bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Information asymmetry in Wikipedia across different languages: A statistical analysis
Authors: Roy Dwaipayan , Bhatia Sumit , Jain Prateek
Published: July 2021

Wikipedia is the largest web‐based open encyclopedia covering more than 300 languages. Different language editions of Wikipedia differ significantly in terms of their information coverage. In this article, we compare the information coverage in English Wikipedia (most exhaustive) and Wikipedias in 8 other widely spoken languages, namely Arabic, German, Hindi, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish. We analyze variations in different language editions of Wikipedia in terms of the number of topics covered as well as the amount of information discussed about different topics. Further, as a step towards bridging the information gap, we present WikiCompare—a browser plugin that allows Wikipedia readers to have a comprehensive overview of topics by incorporating missing information from Wikipedia page in other language.
Zur bodendynamischen Strukturdämpfung von Offshore‐Windenergieanlagen
Authors: Stark Anne , Grabe Jürgen
Published: July 2021

In diesem Beitrag wird ein dynamisches Modell einer Offshore‐Windenergieanlage mit Schwerpunkt auf der numerischen Modellierung der Boden‐Struktur‐Interaktion vorgestellt. Das entwickelte Modell basiert auf einem zweidimensionalen FE‐Modell eines auf Federn gebetteten Euler‐Bernoulli‐Balkens. Die Pfahl‐Boden‐Interaktion bzw. das Last‐Verformungsverhalten des den Pfahl umgebenden Bodens wird in Form von nichtlinearen Bettungsfedern idealisiert. Die Formulierung der Federkennlinien basiert auf einem hypoplastischen Bettungsansatz, welcher es ermöglicht, verschiedene Steifigkeiten bei Erst‐, Ent‐ und Wiederbelastung sowie eine Ver‐ bzw. Entfestigung des Bodens abzubilden. Über die Änderung der Porenzahl wird zudem eine Materialdämpfung berücksichtigt. Das Bettungsmodell wird ergänzt durch parallel zu den Federn geschaltete viskose Dämpfer, welche eine geometrische Dämpfung des Untergrunds abbilden. Der Gründungspfahl wird erweitert um die aufgehende Struktur einer Offshore‐Windenergieanlage. Dabei wird der natürliche Seegang auf Basis der linearen Wellentheorie für das Modellgebiet der Nordsee mit dem Jonswap‐Spektrum modelliert. Der Rotor wird als Punktmasse idealisiert. Das Modell ermöglicht es, aufgrund der dynamischen Formulierung der nichtlinearen Bewegungsgleichung das Schwingungsverhalten in kurzer Rechenzeit praxisgerecht auszuwerten. Außerdem werden Untersuchungen zum Einfluss der Änderung der Steifigkeitsverteilung des Bodens im Zusammenspiel mit einer Änderung der Eigenfrequenz durchgeführt. Es wird das zeitabhängige Modellverhalten bei Wellenbelastung sowie für einen Modellsturm dargestellt. Zukünftige Erweiterungen des Modells sollen die Ableitung von Dämpfungsfaktoren zum Ansatz bei der Bemessung ermöglichen.
Beurteilung von Fels als Befestigungsuntergrund für nachträgliche Befestigungen mit geringer Einbindetiefe
Authors: Lamplmair Stefan , Zeman Oliver , Voit Klaus
Published: July 2021

Für Gebirge als Befestigungsuntergrund ist es aufgrund einer Vielzahl an möglichen Einbausituationen schwer, vorab auf das Tragverhalten und die Tragfähigkeit von Befestigungselementen schließen zu können. In diesem Aufsatz wird daher untersucht, wie sich ein Befestigungsmittel in anstehendem Fels bei geringen Einbindetiefen verhält und welche Untergrundparameter einen wesentlichen Einfluss auf das Tragverhalten und die Tragfähigkeit haben. Dazu werden Versuche an nachträglich installierten Befestigungen unterschiedlichen Wirkprinzips (Verbundanker, Spreizanker) in unterschiedlichen Lithologien Ostösterreichs vorgestellt. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass mittels Gebirgsklassifikation auf die Eignung des Gebirges als Befestigungsuntergrund rückgeschlossen werden kann. Für eine Abschätzung der Tragfähigkeit ist eine kleinräumige Untersuchung jedoch unbedingt notwendig. Nicht nur das Vorhandensein von Trennflächen hat einen Einfluss auf die Tragfähigkeit, sondern auch deren Beschaffenheit. Gewisse Analogien zu Beton als Untergrund konnten festgestellt werden.
Neural mechanisms underlying the Rubber Hand Illusion: A systematic review of related neurophysiological studies
Authors: Golaszewski Stefan , Frey Vanessa , Thomschewski Aljoscha , Sebastianelli Luca , Versace Viviana , Saltuari Leopold , Trinka Eugen , Nardone Raffaele
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Many researchers took advantage of the well‐established rubber hand illusion (RHI) paradigm to explore the link between the sense of body ownership and the different brain structures and networks. Here, we aimed to review the studies that have investigated this phenomenon by means of neurophysiological techniques.

Methods

The MEDLINE, accessed by Pubmed and EMBASE electronic databases, was searched using the medical subject headings: “Rubber hand illusion” AND “Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)” OR “Evoked potentials (EP)” OR “Event related potentials (ERP)” OR “Electroencephalography (EEG)”.

Results

Transcranial magnetic stimulation studies revealed a significant excitability drop in primary motor cortex hand circuits accompanying the disembodiment of the real hand during the RHI experience and that the perceived ownership over the rubber hand is associated with normal parietal–motor communication. Moreover, TMS provided causal evidence that the extrastriate body area is involved in the RHI and subsequently in body representation, while neuromodulation of ventral premotor area and the inferior parietal lobe did not result in an enhancement of embodiment. EP and ERP studies suggest that pre‐existing body representations may affect larger stages of tactile processing and support predictive coding models of the functional architecture of multisensory integration in bodily perceptual experience. High‐frequency oscillations on EEG play a role in the integrative processing of stimuli across modalities, and EEG activity in γ band activity in the parietal area reflects the visuotactile integration process. EEG studies also revealed that RHI is associated with the neural circuits underlying motor control and that premotor areas play a crucial role in mediating illusory body ownership.

Conclusion

Neurophysiological studies shed new light on our understanding of the different aspects that contribute to the formation of a coherent self‐awareness in humans.
Do constraints created by economic growth targets benefit sustainable development? Evidence from China
Authors: Chai Jingxia , Hao Yu , Wu Haitao , Yang Yuemiao
Published: July 2021

An economic growth target is a declaration by policy authorities of commitment to that target and the corresponding allocation of resources. The constraints created by economic growth target are an important economic management method in China, which has helped China's economy to achieve remarkable achievements. However, it has also brought about serious environmental problems, threatening China's sustainable development. Using the data about economic growth targets in the work reports of 30 Chinese provincial governments from 2006 to 2017, this paper constructs several spatial measurement methods, such as the spatial Durbin model, to examine the constraints created by economic growth target's impacts on air pollution. The main conclusions are as follows. First, a significant “U‐shaped” relationship exists between the constraints created by economic growth targets and air pollution. Second, the spatial Durbin model analysis revealed that PM2.5across China's provinces display significant positive spatial spillover effects and spatial agglomeration characteristics. Third, the direct, indirect, and total effects of constraints created by economic growth targets on air pollution are all statistically significant and depict a “U shape.” Finally, the constraints created by economic growth targets have an apparent threshold effect on air pollution, and the inhibiting effects increase with human capital and industrial restructuring. However, with the increase in foreign direct investments, constraints created by economic growth targets may increase air pollution. The conclusions of this paper are of great significance for improving the management of local government economic growth targets and sustainable development.
Preventing pyruvate kinase muscle expression in Chinese hamster ovary cells curbs lactogenic behavior by altering glycolysis, gating pyruvate generation, and increasing pyruvate flux into the TCA cycle
Authors: Tang Danming , Sandoval Wendy , Liu Peter , Lam Cynthia , Snedecor Brad , Misaghi Shahram
Published: July 2021

Deletion of the pyruvate kinase muscle (PKM) gene, which is involved in conversion of phosphoenolpyruvate to pyruvate, has been shown to curb lactogenic behavior in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. This study describes the generation of pyruvate kinase muscle isoforms 1 and 2 knockout (PKM‐KO) and pyruvate kinase muscle isoform‐1 knockout (PKM1‐KO) CHO host cells to understand metabolic shifts that reduce lactate secretion in these cells. Glucose and amino acids uptake levels in wild‐type (WT), PKM‐KO, and PKM1‐KO stable cell lines, expressing two different antibodies, were analyzed in 14‐day fed‐batch production assays using different vessels. PKM‐KO and PKM1‐KO cells consumed more glucose per cell, altered amino acids metabolism, had higher flux of pyruvate into the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and as previously shown reduced lactate secretion levels compared with the WT cells. Additionally, both PKM‐KO and PKM1‐KO cells had higher specific productivity and lower cell growth rates compared with the WT cells. Our findings suggest that rewiring the flux of pyruvate to the TCA cycle by deletion of PKM or PKM1 reduced cell growth and increased specific productivity in CHO cells. Overall, PKM1‐KO cells had similar product quality and comparable or better titers relative to the WT cells, hence, targeted deletion of this isoform for curbing lactogenic behavior in CHO cells is suggested.
Mutational profiling in acute lymphoblastic leukemia by RNA sequencing and chromosomal genomic array testing
Authors: Yeung Cecilia , Qu Xiaoyu , Sala‐Torra Olga , Woolston David , Radich Jerry , Fang Min
Published: July 2021

Background

Comprehensive molecular and cytogenetic profiling of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is important and critical to the current standard of care for patients with B‐acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B‐ALL). Here we propose a rapid process for detecting gene fusions whereby FusionPlex RNA next‐generation sequencing (NGS) and DNA chromosome genomic array testing (CGAT) are combined for a more efficient approach in the management of patients with B‐ALL.

Methods

We performed RNA NGS and CGAT on 28 B‐ALL samples and, in four patients, compared fixed cell pellets to paired cryo‐preserved samples as a starting material to further assess the utility of cytogenetic fixed pellets for gene expression analysis.

Results

Among the fixed specimens, when using alternative techniques as references, including karyotype, fluorescence in situ hybridization, CGAT, and RT‐qPCR, fusions were detected by RNA NGS with 100% sensitivity and specificity. In the four paired fixed versus fresh cryopreserved samples, fusions were also 100% concordant. Four of the 28 patients showed mutations that were detected by RNA sequencing and three of four of these mutations had well‐known drug resistance implications.

Conclusions

We conclude that FusionPlex is a robust and reliable anchored multiplex RNA sequencing platform for use in the detection of fusions in both fresh cryopreserved and cytogenetic fixed pellets. Gene expression data could only be obtained from fresh samples and although limited variant data are available, critical hotspot variants can be determined in conjunction with the fusions.
Worth it or not? Primary tumor resection for stage IV pancreatic cancer patients: A SEER‐based analysis of 15,836 cases
Authors: Fu Ningzhen , Jiang Yu , Weng Yuanchi , Chen Hao , Deng Xiaxing , Shen Baiyong
Published: July 2021

Background

Primary tumor resection (PTR) as a treatment option for patients with stage IV pancreatic cancer (PC) is controversial.

Patients and methods

Stage IV PC patients, with treatment data from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER), were screened. The main outcomes were overall survival (OS) and cancer‐specific survival (CSS).

Results

We enrolled 15,836 stage IV PC patients in this study. Propensity score‐matched analyses revealed improved OS and CSS of patients receiving chemotherapy plus PTR versus chemotherapy (median survival time [MSTOS]: 13 vs. 9 months, p = 0.024; MSTCSS: 14 vs. 10 months, p = 0.035), and chemoradiotherapy plus PTR versus chemoradiotherapy (MSTOS: 14 vs. 7 months, p = 0.044; MSTCSS: 14 vs. 7 months, p = 0.066). Multivariate adjusted analyses further confirmed these results. Stratified with different metastatic modalities, multivariate analyses suggested that PTR significantly improved the OS and CSS among patients with ≤1 metastatic organ, and that patients with brain metastasis might not benefit from chemotherapy treatment.

Conclusion

PTR improves the OS and CSS of stage IV PC patients on the basis of chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy, provided that the metastases involve ≤1 organ. Chemotherapy, however, should be carefully considered in patients with metastases involving the brain.
A microRNA‐clinical prognosis model to predict the overall survival for kidney renal clear cell carcinoma
Authors: Zhan Yating , Zhang Rongrong , Li Chunxue , Xu Xuantong , Zhu Kai , Yang Zhan , Zheng Jianjian , Guo Yong
Published: July 2021

Numerous studies have shown that microRNA (miRNA) serves as key regulatory factors in the origin and development of cancers. However, the biological mechanisms of miRNAs in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) are still unknown. It is necessary to construct an effective miRNA‐clinical model to predict the prognosis of KIRC. In this study, 94 differentially expressed miRNAs were found between para‐tumor and tumor tissues based on the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Seven miRNAs (hsa‐miR‐21‐5p, hsa‐miR‐3613‐5p, hsa‐miR‐144‐5p, hsa‐miR‐376a‐5p, hsa‐miR‐5588‐3p, hsa‐miR‐1269a, and hsa‐miR‐137‐3p) were selected as prognostic indicators. According to their cox coefficient, a risk score formula was constructed. Patients with risk scores were divided into high‐ and low‐risk groups based on the median score. Kaplan–Meier curves analysis showed that the low‐risk group had a better survival probability compared to the high‐risk group. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) value of the miRNA model was 0.744. In comparison with clinical features, the miRNA model risk score was considered as an independent prognosis factor in multivariate Cox regression analysis. In addition, we built a nomogram including age, metastasis, and miRNA prognostic model based on the results of multivariate Cox regression analysis. The decision curve analysis (DCA) revealed the clinical net benefit of the prognostic model. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) results suggested that several important pathways may be the potential pathways for KIRC. The results of Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis for the target genes of 7 miRNAs revealed that miRNAs may participate in KIRC progression via many specific pathways. Additionally, the levels of seven prognostic miRNAs showed a significant difference between KIRC tissues and adjacent non‐tumorous tissues. In conclusion, the miRNA‐clinical model provides an effective and accurate way to predict the prognosis of KIRC.
Do positive reviews of a previous‐generation product benefit a next‐generation product?
Authors: Shi Yan , Zou Bo , Yao Xiao‐xu , Li Chun‐hong
Published: July 2021

Drawing on consumer inferences theory, our research examines the spillover effects of positive reviews from a multi‐generation product perspective and mainly explores the moderating role of time interval and price growth rate. The results show the spillover effects of positive reviews would be affected or even changed by entering timing and prices of new products. We find that the number of a previous‐generation product's positive reviews has an inverted U‐shaped relation with sales performance of a next‐generation product when the time interval between the two generational products is short. Further, we reveal that this relation is positive when the time interval between the two generations is long. Moreover, the positive influence of the number of a previous‐generation product's positive reviews on the sales performance of a next‐generation product will be weaker as the price growth rate of a next‐generation product rises. We test our hypotheses using online sales data of the Chinese mobile market. Our empirical analysis contributes to the research of multi‐generational products and online reviews, and enriches the consumer inferences theory.
A diagnostic pitfall of a sternal mass
Authors: Abid Walid , Hentati Abdessalem , Ben Halima Ghassen , Rebai Mohamed , Lasmar Ahmed , Gouiaa Naourez , Frikha Imed
Published: July 2021

Primary sternal lymphoma represents a rare entity which must be evoked in front of a sternal mass especially as its treatment is different from that of sarcomas, the principal etiology of sternal masses.
Pustular psoriasis of pregnancy in early first trimester: A case report
Authors: Mohaghegh Fatemeh , Galehdari Hamid , Rezaie Mina
Published: July 2021

Pustular psoriasis of pregnancy is a rare skin condition which mostly affects women in the third trimester and is sometimes followed by adverse outcomes for the mother and the fetus.
Atypical erythema annulare centrifugum in a child with celiac disease
Authors: Votto Martina , De Filippo Maria , Licari Amelia , Caimmi Silvia , Marseglia Gian Luigi , Davidovich Shay , Slawatyniec Iga , Fraticelli Sara , Barruscotti Stefania , Brazzelli Valeria
Published: July 2021

Herpetiformis dermatitis is the best characterized extraintestinal manifestation of celiac disease (CD). However, other chronic heterogeneous skin lesions have been associated with CD and should be considered in the differential diagnosis.
γδ TCR T lymphoblastic leukemia in a child presenting with marked hyperleukocytosis
Authors: Mass Jirong , Alobeid Bachir
Published: July 2021

γδ TCR T lymphoblastic leukemia is rare in children and should be differentiated mainly from hepatosplenic T‐cell lymphoma in this age group.
Native mitral valve infective endocarditis caused by Staphylococcus warneri: A case‐based review
Authors: Kurihara Ibuki , Yoshida Katsuyuki , Fukuchi Takahiko , Sugawara Hitoshi
Published: July 2021

In the era of a severely aging population, physicians should pay attention to look for both infective endocarditis and disseminated lesions when blood cultures reveal Staphylococcus warneri, especially in elderly people with valvular heart disease.
Pai syndrome: From the womb until 19 months of age, a neurological development success story
Authors: Hassan Hala , Buzas Daniella L. , Bazin Anne , Stempfle Noëlle , Guët Agnès , Poncelet Christophe , Veluppillai Cergika
Published: July 2021

A prenatal and postnatal follow‐up of a child with Pai syndrome, especially till toddler age, allows a better understanding of the evolution of this syndrome. This offers insight on possible outcomes especially in what concerns the neurodevelopment.
Management of internal root resorption in the maxillary central incisor with fractured root using Biodentine
Authors: Sanaei‐rad Parisa , Bolbolian Marjan , Nouri Faranak , Momeni Ehsan
Published: July 2021

Biodentine is desirable to successfully manage internal root resorption, and the MTA apical plug backfilled with thermoplasticized gutta‐percha is suggested for the tooth with external apical root resorption.
Avoidance and early diagnosis of erroneous permanent pacemaker placement into the left ventricle: A case report
Authors: Osman Abdelrahman , Ahmad Ali
Published: July 2021

Diagnosis of a pacemaker inserted through the subclavian artery is essential due to risk of thromboembolism. Fluoroscopy, ECG, and other imaging techniques must be used to diagnose the condition, and appropriate treatment path must be administered.
Mandibular sporadic Burkitt lymphoma in an adult patient: A case report and review of the literature
Authors: Azimi Nahal , Razmara Farnoosh , Derakhshan Samira , Kardouni Khoozestani Neda
Published: July 2021

Only a minor percent of lymphomas arise in the oral cavity. Although rare, dentists and clinicians should not neglect them as a possible consideration in the differential diagnosis of oral lesions.
Prevalence of human papillomavirus genotypes in high‐grade cervical precancer and invasive cervical cancer from cancer registries before and after vaccine introduction in the United States
Authors: Mix Jacqueline M. , Saraiya Mona , Thompson Trevor D. , Querec Troy D. , Greek April , Tucker Thomas C. , Peters Edward S. , Lynch Charles F. , Hernandez Brenda Y. , Copeland Glenn , Goodman Marc T. , Unger Elizabeth R.
Published: July 2021

Background

US population‐based cancer registries can be used for surveillance of human papillomavirus (HPV) types found in HPV‐associated cancers. Using this framework, HPV prevalence among high‐grade cervical precancers and invasive cervical cancers were compared before and after HPV vaccine availability.

Methods

Archived tissue from 2 studies of cervical precancers and invasive cervical cancers diagnosed from 1993‐2005 (prevaccine) were identified from 7 central cancer registries in Florida; Hawaii; Iowa; Kentucky; Louisiana; Los Angeles County, California; and Michigan; from 2014 through 2015 (postvaccine) cases were identified from 3 registries in Iowa, Kentucky, and Louisiana. HPV testing was performed using L1 consensus polymerase chain reaction analysis. HPV‐type–specific prevalence was examined grouped by hierarchical attribution to vaccine types: HPV 16, 18, HPV 31, 33, 45, 52, 58, other oncogenic HPV types, and other types/HPV negative. Generalized logit models were used to compare HPV prevalence in the prevaccine study to the postvaccine study by patient age, adjusting for sampling factors.

Results

A total of 676 precancers (328 prevaccine and 348 postvaccine) and 1140 invasive cervical cancers (777 prevaccine and 363 postvaccine) were typed. No differences were observed in HPV‐type prevalence by patient age between the 2 studies among precancers or invasive cancers.

Conclusions

The lack of reduction in vaccine‐type prevalence between the 2 studies is likely explained by the low number of cases and low HPV vaccination coverage among women in the postvaccine study. Monitoring HPV‐type prevalence through population‐based strategies will continue to be important in evaluating the impact of the HPV vaccine.
Videos improve patient understanding of chemotherapy terminology in a rural setting
Authors: Sibold Hannah Claire , Thomson Mary Catherine , Hianik Rachel , Abernethy Eli R. , Campbell Gavin P. , Sumrall Bradley , Dillmon Melissa , Simmons Josh , Switchenko Jeffrey M. , Dixon Margie D. , Pentz Rebecca D.
Published: July 2021

Background

It is critical patients understand the terms used to describe oncology treatments; however, even basic chemotherapy terminology can be misunderstood. Rural communities tend to have especially low levels of health literacy compared with nonrural communities. To address low health literacy in rural communities, this study tested rural participants' understanding of previously developed educational chemotherapy videos that were designed for an underserved urban population. Participants were also asked for feedback to determine if the videos could be improved.

Methods

Fifty English‐speaking patients who reside in counties classified as rural according to the Rural‐Urban Continuum Code designations (RUCC 4‐9) participated in the study. Participants were asked to define 6 chemotherapy terms before and after viewing a short, animated video explaining the term in English. Rates of correct and incorrect definitions provided by participants were also compared with previously published results from an urban cohort.

Results

All participants had statistically significantly higher rates of correct definitions for all 6 terms following the video intervention. Palliative chemotherapy understanding improved the most (10% correct prevideo and 76% postvideo intervention). For each video, the majority of participants (77%‐92%) suggested no changes to the videos.

Conclusion

Given the prevalence of low health literacy in rural communities, it is important to have effective educational interventions to improve the understanding of basic oncology‐treatment terminology. This study found that short, educational videos, originally designed for an underserved urban population, can significantly improve understanding of commonly misunderstood chemotherapy terminology in a rural setting as well.

Lay Summary

Chemotherapy terminology can be confusing to patients. Understanding can be especially difficult in areas with low health literacy, such as underserved urban and rural communities.

To address this concern, previously developed short, animated videos describing basic chemotherapy terminology were found to improve patient understanding in an underserved urban setting.

In this study, the videos were tested in a rural population and their effectiveness was established. Participants in the rural setting were significantly more likely to correctly define all 6 tested terms after watching the videos.

Educational tools for high‐need populations are essential to ensure patients can understand the treatment they receive.
QRDF: An efficient RDF graph processing system for fast query
Authors: Jia Menghan , Zhang Yiming , Li Dongsheng
Published: July 2021

With the rapid growth of RDF (resource description framework) data volume, it is challenging to answer queries over dynamic RDF graphs of which the data frequently changes (by insertion/deletion) over time. This article presents QRDF, an efficient RDF graph processing system that supports not only efficient storage but also fast query of dynamic RDF graphs. QRDF (i) adopts a red‐black (RB) tree for quick RDF data insertion/deletion and (ii) asynchronously moves data from the RB tree into a vector for efficient RDF query. QRDF performs early pruning on its index structure for various RDF query patterns. Experimental results show that the query performance of QRDF over RDF graphs is about 2x higher than that of the state‐of‐the‐art RDF processing systems.
GPU accelerated 3DES encryption
Authors: Furkan Altınok Kaan , Peker Afşin , Tezcan Cihangir , Temizel Alptekin
Published: July 2021

Triple DES (3DES) is a NIST and ISO/IEC standard block cipher that is also used in some web browsers and several electronic payment applications. We propose an optimized bit‐level parallelization of 3DES for GPU accelerated encryption to allow processing high volumes of data. Since the block size of 3DES is 64 bits, our approach considers a kernel block as a 64‐bit 3DES block. Each kernel block performs XOR, permutation, and S‐box operations of this cipher in parallel and memory accesses are optimized by the use of constant and shared memory. Although table based and bitsliced implementations of block ciphers on GPUs outperform naive implementations, their performance vary significantly on different GPU models and architectures. Lack of publicly available source codes prohibit a fair comparison of the performance results for different implementations. In this work, we provide performance results on various GPU models and make our implementation publicly available for reproducibility and further comparisons. When compared against the baseline multi‐threaded CPU implementation, our optimization achieves an average of 15.95 speed‐up when encrypting large files using an RTX 2070 Super GPU. Moreover, when modified into a key search attack, more than 94.4 million 3DES key searches per second can be conducted on an RTX 2070 Super GPU.
Isolation and Culture of Neonatal Murine Primary Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Ravi Venkatraman , Jain Aditi , Taneja Arushi , Chatterjee Kaushik , Sundaresan Nagalingam Ravi
Published: July 2021

The cardiomyocyte is the main cell type in the heart responsible for its contractile function. Culturing primary cardiomyocytes from mammalian sources to study their function remains challenging as they are terminally differentiated and cease to multiply soon after birth. The major technical hurdles associated with primary cardiomyocyte culture include attaining high yields, obtaining healthy/viable cells that show spontaneous contractions upon culture, and avoiding contamination by non‐myocyte cardiac cell types such as fibroblasts and endothelial cells. The yield and the quality of the cardiomyocytes obtained are impacted by a variety of factors, such as the purity of the reagents, composition of the digestion mixture, the digestion conditions, and the temperature of the tissue during different steps of isolation. Here, we provide a simplified workflow to isolate, culture, and maintain neonatal primary cardiomyocytes from rats/mice in culture dishes, which can then be used to study, for instance, cardiac hypertrophy and drug‐induced cardiotoxicity. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol: Isolation and culture of primary cardiomyocytes from rat/mouse pups

Support Protocol: Coating of tissue culture plates with extracellular matrix substrates for efficient cardiomyocyte attachment
Short‐term effects of alternative cultivation practices on putting green infiltration rates
Authors: Amgain Naba R. , Fontanier Charles H. , Martin Dennis L.
Published: July 2021

Core aerification iscommonly used to manage organic matter and improve soil physical conditions of putting greens. Most methods of core aerification are labor intensive and temporarily reduce the playability of greens. Less invasive cultivation techniques are available, but their specific effects on playability and drainage properties of greens are often less understood. The objective of this study was to assess the short‐term effects of air‐injection cultivation (AIC), sand‐injection cultivation (SIC), and hollow‐tine cultivation (HTC) on playability characteristics and soil physical properties of putting greens. A field study was conducted at the Oklahoma State University Turfgrass Research Center in Stillwater, OK, on a creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stoloniferaL. ‘Penncross’) green from September 2017 to September 2019. Cultivation type and timing of application were arranged in a split‐plot design with four replications. Cultivation type was defined as either AIC, SIC, or HTC, and each was applied in spring, summer, and fall. Compared with the control, HTC reduced surface firmness by 5% at 28 d after cultivation event (DACE), increased infiltration by 87% at 28 DACE, reduced ball roll distance by 6% up to 14 DACE, and reduced normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) by 10% up to 14 DACE. Neither AIC nor SIC had a detectable effect on measured variables. Results suggest a single application of AIC or SIC has minimal short‐term effects on soil physical properties or surface playability of putting greens.
Sustainable disclosure versus ESG intensity: Is there a cross effect between holding and SRI funds?
Authors: D'Apice Vincenzo , Ferri Giovanni , Intonti Mariantonietta
Published: July 2021

Sustainable and Responsible Investment (SRI) funds – the largest component of the fast‐expanding sustainable financial investment industry – apply environmental, social and governance (ESG) analyses to manage their investment portfolios and are particularly demanding in terms of issuers' disclosure. In this paper we take a step forward and ask whether adopting high‐quality sustainability disclosure is important also for SRI funds' holding companies. Specifically, we introduce a novel metrics on the extent of holding companies' sustainability disclosure based on the quality of their Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) reporting. In parallel, we use a standard approach to measure a fund's ESG intensity, that is, the weighted ESG average of a fund's investments. Indeed, we find that an SRI fund's ESG intensity systematically improves when the associated holding company improves its GRI sustainability disclosure. Moreover, we show that this positive effect of holdings' disclosure on a fund's ESG intensity is larger in jurisdictions with less stringent regulation on disclosure, where the signaling value of GRI disclosure is supposedly heightened. Our results do not seem to be driven by endogeneity between a fund's ESG intensity and its holding company's GRI reporting. First, a fund's ESG investment policy and its holding company's sustainability disclosure policy lie on separate decision ladders. Second, we show that the two variables are empirically uncorrelated. Third, our results prove resilient to a battery of robustness checks. The implication of our finding is that holding companies' sustainability disclosure engagement can reap a benefit for their managed SRI funds – provided ESG ratings are reliable –, whose enhanced credibility might prove a key competitive factor.
Recent Advances in Waste Plastic Transformation into Valuable Platinum‐Group Metal‐Free Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Authors: Muhyuddin Mohsin , Mustarelli Piercarlo , Santoro Carlo
Published: July 2021

Plastic waste causes severe environmental hazards, owing to inadequate disposal and limited recycling. Under the framework of circular economy, there are urgent demands to valorize plastic waste more safely and sustainably. Therefore, much scientific interest has been witnessed recently in plastic waste‐derived electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), where the plastic waste acts as a cost‐effective and easily available precursor for the carbon backbone. The ORR is not only a key efficiency indicator for fuel cells and metal–air batteries but also a major obstacle for their commercial realization. The applicability of the aforementioned electrochemical devices is limited, owing to sluggish ORR activity and expensive platinum‐group metal electrocatalysts. However, waste‐derived ORR electrocatalysts are emerging as a potential substitute that could be inexpensively fabricated upon the conversion of plastic waste into active materials containing earth‐abundant transition metals. In this Minireview, very recent research developments regarding plastic waste‐derived ORR electrocatalysts are critically summarized with a prime focus on the followed synthesis routes, physicochemical properties of the derived electrocatalysts, and their ultimate electrochemical performance. Finally, the prospects for the future development of plastic waste‐derived electrocatalysts are discussed.
Cord blood group 2 innate lymphoid cells are associated with lung function at 6 weeks of age
Authors: Martins Costa Gomes Gabriela , de Gouveia Belinelo Patricia , Starkey Malcolm R , Murphy Vanessa E , Hansbro Philip M , Sly Peter D , Robinson Paul D , Karmaus Wilfried , Gibson Peter G , Mattes Joerg , Collison Adam M
Published: July 2021

Objective

Offspring born to mothers with asthma in pregnancy are known to have lower lung function which tracks with age. Human group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) accumulate in foetal lungs, at 10‐fold higher levels compared to adult lungs. However, there are no data on foetal ILC2 numbers and the association with respiratory health outcomes such as lung function in early life. We aimed to investigate cord blood immune cell populations from babies born to mothers with asthma in pregnancy.

Methods

Cord blood from babies born to asthmatic mothers was collected, and cells were stained in whole cord blood. Analyses were done using traditional gating approaches and computational methodologies (t‐distributed stochastic neighbour embedding and PhenoGraph algorithms). At 6 weeks of age, the time to peak tidal expiratory flow as a percentage of total expiratory flow time (tPTEF/tE%) was determined as well as Lung Clearance Index (LCI), during quiet natural sleep.

Results

Of 110 eligible infants (March 2017 to November 2019), 91 were successfully immunophenotyped (82.7%). Lung function was attempted in 61 infants (67.0%), and 43 of those infants (70.5% of attempted) had technically acceptable tPTEF/tE% measurements. Thirty‐four infants (55.7% of attempted) had acceptable LCI measurements. Foetal ILC2 numbers with increased expression of chemoattractant receptor‐homologous molecule (CRTh2), characterised by two distinct analysis methodologies, were associated with poorer infant lung function at 6 weeks of age.”

Conclusion

Foetal immune responses may be a surrogate variable for or directly influence lung function outcomes in early life.
Application of the International System for Reporting Serous Fluid Cytopathology in routine reporting of pleural effusion and assessment of the risk of malignancy
Authors: Jha Shilpy , Sethy Madhusmita , Adhya Amit Kumar
Published: July 2021

Introduction

The International System for Reporting Serous Fluid Cytopathology (ISRSFC) was proposed by the International Academy of Cytology and the American Society of Cytopathology.

Aim of the study

We have applied this system for reporting of pleural effusion cytology and report our experience.

Materials and Methods

All the pleural effusions from January 2019 to June 2020 were retrieved from the database. All these cases were reviewed and recategorized according to the proposed system of 5 categories: non‐diagnostic (ND), negative for malignancy (NFM), atypia of uncertain significance (AUS), suspicious for malignancy (SFM), and malignant (MAL). The risk of malignancy (ROM) for each category was evaluated.

Results

A total of 939 cases were studied. The age of patients ranged from 2 to 88 years, and the volume of fluid ranged from 1 to 600 ml. There were 41 ND (4.37%), 697 NFM (74.23%), 44 AUS (4.69%), 27 SFM (2.88%), and 130 MAL (13.84%) cases. The ROM for the categories were found to be 87.5%, 51.61%, 88.23%, 87.5%, and 100% respectively.

Conclusions

The ISRSFC is a user‐friendly system for use in reporting of pleural fluid. The criteria for defining the various categories need to be further elaborative and stricter for this system to be more effective. More studies are required for the estimation of the ROM for each category.
Widespread agrochemicals differentially affect zooplankton biomass and community structure
Authors: Hébert Marie‐Pier , Fugère Vincent , Beisner Beatrix E. , Barbosa da Costa Naíla , Barrett Rowan D. H. , Bell Graham , Shapiro B. Jesse , Yargeau Viviane , Gonzalez Andrew , Fussmann Gregor F.
Published: July 2021

Anthropogenic environmental change is causing habitat deterioration at unprecedented rates in freshwater ecosystems. Despite increasing more rapidly than many other agents of global change, synthetic chemical pollution—including agrochemicals such as pesticides—has received relatively little attention in freshwater community and ecosystem ecology. Determining the combined effects of multiple agrochemicals on complex biological systems remains a major challenge, requiring a cross‐field integration of ecology and ecotoxicology. Using a large‐scale array of experimental ponds, we investigated the response of zooplankton community properties (biomass, composition, and diversity metrics) to the individual and joint presence of three globally widespread agrochemicals: the herbicide glyphosate, the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid, and nutrient fertilizers. We tracked temporal variation in zooplankton biomass and community structure along single and combined pesticide gradients (each spanning eight levels), under low (mesotrophic) and high (eutrophic) nutrient‐enriched conditions, and quantified (1) response threshold concentrations, (2) agrochemical interactions, and (3) community resistance and recovery. We found that the biomass of major zooplankton groups differed in their sensitivity to pesticides: ≥0.3 mg/L glyphosate elicited long‐lasting declines in rotifer communities, both pesticides impaired copepods (≥3 µg/L imidacloprid and ≥5.5 mg/L glyphosate), whereas some cladocerans were highly tolerant to pesticide contamination. Strong interactive effects of pesticides were only recorded in ponds treated with the combination of the highest doses. Overall, glyphosate was the most influential driver of aggregate community properties of zooplankton, with biomass and community structure responding rapidly but recovering unequally over time. Total community biomass showed little resistance when first exposed to glyphosate, but rapidly recovered and even increased with glyphosate concentration over time; in contrast, taxon richness decreased in more contaminated ponds but failed to recover. Our results indicate that the biomass of tolerant taxa compensated for the loss of sensitive species after the first exposure, conferring greater community resistance upon a subsequent contamination event; a case of pollution‐induced community tolerance in freshwater animals. These findings suggest that zooplankton biomass may be more resilient to agrochemical pollution than community structure; yet all community properties measured in this study were affected at glyphosate concentrations below common water quality guidelines in North America.
Plasticity is a locally adapted trait with consequences for ecological dynamics in novel environments
Authors: Bond Matthew N. , Piertney Stuart B. , Benton Tim G. , Cameron Tom C.
Published: July 2021

Phenotypic plasticity is predicted to evolve in more variable environments, conferring an advantage on individual lifetime fitness. It is less clear what the potential consequences of that plasticity will have on ecological population dynamics. Here, we use an invertebrate model system to examine the effects of environmental variation (resource availability) on the evolution of phenotypic plasticity in two life history traits—age and size at maturation—in long‐running, experimental density‐dependent environments. Specifically, we then explore the feedback from evolution of life history plasticity to subsequent ecological dynamics in novel conditions. Plasticity in both traits initially declined in all microcosm environments, but then evolved increased plasticity for age‐at‐maturation, significantly so in more environmentally variable environments. We also demonstrate how plasticity affects ecological dynamics by creating founder populations of different plastic phenotypes into new microcosms that had either familiar or novel environments. Populations originating from periodically variable environmentsthat had evolved greatest plasticityhad lowest variability in population size when introduced to novel environments than those from constant or random environments. This suggests that while plasticity may be costly it can confer benefits by reducing the likelihood that offspring will experience low survival through competitive bottlenecks in variable environments. In this study, we demonstrate how plasticity evolves in response to environmental variation and can alter population dynamics—demonstrating an eco‐evolutionary feedback loop in a complex animal moderated by plasticity in growth.
Gatekeepers of transformation: private landowners evaluate invasives based on impacts to ecosystem services
Authors: Rajala Kiandra , Sorice Michael G. , Toledo David
Published: July 2021

Biological invasions are not new, yet the anthropogenic drivers of global change have produced unprecedented ecological novelty through the expansion of invasive species. Private landowners play an important role in determining the trajectory of ecological transformations driven by invasives. Using the northern Great Plains of the USA as a case study, we examined private landowners' role as gatekeepers for an invasive species. We employed a factorial vignette survey experiment to understand how the impacts of an unnamed invasive grass modeled on Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensisL.) were related to landowners' acceptance of the species. We also explored the relationship between landowners' acceptance of the invasive grass and their management intention to reduce/control the species. Each landowner evaluated multiple vignettes that randomly varied based on how a novel grass species expanding in rangelands would affect provisioning services (season of forage availability, forage quality, forage quantity), regulating services (floral resources for pollinators, water infiltration and availability), and supporting services (grassland bird diversity, grass diversity). Acceptability was strongly associated with landowners' management intentions, and the status of all seven services was related to acceptability. Reductions to any ecosystem service reduced the acceptability of the invasive grass species; however, only increases in forage quality, forage quantity, and water regulation were related to increased acceptability of the invasive. Scenario modeling shows that landowners displayed greater sensitivity to losses in a suite of ecosystem services than to equivalent gains. Scenarios specific to ecosystem service trade‐offs and Kentucky bluegrass invasion indicate that ecological losses may need to be severe before individual landowners change their management practices to reduce/control the species. Given the high thresholds for individual behavioral change, engaging private landowners in collaborative management efforts, whether to control an invasive grass or guide management toward co‐existence, may be helpful to conserve desired biodiversity and the flow of ecosystem services from northern Great Plains grasslands.
Translocation, survival, and recovery of Kansas‐banded Canada geese
Authors: Malanchuk J. Boomer , Ross Beth E. , Haukos David A. , Bidrowski Thomas F. , Schultheis Richard
Published: July 2021

Temperate‐breeding, or resident, Canada geese were once extirpated in Kansas, USA, but currently provide abundant viewing and hunting opportunities. Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism (KDWPT) began reintroducing geese in 1980 with a goal of re‐establishing a breeding population. Successful reintroductions led to translocating flocks to regions with no previous records of nesting geese; however, KDWPT continues to translocate individuals from nuisance flocks in urban areas to rural reservoirs to reduce human conflicts with urban geese. Our goal was to determine the effects of such translocations on survival and recovery of adult, sub‐adult, and juvenile temperate‐breeding Canada geese. We used Brownie dead‐recovery models in Program MARK to compare survival and recovery probabilities between translocated and nontranslocated (normal wild) Kansas‐banded Canada geese for 2012–2017. Model‐estimated annual survival differed between status (normal wild  = 0.761, 95% CI 0.734–0.785; translocated  = 0.598, 95% CI 0.528–0.665). Recovery probability differed between normal and translocated adults (normal wild  = 0.074, 95% CI = 0.069–0.078; translocated  = 0.138, 95% CI = 0.120–0.158) and juveniles (normal wild  = 0.067, 95% CI = 0.059–0.075; translocated  = 0.250, 95% CI = 0.199–0.310). Recovery probability did not differ between status in the sub‐adult age class (normal wild  = 0.126, 95% CI = 0.115–0.137; translocated  = 0.090, 95% CI = 0.055–0.144). Translocation is a viable management option to successfully reduce survival and increase recovery probability of urban nuisance geese in Kansas.