bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The medial orbitofrontal cortex governs reward-related circuits in an age-dependent manner
Authors: Loh Maxine K , Rosenkranz J Amiel
Published: April 2022

Nucleus accumbens (NAc) neurons integrate excitatory inputs from cortical and limbic structures, contributing to critical cognitive functions, including decision-making. As these afferents mature from adolescence through adulthood, incoming signals to the NAc may summate differently between age groups. Decision-making evaluates both reward and risk before action selection, suggesting an interplay between reward- and risk-related circuits. Medial orbitofrontal cortex (MO)-NAc circuits permit risk assessment behaviors and likely underlie risk information incorporation. As adolescents make reward-centric choices regardless of risk, we hypothesized the impact of MO activity alters reward-related NAc circuits in an age-dependent manner. To test this hypothesis, we used single-unit electrophysiology to measure MO train stimulation’s effect on reward-related pathways, specifically the basolateral amygdala (BLA)-NAc circuit, in adult and adolescent rats. MO train stimulation altered the strength but not the timing of BLA–NAc interactions in a frequency-dependent manner. In adults, MO train stimulation produced a frequency-dependent, bidirectional effect on BLA-evoked NAc AP probability. Contrastingly, MO train stimulation uniformly attenuated BLA-NAc interactions in adolescents. While the mature MO can govern reward-related circuits in an activity-dependent manner, perhaps to adapt to positive or negative decision-making outcomes, the adolescent MO may be less able to bidirectionally impact reward-related pathways resulting in biased decision-making.
Geometric sampling of networks
Authors: Barkanass Vladislav , Jost Jürgen , Saucan Emil
Published: April 2022

Motivated by the methods and results of manifold sampling based on Ricci curvature, we propose a similar approach for networks. To this end, we make an appeal to three types of discrete curvature, namely the graph Forman-, full Forman- and Haantjes–Ricci curvatures for edge-based and node-based sampling. The relation between the Ricci curvature of the original manifold and that of a Ricci curvature driven-discretization is studied, and we show that there is a strong connection between the Forman–Ricci curvatures of the resulting network and the Ricci curvature of the given smooth manifold. We also present the results of experiments on real-life networks, as well as for square grids arising in image processing. Moreover, we consider fitting Ricci flows, and we employ them for the detection of networks’ backbone.
Unloading the right to fill the left: vasodilation to treat hypotension: a case report
Authors: Ezzeddine Fatima M. , Bois Melanie C. , Borlaug Barry A.
Published: April 2022

Background

Management of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in the setting of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) can be challenging. Herein, we describe the case of a patient with HFpEF and combined pre- and post-capillary PH who showed striking improvement with sildenafil.

Case summary

A 74-year-old man presented with exertional dyspnea and near-syncope. He underwent a hemodynamic exercise study that showed evidence of HFpEF with pre- and post-capillary PH. Right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy showed interstitial fibrosis and mild hypertrophy, with no evidence of infiltrative or storage diseases. The patient was treated with sildenafil 20 mg three times daily, which resulted in significant symptomatic and functional improvement in 12 years of follow-up.

Discussion

Phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors are currently not approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for treatment of PH in heart failure and are used off-label in patients with heart failure. This case illustrates the importance of unloading the right ventricle to improve cardiac output in patients with diastolic dysfunction and combined pre- and post-capillary PH. Although promising, future studies are needed to validate these findings.
Gender disparity in speakers of the European Orthodontic Society conferences held between 2015 and 2020: a cross-sectional report
Authors: Koletsi Despina , Papadopoulou Alexandra K
Published: April 2022

Objectives

To assess the representation of female scientists as speakers of blindly selected oral presentations or invited speakers in the latest European Orthodontic Society (EOS) conferences between 2015 and 2020. To examine the association with a number of study- and author-related characteristics.

Materials and methods

Abstract books and programmes of the EOS conferences held between 2015 and 2020, were electronically searched to identify the gender of all speakers. The following predictor variables were assessed: year, continent of authorship, number of centres, number of authors involved, study design, study topic, and presentation as a WJB Houston Award nominee.

Results

A total of 312 oral presentations were recorded with almost even distribution of female/male gender. In the majority of oral presentations, a European-origin speaker affiliation was confirmed (208/312; 66.7%), with a relatively equal representation of women (P = 0.05). Seniority in authorship of oral presentations belonged to male scientists (209/312; 67%). Furthermore, a total of 84 invited speakers were identified, of which only 15 (17.9%) were female, indicating a substantial gender gap. No more than four women were invited to lecture annually, compared to a minimum of 10 male scientists. Overall, a significant difference was recorded for the odds of a female scientist to be invited as a speaker in the EOS conference (range of odds across years: 0.20–0.36), compared to the odds for conducting an oral presentation in the same context and timescale (range of odds across years: 0.75–1.45) (Mantel–Haenszel test for homogeneity, P-value < 0.001).

Limitations

Findings were based solely on the annual orthodontic conference of the EOS, without further insights on national conferences, or identification of wide-range timescale effects.

Conclusions and implications

Gender disparity related to invited speakers at the EOS 2015–20 annual conferences was unequivocally confirmed. Nevertheless, gender differences were not identified in oral presentations. Firm efforts to ensure female scientist’s voice is equally represented are needed including a move from theory to practice.
Postharvest quality and reactive oxygen species metabolism improvement of Coprinus comatus mushroom using allyl isothiocyanate fumigation
Authors: Zheng Enping , Zheng Zhihang , Ren Shiya , Zhou Huabin , Yang Hailong
Published: April 2022

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) on the reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism and quality of postharvest Coprinus comatus (C. comatus). Fresh mushrooms were stored at 4 °C with AITC at 5, 10, and 20 μL/L for 18 d, respectively. Sampling was performed every 3 d, and physicochemical parameters and ROS metabolism related enzymes activities were analyzed. Compared with the control, the application of AITC at 10 μL/L significantly (P<0.05) decreased xanthine oxidase activity after 9 d of storage, while it significantly (P<0.05) improved the activities of succinic dehydrogenase, glutathione reductase, peroxidase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase in the middle and later stages of storage. Furthermore, the Ca2+-ATPase and superoxide dismutase activities in sample treated by 10 μL/L were all significantly (P<0.05) higher than those in the control. Therefore, the accumulation trends of malondialdehyde and ROS were retarded and membrane integrity was maintained. However, high-concentration AITC (20 μL/L) treatment accelerated the ROS generation and increased electrolyte leakage rate. All AITC treatments significantly (P<0.05) inhibited the respiration rate during the first 9 d of storage and retarded browning of C. comatus during the storage of 18 d. These findings suggested that AITC treatment would be a promising method to maintain C. comatus quality, but the concentrations need to be optimized.
Little heterosis found in diploid hybrid potato: The genetic underpinnings of a new hybrid crop
Authors: Adams James R , de Vries Michiel E , Zheng Chaozhi , van Eeuwijk Fred A
Published: April 2022

Hybrid potato breeding has become a novel alternative to conventional potato breeding allowing breeders to overcome intractable barriers (e.g. tetrasomic inheritance, masked deleterious alleles, obligate clonal propagation) with the benefit of seed-based propagule, flexible population design, and the potential of hybrid vigor. Until now, however, no formal inquiry has adequately examined the relevant genetic components for complex traits in hybrid potato populations. In this present study, we use a 2-step multivariate modeling approach to estimate the variance components to assess the magnitude of the general and specific combining abilities in diploid hybrid potato. Specific combining ability effects were identified for all yield components studied here warranting evidence of nonadditive genetic effects in hybrid potato yield. However, the estimated general combining ability effects were on average 2 times larger than their respective specific combining ability quantile across all yield phenotypes. Tuber number general combining abilities and specific combining abilities were found to be highly correlated with total yield’s genetic components. Tuber volume was shown to have the largest proportion of additive and nonadditive genetic variation suggesting under-selection of this phenotype in this population. The prominence of additive effects found for all traits presents evidence that the mid-parent value alone is useful for hybrid potato evaluation. Heterotic vigor stands to be useful in bolstering simpler traits but this will be dependent on target phenotypes and market requirements. This study represents the first diallel analysis of its kind in diploid potato using material derived from a commercial hybrid breeding program.
Assessing Equitable Inclusion of Underrepresented Older Adults in Alzheimer’s Disease, Related Cognitive Disorders, and Aging-Related Research: A Scoping Review
Authors: Godbole Nisha , Kwon Simona C , Beasley Jeannette M , Roberts Timothy , Kranick Julie , Smilowitz Jessica , Park Agnes , Sherman Scott E , Trinh-Shevrin Chau , Chodosh Joshua
Published: April 2022

Background and Objectives

The rapidly aging and diversifying U.S. population is challenged by increases in prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and aging-related disorders. We conducted a scoping review to assess equitable inclusion of diverse older adult populations in aging research focused on National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored research.

Research Design and Methods

The scoping review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocol. The search was limited to NIH-funded studies focusing on aging, AD, and Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias (ADRD) and included adults aged 55 and older. The priority populations and health disparities put forth by the National Institute on Aging Health Disparities Framework serve as a model for guiding inclusion criteria and for interpreting the representation of these underrepresented groups, including racial-ethnic minorities, socioeconomically disadvantaged, rural populations, groups with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) communities.

Results

Our search identified 1,177 records, of which 436 articles were included in the analysis. Inclusion of individuals with ADRD and mild cognitive impairment, racial-ethnic minorities, rural populations, socioeconomically disadvantaged, groups with disabilities, and LGBTQ communities were poorly specified in most studies. Studies used multiple recruitment methods, conducting studies in community settings (59%) and hospitals/clinics (38%) most frequently. Incentives, convenience factors, and sustained engagement via community-based and care partners were identified as key strategies for improved retention.

Discussion and Implications

This scoping review identified gaps in existing literature and aims for future work, including stronger research focus on, better inclusion of, and improved data collection and reporting of older adults from underrepresented groups.
Exploring the role of social representations in micro-health insurance scheme enrolment and retainment in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review
Authors: Kalolo Albino , Gautier Lara , De Allegri Manuela
Published: April 2022

Low enrolment in micro-health insurance (MHI) schemes is a recurring issue affecting the viability of such schemes. Beyond the efforts addressing low subscription and retention in these schemes, little is known on how social representations are related to micro-health insurance schemes enrolment and retention. This scoping review aimed at exploring the role of social representations in shaping enrollment and retention in MHI in sub-Saharan Africa. We reviewed qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies conducted between 2004 and 2019 in sub-Saharan Africa. We limited our search to peer-reviewed and grey literature in English and French reporting on social representations of MHI. We defined social representations as conventions, cultural and religious beliefs, local rules and norms, local solidarity practices, political landscape and social cohesion. We applied the framework developed by Arksey and O’Malley and modified by Levac et al. to identify and extract data from relevant studies. We extracted information from a total of 78 studies written in English (60%) and in French (40%) of which 56% were conducted in West Africa. More than half of all studies explored either cultural and religious beliefs (56%) or social conventions (55%) whereas only 37% focused on social cohesion (37%). Only six papers (8%) touched upon all six categories of social representation considered in this study whereas 25% of the papers studied more than three categories. We found that all the studied social representations influence enrollment and retention in MHI schemes. Our findings highlight the paucity of evidence on social representations in relation to MHI schemes. This initial attempt to compile evidence on social representations invites more research on the role those social representations play on the viability of MHI schemes. Our findings call for program design and implementation strategies to consider and adjust to local social representations in order to enhance scheme attractiveness.
Fighting misinformation on social media: effects of evidence type and presentation mode
Authors: Song Yunya , Wang Sai , Xu Qian
Published: April 2022

Designing corrective messages to debunk misinformation online is an important practice toward ending the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic as health-related misinformation has proliferated on social media misguiding disease prevention measures. Despite research on the use of statistical evidence and message modality in persuasion, the effects of evidence type (assertions with versus without statistical evidence) and presentation mode (text-only versus image-only versus text-plus-image) have been understudied. This study examined the impact of evidence type and presentation mode on individuals’ responses to corrective messages about COVID-19 on social media. The results showed that the presence of statistical evidence in assertions reduced message elaboration, which in turn reduced the effects of the message in correcting misperceptions, decreased perceived message believability and lowered social media users’ intentions to further engage with and disseminate the corrective message. Compared to the text-only modality and the text-plus-image modality, the image-only modality triggered significantly lower levels of message elaboration, which subsequently heightened message believability and increased user engagement intentions. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Efficacy of Hepatitis B Vaccination with a Novel Immunostimulatory Sequence Adjuvant (Heplisav-B) in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Kwon Joshua Y , Daoud Nader D , Hashash Jana G , Picco Michael F , Farraye Francis A
Published: April 2022

Background

Owing to the use of immunosuppressive agents, patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have an increased risk of vaccine preventable diseases, including infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV). Heplisav-B, an FDA-approved vaccine, is more effective (90% to 100%) than Engerix-B (70.5% to 90.2%) at inducing immunity to HBV in clinical studies. Available data on efficacy of Heplisav-B vaccine in patients with IBD are limited.

Methods

This retrospective observational study included patients age 18 years and older with ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn’s disease (CD) who received 1 or 2 doses of Heplisav-B vaccine and had postvaccination serologic testing. Prior to immunization, all participants were seronegative for HBsAb antibodies (HBsAb) measured as <10 IU/mL. Postvaccination HBsAb of ≥10 IU/mL was considered successful vaccination. Patient demographics, disease characteristics, and medications were abstracted.

Results

One hundred six patients were included in the analysis. Median age was 43 years, and 44 (42%) were female. Thirty-nine patients (37%) had UC, whereas 67 (63%) had CD. Eighty-three patients (78.3%) had active immunity after vaccination with Heplisav-B, with median postvaccination HBsAb levels of 114 IU/L. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, immunomodulator use, or those on 2 or more of immunosuppressive medications were less likely to respond to Heplisav-B, though these findings were not statistically significant on a multivariate analysis aside from chronic kidney disease.

Conclusions

Heplisav-B, a 2-dose vaccine, is an effective vaccine for HBV in patients with IBD. In our study, its overall efficacy (78.3%) is greater than that reported for the presently available 3-dose vaccination (Engerix) in patients with IBD.
CFD analysis and comparison of conventional type and perforated plate type shell tube heat exchangers
Authors: İnan Ahmet Talat , Köten Hasan , Kartal Mehmet Akif
Published: April 2022

The baffle plate is the most important elements affecting not only the thermal efficiency but also the hydraulic performance of shell-tube heat exchangers that can be designed in different types today and can be put into the production phase. Different designs of baffle plates are closely related to thermal performance with pressure drop as well. In this investigation, the design geometry of the shell-tube type was carried out by means of the ANSYS Fluent program.

In the analyses, it is purposed to examine the consequences on the heat transfer rate per drop of pressure and not only the pressure’s drop but also the coefficient parameter of heat transfer of the exchangers in which traditional one-piece type baffle plate and perforated type baffle plate are used where the shell side. Here, water is used as the working fluid; it was examined as 1.2, 1.5, 1.8 and 2.1 kg/h at four varied mass flow rates (m). As a result, the values compared to the traditional one-piece baffle plate and the perforated type baffle plate. It has been monitored that the heat transfer rates per drop of pressure vary.
Experimental and simulation performance optimization of an exhaust air heat recovery heat pump unit
Authors: Wang Zhiyi , Lu Xiaohong , Wang Gaoyuan
Published: April 2022

In order to optimize the performance of exhaust air heat recovery heat pump unit (EAHRHPU), Simulink system simulation and Simulink-M file optimization model were established in this paper to study the performance of the unit in variable outdoor air conditions by combining experiment. Finally, the optimal performance of coefficient and the corresponding optimal bypass fresh air flow rate of the unit in different outdoor temperature was obtained. The results showed that the change trend of the simulation value and the test value of the unit’s performance parameters is consistent, and the maximum deviation is controlled within ±7.00% in the standard cooling condition and variable bypass fresh air. The simulation model can correctly reflect the performance changes of the unit during the operation. The operation performance of the unit was affected by the temperature and air flow rate of the bypass fresh air in variable outdoor conditions. The Simulink-M file optimization model can obtain the specific value of the optimal bypass air flow rate in different outdoor temperatures. As the outdoor temperature increases, the optimal bypass fresh air flow rate increases first and then decreases. With the use of variable frequency fans, the unit can achieve better energy utility effect. The research could be considered as the useful reference for improving the operation performance of the EAHRHPU.
Wedge Domains in Compactly Causal Symmetric Spaces
Authors: Neeb Karl-Hermann , Ólafsson Gestur
Published: April 2022

Motivated by constructions in Algebraic Quantum Field Theory we introduce wedge domains in compactly causal symmetric spaces $M=G/H$, which includes in particular anti-de Sitter space in all dimensions and its coverings. Our wedge domains generalize Rindler wedges in Minkowski space. The key geometric structure we use is the modular flow on $M$ defined by an Euler element in the Lie algebra of $G$. Our main geometric result asserts that three seemingly different characterizations of these domains coincide: the positivity domain of the modular vector field, the domain specified by a KMS-like analytic extension condition for the modular flow, and the domain specified by a polar decomposition in terms of certain cones. In the second half of the article we show that our wedge domains share important properties with wedge domains in Minkowski space. If $G$ is semisimple, there exist unitary representations $(U,{\mathcal {H}})$ of $G$ and isotone covariant nets of real subspaces $\textsf {H}({\mathcal {O}}) \subseteq {\mathcal {H}}$, defined for any open subset ${\mathcal {O}} \subseteq M$, which assign to connected components of the wedge domains a standard subspace whose modular group corresponds to the modular flow on $M$. This corresponds to the Bisognano–Wichmann property in Quantum Field Theory. We also show that the set of $G$-translates of the connected components of the wedge domain provides a geometric realization of the abstract wedge space introduced by the first author and V. Morinelli.
Impact of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines on Antibiotic-Nonsusceptible Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in the United States
Authors: Bajema Kristina L , Gierke Ryan , Farley Monica M , Schaffner William , Thomas Ann , Reingold Arthur L , Harrison Lee H , Lynfield Ruth , Burzlaff Kari E , Petit Susan , Barnes Meghan , Torres Salina , Vagnone Paula M Snippes , Beall Bernard , Pilishvili Tamara
Published: April 2022

Background

Antibiotic-nonsusceptible invasive pneumococcal disease (NS-IPD) incidence declined dramatically in the United States after introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) into the infant immunization schedule (7-valent PCV7 in 2000, replaced by the 13-valent PCV13 in 2010). We evaluated the long-term impact of PCVs on NS-IPD.

Methods

We identified IPD cases through the Centers for Disease Control Active Bacterial Core surveillance during 1998–2018. Isolates intermediate or resistant to ≥1 antibiotic class were classified as nonsusceptible. We calculated annual rates of IPD (cases per 100 000 persons).

Results

From 1998 through 2018, NS-IPD incidence decreased from 43.9 to 3.2 among children <5 years and from 19.8 to 9.4 among adults ≥65 years. Incidence of vaccine-type NS-IPD decreased in all age groups, whereas incidence of nonvaccine type (NVT) NS-IPD increased in all age groups; the greatest absolute increase in NVT NS-IPD occurred among adults ≥65 years (2.3 to 7.2). During 2014–2018, NVTs 35B, 33F, 22F, and 15A were the most common NS-IPD serotypes.

Conclusions

Nonsusceptible IPD incidence decreased after PCV7 and PCV13 introduction in the United States. However, recent increases in NVT NS-IPD, most pronounced among older adults, have been observed. New higher valency PCVs containing the most common nonsusceptible serotypes, including 22F and 33F, could help further reduce NS-IPD.
A variety of ‘exhausted’ T cells in the tumor microenvironment
Authors: Nagasaki Joji , Togashi Yosuke
Published: April 2022

In T-cell biology, ‘exhaustion’ was initially described as a hyporesponsive state in CD8+ T cells during chronic infections. Recently, exhaustion has been recognized as a T-cell dysfunctional state in the tumor microenvironment (TME). The term ‘exhaustion’ is used mainly to refer to effector T cells with a reduced capacity to secrete cytokines and an increased expression of inhibitory receptors. The up-regulation of exhaustion-related inhibitory receptors, including programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), in such T cells has been associated with the development of tumors, prompting the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors. In addition to CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, including the regulatory T (Treg) cell subset, perform a wide variety of functions within the adaptive immune system. Up-regulation of the same inhibitory receptors that are associated with CD8+ T-cell exhaustion has also been identified in CD4+ T cells in chronic infections and cancers, suggesting a similar CD4+ T-cell exhaustion phenotype. For instance, high expression of PD-1 has been observed in Treg cells in the TME, and such Treg cells can play an important role in the resistance to PD-1 blockade therapies. Furthermore, recent progress in single-cell RNA sequencing has shown that CD4+ T cells with cytotoxic activity are also vulnerable to exhaustion. In this review, we will discuss novel insights into various exhausted T-cell subsets, which could reveal novel therapeutic targets and strategies to induce a robust anti-tumor immune response.
Nitrogen excretion from beef cattle fed a wide range of diets compiled in an intercontinental dataset: a meta-analysis
Authors: Bougouin Adeline , Hristov Alexander , Zanetti Diego , Filho Sebastiao C V , Rennó Lucianna N , Menezes Ana C B , Silva Jarbas M , Alhadas Herlon M , Mariz Lays D S , Prados Laura F , Beauchemin Karen A , McAllister Tim , Yang WenZhu Z , Koenig Karen M , Goossens Karen , Yan Tianhai , Noziere Pierre , Jonker Arjan , Kebreab Ermias
Published: April 2022

Manure N from cattle contributes to nitrate leaching, nitrous oxide, and ammonia emissions. Measurement of manure N outputs on commercial beef cattle operations is laborious, expensive, and impractical; therefore, models are needed to predict N excreted in urine and feces. Building robust prediction models requires extensive data from animals under different management systems worldwide. Thus, the study objectives were to 1) collate an international dataset of N excretion in feces and urine based on individual observations from beef cattle; 2) determine the suitability of key variables for predicting fecal, urinary, and total manure N excretion; and 3) develop robust and reliable N excretion prediction models based on individual observation from beef cattle consuming various diets. A meta-analysis based on individual beef data from different experiments was carried out from a raw dataset including 1,004 observations from 33 experiments collected from 5 research institutes in Europe (n = 3), North America (n = 1), and South America (n = 1). A sequential approach was taken in developing models of increasing complexity by incrementally adding significant variables that affected fecal, urinary, or total manure N excretion. Nitrogen excretion was predicted by fitting linear mixed models with experiment as a random effect. Simple models including dry matter intake (DMI) were better at predicting fecal N excretion than those using only dietary nutrient composition or body weight (BW). Simple models based on N intake performed better for urinary and total manure N excretion than those based on DMI. A model including DMI and dietary component concentrations led to the most robust prediction of fecal and urinary N excretion, generating root mean square prediction errors as a percentage of the observed mean values of 25.0% for feces and 25.6% for urine. Complex total manure N excretion models based on BW and dietary component concentrations led to the lowest prediction errors of about 14.6%. In conclusion, several models to predict N excretion already exist, but the ones developed in this study are based on individual observations encompassing larger variability than the previous developed models. In addition, models that include information on DMI or N intake are required for accurate prediction of fecal, urinary, and total manure N excretion. In the absence of intake data, equations have poor performance as compared with equations based on intake and dietary component concentrations.
Opposition-based ant colony optimization with all-dimension neighborhood search for engineering design
Authors: Zhao Dong , Liu Lei , Yu Fanhua , Heidari Ali Asghar , Wang Maofa , Chen Huiling , Muhammad Khan
Published: April 2022

The ant colony optimization algorithm is a classical swarm intelligence algorithm, but it cannot be used for continuous class optimization problems. A continuous ant colony optimization algorithm (ACOR) is proposed to overcome this difficulty. Still, some problems exist, such as quickly falling into local optimum, slow convergence speed, and low convergence accuracy. To solve these problems, this paper proposes a modified version of ACOR called ADNOLACO. There is an opposition-based learning mechanism introduced into ACOR to effectively improve the convergence speed of ACOR. All-dimension neighborhood mechanism is also introduced into ACOR to further enhance the ability of ACOR to avoid getting trapped in the local optimum. To strongly demonstrate these core advantages of ADNOLACO, with the 30 benchmark functions of IEEE CEC2017 as the basis, a detailed analysis of ADNOLACO and ACOR is not only qualitatively performed, but also a comparison experiment is conducted between ADNOLACO and its peers. The results fully proved that ADNOLACO has accelerated the convergence speed and improved the convergence accuracy. The ability to find a balance between local and globally optimal solutions is improved. Also, to show that ADNOLACO has some practical value in real applications, it deals with four engineering problems. The simulation results also illustrate that ADNOLACO can improve the accuracy of the computational results. Therefore, it can be demonstrated that the proposed ADNOLACO is a promising and excellent algorithm based on the results.
Gastral Drumming in Vespula germanica (Hymenoptera: Vespidae): Vibrational Communication at Night Suggests Additional Roles in Colony Organization
Authors: Taylor Benjamin J
Published: April 2022

Gastral drumming (GD) is a type of vibrational communication that has been reported in several species of yellowjackets and hornets. Despite early claims that it acts as a hunger signal, a more recent study found evidence that it acts as a nest-based food-recruitment signal, the first reported for eusocial wasps. Early studies also claimed, without supporting data, that it is produced most often in the early morning hours when the sun rises. Here, I recorded drumming continuously in colonies of Vespula germanica (Fabricius) to assess whether production was highest in the morning. Although I found no evidence in support of greater early morning production, I found, surprisingly, that it is produced at night, a time when foraging does not occur. When these results are combined with the results from previous studies on this species and similar findings in honey bees, they suggest that GD may be a modulatory signal, which acts by increasing general activity levels and by increasing the rate that individuals come into contact with social cues.
Efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid in patients undergoing surgery for bone and soft tissue tumors: a propensity score matching analysis
Authors: Oyama Ryunosuke , Setsu Nokitaka , Matsumoto Yoshihiro , Endo Makoto , Fujiwara Toshifumi , Iida Keiichiro , Nabeshima Akira , Nakashima Yasuharu
Published: April 2022

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid in patients undergoing surgery for bone and soft tissue tumors.

Methods

Data were retrospectively collected from 454 consecutive patients with bone and soft tissue tumors who underwent open biopsy, marginal resection, curettage or wide resection between January 2017 and December 2018. We performed propensity score matching of patients who received tranexamic acid with those who did not. The primary outcome variables were intra-operative, peri-operative and estimated blood loss (IBL, PBL and EBL, respectively).

Results

Tranexamic acid (+) and tranexamic acid (−) groups were defined according to whether patients received tranexamic acid or not. Among the 454 patients, open biopsy was performed in 102, marginal resection in 175, curettage in 54 and wide resection in 123. Intra-operative blood loss was significantly lower in the tranexamic acid (+) group than in the tranexamic acid (−) group for both marginal and wide resection (marginal resection: 17.3 vs. 70.3 g, respectively, P = 0.045; wide resection: 128.8 vs. 273.1 g, respectively, P = 0.023). Peri-operative blood loss and estimated blood loss were also significantly lower in the tranexamic acid (+) group for wide resection (peri-operative blood loss: 341.5 vs. 686.5 g, respectively, P = 0.0039; estimated blood loss: 320.7 vs. 550.6 ml, respectively, P = 0.030). No venous thromboembolism occurred in either group.

Conclusion

This study suggests that TXA administration safely and effectively reduces blood loss, in particular for wide resection, with no increase in the rate of adverse events.
New Distribution Records of Biting Midges of the Genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) Latreille, Culicoides bergi and Culicoides baueri, in Southern Ontario, Canada
Authors: Allen S E , Vigil S L , Jardine C M , Furukawa-Stoffer T , Colucci N , Ambagala A , Ruder M G , Nemeth N M
Published: April 2022

Some species of Culicoides Latreille (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) can be pests as well as pathogen vectors, but data on their distribution in Ontario, Canada, are sparse. Collecting this baseline data is important given ongoing, accelerated alterations in global climate patterns that may favor the establishment of some species in northern latitudes. Culicoides spp. were surveyed using UV light traps over two seasons in 2017 and 2018 at livestock farms in southern Ontario, Canada. Two Culicoides spp. not previously recorded in Canada were identified, C. bergi and C. baueri, representing new country and provincial records. Unlike some congenerics, these two species are not currently recognized as vectors of pathogens that pose a health risk to humans, livestock or wildlife in North America. However, the possibility that these Culicoides species may have recently expanded their geographic range, potentially in association with climate and/or landscape changes, warrants ongoing attention and research. Furthermore, our results provoke the question of the potential undocumented diversity of Culicoides spp. in Ontario and other parts of Canada, and whether other Culicoides spp. may be undergoing range expansion. The current and future distributions of Culicoides spp., and other potential vectors of human, agricultural, and wildlife health significance, are important to identify for proper disease risk assessment, mitigation, and management.
To Misspecify Is Common, to Probe Misspecification Scientific: Common “Confounds” in Pornography Research May Actually Be Predictors
Authors: Wright Paul J , Tokunaga Robert S , Herbenick Debby , Paul Bryant
Published: April 2022

The ills of modeling variables substantively involved in a causal process as “controls” have been discussed extensively by social scientists who do not study media. Until recently, Slater was one of the few communication scientists to suggest that media effects scholars engage in overcontrol. Bushman and Anderson have now echoed this concern in the context of a broader treatise on research trends in the media violence literature. The present study responded to Wright’s recent discussion of control variable usage in the pornography literature. Specifically, using a national probability sample of approximately 1,900 U.S. adults, the present study assessed whether multiple demographic variables routinely modeled as controls in the pornography effects literature may be better conceptualized as initiating predictors. Results were inconsistent with the confounding approach but consistent with the hypothesis that individual differences predict cognitive response states that increase or decrease the likelihood of media effects.
The abundance effect on network nestedness is stronger for parasitic than herbivory interactions
Authors: Lan Bin , Hu Xiaoli , Wang Ying , Sun Shucun
Published: April 2022

It has been suggested that the importance of network architecture to species diversity and stability should be based on preference networks (comprised of niche differentiations), rather than observational networks, because species abundance may significantly affect interaction frequencies. Considering that resource abundance is usually greater for herbivores than parasites, we hypothesize that the abundance effect is stronger for parasitic than herbivory interactions. To test this hypothesis, we collected 80 quantitative observational networks including 34 herbivorous and 46 parasitic networks from the published literature, and derived preference networks by removing the effects of species abundance. We then determined the network nestedness using both weighted NODF and spectral radius. We also determined species degree distribution, interaction evenness, weighted connectance and robustness for both observational and preference networks. The observational networks (including both herbivory and parasitic networks) were more nested judged by weighted NODF than spectral radius. Preference networks were less nested for parasitic than herbivory networks in terms of both weighted NODF and spectral radius, possibly because removing the abundance effect increased interaction evenness. These trends indicate that the abundance effect on network nestedness is stronger for parasitic than herbivory networks. Weighted connectance and robustness were greater in most preference networks than observational networks, indicating that preference networks may have high network stability and community persistence compared with observational ones. The data indicate that future network analyses should not only address the structural difference between mutualistic and antagonistic interactions, but also between herbivory and parasitic interactions.
Making Desegregation Work: Citizen Participation and Bureaucratic Resistance in the Boston Public Schools, 1974–85
Authors: de Jong Greta
Published: April 2022

Court-ordered desegregation of the Boston Public Schools in the 1970s has often been cast as an example of federal overreach that inflicted a disruptive “forced busing” plan on the city, generating only racial conflict and trauma while failing to ensure educational equality. Yet by encouraging citizen participation in developing and implementing plans for eliminating racism from the school system, the court order opened space for parents and community members to get involved in the public schools on an unprecedented scale. While some white Bostonians responded to desegregation with racist violence, others took advantage of the opportunities provided by the court order to press their vision for a more inclusive school system that would prepare children to live in an interracial democracy. Their efforts came up against an entrenched, self-interested bureaucracy that had no interest in sharing power or significantly reallocating educational resources. The struggles over education reform that played out in the offices of school administrators reveal the diverse interests and motivations that undermined school desegregation in Boston and allowed inequities to persist.
Exploring cyanobacterial diversity for sustainable biotechnology
Authors: Selão Tiago Toscano
Published: April 2022

Cyanobacteria are an evolutionarily ancient and diverse group of microorganisms. Their genetic diversity has  allowed them to occupy and play vital roles in a wide range of ecological niches, from desert soil crusts to tropical oceans. Owing to bioprospecting efforts and the development of new platform technologies enabling their study and manipulation, our knowledge of cyanobacterial metabolism is rapidly expanding. This review explores our current understanding of the genetic and metabolic features of cyanobacteria, from the more established cyanobacterial model strains to the newly isolated/described species, particularly the fast-growing, highly productive, and genetically amenable strains, as promising chassis for renewable biotechnology. It also discusses emerging technologies for their study and manipulation, enabling researchers to harness the astounding diversity of the cyanobacterial genomic and metabolic treasure trove towards the establishment of a sustainable bioeconomy.
Dynamics of Colombo’s Top: non-trivial oblique spin equilibria of super-Earths in multiplanetary systems
Authors: Su Yubo , Lai Dong
Published: April 2022

Many Sun-like stars are observed to host close-in super-Earths (SEs) as part of a multiplanetary system. In such a system, the spin of the SE evolves due to spin–orbit resonances and tidal dissipation. In the absence of tides, the planet’s obliquity can evolve chaotically to large values. However, for close-in SEs, tidal dissipation is significant and suppresses the chaos, instead driving the spin into various steady states. We find that the attracting steady states of the SE’s spin are more numerous than previously thought, due to the discovery of a new class of ‘mixed-mode’ high-obliquity equilibria. These new equilibria arise due to subharmonic responses of the parametrically driven planetary spin, an unusual phenomenon that arises in non-linear systems. Many SEs should therefore have significant obliquities, with potentially large impacts on the physical conditions of their surfaces and atmospheres.
Infrared and optical detectability of Dyson spheres at white dwarf stars
Authors: Zuckerman B
Published: April 2022

It has been hypothesized that advanced technological civilizations will construct giant space colonies and supporting infrastructures to orbit about their home stars. With data from recent satellites that operate at infrared and optical wavelengths (Spitzer, Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, Kepler), in company with a few modest assumptions, it is now possible to begin to constrain observationally the frequency of such space-based civilizations in our Milky Way Galaxy.
A mid-infrared study of superluminous supernovae
Authors: Sun Luming , Xiao Lin , Li Ge
Published: April 2022

We present the mid-infrared (MIR) light curves (LC) of 10 superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) at z < 0.12 based on WISE data at 3.4 and 4.6 $\mu$m. Three of them, including PS15br, SN 2017ens, and SN 2017err show rebrightening which started at 200–400 d and ended at 600–1000 d, indicating the presence of dust. In four of the left seven SLSNe, dust emission was detected with monochromatic luminosities of $10^7\sim 10^8\, {\rm L}_\odot$ at epochs of 100–500 d based on MIR colours W1 − W2 ∼ 1. Among the three SLSNe which show rebrightening, we further analysed PS15br and SN 2017ens. We modelled the SEDs at 500–700 d, which gives dust temperatures of 600–1100 K, dust masses of $\gtrsim 10^{-2}\, {\rm M}_\odot$, and luminosities of $10^8\sim 10^9\, {\rm L}_\odot$. Considering the time delay and the huge amount of energy released, the emitting dust can hardly be pre-existing dust heated whether collisionally by shocks or radiatively by peak SLSN luminosity or shock emission. Instead, it can be newly formed dust additionally heated by the interaction of circumstellar medium, indicated by features in their spectra and slowly declining bolometric LCs. The dust masses appear to be ten times greater than those formed in normal core-collapse supernovae at similar epochs. Combining with the analysis of SN 2018bsz by Chen et al. (2021), we suggest that SLSNe have higher dust formation efficiency, although future observations are required to reach a final conclusion.
Stellar populations of a sample of far-infrared AGN and non-AGN green valley galaxies
Authors: Mahoro Antoine , Pović Mirjana , Väisänen Petri , Nkundabakura Pheneas , van der Heyden Kurt
Published: April 2022

We present a study on the stellar populations and stellar ages of a subsample of far-infrared (FIR) active galactic nucleus (AGN) and non-AGN green valley galaxies at ${0.6\, \lt \, z\, \lt \, 1.0}$ using the data from the Cosmological Evolution Survey field. We used long-slit spectroscopy and derived stellar populations and stellar ages using the stellar population synthesis code ‘starlight’ and analysed the available Lick/IDS indices, such as Dn4000 and HδA. We find that both FIR AGN and non-AGN green valley galaxies are dominated by intermediate stellar populations (67 per cent and 53 per cent, respectively). The median stellar ages for AGNs and non-AGNs are ${\log t\, =\, 8.5}$ and ${\, 8.4\, \rm yr}$, respectively. We found that majority of our sources (62 per cent of AGNs and 66 per cent of non-AGNs) could have experienced bursts and continuous star formation (SF). In addition, most of our FIR AGNs (38 per cent) compared to FIR non-AGNs (27 per cent) might have experienced a burst of SF more than 0.1 Gyr ago. We also found that our FIR AGN and non-AGN green valley galaxies have similar quenching time-scales of ∼ 70 Myr. Therefore, the results obtained here are in line with our previous results where we do not find that our sample of FIR AGNs in the green valley shows signs of negative AGN feedback, as has been suggested previously in optical studies.
XMM–Newton observations of the narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy IRAS 13224−3809: X-ray spectral analysis II
Authors: Jiang Jiachen , Dauser Thomas , Fabian Andrew C , Alston William N , Gallo Luigi C , Parker Michael L , Reynolds Christopher S
Published: April 2022

Previously, we modelled the X-ray spectra of the narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy IRAS 13224−3809 using a disc reflection model with a fixed electron density of 1015 cm−3. An additional blackbody component was required to fit the soft X-ray excess below 2 keV. In this work, we analyse simultaneously five flux-resolved XMM–Newton spectra of this source comprising data collected over 2 Ms. A disc reflection model with an electron density of ne ≈ 1020 cm−3 and an iron abundance of $Z_{\rm Fe}=3.2\pm 0.5\, \mathrm{Z}_{\odot }$ is used to fit the broad-band spectra of this source. No additional component is required to fit the soft excess. Our best-fitting model provides consistent measurements of black hole spin and disc inclination angle as previous models where a low disc density was assumed. In the end, we calculate the average illumination distance between the corona and the reflection region in the disc of IRAS 13224−3809 based on best-fitting density and ionization parameters, which changes from 0.43$\sqrt{f_{\rm AD}/f_{\rm INF}}$ rg in the lowest flux state to 1.71$\sqrt{f_{\rm AD}/f_{\rm INF}}$ rg in the highest flux state assuming a black hole mass of $2\times 10^{6}\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$. fAD/fINF is the ratio between the flux of the coronal emission that reaches the accretion disc and infinity. This ratio depends on the geometry of the coronal region in IRAS 13224−3809. So we only discuss its value based on the simple ‘lamppost’ model, although detailed modelling of the disc emissivity profile of IRAS 13224−3809 is required in future to reveal the exact geometry of the corona.