bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Increased nitrous oxide emissions from intertidal soil receiving wastewater from dredging shrimp pond sediments
Authors: Chen Guangcheng , Chen Jiahui , Ou Danyun , Tam Nora F Y , Chen Shunyang , Zhang Qinghua , Chen Bin , Ye Yong
Published: May 2020

The quantities of greenhouse gas emissions and the activity of functional microbes in coastal soils receiving nutrient-rich wastewaters from mariculture activities have seldom been reported. We investigated the effects of wastewater discharge resulting from dredging shrimp pond sediment on the soil fluxes of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) in intertidal areas and on the functional microorganisms and physio-chemical characteristics of soil. The temporal variations in gas fluxes and soil characteristics following wastewater discharge were also evaluated with the tidal regime on the day of discharge taken into account. The results showed that wastewater discharge immediately resulted in higher levels of ammonia (NH4
+-N) deposited and N2O emissions from the soil at the discharge site than at the non-discharge site, while the CH4 flux was not affected. The increase in N2O flux lasted for a longer time when the discharge was performed during a neap tide day than when it was performed during a spring tide day. Wastewater discharge also increased the abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacterial (AOB) amoA genes and nosZ genes in soil rather than increasing the abundance of narG and nirK genes. The pattern of temporal variations between the N2O flux and soil NH4
+–N content was similar to that between the flux and the AOB-amoA gene abundance, suggesting that bacterial nitrification was important for N2O production in soil receiving the dredging wastewater. The results suggest that the wastewater discharge impacts nitrogen metabolism processes and causes a significant N2O emission problem; therefore, pollutant management is essential in shrimp culturing activities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
On the role of rainfall deficits and cropping choices in loss of agricultural yield in Marathwada, India
Authors: Zachariah Mariam , Mondal Arpita , Das Mainak , AchutaRao Krishna Mirle , Ghosh Subimal
Published: May 2020

Crop loss and ensuing social crises can be detrimental for the agriculture-driven economy of India. Though some studies identify country-wide increasing temperatures as the dominant factor for crop loss, the agro-climatic diversity within the country necessitates an understanding of the influence of climate variability on yields at regional scales. We report a complex interplay among rainfall, temperature and cropping choices, with a focus on the drought-prone Marathwada region in Maharashtra. Our analysis based on observations, as well as statistical and process-based modelling experiments, and temperature projections of 1.5 °C and 2 °C warmer worlds show that for the two major cropping seasons, rainfall deficit is the primary cause of crop failure, as compared to rising temperatures. The gradual shift from drought-resilient food crops, such as sorghum and pearl-millet to water-intensive cash crops such as sugarcane in recent years, is seemingly responsible for aggravating this crisis. Our findings warrant strategies promoting drought-resilient food crops, that will be useful, not only for mitigating the immediate agrarian crisis, but also for curbing impending threats to food security in the region under future climate change.
Climatic Zoning of SST in the East China Sea and Adjacent Seas from 1981 to 2010
Authors: Meng Xiangchun , Kang Jiancheng , Wang Xin
Published: May 2020

In this study, the data of sea surface temperature (SST) and current for 1981 to 2010 from the SODA_2.2.4 were used to analyze the climatic zoning characteristics of SST in the East China Sea and adjacent sea areas, and the relationship between SST and relevant factors, to provide a reference for further research on long-term climate change. The results show that : (1) Under the combined action of sea-land distribution, latitude and ocean current, the study area can be divided into three climatic zones: the continental shelf area of the East China Sea, the Kuroshio area of the East China Sea and the Northwest Pacific Ocean. SST from northwest to southeast presents a low - high - second high distribution pattern. (2) Due to the influence of the change of direct point of the sun, the highest SST in the low and high latitudes is 1 month apart, which is July and August respectively. In general, the isotherm in the study area is dense in February. The average SST in the whole region was the lowest, about 19.9°C. The temperature difference between North and South is large, about 17°C. August isotherms are sparse; the average SST in the whole area is the highest, about 28.5°C; the temperature difference between north and south is small, about 6°C. (3) The annual temperature difference of the surface waters of the whole study area is related to latitude. Compared with the latitude, the annual temperature difference in the continental shelf area is the largest, and the Kuroshio area is the smallest. According to coefficient of variation of monthly SST, the annual variation of SST decreases from northwest to southeast. (4) SST rises fastest in May, June and July; and declines fastest in December and January. High-latitude sea areas and near-shore sea areas have rapider and larger changes in SST, and the Kuroshio affected area has slower and smaller changes.
Research on the Technology of a Multifunctional Intelligent Rural Work Machine
Authors: Liu Jilu , Wang Chunfang , Tan Weibing
Published: May 2020

Based on a full study of the agricultural mechanization market, a three-step strategic development plan for the intelligent rural management machine is formulated. The first generation of our products is now on the market. This rural business machine does not require manual driving, but still requires manual remote field remote control. The research of the project is centered on a cruise intelligent rural operation machine with satellite positioning system. This type of intelligent rural work machine equipped with a navigation system uses GPS satellite navigation, so the positioning accuracy can reach 5 cm. Therefore, we only need to set the work area, and then the machine’s measurement and control system can automatically plan the work route. We change different agricultural implements, such as: harvesters, tractors, pesticide sprayers, etc. After the navigation system is installed on these agricultural implements, the main agricultural operations such as planting, spraying, and harvesting of farmers can be completed automatically, which saves labor costs and improves operation efficiency. This rural work machine truly realizes the precision and intelligence of work.
Combination use of gravimetry, CSAMT and SOTEM methods in geophysical prospection of a polymetallic silver-copper deposit: Case studies in the Inner Mongolia, China
Authors: Huang Lishan , Zeng Youqiang , Liu Wentao , Jing Rongzhong
Published: May 2020

Geophysical methods, which use physical properties to reveal the structure of the underground spaces, have been widely applied in geological exploration. However, a single geophysical approach only reflects the distribution of a kind of physical property and therefore has its limitations. To improve the reliability of geophysical methods in actual geological exploration, in this paper, we are trying to combine the use of a variety of geophysical exploration methods, such as gravity, control source audio magnetotelluric method (CSATMT) and electrical source short offset transient electromagnetic method (SOTEM), to a specific metal in Inner Mongolia. Firstly, the gravimetry method is applied to figure out the anomalous area, and then the CSAMT method is adopted to probe the deep electrical distribution. Finally, the SOTEM method is applied for further auxiliary verification. Results show that the underground structure is well revealed by combing the use of these methods. This paper can be used as a reference for the exploration of concealed ore bodies in polymetallic ore deposits. To use a combination of methods to measure. In the geological exploration of a polymetallic silver-copper mine in Inner Mongolia, a variety of geophysical exploration methods such as gravity measurement, controllable source audio magnetotelluric measurement and electrical source short offset transient electromagnetic method were combined, and geological data were combined. The better exploration results provide reference for the layout of the drilling location of the drilling project, and provide assistance for the prospecting breakthrough of the concealed ore body in the polymetallic mining area.
Time Determination of Gas Extraction in Coal Seam Drilling
Authors: Hong Ding , Dong Wang
Published: May 2020

In order to determine the time of the gas extraction of the solid unstable coal seam, based on the characteristics of the change of gas concentration under the condition of continuous extraction of high negative pressure, the drilling gas parameters were tested on the spot and the gas concentration attenuation curve was drawn, and the law of attenuation of the drilling gas concentration was analyzed comprehensively using gas flow theory and geomechanics-related theory. The results show that the interval between the detection and drainage is 0 to 60d, the time of the extraction is 3d, the time of extraction is 60 to 120d, the time of the water testing interval is 7d, the extraction time is 120 to 180d, the time of the water testing interval is 15d, and the extraction time is 180 to 300d. The interval between the measurement of the flow is 30d.
Dynamic Range Expansion Method of Three-component HTc SQUIDs Magnetometer
Authors: Gong X W , Guo J Y , Du J Q , Teng D , Wang Y
Published: May 2020

In view of the small dynamic range of the three-component high-temperature superconducting quantum interference device (HTc SQUID) magnetometer and it is easy to exceed the measurement range when working in the field without magnetic shielding environment. A dynamic range expansion method based on step compensation is proposed. By setting a magnetic compensation coil on each axis of the three-component HTc SQUIDs magnetometer probe, a current is passed to generate a magnetic field opposite to the direction of the external magnetic field to offset most of the magnetic field to be measured. The measured values are calculated and processed to obtain the magnetic field value to be measured. The test results show that the method can greatly improve the dynamic range without reducing the sensitivity of the magnetometer, which can work stably in a non-magnetic shielding environment and meet the requirements of field geophysical magnetic exploration.
Linear Analysis of the Correlation Between Industrial Development and Foreign Trade Development in Guangdong Province—Based on Time Series Data from 2005 to 2018
Authors: Zhong Jiayi
Published: May 2020

As a developed province along the eastern coast of China, Guangdong Province has a close relationship between industrial development and foreign trade. Based on the 2005-2018 time series data, the relevant principles and methods such as least squares method and elasticity theory were used to conduct an empirical analysis of the correlation between Guangdong’s industrial development and foreign trade. The research found that compared with the tertiary industry, the secondary industry is more closely related to foreign trade. However, the tertiary industry is more sensitive to changes in foreign trade. Based on the quantitative measurement of the correlation between industrial development and foreign trade, a number of policy recommendations were proposed.
Review on Thermophysical Properties and Corrosion Performance of Molten Salt in High Temperature Thermal Energy Storage
Authors: Song Xiaoyun , Zhang Gaoqun , Tan Hui , Chang Liang , Cai Linhai , Xu Guizhi , Deng Zhanfeng , Han Zhibo
Published: May 2020

Molten salt is a type of material for high temperature thermal energy storage. The thermophysical property, thermostability, and corrosion performance of molten salt are the main points of interest in thermal energy storage field. How to further broaden the usage temperature range of molten salt, develop more molten salts with low melting points, and optimize the thermal conductivity and viscosity of materials has been widely concerned by researchers. Recently, thermal storage technology of molten salt has been applied to the field of concentrating solar power. The thermophysical property, and corrosive performance of molten salt are very important for the large-scale preparation and application of molten salt materials. Based on the classification of molten salt materials, this paper reviews the thermophysical properties of some common molten salts (carbonate, chloride, nitrate, polybasic salt, etc.), and summarizes the current research progress of improving its thermophysical properties. Moreover, the corrosive performance of several types of commonly used molten salts in thermal energy storage applications is analyzed. Besides, some corrosion protection technologies are proposed according to the current application of molten salt and the corrosion mechanism. Finally, the development trend of the application of molten salt in the field of heat storage is prospected.
Experimental Study on Indoor Thermal Environment of Capillary Radiant Cooling Based on Different Installation Methods
Authors: Yu Ze , Li Nan , Hu Xiaoqian
Published: May 2020

The paper, taking the room of an office building as an example, makes a comparison on the changes of response, indoor temperature field and cooling surface temperature between the capillary radiation cooling ceilings and walls at 16 °C and 18 °C through the experimental study. The results show that: 1) when the water supply temperature is set to 16 °C and 18 °C, the indoor temperature can meet the design requirements when the system works stably. 2) No matter what types of radiant cooling is used, the indoor temperature drop rate increases with the decrease of water supply temperature. In the height range of 0.7m to 1.5m from the ground, the temperature drop rate of radiant cooling ceilings is 1.8-2.4°C/h, and that of radiant cooling wall is 0.8-1.1°C/h. 3) When the system reaches the stable phase, the wall cooling system presents a state of “lower cooling and upper heating”, and the radiant cooling ceilings presents a state of “upper and lower cooling, middle heating”, but the horizontal and vertical maximum temperature difference does not exceed 2.0°C, which meets the thermal comfort requirements of the human body.
Research on the Strength of the Attachment Device of the Attached Crane
Authors: Wang Gangsen
Published: May 2020

Based on the construction example of Shandong International Plaza project, perform a force analysis on the attachment device of the main building crane up to 200 meters, and use a simplified model of structural mechanics to verify that the strength of the attachment device meets the requirements; based on the site conditions of the crane, a finite element calculation The model and simulation analysis under the most unfavorable conditions verify the safety of the crane. According to the simulation data, the design characteristics of the attachment device’s force characteristics are summarized, and a safer and more economical solution is obtained.
The Post-occupancy Evaluation Over the Landscape of the Campus of Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University
Authors: JiaFeng Shen , Wei Huang , Yun Wu
Published: May 2020

This paper obtains the post-occupancy evaluation over the landscape of Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University through a questionnaire survey. Then, this paper carries out relevant investigation over the East Lake Teahouse, which is the most important part of the campus environment, and its surrounding environment, as well as its flow of people. After that, this paper discusses and analyses the effect imposed by the landscape environment on teachers and students on campus and tourists off campus from the perspective of environmental psychology, and draws corresponding conclusions.
New perspectives on mass conservation law and waves in fluid mechanics
Authors: Kambe Tsutomu
Published: May 2020

Noether’s theorem reads: ‘A symmetry implies a conservation law’. From a single relativistic energy equation of fluid motion, two conservation equations are obtained in the non-relativistic limit: mass conservation and energy conservation of traditional form. We are concerned with the mass conservation equation and investigate what symmetry implies the mass conservation, and conversely what symmetry the mass conservation implies. This study is guided by the general representation of rotational flows of an ideal compressible fluid satisfying Euler’s equation derived by Kambe in 2013, giving a hint of existence of a set of gauge fields. Thus our physical system is a combined system consisting of a fluid flow and a background field described with a set of gauge fields. The gauge invariance of the latter fields assures the law of mass conservation. Conversely as far as the mass conservation law is valid, the gauge invariance is assured for the action representing interaction between the two components of the combined fields. The proposed background field has wavy nature. Present combined system describes wave excitation by fluid flows, both irrotational and rotational, and enables rederivation of the Lighhthill’s equation of aerodynamic sound with a correction term naturally. Rotational waves are also excited in shear flows with their phase speed different from the sound speed.
Solution of the 3D logarithmic Schrödinger equation with a central potential
Authors: Shertzer J , Scott T C
Published: May 2020

Some form of the time-independent logarithmic Schrödinger equation (log SE) arises in almost every branch of physics. Nevertheless, little progress has been made in obtaining analytical or numerical solutions due to the nonlinearity of the logarithmic term in the Hamiltonian. Even for a central potential, the Hamiltonian does not commute with

L

2

or

L

z

;

the Hamiltonian is invariant under the parity operation only if the wave function is an eigenstate of the parity operator. We show that the solutions with well-defined parity can be expressed as a linear combination of eigenstates of

L

2

and

L

z

,

where the parity restrictions on

l

and

m

determine the nodal structure of the wave function. The dominant contribution in the sum is designated as

l
˜

and

m
˜

;

these serve as approximate quantum numbers. Using an iterative finite element approach, we also carry out fully converged numerical calculations in 1D, 2D and 3D for the special case of a Coulomb potential. The nodal structure of the wave functions and the expectation values

L

2

and

L

z

2

are consistent with the analytical predictions. Values for the energy and expectations values are tabulated for the low-lying states. The methods developed for this problem are applicable across many areas of physics.
Yeast synaptobrevin, Snc1, engages distinct routes of postendocytic recycling mediated by a sorting nexin, Rcy1-COPI, and retromer
Authors: Best Jordan T. , Xu Peng , McGuire Jack G. , Leahy Shannon N. , Graham Todd R.
Published: May 2020

The yeast synaptobrevin, Snc1, uses multiple modes of postendocytic recycling to facilitate its return to either the trans-Golgi network or the plasma membrane. Snc1 primarily recycles via pathways dependent on either Rcy1/COPI or Snx4, while a smaller portion of the SNARE appears to be capable of being retrieved by retromer.
Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan Windpipe modulates Hedgehog signaling inDrosophila
Authors: Takemura Masahiko , Noborn Fredrik , Nilsson Jonas , Bowden Nanako , Nakato Eriko , Baker Sarah , Su Tsu-Yi , Larson Göran , Nakato Hiroshi
Published: May 2020

Using a recently developed glycoproteomic method, we identified a novel chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, Windpipe (Wdp), in Drosophila. Wdp has three chondroitin sulfate sugar chains on the extracellular domain. We show that Wdp negatively regulates Hedgehog signaling via the chondroitin sulfate sugar chains.
A mechanism for neurofilament transport acceleration through nodes of Ranvier
Authors: Ciocanel Maria-Veronica , Jung Peter , Brown Anthony
Published: May 2020

Axonal neurofilament polymers are transported along microtubule tracks and accelerated at nodes of Ranvier, where axons are locally constricted. We developed a stochastic model of neurofilament transport in space and time that suggests that proximity to microtubule tracks may be a key regulator of neurofilament transport.
Proteomic analysis of desmosomes reveals novel components required for epidermal integrity
Authors: Badu-Nkansah Kwabena A. , Lechler Terry
Published: May 2020

Desmosomes are cell-cell adhesion structures that are required for the integrity of the skin and heart. Here, we have used a proteomics approach to identify novel desmosome-associated proteins. Ablation of Crk and Crkl, two such proteins identified, results in desmosome defects, epidermal fragility and neonatal lethality.
Abl signaling directs growth of a pioneer axon inDrosophilaby shaping the intrinsic fluctuations of actin
Authors: Clarke Akanni , McQueen Philip G. , Fang Hsiao Yu , Kannan Ramakrishnan , Wang Victor , McCreedy Evan , Wincovitch Stephen , Giniger Edward
Published: May 2020

Live imaging reveals that a forward bias of the stochastic actin fluctuations in the distal part of an axon drives axon extension by advancing the protrusive, filopodial domain of the growth cone. The actin mass is itself shaped by guidance signaling via Abl tyrosine kinase, which regulates growth cone length and minimizes its disorder.
Spindle pole bodies function as signal amplifiers in the Mitotic Exit Network
Authors: Campbell Ian W. , Zhou Xiaoxue , Amon Angelika
Published: May 2020

The signal transduction cascade, known as the mitotic exit network (MEN), detects nuclear position by scaffolding its GTPase onto the spindle pole body that moves into the daughter cell during anaphase. Propagating the MEN kinase cascade onto two spindle pole bodies amplifies MEN signaling, resulting in a timely exit from mitosis.
The FTS-Hook-FHIP (FHF) complex interacts with AP-4 to mediate perinuclear distribution of AP-4 and its cargo ATG9A
Authors: Mattera Rafael , Williamson Chad D. , Ren Xuefeng , Bonifacino Juan S.
Published: May 2020

In this study, we identify the dynein–dynactin adaptor FTS-Hook-FHIP (FHF) complex as an accessory factor for the TGN-associated adaptor protein 4 (AP-4) coat. We show that FHF is required for distribution of AP-4 and its cargo ATG9A to the perinuclear area, highlighting a novel mechanism for coupling of transport vesicles to microtubule motors.
Coordinated changes in cell membrane and cytoplasm during maturation of apoptotic bleb
Authors: Aoki Kana , Satoi Shinsuke , Harada Shota , Uchida Seiichi , Iwasa Yoh , Ikenouchi Junichi
Published: May 2020

In the course of apoptosis, blebs eventually mature into apoptotic bodies that have immune-modulating activities. We clarified changes that occur in the cell membrane during apoptosis, and that those changes are essential for the formation of apoptotic bodies.
EphB1 interaction with caveolin-1 in endothelial cells modulates caveolae biogenesis
Authors: Tiruppathi Chinnaswamy , Regmi Sushil C. , Wang Dong-Mei , Mo Gary C. H. , Toth Peter T. , Vogel Stephen M. , Stan Radu V. , Henkemeyer Mark , Minshall Richard D. , Rehman Jalees , Malik Asrar B.
Published: May 2020

Receptor tyrosine kinase EphB1 expressed in endothelial cells interacts with caveolin-1 (Cav-1) scaffold domain. EphB1/Cav-1 interaction is essential for caveolae biogenesis and Src-dependent Cav-1 phosphorylation on Y14.
Living on an island
Authors: Jones Jonathan Spencer
Published: May 2020

Jonathan Spencer Jones takes a snapshot of early astronomy in the Caribbean through the lives of two Fellows of the RAS.
scTPA: a web tool for single-cell transcriptome analysis of pathway activation signatures
Authors: Zhang Yan , Zhang Yaru , Hu Jun , Zhang Ji , Guo Fangjie , Zhou Meng , Zhang Guijun , Yu Fulong , Su Jianzhong
Published: May 2020

Motivation

At present, a fundamental challenge in single-cell RNA-sequencing data analysis is functional interpretation and annotation of cell clusters. Biological pathways in distinct cell types have different activation patterns, which facilitates the understanding of cell functions using single-cell transcriptomics. However, no effective web tool has been implemented for single-cell transcriptome data analysis based on prior biological pathway knowledge.

Results

Here, we present scTPA, a web-based platform for pathway-based analysis of single-cell RNA-seq data in human and mouse. scTPA incorporates four widely-used gene set enrichment methods to estimate the pathway activation scores of single cells based on a collection of available biological pathways with different functional and taxonomic classifications. The clustering analysis and cell-type-specific activation pathway identification were provided for the functional interpretation of cell types from a pathway-oriented perspective. An intuitive interface allows users to conveniently visualize and download single-cell pathway signatures. Overall, scTPA is a comprehensive tool for the identification of pathway activation signatures for the analysis of single cell heterogeneity.

Availability and implementation

http://sctpa.bio-data.cn/sctpa.

Contact

sujz@wmu.edu.cn or yufulong421@gmail.com or zgj@zjut.edu.cn

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Adaptive response to olive cultivation in a generalist parasitic nematode (Meloidogyne javanica)
Authors: Chapuis Elodie , Ali Nadeen , Noûs Camille , Besnard Guillaume
Published: May 2020

Cultivated plants usually differ from their wild progenitors in several morphological and/or physiological traits. Their microbe communities might also differ because of adaptation to new conditions related to cultivation. To test this hypothesis, we investigated morphological traits in a parthenogenetic root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne javanica) from natural and agricultural environments. Seventeen populations of M. javanica were sampled on cultivated and wild olives in Morocco, then maintained in controlled conditions for a ‘common garden’ experiment. We estimated the genetic variation based on three traits (stylet size, neck width and body width) by a quantitative genetic design (ten families per population and nine individuals per family were measured), and molecular variation was investigated with a mitochondrial marker to identify the genetic lineages of nematode isolates sampled from wild and cultivated olives. Significant morphological differences were detected between individuals from wild vs. cultivated hosts for the three traits, whereas no phylogenetic clustering was observed among isolates collected on those two hosts. Our results thus suggest an adaptive response of the asexual parasite, possibly related to the deep modification of soil nematode communities between natural olive stands and orchards.
Bridge over Troubled Water—Closing the Research–Practice Gap in Social Work
Authors: Denvall Verner , Skillmark Mikael
Published: May 2020

Since starting over a hundred years ago social work has been occupied with the division into academic and practical knowledge. A common theme in scientific journals of social work is how this gap can be understood and resolved. The initial purpose of this article was to carry out a systematic review to find out if and how the gap could be bridged. Because few independent studies could be found, the study instead took the form of a scoping review with more included articles. The results show concrete suggestions as to how to bridge the gap, but also three discourses with dissimilar problem definitions and solutions. The emergence of proposals such as the evidence-based practice and its diverse combinations, the formation of new institutions, and today’s globalisation triggers this fragmentation. The consequences are vast confusions of opinions and explanations which illustrate competing knowledge positions. The authors propose that researchers and practitioners should orient themselves in this landscape when building bridges between academia and practice. Instead of taking the research–practice gap for granted, they suggest that social work should relate more closely to these three discourses.
Applications of CRISPR-Cas systems in lactic acid bacteria
Authors: Roberts Avery , Barrangou Rodolphe
Published: May 2020

As a phenotypically and phylogenetically diverse group, lactic acid bacteria are found in a variety of natural environments and occupy important roles in medicine, biotechnology, food and agriculture. The widespread use of lactic acid bacteria across these industries fuels the need for new and functionally diverse strains that may be utilized as starter cultures or probiotics. Originally characterized in lactic acid bacteria, CRISPR-Cas systems and derived molecular machines can be used natively or exogenously to engineer new strains with enhanced functional attributes. Research on CRISPR-Cas biology and its applications has exploded over the past decade with studies spanning from the initial characterization of CRISPR-Cas immunity in Streptococcus thermophilus to the use of CRISPR-Cas for clinical gene therapies. Here, we discuss CRISPR-Cas classification, overview CRISPR biology and mechanism of action, and discuss current and future applications in lactic acid bacteria, opening new avenues for their industrial exploitation and manipulation of microbiomes.
Treatment Response of Add-On Esketamine Nasal Spray in Resistant Major Depression in Relation to Add-On Second-Generation Antipsychotic Treatment
Authors: Dold Markus , Bartova Lucie , Kasper Siegfried
Published: May 2020

In this meta-analysis, we aimed to estimate and compare the efficacy of add-on treatment of antidepressants with esketamine nasal spray and second-generation antipsychotics in patients with nonpsychotic major depressive disorder and inadequate response to antidepressants. Searching for acute-phase, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trials, we found 22 second-generation antipsychotic (n = 8363) and 3 intranasal esketamine (n = 641) studies. Mean change in the Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale total score served as outcome. We determined a higher mean difference (vs placebo) for the pooled esketamine nasal spray trials (mean difference = 4.09, 95% confidence interval: 2.01 to 6.17) than for the pooled second-generation antipsychotic augmentation trials (mean difference  = 2.05, 95% confidence interval: 1.51 to 2.59). Thus, the effect size for intranasal esketamine was nearly twice as high as those for the second-generation antipsychotics. This indicates high efficacy of add-on esketamine nasal spray in treatment-resistant major depressive disorder compared with other well-established, evidence-based pharmacological options such as augmentation with second-generation antipsychotics.
Strategic priority-purchasing and joining rules in a retrial queue
Authors: Wang Zhongbin , Wang Jinting
Published: May 2020

This paper considers a retrial queueing system with a pay-for-priority option. A queueing-game-theoretic model that captures the interaction among the customers, the service provider (SP) and the social planner is developed. We obtain the equilibrium strategy of customers for any fixed priority premium and identify the unique Pareto-dominant strategy. The optimal pricing strategies for the SP and the social planner are derived and compared extensively. Interestingly, we find that the equilibrium outcome of customers is non-monotone in the service reward and the profit of the SP is bimodal in the priority premium. We reveal the fact that the SP’s optimization makes the system more congested than what is socially desirable. Finally, numerical examples indicate that the customer welfare can be improved by providing priorities when the market size is large.
A Banach space mixed formulation for the unsteady Brinkman–Forchheimer equations
Authors: Caucao Sergio , Yotov Ivan
Published: May 2020

We propose and analyse a mixed formulation for the Brinkman–Forchheimer equations for unsteady flows. Our approach is based on the introduction of a pseudostress tensor related to the velocity gradient and pressure, leading to a mixed formulation where the pseudostress tensor and the velocity are the main unknowns of the system. We establish existence and uniqueness of a solution to the weak formulation in a Banach space setting, employing classical results on nonlinear monotone operators and a regularization technique. We then present well posedness and error analysis for semidiscrete continuous-in-time and fully discrete finite element approximations on simplicial grids with spatial discretization based on the Raviart–Thomas spaces of degree $k$ for the pseudostress tensor and discontinuous piecewise polynomial elements of degree $k$ for the velocity and backward Euler time discretization. We provide several numerical results to confirm the theoretical rates of convergence and illustrate the performance and flexibility of the method for a range of model parameters.
Role of dendritic cell metabolic reprogramming in tumor immune evasion
Authors: Plebanek Michael P , Sturdivant Michael , DeVito Nicholas C , Hanks Brent A
Published: May 2020

The dendritic cell (DC) is recognized as a vital mediator of anti-tumor immunity. More recent studies have also demonstrated the important role of DCs in the generation of effective responses to checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy. Metabolic programming of DCs dictates their functionality and can determine which DCs become immunostimulatory versus those that develop a tolerized phenotype capable of actively suppressing effector T-cell responses to cancers. As a result, there is great interest in understanding what mechanisms have evolved in cancers to alter these metabolic pathways, thereby allowing for their continued progression and metastasis. The therapeutic strategies developed to reverse these processes of DC tolerization in the tumor microenvironment represent promising candidates for future testing in combination immunotherapy clinical trials.
The 2019 n2c2/UMass Lowell shared task on clinical concept normalization
Authors: Luo Yen-Fu , Henry Sam , Wang Yanshan , Shen Feichen , Uzuner Ozlem , Rumshisky Anna
Published: May 2020

Objective

The n2c2/UMass Lowell spin-off shared task focused on medical concept normalization (MCN) in clinical records. This task aimed to assess state-of-the-art methods for matching salient medical concepts from clinical records to a controlled vocabulary. We describe the task and the dataset used, compare the participating systems, and identify the strengths and limitations of the current approaches and directions for future research.

Materials and Methods

Participating teams were asked to link preselected text spans in discharge summaries (henceforth referred to as concept mentions) to the corresponding concepts in the SNOMED CT (Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms) and RxNorm vocabularies from the Unified Medical Language System. The shared task used the MCN corpus created by the organizers, which maps all mentions of problems, treatments, and tests in the 2010 i2b2/VA challenge data to the Unified Medical Language System concepts. Submitted systems represented 4 broad categories of approaches: cascading dictionary matching, cosine distance, deep learning, and retrieve-and-rank systems. Disambiguation modules were common across all approaches.

Results

A total of 33 teams participated in the shared task. The best-performing team achieved an accuracy of 0.8526. The median and mean performances among all teams were 0.7733 and 0.7426, respectively.

Conclusions

Overall performance among the top 10 teams was high. However, particularly challenging for all teams were mentions requiring disambiguation of misspelled words, acronyms, abbreviations, and mentions with more than 1 possible semantic type. Complex mentions of long, multiword terms were also challenging and, in the future, will require better methods for learning contextualized representations of concept mentions and better use of domain knowledge.
An Effective and Sensitive Environmental Pollutant Sensor for Pymetrozine
Authors: Gao Yudong , Shi Yapan , Li Huimin
Published: May 2020

Background

Establishing an analytical method for detecting environmental pollutant pirimid using electrical analysis technology.

Objective

Establishing a fast and effective environmental pollutant detection sensor.

Methods

Prior to the modification, the bare GCE was pretreated with 0.1 μm alumina slurry and rinsed with water to provide a smooth and clean electrode surface. Afterwards, The fresh GCE surface was coated with 10 μL SWCNT suspension (0.5mg/mL) and dried under IR-lamp. Then the poly(L-arginine)/SWCNT modified GCE (poly(L-arginine)/SWCNT/GCE) was obtained by cyclic sweeping between −1500 mV and 2500 mV at the rate of 100 mV/s for 8 cycles in a PBS (pH 8.0) containing 2.5 × 10−3 mol/L L-arginine. This was the optimal depositional condition for fabricating the poly(L-arginine)/SWCNT/GCE from test. To evaluate the practical applicability of present method, farmland soil and river water were selected as sample.

Results

In this study, we fabricated an electrochemical sensor to detect pymetrozine via combining SWCNT and electro-polymerizing poly(L-arginine) film modified GCE, as well as its electrochemical behavior. The as-prepared sensor features excellent electrocatalytic activities. It was also observed that the electrochemical property of the sensor was substantially improved because SWCNT afforded an enlarged active surface and accelerated electron transport. This sensor affords LSV in the linear range of 0.05∼1.0 μM pymetrozine with a 17 nM low detection limit (S/N =3).

Conclusions

A new and sensitive electrochemical sensor for pymetrozine determination was developed based on a single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) and poly(L-arginine) film. Results suggests that the poly(L-arginine)/SWCNT modified electrode exhibited a very low limit of detection.

Highlights

The sensor enabled the measurement of pymetrozine in real samples obtained from farmland soil and river water. This work promoted the potential applications of amino acid materials and SWCNT in environmental pollution science.
Breeding patterns of female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) displaying alternative reproductive tactics
Authors: Lichter James B , Lambert Connor T , Solomon Nancy G , Keane Brian
Published: May 2020

Individuals of either sex may display alternative behaviors to obtain copulations, but few studies have examined the breeding patterns of females and males in populations where individuals of both sexes exhibit alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs). In prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), most adults are territorial, residing at a single nest site either as male–female pairs or as solitary individuals. However, some adults adopt nonterritorial, wandering tactics. During two field seasons monitoring prairie vole populations maintained in seminatural enclosures, we found evidence that females exhibiting different ARTs bred differentially with resident and wandering males. Females residing at a nest with a male bred significantly more often with a paired resident male, primarily their social partner, and significantly less often with male wanderers compared to single resident females or wandering females. These patterns were not due to chance, because paired resident females produced offspring with paired resident males significantly more than expected based on the relative abundance of these males in the population, whereas single resident females produced offspring with male wanderers significantly more than expected based on the proportion of male wanderers in the population. We did not find any evidence that multiple paternity was greater in the litters of single resident females and wanderer females even though these females lacked a male social partner to limit mating access by multiple males. This suggests that mate guarding by a female’s male social partner was not the primary determinant of multiple paternity in the litters of females exhibiting different reproductive tactics. However, male ART did affect the likelihood of multiple paternity. Females that produced offspring with single resident or wanderer males had an increased likelihood of multiple paternity relative to females producing offspring with paired resident males. The results of this study show that female and male ARTs can affect breeding patterns.
Regulating Risk and Autonomy in Assisted Suicide: Conway V Secretary of State for Justice
Authors: Hobson Clark , Papadopoulou Nataly
Published: May 2020

Noel Conway appealed against the dismissal of his claim in the High Court, that section 2(1) Suicide Act 1961 is incompatible with his Article 8(1) ECHR right to respect for private and family life. Mr Conway’s appeal concerned three main issues: first, the correct way the court should respond to Parliament’s decision not to amend section 2(1) Suicide Act; secondly, the way the Divisional Court addressed Mr Conway’s alternative scheme; and thirdly, the weight to be placed upon personal autonomy. The Court of Appeal held that Parliament is better placed for determining the purported legal rights relating to assisted suicide. The court also concludes that there is evidence for the potential of indirect coercion or undue influence if assisted suicide is permitted. The comment draws out the court’s basic presumption in analysing the efficacy of Mr Conway’s alternative scheme to protect the weak and vulnerable. The comment also argues the level of acceptable risk used by the court in assessing Mr Conway’s scheme—a 100% success rate—is overly-cautious and inconsistent. Finally, the comment goes on to show that courts still have problems, in end-of-life cases, in understanding how ethical principles operate in determining true propositions of law.
Gaseous dynamical friction under radiative feedback: do intermediate-mass black holes speed up or down?
Authors: Toyouchi Daisuke , Hosokawa Takashi , Sugimura Kazuyuki , Kuiper Rolf
Published: May 2020

Coalescence of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) as a result of the migration toward galactic centres via dynamical friction may contribute to the formation of supermassive BHs. Here we reinvestigate the gaseous dynamical friction, which was claimed to be inefficient with radiative feedback from BHs in literature, by performing 3D radiation-hydrodynamics simulations that solve the flow structure in the vicinity of BHs. We consider a 104-M⊙ BH moving at the velocity vflow through the homogeneous medium with metallicity Z in the range of 0–0.1 Z⊙ and density n∞. We show that, if n∞ ≲ 106 cm−3 and vflow ≲ 60 km s−1, the BH is accelerated forward because of the gravitational pull from a dense shell ahead of an ionized bubble around the BH, regardless of the value of Z. If n∞ ≳ 106 cm−3, however, our simulation shows the opposite result. The ionized bubble and associating shell temporarily appear, but immediately go downstream with significant ram pressure of the flow. They eventually converge into a massive downstream wake, which gravitationally drags the BH backward. The BH decelerates over the time-scale of ∼0.01 Myr, much shorter than the dynamical time-scale in galactic discs. Our results suggest that IMBHs that encounter the dense clouds rapidly migrate toward galactic centres, where they possibly coalescence with others.
Galaxy properties as revealed by MaNGA – III. Kinematic profiles and stellar population gradients in S0s
Authors: Domínguez Sánchez H , Bernardi M , Nikakhtar F , Margalef-Bentabol B , Sheth R K
Published: May 2020

This is the third paper of a series where we study the stellar population gradients (SP; ages, metallicities, α-element abundance ratios, and stellar initial mass functions) of early-type galaxies (ETGs) at $z$ ≤ 0.08 from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO Data Release 15 (MaNGA-DR15) survey. In this work, we focus on the S0 population and quantify how the SP varies across the population as well as with galactocentric distance. We do this by measuring Lick indices and comparing them to SP synthesis models. This requires spectra with high signal-to-noise ratio which we achieve by stacking in bins of luminosity (Lr) and central velocity dispersion (σ0). We find that: (1) there is a bimodality in the S0 population: S0s more massive than $3\times 10^{10}\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$ show stronger velocity dispersion and age gradients (age and σr decrease outwards) but little or no metallicity gradient, while the less massive ones present relatively flat age and velocity dispersion profiles, but a significant metallicity gradient (i.e. [M/H] decreases outwards). Above $2\times 10^{11}\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$, the number of S0s drops sharply. These two mass scales are also where global scaling relations of ETGs change slope. (2) S0s have steeper velocity dispersion profiles than fast-rotating elliptical galaxies (E-FRs) of the same luminosity and velocity dispersion. The kinematic profiles and SP gradients of E-FRs are both more similar to those of slow-rotating ellipticals (E-SRs) than to S0s, suggesting that E-FRs are not simply S0s viewed face-on. (3) At fixed σ0, more luminous S0s and E-FRs are younger, more metal rich and less α-enhanced. Evidently for these galaxies, the usual statement that ‘massive galaxies are older’ is not true if σ0 is held fixed.
Diffuse LINER-type emission from extended disc regions of barred galaxies
Authors: Percival S M , James P A
Published: May 2020

We present a spectroscopic analysis of the central disc regions of barred spiral galaxies, concentrating on the region that is swept by the bar but not including the bar itself (the ‘star formation desert’ or SFD region). New spectroscopy is presented for 34 galaxies, and the full sample analysed comprises 48 SBa–SBcd galaxies. These data confirm the full suppression of SF within the SFD regions of all but the latest type (SBcd) galaxies. However, diffuse [N ii] and H α line emission is detected in all galaxies. The ubiquity and homogeneous properties of this emission from SBa to SBc galaxies favour post-asymptotic giant branch (p-AGB) stars as the source of this line excitation, rather than extreme blue horizontal branch stars. The emission-line ratios strongly exclude any contribution from recent SF, but are fully consistent with recent population synthesis modelling of p-AGB emission by other authors, and favour excitation dominated by ambient gas of approximately solar abundance, rather than ejecta from the AGB stars themselves. The line equivalent widths are also larger than those observed in many fully passive (e.g. elliptical) galaxies, which may also be a consequence of a greater ambient gas density in the SFD regions.