bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The application of the Six Sigma method in reducing the defects of welding on the steel material
Authors: Dagmar Agin Viakri , Husada Tarigan Zeplin Jiwa
Published: January 2021

Quality control is an essential factor in producing products that are following what consumers want. The high quality of the product significantly affects the efficiency of costs incurred during the production process. This study aims to determine the types of defects and their causing factors as well as actions taken to reduce the number of defects to increase the efficiency of production costs. The measurement results obtained the number of productions of 12499 pcs with the number of defects of 2712 pcs of 21.6% with a sigma level of 3.1100 DPMO. Identification of defects in welding is porosity defects of 724 pcs, undercut defect of 613 pcs, slag defect of 435 pcs, crack defect of 491 pcs, and spatter defect of 449 pcs. The actions taken are periodic maintenance and repair of welding machines and connectors, supervising the condition and cleanliness of the material, providing periodic directions to welding operators by explaining reasonable welding procedures and arranging a welding field development program for welding operators through a job training program. Improvements have been implemented and found a reduction of defects up to 15% and a reduction of 6.6%.
Axial Ratio Improvement of Spiral Antenna with Resistive Loading
Authors: Singh Moirangthem Edison , Naik Bhaskar S
Published: January 2021

Spiral antenna belongs to the class of frequency independent antenna. It radiates circularly polarized wave bidirectionally. Due to the finite size of the antenna, the performance at the lower frequency degrades. This could be accounted to the reflection of the current from the truncation. Wide band characteristics from 300MHz to 3.5GHz are able to achieve through the partial resistive loading of the antenna. The lower frequency 3dB axial ratio has been improved significantly from 600MHz for the unloaded case to 200MHz for the loaded case without much effect on the efficiency. At 300MHz, the efficiency is around 60% and axial ratio at within 3dB range.
Hydrological significance of Himalayan surface water and its management considering anthropogenic and climate change aspects
Authors: Lepcha Pema Tshering , Pandey Pankaj Kumar , Ranjan Prem
Published: January 2021

Water plays a key role in maintaining different ecosystem services. The anthropogenic and climate change impacts studies on Himalayan water resources has been trending in recent years. The Indian Himalayan region cover several states like Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh (Union territory), Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and the hilly regions of Assam and West Bengal. Water resources in this region are the life support for humankind and rich biodiversity. Researchers has reported that the warming in the Himalayas is more than the global average, thereby climate change can affect significantly in the mountainous water resources so as the snow and glacial melt is the main lifeline of the perennial rivers’ flow. Almost every year, the heavy monsoon rainfall brings floods on the upstream highlands and then the downstream plains causing enormous human suffering, loss of property, loss of life, agricultural crops damage as well as increased economic losses. The main challenges being associated to the frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events like monsoon rainfall which leads to flash floods, landslides and debris flow; and then the drought during dry season also, has had huge impacts on regional water security. Human actions like economic development and population growth have also brought changes in land cover/use to Himalayan watersheds recently. As a result of farming, grazing, tree planting, urbanization, etc., the changes in land cover have altered the water balance and transformed the water-flow paths in the global hydrological cycle. In contrast to freshwater ecosystems, demand is high, but their supply is limited, also depend on the specific flow pattern of rivers. Although, with interference of various infrastructure development upstream results in changes in flow pattern downstream causing non-availability of water to support aquatic life and communities that depend on for livelihoods. Initiation of monitoring and observation system for water resources and use of appropriate hydrological model are preferable to better understand the hydrological processes of the Himalayas.
A Survey on Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Reliability Research
Authors: Roy Om Prakash , Kumar Vinod
Published: January 2021

VoIP technology deals with the real-time data communication for voice transfer in the form of digital packets through internet communication and facilitates public to make use of internet for video and phone calls. The voice data packets are transferred from source to the destination and vice versa. VoIP require high speed internet connection for data transfer on data network. It is necessary to arrive the data packet from its source to the destination with high level of reliability. It is very important to analyse link failure, packet loss, delay and jitter during the data communication. Components involved in data communication should be reliable. This paper provides a survey for step wise development and use of reliability techniques for gaining high quality of voice in VoIP network.
Security and Challenges in Voice over Internet Protocols: A Survey
Authors: Kumar Vinod , Roy Om Prakash
Published: January 2021

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) an emerging new technologies is based on realtime communication of data by sending and receiving digital signals using Internet Protocols (IP). VoIP has become popular in business organization and scientific communities. Voice coder (Codec) named as coder and decoder, play an important role in packet switch network for transfer of audio and video data. A signalling protocol known as Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is used for data communication between nodes in VoIP network. In this paper we survey on security related issues in VoIP communication system and covered several security attacks. We proceed with survey on all the problems that have big effects on VoIP security and challenges such as data manipulation, substitution attack, power backups, jitter, latency and delay. Finally, we conclude the paper with further research on security of VoIP communication system.
On some generalizations of reduced and rigid modules
Authors: Dutta M , Singh K H
Published: January 2021

In this paper we have introduced the notion of weak reduced module and weak rigid module as the generalizations of reduced module by working on the context of nilpotent elements of module and investigated some of its properties. Various results are extended for this generalization and some counter examples are constructed to validate the generalizations.
Molecular Identification of Lactic Acid Bacteria as a predominant probiotic microorganism found in indigenous fermented pig fat of Assam, India
Authors: Yukhaibam Ranjita , Lhouvum Kimjolly
Published: January 2021

The study was focused on identifying probiotic bacteria from traditionally fermented pig fat (Sathu) procured from Karbi Anglong Assam. Two types of bacteria were isolated (KJc8_C8 and KJR2_C9) from the food sample. The isolates were morphologically found to be cocci and rod-shaped. The isolated strains showed resistance to inhibitory compound such as NaCl (1-10%), Bile salt (0.1-1%) that exhibit better growth in acidic condition which were the important characteristics for bacteria to be probiotic. In addition the isolates showed positive results in metabolizing different carbohydrates sources. Molecular identification using 16SrDNA gene sequencing confirmed the presence of probiotic bacteria namely Bacillus and Lactobacillus species. The experimental results further indicated the absence of any other spoilage bacteria in the food sample which predominated only Lactobacillus and Bacillus species. This strongly supports the food product as a potential probiotic. Further studies of the food product will be a milestone for economic growth of the society beyond its nutritional effects.
RETRACTED: Analytical study on COVID-19 to predict future infected cases ratio in India using Machine Leaning
Authors: Patel Hiral R. , Patel Hiral A. , Patel Ajay M. , Parikh Satyen M.
Published: January 2021

COVID-19 is real a worldwide terrific problem. This paper focuses on the different aspects of data analytics and visualization by using various datasets supported by authorized sources. It also discusses the practical aspects using open source tools and python library support. Here chapter focuses on comparative analysis also. It also visualize analytical aspects by different aspects such as country wise, date wise and so on. In this paper, the COVID infected cases and its reaction on people will be discussed. This case study will predict the COVID-19 infected cases and death ratio with symptoms in future. This paper focus on data visualization, data analytics and comparative study based on practical aspects. Machine Learning plays a vital role to predict the cases by providing learning instances.
Doping effects on catechol functionalized anatase TiO2(101) surface for dye-sensitized solar cells
Authors: Luo Jin-Hua , Mo Yun-Fei , Li Ze-Sheng , Du Fu-You
Published: January 2021

Doping effects of Al, Mg and Cr on the structural and photoelectric properties of catechol functionalized anatase TiO2(101) surface (CFAS) have been studied using density-functional theory. The results indicate that the adsorption processes of CFAS and catechol functionalized doped anatase TiO2(101) surfaces (CFDAS) are all exothermic and these adsorption systems are quite stable. The relative lower formation energy of Al-doped TiO2 means that it is energetically favorable structure under Ti-rich conditions. For band structure of catechol-Cr-doped-TiO2, the electron transition energy will be reduced, and visible light absorption will be extended on account of the decreased band gap and widespread impurity states. The positive Fermi energy shift of Cr-doped TiO2 suggests that it is beneficial to increase the open circuit voltage compared with pure TiO2 under the same conditions. When catechol as a model organic sensitizer functionalizing the pure and Al, Mg and Cr doped TiO2 (101) surfaces, a positive shift of the Fermi energies is observed in comparison with those materials without catechol functionalization. Compared with the optical properties of CFDAS, Cr doping has a greater effect on the optical properties of anatase TiO2 (101) surface than that of Al or Mg doping. The results show that Cr doped anatase TiO2 (101) surface is a better photoanode material and can be applied in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.
Regen Fat Code: A Standardized Protocol for Facial Volumetry and Rejuvenation
Authors: Charles-de-Sá Luiz , Gontijo-de-Amorim Natale Ferreira , Coleman Sydney , Rigotti Gino
Published: January 2021

Background

Facial aging is a degenerative process that impairs contour and angle prominence. Rejuvenation is based on tissue replacement, volumization of the atrophic areas, and improving flaccidity and cutaneous photoaging.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to apply structural fat grafting to manage volumetric deficits of the face, following a new systematic protocol called “Regen Fat Code” (RF Code) that was created to standardize structural lipotransfer methods.

Methods

This is a prospective clinical trial involving 80 healthy candidates for facial rejuvenation who were split into 2 groups. Group A underwent only structural lipotransfer; Group B underwent replacement of deep facial structures by face-lifting plus structural lipotransfer. Structural lipotransfer followed the protocol “RF Code” and 3 clinical tools were adopted for pre- and postoperative facial volumetric analysis.

Results

Total volume (mL) of lipotransfer in Groups A and B ranged between 1 and 20 mL (mean [standard deviation], 12 [5] mL), distributed to the different areas as follows: nasolabial fold, 3.32 [0.92] mL; superior lip, 2.0 [0.62] mL; inferior lip, 2.76 [0.71] mL; malar, 8.51 [5.25] mL; inferior eyelid, 1.2 [0.54] mL; and chin, 7.18 [1.99] mL. Areas with less mobility showed a lower absorption index than dynamic areas.

Conclusions

The development of the RF Code protocol demonstrated the potential of grouping many parameters based on the lipotransfer method used to volumize and regenerate atrophic areas of the face. The protocol is easy to apply, and allows different volumizing and regenerative effects to be proposed, according to the demands of each surgical area.

Level of Evidence: 4
Off-flavors generated during long-term ambient storage of pasteurized drinking yogurt from skim milk
Authors: Miyaji Kazuhiro , Kuwano Yasuyuki , Murakami Yusuke , Hirata Shunsuke , Imayoshi Yuriko , Maruyama Hiroshi , Koizumi Reiko , Inoue Hajime , Azuma Norihiro
Published: January 2021

Few studies have examined sensory quality changes during the storage of pasteurized drinking yogurt (PDY), and the cause of off-flavor development is unclear. Off-flavors generated during 90-d ambient storage (25 °C) of PDY from reconstituted skim milk were investigated by sensory evaluation, volatile component analysis with gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy, and gas chromatography-olfactometry. Rancid off-flavor was induced by increased fatty acid concentration due to fat decomposition by heat-stable lipase. Masking of off-flavors was inhibited by degradation of diacetyl, which originally contributed to yogurt-like flavors. Maillard reaction particular to ambient storage of PDY resulted in changes in the furaneol and sotolon levels, which may be involved in enhancement of off-flavors. Finally, our findings indicated that production of 4-vinylguaiacol may be involved in off-flavor development. The results of this study will contribute to the development of PDY with a longer shelf life and superior flavor.
Nested complex crime: Assessing the convergence of wildlife trafficking, organized crime and loose criminal networks
Authors: Moreto William D , Van Uhm Daan P
Published: January 2021

Wildlife trafficking is considered to be an example of a transnational organized crime by policymakers and enforcement agencies. Empirically, however, there is mixed support for this. Recently, there has been increased attention on the convergence of different illegal activities in an effort to share resources, personnel and transport routes. The present study attempts to qualitatively examine the intersection of wildlife trafficking and organized crime from a crime mutualism framework in order to explore how these criminal activities and entities converge. Based on fieldwork conducted in Uganda and China, we find that while organized crime appears to have a presence in illegal wildlife markets, such involvement appears to be more relevant during specific stages. Furthermore, it appears that illegal wildlife markets in both case studies reflect both loose, informal criminal networks and more organized crime groups. These findings have implications for the criminological study of and the response to complex wildlife crime.
Risk prediction model for early outcomes of revascularization for chronic limb-threatening ischaemia
Authors: Miyata T , Mii S , Kumamaru H , Takahashi A , Miyata H ,   the Japanese Society for Vascular Surgery JAPAN Critical Limb Ischemia Database (JCLIMB) Committee, Shigematsu K , Azuma N , Ishida A , Izumi Y , Inoue Y , Uchida H , Ohki T , Kuma S , Kurosawa K , Kodama A , Komai H , Komori K , Shibuya T , Shindo S , Sugimoto I , Deguchi J , Hoshina K , Maeda H , Midorikawa H , Yamaoka T , Yamashita H , Yunoki Y
Published: January 2021

Background

Quantifying the risks and benefits of revascularization for chronic limb-threatening ischaemia (CLTI) is important. The aim of this study was to create a risk prediction model for treatment outcomes 30 days after revascularization in patients with CLTI.

Methods

Consecutive patients with CLTI who had undergone revascularization between 2013 and 2016 were collected from the JAPAN Critical Limb Ischemia Database (JCLIMB). The cohort was divided into a development and a validation cohort. In the development cohort, multivariable risk models were constructed to predict major amputation and/or death and major adverse limb events using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator logistic regression. This developed model was applied to the validation cohort and its performance was evaluated using c-statistic and calibration plots.

Results

Some 2906 patients were included in the analysis. The major amputation and/or mortality rate within 30 days of arterial reconstruction was 5.0 per cent (144 of 2906), and strong predictors were abnormal white blood cell count, emergency procedure, congestive heart failure, body temperature of 38°C or above, and hemodialysis. Conversely, moderate, low or no risk in the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) and ambulatory status were associated with improved results. The c-statistic value was 0.82 with high prediction accuracy. The rate of major adverse limb events was 6.4 per cent (185 of 2906), and strong predictors were abnormal white blood cell count and body temperature of 38°C or above. Moderate, low or no risk in the GNRI, and age greater than 84 years were associated with improved results. The c-statistic value was 0.79, with high prediction accuracy.

Conclusion

This risk prediction model can help in deciding on the treatment strategy in patients with CLTI and serve as an index for evaluating the quality of each medical facility.
Long-term Safety and Efficacy of Etrasimod for Ulcerative Colitis: Results from the Open-label Extension of the OASIS Study
Authors: Vermeire Séverine , Chiorean Michael , Panés Julián , Peyrin-Biroulet Laurent , Zhang Jinkun , Sands Bruce E , Lazin Krisztina , Klassen Preston , Naik Snehal U , Cabell Christopher H , Sandborn William J
Published: January 2021

Background and Aims

Etrasimod is an oral, selective, sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulator. In a phase 2, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in adults with moderately-to-severely active ulcerative colitis [OASIS], etrasimod 2 mg provided significant benefit versus placebo and was generally well tolerated. This open-label extension [OLE] evaluated safety and efficacy of etrasimod for up to 52 weeks.

Methods

In OASIS, 156 patients received etrasimod 1 mg, etrasimod 2 mg, or placebo, once daily for 12 weeks. After completing OASIS, patients could enrol in the OLE and receive etrasimod 2 mg for an additional 34–40 weeks.

Results

In all, 118 patients enrolled in the OLE; 112 patients received etrasimod 2 mg at any point and were evaluated for safety and efficacy. A total of 92 [82%] patients who received etrasimod 2 mg in the OLE completed the study. Treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 60% [67/112] of patients receiving etrasimod 2 mg at any time, most commonly worsening ulcerative colitis and anaemia; 94% of adverse events were mild/moderate. At end of treatment, 64% of patients met the criteria for clinical response, 33% for clinical remission, and 43% for endoscopic improvement. Week 12 clinical response, clinical remission, or endoscopic improvement was maintained to end of treatment in 85%, 60%, or 69% of patients, respectively. Steroid-free clinical remission occurred in 22% of overall patients.

Conclusions

In this long-term extension study, etrasimod 2 mg demonstrated a favourable safety profile. Most patients with clinical response, clinical remission, or endoscopic improvement at Week 12 maintained that status to end of treatment.
THE P-3 AND EST LOCI IN THE HONEYBEE APIS MELLIFERA
Authors: Mestriner Moacyr Antonio , Contel Eucleia Primo Betioli
Published: January 2021

Data for Apis mellifera indicate that the P-3 proteins and one esterase enzyme are controlled by two genes, P-3 and Est, with two alleles each. The frequency of the P-3 alleles is different in the two subspecies (adansonii and ligustica), that for P-3F in Italian bees being 46.9% and in African 0.5%. The frequency of EstF is 2.8% in both populations.

The Est locus has two codominant alleles and the locus P-3 has two incompletely dominant alleles; the heterozygote P-3S/P-3F shows only an intermediate band. The two loci are not genetically linked.
The challenges of donor engagement with faith-based organizations in Cameroon’s health sector: a qualitative study
Authors: van Wees Sibylle Herzig , Jennings Michael
Published: January 2021

Substantial global advocacy efforts have been made over the past decade to encourage partnerships and funding of faith-based organizations in international development programmes in efforts to improve social and health outcomes. Whilst there is a wealth of knowledge on religion and development, including its controversies, less attention has been payed to the role that donors might play. The aim of this study was to describe and analyse the engagement between donors and faith-based organizations in Cameroon’s health sector, following the implementation of the Cameroon Health Sector Partnership Strategy (2012). Forty-six in-depth interviews were conducted in selected regions in Cameroon. The findings show that global advocacy efforts to increase partnerships with faith-based organizations have created a space for increasing donor engagement of faith-based organizations following the implementation of the strategy. However, the policy was perceived as top down as it did not take into account some of the existing challenges. The policy arguably accentuated some of the existing tensions between the government and faith-based organizations, fed faith-controversies and complicated the health system landscape. Moreover, it provided donors with a framework for haphazard engagement with faith-based organizations. As such, putting the implications of donor engagement with FBOs on the research map acknowledges the limitations of efforts to collaborate with faith-based organizations and brings to the surface still-remaining blinkers and limited assumptions in donor definitions of faith-based organizations and in ways of collaborating with them.
Controllability of fractional noninstantaneous impulsive integrodifferential stochastic delay system
Authors: Priyadharsini J , Balasubramaniam P
Published: January 2021

The paper concerned with the controllability of nonlinear fractional noninstantaneous (NI) impulsive integrodifferential stochastic delay system (ISDS). Some sufficient conditions for the controllability of fractional NI impulsive ISDS have been derived by the new approach of measure of noncompactness in finite dimensional space. This NI impulsive ISDS is more reliable for the evolution process in pharmacotherapy. By using Mönch fixed point theorem, existence results have been proved. The result is new in the finite dimensional setting with NI impulse.
Subspace Arrangements and Cherednik Algebras
Authors: Griffeth Stephen
Published: January 2021

The purpose of this article is to study the relationship between numerical invariants of certain subspace arrangements coming from reflection groups and numerical invariants arising in the representation theory of Cherednik algebras. For instance, we observe that knowledge of the equivariant graded Betti numbers (in the sense of commutative algebra) of any irreducible representation in category ${\mathscr{O}}$ is equivalent to knowledge of the Kazhdan–Lusztig character of the irreducible object (we use this observation in joint work with Fishel–Manosalva). We then explore the extent to which Cherednik algebra techniques may be applied to ideals of linear subspace arrangements: we determine when the radical of the polynomial representation of the Cherednik algebra is a radical ideal and, for the cyclotomic rational Cherednik algebra, determine the socle of the polynomial representation and characterize when it is a radical ideal. The subspace arrangements that arise include various generalizations of the $k$-equals arrangement. In the case of the radical, we apply our results with Juteau together with an idea of Etingof–Gorsky–Losev to observe that the quotient is Cohen–Macaulay for positive choices of parameters. In the case of the socle (in cyclotomic type), we give an explicit vector space basis in terms of certain specializations of nonsymmetric Jack polynomials, which in particular determines its minimal generators and Hilbert series and answers a question posed by Feigin and Shramov.
North American Prairie Is a Source of Pollen for Managed Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae)
Authors: Zhang Ge , St. Clair Ashley L , Dolezal Adam G , Toth Amy L , O’Neal Matthew E
Published: January 2021

Prairie was a dominant habitat within large portions of North America before European settlement. Conversion of prairies to farmland resulted in the loss of a large proportion of native floral resources, contributing to the decline of native pollinator populations. Efforts to reconstruct prairie could provide honey bees (Apis mellifera) a source of much-needed forage, especially in regions dominated by crop production. To what extent honey bees, which were introduced to North America by European settlers, use plants native to prairies is unclear. We placed colonies with pollen traps within reconstructed prairies in central Iowa to determine which and how much pollen is collected from prairie plants. Honey bee colonies collected more pollen from nonnative than native plants during June and July. During August and September, honey bee colonies collected more pollen from plants native to prairies. Our results suggest that honey bees’ use of native prairie plants may depend upon the seasonality of both native and nonnative plants present in the landscape. This finding may be useful for addressing the nutritional health of honey bees, as colonies in this region frequently suffer from a dearth of forage contributing to colony declines during August and September when crops and weedy plants cease blooming. These results suggest that prairie can be a significant source of forage for honey bees in the later part of the growing season in the Midwestern United States; we discuss this insight in the context of honey bee health and biodiversity conservation.
Relationships Among the Feeding Behaviors of a Mirid Bug on Cotton Leaves of Different Ages and Plant Biochemical Substances
Authors: Song Haiyan , Dong Zhaoke , Li Lili , Lu Zengbin , Li Chao , Yu Yi , Men Xingyuan
Published: January 2021

Apolygus lucorum (Meyer-Dür) (Hemiptera: Miridae) tends to feed on young plant tissues. To explore the relationship between stylet probing behaviors of adult A. lucorum and conditions of cotton leaves, we conducted an experiment using electropenetrography (EPG). Behaviors were recorded on four cotton varieties, in relation to thickness and biochemical traits of differently-aged leaves. Cotton leaf age had a significant effect on the probing behavior of A. lucorum but cotton variety did not. One-day-old leaves of A. lucorum received the highest mean number of stylet probes (penetrations) per insect, and longest mean durations per insect of combined stylet probing or its components, cell rupture and ingestion behaviors. All of the leaf traits (thickness and biochemical substances) were similar among these four cotton varieties. Leaf thickness had a significantly negative effect on the same four variables above. Gossypol and tannin also had a negative impact on combined probing duration. Redundancy analysis showed that the four EPG variables were closely related to nutrient substances (amino acids, sugar, and water) while they had the opposite relationship with plant defense substances (gossypol and tannin). On cotton in the seedling stages, A. lucorum fed more readily on the youngest, thinnest leaves in our no-choice EPG experiments. Nutrients and chemical resistance substances determined the probing duration of A. lucorum. Our findings can contribute to better understanding of patterns of feeding and host consumption by A. lucorum, ultimately improving cotton resistance to A. lucorum.
Impacts of Dryland Cropping Systems on Ground Beetle Communities (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in the Northern Great Plains
Authors: DuPre Mary E , Weaver David K , Seipel Tim F , Menalled Fabian D
Published: January 2021

Ground beetles are natural predators of insect pests and small seeds in agroecosystems. In semiarid cropping systems of the Northern Great Plains, there is a lack of knowledge to how ground beetles are affected by diversified cover crop rotations. In a 2-yr study (2018 and 2019), our experiment was a restricted-randomization strip-plot design, comprising summer fallow, an early-season cover crop mixture (five species), and a mid-season cover crop mixture (seven species), with three cover crop termination methods (i.e., herbicide, grazing, and haying). Using pitfall traps, we sampled ground beetles in five 48-h intervals throughout the growing season (n = 135 per year) using growing degree day (GDD) accumulations to better understand changes to ground beetle communities. Data analysis included the use of linear mixed-effects models, perMANOVA, and non-metric multidimensional scaling ordinations. We did not observe differences among cover crop termination methods; however, activity density in the early-season cover crop mixture decreased and in summer fallow increased throughout the growing season, whereas the mid-season cover crop mixture peaked in the middle of the summer. Ground beetle richness and evenness showed a nonlinear tendency, peaking in the middle of the growing season, with marginal differences between cover crops or fallow after the termination events. Also, differences in ground beetle composition were greatest in the early- and mid-season cover crop mixtures earlier in the growing season. Our study supports the use of cover crop mixtures to enhance ground beetle communities, with potential implications for pest management in dryland cropping systems.
Timing of Aspirin Use in Colorectal Cancer Chemoprevention: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Zhang Yin , Chan Andrew T , Meyerhardt Jeffrey A , Giovannucci Edward L
Published: January 2021

Background

Prior epidemiological and intervention studies have not been able to separate independent effects of dose, timing, and duration of aspirin use in colorectal cancer (CRC) chemoprevention. We examined aspirin-based CRC chemoprevention according to timing in the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.

Methods

The exposures include cumulative average dose and total duration of aspirin use in more than 10 years before follow-up started (remote period) and in the immediate 10 years before follow-up started (recent period). Cox models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for exposures and CRC risk.

Results

Aspirin use of longer than 10 years before follow-up started (HR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.83 to 0.94) per 5-year increment and the immediate 10 years before follow-up started (HR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.84 to 0.96) were similarly important in CRC chemoprevention, though a 5-year lag was required for a clear benefit in the recent period. In the remote period, the association was not dose dependent; compared with less than 0.5 standard-dose (325 mg) tablets per week; hazard ratios were 0.78 (95% CI = 0.63 to 0.98), 0.81 (95% CI = 0.72 to 0.91), and 0.74 (95% CI = 0.64 to 0.86) for doses of 0.5 to less than 1.5, 1.5 to less than 5, and 5 and more tablets per week, respectively. However, there was dose dependency in the recent period (with respective HR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.79 to 1.06; HR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.77 to 0.98; and HR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.64 to 0.91).

Conclusions

A suggestive benefit necessitates at least 6-10 years and most clearly after approximately 10 years since initiation of aspirin. Remote use and use within the previous 10 years both contribute independently to decrease risk, though a lower dose may be required for a benefit with longer term use.
Assembling the Networks and Audiences of Disinformation: How Successful Russian IRA Twitter Accounts Built Their Followings, 2015–2017
Authors: Zhang Yini , Lukito Josephine , Su Min-Hsin , Suk Jiyoun , Xia Yiping , Kim Sang Jung , Doroshenko Larissa , Wells Chris
Published: January 2021

This study investigates how successful Russian Internet Research Agency (IRA) Twitter accounts constructed the followings that were central to their disinformation campaigns around the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Treating an account’s social media following as both an ego network and an audience critical for information diffusion and influence accrual, we situate IRA Twitter accounts’ accumulation of followers in the ideologically polarized, attention driven, and asymmetric political communication system. Results show that partisan enclaves on Twitter contributed to IRA accounts’ followings through retweeting; and that mainstream and hyperpartisan media assisted conservative IRA accounts’ following gain by embedding their tweets in news. These results illustrate how network dynamics within social media and news media amplification beyond it together boosted social media followings. Our results also highlight the dynamics fanning the flames of disinformation: partisan polarization, media fragmentation and asymmetry, and an attention economy optimized for engagement rather than accuracy.
Adaptive mHealth Intervention for Adolescent Physical Activity Promotion
Authors: Cushing Christopher C , Bejarano Carolina M , Ortega Adrian , Sayre Nick , Fedele David A , Smyth Joshua M
Published: January 2021

Objective

The present nonrandomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a tailored text message intervention for increasing adolescent physical activity, as compared with passive monitoring.

Methods

Forty adolescents (13–18 years old) received either a tailored text messaging intervention (Network Underwritten Dynamic Goals Engine [NUDGE]; N = 20), or participated in an attention-control condition (N = 20), for 20 days. Physical activity was measured for all participants via continuous accelerometry. Frequency analyses were conducted on program usage and satisfaction ratings to evaluate feasibility and acceptability, and multilevel models were used to evaluate the efficacy hypotheses.

Results

The vast majority of participants (90%) reported being very or mostly satisfied with the NUDGE program and rated their enjoyment as above average. The intervention group was estimated to spend an average of 20.84 more minutes per day in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity relative to the attention-control group (β = 20.84, SE = 8.19). Exploratory analyses revealed that the intervention group also engaged in 82 fewer minutes of sedentary time per day on average, although this effect was not significant due to the large variability in sedentary time (β = −81.98, SE = 46.86).

Conclusions

The NUDGE tailored text messaging intervention was feasible, acceptable, and efficacious in increasing physical activity in this sample. Findings warrant additional evaluation of NUDGE as both a standalone physical activity intervention or as part of a multicomponent package.
Isatis indigotica: a review of phytochemistry, pharmacological activities and clinical applications
Authors: Chen Qiong , Lan Hai-Yue , Peng Wei , Rahman Khalid , Liu Qing-Chun , Luan Xin , Zhang Hong
Published: January 2021

Objectives

Isatis indigotica Fort. (I. indigotica) is an herbaceous plant belonging to Cruciferae family. Its leaf (IIL) and root (IIR) are commonly used in traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) with good clinical efficacies such as clearing away heat and detoxification, cooling blood and reducing swelling. This review aimed to provide a systematic summary on the phytochemistry, pharmacology and clinical applications of I. indigotica.

Key findings

This plant contains alkaloids, organic acids, flavonoids, lignans, nucleosides, amino acids, and steroids. Previous pharmacological researches indicated that I. indigotica possesses promising antivirus, antibacterial, immunoregulatory, anti-inflammation, and cholagogic effects. Importantly, it can inhibit various viruses, such as influenza, hepatitis B, mumps, herpes simplex, cytomegalovirus, and coxsachievirus. Clinically, it is frequently used to treat various viral diseases like viral influenza, parotitis and viral hepatitis. Consequently, I. indigotica may be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

This paper reviewed the chemical constituents, pharmacological effects and clinical applications of I. indigotica which may guide further research and application of this plant.
The oligomeric states of elicitins affect the hypersensitive response and resistance in tobacco
Authors: Solanský Martin , Mikulášek Kamil , Zapletalová Martina , Petřivalský Marek , Chiltz Annick , Zdráhal Zbyněk , Leborgne-Castel Nathalie , Lochman Jan
Published: January 2021

Successful plant defence against microbial pathogens is based on early recognition and fast activation of inducible responses. Key mechanisms include detection of microbe-associated molecular patterns by membrane-localized pattern recognition receptors that induce a basal resistance response. A well-described model of such responses to pathogens involves the interactions between Solanaceae plants and proteinaceous elicitors secreted by oomycetes, called elicitins. It has been hypothesized that the formation of oligomeric structures by elicitins could be involved in their recognition and activation of defensive transduction cascades. In this study, we tested this hypothesis using several approaches, and we observed differences in tobacco plant responses induced by the elicitin β-cryptogein (β-CRY) and its homodimer, β-CRYDIM. We also found that the C-terminal domain of elicitins of other ELI (true-elicitin) clades plays a significant role in stabilization of their oligomeric structure and restraint in the cell wall. In addition, covalently cross-linking β-CRYDIM impaired the formation of signalling complexes, thereby reducing its capacity to elicit the hypersensitive response and resistance in the host plant, with no significant changes in pathogenesis-related protein expression. By revealing the details of the effects of β-CRY dimerization on recognition and defence responses in tobacco, our results shed light on the poorly understood role of elicitins’ oligomeric structures in the interactions between oomycetes and plants.
Lycopene β-cyclase expression influences plant physiology, development, and metabolism in tobacco plants
Authors: Kössler Stella , Armarego-Marriott Tegan , Tarkowská Danuše , Turečková Veronika , Agrawal Shreya , Mi Jianing , de Souza Leonardo Perez , Schöttler Mark Aurel , Schadach Anne , Fröhlich Anja , Bock Ralph , Al-Babili Salim , Ruf Stephanie , Sampathkumar Arun , Moreno Juan C
Published: January 2021

Carotenoids are important isoprenoids produced in the plastids of photosynthetic organisms that play key roles in photoprotection and antioxidative processes. β-Carotene is generated from lycopene by lycopene β-cyclase (LCYB). Previously, we demonstrated that the introduction of the Daucus carota (carrot) DcLCYB1 gene into tobacco (cv. Xanthi) resulted in increased levels of abscisic acid (ABA) and especially gibberellins (GAs), resulting in increased plant yield. In order to understand this phenomenon prior to exporting this genetic strategy to crops, we generated tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Petit Havana) mutants that exhibited a wide range of LCYB expression. Transplastomic plants expressing DcLCYB1 at high levels showed a wild-type-like growth, even though their pigment content was increased and their leaf GA1 content was reduced. RNA interference (RNAi) NtLCYB lines showed different reductions in NtLCYB transcript abundance, correlating with reduced pigment content and plant variegation. Photosynthesis (leaf absorptance, Fv/Fm, and light-saturated capacity of linear electron transport) and plant growth were impaired. Remarkably, drastic changes in phytohormone content also occurred in the RNAi lines. However, external application of phytohormones was not sufficient to rescue these phenotypes, suggesting that altered photosynthetic efficiency might be another important factor explaining their reduced biomass. These results show that LCYB expression influences plant biomass by different mechanisms and suggests thresholds for LCYB expression levels that might be beneficial or detrimental for plant growth.
Old and new major mergers in the SOSIMPLE galaxy, NGC 7135
Authors: Davison Thomas A , Kuntschner Harald , Husemann Bernd , Norris Mark A , Dalcanton Julianne J , De Rosa Alessandra , Duc Pierre-Alain , Bianchi Stefano , Capelo Pedro R , Vignali Cristian
Published: January 2021

The simultaneous advancement of high resolution integral field unit spectroscopy and robust full-spectral fitting codes now make it possible to examine spatially resolved kinematic, chemical composition, and star-formation history from nearby galaxies. We take new MUSE data from the snapshot optical spectroscopic imaging of mergers and pairs for legacy Exploration (SOSIMPLE) survey to examine NGC 7135. With counter-rotation of gas, disrupted kinematics and asymmetric chemical distribution, NGC 7135 is consistent with an ongoing merger. Though well hidden by the current merger, we are able to distinguish stars originating from an older merger, occurring 6–10 Gyr ago. We further find a gradient in ex-situ material with galactocentric radius, with the accreted fraction rising from 0 per cent in the galaxy centre, to ∼7 per cent within 0.6 effective radii.
A comparative analysis of the mutagenicity of platinum-containing chemotherapeutic agents reveals direct and indirect mutagenic mechanisms
Authors: Szikriszt Bernadett , Póti Ádám , Németh Eszter , Kanu Nnennaya , Swanton Charles , Szüts Dávid
Published: January 2021

Platinum-based drugs are a mainstay of cancer chemotherapy. However, their mutagenic effect can increase tumour heterogeneity, contribute to the evolution of treatment resistance and also induce secondary malignancies. We coupled whole genome sequencing with phenotypic investigations on two cell line models to compare the magnitude and examine the mechanism of mutagenicity of cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin. Cisplatin induced significantly more base substitution mutations than carboplatin or oxaliplatin when used at equitoxic concentrations on human TK6 or chicken DT40 cells, and also induced the highest number of short insertions and deletions. The analysis of base substitution spectra revealed that all three tested platinum drugs elicit both a direct mutagenic effect at purine dinucleotides, and an indirect effect of accelerating endogenous mutagenic processes, whereas the direct mutagenic effect appeared to correlate with the level of DNA damage caused as assessed through histone H2AX phosphorylation and single-cell agarose gel electrophoresis, the indirect mutagenic effects were equal. The different mutagenicity and DNA-damaging effect of equitoxic platinum drug treatments suggest that DNA damage independent mechanisms significantly contribute to their cytotoxicity. Thus, the comparatively high mutagenicity of cisplatin should be taken into account in the design of chemotherapeutic regimens.
Experimental playback of natural gas compressor noise reduces incubation time and hatching success in two secondary cavity-nesting bird species
Authors: Williams Danielle P , Avery Julian D , Gabrielson Thomas B , Brittingham Margaret C
Published: January 2021

Natural gas compressor stations emit loud, low-frequency noise that travels hundreds of meters into undisturbed habitat. We used experimental playback of natural gas compressor noise to determine whether and how noise influenced settlement decisions and reproductive output as well as when in the nesting cycle birds were most affected by compressor noise. We established 80 nest boxes to attract Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) and Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) to locations where they had not previously nested and experimentally introduced shale gas compressor noise to half the boxes while the other 40 boxes served as controls. Our experimental design allowed us to control for the confounding effects of both physical changes to the environment associated with compressor stations as well as site tenacity or the tendency for birds to return to the specific locations where they had previously bred. We incorporated behavioral observations with video cameras placed within boxes to determine how changes in behavior might lead to any noted changes in fitness. Neither species demonstrated a preference for box type (quiet or noisy), and there was no difference in clutch size between box types. In both species, we observed a reduction in incubation time, hatching success, and fledging success (proportion of all eggs that fledged) between quiet and noisy boxes but no difference in provisioning rates. Nest success (probability of fledging at least one young; calculated from all nests that were initiated) was not affected by noise in either species suggesting that noise did not increase rates of either depredation or abandonment but instead negatively impacted fitness through reduced hatching and fledging success. Compressor noise caused behavioral changes that led to reduced reproductive success; for Eastern Bluebirds and Tree Swallows, gas infrastructure can create an equal-preference ecological trap where birds do not distinguish between lower and higher quality territories even when they incur fitness costs.
Situating language in a minimal social context: how seeing a picture of the speaker’s face affects language comprehension
Authors: Hernández-Gutiérrez David , Muñoz Francisco , Sánchez-García Jose , Sommer Werner , Abdel Rahman Rasha , Casado Pilar , Jiménez-Ortega Laura , Espuny Javier , Fondevila Sabela , Martín-Loeches Manuel
Published: January 2021

Natural use of language involves at least two individuals. Some studies have focused on the interaction between senders in communicative situations and how the knowledge about the speaker can bias language comprehension. However, the mere effect of a face as a social context on language processing remains unknown. In the present study, we used event-related potentials to investigate the semantic and morphosyntactic processing of speech in the presence of a photographic portrait of the speaker. In Experiment 1, we show that the N400, a component related to semantic comprehension, increased its amplitude when processed within this minimal social context compared to a scrambled face control condition. Hence, the semantic neural processing of speech is sensitive to the concomitant perception of a picture of the speaker’s face, even if irrelevant to the content of the sentences. Moreover, a late posterior negativity effect was found to the presentation of the speaker’s face compared to control stimuli. In contrast, in Experiment 2, we found that morphosyntactic processing, as reflected in left anterior negativity and P600 effects, is not notably affected by the presence of the speaker’s portrait. Overall, the present findings suggest that the mere presence of the speaker’s image seems to trigger a minimal communicative context, increasing processing resources for language comprehension at the semantic level.