bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bipartite phosphoinositide‐dependent modulation of auxin signaling during xylem differentiation in Arabidopsis thaliana roots
Authors: von der Mark Claudia , Cruz Tiago M. D. , Blanco‐Touriñan Noel , Rodriguez‐Villalon Antia
Published: August 2022

Efficient root‐to‐shoot delivery of water and nutrients in plants relies on the correct differentiation of xylem cells into hollow elements. While auxin is integral to the formation of xylem cells, it remains poorly characterized how each subcellular pool of this hormone regulates this process.

Combining genetic and cell biological approaches, we investigated the bipartite activity of nucleoplasmic vs plasma membrane‐associated phosphatidylinositol 4‐phosphate kinases PIP5K1 and its homolog PIP5K2 in Arabidopsis thaliana roots and uncovered a novel mechanism by which phosphoinositides integrate distinct aspects of the auxin signaling cascade and, in turn, regulate the onset of xylem differentiation.

The appearance of undifferentiated cells in protoxylem strands of pip5k1 pip5k2 is phenomimicked in auxin transport and perception mutants and can be partially restored by the nuclear residence of PIP5K1. By contrast, exclusion of PIP5K1 from the nucleus hinders the auxin‐mediated induction of the xylem master regulator VASCULAR RELATED NAC DOMAIN (VND) 7. A xylem‐specific increase of auxin levels abolishes pip5k1 pip5k2 vascular defects, indicating that the establishment of auxin maxima is required to activate VND7‐mediated xylem differentiation.

Our results describe a new mechanism by which distinct subcellular pools of phosphoinositides integrate auxin transport and perception to initiate xylem differentiation in a spatiotemporal manner.
The identification of three novel HLA‐C alleles: HLA‐C*01:218, HLA‐C*03:550 and HLA‐C*05:01:60
Authors: Ananeva Anastasiia , Nizamov Shamil , Shagimardanova Elena
Published: August 2022

Three novel HLA‐C alleles HLA‐C*01:218, ‐C*03:550 and ‐C*05:01:60 alleles detected during routine next generation sequencing.
Bioenergy sorghum stem growth regulation: intercalary meristem localization, development, and gene regulatory network analysis
Authors: Yu Ka Man Jasmine , Oliver Joel , McKinley Brian , Weers Brock , Fabich Hilary T. , Evetts Nathan , Conradi Mark S. , Altobelli Stephen A. , Marshall‐Colon Amy , Mullet John
Published: August 2022

Bioenergy sorghum is a highly productive drought tolerant C4 grass that accumulates 80% of its harvestable biomass in approximately 4 m length stems. Stem internode growth is regulated by development, shading, and hormones that modulate cell proliferation in intercalary meristems (IMs). In this study, sorghum stem IMs were localized above the pulvinus at the base of elongating internodes using magnetic resonance imaging, microscopy, and transcriptome analysis. A change in cell morphology/organization occurred at the junction between the pulvinus and internode where LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES (SbLOB), a boundary layer gene, was expressed. Inactivation of an AGCVIII kinase in DDYM (dw2) resulted in decreased SbLOB expression, disrupted IM localization, and reduced internode cell proliferation. Transcriptome analysis identified approximately 1000 genes involved in cell proliferation, hormone signaling, and other functions selectively upregulated in the IM compared with a non‐meristematic stem tissue. This cohort of genes is expressed in apical dome stem tissues before localization of the IM at the base of elongating internodes. Gene regulatory network analysis identified connections between genes involved in hormone signaling and cell proliferation. The results indicate that gibberellic acid induces accumulation of growth regulatory factors (GRFs) known to interact with ANGUSTIFOLIA (SbAN3), a master regulator of cell proliferation. GRF:AN3 was predicted to induce SbARF3/ETT expression and regulate SbAN3 expression in an auxin‐dependent manner. GRFs and ARFs regulate genes involved in cytokinin and brassinosteroid signaling and cell proliferation. The results provide a molecular framework for understanding how hormone signaling regulates the expression of genes involved in cell proliferation in the stem IM.
ZDF (fa/fa) rats show increasing heterogeneity in main parameters during ageing, as confirmed by biometrics, oxidative stress markers and MMP activity
Authors: Kollarova Marta , Chomova Maria , Radosinska Dominika , Tothova Lubomira , Shawkatova Ivana , Radosinska Jana
Published: August 2022

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

The aim was to characterize Zucker diabetic fatty [ZDF (fa/fa)] rats and two control strains [Wistar and lean ZDF (fa/+) rats] during ageing.

What is the main finding and its importance?

Zucker diabetic fatty (fa/fa) rats with lower glycaemia have higher body and left ventricular weights and lower plasma gelatinase activity compared with hyperglycaemic rats. Given that type 2 diabetes is a heterogeneous metabolic disorder, the inhomogeneity of ZDF (fa/fa) rats might be beneficial in the study of its different aspects. Our experiments might promote a discussion regarding suitable normoglycaemic control animals for aged ZDF (fa/fa) rats, especially in experiments focused on myocardial tissue.

Zucker diabetic fatty [ZDF (fa/fa)] rats, which are an animal model for the study of type 2 diabetes, are considered as a uniform group in most experimental studies; however, there are indications of their increasing inhomogeneity over time. The main objective of our study was to monitor biometric and biochemical parameters of ZDF (fa/fa) rats during their development of type 2 diabetes and compare them with two control strains [Wistar and lean ZDF (fa/+) rats]. According to fasting glycaemia, ZDF (fa/fa) rats were split arbitrarily into two phenotypes: obese, ZDF (fa/fa) FAT; and diabetic, ZDF (fa/fa) DIA. Glycaemia increased progressively only in the ZDF (fa/fa) DIA animals, which also exhibited higher cholesterol levels compared with ZDF (fa/fa) FAT animals. In addition, ZDF (fa/fa) FAT rats revealed more pronounced left ventricular hypertrophy and higher body weight, differentiating them from ZDF (fa/fa) DIA rats. We also investigated the activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which are multifunctional enzymes involved in tissue remodelling. Rats in the ZDF (fa/fa) FAT group revealed lower plasma MMP2 and MMP9 activity compared with the ZDF (fa/fa) DIA group. However, increased myocardial MMP2 activity indicated left ventricular remodelling in both ZDF phenotypes. Given that type 2 diabetes in humans is a heterogeneous metabolic disorder, the heterogeneity of ZDF (fa/fa) rats might be beneficial in the study of different aspects of this pathology. Moreover, Wistar rats could serve as a more appropriate control for aged ZDF (fa/fa) rats than the commonly used ZDF fa/+ rats, which showed an increase in left ventricular weight, carbonyl stress markers in the left myocardium and MMP2 activity in both ventricles, indicating heart remodelling processes compared with the Wistar control group.
The Influence of Womersley Number on Non-Newtonian Effects: Transient Computational Study of Blood Rheology
Authors: Simpson Joseph P. , Leylek James H.
Published: August 2022

A properly validated computational fluid dynamics methodology is a valuable predictive tool capable of aiding in the development of new methods for treating cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although blood is a shear-thinning non-Newtonian fluid, a key assumption that remains highly contested is whether non-Newtonian blood can be approximated as a Newtonian fluid. Previously, a preliminary link was established between the effects of non-Newtonian viscosity and the Womersley number, α, which could lend an explanation to the varied conclusions from previous comparison studies. Building upon this foundation, computational fluid dynamics was utilized to perform an in-depth investigation into the link between blood rheology and α for multiple geometries. For the first time in the open literature, the present research sheds definitive light on the source of the diverse results from previous studies. It demonstrates how α can affect the severity of non-Newtonian effects when compared to Newtonian viscosity, while otherwise maintaining the same boundary conditions. These results show that an increase in α reduces the peak global importance factor, a measure of the difference between Newtonian and non-Newtonian models, by upwards of 90%. Additionally, this results in a decrease in the relative difference for disturbed flow factors, parameters linked to the initiation and progression of CVD, from upwards of 34% down to approximately 5%. This study proves that there is a significant relationship between α and blood rheology, with higher α shifting the apparent viscosity of non-Newtonian models further toward the constant Newtonian viscosity.
Symmetric Kinetostatic Behavior From Asymmetric Spatially Curved Beams
Authors: Amoozandeh Nobaveh Ali , Radaelli Giuseppe , Herder Just L.
Published: August 2022

A cantilevered rod’s endpoint has a symmetric stiffness profile throughout its range of motion. Generally, this is not the case for spatially curved compliant beams, particularly if they are asymmetric, i.e., their fixation is not in the symmetry plane of their endpoint operating field. This paper discusses a technique for obtaining symmetric kinetostatic behavior from this type of asymmetric compliant beam over a relatively large range of motion. To accomplish this, a parametrization scheme was used to base the geometry of the beam on a limited number of control parameters. These parameters were then used as inputs for optimization in order to create beams with symmetric endpoint behavior. This process was further investigated using different sets of parameters. To validate the method’s performance, experiments on prototypes were conducted. The results demonstrated a high degree of congruence with simulations of the anticipated behavior. Comparing to the non-optimized benchmark beam, the experimental performance of the resulting shapes demonstrated up to a 68% improvement in the desired symmetric behavior.
Novel Antibacterial Activity of Febuxostat, an FDA-Approved Antigout Drug against Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection
Authors: Kim Lee-Han , Kang Soon Myung , Whang Jake , Kwon Kee Woong , Shin Sung Jae
Published: August 2022

Accumulating evidence suggests that drug repurposing has drawn attention as an anticipative strategy for controlling tuberculosis (TB), considering the dwindling drug discovery and development pipeline. In this study, we explored the antigout drug febuxostat and evaluated its antibacterial activity against
Mycobacterium
species.
Routine Use of Anaerobic Blood Culture Bottles for Specimens Collected from Adults and Children Enhances Microorganism Recovery and Improves Time to Positivity
Authors: Ransom Eric M. , Burnham Carey-Ann D.
Published: August 2022

The utility of anaerobic blood culture bottles remains controversial, especially for specimens from children. Data are limited on the inclusion of an anaerobic bottle as part of a blood culture “set” when using contemporary blood culture instruments and media.
Amantadine and Rimantadine Inhibit Hepatitis A Virus Replication through the Induction of Autophagy
Authors: Sasaki-Tanaka Reina , Shibata Toshikatsu , Moriyama Mitsuhiko , Okamoto Hiroaki , Kogure Hirofumi , Kanda Tatsuo
Published: August 2022

Amantadine, a nonspecific antiviral medication, also effectively inhibits HAV replication. Autophagy is an important cellular mechanism in several virus-host cell interactions.
Evidence for Viral mRNA Export from Ebola Virus Inclusion Bodies by the Nuclear RNA Export Factor NXF1
Authors: Wendt Lisa , Brandt Janine , Ushakov Dmitry S. , Bodmer Bianca S. , Pickin Matthew J. , Groseth Allison , Hoenen Thomas
Published: August 2022

Filoviruses such as the Ebola virus (EBOV) cause severe hemorrhagic fevers with high case fatality rates and limited treatment options. The identification of virus-host cell interactions shared among several viruses would represent promising targets for the development of broadly active antivirals.
Defining the HIV Capsid Binding Site of Nucleoporin 153
Authors: Li Shunji , Patel Jagdish Suresh , Yang Jordan , Crabtree Angela Marie , Rubenstein Brenda Marilyn , Lund-Andersen Peik Karl , Ytreberg Frederick Marty , Rowley Paul Andrew
Published: August 2022

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can infect nondividing cells by interacting with the host nuclear pore complex. The host nuclear pore protein NUP153 directly interacts with the HIV capsid to promote viral nuclear entry.
Novel Requirement for Staphylococcal Cell Wall-Anchored Protein SasD in Pulmonary Infection
Authors: Grousd Jennifer A. , Dresden Brooke P. , Riesmeyer Abigail M. , Cooper Vaughn S. , Bomberger Jennifer M. , Richardson Anthony R. , Alcorn John F.
Published: August 2022

Staphylococcus aureus
is a common commensal bacterium that can cause severe infections, such as pneumonia. In the lung, viral infections increase the risk of staphylococcal pneumonia, leading to combined infections known as superinfections.
Outer Membrane Vesicles of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae Exert Immunomodulatory Effects on Porcine Alveolar Macrophages
Authors: Zhu Zhuang , Antenucci Fabio , Winther-Larsen Hanne Cecilie , Skovgaard Kerstin , Bojesen Anders Miki
Published: August 2022

Owing to their built-in adjuvanticity and antigenicity, bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are gaining increasing attention as potential vaccines for both human and animal use. OMVs released byActinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, an important respiratory pathogen in pigs, have also been investigated for vaccine development.
Human Claudin-Derived Peptides Block the Membrane Fusion Process of Zika Virus and Are Broad Flavivirus Inhibitors
Authors: Zoladek Jim , Burlaud-Gaillard Julien , Chazal Maxime , Desgraupes Sophie , Jeannin Patricia , Gessain Antoine , Pardigon Nathalie , Hubert Mathieu , Roingeard Philippe , Jouvenet Nolwenn , Afonso Philippe V.
Published: August 2022

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a flavivirus transmitted by mosquito bites that have spread to the Pacific Islands and the Americas over the past decade. The infection remains asymptomatic in most cases but can cause severe neurological disorders.
Study protocol: assessing the association between corporate financial influence and implementation of policies to tackle commercial determinants of non-communicable diseases: a cross-sectional analysis of 172 countries
Authors: Allen Luke Nelson , Wigley Simon , Holmer Hampus
Published: August 2022

Introduction

There are many case studies of corporations that have worked to undermine health policy implementation. It is unclear whether countries that are more exposed to corporate financial influence are systematically less likely to implement robust health policies that target firms’ financial interests. We aim to assess the association between corporate financial influence and implementation of WHO-recommended policies to constrain sales, marketing and consumption of tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy foods.

Methods and analysis

We will perform a cross-sectional analysis of 172 WHO Member States using national datasets from 2015, 2017 and 2020. We will use random effects generalised least squares regression to test the association between implementation status of 12 WHO-recommended tobacco, alcohol and diet policies, and corporate financial influence, a metric that combines disclosure of campaign donations, public campaign finance, corporate campaign donations, legislature corrupt activities, disclosure by politicians and executive oversight. We will control for GDP per capita, population aged >65 years (%), urbanisation (%), level of democracy, continent, ethno-linguistic fractionalisation, legal origin, UN-defined ‘Small Island Developing States’ and Muslim population (%) (to capture alcohol policy differences). We will include year dummies to address the possibility of a spurious relationship between the outcome variable and the independent variables of interests. For example, there may be an upward global trend in policy implementation that coincides with an upward global trend in the regulation of lobbying and campaign finance.

Ethics and dissemination

As this study uses publicly available data, ethics approval is not required. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. Findings will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication in the academic literature. All data, code and syntax will be made publicly available on GitHub.
Cost-effectiveness of follow-up invasive coronary angiography after percutaneous coronary stenting: a real-world observational cohort study in Japan
Authors: Shiina Tetsuya , Goto-Hirano Keiko , Takura Tomoyuki , Daida Hiroyuki
Published: August 2022

Objectives

Follow-up invasive coronary angiography (FUICA) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been shown to increase the rate of early coronary revascularisation without reducing the incidence of subsequent myocardial infarction or death. However, no studies have evaluated the cost-effectiveness of FUICA in patients after coronary stenting. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of FUICA after PCI.

Design

Retrospective observational cohort study.

Setting

497 hospitals.

Participants and interventions

Overall, 558 patients who underwent coronary artery stenting between April 2014 and March 2015 were matched and included in the invasive angiographic follow-up (AF) group (n=279), in which patients underwent FUICA 6–12 months after PCI, or in the clinical follow-up alone group (CF; n=279) using propensity scores.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The primary endpoint was the composite outcome of death, myocardial infarction, urgent coronary revascularisation, stroke or hospitalisation for the heart failure. The secondary endpoints included all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, urgent revascularisation, coronary artery bypass grafting, stroke, hospitalisation for the heart failure and any coronary revascularisation after a minimum of 6 months of follow-up.

Results

Costs were calculated as direct medical expenses based on medical fee billing information. The cumulative 3-year incidence of the primary endpoint was 5.3% in the AF group and 4.7% in the CF group (HR 1.02; 95% CI 0.47 to 2.20; p=0.98). The total incremental cost at the 3-year endpoint in the AF group was US$1874 higher than that in the CF group (US$8947±US$5684 vs US$7073±US$6360; p≤0.001).

Conclusions

FUICA increased the costs but did not improve clinical benefits. Thus, FUICA is not economically more attractive than CF alone.

Trial registration number

UMIN000039768.
Protocol for an observational study investigating hormones triggering the onset of sustained lactation: the INSIGHT study
Authors: Rostom Hussam , Meng Xin , Price Helen , Fry Alexandria , Elajnaf Taha , Humphrey Robert , Guha Nishan , James Tim , Kennedy Stephen H , Hannan Fadil M
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Lactation is a hormonally controlled process that promotes infant growth and neurodevelopment and reduces the long-term maternal risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and breast cancer. Hormones, such as prolactin and progesterone, mediate mammary development during pregnancy and are critical for initiating copious milk secretion within 24–72 hours post partum. However, the hormone concentrations mediating lactation onset are ill defined.

Methods and analysis

The primary objective of the investigating hormones triggering the onset of sustained lactation study is to establish reference intervals for the circulating hormone concentrations initiating postpartum milk secretion. The study will also assess how maternal factors such as parity, pregnancy comorbidities and complications during labour and delivery, which are known to delay lactation, may affect hormone concentrations. This single-centre observational study will recruit up to 1068 pregnant women over a 3-year period. A baseline blood sample will be obtained at 36 weeks’ gestation. Participants will be monitored during postpartum days 1–4. Lactation onset will be reported using a validated breast fullness scale. Blood samples will be collected before and after a breastfeed on up to two occasions per day during postpartum days 1–4. Colostrum, milk and spot urine samples will be obtained on a single occasion. Serum hormone reference intervals will be calculated as mean±1.96 SD, with 90% CIs determined for the upper and lower reference limits. Differences in hormone values between healthy breastfeeding women and those at risk of delayed onset of lactation will be assessed by repeated measures two-way analysis of variance or a mixed linear model. Correlations between serum hormone concentrations and milk composition and volume will provide insights into the endocrine regulation of milk synthesis.

Ethics and dissemination

Approval for this study had been granted by the East of England—Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Research Ethics Committee (REC No. 20/EE/0172), by the Health Research Authority (HRA), and by the Oxford University Hospitals National Health Service Foundation Trust. The findings will be published in high-ranking journals and presented at national and international conferences.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN12667795.
Canadian clinical capacity for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder assessment, diagnosis, disclosure and support to children and adolescents: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Dugas Erika N. , Poirier Martine , Basque Dominique , Bouhamdani Nadia , LeBreton Laure , Leblanc Nicole
Published: August 2022

Objective

Canadian fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) guidelines encourage an age-specific interdisciplinary diagnostic approach. However, there is currently no standard-of-care regarding FASD diagnosis disclosure and few studies document Canadian FASD clinical capacity. Our objectives were to describe clinical capacity (defined as skills and resources) for FASD assessment, diagnosis, disclosure and support in Canada.

Design, setting and participants

Data were drawn from the CanDiD study, a cross-sectional investigation of Canadian FASD clinical capacity. Forty-one clinics participated in the study. Data were collected in 2021 on the number and types of health professionals included in the assessment and diagnostic teams, the presence (or absence) of a minor patient when the FASD diagnosis is disclosed to parents/guardians, who is responsible for the diagnosis disclosure, the use of explanatory tools, and the types of support/counselling services available. The proportion of clinics that follow the Canadian interdisciplinary diagnostic guidelines by age group is described among participating clinics.

Results

Overall, 21, 13 and 7 specialised FASD clinics were in Western/Northern, Central and Atlantic Canada, respectively. The number of referrals per year surpassed the number of diagnostic assessments completed in all regions. Approximately, 60% of clinics who diagnosed FASD in infants and preschool children (n=4/7 and 15/25, respectively) followed the interdisciplinary guidelines compared with 80% (n=32/40) in clinics who diagnosed school-aged children/adolescents. Diagnostic reporting practices were heterogeneous, but most used an explanatory tool with children/adolescents (67%), offered support/counselling (90–95%) and used case-by-case approach (80%) when deciding who would disclose the diagnosis to the child/adolescent and when.

Conclusions

Limited diagnostic capacity and lack of FASD resources across Canada highlights a critical need for continued FASD support. This study identifies gaps in assessment, diagnosis and reporting practices for FASD in children/adolescents across Canada.
Patient’s subjective knee function 3-5 years following partial meniscectomy or meniscus repair compared to a normal population: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Alerskans Sofie , Kostogiannis Ioannis , Neuman Paul
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Evaluate patient-reported knee function after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM) and meniscus suture repair in two different age cohorts compared with a normal population.

Method

Arthroscopic meniscus surgery was performed on 421 patients at Skåne University Hospital from 2010 to 2014, with a mean (SD) follow-up of 4.2 (1.4) years. Patients and controls were divided into two age cohorts; 18–34 years (younger) and 35–54 years (middle-aged) as well as according to surgery performed; either solely meniscus surgery or with concurrent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). The outcome is measured with the five subscales of the Knee and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS).

Results

No significant difference in outcome after all studied types of meniscus surgeries between younger-aged and middle-aged patients.

Younger patients with APM or meniscus suture repair, with or without, ACLR score lower than the normal population in all subscales of KOOS (p<0.001), except in Activities of Daily Living (ADL) for meniscus suture patients.

Middle-aged patients with APM score lower in all subscales than the normal population (p≤0.009). Those with meniscus suture repair score lower than the normal population only for the subscales Sport/Rec and quality of life (p<0.001).

Both younger-aged and middle-aged patients achieve better KOOS values after meniscus suture repair and ACLR than after all other combinations of surgery.

Conclusion

Patients with meniscus injuries do not reach the same KOOS score as the normal population, irrespective of age or type of meniscus surgery performed. However, combined with ACLR in younger-aged and middle-aged patients, meniscus suture gives a better subjective outcome than isolated meniscus surgery.
Major infections in newly diagnosed systemic lupus erythematosus: an inception cohort study
Authors: Wang Haiting , Zhou Yuhong , Yu Liqin , Wu Wanlong , Zhao Liling , Geng Shikai , Sun Fangfang , Zhang Danting , Shen Nan , Chen Yi , Ye Shuang
Published: August 2022

Objective

To evaluate the risk of major infections and the relationship between major infections and mortality in patients with newly diagnosed SLE.

Methods

A newly diagnosed (<3 months) hospitalised Systemic Lupus Inception Cohort (hSLIC) in our centre during 1 January 2013 and 1 November 2020 was established. All patients were followed up for at least 1 year or until death. Patient baseline characteristics were collected. Major infection events were recorded during follow-up, which were defined as microbiological/clinical-based diagnosis treated with intravenous antimicrobials. The cohort was further divided into a training set and a testing set. Independent predictors of major infections were identified using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were conducted.

Results

Among the 494 patients enrolled in the hSLIC cohort, there were 69 documented episodes of major infections during the first year of follow-up in 67 (14%) patients. The major infection events predominantly occurred within the first 4 months since enrolment (94%, 65/69) and were associated with all-cause mortality. After adjustments for glucocorticoid and immunosuppressant exposure, a prediction model based on SLE Disease Activity Index >10, peripheral lymphocyte count <0.8×109/L and serum creatinine >104 µmol/L was established to identify patients at low risk (3%–5%) or high risk (37%–39%) of major infections within the first 4 months.

Conclusions

Newly onset active SLE is susceptible to major infections, which is probably due to underlying profound immune disturbance. Identifying high-risk patients using an appropriate prediction tool might lead to better tailored management and better outcome.
Providing periodic exercise to stall-housed gestating sows influences only the total number of live-born piglets in older parity sows
Authors: Tokareva Mariia , Brown Jennifer A. , MacPhee Daniel J. , Seddon Yolande M.
Published: August 2022

The 2014 Canadian Pig Code of Practice includes a recommendation to provide stall-housed gestating pigs with periodic exercise. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of periodic exercise on sow performance and placental and piglet characteristics. Sows ( n = 180) were assigned to one of three gestation treatments: stall-housed sows (Control: C), stall-housed sows given weekly exercise (Exercise: E—10 min of walking per week), and group-housed sows (Group: G). Sows were distributed among three parity groups: young (parity 0–1), mid (parity 2–4), and old (parity 5–7). Old C sows had a higher number of total born than G sows, and E sows were intermediate; mid G sows had a higher total born than E and C sows ( P = 0.023). Old E and G sows had similar numbers of total live-born piglets, which were higher than in old C sows ( P = 0.033). Periodic exercise did not influence placental and piglet characteristics in the current study. In conclusion, periodic exercise benefited only the reproductive performance of older parity sows, increasing the number of live-born piglets in E and G sows compared to C sows.
Trans-Avalonian green–black boundary (early Middle Cambrian): transform fault-driven epeirogeny and onset of 26 m.y. of shallow-marine, black mudstone in Avalonia (Rhode Island–Belgium) and Baltica
Authors: Landing Ed , Westrop Stephen R. , Geyer Gerd
Published: August 2022

The Avalonia microcontinent has diagnostic terminal Ediacaran–Ordovician lithostratigraphy, depositional sequence architecture, and igneous activity that extends for 2000+ km reflecting epeirogeny related to the Avalonian transform fault. Avalonia records an abrupt early Middle Cambrian (late Wuliuan) change from green, purple, or light grey to overlying black, dark grey, and brown facies in platform and off-platform areas (Meguma, North Wales). This change within one trilobite zone marks onset of ca. 26 m.y. of shallow-marine anoxia/strong dysoxia lasting into the Ordovician with Hatch Hill oxygenated mid-water zone (OMZ) onlap onto the shelf. A Bakken model (new, based on the middle Paleozoic Bakken Formation) is applied to shallow-shelf–shoreline organic-rich mud deposition. Erosion of greenish Avalonian depositional sequence (Ads) 7 was followed by Ads 8 tilting, volcanism, debris flows, and bentonite deposition on a cryptic unconformity in SE Newfoundland. The early Middle Cambrian age of the Ads 7–8 boundary is obscured by referring the lower Manuels River Formation and Cristallinium cambriense Zone to the younger Drumian Stage. Ads 8 has thin ashes in coterminous British and North American Avalonia where erosion and subaerial exposure with caliche development preceded onlap of upper Middle or Upper Cambrian Ads 9 black muds and sands. The green–black change emphasizes Avalonian unity; it precludes multiple Avalonian “micro-terranes” or assigning parts of Avalonia to West Gondwana or “Ganderia” (the Little River, Brookville, and Bras d'Or “terranes” are part of the Avalonian marginal platform). Coeval green–black transitions and similar later Cambrian faunas show comparable paleoenvironments in Avalonia and Baltica.
Testing the weak cosmic censorship conjecture for extremal magnetized Kerr–Newman black holes
Authors: Gao Yunjiao , Gao Sijie
Published: August 2022

We test the weak cosmic censorship conjecture for magnetized Kerr–Newman spacetime via the method of injecting a test particle. Hence, we need to know how the black hole’s parameters change when a test particle enters the horizon. This was an unresolved issue for non-asymptotically flat spacetimes since there are ambiguities on the energies of black holes and particles. We find a novel approach to solve the problem. We start with the “physical process version” of the first law, which relates the particle’s parameters with the change in the area of the black hole. By comparing this first law with the usual first law of black hole thermodynamics, we redefine the particle’s energy such that the energy can match the mass parameter of the black hole. Then, we show that the horizon of the extremal magnetized Kerr–Newman black hole could be destroyed after a charged test particle falls in, which leads to a possible violation of the weak cosmic censorship conjecture. We also find that the allowed parameter range for this process is very small, which indicates that after the self-force and radiation effects are taken into account, the weak cosmic censorship conjecture could still be valid. In contrast to the case where the magnetic field is absent, the particle cannot be released at infinity to destroy the horizon. And in the case of a weak magnetic field, the releasing point becomes closer to the horizon as the magnetic field increases. This indicates that the magnetic field makes the violation of the cosmic censorship more difficult. Finally, by applying our new method to Kerr–Newman–dS (AdS) black holes, which are well-known non-asymptotically flat spacetimes, we obtain the expression of the particle’s energy which matches the black hole’s mass parameter.
QED and accretion flow models effect on optical appearance of Euler–Heisenberg black holes
Authors: Zeng Xiao-Xiong , He Ke-Jian , Li Guo-Ping , Liang En-Wei , Guo Sen
Published: August 2022

Taking the quantum electrodynamics (QED) effect into account, we investigate the geometrical-optics appearance of the Euler–Heisenberg (EH) black hole (BH) under the different accretion flows context, which depends on the BH space-time structure and different sources of light. The more significant magnetic charge leads to the smaller shadow radius for the EH BH, while the different values of the EH parameter do not ruin it. Different features of the corresponding two-dimensional shadow images are derived for the three optically thin accretion flow models. It is shown that the total observed intensity in the static spherical accretion flow scenario leads than that of the infalling spherical accretion flow under same parameters, but the size and position of the EH BH shadows do not change in both of these accretions flows, implying that the BH shadow size depends on the geometric space-time and the shadows luminosities rely on the accretion flow morphology. Of particular interest is that a thin disk accretion model illuminated the BH, we found that the contribution of the lensing ring to the total observed flux is less than $$5\%$$

5
%

, and the photon ring is less than $$2\%$$

2
%

, indicating that the direct emission dominates the optical appearance of the EH BH. It is also believed that the optical appearance of the BH image depends on the accretion disk radiation position in this scenario, which can serve as a probe for the disk structure around the active galactic nucleus (AGN) of M87$$^{*}$$

∗

like.
Hybrid Enhanced Binary Honey Badger Algorithm with Quadratic Programming for Cardinality Constrained Portfolio Optimization
Authors: Ni Baixiu , Wang Ying , Huang Jingfu , Li Guocheng
Published: August 2022

A portfolio selection problem with cardinality constraints has been proved to be an NP-hard problem, and it is difficult to solve by the traditional optimization methods. This study considers it to be a hybrid of a classical feature selection problem and a standard mean-variance (MV) portfolio selection model. In particular, we propose a new hybrid meta-heuristic algorithm that combines an enhanced binary honey badger algorithm (EBHBA) with quadratic programming to address this issue. First, we employ the proposed EBHBA algorithm to select a portfolio of [Formula: see text] stocks from [Formula: see text] candidate stocks. Second, based on its choice we transform the problem into a mean-variance model, whose objective function could be defined as the fitness function of EBHBA. Finally, the optimal solution to the model could be found with the quadratic programming method. We also test our approach using the benchmark data sets available at the OR-Library involving real capital markets, where indices are derived from major stock markets around the world. Computational results demonstrate that the proposed method can achieve a satisfactory result for portfolio selection with cardinality constraints and perform well in searching non-dominated portfolios with high expected returns.
Do Philanthropic Auditors Provide Higher-Quality Audit Services? Evidence From China
Authors: Li Dan , Yang Zhifeng , Zhang Keyuan , Zhang Min
Published: August 2022

Synopsis

The research problem

This study investigates whether auditors who participate in philanthropic activities (hereafter “philanthropic auditors”) have stronger incentives to deliver high-quality audits than the auditors who do not participate.

Motivation

Prior studies call for research that examines the difference in audit quality across individual auditors. In recent years, regulators in developed markets, such as the United States and the European Union, have also promulgated new regulations requiring audit firms or public companies to disclose the names of engagement partners. Another growing body of literature examines the effect of economic agents’ personal traits on their decisions and/or firm policies and practices. By examining the impact of individual auditors’ unobservable personal traits on audit quality, measured through their philanthropic actions, we link and contribute to both streams of the above literature.

The test hypotheses

We test a null hypothesis in this study: individual auditors’ philanthropic activity is not related to their audit quality.

Target population

Stakeholders of high-quality auditing including accounting regulators, audit firm partners, and company managers.

Adopted methodology

Ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions and archival data.

Analyses

In a sample of more than 19,000 Chinese firm-years from 2008 to 2017, we identified 9.40% of the observations were signed by at least one auditor who contributes either money or time to a charitable activity. We used two measures of audit quality: the propensity to issue modified audit opinions (MAOs) and unsigned abnormal discretionary accruals.

Findings

First, we find that philanthropic auditors are significantly more likely to issue MAOs than are their non-philanthropic counterparts. Second, they are more likely to issue MAOs to distressed companies but not to financially healthy companies. The higher propensity of philanthropic auditors to issue MAOs indicates higher audit quality rather than a higher level of audit conservatism. Third, financial statements audited by philanthropic auditors contain significantly lower discretionary accruals (DACC). Fourth, to mitigate the concern that endogeneity drives our findings, we implement the propensity score matching (PSM) approach and the client fixed effects model. Our finding that philanthropic auditors provide higher-quality audit services than other auditors holds. Fifth, the main results are robust to the inclusion of other individual auditor characteristics, such as gender, educational background, and political affiliation, and to several proxies for individual auditors’ wealth.
Speech is human and multifaceted
Authors: Sethumadhavan Arathi , Garvin Joe , Noah Ben
Published: August 2022

The
Interactions
website (interactions.acm.org) hosts a stable of bloggers who share insights and observations on HCI, often challenging current practices. Each issue we'll publish selected posts from some of the leading and emerging voices in the field.
Virtualizing Existing Fluidic Programs
Authors: Winston Caleb , Willsey Max , Ceze Luis
Published: August 2022

Fluidic automation, the practice of programmatically manipulating small fluids to execute laboratory protocols, has led to vastly increased productivity for biologists and chemists. Most fluidic programs, commonly referred to as protocols, are written using APIs that couple the protocol to specific hardware by referring to the physical locations on the device. This coupling makes isolation impossible, preventing portability, concurrent execution, and composition of protocols on the same device.

We propose a system for virtualizing existing fluidic protocols on top of a single runtime system without modification. Our system presents an isolated view of the device to each running protocol, allowing it to assume it has sole access to hardware. We provide a proof-of-concept implementation that can concurrently execute and compose protocols written using the popular Opentrons Python API. Concurrent execution achieves near-linear speedup over serial execution, since protocols spend much of their time waiting.
Energy Dissipation and Damage Evolution Characteristics of Shale under Triaxial Cyclic Loading and Unloading
Authors: Li Ziyun , Xie Song , Song Qianghui , Wang Peiyong , Liu Dongyan , Zhao Baoyun , Huang Wei
Published: August 2022

Rock engineering is highly susceptible to cyclic loads resulting from shale gas exploitation; it is very important to study the failure mechanism of underground rock mass under cyclic load. To investigate the energy dissipation and damage evolution characteristics of shale under triaxial cyclic loading and unloading conditions, a series of triaxial incrementally cyclic loading and unloading tests under different confining pressures (10 MPa, 15 MPa, 20 MPa, and 30 MPa) were carried out. The variation of plastic strain of shale under four confining pressures was analyzed, and the evolution characteristics of dissipated energy and energy dissipation ratio were discussed. The results show that: the peak strength and peak strain of shale increase with the increase in confining pressures. Meanwhile, the plastic strain of rock under cyclic loading increases rapidly first, then develops steadily, and finally increases sharply with the increase in axial strain. The energy dissipation ratio-strain curve presents a spoon-shaped evolution feature, and can be divided into three stages: a linear decline stage, a steady development stage, and a rapid increase stage, respectively. However, the trend of elastic modulus of shale was opposite to that of the energy dissipation ratio. Accordingly, the energy dissipation ratio can be regarded as the damage factor to describe the degradation of shale. Based on the evolution of dissipated energy, a theoretical equation of shale stress-strain evolution was established. By substituting the test data into the formula, it is found that the calculated results are basically consistent with the test data, and the peak strains and peak stress calculated by the equation are in good agreement with the test data. The findings could provide important theoretical support for the energy dissipation and damage evolution analysis in the failure process of shale under cyclic stress conditions.
Urban Landscaping Landscape Design and Maintenance Management Method Based on Multisource Big Data Fusion
Authors: Zhu Lijuan
Published: August 2022

In the process of continuous urbanization construction, the construction scale of urban landscaping projects is getting larger. At the same time, the design and the maintenance of the management is becoming more important. Recently, the rocketing development of the ternary world of many people, machines, and things has triggered the generation of multisource fusion data and the development of artificial intelligence technology, and the world has entered the era of multisource big data intelligence. Multisource data refer to the fusion of multiple types of data with effective characteristic information, which has richer, more comprehensive, more detailed, and more effective information than a single data source, and can provide high-quality data sources for various complex problems. Therefore, more effective data can be provided for the definition of urban fringe areas. From the moment Google’s AlphaGo defeated Go world champion Li Shishi, the chess game has been occupied by AI, setting off an upsurge in the study, research, and application of AI technology. Colleges and universities around the world have followed suit and set up AI-related majors. Deep learning is one of the cutting-edge technologies in the field of artificial intelligence. It is a method to solve complex real-life problems by extracting effective information from the data and mining key features on the basis of a large amount of learning and computing data.
Identification of Signal Pathways and Hub Genes of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension by Bioinformatic Analysis
Authors: Wei Rui-Qi , Zhang Wen-Mei , Liang Zhe , Piao Chunmei , Zhu Guangfa
Published: August 2022

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive and complex pulmonary vascular disease with poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to provide a new understanding of the pathogenesis of disease and potential treatment targets for patients with PAH based on multiple-microarray analysis.Two microarray datasets (GSE53408 and GSE113439) downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were analysed. All the raw data were processed by R, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened out by the “limma” package. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed and visualized by R and Cytoscape software. Protein-protein interactions (PPI) of DEGs were analysed based on the NetworkAnalyst online tool. A total of 442 upregulated DEGs and 84 downregulated DEGs were identified. GO enrichment analysis showed that these DEGs were mainly enriched in mitotic nuclear division, organelle fission, chromosome segregation, nuclear division, and sister chromatid segregation. Significant KEGG pathway enrichment included ribosome biogenesis in eukaryotes, RNA transport, proteoglycans in cancer, dilated cardiomyopathy, rheumatoid arthritis, vascular smooth muscle contraction, focal adhesion, regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The PPI network identified 10 hub genes including HSP90AA1, CDC5L, MDM2, LRRK2, CFTR, IQGAP1, CAND1, TOP2A, DDX21, and HIF1A. We elucidated potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for PAH by bioinformatic analysis, which provides a theoretical basis for future study.
Advertising Click-Through Rate Prediction Model Based on an Attention Mechanism and a Neural Network
Authors: Lei Lei , Jia Ziqi , Dong Yangxue
Published: August 2022

With the rapid development of the Internet and the rapid expansion of the advertising market, display advertising has become the most popular means of publicity. Accurate advertising recommendation is the guarantee of Internet platform revenue, and accurate advertising click-through rate prediction is the premise of accurate recommendation. According to the requirements of the update rate and real-time of the advertising platform, the coupling relationship of the advertising business module can be divided into two categories: offline business module and online business module. The offline advertising management module is mainly based on the construction of the mathematical model, which is used to mine the complex relationship between users and commodity characteristics; the online advertising management module is mainly based on the real-time feedback of users and changes the recommendation strategy in real time by collecting feedback information. For the offline advertising management module, an advertising click-through rate prediction model based on attention mechanism and neural network is proposed, which is called CAN. This method provides richer feature interaction information for a neural network layer. For the online advertising management module, a real-time recommendation algorithm based on Gaussian process is proposed. This method can solve the universality of specific function assumptions in various environments. Through the coupling of the advertising click-through rate prediction model constructed by the offline advertising management module and the real-time recommendation algorithm of the online advertising management module, the accurate delivery of advertising can be realized.