bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Monitoring of ecosystem types in Lake Toba Region, North Sumatra
Authors: Sundari S , Kintamani E
Published: May 2021

The Sumatra forest was estimated with high biodiversity and the second largest rate of deforestation after Kalimantan. However, the research about monitoring dynamics around the Lake Toba are still unknown. The aim of this research is to obtain information about changes in structure and composition of mountain forest in Lake Toba Region during 2018-2019. Vegetation survey in the old secondary forest around the Lake Toba Region, North Sumatra covers 0.9 ha area using 30 x 30m totalling 10 plots had been conducted in three villages, i.e., Jangga Dolok, Ambar Halim and Halado. The results showed that the highest Importance Value Index (IVI) of tree species during 2018 and 2019 in Jangga Dolok were Glochidion zeylanicum, Symplocos sp., and Schima wallichii; in Ambar Halim were Gordonia sp., Ardisia laevigata, and Xanthophyllum leave; in Halado were Lithocarpus sundaicus, Aporosa falcifera, and Gymnacranthera sp. The plots were dominated by vegetation with a diameter of 5-<10 cm. The density, the number of recruitments, and dead vegetation in Ambar Halim plot were the highest among the sites, followed by Jangga Dolok and Halado. The overall stand composition and structure of the plots in 2019 was mostly the same as in 2018.
Effect of salinity on phenothypic soybean mutant character (Glycine max (L.) Merr)
Authors: Simanjuntak A P , Hanafiah D S , Siregar L A M
Published: May 2021

Get saline-tolerant soybean seeds can be produced using soybean mutant seeds that are induced by chemical or physical mutations. This study used soybean mutant that has previously been chemically induced by colchicine which is expected to produce plants that able to adapt to saline soils. This field experiment was conducted on January-March 2020 in Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sumatera Utara. The experiment was arranged in a Randomized Block Design with one treatment that are levels of salinity (0; 2; 4; 6 dS/m) with ten replicates for each treatment. The data were analyzed statistically using ANOVA and then following by the DMRT test at 5% level. The results of this study show that increasing salinity can decrease phenotypic characters, were root length, root volume, root dry weight, canopy dry weight, and length of stomata. However, we discovered that soybean mutant can well grow at S3 (4 dS/m) as following the parameters were plants height (21.77cm), stem diameter (2.90cm), amount of stomata (42.67 stomata), and width of stomata (15.76 µm). Moreover, we discovered that the chlorophyll content of the soybean mutant increases until at 4 dS/m (7.67 g/ml).
The responses of soil enzyme and microbial activities of shallot plantation under treatments of Liquid Organic Biofertilizer and sprout extract and its effect on the yield
Authors: Dewi T K , Antonius S , Sutisna E , Mulyani N
Published: May 2021

Soil enzymes activities can be used to measures of microbial activity, soil productivity, soil ecology and fertility. Soil enzyme and microbial activities act as the indicators of soil health. The objectives of this study were to examine the influence of liquid organic biofertilizer and sprout extract on soil enzyme and microbial activities and their effect in shallot yield. The experimental design was completely randomized block design with three different treatments as following liquid organic biofertilizer (LOB), sprout extract (SE), and mixed of liquid organic fertilizer and sprout extract. The result showed that treatment of LOB gave the highest activity of phosphomonoesterase and urease measured, and followed by SE, LOB+SE and control. The LOB treatment showed the highest microbial respiration as also indicated in the highest population number of total bacteria. However, LOB + SE treatment gave the highest number of IAA producing bacteria as well as the yield of shallot. Therefore, it is confirmed from this work that application of liquid organic biofertilizer and sprout extract potentially could increase soil enzyme activities, microbial population number and the yield of shallot.
Effect of commercial NPK fertilizer on growth and biomass of Navicula sp. and Nannochloropsis sp
Authors: Lathifah W , Fikri R A , Hidayati N A , Anggraini I D , Putri N , Prabowo B , Marno S
Published: May 2021

Microalgae as a source of biodiesel precursor are promising by pointing out several advantages of its cultivation, such as able to be cultivated in non-arable land, high growth rate with high biomass yield, high lipid content, and renewable. Mass cultivation of microalgae requires large amount of nutrients which makes it economically impractical. To overcome this problem, an alternative medium which contains cheaper nutrients sources should be addressed. In this research, the growth and biomass productivity of Navicula sp. and Nannochloropsis sp. were compared in the commonly used F/2 medium and modified medium containing commercial NPK fertilizer. The results indicated that Navicula sp. and Nannochloropsis sp. can thrive in modified F/2-NPK medium under continuous illumination, while NPK-only medium didn’t show any significant increase in growth and biomass accumulation for both strains compared to initial cell inoculation. Cell optical density at 750 nm and biomass dry weight of 80% F/2 and 50% F/2 medium were comparable to that in F/2 control medium for both strains, indicating that Navicula sp. and Nannochloropsis sp. have a similar requirement for nutrients types. Furthermore, higher specific growth rate of Nannochloropsis sp. than Navicula sp. seen in both modified medium showed its favorable condition for growth.
Identification of Prospective Soybean Accessions for the Creation of a Genebank Core Collection Based on High Density DNA Marker Data
Authors: Satyawan D , Tasma I M
Published: May 2021

Genebanks typically collect and conserve as many existing genetic variations as possible. However, a smaller core population that is representative of the whole collection but maintains as much diversity as possible is more practical for in-depth phenotypic characterization, genetic studies, and plant breeding. Here we describe genotype-based core collection development from USDA soybean germplasm collection, which contains 20,095 accessions that had been genotyped using 50,000 single nucleotide polymorphism DNA markers. Analysis using trimmed marker data and Core Hunter 3 software identified 382 accessions with maximum genetic distances from each other. Population structure analysis of the selected accessions indicated that the software favored admixed individuals instead of those with pure ancestor population genotypes. Allele frequencies of most markers are largely conserved in the core population, which indicates successful maintenance of alleles in the core population. Phenotypic variations for branch number and yield were largely similar to the original population, but slightly different for seed weight and maturity, where very high seed weight and high-latitude maturity groups were less prominent in the core collection. The resulting core population can be used as a base population for any institutions interested in utilizing worldwide soybean genetic diversity for breeding and genetic studies.
Lipid accumulation on optimized condition through biomass production in green algae
Authors: Anam K , Rahman D Y , Hidhayati N , Rachmayati R , Susilaningsih D , Agustini N W S , Praharyawan S , Susanti H , Apriastini M
Published: May 2021

Microalgae, mainly green algae, are well known as sources of lipids for food, feed, and energy. As our institution owned microalgae collections, we performed microalgae screening to find candidate/s, producing high lipid content. In this research, microalgae were screened by various media, and then the medium was optimized. Larger scale cultivation was done in order to find out the yield of the biomass production and lipid content. The condition with phosphate buffer was applied to increase the lipid accumulation. The lipid content was analyzed by Nile red staining. As a result, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Chlorella vulgaris showed high biomass production in the Tris-Acetate-Phosphate (TAP) medium. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii at four times concentration and C. vulgaris at the initial concentration of TAP medium demonstrated the most increased biomass production. The maximum biomass production and lipid content was 0.9 g/l and 31% for C.
reinhardtii and 1.7 g/l and 27% for C. vulgaris, respectively. Under starvation, the lipid content was increased up to 52% for C. reinhardtii and 34% for C. vulgaris, which were higher than their control. From this study, the TAP medium was found to have the most increased biomass production, and starvation enhanced lipid accumulation.
Dilution of nutrient elements formulation in culture media for in vitro conservation of Coffea arabica AS2K variety
Authors: Ibrahim M S D , Randriani E , Ajijah N
Published: May 2021

In vitro conservation technology is one of the strategies to maintain the genetic diversity of perennial plants, such as Arabica coffee. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of nutrient elements dilution on the emphasis of growth of Arabica coffee micro cuttings of AS2K variety. The plant materials were Arabica coffee plantlets of AS2K variety which were reproduced using Murashige and Skoog (MS) media and given BA 2 g L−1, sucrose 30 g L−1, and phytagel 2.5 g L−1. The treatment conservation used MS medium without adding growth regulator with sucrose 30 g L−1 and phytagel 2.5 g L−1. The examined treatment was the dilution of MS nutrient elements into a half (1/2) and a quarter (1/4) of the basic concentration, the full (basic) MS as the control. The experimental design used was a completely randomized design with 10 replications. The results showed that Arabica coffee culture on 1/2 MS media can be considered for conservation since it is cost-effective, able to reduce the growth of shoots and produce more rooted plantlets than controls. This media culture can be stored for 8 months without morphological changes so that it can recover spontaneously.
A Brief Talk on the Description Method of Residual Oil in Thick Reservoir
Authors: Xu Li Hai
Published: May 2021

After years of development and adjustment, Xingnan Oilfield has entered the stage of high water-cut development. The main reservoirs are flooded seriously and the remaining oil distribution is complex. The main contradictions of reservoir development are transferred from interlayer and plane contradictions to intralayer contradictions. The heterogeneity of reservoir internal structure is the core geological factor that leads to the complicated watered-out form and residual oil distribution in the later stage of oilfield development. Taking the eastern pure oil area of Xingshi District as the research object, this paper determines the description method of residual oil in thick reservoirs, which provides technical support for the follow-up tapping potential of thick reservoirs.
Detection and Comparison of Self-made Rapid Membrane Testing Machine for Ultrafiltration membrane and anofiltration membranes
Authors: Guo Linyuan , Dai Qiang , Rong Yan , Jin Dong
Published: May 2021

Pure water permeability and retention as the important performance index of ultrafiltration membrane and nanofiltration membrane is the key to determine theirs quality. In view of the lack of uniform conditions, uniform standards and mixed enterprise standards, this paper studies the self-made rapid membrane testing machine for the determination of pure water permeability and retention of ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membranes, and compares the data with other testing institutions.
Intelligent Control System Based on Artificial Neural Network Applied research in autotrophic nitrogen removal process
Authors: He Sijie , Tang Longqing , Liu Yuanxin , He Ximei , Chen Jia , Wen Xin
Published: May 2021

In view of the difficulty in controlling the stable operation of autotrophic nitrogen removal system, this study plans to design a DO intelligent control system based on artificial neural network control, which can intelligently and accurately control dissolved oxygen in liquid phase according to the water inflow and operation state of the system. Firstly, the autotrophic nitrogen removal system was constructed step by step, and the influence of dissolved oxygen with different concentrations was explored by using the characteristics of system microbes sensitive to dissolved oxygen. Then, the dissolved oxygen intelligent control system based on artificial neural network was developed. Finally, the operation mode of autotrophic nitrogen removal process optimized by the dissolved oxygen intelligent control system based on artificial neural network was explored and the key parameters of system operation were put forward. The single-stage autotrophic nitrogen removal system equipped with DO precise control system was tested by artificial simulated wastewater. Under various load conditions, the total nitrogen removal rate of the system was more than 86%, and the system was efficient and stable.
Efficiency evaluation of green supply chains based on fuzzy chance constrained three-stage DEA model
Authors: Chen Rui , Xu Zhongwen
Published: May 2021

Nowadays, environmental pollution and resource waste are in the way of economic development of companies. Hence, it is vital to balance the relationship of economy, society and environment. Based on this, green supply chain management comes into being. Efficiency evaluation, being a main premise of implementing green supply chain management, not only can get knowledge of the overall performance of a company, but also can discover the inefficient parts. In a word, evaluating the performance of green supply chain is a hot topic in recent years. Traditional DEA model treats DMU as a “black box”, which makes the efficiency value higher than that of actual one. Based on it, we study deeper into every subsystems of the overall supply chain, accompanied by multi objective programming model and network DEA model. In the process of coping with the proposed multi objective network DEA, we apply AHP method to determine the weights of each subsystem. In addition, considering the data observed is not always crisp and precise, therefore, we describe them with fuzzy data, and then apply chance constrained possibility programming to cope with it. In the case study, taking 10 enterprises for example, we calculate the overall efficiency and each subsystem’s efficiency value, and propose managerial insights.
Analysis of water flooded characteristics Qualitative analysis of factors affecting water flooding Horizontal well
Authors: Li Xiaowei
Published: May 2021

In production practice, water flooding is mostly used in oil recovery in China, and water flooding occurs in oilfields due to improper artificial water injection. We must understand the Flooded characteristics to take remedial measures for flooding timely. In addition, compared with vertical wells, horizontal wells have the advantages of high recovery index, low production pressure difference, long waterless production period, and so on. Therefore, this paper will also make a brief analysis of the influencing factors of horizontal well flooding.Therefore, the analysis of the above two aspects can be used to adjust and adjust the oil field plan.
A Design of Integrated Protection Principle for Box-type Substation
Authors: Zhang Yunchi , Gao Houlei , Du Shichang
Published: May 2021

Box-type substation plays a very important role in distribution network. The protection of traditional box-type substation needs to be equipped with multiple equipment, and there is often a lack of selectivity between protections of low-voltage side and low-voltage outgoing lines of transformer. In order to solve these problems, an integrated protection principle of box-type substation is proposed, which uses relay protection to replace the traditional protection form. An adaptive fault component overcurrent protection is proposed to improve the sensitivity of protection, and an operation time selection criterion is put forward to ensure selectivity and clear fault quickly in some cases. Finally, the performance of proposed protection principle is verified by PSCAD simulation.
Research on precise ammonia injection technology in thermal power plant
Authors: Tu Anqi , Zhu Yujie
Published: May 2021

Under the situation of ultra-low emission in China, SCR denitration system generally has the problem of high ammonia escape from the reactor outlet, and the escape ammonia reacts with SO3 in flue gas to generate NH4HSO4, which will aggravate the blockage of air preheater and affect the denitration efficiency, so the ammonia injection has a great impact on the NOx emission concentration of power plant. In this paper, how to accurately spray ammonia in SCR denitration system is introduced in detail, that is, after the flow field partition optimization of denitration system, the corresponding advanced measurement system, advanced control system and actuator are added combined with the partition.
Segmenting lung lesions of COVID-19 from CT images via pyramid pooling improved Unet
Authors: Ma Yinjin , Feng Peng , He Peng , Ren Yong , Guo Xiaodong , Yu Xiaoliu , Wei Biao
Published: May 2021

Segmenting lesion regions of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) from computed tomography (CT) images is a challenge owing to COVID-19 lesions characterized by high variation, low contrast between infection lesions and around normal tissues, and blurred boundaries of infections. Moreover, a shortage of available CT dataset hinders deep learning techniques applying to tackling COVID-19. To address these issues, we propose a deep learning-based approach known as PPM-Unet to segmenting COVID-19 lesions from CT images. Our method improves an Unet by adopting pyramid pooling modules instead of the conventional skip connection and then enhances the representation of the neural network by aiding the global attention mechanism. We first pre-train PPM-Unet on COVID-19 dataset of pseudo labels containing1600 samples producing a coarse model. Then we fine-tune the coarse PPM-Unet on the standard COVID-19 dataset consisting of 100 pairs of samples to achieve a fine PPM-Unet. Qualitative and quantitative results demonstrate that our method can accurately segment COVID-19 infection regions from CT images, and achieve higher performance than other state-of-the-art segmentation models in this study. It offers a promising tool to lay a foundation for quantitatively detecting COVID-19 lesions.
Enhancement of gas storage and separation properties of microporous polymers by simple chemical modifications
Authors: Rochat Sébastien , Tian Mi , Atri Ria , Mays Timothy J , Burrows Andrew D
Published: May 2021

Owing to their large surface area and good solvent processability, polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) have been widely investigated for gas storage and separation processes. In this article, we show how chemically modifying the polymers can fine-tune their properties for specific, targeted applications. We find that converting the archetypal microporous polymer PIM-1 into a polycarboxylate salt enhances its separation capabilities for H2/CO2 mixtures (relevant to hydrogen production), whereas appending multiple amine groups significantly improves gas separation properties for N2/CO2 mixtures (relevant to flue gas treatment). Adsorption-based separation processes have received less attention than size-sieving processes in porous polymeric materials, however they could provide a suitable alternative technology to energy-intensive separation processes such as cryogenic distillation. We also report the hydrogen storage properties of the modified polymers, which we find to depend on the chemical modification carried out. By coupling the simplicity of the proposed chemical modifications with the scalability and porous properties of PIMs, we provide a blueprint to create new multifunctional materials with adapted properties for targeted applications.
Optimal material selection study of prosthetic socket and pylon tube in transtibial prosthesis fabrication
Authors: Estillore Joseph Vladimir , Dungo Cedric Arnold , Guzman Katrina Nicole , Maniaul Joy Marisol , Magdaluyo Jr Eduardo
Published: May 2021

The selection for the fabrication of transtibial prosthesis in developing countries is favoring what materials can be readily available. Given numerous options, a multi-criteria decision-making process can be effectively implemented to choose the optimal materials based on design requirement without compromising the target mechanical properties and comfort for the patient. In this study, analytic hierarchy process (AHP), technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) and preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluations (PROMETHEE) methods were used as a decision-making tool for materials selection of prosthetic socket and pylon tube. The criteria for the candidate materials such as flexural strength, tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, yield strength and impact strength were evaluated and each criterion was given a weight using AHP, while the materials selection calculation was done using TOPSIS and PROMETHEE. For the prosthetic socket, same ranking was observed for both TOPSIS and PROMETHEE. The carbon fiber reinforced composite (CFRC) was ranked first and closely followed by pineapple fiber reinforced composite (PFRC). TOPSIS ranked PFRC highest for the pylon tube material, followed by titanium alloy while this ranking was interchanged in PROMETHEE, putting first preference for the use of pineapple fiber reinforced composite then followed by titanium alloy. Therefore, the pineapple fiber reinforced composite can be an ideal alternative for the standard carbon fiber socket and titanium pylon tubes in fabricating a transtibial prosthesis.
Truncation of the otoferlin transmembrane domain alters the development of hair cells and reduces membrane docking
Authors: Manchanda Aayushi , Bonventre Josephine A. , Bugel Sean M. , Chatterjee Paroma , Tanguay Robyn , Johnson Colin P.
Published: May 2021

Using both in vitro and in vivo systems, the effect of truncation of the transmembrane domain of otoferlin was investigated. We conclude that deficits in sensory hair cell signaling due to truncation stem from both low otoferlin expression levels and deficits in membrane docking.
Experimental shelter-switching shows shelter type alters predation on caterpillars (Hesperiidae)
Authors: Baer Christina S , Marquis Robert J
Published: May 2021

Caterpillars build various shelters that protect them from natural enemies, but whether specific shelters provide different protection is unknown. To disentangle a caterpillar species’ shelter from the rest of its phenotype, we performed a field experiment in which two caterpillar species (Urbanus dorantes and U. proteus) were removed from their original shelters, placed into shelters made by conspecifics or heterospecifics, and monitored for predation and parasitism. Predation was intense, with 0–48% of caterpillars surviving depending on treatment. Shelter builder identity significantly affected predation independent of occupant identity, with caterpillars placed in U. proteus shelters experiencing higher predation than those in U. dorantes shelters. The effect of shelter builder identity was related to shelter type: shriveled leaf shelters built by U. dorantes had a lower risk of predation than cut-and-fold shelters built by either species. Cut-and-fold shelters built by the two species did not have significantly different shapes. Caterpillar stage also significantly affected predation (mid-instars were more successful than early instars), but caterpillar species identity did not. Surprisingly, parasitism was rare, but both shriveled leaf shelters and cut-and-fold shelters resulted in similar overall caterpillar mortality. The differences in predation and overall mortality between shelter types suggest a trade-off between protection from predators and parasitoids. This experiment demonstrates that shelter type determines the fate of the caterpillar inside, independent of the identity of the caterpillar that built the shelter. This is the first experimental evidence that predation may select for shelter type and associated shelter-building behavior in Lepidoptera.
Sequence-specific minimizers via polar sets
Authors: Zheng Hongyu , Kingsford Carl , Marçais Guillaume
Published: May 2021

Motivation

Minimizers are efficient methods to sample k-mers from genomic sequences that unconditionally preserve sufficiently long matches between sequences. Well-established methods to construct efficient minimizers focus on sampling fewer k-mers on a random sequence and use universal hitting sets (sets of k-mers that appear frequently enough) to upper bound the sketch size. In contrast, the problem of sequence-specific minimizers, which is to construct efficient minimizers to sample fewer k-mers on a specific sequence such as the reference genome, is less studied. Currently, the theoretical understanding of this problem is lacking, and existing methods do not specialize well to sketch specific sequences.

Results

We propose the concept of polar sets, complementary to the existing idea of universal hitting sets. Polar sets are k-mer sets that are spread out enough on the reference, and provably specialize well to specific sequences. Link energy measures how well spread out a polar set is, and with it, the sketch size can be bounded from above and below in a theoretically sound way. This allows for direct optimization of sketch size. We propose efficient heuristics to construct polar sets, and via experiments on the human reference genome, show their practical superiority in designing efficient sequence-specific minimizers.

Availability and implementation

A reference implementation and code for analyses under an open-source license are at https://github.com/kingsford-group/polarset.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Heterogeneous subpopulations of adventitial progenitor cells regulate vascular homeostasis and pathological vascular remodelling
Authors: Jolly Austin J , Lu Sizhao , Strand Keith A , Dubner Allison M , Mutryn Marie F , Nemenoff Raphael A , Majesky Mark W , Moulton Karen S , Weiser-Evans Mary C M
Published: May 2021

Cardiovascular diseases are characterized by chronic vascular dysfunction and provoke pathological remodelling events, such as neointima formation, atherosclerotic lesion development, and adventitial fibrosis. While lineage-tracing studies have shown that phenotypically modulated smooth muscle cells (SMCs) are the major cellular component of neointimal lesions, the cellular origins and microenvironmental signalling mechanisms that underlie remodelling along the adventitial vascular layer are not fully understood. However, a growing body of evidence supports a unique population of adventitial lineage-restricted progenitor cells expressing the stem cell marker, stem cell antigen-1 (Sca1; AdvSca1 cells) as important effectors of adventitial remodelling and suggests that they are at least partially responsible for subsequent pathological changes that occur in the media and intima. AdvSca1 cells are being studied in murine models of atherosclerosis, perivascular fibrosis, and neointima formation in response to acute vascular injury. Depending on the experimental conditions, AdvSca1 cells exhibit the capacity to differentiate into SMCs, endothelial cells, chondrocytes, adipocytes, and pro-remodelling cells, such as myofibroblasts and macrophages. These data indicate that AdvSca1 cells may be a targetable cell population to influence the outcomes of pathologic vascular remodelling. Important questions remain regarding the origins of AdvSca1 cells and the essential signalling mechanisms and microenvironmental factors that regulate both maintenance of their stem-like, progenitor phenotype and their differentiation into lineage-specified cell types. Adding complexity to the story, recent data indicate that the collective population of adventitial progenitor cells is likely composed of several smaller, lineage-restricted subpopulations, which are not fully defined by their transcriptomic profile and differentiation capabilities. The aim of this review is to outline the heterogeneity of Sca1+ adventitial progenitor cells, summarize their role in vascular homeostasis and remodelling, and comment on their translational relevance in humans.
The crustal structure of the Kerimbas Basin across the offshore branch of the East African Rift System
Authors: Vormann Maren , Jokat Wilfried
Published: May 2021

The Davie Fracture Zone (DFZ) evolved during the Jurassic and Cretaceous breakup and subsequent drift of Gondwana off East Africa. This old weak zone has been reactivated during the evolution of the East African Rift System. Recent faulting of Cenozoic sediments in the Kerimbas Basin off northern Mozambique shows that they are affected by the neotectonics. The question is if and how the crustal fabric in our research area has been modified by the rifting process. We present two seismic refraction profiles acquired offshore northern Mozambique to investigate its regional crustal structure and tectonic history. The profiles show a continent–ocean transition zone that widens from around 40 km at 13°S to more than 100 km at 11°S. In the west the transitional crust is up to 12 km thick. To the east, around 150 km off the Mozambique coast lies oceanic crust whose thickness varies from 4.9 to 6.5 km along the northern line and from 6.5 to 7.5 km along the southern one. The latter presents an unusual high-velocity lower crustal body (7.0–7.2 km s−1), about 40 km wide and 3.8 km thick, underlying the oceanic crust. The body may consist of underplated melt with the same source as the nearby Paisley Seamount, which has not yet reached its isostatic equilibrium. Despite well documented recent seismicity along the margin, neither of the profiles reveal significant crustal modifications or reduced crustal seismic velocities that might be related to ongoing extensional tectonics as part of of the East African Rift System. Neither profile reveals seismic evidence for the presence of a major fracture zone or sheared continental margin parallel to the margin. Instead, the profiles’ broad continent–ocean transitions are consistent with their formation during an early Jurassic stage of plate divergence oblique to the margin. Later, after 157 Ma, the azimuth of relative plate motion between East and West Gondwana changed to be parallel to the margin, and parts of the continent–ocean transitions may have been locally reactivated in a strike-slip sense. However, details on the plate movements during the directional change of the seafloor spreading between 157 and 144 Ma are not available. The oceanic crust formed by the initial divergent oblique extension became faulted/modified by the strike-slip movements between both plates. Instead of a narrow deformation zone, the DFZ is charcaterized by a broad, diffuse zone of transtensional deformation.
Change-points in antibiotic consumption in the community, European Union/European Economic Area, 1997–2017
Authors: Bruyndonckx Robin , Hoxha Ana , Quinten Chantal , Ayele Girma Minalu , Coenen Samuel , Versporten Ann , Adriaenssens Niels , Muller Arno , Heuer Ole , Monnet Dominique L , Goossens Herman , Molenberghs Geert , Weist Klaus , Hens Niel ,   the ESAC-Net study group, Strauss Reinhild , Vandael Eline , Sabtcheva Stefana , Payerl-Pal Marina , Kyriakidou Isavella , Vlček Jiří , Sönksen Ute Wolff , Linask Elviira , Sarvikivi Emmi , Cavalié Philippe , Gröschner Karin , Kontopidou Flora , Matuz Mária , Aspelund Gudrunw , Oza Gudrun , Fortinguerra Filomena , Seilis Andis , Kuklytė Jolanta , Bruch Marcel , Zarb Peter , Natsch Stephanie , Blix Hege Salvesen , Olczak-Pieńkowska Anna , Silva Ana , Iosif Ionel , Tesař Tomáš , Čižman Milan , Herreras Mayte Alonso , Bergfeldt Vendela , Müller-Pebody Berit
Published: May 2021

Objectives

Surveillance of antibiotic consumption in the community is of utmost importance to inform and evaluate control strategies. Data on two decades of antibiotic consumption in the community were collected from 30 EU/European Economic Area (EEA) countries. This article reviews temporal trends and the presence of abrupt changes in subgroups of relevance in antimicrobial stewardship.

Methods

For the period 1997–2017, data on yearly antibiotic consumption in the community, aggregated at the level of the active substance, were collected using the WHO ATC classification and expressed in DDD (ATC/DDD index 2019) per 1000 inhabitants per day. We applied a range of non-linear mixed models to assess the presence of changes in the consumption of antibacterials for systemic use (ATC group J01) and eight antibiotic subgroups.

Results

For the majority of the studied groups, a country-specific change-point model provided the best fit. Depending on the antibiotic group/subgroup and on the country, change-points were spread out between 2000 and 2013.

Conclusions

Due to the heterogeneity in antibiotic consumption in the community across EU/EEA countries, a country-specific change-point model provided the better fit. Given the limitations of this model, our recommendation for the included countries is to carefully interpret the country-specific results presented in this article and to use the tutorial included in this series to conduct their own change-point analysis when evaluating the impact of changes in regulations, public awareness campaigns, and other national interventions to improve antibiotic consumption in the community.
Bacterial quorum sensing facilitates Xanthomonas campesteris pv. campestris invasion of host tissue to maximize disease symptoms
Authors: Samal Biswajit , Chatterjee Subhadeep
Published: May 2021

Quorum sensing (QS) helps the Xanthomonas group of phytopathogens to infect several crop plants. The vascular phytopathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) is the causal agent of black rot disease on Brassicaceae leaves, where a typical v-shaped lesion spans both vascular and mesophyll regions with progressive leaf chlorosis. Recently, the role of QS has been elucidated during Xcc early infection stages. However, a detailed insight into the possible role of QS-regulated bacterial invasion in host chlorophagy during late infection stages remains elusive. In this study, using QS-responsive whole-cell bioreporters of Xcc, we present a detailed chronology of QS-facilitated Xcc colonization in the mesophyll region of cabbage (Brassica oleracea) leaves. We report that QS-enabled localization of Xcc to parenchymal chloroplasts triggers leaf chlorosis and promotion of systemic infection. Our results indicate that the QS response in the Xanthomonas group of vascular phytopathogens maximizes their population fitness across host tissues to trigger stage-specific host chlorophagy and establish a systemic infection.
Uniform affinity-tuning of N-methyl-aminoacyl-tRNAs to EF-Tu enhances their multiple incorporation
Authors: Iwane Yoshihiko , Kimura Hiroyuki , Katoh Takayuki , Suga Hiroaki
Published: May 2021

In ribosomal translation, the accommodation of aminoacyl-tRNAs into the ribosome is mediated by elongation factor thermo unstable (EF-Tu). The structures of proteinogenic aminoacyl-tRNAs (pAA-tRNAs) are fine-tuned to have uniform binding affinities to EF-Tu in order that all proteinogenic amino acids can be incorporated into the nascent peptide chain with similar efficiencies. Although genetic code reprogramming has enabled the incorporation of non-proteinogenic amino acids (npAAs) into the nascent peptide chain, the incorporation of some npAAs, such as N-methyl-amino acids (MeAAs), is less efficient, especially when MeAAs frequently and/or consecutively appear in a peptide sequence. Such poor incorporation efficiencies can be attributed to inadequate affinities of MeAA-tRNAs to EF-Tu. Taking advantage of flexizymes, here we have experimentally verified that the affinities of MeAA-tRNAs to EF-Tu are indeed weaker than those of pAA-tRNAs. Since the T-stem of tRNA plays a major role in interacting with EF-Tu, we have engineered the T-stem sequence to tune the affinity of MeAA-tRNAs to EF-Tu. The uniform affinity-tuning of the individual pairs has successfully enhanced the incorporation of MeAAs, achieving the incorporation of nine distinct MeAAs into both linear and thioether-macrocyclic peptide scaffolds.
Women empowerment indicators and uptake of child health services in sub-Saharan Africa: a multilevel analysis using cross-sectional data from 26 countries
Authors: Seidu Abdul-Aziz , Ahinkorah Bright Opoku , Ameyaw Edward Kwabena , Budu Eugene , Yaya Sanni
Published: May 2021

Background

The sustainable development goal 3, target 2, seeks to reduce under-five mortality to as low as 25 deaths per 1000 live births by 2030. As such, seeking child health services has become a priority concern for all countries, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Evidence suggests that empowered women are more likely to seek child health services. Hence, this study examined the association between women empowerment indicators and uptake of child health services in SSA.

Methods

The study used data from the Demographic and Health Surveys of 26 SSA countries, which were conducted between 2010 and 2019. Two different samples were considered in the study: a total of 12 961 children within the vaccination age of 12–23, and 9489 children under age 5 with diarrhoea symptoms in the last 2 weeks before the survey. Women empowerment indicators comprised disagreement with reasons to justify wife beating, decision-making power and knowledge level, while child health services constituted complete vaccination uptake and seeking diarrhoea treatment. Frequencies, percentages and multivariable, multilevel binary logistic regression models were employed.

Results

The study shows that women with high decision-making power [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.07, 1.35] had higher odds of seeking treatment for childhood diarrhoea compared to those with low decision-making power. It was also observed that among children aged 12–23 months [AOR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.14, 1.43], mothers had higher odds of seeking diarrhoea treatment for them compared to those who were aged less than 12 months. Children whose mothers had medium decision-making power [AOR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.19, 1.41] were more likely to seek complete immunization for their children compared to those with low decision-making power. Also, those with medium [AOR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.07, 1.31] and high knowledge [AOR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.10, 1.42] had higher odds of completing immunization for their children compared to those with low knowledge. Women with medium acceptance had lower odds [AOR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.67, 0.83] of completing immunization for their children compared with those with low acceptance of wife beating.

Conclusions

This study has demonstrated a strong association between women empowerment indicators and the uptake of child health services. Therefore, efforts should be made to seek policy tools to empower women to help improve the well-being of women and the children they care for.
Cluster analysis reveals three main patterns of beliefs and intention with respect to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases
Authors: Felten Renaud , Dubois Maxime , Ugarte-Gil Manuel F , Chaudier Aurore , Kawka Lou , Bergier Hugo , Costecalde Charlotte , Pijnenburg Luc , Fort Jérémy , Chatelus Emmanuel , Sordet Christelle , Javier Rose-Marie , Gottenberg Jacques-Eric , Sibilia Jean , Fuentes-Silva Yurilis J , Arnaud Laurent
Published: May 2021

Introduction

Given the COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial to understand the underlying behavioural determinants of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine hesitancy in patients with autoimmune or inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRDs). We aimed to analyse patterns of beliefs and intention regarding SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in AIIRD patients, as a mean of identifying pragmatic actions that could be taken to increase vaccine coverage in this population.

Methods

Data relating to 1258 AIIRD patients were analysed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models, to identify variables associated independently with willingness to get vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. Subsets of patients showing similar beliefs and intention about SARS-CoV-2 vaccination were characterized using cluster analysis.

Results

Hierarchical cluster analysis identified three distinct clusters of AIIRD patients. Three predominant patient attitudes to SARS-COV-2 vaccination were identified: voluntary, hesitant and suspicious. While vaccine willingness differed significantly across the three clusters (P < 0.0001), there was no significant difference regarding fear of getting COVID-19 (P = 0.11), the presence of comorbidities (P = 0.23), the use of glucocorticoids (P = 0.21), or immunocompromised status (P = 0.63). However, patients from cluster #2 (hesitant) and #3 (suspicious) were significantly more concerned about vaccination, the use of a new vaccine technology, lack of long-term data in relation to COVID-19 vaccination, and potential financial links with pharmaceutical companies (P < 0.0001 in all) than patients from cluster #1 (voluntary).

Discussion

Importantly, the differences between clusters in terms of patient beliefs and intention was not related to the fear of getting COVID-19 or to any state of frailty, but was related to specific concerns about vaccination. This study may serve as a basis for improved communication and thus help increase COVID-19 vaccine coverage among AIIRD patients.
Practice Implications from the WCET® International Ostomy Guideline 2020
Authors: Chabal Laurent O. , Prentice Jennifer L. , Ayello Elizabeth A.
Published: May 2021

The second edition of the WCET® International Ostomy Guideline (IOG) was launched in December 2020 as an update to the original guideline published in 2014. The purpose of this article is to introduce the 15 recommendations covering four key arenas (education, holistic aspects, and pre- and postoperative care) and summarize key concepts for clinicians to customize for translation into their practice. The article also includes information about the impact of the novel coronavirus 2019 on ostomy care.

GENERAL PURPOSE

To introduce the 15 recommendations of the International Ostomy Guideline (IOG) 2020, covering the four key arenas of education, holistic aspects, and pre- and postoperative care; and to summarize key concepts for clinicians to customize for translation into their practice.

TARGET AUDIENCE

This continuing education activity is intended for physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses with an interest in skin and wound care.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES/OUTCOMES

After participating in this educational activity, the participant will:

1. Analyze supporting evidence for the education recommendations in the IOG 2020.

2. Identify a benefit of the International Charter of Ostomate Rights.

3. Distinguish concepts related to pre- and postoperative ostomy-related care.

4. Select a potential barrier to IOG 2020 guideline implementation.
Usability of a Novel Instrument to Measure Damaged Peristomal Skin in Patients with an Ostomy
Authors: Yang Hui , Zhao Xinyue , Yang Qing , Jiang Qinghua
Published: May 2021

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the usability of a novel instrument (stoma ruler) to measure damaged peristomal skin in patients with an ostomy.

METHODS

A wound ostomy and continence nurse used both the stoma ruler and a linear ruler to assess DET (discoloration, erosion, tissue overgrowth) scores and the height of protrusion above the skin of 10 patients with ileostomies and took photographs. The photographs were presented to five ostomy care nurses for reliability testing. The difference between the two methods was determined using paired Wilcoxon signed ranks test.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE

Interrater reliability of the linear versus stoma ruler.

RESULTS

The interrater reliabilities of the stoma ruler versus the linear ruler for the domain-area DET score were 0.95 (95% confidence interval, 0.89–0.99) and 0.68 (95% confidence interval, 0.42–0.89), respectively. Only nurse 5 reported a significant difference between the two rulers (z = −2.24, P = .03).

CONCLUSIONS

In busy clinical settings, the stoma ruler is easy for ostomy care nurses to use to obtain accurate DET scores and the height of stoma protrusion above the skin. Observing the position of damaged skin using the clock marks on the stoma ruler enhance clinical description and reduce assessment variation among professionals.
Subjective Tools for Burn Scar Assessment: An Integrative Review
Authors: da Costa Pollyana Thays Lameira , Echevarría-Guanilo Maria Elena , Gonçalves Natália , Girondi Juliana Balbinot Reis , Gonçalves Adriana da Costa
Published: May 2021

OBJECTIVE

To review the clinical and scientific literature on the subjective ways of assessing burn scars and describe their main characteristics.

DATA SOURCES

The Latin American, Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, Nursing Database, PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus and Web of Science databases were used to search for studies published between 2014 and 2018 using descriptors in Portuguese, Spanish, and English.

STUDY SELECTION

After establishing the research question and the location and definition of the studies, as well as accounting for differences among databases and application of filters based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, 886 references remained.

DATA EXTRACTION

Investigators reviewed the titles and abstracts of the sample and selected 188 relevant studies for full review.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Twenty-six subjective forms of assessment were found; most research concerned the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale and the Vancouver Scar Scale.

CONCLUSIONS

The Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale and the Vancouver Scar Scale are the most common scales for assessing burn scars and have similar evaluation points such as vascularization, pliability, pigmentation, and height, which are the main parameters that contribute to the general assessment and severity of a scar. There is a need to improve instructions for application of the scales to facilitate better understanding and improve agreement among evaluators.
1. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TOTAL CHOLESTEROL-HDL RATIO AND GENSINI SCORE IN ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME PATIENTS AT PROF. DR. R. D. KANDOU HOSPITAL
Authors: Faisal William , Wantania Frans , Panda Agnes Lucia
Published: May 2021

Background:

Coronary artery disease is one of the most common diseases that endanger human health globally, its incidence has increased over the years and causes acute coronary syndrome disease. Research has found that the ratio of total cholesterol-HDL is a strong independent predictor of cardiovascular disease risk.

Objective:

To determine the difference between total cholesterol-HDL ratio and Gensini Score in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Method:

Retrospective analytic study by looking at medical records patients with acute coronary syndrome who underwent cardiac catheterization at Prof. Dr. R. D. Kandou hospital from June-August 2020. Ages classified into non-elderly (18–59 years) and elderly (≥60 years). Inclusion criteria were patients who had a cardiac catheterization and had total cholesterol and HDL test results. The variable assessed was cholesterol total-HDL ratio with Gensini Score. The ratio of total cholesterol-HDL divided into below and above 4. Statistical analysis used independent t-test with a significance of p <0.05.

Result:

Of the 63 patients with acute coronary syndrome who underwent cardiac catheterization 54 (86%) male, 9 (14%) female, non-elderly 36 (57%), elderly 27 (43%), patients with cholesterol-HDL ratio <4 23 (36%) and > 4 40 (64%). There is no difference between cholesterol total-HDL ratio below and above 4 and Gensini Score (44.47 ± 29.55 vs. 46.53 ± 31.85, p = 0.802). The average Gensini Score of patients with cholesterol-HDL ratio below 4 is lower than above 4

Conclusion:

There is no significant difference between cholesterol total-HDL ratio below and above 4 and Gensini Score.