bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamic Type Matching
Authors: Hu Ming , Zhou Yun
Published: March 2021

Problem definition: We consider an intermediary’s problem of dynamically matching demand and supply of heterogeneous types in a periodic-review fashion. Specifically, there are two disjoint sets of demand and supply types, and a reward for each possible matching of a demand type and a supply type. In each period, demand and supply of various types arrive in random quantities. The platform decides on the optimal matching policy to maximize the expected total discounted rewards, given that unmatched demand and supply may incur waiting or holding costs, and will be fully or partially carried over to the next period. Academic/practical relevance: The problem is crucial to many intermediaries who manage matchings centrally in a sharing economy. Methodology: We formulate the problem as a dynamic program. We explore the structural properties of the optimal policy and propose heuristic policies. Results: We provide sufficient conditions on matching rewards such that the optimal matching policy follows a priority hierarchy among possible matching pairs. We show that those conditions are satisfied by vertically and unidirectionally horizontally differentiated types, for which quality and distance determine priority, respectively. Managerial implications: The priority property simplifies the matching decision within a period, and the trade-off reduces to a choice between matching in the current period and that in the future. Then the optimal matching policy has a match-down-to structure when considering a specific pair of demand and supply types in the priority hierarchy.
a que convida o convite ao filosofar?
Authors: Gomes Vanise Dutra , Vieira Paula Alexandra
Published: March 2021

In the call from papers from childhood & philosophy we hear an invitation to philosophize. But what does such an invitation mean? In what ways does an invitation or (re) invitation to philosophize encourage us to suspension our accepted meanings and empower us to sustain this challenge? These are the questions of two teachers who have, first, accepted the prior invitation to philosophize with children, and have now accepted the invitation to think and write together about that experience. This essay was prompted by two questions posed by the children with whom we philosophize: In writing it, we have experienced other ways  of thinking and living educational practice, and, through our encounters with our students, find ourselves challenged to live in more inventive and therefore more childlike ways within the framework of the public school, here understood in the sense of scholé (Masschelein; Simmons, 2013).  In order to reflect on the two questions, we set off from the concept of consummation (Heidegger, 1987), and we engage in dialogue with both a pedagogy of the question (Freire; Faundez, 1985), and the concept of equality of intelligence (Rancière, 2005), in order to open a pathway of thought that addresses them.
Calendário de Sazonalidade de Hortifrutícolas Não Convencionais ou Negligenciadas
Authors: Santos Marianna Esteves dos , Silva Márcio Marques , Pereira Avany Fernandes , Silva Thadia Turon Costa da
Published: March 2021

Introdução: Com uma enorme variedade de plantas comestíveis, nativas ou exóticas, o Brasil tem sua biodiversidade subexplorada na alimentação. Objetivo: Desenvolver um Calendário de Sazonalidade, a fim de contribuir para o conhecimento, uso e preservação dessas espécies que compõem a biodiversidade. Métodos: Sistematização de informações sobre o período de safra de hortifrutícolas não convencionais ou negligenciadas, por meio de revisão da literatura científica, classificando-as de acordo com as partes utilizadas na alimentação humana, como frutas, hortaliças-fruto, hortaliças herbáceas e sementes. Resultados: O calendário contempla 71 espécies, classificadas em 60 nativas e 11 exóticas, subdivididas em 59 frutas, 3 hortaliças-fruto, 13 hortaliças herbáceas e 6 sementes. Conclusão: A relevância do tema e a escassez de trabalhos que apresentem ferramentas de fácil aplicação, que propiciem a adoção de hortifrutícolas não convencionais ou negligenciadas na culinária e gastronomia, ressaltam a importância de mais estudos voltados para esta temática. Almeja-se, dessa forma, que o calendário proposto seja utilizado pela população e, sobretudo, por profissionais dos serviços de alimentação no planejamento dos cardápios, visando a valorização da cultura alimentar e preservação da biodiversidade brasileira.
Developing as a nurse by developing services and people
Authors: Starr Laura
Published: March 2021

In this instalment of our 2021 Spotlight on Nurses series, Laura Starr, nominee for Cardiovascular Nurse of the Year 2020, discusses how her career took shape and her passion for continuing development and learning.
Care Quality Commission consults on changes to regulatory inspection process
Authors: Glasper Alan
Published: March 2021

Emeritus Professor Alan Glasper, from the University of Southampton, discusses a recent initiative from the Care Quality Commission to fundamentally change its method of health and social care inspections
Clinical negligence litigation reform: the link between safety and the law
Authors: Tingle John
Published: March 2021

John Tingle, Lecturer in Law, Birmingham Law School, University of Birmingham, discusses some recent reports on patient safety and clinical negligence
Substantial support for staff wellbeing
Authors: Foster Sam
Published: March 2021

Sam Foster, Chief Nurse, Oxford University Hospitals, outlines a programme aiming to support the pyschological wellbeing of staff not just in the aftermath of the pandemic response, but for the long term
Bismuth Iodoform Paraffin Paste: History, Uses and Alternatives in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Authors: Randhawa Gurpreet Kaur , Graham Richard M , Matharu Karanveer Singh
Published: March 2021

Bismuth iodoform paraffin paste (BIPP) continues to be widely used in dental/oral and maxillofacial/ENT surgery for surgical cavity packing and wound dressing where pressure, antisepsis and haemostasis is required. We present information on its history and uses, including historical use, constituents, uses in surgery, risks and considerations for deciding on its use. Although side effects and adverse reactions have been reported, these are rare.

CPD/Clinical Relevance: BIPP is commonly used in surgical procedures and an appreciation of its background, history, uses and side effects are important as well as an understanding of its alternatives.
Development and use of the Early Attachment Observation tool for infant mental health
Authors: Hunter Rebecca , Ranger Sue , Ingram Lorraine
Published: March 2021

The Early Attachment Observation (EAO) is a simple assessment tool that has been developed by the Leeds Infant Mental Health service in collaboration with Leeds Health Visiting Service for use by health visitors to identify emerging attachment difficulties. The EAO is delivered as part of the universal offer at the routine 6–8-week health visitor contact. The EAO protocol requires the health visitor to ask the primary caregiver three questions about the emerging relationship between themselves and their infant: Describe your relationship with your baby in three words; What is the best thing about your relationship with your baby?; and What is your biggest fear about your relationship with your baby? The health visitor completes a 2-minute observation of the interactions between the infant and parent. The purpose of the EAO is to screen for emerging attachment difficulties, in line with the WAVE report Conception to Age 2: The Age of Opportunity. The EAO is now a crucial element of the Leeds Early Start infant mental health pathway. The purpose of this article is to outline the development, pilot, implementation and evaluation of the use of the EAO in Leeds.
Conscious coupling: loss of public promises of a life-long bond? An exploration of authenticity and autonomy in commitment processes across contemporary long-term relationship forms
Authors: Blake Sharon , Janssens Astrid
Published: March 2021

Strong mutual commitment is typically conceived of as involving a public promise of a life-long bond, but social theorists have posited that external relationship anchors are being replaced with a private meaning of commitment. This narrative analysis of semi-structured interviews with ten White British couples in long-term relationships (15+ years) of different forms (married, civil partners, cohabitants) explores the meaning of commitment in contemporary relationships. The findings indicate a loss of importance attached to public promises, with couple relationships instead guided by two distinct commitment narratives, one of which rejects future-oriented promises of a life-long bond. Contrary to individualisation theories, however, relationship trajectories continue to be shaped by social influences. The study raises questions regarding the growth of an alternative moral framework for relationships and suggests theoretical conceptions of commitment are reconsidered in light of changes in contemporary relationship practices.
Simultaneous measurement of the refractive index and the pressure by mode splitting in concentric triple microring resonators with a single opening
Authors: Zhang Ping , Zhang Chen , Yan Zhiruo
Published: March 2021

Concentric triple microring resonators with a single opening on the flexible SU-8 substrate are proposed and theoretically demonstrated for simultaneous detection of refractive index (RI) and pressure changes. Since an opening defect is introduced, the mode splitting occurs, which forms a symmetric and an asymmetric standing wave mode (SWM). The energy distribution of the two SWMs is quite different so that the sensitivities of the RI and pressure in the SWMs can be distinguished. The RI sensitivities of 186.37 nm/RIU and 107.69 nm/RIU and the pressure sensitivities of 1.42 pm/KPa and 1.07 pm/KPa are obtained corresponding to the symmetric and the asymmetric SWMs, respectively. By solving a second-order sensitivity inverse matrix, the change in RI and pressure can be measured simultaneously, thereby eliminating the influence of the strain-optical coupling effect in the field of biosensing application. The proposed structure has great potential in achieving simultaneous measurement of multiple parameters.
Evaluation of liquid-phase thermometry in impinging jet sprays using synchrotron x-ray scattering
Authors: Rahman N. , Halls B. R. , Matusik K. E. , Meyer T. R. , Kastengren A. L.
Published: March 2021

Liquid thermometry during primary and secondary breakup of liquid sprays is challenging due to the presence of highly dynamic, optically complex flow features. This work evaluates the use of x-ray scattering from a focused, monochromatic beam of the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory for the measurement of liquid temperatures within the mixing zone of an impinging jet spray. The measured scattering profiles are converted to temperature through a previously developed two-component partial least squares (PLS) regression model. Transmitive mixing during jet merging is inferred through spatial mapping of temperatures within the impingement region. The technique exhibits uncertainties of

±

2

K

in temperature and 2% in capturing the correct scattering profile, showing its potential utility for probing liquid temperature distributions in multiphase flows.
Optimization-free customization of optical tightly focused fields: uniform needles and hotspot chains
Authors: He Jun , Zhuang Jicheng , Ding Li , Huang Kun
Published: March 2021

An optimization-free method based on an inverse problem of nonlinear equations is employed to design the binary phase diffraction optical element (BPDOE) that could modulate the incident light of a high-numerical-aperture (NA) objective lens so that the axisymmetric focal fields can be customized on demand. For example, a

43

λ

-long optical longitudinally polarized needle with its lateral size beyond diffraction limit is reported by using a 27-belt BPDOE, where the cost evaluated by the ratio of the belt number of BPDOE to the length of needle is record small compared with other optimization algorithms. Moreover, another longitudinal field with multiple hotspots along the propagation direction of light is also achieved with a 10-belt BPDOE. These achieved focal fields are verified doubly by using a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method, indicating the validity of Richards–Wolf vector diffraction theory. This optimization-free approach makes the design of BPDOEs with numerous belts viable to generate the expected focal fields, which might benefit various applications such as optical trapping, super-resolution imaging, and lithography.
Picosecond laser electronic excitation tagging velocimetry using a picosecond burst-mode laser
Authors: Zhang Zhili , Jiang Naibo , Slipchenko Mikhail N. , Mance Jason G. , Roy Sukesh
Published: March 2021

Detailed characterizations of picosecond laser electronic excitation tagging (PLEET) in pure nitrogen (

N

2

) and air with a 24 ps burst-mode laser system have been conducted. The burst-mode laser system is seeded with a 200 fs broadband seeding laser to achieve short pulse duration. As a non-intrusive molecular tagging velocimetry (MTV) technique, PLEET achieves “writing” via photo-dissociating nitrogen molecules and “tracking” by imaging the molecular nitrogen emissions. Key characteristics and performance of utilization of a 24 ps pulse-burst laser for MTV were obtained, including lifetime of the nitrogen emissions, power dependence, pressure dependence, and local flow heating by the laser pulses. Based on the experimental results and physical mechanisms of PLEET, 24 ps PLEET can produce similar 100 kHz molecular nitrogen emissions by photodissociation, while generating less flow disturbance by reducing laser joule heating than 100 ps PLEET.
Three-zone multifocus hybrid Fresnel lens concentrator
Authors: Lu Ya-Chi , Pan Jui-Wen
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we designed a three-zone multifocus hybrid Fresnel lens concentrator without a homogenizer. This concentrator uses three types of prisms: a refractive prism, a single total internal reflection (STIR) prism, and a double TIR (DTIR) prism. In order to achieve a uniform irradiance distribution, the Fresnel lens is cut into four quadrants and reconnected. Moreover, by decreasing the angle of the edge ray, the hot spot effects caused by the STIR and DTIR prisms can be reduced. Finally, the three-zone multifocus hybrid Fresnel lens concentrator can achieve a geometric concentration ratio of 2121X, f-number of 0.441, optical efficiency of 76.570%, acceptance angle of

±

0.268
∘

, uniformity of 57.002%, and hot spot criteria of 1.369.
Highly efficient fourth harmonic generation of broadband laser pulses retaining 3D pulse shape
Authors: Kuzmin I. V. , Mironov S. Yu. , Martyanov M. A. , Potemkin A. K. , Khazanov E. A.
Published: March 2021

A method for highly efficient fourth harmonic generation (FHG) retaining spatiotemporal intensity distribution of broadband chirped laser pulses is proposed. It is based on the use of pulses with linear frequency chirps of equal absolute magnitudes and opposite signs at the oo-e type noncollinear second harmonic generation. Fourth harmonic generation can by obtained by the classical method, since the second harmonic pulse is narrowband and spectrally limited. A possibility to retain the three-dimensional (3D) structure of the field at FHG with a conversion efficiency

∼

60
%

is demonstrated by the numerical simulation of 3D pulses with a quasi-ellipsoidal intensity distribution.
Multi-MHz MEMS-VCSEL swept-source optical coherence tomography for endoscopic structural and angiographic imaging with miniaturized brushless motor probes
Authors: Zhang Jason , Nguyen Tan , Potsaid Benjamin , Jayaraman Vijaysekhar , Burgner Christopher , Chen Siyu , Li Jinxi , Liang Kaicheng , Cable Alex , Traverso Giovanni , Mashimo Hiroshi , Fujimoto James G.
Published: March 2021

Swept source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) enables volumetric imaging of subsurface structure. However, applications requiring wide fields of view (FOV), rapid imaging, and higher resolutions have been challenging because multi-MHz axial scan (A-scan) rates are needed. We describe a microelectromechanical systems vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (MEMS-VCSEL) SS-OCT technology for A-scan rates of 2.4 and 3.0 MHz. Sweep to sweep calibration and resampling are performed using dual channel acquisition of the OCT signal and a Mach Zehnder interferometer signal, overcoming inherent optical clock limitations and enabling higher performance. We demonstrate ultrahigh speed structural SS-OCT and OCT angiography (OCTA) imaging of the swine gastrointestinal tract using a suite of miniaturized brushless motor probes, including a 3.2 mm diameter micromotor OCT catheter, a 12 mm diameter tethered OCT capsule, and a 12 mm diameter widefield OCTA probe. MEMS-VCSELs promise to enable ultrahigh speed SS-OCT with a scalable, low cost, and manufacturable technology, suitable for a diverse range of imaging applications.
High-sensitivity and independently tunable perfect absorber using a nanohole and a cross-shaped graphene
Authors: Mahdavikia Zahra , Hajati Yaser , Sabaeian Mohammad , Zanbouri Zeinab
Published: March 2021

In this paper, a highly sensitive and tunable graphene-based quad-band perfect or nearly perfect absorber is theoretically investigated. The proposed design is composed of a stacked nanohole and cross-shaped graphene on top of a gold layer separated by an insulator. Based on the numerical simulations, four absorption peaks are observed in the proposed structure, which can reach to 100% at 9.47 µm, 93% at 10.03 µm, 97% at 13.93 µm, and 96% at 18.81 µm in the infrared range. It has been shown that the absorption peaks can be independently tuned by varying the Fermi energy level of the graphene layers as well as the geometrical parameters of the structure, which is highly desired for wavelength selective sensing. In addition, the proposed absorber can be used as a plasmonic sensor for refractive index sensing with maximum sensitivity of

12.86

µ

m

R

I
U

and figure of merit of 49.90, which is very remarkable compared to the previous reported values. Due to the symmetry of the proposed device, a wide angle-insensitive high absorption is maintained for all of the bands under transverse-electric and transverse-magnetic polarizations. With its excellent performance, our graphene-based tunable multiband absorber can be used in biosensors, chemical sensors, and many other nanophotonics devices.
Single-shot dispersion sampling for optical pulse reconstruction
Authors: Korobenko A. , Rosenberger P. , Schötz J. , Naumov A. Yu. , Villeneuve D. M. , Kling M. F. , Staudte A. , Corkum P. B. , Bergues B.
Published: March 2021

We present a novel approach to single-shot characterization of the spectral phase of broadband laser pulses. Our method is inexpensive, insensitive to alignment and combines the simplicity and robustness of the dispersion scan technique, that does not require spatio-temporal pulse overlap, with the advantages of single-shot pulse characterization methods such as single-shot frequency-resolved optical gating at a real-time reconstruction rate of several Hz.
Mode coupling in large-mode-area double-cladding chirped and tilted fiber Bragg gratings
Authors: Rao Binyu , Zhao Xiaofan , Li Hongye , Tian Xin , Wang Meng , Wang Zefeng
Published: March 2021

Recently, chirped and tilted fiber Bragg gratings (CTFBGs) have received great attention because they can realize suppression of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in high-power fiber lasers. In this study, the possible coupling between the core modes and cladding modes in CTFBGs inscribed in large-mode-area double-cladding fibers is investigated for the first time. Theoretical results show that the coupling between the LP11 mode and cladding modes would destroy the transmission spectra envelope only considering the coupling of LP01 for single-mode CTFBGs, which will degenerate the SRS suppression performance. This was confirmed experimentally by measuring the spectral response under different mode excitations. A reliable method is demonstrated to ease the LP11-excitation-induced spectral deterioration by choosing an appropriate chirp rate for the inscription of CTFBGs, which is useful for improving the Raman suppression effect of large-mode-area double-cladding CTFBGs in high-power fiber lasers.
Laser power stabilization via radiation pressure
Authors: Trad Nery Marina , Venneberg Jasper R. , Aggarwal Nancy , Cole Garrett D. , Corbitt Thomas , Cripe Jonathan , Lanza Robert , Willke Benno
Published: March 2021

This Letter reports the experimental realization of a novel, to the
best of our knowledge, active power stabilization scheme in which
laser power fluctuations are sensed via the radiation pressure driven
motion they induce on a movable mirror. The mirror position and its
fluctuations were determined by means of a weak auxiliary laser beam
and a Michelson interferometer, which formed the in-loop sensor of the
power stabilization feedback control system. This sensing technique
exploits a nondemolition measurement, which can result in higher
sensitivity for power fluctuations than direct, and hence destructive,
detection. Here we used this new scheme in a proof-of-concept
experiment to demonstrate power stabilization in the frequency range
from 1 Hz to 10 kHz, limited at low frequencies by the thermal noise
of the movable mirror at room temperature.
Hybrid-mode driven dual-band absorber in long-wave infrared with a phase-gradient metasurface
Authors: Li Xiaoyan , Ye Xiang , Li Guanhai , Yu Feilong , Chen Jin , Zhao Zengyue , Li Zhifeng , Chen Xiaoshuang
Published: March 2021

Long-wave infrared perfect absorbers have many potential applications such as thermal imaging and materials identifications. In contrast with previously reported absorbers which result from either electric or magnetic resonances, we propose a dual-band absorber through exciting the hybrid mode supported by the reflective phase-gradient metasurface. Surface wave mode and dipole-like resonance are respectively investigated to demonstrate the origins of two absorption peaks near 8.1 µm and 14.1 µm. Eigen-mode calculations agree well with the full-wave simulation results. To clarify the role of phase gradient metasurface in enhancing the absorbance, comparisons with single unit-cell metasurfaces are illustrated. The absorptions for incidence with different polarization states also confirm phase gradient design. Our findings may find applications in the long-wave infrared filters, minerals identifications and optoelectronic detectors.
Application of a bioinformatics training delivery method for reaching dispersed and distant trainees
Authors: Hall Christina R. , Griffin Philippa C. , Lonie Andrew J. , Christiansen Jeffrey H.
Published: March 2021

Many initiatives have addressed the global need to upskill biologists in bioinformatics tools and techniques. Australia is not unique in its requirement for such training, but due to its large size and relatively small and geographically dispersed population, Australia faces specific challenges. A combined training approach was implemented by the authors to overcome these challenges. The “hybrid” method combines guidance from experienced trainers with the benefits of both webinar-style delivery and concurrent face-to-face hands-on practical exercises in classrooms. Since 2017, the hybrid method has been used to conduct 9 hands-on bioinformatics training sessions at international scale in which over 800 researchers have been trained in diverse topics on a range of software platforms. The method has become a key tool to ensure scalable and more equitable delivery of short-course bioinformatics training across Australia and can be easily adapted to other locations, topics, or settings.
Optimal timing of one-shot interventions for epidemic control
Authors: Di Lauro Francesco , Kiss István Z. , Miller Joel C.
Published: March 2021

The interventions and outcomes in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic are highly varied. The disease and the interventions both impose costs and harm on society. Some interventions with particularly high costs may only be implemented briefly. The design of optimal policy requires consideration of many intervention scenarios. In this paper we investigate the optimal timing of interventions that are not sustainable for a long period. Specifically, we look at at the impact of a single short-term non-repeated intervention (a “one-shot intervention”) on an epidemic and consider the impact of the intervention’s timing. To minimize the total number infected, the intervention should start close to the peak so that there is minimal rebound once the intervention is stopped. To minimise the peak prevalence, it should start earlier, leading to initial reduction and then having a rebound to the same prevalence as the pre-intervention peak rather than one very large peak. To delay infections as much as possible (as might be appropriate if we expect improved interventions or treatments to be developed), earlier interventions have clear benefit. In populations with distinct subgroups, synchronized interventions are less effective than targeting the interventions in each subcommunity separately.
Boosting GWAS using biological networks: A study on susceptibility to familial breast cancer
Authors: Climente-González Héctor , Lonjou Christine , Lesueur Fabienne ,   GENESIS study group, Stoppa-Lyonnet Dominique , Andrieu Nadine , Azencott Chloé-Agathe
Published: March 2021

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) explore the genetic causes of complex diseases. However, classical approaches ignore the biological context of the genetic variants and genes under study. To address this shortcoming, one can use biological networks, which model functional relationships, to search for functionally related susceptibility loci. Many such network methods exist, each arising from different mathematical frameworks, pre-processing steps, and assumptions about the network properties of the susceptibility mechanism. Unsurprisingly, this results in disparate solutions. To explore how to exploit these heterogeneous approaches, we selected six network methods and applied them to GENESIS, a nationwide French study on familial breast cancer. First, we verified that network methods recovered more interpretable results than a standard GWAS. We addressed the heterogeneity of their solutions by studying their overlap, computing what we called theconsensus. The key gene in this consensus solution wasCOPS5, a gene related to multiple cancer hallmarks. Another issue we observed was that network methods were unstable, selecting very different genes on different subsamples of GENESIS. Therefore, we proposed astable consensussolution formed by the 68 genes most consistently selected across multiple subsamples. This solution was also enriched in genes known to be associated with breast cancer susceptibility (BLM,CASP8,CASP10,DNAJC1,FGFR2,MRPS30, andSLC4A7, P-value = 3 × 10−4). The most connected gene wasCUL3, a regulator of several genes linked to cancer progression. Lastly, we evaluated the biases of each method and the impact of their parameters on the outcome. In general, network methods preferred highly connected genes, even after random rewirings that stripped the connections of any biological meaning. In conclusion, we present the advantages of network-guided GWAS, characterize their shortcomings, and provide strategies to address them. To compute the consensus networks, implementations of all six methods are available athttps://github.com/hclimente/gwas-tools.
Gene disruption by structural mutations drives selection in US rice breeding over the last century
Authors: Vaughn Justin N. , Korani Walid , Stein Joshua C. , Edwards Jeremy D. , Peterson Daniel G. , Simpson Sheron A. , Youngblood Ramey C. , Grimwood Jane , Chougule Kapeel , Ware Doreen H. , McClung Anna M. , Scheffler Brian E.
Published: March 2021

The genetic basis of general plant vigor is of major interest to food producers, yet the trait is recalcitrant to genetic mapping because of the number of loci involved, their small effects, and linkage. Observations of heterosis in many crops suggests that recessive, malfunctioning versions of genes are a major cause of poor performance, yet we have little information on the mutational spectrum underlying these disruptions. To address this question, we generated a long-read assembly of a tropicaljaponicarice (Oryza sativa) variety, Carolina Gold, which allowed us to identify structural mutations (>50 bp) and orient them with respect to their ancestral state using the outgroup,Oryza glaberrima. Supporting prior work, we find substantial genome expansion in thesativabranch. While transposable elements (TEs) account for the largest share of size variation, the majority of events are not directly TE-mediated. Tandem duplications are the most common source of insertions and are highly enriched among 50-200bp mutations. To explore the relative impact of various mutational classes on crop fitness, we then track these structural events over the last century of US rice improvement using 101 resequenced varieties. Within this material, a pattern of temporary hybridization between medium and long-grain varieties was followed by recent divergence. During this long-term selection, structural mutations that impact gene exons have been removed at a greater rate than intronic indels and single-nucleotide mutations. These results support the use ofab initioestimates of mutational burden, based on structural data, as an orthogonal predictor in genomic selection.
Epidemiology of brucellosis in cattle and dairy farmers of rural Ludhiana, Punjab
Authors: Holt Hannah R. , Bedi Jasbir Singh , Kaur Paviter , Mangtani Punam , Sharma Narinder Singh , Gill Jatinder Paul Singh , Singh Yogeshwar , Kumar Rajesh , Kaur Manmeet , McGiven John , Guitian Javier
Published: March 2021

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease imposing significant impacts on livestock production and public health worldwide. India is the world’s leading milk producer and Punjab is the state which produces the most cattle and buffalo milk per capita. The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of bovine brucellosis to provide evidence for control of the disease in Punjab State, India. A cross-sectional study of dairy farms was conducted in humans and livestock in rural Ludhiana district using a multi-stage sampling strategy. The study suggests that brucellosis is endemic at high levels in cattle and buffalo in the study area with 15.1% of large ruminants testing seropositive and approximately a third of dairy farms having at least one animal test seropositive. In total, 9.7% of those in direct contact with livestock tested seropositive for Brucella spp. Persons that assisted with calving and/or abortion within the last year on a farm with seronegative livestock and people which did not assist with calving/abortion had 0.35 (95% CI: 0.17 to 7.1) and 0.21 (0.09 to 0.46) times the odds of testing seropositive compared to persons assisting with calving/abortion in a seropositive farm, respectively. The study demonstrated that persons in direct contact with cattle and buffalo in the study area have high risk of exposure to Brucella spp. Control of the disease in livestock is likely to result in benefits to both animal and public health sectors.
Hemagglutination Inhibition (HAI) antibody landscapes after vaccination with H7Nx virus like particles
Authors: Jang Hyesun , Ross Ted M.
Published: March 2021

Background

A systemic evaluation of the antigenic differences of the H7 influenza hemagglutinin (HA) proteins, especially for the viruses isolated after 2016, are limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the antigenic differences of major H7 strains with an ultimate aim to discover H7 HA proteins that can elicit protective receptor-binding antibodies against co-circulating H7 influenza strains.

Method

A panel of eight H7 influenza strains were selected from 3,633 H7 HA amino acid sequences identified over the past two decades (2000–2018). The sequences were expressed on the surface of virus like particles (VLPs) and used to vaccinate C57BL/6 mice. Serum samples were collected and tested for hemagglutination-inhibition (HAI) activity. The vaccinated mice were challenged with lethal dose of H7N9 virus, A/Anhui/1/2013.

Results

VLPs expressing the H7 HA antigens elicited broadly reactive antibodies each of the selected H7 HAs, except the A/Turkey/Italy/589/2000 (Italy/00) H7 HA. A putative glycosylation due to an A169T substitution in antigenic site B was identified as a unique antigenic profile of Italy/00. Introduction of the putative glycosylation site (H7 HA-A169T) significantly altered the antigenic profile of HA of the A/Anhui/1/2013 (H7N9) strain.

Conclusion

This study identified key amino acid mutations that result in severe vaccine mismatches for future H7 epidemics. Future universal influenza vaccine candidates will need to focus on viral variants with these key mutations.
An adapted smoking-cessation intervention for Turkish-speaking migrants in Switzerland: Predictors of smoking outcomes at one-year follow-up
Authors: Paz Castro Raquel , Schaub Michael P. , Salis Gross Corina
Published: March 2021

Background

Migrant populations usually report higher smoking rates. Among those migrant populations, Turkish- and Kurdish-speaking migrants are often overrepresented. Providing equal access to health services is one of the major challenges of our time. The need for adapted smoking-cessation treatments for Turkish-speaking populations to achieve equity in health led, in 2006, to the development and implementation of the Tiryaki-Kukla smoking-cessation program. The aims of the current study were to evaluate one-year quit rates for smoking-cessation courses held from 2006–2018 and investigate whether certain characteristics predict long-term smoking cessation or reduction.

Methods

Program evaluation included a pre/post questionnaire (session 1/ 3 months after the quit day) and a follow-up telephone call twelve months after the quit day. To elucidate factors associated with long-term smoking cessation and reduction, Cox regression analysis and Weighted Generalized Equation Models were used.

Results

Of the 478 who participated in smoking-cessation courses, 45.4% declared themselves non-smokers at one-year follow-up. This quit rate is higher than that achieved during the preliminary evaluation of the program involving 61 participants (37.7%). Predictors of long-term smoking cessation were course length (eight vs. six sessions) (95% CI = 1.04–1.36, p = .01), adherence to the course (95% CI = 0.98–0.99, p<0.01), use of pharmacotherapy or nicotine replacement therapy products (95% CI = 0.74–0.98, p = .02), and time passed in the morning until the first cigarette is smoked (95% CI5min = 1.17–1.77, p<0.001; 95% CI30min = 1.09–1.65, p<0.01). Predictors of change in cigarettes smoked per day among smokers were—the time passed until the first cigarette in the morning (5min p < .001; 30min p < .001; 60min p < .01)-, gender (p < .001), and level of motivation to quit at baseline (p = .04).

Conclusions

Our findings are consistent with existing evidence supporting adapted smoking cessation interventions to reduce health inequity in migrant populations. However, achieving harm reduction in smokers with higher dependence scores remains challenging.
Building a semantically annotated corpus for chronic disease complications using two document types
Authors: Alnazzawi Noha
Published: March 2021

Narrative information in electronic health records (EHRs) contains a wealth of information related to patient health conditions. In addition, people use Twitter to express their experiences regarding personal health issues, such as medical complaints, symptoms, treatments, lifestyle, and other factors. Both genres of text include different types of health-related information concerning disease complications and risk factors. Knowing detailed information about controlling disease risk factors has a great impact on modifying these risks and subsequently preventing disease complications. Text-mining tools provide efficient solutions to extract and integrate vital information related to disease complications hidden in the large volume of the narrative text. However, the development of text-mining tools depends on the availability of an annotated corpus. In response, we have developed the PrevComp corpus, which is annotated with information relevant to the identification of disease complications, underlying risk factors, and prevention measures, in the context of the interaction between hypertension and diabetes. The corpus is unique and novel in terms of the very specific topic in the biomedical domain and as an integration of information from both EHRs and tweets collected from Twitter. The annotation scheme was designed with guidance by a domain expert, and two further domain experts performed the annotation, resulting in a high-quality annotation, with agreement rate F-scores as high as 0.60 and 0.75 for EHRs and tweets, respectively.
Drainage ditches enhance forest succession in a raised bog but do not affect the spatial pattern of tree encroachment
Authors: Nowakowska Joanna , Gazda Anna , Tomski Andrzej , Szwagrzyk Jerzy
Published: March 2021

The study was conducted in the raised bog Kusowo (Baltic region, West Pomerania, Poland). Along a transect line crossing two open mires affected by forest succession we analysed tree age distribution. One of those mires had been drained in the past years and still retained some open ditches, while the other one was located far from the ditches. Every 10 meters along the transect line one tree was drilled at the root collar in order to determine its age. We also conducted phytosociological analyses and short-term water level measurements in the sample plots. We expected faster tree encroachment in the undisturbed part of the open mire. The results showed, that there were no significant differences in water table level and in soil moisture indicator values between the formerly drained and undisturbed open mire. There were also no statistically significant differences in tree encroachment between the disturbed and undisturbed mires. Location and the age distribution of the trees suggest that changes in the tree growth conditions cannot be directly explained by the general decreasing of water level in the bog, although periods following drainage works were associated with more numerous establishment of young trees, in the drained part of the bog as well as in the part not directly affected by drainage ditches.
The Prisoner’s Dilemma paradigm provides a neurobiological framework for the social decision cascade
Authors: Thompson Khalil , Nahmias Eddy , Fani Negar , Kvaran Trevor , Turner Jessica , Tone Erin
Published: March 2021

To function during social interactions, we must be able to consider and coordinate our actions with other people’s perspectives. This process unfolds from decision-making, to anticipation of that decision’s consequences, to feedback about those consequences, in what can be described as a “cascade” of three phases. The iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma (iPD) task, an economic-exchange game used to illustrate how people achieve stable cooperation over repeated interactions, provides a framework for examining this “social decision cascade”. In the present study, we examined neural activity associated with the three phases of the cascade, which can be isolated during iPD game rounds. While undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), 31 adult participants made a) decisions about whether to cooperate with a co-player for a monetary reward, b) anticipated the co-player’s decision, and then c) learned the co-player’s decision. Across all three phases, participants recruited the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), regions implicated in numerous facets of social reasoning such as perspective-taking and the judgement of intentions. Additionally, a common distributed neural network underlies both decision-making and feedback appraisal; however, differences were identified in the magnitude of recruitment between both phases. Furthermore, there was limited evidence that anticipation following the decision to defect evoked a neural signature that is distinct from the signature of anticipation following the decision to cooperate. This study is the first to delineate the neural substrates of the entire social decision cascade in the context of the iPD game.
Evaluating domestication and ploidy effects on the assembly of the wheat bacterial microbiome
Authors: Wipf Heidi M. L. , Coleman-Derr Devin
Published: March 2021

While numerous studies implicate the microbiome in host fitness, contributions of host evolution to microbial recruitment remain largely uncharacterized. Past work has shown that plant polyploidy and domestication can influence plant biotic and abiotic interactions, yet impacts on broader microbiome assembly are still unknown for many crop species. In this study, we utilized three approaches—two field studies and one greenhouse-based experiment—to determine the degree to which patterns in bacterial community assembly in wheat (Triticumsp.) roots and rhizospheres are attributable to the host factors of ploidy level (2n, 4n, 6n) and domestication status (cultivated vs. wild). Profiling belowground bacterial communities with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, we analyzed patterns in diversity and composition. From our initial analyses of a subsetted dataset, we observed that host ploidy level was statistically significant in explaining variation in alpha and beta diversity for rhizosphere microbiomes, as well as correlated with distinct phylum-level shifts in composition, in the field. Using a reduced complexity field soil inoculum and controlled greenhouse conditions, we found some evidence suggesting that genomic lineage and ploidy level influence root alpha and beta diversity (p-value<0.05). However, in a follow-up field experiment using an expanded set ofTriticumgenomes that included both wild and domesticated varieties, we did not find a strong signal for either diploid genome lineages, domestication status, or ploidy level in shaping rhizosphere bacterial communities. Taken together, these results suggest that while host ploidy and domestication may have some minor influence on microbial assembly, these impacts are subtle and difficult to assess in belowground compartments for wheat varieties. By improving our understanding of the degree to which host ploidy and cultivation factors shape the plant microbiome, this research informs perspectives on what key driving forces may underlie microbiome structuring, as well as where future efforts may be best directed towards fortifying plant growth by microbial means. The greatest influence of the host on the wheat microbiome appeared to occur in the rhizosphere compartment, and we suggest that future work focuses on this environment to further characterize how host genomic and phenotypic changes influence plant-microbe communications.
Characterizing a sexual health and HIV risk stratification scale for sexually active adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Tanzania
Authors: Han Hannah , Yang Fan , Murray Sarah , Mbita Gaspar , Bangser Maggie , Rucinski Katherine , Komba Albert , Casalini Caterina , Drake Mary , Majani Esther , Curran Kelly , Mlawa Yeronimo , Junga Agnes , Zoungrana Jeremie , Kategile Upendo , Ramadhani Angela , Xue Qian-Li , Baral Stefan
Published: March 2021

Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) aged 15 to 24 years face disproportionately high risks of acquiring HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). A sexual health risk stratification tool can support the development and implementation of tailored HIV and STI prevention services for sub-groups of at-risk AGYW. Data were collected among sexually active AGYW aged 15 to 24 years in Tanzania between April 2015 and March 2017. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to construct and assess the latent structure of a ten-item scale for rapid assessment of sexual health risks. Items with high factor loadings and minimal cross loadings were retained in the final scale. Scale performance was appraised against condomless sex (defined as unprotected vaginal or anal intercourse) reported by AGYW for construct validity. A three-factor structure of vulnerability to HIV among AGYW was supported with subscales for socioeconomic vulnerability; lack of adult support; and sexual behavioral risks. The chi-square goodness-of-fit test, root mean square error of approximation, comparative fit index, and Tucker-Lewis index indicated a strong goodness-of-fit of the three-factor scale. Cronbach alphas (0.55 for socioeconomic vulnerability, 0.55 for lack of support, and 0.48 for sexual risk) indicated sub-optimal internal consistency for all sub-scales. The factor-item and factor-factor correlations identified in these analyses were consistent with the conceptual framework of vulnerability of HIV infection in AGYW, suggesting good construct validity. The scale also demonstrated a statistically significant association with condomless sex and could be potentially used for sexual health risk stratification (OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.23). The sexual health and HIV risk stratification scale demonstrated potential in identifying sexually active AGYW at high risk for HIV and other STIs. Ultimately, all AGYW in Tanzania are not at equal risk for HIV and this scale may support directing resources towards those at highest risk of HIV.
Effect of population inflow and outflow between rural and urban areas on regional antimicrobial use surveillance
Authors: Koizumi Ryuji , Kusama Yoshiki , Muraki Yuichi , Ishikane Masahiro , Yamasaki Daisuke , Tanabe Masaki , Ohmagari Norio
Published: March 2021

Purpose

Regional-level measures can complement national antimicrobial stewardship programs. In Japan, sub-prefectural regions called secondary medical areas (SMAs) provide general inpatient care within their borders, and regional antimicrobial stewardship measures are frequently implemented at this level. There is therefore a need to conduct antimicrobial use (AMU) surveillance at this level to ascertain antimicrobial consumption. However, AMU estimates are generally standardized to residence-based nighttime populations, which do not account for population mobility across regional borders. We examined the impact of population in/outflow on SMA-level AMU estimates by comparing the differences between standardization using daytime and nighttime populations.

Methods

We obtained AMU information from the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan. AMU was quantified at the prefectural and SMA levels using the number of defined daily doses (DDDs) divided by (a) 1,000 nighttime population per day or (b) 1,000 daytime population per day. We identified and characterized the discrepancies between the two types of estimates at the prefectural and SMA levels.

Results

The national AMU was 17.21 DDDs per 1,000 population per day. The mean (95% confidence interval) prefectural-level DDDs per 1,000 nighttime and daytime population per day were 17.27 (14.10, 20.44) and 17.41 (14.30, 20.53), respectively. The mean (95% confidence interval) SMA-level DDDs per 1,000 nighttime and daytime population per day were 16.12 (9.84, 22.41) and 16.41 (10.57, 22.26), respectively. The nighttime population-standardized estimates were generally higher than the daytime population-standardized estimates in urban areas, but lower in the adjacent suburbs. Large differences were observed in the main metropolitan hubs in eastern and western Japan.

Conclusion

Regional-level AMU estimates, especially of smaller regions such as SMAs, are susceptible to the use of different populations for standardization. This finding indicates that AMU standardization based on population values is not suitable for AMU estimates in small regions.