bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Europe’s Secessionist Movements and Covid-19
Authors: Parker Jonathan
Published: March 2021

For three European states in particular, the Covid-19 pandemic has served to catalyze pre-existing territorial disputes. While the United Kingdom, Spain, and Belgium have all had very different responses to the pandemic, in all three cases the actions of central and regional government have put existing structures of regional autonomy under strain. In Spain, the pandemic response has become intertwined with the Catalan independence debate (especially in disputes between pro-independence parties), and elsewhere in the country it has cemented co-operative relationships between moderate nationalists and the statewide left. In Belgium, the pandemic has accentuated territorial disputes and further complicated government formation. And in the UK diverging responses to the pandemic have helped boost nationalist movements in the devolved nations; particularly the cause of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and their ambitions to create an independent Scottish state. While the year has been highly significant for secessionist movements in all three states, only in the UK does a decisive shift towards state-breakup seem to have occurred. The article argues that whether or not a secessionist movement benefits from the pandemic is highly contingent on contextual factors, including the performance of state-level governments in responding to the pandemic and the relative autonomy of regional governments during the response.
Detrital zircon geochronology and heavy mineral analysis as complementary provenance tools in the presence of extensive weathering, reworking and recycling: the Neogene of the southern North Sea Basin
Authors: Verhaegen Jasper , von Eynatten Hilmar , Dunkl István , Weltje Gert Jan
Published: March 2021

Heavy mineral analysis is a long-standing and valuable tool for sedimentary provenance analysis. Many studies have indicated that heavy mineral data can also be significantly affected by hydraulic sorting, weathering and reworking or recycling, leading to incomplete or erroneous provenance interpretations if they are used in isolation. By combining zircon U–Pb geochronology with heavy mineral data for the southern North Sea Basin, this study shows that the classic model of sediment mixing between a northern and a southern source throughout the Neogene is more complex. In contrast to the strongly variable heavy mineral composition, the zircon U–Pb age spectra are mostly constant for the studied samples. This provides a strong indication that most zircons had an initial similar northern source, yet the sediment has undergone intense chemical weathering on top of the Brabant Massif and Ardennes in the south. This weathered sediment was later recycled into the southern North Sea Basin through local rivers and the Meuse, leading to a weathered southern heavy mineral signature and a fresh northern heavy mineral signature, yet exhibiting a constant zircon U–Pb age signature. Thus, this study highlights the necessity of combining multiple provenance proxies to correctly account for weathering, reworking and recycling.
Spelling Forms in Competition
Authors: Calle–Martín Javier
Published: March 2021

One of the problems of English spelling is the dual representation of the so-called ‘eyes’-words, rendered in discourse as -ise and -ize, both with high-frequency verbs such as modernise/modernize and rare coinages, as in burglarise/burglarize, etc. Eyes-words have historically evolved from two different language systems as two different forms with the same meaning, which have eventually come to coincide in their use in English with competing orthographic forms. The present paper first assesses the origin and development of the competition of these forms in the history of English from their introduction into English to their current configuration in British and American English; and then analyses their distribution in 13 varieties of English worldwide from the perspective of diatopic and text type variation. The study concludes, on the one hand, that the adoption of -ize in American English was an early 19th-century phenomenon while -ise spread in British English in the late 20th century; and, on the other, that the dissemination of -ize is constantly on the rise in many varieties, and the growing Americanisation of English, among others, is taken to be the most decisive element factor.
William Rathbone Greg, Scientific Liberalism, and the Second Empire
Authors: Middleton Alex
Published: March 2021

William Rathbone Greg's name is well known to historians of nineteenth-century Britain, but the content of his political thought is not. This article, based on a comprehensive reading of Greg's prolific published output, has two aims. The first is to pin down his politics. The article positions Greg as a leading spokesman for the rationalistic, antidemocratic strand of mid-Victorian Liberalism. It argues that his thought centered on the idea that politics was a science, and that scientific statesmanship might solve many of the problems of the age. The article's second aim is to show that Greg was a sophisticated thinker on politics overseas. He developed distinctive arguments about the structures of European politics, and especially about France under the Second Empire (1852–70). Greg's writings cast important light on the connections between abstract, domestic, and European issues in less familiar reaches of Liberal thought, and on how Victorian political science grappled with Continental despotism.
Vegetative propagation, chemical composition and antioxidant activity of yerba mate genotypes
Authors: Vieira Leandro Marcolino , Maggioni Renata de Almeida , Tomasi Jéssica de Cássia , Nunes Gomes Erik , Wendling Ivar , Helm Cristiane Vieira , Koehler Henrique Soares , Zuffellato-Ribas Katia Christina
Published: March 2021

Ilex paraguariensis, commonly known as yerba mate, is a tree species native to South America. Its commercial value is due to the manufacturing of teas, with potential also in the pharmacological and cosmetic industries. Vegetative propagation of yerba mate is considered an innovation to the traditional production systems based on sexual propagation. The present study aimed to evaluate the rhizogenic potential and chemical attributes of mini-cuttings from 15 yerba mate genotypes, as well as to verify the correlation between phytochemical and rooting-related variables. Mini-cuttings were collected from a pre-existing mini-clonal hedge and the experimental design was completely randomized, with 15 treatments (genotypes), four replications and 10 mini-cuttings per plot. After 120 days, mini-cuttings were assessed regarding rooting, mortality, callogenesis and leaf retention percentages, percentage of mini-cuttings with both calluses and roots, number of roots and average root length. At the time of collection, subsamples from each plot were used for phytochemical analyses including total phenolic compounds, protein, caffeine and theobromine contents and antioxidant activity. Rooting percentages ranged from 5 to 72.5%, with significant variation among genotypes. Adventitious rooting and phytochemical profile of yerba mate mini-cuttings are genotype-dependent. Leaf retention is a relevant factor in the rooting of yerba mate mini-cuttings and the levels of total phenolic compounds, antioxidants and theobromine present in mini-cuttings are negatively correlated components toIlex paraguariensisadventitious rooting.
Engaging Asian States on Combating IUU Fishing: The Curious Case of the State of Nationality in EU Regulation and Practice
Authors: Honniball Arron Nicholas
Published: March 2021

Global common concerns – including combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing – necessitate effective global action to avoid displacing illegal practices to under-regulated jurisdictions. The response in international law has therefore included the obligation upon all states to exercise jurisdiction, albeit with varying clarity regarding the existence and scope of duties for each jurisdictional basis. This article argues that, through its non-cooperating third country identification procedure, the European Union (EU) has sought unilaterally to crystalize and promote the implementation of an obligation upon states to exercise extraterritorial active personality-based jurisdiction over their own nationals engaged in IUU fishing. This is demonstrated through an analysis of EU practice relating to Asian states and remains true despite the EU's non-cooperating third country identification procedure only formally targeting flag, port, coastal, and market states. The EU and Asian states have improved their laws governing nationals engaged in IUU fishing, but concerns over legal certainty arise.
Off-Cycle and Out of Sync: How Election Timing Influences Political Representation
Authors: Hartney Michael T. , Hayes Sam D.
Published: March 2021

States exert significant control over many different types of electoral institutions that influence the tone and direction of political representation in American democracy. Yet almost nothing is known about the consequences of the institution that has the greatest singular impact on the turnout and composition of the electorate: election timing. We argue that off-cycle elections will tend to produce governments that are not well-aligned with the political preferences of their median constituent. To empirically test this expectation, we examine the relationship between election timing and mass–elite congruence across local school district governments. Leveraging variation in election timing across districts within the same state, we find that board members are more likely to hold political preferences that are aligned with their constituents when boards are elected in on- versus off-cycle races. We conclude by discussing the implications of these findings for the study of representation and election timing, suggesting some possible avenues for future research.
Over a Century of Sinking in Mexico City: No Hope for Significant Elevation and Storage Capacity Recovery
Authors: Chaussard E. , Havazli E. , Fattahi H. , Cabral‐Cano E. , Solano‐Rojas D.
Published: March 2021

Many areas worldwide are known to experience land subsidence due to groundwater extraction. It is traditionally assumed that subsidence extent and rates are controlled by groundwater extraction locations and volumes. Here, we reevaluate this assumption in the Mexico City metropolitan area by combining stratigraphic, hydrologic, geodetic, and demographic datasets. Integration of 115 years of leveling with 24 years of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) and 14 years of GPS data reveals that subsidence rates have been mostly constant in Mexico City since at least 1950 and reach 50 cm/year. Analysis of InSAR and GPS data shows that no significant elastic deformation exists, demonstrating that the subsidence is almost fully irreversible. In Mexico City, no direct relationships exist between groundwater level fluctuations and subsidence rates or between pumping rates and subsidence rates. In contrast, a strong positive linear relationship is isolated between subsidence rates and the thickness of the upper aquitard. Through the integration of these long‐term datasets, we forecast that it will take ∼150 years to reach total compaction of the upper aquitard, which may lead to additional subsidence up to 30 m. With the potentiometric surface now deeper than most of the aquitard, clay's porewater rich in salts, chemical constituents, and pollutants is now flowing downward into the productive aquifer, hence decreasing water quality. Finally, our work shows that the consequences of land subsidence greatly influence the socioeconomic landscape in the Mexico City metropolitan area.
Algorithmic Improvements to Finding Approximately Neutral Surfaces
Authors: Stanley Geoffrey J. , McDougall Trevor J. , Barker Paul M.
Published: March 2021

Interior oceanic motions occur predominantly along, rather than across, the neutral tangent plane. These planes do not link together to form well‐defined surfaces, so oceanographers use approximately neutral surfaces. To date, the most accurate such surface is the ω‐surface, but its practical utility was limited because its numerical implementation was slow and sometimes unstable. This work upgrades the speed, robustness, and utility of ω‐surfaces. First, we switch from solving an overdetermined matrix problem by minimal least squares, to solving an exactly determined matrix problem, obtained either by the normal equations (multiplication by the matrix's transpose) or by discretizing Poisson's equation derived from the original optimization problem by the calculus of variations. This reduces the computational complexity, roughly from to , where N is the number of grid points in the surface. Second, we update the surface's vertical position by solving a nonlinear equation in each water column, rather than assuming the stratification is vertically uniform. This reduces the number of iterations required for convergence by an order of magnitude and eliminates the need for a damping factor that stabilized the original software. Additionally, we add “wetting” capacity, whereby incrops and outcrops are reincorporated into the surface should they become neutrally linked as iterations proceed. The new algorithm computes an ω‐surface in a 1,440 by 720 gridded ocean in roughly 15 s, down from roughly 11 h for the original software. We also provide two simple methods to label an ω‐surface with a (neutral) density value.
Dynamic Bayesian Networks for Evaluation of Granger Causal Relationships in Climate Reanalyses
Authors: Harries Dylan , O'Kane Terence J.
Published: March 2021

We apply a Bayesian structure learning approach to study interactions between global climate modes, so illustrating its use as a framework for developing process‐based diagnostics with which to evaluate climate models. Homogeneous dynamic Bayesian network models are constructed for time series of empirical indices diagnosing the activity of major tropical, Northern and Southern Hemisphere modes of climate variability in the NCEP/NCAR and JRA‐55 reanalyses. The resulting probabilistic graphical models are comparable to Granger causal analyses that have recently been advocated. Reversible jump Markov Chain Monte Carlo is employed to provide a quantification of the uncertainty associated with the selection of a single network structure. In general, the models fitted from the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis and the JRA‐55 reanalysis are found to exhibit broad agreement in terms of associations for which there is high posterior confidence. Differences between the two reanalyses are found that involve modes for which known biases are present or that may be attributed to seasonal effects, as well as for features that, while present in point estimates, have low overall posterior mass. We argue that the ability to incorporate such measures of confidence in structural features is a significant advantage provided by the Bayesian approach, as point estimates alone may understate the relevant uncertainties and yield less informative measures of differences between products when network‐based approaches are used for model evaluation.
Capillary, Film, and Vapor Flow in Transient Bare Soil Evaporation (1): Identifiability Analysis of Hydraulic Conductivity in the Medium to Dry Moisture Range
Authors: Iden Sascha C. , Blöcher Johanna R. , Diamantopoulos Efstathios , Durner Wolfgang
Published: March 2021

Evaporation experiments are frequently used to determine soil hydraulic properties. We simulated laboratory evaporation experiments with a coupled water, vapor, and heat flow model which includes the surface energy balance. The simulations are performed with different parametrizations of soil hydraulic properties with a focus on soil hydraulic conductivity in medium to dry soil. In previous studies, conductivity in this moisture range has been shown to be influenced not only by water flow in completely filled capillaries (“capillary flow”) but also by film and corner flow (“film flow”). Our forward simulations highlight the strong influence of an increased conductivity caused by film flow on evaporation rate, cumulative water loss, soil temperature, and soil water pressure head during evaporation. Film flow extends the duration of stage‐1 evaporation and increases the evaporation rate during stage‐2 even if all other physical material properties are the same. The simulated data were used in inverse simulations with the Richards equation to test whether soil hydraulic properties can be identified without bias. This is a priori questionable because the Richards equation is an isothermal flow model and simplifies the true physics considerably, by ignoring thermal liquid and thermal vapor fluxes, as well as temperature effects on the hydraulic properties. Our results show that the identification of the water retention and hydraulic conductivity curves is bias‐free for media with and without film flow. We conclude that the Richards equation can be safely used to identify hydraulic properties from evaporation experiments by inverse modeling.
Fire as Medicine: Learning from Native American Fire Stewardship
Authors: Palmer Jane
Published: March 2021

For centuries, Indigenous peoples have worked to live in harmony with fire. Can integrating such cultural practices into contemporary wildfire management help prevent catastrophic wildfires?
The key roles of cancer stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles
Authors: Su Chaoyue , Zhang Jianye , Yarden Yosef , Fu Liwu
Published: March 2021

Cancer stem cells (CSCs), the subpopulation of cancer cells, have the capability of proliferation, self-renewal, and differentiation. The presence of CSCs is a key factor leading to tumor progression and metastasis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nano-sized particles released by different kinds of cells and have the capacity to deliver certain cargoes, such as nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids, which have been recognized as a vital mediator in cell-to-cell communication. Recently, more and more studies have reported that EVs shed by CSCs make a significant contribution to tumor progression. CSCs-derived EVs are involved in tumor resistance, metastasis, angiogenesis, as well as the maintenance of stemness phenotype and tumor immunosuppression microenvironment. Here, we summarized the molecular mechanism by which CSCs-derived EVs in tumor progression. We believed that the fully understanding of the roles of CSCs-derived EVs in tumor development will definitely provide new ideas for CSCs-based therapeutic strategies.
Attentive brain states in infants with and without later autism
Authors: Gui Anna , Bussu Giorgia , Tye Charlotte , Elsabbagh Mayada , Pasco Greg , Charman Tony , Johnson Mark H. , Jones Emily J. H.
Published: March 2021

Early difficulties in engaging attentive brain states in social settings could affect learning and have cascading effects on social development. We investigated this possibility using multichannel electroencephalography during a face/non-face paradigm in 8-month-old infants with (FH, n = 91) and without (noFH, n = 40) a family history of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). An event-related potential component reflecting attention engagement, the Nc, was compared between FH infants who received a diagnosis of ASD at 3 years of age (FH-ASD; n = 19), FH infants who did not (FH-noASD; n = 72) and noFH infants (who also did not, hereafter noFH-noASD; n = 40). ‘Prototypical’ microstates during social attention were extracted from the noFH-noASD group and examined in relation to later categorical and dimensional outcome. Machine-learning was used to identify the microstate features that best predicted ASD and social adaptive skills at three years. Results suggested that whilst measures of brain state timing were related to categorical ASD outcome, brain state strength was related to dimensional measures of social functioning. Specifically, the FH-ASD group showed shorter Nc latency relative to other groups, and duration of the attentive microstate responses to faces was informative for categorical outcome prediction. Reduced Nc amplitude difference between faces with direct gaze and a non-social control stimulus and strength of the attentive microstate to faces contributed to the prediction of dimensional variation in social skills. Taken together, this provides consistent evidence that atypical attention engagement precedes the emergence of difficulties in socialization and indicates that using the spatio-temporal characteristics of whole-brain activation to define brain states in infancy provides an important new approach to understanding of the neurodevelopmental mechanisms that lead to ASD.
Astrocytic atrophy as a pathological feature of Parkinson’s disease with LRRK2 mutation
Authors: Ramos-Gonzalez Paula , Mato Susana , Chara Juan Carlos , Verkhratsky Alexei , Matute Carlos , Cavaliere Fabio
Published: March 2021

The principal hallmark of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the selective neurodegeneration of dopaminergic neurones. Mounting evidence suggests that astrocytes may contribute to dopaminergic neurodegeneration through decreased homoeostatic support and deficient neuroprotection. In this study, we generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)-derived astrocytes from PD patients with LRRK2(G2019S)mutation and healthy donors of the similar age. In cell lines derived from PD patients, astrocytes were characterised by a significant decrease in S100B and GFAP-positive astrocytic profiles associated with marked decrease in astrocyte complexity. In addition, PD-derived astrocytes demonstrated aberrant mitochondrial morphology, decreased mitochondrial activity and ATP production along with an increase of glycolysis and increased production of reactive oxygen species. Taken together, our data indicate that astrocytic asthenia observed in patient-derived cultures with LRRK2(G2019S)mutation may contribute to neuronal death through decreased homoeostatic support, elevated oxidative stress and failed neuroprotection.
Myo1g is required for efficient adhesion and migration of activated B lymphocytes to inguinal lymph nodes
Authors: Cruz-Zárate D. , López-Ortega O. , Girón-Pérez D. A. , Gonzalez-Suarez A. M. , García-Cordero J. L. , Schnoor M. , Santos-Argumedo L.
Published: March 2021

Cell migration is a dynamic process that involves adhesion molecules and the deformation of the moving cell that depends on cytoskeletal remodeling and actin-modulating proteins such as myosins. In this work, we analyzed the role of the class I Myosin-1 g (Myo1g) in migratory processes of LPS + IL-4 activated B lymphocytes in vivo and in vitro. In vivo, the absence of Myo1g reduced homing of activated B lymphocytes into the inguinal lymph node. Using microchannel chambers and morphology analysis, we found that the lack of Myo1g caused adhesion and chemotaxis defects. Additionally, deficiency in Myo1g causes flaws in adopting a migratory morphology. Our results highlight the importance of Myo1g during B cell migration.
Identification of variation in nutritional practice in neonatal units in England and association with clinical outcomes using agnostic machine learning
Authors: Greenbury Sam F. , Ougham Kayleigh , Wu Jinyi , Battersby Cheryl , Gale Chris , Modi Neena , Angelini Elsa D.
Published: March 2021

We used agnostic, unsupervised machine learning to cluster a large clinical database of information on infants admitted to neonatal units in England. Our aim was to obtain insights into nutritional practice, an area of central importance in newborn care, utilising the UK National Neonatal Research Database (NNRD). We performed clustering on time-series data of daily nutritional intakes for very preterm infants born at a gestational age less than 32 weeks (n = 45,679) over a six-year period. This revealed 46 nutritional clusters heterogeneous in size, showing common interpretable clinical practices alongside rarer approaches. Nutritional clusters with similar admission profiles revealed associations between nutritional practice, geographical location and outcomes. We show how nutritional subgroups may be regarded as distinct interventions and tested for associations with measurable outcomes. We illustrate the potential for identifying relationships between nutritional practice and outcomes with two examples, discharge weight and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). We identify the well-known effect of formula milk on greater discharge weight as well as support for the plausible, but insufficiently evidenced view that human milk is protective against BPD. Our framework highlights the potential of agnostic machine learning approaches to deliver clinical practice insights and generate hypotheses using routine data.
Development of a novel transcription factors-related prognostic signature for serous ovarian cancer
Authors: Li He , Wu Nayiyuan , Liu Zhao-Yi , Chen Yong-Chang , Cheng Quan , Wang Jing
Published: March 2021

Growing evidence suggest that transcription factors (TFs) play vital roles in serous ovarian cancer (SOC). In the present study, TFs mRNA expression profiles of 564 SOC subjects in the TCGA database, and 70 SOC subjects in the GEO database were screened. A 17-TFs related prognostic signature was constructed using lasso cox regression and validated in the TCGA and GEO cohorts. Consensus clustering analysis was applied to establish a cluster model. The 17-TFs related prognostic signature, risk score and cluster models were effective at accurately distinguishing the overall survival of SOC. Analysis of genomic alterations were used to elaborate on the association between the 17-TFs related prognostic signature and genomic aberrations. The GSEA assay results suggested that there was a significant difference in the inflammatory and immune response pathways between the high-risk and low-risk score groups. The potential immune infiltration, immunotherapy, and chemotherapy responses were analyzed due to the significant difference in the regulation of lymphocyte migration and T cell-mediated cytotoxicity between the two groups. The results indicated that patients with low-risk score were more likely to respond anti-PD-1, etoposide, paclitaxel, and veliparib but not to gemcitabine, doxorubicin, docetaxel, and cisplatin. Also, the prognostic nomogram model revealed that the risk score was a good prognostic indicator for SOC patients. In conclusion, we explored the prognostic values of TFs in SOC and developed a 17-TFs related prognostic signature to predict the survival of SOC patients.
Variations in Schedule III prescription patterns in a Medicaid population pre- and post-policy
Authors: Nagarajan Radhakrishnan , Talbert Jeffery , Miller Craig S. , Ebersole Jeffrey
Published: March 2021

The present study investigated variations in patient movement patterns between prescribers before and after House Bill 1 (HB1) implementation in Kentucky using network abstractions (PPN: prescriber-prescriber networks) from a one-month cross-sectional Schedule III prescription data in a Medicaid population. Network characteristics such as degree centrality distribution of PPN was positively skewed and revealed Dental Practitioners to be the highly connected specialty with opioid analgesic hydrocodone-acetaminophen to be the most commonly prescribed drug. Taxonomy enrichment of the prescriber specialties in PPN using chi-square test revealed a reduction in the enriched taxonomies Post-HB1 compared to Pre-HB1 with Dental practitioners being constitutively enriched (p < 0.05). PPNs were also found to exhibit rich community structure revealing inherent clustering of prescribers as a result of patient movement, and were markedly different from those generated by random graph models. The magnitude of deviation from random graphs decreased Post-HB1 relative to Pre-HB1. The proposed network approach provides system-level insights into prescribers with potential to complement classical reductionist approaches and aggregate statistical measures used in assessing changes in prescription patterns pre- and post- policy implementation. It can provide preliminary cues into drug seeking behavior, and facilitate targeted surveillance of prescriber communities.
Identification and external validation of a prognostic signature associated with DNA repair genes in gastric cancer
Authors: Chen Shimin , Liu Wenbo , Huang Yu
Published: March 2021

The aim of this study was to construct and validate a DNA repair-related gene signature for evaluating the overall survival (OS) of patients with gastric cancer (GC). Differentially expressed DNA repair genes between GC and normal gastric tissue samples obtained from the TCGA database were identified. Univariate Cox analysis was used to screen survival-related genes and multivariate Cox analysis was applied to construct a DNA repair-related gene signature. An integrated bioinformatics approach was performed to evaluate its diagnostic and prognostic value. The prognostic model and the expression levels of signature genes were validated using an independent external validation cohort. Two genes (CHAF1A, RMI1) were identified to establish the prognostic signature and patients ware stratified into high- and low-risk groups. Patients in high-risk group presented significant shorter survival time than patients in the low-risk group in both cohorts, which were verified by the ROC curves. Multivariate analysis showed that the prognostic signature was an independent predictor for patients with GC after adjustment for other known clinical parameters. A nomogram incorporating the signature and known clinical factors yielded better performance and net benefits in calibration plot and decision curve analyses. Further, the logistic regression classifier based on the two genes presented an excellent diagnostic power in differentiating early HCC and normal tissues with AUCs higher than 0.9. Moreover, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis revealed that diverse cancer-related pathways significantly clustered in the high-risk and low-risk groups. Immune cell infiltration analysis revealed that CHAF1A and RMI1 were correlated with several types of immune cell subtypes. A prognostic signature using CHAF1A and RMI1 was developed that effectively predicted different OS rates among patients with GC. This risk model provides new clinical evidence for the diagnostic accuracy and survival prediction of GC.
Deep learning and ensemble stacking technique for differentiating polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy from neovascular age-related macular degeneration
Authors: Chou Yu-Bai , Hsu Chung-Hsuan , Chen Wei-Shiang , Chen Shih-Jen , Hwang De-Kuang , Huang Yi-Ming , Li An-Fei , Lu Henry Horng-Shing
Published: March 2021

Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) share some similarity in clinical imaging manifestations. However, their disease entity and treatment strategy as well as visual outcomes are very different. To distinguish these two vision-threatening diseases is somewhat challenging but necessary. In this study, we propose a new artificial intelligence model using an ensemble stacking technique, which combines a color fundus photograph-based deep learning (DL) model and optical coherence tomography-based biomarkers, for differentiation of PCV from nAMD. Furthermore, we introduced multiple correspondence analysis, a method of transforming categorical data into principal components, to handle the dichotomous data for combining with another image DL system. This model achieved a robust performance with an accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 83.67%, 80.76%, 84.72%, and 88.57%, respectively, by training nearly 700 active cases with suitable imaging quality and transfer learning architecture. This work could offer an alternative method of developing a multimodal DL model, improve its efficiency for distinguishing different diseases, and facilitate the broad application of medical engineering in a DL model design.
Sudden cardiac death risk in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: comparison between echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Śpiewak Mateusz , Kłopotowski Mariusz , Kowalik Ewa , Kubik Agata , Ojrzyńska-Witek Natalia , Petryka-Mazurkiewicz Joanna , Michalak Ewa , Mazurkiewicz Łukasz , Gawor Monika , Kożuch Katarzyna , Miłosz-Wieczorek Barbara , Grzybowski Jacek , Bilińska Zofia , Witkowski Adam , Klisiewicz Anna , Marczak Magdalena
Published: March 2021

In hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients, left ventricular (LV) maximal wall thickness (MWT) is one of the most important factors determining sudden cardiac death (SCD) risk. In a large unselected sample of HCM patients, we aimed to simulate what changes would occur in the calculated SCD risk according to the European HCM Risk-SCD calculator when MWT measured using echocardiography was changed to MWT measured using MRI. All consecutive patients with HCM who underwent cardiac MRI were included. MWT measured with echocardiography and MRI were compared, and 5-year SCD risk according to the HCM Risk-SCD calculator was computed using four different models. The final population included 673 patients [389 (57.8%) males, median age 50 years, interquartile range (36–60)]. The median MWT was lower measured by echocardiography than by MRI [20 (17–24) mm vs 21 (18–24) mm; p < 0.0001]. There was agreement between echocardiography and MRI in the measurement of maximal LV wall thickness in 96 patients (14.3%). The largest differences between echo and MRI were − 13 mm and + 9 mm. The differences in MWT by echocardiography and MRI translated to a maximal difference of 8.33% in the absolute 5-year risk of SCD, i.e., the echocardiography-based risk was 8.33% lower than the MRI-based estimates. Interestingly, 13.7% of patients would have been reclassified into different SCD risk categories if MRI had been used to measure MWT instead of echocardiography. In conclusion, although there was high general intermodality agreement between echocardiography and MRI in the MWT measurements, the differences in MWT translated to significant differences in the 5-year risk of SCD.
Effect of coronavirus lockdowns on the ambient seismic noise levels in Gujarat, northwest India
Authors: Roy Ketan Singha , Sharma Jyoti , Kumar Santosh , Kumar M. Ravi
Published: March 2021

The Covid-19 pandemic created havoc and forced lockdowns in almost all the countries worldwide, to inhibit social spreading. In India as well, as a precautionary measure, complete and partial lockdowns were announced in phases during March 25 to May 31, 2020. The restricted human activities led to a drastic reduction in seismic background noise in the high frequency range of 1–20 Hz, representative of cultural noise. In this study, we analyse the effect of anthropogenic activity on the Earth vibrations, utilizing ambient noise recorded at twelve broadband seismographs installed in different environmental and geological conditions in Gujarat. We find that the lockdowns caused 1–19 dB decrease in seismic noise levels. The impact of restricted anthropogenic activities is predominantly visible during the daytime in urban areas, in the vicinity of industries and/or highways. A 27–79% reduction in seismic noise ground displacement (drms) is observed in daytime during the lockdown, in populated areas. However, data from station MOR reveals a drastic decrease in drms amplitude both during the day (79%) and night times (87%) since factories in this area operate round the clock. The noise at stations located in remote areas and that due to microseisms, shows negligible variation.
An insight into the estimation of frost thermal conductivity on parallel surface channels using kernel based GPR strategy
Authors: Zhou Xuejun , Zhou Fangyuan , Naseri Maryam
Published: March 2021

In heat exchange applications, frost formation on the cold surface causes a decrease in the rate of heat transfer and growth in the pressure drop. Thus, the study on the frost thermal conductivity has a significant and vital place for the engineers and researchers dealing with the heat exchangers. In the literature, there is a lack of accurate and applicable methods for determination of frost thermal conductivity. Additionally, the high cost and difficulties of experimental works clarify the importance of computational and mathematical methods. The errors in the determination of frost thermal conductivity on parallel surface channels can cause inaccuracy in estimations of frost density and thickness. The main aim of present work is suggesting Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) models based on four different kernel functions for the estimation of frost thermal conductivity in terms of time, air velocity, relative humidity, air temperature, wall temperature, and frost porosity. To achieve this purpose, a total number of 57 frost thermal conductivity values has been collected. Comparing the suggested GPR models and other available computational methods express the quality of the developed models. The best predictive tool has been selected as a GPR model, including Matern kernel function with R2 values of 0.997 and 0.994 in training and testing phases, respectively. In addition, the effectiveness of discussing variables on frost thermal conductivity has been investigated by sensitivity analysis and showed that air temperature is the most effective parameter. The present work gives engineers an insight into frost thermal conductivity and the effective parameters in its determination.The significant advantage of present work is the accurate prediction of thermal conductivity by a brief knownledge in artificial intelligence.
Periconceptional nutrition with spineless cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) improves metabolomic profiles and pregnancy outcomes in sheep
Authors: Rosales-Nieto César A. , Rodríguez-Aguilar Maribel , Santiago-Hernandez Francisco , Cuevas-Reyes Venancio , Flores-Najera Manuel J. , Vázquez-García Juan M. , Urrutia-Morales Jorge , Ghaffari Morteza Hosseini , Meza-Herrera César A. , González-Bulnes Antonio , Martin Graeme B.
Published: March 2021

We tested whether periconceptional nutrition with cladodes from the cactus, Opuntia ficus-indica, with or without protein-enrichment, improved the metabolomic profile and reproductive outcomes of adult female sheep. Sixty Rambouillet ewes of similar body weight were randomly allocated among three nutritional treatments that were fed during the breeding period (34 days): Control (Control; n = 20), Opuntia (Opuntia; n = 20) and protein-enriched Opuntia (E-Opuntia; n = 20). There were no effects of treatment on body weight but assessment of urine samples indicated that, for 76 metabolites, the Control and Opuntia groups differed completely (P < 0.05), whereas there was overlap between the Control and E-Opuntia groups. It appears that, in Opuntia-fed and Control-fed sheep, different functional groups are activated leading to changes in the metabolism of glucose, tyrosine, methane, and glycerolipids. Fertility and reproductive rate tended to be higher in the Opuntia (70% and 95%) and E-Opuntia (90% and 110%) groups than in the Control (55% and 65%), and an orthogonal contrast revealed the difference between Control and Opuntia to be significant for both reproductive variables (P < 0.05). We conclude that nutritional supplementation with Opuntia cladodes, with or without protein enrichment, increased fertility rate and reproductive rate of female sheep, without any accompanying increases in body weight. Our observations suggest that the reproductive responses to Opuntia do not simply reflect a response to good nutrition, but might be caused by specific metabolites/metabolomic pathways, perhaps by an activation of the metabolism of glucose, methane, tyrosine and glycerolipids. There are few reports relating these metabolomic compounds with the metabolism of the sheep, let alone with reproductive efficiency. The novelty of these discoveries suggests that we need further research into the mechanisms through which nutrition affects the reproductive system.
Assessing multiple threats to seabird populations using flesh-footed shearwaters Ardenna carneipes on Lord Howe Island, Australia as case study
Authors: Wilcox Chris , Carlile Nicholas , Hardesty Britta Denise , Reid Tim
Published: March 2021

Globally, seabird populations have been in decline due to multiple threats throughout their range. Separating simultaneous pressures is challenging and can require significant amounts of data over long periods of time. We use spatial contrasts to investigate the relative importance of several drivers for the purported decline in a species listed as in decline as an example species, the Flesh-footed shearwater (Ardenna carneipes). On Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea, Australia, this seabird suffers from habitat loss due to housing development, intensive mortality in fisheries, plastic ingestion, and roadkill due to vehicular traffic on its breeding island. We repeated a quantitative survey of the population to ascertain whether the decline previously reported had continued and to evaluate the purported mortality sources (Reid et al. in PLoS ONE 8(4):e58230, 2013, Lavers et al. in Global Ecol Conserv 17:e00579, 2019). We measured burrow density, area of occurrence, occupancy and breeding success, integrating them with previous surveys using a Bayesian statistical model to generate longer term estimates of demographic rates. We used spatial patterns to test whether mortality on roads or proximity to human habitation was influencing population demographics. In contrast to predictions, we found the population had stabilised or increased. Characteristics such as burrow occupancy and breeding success showed little pattern, with weak evidence for impacts from road mortality and housing development. Such a data-rich approach is substantially more informative and can better support seabird conservation and management efforts does require more field-time and additional equipment than most contemporary surveys, the data is substantially more informative and can better clarify the results of efforts in seabird conservation and management.
Response of chloroplast pigments, sugars and phenolics of sweet cherry leaves to chilling
Authors: Vosnjak Matej , Sircelj Helena , Hudina Metka , Usenik Valentina
Published: March 2021

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of post-flowering chilling of sweet cherry (Prunus aviumL.) on the content of biochemical parameters in the leaf (chloroplast pigments, sugars and phenolics). The effect of chilling was investigated in two experiments. Potted 2-year-old trees of cv. 'Grace Star' and 'Schneiders' were exposed to one, two or three consecutive overnight chillings at an average air temperature of 4.7 °C (Experiment I), but in the following year only trees of 'Grace Star' were chilled at 2.2 °C (Experiment II), 3 to 7 weeks after flowering. The analysis of the biochemical parameters was performed by high performance liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Chilling at 4.7 °C caused little or no stress, while 2.2 °C induced more intense stress with increased zeaxanthin, sugar and phenolic content in leaves, while exposure of trees to higher temperatures and closer to flowering showed no changes. Two or three consecutive overnight chilling periods increased the phenolic content and enhanced the accumulation of zeaxanthin in the leaves. Sucrose, sorbitol, fructose, total sugar, and total flavonoid content in leaves increased within 48 h after chilling. Zeaxanthin epoxidized within 24 h after one and 48 h after one and two consecutive overnight chillings.
Foliar application of nanoparticles: mechanisms of absorption, transfer, and multiple impacts
Authors: Hong Jie , Wang Chao , Wagner Dane C. , Gardea-Torresdey Jorge L. , He Feng , Rico Cyren M.
Published: March 2021

Foliar spray of NPs is more effective than root/soil application, but potential human exposure and plant toxicity should be addressed.
Dextran mediated MnFe2O4/ZnS magnetic fluorescence nanocomposites for controlled self-heating properties
Authors: Mondal D. K. , Jonak Sarodi , Paul N. , Borah J. P.
Published: March 2021

Illustration of the variation of SAR and ILP values with different concentrations for ac magnetic fields of amplitudeH= 161 G andH= 226 G.
PEG-poly(amino acid)s/EpCAM aptamer multifunctional nanoparticles arrest the growth and metastasis of colorectal cancer
Authors: Zhang Yingru , Li Chunpu , Jia Ru , Gao Ruixuan , Zhao Yiyang , Ji Qing , Cai Jianfeng , Li Qi , Wang Yan
Published: March 2021

A new nano-micelle system with better water solubility and sustained drug release effect, targeting colorectal cancer stem cells, effectively inhibits the growth and metastasis of colorectal cancer via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.
Exploring the self-assembly mechanism and effective synergistic antitumor chemophototherapy of a biodegradable and glutathione responsive ursolic acid prodrug mediated photosensitive nanodrug
Authors: Cheng Jianjun , Wang Shu , Zhao Haitian , Liu Yan , Yang Xin
Published: March 2021

Self-assembled, GSH-responsive, bioactive, biodegradable natural triterpene prodrug tuned photosensitive nanocomposite UASS-Ce6 NPs with enhanced 1O2 generation and excellent biosafety for synergistically improved chemophototherapy.
Non-carbon-supported single-atom site catalysts for electrocatalysis
Authors: Zheng Xiaobo , Li Peng , Dou Shixue , Sun Wenping , Pan Hongge , Wang Dingsheng , Li Yadong
Published: March 2021

Non-carbon supported SACs were classified into eight categories based on the nature of their substrates for the first time, and their corresponding anchoring and stabilization mechanisms have been systematically summarized and discussed.
A facile and economic route assisted by trace tannic acid to construct a high-performance thin film composite NF membrane for desalination
Authors: Zhang Na , Song Xiangju , Chen Yiqiang , Jiang Bin , Zhang Luhong , Jiang Heqing
Published: March 2021

A trace amount of green tannic acid assisted in the construction of thin film composite nanofiltration membrane for desalination.
Somatosensitive film soft crawling robots driven by artificial muscle for load carrying and multi-terrain locomotion
Authors: Liu Zhongsheng , Zhang Rui , Xiao Yicheng , Li Jiatian , Chang Wang , Qian Dong , Liu Zunfeng
Published: March 2021

Film soft crawling robot driven by twisted fiber artificial muscle for load carrying and multi-terrain locomotion.
Ni/NHC catalysis in C–H functionalization using air-tolerant nickelocene and sodium formate for in situ catalyst generation
Authors: Khazipov Oleg V. , Shepelenko Konstantin E. , Pasyukov Dmitry V. , Chesnokov Vasilii V. , Soliev Safarmurod B. , Chernyshev Victor M. , Ananikov Valentine P.
Published: March 2021

A facile method for Ni/NHC catalyzed C–H alkylation and alkenylation of heteroarenes with alkenes and internal alkynes using air-tolerant nickelocene, sodium formate and NHC·HCl salts for in situ catalyst generation has been developed.
Unexpected ortho C–H bond activation in coordinated 7,8-benzoquinoline: synthesis and characterisation of heteroleptic Ir(iii)-7,8-benzoquinoline complexes
Authors: Pradhan Kahnu Charan , Kisan Hemanta K. , Pal Satyanarayan
Published: March 2021

Unusual ortho C–H activation observed in a 7,8 benzoquinoline ring coordinated to Ir(iii) centre.
Performance improvement of inverted two-dimensional perovskite solar cells using a non-fullerene acceptor as the trap passivator
Authors: Liu Zhihai , Lee Eun-Cheol
Published: March 2021

We significantly improved the performance of Ruddlesden–Popper perovskite solar cells by adding a non-fullerene acceptor (IDIC) into the perovskite film.
Superior strength and highly thermoconductive cellulose/ boron nitride film by stretch-induced alignment
Authors: Tu Hu , Xie Kang , Lin Xinghuan , Zhang Ruquan , Chen Feng , Fu Qiang , Duan Bo , Zhang Lina
Published: March 2021

Edge-hydroxylated BNNS (BNNS–OH) are directional arranged in an anisotropic cellulose film through chemically and physically double cross-linking and stretch-induced alignment for achieving ultrastrong and highly thermoconductive performances.