bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gender‐Based Microaggressions in Surgery: A Scoping Review of the Global Literature
Authors: Sprow Holly N. , Hansen Nathaniel F. , Loeb Hannah E. , Wight Caroline L. , Patterson Rolvix H. , Vervoort Dominique , Kim Eliana E. , Greving Raphael , Mazhiqi Adelina , Wall Kathryn , Corley Jacquelyn , Anderson Emily , Chu Kathryn
Published: February 2021

Background

In addition to systemic gender disparities, women in surgery encounter interpersonal microaggressions. The objective of this study is to describe the most common forms of microaggressions reported by women in surgery.

Methods

We conducted a scoping review using PubMed/MEDLINE, Ovid, and Web of Science to describe the international, indexed English‐language literature on gender‐based microaggressions experienced by female surgeons, surgical trainees, and medical students in surgery. After screening by title, abstract, and full‐text, 37 articles were retained for data extraction and analysis. Microaggressions were analyzed using the Sexist Microaggression Experience and Stress Scale (MESS) framework and stratified by country of origin.

Results

Gender‐based microaggression publications most commonly originated from the United States (n = 27 articles), Canada (n = 3), and India (n = 2). Gender‐based microaggressions were classified into environmental invalidations (n = 20), being treated like a second‐class citizen (n = 18), assumptions of traditional gender roles (n = 12), sexual objectification (n = 11), assumptions of inferiority (n = 10), being forced to leave gender at the door (n = 8), and experiencing sexist language (n = 6). Additionally, attendings were more frequently reported to experience microaggressions than surgical trainees and medical students, but more articles reported data on attendings (n = 16) than surgical trainees (n = 10) or students (n = 4).

Conclusion

While recent advancements have opened the field of surgery to women, there is still a lack of female representation, and persistent microaggressions may perpetuate this gender disparity. Addressing microaggressions against female surgeons is essential to achieving gender equity in surgical practice.
Impact of supine versus upright exercise on muscle deoxygenation heterogeneity during ramp incremental cycling is site specific
Authors: Goulding Richie P. , Okushima Dai , Fukuoka Yoshiyuki , Marwood Simon , Kondo Narihiko , Poole David C. , Barstow Thomas J. , Koga Shunsaku
Published: February 2021

Purpose

We tested the hypothesis that incremental ramp cycling exercise performed in the supine position (S) would be associated with an increased reliance on muscle deoxygenation (deoxy[heme]) in the deep and superficial vastus lateralis (VLd and VLs, respectively) and the superficial rectus femoris (RFs) when compared to the upright position (U).

Methods

11 healthy men completed ramp incremental exercise tests in S and U. Pulmonary $$\dot{V}$$

V
˙

O2 was measured breath-by-breath; deoxy[heme] was determined via time-resolved near-infrared spectroscopy in the VLd, VLs and RFs.

Results

Supine exercise increased the overall change in deoxy[heme] from baseline to maximal exercise in the VLs (S: 38 ± 23 vs. U: 26 ± 15 μM, P < 0.001) and RFs (S: 36 ± 21 vs. U: 25 ± 15 μM, P < 0.001), but not in the VLd (S: 32 ± 23 vs. U: 29 ± 26 μM, P > 0.05).

Conclusions

The present study supports that the impaired balance between O2 delivery and O2 utilization observed during supine exercise is a regional phenomenon within superficial muscles. Thus, deep muscle defended its O2 delivery/utilization balance against the supine-induced reductions in perfusion pressure. The differential responses of these muscle regions may be explained by a regional heterogeneity of vascular and metabolic control properties, perhaps related to fiber type composition.
Socioeconomic disparities in head and neck cancer survival in Germany: a causal mediation analysis using population-based cancer registry data
Authors: Bedir Ahmed , Abera Semaw Ferede , Efremov Ljupcho , Hassan Lamiaa , Vordermark Dirk , Medenwald Daniel
Published: February 2021

Purpose

Despite recent improvements in cancer treatment in Germany, a marked difference in cancer survival based on socioeconomic factors persists. We aim to quantify the effect of socioeconomic inequality on head and neck cancer (HNC) survival.

Methods

Information on 20,821 HNC patients diagnosed in 2009–2013 was routinely collected by German population-based cancer registries. Socioeconomic inequality was defined by the German Index of Socioeconomic Deprivation. The Cox proportional regression and relative survival analysis measured the survival disparity according to level of socioeconomic deprivation with respective confidence intervals (CI). A causal mediation analysis was conducted to quantify the effect of socioeconomic deprivation mediated through medical care, stage at diagnosis, and treatment on HNC survival.

Results

The most socioeconomically deprived patients were found to have the highest hazard of dying when compared to the most affluent (Hazard Ratio: 1.25, 95% CI 1.17–1.34). The most deprived patients also had the worst 5-year age-adjusted relative survival (50.8%, 95% CI 48.5–53.0). Our mediation analysis showed that most of the effect of deprivation on survival was mediated through differential stage at diagnosis during the first 6 months after HNC diagnosis. As follow-up time increased, medical care, stage at diagnosis, and treatment played no role in mediating the effect of deprivation on survival.

Conclusion

This study confirms the survival disparity between affluent and deprived HNC patients in Germany. Considering data limitations, our results suggest that, within six months after HNC diagnosis, the elimination of differences in stage at diagnosis could reduce survival inequalities.
A national database propensity score-matched comparison of minimally invasive and open colectomy for long-term opioid use
Authors: Bastawrous Amir L. , Brockhaus Kara K. , Chang Melissa I. , Milky Gediwon , Shih I.-Fan , Li Yanli , Cleary Robert K.
Published: February 2021

Background

Opioid dependence is a public health crisis and surgery is a risk factor for long-term opioid use. Though minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is associated with less perioperative pain, demonstrating an association with less long-term opioid use would be another reason to justify adoption of minimally invasive techniques. We compared the rates for long-term opioid prescriptions among patients in a large national database who underwent minimally invasive and open colectomy.

Methods

Using the MarketScan Database, we retrospectively analyzed patients undergoing colon resection for benign and malignant diseases between 2013 and 2017. Among opioid-naïve patients who had ≥ 1 opioid prescriptions filled perioperatively (30 days before surgery to 14 days after discharge), propensity score matching was applied for group comparisons [open (OS) versus MIS, and laparoscopic (LS) versus robotic-assisted surgery (RS)]. The primary outcome was long-term opioid use defined as the proportion of patients with ≥ 1 long-term opioid prescriptions filled 90–180 days after discharge. Risks factors for long-term opioid use were assessed using logistic regression.

Results

Among the 5413 matched pairs in the MIS versus OS cohorts, MIS significantly reduced long-term opioid use of ‘any opioids’ (13.3% vs. 20.9%), schedule II/III opioids (11.7% vs. 19.2%), and high-dose opioids (4.3% vs. 7.7%; all p < 0.001). Among the 1195 matched pairs in the RS versus LS cohorts, RS was associated with less high-dose opioids (2.1% vs. 3.8%, p = 0.015) 90–180 days after discharge. Other risk factors for long-term opioid use included younger age, benign indications, tobacco use, mental health conditions, and > 6 Charlson comorbidities.

Conclusion

Minimally invasive colectomy is associated with a significant reduction in long-term opioid use when compared to OS. Robotic-assisted colectomy was associated with less high-dose opioids compared to LS. Increasing adoption of minimally invasive surgery for colectomy and including RS, where appropriate, may decrease long-term opioid use.
Molecular evolution of dengue virus types 1 and 4 in Korean travelers
Authors: Hwang Eun-Ha , Kim Green , Chung Hoyin , Oh Hanseul , Park Jong-Hwan , Hur Gyeung Haeng , Hong JungJoo , Koo Bon-Sang
Published: February 2021

Dengue virus (DV) is a mosquito-borne virus that is endemic to many tropical and subtropical areas. Recently, the annual incidence of DV infection has increased worldwide, including in Korea, due to global warming and increased global travel. We therefore sought to characterize the molecular and evolutionary features of DV-1 and DV-4 isolated from Korean overseas travelers. We used phylogenetic analysis based on the full coding region to classify isolates of DV-1 in Korea into genotype I (43251, KP406802), genotype IV (KP406803), and genotype V (KP406801). In addition, we found that strains of DV-4 belonged to genotype I (KP406806) and genotype II (43257). Evidence of positive selection in DV-1 strains was identified in the C, prM, NS2A, and NS5 proteins, whereas DV-4 showed positive selection only in the non-structural proteins NS2A, NS3, and NS5. The substitution rates per site per year were 5.58 × 10-4and 6.72 × 10-4for DV-1 and DV-4, respectively, and the time of the most recent common ancestor was determined using the Bayesian skyline coalescent method. In this study, the molecular, phylogenetic, and evolutionary characteristics of Korean DV-1 and DV-4 isolates were evaluated for the first time.
Wahrgenommene Umsetzung des integrierten Pflanzenschutzes bei landwirtschaftlichen Betrieben in Nordwestdeutschland
Authors: Thiel Lukas , Mergenthaler Marcus , Haberlah-Korr Verena
Published: February 2021

Die acht allgemeinen Grundsätze des integrierten Pflanzenschutzes (IPS) sind als über die Kulturarten allgemeingültiger Leitfaden zur Umsetzung des IPS auf den landwirtschaftlichen Betrieben gedacht. Sie greifen vorbeugende und aktiv eingreifende Methoden zur Verminderung des Schädlingsdrucks an den Kulturpflanzen auf und zeichnen ein derzeitiges Idealbild des Pflanzenschutzes. Eine Betrachtung der Umsetzung in Deutschland hat bisher nicht stattgefunden und soll in dieser Studie exemplarisch für den nordwestdeutschen Raum erfolgen. Zugrunde liegen Daten einer Befragung durch die FH Südwestfalen aus dem Herbst 2019. Es zeigt sich, dass insbesondere Erfolgskontrollen, zielartenspezifischer Pflanzenschutzmitteleinsatz und Strategien der Resistenzvermeidung auf den Betrieben genannt werden. Feldkontrollen vor Pflanzenschutzmaßnahmen sowie der Einsatz nicht-chemischer Methoden gerade in der Beikrautregulierung werden hingegen noch nicht als umfangreich praktiziert angegeben. Gerade im Bereich der vorbeugenden Methoden und dem Einsatz von Schadschwellen fehlen standortspezifische, praxistaugliche Handreichungen. Dieses Fehlen hindert eine weitere Umsetzung der acht allgemeinen Grundsätze des integrierten Pflanzenschutzes. Es sind weiterhin regionalspezifische Forschungen und Tests notwendig, um diese Lücke zu schließen.
Conceptual Analysis and Empirical Observations of Animal Minds
Authors: Parellada Ricardo
Published: February 2021

The relation between conceptual analysis and empirical observations when ascribing or denying concepts and beliefs to non-human animals is not straightforward. In order to reflect on this relation, I focus on two theoretical proposals (Davidson’s and Allen’s) and one empirical case (vervet monkeys’ alarm calls), the three of which are permanently discussed and considered in the literature on animal cognition. First, I review briefly Davidson’s arguments for denying thought to non-linguistic animals. Second, I review Allen’s criteria for ascribing concepts to creatures capable of correcting their discriminatory powers by taking into account their previous errors. Allen affirms that this is an empirical proposal which offers good reasons, but not necessary or sufficient conditions, for concept attribution. Against Allen, I argue that his important proposal is not an empirical, but a conceptual one. Third, I resort to vervet monkeys to show that Allen’s criteria, and not Davidson’s, are very relevant for ascribing first-order and denying second-order beliefs to this species and thus make sense of the idea of animal cognition.
Paradigmatic enhancement of stem vowels in regular English inflected verb forms
Authors: Tomaschek Fabian , Tucker Benjamin V. , Ramscar Michael , Harald Baayen R.
Published: February 2021

Many theories of word structure in linguistics and morphological processing in cognitive psychology are grounded in a compositional perspective on the (mental) lexicon in which complex words are built up during speech production from sublexical elements such as morphemes, stems, and exponents. When combined with the hypothesis that storage in the lexicon is restricted to the irregular, the prediction follows that properties specific to regular inflected words cannot co-determine the phonetic realization of these inflected words. This study shows that the stem vowels of regular English inflected verb forms that are more frequent in their paradigm are produced with more enhanced articulatory gestures in the midsaggital plane, challenging compositional models of lexical processing. The effect of paradigmatic probability dovetails well with theParadigmatic Enhancement Hypothesisand is consistent with a growing body of research indicating that the whole is more than its parts.
Welche Einwirkungsmöglichkeiten sehen Hausärzt*innen bei Demenzerkrankungen? – Ergebnisse einer qualitativen Studie
Authors: Wangler Julian , Jansky Michael
Published: February 2021

Hintergrund

Obwohl es an einer heilenden Therapie für Demenzerkrankungen fehlt, bestehen im hausärztlichen Setting diverse Möglichkeiten, dem Fortschreiten eines „mild cognitive impairment“ entgegenzuwirken. Bislang sind nur wenige Studien vorgelegt worden, die der Frage nachgehen, welche therapeutischen Strategien Hausärzt*innen bevorzugt ergreifen, um auf Demenzerkrankungen einzuwirken.

Ziel der Arbeit

Ermittelt wird, welche Interventionsansätze für das Management von Demenzpatienten als effektiv erachtet werden, sowie erlebte Herausforderungen und gewünschte Optimierungsmaßnahmen zur Stärkung der Demenzprävention.

Material und Methoden

Zwischen März und September 2020 wurden 42 halbstandardisierte Interviews mit Hausärzt*innen in Baden-Württemberg, Hessen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland und Thüringen geführt.

Ergebnisse

Viele Interviewte schätzen die Bedeutung einer Demenzprävention als hoch ein und gehen davon aus, einen wirksamen Beitrag leisten zu können – nicht-medikamentösen Ansätzen wird großer Stellenwert eingeräumt. Die Lotsenfunktion des Hausarztes wird gezielt eingesetzt, um Patienten und Angehörige an Beratungs- und Hilfsakteure heranzuführen. Ein Teil des Samples sieht nur medikamentöse Therapieformen als geeignet an, um Einfluss auf Demenzerkrankungen zu nehmen. In dieser Gruppe sind geringe Selbstwirksamkeitserwartungen verbreitet. Als häufige Herausforderungen werden im Sample Probleme in der interdisziplinären Zusammenarbeit artikuliert, die nicht selten einem kohärenten Therapiekonzept entgegenstehen.

Diskussion

Hausärzt*innen sollten bestärkt werden, die Priorisierung der primären Behandlungsstrategie bei der Demenzversorgung zu übernehmen. Wichtig erscheint, dass auch die Potenziale nicht-medikamentöser Interventionen wahrgenommen werden. Die Zusammenarbeit zwischen Hausärzt*innen und Hilfsnetzwerken sollte gestärkt werden. Zudem sollte die Entwicklung integrierter Versorgungskonzepte und strukturierter Behandlungsprogramme vorangetrieben werden.
Know your audience: how language complexity affects impact in entrepreneurship science
Authors: Lampe Hannes W. , Reerink Jan
Published: February 2021

This article addresses the importance of tailoring publications to expectations of the intended scientific sub-community it addresses. But what does this mean when writing an article and adopting community specific jargon? This article disentangles the effects of articles’ language complexity on their impact. In the domain of entrepreneurship science, we show that language uniqueness (in form of aligning jargon uniquely to one community) has a positive effect on article’s impact. An article’s novelty (in form of novel recombination of community jargon) has an inverted U-shape relationship with impact. We further show that the optimal level of novelty decreases with increasing uniqueness, yielding higher overall impact. These findings have implications not only for authors of scientific articles but also for their audience.
Molecular genetic testing strategies used in diagnostic flow for hereditary endocrine tumour syndromes
Authors: Butz Henriett , Blair Jo , Patócs Attila
Published: February 2021

Introduction

Although current guidelines prefer the use of targeted testing or small-scale gene panels for identification of genetic susceptibility of hereditary endocrine tumour syndromes, next generation sequencing based strategies have been widely introduced into every day clinical practice. The application of next generation sequencing allows rapid testing of multiple genes in a cost effective manner. Increasing knowledge about these techniques and the demand from health care providers and society, shift the molecular genetic testing towards using high-throughput approaches.

Purpose

In this expert opinion, the authors consider the molecular diagnostic workflow step by step, evaluating options and challenges of gathering family information, pre- and post-test genetic counselling, technical and bioinformatical analysis related issues and difficulties in clinical interpretation focusing on molecular genetic testing of hereditary endocrine tumour syndromes.

Result and conclusion

Considering all these factors, a diagnostic genetic workflow is also proposed for selection of the best approach for testing of patients with hereditary genetic tumour syndromes in order to minimalize difficult interpretation, unwanted patient anxiety, unnecessary medical interventions and cost. There are potential benefits of utilizing high throughput approaches however, important limitations have to be considered and should discussed towards the clinicians and patients.
Prognostic value of 18F-FDG PET/MRI in patients with advanced oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Pace Leonardo , Nicolai Emanuele , Cavaliere Carlo , Basso Luca , Garbino Nunzia , Spinato Giacomo , Salvatore Marco
Published: February 2021

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of combined positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters provided by simultaneous 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/MRI in patients with locally advanced oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OHSCC).

Methods

Forty-five patients with locally advanced OHSCC who underwent simultaneous FDG PET/MRI before (chemo)radiotherapy were retrospectively enrolled. Peak standardized uptake value (SULpeak), metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) of the primary lesion were obtained on PET data. On MRI scans, primary tumor size, diffusion and perfusion parameters were assessed using pre-contrast and high-resolution post-contrast images. Ratios between metabolic/metabolo-volumetric parameters and ADC were calculated. Comparisons between groups were performed by Student’s t test. Survival analysis was performed by univariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. Overall survival curves were obtained by the Kaplan–Meier method and compared with the log-rank test. Survivors were censored at the time of the last clinical control. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant

Results

During follow-up (mean 31.4 ± 21 months), there were 15 deaths. Univariate analysis shows that SULpeak and SULpeak/ADCmean were significant predictors of overall survival (OS). At multivariate analysis, only SULpeak remained a significant predictor of OS. Kaplan–Meier survival analyses showed that patients with higher SULpeak had poorer outcome compared to those with lower values (HR: 3.7, p = 0.007).

Conclusion

Pre-therapy SULpeak of the primary site was predictive of overall survival in patients with oropharyngeal or hypopharyngeal cancer treated with (chemo)radiotherapy.
Evidenzbasiertes Argumentieren bei multivariablen Kausalzusammenhängen mit Interaktionen in der fünften und sechsten Klassenstufe
Authors: Peteranderl Sonja , Edelsbrunner Peter Adriaan , Deiglmayr Anne
Published: February 2021

In dieser Studie wird untersucht, in welchem Ausmaß Schüler*innen der 5. und 6. Klassenstufe in einem „Interaktionseffekte“-Kontext, in dem zwei unabhängige Variablen systematisch miteinander interagieren, in ihrer Argumentation vorgegebene experimentelle Evidenz nutzen. Zusätzlich wird untersucht, ob ein im „Haupteffekte“-Kontext situiertes Training der Variablenkontrollstrategie (VKS) die evidenzbasierte Argumentation in einem „Interaktionseffekte“-Kontext beeinflusst. Etwa die Hälfte einer Stichprobe von$$N=618$$N=618 Schüler*innen ($$M_{\text{alter}}=11.61$$Malter=11.61,$$\text{SD}=0.65$$SD=0.65; 50 % weiblich) erhielt ein im „Haupteffekte“-Kontext situiertes Training der VKS und die andere Hälfte ein aktives Kontrolltraining. Vor und nach dem Training bearbeiteten die Schüler*innen zwei Aufgaben in einem „Interaktionseffekte“-Kontext, in welchem sie ihre Interpretationen präsentierter Evidenz in offenen Antworten begründeten. Zur Klassifizierung des Grades an Evidenzbasierung in den Antworten der Schüler*innen wurde ein Kodiersystem mit fünf Kategorien entwickelt. Analysen der kodierten Antworten zeigen, dass im Vortest bereits etwa 20 Prozent der Schüler*innen in ihren Begründungen den Interaktionseffekt korrekt interpretierten. Der Grad an Evidenzbasierung war bei Schüler*innen der 6. Klassenstufe höher ausgeprägt als bei Schüler*innen der 5. Klassenstufe. Bei einer vorwissensnahen Aufgabe zeigten die Schüler*innen überproportional viele Antworten mit vorwissenbasierter Argumentation ohne Evidenzbezug. Eine kategorienspezifische, ordinale Mehrebenen-Regressionsanalyse zeigte, dass das Training der VKS die Häufigkeit von Begründungen erhöhte, in denen die Schüler*innen Evidenz korrekt nutzten, um Haupteffekte zu interpretieren; auf die Häufigkeit, mit der Interaktionseffekte erkannt wurden, wurde keine Auswirkung gefunden.
Scour monitoring of a bridge pier through eigenfrequencies analysis
Authors: Belmokhtar Mohamed , Schmidt Franziska , Ture Savadkoohi Alireza , Chevalier Christophe
Published: February 2021

This paper presents an innovative method for scour monitoring, based on the analysis of the dynamic response of a bridge pier embedded in the riverbed. Apart from the mechanical and physical characteristics of the pier itself, soil-structure interaction (SSI) has an impact on the dynamical behaviour of the system. This is particularly the case for eigenfrequencies of the pier which decrease when the free length increases. In this paper, analytical developments are carried out for an Euler–Bernoulli beam, modelling the pier which is embedded in the soil with Winkler springs for SSI. By using Hamilton’s principle and endowing the specific boundary conditions, the system frequencies are assessed by looking for roots of the characteristic equation of the system. These eigenfrequencies are then compared with those of an equivalent cantilevered beam, which can be expressed analytically. Moreover, experiments are carried out to validate the concept of equivalent length as a parameter of the inverse problem, linking the dynamic behaviour of the system and the embedded length.
On the variations in the frequency of 25–70-day intraseasonal oscillations in Central Africa using wavelet-based indices
Authors: Tchakoutio Sandjon Alain , Djiotang Tchotchou Angennes Lucie , Vondou Derbetini Appolinaire , Komkoua Mbienda Armand Joel , Guenang Guy Merlin , Tanessong Roméo Stève , Nzeukou Takougang Armand
Published: February 2021

Atmospheric variability at the intraseasonal timescale remains of great concern in tropical Africa because of the vulnerability of the population to variations in the distribution and amount of rainfall within a season. Then, the parameterization of the processes that induce the intraseasonal variability of the rainfall is still a challenge for the sub-seasonal-to-seasonal forecast in the tropics. In the study of intraseasonal oscillations (ISOs) in Central Africa, almost all of the authors focused only on the amplitude of the oscillations, even though the frequency is also very important because it also undergoes strong spatiotemporal variations. The novelty of this study is that we applied wavelet transform on the 2.5° × 2.5° daily Outgoing Long-wave Radiation (OLR) to extract the frequency (period) of intraseasonal oscillations (ISO) and then study its spatiotemporal variations over Central Africa (CA) within the period 1981–2015 (35 years). By the algorithm used, we obtained a dataset of daily ISO Period Indices (ISOPI) within the study period, with the same dimensions as the original OLR datasets. The analyses showed that the mean ISOPI globally fluctuates between 32 and 52 days, but undergoes strong day-to-day variations. The ISO frequency is highly seasonal, with high ISOPI (low frequency) during December–February and June–August, and short low ISOPI (high frequency) during March–May and September–November. The composites of OLR and 850 hpa zonal winds revealed that the low-frequency ISOs (LFISOs) are predominant in Eastern Central Africa and around the Cameroon Volcanic Line, while the long-frequency events (HFISOs) are mostly found in Western Central Africa, especially around the Congo basin. The plots of yearly mean ISOPI showed that the ISO period exhibits strong interannual variations with years of very high ISOPI such as 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1999, 2002 and 2009, and years of lower ISOPI as 1988, 1994, 1995. Finally, it was proved in this study that there is an enhancement of rainfall during LFISOs, especially in northern hemisphere, while HFISOs are generally associated with normal or suppressed rainfall regime.
Assessment of the genetic diversity, population structure and allele distribution of major plant development genes in bread wheat cultivars using DArT and gene-specific markers
Authors: Kiss T. , Balla K. , Cseh A. , Berki Z. , Horváth Á. , Vida Gy. , Veisz O. , Karsai I.
Published: February 2021

Knowledge of the degree of genetic diversity can provide fundamental information to breeders for use in various breeding programmes, for instance for the selection of lines with better adaptability. The genetic diversity analysis of 188 winter wheat genotypes demonstrated that this group of cultivars could be divided into four clusters based primarily on geographical origin. The first group contained mostly American and Asian cultivars, while cluster 2 consisted of Central European cultivars, cluster 3 of Hungarian and South European cultivars and cluster 4 mainly of cultivars from Western Europe. Cultivars used in breeding programmes in Central and South East European breeding programmes were found in all four clusters. Wheat genotypes originating from this region of Europe proved to have greater genetic variability than lines from Western and Northern Europe. Among the four clusters, there were also differencies in the frequencies of winter–spring alleles in Vrn-A1, Vrn-B1, Vrn-D1 vernalisation response genes and in the frequencies of sensitive–insensitive alleles in Ppd-B1 and Ppd-D1 photoperiod response genes, which explained the differences in heading date of the four clusters as well.
Climate Change, Resulting Natural Disasters and the Legal Responsibility of States
Authors: Birchler Alexandra
Published: February 2021

Extreme weather events, such as cyclones and hurricanes, are increasing in their frequency and intensity. This increase has been scientifically linked to global warming, which is induced by anthropogenic climate change. This phenomenon is disproportionately affecting developing States, such as the Caribbean and Pacific Islands, even though they are not contributing to climate change to the same extent as developed States or emerging markets, and having a devastating effect on people and their livelihoods. This book examines two critical aspects of this situation, to which no specific, singular source in public international law is applicable or responsible. This book first examines the manner in which public international law, in particular international environmental law and customary public international law, is applicable to the question of funding for reconstruction and early warning systems by developed States and emerging markets. As the intensity and frequency of these events increases, so does the requirement for funding, with the aim of improving vulnerable States' resilience to climate-related devastation. While there are several schemes in place in order to secure funding for either early warning systems or postdisaster reconstruction, such as donations or insurance solutions, there is no specific instrument in public international law that deals with the question of whether developed States and emerging markets have an obligation to financially assist disaster-prone developing States with regard to the establishment of early warning systems and reconstruction in the wake of natural disasters. This book also analyses the right to receive humanitarian assistance and the State's obligation to provide early warning. In the aftermath of a calamitous event, the victims are largely dependent on the Sate and its capacity to organise and accept, if necessary, international humanitarian assistance. If the affected State refuses to do so, the consequences for the victims can be disastrous. With regard to humanitarian assistance, the book focuses on the application of human rights law on the international as well as regional levels, such as the African human rights system for example. In addition, the book outlines the doctrine of the responsibility to protect in this context and its practical limits in particular. As concerns the question of whether there is an obligation to provide early warning, this is assessed through an analysis of the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, also taking into account the jurisprudence of the Inter-American Human Rights system. Throughout its discussion of legal responsibility under international law resulting from climate change-induced natural disasters, this book takes into account the new developments around the International Law Commission's project on the Protection of Persons in the Event of Disasters"
Rare case of Kawasaki disease with cardiac tamponade and giant coronary artery aneurysms
Authors: Vergara Andrea , Monda Emanuele , Mautone Cinzia , Renon Francesca , Di Masi Antonio , Giordano Mario , Limongelli Giuseppe , Calabrò Paolo , Capozzi Giovanbattista , Russo Maria G.
Published: February 2021

Kawasaki disease is an acute systemic vascular disease, generally self-limited and typically affecting children <5 years old, which leads to coronary artery aneurysms in about 25% of untreated cases. Cardiovascular involvement is characterised by transient pancarditis, in acute phase, while coronary illness, ranging from mild dilation to giant CAAs occurs late, rarely before the 10th day since fever onset. Here, we describe a peculiar case of KD, which occurred in a 4-month-old infant and presented with exudate cardiac tamponade and early giant aneurism of both the proximal right coronary artery) and the left circumflex coronary artery, in acute phase of the disease.
Turkish version of the ‘Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-51’ for obese individuals: a validity and reliability study
Authors: Küçükerdönmez Özge , Akder Rana Nagihan , Seçkiner Selda , Oksel Esra , Akpınar Şerife , Köksal Eda
Published: February 2021

Objectives:

Obesity is a serious public health issue. Investigating the eating behaviour of individuals plays an important role in preventing obesity. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to adapt the long and first version of the ‘Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire’ (TFEQ), a scale that examines the eating behaviour of individuals, to Turkish culture and to carry out its validity and reliability study.

Design:

The data were collected using data collection forms, and anthropometric measurements of the individuals were made by the researchers. The data collection form included several parameters: socio-demographic characteristics, the TFEQ scale, whose validity and reliability analysis is conducted here, and the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (DEBQ) which was used as a parallel form.

Setting:

The Obesity Clinic at Ege University in Izmir.

Participants:

The study group consisted of obese adult individuals (n 257).

Results:

It was seen that constructing the questionnaire with twenty-seven items and four sub-dimensions provides better information about Turkish obese individuals. Factor loadings ranged from 0·421 to 0·846, and item total score correlations ranged from 0·214 to 0·558. Cronbach’s α coefficient was found to be 0·639 for the whole scale. A positive, strong and statistically significant correlation was detected between TFEQ and DEBQ, which was used as a parallel form (r = 0·519, P < 0·001).

Conclusion:

In Turkey, the long version of the TFEQ scale was found valid and reliable for obese adult individuals. TFEQ can be used by clinicians or researchers to study the eating behaviour of obese individuals.
Calibrating Spectral Decomposition of Local Earthquakes Using Borehole Seismic Records—Results for the 1992 Big Bear Aftershocks in Southern California
Authors: Shearer Peter M. , Abercrombie Rachel E.
Published: February 2021

Empirical approaches are often used to correct earthquake spectra for path effects in order to estimate corner frequencies and stress drops, but suffer from tradeoffs among source parameters and the shape of the empirical correction or Green's function. This hampers absolute stress‐drop estimates and comparisons between different studies or regions. Borehole records are less affected by site and attenuation effects than surface seismometers and thus provide more direct constraints on source spectra. We analyze 1,787 earthquakes of the 1992 to 1993 Big Bear aftershock sequence in southern California, which were recorded by both the Southern California Seismic Network (SCSN) and the Cajon Pass borehole seismometer at 2.5‐km depth. Spectral decomposition of P‐waves recorded by the SCSN yields source terms that can be fit equally well by a variety of models, owing to tradeoffs between the model parameters and the empirical correction term. Earthquake spectra recorded by the Cajon Pass borehole are consistent with a P‐wave Q of about 1,000. For 25 Big Bear earthquakes in common, we find the correction spectrum that brings the event terms from spectral decomposition and the Q‐corrected borehole spectra into best‐fitting agreement. This provides absolute calibration for the SCSN spectral decomposition results, which can then be used to process all the Big Bear earthquakes and estimate earthquake source properties without the parameter tradeoffs normally associated with the EGF approach. Our results highlight the limits of purely empirical approaches to spectral analysis for earthquake source properties and the importance of determining crustal attenuation models.
Roles of ENSO in the Link of the East Asian Summer Monsoon to the Ensuing Winter Monsoon
Authors: Yu Tiantian , Chen Wen , Feng Juan , Hu Kaiming , Song Lei , Hu Peng
Published: February 2021

The link between the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) and the ensuing East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) is investigated. The results found that strong (weak) EASM years are often followed by the strong (weak) EAWM years, demonstrating that the in‐phase EASM to EAWM transition dominate the EASM‐EAWM link. The strong EASM to the strong EAWM transition is established by an anomalous anticyclone over the western North Pacific (WNPAC) in summer and an anomalous cyclone (WNPC) in winter. The weak EASM to the weak EAWM transition is connected by the same way but with the WNPC in summer and the WNPAC in winter. Further studies suggest that ENSO plays a crucial role in the in‐phase EASM to EAWM transition, which forces the transition between the WNPC and WNPAC from summer to winter via inducing Rossby wave responses to the ENSO‐induced convection anomalies. Numerical simulation analysis further confirms the dominant role of ENSO in the in‐phase EASM to EAWM transitions. The asymmetric analysis suggests that the in‐phase EASM to EAWM transition is stronger under El Niño than under La Niña.
Cubist Geomorphology: Your Kinship with Picasso, Explained
Authors: Dennis Donovan
Published: February 2021

Asked to imagine a modeled landscape, you probably wouldn’t first think of a Cubist painting. But Cubists and geoscientists may have more in common than meets the eye.
Identification and functional characterization of the extremely long allele of the serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region
Authors: Ikegame Tempei , Hidaka Yosuke , Nakachi Yutaka , Murata Yui , Watanabe Risa , Sugawara Hiroko , Asai Tatsuro , Kiyota Emi , Saito Takeo , Ikeda Masashi , Sasaki Tsukasa , Hashimoto Mamoru , Ishikawa Tomohisa , Takebayashi Minoru , Iwata Nakao , Kakiuchi Chihiro , Kato Tadafumi , Kasai Kiyoto , Bundo Miki , Iwamoto Kazuya
Published: February 2021

SLC6A4, which encodes the serotonin transporter, has a functional polymorphism called the serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR). The 5-HTTLPR consists of short (S) and long (L) alleles, each of which has 14 or 16 tandem repeats. In addition, the extralong (XL) and other rare alleles have been reported in 5-HTTLPR. Although they are more frequent in Asian and African than in other populations, the extent of variations and allele frequencies (AFs) were not addressed in a large population. Here, we report the AFs of the rare alleles in a large number of Japanese subjects (N = 2894) consisting of two cohorts. The first cohort (case-control study set, CCSS) consisted of 1366 subjects, including 485 controls and 881 patients with psychosis (bipolar disorder or schizophrenia). The second cohort (the Arao cohort study set, ACSS) consisted of 1528 elderly subjects. During genotyping, we identified 11 novel 5-HTTLPR alleles, including 3 XL alleles. One novel allele had the longest subunit ever reported, consisting of 28 tandem repeats. We named this XL28-A. An in vitro luciferase assay revealed that XL28-A has no transcriptional activity. XL28-A was found in two unrelated patients with bipolar disorder in the CCSS and one healthy subject in the ACSS who did not show depressive symptoms or a decline in cognitive function. Therefore, it is unlikely that XL28-A is associated with psychiatric disorders, despite its apparent functional deficit. Our results suggest that unraveling the complex genetic variations of 5-HTTLPR will be important for further understanding its role in psychiatric disorders.
Childhood maltreatment history and attention bias variability in healthy adult women: role of inflammation and the BDNF Val66Met genotype
Authors: Hori Hiroaki , Itoh Mariko , Lin Mingming , Yoshida Fuyuko , Niwa Madoka , Hakamata Yuko , Matsui Mie , Kunugi Hiroshi , Kim Yoshiharu
Published: February 2021

Childhood maltreatment has been associated with greater attention bias to emotional information, but the findings are controversial. Recently, a novel index of attention bias, i.e., attention bias variability (ABV), has been developed to better capture trauma-related attentional dysfunction. However, ABV in relation to childhood trauma has not been studied. Here, we examined the association of childhood maltreatment history with attention bias/ABV in 128 healthy adult women. Different types of childhood maltreatment were assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Attention bias/ABV was measured by the dot-probe task. Possible mechanisms whereby childhood maltreatment affects attention bias/ABV were also explored, focusing on blood proinflammatory markers and the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism. We observed a significant positive correlation between childhood emotional abuse and ABV (P = 0.002). Serum high-sensitivity tumor necrosis factor-α levels were significantly positively correlated with ABV (P < 0.001), but not with childhood maltreatment. Jonckheere–Terpstra trend test showed a significant tendency toward greater ABV with increasing numbers of the BDNF Met alleles (P = 0.021). A two-way analysis of variance further revealed that the genotype-by-emotional abuse interaction for ABV was significant (P = 0.022); individuals with the Val/Met and Met/Met genotypes exhibited even greater ABV when childhood emotional abuse was present. These results indicate that childhood emotional abuse can have a long-term negative impact on emotional attention control. Increased inflammation may be involved in the mechanism of ABV, possibly independently of childhood maltreatment. The BDNF Met allele may dose-dependently increase ABV by interacting with childhood emotional abuse.
AFLOW-XtalFinder: a reliable choice to identify crystalline prototypes
Authors: Hicks David , Toher Cormac , Ford Denise C. , Rose Frisco , Santo Carlo De , Levy Ohad , Mehl Michael J. , Curtarolo Stefano
Published: February 2021

The accelerated growth rate of repository entries in crystallographic databases makes it arduous to identify and classify their prototype structures. The open-source AFLOW-XtalFinder package was developed to solve this problem. It symbolically maps structures into standard designations following the AFLOW Prototype Encyclopedia and calculates the internal degrees of freedom consistent with the International Tables for Crystallography. To ensure uniqueness, structures are analyzed and compared via symmetry, local atomic geometries, and crystal mapping techniques, simultaneously grouping them by similarity. The software (i) distinguishes distinct crystal prototypes and atom decorations, (ii) determines equivalent spin configurations, (iii) reveals compounds with similar properties, and (iv) guides the discovery of unexplored materials. The operations are accessible through a Python module ready for workflows, and through command line syntax. All the 4+ million compounds in the AFLOW.org repositories are mapped to their ideal prototype, allowing users to search database entries via symbolic structure-type. Furthermore, 15,000 unique structures — sorted by prevalence — are extracted from the AFLOW-ICSD catalog to serve as future prototypes in the Encyclopedia.
Convergence of biomarkers and risk factor trait loci of coronary artery disease at 3p21.31 and HLA region
Authors: Nikpay Majid , McPherson Ruth
Published: February 2021

Here we seek to identify molecular biomarkers that mediate the effect of risk factors on coronary artery disease (CAD). We perform a SNP-based multiomics data analysis to find biomarkers (probes) causally associated with the risk of CAD within known genomic loci for its risk factors. We identify 78 biomarkers, the majority (64%) of which are methylation probes. We detect the convergence of several CNS and lifestyle trait loci and their biomarkers at the 3p21.31 and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) regions. The 3p21.31 locus was the most populated region in the convergence of biomarkers and risk factors. In this region, we noted as the BSN gene becomes methylated the level of stomatin (STOM) in blood increases and this contributes to higher risk of CAD. In the HLA locus, we identify several methylation biomarkers associated with various CAD risk factors. SNPs in the CFB gene display a trans-regulatory impact on the GRIA4 protein level. A methylation site upstream of the APOE gene is associated with a higher protein level of S100A13 which in turn leads to higher LDL-C and greater CAD risk. We find UHRF1BP1 and ILRUN mediate the effect of obesity on CAD whereas methylation sites within NOS3 and CKM mediate the effect of their associated-risk factors on CAD. This study provides further insight into the biology of CAD and identifies a list of biomarkers that mediate the impact of risk factors on CAD. A SNP-based initiative can unite data from various fields of omics into a single network of knowledge.
Genetic profiles of 103,106 individuals in the Taiwan Biobank provide insights into the health and history of Han Chinese
Authors: Wei Chun-Yu , Yang Jenn-Hwai , Yeh Erh-Chan , Tsai Ming-Fang , Kao Hsiao-Jung , Lo Chen-Zen , Chang Lung-Pao , Lin Wan-Jia , Hsieh Feng-Jen , Belsare Saurabh , Bhaskar Anand , Su Ming-Wei , Lee Te-Chang , Lin Yi-Ling , Liu Fu-Tong , Shen Chen-Yang , Li Ling-Hui , Chen Chien-Hsiun , Wall Jeffrey D. , Wu Jer-Yuarn , Kwok Pui-Yan
Published: February 2021

Personalized medical care focuses on prediction of disease risk and response to medications. To build the risk models, access to both large-scale genomic resources and human genetic studies is required. The Taiwan Biobank (TWB) has generated high-coverage, whole-genome sequencing data from 1492 individuals and genome-wide SNP data from 103,106 individuals of Han Chinese ancestry using custom SNP arrays. Principal components analysis of the genotyping data showed that the full range of Han Chinese genetic variation was found in the cohort. The arrays also include thousands of known functional variants, allowing for simultaneous ascertainment of Mendelian disease-causing mutations and variants that affect drug metabolism. We found that 21.2% of the population are mutation carriers of autosomal recessive diseases, 3.1% have mutations in cancer-predisposing genes, and 87.3% carry variants that affect drug response. We highlight how TWB data provide insight into both population history and disease burden, while showing how widespread genetic testing can be used to improve clinical care.
State leakage during fast decay and control of a superconducting transmon qubit
Authors: Babu Aravind Plathanam , Tuorila Jani , Ala-Nissila Tapio
Published: February 2021

Superconducting Josephson junction qubits constitute the main current technology for many applications, including scalable quantum computers and thermal devices. Theoretical modeling of such systems is usually done within the two-level approximation. However, accurate theoretical modeling requires taking into account the influence of the higher excited states without limiting the system to the two-level qubit subspace. Here, we study the dynamics and control of a superconducting transmon using the numerically exact stochastic Liouville–von Neumann equation approach. We focus on the role of state leakage from the ideal two-level subspace for bath induced decay and single-qubit gate operations. We find significant short-time state leakage due to the strong coupling to the bath. We quantify the leakage errors in single-qubit gates and demonstrate their suppression with derivative removal adiabatic gates (DRAG) control for a five-level transmon in the presence of decoherence. Our results predict the limits of accuracy of the two-level approximation and possible intrinsic constraints in qubit dynamics and control for an experimentally relevant parameter set.
The Zoltar forecast archive, a tool to standardize and store interdisciplinary prediction research
Authors: Reich Nicholas G. , Cornell Matthew , Ray Evan L. , House Katie , Le Khoa
Published: February 2021

Forecasting has emerged as an important component of informed, data-driven decision-making in a wide array of fields. We introduce a new data model for probabilistic predictions that encompasses a wide range of forecasting settings. This framework clearly defines the constituent parts of a probabilistic forecast and proposes one approach for representing these data elements. The data model is implemented in Zoltar, a new software application that stores forecasts using the data model and provides standardized API access to the data. In one real-time case study, an instance of the Zoltar web application was used to store, provide access to, and evaluate real-time forecast data on the order of 108rows, provided by over 40 international research teams from academia and industry making forecasts of the COVID-19 outbreak in the US. Tools and data infrastructure for probabilistic forecasts, such as those introduced here, will play an increasingly important role in ensuring that future forecasting research adheres to a strict set of rigorous and reproducible standards.