bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research governance authorisation: the next frontier
Authors: Hollingworth Samantha , Mckavanagh Dan , McPherson Ian , Walpole Euan , Yu Su-Yeon
Published: January 2021

Objective There is much interest in examining the use of medicines and their real-world benefits and harms using routinely collected data sources such as patients’ electronic medical records in hospitals in order to optimise use and health outcomes. This study aimed to describe the process and challenges involved in obtaining ethical approval and research governance authorisation for a research project that started on 7 December 2018 in Queensland and make recommendations for improving the process. Methods There were three aspects: (a) ethics approval; (b) governance – site-specific assessment (SSA); and (c) governance – Public Health Act (PHA) Application Assessment. Results The process to satisfy all requirements took more than 1 year (371 days); ethics took 16 days and PHA approval 16 days. The major hurdle was the SSA, which took 98–274 days across five sites. The main issues were opaqueness in processes and inconsistences in approach leading to considerable frustration. Discussion It is recommendeded that Research Governance Offices should be clear on the process and requirements. All Local Hospital Networks (LHN, Hospital and Health Services in Queensland) should develop and adopt a standardised low and negligible risk SSA approval process. Frustration of government officials and researchers led the National Health and Medical Research Council to streamline ethics approval processes, but the same cannot be said for the governance process. It is appreciated that LHN processes were developed for good and valid reasons, but the onerous and inconsistent application of these processes hinder timely and relevant research. It is time for action: follow the success of the ethics process to redesign governance. What is known about the topic? Researchers are interested in examining the use of medicines and their real-world benefits and harms using routinely collected data sources such as patients’ electronic medical records in hospitals in order to optimise use and health outcomes. There are challenges in obtaining ethical approval and research governance authorisation for research projects. What does this paper add? We identified that the main hurdle was obtaining site-specific agreements across numerous hospital sites. What are the implications for practitioners? We recommend that Research Governance Offices should be clear on the process and requirements. All Local Hospital Networks (LHN, Hospital and Health Services in Queensland) should develop and adopt a standardised low and negligible risk SSA approval process. The ethics approval process has been streamlined in recent years so we need to follow this success to redesign governance.
Decadal change in a population of western pond turtles at an isolated agricultural site in the San Joaquin Valley, California, USA
Authors: Germano David J.
Published: January 2021

Although necessary for humans, agriculture can negatively affect populations of other species through direct and indirect means. This is true even for aquatic turtles, which require terrestrial areas in which to nest. The western pond turtle (Actinemys marmorata; sensu lato) has lost most of its habitat in the Central Valley of California, USA, to agricultural activities, flood control, and urbanisation. Although a few areas still support this turtle, most habitats are now altered by humans. In 1999 and 2009, I trapped western pond turtles at a remnant slough surrounded by irrigated agricultural fields in the San Joaquin Valley portion of the Central Valley. In 1999, I caught 123 turtles in 2 days of trapping (4.39 turtles/trap night) and in 2009 I caught 216 turtles in 4 days of trapping (4.15 turtles/trap night). Both sexes grew fast, similar to other sites in the San Joaquin Valley. I caught significantly more turtles ≤5 years of age in 2009 than in 1999, but significantly fewer large adults. In 2009, I X-rayed females and the mean clutch size was 7.4 (n=7). Although activities and vegetative cover associated with agriculture can impact aquatic turtles, the population of western pond turtles at the slough were reproducing well, but the marked decline in the number of large adults is of concern for the long-term sustainability of this population.
Irrigation.
Authors: Morgan Lynette
Published: January 2021

Crop production in many regions has been reliant on irrigation for almost as long as man has been cultivating plant life. For 6000 years, irrigation has ranked among the most powerful tools of human advancement (Postel, 1999), and by the start of the 21st century no less than 75% of the world's fresh water was in use for agricultural production (Levy and Coleman, 2014). In 2012, twenty percent of total cultivated land was under irrigation, contributing forty percent of the total food production worldwide, this represented 275 million hectares under actual irrigation with a total of 324 million hectares equipped for irrigation (FAO, 2016). Irrigation, which can be defined as 'the artificial application of water to land, soil or other growing medium for the purposes of crop growth', has become a global issue in more recent times as the increasing demand for fresh water has seen problems develop with water scarcity, quality issues and conflict over usage.
Food safety.
Authors: Morgan Lynette
Published: January 2021

Food that is safe, nutritious and free from contamination concerns all who grow, produce, process, store, package, market and consume plant products. Severe implications can result from ingesting produce that is harbouring any one of a wide and diverse range of bacterial, fungal, parasitic or viral pathogenic organisms, heavy metals, pesticides, naturally-occurring or synthetic contaminants or toxins, or allergens. Food safety-related deaths are recorded each year and a vast number of milder, unreported or undiagnosed illnesses also occur. Food safety regulations, controls, testing and monitoring are continuing to develop in most countries, helping to ensure an increasingly safe food supply. However, many under-developed nations still suffer extensive foodborne illness where food may be scarce and regulations limited.
Pollination.
Authors: Cottrell Vicki
Published: January 2021

Pollination of flowers is the transfer of pollen grains (haploid male spores) from the anther (part of the androecium) to the stigma (part of the gynoecium) by biotic or abiotic factors (Sliwinska and Bewley, 2014). For seed and fruit production of agricultural crops the main pollinating agents are wind and insects (George, 2011). After a pollen grain is transferred to a receptive stigma, it absorbs water from the stigma surface and germinates. A pollen tube then grows down into the stigma, through the gynoecium and through the apical micropyle; from there it grows into an ovule in the ovary and double fertilisation then takes place. Two sperm are released into the embryo sac; one fertilises the ovule to produce a diploid zygote, and the other joins with two polar nuclei in the ovule to produce a triploid nucleus that will then develop into the nutrient-rich endosperm (Willmer, 2011). Pollen grain diameter is usually in the range 20-70 μm, and the surface structure and morphology varies considerably between plant species and dispersal mechanism (Wiltshire, 2010). Air temperature can have an effect on pollen formation and viability, with high temperatures potentially leading to sterile pollen (Bosland and Votava, 2012). Irradiated pollen grains are still able to germinate and produce pollen tubes that reach the ovule (Germana, 2012). Although they are unable to fertilise the egg cell, this process induces parthenogenesis and has been widely used to produce haploid fruits (Germana, 2012).
Urban horticulture.
Authors: Geoffriau E. , Cannovo P. , Beaudet L. , Galopin G. , Chantoiseau E. , Bournet P. E. , Coisnon T. , Rousselière D. , de Bon Hubert
Published: January 2021

At the beginning of the 19th century Heinrich von Thunen developed a model on agricultural land usage. The model generated four concentric rings of agricultural activity with dairy and intensive farming being closest to the city centre. The use of a piece of land is affected by the physical potentialities of the soil, but mainly depends on the cost of transport to market. Dairy and intensive farming are closest to the city centre since vegetables, fruit, milk and other dairy products must get to the market quickly. This is one reason for the development of peri-urban vegetable farms in the 19th century that produced high value products with high perishability. Due to its intensive character and important role for feeding people, horticulture in and around the city is widespread and its development is growing in relation to increasing city sizes. Cities of the developing world are somewhat more advanced in the development of multifunctional urban horticulture, as described by de Bon et al. (2015), but very diverse new forms are emerging in Northern hemisphere countries. One challenge of urban production is to produce safe food in an urban, often-polluted environment. In this article, following a description of urban horticulture, some main components are discussed in relation to current concerns and evolutions: the diverse cropping systems and the business models associated with that form of horticulture; the provided ecosystem services; the evolution of technologies in relation with soil and product quality; the diversity of crops; economic values and organizational forms.
Large pH oscillations promote host defense against human airways infection
Authors: Kim Dusik , Liao Jie , Scales Nathan B. , Martini Carolina , Luan Xiaojie , Abu-Arish Asmahan , Robert Renaud , Luo Yishan , McKay Geoffrey A. , Nguyen Dao , Tewfik Marc A. , Poirier Charles D. , Matouk Elias , Ianowski Juan P. , Frenkiel Saul , Hanrahan John W.
Published: January 2021

The airway mucosal microenvironment is crucial for host defense against inhaled pathogens but remains poorly understood. We report here that the airway surface normally undergoes surprisingly large excursions in pH during breathing that can reach pH 9.0 during inhalation, making it the most alkaline fluid in the body. Transient alkalinization requires luminal bicarbonate and membrane-bound carbonic anhydrase 12 (CA12) and is antimicrobial. Luminal bicarbonate concentration and CA12 expression are both reduced in cystic fibrosis (CF), and mucus accumulation both buffers the pH and obstructs airflow, further suppressing the oscillations and bacterial-killing efficacy. Defective pH oscillations may compromise airway host defense in other respiratory diseases and explain CF-like airway infections in people with CA12 mutations.
Kepler’s shaping of Mars’ orbit or astronomy on a tabletop
Authors: Buendia-Rios Tania M , Fabián Felipe E , Guzmán Elda , Molina Angel M , Núñez-Yépez H N , Salas-Brito A L
Published: January 2021

We describe a method that could have been used by Kepler to determine the shape and dimensions of Mars’ orbit around the Sun, starting from observations of its path across the night sky. Though we use Kepler’s work as a motivation, our approach does not intend to suggest that this method was actually used by him. Rather, it is only intended to show beginning undergraduate students what may be discovered about the planets using basic observational data together with simple geometric methods. We employ publicly available Harvard sky patrol (HSP) photographs of Mars at different moments in the Earth’s year to get its ecliptic coordinates, locate them on a Sun-centered coordinate system, and finally plot them on a sheet of paper. From this orbital graph, we obtain the shape and dimensions of Mars’ orbit around the Sun, using the radius of the Earth’s orbit to set the scale. By generalizing this orbital shape to the other planets in the Solar System, students may be led to conclude Kepler’s first and second laws. Other features of the scaled-down Martian orbit may be directly measured from the paper orbit. To obtain the actual values for such features, we only need to scale them up. The quantities thus determined agree well (within a surprising 5%) with those reported by NASA.
A measuring system for monitoring multi-nozzle spraying tools
Authors: Schulz Florian , Reincke Franziska , Mrochen Matthias , Beyrau Frank
Published: January 2021

Spray tools with multi-nozzle-arrays are used in a wide variety of applications. Monitoring the functionality of complex spraying tools with a large number of individual nozzles is a great challenge. For this purpose, we have developed a measurement technique based on the wetting pattern, which forms on a surface during spray impingement. To investigate the performance of this measurement technique we applied a spraying tool with nine external mixing air-water nozzles, the geometric alignment of which can be freely adjusted. In the first test series, the precision of the evaluation of the nozzle alignment is determined. The second test series focuses on the individual sizes of the wetted areas. Here the reproducibility, the influences of the operating modes and the nozzle type were evaluated. Subsequently, the functionality is tested in an exemplary test case in which two of nine nozzles were readjusted in a defined manner. Finally, the wetting pattern resulting from injecting a full spray is discussed and the necessary image processing steps are provided. In summary, this measuring system allows efficient, fast and cost-effective control and documentation of the alignment and functionality of spraying tools, thereby avoiding production downtime and related costs.
The effects of cesium lead bromide quantum dots on the performance of copper phthalocyanine-based organic field-effect transistors
Authors: Shukla Preeti , Yadav Sarita , Patel M S , Kumar Pramendra , Kumar Naresh , Kumar Lokendra
Published: January 2021

Highly luminescent all-inorganic cesium lead bromide (CsPbBr3) perovskite quantum dots (QDs) have been extensively used as a photosensitizer in optoelectronic devices, while p-type small-organic-molecule copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) is also widely used as a photoactive material in solar cells, organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), etc. In this paper, we report the preparation of a CsPbBr3-QDs/CuPc heterostructure to study the effect of CsPbBr3-QDs on CuPc. The optical properties of both CuPc and the QDs/CuPc heterostructure were compared and contrasted using UV–vis absorbance and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. Furthermore, to study their electronic and charge transfer features, we fabricated field-effect transistors (FETs) on both pristine CuPc and QDs/CuPc heterostructure thin films and studied their photoresponsive electrical characteristics. Both pristine and QDs/CuPc-based FETs showed an enhancement in current and carrier mobility under illumination. The enhancement in the current and carrier mobility of the QDs/CuPc-based FETs is due to a large number of photoexcited charge carriers. We also observed that the current and carrier mobility in the QDs/CuPc heterostructure-based FET were lower than those of the pristine CuPc-based FET. This can be explained by the n-type doping effect of CsPbBr3 QDs on CuPc, which reduces the accumulation of holes in the active p-channel near the insulating layer and causes charge to be transferred from the QDs to the CuPc. Thus, we have observed a charge transfer effect in the CsPbBr3 QDs/CuPc heterostructure, which can be used in optoelectronic devices.
Algebraic bounds on the Rayleigh–Bénard attractor
Authors: Cao Yu , Jolly Michael S , Titi Edriss S , Whitehead Jared P
Published: January 2021

The Rayleigh–Bénard system with stress-free boundary conditions is shown to have a global attractor in each affine space where velocity has fixed spatial average. The physical problem is shown to be equivalent to one with periodic boundary conditions and certain symmetries. This enables a Gronwall estimate on enstrophy. That estimate is then used to bound the L
2 norm of the temperature gradient on the global attractor, which, in turn, is used to find a bounding region for the attractor in the enstrophy–palinstrophy plane. All final bounds are algebraic in the viscosity and thermal diffusivity, a significant improvement over previously established estimates. The sharpness of the bounds are tested with numerical simulations.
Commercial virtual reality headsets for developing augmented reality setups to track three-dimensional motion in real time
Authors: Rosi Tommaso , Perini Marica , Onorato Pasquale , Oss Stefano
Published: January 2021

We designed and tested a 3D motion tracking system which displays acquired and derived data using augmented reality. This setup, based on a virtual reality headset and its controllers, is a relatively low-cost, high-precision, six degrees of freedom, high-speed, multiple-objects tracking device. This apparatus proves to be a very high-quality motion sensor which can be used in the physics laboratory for motion tracking. Stereo cameras may also be attached to the headset in order to achieve augmented reality, which can be a winning addition in order to effectively use these devices in the physics laboratory. In view of its characteristics, this system can be adopted in the study of motion both at high school and undergraduate physics laboratories.
Analyzing the rotational motion of a rectangular board via smartphone sensors: a conservation-of-mechanical-energy approach
Authors: Puttharugsa Chokchai , Pimanpang Samuk
Published: January 2021

This paper describes the use of a smartphone’s motion sensors in investigating the rotational motion of a rectangular board rotating around a fixed axis. The smartphone’s motion, orientation, rotational rate, and acceleration are simultaneously recorded across the x-, y-, and z-axes. In the experiment, the experimental data (angular position and angular speed of the rotating board) were recorded and were processed to demonstrate the conservation of mechanical energy during rotation. We expect that this article gives an idea of how smartphone-based physics experiments can be useful for physics teachers. Moreover, this experiment helps students better understand the rotational motion of a rectangular board in relation to the conservation of energy.
Short-term solar irradiance forecasting using convolutional neural networks and cloud imagery
Authors: Choi Minsoo , Rachunok Benjamin , Nateghi Roshanak
Published: January 2021

Access to accurate, generalizable and scalable solar irradiance prediction is critical for smooth solar-grid integration, especially in the light of the accelerated global adoption of solar energy production. Both physical and statistical prediction models of solar irradiance have been proposed in the literature. Physical models require meteorological forecasts—generated by computationally expensive models—to predict solar irradiance, with limited accuracy in sub-daily predictions. Statistical models leverage in-situ measurements which require expensive equipment and do not account for meso-scale atmospheric dynamics. We address these fundamental gaps by developing a convolutional global horizontal irradiance prediction model, using convolutional neural networks and publicly accessible satellite cloud images. Our proposed model predicts solar irradiance in 12 different locations in the US for various prediction time horizons. Our model yields up to 24% improvement in an hour-ahead predictions and 26% in a day-ahead predictions compared to a persistence forecast. Moreover, using saliency maps and target-location-focused cropping, we demonstrate the benefits of incorporating meso-scale atmospheric dynamics for prediction performance. Our results are critical for energy systems planners, utility managers and electricity market participants to ensure efficient harvesting of the solar energy and reliable operation of the grid.
Irregular model sets and tame dynamics
Authors: Fuhrmann G. , Glasner E. , Jäger T. , Oertel C.
Published: January 2021

We study the dynamical properties of irregular model sets and show that the translation action on their hull always admits an infinite independence set. The dynamics can therefore not be tame and the topological sequence entropy is strictly positive. Extending the proof to a more general setting, we further obtain that tame implies regular for almost automorphic group actions on compact spaces.

In the converse direction, we show that even in the restrictive case of Euclidean cut and project schemes irregular model sets may be uniquely ergodic and have zero topological entropy. This provides negative answers to questions by Schlottmann and Moody in the Euclidean setting.
Myosin II and Arp2/3 cross-talk governs intracellular hydraulic pressure and lamellipodia formation
Authors: Patel Shivani , McKeon Donna , Sao Kimheak , Yang Changsong , Naranjo Nicole M. , Svitkina Tatyana M. , Petrie Ryan J.
Published: January 2021

RhoA signaling can inhibit lamellipodia formation via two distinct pathways in high-pressure cells.
Performance of deep learning restoration methods for the extraction of particle dynamics in noisy microscopy image sequences
Authors: Kefer Paul , Iqbal Fadil , Locatelli Maelle , Lawrimore Josh , Zhang Mengdi , Bloom Kerry , Bonin Keith , Vidi Pierre-Alexandre , Liu Jing
Published: January 2021

Deep learning offers revolutionary answers to old challenges, in particular for quantitative microscopy. An example is content-aware image restoration that improves the quality of noisy images. A key question is to what extent biological information is restored. Our work addresses this question using particle tracking as an objective metric.
Invited Commentary: Quantitative Bias Analysis Can See the Forest for the Trees
Authors: Gustafson Paul
Published: January 2021

The accompanying article by Jiang et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2021;190(9):1830–1840) extends quantitative bias analysis from the realm of statistical models to the realm of machine learning algorithms. Given the rooting of statistical models in the spirit of explanation and the rooting of machine learning algorithms in the spirt of prediction, this extension is thought-provoking indeed. Some such thoughts are expounded upon here.
Invited Commentary: Do Small Cause-of-Death Correlations Throw Into Question the Notion of a Collective “Deaths of Despair” Phenomenon?
Authors: Siddiqi Arjumand , Sod-Erdene Odmaa
Published: January 2021

Since the turn of the 21st century, during which White mortality has been rising, there has been a sharp increase in only 3 causes of death: drug use, alcohol use, and suicide. Because all 3 of these causes conjure notions of anguish and hopelessness, they have been conceptualized as a collective “deaths of despair” phenomenon. Simon and Masters (Am J Epidemiol. 2021;190(6)1169-1171) challenge this conceptualization by asking whether these 3 causes are empirically associated with each other. Their analyses produce small correlations, which lead them to call into question that the 3 causes are part of a unified phenomenon. We contest their work on several grounds. Their analyses suffer from several technical problems, including the fact that, for any given year and cause of death, 65.8%–97.6% of counties examined have death counts under 10. More fundamentally, it is unclear that we should expect these causes of death to rise and fall together, even if they are connected to a singular phenomenon. Instead, “despair” might manifest differently in different places (i.e., these causes might be substitutes for each other). We argue that the best answer to the authors’ important question comes from assessing whether there is a common, despair-based causal mechanism underlying all 3 of them.
The Impact of Vaccination on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Outbreaks in the United States
Authors: Moghadas Seyed M , Vilches Thomas N , Zhang Kevin , Wells Chad R , Shoukat Affan , Singer Burton H , Meyers Lauren Ancel , Neuzil Kathleen M , Langley Joanne M , Fitzpatrick Meagan C , Galvani Alison P
Published: January 2021

Background

Global vaccine development efforts have been accelerated in response to the devastating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We evaluated the impact of a 2-dose COVID-19 vaccination campaign on reducing incidence, hospitalizations, and deaths in the United States.

Methods

We developed an agent-based model of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission and parameterized it with US demographics and age-specific COVID-19 outcomes. Healthcare workers and high-risk individuals were prioritized for vaccination, whereas children under 18 years of age were not vaccinated. We considered a vaccine efficacy of 95% against disease following 2 doses administered 21 days apart achieving 40% vaccine coverage of the overall population within 284 days. We varied vaccine efficacy against infection and specified 10% preexisting population immunity for the base-case scenario. The model was calibrated to an effective reproduction number of 1.2, accounting for current nonpharmaceutical interventions in the United States.

Results

Vaccination reduced the overall attack rate to 4.6% (95% credible interval [CrI]: 4.3%–5.0%) from 9.0% (95% CrI: 8.4%–9.4%) without vaccination, over 300 days. The highest relative reduction (54%–62%) was observed among individuals aged 65 and older. Vaccination markedly reduced adverse outcomes, with non-intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalizations, ICU hospitalizations, and deaths decreasing by 63.5% (95% CrI: 60.3%–66.7%), 65.6% (95% CrI: 62.2%–68.6%), and 69.3% (95% CrI: 65.5%–73.1%), respectively, across the same period.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that vaccination can have a substantial impact on mitigating COVID-19 outbreaks, even with limited protection against infection. However, continued compliance with nonpharmaceutical interventions is essential to achieve this impact.
Absence of Vaccine-enhanced Disease With Unexpected Positive Protection Against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by Inactivated Vaccine Given Within 3 Days of Virus Challenge in Syrian Hamster Model
Authors: Li Can , Chen Yan-Xia , Liu Fei-Fei , Lee Andrew Chak-Yiu , Zhao Yan , Ye Zhan-Hong , Cai Jian-Piao , Chu Hin , Zhang Rui-Qi , Chan Kwok-Hung , Chiu Kelvin Hei-Yeung , Lung David Christopher , Sridhar Siddharth , Hung Ivan Fan-Ngai , To Kelvin Kai-Wang , Zhang Anna Jin-Xia , Chan Jasper Fuk-Woo , Yuen Kwok-Yung
Published: January 2021

Background

Mass vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is ongoing amidst widespread transmission during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Disease phenotypes of SARS-CoV-2 exposure occurring around the time of vaccine administration have not been described.

Methods

Two-dose (14 days apart) vaccination regimen with formalin-inactivated whole virion SARS-CoV-2 in golden Syrian hamster model was established. To investigate the disease phenotypes of a 1-dose regimen given 3 days prior (D-3), 1 (D1) or 2 (D2) days after, or on the day (D0) of virus challenge, we monitored the serial clinical severity, tissue histopathology, virus burden, and antibody response of the vaccinated hamsters.

Results

The 1-dose vaccinated hamsters had significantly lower clinical disease severity score, body weight loss, lung histology score, nucleocapsid protein expression in lung, infectious virus titers in the lung and nasal turbinate, inflammatory changes in intestines, and a higher serum neutralizing antibody or IgG titer against the spike receptor-binding domain or nucleocapsid protein when compared to unvaccinated controls. These improvements were particularly noticeable in D-3, but also in D0, D1, and even D2 vaccinated hamsters to varying degrees. No increased eosinophilic infiltration was found in the nasal turbinate, lung, and intestine after virus challenge. Significantly higher serum titer of fluorescent foci microneutralization inhibition antibody was detected in D1 and D2 vaccinated hamsters at day 4 post-challenge compared to controls despite undetectable neutralizing antibody titer.

Conclusions

Vaccination just before or soon after exposure to SARS-CoV-2 does not worsen disease phenotypes and may even ameliorate infection.
Heads or Tails? Dung Beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae and Aphodiinae) Attraction to Carrion
Authors: Stone Rachel L , Engasser Emmy L , Jameson Mary Liz
Published: January 2021

Necrophilous insects occupy an ecologically interesting niche because carrion is a highly desirable but ephemeral food source. Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae and Aphodiinae) within temperate regions are frequently found at carrion, but little is known about their attraction to this resource. Are dung beetles attracted to the carrion itself or are they indirectly attracted due to the exposed gastrointestinal contents? We investigated the association between dung beetles and carrion by examining the distribution of dung beetles on the cranial and caudal end of rat carcasses, delimiting a resource more attractive to necrophagous insects (cranial end) from a resource more attractive to coprophagous insects (caudal end). Dung beetle distribution on rat carcasses was compared with the distribution of carrion beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae), which serve as a null model of distribution patterns for a taxon known to directly target carrion. Results demonstrated that dung beetles show higher attraction to the cranial end of rat carrion. A similar distribution pattern was found in carrion beetles, suggesting that similar resources were targeted. When dung beetles were grouped by behavioral guilds, rollers and tunnelers also shared this pattern of greater abundance at the cranial end, but dwellers showed no discernible difference.
The nucleation of the Izmit and Düzce earthquakes: some mechanical logic on where and how ruptures began
Authors: Bouchon Michel , Karabulut Hayrullah , Aktar Mustafa , Özalaybey Serdar , Schmittbuhl Jean , Bouin Marie-Paule , Marsan David
Published: January 2021

In spite of growing evidence that many earthquakes are preceded by increased seismic activity, the nature of this activity is still poorly understood. Is it the result of a mostly random process related to the natural tendency of seismic events to cluster in time and space, in which case there is little hope to ever predict earthquakes? Or is it the sign that a physical process that will lead to the impending rupture has begun, in which case we should attempt to identify this process. With this aim we take a further look at the nucleation of two of the best recorded and documented strike-slip earthquakes to date, the 1999 Izmit and Düzce earthquakes which ruptured the North Anatolian Fault over ∼200 km. We show the existence of a remarkable mechanical logic linking together nucleation characteristics, stress loading, fault geometry and rupture speed. In both earthquakes the observations point to slow aseismic slip occurring near the ductile-to-brittle transition zone as the motor of their nucleation.
The cognitive development from childhood to adolescence of low birthweight children born after medically assisted reproduction—a UK longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Cozzani Marco , Aradhya Siddartha , Goisis Alice
Published: January 2021

Background

Previous research has documented that children conceived through medically assisted reproduction (MAR) are at increased risk of poor birth outcomes, such as low birthweight (LBW), which are risk factors for stunted longer-term cognitive development. However, parents who undergo MAR to conceive have, on average, advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds which could compensate for the negative effects of being born LBW. Previous studies have not analysed whether the negative effects of LBW are attenuated among MAR conceived children.

Methods

We draw on the UK Millennium Cohort Study (sweeps 1–6) which contains a sub-sample of (N = 396) MAR-conceived children. The dependent variable measures cognitive ability at around ages 3, 5, 7, 11 and 14. We examine the cognitive development of four groups of children: MAR-conceived low birthweight (MAR LBW); MAR-conceived non-low birthweight (MAR NLBW); naturally conceived low birthweight (NC LBW); naturally conceived non-low birthweight (NC NLBW). We estimate the two following linear regression models for each sweep: (i) a baseline model to examine the unadjusted association between cognitive development and low birthweight by mode of conception; and (ii) a model adjusted by socio-demographic family characteristics.

Results

In baseline models, MAR LBW children [age 3: β  =  0.021, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.198, 0.241; age 5: β  =  0.21, 95% CI: 0.009, 0.418; age 7: β  =  0.163, 95% CI: -0.148, 0.474; age 11: β  =  0.003, 95% CI: -0.318, 0.325; age 14: β  =  0.156, 95% CI: -0.205, 0.517], on average perform similarly in cognitive ability relative to NC NLBW at all ages, and display higher cognitive scores than NC LBW children until age 7. When we account for family characteristics, differences are largely attenuated and become close to zero at age 14.

Conclusions

Despite the higher incidence of LBW among MAR compared with NC children, they do not seem to experience any disadvantage in their cognitive development compared with naturally conceived children. This finding is likely explained by the fact that, on average, MAR children are born to socioeconomically advantaged parents.
Effective Treatment of Cutaneous Mold Infections by Antimicrobial Blue Light That Is Potentiated by Quinine
Authors: Leanse Leon G , dos Anjos Carolina , Wang Ying , Murray Clinton K , Hooper David C , Dai Tianhong
Published: January 2021

Background

Cutaneous mold infections commonly result from an array of traumatic injuries that involve direct inoculation of contaminated soil into wounds. Here, we explored the use of antimicrobial blue light (aBL; 405 nm wavelength) and the combination of aBL with quinine hydrochloride (aBL + Q-HCL) for the treatment of cutaneous mold infections.

Methods

Efficacy of aBL and aBL + Q-HCL in killing clinically important pathogenic molds (Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, and Fusarium oxyprorum) was investigated. Ultraperformance liquid chromatography identified and quantified endogenous porphyrins in the mold conidia. Finally, a mouse model of dermabrasion wound infected with a bioluminescent variant of A. fumigatus was developed to investigate the efficacy of aBL in treating cutaneous mold infections.

Results

We demonstrated that mold conidia are tolerant to aBL, but Q-HCL enhances efficacy. Transmission electron microscopy revealed intracellular damage by aBL. aBL + Q-HCL resulted in intracellular and cell wall damage. Porphyrins were observed in all mold strains, with A. fumigatus having the highest concentration. aBL and aBL + Q-HCL effectively reduced the burden of A. fumigatus within an established dermabrasion infection and limited recurrence posttreatment.

Conclusions

aBL and aBL + Q-HCL may offer a novel approach for the treatment of mold infections.
Atezolizumab and nab-Paclitaxel in Advanced Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Biomarker Evaluation of the IMpassion130 Study
Authors: Emens Leisha A , Molinero Luciana , Loi Sherene , Rugo Hope S , Schneeweiss Andreas , Diéras Véronique , Iwata Hiroji , Barrios Carlos H , Nechaeva Marina , Nguyen-Duc Anh , Chui Stephen Y , Husain Amreen , Winer Eric P , Adams Sylvia , Schmid Peter
Published: January 2021

Background

Understanding the impact of the tumor immune microenvironment and BRCA1/2-related DNA repair deficiencies on the clinical activity of immune checkpoint inhibitors may help optimize both patient and treatment selection in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. In this substudy from the phase 3 IMpassion130 trial, immune biomarkers and BRCA1/2 alterations were evaluated for association with clinical benefit with atezolizumab and nab-paclitaxel (A+nP) vs placebo and nP in unresectable (P+nP) locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer.

Methods

Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to nab-paclitaxel 100 mg/m2 (days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle) and atezolizumab 840 mg every 2 weeks or placebo until progression or toxicity. Progression-free survival and overall survival were evaluated based on programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression on immune cells (IC) and tumor cells, intratumoral CD8, stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and BRCA1/2 mutations.

Results

PD-L1 IC+ in either primary or metastatic tumor tissue was linked to progression-free survival and overall survival benefit with A+nP. PD-L1 IC+ low (26.9%; 243 of 902 patients) and high (13.9%; 125 of 902 patients) populations had improved outcomes that were comparable. Intratumoral CD8 and stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes positivity (sTIL+) were associated with PD-L1 IC+ status; improved outcomes were observed with A+nP vs P+nP only in CD8+ and sTIL+ patients who were also PD-L1 IC+. BRCA1/2 mutations (occurring in 14.5% [89 of 612 patients]) were not associated with PD-L1 IC status, and PD-L1 IC+ patients benefited from A+nP regardless of BRCA1/2 mutation status.

Conclusions

Although A+nP was more efficacious in patients with richer tumor immune microenvironment, clinical benefit was only observed in patients whose tumors were PD-L1 IC+.
Conducting Pre-deployment Training in Honduras: The 240th Forward Resuscitative Surgical Team Experience
Authors: Huh Jeannie , Brockmeyer Joel R , Bertsch Stephen R , Vanderspurt Cecily , Batig Timothy S , Clemens Michael
Published: January 2021

Introduction

Since January 2002, pre-deployment training of forward resuscitative and surgical units has taken place at the U.S. Army Trauma Training Center (ATTC) in Miami, FL. In June 2019, the 240th Forward Resuscitative Surgical Team (FRST) conducted the first pre-deployment Surgical Readiness Training Exercise (SURGRETE) in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, to allow the team to rehearse in a resource-constrained environment more similar to that expected on deployment. The purpose of this study is to describe and compare the pre-deployment training experiences of the 240th FRST during their SURGRETE in Honduras and ATTC rotation in Miami, FL.

Materials and Methods

A descriptive analysis of prospectively collected data was performed for surgical cases, trauma resuscitations, and nonsurgical procedures by the 240th FRST over a 2-week SURGRETE in Honduras and 2-week ATTC rotation in Miami, FL. Items accomplished within the Individual Critical Task Lists (ICTLs) of key clinical providers on the team (general surgeon, orthopedic surgeon, emergency medicine physician, and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) were identified and compared to those accomplished at the ATTC.

Results

During the SURGRETE in Honduras, 64 surgical cases, 1 trauma resuscitation, 2 Advanced Cardiac Life Support codes, and 213 nonsurgical procedures were performed collectively by the team. During ATTC rotation, the team performed a combined total of 10 surgical cases, 6 trauma resuscitations, and 56 nonsurgical procedures. For each key clinical provider, more of their assigned ICTLs were conducted during the Honduras SURGRETE than during ATTC rotation. The ATTC, however, offered more cases of acute life-threatening trauma.

Conclusion

Appropriately planned SURGRETEs can provide a concentrated case volume in a resource-constrained setting and challenge the team to consider definitive management algorithms. The cases performed may not necessarily reflect the type and acuity of operations performed in a deployed environment; however, they facilitate repetition of basic skills, team cohesion, and cross-training. The SURGRETE experience could be improved by locating a facility with a trauma-dominant patient population that allows increased autonomy of U.S. physicians.
The SAMI Galaxy Survey: the third and final data release
Authors: Croom Scott M , Owers Matt S , Scott Nicholas , Poetrodjojo Henry , Groves Brent , van de Sande Jesse , Barone Tania M , Cortese Luca , D’Eugenio Francesco , Bland-Hawthorn Joss , Bryant Julia , Oh Sree , Brough Sarah , Agostino James , Casura Sarah , Catinella Barbara , Colless Matthew , Cecil Gerald , Davies Roger L , Drinkwater Michael J , Driver Simon P , Ferreras Ignacio , Foster Caroline , Fraser-McKelvie Amelia , Lawrence Jon , Leslie Sarah K , Liske Jochen , López-Sánchez Ángel R , Lorente Nuria P F , McElroy Rebecca , Medling Anne M , Obreschkow Danail , Richards Samuel N , Sharp Rob , Sweet Sarah M , Taranu Dan S , Taylor Edward N , Tescari Edoardo , Thomas Adam D , Tocknell James , Vaughan Sam P
Published: January 2021

We have entered a new era where integral-field spectroscopic surveys of galaxies are sufficiently large to adequately sample large-scale structure over a cosmologically significant volume. This was the primary design goal of the SAMI Galaxy Survey. Here, in Data Release 3, we release data for the full sample of 3068 unique galaxies observed. This includes the SAMI cluster sample of 888 unique galaxies for the first time. For each galaxy, there are two primary spectral cubes covering the blue (370–570 nm) and red (630–740 nm) optical wavelength ranges at spectral resolving power of R = 1808 and 4304, respectively. For each primary cube, we also provide three spatially binned spectral cubes and a set of standardized aperture spectra. For each galaxy, we include complete 2D maps from parametrized fitting to the emission-line and absorption-line spectral data. These maps provide information on the gas ionization and kinematics, stellar kinematics and populations, and more. All data are available online through Australian Astronomical Optics Data Central.
Mock light-cones and theory friendly catalogues for the CANDELS survey
Authors: Somerville Rachel S , Olsen Charlotte , Yung L Y Aaron , Pacifici Camilla , Ferguson Henry C , Behroozi Peter , Osborne Shannon , Wechsler Risa H , Pandya Viraj , Faber Sandra M , Primack Joel R , Dekel Avishai
Published: January 2021

We present mock catalogues created to support the interpretation of the Cosmic Assembly Near-IR Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS). We extract haloes along past light-cones from the Bolshoi Planck dissipationless N-body simulations and populate these haloes with galaxies using two different independently developed semi-analytic models of galaxy formation and the empirical model universemachine. Our mock catalogues have geometries that encompass the footprints of observations associated with the five CANDELS fields. In order to allow field-to-field variance to be explored, we have created eight realizations of each field. In this paper, we present comparisons with observable global galaxy properties, including counts in observed frame bands, luminosity functions, colour–magnitude distributions and colour–colour distributions. We additionally present comparisons with physical galaxy parameters derived from SED fitting for the CANDELS observations, such as stellar masses and star formation rates. We find relatively good agreement between the model predictions and CANDELS observations for luminosity and stellar mass functions. We find poorer agreement for colours and star formation rate distributions. All of the mock light-cones as well as curated ‘theory friendly’ versions of the observational CANDELS catalogues are made available through a web-based data hub.
CoBiToM project – I. Contact binaries towards merging
Authors: Gazeas K D , Loukaidou G A , Niarchos P G , Palafouta S , Athanasopoulos D , Liakos A , Zola S , Essam A , Hakala P
Published: January 2021

Binary and multiple stellar systems are numerous in our solar neighbourhood with 80 per cent of the solar-type stars being members of systems with high order multiplicity. The Contact Binaries Towards Merging (CoBiToM) Project is a programme that focuses on contact binaries and multiple stellar systems, as a key for understanding stellar nature. The goal is to investigate stellar coalescence and merging processes, as the final state of stellar evolution of low-mass contact binary systems. Obtaining observational data of approximately 100 eclipsing binaries and multiple systems and more than 400 archival systems, the programme aspires to give insights for their physical and orbital parameters and their temporal variations, e.g. the orbital period modulation, spot activity etc. Gravitational phenomena in multiple-star environments will be linked with stellar evolution. A comprehensive analysis will be conducted, in order to investigate the possibility of contact binaries to host planets, as well as the link between inflated hot Jupiters and stellar mergers. The innovation of CoBiToM Project is based on a multimethod approach and a detailed investigation, that will shed light for the first time on the origin of stellar mergers and rapidly rotating stars. In this work, we describe the scientific rationale, the observing facilities to be used and the methods that will be followed to achieve the goals of CoBiToM Project and we present the first results as an example of the current research on evolution of contact binary systems.
Fate of stellar bars in minor merger of galaxies
Authors: Ghosh Soumavo , Saha Kanak , Di Matteo Paola , Combes Francoise
Published: January 2021

Minor merger of galaxies is common during the evolutionary phase of galaxies. Here, we investigate the dynamical impact of a minor merger (mass ratio 1:10) event on the final fate of a stellar bar in the merger remnant. To achieve that, we choose a set of minor merger models from the publicly available GalMer library of galaxy-merger simulations. The models differ in terms of their orbital energy, orientation of the orbital spin vector, and morphology of the satellite galaxy (discy/spheroidal). We demonstrate that the central stellar bar, initially present in the host galaxy, undergoes a transient bar amplification phase after each pericentre passage of the satellite; in concordance with past studies of bar excitation due to tidal encounter. However, once the merger happens, the central stellar bar weakens substantially in the post-merger remnants. The accumulation of satellite’s stars in the central region of merger remnant plays a key role in the bar-weakening process; causing a net increase in the central mass concentration as well as in the specific angular momentum content. We find that the efficiency of mass accumulation from the satellite in the central parts of merger remnants depends on the orbital parameters as well as on the satellite’s morphology. Consequently, different minor merger models display different degrees of bar-weakening event. This demonstrates that minor merger of galaxies is a plausible avenue for bar weakening in disc galaxies.
Discovering strongly lensed QSOs from unresolved light curves
Authors: Shu Yiping , Belokurov Vasily , Evans N Wyn
Published: January 2021

We present a new method of discovering galaxy-scale, strongly lensed QSO systems from unresolved light curves using the autocorrelation function. The method is tested on five rungs of simulated light curves from the Time Delay Challenge 1 that were designed to match the light-curve qualities from existing, ongoing, and forthcoming time-domain surveys such as the Medium Deep Survey of the Panoramic Survey Telescope And Rapid Response System 1, the Zwicky Transient Facility, and the Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time. Among simulated lens systems for which time delays can be successfully measured by current best algorithms, our method achieves an overall true-positive rate of 28–58 per cent for doubly imaged QSOs (doubles) and 36–60 per cent for quadruply imaged QSOs (quads) while maintains ≲10 per cent false-positive rates. We also apply the method to observed light curves of 22 known strongly lensed QSOs, and recover 20 per cent of doubles and 25 per cent of quads. The tests demonstrate the capability of our method for discovering strongly lensed QSOs from major time domain surveys. The performance of our method can be further improved by analysing multifilter light curves and supplementing with morphological, colour, and/or astrometric constraints. More importantly, our method is particularly useful for discovering small-separation strongly lensed QSOs, complementary to traditional imaging-based methods.