bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intra-abdominal infection with Campylobacter curvus: case report and review of the literature
Authors: Tam Patrick C. K. , Leong Lex E. X. , Theodossi Maria , Gordon David L.
Published: April 2021

Background.

Campylobacter curvus

is a Gram-negative bacteria associated with periodontal disease in humans. Cases of extra-oral manifestations of infection are rare with only six reported cases of extra-oral infection including this report that have been identified in the current literature. Molecular methods are generally used to identify

C. curvus

while optimal antibiotic choice and duration to treat extra-oral infections for this pathogen is unknown.

Case presentation. A 63-year-old male with a background history of alcoholic pancreatitis presented with fever and malaise who was found to have radiological intra-abdominal collections. Drainage of these collections identified

C. curvus

via matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry with high probability and identification further confirmed by whole-genome sequencing. Antibiotic susceptibility testing to erythromycin and ciprofloxacin of

C. curvus

was performed using E-test diffusion methods along with investigation for the presence of resistance genes. The patient was treated with intravenous piperacillin-tazobactam followed by ciprofloxacin for 4 weeks total with good clinical recovery.

Conclusions. Extra-oral manifestations with the pathogen

C. curvus

are rare with few cases described in the literature. There is minimal data on susceptibility patterns, optimal antibiotic treatment and duration. Treatment of extraintestinal

C. curvus

infections in humans should encompass both adequate source control and antibiotic therapy.
The Amortization of Funding Gene Therapies: Making the “Intangibles” Tangible for Patients
Authors: Dabbous Monique , Toumi Mondher , Simoens Steven , Wasem Juergen , Wang Yitong , Huerta Osuna José , François Clément , Annemans Lieven , von der Schulenburg Johann-Matthias Graf , Sola-Morales Oriol , Malone Daniel , Garrison Louis P.
Published: April 2021

Gene replacement therapies (GRTs) are increasingly expected to reach the market. Current healthcare systems are struggling to fund such valuable, costly therapies. GRTs are highly valuable as they extend life through sustained, long-term efficacy or by saving on the costs of a current high-cost standard of care. Some payers have implemented payment models, which do not address the budget impact on the year of acquisition or administration of costly GRTs. This study aims to (1) introduce amortization as an accounting tool within the context of healthcare, specifically for GRTs, (2) present a systematic literature review (SLR) on the amortization or depreciation of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, (3) assess the rationale and feasibility as well as the pros and cons of the amortization of GRTs, and (4) provide recommendations for future steps for the introduction of amortization for GRTs. The limited literature, identified in the SLR, has proposed amortization as a solution for costly, highly valuable GRT funding, but did not fully investigate and detail amortization and its feasibility. This paper further details and illustrates amortization as a promising method for these GRTs by facilitating market and patient access. Current accounting principles and guidelines must evolve to apply amortization to GRTs.
Skin imprints to provide noninvasive metabolic profiling of COVID-19 patients
Authors: Delafiori Jeany , Siciliano Rinaldo Focaccia , de Oliveira Arthur Noin , Nicolau José Carlos , Sales Geovana Manzan , Dalçóquio Talia Falcão , Busanello Estela Natacha Brandt , Eguti Adriana , de Oliveira Diogo Noin , Bertolin Adriadne Justi , dos Santos Luiz Augusto , Salsoso Rocío , Marcondes-Braga Fabiana G , Durán Nelson , Perroud Maurício Wesley , Sabino Ester Cerdeira , Reis Leonardo Oliveira , Fávaro Wagner José , Catharino Rodrigo Ramos
Published: April 2021

As the current COVID-19 pandemic progresses, more symptoms and signals related to how the disease manifests in the human body arise in the literature. Skin lesions and coagulopathies may be confounding factors on routine care and patient management. We analyzed the metabolic and lipidic profile of the skin from COVID-19 patients using imprints in silica plates as a non-invasive alternative, in order to better understand the biochemical disturbances caused by SARS-CoV-2 in the skin. One hundred and one patients (64 COVID-19 positive patients and 37 control patients) were enrolled in this cross-sectional study from April 2020 to June 2020 during the first wave of COVID-19 in São Paulo, Brazil. Fourteen biomarkers were identified related to COVID-19 infection (7 increased and 7 decreased in COVID-19 patients). Remarkably, oleamide has shown promising performance, providing 79.0% of sensitivity on a receiver operating characteristic curve model. Species related to coagulation and immune system maintenance such as phosphatidylserines were decreased in COVID-19 patients; on the other hand, cytokine storm and immunomodulation may be affected by molecules increased in the COVID-19 group, particularly primary fatty acid amides and N-acylethanolamines, which are part of the endocannabinoid system. Our results show that skin imprints may be a useful, noninvasive strategy for COVID-19 screening, by electing a pool of biomarkers with diagnostic potential.
Whole exome sequencing improves mutation detection in Hailey–Hailey disease
Authors: Wang Zhe , Wang Zhenzhen , Sun Lele , Yu Xueping , Pang Zheng , Liu Hong , Zhang Furen
Published: April 2021

Hailey–Hailey disease (HHD) is an autosomal dominant monogenic disease that is defective in the ATP2C1 gene. In previous studies, Sanger sequencing was the main method applied to detect mutations in HHD patients, and no mutations in the ATP2C1 gene were found in 12–55% of those reported. The aim of our study was to carry out whole exome sequencing (WES) for the HHD patients in whom efforts to identify mutations by Sanger sequencing had failed, and to find a new pathogenic gene. WES was performed using genomic DNA from 13 HHD patients and 364 in‐house healthy controls. Potential pathogenic mutations were subsequently validated by Sanger sequencing. As a result, eight mutations in the ATP2C1 gene were identified using WES. In the remaining five patients, we found one mutation in the ATP2A2 gene which was the causal gene of Darier’s disease. Four patients had no detectable mutations in ATP2C1 and the other ATPase genes. Together with our previous study in 2019, the total mutation rate was calculated to be 47/52 (90.4%). These findings demonstrate that WES is capable of improving the mutation detection sensitivity in HHD compared with Sanger sequencing.
Effect of natural antimicrobial agent (MicroGARD) combined with edible coating (NatureSeal) treatment on fresh‐cut butternut squash
Authors: Yang En , Fan Lihua , Jiang Yueming , Doucette Craig , Fillmore Sherry , Han Qinqin
Published: April 2021

To improve fresh‐cut produce quality and shelf life, 0.5% or 1.0% MicroGARD® 730 (MG) as a natural alternative to synthetic chemical preservatives, 2.5% NatureSeal® (NS) product (vitamin/mineral‐based blends), 0.5% MG combined with 2.5% NS, and 1% MG combined with 2.5% NS were used to treat fresh‐cut butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata). The 240 g samples were put into food grade bags and stored at 4 or 7 °C. Microbial population, including aerobic plate counts (APCs), yeast and molds, total coliforms, and quality parameters, including head space O2/CO2 concentration in package, pH, soluble solids, color, and conductivity, were evaluated after 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 20 days of storage. Results showed that after 6 days of storage at 7 °C, APC of check and control samples reached to 2.6 × 108 and 1.5 × 107 CFU/g, respectively; while they were kept at 104 CFU/g (3 to 4 log reduction) in the squash samples treated with 0.5% or 1% MG combined with NS at 7 °C. Similar results were found on squash samples stored at 4 °C for 9 days. The cut squash treated with MG combined with NS had APC ≤ 107 CFU/g at 4 °C for about 20 days compared to 9 days in controls or 0.5% MG‐treated samples, and 12 days in 1% MG‐treated or NS‐treated samples, respectively. Considering overall quality and extended shelf life, MG combined with NS was recommended to apply to cut squashes stored at 4 °C.

Practical Application

This research provided useful information and practical treatment application for developing fresh‐cut produce with good quality and extended shelf life up to 20 days at 4 °C.
Severe simulated herbivory constrains Sclerocarya birrea saplings regardless of resource availability
Authors: Scogings Peter F. , De Fortier An
Published: April 2021

Allocation of carbon to growth and defences in plants is affected by resource availability and herbivory, two determinants of woody plant abundance in savannas. Both factors are critical at the sapling stage of woody plants, yet their combined effects on sapling growth and defence have been poorly studied in savannas. Sclerocarya birrea is an iconic keystone species in southern African savannas, widely used by herbivores and humans. We hypothesised that low resource availability or high herbivory intensity would reduce growth and nutritional value for herbivores, but high resource availability or low herbivory intensity would increase growth and nutritional value. Support for our hypothesis would imply that any level of browsing intensity (relative to unbrowsed plants), regardless of resource availability, would potentially hold saplings in a browser trap because of reduced growth or improved nutritional value. We explored responses of S. birrea saplings to five levels of nutrient fertiliser and six levels of simulated browsing intensity. Low fertiliser application rates did not affect growth, but the highest fertiliser rate increased canopy growth. The most severe intensities of simulated browsing negatively affected growth and nutritional value. Our results suggested that either resource limitation throughout the growing season, or extremely intense browsing early in the growing season, is potentially able to retard long‐term growth of saplings and delay recruitment of adults. Although saplings that are severely browsed early in the growing season might not be re‐browsed later in the same season because of their reduced nutritional value, their weakened nitrogen status would be an additional limitation to regrowth. No significant interactions between resource availability and herbivory intensity were detected, which we suggest resulted from responses to resource availability and herbivory operating at different temporal scales. We recommend that future experiments of this type include carefully timed measurements to detect transient responses.
The effect of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 299v together with a low dose of iron on iron status in healthy pregnant women: A randomized clinical trial
Authors: Axling Ulrika , Önning Gunilla , Martinsson Niskanen Titti , Larsson Niklas , Hansson Stefan R. , Hulthén Lena
Published: April 2021

Introduction

Iron deficiency during pregnancy is a global health problem and is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. The aim of this randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study was to evaluate the effect of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 299v (Lp299v, 1010 colony forming units), 4.2 mg iron, 12 mg ascorbic acid and 30 µg folic acid (Lp) on iron status in healthy, non‐anemic, pregnant Swedish women.

Material and methods

A total of 326 women were randomized to receive Lp (n = 161) or placebo (n = 165) twice daily from gestational week 10–12 until end of pregnancy or until the potential start of iron therapy. The primary endpoint was serum ferritin at week 28.

Results

Intake of Lp attenuated the decrease in serum ferritin from baseline to week 28 (p = 0.003) and week 35 (p ˂ 0.001) and resulted in reduced prevalence of iron deficiency (59% vs 78%, p = 0.017) and iron deficiency anemia (7.4% vs 21%, p = 0.023) at week 35. Intake of Lp also resulted in beneficial effects on the soluble transferrin receptor (p = 0.011) and total body iron (p ˂ 0.001) at week 35. Gestational length and birthweight were comparable between groups. The proportion of women reporting adverse events during the study was comparable between groups.

Conclusions

Intake of Lp from early pregnancy was safe, attenuated the loss of iron stores and improved iron status in healthy pregnant women.
Mining in Africa after the supercycle: New directions and geographies
Authors: Bowman Andrew , Frederiksen Tomas , Bryceson Deborah Fahy , Childs John , Gilberthorpe Emma , Newman Susan
Published: April 2021

Mining in Africa is at a pivotal moment. For most of the period 2000 to 2012, the extractive industries were in a “supercycle” of sustained high commodity prices. Driven by resource‐intensive growth in emerging market economies, these high commodity prices were anticipated to continue for decades to come. However, this “supercycle” ended in 2012 and there followed a severe slump in mineral prices from 2014 onwards. On the one hand, a new era of commodity market dynamics has begun, with changing patterns of economic activity, minerals governance, and environmental regulation. On the other hand, the end of the supercycle has continued or intensified pre‐existing trends towards mechanisation, automation, and enclavity, while distributive pressures on companies by local communities and host nations increase. We argue that the end of the supercycle has reconfigured the geographies of extraction in ways that are not yet reflected in existing research or taken into consideration in policy implementation, particularly around corporate strategy, state–business relations, and models for mineral‐based development strategies. In this paper we map the terrain of research on the supercycle in Africa and identify emerging post‐supercycle trends – some of which have overtaken research. The paper is structured around examining four themes: (1) new geographies of investment and extraction; (2) new geographies of struggle; (3) national minerals‐based development; and (4) labour and livelihoods, for which we identify key trends during the supercycle and post‐supercycle and areas for future research and policy development.
Long access to cocaine self‐administration dysregulates the glutamate synapse in the nucleus accumbens core of serotonin transporter knockout rats
Authors: Caffino Lucia , Mottarlini Francesca , Targa Giorgia , Verheij Michel M. M. , Homberg Judith , Fumagalli Fabio
Published: April 2021

Background and Purpose

It is well established that the nucleus accumbens and glutamate play a critical role in the motivation to take drugs of abuse. We have previously demonstrated that rats with ablation of the serotonin (5‐HT) transporter (SERT−/− rats) show increased cocaine intake reminiscent of compulsivity.

Experimental Approach

By comparing SERT−/− to SERT+/+ rats, we set out to explore whether SERT deletion influences glutamate neurotransmission under control conditions as well as after short access (1 h/session) or long access (6 h/session) to cocaine self‐administration.

Key Results

Rats were killed at 24 h after the final self‐administration session for ex vivo molecular analyses of the glutamate system (vesicular and glial transporters, post‐synaptic subunits of NMDA and AMPA receptors and their related scaffolding proteins). Such analyses were undertaken in the nucleus accumbens core. In cocaine‐naïve animals, SERT deletion evoked widespread abnormalities in markers of glutamatergic neurotransmission that, overall, indicate a reduction of glutamate signalling. These results suggest that 5‐HT is pivotal for the maintenance of accumbal glutamate homeostasis. We also found that SERT deletion altered glutamate homeostasis mainly after long access, but not short access, to cocaine.

Conclusion and Implications

Our findings reveal that SERT deletion may sensitize the glutamatergic synapses of the nucleus accumbens core to the long access but not short access, intake of cocaine.

LINKED ARTICLES

This article is part of a themed issue on New discoveries and perspectives in mental and pain disorders. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v179.17/issuetoc
Use, Exchange, and Speculation: The Politics of Inhabitance and the Right to the City in Urban Peru
Authors: Skrabut Kristin
Published: April 2021

The protagonist of Lefebvre’s “Right to the City” is the citaden, a citizen‐denizen whose rights are produced through residency and incumbent contributions to everyday urban life. Yet, in the shantytowns of Lima where people have long believed that residency generates rights, what it means to “do residency” (hacer vivencia) is itself contested. Drawing on twenty‐one months of fieldwork in the Limeño shantytown of Pachacútec, Peru, I show that “inhabitance” is a multidimensional construct and that the relationship between inhabitance and rights to spatial appropriation and political participation is a primary source of conflict, generating questions about community belonging, democratic representation, and the moral status of property transfers. Far from neatly resolving the inequalities generated by capitalist property relations, this case demonstrates that Lefebvre’s “right to the city” entails many of its own questions: What actions constitute residency? Do people have differential rights based on differential contributions to community life? And can rights to space be earned, leading to tenure security, or must they always be actively performed? As Peruvians answer these questions in the course of building their cities and their lives, they illuminate the ambiguities and challenges inherent in realizing the “right to the city” in Latin America's urban peripheries.
Iconicity and Diachronic Language Change
Authors: Monaghan Padraic , Roberts Seán G.
Published: April 2021

Iconicity, the resemblance between the form of a word and its meaning, has effects on behavior in both communicative symbol development and language learning experiments. These results have invited speculation about iconicity being a key feature of the origins of language, yet the presence of iconicity in natural languages seems limited. In a diachronic study of language change, we investigated the extent to which iconicity is a stable property of vocabulary, alongside previously investigated psycholinguistic predictors of change. Analyzing 784 English words with data on their historical forms, we found that stable words are higher in iconicity, longer in length, and earlier acquired during development, but that the role of frequency and grammatical category may be less important than previously suggested. Iconicity is revealed as a feature of ultra‐conserved words and potentially also as a property of vocabulary early in the history of language origins.
Corporate venture capital, disclosure, and financial reporting
Authors: Hamm Sophia J. W. , Jung Michael J. , Park Min
Published: April 2021

Research Question/Issue

Corporate venture capital (CVC) is one of the most important avenues for corporate innovation today, yet there can be unintended consequences related to anticompetitive practices. Recent scrutiny from regulators and policymakers underscores their growing desire for more information about firms' CVC investment activities, even of those previously believed to be too small to matter.

Research Findings/Insights

Using a comprehensive sample of 115 publicly listed US parent firms that owned 133 CVC firms, we document that for almost half of the firm‐years in our sample, parent firms do not disclose any information about their CVC program. Among the parent firms that do disclose their CVC activities, we find that they disclose less when they make investments in industries outside of their core industry. Firms with a CVC program, relative to similar firms without a CVC program, tend to make more future acquisitions and report less future goodwill asset write‐downs.

Theoretical/Academic Implications

Variation in details of CVC disclosures explained by within‐industry versus outside‐industry investments is consistent with theories on voluntary/discretionary disclosure. Future research can examine other characteristics of CVC investments that explain how parent firms report their CVC activities.

Practitioner/Policy Implications

This study documents the current state of affairs with respect to the amount of publicly available CVC information for a large sample of firms, an important starting point for regulators and policymakers to conduct an informed debate about whether disclosure requirements should be expanded. Our focus on investment disclosures can apply to other settings in which the investing public could benefit from greater transparency, such as Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs).
Machine learning on microbiome research in gastrointestinal cancer
Authors: Cheung Henley , Yu Jun
Published: April 2021

Gastrointestinal cancer maintains the highest incidence and mortality rate among all cancers globally. In addition to genetic causes, it has been reported that individuals' diet and composition of the gastrointestinal microbiome have profound impacts on gastrointestinal cancer development. Microbiome research has risen in popularity to provide alternative insights into cancer development and potential therapeutic effect. However, there is a lack of an effective analytical tool to comprehend the massive amount of data generated from high‐throughput sequencing methods. Artificial intelligence is another rapidly developing field that has strong application potential in microbiome research. Deep learning and machine learning are two subfields under the umbrella of artificial intelligence. Here we discuss the current approaches to study the gut microbiome, as well as the applications and challenges of implementing artificial intelligence in microbiome research.
Toll‐interacting protein polymorphisms in viral bronchiolitis outcomes
Authors: Törmänen Sari , Teräsjärvi Johanna , Nuolivirta Kirsi , He Qiushui , Korppi Matti , Lauhkonen Eero
Published: April 2021

Background

Toll‐interacting protein is a key factor in regulating innate immunity responses via gatekeeping Toll‐like receptors. Genetic variance in innate immunity has been linked with susceptibility to infections. Children with viral bronchiolitis in infancy are at increased risk of later asthma. The aim was to evaluate the role of toll‐interacting protein gene point mutations in severity of bronchiolitis and subsequent risk of asthma.

Methods

Infants less than 6 months old were recruited during hospitalization due to bronchiolitis. In all, 166 children were prospectively followed up to age of 1.5, 6, and 11 years. Clinical data on viral etiology and severity markers, and further post‐bronchiolitis asthma and lung function outcomes were compared with genetic differences in two single‐nucleotide point mutations rs116938768 and rs5743854 in the toll‐interacting protein gene.

Results

Toll‐interacting protein rs116938768 or rs5743854 did not show significant associations with severity markers or viral etiology of bronchiolitis. Follow‐up data on current asthma or lung function at 6 or 11 years of age after bronchiolitis were not associated with the investigated mutations.

Conclusion

Toll‐interacting protein gene point mutations in rs116938768 or rs5743854 were not involved with the clinical course of viral bronchiolitis in early infancy, and did not predict post‐bronchiolitis asthma or lung function reduction by the age of 11 years.
Contextual analyticity
Authors: Bochner Gregory
Published: April 2021

My double aim in this paper is to argue for the claims that, when they are formed in certain ways, some judgements expressed by “I am here now” are both (a) apriori (although not solely in virtue of their meaning), and (b) necessary (albeit trivially so). I will submit that such judgements are “analytic” in the same sense that some judgements are “immune to error through misidentification” when this notion is understood in a relativistic way: in both cases, no component of the content determines the referents upon which the truth of the corresponding judgement depends. I will attempt to show that, beyond conventionally‐analytic sentences which are supposed to be (known apriori to be) true just in virtue of (knowledge of their) meaning, there are also contextuallyanalytic judgements that are (known apriori to be) true in virtue of (apriori knowledge of the) reflexive relation between the context of the judgement and the circumstance of evaluation which it targets.
The organ supply chain: Geography and the inequalities of transplant logistics
Authors: Cole Harrison
Published: April 2021

This paper describes how supply chain management practices are applied to the process of organ transplantation in the USA. While these practices are meant to increase the volume of organs available for transplantation, I argue that they may in fact exacerbate existing inequities of access to treatment. This is an especially pressing issue given that the number of people currently on the organ transplant waiting list far exceeds the number of organs available for transplantation, a situation referred to as the organ shortage crisis. A contributing factor to this disparity is the spatiotemporal distribution of transplant centres, donors, and recipients, considering that the transplant process is so time‐sensitive and time‐intensive. In response, the healthcare industry is developing systems that smooth and accelerate the procurement and delivery of organs, creating a logistical network that is standardised, data‐driven, and able to be deployed at a moment’s notice. However, these new systems draw design inspiration from those originally developed for profit‐based corporate supply chains, and thus risk employing the spatial logics of corporate supply chain management practices. Drawing from interviews with transplant and other medical professionals, I argue that applying these practices to the organ transplant network may end up privileging already‐advantaged patients, when instead, a truly equitable network must attend to the uneven landscape of transplantation in the USA. Furthermore, I argue that these technologies should not necessarily be resisted outright, but rather adopted in the interest of universal access as opposed to the maintenance of profitability.
Tracing Clostridium perfringens strains along the chicken production chain from farm to slaughter by multilocus sequence typing
Authors: Xu Wenping , Wang Hairong , Chen Suo , Chen Yong , Liu Lixue , Wu Wei
Published: April 2021

The current study is undertaken to characterize the prevalence, genotypes distribution, antibiotic resistance and genetic diversity of Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) collected from different stages of a chicken production chain. In total, 579 samples from a broiler farm and 378 samples from the slaughterhouse were collected from a large‐scale rearing and slaughter one‐stop enterprise in Weifang, China, between June and July 2019, of which 30.40% of the samples from farm and 54.50% of samples from slaughterhouse were determined to be positive for C. perfringens, respectively. The contamination of chicken products was relatively serious, with the total positive rate of carcasses at 59.73%; the positive rate of carcass samples was the highest in the evisceration process, which might be the critical point of C. perfringens contamination. A total of 476 isolates of C. perfringens were recovered; and 99.58% of recovered isolates were identified as type A, with the remaining isolates being type G. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed that 97.15% of the isolates showed multiple antibiotic resistance and 67.89% of them were resistant to at least five classes of commonly used antibiotics. Multilocus sequence typing results of 91 representative isolates showed that the isolates can be divided into 74 sequences types (STs); 40.66% of the isolates can be included into seven clonal complexes (CCs). Although most of the isolates were classified as type A, considerable genetic diversity was observed, with the Simpson's diversity index of ST up to 0.9902. Some isolates from farm stage and slaughter stage were distributed in the same ST or CC, indicating that chicken products may be contaminated by the same ST or CC of C. perfringens originated from the farm stage. The high contamination rates of chicken products and the widespread multiple antibiotic resistance of isolates indicated potential public health risks, control measures at rearing and slaughtering stage should be considered to reduce this risk.
A Statistical Methodology to Estimate Soiling Losses on Photovoltaic Solar Plants
Authors: Ribeiro Kymberlim , Santos Ricardo , Saraiva Erlandson , Rajagopal Ram
Published: April 2021

One of the challenges in photovoltaic solar plants is the performance maintenance in the presence of adverse environmental conditions. Soiling on the solar panels is one of those challenges having a high decrease impact on the power generation. This work proposes a statistical methodology that estimates the energy losses due to soiling on photovoltaic solar plants. Using environmental and power generation data, the proposed methodology predicts the energy generation using a regression model; and then evaluates if the differences between the observed energy generation data and the predicted energy data are due to soiling. The experiments to validate the system are based on one-year dataset of environmental and power generation data from a solar plant located in the northeast region of Brazil. The results showed that the daily energy losses estimates ranged from 2.20% up to 12.31% in a period less than a month.
Using mobile-device sensors to teach students error analysis
Authors: Monteiro Martín , Stari Cecila , Cabeza Cecila , Martí Arturo C.
Published: April 2021

Science students must deal with the errors inherent to all physical measurements and be conscious of the need to express them as a best estimate and a range of uncertainty. Errors are routinely classified as statistical or systematic. Although statistical errors are usually dealt with in the first years of science studies, the typical approaches are based on manually performing repetitive observations. Our work proposes a set of laboratory experiments to teach error and uncertainties based on data recorded with the sensors available in many mobile devices. The main aspects addressed are the physical meaning of the mean value and standard deviation and the interpretation of histograms and distributions. The normality of the fluctuations is analyzed qualitatively by comparing histograms with normal curves and quantitatively by comparing the number of observations in intervals to the number expected according to a normal distribution and also by performing a chi-squared test. We show that the distribution usually follows a normal distribution; however, when the sensor is placed on top of a loudspeaker playing a pure tone, significant differences with a normal distribution are observed. As applications to every day situations, we discuss the intensity of the fluctuations in different situations such as placing the device on a table or holding it with the hands in different ways. Other activities are focused on the smoothness of a road quantified in terms of the fluctuations registered by the accelerometer. The present proposal contributes to gaining a deep insight into modern technologies and statistical errors and, finally, motivating and encouraging engineering and science students.
A geometric method to locate Neptune
Authors: Bhatnagar Siddharth , Vyasanakere Jayanth P. , Murthy Jayant
Published: April 2021

We develop a direct geometric method to determine the orbital parameters and mass of a planet, and we then apply the method to Neptune using high-precision data for the other planets in the solar system. The method is direct in the sense that it does not involve curve fitting. This paper, thereby, offers a new pedagogical approach to orbital mechanics that could be valuable in a physics classroom.
Age- and Sex-Related Differences in Recovery From High-Intensity and Endurance Exercise: A Brief Review
Authors: Hottenrott Laura , Ketelhut Sascha , Schneider Christoph , Wiewelhove Thimo , Ferrauti Alexander
Published: April 2021

Postexercise recovery is a fundamental component for continuous performance enhancement. Due to physiological and morphological changes in aging and alterations in performance capacity, athletes of different ages may recover at different rates from physical exercise. Differences in body composition, physiological function, and exercise performance between men and women may also have a direct influence on restoration processes. Purpose: This brief review examines current research to indicate possible differences in recovery processes between male and female athletes of different age groups. The paper focuses on postexercise recovery following sprint and endurance tests and tries to identify determinants that modulate possible differences in recovery between male and female subjects of different age groups. Results: The literature analysis indicates age- and sex-dependent differences in short- and long-term recovery. Short-term recovery differs among children, adults, and masters. Children have shorter lactate half-life and a faster cardiac and respiratory recovery compared to adults. Additionally, children and masters require shorter recovery periods during interval bouts than trained adults. Trained women show a slower cardiac and respiratory recovery compared to trained men. Long-term recovery is strongly determined by the extent of muscle damage. Trained adults tend to have more extensive muscle damage compared to masters and children. Conclusion: The influence of age and sex on the recovery process varies among the different functional systems and depends on the time of the recovery processes. Irrespective of age and sex, the performance capacity of the individual determines the recovery process after high-intensity and endurance exercise.
The Effects of Nordic Walking Compared to Conventional Walking on Aerobic Capacity and Lipid Profile in Women Over 55 Years of Age
Authors: Witkowska Anna , Grabara Małgorzata , Kopeć Dorota , Nowak Zbigniew
Published: April 2021

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Nordic Walking compared to conventional walking on aerobic capacity, the lipid profile, left ventricular ejection fraction, body mass, and body mass index in women over 55 years old. Methods: The study was comprised of 74 women over 55 years of age. Participants were randomized to the Nordic Walking (n = 38) or conventional walking (n = 36) training groups. The echocardiogram, treadmill exercise stress test, lipid profile, and body mass were assessed at baseline (pretest) and after 12 weeks (posttest). Results: The authors found a significant main effect over time in duration (effect size [ES] = 0.59, P < .0001), distance covered (ES = 0.56, P < .0001), peak oxygen consumption (ES = 0.43, P < .0001), metabolic equivalent (ES = 0.29, P < .0001), peak heart rate (ES = 0.2, P < .0001), peak diastolic blood pressure (ES = 0.11, P = .0045), total cholesterol (ES = 0.26, P < .0001), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (ES = 0.16, P = .0005). The authors did not observe a time versus group interaction or the effect between groups. Post hoc tests revealed significant pretraining to posttraining differences in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol after the Nordic Walking training program and in peak diastolic blood pressure after the conventional walking training program. The heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure at rest, peak diastolic blood pressure, somatic parameters (body mass and body mass index), and left ventricular ejection fraction did not change in either group. Conclusions: Both training programs resulted in increases in aerobic capacity and decreases in total cholesterol.
Dealing With Statistical Significance in Big Data: The Social Media Value of Game Outcomes in Professional Football
Authors: Weimar Daniel , Soebbing Brian P. , Wicker Pamela
Published: April 2021

The identification of relevant effects is challenging in Big Data because larger samples are more likely to yield statistically significant effects. Professional sport teams attempting to identify the core drivers behind their follower numbers on social media also face this challenge. The purposes of this study are to examine the effects of game outcomes on the change rate of followers using big social media data and to assess the relative impact of determinants using dominance analysis. The authors collected data of 644 first division football clubs from Facebook (n = 297,042), Twitter (n = 292,186), and Instagram (n = 312,710) over a 19-month period. Our fixed-effects regressions returned significant findings for game outcomes. Therefore, the authors extracted the relative importance of wins, draws, and losses through dominance analysis, indicating that a victory yielded the highest increase in followers. For practitioners, the findings present opportunities to develop fan engagement, increase the number of followers, and enter new markets.
Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities Rely on Somatosensory Information Rather Than Visual Information to Catch a Ball
Authors: Tolentino-Castro W. , Mochizuki L. , Wagner H.
Published: April 2021

According to the literature, persons with intellectual disabilities have poor motor control in tasks in which motor anticipation is needed. Our study aimed to assess their motor behavior during interceptive tasks (a tennis ball interception with external-and-oneself throw conditions). A stick-bar was used as a reference or to support cloth to occlude a ball’s trajectory. Catch performance and interceptive behavior were analyzed (26 persons). The results show that high/low values of the initial approaching movement led to successful/successful catches, respectively. Our results are in line with the literature about the impact of poor motor control on performance in those with intellectual disabilities. We suggest that low anticipation may relate to problems in real-life situations.
Differential Effects of Perturbation Magnitude on Reactive Balance Control in Young Sedentary Adults
Authors: Zemková Erika , Cepková Alena , Muyor José M.
Published: April 2021

This study investigates postural responses to unexpected perturbations induced by a load release of different weights. Groups of 26 men (age 22.6 ± 2.4 years, height 178.0 ± 9.1 cm, and body mass 86.9 ± 11.5 kg) and 21 women (age 21.9 ± 2.7 years, height 168.8 ± 6.8 cm, and body mass 65.3 ± 8.7 kg) underwent load-triggered postural perturbations by 1 and 2 kg while standing on a force plate with either eyes open or eyes closed. Postural perturbations induced by a heavier load, representing about 2% and 3% of body weight in men and women, respectively, led to significantly higher peak anterior and peak posterior center of pressure displacements when compared with a lighter load (29.6% and 45.4%, respectively) both with eyes open (36.9%) and closed (42.1%). Their values were significantly lower in men than women only when a higher load was used (∼25%). However, there were no significant differences in time to peak anterior and posterior center of pressure displacements. These findings indicate that heavier load-induced postural perturbations are greater in women than men regardless of visual conditions. This underlines the importance of loading dose in the magnitude of postural responses to externally induced perturbations.
Structure motif–centric learning framework for inorganic crystalline systems
Authors: Banjade Huta R. , Hauri Sandro , Zhang Shanshan , Ricci Francesco , Gong Weiyi , Hautier Geoffroy , Vucetic Slobodan , Yan Qimin
Published: April 2021

A structure motif–centric, graph-based deep learning framework for inorganic crystalline materials is proposed.
Glucocorticoid exposure predicts survival in female baboons
Authors: Campos Fernando A. , Archie Elizabeth A. , Gesquiere Laurence R. , Tung Jenny , Altmann Jeanne , Alberts Susan C.
Published: April 2021

In wild female baboons, high fecal glucocorticoid concentrations measured repeatedly across adulthood predict shorter life spans.
Plastic waste to fuels by hydrocracking at mild conditions
Authors: Liu Sibao , Kots Pavel A. , Vance Brandon C. , Danielson Andrew , Vlachos Dionisios G.
Published: April 2021

Bifunctional catalyst blend is active in hydrocracking of plastic waste to valuable fuels and lubricants with high yields.
Biohybrid soft robots with self-stimulating skeletons
Authors: Guix Maria , Mestre Rafael , Patiño Tania , De Corato Marco , Fuentes Judith , Zarpellon Giulia , Sánchez Samuel
Published: April 2021

A skeletal muscle–based biobot with a self-stimulating serpentine spring skeleton demonstrates high-performance inertial swimming.
Merkel Cell Polyomavirus Infection Induces an Antiviral Innate Immune Response in Human Dermal Fibroblasts
Authors: Krump Nathan A. , Wang Ranran , Liu Wei , Yang June F. , Ma Tongcui , You Jianxin
Published: April 2021

MCC has a high rate of mortality and an increasing incidence. Immune-checkpoint therapies have improved the prognosis of patients with metastatic MCC.
Complete Genome Sequences of Two Enterococcus faecalis Bacteriophages, EFGrKN and EFGrNG, Targeted to Phage Therapy
Authors: Alkalay-Oren Sivan , Gold Naama , Khalifa Leron , Yerushalmy Ortal , Coppenhagen-Glazer Shunit , Nir-Paz Ran , Hazan Ronen
Published: April 2021

EFGrKN and EFGrNG are new
Enterococcus faecalis
phages that were isolated from sewage samples as part of the Israeli Phage Bank (IPB). The complete genomes were sequenced, analyzed, and deposited in GenBank. According to their lytic activity
in vitro
, it seems that these phages have a potential to be used in future phage therapy treatments.
Whole-Genome Sequencing and
De Novo
Assembly of 61 Staphylococcus pseudintermedius Isolates from Healthy Dogs and Dogs with Pyoderma
Authors: Francino O. , Pérez D. , Viñes J. , Fonticoba R. , Madroñero S. , Meroni G. , Martino P. , Martínez S. , Cusco A. , Fàbregas N. , Migura-García L. , Ferrer L.
Published: April 2021

We have
de novo
assembled and polished 61
Staphylococcus pseudintermedius
genome sequences with Nanopore-only long reads. Completeness was 99.25%. The average genome size was 2.70 Mbp, comprising 2,506 coding sequences, 19 complete rRNAs, 56 to 59 tRNAs, and 4 noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), as well as CRISPR arrays.
Complete Genome Sequences of Two
Pseudomonas
Species Isolated from Marine Environments of the Pacific Ocean
Authors: Wang Shi-Zhen , Cruaud Corinne , Aury Jean-Marc , Vallenet David , Poulain Julie , Vacherie Benoit , Zaparucha Anne , Vergne-Vaxelaire Carine
Published: April 2021

Pseudomonas marincola
YsY11 and
Pseudomonas oleovorans
T9AD were both isolated from marine environments of the Pacific Ocean. Here, we report the whole-genome sequences of these two organisms.
Pseudomonas marincola
YsY11 consists of a single 4.77-Mb chromosome, and
Pseudomonas oleovorans
T9AD consists of a 5.57-Mb chromosome and a 2.8-kb plasmid.
Macrolides in children: judicious use, avoiding resistance and reducing adverse effects
Authors: Patel Anisha , Meesters Kevin
Published: April 2021

Macrolides, a group of antibiotics molecularly characterised by a macrocyclic ring, are among the most frequently prescribed antibiotics for children. Beyond their antibacterial action, macrolides exert immunomodulatory effects. Prophylactic use is increasing. Macrolides are usually well tolerated in children, and dosing schedules are convenient. Furthermore, increasing data suggests that their prophylactic usage reduces the exacerbation frequency in children with bronchiectasis. Yet, to preserve their antibacterial action, each macrolide prescription should be judiciously considered. For prophylactic use, the indication should be regularly reviewed, and usage longer than 6 months should be avoided to reduce antimicrobial resistance.
Traumatic life events and risk of post-traumatic stress disorder among the Indigenous population of regional, remote and metropolitan Central-Eastern Australia: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Nasir Bushra F , Black Emma , Toombs Maree , Kisely Steve , Gill Neeraj , Beccaria Gavin , Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan Srinivas , Nicholson Geoffrey
Published: April 2021

Objective

Trauma is reported by 70% of the global population and 4% of those exposed develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but data from Indigenous populations are limited. We aimed to determine the prevalence, types and age of occurrence of traumatic events among community-living Indigenous Australians and associations with PTSD.

Design

Lifetime trauma and PTSD were quantified among a broadly representative sample of 544 Indigenous participants using a diagnostic clinical interview. Logistic regression examined predictors of PTSD.

Setting

Metropolitan, regional and remote areas of Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales.

Participants

Indigenous Australians 18 years and older.

Outcome measures

Prevalence of traumatic life events and risk of PTSD.

Results

64.9% of participants (standardised prevalence 62.6%) reported lifetime trauma, with more than one trauma category in 62.3%. Females reported 2.3 times more sexual violence, otherwise no gender differences existed. The prevalence of four common trauma categories were 1.7–3.0 times higher than in the Australian population; physical violence being the highest relative risk. Although overall childhood trauma was not increased, sexual or physical violence before age 15 was twice more common than in the Australian population.

The standardised prevalence of 12-month PTSD was 13.3% (95% CI 10.4 to 16.1), 16.1% (95% CI 12.2 to 19.9) in females and 8.2% (95% CI 5.3 to 11.1) in males, three times the Australian rates. In multiple regression analysis, independent predictors of PTSD were female gender (OR 2.1), rural residence (OR 3.0), trauma under age 10 (OR 2.2), sexual (without physical) violence (OR 2.5), physical (without sexual) violence (OR 2.3), and both sexual and physical violence (OR 5.0).

Conclusion

Indigenous Australians are more likely to experience potentially harmful traumas and develop PTSD than other Australians. Mitigation of trauma among Indigenous Australians, particularly childhood exposure and sexual or physical violence, is essential to reduce their high burden of PTSD.