bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE IMPACT OF INTEREST RATE LIBERALIZATION ON THE OPERATING PERFORMANCE OF THE TOP TEN COMMERCIAL BANKS IN CHINA
Authors: ZHANG HONG-YU , ZHANG XIONG-HUI
Published: December 2021

How to survive and develop better in the process of interest rate marketization reform has always been the focus and research direction of financial institutions. In this paper, through the evaluation and calculation of interest rate marketization into an index, sorting out the relevant indicators and data in 2009-2018, using regression model to study the impact of interest rate marketization on the performance of China's top commercial banks.
THE INFLUENCE OF CIVIL CODE ON ECONOMIC LAW
Authors: YU YUN-LING
Published: December 2021

The promulgation of the "Civil Code" provides a path for the codification of other important legal departments closely related to the socialist market economy and the improvement of the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics. However, due to the fact that the development of economic law in our country is relatively short and the economic development is changing rapidly, the current economic code is facing numerous obstacles. This article analyzes the relationship between civil law and economic law, drawing on the innovation of the content of the Civil Code, and puts forward new requirements for the development of the content, concept and system of economic law, and promotes the development of economic law.
RESEARCH ON THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL FINANCE ON ENTERPRISE R&D INVESTMENT
Authors: ZHU FENG-XIN , DING YU-FANG , ZHAO YA-MING
Published: December 2021

This paper selects the data of listed companies on the small and medium board from 2011 to 2018 as a sample, and uses multiple regression analysis to study the impact of the development of digital finance on the level of corporate R&D investment. The research results show that: the higher the degree of digital finance development, the higher the level of R&D investment of enterprises. The article further analyzes the differences in the degree of influence of the three different dimensions of digital finance on the level of R&D investment of enterprises: Among them, the coverage of digital finance has the most significant positive effect on the level of R&D investment, followed by the depth of usage, and the degree of digitization. Based on the research conclusions, this article puts forward suggestions for enhancing corporate innovation capabilities from three perspectives: actively using new financing methods, accurately grasping the impact of digital finance, and categorizing policies to enhance policy pertinence.
THE IMPACT OF CONTEXTUAL MOBILE ADVERTISING ON CONSUMER PURCHASE INTENTION
Authors: ZHAO SONG-SONG
Published: December 2021

Contextual mobile advertising, which has the advantages of strong interactivity and immersive experience, will be the development direction of Internet advertising in the future. Although past research has explored the effects of contextual mobile advertising, little research has studied the effect on consumers’ behavior from the perspective of contextual advertising traits. Thus, this study combined the Scene Theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior to construct the model of advertising effectiveness mechanism. By analyzing survey data from a representative sample of 340 mobile consumers, the validity of the model was proved. The results showed that contextual stimulation, contextual interaction, and content accuracy, as contextual factors in mobile advertising, can positively influence consumers’ attitudes toward mobile advertising, which in turn stimulate purchasing intention. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings were also discussed.
ANCHOR OPINION LEADER TRAITS, USER ENGAGEMENT AND BUYING BEHAVIOR—AN EMPIRICAL CASE IN A NEW SCENARIO
Authors: WANG YUAN , HUANG CHU , HAN BING-XUE
Published: December 2021

In the emerging marketing scenario of e-commerce live broadcast, there are few studies on anchor-user interactions. By using all the data of the salesmen who introduces the merchandise to the audience through the camera on Taobao website in China in February 2021, a model with user engagement as a mediating variable was constructed to investigate the relationship between anchor opinion leader traits and user purchase behavior. The results show that anchor opinion leader traits positively influence users' purchasing behavior. User engagement plays a fully mediating role in this mechanism. The findings of this paper serve as a guide for the e-commerce industry to better cultivate and select anchors.
RESEARCH ON IMPROVING THE CAPACITY OF NGOS TO UNDERTAKE GOVERNMENT PURCHASE OF PUBLIC SERVICES BASED ON 7S MODEL
Authors: LIU TENG-FEI
Published: December 2021

Under the background of government purchasing public services (GPPS), the development of NGOs faces new opportunities and challenges. To promote the development of NGOs and optimize the quality of public services. This paper analyzes the internal problems of NGOs undertaking GPPS, such as structural mismatch, low employee autonomy, high mobility and lack of professionalism, and government departments in the GPPS management loopholes, unclear regulatory responsibilities, inadequate supervision and other external factors. With the help of 7S model, this paper puts forward that the government provides a good cooperation environment for NGOs to undertake public service projects by changing management mode, strengthening system construction and training employees. NGOs define their own positioning by formulating strategic planning, matching the demand structure of public services, improving working methods, and updating service concepts. The government and NGOs work together to achieve the win-win goal of optimizing public service quality and promoting the development of NGOs.
RESEARCH ON THE EVOLUTION AND INFLUENCING FACTORS OF NATURAL GAS TRADE NETWORK IN COUNTRIES ALONG THE BELT AND ROAD
Authors: LI KE-WEI , FU HANG
Published: December 2021

This paper analyzes the characteristic structure and influencing factors of the natural gas trade network between China and the countries along the "Belt and Road" by building an international trade network model and a least squares regression model. Research shows that: China, Russia, the United Arab Kingdom, and Turkey are central countries in the natural gas trading network, and have certain influence and control over other countries in the network, which is in line with the "The 80/20 Rule". The degree of heterogeneity of the weighted network structure is decreasing. The gap between large trading countries and small countries is shrinking. In terms of influencing factors, the difference in per capita carbon dioxide and urbanization has positive and negative effects on the trade volume between China and the countries along the route, respectively.
RESEARCH ON THE AUTHENTICITY OF ACCOUNTING INFORMATION BASED ON BLOCKCHAIN AND ERP SYSTEM
Authors: ZHAO YA-MING , DING YU-FANG , ZHU FENG-XIN
Published: December 2021

The authenticity of accounting information is related to the issue of corporate credibility, and is increasingly valued by the state. With the development of IT, technologies of the new era have emerged, and these technologies have been gradually applied to the field of accounting and have achieved good responses. Because of the current financial fraud and other problems of enterprises, the article proposes that blockchain technology and ERP system can be used to improve the authenticity of accounting information in preventing tampering and internal control, and gives suggestions on both the enterprise and national levels.
RESEARCH ON THE EFFECT OF GOVERNMENT RESPONSIVENESS OF THE CHINESE E-GOVERNMENT—BASED ON THE LOCAL LEADER MESSAGE BOARD (LLMB) DATA OF RENMINWANG WEBSITE
Authors: LYU RU-MIN , ZHAO SHU-LIANG
Published: December 2021

Based on the data collected from the Chinese most authoritative website RenMinWang(人民网, a national website of China official media)’s forum Local Leaders Message Board (LLMB), using logistic regression model, the author analysis 100788 appeal texts on LLMB, covered 30 Chinese provinces. This paper use Big Data and text mining method to analysis the influencing factors of the satisfaction on the interaction between government and netizen. The empirical results show that: the efficiency of government responsiveness significantly improves netizen's satisfaction. In the government response text, the higher the policy complexity is, the lower satisfaction it will get from the netizen. The network interaction between the government and the netizen meets the expectation-value theory. The netizen’s appeal to the Chinese provincial leaders will get a lower satisfaction level of the government’s response, it maybe caused by their appeal’s complexity of solving. Also if the government response text are to long, and if there are more policy and laws, it will get a lower probability of satisfaction.
EMPIRICAL STUDY ON REFORM AND INNOVATION OF TAX LAW TALENT TRAINING MODE IN UNIVERSITIES IN THE CONTEXT OF INTERNET PLUS
Authors: TAO QUAN
Published: December 2021

With the continuous development of Internet plus information technology and the continuous changes of the economic market environment, the traditional tax law talent training mode can no longer meet the new standards and requirements. In this context, this paper studies the reform and innovation of tax law talent training mode in universities, first it reviews the literature, then points out the relevant significance, and applies the principal component analysis method for analysis, and finally puts forward the relevant measures. Internet plus is the new form of Internet development under the innovation, and it is the new form of economic and social development promoted by the evolution of the Internet form promoted by innovation of knowledge society. The combination of Internet plus tax law talent cultivation and innovation mechanism is conducive to promoting the national tax system reform and upgrading of industrial structure, and promoting the continuous evolution of economic form, thereby promoting the vitality of social economic entities, and providing a broad platform for reform, innovation and development[1]. Under the background of Internet plus, Chinese higher education needs to train more talents for tax law practice suitable for economic development, and promote reform and innovation of tax law teaching mode and personnel training mechanism.
Bimodal Characteristic Returns and Predictability Enhancement via Machine Learning
Authors: Han Chulwoo
Published: December 2021

This paper documents the bimodality of momentum stocks: both high- and low-momentum stocks have nontrivial probabilities for both high and low returns. The bimodality makes the momentum strategy fundamentally risky and can cause a large loss. To alleviate the bimodality and improve return predictability, this paper develops a novel cross-sectional prediction model via machine learning. By reclassifying stocks based on their predicted financial performance, the model significantly outperforms off-the-shelf machine learning models. Tested on the U.S. market, a value-weighted long-short portfolio earns a monthly alpha of 2.4% (t-statistic = 6.63) when regressed against the Fama–French five factors plus the momentum and short-term reversal factors.

This paper was accepted by Kay Giesecke, finance.
Multiplicative Pacing Equilibria in Auction Markets
Authors: Conitzer Vincent , Kroer Christian , Sodomka Eric , Stier-Moses Nicolas E.
Published: December 2021

Budgets play a significant role in ad markets that implement sequential auctions such as those hosted by internet companies. In “Multiplicative Pacing Equilibria in Auction Markets,” the authors look at pacing in an ad marketplace using the lens of game theory. The goal is understanding how bids must be shaded to maximize advertiser welfare, at equilibrium. Motivated by the real-world auction mechanism, they construct a game where advertisers in the auctions choose a multiplicative factor not larger than 1 to possibly reduce their bids and best respond to the other advertisers. The article studies the theoretical properties of the game such as existence and uniqueness of equilibria, offers an exact algorithm to compute them, connects the game to well-known abstractions such as Fisher markets, and performs a computational study with real-world-inspired instances. The main insights are that the solutions to the studied game can be used to improve the outcomes achieved by a closer-to-reality dynamic pacing algorithm and that buyers do not have an incentive to misreport bids or budgets when there are enough participants in the auction.
Inside the Velvet Glove: Sustaining Private Regulatory Institutions Through Hollowing and Fortifying
Authors: Buchanan Sean , Barnett Michael L.
Published: December 2021

The forces that threaten to break apart private regulatory institutions are well known, but the forces that sustain them are not. Through a longitudinal inductive study of the Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) program in the Canadian mining industry, we demonstrate how private regulatory institutions are sustained by strategically manipulating different aspects of an institution’s stringency. Our findings show how shifts in external conditions decreased benefits of participation for firms, triggering institutional destabilization. We demonstrate how the interdependent mechanisms of hollowing—actions that ratchet down aspects of stringency associated with high compliance costs—and fortifying—actions that ratchet up aspects of stringency associated with low compliance costs—worked together to stabilize the institution by rebalancing the competing pressures that underpin it. However, these same mechanisms can hinder the ability of these institutions to substantively address the targeted issues, even as they become more stringent in some areas. Our study advances research on private regulation by showing how different aspects of stringency can be simultaneously ratcheted up and ratcheted down to sustain private regulatory institutions. Further, in positioning institutional stability as an ongoing negotiation, we elucidate the key custodial role of governing organizations like trade associations in institutional maintenance.

Funding: Financial support fromthe Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada [Grant 752-2012-2294] is gratefully acknowledged.
Recognition and management of COVID-19 and other influenza-like illnesses: a guide for paramedics
Authors: Tang Sammer , Cowell Sian
Published: December 2021

During the pandemic last year, the incidence of influenza-like illnesses (ILIs) was significantly lower, as preventive measures aimed to reduce the spread of COVID-19, were also successful in preventing the spread of other respiratory illnesses. With relaxed COVID-19 measures and the return of social contact and mixing, a significant increase in ILIs is anticipated this winter. Common causative pathogens for ILIs include influenza viruses, parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), rhinovirus and SARS-CoV-2. With similar characteristics and mode of transmissions, it may be difficult to distinguish between these common respiratory pathogens. Fortunately, the majority of ILIs are self-limiting and treatments for these illnesses are similar: supportive treatment to relieve symptoms while awaiting recovery. Paramedics should be aware of the warning signs of serious diseases and consider admission if they occur. Finally, good infection prevention and control measures are vital to break the chain of transmission of ILIs and protect yourselves and others from them.
What is the appropriate extended duration of antibiotic prophylaxis after two-stage revision for chronic PJI?
Authors: Fang Xinyu , Wang Qiaojie , Yang Xurong , Zhang Feiyang , Huang Changyu , Huang Zida , Shen Hao , Zhang Wenming
Published: December 2021

Aims

To explore the effect of different durations of antibiotics after stage II reimplantation on the prognosis of two-stage revision for chronic periprosthetic joint infection (PJI).

Methods

This study involved a retrospective collection of patients who underwent two-stage revision for chronic PJI and continued to use extended antibiotic prophylaxis in two regional medical centres from January 2010 to June 2018. The patients were divided into a short (≤ one month) or a long (> one month) course of treatment based on the duration of antibiotics following stage II reimplantation. The difference in the infection control rate between the two groups was compared, and prognostic factors for recurrence were analyzed.

Results

A total of 105 patients with chronic PJI were enrolled: 64 patients in the short course group and 41 patients in the long course group. For 99 of the patients, the infection was under control during a follow-up period of at least 24 months after two-stage revision. For the short course group, the mean duration of antibiotic prophylaxis after stage II reimplantation was 20.17 days (SD 5.30) and the infection control rate was 95.3%; for the long course group these were 45.02 days (SD 15.03) and 92.7%, respectively. There was no significant difference in infection control rates between the two groups (p = 0.676). Cox regression analysis found that methicillin-resistant staphylococcus infection (p = 0.015) was an independent prognostic factor for recurrence.

Conclusion

After stage II reimplantation surgery of two-stage revision for chronic PJI, extended antibiotic prophylaxis for less than one month can achieve good infection control rate. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2021;10(12):790–796.
High-speed measurement of mechanical micro-deformations with an extended phase range using dual-wavelength digital holographic interferometry
Authors: Munera Natalia , Trujillo Carlos , Garcia-Sucerquia Jorge
Published: December 2021

The implementation of a digital holographic interferometry setup for high-speed micro-deformation measurement is presented. This proposal uses a dual-wavelength recording strategy to reconstruct micro-deformations up to 4.85 µm with no phase wrapping. The numerical processing required to recover the phase maps containing the information of micro-deformations is carried out in a general-purpose computing on graphics processing unit environment to boost its performance. The method completely processes recorded holograms of

1024

×

1024

p
i
x
e
l
s

in 48 ms, i.e., 21 frames per second (FPS) for a single-wavelength acquisition and 96 ms or 11 FPS for dual-wavelength recordings. The method is experimentally evaluated measuring deformations ranging from 0.033 µm to 4.85 µm with no need for phase unwrapping algorithms for an 8 cm diameter aluminum plate in a

110

c
m

2

field of view.
Collection of excitation-emission-matrix fluorescence of aerosol-candidate-substances and its application to fluorescence lidar monitoring
Authors: Saito Yasunori , Hosokawa Tetsuya , Shiraishi Koichi
Published: December 2021

Fluorescence lidars have the potential to identify aerosols, but it seems that the basic data of the fluorescence spectrum of various aerosols appear to be inadequate for practical use in application of fluorescence lidar monitoring. We collected the fluorescence spectrum data of 61 powders with different substances as pseudo-aerosols and organized them as EEM (Excitation-Emission-Matrix) fluorescence data. Our interest was also in the artificial substances that are discarded around our surroundings and become aerosols. Four applications of the EEM fluorescence to fluorescence lidars were discussed; designing fluorescence lidars, reconstructing aerosol fluorescence spectrums measured by fluorescence lidar, searching for new substances for fluorescence lidar measurement, and developing a database of EEM fluorescence for identifying aerosol types measured by fluorescence lidar. All EEM fluorescence data and application software were stored in one USB memory and run in the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) independent of a computer OS (Operating System) for ease of use. Aerosol identification software worked well in general, but we have also talked a bit about improvements.
Wide temperature operation of kilowatt fiber oscillators
Authors: Wu Jinming , Wan Yingchao , Wang Peng , Zhang Hanwei , Wang Xiaolin , Zhou Pu , Du Shaojun , Xu Xiaojun
Published: December 2021

To meet the requirements of fiber laser applications under extreme temperatures or when there is a large temperature difference, it is necessary to develop fiber lasers able to operate in a wide temperature range. At present, there is a lack of reports on high-power fiber lasers that can operate in a wide temperature range with low power fluctuations. Thus, we designed a 1 kW fiber oscillator that can operate in a wide temperature range through temperature-related rate equations. The output characteristics of the oscillator are measured in the operating temperature range from

−

30

∘

C

to 20°C. The experimental results show that the laser output power fluctuates by 7% over the entire temperature range. It was discovered that as the ambient temperature decreased, the efficiency of the laser decreased, and this issue is discussed in detail. This work has guiding significance for the design of high-power fiber lasers operating at a wide temperature range, and simultaneously, to the best of our knowledge, it provides the first kilowatt fiber oscillator that can operate in a wide temperature range between

−

30

∘

C

and 20°C.
Designing stigmatic lenses with minimal Fresnel losses: erratum
Authors: Doskolovich Leonid L. , Bykov Dmitry A. , Greisukh Grigory I. , Strelkov Yuriy S. , Bezus Evgeni A.
Published: December 2021

This erratum includes a necessary additional reference for the article
[J. Opt. Soc. Am.
A 38, 855
(2021)JOAOD60740-323210.1364/JOSAA.425379].
Super-Resolution Radial Fluctuations (SRRF) nanoscopy in the near infrared
Authors: Ehrlich Roni , Wulf Verena , Hendler-Neumark Adi , Kagan Barak , Bisker Gili
Published: December 2021

Super resolution microscopy methods have been designed to overcome the physical barrier of the diffraction limit and push the resolution to nanometric scales. A recently developed super resolution technique, super-resolution radial fluctuations (SRRF) [Nature communications, 7, 12471 (2016)10.1038/ncomms12471], has been shown to super resolve images taken with standard microscope setups without fluorophore localization. Herein, we implement SRRF on emitters in the near-infrared (nIR) range, single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), whose fluorescence emission overlaps with the biological transparency window. Our results open the path for super-resolving SWCNTs for biomedical imaging and sensing applications.
Phase-space simulations of feedback coherent Ising machines
Authors: Kiesewetter Simon , Drummond Peter D.
Published: December 2021

A new, to the best of our knowledge, technique is demonstrated for carrying out exact positive-P phase-space simulations of the coherent Ising machine quantum computer. By suitable design of the coupling matrix, general hard optimization problems can be solved. Here, computational quantum simulations of a feedback type of photonic parametric network are carried out, which is the implementation of the coherent Ising machine. Results for success rates are obtained using this scalable phase-space algorithm for quantum simulations of quantum feedback devices.
From polarization multipoles to higher-order coherences
Authors: Goldberg Aaron Z. , Klimov Andrei B. , deGuise Hubert , Leuchs Gerd , Agarwal Girish S. , Sánchez-Soto Luis L.
Published: December 2021

We demonstrate that the multipoles associated with the density matrix are truly observable quantities that can be unambiguously determined from intensity moments. Given their correct transformation properties, these multipoles are the natural variables to deal with a number of problems in the quantum domain. In the case of polarization, the moments are measured after the light has passed through two quarter-wave plates, one half-wave plate, and a polarizing beam splitter for specific values of the angles of the wave plates. For more general two-mode problems, equivalent measurements can be performed.
500 W rod-type 4 × 4 multicore ultrafast fiber laser
Authors: Klenke Arno , Steinkopff Albrecht , Aleshire Christopher , Jauregui Cesar , Kuhn Stefan , Nold Johannes , Hupel Christian , Hein Sigrun , Schulze Steffen , Haarlammert Nicoletta , Schreiber Thomas , Tünnermann Andreas , Limpert Jens
Published: December 2021

We present a coherently combined femtosecond fiber chirped-pulse-amplification system based on a rod-type, ytterbium-doped, multicore fiber with 4 × 4 cores. A high average power of up to 500 W (after combination and compression) could be achieved at 10 MHz repetition rate with excellent beam quality. Additionally, < 500 fs pulses with up to 600 µJ of pulse energy were also realized with this setup. This architecture is intrinsically power scalable by increasing the number of cores in the fiber.
Thermal control of a Kerr microresonator soliton comb via an optical sideband
Authors: Nishimoto Kenji , Minoshima Kaoru , Yasui Takeshi , Kuse Naoya
Published: December 2021

We report the thermal control of a dissipative Kerr microresonator soliton comb via an optical sideband generated from an electro-optic modulator. Same as the previous reports using an independent auxiliary laser, our sideband-based (S-B) auxiliary light also enables access to a stable soliton comb and reduces the phase noise of the soliton comb, greatly simplifying the set-up with an auxiliary laser. More importantly, because of the intrinsically high frequency/phase correlation between the pump and S-B auxiliary light, the detuning between the pump and resonance frequency is automatically almost fixed, which allows an 18 times larger “effective" soliton existence range than the conventional method using an independent auxiliary laser, as well as a scanning of the soliton comb of more than 10 GHz without using microheaters.
Power scaling of normal-dispersion continuum generation using higher-order modes in microstructured optical fibers
Authors: Poli Federica , Lægsgaard Jesper
Published: December 2021

The use of a higher-order HE12-like mode to produce weak normal dispersion over a substantial wavelength range in a microstructured optical fiber is investigated numerically. It is shown that the effective area, and thereby the pulse energy, can in this way be scaled by an order of magnitude compared to using the fundamental mode in a single-mode fiber. Multimode nonlinear simulations indicate that nonlinear mode coupling will not disturb single-mode operation in the HE12 mode at least up to the threshold where polarization modulation instability sets in.
Entwicklung und Einsatz von AR-Anwendungen in der Hochschule am Beispiel des Projekts „Augmented Learning“ an der Universität Duisburg-Essen
Authors: Zick Mirco , Wefelnberg Marianne
Published: December 2021

Die Einsatzmöglichkeiten von Augmented Reality (AR) im Bildungsbereich werden bereits seit längerer Zeit diskutiert. Betrachten wir den konkreten Einsatz entsprechender Anwendungen in der Praxis, kann zumindest für den Hochschulbereich festgestellt werden, dass sich dort AR noch nicht in der Breite durchgesetzt hat. Im vorliegenden Artikel werden mögliche Gründe aufgezeigt, warum es aktuell noch wenige Praxisbeispiele in der Hochschule gibt und welche pädagogischen Konzepte sich zur näheren Untersuchung von AR und ihrer Potenziale für die Bildung heranziehen lassen. Im Anschluss wird ein Projekt an der Universität Duisburg-Essen (UDE) vorgestellt, in dem eine Augmented-Learning-App entwickelt wurde. Mithilfe der App können Lehrende zukünftig 3‑D-Modelle konzipieren und in ihrer Veranstaltung einsetzen. Der Artikel zeigt zudem die Entscheidungskriterien auf, die zu einer internen Entwicklung der AR-App führten.
Poststroke dendritic arbor regrowth requires the actin nucleator Cobl
Authors: Ji Yuanyuan , Koch Dennis , González Delgado Jule , Günther Madlen , Witte Otto W. , Kessels Michael M. , Frahm Christiane , Qualmann Britta
Published: December 2021

Ischemic stroke is a major cause of death and long-term disability. We demonstrate that middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in mice leads to a strong decline in dendritic arborization of penumbral neurons. These defects were subsequently repaired by an ipsilateral recovery process requiring the actin nucleator Cobl. Ischemic stroke and excitotoxicity, caused by calpain-mediated proteolysis, significantly reduced Cobl levels. In an apparently unique manner among excitotoxicity-affected proteins, this Cobl decline was rapidly restored by increased mRNA expression and Cobl then played a pivotal role in poststroke dendritic arbor repair in peri-infarct areas. In Cobl knockout (KO) mice, the dendritic repair window determined to span day 2 to 4 poststroke in wild-type (WT) strikingly passed without any dendritic regrowth. Instead, Cobl KO penumbral neurons of the primary motor cortex continued to show the dendritic impairments caused by stroke. Our results thereby highlight a powerful poststroke recovery process and identified causal molecular mechanisms critical during poststroke repair.
From decision to action: Detailed modelling of frog tadpoles reveals neuronal mechanisms of decision-making and reproduces unpredictable swimming movements in response to sensory signals
Authors: Ferrario Andrea , Palyanov Andrey , Koutsikou Stella , Li Wenchang , Soffe Steve , Roberts Alan , Borisyuk Roman
Published: December 2021

How does the brain process sensory stimuli, and decide whether to initiate locomotor behaviour? To investigate this question we develop two whole body computer models of a tadpole. The “Central Nervous System” (CNS) model uses evidence from whole-cell recording to define 2300 neurons in 12 classes to study how sensory signals from the skin initiate and stop swimming. In response to skin stimulation, it generates realistic sensory pathway spiking and shows how hindbrain sensory memory populations on each side can compete to initiate reticulospinal neuron firing and start swimming. The 3-D “Virtual Tadpole” (VT) biomechanical model with realistic muscle innervation, body flexion, body-water interaction, and movement is then used to evaluate if motor nerve outputs from the CNS model can produce swimming-like movements in a volume of “water”. We find that the whole tadpole VT model generates reliable and realistic swimming. Combining these two models opens new perspectives for experiments.
Epitope profiling using computational structural modelling demonstrated on coronavirus-binding antibodies
Authors: Robinson Sarah A. , Raybould Matthew I. J. , Schneider Constantin , Wong Wing Ki , Marks Claire , Deane Charlotte M.
Published: December 2021

Identifying the epitope of an antibody is a key step in understanding its function and its potential as a therapeutic. Sequence-based clonal clustering can identify antibodies with similar epitope complementarity, however, antibodies from markedly different lineages but with similar structures can engage the same epitope. We describe a novel computational method for epitope profiling based on structural modelling and clustering. Using the method, we demonstrate that sequence dissimilar but functionally similar antibodies can be found across the Coronavirus Antibody Database, with high accuracy (92% of antibodies in multiple-occupancy structural clusters bind to consistent domains). Our approach functionally links antibodies with distinct genetic lineages, species origins, and coronavirus specificities. This indicates greater convergence exists in the immune responses to coronaviruses than is suggested by sequence-based approaches. Our results show that applying structural analytics to large class-specific antibody databases will enable high confidence structure-function relationships to be drawn, yielding new opportunities to identify functional convergence hitherto missed by sequence-only analysis.
Roles of mTOR in thoracic aortopathy understood by complex intracellular signaling interactions
Authors: Estrada Ana C. , Irons Linda , Rego Bruno V. , Li Guangxin , Tellides George , Humphrey Jay D.
Published: December 2021

Thoracic aortopathy–aneurysm, dissection, and rupture–is increasingly responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. Advances in medical genetics and imaging have improved diagnosis and thus enabled earlier prophylactic surgical intervention in many cases. There remains a pressing need, however, to understand better the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms with the hope of finding robust pharmacotherapies. Diverse studies in patients and mouse models of aortopathy have revealed critical changes in multiple smooth muscle cell signaling pathways that associate with disease, yet integrating information across studies and models has remained challenging. We present a new quantitative network model that includes many of the key smooth muscle cell signaling pathways and validate the model using a detailed data set that focuses on hyperactivation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway and its inhibition using rapamycin. We show that the model can be parameterized to capture the primary experimental findings both qualitatively and quantitatively. We further show that simulating a population of cells by varying receptor reaction weights leads to distinct proteomic clusters within the population, and that these clusters emerge due to a bistable switch driven by positive feedback in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.
Optimal vaccine allocation for COVID-19 in the Netherlands: A data-driven prioritization
Authors: Miura Fuminari , Leung Ka Yin , Klinkenberg Don , Ainslie Kylie E. C. , Wallinga Jacco
Published: December 2021

For the control of COVID-19, vaccination programmes provide a long-term solution. The amount of available vaccines is often limited, and thus it is crucial to determine the allocation strategy. While mathematical modelling approaches have been used to find an optimal distribution of vaccines, there is an excessively large number of possible allocation schemes to be simulated. Here, we propose an algorithm to find a near-optimal allocation scheme given an intervention objective such as minimization of new infections, hospitalizations, or deaths, where multiple vaccines are available. The proposed principle for allocating vaccines is to target subgroups with the largest reduction in the outcome of interest. We use an approximation method to reconstruct the age-specific transmission intensity (the next generation matrix), and express the expected impact of vaccinating each subgroup in terms of the observed incidence of infection and force of infection. The proposed approach is firstly evaluated with a simulated epidemic and then applied to the epidemiological data on COVID-19 in the Netherlands. Our results reveal how the optimal allocation depends on the objective of infection control. In the case of COVID-19, if we wish to minimize deaths, the optimal allocation strategy is not efficient for minimizing other outcomes, such as infections. In simulated epidemics, an allocation strategy optimized for an outcome outperforms other strategies such as the allocation from young to old, from old to young, and at random. Our simulations clarify that the current policy in the Netherlands (i.e., allocation from old to young) was concordant with the allocation scheme that minimizes deaths. The proposed method provides an optimal allocation scheme, given routine surveillance data that reflect ongoing transmissions. This approach to allocation is useful for providing plausible simulation scenarios for complex models, which give a more robust basis to determine intervention strategies.
Germ cells commit somatic stem cells to differentiation following priming by PI3K/Tor activity in the Drosophila testis
Authors: Yuen Alice C. , Hillion Kenzo-Hugo , Wang Ruoxu , Amoyel Marc
Published: December 2021

How and when potential becomes restricted in differentiating stem cell daughters is poorly understood. While it is thought that signals from the niche are actively required to prevent differentiation, another model proposes that stem cells can reversibly transit between multiple states, some of which are primed, but not committed, to differentiate. In the Drosophila testis, somatic cyst stem cells (CySCs) generate cyst cells, which encapsulate the germline to support its development. We find that CySCs are maintained independently of niche self-renewal signals if activity of the PI3K/Tor pathway is inhibited. Conversely, PI3K/Tor is not sufficient alone to drive differentiation, suggesting that it acts to license cells for differentiation. Indeed, we find that the germline is required for differentiation of CySCs in response to PI3K/Tor elevation, indicating that final commitment to differentiation involves several steps and intercellular communication. We propose that CySC daughter cells are plastic, that their fate depends on the availability of neighbouring germ cells, and that PI3K/Tor acts to induce a primed state for CySC daughters to enable coordinated differentiation with the germline.
Clinical epidemiological characteristics of mycetoma in Eastern Sennar locality, Sennar State, Sudan
Authors: Hassan Rowa , Deribe Kebede , Fahal Ahmed Hassan , Newport Melanie , Bakhiet Sahar
Published: December 2021

Mycetoma epidemiological features remain uncharacterised. Few studies have been conducted in a community-based setting to explore the epidemiological features and risk factors for mycetoma in Sudan. To bridge this gap, this study was conducted in Eastern Sennar Locality, Sennar State, Sudan, to report the clinical, epidemiological characteristics of mycetoma patients and the disease burden in the state.

We used cluster sampling; sixty villages were randomly selected across the locality’s five administrative units, and a household-to-household survey was conducted. We collected data using pre-designed questionnaires at the community, household, and individual levels. We performed descriptive analyses of the data and produced prevalence maps using ArcGIS 10.5 ([ESRI] Inc., Redlands CA, USA).

A total of 41,176 individuals were surveyed, and 359 mycetoma patients were identified. The overall prevalence of mycetoma was 0.87% (95%CI = 0.78–0.97%), the prevalence among males was 0.83% (95%CI = 0.71–0.96%), and females 0.92% (95% CI = 0.79–1.06%). Individuals in the age group 31–45 years had the highest prevalence among the different age groups (1.52%, 95% CI = 1.23–1.86%). The prevalence map showed patients clustered within the central and north-eastern part of the locality, while villages in the south-western part had few or no cases.

In conclusion, this clinical epidemiological study is pioneering and shows that mycetoma is prevalent in certain parts of Sudan. This data obtained will support the design of measures to reduce the disease burden in the state. The survey procedures and protocols can be adopted for further studies in Sudan and beyond.
First evaluation of antibody responses to Culex quinquefasciatus salivary antigens as a serological biomarker of human exposure to Culex bites: A pilot study in Côte d’Ivoire
Authors: Zamble Bi Zamble H. , Yao Serge S. , Adja Akré M. , Bakli Mahfoud , Zoh Dounin D. , Mathieu-Daudé Françoise , Assi Serge B. , Remoue Franck , Almeras Lionel , Poinsignon Anne
Published: December 2021

Background

Culex mosquitoes are vectors for a variety of pathogens of public health concern. New indicators of exposure to Culex bites are needed to evaluate the risk of transmission of associated pathogens and to assess the efficacy of vector control strategies. An alternative to entomological indices is the serological measure of antibodies specific to mosquito salivary antigens. This study investigated whether the human IgG response to both the salivary gland extract and the 30 kDa salivary protein of Culex quinquefasciatus may represent a proxy of human exposure to Culex bites.

Methodology/Principal findings

A multidisciplinary survey was conducted with children aged 1 to 14 years living in neighborhoods with varying exposure to Culex quinquefasciatus in the city of Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire. Children living in sites with high exposure to Cx quinquefasciatus had a significantly higher IgG response to both salivary antigens compared with children living in the control site where only very few Culex were recorded. Moreover, children from any Culex-high exposed sites had significantly higher IgG responses only to the salivary gland extract compared with children from the control village, whereas no difference was noted in the anti-30 kDa IgG response. No significant differences were noted in the specific IgG responses between age and gender. Sites and the use of a bed net were associated with the level of IgG response to the salivary gland extract and to the 30 kDa antigen, respectively.

Conclusions/Significance

These findings suggest that the IgG response to Culex salivary gland extracts is suitable as proxy of exposure; however, the specificity to the Culex genus needs further investigation. The lower antigenicity of the 30 kDa recombinant protein represents a limitation to its use. The high specificity of this protein to the Culex genus makes it an attractive candidate and other specific antibody responses might be more relevant as a biomarker of exposure. These epidemiological observations may form a starting point for additional work on developing serological biomarkers of Culex exposure.
Diagnostic value of symptoms for pediatric SARS-CoV-2 infection in a primary care setting
Authors: Weng Chien-Hsiang , Butt Wesley Wing Wah , Brooks Meredith B. , Clarke Claudia , Jenkins Helen E. , Holland Sabina D. , Chiang Silvia S.
Published: December 2021

Purpose

To evaluate the diagnostic value of symptoms used by daycares and schools to screen children and adolescents for SARS-CoV-2 infection, we analyzed data from a primary care setting.

Methods

This cohort study included all patients ≤17 years old who were evaluated at Providence Community Health Centers (PCHC; Providence, U.S.), for COVID-19 symptoms and/or exposure, and received SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing between March-June 2020. Participants were identified from PCHC electronic medical records. For three age groups– 0–4, 5–11, and 12–17 years–we estimated the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) of individual symptoms and three symptom combinations: a case definition published by the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), and two novel combinations generated by different statistical approaches to maximize sensitivity, specificity, and AUC. We evaluated symptom combinations both with and without consideration of COVID-19 exposure. Myalgia, headache, sore throat, abdominal pain, nausea, anosmia, and ageusia were not assessed in 0–4 year-olds due to the lower reliability of these symptoms in this group.

Results

Of 555 participants, 217 (39.1%) were SARS-CoV-2-infected. Fever was more common among 0–4 years-olds (p = 0.002); older children more frequently reported fatigue (p = 0.02). In children ≥5 years old, anosmia or ageusia had 94–98% specificity. In all ages, exposure history most accurately predicted infection. With respect to individual symptoms, cough most accurately predicted infection in <5 year-olds (AUC 0.69) and 12–17 year-olds (AUC 0.62), while headache was most accurate in 5–11 year-olds (AUC 0.62). In combination with exposure history, the novel symptom combinations generated statistically to maximize test characteristics had sensitivity >95% but specificity <30%. No symptom or symptom combination had AUC ≥0.70.

Conclusions

Anosmia or ageusia in children ≥5 years old should raise providers’ index of suspicion for COVID-19. However, our overall findings underscore the limited diagnostic value of symptoms.
Development and comparison of loop-mediated isothermal amplification with quantitative PCR for the specific detection of Saprolegnia spp.
Authors: Ghosh Satyaki , Straus David L. , Good Christopher , Phuntumart Vipaporn
Published: December 2021

Saprolegniasis is an important disease in freshwater aquaculture, and is associated with oomycete pathogens in the genus Saprolegnia. Early detection of significant levels of Saprolegnia spp. pathogens would allow informed decisions for treatment which could significantly reduce losses. This study is the first to report the development of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) for the detection of Saprolegnia spp. and compares it with quantitative PCR (qPCR). The developed protocols targeted the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA and the cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 (CoxI) gene and was shown to be specific only to Saprolegnia genus. This LAMP method can detect as low as 10 fg of S. salmonis DNA while the qPCR method has a detection limit of 2 pg of S. salmonis DNA, indicating the superior sensitivity of LAMP compared to qPCR. When applied to detect the pathogen in water samples, both methods could detect the pathogen when only one zoospore of Saprolegnia was present. We propose LAMP as a quick (about 20–60 minutes) and sensitive molecular diagnostic tool for the detection of Saprolegnia spp. suitable for on-site applications.
Comparison of photosynthetic activity and heat tolerance between near isogenic lines of wheat with different photosynthetic rates
Authors: Li Chongyang , Ma Mingyang , Zhang Tianpeng , Feng Pengwen , Chen Xiao , Liu Yang , Brestic Marian , Galal Tarek M. , Al-Yasi Hatim M. , Yang Xinghong
Published: December 2021

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important crops in the world, but the yield and quality of wheat are highly susceptible to heat stress, especially during the grain-filling stage. Therefore, it is crucial to select high-yield and high-temperature-resistant varieties for food cultivation. There is a positive correlation between the yield and photosynthetic rate of wheat during the entire grain-filling stage, but few studies have shown that lines with high photosynthetic rates can maintain higher thermotolerance at the same time. In this study, two pairs of wheat near isogenic lines (NILs) with different photosynthetic rates were used for all experiments. Our results indicated that under heat stress, lines with a high photosynthetic rate could maintain the activities of photosystem II (PSII) and key Calvin cycle enzymes in addition to their higher photosynthetic rates. The protein levels of D1 and HSP70 were significantly increased in the highly photosynthetic lines, which contributed to maintaining high photosynthetic rates and ensuring the stability of the Calvin cycle under heat stress. Furthermore, we found that lines with a high photosynthetic rate could maintain high antioxidant enzyme activity to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reduce ROS accumulation better than lines with a low photosynthetic rate under high-temperature stress. These findings suggest that lines with high photosynthetic rates can maintain a higher photosynthetic rate despite heat stress and are more thermotolerant than lines with low photosynthetic rates.