bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
La perception des avantages et des contraintes de l’écimage du cotonnier par les producteurs du Mali
Authors: Diarra Mama , Havard Michel , Soumaré Mamy
Published: April 2020

Au Mali, l’efficacité de la lutte chimique systématique (traitements calendaires) contre les ravageurs du cotonnier est régulièrement remise en cause. Des alternatives à cette lutte, comme la lutte étagée ciblée, l’intervention sur seuil et la culture biologique, visant toutes à réduire les quantités de pesticides utilisées, sont diffusées ; d’autres sont testées chez les producteurs, comme l’écimage du cotonnier. Cette étude analyse la perception de la technique de l’écimage du cotonnier par des producteurs. Elle a été conduite dans quatre villages de la zone cotonnière, à l’aide de focus groups d’hommes et de femmes et d’entretiens avec 40 producteurs ayant pratiqué ou non l’écimage. Les avantages de l’écimage identifiés par la majorité des producteurs interrogés sont : (i) une technique manuelle facile à mettre en œuvre, (ii) la diminution des risques de chute d’organes fructifères, (iii) la réduction de la hauteur des plants, s’étalant davantage (iv) une amélioration du rendement et (v) la réduction de la population des ravageurs et donc de l’utilisation des pesticides, ayant des effets positifs sur la santé humaine et l’environnement, et diminuant les coûts de production. Ses principales contraintes sont le besoin supplémentaire de main-d’œuvre et son coût par rapport à la culture de coton non écimé. Des partenariats avec les sociétés cotonnières et les organisations paysannes et la formation de leurs agents à l’écimage sont indispensables pour une adoption de cette technique à une plus large échelle.
Land use change causes environmental homogeneity and low beta-diversity in Heteroptera of streams
Authors: Dias-Silva Karina , Brasil Leandro Schlemmer , Veloso Geysa Kelly Oliveira , Cabette Helena Soares Ramos , Juen Leandro
Published: April 2020

Although species distribution pattern is a widely discussed topic, understanding the mechanisms that drive it in time and space is still one of the central goals of ecology. Moreover, it is of the most importance to discuss the maintenance of this biodiversity and the services it provides. Therefore, our aim is to test the following hypotheses: 1) Preserved environments have higher beta-diversity than environments with lower preservation values, since beta-diversity is determined by environmental variations between habitats; 2) Beta-diversity will be better than species richness to detect changes in community regarding environmental integrity gradients. This will occur because richness is not sensitive to changes in composition and this might mask results when sensitive species are lost and generalist species are introduced into the altered environments. In order to test these hypotheses, 20 points were sampled in five streams of the Brazilian Cerrado with different integrity conditions. Environmental change did not affect Heteroptera richness; however, it affected the beta-diversity of the group as a whole and of Nepomorpha, also negatively affecting both Gerromorpha beta-diversity and richness. Moreover, there was difference in variation of Gerromorpha composition in altered and degraded sites, but there was no effect on Nepomorpha. These results show that Gerromorpha is more sensitive to physical changes in streams caused by the loss of environmental integrity. Therefore, environmental changes with no regard to riparian vegetation boundaries causes shifts in stream conditions and changes aquatic communities, which places at risk the ecosystems services provided by these communities.
The mechanical parameters modeling of heavy steel plate snake/gradient temperature rolling with the same roll diameters
Authors: Jiang Lian-Yun , Zhen Tao , Yuan Guo , Huang Jin-Bo , Wei Yao-Yu , Li Heng , Wang Ping
Published: April 2020

The grains in the center of the heavy steel plate can be refined by the snake/gradient temperature rolling, and the deformation penetration, the microstructure, and the properties of the steel plate will be improved. The existing rolling mechanical models are not suitable for the snake/gradient temperature rolling, so it is necessary to establish the mechanical parameters model of the snake/gradient temperature rolling to instruct production. The yield criterion of rolled material was modified based on the idea of equivalent flow stress. The element stress analyses were carried out based on the uniform normal stress and nonuniform shear stress in the vertical sides of each slab. Then the equilibrium equation of the unit pressure based on the slab method was established on this basis. The deformation region was divided into three layers (the top layer, the bottom layer, and the central layer) and maximum four zones (back slip zone, front slip zone, cross shear zone, and reverse deflection zone) according to the temperature distribution and position of the neutral point, and then the 12 zones were formed during the snake/gradient temperature rolling. The boundary conditions of the existence of the back slip zone, the front slip zone, and the cross shear zone were established according to the relationship between the threading angle and the neutral angle. The accurate mechanical parameters model of the rolling force and rolling torque of the snake/gradient temperature rolling with the same roll diameters was set up on this basis. The ANSYS software has been used in the rolling process simulation by many scholars, and the calculating precision has been verified. So the rolling processes were simulated by the ANSYS software to validate the model precision. The results show that the maximum relative deviation of the rolling force analytic model is less than 7% compared with the numerical method, and the maximum relative deviation of the rolling torque analytic model is less than 11% compared with the measured results. The mechanical parameters model can accurately predict the rolling force and rolling torque during the snake/gradient temperature rolling with the same roll diameters, so as to provide a theoretical basis for the design of rolling mill and the setup of the process parameters.
A clioquinol-containing Pluronic® F127 polymeric micelle system is effective in the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis in a murine model
Authors: Tavares Grasiele S.V. , Mendonça Débora V.C. , Pereira Isabela A.G. , Oliveira-da-Silva João A. , Ramos Fernanda F. , Lage Daniela P. , Machado Amanda S. , Carvalho Lívia M. , Reis Thiago A.R. , Perin Luísa , Carvalho Ana Maria R.S. , Ottoni Flaviano M. , Ludolf Fernanda , Freitas Camila S. , Bandeira Raquel S. , Silva Alessandra M. , Chávez-Fumagalli Miguel A. , Duarte Mariana C. , Menezes-Souza Daniel , Alves Ricardo J. , Roatt Bruno M. , Coelho Eduardo A.F.
Published: April 2020

A clioquinol (ICHQ)-containing Pluronic® F127 polymeric micelle system (ICHQ/Mic) was recently shown to be effective against Leishmania amazonensis infection in a murine model. In the present study, ICHQ/Mic was tested against L. infantum infection. BALB/c mice (n = 12 per group) were infected with L. infantum stationary promastigotes through subcutaneous injection and, 45 days after challenge, received saline or were treated via the subcutaneous route with empty micelles, ICHQ or ICHQ/Mic. In addition, animals were treated with miltefosine by the oral route, as a drug control. Half of the animals were euthanized 1 and 15 days after treatment, aiming to evaluate two endpoints after therapy, when parasitological and immunological parameters were investigated. Results showed that the treatment using miltefosine, ICHQ or ICHQ/Mic induced significantly higher anti-parasite IFN-γ, IL-12, GM-CSF, nitrite and IgG2a isotype antibody levels, which were associated with low IL-4 and IL-10 production. In addition, a higher frequency of IFN-γ and TNF-α-producing CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells was found in these animals. The parasite load was evaluated in distinct organs, and results showed that the treatment using miltefosine, ICHQ or ICHQ/Mic induced significant reductions in organic parasitism in the treated and infected mice. A comparison between the treatments suggested that ICHQ/Mic was the most effective in inducing a highly polarized Th1-type response, as well as reducing the parasite load in significant levels in the treated and infected animals. Data obtained 15 days after treatment suggested maintenance of the immunological and parasitological responses. In conclusion, ICHQ/Mic could be considered in future studies for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis.
Optimizing distance constraints frequency assignment with relaxation
Authors: Shao Zehui , Zhu Enqiang , Xu Jin , Vesel Aleksander , Zhang Xiujun
Published: April 2020

In a typical wireless telecommunication network, a large number of communication links is established with a limited number of available frequencies. The problem that addresses assigning available frequencies to transmitters such that interference is avoided as far as possible is called the frequency assignment problem. The problem is usually modeled as a graph coloring (labeling) problem. We study in this paper the (s, t)-relaxed L(2, 1)-labeling of a graph which considers the situation where transceivers that are very close receive frequencies that differ by at least two while transceivers that are close receive frequencies that differ by at least one. In addition, the model allows at most s (resp. t) anomalies at distance one (resp. two). The objective of the model is to minimize the span of frequencies in a corresponding network. We show that it is NP-complete to decide whether the minimal span of a (1, 0)-relaxed L(2, 1)-labeling of a graph is at most k. We also prove that the minimal span of this labeling for two classes of graphs is bounded above with the the square of the largest degree in the graph of interest. These results confirm Conjecture 6 and partially confirm Conjecture 3 stated in Lin [J. Comb. Optim. 31 (2016) 1–22].
Multi-objective multi-factory scheduling
Authors: Behnamian Javad , Fatemi Ghomi Seyyed Mohammad Taghi
Published: April 2020

This paper introduces a multi-factory scheduling problem with heterogeneous factories and parallel machines. This problem, as a major part of supply chain planning, includes the finding of a suitable factory for each job and the scheduling of the assigned jobs at each factory, simultaneously. For the first time, this paper studies multi-objective scheduling in the production network in which each factory has its customers and demands can be satisfied by itself or other factories. In other words, this paper assumes that jobs can transfer from the overloaded machine in the origin factory to the factory, which has fewer workloads by imposing some transportation times. For simultaneous minimization of the sum of the earliness and tardiness of jobs and total completion time, after modeling the scheduling problem as a mixed-integer linear program, the existing multi-objective techniques are analyzed and a new one is applied to our problem. Since this problem is NP-hard, a heuristic algorithm is also proposed to generate a set of Pareto optimal solutions. Also, the algorithms are proposed to improve and cover the Pareto front. Computational experiences of the heuristic algorithm and the output of the model implemented by CPLEX over a set of randomly generated test problems are reported.
VO2 Steady State at and Just Above Maximum Lactate Steady State
Intensity
Authors: Bräuer Elisabeth K. , Smekal Gerhard
Published: April 2020

Over recent decades the association between metabolic and gas exchange parameters
during exercise has become evident. Different “thresholds” (such
as lactate thresholds, critical power, EMG thresholds) and intensity domains
appear to be linked to an upper limit of oxygen uptake steady state
(V̇O2SS). The aim of this study was to investigate
whether MLSS is associated with the upper limit for a V̇O2SS.
Forty-five subjects underwent one incremental test and 4–6 30-minute
MLSS tests on a cycle ergometer. A three-component model was used to describe
V̇O2 response at PMLSS and just above
PMLSS+1. To evaluate the results, breath-by-breath
V̇O2 and lactate (LA) values were analyzed using the
intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), increasing (k-) values and the
Wilcoxon test. According to the calculated k-values of LA and VO2 at
PMLSS and PMLSS+1, no significant increase of
VO2 occurred during both intensities (PMLSS and
PMLSS+1) from minute 10 to minute 30, confirming the
existence of a V̇O2SS. Additionally, the ICC of 0.94
confirmed high accordance of the VO2 kinetics at both intensities
(PMLSS and PMLSS+1). This study shows that
power output at MLSS workload does not represent an accurate cut for an upper
limit of V̇O2SS.
Regulation of Circulatory Muscle-specific MicroRNA during 8 km
Run
Authors: Yin Xin , Cui Shufang , Li Xin , Li Wei , Lu Qiu ju , Jiang Xiao hong , Wang Hui , Chen Xi , Ma Ji zheng
Published: April 2020

Acute prolonged endurance running has been shown to alter muscle-specific
circulating microRNA (miRNA) levels. Here, eighteen participants completed an 8
km run. We assessed the levels of hsa-miR-1–3p, -133a-3p, -133b, and
-206 and their correlation with conventional biomarkers following exercise.
Compared to before exercise (Pre), 8 km run significantly increased the
lactate level immediately after exercise (0 h). Myoglobin (Mb) level increased
at 0 h while creatine kinase (CK) level increased 24 h after exercise (24 h).
The levels of creatine kinase MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI)
were all elevated at 24 h and within the normal physiological range; The levels
of hsa-miR-1–3p, -133a-3p, -133b significantly increased at 0 h but only
hsa-miR-133a-3p still elevated at 24 h. Only hsa-miR-206 level decreased at 24
h; Additionally, the changes of hsa-miR-1–3p and hsa-miR-133a-3p were
correlated with Mb at 24 h. These findings suggest that muscle-specific miRNA
elevation in plasma is likely physiological and that these miRNA may be used as
potential biomarkers for load monitoring in individuals.
Size, porosity, and surface-termination dependence of the radiative and nonradiative relaxation processes of porous silicon
Authors: Arad-Vosk Neta , Yakov Avner , Sa’ar Amir
Published: April 2020

The role of porosity and surface-termination on the radiative and the nonradiative relaxation processes of luminescent porous silicon is investigated using temperature-dependent, time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy. We show that, for porous silicon having low- to mid-porosity, radiative relaxation times should be associated with the quantum confinement of excitons (the confined photo-excited electron–hole pairs), while nonradiative relaxation processes are related to the state of the surface (e.g., the surface chemistry), in agreement with previous reports. However, for high-porosity films of porous silicon, we have found much faster low-temperature relaxation times, which are associated with radiative transitions from the triplet excitonic state. This state becomes partially allowed due to a strong coupling and mixing with the singlet state in high-porosity films of porous silicon containing fairly small silicon nanocrystallites.
Enhancement of DC/AC resistive switching performance in AlOx memristor by two-technique bilayer approach
Authors: Huang Xiao Di , Li Yi , Li Hao Yang , Lu Yi Fan , Xue Kan Hao , Miao Xiang Shui
Published: April 2020

In this work, we enhance the DC/AC resistive switching performance in AlOx memristors by using a two-technique bilayer approach. Compared to the single-layer memristors (W/AlOx or Al2O3/Pt), the dual-layer memristor (W/AlOx/AlOy/Pt) shows high uniformity in DC cycling (σ/μ < 0.12), large memory window in AC cycling (>100), fast switching speed (20 ns), high endurance (107 cycles), and high-temperature stability (104 s at 125 °C). These performance enhancements are attributed to the localization of the conductive region after using a dual layer with different defect concentrations. Moreover, the W/AlOx/AlOy/Pt memristor exhibits stable III-bit multilevel storage capability by varying the amplitude of negative pulses. Our results provide an effective strategy to develop high-performance memristors for future memory and computing applications.
Density-Driven Correlations in Ensemble Density Functional Theory: Insights from Simple Excitations in Atoms
Authors: Gould Tim , Pittalis Stefano
Published: April 2020

Ensemble density functional theory extends the usual Kohn-Sham machinery to quantum state ensembles involving ground- and excited states. Recent work by the authors [Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 243001 (2017); 123, 016401 (2019)] has shown that both the Hartree-exchange and correlation energies can attain unusual features in ensembles. Density-driven (DD) correlations – which account for the fact that pure-state densities in Kohn-Sham ensembles do not necessarily reproduce those of interacting pure states – are one such feature. Here we study atoms (specifically S–P and S–S transitions) and show that the magnitude and behaviour of DD correlations can vary greatly with the variation of the orbital angular momentum of the involved states. Such estimations are obtained through an approximation for DD correlations built from relevant exact conditions, Kohn-Sham inversion, and plausible assumptions for weakly correlated systems.
Behavioural thermoregulation by Australian freshwater turtles: interspecific differences and implications for responses to climate change
Authors: Chessman Bruce C.
Published: April 2020

The abilities of freshwater turtles to control their body temperatures by behavioural means have implications for activity, food ingestion and digestion, growth, reproduction and potential responses to climate change. I compared various forms of basking in nature, and responses to aquatic and aerial photothermal gradients in the laboratory, among three species of Australian chelid turtles: Chelodina expansa, C. longicollis and Emydura macquarii. Proclivity for behavioural thermoregulation varied substantially among these species, being highest in C. longicollis and lowest in C. expansa. However, C. expansa had a thermophilic response to feeding. For C. longicollis and E. macquarii, behavioural thermoregulation may enhance colonisation of more southerly latitudes or higher elevations as climatic warming proceeds. However, increasing air temperatures may pose a hazard to turtles dispersing or sheltering terrestrially (for example, when water bodies dry during drought). C. longicollis appears the best placed of the three species to avoid this hazard through its abilities to thermoregulate behaviourally and to aestivate in terrestrial microenvironments that are buffered against temperature extremes.
Transparency in Complex Computational Systems
Authors: Creel Kathleen A.
Published: April 2020

Scientists depend on complex computational systems that are often ineliminably opaque, to the detriment of our ability to give scientific explanations and detect artifacts. Some philosophers have suggested treating opaque systems instrumentally, but computer scientists developing strategies for increasing transparency are correct in finding this unsatisfying. Instead, I propose an analysis of transparency as having three forms: transparency of the algorithm, the realization of the algorithm in code, and the way that code is run on particular hardware and data. This targets the transparency most useful for a task, avoiding instrumentalism by providing partial transparency when full transparency is impossible.
Multiple Realizability from a Causal Perspective
Authors: Ross Lauren N.
Published: April 2020

This article examines the multiple realizability thesis within a causal framework. The beginnings of this framework are found in Elliott Sober’s “Multiple Realizability Argument against Reduction,” which argues that the multiple realizability thesis poses no challenge to reductive explanation. While Sober’s causal approach has the potential to reveal new insights, I argue that his setup fails to capture important aspects of the multiple realizability thesis. After correcting for these issues, I argue that this causal framework reveals something quite different. It reveals how multiple realizability relates to a common type of causal complexity in biology that poses problems for reductive explanation.
How does weather affect the use of public transport in Berlin?
Authors: Nissen K M , Becker N , Dähne O , Rabe M , Scheffler J , Solle M , Ulbrich U
Published: April 2020

The effect of weather on public transport usage in Berlin is analysed. The number of single and day tickets sold is used as a proxy for the number of occasional public transport users. Analysing more than three years of hourly ticket sale data, it is shown that the most important factor influencing ticket sales is temperature. Temperatures below −5°C lead to an increase in ticket sales by up to 30% on working days, while on hot days (> 28°C) passenger numbers drop by up to 5%. Precipitation increases the number of sales on working days by up to 5%. On weekends, the lowest ticket-sale numbers are associated with wet and either very cold or very hot conditions. Another factor influencing ticket sales is sunshine duration, while wind and snowfall do not seem to play a role for ticket sales in Berlin. It is demonstrated that it is possible to predict ticket sales depending on date, time and weather conditions using a statistical model.

On designated public transport routes the effect of weather on passenger numbers can be much stronger than the district average. This is shown for the example of a bus route to a public beach. With each degree of temperature increase, passenger numbers on this line go up by approximately 30%.
Permafrost thermal conditions are sensitive to shifts in snow timing
Authors: Jan Ahmad , Painter Scott L
Published: April 2020

Changes in snow precipitation at high latitudes can significantly affect permafrost thermal conditions and thaw depth, potentially exposing more carbon-laden soil to microbial decomposition. A fully coupled process-based surface/subsurface thermal hydrology model with surface energy balance is used to analyze the impact of intra-annual variability in snow on permafrost thermal regime and the active layer thickness. In the four numerical scenarios considered, simulations were forced by the same meteorological data, except the snow precipitation, which was systematically altered to change timing of snowfall. The scenarios represent subtle shifts in snow timing, but the snow onset/melt days, the end of winter snowpack depth, and total annual snow precipitation are unchanged among scenarios. The simulations show that small shifts in the timing of snow accumulation can have significant effects on subsurface thermal conditions leading to active layer deepening and even talik formation when snowfall arrives earlier in the winter. The shifts in snow timing have a stronger impact on wetter regions, especially soil underneath small ponds, as compared to drained regions. This study highlights the importance of understanding potential changes in winter precipitation patterns for reliable projections of active-layer thickness in a changing Arctic climate.
Role of B-site cation on the structure, magnetic and dielectric properties of nanosized La0.7Sr0.3Fe1−xMxO3 (M = Mn; Co and x = 0, 0.5) perovskites
Authors: Ghozza M H , Yahia I S , El-Dek S I
Published: April 2020

The easiness of preparation and tailored properties of perovskite nanoparticles rendered them an important class of materials in the last decade. In this work, La0.7Sr0.3Fe1-xMxO3 (M = Mn, Co and x = 0, 0.5) orthoferrites were synthesized using combustion method and examined using X-ray diffraction. The orthorhombic structure was clearly obvious with Pbnm space group without the need of any thermal treatment. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) accompanied by Energy-dispersive spectroscopy studies were also performed, evidencing the similarity of both nominal and chemical compositions for the studied orthoferrites. The thermal dependence of the dielectric properties was investigated (from room temperature to 698 K) in the frequency range (70 Hz–5 MHz). Magnetic properties were investigated at room temperature and discussed.
Comparison of ZrO2, TiO2, and α-Fe2O3 nanotube arrays on Cr(VI) photoreduction fabricated by anodization of Zr, Ti, and Fe foils
Authors: Bashirom Nurulhuda , Tan Wai Kian , Kawamura Go , Matsuda Atsunori , Lockman Zainovia
Published: April 2020

This paper presents the fabrication of self-organized ZrO2, TiO2, and α-Fe2O3 nanotube arrays by anodization of Zr, Ti, and Fe foils, respectively in fluoride-containing EG electrolyte at 40 V for 20 min. The as-anodized nanotubes were annealed in a tube furnace at 400 °C for 3 h to induce the crystallization of the oxide film. Morphology, crystal structure, surface properties, and optical properties of the anodic ZrO2 nanotubes (ZNTs), TiO2 nanotubes (TNTs), and α-Fe2O3 nanotubes (FNTs) were characterized by Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), x-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and UV–visible Near-Infrared Diffuse Reflectance Spectra (UV–vis NIR DRS) spectroscopy, respectively. Based on the FESEM and TEM micrographs, ZNTs possessed the longest nanotubes (i.e. 9.6 μm) compared with TNTs and FNTs under the same anodization condition. The aspect ratio of the nanotubes can be arranged in the order of ZNTs > FNTs > TNTs. The surface of the annealed ZNTs, FNTs, and TNTs was enriched with –OH groups to facilitate the Cr(VI) adsorption. According to the UV–vis NIR DRS spectra, strong visible light absorption was observed on the FNTs due to their low band gap. Whereas, the TNTs predominantly absorbs the UV light at λ
max = 360 nm. Rapid Cr(VI) removal was observed on FNTs, i.e. 100% after 2 h activated by sunlight with negligible Cr(VI) removal for ZNTs and TNTs. When exposed to UVC (λ = 254 nm), only 39% versus 37% Cr(VI) removal efficiencies were obtained on TNTs and ZNTs after 3 h suggesting sluggish electron transfer due to rapid charge carriers recombination as evident in the PL spectra.
Irreversibility of change in a model of boundedly rational agents exchanging goods and capital
Authors: Tanaka Takuma
Published: April 2020

This paper investigates the direction of change in a model of agents exchanging goods and capital. Agents have heterogeneous utility functions and are not perfectly rational but can refuse exchanges that decrease their own utility. In this model, an exchange is shown to always increase a quantity defined by the amount of production and the time preference of the agents.
Entropic measurement uncertainty relations for all the infinite components of a spin vector
Authors: Barchielli Alberto , Gregoratti Matteo
Published: April 2020

The information-theoretic formulation of quantum measurement uncertainty relations (MURs), based on the notion of relative entropy between measurement probabilities, is extended to the set of all the spin components for a generic spin s. For an approximate measurement of a spin vector, which gives approximate joint measurements of the spin components, we define the device information loss as the maximum loss of information per observable occurring in approximating the ideal incompatible components with the joint measurement at hand. By optimizing on the measuring device, we define the notion of minimum information loss. By using these notions, we show how to give a significant formulation of state independent MURs in the case of infinitely many target observables. The same construction works as well for finitely many observables, and we study the related MURs for two and three orthogonal spin components. The minimum information loss plays also the role of measure of incompatibility and in this respect it allows us to compare quantitatively the incompatibility of various sets of spin observables, with different number of involved components and different values of s.
On entropy and intrinsic ergodicity of coded subshifts
Authors: Pavlov Ronnie
Published: April 2020

Any coded subshift

X
C

X_C

defined by a set

C
C

of code words contains a subshift, which we call

L
C

L_C

, consisting of limits of single code words. We show that when

C
C

satisfies the unique decipherability property, the topological entropy

h
(

X
C

)

h(X_C)

of

X
C

X_C

is determined completely by

h
(

L
C

)

h(L_C)

and the number of code words of each length. More specifically, we show that

h
(

X
C

)
=
h
(

L
C

)

h(X_C) = h(L_C)

exactly when a certain infinite series is less than or equal to

1
1

, and when that series is greater than

1
1

, we give a formula for

h
(

X
C

)

h(X_C)

. In the latter case, an immediate corollary (using a result from [Israel J. Math. 192 (2012), pp. 785–817] is that

X
C

X_C

has a unique measure of maximal entropy.
Erratum for “On the consistency of local and global versions of Chang’s Conjecture”
Authors: Eskew Monroe , Hayut Yair
Published: April 2020

We correct a flawed proof from our paper, "On the consistency of local and global versions of Chang’s conjecture."
Antibody therapies for the treatment of COVID-19
Authors: Ku Zhiqiang , Ye Xiaohua , Salazar Georgina To’a , Zhang Ningyan , An Zhiqiang
Published: April 2020

The outbreak of COVID-19, the disease caused by infection of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 that began in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, has caused more than 2 990 559 confirmed human infections and 207 446 deaths as of 27 April 2020 (Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University). Scientists are working quickly on multiple aspects of the pandemic. Genetic analyses are conducted to reveal the source and evolution of SARS-CoV-2, providing knowledge that can be used to contain it and to avoid future outbreaks. Epidemiological studies that incorporate lessons learned from outbreaks of previous related viral diseases can guide the development of public health measures effective to contain the current and future outbreaks. Basic virology studies reveal viral structure and function. Pathology studies inform the development of strategies to interfere with infection. COVID-19 prevention and treatment strategies are being developed in preclinical and clinical studies. Antibody-based therapy is one viable treatment option. Here, we discuss some of the most active areas of developing strategies to treat COVID-19, focusing on the approaches to generate neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 for prophylactic and therapeutic treatment of COVID-19.
Isolation of a human monoclonal antibody specific for the receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 using a competitive phage biopanning strategy
Authors: Zeng Xin , Li Lingfang , Lin Jing , Li Xinlei , Liu Bin , Kong Yang , Zeng Shunze , Du Jianhua , Xiao Huahong , Zhang Tao , Zhang Shelin , Liu Jianghai
Published: April 2020

The infection of the novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused more than 200 000 deaths, but no vaccine or therapeutic monoclonal antibody is currently available. SARS-CoV-2 relies on its spike protein, in particular the receptor-binding domain (RBD), to bind human cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) for viral entry, and thus targeting RBD holds the promise for preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this work, a competitive biopanning strategy of a phage display antibody library was applied to screen blocking antibodies against RBD. High-affinity antibodies were enriched after the first round using a standard panning process in which RBD-His was immobilized as a bait. At the next two rounds, immobilized ACE2-Fc and free RBD-His were mixed with the enriched phage antibodies. Antibodies binding to RBD at epitopes different from ACE2-binding site were captured by the immobilized ACE2-Fc, forming a “sandwich” complex. Only antibodies competed with ACE2 can bind to the free RBD-His in the supernatant and be subsequently separated by the nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid magnetic beads. rRBD-15 from the competitive biopanning of our synthetic antibody library, Lib AB1, was produced as the full-length IgG1 format. It was proved to competitively block the binding of RBD to ACE2 and potently inhibit SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus infection with IC50 values of 12 nM. Nevertheless, rRBD-16 from the standard biopanning can only bind to RBD in vitro, but not have the blocking or neutralization activity. Our strategy can efficiently isolate the blocking antibodies of RBD, and it would speed up the discovery of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.
The Remake Industry: The Practice of Remaking Films from the Perspective of Industrial Actors
Authors: Cuelenaere Eduard
Published: April 2020

Though current research on the film remake phenomenon acknowledges an underlying industrial process, it rarely analyses it. Therefore, building on expert interviews with people working in the remake industries of the Low Countries, this article places the production aspect of the film remake process central. The findings suggest that the manner in which these cultural mediators describe and evaluate the film remake mirrors popular discourses and seems to affect the production process of film remakes themselves. It was found that the phenomenon is generally seen as the result of a lack of originality, authenticity and is, moreover, highly commercially driven. These aspects were found to sometimes function as a license for initiating remake projects. However, next to the financial benefits, other personal and creative rationales were advanced. Additionally, the element of localization was deemed as one of the most essential tactics in the creative process. Finally, distributors appear to be crucial figures in the emergence of film remakes in small geo-linguistic film markets.
The pharmacist’s role in disaster research response
Authors: Edwards Christopher J , Miller Aubrey , Cobb J Perren , Erstad Brian L
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The need for high-quality research during disaster responses has been well described in the literature, and such research is supported by efforts at the federal level through the National Institutes of Health Disaster Research Response (DR2) Program. This article describes the fourth DR2 workshop with a specific focus on opportunities for pharmacists to get involved with disaster research efforts.

Pharmacists have historically played a significant role in disaster planning and response, and there are a number of opportunities for pharmacists to bring their unique perspective, positioning, and skills to disaster research response (ie, onsite and other research on the medical and public health aspects of disasters and public health emergencies). In February 2019, the fourth DR2 workshop was held in Tucson, AZ, in conjunction with the University of Arizona College of Medicine–Tucson, the university’s Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona College of Pharmacy, and the university’s Bio5 Institute to explore clinical and population-based research in a simulated disaster setting. This article describes the workshop and discusses several opportunities for pharmacists to design, lead, and support research efforts during disaster scenarios through involvement in research areas including clinical, operational, educational, and logistic aspects of pharmacy practice.

Conclusion

Due to their positioning throughout health systems, unique perspective, training, and skills, pharmacists are uniquely situated to play an important role in disaster research response.
Drug-pathway association prediction: from experimental results to computational models
Authors: Wang Chun-Chun , Zhao Yan , Chen Xing
Published: April 2020

Effective drugs are urgently needed to overcome human complex diseases. However, the research and development of novel drug would take long time and cost much money. Traditional drug discovery follows the rule of one drug-one target, while some studies have demonstrated that drugs generally perform their task by affecting related pathway rather than targeting single target. Thus, the new strategy of drug discovery, namely pathway-based drug discovery, have been proposed. Obviously, identifying associations between drugs and pathways plays a key role in the development of pathway-based drug discovery. Revealing the drug-pathway associations by experiment methods would take much time and cost. Therefore, some computational models were established to predict potential drug-pathway associations. In this review, we first introduced the background of drug and the concept of drug-pathway associations. Then, some publicly accessible databases and web servers about drug-pathway associations were listed. Next, we summarized some state-of-the-art computational methods in the past years for inferring drug-pathway associations and divided these methods into three classes, namely Bayesian spare factor-based, matrix decomposition-based and other machine learning methods. In addition, we introduced several evaluation strategies to estimate the predictive performance of various computational models. In the end, we discussed the advantages and limitations of existing computational methods and provided some suggestions about the future directions of the data collection and the calculation models development.
Altitudinal, latitudinal and longitudinal responses of cloud forest species to Quaternary glaciations in the northern Neotropics
Authors: Guevara Lázaro
Published: April 2020

The glaciations of the Quaternary caused changes in the geographical distributions of species associated with tropical montane cloud forests. The most obvious effect of the glacial conditions was the downward displacement of cloud forest species, thus giving opportunities for population connectivity in the lowlands. Considerable attention has been paid to these altitudinal changes, but latitudinal and longitudinal movements remain poorly understood in the northern Neotropics. Here, I use ecological niche modelling to generate palaeodistributions of small-eared shrews (Mammalia: Soricidae) closely associated with cloud forests in the mountain systems of Mexico and then retrodict their range shifts during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), one of the coldest periods of the Quaternary. The results suggest that cloud forest species not only migrated downwards in response to global cooling and dryness but also migrated latitudinally and longitudinally onto those slopes that maintained moist conditions (other slopes remained unsuitable during the LGM), thus revealing a hitherto unknown route for postglacial colonization of cloud forest species. This scenario of past distributional change probably had genetic and demographic implications and has repercussions for the identification of areas of refugia and postglacial colonization routes of cloud forest species.
Tree Transpiration and Urban Temperatures: Current Understanding, Implications, and Future Research Directions
Authors: Winbourne Joy B , Jones Taylor S , Garvey Sarah M , Harrison Jamie L , Wang Liang , Li Dan , Templer Pamela H , Hutyra L R
Published: April 2020

The expansion of an urban tree canopy is a commonly proposed nature-based solution to combat excess urban heat. The influence trees have on urban climates via shading is driven by the morphological characteristics of trees, whereas tree transpiration is predominantly a physiological process dependent on environmental conditions and the built environment. The heterogeneous nature of urban landscapes, unique tree species assemblages, and land management decisions make it difficult to predict the magnitude and direction of cooling by transpiration. In the present article, we synthesize the emerging literature on the mechanistic controls on urban tree transpiration. We present a case study that illustrates the relationship between transpiration (using sap flow data) and urban temperatures. We examine the potential feedbacks among urban canopy, the built environment, and climate with a focus on extreme heat events. Finally, we present modeled data demonstrating the influence of transpiration on temperatures with shifts in canopy extent and irrigation during a heat wave.
Rapid Neuronal Ultrastructure Disruption and Recovery during Spreading Depolarization-Induced Cytotoxic Edema
Authors: Kirov Sergei A , Fomitcheva Ioulia V , Sword Jeremy
Published: April 2020

Two major pathogenic events that cause acute brain damage during neurologic emergencies of stroke, head trauma, and cardiac arrest are spreading depolarizing waves and the associated brain edema that course across the cortex injuring brain cells. Virtually nothing is known about how spreading depolarization (SD)-induced cytotoxic edema evolves at the ultrastructural level immediately after insult and during recovery. In vivo 2-photon imaging followed by quantitative serial section electron microscopy was used to assess synaptic circuit integrity in the neocortex of urethane-anesthetized male and female mice during and after SD evoked by transient bilateral common carotid artery occlusion. SD triggered a rapid fragmentation of dendritic mitochondria. A large increase in the density of synapses on swollen dendritic shafts implies that some dendritic spines were overwhelmed by swelling or merely retracted. The overall synaptic density was unchanged. The postsynaptic dendritic membranes remained attached to axonal boutons, providing a structural basis for the recovery of synaptic circuits. Upon immediate reperfusion, cytotoxic edema mainly subsides as affirmed by a recovery of dendritic ultrastructure. Dendritic recuperation from swelling and reversibility of mitochondrial fragmentation suggests that neurointensive care to improve tissue perfusion should be paralleled by treatments targeting mitochondrial recovery and minimizing the occurrence of SDs.
Early Detection of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Antibodies as a Serologic Marker of Infection in Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019
Authors: Rongqing Zhao , Li Maohua , Song Hao , Chen Jianxin , Ren Wenlin , Feng Yingmei , Gao George F , Song Jinwen , Peng Ya , Su Bin , Guo Xianghua , Wang Yanjun , Chen Jingong , Li Jianli , Sun Hunter , Bai Zhonghu , Cao Wenjing , Zhu Jin , Zhang Qinlu , Sun Yufei , Sun Sean , Mao Xinkun , Su Junchi , Chen Xiang , He Ailiang , Gao Wen , Jin Ronghua , Jiang Yongzhong , Sun Le
Published: April 2020

Background

Thousands of medical staff have been infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), with hundreds of deaths reported. Such loss could be prevented if there were a serologic assay for SARS-CoV-2–specific antibodies for serological surveillance of its infection at the early stage of disease.

Methods

Using Chinese hamster ovarian (CHO) cell–expressed full-length SARS-CoV-2 S1 protein as capturing antigen, a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)/SARS-CoV-2 S1 serology enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit was developed and validated with negative samples collected prior to the outbreak or during the outbreak and positive samples from patients confirmed with COVID-19.

Results

The specificity of the ELISA kit was 97.5%, as examined against total 412 normal human samples. The sensitivity was 97.1% by testing against 69 samples from hospitalized and/or recovered COVID-19 patients. The overall accuracy rate reached 97.3%. The assay was able to detect SARS-CoV-2 antibody on day 1 after the onset of COVID-19 disease. The average antibody levels increased during hospitalization and 14 days after discharge. SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected in 28 of 276 asymptomatic medical staff and 1 of 5 nucleic acid test–negative “close contacts” of COVID-19 patients.

Conclusions

With the assays developed here, we can screen medical staff, incoming patients, passengers, and people who are in close contact with the confirmed patients to identify the “innocent viral spreaders,” protect the medical staff, and stop further spread of the virus.
Evaluation of COVID-19 RT-qPCR Test in Multi sample Pools
Authors: Yelin Idan , Aharony Noga , Tamar Einat Shaer , Argoetti Amir , Messer Esther , Berenbaum Dina , Shafran Einat , Kuzli Areen , Gandali Nagham , Shkedi Omer , Hashimshony Tamar , Mandel-Gutfreund Yael , Halberthal Michael , Geffen Yuval , Szwarcwort-Cohen Moran , Kishony Roy
Published: April 2020

Background

The recent emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) led to a current pandemic of unprecedented scale. Although diagnostic tests are fundamental to the ability to detect and respond, overwhelmed healthcare systems are already experiencing shortages of reagents associated with this test, calling for a lean immediately applicable protocol.

Methods

RNA extracts of positive samples were tested for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction, alone or in pools of different sizes (2-, 4-, 8-, 16-, 32-, and 64-sample pools) with negative samples. Transport media of additional 3 positive samples were also tested when mixed with transport media of negative samples in pools of 8.

Results

A single positive sample can be detected in pools of up to 32 samples, using the standard kits and protocols, with an estimated false negative rate of 10%. Detection of positive samples diluted in even up to 64 samples may also be attainable, although this may require additional amplification cycles. Single positive samples can be detected when pooling either after or prior to RNA extraction.

Conclusions

As it uses the standard protocols, reagents, and equipment, this pooling method can be applied immediately in current clinical testing laboratories. We hope that such implementation of a pool test for coronavirus disease 2019 would allow expanding current screening capacities, thereby enabling the expansion of detection in the community, as well as in close organic groups, such as hospital departments, army units, or factory shifts.
Software Testing Automation of VR-Based Systems With Haptic Interfaces
Authors: Corrêa Cléber G , Delamaro Márcio E , Chaim Marcos L , Nunes Fátima L S
Published: April 2020

As software systems have increased in complexity, manual testing has become harder or even infeasible. In addition, each test phase and application domain may have its idiosyncrasies in relation to testing automation. Techniques and tools to automate test oracles in domains such as graphical user interfaces are available; nevertheless, they are scarce in the virtual reality (VR) realm. We present an approach to automate software testing in VR-based systems with haptic interfaces—interfaces that allow bidirectional communication during human–computer interaction, capturing movements and providing touch feedback. It deals with the complexity and characteristics of haptic interfaces to apply the record and playback technique. Our approach also provides inference rules to identify possible faulty modules of the system under testing. A case study was performed with three systems: a system with primitive virtual objects, a dental anesthesia simulator and a game. Faulty versions of the systems were created by seeding faults manually and by using mutation operators. The results showed that 100% of the manually seeded faults and 93% of mutants were detected. Moreover, the inference rules helped identify the faulty modules of the systems, suggesting that the approach improves the test activity in VR-based systems with haptic interfaces.