparison. Results show that the overall average effect is positive and statistically significant but its magnitude is modest and there is substantial variability in the size and even direction of observed effects. We find that this variability is partly driven by which aspect of labour market integration was examined and which measure of vocational specificity was used.
Significant Evolutionary Constraints on Neuron Cells Revealed by Single-Cell Transcriptomics
Authors: Hu Ganlu , Li Jie , Wang Guang-Zhong
Published: March 2020

Recent advances in single-cell RNA-sequencing technology have enabled us to characterize a variety of different cell types in each brain region. However, the evolutionary differences among these cell types remain unclear. Here, we analyzed single-cell RNA-seq data of >280,000 cells and developmental transcriptomes of bulk brain tissues. At the single-cell level, we found that the evolutionary constraints on the cell types of different organs significantly overlap with each other and the transcriptome of neuron cells is one of the most restricted evolutionarily. In addition, mature neurons are under more constraints than neuron stem cells as well as nascent neurons and the order of the constraints of various cell types of the brain is largely conserved in different subregions. We also found that although functionally similar brain regions have comparable evolutionary constraints, the early fetal brain is the least constrained and this pattern is conserved in the mouse, macaque, and humans. These results demonstrate the importance of maintaining the plasticity of early brain development during evolution. The delineation of evolutionary differences between brain cell types has great potential for an improved understanding of the pathogenesis of neurological diseases and drug development efforts aimed at the manipulation of molecular activities at the single-cell level.
Facultatively Sidewinding Snakes and the Origins of Locomotor Specialization
Authors: Tingle Jessica L
Published: March 2020

Specialist species often possess adaptations that strongly distinguish them from their relatives, obscuring the transitional steps leading to specialization. Sidewinding snakes represent an example of locomotor specialization in an elongate, limbless terrestrial vertebrate. We typically think of sidewinding as a gait that only a handful of very specialized snake species perform, mostly vipers from sandy desert environments. Some of these desert-dwelling vipers are so specialized that they only rarely use more common types of locomotion. However, some non-viper species sidewind facultatively in particular circumstances, and a few may regularly sidewind under natural conditions. Numerous accounts report facultative sidewinding in species that more typically perform other types of locomotion. I have compiled these accounts, uncovering evidence that dozens of species perform sidewinding with varying proficiency under a variety of conditions. These facultative sidewinders can reveal insight into the evolution and biomechanics of sidewinding, and they provide ample opportunities for future study.
Hierarchical genetic structuring in the cool boreal kelp, Laminaria digitata: implications for conservation and management
Authors: King Nathan G , McKeown Niall J , Smale Dan A , Bradbury Sunny , Stamp Thomas , Jüterbock Alexander , Egilsdóttir Hrönn , Groves Emily A , Moore Pippa J
Published: March 2020

Kelp are foundation species threatened by ongoing warming trends and increased harvesting pressure. This emphasizes the need to study genetic structure over various spatial scales to resolve demographic and genetic processes underpinning resilience. Here, we investigate the genetic diversity in the kelp, Laminaria digitata, in previously understudied southern (trailing-edge) and northern (range-centre) regions in the Northeastern Atlantic Ocean. There was strong hierarchical spatial structuring with significantly lower genetic variability and gene flow among southern populations. As these span the area of the Hurd’s deep Pleistocene glacial refuge, the current low variation likely reflects a fraction of previous levels that has been eroded at the species southern edge. Northern variability and private alleles also indicate contributions from cryptic northern glacial refugia. Contrary to expectations of a positive relationship between neutral genetic diversity and resilience, a previous study reported individuals from the same genetically impoverished southern populations to be better adapted to cope with thermal stress than northern individuals. This not only demonstrates that neutral genetic diversity may be a poor indicator of resilience to environmental stress but also confirms that extirpation of southern populations will result in the loss of evolved, not just potential, adaptations for resilience.
Optimizing Pharmacokinetics-Pharmacodynamics of Antimicrobial Management in Patients with Sepsis: A Review
Authors: Phe Kady , Heil Emily L , Tam Vincent H
Published: March 2020

Critically ill patients with sepsis or septic shock are at an increased risk of death. Early and aggressive interventions are essential for improving clinical outcomes. There are a number of therapeutic and practical challenges in the management of antimicrobials in patients with sepsis. These include the timely selection and administration of appropriate antimicrobials, significant physiological alterations that can influence antimicrobial pharmacokinetics, and significant interpatient variability of antimicrobial concentrations using standard dosing approaches. Understanding the impact of these factors on the probability of attaining pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic target goals is essential to guide optimal therapy. Using rapid diagnostic technology could facilitate timely selection of antimicrobials, and therapeutic drug monitoring would provide a more individualized dosing approach. Using an interdisciplinary sepsis team would also be beneficial in coordinating efforts to overcome the challenges encountered during this critical period to ensure optimal care.
Reduced Emergence of Cylas formicarius elegantulus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) from Sweet Potato Roots by Heterorhabditis indica
Authors: Myers Roxana Y , Sylva Charmaine D , Mello Cathy L , Snook Kirsten A
Published: March 2020

Okinawan sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas, is an important food staple and export crop for the Island of Hawaii. Cylas formicarius elegantulus, sweet potato weevil, is a major quarantine pest that causes severe destruction to the crop. Root malformation and a bitter taste occur when larvae feed and tunnel within the storage root. Off-grade roots are often left in the field after harvest and serve as a reservoir for the weevils. Current management involves the unsustainable practice of moving to virgin land for the next cropping cycle. Strains of Heterorhabditis indica isolated from the Hawaiian Islands were tested for their efficacy at causing mortality of C. formicarius and reducing the emergence of adults from infested roots. In well plate assays, H. indica caused mortality of 88% larvae, 96% pupae, and 4% adults after 48 h. When applied to infested roots, the nematodes caused an average mortality of 78% larvae, 66% pupae, and 32% adults. Greater mortality was observed at the highest inoculum levels (10,000 infective juveniles per storage tuber) but a reduction of 90% inoculum density was still effective at weevil management. In simulated field trials, infestation of storage roots was reduced by 42–99.6% when planted among infested roots that had been inoculated with H. indica. Rates of 2.5 billion IJs/hectare were just as effective as 5 billion IJs/hectare. Application of local H. indica strains in sweet potato production has the potential to manage C. formicarius populations and allow for consecutive cropping seasons.
An Agenda for Open Science in Communication
Authors: Dienlin Tobias , Johannes Niklas , Bowman Nicholas David , Masur Philipp K , Engesser Sven , Kümpel Anna Sophie , Lukito Josephine , Bier Lindsey M , Zhang Renwen , Johnson Benjamin K , Huskey Richard , Schneider Frank M , Breuer Johannes , Parry Douglas A , Vermeulen Ivar , Fisher Jacob T , Banks Jaime , Weber René , Ellis David A , Smits Tim , Ivory James D , Trepte Sabine , McEwan Bree , Rinke Eike Mark , Neubaum German , Winter Stephan , Carpenter Christopher J , Krämer Nicole , Utz Sonja , Unkel Julian , Wang Xiaohui , Davidson Brittany I , Kim Nuri , Won Andrea Stevenson , Domahidi Emese , Lewis Neil A , de Vreese Claes
Published: March 2020

In the last 10 years, many canonical findings in the social sciences appear unreliable. This so-called “replication crisis” has spurred calls for open science practices, which aim to increase the reproducibility, replicability, and generalizability of findings. Communication research is subject to many of the same challenges that have caused low replicability in other fields. As a result, we propose an agenda for adopting open science practices in Communication, which includes the following seven suggestions: (1) publish materials, data, and code; (2) preregister studies and submit registered reports; (3) conduct replications; (4) collaborate; (5) foster open science skills; (6) implement Transparency and Openness Promotion Guidelines; and (7) incentivize open science practices. Although in our agenda we focus mostly on quantitative research, we also reflect on open science practices relevant to qualitative research. We conclude by discussing potential objections and concerns associated with open science practices.
Managing for Resilience? Examining Management Implications of Resilience in Southwestern National Forests
Authors: Greiner S Michelle , Grimm Kerry E , Waltz Amy E M
Published: March 2020

The United States Forest Service 2012 Planning Rule prioritizes making lands resilient to climate change. Although researchers have investigated the history of “resilience” and its multiple interpretations, few have examined perceptions or experiences of resource staff tasked with implementing resilience. We interviewed Forest Service staff in the Southwestern Region to evaluate how managers and planners interpret resilience as an agency strategy, execution of resilience in management, and climate change’s impact on perception of resilience. Interviewees identified resilience as a main driver of agency response to land management but, when applying the concept, experienced barriers including ambiguity; scale; management specificity versus broad, adaptive landscape approach; and lack of metrics or examples. Interviewees found restoring ecosystem function to promote resilience while planning for future changed landscapes difficult. They desired landscape-scale collaboration to understand how to operationalize the resilience directive. Our findings revealed obstacles and opportunities for resilience in a managerial context.
Fifty years of imported Lassa fever: a systematic review of primary and secondary cases
Authors: Wolf Timo , Ellwanger Regina , Goetsch Udo , Wetzstein Nils , Gottschalk Rene
Published: March 2020

Rationale for Systematic Review

Lassa fever is the most common cause of imported haemorrhagic fevers cases in non-endemic countries. As a disease with a high case fatality rate that has regularly caused clusters of nosocomial transmission in endemic areas, prompt diagnosis is vital. We conducted a systematic review of imported cases of the last 50 years with the aim of defining the clinical and epidemiological characteristics that will enhance early diagnosis, prompt initiation of treatment and an appropriate public health response to Lassa fever cases.

Methods

We performed a retrospective, systematic review of 36 primary and two secondary cases of Lassa fever in non-endemic countries outside West Africa by searching the PubMed database. This yielded 56 relevant publications that were included in our analysis.

Results

The case fatality rate of 35.1% for imported cases was higher than that reported for endemic countries. The majority of patients showed clinical features consistent with Lassa fever and had a typical exposure. There was a considerable delay in diagnosis in imported cases with high associated numbers of contacts. Ribavirin was rarely used for post-exposure prophylaxis. Only two secondary transmissions occurred. Thirty-one percent of patients received Lassa fever-specific treatment and five required intensive care.

Conclusions

Although importation of Lassa fever to non-endemic countries is a rare event, it has repeatedly happened over five decades. Suspicion of Lassa fever should be based on careful consideration of clinical features and exposure history in order to assist early diagnosis in returning travellers from West Africa.
The decline in the naturalization rate among recent immigrants in Canada: Policy changes and other possible explanations
Authors: Hou Feng , Picot Garnett
Published: March 2020

The naturalization rate of immigrants is jointly affected by immigrant characteristics, economic, and political circumstances in the source country and government policies in the destination country. This article focuses on the effect of altering government policies in the destination country, using legislative and regulatory changes introduced in Canada over the 2006–16 period as a test case. We hypothesize that the least advantaged immigrants would be most affected by more restrictive policies. The observed large decline in the naturalization rate among immigrants with low family income, low proficiency in official languages, and low educational levels is consistent with significant policy impacts. Furthermore, the general decline started before the introduction of the new policies, and the decline was particularly large among immigrants from Eastern Asia. This suggests that other factors such as globalization and changes in the socioeconomic environment of some source countries also played a role.
UV and U-band luminosity functions from CLAUDS and HSC-SSP – I. Using four million galaxies to simultaneously constrain the very faint and bright regimes to z ∼ 3
Authors: Moutard Thibaud , Sawicki Marcin , Arnouts Stéphane , Golob Anneya , Coupon Jean , Ilbert Olivier , Yang Xiaohu , Gwyn Stephen
Published: March 2020

We constrain the rest-frame FUV (1546 Å), NUV (2345 Å), and U-band (3690 Å) luminosity functions (LFs) and luminosity densities (LDs) with unprecedented precision from z ∼ 0.2 to z ∼ 3 (FUV, NUV) and z ∼ 2 (U band). Our sample of over 4.3 million galaxies, selected from the CFHT Large Area U-band Deep Survey (CLAUDS) and HyperSuprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP) data lets us probe the very faint regime (down to MFUV, MNUV, MU ≃ −15 at low redshift), while simultaneously detecting very rare galaxies at the bright end down to comoving densities <10−5 Mpc−3. Our FUV and NUV LFs are well fitted by single-Schechter functions, with faint-end slopes that are very stable up to z ∼ 2. We confirm, but self-consistently and with much better precision than previous studies, that the LDs at all three wavelengths increase rapidly with lookback time to z ∼ 1, and then much more slowly at 1 < z < 2–3. Evolution of the FUV and NUV LFs and LDs at z < 1 is driven almost entirely by the fading of the characteristic magnitude, $M^\star _{\rm UV}$, while at z > 1 it is due to the evolution of both $M^\star _{\rm UV}$ and the characteristic number density $\phi ^\star _{\rm UV}$. In contrast, the U-band LF has an excess of faint galaxies and is fitted with a double-Schechter form; $M^\star _{U}$, both $\phi ^\star _{U}$ components, and the bright-end slope evolve throughout 0.2 < z < 2, while the faint-end slope is constant over at least the measurable 0.05 < z < 0.6. We present tables of our Schechter parameters and LD measurements that can be used for testing theoretical galaxy evolution models and forecasting future observations.
Updated parameter estimates for GW190425 using astrophysical arguments and implications for the electromagnetic counterpart
Authors: Foley Ryan J , Coulter David A , Kilpatrick Charles D , Piro Anthony L , Ramirez-Ruiz Enrico , Schwab Josiah
Published: March 2020

The progenitor system of the compact binary merger GW190425 had a total mass of $3.4^{+0.3}_{-0.1}$ M⊙ (90th-percentile confidence region) as measured from its gravitational wave signal. This mass is significantly different from the Milky Way (MW) population of binary neutron stars (BNSs) that are expected to merge in a Hubble time and from that of the first BNS merger, GW170817. Here, we explore the expected electromagnetic (EM) signatures of such a system. We make several astrophysically motivated assumptions to further constrain the parameters of GW190425. By simply assuming that both components were NSs, we reduce the possible component masses significantly, finding $m_{1}=1.85^{+0.27}_{-0.19}$ M⊙ and $m_{2}=1.47^{+0.16}_{-0.18}$ M⊙. However, if the GW190425 progenitor system was an NS–black hole (BH) merger, we find best-fitting parameters $m_{1}=2.19^{+0.21}_{-0.17}$ M⊙ and $m_{2}=1.26^{+0.10}_{-0.08}$ M⊙. For a well-motivated BNS system where the lighter NS has a mass similar to the mass of non-recycled NSs in MW BNS systems, we find $m_{1}=2.03^{+0.15}_{-0.14}$ M⊙ and m2 = 1.35 ± 0.09 M⊙, corresponding to only 7 per cent mass uncertainties. For all scenarios, we expect a prompt collapse of the resulting remnant to a BH. Examining detailed models with component masses similar to our best-fitting results, we find the EM counterpart to GW190425 is expected to be significantly redder and fainter than that of GW170817. We find that almost all reported search observations were too shallow to detect the expected counterpart to GW190425. If the LIGO–Virgo Collaboration promptly provides the chirp mass, the astronomical community can adapt their observations to improve the likelihood of detecting a counterpart for similarly ‘high-mass’ BNS systems.
Epigenetic engineering of yeast reveals dynamic molecular adaptation to methylation stress and genetic modulators of specific DNMT3 family members
Authors: Finnegan Alex I , Kim Somang , Jin Hu , Gapinske Michael , Woods Wendy S , Perez-Pinera Pablo , Song Jun S
Published: March 2020

Cytosine methylation is a ubiquitous modification in mammalian DNA generated and maintained by several DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) with partially overlapping functions and genomic targets. To systematically dissect the factors specifying each DNMT’s activity, we engineered combinatorial knock-in of human DNMT genes in Komagataella phaffii, a yeast species lacking endogenous DNA methylation. Time-course expression measurements captured dynamic network-level adaptation of cells to DNMT3B1-induced DNA methylation stress and showed that coordinately modulating the availability of S-adenosyl methionine (SAM), the essential metabolite for DNMT-catalyzed methylation, is an evolutionarily conserved epigenetic stress response, also implicated in several human diseases. Convolutional neural networks trained on genome-wide CpG-methylation data learned distinct sequence preferences of DNMT3 family members. A simulated annealing interpretation method resolved these preferences into individual flanking nucleotides and periodic poly(A) tracts that rotationally position highly methylated cytosines relative to phased nucleosomes. Furthermore, the nucleosome repeat length defined the spatial unit of methylation spreading. Gene methylation patterns were similar to those in mammals, and hypo- and hypermethylation were predictive of increased and decreased transcription relative to control, respectively, in the absence of mammalian readers of DNA methylation. Introducing controlled epigenetic perturbations in yeast thus enabled characterization of fundamental genomic features directing specific DNMT3 proteins.
Crosstalk between GBM cells and mesenchymal stemlike cells promotes the invasiveness of GBM through the C5a/p38/ZEB1 axis
Authors: Lim Eun-Jung , Kim Seungmo , Oh Yoonjee , Suh Yongjoon , Kaushik Neha , Lee Ji-Hyun , Lee Hae-June , Kim Min-Jung , Park Myung-Jin , Kim Rae-Kwon , Cha Junghwa , Kim Se Hoon , Shim Jin-Kyoung , Choi Junjeong , Chang Jong Hee , Hong Yong Kil , Huh Yong Min , Kim Pilnam , Kang Seok-Gu , Lee Su-Jae
Published: March 2020

Background

Mesenchymal stemlike cells (MSLCs) have been detected in many types of cancer including brain tumors and have received attention as stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment. However, the cellular mechanisms underlying their participation in cancer progression remain largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to determine whether MSLCs have a tumorigenic role in brain tumors.

Methods

To figure out molecular and cellular mechanisms in glioma invasion, we have cultured glioma with MSLCs in a co-culture system.

Results

Here, we show that MSLCs in human glioblastoma (GBM) secrete complement component C5a, which is known for its role as a complement factor. MSLC-secreted C5a increases expression of zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) via activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in GBM cells, thereby enhancing the invasion of GBM cells into parenchymal brain tissue.

Conclusion

Our results reveal a mechanism by which MSLCs undergo crosstalk with GBM cells through the C5a/p38 MAPK/ZEB1 signaling loop and act as a booster in GBM progression.

Key Points

1. MSLCs activate p38 MAPK-ZEB1 signaling in GBM cells through C5a in a paracrine manner, thereby boosting the invasiveness of GBM cells in the tumor microenvironment.

2. Neutralizing of C5a could be a potential therapeutic target for GBM by inhibition of mesenchymal phenotype.
The therapeutic efficacy of denosumab for the loss of bone mineral density in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis: a meta-analysis
Authors: Yamaguchi Yuta , Morita Takayoshi , Kumanogoh Atsushi
Published: March 2020

Objective

Prevention of steroidal osteoporosis is an important issue. There is no clear consensus on the impact of anti-RANKL antibody (denosumab) on BMD in patients with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIO). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of denosumab on BMD loss in patients with GIO.

Methods

A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar were used to search for original studies reported about BMD in patients with GIO treated with denosumab. In meta-analysis of BMD, the mean difference in the rate of change from baseline and the 95% CI were calculated using the random effects model. The mean differences in patients treated with denosumab were compared with those in patients treated with bisphosphonates.

Results

Out of 713 studies identified, seven studies met the selection criteria for the meta-analysis. At 6 and 12 months of denosumab therapy, increases in BMD were observed in the lumbar spine (2.99% [95% CI 2.71, 3.28] and 4.59% [95% CI 4.17, 5.01]), total hip (1.34% [95% CI 0.64, 2.04] and 2.16% [95% CI 2.05, 2.27]) and femoral neck (0.12% [95% CI −0.38, 0.62] and 1.55% [95% CI 0.45, 2.65]). Additionally, denosumab resulted in significant increases in BMD in the lumbar spine and femoral neck at 12 months compared with bisphosphonate therapy.

Conclusion

Patients with GIO experienced significant increases in BMD in response to treatment with denosumab that were detected in the lumbar spine, total hip and femoral neck at 12 months.
Renting Balance Sheet Space: Intermediary Balance Sheet Rental Costs and the Valuation of Derivatives
Authors: Fleckenstein Matthias , Longstaff Francis A
Published: March 2020

A long-standing asset pricing puzzle is that the funding rates in derivatives contracts often differ from those in cash markets. We propose that the cost of renting intermediary balance sheet space may help resolve this puzzle. We study a persistent basis in what is arguably the largest derivatives market, namely, the interest rate futures market. This basis is strongly related to exogenous measures of intermediary balance sheet usage and proxies for the balance sheet costs imposed by debt overhang problems and capital regulation. These results extend to the cash derivatives bases documented in many of the other largest financial markets.
The Forgotten Life of Annie Reay Barker, M.D
Authors: Almond Sophie
Published: March 2020

Annie Reay Barker (1851–1945) was a medical pioneer who was amongst the first women to qualify as a doctor in the late nineteenth century. Unlike other medical women of her time, Barker did not attract notable attention or publicity, therefore little has been written about her personal and professional life. Following a successful, yet tragically short-lived, career at the Birmingham and Midland Hospital for Women, Barker was committed to Holloway Sanatorium in Virginia Water with a diagnosis of ‘Chronic Mania’. Barker’s story sheds new light on the pressures placed on early women doctors to succeed, as well as the troubled internal dynamics of this pioneering group of women.
Are arbuscular-mycorrhizal Alnus incana seedlings more resistant to drought than ectomycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal ones?
Authors: Kilpeläinen Jouni , Aphalo Pedro J , Barbero-López Aitor , Adamczyk Bartosz , Nipu Sammi Alam , Lehto Tarja
Published: March 2020

Arbuscular mycorrhizas (AMs) prevail in warm and dry climates and ectomycorrhizas (EMs) in cold and humid climates. We suggest that the fungal symbionts benefit their host plants especially in the corresponding conditions. The hypothesis tested was that AM plants are more drought-resistant than EM or nonmycorrhizal (NM) plants. Grey alder (Alnus incana (L.) Moench) seedlings were inoculated with two species of either AM or EM fungi or none. In one controlled-environment experiment, there was a watering and a drought treatment. Another set of seedlings were not watered until permanent wilting. The AM plants were somewhat smaller than EM and NM, and at the early stage of the drought treatment, the soil-moisture content was slightly higher in the AM pots. Shoot water potential was highest in the AM treatment during severe drought, while stomatal conductance and photosynthesis did not show a mycorrhizal effect. In the lethal-drought set, the AM plants maintained their leaves longer than EM and NM plants, and the AM seedlings survived longer than NM seedlings. Foliar phosphorus and sulfur concentrations remained higher in AM plants than EM or NM, but potassium, copper and iron increased in EM during drought. The root tannin concentration was lower in AM than EM and drought doubled it. Although the difference in drought resistance was not large, the hypothesis was supported by the better performance of AM plants during a severe short-term drought. Sustained phosphorus nutrition during drought in AM plants was a possible reason for this. Moreover, the higher foliar sulfur and lower metal-nutrient concentrations in AM may reflect differences in nutrient uptake or (re)translocation during drought, which merit further research. The much larger tannin concentrations in EM root systems than AM did not appear to protect the EM plants from drought. The differential tannin accumulation in AM and EM plants needs further attention.