bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Congressional nominations and party emergence, 1788–1808
Authors: Gooch Aric Dale , Dow Jay
Published: September 2021

Objective

We study the development of nomination procedures for congressional elections by the Democratic‐Republican and Federalist parties in the first party era (1788–1808).

Methods

Our study rests on primary source evidence from congressional elections contested in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.

Results

We demonstrate that in these states, party nominations drew popular involvement, a wide pool of potential nominees, selected among them according to well‐understood rules and norms, and subsequently focused electoral supporters on the nominated candidates.

Conclusion

The existence of structured nominations has significant implications for U.S. party development. Most importantly, it suggests the Democratic‐Republican and Federalist parties were more institutionalized than previously thought. To the extent that organization capacity is a key marker in party development, this suggests that the early American parties were more developed than is generally recognized.
Auditory memory for random time patterns in cochlear implant listeners
Authors: Kang HiJee , Macherey Olivier , Roman Stéphane , Pressnitzer Daniel
Published: September 2021

Learning about new sounds is essential for cochlear-implant and normal-hearing listeners alike, with the additional challenge for implant listeners that spectral resolution is severely degraded. Here, a task measuring the rapid learning of slow or fast stochastic temporal sequences [Kang, Agus, and Pressnitzer (2017). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 142, 2219–2232] was performed by cochlear-implant (N = 10) and normal-hearing (N = 9) listeners, using electric or acoustic pulse sequences, respectively. Rapid perceptual learning was observed for both groups, with highly similar characteristics. Moreover, for cochlear-implant listeners, an additional condition tested ultra-fast electric pulse sequences that would be impossible to represent temporally when presented acoustically. This condition also demonstrated learning. Overall, the results suggest that cochlear-implant listeners have access to the neural plasticity mechanisms needed for the rapid perceptual learning of complex temporal sequences.
Aeroacoustic prediction for cooling fan using convolution quadrature boundary element method
Authors: Gu Xinzhong , Yao Jia
Published: September 2021

A computational method to predict the aeroacoustic sound produced by the interaction between fluid and moving body is developed, then applied to the problem of aerodynamic noise radiation from an engine cooling fan. The flow field is computed using the viscous vortex method with a simplified diffusion algorithm, followed by a noise sources extraction within the turbulent region, based on the vortex sound model. Then, the sound field is determined using a Convolution Quadrature Boundary Element Method, accounting for the scattering effect from solid surface. With the help of Convolution Quadrature Method, time-stepping Boundary Element procedure can be established circumventing the requisite for time-dependent fundamental solution. Fast Multipole Method is also adopted to improve computational efficiency. It is found that the results of flow field calculation are close to those obtained from measurement. The predicted noise levels at the microphone position are in qualitative agreement with the measured. The comparison of computation time also shows that the proposed method can effectively predict the fluid-blade interaction noise.
The sardine run in southeastern Africa is a mass migration into an ecological trap
Authors: Teske Peter R. , Emami-Khoyi Arsalan , Golla Tirupathi R. , Sandoval-Castillo Jonathan , Lamont Tarron , Chiazzari Brent , McQuaid Christopher D. , Beheregaray Luciano B. , van der Lingen Carl D.
Published: September 2021

Upwelling triggers a mass migration of sardines into an ecological trap.
Microcellular sensing media with ternary transparency states for fast and intuitive identification of unknown liquids
Authors: Song Kyeong Min , Kim Shinho , Kang Sungmin , Nam Tae Won , Kim Geon Yeong , Lim Hunhee , Cho Eugene N. , Kim Kwang Ho , Kwon Se Hun , Jang Min Seok , Jung Yeon Sik
Published: September 2021

A highly responsive transparency-switching medium is designed for rapid and easy-to-use identification of diverse liquids.
Social prediction modulates activity of macaque superior temporal cortex
Authors: Roumazeilles Lea , Schurz Matthias , Lojkiewiez Mathilde , Verhagen Lennart , Schüffelgen Urs , Marche Kevin , Mahmoodi Ali , Emberton Andrew , Simpson Kelly , Joly Olivier , Khamassi Mehdi , Rushworth Matthew F. S. , Mars Rogier B. , Sallet Jérôme
Published: September 2021

The macaque middle superior temporal sulcus shares functional properties with the human temporoparietal junction supporting mentalizing.
Neuron class–specific responses govern adaptive myelin remodeling in the neocortex
Authors: Yang Sung Min , Michel Katrin , Jokhi Vahbiz , Nedivi Elly , Arlotta Paola
Published: September 2021

Cellular effects of visual deprivation

Myelination speeds the progress of action potentials along neuronal axons. Yang
et al.
studied changes in myelination in the mouse visual cortex in response to visual experience (see the Perspective by Yalçin and Monje). With normal vision, myelination is continuously remodeled. As ocular dominance shifts in response to monocular deprivation, myelination patterns change on certain inhibitory interneurons but not on excitatory callosal projection neurons. Myelin sheaths are both added and subtracted, segments of myelin elongate and contract, and preexisting oligodendrocytes make new myelin sheaths. This adaptive myelination helps to diversify neuronal function and remodel neuronal circuits in response to sensory experience.

Science
, this issue p.
eabd2109
; see also p.
1414
Perfect adaptation of CD8
+
T cell responses to constant antigen input over a wide range of affinities is overcome by costimulation
Authors: Trendel Nicola , Kruger Philipp , Gaglione Stephanie , Nguyen John , Pettmann Johannes , Sontag Eduardo D. , Dushek Omer
Published: September 2021

Reduced T cell responses by contrast antigen stimulation can be rescued by signals from costimulatory receptors.
Evaluation of Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Methods for Burkholderia cenocepacia and Burkholderia multivorans Isolates from Cystic Fibrosis Patients
Authors: Huse Holly K. , Lee Mark J. , Wootton Mandy , Sharp Susan E. , Traczewski Maria , LiPuma John J. , Jorth Peter
Published: September 2021

The
Burkholderia cepacia
complex (BCC) is known for causing serious lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). These infections can require lung transplantation, eligibility for which may be guided by antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST).
Genomic Epidemiology and Strain Taxonomy of
Corynebacterium diphtheriae
Authors: Guglielmini Julien , Hennart Melanie , Badell Edgar , Toubiana Julie , Criscuolo Alexis , Brisse Sylvain
Published: September 2021

Corynebacterium diphtheriae
is highly transmissible and can cause large diphtheria outbreaks where vaccination coverage is insufficient. Sporadic cases or small clusters are observed in high-vaccination settings.
Characterization of Enteric Disease in Children by Use of a Low-Cost Specimen Preservation Method
Authors: Debes Amanda K. , Xiao Shaoming , Liu Jie , Shaffer Allison , Scalzo Paul , Guenou Etienne , Beyala Landry , Pascal Goura Andre , Chebe Anthony Njimbia , Tchio-Nighie Hirma , Sonia Nafack Sonkeng , Ram Malathi , Sack David A. , Ateudjieu Jerome
Published: September 2021

Diarrhea is a leading cause of death in children under five. Molecular methods exist for the rapid detection of enteric pathogens; however, the logistical costs of storing stool specimens limit applicability.
Collaboration of a Detrimental HLA-B*35:01 Allele with HLA-A*24:02 in Coevolution of HIV-1 with T Cells Leading to Poorer Clinical Outcomes
Authors: Kuse Nozomi , Murakoshi Hayato , Akahoshi Tomohiro , Chikata Takayuki , James Katherine L. , Gatanaga Hiroyuki , Rowland-Jones Sarah L. , Oka Shinichi , Takiguchi Masafumi
Published: September 2021

HIV-1 escape mutations are selected under pressure from HIV-1-specific CD8
+
T cells. Accumulation of these mutations in circulating viruses impairs the control of HIV-1 by HIV-1-specific T cells.
Viability-Resolved Metagenomics Reveals Antagonistic Colonization Dynamics of Staphylococcus epidermidis Strains on Preterm Infant Skin
Authors: Hellmann K. Taylor , Tuura Carly E. , Fish James , Patel Jaimin M. , Robinson D. Ashley
Published: September 2021

The skin is a habitat for microbes that commonly infect preterm infants, but the use of sequencing for fine-scale study of the microbial communities of skin that develop in these infants has been limited by technical barriers. We treated skin swabs of preterm infants with a photoreactive dye that eliminates DNA from nonviable microbes and then sequenced the remaining DNA.
Aspects of the Neurospora crassa Sulfur Starvation Response Are Revealed by Transcriptional Profiling and DNA Affinity Purification Sequencing
Authors: Huberman Lori B. , Wu Vincent W. , Lee Juna , Daum Chris , O’Malley Ronan C. , Glass N. Louise
Published: September 2021

Identification of nutrients present in the environment is a challenge common to all organisms. Sulfur is an important nutrient source found in proteins, lipids, and electron carriers that are required for the survival of filamentous fungi such as
Neurospora crassa
.
Lower Incidence of Parvovirus-B19 Infections in Dutch Blood Donors during SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic
Authors: Molenaar-de Backer M. W. , Hogema B. M. , Koppelman M. H. , van de Laar T. J. , Slot E. , Zaaijer H. L.
Published: September 2021

During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, several studies reported a lower incidence of respiratory infections other than COVID-19 compared to previous years, but bias due to changes in uptake and capacity of non-COVID care cannot be excluded. The routine screening of Dutch blood donors remained unchanged during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and showed a significant reduction of silent parvovirus B19 (B19V) infections from 4.0/100,000 donations in 2013 to 2019 to 0.6/100,000 donations in 2020 and 0.0/100,000 donations in first 6 months of 2021.
Epidemiological Analysis of Salmonella enterica subsp.
enterica
Serovar Dublin in German Cattle Herds Using Whole-Genome Sequencing
Authors: García-Soto Silvia , Tomaso Herbert , Linde Jörg , Methner Ulrich
Published: September 2021

Salmonella enterica
subsp.
enterica
serovar Dublin is a bovine host-adapted serovar that causes up to 50% of all registered outbreaks of salmonellosis in cattle in Germany.
S.
Dublin is not detected or is only rarely detected in some federal states but has been endemic in certain regions of the country for a long time. Information on genetic traits of the causative strains is essential to determine routes of infection.
Diverse Host Immune Responses of Different Geographical Populations of the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle to Oryctes Rhinoceros Nudivirus (OrNV) Infection
Authors: Etebari Kayvan , Gharuka Maria , Asgari Sassan , Furlong Michael J.
Published: September 2021

Oryctes rhinoceros nudivirus (OrNV) is a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) virus which has been used as a biocontrol agent to suppress coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) in the Pacific Islands. Recently a new wave of CRB incursions in Oceania is thought to be related to the presence of low-virulence isolates of OrNV or virus-tolerant haplotypes of beetles (CRB-G).
A Simplified Method for CRISPR-Cas9 Engineering of Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Sachla Ankita J. , Alfonso Alexander J. , Helmann John D.
Published: September 2021

Bacillus subtilis
is a well-characterized Gram-positive model organism and a popular platform for biotechnology. Although many different CRISPR-based genome editing strategies have been developed for
B. subtilis
, they generally involve the design and cloning of a specific guide RNA (gRNA) and repair template for each application.
Antibody response and self-reported adverse reactions following vaccination with Comirnaty: a pilot study from a Croatian university hospital
Authors: Lapić Ivana , Rogić Dunja , Šegulja Dragana , Zaninović Ljiljana
Published: September 2021

This study aimed to determine antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) after both BioNTech–Pfizer Comirnaty vaccine doses and study the correlation with self-perceived adverse reactions. Antibodies determination with Elecsys anti-SARS-CoV-2 S assay was performed a day prior to or just before administration of the second dose and 8–13 days after the second dose. Participants selected from a predefined list of the experienced local (injection site reactions) and/or systemic (fatigue, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, chills and fever) post-vaccination adverse reactions. An average 100-fold increase in antibody titre in naive vaccinees was observed between the two time points (median 67 U/mL vs 2841 U/mL, p<0.001). Participants aged below 50 had higher antibody titres (median 99 U/mL vs 26 U/mL, p=0.003 after the first dose; median 3617 U/mL vs 2556 U/mL, p=0.026 after the second dose). All reported adverse reactions were mild-to-moderate, with more participants declaring systemic reactions after the second dose (p=0.001), without a clear correlation with antibody titre.
Diagnostic significance of IgG and albumin indices versus oligoclonal band types in demyelinating disorders
Authors: Belimezi Maria , Kalliaropoulos Antonios , Mentis Alexios-Fotios A , Chrousos George P
Published: September 2021

Aims

The laboratory diagnosis of demyelinating inflammatory disorders (DIDs) relies on both intrathecal oligoclonal band (OCB) positivity and IgG index. Although OCB typing remains the gold-standard test for DIDs, it can be laborious and ambiguous, complicating diagnostics, and unduly increasing diagnostic time. We examined whether serum or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) parameters can classify OCB types and, thus, be used as a replacement test to standard OCB typing.

Methods

We retrospectively analysed >1000 prospectively collected samples of patients with DIDs and quantified albumin and IgG levels in the CSF and serum. We determined OCB types by isoelectric focusing combined with immunofixation and evaluated the diagnostic accuracies of IgG and albumin indices in discriminating OCB types by receiver operating characteristic curves and multinomial regression.

Results

An IgG index cut-off of 0.589 differentiated types 2/3 from types 1/4 (area under the curve 0.780, 95% CI 0.761 to 0.812, p<0.001; specificity: 71.10%, sensitivity: 73.45%). Albumin quotient cut-off values of 6.625 and of 6.707 discriminated type 1 from type 4 and type 2 from type 3, respectively (specificity: <55%, sensitivity: <75%). Female sex, age, IgG index, CSF IgG and serum albumin were associated with different OCB types.

Conclusions

Our study reveals that IgG and albumin index can differentiate OCB types with adequate accuracy, especially if refined by age and gender.
Age—not sex or gender—makes the case of Ellie Anderson Complex
Authors: Lanphier Elizabeth , Fyfe Shannon
Published: September 2021

In ‘The Complex Case of Ellie Anderson’, Joona Rasanen and Anna Smajdor raise several ethical questions about the case. One question asks, but does not answer, whether Ellie faced discrimination for being transgender when her mother was not allowed access to Ellie’s sperm following her death. In raising the question, the authors imply anti-trans bias may have influenced this determination. However, this inference is not supported by current ethical and legal guidance for posthumous use of gametes, with which Ellie’s case is consistent. We consider the authors’ responses to their other ethical queries, and how their suggestions for what options might have been available to Ellie and her family are instructive for addressing attempts in the USA and UK to restrict minors’ access to gender-affirming medical treatment, including puberty-blocking therapy.
Watson, autonomy and value flexibility: revisiting the debate
Authors: Debrabander Jasper , Mertes Heidi
Published: September 2021

Many ethical concerns have been voiced about Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSSs). Special attention has been paid to the effect of CDSSs on autonomy, responsibility, fairness and transparency. This journal has featured a discussion between Rosalind McDougall and Ezio Di Nucci that focused on the impact of IBM’s Watson for Oncology (Watson) on autonomy. The present article elaborates on this discussion in three ways. First, using Jonathan Pugh’s account of rational autonomy we show that how Watson presents its results might impact decisional autonomy, while how Watson produces knowledge might affect practical autonomy. Second, by drawing an analogy with patient decision aids we identify an empirical way of estimating Watson’s impact on autonomy (ie, value-congruence). Lastly, McDougall introduced the notion of value-flexible design as a way to account for the diverging preferences patients hold. We will clarify its relation with the established domain of value-sensitive design. In terms of the tripartite methodology of value-sensitive design, we offer aconceptualclarification using Pugh’s account of rational autonomy, anempiricaltool to evaluate Watson’s impact on autonomy and situate a group oftechnicaloptions to incorporate autonomy in Watson’s design.
Effects of the Brazilian tax reform plans on the tobacco market
Authors: Divino Jose Angelo , Ehrl Philipp , Candido Osvaldo , Valadao Marcos Aurelio Pereira
Published: September 2021

Background

There has been an intense debate in the Brazilian National Congress on how to reform the country’s tax system on consumption. This paper investigates the effects of the tax reform under the Constitutional Amendment Bill 45/2019 on cigarette prices, consumption and tax collection. The reform will introduce a new goods and services tax (GST) and tobacco excise tax (TET).

Methods

The micro data from the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD) of 2008 and the National Health Survey (PNS) of 2013 are inputs in the simulation in order to determine the smoking behaviour and consumer responses to price changes as accurately as possible across the different Brazilian states. We developed three scenarios for the tobacco tax reform and their effects on cigarette prices, smoking behaviour and tax collection. We also estimate the size of the illicit cigarette market by Brazilian state and simulate the impacts of a 10% reduction in its market share.

Findings

Overall, we found that a GST of 27% and a TET of either 51%, 56% or specific 3.89 BRL per pack would lead to considerably higher cigarette prices, lower cigarette consumption and, above all, an increase of cigarette tax collection between 8% and 27% depending on the state. A discretionary 10% reduction in the illicit market would add about 8.5% of extra tax collection per year to the country.

Conclusions

The simulated scenarios demonstrated that, to keep the cigarette prices at least at the same level as those in the current tax scheme, TET should be no less than 77.85% of the retail price. This means that any politically feasible tax reform should result in higher cigarette prices and a reduction in cigarette consumption. Considering the nationwide effect, in all scenarios, the total increase in tobacco tax revenue is around 8.5% or 1.5 billion BRL per year. This extra revenue is highly desirable in an environment of chronic fiscal imbalance and the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
Approaches and research needs for advancing the protection and recovery of imperilled freshwater fishes and mussels in Canada1
Authors: Castañeda Rowshyra A. , Ackerman Josef D. , Chapman Lauren J. , Cooke Steven J. , Cuddington Kim , Dextrase Alan J. , Jackson Donald A. , Koops Marten A. , Krkošek Martin , Loftus Kevin K. , Mandrak Nicholas E. , Martel André L. , Molnár Péter K. , Morris Todd J. , Pitcher Trevor E. , Poesch Mark S. , Power Michael , Pratt Thomas C. , Reid Scott M. , Rodríguez Marco A. , Rosenfeld Jordan , Wilson Chris C. , Zanatta David T. , Drake D. Andrew R.
Published: September 2021

Effective conservation requires that species recovery measures are informed by rigorous scientific research. For imperilled freshwater fishes and mussels in Canada, numerous research gaps exist, in part owing to the need for specialized research methods. The Canadian Freshwater Species at Risk Research Network (SARNET) was formed and identified or implemented approaches to address current research gaps, including (1) captive experimental research populations, (2) nonlethal methods for estimating abundance and distribution, (3) nonlethal field methods to measure life-history parameters, (4) species distribution models informed by co-occurring species, (5) conservation physiology to inform habitat and threat science, (6) evidence syntheses to evaluate threats and recovery measures, (7) disease-transmission models to understand mussel–host relationships, (8) experimental mesocosms and manipulative experiments to evaluate key habitat stressors, (9) threat and hazard models for predictive applications, and (10) rigorous evaluation of surrogate species. Over a dozen threat- and recovery-focused SARNET research applications are summarized, demonstrating the value of a coordinated research program between academics and government to advance scientific research on, and to support the recovery of, imperilled freshwater species.
AAC Redberry hard red spring wheat
Authors: Cuthbert R.D. , DePauw R.M. , Knox R.E. , Singh A.K. , McCallum B. , Fetch T. , Ruan Y.
Published: September 2021

AAC Redberry hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) has a grain yield significantly higher than the check cultivars Katepwa, and Lillian and is similar to Carberry. AAC Redberry matures in a similar number of days as Katewpa and Lillian, and is significantly earlier maturing than Carberry. AAC Redberry has an awned spike, and a low lodging score indicative of strong straw that is significantly lower than Katepwa and Lillian but significantly higher than Carberry. Plant stature is taller than Carberry, but shorter than Lillian and Katepwa. AAC Redberry expressed resistance to prevalent races of leaf rust, stem rust, yellow rust, loose smut, moderate resistance to common bunt and intermediate resistance to Fusarium head blight. AAC Redberry has quality attributes within the range of the check cultivars and is eligible for grades of Canada Western Red Spring wheat.
Toosendanin Shows Potent Efficacy Against Human Ovarian Cancer through Caspase-Dependent Mitochondrial Apoptotic Pathway
Authors: Wang Ge , Fan Xiu-Qi , Li Lu , Li Yan , Shi Bian , Xing Ke-Xin , Gao Qi-Long
Published: September 2021

Toosendanin (TSN) is a triterpenoid extracted from the bark or fruits of Melia toosendan Sieb et Zucc, which is a traditional Chinese medicine and mainly grows in China and India. TSN has been verified to possess antitumor activities on various human cancers, whereas the effects of TSN on ovarian cancer (OC) has not been reported yet. Here, TSN was shown to significantly inhibit proliferation of SKOV3 and OVCAR3 cell lines in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Treatment of OC cells with TSN resulted in colony formation reduction, S and G2/M phase arrest, cell apoptosis, and dramatic decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential. Furthermore, TSN suppressed invasion and migration of OC cells. Research on molecular mechanism indicated that the above efficacy of TSN was associated with decreased expression of survivin, PARP-1, Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, caspase-3, caspase-9, MMP-2 and MMP-9 and increased expression of cleaved PARP-1, Bax, cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-9. Finally, in vivo results showed that TSN suppressed OC xenograft tumor growth by inducing apoptosis and regulating the related protein expression levels of SKOV3 cells in transplanted tumors. Taken together, our data provide new insights into TSN as a potentially effective reagent against human OC through caspase-dependent mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.
Mobile Computational Photography: A Tour
Authors: Delbracio Mauricio , Kelly Damien , Brown Michael S. , Milanfar Peyman
Published: September 2021

The first mobile camera phone was sold only 20 years ago, when taking pictures with one's phone was an oddity, and sharing pictures online was unheard of. Today, the smartphone is more camera than phone. How did this happen? This transformation was enabled by advances in computational photography—the science and engineering of making great images from small-form-factor, mobile cameras. Modern algorithmic and computing advances, including machine learning, have changed the rules of photography, bringing to it new modes of capture, postprocessing, storage, and sharing. In this review, we give a brief history of mobile computational photography and describe some of the key technological components, including burst photography, noise reduction, and super-resolution. At each step, we can draw naive parallels to the human visual system.
Effect of ingesting a meal and orthostasis on the regulation of splanchnic and systemic hemodynamics and the responsiveness of cardiovascular α1-adrenoceptors
Authors: Zreik Farid , Meshulam Reshef , Shichel Ido , Webb Muriel , Shibolet Oren , Jacob Giris
Published: September 2021

A unique integrated investigation on the effect of meal on neurohumoral mechanisms and blood flow redistribution of the mesenteric circulation during orthostasis was investigated. Food ingestion results in cardiovascular hyperdynamism, reduction in cardiac vagal tone, and baroreflex sensitivity and causes a decrease in α1-adrenoceptor responsiveness only in the venous intrahepatic sinusoids. About 500-mL blood shifts from the mesenteric to the systemic circulation during orthostasis. Accordingly, the orthostatic homeostatic mechanisms are better understood.
Anticipatory weight shift between arms when reaching from a crouched posture
Authors: Gallagher Rosemary , Perez Stephanie , DeLuca Derek , Kurtzer Isaac
Published: September 2021

This work demonstrates that reaching from a crouched posture is preceded by bimanual anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) that shift the body weight to the stance limb. Weight-shift APAs are more robust in an unstable body posture (knees together) and involve the shoulder and elbow extensors of the reach arm and shoulder flexor of the stance arm. This pattern mirrors the forelimb coordination of cats reaching and humans initiating a step.
The plasticity of nerve fibers: the prolonged effects of polarization of afferent fibers
Authors: Jankowska Elzbieta , Hammar Ingela
Published: September 2021

The review surveys various aspects of the plasticity of nerve fibers, in particular the prolonged increase in their excitability evoked by polarization, focusing on a long-lasting increase in the excitability of myelinated afferent fibers traversing the dorsal columns of the spinal cord. We review the evidence that increased axonal excitability 1) follows epidurally applied direct current (DC) as well as relatively short (5 or 10 ms) current pulses and synaptically evoked intrinsic field potentials; 2) critically depends on the polarization of branching regions of afferent fibers at the sites where they bifurcate and give off axon collaterals entering the spinal gray matter in conjunction with actions of extrasynaptic GABAA membrane receptors; and 3) shares the feature of being activity-independent with the short-lasting effects of polarization of peripheral nerve fibers. A comparison between the polarization evoked sustained increase in the excitability of dorsal column fibers and spinal motoneurons (plateau potentials) indicates the possibility that they are mediated by partly similar membrane channels (including noninactivating type L Cav++ 1.3 but not Na+ channels) and partly different mechanisms. We finally consider under which conditions transspinally applied DC (tsDCS) might reproduce the effects of epidural polarization on dorsal column fibers and the possible advantages of increased excitability of afferent fibers for the rehabilitation of motor and sensory functions after spinal cord injuries.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY This review supplements previous reviews of properties of nerve fibers by surveying recent experimental evidence for their long-term plasticity. It also extends recent descriptions of spinal effects of DC by reviewing effects of polarization of afferent nerve fibers within the dorsal columns, the mechanisms most likely underlying the long-lasting increase in their excitability and possible clinical implications.
In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity Evaluation of a Novel Fitostimoline® Plus Spray Formulation
Authors: Falciglia Maria Domenica , Palladino Roberta , Maglione Barbara , Schiavo Giulia
Published: September 2021

Wound contaminants are the main cause of healing delay and infection in both chronic and acute wounds; for this reason, the microbial infection management in wound healing is one of the most important components for an effective standard of care. The wound contaminants are most likely to originate from the environment and from the surrounding skin lesion, and to date, the most frequent bacteria isolated are Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. In order to counteract and control these contaminants, the standard care includes topical antiseptic agents. The most commonly used include iodine-releasing agents (e.g., povidone-iodine), hydrogen peroxide, and polyhexanide. This study aims to investigate the in vitro antibacterial activity of a novel topical spray (Fitostimoline® Plus spray) based on 0.1% polyhexanide and Rigenase® against S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae, and the combination of S. aureus and K. pneumoniae. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of Fitostimoline® Plus spray was evaluated by the agar disk diffusion assay, quantitative suspension test, and quantitative carrier test, demonstrating that Fitostimoline® Plus spray is able to kill 99.9% bacteria. These results support the microbiological characterization of Fitostimoline® Plus spray confirming the antibacterial activity of polyhexanide (PHMB).
Experimental Study on Spontaneous Imbibition Characteristics of Fracturing Fluid at Cores from Different Layers in Fuling Shale Gas Reservoir
Authors: Fang Sidong , Sun Jing , Liu DeHua , Yao Zhiyuan , Nie Bin
Published: September 2021

With low porosity and low permeability, shale reservoirs cannot be mined economically without large-scale hydraulic fracturing operation. However, abundant fracturing fluid will enter the reservoirs during the process of fracture. Nevertheless, there have not been specific research findings on the imbibition law of Fuling shale gas reservoir in China. In this study, an imbibition experiment was carried out on the shale core of Jiaoshiba block of Fuling shale gas reservoir to learn spontaneous imbibition characteristic of Fuling shale gas reservoir. Based on the experimental results, the imbibition process of Fuling shale gas reservoir fracturing fluid is divided into two stages. During the first stage, i.e., the former 30 hours, imbibition velocity is high, with the cumulative imbibition occupying more than 70% of the total imbibition; during the second stage, i.e., the latter 30 hours, the imbibition velocity substantially drops towards balance. There is a typical power function relationship between the average imbibition velocity and imbibition time, and this function relationship runs throughout the whole imbibition process. Nonetheless, the imbibition process of shale core cannot be described directly by the Handy equation. The imbibition velocity is closely related to clay mineral content and pore structure characteristics of shale core. The higher the clay mineral content, the higher the imbibition velocity. According to the relationship between the average imbibition velocity and imbibition time, we derived the estimation equation of fracture area formed by fractured shale gas well to estimate the fracture scale formed by shale gas well fracturing.
Image-Based Insider Threat Detection via Geometric Transformation
Authors: Li Dongyang , Yang Lin , Zhang Hongguang , Wang Xiaolei , Ma Linru , Xiao Junchao
Published: September 2021

Insider threat detection has been a challenging task over decades; existing approaches generally employ the traditional generative unsupervised learning methods to produce normal user behavior model and detect significant deviations as anomalies. However, such approaches are insufficient in precision and computational complexity. In this paper, we propose a novel insider threat detection method, Image-based Insider Threat Detector via Geometric Transformation (IGT), which converts the unsupervised anomaly detection into supervised image classification task, and therefore the performance can be boosted via computer vision techniques. To illustrate, our IGT uses a novel image-based feature representation of user behavior by transforming audit logs into grayscale images. By applying multiple geometric transformations on these behavior grayscale images, IGT constructs a self-labelled dataset and then trains a behavior classifier to detect anomaly in a self-supervised manner. The motivation behind our proposed method is that images converted from normal behavior data may contain unique latent features which remain unchanged after geometric transformation, while malicious ones cannot. Experimental results on CERT dataset show that IGT outperforms the classical autoencoder-based unsupervised insider threat detection approaches, and improves the instance and user based Area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUROC) by 4% and 2%, respectively.
Online Optimal Energy Distribution of Composite Power Vehicles Based on BP Neural Network Velocity Prediction
Authors: Jiang Qingjian , Fu Zhijun , Hu Qiang
Published: September 2021

In this paper, an online optimal energy distribution method is proposed for composite power vehicles using BP neural network velocity prediction. Firstly, the predicted vehicle speed in the future period is obtained via the output of a BP neural network, where the current vehicle driving state and elapsed vehicle speed information is used as the input. Then, according to the predicted vehicle speed, an energy management method based on model predictive control is proposed, and online real-time power distribution is carried out through rolling optimization and feedback correction. Cosimulation results under urban drive cycle show that the proposed method can effectively improve the energy efficiency of composite power sources compared with the commonly used method with the assumption of prior known driving conditions.
Evaluation of Manufacturing Competitiveness of Hubei Province Based on Stochastic Frontier Analysis
Authors: Gai Weidong , Zhou Lei , Chen Chun
Published: September 2021

The manufacturing level directly manifests the comprehensive strength of a country or region. Production efficiency provides an important metric of the competitiveness of the manufacturing industry. Based on the data of China’s industrial enterprises of 1999–2011, this paper estimates the production efficiency of manufacturing in Central China’s Hubei Province through stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) and thus characterizes the differences between prefectures of Hubei in manufacturing competitiveness. The results show that, on the prefecture level, Xianning and Wuhan saw a decline in manufacturing competitiveness, while Xiangfan and Xiaogan witnessed an increase in manufacturing competitiveness. To enhance local manufacturing competitiveness and make Hubei the forerunner and cornerstone of Central China, different prefectures should adopt different industrial promotion policies, pay attention to cultivating the technological innovation capabilities of enterprises, and strengthen the integration of production, education, and research.
Hamilton-Connected Mycielski Graphs∗
Authors: Shen Yuanyuan , An Xinhui , Wu Baoyindureng
Published: September 2021

Jarnicki, Myrvold, Saltzman, and Wagon conjectured that if

G

is Hamilton-connected and not

K

2

, then its Mycielski graph

μ

G

is Hamilton-connected. In this paper, we confirm that the conjecture is true for three families of graphs: the graphs

G

with

δ

G

>

V

G

/
2

, generalized Petersen graphs

G
P

n
,
2

and

G
P

n
,
3

, and the cubes

G

3

. In addition, if

G

is pancyclic, then

μ

G

is pancyclic.
Effects of Unbalanced Lamination Parameters on the Static Aeroelasticity of a High Aspect Ratio Wing
Authors: Li JinYang , Wang JunLi , Ren ZhiGui , Wei WeiFeng
Published: September 2021

In this paper, in order to understand the influence of the unbalanced coefficient of composite laminates on the static aeroelasticity of high aspect wings, a series of numerical simulation calculations were carried out, and this work wants to provide some reference for the structural design of aircraft. Considering the influence of geometric nonlinearity, the unidirectional fluid-solid coupling calculation method based on loose coupling is used to control the change of unbalanced coefficient of laminates on the basis of layering angle, layering thickness, and layering region, so as to observe the changes caused to the wings. The relationship between the unbalanced coefficient and the constant thickness layup and the variable thickness layup with 0° and ±45° layup angles was studied, respectively. Then, the layup angle of 90° was added to study the influence of the unbalanced coefficient on the static aeroelasticity of the wing structure with the change of the layup angle and the different choice of layup region. The results show that the deformation is the smallest when the unbalanced coefficient is 0.5, and the deformation trend is evenly distributed along both sides when the unbalanced coefficient is 0.5. When the unbalanced coefficient is changed, adding the 90° layup angle can significantly reduce the overall deformation of the wing and show different sensitivity characteristics to different layup areas. The increase of the unbalanced coefficient makes the chordal displacement gradually change from linear distribution to nonlinear distribution along the spread direction, and the displacement will gradually decrease.
The Impact of Pore Structure on Kerogen Geomechanics
Authors: Alafnan Saad
Published: September 2021

Production stimulation techniques such as the combination of hydraulic fracturing and lateral drilling have made exploiting unconventional formations economically feasible. Advancements in production aspects are not always in lockstep with our ability to predict and model the extent of a fracturing job. Shale is a clastic sedimentary rock composed of a complex mineralogy of clay, quartz, calcite, and fragments of an organic material known as kerogen. The latter, which consists of large chains of aromatic and aliphatic carbons, is highly elastic, a characteristic that impacts the geomechanics of a shale matrix. Following a molecular simulation approach, the objective of this work is to investigate kerogen’s petrophysics on a molecular level and link it to kerogen’s mechanical properties, considering some range of kerogen structures. Nanoporous kerogen structures across a range of densities were formed from single macromolecule units. Eight units were initially placed in a low-density cell. Then, a molecular dynamic protocol was followed to form a final structure with a density of 1.1 g/cc; the range of density values was consistent with what has been reported in the literature. The structures were subjected to petrophysical assessments including a helium porosity analysis and pore size distribution characterization. Mechanical properties such as Young’s modulus, bulk modulus, and Poisson ratio were calculated. The results revealed strong correlations among kerogen’s mechanical properties and petrophysics. The kerogen with the lowest porosity showed the highest degree of elasticity, followed by other structures that exhibited larger pores. The effect temperature and the fluid occupying the pore volume were also investigated. The results signify the impact of kerogen’s microscale intricacies on its mechanical properties and hence on the shale matrix. This work provides a novel methodology for constructing kerogen structures with different microscale properties that will be useful for delineating fundamental characteristics such as mechanical properties. The findings of this work can be used in a larger scale model for a better description of shale’s geomechanics.
Collaborative Computing and Resource Allocation for LEO Satellite‐Assisted Internet of Things
Authors: Leng Tao , Li Xiaoyao , Hu Dongwei , Cui Gaofeng , Wang Weidong
Published: September 2021

Satellite‐assisted internet of things (S‐IoT), especially the S‐IoT based on low earth orbit (LEO) satellite, plays an important role in future wireless systems. However, the limited on‐board communication and computing resource and high mobility of LEO satellites make it hard to provide satisfied service for IoT users. To maximize the task completion rate under latency constraints, collaborative computing and resource allocation among LEO networks are jointly investigated in this paper, and the joint task offloading, scheduling, and resource allocation is formulated as a dynamic mixed‐integer problem. To tack the complex problem, we decouple it into two subproblems with low complexity. First, the max‐min fairness is adopted to minimize the maximum latency via optimal resource allocation with fixed task assignment. Then, the joint task offloading and scheduling is formulated as a Markov decision process with optimal communication and computing resource allocation, and deep reinforcement learning is utilized to obtain long‐term benefits. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme has superior performance compared with other referred schemes.
UPLC-MS/MS-Based Rat Serum Metabolomics Reveals the Detoxification Mechanism of Psoraleae Fructus during Salt Processing
Authors: Wang Dan , Li Na , Li Shengrong , Chen Yilong , He Leilei , Zhang Xiaomei
Published: September 2021

Psoraleae Fructus (PF) is a botanical medicine widely used in Asian countries, of which salt products have higher safety and efficacy. However, the biological mechanism of the detoxification of salt-processing Psoraleae Fructus (SPF) has not yet been revealed. In this study, UPLC-MS/MS technology was used to explore the metabolic differences between SPF and PF in normal rats and reveal the mechanism of salt processing. The histopathological results of rat liver and kidney showed that the degree of liver and kidney injure in the SPF group was less than that in the PF group. The results of metabolomics showed that the detoxification mechanism of PF by salt processing might be related to glycerophospholipid metabolism, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis, arginine and proline metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, and linoleic acid metabolism. PF-induced inflammation could be reduced by regulating the expression of metabolites to achieve the purpose of salt processing and detoxification. It included reducing the production of metabolites such as 1-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, tyrosine, arginine, linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, and phenylacetylglycine/hippuric acid ratio and upregulating the expression of metabolites such as creatine.
Information‐Centric Networking Cache Placement Method Based on Cache Node Status and Location
Authors: Man Dapeng , Wang Yao , Wang Hanbo , Guo Jiafei , Lv Jiguang , Xuan Shichang , Yang Wu
Published: September 2021

Information‐Centric Networking with caching is a very promising future network architecture. The research on its cache deployment strategy is divided into three categories, namely, noncooperative cache, explicit collaboration cache, and implicit collaboration cache. Noncooperative caching can cause problems such as high content repetition rate in the web cache space. Explicit collaboration caching generally reflects the best caching effect but requires a lot of communication to satisfy the exchange of cache node information and depends on the controller to perform the calculation. On this basis, implicit cooperative caching can reduce the information exchange and calculation between cache nodes while maintaining a good caching effect. Therefore, this paper proposes an on‐path implicit cooperative cache deployment method based on the dynamic LRU‐K cache replacement strategy. This method evaluates the cache nodes based on their network location and state and selects the node with the best state value on the transmission path for caching. Each request will only select one or two nodes for caching on the request path to reduce the redundancy of the data. Simulation experiments show that the cache deployment method based on the state and location of the cache node can improve the hit rate and reduce the average request length.
Comparisons of Treatment for HER2-Positive Breast Cancer between Chinese and International Practice: A Nationwide Multicenter Epidemiological Study from China
Authors: Han Yi-Qun , Yi Zong-Bi , Yu Pei , Wang Wen-Na , Ouyang Qu-Chang , Yan Min , Wang Xiao-Jia , Hu Xi-Chun , Jiang Ze-Fei , Huang Tao , Tong Zhong-Sheng , Wang Shu-Sen , Yin Yong-Mei , Li Hui , Yang Run-Xiang , Yang Hua-Wei , Teng Yue-E. , Sun Tao , Cai Li , Li Hong-Yuan , Ouyang Xue-Nong , He Jian-Jun , Liu Xin-Lan , Yang Shun-E. , Qiao You-Lin , Fan Jin-Hu , Wang Jia-Yu , Xu Bing-He
Published: September 2021

Objective. To better understand the status of medical treatment for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer and the differences between the Chinese and the international clinical practice. Methods. This was a retrospective, nationwide, multicenter, epidemiological study of advanced breast cancer patients from China. Between January 01, 2012, and December 31, 2014, a total of 3649 patients, covering 7 geographic regions and 21 institutions, participated in this series of studies. HER2-positive breast cancer was selected among the group and adopted into this study. In comparison, we summarized the demographics and clinical characteristics of HER2-positive breast cancer from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Results. A total of 918 patients diagnosed as HER2-positive breast cancer patients were included. The median age at diagnosis was 46 years (ranging, 23 to 78) with a single-peak incidence. The proportions of stages II–IV at diagnosis and distance metastasis in viscera were more than half of the participants. In comparison, the prevalence of estrogen or progesterone receptor-positive expression and luminalB subtype was relatively lower than that of the United States. The receipt of chemotherapy was fairly higher, while the usage of targeted therapy was seriously insufficient. Tumor size was in significantly positive associations with the duration of targeted therapy (Kendall’s correlation coefficient = 0.3,

P
<
0.0001

), while no prohibitive variables among clinical characteristics were detected. Conclusion. Our study suggested that HER2-positive breast cancer patients were characterized as a younger trend, a lower prevalence of hormonal receptor (HR)-positive expression, and less accessible to anti-HER2 targeted therapy with insufficient duration over the past few years in China. Concerted efforts should be exerted for promising survival benefits in the future. The trial registration number is https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03047889.