bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complete Genome Sequence of Streptococcus oralis SF100, Isolated from Blood Cultures from a Patient with Infective Endocarditis
Authors: Lee Ji Hee , Ji Hyun Jung , Seo Ho Seong , Sullam Paul M.
Published: July 2021

Streptococcus oralis
is a commensal viridans group
streptococcus
of the human oral cavity and a frequent cause of endovascular infection. Here, we report the complete whole-genome sequence of
S. oralis
strain SF100, which was originally isolated from the blood of a patient with infective endocarditis. This strain contains the lysogenic bacteriophage SM1, which enhances the virulence of SF100 in animal models of endocardial infection.
Draft Genome Sequence of a Leptospira kirschneri Serovar Mozdok Type 2 Strain Isolated from a Horse in Portugal
Authors: Inácio João , Muñoz-Mérida Antonio , Ahmed Ahmed A. , Rocha Teresa , Mesquita João Rodrigo , Thompson Gertrude , Goris Marga G. A. , Hartskeerl Rudy A. , Ferreira Ana Sofia
Published: July 2021

Leptospira kirschneri
is an agent causing leptospirosis in animals and humans. We report the draft genome sequence of
Leptospira kirschneri
serovar Mozdok type 2 strain Horse 112, comprising 485 contigs and having a genome size of 4,301,784 bp. This genome will facilitate studying important mechanisms for clinical outcomes.
Whole-Genome Sequences of Mycobacterium abscessus subsp.
massiliense
Isolates from Brazil
Authors: Machado Edson , Oliveira Fernanda Cristina , Silva Duarte Rafael , Carvalho Ana Carolina , Cândido Pedro Henrique Campanini , Conceição Emilyn Costa , Gomes Lia , Vasconcellos Sidra E. G. , Coelho Fabrice Santana , Vinhas Solange , Lourenço Maria Cristina , Guimarães Ana Carolina R. , Catanho Marcos , Suffys Philip Noel
Published: July 2021

The
Mycobacterium abscessus
complex comprises multidrug-resistant, opportunistic, and rapidly growing pathogens responsible for severe infections. Here, we report the genome composition of four
Mycobacterium abscessus
subsp.
massiliense
isolates from three sources: two from the lung of a cystic fibrosis patient, one from a mammary cyst, and one from a gutter system.
Complete Genome Sequence of a Third- and Fourth-Generation Cephalosporin-Resistant Comamonas kerstersii Isolate
Authors: Moser Aline I. , Campos-Madueno Edgar I. , Keller Peter M. , Endimiani Andrea
Published: July 2021

Here, we report the complete genome sequence of
Comamonas kerstersii
3132976, a strain isolated from a human rectal swab sample in Switzerland. The isolate was resistant to third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins and possessed a novel class A β-lactamase gene. The complete genome is 3,693,404 bp long with a GC content of 59.4%.
Near-Complete Genome Sequence of a Human Norovirus GII.1[Pg] Strain Associated with Acute Gastroenteritis, Determined Using Long-Read Sequencing
Authors: Yang Zhihui , Mammel Mark , Wales Samantha Q.
Published: July 2021

High-throughput sequencing is one of the approaches used for the detection of foodborne pathogens such as noroviruses. Long-read sequencing has advantages over short-read sequencing in speed, read length, and lower fragmentation bias, which makes it a potential powerful tool for the fast detection and identification of viruses.
Complete Genome Sequence of the Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacterium
Nitrosospira
sp. Strain NRS527, Isolated from the Rhizoplane of Paddy Rice
Authors: Nakagawa Tatsunori , Tsuchiya Yuki , Takahashi Reiji
Published: July 2021

This work reports the complete genome sequence of the chemoautotrophic ammonia-oxidizing bacterium
Nitrosospira
sp. strain NRS527. The assembled genome is composed of a circular chromosome and two plasmids (80,750 bp and 41,389 bp, respectively).
Complete Genome Sequence of Cupriavidus necator KK10, an Azaarene-Degrading and Polyhydroxyalkanoate-Producing Soil Bacterium
Authors: Mori Jiro F. , Nagai Miho , Kanaly Robert A.
Published: July 2021

Cupriavidus necator
KK10 has been investigated in azaarene and diesel fuel biodegradation studies and is capable of polyhydroxyalkanoate production. Its complete genome sequence revealed two closed circular sequences, the chromosome (6.68 Mb) and plasmid (1.67 Mb). The KK10 genome carries functional genes potentially responsible for azaarene biodegradation and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biosynthesis.
Draft Genome Sequence of the Aerobic Anoxygenic Phototrophic Bacterium
Roseobacter
sp. Strain OBYS 0001, Isolated from Coastal Seawater in Otsuchi Bay, Japan
Authors: Sato-Takabe Yuki , Nakajima Yu , Tsukamoto Yuya , Hamasaki Koji , Shiozaki Takuhei
Published: July 2021

Here, we report the draft genome sequence of the aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic bacterium
Roseobacter
sp. strain OBYS 0001, isolated from coastal seawater in Ostuchi Bay, Japan. This genome sequence could be useful for our understanding of the variation in photosynthesis-related genes among aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs.
Draft Genome Sequences of the Bap-Producing Strain Staphylococcus aureus V329 and Its Derived Phage-Resistant Mutant BIM-1
Authors: Fernández Lucía , Duarte Ana Catarina , Martínez Beatriz , Rodríguez Ana , García Pilar
Published: July 2021

This study reports the draft genome sequences of
Staphylococcus aureus
V329, a Bap-producing strain isolated from a case of subclinical bovine mastitis in Spain, and a derived mutant (BIM-1) resistant to phage phiIPLA-RODI. Comparison of the two genomes revealed that the mutant strain has a point mutation in the gene
tagO
.
Genome Sequences of Akoni, Ashton, and Truong,
Podoviridae
Bacteriophages Isolated from Microbacterium foliorum
Authors: Fakhre Fadia , Gonzalez Raquel M. , Howells Elisabeth K. , Otero Louis , Pegoraro Kaili N. , Robichaux Kobe C. , Rodier Alexandra , Sadowski Carter L. , Carter Victoria P. , Gray Amber D. , Klein Grace C. , Lebosada Catherine , Miklaszewski Chris M. , Sutton Sydney N. , Chase Michael A. , Coleman Caitlyn N. , Corbett Brooke , Cunha Manoela O. , Daffner Marshall , Deam Caitlyn J. , Deloso Laura J. , DeSomma Anthony M. , Pinera Gallardo Juan , Horne Mae E. , Kanahan Olivia , Lam Victor , Morgan Ryan T. , Mustor Emilee M. , Ricardo-Iglesias Migdalia , Sartorio Chloe J. , Sciacchitano Ava R. , Tvenstrup Alex W. , Wood Audrey R. , Pollenz Richard S.
Published: July 2021

Cluster EK2 Akoni, Ashton, and Truong are lytic
Podoviridae
actinobacteriophages that were isolated from soil in Florida using
Microbacterium foliorum
NRRL B-24224 as the host. The genomes are 54,307 bp, 54,560 bp, and 54,309 bp, respectively, and are 60% GC rich. Each genome contains a novel 13,464-bp gene that encompasses 25% of the genome.
Complete Genome Sequence of
Atopobiaceae
Bacterium Strain P1, Isolated from Mouse Feces
Authors: Watanabe Yasuha , Takeuchi Nao , Yang Jiayue , Obana Nozomu , Morinaga Kana , Kusada Hiroyuki , Tamaki Hideyuki , Fukuda Shinji , Arakawa Kazuharu
Published: July 2021

Atopobiaceae
sp. strain P1 (
Actinobacteria
,
Coriobacteriales
) was isolated from mouse feces. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of this strain, which has a total size of 2,028,478 bp and a G+C content of 58.6%.
Quaternary sodic and potassic intraplate volcanism in northeast China controlled by the underlying heterogeneous lithospheric structures
Authors: Fan Xingli , Chen Qi-Fu , Ai Yinshuang , Chen Ling , Jiang Mingming , Wu Qingju , Guo Zhen
Published: July 2021

The origin and mantle dynamics of the Quaternary intraplate sodic and potassic volcanism in northeast China have long been intensely debated. We present a high-resolution, three-dimensional (3-D) crust and upper-mantle S-wave velocity (Vs) model of northeast China by combining ambient noise and earthquake two-plane wave tomography based on unprecedented regional dense seismic arrays. Our seismic images highlight a strong correlation between the basalt geochemistry and upper-mantle seismic velocity structure: Sodic volcanoes are all characterized by prominent low seismic velocities in the uppermost mantle, while potassic volcanoes still possess a normal but thin upper-mantle “lid” depicted by high seismic velocities. Combined with previous petrological and geochemical research findings, we propose that the rarely erupted Quaternary potassic volcanism in northeast China results from the interaction between asthenospheric low-degree melts and the overlying subcontinental lithospheric mantle. In contrast, the more widespread Quaternary sodic volcanism in this region is predominantly sourced from the upwelling asthenosphere without significant overprinting from the subcontinental lithospheric mantle.
Earthquake doublet revealed by multiple pulses in lacustrine seismo-turbidites
Authors: Wils Katleen , Deprez Maxim , Kissel Catherine , Vervoort Morgan , Van Daele Maarten , Daryono Mudrik R. , Cnudde Veerle , Natawidjaja Danny H. , De Batist Marc
Published: July 2021

Earthquake doublets have been described in fault systems around the world but have not yet been confidently resolved in paleoseismic records. Our current knowledge is limited to historical occurrences, preventing researchers from uncovering potential patterns or recognizing common fault behavior. Identification of prehistoric doublets is thus of crucial importance for adequate seismic hazard assessment and risk mitigation. We developed a new methodology to reveal the sedimentary imprint of earthquake doublets in lacustrine paleoseismic records based on flow direction analysis in multipulsed turbidites, because the delayed arrival of turbidity currents originating from the same source location demonstrates the occurrence of individual triggering mechanisms. As grains tend to align in the presence of a flow, we analyzed flow directions by determining the dominant orientation of elongated grains using a combination of grain size, paleomagnetism, and high-resolution X-ray computed tomography. This methodology was applied to a turbidite deposited by the 2007 CE earthquakes in West Sumatra (Mw 6.4 and 6.3, 2 h apart), and it provides the first unmistakable sedimentary evidence for an earthquake doublet. We argue that this methodology has great potential to be applied to multipulsed turbidites in various subaquatic paleoseismic records and can reveal the occurrence of unknown earthquake sequences.
Evidence-based practice in cognitive–behavioural therapy
Authors: Stallard Paul
Published: July 2021

Cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) is a practical, goal-focused approach that helps children understand the relationship between their thoughts, feelings and behaviours. The aim is to identify the dysfunctional and distorted cognitions associated with their psychological problems and to create more functional and balanced cognitive patterns that create less emotional distress and more helpful behaviours. CBT has strong evidence as an effective intervention for children and adolescents with emotional problems. The benefits for children with physical health and chronic conditions appear promising, although further research is required to substantiate these gains.
Papillary thyroid carcinoma in a 7-year-old boy presenting with a goitre without microcalcifications and enlarged cervical lymph nodes
Authors: Schultze Maria Cecilia , Castro-Correia Cintia , Bom-Sucesso Maria , Becker Marianne
Published: July 2021

The most frequent type of thyroid malignancy in children is papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), which usually presents as a thyroid nodule, but may also present as a diffuse infiltration with microcalcifications. Herein, we report the case of an uncommon presentation of a PTC in a 7-year-old boy. The child was referred for a goiter with cervical lymphadenopathies. Ultrasonography showed a hypervascularised goiter without microcalcifications but with numerous bilateral cervical nodular formations. A lymph node biopsy revealed metastatic thyroid cancer, hence a total thyroidectomy and complete neck dissection were performed. Histopathology confirmed a PTC. Ablative131I, 30 mCi was performed 4 months postsurgery. At the end of this treatment, a metastatic lung nodule was identified. Since then, another three ablative131I treatments have been administered. Thyroid cancers presenting as a diffuse infiltration without microcalcifications are rare. In the presence of lymphadenopathies, thyroid cancer needs to be suspected, even without microcalcifications.
Africa is not a museum: the ethics of encouraging new parenting practices in rural communities in low-income and middle-income countries
Authors: Weber Ann M , Diop Yatma , Gillespie Diane , Ratsifandrihamanana Lisy , Darmstadt Gary L
Published: July 2021

The Nurturing Care Framework for Early Childhood Development urges stakeholders to implement strategies that help children worldwide achieve their developmental potential. Related programmes range from the WHO’s and UNICEF’s Care for Child Development intervention, implemented in 19 countries, to locally developed programmes, such as non-governmental organisation Tostan’s Reinforcement of Parental Practices in Senegal. However, some researchers argue that these programmes are unethical as they impose caregiving practices and values from high-income countries (HICs) on low-income communities, failing to consider local culture, communities’ goals for their children and generalisability of scientific findings from HICs. We explore these criticisms within a public health framework, applying principles of beneficence, autonomy and justice to the arguments. To facilitate the change communities themselves desire for their children, we recommend that practitioners codevelop programmes and cooperate with communities in implementation to harness local beliefs and customs and promote evidence-based and locally adapted practices.
Physical activity of daily life of Bundeswehr soldiers: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Schilz Christin , Sammito S
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Activity of daily life is an important key to maintaining and improving the health status. This is especially important for people in physically demanding jobs, such as firefighters, military and police.

Methods

In order to record the actual state of activity of daily life among soldiers, a step count measurement with a pedometer was carried out on 196 soldiers of the German Armed Forces over 7 days and supplemented by a questionnaire on lifestyle factors.

Results

The subjects exceeded the recommended 7000–8000 steps per day, with the rank and file moving the least and the commissioned officers the most. It was also striking that the soldiers in the study moved an average of 2600 steps less per day on weekends than on weekdays.

Conclusions

Based on these findings, targeted physical activity measures can be established for the identified target groups within the framework of corporate health management in order to ensure the physical fitness of soldiers on routine duty and on deployment.
Bioethics in humanitarian disaster relief operations: a military perspective
Authors: Davies James , Brockie A , Breeze J
Published: July 2021

The ethical dilemmas faced every day by military personnel working within the NHS will potentially be very different to ones that will be faced in the wake of a humanitarian disaster. Allied to this the potentially differing objectives from military personnel when compared with other healthcare workers in these scenarios and a conflict of ethics could arise.

Within this paper, the fundamentals of this conflict will be explored and how working within the military framework can affect clinical decisions. This is a paper commissioned as a part of the humanitarian and disaster relief operations special issue of BMJ Military Health.
Does app-based unguided self-management improve mental health literacy, patient empowerment and access to care for people with mental health impairments? Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Kerber André , Beintner Ina , Burchert Sebastian , Knaevelsrud Christine
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Mental disorders pose a huge burden to both individuals and health systems. Symptoms and syndromes often remain undetected and untreated, resulting in comorbidity and chronification. Besides limited resources in healthcare systems, the treatment-gap is—to a large extent—caused by within-person barriers impeding early treatment seeking. These barriers include a lack of trust in professionals, fear of stigmatisation, or the desire to cope with problems without professional help. While unguided self-management interventions are not designed to replace psychotherapy, they may support early symptom assessment and recognition by reducing within-person barriers. Digital self-management solutions may also reduce inequalities in access to care due to external factors such as regional unavailability of services.

Methods and analysis

Approximately 1100 patients suffering from mild to moderate depressive, anxiety, sleep, eating or somatisation-related mental disorders will be randomised to receive either a low-threshold unguided digital self-management tool in the form of a transdiagnostic mental health app or care as usual. The primary outcomes will be mental health literacy, patient empowerment and access to care while secondary outcomes will be symptom distress and quality of life. Additional moderator and predictor variables are negative life events, personality functioning, client satisfaction, mental healthcare service use and application of self-management strategies. Data will be collected at baseline as well as 8 weeks and 6 months after randomisation. Data will be analysed using multiple imputation and analysis of covariance employing the intention-to-treat principle, while sensitivity analyses will be based on different multiple imputation parameters and a per-protocol analysis.

Ethics and dissemination

Approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Educational Science and Psychology at the Freie Universität Berlin. The results will be submitted to peer-reviewed specialised journals and presented at national and international conferences.

Trial registeration

The trial has been registered in the DRKS trial register (DRKS00022531);Pre-results.
Recent advances in clinical practice: epidemiology of autoimmune liver diseases
Authors: Trivedi Palak J , Hirschfield Gideon M
Published: July 2021

Autoimmune liver diseases are chronic inflammatory hepatobiliary disorders that when classically defined encompass three distinctive clinical presentations; primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Meaningful changes in disease epidemiology are reported, with increasing incidence and prevalence of AIH and PSC in Europe, and rising prevalence of PBC across Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region. However, there appears to be very significant global variation with contemporary incidence rates of disease per 100 000 ranging from 0.84 to 2.75 for PBC, 0.1 to 4.39 for PSC and 0.4 to 2.39 for AIH. Prevalence corresponds, and per 100 000 estimates for PBC range from 1.91 to 40.2, for PSC between 0.78 and 31.7 and for AIH from 4.8 to 42.9. Population-based studies and multicentre observational cohort series provide improved understanding of the clinical course that patients experience, highlighting variations in presenting phenotypes geographically and temporally. Collectively, while autoimmune liver diseases are rare, the clinical burden is disproportionately high relative to population incidence and prevalence. Age, sex and race also impact clinical outcomes, and patient morbidity and mortality are reflected by high need for gastroenterology, hepatology and organ transplant services.
Multi-institutional TSA-amplified Multiplexed Immunofluorescence Reproducibility Evaluation (MITRE) Study
Authors: Taube Janis M , Roman Kristin , Engle Elizabeth L , Wang Chichung , Ballesteros-Merino Carmen , Jensen Shawn M , McGuire John , Jiang Mei , Coltharp Carla , Remeniuk Bethany , Wistuba Ignacio , Locke Darren , Parra Edwin R , Fox Bernard A , Rimm David L , Hoyt Cliff
Published: July 2021

Background

Emerging data suggest predictive biomarkers based on the spatial arrangement of cells or coexpression patterns in tissue sections will play an important role in precision immuno-oncology. Multiplexed immunofluorescence (mIF) is ideally suited to such assessments. Standardization and validation of an end-to-end workflow that supports multisite trials and clinical laboratory processes are vital. Six institutions collaborated to: (1) optimize an automated six-plex assay focused on the PD-1/PD-L1 axis, (2) assess intersite and intrasite reproducibility of staining using a locked down image analysis algorithm to measure tumor cell and immune cell (IC) subset densities, %PD-L1 expression on tumor cells (TCs) and ICs, and PD-1/PD-L1 proximity assessments.

Methods

A six-plex mIF panel (PD-L1, PD-1, CD8, CD68, FOXP3, and CK) was rigorously optimized as determined by quantitative equivalence to immunohistochemistry (IHC) chromogenic assays. Serial sections from tonsil and breast carcinoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissue microarrays (TMAs), TSA-Opal fluorescent detection reagents, and antibodies were distributed to the six sites equipped with a Leica Bond Rx autostainer and a Vectra Polaris multispectral imaging platform. Tissue sections were stained and imaged at each site and delivered to a single site for analysis. Intersite and intrasite reproducibility were assessed by linear fits to plots of cell densities, including %PDL1 expression by TCs and ICs in the breast and NSCLC TMAs.

Results

Comparison of the percent positive cells for each marker between mIF and IHC revealed that enhanced amplification in the mIF assay was required to detect low-level expression of PD-1, PD-L1, FoxP3 and CD68. Following optimization, an average equivalence of 90% was achieved between mIF and IHC across all six assay markers. Intersite and intrasite cell density assessments showed an average concordance of R2=0.75 (slope=0.92) and R2=0.88 (slope=0.93) for breast carcinoma, respectively, and an average concordance of R2=0.72 (slope=0.86) and R2=0.81 (slope=0.68) for NSCLC. Intersite concordance for %PD-L1+ICs had an average R2value of 0.88 and slope of 0.92. Assessments of PD-1/PD-L1 proximity also showed strong concordance (R2=0.82; slope=0.75).

Conclusions

Assay optimization yielded highly sensitive, reproducible mIF characterization of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis across multiple sites. High concordance was observed across sites for measures of density of specific IC subsets, measures of coexpression and proximity with single-cell resolution.
Machine learning approaches in predicting ambulatory same day discharge patients after total hip arthroplasty
Authors: Zhong Haoyan , Poeran Jashvant , Gu Alex , Wilson Lauren A , Gonzalez Della Valle Alejandro , Memtsoudis Stavros G , Liu Jiabin
Published: July 2021

Background

With continuing financial and regulatory pressures, practice of ambulatory total hip arthroplasty is increasing. However, studies focusing on selection of optimal candidates are burdened by limitations related to traditional statistical approaches. Hereby we aimed to apply machine learning algorithm to identify characteristics associated with optimal candidates.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included elective total hip arthroplasty (n=63 859) recorded in National Surgical Quality Improvement Program dataset from 2017 to 2018. The main outcome was length of stay. A total of 40 candidate variables were considered. We applied machine learning algorithms (multivariable logistic regression, artificial neural networks, and random forest models) to predict length of stay=0 day. Models’ accuracies and area under the curve were calculated.

Results

Applying machine learning models to compare length of stay=0 day to length of stay=1–3 days cases, we found area under the curve of 0.715, 0.762, and 0.804, accuracy of 0.65, 0.73, and 0.81 for logistic regression, artificial neural networks, and random forest model, respectively. Regarding the most important predictive features, anesthesia type, body mass index, age, ethnicity, white blood cell count, sodium level, and alkaline phosphatase were highlighted in machine learning models.

Conclusions

Machine learning algorithm exhibited acceptable model quality and accuracy. Machine learning algorithms highlighted the as yet unrecognized impact of laboratory testing on future patient ambulatory pathway assignment.
Transformations of actinides fission product yields due to post-scission emission of nuclear particles: 232Th
Authors: Maslyuk V.T. , Parlag O.O. , Romanyuk M.I. , Lendyel O.I. , Pop O.M.
Published: July 2021

The “many ensembles” method was proposed to investigate the influence of nuclear particles’ post-scission emission on mass and charge distributions of fission products. The post-scission approximation was used: each of these ensembles consists of the fission fragments after emission of chains of different lengths, both the beta (β±) particles and neutrons. The theory allows one to find the most probable two-fragment clusters of fission products and study their evolution after the post-scission emission of nuclear particles. The isotope 232Th was chosen as an example, the fission fragments of which have been intensively studied experimentally. It is shown that the post-scission emission of nuclear particles eventually leads to the convergence of the asymmetric peaks, which looks like enhanced symmetric fission mode over the asymmetric mode for fission product yields. A comparison of the theoretical results and experimental data for the 232Th fission fragments indicates their satisfactory matching.
Phenotypic differences among wild passerine nestlings in relation to early-life rearing environment
Authors: Gómez Jesús , Morrissey Christy A. , Cabezas Sonia , Marchant Tracy A. , Clark Robert G.
Published: July 2021

Subtle changes in stress physiology during critical developmental stages have been linked to long-term fitness; however, the biological processes and phenotypic responses to early-life rearing environments, such as anthropogenic land use conditions, have not been fully evaluated in insectivorous birds. We manipulated Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808)) brood sizes at sites with contrasting agricultural land use to assess phenotypic changes in body condition and genetic and physiological biomarkers of stress during the sensitive nestling growth phase. We predicted that nestling swallows raised on cropland-dominated sites, especially those in enlarged broods, would have lower body condition, shorter telomeres, and higher feather corticosterone than nestlings raised in smaller broods at grassland sites. Body condition was highest among nestlings raised in reduced broods but was unrelated to land use. Telomere lengths tended to be shorter in nestlings from enlarged broods and at cropland sites. Corticosterone was not related to any factor. Locally abundant insect populations associated with wetlands may have dampened the effects and (or) parent swallows assumed higher costs of reproduction rather than passing these costs to nestlings. Results suggest that food or other environmental stressors could reduce fledgling survival via telomere shortening; a hypothesis that requires further investigation due to its potential importance to population viability in multiple declining aerial insectivore species.
The politicization of protected areas establishment in Canada
Authors: Botchwey Brianna Scrimshaw , Cunningham Caitlin
Published: July 2021

Environmental issues and related policy instruments are becoming increasingly politicized in the Canadian context, but it is unclear whether biodiversity conservation and protected areas are similarly politicized. Here, we suggest that the political characteristics of protected areas do not lend themselves easily to politicization, but data from the Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database indicate that at the federal level, and provincially in Alberta, the rate of protected areas establishment is becoming increasingly tied to electoral politics, suggesting some politicization. We situate these trends within federal electoral politics between 2006 and the present, outlining the differing approaches of the Harper Conservatives and the Trudeau Liberals and showing how both administrations instrumentalized the environment and protected areas for their own electoral benefits. We find similar trends in Alberta with the Progressive Conservative, New Democratic Party, and United Conservative Party governments. However, while there is increasing polarization in practice, there has been less polarization of the electoral rhetoric surrounding protected areas. This politicization represents a barrier to conservation in Canada as it can lead to greenwashing, poor accountability, or the creation of an anti-conservation constituency. At the same time, politicization can raise the profile of conservation in public discourse, leading to greater public interest and engagement.
Simplifications of Uniform Expressions Specified by Systems
Authors: Koechlin Florent , Nicaud Cyril , Rotondo Pablo
Published: July 2021

In this article, we study the impact of applying simple reduction rules to random syntactic formulas encoded as trees. We assume that there is an operator that has an absorbing pattern and prove that if we use this property to simplify a uniform random expression with [Formula: see text] nodes, then the expected size of the result is bounded by a constant. The same holds for higher moments, establishing the lack of expressivity of uniform random expressions. Our framework is quite general as we consider expressions defined by systems of combinatorial equations. For our proofs, we rely on Drmota’s multidimensional theorem for systems of generating functions.
A Scoping Review of Cross-Sectional Studies on Traditional Chinese Medicine
Authors: Duan Yuting , Xu Zhirui , Lin Yanjia , Miao Jiangxia , Chen Juexuan , Guo Huijie , Zheng Yan , Deng Jingjing , Tang Xiaoyu , Lee Hiu Ching , Zhang Xuan , Zhao Lingyun , Bian Zhaoxiang
Published: July 2021

Cross-sectional studies on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM-CSs) have become the most published type of TCM observational study; however, the research scope of current TCM-CSs is unknown. A scoping review of the literature was performed. A descriptive approach to summarize the core study characteristics was prepared, along with structured tables and figures to identify salient points of similarities and differences noted across studies. The reporting quality of TCM-CSs was assessed according to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) cross-sectional checklist. Eight databases (Embase, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, AMED, CBM, CNKI, WanFang, and VIP) were systematically searched for TCM-CSs published up until 20 January 2020. The literature screening and evaluating were independently conducted by two researchers. When there was disagreement, a third-party senior researcher made the judgment. A total of 198 TCM-CSs published between 1997 and 2019 were included, 160 English studies and 38 Chinese studies, respectively. More TCM-CSs were published in each successive year. The journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine published more TCM-CSs (24) than any other journal. Most TCM-CSs were conducted in mainland China (81, 40.9%), followed by Taiwan, China (44, 22.2%) and HKSAR, China (19, 9.6%). The most commonly used sampling method was purposive sampling (94, 47.5%), following by convenience sampling (60, 30.3%). The research topics can be summarized in four major categories as follows: constitution-related research (11.1%), TCM pattern-related research (18.7%), TCM intervention-related research (55.1%), and others (15.6%). The average sufficient reporting rate of included TCM-CSs according to the STROBE cross-sectional checklist was 45.6%. Papers written in English reported 9 items (items 2, 4, 14a, 16a, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22) more frequently than papers written in Chinese. The number of TCM-CSs is increasing. Research topics are diverse; however, the reporting quality is unsatisfactory. In particular, TCM-CSs need greater transparency and standardization.
The study of the generalized Klein–Gordon oscillator in the context of the Som–Raychaudhuri space–time
Authors: Zhong Lan , Chen Hao , Long Zheng-Wen , Long Chao-Yun , Hassanabadi Hassan
Published: July 2021

In this paper, we study the relativistic scalar particle described by the Klein–Gordon equation that interacts with the uniform magnetic field in the context of the Som–Raychaudhuri space–time. Based on the property of the biconfluent Heun function equation, the corresponding Klein–Gordon oscillator and generalized Klein–Gordon oscillator under considering the Coulomb potential are separately investigated, and the analogue of the Aharonov–Bohm effect is analyzed in this scenario. On this basis, we also give the influence of different parameters including parameter [Formula: see text] and oscillator frequency [Formula: see text], and the potential parameter [Formula: see text] on the energy eigenvalues of the considered systems.
Quantum probing of singularities at event horizons of black holes
Authors: Neznamov V. P.
Published: July 2021

It is proved that coordinate transformations of the Schwarzschild metric to new static and stationary metrics do not eliminate the mode of a particle “fall” to the event horizon of a black hole. This mode is unacceptable for the quantum mechanics of stationary states.
Shear strength and cracking behavior of Cr coatings on zirconium alloy fuel claddings at different strain rates
Authors: Yan Xiulin , Zhang Ruiqian , Liu Yan , Zhang Yunhua , Chen Hui
Published: July 2021

Cr coating on Zr-based fuel tubes is a potential approach for the development of accident tolerant fuels (ATF). To settle the cracking behavior and quantitative evaluation of shear strength of Cr coating under different loading conditions, the average shear strength between Cr coating and zircaloy substrate has been estimated using a modified shear-lag model in this paper. Its key parameters are determined experimentally, and the tensile method has been used to research the cracking behavior of Cr coating under different strain rates. The results show that with the increase of strain rate, the interfacial shear strength increases because of the decrease of cracking spacing, while the shear strength changes erratically with the coating thickness increases. Furthermore, abundant two unequal-crack-spacings and few two equal-crack-spacings are observed which are perpendicular to the loading direction.
Spectrum of the zero-divisor graph of von Neumann regular rings
Authors: Patil Avinash , Shinde Kiran
Published: July 2021

The zero-divisor graph [Formula: see text] of a commutative ring [Formula: see text] is the graph whose vertices are the nonzero zero divisors in [Formula: see text] and two vertices [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are adjacent if and only if [Formula: see text]. We study the adjacency and Laplacian eigenvalues of the zero-divisor graph [Formula: see text] of a finite commutative von Neumann regular ring [Formula: see text]. We prove that [Formula: see text] is a generalized join of its induced subgraphs. Among the [Formula: see text] eigenvalues (respectively, Laplacian eigenvalues) of [Formula: see text], exactly [Formula: see text] are the eigenvalues of a matrix obtained from the adjacency (respectively, Laplacian) matrix of [Formula: see text]-the zero-divisor graph of nontrivial idempotents in [Formula: see text]. We also determine the degree of each vertex in [Formula: see text], hence the number of edges.
The k-almost Yamabe solitons and almost coKähler manifolds
Authors: Chen Xiaomin , De Uday Chand
Published: July 2021

In this paper, we study almost coKähler manifolds admitting [Formula: see text]-almost Yamabe solitons [Formula: see text]. First, we obtain a classification of almost coKähler [Formula: see text]-manifolds admitting nontrivial closed [Formula: see text]-almost Yamabe solitons. Next, we consider an almost [Formula: see text]-coKähler manifold admitting a nontrivial [Formula: see text]-almost Yamabe soliton and prove that it is locally the Riemannian product of an almost Kähler manifold with the real line if the potential vector field [Formula: see text] is collinear with the Reeb vector field. For the potential vector field [Formula: see text] being orthogonal to the Reeb vector field, we also obtain two results.
A New Definition of Cross-Entropy for Uncertain Sets
Authors: Jia Lifen
Published: July 2021

Cross-entropy for uncertain sets is used to measure the divergence between two membership functions. Sine cross-entropy, logarithm cross-entropy and quadratic cross-entropy for uncertain sets have been proposed, all the definitions fail to measure the degree of divergence associated with some uncertain sets. Thus, this paper presents a new definition of cross-entropy for uncertain sets as a supplement, and investigates its properties. In addition, this paper also proposes a definition of generalized cross-entropy for uncertain sets, and discusses its properties.
Performance Evaluation of Modified Low-Temperature Cascade (MLTC) Type Refrigeration System
Authors: Siddiqui Mohd Waseem , Das Nishith Kumar , Sahoo R. K.
Published: July 2021

An experimental investigation was carried out to study the performance evaluation of Modified Low-Temperature Cascade (MLTC) system, based on two-stage cascade type refrigeration system using the combination of R404A/R23 refrigerants. This system was developed using chilled water (CHW) in the condenser of high-temperature circuit (HTC) and pre-cooler (PC) in the low-temperature circuit (LTC). Isentropic compression efficiency is computed in this work and used here as an important parameter. Performance of MLTC system was compared with or without the introduction of PC into LTC. System’s coefficient of performance (COP) has also been compared with using CHW, cooling tower water (CTW), normal water (NW) into the HTC condenser. It has also been shown that COPs of the system are significantly affected by slight variation in the LTC and HTC evaporating temperatures. Presented parameters and comparisons are likely to help in developing a low-temperature (LT) refrigeration system with higher efficiency for industrial and other applications.
Practical Model Checking on FPGAs
Authors: Cho Shenghsun , Patel Mrunal , Ferdman Michael , Milder Peter
Published: July 2021

Software verification is an important stage of the software development process, particularly for mission-critical systems. As the traditional methodology of using unit tests falls short of verifying complex software, developers are increasingly relying on formal verification methods, such as explicit state model checking, to automatically verify that the software functions properly. However, due to the ever-increasing complexity of software designs, model checking cannot be performed in a reasonable amount of time when running on general-purpose cores, leading to the exploration of hardware-accelerated model checking. FPGAs have been demonstrated to be promising verification accelerators, exhibiting nearly three orders of magnitude speedup over software. Unfortunately, the “FPGA programmability wall,” particularly the long synthesis and place-and-route times, block the general adoption of FPGAs for model checking.

To address this problem, we designed a runtime-programmable pipeline specifically for model checkers on FPGAs to minimize the “preparation time” before a model can be checked. Our design of the successor state generator and the state validator modules enables FPGA-acceleration of model checking without incurring the time-consuming FPGA implementation stages, reducing the preparation time before checking a model from hours to less than a minute, while incurring only a 26% execution time overhead compared to model-specific implementations.
Single Depth View Based Real-Time Reconstruction of Hand-Object Interactions
Authors: Zhang Hao , Zhou Yuxiao , Tian Yifei , Yong Jun-Hai , Xu Feng
Published: July 2021

Reconstructing hand-object interactions is a challenging task due to strong occlusions and complex motions. This article proposes a real-time system that uses a single depth stream to simultaneously reconstruct hand poses, object shape, and rigid/non-rigid motions. To achieve this, we first train a joint learning network to segment the hand and object in a depth image, and to predict the 3D keypoints of the hand. With most layers shared by the two tasks, computation cost is saved for the real-time performance. A hybrid dataset is constructed here to train the network with real data (to learn real-world distributions) and synthetic data (to cover variations of objects, motions, and viewpoints). Next, the depth of the two targets and the keypoints are used in a uniform optimization to reconstruct the interacting motions. Benefitting from a novel tangential contact constraint, the system not only solves the remaining ambiguities but also keeps the real-time performance. Experiments show that our system handles different hand and object shapes, various interactive motions, and moving cameras.
Unsupervised Shape Completion via Deep Prior in the Neural Tangent Kernel Perspective
Authors: Chu Lei , Pan Hao , Wang Wenping
Published: July 2021

We present a novel approach for completing and reconstructing 3D shapes from incomplete scanned data by using deep neural networks. Rather than being trained on supervised completion tasks and applied on a testing shape, the network is optimized from scratch on the single testing shape to fully adapt to the shape and complete the missing data using contextual guidance from the known regions. The ability to complete missing data by an untrained neural network is usually referred to as the
deep prior
. In this article, we interpret the deep prior from a neural tangent kernel (NTK) perspective and show that the completed shape patches by the trained CNN are naturally similar to existing patches, as they are proximate in the kernel feature space induced by NTK. The interpretation allows us to design more efficient network structures and learning mechanisms for the shape completion and reconstruction task. Being more aware of structural regularities than both traditional and other unsupervised learning-based reconstruction methods, our approach completes large missing regions with plausible shapes and complements supervised learning-based methods that use database priors by requiring no extra training dataset and showing flexible adaptation to a particular shape instance.
On Analysis and Computation of Degree-Based Topological Invariants for Cyclic Mesh Network
Authors: Zahra Nida , Ibrahim Muhammad , Siddiqui Muhammad Kamran , Shooshtri Hajar
Published: July 2021

Recently, there has been increasing attention on the system network due to its promising applications in parallel hanging architectures such as distributed computing (Day (2004), Day and Al-Ayyoub (2002)). Related networks differ in the circumstances of topology, and the descriptors were freshly examined by Hayat and Imran (2014) and Hayat et al. (2014). Distance-based descriptors, counting-related descriptors, and degree-based descriptors are all examples of topological descriptors. These topological characteristics are linked to chemical features of a substance, such as stability, strain energy, and boiling point. The specifications for the 1st Zagreb alpha, 1st Zagreb beta, 2nd Zagreb, sum-connectivity, geometric-arithmetic, Randic, harmonic, and atom-bond connectivity indices for mesh networks

M

N

m
×
n

based on VE and EV degree are discussed in this paper.
Evaluation of the Prognostic Value of Solute Carrier Family 34 Member 2 “SLC34A2” in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: An Immunohistochemical Study
Authors: Hakim Sarah Adel , Abd El Atti Rasha Mohamed , Faheim Reham Mohamed , Abou Gabal Hoda Hassan
Published: July 2021

Background. Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) usually has an indolent clinical course, yet a subset of patients might show an aggressive course. Thus, better stratification of at-risk patients is mandatory for proper management. Solute carrier family 34 member 2 (SLC34A2) is an independent prognostic indicator in several cancers. However, only a few studies have been conducted to evaluate the prognostic value of SLC34A2 in PTC, with none of them assessing its immunohistochemical (IHC) expression in a large cohort of patients with PTC or exploring its possible relationship with tumor progression. Aim of the Study. We aimed to evaluate the IHC expression of SLC34A2 in a large series of PTC patients, correlate its expression with established clinicopathological factors, and find any possible relationship between this marker and patient prognosis. Material and Methods. A total of 476 samples (including 238 samples of PTC and 238 samples of normal thyroid tissue) collected between 2002 and 2005 were extracted from the archives of the Pathology Lab, Ain Shams University Hospitals. IHC analysis was performed using an anti-SLC34A2 antibody. Follow-up data were obtained. Results. High SLC34A2 expression significantly correlated with important adverse clinicopathological parameters of PTC—i.e., late tumor stage, positive extrathyroid extension, tumor size  >  4 cm, and age  ≥  55 years (

p
≤
0.001

for each). Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that high SLC34A2 expression significantly correlated with shorter disease-free survival (DFS;

p
=
0.005

), but not with overall survival (

p
=
0.111

). Multivariate analysis showed SLC34A2 to be an independent prognostic factor affecting DFS. Conclusions. High SLC34A2 IHC expression correlated with adverse clinicopathological prognostic parameters. Furthermore, SLC34A2 was identified as an independent factor for DFS that could serve to improve risk stratification of PTC patients for better management.
Investigation of Structural, Electrical, and Vibrational Properties of Bi1.98A0.02Fe4O9 (A = Ba, Ce) Multiferroic Ceramics
Authors: Kumar Ashwini , Sharma Poorva , Bhardwaj Nikhil , Tang Jingyou , Tan Guolong
Published: July 2021

In this paper, we report the synthesis, phase formation, and basic characterization of polycrystalline Bi2Fe4O9, Bi1.98Ba0.02Fe4O9, and Bi1.98Ce0.02Fe4O9 samples prepared by the sol‐gel technique. The crystal structure of the prepared samples has been characterized by means of X‐ray diffraction and Raman scattering spectroscopy. All the obtained XRD peaks can be indexed to the orthorhombic Pbam structure and reveal the formation of Bi2Fe4O9. The Raman spectrum identifies Ag, B2g, and B3g active optical phonon modes. The crystallite size and morphology of the nanoparticles have been analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM). Dielectric constant (ε′) decreases as the frequency increases, and it is constant at the higher frequency region which can be explained based on the ionic conduction phenomenon in the low frequency region. The ε′ values of Bi2Fe4O9(650–850), Bi2Fe4O9(800–850), Bi1.98Ba0.02Fe4O9, and Bi1.98Ce0.02Fe4O9 samples at 10 Hz frequency are about 37, 75, 90, and 393, respectively. The observed properties signify that these materials are very useful in advanced technological and practical applications.