bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Keywords‐driven web APIs group recommendation for automatic app service creation process
Authors: Gong Wenwen , Lv Chao , Duan Yucong , Liu Zengguang , Khosravi Mohammad R. , Qi Lianyong , Dou Wanchun
Published: September 2020

With the ever‐increasing popularity of web application programming interfaces (APIs) sharing communities, it is becoming a promising way for software developers to design and create their interesting Apps through composing a set of selected web APIs that can collectively fulfill the App functions expected by the App developer. However, the App developer's web APIs selection decision‐makings are often nontrivial due to the massive candidate APIs as well as their diverse functions. Furthermore, it is difficult to guarantee that the selected web APIs are compatible enough. Moreover, traditional web APIs recommendation approaches only return a recommended APIs list, which are often not sufficient to accommodate the App developer's undetermined and fuzzy personalized preferences. Considering the above challenges, a novel keywords‐driven web APIs recommendation approach called keywords‐driven and compatibility‐aware multiple API group recommendation is proposed in this article for green and compatible software, which cannot only satisfy the App developer's functional requirements, but also return a group of web APIs recommended lists. Each returned list includes a set of compatible web APIs. Finally, we design a series of experiments based on a real‐world web APIs dataset, that is, PW dataset crawled from www.programmableWeb.com. Experimental reports compared with other competitive approaches in existing literatures indicate the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposal in this work.
A machine learning framework for domain generating algorithm based malware detection
Authors: G. P. Akhila , R. Gayathri , S. Keerthana , Gladston Angelin
Published: September 2020

Real‐time detection of domain names that are generated using the domain generating algorithms (DGA) is a challenging cyber security challenge. Traditional malware control methods, such as blacklisting, are insufficient to handle DGA threats. In this paper, a machine learning framework for identifying and detecting DGA domains is proposed to alleviate the threat. The proposed machine learning framework consists of a two‐level model. In the two‐level model, the DGA domains are classified apart from normal domains and then the clustering method is used to identify the algorithms that generate those DGA domains.
Development and validation of a gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method for determination of 30 fragrance substances in cosmetic products
Authors: Fardin‐Kia Ali Reza , Zhou Wanlong
Published: September 2020

A QuEChERS sample preparation, for a broad‐range of cosmetic products, followed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis was developed for the simultaneous determination of 30 fragrance substances. The sample preparation step was optimized for different leave‐on and rinse‐off cosmetic products. A small amount of sample (1 g) was extracted with acetonitrile, the extract was subject to a rapid QuEChERS clean up followed by centrifugation and the organic layer was collected for gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis. The gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method was developed on a mid‐polarity GC capillary column (30 m, ZB‐35HT) to obtain maximum separation of the targeted compounds in less than 60 min. Using this method, the method limit of detection and the method limit of quantitation for the 30 fragrance substances, were determined as 0.1–1.2 µg/g and 0.33–4.0 µg/g, respectively. For most of the fragrance substances, the spike recovery values were 80–120% with a relative standard deviation < 10% for all fragrance substances in three tested matrices (shampoo, lotion, and deodorant). This method was applied to evaluate 42 commercial cosmetic products purchased from nine different countries. Of the 30 leave‐on products, 18 products measured at least one fragrance above 10 µg/g and 5 of the 12 rinse‐off products measured at least one fragrance above 100 µg/g. According to the European regulation (EC, No 1223/2009, ANNEX III), 24 of these fragrance substances are subject to specific labeling requirements if any individual concentration exceeds 10 µg/g for leave‐on and 100 µg/g for rinse‐off products. Our results show that this method can be applied to various cosmetic products for determination of fragrance substances designated “allergens” in the European Union.
Effect of Different Modifications (Physical and Chemical) on Morphological, Pasting, and Rheological Properties of Black Rice (Oryza sativa L. Indica) Starch: A Comparative Study
Authors: Dhull Sanju Bala , Punia Sneh , Kumar Manoj , Singh Shivdeep , Singh Parhlad
Published: September 2020

The demand for black rice has increased rapidly in the past years because of the distinctive color, characteristic flavor, nutritional value, and health benefits. This study aims to investigate the chemical and physical modifications on morphology, pasting, thermal, and rheological properties of black rice starch. The highest swelling power is observed for octenyl succinic anhydride modified black rice starch whereas gamma irradiated rice starch shows the lowest value. Rheometer analysis shows that physical and chemical modifications generally alter the pasting characteristics of starches which may be attributed to the excessive degradation of starch granules. Native black rice starch granules are of small size and irregular in shapes with sharp angles and edges. After modifications, rice starch granules surface lose natural morphology. All native and modified rice starch exhibit the typical A‐type X‐ray patterns of cereal starches. Results of present study provides a better understanding of functional properties of native and modified black rice starches for their possible applications in food products.
Evaluating the complexity of engineered systems: A framework informed by a user case study
Authors: Potts Matthew W. , Johnson Angus , Bullock Seth
Published: September 2020

Evaluating the complexity of an engineered system is challenging for any organization, even more so when operating in a System‐of‐Systems (SoS) context. Here, we analyze one particular decision support tool as an illustratory case study. This tool has been used for several years by Thales Group to evaluate system complexity across a variety of industrial engineering projects. The case study is informed by analysis of semistructured interviews with systems engineering experts within the Thales Group. This analysis reveals a number of positive and negative aspects of (i) the tool itself and (ii) the way in which the tool is embedded operationally within the wider organization. While the first set of issues may be solved by making improvements to the tool itself, informed by further comparative analysis and growing literature on complexity evaluation, the second “embedding challenge” is distinct, seemingly receiving less attention in the literature. In this paper, we focus on addressing this embedding challenge, by introducing a complexity evaluation framework, designed according to a set of principles derived from the case study analysis; namely that any effective complexity evaluation activity should feature collaborative effort toward building an evaluation informed by a shared understanding of contextually relevant complexity factors, iterative (re‐)evaluation over the course of a project, and progressive refinement of the complexity evaluation tools and processes themselves through linking project evaluations to project outcomes via a wider organizational learning cycle. The paper concludes by considering next steps including the challenge of assuring that such a framework is being implemented effectively.
Data‐driven identification and modeling of earthquake‐excited building structures regarding soil‐structure interaction
Authors: Gong Nan , Li Peizhen , Shan Jiazeng , Ouyang Yuting
Published: September 2020

Data‐driven identification and modeling of the integrated soil‐structure interaction (SSI) structure system are significantly important for real‐world structures subjected to earthquakes in various engineering disciplines. The representative mechanical modeling for the overall system with SSI effect is firstly presented, and the differential evolution algorithm is introduced for model‐based iterative identification on physical parameters including stiffness and damping coefficients. The performance and reliability of the proposed methodology are systematically investigated through a numerical model‐based parametric study. Incorporation of the model selection, the incomplete measurement and noise effect on the proposed method is revealed and discussed subsequently. Then, the present method is experimentally investigated and validated using two illustrative examples, corresponding to a 12‐story large‐scale structural model and a nine‐story real‐world building structure. The performance in terms of feasible estimation and reliable prediction by using the optimally identified physical model is demonstrated through the time history comparison of measurable acceleration responses in different seismic events.
Development of magnetic separation system for thermal power plants
Authors: Okada Hidehiko , Hirota Noriyuki , Akiyama Yoko , Mishima Fumihito , Nishijima Shigehiro , Matsuura Hideki , Namba Seitoku , Sekine Tomokazu
Published: September 2020

Assuming that the high‐gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) system based on a superconducting magnet can reduce iron oxide scale in boiler feedwater and contribute to the efficient operation of thermal power plants, we design a new matrix structure, which should efficiently capture iron oxide particles in boiler feedwater. We then evaluate their practicability experimentally and confirm that this HGMS system with the newly developed matrix is applicable to thermal power plants with the desired efficiency. On the bases of the results, we designed practical large‐scale HGMS systems for boiler feedwater with a superconducting magnet and new matrices, which has long cleaning cycles and low‐pressure loss. © 2020 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Approaches on the acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene functionalization through maleic anhydride and dicumyl peroxide
Authors: Luna Carlos B. B. , Siqueira Danilo D. , Araújo Edcleide M. , Wellen Renate M. R. , Jeferson Alves de Mélo Tomás
Published: September 2020

Acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene (ABS) functionalization is industrially important since it can wide the ABS application range. However, grafting of functional groups must be effective. This work aimed evaluating the effectiveness of ABS functionalization in an internal mixer, using maleic anhydride (MA) and dicumyl peroxide (DCP) as initiator, at 2.5% and 5.0%; and 0.3% and 0.5% contents respectively. Torque rheometry, melt flow rate (MFR), titration, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), contact angle, thermogravimetry (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) were used to collect the main parameters of produced compounds. For ABS with 5% MA and 0.5% DCP, an efficiency of 62% was reached with the degree of grafting 3.1% MA. FTIR spectra confirmed new band in ABS chain in 1780 cm−1 due to the carbonyl group. Reduction in contact angle and thermal stability were verified, whereas MFR and torque rheometry suggested that viscosity decrease is most due to the molecular weight reduction. In general, MA grafted ABS presented proper functionalization with great potential for applications as reactive compatibilizer.
Wilding the predictive brain
Authors: Nave Kathryn , Deane George , Miller Mark , Clark Andy
Published: September 2020

The Predictive Processing (PP) framework casts the brain as a probabilistic prediction engine that continually generates predictions of the causal structure of the world in order to construct for itself, from the top down, incoming sensory signals. Conceiving of the brain in this way has yielded incredible explanatory power, offering what many believe to be our first glimpse at a unified theory of the mind. In this paper, the picture of the mind brought into view by predictive processing theories is shown to be embodied, deeply affective and nicely poised for cognitive extension. We begin by giving an overview of the main themes of the framework, and situating this approach within embodied cognitive science. We show perception, action, homeostatic regulation and emotion to be underpinned by the very same predictive machinery. We conclude by showing how predictive minds will increasingly be understood as deeply interwoven with, and perhaps extended into, the surrounding social, cultural and technological landscape.

This article is categorized under:

Philosophy > Foundations of Cognitive Science

Psychology > Emotion and Motivation

Philosophy > Action
Personae in sociolinguistic variation
Authors: D'Onofrio Annette
Published: September 2020

While studies of sociolinguistic variation traditionally have focused on correlations between macro‐social categories and the use of linguistic variants, sociolinguistic work examining social meaning‐making at an interactional level views linguistic variation as a resource deployed by agentive speakers and listeners. Thepersonahas become an important construct in understanding how on‐the‐ground interactional practice builds up to form larger‐scale patterns of sociolinguistic variation and change. Rather than members of macro‐social groups, personae are holistic, ideological social types that are recognizably linked with ways of being and speaking. This article reviews the theoretical foundations for the use ofpersonaeas a social construct in the study of linguistic variation. It then describes the ways in which the construct has enriched sociolinguistic theories of social categories, intra‐speaker variation, stylistic practice, explicit performances, sociolinguistic perception, and sociolinguistic change. Taking up the study of personae helps sociolinguists better articulate how linguistic variation is contextualized socially, and how links between personae and linguistic styles are formed and disseminated through time and social space. Further, examining the nature of the social constructs linked with variation, including personae and other constructs aside from demographic categories, helps inform the growing body of work that has aimed to incorporate social information into theories of language processing, perception, production, and representation.

This article is categorized under:

Linguistics > Language in Mind and Brain

Linguistics > Linguistic Theory

Psychology > Language
Nesting Ecology of Northern Bobwhite on a Working Farm
Authors: Richardson Andy D. , Kroeger Anthony J. , Moorman Christopher E. , Harper Craig A. , Gardner Beth , Jones Mark D. , Strope Benjy M.
Published: September 2020

Creating early successional vegetation on working farms can increase northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhite) abundance with little reduction in crop production, but specific effects of field border establishment on bobwhite nesting ecology are not well understood. We monitored bobwhite nesting on a 1,740‐ha working farm with 19% of property managed for early successional vegetation in southeastern North Carolina, USA. We monitored 133 radio‐marked bobwhites from 1 April to 30 September in 2014 and 2015. We modelled nest‐site selection by comparing paired nest and random reference sites and modeled effects of habitat covariates on daily nest survival. Forb, shrub, and native warm‐season grass cover were greater at nest sites than reference sites with forb cover the strongest predictor of nest‐site selection. Bobwhite nested at a greater density in areas managed for fallow vegetation (1 nest/3 ha) than in planted warm‐season grasses and forbs (1 nest/5 ha). The daily nest survival rate over 2 years was 0.964 (SE = 0.007), and was not significantly influenced by any modeled covariate. Naïve nest success (nest successes/total nests) was 46.9%. The importance of forbs as nesting cover indicates bobwhite abundance in areas dominated by row‐crop agriculture may be limited by low nest initiation from a lack of herbaceous nesting cover. Hence, the creation of fallow herbaceous vegetation on working farms should be prioritized to increase bobwhite reproduction within agricultural landscapes. Furthermore, planting warm‐season grasses is not necessary because volunteer forbs and grasses provide as good or better nesting cover and can be less costly to establish. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.
Forecasting Origin-Destination-Age-Sex Migration Flow Tables with Multiplicative Components
Authors: Raymer James , Bai Xujing , Smith Peter W. F.
Published: September 2020

In this chapter, we show how multiplicative components that capture the underlying structures of migration flow tables can be used to inform forecasts of interstate migration in Australia. For our illustration, we decompose 5-year census migration flow tables by state or territory of origin, state or territory of destination, 5-year age group and sex for seven census time periods from 1981–1986 to 2011–2016. The components are described over time and then fitted with time series models to produce holdout sample forecasts of interstate migration with measures of uncertainty. Goodness-of-fit statistics and calibration are then used to identify the best fitting models. The results of this research provide (i) insights into the different migration patterns of an important aspect of subnational population growth in Australia and (ii) potential inputs for standard or multiregional cohort component projection models.
The efficacy of the submucosal injection of lidocaine during endoscopic submucosal dissection for colorectal neoplasms: a multicenter randomized controlled study
Authors: Ijiri Masami , Sasaki Takahiro , Fujiya Mikihiro , Iwama Takuya , Murakami Yuki , Takahashi Keitaro , Tanaka Kazuyuki , Ando Katsuyoshi , Ueno Nobuhiro , Kashima Shin , Moriichi Kentaro , Tanabe Hiroki , Saito Yusuke , Okumura Toshikatsu
Published: September 2020

Background

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is currently a common procedure although it requires a long procedural time. We conducted a prospective study to determine the efficacy and safety of lidocaine injection for shortening the procedural time and relieving bowel peristalsis during ESD.

Methods

A multicenter randomized controlled study was conducted in three hospitals. Ninety-one patients who underwent colorectal ESD were enrolled. Patients were randomly divided into two groups using the envelope method: the lidocaine group and saline group. The primary endpoint was the procedural time, and the secondary endpoints were the procedural time in each part of the colon and the grade of bowel peristalsis and the incidence and amounts of antispasmodic drugs use and adverse events.

Results

The patients’ demographics were not markedly different between the two groups. The mean procedural time in the lidocaine group was not markedly different from that in the saline group. In contrast, at the proximal site, the procedural time in the lidocaine group (57 min) was significantly shorter in the saline group (80 min). The grade of bowel peristalsis in the lidocaine group (0.67) was significantly lower than in the saline group (1.17). Antispasmodic drug use was significantly rarer in the lidocaine group than in the saline group. The incidence of adverse events was not markedly different between the two groups.

Conclusions

Local lidocaine injection is a feasible option for preventing bowel peristalsis, particularly in the proximal colon, leading to a reduced procedural time for ESD and decreased antispasmodic drug use.

University Hospital Medical Information Network Center (UMIN number: 000022843).
The Engulfing Property from a Convex Analysis Viewpoint
Authors: Calogero Andrea , Pini Rita
Published: September 2020

In this note, we provide a simple proof of some properties enjoyed by convex functions having the engulfing property. In particular, making use only of results peculiar to convex analysis, we prove that differentiability and strict convexity are conditions intrinsic to the engulfing property.
Speaking Acquaintances or Helpers in Need: Participation in Civic Associations and Individual Social Capital
Authors: Mutz Michael , Burrmann Ulrike , Braun Sebastian
Published: September 2020

It is widely believed that civic associations are capable to produce social capital, here understood as an individual asset resulting from relations of mutual support and assistance. Although hardly anybody denies that socializing is widespread in many civic associations, it still remains to be shown that this socializing provides a genuine commitment to support. This paper explores the relationship between involvement in civic organizations and social support. The data analysed come from a nation-wide survey “Organized Sport and Social Capital—Revisited” (OSSCAR) representing the adult population in Germany. Findings show that participation in civic associations is associated with higher levels of social support. This effect is stronger for active participants and weaker for passive members. Path analyses further indicate that this effect is mediated by a person’s sociability orientations as well as her commitment to prosocial values. These findings help providing a more nuanced understanding of mechanisms of social capital formation in civic associations.
Determinants of Volunteering Within a Social Housing Community
Authors: Walker Tim , Menneer Tamaryn , Leyshon Catherine , Leyshon Michael , Williams Andrew James , Mueller Markus , Taylor Tim
Published: September 2020

In general, research demonstrates that deprivation, education, health, and well-being are determinants of volunteering, and that volunteering can play an important role in building stronger communities and provides many benefits for individual health and well-being. This study concentrates on the effects of physical and mental health and well-being as predictors when the aspect of socio-economic impact has been minimised. It utilises a unique data set from a UK Housing Association community with generally high levels of deprivation. Data were analysed using bivariate probit regression. In contrast to previous findings, physical health and mental health were not significantly related to volunteering. The key finding was that mental well-being was significantly related to informal volunteering.
In Vivo Imaging of Local Inflammation: Monitoring LPS-Induced CD80/CD86 Upregulation by PET
Authors: Taddio Marco F. , Castro Jaramillo Claudia A. , Runge Peter , Blanc Alain , Keller Claudia , Talip Zeynep , Béhé Martin , van der Meulen Nicholas P. , Halin Cornelia , Schibli Roger , Krämer Stefanie D.
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The co-stimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86 are upregulated on activated antigen-presenting cells (APC). We investigated whether local APC activation, induced by subcutaneous (s.c.) inoculation of lipopolysaccharides (LPS), can be imaged by positron emission tomography (PET) with CD80/CD86-targeting 64Cu-labelled abatacept.

Procedures

Mice were inoculated s.c. with extracellular-matrix gel containing either LPS or vehicle (PBS). Immune cell populations were analysed by flow cytometry and marker expression by RT-qPCR. 64Cu-NODAGA-abatacept distribution was analysed using PET/CT and ex vivo biodistribution.

Results

The number of CD80+ and CD86+ immune cells at the LPS inoculation site significantly increased a few days after inoculation. CD68 and CD86 expression were higher at the LPS than the PBS inoculation site, and CD80 was only increased at the LPS inoculation site. CTLA-4 was highest 10 days after LPS inoculation, when CD80/CD86 decreased again. A few days after inoculation, 64Cu-NODAGA-abatacept distribution to the inoculation site was significantly higher for LPS than PBS (4.2-fold). Co-administration of unlabelled abatacept or human immunoglobulin reduced tracer uptake. The latter reduced the number of CD86+ immune cells at the LPS inoculation site.

Conclusions

CD80 and CD86 are upregulated in an LPS-induced local inflammation, indicating invasion of activated APCs. 64Cu-NODAGA-abatacept PET allowed following APC activation over time.
The conformal measures of a normal subgroup of a cocompact Fuchsian group
Authors: SHWARTZ OFER
Published: September 2020

In this paper we study the conformal measures of a normal subgroup of a cocompact Fuchsian group. In particular, we relate the extremal conformal measures to the eigenmeasures of a suitable Ruelle operator. Using Ancona’s theorem, adapted to the Ruelle operator setting, we show that if the group of deck transformationsGis hyperbolic then the extremal conformal measures and the hyperbolic boundary ofGcoincide. We then interpret these results in terms of the asymptotic behavior of cutting sequences of geodesics on a regular cover of a compact hyperbolic surface.
Loewner evolution of hedgehogs and 2-conformal measures of circle maps
Authors: BISWAS KINGSHOOK
Published: September 2020

Let f be a germ of a holomorphic diffeomorphism with an irrationally indifferent fixed point at the origin in

${\mathbb C}$
(i.e.

$f(0) = 0, f'(0) = e^{2\pi i \alpha }, \alpha \in {\mathbb R} - {\mathbb Q}$
). Pérez-Marco [Fixed points and circle maps. Acta Math.179(2) (1997), 243–294] showed the existence of a unique continuous monotone one-parameter family of non-trivial invariant full continua containing the fixed point called Siegel compacta, and gave a correspondence between germs and families

$(g_t)$
of circle maps obtained by conformally mapping the complement of these compacts to the complement of the unit disk. The family of circle maps

$(g_t)$
is the orbit of a locally defined semigroup

$(\Phi _t)$
on the space of analytic circle maps, which we show has a well-defined infinitesimal generator X. The explicit form of X is obtained by using the Loewner equation associated to the family of hulls

$(K_t)$
. We show that the Loewner measures

$(\mu _t)$
driving the equation are 2-conformal measures on the circle for the circle maps

$(g_t)$
.
Negotiating the price of the new state and republican modernization: resistance to the agricultural taxes in modern Turkey
Authors: Metinsoy Murat
Published: September 2020

After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the building of the modern Turkish Republic was financed largely through the taxes extracted from the agricultural economy. Turkey’s economy was largely based on agriculture and accordingly the new state relied heavily on rural resources. Despite the abolition of the tithe, many other agricultural taxes increased remarkably. This paper examines the peasants’ everyday resistance to heavy taxes under the single-party regime in interwar Turkey. It shows that under an authoritarian single-party system, poor and small-income peasants used daily and mostly informal means to cope with the social injustice that resulted from the increasingly burdensome economic demands of the new state. In contrast to the existing accounts, which mostly regard the peasants as being atomized under the absolute control of the state, this paper portrays them as an active social dynamic that annulled the greater part of the taxes in practice and compelled the government to soften its heavy taxes. Based on new archival sources, such as gendarme records, politicians’ reports, citizens’ petitions, and newspaper reports, this paper reveals the peasants’ different forms of politics and the direct and indirect impact of such politics on the social and political transformation of the new Republic and on the modernization of Turkey overall.
The Jamaat of Allah's Friends: Maulana Allahyar's Reformist Movement and Sacralising the Space of the Armed Forces of Pakistan
Authors: SUMBAL SAADIA
Published: September 2020

This article discusses a Sufi-inspired reformist movement that was set up in Chakrala (Pakistani Punjab) by Maulana Allahyar during the second half of the twentieth century. Attention is paid to the polemical religious context in which this movement arose, in part linked to the proselytising activities of local Shias and Ahmadis. Allahyar's preaching in the town created sectarian divisions within Chakrala's syncretic religious traditions. His reformist ideas also were articulated through atablighi jamaat(missionary movement), which penetrated the armed forces of Pakistan during the military rule of Ayub Khan. Against this backdrop, the article also discusses the interface between Islam and the army, as this relationship played out in Indian prisoner-of-war camps holding captured Pakistani soldiers in the wake of the 1971 war, and so points to ways in which the mutual performance of mystical practices by Allahyar's Jamaat created a cohesive moral community.
MONEY AND CREDIT REMIX
Authors: Araujo Luis , Ferraris Leo
Published: September 2020

Money and credit are ubiquitous in actual economies, but there is an active theoretical debate on whether they are both necessary if they can both be used in all transactions. Recently, Gu et al. (2016) have shown that money and credit cannot be simultaneously essential and debt limits do not matter for the determination of real allocations in a class of monetary economies. In this paper, we revisit their irrelevance result in a monetary economy based on Lagos and Wright (2005), which exhibits a misallocation of liquidity that is common in search models of money. We show that monetary loans, which naturally require the use of both money and credit, implement Pareto superior allocations in which the size of debt limits matters.
Adolescent diet and physical activity in the context of economic, social and nutrition transition in rural Maharashtra, India: a qualitative study
Authors: Joshi-Reddy Kejal , Kamble Veena , Kunte Pooja , Hardy-Johnson Polly , Fall Caroline HD , Barker Mary , Weller Susie , Yajnik Chittaranjan S , Kehoe Sarah H
Published: September 2020

Objective:

To explore the perceptions of adolescents and their caregivers on drivers of diet and physical activity in rural India in the context of ongoing economic, social and nutrition transition.

Design:

A qualitative study comprising eight focus group discussions (FGD) on factors affecting eating and physical activity patterns, perceptions of health and decision-making on food preparation.

Setting:

Villages approximately 40–60 km from the city of Pune in the state of Maharashtra, India.

Participants:

Two FGD with adolescents aged 10–12 years (n 20), two with 15- to 17- year-olds (n 18) and four with their mothers (n 38).

Results:

Dietary behaviour and physical activity of adolescents were perceived to be influenced by individual and interpersonal factors including adolescent autonomy, parental influence and negotiations between adolescents and caregivers. The home food environment, street food availability, household food security and exposure to television and digital media were described as influencing behaviour. The lack of facilities and infrastructure was regarded as barriers to physical activity as were insufficient resources for public transport, safe routes for walking and need for cycles, particularly for girls. It was suggested that schools take a lead role in providing healthy foods and that governments invest in facilities for physical activity.

Conclusions:

In this transitioning environment, that is representative of many parts of India and other Lower Middle Income Countries (LMIC), people perceive a need for interventions to improve adolescent diet and physical activity. Caregivers clearly felt that they had a stake in adolescent health, and so we would recommend the involvement of both adolescents and caregivers in intervention design.
Controls on Subglacial Rock Friction: Experiments With Debris in Temperate Ice
Authors: Thompson A. C. , Iverson N. R. , Zoet L. K.
Published: September 2020

Glacier sliding has major environmental consequences, but friction caused by debris in the basal ice of glaciers is seldom considered in sliding models. To include such friction, divergent hypotheses for clast‐bed contact forces require testing. In experiments we rotate an ice ring (outside diameter = 0.9 m), with and without isolated till clasts, over a smooth rock bed. Ice is kept at its pressure‐melting temperature, and meltwater drains along a film at the bed to atmospheric pressure at its edges. The ice pressure or bed‐normal component of ice velocity is controlled, while bed shear stress is measured. Results with debris‐free ice indicate friction coefficients < 0.01. Shear stresses caused by clasts in ice are independent of ice pressure. This independence indicates that with increases in ice pressure the water pressure in cavities observed beneath clasts increases commensurately to allow drainage of cavities into the melt film, leaving clast‐bed contact forces unaffected. Shear stresses, instead, are proportional to bed‐normal ice velocity. Cavities and the absence of regelation ice indicate that, unlike model formulations, regelation past clasts does not control contact forces. Alternatively, heat from the bed melts ice above clasts, creating pressure gradients in adjacent meltwater films that cause contact forces to depend on bed‐normal ice velocity. This model can account for observations if rock friction predicated on Hertzian clast‐bed contacts is assumed. Including debris‐bed friction in glacier sliding models will require coupling the ice velocity field near the bed to contact forces rather than imposing a pressure‐based friction rule.
Mechanistic Insights Into Molecular Proxies Through Comparison of Subannually Resolved Sedimentary Records With Instrumental Water Column Data in the Santa Barbara Basin, Southern California
Authors: Alfken Susanne , Wörmer Lars , Lipp Julius S. , Wendt Jenny , Schimmelmann Arndt , Hinrichs Kai‐Uwe
Published: September 2020

Lipid biomarkers archived in marine sediments include widely applied proxies to reconstruct sea surface temperature (SST). Two prominent groups of SST sensitive biomarkers are long‐chain alkenones from haptophyte algae and glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) from planktonic Thaumarchaeota. The corresponding proxies,
and TEX86, respectively, are strongly correlated with mean annual SST. However, culture experiments suggest that other factors such as nutrients could also influence the proxy signals. We created monthly resolved records of molecular SST proxies via mass spectrometry imaging at 200‐μm resolution in varved sediments from Santa Barbara Basin deposited between 1984 and 2009. Direct comparison to coeval water column data determined at seasonal resolution allows new mechanistic insights into environmental parameters influencing proxy signal formation. The
responds sensitively to SST variations, while also being influenced by seasonal variations in nutrient concentrations. Surface water nitrate concentrations above or below ~2 μmol/L are associated with
values that overestimate or underestimate actual SST, respectively. Distributions of the two major GDGTs, expressed as the Crenarchaeol‐Caldarchaeol‐Tetraether index (CCaT), are highly similar to those of the minor cycloalkylated compounds GDGT‐1 to GDGT‐3, presented as the corresponding ring index. The CCaT is correlated with subsurface chemical properties, which are controlled by interannual variations in upwelling intensity linked to dynamics of the California Current System. This relationship is attributed to the impact of nutrients on thaumarchaeal growth rates and GDGT cyclization. The coupling of CCaT to SST was weak but enhanced for temperatures averaged across the upper 100 m of the water column.
Haplotype-resolved genome analyses of a heterozygous diploid potato
Authors: Zhou Qian , Tang Dié , Huang Wu , Yang Zhongmin , Zhang Yu , Hamilton John P. , Visser Richard G. F. , Bachem Christian W. B. , Robin Buell C. , Zhang Zhonghua , Zhang Chunzhi , Huang Sanwen
Published: September 2020

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is the most important tuber crop worldwide. Efforts are underway to transform the crop from a clonally propagated tetraploid into a seed-propagated, inbred-line-based hybrid, but this process requires a better understanding of potato genome. Here, we report the 1.67-Gb haplotype-resolved assembly of a diploid potato, RH89-039-16, using a combination of multiple sequencing strategies, including circular consensus sequencing. Comparison of the two haplotypes revealed ~2.1% intragenomic diversity, including 22,134 predicted deleterious mutations in 10,642 annotated genes. In 20,583 pairs of allelic genes, 16.6% and 30.8% exhibited differential expression and methylation between alleles, respectively. Deleterious mutations and differentially expressed alleles were dispersed throughout both haplotypes, complicating strategies to eradicate deleterious alleles or stack beneficial alleles via meiotic recombination. This study offers a holistic view of the genome organization of a clonally propagated diploid species and provides insights into technological evolution in resolving complex genomes.
Female sex as an independent prognostic factor in the development of oral mucositis during autologous peripheral stem cell transplantation
Authors: Gebri Enikő , Kiss Attila , Tóth Ferenc , Hortobágyi Tibor
Published: September 2020

Oral mucositis (OM) is a frequent complication of stem cell transplantation-associated toxicity in haematological malignancies, contributing to mortality. Therapy still remains mainly supportive. We assessed risk factors in retrospective analysis of 192 autologous peripheral stem cell transplantation patients with lymphoma and multiple myeloma (MM), respectively. Futhermore, we examined the hormone levels both in serum and saliva during transplantation in 7 postmenopausal female patients with lymphoma compared to healthy controls using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA). Multivariable analysis revealed neutrophil engraftment (p < 0.001; p = 0.021) and female sex (p = 0.023; p = 0.038) as independent predictive factors in the combined patient group and in the lymphoma group, and neutrophil engraftment (p = 0.008) in the MM group. Of the 85 female participants 19 were pre- and 66 postmenopausal. Fifteen of the pre-, and 49 of the postmenopausal women developed ulcerative mucositis (p = 0.769), more often with lymphoma than MM (p = 0.009). Serum estrogen decreased significantly both in postmenopausal controls and transplantated patients compared to premenopausals, with no difference in saliva. Serum progesterone level was significantly (p = 0.026) elevated at day + 7 of transplantation, while salivary progesterone increased at day + 7 and + 14. Our results indicate a predominantly negative effect of female sex hormones on oral immunity with role in the aetiopathogenesis of OM.
The E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase MDM2 is a novel interactor of the von Hippel–Lindau tumor suppressor
Authors: Falconieri Antonella , Minervini Giovanni , Bortolotto Raissa , Piovesan Damiano , Lopreiato Raffaele , Sartori Geppo , Pennuto Maria , Tosatto Silvio C. E.
Published: September 2020

Mutations of the von Hippel–Lindau (pVHL) tumor suppressor are causative of a familiar predisposition to develop different types of cancer. pVHL is mainly known for its role in regulating hypoxia-inducible factor 1 α (HIF-1α) degradation, thus modulating the hypoxia response. There are different pVHL isoforms, including pVHL30 and pVHL19. However, little is known about isoform-specific functions and protein–protein interactions. Integrating in silico predictions with in vitro and in vivo assays, we describe a novel interaction between pVHL and mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2). We found that pVHL30, and not pVHL19, forms a complex with MDM2, and that the N-terminal acidic tail of pVHL30 is required for its association with MDM2. Further, we demonstrate that an intrinsically disordered region upstream of the tetramerization domain of MDM2 is responsible for its isoform-specific association with pVHL30. This region is highly conserved in higher mammals, including primates, similarly to what has been already shown for the N-terminal tail of pVHL30. Finally, we show that overexpression of pVHL30 and MDM2 together reduces cell metabolic activity and necrosis, suggesting a synergistic effect of these E3 ubiquitin ligases. Collectively, our data show an isoform-specific interaction of pVHL with MDM2, suggesting an interplay between these two E3 ubiquitin ligases.
Nasogastric tube, a warning sign for high-flow nasal cannula failure in infants with bronchiolitis
Authors: Nascimento Milena Siciliano , Quinto Danielle E. R. , Oliveira Gisele C. Z. , Rebello Celso M. , do Prado Cristiane
Published: September 2020

High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy is routinely used in the treatment of infants with bronchiolitis. This study sought to identify markers associated with failure of HFNC therapy that serve as warnings for early staging of other ventilatory support products. A retrospective study of infants with a diagnosis of bronchiolitis, receiving HFNC and admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit from January 2016 to June 2017, was conducted. The subjects were divided into two study groups according to the success or failure of HFNC therapy. Risk factors were assessed using the following variables: age, time between hospital admission and start of HFNC, equipment model, and the need for a nasogastric tube. Eighty-one infants were studied, and 18 (21.7%) of them exhibited therapy failure. The results of the logistic models showed that the chances of failure for patients requiring a nasogastric tube during HFNC use were more likely than those for patients with oral nutrition (OR = 8.17; 95% CI 2.30–28.99; p = 0.001). The HFNC failure was not associated with the device used (OR = 1.56; 95% CI 0.54–4.52; p = 0.41), time between hospital admission and HFNC installation (OR = 1.01; 95% CI 0.98–1.03; p = 0.73), or age (OR = 0.98; 95% CI 0.82–1.17; p = 0.82). Among late outcomes evaluated, the patients with therapy failure had longer total durations of O2 use (p < 0.001) and longer hospital stays (p < 0.001). The need to use a nasogastric tube during HFNC use was associated with HFNC therapy failure and can be considered as a marker of severity in children with bronchiolitis.
Structural polymorphisms in fibrillar aggregates associated with exfoliation syndrome
Authors: Ghaffari Sharaf Mehdi , Amidian Sara , Rathod Vineet , Crichton Andrew , Damji Karim F. , Wille Holger , Unsworth Larry D.
Published: September 2020

Exfoliation syndrome is largely considered an age-related disease that presents with fibrillar aggregates in the front part of the eye. A growing body of literature has investigated structural diversity of amyloids and fibrillar aggregates associated with neurodegenerative disease. However, in case of exfoliation syndrome, there is a dearth of information on the biophysical characteristics of these fibrils and structural polymorphisms. Herein, structural diversity of fibrils isolated from the anterior lens capsule of patients was evaluated using transmission electron microscopy techniques. It was apparent that, despite having a low sample number of different patients, there exists a wide range of fibril morphologies. As it is not precisely understood how these fibrils form, or what they are composed of, it is difficult to postulate a mechanism responsible for these differences in fibril structure. However, it is apparent that there is a wider range of fibril structure than initially appreciated. Moreover, these data may suggest the variance in fibril structure arises from patient-specific fibril composition and/or formation mechanisms.
On modifications to the Poisson-triggered hidden Markov paradigm through partitioned empirical recurrence rates ratios and its applications to natural hazards monitoring
Authors: Bhaduri Moinak
Published: September 2020

Hidden Markov models (HMMs), especially those with a Poisson density governing the latent state-dependent emission probabilities, have enjoyed substantial and undeniable success in modeling natural hazards. Classifications among these hazards, induced through quantifiable properties such as varying intensities or geographic proximities, often exist, enabling the creation of an empirical recurrence rates ratio (ERRR), a smoothing statistic that is gradually gaining currency in modeling literature due to its demonstrated ability in unearthing interactions. Embracing these tools, this study puts forth a refreshing monitoring alternative where the unobserved state transition probability matrix in the likelihood of the Poisson based HMM is replaced by the observed transition probabilities of a discretized ERRR. Analyzing examples from Hawaiian volcanic and West Atlantic hurricane interactions, this work illustrates how the discretized ERRR may be interpreted as an observed version of the unobserved hidden Markov chain that generates one of the two interacting processes. Surveying different facets of traditional inference such as global state decoding, hidden state predictions, one-out conditional distributions, and implementing related computational algorithms, we find that the latest proposal estimates the chances of observing a high-risk period, one threatening several hazards, more accurately than its established counterpart. Strongly intuitive and devoid of forbidding technicalities, the new prescription launches a vision of surer forecasts and stands versatile enough to be applicable to other types of hazard monitoring (such as landslides, earthquakes, floods), especially those with meager occurrence probabilities.
Effect of very low-protein diets supplemented with branched-chain amino acids on energy balance, plasma metabolomics and fecal microbiome of pigs
Authors: Spring Shelby , Premathilake Hasitha , Bradway Chloe , Shili Cedrick , DeSilva Udaya , Carter Scott , Pezeshki Adel
Published: September 2020

Feeding pigs with very-low protein (VLP) diets while supplemented with limiting amino acids (AA) results in decreased growth. The objective of this study was to determine if supplementing VLP diets with branched-chain AA (BCAA) would reverse the negative effects of these diets on growth and whether this is associated with alterations in energy balance, blood metabolomics and fecal microbiota composition. Twenty-four nursery pigs were weight-matched, individually housed and allotted into following treatments (n = 8/group): control (CON), low protein (LP) and LP supplemented with BCAA (LP + BCAA) for 4 weeks. Relative to CON, pigs fed with LP had lower feed intake (FI) and body weight (BW) throughout the study, but those fed with LP + BCAA improved overall FI computed for 4 weeks, tended to increase the overall average daily gain, delayed the FI and BW depression for ~ 2 weeks and had transiently higher energy expenditure. Feeding pigs with LP + BCAA impacted the phenylalanine and protein metabolism and fatty acids synthesis pathways. Compared to CON, the LP + BCAA group had higher abundance of Paludibacteraceae and Synergistaceae and reduced populations of Streptococcaceae, Oxyphotobacteria_unclassified, Pseudomonadaceae and Shewanellaceae in their feces. Thus, supplementing VLP diets with BCAA temporarily annuls the adverse effects of these diets on growth, which is linked with alterations in energy balance and metabolic and gut microbiome profile.