bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Paratracheal Pressure on the Glottic View During Direct Laryngoscopy: A Randomized Double-Blind, Noninferiority Trial
Authors: Won Dongwook , Kim Hyerim , Chang Jee-Eun , Lee Jung-Man , Min Seong-Won , Ma Seoyoung , Kim Chanho , Hwang Jin-Young , Kim Tae Kyong
Published: June 2021

BACKGROUND:

Cricoid pressure has been used as a component of the rapid sequence induction and intubation technique. However, concerns have been raised regarding the effectiveness and safety of cricoid pressure. Paratracheal pressure, a potential alternative to cricoid pressure to prevent regurgitation of gastric contents or aspiration, has been studied to be more effective to cricoid pressure in preventing gastric insufflation during positive pressure ventilation. However, to adopt paratracheal compression into our practice, adverse effects including its effect on the glottic view during direct laryngoscopy should be studied. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, noninferiority trial comparing paratracheal and cricoid pressures for any adverse effects on the view during direct laryngoscopy, together with other secondary outcome measures.

METHODS:

In total, 140 adult patients undergoing general anesthesia randomly received paratracheal pressure (paratracheal group) or cricoid pressure (cricoid group) during anesthesia induction. The primary end point was the incidence of deteriorated laryngoscopic view, evaluated by modified Cormack–Lehane grade with a predefined noninferiority margin of 15%. Secondary end points included percentage of glottic opening score, ease of mask ventilation, change in ventilation volume and peak inspiratory pressure during mechanical mask ventilation, ease of tracheal intubation, and resistance encountered while advancing the tube into the glottis. The position of the esophagus was assessed by ultrasound in both groups to determine whether pressure applied to the respective area would be likely to result in esophageal compression. All secondary outcomes were tested for superiority, except percentage of glottic opening score, which was tested for noninferiority.

RESULTS:

Paratracheal pressure was noninferior to cricoid pressure regarding the incidence of deterioration of modified Cormack–Lehane grade (0% vs 2.9%; absolute risk difference, −2.9%; 95% confidence interval, −9.9 to 2.6, P <.0001). Mask ventilation, measured on an ordinal scale, was found to be easier (ie, more likely to have a lower score) with paratracheal pressure than with cricoid pressure (OR, 0.41; 95% confidence interval, 0.21–0.79; P = .008). The increase in peak inspiratory pressure was significantly less in the paratracheal group than in the cricoid group during mechanical mask ventilation (median [min, max], 0 [−1, 1] vs 0 [−1, 23]; P = .001). The differences in other secondary outcomes were nonsignificant between the groups. The anatomical position of the esophagus was more suitable for compression in the paratracheal region, compared to the cricoid cartilage region.

CONCLUSIONS:

Paratracheal pressure was noninferior to cricoid pressure with respect to the effect on glottic view during direct laryngoscopy.
Saturation mutagenesis defines novel mouse models of severe spine deformity
Authors: Rios Jonathan J. , Denton Kristin , Yu Hao , Manickam Kandamurugu , Garner Shannon , Russell Jamie , Ludwig Sara , Rosenfeld Jill A. , Liu Pengfei , Munch Jake , Sucato Daniel J. , Beutler Bruce , Wise Carol A.
Published: June 2021

Embryonic formation and patterning of the vertebrate spinal column requires coordination of many molecular cues. After birth, the integrity of the spine is impacted by developmental abnormalities of the skeletal, muscular and nervous systems, which may result in deformities, such as kyphosis and scoliosis. We sought to identify novel genetic mouse models of severe spine deformity by implementing in vivo skeletal radiography as part of a high-throughput saturation mutagenesis screen. We report selected examples of genetic mouse models following radiographic screening of 54,497 mice from 1275 pedigrees. An estimated 30.44% of autosomal genes harbored predicted damaging alleles examined twice or more in the homozygous state. Of the 1275 pedigrees screened, 7.4% presented with severe spine deformity developing in multiple mice, and of these, meiotic mapping implicated N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea alleles in 21% of pedigrees. Our study provides proof of concept that saturation mutagenesis is capable of discovering novel mouse models of human disease, including conditions with skeletal, neural and neuromuscular pathologies. Furthermore, we report a mouse model of skeletal disease, including severe spine deformity, caused by recessive mutation in Scube3. By integrating results with a human clinical exome database, we identified a patient with undiagnosed skeletal disease who harbored recessive mutations in SCUBE3, and we demonstrated that disease-associated mutations are associated with reduced transactivation of Smad signaling in vitro. All radiographic results and mouse models are made publicly available through the Mutagenetix online database with the goal of advancing understanding of spine development and discovering novel mouse models of human disease.
Exercise Improves Cancer-free Survival and Health Span in a Model of Radiation-induced Cancer
Authors: FARBER EADAN , KWIECIEN JACEK M. , BOJIC DEJAN , NGU MATTHEW , AKOHENE-MENSAH PAUL , VANHIE JAMES J. , LLOYD JESSICA , LARKIN JILLIAN , DE LISIO MICHAEL
Published: June 2021

Introduction

Radiation therapy increases the risk of secondary malignancy and morbidity in cancer survivors. The role of obesity and exercise training in modulating this risk is not well understood. As such, we used a preclinical model of radiation-induced malignancy to investigate whether diet-induced obesity and/or endurance exercise training altered lifelong survival, cancer incidence, and morbidity.

Methods

Male CBA mice were randomly divided into control diet/sedentary group (CTRL/SED), high-fat diet (45% fat)/sedentary group (HFD/SED), control diet/exercise group (2–3 d·wk−1; CTRL/EX), or high-fat diet/exercise group (HFD/EX) groups then exposed to whole-body radiation (3 Gy). End point monitoring and pathology determined mortality and cancer incidence, respectively. Health span index, a measure of morbidity, was determined by a composite measure of 10 anthropometric, metabolic, performance, and behavioral measures.

Results

Overall survival was higher in HFD/SED compared with CTRL/SED (P < 0.05). The risk of cancer-related mortality by 18 months postradiation was 1.99 and 1.63 in HFD/SED compared with CTRL/EX (RR = 1.99, 95% confidence interval = 1.20–3.31, P = 0.0081) and CTRL/SED (RR = 1.63, 95% confidence interval = 1.06–2.49, P = 0.0250), respectively. The number of mice at end point with cancer was higher in HFD/SED compared with CTRL/EX and CTRL/SED (P < 0.05). Health span index was highest in CTRL/EX (score = +2.5), followed by HFD/EX (score = +1), and HFD/SED (score = −1) relative to CTRL/SED.

Conclusion

This work provides the basis for future preclinical studies investigating the dose–response relationship between exercise training and late effects of radiation therapy as well as the mechanisms responsible for these effects.
What Limits College Success? A Review and Further Analysis of Holzer and Baum’s Making College Work
Authors: Oreopoulos Philip
Published: June 2021

Harry J. Holzer and Sandy Baum’s recent book, Making College Work: Pathways to Success for Disadvantaged Students, provides an excellent up-to-date review of higher education. My review first summarizes its key themes: (i) who gains from college and why, (ii) mismatch and the need for more structure, (iii) problems with remediation, (iv) financial barriers, and (v) the promise of comprehensive support. I then critique the book’s proposed solutions using some of my own qualitative and quantitative data. Some recommendations are worth considering, while others are too expensive or unlikely to make a meaningful difference without addressing the underlying lack of preparedness and motivation of college students. I argue that making mandatory some existing services, such as application assistance and advice, proactive tutoring and advising, and greater career transition support, has the most immediate potential. (JEL I22, I23, I24)
Counterfactuals, Empires, and Institutions: Reflections on Walter Scheidel’s Escape from Rome
Authors: Koyama Mark
Published: June 2021

This essay reviews Escape from Rome: The Failure of Empire and the Road to Prosperity by Walter Scheidel. It examines the argument that Europe’s persistent fragmentation following the collapse of the Roman Empire is responsible for the origins of the modern world. First, I consider Scheidel’s argument that the rise of Rome at the end of the first millennium BCE was relatively overdetermined, but that once Rome fell, it was highly unlikely for any subsequent empire to dominate Europe. Second, I examine the institutional consequences of this divergence in state building. Finally, I reflect on the role of counterfactuals in history. (JEL Y80)
APOBEC1 mediated C-to-U RNA editing: target sequence and trans-acting factor contribution to 177 RNA editing events in 119 murine transcripts in vivo
Authors: Soleymanjahi Saeed , Blanc Valerie , Davidson Nicholas O.
Published: June 2021

Mammalian C-to-U RNA editing was described more than 30 yr ago as a single nucleotide modification in small intestinal Apob RNA, later shown to be mediated by the RNA-specific cytidine deaminase APOBEC1. Reports of other examples of C-to-U RNA editing, coupled with the advent of genome-wide transcriptome sequencing, identified an expanded range of APOBEC1 targets. Here we analyze the cis-acting regulatory components of verified murine C-to-U RNA editing targets, including nearest neighbor as well as flanking sequence requirements and folding predictions. RNA secondary structure of the editing cassette was associated with editing frequency and exhibited minimal free energy values comparable to small nuclear RNAs. We summarize findings demonstrating the relative importance of trans-acting factors (A1CF, RBM47) acting in concert with APOBEC1. Cofactor dominance was associated with editing frequency, with RNAs targeted by both RBM47 and A1CF edited at a lower frequency than RBM47-dominant targets. Using this information, we developed a multivariable linear regression model to predict APOBEC1 dependent C-to-U RNA editing efficiency, incorporating factors independently associated with editing frequencies based on 103 Sanger-confirmed editing sites, which accounted for 84% of the observed variance. This model also predicted a composite score for available human C-to-U RNA targets, which again correlated with editing frequency.
Decentralized Payment Systems and Their Interaction with the Current Tax System
Authors: Soltakhanov A. , Sizova D. , Sizova T.
Published: June 2021

This article discusses decentralized payment systems that are becoming more widespread in the global economy in the context of globalization and digitalization. Special attention is paid to the taxation of operations of decentralized payment systems in domestic and foreign practice. Th e scientifi c and practical signifi cance lies in the fact that the article considers three approaches to taxation of transactions with cryptocurrencies, defi nes the objects of taxation for such transactions, and considers the experience of foreign countries.
Features of the Islamic Accounting Model
Authors: Dmitrieva I. , Kharakoz Yu.
Published: June 2021

Th e article considers the features of the functioning of the Islamic economy and the prospects for the development of the Islamic accounting model. A comparative analysis of reporting in the framework of the Islamic model and reporting according to international standards is carried out.
Nonconvex Low-Rank Tensor Completion from Noisy Data
Authors: Cai Changxiao , Li Gen , Poor H. Vincent , Chen Yuxin
Published: June 2021

This paper investigates a problem of broad practical interest, namely, the reconstruction of a large-dimensional low-rank tensor from highly incomplete and randomly corrupted observations of its entries. Although a number of papers have been dedicated to this tensor completion problem, prior algorithms either are computationally too expensive for large-scale applications or come with suboptimal statistical performance. Motivated by this, we propose a fast two-stage nonconvex algorithm—a gradient method following a rough initialization—that achieves the best of both worlds: optimal statistical accuracy and computational efficiency. Specifically, the proposed algorithm provably completes the tensor and retrieves all low-rank factors within nearly linear time, while at the same time enjoying near-optimal statistical guarantees (i.e., minimal sample complexity and optimal estimation accuracy). The insights conveyed through our analysis of nonconvex optimization might have implications for a broader family of tensor reconstruction problems beyond tensor completion.
Recruitment and retention: 12 solutions
Authors: Bromley Matt
Published: June 2021

Schools are facing significant and well-documented challenges to the recruitment and retention of teachers. In this Best Practice Focus, Matt Bromley draws upon the range of research to offer schools 12 practical solutions…
WinDAM C: Analysis Tool for Predicting Breach Erosion Processes of Embankment Dams Due to Overtopping or Internal Erosion
Authors: Hunt Sherry L. , Temple Darrel M. , Neilsen Mitchell L. , Ali Abdelfatah , Tejral Ronald D.
Published: June 2021

Highlights

The computational models comprising the current version of WinDAM, called WinDAM C, are summarized.

WinDAM C estimates the response of an earthen embankment subjected to overtopping or internal erosion.

WinDAM C is a model that quantifies erosion/breach processes observed in physical embankment failure tests.

Understanding the current technology and limitations provides a basis for further model development.

Abstract. Internal erosion and overtopping erosion of earthen embankments are the leading causes for earthen embankment failures. Challenges like reservoir sedimentation, structural deterioration, rodent damage or tree root growth, and changing hazard classification from low to significant or high have arisen with aging dams. To address these challenges, new technology and tools for predicting the performance of homogeneous, cohesive earthen embankments during overtopping or internal erosion are needed. Windows Dam Analysis Modules (WinDAM) is a modular software application developed through collaborative efforts of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Kansas State University (KSU) in response to this need. WinDAM uses a simple storage routing model to simulate flow through a reservoir and incorporates algorithms for predicting the progression of erosion resulting from embankment overtopping or flow through an internal discontinuity in the embankment. These algorithms are based on existing literature and data and observations from physical model experiments of homogeneous, cohesive embankments conducted by scientists at the USDA-ARS Hydraulic Engineering Research Unit in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The resulting computational model is a simplified representation of the observed process of progressive erosion that may lead to embankment breach. This paper reviews the components of the erosion/breach process and the way in which these components are quantified and integrated into the current WinDAM software, WinDAM C. The scope of application of the software, limitations, and computational assumptions are also discussed. Keywords: Breach, Dams, Erodibility, Erosion Process, Failure, Internal erosion, Model, Overtopping, Piping.
New Design Approach for Oil Palm Transportation Processes Using Kano Model and QFD
Authors: Lerspalungsanti Sarawut , Srisawadi Sasitorn , Paoprasert Naraphorn Haphuriwat , Srisurangkul Chadchai , Pitaksapsin Narong , Wattanawongsakun Prasit
Published: June 2021

Highlights

Application of Kano model based on customer’s requirements and quality function deployment for oil palm fresh fruit bunch transportation

New vehicle design based on the analysis

Cost-benefit analysis comparing new transportation design with an existing one

Abstract. Existing transportation systems have been extensively developed to serve a variety of needs. While most systems of agricultural product transportation are designed for multi-purpose functions, farming activities and agro-processing industries may need specific types of transportation. The main focus of this study was to find a design to fulfil customer transportation requirements for oil palm fresh fruit bunches (FFBs). Since more than 70% of Thai oil palm farmers operate at a small scale with an average oil palm plantation area of 3 to 5 ha, the challenge is not to further develop advanced technology to transport FFBs, but to develop a new design approach that fits the basic needs of farmers. Kano model, based on customer requirements for the oil palm FFB transportation processes, was integrated with quality function deployment method to identify significant design attributes and vehicle specification details. Three dimensions of cost structure—the economic monetary value, time required to complete each step, and product quality—were further considered to compare new transportation design with an existing one. The results verified that the proposed design showed a substantial potential to reduce the cost and processing time of transportation and to increase product quality. Keywords: Cost and benefit analysis, Kano model, Oil palm transportation, QFD, Vehicle design approach.
Evaluating Radiant Heater Performance Using Chick Thermal Preference and Spatial Analysis
Authors: Linhoss John E , Purswell Joseph L , Davis Jeremiah D
Published: June 2021

Highlights

Radiant heaters from different manufacturers with the same power output do not produce the same radiant distribution.

Heater net usable area is influenced by heater elevation and chick preferences for radiant flux.

Radiant heaters should be operated at manufacturer specified elevations to minimize potential reductions in performance.

Abstract. Radiant heaters are the most common method of providing supplemental heat in broiler houses, but little is known about how efficiently they create a suitable thermal environment for brooding chicks. This study investigates the net usable area (NUA), or the total floor area within the range of radiant flux preferred by chicks, for six round radiant heaters with a nominally rated power output of 11.72 kW. NUA was calculated for all heaters at three manufacturer specified heights 1.52, 1.83, and 1.98 m and at a distance 0.3 m below manufacturer specified height (1.22 m). NUA ranged from 11.6 ± 0.7 m2 to 59.4 ± 19.7 m2 and increased with heater mounting elevation. Results indicate that radiant heaters from different manufacturers with the same power output do not produce the same NUA. NUA was also shown to be higher at 8 d than 1 d for all heaters and was attributed to the decrease in chick preference for level of radiant flux during the first week of brooding. NUA gross radiant coefficient (GRC), or the proportion of the heat energy in the fuel that reached the floor and was within the thermal comfort range of the chicks, did not exceed 0.37 for any heater and decreased with heater elevation. Operating a heater below the manufacturer specified mounting elevations led to reduced NUA and an overall less efficient use of fuel. Keywords: Broiler chicks, Brooding, Net usable area, Radiant heaters, Thermal preference.
Temporal Memory in Foraging of the Stingless Bee Melipona subnitida (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini)
Authors: Guimarães Silva Albeane , Carvalho Gracy Chrisley Alencar , De Miranda Ana Catarina , Contrera Felipe Andrés León , Rêgo Márcia Maria Corrêa
Published: June 2021

Bees feed on nectar and pollen, however these resources are often available to floral visitors during restricted temporal windows. The presence of temporal memory is an advantage, as foragers can save energy by scheduling their flight activity to coincide with peaks of nectar secretion in the flowers or at times of higher sugar concentration in the nectar. Thus, the objectives of this study were (i) to investigate whether Melipona subnitida has temporal memory, and evaluate whether it becomes more accurate over the days, and (ii) to determine whether the behavior of anticipating the offered resource presents intra-individual consistency in the behavior of foragers. The visitation of the bees was high before and during the opening interval of the food resource, but rare after the closing, suggesting that M. subnitida has the ability to memorize the time of availability of the resource, increasing the accuracy over the days, with bees anticipating their visits in relation to the time they discovered the resource, and the opening time of the resource. There was individual consistency in the behavior of food-anticipatory activity, with the presence of bees that consistently anticipated in relation to the opening time of the resource (inspectors) and bees that consistently did not anticipate (reactivated forager) . By anticipating the search for a resource, foragers allow the group to exploit it effectively, as they exploit it in the first hours of its opening, and foragers that never anticipate avoid unnecessary risks of predation and energy expenditure.
Laser safety assessments supported by analyses of reflections from
metallic targets irradiated by high-power laser light
Authors: Henrichsen Michael , Schwarz Bastian , Ritt Gunnar , Azarian Adrian , Eberle Bernd
Published: June 2021

When using kilowatt-class lasers in outdoor environments, ensuring
laser safety turns out to be a complex issue due to the large safety
areas that must be respected. For the special cases of collimated or
focused laser radiation reflected from ideally flat but naturally
rough metallic surfaces, the classical laser hazard analysis is deemed
insufficient. In order to investigate the corresponding hazard areas
for the aforementioned cases, we performed experiments on laser–matter
interactions. Using high-power laser radiation, we studied the spatial
and temporal reflection characteristics from four different metallic
samples. For the evaluation of total reflection characteristics, we
performed curve-fitting methods comprising Gaussian-like specular
components, diffuse scattering components according to the ABg–scatter
model and Lambertian components. For the investigation of occurring
caustics, we developed a dedicated model in order to assess the
divergence of the contained structures as a function of distance. Our
evaluations have shown that the majority of the reflected power is
scattered and based on these findings, that resulting nominal optical
hazard distance values, even under worst-case assumptions, are
significantly smaller than those of the non-reflected laser beam.
Localization scheme based on key frame selection and a reliable plane
using lidar and IMU
Authors: Zhang Yi
Published: June 2021

Lidar (also known as light detection and ranging) and inertial measurement unit (IMU) have become the core components in simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) system. Aiming at the problems of low accuracy and poor robustness, we propose what we believe is a novel scheme, including a local map matching rule, a plane representation method, and a key frame filtering process. Our solution removes redundant data during the plane fitting process and achieves higher accuracy. Experimental results prove that our method outperforms other popular methods in terms of trajectory errors and robustness under different scenarios.
Tunable electro-optic analog-to-digital converter using graphene nanoshells in photonic crystal ring resonators
Authors: Naghizade Saleh , Saghaei Hamed
Published: June 2021

In this paper, we propose a novel design of a tunable electro-optic analog-to-digital converter. The proposed structure consists of a tunable three-channel demultiplexer and an optical encoder. The first part provides sampling and quantization of the input electrical analog signal based on the applied potential to the graphene nanoshells (GNSs), while the second part converts the quantized levels into two-bit binary code. The electro-optic demultiplexer is realized using three GNS-based photonic crystal resonant cavities and can be tuned by applying different biasing of the gate voltage to the GNSs. For appropriate chemical potential values of GNS, each resonant cavity can drop the optical beam into its corresponding output port. This tunable ultrafast device supports a maximum sampling rate of up to 222 GS/s, whereas its compact footprint is about

692

µ

m

2

. The proposed device opens a new window to the design and fabrication of tunable graphene-based photonic crystal circuits to develop electro-optic on-chip processing systems.
Shear based gap control in 2D photonic quasicrystals of dielectric cylinders
Authors: Andueza Ángel , Sevilla Joaquín , Pérez-Conde Jesús , Wang Kang
Published: June 2021

2D dielectric photonic quasicrystals can be designed to show isotropic band gaps. In this work we study a quasiperiodic lattice made of silicon dielectric cylinders (ɛ = 12) arranged as periodic unit cell based on a decagonal approximant of a quasiperiodic Penrose lattice. We analyze the bulk properties of the resulting lattice as well as the bright states excited in the gap, which correspond to localized resonances of the electromagnetic field in specific cylinder clusters of the lattice. Then we introduce a controlled shear deformation γ which breaks the decagonal symmetry and evaluate the width reduction of the gap together with the evolution of the resonances, for all shear values compatible with physical constraints (cylinder contact). The gap width reduction reaches 18.5% while different states change their frequency in several ways. Realistic analysis of the actual transmission of the electromagnetic radiation, often missing in the literature, has been performed for a finite "slice" of the proposed quasicrystals structure. Two calculation procedures based on MIT Photonic Bands (MPB) and Finite Integration Technique (FIT) are used for the bulk and the finite structures showing an excellent agreement between them.
Structured laser beams: toward 2-μm femtosecond laser vortices: publisher’s note
Authors: Zhao Yongguang , Wang Li , Chen Weidong , Loiko Pavel , Mateos Xavier , Xu Xiaodong , Liu Ying , Shen Deyuan , Wang Zhengping , Xu Xinguang , Griebner Uwe , Petrov Valentin
Published: June 2021

This publisher’s note corrects the authors’ affiliations in Photon. Res. 9, 357 (2021)PRHEIZ2327-912510.1364/PRJ.413276.
Histone tails cooperate to control the breathing of genomic nucleosomes
Authors: Huertas Jan , Schöler Hans Robert , Cojocaru Vlad
Published: June 2021

Genomic DNA is packaged in chromatin, a dynamic fiber variable in size and compaction. In chromatin, repeating nucleosome units wrap 145–147 DNA basepairs around histone proteins. Genetic and epigenetic regulation of genes relies on structural transitions in chromatin which are driven by intra- and inter-nucleosome dynamics and modulated by chemical modifications of the unstructured terminal tails of histones. Here we demonstrate how the interplay between histone H3 and H2A tails control ample nucleosome breathing motions. We monitored large openings of two genomic nucleosomes, and only moderate breathing of an engineered nucleosome in atomistic molecular simulations amounting to 24 μs. Transitions between open and closed nucleosome conformations were mediated by the displacement and changes in compaction of the two histone tails. These motions involved changes in the DNA interaction profiles of clusters of epigenetic regulatory aminoacids in the tails. Removing the histone tails resulted in a large increase of the amplitude of nucleosome breathing but did not change the sequence dependent pattern of the motions. Histone tail modulated nucleosome breathing is a key mechanism of chromatin dynamics with important implications for epigenetic regulation.
GCSENet: A GCN, CNN and SENet ensemble model for microRNA-disease association prediction
Authors: Li Zhong , Jiang Kaiyancheng , Qin Shengwei , Zhong Yijun , Elofsson Arne
Published: June 2021

Recently, an increasing number of studies have demonstrated that miRNAs are involved in human diseases, indicating that miRNAs might be a potential pathogenic factor for various diseases. Therefore, figuring out the relationship between miRNAs and diseases plays a critical role in not only the development of new drugs, but also the formulation of individualized diagnosis and treatment. As the prediction of miRNA-disease association via biological experiments is expensive and time-consuming, computational methods have a positive effect on revealing the association. In this study, a novel prediction model integrating GCN, CNN and Squeeze-and-Excitation Networks (GCSENet) was constructed for the identification of miRNA-disease association. The model first captured features by GCN based on a heterogeneous graph including diseases, genes and miRNAs. Then, considering the different effects of genes on each type of miRNA and disease, as well as the different effects of the miRNA-gene and disease-gene relationships on miRNA-disease association, a feature weight was set and a combination of miRNA-gene and disease-gene associations was added as feature input for the convolution operation in CNN. Furthermore, the squeeze and excitation blocks of SENet were applied to determine the importance of each feature channel and enhance useful features by means of the attention mechanism, thus achieving a satisfactory prediction of miRNA-disease association. The proposed method was compared against other state-of-the-art methods. It achieved an AUROC score of 95.02% and an AUPR score of 95.55% in a 10-fold cross-validation, which led to the finding that the proposed method is superior to these popular methods on most of the performance evaluation indexes.
coupleCoC+: An information-theoretic co-clustering-based transfer learning framework for the integrative analysis of single-cell genomic data
Authors: Zeng Pengcheng , Lin Zhixiang
Published: June 2021

Technological advances have enabled us to profile multiple molecular layers at unprecedented single-cell resolution and the available datasets from multiple samples or domains are growing. These datasets, including scRNA-seq data, scATAC-seq data and sc-methylation data, usually have different powers in identifying the unknown cell types through clustering. So, methods that integrate multiple datasets can potentially lead to a better clustering performance. Here we propose coupleCoC+ for the integrative analysis of single-cell genomic data. coupleCoC+ is a transfer learning method based on the information-theoretic co-clustering framework. In coupleCoC+, we utilize the information in one dataset, the source data, to facilitate the analysis of another dataset, the target data. coupleCoC+ uses the linked features in the two datasets for effective knowledge transfer, and it also uses the information of the features in the target data that are unlinked with the source data. In addition, coupleCoC+ matches similar cell types across the source data and the target data. By applying coupleCoC+ to the integrative clustering of mouse cortex scATAC-seq data and scRNA-seq data, mouse and human scRNA-seq data, mouse cortex sc-methylation and scRNA-seq data, and human blood dendritic cells scRNA-seq data from two batches, we demonstrate that coupleCoC+ improves the overall clustering performance and matches the cell subpopulations across multimodal single-cell genomic datasets. coupleCoC+ has fast convergence and it is computationally efficient. The software is available at https://github.com/cuhklinlab/coupleCoC_plus.
The epidemiology of Mayaro virus in the Americas: A systematic review and key parameter estimates for outbreak modelling
Authors: Caicedo Edgar-Yaset , Charniga Kelly , Rueda Amanecer , Dorigatti Ilaria , Mendez Yardany , Hamlet Arran , Carrera Jean-Paul , Cucunubá Zulma M.
Published: June 2021

Mayaro virus (MAYV) is an arbovirus that is endemic to tropical forests in Central and South America, particularly within the Amazon basin. In recent years, concern has increased regarding MAYV’s ability to invade urban areas and cause epidemics across the region. We conducted a systematic literature review to characterise the evolutionary history of MAYV, its transmission potential, and exposure patterns to the virus. We analysed data from the literature on MAYV infection to produce estimates of key epidemiological parameters, including the generation time and the basic reproduction number, R0. We also estimated the force-of-infection (FOI) in epidemic and endemic settings. Seventy-six publications met our inclusion criteria. Evidence of MAYV infection in humans, animals, or vectors was reported in 14 Latin American countries. Nine countries reported evidence of acute infection in humans confirmed by viral isolation or reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR). We identified at least five MAYV outbreaks. Seroprevalence from population based cross-sectional studies ranged from 21% to 72%. The estimated mean generation time of MAYV was 15.2 days (95% CrI: 11.7–19.8) with a standard deviation of 6.3 days (95% CrI: 4.2–9.5). The per-capita risk of MAYV infection (FOI) ranged between 0.01 and 0.05 per year. The mean R0 estimates ranged between 2.1 and 2.9 in the Amazon basin areas and between 1.1 and 1.3 in the regions outside of the Amazon basin. Although MAYV has been identified in urban vectors, there is not yet evidence of sustained urban transmission. MAYV’s enzootic cycle could become established in forested areas within cities similar to yellow fever virus.
Detection and genetic characterisation of Toxoplasma gondii circulating in free-range chickens, pigs and seropositive pregnant women in Benue state, Nigeria
Authors: Nzelu Ifeoma N. , Kwaga Jacob K. P. , Kabir Junaidu , Lawal Idris A. , Beazley Christy , Evans Laura , Blake Damer P.
Published: June 2021

Toxoplasma gondii parasites present strong but geographically varied signatures of population structure. Populations sampled from Europe and North America have commonly been defined by over-representation of a small number of clonal types, in contrast to greater diversity in South America. The occurrence and extent of genetic diversity in African T. gondii populations remains understudied, undermining assessments of risk and transmission. The present study was designed to establish the occurrence, genotype and phylogeny of T. gondii in meat samples collected from livestock produced for human consumption (free-range chickens, n = 173; pigs, n = 211), comparing with T. gondii detected in blood samples collected from seropositive pregnant women (n = 91) in Benue state, Nigeria. The presence of T. gondii DNA was determined using a published nested polymerase chain reaction, targeting the 529 bp multicopy gene element. Samples with the highest parasite load (assessed using quantitative PCR) were selected for PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) targeting the surface antigen 3 (SAG3), SAG2 (5’ and 3’), beta-tubulin (BTUB) and dense granule protein 6 (GRA6) loci, and the apicoplast genome (Apico). Toxoplasma gondii DNA was detected in all three of the populations sampled, presenting 30.6, 31.3 and 25.3% occurrence in free-range chickens, pigs and seropositive pregnant women, respectively. Quantitative-PCR indicated low parasite occurrence in most positive samples, limiting some further molecular analyses. PCR-RFLP results suggested that T. gondii circulating in the sampled populations presented with a type II genetic background, although all included a hybrid type I/II or II/III haplotype. Concatenation of aligned RFLP amplicon sequences revealed limited diversity with nine haplotypes and little indication of host species-specific or spatially distributed sub-populations. Samples collected from humans shared haplotypes with free-range chickens and/or pigs. Africa remains under-explored for T. gondii genetic diversity and this study provides the first detailed definition of haplotypes circulating in human and animal populations in Nigeria.
Sensitivity and Specificity of two rapid tests for the diagnosis of infection by Trypanosoma cruzi in a Colombian population
Authors: Suescún-Carrero Sandra Helena , Salamanca-Cardozo Lyda Pilar , Pinazo María-Jesus , Armadans-Gil Lluis
Published: June 2021

Objective

To evaluate diagnostic precision of two rapid diagnostic tests (RDT’s) on patients with chronic Chagas disease.

Methodology

Prospective study with the following inclusion criteria: subjects older than 3 years, signed informed consent. Exclusion criterion: subjects could not have previously received treatment for infection with T. cruzi. The study population were participants in a screening process undertaken in rural and urban zones of the department Boyacá, Colombia. Two RDT’s were performed to all participants: the Chagas Detect Plus InBios (CDP) and the Chagas Stat-Pak (CSP) and as a reference standard the ELISA Chagas III GrupoBios and the Chagas ELISA IgG+IgM I Vircell tests were used. In the case of discordant results between the two ELISA tests, an indirect immunofluorescence was done.

Results

Three hundred-five (305) subjects were included in the study (38 patients with leishmaniasis), of which 215 tested negative for T cruzi and 90 tested positive according to the reference standard. The sensitivity of the RDT’s were 100% (CI 95% 95.9–100), and the specificity of the CDP was 99.1% (CI 95% 96.6–99.8) and for CSP was 100% (CI 95% 98.3–100). The agreement of CDP was 99.5% and for CSP was 100% with Kappa values of (k = 99.1; CI 95% 92.6–99.8%) and (k = 100; CI 95% 94.3–100), respectively. RDT’s did not present cross-reactions with samples from patients who were positive for leishmaniasis.

Conclusions

The findings demonstrate excellent results from the RDT’s in terms of validity, safety, and reproducibility. The results obtained provide evidence for the recommendation for using these tests in a Colombian epidemiological context principally in endemic areas in which laboratory installations necessary to perform conventional tests are not available, or they are scarce and to help in diagnosing chronic Chagas disease in order to provide access to treatment as soon as possible.
Protocol for analysing the epidemiology of maternal mortality in Zimbabwe: A civil registration and vital statistics trend study
Authors: Musarandega Reuben , Machekano Rhoderick , Pattinson Robert , Munjanja Stephen Peter ,   Zimbabwe Maternal and Perinatal Mortality Study (ZMPMS) group
Published: June 2021

Background

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) carries the highest burden of maternal mortality, yet, the accurate maternal mortality ratios (MMR) are uncertain in most SSA countries. Measuring maternal mortality is challenging in this region, where civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems are weak or non-existent. We describe a protocol designed to explore the use of CRVS to monitor maternal mortality in Zimbabwe—an SSA country.

Methods

In this study, we will collect deliveries and maternal death data from CRVS (government death registration records) and health facilities for 2007–2008 and 2018–2019 to compare MMRs and causes of death. We will code the causes of death using classifications in the maternal mortality version of the 10th revision to the international classification of diseases. We will compare the proportions of maternal deaths attributed to different causes between the two study periods. We will also analyse missingness and misclassification of maternal deaths in CRVS to assess the validity of their use to measure maternal mortality in Zimbabwe.

Discussion

This study will determine changes in MMR and causes of maternal mortality in Zimbabwe over a decade. It will show whether HIV, which was at its peak in 2007–2008, remains a significant cause of maternal deaths in Zimbabwe. The study will recommend measures to improve the quality of CRVS data for future use to monitor maternal mortality in Zimbabwe and other SSA countries of similar characteristics.
The temperature of emotions
Authors: Barbosa Escobar Francisco , Velasco Carlos , Motoki Kosuke , Byrne Derek Victor , Wang Qian Janice
Published: June 2021

Emotions and temperature are closely related through embodied processes, and people seem to associate temperature concepts with emotions. While this relationship is often evidenced by everyday language (e.g., cold and warm feelings), what remains missing to date is a systematic study that holistically analyzes how and why people associate specific temperatures with emotions. The present research aimed to investigate the associations between temperature concepts and emotion adjectives on both explicit and implicit levels. In Experiment 1, we evaluated explicit associations between twelve pairs of emotion adjectives derived from the circumplex model of affect, and five different temperature concepts ranging from 0°C to 40°C, based on responses from 403 native speakers of four different languages (English, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese). The results of Experiment 1 revealed that, across languages, the temperatures were associated with different regions of the circumplex model. The 0°C and 10°C were associated with negative-valanced, low-arousal emotions, while 20°C was associated with positive-valanced, low-to-medium-arousal emotions. Moreover, 30°C was associated with positive-valanced, high-arousal emotions; and 40°C was associated with high-arousal and either positive- or negative-valanced emotions. In Experiment 2 (N= 102), we explored whether these temperature-emotion associations were also present at the implicit level, by conducting Implicit Association Tests (IATs) with temperature words (coldandhot) and opposing pairs of emotional adjectives for each dimension of valence (Unhappy/Dissatisfiedvs.Happy/Satisfied) and arousal (Passive/Quietvs.Active/Alert) on native English speakers. The results of Experiment 2 revealed that participants held implicit associations between the word hot and positive-valanced and high-arousal emotions. Additionally, the word cold was associated with negative-valanced and low-arousal emotions. These findings provide evidence for the existence of temperature-emotion associations at both explicit and implicit levels across languages.
Oroxylum Indicum ameliorates chemotherapy induced cognitive impairment
Authors: Pondugula Satyanarayana R. , Majrashi Mohammed , Almaghrabi Mohammed , Ramesh Sindhu , Abbott Kodye L. , Govindarajulu Manoj , Gill Kristina , Fahoury Eddie , Narayanan Natasha , Desai Darshini , Ren Jun , Nadar Rishi , McElroy Trey , Moore Timothy , Majeed Muhammed , Kalyanam Nagabhushanam , Dhanasekaran Muralikrishnan
Published: June 2021

While chemotherapy is the most effective therapeutic approach for treating a variety of cancer patients, commonly used chemotherapeutic agents, often induce several adverse effects. Escalating evidence indicates that chemotherapeutics, particularly doxorubicin (DOX) and cyclophosphamide (CPS), induce cognitive impairment associated with central nervous system toxicity. This study was performed to determine neuroprotective effects of Oroxylum indicum extract (OIE) in regard to preventing chemotherapy induced cognitive impairment (CICI) occurring after 4 cycles of DOX (2mg/kg) and CPS (50mg/kg) combination chemotherapy in male C57BL/6J mice. OIE significantly prevented the chemotherapy impaired short-term cognitive performance, exploratory behavior associated with cognitive performance, cognitive performance, and spatial learning and memory in the Y-maze, Open-Field, Novel Object Recognition, and Morris Water Maze tests, respectively. These data suggest that OIE protects from the CICI. OIE decreased the reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxide generated by the chemotherapy treatment in the brain, while also blocking the chemotherapy-induced glutathione depletion. These results establish that OIE exhibits potent antioxidant activity in chemotherapy treated mice. Notably, OIE significantly increased the Complex-I and Complex-IV activities in the brain, indicating that OIE enhances mitochondrial function in the brain. In silico analysis of the major active chemical constituents (Oroxylin A, Baicalein and Chrysin) of OIE indicated that OIE has a favorable absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) profile. Taken together, our results are consistent with the conclusion that OIE prevents CICI by counteracting oxidative stress and perhaps by improving mitochondrial function.
Assessing the appropriateness of the Moving Epidemic Method and WHO Average Curve Method for the syndromic surveillance of acute respiratory infection in Mauritius
Authors: Teeluck Mohabeer , Samura Atsushi
Published: June 2021

Introduction

Mauritius introduced Acute respiratory infection (ARI) syndromic surveillance in 2007. The Moving Epidemic Method (MEM) and the World Health Organization Average Curve Method (WHO ACM) have been used widely in several countries to establish thresholds to determine the seasonality of acute respiratory infections. This study aimed to evaluate the appropriateness of these tools for ARI syndromic surveillance in Mauritius, where two or more waves are observed.

Method

The proportion of attendance due to acute respiratory infections was identified as the transmissibility indicator to describe seasonality using the Moving Epidemic Method and the WHO Average Curve Method. The proportion was obtained from weekly outpatient data between 2012 and 2018 collected from the sentinel acute respiratory infections surveillance. A cross-validation analysis was carried out. The resulting indicators of the goodness of fit model were used to assess the robustness of the seasonal/epidemic threshold of both the Moving Epidemic Method and WHO Average Curve Method. Additionally, a comparative analysis examined the integrity of the thresholds without the year 2017.

Result

The cross-validation analysis demonstrated no statistically significant differences between the means scores of the indicators when comparing the two waves/seasons curves of WHO ACM and MEM. The only exception being that the Wilcoxon sign rank test strongly supported that the specificity mean score of the two waves/seasons curve for WHO ACM outweighed that of its corresponding wave model for the MEM (P = 0.002). The comparative analysis with 2017 data showed the value of the epidemic threshold remained the same regardless of the methods and the number of seasonal waves.

Conclusion

The two waves models of the Moving Epidemic Method and WHO Average Curve Method could be deployed for acute respiratory infection syndromic surveillance in Mauritius, considering that two or more activity peaks are observed in a season.