bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High‐throughput sequencing‐based analysis of fungal diversity and taste quality evaluation of Douchi, a traditional fermented food
Authors: Wang Yurong , Xiang Fanshu , Zhang Zhendong , Hou Qiangchuan , Guo Zhuang
Published: October 2020

Douchi, a popular traditional fermented soybean product, is mainly made by natural fermentation. However, its taste quality is affected by specific fungal communities which vary greatly according to fermentation conditions and production technologies used in different regions. Therefore, the taste quality of Douchi samples from different regions was digitally evaluated using electronic tongue technology. In addition, the fungal community structures and its association of them were also identified using high‐throughput sequencing technology. Results showed that there were obvious differences in the taste quality of samples from different regions, while the tastes of different types of samples from the same region were similar. Sourness, umami, richness, and saltiness were the main reasons for regional differences in taste. Similarly, the results of high‐throughput sequencing indicated that samples from different regions displayed important differences in dominant fungal genus, among which Debaryomyces, Fusarium, Pichia, Aspergillus, and Saccharomyces were the main dominant fungi. Debaryomyces and Trichosporon were conducive to the formation of taste qualities of Douchi, while Cladosporium and Candida have a negative impact on the taste quality of Douchi var correlation analysis. This study indicated the effects of dominant fungi on the formation of Douchi taste quality, allowing a deeper understanding of the role of microbial species in generating fermented soybean products in China. Our work provides theoretical support to guide the improvement of the industrial production process of Douchi.
NMDA receptors promote hippocampal sharp‐wave ripples and the associated coactivity of CA1 pyramidal cells
Authors: Howe Timothy , Blockeel Anthony J. , Taylor Hannah , Jones Matthew W. , Bazhenov Maxim , Malerba Paola
Published: October 2020

Hippocampal sharp‐wave ripples (SWRs) support the reactivation of memory representations, relaying information to neocortex during “offline” and sleep‐dependent memory consolidation. While blockade of NMDA receptors (NMDAR) is known to affect both learning and subsequent consolidation, the specific contributions of NMDAR activation to SWR‐associated activity remain unclear. Here, we combine biophysical modeling with in vivo local field potential (LFP) and unit recording to quantify changes in SWR dynamics following inactivation of NMDAR. In a biophysical model of CA3‐CA1 SWR activity, we find that NMDAR removal leads to reduced SWR density, but spares SWR properties such as duration, cell recruitment and ripple frequency. These predictions are confirmed by experiments in which NMDAR‐mediated transmission in rats was inhibited using three different NMDAR antagonists, while recording dorsal CA1 LFP. In the model, loss of NMDAR‐mediated conductances also induced a reduction in the proportion of cell pairs that co‐activate significantly above chance across multiple events. Again, this prediction is corroborated by dorsal CA1 single‐unit recordings, where the NMDAR blocker ketamine disrupted correlated spiking during SWR. Our results are consistent with a framework in which NMDA receptors both promote activation of SWR events and organize SWR‐associated spiking content. This suggests that, while SWR are short‐lived events emerging in fast excitatory‐inhibitory networks, slower network components including NMDAR‐mediated currents contribute to ripple density and promote consistency in the spiking content across ripples, underpinning mechanisms for fine‐tuning of memory consolidation processes.
Patients with colorectal cancer and brain metastasis: The relevance of extracranial metastatic patterns predicting time intervals to first occurrence of intracranial metastasis and survival
Authors: Thurmaier Johannes , Heinemann Volker , Engel Jutta , Schubert‐Fritschle Gabriele , Wiedemann Max , Nüssler Natascha C. , Ruppert Reinhard , Kleeff Jörg , Schepp Wolfgang , Löhe Florian , Karthaus Meinolf , Neumann Jens , Kumbrink Jörg , Taverna Francesco , Stahler Arndt , Heinrich Kathrin , Westphalen Christoph Benedikt , Holch Julian W. , Kirchner Thomas , Michl Marlies
Published: October 2020

The aim of the study was to investigate the predictive impact of extracranial metastatic patterns on course of disease and survival in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and brain metastasis (BM). A total of 228 patients (134 male [59%], 94 female [41%]) with histologically proven CRC and BM were classified into different groups according to extracranial metastatic patterns. Time intervals to metastatic events and survival times from initial CRC diagnosis, extracranial and intracranial metastasis were analyzed. Extracranial organs mostly affected were liver (102 of 228 [44.7%]) and lung (96 of 228 [42.1%]). Liver and lung metastases were detected in 31 patients (13.6%). Calculated over the entire course of disease, patients with lung metastasis showed longer overall survival (OS) than patients with liver metastasis or patients without lung metastasis (43.9 vs 34.6 [P = .002] vs 35.0 months [P = .002]). From the date of initial CRC diagnosis, lung metastasis occurred later in CRC history than liver metastasis (24.3 vs 7.5 months). Once lung metastasis was diagnosed, BM occurred faster than in patients with liver metastasis (15.8 vs 26.0 months; Δ 10.2 months). Accordingly, OS from the diagnosis of liver metastasis was longer than from lung metastasis (27.1 vs 19.6 months [P = .08]). Once BM was present, patients with lung metastasis lived longer than patients with liver metastasis (3.8 vs 1.1 months [P = .028]). Shortest survival times in all survival categories analyzed revealed patients with concurrent liver and lung metastasis. Patients with CRC and BM form a heterogeneous cohort where extracranial metastasis to liver or lungs predicts survival.
Developmental neurotoxicity and toxic mechanisms induced by olaquindox in zebrafish
Authors: Guo Sheng‐Ya , Zhang Yong , Zhu Xiao‐Yu , Zhou Jia‐Li , Li Jiao , Li Chun‐Qi , Wu Li‐Ren
Published: October 2020

Olaquindox (OLA) has been widely used as an animal feed additive in China for decades; however, its toxicity and toxic mechanisms have not been well investigated. In this study, the developmental neurotoxicity and toxic mechanisms of OLA were evaluated in zebrafish. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to different concentrations of OLA (25–1,000 mg/L) from 6 to 120 hours post fertilization (hpf). OLA exposure resulted in many abnormal phenotypes in zebrafish, including shortened body length, notochord degeneration, spinal curvature, brain apoptosis, damage of axon and peripheral motor neuron, and hepatotoxicity. Interestingly, OLA increased zebrafish spontaneous tail coiling, while reduced locomotor capacity. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q‐PCR) showed that the expression levels of nine marker genes for nervous system functions or development, namely, α1‐tubulin, glial fibrillary acidic protein (gfap), myelin basic protein (mbp), synapsinII a (syn2a), sonic hedgehog a (shha), encoding HuC (elavl3), mesencephalic astrocyte‐derived neurotrophic factor (manf) growth associated protein 43 (gap43), and acetylcholinesterase (ache) were all down‐regulated significantly in zebrafish after treated with OLA. Besides, the anti‐apoptotic and pro‐apoptotic genes bcl‐2/bax ratio was reduced. These results show that OLA exposure could cause severe developmental neurotoxicity in the early stages of zebrafish life and OLA might induce neurotoxicity by inhibiting the expression of neuro‐developmental genes and promoting apoptosis.
No evidence of selection against anomalous scute arrangements between juvenile and adult sea turtles in Florida
Authors: Bentley Blair P. , McGlashan Jessica K. , Bresette Michael J. , Wyneken Jeanette
Published: October 2020

Variations in the number and arrangement of scutes often are used for species identification in hard‐shelled sea turtles. Despite the conserved nature of scute arrangements, anomalous arrangements have been noted in the literature for over a century, with anomalies linked to sub‐optimal environmental conditions in the nest during development. Long‐held assumptions suggest that anomalous scute arrangements are indicative of underlying physiological or morphological anomalies, with presumed long‐term survival costs to the individual. Here, we examined a 25‐year photo database of two species of sea turtle (Caretta caretta and Chelonia mydas) captured incidentally and non‐selectively on the eastern coast of Florida. Our results suggest that C. mydas is substantially more variable with respect to the arrangement of carapacial scutes, while C. caretta had a relatively higher proportion of individuals with anomalous plastron scute arrangements. We also show evidence that (a) the forms and patterns of anomalous scutes are stable throughout growth; (b) there is limited evidence for selection against non‐modal arrangements in the size classes that were examined; and (c) that their frequency has remained stable in juvenile cohorts from 1994 until present. These findings indicate that there may not be a survival cost associated with anomalous scute arrangements once the turtles reach juvenile size classes, and that variation in scute arrangements within populations is relatively common.
Is There an Advantage in Enriching Parenteral Lipid Emulsions Containing Fatty Acids From Fish Oil With Medium‐Chain Triglycerides? A Study on Body Pool Concentrations of ω‐3 Fatty Acids in Lewis Rats
Authors: Tesser Alweyd , Torrinhas Raquel S. M. M. , Garla Priscila C. , Oliveira‐Filho Ronaldo S. , Aprobato Felipe G. G. , Tamanaha Erika M. , Antunes Marcia S. , Sampaio Geni R. , Torres Elizabeth , Calder Philip C. , Linetzky Waitzberg Dan
Published: October 2020

Background

The addition of medium‐chain triglycerides (MCTs) into parenteral lipid emulsions rich in fatty acids from fish oil (FOLEs) has been shown to improve their clearance and extrahepatic uptake. We assessed whether this effect could favor the leukocyte uptake of ω‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) for immunomodulatory purposes

Methods

Following 5‐day adaptation in metabolic cages, 42 male Lewis rats fed with AIN‐93M chow were killed (baseline control group [BC]) or submitted to central venous catheterization and distributed into (1) surgical control group without parenteral infusion (chow group), (2) test emulsion (MCT/LCT/FO) group with the parenteral infusion of a FOLE containing 40% MCT, and (3) control emulsion group (LCT/FO) with the parenteral infusion of an FOLE without MCT. The 2 FOLEs had similar ω‐3 PUFA contents and ω‐6/ω‐3 PUFA ratios and were infused during 48 and 72 hours. Concentrations of ω‐3 and ω‐6 PUFAs in plasma, liver, and blood mononuclear and polymorphonuclear leukocytes were assessed by gas chromatography

Results

In both FOLE groups, leukocyte concentrations of ω‐3 PUFAs peaked after 48 hours’ infusion (vs BC). At this time point, plasma concentrations of ω‐3 PUFAs were higher in MCT/LCT/FO group than in LCT/FO group and the opposite was found in the liver (P<.05), but no differences in PUFA concentrations were observed between these groups in leukocytes (P>.05)

Conclusion

The ω‐3 PUFAs provided by FOLEs rich in MCT were less incorporated by liver and remained more available for extrahepatic cell delivery, but this did not result in a clear benefit in increasing their incorporation by peripheral leukocytes.
Opioid related medication incidents in Western Australia public hospitals: types, causes and level of harm
Authors: Fitzsimons Kerry , Ferguson Chantal , Jovanovska Tatjana , Koay Audrey , Davies Christina R.
Published: October 2020

Background

Medication incidents in hospitals are common and occur at all phases of the medication management cycle. Clinical incidents for high‐risk medications such as opioids have the potential to cause significant harm, yet opioid incidents are an under researched area of health service safety and quality.

Aim

The aim of this study was to identify opioid medication safety incident types, occurrence in the medication management cycle, causative factors and level of patient harm to inform clinical care.

Method

A multi‐methods analysis of all reported opioid‐related medication incidents, in all 93 Western Australian (WA) public hospitals, between 1 July 2017 and 30 June 2018 was conducted.

Results

Opioid medications as a class were implicated in 11.0% (857) of all medication‐related clinical incidents reported in 2017–18, with tapentadol, a relatively new opioid, the most reported (131; 15.3%). No reported incidents resulted in death, however, 0.5% (4) caused severe harm and 3.5% (30) caused moderate harm. The majority of incidents occurred during the administration phase of the medication management cycle (630; 73.5%). ‘Incorrect dose’ (146; 17%) followed by ‘omission of dose’ (116; 13.5%) were the most frequent incident types reported. ‘Not checking properly’ (554; 64.6%) followed by ‘not following procedures’ (167; 19.5%) were the most frequent causative factors.

Conclusion

Vigilance in identifying, reporting and reviewing opioid medication safety incidents and causative factors are imperative to mitigating errors and preventing patient harm. Study findings should be used to develop targeted strategies to reduce opioid incidents in public hospitals.
Evolution of hyphenated techniques for mineral oil analysis in food
Authors: Sdrigotti Nicola , Collard Maurine , Purcaro Giorgia
Published: October 2020

The occurrence of mineral oil in food is known since the early 1990s, and it was discovered by chance in one of the first applications using the hyphenated LC–GC system. Since then, the relationship between hyphenated techniques and mineral oil analysis has been tightly interrelated and successful. This review aims to show and explain how this mutual interaction has driven the development of the hyphenated techniques on one side and has supported the increase of knowledge on the other, supporting the complex task of mineral oil determination in food. The paper presents the background of the mineral oil problem in food (a brief history of its finding, toxicology, and occurrence), moving then toward the analytical determination. The development of different hyphenated techniques in relation to mineral oil determination is discussed, focusing mainly on 2D techniques, such as LC–GC. The necessity of additional dimensions, such as LC–LC–GC and comprehensive approaches, such as GC × GC and LC × GC, is also discussed. Finally, the role of the hyphenation with MS is presented.
Association Between Human Papilloma Virus Infection and Malignant Sinonasal Inverted Papilloma
Authors: Ding Ronghua , Sun Qiaorong , Wang Yong
Published: October 2020

Objective

This systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to evaluate the risk of malignant sinonasal inverted papilloma (SNIP) according to the type of human papilloma virus (HPV) infection.

Methods

The databases of PubMed, EmBase, and Web of Science were searched for studies that reported the risk of malignant SNIP in patients infected by specific types of HPV. The quantitative analyses for pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.

Results

Twenty‐six molecular epidemiological studies that recruited a total of 900 patients with SNIP were selected for the final meta‐analysis. The summary ORs indicated that HPV‐6 (OR: 2.02; 95% CI: 0.47–8.61; P = .343), HPV‐11 (OR: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.26–2.89; P = .806), and HPV‐6/11 (OR: 1.44; 95% CI: 0.59–3.53; P = .426) infections were not associated with the risk of malignant SNIP. However, the risk of malignant SNIP was increased in patients infected with HPV‐16 (OR: 8.51; 95% CI: 3.36–21.59; P < .001), HPV‐11/16 (OR: 7.95; 95% CI: 1.13–56.01; P = .038), HPV‐18 (OR: 23.26; 95% CI: 5.27–102.73; P < .001), and HPV‐16/18 (OR: 24.34; 95% CI: 5.74–103.18; P < .001).

Conclusions

This study found that patients infected with HPV types 16, 11/16, 18, and 16/18 were associated with an increased risk of malignant SNIP. However, patients infected with HPV types 6, 11, and 6/11 did not have a significant risk of malignant SNIP. Laryngoscope, 131:1200–1205, 2021
Genetic Testing Leading to Early Identification of Childhood Ocular Manifestations of Usher Syndrome
Authors: Brodie Kara D. , Moore Anthony T. , Slavotinek Anne M. , Meyer Anna K. , Nadaraja Garani S. , Conrad David E. , Weinstein Jacqueline E. , Chan Dylan K.
Published: October 2020

Objectives

Hearing‐loss gene panel testing (HLGPT) is increasingly accessible as a first‐line test in determining the etiology of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in children. A major advantage of HLGPT is early identification of syndromic forms of SNHL, especially Usher syndrome, prior to the development of overt syndromic phenotype, which may impact management and counseling. Here, we describe early ocular findings in children with clinically non‐syndromic SNHL identified by HLGPT as having two variants associated with Usher Syndrome.

Methods

A total of 184 children, ages 1 month ‐ 15 years of age, evaluated at one tertiary pediatric children's hospital for clinically non‐syndromic SNHL, underwent next‐generation sequencing of 150 genes involved in hearing loss. Children with two variants in genes associated with Usher syndrome were referred for evaluation by pediatric ophthalmology.

Results

A total of 18/184 tested children had two variants in Usher syndrome‐associated genes, including MYO7A, GPR98 (ADGRV1), USH2A, and PDZD7. SNHL varied from moderate to profound. 29% of the children who underwent clinical ophthalmology evaluation were found to have previously unidentified retinal abnormalities on retinal imaging or electroretinography consistent with inherited retinal degeneration.

Conclusion

Among this ethnically and racially diverse pediatric population with apparently non‐syndromic SNHL, HLGPT yielded a high proportion (10%) of children with two variants in genes associated with Usher syndrome. Early genetic testing allows early identification of variants conferring a diagnosis of Usher syndrome at a stage prior to visual symptoms. This allows for more informed genetic counseling, reproductive planning, and sensory deficit interventions.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 131:E2053–E2059, 2021
Highly Conductive, Stretchable, Adhesive, and Self‐Healing Polymer Hydrogels for Strain and Pressure Sensor
Authors: Yang Chunying , Yin Jialin , Chen Zhuo , Du Haishun , Tian Minghua , Zhang Miaomiao , Zheng Jinxin , Ding Lan , Zhang Pengfei , Zhang Xinyu , Deng Kuilin
Published: October 2020

Retractable, self‐healing, and conductive hydrogels are widely used as adjustable and wearable sensing materials. Herein, using polyfunctional trypan blue (TB) as a crosslinking agent for both poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and polypyrrole (PPy), a retractable and self‐healing PAA‐TB‐PPy hydrogel is prepared. The introduction of TB not only improves the water retention capacity of the hydrogel but also helps form a highly interconnected conductive path. It is found that PAA‐TB‐PPy hydrogel shows a high electrical conductivity (15 S m−1) which is almost equivalent to the pure PPy hydrogel. Due to the high stability of the semi‐interpenetrating network structure, the elongation at break of PAA‐TB‐PPy hydrogel is more than 750%, along with high mechanical strength and strong adhesion to a variety of solid surfaces. In addition, the hydrogel exhibits high strain and pressure sensitivity with prominent linearity. Importantly, the as‐prepared hydrogel sensor can reliably detect both repetitive large strain and subtle vibration, which makes it a great candidate as wearable electronics for human motion monitoring.
Using a Multiscale Modeling Approach to Correlate Reaction Conditions with Polymer Microstructure and Rheology
Authors: Zentel Kristina M. , Degenkolb Jonas , Busch Markus
Published: October 2020

Reaction conditions have a huge impact on the resulting polymer properties, but capturing this requires understanding the correlation of the underlying kinetics, the polymer architecture, and polymer flow behavior. Long‐chain branched polymers created randomly by free‐radical polymerization, such as low‐density polyethylene (LDPE), show complex rheological behavior and are thus interesting in this context. A study applying a multiscale modeling approach is used to simulate varying reaction conditions and predict the structure of the resulting LDPE polymer and its flow properties. A significant effect on the molecular weight distribution, but also the viscosity and extensional flow behavior can be predicted. Higher conversions, for example, lead to broader molecular weight distributions, increased long‐chain branching degrees, and a higher branching complexity. Consequently, also higher viscosities and increased strain hardening are observed in extension. Additionally, miniplant experiments are performed to resemble the simulations and compare the results. The accordance of predictions and analytical results are very good and validate the model over a wide range of reaction conditions.
Metabolites of 2‐ and 3‐Monochloropropanediol (2‐ and 3‐MCPD) in Humans: Urinary Excretion of 2‐Chlorohydracrylic Acid and 3‐Chlorolactic Acid after Controlled Exposure to a Single High Dose of Fatty Acid Esters of 2‐ and 3‐MCPD
Authors: Bergau Nick , Zhao Zhiyong , Abraham Klaus , Monien Bernhard H.
Published: October 2020

Scope

Fatty acid esters of 2‐monochloropropane‐1,3‐diol (2‐MCPD) and 3‐monochloropropane‐1,2‐diol (3‐MCPD) are formed during the deodorization of vegetable oils. After lipase‐catalyzed hydrolysis in the intestine, 2‐ and 3‐MCPD are absorbed, but their ensuing human metabolism is unknown.

Methods and results

The compounds 2‐chlorohydracrylic acid (2‐ClHA) and 3‐chlorolactic acid (3‐ClLA) resulting from oxidative metabolism of 2‐MCPD and 3‐MCPD, respectively, are identified and quantified in human urine samples. An exposure study with 12 adults is conducted to determine the urinary excretion of 2‐ClHA and 3‐ClLA. The participants eat 12 g of hazelnut oil containing 24.2 mg kg−1 2‐MCPD and 54.5 mg kg−1 3‐MCPD in the form of fatty acid esters. Average daily amounts of “background” excretion before the exposure are 69 nmol 2‐ClHA and 3.0 nmol 3‐ClLA. The additional mean excretion due to the uptake of the hazelnut oil amounts to 893 nmol 2‐ClHA (34.0% of the 2‐MCPD dose) and 16.4 nmol 3‐ClLA (0.28% of the 3‐MPCD dose).

Conclusions

The products of oxidative metabolism of 2‐ and 3‐MCPD, 2‐ClHA, and 3‐ClLA, are described for the first time in humans. Due to the lack of specificity, the metabolites may not be used as exposure biomarkers to low doses of bound 2‐ and 3‐MCPD, respectively.
A single‐layer filtering patch antenna array with simple differential feeding network
Authors: Nie Na , Tu Zhi‐Hong
Published: October 2020

This paper proposes a single‐layer filtering patch antenna array with simple differential feeding network. It is composed of a simple microstrip‐slot‐microstrip differential feeding network, four patch elements, two open‐ended lines and two U‐slots. Two gain nulls in the lower band and the upper band can be generated by introducing open‐ended microstrip lines and U‐shaped slots, respectively. Therefore, the selectivity of the gain curve is significantly improved. The proposed antenna array has an optimized dimension of 80 × 80 × 0.8 mm3 and a peak gain of 11.2 dBi. The measured impedance bandwidth (|Sdd11| < −10 dB) is 4.7% ranging from 5.01 GHz to 5.25 GHz. Additionally, the proposed antenna array also achieves common‐mode suppression in the whole band.
A compact LTCC semi‐lumped highpass filter with vialess structure
Authors: Qian Kewei , Tian Miao
Published: October 2020

A new type of semi‐lumped highpass filter (HPF) based on multilayer technology is presented in this letter. Capacitive coupled stripline stubs are utilized as semi‐lumped resonators in the structure without using any means. Hence, undesired parasitic effect in the multilayer interconnections is minimized while high quality factor and stopband rejection are realized simultaneously. In this research, a HPF works from 5.15 to 5.95 GHz has been designed and fabricated on a low temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) substrate. The proposed topology has been validated through a series of tests. By virtue of the LTCC multilayer technology, the proposed HPF is compact, occupying only a volume of 2.5 mm × 2.0 mm × 1.0 mm.
Theoretical investigation of aromaticity and charge transfer in emission process of triarylmethyl radicals as OLED materials
Authors: Sang Shenglong , Chen Fei , Zhang Cong
Published: October 2020

Four different kinds of triarylmethyl radicals (TAMs)— tris(2,4,6‐trichlorophenyl)methyl radical (TTM), perchlorotriphenyl methyl radical (PTM), (3,5‐dichloro‐4‐pyridyl)bis(2,4,6‐trichlorophenyl)methyl radical (PyBTM), and (N‐carbazolyl)bis(2,4,6‐tirchlorophenyl)methyl radical (CzBTM)—are investigated theoretically with regard to their structures and electron transition behaviors. Linear correlation has been found between the spin density of α‐C and the averaged cosine of the torsion angle, with the correlation coefficient satisfied by R2 = .96 by applying the Becke method. The emission energies predicted by PCM‐UBMK/6‐311++G(d,p)//PCM‐UM06‐2X/6‐31+G(d,p) are reliable for TAMs. Interfragment charge transfer (IFCT) analysis reveals the charge transfer behavior during the excitation. The aromaticity of TAMs is evaluated by NICS(1)zz for the first time. Combined with the IFCT analysis results, the NICS(1)zz values of the acceptor on the ground states are found to be highly correlated with the emission wavelength, and R2 is .98 at the PCM‐UB3LYP/6‐31+G(d,p) level, which can be used for emission spectra prediction and molecular design.
Reducing the Amount of Single‐Qubit Rotations in VQE and Related Algorithms
Authors: Rasmussen Stig Elkjær , Loft Niels Jakob Søe , Bækkegaard Thomas , Kues Michael , Zinner Nikolaj Thomas
Published: October 2020

With the advent of hybrid quantum classical algorithms using parameterized quantum circuits, the question of how to optimize these algorithms and circuits emerges. In this paper, it is shown that the number of single‐qubit rotations in parameterized quantum circuits can be decreased without compromising the relative expressibility or entangling capability of the circuit. It is also shown that the performance of a variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) is unaffected by a similar decrease in single‐qubit rotations. Relative expressibility and entangling capability are compared across different number of qubits in parameterized quantum circuits. High‐dimensional qudits as a platform for hybrid quantum classical algorithms is a rarity in the literature. Therefore, quantum frequency comb photonics is considered as a platform for such algorithms and it is shown that a relative expressibility and entangling capability comparable to the best regular parameterized quantum circuits can be obtained.
Atmospheric Oxidation Reactions of Methyl Salicylate as Green Leaf Volatiles by OH Radical: Theoretical Kinetics and Mechanism
Authors: Seif Ahmad , Domingo Luis Ramon , Mazarei Elham , Zahedi Ehsan , Ahmadi Temer Shah
Published: October 2020

Green leaf volatile (GLV) organic compounds, released from vegetation, act as plants’ multifunctional weapon and are known to be a source of secondary organic aerosols (SOAs). In the present study, the mechanism of oxidation reaction of methyl salicylate (MeSa), a known GLV, by OH radical has been investigated by means of density functional theory (DFT). Canonical transition state (CTST) and Rice‐Ramsperger‐Kassel‐Marcus theories (RRKM) with Wigner and Eckart tunneling correction were applied to calculate the transition pressure, the total rate constant, and the individual rate constants for every channel of this oxidation reaction of MeSa with OH radical. The calculated overall bimolecular rate constant with Eckart tunneling correction for the title reaction is 1.18×109 and 1.01×109 L mol−1s−1 at Mn15‐L/aug‐cc‐pVTZ and MN15‐L/MG3S levels of theory in the gas phase at 298 K which is comparable to the experimental reported value of 6.66×109 L mol−1s−1, indicating that the results of MN15‐L/aug‐cc‐pVTZ level of theory is more accurate. Investigation of transition pressure and fall‐off curve of unimolecular channels at proposed mechanism for oxidation reaction of MeSa revealed that the TST breaks down slightly to estimate the high pressure limit of reaction rate and the reaction become second order (bimolecular reaction). Furthermore, the atmospheric lifetime of MeSa is about 2.95 and 3.44 days calculated at those two levels of theory, respectively, which indicates that MeSa can be considered as a medium‐lifetime organic volatile compound.
Performance Comparison of Population‐Based Meta‐Heuristic Algorithms in Affine Template Matching
Authors: Sato Junya , Yamada Takayoshi , Ito Kazuaki , Akashi Takuya
Published: October 2020

In this study, population‐based meta‐heuristic algorithms—artificial bee colony, differential evolution, particle swarm optimization, and real‐coded genetic algorithm—are applied to affine template matching for performance comparison. It is necessary to optimize six parameters for affine template matching. This is a combinatorial optimization problem, and the number of candidate solutions is very large. For such a problem, population‐based meta‐heuristic algorithms can efficiently search a global optimum. There is research that applies the algorithms to affine template matching. However, they select a specific algorithm without understanding the characteristics of affine template matching and comparing different algorithms. This means the selected algorithm may not be suitable for affine template matching. Hence, this research first analyzes the characteristics of affine template matching and compares the performance of the four algorithms. In addition, we propose a new method to measure population diversity for performance comparison. Finally, we confirmed that artificial bee colony achieves the best performance of the four methods. © 2020 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Using Natural Pelt Patterns to Estimate Population Abundance with Mark–Resight Models
Authors: Teton Ben S. , Lewis Jesse S. , Wright Christina T. , White Michael , Young Hillary
Published: October 2020

To estimate population abundance of wide‐ranging and elusive species, wildlife managers require practical data‐collection methods that are efficient, accurate, and cost‐effective. Natural abundance marking can provide a useful solution, but it has largely been utilized only for conservation monitoring of species with very high distinctiveness. We estimated abundance of invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa), a widespread pest species with low to moderate distinctiveness, in the Tehachapi Mountains of California, USA. Wild pigs are increasingly recognized as a major threat to wildland communities throughout the United States, but we still lack cost‐effective ways to track their populations. We used natural markings to identify individuals for mark–resight population estimation, developing a method based on standardized thresholds of image quality and animal flank distinctiveness to account for the inherent variability of natural markings among individuals. We tested our method over a 15‐month period during 2015 and 2016, using an array of 48 camera traps across a 48‐km2 survey grid. With 18.5% of wild pigs meeting our conservative standard of identifiability, we estimated abundance using standard mark–resight methods that ranged from 506 (±69 [SE]) individuals in summer 2015 to 184 (±44) individuals in spring 2016. We were able to detect a likely decline in the wild pig population from 2015 to 2016, which was supported by a simultaneous decline in hunter harvest totals in the region during the same period. Our approach requires no trapping or tagging of any kind, so it may be utilized as an efficient alternative to techniques that rely on physically capturing animals to apply ear‐tags or neck‐bands for individual identification. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.
Extrusion of Intracoelomic Radiotransmitters by Hawaiian Ducks
Authors: Malachowski Christopher P. , Dugger Bruce D. , Heard Darryl J.
Published: October 2020

Surgical implantation of transmitters into the coelomic cavity is a common attachment technique for ducks and geese. Although retention rates are assumed to be high, most studies utilizing this attachment method involve tracking in a system where low rates of recapture, resight, or recovery limit the ability of researchers to assess tag loss. We describe the extrusion and loss of coelomic radiotransmitters with percutaneous antennas from adult Hawaiian ducks (Anas wyvilliana;n = 117) monitored throughout the entire annual cycle on Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i, USA during December 2012–December 2014. Transmitter retention through 6 months following implantation was high (98 ± 2%). However, the probability of transmitter loss increased substantially afterward, and birds had a 30 ± 5% cumulative probability of losing implants within 1 year. Probability of transmitter loss did not vary between sexes or with body mass. The recapture rate of birds known to have lost tags (0.13 ± 0.08 [SE]) did not differ from birds with known fates (i.e., survived or died) that retained transmitters (0.12 ± 0.06;P = 0.72), suggesting transmitter extrusion did not influence short‐term survival (i.e., <1 yr). Examinations of recaptured and resighted birds indicated transmitters were extruded through the exit site of the percutaneous antenna and through the body wall in the ventromedial coelomic region. For studies spanning >6 months, researchers should be aware of the possibility for transmitter loss and integrate, where possible, methods to assess retention. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.
Non-simply-connected symmetries in 6D SCFTs
Authors: Dierigl Markus , Oehlmann Paul-Konstantin , Ruehle Fabian
Published: October 2020

Abstract

Six-dimensional $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= (1, 0) superconformal field theories can be engineered geometrically via F-theory on elliptically-fibered Calabi-Yau 3-folds. We include torsional sections in the geometry, which lead to a finite Mordell-Weil group. This allows us to identify the full non-Abelian group structure rather than just the algebra. The presence of torsion also modifies the center of the symmetry groups and the matter representations that can appear. This in turn affects the tensor branch of these theories. We analyze this change for a large class of superconformal theories with torsion and explicitly construct their tensor branches. Finally, we elaborate on the connection to the dual heterotic and M-theory description, in which our configurations are interpreted as generalizations of discrete holonomy instantons.
New method for calculating electromagnetic effects in semileptonic beta-decays of mesons
Authors: Seng Chien-Yeah , Feng Xu , Gorchtein Mikhail , Jin Lu-Chang , Meißner Ulf-G.
Published: October 2020

Abstract

We construct several classes of hadronic matrix elements and relate them to the low-energy constants in Chiral Perturbation Theory that describe the electromagnetic effects in the semileptonic beta decay of the pion and the kaon. We propose to calculate them using lattice QCD, and argue that such a calculation will make an immediate impact to a number of interesting topics at the precision frontier, including the outstanding anomalies in |Vus| and the top-row Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix unitarity.
Dyonic black hole degeneracies in $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 string theory from Dabholkar-Harvey degeneracies
Authors: Chowdhury Abhishek , Kidambi Abhiram , Murthy Sameer , Reys Valentin , Wrase Timm
Published: October 2020

Abstract

The degeneracies of single-centered dyonic $$ \frac{1}{4} $$

1
4

-BPS black holes (BH) in Type II string theory on K3×T2 are known to be coefficients of certain mock Jacobi forms arising from the Igusa cusp form Φ10. In this paper we present an exact analytic formula for these BH degeneracies purely in terms of the degeneracies of the perturbative $$ \frac{1}{2} $$

1
2

-BPS states of the theory. We use the fact that the degeneracies are completely controlled by the polar coefficients of the mock Jacobi forms, using the Hardy-Ramanujan-Rademacher circle method. Here we present a simple formula for these polar coefficients as a quadratic function of the $$ \frac{1}{2} $$

1
2

-BPS degeneracies. We arrive at the formula by using the physical interpretation of polar coefficients as negative discriminant states, and then making use of previous results in the literature to track the decay of such states into pairs of $$ \frac{1}{2} $$

1
2

-BPS states in the moduli space. Although there are an infinite number of such decays, we show that only a finite number of them contribute to the formula. The phenomenon of BH bound state metamorphosis (BSM) plays a crucial role in our analysis. We show that the dyonic BSM orbits with U-duality invariant ∆ < 0 are in exact correspondence with the solution sets of the Brahmagupta-Pell equation, which implies that they are isomorphic to the group of units in the order ℤ[$$ \sqrt{\left|\Delta \right|} $$

Δ

] in the real quadratic field ℚ($$ \sqrt{\left|\Delta \right|} $$

Δ

). We check our formula against the known numerical data arising from the Igusa cusp form, for the first 1650 polar coefficients, and find perfect agreement.
Under-ascertainment of breast cancer susceptibility gene carriers in a cohort of New Zealand female breast cancer patients
Authors: Lattimore Vanessa , Parsons Michael T. , Spurdle Amanda B. , Pearson John , Lehnert Klaus , Sullivan Jan , Lintott Caroline , Bawden Suzannah , Morrin Helen , Robinson Bridget , Walker Logan
Published: October 2020

Background

Diagnostic screening for pathogenic variants in breast cancer susceptibility genes, including BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, PTEN and TP53, may be offered to New Zealanders from suspected high-risk breast (and ovarian) cancer families. However, it is unknown how many high-risk pathogenic variant carriers in New Zealand are not offered genetic screening using existing triage tools and guidelines for breast (and ovarian) cancer patients.

Methods

Panel-gene sequencing of the coding and non-coding regions of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, and the coding regions and splice sites of CDH1, PALB2, PTEN and TP53, was undertaken for an unselected cohort of 367 female breast cancer patients. A total of 1685 variants were evaluated using the ENIGMA and the ACMG/AMP variant classification guidelines.

Results

Our study identified that 13 (3.5%) breast cancer patients carried a pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant in BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, or PTEN. A significantly higher number of pathogenic variant carriers had grade 3 tumours (10/13) when compared to non-carriers; however, no other clinicopathological characteristics were found to be significantly different between (likely) pathogenic variant carriers and non-carriers, nor between variant of unknown significance carriers and non-carriers. Notably, 46% of the identified (likely) pathogenic variant carriers had not been referred for a genetic assessment and consideration of genetic testing.

Conclusion

Our study shows a potential under-ascertainment of women carrying a (likely) pathogenic variant in a high-risk breast cancer susceptibility gene. These results suggest that further research into testing pathways for New Zealand breast cancer patients may be required to reduce the impact of hereditary cancer syndromes for these individuals and their families.
Oncofertility case report: live birth 10 years after oocyte in vitro maturation and zygote cryopreservation
Authors: Rodrigues P. , Marques M. , Pimentel S. , Rato M. , Carvalho P. , Correia S. C. , Mendes N. , Amaral H. , Fernandes J. P. , Carvalho M. J. , Plancha C. E.
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This study aims to report a case of urgent fertility preservation in an oncological patient with collection of immature oocytes in the absence of ovarian stimulation that, through in vitro maturation (IVM), followed by ICSI and cryopreservation of zygotes resulted, 10 years later, in the live birth of a healthy baby.

Methods

In September 2008, our clinic performed IVM in a 32-year-old woman diagnosed with a ductal invasive carcinoma with positive estradiol receptors, negative progesterone receptors and positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. The retrieval of immature oocytes was performed in the absence of ovarian stimulation after a simple mastectomy and prior to any chemotherapy treatment. The compact cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) collected were placed in Lag medium for 2 h, followed by incubation in IVM medium, supplemented with heat inactivated patient serum, recombinant FSH, and recombinant LH. After 30 h in culture, cumulus cells were removed, the metaphase II oocytes were microinjected, and the zygotes obtained were cryopreserved. In 2017, the zygotes were thawed and cultured until day 3. One embryo was transferred and the other cryopreserved.

Results

Four compact COCs were collected and subjected to IVM. Two oocytes reached metaphase II and were microinjected. Two zygotes were obtained and were cryopreserved at the two pronuclear stage. Approximately 9 years later, the two zygotes were thawed and cultured until day 3. An embryo with 10 cells was transferred and implanted, resulting in the birth of a healthy baby.

Conclusions

In cases where urgency to start adjuvant therapy requires immediate oocyte collection, IVM may be the only option to obtain fully competent mature oocytes allowing for effective preservation of the reproductive potential.
HACANCOi: a new Hα-detected experiment for backbone resonance assignment of intrinsically disordered proteins
Authors: Karjalainen Mikael , Tossavainen Helena , Hellman Maarit , Permi Perttu
Published: October 2020

Unidirectional coherence transfer is highly efficient in intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). Their elevated ps-ns timescale dynamics ensures long transverse (T2) relaxation times allowing sophisticated coherence transfer pathway selection in comparison to folded proteins. 1Hα-detection ensures non-susceptibility to chemical exchange with the solvent and enables chemical shift assignment of consecutive proline residues, typically abundant in IDPs. However, many IDPs undergo a disorder-to-order transition upon interaction with their target protein, which leads to the loss of the favorable relaxation properties. Long coherence transfer routes now result in prohibitively large decrease in sensitivity. We introduce a novel 4D 1Hα-detected experiment HACANCOi, together with its 3D implementation, which warrant high sensitivity for the assignment of proline-rich regions in IDPs in complex with a globular protein. The experiment correlates 1Hαi, 13Cαi, 15Ni and $$^{13} C^{\prime}_{i}$$

13

C
i
′

spins by transferring the magnetization concomitantly from 13Cαi to 15Ni and $$^{13} C^{\prime}_{i}$$

13

C
i
′

. The B1 domain of protein G (GB1), and the enteropathogenic E.coli EspF in complex with human SNX9 SH3, serve as model systems to demonstrate the attainable sensitivity and successful sequential assignment.
Secure Italian domination in graphs
Authors: Dettlaff M. , Lemańska M. , Rodríguez-Velázquez J. A.
Published: October 2020

An Italian dominating function (IDF) on a graph G is a function $$f:V(G)\rightarrow \{0,1,2\}$$

f
:
V
(
G
)
→
{
0
,
1
,
2
}

such that for every vertex v with $$f(v)=0$$

f
(
v
)
=
0

, the total weight of f assigned to the neighbours of v is at least two, i.e., $$\sum _{u\in N_G(v)}f(u)\ge 2$$

∑

u
∈

N
G

(
v
)

f

(
u
)

≥
2

. For any function $$f:V(G)\rightarrow \{0,1,2\}$$

f
:
V
(
G
)
→
{
0
,
1
,
2
}

and any pair of adjacent vertices with $$f(v) = 0$$

f
(
v
)
=
0

and u with $$f(u) > 0$$

f
(
u
)
>
0

, the function $$f_{u\rightarrow v}$$

f

u
→
v

is defined by $$f_{u\rightarrow v}(v)=1$$

f

u
→
v

(
v
)

=
1

, $$f_{u\rightarrow v}(u)=f(u)-1$$

f

u
→
v

(
u
)

=
f

(
u
)

-
1

and $$f_{u\rightarrow v}(x)=f(x)$$

f

u
→
v

(
x
)

=
f

(
x
)

whenever $$x\in V(G){\setminus }\{u,v\}$$

x
∈
V
(
G
)
\
{
u
,
v
}

. A secure Italian dominating function on a graph G is defined as an IDF f which satisfies that for every vertex v with $$f(v)=0$$

f
(
v
)
=
0

, there exists a neighbour u with $$f(u)>0$$

f
(
u
)
>
0

such that $$f_{u\rightarrow v}$$

f

u
→
v

is an IDF. The weight of f is $$\omega (f)=\sum _{v\in V(G) }f(v)$$

ω

(
f
)

=

∑

v
∈
V
(
G
)

f

(
v
)

. The minimum weight among all secure Italian dominating functions on G is the secure Italian domination number of G. This paper is devoted to initiating the study of the secure Italian domination number of a graph. In particular, we prove that the problem of finding this parameter is NP-hard and we obtain general bounds on it. Moreover, for certain classes of graphs, we obtain closed formulas for this novel parameter.
Incremental predictive clustering trees for online semi-supervised multi-target regression
Authors: Osojnik Aljaž , Panov Panče , Džeroski Sašo
Published: October 2020

In many application settings, labeling data examples is a costly endeavor, while unlabeled examples are abundant and cheap to produce. Labeling examples can be particularly problematic in an online setting, where there can be arbitrarily many examples that arrive at high frequencies. It is also problematic when we need to predict complex values (e.g., multiple real values), a task that has started receiving considerable attention, but mostly in the batch setting. In this paper, we propose a method for online semi-supervised multi-target regression. It is based on incremental trees for multi-target regression and the predictive clustering framework. Furthermore, it utilizes unlabeled examples to improve its predictive performance as compared to using just the labeled examples. We compare the proposed iSOUP-PCT method with supervised tree methods, which do not use unlabeled examples, and to an oracle method, which uses unlabeled examples as though they were labeled. Additionally, we compare the proposed method to the available state-of-the-art methods. The method achieves good predictive performance on account of increased consumption of computational resources as compared to its supervised variant. The proposed method also beats the state-of-the-art in the case of very few labeled examples in terms of performance, while achieving comparable performance when the labeled examples are more common.
The Role of RNA Interference in Functional Cure Strategies for Chronic Hepatitis B
Authors: Nayagam Jeremy S , Cargill Zillah C , Agarwal Kosh
Published: October 2020

Purpose of Review

Current treatments for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) are associated with low rates of cure. Functional cure has been accepted as a viable treatment end point in CHB. There have been substantial advances in the field of RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics across a wide range of specialties, and the clinical pipeline now encompasses CHB. This review will highlight some of the challenges in therapeutic development, the data for RNAi in CHB, and future directions for the field.

Recent Findings

Early phase clinical trials have reported good safety data for RNAi therapies in CHB and demonstrated significant reductions in quantitative HBsAg levels (qHBsAg). Animal models however suggest that in HBeAg-negative individuals, HBsAg may be derived from hepatitis B DNA integrated into the host genome, which cannot be targeted by current RNAi therapies, and may prove to be a limitation. Preliminary data is being presented from combination therapy, which may result in more robust reductions in qHBsAg; however, trials are in the early stages of recruitment.

Despite promising data that RNAi may be an effective therapeutic strategy in CHB, it is unlikely to be in the form of monotherapy. The goal for the community will be to find the right combination of RNAi therapy with other antiviral or immunomodulatory agents, to achieve functional cure with a cessation of therapy. Early phase clinical trials are continuing to recruit, and data from combination studies will provide a “pivot point” in determining whether RNAi therapies can provide a backbone to finite duration and curative CHB regimens.