bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of metabolomics in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Khalil Ashraf , Elfert Ashraf , Ghanem Samar , Helal Marwa , Abdelsattar Shymaa , Elgedawy Gamalate , Obada Manar , Abdel-Samiee Mohamed , El-Said Hala
Published: May 2021

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common primary liver malignancy, with the highest incidence in the developing world, including Egypt. Hepatocellular carcinoma is usually diagnosed in the terminal stage of the disease because of the low sensitivity of the available screening tests. During the process of carcinogenesis, the cellular metabolism is altered to allow cancer cells to adapt to the hypoxic environment and therefore increase anabolic synthesis and survival and avoid the apoptotic death signals. These changes in metabolic status can be tracked by metabolomics analysis.

Main body

Metabolomics is a comprehensive approach for identifying metabolic signatures towards the screening, prediction, and earlier diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma with greater efficiency than the conventional diagnostic biomarker. The identification of metabolic changes associated with hepatocellular carcinoma is essential to the understanding of disease pathophysiology and enables better monitoring of high-risk individuals. However, due to the complexity of the metabolic pathways associated with hepatocellular carcinoma, the details of these perturbations are still not adequately characterized. The current status of biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma and their insufficiencies and metabolic pathways linked to hepatocellular carcinogenesis are briefly addressed in this mini-review. The review focused on the significantly changed metabolites and pathways associated with hepatocellular carcinoma such as phospholipids, bile acids, amino acids, reactive oxygen species metabolism, and the metabolic changes related to energy production in a cancer cell. The review briefly discusses the sensitivity of metabolomics in the prediction and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma and the effect of coexisting multiple etiologies of the disease.

Conclusions

Metabolomics profiling is a potentially promising tool for better predicting, diagnosis, and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Quantitative Pupillometry as a Predictor of Pediatric Postoperative Opioid–Induced Respiratory Depression
Authors: Packiasabapathy Senthil , Zhang Xue , Ding Lili , Aruldhas Blessed W. , Pawale Dhanashri , Sadhasivam Senthilkumar
Published: May 2021

BACKGROUND:

Safe postoperative pain relief with opioids is an unmet critical medical need in children. There is a lack of objective, noninvasive bedside tool to assess central nervous system (CNS) effects of intraoperative opioids. Proactive identification of children at risk for postoperative respiratory depression (RD) will help tailor analgesic therapy and significantly improve the safety of opioids in children. Quantitative pupillometry (QP) is a noninvasive, objective, and real-time tool for monitoring CNS effect-time relationship of opioids. This exploratory study aimed to determine the association of QP measures with postoperative RD, as well as to identify the best intraoperative QP measures predictive of postoperative RD in children.

METHODS:

After approval from the institutional review board and informed parental consent, in this prospective, observational study of 220 children undergoing tonsillectomy, QP measures were collected at 5 time points: awake preoperative baseline before anesthesia induction (at the time of enrollment [T1]), immediately after anesthesia induction before morphine administration (T2), 3 minutes after intraoperative morphine administration (T3), at the end of surgery (T4), and postoperatively when awake in postanesthesia recovery unit (PACU) (T5). Intraoperative use of opioid and incidence of postoperative RD were collected. Analyses were aimed at exploring correlations of QP measures with the incidence of RD and, if found significant, to develop a predictive model for postoperative RD.

RESULTS:

Perioperative QP measures of percentage pupil constriction (CONQ, P = .027), minimum pupillary diameter (MIN, P = .027), and maximum pupillary diameter (MAX, P = .034) differed significantly among children with and without postoperative RD. A predictive model including the minimum pupillary diameter 3 minutes after morphine administration (MIN3), minimum pupillary diameter normalized to baseline (MIN31), and percentage pupillary constriction after surgery (T4) standardized to baseline (T1) (CONQ41), along with the weight-based morphine dose performed the best to predict postoperative RD in children (area under the curve [AUC], 0.76).

CONCLUSIONS:

A model based on pre- and intraoperative pupillometry measures including CONQ, MIN, along with weight-based morphine dose-predicted postoperative RD in our cohort of children undergoing tonsillectomy. More studies with a larger sample size are required to validate this finding.
Making History Visible
Authors: Casteel Sarah Phillips
Published: May 2021

While interned by the Nazis in Belgium and Bavaria during World War II, the little-known Surinamese artist Josef Nassy (1904–76) created a series of paintings and drawings documenting his experiences and those of other black prisoners. Nassy’s artworks uniquely register the presence of Caribbean, African, and African American prisoners in the Nazi camp system. While the Nassy Collection at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum cannot render transparent a wartime experience that has gone largely unrecorded, it illustrates how shifting from a textual to a visual lens can enable an unremembered history to enter our field of vision, thereby generating an alternative wartime narrative. After tracing Nassy’s family history in Suriname and the conditions of his European incarceration, this essay discusses two paintings that demonstrate the significance of visual art in the context of black civilian internment—for both the artist-prisoner and the researcher.
The complete cell lineage and MAPK- and Otx-dependent specification of the dopaminergic cells in the Ciona brain
Authors: Oonuma Kouhei , Kusakabe Takehiro G.
Published: May 2021

The Ciona larva has served as a unique model for understanding the development of dopaminergic cells at single-cell resolution owing to the exceptionally small number of neurons in its brain and its fixed cell lineage during embryogenesis. A recent study suggested that the transcription factors Fer2 and Meis directly regulate the dopamine synthesis genes in Ciona, but the dopaminergic cell lineage and the gene regulatory networks that control the development of dopaminergic cells have not been fully elucidated. Here, we reveal that the dopaminergic cells in Ciona are derived from a bilateral pair of cells called a9.37 cells at the center of the neural plate. The a9.37 cells divide along the anterior-posterior axis, and all of the descendants of the posterior daughter cells differentiate into the dopaminergic cells. We show that the MAPK pathway and the transcription factor Otx are required for the expression of Fer2 in the dopaminergic cell lineage. Our findings establish the cellular and molecular framework for fully understanding the commitment to dopaminergic cells in the simple chordate brain.
Kv2 channel–AMIGO β-subunit assembly modulates both channel function and cell adhesion molecule surface trafficking
Authors: Maverick Emily E. , Leek Ashley N. , Tamkun Michael M.
Published: May 2021

The Kv2 channels encode delayed rectifier currents that regulate membrane potential in many tissues. They also have a non-conducting function to form stable junctions between the endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membranes, creating membrane contact sites that mediate functions distinct from membrane excitability. Therefore, proteins that interact with Kv2.1 and Kv2.2 channels can alter conducting and/or non-conducting channel properties. One member of the AMIGO family of proteins is an auxiliary β-subunit for Kv2 channels and modulates Kv2.1 electrical activity. However, the AMIGO family has two additional members of ∼50% similarity that have not yet been characterized as Kv2 β-subunits. In this work, we show that the surface trafficking and localization of all three AMIGOs are controlled by their assembly with both Kv2 channels. Additionally, assembly of each AMIGO with either Kv2.1 or Kv2.2 hyperpolarizes the channel activation midpoint by −10 mV. However, only AMIGO2 significantly slows inactivation and deactivation, leading to a prolonged open state of Kv2 channels. The co-regulatory effects of Kv2s and AMIGOs likely fine-tune both the electrical and non-electrical properties of the cells in which they are expressed.
Evaluating tank acclimation and trial length for dynamic shuttle box temperature preference assays in aquatic animals
Authors: Harman Adam Alexander , Fuzzen Meghan , Stoa Lisa , Boreham Douglas , Manzon Richard , Somers Christopher M. , Wilson Joanna Yvonne
Published: May 2021

Characterizing the thermal preference of fish is important in conservation, environmental and evolutionary physiology and can be determined using a shuttle box system. Initial tank acclimation and trial lengths are important considerations in experimental design, yet systematic studies of these factors are missing. Three different behavioral assay experimental designs were tested to determine the effect of tank acclimation and trial length (hours of tank acclimation:behavioral trial: 12:12, 0:12, 2:2) on the temperature preference of juvenile lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), using a shuttle box. Average temperature preferences for the 12 h:12 h, 0 h:12 h, 2 h:2 h experimental designs were 16.10±1.07°C, 16.02±1.56°C and 16.12±1.59°C respectively, with no significant differences between experimental designs (P=0.9337). Ultimately, length of acclimation time and trial length had no significant effect on thermal preference.
Combinations of physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep and health outcomes in older adults: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Germano-Soares Antonio Henrique , Lins-Filho Ozeas Lima , Silva Caroline Ramos de Moura , Silva José Francisco , Hardman Carla Menêses , Barbosa Filho Valter Cordeiro , Barros Mauro Virgilio Gomes de , Tassitano Rafael Miranda
Published: May 2021

Recent systematic reviews highlighted important relationships between combinations of movement behaviors (ie. sleep, sedentary behaviour, and physical activity) and health outcomes among children and adolescents. However, it is unclear whether similar relationships occur in older adults. Therefore, the purpose of this protocol was to describe the aims and methods for a systematic review to summarize the studies examining the relationships between movement behaviors and health outcomes in older adults. A systematic review will be developed based on searches of articles in seven electronic databases and references of retrieved articles, contact with authors, and study repositories. Eligibility criteria: observational or experimental studies examining the association of at least two movement behaviours (sleep, sedentary behaviour, and physical activity) with health outcomes in older adults (≥60 years old). Selection of the studies and extraction of the data will be carried out by two reviewers independently. Characteristics of the study, participants, methods of combinations, and main results will be extracted and described. Risk of bias and level of evidence in the studies will be assessed according to the study quality tool of the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the GRADE guidelines. The data will be synthesized using random effects meta-analysis for results that are sufficiently homogeneous in terms of statistical, clinical, and methodological characteristics. If not, then a narrative synthesis will be conducted. The results of this review may provide insights to improve current guidelines on 24-hour cycle in older adults, as well as guide future studies in this research field.
Discount Schemes for the Preemptible Service of a Cloud Platform with Unutilized Capacity
Authors: Chen Shi , Moinzadeh Kamran , Tan Yong
Published: May 2021

Rapid growth in the cloud industry not only provides tremendous opportunities to cloud providers who have invested heavily in computing capacities, but also leads to low utilization of capacities at times. To alleviate this problem, some providers have launched a low-priority service with the so-called preemptible or spot instances, which allows them to reclaim capacities when necessary. This study focuses on an emerging market segment of customers with fault-tolerant computing jobs, who are the potential users of the preemptible instances. Through an analytical model that captures the underlying supply-demand dynamics, we examine a prevalent discount scheme, which provides all users the same discount, and its impact on key performance measures. Having realized that this is a relatively new market segment and there is room for improvement in discount-scheme designs, we propose an interruption-based discount scheme, which provides compensation to users based on the frequency of interruptions encountered by each of them. Our study suggests that the proposed scheme is fairer than the prevalent scheme from the customers’ perspective and that, in the presence of risk-averse customers, the cloud provider could be better off by adopting the proposed scheme when the supply of the surplus capacity is highly uncertain.
Reviews and Self-Selection Bias with Operational Implications
Authors: Chen Ningyuan , Li Anran , Talluri Kalyan
Published: May 2021

Reviews for products and services written by previous consumers have become an influential input to the purchase decision of customers. Many service businesses monitor the reviews closely for feedback as well as detecting service flaws, and they have become part of the performance review for service managers with rewards tied to improvement in the aggregate rating. Many empirical papers have documented a bias in the aggregate ratings, arising because of customers’ inherent self-selection in their choices and bounded rationality in evaluating previous reviews. Although there is a vast empirical literature analyzing reviews, theoretical models that try to isolate and explain the bias in ratings are relatively few. Assuming consumers simply substitute the average rating that they see as a proxy for quality, we give a precise characterization of the self-selection bias on ratings of an assortment of products when consumers confound ex ante innate preferences for a product or service with ex post experience and service quality and do not separate the two. We develop a parsimonious choice model for consumer purchase decisions and show that the mechanism leads to an upward bias, which is more pronounced for niche products. Based on our theoretical characterization, we study the effect on pricing and assortment decisions of the firm when potential customers purchase based on the biased ratings. Our results give insights into how quality, prices, and customer feedback are intricately tied together for service firms.

This paper was accepted by David Simchi-Levi, operations management.
EDUCAÇÃO DO CAMPO: UMA ANÁLISE DO PROCESSO DE FECHAMENTO DE UMA ESCOLA DO CAMPO EM ABAETETUBA, ESTADO DO PARÁ
Authors: Novaes Antônia Correa , Sousa Deusa Maria de , Formigosa Marcos Marques
Published: May 2021

O fechamento de escolas multisseriadas no Brasil tem sido constante nos últimos anos, e amplia a técnica de nucleação que ocorre nesse sistema. O artigo analisa como aconteceu o processo de fechamento de uma escola do campo em Abaetetuba (PA) e suas implicações na comunidade onde estava inserida. A pesquisa seguiu os pressupostos metodológicos da história oral, com entrevista a quatro moradores da localidade, numa perspectiva qualitativa. Evidenciamos, ainda, que a extinção da escola do campo não levou em consideração os impactos que poderiam ocasionar às famílias dos alunos das turmas de multissérie, os quais tiveram que aderir ao uso do transporte escolar, que necessita de uma fiscalização e melhorias, no intento de evitar o êxodo rural.
ESTÁGIO EM AMBIENTES NÃO ESCOLARES: A PESQUISA FORMANDO O EDUCADOR DO CAMPO PARA TRANSFORMAÇÃO SOCIAL
Authors: De Souza Kleber Peixoto , Almeida dos Santos Souza Leila Damiana
Published: May 2021

O artigo apresenta análises do Estágio Curricular em Ambientes Não Escolares ao longo da trajetória político-educativa do curso de Licenciatura em Educação do Campo (LEdoC), do Centro de Ciência e Tecnologia em Energia e Sustentabilidade da UFRB. O curso se estrutura a partir dos princípios da Pedagogia da Alternância que, por sua vez, organiza-se em dois tempos formativos: o Tempo-Universidade (TU) e o Tempo-Comunidade (TC). Ao longo dos sete anos (2013-2020) de existência do curso acumulamos experiências que nos permitem acreditar que o êxito na formação dos (as) discentes requer a integração de métodos e instrumentos específicos que garantam a unicidade dos conhecimentos produzidos no TU e sua aplicação no TC. Assim, objetivamos analisar o alcance da organização do Estágio Curricular, por meio da pesquisa participante, na formação do (a) educador (a) do campo. As análises qualitativas das representações dos (as) discentes sobre este Estágio, bem como a análise de relatórios produzidos pelos mesmos, são os condutores da metodologia empregada. Ressaltamos então que, com a pesquisa participante os discentes estabelecem contato direto com a realidade, possibilitando uma interação que permite construir coletivamente soluções que promovam a transformação social. Como resultado, foi possível constatar que, em se tratando do Estágio em Ambientes Não Escolares da LEdoC, reduzi-lo apenas a uma etapa do aprendizado profissional acabaria por limitar as potencialidades do mesmo, portanto, estruturar o Estágio como uma pesquisa participante contribuiu para superação da dicotomia entre a teoria e prática que, geralmente, permeia esse componente curricular.
AS ESCOLAS MULTISSERIADAS COMO POSSIBILIDADE DE CONCRETIZAÇÃO DO DIREITO À EDUCAÇÃO
Authors: Maia Maria Claudia Zaratini
Published: May 2021

A educação é um direito assegurado amplamente pela legislação, seja em âmbito nacional e internacional, mas há dificuldades na sua concretização, especialmente para as populações historicamente excluídas deste direito, como a população do campo. Por meio deste trabalho, de revisão bibliográfica e documental, busca-se demonstrar que a educação no campo tem peculiaridades próprias que devem ser observadas na concretização do direito à educação. E, para garantir o direito à educação desta população, como a igualdade de acesso e permanência na escola deve-se manter a escola na própria comunidade em que a criança vive, podendo, como alternativa para evitar o fechamento de escolas e o transporte das crianças, utilizar-se da organização escolar em escolas/classes multisseriadas. Há um senso comum de que a multisseriação violaria o direito à educação da criança, mas busca-se apontar, por meio deste trabalho, que atendidas as necessidades deste tipo de organização escolar, ela é, na verdade, uma alternativa pedagógica para concretizar o direito à educação da população do campo.
LIMITES E DESAFIOS DA RELAÇÃO DA ESCOLA MUNICIPAL DR. JOSÉ GARCIA NETO COM A COMUNIDADE RURAL DO ASSENTAMENTO PALMEIRA NO MUNICÍPIO DE NIOAQUE – MS
Authors: Camacho Rodrigo Simão , Soares Kamila De Aguiar Gomes , Ferreira Cristina Oliveira
Published: May 2021

O presente trabalho busca destacar a importância da permanência da escola Dr.° José Garcia Neto no assentamento Palmeira e de identificar o tipo de relação que a escola estabelece com a comunidade, relatando de que maneira ela ocorre. Esta relação escola-comunidade, não é feita de uma maneira rápida e direta, exige todo um processo de articulações para que ela aconteça. Primeiramente, será colocado em questão as possibilidades, viabilizando os projetos a serem disponibilizados pela escola, em seguida, à disposição da escola e da comunidade em realizá-lo na prática e, através disso, estarão criando e fortalecendo vínculos. A aproximação, escola e comunidade, trazem muitos benefícios tanto para a escola, quanto para a comunidade. Consideramos que temos a possibilidade concreta de termos uma escola de qualidade no/do campo e, inclusive, com o apoio da comunidade. A metodologia da pesquisa se baseou, principalmente, nas entrevistas com os estudantes da escola, os pais dos estudantes e o diretor da escola.
Analysis of Educational Programs on the Motivation of Young Adolescents to Physical Education in the Context of Reforming the System of General Secondary Education
Authors:   State Institution Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University, Babich Viacheslav , Pristinsky Volodymyr ,   SHEE "Donbas State Pedagogical University", Dubovoy Oleksandr ,   State Institution Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University, Zaitsev Volodymyr ,   Chernihiv Polytechnic National University, Dubovoy Volodymyr ,   State Institution Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University
Published: May 2021

The article is devoted to the problem of identifying the updated content of educational programs on the motivation of younger adolescents to engage in physical education. Using a set of research methods (content analysis of legal documents, systematization, comparison and generalization of data of scientific and methodical literature and Internet sources, pedagogical observations, interviews, conversations, questionnaires, methods of mathematical statistics) it was found that the content and structure of the updated curriculum «Physical Education» in 2012 y. and 2017 y. has significant advantages over the program of 2008 y. on the formation of younger adolescents' motivation to engage in physical culture. Content analysis of physical education curricula (until 2012), as well as questionnaires, interviews, surveys and interviews with students showed, that is the reason for the low growth rate of motivation of younger adolescents to exercise there are both ingrained requirements for the assessment of student achievement and non-orientation of the subject curriculum «Physical Education» to take into account the wishes, interests and individual characteristics of the latter. Installed, that is an important factor in positively influencing the motivation of younger adolescents to physical education classes is both the improvement of the content component of the program and the system of assessment of student achievement, which plays the role of a stimulating factor for physical education.
Comparison of Dry Matter Loss Rates from Static and Dynamic Grain Respiration Measurement Systems for Soybeans at 18% Moisture Content and 30°C
Authors: Gatsakos Ana B. , Trevisan Lucas R. , Sood Kaneeka , Danao Mary-Grace C. , Rausch Kent D. , Gates Richard S.
Published: May 2021

Highlights

Design, description, and comparison of static (S) and dynamic (D) grain respiration measurement systems (GRMS).

No differences were detected between dry matter loss rates (vDML) from S-GRMS and D-GRMS for soybeans at 18% moisture content and 30°C stored for 20 d.

Literature reports variable vDML estimates for soybeans stored in S-GRMS and D-GRMS; more studies should be conducted with a wider range of storage conditions before developing maximum allowable safe storage time guidelines.

Abstract. Time to reach 0.5% dry matter loss (DML) is the estimated maximum allowable storage time (MAST) for shelled corn and has been suggested for use with other grains. Respiration studies have reported various estimates of this threshold depending on the type of grain respiration measurement system (GRMS) and storage conditions tested. The objectives of this study were (1) to design and evaluate two GRMS in which oxygen needed for respiration was limited in a static system (S-GRMS) or continuously supplied in a dynamic system (D-GRMS) during storage and (2) to compare the effects of GRMS on DML rates (vDML) for 18% moisture content soybeans stored at 30°C for 20 d. In this study, S-GRMS and D-GRMS units were designed to conduct respiration tests. Respired CO2 (mg CO2) was measured over time and used to calculate the specific mass of respired CO2 (mg CO2 kg-1 d.b. beans) and subsequent DML (%) using stoichiometric ratios from the respiration chemical reaction. DML rates, vDML (% d-1), were estimated by least squares linear regression of DML and time data. Four replications of respiration tests were conducted in each GRMS. Average estimates of vDML were 0.0157% d-1 and 0.0189% d-1 for S-GRMS and D-GRMS, respectively. Mean vDML from D-GRMS tests was 1.2 times greater than mean vDML from S-GRMS but not statistically different (p = 0.09). However, the coefficient of variation was 8 times greater for D-GRMS than for S-GRMS. More studies with a wider range of storage conditions should be conducted for development of a safety factor between both systems prior to using data from respiration of soybeans in the literature to estimate MAST. Keywords: Dry matter loss, Grain storage, Respiration, Soybeans.
Evaluating Rare Earth Elements as Tracers of Fluvial Processes: Fine Sediment Transport and Deposition in a Small Stream
Authors: Govenor Heather , Hession W. Cully , Keys Tyler A. , Jones C. Nathan , Stewart Ryan D. , Krometis Leigh-Anne H.
Published: May 2021

Highlights

Natural sediments labeled with rare earth elements can effectively be used as tracers for quantifying fine sediment transport and deposition.

Two artificial floods in a small stream (100 ha watershed, 1.5 year return flow of 515 L s-1) transported fine sediment 0 m to >850 m at a maximum flow rate of 55 L s-1.

Sediment deposition per unit area was greater in the channel than in the near-channel floodplain.

Use of two distinct tracers demonstrated resuspension extent during sequential high-flow events.

Presence of large wood in the channel was associated with reduced streamflow rate, decreased suspended sediment transport velocity, increased channel sediment deposition, and reduced near-floodplain sediment deposition.

Abstract. Effective sediment management requires an understanding of the lag time between best management practice implementation and observable changes in the target water body. To improve our understanding of sediment lag times, we tested a method to label locally sourced sediments with rare earth elements to quantify fine sediment flow-through and storage in fluvial systems. We injected sediments labeled with lanthanum and ytterbium into a small stream during two artificial flood events. During the floods, we collected and quantified suspended sediments and sediment deposition in the stream channel and floodplain at four cross-sections within our study reach. Two down-gradient (90 m and 850 m) time-integrated suspended sediment samplers evaluated total travel distance. Sediment tracer observations of particle transport distances ranged from 0 m to at least 850 m at a maximum flow rate of 55 L s-1 (stream 1.5 year flow was 515 L s-1). Sediment deposition per unit area was greater in the channel than in the floodplain. The majority of sediment tracer mass injected into the stream entered storage within the first 69 m of the reach. Some particles that deposited following the first flood were resuspended and either transported downstream or redeposited within the study reach. Our results support the further use of rare earth elements as sediment tracers to inform water quality and sediment transport models, and to provide estimates of lag times between management actions and downstream improvements. Keywords: Fine sediment, Flood, Fluvial geomorphology, Lag time, Large wood, Rare earth elements, Sediment deposition, Sediment transport, Tracer.
Using an Improved YOLOv4 Deep Learning Network for Accurate Detection of Whitefly and Thrips on Sticky Trap Images
Authors: Wang Dujin , Wang Yizhong , Li Ming , Yang Xinting , Wu Jianwei , Li Wenyong
Published: May 2021

Highlights

The proposed method detected thrips and whitefly more accurately than previous methods.

The proposed method demonstrated good robustness to illumination reflections and different pest densities.

Small pest detection was improved by adding large-scale feature maps and more residual units to a shallow network.

Machine vision and deep learning created an end-to-end model to detect small pests on sticky traps in field conditions.

Abstract. Pest detection is the basis of precise control in vegetable greenhouses. To improve the detection accuracy and robustness for two common small pests (whitefly and thrips) in greenhouses, this study proposes a novel small object detection approach based on the YOLOv4 model. Yellow sticky trap (YST) images at the original resolution (2560 × 1920 pixels) were collected using pest monitoring equipment in a greenhouse. The images were then cropped and labeled to create sub-images (416 × 416 pixels) to construct an experimental dataset. The labeled images used in this study (900 training, 100 validation, and 200 test) are available for comparative studies. To enhance the model’s ability to detect small pests, the feature map at the 8-fold downsampling layer in the backbone network was merged with the feature map at the 4-fold downsampling layer to generate a new layer and output a feature map with a size of 104 × 104 pixels. Furthermore, the residual units in the first two residual blocks were enlarged by four times to extract more shallow image features and the location information of target pests to withstand image degradation in the field. The experimental results showed that the mean average precision (mAP) for detection of whitefly and thrips using the proposed approach was improved by 8.2% and 3.4% compared with the YOLOv3 and YOLOv4 models, respectively. The detection performance slightly decreased as the pest densities increased in the YST image, but the mAP value was still 92.7% in the high-density dataset, which indicates that the proposed model has good robustness over a range of pest densities. Compared with previous similar studies, the proposed method has better potential to monitor whitefly and thrips using YSTs in field conditions. Keywords: Deep learning, Greenhouse pest management, Image processing, Pest detection, Small object, YOLOv4.
783 nm wavelength stabilized DBR tapered diode lasers with a 7 W output power
Authors: Sumpf Bernd , Theurer Lara Sophie , Maiwald Martin , Müller André , Maaßdorf André , Fricke Jörg , Ressel Peter , Tränkle Günther
Published: May 2021

Wavelength stabilized distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) tapered diode lasers at 783 nm will be presented. The devices are based on GaAsP single quantum wells embedded in a large optical cavity leading to a vertical far field angle of about 29° (full width at half maximum). The 3-inch (7.62 cm) wafers are grown using metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. In a full wafer process, 4 mm long DBR tapered lasers are manufactured. The devices consist of a 500 µm long 10th order surface DBR grating that acts as rear side mirror. After that, a 1 mm long ridge waveguide section is realized for lateral confinement, which is connected to a 2.5 mm long flared section having a full taper angle of 6°. At an injection current of 8 A, a maximum output power of about 7 W is measured. At output powers up to 6 W, the measured emission width limited by the resolution of the spectrometer is smaller than 19 pm. Measured at

1

/

e

2

level at this output power, the lateral beam waist width is 11.5 µm, the lateral far field angle 12.5°, and the lateral beam parameter

M

2

2.5. The respective parameters measured using the second moments are 31 µm, 15.2°, and 8.3. 70% of the emitted power is originated from the central lobe.
Optical access network interfaces for 5G and beyond [Invited]
Authors: Saliou Fabienne , Chanclou Philippe , Neto Luiz Anet , Simon Gael , Potet Jeremy , Gay Mathilde , Bramerie Laurent , Debregeas Helene
Published: May 2021

Point to point (PtP), wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) and time division multiplexing (TDM) optical interfaces are discussed as solutions for backhaul, midhaul, and fronthaul networks. The evolution of radio access networks (RANs) for 5G and beyond is introduced and PtP is identified as the most deployed solution, with many transceiver technologies available to cover the different needs for each RAN configuration. WDM and TDM interfaces remain of interest when a lack of fiber occurs. WDM technologies are being adapted to answer to this RAN market with the appearance of medium-WDM (MWDM) and autotunable dense-WDM (DWDM) transceivers. TDM technologies are trying to evolve towards higher bit rates and lower latency to cope with RAN backhaul specifications. A gap in the transceiver technologies is identified for each of those interface types and also for bit rates above 25 Gbit/s that will impose more complex optics, electronics, and integration.
De novo transcriptome analysis and identification of reproduction control genes from the red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
Authors: Rasool Khawaja Ghulam , Mehmood Khalid , Husain Mureed , Tufail Muhammad , Alwaneen Waleed Saleh , Aldawood Abdulrahman Saad
Published: May 2021

Recent attacks by the red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier), have become a severe problem for palm species. In present work, fat body transcriptome of adult female red palm weevil was analyzed, focusing on the identification of reproduction control genes. Transcriptome study was completed by means of next-generation sequencing (NGS) using Illumina Hiseq 2000 sequencing system. A total of 105,938,182 raw reads, 102,645,544 clean reads, and 9,238,098,960 clean nucleotides with a guanine–cytosine content of 40.31%, were produced. The processed transcriptome data resulted in 43,789 unique transcripts (with mean lengths of 1,172 bp). It was found that 20% of total unique transcripts shared up to 80%–100% sequence identity with homologous species, mainly the mountain pine beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae (59.9%) and red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (26.9%). Nearly 25 annotated genes were predicted to be involved in red palm weevil reproduction, including five vitellogenin (Vg) transcripts. Among the five Vg gene transcripts, one was highly expressed compared with the other four (FPKM values of 1.963, 1.471, 1.028, and 1.017, respectively), and the five Vg gene transcripts were designated as RfVg, RfVg-equivalent1, RfVg-equivalent2, RfVg-equivalent3, and RfVg-equivalent4, respectively. The high expression level of RfVg verified by RT-polymerase chain reaction analysis suggested that RfVg is the primary functional Vg gene in red palm weevil. A high similarity of RfVg with other Coleopterans was also reflected in a phylogenetic tree, where RfVg was placed within the clade of the order Coleoptera. Awareness of the major genes that play critical roles in reproduction and proliferation of red palm weevil is valuable to understand their reproduction mechanism at a molecular level. In addition, for future molecular studies, the NGS dataset obtained will be useful and will promote the exploration of biotech-based control strategies against red palm weevil, a primary pest of palm trees.
Low-dose theophylline in addition to ICS therapy in COPD patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Shuai Tiankui , Zhang Chuchu , Zhang Meng , Wang Yalei , Xiong Huaiyu , Huang Qiangru , Liu Jian
Published: May 2021

Background

A synergism has been reported between theophylline and corticosteroids, wherein theophylline increases and restores the anti-inflammatory effect of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) by enhancing histone deacetylase-2 (HDAC) activity. Several studies have explored the efficacy of low-dose theophylline plus ICS therapy on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but the results are discrepant.

Method

We conducted searches in electronic database such as PubMed, Web Of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase to find out original studies. Stata/SE 15.0 was used to perform all data analysis.

Result

A total of 47,556 participants from 7 studies were included in our analysis and the sample size of each study varied from 24 to 10,816. Theophylline as an add-on therapy to ICS was not associated with the reduction of COPD exacerbations (HR: 1.08, 95% CI: 0.97 to 1.19,I2= 95.2%). Instead, the theophylline group demonstrated a higher hospitalization rate (HR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.10 to 1.15,I2= 20.4%) and mortality (HR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.14 to 1.25,I2= 0%). Further, the anti-inflammatory effect of low-dose theophylline as an adjunct to ICS on COPD was controversial. Besides, the theophylline group showed significant improvement in lung function compared with the non-theophylline group.

Conclusion

Based on current evidence, low-dose theophylline as add-on therapy to ICS did not reduce the exacerbation rate. Instead, the hospitalization rate and mortality increased with theophylline. Thus, we do not recommend adding low-dose theophylline to ICS therapy in COPD patients.

Trial registration

PROSPERO RegistrationCRD42021224952.
Higher prevalence of incidental findings identified upon coronary calcium score assessment in type 2 and type 3 diabetes versus type 1 diabetes
Authors: Gaudillière Mélanie , Marsot Charlotte , Balaire Laetitia , Groisne Laure , Moret Myriam , Villar-Fimbel Sylvie , Douek Philippe , Moulin Philippe , Charrière Sybil
Published: May 2021

Aim

Noninvasive assessment of infraclinic coronary atherosclerosis by coronary artery calcium score (CAC) measurement leads to the identification of incidental findings. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of incidental findings following systematic CAC assessment in diabetic patients with high cardiovascular risk, to identify the determinants, and to assess the midterm consequences of these findings in patient care.

Methods

732 consecutive asymptomatic patients (187 type 1 diabetes (TD1), 482 type 2 diabetes (TD2) and 63 type 3 diabetes (TD3)) aged 60.6±0.7 years who had a CAC assessment by Multiple Detector Computed Tomography between 2015 and 2017 were systematically included. Clinical and biological data were collected from medical electronic files.

Results

117/732 diabetic patients (16.0%) had incidental findings of which 105 (14.3%) were unknown. Incidental findings were more frequent in TD3 (23.8%) and TD2 (17.0%) than in TD1 (10.7%) (p = 0.05). 76 diabetic patients (10.4%) had lung abnormalities, mainly pulmonary nodules (31 patients, 4.2%). The other incidental finding were pericardial (1.5%), vascular (1.2%), thymic (0.7%) and digestive diseases (0.5%). 42.6% of patients with incidental findings had an additional TDM and 56.8% a specialized medical advice. In 10 patients (9.3% of incidental findings), the identification of incidental finding led to a specific treatment of the underlying disease. In multivariate analysis, microalbuminuria, type of diabetes (TD2/TD3 vs TD1) and smoking were significantly associated with incidental findings (p = 0.003; p = 0.026; p = 0.050 respectively).

Conclusions

Incidental findings are not rare in diabetic patients upon CAC assessment. A fraction of them are accessible to specific treatment. These findings raise the question if a systematic low dose chest TDM should be conducted in TD2 or TD3 patients and in any diabetic smokers by enlarging the window used for CAC assessment.
Radiocaesium accumulation capacity of epiphytic lichens and adjacent barks collected at the perimeter boundary site of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station
Authors: Dohi Terumi , Ohmura Yoshihito , Yoshimura Kazuya , Sasaki Takayuki , Fujiwara Kenso , Kanaizuka Seiichi , Nakama Shigeo , Iijima Kazuki
Published: May 2021

We investigated the radiocaesium content of nine epiphytic foliose lichens species and the adjacent barks of Zelkova serrata (Ulmaceae, "Japanese elm") and Cerasus sp. (Rosaceae, "Cherry tree") at the boundary of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station six years after the accident in 2011. Caesium-137 activities per unit area (the 137Cs-inventory) were determined to compare radiocaesium retentions of lichens (65 specimens) and barks (44 specimens) under the same growth conditions. The 137Cs-inventory of lichens collected from Zelkova serrata and Cerasus sp. were respectively 7.9- and 3.8-times greater than the adjacent barks. Furthermore, we examined the radiocaesium distribution within these samples using autoradiography and on the surfaces with an electron probe micro analyzer (EPMA). Autoradiographic results showed strong local spotting and heterogeneous distributions of radioactivity in both the lichen and bark samples, although the intensities were lower in the barks. The electron microscopy analysis demonstrated that particulates with similar sizes and compositions were distributed on the surfaces of the samples. We therefore concluded that the lichens and barks could capture fine particles, including radiocaesium particles. In addition, radioactivity was distributed more towards the inwards of the lichen samples than the peripheries. This suggests that lichen can retain 137Cs that is chemically immobilised in particulates intracellularly, unlike bark.
Effect of the FIFA 11+ soccer specific warm up programme on the incidence of injuries: A cluster-randomised controlled trial
Authors: Nuhu Assuman , Jelsma Jennifer , Dunleavy Kim , Burgess Theresa
Published: May 2021

Background

Soccer players incur injuries that typically affect their performance. Injuries are caused by intrinsic and extrinsic factors that call for multifactorial preventive interventions. The study examines the impact of the FIFA 11+ warm up programme on the incidence and severity of injuries in second division soccer players in Rwanda.

Methods

Twelve teams (309 players) were randomised in the intervention group and 12 teams (317 players) in the control group using a cluster randomized controlled trial with teams as the unit of randomization. Intervention group teams implemented the FIFA 11+ soccer specific warm-up programme during training and matches at least three times a week over seven months of the Rwandan soccer season. Control group teams continued with usual warm up exercises. The primary outcome of this study was the overall incidence of training and match injuries. Injuries, training and match exposure as well as severity categories were recorded per the F-MARC guidelines.

Results

A lower proportion of players sustained injuries in the intervention group (52%) compared to the control group (63%) (Odd ratio: 0.7; 95%CI: 0.5–0.9). A significantly lower rate ratio was observed in the intervention group for overall (RR = 0.6; 95%CI: 0.5–0.8) and match (RR = 0.6; 95%CI: 0.5–0.8) injuries. Compliance to the injury prevention programme was 77%. In the intervention group, the incidence of injury was similar across all teams and across the medium and highly compliant teams. There was a statistically significant 55% and 71% reduction of the rate of moderate and severe injuries in the intervention group respectively.

Conclusion

The 11+ warm up injury prevention programme resulted in a significant reduction in the odds of sustaining injuries. In addition, injuries sustained were less severe. The programme should be rolled out to all teams in Rwanda and may well result in a decrease in the incidence and severity of injury in similar contexts.

Trial registration

Pan African Clinical Trial Registry (PACTR201505001045388).
Conditional transparency: Differentiated news framings of COVID-19 severity in the pre-crisis stage in China
Authors: Xi Yipeng , Chen Anfan , Ng Aaron
Published: May 2021

Transparency of Chinese media coverage became an international controversy when the COVID-19 outbreak initially emerged in Wuhan, the eventual crisis epicenter in China. Unlike studies characterizing mass media in authoritarian contexts as government mouthpieces during a crisis, this study aims to disaggregate Chinese media practices to uncover differences in when, where, and how the severity of COVID-19 was reported. We examine differences in how media institutions reported the severity of the COVID-19 epidemic in China during the pre-crisis period from 1 January 2020 to 20 January 2020 in terms of both the “vertical” or hierarchical positions of media institutions in the Chinese media ecosystem and the “horizontal” positions of media institutions’ social proximity to Wuhan in terms of geographical human traffic flows. We find that the coverage of crisis severity is negatively associated with the media’s social proximity to Wuhan, but the effect varies depending on the positional prominence of a news article and situation severity. Implications of the institutions’ differentiated reporting strategies on future public health reporting in an authoritarian context are also discussed.
Beauty has no age anymore: Fashion and youth in Colombia (1970–99)
Authors: Salazar Edward
Published: May 2021

This article analyses the cultural construction of youth and beauty as socially dominant values through an interrogation of Colombian fashion magazines produced between 1970 and 1999. To this end, the article analyses the role of fashion and the textile industry – including brands, textile companies and designers – within this key period to understand the transformation of male and female values in the process of establishing youth as an imperative standard for appearance and behaviour. The methodology used is discourse analysis applied to visual and textual advertising published by fashion magazines during the aforementioned period, as a means to understand the ideals and values of fashion and its material culture. This article reveals the tensions between the historical construction of youth in Colombia and the textile and fashion industries, the de-differentiation of youth as a value in men and women, and the paradoxical ambiguity between the ephemeral logic of fashion and the eternal aspiration of youth. These issues have not been adequately explored with regard to Colombia yet.
Fashioning China: Precarious Creativity and Women Designers in Shanzhai Culture, Sara Liao (2020)
Authors: Jin Yating
Published: May 2021

Review of: Fashioning China: Precarious Creativity and Women Designers in Shanzhai Culture, Sara Liao (2020)

London: Pluto Press, 203 pp.,

ISBN 978-0-74534-069-2, h/bk, £75.00

ISBN 978-0-74534-070-8, p/bk, £29.99
Instituição da Gramática ampliada e explicada por António Velez. Tomo II: Morfologia II: género dos nomes. Sobre a declinação dos nomes. analogia e anomalia. Pretéritos e supinos
Authors: Salor Eustaquio Sánchez , Díaz Carlos Salvador , Gómez Juan María Gómez , Teixeira Cláudia , Martins Armando Senra
Published: May 2021

Nascida a um tempo da renovação do humanismo, do qual bebeu o seu arreigamento ao texto e à autoridades de autores clássicos, e do programa pedagógico da Companhia de Jesus, a Instituição da gramática de Manuel Álvares, publicada em 1572, conheceu uma receção ampla no tempo (até ao séc. XIX) como no espaço (com várias edições europeias mas também no Oriente e no Novo Mundo). Na linha do programa pedagógico inaciano a obra conserva uma viva preocupação pela dimensão didática patente na procura de uma estrutura e de uma exposição que, não obstante prolixa exploração de aspetos particulares, têm em vista a compreensão do aluno e a sua capacidade recetiva. Tomando por base a versão ampliada e reformulada que o jesuíta, António Velez, deu aos prelos em 1598, este primeiro volume respeitante à Morfologia pretende dar a conhecer ao público um documento fundamental para a cultura portuguesa.