bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrated species distribution models reveal spatiotemporal patterns of human–wildlife conflict
Authors: Fidino Mason , Lehrer Elizabeth W. , Kay Cria A. M. , Yarmey Nicholas T. , Murray Maureen H. , Fake Kimberly , Adams Henry C. , Magle Seth B.
Published: May 2022

To mitigate human–wildlife conflict it is imperative to know where and when conflict occurs. However, standard methods used to predict the occurrence of human–wildlife conflict often fail to recognize how a species distribution likely limits where and when conflict may happen. As such, methods that predict human–wildlife conflict could be improved if they could identify where conflict will occur relative to species' underlying distribution. To this end, we used an integrated species distribution model that combined presence‐only wildlife complaints with data from a systematic camera trapping survey throughout Chicago, Illinois. This model draws upon both data sources to estimate a latent distribution of species; in addition, the model can estimate where conflict is most likely to occur within that distribution. We modeled the occupancy and conflict potential of coyote (Canis latrans), Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), and raccoon (Procyon lotor) as a function of urban intensity, per capita income, and home vacancy rates throughout Chicago. Overall, the distribution of each species constrained the spatiotemporal patterns of conflict throughout the city of Chicago. Within each species distribution, we found that human–wildlife conflict was most likely to occur where humans and wildlife habitat overlap (e.g., featuring higher‐than‐average canopy cover and housing density). Furthermore, human–wildlife conflict was most likely to occur in high‐income neighborhoods for Virginia opossum and raccoon, despite the fact that those two species have higher occupancy in low‐income neighborhoods. As such, knowing where species are distributed can inform guidelines on where wildlife management should be focused, especially if it overlaps with human habitats. Finally, because this integrated model can incorporate data that have already been collected by wildlife managers or city officials, this approach could be used to develop stronger collaborations with wildlife management agencies and conduct applied research that will inform landscape‐scale wildlife management.
Risky business: How an herbivore navigates spatiotemporal aspects of risk from competitors and predators
Authors: Huggler Katey S. , Holbrook Joseph D. , Hayes Matthew M. , Burke Patrick W. , Zornes Mark , Thompson Daniel J. , Clapp Justin G. , Lionberger Patrick , Valdez Miguel , Monteith Kevin L.
Published: May 2022

Understanding factors that influence animal behavior is central to ecology. Basic principles of animal ecology imply that individuals should seek to maximize survival and reproduction, which means carefully weighing risk against reward. Decisions become increasingly complex and constrained, however, when risk is spatiotemporally variable. We advance a growing body of work in predator–prey behavior by evaluating novel questions where a prey species is confronted with multiple predators and a potential competitor. We tested how fine‐scale behavior of female mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) during the reproductive season shifted depending upon spatial and temporal variation in risk from predators and a potential competitor. We expected female deer to avoid areas of high risk when movement activity of predators and a competitor were high. We used GPS data collected from 76 adult female mule deer, 35 adult female elk, 33 adult coyotes, and six adult mountain lions. Counter to our expectations, female deer exhibited selection for multiple risk factors, however, selection for risk was dampened by the exposure to risk within home ranges of female deer, producing a functional response in habitat selection. Furthermore, temporal variation in movement activity of predators and elk across the diel cycle did not result in a shift in movement activity by female deer. Instead, the average level of risk within their home range was the predominant factor modulating the response to risk by female deer. Our results counter prevailing hypotheses of how large herbivores navigate risky landscapes and emphasize the importance of accounting for the local environment when identifying effects of risk on animal behavior. Moreover, our findings highlight additional behavioral mechanisms used by large herbivores to mitigate multiple sources of predation and potential competitive interactions.
Estimation of the maximum utilization area including home range and peripheral sites
Authors: Terayama Kana , Ebihara Hiroshi , Seino Hironori , Genkai‐Kato Motomi
Published: May 2022

There is increasing evidence that occasional utilization area (peripheral sites), in addition to typical utilization area (home range), is important for wildlife conservation and management. Here we estimated the maximum utilization area (MUA), including both typical and occasional utilization areas, based on asymptotic curves of utilization area plotted against sample size. In previous studies, these curves have conventionally been plots of cumulative utilization area versus sample size, but this cumulative method is sensitive to stochastic effects. We propose a new method based on simulation studies where outcomes of replicated simulations are averaged to reduce stochastic effects. In this averaged method, possible combinations of sample size with the same number of location data replicated from a dataset were averaged and applied to the curves of utilization area. The cumulative method resulted in a large variation of MUA estimates, depending on the start date as well as total sample size of the dataset. In the averaged method, MUA estimates were robust against changes in the start date and total sample size. The large variation of MUA estimates arose because location data on any day including the start date are affected by unpredictable effects associated with animal activity and environmental conditions. In the averaged method, replicates of sample size resulted in a reduction of temporal stochasticity, suggesting that the method stably provides reliable estimates for MUA.
Ecological service‐learning positively impacts classroom climate and empowers undergraduates for environmental action
Authors: Vance‐Chalcraft Heather D. , Goodwillie Carol
Published: May 2022

Service‐learning (SL) is a type of participatory action‐oriented, experiential learning that connects course content with a need in the community. This type of learning is particularly well suited to environmentally themed courses as student action can have a positive impact on the environment while developing students' conservation ethics and “soft skills” required for many conservation jobs. SL was incorporated into one of two sections of an existing, junior‐level elective course in plant biology. As a service activity, undergraduates participated in the removal of an invasive species (Lespedeza cuneata) along a local greenway. We asked whether students who participated in a modest amount of SL demonstrated greater knowledge of plant biology, stronger connections to their class community, and increased self‐efficacy for environmental action than students who do not participate in SL. Data on student content knowledge, perceptions of classroom climate, and views of one's ability to positively impact the environment were collected through surveys given at the beginning and end of the semester. Instructor‐generated content questions and two published, validated surveys—the Connected Classroom Climate Inventory and Self‐Efficacy for Environmental Action scale—were used. We found that SL students showed a slightly increased sense of community with their peers, which has been found to have positive effects on learning, but not an increased perception of their own ability to be an agent of social change. In addition, SL provided an ecological benefit, assisted the local community, and created a positive example of university students giving back to the city.
Dynamic sensitivity to resource availability influences population responses to mismatches in a shorebird
Authors: Wilde Luke R. , Simmons Josiah E. , Swift Rose J. , Senner Nathan R.
Published: May 2022

Climate change has caused shifts in seasonally recurring biological events leading to the temporal decoupling of consumer–resource pairs, that is, phenological mismatching. Although mismatches often affect individual fitness, they do not invariably scale up to affect populations, making it difficult to assess the risk they pose. Individual variation may contribute to this inconsistency, with changes in resource availability and consumer needs leading mismatches to have different outcomes over time. Nevertheless, most models estimate a consumer's match from a single time point, potentially obscuring when mismatches matter to populations. We analyzed how the effects of mismatches varied over time by studying precocial Hudsonian godwit (Limosa haemastica) chicks and their invertebrate prey from 2009 to 2019. We developed individual‐ and population‐level models to determine how age‐specific variation affects the relationship between godwits and resource availability. We found that periods with abundant resources led to higher growth and survival of godwit chicks, but also that chick survival was increasingly related to the availability of larger prey as chicks aged. At the population level, estimates of mismatches using age‐structured consumer demand explained more variation in annual godwit fledging rates than more commonly used alternatives. Our study suggests that modeling the effects of mismatches as the disrupted interaction between dynamic consumer needs and resource availability clarifies when mismatches matter to both individuals and populations.
Myocardial recovery evaluation from ventricular assist device in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy
Authors: Gyoten Takayuki , Amiya Eisuke , Kinoshita Osamu , Tsuji Masaki , Kimura Mitsutoshi , Hatano Masaru , Ono Minoru
Published: May 2022

Aims

The removal of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) after myocardial recovery can provide survival benefits with freedom from LVAD‐associated complications. However, in the absence of standardization, the weaning evaluation and surgical strategy differ widely among centres. Therefore, we analysed the experiences of LVAD explantation with our protocol in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients and investigated the validity of our weaning evaluation and surgical strategy from the perspective of optimal long‐term survival.

Methods and results

All LVAD explantation patients in our institution between May 2012 and May 2020 were enrolled. All patients were evaluated by our three‐phase weaning assessment: (i) clinical stability with improved cardiac function under LVAD support; (ii) haemodynamic stability shown by ramp‐loading and saline‐loading test; (iii) intraoperative pump‐off test. Explant surgery involved removal of the whole system including driveline, pump, sewing ring and outflow‐graft, and closure of an apical hole. Intra‐operative, peri‐operative, and post‐operative outcomes, including all‐cause mortality and LVAD associated major complications, were retrospectively analysed. A total of 12 DCM patients (DuraHeart, n = 2; EVAHEART, n = 2; HeartMate II, n = 6; HeartMate 3, n = 2) had myocardial recovery after a median 10 months [interquartile range (IQR); 6.3–15 months] support and qualified for our LVAD explantation study protocol [median age: 37 y, IQR; 34–41 years; 83% men]. The median left ventricular ejection fraction was 20% (IQR; 12–23%) at LVAD‐implantation and 54% (IQR: 45–55%) before LVAD explantation (P < 0.001). There were no perioperative complications and median ICU stay was 4 days (IQR; 2–4 days). All patients were discharged after a median of 24 days (IQR: 17–28 days) postoperatively. No patient suffered from any cardiac event (heart failure hospitalization, re‐implantation of LVAD, or heart transplantation) at a median of 40 months (IQR: 17–58 months) follow up. All patients are alive with NYHA functional class 1 with preserved left ventricular function.

Conclusions

The evaluation of LVAD explant candidates by our weaning protocol was safe and effective. In the patients completing our protocol successfully, LVAD explantation is feasible and an excellent long‐term cardiac event free‐survival seems to be achieved.
Iodine‐Promoted Tandem Pyrazole Annulation and C−H Sulfenylation for the Synthesis of C4‐Sulfenylated Pyrazoles
Authors: Feng Yijiao , He Jing , Wei Yueting , Xie Jianwei , Liu Ping
Published: May 2022

Cascade reactions of 1,3‐diarylpropane‐1,3‐dione or unsaturated ketones with arylsulfonyl hydrazide have been achieved in the presence of iodine source. Fully substituted C4‐sulfenylated pyrazoles were synthesized via the tandem pyrazole annulation and C(sp2)−H sulfenylation. This approach is efficient and practical. The starting materials are readily available, while also providing a useful strategy for the construction of different arylthio‐substituted pyrazole skeletons.
Ammonia electrocatalytic synthesis from nitrate
Authors: Anastasiadou Dimitra , van Beek Yvette , Hensen Emiel J. M. , Costa Figueiredo Marta
Published: May 2022

The interest in electrochemical processes to produce ammonia has increased in recent years. The motivation for this increase is the attempt to reduce the carbon emissions associated with its production, since ammonia is responsible for 1.8% of the global CO2emissions. Moreover, green ammonia is also seen as a possible transportation fuel in various renewable energy transition scenarios. Several electrochemical processes are being investigated such as N2, NO3–, or NO conversion. Since nitrates are an attractive source of nitrogen, due to their role as water contaminants and facility to break N‐O bonds, this mini review is focused on the electrocatalytic synthesis of ammonia from NO3−reduction. Here, we summarized the important work on reaction mechanisms and electrocatalysts for this reaction.
Take steps to prevent violations and lawsuits related to wage‐and‐hour requirements
Authors: O'Brien Timothy
Published: May 2022

One common thread that runs through almost every higher ed department is that the entire operation requires long and irregular hours, extending from the traditional workday into nights and weekends. The collective commitment of all employees to do their respective part enables each department to accomplish its varied missions. This approach is often demonstrated by the willingness of dedicated employees to work long hours well in excess of 40 hours per week. Although that commitment of extra time and effort is acceptable for many employees within the department who are considered exempt from wage‐related overtime payment obligations, higher ed administrators must tread carefully regarding expecting any additional time or effort from nonexempt hourly staff. One university recently learned this lesson the hard way.
Abnormal innate and learned behavior induced by neuron–microglia miscommunication is related to CA3 reconfiguration
Authors: Méndez‐Salcido Felipe Antonio , Torres‐Flores Mayra Itzel , Ordaz Benito , Peña‐Ortega Fernando
Published: May 2022

Neuron–microglia communication through the Cx3cr1–Cx3cl1 axis is essential for the development and refinement of neural circuits, which determine their function into adulthood. In the present work we set out to extend the behavioral characterization of Cx3cr1−/−mice evaluating innate behaviors and spatial navigation, both dependent on hippocampal function. Our results show that Cx3cr1‐deficient mice, which show some changes in microglial and synaptic terminals morphology and density, exhibit alterations in activities of daily living and in the rapid encoding of novel spatial information that, nonetheless, improves with training. A neural substrate for these cognitive deficiencies was found in the form of synaptic dysfunction in the CA3 region of the hippocampus, with a marked impact on the mossy fiber (MF) pathway. A network analysis of the CA3 microcircuit reveals the effect of these synaptic alterations on the functional connectivity among CA3 neurons with diminished strength and topological reorganization in Cx3cr1‐deficient mice. Neonatal population activity of the CA3 region in Cx3cr1‐deficient mice shows a marked reorganization around the giant depolarizing potentials, the first form of network‐driven activity of the hippocampus, suggesting that alterations found in adult subjects arise early on in postnatal development, a critical period of microglia‐dependent neural circuit refinement. Our results show that interruption of the Cx3cr1–Cx3cl1/neuron–microglia axis leads to changes in CA3 configuration that affect innate and learned behaviors.
Evaluation of thresholding methods for activation likelihood estimation meta‐analysis via large‐scale simulations
Authors: Frahm Lennart , Cieslik Edna C. , Hoffstaedter Felix , Satterthwaite Theodore D. , Fox Peter T. , Langner Robert , Eickhoff Simon B.
Published: May 2022

In recent neuroimaging studies, threshold‐free cluster enhancement (TFCE) gained popularity as a sophisticated thresholding method for statistical inference. It was shown to feature higher sensitivity than the frequently used approach of controlling the cluster‐level family‐wise error (cFWE) and it does not require setting a cluster‐forming threshold at voxel level. Here, we examined the applicability of TFCE to a widely used method for coordinate‐based neuroimaging meta‐analysis, Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE), by means of large‐scale simulations. We created over 200,000 artificial meta‐analysis datasets by independently varying the total number of experiments included and the amount of spatial convergence across experiments. Next, we applied ALE to all datasets and compared the performance of TFCE to both voxel‐level and cluster‐level FWE correction approaches. All three multiple‐comparison correction methods yielded valid results, with only about 5% of the significant clusters being based on spurious convergence, which corresponds to the nominal level the methods were controlling for. On average, TFCE's sensitivity was comparable to that of cFWE correction, but it was slightly worse for a subset of parameter combinations, even after TFCE parameter optimization. cFWE yielded the largest significant clusters, closely followed by TFCE, while voxel‐level FWE correction yielded substantially smaller clusters, showcasing its high spatial specificity. Given that TFCE does not outperform the standard cFWE correction but is computationally much more expensive, we conclude that employing TFCE for ALE cannot be recommended to the general user.
Design of 4‐Coordinate Ti Imido Aryloxide on the Surface of Silica for Catalytic Oxo/Imido Heterometathesis
Authors: Pichugov Andrey V. , Bushkov Nikolai S. , Rumyantsev Andrey V. , Zhizhin Anton A. , Aleshin Dmitry Y. , Strelkova Tatyana V. , Talanova Valeria N. , Takazova Rina U. , Mance Deni , Allouche Florian , Mougel Victor , Dolgushin Fedor M. , Ustynyuk Nikolai A. , Zhizhko Pavel A. , Zarubin Dmitry N.
Published: May 2022

We report here the synthesis of 4‐coordinate Ti imido complexes Ti(=NtBu)(OArtBu)2(py) (2) and Ti(=NtBu)(OArtBu)(Me2Pyr)(py) (3) (ArtBu=O‐2,6‐tBu2‐4‐MeC6H2, Me2Pyr=2,5‐dimethylpyrrolyl) and study their grafting onto the surface of partially dehydroxylated silica with the aim to prepare 4‐coordinate Ti imido aryloxide surface species. Study of the resulting materials with IR, solid‐state NMR, elemental and mass balance analyses demonstrates that grafting of bis‐aryloxide complex 2 leads to a predominant formation of silica‐supported Ti amide (≡SiO)Ti(NHtBu)(OArtBu)2(py) resulting from the protonation of the imido ligand with the surface silanols and only a smaller fraction of the desired imido species (≡SiO)Ti(=NtBu)(OArtBu)(py). The use of the tailored complex 3 where one of the aryloxides is replaced with a more reactive pyrrolyl ligand significantly increases the selectivity of grafting leading to the formation of the Ti imido aryloxide (≡SiO)Ti(=NtBu)(OArtBu)(py) as major surface species. The obtained materials show high activity in catalytic oxo/imido heterometathesis supporting the previously proposed hypothesis that electron‐donating environments are favorable for this transformation.
Tidal frequencies and quasiperiodic subsurface water level variations dominate redox dynamics in a salt marsh system
Authors: Grande Emilio , Arora Bhavna , Visser Ate , Montalvo Maya , Braswell Anna , Seybold Erin , Tatariw Corianne , Beheshti Kathryn , Zimmer Margaret
Published: May 2022

Salt marshes are hotspots of nutrient processing en route to sensitive coastal environments. Whilst our understanding of these systems has improved over the years, we still have limited knowledge of the spatiotemporal variability of critical biogeochemical drivers within salt marshes. Sea‐level rise will continue to force change on salt marsh functioning, highlighting the urgency of filling this knowledge gap. Our study was conducted in a central California estuary experiencing extensive marsh drowning and relative sea‐level rise, making it a model system for such an investigation. Here we instrumented three marsh positions subjected to different degrees of tidal inundation (6.7%, 8.9%, and 11.2% of the time for the upper, middle, and lower marsh positions, respectively), providing locations with varied biogeochemical characteristics and hydrological interactions at the site. We continuously monitored redox potential (Eh) at depths of 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 m, subsurface water levels (WL), and temperature at 0.7 m depth at each marsh position. To understand how drivers of subsurface biogeochemical processes fluctuate across tidal cycles, we used wavelet analyses to explain the interactions between Eh and WL. We found that tidal forcing significantly affects key drivers of biogeochemical processes by imparting controls on Eh variability, likely driving subsurface hydro‐biogeochemistry of the salt marsh. Wavelet coherence showed that the Eh‐WL relationship is nonlinear, and their lead–lag relationship is variable. We found that precipitation events perturb Eh at depth over timescales of hours, even though WL shows relatively minimal change during events. This work highlights the importance of high frequency in situ measurements, such as Eh, to help explain factors that govern subsurface biogeochemistry and hydrological processes in salt marshes.
Reliability and replicability in infant research: A commentary on Byers‐Heinlein et al. (2021)
Authors: Margoni Francesco
Published: May 2022

Byers‐Heinlein et al. (2021) argue that a greater focus on reliability in infant research is much needed and desirable for the field. Moreover, they offer a number of possible solutions to increase reliability in infant research. Here, I do not discuss the suitability of the offered solutions. Instead, I further develop the authors' argument by considering the worryingly downstream consequences of low reliability for the very possibility of drawing meaningful inferences from the results of replication studies. I argue that the sources of error related to sampling and measurement greatly affect the estimates, resulting in confidence intervals being often very wide. Consequently, interpreting the differences between small‐scale original and replication studies becomes a meaningless task, which, I maintain, could be replaced by a meta‐analytic mindset and the habit of fully incorporating uncertainty in the reasoning about research findings.
Strategies for high‐performance perovskite solar cells from materials, film engineering to carrier dynamics and photon management
Authors: Li Huilin , Chen Chong , Hu Hangyu , Li Yu , Shen Zhitao , Li Fumin , Liu Ying , Liu Rong , Chen Junwei , Dong Chao , Mabrouk Sally , Bobba Raja Sekhar , Baniya Abiral , Wang Mingtai , Qiao Quinn
Published: May 2022

In recent years, halide perovskite solar cells (HPSCs) have attracted a great attention due to their superior photoelectric performance and the low‐cost of processing their quality films. In order to commercialize HPSCs, the researchers are focusing on developing high‐performance HPSCs. Many strategies have been reported to increase the power conversion efficiency and the long‐term stability of HPSCs over the past decade. Herein, we review the latest efforts and the chemical‐physical principles for preparing high‐efficiency and long‐term stability HPSCs in particular, concentrating on the perovskite materials, technologies for perovskite films, charge transport materials and ferroelectric effect to reduce the carrier loss, and photon management via plasmonic and upconversion effects. Finally, the key issues for future researches of HPSCs are also discussed with regard to the requirements in practical application.

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Economic feasibility of subsurface drainage (SSD) to control waterlogging and soil salinity under different scenarios in the Tungabhadra project command, Karnataka, India
Authors: A V Karegoudar , J Vishwanath , R H Rajkumar , S R Anand , B S Polisgowdar , M S Ayyanagowdar , M Nemichandrapp , M J Kaledhonkar
Published: May 2022

The Tungabhadra irrigation command area (TBP) in Karnataka, India, has three scenarios: the head, mid and tail reach command areas. The head reach has ample good quality canal water availability, and the mid reach area has limited canal water availability. In recent decades, rice–rice monocropping in vertisols, especially by these head and mid reach farmers, has led to not only water shortages but also the development of waterlogging and secondary soil salinization in the tail (lower) reach of the command due to seepage. As the soil salinity in the head reach was less severe, a slightly wider drain spacing of 60 m was adopted over 15 ha. In the case of the mid reach, salinity was slightly higher than the head reach but slightly less than the tail reach, hence 50 m drain spacing was laid out over 24 ha. Due to the slightly higher soil salinity at the tail end of the command, a closer drain spacing of 40 m was adopted over 11 ha. In all these scenarios, the drain depth was 1.0 m. Despite differences in irrigation water availability and different soil salinity conditions, the study clearly indicated over six seasons that the SSD system is a viable solution for the reclamation of waterlogged saline soils and enhancing rice productivity in all three scenarios of the TBP command.
Emergence of auditory–visual discrimination and tacts through exclusionary responding
Authors: Mandel Natalie R. , Cividini‐Motta Catia , Schram Jeffrey , MacNaul Hannah
Published: May 2022

This study examined if listener behavior and responding by exclusion would emerge after training 3 participants with autism to tact stimuli. Tacts for 2 of 3 stimuli were directly trained using discrete trial training methodology and were followed by an auditory–visual discrimination probe in which auditory–visual discrimination by naming (i.e., bidirectional naming of trained tacts) and auditory–visual discrimination by exclusion were assessed; in subsequent sessions, tacting by exclusion probes were conducted in which tacts for the exclusion target (i.e., stimulus not trained as a tact) were assessed. All 3 participants demonstrated auditory–visual discrimination by naming, auditory–visual discrimination by exclusion, and tacting by exclusion across all comparisons. Results suggest that programming for learning by exclusion can provide an efficient way to enhance skill acquisition.
A novel role for aspirin in enhancing the reprogramming function of miR‐302/367 cluster and breast tumor suppression
Authors: Rezania Mohammad A. , Eghtedari Azadeh , Taha Masoumeh F. , Ardekani Ali M. , Javeri Arash
Published: May 2022

Recent studies have provided evidence for tumor suppressive function of the embryonic stem cell‐specific miR‐302/367 cluster through induction of a reprogramming process. Aspirin has been found to induce reprogramming factors of mesenchymal‐to‐epithelial transition in breast cancer cells. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether overexpression of miR‐302/367 cluster and aspirin treatment cooperate in the induction of reprogramming and tumor suppression in breast cancer cells. MDA‐MB‐231 and SK‐BR‐3 human breast cancer cell lines were transfected with a miR‐302/367 expressing vector and treated with aspirin. The cells were evaluated for indices of apoptosis, proliferation, migration, and invasion. In both cell lines, treatment of miR‐302/367‐transfected cells with aspirin upregulated expression of some main pluripotency factors such as OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, and KLF4, and downregulated expression of some invasion and angiogenesis markers at gene and protein levels. Aspirin increased the apoptotic rate in both cell lines transfected with miR‐302/367. Both miR‐302/367 and aspirin upregulated the expression of FOXD3 protein which is a known inducer of OCT4 and NANOG. Our results demonstrate that aspirin can enhance miR‐302/367‐induced reprogramming of breast cancer cells possibly through upregulation of FOXD3 expression. This can further augment the reversal of epithelial–mesenchymal transition and inhibits migration, invasion, and angiogenic signaling in breast cancer cells reprogrammed by miR‐302/367. Therefore, aspirin may serve as a useful adjuvant for reprogramming of cancer cells.
Hsa_circ_0003748 promotes disease progression in rheumatic valvular heart disease by sponging miR‐577
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyun , Gao Yakun , Wu Hongyu , Mao Yong
Published: May 2022

The diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic valvular heart disease (RVHD) require substantial improvements. Studies found that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in the progression of cardiovascular diseases. We screened target hsa_circ_0003748 by circRNA microarrays uploaded to a database. We used fluorescence in situ hybridization to determine the cellular location of hsa_circ_0003748. A dual‐luciferase reporter gene assay revealed that has_circ_0003748 might bind the miRNA miR‐577. In hVIC cells (an RVHD cell line), Cell Counting Kit‐8, Transwell, and flow cytometry assays measured proliferation, migration, and cell cycle and apoptosis, respectively. We found that hsa_circ_0003748 was localized in the cytoplasm; hsa_circ_0003748 promoted the proliferation and migration of hVIC cells, arrested the cell cycle in the G2/M phase, and inhibited apoptosis. These phenomena may result from hsa_circ_0003748 promoting RVHD after sponging miR‐577. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that hsa_circ_0003748 might affect RVHD progression by affecting transcription and the MAPK signaling pathway, the Ras signaling pathway, the cAMP signaling pathway, the Rap1 signaling pathway, and other signaling pathways.
Evaluation of conventional and point‐of‐care real‐time RT‐PCR tests for the detection of SARS‐CoV‐2 through a pooled testing strategy
Authors: Yang Ji‐Rong , Kuo Chuan‐Yi , Huang Hsiang‐Yi , Yu I‐Ling , Hsieh Chih‐Tsun , Chen Bao‐Shan , Liu Ming‐Tsan
Published: May 2022

Background

The rapid identification and isolation of individuals infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 are fundamental countermeasures for the efficient control of the COVID‐19 pandemic, which has affected millions of people around the world. Real‐time RT‐PCR is one of the most commonly applied reference methods for virus detection, and the use of pooled testing has been proposed as an effective way to increase the throughput of routine diagnostic tests. However, the clinical applicability of different types of real‐time RT‐PCR tests in a given group size remains inconclusive due to inconsistent regional disease prevalence and test demands.

Methods

In this study, the performance of one dual‐target conventional and two point‐of‐care real‐time RT‐PCR tests in a 5‐specimen pooled testing strategy for the detection of SARS‐COV‐2 was evaluated.

Results

We demonstrated the proof of concept that all of these real‐time RT‐PCR tests could feasibly detect SARS‐CoV‐2 from nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal specimens that contain viral RNA loads in the range of 3.48 × 105 to 3.42 × 102 copies/ml through pooled testing in a group size of 5 with overall positive percent agreement (pooling vs. individual testing) ranging from 100% to 93.75%. Furthermore, the two POC real‐time RT‐PCR tests exhibited comparable sensitivity to that of the dual‐target conventional one when clinical specimens were tested individually.

Conclusion

Our findings support the feasibility of using real‐time RT‐PCR tests developed as a variety of platforms in routine laboratory detection of suspected COVID‐19 cases through a pooled testing strategy that is beneficial to increasing the daily diagnostic capacity.
Association of admissions factors with student performance in preclinical operative dentistry
Authors: Kornmehl David L. , Aldosari Muath , Tabassian Lilia J. , Park Sang E. , Ohyama Hiroe
Published: May 2022

Purpose/Objective

Admission to dental school is based on various factors including academic achievements in undergraduate coursework and the Dental Admission Test (DAT) scores. Students’ success in an operative course requires fundamental knowledge, hand skills, spatial awareness, and self‐assessment ability. The goal of this study is to evaluate how admissions factors, such as Grade Point Average (GPA) and DAT, including the Perceptual Ability Test (PAT), relate to students’ academic and preclinical performance and self‐assessment skills in preclinical operative dentistry.

Methods

A total of 239 students were included from seven class years (2016–2022). Third‐year dental students participated in a preclinical operative dentistry course. At the end of the course, they took the final multiple‐choice exam and performed four competency examination procedures: Class II amalgam preparation and restoration and Class III resin‐composite preparation and restoration. Calibrated faculty graded students’ work independently and students also self‐assessed their performance using the same rubrics as faculty. Linear regressions were performed to estimate the association between the admission factors with the mean faculty scores (measuring preclinical performance), student‐faculty (S‐F) gap scores (evaluating self‐assessment skills), and their final didactic exam scores.

Results

Overall, students’ self‐assessment was higher compared to faculty score. Linear regression analysis demonstrated positive correlations between the PAT and students’ preclinical performance as well as between the DAT and their didactic exam scores. In general, S‐F gap score decreased as PAT score increased, and it was statistically significant lower for the Class III preparation, indicating a better self‐assessment skill. No correlations were observed between student performance and GPA scores.

Conclusion

The findings from the association between student performance and admission factors may play an important role in the dental school admissions process and assist students who may benefit from early faculty intervention and support.
Improving the clinical accuracy and flexibility of the Alkaptonuria severity score index
Authors: Cant Harriet E. O. , Chatzidaki Iro , Olsson Birgitta , Rudebeck Mattias , Arnoux Jean‐Baptiste , Imrich Richard , Eddowes Lucy A. , Ranganath Lakshminarayan R.
Published: May 2022

Alkaptonuria (AKU) is a rare genetic disorder where oxidised homogentisic acid accumulates in connective tissues, leading to multisystem disease. The clinical evaluation Alkaptonuria Severity Score Index (cAKUSSI) is a composite score that assesses the extent of AKU disease. However, some components assess similar disease features, are difficult to measure reliably or cannot be measured in resource‐limited environments. cAKUSSI data from the 4‐year SONIA 2 randomised controlled trial, which investigated nitisinone treatment in adults with AKU, were analysed (N = 125). Potentially biased or low‐information cAKUSSI measurements were identified using clinical and statistical input to create a revised AKUSSI for use in AKU research (cAKUSSI 2.0). Additionally, resource‐intensive measurements were removed to explore a flexible AKUSSI (flex‐AKUSSI) for use in low‐resource environments. Revised scores were compared to cAKUSSI in terms of correlation and how they capture disease progression and treatment response. Eight measurements were removed from the cAKUSSI to create the cAKUSSI 2.0, which performed comparably to the cAKUSSI in measuring disease extent, progression and treatment response. When removing resource‐intensive measurements except for osteoarticular disease, the flex‐AKUSSI was highly correlated with the cAKUSSI, indicating that they quantified disease extent similarly. However, when osteoarticular disease (measured using scans) was removed, the corresponding flex‐AKUSSI underestimated disease progression and overestimated treatment response compared to the cAKUSSI. Clinicians may use the cAKUSSI 2.0 to reduce time, effort and patient burden. Clinicians in resource‐limited environments may find value in computing a flex‐AKUSSI score, offering potential for future global registries to expand knowledge about AKU.
Principles for humanistic responsiveness to children and adolescents coping with the pandemic
Authors: Luke Chad
Published: May 2022

Pandemic stress can be a dehumanizing experience, especially for children and adolescents, and can be described in terms of the research paradigm of chronic variable stress (CVS). Humanistic counseling speaks to this particular kind of stress. This article presents eight principles for humanistic responsiveness for working with children and adolescents.
Attitudes, willingness, and resources to cover article publishing charges: The influence of age, position, income level country, discipline and open access habits
Authors: Segado‐Boj Francisco , Prieto‐Gutiérrez Juan‐Jose , Martín‐Quevedo Juan
Published: May 2022

The rise of open access (OA) publishing has been followed by the expansion of the Article Publishing Charges (APC) that moves the financial burden of scholarly journal publishing from libraries and readers to authors. We introduce the results of an international randomly selected sampled survey (N = 3,422) that explores attitudes towards this pay‐to‐publish or Gold OA model among scholars. We test the predictor role of age, professional position, discipline, and income‐level country in this regard. We found that APCs are perceived more as a global threat to Science than a deterrent to personal professional careers. Academics in low and lower‐middle income level countries hold the most unfavourable opinions about the APC system. The less experimental disciplines held more negative perceptions of APC compared to STEM and the Life Sciences. Age and access to external funding stood as negative predictors of refusal to pay to publish. Commitment to OA self‐archiving predicted the negative global perception of the APC. We conclude that access to external research funds influences the acceptance and the particular perception of the pay to publish model, remarking the economic dimension of the problem and warning about issues in the inequality between centre and periphery.
The motivations and criteria behind China's list of questionable journals
Authors: Zhang Lin , Wei Yahui , Sivertsen Gunnar , Huang Ying
Published: May 2022

On 31st December 2020, The National Science Library of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) released a list of 65 international scientific journals, all of them indexed by the Web of Science, that were said to be potentially in conflict with academic rigour. The list immediately influenced the publication patterns of Chinese researchers. A year later, on 31st December 2021, CAS released a revised and reduced list of 35 questionable journals and said the publishers in the meantime had reacted constructively and improved the procedures of their journals. This study aims to provide an understanding of the motivations and criteria behind the list, partly by reviewing Chinese policy documents and public debates, partly with a quantitative analysis to detect the relative importance of the criteria used to select the journals for the list.
Efficient fetal ultrasound image segmentation for automatic head circumference measurement using a lightweight deep convolutional neural network
Authors: Zeng Wen , Luo Jie , Cheng Jiaru , Lu Yiling
Published: May 2022

Purpose

Fetal head circumference (HC) is an important biometric parameter that can be used to assess fetal development in obstetric clinical practice. Most of the existing methods use deep neural network to accomplish the task of automatic fetal HC measurement from two‐dimensional ultrasound images, and some of them achieved relatively high prediction accuracy. However, few of these methods focused on optimizing model efficiency performance. Our purpose is to develop a more efficient approach for this task, which could help doctors measure HC faster and would be more suitable for deployment on devices with scarce computing resources.

Methods

In this paper, we present a very lightweight deep convolutional neural network to achieve automatic fetal head segmentation from ultrasound images. By using sequential prediction network architecture, the proposed model could perform much faster inference while maintaining a high prediction accuracy. In addition, we used depthwise separable convolution to replace part of the standard convolution in the network and shrunk the input image to further improve model efficiency. After getting fetal head segmentation results, post‐processing, including morphological processing and least‐squares ellipse fitting, was applied to obtain the fetal HC. All experiments in this work were performed on a public dataset, HC18, with 999 fetal ultrasound images for training and 335 for testing. The dataset is publicly available on https://hc18.grand‐challenge.org/ and the code for our method is also publicly available on https://github.com/ApeMocker/CSM‐for‐fetal‐HC‐measurement.

Results

Our model has only 0.13 million [M] parameters and can achieve an inference speed of 28 [ms] per frame on a CPU and 0.194 [ms] per frame on a GPU, which far exceeds all existing deep learning‐based models as far as we know. Experimental results showed that the method achieved a mean absolute difference of 1.97( ± 1.89) [mm] and a Dice similarity coefficient of 97.61( ± 1.72) [%] on HC18 test set, which were comparable to the state of the art.

Conclusion

We presented a very lightweight deep learning‐based model to realize fast and accurate fetal head segmentation from two‐dimensional ultrasound image, which is then used for calculating the fetal HC. The proposed method could help obstetricians measure the fetal HC more efficiently with high accuracy, and has the potential to be applied to the situations where computing resources are relatively scarce.
KPR‐5714, a selective transient receptor potential melastatin 8 antagonist, improves voiding dysfunction in rats with bladder overactivity but does not affect voiding behavior in normal rats
Authors: Watanabe Shinjiro , Fujimori Yoshikazu , Matsuzawa Akane , Kobayashi Jun‐ichi , Hirasawa Hideaki , Mutai Yosuke , Tanada Fumiya
Published: May 2022

Aims

Transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) has a role in the abnormal sensory transduction of the bladder and is involved in the pathophysiology of hyperactivity bladder disorders. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of KPR‐5714, a novel and selective TRPM8 antagonist, on voiding dysfunction induced by bladder afferent hyperactivity via mechanosensitive C‐fibers in rats.

Methods

The effects of intragastric administration of KPR‐5714 on bladder overactivity induced by intravesical instillation of 10 mM ATP were investigated using cystometry in conscious female rats. We examined the effects of oral administration of KPR‐5714 on voiding behavior using a metabolic cage in normal male rats and rats with an intratesticular injection of 3% acetic acid.

Results

In cystometry measurements, the intercontraction interval was decreased by intravesical ATP instillation. KPR‐5714 (0.1, 0.3, and 1 mg/kg) dose‐dependently prolonged the shortened intercontraction interval provoked by ATP. In voiding behavior measurements, intratesticular injection of acetic acid decreased the mean voided volume and increased voiding frequency. KPR‐5714 (0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg) dose‐dependently increased the mean voided volume and decreased voiding frequency without affecting the total voided volume in these rats. However, KPR‐5714 (1 and 10 mg/kg) did not influence the voiding behavior in normal rats.

Conclusion

The present results suggest that KPR‐5714 improves voiding dysfunction by inhibiting the enhanced activity of mechanosensitive bladder C‐fibers in rats with bladder overactivity and shows no significant change in voiding behavior in normal rats.
Optimal control method for power system reactive power management considering real‐time uncertainties
Authors: Vela Anandam Preethi , Alagarsamy Shunmugalatha , Chittu Kuppusamy Babulal
Published: May 2022

This article investigates multi‐objective reactive power management while accounting for real‐time generation and load uncertainties. The primary goal of this research is to investigate the effects of uncertainties on reactive power dispatch, while taking into account multiple objectives at the same time and keeping operational constraints in mind. The optimal reactive power dispatch (ORPD) problem is solved using an “indicator‐based evolutionary technique” called “ISDE+,” which considers two different goal functions: real power loss minimization and voltage deviation minimization. IEEE 30 and IEEE 57 bus test systems are taken into account in the simulation. ISDE+ generates a set of non‐dominated optimal solutions, from which the best compromise solution is extracted using the “S” shaped fuzzy membership function. A hyper‐volume indicator is used to evaluate the optimizer's performance. In addition, this work proposes a stochastic ORPD problem for tri‐objective optimization with load demand and wind power uncertainty. The Weibull probability distribution function was used to model stochastic wind power using real‐time wind speed data gathered from the National Institute of Wind Energy. Furthermore, to obtain a generalized wind speed set, a scenario‐based reduction technique based on the Python programming language is developed. The outcomes of simulations in deterministic and stochastic instances were studied and compared using ISDE+, which outperforms other methods documented in the literature.
Surface reformed anisotropic polystyrene‐block‐poly(ethylene‐ran‐butylene)‐block‐polystyrene‐graft‐maleic anhydride layer via ion‐beam irradiation for liquid crystals
Authors: Kim Dong Hyun , Lee Dong Wook , Oh Jin Young , Won Jonghoon , Seo Dae‐Shik
Published: May 2022

The surface modifications and liquid crystal (LC) alignment properties of polystyrene‐block‐poly(ethylene‐ran‐butylene)‐block‐polystyrene‐graft‐maleic anhydride (SEBS‐g‐MA) films induced by ion‐beam (IB) irradiation are reported herein. Changes to the surfaces of the SEBS‐g‐MA films from IB irradiation at various incidence angles and changes in the LC orientations upon LC cell fabrication were analyzed. The physical surface modifications due to IB irradiation were observed via atomic force microscopy. Additionally, changes in the molecular composition of the surface were observed through X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. Polarized optical microscopy analysis shows that excellent LC alignment properties could be obtained after IB irradiation at angles exceeding 45°. Further, the anisotropy caused by IB irradiation was more responsible for uniform LC alignment than the corrugated pattern.