bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Posterior Oropharyngeal Saliva for the Detection of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
Authors: Wong Sally Cheuk Ying , Tse Herman , Siu Hon Kei , Kwong Tsz Shan , Chu Man Yee , Yau Felix Yat Sun , Cheung Ingrid Yu Ying , Tse Cindy Wing Sze , Poon Kin Chiu , Cheung Kwok Chi , Wu Tak Chiu , Chan Johnny Wai Man , Cheuk Wah , Lung David Christopher
Published: June 2020

Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has put tremendous pressure on the healthcare system worldwide. Diagnostic testing remained one of the limiting factors for early identification and isolation of infected patients. This study aimed to evaluate posterior oropharyngeal saliva (POPS) for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) detection among patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19.

Methods

The laboratory information system was searched retrospectively for all respiratory specimens and POPS requested for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection between 1 February 2020 and 15 April 2020. The agreement and diagnostic performance of POPS against NPsp were evaluated.

Results

A total of 13772 specimens were identified during the study period, including 2130 POPS and 8438 nasopharyngeal specimens (NPsp). Two hundred and twenty-nine same-day POPS-NPsp paired were identified with POPS and NPsp positivity of 61.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 55.1–67.6%) and 53.3% (95% CI 46.8–59.6%). The overall, negative and positive percent agreement were 76.0% (95% CI 70.2–80.9%), 65.4% (95% CI 55.5–74.2%), 85.2% (95% CI 77.4–90.8%). Better positive percent agreement was observed in POPS-NPsp obtained within 7 days (96.6%, 95% CI 87.3–99.4%) compared with after 7 days of symptom onset (75.0%, 95% CI 61.4–85.2%). Among the 104 positive pairs, the mean difference in Cp value was 0.26 (range: 12.63 to −14.74), with an overall higher Cp value in NPsp (Pearson coefficient 0.579). No significant temporal variation was noted between the 2 specimen types.

Conclusions

POPS is an acceptable alternative specimen to nasopharyngeal specimen for the detection of SARS-CoV-2.
Concordance of Early and Late End Points for Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Trials
Authors: Bart Stephen M , Nambiar Sumathi , Gopinath Ramya , Rubin Daniel , Farley John J
Published: June 2020

Background

While there are ongoing regulatory convergence efforts, differences remain in primary end points recommended for community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) trials. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends assessing CABP symptom resolution at an early time point (3–5 days after randomization). Other regulatory agencies recommend assessing overall clinical response at a later time point (5–10 days after therapy ends).

Methods

We analyzed participant-level data from 6 recent CABP trials submitted to the FDA (n = 4645 participants) to evaluate concordance between early and late end-point outcomes. We used multivariate logistic regression to identify factors associated with discordance.

Results

Early and late end-point outcomes were concordant for 85.6% of participants. The proportions of early end-point responders that ultimately failed and early end-point nonresponders that ultimately succeeded were similar (6.0% vs 8.4%, respectively). Early end-point response was highly predictive of late end-point success (positive predictive value, 92.9%). Multivariate logistic regression identified early end-point responders/late end-point failures as less likely to be obese and more likely to be infected with Chlamydophila pneumoniae or Staphylococcus aureus, have received antibacterial drug therapy prior to randomization, and have severe chest pain at baseline. The most common investigator-provided reasons for failure among early end-point responders/late end-point failures were receipt of nonstudy antibacterial drug therapy and loss to follow-up.

Conclusions

Early and late end-point outcomes were highly concordant. These data may be useful in the continuing efforts to reach international regulatory convergence on CABP clinical trial design recommendations.
Periprocedural anticoagulation in the uninterrupted edoxaban vs. vitamin K antagonists for ablation of atrial fibrillation (ELIMINATE-AF) trial
Authors: Hohnloser Stefan H , Camm A John , Cappato Riccardo , Diener Hans-Christoph , Heidbüchel Hein , Mont Lluís , Morillo Carlos A , Lanz Hans-Joachim , Rauer Heiko , Reimitz Paul-Egbert , Smolnik Rüdiger , Kautzner Josef
Published: June 2020

Aims 

This post hoc analysis of ELIMINATE-AF evaluated requirements of unfractionated heparin (UFH) and procedure-related bleeding in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients undergoing ablation with uninterrupted edoxaban or vitamin K antagonist (VKA) therapy.

Methods and results 

Patients were randomized 2:1 to once-daily edoxaban 60 mg (or dose-reduced 30 mg) or dose-adjusted VKA (target international normalized ratio: 2.0–3.0). Uninterrupted anticoagulation was mandated for 21–28 days’ pre-ablation and 90 days’ post-ablation. During ablation, UFH administration targeted an activated clotting time (ACT) of 300–400 s. Periprocedural bleeding was differentiated between procedure-related (bleeding at puncture side, cardiac tamponade) and unrelated events. Of 614 randomized patients, 553 received study drug and underwent catheter ablation (edoxaban n = 375; VKA n = 178). The median (Q1–Q3) time from last dose to ablation procedure was 14.8 (13.3–16.5) vs. 16.5 (14.8–19.5) h (edoxaban vs. VKA group, respectively). Mean ACT (SD) ≥300 s was observed in 52% edoxaban- vs. 76% VKA-treated patients, despite a higher mean (SD) UFH dose in the edoxaban vs. VKA group [14 261 (6397) IU vs. 11 473 (4300) IU; exploratory P-value < 0.0001]. In the edoxaban group, 13 patients (3.5%) had procedure-related bleeds of whom 9 had received an UFH dose above the median (13 000 IU). In the VKA arm, 7 patients (3.9%) had procedure-related bleeds of whom 3 had received an UFH dose above the median (10 225 IU).

Conclusion 

The rate of procedure-related major/clinically relevant non-major bleeding did not differ between the treatment arms despite higher doses of UFH used with edoxaban vs. VKA to achieve a target ACT during AF ablation.
Divergent biotic and abiotic filtering of root endosphere and rhizosphere soil fungal communities along ecological gradients
Authors: Lumibao Candice Y , Kimbrough Elizabeth R , Day Richard H , Conner William H , Krauss Ken W , Van Bael Sunshine A
Published: June 2020

Plant roots assemble in two distinct microbial compartments: the rhizosphere (microbes in soil surrounding roots) and the endosphere (microbes within roots). Our knowledge of fungal community assembly in these compartments is limited, especially in wetlands. We tested the hypothesis that biotic factors would have direct effects on rhizosphere and endosphere assembly, while abiotic factors would have direct and indirect effects. Using a field study, we examined the influences of salinity, water level and biotic factors on baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) fungal communities. We found that endosphere fungi, unlike rhizosphere fungi, were correlated with host density and canopy cover, suggesting that hosts can impose selective filters on fungi colonizing their roots. Meanwhile, local abiotic conditions strongly influenced both rhizosphere and endosphere diversity in opposite patterns, e.g. highest endosphere diversity (hump-shaped) and lowest rhizosphere diversity (U-shaped) at intermediate salinity levels. These results indicate that the assembly and structure of the root endosphere and rhizosphere within a host can be shaped by different processes. Our results also highlight the importance of assessing how environmental changes affect plant and plant-associated fungal communities in wetland ecosystems where saltwater intrusion and sea level rise are major threats to both plant and fungal communities.
In vitro and in planta antagonistic effects of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria consortium against soilborne plant pathogens of Solanum tuberosum and Solanum lycopersicum
Authors: Pellegrini Marika , Ercole Claudia , Di Zio Chiara , Matteucci Federica , Pace Loretta , Del Gallo Maddalena
Published: June 2020

Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) and tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.), among the main crops belonging to the Solanaceae family, are attacked by several pathogens. Among them Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici and Rhizoctonia solani are very common and cause significant losses. Four plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, Azospirillum brasilense, Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus, Herbaspirillum seropedicae and Burkholderia ambifaria were tested against these pathogens. In vitro antagonistic activities of single strains were assessed through dual culture plates. Strains showing antagonistic activity (G. diazotrophicus, H. seropedicae and B. ambifaria) were combined and, after an in vitro confirmation, the consortium was applied on S. lycopersicum and S. tuberosum in a greenhouse pot experiment. The bioprotection was assessed in pre-emergence (infection before germination) and post-emergence (infection after germination). The consortium was able to successfully counteract the infection of both F. oxysporum and R. solani, allowing a regular development of plants. The biocontrol of the fungal pathogens was highlighted both in pre-emergence and post-emergence conditions. This selected consortium could be a valid alternative to agrochemicals and could be exploited as biocontrol agent to counteract losses due to these pathogenic fungi.
A novel model for predicting fatty liver disease by means of an artificial neural network
Authors: Chen Yi-Shu , Chen Dan , Shen Chao , Chen Ming , Jin Chao-Hui , Xu Cheng-Fu , Yu Chao-Hui , Li You-Ming
Published: June 2020

Background

The artificial neural network (ANN) emerged recently as a potent diagnostic tool, especially for complicated systemic diseases. This study aimed to establish a diagnostic model for the recognition of fatty liver disease (FLD) by virtue of the ANN.

Methods

A total of 7,396 pairs of gender- and age-matched subjects who underwent health check-ups at the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University (Hangzhou, China) were enrolled to establish the ANN model. Indices available in health check-up reports were utilized as potential input variables. The performance of our model was evaluated through a receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Other outcome measures included diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, Cohen’s k coefficient, Brier score, and Hosmer-Lemeshow test. The Fatty Liver Index (FLI) and the Hepatic Steatosis Index (HSI), retrained using our training-group data with its original designated input variables, were used as comparisons in the capability of FLD diagnosis.

Results

Eight variables (age, gender, body mass index, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, uric acid, total triglyceride, and fasting plasma glucose) were eventually adopted as input nodes of the ANN model. By applying a cut-off point of 0.51, the area under ROC curves of our ANN model in predicting FLD in the testing group was 0.908 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.901–0.915]—significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of the FLI model (0.881, 95% CI, 0.872–0.891) and that of the HSI model (0.885; 95% CI, 0.877–0.893). Our ANN model exhibited higher diagnostic accuracy, better concordance with ultrasonography results, and superior capability of calibration than the FLI model and the HSI model.

Conclusions

Our ANN system showed good capability in the diagnosis of FLD. It is anticipated that our ANN model will be of both clinical and epidemiological use in the future.
Only a Single Taxonomically Restricted Gene Family in the Drosophila melanogaster Subgroup Can Be Identified with High Confidence
Authors: Zile Karina , Dessimoz Christophe , Wurm Yannick , Masel Joanna
Published: June 2020

Taxonomically restricted genes (TRGs) are genes that are present only in one clade. Protein-coding TRGs may evolve de novo from previously noncoding sequences: functional ncRNA, introns, or alternative reading frames of older protein-coding genes, or intergenic sequences. A major challenge in studying de novo genes is the need to avoid both false-positives (nonfunctional open reading frames and/or functional genes that did not arise de novo) and false-negatives. Here, we search conservatively for high-confidence TRGs as the most promising candidates for experimental studies, ensuring functionality through conservation across at least two species, and ensuring de novo status through examination of homologous noncoding sequences. Our pipeline also avoids ascertainment biases associated with preconceptions of how de novo genes are born. We identify one TRG family that evolved de novo in the Drosophila melanogaster subgroup. This TRG family contains single-copy genes in Drosophila simulans and Drosophila sechellia. It originated in an intron of a well-established gene, sharing that intron with another well-established gene upstream. These TRGs contain an intron that predates their open reading frame. These genes have not been previously reported as de novo originated, and to our knowledge, they are the best Drosophila candidates identified so far for experimental studies aimed at elucidating the properties of de novo genes.
Multiscale resistivity inversion based on convolutional wavelet transform
Authors: Pang Yonghao , Nie Lichao , Liu Bin , Liu Zhengyu , Wang Ning
Published: June 2020

The resistivity imaging method, an effective geophysical technique, has been widely used in environmental, engineering and hydrological fields. The inversion method based on smooth constraint is one of the most commonly used methods. However, this method causes the resistivity to change smoothly and makes it difficult to describe geological boundaries accurately. An accurate description of the target's boundaries often requires a priori information gained with other methods (such as other geophysical methods or geological drilling). To address this issue, a multiscale inversion method is proposed for extracting boundary features and inverting feature parameters from different scales. In this method, a convolution kernel is used to extract the boundary information from the resistivity model. The model parameters are transformed from the spatial domain to the feature domain via a convolutional wavelet transform. The feature parameters of different scales can then be obtained by solving the inversion equation in the feature domain. After that, the resistivity model of the spatial domain is reconverted from the feature domain by deconvolution transform of the inversion result. Numerical simulations and experiments show that the new multiscale resistivity inversion method has the ability to locate and depict boundaries of geological targets with high accuracy.
Curvature, a mechanical link between the geometrical complexities of a fault: application to bends, kinks and rough faults
Authors: Romanet Pierre , Sato Dye SK , Ando Ryosuke
Published: June 2020

Many recent studies have tried to determine the influence of geometry of faults in earthquake mechanics. However, it still remains largely unknown, and it is explored mainly with numerical models. In this paper, we will try to understand how exactly does the geometry come into play in the mechanics of an earthquake from analytical perspective. We suggest a new interpretation of the effect of geometry on the stress on a fault, where the curvatures of the fault that multiply the slip play a major role. Starting from the representation theorem, which links the displacement in a medium to the slip distribution on its boundary, and assuming a 3-D, homogeneous, infinite medium, a regularized boundary-element equation can be obtained. Using this equation, it is possible to separate the influence of geometry, as expressed by the curvatures and torsions of the field lines of slip on the fault surface, which multiply the slip, from the effect of the gradient of slip. This allows us to shed new light on the mechanical effects of geometrical complexities on the fault surface, with the key parameters being the curvatures and torsions of the slip field lines. We have used this new approach to show that, in 2-D static in-plane problems, the shear traction along the fault is mainly controlled by the gradient of slip along the fault, while the normal traction is mainly controlled by the slip that multiplies the curvature along the fault. Finally, we applied this new approach to re-interpret the effect of roughness (why there is a need for a minimum lengthscale in linear elasticity, how to study mechanically the difference of roughness measurements with the direction of slip, scaling of slip distribution versus geometry), bends and kinks (what is the difference between the two, are they sometimes equivalent), as well as to explain further the false paradox between smooth-and-abrupt-bends. This unified framework allows us to improve greatly our understanding of the effect of fault geometry on the mechanics of earthquakes.
Effects of fluid saturations on undrained poroelastic constants in layered media
Authors: Li Shengjie
Published: June 2020

Understanding the fluid dependence of the poroelastic stiffness constants of a layered porous package is of great importance in subsurface exploration and development. While the effects of the pore-fluid distribution caused by coarse-scale heterogeneities within an isotropic medium have been studied for several decades, the role of these heterogeneities on the poroelastic constants of a finely layered package is still largely unexplored. In this study, we apply the poroelastic upscaling methods to estimate the fluid-dependent poroelastic stiffness constants of a layered package at the coarse scale. The numerical results show that the refined Gassmann's fluid substitution formulae presented in this paper is applicable if a single fluid phase is uniformly saturated within a layered package. The stiffness constants (${c_{11}}$ and ${c_{33}}$) of the layered package with patchy saturations are always higher than or equal to those obtained for the medium with homogeneous saturations, the stiffness constants predicted by the refined fluid substitution formulae for the package simultaneously saturated with different fluids fall between them. Experimental results confirm the relationship between the undrained vertical stiffness constant and the effective pore-fluid bulk modulus for the patch saturated package, indicating that a reasonable result can be achieved by properly choosing an effective poroelastic model that accounts both for the fluid hydraulic communication and the anisotropy of the medium. The results improve the understanding of the coarse-scale fluid dependence of the poroelastic stiffness constants of a layered package, and therefore, it can be used to interpret the seismically inverted elastic parameter for the petrophysical properties in heterogeneous reservoirs.
Colonoids From Patients With Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Exhibit Decreased Growth Associated With Inflammation Severity and Durable Upregulation of Antigen Presentation Genes
Authors: Kelsen Judith R , Dawany Noor , Conrad Maire A , Karakasheva Tatiana A , Maurer Kelly , Wei Jane M , Uman Selen , Dent Maiah H , Behera Rithika , Bryant Laura M , Ma Xianghui , Moreira Leticia , Chatterji Priya , Shraim Rawan , Merz Audrey , Mizuno Rei , Simon Lauren A , Muir Amanda B , Giraudo Claudio , Behrens Edward M , Whelan Kelly A , Devoto Marcella , Russo Pierre A , Andres Sarah F , Sullivan Kathleen E , Hamilton Kathryn E
Published: June 2020

Background

Defining epithelial cell contributions to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is essential for the development of much needed therapies for barrier repair. Children with very early onset (VEO)-IBD have more extensive, severe, and refractory disease than older children and adults with IBD and, in some cases, have defective barrier function. We therefore evaluated functional and transcriptomic differences between pediatric IBD (VEO and older onset) and non-IBD epithelium using 3-dimensional, biopsy-derived organoids.

Methods

We measured growth efficiency relative to histopathological and clinical parameters in patient enteroid (ileum) and colonoid (colon) lines. We performed RNA-sequencing on patient colonoids and subsequent flow cytometry after multiple passages to evaluate changes that persisted in culture.

Results

Enteroids and colonoids from pediatric patients with IBD exhibited decreased growth associated with histological inflammation compared with non-IBD controls. We observed increased LYZ expression in colonoids from pediatric IBD patients, which has been reported previously in adult patients with IBD. We also observed upregulation of antigen presentation genes HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DRA, which persisted after prolonged passaging in patients with pediatric IBD.

Conclusions

We present the first functional evaluation of enteroids and colonoids from patients with VEO-IBD and older onset pediatric IBD, a subset of which exhibits poor growth. Enhanced, persistent epithelial antigen presentation gene expression in patient colonoids supports the notion that epithelial cell-intrinsic differences may contribute to IBD pathogenesis.
From DNA to biomass: opportunities and challenges in species quantification of bulk fisheries products
Authors: Hansen Brian Klitgaard , Farrant Gregory Kevin , Ogden Rob , Humble Emily , Ólafsdóttir Guðbjörg , Bekkevold Dorte , Knudsen Steen Wilhelm , Møller Peter Rask , Nielsen Einar Eg
Published: June 2020

Fisheries enforcement relies on visual catch identification and quantification at sea or when landed. Silage (fish dissolved in acid) and fish blocks (block frozen fish) are promising methods for on-board processing and storage of low-value catches. We examined the use of non-destructive sampling and two DNA-based methods, quantitative PCR (qPCR) and metabarcoding, to assess species composition and relative abundance in industrial grade experimental silage and fish blocks. We demonstrate the ability to identify and quantify DNA from fish species in both products. qPCR analysis of small silage samples collected over 21 days detected all target control species. DNA from one species (Atlantic wolffish) was consistently overrepresented while, for three species of gadoids (Atlantic cod, haddock and whiting), the DNA content matched input tissue proportions with high accuracy. qPCR and metabarcoding of fish blocks, sampled as run-off water and exterior swabs, provided consistent species detection, with the highest variance observed in quantification from swab samples. Our analysis shows that DNA-based methods have significant potential as a tool for species identification and quantification of complex on-board-processed seafood products and are readily applicable to taxonomically and morphologically similar fish. There is, however, a need for establishing DNA/weight calibration factors for primary fisheries species.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Associated Hospital Admissions in Children Younger Than 5 Years in 7 European Countries Using Routinely Collected Datasets
Authors: Reeves Rachel M , van Wijhe Maarten , Tong Sabine , Lehtonen Toni , Stona Luca , Teirlinck Anne C , Fernandez Liliana Vazquez , Li You , Giaquinto Carlo , Fischer Thea Kølsen , Demont Clarisse , Heikkinen Terho , Speltra Irene , van Boven Michiel , Bøås Håkon , Campbell Harry ,   RESCEU Investigators, Reeves Rachel M , Li You , Campbell Harry , Nair Harish , van Wijhe Maarten , Fischer Thea Kølsen , Simonsen Lone , Trebbien Ramona , Tong Sabine , Bangert Mathieu , Demont Clarisse , Lehtonen Toni , Heikkinen Terho , Teirlinck Anne , van Boven Michiel , van der Hoek Wim , van der Maas Nicoline , Meijer Adam , Fernandez Liliana Vazquez , Bøas Håkon , Bekkevold Terese , Flem Elmira , Stona Luca , Speltra Irene , Giaquinto Carlo , Cheret Arnaud , Leach Amanda , Stoszek Sonia , Beutels Philippe , Bont Louis , Pollard Andrew , Openshaw Peter , Abram Michael , Swanson Kena , Rosen Brian , Molero Eva , Reeves Rachel M , Li You , Campbell Harry , Nair Harish , van Wijhe Maarten , Fischer Thea Kølsen , Simonsen Lone , Trebbien Ramona , Tong Sabine , Bangert Mathieu , Demont Clarisse , Lehtonen Toni , Heikkinen Terho , Teirlinck Anne , van Boven Michiel , van der Hoek Wim , van der Maas Nicoline , Meijer Adam , Fernandez Liliana Vazquez , Bøas Håkon , Bekkevold Terese , Flem Elmira , Stona Luca , Speltra Irene , Giaquinto Carlo , Cheret Arnaud , Leach Amanda , Stoszek Sonia , Beutels Philippe , Bont Louis , Pollard Andrew , Openshaw Peter , Abram Michael , Swanson Kena , Rosen Brian , Molero Eva
Published: June 2020

Background

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of respiratory tract infection (RTI) in young children. Registries provide opportunities to explore RSV epidemiology and burden.

Methods

We explored routinely collected hospital data on RSV in children aged < 5 years in 7 European countries. We compare RSV-associated admission rates, age, seasonality, and time trends between countries.

Results

We found similar age distributions of RSV-associated hospital admissions in each country, with the highest burden in children < 1 years old and peak at age 1 month. Average annual rates of RTI admission were 41.3–112.0 per 1000 children aged < 1 year and 8.6–22.3 per 1000 children aged < 1 year. In children aged < 5 years, 57%–72% of RTI admissions with specified causal pathogen were coded as RSV, with 62%–87% of pathogen-coded admissions in children < 1 year coded as RSV.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrate the benefits and limitations of using linked routinely collected data to explore epidemiology and burden of RSV. Our future work will use these data to generate estimates of RSV burden using time-series modelling methodology, to inform policymaking and regulatory decisions regarding RSV immunization strategy and monitor the impact of future vaccines.
Current Status of Vancomycin Analytical Methods
Authors: Do Nascimento Patrícia Aleixa , Kogawa Ana Carolina , Salgado Hérida Regina Nunes
Published: June 2020

Background

The glycopeptide antibiotics are a class of antimicrobial drugs that are an important alternative for cases of bacterial infections resistant to penicillins, besides being able to be used to treat infections in people allergic to pencilin. They have great activity against Gram-positive microorganisms, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), by inhibiting the cell wall synthesis.

Objective

There are many analytical methods in the literature for determination of antimicrobial glycopeptide vancomycin in different matrixes that are very effective; however, all of them use toxic solvents, contributing to the generation of waste, causing damage to the environment and to the operator, as well as increased costs of analysis.

Results

The most prevailing method found was high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), followed by microbiological assays and, in less quantity, spectrometric methods. The chromatographic methods use organic solvents that are toxic, such as acetonitrile and methanol, and buffer solutions, that can damage the equipment and the column. In the microbiological assays the disc diffusion methods are still in the majority. The spectrophotometric methods were based in the UV-Vis region using buffer solutions as a diluent.

Conclusions

All these methods can become greener, following green analytical chemistry principles, which could bring benefits both to the environment and the operator, and reduce costs.

Highlights

In this paper, a literature review regarding analytical methods for determination of vancomycin was carried out with a suggestion of greener alternatives.
Egg Maturation and Daily Progeny Production in the Parasitoid, Gronotoma micromorpha (Hymenoptera: Figitidae: Eucoilinae)
Authors: Wu Yajiao , Abe Yoshihisa
Published: June 2020

An ovigeny index, which is the initial egg load divided by the potential lifetime fecundity, was developed for the parasitoid, Gronotoma micromorpha (Perkins), on the host Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess) (Diptera: Agromyzidae). The value obtained for the index was estimated to be 0.54, based on the initial egg load (mean ± SD: 41.0 ± 13.5) observed in the present study and the lifetime fecundity (75.6 ± 32.6) estimated in a previous study. Gronotoma micromorpha was previously regarded as being strictly pro-ovigenic based on daily progeny production data; however, the findings of the present study showed that this parasitoid is prosynovigenic. A 3-d cycle in daily progeny production was previously reported to occur during the lifetime of adult females (6.6 d) in this species. The present study showed that the initial egg load is nearly equal to the total number of eggs deposited in 3 d following adult emergence. Therefore, it is considered that the mature eggs stored during the pupal stage are deposited during the first 3 d after adult emergence and that egg maturation in the adult stage starts on day 1 and requires 3 d to complete in G. micromorpha. To clarify the relationship between the daily progeny production and the initial egg load, a reproductive cycle consisting of maturation, deposition, and depletion of eggs is proposed. In G. micromorpha, the reproductive cycle is considered to occur twice during the female lifetime. Furthermore, it is proposed that other prosynovigenic parasitoid species have a similar reproductive cycle.
Documenting the Establishment, Spread, and Severity of Phyllachora maydis on Corn, in the United States
Authors: Kleczewski Nathan M , Plewa Diane E , Bissonnette Kaitlyn M , Bowman Norman D , Byrne Jan M , LaForest Joseph , Dalla-Lana Felipe , Malvick Dean K , Mueller Daren S , Chilvers Martin I , Paul Pierce A , Raid Richard N , Robertson Alison E , Ruhl Gail E , Smith Damon L , Telenko Darcy E P
Published: June 2020

Tar spot on corn, caused by the fungus (Phyllachora maydis Maubl. [Phyllachorales: Phyllachoraceae]), is an emerging disease in the United States. In 2018 and 2019, significant but localized epidemics of tar spot occurred across the major corn producing region of the Midwest. After being first detected in 2015, tar spot was detected in 135 and 139 counties where the disease was not previously detected in 2018 and 2019, respectively, and is now established across 310 counties across the United Sates. Foliage with signs (stromata) of P. maydis and symptoms of tar spot were collected from 128 fields in 2018 and 191 fields in 2019, across seven states. Samples were assessed for severity of fungal stromata (percent leaf area covered with stromata) on foliage and the incidence of fisheye lesions (proportion of lesions with fisheye symptoms) associated with fungal stromata. Stromatal severity on samples in 2018 ranged from 0.5 to 67% and incidence of fisheye lesions ranged from 0 to 12%, whereas in 2019, stromatal severity ranged from 0.1 to 35% and incidence of fisheye lesions ranged from 0 to 80%, with 95% of samples presenting less than 6% incidence of fisheye lesions. Tar spot has spread substantially from where it was first reported in the United States. Collaborative efforts to monitor the spread and educate clientele on management are essential as this disease spreads into new areas.
Treatment of the novel COVID-19: why Costa Rica’s proposal for the creation of a global pooling mechanism deserves serious consideration?
Authors: Abbas Muhammad Zaheer
Published: June 2020

The COVID-19 is causing not only deaths and fear but also economic and social harm across the globe. Lockdowns, travel restrictions, quarantines, social distancing, and other strict public health measures are playing their part in delaying the spread of infection, but a safe and potent vaccine, effective therapeutics, point-of-care diagnostics, and other health products are desperately needed because it may not be practically possible for governments to extend these measures for an indefinite period of time. On March 23, Costa Rica submitted a proposal to the Director-General of the World Health Organization for the creation of a global pooling mechanism in order to facilitate access to and use of intellectual property, trade-secret know-how, regulatory data, cell lines, product blueprints, and other proprietary data for technologies that are useful for the detection, prevention, control, and treatment of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study critically evaluates Costa Rica’s proposal and endeavors to briefly answer the following questions: Why Costa Rica’s proposal deserves serious consideration? To what extent this proposal addresses some of the key concerns related to the COVID-19? To what extent this proposal is practically feasible?
Power, Participation, and ‘peer researchers’: Addressing Gaps in Refugee Research Ethics Guidance
Authors: Pincock Kate , Bakunzi William
Published: June 2020

Driven by efforts to recognize the agency of refugees and thus the importance of their participation in research about their lives, refugees are increasingly being engaged to work as collaborators and assistants during research in refugee camps and settlements. Yet whilst academic research attends to the ethics of research with refugees, existing guidance fails to recognize or attempt to mitigate the specific ways in which refugees working as research assistants may be impacted by taking on this role. This is a particularly important issue for consideration in research within camps and settlements, where refugee researchers are embedded within complex relations of power that include communities, governance structures, and humanitarian agencies. Drawing on our experiences of carrying out research in Nakivale settlement in Uganda in 2017, we show some of the challenges that refugee researchers experience and reflect on the practical implications for efforts to undertake more ethical research.
‘Street-Level Justifications’: Service Providers Mediating Refugee Reception in the Urban Context of Istanbul
Authors: Üstübici AyŞen
Published: June 2020

This article discusses the mediating role of service providers between citizens and refugee reception policies. Based on an analysis of interviews with local government officials and NGO workers and observations in two districts of Istanbul, I examine the ‘street-level justifications’ that service providers use to counter anti-refugee resentments expressed by the citizens. The article suggests that as street-level bureaucrats endeavour to justify their work with refugees through three types discursive strategies; cultural similarity, call for empathy, and pragmatic explanations. Such strategies by constantly re-defining us and them, bear implications for social cohesion. The article offers a meso-level analysis of refugee reception policies in the Turkish context and highlights the limits of initial hospitality. The findings have wider implications for other contexts where the settlement of displaced or migrant populations is rather nascent, policies are top-down and where bureaucratic structures mediate among displaced populations, citizens, and the resources available to them.
Refugee Sponsorship and Family Reunification
Authors: Morris Stéfanie , Lenard Patti Tamara , Haugen Stacey
Published: June 2020

This article examines the choice made by resettled refugees and their sponsors to use the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program (PSRP) in Canada to reunite families and the benefits and challenges of doing so. The timing of our study is deliberate. Global efforts are underway to encourage other states to adopt private or community sponsorship schemes, and this spread renders examination of the benefits and burdens of this form of refugee resettlement urgent. Using data we have collected via interviews of resettled refugees and sponsors in Canada, we show that family separation has a marked impact on the ability of refugees to integrate into their new home. This conclusion highlights the possibility that there are host-state imperatives that can be better served by facilitating family reunification. Furthermore, we suggest that the successful deployment of the PSRP as a tool of family reunification depends too much on the preferences and perspectives of sponsors, who may not agree that reunification is valuable, or who may not have the capacity to facilitate such reunifications. They also may struggle with the thought that they are being forced to choose among which refugees are most in need of highly scarce resettlement spots. Together, these results generate additional support for the view, which we endorse, that states should be focused on doing more to protect family unity, especially for refugee families, outside of a private sponsorship scheme.
The Sinorhizobium fredii HH103 type III secretion system effector NopC blocks nodulation with Lotus japonicus Gifu
Authors: Jiménez-Guerrero Irene , Acosta-Jurado Sebastián , Medina Carlos , Ollero Francisco Javier , Alias-Villegas Cynthia , Vinardell José María , Pérez-Montaño Francisco , López-Baena Francisco Javier
Published: June 2020

The broad-host-range bacterium Sinorhizobium fredii HH103 cannot nodulate the model legume Lotus japonicus Gifu. This bacterium possesses a type III secretion system (T3SS), a specialized secretion apparatus used to deliver effector proteins (T3Es) into the host cell cytosol to alter host signaling and/or suppress host defence responses to promote infection. However, some of these T3Es are recognized by specific plant receptors and hence trigger a strong defence response to block infection. In rhizobia, T3Es are involved in nodulation efficiency and host-range determination, and in some cases directly activate host symbiosis signalling in a Nod factor-independent manner. In this work, we show that HH103 RifR T3SS mutants, unable to secrete T3Es, gain nodulation with L. japonicus Gifu through infection threads, suggesting that plant recognition of a T3E could block the infection process. To identify the T3E involved, we performed nodulation assays with a collection of mutants that affect secretion of each T3E identified in HH103 RifR so far. The nopC mutant could infect L. japonicus Gifu by infection thread invasion and switch the infection mechanism in Lotus burttii from intercellular infection to infection thread formation. Lotus japonicus gene expression analysis indicated that the infection-blocking event occurs at early stages of the symbiosis.
The Theology of Ecclesiastical Architecture in Geoffrey Hill’s Book of Baruch by the Gnostic Justin
Authors: Potter Madeline
Published: June 2020

In Geoffrey Hill's posthumously published Book of Baruch by the Gnostic Justin, ecclesiastical architecture is explored in close conjunction with historical violence, as its very form is construed as influenced by it. This article argues that Hill's engagement with architecture is informed, at its core, by a theological act of witness to the violence of history, but also as an act of seeking atonement for collective and historical sin.
Gas flows in an active galactic nucleus – I. Two-phase gas inflow
Authors: Bu De-Fu , Yang Xiao-Hong , Zhu Bocheng
Published: June 2020

We perform two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations to study the non-rotating gas flow in the region from 1 to 1000 pc. This region connects the galaxy scale and the accretion disc scale. The gas is irradiated by the photons generated by the accretion disc system near the central black hole with 108 solar mass. We assume that the luminosity of the central accretion system is constant and equals to 0.3 Eddington luminosity. Gas with density higher than $10^{-24 }\, {\rm g \ cm^{-3}}$ is found to be thermally unstable. Two phase, cold and hot, gas flow will form due to thermal instability. We calculated the ratio of cold gas accretion rate to hot gas accretion rate. This ratio is a function of gas density and generally increases with the increase of gas density. The maximum value of this ratio is 16, when gas density is $10^{-21}\, {\rm g \ cm^{-3}}$. Gas with density lower than $10^{-24}\, {\rm g \ cm^{-3}}$ is found to be thermally stable and the gas flow is one-phase. The applications of the results are briefly discussed.
Galactic extinction laws – I. A global NIR analysis with 2MASS photometry
Authors: Maíz Apellániz J , Pantaleoni González M , Barbá R H , García-Lario P , Nogueras-Lara F
Published: June 2020

We have started an ambitious program to determine if the full diversity of extinction laws is real or if some of it is due to calibration or methodological issues. Here we start by analysing the information on near-infrared (NIR) extinction in a Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) stellar sample with good quality photometry and very red colours. We calculate the extinction at 1 μm, A1, and the power-law exponent, α (Aλ = A1λ−α), for the 2MASS stars located in the extinction trajectory in the H − K versus J − H plane expected for red giants with A1 > 5 mag. We test the validity of the assumption about the nature of those stars, whether a single or multiple values of α are needed, and the spatial variations of the results. Most (∼83 per cent) of those stars can indeed be explained by high-extinction red giants and the rest are composed of extinguished asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars (mostly O-rich), blended sources, and smaller numbers of other objects, a contaminant fraction that can be reduced with the help of Gaia Data Release 2 (DR2) data. Galactic red giants experience a NIR extinction with α ∼ 2.27 and an uncertainty of a few hundredths of a magnitude. There is no significant spread in α even though our sample is widely distributed and has a broad range of extinctions. Differences with previous results are ascribed to the treatment of non-linear photometric effects and/or the contaminant correction. Future research should concentrate in finding the correct functional form for the NIR extinction law. In the appendix, we detail the treatment of non-linear photometric effects in the 2MASS bands.
Semi-analytic forecasts for JWST – IV. Implications for cosmic reionization and LyC escape fraction
Authors: Yung L Y Aaron , Somerville Rachel S , Finkelstein Steven L , Popping Gergö , Davé Romeel , Venkatesan Aparna , Behroozi Peter , Ferguson Harry C
Published: June 2020

Galaxies forming in low-mass haloes are thought to be primarily responsible for reionizing the Universe during the first billion years after the big bang. Yet, these haloes are extremely inefficient at forming stars in the nearby Universe. In this work, we address this apparent tension, and ask whether a physically motivated model of galaxy formation that reproduces the observed abundance of faint galaxies in the nearby Universe is also consistent with available observational constraints on the reionization history. By interfacing the Santa Cruz semi-analytic model for galaxy formation with an analytic reionization model, we constructed a computationally efficient pipeline that connects ‘ground-level’ galaxy formation physics to ‘top-level’ cosmological-scale observables. Based on photometric properties of the galaxy populations predicted up to z = 15, we compute the reionization history of intergalactic hydrogen. We quantify the three degenerate quantities that influence the total ionizing photon budget, including the abundance of galaxies, the intrinsic production rate of ionizing photons, and the LyC escape fraction. We explore covariances between these quantities using a Markov chain Monte Carlo method. We find that our locally calibrated model is consistent with all currently available constraints on the reionization history, under reasonable assumptions about the LyC escape fraction. We quantify the fraction of ionizing photons produced by galaxies of different luminosities and find that the galaxies expected to be detected in James Webb Space Telescope Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) wide and deep surveys are responsible for producing ∼40–80 per cent of ionizing photons throughout the Epoch of Reionization. All results presented in this work are available at https://www.simonsfoundation.org/semi-analytic-forecasts-for-jwst/.
Volume overload in hemodialysis: diagnosis, cardiovascular consequences, and management
Authors: Loutradis Charalampos , Sarafidis Pantelis A , Ferro Charles J , Zoccali Carmine
Published: June 2020

Volume overload in haemodialysis (HD) patients associates with hypertension and cardiac dysfunction and is a major risk factor for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in this population. The diagnosis of volume excess and estimation of dry weight is based largely on clinical criteria and has a notoriously poor diagnostic accuracy. The search for accurate and objective methods to evaluate dry weight and to diagnose subclinical volume overload has been intensively pursued over the last 3 decades. Most methods have not been tested in appropriate clinical trials and their usefulness in clinical practice remains uncertain, except for bioimpedance spectroscopy and lung ultrasound (US). Bioimpedance spectroscopy is possibly the most widely used method to subjectively quantify fluid distributions over body compartments and produces reliable and reproducible results. Lung US provides reliable estimates of extravascular water in the lung, a critical parameter of the central circulation that in large part reflects the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure. To maximize cardiovascular tolerance, fluid removal in volume-expanded HD patients should be gradual and distributed over a sufficiently long time window. This review summarizes current knowledge about the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of volume overload in HD patients.
Mission and challenges of higher education: an interview with G.Q. Max Lu, the president of the University of Surrey
Authors: Wang Ling , Guo Zhengtang
Published: June 2020

The University of Surrey (referred to as Surrey hereafter) is one of the renowned universities in the UK that was established on 9 September 1966 with the grant of its Royal Charter and its roots go back to Battersea Polytechnic Institute, founded in 1891. Surrey is the research hub of small satellites, mobile telecommunication and artificial intelligence in Europe. In 2016, Surrey was named as ‘University of the Year’ in the UK and, in February 2018, Surrey won the Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education (Surrey's fourth award)—the highest national award for the UK universities, in recognition of the outstanding contribution of Surrey to nutrition and health.

The president and vice chancellor of Surrey, Professor Max Lu, took this position in 2016 and is also the first scholar of Chinese origin to be the leader of a British university. Before he joined Surrey, he was the provost and senior vice president at the University of Queensland in Australia. Professor Lu is not only a talented leader in education field, but also a distinguished scientist in materials chemistry and nanotechnology area. He has been honored with numerous awards, including the Orica Award, RK Murphy Medal, China International Science and Technology Award and Medal of the Order of Australia, etc. He has been also appointed to the Prime Minister's Council for Science and Technology and the Board of UK Research and Innovation, etc. The rich experience and open-mindedness lead to his profound insights into higher education around the world. Lately elected as a fellow of Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) and foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Lu shared his broad and deep perspectives on higher education with National Science Review during his travel in Beijing.