bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Proposta de metodologia de testes para avaliar a percepção visual e a preferência subjetiva de crianças surdas
Authors: Bueno Juliana , Mendonça André Luiz Alencar de , García Laura Sánchez
Published: December 2020

O emprego de testes com crianas surdas para avaliar caractersticas visuais o ponto central desta pesquisa. proposta uma metodologia de teste enfocando aspectos da percepo visual e preferncia subjetiva para cor deste pblico. Tal metodologia tem por objetivo medir quais variveis visuais influenciam de modo positivo na realizao de tarefas em materiais didticos utilizados para a aprendizagem em contexto ensino bilngue de surdos. Os testes so descritos em detalhes, a fim de serem replicveis em outras escolas e foram validados em um estudo de caso que gerou algumas discusses de ordem qualitativa.
A relação do usuário surdo com a tipografia em movimento nos materiais educacionais em Libras: um estudo por meio do rastreamento ocular | The relation of the deaf user with type in motion in educational materials in Brazilian Sign Language: a study with ocular tracing
Authors: Woloszyn Maíra , Santos Gonçalves Berenice , Schmidt Alves Díaz Merino Giselle
Published: December 2020

As tecnologias de informação proporcionaram avanços na comunicação para usuários com necessidades especiais, tais como os surdos, que utilizam a língua de sinais (LIBRAS) para trocar informações. Atualmente, é obrigatória a oferta de ensino bilíngue (Libras – Português) aos alunos surdos. Em materiais educacionais digitais para deficientes auditivos é comum identificar o conteúdo sendo apresentado por diferentes elementos de mídia, como vídeos, imagens e texto em movimento de maneira simultânea. Desta forma, o presente artigo verificou os principais focos de atenção do usuário surdo tendo em vista a tipografia em movimento em materiais didáticos bilíngues. Para tanto, realizou um estudo por meio do rastreamento ocular com o auxílio do equipamento eye trackingna interação de um usuário surdo com conteúdos educacionais desenvolvidos pelo Instituto Nacional de Educação para Surdos (INES) juntamente com uma entrevista. Como resultado percebeu-se a dificuldade na compreensão das informações simultâneas, a preferência pelo conteúdo apresentado em Libras, bem como a possibilidade de melhorias nos materiais didáticos destinados ao público surdo.*****Information technologies have provided advances in communication for users with special needs, such as deaf people, who use sign language to exchange information. Currently, the offer of bilingual education in Brazil is compulsory for deaf students. In digital educational materials for the hearing impaired is common to identify the content being presented by different media elements, such as videos, images and moving text simultaneously. Therefore, the present paper verified the main attention focuses of the deaf user in view of the typography in motion in bilingual didactic material. To do so, a study was carried out using ocular tracking with the aid of eye-tracking equipment in the interaction of a deaf user with educational content developed by the National Institute of Education for the Deaf (INES - Brazil) together with an interview. As a result, the difficulty in understanding the information presented by different elements of the media simultaneously was perceived. Also, the preference for the content presented in Libras was identified, as well as the possibility of improvements in the didactic material destined to the deaf public.
Modern glacier dynamics in Mt. Tsambagarav in the Mongolian Altai Mountain Range
Authors: Davaagatan Tuyagerel , Orkhonselenge Alexander
Published: December 2020

This study presents the modern glacier dynamics in Mt. Tsambagarav in the Mongolian Altai Mountain Range over the last four decades. This is the first review of this type of glacier dynamics for this massif. Changes in glacier area in Mt. Tsambagarav are estimated using normalized indexes (Normalized Difference Snow Index and Normalized Difference Principal Component Snow Index). Spatial distribution of the modern glaciers delineated with Landsat Multispectral Scanner (MSS: resolution of 80 m), Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM: resolution of 30 m) and Landsat Operational Land Imager (OLI: resolution of 30 m) imageries. Result shows that Mt. Tsambagarav has lost 51.7% of the glacier area from 132.24 km2 in 1977 to 63.92 km2 in 2017. The loss in glacier area for Mt. Tsambagarav during the last 40 years reflect the rapid response of the modern glacier to climate change, i.e., it is highly sensitive to solar insolation and/or rapidly rising local and regional mean annual temperatures. The remote sensing data and field survey suggest that the modern glaciers would be disappeared on a scale of decades. Rapid melting of the glacier in this massif contributes to surface water resources in western Mongolia. This study demonstrates the importance of spatial analysis in the remote area for understanding the context of changes in the modern glaciers.
A Tomada de decisão em prevenção quaternária
Authors: Ferreira Debora Carvalho , Silva Junior Aluisio Gomes da , Batista Rodrigo Siqueira
Published: December 2020

Introdução: O processo de tomada de decisões na prática clínica pode ser analisado sobre diversos aspectos, que confluem em um caminho que tramita entre o conhecimento teórico e a sua aplicação na prática. Nas situações que envolvem bioética, as questões que envolvem as tomadas de decisão são ainda mais complexas, considerando que são momentos que tangenciam a subjetividade dos atores envolvidos. Objetivo: Verificar as tendências de justificativa bioética durante as tomadas de decisão que envolvem situações clínicas de prevenção quaternária entre residentes e preceptores de medicina de família e comunidade. Métodos: Qualitativo, utilizando como instrumento entrevistas projetivas individuais, com vinhetas clínicas fictícias como gatilho das perguntas norteadoras da entrevista. Após a transcrição das mesmas, foi realizado a técnica de análise temática do material. Resultados: Os participantes tiveram uma tendência em justificar suas escolhas de tomada de decisão através de três grandes blocos temáticos, que se relacionam entre si. O primeiro bloco foi a justificativa das tomadas de decisão pelos conhecimentos científicos, o segundo bloco foi baseado nos princípios biomédicos principialistas e o terceiro bloco foi um conteúdo relacionado a relação médico paciente. Conclusões: Pela discussão destes resultados foi possível verificar que existe uma trama entre objetividade clínica e subjetividade pessoal, que não demonstram ser concorrentes, mas sim simbióticas, para alcançar o fim único que é a beneficência do usuário.
Filling the Gap in Database Usability
Authors: Willis Samuel Kent , O'Reilly Faye
Published: December 2020

Library database vendors often revamp simpler interfaces of their database platforms with script-enriched interfaces to make them more attractive. Sadly, these enhancements often overlook users who rely on assistive technology, leaving electronic content difficult for this user base despite the potential of electronic materials to be easier for them to access and read than print materials. Even when providers are somewhat aware of this user group's needs there are questions about the effect of their efforts to date and whether accessibility documentation from them can be relied upon. This study examines selected vendors’ VPAT reports (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) through a manual assessment of their database platforms to determine their overall accessibility.
MS-275, a class 1 histone deacetylase inhibitor augments glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonism to improve glycemic control and reduce obesity in diet-induced obese mice
Authors: Bele Shilpak , Girada Shravan Babu , Ray Aramita , Gupta Abhishek , Oruganti Srinivas , Prakash Babu Phanithi , Rayalla Rahul SR , Kalivendi Shashi Vardhan , Ibrahim Ahamed , Puri Vishwajeet , Adalla Venkateswar , Katika Madhumohan R , DiMarchi Richard , Mitra Prasenjit
Published: December 2020

Given its glycemic efficacy and ability to reduce the body weight, glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonism has emerged as a preferred treatment for diabetes associated with obesity. We here report that a small-molecule Class 1 histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor Entinostat (MS-275) enhances GLP-1R agonism to potentiate glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and decrease body weight in diet-induced obese (DIO) mice. MS-275 is not an agonist or allosteric activator of GLP-1R but enhances the sustained receptor-mediated signaling through the modulation of the expression of proteins involved in the signaling pathway. MS-275 and liraglutide combined therapy improved fasting glycemia upon short-term treatment and a chronic administration causes a reduction of obesity in DIO mice. Overall, our results emphasize the therapeutic potential of MS-275 as an adjunct to GLP-1R therapy in the treatment of diabetes and obesity.
A variant-centric perspective on geographic patterns of human allele frequency variation
Authors: Biddanda Arjun , Rice Daniel P , Novembre John
Published: December 2020

A key challenge in human genetics is to understand the geographic distribution of human genetic variation. Often genetic variation is described by showing relationships among populations or individuals, drawing inferences over many variants. Here, we introduce an alternative representation of genetic variation that reveals the relative abundance of different allele frequency patterns. This approach allows viewers to easily see several features of human genetic structure: (1) most variants are rare and geographically localized, (2) variants that are common in a single geographic region are more likely to be shared across the globe than to be private to that region, and (3) where two individuals differ, it is most often due to variants that are found globally, regardless of whether the individuals are from the same region or different regions. Our variant-centric visualization clarifies the geographic patterns of human variation and can help address misconceptions about genetic differentiation among populations.
Viscoelastic characteristics of the canine cranial cruciate ligament complex at slow strain rates
Authors: Readioff Rosti , Geraghty Brendan , Elsheikh Ahmed , Comerford Eithne
Published: December 2020

Ligaments including the cruciate ligaments support and transfer loads between bones applied to the knee joint organ. The functions of these ligaments can get compromised due to changes to their viscoelastic material properties. Currently there are discrepancies in the literature on the viscoelastic characteristics of knee ligaments which are thought to be due to tissue variability and different testing protocols.

The aim of this study was to characterise the viscoelastic properties of healthy cranial cruciate ligaments (CCLs), from the canine knee (stifle) joint, with a focus on the toe region of the stress-strain properties where any alterations in the extracellular matrix which would affect viscoelastic properties would be seen. Six paired CCLs, from skeletally mature and disease-free Staffordshire bull terrier stifle joints were retrieved as a femur-CCL-tibia complex and mechanically tested under uniaxial cyclic loading up to 10 N at three strain rates, namely 0.1%, 1% and 10%/min, to assess the viscoelastic property of strain rate dependency. The effect of strain history was also investigated by subjecting contralateral CCLs to an ascending (0.1%, 1% and 10%/min) or descending (10%, 1% and 0.1%/min) strain rate protocol. The differences between strain rates were not statistically significant. However, hysteresis and recovery of ligament lengths showed some dependency on strain rate. Only hysteresis was affected by the test protocol and lower strain rates resulted in higher hysteresis and lower recovery. These findings could be explained by the slow process of uncrimping of collagen fibres and the contribution of proteoglycans in the ligament extracellular matrix to intra-fibrillar gliding, which results in more tissue elongations and higher energy dissipation. This study further expands our understanding of canine CCL behaviour, providing data for material models of femur-CCL-tibia complexes, and demonstrating the challenges for engineering complex biomaterials such as knee joint ligaments.
Dopamine D1 + D3 receptor density may correlate with parkinson disease clinical features
Authors: Yang Pengfei , Knight William C. , Li Huifangjie , Guo Yingqiu , Perlmutter Joel S. , Benzinger Tammie L.S. , Morris John C. , Xu Jinbin
Published: December 2020

Objective

Dopamine D2‐like receptors – mainly dopamine D2 receptors (D2R) and dopamine D3 receptors (D3R) – are believed to be greatly involved in the pathology of Parkinson disease (PD) progression. However, these receptors have not been precisely examined in PD patients. Our aim was to quantitatively calculate the exact densities of dopamine D1 receptors (D1R), D2R, and D3R in control, Alzheimer disease (AD), and Lewy body disease (LBD) patients (including PD, Dementia with Lewy bodies, and Parkinson disease dementia); and analyze the relationship between dopamine receptors and clinical PD manifestations.

Methods

We analyzed the densities of D1R, D2R, and D3R in the striatum and substantia nigra (SN) using a novel quantitative autoradiography procedure previously developed by our group. We also examined the expression of D2R and D3R mRNA in the striatum by in situ hybridization.

Results

The results showed that although no differences of striatal D1R were found among all groups; D2R was significantly decreased in the striatum of PD patients when compared with control and AD patients. Some clinical manifestations: age of onset, PD stage, dopamine responsiveness, and survival time after onset; showed a better correlation with striatal D1R + D3R densities combined compared to D1R or D3R alone.

Interpretation

There is a possibility that we may infer the results in diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of PD by detecting D1R + D3R as opposed to using dopamine D1 or D3 receptors alone. This is especially true for elderly patients with low D2R expression as is common in this disease.
Optimal economic operation of liquid petroleum products pipeline systems
Authors: Khlebnikova Elena , Sundar Kaarthik , Zlotnik Anatoly , Bent Russell , Ewers Mary , Tasseff Byron
Published: December 2020

The majority of overland transport needs for crude petroleum and refined petroleum products are met using pipelines. Numerous studies have developed optimization methods for design of these systems in order to minimize construction costs while meeting capacity requirements. Here, we formulate problems to optimize the operations of existing single liquid commodity pipeline systems subject to physical flow and pump engineering constraints. The objectives are to maximize the economic value created for users of the system and to minimize operating costs. We present a general computational method for this class of continuous, non‐convex nonlinear programs, and examine the use of pump operating settings and flow allocations as decision variables. The approach is applied to compute optimal operating regimes and perform engineering economic sensitivity analyses for a case study of a crude oil pipeline developed using publicly available data.
Silica‐Decoration Boosts Ni Catalysis for (De)hydrogenation: Step‐Abundant Nanostructures Stabilized by Silica
Authors: Ham Hyungwon , Simanullang Wiyanti F. , Kanda Yasuharu , Wen Yu , Hashimoto Ayako , Abe Hideki , Shimizu Ken‐ichi , Furukawa Shinya
Published: December 2020

Ni nanoparticles supported on SiO2 were decorated with additional SiOx species by impregnation with tetraethoxysilane (Si(OEt)4). The combination of electron microscopy, infrared analysis, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that the SiOx‐decoration made the surface morphology of Ni nanoparticles highly rough and step‐abundant due to the significant stabilization of low‐coordination‐number sites. The SiOx‐decorated Ni exhibited 50 times higher catalytic activity for the dehydrogenation of methylcyclohexane to toluene than pure Ni. DFT calculations revealed that the Ni(211) step sites had a more favorable C−H activation than Ni(111) terrace sites and well reproduced the experimental apparent activation energies.
Role of sediment in solute acquisition in the Himalayan glacier meltwater stream, Gangotri glacier, Uttarakhand, India
Authors: Sharma Mukesh K. , Thayyen Renoj J. , Shyamlal
Published: December 2020

Low temperature in‐stream solute acquisition in a glacial environment with very high suspended sediment is critical for downstream evolution of water chemistry. Present work is carried out on 18 km headwater reach from Gomukh (snout of the Gangotri glacier) to Gangotri along River Bhagirathi, India for understanding the hydrological processes controlling the solute acquisition in the glacial environment. This is the first attempt to conduct dissolution experiments with river bed sediments and meltwater considering different operating variables namely; contact time, seasonality, different sediment particle sizes, different sediment dose, effect of pH, wetting and crushing of bed sediments of the glacial stream. The role of sediment in low temperature solute acquisition process is characterized by sudden release of ions from the sediment in initial few seconds. Equilibrium time was observed to be 600 s (10 min). Further progressive increase in EC was observed from Gomukh to Gangotri, suggesting change in sediment surface characteristics/or source. Higher dissolution was observed from the bed sediments collected in June. It is found that the dissolution increases with increase in sediment doses but decreases with an increase in sediment particle size fraction. Higher solute acquisition was observed from crushed sediment because of an abundance of very fine particles having fresh, aggressive/reactive mineral surfaces which are capable of dissolution. The solute released from wetted sediment is significantly lower than the fresh sediment, which may be attributed to the destruction of microparticles adhering to mineral grains, the removal of fresh reactive surface sites, dissolution of rapidly weathered minerals such as calcite and evolution towards to equilibrium of the solution. Further, higher dissolution was observed with decrease in pH, which may be attributed to the availability of more hydrogen ion concentration of the solution, which favours more solute acquisition from sediment into meltwater.
Shifts in elementary teachers' pedagogical reasoning: Studying teacher learning in an online graduate program in engineering education
Authors: Watkins Jessica , Portsmore Merredith , Swanson Rebecca D.
Published: December 2020

Background

Elementary educators are increasingly asked to teach engineering design, motivating study of how they learn to teach this discipline. In particular, there is a need to examine how teachers reason about pedagogical situations and dilemmas in engineering—how they draw on their disciplinary understandings, attention to students' thinking, and pedagogical practices to support students' learning.

Purpose/Hypothesis

The purpose of our qualitative study was to examine elementary teachers' pedagogical reasoning in an online graduate program. We asked: What stances do teachers take toward learning and teaching engineering design? How do these stances shift over the course of the program?

Design/Method

We identified two teachers, Alma and Margaret, who exhibited productive shifts in their pedagogical reasoning during the program. Drawing on interviews and videos of their teaching, we developed case studies characterizing their stances toward teaching and learning engineering.

Results

Alma shifted in her reasoning about teaching the design process, from treating it as linear, discrete steps to recognizing the dynamic, overlapping nature of design practices. Similarly, Margaret shifted in how she reasoned about failure and iteration, recognizing the need to help students analyze unexpected design performances to learn from and iterate on their designs. For both teachers, these shifts were dynamic and nonlinear, reflecting both context‐sensitivity and growing stability in their reasoning.

Conclusions

Engineering teacher educators should provide opportunities for teachers to reason about the specific pedagogical dilemmas in engineering and consider how teachers integrate disciplinary understandings with attention to students' reasoning and actions and pedagogical practices.
Chitosan stimulates secondary metabolite production and nutrient uptake in medicinal plant Dracocephalum kotschyi
Authors: Kahromi Samaneh , Khara Jalil
Published: December 2020

BACKGROUND

A wide variety of secondary metabolites are synthesized from primary metabolites by plants which have a vast range in pharmaceutical, food additive and industrial applications. In recent years, the use of elicitors has opened a novel approach for the production of secondary metabolite compounds. Dracocephalum kotschyi is a valuable herb due to pharmaceutical compounds like rosmarinic acid, quercetin and apigenin. In the current study, foliar application of chitosan (0, 100, 400 mg L−1) as an elicitor was used.

RESULTS

After chitosan treatment, the amounts of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) increased and the plant was able to increase the activities of enzymatic (guaiacol peroxidase, catalase and phenylalanine ammonium lyase) and non‐enzymatic (total phenols and flavonoids) defensive metabolites. Also, foliar spray of chitosan promoted nutrient absorption which led to the accumulation of macroelements in the plant.

CONCLUSIONS

Chitosan was found to be a very effective elicitor for improving rosmarinic acid and quercetin content (up to 13‐fold). Also, the content of apigenin (anticancer flavonoid) showed 16‐fold enhancement compared to the control. Therefore, the treatment of D. kotschyi leaves with chitosan caused a very large increase in the induction and production of important pharmaceutical compounds such as rosmarinic acid and quercetin. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Modifiable Comorbidities Associated with Cognitive Decline in Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Forbes Emily , Tropea Thomas F. , Mantri Sneha , Xie Sharon X. , Morley James F.
Published: December 2020

Background

Cognitive impairment (CI) is one of the most feared and debilitating complications of PD. No therapy has been shown to slow or prevent CI in PD.

Objective

To determine associations between modifiable comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease risk factors, mood disorders, and sleep characteristics, and rate of cognitive decline in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods

Data from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) cohort was queried for baseline cardiovascular disease risk factors, mood disorders, and sleep characteristics. Linear mixed‐ effects models (LME) were used to examine the association between baseline factors and change in cognition, evaluated by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) over time. Baseline comorbidities found to affect MoCA decline were assessed for an association with focal cognitive domains using LME.

Results

Higher Body Mass Index (BMI) (β = −0.009, P = 0.039), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) (β = −0.005, P < 0.001), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) (β = −0.034, P < 0.001), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) (β = −0.017, P = 0.003), and REM Sleep Behavior Disorder Screening Questionnaire (RBDSQ) (β = −0.037, P < 0.001) were associated with faster rates of MoCA decline. Using established cut‐offs for clinically significant symptoms, being overweight, or the presence of depression, excessive day time sleepiness (EDS), and possible REM sleep behavior disorder (pRBD), were all associated with faster rate of cognitive decline.

Conclusion

Several modifiable baseline comorbidities are associated with faster rate of CI over time in patients with PD. These associations identify potential opportunities for early intervention that could influence CI in PD.
Runge–Kutta pairs suited for SIR‐type epidemic models
Authors: Kovalnogov Vladislav N. , Simos Theodore E. , Tsitouras Charalampos
Published: December 2020

Modeling the infectious diseases concludes in systems of ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The compartments in these equations (e.g., the numbers of susceptible, infectious, or immunized individuals) change in time. The ODEs arriving in these models are quadratic. Thus, we may apply special type of Runge–Kutta (RK) pairs for solving them. Here, we construct a new RK pair of orders five and four that is special tuned for this type of ODEs. Its superiority over standard RK pairs from the literature is illustrated when applied to various epidemic models, valid in measuring COVID‐19 spread.
Numerical approximation of finite life‐span age‐structured population models
Authors: Abia Luis María , Angulo Óscar , López‐Marcos Juan Carlos , López‐Marcos Miguel Ángel
Published: December 2020

Considering unbounded mortality rates causes difficulties in the numerical simulation of finite life‐span population models. In this work, a suitable numerical technique is introduced in order to approximate the density solution of this kind of problems. This procedure isolates the principal complication for the problem: the approximation of the survival probability. Therefore, assuming second‐order approximations to the survival probability, we propose a numerical method for the age‐structured population model with the same order of convergence. The accuracy of the numerical approximations is proved and numerically illustrated.
Single‐sided NMR to estimate morphological parameters of the trabecular bone structure
Authors: Barbieri Marco , Fantazzini Paola , Bortolotti Villiam , Baruffaldi Fabio , Festa Anna , Manners David N. , Testa Claudia , Brizi Leonardo
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Single‐sided 1H‐NMR is proposed for the estimation of morphological parameters of trabecular bone, and potentially the detection of pathophysiological alterations of bone structure. In this study, a new methodology was used to estimate such parameters without using an external reference signal, and to study intratrabecular and intertrabecular porosities, with a view to eventually scanning patients.

Methods

Animal trabecular bone samples were analyzed by a single‐sided device. The Carr‐Purcell‐Meiboom‐Gill sequence of 1H nuclei of fluids, including marrow, confined inside the bone, was analyzed by quasi‐continuous T2 distributions and separated into two 1H pools: short and long T2 components. The NMR parameters were estimated using models of trabecular bone structure, and compared with the corresponding micro‐CT.

Results

Without any further assumptions, the internal reference parameter (short T2 signal intensity fraction) enabled prediction of the micro‐CT parameters BV/TV (volume of the trabeculae/total sample volume) and BS/TV (external surface of the trabeculae/total sample volume) with linear correlation coefficient >0.80. The assignment of the two pools to intratrabecular and intertrabecular components yielded an estimate of average intratrabecular porosity (33 ± 5)%. Using the proposed models, the NMR‐estimated BV/TV and BS/TV were found to be linearly related to the corresponding micro‐CT values with high correlation (>0.90 for BV/TV; >0.80 for BS/TV) and agreement coefficients.

Conclusion

Low‐field, low‐cost portable devices that rely on intrinsic magnetic field gradients and do not use ionizing radiation are viable tools for in vitro preclinical studies of pathophysiological structural alterations of trabecular bone.
A comprehensive investigation into style momentum strategies in China
Authors: Su Chen
Published: December 2020

This study conducts a comprehensive investigation into style momentum strategies—the combination of price momentum strategies based on previous medium-term returns and style investing in terms of firm characteristics—in the China stock market over the period 1994 to 2017. Although we do not find style momentum profits over the first sub-period 1994 to 2006, strong evidence shows that style momentum strategies are profitable over the second sub-period 2007 to 2017, even after controlling for trading costs and various market and firm-specific risks. Importantly, the observed style momentum in the second sub-period is distinguished from price momentum and industry momentum but could be attributed to the improved institutional settings in recent years. Specifically, the fast growth of institutional investors since 2006, along with the introduction of margin trading and short sales in 2010, provides style switchers with more efficient investment vehicles to trade an entire style in the China stock market. Finally, we find that style profits exhibit momentum in a cyclical nature; in particular, style momentum profits are negatively related to market states, implying that it is likely for institutional investors to make profits by constructing style momentum strategies when stock market experiences a major decline.
Employing entropy measures to identify visitors in multi-occupancy environments
Authors: Howedi Aadel , Lotfi Ahmad , Pourabdollah Amir
Published: December 2020

Human activity recognition (HAR) is used to support older adults to live independently in their own homes. Once activities of daily living (ADL) are recognised, gathered information will be used to identify abnormalities in comparison with the routine activities. Ambient sensors, including occupancy sensors and door entry sensors, are often used to monitor and identify different activities. Most of the current research in HAR focuses on a single-occupant environment when only one person is monitored, and their activities are categorised. The assumption that home environments are occupied by one person all the time is often not true. It is common for a resident to receive visits from family members or health care workers, representing a multi-occupancy environment. Entropy analysis is an established method for irregularity detection in many applications; however, it has been rarely applied in the context of ADL and HAR. In this paper, a novel method based on different entropy measures, including Shannon Entropy, Permutation Entropy, and Multiscale-Permutation Entropy, is employed to investigate the effectiveness of these entropy measures in identifying visitors in a home environment. This research aims to investigate whether entropy measures can be utilised to identify a visitor in a home environment, solely based on the information collected from motion detectors [e.g., passive infra-red] and door entry sensors. The entropy measures are tested and evaluated based on a dataset gathered from a real home environment. Experimental results are presented to show the effectiveness of entropy measures to identify visitors and the time of their visits without the need for employing extra wearable sensors to tag the visitors. The results obtained from the experiments show that the proposed entropy measures could be used to detect and identify a visitor in a home environment with a high degree of accuracy.
Every Single Word: A New Data Set Including All Parliamentary Materials Published in Germany
Authors: Remschel Tobias , Kroeber Corinna
Published: December 2020

In this article, we introduce a unique data set containing all written communication published by the German Bundestag between 1949 and 2017. Increasing numbers of scholars make use of protocols of parliamentary speeches, parliamentary questions or the texts of legislative drafts in various fields of comparative politics including representation, responsiveness, professionalization and political careers or parliamentary agenda studies. Since preparing parliamentary documents is rather resource intensive, these studies remain limited to single points in time, types of documents and/or policy areas. The long time horizon and various types of documents covered by our new comprehensive data set will enable scholars interested in parliaments, parties and representatives to answer various innovative research questions related to legislative studies.
Anti-selective [3+2] (Hetero)annulation of non-conjugated alkenes via directed nucleopalladation
Authors: Ni Hui-Qi , Kevlishvili Ilia , Bedekar Pranali G. , Barber Joyann S. , Yang Shouliang , Tran-Dubé Michelle , Romine Andrew M. , Lu Hou-Xiang , McAlpine Indrawan J. , Liu Peng , Engle Keary M.
Published: December 2020

2,3-Dihydrobenzofurans and indolines are common substructures in medicines and natural products. Herein, we describe a method that enables direct access to these core structures from non-conjugated alkenyl amides and ortho-iodoanilines/phenols. Under palladium(II) catalysis this [3 + 2] heteroannulation proceeds in an anti-selective fashion and tolerates a wide variety of functional groups. N-Acetyl, -tosyl, and -alkyl substituted ortho-iodoanilines, as well as free –NH2 variants, are all effective. Preliminary results with carbon-based coupling partners also demonstrate the viability of forming indane core structures using this approach. Experimental and computational studies on reactions with phenols support a mechanism involving turnover-limiting, endergonic directed oxypalladation, followed by intramolecular oxidative addition and reductive elimination.
An oxindole efflux inhibitor potentiates azoles and impairs virulence in the fungal pathogen Candida auris
Authors: Iyer Kali R. , Camara Kaddy , Daniel-Ivad Martin , Trilles Richard , Pimentel-Elardo Sheila M. , Fossen Jen L. , Marchillo Karen , Liu Zhongle , Singh Shakti , Muñoz José F. , Kim Sang Hu , Porco John A. , Cuomo Christina A. , Williams Noelle S. , Ibrahim Ashraf S. , Edwards John E. , Andes David R. , Nodwell Justin R. , Brown Lauren E. , Whitesell Luke , Robbins Nicole , Cowen Leah E.
Published: December 2020

Candida auris is an emerging fungal pathogen that exhibits resistance to multiple drugs, including the most commonly prescribed antifungal, fluconazole. Here, we use a combinatorial screening approach to identify a bis-benzodioxolylindolinone (azoffluxin) that synergizes with fluconazole against C. auris. Azoffluxin enhances fluconazole activity through the inhibition of efflux pump Cdr1, thus increasing intracellular fluconazole levels. This activity is conserved across most C. auris clades, with the exception of clade III. Azoffluxin also inhibits efflux in highly azole-resistant strains of Candida albicans, another human fungal pathogen, increasing their susceptibility to fluconazole. Furthermore, azoffluxin enhances fluconazole activity in mice infected with C. auris, reducing fungal burden. Our findings suggest that pharmacologically targeting Cdr1 in combination with azoles may be an effective strategy to control infection caused by azole-resistant isolates of C. auris.
MaTAR25 lncRNA regulates the Tensin1 gene to impact breast cancer progression
Authors: Chang Kung-Chi , Diermeier Sarah D. , Yu Allen T. , Brine Lily D. , Russo Suzanne , Bhatia Sonam , Alsudani Habeeb , Kostroff Karen , Bhuiya Tawfiqul , Brogi Edi , Pappin Darryl J. , Bennett C. Frank , Rigo Frank , Spector David L.
Published: December 2020

Misregulation of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) genes has been linked to a wide variety of cancer types. Here we report on Mammary Tumor Associated RNA 25 (MaTAR25), a nuclear enriched and chromatin associated lncRNA that plays a role in mammary tumor cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, both in vitro and in vivo. MaTAR25 functions by interacting with purine rich element binding protein B (PURB), and associating with a major downstream target gene Tensin1 (Tns1) to regulate its expression in trans. The Tns1 protein product is a critical component of focal adhesions linking signaling between the extracellular matrix and the actin cytoskeleton. Knockout of MaTAR25 results in down-regulation of Tns1 leading to a reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton, and a reduction of focal adhesions and microvilli. We identify LINC01271 as the human ortholog of MaTAR25, and importantly, increased expression of LINC01271 is associated with poor patient prognosis and metastasis. Our findings demonstrate that LINC01271 represents a potential therapeutic target to alter breast cancer progression.
Transforming carbon dioxide into jet fuel using an organic combustion-synthesized Fe-Mn-K catalyst
Authors: Yao Benzhen , Xiao Tiancun , Makgae Ofentse A. , Jie Xiangyu , Gonzalez-Cortes Sergio , Guan Shaoliang , Kirkland Angus I. , Dilworth Jonathan R. , Al-Megren Hamid A. , Alshihri Saeed M. , Dobson Peter J. , Owen Gari P. , Thomas John M. , Edwards Peter P.
Published: December 2020

With mounting concerns over climate change, the utilisation or conversion of carbon dioxide into sustainable, synthetic hydrocarbons fuels, most notably for transportation purposes, continues to attract worldwide interest. This is particularly true in the search for sustainable or renewable aviation fuels. These offer considerable potential since, instead of consuming fossil crude oil, the fuels are produced from carbon dioxide using sustainable renewable hydrogen and energy. We report here a synthetic protocol to the fixation of carbon dioxide by converting it directly into aviation jet fuel using novel, inexpensive iron-based catalysts. We prepare the Fe-Mn-K catalyst by the so-called Organic Combustion Method, and the catalyst shows a carbon dioxide conversion through hydrogenation to hydrocarbons in the aviation jet fuel range of 38.2%, with a yield of 17.2%, and a selectivity of 47.8%, and with an attendant low carbon monoxide (5.6%) and methane selectivity (10.4%). The conversion reaction also produces light olefins ethylene, propylene, and butenes, totalling a yield of 8.7%, which are important raw materials for the petrochemical industry and are presently also only obtained from fossil crude oil. As this carbon dioxide is extracted from air, and re-emitted from jet fuels when combusted in flight, the overall effect is a carbon-neutral fuel. This contrasts with jet fuels produced from hydrocarbon fossil sources where the combustion process unlocks the fossil carbon and places it into the atmosphere, in longevity, as aerial carbon - carbon dioxide.
Structure of the dopamine D2 receptor in complex with the antipsychotic drug spiperone
Authors: Im Dohyun , Inoue Asuka , Fujiwara Takaaki , Nakane Takanori , Yamanaka Yasuaki , Uemura Tomoko , Mori Chihiro , Shiimura Yuki , Kimura Kanako Terakado , Asada Hidetsugu , Nomura Norimichi , Tanaka Tomoyuki , Yamashita Ayumi , Nango Eriko , Tono Kensuke , Kadji Francois Marie Ngako , Aoki Junken , Iwata So , Shimamura Tatsuro
Published: December 2020

In addition to the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor (5-HT2AR), the dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) is a key therapeutic target of antipsychotics for the treatment of schizophrenia. The inactive state structures of D2R have been described in complex with the inverse agonists risperidone (D2Rris) and haloperidol (D2Rhal). Here we describe the structure of human D2R in complex with spiperone (D2Rspi). In D2Rspi, the conformation of the extracellular loop (ECL) 2, which composes the ligand-binding pocket, was substantially different from those in D2Rris and D2Rhal, demonstrating that ECL2 in D2R is highly dynamic. Moreover, D2Rspi exhibited an extended binding pocket to accommodate spiperone’s phenyl ring, which probably contributes to the selectivity of spiperone to D2R and 5-HT2AR. Together with D2Rris and D2Rhal, the structural information of D2Rspi should be of value for designing novel antipsychotics with improved safety and efficacy.
Phylogenetic supertree reveals detailed evolution of SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Li Tingting , Liu Dongxia , Yang Yadi , Guo Jiali , Feng Yujie , Zhang Xinmo , Cheng Shilong , Feng Jie
Published: December 2020

Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the emerged coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is spreading globally. The origin of SARS-Cov-2 and its evolutionary relationship is still ambiguous. Several reports attempted to figure out this critical issue by genome-based phylogenetic analysis, yet limited progress was obtained, principally owing to the disability of these methods to reasonably integrate phylogenetic information from all genes of SARS-CoV-2. Supertree method based on multiple trees can produce the overall reasonable phylogenetic tree. However, the supertree method has been barely used for phylogenetic analysis of viruses. Here we applied the matrix representation with parsimony (MRP) pseudo-sequence supertree analysis to study the origin and evolution of SARS-CoV-2. Compared with other phylogenetic analysis methods, the supertree method showed more resolution power for phylogenetic analysis of coronaviruses. In particular, the MRP pseudo-sequence supertree analysis firmly disputes bat coronavirus RaTG13 be the last common ancestor of SARS-CoV-2, which was implied by other phylogenetic tree analysis based on viral genome sequences. Furthermore, the discovery of evolution and mutation in SARS-CoV-2 was achieved by MRP pseudo-sequence supertree analysis. Taken together, the MRP pseudo-sequence supertree provided more information on the SARS-CoV-2 evolution inference relative to the normal phylogenetic tree based on full-length genomic sequences.
Risk factors associated with 28-day all-cause mortality in older severe COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, China: a retrospective observational study
Authors: Jiang Yi , Abudurexiti Subi , An Meng-Meng , Cao Da , Wei Jie , Gong Ping
Published: December 2020

We aimed to analyse clinical characteristics and identify risk factors predicting all-cause mortality in older patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A total of 281 older patients with severe COVID-19 were categorized into two age groups (60–79 years and ≥ 80 years). Epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory data, and outcome were obtained. Patients aged ≥ 80 years had higher mortality (63.6%) than those aged 60–79 years (33.5%). Anorexia and comorbidities including hypertension, diabetes and COPD, higher levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), osmotic pressure, C-reactive protein, D-dimer, high-sensitivity troponin I and procalcitonin, and higher SOFA scores were more common in patients aged > 80 years than those aged 60–79 years and also more common and higher in non-survivors than survivors. LDH, osmotic pressure, C-reactive protein, D-dimer, high-sensitivity troponin I, and procalcitonin were positively correlated with age and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA), whereas CD8+ and lymphocyte counts were negatively correlated with age and SOFA. Anorexia, comorbidities including hypertension, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), LDH, osmotic pressure, and SOFA were significantly associated with 28-day all-cause mortality. LDH, osmotic pressure and SOFA were valuable for predicting 28-day all-cause mortality, whereas the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of LDH was the largest, with sensitivity of 86.0% and specificity of 80.8%. Therefore, patients with severe COVID-19 aged ≥ 80 years had worse condition and higher mortality than did those aged 60–79 years, and anorexia and comorbidities including hypertension, diabetes, COPD, elevated plasma osmotic pressure, LDH, and high SOFA were independent risk factors associated with 28-day all-cause mortality in older patients with severe COVID-19. LDH may have the highest predictive value for 28-day all-cause mortality in all examined factors.
Isothermal haRPA detection of blaCTX-M in bacterial isolates from water samples and comparison with qPCR
Authors: Göpfert Lisa , Elsner Martin , Seidel Michael
Published: December 2020

Isothermal haRPA detection is a simple method fo on-site monitoring of antibiotic resistant genes in the environment.
Stabilization of uranyl(v) by dipicolinic acid in aqueous medium
Authors: Agarwal Rahul , Dumpala Rama Mohana Rao , Sharma Manoj K. , Yadav Ashok Kumar , Ghosh Tamal Kanti
Published: December 2020

A water stable pentavalent uranyl complex, [U(V)O2(DPA)(OH)(H2O)]2− was synthesized electrochemically and characterized by coulometry, absorption and XAFS spectroscopy. The complex is stable in respect of disproportionation in anaerobic water.
Eugenol emerges as an elixir by targeting β-catenin, the central cancer stem cell regulator in lung carcinogenesis: anin vivoandin vitrorationale
Authors: Choudhury Pritha , Barua Atish , Roy Anup , Pattanayak Rudradip , Bhattacharyya Maitree , Saha Prosenjit
Published: December 2020

The aim of this study was to exploit the inherent properties of eugenol to restrict the growth of cancer cells in a tobacco-related human carcinogen NDEA-induced lung carcinogenesis modelin vivoas a chemopreventive agent.
Prolonged continual consumption of oregano herb interferes with the action of steroid hormones and several drugs, and effects signaling across the brain–gut axis
Authors: Bajagai Yadav S. , Steel Jason C. , Radovanovic Anita , Stanley Dragana
Published: December 2020

Herbs and spices have been used throughout human history for their medicinal qualities. Our nutrigenomic study shows major benefits and consequences of prolonged oregano use in chicken model.
Testing the fate of nascent holes in CdSe nanocrystals with sub-10 fs pump–probe spectroscopy
Authors: Dana Jayanta , Haggag Omer S. , Dehnel Joanna , Mor Morin , Lifshitz Efrat , Ruhman Sanford
Published: December 2020

The absence of hole state filling effects on CdSe nanocrystal TA is shown not to reflect ultrafast hole trapping using sub 10 fs pump–probe spectroscopy.
Theoretical and computational investigations into mechanobactericidal activity of nanostructures at the bacteria-biomaterial interface: a critical review
Authors: Roy Anindo , Chatterjee Kaushik
Published: December 2020

Modeling and simulation of bacteria-nanostructure interactions can reveal critical insights underlying the physics of the process, verify and predict bacterial behaviour, or optimize bactericidal activity.
A matrix targeted fluorescent probe to monitor mitochondrial dynamics
Authors: Ramesh Madhu , Rajasekhar Kolla , Gupta Kavya , Babagond Vardhaman , Saini Deepak Kumar , Govindaraju Thimmaiah
Published: December 2020

A far-red turn-on fluorescent probe (Mito-TG) with excellent biocompatibility, photostability, chemical stability targets mitochondrial matrix. The insensitivity of probe under different pH and ROS enabled tracking of mitophagy and Aβ induced mitochondrial dynamics.
A three-component [3 + 2]-cycloaddition/elimination cascade for the synthesis of spirooxindole-pyrrolizines
Authors: Palomba Martina , De Monte Emanuela , Mambrini Andrea , Bagnoli Luana , Santi Claudio , Marini Francesca
Published: December 2020

A three-component reaction of secondary α-aminoacids, isatins and vinyl selenones generated spirooxindole-tetrahydropyrrolizines via a [3 + 2]-cycloaddition/elimination cascade process.
Facile synthesis of chitosan membranes for visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride
Authors: Liang Huimin , Lv Caizhi , Chen Hanjiao , Wu Lan , Hou Xiandeng
Published: December 2020

Chitosan membrane exhibited a good visible light photocatalytic activity over tetracycline hydrochloride degradation. The corresponding degradation mechanism was investigated as shown above.
Adsorption of nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin by humic acid and fulvic acid in black soil: characteristics and mechanism
Authors: Zhang Zhongqing , Gao Qiang , Xie Zhonglei , Yang Jingmin , Liu Jinhua
Published: December 2020

The compound nitrapyrin is easily adsorbed by soil organic matter in high-organic matter soils, and this results in its effectiveness reducing significantly.
Melodinines Y1–Y4, four monoterpene indole alkaloids from Melodinus henryi
Authors: Zhang Fa-Lei , He Juan , Feng Tao , Liu Ji-Kai
Published: December 2020

Monoterpenoid indole alkaloids from Melodinus henryi
Mn(ii)-Catalysed ortho-alkenylation of aromatic amines and its application in reproductive diseases
Authors: Yang Jinfei , Wu Xiaolong , Yang Banghua , Liu Yirong , Cheng Rui , Gong Zijun , Sun Fei
Published: December 2020

A Mn(ii)-catalysed ortho-alkenylation of aromatic amines and its application in reproductive diseases were developed.