bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Change Detection Method Based on Full-scale Skip Connections and Mixed Pooling Module
Authors: Tian Dashuai
Published: April 2022

Change detection is one of the main driving forces for the continuous development of remote sensing image processing technology. As a pixel-level detection task, change detection attaches great importance to the utilization of original spatial information as well as contextual information. In this paper, we propose a deep learning-based change detection method that combines full-scale skip connections and mixed pooling module (MPM). Firstly, full-scale skip connections make full use of the spatial information of features at different scales to improve change detection performance. In addition, we introduce MPM in this method due to the complexity of scene information in images, which can enhance the understanding of the scene with rich contextual information and boost the detection ability of strip shape targets. Finally, our experimental results on two public datasets demonstrate that the proposed method has good performance.
Finite Time Speed and Position Control for Dynamics of HST with Time-Varying Delays
Authors: Wang Runze , Liang Tiantian
Published: April 2022

In this paper, a finite time robust controller is proposed for tracking the speed and position of high speed trains. Considering the aerodynamic flag, mechanical rolling resistance, additive resistance and wind gust, the dynamics of high speed train with time-varying delay is established in longitude. Aerodynamic flag and mechanical rolling resistance are seen as the coefficient of the state variables, wind gust and additive resistance are seen as the external disturbance, and time-varying delay in speed are considered as the train is often running in bad weather or severe working conditions. Then a delay-dependent finite time robust controller is designed. This controller not only guarantees the closed-loop error dynamics error is finite time boundness, but also is robust to the external disturbance consisting of wind gust and additive resistance in finite time. Sufficient conditions of the controller design are given, and the gain matrices of the controller are formulated as linear matrix inequality. A 5-car simulation example is given to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Unsupervised Video Summarization Based on An Encoder-Decoder Architecture
Authors: Li Xin , Li QiLin , Yin Dawei , Zhang Lijun , Peng Dezhong
Published: April 2022

The purpose of video summarization is to facilitate large-scale video browsing. Video summarization is a short and concise synopsis of original video. It usually composed of a set of representative video frames from the original video. This paper solves the problem of unsupervised video summarization by developing a Video Summarization Network (VSN) to summarize videos, which is formulated as selecting a sparse subset of video frames that best represents the input video. VSN predicts a probability for each video frame, which indicates the possibility of a frame being selected, and then takes actions to select frames according to the probability distribution to form a video summary. We designed a novel loss function which takes into account the diversity and representativeness of the generated summarization without labels or user interaction.
CSChecker : A binary taint-based vulnerability detection method based on static taint analysis
Authors: Guo Wei , Wei Qiang , Wu Qianqiong , Guo Zhimin
Published: April 2022

Embedded devices such as routers not only bring convenience to people’s daily life, but also increase the attack surface and security risks of devices. Embedded device applications tend to be closed source and therefore cannot be searched for vulnerabilities through source code audits. Even open source applications can be insecure because they reference third-party libraries. Binary file vulnerability mining is an important means to solve this kind of problem, but it has the problems of path explosion and low efficiency. This article uses the static stain analysis with the method of combining the vulnerability characteristics, in the type of stain into classes and class assignment holes for testing. Based on function call graph, this paper uses atomic combinational optimization to detect the vulnerability of router firmware. The prototype tool -- CSChecker is implemented in D-Link, Tenda, the test was carried out on 267 firmware files of Netgear and other well-known brands, and the experimental results showed that the accuracy of CSChecker in the data set reached 92.51%, indicating that CSChecker could effectively search the injection vulnerabilities and assignment vulnerabilities of binary files.
Fault Diagnosis of Civil Aircraft Electrical Power System Based on Triangular Fuzzy Number and Grey Relational Analysis
Authors: Jiang Xiaoting
Published: April 2022

The stable operation of the aircraft electrical power system is closely related to aircraft’s function implementation and safety. Therefore, research on fault diagnosis of aircraft electrical system is important and necessary. This paper proposes a fault diagnosis method of civil aircraft power system based on triangular fuzzy number and grey relational analysis. For the purpose of obtaining complete data, it takes into account single fault symptom and historical data, and keeps the fuzzy feature from initial estimation of diagnosis scheme to the end. The example analysis shows that this method has feasibility and efficiency in practical application.
Underwater target passive detection method based on Hough transform track-before-detect
Authors: Wang Xuemin , Lu Renwei , Li Wenhai
Published: April 2022

Aiming at the low detectability and concealment detection requirements of underwater targets such as underwater unmanned vehicles (UUV), an underwater target passive detection method based on Hough transform track-before-detect was proposed. In order to deal with the approach reconnaissance of UUV, the passive detection model of UUV was constructed; In order to obtain the target position information required for track-before-detect, the cross-positioning method of multiple passive sonar buoys was adopted to realize the data pre-processing and noise reduction before concealment detection; In order to improve the detection performance of passive sonar in complex underwater acoustic environment, Hough transform method and point trace correlation were used to realize the demand of low detectability of underwater targets. Simulation results show that this method can still maintain high detection probability under the conditions of low signal-to-noise ratio, multi-target and complex noise.
Experimental research on occlusion face detection method based on attention mechanism
Authors: Zhang Kexin , Zhu Qing , Li Weiran
Published: April 2022

Face occlusion is a common problem in real life. Aiming at the problem that the face detection effect is poor when there is occlusion in the natural environment, this paper proposes the RetinaNet occlusion face detection network based on the fusion image enhancement network and the attention mechanism. Traditional RetinaNet, as a typical single-stage detector, does not explicitly give the process of extracting candidate regions and directly obtains the results of object detection. Compared with the two-stage detector, the processing speed is faster, but the accuracy will also be reduced. In this paper, the attention mechanism and image enhancement strategy are introduced to improve the detection accuracy while ensuring the detection speed. The experimental results on the MAFA dataset show that the RetinaNet model based on the attention mechanism proposed in this paper achieves 89.7% accuracy in detecting occluded faces. The feasibility and effectiveness of the model are verified.
Research on electrical automatic control system based on PLC
Authors: Feng Jingxiao , Wang Xijuan
Published: April 2022

At present, automatic control technology is widely used in the field of drying. Although the existing processing technology can basically ensure the quality of drying, there are some problems, such as low production efficiency, low thermal efficiency, uneven hot air cloth, inaccurate temperature control and so on. The application of electromagnetic technology can improve the efficiency of drying and processing. It has remarkable energy-saving effect. In the drying process, aiming at the technical problems such as incomplete volatilization of water and difficult stability of temperature in rapid drying, a drying system based on PLC control is designed in this paper. Using PLC as the main controller of the control system, through the reasonable control of the changes of temperature and humidity in the drying process, a more efficient processing process can be realized. The drying quality can be improved, and the process flow of mass processing and production can be realized. Through the experimental analysis of the drying process, it is proved that the control accuracy of the research content in this paper is more accurate, which not only improves the automation level in the drying process, but also reduces the labor cost in the process, and has high technical application value.
The Apollo ATCA design for the CMS track finder and the pixel readout at the HL-LHC
Authors: Albert A. , Demiragli Z. , Gastler D. , Hahn K. , Hazen E. , Kotamnives P. , Noorudhin S. , Peck A. , Rohlf J. , Strohman C. , Wittich P. , Zou R.
Published: April 2022

The challenging conditions of the High-Luminosity LHC require tailored hardware designs for the trigger and data acquisition systems. The Apollo platform features a “Service Module” with a powerful system-on-module computer that provides standard ATCA communications and application-specific “Command Modules” with large FPGAs and high speed optical fiber links. The CMS version of Apollo will be used for the track finder and the pixel readout. It features up to two large FPGAs and more than 100 optical links with speeds up to 25 Gb/s. We study carefully the design and performance of the board by using customized firmware to test power consumption, heat dissipation, and optical link integrity. This paper presents the results of these performance tests, design updates, and future plans.
Periodic optical filter based on high-Q nested multiple coupled-knots resonator
Authors: Yi Yating , Zhao Haiyan , Jiang Yuxuan , Brambilla Gilberto , Fan Ya-Xian , Wang Pengfei
Published: April 2022

A periodic optical filter based on nested knots resonator structure is proposed. The structure consists of a knot resonator with a number of smaller coupled-knot-resonators nested in it, similarly to a dual-bus coupled ring resonator, where the end bus terminations are connected to form a Mach–Zehnder interferometer. The variation of periodical transmission output is shown to be mainly due to the change of field components that results in constructive or destructive interference between the nested multiple coupled-knots and the outer loop. The coupling matrix formalism is used to investigate the influence of the number of coupled-knots and their coupling coefficient on the transmission spectrum. The theoretical result shows that the temperature effect can be eliminated by immersing the resonator in ethanol solution. The output spectrum from a fabricated sample with high-Q is also presented. The device is capable of generating a periodical spectral filtering response and has potential applications as a filter or interleaver.
Structure and properties of flat cocoon silk after silk reeling
Authors: Wang Huiling , Zhou Bin , Ma Mingbo , Zhou Wenlong
Published: April 2022

Silk is obtained mostly from oval cocoons. In this paper, the flat cocoons were obtained by changing the silking environment of Bombyx mori silkworms. Then the appropriate method was used to reel the flat cocoons. The structure, thermal and mechanical properties of flat cocoon silk (FCS) after silk reeling and degumming were studied. The experimental results have shown that flat cocoon silk has the same main composition and similar thermal performance as that of common cocoon silk (CCS), but the sericin distribution on the surface of FCS is more uniform, the crystallinity degree of the FCS (53.77%) is slightly higher than that of the CCS (50.02%), and the cross-sectional areas of the FCS before and after degumming are smaller than those of the CCS. Before degumming, the stress of FCS is about 1% higher than that of CCS, the initial modulus is about 4.7% higher, and the strain is about 10.7% lower. After degumming, the stress of FCS is about 2.7% higher than that of CCS, the initial modulus is about 7.8% higher, and the strain is about 31.3% lower. The results have shown that FCS after silk reeling has application performance close to or even better than that of CCS.
Effect of different currents and compositions of Cu, MoS2 and HBN on the coating thickness of mild steel substrate using electric discharge coating
Authors: Patel Rakesh Kumar , Pradhan Mohan Kumar
Published: April 2022

The substrate deposited on the workpiece is used by surface coating for the achievement of various properties in terms of hardness, smoothness, tear or wear etc But various methods such as electro-plating, conversion coating or several, are less effective because of costly machine involvement, complexity during operation, complexity during work-surface installation, specific (high/low) temperatures and thick coating. To achieve better coating among all, a layer of the modified composite coated surface using Copper (Cu), Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and Hexagonal Boron Nitride (HBN) with the help of an Electrical Discharge Machine (EDM) with reverse polarity is formed. In this process, the effect of two variable parameters current and composition (powder mixing ratio) of Cu, MoS2 and HBN with a 50% duty factor on the thickness of the deposited layer is observed. During the deposition process, each green compact electrode is formed by mixing the powdered material in a mortar for approximately 2.5 h and after processing in a hot press moulding machine. The deposited layer of the coating has also been analyzed using FESEM, XRD and tribological properties, where the highest deposition or thickness of the coating has been achieved at a powder mixing ratio of 20/40/40 to Cu/HBN/MoS2 with a current of 10 A at the same duty factor. Overall, better coating with controllable thickness can be achieved by using EDC, which can be helpful in automobiles or other industries where metal-to-metal friction causes performance loss.
Quantum particle in a spherical well confined by a cone
Authors: Halifa Levi Raz , Kantor Yacov
Published: April 2022

We consider the quantum problem of a particle in either a spherical box or a finite spherical well confined by a circular cone with an apex angle 2θ
0 emanating from the center of the sphere, with 0 < θ
0 < π. This non-central potential can be solved by an extension of techniques used in spherically-symmetric problems. The angular parts of the eigenstates depend on azimuthal angle φ and polar angle θ as

P

λ

m

(
cos
θ
)

e

im
φ

where

P

λ

m

is the associated Legendre function of integer order m and (usually noninteger) degree λ. There is an infinite discrete set of values

λ
=

λ

i

m

(i = 0, 1, 3, ...) that depend on m and θ
0. Each

λ

i

m

has an infinite sequence of eigenenergies

E

n

(

λ

i

m

)

, with corresponding radial parts of eigenfunctions. In a spherical box the discrete energy spectrum is determined by the zeros of the spherical Bessel functions. For several θ
0 we demonstrate the validity of Weyl’s continuous estimate



W

for the exact number of states



up to energy E, and evaluate the fluctuations of



around



W

. We examine the behavior of bound states in a well of finite depth U
0, and find the critical value U

c
(θ
0) when all bound states disappear. The radial part of the zero energy eigenstate outside the well is 1/r

λ+1, which is not square-integrable for λ ≤ 1/2. (0 < λ ≤ 1/2) can appear for θ
0 > θ

c
≈ 0.726π and has no parallel in spherically-symmetric potentials. Bound states have spatial extent ξ which diverges as a (possibly λ-dependent) power law as U
0 approaches the value where the eigenenergy of that state vanishes.
Home Blood Pressure Monitoring in Women of Child-Bearing Age With Hypertension From 2009 to 2014
Authors: Kovell Lara C , Maxner Benjamin , Shankara Sravya , Lemon Stephenie C , Person Sharina D , Moore Simas Tiffany A , Turkson-Ocran Ruth-Alma , McManus David D , Juraschek Stephen P
Published: April 2022

BACKGROUND

Hypertension (HTN) is a leading cause of maternal mortality, and HTN guidelines recommend home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) to help achieve blood pressure (BP) control. Evidence suggests that HBPM be coupled with a care team to maximize its effectiveness. HBPM use and the prevalence of provider counseling in child-bearing age women with HTN are unknown.

METHODS

We used data from 3,614 women in the cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 2009–2014 to determine HBPM use and provider counseling for women of child-bearing age (20–50 years) with and without HTN. HBPM use and provider counseling were self-reported. We examined rates of HBPM use by race/ethnicity, poverty–income ratio (PIR), education, and insurance.

RESULTS

Among women of child-bearing age with HTN, the mean (SE) age was 37.0 (0.3) years, the mean (SE) BMI was 35.5 (0.6) kg/m2, and 73% were on BP medication. Of these women with HTN, 49.6% reported HBPM use in the past year and 40.4% received provider counseling. There was no significant difference in HBPM use by race/ethnicity, PIR, or insurance, though higher education was associated with HBPM use. Women with HTN who received provider counseling were more likely to use HBPM (odds ratio = 15.7, 95% confidence interval 9.1–26.9).

CONCLUSIONS

Nearly half of child-bearing age women with HTN have adopted HBPM, and provider counseling was strongly associated with HBPM use. This highlights a need and opportunity for providers to improve BP management by supporting a popular and valuable monitoring approach among women of child-bearing age with HTN.
A penalized linear mixed model with generalized method of moments for prediction analysis on high-dimensional multi-omics data
Authors: Wang Xiaqiong , Wen Yalu
Published: April 2022

With the advances in high-throughput biotechnologies, high-dimensional multi-layer omics data become increasingly available. They can provide both confirmatory and complementary information to disease risk and thus have offered unprecedented opportunities for risk prediction studies. However, the high-dimensionality and complex inter/intra-relationships among multi-omics data have brought tremendous analytical challenges. Here we present a computationally efficient penalized linear mixed model with generalized method of moments estimator (MpLMMGMM) for the prediction analysis on multi-omics data. Our method extends the widely used linear mixed model proposed for genomic risk predictions to model multi-omics data, where kernel functions are used to capture various types of predictive effects from different layers of omics data and penalty terms are introduced to reduce the impact of noise. Compared with existing penalized linear mixed models, the proposed method adopts the generalized method of moments estimator and it is much more computationally efficient. Through extensive simulation studies and the analysis of positron emission tomography imaging outcomes, we have demonstrated that MpLMMGMM can simultaneously consider a large number of variables and efficiently select those that are predictive from the corresponding omics layers. It can capture both linear and nonlinear predictive effects and achieves better prediction performance than competing methods.
Neurovascular injury with complement activation and inflammation in COVID-19
Authors: Lee Myoung Hwa , Perl Daniel P , Steiner Joseph , Pasternack Nicholas , Li Wenxue , Maric Dragan , Safavi Farinaz , Horkayne-Szakaly Iren , Jones Robert , Stram Michelle N , Moncur Joel T , Hefti Marco , Folkerth Rebecca D , Nath Avindra
Published: April 2022

The underlying mechanisms by which severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) leads to acute and long-term neurological manifestations remains obscure. We aimed to characterize the neuropathological changes in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 and determine the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms.

In this autopsy study of the brain, we characterized the vascular pathology, the neuroinflammatory changes and cellular and humoral immune responses by immunohistochemistry.

All patients died during the first wave of the pandemic from March to July 2020. All patients were adults who died after a short duration of the infection, some had died suddenly with minimal respiratory involvement. Infection with SARS-CoV-2 was confirmed on ante-mortem or post-mortem testing. Descriptive analysis of the pathological changes and quantitative analyses of the infiltrates and vascular changes were performed.

All patients had multifocal vascular damage as determined by leakage of serum proteins into the brain parenchyma. This was accompanied by widespread endothelial cell activation. Platelet aggregates and microthrombi were found adherent to the endothelial cells along vascular lumina. Immune complexes with activation of the classical complement pathway were found on the endothelial cells and platelets. Perivascular infiltrates consisted of predominantly macrophages and some CD8+ T cells. Only rare CD4+ T cells and CD20+ B cells were present. Astrogliosis was also prominent in the perivascular regions. Microglial nodules were predominant in the hindbrain, which were associated with focal neuronal loss and neuronophagia.

Antibody-mediated cytotoxicity directed against the endothelial cells is the most likely initiating event that leads to vascular leakage, platelet aggregation, neuroinflammation and neuronal injury. Therapeutic modalities directed against immune complexes should be considered.
miR-21-5p/Tiam1-mediated glycolysis reprogramming drives breast cancer progression via enhancing PFKL stabilization
Authors: Li Nan , Wang Xinyue , Sun Jie , Liu Ying , Han Anna , Lin Zhenhua , Yang Yang
Published: April 2022

T lymphoma invasion and metastasis 1 (Tiam1) as a tumor-associated gene specifically activates Rho-like GTPases Rac1 and implicates in the invasive phenotype of many cancers. Altering the glycolytic pathway is foreseen as a sound approach to trigger cancer regression. However, the mechanism of Tiam1 in breast cancer (BC) glycolysis reprogramming remains to be clarified. Here, we reported the Tiam1 high expression and prognostic significance in BC. In vitro and in vivo experimental assays identified the functional role of Tiam1 in promoting BC cell proliferation, metastasis and glycolysis reprogramming. Mechanistically, we showed for the first time that Tiam1 could interact with the crucial glycolytic enzyme phosphofructokinase, liver type (PFKL) and promote the evolution of BC in a PFKL-dependent manner. Moreover, miR-21-5p was found to exacerbate the BC proliferation and aggression by targeting Tiam1. Altogether, our study highlights the critical role of Tiam1 in BC development and that the miR-21-5p/Tiam1/PFKL signaling pathway may serve as a target for new anti-BC therapeutic strategies.
Rh Blood Group D Antigen Genotyping Using a Portable Nanopore-based Sequencing Device: Proof of Principle
Authors: Tounsi Wajnat A , Lenis Vasileios P , Tammi Silja M , Sainio Susanna , Haimila Katri , Avent Neil D , Madgett Tracey E
Published: April 2022

Background

Nanopore sequencing is direct sequencing of a single-stranded DNA molecule using biological pores. A portable nanopore-based sequencing device from Oxford Nanopore Technologies (MinION) depends on driving a DNA molecule through nanopores embedded in a membrane using a voltage. Changes in current are then measured by a sensor, thousands of times per second and translated to nucleobases.

Methods

Genomic DNA (gDNA) samples (n = 13) were tested for Rh blood group D antigen (RHD) gene zygosity using droplet digital PCR. The RHD gene was amplified in 6 overlapping amplicons using long-range PCR. Amplicons were purified, and the sequencing library was prepared following the 1D Native barcoding gDNA protocol. Sequencing was carried out with 1D flow cells R9 version. Data analysis included basecalling, aligning to the RHD reference sequence, and calling variants. Variants detected were compared to the results acquired previously by the Ion Personal Genome Machine (Ion PGM).

Results

Up to 500× sequence coverage across the RHD gene allowed accurate variant calling. Exonic changes in the RHD gene allowed RHD allele determination for all samples sequenced except 1 RHD homozygous sample, where 2 heterozygous RHD variant alleles are suspected. There were 3 known variant RHD alleles (RHD*01W.02, RHD*11, and RHD*15) and 6 novel RHD variant alleles, as previously seen in Ion PGM sequencing data for these samples.

Conclusions

MinION was effective in blood group genotyping, provided enough sequencing data to achieve high coverage of the RHD gene, and enabled confident calling of variants and RHD allele determination.
Coordinate System-Based Trust-Aware Web Services Composition in Edge and Cloud Environment
Authors: Brahmi Zaki , Selmi Afef
Published: April 2022

In the next few years, the number of devices connected to the web will increase dramatically. This has encouraged the development of complexes and intelligent service-based applications using new paradigms and technologies such as edge computing and cloud computing. These applications are mainly built by the interaction between heterogonous web services. Answering end-users’ queries demands that these services collect, integrate and communicate sensitive data, which makes the vulnerability of data a serious issue. Thereby, this issue is a critical problem in the automatic services composition while users are frequently unquieted about the security and control of their sensitive data. To address this problem, our main idea is that avoiding disclosure of sensitive information can be ensured by selecting services where their mutual trust is high while preserving a good quality of service (QoS) as possible. A new Heuristic Trust-aware Web Services Composition Approach (CWS_SMA) is proposed. CWS_SMA aims to: (i) compute an optimal trust and QoS-aware web services composition based on the mathematical coordinate system, (ii) improve the composition response time based on a set of cooperative intelligent agents. Eventually, the simulations results show the effectiveness of the proposed solution.
Not enough SPIRIT shown in the registration and reporting of orthodontic trial protocols
Authors: Eleftheriadi Iro , Ioannou Thomais , Katechi Viktoria , Seehra Jadbinder , Pandis Nikolaos
Published: April 2022

Background

To reduce bias associated with selective reporting, the registration and publication of clinical trial protocols before or at the time of patient enrolment has been advocated. The aim of this investigation was to assess the frequency of registration and reporting adherence of orthodontic trial protocols pre- and post-introduction of the Standard Protocol Items Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) Statement.

Materials and method

Trial protocols registered in four online registries were sourced at two time periods: (1 January 2010–1 January 2013) and (1 January 2017–1 January 2021). Protocols were screened and data extracted, in duplicate and independently. The reporting adherence of each protocol was assessed in relation to the thirty-three item SPIRIT statement. Fisher’s exact test was used to determine associations between time periods and trial protocol characteristics. Median regression was implemented to assess potential associations between the percent score per protocol and protocol characteristics.

Results

A total of 100 protocols were analysed. Thirty-three and sixty-seven protocols were registered in the first and second time periods, respectively. An association between period and the timing of registration (prospectively or retrospectively) (P < 0.001) and funding source (University or Company) (P < 0.001) was evident. Overall, 25 of the 33 (75.5%) SPIRIT statement items were not reported in either timeframe. The median percent reporting quality score was 26.9 (IQR 6.9). The type of registry was associated with percent scores and published studies received better percent scores compared to unpublished studies and academic or private protocol submissions.

Conclusions

There is a general lack of awareness of the importance and relevance of the SPIRIT statement. Registration of orthodontic trial protocols has apparently improved; however, 75.5% SPIRIT statement items were not reported in either study time period. The registration and reporting of orthodontic trial protocols should be advocated to circumvent issues relating to selective reporting and outcome reporting bias.
A musical farewell in bi-confessional early modern Austria
Authors: Friesenegger Dietmar
Published: April 2022

Music of the Protestant Reformation continues to be of enduring interest to scholars and performers, and recent research has drawn attention to the complex bi-and tri-confessional landscape of German-speaking lands in the 16th and 17th centuries. However, the topic of music and Protestantism in early modern Austrian lands has remained little researched. This article examines the funeral motet for the nobleman Ludwig II von Polheim from 1608, in the context of printed Lutheran funeral sermons and the anti-Catholic propaganda of the large-scale fresco at Parz Castle in Upper Austria. A close reading of the motet suggests music’s key role in the expression of religious doctrine, the negotiation of denominational identity, and the battle for souls in bi-confessional early modern Austria.
Genome annotation of Caenorhabditis briggsae by TEC-RED identifies new exons, paralogs, and conserved and novel operons
Authors: Jhaveri Nikita , van den Berg Wouter , Hwang Byung Joon , Muller Hans-Michael , Sternberg Paul W , Gupta Bhagwati P
Published: April 2022

The nematode Caenorhabditis briggsae is routinely used in comparative and evolutionary studies involving its well-known cousin Caenorhabditis elegans. The C. briggsae genome sequence has accelerated research by facilitating the generation of new resources, tools, and functional studies of genes. While substantial progress has been made in predicting genes and start sites, experimental evidence is still lacking in many cases. Here, we report an improved annotation of the C. briggsae genome using the trans-spliced exon coupled RNA end determination technique. In addition to identifying the 5′ ends of expressed genes, we have discovered operons and paralogs. In summary, our analysis yielded 10,243 unique 5′ end sequence tags with matches in the C. briggsae genome. Of these, 6,395 were found to represent 4,252 unique genes along with 362 paralogs and 52 previously unknown exons. These genes included 14 that are exclusively trans-spliced in C. briggsae when compared with C. elegans orthologs. A major contribution of this study is the identification of 492 high confidence operons, of which two-thirds are fully supported by tags. In addition, 2 SL1-type operons were discovered. Interestingly, comparisons with C. elegans showed that only 40% of operons are conserved. Of the remaining operons, 73 are novel, including 12 that entirely lack orthologs in C. elegans. Further analysis revealed that 4 of the 12 novel operons are conserved in Caenorhabditis nigoni. Altogether, the work described here has significantly advanced our understanding of the C. briggsae system and serves as a rich resource to aid biological studies involving this species.
Massive expression of cysteine-containing proteins causes abnormal elongation of yeast cells by perturbing the proteasome
Authors: Namba Shotaro , Kato Hisaaki , Shigenobu Shuji , Makino Takashi , Moriya Hisao
Published: April 2022

The enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) is considered to be a harmless protein because the critical expression level that causes growth defects is higher than that of other proteins. Here, we found that overexpression of EGFP, but not a glycolytic protein Gpm1, triggered the cell elongation phenotype in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. By the morphological analysis of the cell overexpressing fluorescent protein and glycolytic enzyme variants, we revealed that cysteine content was associated with the cell elongation phenotype. The abnormal cell morphology triggered by overexpression of EGFP was also observed in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Overexpression of cysteine-containing protein was toxic, especially at high-temperature, while the toxicity could be modulated by additional protein characteristics. Investigation of protein aggregate formation, morphological abnormalities in mutants, and transcriptomic changes that occur upon overexpression of EGFP variants suggested that perturbation of the proteasome by the exposed cysteine of the overexpressed protein causes cell elongation. Overexpression of proteins with relatively low folding properties, such as EGFP, was also found to promote the formation of SHOTA (Seventy kDa Heat shock protein-containing, Overexpression-Triggered Aggregates), an intracellular aggregate that incorporates Hsp70/Ssa1, which induces a heat shock response, while it was unrelated to cell elongation. Evolutionary analysis of duplicated genes showed that cysteine toxicity may be an evolutionary bias to exclude cysteine from highly expressed proteins. The overexpression of cysteine-less moxGFP, the least toxic protein revealed in this study, would be a good model system to understand the physiological state of protein burden triggered by ultimate overexpression of harmless proteins.
Marital Loss and Cognitive Function: Does Timing Matter?
Authors: Zhang Zhenmei , Liu Hui , Zhang Yan
Published: April 2022

Objectives

This study examines the association between age at marital loss (i.e., divorce or widowhood) and cognitive function in later life and whether the association differs by gender.

Methods

We used mixed-effects models, drawing on longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (1998–2016). The analytical samples included adults aged 51 and older who had ever been widowed (N = 5,639 with 25,537 person-waves) or divorced (N = 10,685 with 50,689 person-waves).

Results

We find that those who were widowed at younger ages had lower cognitive function than their counterparts who were widowed at older ages, for both men and women, after controlling for covariates. Household income and health-related factors partially accounted for the positive association between age at widowhood and cognitive function. Those who divorced at younger ages also had lower cognitive function than their counterparts who divorced at older ages, but this association was only present among men, not women. Health-related factors partially accounted for the association between age at divorce and cognitive function among men.

Discussion

Findings highlight the importance of considering the role of timing of marital loss in cognitive health among older adults.
Understanding the effect of 1-D dipping anisotropic conductivity on the response and interpretation of magnetotelluric data
Authors: Darrh Andréa , Li Yaoguo
Published: April 2022

Anisotropy in geological settings has been shown to be able to have a significant effect on data and to result in different interpretations when anisotropy is not taken into account. Recent work in inversion of electromagnetic data has emphasized the need for greater accuracy in interpretations where anisotropic effects dominate in data. We focus on how effectively inversions can extract anisotropic characteristics from magnetotelluric (MT) data for the 1-D dipping anisotropy case. We assess the sensitivity of 1-D MT data to each electrical conductivity component by examining the variability of polar plot eccentricity between analytic cases and by examining how sensitivity varies with increasing anisotropic dip angle. We apply a Tikhonov regularized inversion to both synthetic and experimental data using both an L2 norm and an Ekblom norm to approximate an L1 norm to identify the extent to which all model parameters associated with the 1-D dipping anisotropy case are recovered. We find that the application of an L1 norm aids in recovering the true depth extent and horizontal conductivities of an anisotropic layer when compared to the results from a standard L2 norm.
Terrestrial Capabilities of Invasive Fishes and Their Management Implications
Authors: Bressman Noah R
Published: April 2022

Synopsis

Amphibious fishes have many adaptations that make them successful in a wide variety of conditions, including air-breathing, terrestrial locomotor capabilities, and extreme tolerance of poor water quality. However, the traits that make them highly adaptable may allow these fishes to successfully establish themselves outside of their native regions. In particular, the terrestrial capabilities of invasive amphibious fishes allow them to disperse overland, unlike fully aquatic invasive fishes, making their management more complicated. Despite numerous amphibious fish introductions around the world, ecological risk assessments and management plans often fail to adequately account for their terrestrial behaviors. In this review, I discuss the diversity of invasive amphibious fishes and what we currently know about why they emerge onto land, how they move around terrestrial environments, and how they orient while on land. In doing so, I use case studies of the performance and motivations of nonnative amphibious fishes in terrestrial environments to propose management solutions that factor in their complete natural history. Amphibious fish species have established a disproportionate number of nonative populations globally compared to fully aquatic species. Because of their terrestrial capabilities, we may need to manage amphibious fishes more like amphibians than fully aquatic fishes, but to do so, we need to learn more about how these species perform in a wide range of terrestrial environments and conditions.
Repair of coronary sinus shear stress injury following blunt chest trauma using adenosine-induced asystole
Authors: Nazer Rakan I , Mrad Bushr A , Hajjar Waseem M , Albarrati Ali M
Published: April 2022

Blunt chest trauma following a motor vehicle accident is the leading cause of non-penetrating cardiac injuries. Major structural heart injuries are fatal due to acute tamponade. We present the case of a 17-year-old male who was involved in a motor vehicle accident. He had an isolated coronary sinus rupture, which was successfully repaired. We propose a potential mechanism implicated in this rare injury, and we summarize a novel repair technique with adenosine-induced transient asystole.
Right lung torsion diagnosed 6 months after a thoracoscopic right upper lobectomy
Authors: Timane Jon Pedro , Jessen Hansen Henrik , Petersen René Horsleben
Published: April 2022

This report presents the case of a woman successfully treated with thoracoscopic detorsion of the right lung after she was diagnosed with a 180-degree torsion, 6 months after a video-assisted thoracoscopic right upper lobectomy for a stage 1 adenocarcinoma.
Predominance of Severe Plasma Leakage in Pediatric Patients With Severe Dengue in Puerto Rico
Authors: Paz-Bailey Gabriela , Sánchez-González Liliana , Torres-Velasquez Brenda , Jones Emma S , Perez-Padilla Janice , Sharp Tyler M , Lorenzi Olga , Delorey Mark , Munoz-Jordan Jorge L , Tomashek Kay M , Waterman Stephen H , Alvarado Luisa I , Rivera-Amill Vanessa
Published: April 2022

Background

We evaluated clinical and laboratory findings among patients with nonsevere or severe dengue in Puerto Rico to examine whether clinical manifestations vary by age.

Methods

During 2012–2014, we enrolled patients who arrived at the emergency department with fever or history of fever within 7 days of presentation. Serum samples were tested for dengue virus (DENV) by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Severe dengue was defined as severe plasma leakage or shock, severe bleeding, or organ involvement at presentation, during hospitalization, or follow-up.

Results

Of 1089 dengue patients identified, 281 (26%) were severe. Compared to those with nonsevere dengue, patients with severe dengue were more often aged 10–19 years (55% vs 40%, P < .001) and hospitalized (87% vs 30%, P < .001). Severe plasma leakage or shock was more common among children aged 0–9 (59%) or 10–19 years (86%) than adults (49%) (P < .01). Severe bleeding was less common among 10–19 year olds (24%) compared to 0–9 year olds (45%) and adults (52%; P < .01).

Conclusions

Severe plasma leakage was the most common presentation among children, highlighting important differences from adults. Vaccination against dengue could help prevent severe dengue among children in Puerto Rico.
Ultrasound-Guided Axillary Brachial Plexus Block for the Management of Graft Site Pain During Dressing Change in the Burn-Injured Patient: A Randomized Control Trial
Authors: Town Cienwen J , Strand Haakan , Johnson James , Van Zundert André
Published: April 2022

Burn injuries requiring split-thickness skin grafting procedures often require ongoing wound aggravation in the form of dressing changes. These dressing changes may cause significant pain due to stimulation of damaged nerve endings in the epidermal layer. A randomized control trial, pilot study, was undertaken to evaluate the impact of ultrasound-guided regional nerve block on the outcome of patient reported pain scores by inpatients requiring dressing changes for hand and upper limb burn injuries. Twenty participants aged >18 years, requiring split-skin grafting for burn injuries of <15% total body surface area were enrolled from a tertiary burns unit between August 2018 and September 2020. Participants were randomized to control (10 participants) or intervention group (10 participants). All participants received analgesia as per their treating team, the intervention group received the addition of an ultrasound-guided axillary brachial plexus block prior to their dressing change procedure. The primary outcome was to assess perceived pain at the graft site as measured by the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (0–10) before, during, and after dressing change procedure. There was strong evidence of a difference in the adjusted mean change score between groups, with a mean reduction of 4.3 in the intervention group, indicating reduced pain, and a mean increase of 1.2 in the control group (P < .001). No adverse events occurred in either group, and the addition of ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia (RA) for the treatment of dressing pain was determined to be a safe and effective intervention.
Carl Akeley’s ‘lost’ decorative taxidermy and anthropomorphic groups
Authors: Alvey Mark , Resleure Tia , Gnoske Thomas P
Published: April 2022

This article provides newly unearthed details about the specimens of taxidermy and anthropomorphic groups produced by Carl Akeley (1864–1926) in his private studio in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, before he embarked on his career in museums. The essay uses Akeley’s decorative work and ‘grotesque groups’ as a springboard to explore the broader context of the rise of decorative taxidermy in the USA in the late nineteenth century, and the influence of European taxidermy on that trend.
Ribavirin Use in Hospitalized Children
Authors: Otto William R , Lee Giyoung , Thurm Cary W , Hersh Adam L , Gerber Jeffrey S
Published: April 2022

We describe ribavirin administration in hospitalized children over an 11-year period. Most patients were immunocompromised; there was variability in ribavirin use across hospitals. There was a clear shift toward the use of oral ribavirin despite a lack of evidence for its use.
Mobility during the pandemic: how did our movements shape the course of COVID-19?
Authors: Besançon Lonni , Flahault Antoine , Meyerowitz-Katz Gideon
Published: April 2022

In this manuscript, we critically assess the evidence around various methods of reducing mobility, and how these have impacted the course of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We further highlight the difficulty in assessing the effectiveness of such measures before giving directions for future research.
Topologies on residuated lattices
Authors: Wang Wei , Zhao Bin
Published: April 2022

The main aim of this paper is to investigate the topologies that constructed by some ideals on residuated lattices and some topologies which induced by lattice ideals and distance functions on involutive residuated lattices. To begin with, we present that prime $\oplus $-ideals and prime $\boxplus $-ideals are coincident on $MTL$-algebras and give some new results about ideals on residuated lattices. In the following, we study an $i$-topology which is induced by an $i$-system on a residuated lattice $A$ and get that $A$ equipped with such an $i$-topology is a topological residuated lattice and give a characterization for such topological involutive residuated lattices. Meanwhile, we give a notion of $\mathcal {I}$-completion of a residuated lattice $A$ with respect to the $i$-topology induced by an $i$-system $\mathcal {I}$ and characterize the $\mathcal {I}$-completion of $A$ by means of the inverse limit of an inverse system. Finally, we show that the topology that induced by a lattice ideal and a distance function on an involutive residuated lattice is a semitopological residuated lattice and which coincides with some $i$-topological residuated lattice when the lattice ideal is an ideal of $A$.
A critique of the literature on past convictions and the probability of guilt
Authors: Hunt Ian
Published: April 2022

This article is a critical review of the growing literature that applies probability analysis to past convictions, in the context of determining guilt in criminal trials. Recent arguments for potentially relaxing rules that exclude past conviction evidence are sustained, but particular flaws and limitations in the theses from Hamer (2019, The significant probative value of tendency evidence. Melbourne University Law Review 42, 506–550) and Redmayne (2015, Character in the criminal trial. Oxford University Press) are exposed. Much of the critique of Redmayne (2015) made by Robinson (2020, Incorporating implicit knowledge into the Bayesian model of prior conviction evidence: some reality checks for the theory of comparative propensity. Law, Probability and Risk 19, 119–137) is dismissed. We should aim to foster a continued lively debate in the literature, gather more data, and narrow the distance between those arguing about theoretical probability analysis and those focused on actual courtroom usage of past conviction evidence.