bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A closed-form expression of effective permittivity with spherically symmetric function for honeycomb structure
Authors: Li Shilei , Wan Guobin , Fu Bin , Liu Yunzhe , Wang Nan
Published: August 2021

A novel closed-form expression for predicting the equivalent electromagnetic parameters of the honeycomb structure is proposed. It is obtained by approximating the correlation terms in the derivation of the strong fluctuation theory with the integral of the spherically symmetric function. Through several simulation examples, the calculation results of the formula are compared with the results of several traditional extraction methods and compared with the existing experimental data. Comparison of the extraction results of the formula with the simulation results and the experimental data shows good agreement, which proves the feasibility of the extraction expression, and this method does not require simulation as a prerequisite and can shorten the time for optimizing the design of the honeycomb absorbing structure.
Simultaneous measurement of refractive index and temperature of seawater based on surface plasmon resonance in a dual D-type photonic crystal fiber
Authors: Zhang Yingyue , Chen Hailiang , Wang Mingyue , Liu Yundong , Fan Xiaoya , Chen Qiang , Wu Biao
Published: August 2021

A dual D-type photonic crystal fiber (PCF) was proposed in this work to measure the refractive index and temperature of seawater. Two golden layers were designed to be coated on the two polished planes in the dual D-type PCF. Two confinement loss peaks in the transmission spectrum appeared due to the surface plasmon resonances which were inspired on the two golden layers. In order to achieve two-parameter sensing, one of the two polished planes was further coated with a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layer which was temperature-sensitive. Seawater was assumed to be coated on the outer surface of the PCF. Numerical results by using the finite element method showed that the measurement sensitivity of the refractive index of seawater reached 1371 and 1228 nm/RIU, while the measurement sensitivity of temperature reached −0.3 and −1.06 nm/ °C, respectively. Finally, we obtained the transfer matrix expression which could be used to measure the refractive index and temperature of seawater simultaneously. The designed dual D-type PCF, which is simple in structure, highly sensitive and two-parameter measuring, could be a promising candidate for the monitoring of seawater.
Using design of experiments in the evaluation of the microstructural characterization parameters with the LePera reagent in a multiphase steel
Authors: de Faria Neto Antonio dos Reis , Fukugauchi Cristina Sayuri , dos Santos Pereira Marcelo
Published: August 2021

The performance of multiphase steels is closely related to their microconstituents. Thus, the characterization and effective control of the microstructure of these materials are crucial, and chemical attack processes are essential for this to occur. In this context, this study sought to employ the Taguchi method to evaluate the chemical etching process with the LePera reagent in order to investigate the influence of different process variables, in addition to the interactions between them, on the quality of the image obtained. The variables analyzed were: concentration of picral (CP) and sodium metabisulfite (CSM) solution, pre-attack (PA), drying mode (DM) and attack time (AT). in addition to the relative humidity and temperature of the environment. Therefore, a quality index (QI) was suggested for the images obtained, which, together with the analysis of variance, indicates the best route for microstructural characterization of TRIP800 steel (CP-4.0%; CSM-0.5% ; PA-No; DM-Natural; AT-25s; . Temperature (°C): 15I---25 and Relative humidity (%): 55I---90). In addition to indicating the variables that most influence the process. The influence of noise factors (temperature and relative humidity) was also proven.
Changes in General and Virus-Specific Anxiety During the Spread of COVID-19 in Israel: A 7-Wave Longitudinal Study
Authors: Shahar Golan , Aharonson-Daniel Limor , Greenberg David , Shalev Hadar , Malone Patrick S , Tendler Avichai , Grotto Itamar , Davidovitch Nadav
Published: August 2021

We compared 3 hypothetical trajectories of change in both general and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-specific anxiety during the first wave of the spread in the state of Israel: panic (very high anxiety, either from the outset or rapidly increasing), complacency (stable and low anxiety), and threat-sensitive (a moderate, linear increase compatible with the increase in threat). A representative sample of 1,018 Jewish-Israeli adults was recruited online. A baseline assessment commenced 2 days prior to the identification of the first case, followed by 6 weekly assessments. Latent mixture modeling analyses revealed the presence of 3 trajectories: 1) “threat-sensitivity” (29% and 66%, for general and virus-specific anxiety, respectively), 2) panic (12% and 25%), and 3) complacency (29% and 9%). For general anxiety only, a fourth class representing a stable mid-level anxiety was identified (“balanced”: 30%). For general anxiety, women and the initially anxious—both generally and specifically from the spread of the virus—were more likely to belong to the panic class. Men and older participants were more likely to belong to the complacency class. Findings indicate a marked heterogeneity in anxiety responses to the first wave of the spread of COVID-19, including a large group evincing a “balanced” response.
Potential therapeutic targets of Klebsiella pneumoniae: a multi-omics review perspective
Authors: Ali Sabeeha , Alam Manzar , Hasan Gulam Mustafa , Hassan Md Imtaiyaz
Published: August 2021

The multidrug resistance developed in many organisms due to the prolonged use of antibiotics has been an increasing global health crisis. Klebsiella pneumoniae is a causal organism for various infections, including respiratory, urinary tract and biliary diseases. Initially, immunocompromised individuals are primarily affected by K. pneumoniae. Due to the emergence of hypervirulent strains recently, both healthy and immunocompetent individuals are equally susceptible to K. pneumoniae infections. The infections caused by multidrug-resistant and hypervirulent K. pneumoniae strains are complicated to treat, illustrating an urgent need to develop novel and more practical approaches to combat the pathogen. We focused on the previously performed high-throughput analyses by other groups to discover several novel enzymes that may be considered attractive drug targets of K. pneumoniae. These targets qualify most of the selection criteria for drug targeting, including an absence of its homolog’s gene in the host. The capsule, lipopolysaccharide, fimbriae, siderophores and essential virulence factors facilitate the pathogen entry, infection and survival inside the host. This review discusses K. pneumoniae pathophysiology, including its virulence determinants and further the potential drug targets that might facilitate the discovery of novel drugs and effective treatment regimens shortly.
Prediction of RBP binding sites on circRNAs using an LSTM-based deep sequence learning architecture
Authors: Wang Zhengfeng , Lei Xiujuan
Published: August 2021

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are widely expressed in highly diverged eukaryotes. Although circRNAs have been known for many years, their function remains unclear. Interaction with RNA-binding protein (RBP) to influence post-transcriptional regulation is considered to be an important pathway for circRNA function, such as acting as an oncogenic RBP sponge to inhibit cancer. In this study, we design a deep learning framework, CRPBsites, to predict the binding sites of RBPs on circRNAs. In this model, the sequences of variable-length binding sites are transformed into embedding vectors by word2vec model. Bidirectional LSTM is used to encode the embedding vectors of binding sites, and then they are fed into another LSTM decoder for decoding and classification tasks. To train and test the model, we construct four datasets that contain sequences of variable-length binding sites on circRNAs, and each set corresponds to an RBP, which is overexpressed in bladder cancer tissues. Experimental results on four datasets and comparison with other existing models show that CRPBsites has superior performance. Afterwards, we found that there were highly similar binding motifs in the four binding site datasets. Finally, we applied well-trained CRPBsites to identify the binding sites of IGF2BP1 on circCDYL, and the results proved the effectiveness of this method. In conclusion, CRPBsites is an effective prediction model for circRNA-RBP interaction site identification. We hope that CRPBsites can provide valuable guidance for experimental studies on the influence of circRNA on post-transcriptional regulation.
OpenPhi: an interface to access Philips iSyntax whole slide images for computational pathology
Authors: Mulliqi Nita , Kartasalo Kimmo , Olsson Henrik , Ji Xiaoyi , Egevad Lars , Eklund Martin , Ruusuvuori Pekka
Published: August 2021

Digital pathology enables applying computational methods, such as deep learning, in pathology for improved diagnostics and prognostics, but lack of interoperability between whole slide image formats of different scanner vendors is a challenge for algorithm developers. We present OpenPhi—Open PatHology Interface, an Application Programming Interface for seamless access to the iSyntax format used by the Philips Ultra Fast Scanner, the first digital pathology scanner approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. OpenPhi is extensible and easily interfaced with existing vendor-neutral applications.

Availability and implementation

OpenPhi is implemented in Python and is available as open-source under the MIT license at: https://gitlab.com/BioimageInformaticsGroup/openphi. The Philips Software Development Kit is required and available at: https://www.openpathology.philips.com. OpenPhi version 1.1.1 is additionally provided as Supplementary Data.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Observing the Observers: How Participants Contribute Data to iNaturalist and Implications for Biodiversity Science
Authors: Di Cecco Grace J , Barve Vijay , Belitz Michael W , Stucky Brian J , Guralnick Robert P , Hurlbert Allen H
Published: August 2021

The availability of citizen science data has resulted in growing applications in biodiversity science. One widely used platform, iNaturalist, provides millions of digitally vouchered observations submitted by a global user base. These observation records include a date and a location but otherwise do not contain any information about the sampling process. As a result, sampling biases must be inferred from the data themselves. In the present article, we examine spatial and temporal biases in iNaturalist observations from the platform's launch in 2008 through the end of 2019. We also characterize user behavior on the platform in terms of individual activity level and taxonomic specialization. We found that, at the level of taxonomic class, the users typically specialized on a particular group, especially plants or insects, and rarely made observations of the same species twice. Biodiversity scientists should consider whether user behavior results in systematic biases in their analyses before using iNaturalist data.
Longitudinal strain is an independent predictor of survival and response to therapy in patients with systemic AL amyloidosis
Authors: Cohen Oliver C , Ismael Andreia , Pawarova Babita , Manwani Richa , Ravichandran Sriram , Law Steven , Foard Darren , Petrie Aviva , Ward Sevda , Douglas Brooke , Martinez-Naharro Ana , Chacko Liza , Quarta Candida Cristina , Mahmood Shameem , Sachchithanantham Sajitha , Lachmann Helen J , Hawkins Philip N , Gillmore Julian D , Fontana Marianna , Falk Rodney H , Whelan Carol J , Wechalekar Ashutosh D
Published: August 2021

Aims

Cardiac involvement, a major determinant of prognosis in AL (light-chain immunoglobulin) amyloidosis, is characterized by an impairment of longitudinal strain (LS%). We sought to evaluate the utility of LS% in a prospectively observed series of patients.

Methods and results

A total of 915 serial newly diagnosed AL patients with comprehensive baseline assessments, inclusive of echocardiography, were included. A total of 628/915 (68.6%) patients had cardiac involvement. The LS% worsened with advancing cardiac stage with mean −21.1%, −17.1%, −12.9%, and −12.1% for stages I, II, IIIa, and IIIb, respectively (P < 0.0001). There was a highly significant worsening of overall survival (OS) with worsening LS% quartile: LS% ≤−16.2%: 80 months, −16.1% to −12.2%: 36 [95% confidence interval (CI) 20.9–51.1] months, −12.1% to −9.1%: 22 (95% CI 9.1–34.9) months, and ≥−9.0%: 5 (95% CI 3.2–6.8) months (P < 0.0001). Improvement in LS% was seen at 12 months in patients achieving a haematological complete response (CR) (median improvement from −13.8% to −14.9% in those with CR and difference between involved and uninvolved light chain <10 mg/L). Strain improvement was associated with improved OS (median not reached at 53 months vs. 72 months in patients without strain improvement, P = 0.007). Patients achieving an LS% improvement and a standard N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide-based cardiac response survived longer than those achieving a biomarker-based cardiac response alone (P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Baseline LS% is a functional marker that correlates with worsening cardiac involvement and is predictive of survival. Baseline LS% and an absolute improvement in LS% are useful additional measures of prognosis and response to therapy in cardiac AL amyloidosis, respectively.
Global multi-environment resistance QTL for foliar late blight resistance in tetraploid potato with tropical adaptation
Authors: Lindqvist-Kreuze Hannele , De Boeck Bert , Unger Paula , Gemenet Dorcus , Li Xianping , Pan Zhechao , Sui Qinjun , Qin Junhong , Woldegjorgis Gebremedhin , Negash Kassaye , Seid Ibrahim , Hirut Betaw , Gastelo Manuel , De Vega Jose , Bonierbale Merideth
Published: August 2021

The identification of environmentally stable and globally predictable resistance to potato late blight is challenged by the clonal and polyploid nature of the crop and the rapid evolution of the pathogen. A diversity panel of tetraploid potato germplasm bred for multiple resistance and quality traits was genotyped by genotyping by sequencing (GBS) and evaluated for late blight resistance in three countries where the International Potato Center (CIP) has established breeding work. Health-indexed, in vitro plants of 380 clones and varieties were distributed from CIP headquarters and tuber seed was produced centrally in Peru, China, and Ethiopia. Phenotypes were recorded following field exposure to local isolates of Phytophthora infestans. QTL explaining resistance in four experiments conducted across the three countries were identified in chromosome IX, and environment-specific QTL were found in chromosomes III, V, and X. Different genetic models were evaluated for prediction ability to identify best performing germplasm in each and all environments. The best prediction ability (0.868) was identified with the genomic best linear unbiased predictors (GBLUPs) when using the diploid marker data and QTL-linked markers as fixed effects. Genotypes with high levels of resistance in all environments were identified from the B3, LBHT, and B3-LTVR populations. The results show that many of the advanced clones bred in Peru for high levels of late blight resistance maintain their resistance in Ethiopia and China, suggesting that the centralized selection strategy has been largely successful.
Genome assembly of two nematode-resistant cotton lines (Gossypium hirsutum L.)
Authors: Perkin Lindsey C , Bell Al , Hinze Lori L , Suh Charles P -C , Arick Mark A , Peterson Daniel G , Udall Joshua A
Published: August 2021

Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is susceptible to damage by the root-knot and the reniform nematodes, causing yield losses greater than 4% annually in the United States. In addition, these nematodes are synergistic with seeding disease and root rot pathogens that exacerbate diseases and subsequent yield losses. Production practices to minimize nematode damage include crop rotation and nematicides, but these techniques need to be repeated and are expensive. The use of resistant cultivars is deemed the most effective and economical approach for managing nematodes in cotton. Here, we describe the genomes of two nematode-resistant lines of cotton, BARBREN-713 and BAR 32-30. These genomes may expedite the development of DNA markers that can be used to efficiently introduce nematode resistance into commercially valuable Upland lines.
High-quality genome assembly of the soybean fungal pathogen Cercospora kikuchii
Authors: Kashiwa Takeshi , Suzuki Tomohiro
Published: August 2021

Plant diseases caused by the Cercospora genus of ascomycete fungi are a major concern for commercial agricultural practices. Several Cercospora species can affect soybeans, such as Cercospora kikuchii which causes soybean leaf blight. Speciation in Cercospora on soybean has not been adequately studied. Some cryptic groups of Cercospora also cause diseases on soybean. Moreover, it has been known C. kikuchii population genetic structure is different between countries. Consequently, further genomic information could help to elucidate the covert differentiation of Cercospora diseases in soybean. Here, we report for the first time, a chromosome-level genome assembly for C. kikuchii. The genome assembly of 9 contigs was 34.44 Mb and the N50 was 4.19 Mb. Based on ab initio gene prediction, several candidates for pathogenicity-related genes, including 242 genes for putative effectors, 55 secondary metabolite gene clusters, and 399 carbohydrate-active enzyme genes were identified. The genome sequence and the features described in this study provide a solid foundation for comparative and evolutionary genomic analysis for Cercospora species that cause soybean diseases worldwide.
The “Bipartite” Structure of the First Genome of Ampelomyces quisqualis, a Common Hyperparasite and Biocontrol Agent of Powdery Mildews, May Point to Its Evolutionary Origin from Plant Pathogenic Fungi
Authors: Huth Lauren , Ash Gavin J , Idnurm Alexander , Kiss Levente , Vaghefi Niloofar
Published: August 2021

Powdery mildews are among the most important plant pathogens worldwide, which are often attacked in the field by mycoparasitic fungi belonging to the genus Ampelomyces. The taxonomy of the genus Ampelomyces is unresolved, but well-supported molecular operational taxonomic units were repeatedly defined suggesting that the genus may include at least four to seven species. Some Ampelomyces strains were commercialized as biocontrol agents of crop pathogenic powdery mildews. However, the genomic mechanisms underlying their mycoparasitism are still poorly understood. To date, the draft genome of a single Ampelomyces strain, designated as HMLAC 05119, has been released. We report a high-quality, annotated hybrid draft genome assembly of A. quisqualis strain BRIP 72107, which, based on phylogenetic analyses, is not conspecific with HMLAC 05119. The constructed genome is 40.38 Mb in size, consisting of 24 scaffolds with an N50 of 2.99 Mb and 96.2% completeness. Our analyses revealed “bipartite” structure of Ampelomyces genomes, where GC-balanced genomic regions are interspersed by longer or shorter stretches of AT-rich regions. This is also a hallmark of many plant pathogenic fungi and provides further evidence for evolutionary affinity of Ampelomyces species to plant pathogenic fungi. The high-quality genome and annotation produced here provide an important resource for future genomic studies of mycoparasitisim to decipher molecular mechanisms underlying biocontrol processes and natural tritrophic interactions.
Photography as a Wartime Service to Family and Nation in Nazi-occupied Europe
Authors: Keresztes Julie R
Published: August 2021

Photography’s significance for German soldiers and their families during the Second World War is especially apparent when it is seen as a social practice rather than simply a series of images. As this article demonstrates, photography was critical for maintaining wartime sociability between war and home fronts, a function that Nazi state officials, military leaders and businesspeople promoted years before the war began. With the encouragement of the Nazi regime, deployed soldiers and their families understood exchanging photographs and compiling photo albums as more than mere acts of personal communication; they were a patriotic duty. This article explores how photography functioned as a wartime service to family and nation by focusing on the photograph collection of one member of Reserve Order Police Battalion 131, who between 1940 and 1942 sent his wife hundreds of photographs for their family albums. The policeman’s concerted emphasis on family and comradeship through his photography embodies what so many other German soldiers and civilians found appealing about wartime photography: as a communal practice, it allowed them to protect and honour the values of family, comradeship and community, which had taken on new significance during the Third Reich and would be tested during the Second World War.
Racial/Ethnic and Educational Disparities in the Impact of Diabetes on Population Health Among the U.S.-Born Population
Authors: Zang Emma , Lynch Scott M , Liu Chen , Lu Nancy , Banas Julia
Published: August 2021

Objectives

This study examines total life expectancies (TLEs) for both healthy and diabetic U.S.-born populations and 2 measures capturing quality of life: (a) the proportion of remaining life to be spent without either other chronic conditions or activities of daily living disabilities (ADLs) and (b) the proportion of remaining life to be spent with ADLs for U.S.-born diabetic populations by race/ethnicity and educational attainment.

Methods

Using the 1998–2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (n = 16,983), we apply a Bayesian multistate life table method to calculate these quantities from the constructed life tables.

Results

TLE at age 50 is shorter for diabetic individuals than healthy individuals, for non-Hispanic Blacks than members of other racial/ethnic groups, and for less-educated individuals. Gaps in TLE at age 50 between healthy and diabetic populations range from 6.3 to 8.8 years across sex–race combinations and from 5.6 to 9.2 years across sex–education combinations. Among the diabetic population, those with at least a college degree on average have a higher proportion of remaining life to be spent without either other chronic conditions or ADLs. Hispanics and those without a college degree have a particularly high proportion of remaining life to be spent with ADLs. Although diabetic women on average live longer than men, their quality of life tends to be lower.

Discussion

The impact of diabetes on population health varies across racial/ethnic and educational groups. The findings support targeted interventions for vulnerable groups, such as people of color, women, and less-educated individuals.
Astrocytic NMDA Receptors in the Basolateral Amygdala Contribute to Facilitation of Fear Extinction
Authors: Shelkar Gajanan P , Liu Jinxu , Dravid Shashank M
Published: August 2021

Background

Enhancement of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor function using glycine-site agonist D-cycloserine is known to facilitate fear extinction, providing a means to augment cognitive behavioral therapy in anxiety disorders. A novel class of glycine-site agonists has recently been identified, and we have found that the prototype, AICP, is more effective than D-cycloserine in modulating neuronal function.

Methods

Using novel glycine-site agonist AICP, local infusion studies, and genetic models, we elucidated the role of GluN2C-containing receptors in fear extinction.

Results

We tested the effect of intracerebroventricular injection of AICP on fear extinction and found a robust facilitation of fear extinction. This effect was dependent on GluN2C subunit, consistent with superagonist action of AICP at GluN2C-containing receptors. Local infusion studies in wild-type and GluN2C knockout mice suggested that AICP produces its effect via GluN2C-containing receptors in the basolateral amygdala (BLA). Furthermore, consistent with astrocytic expression of GluN2C subunit in the amygdala, we found that AICP did not facilitate fear extinction in mice with conditional deletion of obligatory GluN1 subunit from astrocytes. Importantly, chemogenetic activation of astrocytes in the basolateral amygdala facilitated fear extinction. Acutely, AICP was found to facilitate excitatory neurotransmission in the BLA via presynaptic GluN2C-dependent mechanism. Immunohistochemical studies suggest that AICP-mediated facilitation of fear extinction involves synaptic insertion of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptor GluA1 subunit.

Conclusion

These results identify a unique role of astrocytic NMDA receptors composed of GluN2C subunit in extinction of conditioned fear memory and demonstrate that further development of recently identified superagonists of GluN2C-containing receptors may have utility for anxiety disorders.
Augmented saddle-point formulation of the steady-state Stefan–Maxwell diffusion problem
Authors: Van-Brunt Alexander , Farrell Patrick E , Monroe Charles W
Published: August 2021

We investigate structure-preserving finite element discretizations of the steady-state Stefan–Maxwell diffusion problem, which governs mass transport within a phase consisting of multiple species. An approach inspired by augmented Lagrangian methods allows us to construct a symmetric positive definite augmented Onsager transport matrix, which in turn leads to an effective numerical algorithm. We prove inf-sup conditions for the continuous and discrete linearized systems and obtain error estimates for a phase consisting of an arbitrary number of species. The discretization preserves the thermodynamically fundamental Gibbs–Duhem equation to machine precision independent of mesh size. The results are illustrated with numerical examples, including an application to modelling the diffusion of oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapour and nitrogen in the lungs.
The Almost Optimal Multilinear Restriction Estimate for Hypersurfaces with Curvature: The Case ofn-1Hypersurfaces in ℝn
Authors: Bejenaru Ioan
Published: August 2021

In this paper, we establish the optimal multilinear restriction estimate for $n-1$ hypersurfaces with some curvature, where $n$ is the dimension of the underlying space. The result is sharp up to the end point and the role of curvature is made precise in terms of the shape operator.
Risk factors for therapeutic failure in the management of post-operative peritonitis: a post hoc analysis of the DURAPOP trial
Authors: Montravers Philippe , Esposito-Farèse Marina , Lasocki Sigismond , Grall Nathalie , Veber Benoit , Eloy Philippine , Seguin Philippe , Weiss Emmanuel , Dupont Herve ,   the DURAPOP trial group, Montravers Philippe , Bronchard Regis , Desmard Mathieu , Dupont Herve , Levrard Melanie , Mahjoub Yazine , Lasocki Sigismond , Gergaud Soizic , Gaillard Thomas , Plantefeve Gaetan , Pajot Olivier , Blasco Gilles , Samain Emmanuel , Besch Guillaume , Pily-Floury Sebastien , Paugam Catherine , Pease Sebastien , Abback Paer , Girard Claude , Payen Jean-Francois , Herault Marie-Christine , Jaber Sami , Jung Boris , Delay Jean-Marc , Gally Josette , Meistelman Claude , Perrier Jean-François , Asehnoune Karim , Cinotti Raphael , Tesniere Antoine , Mignon Alexandre , Lescot Thomas , Belhadj-Tahar Nouria , Beaussier Marc , Lepape Alain , Piriou Vincent , Wallet Florent , Tassin Candice , Cousson Joel , Raclot Pascal , Floch Thierry , Seguin Philippe , Launey Yoann , Veber Benoit , Gouin Philippe , Clavier Thomas , Auboyer Christian , Collanges Olivier , Georger Jean-François
Published: August 2021

Background

Therapeutic failure is a frequent issue in the management of post-operative peritonitis.

Objectives

A post hoc analysis of the prospective, multicentre DURAPOP trial analysed the risk factors for failures in post-operative peritonitis following adequate source control and empirical antibiotic therapy in critically ill patients.

Patients and methods

Overall failures assessed post-operatively between Day 8 and Day 45 were defined as a composite of death and/or surgical and/or microbiological failures. Risk factors for failures were assessed using logistic regression analyses.

Results

Among the 236 analysed patients, overall failures were reported in 141 (59.7%) patients, including 30 (12.7%) deaths, 81 (34.3%) surgical and 95 (40.2%) microbiological failures. In the multivariate analysis, the risk factors associated with overall failures were documented piperacillin/tazobactam therapy [adjusted OR (aOR) 2.10; 95% CI 1.17–3.75] and renal replacement therapy on the day of reoperation (aOR 2.96; 95% CI 1.05–8.34). The risk factors for death were age (aOR 1.08 per year; 95% CI 1.03–1.12), renal replacement therapy on reoperation (aOR 3.95; 95% CI 1.36–11.49) and diabetes (OR 6.95; 95% CI 1.34–36.03). The risk factors associated with surgical failure were documented piperacillin/tazobactam therapy (aOR 1.99; 95% CI 1.13–3.51), peritoneal cultures containing Klebsiella spp. (aOR 2.45; 95% CI 1.02–5.88) and pancreatic source of infection (aOR 2.91; 95% CI 1.21–7.01). No specific risk factors were identified for microbiological failure.

Conclusions

Our data suggest a predominant role of comorbidities, the severity of post-operative peritonitis and possibly of documented piperacillin/tazobactam treatment on the occurrence of therapeutic failures, regardless of their type.
Association of Genetic Testing Results With Mortality Among Women With Breast Cancer or Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Kurian Allison W , Abrahamse Paul , Bondarenko Irina , Hamilton Ann S , Deapen Dennis , Gomez Scarlett L , Morrow Monica , Berek Jonathan S , Hofer Timothy P , Katz Steven J , Ward Kevin C
Published: August 2021

Background

Breast cancer and ovarian cancer patients increasingly undergo germline genetic testing. However, little is known about cancer-specific mortality among carriers of a pathogenic variant (PV) in BRCA1/2 or other genes in a population-based setting.

Methods

Georgia and California Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registry records were linked to clinical genetic testing results. Women were included who had stages I-IV breast cancer or ovarian cancer diagnosed in 2013-2017, received chemotherapy, and were linked to genetic testing results. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine the association of genetic results with cancer-specific mortality.

Results

22 495 breast cancer and 4320 ovarian cancer patients were analyzed, with a median follow-up of 41 months. PVs were present in 12.7% of breast cancer patients with estrogen and/or progesterone receptor-positive, HER2-negative cancer, 9.8% with HER2-positive cancer, 16.8% with triple-negative breast cancer, and 17.2% with ovarian cancer. Among triple-negative breast cancer patients, cancer-specific mortality was lower with BRCA1 (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.35 to 0.69) and BRCA2 PVs (HR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.41 to 0.89), and equivalent with PVs in other genes (HR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.37 to 1.13), vs noncarriers. Among ovarian cancer patients, cancer-specific mortality was lower with PVs in BRCA2 (HR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.25 to 0.49) and genes other than BRCA1/2 (HR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.32 to 0.69). No PV was associated with higher cancer-specific mortality.

Conclusions

Among breast cancer and ovarian cancer patients treated with chemotherapy in the community, BRCA1/2 and other gene PV carriers had equivalent or lower short-term cancer-specific mortality than noncarriers. These results may reassure newly diagnosed patients, and longer follow-up is ongoing.
Assessing the relative role of climate and human activities on vegetation cover changes in the up–down stream of Danjiangkou, China
Authors: Liu Hai , Liu Feng , Yuan Hongmeng , Zheng Liang , Zhang Yuan
Published: August 2021

Danjiangkou Reservoir is water source of Middle Route Project of the South-to-North Water Diversion (SNWD) Project, research on the dynamic changes in vegetation cover and its influencing factors is of great significance for understanding the ecological environment of the water diversion area and formulating protection measures. In this study, the normalized difference in vegetation index (NDVI) was used to analyze the dynamic changes and influencing factors of vegetation in the upstream and downstream of Danjiangkou Dam from 1982 to 2018. The results showed that the NDVI exhibited an upward trend of 0.017 year−1 (P < 0.05), and that the significantly increased area was located near the valley upstream of the dam, while the significantly decreased area was mainly distributed in the basin downstream of the dam and around the central city. The comprehensive contributions of climate and human activity factors to NDVI changes were 92.03% and 7.97%, respectively. The human activities in the upstream of the dam were mainly reflected in the ecological measures such as returning farmland to forest; the human activities at the downstream of the dam were mainly reflected in urban expansion, occupation of cultivated land and forest land by construction land.
Prospective cohort study using ultrasonography of Schistosoma haematobium–infected migrants
Authors: Tamarozzi Francesca , Ursini Tamara , Ronzoni Niccolò , Badona Monteiro Geraldo , Gobbi Federico G , Angheben Andrea , Richter Joachim , Buonfrate Dora , Bisoffi Zeno
Published: August 2021

Background

Chronic infection with Schistosoma haematobium may lead to serious complications, including bladder carcinoma. Although it is recommended that only bladder masses not regressing within 6 months after praziquantel intake should be investigated invasively, cystoendoscopy is still often performed at diagnosis even in the absence of further signs of concern. No prospective study so far evaluated the evolution of bladder lesions after treatment in case of no risk of reinfection, which could inform case management.

Methods

Adult African migrants with active S. haematobium infection, as assessed by positive urine PCR or microscopy for eggs in urine or bladder biopsy, underwent urinary tract ultrasound at enrolment and at 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 months after praziquantel treatment. Patients in advanced pregnancy or with known Schistosoma-unrelated chronic pathology of the urinary tract were excluded.

Results

Twenty-one patients, aged 18–29 years, participated in the study; ten (47.6%) had bladder masses on ultrasound. Follow-up ≥6 months was completed by 16 (76.2%) patients; ≥12 months by 14 (66.7%) and 24 months by 11 (52.4%). All patients with bladder lesions on enrolment completed a follow-up of ≥6 months. Lesions resolved completely by 6 months in all cases and no new development/re-appearance was observed.

Conclusions

This is the first prospective, long-term follow-up study with ultrasound of patients with urinary schistosomiasis outside endemic areas. Mucosal masses in young patients regressed after treatment without recurrence, supporting the recommendation that invasive procedures should be avoided unless lesions or other symptoms/signs of concern persist for > 6 months. Further studies should assess the evolution of bladder lesions after treatment in larger populations, including older age groups, and, ideally, with parallel assessment of other biomarkers of urinary pathology and of residual S. haematobium active infection.
Unintended health and societal consequences of international travel measures during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review
Authors: Klinger Carmen , Burns Jacob , Movsisyan Ani , Biallas Renke , Norris Susan L , Rabe Julia E , Stratil Jan M , Voss Stephan , Wabnitz Katharina , Rehfuess Eva A , Verboom Ben ,   the CEOsys Consortium
Published: August 2021

Background/Objective

International travel measures to contain the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic represent a relatively intrusive form of non-pharmaceutical intervention. To inform decision-making on the (re)implementation, adaptation, relaxation or suspension of such measures, it is essential to not only assess their effectiveness but also their unintended effects.

Methods

This scoping review maps existing empirical studies on the unintended consequences, both predicted and unforeseen, and beneficial or harmful, of international travel measures. We searched multiple health, non-health and COVID-19-specific databases. The evidence was charted in a map in relation to the study design, intervention and outcome categories identified and discussed narratively.

Results

Twenty-three studies met our inclusion criteria—nine quasi-experimental, two observational, two mathematical modelling, six qualitative and four mixed-methods studies. Studies addressed different population groups across various countries worldwide. Seven studies provided information on unintended consequences of the closure of national borders, six looked at international travel restrictions and three investigated mandatory quarantine of international travellers. No studies looked at entry and/or exit screening at national borders exclusively, however six studies considered this intervention in combination with other international travel measures. In total, 11 studies assessed various combinations of the aforementioned interventions. The outcomes were mostly referred to by the authors as harmful. Fifteen studies identified a variety of economic consequences, six reported on aspects related to quality of life, well-being, and mental health and five on social consequences. One study each provided information on equity, equality, and the fair distribution of benefits and burdens, environmental consequences and health system consequences.

Conclusion

This scoping review represents the first step towards a systematic assessment of the unintended benefits and harms of international travel measures during COVID-19. The key research gaps identified might be filled with targeted primary research, as well as the additional consideration of gray literature and non-empirical studies.
The impact of binaries on the evolution of star clusters from turbulent molecular clouds
Authors: Torniamenti Stefano , Ballone Alessandro , Mapelli Michela , Gaspari Nicola , Di Carlo Ugo N , Rastello Sara , Giacobbo Nicola , Pasquato Mario
Published: August 2021

Most of massive stars form in binary or higher order systems in clumpy, substructured clusters. In the very first phases of their life, these stars are expected to interact with the surrounding environment, before being released to the field when the cluster is tidally disrupted by the host galaxy. We present a set of N-body simulations to describe the evolution of young stellar clusters and their binary content in the first phases of their life. To do this, we have developed a method that generates realistic initial conditions for binary stars in star clusters from hydrodynamical simulations. We considered different evolutionary cases to quantify the impact of binary and stellar evolution. Also, we compared their evolution to that of King and fractal models with different length-scales. Our results indicate that the global expansion of the cluster from hydrodynamical simulations is initially balanced by the subclump motion and accelerates when a monolithic shape is reached, as in a post-core collapse evolution. Compared to the spherical initial conditions, the ratio of the 50 per cent to 10 per cent Lagrangian radius shows a very distinctive trend, explained by the formation of a hot core of massive stars triggered by the high initial degree of mass segregation. As for its binary population, each cluster shows a self-regulating behaviour by creating interacting binaries with binding energies of the order of its energy scales. Also, in the absence of original binaries, the dynamically formed binaries display a mass-dependent binary fraction, spontaneously reproducing the trend of the observed binary fraction.
New insight into the formation mechanism of the energetic particle reservoirs in the heliosphere
Authors: He H-Q
Published: August 2021

The concept of energetic particle reservoirs, essentially based on the assumption of the presence of outer reflecting boundaries/magnetic mirrors or diffusion barriers (deterministic) rather than on the effect of particle diffusive propagation (stochastic) in magnetic turbulence, has been used for decades to describe the space-extended decay phases of energetic particle events within the fields of space physics, solar physics, and plasma physics. Using five-dimensional time-dependent Fokker–Planck transport equation simulations, in this work, we demonstrate that the so-called particle reservoirs are naturally explained and quantitatively reproduced by diffusion processes in turbulent magnetic fields, without invoking the hypothesis of reflecting boundaries. Our results strongly suggest that the so-called reservoir (based on deterministic structure) should be renamed ‘flood’ (based on stochastic diffusion), which symbolizes an authentic shift in thinking and in pragmatic rationale for the studies of energetic particles and relevant plasma phenomena in heliophysics and in astrophysics.
PHROG: families of prokaryotic virus proteins clustered using remote homology
Authors: Terzian Paul , Olo Ndela Eric , Galiez Clovis , Lossouarn Julien , Pérez Bucio Rubén Enrique , Mom Robin , Toussaint Ariane , Petit Marie-Agnès , Enault François
Published: August 2021

Viruses are abundant, diverse and ancestral biological entities. Their diversity is high, both in terms of the number of different protein families encountered and in the sequence heterogeneity of each protein family. The recent increase in sequenced viral genomes constitutes a great opportunity to gain new insights into this diversity and consequently urges the development of annotation resources to help functional and comparative analysis. Here, we introduce PHROG (Prokaryotic Virus Remote Homologous Groups), a library of viral protein families generated using a new clustering approach based on remote homology detection by HMM profile-profile comparisons. Considering 17 473 reference (pro)viruses of prokaryotes, 868 340 of the total 938 864 proteins were grouped into 38 880 clusters that proved to be a 2-fold deeper clustering than using a classical strategy based on BLAST-like similarity searches, and yet to remain homogeneous. Manual inspection of similarities to various reference sequence databases led to the annotation of 5108 clusters (containing 50.6 % of the total protein dataset) with 705 different annotation terms, included in 9 functional categories, specifically designed for viruses. Hopefully, PHROG will be a useful tool to better annotate future prokaryotic viral sequences thus helping the scientific community to better understand the evolution and ecology of these entities.
A NOVEL METHOD FOR ESTIMATING PATIENT-SPECIFIC PRIMARY DOSE IN CONE-BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY
Authors: Kim Jinwoo , Kim Ho Kyung
Published: August 2021

For the purpose of real-time scan-protocol optimisation and patient-specific dose management in cone-beam computed tomography, we introduce a numerical algorithm that estimates the primary dose distributions in reconstructed images. The proposed algorithm is based on the ray-tracing technique and utilises reconstructed voxel data and scanning protocol. The algorithm is validated with the Monte Carlo (MC) and conventional model-based dose reconstruction methods for the simple cylindrical water and anthropomorphic head phantoms. The algorithm shows good agreement with both methods in terms of the zeroth-order x-ray interactions, which exclude the higher-order x-ray interactions at sites distant from the first interactions, and it consumes a significantly lower computational cost compared with the MC method. The differences between the proposed algorithm and the model-based dose reconstruction method as well as the improvement strategies of the algorithm are discussed in detail.
Lesion evidence for a causal role of the insula in aversion to social inequity
Authors: Nitsch Felix Jan , Strenger Hannah , Knecht Stefan , Studer Bettina
Published: August 2021

Humans resist unequal distributions of goods in their social interactions, even if it requires foregoing personal gains. Functional neuroimaging studies implicate the insula in this aversion to social inequity and in fairness-related decisions, but a causal contribution has not yet been established. We compared the responses of 30 patients with lesions to the insula on a multiple-trial version of the one-shot Ultimatum Game, a neuroeconomic social exchange paradigm where a sum of money is split between two players, to those of 30 matched patients with brain injuries sparing the insula. Insula lesion patients accepted offers of an unequal disadvantageous split significantly more often than comparison lesion patients. Computational modeling confirmed that this difference in choice behavior was due to decreased aversion to disadvantageous inequity following insula damage, rather than due to increased decision noise or non-consideration of inequity. Our results provide novel evidence that the insula is causally involved in aversion to inequity and in value-based choices in the context of social interactions.
Range-Adaptive Value Representation in Different Stages of Schizophrenia: A Proof of Concept Study
Authors: Wang Ling-Ling , Lam Christina Y T , Huang Jia , Cheung Eric F C , Lui Simon S Y , Chan Raymond C K
Published: August 2021

Amotivation is related to value representation. A comprehensive account of amotivation requires a mechanistic understanding of how the brain exploits external information to represent value. To achieve maximal value discriminability, brain valuation system will dynamically adapt its coding sensitivity to the range of values available in any given condition, so-called range adaptive coding. We administered an experimental task to 30 patients with chronic schizophrenia (C-SCZ), 30 first-episode schizophrenia (FE-SCZ), 34 individuals with high social anhedonia (HSoA), and their paired controls to assess range adaptation ability. C-SCZ patients exhibited over-adaptation and their performances were negatively correlated with avolition symptoms and positive symptoms and positively correlated with blunted-affect symptoms and self-reported consummatory interpersonal pleasure scores, though the results were non-significant. FE-SCZ patients exhibited reduced adaptation, which was significantly and negatively correlated with avolition symptoms and positively correlated with the overall proportion of choosing to exert more effort. Although HSoA participants exhibited comparable range adaptation to controls, their performances were significantly and negatively correlated with the proportion of choosing to exert more effort under the lowest value condition. Our results suggest that different stages of schizophrenia spectrum showed distinct range adaptation patterns. Range adaptation impairments may index a possible underlying mechanism for amotivation symptoms in FE-SCZ and more complicated and pervasive effects on clinical symptoms in C-SCZ.