bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Noradrenergic uptake in the liver on 123I‐mIBG imaging: Influence of heart failure and diabetes
Authors: Jacobson Arnold F , Matsuoka Dale T
Published: May 2020

Background and Aim

Imaging noradrenergic uptake in the liver with norepinephrine analog 123I‐meta‐iodobenzylguanidine (mIBG) was explored in normal controls and patients with heart failure (HF).

Methods

A total of 961 HF (343 with diabetes mellitus [DM]) and 94 control subjects underwent anterior planar mIBG images including upper abdomen at 15 min (early) and 3 h 50 min (late) post‐injection. Decay‐corrected liver activity normalized to injected activity and body surface area (counts/pixel [cpp]/MBq/m2) was compared in three groups: HF with DM; HF without DM; and controls. Associations with plasma norepinephrine, liver function tests, and level of cardiac innervation were explored.

Results

In controls, liver mIBG activity decreased over time (early: 2.78 vs late: 2.43 cpp/MBq/m2, P < 0.0001); in HF subjects, activity increased during this interval (HF without DM: 2.85 vs 2.93 [P = 0.005]; HF with DM: 2.37 vs 2.43 [P = 0.054]). Early liver activity was lower in HF with DM subjects than in the other groups (P < 0.001); late liver activity was higher in HF without DM than in the other two groups (P < 0.01). Subjects with elevated plasma norepinephrine (> 520 pg/mL) or ≥ 1 abnormal liver function test had lower early and late liver activity. In subjects with preserved cardiac mIBG uptake, HF subjects had higher and control subjects lower liver activity than comparable subjects with decreased cardiac innervation.

Conclusions

In HF subjects, liver mIBG activity increased over time, reversing the normal washout pattern, suggesting a compensatory change in sympathetic nerve function. DM, abnormal liver function tests, and decreased cardiac innervation were associated with decreased liver mIBG uptake in HF.
Leukemic histiocytic sarcoma in a captive common squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus) with Saimiriine Gammaherpesvirus 2 (Rhadinovirus), Saimiri sciureus lymphocryptovirus 2 (Lymphocryptovirus) and Squirrel monkey retrovirus (β‐Retrovirus) coinfection
Authors: Buchanan Ann , Díaz‐Delgado Josué , Balamayooran Gaya , Anguiano Maritza , Groch Kátia , Krol Lana
Published: May 2020

Hematopoietic neoplasia other than lymphoma and leukemia is uncommon among non‐human primates. Herein, we provide the first evidence of occurrence of leukemic histiocytic sarcoma in a captive common squirrel monkey with Saimiriine Gammaherpesvirus 2 (Rhadinovirus), Saimiri sciureus lymphocryptovirus 2 (Lymphocryptovirus), and Squirrel monkey retrovirus (β‐Retrovirus) coinfection.
The Role of Marriage in Hegel’s Phenomenology
Authors: Arel Joseph
Published: May 2020

In the Phenomenology of Spirit, Hegel discusses marriage in his analysis of the first shape of Spirit, Ethical Life. Since it is analyzed in terms of a particular shape of spirit and set in Ancient Greece, it is difficult to understand both its use in the Phenomenology as well as what claims, if any, he is making about the institution of marriage as such. I aim to show that in this text, marriage functions as a fundamental context in which self‐knowing occurs.
Mind and body: Psychophysiological profiles of instructional and motivational self‐talk
Authors: Bellomo Eduardo , Cooke Andrew , Gallicchio Germano , Ring Christopher , Hardy James
Published: May 2020

Self‐talk is a psychological skill that benefits motor performance by controlling and organizing performers’ thoughts. While the behavioral effects of self‐talk are clear, research on the mechanisms underpinning the effects of different modes of self‐talk is sparse. To address this issue, we propose and test a psychophysiological model of the effects of self‐talk on motor performance. Forty golf novices practiced a golf putting task while using either instructional or motivational self‐talk preceding each putt. We measured performance (radial error), technique (club kinematics and muscle activity), cardiac activity (heart‐rate and event‐related heart‐rate change), as well as electroencephalographic alpha power and connectivity in a randomized (group: instructional self‐talk, motivational self‐talk) experimental design. Instructional self‐talk promoted superior technique and was associated with greater parietal alpha power and weaker connectivity between frontal and parietal electrodes and all other scalp sites, possibly indicative of increased top‐down control of action. These findings provide initial evidence for an information‐processing mechanism underlying the benefits of instructional self‐talk. They also cast doubt on the validity of left‐frontotemporal connectivity as a measure of verbal‐analytic processing during motor tasks. Motivational self‐talk led to increased heart‐rate and reduced event‐related heart rate variability, suggesting an effort‐based mechanism to explain the benefits of motivational self‐talk. Our study represents the most complete multi‐measure investigation of self‐talk to date. We hope that our psychophysiological model of self‐talk will encourage researchers to move beyond the exclusive reliance on behavioral and self‐report measures to discover the mechanisms underlying the benefits of self‐talk for performance.
Electrophysiological correlates of attentional selection in tactile search tasks: The impact of singleton distractors on target selection
Authors: Mena Carlos I. , Lang Kadi , Gherri Elena
Published: May 2020

Recent event‐related potential (ERP) studies have suggested that the N140cc component reflects target selection mechanisms in tactile search tasks in which the target is presented simultaneously with homogeneous distractors. To investigate if and how the attentional selection of the tactile target is affected by the presence of a singleton distractor, we presented a four‐item search array (two stimuli to the middle and index fingers of the left and right hand) which included a singleton distractor in addition to the target and two other homogenous distractors. Participants had to localize the target (top or bottom finger on either hand), while ignoring all distractors. Behavioral results revealed that the target localization was hindered by the presence of the singleton distractor as demonstrated by distractor‐presence costs for both speed and accuracy. ERP results confirmed that attention was directed to the singleton distractor when this was the only singleton item in the array as suggested by the presence of a distractor‐related N140cc component on distractor only trials. Furthermore, when target and singleton distractor were presented to opposite hands (contralateral distractor trials) the target‐related N140cc amplitude was reduced as compared to target only trials, suggesting reduced attentional resources to the target. However, when target and singleton distractor were presented to the same hand (ipsilateral distractor trials), the N140cc amplitude was comparable to that observed on target only trials. These findings suggest that the N140cc reflects the attentional selection of the target side rather than the competition between stimuli presented to the same hand.
Events, processes, and the time of a killing
Authors: Levy Yair
Published: May 2020

The paper proposes a novel solution to the problem of the time of a killing (ToK), which persistently besets theories of act‐individuation. The solution proposed claims to expose a crucial wrong‐headed assumption in the debate, according to which ToK is essentially a problem of locating some event that corresponds to the killing. The alternative proposal put forward here turns on recognizing a separate category of dynamic occurrents, viz. processes. The paper does not aim to mount a comprehensive defence of process ontology, relying instead on extant defences. The primary aim is rather to put process ontology to work in diagnosing the current state of play over ToK, and indeed in solving it.
'I know his needs better than my own' – carers’ support needs when caring for a person with dementia
Authors: Clemmensen Trine Holt , Lauridsen Henrik Hein , Andersen‐Ranberg Karen , Kristensen Hanne Kaae
Published: May 2020

Background

Caring for a person with dementia predisposes informal carers (carers) to mental and physical disability. Carers tend to focus on the needs of the person with dementia and have difficulties expressing their own needs for support. No instrument has yet been developed to directly assess carers’ support needs. The aim of this study is to clarify the main categories of carers’ support needs to inform future development of an instrument to assess carers’ support needs.

Methods

A qualitative approach combining focus group interviews with carers and professionals and individual interviews were used.

Results

Carers’ support needs were categorised into four areas: (i) daily life when caring for a person with dementia, (ii) focus on themselves, (iii) maintain own well‐being, and (iv) communicate and interact with surroundings.

Discussion

Carers have support needs in common regardless of the relation to the person with dementia. Carers tend to focus on the needs of the person with dementia, thus not knowing their own needs. The four main categories clarified in this study may inform the foundation of developing an instrument to facilitate dialogue between carers and professionals with the purpose of assessing carers’ support needs.
Lipidomic and transcriptomic profiling of developing nodules reveals the essential roles of active glycolysis and fatty acid and membrane lipid biosynthesis in soybean nodulation
Authors: Zhang Gaoyang , Ahmad Muhammad Z. , Chen Beibei , Manan Sehrish , Zhang Yuliang , Jin Huanan , Wang Xuemin , Zhao Jian
Published: May 2020

Symbiotic rhizobia‐legume interactions are energy‐demanding processes, and the carbon supply from host cells that is critically required for nodulation and nitrogen fixation is not fully understood. Investigation of the lipidomic and carbohydrate profiles with the transcriptome of developing nodules revealed highly activated glycolysis, fatty acid (FA), 2‐monoacylglycerol (2‐MAG), and membrane lipid biosynthesis and transport during nodule development. RNA‐sequence profiling of metabolic genes in roots and developing nodules highlighted the enhanced expression of genes involved in the biosynthesis and transport of FAs, membrane lipids, and 2‐MAG in rhizobia‐soybean symbioses via the RAML‐WRI‐FatM‐GPAT‐STRL pathway, which is similar to that in legume‐arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi symbiosis. The essential roles of the metabolic pathway during soybean nodulation were further supported by analysis of transgenic hairy roots overexpressing soybean GmWRI1b‐OE and GmLEC2a‐OE. GmLEC2a‐OE hairy roots produced fewer nodules, in contrast to GmWRI1b‐OE hairy roots. GmLEC2a‐OE hairy roots displayed different or even opposite expression patterns of the genes involved in glycolysis and the synthesis of FAs, 2‐MAG, TAG, and membrane lipids compared to GmWRI1b‐OE hairy roots. Glycolysis, FA and membrane lipid biosynthesis were repressed in GmLEC2a‐OE but increased in GmWRI1b‐OE hairy roots, which may account for the reduced nodulation in GmLEC2a‐OE hairy roots but increased nodulation in GmWRI1b‐OE hairy roots. These data show that active FA, 2‐MAG and membrane lipid biosynthesis are essential for nodulation and rhizobia‐soybean symbioses. These data shed light on essential and complex lipid metabolism for soybean nodulation and nodule development, laying the foundation for the future detailed investigation of soybean nodulation.
Molecular identification of some Haemaphysalis species (Acari: Ixodidae) using mitochondrial and nuclear evidences in parts of Iran

Authors: Faghihi Faezeh , Hosseini-chegeni Asadollah , Edalat Hamideh , Banafshi Omid , Telmadarraiy Zakkyeh , Sedaghat Mohammad Mehdi
Published: May 2020

Haemaphysalis is the second largest ixodid tick genus. We decided to identify the Iranian Haemaphysalis species with the analysis of mitochondrial (COI & 16S rRNA) and nuclear (ITS2) gene sequences. Finally, 21 PCR products were sequenced, successfully. Phylogenetic trees were analyzed using BEAST software and Bayesian Inference method. Ha. sulcata and Ha. punctata were well differentiated using the 16S rRNA, COI and ITS2 genes. According to 16S rRNA and COI phylogenetic trees Ha. inermis is situated as an ancestral clade.
First new species of the Caeculidae (Acari: Trombidiformes: Prostigmata) from Iran, with a key to the world species of Allocaeculus

Authors: Paktinat-saeij Saeid , Ghobari Hamed , Samani Kyumars Mohammadi
Published: May 2020

A new species, Allocaeculus sirwani sp. nov. (Trombidiformes: Prostigmata: Caeculidae) is described based on adult females from Marivan city, Kurdistan Province, Iran. The new species can be distinguished from other species by the following features: the bothridial setae (bo) filiform; dorsal body setae clavate; setae c1, a2, d1, d2, e1, e2 present; setae c1 normal; adanal and pseudanal plates each bearing three pairs of setae; un-pair seta hs present; palp tarsus with seven setae; epimeral setal formula 3-2-2-4/5 and spinose setal formula of leg I 3-2-1-1-2. Also, an identification key to known species of Allocaeculus is provided.
Detection and classification of narrow-band high frequency echolocation clicks from drifting recorders
Authors: Griffiths Emily T. , Archer Frederick , Rankin Shannon , Keating Jennifer L. , Keen Eric , Barlow Jay , Moore Jeffrey E.
Published: May 2020

In the California Current off the United States West Coast, there are three offshore cetacean species that produce narrow-band high frequency (NBHF) echolocation pulses: Dall's porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli) and two species of Kogia. NBHF pulses exist in a highly specialized acoustic niche thought to be outside the hearing range of killer whales and other potential mammal-eating odontocetes. Very little is known about the dwarf and pygmy sperm whales (K. sima and K. breviceps), including their NBHF pulse characteristics. This paper presents a multivariate clustering method using data from unmanned drifting acoustic recorders and visually verified porpoise recordings to discriminate between probable porpoise and Kogia clicks. Using density clustering, this study finds three distinct clusters whose geographic distributions are consistent with the known habitat range for Kogia and Dall's porpoise. A Random Forest classification model correctly assigned 97% of the clicks to their cluster. Visually verified Dall's porpoise clicks from towed hydrophones were strongly associated with one of the clusters, while a second cluster tended to be outside the geographic range of Dall's porpoise and unlike the Dall's porpoise cluster. These clicks, presumed to be made by Kogia, exhibited greater spectral variance than previous Kogia echolocation studies. It is possible that the structure of Kogia NBHF pulses may not be as stereotypical as previously described.
Legionella
effector AnkX displaces the switch II region for Rab1b phosphocholination
Authors: Ernst Stefan , Ecker Felix , Kaspers Marietta S. , Ochtrop Philipp , Hedberg Christian , Groll Michael , Itzen Aymelt
Published: May 2020

Using a chemical approach, the crystal structure of
Legionella
AnkX in complex with human Rab1b is obtained and characterized.
Resuscitation outcomes for weekend deliveries of very low birthweight infants
Authors: Carter Emily Hawkins , Lee Henry C , Lapcharoensap Wannasiri , Snowden Jonathan M
Published: May 2020

Objective

To characterise the association between weekend (Saturday and Sunday) deliveries of very low birthweight (VLBW) infants and delivery room outcomes in the ‘golden hour’ after birth.

Design and setting

A retrospective cohort study using California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative data from participating neonatal intensive care units.

Patients

The study population after exclusions was 26 515 VLBW infants born in California from 2010 to 2016.

Main outcome measures

Delivery room outcomes assessed included: chest compressions, epinephrine, intubation prior to continuous positive airway pressure ventilation, 5 min Apgar <4, admission hypothermia and death within 12 hours. To adjust for potential confounders, we fit multivariate regression models controlling for two sets of infant, maternal and hospital characteristics.

Results

Infants delivered on weekends were less likely to have been prenatally diagnosed with intrauterine growth restriction but were otherwise not significantly different in gestational age, ethnicity, sex or maternal risk factors than those born during weekdays. Caesarean deliveries were less common on weekends, while vaginal deliveries were consistent across all days. After adjusting for sex and race, weekend delivery was associated with delivery room chest compressions (OR: 1.12, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.24) and lower 5 min Apgar (OR: 1.11, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.21).

Conclusion

In this population-based study of VLBW infants, there was an increase in chest compressions for infants born on the weekend. More research is needed on the differences between populations born on weekdays versus weekends, and how these may contribute to observed associations.
Contraceptive usage in homeless women accessing a dedicated primary care service in Scotland, UK: a case note review
Authors: Hawkins Katie Eirian , Montague-Johnstone Eliza
Published: May 2020

Background

Of the 70 000 people experiencing homelessness in Scotland, at least 40% are women. Little is known about their contraceptive usage. Most pregnancies in homelessness are unintended and children are usually looked after in the care system.

Methods

A case note review of women’s current contraceptive usage in a primary care service serving women experiencing homelessness in Edinburgh, Scotland. The service electronic database was searched for keywords relating to contraception to determine current usage, but also reproductive health, wider demographics and previous pregnancies.

Results

Of 174 women (16–55 years), 75 (43%) were recorded as using a contraceptive method. 49 (28%) were using long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), most of which was the contraceptive implant. However, 6/41 (15%) of the most effective LARC (intrauterine contraception and implant) was being used beyond its’ expiry date. 34 (20%) had no mention of contraceptive use in their medical record and 32 (19%) were not using contraception despite being sexually active. 6 (3%) had been hysterectomised/female sterilisation. 26 (15%) were not sexually active. 179 of the 233 (77%) children mentioned in women’s electronic records were recorded as being looked after out with their care. 138/174 (79%) had current/previous drug or alcohol misuse. 100/174 (57%) had a history of domestic violence or abuse. 22/174 (13%) were involved/had been involved in sex work.

Conclusions

Primary care services need to give greater attention to the contraceptive needs of homeless women to empower them to become pregnant when the time is right for them and prevent the consequences of unintended pregnancy and homelessness.
Evaluating the sustained effectiveness of a multimodal intervention aimed at influencing PIVC insertion practices in the emergency department
Authors: Lim Zheng Jie , Nagle Daniel , McAllan Fern , Ramanan Radha , Dendle Claire , Stuart Rhonda L , Egerton-Warburton Diana
Published: May 2020

Introduction

Multimodal interventions (MMI) are frequently used in various healthcare settings to encourage change in healthcare personnel practices and improve patient safety. In 2013, an MMI conducted in an Australian metropolitan ED used clinician champions, guidelines, education sessions and promotional materials to encourage a reduction in unused and inappropriate peripheral intravenous cannulas (PIVC). A 60-day postintervention demonstrated a successful reduction in the number of unused PIVCs without changes in appropriate insertions. We aimed to investigate if this MMI produced a sustained effect in reducing the frequency of unused PIVCs inserted in this ED.

Methods

A single-centre retrospective cohort study of adult patients presenting to the above ED in Victoria, Australia, was conducted in April 2018. A random sample of 380 patients with a PIVC inserted in ED was assessed to determine if the PIVC was used (termed ‘Long-term follow-up’). The appropriateness of unused PIVCs was assessed. Our findings were compared with previously collected data in 2013 (‘Pre-Intervention’ and ‘Immediately Post-Intervention’) to determine a sustained reduction in the frequency of unused PIVC insertions was achieved. Long-term analysis of the MMI, including the overall frequency of PIVC insertions in ED before and after the MMI, was also collected.

Results

In our Long-term follow-up cohort, 101 of 373 (27.1%, 95% CI 22.6% to 31.9%) PIVCs were unused (seven cases excluded). This was significantly lower than the Pre-Intervention cohort (139/376, 37.0%, 95% CI 32.1% to 42.1%). While not significant, the frequency of unused PIVCs in the Post-Intervention cohort was lower in comparison (73/378, 19.3%, 95% CI 15.4% to 23.7%). No significant change in the appropriateness of unused PIVCs was observed between the Post-Intervention and Long-term follow-up. The overall proportion of patients receiving a PIVC has remained low since the MMI.

Conclusion

An MMI aimed at reducing unused PIVC insertions in ED has been effective in eliciting sustained change. Unused but appropriately inserted PIVCs seem unaffected by the intervention.
Association of the HTR2C-759C/T polymorphism and antipsychotic-induced weight gain: a meta-analysis
Authors: Chen Yan , Wang Yewei , Fang Xinyu , Zhang Yi , Song Lisheng , Zhang Chen
Published: May 2020

Background

Antipsychotic-induced weight gain (AIWG) is a crucial factor for the medication cessation of patients with schizophrenia. Multiple studies have shown that the functional polymorphism -759 C/T (rs3813929) in theHTR2Cpromoter region could possibly be correlated with AIWG.

Aim

To evaluate the genetic association of the HTR2C-759C/T polymorphism and AIWG in patients with schizophrenia with antipsychotic drugs (APDs) administration.

Methods

Eligible studies were identified by searching the following databases: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China Nation Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP, Wanfang Data, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM) and the Airiti Library. The quality of studies was evaluated based on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The pooled OR and 95% CI were calculated for the dominant (CT/TT/T vs CC/C) mode, and subgroup analyses were performed based on ethnicity, antipsychotic medication and gender; all statistical analyses were performed using the statistical software STATA V.12.0.

Result

A total of 17 studies with 3170 patients with schizophrenia were included in our meta-analysis. The result of the meta-analysis has shown that the association between the -759 C/T polymorphism and AIWG is statistically significant (OR 0.34, 95% CI: 0.20 to 0.57, z=4.11, p<0.001). The subgroup analyses revealed significant correlations between the -759 C/T polymorphism and AIWG in the Caucasian population (OR 0.33, 95% CI: 0.14 to 0.77, z=2.55, p=0.011), the Asian population (OR 0.31, 95% CI: 0.18 to 0.52, z=4.46, p<0.001), the patients with APDs administration (CT/TT/T vs CC/C: OR 0.63, 95% CI: 0.40 to 1.00, z=1.97, p=0.049) and the patients with atypical antipsychotic drug administration (CT/TT/T vs CC/C: OR 0.21, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.47, z=3.83, p<0.001). The sensitivity analysis showed that the results were stable. Begg’s test (after correction z=1.07, p=0.287) and Egger’s test (t=−2.41, p=0.029) show that the included articles have no significant publication bias.

Conclusion

There is a significant genetic association betweenHTR2C-759C/T and AIWG, and patients with T allele are less likely to have AIWG.
Pre-existing mental disorder, clinical profile, inpatient services and costs in people hospitalised following traumatic spinal injury: a whole population record linkage study
Authors: Sharwood Lisa Nicole , Wiseman Taneal , Tseris Emma , Curtis Kate , Vaikuntam Bharat , Craig Ashley , Young Jesse
Published: May 2020

Background

Risk of traumatic injury is increased in individuals with mental illness, substance use disorder and dual diagnosis (mental disorders); these conditions will pre-exist among individuals hospitalised with acute traumatic spinal injury (TSI). Although early intervention can improve outcomes for people who experience mental disorders or TSI, the incidence, management and cost of this often complex comorbid health profile is not sufficiently understood. In a whole population cohort of patients hospitalised with acute TSI, we aimed to describe the prevalence of pre-existing mental disorders and compare differences in injury epidemiology, costs and inpatient allied health service access.

Methods

Record linkage study of all hospitalised cases of TSI between June 2013 and June 2016 in New South Wales, Australia. TSI was defined by specific International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM) codes. Mental disorder status was considered as pre-existing where specific ICD-10-AM codes were recorded in incident admissions.

Results

13 489 individuals sustained acute TSI during this study. 13.11%, 6.06% and 1.82% had pre-existing mental illness, substance use disorder and dual diagnosis, respectively. Individuals with mental disorder were older (p<0.001), more likely to have had a fall or self-harmed (p<0.001), experienced almost twice the length of stay and inpatient complications, and increased injury severity compared with individuals without mental disorder (p<0.001).

Conclusion

Individuals hospitalised for TSI with pre-existing mental disorder have greater likelihood of increased injury severity and more complex, costly acute care admissions compared with individuals without mental disorder. Care pathway optimisation including prevention of hospital-acquired complications for people with pre-existing mental disorders hospitalised for TSI is warranted.
Why does Russia have such high cardiovascular mortality rates? Comparisons of blood-based biomarkers with Norway implicate non-ischaemic cardiac damage
Authors: lakunchykova Olena , Averina Maria , Wilsgaard Tom , Watkins Hugh , Malyutina Sofia , Ragino Yulia , Keogh Ruth H , Kudryavtsev Alexander V , Govorun Vadim , Cook Sarah , Schirmer Henrik , Eggen Anne Elise , Hopstock Laila Arnesdatter , Leon David A
Published: May 2020

Background

Russia has one of the highest rates of mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD). At age 35–69 years, they are eight times higher than in neighbouring Norway. Comparing profiles of blood-based CVD biomarkers between these two populations can help identify reasons for this substantial difference in risk.

Methods

We compared age-standardised mean levels of CVD biomarkers for men and women aged 40–69 years measured in two cross-sectional population-based studies: Know Your Heart (KYH) (Russia, 2015–2018; n=4046) and the seventh wave of the Tromsø Study (Tromsø 7) (Norway, 2015–2018; n=17 646). A laboratory calibration study was performed to account for inter-laboratory differences.

Results

Levels of total, low-density lipoprotein-, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and triglycerides were comparable in KYH and Tromsø 7 studies. N-terminal pro-b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high﻿-sensitivity cardiac ﻿troponin T (hs-cTnT) and high﻿-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were higher in KYH compared with Tromsø 7 (NT-proBNP was higher by 54.1% (95% CI 41.5% to 67.8%) in men and by 30.8% (95% CI 22.9% to 39.2%) in women; hs-cTnT—by 42.4% (95% CI 36.1% to 49.0%) in men and by 68.1% (95% CI 62.4% to 73.9%) in women; hsCRP—by 33.3% (95% CI 26.1% to 40.8%) in men and by 35.6% (95% CI 29.0% to 42.6%) in women). Exclusion of participants with pre-existing coronary heart disease (279 men and 282 women) had no substantive effect.

Conclusions

Differences in cholesterol fractions cannot explain the difference in CVD mortality rate between Russia and Norway. A non-ischemic pathway to the cardiac damage reflected by raised NT-proBNP and hs-cTnT is likely to contribute to high CVD mortality in Russia.
Circ_BMP2K enhances the regulatory effects of miR-455-3p on its target gene SUMO1 and thereby inhibits the activation of cardiac fibroblasts
Authors: Zhang Lei , Bian Yun-fei , Bai Rui , Song Xiao-sun , Liang Bin , Xiao Chuan-shi
Published: May 2020

Research has shown that some circular RNAs (circRNA) are abnormally expressed in the process of myocardial fibrosis, but the mechanism behind this was unknown. In the process of inducing cardiac fibroblast (CF) activation with TGF-β1 or Ang II, the expression of circRNA circ_BMP2K and miR-455-3p were significantly inhibited, whereas the expression of SUMO1 was promoted. The results from our dual luciferase reporter gene assays, RIP assays, and pull-down assays show that miR-455-3p directly binds circ_BMP2K, thereby mutually promoting their expression levels. SUMO1 is a target gene of miR-455-3p, and circ_BMP2K enhances the inhibitory effects of miR-455-3p on the expression of SUMO1. Further study showed that both circ_BMP2K and miR-455-3p inhibited the expression of alpha-SMA as well as type I and type III collagen, whereas SUMO1 promoted their expression, and miR-455-3p inhibitors or overexpression of SUMO1 reversed the effects of circ_BMP2K and miR-455-3p. Circ_BMP2K and miR-455-3p inhibits cell proliferation and migration and promotes the apoptosis of CFs, but SUMO1 has the opposite effects; miR-455-3p inhibitors or overexpression of SUMO1 reverses the effects of circ_BMP2K and miR-455-3p. Thus, circ_BMP2K promotes the expression of miR-455-3p, down-regulates the expression of SUMO1, and finally, inhibits the activation, growth, and migration of CFs. These results could provide important therapeutic targets and a theoretical basis for regulating the process of myocardial fibrosis.
Rapid soil water recovery after conversion of introduced peashrub and alfalfa to natural grassland on northern China’s Loess Plateau
Authors: Cao Ruixue , Pei Yanwu , Jia Xiaoxu , Huang Laiming
Published: May 2020

To evaluate the potential of soil water recovery after thinning, in situ soil water content in the 0–500 cm soil profile under thinned (50%–100%) and unthinned peashrub and alfalfa plots and a nearby natural grassland in the Liudaogou watershed in China’s Loess Plateau (CLP) was measured monthly during 2015–2017 growing season using a neutron probe. At the start of experiment, the profile soil water storage (SWS0–500 cm) under introduced peashrub and alfalfa was, respectively, 18.8% and 12.2% lower than that under natural grassland. This showed that there was higher water consumption by planted vegetation, compared with native grass. After thinning, SWS0–500 cm in thinned peashrub and alfalfa plots was significantly higher than that in unthinned plots due to decrease in both interception and transpiration. The increase in SWS0–500 cm in the 100% thinned peashrub plot (159.9–216.1 mm) was much higher than that in 50% thinned peashrub (39.1–169.8 mm) and 100% thinned alfalfa (20.3–118.1 mm) plots. This indicated that the extent of soil water recovery varied with thinning intensity and vegetation type. At the end of the third growing season, soil water restoration frontier in the thinned peashrub and alfalfa plots (>300 cm) was much greater than that in the unthinned plots (<180 cm). It also indicated that with thinning, soil water (<300 cm) can recover rapidly following two successive wet years. The results suggested that concerns about soil desiccation and the potential impact on long-term sustainability of restored ecosystems on CLP were resolvable.
Molecular diversity and species delimitation in the family Gasteruptiidae (Hymenoptera: Evanioidea)
Authors: Parslow Ben A. , Schwarz Michael P. , Stevens Mark I.
Published: May 2020

Gasteruptiidae Ashmead is an easily recognised family of wasps with ∼589 described species worldwide. Although well characterised by traditional taxonomy, multiple authors have commented on the extreme morphological uniformity of the group, making species-level identification difficult. This problem is enhanced by the lack of molecular data and molecular phylogenetic research for the group. We used 187 cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) barcodes to explore the efficiency of sequence data to delimitate species in Gasteruptiidae. We undertook a graphical and discussion-based comparison of six methods for species delimitation, with the success of methods judged based on known species boundaries and morphology. Both distance-based (ABGD and jMOTU threshold analysis) and tree-based (GMYC and PTP) methods compared across multiple parameters recovered variable molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs), ranging from 55 to 123 MOTUs. Tree-based methods tended to split known morphological species less than distance-based methods, with the single-threshold GMYC method the most concordant with known morphospecies. Our results suggest that the incorporation of molecular species delimitation techniques provides a powerful tool to assist in the interpretation of species and help direct informed decisions with taxonomic uncertainty in the family.
Associated top quark pair production with a heavy boson: differential cross sections at NLO + NNLL accuracy
Authors: Kulesza Anna , Motyka Leszek , Schwartländer Daniel , Stebel Tomasz , Theeuwes Vincent
Published: May 2020

We present theoretical predictions for selected differential cross sections for the process $$pp \rightarrow t {\bar{t}}B$$pp→tt¯B at the LHC, where B can be a Higgs (H), a Z or a W boson. The predictions are calculated in the direct QCD framework up to the next-to-next-leading logarithmi accuracy and matched to the complete NLO results including QCD and electroweak effects. Additionally, results for the total cross sections are provided. The calculations deliver a significant improvement of the theoretical predictions, especially for the $$ t {\bar{t}}H$$tt¯H and the $$ t {\bar{t}}Z$$tt¯Z production. In these cases, predictions for both the total and differential cross sections are remarkably stable with respect to the central scale choice and carry a substantially reduced scale uncertainty in comparison with the complete NLO predictions.
Invariance of symplectic cohomology and twisted cotangent bundles over surfaces
Authors: Benedetti Gabriele , Ritter Alexander F.
Published: May 2020

We prove that symplectic cohomology for open convex symplectic manifolds is invariant when the symplectic form undergoes deformations which may be nonexact and noncompactly supported, provided one uses the correct local system of coefficients in Floer theory. As a sample application beyond the Liouville setup, we describe in detail the symplectic cohomology for disc bundles in the twisted cotangent bundle of surfaces, and we deduce existence results for periodic magnetic geodesics on surfaces. In particular, we show the existence of geometrically distinct orbits by exploiting properties of the BV-operator on symplectic cohomology.
FACTOR MISALLOCATION, INDUSTRIAL STRUCTURE AND LABOR INCOME SHARE IN CHINA
Authors: XIN MINGHUI , GONG MIN , XIE PAN
Published: May 2020

By presenting a two-sector DGE model, this paper investigates the relative misallocation coefficients for capital and labor within three industries in China from 1993 to 2018, then discusses the effect of factor misallocation and factor substitution elasticity on the labor income share. The following three conclusions were reached. (1) The overall labor income share reduced due to the industrialization before 2007, but after 2007 it increased by promoting the proportion of services. (2) Compared with the situation without barriers, the cross-industry factor misallocation reduced the proportion of labor in manufacturing by 44% during industrialization and in services by 5.05% during de-industrialization, respectively. (3) Eliminating the factor misallocation could raise the labor income share by 4.6% in industrialization, but it shows a weak effect during de-industrialization.
Concircular vector fields and the Ricci solitons for the LRS Bianchi type-V spacetimes
Authors: Mahmood Amjad , Ali Ahmad T. , Khan Suhail
Published: May 2020

The purpose of this paper is to explore concircular vector fields (CVFs) of locally rotationally symmetric (LRS) Bianchi type-V spacetimes and to investigate whether these CVFs are Ricci soliton vector fields. We first obtained the concircular equations and then solved them by integrating directly. The existence of concircular symmetry imposes restrictions on the metric functions. It is shown that Bianchi type-V spacetimes admit four-, five-, six-, seven-, eight- or fifteen-dimensional CVFs. Further, we studied the Ricci soliton vector fields for all the cases where Bianchi type-V spacetimes admit CVFs. For this purpose, the obtained CVFs are substituted into Ricci soliton equations. These equations imposed further restrictions on metric functions and it is shown in each case that either all or some CVFs are also Ricci soliton vector fields. The gradient of Ricci soliton vector fields are also obtained. It is shown that the metrics that admit CVFs represent physically plausible perfect fluid models under certain conditions.
Spectra selection methods: A novel optimization way for treating dynamic spectra and in-line near infrared modeling
Authors: Wang Haiyan , Liu Ronghua , Nie Lei , Xu Dongbo , Yin Wenping , Li Lian , Zang Hengchang
Published: May 2020

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is now widely used in fluidized bed granulation. However, there are still some demerits that should be overcome in practice. Valid spectra selection during modeling process is now a hard nut to crack. In this study, a novel NIR sensor and a cosine distance method were introduced to solve this problem in order to make the fluidized process into “visualization”. A NIR sensor was fixed on the side of the expansion chamber to acquire the NIR spectra. Then valid spectra were selected based on a cosine distance method to reduce the influence of dynamic disturbances. Finally, spectral pretreatment and wavelength selection methods were investigated to establish partial least squares (PLS) models to monitor the moisture content. The results showed that the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) was 0.124% for moisture content model, which was much lower than that without valid spectra selection treatment. All results demonstrated that with the help of valid spectra selection treatment, NIR sensor could be used for real-time determination of critical quality attributes (CQAs) more accurately. It makes the manufacturing easier to understand than the process parameter control.
Multi-manufacturer drug identification based on near infrared spectroscopy and deep transfer learning
Authors: Li Lingqiao , Pan Xipeng , Chen Wenli , Wei Manman , Feng Yanchun , Yin Lihui , Hu Changqin , Yang Huihua
Published: May 2020

Near infrared (NIR) spectrum analysis technology has outstanding advantages such as rapid, nondestructive, pollution-free, and is widely used in food, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, agricultural products production and testing industries. Convolutional neural network (CNN) is one of the most successful methods in big data analysis because of its powerful feature extraction and abstraction ability, and it is especially suitable for solving multi-classification problems. CNN-based transfer learning is a machine learning technique, which migrates parameters of trained model to the new one to improve the performance. The transfer learning strategy can speed up the learning efficiency of the model instead of learning from scratch. In view of the difficulty in acquisition of drug NIR spectral data and high labeling cost, this paper proposes three simple but very effective transfer learning methods for multi-manufacturer identification of drugs based on one-dimensional CNN. Compared with the original CNN, the transfer learning method can achieve better classification performance with fewer NIR spectral data, which greatly reduces the dependence on labeled NIR spectral data. At the same time, this paper also compares and discusses three different transfer learning methods, and selects the most suitable transfer learning model for drug NIR spectral data analysis. Compared with the current popular methods, such as SVM, BP, AE and ELM, the proposed method achieves higher classification accuracy and scalability in multi-variety and multi-manufacturer NIR spectrum classification experiments.
Tunable absorption characteristics in multilayered structures with graphene for biosensing
Authors: Jin Li , Zhou Jun , Lai Puxiang
Published: May 2020

Graphene derivatives, possessing strong Raman scattering and near-infrared absorption intrinsically, have boosted many exciting biosensing applications. The tunability of the absorption characteristics, however, remains largely unexplored to date. Here, we proposed a multilayer configuration constructed by a graphene monolayer sandwiched between a buffer layer and one-dimensional photonic crystal (1DPC) to achieve tunable graphene absorption under total internal reflection (TIR). It is interesting that the unique optical properties of the buffer-graphene-1DPC multilayer structure, the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT)-like and Fano-like absorptions, can be achieved with pre-determined resonance wavelengths, and furtherly be tuned by adjusting either the structure parameters or the incident angle of light. Theoretical analyses demonstrate that such EIT- and Fano-like absorptions are due to the interference of light in the multilayer structure and the complete transmission produced by the evanescent wave resonance in the configuration. The enhanced absorptions and the huge electrical field enhancement effect exhibit potentials for broad applications, such as photoacoustic imaging and Raman imaging.
A Snapshot of the World's Groundwater Challenges
Authors: Lall Upmanu , Josset Laureline , Russo Tess
Published: May 2020

Depletion and pollution of groundwater, Earth's largest and most accessible freshwater stock, is a global sustainability concern. A changing climate, marked by more frequent and intense hydrologic extremes, poses threats to groundwater recharge and amplifies groundwater use. However, widespread human development and contamination of groundwater reservoirs pose an immediate threat of resource extinction with impacts in many regions with dense population or intensive agriculture. A rapid increase in global groundwater studies has emerged, but this has also highlighted the extreme paucity of data for substantive trend analyses and assessment of the state of the global resource. Noting the difficulty in seeing and measuring this typically invisible resource, we discuss factors that determine the current state of global groundwater, including the uncertainties accompanying data and modeling, with an eye to identifying emerging issues and the prospects for informing local to global resource management in critical regions. We comment on some prospective management strategies.
Mainstream and Heterodox Approaches to Water Quality Valuation: A Case for Pluralistic Water Policy Analysis
Authors: Keeler Bonnie L.
Published: May 2020

Cost-benefit analyses have largely failed to demonstrate a positive benefit to cost ratio for programs designed to improve and protect water quality in the United States and European Union. At the same time, research from outside economics suggests that water quality ranks among the most urgent environmental concerns and highlights deep social and cultural connections to clean water. Exploring alternative explanations for this apparent water value paradox is essential to informing contemporary rulemaking and regulatory analyses, such as the Clean Water Act and the debated Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. I review contemporary advances in mainstream environmental economics relevant to the value of clean water, frontiers that have not yet been integrated into mainstream valuation methods, and pluralistic approaches from sociology, history, and moral philosophy that offer policy-relevant insights but do not fit neatly in cost-benefit frameworks of valuation. The review concludes with recommendations for improved water quality planning and policy in pursuit of a more comprehensive and pluralistic understanding of the value of clean water.
Effects of Graphite Heat-Treatment Temperature on Single-Crystal Li[Ni5Mn3Co2]O2/Graphite Pouch Cells
Authors: Huang Que , Glazier Stephen L. , Louli A. J. , McArthur Mark , Liu Changcheng , Schrooten Jeremy , Dahn J. R.
Published: May 2020

In this work, the effect of the heat-treatment temperature of synthetic (artificial) graphite on the electrochemical performance of LiNi0.5Mn0.3Co0.2O2/graphite pouch cells was explored and compared with cells utilizing commercial-grade artificial and natural graphite materials. Two optimized electrolyte additive blends, 2% VC + 1% DTD and 1% LiPO2F2, were used in the cells tested. Physical properties of the different graphite electrodes, such as morphology, pore-size, crystallinity and thermal stability were investigated. Then, cells with each graphite material were tested with a variety of electrochemical techniques: ultra-high precision coulometry, long-term cycling, high-rate cycling, isothermal microcalorimetry, operando pressure tests and open circuit storage tests. Marginal benefits were found in electrochemical tests for cells with graphite materials that had been heat-treated to lower temperatures. However, in all tests, cells with synthetic graphite had superior performance compared to natural graphite.
Manipulating leukocyte populations to mimic immune disease states: a novel active approach to teaching flow cytometry to undergraduate immunology students
Authors: Costabile Maurizio , Nguyen Hong , Kenyon Amanda
Published: May 2020

Flow cytometry detects and measures the physical and chemical characteristics of cells or particles. In medical laboratories, flow cytometers are used to quantify changes in cell populations associated with disease states, such as AIDS. While a powerful technique, it is challenging to teach the principles of flow cytometry to undergraduate students. One approach is to have students process and analyze a patient sample. However, this is not possible when the patient has an infectious disease. Here we report a two-stage approach to address this challenge. Magnetic beads were used to manipulate leukocytes cell populations in healthy blood to mimic the phenotype of eight immune disease conditions. The cells were then stained against cell surface markers for cell populations and analyzed by flow cytometry. The second stage focused on teaching flow cytometry over 2 wk. Week 1 involved a lecture, followed by a laboratory session where students learned how to stain a blood sample. In week 2, students worked in a computer pool to analyze the previously generated data and determine the immunological status of a control and patient sample. Using this approach, all students achieved 100% correct diagnosis of both control and patient samples. Student feedback via a questionnaire was overwhelmingly positive, and student perceived knowledge of flow cytometry increased after the session significantly. We effectively mimicked several disease states, eliminating the need to source patient samples, yet still teaching undergraduate students the principles of flow cytometry.