bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SARS‐CoV‐2 and HIV coinfection: clinical experience from Rhode Island, United States
Authors: Byrd Katrina M , Beckwith Curt G , Garland Joseph M , Johnson Jennie E , Aung Su , Cu‐Uvin Susan , Farmakiotis Dimitrios , Flanigan Timothy , Gillani Fizza S , Macias‐Gil Raul , Mileno Maria , Ramratnam Bharat , Rybak Natasha R , Sanchez Martha , Tashima Karen , Mylonakis Eleftherios , Kantor Rami
Published: June 2020

Introduction

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has infected >6 million people worldwide since December 2019. Global reports of HIV/SARS‐CoV‐2 coinfection are limited. To better understand the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic on persons with HIV and improve their care, we present an outpatient and inpatient clinical experience of HIV/SARS‐CoV‐2 coinfection from Rhode Island, US.

Methods

We describe outpatient and inpatient preparedness for the COVID‐19 pandemic, and present a case series of all known patients with HIV/SARS‐CoV‐2 coinfection at The Miriam Hospital and Rhode Island Hospital, and The Miriam Hospital Infectious Diseases and Immunology Center, in Providence, Rhode Island, US.

Results and discussion

The Infectious Diseases and Immunology Center rapidly prepared for outpatient and inpatient care of persons with HIV and SARS‐CoV‐2. Between 30 March and 20 May 2020, 27 patients with HIV were diagnosed with SARS‐CoV‐2. Twenty were male, six female and one transgender female; average age was 49 years; 13/27 were Hispanic and 6/27 were African American. All had HIV viral load <200 copies/mL and were on antiretroviral therapy with CD4 count range 87 to 1441 cells/µL. Twenty‐six of the 27 had common COVID‐19 symptoms for one to twenty‐eight days and most had other co‐morbidities and/or risk factors. Nine of the 27 were hospitalized for one to thirteen days; of those, three lived in a nursing home, six received remdesivir through a clinical trial or emergency use authorization and tolerated it well; eight recovered and one died. Overall, 17% of known Center people had HIV/SARS‐CoV‐2 coinfection, whereas the comparable state‐wide prevalence was 9%.

Conclusions

We highlight challenges of outpatient and inpatient HIV care in the setting of the COVID‐19 pandemic and present the largest detailed case series to date from the United States on HIV/SARS‐CoV‐2 coinfection, adding to limited global reports. The aggregated clinical findings suggest that the clinical presentation and outcomes of COVID‐19 appear consistent with those without HIV. Whether SARS‐CoV‐2 infection is more frequent among persons with HIV remains to be determined. More data are needed as we develop our understanding of how HIV and antiretroviral therapy are affected by or have an impact on this pandemic.
Clinical characteristics of primary and reactivated Epstein‐Barr virus infection in children
Authors: Yang Ying , Gao Feng
Published: June 2020

Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) infection occurs commonly in children and presents as a primary or reactivated infection, which are difficult for clinicians to distinguish. This study investigated the clinical characteristics of the two types of infections. Children with detectable plasma EBV‐DNA were retrospectively enrolled and divided into primary and reactivated infection group by EBV‐specific antibody. We analyzed the patients' characteristics, clinical manifestations, complications, inflammatory biomarkers, and viral load. A total of 9.3% of children with reactivation were immunocompromised over the long‐term. The primary infection mostly appeared as infectious mononucleosis (99.8%), while reactivation occurred as an infectious mononucleosis‐like disease (65.0%), hemophagocytic syndrome (22.6%), chronic active EBV infection (5.3%) and lymphoma (3.5%). The incidence of fevers, cervical lymphoditis, periorbital edema, pharyngotonsillitis, hepatomegaly and splenomegaly in primary infection were 93.3%, 93.0%, 51.5%, 66.0%, 76.2% and 63.9%, respectively; the incidence of those symptoms in reactivation was 84.0%, 46.9%, 15.4%, 18.5%, 18.5%, and 43.3%, respectively. The incidence of digestive, respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, hematological, genitourinary complications and multiple serous effusion in primary infection was 68.8%, 18.1%, 8.0%, 0.8%, 2.9%, 0.0% and 2.3%; whereas the incidence of these complications in reactivation was 56.2%, 22.5%, 14.1%, 8.0%, 38.9%, 0.3% and 19.0%. Patients with reactivation were more prone to multi‐systemic damage. B‐cells were lower, and CD8+ T‐cells were higher in primary infection. Viral load was correlated with the level of different cytokines in primary and reactivated infection. EBV primary infection often presents as infectious mononucleosis. The reactivated infection affects more immunocompromised subjects with diverse and complex manifestations. Various complications are more commonly associated with reactivation as a result of different inflammatory responses to different types of infection.
Development of a novel glycated protein‐based fibrosis prediction score for determination of significant liver fibrosis in HCV‐infected patients, a preliminary study
Authors: Abo El‐khair Salwa M. , El‐Alfy Hatem A. , Elsamanoudy Ayman Z. , Elhammady Dina , Abd‐elfattah Nahed , Eldeek Bassem , Farid Khaled
Published: June 2020

The current study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of glycated albumin (GA), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and a number of routine biomarkers as noninvasive indicators of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). One hundred patients with CHC were subjected to full medical history and examination, in addition to ultrasound‐guided liver biopsy and histopathological examination for assessment of liver fibrosis stage. GA and HbA1c values, GA/HbA1c ratio, liver function tests, complete blood count, and alpha fetoprotein (AFP) were determined. A novel noninvasive index, dubbed Fibrosis Prediction Score (FPS), was selected for predicting significant liver fibrosis based on total bilirubin, glycated albumin, platelet count, age, and AFP. A validation study for FPS was applied on archival data which include 66 diabetics' patients. The FPS had area under the curve (AUC) of 0.92 for classification of patients with significant fibrosis with 81% sensitivity and 95% specificity. The AUCs of FPS in predicting advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis were 0.86 and 0.82, respectively. Comparison of AST‐to‐platelet ratio index (APRI) and FIB‐4 with FPS indicated increased sensitivity and specificity of FPS over APRI and FIB4 in both significant and advanced fibrosis. FPS has a good sensitivity and specificity for prediction of significant and advanced liver fibrosis in patients with CHC.
Development of advanced conduction disturbances following balloon‐expandable transcatheter aortic valve replacement leads to poorer clinical outcomes
Authors: Ashraf Hasan , Fortuin Floyd D. , Sweeney John , DeValeria Patrick A. , Lanza Louis A. , Ramsay Gary , Maranzano Pedro , Patrick Lorna , Scott Luis R.
Published: June 2020

Background

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a reliable method of treating patients with severe aortic stenosis, but is associated with postprocedure conduction defects.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to compare clinical outcomes in patients who developed advanced conduction defects post‐TAVR to those who did not.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective chart review of 243 patients who underwent balloon‐expandable TAVR with the Edwards Sapien valve to determine the incidence of advanced conduction defects in our cohort. We compared clinical outcomes including overall mortality, improvement in symptomatology, and improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction.

Results

Among the 243 patients included in the study, 9.1% (22/243) required permanent pacemaker (PPM); 19.8% (48/243) developed left bundle branch block (LBBB), and 71.2% (173/243) did not develop any permanent advanced conduction defects. Overall 1‐year mortality was similar across all three groups. There was significant improvement in New York Heart Association functional capacity of all groups post‐TAVR, but this was much less in the PPM group (45.5% vs 68.8%, P = .04). Postprocedure from TAVR, patients with LBBB or PM were less likely to have improvement in their ejection fraction (net loss of −0.7% for LBBB and −5.7% for PPM compared to a net gain of 2.3% for no‐LBBB/PM (P = .02).

Conclusion

Patients who develop LBBB or require PM post‐TAVR with Edwards Sapien valves are less likely to improve New York Heart Association functional capacity and more likely to have no improvement or deterioration of their pre‐TAVR left ventricular ejection fraction.
Determination of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate via Turbidimetric Titration with Poly(Diallyldimethylammonium Chloride)
Authors: Ziółkowska Dorota , Lamkiewicz Jan , Shyichuk Alexander
Published: June 2020

Titration of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solution with poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) results in the formation of colloidal dispersion and gradual increase of turbidity. The titration end point can be determined in different ways, depending on both titrant concentration and optical detector used. The maximum value of turbidity depends on concentration of the titrant solution. An immersion probe is applicable to measure turbidity changes only at low concentrations of the colloidal dispersion. An external optical sensor is well suitable at both low and high concentrations of PDDA titrant. Near to the equimolar ratio of the analyte and titrant, large floccules are formed and turbidity values undergo chaotic fluctuations. Calibration graphs for SDS determination are straight lines. Determination range is from 0.2 to 40 mg L−1.
The Nigeria Parkinson Disease Registry: Process, Profile, and Prospects of a Collaborative Project
Authors: Ojo Oluwadamilola O. , Abubakar Sani A. , Iwuozo Emmanuel U. , Nwazor Ernest O. , Ekenze Oluchi S. , Farombi Temitope H. , Akinyemi Rufus O. , Williams Uduak E. , Bello Abiodun H. , Wahab Kolawole W. , Iyagba Alagoma M. , Arigbodi Ohwotemu , Erameh Cyril O. , Komolafe Morenikeji A. , Fawale Michael B. , Onwuegbuzie Gerald A. , Obiabo Yahaya O. , Taiwo Funlola T. , Agu Christian E. , Ekeh Bertha C. , Osaigbovo Godwin O. , Achoru Charles O. , Arabambi Babawale , Adeniji Olaleye , Nwani Paul O. , Nwosu Cosmas M. , Ademiluyi Babatunde A. , Oyakhire Shyngle I. , Nyandaiti Yakub , Rabiu Musbahu , Chapp‐Jumbo Emmanuel N. , Balarabe Salisu A. , Otubogun Folajimi M. , Obehighe Emmanuel E. , Kehinde Abiodun J. , Ani‐Osheku Ifeyinwa , Imarhiagbe Frank A. , Dike Franklin O. , Adebowale Akintunde A. , Agabi Osigwe P. , Akpekpe John E. , Ali Mohammed W. , Odeniyi Olanike A. , Odiase Francis E. , Abiodun Oladunni V. , Olowoyo Paul , Osemwegie Nosakhare , Oshinaike Olajumoke O. , Owolabi Lukman F. , Zubair Yusuf A. , Rizig Mie , Okubadejo Njideka U.
Published: June 2020

Background

Clinical disease registries are useful for quality improvement in care, benchmarking standards, and facilitating research. Collaborative networks established thence can enhance national and international studies by generating more robust samples and credible data and promote knowledge sharing and capacity building. This report describes the methodology, baseline data, and prospects of the Nigeria Parkinson Disease Registry.

Methods

This national registry was established in November 2016. Ethics approval was obtained for all sites. Basic anonymized data for consecutive cases fulfilling the United Kingdom Parkinson's Disease Brain Bank criteria (except the exclusion criterion of affected family members) are registered by participating neurologists via a secure registry website (www.parkinsonnigeria.com) using a minimal common data capture format.

Results

The registry had captured 578 participants from 5 of 6 geopolitical zones in Nigeria by July 2019 (72.5% men). Mean age at onset was 60.3 ± 10.7 years; median disease duration (interquartile range) was 36 months (18–60.5 months). Young‐onset disease (<50 years) represented 15.2%. A family history was documented in 4.5% and 7.8% with age at onset <50 and ≥ 50, respectively. The most frequent initial symptom was tremor (45.3%). At inclusion, 93.4% were on treatment (54.5% on levodopa monotherapy). Per‐capita direct cost for the registry was $3.37.

Conclusions

This is the first published national Parkinson's disease registry in sub‐Saharan Africa. The registry will serve as a platform for development of multipronged evidence‐based policies and initiatives to improve quality of care of Parkinson's disease and research engagement in Nigeria. © 2020 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Denver initiative should reduce need for police on some emergency calls
Authors: Enos Gary
Published: June 2020

Over the next several months, a swath of Denver's downtown will serve as a testing ground for a behavioral health crisis response initiative that could help inform the national discussion of police reform.
A tribute to Senator Mary Kay Papen's legislative legacy
Authors: Romero Patricia (Patsy)
Published: June 2020

Throughout her years of public service, Senate President Pro Tempore Mary Kay Papen has been a tireless champion for New Mexican families and their loved ones with mental illness, her own family and grandson among them. She could be counted on to sponsor legislation to improve the lives of those with mental illness, such as that establishing assisted outpatient treatment as an alternative to hospitalization and incarceration. In 2016, she sponsored legislation to limit the use of confined isolation by correctional institutions for inmates with serious mental illness and to require private prisons to report settlements with inmates. In 2019, she succeeded in passing legislation to make behavioral health clinics owned by local governments eligible for behavioral health capital funding.
Identification of physical parameters in pressing of rapeseeds from the oil flux measurements
Authors: Bacha Rekia Meriem Ahmed , El Badia Abdellatif , El Hajj Ahmad , Mottelet Stephane
Published: June 2020

In this paper, we are interested in the study of an inverse problem that occurs during the pressing of rapeseeds, where some physical parameters influence on rapeseed oil extraction yield. Our objective is to identify the consolidation coefficient of the press cake, the inverse characteristic time of consolidation in press cake, and inside the rapeseed in order to increase the rapeseed oil extraction yield. Three questions will be addressed: the identifiability, the identification, and the stability of the inverse problem. Finally, we provide numerical results to confirm the theoretical results.
Emergence of time‐asymptotic flocking for a general Cucker–Smale‐type model with distributed time delays
Authors: Liu Zhisu , Liu Yicheng , Wang Xiao
Published: June 2020

In this paper, we analyze the asymptotic flocking behavior for a Cucker–Smale‐type model with a disturbed delayed coupling, where delays are information processing and reactions of individuals. By constructing a new energy functional combined with L2‐analysis, we obtain the uniform bound of particle velocities, and then by establishing a system of dissipative differential inequalities together with L∞‐analysis, we prove the existence of asymptotic flocking solutions when the maximum value of time delays is sufficiently small.
An averaging principle for stochastic switched systems with Lé vy noise
Authors: Ma Shuo , Kang Yanmei
Published: June 2020

In this paper, we present an averaging method for stochastic switched systems with L
vy noise under non‐Lipschitz condition. With the help of successive approximation method and Bihari's inequality, the existence and uniqueness of the solutions of original and averaged systems are proved. Then, under suitable assumptions, we show that the solution of stochastic switched system with L
vy noise strongly converges to the solution of the corresponding averaged equation.
Radial motor nerve conduction studies in the upper arm
Authors: Khodulev Vasily I. , Nechipurenko Natalia I. , Shcharbina Natallia Y.
Published: June 2020

Introduction

The main goal of this study was to determine the contribution of the anterior forearm muscles to the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) recorded from the extensor digitorum (ED) after proximal stimulation.

Methods

Twenty‐one healthy volunteers and 114 patients with compressive and traumatic radial neuropathies were examined. Stimulation was carried out at six different points: distal third of the upper arm; Erbʼs point; axilla; medial upper arm; antecubital fossa; and ulnar groove.

Results

In the control group, Erbʼs CMAP area was significantly greater than the distal CMAP area. In compressive neuropathy, there was conduction block, but no change in conduction velocity. There were no differences in Erbʼs CMAP latencies between the control group and the neuropathies group.

Discussion

CMAPs recorded over the ED with stimulation at the brachial plexus represent the sum of the motor unit action potentials of the posterior and anterior forearm muscles.
Classification and evaluation of IoT brokers: A methodology
Authors: Bertrand‐Martinez Eddas , Dias Feio Phelipe , Brito Nascimento Vagner de , Kon Fabio , Abelém Antônio
Published: June 2020

Since the term Internet of Things (IoT) was coined by Kevin Ashton in 1999, a number of middleware platforms have been developed to cope with important challenges such as the integration of different technologies. In this context of heterogeneous technologies, IoT message brokers become critical elements for the proper function of smart systems and wireless sensor networks (WSN) infrastructures. There are several evaluations made on IoT messaging middleware performance. Nevertheless, most of them ignore crucial aspects of the IoT context that also need to be included, such as reliability and other qualitative aspects. Thus, in this article, we propose a methodology for classification and evaluation of IoT brokers to help the scientific community and technology industry on evaluating them according to their interests, without leaving out important aspects for the context of smart environments. Our methodology bases its qualitative evaluations on the ISO/IEC 25000 (SQuaRE) set of standards and its quantitative evaluations on Jain's process for performance evaluation. We developed a case study to illustrate our proposal with 12 different open‐source brokers, validating the feasibility of our methodological approach.
Funding nonprofits in a networked society: Toward a network framework of government support
Authors: Ma Ji
Published: June 2020

This study considers the effects of government funding to nonprofits from a network perspective. By analyzing a novel, 12‐year panel dataset from the People's Republic of China, I find no evidence that government funding to a nonprofit crowds out private donations to the same organization. However, I find a substantial crosswise crowding‐in effect at the ego network level: an increase of one Chinese Yuan in government funding to a nonprofit's neighbor organizations in board interlocking network can increase the private giving to the nonprofit by 0.4 Chinese Yuan. A nonprofit's network position measured by Katz centrality negatively associates with its private giving. The results suggest that, if we consider the funding system from a holistic network perspective, government should support nonprofits with confidence because of the spillover effect. Moreover, a nascent nonprofit cannot increase donor's confidence by only borrowing board members from renowned organizations.
Growing hearts and minds: Linking landscapes and lifescapes in a soils field course
Authors: Jelinski Nicolas A. , Perrone Sharon V. , Blair Hava K. , Fabian Morgan L.
Published: June 2020

Interacting with practitioners and understanding multiple, contradictory, and complex perspectives is an important skill for effectively managing terrestrial resources in the 21st century. Addressing these needs requires innovative approaches in higher education that elevate student learning outcomes and emphasize the affective learning domain through meaningful, place‐based interactions with practitioners. We describe an approach taken to expand a traditional soils field course to include emphasis on higher‐level student learning outcomes in the affective learning domain. Following the completion of a week‐long field study course in which students gain skills in soil description, classification, and interpretation, the expanded second module of the course includes a traveling component in which students experience soils, landscapes, and “lifescapes” (i.e., the lived experiences of practitioners). This second module incorporates practitioners as the primary source of knowledge and is structured to encourage dialogue, understanding, and co‐discovery centered around soils and land management. In unstructured narratives, students identified themes in the affective domain—deep collaboration, personal and professional development and sense of place, community, and joy—as transformational experiences in the course that influenced their personal and professional growth and future ability to interact with people from across the geographic, social, and political spectrum.
Drawn to natural history: Enhancing field courses with drawing and field journal instruction
Authors: Merkle Bethann Garramon , Barber Brian R. , Carling Matthew D.
Published: June 2020

Drawing is a long‐standing tool in the natural sciences, but training in this skill set has lapsed. We describe the impacts of field sketching instruction on the teaching practices of faculty and the experiences of students in two sections of a freshman‐level course on natural history. We examine self‐reported data from participating faculty and students. We focus on their perspectives of drawing and natural history practices before and after drawing training and a field journal requirement. Faculty reported positive shifts in their views of the value and feasibility of incorporating drawing in their courses. We observed positive shifts in students’ attitudes about drawing and appreciation of nature, as indicated by students’ field journal entries and survey responses. Given the sample size (n = 26 students, n = 2 faculty), our ability to draw inference is constrained. Thus, we present these results to provide context for the overall process of efforts to integrate drawing more fully into natural science courses. For university instructors interested in incorporating drawing into their natural science courses, we also provide advice rooted in the literature and best practices of art‐science integration. Our results suggest that on‐going, artist‐facilitated training for faculty and students can enhance the experience of using drawing in natural history courses and reconnect natural scientists at all career levels to drawing as a valuable, professional tool.
SMARCB1 loss induces druggable cyclin D1 deficiency via upregulation of MIR17HG in atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors
Authors: Xue Yibo , Zhu Xianbing , Meehan Brian , Venneti Sriram , Martinez Daniel , Morin Geneviève , Maïga Rayelle I , Chen Hongbo , Papadakis Andreas I , Johnson Radia M , O'Sullivan Maureen J , Erdreich‐Epstein Anat , Gotlieb Walter H , Park Morag , Judkins Alexander R , Pelletier Jerry , Foulkes William D , Rak Janusz , Huang Sidong
Published: June 2020

Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT) is a fatal pediatric malignancy of the central neural system lacking effective treatment options. It belongs to the rhabdoid tumor family and is usually caused by biallelic inactivation of SMARCB1, encoding a key subunit of SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes. Previous studies proposed that SMARCB1 loss drives rhabdoid tumor by promoting cell cycle through activating transcription of cyclin D1 while suppressing p16. However, low cyclin D1 protein expression is observed in most ATRT patient tumors. The underlying mechanism and therapeutic implication of this molecular trait remain unknown. Here, we show that SMARCB1 loss in ATRT leads to the reduction of cyclin D1 expression by upregulating MIR17HG, a microRNA (miRNA) cluster known to generate multiple miRNAs targeting CCND1. Furthermore, we find that this cyclin D1 deficiency in ATRT results in marked in vitro and in vivo sensitivity to the CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib as a single agent. Our study identifies a novel genetic interaction between SMARCB1 and MIR17HG in regulating cyclin D1 in ATRT and suggests a rationale to treat ATRT patients with FDA‐approved CDK4/6 inhibitors. © 2020 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis, characterization, morphology, and adsorption studies of ternary nanocomposite comprising graphene oxide, chitosan, and polypyrrole
Authors: Kamal Shahid , Khan Faisal , Kausar Huma , Khan Mohd Shoeb , Ahmad Anees , Ishraque Ahmad Syed , Asim Mohd , Alshitari Wael , Nami Shahab A. A.
Published: June 2020

The present work reports the synthesis of a ternary nanocomposite GO‐CS‐PPy comprising of graphene oxide (GO), chitosan (CS), and polypyrrole (PPy). The ternary nanocomposite GO‐CS‐PPy was characterized by a variety of techniques like Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray diffraction analysis (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis, and differential thermal analysis. The in situ synthesis of ternary nanocomposite GO‐CS‐PPy was carried out in the presence of catalytic FeCl3. The SEM and TEM analyses reveal a clear transformation of GO into the nanocomposite form where the characteristic sheet‐like structure of the former was crushed and converted into small pieces of nonuniform size. Similarly, in the XRD, the diagnostic peak of GO is also shifted appreciably employing successful synthesis of ternary nanocomposite GO‐CS‐PPy. The thermal stability of the ternary nanocomposite GO‐CS‐PPy was also found to be enhanced as compared to the pristine GO, CS, and PPy individually. The ternary nanocomposite GO‐CS‐PPy was used as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of a popular anionic dye Congo red as well as for the removal of heavy metal ions like Cu2+ and Cd2+ from water. In both cases, the ternary nanocomposite GO‐CS‐PPy was found to be very effective and can be commercialized in near future after further comprehensive studies.
TLC–MS identification of alkaloids in Leonuri Herba and Leonuri Fructus aided by a newly developed universal derivatisation reagent optimised by the response surface method
Authors: Zhang Na , Wang Meng , Li Yue , Zhou Mingzhe , Wu Tao , Cheng Zhihong
Published: June 2020

Introduction

Dragendorff's reagent has low sensitivity and non‐specificity for some alkaloids. A new alkaloid derivatisation reagent has been developed and optimised by using a Box–Behnken design method. This new reagent is applicable for structurally diverse natural alkaloids, and is proposed as a universal alkaloid staining reagent.

Objective

To establish an efficient and sensitive thin‐layer chromatography (TLC) identification method for Leonuri Herba and Leonuri Fructus to characterise their differences and similarities.

Method

Three key components (bismuth subnitrate, potassium iodide and iodine) in the derivatisation reaction were re‐constructed and optimised using a response surface method. Different inorganic acids, essential additives of the staining reaction, were compared by a single‐factor experiment design.

Results

This newly optimised reagent for alkaloids reported in this study, named the enhanced Dragendorff–Wagner's reagent, is composed of 0.82% bismuth subnitrate, 11.1% potassium iodide and 0.76% iodine in 38% phosphoric acid solution. Validation results indicate that the TLC spot of stachydrine stained with the enhanced Dragendorff–Wagner's reagent had a limit of detection of 2.0 μg, good intra‐ and inter‐plate, and intra‐ and intra‐day precisions with relative standard devition values less than 5.0%, and stability over 90 min.

Conclusion

This enhanced Dragendorff–Wagner's reagent was applied for TLC identification of 16 reference alkaloids representing 11 structural skeletons, and two closely related herbs (Leonuri Herba and Leonuri Fructus). This newly enhanced Dragendorff–Wagner's reagent is a universal, effective, and sensitive staining reagent for alkaloids.
The Table of Standard Atomic Weights—An exercise in consensus
Authors: Coplen Tyler B. , Holden Norman E. , Ding Tiping , Meijer Harro A.J. , Vogl Jochen , Zhu Xiangkun
Published: June 2020

The present Table of Standard Atomic Weights (TSAW) of the elements is perhaps one of the most familiar data sets in science. Unlike most parameters in physical science whose values and uncertainties are evaluated using the “Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement” (GUM), the majority of standard atomic‐weight values and their uncertainties are consensus values, not GUM‐evaluated values. The Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) regularly evaluates the literature for new isotopic‐abundance measurements that can lead to revised standard atomic‐weight values, Ar°(E) for element E.

The Commission strives to provide utmost clarity in products it disseminates, namely the TSAW and the Table of Isotopic Compositions of the Elements (TICE). In 2016, the Commission recognized that a guideline recommending the expression of uncertainty listed in parentheses following the standard atomic‐weight value, for example, Ar°(Se) = 78.971(8), did not agree with the GUM, which suggests that this parenthetic notation be reserved to express standard uncertainty, not the expanded uncertainty used in the TSAW and TICE. In 2017, to eliminate this noncompliance with the GUM, a new format was adopted in which the uncertainty value is specified by the “±” symbol, for example, Ar°(Se) = 78.971 ± 0.008. To clarify the definition of uncertainty, a new footnote has been added to the TSAW. This footnote emphasizes that an atomic‐weight uncertainty is a consensus (decisional) uncertainty.

Not only has the Commission shielded users of the TSAW and TICE from unreliable measurements that appear in the literature as a result of unduly small uncertainties, but the aim of IUPAC has been fulfilled by which any scientist, taking any natural sample from commerce or research, can expect the sample atomic weight to lie within Ar°(E) ± its uncertainty almost all of the time.
A new approach to environmental sustainability: Assessing the impact of monetary policy on CO2 emissions in Asian economies
Authors: Qingquan Jiang , Khattak Shoukat Iqbal , Ahmad Manzoor , Ping Lin
Published: June 2020

This paper offers a unique perspective in the field of environmental economics and research by linking CO2 emissions (CO2e) and monetary policies. Through a newly‐developed predictive model, the study estimated the impact of monetary policies on CO2e along with control variables, including income, remittances, urbanization, fossil fuels, and human capital in selected Asian economies for the period 1990–2014. Data were analyzed using the Pedroni and Kao co‐integration tests, panel fully‐modified (PFM‐LS), and panel dynamic least squares (PD‐LS) techniques for data analysis. Some of the main findings are as follows. First, the results showed a significant long‐term positive relationship between expansionary monetary policy and CO2e. Second, the contractionary monetary policy serves an effective measure to mitigate CO2e. Third, improvements in human capital have a positive impact on reducing CO2e. Fourth, remittances and fossil fuels are also prime determinants of CO2e. Based on the present findings, the paper proposes important implications and a predictive tool for policymakers to design effective policies and strategies for reducing CO2e.
Differential Performance of Sympatric Pomoxis Species Is Explained by Habitat‐Linked Morphology
Authors: Porreca Anthony P. , Rude Neil P. , Broadway Kyle J. , Wahl David H. , Parkos Joseph J.
Published: June 2020

Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus and White Crappie Pomoxis annularis have contrasting patterns of performance along a gradient of turbidity for reasons that have yet to be elucidated. We examined how distinct, habitat‐linked morphologies of these congeners make Black Crappie more specialized for structurally complex vegetation and White Crappie more specialized for open‐water habitats and tested how these interspecific differences during early life influence their vulnerability to predation within open‐water and vegetated habitats. Juvenile Black Crappie had deeper bodies with a short, deep caudal peduncle, and juvenile White Crappie had more fusiform bodies with an elongated caudal peduncle. These morphological differences had important consequences for predator evasiveness in each habitat, where Black Crappie were more successful at evading capture in vegetation and White Crappie were more successful at evading capture in open water. Because turbid lakes rarely support vegetation and clear lakes are heavily vegetated, our results suggest that differential success observed between these congeners may be better explained by adaptations to structural habitat complexity rather than tolerance to turbidity. Our study supports that habitat‐linked morphological variation is critically important for predator evasiveness and can structure populations across species distributions.
Design of Ultra‐Wideband Localization System Based on Optimized Time Difference of Arrival Algorithm
Authors: Zheng‐dong Li , Xing‐jie Chen , Xiu‐ling Li , Juan Cai , Yan He , Hai‐mei Xu
Published: June 2020

In order to solve the problem of low accuracy in indoor positioning, a system based on ultra‐wideband and optimized time difference of arrival (TDOA) is designed. The optimized algorithm of TDOA is adopted to solve the problem of synchronization between anchors and improve the positioning accuracy. The use of LoRa technology for wireless data transmission between anchors improves the flexibility of anchor layout. According to the test, the system can work stably in corridors, rooms, warehouses and other scenarios, and the positioning error is controlled at about 13 cm. The positioning accuracy is 10 times that of the positioning system using WiFi and Bluetooth technology, which can meet the requirements of accurate mobile positioning in complex indoor environment. © 2020 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Development of a VR Simulator for Training of Posterior Cervical Spine Fusion Surgery
Authors: Fujiwara Katsuya , Oikawa Tomoya , Ishikawa Yoshinori , Mitobe Kazutaka
Published: June 2020

It is important to avoid iatrogenic injuries of nerves and blood vessels during the pedicle screw insertion stage of posterior cervical spine decompression and fusion surgery. First, it is necessary to determine the length and angulation of the pedicle screws for safety and stability. Second, it is necessary to drill precise preparation holes for the pedicle screws using a pedicle probe. In this work, we developed a VR training system for pedicle screw planning and basic drilling skills. The VR system was built with a pen‐style haptic device and a head‐mounted display. Trainees used the haptic pen as a virtual pedicle probe. In order to simulate bone hardness and stress accumulation at the virtual pedicle probe tip in the virtual surgery, we developed a voxel‐based bone drilling simulator. To reduce the heavy load required for voxel processing, the simulator was constructed as a hybrid system that included a removal volume voxel model for drilling areas and a fixed polygonal mesh model for other areas. 3D models of a cervical spine were generated from CT scan images of a patient. This paper evaluated the system through a subjective evaluation by a specialist and via the training results for novice trainees. We discuss the evaluation results and training effectiveness with the simulator. © 2020 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Multiomics approach unravels fertility transition in a pigeonpea line for a two‐line hybrid system
Authors: Pazhamala Lekha T. , Chaturvedi Palak , Bajaj Prasad , Srikanth Sandhya , Ghatak Arindam , Chitikineni Annapurna , Bellaire Anke , Hingane Anupama , Kumar C.V. Sameer , Saxena K.B. , Weckwerth Wolfram , Saxena Rachit K. , Varshney Rajeev K.
Published: June 2020

Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] is a pulse crop cultivated in the semi‐arid regions of Asia and Africa. It is a rich source of protein and capable of alleviating malnutrition, improving soil health and the livelihoods of small‐holder farmers. Hybrid breeding has provided remarkable improvements for pigeonpea productivity, but owing to a tedious and costly seed production system, an alternative two‐line hybrid technology is being explored. In this regard, an environment‐sensitive male sterile line has been characterized as a thermosensitive male sterile line in pigeonpea precisely responding to day temperature. The male sterile and fertile anthers from five developmental stages were studied by integrating transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics supported by precise phenotyping and scanning electron microscopic study. Spatio‐temporal analysis of anther transcriptome and proteome revealed 17 repressed DEGs/DEPs in sterile anthers that play a critical role in normal cell wall morphogenesis and tapetal cell development. The male fertility to sterility transition was mainly due to a perturbation in auxin homeostasis, leading to impaired cell wall modification and sugar transport. Limited nutrient utilization thus leads to microspore starvation in response to moderately elevated day temperature which could be restored with auxin‐treatment in the male sterile line. Our findings outline a molecular mechanism that underpins fertility transition responses thereby providing a process‐oriented two‐line hybrid breeding framework for pigeonpea.
Online misinformation about climate change
Authors: Treen Kathie M. d'I. , Williams Hywel T. P. , O'Neill Saffron J.
Published: June 2020

Policymakers, scholars, and practitioners have all called attention to the issue of misinformation in the climate change debate. But what is climate change misinformation, who is involved, how does it spread, why does it matter, and what can be done about it? Climate change misinformation is closely linked to climate change skepticism, denial, and contrarianism. A network of actors are involved in financing, producing, and amplifying misinformation. Once in the public domain, characteristics of online social networks, such as homophily, polarization, and echo chambers—characteristics also found in climate change debate—provide fertile ground for misinformation to spread. Underlying belief systems and social norms, as well as psychological heuristics such as confirmation bias, are further factors which contribute to the spread of misinformation. A variety of ways to understand and address misinformation, from a diversity of disciplines, are discussed. These include educational, technological, regulatory, and psychological‐based approaches. No single approach addresses all concerns about misinformation, and all have limitations, necessitating an interdisciplinary approach to tackle this multifaceted issue. Key research gaps include understanding the diffusion of climate change misinformation on social media, and examining whether misinformation extends to climate alarmism, as well as climate denial. This article explores the concepts of misinformation and disinformation and defines disinformation to be a subset of misinformation. A diversity of disciplinary and interdisciplinary literature is reviewed to fully interrogate the concept of misinformation—and within this, disinformation—particularly as it pertains to climate change.

This article is categorized under:

Perceptions, Behavior, and Communication of Climate Change > Communication
Osteoid osteoma of the hip: imaging features
Authors: Malghem Jacques , Lecouvet Frederic , Kirchgesner Thomas , Acid Souad , Vande Berg Bruno
Published: June 2020

Osteoid osteoma (OO), a small bone tumor relatively common in young subjects, frequently involves the hip. In addition to typical findings, we emphasize unsuspected clinical and imaging features including painless OO causing limping gait, non-visibility of totally mineralized nidus, absence of hyperostosis or adjacent edema, and recurrence at distance from the initial location. We also discuss the option of medical treatment for some cases of deep hip locations.
The ageing body: contributing attitudinal factors towards perceptual body size estimates in younger and middle-aged women
Authors: Bellard Ashleigh M. , Cornelissen Piers L. , Mian Emanuel , Cazzato Valentina
Published: June 2020

Over-estimation of body size, a core feature of eating disorders (EDs), has been well-documented both in young healthy and ED individuals. Yet, evidence that altered body perception might also affect older women is limited. Here, we examined whether attitudinal components of body image (i.e. the feelings an individual has about their body size and shape) might affect perceived actual and ideal body shape self-estimates in midlife, similarly to younger women. Thirty-two younger (mean age, 24.22 years) and 33 middle-aged (mean age, 53.79 years) women took part to a computerized body perception assessment of perceived, actual and ideal aspects of body image. Body mass index (BMI), societal and interpersonal aspects of appearance ideals, measured by means of Sociocultural Attitudes towards Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ-4), and assessment of body uneasiness and concerns for specific body parts, measured by Body Uneasiness Test (BUT-A/B) scales, were also investigated. Younger and middle-aged women with larger BMI showed greater discrepancy in perceptual distortions from their perceived actual body size. However, middle-aged women with greater body part concerns overestimated their perceived body size, as opposed to younger women who were almost accurate. Unlike middle-aged women, younger women with higher body part concerns desired slimmer ideal body image than their perceived actual. Results suggest that distortions in the perceived actual and ideal body size self-estimates of younger and middle-aged women are best explained by a combination of BMI, body part concerns and the particular age group to which a participant belonged. In the future, a personalized approach for the assessment of women’s perceptions and concerns of specific body areas during lifespan should be adopted.
Production of moth sex pheromone precursors in Nicotiana spp.: a worthwhile new approach to pest control
Authors: Xia Yi-Han , Ding Bao-Jian , Wang Hong-Lei , Hofvander Per , Jarl-Sunesson Carin , Löfstedt Christer
Published: June 2020

Pheromones are environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional pesticides for pest control. They are widely applied for insect monitoring, mating disruption and mass trapping.Nicotiana benthamianaandN. tabacumare potential green biomass production platforms of moth sex pheromones. Using these twoNicotianaspecies as plant factories, we expressed biosynthetic genes of plant and insect origin in leaf tissue. Moth sex pheromone precursors (E)-11-tetradecenoic acid, (Z)-11-tetradecenoic acid and (Z)-11-hexadecenoic acid were produced by introducing the acyl-ACP thioesterasesCpuFatB1fromCuphea pulcherrimaorCpaFatB2fromC. palustrisand the fatty acyl desaturasesAve∆11fromArgyrotaenia velutinana,CpaE11fromChoristoneura parallelaorAtr∆11fromAmyelois transitella, under the control of CaMV-35S promoter. Among theNicotianaspp. transformants, the best line produced (Z)-11-hexadecenoic acid at 17.6% of total fatty acids in leaves, during flowering stage, corresponding to 335 µg of (Z)-11-hexadecenoic acid per gram of fresh leaf. The (Z)-11-hexadecenoic acid production lines fromN. benthamianawere selected for further propagation to obtain homozygous lines. In theN. benthamianaT2 generation, the production quantity of (Z)-11-hexadecenoic acid was stable. Our study demonstrates the feasibility of stable transformation ofN. benthamianafor production of moth pheromone precursors in vegetative tissue.
Neofabraea kienholzii, a novel causal agent of grapevine trunk diseases in Hungary
Authors: Lengyel Szabina , Knapp Dániel G. , Karácsony Zoltán , Geml József , Tempfli Balázs , Kovács Gábor M. , Váczy Kálmán Zoltán
Published: June 2020

Recently, more and more new fungal pathogens have been described as causal agents of grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs), which lead to increasingly significant economic losses in viticulture worldwide. The genus Neofabraea consists of species mainly known as important plant pathogens causing perennial canker and bull’s eye rot, a common postharvest disease of apple (Malus domestica) and pear (Pyrus communis) fruits. Neofabraea kienholzii also causes lesions on pome fruits and canker on woody tissues, but its pathogenicity has not been demonstrated on grapevine yet. In 2015, two strains, identified as N. kienholzii based on ITS sequence data, were isolated from vines showing symptoms of GTDs in Hungary. For an unambiguous taxonomic placement of the isolates, four loci (ITS, LSU, TUB2 and RPB2) were amplified and sequenced. The phylogenetic analysis confirmed that the two isolates represent N. kienholzii. Pathogenicity tests performed on potted grapevines, shoots, and canes confirmed the virulence of these fungi. Their growth and sporulation on different media were also investigated. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first proof of N. kienholzii might cause symptoms on Vitis and might have a role in GTDs.
On the optimal calibration of VVV photometry
Authors: Hajdu Gergely , Dékány István , Catelan Márcio , Grebel Eva K.
Published: June 2020

Prompted by some inconsistencies in the photometry of the VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea (VVV) survey, we conduct a revision of the standard calibration procedure of VISTA data in the J, H, and KS passbands. Two independent sources of bias in the photometric zero-points are identified: First, high sky backgrounds severely affect the H-band measurements, but this can mostly be minimized by strict data vetting. Secondly, during the zero-point calibration, stars serving as standards are taken from the 2MASS catalog, which can suffer from high degrees of blending in regions of high stellar density, affecting both the absolute photometric calibration, as well as the scatter of repeated observations. The former affects studies that rely on an absolute magnitude scale, while the latter can also affect the shapes and amount of scatter in the VVV light curves, thus potentially hampering their proper classification. We show that these errors can be effectively eliminated by relatively simple modifications of the standard calibration procedure, and demonstrate the effect of the recalibration on the VVV survey’s data quality. We give recommendations for future improvements of the pipeline calibration of VISTA photometry, while also providing preliminary corrections to the VVV JHKS observations as a temporary measure.
The CMA’s assessment of customer detriment in the UK retail energy market
Authors: Littlechild Stephen
Published: June 2020

In 2016, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that “weak customer response” enabled incumbent UK energy retailers to set higher and discriminatory prices to residential customers. The CMA estimated the associated higher prices constituted a customer detriment in the range £1.4 bn to £2 bn per year. Although the CMA recommended against a price cap on most domestic energy tariffs, the size of the detriment and public concern about “rip-off energy tariffs” nonetheless led the Government to impose a price cap as from January 2019. This paper examines the CMA’s calculation of customer detriment and suggests that it is inconsistent with CMAGuidelinesand unprecedented with respect to its nature, magnitude and policy impact. Alternative more realistic calculations suggest that any detriment would have been nearly an order of magnitude lower, so that a price cap was inappropriate. This raises a number of questions about the CMA’s approach.