bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Constraints on self-dual black hole in loop quantum gravity with S0-2 star in the galactic center
Authors: Yan Jian-Ming , Wu Qiang , Liu Cheng , Zhu Tao , Wang Anzhong
Published: September 2022

One of remarkable features of loop quantum gravity (LQG) is that it can provide resolutions to both the black hole and big bang singularities. In the mini-superspace approach based on the polymerization procedure in LQG, a quantum corrected black hole metric is constructed. This metric is also known as self-dual spacetime since the form of the metric is invariant under the exchange r ⟶ a
0/r with a
0 being proportional to the minimum area in LQG and r is the standard radial coordinate at asymptotic infinity. It modifies the Schwarzschild spacetime by the polymeric function P, purely due to the geometric quantum effects from LQG. Here P is related to the polymeric parameter δ which is introduced to define the paths one integrates the connection along to define the holonomies in the quantum corrected Hamiltonian constraint in the polymerization procedure in LQG. In this paper, we consider its effects on the orbital signatures of S0-2 star orbiting Sgr A* in the central region of our Milky Way, and compare it with the publicly available astrometric and spectroscopic data, including the astrometric positions, the radial velocities, and the orbital precession for the S0-2 star. We perform Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) simulations to probe the possible LQG effects on the orbit of S0-2 star. No significant evidence of the self-dual spacetime arisIng from LQG is found. We thus place an upper bounds at 95% confidence level on the polymeric function P < 0.043 and P < 0.056, for Gaussian and uniform priors on orbital parameters, respectively.
Driver awareness collision/proximity detection system for heavy vehicles based on deep neural network
Authors: Anwar Qaiser , Hanif Muhammad , Shimotoku Daisuke , Kobayashi Hill H.
Published: September 2022

Heavy vehicles are essentially used to perform several critical tasks in construction industry. These heavy vehicles are different in shape and structure according to their capabilities and needs on the construction sites. Bigger size and different design of these vehicles result in extended blind spot compare to the normal vehicles, thus risking the equipment and workers operating around them. Each year, a large number of incidents are reported involving human injuries or loss of life due to improper handling of blind spots in heavy vehicles. In this paper we developed a deep learning based collision detection and driver assistance methodology by removing the blind spots in haul truck. In the proposed methodology, vision sensor data is used for automatic detection and classification of objects, employing the YOLO-v5 network architecture. For distance measurement of the objects we used stereo imaging camera Intel RealSense D455. The proposed algorithm detects and classify the object around the vehicle and provide the captioning to describe the nature of object to the driver. In addition, the algorithm also measures the distance of objects from the vehicle. The experimental results validate the performance of our proposed methodology in real time.
Mobile robot path planning based on fusion of improved A* algorithm and adaptive DWA algorithm
Authors: Zhenyang Xu , Wei Yuan
Published: September 2022

For mobile robot autonomous navigation, path planning algorithm matters. For the reason that traditional A* algorithm is unable to achieve the global path planning perfectly and avoid unknown obstacles at the same time, the mobile robot algorithm combining improved A* with adaptive DWA was proposed for path planning. Firstly, safe distance judgment is added in A* algorithm to avoid the problem that the path crosses the vertex of obstacle diagonally. Secondly, the dynamic tangential method is used to smooth the path of A* algorithm, which is more consistent with the actual motion curve of mobile robot. Then, the path key points explored by improved A* algorithm are extracted as intermediate target points of the velocity adaptive DWA algorithm. Unknown obstacles avoidance based on the optimal global path planning is realized. Finally, the proposed fusion algorithm’s feasibility is verified through mobile robot ROS simulation.
Integrated planning of UAV 3D trajectory based on ant colony algorithm
Authors: Qihan Deng
Published: September 2022

To address the problem of UAV trajectory planning optimality, a dynamic multi-objective optimal path model is established based on satisfying the basic conditions of UAV flight constraints, taking into account the time window restricted area and radio interference threat, etc. comprehensively. Based on the characteristics of the complex environment, an ant colony algorithm with reduced adaptive step size is constructed based on the theory of ant colony algorithm to quickly plan the best safe UAV trajectory in the complex dynamic environment. Simulation results show that the model can meet the complex airspace conditions of UAV missions, while the algorithm can find shorter trajectories and shorten the search time.
Research on the key technology of course ontology construction
Authors: Chen Yue , Chen Zhiyun
Published: September 2022

Education Information and smart education is the future trend of education. Education ontology is an important tool and means to realize education information and smart education. In the traditional method, the ontology is basically constructed manually, which will consume huge labor and time costs, and the automatically constructed ontology is often of low quality. The previous semi-automatic construction method is also aimed at the ontology of the subject area. Due to the wide range of subject areas and many concepts, the direct construction requires the cooperation of many people and takes several months to complete. Therefore, starting from the construction of curriculum ontology, this paper puts forward an efficient, accurate and low-cost method of constructing course ontology. This method takes “China University MOOC”, “XuetangX” and “cnblog” as data sources, making full use of structured data, semi-structured data and unstructured data to integrate technologies such as web crawler technology, text matching, active learning and deep learning. Applying these methods to the course “Data Structure”, the experimental results show that the scale coefficient of the number of concepts in the course ontology constructed by this method in the standard set is as high as 0.92, and the attribute coverage reaches 1.21, which proves the effectiveness and accuracy of the method.
iDREAM: industrial Detector of REactor Antineutrinos for Monitoring at Kalinin nuclear power plant
Authors: Abramov A. , Chepurnov A. , Etenko A. , Gromov M. , Konstantinov A. , Kuznetsov D. , Litvinovich E. , Lukyanchenko G. , Machulin I. , Murchenko A. , Nemeryuk A. , Nugmanov R. , Obinyakov B. , Oralbaev A. , Rastimeshin A. , Skorokhvatov M. , Sukhotin S.
Published: September 2022

The paper is devoted to the description of the iDREAM
detector and its systems. iDREAM is a prototype detector designed to
demonstrate the feasibility of antineutrino detectors for remote
reactor monitoring and safeguard purposes. Antineutrinos are
detected with a 1 ton liquid scintillator via inverse beta decay on
protons. In order to suppress cosmic muons, gamma and neutron
background, the detector is housed in a dedicated shielding. The
detector is installed at the Kalinin nuclear power plant (Russia),
20 m from the 3 GWth reactor core.
Commutativity and the emergence of classical objectivity
Authors: Ryan Eoghan , Carolan Eoin , Campbell Steve , Paternostro Mauro
Published: September 2022

We examine how the ability of a system to redundantly proliferate relevant information about its pointer states is affected when it is coupled to multiple baths. To this end, we consider a system in contact with two baths: one—termed the accessible environment —which, on its own, induces a pure dephasing mechanism on the state of the system and satisfies the conditions for classical objectivity to be established. The second environment, which we dub as inaccessible, affects the system in two physically relevant ways. Firstly, we consider an interaction that commutes with the Hamiltonian describing the interaction between system and accessible bath. It thus also gives rise to dephasing of the system, albeit on different time scales. Secondly, we consider a thermalising interaction, which does not commute with the system-accessible environment Hamiltonian. While the former still allows the system to redundantly encode its state into the accessible environment, the latter degrades the correlations, eventually destroying them in the long-time limit, and thus leads to a loss of the conditions necessary for classical objectivity to be established. This sheds light on the role that commutativity between the various system-bath interaction terms plays when establishing the conditions for classical objectivity to be supported.
Critical factors for photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic H2 evolution from gray anatase (001) nanosheets
Authors: Qin Shanshan , Denisov Nikita , Zhou Xin , Zdražil Lukáš , Fehn Dominik , Hwang Imgon , Bruns Mark , Kim Hyesung , Meyer Karsten , Schmuki Patrik
Published: September 2022

In recent years, the defect engineering of titania via reduction treatments has shown a high potential for enabling efficient and co-catalyst-free photocatalytic H2 generation from methanol/water solutions. However, defect engineering simultaneously alters several properties of TiO2. Here, we use pristine (white) and hydrogenated (gray) anatase nanosheets with dominant (001) facets. By comparing electrical conductivity, photocurrent spectra, transient photocurrent response, and photocatalytic H2 evolution, we show that the increased conductivity or broad visible light absorption of gray titania is not responsible for its increased activity. Instead, the true bottleneck is the hole transfer rate that is significantly accelerated while using gray instead of white modification. Moreover, the hole transfer reaction causes the accumulation of the reaction products in pure water, hindering the photocatalytic H2 evolution over time. These combined factors explain the superior performance of gray titania over white titania in photoelectrochemical or photocatalytic water splitting.
Modified HSE06 functional applied to anatase TiO2: influence of exchange fraction on the quasiparticle electronic structure and optical response
Authors: S B Sruthil Lal , D Murali , Posselt Matthias , Sasikala Devi Assa Aravindh , Sharan Alok
Published: September 2022

The influence of non-interacting Kohn–Sham Hamiltonian on the non-self consistent GW(G
0
W
0) quasiparticle gap and Bethe–Salpeter-equation (BSE) optical spectra of anatase TiO2 is systematically evaluated. G
0
W
0 and BSE calculations are carried out starting with HSE06 (Heyd–Scuseria–Ernzerhof) type functionals containing 20%, 25% and 30% exact Hartree–Fock exchange. The results are also compared against G
0
W
0 + BSE calculations starting from semi-local (PBE) functionals. Our results indicate that the G
0
W
0 and BSE calculations of anatase TiO2 depend critically on the mean-field starting point, wherein its dependence is mainly introduced through the dielectric screening evaluated at the intermediate G
0
W
0. We find that the band dispersion, density of states, and consequently the oscillator strengths of optical excitation and spatial localization of excitons are insensitive to the starting points while the quasiparticle gap, optical gap and exciton binding energies are strongly affected. G
0
W
0 quasiparticle gap of anatase TiO2 computed over hybrid functional starting points is typically overestimated compared to measured values. However, by varying the amount of exact exchange, the dielectric screening can be tuned, and thus the quasiparticle gap. Exciton binding energy is shown to increase in proportion to the increase of the amount of exact exchange. A simple extrapolation of the calculated data leads to the exact match with the recently measured value with 13% of the exact exchange. Systematic analysis of G
0
W
0 + BSE calculation starting from screened hybrid functionals provided in this study forms a reference for all such future calculations of pristine anatase TiO2 and its derivatives.
Nanoparticles of metal/metal oxide embedded fabrics to impart antibacterial activity to counteract hospital acquired infections
Authors: Antinate Shilpa S , Subbulakshmi M S , Hikku G S
Published: September 2022

The spread of infectious diseases by the bacterial cells through hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) has become a major threat throughout the world. Fabrics used in the healthcare sector such as bedsheets, healthcare uniforms, and patient gowns can act as growing substrates for infectious bacterial cells and have become one of the causes of the spread of HAIs. The development of MDR by the bacterial cells further makes the situation worse. However, the metal ion toxicity and generation of reactive oxygen species by the metal/metal oxide-based nanoparticles (NPs) have the ability to counteract the proliferation of MDR bacterial strains. In this context, several NPs have been synthesized and functionalized over fabric to impart antibacterial activity. This process could hinder bacterial growth and biofilm formation over fabrics and thus, can prevent the spread of HAIs through contaminated fabrics. Therefore, the present review focuses on the types of NPs that are utilized to develop antibacterial fabrics.
Subaging in underparametrized deep neural networks
Authors: Herrera Segura Carolina , Montoya Edison , Tapias Diego
Published: September 2022

We consider a simple classification problem to show that the dynamics of finite–width Deep Neural Networks in the underparametrized regime gives rise to effects similar to those associated with glassy systems, namely a slow evolution of the loss function and aging. Remarkably, the aging is sublinear in the waiting time (subaging) and the power–law exponent characterizing it is robust to different architectures under the constraint of a constant total number of parameters. Our results are maintained in the more complex scenario of the MNIST database. We find that for this database there is a unique exponent ruling the subaging behavior in the whole phase.
Keystone structures maintain forest function for Canada lynx after large-scale spruce beetle outbreak
Authors: Squires John R , Ivan Jacob S , Paolini Kelsey E , Olson Lucretia E , Jones Gavin M , Holbrook Joseph D
Published: September 2022

Central to species conservation in an era of increased disturbance from climate change is understanding the primary mechanisms that facilitate how forest-dependent species respond to changes in forest structure and composition. Here, we leveraged a natural experiment to investigate how changed forest structure and function pre-spruce-beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis) and post-beetle disturbance influenced the regional distribution of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) at their southern range periphery. We compared the distribution of Canada lynx that were reintroduced into Colorado, USA from 1999–2006 to the current (2015–2017) distribution following a spatial large-scale spruce beetle outbreak from 2007 to 2016. Canada lynx did not substantially alter their distribution following the wide-spread alteration of forest structure and composition following the insect outbreak. We used the Bhattacharyya’s affinity metric to document that core (50% isopleth) and overall population ranges (95% isopleth) overlapped significantly at 50% and 77% respectively. In addition, areas of low and high relative use remained similar after the bark beetle outbreak and mapped onto one another in nearly a 1:1 fashion (Spearman rank correlation = 0.92, p < 0.01). The low impact of forest change on distribution was due to the keystone habitat elements (high horizontal forest cover, snowshoe hares) that remained functional. Thus, our results highlight that conservation scientists should increase their focus to understand the underlying mechanisms that impact wildlife distributions as climate-related disturbances becomes ever more amplified.
Photochemical reactions and the self-depuration of sunlit freshwaters
Authors: Vione Davide
Published: September 2022

Reactions induced by sunlight (direct photolysis and indirect photochemistry) are important ecosystem services that aid freshwater bodies in removing contaminants, although they may also exacerbate pollution in some cases. Without photoinduced reactions, pollution problems would be considerably worse overall. The photochemical reaction rates depend on seasonality, depth, water chemistry (which also significantly affects the reaction pathways), and pollutant photoreactivity. Photochemical reactions are also deeply impacted by less studied factors, including hydrology, water dynamics, and precipitation regimes, which are key to understanding the main impacts of climate change on surface-water photochemistry. Climate change is expected in many cases to both exacerbate freshwater pollution, and enhance photochemical decontamination. Therefore, photochemical knowledge will be essential to understand the future evolution of freshwater environments.
The Effect of Wearing a Mask on Facial Attractiveness
Authors: Bassiri-Tehrani Brian , Nguyen Alvin , Choudhary Akriti , Guart Jiddu , Di Chiaro Bianca , Purnell Chad A
Published: September 2022

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated masking in public spaces. Masks may impact the perceived attractiveness of individuals and hence, interpersonal relations.

Objectives

To determine if facial coverings affect attractiveness.

Methods

An online survey was conducted using 114 headshot images, 2 each—unmasked and masked—of 57 individuals. Two hundred and seven participants rated them on an ordinal scale from 1 (least attractive) to 10 (most attractive). Parametric and nonparametric tests were performed, as appropriate, for comparison.

Results

For the first quartile, the average rating increased significantly when wearing a mask (5.89 ± 0.29 and 6.54 ± 0.67; P = 0.01). For control images ranked within the fourth quartile, the average rating decreased significantly when wearing a mask (7.60 ± 0.26 and 6.62 ± 0.55; P < 0.001). In the female subgroup (n = 34), there was a small increase in average rating when masked, whereas in the male subgroup (n = 23), there was a small decrease in average rating when masked, but the change was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). For unmasked female images ranked within the first quartile, the average rating increased significantly when wearing a mask (5.77 ± 0.27 and 6.76 ± 0.36; P = 0.001). For the female subgroup with mean ratings within the fourth quartile, the average decreased significantly when wearing a medical mask (7.53 ± 0.30 and 6.77 ± 0.53; P < 0.05). For unmasked male images ranked within the first quartile, the average rating increased when wearing a medical mask but the change was not statistically significant (P > 0.05), whereas for the control male images within the fourth quartile, the average rating decreased significantly when masked (7.72 ± 0.18 and 6.50 ± 0.54; P < 0.05).

Conclusions

While wearing a facial covering significantly increased attractiveness for images less attractive at baseline, and decreased attractiveness for those that are more attractive at baseline; it did not cause a significant overall change in attractiveness in the study population.

Level of Evidence: 5
Sexual selection for flight performance in hummingbirds
Authors: Wilcox Sean C , Clark Christopher J
Published: September 2022

Among size-dimorphic animals, a few clades such as hummingbirds show “reversed” sexual size dimorphism: females tend to be the larger sex. What selects for this pattern? Sexual selection for flight performance could drive the evolution of smaller, more agile males, either for male-male combat or female choice for aerial courtship displays. Alternately, natural selection can select for female fecundity (e.g., egg size influences female body size), or sex differences in foraging niche could favor body size differences. The sexual selection hypotheses predict that dimorphism extends to other aspects of flight morphology (e.g., flight muscle size) whereas the natural selection hypotheses predict that male and female flight morphologies are isometric, and the niche differentiation hypothesis predicts that bill dimorphism is correlated with size dimorphism. We tested these predictions through phylogenetic comparative analyses of flight morphology, wingbeat frequency, and courtship behaviors, focused on 30 species within the “bee” hummingbird clade (tribe Mellisugini). There is no correlation between bill morphology and dimorphism. Relative to females, males tend to be smaller, have proportionately shorter wings and higher hovering wingbeat frequencies, but also longer keels and larger flight muscles. Male wingbeat frequencies are greatly elevated during aerial displays, and the species with the greatest wingbeat frequencies have the greatest dimorphism. Of the four hypotheses for dimorphism, the data best support the hypothesis that female choice for courtship displays has selected for aerial agility and small size in male hummingbirds.
Echidna: integrated simulations of single-cell immune receptor repertoires and transcriptomes
Authors: Han Jiami , Masserey Solène , Shlesinger Danielle , Kuhn Raphael , Papadopoulou Chrysa , Agrafiotis Andreas , Kreiner Victor , Dizerens Raphael , Hong Kai-Lin , Weber Cédric , Greiff Victor , Oxenius Annette , Reddy Sai T , Yermanos Alexander
Published: September 2022

Motivation

Single-cell sequencing now enables the recovery of full-length immune receptor repertoires [B cell receptor (BCR) and T cell receptor (TCR) repertoires], in addition to gene expression information. The feature-rich datasets produced from such experiments require extensive and diverse computational analyses, each of which can significantly influence the downstream immunological interpretations, such as clonal selection and expansion. Simulations produce validated standard datasets, where the underlying generative model can be precisely defined and furthermore perturbed to investigate specific questions of interest. Currently, there is no tool that can be used to simulate single-cell datasets incorporating immune receptor repertoires and gene expression.

Results

We developed Echidna, an R package that simulates immune receptors and transcriptomes at single-cell resolution with user-tunable parameters controlling a wide range of features such as clonal expansion, germline gene usage, somatic hypermutation, transcriptional phenotypes and spatial location. Echidna can additionally simulate time-resolved B cell evolution, producing mutational networks with complex selection histories incorporating class-switching and B cell subtype information. We demonstrated the benchmarking potential of Echidna by simulating clonal lineages and comparing the known simulated networks with those inferred from only the BCR sequences as input. Finally, we simulated immune repertoire information onto existing spatial transcriptomic experiments, thereby generating novel datasets that could be used to develop and integrate methods to profile clonal selection in a spatially resolved manner. Together, Echidna provides a framework that can incorporate experimental data to simulate single-cell immune repertoires to aid software development and bioinformatic benchmarking of clonotyping, phylogenetics, transcriptomics and machine learning strategies.

Availability and implementation

The R package and code used in this manuscript can be found at github.com/alexyermanos/echidna and also in the R package Platypus (Yermanos et al., 2021). Installation instructions and the vignette for Echidna is described in the Platypus Computational Ecosystem (https://alexyermanos.github.io/Platypus/index.html). Publicly available data and corresponding sample accession numbers can be found in Supplementary Tables S2 and S3.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics Advances online.
The fate of porcine sperm CRISP2 from the perinuclear theca before and after in vitro fertilization
Authors: Zhang Min , Bromfield Elizabeth G , Helms J Bernd , Gadella Bart M
Published: September 2022

In a previous study, we reported that porcine sperm cysteine-rich secretory protein 2 (CRISP2) is localized in the post-acrosomal sheath-perinuclear theca (PT) as reduction-sensitive oligomers. In the current study, the decondensation and removal of CRISP2 was investigated during in vitro sperm capacitation, after both the induction of the acrosome reaction and in vitro fertilization. Confocal immunofluorescent imaging revealed that additional CRISP2 fluorescence appeared on the apical ridge and on the equatorial segment (EqS) of the sperm head following capacitation, likely due to cholesterol removal. After an ionophore A23187-induced acrosome reaction, CRISP2 immunofluorescence disappeared from the apical ridge and the EqS area partly not only owing to the removal of the acrosomal shroud vesicles, but to its presence in a subdomain of EqS. The fate of sperm head CRISP2 was further examined post-fertilization. In vitro matured porcine oocytes were co-incubated with boar sperm cells for 6–8 h and the zygotes were processed for CRISP2 immunofluorescent staining. Notably, decondensation of CRISP2, and thus of the sperm PT, occurred while the sperm nucleus was still fully condensed. CRISP2 was no longer detectable in fertilized oocytes in which sperm nuclear decondensation and paternal pronucleus formation were apparent. This rapid dispersal of CRISP2 in the PT is likely regulated by redox reactions for which its cysteine-rich domain is sensitive. Reduction of disulfide bridges within CRISP2 oligomers may be instrumental for PT dispersal and elimination.
COVID-19 and the heart
Authors: Roy Roman , McDonaugh Benedict , O’Gallagher Kevin
Published: September 2022

Background

There is evidence for a bi-directional relationship between COVID-19 and the cardiovascular (CV) system.

Source of data

Published literature.

Areas of agreement

Pre-existing heart failure (HF) increases the risk of mortality with COVID-19. CV complications are recognized, including increased rates of acute coronary syndromes, HF, arrhythmia and myocarditis. Drugs targeting the angiotensin system are safe and may provide prognostic benefit.

Areas of controversy

Vaccination as a cause of myocarditis remains a key area of contention.

Growing points

As the pandemic progresses, we are gaining more data about the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the CV system: long COVID, and medium-to-long-term increases in CV risk.

Areas timely for developing research

Large-scale longitudinal studies will shed light on long-term CV outcomes with COVID-19. Furthermore, the differential effects of COVID-19 variants on the CV system must be investigated.
Sex differences in Alzheimer’s disease risk: are immune responses the key?
Authors: Buckley Rachel F
Published: September 2022

This scientific commentary refers to ‘Sex-specific effects of microglial activation on Alzheimer’s disease proteinopathy in older adults’, by Casaletto et al. (https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awac257).
The use of optical coherence tomography in neurology: a review
Authors: Xie Jim S , Donaldson Laura , Margolin Edward
Published: September 2022

Optical coherence tomography is a non-invasive, cost-efficient technique that provides high-resolution in vivo imaging of retinal tissue. The peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer and macular ganglion cell complex are surrogate markers of neuroaxonal integrity in not only the eye, but also the CNS. Retinal atrophy may occur in tandem with CNS pathologies as a result of injury to ganglion cells, direct degeneration of the pregeniculate pathway, or retrograde trans-synaptic degeneration secondary to postgeniculate lesions. In this review, we outline the basic principles of optical coherence tomography and discuss its application to managing patients with demyelinating disorders, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, stroke, neurodegenerative conditions, and mitochondrial disorders. We demonstrate that measurements of peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer and macular ganglion cell complex thickness are paramount in diagnosing and monitoring neurological disorders, including those with subclinical disease progression.
Post-artesunate Delayed Hemolysis in Patients With Severe Malaria in the United States—April 2019 Through July 2021
Authors: Abanyie Francisca , Ng Joanna , Tan Kathrine R
Published: September 2022

Background

Studies have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of intravenous artesunate (IVAS) for treatment of severe malaria in endemic and nonendemic countries. However, post-artesunate delayed hemolysis (PADH) is an increasingly recognized phenomenon after its administration. This study describes the prevalence and outcomes of PADH events among severe malaria cases treated with IVAS in the United States.

Methods

Patients diagnosed with severe malaria and treated with IVAS from April 2019 to July 2021 were included. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, therapeutic, and outcome measures were described using proportions, medians, and interquartile range. Patients reported to experience PADH were compared with those not reported to have PADH, and tests of significance were performed.

Results

Of 332 patients included in our analysis, 9 (2.7%) experienced PADH. The majority of infections in both groups were in non-Hispanic Black individuals. Parasite density (11.0% vs 8.0%), admission hemoglobin (11.0 g/dL vs 11.8 g/dL) were similar in the 2 groups. Total bilirubin levels at admission (4.7 mg/dL vs 2.2 mg/dL) and within 8 hours after completion of IVAS (2.6 mg/dL vs 1.2 mg/dL) were notably higher in PADH patients. Cumulative IVAS dose of >9.5 mg/kg and >3 doses of IVAS were risk factors for PADH. The majority (7 of 9) of PADH cases were diagnosed within 2 weeks after initiation of IVAS. Five patients (56%) required blood transfusions, and all recovered without sequelae.

Conclusions

PADH is an uncommon and self-limiting adverse event in many cases; weekly monitoring of hemoglobin and hemolytic markers may identify cases requiring intervention in a timely manner.
Challenges and opportunities for mining adverse drug reactions: perspectives from pharma, regulatory agencies, healthcare providers and consumers
Authors: Gonzalez-Hernandez Graciela , Krallinger Martin , Muñoz Monica , Rodriguez-Esteban Raul , Uzuner Özlem , Hirschman Lynette
Published: September 2022

Monitoring drug safety is a central concern throughout the drug life cycle. Information about toxicity and adverse events is generated at every stage of this life cycle, and stakeholders have a strong interest in applying text mining and artificial intelligence (AI) methods to manage the ever-increasing volume of this information. Recognizing the importance of these applications and the role of challenge evaluations to drive progress in text mining, the organizers of BioCreative VII (Critical Assessment of Information Extraction in Biology) convened a panel of experts to explore ‘Challenges in Mining Drug Adverse Reactions’. This article is an outgrowth of the panel; each panelist has highlighted specific text mining application(s), based on their research and their experiences in organizing text mining challenge evaluations. While these highlighted applications only sample the complexity of this problem space, they reveal both opportunities and challenges for text mining to aid in the complex process of drug discovery, testing, marketing and post-market surveillance. Stakeholders are eager to embrace natural language processing and AI tools to help in this process, provided that these tools can be demonstrated to add value to stakeholder workflows. This creates an opportunity for the BioCreative community to work in partnership with regulatory agencies, pharma and the text mining community to identify next steps for future challenge evaluations.
Mocking the Fear of Ghosts in Ronsard’s
Hymnes
(1555–56)
Authors: Roullière Alice
Published: September 2022

This article argues that Ronsard’s
Hymnes
(1555–56) offer an ironic reading of ghost figures and the fear of daimons. Through various strategies that aim to create a form of complicity with the reader, the
Hymnes
challenge the seriousness of ghosts by mocking the fear they induce. Throughout the
Hymnes
, which offer a double reading (a cryptic one, to be understood only by a few, and an explicitly allegorical one), the poet pokes fun at the supposed power of ghostly and demonic figures in order to provoke laughter, and specifically to laugh with his own patrons and friends. This article examines the figure of Charles de Lorraine and the well-known poem ‘Les Daimons’ to show that despite the explicit demonological content of the
Hymnes
, their poetics clearly gesture towards a celebration of playful ‘fantaisie’, which even when intended to provoke fear can be enjoyed with humour and derision.
Positive Aspects of Caregiving Are Associated With Lower Risk of Frailty and Sleep Disruption in the National Study of Caregiving
Authors: Wennberg Alexandra M , Anderson Loretta R , Chen-Edinboro Lenis P , Cagnin Annachiara , Pini Lorenzo
Published: September 2022

Background and Objectives

Older adult caregivers have compounded risk for adverse health outcomes; however, evidence investigating the association between caregiving and frailty has been limited. In the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC), we examined the cross-sectional association between caregiving experiences and frailty and sleep disruption.

Research Design and Methods

We included 621 caregivers aged 65 and older from the 2011 NSOC round. They completed a phone interview, including 36 items about caregiving. Using principal component analysis, we identified 3 caregiving components: general burden, positive emotions, and financial-led burden. Frailty was assessed via low energy, shrinking, weakness, reduced activity, and poor self-rated health. Sleep disruption was assessed with 2 questions regarding sleep interruption and trouble falling back asleep.

Results

In models adjusted for age, sex, education, depression and anxiety symptoms, and medical conditions, positive emotions were associated with a reduced relative risk of frailty (relative risk [RR] = 0.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.90, 0.99) while general burden (proportional odds ratio [POR] = 1.96, 95% CI 1.30, 2.93) and financial-led burden (POR = 1.94, 95% CI 1.22, 3.06) were associated with sleep interruption.

Discussion and Implications

Caregiver burden was associated with increased frailty and sleep interruption. Positive emotions were associated with decreased frailty risk. Interventions aimed at reducing the burden and increasing positive emotions in caregivers may improve frailty outcomes.
From Policy Relevance to Present Relevance: Entanglement, Scholarly Responsibility, and the Ethics of Quantum Social Theory
Authors: McIntosh Christopher
Published: September 2022

Debates about the role of international relations (IR) scholarship in contemporary politics historically privilege “policy relevance” as both a goal and site of debate. The role of scholarship, scholars, and scholarly collectives has become increasingly resonant given the overlapping crises of white supremacy, police violence, and state repression in the United States, the worldwide pandemic, and the antidemocratic nationalist politics throughout Europe and the United States. Critical IR and critical security studies typically resist policy engagement entirely, positioning critical thought and inquiry as political intervention in and of itself. Here, I explore that claim using quantum concepts that foreground the inextricability of entanglement in thinking politics, ethics, and action. Ultimately, I argue that IR should move toward engaging and being responsible to the/a political present. Drawing on the temporality in IR literature, I argue that we are always already entangled with a heterotemporal present. Framing the question of political relevance as a binary of for/against precludes an effective assessment of the politics and normative meaning of scholarly interventions into contemporary politics. By reformulating our understanding of scholarship as produced by and reproducing a political present, something with which we are inevitably entangled whether we choose to be or not, the question of relevance becomes reoriented toward scholarly relationships with a/many presents, and consequently, a/many pasts and futures. Negotiating this dynamic is a more complex question than the narrow formulation of policy and/or political recommendations, and requires a fundamental rethinking of the presumption that scholarship in and of itself is sufficient.
Waxy is an important factor for grain fissure resistance and head rice yield as revealed by a genome-wide association study
Authors: Deng Zhuyun , Liu Yuxia , Gong Chunyan , Chen Bingtang , Wang Tai
Published: September 2022

Head rice yield (HRY) is an essential quality trait, and is sensitive to environmental stresses during the grain-filling, harvest, and postharvest stages. It is therefore important for rice production and global food security to select for superior HRY traits; however, the molecular basis of this trait remains unknown. Using diverse rice germplasm material, we performed a genome-wide association study of grain fissure resistance (GFR), the phenotype most associated with HRY, and found that the granule-bound starch synthase I gene Waxy is an important gene controlling GFR. Analysis of near-isogenic lines demonstrated that genetic variations in Waxy conferred different levels of tolerance to fissuring in grains. The null allele wx resulted in the highest GFR, while alleles that increased amylose synthesis reduced GFR. Increases in amylose content led to increases in the ratio of the widths of the amorphous layer to the semi-crystalline layer of the starch granules, and also to increased occurrence of chalkiness. The layer structure determined GFR by affecting the degree of swelling of granules in response to moisture, and chalkiness acted as an accelerator of moisture infiltration to rapidly increase the number of swelling granules. Our study reveals the molecular basis of GFR and HRY, thus opening the door for further understanding of the molecular networks of GFR and HRY.
Multifaceted roles of the ERECTA family in plant organ morphogenesis
Authors: Jiang Hengke , Chen Yuhui , Liu Yuhan , Shang Jing , Sun Xin , Du Junbo
Published: September 2022

Receptor-like kinases (RLKs) can participate in multiple signalling pathways and are considered one of the most critical components of the early events of intercellular signalling. As an RLK, the ERECTA family (ERf), which comprises ERECTA (ER), ERECTA-Like1 (ERL1), and ERECTA-Like2 (ERL2) in Arabidopsis, regulates multiple signalling pathways in plant growth and development. Despite its indispensability, detailed information on ERf-manipulated signalling pathways remains elusive. In this review, we attempt to summarize the essential roles of the ERf in plant organ morphogenesis, including shoot apical meristem, stem, and reproductive organ development.
Total Analytical Error and Measurement Uncertainty for Analytical Performance Evaluation and Determination of Gray Zones of Glucose Critical Value Limits
Authors: Karadağ Canan , Demirel Nafi
Published: September 2022

Objective

Total analytical error (TAE) and measurement uncertainty (MU) are important approaches to evaluating and improving the quality of measurement procedures. This study evaluates glucose analytical performance (AP) according to TAE and MU and calculates gray zones of glucose critical value limits.

Methods

Using TAE and MU values, AP was evaluated according to 5 different analytical performance specifications (APS) and the gray zones of critical value limits were calculated. The number of patients in these zones was compared.

Results

TAE was higher than MU at all 3 levels. The AP for the low glucose level was poor. The number of patients in the gray zones was statistically higher in the TAE groups than in the MU groups (P < .05).

Conclusion

TAE and MU values can be used to evaluate the AP of glucose measurement as well as to evaluate the compliance of patient results with decision limits by creating gray zones.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia Among Active Duty Military Personnel Diagnosed With Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Authors: Hoyt Tim , Lee Marquisha R G , Stolee Jason D , Breitstein Joshua A , Kwon Herbert P , Mysliwiec Vincent
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea are common conditions among military service members, with high rates of comorbidity. Although cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) has been established as an effective treatment for insomnia, it is unclear whether or not CBT-I is effective among service members with comorbid insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea.

Materials and Methods

This retrospective, observational study examined insomnia outcomes among a group of service member patients (N = 73) with comorbid insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea. All patients received individual CBT-I in a specialty sleep clinic at a military treatment facility. Seven outcomes associated with insomnia were evaluated before and after treatment.

Results

On average, patients showed significant improvement in sleep onset latency, wake after sleep onset, sleep efficiency, number of awakenings, and symptoms reported on the Insomnia Severity Index. Twenty-six percent of patients showed clinically significant improvement in reported insomnia symptoms.

Conclusions

These results suggest that CBT-I may be effective in treating military service members with comorbid insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea. Despite the limitations of data collected in a clinical setting, consistent findings across five of the seven outcome measures provide good evidence that this treatment can be implemented in military settings.
Efficacy and tolerability of subcutaneously administered methotrexate including dose escalation in long-term treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in a Japanese population
Authors: Tanaka Yoshiya , Okuda Kosuke , Takeuchi Yohei , Katayama Kou , Haji Yoichiro , Yamanishi Yuji , Tribanek Michael , Guimbal-Schmolck Cecile , Takeuchi Tsutomu
Published: September 2022

Objectives

The aim of this article is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of subcutaneously administered methotrexate (MTX) for Japanese patients with active rheumatoid arthritis.

Methods

MTX-naïve patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive a 12-week administration of either 7.5 mg MTX subcutaneously (MJK101, a prefilled syringe for subcutaneous injection) or 8 mg MTX orally in Part 1 of the trial. The primary end point was a 20% improvement in the American College of Rheumatology criteria (ACR20) at Week 12. In the second part, all enrolled patients received MJK101 weekly for 52 weeks with doses starting from 7.5 to 15 mg with 2.5 mg increments with the option of self-administration of MJK101.

Results

The efficacy of MJK101 was comparable to oral MTX following 12 weeks of treatment at the starting doses. A numerically higher ACR20 response rate and fewer adverse events in particular gastrointestinal adverse events were observed. During long-term subcutaneous treatment, MJK101 was well tolerated across all tested doses. Patients clinically improved upon dose escalation.

Conclusions

Subcutaneously applied MTX (MJK101) was efficient and well tolerated over a long-term treatment period in the Japanese population with doses up to 15 mg/week. Subcutaneous administration of MTX is a beneficial option for Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Manufacturing Process of SER-109, a Purified Investigational Microbiome Therapeutic, Reduces Risk of Coronavirus Transmission From Donor Stool
Authors: McChalicher Christopher , Abdulaziz Ahmad , Zhou S Steve , Lombardo Mary-Jane , Hasson Brooke , Auniņš John G , McGovern Barbara H , Ege David S
Published: September 2022

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may present risk to patients treated with donor-derived microbiome therapies when appropriate manufacturing controls and inactivation processes are lacking. We report that the manufacturing steps for SER-109, a purified investigational microbiome therapeutic developed to reduce risk of Clostridioides difficile recurrence, inactivate porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, a model coronavirus for SARS-CoV-2.
Early Experience Implementing Long-Acting Injectable Cabotegravir/Rilpivirine for Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Treatment at a Ryan White-Funded Clinic in the US South
Authors: Collins Lauren F , Corbin-Johnson Della , Asrat Meron , Morton Zoey P , Dance Kaylin , Condra Alton , Jenkins Kimberly , Todd-Turner Marie , Sumitani Jeri , Smith Bradley L , Armstrong Wendy S , Colasanti Jonathan A
Published: September 2022

Background

Long-acting injectable (LAI) antiretroviral therapy (ART) has the potential to improve medication adherence, reduce human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) stigma, and promote equity in care outcomes among people with HIV (PWH). We describe our early experience implementing LAI-cabotegravir/rilpivirine (CAB/RPV) for maintenance HIV-1 treatment.

Methods

We launched a pilot LAI-ART program at a large Ryan White-funded clinic in the Southeast, which accept provider-initiated referrals from April 14, 2021 to December 1, 2021. Our interdisciplinary program team (Clinician-Pharmacy-Nursing) verified clinical eligibility and pursued medication access for eligible patients. We describe (1) demographic and clinical variables of PWH referred and enrolled and (2) early outcomes among those accessing LAI-CAB/RPV.

Results

Among 58 referrals, characteristics were median age 39 (Q1–Q3, 30.25–50) years, 74% male, and 81% Black, and payor source distribution was 26% Private, 21% Medicare, 19% Medicaid, and 34% AIDS Drugs Assistance Program. Forty-five patients (78%) met clinical eligibility for LAI-CAB/RPV; ineligibility concerns included evidence of confirmed or possible RPV resistance (n = 8), HIV nonsuppression (n = 3), possible RPV hypersensitivity (n = 1), and pregnancy (n = 1). Among 45 eligible PWH, 39 (87%) enrolled and 15 (38%) initiated LAI-CAB/RPV after a median of 47 (Q1–Q3, 31–95) days since enrollment.

Conclusions

Implementing LAI-ART at a Southern US Ryan White-funded clinic has been challenged by the following: substantial human resource capital to attain drug, administer injections, and support enrolled patients; delayed therapy initiation due to insurance denials; patient ineligibility primarily due to possible RPV resistance; and inability to provide drug regardless of payor source. These barriers may perpetuate disparities in ART access and outcomes among PWH and should be urgently addressed so that LAI-ART can be offered equitably.