bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combating the infodemic: COVID-19 induced fake news recognition in social media networks
Authors: Biradar Shankar , Saumya Sunil , Chauhan Arun
Published: February 2022

COVID-19 has caused havoc globally due to its transmission pace among the inhabitants and prolific rise in the number of people contracting the disease worldwide. As a result, the number of people seeking information about the epidemic via Internet media has increased. The impact of the hysteria that has prevailed makes people believe and share everything related to illness without questioning its truthfulness. As a result, it has amplified the misinformation spread on social media networks about the disease. Today, there is an immediate need to restrict disseminating false news, even more than ever before. This paper presents an early fusion-based method for combining key features extracted from context-based embeddings such as BERT, XLNet, and ELMo to enhance context and semantic information collection from social media posts and achieve higher accuracy for false news identification. From the observation, we found that the proposed early fusion-based method outperforms models that work on single embeddings. We also conducted detailed studies using several machine learning and deep learning models to classify misinformation on social media platforms relevant to COVID-19. To facilitate our work, we have utilized the dataset of “CONSTRAINT shared task 2021”. Our research has shown that language and ensemble models are well adapted to this role, with a 97% accuracy.
Determination of two-photon absorption in nucleobase analogues: a QR-DFT perspective
Authors: Malcomson Thomas
Published: February 2022

With the prevalence of fluorescence spectroscopy in biological systems, and the benefits of two-photon absorption techniques, presented here is an assessment of the two-photon accessibility of modern fluorescent nucleobase analogues utilising quadratic response DFT. Due to the complex environment experienced by these nucleobases, the two-photon spectra of each analogue has been assessed in the presence of both $$\pi $$
π
-stacked and hydrogen-bonding interactions involving the canonical nucleobases. Findings suggest that the $$\pi $$
π
-stacking environment provides a more significant effect on the spectra of the analogues studies than a hydrogen-bonding environment; analogue structures presenting high two-photon cross-section values for one or more states coincide with polycyclic extensions to preserved canonical base structure, as observed in the qA family of analogues, while analogue structures more closely resembling the structure of the base in question present a much more muted spectra in comparison. Results from this investigation have also allowed for the derivation of a number of design rules for the development of potential, two-photon specific, analogues for future use in both imaging and potential photochemical activation.

Graphical abstract
Unsteady numerical investigation on gas ingestion into the rotor-stator disk cavities of a 1.5-stage turbine
Authors: He Z. , Zhou J. , Yang C. , Li B. , Qian J.
Published: February 2022

To investigate the downstream rim seal gas ingestion characteristics of a 1.5-stage turbine, the URANS equations were solved numerically using the SST turbulence model. The effects of different purge flow rates and the second vane on the ingestion characteristics of the aft cavity and the nonuniform fluctuations of the main gas path pressure are analysed. The results showed that the aft cavity is affected by the combined effects of the blade and the second vane, and the potential field at the leading edge of the second vane greatly influence the airflow variation in the aft cavity, which enhances the ingress of the mainstream into the wheel-space. The front purge flow weakens the egress between the suction side of the blade and the suction side of the second vane. The potential field at the leading edge of the second vane suppresses the nonuniform distribution of airflow in the aft cavity caused by the rotational effect of the blade.
Investigating risk factors for urine culture contamination in outpatient clinics: A new avenue for diagnostic stewardship
Authors: Whelan Patrick S. , Nelson Alicia , Kim Christopher J. , Tabib Christian , Preminger Glenn M. , Turner Nicholas A. , Lipkin Michael , Advani Sonali D.
Published: February 2022

Mixed flora in urine cultures usually occur due to preanalytic contamination. In our outpatient urology clinic, we detected a high prevalence of mixed flora (46.2%), which was associated with female sex and older age. Patient education did not influence the rate of mixed flora. Future efforts should target high-risk patients.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) personal protective equipment training: Using simulation-based training to prevent healthcare-associated infection
Authors: Nagaraj Madhuri B. , Campbell Krystle K. , Kang Minji , Nazareno Ian A. , Arocha Doramarie , Trivedi Julie B. , Scott Daniel J.
Published: February 2022

In this pre- and postintervention study, we demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of comprehensive simulation-based personal protective equipment (PPE) training amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With rapid-cycle, deliberate practice feedback, simulation-based training can improve the learners’ sense of confidence and security while standardizing PPE protocols.
On the importance of attempting to know the causes of things: a reply to Sunstein
Authors: Oliver Adam
Published: February 2022

Cass Sunstein's contention that evolutionary explanations for behavioural economic phenomena are of limited relevance to public policy – and his support for soft paternalism – rests on his view that policymakers ought to be pursuing increases in some overarching social planning conception of welfare. In this reply to Sunstein, I argue that people have differing and multifarious desires in life, with the social planner's conception of welfare being, at best, perhaps only a partial consideration for most people. The phenomena that behavioural economists and psychologists have empirically observed may well facilitate people in the pursuit of their own desires in life. Consequently, paternalistic manipulation or coercion to save people from themselves is questionable in the behavioural public policy space, but government intervention is warranted when one party implicitly or explicitly uses these phenomena to exploit others.
Protective Measures Practices Among Hospitals’ Professionals Working in a Fragile Health System
Authors: Alsuliman Tamim , Alasadi Lugien , Alrstom Ali , Alabdallah Gheith , Sneij Joseph , Al Khalaf Ruba , Alhalabi Marwan
Published: February 2022

Objective:

This study aimed to assess the protective measures among health-care workers (HCWs) in a war-torn area during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Methods:

An online cross-sectional questionnaire was administrated to HCWs in Syria between April 1 and May 21, 2020. The questions aimed to assess the HCWs’ application of safety, hygiene, and necessary protection considerations while attending to suspected or proven COVID-19 cases. Unpaired t-test and 1-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used for statistical analysis.

Results:

Of the 290 participants included in the statistical analysis, 250 were medical doctors. Low scores of protective practices were noticed among the participants, as only 12% of doctors had a score above 6/15 points, and only 37.5% of nurses had a score of more than 4/12 points. Medical doctors who were not on the frontlines scored significantly higher than those who were on the frontlines (4.69 vs 3.80 points, respectively; P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

More courses and training sessions should be implemented to improve the practice of protective measures among HCWs (frontliners in particular) in areas with fragile health systems, such as Syria, during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially those on the frontlines. Moreover, specific COVID-19 protection measures guidelines to low-income countries are needed.
Total Worker Health®Employer Preparedness: A Proposed Model and Survey of Human Resource Managers’ Perceptions
Authors: Roelofs Cora
Published: February 2022

Objective:

Recent disasters have demonstrated gaps in employers’ preparedness to protect employees and promote their well-being in the face of disruptive events. Our objective was to develop a useful strategy for advancing comprehensive employer preparedness and to assess employer preparedness in a sample of employers.

Methods:

ATotal Worker HealthEmployer Preparedness Model was developed to include seven domains: planning, human resources policies, hazard reduction, training, staffing, communications, and resources for resilience. A Survey and scoring Index based upon the Model were administered to human resources professionals in the northeast United States.

Results:

Seventy-six responded, representing diverse employment sectors. The mean Index score was 8.8 (out of 23), which is a moderate level of preparedness. Nine scored over 15, indicating greater preparedness. Thirteen scored 0. Employers were most prepared for severe weather events and least prepared for acts of violence. There were no significant differences by sector, size, or reach, although the health-care sector reported higher scores.

Conclusions:

This unique attempt to assess TWH Employer Preparedness can serve as the basis of important further study that strengthens the empirical basis of the construct. Additionally, the Model, Survey, and Index can assist employers in advancing their preparedness for all hazards.
Bounds for a nonlinear ergodic theorem for Banach spaces
Authors: FREUND ANTON , KOHLENBACH ULRICH
Published: February 2022

We extract quantitative information (specifically, a rate of metastability in the sense of Terence Tao) from a proof due to Kazuo Kobayasi and Isao Miyadera, which shows strong convergence for Cesàro means of non-expansive maps on Banach spaces.
Independence and almost automorphy of higher order
Authors: QIU JIAHAO
Published: February 2022

In this paper it is shown that for a minimal system
$(X,T)$
and
$d,k\in \mathbb {N}$
, if
$(x,x_{i})$
is regionally proximal of order d for
$1\leq i\leq k$
, then
$(x,x_{1},\ldots ,x_{k})$
is
$(k+1)$
-regionally proximal of order d. Meanwhile, we introduce the notion of
$\mathrm {IN}^{[d]}$
-pair: for a dynamical system
$(X,T)$
and
$d\in \mathbb {N}$
, a pair
$(x_{0},x_{1})\in X\times X$
is called an
$\mathrm {IN}^{[d]}$
-pair if for any
$k\in \mathbb {N}$
and any neighborhoods
$U_{0} ,U_{1} $
of
$x_{0}$
and
$x_{1}$
respectively, there exist different
$(p_{1}^{(i)},\ldots ,p_{d}^{(i)})\in \mathbb {N}^{d} , 1\leq i\leq k$
, such that
$$ \begin{align*} \bigcup_{i=1}^{k}\{ p_{1}^{(i)}\epsilon(1)+\cdots+p_{d}^{(i)} \epsilon(d):\epsilon(j)\in \{0,1\},1\leq j\leq d\}\backslash \{0\}\in \mathrm{Ind}(U_{0},U_{1}), \end{align*} $$
where
$\mathrm {Ind}(U_{0},U_{1})$
denotes the collection of all independence sets for
$(U_{0},U_{1})$
. It turns out that for a minimal system, if it does not contain any non-trivial
$\mathrm {IN}^{[d]}$
-pair, then it is an almost one-to-one extension of its maximal factor of order d.
National characteristics associated with prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms: a cross-sectional ecological study
Authors: Jorm Anthony F. , Mulder Roger T.
Published: February 2022

Background

Cross-national comparisons of the prevalence of mental disorders have relied on lay-administered interviews scored using complex diagnostic algorithms. However, this approach has led to some paradoxical findings, with more vulnerable countries showing lower prevalence, and its appropriateness for cross-national comparisons has been questioned. This study used an alternative method involving simple questions from social surveys to assess the prevalence of specific depression and anxiety symptoms, and investigated their association with national indicators of human development, quality of government, mental health resources, and mental health governance.

Methods

The study used data on the prevalence of three symptoms indicating depression or anxiety: sadness, worry, and unhappiness. These data were taken from the Gallup World Poll (142 countries) and the World Values Survey (77 countries). National characteristics examined covered indicators of human development (income, life span, education, gender equality), quality of government (human freedom, perceptions of corruption), mental health resources (per capita numbers of psychiatrists, mental health nurses, psychologists, and social workers), and mental health governance (whether there is a national mental health plan and a mental health law).

Results

All the human development and quality of government indicators, and some of the mental health resource indicators, were strongly associated with a lower prevalence of symptoms.

Conclusion

Populations of nations with higher human development, quality of government, and mental health resources have better mental health when measured by the prevalence of specific symptoms.
Flow states and heat transport in Rayleigh–Bénard convection with different sidewall boundary conditions
Authors: Reiter Philipp , Zhang Xuan , Shishkina Olga
Published: February 2022

This work addresses the effects of different thermal sidewall boundary conditions on the formation of flow states and heat transport in two- and three-dimensional Rayleigh–Bénard convection (RBC) by means of direct numerical simulations and steady-state analysis for Rayleigh numbers

${\textit {Ra}}$

up to

$4\times 10^{10}$

and Prandtl numbers

${\textit {Pr}}=0.1,1$

and

$10$

. We show that a linear temperature profile imposed at the conductive sidewall leads to a premature collapse of the single-roll state, whereas a sidewall maintained at a constant temperature enhances its stability. The collapse is caused by accelerated growth of the corner rolls with two distinct growth rate regimes determined by diffusion or convection for small or large

${\textit {Ra}}$

, respectively. Above the collapse of the single-roll state, we find the emergence of a double-roll state in two-dimensional RBC and a double-toroidal state in three-dimensional cylindrical RBC. These states are most prominent in RBC with conductive sidewalls. The different states are reflected in the global heat transport, so that the different thermal conditions at the sidewall lead to significant differences in the Nusselt number for small to moderate

${\textit {Ra}}$

. However, for larger

${\textit {Ra}}$

, the heat transport and flow dynamics become increasingly alike for different sidewalls and are almost indistinguishable for

${\textit {Ra}}>10^{9}$

. This suggests that the influence of imperfectly insulated sidewalls in RBC experiments is insignificant at very high

${\textit {Ra}}$

– provided that the mean sidewall temperature is controlled.
PROPERTY, PRIORITY AND APPORTIONMENT: THE CASE OF THE ACQUISITION CREDITOR
Authors: Nair Aruna
Published: February 2022

InAbbey National Building Society v Cann, the House of Lords held that a mortgagee who has funded the purchase of the mortgaged title to land (an “acquisition creditor”) has a right over the land that binds any other grantee of the purchaser. This article considers the basis for and limits of this principle, in light of its origins. It argues that the cases treat the lender's financial contribution as an independent source of an equitable interest in the purchased asset, rather than as a reason why the grant in favour of the lender takes effect earlier in time than the grant in favour of any third party. This has important and desirable consequences for the scope of the principle, rendering it more coherent with general principles of English property law and allowing for an apportionment solution in some situations involving co-contributors to acquisition.
Agonistic peace agreements? Analytical tools and dilemmas
Authors: Strömbom Lisa , Bramsen Isabel , Stein Anne Lene
Published: February 2022

Later years have seen the growth of a vibrant theoretical discussion on agonistic peace and the importance of creating space for contestation, plurality, and dissensus post-accord. However, there has been very few attempts at embedding agonistic theory in empirical analyses of peace agreements. This study attends to that lacuna by investigating how agonistic principles can be integrated and investigated in peace agreements. We suggest a threefold set of indicators for assessing the degree to which peace agreements are invested with agonistic dynamics: (1) what types of spaces for interaction are offered post-accord; (2) what forms of inclusion are stipulated; and (3) how is the peace agreement framed in terms of conflict termination and consensus/dissensus? We illustrate how the various indicators could be put into motion in concrete analyses applying them to examples from the Oslo Accords, the Belfast Agreement, and the Colombian Peace Agreement. Finally, we discuss four dilemmas and problematiques of integrating agonistic ideas in peace agreements; the issue of power, the mixing of agonistic and liberal ideals in peace agreements, the principle of ‘nothing is agreed until everything is agreed’ and the related double-edged potential of constructive ambiguity and finally the challenges of implementing peace agreements.
Time to death and risk factors associated with mortality among COVID-19 cases in countries within the WHO African region in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Impouma Benido , Carr Alice L. J. , Spina Alexander , Mboussou Franck , Ogundiran Opeayo , Moussana Fleury , Williams George Sie , Wolfe Caitlin M. , Farham Bridget , Flahault Antoine , Codeco Tores Claudia , Abbate Jessica L. , Coelho Flávio Codeço , Keiser Olivia
Published: February 2022

This study describes risk factors associated with mortality among COVID-19 cases reported in the WHO African region between 21 March and 31 October 2020. Average hazard ratios of death were calculated using weighted Cox regression as well as median time to death for key risk factors. We included 46 870 confirmed cases reported by eight Member States in the region. The overall incidence was 20.06 per 100 000, with a total of 803 deaths and a total observation time of 3 959 874 person-days. Male sex (aHR 1.54 (95% CI 1.31–1.81); P < 0.001), older age (aHR 1.08 (95% CI 1.07–1.08); P < 0.001), persons who lived in a capital city (aHR 1.42 (95% CI 1.22–1.65); P < 0.001) and those with one or more comorbidity (aHR 36.37 (95% CI 20.26–65.27); P < 0.001) had a higher hazard of death. Being a healthcare worker reduced the average hazard of death by 40% (aHR 0.59 (95% CI 0.37–0.93); P = 0.024). Time to death was significantly less for persons ≥60 years (P = 0.038) and persons residing in capital cities (P < 0.001). The African region has COVID-19-related mortality similar to that of other regions, and is likely underestimated. Similar risk factors contribute to COVID-19-associated mortality as identified in other regions.
Long-term outcomes after repair for anomalous right coronary artery from the pulmonary artery
Authors: Tran Andrew , Kochilas Lazaros , Thomas Amanda S. , Aggarwal Varun
Published: February 2022

Anomalous right coronary artery from pulmonary artery (ARCAPA) is a rare congenital heart disease that can lead to abnormal coronary perfusion and a need for surgical repair. Here, we report the outcomes of patients who underwent ARCAPA surgery within the Pediatric Cardiac Care Consortium (PCCC), a North American registry of interventions for paediatric heart diseases. We queried the PCCC for patients undergoing surgical repair for ARCAPA at <18 years of age between 1982 and 2003. Outcomes were obtained from the PCCC and after linkage with the National Death Index (NDI) and the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) through 2019. Twenty-four patients (males: 15) were identified having surgery for ARCAPA at a median age of 5.8 (IQR 2.7–10.3) years. Of them, 23 cases were considered “simple” (without major intracardiac disease) and one “complex” (co-existing with tetralogy of Fallot). Five patients presented with symptoms [chest pain (1), dyspnoea on exertion (2) or history of syncope (2)]; while the remaining 19 patients were referred for evaluation of either murmur or co-existing CHD. There was no in-hospital mortality after the surgical repair. Fourteen patients had sufficient identifiers for NDI/OPTN linkage; among them, only one death occurred from unrelated non-cardiac causes within a median period of 19.4 years of follow-up (IQR: 18–24.6). Outcomes were excellent after reimplantation up to 25 years later and further longitudinal monitoring is important to understand the interaction of pre-existing coronary pathology with the effects of ageing.
Brief intervention for hazardous drinking delivered using text messaging: a pilot randomised controlled trial from Goa, India
Authors: Nadkarni Abhijit , Fernandes Danielle , Bhatia Urvita , Velleman Richard , D’souza Ethel , D’souza Joseline , Marimilha Pacheco Grace , Sambari Seema
Published: February 2022

Objective:

To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a mobile-based brief intervention (BI), generate preliminary estimates of the impact of the BI and fine-tune the procedures for a definitive randomised controlled trial.

Design:

Parallel three-arm single-blind individually randomised controlled pilot trial. Eligible and consenting participants were randomised to receive mobile-based BI, face-to-face BI and information leaflet.

Setting:

Educational institutions, workplaces and primary care centres.

Participants:

Adult hazardous drinkers.

Results:

Seventy-four participants were randomised into the three trial arms; forty-eight (64·9 %) completed outcome evaluation. There were no significant differences between the three arms on change in any of the drinking outcomes. There were however in two-way comparisons. Face-to-face BI and mobile BI were superior to active control for percent days heavy drinking at follow-up, and mobile BI was superior to active control for mean grams ethanol consumed per week at follow-up.

Conclusion:

The encouraging findings about feasibility and preliminary impact warrant a definitive trial of our intervention and if found to be effective, our intervention could be a potentially scalable first-line response to hazardous drinking in low-resource settings.
The Signet Library
Authors: Hamilton James
Published: February 2022

In this article James Hamilton, Research Principal at the Society of Writers to HM Signet in Edinburgh, describes the history of the Signet Library as it approaches its 300th anniversary. He writes about some of the changes that have taken place over those three centuries and he also mentions some of the challenges for the library as the nature of the legal profession has altered, not least those presented recently by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Making the Case for Law Tech
Authors: Kearney Janet
Published: February 2022

As the concept of a ‘practice-ready’ attorney continues to grow in both law firms and law schools, law school libraries are meeting this need by offering programming related to legal technology. In this article, a law librarian from the United States, Janet Kearney, discusses their successes and failures in creating and maintaining legal technology programming, a first step in a larger conversation on practice-ready law graduates. The article is based on a June 2021 presentation given at the annual conference of the British and Irish Association of Law Librarians.
Emerging Legal Informatics Towards Legal Innovation: Current Status and Future Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Sharma Sugam , Gamoura Samia , Prasad Deva , Aneja Arti
Published: February 2022

In recent years, the legal informatics area has slowly begun to develop as artificial intelligence and its related techniques and technologies expand their reach in the field of law. The legal, computational and data science communities are collaborating to build computational and data-driven innovative legal models to improve and advance all aspects of the existing legal system with the effective use of modern computer technologies such as machine learning, deep learning and natural language processing. In this research paper, the authors - Sugam Sharma, Samia Gamoura, Deva Prasad and Arti Aneja - explore these important factors with the potential to transform the existing approach to jurisprudence into a smart and intelligent legal system utilising automation. Such a justice system could be envisioned, in the near future which would be faster, fairer and economically more feasible, even for the highly marginalized, underprivileged and poor societies in the world.
Kombiniertes Aufmerksamkeits- und Schreibtraining bei Förderschulkindern
Authors: Keller Eva R. , Brunstein Joachim C.
Published: February 2022

Zusammenfassung. Hintergrund: Schulkinder mit Aufmerksamkeitsproblemen und Defiziten in Selbstregulationskompetenzen sind besonders gefährdet, Schreibschwierigkeiten zu entwickeln. Diese Defizite beeinträchtigen ein planvolles und reflexives Vorgehen im Schreibprozess. Möglicherweise profitieren diese Kinder stärker von einem strategiebasierten Schreibförderprogramm, wenn vorgeschaltet die Aufmerksamkeits- und Selbstregulationskompetenz geschult wird. Methode: In einer Stichprobe von 38 Fünft- und Sechstklässlern mit sozial-emotionalem Förderschwerpunkt kombinierten wir das Selbstregulatorische Aufsatztraining (SAT) von Glaser und Palm (2014) mit einem vorgeschalteten Aufmerksamkeitstraining. Hierdurch prüften wir, ob (a) das SAT bei dieser Zielgruppe die Schreibleistung verbessern kann und (b) die Wirksamkeit durch ein vorgeschaltetes Aufmerksamkeitstraining gesteigert werden kann. Drei Bedingungen wurden miteinander verglichen: Aufmerksamkeitsförderung plus SAT, SAT allein und eine untrainierte Wartekontrollgruppe. Ergebnisse: Kinder, die das Aufmerksamkeitstraining erhalten hatten, erbrachten daran anschließend keine besseren Aufmerksamkeitsleistungen als untrainierte Kinder. Unabhängig davon, ob vor dem Schreibtraining das Aufmerksamkeitstraining durchgeführt worden war, übertrafen die mit dem SAT trainierten Kinder die untrainierten Kinder der Wartekontrollgruppe in multiplen Kriterien der Textproduktion. Diskussion: Das SAT erwies sich unabhängig einer vorgeschalteten Aufmerksamkeitsförderung als effektiv, um die Schreibleistung von Kindern mit Aufmerksamkeits- und Verhaltensproblemen zu fördern.
Missing Climate Feedbacks in Fire Models: Limitations and Uncertainties in Fuel Loadings and the Role of Decomposition in Fine Fuel Accumulation
Authors: Hanan Erin J. , Kennedy Maureen C. , Ren Jianning , Johnson Morris C. , Smith Alistair M. S.
Published: February 2022

Climate change has lengthened wildfire seasons and transformed fire regimes throughout the world. Thus, capturing fuel and fire dynamics is critical for projecting Earth system processes in warmer and drier future. Recent advances in fire regime modeling have linked land surface models with fire behavior models. Such models often rely on fine surface fuels to drive fire behavior and effects, and while many models can simulate processes that control how these fuels change through time (i.e., fine fuel accumulation), fuel loading estimates remain highly uncertain, largely due to uncertainties in the algorithms controlling decomposition. Uncertainties are often amplified in climate change forecasts when initial conditions and feedbacks are not well represented. The goal of this review is to highlight fine fuel decomposition as a key uncertainty in model systems. We review the current understanding of mechanisms controlling decomposition, describe how they are incorporated into models, and evaluate the uncertainties associated with different approaches. We also use three state‐of‐the‐art land surface fire regime models to demonstrate the sensitivity of decomposition and subsequent wildfire projections to both parameter and model structure uncertainty and show that sensitivity can increase substantially under future climate warming. Given that many of the governing decomposition equations are based on individual case studies from a single location, and because key parameters are often hard coded, critical uncertainties are currently ignored. It is essential to be transparent about these uncertainties as the domain of land surface models is expanded to include the evaluation of future wildfire regimes.
Dependence of Rain Drop Size Distribution Parameters on Atmospheric Instability Over a Tropical Location Near the Land‐Sea Boundary
Authors: Saha Pallabi , Rakshit Gargi , Maitra Animesh
Published: February 2022

The role of atmospheric instability, expressed by Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE), in determining raindrop size distribution (DSD) parameters have been investigated over an urban tropical location, Kolkata (22.57°N and 88.37°E), India, near the land‐sea boundary. DSD measurements obtained from a ground‐based disdrometer during both pre‐monsoon (March‐May) and monsoon periods (June‐September) have been used in conjunction with CAPE from ERA‐5 data from 2014 to 2018. Based on collocated observations from a K‐band Doppler micro rain radar, rain events are classified as convective or stratiform. The study has shown that enhanced CAPE values significantly influence DSD parameters by increasing mass‐weighted mean diameter (Dm) during convective rain, but it does not impact directly during stratiform rain. For stratiform rain events, the melting layer becomes a significant factor in determining Dm, which decreases with increasing melting layer height. Convective rain exhibits a bimodal DSD pattern for higher CAPE values, while stratiform rain shows a unimodal DSD feature. The present study location provides a unique opportunity to study the combined influences of air mass flows from the hot land region in Chotanagpur plateau and from the sea region of the Bay of Bengal on precipitation features. The investigation reveals the dominance of continental activities during convective precipitation and of maritime airflows on stratiform rain events, which is more visible during the pre‐monsoon season compared to the monsoon period. For the first time, the dual control of CAPE and melting layer on drop size distributions has been demonstrated for convective and stratiform rain events.
A model to quantify the influence of treatment patterns and optimize outcomes in nAMD
Authors: Ziemssen Focke , Agostini Hansjürgen , Feltgen Nicolas , Finger Robert P. , Haritoglou Christos , Hoerauf Hans , Iwersen Matthias , Porstner Martina , Clemens Andreas , Gmeiner Benjamin
Published: February 2022

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) is a progressive retinal disease that often leads to severe and permanent vision loss. Early initiation of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy has been shown to preserve vision in nAMD patients. Concurrently, treatment outcomes in real-world are inferior to those reported in clinical trials. The most likely reasons observed are fewer treatment-intensity in routine clinical practice than in clinical trials. The other possibility could be the delay in starting treatment and the re-treatment interval. Although a negative impact of aforementioned parameters seems obvious, quantitative impact measures remain elusive in a real-world setting due to a lack of an ‘optimal treatment’ control group. To overcome this shortcoming, we developed, validated, and applied a model to assess and quantify the impact of anti-VEGF administration variables on visual acuity development in a prospective nAMD patient cohort. The model was further applied to probe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on visual progressions in nAMD patients. The presented model paves the way to systematically explore and evaluate realistic interventions in the current treatment paradigm, that can be adopted in routine clinical care.
High-contrast, speckle-free, true 3D holography via binary CGH optimization
Authors: Lee Byounghyo , Kim Dongyeon , Lee Seungjae , Chen Chun , Lee Byoungho
Published: February 2022

Holography is a promising approach to implement the three-dimensional (3D) projection beyond the present two-dimensional technology. True 3D holography requires abilities of arbitrary 3D volume projection with high-axial resolution and independent control of all 3D voxels. However, it has been challenging to implement the true 3D holography with high-reconstruction quality due to the speckle. Here, we propose the practical solution to realize speckle-free, high-contrast, true 3D holography by combining random-phase, temporal multiplexing, binary holography, and binary optimization. We adopt the random phase for the true 3D implementation to achieve the maximum axial resolution with fully independent control of the 3D voxels. We develop the high-performance binary hologram optimization framework to minimize the binary quantization noise, which provides accurate and high-contrast reconstructions for 2D as well as 3D cases. Utilizing the fast operation of binary modulation, the full-color high-framerate holographic video projection is realized while the speckle noise of random phase is overcome by temporal multiplexing. Our high-quality true 3D holography is experimentally verified by projecting multiple arbitrary dense images simultaneously. The proposed method can be adopted in various applications of holography, where we show additional demonstration that realistic true 3D hologram in VR and AR near-eye displays. The realization will open a new path towards the next generation of holography.
A shift in circulating rotaviral genotypes among hospitalized neonates
Authors: Reju Sudhabharathi , Srikanth Padma , Selvarajan Sribal , Thomas Reuben Kuruvilla , Barani Ramya , Amboiram Prakash , Palani Gunasekaran , Kang Gagandeep
Published: February 2022

In neonates, rotavirus (RV) infection is generally nosocomial. The control of rotaviral infection within hospital settings is challenging due to prolonged shedding of the virus and contamination of the surrounding environment. There are few studies that have reported asymptomatic infection within neonates. In this study, neonates were screened for RV infection and possible clinical manifestations that may play a role in RV acquisition were analysed. Stool samples were collected from 523 hospitalized neonates admitted for > 48 h in a low-cost and higher-cost tertiary centre. RV antigen was screened using ELISA and the samples which tested positive were confirmed by semi-nested RT-PCR. RV was detected in 34% of participants and genotypes identified included G12P[11] (44.4%), G10 P[11] (42.6%), G10G12P[11] (10.1%) and G3P[8] (2.9%). ICU admissions were associated with higher viral shedding (p < 0.05). Hospitalization in the low-cost facility ICU was associated with higher RV acquisition risk (p < 0.05). RV was detected in higher rates (36.9%) among neonates with gastrointestinal manifestations. G10P[11] was the predominant genotype for several years (1988–2016) among neonates within India. The preponderance of an emerging G12P[11] genotype and heterotypic distribution was documented. RV surveillance is important to identify emerging strains and establish the road ahead in managing RV infection.
Hepatic enzymes and immunoinflammatory response to Bio-C Temp bioceramic intracanal medication implanted into the subcutaneous tissue of rats
Authors: Lopes Camila Soares , Delfino Mateus Machado , Tanomaru-Filho Mário , Sasso-Cerri Estela , Guerreiro-Tanomaru Juliane Maria , Cerri Paulo Sérgio
Published: February 2022

Our purpose was to evaluate the biocompatibility and hepatotoxicity of a new bioceramic intracanal medicament, Bio-C Temp (BIO). The biological properties of BIO were compared with calcium hydroxide-based intracanal medicament (Calen; CAL), used as gold pattern. Polyethylene tubes filled with BIO or CAL, and empty tubes (control group, CG) were implanted into subcutaneous tissue of rats. After 7, 15, 30 and 60 days, the samples were embedded in paraffin for morphological, quantitative and immunohistochemistry analyses. At 7 and 60 days, blood samples were collected for analysis of serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT) levels. The data were submitted to two-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test (p ≤ 0.05). No significant difference was detected in serum GOT and GPT levels among BIO, CAL and CG specimens. In all periods, BIO specimens exhibited lower number of inflammatory cells and immunoexpression of IL-6, a pro-inflammatory cytokine, than CAL specimens. The reduction of these parameters was accompanied by significant increase in the collagen content and in the immunoexpression of IL-10, a cytokine involved in the tissue repair, over time. Our findings indicate that Bio-C Temp is biocompatible and had no hepatotoxicity effect.
Soil fungal communities affect the chemical quality of flue-cured tobacco leaves in Bijie, Southwest China
Authors: Wang Mei , Zhang Long , He Yi , Huang Lukuan , Liu Lei , Chen Dan , Shan Anqi , Feng Ying , Yang Xiaoe
Published: February 2022

Soil microorganisms could affect the quality of tobacco leaves, however, little is known about the association of tobacco chemical components and soil fungal communities. In the present study, the relationship between soil fungi and tobacco quality based on chemical components in Bijie was investigated. The results showed that the total harmony scores (THS) of the analyzed tobacco leaves ranged from 46.55 ± 3.5 to 91.55 ± 2.25. Analyses of chemical components revealed that high contents of nicotine (≥ 1.06%) and sugar (total sugar: ≥ 22.96%, reducing sugar: ≥ 19.62%), as well as low potassium level (≤ 2.68%) were the main factors limiting the quality of flue-cured tobacco leaves. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that soil nitrate, available potassium/phosphorous, and organic matter significantly correlated with tobacco nicotine, potassium, and chloride levels (p < 0.05). Besides, the analysis of alpha- and beta-diversity of soil fungal communities implied that fungal structure rather than the richness affected the chemical quality of tobacco. In detail, the relative abundance of Humicola olivacea species in soils was positively correlated with the THS of tobaccos (r = 0.52, p < 0.05). Moreover, the species including Mortierella alpina, Mortierella hyalina, Tausonia pullulan, and Humicola olivacea were negatively correlated with tobacco sugar (r ≤  − 0.45, p < 0.05) while, Codinaea acaciae and Saitozyma podzolica species were negatively correlated with tobacco nicotine (r ≤  − 0.51, p < 0.05). The present study provides a preliminary basis for utilizing fungal species in soils to improve the chemical quality of tobacco in the studied area.
Classification of ischemia from myocardial polar maps in 15O–H2O cardiac perfusion imaging using a convolutional neural network
Authors: Teuho Jarmo , Schultz Jussi , Klén Riku , Knuuti Juhani , Saraste Antti , Ono Naoaki , Kanaya Shigehiko
Published: February 2022

We implemented a two-dimensional convolutional neural network (CNN) for classification of polar maps extracted from Carimas (Turku PET Centre, Finland) software used for myocardial perfusion analysis. 138 polar maps from 15O–H2O stress perfusion study in JPEG format from patients classified as ischemic or non-ischemic based on finding obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) on invasive coronary artery angiography were used. The CNN was evaluated against the clinical interpretation. The classification accuracy was evaluated with: accuracy (ACC), area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), F1 score (F1S), sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE) and precision (PRE). The CNN had a median ACC of 0.8261, AUC of 0.8058, F1S of 0.7647, SEN of 0.6500, SPE of 0.9615 and PRE of 0.9286. In comparison, clinical interpretation had ACC of 0.8696, AUC of 0.8558, F1S of 0.8333, SEN of 0.7500, SPE of 0.9615 and PRE of 0.9375. The CNN classified only 2 cases differently than the clinical interpretation. The clinical interpretation and CNN had similar accuracy in classifying false positives and true negatives. Classification of ischemia is feasible in 15O–H2O stress perfusion imaging using JPEG polar maps alone with a custom CNN and may be useful for the detection of obstructive CAD.
Investigation of discordant SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR results using minimally processed saliva
Authors: White Dawn , Gu Jimmy , Steinberg Catherine-Jean , Yamamura Deborah , Salena Bruno J. , Balion Cynthia , Filipe Carlos D. M. , Capretta Alfredo , Li Yingfu , Brennan John D.
Published: February 2022

Saliva is an attractive sample for coronavirus disease 2019 testing due its ease of collection and amenability to detect viral RNA with minimal processing. Using a direct-to-RT-PCR method with saliva self-collected from confirmed COVID-19 positive volunteers, we observed 32% false negative results. Confirmed negative and healthy volunteer samples spiked with 106 genome copies/mL of heat-inactivated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 showed false negative results of 10% and 13%, respectively. Additional sample heating or dilution of the false negative samples conferred only modest improvements. These results highlight the potential to significantly underdiagnose COVID-19 infections when testing directly from minimally processed heterogeneous saliva samples.
Central Mongolian lake sediments reveal new insights on climate change and equestrian empires in the Eastern Steppes
Authors: Struck Julian , Bliedtner Marcel , Strobel Paul , Taylor William , Biskop Sophie , Plessen Birgit , Klaes Björn , Bittner Lucas , Jamsranjav Bayarsaikhan , Salazar Gary , Szidat Sönke , Brenning Alexander , Bazarradnaa Enkhtuya , Glaser Bruno , Zech Michael , Zech Roland
Published: February 2022

The repeated expansion of East Asian steppe cultures was a key driver of Eurasian history, forging new social, economic, and biological links across the continent. Climate has been suggested as important driver of these poorly understood cultural expansions, but paleoclimate records from the Mongolian Plateau often suffer from poor age control or ambiguous proxy interpretation. Here, we use a combination of geochemical analyses and comprehensive radiocarbon dating to establish the first robust and detailed record of paleohydrological conditions for Lake Telmen, Mongolia, covering the past ~ 4000 years. Our record shows that humid conditions coincided with solar minima, and hydrological modeling confirms the high sensitivity of the lake to paleoclimate changes. Careful comparisons with archaeological and historical records suggest that in the vast semi-arid grasslands of eastern Eurasia, solar minima led to reduced temperatures, less evaporation, and high biomass production, expanding the power base for pastoral economies and horse cavalry. Our findings suggest a crucial link between temperature dynamics in the Eastern Steppe and key social developments, such as the emergence of pastoral empires, and fuel concerns that global warming enhances water scarcity in the semi-arid regions of interior Eurasia.
Evaluation of white sandstone mechanical behaviour and the energy evolution of prepeak unloading damage
Authors: Liang Zhonghao , Yu Zhuoqun , Guo Longren , Huang Sa , Qin Nan , Wen Zhijie
Published: February 2022

Deep high-stress roadway excavation under unloading disturbance inevitably leads to damage deterioration of the surrounding rock, which poses a serious threat to its stability. To explore the energy characteristics of white sandstone damaged by peak front unloading, uniaxial compression tests were conducted on damaged rock samples. The results show that the peak strength and modulus of elasticity of the rock sample gradually decrease with increasing damage degrees. The external work input energy, releasable elastic strain energy and dissipation energy all decreased with increasing damage. Damage evolution curves and equations of the rock samples were obtained based on the damage instantiation model established by the principle of energy dissipation and release. The effects of unloading damage on the fracture characteristics of the rock samples were analysed from both macro and microscopic viewpoints, and the results showed that a micro fracture in the rock is transformed from brittle–ductile damage, while macroscopic damage occurs in the form of a "shear"-"splitting"-"mixed shear-splitting" damage process. This paper has certain research and reference value for understanding the damage evolution characteristics of rocks with peak front unloading damage.
MqsR toxin as a biotechnological tool for plant pathogen bacterial control
Authors: de Souza-Neto Reinaldo Rodrigues , Carvalho Isis Gabriela Barbosa , Martins Paula Maria Moreira , Picchi Simone Cristina , Tomaz Juarez Pires , Caserta Raquel , Takita Marco Aurélio , de Souza Alessandra Alves
Published: February 2022

Type II toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are widespread in bacteria and are involved in important cell features, such as cell growth inhibition and antimicrobial tolerance, through the induction of persister cells. Overall, these characteristics are associated with bacterial survival under stress conditions and represent a significant genetic mechanism to be explored for antibacterial molecules. We verified that even though Xylella fastidiosa and Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri share closely related genomes, they have different Type II TA system contents. One important difference is the absence of mqsRA in X. citri. The toxin component of this TA system has been shown to inhibit the growth of X. fastidiosa. Thus, the absence of mqsRA in X. citri led us to explore the possibility of using the MqsR toxin to impair X. citri growth. We purified MqsR and confirmed that the toxin was able to inhibit X. citri. Subsequently, transgenic citrus plants producing MqsR showed a significant reduction in citrus canker and citrus variegated chlorosis symptoms caused, respectively, by X. citri and X. fastidiosa. This study demonstrates that the use of toxins from TA systems is a promising strategy to be explored aiming bacterial control.
Dynamic personalized risk prediction in chronic heart failure patients: a longitudinal, clinical investigation of 92 biomarkers (Bio-SHiFT study)
Authors: Klimczak-Tomaniak Dominika , de Bakker Marie , Bouwens Elke , Akkerhuis K. Martijn , Baart Sara , Rizopoulos Dimitris , Mouthaan Henk , van Ramshorst Jan , Germans Tjeerd , Constantinescu Alina , Manintveld Olivier , Umans Victor , Boersma Eric , Kardys Isabella
Published: February 2022

The aim of our observational study was to derive a small set out of 92 repeatedly measured biomarkers with optimal predictive capacity for adverse clinical events in heart failure, which could be used for dynamic, individual risk assessment in clinical practice. In 250 chronic HFrEF (CHF) patients, we collected trimonthly blood samples during a median of 2.2 years. We selected 537 samples for repeated measurement of 92 biomarkers with the Cardiovascular Panel III (Olink Proteomics AB). We applied Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) penalization to select the optimal set of predictors of the primary endpoint (PE). The association between repeatedly measured levels of selected biomarkers and the PE was evaluated by multivariable joint models (mvJM) with stratified fivefold cross validation of the area under the curve (cvAUC). The PE occurred in 66(27%) patients. The optimal set of biomarkers selected by LASSO included 9 proteins: NT-proBNP, ST2, vWF, FABP4, IGFBP-1, PAI-1, PON-3, transferrin receptor protein-1, and chitotriosidase-1, that yielded a cvAUC of 0.88, outperforming the discriminative ability of models consisting of standard biomarkers (NT-proBNP, hs-TnT, eGFR clinically adjusted) − 0.82 and performing equally well as an extended literature-based set of acknowledged biomarkers (NT-proBNP, hs-TnT, hs-CRP, GDF-15, ST2, PAI-1, Galectin 3) − 0.88. Nine out of 92 serially measured circulating proteins provided a multivariable model for adverse clinical events in CHF patients with high discriminative ability. These proteins reflect wall stress, remodelling, endothelial dysfunction, iron deficiency, haemostasis/fibrinolysis and innate immunity activation. A panel containing these proteins could contribute to dynamic, personalized risk assessment.

Clinical Trial Registration: 10/05/2013 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01851538?term=nCT01851538&draw=2&rank=1.