bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phosphate foliar application increases biomass and P concentration in P deficient maize
Authors: Görlach Bruno Maximilian , Mühling Karl Hermann
Published: February 2021

Background: Foliar application is mainly used in agriculture as a targeted top‐up application to prevent deficiencies or during anthesis to improve quality. Hence, foliar fertilization usually occurs in plants that are in good condition and capable of uptake through the leaf. However, the extent to which plants utilize a nutrient under conditions of deficiency is also of importance.

Aims: Our aim was to determine the response of P deficient maize plants to P foliar application at various concentrations and to investigate possible differences between the adaxial and abaxial sides of leaves with regard to uptake.

Methods: Maize plants were grown under P deficiency in nutrient solution for two weeks followed by 2–3 foliar P treatments over a period of three weeks. Three different foliar P concentrations were compared. Older and younger shoots and roots were analyzed. In a second experiment, the influence of the leaf side on P uptake was determined by an infiltration/centrifugation method on the 5th leaf and total P in the 4th leaf, older and younger shoot, and root.

Results: Foliar application significantly increased the biomass and P concentration in deficient maize, including the roots. Omission of a third application and a concomitant increase in the application concentration achieved comparable results. Uptake occurred on both sides of the leaf with no significant differences.

Conclusions: Maize plants are able to absorb and utilize foliar‐applied P, even under deficient conditions and independently of leaf side. P foliar application can therefore be used as a top‐up application in deficiency situations. Moreover, the number of applications can be reduced at higher P application concentrations.
Late Quaternary record of Indian summer monsoon‐induced stratification and productivity collapse in the Andaman Sea
Authors: Sijinkumar A. V. , Nath B. Nagender , Clemens Steven , Gayathri N. M. , Miriyala P.
Published: February 2021

During each summer monsoon, the northeastern Indian Ocean receives a huge amount of rain and river discharge, resulting in strong stratification and prevalence of oligotrophic conditions. These water column changes impact upper ocean productivity which is reflected in the planktonic foraminifera distribution, providing an opportunity to study the effect of monsoon forcing and stratification history. Analogous to modern‐day stratification, very intense water column stratification and productivity collapse were observed associated with Indian summer monsoon (ISM) evolution. This paper reports significant stratification events during MIS 3 (37.0 to 33 and 27 to 24 cal ka), Bølling/Allerød (B/A), early Holocene (10.0 to 8.0 cal ka) and mid‐Holocene (7.0 to 5.0 cal ka) which slowly muted upwelling and productivity. The deglacial intensification of the ISM started in the early stages of the Bølling/Allerød (B/A) followed by slight weakening during the Younger Dryas and regained strength during the early Holocene, coinciding with the highest summer insolation at 30°N. A progressive decline in the abundances of productivity and salinity proxies from 4.2 to 2.0 cal ka suggests a gradual weakening of the ISM. The late Quaternary productivity variations in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea are primarily controlled by salinity‐related stratification.
The prognostic significance of lymphovascular tumor invasion in localized high‐grade osteosarcoma: Outcomes of a single institution over 10 years
Authors: Gusho Charles A. , Miller Ira , Clayton Bishir , Colman Matthew W. , Gitelis Steven , Blank Alan T.
Published: February 2021

Backgrounds and Objectives

Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) has shown evidence of an association with worse survival in high‐grade osteosarcoma patients. The purpose of this investigation was to prognosticate LVI as a predictor of survival.

Methods

This was a retrospective review of high‐grade, localized osteosarcoma patients over a consecutive 10‐year period. Proportional hazards regression was used to identify prognostic factors. Cumulative mortality incidence was estimated with recurrence as a competing risk.

Results

Forty‐two cases with a median follow‐up of 64 months (range, 6–158 months) were reviewed. LVI was present in 21.4% (n = 9) cases. The five‐ and ten‐year survivals in LVI (+) were 40% and 20%, compared to 93% and 81% in LVI (−), respectively (p < .001). After controlling for confounders, advanced age (hazards ratio [HR], 1.134; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1–1.2; p = .01) and LVI (HR, 21.768; 95% CI, 3–135; p = .001) were negative prognosticators. The cumulative incidence of recurrence was no different between LVI (+) and LVI (−) (p = .811), though the incidence of mortality was significantly higher in LVI (+) (p = .003).

Conclusion

The presence of LVI in the setting of high‐grade, localized osteosarcoma is associated with greater rates of mortality and appears to portend a dismal prognosis.
Characteristics of rogue waves on a soliton background of the vector Lakshmanan‐Porsezian‐Daniel equation
Authors: Min‐Jie Dong , Tian Li‐Xin
Published: February 2021

In this paper, the semirational solutions that cause vector rogue waves and breathers can be obtained by using the Darboux dressing transformation. We studied vector rogue waves and the interaction between rogue waves and light‐dark solitons and observed that during the interaction, due to the interference between the light‐dark components of the solitons, a respiration‐like structures appear. Besides, it can be observed that the rogue waves and soliton merge together. Moreover, the main characteristics of the interactions between the breathers and bright‐dark solitons are displayed with some graphics.
Treatment plan quality control using multivariate control charts
Authors: Roy Arkajyoti , Widjaja Reisa , Wang Min , Cutright Dan , Gopalakrishnan Mahesh , Mittal Bharat B.
Published: February 2021

Purpose

Statistical process control tools such as control charts were recommended by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Task Group 218 for radiotherapy quality assurance. However, the tools needed to analyze multivariate, correlated data that are often encountered in treatment plan quality measures, are lacking. In this study, we develop quality control tools that can model multivariate plan quality measures with correlations and account for patient‐specific risk factors, without adding a significant burden to clinical workflow.

Methods and Materials

A multivariate, quality control chart is developed that includes a risk‐adjustment model, Hotelling’s T2 statistic, and principal component analysis (PCA). Principal component analysis accounts for correlations among a set of organ‐at‐risk (OAR) dose‐volume histogram (DVH) points that serves as proxies for plan quality. Risk‐adjustment models estimate the principal components from PCA using a set of patient‐ and treatment‐specific risk factors. The resulting residuals from the risk‐adjustment models are used to compute the Hotelling’s T2 statistic; the corresponding multivariate control chart is then plotted based on the beta distribution followed by the statistic. Further, the box‐cox transformation is used to account for non‐normality in DVH points. We investigate the application of the proposed methodology via three multivariate control charts — a conventional chart that ignores risk‐adjustment and PCA, a risk‐adjusted chart ignoring PCA, and a PCA‐based, risk‐adjusted chart. These control charts are evaluated on 69 head‐and‐neck cases.

Results

The conventional multivariate control chart fails to account for important patient‐specific risk factors, including volumes and cross‐sectional areas of the tumor and OARs and distances in‐between. This failure leads to a larger number of false alarms. While the multivariate risk‐adjusted control chart is able to reduce false alarms, it fails to account for correlations in DVH points. The multivariate PCA‐based, risk‐adjusted control chart can detect unusual plans after accounting for the correlations. By replanning, improvements are shown on an unusual plan identified by both risk‐adjusted methods.

Conclusions

The multivariate risk‐adjusted control chart developed here enables quality control of plans prior to delivery. This methodology is generic and can be readily applied for other radiotherapy quality assurance protocols, such as gamma analysis pass rates.
Self‐care status in patients with heart failure: Systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Aghajanloo Ali , Negarandeh Reza , Janani Leila , Tanha Kiarash , Hoseini‐Esfidarjani Sara‐Sadat
Published: February 2021

Aim

To systematically review the status of self‐care in patients with heart failure through the Self‐Care of Heart Failure Index scale.

Design

A systematic review and meta‐analysis.

Methods

Following national and international databases were searched to retrieve eligible studies: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Google Scholar, Scientific Information Database and Magiran. The studies were screened and selected by two researchers. Data analysed through the random‐effects model, and the I2 index was used to assess heterogeneity. Stata software version 12.0 was used for analysis. The PRISMA statement was used to report systematic review and meta‐analysis.

Results

Of the 5,953 articles initially identified, 39 studies were included. The average score was estimated at 58.16 (CI: 54.39–61.94) for self‐care maintenance, 53.11 (CI: 49.17–57.05) for self‐care management and 58.66 (CI: 54.32–63.00) for self‐care confidence. Despite the high heterogeneity of the studies, the results indicated that self‐care practice is inadequate in all the three dimensions of self‐care (maintenance, management and confidence).
A Behavioral Lifestyle Intervention to Limit Gestational Weight Gain in Pregnant Women with Overweight and Obesity
Authors: Liu Jihong , Wilcox Sara , Wingard Ellen , Turner‐McGrievy Gabrielle , Hutto Brent , Burgis Judith
Published: February 2021

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an antenatal behavioral lifestyle intervention on total gestational weight gain (GWG) and perinatal outcomes.

Methods

Pregnant women with overweight and obesity in South Carolina were recruited into a theory‐based randomized controlled trial (n = 112 intervention, n = 105 standard care), which was designed to target weight self‐monitoring, increased physical activity, and improved dietary practices.

Results

Participants were racially/ethnically diverse (44% African American). Intervention and standard care participants had similar total GWG at delivery (12.9 ± 6.9 vs. 12.4 ± 8.3 kg, respectively), but intervention participants had a smaller standard deviation (P = 0.04) in total GWG. The treatment effects were moderated by race/ethnicity and prepregnancy BMI. Among African American participants with overweight, intervention participants gained 4.5 kg less, whereas, among African American women with obesity, intervention participants gained 4.1 kg more than standard care participants. Total GWG among White participants was similar regardless of weight status and group assignment. Fewer intervention participants than standard care participants had adverse pregnancy outcomes (P ≤ 0.01).

Conclusions

The behavioral lifestyle intervention favorably impacted GWG in African American participants with overweight but not African American participants with obesity. The intervention’s overall favorable impact on perinatal outcomes suggests that the mechanisms beyond total GWG may drive these outcomes.
The Concept of Taboo in Raga, Vanuatu: Semantic Mapping and Etymology
Authors: Duhamel Marie‐France
Published: February 2021

This article discusses the two terms that convey the concept of taboo in Raga, the language of north‐central Vanuatu originally spoken in north Pentecost, and provides linguistic evidence expanding on the information published previously by the anthropologists Masanori Yoshioka and John Patrick Taylor. Based on the corpus collected in north Pentecost in the period 2015–2017, and on older ethnographic and religious written material, a semantic map is proposed for the two taboo‐related Raga terms: sabuga and gogona. Reviewing the terms that designate the concept of ‘taboo’ in the neighbouring languages, the study also explores the possibility of borrowing and semantic interference from other languages, and proposes that sabuga is a reflex of Proto Oceanic *tabu, albeit an irregular reflex, and gogona a reflex of Proto North and Central Vanuatu*kona ‘sacred, taboo’.
Privatisation, prepaid metering and electricity billing scam of Enugu electricity distribution company (EEDC) in Enugu metropolis of Nigeria
Authors: Obiorji Josephine Nneka , Iwuoha Victor Chidubem
Published: February 2021

This study underscores the contexts and crisis of privatisation in Nigeria's power sector to apprehend the level of prepaid meters distribution to consumers, the conflicting billing methods adopted and its impact on both the electricity consumers and revenue generation stream of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC). The descriptive survey method and correlation design were used, with sample drawn from Enugu metropolis, Nigeria. The results reveal that the introduction of prepaid metering and billing system did not improve electricity power distribution to consumers. There are still huge metering gaps in prepaid meter distribution to consumers resulting in distorted/partial implementation of both prepaid and estimated billing systems at the same time. This leads to imposition of non‐cost reflective tariffs on electricity consumers. It undermines efficiency, encourage corruption, meter scam by EEDC workers and low revenue generation for EEDC. The Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) should use taskforce to strictly monitor the distribution of prepared meter in Enugu metropolis by the Discos and promptly sanction the EEDC for infractions, to guarantee adequate electricity consumers protection in Nigeria.
Living with the virus: Infection and epidemiology of COVID‐19 in hotspot area of India
Authors: Giri Rajat , Kumar Ashish , Saini Monika , Sharma Rakesh Kumar
Published: February 2021

The coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) has been identified as a pandemic and affected almost whole world. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), the causative agent of this disease, is infecting Indian population since the last week of January 2020. The data were collected from January 30, 2020, to May 23, 2020, to analyze basic trend of COVID‐19 cases in India targeting hotspot regions. To find the linear relationship between variables, that is, age, total positive cases, population, and population density data have been statistically analyzed. COVID‐19 caused more than 5000 deaths till May 2020 in India. SARS‐CoV‐2 spread to several Indian cities with more than 100,000 positive cases. Total number of COVID‐19 cases and total recovered cases followed the exponential distribution, while number of deaths showed linear behavior. Nearly 50% of the youth, that is, 20–40 years of age had been found to recover from the infection. As a lockdown cannot be a permanent solution, it is important to understand the nature of virus and learn “living with the virus” while minimizing its spreading at the same time.
Effects of intraguild interactions on Anticarsia gemmatalis and Chrysodeixis includens larval fitness and behavior in soybean
Authors: Ongaratto Sabrina , Baldin Edson LL , Hunt Thomas E , Montezano Débora G , Robinson Emily A , dos Santos Maria C
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND

Crop pest management requires an understanding of the complex interactions among species that potentially impact crop yield. In soybean, the velvetbean caterpillar, Anticarsia gemmatalis (Hübner), and the soybean looper, Chrysodeixis includens (Walker), are described as key pests, sharing the same feeding guild. We assessed the intraguild interactions of these species under laboratory conditions. Fitness cost study was conducted to examine the influence of competition on insect development. A video tracking system was used to evaluate behavioral parameters during larval interactions in scenarios with and without food availability.

RESULTS

In the fitness cost assay, pupal weight was not significantly affected, regardless of sex. However, larval and pupal survival were influenced by the competition, especially in third versus fifth instar scenarios. We detected 40.00% cannibalism and 46.67% predation when A. gemmatalis and C. includens third instars competed with A. gemmatalis fifth instar, respectively. Distance moved, distance between larvae, body contact (food available) and frequency in food of C. includens larvae were negatively affected by interactions. Anticarsia gemmatalis larvae showed highly active behavior, moving twice or more the distance compared to C. includens larvae, and A. gemmatalis spent more time in body contact with food.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that A. gemmatalis has a competitive advantage over C. includens. This study provides important information regarding lepidopteran behavior in soybean. We recommended that additional studies are necessary to understand the effects of interactions, especially in field conditions.

© 2021 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Revisiting bone morphogenetic protein‐2 knuckle epitope and redesigning the epitope‐derived peptides
Authors: Zhao Guangzong , Zhang Longqiang , Che Lifan , Li Huazhuang , Liu Yao , Fang Jun
Published: February 2021

The bone morphogenetic protein‐2 (BMP2) plays a crucial role in bone formation, growth and regeneration, which adopts a conformational wrist epitope and a linear knuckle epitope to interact with its type‐I (BRI) and type‐II (BRII) receptors, respectively. In this study, we systematically examine the BRII‐recognition site of BMP2 at structural, energetic and dynamic levels and accurately locate hotspots of the recognition at BMP2–BRII complex interface. It is revealed that the traditional knuckle epitope (BMP2 residue range 73–92) do fully match the identified hotspots; the BMP2‐recognition site includes the C‐terminal region of traditional knuckle epitope as well as its flanked β‐strands. In addition, the protein context of full‐length BMP2 is also responsible for the recognition by addressing conformational constraint on the native epitope segment. Therefore, we herein redefine the knuckle epitope to BMP2 residue range 84–102, which has a similar sequence length but is slid along the protein sequence by ~10 residues as compared to traditional knuckle epitope. The redefined one is also a linear epitope that is natively a double‐stranded β‐sheet with two asymmetric arms as compared to the natively single β‐strand of the traditional version, although their sequences are partially overlapped to each other. It is revealed that the redefined epitope‐derived peptide LN84–102 exhibits an improved affinity by >3‐fold relative to the traditional epitope‐derived peptide KL73–92. Even so, the LN84–102 peptide still cannot fully represent the BMP2 recognition event by BRII that has been reported to have a nanomolar affinity. We further introduce a disulfide bond across the two arms of double‐stranded β‐sheet to constrain the free LN84–102 peptide conformation, which mimics the conformational constraint addressed by protein context. Consequently, several cyclic peptides are redesigned, in which the LN84–102(cyc89‐101) is determined to exhibit a sub‐micromolar affinity; this value is ~5‐fold higher than its linear counterpart. Structural analysis also reveals that the cyclic peptide can interact with BRII in a similar binding mode with the redefined knuckle epitope region in full‐length BMP2 protein.
Post‐mortem biopsy of a patient with late exacerbation of COVID‐19 pneumonia
Authors: Takahashi Kuniko , Kajiura Koichiro , Nasu Michitaka , Nakamura Kei , Sugata Kazuki , Matsuzaki Akiko
Published: February 2021

Pathological findings of coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) have rarely been reported owing to its contagious nature. Here, we treated an 82‐year‐old man whose condition was diagnosed as COVID‐19 pneumonia, which exacerbated approximately 25 days after the initial onset. The patient died despite receiving intensive care. Post‐mortem percutaneous needle biopsy of the lungs and liver tissue was performed, including genomic analysis, immunochemical tests, and pathological studies. Histopathology of the lungs showed both exudative and organizing diffuse alveolar damage. Supposedly, the organizing phase of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) induced COVID‐19. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test and immunostaining of biopsy specimens showed negative results for COVID‐19. Post‐mortem percutaneous needle biopsy was more effective in reducing the risk of contagiousness than autopsy.
The diagnostic challenge of pneumocystis pneumonia and COVID‐19 co‐infection in HIV
Authors: Broadhurst Alistair G.B. , Lalla Usha , Taljaard Jantjie J. , Louw Elizabeth H. , Koegelenberg Coenraad F.N. , Allwood Brian W.
Published: February 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) and pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) share many overlapping features and may be clinically indistinguishable on initial presentation in people living with HIV. We present the case of co‐infection with COVID‐19 and PCP in a patient with progressive respiratory failure admitted to our intensive care unit where the dominant disease was uncertain. This case highlights the difficulty in differentiating between the two diseases, especially in a high HIV prevalence setting where PCP is frequently diagnosed using case definitions and clinical experience due to limited access to bronchoscopy, appropriate laboratory testing, and computed tomography scans. In addition, diagnostic testing may yield false‐negative results in both diseases, and clinician awareness to the overlap and pitfalls is essential if COVID‐19 becomes endemic in such settings.
Video‐assisted thoracic surgery for a case of chronic progressive pulmonary aspergillosis undergoing haemodialysis complicated by anorexia nervosa: a case report
Authors: Shirahata Toru , Akimoto Maho , Minegishi Kentaro , Endo Shunsuke , Nakamura Hidetoshi , Nagata Makoto
Published: February 2021

We describe the case of a 37‐year‐old female with chronic progressive pulmonary aspergillosis (CPPA) with anorexia nervosa (AN) while undergoing haemodialysis for renal failure, who had video‐assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) due to recurrent haemoptysis. She was referred to the Department of Respiratory Medicine for evaluation of an abnormal chest shadow. She was diagnosed with CPPA by serological examinations, radiological features, and bacterial culture. She was initially treated with oral antifungal therapy and transcatheter embolization. VATS lobectomy was eventually performed despite the AN and haemodialysis because of poorly controlled haemoptysis. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the final histopathological examination confirmed CPPA.
A study of emergency medical service personnel and law enforcement official willingness to respond to disasters
Authors: Knezek Erick B. , Vu Vu T. , Lee Jim
Published: February 2021

The purpose of this study was to measure the self‐reported willingness to respond (WTR) to 12 disaster scenarios for Louisiana based Law Enforcement Officials (LEO) and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel. The study analyzed the demographic traits, facilitators, barriers, and potential incentives to determine which variables had a significant influence on WTR. The overall WTR of Louisiana EMS and LEO personnel was 69.9%. The WTR decreased as perceived threat increased. Traits found in those responders who were more willing to respond were males, under 44 years old, no children, military veterans, with prior disaster experience, with less than 5 years experience, and those whose significant other does not have a disaster response role. The statistically significant influences on WTR were fear of working an unfamiliar role, concern for family, self‐safety, feeling well‐prepared to respond, duty to colleagues, and increasing the frequency of training. Findings from this study provide insights into interventions for improving EMS and LEO workers' willingness to respond to duty.
Current views on the potentials of convalescent plasma therapy (CPT) as Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) treatment: A systematic review and meta‐analysis based on recent studies and previous respiratory pandemics
Authors: Aviani Jenifer Kiem , Halim Danny , Soeroto Arto Yuwono , Achmad Tri Hanggono , Djuwantono Tono
Published: February 2021

Convalescent plasma therapy (CPT) has been investigated as a treatment for COVID‐19. This review evaluates CPT in COVID‐19 and other viral respiratory diseases, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and influenza. PubMed and Google scholar databases were used to collect eligible publications until 8 December 2020. Meta‐analysis used Mantel–Haenszel risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) and pooled analysis for individual patient data with inverse variance weighted average. The study is registered at PROSPERO with the number of CRD4200270579. Forty‐four studies with 36,716 participants were included in the pooled analysis and 20 studies in the meta‐analysis. Meta‐analysis showed reduction of mortality (RR 0.57, 95% CI [0.43, 0.76], z = 3.86 [p < 0.001], I2 = 44% [p = 0.03]) and higher number of discharged patients (RR 2.53, 95% CI [1.72, 3.72], z = 4.70 [p < 0.001], I2 = 3% [p = 0.39]) in patients receiving CPT compared to standard care alone. A possible mechanism of action is prompt reduction in viral titre. Serious transfusion‐related adverse events were reported to be less than 1% of cases, suggesting the overall safety of CPT; nevertheless, the number of patients participating in the studies was still limited. It is also important to notice that in all the studies, the majority of patients were also given other medications, such as antivirals, antibiotics and corticosteroid; furthermore, randomized controlled studies involving more patients and in combination with other treatment modalities are urgently needed.
Controlled Synthesis and Surface Engineering of Janus Chitosan‐Gold Nanoparticles for Photoacoustic Imaging‐Guided Synergistic Gene/Photothermal Therapy
Authors: Dai Xiaoguang , Zhao Xiaoyi , Liu Yanjun , Chen Beibei , Ding Xiaokang , Zhao Nana , Xu Fu‐Jian
Published: February 2021

The unsymmetrical morphology and unique properties of Janus nanoparticles (JNPs) provide superior performances for biomedical applications. In this work, a general and facile strategy is developed to construct a series of symmetrical and unsymmetrical chitosan/gold nanoparticles. Taking advantage of the active motion derived from Janus structure, selective surface functionalization of polysaccharide domain, and photothermal effect of gold nanorods, Janus chitosan/gold nanoparticles (J‐Au‐CS) are selected as a model system to construct Janus‐structured chitosan/gold nanohybrids (J‐ACP). Near‐infrared (NIR)‐responsive J‐ACP composed of polycationic chitosan nanospheres and PEGylated gold nanorods hold great potential to realize photoacoustic (PA) imaging‐guided complementary photothermal therapy (PTT)/gene therapy for breast cancer. The morphology effect of chitosan/gold nanostructures on enhanced PTT, cellular uptake, and gene transfection is investigated. The feasibility of PA imaging to track the accumulation of J‐ACP and guide PTT is also explored. Notably, synergistic therapy is achieved based on PTT‐enhanced gene therapy. In addition, the loading function of chitosan/gold nanoparticles for fluorescence imaging is demonstrated. The current work extends the application of JNPs for imaging‐guided synergistic cancer therapy and provides flexible candidates with distinct structures for diverse biomedical applications.
An Ultrastable and Dense Single‐Molecule Click Platform for Sensing Protein–Deoxyribonucleic Acid Interactions
Authors: Visser Emiel W. A. , Miladinovic Jovana , Milstein Joshua N.
Published: February 2021

An ultrastable, highly dense single‐molecule assay ideal for observing protein–DNA interactions is demonstrated. Stable click tethered particle motion leverages next generation click‐chemistry to achieve an ultrahigh density of surface tethered reporter particles, and has low non‐specific interactions, is stable at elevated temperatures to at least 45 °C, and is compatible with Mg2+, an important ionic component of many regulatory protein–DNA interactions. Prepared samples remain stable, with little degradation, for >6 months in physiological buffers. These improvements enable the authors to study previously inaccessible sequence and temperature‐dependent effects on DNA binding by the bacterial protein, histone‐like nucleoid‐structuring protein, a global transcriptional regulator found in Escherichia coli. This greatly improved assay can directly be translated to accelerate existing tethered particle‐based, single‐molecule biosensing applications.
Estimating average treatment effect on the treated via sufficient dimension reduction
Authors: Li Lu , Luo Wei , Meggie Wen Xuerong , Yu Zhou
Published: February 2021

In this paper, we propose to use sufficient dimension reduction (SDR) in conjunction with nonparametric techniques to estimate the average treatment effect on the treated (ATT), a parameter of common interest in causal inference. The proposed method is applicable under a general low‐dimensional structure in the data, and avoids both the risk of model misspecification and the “curse of dimensionality,” for which it often outperforms the existing parametric and nonparametric methods. We develop the theoretical properties of the proposed method, including its asymptotic normality, its asymptotic super‐efficiency, and its equivalent form as an augmented inverse probability weighting estimator. We also consider the impact of SDR estimation in the asymptotic studies. These theoretical results are further illustrated by the simulation studies at the end.
Better nonparametric confidence intervals via robust bias correction for quantile regression
Authors: Guo Shaojun , Han Yu , Wang Qingsong
Published: February 2021

In this article, we revisit the problem of how to construct better nonparametric confidence intervals for the conditional quantile function from an optimization perspective. We apply the fully data‐driven bias correction procedure based on local polynomial smoothing to estimate the conditional quantile. To account for the effect of the estimated bias, we apply an asymptotic framework that the ratio of the bandwidth to the pilot bandwidth tends to some positive constant rather than zero as the sample size grows. We derive an alternative asymptotic normality of the proposed bias‐corrected quantile estimator as well as a new asymptotic variance formula. Based on theoretical results, two new pointwise confidence intervals are constructed through resampling strategies. Extensive simulation studies show that our proposed confidence intervals enjoy better performance than other competitors in terms of coverage probabilities and interval lengths and are not sensitive to the choice of bandwidth. Finally, our proposed procedure is further illustrated through United States' natality birth data in 2017.
Evaluation of circular economy potential of plastic waste in Sri Lanka
Authors: Samarasinghe Keshan , Pawan Kumar Srikanth , Visvanathan Chettiyappan
Published: February 2021

With increasing industrialization and high growing coastal population in Sri Lanka, plastic waste in municipal solid waste has increased tremendously over the past few decades. Plastic consumption in Sri Lanka is increasing at 16% annually with a current consumption of 265,000 megagram (Mg) per annum. If the current trends continue, a large amount of plastics will end up in an open environment threatening natural ecosystems. An attempt was carried out to understand the plastic material flow within Sri Lanka in the year 2017. Through material flow analysis, plastic material flow cycle consisting of nine processes was categorized. The plastic collection and recycling efficiencies were found to be 33% and 3%, respectively. The total quantity of plastics washed into the sea could have been approximated to 69,427 Mg. The per capita contribution is about 3.3 kg. With the integration of the plastic waste circular economy to the Renewable Energy Development Plan (2019–2025) of Sri Lanka, various scenarios were developed for the year 2025. Source segregation of plastic wastes, landfill mining to recover nonrecyclable plastics for energy production, and integration of formal and informal sectors are the three key recommendations to transform to a more vibrant circular economy.
Studying the heterogeneous pathogenesis of canine diabetes: Observational characterization of an island population
Authors: Brito‐Casillas Yeray , Melián Carlos , Holder Angela , Wiebe Julia C , Navarro Ana , Quesada‐Canales Óscar , Expósito‐Montesdeoca Ana B , Catchpole Brian , Wägner Ana M
Published: February 2021

Background

Canine diabetes mellitus has mostly been studied in northern European, Australian and American populations, whereas other regions have received less attention.

Objectives

We evaluated the epidemiological, clinical and histopathological features of diabetic dogs in Gran Canaria, Spain.

Methods

Prevalence and incidence were estimated. Clinical features were analysed, and serum and genomic DNA were obtained. Dogs with presumed idiopathic or immune‐mediated diabetes, were DLA‐typed and antibodies against GAD65 and IA‐2 were assessed. Pancreases from ten diabetic dogs were examined and compared with pancreases from non‐diabetic dogs.

Results and conclusions

Twenty‐nine diabetic dogs were identified in a population of 5,213 (prevalence: 0.56%; incidence: 0.37%). Most were female (79%) and sexually intact (87% of females, 83% of males). Diabetes secondary to dioestrus (55.2%) and insulin‐deficient diabetes (20.7%) were the most frequent types. Antibodies against GAD65 and IA‐2 were identified in two out of five cases and DLA‐genotyping revealed novel haplotypes. Breed distribution differed between diabetic and non‐diabetic dogs. Reduced number of pancreatic islets and β‐cell mass were observed, with vacuolation of islet cells and ductal epithelium. In this population, where neutering is not standard practice, diabetes secondary to dioestrus is the most frequent diabetes subtype. Genetic susceptibility also differed from previous studies. These results support the heterogeneous pathogenesis of canine diabetes.
Outdoor microalgae‐based urban wastewater treatment: Recent advances, applications, and future perspectives
Authors: González‐Camejo Josué , Ferrer José , Seco Aurora , Barat Ramón
Published: February 2021

Although microalgae‐based wastewater treatment has been traditionally carried out in extensive waste stabilization ponds, recent trends focus on the use of microalgae to apply the circular economy principles in the wastewater treatment sector due to the capacity of algae to absorb carbon dioxide while recovering nutrients from sewage. To this aim, the development of new intensive microalgae‐based systems with higher efficiency and level of process control is required. Results obtained for these systems at lab scale are generally promising. However, upscaling to outdoor conditions is often uncertain. Some advances have been made in terms of applying open systems at large scale. However, there are still some issues related to land requirements and the economic feasibility and robustness of the process that have to be overcome to widely implement these systems. This article aims at describing the main design and operating factors regarding outdoor microalgae cultivation. It will also explain some microalgae cultivation technologies to treat wastewater, showing their advantages, disadvantages, and the possibility to treat different wastewater streams with microalgae cultures. Future perspectives of this biotechnology will be commented as well.

This article is categorized under:

Engineering Water > Engineering Water
A Call for the World Health Organization to Create International Classification of Disease Diagnostic Codes for Post‐Intensive Care Syndrome in the Age of COVID‐19
Authors: Peach Brian C. , Valenti Michael , Sole Mary Lou
Published: February 2021

Post‐intensive care syndrome (PICS), a condition found in survivors of critical illness, is characterized by persistent physical, cognitive, and psychological sequelae that impact the quality of life after discharge from an intensive care unit (ICU). At present, there are no International Classification of Disease (ICD) billing codes for this condition. Without financial alignment, clinicians cannot diagnose PICS, hindering tracking of its prevalence and impeding policy development for this condition. Clinicians should be screening for PICS in all survivors of critical illness, particularly those with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Results from single‐center studies suggest over 75 percent of ARDS survivors develop PICS. With nearly 5 percent of patients with COVID‐19 requiring ICU admission for ARDS, it is important for clinicians to be able to diagnose PICS in survivors, and researchers to be able to track it. Member states should impress upon the World Health Organization to create ICD‐10 codes for PICS.
Visibility Bias of Waterbirds During Aerial Surveys in the Nonbreeding Season
Authors: Gilbert Andrew D. , Jacques Christopher N. , Lancaster Joseph D. , Yetter Aaron P. , Hagy Heath M.
Published: February 2021

Aerial surveys for waterfowl and other waterbirds provide abundance estimates that are commonly used by state and federal agencies for waterfowl and wetland management. However, most existing surveys provide an index of abundance and are uncorrected for visibility bias, which may limit their use in accurately determining local population size. We used concurrent ground and aerial surveys to estimate visibility bias during cruise‐style waterfowl surveys from September through January 2014–2017 along the Illinois River Valley, Illinois, USA. Immediately before an aerial survey, a ground observer counted waterfowl and other waterbirds by species within a distinct survey area and counts were compared with aerial abundance estimates to quantify detection rate and count bias (i.e., visibility bias). Overall, waterfowl guilds had high detection rates and low count bias, resulting in low overall visibility bias (ducks, −11% [SE = 5%]; geese, −8% [SE = 3%]; swans, −5% [SE = 3%]). At the species level, visibility bias varied greatly (e.g., green‐winged teal [Anas crecca], 182% [SE = 221%]; American wigeon [Mareca americana], −74% [SE = 20%]). Group size, species prevalence, cloud cover, and temperature influenced visibility bias, but direction and magnitude of effects were variable among taxa. Low visibility bias for most guilds indicated that well‐designed, cruise‐style aerial surveys with bias estimation techniques provided reliable estimates of population size and have great utility for monitoring waterfowl and other waterbirds as part of an adaptive management framework. © 2021 The Wildlife Society.
Correction to: Disinformation in Open Online Media
Authors: van Duijn Max , Preuss Mike , Spaiser Viktoria , Takes Frank , Verberne Suzan
Published: February 2021

In the original online version of the chapter 5 was previously published non-open access. It was changed to open access retrospectively under a CC BY 4.0 license and, the presentation of Table 3 was different to that of Tables 2 and 4. This has been corrected. In addition, Tables 5 - 8 have been moved from the main text to Appendix B, at the request of the authors.

The original version of the chapter 11 contained an error in Table 2, which also affected Section 3.1 and the Conclusion. The original figure in Table 2 indicated that one community was retweeting from a smaller number of accounts than the other communities. A recalculation following publication showed that the community was retweeting from a pool of about the same number of accounts as the other communities. This has been updated.
Warming-up, Sociometric Selection, and Therapeutic Factors
Authors: Giacomucci Scott
Published: February 2021

The content of this chapter is focused on the importance of the warming-up process, the sociometric selection of a group topic and protagonist, and Yalom’s therapeutic factors as they relate to psychodrama groups. The warming-up process, often overlooked, is presented as integral to the success of any experiential structure. The role of the psychodrama director is described while presenting four sub-roles—therapist, analyst, group leader/sociometrist, and producer. The importance of contracting and the initial interview at the start of a psychodrama enactment are emphasized. Each of Yalom’s therapeutic factors is introduced while identifying their significance in psychodrama practice.
Sociometric Social Work with Communities
Authors: Giacomucci Scott
Published: February 2021

This chapter uncovers Moreno’s often overlooked contributions to community practice through his sociometric approaches. His early work with communities is presented including in refugee camps, prisons, a reform school, and his psychiatric hospital. Brief introductions to social work with communities, therapeutic communities, and the Sanctuary Model are included. Multiple action-based sociometry processes are described with their utility for use in diverse community settings and example prompts. Sociometry processes depicted include spectrograms, locograms, floor checks, step-in sociometry, hands-on-shoulder sociograms, and the circle of strength safety structure.
Psychodrama and Social Work Theory
Authors: Giacomucci Scott
Published: February 2021

This chapter includes an overview of foundational psychodrama theories—action theory, catharsis, and surplus reality. The three phases of a psychodrama group (warm-up, enactment, and sharing) and the five elements of a psychodrama (stage, protagonist, director, auxiliary egos, and audience/group) are described. Morenean philosophy and sociometric theory are revisited as they relate to psychodrama. The similar elements of psychodrama theory and social work are underlined including the importance of mutual aid, spontaneity, creativity, empowerment, self-determination, interpersonal skills, relationships, group stages, and roles.
Evidence for a 5d F-theorem
Authors: Fluder Martin , Uhlemann Christoph F.
Published: February 2021

Abstract

Renormalization group flows are studied between 5d SCFTs engineered by (p, q) 5-brane webs with large numbers of external 5-branes. A general expression for the free energy on S5 in terms of single-valued trilogarithm functions is derived from their supergravity duals, which are characterized by the 5-brane charges and additional geometric parameters. The additional geometric parameters are fixed by regularity conditions, and we show that the solutions to the regularity conditions extremize a trial free energy. These results are used to survey a large sample of $$ \mathcal{O} $$
O
(105) renormalization group flows between different 5d SCFTs, including Higgs branch flows and flows that preserve the SU(2) R- symmetry. In all cases the free energy changes monotonically towards the infrared, in line with a 5d F -theorem.
Comparative analysis of continuum angiogenesis models
Authors: Martinson W. Duncan , Ninomiya Hirokazu , Byrne Helen M. , Maini Philip K.
Published: February 2021

Although discrete approaches are increasingly employed to model biological phenomena, it remains unclear how complex, population-level behaviours in such frameworks arise from the rules used to represent interactions between individuals. Discrete-to-continuum approaches, which are used to derive systems of coarse-grained equations describing the mean-field dynamics of a microscopic model, can provide insight into such emergent behaviour. Coarse-grained models often contain nonlinear terms that depend on the microscopic rules of the discrete framework, however, and such nonlinearities can make a model difficult to mathematically analyse. By contrast, models developed using phenomenological approaches are typically easier to investigate but have a more obscure connection to the underlying microscopic system. To our knowledge, there has been little work done to compare solutions of phenomenological and coarse-grained models. Here we address this problem in the context of angiogenesis (the creation of new blood vessels from existing vasculature). We compare asymptotic solutions of a classical, phenomenological “snail-trail” model for angiogenesis to solutions of a nonlinear system of partial differential equations (PDEs) derived via a systematic coarse-graining procedure (Pillay et al. in Phys Rev E 95(1):012410, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.95.012410). For distinguished parameter regimes corresponding to chemotaxis-dominated cell movement and low branching rates, both continuum models reduce at leading order to identical PDEs within the domain interior. Numerical and analytical results confirm that pointwise differences between solutions to the two continuum models are small if these conditions hold, and demonstrate how perturbation methods can be used to determine when a phenomenological model provides a good approximation to a more detailed coarse-grained system for the same biological process.
Quantifying the consequence of applying conservative assumptions in the assessment of oil spill effects on polar cod (Boreogadus saida) populations
Authors: De Vries Pepijn , Tamis Jacqueline , Nahrgang Jasmine , Frantzen Marianne , Jak Robbert , Van Den Heuvel-Greve Martine , Klok Chris , Hemerik Lia
Published: February 2021

In order to assess the potential impact from oil spills and decide the optimal response actions, prediction of population level effects of key resources is crucial. These assessments are usually based on acute toxicity data combined with precautionary assumptions because chronic data are often lacking. To better understand the consequences of applying precautionary approaches, two approaches for assessing population level effects on the Arctic keystone species polar cod (Boreogadus saida) were compared: a precautionary approach, where all exposed individuals die when exposed above a defined threshold concentration, and a refined (full-dose-response) approach. A matrix model was used to assess the population recovery duration of scenarios with various but constant exposure concentrations, durations and temperatures. The difference between the two approaches was largest for exposures with relatively low concentrations and short durations. Here, the recovery duration for the refined approach was less than eight times that found for the precautionary approach. Quantifying these differences helps to understand the consequences of precautionary assumptions applied to environmental risk assessment used in oil spill response decision making and it can feed into the discussion about the need for more chronic toxicity testing. An elasticity analysis of our model identified embryo and larval survival as crucial processes in the life cycle of polar cod and the impact assessment of oil spills on its population.
Scattering of multicomponent polymer blends
Authors: Frielinghaus Henrich
Published: February 2021

The random phase approximation for polymer blends was developed by H. Benoît and described small angle scattering functions as well as mean field phase boundaries. It is a pure mean field theory that loses validity close to the real phase boundaries due to strong fluctuations. However, it gives a very clear roadmap about phase diagrams and scattering functions. A simplification of the random phase approximation is discussed that comes into effect when several polymers are mixed that involve a rather low number of chemically different repeat units. Then, the correlation functions of the same repeat unit pairs can be added up in a specific way such that the overall complexity for the calculations is reduced. The scattering functions and mean field phase boundaries are discussed within this concept.

Graphical abstract