bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Size for gestational age affects the risk for type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents: a Swedish national case–control study
Authors: Lindell Nina , Bladh Marie , Carlsson Annelie , Josefsson Ann , Aakesson Karin , Samuelsson Ulf
Published: February 2021

Aim/hypothesis

Environmental factors are believed to contribute to the risk of developing type 1 diabetes. The aim of this study was to investigate how size for gestational age affects the risk of developing childhood type 1 diabetes.

Methods

Using the Swedish paediatric diabetes quality register and the Swedish medical birth register, children with type 1 diabetes diagnosed between 2000 and 2012 (n = 9376) were matched with four control children (n = 37,504). Small for gestational age (SGA) and large for gestational age (LGA) were defined according to Swedish national standards. Data were initially analysed using Pearson’s χ2 and thereafter by single and multiple logistic regression models.

Results

An equal proportion of children were born appropriate for gestational age, but children with type 1 diabetes were more often born LGA and less often born SGA than control children (4.7% vs 3.5% and 2.0% vs 2.6%, respectively, p < 0.001). In the multiple logistic regression analysis, being born LGA increased (adjusted OR 1.16 [95% CI 1.02, 1.32]) and SGA decreased (adjusted OR 0.76 [95% CI 0.63, 0.92]) the risk for type 1 diabetes, regardless of maternal BMI and diabetes.

Conclusions/interpretation

Size for gestational age of Swedish children affects the risk of type 1 diabetes, with increased risk if the child is born LGA and decreased risk if the child is born SGA. Being born LGA is an independent risk factor for type 1 diabetes irrespective of maternal BMI and diabetes. Thus, reducing the risk for a child being born LGA might to some extent reduce the risk for type 1 diabetes.

Graphical abstract
Quantitative verification of Kalman filters
Authors: Evangelidis Alexandros , Parker David
Published: February 2021

Kalman filters are widely used for estimating the state of a system based on noisy or inaccurate sensor readings, for example in the control and navigation of vehicles or robots. However, numerical instability or modelling errors may lead to divergence of the filter, leading to erroneous estimations. Establishing robustness against such issues can be challenging. We propose novel formal verification techniques and software to perform a rigorous quantitative analysis of the effectiveness of Kalman filters. We present a general framework for modelling Kalman filter implementations operating on linear discrete-time stochastic systems, and techniques to systematically construct a Markov model of the filter's operation using truncation and discretisation of the stochastic noise model. Numerical stability and divergence properties are then verified using probabilistic model checking. We evaluate the scalability and accuracy of our approach on two distinct probabilistic kinematic models and four Kalman filter implementations.
3D-surface MALDI mass spectrometry imaging for visualising plant defensive cardiac glycosides in Asclepias curassavica
Authors: Dreisbach Domenic , Petschenka Georg , Spengler Bernhard , Bhandari Dhaka R.
Published: February 2021

Mass spectrometry–based imaging (MSI) has emerged as a promising method for spatial metabolomics in plant science. Several ionisation techniques have shown great potential for the spatially resolved analysis of metabolites in plant tissue. However, limitations in technology and methodology limited the molecular information for irregular 3D surfaces with resolutions on the micrometre scale. Here, we used atmospheric-pressure 3D-surface matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry imaging (3D-surface MALDI MSI) to investigate plant chemical defence at the topographic molecular level for the model system Asclepias curassavica. Upon mechanical damage (simulating herbivore attacks) of native A. curassavica leaves, the surface of the leaves varies up to 700 μm, and cardiac glycosides (cardenolides) and other defence metabolites were exclusively detected in damaged leaf tissue but not in different regions of the same leaf. Our results indicated an increased latex flow rate towards the point of damage leading to an accumulation of defence substances in the affected area. While the concentration of cardiac glycosides showed no differences between 10 and 300 min after wounding, cardiac glycosides decreased after 24 h. The employed autofocusing AP-SMALDI MSI system provides a significant technological advancement for the visualisation of individual molecule species on irregular 3D surfaces such as native plant leaves. Our study demonstrates the enormous potential of this method in the field of plant science including primary metabolism and molecular mechanisms of plant responses to abiotic and biotic stress and symbiotic relationships.

Graphical abstract
4-hydroxytamoxifen does not deteriorate cardiac function in cardiomyocyte-specific MerCreMer transgenic mice
Authors: Heinen Andre , Gödecke Stefanie , Flögel Ulrich , Miklos Dominika , Bottermann Katharina , Spychala André , Gödecke Axel
Published: February 2021

Conditional, cell-type-specific transgenic mouse lines are of high value in cardiovascular research. A standard tool for cardiomyocyte-restricted DNA editing is the αMHC-MerCreMer/loxP system. However, there is an ongoing debate on the occurrence of cardiac side effects caused by unspecific Cre activity or related to tamoxifen/oil overload. Here, we investigated potential adverse effects of DNA editing by the αMHC-MerCreMer/loxP system in combination with a low-dose treatment protocol with the tamoxifen metabolite 4-hydroxytamoxifen (OH-Txf). αMHC-MerCreMer mice received intraperitoneally OH-Txf (20 mg/kg) for 5 or 10 days. These treatment protocols were highly efficient to induce DNA editing in adult mouse hearts. Multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging revealed neither transient nor permanent effects on cardiac function during or up to 19 days after 5 day OH-Txf treatment. Furthermore, OH-Txf did not affect cardiac phosphocreatine/ATP ratios assessed by in vivo 31P MR spectroscopy, indicating no Cre-mediated side effects on cardiac energy status. No MRI-based indication for the development of cardiac fibrosis was found as mean T1 relaxation time was unchanged. Histological analysis of myocardial collagen III content after OH-Txf confirmed this result. Last, mean T2 relaxation time was not altered after Txf treatment suggesting no pronounced cardiac lipid accumulation or tissue oedema. In additional experiments, cardiac function was assessed for up to 42 days to investigate potential delayed side effects of OH-Txf treatment. Neither 5- nor 10-day treatment resulted in a depression of cardiac function. Efficient cardiomyocyte-restricted DNA editing that is free of unwanted side effects on cardiac function, energetics or fibrosis can be achieved in adult mice when the αMHC-MerCreMer/loxP system is activated by the tamoxifen metabolite OH-Txf.
Virtual morphometric method using seven cervical vertebrae for sex estimation on the Turkish population
Authors: Ekizoglu Oguzhan , Hocaoglu Elif , Inci Ercan , Karaman Gokce , Garcia-Donas Julieta , Kranioti Elena , Moghaddam Negahnaz , Grabherr Silke
Published: February 2021

Sex estimation from skeletal remains is crucial for the estimation of the biological profile of an individual. Although the most commonly used bones for means of sex estimation are the pelvis and the skull, research has shown that acceptable accuracy rates might be achieved by using other skeletal elements such as vertebrae. This study aims to contribute to the development of sex estimation standards from a Turkish population through the examination of CT scans from the seven cervical vertebrae. A total of 294 individuals were included in this study. The CT scans were obtained from patients attending the Bakirkoy Training and Research Hospital (Turkey) and the data was collected retrospectively by virtually taking measurements from each cervical vertebrae. The full database was divided into a training set (N = 210) and a validation set (N = 84) to test the fit of the models. Observer error was assessed through technical error of measurement and sex differences were explored using parametric and non-parametric approaches. Logistic regression was applied in order to explore different combinations of vertebral parameters. The results showed low intra- and inter-observer errors. All parameters presented statistically significant differences between the sexes and a total of 15 univariate and multivariate models were generated producing accuracies ranging from a minimum of 83.30% to a maximum of 91.40% for a model including three parameters collected from four vertebrae. This study presents a virtual method using cervical vertebrae for sex estimation on the Turkish population providing error rates comparable to other metric studies conducted on the postcranial skeleton. The presented results contribute not only to the development of population-specific standards but also to the generation of virtual methods that can be tested, validated, and further examined in future forensic cases.
Oncological outcome after local treatment for early stage rectal cancer
Authors: Witjes Caroline D. M. , Patel Abhilashaben S. , Shenoy Aniruddh , Boyce Stephen , East James E. , Cunningham Christopher
Published: February 2021

Background

Treatment of early rectal cancer is evolving towards organ-preserving therapy which includes endoscopic resection and transanal approaches. We aimed to explore the role of local treatments such as endoscopic polypectomy (Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (EMR) or Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD)) and transanal endoscopic microsurgery/ transanal minimal invasive surgery (TEM/TAMIS) in patients who had early rectal cancer. We considered these outcomes alongside conventional major surgery using total mesorectal excision (TME) for early stage disease.

Methods

All patients identified at MDT with early stage rectal cancer at our institution between 2010 and 2019 were included. Long-term outcomes in terms of local recurrence, survival and procedure-specific morbidity were analysed.

Results

In total, 536 patients with rectal cancer were identified, of which 112 were included based on their pre-operative identification at the MDT on the basis that they had node-negative early rectal cancer. Among these, 30 patients (27%) had the lesion excised by flexible endoscopic polypectomy techniques (EMR/ESD), 67 (60%) underwent TEM/TAMIS and 15 (13%) had major surgery. There were no differences in patient demographics between the three groups except for TEM/TAMIS patients being more likely to be referred from another hospital (p < 0.001) and they were less active (WHO performance status p = 0.04). There were no significant differences in overall survival rates and cancer-specific survival between the three treatment groups. The 5-year overall survival rate for endoscopic polypectomy, TEM/TAMIS or major resection was 96% versus 90% and 88%, respectively (p = 0.89). The 5- year cancer-specific survival rate was 96%, versus 96% and 100%, respectively (p = 0.74).

Conclusion

Endoscopic polypectomy by EMR/ESD is an appropriate local treatment for early stage rectal cancer in selected patients. It is possible to achieve good oncological outcomes with a polypectomy similar to TEM/TAMIS and major surgery; however, a multidisciplinary approach is necessary enabling close surveillance and the use of adjuvant radiotherapy.
Feasibility and suitability of a graded exercise test in patients with aggressive hemato-oncological disease
Authors: Großek Anja , Elter Thomas , Oberste Max , Wolf Florian , Joisten Niklas , Hartig Philipp , Walzik David , Rosenberger Friederike , Kiesl David , Wahl Patrick , Bloch Wilhelm , Zimmer Philipp
Published: February 2021

Purpose

Physical activity promises to reduce disease-related symptoms and therapy-related side effects in patients suffering from aggressive lymphoma (L) or acute leukemia (AL). For an efficient training program, determination of patients’ physical capacity with a purposive exercise test is crucial. Here, we evaluated the feasibility and suitability of a graded exercise test (GXT) frequently applied in patients suffering from solid tumors by assessing whether patients achieved criteria for maximal exercise testing according to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

Methods

The GXT was performed by 51 patients with an aggressive L or AL prior to the start or in the earliest possible phase of high-dose chemotherapy, following a recommended protocol for cancer patients, starting at 20 Watts (W), with an increase of 10 W/min until volitional exhaustion. Subsequently, we investigated whether the following ACSM criteria were fulfilled: (1) failure of heart rate to increase despite increasing workload, (2) post-exercise capillary lactate concentration ≥ 8.0 mmol L−1, (3) rating of perceived exertion at exercise cessation > 17 on the 6–20 Borg Scale.

Results

Out of 51 patients, two, six, and 35 participants met the first, second, and third criterion, respectively. No relevant relationships between the completion of the criteria and patients’ characteristics (e.g., gender, age) were found.

Conclusion

Although results of this study suggest a general feasibility of the applied GXT, the ACSM criteria were not met by the majority of the participants. Therefore, this study raises doubts about the suitability of the GXT protocol and the ACSM criteria for this group of patients.
The Asp1 pyrophosphatase from S. pombe hosts a [2Fe-2S]2+ cluster in vivo
Authors: Rosenbach Hannah , Walla Eva , Cutsail George E. , Birrell James A. , Pascual-Ortiz Marina , DeBeer Serena , Fleig Ursula , Span Ingrid
Published: February 2021

TheSchizosaccharomyces pombeAsp1 protein is a bifunctional kinase/pyrophosphatase that belongs to the highly conserved eukaryotic diphosphoinositol pentakisphosphate kinase PPIP5K/Vip1 family. The N-terminal Asp1 kinase domain generates specific high-energy inositol pyrophosphate (IPP) molecules, which are hydrolyzed by the C-terminal Asp1 pyrophosphatase domain (Asp1365−920). Thus, Asp1 activities regulate the intracellular level of a specific class of IPP molecules, which control a wide number of biological processes ranging from cell morphogenesis to chromosome transmission. Recently, it was shown that chemical reconstitution of Asp1371−920leads to the formation of a [2Fe-2S] cluster; however, the biological relevance of the cofactor remained under debate. In this study, we provide evidence for the presence of the Fe–S cluster in Asp1365−920inside the cell. However, we show that the Fe–S cluster does not influence Asp1 pyrophosphatase activity in vitro or in vivo. Characterization of the as-isolated protein by electronic absorption spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy is consistent with the presence of a [2Fe-2S]2+cluster in the enzyme. Furthermore, we have identified the cysteine ligands of the cluster. Overall, our work reveals that Asp1 contains an Fe–S cluster in vivo that is not involved in its pyrophosphatase activity.
Duration of the pubertal growth spurt in patients with increased craniofacial growth component in sagittal and vertical planes—retrospective and cross-sectional study
Authors: Szemraj-Folmer Agnieszka , Wojtaszek-Słomińska Anna , Racka-Pilszak Bogna , Kuc-Michalska Małgorzata
Published: February 2021

Objectives

The aim of the study is to assess the skeletal age at the onset and end of the pubertal growth spurt and determine its duration in four growth type groups: (1) normodivergent skeletal Class I (I N), (2) normodivergent skeletal Class III (III N), (3) high-angle skeletal Class III (III H) and (4) high-angle skeletal Class I (I H).

Materials and methods

Two hundred thirteen subjects were selected from 2163 examined files. The cervical vertebral maturation stage was recorded by means of Baccetti’s method. The sagittal and vertical skeletal relations were evaluated according to Steiner analysis with Kaminek’s modification. The duration of the pubertal growth spurt was calculated from the difference between the means of the chronological age related to CS3 and CS4 maturation stages.

Results

The shortest lasting pubertal growth spurt was observed in group I N (1.1), followed by group III N (1.6). Major differences between arithmetic means CS4-CS3 were seen in groups I H and III H (2.3 and 2.7, respectively).

Conclusions

The following tendency was observed in the duration of the pubertal growth spurt: I N < III N < I H < III H. This tendency has statistical significance only in high-angle patients in comparison with normodivergent skeletal Class I.

Clinical relevance

Knowledge on the longer pubertal growth spurt in high-angle patients compared to patients with normal anteroposterior and vertical relationships can be useful in the selection of an appropriate therapeutic method and a treatment time.
A scalable framework for large time series prediction
Authors: Hmamouche Youssef , Lakhal Lotfi , Casali Alain
Published: February 2021

Knowledge discovery systems are nowadays supposed to store and process very large data. When working with big time series, multivariate prediction becomes more and more complicated because the use of all the variables does not allow to have the most accurate predictions and poses certain problems for classical prediction models. In this article, we present a scalable prediction process for large time series prediction, including a new algorithm for identifying time series predictors, which analyses the dependencies between time series using the mutual reinforcement principle between Hubs and Authorities of the Hits (Hyperlink-Induced Topic Search) algorithm. The proposed framework is evaluated on 3 real datasets. The results show that the best predictions are obtained using a very small number of predictors compared to the initial number of variables. The proposed feature selection algorithm shows promising results compared to widely known algorithms, such as the classic and the kernel principle component analysis, factor analysis, and the fast correlation-based filter method, and improves the prediction accuracy of many time series of the used datasets.
One Step at a Time: The Origins of Sequential Simulation and Beyond
Authors: Gómez-Hernández J. Jaime , Srivastava R. Mohan
Published: February 2021

In the mid-1980s, still in his young 40s, André Journel was already recognized as one of the giants of geostatistics. Many of the contributions from his new research program at Stanford University had centered around the indicator methods that he developed: indicator kriging and multiple indicator kriging. But when his second crop of graduate students arrived at Stanford, indicator methods still lacked an approach to conditional simulation that was not tainted by what André called the ‘Gaussian disease’; early indicator simulations went through the tortuous path of converting all indicators to Gaussian variables, running a turning bands simulation, and truncating the resulting multi-Gaussian realizations. When he conceived of sequential indicator simulation (SIS), even André likely did not recognize the generality of an approach to simulation that tackled the simulation task one step at a time. The early enthusiasm for SIS was its ability, in its multiple-indicator form, to cure the Gaussian disease and to build realizations in which spatial continuity did not deteriorate in the extreme values. Much of Stanford’s work in the 1980s focused on petroleum geostatistics, where extreme values (the high-permeability fracture zones and the low-permeability shale barriers) have much stronger anisotropy, and much longer ranges of correlation in the maximum continuity direction, than mid-range values. With multi-Gaussian simulations necessarily imparting weaker continuity to the extremes, SIS was an important breakthrough. The generality of the sequential approach was soon recognized, first through its analogy with multi-variate unconditional simulation achieved using the lower triangular matrix of an LU decomposition of the covariance matrix as the multiplier of random normal deviates. Modifying LU simulation so that it became conditional gave rise to sequential Gaussian simulation (SGS), an algorithm that shared much in common with SIS. With nagging implementation details like the sequential path and the search neighborhood being common to both methods, improvements in either SIS or SGS often became improvements to the other. Almost half of the contributors to this Special Issue became students of André in the classes of 1984–1988, and several are the pioneers of SIS and SGS. Others who studied later with André explored and developed the first multipoint statistics simulation procedures, which are based on the same concept that underlies sequential simulation. Among his many significant intellectual accomplishments, one of the cornerstones of André Journel’s legacy was sequential simulation, built one step at a time.
Combining Clickstream Analyses and Graph-Modeled Data Clustering for Identifying Common Response Processes
Authors: Ulitzsch Esther , He Qiwei , Ulitzsch Vincent , Molter Hendrik , Nichterlein André , Niedermeier Rolf , Pohl Steffi
Published: February 2021

Complex interactive test items are becoming more widely used in assessments. Being computer-administered, assessments using interactive items allow logging time-stamped action sequences. These sequences pose a rich source of information that may facilitate investigating how examinees approach an item and arrive at their given response. There is a rich body of research leveraging action sequence data for investigating examinees’ behavior. However, the associated timing data have been considered mainly on the item-level, if at all. Considering timing data on the action-level in addition to action sequences, however, has vast potential to support a more fine-grained assessment of examinees’ behavior. We provide an approach that jointly considers action sequences and action-level times for identifying common response processes. In doing so, we integrate tools from clickstream analyses and graph-modeled data clustering with psychometrics. In our approach, we (a) provide similarity measures that are based on both actions and the associated action-level timing data and (b) subsequently employ cluster edge deletion for identifying homogeneous, interpretable, well-separated groups of action patterns, each describing a common response process. Guidelines on how to apply the approach are provided. The approach and its utility are illustrated on a complex problem-solving item from PIAAC 2012.
Quest for a summary measure of biological age: the health and retirement study
Authors: Crimmins Eileen M. , Thyagarajan Bharat , Kim Jung Ki , Weir David , Faul Jessica
Published: February 2021

Measures of biological age and its components have been shown to provide important information about individual health and prospective change in health as there is clear value in being able to assess whether someone is experiencing accelerated or decelerated aging. However, how to best assess biological age remains a question. We compare prediction of health outcomes using existing summary measures of biological age with a measure created by adding novel biomarkers related to aging to measures based on more conventional clinical chemistry and exam measures. We also compare the explanatory power of summary biological age measures compared to the individual biomarkers used to construct the measures. To accomplish this, we examine how well biological age, phenotypic age, and expanded biological age and five sets of individual biomarkers explain variability in four major health outcomes linked to aging in a large, nationally representative cohort of older Americans. We conclude that different summary measures of accelerated aging do better at explaining different health outcomes, and that chronological age has greater explanatory power for both cognitive dysfunction and mortality than the summary measures. In addition, we find that there is reduction in the variance explained in health outcomes when indicators are combined into summary measures, and that combining clinical indicators with more novel markers related to aging does best at explaining health outcomes. Finally, it is hard to define a set of assays that parsimoniously explains the greatest amount of variance across the range of health outcomes studied here. All of the individual markers considered were related to at least one of the health outcomes.
Surgical reconstruction of the anterolateral acromion with a tricortical iliac crest bone graft after extensive acromioplasty
Authors: Tross Anna-K. , Nolte Philip-C. , Loew Markus , Schnetzke Marc , Lichtenberg Sven
Published: February 2021

Subacromial decompression is one of the most frequently performed procedures in the setting of arthroscopic shoulder surgery and typically includes acromioplasty. However, the indication for acromioplasty remains a subject of debate. Possible complications involve deltoid muscle insufficiency due to an excessive removal of the anterior acromion. This case report is intended to draw attention to this particular complication and its management.
Hypercalcemia during pregnancy: management and outcomes for mother and child
Authors: Appelman-Dijkstra Natasha M. , Ertl Diana- Alexandra , Zillikens M. C. , Rjenmark Lars , Winter Elizabeth M.
Published: February 2021

Diagnosing and treating hypercalcemia during pregnancy can be challenging due to both the physiological changes in calcium homeostasis and the underlying cause for the hypercalcemia. During pregnancy and lactation there is increased mobilization of calcium in the mother to meet the fetus’ calcium requirements. Here we discuss the diagnostic challenges, management, and patient perspective of hypercalcemia during pregnancy in two particular cases and in other rare conditions causing hypercalcemia.
Cerebellar rTMS in PSP: a Double-Blind Sham-Controlled Study Using Mobile Health Technology
Authors: Pilotto Andrea , Rizzetti Maria Cristina , Lombardi Alberto , Hansen Clint , Biggi Michele , Verzeroli Giacomo , Martinelli Antonella , Romijnders Robbin , Borroni Barbara , Maetzler Walter , Padovani Alessandro
Published: February 2021

There are no effective treatments in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of theta burst repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on postural instability in PSP. Twenty PSP patients underwent a session of sham or real cerebellar rTMS in a crossover design. Before and after stimulation, static balance was evaluated with instrumented (lower back accelerometer, Rehagait®, Hasomed, Germany) 30-s trials in semitandem and tandem positions. In tandem and semitandem tasks, active stimulation was associated with increase in time without falls (both p=0.04). In the same tasks, device-extracted parameters revealed significant improvement in area (p=0.007), velocity (p=0.005), acceleration and jerkiness of sway (p=0.008) in real versus sham stimulation. Cerebellar rTMS showed a significant effect on stability in PSP patients, when assessed with mobile digital technology, in a double-blind design. These results should motivate larger and longer trials using non-invasive brain stimulation for PSP patients.
MicroRNA signature in classical Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Paczkowska Julia , Giefing Maciej
Published: February 2021

Classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) is one of the most prevalent lymphomas with a unique cell composition compared to other lymphoma entities. Rare, malignant Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells embedded with an extensive but ineffective immune infiltration were previously characterized by a large number of genetic and epigenetic alterations. Recently, microRNA profiling studies highlighted the importance of small non-coding RNA in cHL. This review summarizes available literature data and provides a detailed comparison of four studies where cHL cell lines and microdissected HRS cells were used. Several microRNAs were found to be consistently up- (let-7-f, mir-9, mir-21, mir-23a, mir-27a, mir-155, and mir-196a) or downregulated (mir-138 and mir-150) in cHL. These deregulated microRNAs are involved in the processes crucial for cHL pathogenesis, such as impaired B cell development (mir-9, mir-150, and mir-155), NFκB hyperactivation (mir-155 and mir-196a), and immune evasion (mir-138). Therefore, the deregulation of microRNA expression can be considered a complementary mechanism to genetic alterations promoting lymphomagenesis. Moreover, the expression of let-7f, mir-9 and mir-27a is specific for cHL and can serve as a biomarker to distinguish this lymphoma from other B cell lymphomas. However, additional in-depth and high throughput analysis of microRNA expression in HRS cells is necessary to decipher the complete picture of microRNA in cHL.
Correction to: Exploring the potential of black gram (Vigna mungo) flour as a fat replacer in biscuits with improved physicochemical, microstructure, phytochemicals, nutritional and sensory attributes
Authors: Saeed Syed Muhammad Ghufran , Ali Syed Arsalan , Ali Rashida , Sayeed Syed Asad , Mobin Lubna , Ahmed Raheel
Published: February 2021

The version of Fig. 5 in the initial online publication was incorrect. The original article has been corrected.
Relativistic density functional theory in nuclear physics
Authors: Meng Jie , Zhao Pengwei
Published: February 2021

Over the past decades, the relativistic density functional theory has been greatly developed and widely applied to investigate a variety of nuclear phenomena. In this paper, we briefly review the concept of covariant density functional theory in nuclear physics with a few latest applications in describing nuclear ground-state and excitation properties as well as nuclear dynamics. Moreover, attempts to build a microscopic and universal density functional are also discussed in terms of the successful fully self-consistent relativistic Brueckner–Hartree–Fock calculations.
Investigating the role of familial and peer‐related factors on electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) use among U.S. adolescents
Authors: Cavazos‐Rehg Patricia , Li Xiao , Kasson Erin , Kaiser Nina , Borodovsky Jacob , Grucza Richard A.
Published: February 2021

Introduction

Tobacco use is a public health concern, and adolescents are at an increased risk of starting and continuing to use tobacco relative to other age groups. Parent involvement and other social environmental factors may influence the development and persistence of tobacco use behaviors in adolescence. This study used the nationally representative Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study data set, and responses from 7025 adolescent participants were analyzed to illustrate the longitudinal relationship between social environment influences and use of adolescent electronic nicotine delivery systems (i.e., ENDS).

Methods

Social environmental factors were assessed at Wave 3 and then compared to electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) status transitions (i.e., initiation, expansion, persistence) at follow‐up. Survey‐weighted multivariable logistic regression models were used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

Initiation and persistence of ENDS use were associated with tobacco availability in the house, perception of having no adverse parent reaction to discovering ENDS use and having a best friend who uses ENDS. Initiation of ENDS use was further associated with having biological relatives who have ever been diagnosed with a substance use disorder (SUD) and persistence of ENDS use was also positively associated with lack of in‐house rules. Parents talking about ENDS use with adolescents had no association across all three outcomes.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that parental and environmental factors alter the risk of initiation and persistence of ENDS and tobacco use in adolescents, and these should be considered when working with this at‐risk population.
Identity synthesis and confusion in early to late adolescents: Age trends, gender differences, and associations with depressive symptoms
Authors: Bogaerts Annabel , Claes Laurence , Buelens Tinne , Verschueren Margaux , Palmeroni Nina , Bastiaens Tim , Luyckx Koen
Published: February 2021

Introduction

Research on identity development has primarily studied over‐time trends in identity status change and exploration and commitment processes among late adolescents and emerging adults. Identity development in early and mid‐adolescents has generally been overlooked. Hence, little is known about how a sense of identity synthesis and confusion evolves from early to late adolescence for boys and girls.

Methods

The present cross‐sectional study examined gender‐moderated age trends in identity synthesis and confusion from ages 12 to 25 among 5860 Belgian adolescents (56.1% girls; Mage = 16.09). In addition, using a subsample of 2782 participants, we investigated associations of identity synthesis and confusion with depressive symptoms in early, mid‐, and late adolescents.

Results

Mean scores on identity synthesis decreased from ages 12 to 15, subsequently increased from ages 15 to 23, and decreased again later on. Mean scores on identity confusion followed a parallel but opposite cubic trend. Gender differences in these age trends were dependent upon the developmental period. For all age groups, identity synthesis scores were negatively associated with depressive symptoms, whereas positive associations emerged between identity confusion and depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

From 12 to 25 years old, individuals experience an increasing sense of identity synthesis and less identity confusion, despite fluctuations that appear to be dependent upon the developmental period. Identity synthesis and confusion seem to be strongly negatively and positively associated with depressive symptoms in early, mid‐, and late adolescents.
Armed with Sword and Scales
Authors: Auerbach Sascha
Published: February 2021

In the mid-eighteenth century, author and magistrate Henry Fielding adjudicated cases of theft, assault, and public disorder from his London home on Bow Street. By the middle of the nineteenth century, Fielding's modest 'police office' had expanded to become the most prolific court system in Britain and the cornerstone of criminal and civil justice in the metropolis. Sascha Auerbach examines the fascinating history of this institution through the lens of 'courtroom culture' – the combination of formal statute and informal custom that guided everyday practice in the London Police Courts. He offers a new model for understanding the relationship between law, culture, and society in modern Britain and illuminates how the local courtroom became a crucial part of everyday life and thoroughly entangled with popular representations of justice and morality.
Tragedy and Postcolonial Literature
Authors: Quayson Ato
Published: February 2021

This book examines tragedy and tragic philosophy from the Greeks through Shakespeare to the present day. It explores key themes in the links between suffering and ethics through postcolonial literature. Ato Quayson reconceives how we think of World literature under the singular and fertile rubric of tragedy. He draws from many key works – Oedipus Rex, Philoctetes, Medea, Hamlet, Macbeth, and King Lear – to establish the main contours of tragedy. Quayson uses Shakespeare's Othello, Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Tayeb Salih, Arundhati Roy, Toni Morrison, Samuel Beckett and J.M. Coetzee to qualify and expand the purview and terms by which Western tragedy has long been understood. Drawing on key texts such as The Poetics and The Nicomachean Ethics, and augmenting them with Frantz Fanon and the Akan concept of musuo (taboo), Quayson formulates a supple, insightful new theory of ethical choice and the impediments against it. This is a major book from a leading critic in literary studies.
It should not require a pandemic to make community engagement in research leadership essential, not optional
Authors: Grumbach Kevin , Cottler Linda B. , Brown Jen , LeSarre Monique , Gonzalez-Fisher Ricardo F. , Williams Carla D. , Michener J. Lloyd , Nease Donald E. , Tandon Darius , Varma Deepthi S. , Eder Milton
Published: February 2021

Efforts to move community engagement in research from marginalized to mainstream include the NIH requiring community engagement programs in all Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs). However, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed how little these efforts have changed the dominant culture of clinical research. When faced with the urgent need to generate knowledge about prevention and treatment of the novel coronavirus, researchers largely neglected to involve community stakeholders early in the research process. This failure cannot be divorced from the broader context of systemic racism in the US that has contributed to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities bearing a disproportionate toll from COVID-19, being underrepresented in COVID-19 clinical trials, and expressing greater hesitancy about COVID-19 vaccination. We call on research funders and research institutions to take decisive action to make community engagement obligatory, not optional, in all clinical and translational research and to center BIPOC communities in this process. Recommended actions include funding agencies requiring all research proposals involving human participants to include a community engagement plan, providing adequate funding to support ongoing community engagement, including community stakeholders in agency governance and proposal reviews, promoting racial and ethnic diversity in the research workforce, and making a course in community engaged research a requirement for Masters of Clinical Research curricula.
Multifaceted intervention for improving antimicrobial prescription at discharge in the emergency department
Authors: Tagashira Yasuaki , Goto Manaka , Kondo Reiko , Honda Hitoshi
Published: February 2021

The frequent prescription of antimicrobials, such as at discharge from the emergency department, calls for optimizing this practice through modifying physicians’ prescribing behavior. A 1-year, multifaceted intervention implemented in an emergency department decreased the mean monthly antimicrobial prescription rate at discharge and increased the proportion of appropriate prescriptions.
Homotopy of gauge groups over high-dimensional manifolds
Authors: Huang Ruizhi
Published: February 2021

The homotopy theory of gauge groups has received considerable attention in recent decades. In this work, we study the homotopy theory of gauge groups over some high-dimensional manifolds. To be more specific, we study gauge groups of bundles over (n− 1)-connected closed 2n-manifolds, the classification of which was determined by Wall and Freedman in the combinatorial category. We also investigate the gauge groups of the total manifolds of sphere bundles based on the classical work of James and Whitehead. Furthermore, other types of 2n-manifolds are also considered. In all the cases, we show various homotopy decompositions of gauge groups. The methods are combinations of manifold topology and various techniques in homotopy theory.
Electrocardiographic interference: know your patient well
Authors: Mahendran Arjun K. , Chang Philip M. , Gupta Dipankar
Published: February 2021

Two cases of paediatric patients with gastric pacemakers causing distinct electrocardiographic artefact. Recognition of extracardiac artefact is essential for proper ECG interpretation in patients.
The effect of school feeding programme on class absenteeism and academic performance of schoolchildren in Southern Ethiopia: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Desalegn Tsion A , Gebremedhin Samson , Alemayehu Fikadu R , Stoecker Barbara J
Published: February 2021

Objective:

Ethiopia recently scaled up the implementation of a school feeding programme (SFP). Yet, evidence on the impact of such programmes on academic outcomes remains inconclusive. We evaluated the effect of the SFP on class absenteeism and academic performance of primary school students (grade 5–8) in Sidama zone, Southern Ethiopia.

Design:

This prospective cohort study enrolled SFP-beneficiary (n 240) and non-beneficiary (n 240) children 10–14 years of age from sixteen public schools and followed them for an academic year. School absenteeism was measured as the number of days children were absent from school in the year. Academic performance was defined based on the average academic score of the students for ten subjects they attended in the year. Data were analysed using multivariable mixed effects negative binomial and linear regression models.

Setting:

Food insecure districts in Sidama zone, Southern Ethiopia.

Participants:

SFP-beneficiary and non-beneficiary children 10–14 years of age.

Results:

The mean (sd) number of days children were absent from school was 4·0 (sd 1·5) and 9·3 (sd 6·0), among SFP beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries, respectively. Students not covered by the SFP were two times more likely to miss classes (adjusted rate ratio = 2·30; 95 % CI 2·03, 2·61). Pertaining to academic performance, a significant but small 2·40 (95 % CI 0·69, 4·12) percentage point mean difference was observed in favour of SFP beneficiaries. Likewise, the risk of school dropout was six times higher among non-beneficiaries (adjusted rate ratio = 6·04; 95 % CI 1·61, 22·68).

Conclusions:

SFP promotes multiple academic outcomes among socio-economically disadvantaged children.
Underthrusting of the Tarim Lithosphere Beneath the Western Kunlun Range, Insights From Seismic Profiling Evidence
Authors: Wang Shengli , Chen Yan , Charreau Julien , Li Yongxiang , Chen Zhuxin , Zhu Guangyou , Xu Huaizhi , Li Chao , Wang Liangshu
Published: February 2021

Uplift of the western Kunlun range results from the Indian indentation into Eurasia and induced underthrusting of the Tarim lithosphere. This underthrusting keeps pace with migration of the western Kunlun foreland basin. The basin‐scale sequences provide a decipherable record of the migration. To quantify the underthrusting, we analyzed a ∼323.2‐km‐long seismic profile crossing the middle segment of the western Kunlun foreland. We traced seismic reflectors to investigate the architecture of the foreland sequences and assigned ages of reflectors by correlating them with the dated outcropping sections. The foreland sequences consist of four layers. The lowermost Layer 1 starts to lap on the preforeland unit at ∼40 Ma, indicating that the Cenozoic western Kunlun initiated slightly prior to ∼40 Ma. Layer 2 shows a large sharp step northward to exceed the forebulge at ∼25 Ma, suggesting that the modern geomorphology of the Tarim Basin took shape. The southwestern boundary of Layer 4 migrates northeastwards by a fold row relative to that of Layer 3. The gradual retreat of reflector terminations from ∼40 to ∼30 Ma suggests that the Tarim lithosphere is viscoelastic. The linear fitting of the forelandward envelop of reflector termination sites since ∼30 Ma indicates that the Tarim lithosphere underthrusted at an average rate of ∼8.18 mm/yr. This rate comprises the shortening rate of ∼3.8–5.7 mm/yr and the western Kunlun latitudinal propagation rate of ∼4.4–2.5 mm/yr. The abrupt increase in sedimentation rate since ∼11 Ma suggests that western Kunlun had reached its current elevation.
Where Are Global Vegetation Greening and Browning Trends Significant?
Authors: Cortés José , Mahecha Miguel D. , Reichstein Markus , Myneni Ranga B. , Chen Chi , Brenning Alexander
Published: February 2021

Global greening trends have been widely reported based on long‐term remote sensing data of terrestrial ecosystems. Typically, a hypothesis test is performed for each grid cell; this leads to multiple hypothesis testing and false positive trend detection. We reanalyze global greening and account for this issue with a novel statistical method that allows robust inference on greening regions. Based on leaf area index (LAI) data, our methods reduce the detected greening from 35.2% to 15.3% of the terrestrial land surface; this reduction is most notable in nonwoody vegetation. Our results confirm several greening regions (China, India, Europe, Sahel, North America, Brazil, and Siberia), that are also supported by independent data products. We also report evidence for an increasing seasonal amplitude in LAI north of 35°N. Considering the widespread use of spatially replicated trend tests in global change research, we recommend adopting the proposed multiple testing procedure to control false positive outcomes.
The 3D Structure of Saturn Magnetospheric Neutral Tori Produced by the Enceladus Plumes
Authors: Smith Howard Todd , Richardson John D.
Published: February 2021

This research provides updated and validated spatial distributions of Enceladus‐generated H2O, OH, and O neutral tori. These tori are produced by the primary neutral source, Enceladus, and consist of populations of coorbiting neutral particles that provide the bulk of heavy molecules to Saturn's (neutral particle dominant) magnetosphere. We conducted self‐consistent neutral particle and plasma modeling that is constrained and validated by all relevant Cassini and Hubble Space Telescope observations. Our results include a three dimensional (3D) spatial distribution of all three neutral tori. Significant findings include (1) short‐term plume variability combines to produce an average H2O source rate of ∼280 kg/s; (2) Enceladus plume variability does not impact the neutral tori distribution because it occurs on time scales less than the orbital periodicity (<17 h); (3) H2O source torus particles quickly dissociate in <65 days while only ∼22% are directly ionized; (4) the resulting OH torus dissociates in <40 days and only ∼11% are directly ionized; (5) ∼59% of the significantly dispersed O torus is directly ionized; and (6) the near plume environment is very important and relatively small changes (<0.5 eV) in the core electron population within the plume region dramatically change the H3O+ abundance.
Anthropogenic Iron Deposition Alters the Ecosystem and Carbon Balance of the Indian Ocean Over a Centennial Timescale
Authors: Pham Anh L. D. , Ito Takamitsu
Published: February 2021

Phytoplankton growth in the Indian Ocean is generally limited by macronutrients (nitrogen: N and phosphorus: P) in the north and by micronutrient (iron: Fe) in the south. Increasing atmospheric deposition of N and dissolved Fe (dFe) into the ocean due to human activities can thus lead to significant responses from both the northern and southern Indian Ocean ecosystems. Previous modeling studies investigated the impacts of anthropogenic nutrient deposition on the ocean, but their results are uncertain due to incomplete representations of the Fe cycling. This study uses a state‐of‐the‐art ocean ecosystem and Fe cycling model to evaluate the transient responses of ocean productivity and carbon uptake in the Indian Ocean, focusing on the centennial time scale. The model includes three major dFe sources and represents an internal Fe cycling modulated by scavenging, desorption, and complexation with multiple, spatially varying ligand classes. Sensitivity simulations show that after a century of anthropogenic deposition, ecosystem responses in the Indian Ocean are not uniform due to a competition between the phytoplankton community. In particular, the competition between diatom, coccolithophore, and picoplankton alters the balance between the organic and carbonate pumps in the Indian Ocean, increasing the carbon uptake along 50°S and the southeastern tropics while decreasing it in the Arabian Sea. Our results reveal the important role of ecosystem dynamics in controlling the sensitivity of carbon fluxes in the Indian Ocean under the impact of anthropogenic nutrient deposition over a centennial timescale.