bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sex differences in personality scores on six scales: Many significant, but mostly small, differences
Authors: Furnham Adrian , Treglown Luke
Published: April 2021

This study examined sex differences in domain and facet scores from six personality tests in various large adult samples. The aim was to document differences in large adult groups which might contribute new data to this highly contentious area. We reported on sex differences on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI); the Five Factor NEO-PI-R; the Hogan Personality Indicator (HPI); the Motives and Values Preferences Indicator (MVPI); the Hogan Development Survey (HDS) and the High Potential Trait Indicator (HPTI). Using multivariate ANOVAs we found that whilst there were many significant differences on these scores, which replicated other studies, the Cohen’s d statistic showed very few (3 out of 130) differences >.50. Results from each test were compared and contrasted, particularly where they are measuring the same trait construct. Implications and limitations for researchers interested in assessment and selection are discussed.
Quantifying the concentration dependence of sedimentation coefficients for globular macromolecules: a continuing age-old problem
Authors: Winzor Donald J. , Dinu Vlad , Scott David J. , Harding Stephen E.
Published: April 2021

This retrospective investigation has established that the early theoretical attempts to directly incorporate the consequences of radial dilution into expressions for variation of the sedimentation coefficient as a function of the loading concentration in sedimentation velocity experiments require concentration distributions exhibiting far greater precision than that achieved by the optical systems of past and current analytical ultracentrifuges. In terms of current methods of sedimentation coefficient measurement, until such improvement is made, the simplest procedure for quantifying linear s-c dependence (or linear concentration dependence of 1/s) for dilute systems therefore entails consideration of the sedimentation coefficient obtained by standard c(s), g*(s) or G(s) analysis) as an average parameter ($$ \overline{s} $$

s
¯

) that pertains to the corresponding mean plateau concentration (following radial dilution) ($$ \overline{c} $$

c
¯

) over the range of sedimentation velocity distributions used for the determination of $$ \overline{s} $$

s
¯

. The relation of this with current descriptions of the concentration dependence of the sedimentation and translational diffusion coefficients is considered, together with a suggestion for the necessary improvement in the optical system.
A memetic discrete differential evolution algorithm for the distributed permutation flow shop scheduling problem
Authors: Zhao Fuqing , Hu Xiaotong , Wang Ling , Li Zekai
Published: April 2021

The distributed manufacturing has become a prevail production mode under the economic globalization. In this article, a memetic discrete differential evolution (MDDE) algorithm is proposed to address the distributed permutation flow shop scheduling problem (DPFSP) with the minimization of the makespan. An enhanced NEH (Nawaz–Enscore–Ham) method is presented to produce potential candidate solutions and Taillard’s acceleration method is adopted to ameliorate the operational efficiency of the MDDE. A new discrete mutation strategy is introduced to promote the search efficiency of the MDDE. Four neighborhood structures, which are based on job sequence and factory assignment adjustment mechanisms, are introduced to prevent the candidates from falling the local optimum during the search process. A neighborhood search mechanism is selected adaptively through a knowledge-based strategy which focuses on the adaptive evaluation for the neighborhood selection. The optimal combinations of parameters in the MDDE algorithm are testified by the design of experiment. The computational results and comparisons demonstrated the effectiveness of the MDDE algorithm for solving the DPFSP.
Hydrologic Changes Drove the Late Miocene Expansion of C4 Grasslands on the Northern Indian Subcontinent
Authors: Polissar Pratigya J. , Uno Kevin T. , Phelps Samuel R. , Karp Allison T. , Freeman Katherine H. , Pensky Jennifer L.
Published: April 2021

Modern tropical and subtropical C4 grasslands and savannas were established during the late‐Miocene and Pliocene, over 20 Myr after evolutionary originations of the C4 photosynthetic pathway. This lag suggests environmental factors first limited and then favored C4 plants. Here, we examine the timing and drivers for the establishment of C4 grasslands on the Indian Subcontinent using carbon and hydrogen isotope signatures of plant‐wax n‐alkanes recovered from turbidites in the Bengal Fan. Like prior studies, we find C4 ecosystems in the Ganges‐Brahmaputra catchment first emerged at 7.4 Ma and subsequently expanded between 6.9 to ∼6.0 Ma. Hydrogen isotope values varied from 10.2 to 7.4 Ma and then increased after 7.4, which suggests intermittent drying began before the establishment of C4 grasslands with further drying at the onset of C4 expansion. Synthesis of published plant fossil data from the Siwalik Group of the Himalayan foreland basin documents an ecosystem trajectory from evergreen tropical forests to seasonally deciduous forests, and then expansive C4 grasslands. This trajectory coincided with a seasonally uneven drying trend due to both increased evaporation of plant leaf and soil waters and reduced rainfall, as identified in soil carbonate and tooth enamel data sets. Collectively the fossil, biomarker, and isotopic evidence reveal the development of modern C4 ecosystems on the Indian Subcontinent followed a series of ecosystem transformations driven by drying and fire feedbacks, and possibly declining atmospheric pCO2, beginning at 10.2 Ma and strengthening through the late Miocene.
Plasmon-assisted photocatalytic CO2 reduction on Au decorated ZrO2 catalysts
Authors: Gu Meng , Liu Dong , Ding Tao , Liu Xiaokang , Chen Tao , Shen Xinyi , Yao Tao
Published: April 2021

ZrO2 is one of the most stable metal oxides which is applicable to various chemical reactions in harsh environments.
Amorphous–crystalline-heterostructured niobium oxide as two-in-one host matrix for high-performance lithium–sulfur batteries
Authors: Wang Jiayi , Li Gaoran , Luo Dan , Zhao Yan , Zhang Yongguang , Zhou Guofu , Shui Lingling , Wang Xin
Published: April 2021

The integration of Li–A/T-Nb2O5 and S–A/T-Nb2O5 electrodes realized an excellent rate capability and cyclability.
Search‐free direction‐of‐arrival estimation for transmit beamspace multiple‐input multiple‐output radar via tensor modelling and polynomial rooting
Authors: Xu Feng , Yang Xiaopeng , Lan Tian
Published: April 2021

In order to improve the accuracy and resolution for transmit beamspace (TB) multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) radar, a search‐free direction‐of‐arrival (DOA) estimation method based on tensor modelling and polynomial rooting is proposed. In the proposed method, a 3‐order tensor is designed to model the received signal of TB MIMO radar on the basis of the multi‐linear property. The factor matrix with target DOA information is obtained by tensor decomposition via alternating least squares algorithm, and subsequently the DOA estimation is converted to independent minimisation of the virtual transmit beampattern for TB MIMO radar. By exploiting the Vandermonde structure of the transmit steering matrix, a polynomial function is constructed to solve the minimisation problem via polynomial rooting. The proposed method can fully take advantage of the TB technique and tensor modelling, and it requires no spectrum searching, which is different from the existing DOA estimation techniques for TB MIMO radar. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by simulations.
Caesalpinia pulcherrima (peacock flower).
Authors: Datiles Marianne Jennifer , Acevedo-Rodríguez Pedro
Published: April 2021

A datasheet on Caesalpinia pulcherrima covering, as an economically important tree, its taxonomy, importance, silviculture, distribution, biology and ecology, uses, products and pests.
Eucalyptus robusta (swamp mahogany).
Authors: Rojas-Sandoval Julissa , Acevedo-Rodríguez Pedro
Published: April 2021

E. robusta is a medium to large tree and is capable of rapid early growth in suitable environments. This species has a broad environmental amplitude, and is planted widely outside of Australia in equatorial to cool temperate regions. E. robusta is best known as a plantation species in the Madagascar highlands, but also in the USA (Hawaii, Florida, California) and Central America (Puerto Rico). E. robusta may tolerate adverse conditions and is especially useful on sites subject to prolonged flooding. It is moderately salt-tolerant. This species is often used as a shade tree, an ornamental, in shelter belts and in water catchment rehabilitation. The wood of E. robusta is a good fuel and is commonly used for charcoal production. It is durable and is used in the round for posts and poles. Sawn timber can be used for general construction but requires kiln-seasoning to avoid degradation during drying. It is possible to use E. robusta as a source of pulpwood for paper making but other eucalypts are usually preferred.
Leptospermum scoparium (manuka).
Authors: Popay Ian
Published: April 2021

A datasheet on Leptospermum scoparium covering, as an economically important tree, its taxonomy, importance, silviculture, distribution, biology and ecology, uses, products and pests.
Nandina domestica (nandina).
Authors: Kaufman Sylvan
Published: April 2021

A datasheet on Nandina domestica covering, as an economically important tree, its taxonomy, importance, silviculture, distribution, biology and ecology, uses, products and pests.
Pachira aquatica (pachira nut).
Authors: Areces-Berazain Fabiola
Published: April 2021

A datasheet on Pachira aquatica covering, as an economically important tree, its taxonomy, importance, silviculture, distribution, biology and ecology, uses, products and pests.
Reutealis trisperma (Philippine tung).
Authors: Rojas-Sandoval Julissa , Acevedo-Rodríguez Pedro
Published: April 2021

A datasheet on Reutealis trisperma covering, as an economically important tree, its taxonomy, importance, silviculture, distribution, biology and ecology, uses, products and pests.
Sex differences in the physical performance, physiological, and psycho‐cognitive responses to military operational stress
Authors: Conkright William R. , O'Leary Thomas J. , Wardle Sophie L. , Greeves Julie P. , Beckner Meaghan E. , Nindl Bradley C.
Published: April 2021

Combat roles are physically demanding and expose service personnel to operational stressors such as high levels of physical activity, restricted nutrient intake, sleep loss, psychological stress, and environmental extremes. Women have recently integrated into combat roles, but our knowledge of the physical, physiological, and psycho‐cognitive responses to these operational stressors in women is limited. The aim of this narrative review was to evaluate the evidence for sex‐specific physical, physiological, and psycho‐cognitive responses to real, and simulated, military operational stress. Studies examining physical and cognitive performance, body composition, metabolism, hypothalamic‐pituitary‐gonadal axis, and psychological health outcomes were evaluated. These studies report that women expend less energy and lose less body mass and fat‐free mass, but not fat mass, than men. Despite having similar physical performance decrements as men during operational stress, women experience greater physiological strain than men completing the same physical tasks, but this may be attributed to differences in fitness. From limited data, military operational stress suppresses hypothalamic‐pituitary‐gonadal, but not hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal, axis function in both sexes. Men and women demonstrate different psychological and cognitive responses to operational stress, including disturbances in mood, with women having a higher risk of post‐traumatic stress symptoms compared with men. Based on current evidence, separate strategies to maximize selection and combat training are not warranted until further data directly comparing men and women are available. However, targeted exercise training programmes may be advisable to offset the physical performance gap between sexes and optimize performance prior to inevitable declines caused by intense military operations.
Social Work Practice with Adults under the Rising Second Wave of Covid-19 in England: Frontline Experiences and the Use of Professional Judgement
Authors: Manthorpe Jill , Harris Jess , Burridge Stan , Fuller James , Martineau Stephen , Ornelas Bruno , Tinelli Michela , Cornes Michelle
Published: April 2021

The impacts on adult social work in England of the Covid-19 pandemic were sudden and are proving long-standing. In England, many social workers moved to home working and virtual contact with colleagues, managers, staff from other agencies and service users. A first national lockdown was followed by a lessening of restrictions, but a second wave started at the end of Summer 2020 and restrictions were re-introduced. This study draws on telephone interviews with a sample of twenty-two social workers working with adults in a wide range of roles and settings in ten local authorities and two National Health Service Hospital Trusts, interviewed August–October 2020. Following transcription, interview data were analysed thematically. Findings are reported under three emerging themes: using professional judgement, new and emerging case work and embedding change. These are compared with findings from studies of practice in children’s services and of surveys of social workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Implications for practice, service users and research are explored.
Social determinants of telemedicine utilization in ambulatory cardiovascular patients during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Brown Kemar J , Mathenge Njambi , Crousillat Daniela , Pagliaro Jaclyn , Grady Connor , Katz Nava , Singh Jagmeet P , Bhatt Ami B
Published: April 2021

Aims

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in the rapid uptake of telemedicine (TM) for routine cardiovascular care. To examine the predictors of TM utilization among ambulatory cardiology patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods and results

In this single-centre retrospective study, all ambulatory cardiovascular encounters occurring between 16 March and 19 June 2020 were assessed. Baseline characteristics by visit type (in-person, TM phone, TM video) were compared using Chi-square and student t-tests, with statistical significance defined by P-value <0.05. Multivariate logistic regression was used to explore the predictors of TM vs. in-person care. A total of 8446 patients [86% Non-Hispanic (NH) White, 42% female, median age 66.8 ± 15.2 years] completed an ambulatory cardiovascular visit during the study period. TM phone (n = 4981, 61.5%) was the primary mode of ambulatory care followed by TM video (n = 2693, 33.2%). NH Black race [odds ratio (OR) 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.35–0.94; P-value = 0.02], Hispanic ethnicity (OR 0.53, 95% CI: 0.29–0.98; P = 0.04), public insurance (Medicaid OR 0.50, 95% CI: 0.32–0.79; P = 0.003, Medicare OR 0.65, 95% CI: 0.47–0.89; P = 0.009), zip-code linked median household income of <$75 000, age >85 years, and patients with a diagnosis of heart failure were associated with reduced access to TM video encounters and a higher likelihood of in-person care.

Conclusions

Significant disparities in TM video access for ambulatory cardiovascular care exist among the elderly, lower income, as well as Black and Hispanic racial/ethnic groups.
Slipped-Strand Mispairing at Noncontiguous Repeats in Poecilia reticulata: A Model for Minisatellite Birth
Authors: Taylor John S , Breden Felix
Published: April 2021

The standard slipped-strand mispairing (SSM) model for the formation of variable number tandem repeats (VNTRs) proposes that a few tandem repeats, produced by chance mutations, provide the “raw material” for VNTR expansion. However, this model is unlikely to explain the formation of VNTRs with long motifs (e.g., minisatellites), because the likelihood of a tandem repeat forming by chance decreases rapidly as the length of the repeat motif increases. Phylogenetic reconstruction of the birth of a mitochondrial (mt) DNA minisatellite in guppies suggests that VNTRs with long motifs can form as a consequence of SSM at noncontiguous repeats. VNTRs formed in this manner have motifs longer than the noncontiguous repeat originally formed by chance and are flanked by one unit of the original, noncontiguous repeat. SSM at noncontiguous repeats can therefore explain the birth of VNTRs with long motifs and the “imperfect” or “short direct” repeats frequently observed adjacent to both mtDNA and nuclear VNTRs.
Hitchhiking Under Positive Darwinian Selection
Authors: Fay Justin C , Wu Chung-I
Published: April 2021

Positive selection can be inferred from its effect on linked neutral variation. In the restrictive case when there is no recombination, all linked variation is removed. If recombination is present but rare, both deterministic and stochastic models of positive selection show that linked variation hitchhikes to either low or high frequencies. While the frequency distribution of variation can be influenced by a number of evolutionary processes, an excess of derived variants at high frequency is a unique pattern produced by hitchhiking (derived refers to the nonancestral state as determined from an outgroup). We adopt a statistic, H, to measure an excess of high compared to intermediate frequency variants. Only a few high-frequency variants are needed to detect hitchhiking since not many are expected under neutrality. This is of particular utility in regions of low recombination where there is not much variation and in regions of normal or high recombination, where the hitchhiking effect can be limited to a small (<1 kb) region. Application of the H test to published surveys of Drosophila variation reveals an excess of high frequency variants that are likely to have been influenced by positive selection.
Social Participation and Healthy Aging Among the Older Japanese: The Ohsaki Cohort 2006 Study
Authors: Lu Yukai , Matsuyama Sanae , Tanji Fumiya , Otsuka Tatsui , Tomata Yasutake , Tsuji Ichiro
Published: April 2021

Background

Our study examined the association between social participation and healthy aging using a community-based cohort study among Japanese older adults.

Methods

This prospective study was conducted in Ohsaki City, Japan, and included 7226 participants aged ≥65 years at the baseline survey in 2006. We obtained information on frequency of participation in 3 types of community activities (ie, neighborhood activities, hobbies, and volunteer activities) at baseline. Exposure was measured by the number of types of community activities participated in and participants were categorized into 4 groups (ie, none, 1 type, 2 types, and 3 types). The primary outcome was healthy aging as assessed by a questionnaire survey conducted in 2017, and was defined as meeting the following 4 criteria: free of disability, free of depression, high health-related quality of life, and high life satisfaction. We used multiple logistic regression models to calculate the corresponding odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.

Results

During 11 years of follow-up, 574 (7.9%) participants attained healthy aging. Compared with participants not participating in any activity, the multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) were 1.90 (1.40, 2.59) for those participating in 1 type, 2.49 (1.84, 3.38) for 2 types, and 3.06 (2.30, 4.07) for 3 types (p for trend < .0001). Furthermore, for each type of community activity, a higher frequency of participation was related to higher probability of healthy aging.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that social participation is associated with the promotion of healthy aging, and that the benefits were observed across different types of community activities.
Securitization, surveillance and ‘de-extremization’ in Xinjiang
Authors: Kam Stefanie , Clarke Michael
Published: April 2021

Previous explanations on China's counterterrorism strategy have highlighted the results of China's strategy of repression in Xinjiang, the historical antecedents and institutional foundations of its counterterrorism policies, as well as international and domestic sources of China's counterterrorism strategy. While acknowledging the importance of all these dimensions, this article draws attention to a largely neglected feature of China's counterterrorism strategy: the Chinese party-state's social engineering of Xinjiang. Building on Maoist-era practices such as the mass line and the ‘friend vs. enemy’ binary, the Communist party under Xi Jinping has integrated surveillance technologies as part of its strategy of preventive counterterrorism and ‘de-extremization’. This article argues that the Chinese party-state's embrace of modern technologies, a weak liberal tradition in China, Xi Jinping's rise to power in late 2012, and the appointment of Chen Quanguo as Xinjiang's party-secretary in 2016, provides the socio-political background for the intensification of securitization, surveillance and introduction of ‘re-education and training centres’ in Xinjiang. Surveillance technologies now complement collective, face-to-face methods of surveillance and Maoist-era techniques of mass mobilization, enabling the Chinese party-state to govern and manage the biopolitical spaces of Uyghurs with greater intensity, according to the state's precise norms. The legalization and institutionalization of ‘de-extremization’ has also led to the shift from mass ‘de-extremization’ propaganda to ‘drip-irrigation’ ideological and political re-education of individuals deemed at risk of extremism. The result is an increased capacity by the Chinese party-state to surveil and control the region, and to more effectively negate the possibility of individual resistance.
Unique Determination of Ellipsoids by Their Dual Volumes
Authors: Myroshnychenko Sergii , Tatarko Kateryna , Yaskin Vladyslav
Published: April 2021

Gusakova and Zaporozhets conjectured that ellipsoids in $\mathbb R^n$ are uniquely determined (up to an isometry) by their intrinsic volumes. Petrov and Tarasov confirmed this conjecture in $\mathbb R^3$. In this paper, we solve the dual problem in all dimensions. We show that any ellipsoid in $\mathbb R^n$ centered at the origin is uniquely determined (up to an isometry) by an $n$-tuple of its dual volumes. As an application, we give an alternative proof of the result of Petrov and Tarasov.
Rice breeding for yield under drought has selected for longer flag leaves and lower stomatal density
Authors: Kumar Santosh , Tripathi Santosh , Singh Suresh Prasad , Prasad Archana , Akter Fahamida , Syed Md Abu , Badri Jyothi , Das Sankar Prasad , Bhattarai Rudra , Natividad Mignon A , Quintana Marinell , Venkateshwarlu Challa , Raman Anitha , Yadav Shailesh , Singh Shravan K , Swain Padmini , Anandan A , Yadaw Ram Baran , Mandal Nimai P , Verulkar S B , Kumar Arvind , Henry Amelia
Published: April 2021

Direct selection for yield under drought has resulted in the release of a number of drought-tolerant rice varieties across Asia. In this study, we characterized the physiological traits that have been affected by this strategy in breeding trials across sites in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. Drought- breeding lines and drought-tolerant varieties showed consistently longer flag leaves and lower stomatal density than our drought-susceptible check variety, IR64. The influence of environmental parameters other than drought treatments on leaf traits was evidenced by close grouping of treatments within a site. Flag-leaf length and width appeared to be regulated by different environmental parameters. In separate trials in the Philippines, the same breeding lines studied in South Asia showed that canopy temperature under drought and harvest index across treatments were most correlated with grain yield. Both atmospheric and soil stress strengthened the relationships between leaf traits and yield. The stable expression of leaf traits among genotypes and the identification of the environmental conditions in which they contribute to yield, as well as the observation that some breeding lines showed longer time to flowering and higher canopy temperature than IR64, suggest that selection for additional physiological traits may result in further improvements of this breeding pool.
Understanding and exploiting uniparental genome elimination in plants: insights from Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Thondehaalmath Tejas , Kulaar Dilsher Singh , Bondada Ramesh , Maruthachalam Ravi
Published: April 2021

Uniparental genome elimination (UGE) refers to the preferential exclusion of one set of the parental chromosome complement during embryogenesis following successful fertilization, giving rise to uniparental haploid progeny. This artificially induced phenomenon was documented as one of the consequences of distant (wide) hybridization in plants. Ten decades since its discovery, attempts to unravel the molecular mechanism behind this process remained elusive due to a lack of genetic tools and genomic resources in the species exhibiting UGE. Hence, its successful adoption in agronomic crops for in planta (in vivo) haploid production remains implausible. Recently, Arabidopsis thaliana has emerged as a model system to unravel the molecular basis of UGE. It is now possible to simulate the genetic consequences of distant crosses in an A. thaliana intraspecific cross by a simple modification of centromeres, via the manipulation of the centromere-specific histone H3 variant gene, CENH3. Thus, the experimental advantages conferred by A. thaliana have been used to elucidate and exploit the benefits of UGE in crop breeding. In this review, we discuss developments and prospects of CENH3 gene-mediated UGE and other in planta haploid induction strategies to illustrate its potential in expediting plant breeding and genetics in A. thaliana and other model plants.
On the precision of full-spectrum fitting of stellar populations – III. Identifying age spreads
Authors: Asa’d Randa , Goudfrooij Paul , As’ad A M , El-Mir H G , Begum L , Aljasmi A , Almatroushi O
Published: April 2021

In this third paper of a series on the precision of obtaining ages of stellar populations using the full-spectrum fitting technique, we examine the precision of this technique in deriving possible age spreads within a star cluster. We test how well an internal age spread can be resolved as a function of cluster age, population, mass fraction, and signal-to-noise ratio (S/N). For this test, the two ages (Age (SSP1) and Age (SSP2)) are free parameters along with the mass fraction of SSP1. We perform the analysis on 118 800 mock star clusters covering all ages in the range 6.8 < log (age/yr) < 10.2, with mass fractions from 10 per cent to 90 per cent for two age gaps (0.2 and 0.5 dex). Random noise is added to the model spectra to achieve S/N ratios between 50 and 100 per wavelength pixel. We find that the mean of the derived Age (SSP1) generally matches the real Age (SSP1) to within 0.1 dex up to ages around log (age/yr) = 9.5. The precision decreases for log (age/yr) > 9.6 for any mass fraction or S/N, due to the similarity of SED shapes for those ages. In terms of the recovery of age spreads, we find that the derived age spreads are often larger than the real ones, especially for log(age/yr) $\lesssim$ 8.0 and high mass fractions of SSP1. Increasing the age gap in the mock clusters improves the derived parameters, but Age (SSP2) is still overestimated for the younger ages.
A multilevel examination of lifetime aggression: integrating cortical thickness, personality pathology and trauma exposure
Authors: Sheehan Ana E , Bounoua Nadia , Miglin Rickie , Spielberg Jeffrey M , Sadeh Naomi
Published: April 2021

Aggression represents a significant public health concern, causing serious physical and psychological harm. Although many studies have sought to characterize the etiology of aggression, research on the contributions of risk factors that span multiple levels of analysis for explaining aggressive behavior is lacking. To address this gap, we investigated the direct and unique contributions of cortical thickness (level 1), pathological personality traits (level 2) and trauma exposure (level 3) for explaining lifetime physical aggression in a high-risk sample of community adults (N = 129, 47.3% men). First, the frequency of lifetime aggression was inversely associated with cortical thickness in regions of prefrontal and temporal cortices that have been implicated in executive functioning, inhibitory mechanisms and socio-emotional processing. Further, aggression was positively associated with pathological personality traits (antagonism and disinhibition) and exposure to assaultive trauma. Notably, all three levels of analysis (cortical thickness, pathological personality traits and assaultive trauma exposure) explained non-overlapping variance in aggressive behavior when examined simultaneously in integrative models. Together, the findings provide a multilevel assessment of the biopsychosocial factors associated with the frequency of aggression. They also indicate that cortical thickness explains novel variance in these harmful behaviors not captured by well-established personality and environmental risk factors for aggression.
Assessment of an iPad-based sperm motility analyzer for determination of canine sperm motility
Authors: Bulkeley Evelyn , Collins Christine , Foutouhi Azarene , Gonzales Kris , Power Heather , Meyers Stuart
Published: April 2021

The objective of this study was to evaluate the repeatability and accuracy of canine sperm motility (total and progressive) assessment with a tablet-based Canine iSperm instrument compared to computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA). The experiment used fresh and frozen/thawed canine semen samples for comparisons of semen analysis parameters (concentration, total motility, and progressive motility) between a CASA system, iSperm, and NucleoCounter SP-100 (concentration) instruments. Spearman’s Rho correlational analysis was used to identify significant associations between motility assessment methods. Significant positive correlations were found between CASA assessment and iSperm for both progressive and total motility measurements. We also determined the coefficient of variation (CV) for repeatability of sample analysis for iSperm and CASA for fresh sperm, wherein each sample was assessed 10 times on both devices. For fresh and frozen-thawed samples, concentration assessment by iSperm showed high variability (CV= 19.9 ± 1.5%). For iSperm assessment of total and progressive motility, the CVs were 6.3 ± 0.5% and 10.7 ± 0.8%, respectively. The results indicate that the iSperm application offers an accurate and alternative measurement of motility to traditional CASA analysis, though caution should be taken when assessing concentration due to the high CV observed in this study.
Mechanistic Evaluation of Black Cohosh Extract-Induced Genotoxicity in Human Cells
Authors: Seo Ji-Eun , Guo Xiaoqing , Petibone Dayton M , Shelton Sharon D , Chen Ying , Li Xilin , Tryndyak Volodymyr , Smith-Roe Stephanie L , Witt Kristine L , Mei Nan , Manjanatha Mugimane G
Published: April 2021

Black cohosh extract (BCE) is marketed to women as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy for alleviating menopausal symptoms. Previous studies by the National Toxicology Program revealed that BCE induced micronuclei (MN) and a nonregenerative macrocytic anemia in rats and mice, likely caused by disruption of the folate metabolism pathway. Additional work using TK6 cells showed that BCE induced aneugenicity by destabilizing microtubules. In the present study, BCE-induced MN were confirmed in TK6 and HepG2 cells. We then evaluated BCE-induced DNA damage using the comet assay at multiple time points (0.5–24 h). Following a 0.5-h exposure, BCE induced significant, concentration-dependent increases in %tail DNA in TK6 cells only. Although DNA damage decreased in TK6 cells over time, likely due to repair, small but statistically significant levels of DNA damage were observed after 2 and 4 h exposures to 250 µg/ml BCE. A G1/S arrest in TK6 cells exposed to 125 µg/ml BCE (24 h) was accompanied by apoptosis and increased expression of γH2A.X, p-Chk1, p-Chk2, p53, and p21. Conditioning TK6 cells to physiological levels of folic acid (120 nM) did not increase the sensitivity of cells to BCE-induced DNA damage. BCE did not alter global DNA methylation in TK6 and HepG2 cells cultured in standard medium. Our results suggest that BCE induces acute DNA strand breaks which are quickly repaired in TK6 cells, whereas DNA damage seen at 4 and 24 h may reflect apoptosis. The present study supports that BCE is genotoxic mainly by inducing MN with an aneugenic mode of action.
The Short- and Long-Term Burden of Acute Pancreatitis in the United States
Authors: Pokras Shibani , Ray Markqayne , Zheng Shan , Ding Yao , Chen Chi-Chang
Published: April 2021

Objectives

This retrospective cohort study assessed short- and long-term economic, clinical burden, and productivity impacts of acute pancreatitis (AP) in the United States.

Methods

United States claims data from patients hospitalized for AP (January 1, 2011–September-30, 2016) were sourced from MarketScan databases. Patients were categorized by index AP severity: severe intensive care unit (ICU), severe non-ICU, and other hospitalized patients.

Results

During index, 41,946 patients were hospitalized or visited an emergency department for AP. For inpatients, median (interquartile range) AP-related total cost was $13,187 ($12,822) and increased with AP severity (P < 0.0001). During the postindex year, median AP-related costs were higher (P < 0.0001) for severe ICU versus severe non-ICU and other hospitalized patients. Hours lost and costs due to absence and short-term disability were similar between categories. Long-term disability costs were higher (P = 0.005) for severe ICU versus other hospitalized patients. Factors associated with higher total all-cause costs in the year after discharge included AP severity, length of hospitalization, readmission, AP reoccurrence, progression to chronic pancreatitis, or new-onset diabetes (P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

An AP event exerts substantial burden during hospitalization and involves long-term clinical and economic consequences, including loss of productivity, which increase with index AP event severity.
Diagnostic Role of F-18 Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography for Characterization of Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms
Authors: Kim Keunyoung , Kim Seong-Jang
Published: April 2021

Objectives

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the diagnostic performance of F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) or PET/computed tomography (CT) for characterization of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods

The PubMed and Embase database were searched for studies evaluating the diagnostic performance of F-18 FDG PET or PET/CT for characterization of IPMN.

Results

Across 14 studies (752 patients), the pooled sensitivity for F-18 FDG PET or PET/CT was 0.84 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.77–0.89) with heterogeneity (I2 = 55.5, P = 0.01) and a pooled specificity of 0.95 (95% CI, 0.88–0.98) with heterogeneity (I2 = 83.9, P < 0.001). Likelihood ratio (LR) syntheses gave an overall positive likelihood ratio (LR+) of 17.4 (95% CI, 6.5–46.8) and negative likelihood ratio (LR−) of 0.17 (95% CI, 0.12–0.25). The pooled diagnostic odds ratio was 101 (95% CI, 31–327). Hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic curve and indicates that the areas under the curve were 0.93 (95% CI, 0.90–0.95).

Conclusions

The current meta-analysis showed a high sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio, and the LR scatter gram of F-18 FDG PET or PET/CT for determination of characteristics of IPMN.
Prognostic Impact of Tumor Size on Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor Recurrence May Have Racial Variance
Authors: Zheng-Pywell Rui , Fang Amanda , AlKashash Ahmad , Awad Seifeldin , Reddy Sushanth , Vickers Selwyn , Heslin Martin , Dudeja Vikas , Chen Herbert , Rose John Bart
Published: April 2021

Objective

The incidence of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) has increased over the last decade. Black patients have worse survival outcomes. This study investigates whether oncologic outcomes are racially disparate at a single institution.

Methods

Retrospective analysis was performed on 151 patients with resected PNETs between 2010 and 2019.

Results

More White males and Black females presented with PNETs (P = 0.02). White patients were older (65 years vs 60 years; P = 0.03), more likely to be married (P < 0.01), and had higher median estimated yearly incomes ($28,973 vs $17,767; P < 0.01) than Black patients. Overall and disease-free survival were not different. Black patients had larger median tumor sizes (30 mm vs 23 mm; P = 0.02). Tumor size was predictive of recurrence only for White patients (hazard ratio, 1.02; P = 0.01). Collectively, tumors greater than 20 mm in size were more likely to have recurrence (P = 0.048), but this cutoff was not predictive in either racial cohort independently.

Conclusions

Black patients undergoing curative resection of PNETs at our institution presented with larger tumors, but that increased size is not predictive of disease-free survival in this population.
Prognostic Nomograms to Predict Overall Survival and Cancer-Specific Survival of Patients With Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors
Authors: Song Zuoli , Wang Sumei , Wu Yujing , Zhang Jinjuan , Liu Shuye
Published: April 2021

Objective

The objective of this research was to construct and validate prognostic nomograms predicting overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs).

Methods

We extracted 3787 patients with pNETs from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database. Nomograms for estimating 3- and 5-year OS and CSS were first established. Then, we used Harrell's Concordance Index, calibration plots, and the area under receiver operating characteristic curve to evaluate the nomograms. The Kaplan-Meier curve was plotted to evaluate the different survival outcomes.

Results

In the multivariate analysis, age, grade, functional status, American Joint Committee on Cancer stage, and surgery were associated with OS and CSS. The established nomograms had good discriminative ability, with a Harrell’s Concordance Index of 0.830 for OS and 0.855 for CSS. The calibration plots also revealed good agreement. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve values of the nomograms predicting 3- and 5-year OS and CSS rates were 0.836, 0.816 and 0.859, 0.841, respectively. In addition, Kaplan-Meier curve indicated that patients with higher risk had worse survival outcomes.

Conclusions

We have proposed and validated the nomograms predicting OS and CSS of pNETs. They can be convenient individualized tools to facilitate clinical decision making.
A National Assessment of Optimal Oncologic Surgery for Distal Pancreatic Adenocarcinomas
Authors: Hrebinko Katherine , Tohme Samer , Hoehn Richard S. , AlMasri Samer , Khan Sidrah , Kaltenmeier Christof , Lee Kenneth K. , Paniccia Alessandro , Zureikat Amer , Nassour Ibrahim
Published: April 2021

Objectives

The objective of this study was to create a composite measure, optimal oncologic surgery (OOS), for patients undergoing distal pancreatectomy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma and identify factors associated with OOS.

Methods

Adult patients undergoing distal pancreatectomy were identified from the National Cancer Database between 2010 and 2016. Patients were stratified based on receipt of OOS. Criteria for OOS included 90-day survival, no 30-day readmission, length of stay ≤7 days, negative resection margins, ≥12 lymph nodes harvested, and receipt of chemotherapy. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of OOS. Survival curves and a Cox proportional hazards model were created to compare survival and identify risk factors for mortality.

Results

Three thousand five hundred forty-six patients were identified. The rate of OOS was 22.3%. Diagnosis after 2012, treatment at an academic medical center, and a minimally invasive surgical approach (MIS) were associated with OOS. Survival was superior for patients undergoing OOS. Decreasing age at diagnosis, fewer comorbidities, surgery at an academic medical center, MIS, and lower pathologic stage were also associated with improved survival on multivariate analysis.

Conclusions

Rates of OOS for distal pancreatectomy are low. Time trends show increasing rates of OOS that may be related to increasing MIS, adjuvant chemotherapy, and referrals to academic medical centers.
Covid-19 and Excess Mortality in Medicare Beneficiaries
Authors: Greenwald Scott , Chamoun Nassib G , Manberg Paul J , Gray Josh , Clain David , Maheshwari Kamal , Sessler Daniel I.
Published: April 2021

We estimated excess mortality in Medicare recipients with probable and confirmed Covid-19 infections in the general community and amongst residents of long-term care (LTC) facilities. We considered 28,389,098 Medicare and dual-eligible recipients from one year before February 29, 2020 through September 30, 2020, with mortality followed through November 30th, 2020. Probable and confirmed Covid-19 diagnoses, presumably mostly symptomatic, were determined from ICD-10 codes. We developed a Risk Stratification Index (RSI) mortality model which was applied prospectively to establish baseline mortality risk. Excess deaths attributable to Covid-19 were estimated by comparing actual-to-expected deaths based on historical comparisons and in closely matched cohorts with and without Covid-19. 677,100 (2.4%) beneficiaries had confirmed Covid-19 and 2,917,604 (10.3%) had probable Covid-19. 472,329 confirmed cases were community living and 204,771 were in LTC. Mortality following a probable or confirmed diagnosis in the community increased from an expected incidence of about 4% to actual incidence of 7.5%. In long-term care facilities, the corresponding increase was from 20.3% to 24.6%. The absolute increase was therefore similar at 3-4% in the community and in LTC residents. The percentage increase was far greater in the community (89%) than among patients in chronic care facilities (21%) who had higher baseline risk. The LTC population without probable or confirmed Covid-19 diagnoses experienced 38,932 excess deaths (35%) compared to historical estimates. Limitations in access to Covid-19 testing and disease under-reporting in LTC patients probably were important factors, although social isolation and disruption in usual care presumably also contributed. Remarkably, there were 31,360 fewer deaths than expected in community dwellers without probable or confirmed Covid-19 diagnoses, representing a 6% reduction. Disruptions to the healthcare system and avoided medical care were thus apparently offset by other factors, representing overall benefit. The Covid-19 pandemic had marked effects on mortality, but the effects were highly context-dependent.
Pre-existing partner-drug resistance facilitates the emergence and spread of artemisinin resistance: a consensus modelling study
Authors: Watson Oliver J , Gao Bo , Nguyen Tran Dang , Tran Thu Nguyen-Anh , Penny Melissa A , Smith David L , Okell Lucy , Aguas Ricardo , Boni Maciej F
Published: April 2021

Background

Artemisinin-resistant genotypes have now emerged a minimum of five times on three continents despite recommendations that all artemisinins be deployed as artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs). Widespread resistance to the non-artemisinin partner drugs in ACTs has the potential to limit the clinical and resistance benefits provided by combination therapy.

Methods

Using a consensus modelling approach with three individual-based mathematical models ofPlasmodium falciparumtransmission, we evaluate the effects of pre-existing partner-drug resistance and ACT deployment on artemisinin resistance evolution. We evaluate settings where dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHA-PPQ), artesunate-amodiaquine (ASAQ), or artemether-lumefantrine (AL) are deployed as first-line therapy. We use time until 0.25 artemisinin resistance allele frequency (the establishment time) as the primary outcome measure.

Findings

Higher frequencies of pre-existing partner-drug resistant genotypes lead to earlier establishment of artemisinin resistance. Across all scenarios and pre-existing frequencies of partner-drug resistance explored, a 0.10 increase in partner-drug resistance frequency on average corresponded to 0.7 to 5.0 years loss of artemisinin efficacy. However, the majority of reductions in time to artemisinin establishment were observed after the first increment from 0.0 to 0.10 partner-drug resistance genotype frequency.

Interpretation

Partner-drug resistance in ACTs facilitates the early emergence of artemisinin resistance and is a major public health concern. Higher grade partner-drug resistance has the largest effect, with piperaquine-resistance accelerating early emergence of artemisinin-resistant alleles the most. Continued investment in molecular surveillance of partner-drug resistant genotypes to guide choice of first-line ACT is paramount.

Funding

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Wellcome Trust.
Hypomethylation inFASTKD1detected in the association betweenin uterotobacco exposure and conduct problem in a New Zealand longitudinal study
Authors: Noble Alexandra J. , Pearson John F. , Boden Joseph M. , Horwood L. John , Kennedy Martin A. , Osborne Amy J.
Published: April 2021

Despite the known adverse effects ofin uterotobacco exposure on offspring health, maternal tobacco use during pregnancy remains prevalent and is a major driver of health inequalities. One such health inequality is the development of conduct problem (CP) in exposed offspring which may be mediated by methylation changes that persist into adulthood. Here we apply a genome-wide approach to probe the association between maternal tobacco use during pregnancy and CP outcomes in exposed offspring. We examined maternal tobacco use during pregnancy (in uteroexposure) in the Christchurch Health and Development Study, a longitudinal birth cohort studied for over 40 years. We then evaluated the interaction between methylation effects ofin uteroexposure and CP score. When modelling this interaction betweenin uteroexposure and CP score we detected nominal DNA methylation differences, atFASTKD1which has roles in early development. Our observations are consistent with DNA methylation mediating the development of CP followingin uterotobacco exposure. In addition, we detected nominal significance inFRMDA4andMYO1Gbetween individuals exposed to tobaccoin uteroand those that were unexposed, however these did not reach significance after adjustment for multiple testing. However due to limited power in our analysis, further studies are needed to investigate the interaction betweenin uterotobacco exposure and high CP health outcomes.