bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Linear Dynamics of the Semi-geostrophic Equations in Eulerian Coordinates on $${\mathbb {R}}^{3}$$
Authors: Lisai Stefania , Wilkinson Mark
Published: May 2021

We consider a class of steady solutions of the semi-geostrophic equations on $${\mathbb {R}}^3$$

R

3

and derive the linearised dynamics around those solutions. The linear PDE which governs perturbations around those steady states is a transport equation featuring a pseudo-differential operator of order 0. We study well-posedness of this equation in $$L^2({\mathbb {R}}^3,{\mathbb {R}}^3)$$

L
2

(

R

3

,

R

3

)

introducing a representation formula for the solutions, and extend the result to the space of tempered distributions on $${\mathbb {R}}^{3}$$

R

3

. We investigate stability of the steady solutions of the semi-geostrophic equations by looking at plane wave solutions of the associated linearised problem, and discuss differences in the case of the quasi-geostrophic equations.
Orbits of Free Cyclic Submodules Over Rings of Lower Triangular Matrices
Authors: Bartnicka Edyta
Published: May 2021

Given a ring $$T_n\ (n\geqslant 2)$$

T
n

(
n
⩾
2
)

of lower triangular $$n\times n$$

n
×
n

matrices with entries from an arbitrary field F, we completely classify the orbits of free cyclic submodules of $$^2T_n$$

2

T
n

under the action of the general linear group $$GL_2(T_n)$$

G

L
2

(

T
n

)

. Interestingly, the total number of such orbits is found to be equal to the Bell number $$B_n$$

B
n

. A representative of each orbit is also given.
An exploration of how creativity, functionality, and aesthetics are related in design
Authors: Han Ji , Forbes Hannah , Schaefer Dirk
Published: May 2021

Creativity is considered to have a significant impact on the design process and its outcomes, while aesthetics and functionality are considered key characteristics of products. A relationship between creativity, aesthetics and functionality is, therefore, often assumed, however, researchers view the relations between creativity, functionality and aesthetics differently. In this paper, the authors present first evidence that novelty, usefulness and surprise are the core elements of design creativity. The aim of this research is the exploration of the relations between functionality, aesthetics, novelty, usefulness, surprise, and overall creativity, by means of an experimental case study involving design experts evaluating forty-five design samples. Statistical analysis has been conducted to investigate and understand these relations. The results obtained indicate that aesthetics has a significant positive relationship with creativity but that functionality does not have a statistically significant relationship with creativity in general. Further analysis confirms that design creativity is strongly and positively related to novelty and surprise, but not significantly related to usefulness. In addition, high correlation coefficient values have revealed that creativity, novelty and surprise are perceived as the same dimension as are functionality and usefulness. This paper may be of interest to researchers, practitioners, and educators in the broader realm of design, including industrial design, creativity in design, engineering design, design innovation, product design and new product development. It provides new insights into how creativity is perceived within the field and offers a new point of view on creativity and its dimensions for the community to meditate and to debate.
Restart Strategies in a Continuous Setting
Authors: Lorenz Jan-Hendrik
Published: May 2021

Restarting is a technique frequently employed in randomized algorithms. After some number of computation steps, the state of the algorithm is reinitialized with a new, independent random seed. Luby et al. (Inf. Process. Lett. 47(4), 173–180, 1993) introduced a universal restart strategy. They showed that their strategy is an optimal universal strategy in the worst case. However, the optimality result has only been shown for discrete processes. In this work, it is shown that their result does not translate into a continuous setting. Furthermore, we show that there are no (asymptotically) optimal strategies in a continuous setting. Nevertheless, we obtain an optimal universal strategy on a restricted class of continuous probability distributions. Furthermore, as a side result, we show that the expected value under restarts for the lognormal distribution tends towards 0. Finally, the results are illustrated using simulations.
Aspergillus niger uses the peroxisomal CoA-dependent β-oxidative genes to degrade the hydroxycinnamic acids caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and p-coumaric acid
Authors: Lubbers R. J. M. , Dilokpimol A. , Visser J. , de Vries R. P.
Published: May 2021

Aromatic compounds are important molecules which are widely applied in many industries and are mainly produced from nonrenewable sources. Renewable sources such as plant biomass are interesting alternatives for the production of aromatic compounds. Ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid, a precursor for vanillin and p-vinyl phenol, respectively, can be released from plant biomass by the fungus Aspergillus niger. The degradation of hydroxycinnamic acids such as caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and p-coumaric acid has been observed in many fungi. In A. niger, multiple metabolic pathways were suggested for the degradation of hydroxycinnamic acids. However, no genes were identified for these hydroxycinnamic acid metabolic pathways. In this study, several pathway genes were identified using whole-genome transcriptomic data of A. niger grown on different hydroxycinnamic acids. The genes are involved in the CoA-dependent β-oxidative pathway in fungi. This pathway is well known for the degradation of fatty acids, but not for hydroxycinnamic acids. However, in plants, it has been shown that hydroxycinnamic acids are degraded through this pathway. We identified genes encoding hydroxycinnamate-CoA synthase (hcsA), multifunctional β-oxidation hydratase/dehydrogenase (foxA), 3-ketoacyl CoA thiolase (katA), and four thioesterases (theA-D) of A. niger, which were highly induced by all three tested hydroxycinnamic acids. Deletion mutants revealed that these genes were indeed involved in the degradation of several hydroxycinnamic acids. In addition, foxA and theB are also involved in the degradation of fatty acids. HcsA, FoxA, and KatA contained a peroxisomal targeting signal and are therefore predicted to be localized in peroxisomes.

Key points

• Metabolism of hydroxycinnamic acid was investigated in Aspergillus niger

• Using transcriptome data, multiple CoA-dependent β-oxidative genes were identified.

• Both foxA and theB are involved in hydroxycinnamate but also fatty acid metabolism.
Potential role of IFN-α in COVID-19 patients and its underlying treatment options
Authors: Yang Lei , Wang Jianhui , Hui Pei , Yarovinsky Timur O. , Badeti Saiaditya , Pham Kien , Liu Chen
Published: May 2021

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread rapidly worldwide. Given that this contagious viral outbreak is still unfolding, it is urgent to understand the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection and explore effective treatments to protect patients from developing a severe illness related to COVID-19. Recently, IFN-α has been considered a potential therapeutic strategy to treat COVID-19 disease, mainly because the innate immune system rapidly produces IFN-α as the first line of defense to combat viral infections. However, IFN-α can also play a role in immunoregulatory effects, causing pathogenic damage and uncontrolled inflammatory responses. There are 13 human IFN-α subtypes that bind to the same receptor and induce different interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) expression, regulating various antiviral and immunoregulatory effects. The varying degrees of inflammatory regulations may raise concerns about the possible side effects to enlarge the inflammatory responses, exacerbating the severity of infection. Thus, the analysis of various IFN-α subtype induction during SARS-CoV-2 infection is necessary in exploring the mechanism of COVID-19 pathogenesis. This review summarizes the current understanding of IFN-α in the pathogenesis of respiratory virus diseases and IFN-α based clinical intervention used in SARS-CoV-2 infection and other respiratory virus diseases. Besides, new ideas in selecting suitable IFN-α subtypes or combinations as drug candidates for viral infection treatment will also be discussed.

Key Points

• IFN-α plays an important role in anti-viral and immunoregulatory effects in COVID-19 patients caused by SARS-CoV-2.

• The uncontrolled inflammation and disease severity correlated to the diversity of IFN-α subtype induction.

• Selecting suitable IFN-α subtypes or combinations as drug candidates will be beneficial for the treatment of patients with COVID-19.

Graphical abstract
Analysis of end-of-life treatment and physician perceptions at a university hospital in Germany
Authors: Heerde Nicole , Hofmann Wolf-Karsten , Hofheinz Ralf-Dieter , Büttner Sylvia , Gencer Deniz
Published: May 2021

Purpose

Providing state-of-the-art palliative care is crucial in all areas of in- and outpatient settings. Studies on the implementation of palliative care standards for dying patients are rare.

Methods

N = 141 physicians from all internal departments were polled anonymously about the treatment of dying patients using a self-designed questionnaire. Furthermore, we evaluated the terminal care of n = 278 patients who died in internal medicine departments at University Hospital Mannheim between January and June, 2019 based on clinical data of the last 48 h of life. We defined mandatory criteria for good palliative practice both regarding treatment according to patients' records and answers in physicians' survey.

Results

Fifty-six physicians (40%) reported uncertainties in the treatment of dying patients (p < 0.05). Physicians caring for dying patients regularly stated to use sedatives more frequently and to administer less infusions (p < 0.05, respectively). In multivariate analysis, medical specialization was identified as an independent factor for good palliative practice (p < 0.05). Physicians working with cancer patients regularly were seven times more likely to use good palliative practice (p < 0.05) than physicians who did not. Cancer patients received good palliative practice more often than patients dying from non-malignant diseases (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Guideline-based palliative care for dying patients was found to be implemented more likely and consistent within the oncology department. These results point to a potential lack of training of fellows in non-oncological departments in terms of good end-of-life care.
Das Fehlen des Körpers in der psychotherapeutischen Ausbildung: Qualitative Analyse von Gruppendiskussionen mit Studierenden
Authors: Wimmer Eva , Schiller Birgitta , Reisinger Manfred , Wagner Isabella , Fiegl Jutta , Mörtl Kathrin
Published: May 2021

Im Rahmen eines Forschungsprojekts zum Thema „Der Körper in der Psychotherapie“ an der Ambulanz der SFU Wien wurden mit Studierenden Gruppendiskussionen geführt. Die hier vorgestellten Ergebnisse der qualitativen Analysen zeigen, dass in Bezug auf den Körper in der psychotherapeutischen Ausbildung eine Lücke wahrgenommen wird. Diese Lücke zeigt sich in drei Phasen der Wissensaneignung (Streben nach Sicherheit, Fluidität des Wissens und Umgehen mit der Unsicherheit). Unterschiedliche Formen von Lernen (Fachwissen, Selbsterfahrung, Austausch mit Kolleg*innen) ermöglichen den Umgang damit und die kontinuierliche Weiterentwicklung von Wissen zu Körperthemen während der Ausbildung. Dialog und Austausch mit anderen Professionen mit körperlichem Schwerpunkt bleiben weitgehend ein Wunsch der Teilnehmenden. Wir adressieren die Wissensaneignung und die hier von den Studierenden wahrgenommenen Lücken und formulieren Thesen, welche Implikationen diese Lücken besitzen.
Managing bias and unfairness in data for decision support: a survey of machine learning and data engineering approaches to identify and mitigate bias and unfairness within data management and analytics systems
Authors: Balayn Agathe , Lofi Christoph , Houben Geert-Jan
Published: May 2021

The increasing use of data-driven decision support systems in industry and governments is accompanied by the discovery of a plethora of bias and unfairness issues in the outputs of these systems. Multiple computer science communities, and especially machine learning, have started to tackle this problem, often developing algorithmic solutions to mitigate biases to obtain fairer outputs. However, one of the core underlying causes for unfairness is bias in training data which is not fully covered by such approaches. Especially, bias in data is not yet a central topic in data engineering and management research. We survey research on bias and unfairness in several computer science domains, distinguishing between data management publications and other domains. This covers the creation of fairness metrics, fairness identification, and mitigation methods, software engineering approaches and biases in crowdsourcing activities. We identify relevant research gaps and show which data management activities could be repurposed to handle biases and which ones might reinforce such biases. In the second part, we argue for a novel data-centered approach overcoming the limitations of current algorithmic-centered methods. This approach focuses on eliciting and enforcing fairness requirements and constraints on data that systems are trained, validated, and used on. We argue for the need to extend database management systems to handle such constraints and mitigation methods. We discuss the associated future research directions regarding algorithms, formalization, modelling, users, and systems.
Correction to: Temperature Dependence of Thermoelectric Homogeneity of Noble Metal Thermocouples
Authors: Edler Frank , Huang Kai
Published: May 2021

A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10765-021-02847-4
Dynamic structural health monitoring of a model wind turbine tower using distributed acoustic sensing (DAS)
Authors: Hubbard Peter G. , Xu James , Zhang Shenghan , Dejong Matthew , Luo Linqing , Soga Kenichi , Papa Carlo , Zulberti Christian , Malara Demetrio , Fugazzotto Fabio , Garcia Lopez Francisco , Minto Chris
Published: May 2021

Maintenance of wind turbine towers is currently a manual process that requires visual inspection and bolt tightening yearly. This process is costly to energy companies and its necessity is not well-defined. In this study, two Rayleigh-based distributed fiber optic sensing technologies are evaluated and compared for their ability to monitor the dynamic structural behavior of a model wind turbine tower subject to free and forced vibration. They are further tested for their ability to detect structural phenomena associated with loose bolts and material damage within the tower. The two technologies examined are optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) and phase-based optical time domain reflectometry ($$\phi$$
ϕ
-OTDR), which is a technology used in distributed acoustic sensing (DAS). OFDR is a tested and proven strain measurement technology commonly used for structural health monitoring but can only make strain measurements over short distances (10 s of meters). OFDR was used to validate the measurements made with $$\phi$$
ϕ
-OTDR which can measure over much longer distances (several kilometers). Due to its sensing distance capability, $$\phi$$
ϕ
-OTDR is a promising technology for monitoring many wind turbines networked together with a single fiber optic cable. This study presents a first-of-its-kind use of $$\phi$$
ϕ
-OTDR for structural health monitoring to demonstrate its capabilities.
Neurological diseases and COVID-19: prospective analyses using the UK Biobank
Authors: Veronese Nicola , Smith Lee , Barbagallo Mario , Giannelli Gianluigi , Caruso Maria Gabriella , Cisternino Anna Maria , Notarnicola Maria , Cao Chao , Waldhoer Thomas , Yang Lin
Published: May 2021

COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease-19) may present with neurological signs, but whether people already affected by neurological conditions are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 is still not known. We, therefore, aimed to investigate the association of previously diagnosed neurological conditions with COVID-19. 502,536 community-dwelling UK Biobank participants (54.4% male, mean age 56.6 ± 10.3 years) were included. Among these, 57,463 participants had a diagnosis of neurological conditions (11.43%) and a total of 1326 COVID-19-positive cases were identified (0.26%). Neurological conditions were identified through medical history and linkage to data on hospital admissions (ICD-10 code G00–G99). COVID-19 presence was diagnosed using the data provided by Public Health England. The association of previous diagnosis of neurological conditions with COVID-19 was evaluated through logistic regressions, adjusted for potential confounders, reported as odds ratios (ORs) with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Nerve, nerve root and plexus disorders (G50–G59) were the most common conditions identified. The presence of COVID-19 was almost doubled in neurological conditions compared to the general population (0.45 vs. 0.24%, p < 0.0001). Previously diagnosed neurological conditions were associated with 60% higher odds of COVID-19 positive in the multivariable-adjusted model (OR = 1.6, 95% CI 1.4–1.8). Other degenerative diseases of the nervous system, extrapyramidal and movement disorders, polyneuropathies and other disorders of the peripheral nervous system, cerebral palsy and other paralytic syndromes were significantly associated with a higher odds of COVID-19. The presence of neurological conditions was associated with a significantly higher likelihood of COVID-19 compared to the general population.
O2O selection mode portrait and optimization for railway service enterprises based on K-means
Authors: Sun Changsuo , Ye Long , Zhang Na
Published: May 2021

Establishing a platform successfully is just the basis for railway service companies to meet the demands of online to offline (O2O) supply chain services. In this paper, the K-means algorithm is first used to construct the user segmentation model of railway service companies and the AISAS (Attention-Interest-Search-Action-Share) method is used to establish the evaluation O2O model. According to this result, we propose four modes to establish O2O supply chain service platform for railway enterprise, which are self-built and self-operated (SBSO, Mode1), commissioned construction and self-operated (CCSO, Mode2), self-built and commissioned operation (SBCO, Mode3), commissioned construction and commissioned operation (CCCO, Mode4). By comparing the advantages and disadvantages of the four modes, the results illustrate the optimal model is impacted by the nature of the platform's operating products and the operating capabilities of the partners. The railway service enterprise needs to transform the traditional multi-level management model into the flat model to adapt the O2O supply chain strategies.
Exploring long-term effects of biochar on mitigating methane emissions from paddy soil: a review
Authors: Nan Qiong , Xin Liqing , Qin Yong , Waqas Muhammad , Wu Weixiang
Published: May 2021

Biochar has been reported to mitigate short-term methane (CH4) emissions from paddy soil. Currently, CH4mitigation by biochar has primarily focused on the abundance and variations of methanogens and methanotrophs, and changes in their activities during methane production and consumption. However, long-term effects of biochar on methane mitigation from paddy soil remain controversial. This review overviewed the existing mechanisms for CH4mitigation as a result of biochar application. In addition, the two existing opinions on the long-term CH4mitigation effect upon biochar application were highlighted. Combining the already explored mechanisms of fresh biochar on CH4mitigation from paddy soil and a novel discovery, the potential mechanisms of biochar on long-term methane emission response were proposed. This review also revealed the uncertain responses of biochar on long-term CH4mitigation. Therefore, to achieve carbon neutral goal, it is important to further explore the mechanisms of long-term CH4mitigation under biochar application.
An Exploration of Implementation Enablers and Barriers for Norwegian School Meal Guidelines
Authors: Randby Jorunn S. , Meshkovska Biljana , Holbæk Helene , Lien Nanna
Published: May 2021

School meal guidelines can be important tools to promote children’s diets, but their implementation depends on several influencing factors. Understanding these is important for designing effective interventions to increase implementation. The aim of this study was to examine barriers to and enablers of implementation of the Norwegian national guideline on food and meals in schools by applying a school-based implementation framework to data collection and analysis. The Multi-level Quality Implementation Framework (MQIF) was used to develop semi-structured interview guides. At four schools, principals and after-school leaders were interviewed individually, whereas teachers (n = 27) and children (n = 26) participated in separate focus group interviews. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed deductively according to predefined constructs in the MQIF. Most implementation barriers and enablers were identified at the school level and barriers dominated. Important barriers included a weak mandate to prioritize work on school meals; weak administrative leadership; the lack of a school culture around meal practices; a noisy classroom climate undermining social meals; limited facilities; and difficulties with the teacher–parent collaboration around packed lunches. Important enablers were engagement by the education authorities; coordinated action at a municipal level; whole-school discussions on meal practices; and teachers’ facilitation for social meals. The MQIF successfully guided us in identifying factors that influence school meal guideline implementation. Low priority of school meals and low implementation authority appeared as underlying reasons for some implementation barriers. The study indicates that, to overcome these barriers, schools need support for implementation.
Ion exchange resins are targeted at heparin production and sugar decolorisation
Authors: Atkinson Simon
Published: May 2021

German speciality chemicals company Lanxess has developed and introduced ion exchange resins for heparin production and sugar decolorisation. Here we briefly look at these materials and how they are used in the bioprocess and pharmaceuticals industry.
Characterising the impact of BRAINSPaN: a multidisciplinary community of practice for clinicians and researchers in the brain impairment field
Authors: Wong Dana , Steel Joanne , Baker Katharine , Doig Emmah
Published: May 2021

Background:

Communities of practice can facilitate the sharing and translation of knowledge. BRAINSPaN is a multidisciplinary community of practice of clinicians, researchers and students in the brain impairment field that was launched in Australia in June 2017. We aimed to investigate the impact of BRAINSPaN on multidisciplinary collaboration and on knowledge, skills and confidence in domains of practice of interest to members.

Methods:

We surveyed BRAINSPaN members over three time points at 1-month (n = 117), 7-months (n = 69) and 14-months (n = 46) post-launch. Content analysis of posts to the BRAINSPaN listserv was also conducted to identify their purpose and content.

Results:

Increasing access to new research findings and increasing interaction with others in the brain impairment field were the two main goals for survey respondents’ participation in BRAINSPaN. At 7- and 14-months post-launch, these were also the most commonly achieved goals and most frequently cited benefits of BRAINSPaN participation. Cognitive rehabilitation and behaviour management were the most frequently reported practice domains of interest, as well as being two of the five most common topics of BRAINSPaN posts over the survey period. There was a significant increase in self-reported knowledge for participants’ top two domains of interest, but no change in skills or confidence.

Conclusions:

BRAINSPaN has the potential to serve as a vehicle for the sharing and translation of knowledge in the brain impairment field. Combining other forms of dissemination with communities of practice, such as workshops and clinical mentoring, may be needed to also influence the development of skills and confidence in practice areas.
Excavations at the Southern Neighborhood Center of the Tlajinga District, Teotihuacan, Mexico
Authors: Carballo David M. , Barba Luis , Ortiz Agustín , Blancas Jorge , Hernández Sariñana Daniela , Codlin Maria C. , Saucedo Alfredo , Torres Rodríguez Gloria Dolores
Published: May 2021

Investigations of the Proyecto Arqueológico Tlajinga Teotihuacan (PATT) in 2019 focused on the southern neighborhood center of this cluster of non-elite residences in the southern periphery of the ancient Mexican metropolis. Our objective was to better understand the social infrastructure of public space within the district and how it tied its inhabitants together. Our methods included excavations at two large architectural complexes, geophysical prospection of these and adjacent structures and plazas, and chemical residue analysis of floors and sediments. They revealed architecturally elaborate complexes decorated with mural painting that appear to have been the loci of civic-ceremonial activities. Materials from the excavated portions of the complexes are inconsistent with residential uses, although it is possible that local elites lived elsewhere in the complexes or in others located nearby. The investigations therefore demonstrate that the semipublic spaces of neighborhood centers were distributed as distantly as this periphery of Teotihuacan and could be as elaborate as those in the urban epicenter, underscoring the city's more muted social inequality.
Trade Liberalization and Labor Market Institutions
Authors: Baccini Leonardo , Guidi Mattia , Poletti Arlo , Yildirim Aydin B.
Published: May 2021

While the firm-level distributional consequences of market liberalization are well understood, previous studies have paid only limited attention to how variations in domestic institutions across countries affect the winners and losers from opening up to trade. We argue that the presence of coordinated wage-bargaining institutions, which impose a ceiling on wage increases, and state-subsidized vocational training, which creates a large supply of highly skilled workers, generate labor market frictions. Upward wage rigidity, in particular, helps smaller firms weather the rising competition and increasing labor costs triggered by trade liberalization. We test this hypothesis using a firm-level data set of European Union countries, which includes more than 800,000 manufacturing firms between 2003 and 2014. We find that, for productive firms, gains from trade are 20 percent larger in countries with liberal market economies than they are in coordinated market economies. Symmetrically, less productive firms in coordinated market economies experience significantly smaller revenue losses compared to liberal market economies. We show that both the presence of an institutionalized wage ceiling and the availability of subsidized vocational training are key mechanisms for reducing the reallocation of revenue from unproductive to productive firms in coordinated market economies compared to liberal market economies. In line with our theory, we find that wages and employment in liberalized industries increase differentially across both types of labor markets. Finally, we provide suggestive evidence that trade liberalization triggers a differential demand for redistribution at the individual level across different labor markets, which is in line with our firm-level analysis.
Roods, Screens and Weddings
Authors: MacCULLOCH DIARMAID
Published: May 2021

These two useful and beautifully-produced sets of conference and associated papers span 1200 years of theology and church archaeology in these islands and beyond. The volumes are complementary, comprising a thematic Venn diagram on the rood, its screen and the Reformation afterlife of screens. The area of Venn intersection around screens points to a missing fourth theme of great importance, which I will add to the rich store of data presented by the sixteen essayists, all of whose contributions are worthwhile in their own right.
Lyrics segmentation via bimodal text–audio representation
Authors: Fell Michael , Nechaev Yaroslav , Meseguer-Brocal Gabriel , Cabrio Elena , Gandon Fabien , Peeters Geoffroy
Published: May 2021

Song lyrics contain repeated patterns that have been proven to facilitate automated lyrics segmentation, with the final goal of detecting the building blocks (e.g., chorus, verse) of a song text. Our contribution in this article is twofold. First, we introduce a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based model that learns to segment the lyrics based on their repetitive text structure. We experiment with novel features to reveal different kinds of repetitions in the lyrics, for instance based on phonetical and syntactical properties. Second, using a novel corpus where the song text is synchronized to the audio of the song, we show that the text and audio modalities capture complementary structure of the lyrics and that combining both is beneficial for lyrics segmentation performance. For the purely text-based lyrics segmentation on a dataset of 103k lyrics, we achieve an F-score of 67.4%, improving on the state of the art (59.2% F-score). On the synchronized text–audio dataset of 4.8k songs, we show that the additional audio features improve segmentation performance to 75.3% F-score, significantly outperforming the purely text-based approaches.
From the pandemic to the pan: the impact of COVID-19 on parental inclusion of children in cooking activities: a cross-continental survey
Authors: Benson Tony , Murphy Blain , McCloat Amanda , Mooney Elaine , Dean Moira , Lavelle Fiona
Published: May 2021

Objective:

This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on time spent cooking and parental inclusion of children in cooking. The secondary aim was to investigate differences between those who frequently included their children in cooking activities during the COVID-19 pandemic and those who included their children less, on a number of factors such as working from home, parents’ diet quality and cooking skills confidence.

Design:

Cross-continental survey with Wilcoxon-signed ranks, Independent t tests, Mann–Whitney U, χ2 and a binomial logistic regression used for assessment.

Setting:

Online.

Participants:

A convenience sample of parents over 18 years from the island of Ireland (n 180), Great Britain (n 312), the USA (n 120) and New Zealand (n 166).

Results:

In three regions, parents’ time spent cooking and inclusion of children in everyday cooking activities increased (P < 0·001). Country (OR = 3·6, 95 % CI 1·7, 7·6), education (OR = 1·6, 95 % CI 1·1, 2·4), cooking skills confidence (OR = 1·02, 95 % CI 1·009, 1·032) and a parental higher intake of vegetables (OR = 1·3, 95 % CI 1·1, 1·5) were significant predictors of a more frequent inclusion of children in cooking activities.

Conclusions:

While there a number of key benefits to including children in cooking for the children such as providing life skills and increases in diet quality, this study highlighted a higher intake of vegetables by parents who included children more frequently in cooking activities. With continued lockdowns due to COVID-19 and perhaps more flexibility in working from home in the future, including children in cooking activities should be a key public health message for both children and parents.
Cultural implications for disclosure of diagnosis and prognosis toward terminally ill cancer patients in China: A literature review
Authors: Stocklassa Stephanie , Zhang Silja , Mason Stephen , Elsner Frank
Published: May 2021

Objective

Health professionals in China tend to avoid open communication with terminally ill cancer patients concerning their diagnosis and prognosis. This review aims to explore Chinese cultural beliefs and attitudes concerning disclosure and death among health professionals and cancer patients in China and to investigate preferences of terminally ill cancer patients for a “good death.”

Method

A narrative literature review was conducted in May 2020 on MEDLINE, EMBASE, and WEB OF SCIENCE to include all studies with clear study design which presented its own study data or referred to data within underlying studies, published between January 2000 and May 2020, having cancer patients and/or healthcare professionals as participants, conducted in Mainland China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan and containing relevant data concerning “medical disclosure” or “good death.” Quality assessment of publications was conducted using the NIH and CASP checklists.

Results

Primary database search revealed a total of 108 papers of which 9 were ultimately included. The additional hand search led to the inclusion of eight further papers. In total, there were 11 quantitative studies, 4 qualitative studies and 2 literature reviews included in this review. Our findings indicated that most terminally ill cancer patients in China want to know the truth about their diagnosis and prognosis and preferred to be informed by their doctors. Terminally ill cancer patients valued a good relationship with family and medical staff as well as being respected as an individual and wanted to be able to prepare for death.

Significance of results

Terminally ill cancer patients in China often have a substantial need for information about their condition while their preferences are widely consistent with those in Western societies. Training for health professionals needs to focus on communication skills in order to overcome barriers in patient interaction.
Earthquake Alerts Go Live in the Pacific Northwest
Authors: Duncombe Jenessa
Published: May 2021

Oregon and Washington residents will receive an alert on their cell phones if they are in danger from an incoming quake.
IFN-γ-dependent NK cell activation is essential to metastasis suppression by engineered Salmonella
Authors: Lin Qiubin , Rong Li , Jia Xian , Li Renhao , Yu Bin , Hu Jingchu , Luo Xiao , Badea S. R. , Xu Chen , Fu Guofeng , Lai Kejiong , Lee Ming-chun , Zhang Baozhong , Gong Huarui , Zhou Nan , Chen Xiao Lei , Lin Shu-hai , Fu Guo , Huang Jian-Dong
Published: May 2021

Metastasis accounts for 90% of cancer-related deaths and, currently, there are no effective clinical therapies to block the metastatic cascade. A need to develop novel therapies specifically targeting fundamental metastasis processes remains urgent. Here, we demonstrate that Salmonella YB1, an engineered oxygen-sensitive strain, potently inhibits metastasis of a broad range of cancers. This process requires both IFN-γ and NK cells, as the absence of IFN-γ greatly reduces, whilst depletion of NK cells in vivo completely abolishes, the anti-metastatic ability of Salmonella. Mechanistically, we find that IFN-γ is mainly produced by NK cells during early Salmonella infection, and in turn, IFN-γ promotes the accumulation, activation, and cytotoxicity of NK cells, which kill the metastatic cancer cells thus achieving an anti-metastatic effect. Our findings highlight the significance of a self-regulatory feedback loop of NK cells in inhibiting metastasis, pointing a possible approach to develop anti-metastatic therapies by harnessing the power of NK cells.
The diversity of three-dimensional photonic crystals
Authors: Cersonsky Rose K. , Antonaglia James , Dice Bradley D. , Glotzer Sharon C.
Published: May 2021

Many butterflies, birds, beetles, and chameleons owe their spectacular colors to the microscopic patterns within their wings, feathers, or skin. When these patterns, or photonic crystals, result in the omnidirectional reflection of commensurate wavelengths of light, it is due to a complete photonic band gap (PBG). The number of natural crystal structures known to have a PBG is relatively small, and those within the even smaller subset of notoriety, including diamond and inverse opal, have proven difficult to synthesize. Here, we report more than 150,000 photonic band calculations for thousands of natural crystal templates from which we predict 351 photonic crystal templates – including nearly 300 previously-unreported structures – that can potentially be realized for a multitude of applications and length scales, including several in the visible range via colloidal self-assembly. With this large variety of 3D photonic crystals, we also revisit and discuss oft-used primary design heuristics for PBG materials.
Twin-lattice atom interferometry
Authors: Gebbe Martina , Siemß Jan-Niclas , Gersemann Matthias , Müntinga Hauke , Herrmann Sven , Lämmerzahl Claus , Ahlers Holger , Gaaloul Naceur , Schubert Christian , Hammerer Klemens , Abend Sven , Rasel Ernst M.
Published: May 2021

Inertial sensors based on cold atoms have great potential for navigation, geodesy, or fundamental physics. Similar to the Sagnac effect, their sensitivity increases with the space-time area enclosed by the interferometer. Here, we introduce twin-lattice atom interferometry exploiting Bose-Einstein condensates of rubidium-87. Our method provides symmetric momentum transfer and large areas offering a perspective for future palm-sized sensor heads with sensitivities on par with present meter-scale Sagnac devices. Our theoretical model of the impact of beam splitters on the spatial coherence is highly instrumental for designing future sensors.
Author Correction: Lead compounds for the development of SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease inhibitors
Authors: Iketani Sho , Forouhar Farhad , Liu Hengrui , Hong Seo Jung , Lin Fang-Yu , Nair Manoj S. , Zask Arie , Huang Yaoxing , Xing Li , Stockwell Brent R. , Chavez Alejandro , Ho David D.
Published: May 2021

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23082-3
Breathless and awaiting diagnosis in UK lockdown for COVID-19…We’re stuck
Authors: Doe Gillian , Chantrell Stacey , Williams Marie , Steiner Michael C. , Armstrong Natalie , Hutchinson Ann , Evans Rachael A.
Published: May 2021

During the COVID-19 pandemic, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 20 adults awaiting a diagnosis for their chronic breathlessness. Three key themes were identified using thematic analysis: (1) de-prioritisation of diagnosis, (2) following UK ‘lockdown’ guidance for the general population but patients fearful they were more at risk, and (3) the impact of lockdown on coping strategies for managing breathlessness. The existing unpredictable pathway to diagnosis for those with chronic breathlessness has been further interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dynamical ground state in the XY pyrochlore Yb2GaSbO7
Authors: Sarte P. M. , Cruz-Kan K. , Ortiz B. R. , Hong K. H. , Bordelon M. M. , Reig-i-Plessis D. , Lee M. , Choi E. S. , Stone M. B. , Calder S. , Pajerowski D. M. , Mangin-Thro L. , Qiu Y. , Attfield J. P. , Wilson S. D. , Stock C. , Zhou H. D. , Hallas A. M. , Paddison J. A. M. , Aczel A. A. , Wiebe C. R.
Published: May 2021

The magnetic ground state of the pyrochlore Yb2GaSbO7 has not been established. The persistent spin fluctuations observed by muon spin-relaxation measurements at low temperatures have not been adequately explained for this material using existing theories for quantum magnetism. Here we report on the synthesis and characterisation of Yb2GaSbO7 to revisit the nature of the magnetic ground state. Through DC and AC magnetic susceptibility, heat capacity, and neutron scattering experiments, we observe evidence for a dynamical ground state that makes Yb2GaSbO7 a promising candidate for disorder-induced spin-liquid or spin-singlet behaviour. This state is quite fragile, being tuned to a splayed ferromagnet in a modest magnetic field μ0Hc ~ 1.5 T.
High expression of microRNA-126 relates to favorable prognosis for colon cancer patients
Authors: Selven Hallgeir , Busund Lill-Tove Rasmussen , Andersen Sigve , Bremnes Roy M. , Kilvær Thomas Karsten
Published: May 2021

miR-126 has been identified both as a tumor suppressor and an oncogene in different types of cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic impact of miR-126-expression in colon cancer patients. Tumor tissue from 452 patients operated for stage I–III colon cancer was retrospectively collected and tissue microarrays were constructed. miR-126 expression was evaluated by in situ hybridization and analyzed using digital pathology. To isolate the compartment specific contribution of miR-126, tumor and adjacent tumor stroma were considered separately. In univariate analyses, high expression of miR-126 in tumor and stroma was related to increased disease-specific survival (p < 0.001 and p = 0.005, respectively). In multivariate analyses, high miR-126 expression in tumor remained a significant independent predictor of improved disease-specific survival (HR = 0.42, CI 0.23–0.75, p = 0.004). Within different TNM-stages there was a tendency towards the same results, but with statistically significant results in stage II only (p = 0.007). High expression of miR-126 is an independent positive prognostic factor in stage I–III colon cancer. This finding may be used to identify patients in need of adjuvant chemotherapy.
Revisiting the hyperdominance of Neotropical tree species under a taxonomic, functional and evolutionary perspective
Authors: Damasco Gabriel , Baraloto Christopher , Vicentini Alberto , Daly Douglas C. , Baldwin Bruce G. , Fine Paul V. A.
Published: May 2021

Recent studies have leveraged large datasets from plot-inventory networks to report a phenomenon of hyperdominance in Amazonian tree communities, concluding that few species are common and many are rare. However, taxonomic hypotheses may not be consistent across these large plot networks, potentially masking cryptic diversity and threatened rare taxa. In the current study, we have reviewed one of the most abundant putatively hyperdominant taxa, Protium heptaphyllum (Aubl.) Marchand (Burseraceae), long considered to be a taxonomically difficult species complex. Using morphological, genomic, and functional data, we present evidence that P. heptaphyllum sensu lato may represent eight separately evolving lineages, each warranting species status. Most of these lineages are geographically restricted, and few if any of them could be considered hyperdominant on their own. In addition, functional trait data are consistent with the hypothesis that trees from each lineage are adapted to distinct soil and climate conditions. Moreover, some of the newly discovered species are rare, with habitats currently experiencing rapid deforestation. We highlight an urgent need to improve sampling and methods for species discovery in order to avoid oversimplified assumptions regarding diversity and rarity in the tropics and the implications for ecosystem functioning and conservation.
Volumetric metamaterials versus impedance surfaces in scattering applications
Authors: Kosulnikov S. , Filonov D. , Boag A. , Ginzburg P.
Published: May 2021

Artificially created media allow employing material parameters as additional valuable degrees of freedom in tailoring electromagnetic scattering. In particular, metamaterials with either negative permeability or permittivity allow creating deeply subwavelength resonant structures with relatively high scattering cross-sections. However, the equivalence principle allows replacing volumetric structures with properly designed curved impedance surfaces, ensuring the same electromagnetic properties. Here, we examine this statement from a practical standpoint, considering two structures, having a dipolar electric resonance at the same frequency. The first realization is based on arrays of inductively loaded electric dipoles printed on stacked circuit boards (a volumetric metamaterial), while the second structure utilizes a 4-wire spiral on a spherical surface (surface impedance realization). An intermediate conclusion is that the surface implementation tends to outperform the volumetric counterparts in the scenario when a single resonance is involved. However, in the case where multiple resonances are overlapping and lossy materials are involved, volumetric realization can have an advantage. The discussed structures are of significant importance to the field of electrically small antennas, superdirective antennas, and superscatterers, which find use in wireless communications and radar applications, to name just a few.
Accounting for farmers’ control decisions in a model of pathogen spread through animal trade
Authors: Cristancho Fajardo Lina , Ezanno Pauline , Vergu Elisabeta
Published: May 2021

Accounting for individual decisions in mechanistic epidemiological models remains a challenge, especially for unregulated endemic animal diseases for which control is not compulsory. We propose a new integrative model by combining two sub-models. The first one for the dynamics of a livestock epidemic on a metapopulation network, grounded on demographic and animal trade data. The second one for farmers’ behavior regarding the adoption of a control measure against the disease spread in their herd. The measure is specified as a protective vaccine with given economic implications, and the model is numerically studied through intensive simulations and sensitivity analyses. While each tested parameter of the model has an impact on the overall model behavior, the most important factor in farmers’ decisions is their frequency, as this factor explained almost 30% of the variation in decision-related outputs of the model. Indeed, updating frequently local health information impacts positively vaccination, and limits strongly the propagation of the pathogen. Our study is relevant for the understanding of the interplay between decision-related human behavior and livestock epidemic dynamics. The model can be used for other structures of epidemic models or different interventions, by adapting its components.
A network analysis of crab metamorphosis and the hypothesis of development as a process of unfolding of an intensive complexity
Authors: Ostachuk Agustín
Published: May 2021

Development has intrigued humanity since ancient times. Today, the main paradigm in developmental biology and evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) is the genetic program, in which development is explained by the interplay and interaction of genes, that is, by the action of gene regulatory networks (GRNs). However, it is not even clear that a GRN, no matter how complex, can be translated into a form. Therefore, the fundamental enigma of development still remains: how is a complex organism formed from a single cell? This question unfolded the historical drama and the dialectical tension between preformation and epigenesis. In order to shed light on these issues, I studied the development of crabs (infraorder Brachyura), as representative of the subphylum Crustacea, using network theory. The external morphology of the different phases of brachyuran metamorphosis were modeled as networks and their main characteristics analyzed. As one could expect, the parameters usually regarded as indicative of network complexity, such as modularity and hierarchy, increased during development. However, when more sophisticated complexity measures were tested, it was evidenced that whereas a group of complexity measures increased during development, another group decreased. This led to consider that two kinds of complexities were being measured. I called them intensive and extensive complexity. In view of these results, I propose that crab development involves a passage from an intensive to an extensive complexity. In other words, crab development can be interpreted as a process of unfolding of an intensive, preexistent complexity.