bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neuroimaging gradient alterations and epileptogenic prediction in focal cortical dysplasia IIIa
Authors: Mo Jiajie , Zhang Jianguo , Hu Wenhan , Shao Xiaoqiu , Sang Lin , Zheng Zhong , Zhang Chao , Wang Yao , Wang Xiu , Liu Chang , Zhao Baotian , Zhang Kai
Published: April 2022

Objective. Focal cortical dysplasia type IIIa (FCD IIIa) is a highly prevalent temporal lobe epilepsy but the seizure outcomes are not satisfactory after epilepsy surgery. Hence, quantitative neuroimaging, epileptogenic alterations, as well as their values in guiding surgery are worth exploring. Approach. We examined 69 patients with pathologically verified FCD IIIa using multimodal neuroimaging and stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG). Among them, 18 received postoperative imaging which showed the extent of surgical resection and 9 underwent SEEG implantation. We also explored neuroimaging gradient alterations along with the distance to the temporal pole. Subsequently, the machine learning regression model was employed to predict whole-brain epileptogenicity. Lastly, the correlation between neuroimaging or epileptogenicity and surgical cavities was assessed. Main results. FCD IIIa displayed neuroimaging gradient alterations on the temporal neocortex, morphology-signal intensity decoupling, low similarity of intra-morphological features and high similarity of intra-signal intensity features. The support vector regression model was successfully applied at the whole-brain level to calculate the continuous epileptogenic value at each vertex (mean-squared error = 13.8 ± 9.8). Significance. Our study investigated the neuroimaging gradient alterations and epileptogenicity of FCD IIIa, along with their potential values in guiding suitable resection range and in predicting postoperative seizure outcomes. The conclusions from this study may facilitate an accurate presurgical examination of FCD IIIa. However, further investigation including a larger cohort is necessary to confirm the results.
Heat kernel, spectral functions and anomalies in Weyl semimetals
Authors: Ivanov A V , Kurkov M A , Vassilevich D V
Published: April 2022

Being motivated by applications to the physics of Weyl semimetals we study spectral geometry of Dirac operator with an abelian gauge field and an axial vector field. We impose chiral bag boundary conditions with variable chiral phase θ on the fermions. We establish main properties of the spectral functions which ensure applicability of the ζ function regularization and of the usual heat kernel formulae for chiral and parity anomalies. We develop computational methods, including a perturbation expansion for the heat kernel. We show that the terms in both anomalies which include electromagnetic potential are independent of θ.
Integral transform approach to mimetic discrete calculus
Authors: Macêdo A M S , da Silva L D , Souza L G B , Batista C A , de Oliveira W R
Published: April 2022

We introduce an integral transform that maps differential equations and special functions of standard continuous calculus onto finite difference equations and deformed special functions of mimetic discrete calculus, or h-calculus. We show that our procedure leads to insightful reformulations of several problems in mathematics and physics where discrete equations play a significant role, such as in solving finite difference equations, in applying discrete versions of integral transforms, such as the h-Laplace transform, in solving master equations of stochastic physics, in developing a discrete version of H theory of multiscale complex hierarchical phenomena and in finding lattice Green’s functions for describing quantum charge transport through phase coherent systems. We believe that our integral transform technique, or mimetic map, will help systematize the connections through analogy between discrete calculus and standard continuous calculus.
Development of a small power generation system with a miniature-scale swirl burner, controlled heat transfer, and thermoelectric generators
Authors: Sheykhbaglou Soroush , Robati Seyed M
Published: April 2022

Recent advances in small power-consuming electric devices have increased the demand for appropriate, compact, rapidly rechargeable, lightweight, and long-lived power sources with higher energy densities. Hydrocarbon fuels are capable of providing high specific energy density, so combustion-based power generators have received increasing attention as an interesting alternative to batteries. In this study, a small power generation system using a miniature-scale swirl burner, two thermoelectric generators (TEGs), a heat medium, and two water blocks as heat sink has been developed. Various swirl strengths ranging from

0

to

1

are studied to find the optimum swirl number (vane angle) for the blow-out limit. The swirl number related to the greatest stable region is found

0.5

which is associated with the

30
°

vane angle for the 3D printed axial swirlers. Because normal-butane is easily liquified and stored, and is in the gas phase at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, it is chosen as the fuel. This paper examines the effect of three thermal input powers of

194
,

291
,

and

388

W

along with various airflow rates on the performance of the power generation system at the

30
°

vane angle swirler. The results show that about 3 min is needed for our system to reach a steady power output. Moreover, it is observed that the maximum output power is found at the load resistance of

R

load

=
3

Ω

for studied operating conditions. Besides, it is shown that by considering the airflow rate fixed, the power output of the system increases with an increase in the fuel flow rate (thermal input power). Furthermore, a maximum power output of

17.2

W

is obtained for the fuel flow rate and an airflow rate of

0.200

slpm

(

≈
388

W

) and

2.7

slpm
,

respectively, which corresponds to a conversion efficiency of about

4.5
%

at

R
=
3

Ω

load resistance.
Simulation of Zircaloy and SiC cladding thermal performance of a nuclear fuel rod subassembly
Authors: Handa Devanshi , Ray Dipanjan , Munshi Prabhat , Kalra Manjeet Singh
Published: April 2022

A thermal-hydraulic analysis of a nuclear fuel rod subassembly of a Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) has been performed during a Loss of Flow Accident (LOFA). Two different cladding materials are studied in this exercise namely, (a) conventional Zircaloy (Zr) and (b) a Silicon Carbide (SiC) cladding concept approach using monolithic SiC and SiC composite two-layer structure. The simulation is carried out by using USNRC licensed and AERB approved RELAP5/MOD3.4 code. A short-time problem is analyzed, neglecting the burnup change and irradiation effects. A transition into film boiling is observed in the upper part of the rod during LOFA, causing the convective heat transfer coefficient to decrease. The peak cladding temperatures and the Critical Heat Flux Ratio (CHFR) values of the two cladding materials are compared. From a safety perspective, the use of SiC is considered as it will be able to maintain performance during the operational transients.
Evaluation of the effects of the print parameters in additive manufacturing process for dimensional control of printed parts using a traceable coordinate measuring machine
Authors: Wang Shihua , Yu Shengkai , Choy Sing Ying , Tan Siew Leng , Xu Baoxi
Published: April 2022

Until now, selective laser melting (SLM) process has become more extensive as one of the useful additive manufacturing (AM) techniques. During the course of AM process, there are a number of print parameters (e.g., laser power, hatch spacing, scanning speed, powder layer thickness, scanning strategy, beam offset, X-axis scaling , Y-axis scaling and Z-axis scaling and etc) affecting the dimensional accuracy of final part printed. Among these parameters, four print parameters (beam offset, X-axis scaling, Y-axis scaling and Z-axis scaling) have direct effects. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of the four SLM print parameters on dimensional accuracy of parts fabricated from Inconel 718 alloy. Specific artefacts were designed for AM process and related measurements were conducted using a high accurate coordinate measuring machine (CMM) traceable to the International System of Units (SI) of metre. The CMM measured results were analyzed to demonstrate how the four print parameters result in dimension variation due to adjustment of the print parameters. It was found both external and internal diameters of the artefact are changing in an opposite direction with the beam offset setting. The measured results show: (1) there is a good linearity of the dimensions (6 mm to 30 mm) to a beam offset within ± 0.1 mm. The 0.1 mm change of beam offset could systematically introduce 0.2 mm change in external and internal dimensions; (2) both linear dimension and form error (e.g., cylindricity) are sensitive to the X-axis scaling , Y-axis scaling and Z-axis scaling. The dimensional accuracy of AM printed parts could be optimized by the adjustments of these setting parameters in AM machine.
Evaluation of pharmacist time dedicated to vancomycin dosing in adult patients using a 24-hour AUC nomogram or trough monitoring approach: A time motion study
Authors: Chung Daniel , Efta Jessica , Brunsman Allison , Gabriel Jacenta , Johnson Joseph , Martz Carolyn , Stuart Misa , Kenney Rachel , Smith Zachary
Published: April 2022

Purpose

Evidence-based guideline recommendations for vancomycin dosing recently shifted from a trough-based strategy to an area under the curve (AUC) approach. While several AUC dosing methods exist, the optimal approach has not been determined. Literature characterizing time requirements for various vancomycin dosing strategies remains limited.

Methods

A time and motion study was conducted to measure the time spent by clinical pharmacists dosing vancomycin using an AUC nomogram. Pharmacists who dosed and monitored vancomycin for adult patients on the general medical ward (GMW) or intensive care unit (ICU) of a large academic medical center consented to study participation. Vulnerable patients and vancomycin orders for surgical infection prophylaxis were excluded. The primary outcome was the median amount of time clinical pharmacists dedicated to vancomycin-related clinical activities during an 8-hour weekday shift. Secondary outcomes included the proportion of patients prescribed vancomycin at the beginning of each shift and factors contributing to greater than average time spent on vancomycin-related responsibilities.

Results

Seven clinical pharmacists collected data on 178 vancomycin orders. The estimated amount of time a clinical pharmacist spent on daily vancomycin responsibilities averaged 10.45 minutes (interquartile range [IQR], 6.94-15.8 minutes). The overall median time requirement per vancomycin assessment was 3.45 minutes (IQR, 1.95-6.7 minutes). The only factor independently associated with prolonged dosing time was follow-up dosing from a previous day.

Conclusion

The study elucidated time requirements associated with an AUC nomogram–based vancomycin dosing approach. This data could be used to compare time requirements associated with other existing vancomycin dosing strategies, which may help healthcare systems determine the optimal AUC dosing method for their specific practice model.
Environmental variation drives the decoupling of leaf and root traits within species along an elevation gradient
Authors: Weemstra M , Roumet C , Cruz-Maldonado N , Anthelme F , Stokes A , Freschet G T
Published: April 2022

Background and Aims

Plant performance is enhanced by balancing above- and below-ground resource uptake through the intraspecific adjustment of leaf and root traits. It is assumed that these organ adjustments are at least partly coordinated, so that analogous leaf and root traits broadly covary. Understanding the extent of such intraspecific leaf–root trait covariation would strongly contribute to our understanding of how plants match above- and below-ground resource use strategies as their environment changes, but comprehensive studies are lacking.

Methods

We measured analogous leaf and root traits from 11 species, as well as climate, soil and vegetation properties along a 1000-m elevation gradient in the French Alps. We determined how traits varied along the gradient, to what extent this variation was determined by the way different traits respond to environmental cues acting at different spatial scales (i.e. within and between elevations), and whether trait pairs covaried within species.

Key Results

Leaf and root trait patterns strongly diverged: across the 11 species along the gradient, intraspecific leaf trait patterns were largely consistent, whereas root trait patterns were highly idiosyncratic. We also observed that, when compared with leaves, intraspecific variation was greater in root traits, due to the strong effects of the local environment (i.e. at the same elevation), while landscape-level effects (i.e. at different elevations) were minor. Overall, intraspecific trait correlations between analogous leaf and root traits were nearly absent.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that environmental gradients at the landscape level, as well as local heterogeneity in soil properties, are the drivers of a strong decoupling between analogous leaf and root traits within species. This decoupling of plant resource acquisition strategies highlights how plants can exhibit diverse whole-plant acclimation strategies to modify above- and below-ground resource uptake, improving their resilience to environmental change.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 Disease Severity in Children Infected With the Omicron Variant
Authors: Butt Adeel A , Dargham Soha R , Loka Srusvin , Shaik Riyazuddin M , Chemaitelly Hiam , Tang Patrick , Hasan Mohammad R , Coyle Peter V , Yassine Hadi M , Al-Khatib Hebah A , Smatti Maria K , Kaleeckal Anvar H , Latif Ali Nizar , Zaqout Ahmed , Almaslamani Muna A , Al Khal Abdullatif , Bertollini Roberto , Abou-Samra Abdul Badi , Abu-Raddad Laith J
Published: April 2022

Short Summary

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection from the Omicron variant in children/adolescents is less severe than infection from the Delta variant. Those 6 to <18 years also have less severe disease than those <6 years old.

Background

There are limited data assessing coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) disease severity in children/adolescents infected with the Omicron variant.

Methods

We identified children and adolescents <18 years of age with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection with Delta and propensity score–matched controls with Omicron variant infection from the National COVID-19 Database in Qatar. Primary outcome was disease severity, determined by hospital admission, admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), or mechanical ventilation within 14 days of diagnosis, or death within 28 days.

Results

Among 1735 cases with Delta variant infection between 1 June and 6 November 2021, and 32 635 cases with Omicron variant infection between 1 January and 15 January 2022, who did not have prior infection and were not vaccinated, we identified 985 propensity score–matched pairs. Among those who were Delta infected, 84.2% had mild, 15.7% had moderate, and 0.1% had severe/critical disease. Among those who were Omicron infected, 97.8% had mild, 2.2% had moderate, and none had severe/critical disease (P < .001). Omicron variant infection (vs Delta) was associated with significantly lower odds of moderate or severe/critical disease (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], .07–.18). Those aged 6–11 and 12 to <18 years had lower odds of developing moderate or severe/critical disease compared with those younger than age 6 years (aOR, 0.47; 95% CI, .33–.66 for 6–11 year olds; aOR, 0.45; 95% CI, .21–.94 for 12 to <18 year olds).

Conclusions

Omicron variant infection in children/adolescents is associated with less severe disease than Delta variant infection as measured by hospitalization rates and need for ICU care or mechanical ventilation. Those 6 to <18 years of age also have less severe disease than those <6 years old.
Intraspecific variation in microhabitat selection in reintroduced Chinese giant salamanders
Authors: Zhao Chunlin , Feng Jianyi , Sun Zijian , Zhu Wei , Chang Jiang , Fan Wenbo , Jiang Jianping , Yue Bisong , Zhao Tian
Published: April 2022

Reintroduction of captive-bred Chinese giant salamanders is a primary approach for restoring wild populations. Despite previous studies have investigated the habitat preferences of reintroduced Chinese giant salamanders, the intraspecific variation in their habitat selection has been neglected. In the present study, 30 captive-bred Chinese giant salamanders belonging to 3 groups (i.e., 10 males, 10 females, and 10 juveniles) were released into a montane stream to explore whether intraspecific variation in habitat selection occurred in this species using radiotelemetry. Our results indicated that linear home range and daily movement of males were significantly higher than those of females and juveniles. Male sedentariness was significantly lower than that of females and juveniles. No significant differences were detected between females and juveniles in these measures. Importantly, we found that males preferred microhabitats with low water conductivity and deep water depth. Females preferred microhabitats with high water conductivity, low dissolved oxygen and ammonium-nitrogen, and slow current velocity, while juveniles occupied microhabitats with low ammonium-nitrogen. In addition, males and juveniles exhibited higher niche breadth than females. Niche overlap was high between adults and juveniles but low between males and females. Our study revealed the presence of spatial segregation in reintroduced Chinese giant salamanders. Males, females, and juveniles exhibited variation in microhabitat selection. These results provide important information for use when planning strategies for conservation of Chinese giant salamanders.
Daily angina documentation versus subsequent recall: development of a symptom smartphone app
Authors: Nowbar Alexandra N , Howard James P , Shun-Shin Matthew J , Rajkumar Christopher , Foley Michael , Basu Arunima , Goel Akshit , Patel Sapna , Adnan Ahmer , Beattie Catherine J , Keeble Thomas R , Sohaib Afzal , Collier David , McVeigh Patrick , Harrell Frank E , Francis Darrel P , Al-Lamee Rasha K
Published: April 2022

Aims

The traditional approach to documenting angina outcomes in clinical trials is to ask the patient to recall their symptoms at the end of a month. With the ubiquitous availability of smartphones and tablets, daily contemporaneous documentation might be possible.

Methods and results

The ORBITA-2 symptom smartphone app was developed with a user-centred iterative design and testing cycle involving a focus group of previous ORBITA participants. The feasibility and acceptability were assessed in an internal pilot of participants in the ongoing ORBITA-2 trial. Seven days of app entries by ORBITA-2 participants were compared with subsequent participant recall at the end of the 7-day period. The design focus group tested a prototype app. They reported that the final version captured their symptoms and was easy to use. In the completion assessment group, 141 of 142 (99%) completed the app in full and 47 of 141 (33%) without reminders. In the recall assessment group, 29 of 29 (100%) participants said they could recall the previous day’s symptoms, and 82% of them recalled correctly. For 2 days previously, 88% said they could recall and of those, 87% recalled correctly. The proportion saying they could recall their symptoms fell progressively thereafter: 89, 67, 61, 50%, and at 7 days, 55% (P < 0.001 for trend). The proportion of recalling correctly also fell progressively to 55% at 7 days (P = 0.04 for trend).

Conclusion

Episode counts of angina are difficult to recall after a few days. For trials such as ORBITA-2 focusing on angina, daily symptom collection via a smartphone app will increase the validity of the results.
From offshore to onshore probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment via efficient Monte Carlo sampling
Authors: Davies Gareth , Weber Rikki , Wilson Kaya , Cummins Phil
Published: April 2022

Offshore Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Assessments (offshore PTHAs) provide large-scale analyses of earthquake-tsunami frequencies and uncertainties in the deep ocean, but do not provide high-resolution onshore tsunami hazard information as required for many risk-management applications. To understand the implications of an offshore PTHA for the onshore hazard at any site, in principle the tsunami inundation should be simulated locally for every earthquake scenario in the offshore PTHA. In practice this is rarely feasible due to the computational expense of inundation models, and the large number of scenarios in offshore PTHAs. Monte Carlo methods offer a practical and rigorous alternative for approximating the onshore hazard, using a random subset of scenarios. The resulting Monte Carlo errors can be quantified and controlled, enabling high-resolution onshore PTHAs to be implemented at a fraction of the computational cost. This study develops efficient Monte Carlo approaches for offshore-to-onshore PTHA. Modelled offshore PTHA wave heights are used to preferentially sample scenarios that have large offshore waves near an onshore site of interest. By appropriately weighting the scenarios, the Monte Carlo errors are reduced without introducing bias. The techniques are demonstrated in a high-resolution onshore PTHA for the island of Tongatapu in Tonga, using the 2018 Australian PTHA as the offshore PTHA, while considering only thrust earthquake sources on the Kermadec-Tonga trench. The efficiency improvements are equivalent to using 4–18 times more random scenarios, as compared with stratified-sampling by magnitude, which is commonly used for onshore PTHA. The greatest efficiency improvements are for rare, large tsunamis, and for calculations that represent epistemic uncertainties in the tsunami hazard. To facilitate the control of Monte Carlo errors in practical applications, this study also provides analytical techniques for estimating the errors both before and after inundation simulations are conducted. Before inundation simulation, this enables a proposed Monte Carlo sampling scheme to be checked, and potentially improved, at minimal computational cost. After inundation simulation, it enables the remaining Monte Carlo errors to be quantified at onshore sites, without additional inundation simulations. In combination these techniques enable offshore PTHAs to be rigorously transformed into onshore PTHAs, with quantification of epistemic uncertainties, while controlling Monte Carlo errors.
The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Burn Clinic
Authors: Sabeti Sara , Ochtli Ché R , Tay-Lasso Erika , Whelton Melissa , Burton Kimberly , Bernal Nicole O , Joe Victor C , Chin Theresa L
Published: April 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to anxiety and fears for the general public. It is unclear how the behavior of people with acute burns and the services available to them has changed during the pandemic. The aim of our observational study was to evaluate our clinic’s experience with patients presenting with burns during the first 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic and determine if delays in presentation and healthcare delivery exist within our burn population. Patients referred to our clinic from March 1, 2020 to December 15, 2020 were reviewed for time of presentation after injury. We defined a true delay in presentation of >5 days from date of injury to date of referral for patients who were not inpatients at our facility or received initial care elsewhere prior to referral. Of the 246 patients who were referred to our clinic, during this time period, 199 patients (80.89%) attended their appointments. Our in-person clinic volume from referrals increased in July 2020 with a sharp decrease in August 2020. Our total clinic volume decreased in 2020 from 2019 by about 14%. Referrals to our clinic decreased in 2020 from 2019 by about 34%. Video telehealth visits did not account for the decrease in visits. There was low incidence of delays in presentation to our clinic during the pandemic. Additional investigation is necessary to see if the incidence of burn injury decreased. Despite the pandemic, our clinic remained ready and open to serve the burn population.
Sex-Based Differences in Functional Brain Activity During Working Memory in Survivors of Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Gandy Kellen , Scoggins Matthew A , Phillips Nicholas , van der Plas Ellen , Fellah Slim , Jacola Lisa M , Pui Ching-Hon , Hudson Melissa M , Reddick Wilburn E , Sitaram Ranganatha , Krull Kevin R
Published: April 2022

Background

Long-term survivors of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia are at elevated risk for neurocognitive deficits and corresponding brain dysfunction. This study examined sex-based differences in functional neuroimaging outcomes in acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivors treated with chemotherapy alone.

Methods

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and neurocognitive testing were obtained in 123 survivors (46% male; median [min-max] age = 14.2 years [8.3-26.5 years]; time since diagnosis = 7.7 years [5.1-12.5 years]) treated on the St. Jude Total XV treatment protocol. Participants performed the n-back working memory task in a 3 T scanner. Functional neuroimaging data were processed (realigned, slice time corrected, normalized, smoothed) and analyzed using statistical parametric mapping with contrasts for 1-back and 2-back conditions, which reflect varying degrees of working memory and task load. Group-level fMRI contrasts were stratified by sex and adjusted for age and methotrexate exposure. Statistical tests were 2-sided (P < .05 statistical significance threshold).

Results

Relative to males, female survivors exhibited less activation (ie, reduced blood oxygen dependent–level signals) in the right parietal operculum, supramarginal gyrus and inferior occipital gyrus, and bilateral superior frontal medial gyrus during increased working memory load (family-wise error–corrected P = .004 to .008, adjusting for age and methotrexate dose). Female survivors were slower to correctly respond to the 2-back condition than males (P < .05), though there were no differences in overall accuracy. Performance accuracy was negatively correlated with fMRI activity in female survivors (Pearson’s r = −0.39 to −0.29, P = .001 to .02), but not in males.

Conclusions

These results suggest the working memory network is more impaired in female survivors than male survivors, which may contribute to ongoing functional deficits.
It Would Take Combat Relevance to Put a Chiropractor in Khakis— This Is Why That Has Not Happened
Authors: Flynn Timothy W
Published: April 2022

The purpose of this article is to challenge the premise of a recent commentary suggesting that chiropractors should become commissioned officers. An overview of the early practice guidelines and current scientific evidence for the use of spine and peripheral manipulation is provided. The Military Health System is designed to support military operations and currently includes a large contingent of active duty musculoskeletal healthcare experts to include sports medicine–trained family physicians, orthopedic surgeons, physician assistants/associates, doctors of physical therapy/physical therapists, occupational therapists, and podiatrists. The evidence is clear that it is not in the best interest of our military services to commission alternative practitioners whose practices are out of step with the rest of medicine.
Thermal relaxation of dark matter admixed neutron star
Authors: Kumar Ankit , Das H C , Patra S K
Published: April 2022

Motivated by the various theoretical studies regarding the efficient capturing of dark matter by neutron stars, we explore the possible indirect effects of captured dark matter on the cooling mechanism of a neutron star. The equation of states for different configurations of dark matter admixed star at finite temperature is obtained using the relativistic mean-field formalism with the IOPB-I parameter set. We show that the variation in the dark matter momentum vastly modifies the neutrino emissivity through specific neutrino generating processes of the star. The specific heat and the thermal conductivity of a dark matter admixed star have also been investigated to explore the propagation of cooling waves in the interior of the star. The dependence of theoretical surface temperature cooling curves on the equation of state and chemical composition of the stellar matter has also been discussed along with the observational data of thermal radiation from various sources. We observed that the dark matter admixed canonical stars with $k_{f}^{\rm DM} \gt 0.04$ comply with the fast cooling scenario. Further, the metric for internal thermal relaxation epoch has also been calculated with different dark matter momentum and we deduced that increment of dark matter segment amplify the cooling and internal relaxation rates of the star.
Primordial non-Gaussianity from the completed SDSS-IV extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey II: measurements in Fourier space with optimal weights
Authors: Mueller Eva-Maria , Rezaie Mehdi , Percival Will J , Ross Ashley J , Ruggeri Rossana , Seo Hee-Jong , Gil-Marín Héctor , Bautista Julian , Brownstein Joel R , Dawson Kyle , de la Macorra Axel , Palanque-Delabrouille Nathalie , Rossi Graziano , Schneider Donald P , Yéche Christophe
Published: April 2022

We present measurements of the local primordial non-Gaussianity parameter $f_{\mathrm{NL}}^\mathrm{local} $from the clustering of 343 708 quasars with redshifts 0.8 < z < 2.2 distributed over 4808 deg2 from the final data release (DR16) of the extended Baryon Acoustic Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS), the largest volume spectroscopic survey up to date. Our analysis is performed in Fourier space, using the power spectrum monopole at very large scales to constrain the scale-dependent halo bias. We demonstrate the robustness of our analysis pipeline with EZ-mock catalogues that simulate the eBOSS DR16 target selection. We carefully assess the impact of systematics on our measurement, exploiting a novel neural network scheme for cleaning the DR16 sample as well as test multiple contamination removal methods. We estimate the bias due to the overcorrection of the systematic removal to be sub-dominant compared to the statistical uncertainty. We find fNL = −12 ± 21 (68 per cent confidence) for the main clustering sample including quasars with redshifts between 0.8 and 2.2, after applying redshift weighting techniques, designed for non-Gaussianity measurement from large scales structure, to optimize our analysis, which improve our results by 37 per cent.
A comparative study of luminosity functions and event rate densities of long GRBs with non-parametric method
Authors: Dong X F , Li X J , Zhang Z B , Zhang X L
Published: April 2022

In this work, we restudy the dependence of luminosity function and event rates for different gamma-ray burst samples on the criteria of sample selection and threshold effect. To compare with many previous studies, we have chosen two samples including 88 and 118 long bursts with known redshift and peak flux over 2.6 ph cm−2 s−1, from which 79 bursts are picked out to constitute our complete sample. It is found that the evolution of luminosity with redshift can be expressed by L∝(1 + z)k with a diverse k relied more on the sample selection. Interestingly, the cumulative distributions of either non-evolving luminosities or redshifts are found to be also determined by the sample selection rather than the instrumental sensitivity. Nevertheless, the non-evolving luminosities of our samples are similarly distributed with a comparable break luminosity of L0 ∼ 1051 erg s−1. Importantly, we verify with a K-S test that three cases of event rates for the two burst samples evolve with redshift similarly except a small discrepancy due to sampling differences at low-redshift of z < 1, in which all event rates show an excess of Gaussian profile instead of monotonous decline no matter whether the sample is complete. Most importantly, it is found that the burst rates violate the star formation rate at low redshift, while both of them are good in agreement with each other in the higher-redshift regions as many authors discovered previously. Therefore, we predict that two types of long bursts are favored in terms of their associations with both the star formation and the cosmic metallicity.
Signatures of supermassive black hole binaries on maser systems
Authors: Padmanabhan Hamsa , Loeb Abraham
Published: April 2022

We illustrate a novel signature of black hole binaries from their effect on the kinematics of water maser emission in their environments. With the help of simulations, we establish the condition for clumps to mase based on their coherence lengths calibrated to those of the known maser galaxy NGC 4258. This is then used to identify masing clumps around a binary black hole system, and quantify the kinematic and spectral differences relative to the single black hole case. For some generic circumstances, blueshifted masers around a binary black hole are found to preferentially follow the Keplerian rotation curve observed in the single black hole case. The redshifted ones, however, are found to visibly deviate from this relation, and also display more scatter with a tendency towards lower absolute values of the velocity along the line of sight. The spectrum of the masers as a function of line-of-sight velocity also shows a double peaked structure, reminiscent of recent observations of systems such as Mrk 1. Our results motivate future prospects for identifying binary black hole candidates with the help of water maser emissions.
On generalized theories of varying fine structure constant
Authors: Chakrabarti Soumya
Published: April 2022

We work with a class of scalar extended theory of gravity that can drive the present cosmic acceleration as well as accommodate a mild cosmic variation of the fine structure constant α. The motivation comes from a vintage theory developed by Bekenstein, Sandvik, Barrow, and Magueijo. The α variation is introduced by a real scalar field interacting with charged matter. We execute a cosmological reconstruction based on a parametrization of the present matter density of the Universe. Observational consistency is ensured by comparing the theoretical estimates with JLA + OHD + BAO data sets, using a Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation. An analysis of molecular absorption lines from HIRES and UVES spectrographs is considered as a reference for the variation of α at different redshifts. Two examples are discussed. The first explores a field-dependent kinetic coupling of the scalar field interacting with charged matter. The second example is a generalized Brans–Dicke formalism where the varying α is fitted as an effective matter field. This generates a simultaneous variation of the Newtonian constant G and α. The pattern of this variation may have a crucial role in cosmic expansion history.
A kinematical study of the dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 1569 and its supernova remnants
Authors: Sánchez-Cruces M , Sardaneta M M , Fuentes-Carrera I , Rosado M , Cárdenas-Martínez N , Lara-López M A
Published: April 2022

We present Fabry-Pérot observations in the H α and [S ii] lines to study the kinematics of the Magellanic-type dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 1569, these observations allowed us to compute the H α velocity field of this galaxy. Doing a detailed analysis of the velocity along the line of sight and H α velocity profiles, we identified the origin of most of the motions in the innermost parts of the galaxy and discarded the possibility of deriving a rotation curve that traces the gravitational well of the galaxy. We analysed the kinematics of the ionized gas around 31 supernova remnants previously detected in NGC 1569 by other authors, in optical and radio emission. We found that the H α velocity profiles of the supernova remnants are complex indicating the presence of shocks. Fitting these profiles with several Gaussian functions, we computed their expansion velocities which rank from 87 to 188 km s−1 confirming they are supernova remnants. Also, we determined the physical properties such as electron density, mechanical energy, and kinematic age for 30 of the 31 supernova remnants and found they are in the radiative phase with an energy range from 1 to 39 × 1050 erg s−1 and an age from 2.3 to 8.9 × 104 yr. Finally, we estimated the Surface Brightness–Diameter (Σ–D) relation for NGC 1569 and obtained a slope β = 1.26 ± 0.2, comparable with the β value obtained for supernova remnants in galaxies M31 and M33.
Recurrence of immune complex and complement-mediated membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis in kidney transplantation
Authors: Caravaca-Fontán Fernando , Polanco Natalia , Villacorta Blanca , Buxeda Anna , Coca Armando , Ávila Ana , Martínez-Gallardo Rocío , Galeano Cristina , Valero Rosalía , Ramos Natalia , Allende Natalia , Cruzado-Vega Leónidas , Pérez-Sáez María José , Sevillano Ángel , González Esther , Hernández Ana , Rodrigo Emilio , Fernández-Ruiz Mario , Aguado José María , Pérez Valdivia Miguel Ángel , Pascuall Julio , Andrés Amado , Praga Manuel ,   The Spanish Group for the Study of Glomerular Diseases and the Spanish Group of Kidney Transplant, Alonso Marina , Toldos-González Oscar , Cabrera-Pérez Rocío , Gimeno Javier , Pérez-Ebri Mª Luisa , Ortega José María Gómez , Román José Javier Gómez , Saiz Ana , Domínguez Alejandra Gabaldón , Garrido Marta , Navarro Alexandra , Saus Carles , Macian María Cabezas
Published: April 2022

Introduction

Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) represents a histologic pattern of glomerular injury that may be due to several aetiologies. Few studies have comprehensively analysed the recurrence of MPGN according to the current classification system.

Methods

We collected a multicentre, retrospective cohort of 220 kidney graft recipients with biopsy-proven native kidney disease due to MPGN between 1981 and 2021 in 11 hospitals. Demographic, clinical and histologic parameters of prognostic interest were collected. The main outcomes were time to kidney failure, time to recurrence of MPGN and disease remission after recurrence.

Results

The study group included 34 complement-mediated and 186 immune complex–mediated MPGN. A total of 81 patients (37%) reached kidney failure in a median follow-up of 79 months. The main predictors of this event were the development of rejection episodes and disease recurrence. In all, 54 patients (25%) had a disease recurrence in a median of 16 months after kidney transplantation. The incidence of recurrence was higher in patients with dysproteinaemia (67%) and complement-mediated MPGN (62%). In the multivariable model, complement-mediated MPGN emerged as a predictor of recurrence. A total of 33 patients reached kidney failure after recurrence. The main determinants of no remission were early time to recurrence (<15 months), estimated glomerular filtration rate <30 mL/min/1.73 m2 and serum albumin <3.5 g/dL at the time of recurrence.

Conclusions

One-fourth of the patients with native kidney disease due to MPGN developed clinical recurrence in the allograft, especially in cases with complement-mediated disease or in those associated with dysproteinaemia. The kidney outcomes of disease recurrence with currently available therapies are heterogeneous and thus more effective and individualized therapies are needed.
Development of a Centralized Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Across a Diverse Health System and Early Antimicrobial Usage Trends
Authors: Khadem Tina M , Nguyen M Hong , Mellors John W , Bariola J Ryan
Published: April 2022

Background

Expanding antimicrobial stewardship to community hospitals is vital and now required by regulatory agencies. UPMC instituted the Centralized Health system Antimicrobial Stewardship Efforts (CHASE) Program to expand antimicrobial stewardship to all UPMC hospitals regardless of local resources. For hospitals with few local stewardship resources, we used a model integrating local non-Infectious Diseases (ID) trained pharmacists with centralized ID experts.

Methods

Thirteen hospitals were included. Eleven were classified as robust (4) or nonrobust (7) depending on local stewardship resources and fulfillment of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention core elements of hospital antimicrobial stewardship. In addition to general stewardship oversight at all UPMC hospitals, the centralized team interacted regularly with nonrobust hospitals for individual patient reviews and local projects. We compared inpatient antimicrobial usage rates at nonrobust versus robust hospitals and at 2 UPMC academic medical centers.

Results

The CHASE Program expanded in scope between 2018 and 2020. During this period, antimicrobial usage at these 13 hospitals decreased by 16% with a monthly change of −4.7 days of therapy (DOT)/1000 patient days (PD) (95% confidence interval [CI], −5.5 to −3.9; P < .0001). Monthly decrease at nonrobust hospitals was −3.3 DOT/1000 PD per month (−4.5 to −2.0, P < .0001), similar to rates of decline at both robust hospitals (−3.3 DOT/1000 PD) and academic medical centers (−4.8 DOT/1000 PD) (P = .167).

Conclusions

Coordinated antimicrobial stewardship can be implemented across a large and diverse health system. Our hybrid model incorporating a central team of experts with local community hospital pharmacists led to usage decreases over 3 years at a rate comparable to that seen in larger hospitals with more established stewardship programs.
Phosphorylation of the plasma membrane H+-ATPase AHA2 by BAK1 is required for ABA-induced stomatal closure in Arabidopsis
Authors: Pei Dan , Hua Deping , Deng Jinping , Wang Zhifang , Song Chunpeng , Wang Yi , Wang Yu , Qi Junsheng , Kollist Hannes , Yang Shuhua , Guo Yan , Gong Zhizhong
Published: April 2022

Stomatal opening is largely promoted by light-activated plasma membrane-localized proton ATPases (PM H+-ATPases), while their closure is mainly modulated by abscisic acid (ABA) signaling during drought stress. It is unknown whether PM H+-ATPases participate in ABA-induced stomatal closure. We established that BRI1-ASSOCIATED RECEPTOR KINASE 1 (BAK1) interacts with, phosphorylates and activates the major PM Arabidopsis H+-ATPase isoform 2 (AHA2). Detached leaves from aha2-6 single mutant Arabidopsis thaliana plants lost as much water as bak1-4 single and aha2-6 bak1-4 double mutants, with all three mutants losing more water than the wild-type (Columbia-0 [Col-0]). In agreement with these observations, aha2-6, bak1-4, and aha2-6 bak1-4 mutants were less sensitive to ABA-induced stomatal closure than Col-0, whereas the aha2-6 mutation did not affect ABA-inhibited stomatal opening under light conditions. ABA-activated BAK1 phosphorylated AHA2 at Ser-944 in its C-terminus and activated AHA2, leading to rapid H+ efflux, cytoplasmic alkalinization, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, to initiate ABA signal transduction and stomatal closure. The phosphorylation-mimicking mutation AHA2S944D driven by its own promoter could largely compensate for the defective phenotypes of water loss, cytoplasmic alkalinization, and ROS accumulation in both aha2-6 and bak1-4 mutants. Our results uncover a crucial role of AHA2 in cytoplasmic alkalinization and ABA-induced stomatal closure during the plant’s response to drought stress.
On the initiation of jasmonate biosynthesis in wounded leaves
Authors: Kimberlin Athen N , Holtsclaw Rebekah E , Zhang Tong , Mulaudzi Takalani , Koo Abraham J
Published: April 2022

The basal level of the plant defense hormone jasmonate (JA) in unstressed leaves is low, but wounding causes its near instantaneous increase. How JA biosynthesis is initiated is uncertain, but the lipolysis step that generates fatty acid precursors is generally considered to be the first step. Here, we used a series of physiological, pharmacological, genetic, and kinetic analyses of gene expression and hormone profiling to demonstrate that the early spiking of JA upon wounding does not depend on the expression of JA biosynthetic genes in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Using a transgenic system, we showed how decoupling the responses to wounding and JA prevents the perpetual synthesis of JA in wounded leaves. We then used DEFECTIVE IN ANTHER DEHISCENCE1 (DAD1) as a model wound-responsive lipase to demonstrate that although its transient expression in leaves can elicit JA biosynthesis to a low level, an additional level of activation is triggered by wounding, which causes massive accumulation of JA. This wound-triggered boosting effect of DAD1-mediated JA synthesis can happen directly in damaged leaves or indirectly in undamaged remote leaves by the systemically transmitted wound signal. Finally, protein stability of DAD1 was influenced by wounding, α-linolenic acid, and mutation in its catalytic site. Together, the data support mechanisms that are independent of gene transcription and translation to initiate the rapid JA burst in wounded leaves and demonstrate how transient expression of the lipase can be used to reveal changes occurring at the level of activity and stability of the key lipolytic step.
Responsiveness and Interrater Reliability of the Short Form of Fullerton Advance Balance Scale in Women With Breast Cancer Following Chemotherapy
Authors: Sinaei Ehsan , Ansari Mansour , Zakeri Zeinab , Mousavi Forouzan , Siyanat Maryam , Kordi Yoosefinejad Amin
Published: April 2022

Background and Objective:

Reduced balance performance is among the most common consequences of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in women with breast cancer who receive taxane-based chemotherapy (TBC). We aimed to assess the responsiveness and interrater reliability of the short form of the Fullerton Advanced Balance (SF-FAB) scale in monitoring the balance status of women with breast cancer following a cycle of TBC and the scale's potential to detect balance changes in these people.

Methods:

In this measurement-focused study, 33 women diagnosed with breast cancer were recruited. After baseline assessments of the SF-FAB and the Revised and Shortened Total Neuropathy Score (TNSr-SF) by 2 raters, participants received 6 to 10 sessions of TBC with a mean interval of 2.61 weeks. After cessation of the chemotherapy cycle, outcomes were reassessed. Twenty-eight participants with a mean age of 46.50 (10.46) years completed the trial.

Results:

After the interventions, the SF-FAB score decreased significantly (P = .02) and the neuropathy score increased significantly (P < .001), indicating lowered balance and aggravated neuropathy. This study showed excellent interrater reliability for the total score of the SF-FAB, before and after TBC (intraclass correlation coefficient(2,2) ≥ 0.90, 95% confidence interval = 0.96-0.99). The internal consistency of the scale was acceptable (Cronbach's α = 0.97) and a moderate negative correlation was observed between the SF-FAB and neuropathy scores (r = −0.63), which was statistically significant (P ˂ .001).

Conclusion:

Reliable functional tests that are feasible and easy to apply, such as the SF-FAB scale, contribute to a quick screen of women with cancer who undergo TBC as a preliminary to further comprehensive assessments if necessary.
The Art of Negotiation: Avoiding Positional Bargaining and Getting to Yes
Authors: Castañeda Pablo
Published: April 2022

Effective negotiation is a crucial part of almost every aspect of life. One should never consider conflict a “zero-sum” game; negotiation is necessary. This paper first explains how negotiation is a part of pediatric orthopaedic practice, highlights some of the reasons negotiations break down, and discusses ways to avoid these breakdowns by applying proven techniques.