bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hereditariedade do albinismo Oculocutâneo em um grupo populacional no estado da Bahia
Authors: Moreira Lília Maria Azevedo , Pinheiro Matheus Augusto Lima , Dos Reis Adilza Santos Pereira , Virgens Cleiton Santos das , Góes Maria de Fátima Neri
Published: April 2021

Objetivo: trazer conhecimentos sobre a hereditariedade do albinismo em famílias da Bahia, estado com estimativa de taxa elevada da característica. Métodos: pesquisa seccional descritiva por amostragem de conveniência, com consulta às fichas de atendimento do programa Genética e Sociedade (Instituto de Biologia- UFBA) e ao banco de dados da Associação de Pessoas com Albinismo da Bahia (APALBA). Resultados: no total de 457 albinos, verificaram-se 265 com mais de um caso de albinismo na família (58%). Casais formados por pessoas albinas tiveram filhos com a mesma característica, o que concorda com o modelo clássico de herança autossômica recessiva para o albinismo, que preconiza nesta situação 100% dos filhos também albinos. Entretanto, em uma família, o casal albino com traços fenotípicos de diferentes subtipos teve um filho pigmentado com avaliação oftalmológica normal. Essa ocorrência foi associada à heterogeneidade genética do albinismo parental. Conclusões: estudos sobre a transmissão hereditária do albinismo em populações numerosas podem trazer contribuições para escolhas reprodutivas, aconselhamento genético e acompanhamento em saúde, tendo em vista a implantação precoce de medidas preventivas de danos à pele e à visão.
The Peculiar Nature of the Duty to Help During a Pandemic
Authors: Mejia Santiago
Published: April 2021

Duties of beneficence are said to allow for leeway to discharge them. By distinguishing between two different types of leeway, Mejia (2020) identified three structurally different duties of beneficence. In this Commentary I deploy those distinctions to clarify the nature of a fourth type of duty of beneficence, one prompted by a global pandemic, a duty with a peculiar, and seldom recognized, conceptual logic. I provide some guidelines that should orient managers when they take themselves to be fulfilling such a duty on behalf of shareholders.
Sensitivity influencing factors during pesticide residue detection research via a terahertz metasensor
Authors: Ye Yunxia , Zhang Yixing , Zhao Yu , Ren Yunpeng , Ren Xudong
Published: April 2021

Two metamaterial sensors were designed to test three pesticide residues. The influences of the metamaterial structure, the analyte composition and volume on the sensitivity have been studied. The metamaterial field-enhancement ability has an important influence on the sensitivity within the high-concentration range, while the coincidence between the metamaterial resonant frequency and the analyte fingerprint peak plays a dominant role within the low-concentration range. These findings allow us to better understand the process and find a way to improve the sensitivity.
High-resolution fast mid-wave infrared compressive imaging
Authors: Zhang Linxia , Ke Jun , Chi Sheng , Hao Xiaowen , Yang Tong , Cheng Dewen
Published: April 2021

In the mid-wave infrared (MIR) band, large detector arrays are extremely costly and technically difficult to be manufactured. Thus, it is difficult to obtain high-resolution images for a conventional MIR camera. Spatial compressive imaging can improve resolution. However, system errors due to misalignment or optical aberrations degrade reconstruction quality significantly. Another common issue for compressive imaging is the slow imaging speed, which is caused by slow measurement collection and reconstruction processes. To deal with the two issues, we use an imaging calibration method to improve reconstruction quality and a sliding window measurement collection strategy plus a reconstruction algorithm accelerated by parallel computing to fasten the speed. We build a prototype of a compressive imaging camera with an angular resolution 1.17 lp/mrad. A four-bar target is used as an object. We reconstruct a moving scene of size

1280
×
1024

with a frame rate 20 frames per second.
Tissue specificity-aware TWAS (TSA-TWAS) framework identifies novel associations with metabolic, immunologic, and virologic traits in HIV-positive adults
Authors: Li Binglan , Veturi Yogasudha , Verma Anurag , Bradford Yuki , Daar Eric S. , Gulick Roy M. , Riddler Sharon A. , Robbins Gregory K. , Lennox Jeffrey L. , Haas David W. , Ritchie Marylyn D.
Published: April 2021

As a type of relatively new methodology, the transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) has gained interest due to capacity for gene-level association testing. However, the development of TWAS has outpaced statistical evaluation of TWAS gene prioritization performance. Current TWAS methods vary in underlying biological assumptions about tissue specificity of transcriptional regulatory mechanisms. In a previous study from our group, this may have affected whether TWAS methods better identified associations in single tissues versus multiple tissues. We therefore designed simulation analyses to examine how the interplay between particular TWAS methods and tissue specificity of gene expression affects power and type I error rates for gene prioritization. We found that cross-tissue identification of expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) improved TWAS power. Single-tissue TWAS (i.e., PrediXcan) had robust power to identify genes expressed in single tissues, but, often found significant associations in the wrong tissues as well (therefore had high false positive rates). Cross-tissue TWAS (i.e., UTMOST) had overall equal or greater power and controlled type I error rates for genes expressed in multiple tissues. Based on these simulation results, we applied a tissue specificity-aware TWAS (TSA-TWAS) analytic framework to look for gene-based associations with pre-treatment laboratory values from AIDS Clinical Trial Group (ACTG) studies. We replicated several proof-of-concept transcriptionally regulated gene-trait associations, including UGT1A1 (encoding bilirubin uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase enzyme) and total bilirubin levels (p = 3.59×10−12), and CETP (cholesteryl ester transfer protein) with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p = 4.49×10−12). We also identified several novel genes associated with metabolic and virologic traits, as well as pleiotropic genes that linked plasma viral load, absolute basophil count, and/or triglyceride levels. By highlighting the advantages of different TWAS methods, our simulation study promotes a tissue specificity-aware TWAS analytic framework that revealed novel aspects of HIV-related traits.
Metagenomic sequencing reveals viral abundance and diversity in mosquitoes from the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia region, China
Authors: He Xiaozhou , Yin Qikai , Zhou Liwei , Meng Lei , Hu Weijun , Li Fan , Li Yang , Han Kun , Zhang Shaobai , Fu Shihong , Zhang Xiaoshu , Wang Ji , Xu Songtao , Zhang Yi , He Ying , Dong Maoxing , Shen Xinxin , Zhang Zheng , Nie Kai , Liang Guodong , Ma Xuejun , Wang Huanyu
Published: April 2021

Background

Mosquitoes host and transmit numerous arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) that cause disease in both humans and animals. Effective surveillance of virome profiles in mosquitoes is vital to the prevention and control of mosquito-borne diseases in northwestern China, where epidemics occur frequently.

Methods

Mosquitoes were collected in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia region (Shaanxi Province, Gansu Province, and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region) of China from June to August 2019. Morphological methods were used for taxonomic identification of mosquito species. High-throughput sequencing and metagenomic analysis were used to characterize mosquito viromes.

Results

A total of 22,959 mosquitoes were collected, including Culex pipiens (45.7%), Culex tritaeniorhynchus (40.6%), Anopheles sinensis (8.4%), Aedes (5.2%), and Armigeres subalbatus (0.1%). In total, 3,014,183 (0.95% of clean reads) viral sequences were identified and assigned to 116 viral species (including pathogens such as Japanese encephalitis virus and Getah virus) in 31 viral families, including Flaviviridae, Togaviridae, Phasmaviridae, Phenuiviridae, and some unclassified viruses. Mosquitoes collected in July (86 species in 26 families) showed greater viral diversity than those from June and August. Culex pipiens (69 species in 25 families) and Culex tritaeniorhynchus (73 species in 24 families) carried more viral species than Anopheles sinensis (50 species in 19 families) or Aedes (38 species in 20 families) mosquitoes.

Conclusion

Viral diversity and abundance were affected by mosquito species and collection time. The present study elucidates the virome compositions of various mosquito species in northwestern China, improving the understanding of virus transmission dynamics for comparison with those of disease outbreaks.
Fall risk classification for people with lower extremity amputations using random forests and smartphone sensor features from a 6-minute walk test
Authors: Daines Kyle J. F. , Baddour Natalie , Burger Helena , Bavec Andrej , Lemaire Edward D.
Published: April 2021

Fall-risk classification is a challenging but necessary task to enable the recommendation of preventative programs for individuals identified at risk for falling. Existing research has primarily focused on older adults, with no predictive fall-risk models for lower limb amputees, despite their greater likelihood of fall-risk than older adults. In this study, 89 amputees with varying degrees of lower limb amputation were asked if they had fallen in the past 6 months. Those who reported at least one fall were considered a fall risk. Each participant performed a 6 minute walk test (6MWT) with an Android smartphone placed in a holder located on the back of the pelvis. A fall-risk classification method was developed using data from sensors within the smartphone. The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Center Walk Test app captured accelerometer and gyroscope data during the 6MWT. From this data, foot strikes were identified, and 248 features were extracted from the collection of steps. Steps were segmented into turn and straight walking, and four different data sets were created: turn steps, straightaway steps, straightaway and turn steps, and all steps. From these, three feature selection techniques (correlation-based feature selection, relief F, and extra trees classifier ensemble) were used to eliminate redundant or ineffective features. Each feature subset was tested with a random forest classifier and optimized for the best number of trees. The best model used turn data, with three features selected by Correlation-based feature selection (CFS), and used 500 trees in a random forest classifier. The resulting metrics were 81.3% accuracy, 57.2% sensitivity, 94.9% specificity, a Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.587, and an F1 score of 0.83. Since the outcomes are comparable to metrics achieved by existing clinical tests, the classifier may be viable for use in clinical practice.
Thermal stress jeopardizes carbonate production of coral reefs across the western and central Pacific Ocean
Authors: van Woesik Robert , Cacciapaglia Christopher William
Published: April 2021

Coral reefs protect islands, coastal areas, and their inhabitants from storm waves and provide essential goods and services to millions of people worldwide. Yet contemporary rates of ocean warming and local disturbances are jeopardizing the reef-building capacity of coral reefs to keep up with rapid rates of sea-level rise. This study compared the reef-building capacity of shallow-water habitats at 142 sites across a potential thermal-stress gradient in the tropical Pacific Ocean. We sought to determine the extent to which habitat differences and environmental variables potentially affect rates of net carbonate production. In general, outer-exposed reefs and lagoonal-patch reefs had higher rates of net carbonate production than nearshore reefs. The study found that thermal anomalies, particularly the intensity of thermal-stress events, play a significant role in reducing net carbonate production—evident as a diminishing trend of net carbonate production from the western to the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The results also showed a latent spatial effect along the same gradient, not explained by thermal stress, suggesting that reefs in the western tropical Pacific Ocean are potentially enhanced by the proximity of reefs in the Coral Triangle—an effect that diminishes with increasing distance and isolation.
From cockroaches to tanks: The same power-mass-speed relation describes both biological and artificial ground-mobile systems
Authors: Kott Alexander , Gart Sean , Pusey Jason
Published: April 2021

This paper explores whether artificial ground-mobile systems exhibit a consistent regularity of relation among mass, power, and speed, similar to that which exists for biological organisms. To this end, we investigate an empirical allometric formula proposed in the 1980s for estimating the mechanical power expended by an organism of a given mass to move at a given speed, applicable over several orders of magnitude of mass, for a broad range of species, to determine if a comparable regularity applies to a range of vehicles. We show empirically that not only does a similar regularity apply to a wide variety of mobile systems; moreover, the formula is essentially the same, describing organisms and systems ranging from a roach (1 g) to a battle tank (35,000 kg). We also show that for very heavy vehicles (35,000–100,000,000 kg), the formula takes a qualitatively different form. These findings point to a fundamental similarity between biological and artificial locomotion that transcends great differences in morphology, mechanisms, materials, and behaviors. To illustrate the utility of this allometric relation, we investigate the significant extent to which ground robotic systems exhibit a higher cost of transport than either organisms or conventional vehicles, and discuss ways to overcome inefficiencies.
Management equity incentives and stock price crash risk: “Golden handcuffs” or “gold watch”
Authors: Zhou Xiaohua , Wan Jinshi , Yang Yi , Gan Xiangyu
Published: April 2021

This paper expands the previous research on management equity incentives (MEIs) and stock price crash risk by distinguishing between the "gold watch" region and the "golden handcuff" regions in MEIs. By using an estimation of the gold watch region and the golden handcuff regions based on 6,675 annual observations of China’s A-share listed companies, the stock price crash risk is found to be negatively correlated with MEIs in the golden handcuff regions (0–10%, 30%-100%) and is positively correlated with MEIs in the gold watch region (10%-30%). A further investigation of the mediating effects of peer effects on MEIs and the stock price crash risk reveals that peer effects have a partial mediation effect at the level of peer managers’ shareholding and mediate the relationship between MEIs and the stock price crash risk.
Trends in antimicrobial resistance amongst pathogens isolated from blood and cerebrospinal fluid cultures in Pakistan (2011-2015): A retrospective cross-sectional study
Authors: Javaid Nida , Sultana Qamar , Rasool Karam , Gandra Sumanth , Ahmad Fayyaz , Chaudhary Safee Ullah , Mirza Shaper
Published: April 2021

While antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to be a major public health problem in Pakistan, data regarding trends of resistance among pathogenic bacteria remains scarce, with few studies presenting long-term trends in AMR. This study was therefore designed to analyze long-term AMR trends at a national level in Pakistan. We report here results of a comprehensive analysis of resistance, among pathogens isolated from blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), between 2011 and 2015. Susceptibility data was obtained from a local laboratory with collection points all across Pakistan (Chughtai Laboratory). Resistance proportions to most commonly used antimicrobials were calculated for each pathogen over a period of five years. While Acinetobacter species demonstrated highest resistance rates to all tested antimicrobials, a sharp increase in carbapenem resistance was the most noticeable (50%-95%) between 2011–2015. Our results also highlight the presence of third and fourth generation cephalosporins resistance in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi in Pakistan. Interestingly, where rise in AMR was being observed in some major invasive pathogens, decreasing resistance trends were observed in Staphylococcus aureus, against commonly used antimicrobials. Overall pathogens isolated from blood and CSF between 2011–2015, showed an increase in resistance towards commonly used antimicrobials.
Understanding interactions between risk factors, and assessing the utility of the additive and multiplicative models through simulations
Authors: Diaz-Gallo Lina-Marcela , Brynedal Boel , Westerlind Helga , Sandberg Rickard , Ramsköld Daniel
Published: April 2021

Understanding the genetic background of complex diseases requires the expansion of studies beyond univariate associations. Therefore, it is important to use interaction assessments of risk factors in order to discover whether, and how genetic risk variants act together on disease development. The principle of interaction analysis is to explore the magnitude of the combined effect of risk factors on disease causation. In this study, we use simulations to investigate different scenarios of causation to show how the magnitude of the effect of two risk factors interact. We mainly focus on the two most commonly used interaction models, the additive and multiplicative risk scales, since there is often confusion regarding their use and interpretation. Our results show that the combined effect is multiplicative when two risk factors are involved in the same chain of events, an interaction called synergism. Synergism is often described as a deviation from additivity, which is a broader term. Our results also confirm that it is often relevant to estimate additive effect relationships, because they correspond to independent risk factors at low disease prevalence. Importantly, we evaluate the threshold of more than two required risk factors for disease causation, called the multifactorial threshold model. We found a simple mathematical relationship (square root) between the threshold and an additive-to-multiplicative linear effect scale (AMLES), where 0 corresponds to an additive effect and 1 to a multiplicative. We propose AMLES as a metric that could be used to test different effects relationships at the same time, given that it can simultaneously reveal additive, multiplicative and intermediate risk effects relationships. Finally, the utility of our simulation study was demonstrated using real data by analyzing and interpreting gene-gene interaction odds ratios from a rheumatoid arthritis case-control cohort.
Spatial distribution of rural population using mixed geographically weighted regression: Evidence from Jiangxi Province in China
Authors: Zhang Liguo , Leng Langping , Zeng Yongming , Lin Xi , Chen Su
Published: April 2021

On the basis of the spatial panel data of 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015, this study uses a mixed geographically weighted regression model to explore the spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of the rural (permanent) population in Jiangxi Province, China. Results show that residents in the county area have a significant spatial positive autocorrelation, especially in the lake and mountain areas and the global Moran’ I index is more than 0.05. The influence of social and economic factors presents spatial homogeneity. The effect of urbanization and per capita disposable income is negative, whereas that of agricultural output value and rural electricity consumption is positive. The influence of climate factors presents spatial heterogeneity. The influence coefficient of rainfall in 2015 ranges from [-0.061, 0.133], which has a negative effect on the southwest mountain areas and a positive effect on the northeast lake areas., The influence coefficient of temperature in 2015 ranges from [-0.110, 0.094], which has a positive effect on the southwest mountain areas and a negative effect on the northeast lake areas. The influence coefficients of wind speed and relative humidity range from [-0.090, 0.153] and [-0.069, 0.130] in 2015 respectively, which further reinforce this effect. Therefore, scholars should pay attention to the universal adaptability of economic and social factors. Moreover, they should consider the spatial difference of climatic factors to promote urbanization following the local conditions. Finally, policymakers and concerned non-governmental institutions should fully understand the sensitivity of the rural population in underdeveloped mountain areas to climate factors to promote their rational distribution.
Total and endothelial cell-derived cell-free DNA in blood plasma does not change during menstruation
Authors: Yuwono Nicole Laurencia , Henry Claire Elizabeth , Ford Caroline Elizabeth , Warton Kristina
Published: April 2021

Assays measuring cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in blood have widespread potential in modern medicine. However, a comprehensive understanding of cfDNA dynamics in healthy individuals is required to assist in the design of assays that maximise the signal driven by pathological changes, while excluding fluctuations that are part of healthy physiological processes. The menstrual cycle involves major remodelling of endometrial tissue and associated apoptosis, yet there has been little investigation of the impact of the menstrual cycle on cfDNA levels. Paired plasma samples were collected from 40 healthy women on menstruating (M) and non-menstruating (NM) days of their cycle. We measured total cfDNA by targeting ALU repetitive sequences and measured endothelial-derived cfDNA by methylation-specific qPCR targeting an endothelium-unique unmethylated CDH5 DNA region. CfDNA integrity and endothelial cfDNA concentration, but not total cfDNA, are consistent across time between NM and M. No significant changes in total (ALU-115 p = 0.273; ALU-247 p = 0.385) or endothelial cell specific (p = 0.301) cfDNA were observed, leading to the conclusion that menstrual status at the time of diagnostic blood collection should not have a significant impact on the quantitation of total cfDNA and methylation-based cancer assays.
Upregulated hsa_circRNA_100269 inhibits the growth and metastasis of gastric cancer through inactivating PI3K/Akt axis
Authors: Wang Zhongli , Liu Chao
Published: April 2021

The pathogenesis of GC involves the complex networking of multiple signaling pathways; however, the detailed mechanisms of tumorigenesis of GC remains largely unknown. Therefore, it is necessary to explore novel diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers for GC. In this study, the levels of hsa_circRNA_100269 in gastric cancer (GC) samples and cells were examined, and its effects on the biological functions of GC cells were elucidated. The levels of hsa_circRNA_100269 in specimens/cell lines were examined using RT-qPCR. Cell models with hsa_circRNA_100269 overexpression or knockdown were generated using lentiviral vectors. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay; cell migratory/invasive activity was evaluated using wound healing/Transwell assay. Cell cycle arrest and apoptosis were assessed by flow cytometry; expression of associated markers involved in cell apoptosis, EMT and the PI3K/Akt signaling were determined by RT-qPCR/immunoblotting. In vivo study was also performed using hsa_circRNA_100269 knockout mice. Our findings revealed downregulation of hsa_circRNA_100269 in GC tissues compared to non-cancerous control. Additionally, the levels of PI3K were remarkably elevated in GC tissues, where hsa_circRNA_100269 and PI3K was negatively correlated. Moreover, the expression of hsa_circRNA_100269 was associated with histology grade and occurrence of metastasis in GC patients. In addition, hsa_circRNA_100269 was downregulated in GC cells compared to normal gastric epithelial cells. Overexpressed hsa_circRNA_100269 notably inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT of GC cells, whereas cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase was promoted and cell apoptosis was enhanced. Moreover, the PI3K/Akt signaling was involved in hsa_circRNA_100269-regulated GC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, EMT and apoptosis. Knockdown of hsa_circRNA_100269 also remarkably induced tumor growth in mouse model. In summary, our findings indicated that the levels of hsa_circRNA_100269 were reduced in GC. Furthermore, hsa_circRNA_100269 could suppress the development of GC by inactivating the PI3K/Akt pathway. More importantly, hsa_circRNA_100269/PI3K/Akt axis may be a novel therapeutic candidate for GC treatment.
Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in malignant pleural fluid: Prognostic significance
Authors: Popowicz Natalia , Cheah Hui Min , Gregory Cynthia , Miranda Alina , Dick Ian M. , Lee Y. C. Gary , Creaney Jenette
Published: April 2021

Predicting survival of patients with malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) is notoriously difficult. A robust prognostic marker can guide clinical decision making. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in blood has been shown to predict survival in many cancers. Pleural fluid bathes the malignant pleural tissues, thus the NLR of the pleural fluid may reflect more closely the local tumour environment. The objective of this study was to explore the prognostic significance of pleural effusion NLR for MPE. We analysed matched effusion and blood from 117 patients with malignant and 24 with benign pleural effusions. Those who had received recent chemotherapy or had a pleurodesis were excluded. Neutrophil and lymphocyte counts in effusions were performed by manual review of cytospin cell preparations by trained observers. Clinical data were extracted from a state-wide hospital database. We found significantly fewer neutrophils (expressed as percentage of total leukocyte count) in pleural fluid than in corresponding blood (9% vs 73%; p<0.001). The NLR was an order of magnitude lower in pleural fluid than in corresponding blood: median [IQR] = 0.20 [0.04–1.18] vs 4.9 [3.0–8.3], p<0.001. Correlation between blood and pleural fluid NLR in MPE patients was moderate (rs = 0.321, p<0.001). In univariate analysis, NLR (>0.745)) in malignant pleural fluid was predictive of poorer survival (HR = 1.698 [1.0054–2.736]; p = 0.030), and remained significant after adjustment for age, sex, presence of a chest drain, cancer type, concurrent infection and subsequent treatment with chemotherapy (HR = 1.786 [1.089–2.928]; p = 0.022). Patients with pleural fluid NLR > 0.745 had a significantly shorter median survival of 130 (95% CI 0–282) days compared to 312 (95% CI 195–428) days for pleural NLR < 0.745, p = 0.026. The NLR in blood was also predictive of poorer survival in MPE patients (HR = 1.959 [1.019–3.096]; p<0.001). The proportion of neutrophils in pleural fluid was predictive of prognosis more strongly than lymphocytes. This study provides evidence that NLR in malignant effusions can predict survival, and therefore may provide prognostic information for this cohort. This prognostic association in the fluid is driven by the presence of neutrophils.
Comprehensive at-arrival transcriptomic analysis of post-weaned beef cattle uncovers type I interferon and antiviral mechanisms associated with bovine respiratory disease mortality
Authors: Scott Matthew A. , Woolums Amelia R. , Swiderski Cyprianna E. , Perkins Andy D. , Nanduri Bindu , Smith David R. , Karisch Brandi B. , Epperson William B. , Blanton John R.
Published: April 2021

Background

Despite decades of extensive research, bovine respiratory disease (BRD) remains the most devastating disease in beef cattle production. Establishing a clinical diagnosis often relies upon visual detection of non-specific signs, leading to low diagnostic accuracy. Thus, post-weaned beef cattle are often metaphylactically administered antimicrobials at facility arrival, which poses concerns regarding antimicrobial stewardship and resistance. Additionally, there is a lack of high-quality research that addresses the gene-by-environment interactions that underlie why some cattle that develop BRD die while others survive. Therefore, it is necessary to decipher the underlying host genomic factors associated with BRD mortality versus survival to help determine BRD risk and severity. Using transcriptomic analysis of at-arrival whole blood samples from cattle that died of BRD, as compared to those that developed signs of BRD but lived (n = 3 DEAD, n = 3 ALIVE), we identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and associated pathways in cattle that died of BRD. Additionally, we evaluated unmapped reads, which are often overlooked within transcriptomic experiments.

Results

69 DEGs (FDR<0.10) were identified between ALIVE and DEAD cohorts. Several DEGs possess immunological and proinflammatory function and associations with TLR4 and IL6. Biological processes, pathways, and disease phenotype associations related to type-I interferon production and antiviral defense were enriched in DEAD cattle at arrival. Unmapped reads aligned primarily to various ungulate assemblies, but failed to align to viral assemblies.

Conclusion

This study further revealed increased proinflammatory immunological mechanisms in cattle that develop BRD. DEGs upregulated in DEAD cattle were predominantly involved in innate immune pathways typically associated with antiviral defense, although no viral genes were identified within unmapped reads. Our findings provide genomic targets for further analysis in cattle at highest risk of BRD, suggesting that mechanisms related to type I interferons and antiviral defense may be indicative of viral respiratory disease at arrival and contribute to eventual BRD mortality.
Beyond dissolution: Xerostomia rinses affect composition and structure of biomimetic dental mineral in vitro
Authors: Moynahan Mikayla M. , Wong Stephanie L. , Deymier Alix C.
Published: April 2021

Xerostomia, known as dry mouth, is caused by decreased salivary flow. Treatment with lubricating oral rinses provides temporary relief of dry mouth discomfort; however, it remains unclear how their composition affects mineralized dental tissues. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze the effects of common components in xerostomia oral rinses on biomimetic apatite with varying carbonate contents. Carbonated apatite was synthesized and exposed to one of the following solutions for 72 hours at varying pHs: water-based, phosphorus-containing (PBS), mucin-like containing (MLC), or fluoride-containing (FC) solutions. Post-exposure results indicated that apatite mass decreased irrespective of pH and solution composition, while solution buffering was pH dependent. Raman and X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the addition of phosphorus, mucin-like molecules, and fluoride in solution decreases mineral carbonate levels and changed the lattice spacing and crystallinity of bioapatite, indicative of dissolution/recrystallization processes. The mineral recrystallized into a less-carbonated apatite in the PBS and MLC solutions, and into fluorapatite in FC. Tap water did not affect the apatite lattice structure suggesting formation of a labile carbonate surface layer on apatite. These results reveal that solution composition can have varied and complex effects on dental mineral beyond dissolution, which can have long term consequences on mineral solubility and mechanics. Therefore, clinicians should consider these factors when advising treatments for xerostomia patients.
Origin and evolution of the zinc finger antiviral protein
Authors: Gonçalves-Carneiro Daniel , Takata Matthew A. , Ong Heley , Shilton Amanda , Bieniasz Paul D.
Published: April 2021

The human zinc finger antiviral protein (ZAP) recognizes RNA by binding to CpG dinucleotides. Mammalian transcriptomes are CpG-poor, and ZAP may have evolved to exploit this feature to specifically target non-self viral RNA. Phylogenetic analyses reveal that ZAP and its paralogue PARP12 share an ancestral gene that arose prior to extensive eukaryote divergence, and the ZAP lineage diverged from the PARP12 lineage in tetrapods. Notably, the CpG content of modern eukaryote genomes varies widely, and ZAP-like genes arose subsequent to the emergence of CpG-suppression in vertebrates. Human PARP12 exhibited no antiviral activity against wild type and CpG-enriched HIV-1, but ZAP proteins from several tetrapods had antiviral activity when expressed in human cells. In some cases, ZAP antiviral activity required a TRIM25 protein from the same or related species, suggesting functional co-evolution of these genes. Indeed, a hypervariable sequence in the N-terminal domain of ZAP contributed to species-specific TRIM25 dependence in antiviral activity assays. Crosslinking immunoprecipitation coupled with RNA sequencing revealed that ZAP proteins from human, mouse, bat and alligator exhibit a high degree of CpG-specificity, while some avian ZAP proteins appear more promiscuous. Together, these data suggest that the CpG- rich RNA directed antiviral activity of ZAP-related proteins arose in tetrapods, subsequent to the onset of CpG suppression in certain eukaryote lineages, with subsequent species-specific adaptation of cofactor requirements and RNA target specificity.
Platformization, pan-entertainment and piracy: What the fast-changing Chinese mediasphere tells us about technology, policy and the state
Authors: Wang Shujen
Published: April 2021

The recent rise of media platforms in China is in line with China’s ‘going out’ policy of the past two decades, as well as with the Internet Plus and other state sponsored national information technology-related initiatives. The intellectual property-centred pan entertainment strategy further signals a change in the platforms’ content production, distribution and reception. The spin-off driven, derivative platform culture means content, and intellectual property, have become the front and centre of this new digital economy. This article examines the fast-moving media and cultural ecosystem in China in relation to the state, globalization, technology and piracy. More specifically, it looks at platform/distribution in the context of convergence while investigates questions of online piracy and copyright enforcements. This article concludes that China’s global ambition, coupled with its copyright-centred platform economy, marks a historical moment in which China transitions from being a copyright violator to a copyright enforcer.
La perspectiva feminista en la educación y sus debates actuales
Authors: Buxarrais Estrada María Rosa , Valdivielso Gómez Sofía
Published: April 2021

Estamos asistiendo a un debate social sobre el feminismo que está favoreciendo el resurgir de un pensamiento misógino muy antiguo. Las conquistas de las últimas décadas en relación con el avance de la igualdad entre los sexos se tergiversan y parece que el feminismo es responsable de desatar los instintos más bajos y el odio. Esto nos impide escuchar lo que realmente se está diciendo. Los pre-juicios nos lo impiden. El presente artículo profundiza en el desarrollo histórico del feminismo como teoría política y como praxis, examinando sus diferentes momentos desde la premodernidad hasta la posmodernidad. Se expone que el feminismo como teoría política y como movimiento social lleva ya más de tres siglos analizando la realidad y construyendo conocimiento imprescindible para entender las sociedades actuales y los debates que en ellas se están produciendo. En importante transmitir que el feminismo es un humanismo, que persigue la construcción de sociedades sustentadas en los valores de la igualdad, de la justicia y de la libertad. Para que esto sea posible es necesario incorporar la ética del cuidado en las aulas. Un cuidado que vaya de lo egocéntrico a lo mundicéntrico que nos incluya a todos y a todas y que trascienda lo humano para dar cabida también a la naturaleza y a todos los seres vivos. La educación que necesitamos debe dirigirse a la realización de valores universales básicos y a la construcción de sociedades más justas e inclusivas. Por ello es urgente darle más espacio y protagonismo en el sistema educativo y en el currículum.
The Effect of Early Tangential Excision and Split Thickness Skin Graft in Reducing Length of Stay in Burns Patients in Jakarta Islamic Hospital Cempaka Putih
Authors: Winarno Gammaditya Adhibarata , Wardhana Aditya , Tanjunga Sanjaya Faisal , Augiani A. S , Zidna An’umillah Arini
Published: April 2021

Introduction: Early tangential excision (TE) and split-thickness skin graft (STSG) have increased the outcome in burn patients treated at specialized burn centers. This study was conducted to compare the length of stay (LOS) in burn patients undergoing early TE & STSG and delayed TE & STSG.
Method: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study including 42 patients with varied burn degrees, and TBSA admitted to Jakarta Islamic Hospital Cempaka Putih (JIHCP) Burn Unit. Patients were assigned to two study groups, the early TE & STSG group including 32 patients and the delayed TE & STSG group including 10 patients. All data were collected from the medical record and compared between two study groups.
Result: The mean of LOS in a group with early TE & STSG was shorter (9.81±6.41 days) than LOS in the delayed TE & STSG group (15.80±5.67 days). The data of LOS between these groups were compared using an independent T-test. The LOS in the early TE & STSG group was significantly shorter than the delayed TE & STSG group (p=0.012).
Conclusion: In patients with burn injuries, early TE & STSG is associated with a shorter length of stay than the delayed TE & STSG. Our study indicates that early excision within five days after burn injury is optimal to reduce the length of stay in burn patients.
The Difference in TBSA Estimation Between Emergency Room and Burn Unit in Second Tier Hospital in Central Jakarta
Authors: Wardhana Aditya , Winarno Gammaditya A. , Tanjunga Sanjaya F. , Zidna An’umillah Arini , Augiani Amani S.
Published: April 2021

Introduction: Burn TBSA estimation is essential to administer fluid resuscitation. There are some methods, including Rule of 9 and Lund-Browder Chart. This study aims to identify the difference in TBSA estimation in Emergency Room & Burn Unit.
Method: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study in design. The Inclusion criteria are patients admitted to the Jakarta Islamic Hospital Cempaka Putih (JIHCP) burn unit between April 2015-September 2018, acute patients who have complete demographic data, complete TBSA estimation in the emergency room (ER) and burn unit (BU). Exclusion criteria are patients who do not have complete demographical data and incomplete TBSA estimation between the emergency room and burn unit. The estimation of TBSA in the emergency room is done by General Practitioner, while in the burn unit is done by Plastic Surgeon.
Result: Of all 160 patients admitted, 142 patients are eligible in the inclusion criteria.  Most of it was adult males with an average of 28.3 years old, suffering a grade II burn injury caused by scald. There is a higher mean of TBSA estimation in the Emergency room with 15.83 (SD 12.21) compared to the Burn Unit with 12.92 (SD 12.00). The maximum TBSA overestimation in ER reaches 24% TBSA than BU, while the minimum is 0.5%. The Maximum TBSA underestimation in ER reaches 20% TBSA than BU, while the minimum underestimation is also 0.5%. On average, ER overestimates about 6.7% TBSA and underestimates about 2.8% TBSA compared to BU.
Conclusion: The emergency room tends to overestimate the TBSA, with an almost 3% difference in mean (p<0.05). There is an occurrence of a maximum 24% TBSA overestimation while averaging 6.7% TBSA.
A Scoring Model to Predict In-Hospital Mortality in Patients With Budd–Chiari Syndrome
Authors: Thuluvath Paul J. , Alukal Joseph J. , Zhang Talan
Published: April 2021

INTRODUCTION:

A model that can predict short-term mortality in patients with the Budd–Chiari syndrome (BCS) with a high degree of accuracy is currently lacking. The primary objective of our study was to develop an easy-to-use in-hospital mortality prediction model in patients with BCS using easily available clinical variables.

METHODS:

Data were extracted from the National Inpatient Sample to identify all adult patients with a listed diagnosis of BCS from 2008 to 2017 using ICD-9 or ICD-10 codes. After identifying independent risk factors of in-hospital mortality, we developed a prediction model using logistic regression analysis. The model was built and validated in a training and a validation data set, respectively. Using the model, we risk stratified patients into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups.

RESULTS:

Between 2008 and 2017, we identified a total of 5,306 (weighted sample size 26,110) discharge diagnosis of patients with BCS, with an overall in-hospital mortality of 7.14%. The independent risk factors that predicted mortality were age of 50 years or older, ascites, sepsis, acute respiratory failure, acute liver failure, hepatorenal syndrome, and cancers. The mortality prediction model that incorporated these risk factors had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.87 (95% CI 0.85–0.95) for the training data and 0.89 (95% CI 0.86–0.92) for the validation data. Patients with low-, intermediate-, and high-risk scores had a predicted in-patient mortality of 4%, 30%, and 66%, respectively.

DISCUSSION:

Using a national administrative database, we developed a reliable in-patient mortality prediction model with an excellent accuracy. The model was able to risk stratify patients into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups.
TESTING OF AUTOMATED DRIVING SYSTEMS
Authors: Vaculín Ondřej , Gellrich Michael , Matawa Robert , Witschass Steffen
Published: April 2021

The automated driving requires new testing approaches, which are more complex than the current testing systems. The complexity and requirements for accuracy is important, because of interconnection of virtual with physical testing. This paper presents a generic approach to testing of automated driving functions and demonstrates its implementation on measurement of two scenarios.Automatizované řízení vyžaduje nové testovací přístupy, které jsou daleko komplexnější než současné testovací systémy. Komplexnost a požadavky na přesnost jsou důležité z pohledu na propojení fyzického a virtuálního testování. Tento článek prezentuje obecný přístup k testování funkcí automatizovaného řízení a demonstruje jeho implementaci na měřeních dvou scénářů.
The Impact of Covid-19 on Orthodox Groups and Believers in Russia
Authors: Mitrofanova Anastasia
Published: April 2021

This chapter intends to discover how Orthodox groups and believers of different ideological orientations in Russia reacted to the 2020 world health crisis. Its focus lies on the groups and individual believers from the field of Russian orthodoxy who could be labelled as »fundamentalists«. Therefore, an analysis of the official ecclesiastical reaction to the pandemic will be provided, that underlines how some contradictory messages from above caused significant numbers of believers to sympathize with the so called »corona-dissidents« within the Church. Under the topic »dissidents«, various other groups apart from the fundamentalists such as the moderate traditionalists, liberals, or individuals who usually follow the mainstream ecclesiastical opinion, can be subsumed. Furthermore, it could be observed that fundamentalists mostly discuss themes that might be common for all »dissidents«, although they are more open towards their criticism in view of the mainstream reactions. They stick to the assumption that both mundane and ecclesiastical leaders have discredited themselves and need to be replaced.
Dismantling Prejudices on Muslim Communities in Italy in Times of Pandemic: not just Religious Fundamentalism
Authors: Lucini Barbara
Published: April 2021

This chapter starts from an initial reflection about the social perceptions and cultural interpretations which the pandemic caused by the Covid-19 virus has generated in some ethnic communities. Given the importance of that issue in the broader context of crisis management and pandemic management, it was considered useful to proceed with a research aimed at exploring the types of cultural perceptions and interpretations, focussing on the current pandemic crisis and the Italian Muslim community. Through a multiple methodological approach, consisting of an online exploratory questionnaire and an online secondary desk research, relevant results emerged on how the interviewees belonging to the Italian Muslim community perceived and interpreted the pandemic crisis. In the future, these socio-cultural dimensions will be useful to be more aware of the complex and multidimensional biases present in the time before the emergency and how they work during a crisis.
Religious Fundamentalism - A Misleading Concept?
Authors: Antes Peter
Published: April 2021

Florian Zemmin has stated that »language not only describes and evaluates a given reality, but also helps to produce it.« The article shows that this statements holds very true in the case of religious fundamentalism. It shows that the perplexity about the Islamic Revolution in Iran of 1979 has led to parallel ties with American Protestant Fundamentalism at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. Other protests, in the name of religion, against modernity in the Western style were then also labelled as fundamentalist so that the term became a key concept to describe a global trend against modernity. In spite of very different local protest aims, religious fundamentalism is thus seen as an antimodern tendency in all major religions. Consequently, the concept neglects local forms of dissatisfaction with the status quo by creating a global trend which as such does not exist but is produced by the respective studies as stated by Zemmin.
El conocimiento didáctico del contenido y su impacto en los conocimientos prácticos de los profesores de ciencias y en la construcción de conocimientos científicos escolares
Authors: Mosquera Suárez Carlos Javier , Alonso Maritza Ximena , García-Supelano Ana María , Marín-Velasco Astrid Sisleny , Prada-Murcia Luis Eduardo , Rincón-Nuñez Juan Pablo , Saldaña-Lozano Luis Santiago
Published: April 2021

Se presentan a continuación algunos resultados alcanzados en el marco del proyecto de investigación titulado “Las prácticas de los docentes de química en ejercicio y su relación con el desarrollo de actividades científicas escolares”, apoyado para su desarrollo por el Centro de Investigaciones y Desarrollo Científico CIDC de la Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas. Se busca la aproximación a cuestiones teóricas fundamentales para comprender, desde el campo de conocimiento de la Didáctica de las Ciencias de la Naturaleza, el modelo del Conocimiento Didáctico del Contenido y su relación, en el campo de la formación de profesores de ciencias, con el desarrollo del conocimiento práctico en contextos de enseñanza – aprendizaje para favorecer el desarrollo de conocimientos científicos escolares.
MODEL EKIVALEN-PI DARI PEMBANGKIT LISTRIK TENAGA ANGIN DENGAN GENERATOR ASINKRON UNTUK ANALISIS ALIRAN DAYA
Authors: Gianto Rudy
Published: April 2021

Operasi keadaan-mantap (steady-state) dari suatu sistem tenaga listrik biasanya ditentukan melalui analisis aliran daya. Makalah ini mengusulkan metode sederhana untuk mengikut-sertakan model pembangkit listrik tenaga angin (PLTAn) dengan generator asinkron pada perhitungan aliran daya. Model yang diusulkan ini disebut model ekivalen-pi karena rangkaian ekivalen-pi dari generator asinkron atau induksi telah digunakan untuk membentuk model matematis dari PLTAn tersebut. Model rangkaian ekivalen-pi ini diperoleh dari rangkaian ekivalen keadaan-mantap generator induksi (rangkaian T atau Y) yang kemudian, melalui transformasi Y-D, dikonversi menjadi rangkaian P atau D. Transformasi ini dilakukan untuk mempermudah penurunan model matematis dari PLTAn dimaksud. Model ini kemudian diintegrasikan pada algoritma aliran daya dan diselesaikan dengan metode Newton-Raphson dimana hasilnya kemudian digunakan untuk mengevaluasi operasi keadaan-mantap sistem secara keseluruhan (termasuk PLTAn). Pada makalah ini, studi-studi perbandingan antara metode yang diusulkan (model ekivalen-pi) dan metode lain (model jaringan dua-terminal) juga telah dilakukan dimana terlihat bahwa hasil-hasil dari kedua metode tersebut adalah sangat sesuai.