bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The lattice thermal conductivity in monolayers group-VA: from elements to binary compounds
Authors: Liu Lu , Peng Chengxiao , Jiang Shujuan , Feng Zhenzhen , Zhang Guangbiao , Wang Chao , Zhang Peiyu , Hu Ming
Published: June 2021

The lattice thermal conductivity (

κ

L

) of the monolayers of partial group-VA elements and binary compounds are systemically investigated by the first-principles calculations and phonon Boltzmann transport equation (PBTE), including aW-antimonene, α-arsenene, black phosphorus, α-SbAs, α-SbP and α-AsP. The

κ

L

values decrease with the increasing of atomic mass for these materials with similar geometry and valence structures. It is ascribed to phonon branches softening, low phonon group velocity, and large Grüneisen parameters. Due to the neutralization of phonon group velocity and phonon lifetime,

κ

L

of binary compounds is between their corresponding elements. As the atomic radius and mass increase, the bond strength and the phonon group velocity decreases. Furthermore, the dimensionless parameter

γ

2

/

A

, which comes from the Slack equation and only has the dependence of Grüneisen parameter, grows up with the atomic mass rising, which indicates that a larger anharmonicity is present in the heavier V-V monolayers. For SbAs and SbP compounds, the thermal conductivity anisotropy mainly results from the anisotropy of elastic coefficients along armchair and zigzag directions. Our results highlight the impact of atomic arrangement on the thermal conductivity of group VA binary compounds. This work paves a way to modulate the thermal conductivity of 2D VA elements by incorporation atoms with suitable mass and may guide to improve thermoelectrical performance via the alloying method.
Experimental and numerical study on fragmentation mechanism of copper sheet in laser dynamic forming
Authors: Chen Songling , Li Pin , Zhen Xijin , Shen Zongbao , Liu Huixia , Wang Xiao
Published: June 2021

The fragmentation mechanism of copper sheet in laser dynamic forming (LDF) process is investigated. The investigation of the fragmentation mechanism in the moving sample is quite difficult, so finite element method is adopted to provide detailed information on the stress state during micro-forming. The shock loading was generated using laser-shock-rubber loading technique in which a layer of rubber is inserted to improve laser shock efficiency. When laser power density is 0.491 GW cm−2, the obvious circular fragmentation is located at the center region of rear surface. When laser power density is 0.658 GW cm−2, the diameter of the fragmentation region increased, and what’s more, circumferential and radial cracks were formed in the fragmentation region. The void linkages and terrace-like pattern were also observed. Finite element model reveals that the fragmentation in the moving sheet is not caused by the initial rubber direct loading, but the deceleration at the last stage of forming. Because the curvature in the tip has the highest value at the stopping point, deceleration passes through its maximum value and then causes fragmentation at the last stage of forming. When laser power density is 0.658 GW cm−2, the single layer fragmentation, multiple layer fragmentation, circumferential crack, and radial cracks occur in that sequence.
Fast convolutional neural networks on FPGAs with hls4ml
Authors: Aarrestad Thea , Loncar Vladimir , Ghielmetti Nicolò , Pierini Maurizio , Summers Sioni , Ngadiuba Jennifer , Petersson Christoffer , Linander Hampus , Iiyama Yutaro , Di Guglielmo Giuseppe , Duarte Javier , Harris Philip , Rankin Dylan , Jindariani Sergo , Pedro Kevin , Tran Nhan , Liu Mia , Kreinar Edward , Wu Zhenbin , Hoang Duc
Published: June 2021

We introduce an automated tool for deploying ultra low-latency, low-power deep neural networks with convolutional layers on field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). By extending the hls4ml library, we demonstrate an inference latency of 5 µs using convolutional architectures, targeting microsecond latency applications like those at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Considering benchmark models trained on the Street View House Numbers Dataset, we demonstrate various methods for model compression in order to fit the computational constraints of a typical FPGA device used in trigger and data acquisition systems of particle detectors. In particular, we discuss pruning and quantization-aware training, and demonstrate how resource utilization can be significantly reduced with little to no loss in model accuracy. We show that the FPGA critical resource consumption can be reduced by 97% with zero loss in model accuracy, and by 99% when tolerating a 6% accuracy degradation.
Using mixed-effects modeling to estimate decay kinetics of response to SARS-CoV-2 infection
Authors: Bottino Dean , Hather Greg , Yuan L , Stoddard Madison , White Lin , Chakravarty Arijit
Published: June 2021

The duration of natural immunity in response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a matter of some debate in the literature at present. For example, in a recent publication characterizing SARS-CoV-2 immunity over time, the authors fit pooled longitudinal data, using fitted slopes to infer the duration of SARS-CoV-2 immunity. In fact, such approaches can lead to misleading conclusions as a result of statistical model-fitting artifacts. To exemplify this phenomenon, we reanalyzed one of the markers (pseudovirus neutralizing titer) in the publication, using mixed-effects modeling, a methodology better suited to longitudinal datasets like these. Our findings showed that the half-life was both longer and more variable than reported by the authors. The example selected by us here illustrates the utility of mixed-effects modeling in provide more accurate estimates of the duration and heterogeneity of half-lives of molecular and cellular biomarkers of SARS-CoV-2 immunity.
Next-generation cytokines for cancer immunotherapy
Authors: Xue Diyuan , Hsu Eric , Fu Yang-Xin , Peng Hua
Published: June 2021

Most studies focus on the first and second signals of T cell activation. However, the roles of cytokines in immunotherapy are not fully understood, and cytokines have not been widely used in patient care. Clinical application of cytokines is limited due to their short half-life in vivo, severe toxicity at therapeutic doses, and overall lack of efficacy. Several modifications have been engineered to extend their half-life and increase tumor targeting, including polyethylene glycol conjugation, fusion to tumor-targeting antibodies, and alteration of cytokine/cell receptor-binding affinity. These modifications demonstrate an improvement in either increased antitumor efficacy or reduced toxicity. However, these cytokine engineering strategies may still be improved further, as each strategy poses advantages and disadvantages in the delicate balance of targeting tumor cells, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and peripheral immune cells. This review focuses on selected cytokines, including interferon-α, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-15, IL-21, and IL-12, in both preclinical studies and clinical applications. We review next-generation designs of these cytokines that improve half-life, tumor targeting, and antitumor efficacy. We also present our perspectives on the development of new strategies to potentiate cytokine-based immunotherapy.
Behaviour change interventions to increase physical activity in hospitalised patients: a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression
Authors: Taylor Nicholas F , Harding Katherine E , Dennett Amy M , Febrey Samantha , Warmoth Krystal , Hall Abi J , Prendergast Luke A , Goodwin Victoria A
Published: June 2021

Background

Low physical activity levels are a major problem for people in hospital and are associated with adverse outcomes.

Objective

This systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression aimed to determine the effect of behaviour change interventions on physical activity levels in hospitalised patients.

Methods

Randomised controlled trials of behaviour change interventions to increase physical activity in hospitalised patients were selected from a database search, supplemented by reference list checking and citation tracking. Data were synthesised with random-effects meta-analyses and meta-regression analyses, applying Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation criteria. The primary outcome was objectively measured physical activity. Secondary measures were patient-related outcomes (e.g. mobility), service level outcomes (e.g. length of stay), adverse events and patient satisfaction.

Results

Twenty randomised controlled trials of behaviour change interventions involving 2,568 participants (weighted mean age 67 years) included six trials with a high risk of bias. There was moderate-certainty evidence that behaviour change interventions increased physical activity levels (SMD 0.34, 95% CI 0.14–0.55). Findings in relation to mobility and length of stay were inconclusive. Adverse events were poorly reported. Meta-regression found behaviour change techniques of goal setting (SMD 0.29, 95% CI 0.05–0.53) and feedback (excluding high risk of bias trials) (SMD 0.35, 95% CI 0.11–0.60) were independently associated with increased physical activity.

Conclusions

Targeted behaviour change interventions were associated with increases in physical activity in hospitalised patients. The trials in this review were inconclusive in relation to the patient-related or health service benefits of increasing physical activity in hospital.
Pragmatics of Democracy: A Political Theory of African American Literature before Emancipation
Authors: Jones Douglas A
Published: June 2021

“Pragmatics of Democracy: A Political Theory of African American Literature before Emancipation” reads scenes of embodied experience in early African American literary culture to theorize how persons come to regard democratic cultures as productive of the most excellent forms of life. The book proposes a typology of these iterative bodily events which dispose persons toward democratic subjectivity: ecstasy, violence, impersonality, respectability, and autonomy.

[E]arly African American narratives offer speculations, categories, and hermeneutics concerning democracy grounded in Black life amid new-world chattel slavery that sometimes contradict, sometimes complement those that prevailed in early US political thought.
Going Underground: Race, Space, and the Subterranean in the Nineteenth-Century US
Authors: Cohen Lara Langer
Published: June 2021

This essay examines the emergence of the underground as a figure for being in but not of a rotten world. First popularized by newspaper coverage of the Underground Railroad in the 1840s, the underground offered a metaphor for subversive activity that has remained central to our political vocabulary. My forthcoming book, Going Underground: Race, Space, and the Subterranean in the Nineteenth-Century US, excavates the long history of this now-familiar idea, but most of all, it seeks out versions of the underground that got left behind along the way. To do so, it traces images of the subterranean from David Walker’s Appeal (1829) to Pauline Hopkins’s Of One Blood (1902–03), and from anarchist periodicals and exposés of the urban underworld to the initiation rites of secret societies and manuals for sex magic. In this essay, an adaptation of the book’s introduction, I focus on how early visions of the underground were shaped by literal subterranean spaces and associations with racialized Blackness. I argue that nineteenth-century undergrounds can expand our thinking about political agitation outside the familiar framework of resistance and suggest some new—which is to say old—modes of world-making and world-breaking for a time when this world feels increasingly untenable.

At times going underground is an effect of subjugation, but at other times it is an act of refusal. Some undergrounds are sites to carve out other worlds … and some are sites to prepare the destruction of this one.
Deer exclusion unveils abiotic filtering in forest understorey plant assemblages
Authors: Chollet Simon , Baltzinger Christophe , Maillard Morgane , Martin Jean-Louis
Published: June 2021

Background and Aims

The role of deer (family Cervidae) in ecosystem functioning has traditionally been neglected by forest ecologists due to the animal’s scarcity in most parts of the northern hemisphere. However, the dramatic rebound in deer populations throughout the 20th century has brought deer browsing to the forefront of forest ecological questioning. Today there is ample evidence that deer affect tree regeneration, understorey plant and animal diversity, and even litter decomposition. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of deer on forest ecosystems remain unclear. Among others, the relative role of abiotic factors versus biotic interactions (e.g. herbivory) in shaping plant assemblages remains largely unknown.

Methods

We used a large-scale experiment with exclosures distributed along abiotic gradients to understand the role of black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitchensis) on the forest understorey on the Haida Gwaii archipelago (western Canada), a unique context where most of the key ecological effects of deer presence have already been intensively studied.

Key Results

Our results demonstrate that 20 years of deer exclusion resulted in a clear increase in vascular plant richness, diversity and cover, and caused a decline in bryophyte cover. Exclusion also unveiled abiotic (i.e. soil water availability and fertility) filtering of plant assemblages that would otherwise have been masked by the impact of abundant deer populations. However, deer exclusion did not lead to an increase in beta diversity, probably because some remnant species had a competitive advantage to regrow after decades of over browsing.

Conclusions

We demonstrated that long-term herbivory by deer can be a dominant factor structuring understorey plant communities that overwhelms abiotic factors. However, while exclosures prove useful to assess the overall effects of large herbivores, the results from our studies at broader scales on the Haida Gwaii archipelago suggest that exclosure experiments should be used cautiously when inferring the mechanisms at work.
EpitopeVec: linear epitope prediction using deep protein sequence embeddings
Authors: Bahai Akash , Asgari Ehsaneddin , Mofrad Mohammad R K , Kloetgen Andreas , McHardy Alice C
Published: June 2021

Motivation

B-cell epitopes (BCEs) play a pivotal role in the development of peptide vaccines, immuno-diagnostic reagents and antibody production, and thus in infectious disease prevention and diagnostics in general. Experimental methods used to determine BCEs are costly and time-consuming. Therefore, it is essential to develop computational methods for the rapid identification of BCEs. Although several computational methods have been developed for this task, generalizability is still a major concern, where cross-testing of the classifiers trained and tested on different datasets has revealed accuracies of 51–53%.

Results

We describe a new method called EpitopeVec, which uses a combination of residue properties, modified antigenicity scales, and protein language model-based representations (protein vectors) as features of peptides for linear BCE predictions. Extensive benchmarking of EpitopeVec and other state-of-the-art methods for linear BCE prediction on several large and small datasets, as well as cross-testing, demonstrated an improvement in the performance of EpitopeVec over other methods in terms of accuracy and area under the curve. As the predictive performance depended on the species origin of the respective antigens (viral, bacterial and eukaryotic), we also trained our method on a large viral dataset to create a dedicated linear viral BCE predictor with improved cross-testing performance.

Availability and implementation

The software is available at https://github.com/hzi-bifo/epitope-prediction.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Identifying driver genes for individual patients through inductive matrix completion
Authors: Zhang Tong , Zhang Shao-Wu , Li Yan
Published: June 2021

Motivation

The driver genes play a key role in the evolutionary process of cancer. Effectively identifying these driver genes is crucial to cancer diagnosis and treatment. However, due to the high heterogeneity of cancers, it remains challenging to identify the driver genes for individual patients. Although some computational methods have been proposed to tackle this problem, they seldom consider the fact that the genes functionally similar to the well-established driver genes may likely play similar roles in cancer process, which potentially promotes the driver gene identification. Thus, here we developed a novel approach of IMCDriver to promote the driver gene identification both for cohorts and individual patients.

Results

IMCDriver first considers the well-established driver genes as prior information, and adopts the using multi-omics data (e.g. somatic mutation, gene expression and protein–protein interaction) to compute the similarity between patients/genes. Then, IMCDriver prioritizes the personalized mutated genes according to their functional similarity to the well-established driver genes via Inductive Matrix Completion. Finally, IMCDriver identifies the highly rank-ordered genes as the personalized driver genes. The results on five cancer datasets from the Cancer Genome Consortium show that our IMCDriver outperforms other existing state-of-the-art methods both in the cohort and patient-specific driver gene identification. IMCDriver also reveals some novel driver genes that potentially drive cancer development. In addition, even for the driver genes rarely mutated among a population, IMCDriver can still identify them and prioritize them with high priorities.

Availability and implementation

Code available at https://github.com/NWPU-903PR/IMCDriver.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Ancestral smoking and developmental outcomes: a review of publications from a population birth cohort
Authors: Golding Jean , Pembrey Marcus , Iles-Caven Yasmin , Watkins Sarah , Suderman Matthew , Northstone Kate
Published: June 2021

The adverse effects on the child of maternal smoking in pregnancy is well-recognized, but little research has been carried out on the possible non-genetic effects of ancestral smoking prior to the pregnancy including parental initiation of cigarette smoking in their own childhoods or a grandmother smoking during pregnancy. Here, we summarize the studies that have been published mainly using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. We demonstrate evidence that ancestral smoking prior to or during pregnancy can often be beneficial for offspring health and both ancestor- and sex-specific. More specifically, we report evidence of (i) adverse effects of the father starting to smoke pre-puberty on his son’s development; (ii) beneficial effects on the grandson if his maternal grandmother had smoked in pregnancy; and (iii) mainly adverse effects on the granddaughter when the paternal grandmother had smoked in pregnancy. The ancestor- and sex-specificity of these results are consistent with earlier studies reporting associations of health and mortality with ancestral food supply in their parents’ and grandparents’ pre-pubertal childhoods.
Bayesian adaptive model selection design for optimal biological dose finding in phase I/II clinical trials
Authors: Lin Ruitao , Yin Guosheng , Shi Haolun
Published: June 2021

Identification of the optimal dose presents a major challenge in drug development with molecularly targeted agents, immunotherapy, as well as chimeric antigen receptor T-cell treatments. By casting dose finding as a Bayesian model selection problem, we propose an adaptive design by simultaneously incorporating the toxicity and efficacy outcomes to select the optimal biological dose (OBD) in phase I/II clinical trials. Without imposing any parametric assumption or shape constraint on the underlying dose–response curves, we specify curve-free models for both the toxicity and efficacy endpoints to determine the OBD. By integrating the observed data across all dose levels, the proposed design is coherent in dose assignment and thus greatly enhances efficiency and accuracy in pinning down the right dose. Not only does our design possess a completely new yet flexible dose-finding framework, but it also has satisfactory and robust performance as demonstrated by extensive simulation studies. In addition, we show that our design enjoys desirable coherence properties, while most of existing phase I/II designs do not. We further extend the design to accommodate late-onset outcomes which are common in immunotherapy. The proposed design is exemplified with a phase I/II clinical trial in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Policing’s New Vulnerability Re-Envisioning Local Accountability in an Era of Global Outrage
Authors: Goldsmith Andrew , McLaughlin Eugene
Published: June 2021

In this paper, we argue that globally networked activism such as that triggered by the murder of George Floyd has dramatically amplified, and consequently rendered processes of police reform and accountability more vulnerable to exogenous influences. Recently witnessed activism in this sphere derives much of its significance from the ability to leverage the latest audio-visual technologies and social media platforms. The Black Lives Matter protests demonstrate how these technologies and platforms make flashpoint images of violent policing visible to diverse, global audiences in an extraordinary manner. Using the examples of Australia and the United Kingdom, we argue that these viral images have the capacity to ‘collapse contexts’ and radically disrupt policing in the places to which they migrate. The complicated impact of migrating flashpoint images of violent policing from ‘over there’ to ‘over here’ necessitates urgent analysis and debate.
Transmitted Drug Resistance Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-1 Diagnoses in the United States, 2014–2018
Authors: McClung R Paul , Oster Alexandra M , Ocfemia M Cheryl Bañez , Saduvala Neeraja , Heneine Walid , Johnson Jeffrey A , Hernandez Angela L
Published: June 2021

Background

Transmitted human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) drug resistance can threaten the efficacy of antiretroviral therapy and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Drug-resistance testing is recommended at entry to HIV care in the United States and provides valuable insight for clinical decision making and population-level monitoring.

Methods

We assessed transmitted drug-resistance–associated mutation (TDRM) prevalence and predicted susceptibility to common HIV drugs among US persons with HIV diagnosed during 2014–2018 who had a drug resistance test performed ≤3 months after HIV diagnosis and reported to the National HIV Surveillance System and who resided in 28 jurisdictions where ≥20% of HIV diagnoses had an eligible sequence during this period.

Results

Of 50 747 persons in the analysis, 9616 (18.9%) had ≥1 TDRM. TDRM prevalence was 0.8% for integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs), 4.2% for protease inhibitors, 6.9% for nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), and 12.0% for non-NRTIs. Most individual mutations had a prevalence <1.0% including M184V (0.9%) and K65R (0.1%); K103N was most prevalent (8.6%). TDRM prevalence did not increase or decrease significantly during 2014–2018 overall, for individual drug classes, or for key individual mutations except for M184V (12.9% increase per year; 95% confidence interval, 5.6–20.6%).

Conclusions

TDRM prevalence overall and for individual drug classes remained stable during 2014–2018; transmitted INSTI resistance was uncommon. Continued population-level monitoring of INSTI and NRTI mutations, especially M184V and K65R, is warranted amidst expanding use of second-generation INSTIs and PrEP.
Open or endovascular treatment of downstream thoracic or thoraco-abdominal aortic pathology after frozen elephant trunk: perioperative and mid-term outcomes
Authors: Loschi Diletta , Melloni Andrea , Grandi Alessandro , Baccellieri Domenico , Monaco Fabrizio , Melissano Germano , Chiesa Roberto , Bertoglio Luca
Published: June 2021

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of open and endovascular treatment of downstream thoracic or thoraco-abdominal aortic pathology in patients who underwent previous frozen elephant trunk (FET).

METHODS

Data were retrieved to evaluate mortality, cardiac, pulmonary, cerebrovascular, renal and spinal cord major adverse events, early- and mid-term reintervention and survival rates. The Society for Vascular Surgery endovascular reporting standards were used.

RESULTS

From 2011 to 2020, 48 patients (36 males, median age 60 years) underwent downstream aortic repair at a median of 18 months (interquartile range: 6–57) after the initial FET. Twenty-eight patients (58.3%) received open and 20 (41.7%) endovascular repair. The overall 30-day mortality was 6.3% and the initial clinical success was 88%, with no inter-group differences (P = 0.22 and 0.66 respectively). Six spinal cord deficits were recorded (13%): 3 (6.3%) were permanent. The major adverse events incidence was lower in the endovascular cohort [4 (20%) vs 14 (50%); P = 0.047], mainly due to a lower rate of grade ≥2 respiratory complications (5% vs 42.9%; P = 0.004). Assisted primary clinical success at 5 years was higher in the endovascular group (95% vs 68%, P = 0.022); freedom from reintervention at competing risk analysis (P = 0.3) and overall survival at Kaplan–Meier curves (log-rank P = 0.29) were similar.

CONCLUSIONS

Downstream aortic repair after FET is feasible with both open and endovascular repair with acceptable mortality and permanent paraplegia rates. The endovascular approach has potential perioperative and mid-term advantages, but long-term durability has to be further investigated in larger cohorts.
In-depth bioinformatic study of the cadherin 5 interactome in patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm unveils 8 novel biomarkers
Authors: Magouliotis Dimitrios E , Fergadi Maria P , Christodoulidis Gregory , Svokos Alexis A , Svokos Konstantina A , Bareka Metaxia , Athanasiou Thanos
Published: June 2021

OBJECTIVES

Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is characterized by the dilation of the aorta and is associated with poor prognosis if not diagnosed and treated early. In this context, the identification of biomarkers regarding the TAA diagnosis, monitoring and prognosis is crucial. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the differential gene expression profile of the cadherin 5 (CDH5 or VE-Cadherin) gene network in patients with TAA, to propose novel biomarkers.

METHODS

In silico techniques were used to construct the interactome of the CDH5 network, identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in TAA as compared to healthy controls, and uncover the related molecular functions and the regulating miRNAs.

RESULTS

Transcriptomic data of one microarray dataset were included, incorporating 43 TAA and 43 control samples. Eight DEGs were identified; 7 were up-regulated and 1 was down-regulated. A molecular signature of 8 genes (CDH5; Calcitonin Receptor-Like Receptor–CALCRL; Activin A Receptor-Like Type 1–ACVRL1, Tryptophanyl-TRNA Synthetase 1–WARS; Junction Plakoglobin–JUP, Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Receptor Type J–PTPRJ, Purinergic Receptor P2X 4–P2RX4, Kinase Insert Domain Receptor–KDR) were identified as biomarkers associated with TAA. PTPRJ was associated with excellent discrimination and calibration in predicting TAA presentation. Positive correlations were reported regarding the expression of CDH5-CALCRL, CDH5-ACVRL1, CDH5-WARS and CDH5-PTPRJ. Finally, gene set enrichment analysis indicated the molecular functions and miRNA families (hsa-miR-296-5p, hsa-miR-6836-5p, hsa-miR-6132, hsa-miR-27a-5p and hsa-miR-6773-5p) relevant to the 8 biomarkers.

CONCLUSIONS

These outcomes propose an 8-gene molecular panel associated with TAA.
Fractional flow reserve derived from computed tomography coronary angiography in the assessment and management of stable chest pain: the FORECAST randomized trial
Authors: Curzen Nick , Nicholas Zoe , Stuart Beth , Wilding Sam , Hill Kayleigh , Shambrook James , Eminton Zina , Ball Darran , Barrett Camilla , Johnson Lucy , Nuttall Jacqui , Fox Kim , Connolly Derek , O’Kane Peter , Hobson Alex , Chauhan Anoop , Uren Neal , Mccann Gerry , Berry Colin , Carter Justin , Roobottom Carl , Mamas Mamas , Rajani Ronak , Ford Ian , Douglas Pamela , Hlatky Mark
Published: June 2021

Aims 

Fractional flow reserve (FFRCT) using computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) determines both the presence of coronary artery disease and vessel-specific ischaemia. We tested whether an evaluation strategy based on FFRCT would improve economic and clinical outcomes compared with standard care.

Methods and results 

Overall, 1400 patients with stable chest pain in 11 centres were randomized to initial testing with CTCA with selective FFRCT (experimental group) or standard clinical care pathways (standard group). The primary endpoint was total cardiac costs at 9 months. Secondary endpoints were angina status, quality of life, major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events, and use of invasive coronary angiography. Randomized groups were similar at baseline. Most patients had an initial CTCA: 439 (63%) in the standard group vs. 674 (96%) in the experimental group, 254 of whom (38%) underwent FFRCT. Mean total cardiac costs were higher by £114 (+8%) in the experimental group, with a 95% confidence interval from −£112 (−8%) to +£337 (+23%), though the difference was not significant (P = 0.10). Major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events did not differ significantly (10.2% in the experimental group vs. 10.6% in the standard group) and angina and quality of life improved to a similar degree over follow-up in both randomized groups. Invasive angiography was reduced significantly in the experimental group (19% vs. 25%, P = 0.01).

Conclusion 

A strategy of CTCA with selective FFRCT in patients with stable angina did not differ significantly from standard clinical care pathways in cost or clinical outcomes, but did reduce the use of invasive coronary angiography.
Stress response of the marine sponge Scopalina sp.. Can microbial community composition predict sponge disease?
Authors: Taylor Jessica A , Díez-Vives Cristina , Majzoub Marwan E , Nielsen Shaun , Thomas Torsten
Published: June 2021

Disease has become an increasingly recognised problem in the marine environment, but our understanding of the factors that drive disease or our ability to predict its occurrence is limited. Marine sponges are known for their close associations with microorganisms, which are generally accepted to underpin sponge health and function. The aim of this study is to explore whether the microbial community composition of sponges can act as a predictor of disease occurrence under stressful environmental conditions. The development of a naturally occurring disease in the temperate sponge species Scopalina sp. was reproducibly recreated in a flow-through aquarium environment using increasing temperature stress. Throughout the experiments, four morphological health states were observed and described. Fingerprinting based on terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism of the bacterial community uncovered a statistically significant signature in healthy sponges prior to stress or apparent symptoms that correlated with the time it took for the disease to occur. This shows that the bacterial community composition of individual sponges can act as predictors of necrotic disease development. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a microbial signature of this nature has been reported in marine sponges and this finding can contribute to unravelling cause-effect pathways for stress-related dysbiosis and disease.
Impact of Different Wavelengths of Artificial Light at Night on Phototaxis in Aquatic Insects
Authors: Kühne Judith L , van Grunsven Roy H A , Jechow Andreas , Hölker Franz
Published: June 2021

Synopsis

The use of artificial light at night (ALAN) is increasing exponentially worldwide and there is growing evidence that ALAN contributes to the decline of insect populations. One of the most conspicuous ecological effects is the strong attraction of ALAN to flying insects. In several studies, light sources with strong short-wavelength emissions have been shown to attract the highest numbers of flying insects. Furthermore, flying stages of aquatic insects are reported to be more vulnerable to ALAN than flying stages of terrestrial insects. This is concerning because freshwater habitats are likely affected by ALAN that originates from human activity centers, which are typically close to sources of freshwater. However, the effects of ALAN on aquatic insects, which spend their larval phase (amphibiotic insects) or their whole life cycle (fully aquatic insects) in freshwaters, are entirely understudied. Here, we investigated the phototaxis of aquatic insects to ALAN at different wavelengths and intensities. We used floating light traps and compared four, near-monochromatic, lights (blue, green, red, and yellow) at two different photopic light intensities in a ditch system, which was not exposed to ALAN previously. Similar to flying stages of (aquatic and terrestrial) insects, we found a strong positive phototaxis of aquatic life stages. However, in contrast to the flying stages, there is no clear preference for short-wavelength light. Overall, responsivity to wavelengths in the center of the visible range (green, yellow; 500–600 nm) was significant for all orders of aquatic insects studied, and the nymphs of Ephemeroptera did not respond to blue light at all. This is likely an adaption to how light is attenuated in freshwater systems, where not only the water itself but also a variety of optical constituents act as a color filter, often like in our case filtering out short-wavelength light. Therefore, insects living in freshwater bodies often live in longer wavelength-dominated environments and might therefore be especially sensitive to green/yellow light. In conclusion, the different spectral sensitivities of both aquatic and flying insects should be taken into account when planning lighting near freshwater.
Highly Contiguous Genomes Improve the Understanding of Avian Olfactory Receptor Repertoires
Authors: Driver Robert J , Balakrishnan Christopher N
Published: June 2021

Synopsis

Third-generation (long-read–based) sequencing technologies are reshaping our understanding of genome structure and function. One of the most persistent challenges in genome biology has been confidently reconstructing radiations of complex gene families. Olfactory receptors (ORs) represent just such a gene family with upward of thousands of receptors in some mammalian taxa. Whereas in birds olfaction was historically an overlooked sensory modality, new studies have revealed an important role for smell. Chromosome-level assemblies for birds allow a new opportunity to characterize patterns of OR diversity among major bird lineages. Previous studies of short-read–based (second-generation) genome assemblies have associated OR gene family size with avian ecology, but such conclusions could be premature especially when new assembly methods reshape our understanding of avian OR evolution. Here we provide a fundamental characterization of OR repertoires in five recent genome assemblies, including the most recent assembly of golden-collared manakin (Manacus vitellinus). We find that short read-based assemblies systematically undercount the avian-specific gamma-c OR subfamily, a subfamily that comprises over 65% of avian OR diversity. Therefore, in contrast to previous studies, we find a high diversity of gamma-c ORs across the avian tree of life. Building on these findings, ongoing sequencing efforts and improved genome assemblies will clarify the relationship between OR diversity and avian ecology.
Entire Theta Operators at Unramified Primes
Authors: Eischen E , Mantovan E
Published: June 2021

Starting with the work of Serre, Katz, and Swinnerton-Dyer, theta operators have played a key role in the study of $p$-adic and $\textrm{mod}\; p$ modular forms and Galois representations. This paper achieves two main results for theta operators on automorphic forms on PEL-type Shimura varieties: (1) the analytic continuation at unramified primes $p$ to the whole Shimura variety of the $\textrm{mod}\; p$ reduction of $p$-adic Maass–Shimura operators a priori defined only over the $\mu $-ordinary locus, and (2) the construction of new $\textrm{mod}\; p$ theta operators that do not arise as the $\textrm{mod}\; p$ reduction of Maass–Shimura operators. While the main accomplishments of this paper concern the geometry of Shimura varieties and consequences for differential operators, we conclude with applications to Galois representations. Our approach involves a careful analysis of the behavior of Shimura varieties and enables us to obtain more general results than allowed by prior techniques, including for arbitrary signature, vector weights, and unramified primes in CM fields of arbitrary degree.
Nerve–macrophage interactions in cardiovascular disease
Authors: Fujiu Katsuhito , Manabe Ichiro
Published: June 2021

The heart is highly innervated by autonomic neurons, and dynamic autonomic regulation of the heart and blood vessels is essential for animals to carry out the normal activities of life. Cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure and myocardial infarction, are characterized in part by an imbalance in autonomic nervous system activation, with excess sympathetic and diminished parasympathetic activation. Notably, however, this is often accompanied by chronic inflammation within the cardiovascular tissues, which suggests there are interactions between autonomic dysregulation and inflammation. Recent studies have been unraveling the mechanistic links between autonomic nerves and immune cells within the cardiovascular system. The autonomic nervous system and immune system also act in concert to coordinate the actions of multiple organs that not only maintain homeostasis but also likely play key roles in disease–disease interactions, such as cardiorenal syndrome and multimorbidity. In this review, we summarize the physiological and pathological interactions between autonomic nerves and macrophages in the context of cardiovascular disease.
Red degeneration of a large leiomyoma in a non-pregnant woman in pursuit of 17 pregnancies: a case report
Authors: Adwan Dema , Jomaa Sami
Published: June 2021

Leiomyoma is a common benign tumor in women of reproductive age. Increasing the number of pregnancy has a significant role in reducing the risk of tumor development. Red degeneration is a rare complication and often occurs during pregnancy. However, its incidence in non-pregnant women is tremendously rare. Herein, we present a case of 51-year-old non-pregnant women with a history of 17 pregnancies, diagnosed with leiomyoma that underwent red degeneration.
Recurrent midgut volvulus in an 83-year-old female
Authors: Kang Lorna , Larson Brandon , Barker Shelly , Ma Truong
Published: June 2021

We present a rare case of recurrent primary midgut volvulus in an elderly female with an interesting intraoperative finding of an abnormally elongated small bowel mesentery. This patient presented with symptoms of obstruction, including nausea, vomiting and obstipation, similar to previous episodes of volvulus for which she underwent exploratory laparotomies and reduction of the volvulus. We describe a novel use for enteropexy in which we effectively shortened the small bowel mesentery in an effort to eliminate the source of recurrent volvulus. The patient’s post-operative course was complicated by prolonged ileus requiring total parenteral nutrition. However, she had not developed signs or symptoms of bowel ischemia or recurrent volvulus at the time of this writing. Our findings suggest that enteropexy is an effective technique for preventing recurrent midgut volvulus primarily caused by abnormally elongated mesentery.
3D numerical simulations of propagating two-fluid, torsional Alfvén waves and heating of a partially ionized solar chromosphere
Authors: Kuźma B , Murawski K , Poedts S
Published: June 2021

We present a new insight into the propagation, attenuation, and dissipation of two-fluid, torsional Alfvén waves in the context of heating of the lower solar atmosphere. By means of numerical simulations of the partially ionized plasma, we solve the set of two-fluid equations for ion plus electron and neutral fluids in 3D Cartesian geometry. We implement initially a current-free magnetic field configuration, corresponding to a magnetic flux-tube that is rooted in the solar photosphere and expands into the chromosphere and corona. We put the lower boundary of our simulation region in the low chromosphere, where ions and neutrals begin to decouple, and implement there a monochromatic driver that directly generates Alfvén waves with a wave period of 30 s. As the ion-neutral drift increases with height, the two-fluid effects become more significant and the energy carried by both Alfvén and magneto-acoustic waves can be thermalized in the process of ion–neutral collisions there. In fact, we observe a significant increase in plasma temperature along the magnetic flux-tube. In conclusion, the two-fluid torsional Alfvén waves can potentially play a role in the heating of the solar chromosphere.
Distal Basilar Artery “Umbrella Aneurysm” Treated by Radial Artery Graft Bypass From the External Carotid Artery to Posterior Cerebral Artery and Clip Trapping: 2-Dimensional Operative Video
Authors: Shenoy Varadaraya S , Lavergne Pascal , Qazi Zeeshan , Ghodke Basavaraj V , Sekhar Laligam N
Published: June 2021

A 71-yr-old woman was discovered to have an incidental distal basilar artery (BA) fusiform aneurysm 7 × 5 mm in dimension, shaped like an “umbrella handle” with critical stenosis distal to the aneurysm. The right posterior cerebral artery (PCA) P1 segment was small; the left posterior communicating artery (PComA) was miniscule. Because the natural history of fusiform BA aneurysms is poorly defined, this was equated to a saccular aneurysm, with an estimated 10-yr rupture rate of 29%.
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After discussion of alternative treatments, the patient decided upon surgery. Because of inadequate collateral circulation, a bypass to the left PCA was deemed necessary.

 The aneurysm was exposed by an extended trans-sylvian approach, and the left PCA P2 segment was visualized subtemporally. The left radial artery (RAG) was extracted, and pressure distended to prevent vasospasm. The RAG bypass was sutured first to the P2, and then to the cervical external carotid artery (ECA); the BA aneurysm was then clipped. The proximal anastomosis of the bypass needed revision because of poor flow; a 4-mm punch hole was made to widen the arteriotomy on the ECA. The patient was discharged home with mild memory loss and partial left cranial nerve III palsy. After discharge, she developed a severe left hemicrania, resolved with gabapentin. At 6-wk follow-up, she was asymptomatic, and computed tomography (CT) angiogram demonstrated patency of the bypass.

 The patient gave informed consent for surgery and video recording. All relevant patient identifiers have been removed from the video and accompanying radiology slides.
Microsurgical Resection of a Lumbar Synovial Cyst: 2-Dimensional Operative Video
Authors: Gill Brian J A , McCormick Kyle Lindsey , McCormick Paul C
Published: June 2021

Lumbar spine synovial cysts develop from degenerated zygapophyseal joints. Symptomatic patients present with radicular pain and weakness or neurogenic claudication.
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In the absence of significant concomitant degenerative spondylolisthesis, symptomatic patients can be managed with a laminectomy and microsurgical resection of the cyst, without the need for instrumented fusion.
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In this video, we present the microsurgical resection of a left-sided L4-5 synovial cyst in a 68-yr-old man with radicular pain refractory to conservative management. The radiographical features, relevant surgical anatomy, and salient operative steps are reviewed, and strategies for preventing cyst recurrence are emphasized. There were no complications, the postoperative course was unremarkable, and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 1 with significant improvement in his presenting symptoms. No identifying information is present, and patient consent was obtained for the procedure and for publishing the material included in this video.
Diaphragm Sellae Meningioma: Distinct Clinical, Anatomic, and Surgical Considerations: 2-Dimensional Operative Video
Authors: Bulsara Ketan R , Ibn Essayed Walid , Aboud Emad , Al-Mefty Ossama
Published: June 2021

Nestled in the parasellar region, surrounded by critical neurovascular structures, diaphragm sellae meningiomas although rare present distinct clinical, radiological, and surgical considerations.
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Consequently, they present surgical challenges that could be overcome with technical nuances. The origin of this meningioma on the diaphragm creates a distorted anatomy, which must be comprehended for the safe approach and resection.

 Three distinct subtypes of diaphragm sellae meningiomas are described, each with distinctive clinical presentations and surgical treatment implications.
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Type A originates from the upper leaf of diaphragm sellae pushing the stalk posteriorly. It usually presents with unilateral visual loss. Type B originates from the upper leaf of the diaphragm sellae pushing the stalk anteriorly. It presents with few visual symptoms, but memory disturbance and hypopituitarism are common. Type C originates from the inferior leaf of the diaphragm sellae (intrasellar meningioma) presenting with bitemporal hemianopsia and hypopituitarism. Recognizing these variations in this rare tumor subtype is critical to minimizing potential adverse outcomes associated with operative treatment. The cranial approach has been the recommended route for these lesions with an exception of the intrasellar type.
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 In this article, we depict the pathological anatomy and demonstrate the surgical nuances in handling diaphragm sellae meningioma resection through a cranio-orbital approach
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in a patient who had an unsuccessful trans-sphenoidal resection attempt. The patient consented for the procedure.

 Image at 1:38 from Al-Mefty O, Operative Atlas of Meningiomas, © LWW, 1997, with permission. Image at 8:56 from Kinjo et al,
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Diaphragma sellae meningiomas, case reports, Neurosurgery, 1995, 36(6), 1082-1092, by permission of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.
Effects of different aperture-sized type I collagen/silk fibroin scaffolds on the proliferation and differentiation of human dental pulp cells
Authors: Jiang Shihui , Yu Zhaoxia , Zhang Lanrui , Wang Guanhua , Dai Xiaohua , Lian Xiaoli , Yan Yan , Zhang Linpu , Wang Yue , Li Ruixin , Zou Huiru
Published: June 2021

This study aimed at evaluate the effects of different aperture-sized type I collagen/silk fibroin (CSF) scaffolds on the proliferation and differentiation of human dental pulp cells (HDPCs). The CSF scaffolds were designed with 3D mapping software Solidworks. Three different aperture-sized scaffolds (CSF1–CSF3) were prepared by low-temperature deposition 3D printing technology. The morphology was observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and optical coherence tomography. The porosity, hydrophilicity and mechanical capacity of the scaffold were detected, respectively. HDPCs (third passage, 1 × 105 cells) were seeded into each scaffold and investigated by SEM, CCK-8, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and HE staining. The CSF scaffolds had porous structures with macropores and micropores. The macropore size of CSF1 to CSF3 was 421 ± 27 μm, 579 ± 36 μm and 707 ± 43 μm, respectively. The porosity was 69.8 ± 2.2%, 80.1 ± 2.8% and 86.5 ± 3.3%, respectively. All these scaffolds enhanced the adhesion and proliferation of HDPCs. The ALP activity in the CSF1 group was higher than that in the CSF3 groups (P < 0.01). HE staining showed HDPCs grew in multilayer within the scaffolds. CSF scaffolds significantly improved the adhesion and ALP activity of HDPCs. CSF scaffolds were promising candidates in dentine-pulp complex regeneration.