bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of PRRSV stability on productive parameters in breeding herds of a swine large integrated group in Spain
Authors: Torrents D , Miranda J , Gauger PC , Ramirez A , Linhares DCL
Published: February 2021

Background

In breeding herds, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) clinically manifests as increased abortions, number of stillbirths, and pre-weaning mortality, and as a direct consequence, results in a decrease of the number of piglets weaned per sow per year. Breeding farm classification according the PRRS virus (PRRSV) status (unstable or stable) is a key control strategy for this disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the production improvement related to achieving a PRRSV stable status in breeding herds in Spain. For this purpose, epidemiological and productivity data were collected from a systematic PRRSV monitoring program in 35 breeding herds from a large integrated swine group in Spain. A comparative statistical analysis was conducted using four key production indicators (KPI) between different PRRSV status and a generalized linear mixed model: weekly abortions/1000 sows (ABTHS), born-alive rate (BAR), pre-weaning mortality rate (PWMR), and number of weaned piglets per 1000 sows (WPTHS).

Results

From the 35 monitored farms during a total period of 58 weeks, we collected 49 to 58 weeks of production data and PRRSV classification status for each study farm. This represented a total of 1997 (741 unstable and 1256 stable) weekly data collected that was eligible for the KPI comparative study. PRRSV stability was associated with significant improvement in BAR (+ 1.10 %,p < 0.001), PWMR (-0.88 %,p < 0.002) and WPTHS (+ 24.52,p < 0.0001).

Conclusions

These results demonstrate for the first time the improved production due to achieving PRRSV stability in breeding herds under field conditions in a European country. Increased number of born-alive piglets and a reduction of piglet pre-weaning mortality represents an increase of 1.28 weaned piglets per sow per year if PRRSV stability was achieved and maintained for one-year period in a breeding farm.
Instructor Strategies to Alleviate Stress and Anxiety among College and University STEM Students
Authors: Hsu Jeremy L. , Goldsmith Gregory R.
Published: February 2021

Student stress and anxiety often negatively impact students’ academic performance. This Essay provides summaries of different evidence-based strategies, ranging from changes in instructional strategies to specific classroom interventions, that instructors can employ to address and ameliorate student stress and anxiety.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in severe mental illness: A timely diagnosis to advance the process of quitting smoking
Authors: Jaen-Moreno M. J. , Feu N. , del Pozo G. I. , Gómez C. , Carrión L. , Chauca G. M. , Guler I. , Montiel F. J. , Sánchez M.D. , Alcalá J. A. , Gutierrez-Rojas L. , Molina V. , Bobes J. , Balanzá-Martínez V. , Ruiz-Rull C. , Sarramea F.
Published: February 2021

Background

This study has two main objectives: to describe the prevalence of undetected chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a clinical sample of smokers with severe mental illness (SMI), and to assess the value of the Tobacco Intensive Motivational Estimated Risk tool, which informs smokers of their respiratory risk and uses brief text messages to reinforce intervention.

Method

A multicenter, randomized, open-label, and active-controlled clinical trial, with a 12-month follow-up. Outpatients with schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder were randomized either to the experimental group—studied by spirometry and informed of their calculated lung age and degree of obstruction (if any)—or to the active control group, who followed the 5 A’s intervention.

Results

The study sample consisted of 160 patients (71.9% SZ), 78.1% of whom completed the 12-month follow-up. Of the patients who completed the spirometry test, 23.9% showed evidence of COPD (77.8% in moderate or severe stages). TIMER was associated with a significant reduction in tobacco use at week 12 and in the long term, 21.9% of patients reduced consumption and 14.6% at least halved it. At week 48, six patients (7.3%) allocated to the experimental group achieved the seven-day smoking abstinence confirmed by CO (primary outcome in terms of efficacy), compared to three (3.8%) in the control group.

Conclusion

In this clinical pilot trial, one in four outpatients with an SMI who smoked had undiagnosed COPD. An intensive intervention tool favors the early detection of COPD and maintains its efficacy to quit smoking, compared with the standard 5 A’s intervention.
Chalcogen-Containing Hole Transporting Materials
Authors: García-Benito Inés , Urieta-Mora Javier , Molina-Ontoria Agustín , Martín Nazario
Published: February 2021

This review summarizes our recent achievements in the development of new chalcogen-containing materials employed as hole-transporting materials (HTMs) in efficient perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Following a simple and inexpensive synthetic methodology we prepared new heterocycle-based HTMs with comparable photovoltaic (PV) behaviour to the widely used spiro-OMeTAD. In particular, new star-shaped HTMs have been obtained through an easy synthetic route by crosslinking electron-donor groups with a central scaffold. As sulfur-containing cores, benzo[1,2-b:3,4-b′:5,6-b′′]trithiophene (BTT) and the corresponding isomers (bbb-BTT and bbc-BTT), thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (TbT), cyclooctatetrathiophene (CoTh), anthra[1,2-b:4,3-b′:5,6-b′′:8,7-b′′′]tetrathiophene (ATT), dibenzothieno[1,2-b:4,3-b′:6,7-b′′:9,8-b′′′]quinquethiophene (DBQT), dibenzothieno[3,2-b]thiophen[1,2-b:4,3-b′:6,7-b′′:9,8-b′′′]sexithiophene (DBST) and thioxanthone have been employed. To extend the comparison, HTMs with heteroatoms such as oxygen or selenium in the central unit, namely xanthone (BX), benzotrifuran (BTF) or benzotriselenophene (BTSe), were also designed, synthesized and employed in PSCs.

Currently, there is no doubt that organic compounds are an important part of the PSCs architecture. Nevertheless, the future commercialization of PSCs is driven by the development of HTMs away from the comprehension of structure-property relationships. Therefore, our main goal is to contribute to a better understanding of the chemistry behind competitive HTMs and provide a clear picture of the effect of chalcogen-containing HTMs in device performances.
Imaging features and atypical signs of symptomatic vertebral haemangioma: a retrospective single-centre analysis of 118 patients
Authors: Zhang Lihua , Wang Ben , Han Songbo , Yang Shaomin , Jiang Liang , Yuan Huishu , Liu Zhongjun
Published: February 2021

Objectives:

Symptomatic vertebral haemangioma (SVH) can present with atypical imaging features. Thus, this study analysed the imaging features of SVH using CT and MRI to improve SVH awareness.

Methods:

We retrospectively analysed CT and MRI characteristics of 118 patients with clinically and pathologically confirmed SVH.

Results:

Overall, 118 patients were diagnosed with SVH, including 79 females and 39 males (mean age, 45.76 ± 16.36 years). The thoracic spine (n = 86) was the most common location of SVH, followed by the lumbar spine (n = 17). Involvement of multiple spinal segments was observed in 15 patients (12.71%). A total of 101 lesions (85.59%) were centred in the vertebral body, 15 lesions (12.71%) were centred in the posterior attachment, and two lesions (2%) were centred in the paraspinal region. CT showed 39 lesions (33.05%) without a typical honeycomb or polka-dot pattern. Compression fracture was observed in 23 patients (19.49%). Extraosseous extension was present in 111 patients (94.1%), and 17 lesions (14.41%) presented with foraminal extension. Epidural bony compression was observed in 46 patients (38.98%). 20 lesions (16.95%) had atypical T  2 weighted MRI signals, and 8 lesions (10.26%) showed atypical enhancement.

Conclusion:

SVH was predominantly located in the thoracic spine. Involvement of multiple segments, posterior attachment localisation, absence of honeycomb or polka-dot signs, compression fracture, and atypical T  2 weighted imaging signals and enhancement were uncommon. Epidural bony compression was not uncommon and has important clinical significance.

Advances in knowledge:

The imaging features of SVHs are not fully understood. We examined the largest series of SVH cases reported to date.
Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging for chronic liver disease
Authors: Moura Cunha Guilherme , Navin Patrick J , Fowler Kathryn J , Venkatesh Sudhakar K , Ehman Richard L , Sirlin Claude B
Published: February 2021

Chronic liver disease (CLD) has rapidly increased in prevalence over the past two decades, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Historically, the clinical gold standard for diagnosis, assessment of severity, and longitudinal monitoring of CLD has been liver biopsy with histological analysis, but this approach has limitations that may make it suboptimal for clinical and research settings. Magnetic resonance (MR)-based biomarkers can overcome the limitations by allowing accurate, precise, and quantitative assessment of key components of CLD without the risk of invasive procedures. This review briefly describes the limitations associated with liver biopsy and the need for non-invasive biomarkers. It then discusses the current state-of-the-art for MRI-based biomarkers of liver iron, fat, and fibrosis, and inflammation.
Imaging of abdominal complications of COVID-19 infection
Authors: Caruso Damiano , Zerunian Marta , Pucciarelli Francesco , Lucertini Elena , Bracci Benedetta , Polidori Tiziano , Guido Gisella , Polici Michela , Rucci Carlotta , Iannicelli Elsa , Laghi Andrea
Published: February 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory syndrome caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) first described in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in the last months of 2019 and then declared as a pandemic. Typical symptoms are represented by fever, cough, dyspnea and fatigue, but SARS-CoV-2 infection can also cause gastrointestinal symptoms (vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, loss of appetite) or be totally asymptomatic. As reported in literature, many patients with COVID-19 pneumonia had a secondary abdominal involvement (bowel, pancreas, gallbladder, spleen, liver, kidneys), confirmed by laboratory tests and also by radiological features. Usually the diagnosis of COVID-19 is suspected and then confirmed by real-time reverse-transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), after the examination of the lung bases of patients, admitted to the emergency department with abdominal symptoms and signs, who underwent abdominal-CT. The aim of this review is to describe the typical and atypical abdominal imaging findings in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection reported since now in literature.
Case Report: An association of the gubernacular canal, supernumerary tooth and odontoma with an impacted canine on cone-beam computed tomography
Authors: Elsayed Lubna K. , El Khateeb Sara M. , Alzahrani Suzan A. , ALHarthi Shatha Subhi , Ba-Hattab Raidan
Published: February 2021

This report describes a clinical case of asymptomatic compound odontoma in the anterior left side of the maxilla associated with an impacted canine and supernumerary tooth with a gubernacular canal of a 47- year-old female with no relevant medical history. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) was performed for precise three-dimensional localization of each structure and assessment of their spatial relationship with the associated structures before surgery. The treatment protocol involved surgical enucleation of the odontoma and open extraction of both impacted and supernumerary teeth. The patient had uneventful healing and proceeded with the prosthodontic treatment plan.

The dentist should be aware of the probability of a close relationship between the development of odontoma and presence of the gubernacular tract, which could be used as a future radiographic diagnostic criterion of an odontoma. Also, we recommend that more studies be performed in this field to deeply analyze the imaging characteristics of GT and its spatial association with various pathological lesions in the future.
Case Report: The importance of examining colon and rectum in patients with appendiceal cancer
Authors: Reistrup Hugin , Fonnes Siv , Rosenberg Jacob , Andresen Kristoffer
Published: February 2021

Appendiceal cancer is rare and is often diagnosed incidentally in patients undergoing appendectomy for acute appendicitis. However, patients with appendiceal cancer are at increased risk of synchronous malignancy. In this case report, we present a 58-year-old man initially diagnosed with acute appendicitis after presenting to the emergency department with abdominal pain. He had an appendectomy and was discharged the following day. Unexpectedly, the postoperative histopathologic examination showed a primary adenocarcinoma in the appendix. A computed tomography scan showed rectal wall thickening and the patient was referred to colonoscopy where an experienced endoscopist found a rectal tumor during the digital rectal examination prior to the colonoscopy. The tumor was initially missed by the newly qualified doctor who examined the patient during his first admittance to hospital. The patient’s two primary cancers were treated with a laparoscopic right hemicolectomy for the appendiceal cancer and a low anterior resection for the rectal cancer. This case supports the importance of a full colorectal workup in patients with appendiceal cancer. It also emphasizes the value of a thorough digital rectal examination and the need for improved focus on teaching and practice of the procedure.
The Phenomenon of Descriptive Geometry Existence in Other Student Courses
Authors: Sal'kov N. , Kadykova Nina
Published: February 2021

Among specialists prevails the primitive view, according to Prof. G.S. Ivanov, on descriptive geometry only as on a "grammar of a technical language", as it characterized V.I. Kurdyumov in the XIX Century. If in the century before last his definition was actual, although many contemporaries had a different opinion, then a century and a half later this definition became outdated, especially since have been revealed the close relationships of descriptive geometry with related sections: analytical, parametric, differential geometry, etc., and descriptive geometry became an applied mathematical science. In this paper it has been shown that an image is obtained as a result of display (projection). In this connection, according to prof. N.A. Sobolev, "All visual images – documentary, geometrographic, and creative ones – are formed on the projection principle". In other words, they belong, in essence, to descriptive geometry. Thus, all made by hand creative images – drawings, paintings, sculptures – can be attributed with great confidence to descriptive geometry as a theory of images. These creative images, of course, have a non-obvious projection origin, nevertheless, according to Prof. N.A. Sobolev, "They, including the most abstract fantasies, are essentially the projection ones". Further in the paper it has been shown which disciplines apply some or other of graphic models, and has been considered a number of drawings belonging to different textbooks, in which graphic models are present. Thus, clearly, and also referring to the authorities in the area of images and descriptive geometry, it has been proved that each of the mentioned textbooks has a direct or indirect connection with descriptive geometry, and descriptive geometry itself is present in all textbooks, at least, in the technical and medical ones.
Influence of the height of multilure traps in the collection of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae)
Authors: Ribeiro José Gabriel Gonçalves , Soares Nyeppson de Sousa , Mesquita Filho Walter , Araujo Mayara Ribeiro de , Zucchi Roberto Antonio , Savaris Marcoandre
Published: February 2021

The Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) is a polyphagous pest adapted to tropical and subtropical climates, which are responsible for the highest share of fruit production. Fruit fly surveys are frequently done by installing traps at heights easily reached by the collector, between 1.5 and 2.5 meters. This study aims to inform fruit fly monitoring strategies by assessing two trap heights (around 2 m and 10 m) in four environments (agricultural and forest) at the “Luiz de Queiroz” Campus, Piracicaba, São Paulo state, Brazil. Each collection environment was considered a block, and eight multilure traps were installed at each of the two heights on four plants per block. A generalized linear model was used for non-normal data with negative binomial distribution to compare the abundance of C. capitata between trap heights and areas. The higher traps, positioned at around 10 m, collected significantly more specimens of C. capitata than those at approximately 2 m in height. The Mediterranean fruit fly was more frequent in the cultivated environments and areas with human activity than in natural areas.
Optimal Growth in Two-Sided Markets
Authors: Lian Zhen , van Ryzin Garrett
Published: February 2021

We develop a theoretical model of optimal growth in two-sided markets. The model posits that market output (number of transactions) is a function of the stock of supply and demand. This market output is modeled using a homogeneous production function, which can have increasing or decreasing returns to scale. The supply and demand stock levels follow a growth model in which the rate of growth at each point in time is a function of both the surplus each side of the market receives and the attrition of supply and demand (supply and demand lifetimes). The surplus can be apportioned between the two sides of the market by changing the price paid to sellers and the price charged to buyers, which we assume the platform controls. Through these price levers, the platform can pay subsidies to one or both sides of the market. We investigate the behavior of optimal market growth, including the point at which the market becomes self-sustaining and the long-run optimal size of the market. We characterize the optimal balance between supply and demand as the market size grows and determine optimal subsidy policies that maximize discounted total profit. For the case of both increasing and decreasing returns without price constraints, we show the optimal policy is to grow using an impulse of subsidy spending (a subsidy shock) to move the market immediately to its optimal long-run size. This result is consistent with the race to growth observed in many two-sided markets like ride-sharing.

This paper was accepted by Gabriel Weintraub, revenue management and market analytics.
Valuation Uncertainty and Short-Sales Constraints: Evidence from the IPO Aftermarket
Authors: Patatoukas Panos N. , Sloan Richard G. , Wang Annika Yu
Published: February 2021

We use the initial public offering (IPO) setting to provide evidence that the combination of valuation uncertainty and short-sales constraints generates significant equity market mispricing. The IPOs that we predict to be most susceptible to overpricing in the immediate aftermarket have first-day returns of +47% and lockup expiration returns of [Formula: see text]9%. Our detailed analysis of securities lending market data confirms that these IPOs experience severe short-sales constraints that peak around the lockup expiration. Our paper both explains the anomalous pricing of IPOs and highlights the importance of valuation uncertainty and short-sales constraints in explaining equity mispricing.

This paper was accepted by Brian Bushee, accounting.
Spatio-temporal characterization of ablative Cu plasma produced by femtosecond filaments
Authors: Junjuri Rajendhar , Nalam Samuel Anurag , Manikanta E. , Harsha S. Sree , Kiran P. Prem , Gundawar Manoj Kumar
Published: February 2021

We present the spatial and temporal characterization of the copper (Cu) plasma produced by the femtosecond laser filaments. The filaments of various lengths and intensities were generated with the aid of three different focusing lenses. Further, the filamentation induced breakdown spectroscopy (FIBS) measurements were carried out for each filament at three different positions along the length of the filament. The filaments were spatially characterized by estimating the plasma temperature and electron density. Our investigation has demonstrated that the centre of the filament is the best to obtain a maximum signal. Both the spectral line intensity and their persistence time are highest for the center of the filament. The enhanced persistence and the scalability of the spectral line intensity tested across different focusing geometries can boost the application of this technique in various fields.
Multilayer 2D germanium phosphide (GeP) infrared phototransistor
Authors: Dushaq Ghada , Rasras Mahmoud
Published: February 2021

Layered two-dimensional (2D) materials with broadband photodetection capability have tremendous potential in the design and engineering of future optoelectronics devices. To date, studies of 2D semiconductors are actively focused on graphene, black phosphorus, and black arsenic phosphorus as attractive candidates. So far, however, novel group IV–V 2D semiconductors (e.g., GeAs and SiAs) have not been extensively explored for broad-band optoelectronics applications. Here, we report a high-performance multilayered 2D GeP gate-tunable photodetector that operates at a short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) regime. With a back-gate device geometry, a p-type behavior is observed at room temperature. Furthermore, a broadband spectral response from UV to optical communication wavelengths is detected. Under a nanowatt-level illumination, a peak responsivity of 25.5 A/W at λ = 1310 nm is achieved with detectivity of ∼ 1×1011 cm.Hz1/2.W-1 at a source−drain bias of −5 V and medium gate voltage bias of -30 V. Additionally, the devices show a relatively low dark current of 40-250 nA for device area in the range of 50-600 µm2 and excellent stability and reproducibility. Our work demonstrates the potential of 2D GeP as an alternative mid-infrared material with broad optical tunability suitable for optical communication and low-light-level detection applications.
Surface plasmon enhanced GeSn photodetectors operating at 2 µm
Authors: Zhou Hao , Zhang Lin , Tong Jinchao , Wu Shaoteng , Son Bongkwon , Chen Qimiao , Zhang Dao Hua , Tan Chuan Seng
Published: February 2021

Au-hole array and Au-GeSn grating structures were designed and incorporated in GeSn metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetectors for enhanced photo detection at 2 µm. Both plasmonic structures are beneficial for effective optical confinement near the surface due to surface plasmon resonance (SPR), contributing to an enhanced responsivity. The responsivity enhancement for Au hole-array structure is insensitive to the polarization direction, while the enhancement for Au-GeSn grating structure depends on the polarization direction. The responsivity for GeSn photodetector with Au hole-array structure has ∼50% reinforcement compared with reference photodetector. On the other hand, Au-GeSn grating structure benefits a 3× enhanced responsivity of 0.455 A/W at 1.5V under TM-polarized illumination. The achieved responsivity is among the highest values for GeSn photodetectors operating at 2 µm. The plasmonic GeSn photodetectors in this work offer an alternative solution for high-efficiency photo detection, manifesting their great potentials as candidates for 2 µm optical communication and other emerging applications.
Employing DIALux to relieve machine-learning training data collection when designing indoor positioning systems
Authors: Song Shao-Hua , Lin Dong-Chang , Liu Yang , Chow Chi-Wai , Chang Yun-Han , Lin Kun-Hsien , Wang Yi-Chang , Chen Yi-Yuan
Published: February 2021

We propose and demonstrate using the DIALux software with our proposed linear-regression machine-learning (LRML) algorithm for designing a practical indoor visible light positioning (VLP) system. Experimental results reveal that the average position errors and error distributions of the model trained via the DIALux simulation and trained via the experimental data match with each other. This implies that the training data can be generated in DIALux if the room dimensions and LED luminary parameters are available. The proposed scheme could relieve the burden of training data collection in VLP systems.
Investigation of oversized channels in tubular fibre drawing
Authors: Chen Michael J. , Stokes Yvonne M. , Buchak Peter , Crowdy Darren G. , Foo Herbert T. C. , Dowler Alastair , Ebendorff-Heidepriem Heike
Published: February 2021

In a previous study, we compared experiments on drawing of axisymmetric tubular optical fibres to a mathematical model of this process. The model and experiments generally agreed closely. However, for some preforms and operational conditions, the internal channel of the drawn fibre was larger than predicted by the model. We have further investigated this phenomenon of an oversized channel with to determine the mechanism behind the size discrepancy. In particular we have explored the possibility of channel expansion similar to ‘self-pressurisation’ in fibres drawn from preforms that have been first sealed to the atmosphere, as previously described by Voyce et al. [J. Lightwave Technol. 27, 871 (2009) 10.1109/JLT.2007.916489]. For this, two pieces from each of two preforms with different inner to outer diameter ratios were drawn to fibre, one open to the atmosphere and the other with a sealed end. In addition, we have sectioned a cooled neck-down region from a previous experiment, for which the fibre had an oversized channel compared to the model prediction, and measured the cross-sectional slices. We here compare this new experimental data with the predictions of the previously derived model for drawing of an unsealed preform and a new model, developed herein, for drawing of a sealed tube. We establish that the observed oversized channels are not consistent with the self-pressurisation model for the sealed tube.
Detection of hard and soft selective sweeps from Drosophila melanogaster population genomic data
Authors: Garud Nandita R. , Messer Philipp W. , Petrov Dmitri A.
Published: February 2021

Whether hard sweeps or soft sweeps dominate adaptation has been a matter of much debate. Recently, we developed haplotype homozygosity statistics that (i) can detect both hard and soft sweeps with similar power and (ii) can classify the detected sweeps as hard or soft. The application of our method to population genomic data from a natural population ofDrosophila melanogaster(DGRP) allowed us to rediscover three known cases of adaptation at the lociAce,Cyp6g1, andCHKov1known to be driven by soft sweeps, and detected additional candidate loci for recent and strong sweeps. Surprisingly, all of the top 50 candidates showed patterns much more consistent with soft rather than hard sweeps. Recently, Harriset al. 2018 criticized this work, suggesting that all the candidate loci detected by our haplotype statistics, including the positive controls, are unlikely to be sweeps at all and that instead these haplotype patterns can be more easily explained by complex neutral demographic models. They also claim that these neutral non-sweeps are likely to be hard instead of soft sweeps. Here, we reanalyze the DGRP data using a range of complex admixture demographic models and reconfirm our original published results suggesting that the majority of recent and strong sweeps inD.melanogasterare first likely to be true sweeps, and second, that they do appear to be soft. Furthermore, we discuss ways to take this work forward given that most demographic models employed in such analyses are necessarily too simple to capture the full demographic complexity, while more realistic models are unlikely to be inferred correctly because they require a large number of free parameters.
Power analysis of transcriptome-wide association study: Implications for practical protocol choice
Authors: Cao Chen , Ding Bowei , Li Qing , Kwok Devin , Wu Jingjing , Long Quan
Published: February 2021

The transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) has emerged as one of several promising techniques for integrating multi-scale ‘omics’ data into traditional genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Unlike GWAS, which associates phenotypic variance directly with genetic variants, TWAS uses a reference dataset to train a predictive model for gene expressions, which allows it to associate phenotype with variants through the mediating effect of expressions. Although effective, this core innovation of TWAS is poorly understood, since the predictive accuracy of the genotype-expression model is generally low and further bounded by expression heritability. This raises the question: to what degree does the accuracy of the expression model affect the power of TWAS? Furthermore, would replacing predictions with actual, experimentally determined expressions improve power? To answer these questions, we compared the power of GWAS, TWAS, and a hypothetical protocol utilizing real expression data. We derived non-centrality parameters (NCPs) for linear mixed models (LMMs) to enable closed-form calculations of statistical power that do not rely on specific protocol implementations. We examined two representative scenarios: causality (genotype contributes to phenotype through expression) and pleiotropy (genotype contributes directly to both phenotype and expression), and also tested the effects of various properties including expression heritability. Our analysis reveals two main outcomes: (1) Under pleiotropy, the use of predicted expressions in TWAS is superior to actual expressions. This explains why TWAS can function with weak expression models, and shows that TWAS remains relevant even when real expressions are available. (2) GWAS outperforms TWAS when expression heritability is below a threshold of 0.04 under causality, or 0.06 under pleiotropy. Analysis of existing publications suggests that TWAS has been misapplied in place of GWAS, in situations where expression heritability is low.
High performance dengue virus antigen-based serotyping-NS1-ELISA (plus): A simple alternative approach to identify dengue virus serotypes in acute dengue specimens
Authors: Prommool Tanapan , Sethanant Pongpawan , Phaenthaisong Narodom , Tangthawornchaikul Nattaya , Songjaeng Adisak , Avirutnan Panisadee , Mairiang Dumrong , Luangaram Prasit , Srisawat Chatchawan , Kasinrerk Watchara , Vasanawathana Sirijitt , Sriruksa Kanokwan , Limpitikul Wannee , Malasit Prida , Puttikhunt Chunya
Published: February 2021

Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is caused by infection with dengue virus (DENV). Four different serotypes (DENV1-4) co-circulate in dengue endemic areas. The viral RNA genome-based reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR) is the most widely used method to identify DENV serotypes in patient specimens. However, the non-structural protein 1 (NS1) antigen as a biomarker for DENV serotyping is an emerging alternative method. We modified the serotyping-NS1-enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (stNS1-ELISA) from the originally established assay which had limited sensitivity overall and poor specificity for the DENV2 serotype. Here, four biotinylated serotype-specific antibodies were applied, including an entirely new design for detection of DENV2. Prediction of the infecting serotype of retrospective acute-phase plasma from dengue patients revealed 100% concordance with the standard RT-PCR method for all four serotypes and 78% overall sensitivity (156/200). The sensitivity of DENV1 NS1 detection was greatly improved (from 62% to 90%) by the addition of a DENV1/DENV3 sub-complex antibody pair. Inclusive of five antibody pairs, the stNS1-ELISA (plus) method showed an overall increased sensitivity to 85.5% (171/200). With the same clinical specimens, a commercial NS1 rapid diagnostic test (NS1-RDT) showed 72% sensitivity (147/200), significantly lower than the stNS1-ELISA (plus) performance. In conclusion, the stNS1-ELISA (plus) is an improved method for prediction of DENV serotype and for overall sensitivity. It could be an alternative assay not only for early dengue diagnosis, but also for serotype identification especially in remote resource-limited dengue endemic areas.
The influence of roads on the fine-scale population genetic structure of the dengue vector Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus)
Authors: Regilme Maria Angenica F. , Carvajal Thaddeus M. , Honnen Ann–Christin , Amalin Divina M. , Watanabe Kozo
Published: February 2021

Dengue is endemic in tropical and subtropical countries and is transmitted mainly byAedes aegypti. Mosquito movement can be affected by human-made structures such as roads that can act as a barrier. Roads can influence the population genetic structure ofAe.aegypti. We investigated the genetic structure and gene flow ofAe.aegyptias influenced by a primary road, España Boulevard (EB) with 2000-meter-long stretch and 24-meters-wide in a very fine spatial scale. We hypothesized thatAe.aegyptipopulations separated by EB will be different due to the limited gene flow as caused by the barrier effect of the road. A total of 359 adults and 17 larvaeAe.aegyptiwere collected from June to September 2017 in 13 sites across EB. North (N1-N8) and South (S1-S5) comprised of 211 and 165 individuals, respectively. All mosquitoes were genotyped at 11 microsatellite loci. AMOVAFSTindicated significant genetic differentiation across the road. The constructed UPGMA dendrogram found 3 genetic groups revealing the clear separation between North and South sites across the road. On the other hand, Bayesian cluster analysis showed four genetic clusters (K = 4) wherein each individual samples have no distinct genetic cluster thus genetic admixture. Our results suggest that human-made landscape features such as primary roads are potential barriers to mosquito movement thereby limiting its gene flow across the road. This information is valuable in designing an effective mosquito control program in a very fine spatial scale.
Data recoverability and estimation for perception layer in semantic web of things
Authors: Afzaal Rabia , Shoaib Muhammad
Published: February 2021

Internet of Things (IoT) is the growing invention in the current development of different domains like industries, e-health, and education, etc. Semantic web of things (SWoT) is an extension of IoT that enhance the communication by behaving intelligently. SWoT comprises 7 layered architecture. The perception layer is an important layer for collecting data from devices and to communicate with its associated layer. The data loss at the perception layer is very common due to inadequate resources, unpredictable link, noise, collision, and unexpected damage. To address this problem, we propose a method based on Compressive Sensing which recovers and estimates sensory data from a low-rank structure. The contribution of this paper is three folds. Firstly, we determine the problem of data acquisition and data loss at semantic sensory nodes in SWoT. Secondly, we introduce a compressive sensing based framework for SWoT that recovers the data accurately using low-rank features. Thirdly, the data estimation method is utilized to reduce the volume of the data. Proposed Compressive Sensing based Data Recoverability and Estimation (CS-RE) method is evaluated and compared with the existing reconstruction methods. The simulation results on real sensory datasets depict that the proposed method significantly outperforms existing methods in terms of error ratio and data recoverability accuracy.
Harnessing digital health to objectively assess cancer-related fatigue: The impact of fatigue on mobility performance
Authors: Sada Yvonne H. , Poursina Olia , Zhou He , Workeneh Biruh T. , Maddali Sandhya V. , Najafi Bijan
Published: February 2021

Objective

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is highly prevalent among cancer survivors, which may have long-term effects on physical activity and quality of life. CRF is assessed by self-report or clinical observation, which may limit timely diagnosis and management. In this study, we examined the effect of CRF on mobility performance measured by a wearable pendant sensor.

Methods

This is a secondary analysis of a clinical trial evaluating the benefit of exercise in cancer survivors with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). CRF status was classified based on a Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F) score ≤ 33. Among 28 patients (age = 65.7±9.8 years old, BMI = 26.9±4.1kg/m2, sex = 32.9%female) with database variables of interest, twenty-one subjects (75.9%) were classified as non-CRF. Mobility performance, including behavior (sedentary, light, and moderate to vigorous activity (MtV)), postures (sitting, standing, lying, and walking), and locomotion (e.g., steps, postural transitions) were measured using a validated pendant-sensor over 24-hours. Baseline psychosocial, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–General (FACT-G), Falls Efficacy Scale–International (FES-I), and motor-capacity assessments including gait (habitual speed, fast speed, and dual-task speed) and static balance were also performed.

Results

Both groups had similar baseline clinical and psychosocial characteristics, except for body-mass index (BMI), FACT-G, FACIT-F, and FES-I (p<0.050). The groups did not differ on motor-capacity. However, the majority of mobility performance parameters were different between groups with large to very large effect size, Cohen’s d ranging from 0.91 to 1.59. Among assessed mobility performance, the largest effect sizes were observed for sedentary-behavior (d= 1.59,p= 0.006), light-activity (d= 1.48,p= 0.009), and duration of sitting+lying (d= 1.46,p= 0.016). The largest correlations between mobility performance and FACIT-F were observed for sitting+lying (rho = -0.67,p<0.001) and the number of steps per day (rho = 0.60,p= 0.001).

Conclusion

The results of this study suggest that sensor-based mobility performance monitoring could be considered as a potential digital biomarker for CRF assessment. Future studies warrant evaluating utilization of mobility performance to track changes in CRF over time, response to CRF-related interventions, and earlier detection of CRF.
Greenhouse gas reporting data improves understanding of regional climate impact on landfill methane production and collection
Authors: Jain Pradeep , Wally James , Townsend Timothy G. , Krause Max , Tolaymat Thabet
Published: February 2021

A critical examination of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (US EPA’s) Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) database provided an opportunity for the largest evaluation to date of landfilled waste decomposition kinetics with respect to different US climate regimes. In this paper, 5–8 years of annual methane collection data from 114 closed landfills located in 29 states were used to estimate site-specific waste decay rates (k) and methane collection potentials (Lc). These sites account for approximately 9% of all landfills required to report GHG emissions to the US EPA annually. The mean methane collection potential (Lc) for the sites located in regions with less than 635 mm (25 in) annual rainfall was significantly (p<0.002) lower than the mean methane collection potential of the sites located in regions with more than 635 mm (25 in) annual precipitation (49 and 73 m3 methane Mg-1 waste, respectively). This finding suggests that a fraction of the in-place biodegradable waste may not be decomposing, potentially due to a lack of adequate moisture content of landfills located in arid regions. The results of this evaluation offer insight that challenges assumptions of the traditional landfill methane estimation approach, especially in arid climates, that all methane corresponding to the total methane generation potential of the buried solid waste will be produced. Decay rates showed a significant correlation with annual precipitation, with an average k of 0.043 year-1 for arid regions (< 508 mm (20 in) year-1), 0.074 year-1 for regions with 508–1,016 mm (20–40 in) annual precipitation, and 0.09 year-1 in wet regions (> 1,016 mm (40 in) year-1). The data suggest that waste is decaying faster than the model default values, which in turn suggests that a larger fraction of methane is produced during a landfill’s operating life (relative to post-closure).
Implementing WHO guidance on conducting and analysing vaccination coverage cluster surveys: Two examples from Nigeria
Authors: Wagai John Ndegwa , Rhoda Dale , Prier Mary , Trimmer Mary Kay , Clary Caitlin B. , Oteri Joseph , Okposen Bassey , Adeniran Adeyemi , Danovaro-Holliday Carolina , Cutts Felicity
Published: February 2021

In 2015, the World Health Organization substantially revised its guidance for vaccination coverage cluster surveys (revisions were finalized in 2018) and has since developed a set of accompanying resources, including definitions for standardized coverage indicators and software (named the Vaccination Coverage Quality Indicators—VCQI) to calculate them.–The current WHO vaccination coverage survey manual was used to design and conduct two nationally representative vaccination coverage surveys in Nigeria–one to assess routine immunization and one to measure post-measles campaign coverage. The primary analysis for both surveys was conducted using VCQI. In this paper, we describe those surveys and highlight some of the analyses that are facilitated by the new resources. In addition to calculating coverage of each vaccine-dose by age group, VCQI analyses provide insight into several indicators of program quality such as crude coverage versus valid doses, vaccination timeliness, missed opportunities for simultaneous vaccination, and, where relevant, vaccination campaign coverage stratified by several parameters, including the number of previous doses received. The VCQI software furnishes several helpful ways to visualize survey results. We show that routine coverage of all vaccines is far below targets in Nigeria and especially low in northeast and northwest zones, which also have highest rates of dropout and missed opportunities for vaccination. Coverage in the 2017 measles campaign was higher and showed less geospatial variation than routine coverage. Nonetheless, substantial improvement in both routine program performance and campaign implementation will be needed to achieve disease control goals.
Computational screening of potential glioma-related genes and drugs based on analysis of GEO dataset and text mining
Authors: Jiang Zhengye , Shi Yanxi , Tan Guowei , Wang Zhanxiang
Published: February 2021

Background

Considering the high invasiveness and mortality of glioma as well as the unclear key genes and signaling pathways involved in the development of gliomas, there is a strong need to find potential gene biomarkers and available drugs.

Methods

Eight glioma samples and twelve control samples were analyzed on the GSE31095 datasets, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained via the R software. The related glioma genes were further acquired from the text mining. Additionally, Venny program was used to screen out the common genes of the two gene sets and DAVID analysis was used to conduct the corresponding gene ontology analysis and cell signal pathway enrichment. We also constructed the protein interaction network of common genes through STRING, and selected the important modules for further drug-gene analysis. The existing antitumor drugs that targeted these module genes were screened to explore their efficacy in glioma treatment.

Results

The gene set obtained from text mining was intersected with the previously obtained DEGs, and 128 common genes were obtained. Through the functional enrichment analysis of the identified 128 DEGs, a hub gene module containing 25 genes was obtained. Combined with the functional terms in GSE109857 dataset, some overlap of the enriched function terms are both in GSE31095 and GSE109857. Finally, 4 antitumor drugs were identified through drug-gene interaction analysis.

Conclusions

In this study, we identified that two potential genes and their corresponding four antitumor agents could be used as targets and drugs for glioma exploration.
A fast numerical method for oxygen supply in tissue with complex blood vessel network
Authors: Lu Yuankai , Hu Dan , Ying Wenjun
Published: February 2021

Angiogenesis plays an essential role in many pathological processes such as tumor growth, wound healing, and keloid development. Low oxygen level is the main driving stimulus for angiogenesis. In an animal tissue, the oxygen level is mainly determined by three effects—the oxygen delivery through blood flow in a refined vessel network, the oxygen diffusion from blood to tissue, and the oxygen consumption in cells. Evaluation of the oxygen field is usually the bottleneck in large scale modeling and simulation of angiogenesis and related physiological processes. In this work, a fast numerical method is developed for the simulation of oxygen supply in tissue with a large-scale complex vessel network. This method employs an implicit finite-difference scheme to compute the oxygen field. By virtue of an oxygen source distribution technique from vessel center lines to mesh points and a corresponding post-processing technique that eliminate the local numerical error induced by source distribution, square mesh with relatively large mesh sizes can be applied while sufficient numerical accuracy is maintained. The new method has computational complexity which is slightly higher than linear with respect to the number of mesh points and has a convergence order which is slightly lower than second order with respect to the mesh size. With this new method, accurate evaluation of the oxygen field in a fully vascularized tissue on the scale of centimeter becomes possible.
Pretreatment Glasgow prognostic score as a predictor of outcomes in nivolumab-treated patients with advanced gastric cancer
Authors: Tokuyama Nagahiro , Takegawa Naoki , Nishikawa Michiko , Sakai Aya , Mimura Takuya , Kushida Saeko , Tsumura Hidetaka , Yamamoto Yoshinobu , Miki Ikuya , Tsuda Masahiro
Published: February 2021

In Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, nivolumab might provide overall survival benefits for patients with advanced gastric cancer. However, it is effective only in a limited number of patients. The Glasgow prognostic score is an indicator of the systematic inflammatory response and nutritional status. This study aimed to investigate the ability of the Glasgow prognostic score and other markers to predict the outcomes of patients treated with nivolumab. We reviewed the medical records of patients treated for advanced gastric cancer and who received nivolumab between February 2015 and June 2019 at Hyogo Cancer Center. The patients were categorized into two groups according to their Glasgow prognostic scores. Overall, 53.3% and 46.7% of the patients were assigned to groups with Glasgow prognostic scores of 0 and 1/2, respectively. The median durations of progression-free and overall survival of the participants were 2.3 and 5.7 months, respectively. The patients with a Glasgow prognostic score of 0 had significantly higher median overall survival than those with scores of 1 or 2 (16.4 vs. 4.2 months; p = 0.0006). This observation suggests that a pretreatment Glasgow prognostic score of 0 is associated with better outcomes, and this scoring system may be used as a predictor of outcomes in patients with advanced gastric cancer treated with nivolumab.