bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) as restoration bioindicators in the Florida Everglades
Authors: Briggs-Gonzalez Venetia S. , Basille Mathieu , Cherkiss Michael S. , Mazzotti Frank J.
Published: May 2021

The federally threatened American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) is a flagship species and ecological indicator of hydrologic restoration in the Florida Everglades. We conducted a long-term capture-recapture study on the South Florida population of American crocodiles from 1978 to 2015 to evaluate the effects of restoration efforts to more historic hydrologic conditions. The study produced 10,040 crocodile capture events of 9,865 individuals and more than 90% of captures were of hatchlings. Body condition and growth rates of crocodiles were highly age-structured with younger crocodiles presenting with the poorest body condition and highest growth rates. Mean crocodile body condition in this study was 2.14±0.35 SD across the South Florida population. Crocodiles exposed to hypersaline conditions (> 40 psu) during the dry season maintained lower body condition scores and reduced growth rate by 13% after one year, by 24% after five years, and by 29% after ten years. Estimated hatchling survival for the South Florida population was 25% increasing with ontogeny and reaching near 90% survival at year six. Hatchling survival was 34% in NE Florida Bay relative to a 69% hatchling survival at Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge and 53% in Flamingo area of Everglades National Park. Hypersaline conditions negatively affected survival, growth and body condition and was most pronounced in NE Florida Bay, where the hydrologic conditions have been most disturbed. The American crocodile, a long-lived animal, with relatively slow growth rate provides an excellent model system to measure the effects of altered hydropatterns in the Everglades landscape. These results illustrate the need for continued long-term monitoring to assess system-wide restoration outcomes and inform resource managers.
A comparison of nutritional value of native and alien food plants for a critically endangered island flying-fox
Authors: Pulscher Laura A. , Dierenfeld Ellen S. , Welbergen Justin A. , Rose Karrie A. , Phalen David N.
Published: May 2021

Habitat loss and alteration are two of the biggest threats facing insular flying-foxes. Altered habitats are often re-vegetated with introduced or domestic plant species on which flying-foxes may forage. However, these alien food plants may not meet the nutritional requirements of flying-foxes. The critically endangered Christmas Island flying-fox (CIFF; Pteropus natalis) is subject to habitat alteration and the introduction of alien food plants, and therefore is a good model species to evaluate the potential impact of alien plant species on insular flying-foxes. In this study, we evaluated nutritional content of native food plants to determine how flying-foxes historically met their nutritional requirements. Furthermore, we compared the nutritional content of native and alien fruits to predict possible impacts of alien plants on insular flying-foxes. Native and alien fruits and flowers, and native foliage (leaves, petals, and petioles) commonly consumed by the CIFF were collected and evaluated for soluble sugars, crude protein, non-fiber carbohydrates, and nine minerals. Evaluation of native food plants suggests that flying-foxes meet energy requirements by consuming fruit and nectar. However, fruit and nectar are low in protein and essential minerals required for demanding life periods; therefore, flying-foxes likely supplement their diets with pollen and foliage. Thus, flying-foxes require a diverse array of plants to meet their nutritional requirements. Compared to native fruits, alien fruits contained significantly higher non-fiber carbohydrates, and this may provide an important energy source, particularly from species that bear fruit year-round. Median mineral concentrations in alien fruit species, however, were deficient compared to native fruits, suggesting major (or even seasonal) shifts in the proportion of alien species in the CIFF diet could lead to nutritional imbalances. This study confirms the need to quantify nutritional parameters in addition to feeding ecology when evaluating habitat quality to inform conservation actions that can be applied both locally and globally.
Influenza forecasting for French regions combining EHR, web and climatic data sources with a machine learning ensemble approach
Authors: Poirier Canelle , Hswen Yulin , Bouzillé Guillaume , Cuggia Marc , Lavenu Audrey , Brownstein John S. , Brewer Thomas , Santillana Mauricio
Published: May 2021

Effective and timely disease surveillance systems have the potential to help public health officials design interventions to mitigate the effects of disease outbreaks. Currently, healthcare-based disease monitoring systems in France offer influenza activity information that lags real-time by one to three weeks. This temporal data gap introduces uncertainty that prevents public health officials from having a timely perspective on the population-level disease activity. Here, we present a machine-learning modeling approach that produces real-time estimates and short-term forecasts of influenza activity for the twelve continental regions of France by leveraging multiple disparate data sources that include, Google search activity, real-time and local weather information, flu-related Twitter micro-blogs, electronic health records data, and historical disease activity synchronicities across regions. Our results show that all data sources contribute to improving influenza surveillance and that machine-learning ensembles that combine all data sources lead to accurate and timely predictions.
“There’s something inside”: Children’s intuitions about animate agents
Authors: Kominsky Jonathan F. , Shafto Patrick , Bonawitz Elizabeth
Published: May 2021

From infancy, humans have the ability to distinguish animate agents from inert objects, and preschoolers map biological and mechanical insides to their appropriate kinds. However, less is known about how identifying something as an animate agent shapes specific inferences about its internal properties. Here, we test whether preschool children (N = 92; North American population) have specifically biological expectations about animate agents, or if they have more general expectations that animate agents should have an internal source of motion. We presented preschoolers with videos of two puppets: a “self-propelled” fur-covered puppet, and a fur-covered puppet that is seen to be moved by a human actor. In addition, we presented preschoolers with images of a familiar artifact (motorcycle) and familiar animal (sheep). For each item, we asked them to choose what they thought was inside each of these entities: nothing, biological insides, or mechanical insides. Preschoolers were less likely to say that a self-propelled fur-covered object was empty, compared to a fur-covered object that was moved by a human actor, which converges with past work with infants. However, preschoolers showed no specifically biological expectations about these objects, despite being able to accurately match biological insides to familiar animals and mechanical insides to familiar artifacts on the follow-up measure. These results suggest that preschoolers do not have specifically biological expectations about animate agents as a category, but rather general expectations that such agents should not be empty inside.
How personality traits of neuroticism and extroversion predict the effects of the COVID-19 on the mental health of Canadians
Authors: Shokrkon Anahita , Nicoladis Elena
Published: May 2021

The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) epidemic was first detected in China in December 2019 and spread to other countries fast. Some studies have found that COVID-19 pandemic has had adverse mental health consequences. Individual differences such as personality could contribute to people’s behaviors during a pandemic. In the current study, we examine how personality traits of neuroticism and extroversion (using the Five-Factor Model as our framework) are related to the mental health of Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from an online survey with 1096 responses, this study performed multiple regression analysis to explore how personality traits of neuroticism and extroversion predict the effects of COVID-19 on the mental health of Canadians. The results showed that personality traits of neuroticism and extroversion are associated with the current mental health of Canadians during COVID-19 pandemic, with extroversion positively related to mental health and neuroticism negatively related to it. Results contribute to the management of individual responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and could help public health services provide personality-appropriate mental health services during this pandemic.
Race and other sociodemographic categories are differentially linked to multiple dimensions of interpersonal-level discrimination: Implications for intersectional, health research
Authors: Beatty Moody Danielle L. , Waldstein Shari R. , Leibel Daniel K. , Hoggard Lori S. , Gee Gilbert C. , Ashe Jason J. , Brondolo Elizabeth , Al-Najjar Elias , Evans Michele K. , Zonderman Alan B.
Published: May 2021

Objectives

To examine whether intersections of race with other key sociodemographic categories contribute to variations in multiple dimensions of race- and non-race-related, interpersonal-level discrimination and burden in urban-dwelling African Americans and Whites.

Methods

Data from 2,958 participants aged 30–64 in the population-based Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study were used to estimate up to four-way interactions of race, age, gender, and poverty status with reports of racial and everyday discrimination, discrimination across multiple social statuses, and related lifetime discrimination burden in multiple regression models.

Results

We observed that: 1) African Americans experienced all forms of discrimination more frequently than Whites, but this finding was qualified by interactions of race with age, gender, and/or poverty status; 2) older African Americans, particularly African American men, and African American men living in poverty reported the greatest lifetime discrimination burden; 3) older African Americans reported greater racial discrimination and greater frequency of multiple social status-based discrimination than younger African Americans; 4) African American men reported greater racial and everyday discrimination and a greater frequency of social status discrimination than African American women; and, 5) White women reported greater frequency of discrimination than White men. Allp’s < .05.

Conclusions

Within African Americans, older, male individuals with lower SES experienced greater racial, lifetime, and multiple social status-based discrimination, but this pattern was not observed in Whites. Among Whites, women reported greater frequency of discrimination across multiple social statuses and other factors (i.e., gender, income, appearance, and health status) than men. Efforts to reduce discrimination-related health disparities should concurrently assess dimensions of interpersonal-level discrimination across multiple sociodemographic categories, while simultaneously considering the broader socioecological context shaping these factors.
Impacts of California Proposition 47 on crime in Santa Monica, California
Authors: Crodelle Jennifer , Vallejo Celeste , Schmidtchen Markus , Topaz Chad M. , D’Orsogna Maria R.
Published: May 2021

We examine patterns of reported crime in Santa Monica, California before and after the passage of Proposition 47, a 2014 initiative that reclassified some non-violent felonies as misdemeanors. We also investigate impacts of the opening of four new light rail stations in 2016 and of increased community-based policing starting in late 2018. Our statistical analyses of reclassified crimes—larceny, fraud, possession of narcotics, forgery, receiving/possessing stolen property—and non-reclassified ones are based on publicly available reported crime data from 2006 to 2019. These analyses examine reported crime at various levels: city-wide, within eight neighborhoods, and within a 450-meter radius of the new transit stations. Monthly reported reclassified crimes increased city-wide by approximately 15% after enactment of Proposition 47, with a significant drop observed in late 2018. Downtown exhibited the largest overall surge. Reported non-reclassified crimes fell overall by approximately 9%. Areas surrounding two new train stations, including Downtown, saw significant increases in reported crime after train service began. While reported reclassified crimes increased after passage of Proposition 47, non-reclassified crimes, for the most part, decreased or stayed constant, suggesting that Proposition 47 may have impacted reported crime in Santa Monica. Reported crimes decreased in late 2018 concurrent with the adoption of new community-based policing measures. Follow-up studies needed to confirm long-term trends may be challenging due to the COVID-19 pandemic that drastically changed societal conditions. While our research detects changes in reported crime, it does not provide causative explanations. Our work, along with other considerations relevant to public utility, respect for human rights, and existence of socioeconomic disparities, may be useful to law enforcement and policymakers to assess the overall effect of Proposition 47.
External quality assessment of Rift Valley fever diagnosis in countries at risk of the disease: African, Indian Ocean and Middle-East regions
Authors: Pedarrieu Aurélie , El Mellouli Fatiha , Khallouki Hanane , Zro Khalil , Sebbar Ghizlane , Sghaier Soufien , Madani Hafsa , Bouayed Nadera , Lo Modou Moustapha , Diop Mariame , Ould El Mamy Ahmed Bezeid , Barry Yahya , Dakouo Marthin , Traore Abdallah , Gagara Haladou , Souley Maman Moutari , Acha Sara , Mapaco Laurenco , Chang’a Jelly , Nyakilinga Denis , Lubisi Baratang A. , Tshabalala Thabisile , Filippone Claudia , Heraud Jean Michel , Chamassy Sitty-Bahyat , Achiraffi Abdou , Keck Nicolas , Grard Gilda , Mohammed Kareem Abdelfattah Abdelwahab , Alrizqi Abdulwahed Mohammed , Cetre-Sossah Catherine
Published: May 2021

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), an arbovirus belonging to the Phlebovirus genus of the Phenuiviridae family, causes the zoonotic and mosquito-borne RVF. The virus, which primarily affects livestock (ruminants and camels) and humans, is at the origin of recent major outbreaks across the African continent (Mauritania, Libya, Sudan), and in the South-Western Indian Ocean (SWIO) islands (Mayotte). In order to be better prepared for upcoming outbreaks, to predict its introduction in RVFV unscathed countries, and to run efficient surveillance programmes, the priority is harmonising and improving the diagnostic capacity of endemic countries and/or countries considered to be at risk of RVF. A serological inter-laboratory proficiency test (PT) was implemented to assess the capacity of veterinary laboratories to detect antibodies against RVFV. A total of 18 laboratories in 13 countries in the Middle East, North Africa, South Africa, and the Indian Ocean participated in the initiative. Two commercial kits and two in-house serological assays for the detection of RVFV specific IgG antibodies were tested. Sixteen of the 18 participating laboratories (88.9%) used commercial kits, the analytical performance of test sensitivity and specificity based on the seroneutralisation test considered as the reference was 100%. The results obtained by the laboratories which used the in-house assay were correct in only one of the two criteria (either sensitivity or specificity). In conclusion, most of the laboratories performed well in detecting RVFV specific IgG antibodies and can therefore be considered to be prepared. Three laboratories in three countries need to improve their detection capacities. Our study demonstrates the importance of conducting regular proficiency tests to evaluate the level of preparedness of countries and of building a network of competent laboratories in terms of laboratory diagnosis to better face future emerging diseases in emergency conditions.
Impact of air pollution on human activities: Evidence from nine million mobile phone users
Authors: Chen Wei , He YingHua , Pan Shiyuan
Published: May 2021

To measure the effects of air pollution on human activities, this study applies statistical/econometric modeling to hourly data of 9 million mobile phone users from six cities in China’s Zhejiang Province from December 18 to 21, 2013. Under a change in air quality from “Good” (Air Quality Index, or AQI, between 51 and 100) to “Heavily Polluted” (AQI between 201 to 300), the following effects are demonstrated. (i) Consistent with the literature, for every one million people, 1, 482 fewer individuals are observed at parks, 95% confidence interval or CI (−2, 229, −735), which represents a 15% decrease. (ii) The number of individuals at shopping malls has no statistically significant change. (iii) Home is the most important location under worsening air quality, and for every one million people, 63, 088 more individuals are observed at home, 95% CI (47, 815, 78, 361), which represents a 19% increase. (iv) Individuals are on average 633 meters closer to their home, 95% CI (529, 737); as a benchmark, the median distance from home ranges from 300 to 1900 meters across the cities in our sample. These effects are not due to weather or government regulations. We also provided provisional evidence that individuals engage in inter-temporal activity substitutions within a day, which leads to mitigated (but not nullified) effects of air pollution on daily activities.
Changes of bioactive components and antioxidant potential during fruit development of Prunus humilis Bunge
Authors: Fu Hongbo , Qiao Yujia , Wang Pengfei , Mu Xiaopeng , Zhang Jiancheng , Fu Baochun , Du Junjie
Published: May 2021

Dynamic changes in flavonoid, total phenol, and antioxidant potential in different Prunus humilis accessions during fruit development stages were studied in order to provide a reference for the optimum harvest time for flavonoid extraction. ‘Nongda 4’, ‘Nongda 5’, ‘DS-1’ and ‘02–16’ were selected as plant materials to determine the content of flavonoid, total phenol and antioxidant indices during six fruit development stages. Changes in total flavonoid content (TFC) and total phenol content (TPC) in different accessions of P. humilis were slightly different depending on the development stage of P. humilis fruit. TFC and TPC in ‘Nongda 5’ fruit showed a trend of continuous decline. There was a small increase in TFC and TPC from the young fruit stage to the stone hardening stage, followed by a decreasing trend, and then to the lowest level at the ripening stage of ‘Nongda 4’, ‘DS-1’, and ‘02–16’ fruits. The trend of antioxidant capacity (ABTS, FRAP, DPPH) with the TFC and TPC of P. humilis fruit was basically the same, and the correlation analysis results showed that the TFC of P. humilis fruit was positively correlated with the antioxidant indices (P<0.01). Catechin (CC), rutin (RT), and quercetin-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (Q7G) were detected in all the fruit development stages of the four P. humilis fruits. Among them, catechin was the most abundant component, accounting for approximately 10%. Myricetin (MC) and quercetin (QC) were generally detected only in the early fruit development stage, but not in the later fruit development stage. Correlation analysis showed that the flavonoid components with TFC, TPC, and antioxidant indices differed between the different accessions. RT, CC, and liquiritigenin (LR) had a stronger correlation with TFC and antioxidant indices. Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) was not detected until the coloring stage in two red P. humilis accessions (‘Nongda 4’ and ‘DS-1’), and so it is better to choose a red P. humilis fruit to extract C3G at the ripening stage. Selecting an early stage of fruit development, especially the stone hardening stage, was important for extracting flavonoids, total phenols and other components. We believe that our results will provide basic information and reference for evaluation of fruit nutrition and health benefits, breeding of functional new varieties, and efficient utilization of P. humilis fruit.
An epidemiological study of gastrointestinal nematode and Eimeria coccidia infections in different populations of Kazakh sheep
Authors: Yan Xiaofei , Liu Mingjun , He Sangang , Tong Ting , Liu Yiyong , Ding Keqi , Deng Haifeng , Wang Peiming
Published: May 2021

This is an epidemiological study on the gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) and Eimeria coccidia infections in Kazakh sheep and the F1 and F2 generations of Kazakh × Texel sheep crosses. A total of 7599 sheep fecal samples were collected from the Zhaosu County and Nilka County in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture in the four seasons-spring, summer, autumn, and winter of 2019. The parasite causing the infection was identified by the saturated saline floating method, and the infection intensity was calculated by the modified McMaster method. SPSS19.0 was used to evaluate the differences in the fecal egg count (FEC) of for GIN and the fecal oocyst count (FOC) value of for coccidia per sample. The results showed that there were nine types of sheep GIN infections and Eimeria coccidia in these two counties of Ililocations, with the dominant parasite species of Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus spp., and Ostertagia spp as the predominant parasites in the sheep. Most of the GIN and coccidia infections in these two regions were mild and moderate. The mean log (FEC) of GIN infection in the Zhaosu area was significantly higher than that in the Nilka area, whereas the mean log (FOC) of coccidia infection in Zhaosu was significantly lower than that of Nilka. The mean log (FEC) of GIN infection in the four seasons was the highest in spring, followed by in summer, then in autumn, and the lowest in winter. The mean log (FOC) of coccidia infection was the highest in spring, followed by in autumn, and was the lowest in summer and winter. The mean log (FEC) of GIN infection and log (FOC) of coccidia infection of Kazakh sheep was significantly higher than the F1 generation, which was then significantly higher than the F2 generation of summer. A positive correlation was found between the EPG and OPG levels in the sheep. These results showed that the GIN and coccidia infection intensities of the F1 generation sheep of Kazakh ×Texel crosses were significantly lower than that of Kazakh sheep paving the way for marker-based resistance selection.
Gender differences in marital violence: A cross-ethnic study among Bengali, Garo, and Santal communities in rural Bangladesh
Authors: Karim Rabiul , Rahman Hafijur , Rahman Suchona , Habib Tanzima Zohra , Swahnberg Katarina
Published: May 2021

Studies on marital violence (MV) in Bangladesh have primarily focused on the women of the mainstream Bengali people, although half of the population is men, and there are also ethnic minority communities with diverse gender constructions. The current study examined the gender differences in MV among the matrilineal ethnic minority Garo, patrilineal ethnic minority Santal, and the patrilineal mainstream Bengali communities in rural Bangladesh. Adopting a cross-sectional design, we randomly included 1,929 currently married men and women from 24 villages. We used cross-tabulations as well as multivariate logistic regressions to estimate the ethnic and gender differences in MV. Data revealed that women were widely exposed to different types of MV, while only a few men experienced such abuses. It showed that 95.6% of the women experienced emotional abuse, 63.5% physical abuse, 71.4% sexual abuse, and 50.6% poly-victimization, whereas these rates were quite low among the men (emotional = 9.7%, physical = 0.7%, sexual = 0.1%). No men reported poly-victimization. The odds ratio (OR) for emotional, physical, and sexual MV were respectively, 184.44 (95% CI = 93.65−363.24, p<0.001), 449.23 (95% CI = 181.59−1111.35, p<0.001), and 2789.71(95% CI = 381.36−20407.08, p<0.001) for women compared to men. Data further revealed that matrilineal Garo women experienced less MV (emotional = 90.7%, physical = 53.4%, sexual = 64.0%, poly = 38.8%) than the patrilineal Santal (emotional = 99.4%, physical = 67.3%, sexual = 71.3%, poly = 53.9%) and Bengali women (emotional = 96.6%, physical = 69.6%, sexual = 78.8%, poly = 58.9%). Multivariate regressions also showed that the Bengali society perpetrated more physical (OR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.27−2.85, p = 0.002) and sexual (OR = 2.04, 95% CI = 1.34−3.10, p = 0.001) MV than the Garo society. It appears that MV is largely a gendered issue in the country. Though both women and men can be the victims of MV, the nature/extent of victimization noticeably differs according to the social organization. Matrilineal society appears to be less abusive than the patrilineal one. Interventions aimed to prevent domestic violence in rural Bangladesh should take these findings into account.
Accuracy of autorefraction in an adult Indian population
Authors: Kumar Rajesh S. , Moe Caitlin A. , Kumar Deepak , Rackenchath Mahalakshmi V. , A. V. Sathi Devi , Nagaraj Sriharsha , Wittberg Dionna M. , Stamper Robert L. , Keenan Jeremy D.
Published: May 2021

Purpose

Autorefractors allow non-specialists to quickly assess refractive error, and thus could be a useful component of large-scale vision screening programs. In order to better characterize the role of autorefraction for public health outreach programs in resource-limited settings, the diagnostic accuracy of two autorefractors was assessed relative to subjective refraction in an adult Indian population.

Methods

An optometrist refracted a series of patients aged ≥50 years at an eye clinic in Bangalore, India using the Nidek ARK-900 autorefractor first, followed by the 3nethra Royal autorefractor, and then subjective refraction. The diagnostic accuracy of each autorefractor for myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism was assessed using subjective refraction as the reference standard, and measures of agreement between refractions were calculated.

Results

A total of 197 eyes in 104 individuals (mean age 63 ± 8 years, 52% female) were evaluated. Both autorefractors produced spherical equivalent estimates that were on average more hyperopic than subjective refraction, with a measurement bias of +0.16 D (95%CI +0.09 to +0.23D) for Nidek and +0.42 D (95%CI +0.28 to +0.54D) for 3nethra. When comparing pairs of measurements from autorefraction and subjective refraction, the limits of agreement were approximately ±1D for the Nidek autorefractor and ±1.75D for the 3Nethra autorefractor. The sensitivity and specificity of detecting ≥1 diopter of myopia were 94.6% (95%CI 86.8–100%) and 92.5% (95%CI 88.9–97.5%) for the Nidek, and 89.2% (95%CI 66.7–97.4) and 77.5% (95%CI 71.2–99.4%) for the 3Nethra. The accuracy of each autorefractor increased at greater levels of refractive error.

Conclusions

The sensitivity and specificity of the Nidek autorefractor for diagnosing refractive error among adults ≥50 years in an urban Indian clinic was sufficient for screening for visually significant refractive errors, although the relatively wide limits of agreement suggest that subjective refinement of the eyeglasses prescription would still be necessary.
Order among chaos: Cross-linguistic differences and developmental trajectories in pseudoword reading aloud using pronunciation Entropy
Authors: De Simone Elisabetta , Beyersmann Elisabeth , Mulatti Claudio , Mirault Jonathan , Schmalz Xenia
Published: May 2021

In this work we propose the use of Entropy to measure variability in pronunciations in pseudowords reading aloud: pseudowords where participants give many different pronunciations receive higher Entropy values. Monolingual adults, monolingual children, and bilingual children proficient in different European languages varying in orthographic depth were tested. We predicted that Entropy values will increase with increasing orthographic depth. Moreover, higher Entropy was expected for younger than older children, as reading experience improves the knowledge of grapheme-phoneme correspondences (GPCs). We also tested if interference from a second language would lead to higher Entropy. Results show that orthographic depth affects Entropy, but only when the items are not strictly matched across languages. We also found that Entropy decreases across age, suggesting that GPC knowledge becomes refined throughout grades 2-4. We found no differences between bilingual and monolingual children. Our results indicate that item characteristics play a fundamental role in pseudoword pronunciation variability, that reading experience is associated with reduced variability in responses, and that in bilinguals’ knowledge of a second orthography does not seem to interfere with pseudoword reading aloud.
A Bayesian approach for fitting and comparing demographic growth models of radiocarbon dates: A case study on the Jomon-Yayoi transition in Kyushu (Japan)
Authors: Crema Enrico R. , Shoda Shinya
Published: May 2021

Large sets of radiocarbon dates are increasingly used as proxies for inferring past population dynamics and the last few years, in particular, saw an increase in the development of new statistical techniques to overcome some of the key challenges imposed by this kind of data. These include: 1) null hypothesis significance testing approaches based on Monte-Carlo simulations or mark permutations; 2) non-parametric Bayesian modelling approaches, and 3) the use of more traditional techniques such as correlation, regression, and AIC-based model comparison directly on the summed probability distribution of radiocarbon dates (SPD). While the range of opportunities offered by these solutions is unquestionably appealing, they often do not consider the uncertainty and the biases arising from calibration effects or sampling error. Here we introduce a novel Bayesian approach and nimbleCarbon, an R package that offers model fitting and comparison for population growth models based on the temporal frequency data of radiocarbon dates. We evaluate the robustness of the proposed approach on a range of simulated scenarios and illustrate its application on a case study focused on the demographic impact of the introduction of wet-rice farming in prehistoric Japan during the 1st millennium BCE.
The effects of 0.9% saline versus Plasma-Lyte 148 on renal function as assessed by creatinine concentration in patients undergoing major surgery: A single-centre double-blinded cluster crossover trial
Authors: Weinberg Laurence , Li Michael Hua-Gen , Churilov Leonid , Macgregor Christopher , Garrett Kent , Eyles Jade , Bellomo Rinaldo
Published: May 2021

Objectives

Saline and Plasma-Lyte have different physiochemical contents; consequently, they may differently affect patients’ renal function. We compared the effects of fluid therapy with 0.9% saline and with Plasma-Lyte 148 on renal function as assessed by creatinine concentration among patients undergoing major surgery.

Methods

We conducted a prospective, double-blinded cluster crossover trial comparing the effects of the two fluids on major surgery patients. The primary aim was to establish the pilot feasibility, safety and preliminary efficacy evidence base for a large interventional trial to establish whether saline or Plasma-Lyte is the preferred crystalloid fluid for managing major surgery patients. The primary efficacy outcome was the proportion of patients with changes in renal function as assessed by creatinine concentration during their index hospital admission. We used changes in creatinine to define acute kidney injury (AKI) according to the RIFLE criteria.

Results

The study was feasible with 100% patient and clinician acceptance. There were no deviations from the trial protocol. After screening, we allocated 602 patients to saline and 458 to Plasma-Lyte. The median (IQR) volume of intraoperative fluid received was 2000 mL (1000:2000) in both groups. Forty-nine saline patients (8.1%) and 49 Plasma-Lyte patients (10.7%) developed a postoperative AKI (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR]: 1.34; 95% CI: 0.93–1.95; p = 0.120). No differences were observed in the development of postoperative complications (aIRR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.89–1.08) or the severity of the worst complication (aIRR: 1.00; 95% CI: 0.78–1.30). The median (IQR) length of hospital stay was six days (3:11) for the saline group and five days (3:10) for the Plasma-Lyte group (aIRR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.73–0.98). There were no serious adverse events relating to the trial fluids, nor were there fluid crossover or contamination events.

Conclusions

The study design was feasible to support a future follow-up larger clinical trial. Patients treated with saline did not demonstrate an increased incidence of postoperative AKI (defined as changes in creatinine) compared to those treated with Plasma-Lyte. Our findings imply that clinicians can reasonably use either solution intraoperatively for adult patients undergoing major surgery.

Trial registration

Registry: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry; ACTRN12613001042730; URL: https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=364988.
Genome-wide association mapping reveals race-specific SNP markers associated with anthracnose resistance in carioca common beans
Authors: Almeida Caléo Panhoca de , Paulino Jean Fausto de Carvalho , Barbosa Caio Cesar Ferrari , Gonçalves Gabriel de Moraes Cunha , Fritsche-Neto Roberto , Carbonell Sérgio Augusto Morais , Chiorato Alisson Fernando , Benchimol-Reis Luciana Lasry
Published: May 2021

Brazil is the largest consumer of dry edible beans (Phaseolus vulgarisL.) in the world, 70% of consumption is of the carioca variety. Although the variety has high yield, it is susceptible to several diseases, among them, anthracnose (ANT) can lead to losses of up to 100% of production. The most effective strategy to overcome ANT, a disease caused by the fungusColletotrichum lindemuthianum, is the development of resistant cultivars. For that reason, the selection of carioca genotypes resistant to multiple ANT races and the identification ofloci/markers associated with genetic resistance are extremely important for the genetic breeding process. Using a carioca diversity panel (CDP) with 125 genotypes and genotyped by BeadChip BARCBean6K_3 and a carioca segregating population AM (AND-277 × IAC-Milênio) genotyped by sequencing (GBS). Multiple interval mapping (MIM) and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were used as mapping tools for the resistance genes to the major ANT physiological races present in the country. In general, 14 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) showed high significance for resistance by GWAS, andlociassociated with multiple races were also identified, as theCo-3 locus. The SNPs ss715642306 and ss715649427 in linkage disequilibrium (LD) at the beginning of chromosome Pv04 were associated with all the races used, and 16 genes known to be related to plant immunity were identified in this region. Using the resistant cultivars and the markers associated with significant quantitative resistanceloci(QRL), discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) was performed considering the allelic contribution to resistance. Through the DAPC clustering, cultivar sources with high potential for durable anthracnose resistance were recommended. The MIM confirmed the presence of theCo-14locusin the AND-277 cultivar which revealed that it was the only one associated with resistance to ANT race 81. Three otherlociwere associated with race 81 on chromosomes Pv03, Pv10, and Pv11. This is the first study to identify new resistancelociin the AND-277 cultivar. Finally, the sameCo-14locuswas also significant for the CDP at the end of Pv01. The new SNPs identified, especially those associated with more than one race, present great potential for use in marker-assisted and early selection of inbred lines.
The impact of socio-economic institutional change on agricultural carbon dioxide emission reduction in China
Authors: Long Deng Jie , Tang Li
Published: May 2021

With the change of social economic system and the rapid growth of agricultural economy in China, the amount of agricultural energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions has increased dramatically. Based on the estimation of agricultural carbon dioxide emissions from 1991 to 2018 in China, this paper uses EKC model to analyze economic growth and agricultural carbon dioxide emissions. The Kaya method is used to decompose the factors affecting agricultural carbon dioxide emissions. The experimental results show that there is a co-integration relationship between economic growth and the total intensity of agricultural carbon emissions, and between economic growth and the intensity of carbon emissions caused by five types of carbon sources: fertilizer, pesticide, agricultural film, agricultural diesel oil and tillage. Economic growth is the main driving factor of agricultural carbon dioxide emissions. In addition, technological progress has a strong role in promoting carbon emission reduction, but it has a certain randomness. However, the impact of energy consumption structure and population size on carbon emissions is not obvious.
Intolerability to postoperative early oral nutrition in older patients (≥70 years) undergoing gastrectomy for gastric cancer: A case-control study
Authors: Jang Aelee , Jeong Oh
Published: May 2021

Background

Postoperative early oral nutrition has increasingly been adopted for patients undergoing gastrectomy. However, intolerability to early oral nutrition remains a major concern, especially in older patients. This study aimed to investigate early oral nutrition intolerability in older patients who had undergone gastrectomy.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 825 patients who had undergone gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma between 2017 and 2019. All patients received an oral diet on postoperative day 1. Patients were divided into older (≥70 years) and younger (<70 years) adult groups, and short-term outcomes and intolerability to oral nutrition were compared. Intolerability to early oral nutrition was defined as oral diet cessation due to adverse gastrointestinal symptoms.

Results

Among the 825 patients (≥70 years, n = 286; <70 years, n = 539), 151 (18.3%) developed intolerability to early oral nutrition, of whom 100 patients were < 70 years old and 51 were ≥70 years old. The most common symptom causing intolerability was abdominal distension. The mean duration of fasting after developing intolerability was 2.8 ± 2.4 days. The incidence of intolerability in the older and younger adult groups was 17.8% and 18.6%, respectively (p = 0.799). In terms of sex, operative approach, gastric resection, lymph node dissection, reconstruction, and tumor stage subgroups, the older adult group did not exhibit a significant increase in intolerability. Postoperatively, the older adult group showed a higher incidence of systemic complications; however, anastomotic complications did not significantly differ between the two groups.

Conclusions

Postoperative early oral nutrition can safely be adopted for older patients undergoing gastrectomy, with acceptable intolerability and surgical outcomes.
Acute healthcare resource utilization by age: A cohort study
Authors: Tillmann Bourke W. , Fu Longdi , Hill Andrea D. , Scales Damon C. , Fowler Robert A. , Cuthbertson Brian H. , Wunsch Hannah
Published: May 2021

Background

Granular data related to the likelihood of individuals of different ages accessing acute and critical care services over time is lacking.

Methods

We used population-based, administrative data from Ontario to identify residents of specific ages (20, 30, 40, etc. to 100) on January 1st every year from 1995–2019. We assessed rates of emergency department (ED) visits (2003–19), hospitalizations, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions (2003–19), and mechanical ventilation.

Findings

Overall the 25-year study period, ED were the most common acute healthcare encounter with 100-year-olds having the lowest rate (138.7/1,000) and 90-year-olds the highest (378.5/1,000). Rates of hospitalization ranged from 24.2/1,000 for those age 20 up to 224.9/1,000 for those age 90. Rates of ICU admission and mechanical ventilation were lowest for those age 20 (1.0 and 0.4/1,000), more than tripled by age 50 (3.3 and 1.7/1,000) and peaked at age 80 (20.3 and 10.1/1,000). Over time rates of ED visits increased (164.3 /1,000 in 2003 vs 199.1 /1,000 in 2019) as did rates of invasive mechanical ventilation (2.0/1,000 in 1995 vs 2.9/1,000 in 2019), whereas rates of ICU admission remained stable (4.8/1,000 in 2003 vs 4.9/1,000 in 2019) and hospitalization declined (66.8/1,000 in 1995 vs 51.5/1,000 in 2019). Age stratified analysis demonstrated that rates of ED presentation increased for those age 70 and younger while hospitalization decreased for all age groups; ICU admission and mechanical ventilation rates changed variably by age, with increasing rates demonstrated primarily among people under the age of 50.

Interpretation

Rates of hospitalizations have decreased over time across all age groups, whereas rates of ED presentation, ICU admissions, and mechanical ventilation have increased, primarily driven by younger adults. These findings suggest that although the delivery of healthcare may be moving away from inpatient medicine, there is a growing population of young adults requiring significant healthcare resources.
Effects of insertion torque on the structure of dental implants with different connections: Experimental pilot study in vitro
Authors: Gehrke Sergio Alexandre , Pereira Gismari Miranda Amaral , Gehrke Arthur Felipe , Junior Nilton De Bortoli , Dedavid Berenice Anina
Published: May 2021

Objective

During the insertion of dental implants in the bone tissue, different torque values can be applied. However, the high applied torque can cause damage to the implant connection. Our study sought to evaluate, by measuring the angle of rotation of the insertion drive and, later microscopic observation, possible changes in the structure of implants of different diameters with 3 different types of connections after the application of 4 different torque intensities.

Materials and methods

Three hundred tapered dental implants and three hundred insertion drivers were used in the present study. Implants of 3.5 and 4 mm in diameter with 3 connection models were tested: external hexagon (EH), internal hexagon (IH) and Morse taper (MT). Then, sis groups were performed: EH3 group, EH4 group, IH3 group, IH4 group, MT3 group and MT4 group. The samples were submitted to the torque/torsion force at 4 intensities (n = 10 samples per group and intensity): 60, 80, 100 and 120 Ncm. The turning angle of the insertion driver was measured in each test. In addition, in 10 samples from each group, the maximum torque value supported by each implant model was measured. After the tests, all samples were inspected microscopically to describe the observed changes.

Results

The maximum torque supported by the different implant models showed statistically significant difference (p < 0.0001). The values of the measured angles showed statistically significant differences between the torque values applied within each group (p < 0.001) and between groups with the same torque value (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Within the limitations of the present study in vitro, the results showed that high torque values cause mechanical damage to the implants.
Hamstrings load bearing in different contraction types and intensities: A shear-wave and B-mode ultrasonographic study
Authors: Evangelidis Pavlos E. , Shan Xiyao , Otsuka Shun , Yang Chi , Yamagishi Takaki , Kawakami Yasuo
Published: May 2021

The main aim was to examine the load bearing of individual hamstring muscles in different contraction types and intensities, through local stiffness measurement by shear wave elastography (SWE). A secondary aim was to examine the relationship between the SWE stiffness measure and hamstrings morphology. Ten healthy males (age 22.1±4.1 years; height 173.7±5.9 cm; body mass 68.6±12.4 kg; mean ± SD) performed knee flexions on an isokinetic dynamometer at different intensities (20–70%MVC, random order) in three separate, randomized conditions: isometric (ISO), concentric (CON) and eccentric (ECC). SWE was used to measure muscle shear wave velocity (SWV) in biceps femoris long head (BFlh), semitendinosus (ST) and semimembranosus (SM) during contraction. Muscle anatomical cross-sectional area (ACSA) was measured with magnetic resonance imaging and muscle architecture with B-mode ultrasonography. Muscle SWV increased linearly with contraction intensity, but at a varying rate among muscles and contraction types. ST exhibited greater SWV than BFlh and SM in all contraction types, however, there was an upward shift in the SM SWV–torque relationship in ECC compared to ISO and CON. Strong negative correlations were found between peak ISO SWV and ST ACSA (r = -0.81, p = 0.005) and BFlh pennation angle (r = -0.75, p = 0.012). These results suggest that ST has a primary role in hamstrings load bearing in all contraction types, likely due to its morphology; however, there is evidence of increased contribution from SM in eccentric muscle actions.
Comparative analysis of regulating characteristics between air-ring flow regulating valve and center butterfly valve
Authors: Wu Shixian , Liu Heqing , Chen Yongping
Published: May 2021

In this study, a novel air-ring flow regulating valve was proposed to reduce the flow resistance caused by valve structural pressure drop in fluid transportation pipeline system. The regulating characteristics at different valve openings were analyzed by numerical method and the results were compared with the center butterfly valve which is most widely applied in fluid transportation pipeline system. Besides, an experimental system was designed to validate the numerical model in the present study. The results indicated that the simulation results agree well with experimental data. The resistance coefficient of the air-ring flow regulating valve is smaller than that of the center butterfly valve when the valve opening is greater than 67%, and the resistance coefficient is reduced by up to 100% as the valve is fully opened. Both valves maintain approximately equal percentage flow characteristics, the deviation in relative flow coefficient is small. In addition, the wall shear stress of the air-ring flow regulating valve is much smaller than that of the center butterfly valve at the same valve opening, and the maximum velocity in the pipeline system is always smaller than that of the center butterfly valve, which significantly reduces valve surface abrasive erosion and thus prolongs its service life.
Los focenses y la crisis de c. 500 a. C. en el Sureste: de La Fonteta y Peña Negra a La Alcudia de Elche
Authors: Almagro-Gorbea Martín , Lorrio Alvarado Alberto J. , Torres Ortiz Mariano
Published: May 2021

Las cuencas del Bajo Vinalopó y del Bajo Segura fueron una de las áreas más estratégicas de la península ibérica en la Antigüedad. Hacia el 500 a. C. este territorio sufre profundos cambios: hacia el 525 a. C. desaparecen la colonia fenicia de La Fonteta y la población orientalizante de Peña Negra, identificada con la ciudad de Herna (OM 456-460) y surge como nuevo centro territorial la ciudad ibérica de Ilici, en la actual Alcudia de Elche. Precisamente, hacia el 500 a. C. aparece un nuevo horizonte de importaciones griegas en el Sureste de Iberia asociado a un nuevo estilo jonio-ibérico en pilares-estela y esculturas y a la introducción de la escritura «greco-ibérica». Estos elementos reflejan una política expansiva focense, contemporánea a las Guerras Médicas y a los conflictos coloniales entre griegos y púnicos en el Mediterráneo Occidental. Como consecuencia, la «crisis del 500 a. C.» supuso un profundo cambio, al sustituirse la estructura territorial y urbana orientalizante, de raíces fenicias, y surgir la ciudad-estado «ibérica», más próxima al mundo helénico.