bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improvement of silicon microdisk resonators with movable waveguides by hydrogen annealing treatment
Authors: Okatani Taiyu , Sato Yuichi , Imai Kaoru , Hane Kazuhiro , Kanamori Yoshiaki
Published: April 2021

In silicon photonics, silicon microdisk resonators with movable waveguides driven by electrostatic comb-drive actuators have been used as wavelength-selective switches. However, the sidewall roughness of silicon waveguides formed by the etching process is the main cause of optical loss in such devices, which leads to the deterioration of the wavelength selectivity. In this study, we fabricated a silicon microdisk resonator with a movable waveguide and performed a hydrogen annealing treatment as a postprocessing step to remove the sidewall roughness. By using scanning electron microscopy, a reduction in sidewall roughness was confirmed following the hydrogen annealing treatment. Then, the extinction ratio at the through port was evaluated while changing the gap between the microdisk and the movable waveguide. A dip in the extinction ratio was observed at the resonant wavelength while decreasing the gap, which indicated that the fabricated device successfully functioned as a wavelength-selective switch. Due to the hydrogen annealing treatment, the quality factor of the dip increased from 7102 to 37 402. These results show that the hydrogen annealing treatment can be used as a postprocessing step and is helpful for improving the wavelength selectivity of silicon photonic wavelength-selective switches.
State-space modeling of sound source directivity: An experimental study of the violin and the clarinet
Authors: Maestre Esteban , Scavone Gary P. , Smith Julius O.
Published: April 2021

A method is presented for simulating the free-field, frequency-dependent directivity of linear sound sources for use in real-time within geometric acoustic environments. The method, which is applied to modeling the directivity of a violin body and a clarinet air column from experimental acoustic data in this study, is based on using minimum-phase measurements to design a state-space filter, allowing the interactive simulation of a time-varying number of radiated sound wavefronts, each toward a time-varying direction. With applicability in sound synthesis and/or auralization within virtual environments, where sound sources change position and orientation dynamically, techniques are proposed for modeling and simulating directivity profiles on perceptual frequency axes with alternatives for representing directivity on a per-vibration-mode basis while incorporating relative phase terms or by reduced-order efficient representations comprising separate components for the signature resonant structure and the associated directivity on an adjustable frequency resolution.
Negotiating the Funhouse: CrossFit Women and the Looking Glass Athlete
Authors: Malcom Nancy L. , Edmonds Shaun , Gipson Christina , Hauff Caitlyn , Bennett Hannah
Published: April 2021

While there have been dramatic increases in women’s participation in sport and physical activity following the implementation of Title IX in the United States, many women still face challenges negotiating societal expectations of femininity with the muscularity developed through exercise. In this study, the authors used focus group interviews with 47 women who participate in CrossFit to explore how female athletes understand their developing athletic identity through social interactions. Even as the participants expressed high levels of self-confidence and personal growth, which they attributed to their instrumental involvement with CrossFit, their discussions of what other people think of their nontraditional fitness activities and concomitant body changes were a constant source of frustration. Using the identity-building framework of Cooley’s theory of the looking glass self, the authors find that women are faced with not merely reflections, but distorted funhouse mirrors; reflections that are heavily warped by gendered patriarchal societal norms. Surrounded by an array of potentially confusing and distracting “funhouse” mirrors, these female athletes used CrossFit’s local and expanded community, as well as their own burgeoning self-efficacy, to navigate their changing bodies and identities.
Global groundwater wells at risk of running dry
Authors: Jasechko Scott , Perrone Debra
Published: April 2021

When your well runs dry

Groundwater provides nearly half of the water used for agricultural irrigation and most of the drinking water for billions of people. It is essential, then, for this resource to remain secure. Jasechko and Perrone examined data from approximately 39 million wells in 40 countries worldwide to investigate their vulnerability to declining water levels (see the Perspective by Famiglietti and Ferguson). The authors found that construction of deeper wells is not occurring in some areas that are experiencing groundwater decline, a disconnect that poses risks for people who rely on well water.

Science
, this issue p.
418
; see also p.
344
Radicicol Inhibits Chikungunya Virus Replication by Targeting Nonstructural Protein 2
Authors: Nam Sangwoo , Ga Yun Ji , Lee Joo-Youn , Hwang Woo-Yeon , Jung Eunhye , Shin Jin Soo , Chen Weiyi , Choi Gildon , Zhou Bin , Yeh Jung-Yong , Go Yun Young
Published: April 2021

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus that causes a debilitating febrile illness characterized by persistent muscle and joint pain. The widespread distribution of transmission-competent vectors,
Aedes
species mosquitoes, indicates the potential risk of large-scale epidemics with high attack rates that can severely impact public health globally.
MAPK-Activated Transcription Factor PxJun Suppresses
PxABCB1
Expression and Confers Resistance to
Bacillus thuringiensis
Cry1Ac Toxin in
Plutella xylostella
(L.)
Authors: Qin Jianying , Guo Le , Ye Fan , Kang Shi , Sun Dan , Zhu Liuhong , Bai Yang , Cheng Zhouqiang , Xu Linzheng , Ouyang Chunzheng , Xiao Lifeng , Wang Shaoli , Wu Qingjun , Zhou Xuguo , Crickmore Neil , Zhou Xiaomao , Guo Zhaojiang , Zhang Youjun
Published: April 2021

The transcriptional regulation mechanisms underlying reduced expression of
B. thuringiensis
toxin receptor genes in
B. thuringiensis
-resistant insects remain elusive. This study unveils that a transcription factor PxJun activated by the MAPK signaling pathway represses
PxABCB1
expression and confers Cry1Ac resistance in
P. xylostella
.
Integrative Analysis of Selected Metabolites and the Fungal Transcriptome during the Developmental Cycle of Ganoderma lucidum Strain G0119 Correlates Lignocellulose Degradation with Carbohydrate and Triterpenoid Metabolism
Authors: Zhou Shuai , Zhang Xiaoyu , Ma Fuying , Xie Shangxian , Tang Chuanhong , Tang Qingjiu , Zhang Jingsong
Published: April 2021

Most studies of
G. lucidum
have focused on its medicinal function and on the mechanism of its activity, whereas the physiological metabolism and synthesis of bioactive substances during the growth of this species have been less studied. Therefore, theoretical guidance for cultivation methods to increase the production of bioactive compounds remains lacking.
Sequence-Function Relationships in Phage-Encoded Bacterial Cell Wall Lytic Enzymes and Their Implications for Phage-Derived Product Design
Authors: Vázquez Roberto , García Ernesto , García Pedro
Published: April 2021

Phage-encoded lytic enzymes, also called lysins, are one of the most promising alternatives to common antibiotics. The potential of lysins as novel antimicrobials to tackle antibiotic-resistant bacteria not only arises from features such as a lower chance to provoke resistance but also from their versatility as synthetic biology parts.
Protogenetic sulfide inclusions in diamonds date the diamond formation event using Re-Os isotopes
Authors: Pamato M.G. , Novella D. , Jacob D.E. , Oliveira B. , Pearson D.G. , Greene S. , Afonso J.C. , Favero M. , Stachel T. , Alvaro M. , Nestola F.
Published: April 2021

Sulfides are the most abundant inclusions in diamonds and a key tool for dating diamond formation via Re-Os isotopic analyses. The manner in which fluids invade the continental lithospheric mantle and the time scale at which they equilibrate with preexisting (protogenetic) sulfides are poorly understood yet essential factors to understanding diamond formation and the validity of isotopic ages. We investigated a suite of sulfide-bearing diamonds from two Canadian cratons to test the robustness of Re-Os in sulfide for dating diamond formation. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) allowed determination of the original monosulfide solid-solution (Mss) composition stable in the mantle, indicating subsolidus conditions of encapsulation, and providing crystallographic evidence supporting a protogenetic origin of the inclusions. The results, coupled with a diffusion model, indicate Re-Os isotope equilibration is sufficiently fast in sulfide inclusions with typical grain size, at mantle temperatures, for the system to be reset by the diamond-forming event. This confirms that even if protogenetic, the Re-Os isochrons defined by these minerals likely reflect the ages of diamond formation, and this result highlights the power of this system to date the timing of fluid migration in mantle lithosphere.
Paleozoic evolution of crustal thickness and elevation in the northern Appalachian orogen, USA
Authors: Hillenbrand Ian W. , Williams Michael L.
Published: April 2021

The Acadian and Neoacadian orogenies are widely recognized, yet poorly understood, tectono-thermal events in the New England Appalachian Mountains (USA). We quantified two phases of Paleozoic crustal thickening using geochemical proxies. Acadian (425–400 Ma) crustal thickening to 40 km progressed from southeast to northwest. Neoacadian (400–380 Ma) crustal thickening was widely distributed and varied by 30 km (40–70 km) from north to south. Doubly thickened crust and paleoelevations of 5 km or more support the presence of an orogenic plateau at ca. 380–330 Ma in southern New England. Neoacadian crustal thicknesses show a strong correlation with metamorphic isograds, where higher metamorphic grade corresponds to greater paleo-crustal thickness. We suggest that the present metamorphic field gradient was exposed through erosion and orogenic collapse influenced by thermal, isostatic, and gravitational properties related to Neoacadian crustal thickness. Geobarometry in southern New England underestimates crustal thickness and exhumation, suggesting the crust was thinned by tectonic as well as erosional processes.
Supplemental Material: Surface-wave tomography of the Emeishan large igneous province (China): Magma storage system, hidden hotspot track, and its impact on the Capitanian mass extinction
Authors: Liu Yiduo , al. et
Published: April 2021

Methods, notes, and supplemental figures.
Supplemental Material: Quantifying bankfull flow width using preserved bar clinoforms from fluvial strata
Authors: Greenberg Evan , al. et
Published: April 2021

River locations, data sources, regression results, full data, and extended methods.
Supplemental Material: Evidence for iron-rich sulfate melt during magnetite(-apatite) mineralization at El Laco, Chile
Authors: Bain Wyatt , Steele-MacInnis Matthew , al. et
Published: April 2021

Additional details on the geologic setting, analytical methods and results, Figures S1–S6, and Tables S1 and S2.
Supplemental Material: Facies control on carbonate δ13C on the Great Bahama Bank
Authors: Geyman Emily , Maloof Adam
Published: April 2021

Full data table and description of sample processing.
Petrogenesis of the 91-Mile peridotite in the Grand Canyon: Ophiolite or deep-arc fragment?
Authors: Seaman S.J. , Williams M.L. , Karlstrom K.E. , Low P.C.
Published: April 2021

Recognition of fundamental tectonic boundaries has been extremely diffi-cult in the (>1000-km-wide) Proterozoic accretionary orogen of south western North America, where the main rock types are similar over large areas, and where the region has experienced multiple postaccretionary deformation events. Discrete ultramafic bodies are present in a number of areas that may mark important boundaries, especially if they can be shown to represent tectonic fragments of ophiolite complexes. However, most ultramafic bodies are small and intensely altered, precluding petrogenetic analysis. The 91-Mile peridotite in the Grand Canyon is the largest and best preserved ultramafic body known in the southwest United States. It presents a special opportunity for tectonic analysis that may illuminate the significance of ultramafic rocks in other parts of the orogen. The 91-Mile peridotite exhibits spectacular cumulate layering. Contacts with the surrounding Vishnu Schist are interpreted to be tectonic, except along one margin, where intrusive relations have been interpreted. Assemblages include olivine, clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, magnetite, and phlogopite, with very rare plagioclase. Textures suggest that phlogopite is the result of late intercumulus crystallization. Whole-rock compositions and especially mineral modes and compositions support derivation from an arc-related mafic magma. K-enriched subduction-related fluid in the mantle wedge is interpreted to have given rise to a K-rich, hydrous, high-pressure partial melt that produced early magnetite, Al-rich diopside, and primary phlogopite. The modes of silicate minerals, all with high Mg#, the sequence of crystallization, and the lack of early plagioclase are all consistent with crystallization at relatively high pressures. Thus, the 91-Mile peridotite body is not an ophiolite fragment that represents the closure of a former ocean basin. It does, however, mark a significant tectonic boundary where lower-crustal arc cumulates have been juxtaposed against middle-crustal schists and granitoids.
Visual field defects and myopic macular degeneration in Singapore adults with high myopia
Authors: Lanca Carla , Sun Chen Hsin , Chong Rachel , Wong Yee Ling , Nongpiur Monisha Esther , Htoon Hla M , Thakur Sahil , Quek Debra Q Y , Cheng Ching-Yu , Hoang Quan V , Sabanayagam Charumathi , Saw Seang-Mei , Wong Chee Wai
Published: April 2021

Aims

To characterise the association between visual field (VF) defects and myopic macular degeneration (MMD) in highly myopic adults without glaucoma.

Methods

Participants (n=106; 181 eyes) with high myopia (HM; spherical equivalent ≤−5.0 D or axial length (AL) ≥26 mm), after excluding glaucoma and glaucoma suspects, from the Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases-HM study were included in this cross-sectional study. Humphrey VF (central 24–2 threshold), cup-disc ratio (CDR) and intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements were performed. Mean deviation (MD) and pattern SD (PSD), VF defects (normal or abnormal; p<0.05 in ≥3 non-edge contiguous locations) and pattern (eg, generalised sensitivity loss) were analysed. MMD presence was diagnosed from fundus photographs. Generalised estimating equations were used for analysing factors (MD, PSD, VF defects, CDR and IOP) associated with MMD.

Results

Mean age was 55.4±9.9 years and 51.9% were women (AL=26.7±1.1 mm). MMD eyes had lower MD (−3.8±2.9 dB vs −1.1±1.4 dB) and higher PSD (2.8±1.7 dB vs 1.7±0.6 dB). A higher percentage of MMD eyes (n=48) had abnormal VF (62.5% vs 28.6%; p<0.001) compared with no MMD (n=133 eyes). VF pattern in MMD eyes was significantly different from eyes without MMD (p=0.001) with greater generalised sensitivity loss (53.3% vs 10.5%) and arcuate defects (16.7% vs 10.5%). In multivariate analyses, MD (OR=1.52) and PSD (OR=1.67) were significantly (p=0.003) associated with MMD, but VF defects were not associated with MMD.

Conclusion

Highly myopic adults with MMD may have VF loss when compared with highly myopic patients without MMD even in adults without glaucoma.
Prehospital management of exertional heat stroke at sports competitions: International Olympic Committee Adverse Weather Impact Expert Working Group for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
Authors: Hosokawa Yuri , Racinais Sebastien , Akama Takao , Zideman David , Budgett Richard , Casa Douglas J , Bermon Stéphane , Grundstein Andrew J , Pitsiladis Yannis P , Schobersberger Wolfgang , Yamasawa Fumihiro
Published: April 2021

Objectives

This document aimed to summarise the key components of exertional heat stroke (EHS) prehospital management.

Methods

Members of the International Olympic Committee Adverse Weather Impact Expert Working Group for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 summarised the current best practice regarding the EHS prehospital management.

Results

Sports competitions that are scheduled under high environmental heat stress or those that include events with high metabolic demands should implement and adopt policy and procedures for EHS prehospital management. The basic principles of EHS prehospital care are: early recognition, early diagnosis, rapid, on-site cooling and advanced clinical care. In order to achieve these principles, medical organisers must establish an area called the heat deck within or adjacent to the main medical tent that is optimised for EHS diagnosis, treatment and monitoring. Once admitted to the heat deck, the rectal temperature of the athlete with suspected EHS is assessed to confirm an elevated core body temperature. After EHS is diagnosed, the athlete must be cooled on-site until the rectal temperature is below 39°C. While cooling the athlete, medical providers are recommended to conduct a blood analysis to rule out exercise-associated hyponatraemia or hypoglycaemia, provided that this can be safely performed without interrupting cooling. The athlete is transported to advanced care for a full medical evaluation only after the treatment has been provided on-site.

Conclusions

A coordination of care among all medical stakeholders at the sports venue, during transport, and at the hospital is warranted to ensure effective management is provided to the EHS athlete.
Orai–vascular endothelial-cadherin signaling complex regulates high-glucose exposure-induced increased permeability of mouse aortic endothelial cells
Authors: Wei Yuan , Bai Suwen , Yao YanHeng , Hou Wenxuan , Zhu Junwei , Fang Haoshu , Du Yinan , He Wei , Shen Bing , Du Juan
Published: April 2021

Introduction

Diabetes-associated endothelial barrier function impairment might be linked to disturbances in Ca2+homeostasis. To study the role and molecular mechanism of Orais–vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin signaling complex and its downstream signaling pathway in diabetic endothelial injury using mouse aortic endothelial cells (MAECs).

Research design and methods

The activity of store-operated Ca2+entry (SOCE) was detected by calcium imaging after 7 days of high-glucose (HG) or normal-glucose (NG) exposure, the expression levels of Orais after HG treatment was detected by western blot analysis. The effect of HG exposure on the expression of phosphorylated (p)-VE-cadherin and VE-cadherin on cell membrane was observed by immunofluorescence assay. HG-induced transendothelial electrical resistance was examined in vitro after MAECs were cultured in HG medium. FD-20 permeability was tested in monolayer aortic endothelial cells through transwell permeability assay. The interactions between Orais and VE-cadherin were detected by co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence technologies. Immunohistochemical experiment was used to detect the expression changes of Orais, VE-cadherin and p-VE-cadherin in aortic endothelium of mice with diabetes.

Results

(1) The expression levels of Orais and activity of SOCE were significantly increased in MAECs cultured in HG for 7 days. (2) In MAECs cultured in HG for 7 days, the ratio of p-VE-cadherin to VE-cadherin expressed on the cell membrane and the FD-20 permeability in monolayer endothelial cells increased, indicating that intercellular permeability increased. (3) Orais and VE-cadherin can interact and enhance the interaction ratio through HG stimulation. (4) In MAECs cultured with HG, the SOCE activator ATP enhanced the expression level of p-VE-cadherin, and the SOCE inhibitor BTP2 decreased the expression level of p-VE-cadherin. (5) Significantly increased expression of p-VE-cadherin and Orais in the aortic endothelium of mice with diabetes.

Conclusion

HG exposure stimulated increased expression of Orais in endothelial cells, and increased VE-cadherin phosphorylation through Orais–VE-cadherin complex and a series of downstream signaling pathways, resulting in disruption of endothelial cell junctions and initiation of atherosclerosis.
Association between variability in body mass index and development of type 2 diabetes: Panasonic cohort study
Authors: Okada Hiroshi , Hamaguchi Masahide , Habu Momoko , Kurogi Kazushiro , Murata Hiroaki , Ito Masato , Fukui Michiaki
Published: April 2021

Introduction

Contrasting results have been reported for the association between the variability in body weight and development of diabetes. In the present study, we evaluated the association between the variability in body mass index (BMI) and development of type 2 diabetes in 19 412 Japanese participants without obesity and without body weight gain or loss during the study period.

Research design and methods

We recorded body weight of the participants consecutively each year in Panasonic Corporation, Osaka, Japan from 2008 to 2014 to evaluate the variability of BMI. The participants with obesity (BMI ≥25 kg/m2) at baseline and body weight gain or loss from 2008 to 2014 (delta BMI ≥±1 kg/m2) were excluded from the study. In total, 416 participants developed type 2 diabetes from 2015 to 2018. We used coefficient of variation (CV) to represent the variability in BMI during 6 years of the study period.

Results

Cox regression analyses revealed that the risk of developing type 2 diabetes was higher in the fourth quartile (HR 1.33; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.75) of CV of BMI than that in the first quartile (lowest quartile) of CV of BMI after adjusting for multiple confounding factors. The risk for developing diabetes increased by 11.1% per 1% increase in CV of BMI.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the variability in BMI is a risk factor for the development of diabetes in the Japanese population without obesity and without body weight gain or loss.
Religion and the World Health Organization: an evolving relationship
Authors: Winiger Fabian , Peng-Keller Simon
Published: April 2021

Much has been written about WHO. Relatively little is known, however, about the organisation’s evolving relationship with health-related personal beliefs, ‘faith-based organisations’ (FBOs), religious leaders and religious communities (‘religious actors’). This article presents findings from a 4-year research project on the ‘spiritual dimension’ of health and WHO conducted at the University of Zürich. Drawing on archival research in Geneva and interviews with current and former WHO staff, consultants and programme partners, we identify three stages in this relationship. Although since its founding individuals within WHO occasionally engaged with religious actors, it was not until the 1970s, when the primary healthcare strategy was developed in consultation with the Christian Medical Commission, that their concerns began to influence WHO policies. By the early 1990s, the failure to roll out primary healthcare globally was accompanied by a loss of interest in religion within WHO. With the spread of HIV/AIDS however, health-related religious beliefs were increasingly recognised in the development of a major quality of life instrument by the Division of Mental Health, and the work of a WHO expert committee on cancer pain relief and the subsequent establishment of palliative care. While the 1990s saw a cooling off of activities, in the years since, the HIV/AIDS, Ebola and COVID-19 crises have periodically brought religious actors to the attention of the organisation. This study focusses on what we suggest may be understood as a trend towards a closer association between the activities of WHO and religious actors, which has occurred in fits and starts and is marked by attempts at institutional translation and periods of forgetting and remembering.
Immediate postnatal care following childbirth in Ugandan health facilities: an analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys between 2001 and 2016
Authors: Dey Teesta , Ononge Sam , Weeks Andrew , Benova Lenka
Published: April 2021

Introduction

Progress in reducing maternal and neonatal mortality, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, is insufficient to achieve the Sustainable Developmental Goals by 2030. The first 24 hours following childbirth (immediate postnatal period), where the majority of morbidity and mortality occurs, is critical for mothers and babies. In Uganda,<50% of women reported receiving such care. This paper describes the coverage, changes over time and determinants of immediate postnatal care in Uganda after facility births between 2001 and 2016.

Methods

We analysed the 2006, 2011 and 2016 Ugandan Demographic and Health Surveys, including women 15–49 years with most recent live birth in a healthcare facility during the survey 5-year recall period. Immediate postnatal care coverage and changes over time were presented descriptively. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine determinants of immediate postnatal care.

Results

Data from 12 872 mothers were analysed. Between 2006 and 2016, births in healthcare facilities increased from 44.6% (95% CI: 41.9% to 47.3%) to 75.2% (95% CI: 73.4% to 77.0%) and coverage of immediate maternal postnatal care from 35.7% (95% CI 33.4% to 38.1%) to 65.0% (95% CI: 63.2% to 66.7%). The majority of first checks occurred between 1 and 4 hours post partum; the median time reduced from 4 hours to 1 hour. The most important factor associated with receipt of immediate postnatal care was women having a caesarean section birth adjusted OR (aOR) 2.93 (95% CI: 2.28 to 3.75). Other significant factors included exposure to mass media aOR 1.38 (95% CI: 1.15 to 1.65), baby being weighed at birth aOR 1.84 (95% CI: 1.58 to 2.14) and receipt of antenatal care with 4+Antenatal visits aOR 2.34 (95% CI: 1.50 to 3.64).

Conclusion

In Uganda, a large gap in coverage remains and universal immediate postnatal care has not materialised through increasing facility-based births or longer length of stay. To ensure universal coverage of high-quality care during this critical time, we recommend that maternal and newborn services should be integrated and actively involve mothers and their partners.
Blount disease and familial inheritance in Ghana, area cross-sectional study
Authors: Jansen Niels , Hollman Freek , Bovendeert Frans , Moh Prosper , Stegmann Alexander , Staal Heleen M
Published: April 2021

Objective

The objective of this study is to study familial inheritance for Blount disease to create better understanding of the aetiology of Blount disease.

Methods

After reviewing patient files and conventional roentgenologic imaging, 139 patients with Blount disease were included in this cross-sectional study, of which 102 patients were interviewed. During the interviews, patient characteristics and family history were collected. Blood samples were taken from five patients and three families and a whole exome sequencing was performed.

Results

Although patients came from all over the country, 90% of the patients belonged to the Akan tribe. A positive family history was found in 63 families (62%), of which, almost two-third had a positive family history in a first-degree family member. In most of the cases (64%), the varus legs resolved over time. In 9%, severe bowing remained ‘just like the patient’. The results of the whole exome sequencing did not show a genetic predisposition.

Conclusion

This study describes a large group of Blount patients. Because of the high numbers of positive family history and the centralisation of patients in the Akan region, a familial predisposition is suggested. Further genetic research is essential for better understanding of the possible multifactorial aetiology in Blount disease.
Haploinsufficiency in non-homologous end joining factor 1 induces ovarian dysfunction in humans and mice
Authors: Li Guoqing , Yang Xi , Wang Lingbo , Pan Yuncheng , Chen Siyuan , Shang Lingyue , Zhang Yicheng , Wu Yucheng , Zhou Zixue , Chen Qing , Zhang Xue , Zhang Ling , Wang Yingchen , Li Jinsong , Jin Li , Wu Yanhua , Zhang Xiaojin , Zhang Feng
Published: April 2021

Background

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a common disease in women that leads to a reduced reproductive lifespan. The aetiology of POI is genetically heterogeneous, with certain double-strand break (DSB) repair genes being implicated in POI. Although non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) is an efficient DSB repair pathway, the functional relationship between this pathway and POI remains unknown.

Methods and results

We conducted whole-exome sequencing in a Chinese family and identified a rare heterozygous loss-of-function variant in non-homologous end joining factor 1 (NHEJ1): c.532C>T (p.R178*), which co-segregated with POI and irregular menstruation. The amount of NHEJ1 protein in the proband was half of the normal level, indicating a link between NHEJ1 haploinsufficiency and POI. Furthermore, another rare heterozygous NHEJ1 variant c.500A>G (p.Y167C) was identified in one of 100 sporadic POI cases. Both variants were predicted to be deleterious by multiple in silico tools. In vitro assays showed that knock-down of NHEJ1 in human KGN ovarian cells impaired DNA repair capacity. We also generated a knock-in mouse model with a heterozygous Nhej1 variant equivalent to NHEJ1 p.R178* in familial patients. Compared with wild-type mice, heterozygous Nhej1-mutated female mice required a longer time to first birth, and displayed reduced numbers of primordial and growing follicles. Moreover, these mice exhibited higher sensitivity to DSB-inducing drugs. All these phenotypes are analogous to the progressive loss of ovarian function observed in POI.

Conclusions

Our observations in both humans and mice suggest that NHEJ1 haploinsufficiency is associated with non-syndromic POI, providing novel insights into genetic counselling and clinical prevention of POI.
Circulating microbial cell-free DNA is associated with inflammatory host-responses in severe pneumonia
Authors: Yang Haopu , Haidar Ghady , Al-Yousif Nameer S , Zia Haris , Kotok Daniel , Ahmed Asim A , Blair Lily , Dalai Sudeb , Bercovici Sivan , Ho Carine , McVerry Bryan J , Morris Alison , Kitsios Georgios D
Published: April 2021

Host inflammatory responses predict worse outcome in severe pneumonia, yet little is known about what drives dysregulated inflammation. We performed metagenomic sequencing of microbial cell-free DNA (mcfDNA) in 83 mechanically ventilated patients (26 culture-positive, 41 culture-negative pneumonia, 16 uninfected controls). Culture-positive patients had higher levels of mcfDNA than those with culture-negative pneumonia and uninfected controls (p<0.005). Plasma levels of inflammatory biomarkers (fractalkine, procalcitonin, pentraxin-3 and suppression of tumorigenicity-2) were independently associated with mcfDNA levels (adjusted p<0.05) among all patients with pneumonia. Such host–microbe interactions in the systemic circulation of patients with severe pneumonia warrant further large-scale clinical and mechanistic investigations.
Understanding barriers, access, and management of marine mixed-stock fisheries in an era of reconciliation: Indigenous-led salmon monitoring in British Columbia
Authors: Steel Jade R. , Atlas William I. , Ban Natalie C. , Wilson Kyle , Wilson Jayda , Housty William G. , Moore Jonathan W.
Published: April 2021

Wild salmon are central to food security, cultural identity, and livelihoods of coastal Indigenous communities. Yet ongoing inequities in governance, declining fish populations, and mixed-stock ocean fisheries may pose challenges for equitable access between Indigenous fishers and other non-Indigenous fishers. We sought to understand current perceptions among Haíłzaqv (Heiltsuk) fishers towards salmon fisheries and their management. We conducted dockside surveys with both Haíłzaqv fishers and sport fishers, and in-depth interviews with Haíłzaqv fishers, community members, and natural resource managers. From these surveys and interviews we quantified satisfaction among both food, social, and ceremonial fishers and visiting recreational fishers with the current salmon fishery and associated social-ecological drivers, and characterized perceptions among Haíłzaqv people of salmon fisheries and management. Second, we synthesized community perceptions of the revitalization of terminal, communally run salmon fisheries within Haíłzaqv territory as a tool for their future salmon management. Finally, we elicited information from Haíłzaqv fishers about the barriers people in their community currently face in accessing salmon fisheries. Our findings suggest that low salmon abundance, increased fishing competition, and high costs associated with participation in marine mixed-stock fisheries currently hinder access and equity for Haíłzaqv fishers. This community-based research can help strengthen local, Indigenous-led management of salmon into the future.
Hybrid AODV: An Efficient Routing Protocol for Manet Using MFR and Firefly Optimization Technique
Authors: Goyal Ankur , Sharma Vivek Kumar , Kumar Sandeep , Poonia Ramesh Chandra
Published: April 2021

A MANET is a category of ad hoc protocol that could vary positions and track itself on the flutter. It utilizes wireless connections that are attached to several networks. They include wirelessly in a self-configured, self-healing network while not having permanent communication linked in a collection of mobile networks. The network topology of nodes typically varies in MANET, and nodes are free to stir errantly and independently as a router as they accelerate traffic to more nodes within the network. Ad hoc on-demand distance vector (AODV) was employed for node selection to attain the shortest path strategy in existing techniques. In the proposed system, the hybrid AODV (HAODV) technique incorporates the MFR (Most Forward within Radius) technique to detect the shortest path routing algorithm. The MFR method was deployed for selecting the neighbor node, while HAODV was deployed to find the shortest path. To find the shortest path based on the updating equation, the Firefly algorithm is also implemented into the Hybrid AODV. The proposed work’s performance is calculated by different network parameters like the end to end delay, average routing overhead, throughput, and packet delivery ratio. After comparing AODV and DSR algorithms, the proposed algorithm (HAODV) shows improvement in packet delivery ratio, end-to-end delay, Routing overhead, and throughput.
The explicit Sato–Tate conjecture for primes in arithmetic progressions
Authors: Hammonds Trajan , Kothari Casimir , Luntzlara Noah , Miller Steven J. , Thorner Jesse , Wieman Hunter
Published: April 2021

Let [Formula: see text] be Ramanujan’s tau function, defined by the discriminant modular form [Formula: see text] (this is the unique holomorphic normalized cuspidal newform of weight 12 and level 1). Lehmer’s conjecture asserts that [Formula: see text] for all [Formula: see text]; since [Formula: see text] is multiplicative, it suffices to study primes [Formula: see text] for which [Formula: see text] might possibly be zero. Assuming standard conjectures for the twisted symmetric power [Formula: see text]-functions associated to [Formula: see text] (including GRH), we prove that if [Formula: see text], then [Formula: see text] a substantial improvement on the implied constant in previous work. To achieve this, under the same hypotheses, we prove an explicit version of the Sato–Tate conjecture for primes in arithmetic progressions.
Exploring Uncertainty Measures for Image-caption Embedding-and-retrieval Task
Authors: Hama Kenta , Matsubara Takashi , Uehara Kuniaki , Cai Jianfei
Published: April 2021

With the significant development of black-box machine learning algorithms, particularly deep neural networks, the practical demand for reliability assessment is rapidly increasing. On the basis of the concept that “Bayesian deep learning knows what it does not know,” the uncertainty of deep neural network outputs has been investigated as a reliability measure for classification and regression tasks. By considering an embedding task as a regression task, several existing studies have quantified the uncertainty of embedded features and improved the retrieval performance of cutting-edge models by model averaging. However, in image-caption embedding-and-retrieval tasks, well-known samples are not always easy to retrieve. This study shows that the existing method has poor performance in reliability assessment and investigates another aspect of image-caption embedding-and-retrieval tasks. We propose posterior uncertainty by considering the retrieval task as a classification task, which can accurately assess the reliability of retrieval results. The consistent performance of the two uncertainty measures is observed with different datasets (MS-COCO and Flickr30k), different deep-learning architectures (dropout and batch normalization), and different similarity functions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to perform a reliability assessment on image-caption embedding-and-retrieval tasks.
Environment-driven Communication in Battery-free Smart Buildings
Authors: Piva Mauro , Coletta Andrea , Maselli Gaia , Stankovic John A.
Published: April 2021

Recent years have witnessed the design and development of several smart devices that are wireless and battery-less. These devices exploit RFID backscattering-based computation and transmissions. Although singular devices can operate efficiently, their coexistence needs to be controlled, as they have widely varying communication requirements, depending on their interaction with the environment. The design of efficient communication protocols able to dynamically adapt to current device operation is quite a new problem that the existing work cannot solve well. In this article, we propose a new communication protocol, called ReLEDF, that dynamically discovers devices in smart buildings and their active and nonactive status and when active their current communication behavior (through a learning-based mechanism) and schedules transmission slots (through an Earliest Deadline First-- (EDF) based mechanism) adapt to different data transmission requirements. Combining learning and scheduling introduces a tag starvation problem, so we also propose a new mode-change scheduling approach. Extensive simulations clearly show the benefits of using ReLEDF, which successfully delivers over 95% of new data samples in a typical smart home scenario with up to 150 heterogeneous smart devices, outperforming related solutions. Real experiments are also conducted to demonstrate the applicability of ReLEDF and to validate the simulations.
"Time to Take a Break"
Authors: Zhou Xingchen , Rau Pei-Luen Patrick , Liu Xueqian
Published: April 2021

Although often ignored, adult gamers, as with children and adolescents, can suffer from problematic gaming. This study explores the use of a built-in gaming gradual intervention system (G-GIS) designed to help adult gamers achieve their desired gaming habits in an autonomous and acceptable manner. In this study, we interviewed 26 heavy adult gamers (i.e., adult gamers who played frequently and for relatively long periods of time) of an online poker game using an in-built G-GIS. Then, we triangulated the interviewees' results with their real-world behavioral data collected over eight months to explore how demographics, attitudes, and contextual factors influenced their use of the G-GIS. The results indicate that family and occupation demographics play key roles in determining adult gamers' gaming habits and their self-control under G-GIS intervention. We also revealed that adult gamers' attitudes and contextual factors can facilitate or hinder the effectiveness of the G-GIS. The findings of this study extend our understanding of heavy adult gamers and reveal how a G-GIS influences adult gamers at the individual level, which can be applied in the design of future game intervention systems, particularly for adult gamers.
CASS
Authors: Wang Liuping , Wang Dakuo , Tian Feng , Peng Zhenhui , Fan Xiangmin , Zhang Zhan , Yu Mo , Ma Xiaojuan , Wang Hongan
Published: April 2021

Chatbots systems, despite their popularity in today's HCI and CSCW research, fall short for one of the two reasons: 1) many of the systems use a rule-based dialog flow, thus they can only respond to a limited number of pre-defined inputs with pre-scripted responses; or 2) they are designed with a focus on single-user scenarios, thus it is unclear how these systems may affect other users or the community. In this paper, we develop a generalizable chatbot architecture (CASS) to provide social support for community members in an online health community. The CASS architecture is based on advanced neural network algorithms, thus it can handle new inputs from users and generate a variety of responses to them. CASS is also generalizable as it can be easily migrate to other online communities. With a follow-up field experiment, CASS is proven useful in supporting individual members who seek emotional support. Our work also contributes to fill the research gap on how a chatbot may influence the whole community's engagement.
Understanding the Telework Experience of People with Disabilities
Authors: Tang John
Published: April 2021

To understand the lived experience of how people with disabilities telework in the United States, 25 people were interviewed. The participants included people who are blind or low vision, deaf or hard of hearing, neurodiverse, have limited mobility/dexterity, and have chronic health issues. The interviews focused on how they used video calling, screen sharing, and collaborative editing technologies to accomplish their telework. The interviews found ways in which design choices made in telework technologies interact with people's abilities, especially those who are blind or low vision, since the tools rely heavily on the visual channel to enable remote collaboration. A central theme emerged around how design choices made in telework technologies affect the digital representation of people's online activities in the video call interface: those who turn off their video (because they are blind or do not want to expend the cognitive effort to present themselves over video) are relegated to a static icon on a blank video frame with their name while those who are deaf and speak silently through a sign language interpreter never show up in interfaces that use active speaker detection to choose which video streams to display. Users with disabilities may avoid using screen sharing and collaborative editing tools which "leak" cues that disclose their disabilities. Because the interviews were conducted during the first month of the COVID-19 pandemic response, they also provided a preview of how the sudden shift to pervasive teleworking affected their telework experience.
You Keep Using That Word
Authors: Keyes Os , May Chandler , Carrell Annabelle
Published: April 2021

CSCW researchers have long inquired into the ways that identity informs, and is informed by, the design of technological systems. Gender is a regularly considered aspect of identity, with extensive work documenting and exploring gendered experiences and designs with the aim of addressing inequalities in, or through, design. Recent work has questioned the way that we conceptualise and "measure" gender, advocating more nuanced classificatory schemes to avoid silencing or obscuring trans and/or non-binary experiences. Building on and extending this research, our work examines how gender is conceptualised more broadly. Drawing from a range of theoretical perspectives in gender studies, feminist and postcolonial theory, we argue for the treatment of gender as "multiplicitous" when we conceptualise and interpret research, in order to avoid unintentionally perpetuating silencing and inequality even as we work to tackle it. Illustrating our argument with examples from both within and without CSCW, we suggest both new research directions for CSCW scholars inquiring into gender, and sensitising questions that scholars can use when constructing and evaluating studies.
Street-Level Algorithms and AI in Bureaucratic Decision-Making
Authors: Ammitzbøll Flügge Asbjørn , Hildebrandt Thomas , Møller Naja Holten
Published: April 2021

Studies of algorithmic decision-making in Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) and related fields of research increasingly recognize an analogy between AI and bureaucracies. We elaborate this link with an empirical study of AI in the context of decision-making in a street-level bureaucracy: job placement. The study examines caseworkers' perspectives on the use of AI, and contributes to an understanding of bureaucratic decision-making, with implications for integrating AI in caseworker systems. We report findings from a participatory workshop on AI with 35 caseworkers from different types of public services, followed up by interviews with five caseworkers specializing in job placement. The paper contributes an understanding of caseworkers' collaboration around documentation as a key aspect of bureaucratic decision-making practices. The collaborative aspects of casework are important to show because they are subject to process descriptions making case documentation prone for an individually focused AI with consequences for the future of how casework develops as a practice. Examining the collaborative aspects of caseworkers' documentation practices in the context of AI and (potentially) automation, our data show that caseworkers perceive AI as valuable when it can support their work towards management, (strengthen their cause, if a case requires extra resources), and towards unemployed individuals (strengthen their cause in relation to the individual's case when deciding on, and assigning a specific job placement program). We end by discussing steps to support cooperative aspects in AI decision-support systems that are increasingly implemented into the bureaucratic context of public services.
Owning and Sharing
Authors: Meng Nicole , Keküllüoğlu Dilara , Vaniea Kami
Published: April 2021

Intelligent personal assistants (IPA), such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, are becoming increasingly present in multi-user households leading to questions about privacy and consent, particularly for those who do not directly own the device they interact with. When these devices are placed in shared spaces, every visitor and cohabitant becomes an indirect user, potentially leading to discomfort, misuse of services, or unintentional sharing of personal data. To better understand how owners and visitors perceive IPAs, we interviewed 10 in-house users (account owners and cohabitants) and 9 visitors from a student and young professionals sample who have interacted with such devices on various occasions. We find that cohabitants in shared households with regular IPA interactions see themselves as owners of the device, although not having the same controls as the account owner. Further, we determine the existence of a smart speaker etiquette which doubles as trust-based boundary management. Both in-house users and visitors demonstrate similar attitudes and concerns around data use, constant monitoring by the device, and the lack of transparency around device operations. We discuss interviewees' system understanding, concerns, and protection strategies and make recommendation to avoid tensions around shared devices.