bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Air Pollution Influencing Factors of PM2.5 Secondary Particles by Random Forest
Authors: Zheng Hongbo , Wang Zhengyu
Published: July 2021

Aiming at figuring out the influencing factors of PM2.5 secondary particles, there is a new way of using random forest model to handle it. Compared with using correlation to measure the relationship between various single factors and PM2.5, in this paper, the random forest can comprehensively consider the overall factors including meteorological and other air pollution factors. In a case of Dalian, the results show that NO2 is the primary factor of PM2.5 in the first and fourth quarter, and O3 is the primary factor in the third quarter. From the perspective of big data, this is a persuasive way to provide reference for PM2.5 pollution control in different quarters.
Research and Interpretation of the Solid Waste Clause in Environmental Protection
Authors: He Jinqian , Zhang Leijing
Published: July 2021

How to interpret the relevant provisions of solid waste in the Environmental Protection Tax Law is an urgent problem to be solved during the implementation of the Law. Combined with the relevant provisions of this Law, the Regulations on the Implementation of the Environmental Protection Tax Law and other closely related laws and regulations, it can be found that medical waste should be regulated under the solid waste clause, while radioactive waste should be put into the three tax categories of “air pollutants, water pollutants and solid waste” in the Environmental Protection Tax Law. The inconsistency between the Regulations on the Implementation of the Environmental Protection Tax Law and the Environmental Protection Tax Law in terms of solid waste tax items is mainly resolved by delegating power to local governments.
Numerical simulation of air flow and heat transfer in air refrigerated containers using clean energy technologies
Authors: Zhao Xudong , Huang Yujun , Chen Jianping , Su Peigang , Sha Feng , Yuan Yuan
Published: July 2021

Air refrigerated containers are important links and key equipment for air cold chain transportation. The refrigerated container cools the goods through the cold air circulation in the container to achieve the purpose of refrigeration. The key to the design of aviation refrigerators lies in the numerical simulation of the cold air flow and temperature distribution in the containers to determine the best air duct design and optimal air outlet arrangement. This article briefly analyzes the structure of the air refrigerated container, establishes the mathematical and physical models for numerical analysis, and then analyzes the two methods. At the same time, temperatures are tested in physical container with temperature measuring devices and conducts a comparative analysis with numerical simulation. The results show that the existing top on the basis of the air supply, assign a flow channel to each small tuyere and remove the small tuyere beside it. This situation is better for both flow and heat transfer. Temperatures in tests are similar with numerical simulation.
Analysis of Complex Pollution and Control of Atmospheric PM2.5 and Ozone in Qinhuangdao
Authors: Wang Lei , Jin Tiantian , Suo Na
Published: July 2021

This paper used the air pollutant monitoring data and meteorological observation data to analayse the compound pollution process of PM2.5 and ozone that appeared in Qinhuangdao City from October 8th-11th, 2020. The causes of pollution were analyse from high-altitude situation, meteorological conditions, pollutant conversion and zone transformation. The results showed that this pollution was affected by the high humidity, static stability and regional transmission. The gaseous pollutants were transformed in the strong oxidizing air which further pushed up the concentration of particles.
Thermal Environment Simulation and Ventilation Strategy in Tunnels for Heating Pipes and Power Cables
Authors: Wang Xuemei , Zhang Tiantian , Tan Yufei , Liu Zhuo
Published: July 2021

The thermal environment of the utility tunnel is important for the safe operation and maintenance of the pipeline system. When the power cables and heat pipelines are installed in the utility tunnel at the same time, the compatibility of thermal environment and the ventilation scheme need to be studied. Therefore, in this paper, the temperature field and the effect of air change rates in the utility tunnel were studied by using numerical simulation method. Numerical results show that the heat pipelines and the power cables have good thermal compatibility in the same compartment. Moreover, reducing ventilation volume is an effective way to increase the temperature and the optimal air change rate is between 3h−1-4 h−1. Therefore, it provides reference for safety operation and standardization study of the utility tunnel.
Research on the Active Online Voltage Equalization and Desulfurization Technology of Battery
Authors: Li Junling , Qu Bingzhao , Liu Xiangjian , Yuan Yulin , Peng Weijun
Published: July 2021

As a DC system, the performance and stability of battery play a vital role in the hydraulic, electric and telecommunication industries. In the process of charging and discharging, some batteries in the battery pack will be damaged in advance due to the voltage inconsistency among battery cells, and the service life will be greatly shortened. Therefore, it is necessary to charge the battery evenly to solve the above problems, prolong the service life of the battery and further improve the reliability of the battery. The equalization technology proposed in this paper adopts the double closed-loop control mode of gap-type priority charging, adopts the optical MOS switch array inside, and uses the switching power supply technology to transfer the power of high-voltage batteries to low-voltage batteries by means of energy transfer. Electricity transfer is bidirectional and parallel, so as to achieve battery voltage balance.
Prediction of heavy metal Cd content in basin soil with time series input
Authors: Wang Shengwei , Zhan Yulin , Ji Hao , Li Ping
Published: July 2021

The content of heavy metal Cd in basin soil is important to human health and environmental management. Traditional pollution prediction models have problems such as a single input dimension and the inability to retain historical legacy information of time series data. This paper uses high-dimensional time series data as model inputs. A Backward Propagation Network (BP) and two variants of Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) named Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) networks were employed to develop Cd content prediction models of basin soil heavy metal. According to the experimental results, we explored the performance of different models about the prediction of the heavy metal Cd content. Experimental results show that the BP neural network converges faster but has a greater error. Compared with the BP neural network, the LSTM neural network error is decreased by 0.0895, 0.3124, 0.0159, 0.1533 and the GRU neural network error is decreased by 0.0743, 0.2985, 0.0259, 0.1441 in term of MAE, MAPE, MSE, RMSE. The experimental results showed the GRU is more efficient in time and space compared to the LSTM neural network. It is more suitable for high-precision content prediction of the heavy metal Cd.
Ecological Vegetation Restoration and Regeneration Technology of Abandoned Land for Remedying the Heavy Metals Polluted Soil
Authors: Zheng Jiaxin
Published: July 2021

Urban industrial wasteland may have been affected by the pollution of toxic and harmful substances produced by the original production activities, and the original ecosystem has been severely damaged. Especially in abandoned mines, the soil is heavily polluted by heavy metals and ecological restoration is extremely difficult. Chinese urban industrial wasteland has the characteristics of a huge number and diverse types of damage to the ecological environment. The elements of landscape design should be scientifically laid out from the three aspects of visual communication, history and humanities, and landscape structure. At the same time, attention should be paid to the external expression and internal culture of the landscape. Connotation, restoration and regeneration of landscape structures, topography, vegetation, and water bodies to create a new urban landscape space that combines ecological protection, landscape appreciation, educational science, and urban memory. For this reason, the thesis expounds the vegetation reconstruction in the ecological restoration of various industrial wastelands, and mainly analyzes the three links of soil substrate improvement, plant species selection and plant planting technology.
Study on Treatment and Kinetics of Methyl Blue Printing and Dyeing Wastewater by Modified Pomelo Skin
Authors: Zhang Yuanchao
Published: July 2021

In this study, methylene blue wastewater was used as simulated printing and dyeing wastewater, and orthogonal experiment was used to explore the optimal conditions of modified grapefruit peel biochar for adsorption of simulated printing and dyeing wastewater. The adsorption time was selected to explore the kinetics of methylene blue solution concentration. The experimental results were fitted and analyzed by quasi first-order kinetic equation and quasi second-order kinetic equation respectively. The results showed that the adsorption kinetics was in line with the quasi second-order kinetic model, R2 was 0.9965.
Study on the optimum amount and kinetics of chitosan adsorbing Fe (III) in restaurant sewage treatment technology
Authors: Zhang Yuanchao
Published: July 2021

In this paper, chitosan was extracted from waste shrimp shell; In the static adsorption experiment, chitosan was added to the simulated wastewater containing Fe (III), and the absorbance before and after the reaction was measured by visible spectrophotometer to obtain the concentration of metal ions. The conditions and ability of chitosan to adsorb Fe (III) were explored, and the kinetic analysis of the results was carried out. The experimental results show that when the other variables are controlled unchanged; When the dosage of chitosan was in the range of 0.05-0.20 g, the optimal adsorption rate was 81.32% with the increasing dosage of chitosan, and the surface pores of chitosan decreased or even disappeared after the reaction. The adsorption kinetics of chitosan for Fe (III) was well fitted with the quasi second order rate linear equation.
GIS-based Architectural Design in Heritage Landscapes: towards a Knowledge-based Definition of Touristic Routes
Authors: López Sánchez M , Linares Gómez del Pulgar M
Published: July 2021

Network-based spatial analysis tools are useful for solving complex routing problems. However, the search for the most optimal route in terms of distance and time does not always guarantee the most convenient design solution, as occurs in heritage landscapes. A landscape architecture project aimed at designing touristic routes that connect heritage resources requires additional variables as in these cases it is not only a matter of achieving the most efficient connection between the heritage assets, but of detecting the paths that allow a better interpretation of the cultural meaning of the landscape. This text presents a GIS-based analysis protocol that combines least-cost path network analysis with weighted overlay analysis in order to introduce the time depth, the visibility and the level of visual and noise pollution of the paths as variables of influence in the selection of the touristic routes. The proposed method has been applied in the metropolitan area of the city of Seville (Andalusia, Spain), where there are relevant heritage resources that remain unconnected and could benefit each other through integrative touristic formulas. The aim of the method is advancing a protocol for a computer aided advanced architectural design in territorial scales.
Numerical Simulation of the Stress Corrosion Rupture Zone for Deep Tunnels
Authors: Zhang Xin , Sun Jinshan , Lang Min , Du Yuxiang , Zhao Suzhi , Dong Qian
Published: July 2021

Stress corrosion is a geological phenomenon that damages the long-term stability of underground projects. A comprehensive approach for stress corrosion prediction of underground projects combining creep experiment, particle flow code (PFC)and Finite element method (FEM) is proposed. Calibration of the numerical model was undertaken according to the data obtained from laboratory tests. Based on the numerical model, biaxial and triaxial stress corrosion compression tests were conducted to investigate the stress corrosion mechanism of Jinping marble. Through numerical tests, the stress corrosion process was visually observed. According to the development history of microcracks, the stress corrosion rupture process of surrounding rocks can be divided into 4 stages, i.e., rapid growth, slow growth, rapid growth and instant leap. The process was controlled by driving stress ratio and confining stress. On or near the tunnel wall, most stress corrosion microcracks are induced by tensile stress and the direction is parallel to the direction of the maximum principle stress. Near the yield zone of tunnel, the ratio of shear microcracks becomes larger with increasing confining stress. And the amount of microcracks is larger at the rupture stage than that on the tunnel wall, which makes the stress corrosion rupture process look like a ductile failure process. There is a linear relationship between the logarithm of stress corrosion lifetime and driving stress ratio if the confining stress keeps constant. Stress corrosion lifetime will increase when pc
becomes higher or driving stress ratio becomes lower. Based on the laboratory and numerical tests, the stress corrosion rupture depth of the tunnel section was predicted using FEM, which can optimize the length of bolts.
In vitro differentiation of human cardiac fibroblasts into myofibroblasts: characterization using electrical impedance
Authors: Degache A , Poulletier de Gannes F , Garenne A , Renom R , Percherancier Y , Lagroye I , Bernus O , Lewis N
Published: July 2021

Cardiac arrhythmias represent about 50% of the cardiovascular diseases which are the first cause of mortality in the world. Implantable medical devices play a major role for treating these arrhythmias. Nevertheless the leads induce an unwanted biological phenomenon called fibrosis. This phenomenon begins at a cellular level and is effective at a macroscopic scale causing tissue remodelling with a local modification of the active cardiac tissue. Fibrosis mechanism is complex but at the cellular level, it mainly consists in cardiac fibroblasts activation and differentiation into myofibroblasts. We developed a simplified in vitro model of cardiac fibrosis, with human cardiac fibroblasts whom differentiation into myofibroblasts was promoted with TGF-β1. Our study addresses an unreported impedance-based method for real-time monitoring of in vitro cardiac fibrosis. The objective was to study whether the differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts in myofibroblasts had a specific signature on the cell index, an impedance-based feature measured by the xCELLigence system. Primary human cardiac fibroblasts were cultured along 6 days, with or without laminin coating, to study the role of this adhesion protein in cultures long-term maintenance. The cultures were characterized in the presence or absence of TGF-β1 and we obtained a significant cell index signature specific to the human cardiac fibroblasts differentiation.
The interaction between ambush predators, search patterns of herbivores, and aggregations of plants
Authors: Scharf Inon
Published: July 2021

While predators benefit from spatial overlap with their prey, prey strive to avoid predators. I used an individual-based simulation comprising sit-and-wait predators, widely foraging herbivores, and plants, to examine the link between predator ambush location, herbivore movement, and plant aggregation. I used a genetic algorithm to reach the best strategies for all players. The predators could ambush herbivores either inside or outside plant patches. The herbivores could use movement of varying directionality levels, with a change in directionality following the detection of plants. When the predators were fixed outside plant patches, the herbivores were selected to use a directional movement before plant encounter followed by a tortuous movement afterwards. When predators were fixed inside patches, herbivores used a continuous directional movement. Predators maintained within-patch positions when the herbivores were fixed to use the directional-tortuous movement. The predator location inside patches led to higher plant aggregations, by changing the herbivore movement. Finally, I allowed half of the predators to search for herbivores and let them compete with sit-and-wait predators located inside plant patches. When plants were clumped and herbivores used a directional-tortuous movement, with a movement shift after plant detection, ambush predators had the highest success relative to widely foraging predators. In all other scenarios, widely foraging predators did much better than ambush predators. The findings from my simulation suggest a behavioral mechanism for several observed phenomena of predator–prey interactions, such as a shorter stay by herbivores in patches when predators ambush them nearby, and a more directional movement of herbivores in riskier habitats.
Review of unsupervised pretraining strategies for molecules representation
Authors: Yu Linhui , Su Yansen , Liu Yuansheng , Zeng Xiangxiang
Published: July 2021

In recent years, the computer-assisted techniques make a great progress in the field of drug discovery. And, yet, the problem of limited labeled data problem is still challenging and also restricts the performance of these techniques in specific tasks, such as molecular property prediction, compound-protein interaction and de novo molecular generation. One effective solution is to utilize the experience and knowledge gained from other tasks to cope with related pursuits. Unsupervised pretraining is promising, due to its capability of leveraging a vast number of unlabeled molecules and acquiring a more informative molecular representation for the downstream tasks. In particular, models trained on large-scale unlabeled molecules can capture generalizable features, and this ability can be employed to improve the performance of specific downstream tasks. Many relevant pretraining works have been recently proposed. Here, we provide an overview of molecular unsupervised pretraining and related applications in drug discovery. Challenges and possible solutions are also summarized.
mTAGs: taxonomic profiling using degenerate consensus reference sequences of ribosomal RNA genes
Authors: Salazar Guillem , Ruscheweyh Hans-Joachim , Hildebrand Falk , Acinas Silvia G , Sunagawa Shinichi
Published: July 2021

Profiling the taxonomic composition of microbial communities commonly involves the classification of ribosomal RNA gene fragments. As a trade-off to maintain high classification accuracy, existing tools are typically limited to the genus level. Here, we present mTAGs, a taxonomic profiling tool that implements the alignment of metagenomic sequencing reads to degenerate consensus reference sequences of small subunit ribosomal RNA genes. It uses DNA fragments, that is, paired-end sequencing reads, as count units and provides relative abundance profiles at multiple taxonomic ranks, including operational taxonomic units based on a 97% sequence identity cutoff. At the genus rank, mTAGs outperformed other tools across several metrics, such as the F1 score by >11% across data from different environments, and achieved competitive (F1 score) or better results (Bray–Curtis dissimilarity) at the sub-genus level.

Availability and implementation

The software tool mTAGs is implemented in Python. The source code and binaries are freely available (https://github.com/SushiLab/mTAGs). The data underlying this article are available in Zenodo, at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4352762.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
TempoMAGE: a deep learning framework that exploits the causal dependency between time-series data to predict histone marks in open chromatin regions at time-points with missing ChIP-seq datasets
Authors: Hallal Mohammad , Awad Mariette , Khoueiry Pierre
Published: July 2021

Motivation

Identifying histone tail modifications using ChIP-seq is commonly used in time-series experiments in development and disease. These assays, however, cover specific time-points leaving intermediate or early stages with missing information. Although several machine learning methods were developed to predict histone marks, none exploited the dependence that exists in time-series experiments between data generated at specific time-points to extrapolate these findings to time-points where data cannot be generated for lack or scarcity of materials (i.e. early developmental stages).

Results

Here, we train a deep learning model named TempoMAGE, to predict the presence or absence of H3K27ac in open chromatin regions by integrating information from sequence, gene expression, chromatin accessibility and the estimated change in H3K27ac state from a reference time-point. We show that adding reference time-point information systematically improves the overall model’s performance. In addition, sequence signatures extracted from our method were exclusive to the training dataset indicating that our model learned data-specific features. As an application, TempoMAGE was able to predict the activity of enhancers from pre-validated in-vivo dataset highlighting its ability to be used for functional annotation of putative enhancers.

Availability and implementation

TempoMAGE is freely available through GitHub at https://github.com/pkhoueiry/TempoMAGE.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Contextual Priors Guide Perception and Motor Responses to Observed Actions
Authors: Betti Sonia , Finisguerra Alessandra , Amoruso Lucia , Urgesi Cosimo
Published: July 2021

In everyday-life scenarios, prior expectations provided by the context in which actions are embedded support action prediction. However, it is still unclear how newly learned action–context associations can drive our perception and motor responses. To fill this gap, we measured behavioral (Experiment 1) and motor responses (Experiment 2) during two tasks requiring the prediction of occluded actions or geometrical shapes. Each task consisted of an implicit probabilistic learning and a test phase. During learning, we exposed participants to videos showing specific associations between a contextual cue and a particular action or shape. During the test phase, videos were earlier occluded to reduce the amount of sensorial information and induce participants to use the implicitly learned action/shape-context associations for disambiguation. Results showed that reliable contextual cues made participants more accurate in identifying the unfolding action or shape. Importantly, motor responses were modulated by contextual probability during action, but not shape prediction. Particularly, in conditions of perceptual uncertainty the motor system coded for the most probable action based on contextual informativeness, regardless of action kinematics. These findings suggest that contextual priors can shape motor responses to action observation beyond mere kinematics mapping.
Patient Access in 14 High-Income Countries to New Antibacterials Approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, European Medicines Agency, Japanese Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency, or Health Canada, 2010–2020
Authors: Outterson Kevin , Orubu Ebiowei S F , Rex John , Årdal Christine , Zaman Muhammad H
Published: July 2021

Background

Inaccessibility of medicines in low- and middle-income countries is a frequent challenge. Yet it is typically assumed that high-income countries have complete access to the full arsenal of medicines. This study tests this assumption for new antibacterials, which are saved as a last resort in order to prevent the development of resistance, resulting in insufficient revenues to offset costs. Prior studies report only regulatory approval, missing the important lag that occurs between approval and commercial launch, although some antibiotics never launch in some countries.

Methods

We identified all antibacterials approved and launched in the G7 and 7 other high-income countries in Europe for the decade beginning 1 January 2010, using quantitative methods to explore associations.

Results

Eighteen new antibacterials were identified. The majority were accessible in only 3 countries (United States, United Kingdom, and Sweden), with the remaining 11 high-income countries having access to less than half of them. European marketing authorization did not lead to automatic European access, as 14 of the antibacterials were approved by the European Medicines Agency but many fewer were commercially launched. There was no significant difference in access between “innovative” and “noninnovative” antibacterials. Median annual sales in the first launched market (generally the United States) for these 18 antibiotics were low, $16.2M.

Conclusions

Patient access to new antibacterials is limited in some high-income countries including Canada, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. With low expected sales, companies may have decided to delay or forego commercialization due to expectations of insufficient profitability.
Correlation of clinical and computed tomography features of thymic epithelial tumours with World Health Organization classification and Masaoka–Koga staging
Authors: Zhou Qing , Huang Xiaoyu , Xue Caiqiang , Zhou Junlin
Published: July 2021

OBJECTIVES

Our goal was to investigate the correlation of clinical and computed tomography (CT) features of thymic epithelial tumours (TET) with the World Health Organization classification and the Masaoka–Koga staging system.

METHODS

Clinical and CT imaging data from 159 patients surgically and pathologically diagnosed with TET (82 men, 77 women; mean [± standard deviation] age, 52.08 ± 11.76 years) were retrospectively collected and reviewed. CT features were evaluated by radiologists. Tumour size, morphology, margin, density, calcification, cystic necrosis, density of the fat layer around the tumour, invasion of surrounding tissues, mediastinal lymph node enlargement, pleural/pericardial effusion, metastasis, plain CT scans and enhanced CT values were analysed.

RESULTS

Of the 159 patients with TET, 76 had low-risk thymoma, 55 had high-risk thymoma and 28 had thymic carcinomas. Age, maximum tumour diameter, myasthenia gravis, morphology, edges, density, fat around the lesion, mediastinal vascular, pericardial and lung tissue invasion, pleural/pericardial effusion, metastasis and arterial phase CT values were statistically different among the 3 groups (P < 0.05). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that edges, fat around the lesion, mediastinal vascular invasion and pericardial effusion were most relevant to TET classification. The 159 patients with TET were categorized into the non-invasion group (stage I; n = 58); the invasion of surrounding fat (stage II; n = 46); and the invasion of surrounding structures and metastasis group (stages III and IV; n = 55). Tumour diameter, morphology, margins, density, cystic degeneration and necrosis, invasion of surrounding fat and structure, pleural and pericardial effusion and lymph node enlargement were statistically different among the 3 groups (P < 0.05). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that edges, fat around the lesion, mediastinal vascular invasion and pleura invasion were the most relevant CT signs in relation to TET staging.

CONCLUSIONS

Analysis of clinical and CT features before surgery may facilitate the preliminary classification and stage diagnosis of TET.
Using a smartwatch electrocardiogram to detect abnormalities associated with sudden cardiac arrest in young adults
Authors: Nasarre Mathieu , Strik Marc , Daniel Ramirez , Francisco , Buliard Samuel , Marchand Hugo , Abu-Alrub Saer , Ploux Sylvain , Haïssaguerre Michel , Bordachar Pierre
Published: July 2021

Aims 

Smartwatch electrocardiograms (ECGs) could facilitate the detection of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA)-associated abnormalities. We evaluated the feasibility of using smartwatch-derived ECGs for detecting SCA-associated abnormalities in young adults and its agreement with 12-lead ECGs.

Methods and results 

Twelve-lead and Apple Watch ECGs were registered in 155 healthy volunteers and 67 patients aged 18–45 years with diagnosis and ECG signs of long-QT syndrome (n = 10), Brugada syndrome (n = 12), ventricular pre-excitation (n = 19), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM, n = 13), and arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVC/D, n = 13). Cardiologists separately analysed 12-lead ECGs and the smartwatch ECGs taken from the left wrist (AW-I) and then from chest positions V1, V3, and V6 (AW-4). Compared with AW-I, AW-4 improved the classification of ECGs as ‘abnormal’, increasing the sensitivity from 64% to 89% (P < 0.01). Pre-excitation was detected in most cases using AW-I (sensitivity 89%) and in all cases using AW-4 (sensitivity 100%, P = 0.48 compared with AW-I, specificity 100% for both). Brugada was missed using AW-I but was detected in 11/12 patients using AW-4 (sensitivity 92%, specificity 100%, P = 0.003). Long QT was detected in 8/10 cases using AW-I (sensitivity 80%, specificity 100%) and in 9 patients using AW-4 (sensitivity 90%, specificity 100%, P > 0.99). Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was correctly suspected using AW-I and AW-4 (sensitivity 92% and 85%, specificity 85%, and 100%, P > 0.99). AW-I was mostly (62%) considered normal in ARVC/D whereas AW-4 was useful in suspecting ARVC/D (100% sensitivity, 99% specificity, P = 0.004).

Conclusions 

Detection of SCA-associated ECG abnormalities (pre-excitation, Brugada patterns, long QT, and signs suggestive of HCM and ARVC/D) is possible with an ECG smartwatch.
A Brief Report on Older Working Caregivers: Developing a Typology of Work Environments
Authors: Carr Dawn C , Jason Kendra , Taylor Miles , Washington Tiffany R
Published: July 2021

Objectives

A growing proportion of the U.S. labor force juggles paid work with family caregiving of older adults. However, no research has examined caregivers’ work environments. The purpose of this brief report is to develop typologies of the work environments of family caregivers.

Methods

This study used data drawn from the 2008–2012 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. Our sample includes employed individuals who also provided regular help with daily activities to a parent or spouse (n = 976). We used latent class analysis to develop caregiver work environment typologies.

Results

Our analyses revealed 4 typologies among caregivers: (a) high-quality work environments (n = 340; 35%); (b) average work environments with high job lock (n = 293; 30%); (c) low-quality work environments (n = 203; 21%); and (d) high personal interference in supportive work environments (n = 140; 14%). Although only 21% of working caregivers were in a low-quality work environment (Type C), descriptive results suggest that these workers were most likely to be minorities who needed to work for financial reasons, reporting the highest number of health problems, and the most work hours.

Discussion

Our findings provide insights into the types of environments that caregivers work in, and the characteristics of individuals in those environments. We discuss implications of our findings for future research and work-based policy development.
The problematicΨ1 ocean tide
Authors: Ray R D , Boy J-P , Arbic B K , Egbert G D , Erofeeva S Y , Petrov L , Shriver J F
Published: July 2021

Observations of the ψ1 earth tide yield valuable insights into the earth’s free core nutation, especially if the effects of the ψ1 ocean tide can be removed. The ocean tide is extremely small, with amplitudes rarely more than a few millimetres, and developing an accurate model is challenging. Direct observations are inadequate to support a global model. The alternative—numerical simulation—must account for a multitude of possible effects. The ocean tide is forced by the gravitational tidal potential, by pressure loading from atmospheric tides, by seasonal modulation of the nearby K1 constituent, and possibly by non-linear interactions among several other constituents. Here we construct a model of the ψ1 ocean tide which accounts for (or attempts to bound) each of these effects. The radiational component (from atmospheric pressure loading), although relatively small, is complicated by the presence of non-tidal atmospheric variability in the diurnal band. The ocean’s response is dynamic, but there is also high-wavenumber pressure forcing with a near-isostatic response. A general circulation model, forced by both winds and the tidal potential, suggests that annual variability in K1 leads to pronounced ψ1 amplitudes in some marginal seas, especially in the western Pacific.
Lord Bergavenny’s illegal retaining revisited, 1501–22
Authors: Ross James
Published: July 2021

George Neville, Lord Bergavenny, was fined £70,650 in 1507 for illegal retaining. This is used as the classic example of early Tudor attitudes towards noble retaining. Yet it is frequently taken out of the context of the other occasions for which he was prosecuted for this crime over a fifteen-year period, and for which he escaped punishment. A thorough analysis of the legal records and other sources shows a much more ambivalent and inconsistent royal attitude towards him; the fine of 1507 was linked to high politics as much as to retaining. Bergavenny’s motives for his consistent lawbreaking over twenty years are also examined, as is the essential atypicality of his retaining compared to others of his class.
Cardiac surgery and Brugada syndrome: operative considerations
Authors: Singh Sandeep , Chokkarapu Seshu P , O’Nunian Sean , Modi Amit
Published: July 2021

Brugada syndrome is an uncommon arrhythmic disease due to abnormality in myocardial transmembrane sodium channels and is associated with sudden death due to ventricular arrhythmias. We report our strategy and highlight precautions to reduce the risk of perioperative arrhythmias in a patient with Brugada pattern who underwent successful coronary artery bypass grafting.
Antipsychotic Polypharmacy Among Patients With Schizophrenia in Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Ayenew Wondim , Asmamaw Getahun , Bitew Teshome
Published: July 2021

Objectives

In Africa, antipsychotic polypharmacy (APP) is increasing due to a high antipsychotic dose prescribing, repeated psychiatric hospitalization, uncontrolled psychotic symptoms, and greater side effect burden. Therefore, the aim of this review and meta-analysis is to assess the prevalence and correlates of APP among patients with schizophrenia in Africa.

Methods

A systematic search was performed from August 1 to 31, 2020, on PubMed, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and Science Direct databases to select articles based on the inclusion criteria. Meta-Analysis of Observational studies in Epidemiology guidelines were employed. Cross-sectional observational studies that reported APP and/or its correlates in schizophrenia patients in English language published in peer-reviewed journals without time limits were included in the review. The quality of included articles was assessed using Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment tool. Prevalence and correlates of APP were the outcome measures of this review and meta-analysis. Open Meta Analyst and RevMan version 5.3 software were used for meta-analysis. A random effect model was used to synthesize data based on the heterogeneity test.

Results

Six studies that involved 2154 schizophrenia patients met the inclusion criteria in this review and meta-analysis. The quality of included studies ranges from 6.5 to 10 based on the Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment tool. The pooled prevalence of APP among patients with schizophrenia was 40.6% with 95% confidence interval: 27.6% to 53.7%. Depot first-generation antipsychotics and oral first-generation antipsychotics were the most commonly prescribed APP combinations. Socio-demographic, clinical, and antipsychotic treatment characteristics were significantly associated with APP. There was a wide variation in the correlates of APP assessed by studies and the way that association/correlations was determined and reported.

Conclusions

APP is common and highly prevalent. Advanced age, male gender, longer duration of schizophrenia, hospital admission, and longer antipsychotic treatment were correlates of APP in Africa.
Precision photometric monitoring from space of the multiple system θ Muscae including the WR binary WR48
Authors: Lenoir-Craig G , St-Louis N , Moffat A F J , Pablo H
Published: July 2021

Θ Mus  = HD 113904 is a massive multiple system containing the WC5/6 + O6/7V binary WR48 in a $19.1\, \mathrm{ d}$ circular orbit. Previous attempts to constrain the variable photometric properties of this binary subsystem have been thwarted by the dominating stochastically variable light from a 10-times brighter blue supergiant (BSG), located only 46 mas away. Even now, with extensive optical space-based photometry from one of the BRITE-Constellation satellites, we were unable to beat down the intrinsic stochastic variability from the BSG enough to provide a convincing detection of a low-level atmospheric eclipse of the WC + O system, as often seen in other short-period WR + O systems. We explore the variability of the dominating BSG and find that its behaviour is similar to that of other BSGs, with a forest of low-frequency Fourier peaks likely from stochastic gravity waves reaching the stellar surface. Then, by adopting an orbital inclination from another more reliable source, we obtain a clumping-independent, linear-density-dependent upper limit of the mass-loss rate for the WR component of $(6.5 \pm 0.3) \times 10^{-5}\, \mathrm{ M}_{\odot }\,\mathrm{ yr}^{ -1}$, which is consistent with values of other WC5/6 subtypes. This corresponds to an upper limit of 5.0 ± 0.2 mmag for the depth of the atmospheric eclipse in the WR48 subsystem when observed together with the BSG.
Stacked phase-space density of galaxies around massive clusters: comparison of dynamical and lensing masses
Authors: Shirasaki Masato , Egami Eiichi , Okabe Nobuhiro , Miyazaki Satoshi
Published: July 2021

We present a measurement of average histograms of line-of-sight velocities over pairs of galaxies and galaxy clusters. Since the histogram can be measured at different galaxy-cluster separations, this observable is commonly referred to as the stacked phase-space density. We formulate the stacked phase-space density based on a halo-model approach so that the model can be applied to real samples of galaxies and clusters. We examine our model by using an actual sample of massive clusters with known weak-lensing masses and spectroscopic observations of galaxies around the clusters. A likelihood analysis with our model enables us to infer the spherical-symmetric velocity dispersion of observed galaxies in massive clusters. We find the velocity dispersion of galaxies surrounding clusters with their lensing masses of $1.1\times 10^{15}\, h^{-1}\,{\rm M}_{\odot }$ to be $1180^{+83}_{-70}\, \mathrm{km\,s^{-1}}$ at the 68 per cent confidence level. Our constraint confirms that the relation between the galaxy velocity dispersion and the host cluster mass in our sample is consistent with the prediction in dark-matter-only N-body simulations under General Relativity. Assuming that the Poisson equation in clusters can be altered by an effective gravitational constant of Geff, our measurement of the velocity dispersion can place a tight constraint of $0.88 \lt G_\mathrm{eff}/G_\mathrm{N} \lt 1.29\, (68{{\ \rm per\ cent}})$ at length-scales of a few Mpc about 2.5 Giga years ago, where GN is the Newton’s constant.
Fundamental X-ray corona parameters of Swift/BAT AGN
Authors: Hinkle Jason T , Mushotzky Richard
Published: July 2021

While X-ray emission from active galactic nuclei (AGN) is common, the detailed physics behind this emission is not well understood. This is in part because high quality broad-band spectra are required to precisely derive fundamental parameters of X-ray emission, such as the photon index, folding energy, and reflection coefficient. Here, we present values of such parameters for 33 AGN observed as part of the 105-month Swift/BAT campaign and with coordinated archival XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observations. We look for correlations between the various coronal parameters in addition to correlations between coronal parameters and physical properties, such as black hole mass and Eddington ratio. Using our empirical model, we find good fits to almost all of our objects. The folding energy was constrained for 30 of our 33 objects. When comparing Seyfert 1–1.9 to Seyfert 2 galaxies, a K–S test indicates that Seyfert 2 AGN have lower Eddington ratios and photon indices than Seyfert 1–1.9 objects with p-values of 5.6 × 10−5 and 7.5 × 10−3, respectively. We recover a known correlation between photon index and reflection coefficient as well as the X-ray Baldwin effect. Finally, we find that the inclusion of the high-energy Swift/BAT data significantly reduces the uncertainties of spectral parameters as compared to fits without the BAT data.
Sparse Bayesian mass mapping with uncertainties: hypothesis testing of structure
Authors: Price M A , McEwen J D , Cai X , Kitching T D , Wallis C G R ,   (for the LSST Dark Energy Science Collaboration)
Published: July 2021

A crucial aspect of mass mapping, via weak lensing, is quantification of the uncertainty introduced during the reconstruction process. Properly accounting for these errors has been largely ignored to date. We present a new method to reconstruct maximum a posteriori (MAP) convergence maps by formulating an unconstrained Bayesian inference problem with Laplace-type l1-norm sparsity-promoting priors, which we solve via convex optimization. Approaching mass mapping in this manner allows us to exploit recent developments in probability concentration theory to infer theoretically conservative uncertainties for our MAP reconstructions, without relying on assumptions of Gaussianity. For the first time, these methods allow us to perform hypothesis testing of structure, from which it is possible to distinguish between physical objects and artefacts of the reconstruction. Here, we present this new formalism, and demonstrate the method on simulations, before applying the developed formalism to two observational data sets of the Abell 520 cluster. Initial reconstructions of the Abell 520 catalogues reported the detection of an anomalous ‘dark core’ – an overdense region with no optical counterpart – which was taken to be evidence for self-interacting dark matter. In our Bayesian framework, it is found that neither Abell 520 data set can conclusively determine the physicality of such dark cores at $99{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ confidence. However, in both cases the recovered MAP estimators are consistent with both sets of data.
Loss of Cyclin C or CDK8 provides ATR inhibitor resistance by suppressing transcription-associated replication stress
Authors: Lloyd Rebecca L , Urban Vaclav , Muñoz-Martínez Francisco , Ayestaran Iñigo , Thomas John C , de Renty Christelle , O’Connor Mark J , Forment Josep V , Galanty Yaron , Jackson Stephen P
Published: July 2021

The protein kinase ATR plays pivotal roles in DNA repair, cell cycle checkpoint engagement and DNA replication. Consequently, ATR inhibitors (ATRi) are in clinical development for the treatment of cancers, including tumours harbouring mutations in the related kinase ATM. However, it still remains unclear which functions and pathways dominate long-term ATRi efficacy, and how these vary between clinically relevant genetic backgrounds. Elucidating common and genetic-background specific mechanisms of ATRi efficacy could therefore assist in patient stratification and pre-empting drug resistance. Here, we use CRISPR–Cas9 genome-wide screening in ATM-deficient and proficient mouse embryonic stem cells to interrogate cell fitness following treatment with the ATRi, ceralasertib. We identify factors that enhance or suppress ATRi efficacy, with a subset of these requiring intact ATM signalling. Strikingly, two of the strongest resistance-gene hits in both ATM-proficient and ATM-deficient cells encode Cyclin C and CDK8: members of the CDK8 kinase module for the RNA polymerase II mediator complex. We show that Cyclin C/CDK8 loss reduces S-phase DNA:RNA hybrid formation, transcription-replication stress, and ultimately micronuclei formation induced by ATRi. Overall, our work identifies novel biomarkers of ATRi efficacy in ATM-proficient and ATM-deficient cells, and highlights transcription-associated replication stress as a predominant driver of ATRi-induced cell death.
A Clinical Trial Comparing Smoking Cessation Interventions at Two Levels of Intensity in Stroke Patients, Stratified by the Presence of Insular Cortex Lesions
Authors: Suñer-Soler Rosa , Grau-Martín Armand , Terceño Mikel , Silva Yolanda , Maldonado Eduardo , Gras Maria Eugenia , Font-Mayolas Sílvia , Rodrigo-Gil Joana , Serena Joaquín
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Smoking is a stroke risk factor but the most efficient way to promote cessation is unknown. The smoking behavior in patients during the first 2 years post-stroke is studied comparing brief advice and intensive behavioral counseling interventions, taking into consideration biological, psychological, and social factors.

Methods

Randomized clinical trial of 196 stroke patients, stratified by the presence or not of an insular cortex lesion, with two levels of smoking cessation intervention.

Results

The study retention rate was 85.2%. Abstinence point prevalence at three months after stroke was 50% in the brief advice group and 51.7% in the intensive behavioral counseling group (p = .82) and at 24 months, 48.3% in the brief group and 47.5% in the intensive group (p = .92). Most relapses occurred in the first weeks. After 3 months the curves separated with fewer events in the intensive group and at 24 months the Hazard Ratio was 0.91 (95% CI = 0.61 to 1.37; p = .67). Twenty-four months after stroke, patients with an insular lesion were more likely to be abstinent (OR 3.60, 95% CI = 1.27 to 10.14), as were those who lived with a partner (OR 2.31, 95% CI = 1.17 to 4.55) and those who were less dependent (OR 0.84, 95% CI = 0.73 to 0.97).

Conclusions

A high percentage of patients gave up smoking in both intervention groups with no significant differences between the two. The effect of the insular lesion on smoking cessation, which is early and continued after two years, is particularly notable.

Implications

This two-year clinical trial compares for the first time the efficacy of two different intensities of smoking cessation intervention in stroke patients, taking into consideration the effect of the insula. Good results are obtained both in the short and medium-term in people with stroke, especially when this is accompanied by an insular cortex lesion, but there is no evidence that better results are obtained with longer, more time-intensive, and possibly more costly follow-ups obtain better results than are obtained with briefer interventions.