bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Selecting the probability distribution of annual maximum temperature in Malaysia
Authors: Mohd Supian Nurfatini , Hasan Husna
Published: January 2021

The issues on global warming have become very popular and been discussed both locally and internationally. This phenomenon due to the temperature rises will increase the variability of climate and more natural disasters were expected to occur. Increasing of global temperature will affect the agricultural sector, increase some of the infectious diseases that may lead to high mortality rates in humans, high demand for electricity, water and food which eventually affecting the economy of Malaysia. Hence, this work aims to study the best fitted probability distribution that describes the annual maximum temperature recorded at seventeen meteorological stations in Malaysia. The Normal, Lognormal, Gamma, Weibull and Generalized Skew Logistic distributions are considered using the maximum likelihood estimation method to estimate the parameters. The goodness of fit test and model selection criteria such as Kolmogorov-Smirnov and AndersonDarling tests, Corrected Akaike Information Criterion and Bayesian Information Criterion are used to measure the accuracy of the predicted data using theoretical probability distributions. The results show that most of the stations favour the Generalized Skew Logistic distribution as the best fitted probability distribution. Also, some stations favour the Normal, Lognormal as well as Weibull distribution as the best fitted distribution to describe the annual maximum temperature.
Which group should governmental policies target? Effects of incentive policy for remanufacturing industry
Authors: Liu Kai , Wang Chuanxu , Liu Lin , Xu Lang
Published: January 2021

Although previous research ignores other subsidy groups, we conduct a comprehensive study. In our closed-loop supply chain model, the manufacturer can produce either new products or remanufactured products of end-of-life products recycled by independent recyclers. Our core objective is to explore the production and recycling strategies of the two products under different government subsidy plans and which groups the government subsidy plans should target. Considering the consumers’ discount perception and uncertainty of recycling quantity, we construct four game scenarios: (1) no subsidy (Scenario N); (2) subsidy for the manufacturer (Scenario M); (3) subsidy for the recycler (Scenario R); (4) subsidy for consumers (Scenario C). The results show that the corporate profits and social welfare under scenario C are higher than those under other scenarios. If the government adopts scenario C, enterprise profits and social welfare will always be higher, but the downside is that government expenditure will also be higher. If considering the limited government funds, the government can set a medium subsidy level. Scenario M will bring sub-optimal social welfare to the government. For scenario R, government subsidies stimulate the recycling of end-of-life products and help recyclers increase their profits, but from the manufacturer’s perspective, manufacturers may resist this scenario.
Optimal strategies of a dual-channel green supply chain with recycling under retailer promotional effort
Authors: Pal Brojeswar , Sarkar Amit
Published: January 2021

Due to the hugely populated world, recycling of the used products has become the most significant perspective in e-commerce. The scientists have been exploring how increases the degree of recyclability and the green innovation level. This paper considers a supply chain with a manufacturer, a retailer, a supplier, and a collector. The manufacturer can increase or decrease the level of green innovation by changing the quality of raw materials. He sells them through his direct channel as well as the retailer’s traditional channel. The retailer enforces the strategy promotional effort for enlarging his market demand. After formulating the problem, the strategies in collector-led, supplier-led, collector–supplier Nash, and collector–supplier–retailer Nash game are studied under manufacturer Stackelberg games along with the centralized policy. The parameters’ sensitivity has been analyzed to the profits and decision variables and then draw significant managerial insights. The model declares the optimal strategies for each player as well as the chain. It is achieved that the higher level of green innovation and promotional effort always increases all the profit. The optimal pricing decisions be lowest under the Collector–Supplier Nash game.
Bone and muscle development in three inbred female mouse strains
Authors: Föger-Samwald Ursula , Papageorgiou Maria , Wahl-Figlash Katharina , Kerschan-Schindl Katharina , Pietschmann Peter
Published: January 2021

Muscle force is thought to be one of the main determinants of bone development. Hence, peak muscle growth is expected to precede peak bone growth. In this study, we investigated muscle and bone development in female C57BL/6 J, DBA/2JRj, and C3H/HeOuJ mice. Femoral cortical and trabecular bone structure and the weights of selected muscles were assessed at the ages of 8, 16, and 24 weeks. Muscle mass increased from 8 to 24 weeks in all 3 strains, suggesting peak muscle development at 24 weeks or later. Bone volume fraction, trabecular number, and connectivity density of the femur decreased or remained unchanged, whereas trabecular density and trabecular thickness largely increased. These results suggest a peak in trabecular bone accrual at 8 weeks or earlier followed by further increases in density and structural reorganization of trabeculae. Cortical density, cortical thickness, and cortical cross sectional area increased over time, suggesting a peak in cortical bone accrual at 24 weeks or later. In conclusion, our data provide evidence that growth of muscle lags behind trabecular bone accrual.
Asymmetric Inverse-Electron-Demand Diels–Alder Reactions of 2-Pyrones by Lewis Acid Catalysis
Authors: Cai Quan , Si Xu-Ge , Zhang Zhi-Mao
Published: January 2021

Diels–Alder reactions of 2-pyrones with alkenes can provide highly functionalized [2,2,2]-bicyclic lactones under mild reaction conditions. Synthetic utilizations of these reactions have been well demonstrated in natural-product synthesis. Although several catalytic asymmetric strategies have been realized, current research in this area is still largely underdeveloped. Recent advances in enantioselective inverse-electron-demand Diels–Alder reactions with Lewis acid catalysis are reviewed.

1 Introduction

2 State of the Art of Enantioselective Diels–Alder Reactions of 2-Pyrones by Lewis Acid Catalysis

3 Enantioselective Synthesis of Arene cis-Dihydrodiols by Diels–­Alder/Retro-Diels–Alder Reactions of 2-Pyrones

4 Enantioselective Synthesis of cis-Decalin Derivatives by Diels–­Alder Reactions of 2-Pyrones

5 Conclusions
Fresh Frozen Plasma Transfusion: An Independent Risk Factor for Hemodynamically Significant Patent Ductus Arteriosus in Premature Infants
Authors: Huang Chun-Pin , Hung Yi-Li , Hsieh Wu-Shiun , Shen Chung-Min
Published: January 2021

Objective The incidence of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), a major complication of prematurity, may be reduced by restricting fluid administration. Prophylactic fresh frozen plasma (FFP) transfusion may reduce the incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage in these infants, but risks transfusion-related volume overload. We conducted a retrospective study to investigate whether FFP transfusion is a risk factor for hemodynamically significant PDA (hsPDA) in very low birth weight (BW) premature infants.

Study Design From January 2009 to December 2014, 102 premature infants with gestational age (GA) less than or equal to 30 weeks were admitted to a level III neonatal intensive care unit, and 88 patients were enrolled. Patients were further divided into non-hsPDA (n = 29) and hsPDA groups (n = 59). We retrospectively reviewed demographic characteristics and various perinatal and postnatal variables. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed to identify risk factors for hsPDA.

Results Compared with non-hsPDA patients, hsPDA patients had lower mean BW and GA, a higher incidence of severe respiratory distress symptoms, perinatal infection, use of surfactant, and need for FFP transfusion. However, multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that only FFP transfusion remained an independent risk factor for hsPDA (adjusted odds ratio = 3.880, 95% confidence interval: 1.214–12.402, p = 0.022) after adjusting for confounding factors.

Conclusion FFP transfusion is a significant risk factor for the subsequent development of hsPDA in our study population. FFP transfusion may complicate the fluid management of premature infants and increase the risk of hsPDA.

Key Points
Mortality and Morbidity in Premature Infants: An East and West Comparative Study
Authors: Patil Monika , Vardhelli Venkateshwarlu , Hagan Joseph L. , Deshabhotla Saikiran , Murki Srinivas
Published: January 2021

Objective Survival of preterm infants differs dramatically depending on birthplace. No previous studies have compared outcomes of preterm infants between low middle-income and high-income countries such as India and the United States. The purpose of this study is to evaluate differences in care practices, resources, mortality, and morbidities in preterm infants with birth weight 700 to 1,500 g between two major neonatal centers in these countries.

Study Design This is a retrospective cohort study with de-identified data from Fernandez Hospital (FH) in Hyderabad, India, and Texas Children's Hospital (TCH) in Houston, TX, for infants born January 2016 to December 2018, and weighing 700 to 1,500 g at birth. The primary outcome was death before hospital discharge.

Results Of 1,195 infants, 736 were admitted to FH and 459 were admitted to TCH. After controlling for differences in gestational age, small for gestational age, and antenatal corticosteroid use, TCH patients had lower mortality before hospital discharge (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.28, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.16–0.48, p < 0.001) and more bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD; aOR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.51–3.21, p < 0.001). The composite outcome of death or BPD and death or any major morbidity (BPD or intraventricular hemorrhage grade II or more or periventricular leukomalacia grade II or more or retinopathy of prematurity requiring treatment) were not different.

Conclusion In this study, TCH infants had decreased odds of death before hospital discharge compared with FH but higher odds of BPD, which may be related to increased survival and differences in care practices.

Key Points
Atraumatic Technique for Removal of Lingually Placed Mandibular Teeth
Authors: Karikal Arvind , Shetty Tripthi P. , S. Gopinath Thilak P. , Kudthadka Arathi
Published: January 2021

We describe an innovative and easy method to remove lingually placed mandibular single-rooted teeth which are not accessible to regular forceps method of extraction. This method is simple and atraumatic and preserves the lingual alveolar plate which is important for implant placement and socket perseveration. This note is aimed at highlighting a simple atraumatic technique for removal of these types of single-rooted teeth erupting on the lingual side with the help of surgical screws. This technique is more economical and considerably less cumbersome than the existing Benex system.
Comparative Analysis of Radiofrequency Ablation and Microwave Ablation for Critically Located Hepatocellular Carcinomas Smaller than 5 cm
Authors: Ramalingam Ravindran , Mukund Amar , Anandpara Karan Manoj , Patidar Yashwant , Sarin Shiv Kumar
Published: January 2021

Purpose To compare the safety and efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) versus microwave ablation (MWA) for hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) smaller than 5 cm in critical locations.

Methods Single-center retrospective study of all patients who underwent RFA/MWA for HCC from July 2015 to Dec 2019. Critical location includes exophytic tumors, tumors ≤ 5 mm from the diaphragm, heart, gallbladder, kidney, gastrointestinal tract, and ≤ 10 mm from large vessels with caliber of ≥ 3 mm. Treatment effectiveness, local tumor progression, and complication rates were evaluated.

Results Out of 119 patients with 147 HCC nodules in critical location, 65 (M:F = 49:16; mean age–61.7) were included in RFA group and 54 (M:F =43:11; mean age–60.5) in MWA group. Mean follow-up period was 16.5 and 14.8 months, respectively. At first follow-up imaging, 66/78 tumors in RFA group and 57/69 tumors in MWA group showed complete ablation with primary treatment effectiveness rates of 84.6% and 82.6%, respectively (p = 0.741). Local tumor progression (LTP) rate was 21.8% (17/78) and 20.3% (14/69), respectively (p = 0.826). Median time to LTP was 12 and 13.5 months, respectively. Fourteen tumors in RFA group and 12 in MWA group underwent reablation with a secondary treatment effectiveness rates of 78.6% (14/17) and 83.3% (12/14), respectively (p = 0.757). Mean LTP-free survival was 37.2 and 28.1 months, respectively. The total complication rate was 36.9% and 31.5%, respectively (p = 0.535) with no major complications in both the groups.

Conclusion Our data suggest that both MWA and RFA are equally safe and effective for treating HCCs < 5 cm in critical locations.
The Promise of Percutaneous Transhepatic Variceal Embolization for Both Gastroesophageal and Ectopic Varices—An Australian Case Series
Authors: Ambati Chaitanya , Danta Mark , Boshell David , Ende Jesse , Williams David , Chaganti Joga
Published: January 2021

Purpose This article aims to report Australian experience of percutaneous transhepatic embolization of gastroesophageal and ectopic varices.

Method Eight consecutive patients (mean age 61.8 years, 7 men) who had undergone percutaneous transhepatic variceal embolization (PTVE) for variceal bleeding between October 2013 and February 2020 were analyzed. All patients were admitted from the emergency department. The following embolic materials were used—coils, Onyx 18 (Medtronic), and n-butyl cyanoacrylate plus lipiodol.

Results Post-PTVE, all eight patients demonstrated clinical and radiological improvement in the immediate postprocedure period (< 24 hours). Patients were followed for a mean of 44 ± 24 days postprocedure. Two patients were lost to follow-up. The postprocedure complications included rebleeding (n = 1), hepatic encephalopathy (n = 1), hemoperitoneum (n = 1), ileus (n = 1), and abdominal pain (n = 3).

Conclusion PTVE is an effective treatment option for patients with uncontrolled variceal bleeding (ectopic as well as gastroesophageal) especially when the traditional therapies such as transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts, endoscopic variceal ligation, and balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration are contraindicated or ineffective.
Analysis System for Emotional Behavior in Football (ASEB-F): matches of FC Red Bull Salzburg without supporters during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Leitner Michael Christian , Richlan Fabio
Published: January 2021

During the COVID-19 pandemic the “Austrian Bundesliga”—as in many other European football leagues—resumed the season around the end of May 2020 without supporters in the stadiums. These so-called “ghost games” represent a unique and unprecedented opportunity to study the effects of the (missing) audience on the behavior and experience of sports professionals. The present study is the first of its kind, aimed at addressing the psychological effects of these “ghost games” on football players, staff, and officials. The newly developed “Analysis System for Emotional Behavior in Football” (ASEB-F) was used to video analyze and compare the behavior of players, staff, and officials in—in sum—20 games of FC Red Bull Salzburg in the “Championship Groups” of season 2018/19 (“regular games”) and season 2019/20 (“ghost games”). Additionally, the two seasons were compared based on official matchday statistics. Overall, there were 19.5% fewer emotional situations in “ghost games” than in “regular games”. The results further show a relative increase in the number of emotional behaviors “Self-Adaptor” (+0.8%), “Protest” (+4.2%), and “Fair-Play-Behavior” (+3.1%) in “ghost games”, whereas “Words fight” (−5.1%) and “Discussion” (−5.1%) decreased in “ghost games”. In “regular games” referees were actively involved in 39.4% of all documented emotional situations, whereas in “ghost games” referees were actively involved in only 25.2% of all documented emotional situations (−14.2%). Chronological analysis within games—from kick-on to kick-off—further shows substantial differences in the temporal occurrence of emotional behavior between “regular games” and “ghost games”. The study provides unprecedented insights into the effects of missing supporters in the football games during the COVID-19 pandemic on emotional behavior on the pitch. Without the external factor of supporters, players and staff acted more factually and got less carried away with longer-lasting and extensive “Words fights” and “Discussion”. The evidence from this study indicates that—from a sport psychological perspective—the absence of supporters has a substantial influence on the experience and behavior of players, staff, and officials alike.
Spin relaxation in spiral magnetic structures
Authors: Lyapilin Igor
Published: January 2021

Spin dynamics in spiral magnetic structures has been investigated. It has been shown that the internal spatially dependent magnetic field in such structures produces a new mechanism of spin relaxation.
Superconductivity in Mo5GeB2 with a tetragonal structure
Authors: Xu Binjie , Lou Zhefeng , Chen Huancheng , Zhou Yuxing , Chen Qin , Chen Shuijin , Wu Chunxiang , Wang Hangdong , Yang Jinhu , Du Jianhua , Fang Minghu
Published: January 2021

The discovery of 39 K superconductivity in MgB2 and the recent observations of high-T

c
superconductivity in the high-pressured hydrides motivate ones to search for new superconductors in the compounds containing H or B light element. In this article, we chose the heavier Ge to replace the Si in the ternary borides Mo5SiB2 with the Cr5B3 type tetragonal structure, a relative new group borosilicate superconductors, and prepared Mo5GeB2 polycrystalline sample. By the combination of resistivity, magnetization, and specific heat measurements and band calculations, we determine its superconducting parameters. It was found that Mo5GeB2 is a type II superconductor, with the critical temperature T

c
= 5.4 K, and the Ginzburg–Landau (GL) parameter k

GL
(0) = 4.2. The estimated electron-phonon coupling constant λ

ph
(0.57) and the specific heat jump

△

C

e
l

/

γ
n

T
c

(1.33) demonstrate that Mo5GeB2 is a weak-coupling, single-gap phonon-mediated superconductor. Band calculations reveal that Mo5GeB2 has a similar density of state (DOS) near Fermi energy to that of Mo5SiB2 with the same T

c
, but smaller than that Mo5PB2 with T

c
= 9.2 K.
Influence of kinetic energy on the metrology of Rabi frequency
Authors: Zhang Xingyu , Wang Xiaoguang
Published: January 2021

The interacting model describing the Rabi transition is essential in studying atom-photon interactions, where the kinetic energy term is often neglected for the convenience of analysis. We first study the approximation through the fidelity approach and verify its valid region in the parameter space of detuning and momentum. We find that as the radiation field’s momentum and the absolute value of detuning decrease, the approximation becomes valid. We further discover that the omission of the kinetic energy term will overestimate the measuring accuracy of the Rabi frequency in some parameter regions and underestimate the precision in other regimes with Fisher information tools’ help. Notably, a specific choice of the initial Gaussian state’s variance in position space will improve the measuring accuracy when we take the kinetic energy term into account. We also study the realistic measurement of the Rabi frequency for cases with and without the kinetic energy.
Excited-state quantum phase transitions
Authors: Cejnar Pavel , Stránský Pavel , Macek Michal , Kloc Michal
Published: January 2021

We review the effects of excited-state quantum phase transitions (ESQPTs) in interacting many-body systems with finite numbers of collective degrees of freedom. We classify typical ESQPT signatures in the spectra of energy eigenstates with respect to the underlying classical dynamics and outline a variety of quantum systems in which they occur. We describe thermodynamic and dynamic consequences of ESQPTs, like those in microcanonical thermodynamics, quantum quench dynamics, and in the response to nearly adiabatic or periodic driving. We hint at some generalizations of the ESQPT concept in periodic lattices and in resonant tunneling systems.
A discussion on the possible involvement of singlet oxygen in oxygen electrocatalysis
Authors: Chen Gao , Sun Yuanmiao , Chen Riccardo Ruixi , Biz Chiara , Fisher Adrian C , Sherburne Matthew P , Ager III Joel W , Gracia Jose , Xu Zhichuan J
Published: January 2021

The dioxygen molecule has two bound states, singlet and triplet, which are different in energy, lifetime, and reactivity. In the context of oxygen electrocatalysis as applied to fuel cells and water splitting the involved O2 is typically considered to be exclusively in its triplet ground state. However, applying spin-conservation rules for the transformation between triplet O2 and singlet OH−/H2O reaction intermediates predicts an additional free energy barrier associated with the required spin flip. As a result, for conditions under which both can form, the formation of triplet dioxygen from the singlet OH−/H2O might be slower than the formation of singlet O2. Correspondingly, singlet O2 might be more active than triplet O2 in the oxygen reduction reaction. Here, we discuss the possible existence and influence of singlet oxygen in oxygen electrocatalysis. Some perspectives for studying singlet oxygen in oxygen electrocatalysis are also provided.
Enzyme promiscuity prediction using hierarchy-informed multi-label classification
Authors: Visani Gian Marco , Hughes Michael C , Hassoun Soha
Published: January 2021

Motivation

As experimental efforts are costly and time consuming, computational characterization of enzyme capabilities is an attractive alternative. We present and evaluate several machine-learning models to predict which of 983 distinct enzymes, as defined via the Enzyme Commission (EC) numbers, are likely to interact with a given query molecule. Our data consists of enzyme-substrate interactions from the BRENDA database. Some interactions are attributed to natural selection and involve the enzyme’s natural substrates. The majority of the interactions however involve non-natural substrates, thus reflecting promiscuous enzymatic activities.

Results

We frame this ‘enzyme promiscuity prediction’ problem as a multi-label classification task. We maximally utilize inhibitor and unlabeled data to train prediction models that can take advantage of known hierarchical relationships between enzyme classes. We report that a hierarchical multi-label neural network, EPP-HMCNF, is the best model for solving this problem, outperforming k-nearest neighbors similarity-based and other machine-learning models. We show that inhibitor information during training consistently improves predictive power, particularly for EPP-HMCNF. We also show that all promiscuity prediction models perform worse under a realistic data split when compared to a random data split, and when evaluating performance on non-natural substrates compared to natural substrates.

Availability and implementation

We provide Python code and data for EPP-HMCNF and other models in a repository termed EPP (Enzyme Promiscuity Prediction) at https://github.com/hassounlab/EPP.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Enhancing glucose metabolism via gluconeogenesis is therapeutic in a zebrafish model of Dravet syndrome
Authors: Banerji Rajeswari , Huynh Christopher , Figueroa Francisco , Dinday Matthew T , Baraban Scott C , Patel Manisha
Published: January 2021

Energy-producing pathways are novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders. Here, we focussed on correcting metabolic defects in a catastrophic paediatric epilepsy, Dravet syndrome which is caused by mutations in sodium channel NaV1.1 gene, SCN1A. We utilized a translatable zebrafish model of Dravet syndrome (scn1lab) which exhibits key characteristics of patients with Dravet syndrome and shows metabolic deficits accompanied by down-regulation of gluconeogenesis genes, pck1 and pck2. Using a metabolism-based small library screen, we identified compounds that increased gluconeogenesis via up-regulation of pck1 gene expression in scn1lab larvae. Treatment with PK11195, a pck1 activator and a translocator protein ligand, normalized dys-regulated glucose levels, metabolic deficits, translocator protein expression and significantly decreased electrographic seizures in mutant larvae. Inhibition of pck1 in wild-type larvae mimicked metabolic and behaviour defects observed in scn1lab mutants. Together, this suggests that correcting dys-regulated metabolic pathways can be therapeutic in neurodevelopmental disorders such as Dravet syndrome arising from ion channel dysfunction.
Sex differences in cardiorespiratory fitness are explained by blood volume and oxygen carrying capacity
Authors: Diaz-Canestro Candela , Pentz Brandon , Sehgal Arshia , Montero David
Published: January 2021

Aims 

Intrinsic sex differences in fundamental blood attributes have long been hypothesized to contribute to the gap in cardiorespiratory fitness between men and women. This study experimentally assessed the role of blood volume and oxygen (O2) carrying capacity on sex differences in cardiac function and aerobic power.

Methods and results 

Healthy women and men (n = 60) throughout the mature adult lifespan (42–88 yr) were matched by age and physical activity levels. Transthoracic echocardiography, central blood pressure, and O2 uptake were assessed throughout incremental exercise (cycle ergometry). Main outcomes such as left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (Q), and peak O2 uptake (VO2peak), as well as blood volume (BV) were determined with established methods. Measurements were repeated in men following blood withdrawal and O2 carrying capacity reduction matching women’s levels. Prior to blood normalization, BV and O2 carrying capacity were markedly reduced in women compared with men (P < 0.001). Blood normalization resulted in a precise match of BV (82.36 ± 9.83 vs. 82.34 ± 7.70 ml·kg−1, P = 0.993) and O2 carrying capacity (12.0 ± 0.6 vs. 12.0 ± 0.7 g·dl−1, P = 0.562) between women and men. Body size-adjusted cardiac filling and output (LVEDV, SV, Q) during exercise as well as VO2peak (30.8 ± 7.5 vs. 35.6 ± 8.7 ml·min−1·kg−1, P < 0.001) were lower in women compared with men prior to blood normalization. VO2peak did not differ between women and men after blood normalization (30.8 ± 7.5 vs. 29.7 ± 7.4 ml·min−1·kg−1, P = 0.551).

Conclusions 

Sex differences in cardiorespiratory fitness are abolished when blood attributes determining O2 delivery are experimentally matched between adult women and men.
Rapid Spread of Mutant Alleles in Worldwide SARS-CoV-2 Strains Revealed by Genome-Wide Single Nucleotide Polymorphism and Variation Analysis
Authors: Zhu Zhenglin , Liu Gexin , Meng Kaiwen , Yang Liuqing , Liu Di , Meng Geng
Published: January 2021

The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has become a pandemic and is threatening human health globally. Here, we report nine newly evolved SARS-CoV-2 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) alleles those underwent a rapid increase (seven cases) or decrease (two cases) in their frequency for 30–80% in the initial four months, which are further confirmed by intrahost single nucleotide variation analysis using raw sequence data including 8,217 samples. The nine SNPs are mostly (8/9) located in the coding region and are mainly (6/9) nonsynonymous substitutions. The nine SNPs show a complete linkage in SNP pairs and belong to three different linkage groups, named LG_1 to LG_3. Analyses in population genetics show signatures of adaptive selection toward the mutants in LG_1, but no signal of selection for LG_2. Population genetic analysis results on LG_3 show geological differentiation. Analyses on geographic COVID-19 cases and published clinical data provide evidence that the mutants in LG_1 and LG_3 benefit virus replication and those in LG_1 have a positive correlation with the disease severity in COVID-19-infected patients. The mutants in LG_2 show a bias toward mildness of the disease based on available public clinical data. Our findings may be instructive for epidemiological surveys and disease control of COVID-19 in the future.
Discharge curve-based formation of retired power batteries for secondary use
Authors: Xiao Ziyu , Wu Siqi
Published: January 2021

To address the problem of optional group formation in the process of retired power batteries for secondary use, a detection method based on the ampere-time integration method is used for batch testing of retired power batteries. The dynamic time-bending dynamic time warping distance between different batteries is calculated by comparing the discharge curves during the testing process. Combining the remaining capacity, open circuit voltage and internal resistance of the battery as a common battery classification condition, each condition is normalised and a density canopy + K-means clustering algorithm is applied to regroup the retired power batteries. This method improves the regrouping technique for the retired batteries and improves the performance of the regrouped battery modules in terms of capacity and consistency.
The numerical unified transform method for initial-boundary value problems on the half-line
Authors: Deconinck Bernard , Trogdon Thomas , Yang Xin
Published: January 2021

We implement the unified transform method of Fokas as a numerical method to solve linear evolution partial differential equations on the half-line. The method computes the solution at any $x$ and $t$ without spatial discretization or time stepping. With the help of contour deformations and oscillatory integration techniques, the method’s complexity does not increase for large $x,t$ and the method is more accurate as $x,t$ increase (absolute errors are smaller, relative errors are bounded). Our goal is to make no assumptions on the functional form of the initial or boundary functions beyond some decay and smoothness, while maintaining high accuracy in a large region of the $(x,t)$ plane.
The state of the art in soybean transcriptomics resources and gene coexpression networks
Authors: Almeida-Silva Fabricio , Moharana Kanhu C , Venancio Thiago M
Published: January 2021

In the past decade, over 3000 samples of soybean transcriptomic data have accumulated in public repositories. Here, we review the state of the art in soybean transcriptomics, highlighting the major microarray and RNA-seq studies that investigated soybean transcriptional programs in different tissues and conditions. Further, we propose approaches for integrating such big data using gene coexpression network and outline important web resources that may facilitate soybean data acquisition and analysis, contributing to the acceleration of soybean breeding and functional genomics research.
Single-Laboratory Validation to Extend the Scope of AOAC Official MethodSM 2015.06 to Indian Infant, Child, and Adult Nutritional Matrixes
Authors: Girdhar Rajesh , Thompson Joseph J , Yadlapalli Sudhakar , Srivastava Vinod , Mittal Ashutosh Kumar , Arora Vishal
Published: January 2021

Background

AOAC Method 2015.06 is a Final Action Official MethodSM for the determination of 12 elements (Na, Mg, P, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, and Mo) in infant formula and adult nutritional products, based on inductively coupled plasma (ICP)-MS. Currently, its scope does not include certain kinds of formulations used in India. The method would likely be used more in Indian laboratories if its performance were characterized on Indian matrixes.

Objective

In this study we describe a typical single-laboratory validation (SLV) exercise designed to characterize the precision and accuracy of AOAC Method 2015.06 for common Indian nutritional matrixes so that the scope of the method can be extended to include them.

Method

Six matrixes specific to the Indian market were carried through an SLV and the Standard Method Performance Requirements (SMPRs®) previously published for this method were used to evaluate the results.

Results

The method demonstrated typical repeatability (<5% RSD), and intermediate precision (5–8% RSD) on the Indian matrixes, with very few exceptions. Accuracy was demonstrated by overspike recoveries in the range of 90–110% over 3 days for the Indian matrixes, as well as excellent agreement with previously published results for three additional matrixes tested. Some of the new Indian matrixes required alternate sample preparation procedures versus the usual reconstitution prescribed by the SMPRs.

Conclusions

The SLV results showed that AOAC Method 2015.06 can be extended to include these Indian matrices.

Highlights

The two special sample preparation procedures can now be considered validated.
Vitamin and mineral supplementation and rate of gain during the first trimester of gestation affect concentrations of amino acids in maternal serum and allantoic fluid of beef heifers
Authors: Menezes Ana Clara B , McCarthy Kacie L , Kassetas Cierrah J , Baumgaertner Friederike , Kirsch James D , Dorsam Sheri , Neville Tammi L , Ward Alison K , Borowicz Pawel P , Reynolds Lawrence P , Sedivec Kevin K , Forcherio J Chris , Scott Ronald , Caton Joel S , Dahlen Carl R
Published: January 2021

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of feeding vitamin and mineral (VTM) supplement and (or) rate of gain (GAIN) during early gestation on amino acid (AA) concentrations in allantoic fluid (ALF) and amniotic fluid (AMF) and maternal serum. Seventy-two crossbred Angus heifers (initial BW = 359.5 ± 7.1 kg) were randomly assigned to one of four treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with main effects of VTM supplement (VTM or NoVTM) and rate of gain (GAIN; low gain [LG], 0.28 kg/d, vs. moderate gain [MG], 0.79 kg/d). The VTM treatment (113 g•heifer−1•d−1, provided macro and trace minerals and vitamins A, D, and E to meet 110% of the requirements specified by the NASEM in Nutrient requirements of beef cattle. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi:10.17226/19014, 2016) was initiated 71 to 148 d before artificial insemination (AI). To complete the factorial arrangement of treatments, at breeding heifers were either maintained on the basal diet (LG), or received MG diet which was implemented by adding a protein/energy supplement to the LG diet. Thirty-five gestating heifers with female fetuses were ovariohysterectomized on d 83 of gestation and maternal serum, ALF, and AMF were collected. Samples were analyzed for concentrations of neutral AA: Ala, Asn, Cys, Gln, Gly, Ile, Leu, Met, Phe, Pro, Ser, Thr, Trp, Tyr, and Val; cationic AA: Arg, His, and Lys; and anionic AA: Asp and Glu. In serum, a VTM × GAIN interaction (P = 0.02) was observed for Glu, with greater concentrations for VTM-LG than VTM-MG. Concentrations of serum Cys, Met, and Trp were greater (P ≤ 0.03) for MG than LG. In ALF, concentrations of Glu were affected by a VTM × GAIN interaction, where VTM-MG was greater (P < 0.01) than all other treatments. Further, ALF from VTM had increased (P ≤ 0.05) concentrations of His, Asp, and 12 of the 14 neutral AA; whereas GAIN affected concentrations of Arg, Cys, and Asp, with greater concentrations (P ≤ 0.05) in MG heifers. In AMF, AA concentrations were not affected (P ≥ 0.10) by VTM, GAIN, or their interaction. In conclusion, increased concentrations of AA in maternal serum and ALF of beef heifers were observed at d 83 of gestation in response to VTM supplementation and rate of gain of 0.79 kg/d, which raises important questions regarding the mechanisms responsible for AA uptake and balance between the maternal circulation and fetal fluid compartments.
Meeting the Challenge of Populism to Children’s Rights: The Value of Human Rights Education
Authors: Howe R Brian , Covell Katherine
Published: January 2021

This article analyses the rise of the new right-wing, nationalistic, xenophobic, and authoritarian populism as a challenge to children’s human rights. Informed by human needs theory, it situates the new populism in the context of globalization, economic grievances, and cultural resentment and backlash against out-groups. Fuelling the rise in support for populism has been growing existential insecurity combined with a lack of effective education on human rights. The outcome, as shown in countries where populism has come into power, has been a threat and an attack on the human rights of children, as described in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. An important means of meeting the challenge of populism, we contend, is comprehensive and robust human rights education in schools, underpinned by education on children’s rights. As called for by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, children’s rights education needs to be integrated into school curricula, policies, practices, teaching materials, and teacher training. Models of human rights education in schools are available and studies have shown positive results in promoting knowledge, understanding, and support for human rights. As described by the United Nations, through providing education about, through, and for human rights, the ultimate goal—yet to be realized—is to advance a culture of human rights. Such a culture would serve as a counter to populism.
Mechanisms of action of ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides (RiPPs)
Authors: Cao Li , Do Truc , Link A James
Published: January 2021

Natural products remain a critical source of medicines and drug leads. One of the most rapidly growing superclasses of natural products is RiPPs: ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides. RiPPs have rich and diverse bioactivities. This review highlights examples of the molecular mechanisms of action that underly those bioactivities. Particular emphasis is placed on RiPP/target interactions for which there is structural information. This detailed mechanism of action work is critical toward the development of RiPPs as therapeutics and can also be used to prioritize hits in RiPP genome mining studies.
Characterization of Oligometastatic Disease in a Real-World Nationwide Cohort of 3447 Patients With de Novo Metastatic Breast Cancer
Authors: Steenbruggen Tessa G , Schaapveld Michael , Horlings Hugo M , Sanders Joyce , Hogewoning Sander J , Lips Esther H , Vrancken Peeters Marie-Jeanne T , Kok Niels F , Wiersma Terry , Esserman Laura , van ‘t Veer Laura J , Linn Sabine C , Siesling Sabine , Sonke Gabe S
Published: January 2021

Background

Observational studies in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) show that long-term overall survival (OS) is associated with limited tumor burden, or oligo-MBC (OMBC). However, a uniform definition of OMBC is lacking. In this real-world nationwide cohort, we aimed to define the optimal OMBC threshold and factors associated with survival in patients with OMBC.

Methods

3535 patients aged younger than 80 years at diagnosis of de novo MBC in the Netherlands between January 2000 and December 2007 were included. Detailed clinical, therapy, and outcome data were collected from medical records of a sample of the patients. Using inverse-sampling-probability weighting, the analysis cohort (n = 3447) was constructed. We assessed OS according to number of metastases at diagnosis to determine the optimal OMBC threshold. Next, we applied Cox regression models with inverse-sampling-probability weighting to study associations with OS and progression-free survival in OMBC. All statistical tests were 2-sided.

Results

Compared with more than 5 distant metastases, adjusted hazard ratios for OS (with 95% confidence interval [CI] based on robust standard errors) for 1, 2-3, and 4-5 metastases were 0.70 (95% CI = 0.52 to 0.96), 0.63 (95% CI = 0.45 to 0.89), and 0.91 (95% CI = 0.61 to 1.37), respectively. Ten-year OS estimates for patients with no more than 3 vs more than 3 metastases were 14.9% and 3.4% (P < .001). In multivariable analyses, premenopausal andperimenopausal status, absence of lung metastases, and local therapy of metastases (surgery and/or radiotherapy) added to systemic therapy were statistically significantly associated with better OS and progression-free survival in OMBC, independent of local therapy of the primary tumor.

Conclusion

OMBC defined as MBC limited to 1-3 metastases was associated with favorable OS. In OMBC, local therapy of metastases was associated with better OS, particularly if patients were premenopausal or perimenopausal without lung metastases.
Experimental warming shifts coupling of carbon and nitrogen cycles in an alpine meadow
Authors: Wang Song , Quan Quan , Meng Cheng , Chen Weinan , Luo Yiqi , Niu Shuli
Published: January 2021

Aims

Terrestrial ecosystem carbon (C) uptake is remarkably regulated by nitrogen (N) availability in the soil. However, the coupling of C and N cycles, as reflected by C:N ratios in different components, has not been well explored in response to climate change.

Methods

Here, we applied a data assimilation approach to assimilate 14 datasets collected from a warming experiment in an alpine meadow in China into a grassland ecosystem model. We attempted to evaluate how experimental warming affects C and N coupling as indicated by constrained parameters under ambient and warming treatments separately.

Important Findings

The results showed that warming increased soil N availability with decreased C:N ratio in soil labile C pool, leading to an increase in N uptake by plants. Nonetheless, C input to leaf increased more than N, leading to an increase and a decrease in the C:N ratio in leaf and root, respectively. Litter C:N ratio was decreased due to the increased N immobilization under high soil N availability or warming-accelerated decomposition of litter mass. Warming also increased C:N ratio of slow soil organic matter pool, suggesting a greater soil C sequestration potential. As most models usually use a fixed C:N ratio across different environments, the divergent shifts of C:N ratios under climate warming detected in this study could provide a useful benchmark for model parameterization and benefit models to predict C–N coupled responses to future climate change.
Development of a multivariable model to predict medication non-adherence risk factor for patients with acute coronary syndrome
Authors: Sadeq Adel Shaban , Elnour Asim Ahmed , Hamrouni Amar Mansour , Baraka Mohamed A , Al Meslamani Ahmad Z , Adel Asil , Al Kaabi Maisoun , Ibrahim Osama Mohamed , Al Mazrouei Nadia
Published: January 2021

Objective

The aim of this study was to develop a risk prediction model for non-adherence to prescribed medication based on self-reported risk factors in patients with the acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Methods

This is a prospective follow-up cohort study of 210 patients with ACS at a tertiary hospital in Al Ain city in the United Arab Emirates. Patients with ACS in the electronic registry who were discharged from the hospital but continued to attend outpatient clinics and were prescribed evidence-based medications were identified and interviewed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were constructed and used as appropriate. SPSS V24 was used for data analysis.

Key findings

A final predictive model of eight variables was developed for ACS medication non-adherence. The significant predicted risk factors identified in the final model with their odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CIs) were as follows: poor knowledge of prescribed medications (OR = 1.81; CI = 1.032–3.34; P = 0.010), five or more prescribed medicines (OR = 4.97; CI = 1.98–2.49; P = 0.007), more than twice daily dosing regimen (OR = 2.21; CI = 1.04–4.67; P = 0.039), unpleasant side-effects (OR = 2.97; CI = 1.98–2.49; P = 0.007), patients believed that side-effects were the cause of health problems (OR = 4.28; CI = 1.78–10.39; P = 0.001), patients undertaking regular exercise (OR = 2.14; CI = 1.06–4.32; P = 0.035), and comorbid diabetes (OR = 1.97; CI = 1.00–3.87; P = 0.049).

Conclusion

This study indicates poor knowledge, polypharmacy and comorbidity as risk factors associated with medication non-adherence among patients with ACS. Identification of predictors of non-adherence and strategies has the potential to reduce non-adherence dramatically.
Predicting Future Occurrence of Acute Hypotensive Episodes Using Noninvasive and Invasive Features
Authors: Sun Yifei , Rashedi Navid , Vaze Vikrant , Shah Parikshit , Halter Ryan , Elliott Jonathan T , Paradis Norman A
Published: January 2021

Introduction

Early prediction of the acute hypotensive episode (AHE) in critically ill patients has the potential to improve outcomes. In this study, we apply different machine learning algorithms to the MIMIC III Physionet dataset, containing more than 60,000 real-world intensive care unit records, to test commonly used machine learning technologies and compare their performances.

Materials and Methods

Five classification methods including K-nearest neighbor, logistic regression, support vector machine, random forest, and a deep learning method called long short-term memory are applied to predict an AHE 30 minutes in advance. An analysis comparing model performance when including versus excluding invasive features was conducted. To further study the pattern of the underlying mean arterial pressure (MAP), we apply a regression method to predict the continuous MAP values using linear regression over the next 60 minutes.

Results

Support vector machine yields the best performance in terms of recall (84%). Including the invasive features in the classification improves the performance significantly with both recall and precision increasing by more than 20 percentage points. We were able to predict the MAP with a root mean square error (a frequently used measure of the differences between the predicted values and the observed values) of 10 mmHg 60 minutes in the future. After converting continuous MAP predictions into AHE binary predictions, we achieve a 91% recall and 68% precision. In addition to predicting AHE, the MAP predictions provide clinically useful information regarding the timing and severity of the AHE occurrence.

Conclusion

We were able to predict AHE with precision and recall above 80% 30 minutes in advance with the large real-world dataset. The prediction of regression model can provide a more fine-grained, interpretable signal to practitioners. Model performance is improved by the inclusion of invasive features in predicting AHE, when compared to predicting the AHE based on only the available, restricted set of noninvasive technologies. This demonstrates the importance of exploring more noninvasive technologies for AHE prediction.