bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assimilating and Differentiating: The Curvilinear Effect of Social Class on Green Consumption
Authors: Yan Li , Keh Hean Tat , Chen Jiemiao
Published: August 2020

Building on optimal distinctiveness theory, this research examines the effects of social class on green consumption. Across six studies, we find a curvilinear effect of social class on green consumption, with the middle class having greater propensity for green consumption compared to the lower and upper classes. This effect can be explained by tension between need for assimilation (NFA) and need for differentiation (NFD) that varies among the three social classes in establishing their optimally distinctive identities. The lower class has a dominant NFA, the upper class has a dominant NFD, and the middle class has dual motivation for assimilation and differentiation. Concomitantly, green consumption has the dual function of assimilation and differentiation. The middle class perceives green consumption as simultaneously assimilating and differentiating, which satisfies their dual motivation and enhances their propensity for green consumption. By contrast, the lower class perceives the differentiation function of green consumption as contradicting their dominant NFA, and the upper class perceives the assimilation function as contradicting their dominant NFD, which lower both their propensities for green consumption. Furthermore, these effects are moderated by consumers’ power distance belief. These novel findings have significant theoretical and practical implications on building a more sustainable society.
Intelligent models for movement detection and physical evolution of patients with hip surgery
Authors: Guevara César , Santos Matilde
Published: August 2020

This paper develops computational models to monitor patients with hip replacement surgery. The Kinect camera (Xbox One) is used to capture the movements of patients who are performing rehabilitation exercises with both lower limbs, specifically, ‘side step’ and ‘knee lift’ with each leg. The information is measured at 25 body points with their respective coordinates. Features selection algorithms are applied to the 75 attributes of the initial and final position vector of each rehab exercise. Different classification techniques have been tested and Bayesian networks, supervised classifier system and genetic algorithm with neural network have been selected and jointly applied to identify the correct and incorrect movements during the execution of the rehabilitation exercises. Besides, prediction models of the evolution of a patient are developed based on the average values of some motion related variables (opening leg angle, head movement, hip movement and execution speed). These models can help to fasten the recovery of these patients.
A modified biogeography-based optimization algorithm with improved mutation operator for job shop scheduling problem with time lags
Authors: Harrabi Madiha , Driss Olfa Belkahla , Ghedira Khaled
Published: August 2020

This paper addresses the job shop scheduling problem including time lag constraints. This is an extension of the job shop scheduling problem with many applications in real production environments, where extra (minimum and maximum) delays can be introduced between successive operations of the same job. It belongs to a category of problems known as NP-hard problem due to large solution space. Biogeography-based optimization is an evolutionary algorithm which is inspired by the migration of species between habitats, recently proposed by Simon in 2008 to optimize hard combinatorial optimization problems. We propose a hybrid biogeography-based optimization (HBBO) algorithm for solving the job shop scheduling problem with additional time lag constraints with minimization of total completion time. In the proposed HBBO, the effective greedy constructive heuristic is adapted to generate the initial population of habitat. Moreover, a local search metaheuristic is investigated in the mutation step in order to ameliorate the solution quality and enhance the diversity of the population. To assess the performance of HBBO, a series of experiments on well-known benchmark instances for job shop scheduling problem with time lag constraints is performed.
Photo-epidemiology to estimate face covering use in select areas in Asia versus the Americas and Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Elachola Habida , Gozzer Ernesto , Rahman N M Mujeeb , Ditekemena John , Pando-Robles Victoria , Pa Kimsorn , Ebrahim Shahul H
Published: August 2020

Using photo-epidemiology, we found extreme variation in COVID-19-related face covering use in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (97%); Lima, Peru (86%); Kerala, India (41%); Cuernavaca, Mexico (25%); Atlanta, USA (21%) and Kinshasa, DRC (4%) probably attributable to differences in population experience with face coverings and variations in timing and implementation of relevant advisories.
A comparison of H2 formation models at high redshift
Authors: Schäbe Alexander , Romano-Díaz Emilio , Porciani Cristiano , Ludlow Aaron D , Tomassetti Matteo
Published: August 2020

Modelling the molecular gas that is routinely detected through CO observations of high-redshift galaxies constitutes a major challenge for ab initio simulations of galaxy formation. We carry out a suite of cosmological hydrodynamic simulations to compare three approximate methods that have been used in the literature to track the formation and evolution of the simplest and most abundant molecule, H2. Namely, we consider (i) a semi-empirical procedure that associates H2 to dark-matter haloes based on a series of scaling relations inferred from observations, (ii) a model that assumes chemical equilibrium between the H2 formation and destruction rates, and (iii) a model that fully solves the out-of-equilibrium rate equations and accounts for the unresolved structure of molecular clouds. We study the impact of finite spatial resolution and show that robust H2 masses at redshift $z$ ≈ 4 can only be obtained for galaxies that are sufficiently metal enriched in which H2 formation is fast. This corresponds to H2 reservoirs with masses $M_{\mathrm{H_2}}\gtrsim 6\times 10^9$ M⊙. In this range, equilibrium and non-equilibrium models predict similar molecular masses (but different galaxy morphologies) while the semi-empirical method produces less H2. The star formation rates as well as the stellar and H2 masses of the simulated galaxies are in line with those observed in actual galaxies at similar redshifts that are not massive starbursts. The H2 mass functions extracted from the simulations at $z$ ≈ 4 agree well with recent observations that only sample the high-mass end. However, our results indicate that most molecular material at high $z$ lies yet undetected in reservoirs with $10^9\lt M_{\mathrm{H}_2}\lt 10^{10}$ M⊙.
LRG-BEASTS: ground-based detection of sodium and a steep optical slope in the atmosphere of the highly inflated hot-saturn WASP-21b
Authors: Alderson L , Kirk J , López-Morales M , Wheatley P J , Skillen I , Henry G W , McGruder C , Brogi M , Louden T , King G
Published: August 2020

We present the optical transmission spectrum of the highly inflated Saturn-mass exoplanet WASP-21b, using three transits obtained with the ACAM instrument on the William Herschel Telescope through the LRG-BEASTS survey (Low Resolution Ground-Based Exoplanet Atmosphere Survey using Transmission Spectroscopy). Our transmission spectrum covers a wavelength range of 4635–9000 Å, achieving an average transit depth precision of 197 ppm compared to one atmospheric scale height at 246 ppm. We detect Na i absorption in a bin width of 30 Å  at >4σ confidence, which extends over 100 Å. We see no evidence of absorption from K i. Atmospheric retrieval analysis of the scattering slope indicates it is too steep for Rayleigh scattering from H2, but is very similar to that of HD 189733b. The features observed in our transmission spectrum cannot be caused by stellar activity alone, with photometric monitoring of WASP-21 showing it to be an inactive star. We therefore conclude that aerosols in the atmosphere of WASP-21b are giving rise to the steep slope that we observe, and that WASP-21b is an excellent target for infrared observations to constrain its atmospheric metallicity.
End-Accented Sentences: Towards a Theory of Phrase-Rhythmic Progression
Authors: Ng Samuel
Published: August 2020

For centuries, theorists have debated whether musical phrases are normatively beginning-accented or end-accented. The last two decades of the twentieth century gave beginning-accented rhythm the upper hand; yet, recent work on end-accented phrases has reinvigorated the debate. I contribute to this discussion in two ways. First, I aim to rehabilitate a central position of end-accented rhythm by drawing attention to phrase-rhythmic tendencies in classical sentence structure. My analyses show that end-accented sentential schemas are well-established compositional options in various action spaces—including Primary and Secondary Themes—in late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century instrumental music. Moreover, integral roles of end-accented sentential themes are substantiated by their production—in tandem with their beginning-accented counterparts—of large-scale progressions analogous to tonal and formal ones. Awareness of these sentential themes re-energizes the century-old debate and deepens our understanding of phrase rhythm as a source of musical meaning. Second, in order to achieve the first goal, I develop a theory of phrase-rhythmic progression for categorizing phrase-rhythmic types and mapping their trajectories. This theory fills a gap in current spatial representations of rhythm and meter, which focus on metric dissonances and hierarchies without considerations of phrase–meter interaction.
Longitudinal Changes After Amygdala Surgery for Intractable Aggressive Behavior: Clinical, Imaging Genetics, and Deformation-Based Morphometry Study—A Case Series
Authors: Gouveia Flavia Venetucci , Germann Jürgen , de Morais Rosa , Fonoff Erich Talamoni , Hamani Clement , Alho Eduardo Joaquim , Brentani Helena , Martins Ana Paula , Devenyi Gabriel , Patel Raihaan , Steele Christopher , Gramer Robert , Chakravarty Mallar , Martinez Raquel Chacon Ruiz
Published: August 2020

BACKGROUND

Intractable aggressive behavior (iAB) is a devastating behavioral disorder that may affect psychiatric patients. These patients have reduced quality of life, are more challenging to treat as they impose a high caregiver burden and require specialized care. Neuromodulatory interventions targeting the amygdala, a key hub in the circuitry of aggressive behavior (AB), may provide symptom alleviation.

OBJECTIVE

To Report clinical and imaging findings from a case series of iAB patients treated with bilateral amygdala ablation.

METHODS

This series included 4 cases (3 males, 19-32 years old) who underwent bilateral amygdala radiofrequency ablation for iAB hallmarked by life-threatening self-injury and social aggression. Pre- and postassessments involved full clinical, psychiatric, and neurosurgical evaluations, including scales quantifying AB, general agitation, quality of life, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

RESULTS

Postsurgery assessments revealed decreased aggression and agitation and improved quality of life. AB was correlated with testosterone levels and testosterone/cortisol ratio in males. No clinically significant side effects were observed. Imaging analyses showed preoperative amygdala volumes within normal populational range and confirmed lesion locations. The reductions in aggressive symptoms were accompanied by significant postsurgical volumetric reductions in brain areas classically associated with AB and increases in regions related to somatosensation. The local volumetric reductions are found in areas that in a normal brain show high expression levels of genes related to AB (eg, aminergic transmission) using gene expression data provided by the Allen brain atlas.

CONCLUSION

These findings provide new insight into the whole brain neurocircuitry of aggression and suggest a role of altered somatosensation and possible novel neuromodulation targets.
Molecular grafting towards high-fraction active nanodots implanted in N-doped carbon for sodium dual-ion batteries
Authors: Mu Sainan , Liu Qirong , Kidkhunthod Pinit , Zhou Xiaolong , Wang Wenlou , Tang Yongbing
Published: August 2020

Sodium-based dual-ion batteries (Na-DIBs) show a promising potential for large-scale energy storage applications due to the merits of environmental friendliness and low cost. However, Na-DIBs are generally subject to poor rate capability and cycling stability for the lack of suitable anodes to accommodate large Na+ ions. Herein, we propose a molecular grafting strategy to in situ synthesize tin pyrophosphate nanodots implanted in N-doped carbon matrix (SnP2O7@N-C), which exhibits a high fraction of active SnP2O7 up to 95.6 wt% and a low content of N-doped carbon (4.4 wt%) as the conductive framework. As a result, this anode delivers a high specific capacity ∼400 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1, excellent rate capability up to 5.0 A g−1 and excellent cycling stability with a capacity retention of 92% after 1200 cycles under a current density of 1.5 A g−1. Further, pairing this anode with an environmentally friendly KS6 graphite cathode yields a SnP2O7@N-C||KS6 Na-DIB, exhibiting an excellent rate capability up to 30 C, good fast-charge/slow-discharge performance and long-term cycling life with a capacity retention of ∼96% after 1000 cycles at 20 C. This study provides a feasible strategy to develop high-performance anodes with high-fraction active materials for Na-based energy storage applications.
Nonauscultatory clinical criteria are sensitive for cardiac pathology in low-risk paediatric heart murmurs
Authors: Penslar Joshua , Webster Richard J , Jetty Radha
Published: August 2020

Background

Healthy children with likely innocent heart murmurs are frequently referred to cardiologists for reassurance. Existing guidelines that advise against these referrals are not consistently followed partly because they involve subjective auscultatory judgements with which many care providers are uncomfortable. Here, we investigate whether clinical criteria with no subjective auscultatory component are sensitive for cardiac pathology.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was performed of all new patients seen in our paediatric cardiology clinic for assessment of a murmur from January 1, 2016 through June 30, 2018. Patients were characterized as “low-risk” if they met all of the following criteria: asymptomatic; normal physical examination other than the murmur; no risk factors for congenital heart disease; and age over 12 months. The primary outcomes were the sensitivity for ruling out pathology and the negative predictive value of the proposed criteria.

Results

Of 915 total patients, 214 met the low-risk criteria. The sensitivity of our criteria for ruling out pathology was 97.2% (95% confidence interval 94.1% to 99.0%) and the negative predictive value was also 97.2% (95% confidence interval 94.0% to 98.7%). Six of the 214 low-risk patients had pathology (2.8%; 95% confidence interval 1.3% to 6.0%), none of which has required intervention since diagnosis. Each of these six children had a murmur that sounded pathological to the auscultating cardiologist.

Conclusions

Basic clinical criteria that do not require auscultation are highly sensitive for ruling out significant cardiac pathology in children over 12 months of age.
Extremely High Quality?
Authors: Simas Elizabeth N
Published: August 2020

Though extremism generally carries a negative connotation, ideological extremity can also send positive signals about a candidate’s personal characteristics. Data from the 2010 US House elections show that among a candidate’s copartisans, ideological extremity is associated with higher ratings of his or her competence and integrity. These findings hold even when accounting for distance from the respondent, distance from the district, and party unity. In addition, experimental evidence that better speaks to the causal relationship between ideology and quality shows that these results generalize beyond the 2010 contest. Overall, these findings add to understanding of how individuals form impressions of candidate traits and speak to continued extremity at the elite level, as they suggest that voters may still find value in positions even if they do not match their own.
COVID-19 restrictions and mental distress among American adults: evidence from Corona Impact Survey (W1 and W2)
Authors: Kim Harris Hyun-Soo , Laurence James
Published: August 2020

Background

The present study examines the impact of coronavirus-related restrictions on mental health among American adults, and how this relationship varies as a function of time and two measures of vulnerability (preexisting physical symptoms and job insecurity).

Methods

We draw on data from two waves of Corona Impact Survey, which were fielded in late April and early of May 2020. Multilevel models were used to analyze the hierarchically nested data.

Results

Experiencing coronavirus disease-2019 restrictions significantly raise mental distress. This association is stronger for individuals with preexisting health conditions and those who worry about job prospects. These findings hold with the inclusion of region-wave covariates (number of deaths, wave dummy and aggregate measure of restrictions). Finally, there is a cross-level interaction: the restriction-distress connection is more pronounced in the second wave of data.

Conclusions

Our research indicates that people who are more physically and/or financially vulnerable suffer more from the imposed restrictions, i.e. ‘social isolation’. The mental health impact of coronavirus pandemic is not constant but conditional on the level of vulnerability.
On the Voevodsky Motive of the Moduli Stack of Vector Bundles on a Curve
Authors: Hoskins Victoria , Pepin Lehalleur Simon
Published: August 2020

We define and study the motive of the moduli stack of vector bundles of fixed rank and degree over a smooth projective curve in Voevodsky’s category of motives. We prove that this motive can be written as a homotopy colimit of motives of smooth projective Quot schemes of torsion quotients of sums of line bundles on the curve. When working with rational coefficients, we prove that the motive of the stack of bundles lies in the localizing tensor subcategory generated by the motive of the curve, using Białynicki-Birula decompositions of these Quot schemes. We conjecture a formula for the motive of this stack, inspired by the work of Atiyah and Bott on the topology of the classifying space of the gauge group, and we prove this conjecture modulo a conjecture on the intersection theory of the Quot schemes.
Transcranial electric stimulation as a neural interface to gain insight on human brain functions: current knowledge and future perspective
Authors: Galli Giulia , Miniussi Carlo , Pellicciari Maria Concetta
Published: August 2020

The use of brain stimulation approaches in social and affective science has greatly increased over the last two decades. The interest in social factors has grown along with technological advances in brain research. Transcranial electric stimulation (tES) is a research tool that allows scientists to establish contributory causality between brain functioning and social behaviour, therefore deepening our understanding of the social mind. Preliminary evidence is also starting to demonstrate that tES, either alone or in combination with pharmacological or behavioural interventions, can alleviate the symptomatology of individuals with affective or social cognition disorders. This review offers an overview of the application of tES in the field of social and affective neuroscience. We discuss the issues and challenges related to this application and suggest an avenue for future basic and translational research.
Reduced feelings of regret and enhanced fronto-striatal connectivity in elders with long-term Tai Chi experience
Authors: Liu Zhiyuan , Li Lin , Liu Sijia , Sun Yubin , Li Shuang , Yi Meng , Zheng Li , Guo Xiuyan
Published: August 2020

The current study investigates how long-term Tai Chi experience affects the neural and emotional response to regret in elders. Participants perform the sequential risk-taking task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. In the task, participants opened a series of boxes consecutively and decided when to stop. Each box contained a reward, except for one which contained a devil. If the devil was revealed, then this served to zero the participant’s gain in that trial. Once stopped, participant’s gains and missed chances were revealed. Behaviorally, the Tai Chi group showed less regret, reduced risk taking, higher levels of nonjudgment of inner experience and less emotional sensitivity to outcome. fMRI results showed that the Tai Chi group demonstrated stronger fronto-striatal functional connectivity in trials with numerous missed chances. The nonjudgment of inner experience mediated the impact of fronto-striatal functional connectivity on Tai Chi practitioners’ emotional sensitivity to outcome. These results highlight that long-term Tai Chi exercise may be effective in alleviating feelings of regret in elders by promoting reduced judgment of inner experience and enhanced emotion regulation through the strengthening of fronto-striatal functional connectivity.
Inequality as entitlements over labor
Authors: Segal Paul
Published: August 2020

The modern study of economic inequality is based on the distribution of entitlements over goods and services. But social commentators at least since Rousseau have been concerned with a different aspect of economic inequality: that it implies that one person is entitled to command another person for their own personal ends. I call this inequality as entitlements over labor. I propose to measure entitlements over labor by calculating the extent to which top income groups can afford to buy the labor of others for the purpose of their personal consumption. Unlike standard inequality measures, this measure is not welfarist, but instead has its normative basis in relations of domination, hierarchy and social status between people. I estimate entitlements over labor in three high-inequality and two low-inequality countries and argue that inequality as entitlements over labor is socially and politically salient, capturing a side of inequality neglected by standard measures.
Results From an Integrative Behavioral Sleep-Treatment Pilot Program
Authors: Haynes Patricia L. , Bootzin Richard R. , Smith Leisha , Cousins Jennifer , Cameron Michael , Stevens Sally
Published: August 2020

Study Objectives:

To examine whether change in total sleep time during an integrative, behavioral sleep intervention is associated with aggression. Specifically, we tested whether adolescents who reported experiencing aggressive thoughts or actions after treatment had worse treatment trajectories (e.g., less total sleep time across treatment) than adolescents with no aggressive thoughts or actions after treatment.

Design:

Nonpharmacologic open trial with 9 weeks of weekly assessment.

Setting:

University of Arizona Sleep Research Laboratory

Patients or Participants:

Twenty-three adolescents recently treated for substance abuse in outpatient community centers.

Intervention:

Six-week integrative, behavioral sleep intervention.

Measurements and Results:

Weekly sleep-summary indexes were calculated from daily sleep diaries and entered as dependent variables in a series of growth-curve analyses. Statistically significant Session × Post-treatment Aggressive Ideation interactions emerged when predicting changes in total sleep time, γ13 = 9.76 (SE = 4.12), p < .05, and time spent in bed, γ13 = 10.08,(SE = 4.33), p < .05, even after controlling for aggressive ideation and the frequency of substance use, as assessed at baseline. A similar pattern of results was seen for self-reported aggressive actions occurring during conflicts.

Conclusions:

These pilot data suggest that inadequate sleep in substance-abusing adolescents may contribute to the experiencing of aggressive thoughts and actions. Limitations include a small sample size and a restricted assessment of aggression. Nonetheless, these findings lend preliminary support to the breadth of therapeutic effectiveness of an integrative, behavioral sleep-therapy program for adolescents with a history of substance abuse and related behaviors.

Citation:

Haynes PL; Bootzin RR; Smith L et al. Sleep and aggression in substance-abusing adolescents: results from an integrative behavioral sleep-treatment pilot program. SLEEP 2006;29(4): 512-520.
Dynamic Modulation of Beta Band Cortico-Muscular Coupling Induced by Audio–Visual Rhythms
Authors: Varlet Manuel , Nozaradan Sylvie , Trainor Laurel , Keller Peter E
Published: August 2020

Human movements often spontaneously fall into synchrony with auditory and visual environmental rhythms. Related behavioral studies have shown that motor responses are automatically and unintentionally coupled with external rhythmic stimuli. However, the neurophysiological processes underlying such motor entrainment remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated with electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG) the modulation of neural and muscular activity induced by periodic audio and/or visual sequences. The sequences were presented at either 1 or 2 Hz, while participants maintained constant finger pressure on a force sensor. The results revealed that although there was no change of amplitude in participants’ EMG in response to the sequences, the synchronization between EMG and EEG recorded over motor areas in the beta (12–40 Hz) frequency band was dynamically modulated, with maximal coherence occurring about 100 ms before each stimulus. These modulations in beta EEG–EMG motor coherence were found for the 2-Hz audio–visual sequences, confirming at a neurophysiological level the enhancement of motor entrainment with multimodal rhythms that fall within preferred perceptual and movement frequency ranges. Our findings identify beta band cortico-muscular coupling as a potential underlying mechanism of motor entrainment, further elucidating the nature of the link between sensory and motor systems in humans.
Protective role of ascorbic acid on lead-induced damage to the thyroid gland in the rat
Authors: Calderón-Vallejo Denisse , del Carmen Díaz-Galindo María , Quintanar-Stephano Andrés , Olvera-Sandoval Carlos , Quintanar J Luis
Published: August 2020

Lead exposure is known to affect the pituitary-thyroid axis. Likewise, ascorbic acid (AA) has a protective action against lead poisoning. We examine the protective role of AA in lead-induced damage to the thyroid gland. The Wistar rats were divided into three groups: control that received 0.2% AA in drinking water throughout the experiment (15 days), intoxicated with lead acetate (20 mg/kg) intraperitoneally every 48 h for 15 days, and the experimental group treated with lead acetate and 0.2% AA in drinking water throughout the experiment. Plasma thyroid-stimulating hormone, triiodothyronine, thyroxine, and lead were determined. The thyroid gland was weighed, then epithelial cell height and nuclear volume were measured on histological slides. The results show that AA reduced the thyroid atrophy caused by lead acetate, as well as the loss of weight of the gland. In addition, it prevented the decrease of the hormone triiodothyronine, although the thyroxine hormone remained lower than the control values ​​and the thyroid-stimulating hormone remains high. Our results indicated that AA could play a protective role in lead poisoning in the thyroid gland.
Reduced Chronic Toxicity and Carcinogenicity in A/J Mice in Response to Life-Time Exposure to Aerosol From a Heated Tobacco Product Compared With Cigarette Smoke
Authors: Wong Ee Tsin , Luettich Karsta , Krishnan Subash , Wong Sin Kei , Lim Wei Ting , Yeo Demetrius , Büttner Ansgar , Leroy Patrice , Vuillaume Grégory , Boué Stéphanie , Hoeng Julia , Vanscheeuwijck Patrick , Peitsch Manuel C
Published: August 2020

We conducted an inhalation study, in accordance with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Test Guideline 453, exposing A/J mice to tobacco heating system (THS) 2.2 aerosol or 3R4F reference cigarette smoke (CS) for up to 18 months to evaluate chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity. All exposed mice showed lower thymus and spleen weight, blood lymphocyte counts, and serum lipid concentrations than sham mice, most likely because of stress and/or nicotine effects. Unlike THS 2.2 aerosol-exposed mice, CS-exposed mice showed increased heart weight, changes in red blood cell profiles and serum liver function parameters. Similarly, increased pulmonary inflammation, altered lung function, and emphysematous changes were observed only in CS-exposed mice. Histopathological changes in other respiratory tract organs were significantly lower in the THS 2.2 aerosol-exposed groups than in the CS-exposed group. Chronic exposure to THS 2.2 aerosol also did not increase the incidence or multiplicity of bronchioloalveolar adenomas or carcinomas relative to sham, whereas CS exposure did. Male THS 2.2 aerosol-exposed mice had a lower survival rate than sham mice, related to an increased incidence of urogenital issues that appears to be related to congenital factors rather than test item exposure. The lower impact of THS 2.2 aerosol exposure on tumor development and chronic toxicity is consistent with the significantly reduced levels of harmful and potentially harmful constituents in THS 2.2 aerosol relative to CS. The totality of the evidence from this study further supports the risk reduction potential of THS 2.2 for lung diseases in comparison with cigarettes.
A Histopathological Study Reveals New Insights Into Responses of Chestnut (Castaneaspp.) to Root Infection byPhytophthora cinnamomi
Authors: Fernandes Patrícia , Machado Helena , Silva Maria do Céu , Costa Rita Lourenço
Published: August 2020

The European chestnut (Castanea sativa) is threatened by the hemibiotrophic oomycete Phytophthora cinnamomi, the causal agent of ink disease. Chestnut species have different susceptibility levels to P. cinnamomi, with the Asian species (C. crenata; C. mollissima) exhibiting the highest level of resistance. A histological approach was used to study the responses exhibited by susceptible and resistant chestnut genotypes by characterizing the early stages of P. cinnamomi infection and the cellular responses it induces in roots. C. sativa (susceptible) and C. crenata (resistant) plantlets were inoculated with a P. cinnamomi virulent isolate with a zoospore suspension or by direct contact with mycelia agar pieces. Root samples were collected at 0.5, 3.5, 24, 48, and 72 h after inoculation (hai) for microscopic observations. Penetration was observed in both species at 0.5 and 3.5 hai with mycelium and zoospore inoculations, respectively. In both inoculation methods, following penetration into the rhizodermis, P. cinnamomi hyphae grew inter- and intracellularly through the cortex and into the vascular cylinder. C. crenata cells displayed a delay in the pattern of infection by having fewer cell layers colonized compared with C. sativa. At 72 hai, the collapse of the first layers of C. sativa cortical cells was observed, indicating the beginning of necrotrophy. C. crenata was able to respond more efficiently to P. cinnamomi than C. sativa by restricting the pathogen’s growth area through the early activation of resistance responses such as callose deposition around some intracellular hyphae, hypersensitive response-like cell death, cell wall thickening, and accumulation of phenolic-like compounds.
Chloroquine or Hydroxychloroquine for Management of Coronavirus Disease 2019
Authors: Schluenz Lauren A. , Ramos-Otero Gerardo P. , Nawarskas James J.
Published: August 2020

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to be a threat to the health of many humans across the world as they confront coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Previous promising in vitro data that emerged after the SARS-CoV outbreak in 2003, along with the emergent need for pharmacologic management strategies in the fight against COVID-19, prompted interest in the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine across the globe. Unfortunately, the in vitro activity of these drugs did not necessarily correlate with most in vivo studies, which showed no consistent efficacy. Safety is also a major concern, with these agents having a known risk of QT prolongation and proarrhythmic effects. In addition, clinical practice guidelines provide no clear consensus on the role of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine for the management of COVID-19. The United States Food and Drug Administration has declared that the potential benefits of these agents no longer outweigh the possible risks, and unless new emerging information suggests a more favorable risk:benefit ratio, neither chloroquine nor hydroxychloroquine should be recommended for COVID-19 treatment or prevention at this time.
Effect of the neurokinin 3 receptor antagonist fezolinetant on patient-reported outcomes in postmenopausal women with vasomotor symptoms: results of a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, dose-ranging study (VESTA)
Authors: Santoro Nanette , Waldbaum Arthur , Lederman Samuel , Kroll Robin , Fraser Graeme L. , Lademacher Christopher , Skillern Laurence , Young James , Ramael Steven
Published: August 2020

Objective:

In the primary analysis of the phase 2b VESTA study, oral fezolinetant reduced frequency and severity of menopausal vasomotor symptoms (VMS) compared with placebo. This secondary analysis evaluates effects of fezolinetant on responder rates and patient-reported outcomes (PROs).

Methods:

In this 12-week, double-blind study, postmenopausal women with moderate/severe VMS were randomized to fezolinetant 15, 30, 60, or 90 mg BID or 30, 60, or 120 mg QD or placebo. Proportion of responders was based on reductions in VMS from daily diary records. P values for comparisons between active treatment and placebo were calculated using logistic regression. Changes from baseline in PROs (Menopause-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire, Hot Flash-Related Daily Interference Scale, Greene Climacteric Scale) were conducted using a mixed model for repeated measurements and compared post hoc with published minimally important differences (MIDs).

Results:

Of 356 women randomized, 352 were treated and analyzed. A greater proportion of women receiving fezolinetant versus placebo met definitions of response at week 12. For all doses, mean changes from baseline in Menopause-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire VMS scores exceeded the MID (1.2) at weeks 4 (placebo: −1.8; fezolinetant: range, −1.9 to −3.6) and 12 (placebo: −2.3; fezolinetant: range, −2.9 to −4.4). Mean changes in Hot Flash-Related Daily Interference Scale at weeks 4 (placebo: −2.2; fezolinetant: range, −2.5 to −3.8) and 12 (placebo: −2.9; fezolinetant: range, −3.3 to −4.3) exceeded the MID (1.76). Greene Climacteric Scale-VMS domain scores improved for most fezolinetant doses versus placebo (week 4, placebo: −1.7; fezolinetant: range, −2.1 to −3.3; week 12, placebo: −2.1; fezolinetant: range, −2.7 to −3.6).

Conclusions:

Oral fezolinetant was associated with higher responder rates than placebo and larger improvements in QoL and other PRO measures, including a reduction in VMS-related interference with daily life.
Factors That Contribute to Cost Differences Based on ICU of Admission in Neonates Undergoing Congenital Heart Surgery: A Novel Decomposition Analysis
Authors: Johnson Joyce T. , Sullivan Kirsen L. , Nelson Richard E. , Sheng Xiaoming , Greene Tom H. , Bailly David K. , Eckhauser Aaron W. , Marino Bradley S. , Minich L. LuAnn , Pinto Nelangi M.
Published: August 2020

Objectives:

We leveraged decomposition analysis, commonly used in labor economics, to understand determinants of cost differences related to location of admission in children undergoing neonatal congenital heart surgery.

Design:

A retrospective cohort study.

Setting:

Pediatric Health Information Systems database.

Patients:

Neonates (<30 d old) undergoing their index congenital heart surgery between 2004 and 2013.

Measurements and Main Results:

A decomposition analysis with bootstrapping determined characteristic (explainable by differing covariate levels) and structural effects (if covariates are held constant) related to cost differences. Covariates included center volume, age at admission, prematurity, sex, race, genetic or major noncardiac abnormality, Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery-1 score, payor, admission year, cardiac arrest, infection, and delayed sternal closure.

Of 19,984 infants included (10,491 [52%] to cardiac ICU/PICU and 9,493 [48%] to neonatal ICU), admission to the neonatal ICU had overall higher average costs ($24,959 ± $3,260; p < 0.001) versus cardiac ICU/PICU admission. Characteristic effects accounted for higher costs in the neonatal ICU ($28,958 ± $2,044; p < 0.001). Differing levels of prematurity, genetic syndromes, hospital volume, age at admission, and infection contributed to higher neonatal ICU costs, with infection rate providing the most significant contribution ($13,581; p < 0.001). Aggregate structural effects were not associated with cost differences for those admitted to the neonatal ICU versus cardiac ICU/PICU (p = 0.1). Individually, prematurity and age at admission were associated with higher costs due to structural effects for infants admitted to the neonatal ICU versus cardiac ICU/PICU.

Conclusions:

The difference in cost between neonatal ICU and cardiac ICU/PICU admissions is largely driven by differing prevalence of risk factors between these units. Infection rate was a modifiable factor that accounted for the largest difference in costs between admitting units.
Intergender Hand Transplant
Authors: MT Friji , Sivakumar Dinesh Kumar , Mohapatra Deviprasad , Chittoria Ravikumar
Published: August 2020

Hand and upper-extremity transplantation restore severely damaged limbs that cannot be repaired with conventional surgical techniques. Over the past 20 years, more than 200 vascularized composite allotransplantations have been performed worldwide, among them 7 were cases of sex unmatched hand transplants. The long term effects of recipient sex hormones and nerve regeneration on the sexually dimorphic physical features of donor upper extremity have not been described previously. We report a case of sex congruent transformation of hand morphology in an intergender hand transplant.
Environmental fluctuations can promote evolutionary rescue in high-extinction-risk scenarios
Authors: Peniston James H. , Barfield Michael , Gonzalez Andrew , Holt Robert D.
Published: August 2020

Substantial environmental change can force a population onto a path towards extinction, but under some conditions, adaptation by natural selection can rescue the population and allow it to persist. This process, known as evolutionary rescue, is believed to be less likely to occur with greater magnitudes of random environmental fluctuations because environmental variation decreases expected population size, increases variance in population size and increases evolutionary lag. However, previous studies of evolutionary rescue in fluctuating environments have only considered scenarios in which evolutionary rescue was likely to occur. We extend these studies to assess how baseline extinction risk (which we manipulated via changes in the initial population size, degree of environmental change or mutation rate) influences the effects of environmental variation on evolutionary rescue following an abrupt environmental change. Using a combination of analytical models and stochastic simulations, we show that autocorrelated environmental variation hinders evolutionary rescue in low-extinction-risk scenarios but facilitates rescue in high-risk scenarios. In these high-risk cases, the chance of a run of good years counteracts the otherwise negative effects of environmental variation on evolutionary demography. These findings can inform the development of effective conservation practices that consider evolutionary responses to abrupt environmental changes.
Migration behaviour of commercial monarchs reared outdoors and wild-derived monarchs reared indoors
Authors: Tenger-Trolander Ayşe , Kronforst Marcus R.
Published: August 2020

Captive rearing of monarch butterflies is a commercial and personal pursuit enjoyed by many different groups and individuals. However, the practice remains controversial, especially after new evidence showed that both a group of commercially derived monarchs reared outdoors and a group of wild-derived but indoor-reared monarchs failed to orient south, unlike wild-derived monarchs reared outdoors. To more fully characterize the mechanisms responsible for the loss of orientation in both commercial and indoor-reared monarchs, we performed flight simulator experiments to determine (i) whether any fraction of commercial monarchs maintains a southern heading over multiple tests, and (ii) whether indoor conditions with the addition of sunlight can induce southern flight in wild-derived monarchs. Commercial monarchs changed their flight direction more often over the course of multiple tests than wild-derived monarchs. While as a group the commercial monarchs did not fly south on average, a subset of individuals did orient south over multiple tests, potentially explaining the discordance between flight simulator assays and the recovery of tagged commercial monarchs at overwintering locations. We also show that even when raised indoors with sunlight, wild-derived monarchs did not consistently orient south in the flight simulator, though wild-derived monarchs reared outdoors did orient south.
From bioinformatics user to bioinformatics engineer: a report
Authors: de Araújo Gilderlanio Santana
Published: August 2020

Teaching computer programming is not a simple task and it is challenging to introduce the concepts of programming in graduate programs of other fields. Little efforts have been made on engaging students in computational development after programming trainings. An emerging need is to establish subjects of bioinformatics and programming languages in genetics and molecular biology graduate programs, when students in these degree programs are immersed in a sea of genomic and transcriptomic data, which demands proficient computational treatment. I report an empirical guideline to introduce programming languages and recommend Python as first language for graduate programs in which students were from genetics and molecular biology backgrounds. Including the development of programming solutions related to graduate students' research activities may improve programming skills and better engagement. These results suggest that the applied approach leads to enhanced learning of introductory to autonomy in highly advanced programming concepts by graduate students. This guide should be extended for other research programs.
Binding Ligands that Straddle an Important Contact Site on the RBD of the Covid-19 Spike Protein
Authors: Boyarsky Abraham
Published: August 2020

The receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein of the Covid-19 virus is responsible for attachment to human ACE2. A number of recent articles have studied monoclonal antibody blocking [8-11] and peptide inhibitors [12-16] of the Covid-19 virus. Here we report virtual ligand-based screening that targets pockets on each side of an important binding site with residues 502-504 on the RBD that contact residues 353-357 [15] of hACE2. These ligands are intended as pre-exposure therapy for Covid-19 infection.
Lead compounds for the development of SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease inhibitors
Authors: Iketani Sho , Forouhar Farhad , Liu Hengrui , Hong Seo Jung , Lin Fang-Yu , Nair Manoj S. , Zask Arie , Huang Yaoxing , Xing Li , Stockwell Brent R. , Chavez Alejandro , Ho David D.
Published: August 2020

We report the identification of three structurally diverse compounds – compound 4, GC376, and MAC-5576 – as inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease. Structures of each of these compounds in complex with the protease revealed strategies for further development, as well as general principles for designing SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease inhibitors. These compounds may therefore serve as leads for the basis of building effective SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease inhibitors.
Synthetic Lethal Interactions Prediction Based on Multiple Similarity Measures Fusion
Authors: Wen Yu-Qi , Wu Lian-Lian , Yang Xiao-Xi , Yan Bo-Wei , He Song , Bo Xiao-Chen
Published: August 2020

The synthetic lethality (SL) relationship arises when a combination of deficiencies in two genes leads to cell death, whereas a deficiency in either one of the two genes does not. The survival of the mutant tumor cells depends on the SL partner genes of the mutant gene, so the cancer cells could be selectively killed by inhibiting the SL partners of the oncogenic genes but normal cells not. Therefore, developing SL pairs identification methods is increasingly needed for cancer targeted therapy. In this paper, we proposed a new approach based on similarity fusion to predict SL pairs. Multiple types of gene similarity measures are integrated and k-NN algorithm are applied to achieve the similarity-based classification task between gene pairs. As a similarity-based method, our method demonstrated excellent performance in multiple experiments. Besides the effectiveness of our method, the ease of use and expansibility can also make our method more widely used in practice.
Differential Privacy Protection Against Membership Inference Attack on Machine Learning for Genomic Data
Authors: Chen Junjie , Wang Wendy Hui , Shi Xinghua
Published: August 2020

Machine learning is powerful to model massive genomic data while genome privacy is a growing concern. Studies have shown that not only the raw data but also the trained model can potentially infringe genome privacy. An example is the membership inference attack (MIA), by which the adversary, who only queries a given target model without knowing its internal parameters, can determine whether a specific record was included in the training dataset of the target model. Differential privacy (DP) has been used to defend against MIA with rigorous privacy guarantee. In this paper, we investigate the vulnerability of machine learning against MIA on genomic data, and evaluate the effectiveness of using DP as a defense mechanism. We consider two widely-used machine learning models, namely Lasso and convolutional neural network (CNN), as the target model. We study the trade-off between the defense power against MIA and the prediction accuracy of the target model under various privacy settings of DP. Our results show that the relationship between the privacy budget and target model accuracy can be modeled as a log-like curve, thus a smaller privacy budget provides stronger privacy guarantee with the cost of losing more model accuracy. We also investigate the effect of model sparsity on model vulnerability against MIA. Our results demonstrate that in addition to prevent overfitting, model sparsity can work together with DP to significantly mitigate the risk of MIA.