bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The influence of micronutrients on the productivity of corn during cultivation on green mass in the southern zone of Amur region
Authors: Kalashnikov N P , Tikhonchuk P V , Fokin S A
Published: August 2020

The following paper reviews the results of 2017-2019 studies of the influence of types and methods of micronutrient fertilizers application: zinc sulfate, cobalt sulfate and ammonium molybdate on the growth, development and productivity of corn. The studies were conducted in the southern agricultural zone of Amur region on the experimental field of Far Eastern State Agrarian University, located in the village of Gribskoye (Blagoveshchensk district). The object of research was a hybrid Mashuk 175MV (FAO 170) - an early-ripening three-linear hybrid of universal use. Treatment of seeds and plants of corn by microfertilizers was carried out using a solution with a concentration of 0.1%. As a result of studies, it was found that the use of microfertilizers during plants vegetation more effectively affects the accumulation of dry matter than seeds treatment and double treatment of seeds and vegetative plants. When seeds treatment, the most effective variant is the combined use of microelements and when treatment during vegetation is the variant with using cobalt. The use of microfertilizers showed a significant increase in leaf surface area for all variants relative to the background variant. The greatest effect was shown by the variant with the use of cobalt in the seeds treatment and spraying vegetation of plants. The combined use of microfertilizers in the seeds treatment and spraying during vegetation has shown a good increase the yield of green mass of corn. The greatest effect was shown in seeds treatment by cobalt and spraying the plants during vegetation.
On the issue of model elaboration for the involvement of long-unused land in the agricultural circulation of Khabarovsk Territory
Authors: Vdovenko A V , Vdovenko V A , Kim L V , Lipina L N
Published: August 2020

Agricultural production is the basis of food security; therefore, the main task of government should be to maintain agricultural production through the efficient use of the main resource - agricultural land. Over the last decades there has been a decrease of agricultural land in the region by 2.7%, arable land – by 8.9% and an increase of set aside land by 27.6%. There are significant areas of land not involved in agricultural circulation in the region. Moreover, many of these areas are currently open for citizens to choose a plot under the “Far Eastern Hectare” program using federal information system “To the Far East”. The article considers elaboration of a model to involve long-unused land in agricultural circulation and to identify promising methods of their use.
Effect of parent selection and crosses of Pyrus ussuriensis on the early-bearing ability of F1 progenies
Authors: Wang Qiang , Zhang Maojun , Lu Mingyan , Wu Chunhao , Yan Xingkai , Li Honglian , Ding Lihua
Published: August 2020

In order to investigate the effect of combinations of different pear varieties and their descendants and other cultivated pear varieties on the early fruiting of F1 generation, the individual plant Numbers of F1 generation of 17 hybrid combinations were investigated. The results showed that: 17 combinations of 1175 hybrid seedlings, 15 combinations of fruit age in 6∼8 years, 8 years of birth there are two combinations of Hanxiangli×Jinxiangshui, Dacili× Eli1 did not blossom. Among the flowering combinations, there were differences among different maternal combinations. The flowering plant rate of the combination with Dacili as the parent was the highest, which was 12.14%.Hanxiangli was the second 9.42%.Jinxiangshui was the lowest 6.43%.There were significant differences in the number of flowering plants in the offspring population in different combinations of maternal parent and paternal parent, indicating that parental parent had a significant influence on the age of bearing fruit in the hybrid population. There was a big difference in the age of the first fruit in F1 generation in the combination of pear varieties in other cultivation systems. However, the progeny of the parent and parent groups of Pyrus ussuriensis had a lower flowering individual plant, and the combination of Pyrus ussuriensis×Pyrus ussuriensis was zero. It can be seen that the seed sex of Pyrus ussuriensis has a great influence on the early and late fruit age of offspring.
Challenges to agriculture in the Russian Far East: lessons from crises
Authors: Zhupley I V , Potenko T A
Published: August 2020

This article examines agriculture in the Russian Far East through the prism of recent crises. A comparative analysis of the indicators of food self-sufficiency in the Russian Federation and its macro-regions is carried out; forecast estimates of the level of their food self-sufficiency are predicted. In order to identify a group of commodity producers capable of overcoming the challenges that the agriculture in the Far East has faced, a factor model of the growth rate of agricultural production in the Far East is built, its adequacy is proven, and elasticity coefficients are calculated. The category of land users that should become a vector for overcoming the crisis in the region’s agricultural sector is determined.
Influence of bio-preparations and their multiplicity of application on stability of soybean yield in Amur region
Authors: Epifantsev V V , Panasyuk A N , Osipov Ya A , Vaitekhovich Yu A
Published: August 2020

The article presents data on the influence of Borogum Mo and Phytosporin-M biopreparations on the yield and composition of oil soybean admixture in different meteorological conditions of Amur region. The experiment included options: Factor A (preparations) - 1. Without preparation (water); 2. Borogum Mo; 3. Phytosporin-M; 4. Borogum Mo + Phytosporin-M; Factor B (number of treatments) - 1. Without treatment. 2. One time. 3. Two times. 1. Factor B (number of treatments) - 1. The conducted researches have shown that the greatest yield of soybean sowing is provided on the average for two years at spraying of plants once in the end of June with Borogum-Mo and a mixture of Borogum-Mo + Phytosporin-M preparations - 2.87 t/ha. When Borogum-Mo is treated, the number of frost seeds decreases, and when treated with Phytosporin-M, the number of affected diseases decreases in comparison with control plots. According to the basic norm of oilseed admixture all used preparations provided the yield of pure soybean seeds.
Environmental disasters and public-opinion formation: A natural experiment
Authors: Böhmelt Tobias
Published: August 2020

This study leverages the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident as natural experiment to determine the causal impact environmental disasters may have on the formation of environmental public opinion. Using Eurobarometer data on more than 60,000 individuals’ attitudes toward environmental salience before and after the incident, I find that Fukushima had indeed a causal effect on whether people see the environment as a salient policy item. This impact is more strongly pronounced for what respondents think dominates the political agenda than for personal priorities. These results have important implications for the understanding of how public opinion about the environment is formed, and they have crucial consequences for the suspected link between policymaking and public opinion.
Finite index theorems for iterated Galois groups of unicritical polynomials
Authors: Bridy Andrew , Doyle John , Ghioca Dragos , Hsia Liang-Chung , Tucker Thomas
Published: August 2020

Let

K
K

be the function field of a smooth irreducible curve defined over

Q
¯

\overline {Q}

. Let

f
∈
K
[
x
]

f\in K[x]

be of the form

f
(
x
)
=

x
q

+
c

f(x)=x^q+c

, where

q
=

p

r

,
r
≥
1
,

q = p^{r}, r \ge 1,

is a power of the prime number

p
p

, and let

β
∈

K
¯

\beta \in \overline {K}

. For all

n
∈

N

∪
{
∞
}

n\in \mathbb {N}\cup \{\infty \}

, the Galois groups
<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper G Subscript n Baseline left-parenthesis beta right-parenthesis equals normal upper G normal a normal l left-parenthesis upper K left-parenthesis f Superscript negative n Baseline left-parenthesis beta right-parenthesis right-parenthesis slash upper K left-parenthesis beta right-parenthesis right-parenthesis">

G
n

(
β
)
=

G
a
l

(
K
(

f

−
n

(
β
)
)

/

K
(
β
)
)

G_n(\beta )=\mathrm {Gal}(K(f^{-n}(\beta ))/K(\beta ))

embed into

[

C
q

]
n

[C_q]^n

, the

n
n

-fold wreath product of the cyclic group

C
q

C_q

. We show that if

f
f

is not isotrivial, then
<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="left-bracket left-bracket upper C Subscript q Baseline right-bracket Superscript normal infinity Baseline colon upper G Subscript normal infinity Baseline left-parenthesis beta right-parenthesis right-bracket greater-than normal infinity">

[
[

C
q

]
∞

:

G
∞

(
β
)
]
>
∞

[[C_q]^\infty :G_\infty (\beta )]>\infty

unless

β
\beta

is postcritical or periodic. We are also able to prove that if

f
1

(
x
)
=

x
q

+

c
1

f_1(x)=x^q+c_1

and

f
2

(
x
)
=

x
q

+

c
2

f_2(x)=x^q+c_2

are two such distinct polynomials, then the fields

⋃

n
=
1

∞

K
(

f
1

−
n

(
β
)
)

\bigcup _{n=1}^\infty K(f_1^{-n}(\beta ))

and

⋃

n
=
1

∞

K
(

f
2

−
n

(
β
)
)

\bigcup _{n=1}^\infty K(f_2^{-n}(\beta ))

are disjoint over a finite extension of

K
K

.
Nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of Gle1 impacts DDX1 at transcription termination sites
Authors: Sharma Manisha , Wente Susan R.
Published: August 2020

We uncovered a nuclear role for human Gle1 in coordinating transcription termination. When nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of Gle1 is disrupted, nascent mRNA transcripts are elongated. Gle1 colocalizes with DDX1, and loss of Gle1 shuttling impairs recruitment of DDX1 to CstF-64 and transcription termination foci, leading to improper pre-mRNA cleavage.
Motivation for Physical Activity among U.S. Adolescents: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective
Authors: Nogg Kelsey A , Vaughn Allison A , Levy Susan S , Blashill Aaron J
Published: August 2020

Background

Promoting adolescent physical activity is crucial as this marks a time when physical activity rates decline.

Purpose

This study examined motivation for physical activity from a self-determination theory (SDT) perspective in a large sample of adolescents in the USA across three settings: in school, out of school, and on weekends.

Methods

Participants (N = 1,661) were adolescents from the National Cancer Institute’s Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating study. Participants had a mean age of 14.47 (standard deviation = 1.61) and were 50.2% female. In this national sample balanced to match the U.S. population on several key demographics, 64.2% were non-Hispanic White. Analyses included three linear regression models in which estimated weekly minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in school, out of school, and on weekends were entered as dependent variables. Five forms of motivation (intrinsic, integrated, identified, introjected, and external) were entered simultaneously as independent variables. Age, body mass index, gender, and race/ethnicity were also included as covariates.

Results

All models were significant. For MVPA in school, external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, and intrinsic motivation were positively associated with MVPA. For MVPA out of school, external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, integrated regulation, and intrinsic motivation were positively associated with MVPA. For MVPA on weekends, integrated regulation, and intrinsic motivation were positively associated with MVPA.

Conclusions

The relationship between motivation and MVPA varies across settings. These findings have important implications for motivating adolescents to engage in physical activity and may inform future interventions aimed at increasing physical activity.
Challenges in gene-oriented approaches for pangenome content discovery
Authors: Bonnici Vincenzo , Maresi Emiliano , Giugno Rosalba
Published: August 2020

Given a group of genomes, represented as the sets of genes that belong to them, the discovery of the pangenomic content is based on the search of genetic homology among the genes for clustering them into families. Thus, pangenomic analyses investigate the membership of the families to the given genomes. This approach is referred to as the gene-oriented approach in contrast to other definitions of the problem that takes into account different genomic features. In the past years, several tools have been developed to discover and analyse pangenomic contents. Because of the hardness of the problem, each tool applies a different strategy for discovering the pangenomic content. This results in a differentiation of the performance of each tool that depends on the composition of the input genomes. This review reports the main analysis instruments provided by the current state of the art tools for the discovery of pangenomic contents. Moreover, unlike previous works, the presented study compares pangenomic tools from a methodological perspective, analysing the causes that lead a given methodology to outperform other tools. The analysis is performed by taking into account different bacterial populations, which are synthetically generated by changing evolutionary parameters. The benchmarks used to compare the pangenomic tools, in addition to the computational pipeline developed for this purpose, are available at https://github.com/InfOmics/pangenes-review. Contact: V. Bonnici, R. Giugno Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Briefings in Bioinformatics online.
ResiRole: residue-level functional site predictions to gauge the accuracies of protein structure prediction techniques
Authors: Toth Joshua M , DePietro Paul J , Haas Juergen , McLaughlin William A
Published: August 2020

Motivation

Methods to assess the quality of protein structure models are needed for user applications. To aid with the selection of structure models and further inform the development of structure prediction techniques, we describe the ResiRole method for the assessment of the quality of structure models.

Results

Structure prediction techniques are ranked according to the results of round-robin, head-to-head comparisons using difference scores. Each difference score was defined as the absolute value of the cumulative probability for a functional site prediction made with the FEATURE program for the reference structure minus that for the structure model. Overall, the difference scores correlate well with other model quality metrics; and based on benchmarking studies with NaïveBLAST, they are found to detect additional local structural similarities between the structure models and reference structures.

Availabilityand implementation

Automated analyses of models addressed in CAMEO are available via the ResiRole server, URL http://protein.som.geisinger.edu/ResiRole/. Interactive analyses with user-provided models and reference structures are also enabled. Code is available at github.com/wamclaughlin/ResiRole.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Keynes: The Object of Hayek’s Passion?
Authors: de Sousa Filomena
Published: August 2020

The relationship between John Maynard Keynes and Friedrich Hayek is generally thought about in terms of polarity, while points of convergence between the two economist’s views have been scantily highlighted. This paper addresses the latter and provides an account—based on primary sources—of the transformative relationship between Keynes and Hayek, both intellectual and personal. My aim is to contribute to a better understanding of lesser-known affinities between the two economists.
A simple estimator for quantile panel data models using smoothed quantile regressions
Authors: Chen Liang , Huo Yulong
Published: August 2020

This paper considers panel data models where the idiosyncratic errors are subject to conditonal quantile restrictions. We propose a two-step estimator based on smoothed quantile regressions that is easy to implement. The asymptotic distribution of the estimator is established, and the analytical expression of its asymptotic bias is derived. Building on these results, we show how to make asymptotically valid inference on the basis of both analytical and split-panel jackknife bias corrections. Finite-sample simulations are used to support our theoretical analysis and to illustrate the importance of bias correction in quantile regressions for panel data. Finally, in an empirical application, the proposed method is used to study the growth effects of foreign direct investment.
A case report of simultaneous His pacemaker implantation and atrioventricular junction ablation following unsuccessful treatment of atrial fibrillation
Authors: Grosse Meininghaus Dirk , Lengiewicz Martin , Blembel Kai , Kruells-Muench Juergen
Published: August 2020

Background

Atrial fibrillation can contribute to heart failure. Frequently, rhythm control is unachievable. Atrioventricular (AV) junction ablation and pacemaker implantation remain to be a therapeutic option for rate control in atrial fibrillation. Interventricular asynchrony is a potential downside of right ventricular pacing. However, cardiac resynchronization therapy and His pacing restore physiological activation sequences of the ventricles.

Case summary

The reported patient had undergone several interventions to cure atrial fibrillation without sufficient rhythm control and experienced deleterious effects of recurrent arrhythmias. Finally, we decided to ablate the AV junction simultaneously with the implantation of a His bundle pacemaker. Atrioventricular junction ablation had to be repeated following conduction recurrence. A left-sided transaortic approach was required to create a permanent effect and to avoid distal lesions. His pacing was not affected by the AV junction ablation at all. The pre-existing widened QRS was normalized by His pacing, the patient became free of any complaints with full restoration of exertion capability.

Discussion

His pacing has the potential to contribute to a revival of the ‘ablate-and-pace’ concept for incurable atrial fibrillation by restoring physiological ventricular activation, thereby overcoming the particular drawbacks of continuous ventricular pacing. Atrioventricular junction ablation simultaneously with the pacemaker implantation procedure is safe and feasible. His pacing is at least an alternative for cardiac resynchronization therapy. The implantation procedure is sometimes challenging.
Gut microbiome adaptation to extreme cold winter in wild plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Authors: Wang Yijie , Zhou Rui , Yu Qiaoling , Feng Tianshu , Li Huan
Published: August 2020

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is a harsh environment characterized by low temperature, high altitude and hypoxia, although some native mammals may adapt well to the extreme climate. However, how animal gut microbial community structure and function adapt to extreme cold climates is not well understood. Plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) is an ideal animal model with which to study the effects of climate change on host adaptation by studing intestinal microorganisms. Here, we used 16S rRNA sequencing technology combined with physiological methods to investigate plateau pika gut microbiota in summer and winter. Due to limited diet resources, the pikas in winter have a lower ability of degradation and fermentation for plant-based food (reduced cellulase activity and total short-chain fatty acids) by decreasing gut microbial diversity and some functional microbes, such as fiber-degrading bacteria Oscillospira and Treponema. Metagenomic prediction showed that most of those gene functions associated with metabolism (e.g. energy metabolism and lipid metabolism) were less abundant in winter, implying that the plateau pika slows diet fermentation and weakens energy requirements in the cold season. Our results have significance for explaining the mechanism of wild plateau mammals adapting to a high-altitude cold environment from the perspective of gut microbiome.
Plasma Ceramides and Risk of Impaired Lower-Extremity Function in Older Adults: A Nested Case–Control Study
Authors: Caballero Francisco Félix , Struijk Ellen A , Buño Antonio , Rodríguez-Artalejo Fernando , Lopez-Garcia Esther
Published: August 2020

Background

Higher levels of ceramides have been linked to several chronic diseases; also there is emerging cross-sectional evidence that ceramides are associated with lower physical functioning. This research assessed for the first time the prospective relationship between ceramide species and impaired lower-extremity function (ILEF) in older adults.

Methods

Case–control study with 43 cases of ILEF and 86 age- and sex-matched controls, which was nested in the Seniors-ENRICA cohort of community-dwelling older adults. Incident ILEF from 2015 to 2017 was ascertained with the Short Physical Performance Battery. In 2015, 27 ceramide species were measured in plasma by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Conditional logistic regression models were used to assess the longitudinal relationship between ceramides concentration and incidence of ILEF.

Results

After adjusting for education level, body mass index, alcohol and total energy intake, physical activity, and presence of chronic conditions, some ceramide species were related to 2-year incidence of ILEF. Specifically, the odds ratios of ILEF per 1-SD increase in ceramide concentration were: 1.66 [95% CI = (1.03, 2.68)] for ceramide C14:0, 1.61 (1.00, 2.59) for ceramide C16:0, and 1.64 (1.03, 2.60) for ceramide C16:1 (n-7). In the case of ceramides C16:0 and C16:1 (n-7), a stronger relationship was found in those with a higher body mass index; systolic blood pressure could also mediate the relationship between ceramide C16:1 (n-7) and ILEF (p for interaction = .03).

Conclusions

Higher plasma levels of ceramides C14:0, C16:0, and C16:1 (n-7) are associated with higher risk of ILEF, and might serve as risk markers for functional decline in older adults.
Allelic polymorphisms in a glycosyltransferase gene shape glycan repertoire in theO-linked protein glycosylation system ofNeisseria
Authors: Wang Nelson , Anonsen Jan Haug , Hadjineophytou Chris , Reinar William Brynildsen , Børud Bente , Vik Åshild , Koomey Michael
Published: August 2020

Glycosylation of multiple proteins via O-linkage is well documented in bacterial species of Neisseria of import to human disease. Recent studies of protein glycosylation (pgl) gene distribution established that related protein glycosylation systems occur throughout the genus including nonpathogenic species. However, there are inconsistencies between pgl gene status and observed glycan structures. One of these relates to the widespread distribution of pglG, encoding a glycosyltransferase that in Neisseria elongata subsp. glycolytica is responsible for the addition of di-N-acetyl glucuronic acid at the third position of a tetrasaccharide. Despite pglG residing in strains of N. gonorrhoeae, N. meningitidis and N. lactamica, no glycan structures have been correlated with its presence in these backgrounds. Moreover, PglG function in N. elongata subsp. glycolytica minimally requires UDP-glucuronic acid (GlcNAcA), and yet N. gonorrhoeae, N. meningitidis and N. lactamica lack pglJ, the gene whose product is essential for UDP-GlcNAcA synthesis. We examined the functionality of pglG alleles from species spanning the Neisseria genus by genetic complementation in N. elongata subsp. glycolytica. The results indicate that select pglG alleles from N. meningitidis and N. lactamica are associated with incorporation of an N-acetyl-hexosamine at the third position and reveal the potential for an expanded glycan repertoire in those species. Similar experiments using pglG from N. gonorrhoeae failed to find any evidence of function suggesting that those alleles are missense pseudogenes. Taken together, the results are emblematic of how allelic polymorphisms can shape bacterial glycosyltransferase function and demonstrate that such alterations may be constrained to distinct phylogenetic lineages.
Unintended consequences of prohibiting advocacy of hatred and regulating campaign finance: The weakening status of freedom of speech in Israel
Authors: Medina Barak
Published: August 2020

A central dilemma in human rights law is how to reconcile the government’s duty to respect freedom with its obligation to protect individuals that might be harmed by the exercise of said freedom. Intolerance toward the dissemination of certain illiberal positions may have adverse social and political unintended results. One central concern is that such a policy would create a common culture that does not appreciate the critical importance of a vibrant public discourse. As such, it might enable governments, in terms of popular legitimacy, to curtail speech beyond the limits of justifiable infringements. Recent developments in Israel illustrate this concern. In recent years, normatively legitimate antiracism legislation was unjustifiably expanded by imposing sanctions on expressions that were deemed harmful to national sentiments or questioning the legitimacy of Israel’s Constitutional Identity as a Jewish state. Similarly, laws against the support of terrorism were followed by prohibitions on advocating boycotts against Israel. This Article proposes to halt the sociological slippery-slope trend of curtailing speech far and beyond the permissible scope of such a policy, by implementing rules-based legal doctrines that may foster a stronger public pressure on the government to protect free speech; restricting the scope of “harm-in-one-step” approach; and providing a clearer definition of the requirement of state neutrality in the context of regulating speech.
‘We Came To Realize We Are Judges’: Moral Careers of Elected Lay Jurists in Rwanda’s Gacaca Courts
Authors: Nyseth Brehm Hollie , Roberts Louisa L , Uggen Christopher , Gasanabo Jean-Damascene
Published: August 2020

In the wake of the 1994 genocide, Rwanda’s government created the Gacaca courts to hold suspected perpetrators accountable. Although much has been written about these courts, researchers know comparatively less about the 250,000 individuals who served as Gacaca court judges (inyangamugayo). We draw upon 135 interviews to explore how the inyangamugayo entered and adapted to their new public roles as moral arbiters, how these judges understood Gacaca’s missions, and how their social identities evolved over the course of multiple status transitions. Building on Erving Goffman’s sequential approach to moral careers, we trace the process of becoming a judge. In doing so, we highlight the two overarching missions that surfaced during the interviews – justice and reconciliation – and how the judges continued to view themselves as inyangamugayo even after the courts closed.
Sharp Green’s Function Estimates on Hadamard Manifolds and Adams Inequality
Authors: Bertrand Jerome , Sandeep Kunnath
Published: August 2020

In this article, we establish estimates on Riesz-type kernels and prove the Adams-type inequality for $W^{k,p}(M)$ functions, where $(M,g)$ is an $n$-dimensional Hadamard manifold with sectional curvature bounded from below and above by a negative constant and $k$ is an integer satisfying $kp=n$.
A scoping review of clinical decision support tools that generate new knowledge to support decision making in real time
Authors: Ostropolets Anna , Zhang Linying , Hripcsak George
Published: August 2020

Objective

A growing body of observational data enabled its secondary use to facilitate clinical care for complex cases not covered by the existing evidence. We conducted a scoping review to characterize clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) that generate new knowledge to provide guidance for such cases in real time.

Materials and Methods

PubMed, Embase, ProQuest, and IEEE Xplore were searched up to May 2020. The abstracts were screened by 2 reviewers. Full texts of the relevant articles were reviewed by the first author and approved by the second reviewer, accompanied by the screening of articles’ references. The details of design, implementation and evaluation of included CDSSs were extracted.

Results

Our search returned 3427 articles, 53 of which describing 25 CDSSs were selected. We identified 8 expert-based and 17 data-driven tools. Sixteen (64%) tools were developed in the United States, with the others mostly in Europe. Most of the tools (n = 16, 64%) were implemented in 1 site, with only 5 being actively used in clinical practice. Patient or quality outcomes were assessed for 3 (18%) CDSSs, 4 (16%) underwent user acceptance or usage testing and 7 (28%) functional testing.

Conclusions

We found a number of CDSSs that generate new knowledge, although only 1 addressed confounding and bias. Overall, the tools lacked demonstration of their utility. Improvement in clinical and quality outcomes were shown only for a few CDSSs, while the benefits of the others remain unclear. This review suggests a need for a further testing of such CDSSs and, if appropriate, their dissemination.
GC-MS Analysis of Phthalates and Di-(2-thylhexyl) Adipate in Canadian Human Milk for Exposure Assessment of Infant Population
Authors: Cao Xu-Liang , Sparling Melissa , Zhao Wendy , Arbuckle Tye E
Published: August 2020

Background

Although more information has become available on the occurrence of phthalates and di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA) in foods including cow’s milk, information on their presence in human milk, the important and recommended sole diet for infants up to six months of age, is very limited, especially for DEHA.

Objective

To develop a GC-MS method for simultaneous analysis of DEHA and phthalates in human milk samples and generate occurrence data for exposure assessment.

Method

Human milk samples were extracted with acetonitrile followed by dispersive solid-phase extraction and GC-MS analysis.

Results

Among the 305 human milk samples collected from the Canadian Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals Study, some phthalates (DHxP, BBzP, and DOP) were not detected in any of the samples, while DEHA and the other phthalates (DMP, DEP, DBP, DiBP, and DEHP) were detected at low frequencies with levels from 30.4–237 ng/g in up to 31 of the 305 human milk samples.

Conclusions

In general, DEHA and phthalates were detected at low frequencies and low levels in the 305 human milk samples.

Highlights

A GC-MS method based on dispersive solid phase extraction was developed for analysis of DEHA and eight phthalates in 305 human milk samples for exposure assessment.
Effects of a chemical additive on the fermentation, microbial communities, and aerobic stability of corn silage with or without air stress during storage
Authors: da Silva Érica B , Savage Rebecca M , Biddle Amy S , Polukis Stephanie A , Smith Megan L , Kung Limin
Published: August 2020

We evaluated the effects of a chemical additive on the microbial communities, fermentation profile, and aerobic stability of whole-plant corn silage with or without air stress during storage. Whole-plant corn was either untreated or treated with a chemical additive containing sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, and sodium nitrite at 2 or 3 liters/t of fresh forage weight. Ten individually treated and replicated silos (7.5 liters) were made for each treatment. Half of the silos remained sealed throughout a 63-d storage period, and the other half was subjected to air stress for 2 h/wk. The composition of the bacterial and fungal communities of fresh forage and silages untreated or treated with 2 liters/t of fresh forage weight was analyzed by Illumina Miseq sequencing. Treated silage had greater (P < 0.05) aerobic stability than untreated, even when subjected to air stress during storage, but the numbers of yeasts culturable on selective agar were not affected. However, the additive reduced the relative abundance (RA) of the lactating-assimilating yeast Candida tropicalis (P < 0.01). In air-stressed silages, untreated silage had a greater (P < 0.05) RA of Pichia kudriavzevii (also a lactate assimilator) than treated silage, whereas treated silage was dominated by Candida humilis, which is usually unable to assimilate lactate or assimilates it slowly. The additive improved the aerobic stability by specifically preventing the dominance of yeast species that can consume lactate and initiate aerobic spoilage. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that identifies the specific action of this additive on shifting the microbial communities in corn silage.
Blockchain-based architecture for the control of logistics activities: Pharmaceutical utilities case study
Authors: Mezquita Yeray , Casado-Vara Roberto , González Briones Alfonso , Prieto Javier , Corchado Juan M
Published: August 2020

Logistics services involve a wide range of transport operations between distributors and clients. Currently, the large number of intermediaries are a challenge for this sector, as it makes all the processes more complicated. To face that problem, we propose a system that uses smart contracts to remove intermediaries and speed up logistics activities. Our new model combines smart contracts and a multi-agent system in a single platform to improve the current logistics system by increasing organization, security and getting rid of several human intermediaries to automate its processes, making distribution times significantly faster. Also, with this kind of approach, it is possible to apply penalties to parties that do not comply with the terms of using this platform.
Casual Resistance: A Longitudinal Case Study of Video Gaming’s Gendered Construction and Related Audience Perceptions
Authors: Cote Amanda C
Published: August 2020

Many media are associated with masculinity or femininity and male or female audiences, which links them to broader power structures around gender. Media scholars thus must understand how gendered constructions develop and change, and what they mean for audiences. This article addresses these questions through longitudinal, in-depth interviews with female video gamers (2012–2018), conducted as the rise of casual video games potentially started redefining gaming’s historical masculinization. The analysis shows that participants have negotiated relationships with casualness. While many celebrate casual games’ potential for welcoming new audiences, others resist casual’s influence to safeguard their self-identification as gamers. These results highlight how a medium’s gendered construction may not be salient to consumers, who carefully navigate divides between their own and industrially designed identities, but can simultaneously reaffirm existing power structures. Further, how participants’ views change over time emphasizes communication’s ongoing need for longitudinal audience studies that address questions of media, identity, and inclusion.
Algorithmic properties of first-order modal logics of finite Kripke frames in restricted languages
Authors: Rybakov Mikhail , Shkatov Dmitry
Published: August 2020

We study the effect of restricting the number of individual variables, as well as the number and arity of predicate letters, in languages of first-order predicate modal logics of finite Kripke frames on the logics’ algorithmic properties. A finite frame is a frame with a finite set of possible worlds. The languages we consider have no constants, function symbols or the equality symbol. We show that most predicate modal logics of natural classes of finite Kripke frames are not recursively enumerable—more precisely, $\varPi ^0_1$-hard—in languages with three individual variables and a single monadic predicate letter. This applies to the logics of finite frames of the predicate extensions of the sublogics of propositional modal logics $\textbf{GL}$, $\textbf{Grz}$ and $\textbf{KTB}$—among them, $\textbf{K}$, $\textbf{T}$, $\textbf{D}$, $\textbf{KB}$, $\textbf{K4}$ and $\textbf{S4}$.
Disability Rights During COVID-19: Emergency Law and Guidelines in England
Authors: Antova Ivanka
Published: August 2020

Disabled people may be disproportionately impacted by the response to the COVID-19 outbreak because of the kinds of countermeasures needed to tackle it, and serious disruptions to the services on which they rely. There are reports from the disability community in England and elsewhere that measures taken to contain the spread of COVID-19 impact negatively on their human rights and experiences. This commentary focuses on the healthcare and social care systems in England and describes how laws and practices have changed under the COVID-19 pandemic, and how these changes affect the rights of disabled people.
Belief Revision for Growing Awareness
Authors: Steele Katie , Stefánsson H. Orri
Published: August 2020

The Bayesian maxim for rational learning could be described as conservative change from one probabilistic belief or credence function to another in response to new information. Roughly: ‘Hold fixed any credences that are not directly affected by the learning experience.’ This is precisely articulated for the case when we learn that some proposition that we had previously entertained is indeed true (the rule of conditionalization). But can this conservative-change maxim be extended to revising one’s credences in response to entertaining propositions or concepts of which one was previously unaware? The economists Karni and Vierø (2013, 2015) make a proposal in this spirit. Philosophers have adopted effectively the same rule: revision in response to growing awareness should not affect the relative probabilities of propositions in one’s ‘old’ epistemic state. The rule is compelling, but only under the assumptions that its advocates introduce. It is not a general requirement of rationality, or so we argue. We provide informal counterexamples. And we show that, when awareness grows, the boundary between one’s ‘old’ and ‘new’ epistemic commitments is blurred. Accordingly, there is no general notion of conservative change in this setting.
Quantifying density-ionization correlations with the 21-cm power spectrum
Authors: Pagano Michael , Liu Adrian
Published: August 2020

The epoch of reionization (EoR) – when neutral hydrogen in the intergalactic medium was systematically ionized – is a period in our Universe’s history that is currently poorly understood. However, a key prediction of most models is a correlation between the density and ionization field during the EoR. This has consequences for the 21-cm power spectrum. Here, we propose a parametrization for the density-ionization correlation and study the dependence of the 21-cm power spectrum on this parametrization. We use this formalism to forecast the ability of current and future observations to constrain these correlations. We find that upper limits on the dimensionless power spectrum at redshifts 7.5 < z < 8.5 using k bins between $0.1 \lt k \lt 0.75\, \textrm {Mpc}^{-1}$ with error bars at the level of ${\sim\! }20\, \textrm {mK}^2$ about our fiducial model would rule out uncorrelated reionization at $99{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ credibility. Beyond upper limits, we find that at its full sensitivity, the Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array (HERA) will be able to place strong constraints on the sign and magnitude of density-ionization correlations.
Physical models of streaming instabilities in protoplanetary discs
Authors: Squire Jonathan , Hopkins Philip F
Published: August 2020

We develop simple, physically motivated models for drag-induced dust–gas streaming instabilities, which are thought to be crucial for clumping grains to form planetesimals in protoplanetary discs. The models explain, based on the physics of gaseous epicyclic motion and dust–gas drag forces, the most important features of the streaming instability and its simple generalization, the disc settling instability. Some of the key properties explained by our models include the sudden change in the growth rate of the streaming instability when the dust-to-gas mass ratio surpasses one, the slow growth rate of the streaming instability compared to the settling instability for smaller grains, and the main physical processes underlying the growth of the most unstable modes in different regimes. As well as providing helpful simplified pictures for understanding the operation of an interesting and fundamental astrophysical fluid instability, our models may prove useful for analysing simulations and developing non-linear theories of planetesimal growth in discs.
Tropological Interaction and Expressive Interpretation in Stravinsky’s Neoclassical Works
Authors: Schumann Scott C
Published: August 2020

A striking feature of Stravinsky’s neoclassical works is his simultaneous use of two or more topics. Robert S. Hatten (2014) has defined this process as troping, which involves four axes or “dimensions along which an imported topic and its potential tropological interaction may be marked with respect to its new environment,” defined as degrees of compatibility, dominance, creativity, and productivity. In this article, I use these four axes to demonstrate how combining analytical insights from each axis and adapting them for twentieth-century music can lead to nuanced expressive interpretations of Stravinsky’s neoclassical works.
LOTUS domain is a novel class of G-rich and G-quadruplex RNA binding domain
Authors: Ding Deqiang , Wei Chao , Dong Kunzhe , Liu Jiali , Stanton Alexander , Xu Chao , Min Jinrong , Hu Jian , Chen Chen
Published: August 2020

LOTUS domains are helix-turn-helix protein folds identified in essential germline proteins and are conserved in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Despite originally predicted as an RNA binding domain, its molecular binding activity towards RNA and protein is controversial. In particular, the most conserved binding property for the LOTUS domain family remains unknown. Here, we uncovered an unexpected specific interaction of LOTUS domains with G-rich RNA sequences. Intriguingly, LOTUS domains exhibit high affinity to RNA G-quadruplex tertiary structures implicated in diverse cellular processes including piRNA biogenesis. This novel LOTUS domain-RNA interaction is conserved in bacteria, plants and animals, comprising the most ancient binding feature of the LOTUS domain family. By contrast, LOTUS domains do not preferentially interact with DNA G-quadruplexes. We further show that a subset of LOTUS domains display both RNA and protein binding activities. These findings identify the LOTUS domain as a specialized RNA binding domain across phyla and underscore the molecular mechanism underlying the function of LOTUS domain-containing proteins in RNA metabolism and regulation.
gNOMO: a multi-omics pipeline for integrated host and microbiome analysis of non-model organisms
Authors: Muñoz-Benavent Maria , Hartkopf Felix , Van Den Bossche Tim , Piro Vitor C , García-Ferris Carlos , Latorre Amparo , Renard Bernhard Y , Muth Thilo
Published: August 2020

The study of bacterial symbioses has grown exponentially in the recent past. However, existing bioinformatic workflows of microbiome data analysis do commonly not integrate multiple meta-omics levels and are mainly geared toward human microbiomes. Microbiota are better understood when analyzed in their biological context; that is together with their host or environment. Nevertheless, this is a limitation when studying non-model organisms mainly due to the lack of well-annotated sequence references. Here, we present gNOMO, a bioinformatic pipeline that is specifically designed to process and analyze non-model organism samples of up to three meta-omics levels: metagenomics, metatranscriptomics and metaproteomics in an integrative manner. The pipeline has been developed using the workflow management framework Snakemake in order to obtain an automated and reproducible pipeline. Using experimental datasets of the German cockroach Blattella germanica, a non-model organism with very complex gut microbiome, we show the capabilities of gNOMO with regard to meta-omics data integration, expression ratio comparison, taxonomic and functional analysis as well as intuitive output visualization. In conclusion, gNOMO is a bioinformatic pipeline that can easily be configured, for integrating and analyzing multiple meta-omics data types and for producing output visualizations, specifically designed for integrating paired-end sequencing data with mass spectrometry from non-model organisms.
Functional connectivity within glioblastoma impacts overall survival
Authors: Daniel Andy G S , Park Ki Yun , Roland Jarod L , Dierker Donna , Gross James , Humphries Joseph B , Hacker Carl D , Snyder Abraham Z , Shimony Joshua S , Leuthardt Eric C
Published: August 2020

Background

Glioblastoma (GBM; World Health Organization grade IV) assumes a variable appearance on MRI owing to heterogeneous proliferation and infiltration of its cells. As a result, the neurovascular units responsible for functional connectivity (FC) may exist within gross tumor boundaries, albeit with altered magnitude. Therefore, we hypothesize that the strength of FC within GBMs is predictive of overall survival.

Methods

We used predefined FC regions of interest (ROIs) in de novo GBM patients to characterize the presence of within-tumor FC observable via resting-state functional MRI and its relationship to survival outcomes.

Results

Fifty-seven GBM patients (mean age, 57.8 ± 13.9 y) were analyzed. Functionally connected voxels, not identifiable on conventional structural images, can be routinely found within the tumor mass and was not significantly correlated to tumor size. In patients with known survival times (n = 31), higher intranetwork FC strength within GBM tumors was associated with better overall survival even after accounting for clinical and demographic covariates.

Conclusions

These findings suggest the possibility that functionally intact regions may persist within GBMs and that the extent to which FC is maintained may carry prognostic value and inform treatment planning.
Supporting children and youth during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: A rights-centred approach
Authors: Suleman Shazeen , Ratnani Yasmine , Stockley Katrina , Jetty Radha , Smart Katharine , Bennett Susan , Gander Sarah , Loock Christine
Published: August 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented global crisis, affecting millions globally and in Canada. While efforts to limit the spread of the infection and ‘flatten the curve’ may buffer children and youth from acute illness, these public health measures may worsen existing inequities for those living on the margins of society. In this commentary, we highlight current and potential long-term impacts of COVID-19 on children and youth centring on the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), with special attention to the accumulated toxic stress for those in difficult social circumstances. By taking responsive action, providers can promote optimal child and youth health and well-being, now and in the future, through adopting social history screening, flexible care models, a child/youth-centred approach to “essential” services, and continual advocacy for the rights of children and youth.