bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Rattan Fibre Addition to The Compressive Strength of Normal Concrete
Authors: Yusra A , Salena I Y , Sari D P , Asrianur A
Published: August 2021

Concrete is high in compressive strength but low in tensile strength and very brittle material. In this study, rattan fibre used as an added material to help eliminate the brittle properties of normal concrete. Variations of fibre used consisted of 0%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% by weight of cement with mixed planning using the American Concrete Institute method. The compressive strength and stress-strain tests were carried out when the concrete was 28 days old, with a design compressive strength of 25 MPa as many as 15 pieces. The value resulting from testing on normal concrete without the addition of fibres is 24.94 MPa, 0.5% variation of rattan fibres is 23.23 MPa, 1% variation of rattan fibre is 25.3 MPa, 1.5% variation of rattan fibre is 25.85 MPa, 2% variation of rattan fibre is 23.59 MPa. Normal concrete compressive strength test showed an increase in strength at 1.5% rattan fibre and decreased at an additional 2%. The result of stress-strain test in normal concrete without rattan fibre is 0.00125, 0.5% of 0.00254, 1% of 0.00067, 1.5% of 0.00053, 2% of 0.00333. The stress-strain test shows that the addition of rattan fibre can help eliminate the brittle properties that are lacking in normal concrete in general.
Assessment of Ground Movement at Cigombong Bridge by Using Finite Element Analysis: A Case Study in West Java, Indonesia
Authors: Arafianto A , Rahardjo P P
Published: August 2021

Ground movement phenomena were detected at abutment A2 of Cigombong Bridge, causing the abutment to hit a girder. A thorough investigation has been performed by inspecting the structure condition and nearby landslide occurrences directly on site. Additional borings with Standard Penetration Test (SPT) were also conducted to evaluate the actual soil condition in the abutment area. Moreover, monitoring of subsurface movement was performed regularly with inclinometers. Such additional borings and inclinometers were located at the road elevation beside the wing wall and the existing ground surface near the abutment footing. During the installation of inclinometer pipes, soil identification and SPT were conducted. Consequently, the soil condition and SPT N-value profiles can be obtained. It was established that the original soil condition is very soft clay with an SPT N-value of 1 to 4 blows/30 cm. Furthermore, the inclinometer monitoring results showed that lateral displacements were identified in both inclinometers. Based on these findings, a 3D finite element analysis was then performed to investigate the effects of ground movement on the abutment and the foundations. The results showed a possibility of pile crack and overstressed pile due to the ground movement induced by compression of soft soil.
Study of Utilizations Abaca Fibre with Kalimantan Local Material on The Concrete Compressive and Flexural Strength
Authors: Pranoto Y , Suryono J , Rahman L H
Published: August 2021

East Kalimantan is an area which rich in natural resources, as a Mahakam sand and local stones. They also have abaca fibre waste to increase the flexural strength of concrete. This material is still underutilized by the people of East Kalimantan. But, they prefer to use materials imported from Palu, Sulawesi, so the unit price of concrete is very expensive. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of local Kalimantan material and abaca fibre on the strength of concrete. This research begins with a literature review, then material procurement, and material testing. After that, make a concrete mix design. Make of specimens with a variation of abaca fibre 0%, 0.4%, 0.5% and 0.6%. Then the compression test at the age of 7, 14, 21, and 28 days. The flexural strength testing at the ages of 28 days. From the test results can make analysis and conclusions. From the research results, it indicated that the maximum compressive strength in the addition of abaca fibre 0.0% with the compressive strength 27.31 MPa, and the maximum of flexural strength in the additional of abaca fibre 0.6 % wth flexural strength 3.56 MPa.
Analysis of travel behaviors during floods in Ubon Ratchathani city, Thailand
Authors: Tsumita N , Jaensirisak S , Kikuchi H , Fukuda A
Published: August 2021

Cities in Southeast Asia frequently face urban floods, and transportation is often disrupted due to road closures. To reduce road transport vulnerability, the road network should be properly adapted for the flooding condition. To generate suitable adaptation measures for road transportation, travel behaviors under flooding condition, and their differences under normal conditions should be clarified. We aimed to understand the changes in travel behaviors caused by urban floods to compare with normal and flooding conditions in Ubon Ratchathani City, Thailand. A questionnaire survey was applied to understand the travel behaviors under both conditions, and its comparison revealed that under flooding, people prefer early departure time, and reduce the trip frequency depending on trip purpose. Moreover, we compared the route choice behaviors under both conditions using geographic information system (GIS) from collected data. Comparison with travel behaviors under both conditions, we clarified the change in travel behaviors under flooding and that differed from the affected extent depending on trip purpose.
Finding an Optimum Grid Size for Numerical Simulations of Dam-break Flow Using Open-Access Digital Elevation Models
Authors: Ginting B M , Yudianto D , Willy  , Ginting A H
Published: August 2021

This work presents numerical simulations for dam-break flow with open-access digital elevation models (DEMs). The objective is to find an optimum grid size for the simulations in terms of accuracy and computational cost. A hypothetical breaching case of Batutegi dam in Indonesia was selected as a case study. Three DEM types with different spatial resolutions, i.e. MERIT-Hydro (∼90 m), ALOS (∼30 m), and DEMNAS (∼8.1 m), were employed. For each DEM, the numerical simulations were performed using four grid sizes, from the lowest to the finest resolution, i.e. 200 m, 90 m, 50 m, and 20 m. All simulations were carried out on a desktop consisting of 10 cores/20 threads with an in-house code NUFSAW2D, enabling parallelization, where double precision arithmetic was used. It was observed that using the computational grid size finer than 50 m produces no longer significant differences of the maximum inundation boundary, maximum depth, maximum velocity, and average depth. This study would be useful for engineers and decision makers, when performing dam-break simulations using DEMs in a framework of an early-warning system.
The Reliability of X-Band Multiparameter Radar Rainfall Estimates
Authors: Fajriani Q R , Jayadi R , Legono D , Sujono J
Published: August 2021

Rainfall monitoring is an important activity for the development of a water-related disaster mitigation system. The rain gauge measurement is still regarded as the “ground truth”. To obtain the rainfall that represents an area, a high density of rain gauges network is needed. Besides, the installation of a large numbers of rain gauges is considered inefficient. The utilization of advanced technology is deemed necessary to complement the rainfall monitoring system, one of which is by using radar. Altough the radar rainfall estimates have a better spatial resolution, but the reliability needs to be evaluated. This study was carried out to evaluate the reliability of rainfall data from an X-Band Multiparameter radar by classifying the intensity of heavy rain and moderate rain. Then radar rainfall data was corrected using the Adjustment Factor (AF) method. The results show that the radar rainfall has better accuracy in predicting the moderate rain rather than the heavy rain. Furthermore, the X-Band MP radar has better accuracy when predicting rain in an area that has the elevation below the radar than the higher elevation area. Correction of the radar rainfall data using the AF factor produces a rainfall estimates which is closer to the ARR rain.
Water Quality Modelling of the Cibarani Irrigation Channel, Bandung City
Authors: Fitriana Finna , Yudianto Doddi , Trisnojoyo Randy R
Published: August 2021

Cikapundung River is the primary source of Bandung City’s water supply and has been utilized for various purposes. However, the intensive urban growth has increased the number of people living at the riverbanks, increasing the water pollution. One of the examples is the Cibarani irrigation channel, which function was transformed into domestic sewage. The channel receives excess rainfall and household wastewater from the surrounding residential areas comprised of human waste and detergents. Despite the fact that the water is heavily polluted, the local community still resort to this water for fish farming and washing. Consequently, a study is urgently needed to reduce the impact of the disposed pollutants in the channel and control its water quality to meet the raw water standard. This study focuses on the identification of the water quality profile along the Cibarani irrigation channel. Various scenarios are modeled to estimate the volume and concentration of the domestic waste disposed to the channel. The result shows that the water quality of the Cibarani irrigation channel has not met the Class II Raw Water Standard. It is required to increase the discharge of the irrigation channel and control the effluent concentration to reduce the impact of the pollutants.
Efficiency of Smart Sluice Gate in Agricultural Water Distribution on Paddy (Oryza sativa L.)
Authors: Syazili As’ad , Kurniawan Adhy , Widada Jaka , Setyawan Galih , Pratama Tirza SS
Published: August 2021

The development of irrigation sluice gate is to optimize the use of water in agriculture, the development is carried out on a laboratory scale in the hydraulics and environment laboratory, then the implementation was located at PIAT UGM in block A covering an area of 6.93 ha, Kali Tirto Village. The objective of this research is investigate the efficiency of smart sluices with manual sluices using the Bernoulli equation. Based on the analysis, the efficiency in manual sluice openings with 10 variations obtained an average of 49%, while the smart sluice openings with a 5 cm open scenario, variations in gate openings can be carried out continuously, the average result of the smart sluice efficiency analysis is 72%, so the smart sluice has a greater efficiency value than the manual sluice gate.
Ultra Short Term Wind Power Prediction Model Based on WRF Wind Speed Prediction and CatBoost
Authors: Liu Xingdou , Zhang Li , Zhang Zhirui , Zhao Tong , Zou Liang
Published: August 2021

Due to the urgent requirements of clean energy development, the installed capacity of wind turbine is gradually increasing. In order to achieve effective wind turbine grid control, accurate wind power prediction is very important. In this paper, based on the US Atmospheric Research Center (NCAR) Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model, the predicted wind field is obtained. Then, a super short-term fast wind power prediction model is proposed, which is composed of Spearman correlation coefficient method for feature extraction and catboost algorithm. With historical power, historical wind speed and predicted wind speed as inputs, the predicted power in the next 4 hours (15 minutes interval) is output. In order to evaluate the prediction ability of the proposed model, four algorithms, LSTM, CatBoost, XGBoost and LightBGM, are adopted. Taking root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE) and training time as evaluation indexes, the results show that CatBoost has the best comprehensive performance.
Risk Assessment of Electricity Price Considering Guaranteed Accommodation of Renewable Energy in Electricity Market
Authors: Li Siying , Sang Maosheng , He Jie , Jin Luosong , Zhao Wen , Huang Hengzi , Ding Yi
Published: August 2021

Renewable energy generation (REG) based on wind power and photovoltaic has become the main energy supply for the low-carbon energy transformation in China. It is an important task to guarantee the accommodation of renewable energy through the market-based mechanism. However, due to the uncertainty of REG output, the integration of a high proportion of renewable energy into power grids may bring risks to the electricity price. On the basis, this paper incorporates the guaranteed consumption of wind power and photovoltaic renewable energy into the electricity market clearing model and proposes a price risk assessment method. Firstly, the scenario generation algorithm is established to describe the uncertainty of REG output, and a representative set of limited scenarios is generated. Secondly, the clearing model of electricity market with renewable energy participation and the calculation method of nodal price are established. Then, the price risk indexes are proposed to assess the price risk caused by renewable energy uncertainty. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by the modified IEEE30 bus system. The findings could guide the participation of REG in the electricity market.
Event-Driven Fast Frequency Response for Energy Storage System Considering State of Charge
Authors: Cao Yongji , Zhang Hengxu , Yang Dong , Gao Zhimin , Qin Hao , Yang Jinye
Published: August 2021

The increasing penetration of renewable energy sources reduces the equivalent inertia and spinning reserve. Power systems are becoming more and more vulnerable when subjected to active power deficits. With the trait of quick response and flexible ramp, the energy storage system (ESS) offers a promising capability to counter frequency decline after large disturbances. This paper proposes an event-driven fast frequency response (EFFR) approach for the ESS to sustain frequency stability. A centralized EFFR control framework is established, in which the wide area information is collected, and the disturbance power is broadcasted to ESSs under contingencies. Moreover, a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) is employed to determine the power set-point of the ESS based on the disturbance power and state of charge (SOC). A case study is presented to validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Flexibility Optimal Dispatching for Power System Considering Demand Response
Authors: Yang Jinye , Cao Yongji , Zhang Hengxu , Liu Xiaoming , Yuan Zhenhua
Published: August 2021

With the increasing penetration of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power, higher requirements of flexible supply ability for power systems are put forward. In this context, an optimal dispatching method considering two types of demand response is proposed to improve power system flexibility. On the demand side, both the time-of-use (TOU) price and interruptible load are used to guide consumers to actively optimize the load curve, so as to relieve the pressure of the flexible supply of conventional units on the supply side. The demand response model consisting of TOU price and interruptible load is built. Then, taking the minimum cost as the objective function, the optimization model for power system dispatching is solved. Finally, the modified IEEE 30 bus system is taken as a case study. The results show that the consideration of two-type demand response in the optimal dispatching can improve the flexibility while ensuring economy, which verifies the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Resilience-oriented Comprehensive Planning Strategy of Distributed Generator in Power Distribution System
Authors: Li Z.P. , Huang K.C. , Qian T. , Huang W.W. , Tang W.H.
Published: August 2021

Power distribution system resilience is not considered in traditional planning of distributed generator (DG), which leads to severe power outages and economic losses during extreme weather event. To address this issue, this paper proposes a resilience-oriented comprehensive planning strategy of DG in power distribution system. The problem is formulated as a two-stage stochastic mixed-integer second-order cone programming (SMISOCP). The objective of the first stage is to determine the number, location and capacity of DG and obtain the economic cost of power distribution system. The second stage minimizes the resilience cost under uncertain failure scenarios. First, sufficient failure scenarios are generated by the Monte Carlo method. Then the failure scenarios are reduced to the most representative scenarios by using the K-means clustering algorithm to reduce computational burden. Finally, the two-stage SMISOCP is solved based on the reduced failure scenarios. The simulation results of the IEEE 33-bus test systems illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed two-stage strategy.
Frequency Control Strategy of DFIGs based on Improved Virtual Inertia Method
Authors: Gao Zhimin , Cao Yongji , Zhang Hengxu , Qin Hao , Yang Dong , Ma Huan
Published: August 2021

The DFIGs can participate in frequency control by virtual inertia method. After exiting the frequency control, secondary frequency drop will occur inevitably. The current study of the problem mostly focused on the rotor speed recovery strategy and PD control parameter optimization problems, which cannot eliminate the phenomenon of secondary frequency drop in essence. This paper proposes a frequency control strategy based on the improved virtual inertia control method. When the DFIG exits the frequency modulation process, the supplementary control component based on the turbine speed is added to avoid the sudden drop of output power, so as to suppress the secondary frequency drop. Finally, a simulation model is built in Matlab/Simulink, and the feasibility of the proposed strategy is verified in two case studies of power system frequency reduction and load fluctuation.
Zernike mode analysis of an adaptive optics system for horizontal free-space laser communication
Authors: Wang Yukun , Jin Chengbin , Wang Rui , Yin Xianghui , Cao Zhaoliang , Li Dayu , Mu Quanquan , Xuan Li
Published: August 2021

Free-space laser communication (FSLC) has attracted wide attention and developed rapidly due to its high bandwidth and strong capability to resist interception and interference. However, communication performance is severely affected by atmospheric turbulence. In this paper we consider the end face of the coupling fiber and adopted power-in-the-bucket (PIB) as the evaluation criterion instead of the traditionally used coupling efficiency. The relationship between FSLC performance (PIB) and adaptive optics parameters (corrected Zernike modes number) is derived for the first time. We simulated and conducted an 8.9 km horizontal FSLC experiment to analyze the effects of corrected modes on communication performance. The simulation and experiment results consistently show that, for turbulence of r0 = 7.51 cm, it is sufficient to correct the first 30 modes. The bit error rate (BER) and the PIB reached values of about 10−7 and 70%, respectively. For r0 = 4.43 cm correction of the first 22 modes, yielded BER and PIB values of around 10−5 and 55%, respectively. For r0 = 1.7 cm, no matter how many Zernike modes are corrected, the BER and PIB values are about 10−3 and 20% respectively. This experiment and its results provide an important reference for corrected modes on communication performance under different turbulence strengths.
Analytical study of classic models of hybrid inflation
Authors: Malsawmtluangi N
Published: August 2021

We study the classic hybrid inflation model in its original and modified forms and show the shape of the inflationary potentials and analyze the amount of primordial gravitational waves each model predicts. We compare the resulting EE-mode and BB-mode power spectrum with the data from the joint BICEP2/Keck and Planck collaboration to check the viability of each model.
A lower bound for areas of the rotational hypersurfaces with 𝐻ₘ=0 in the spheres
Authors: Wei Guoxin , Wen Guohua
Published: August 2021

In this paper, we study the areas of compact rotational hypersurfaces with

H
m

=
0

H_m=0

in the spheres, prove that the set for areas of these hypersurfaces is a discrete set and obtain a lower bound for this set, where

H
m

H_m

is the

m
m

-th mean curvature of the hypersurface.
Cross-species higher sensitivities of FcγRIIIA/FcγRIV to afucosylated IgG for enhanced ADCC
Authors: Mao Changchuin , Near Richard , Zhong Xuemei , Gao Wenda
Published: August 2021

Background

Expressing afucosylated human IgG1 antibodies with Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells deficient of α-(1,6)-fucosyltransferase (FUT8) is being more and more accepted as a routine method to enhance antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) of therapeutic antibodies, especially for anti-cancer regimens. However, in pre-clinical studies relying on disease models other than mice and primates, e.g., those underrepresented species for infectious diseases, it is less clear whether such afucosylated antibodies can demonstrate enhanced therapeutic index. This is because the orthologues of human FcγRIIIA or mouse FcγRIV from those species have not been well characterized.

Methods

We set up a luciferase-based ADCC assay with Jurkat reporter cells expressing FcγRIIIA/FcγRIV from human, mouse, rat, hamster, guinea pig, ferret, rabbit, cat, dog, pig and monkey, and also produced human, mouse, hamster, rabbit and pig IgG from wild type and Fut8−/− CHO cells or hybridomas.

Results

We confirmed that enhanced stimulation through FcγRIIIA/FcγRIV by afucosylated IgG, as compared with wild type IgG, is a cross-species phenomenon.

Conclusions

Thus, efficacy and toxicology studies of the next generation afucosylated therapeutic IgG and Fc fusion proteins in these underrepresented animal models should be expected to generate translatable data for treating human diseases, leading to the expanded applications of this new class of glycoengineered biologics.
Teleclinical Microbiology: An Innovative Approach to Providing Web-Enabled Diagnostic Laboratory Services in Syria
Authors: Karah Nabil , Antypas Konstantinos , Al-toutanji Anas , Suveyd Usama , Rafei Rayane , Haraoui Louis-Patrick , Elamin Wael , Hamze Monzer , Abbara Aula , Rhoads Daniel D , Pantanowitz Liron , Uhlin Bernt Eric
Published: August 2021

Objectives

Telemedicine can compensate for the lack of health care specialists in response to protracted humanitarian crises. We sought to assess the usability of a teleclinical microbiology (TCM) program to provide diagnostic services in a hard-to-reach region of Syria.

Methods

A semimobile station was equipped with conventional micrograph and macrograph digital imaging systems. An electronic platform (Telemicrobiology in Humanitarian Crises, TmHC) was created to facilitate sharing, interpreting, and storing the results. A pilot study was conducted to identify the bacterial species and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of 74 urinary clinical isolates. An experience survey was conducted to capture the feedback of 8 participants in the program.

Results

The TmHC platform (https://sdh.ngo/tmhc/) enabled systematic transmission of the laboratory records and co-interpretation of the results. The isolates were identified as Escherichia coli (n = 61), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 12), and Proteus mirabilis(n = 1). All the isolates were multidrug resistant. The performance of our TCM module was rated 4 (satisfying) and 5 (very satisfying) by 6 and 2 users, respectively. Data security of and cost-effectiveness were the main perceived concerns.

Conclusions

Although we encountered several context-related obstacles, our TCM program managed to reach a highly vulnerable population of 4 million people confined in the northwest region of Syria.
Invited Commentary: Standards, Inputs, and Outputs—Strategies for Improving Data-Sharing and Consortia-Based Epidemiologic Research
Authors: Lacey, Jr, James V , Benbow Jennifer L
Published: August 2021

Data-sharing improves epidemiologic research, but the sharing of data frustrates epidemiologic researchers. The inefficiencies of current methods and options for data-sharing are increasingly documented and easily understood by any study group that has shared its data and any researcher who has received shared data. In this issue of the Journal, Temprosa et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2021;191(1):147–158) describe how the Consortium of Metabolomics Studies (COMETS) developed and deployed a flexible analytical platform to eliminate key pain points in large-scale metabolomics research. COMETS Analytics includes an online tool, but its cloud computing and technology are the supporting rather than the leading actors in this script. The COMETS team identified the need to standardize diverse and inconsistent metabolomics and covariate data and models across its many participating cohort studies, and then developed a flexible tool that gave its member studies choices about how they wanted to meet the consortium’s analytical requirements. Different specialties will have different specific research needs and will probably continue to use and develop an array of diverse analytical and technical solutions for their projects. COMETS Analytics shows how important—and enabling—the upstream attention to data standards and data consistency is to producing high-quality metabolomics, consortia-based, and large-scale epidemiology research.
Cognitive Differences between Men and Women with HIV: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Dreyer Anna J , Munsami Adele , Williams Taryn , Andersen Lena S , Nightingale Sam , Gouse Hetta , Joska John , Thomas Kevin G F
Published: August 2021

Objective

Although many studies report that women with HIV (WWH) are more vulnerable to cognitive impairment than men with HIV (MWH), this trend is not described consistently in the literature. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we investigated whether the weight of evidence supports the existence of a significant sex difference in cognitive functioning among people with HIV and, if so, whether specific domains are affected.

Method

A systematic literature search retrieved 4,062 unique articles published between January 2000 and June 2019. Eligibility criteria were that studies directly compared adult WWH and MWH using a neuropsychological test battery. After extensive screening, we included 11 studies in the systematic review (N = 3,333) and 6 in the meta-analysis (N = 2,852).

Results

Six studies included in the systematic review found WWH performed significantly more poorly on measures of cognitive performance than MWH; the other five found no sex differences. Meta-analytic results indicated that WWH performed significantly more poorly than MWH in three cognitive domains (psychomotor coordination, visuospatial learning, and memory), but magnitudes of effect sizes were small (d = −.16, −.43, and − .30, respectively). Analyses detected no sex differences in global cognitive functioning and in the other cognitive domains.

Conclusions

Sex differences in cognitive performance are small, and sociodemographic and psychiatric characteristics of WWH and MWH differ between studies. Cognitive differences between WWH and MWH may be explained by sex-based variation in these characteristics, the impact of which seems to outweigh that of HIV-related clinical variables (e.g., CD4 count and viral load).
New dot-blot method for evaluating the effect of inactivators on mite and Japanese cedar pollen allergens
Authors: Yoshida Megumi , Mizukami Keijiro , Kurata Keigo , Nasukawa Tadahiro , Uchiyama Jumpei , Sakaguchi Masahiro
Published: August 2021

As a method of evaluating the effect of inactivators on allergens while suppressing the effect of inactivator on the assay, we developed new dot-blot method that combines immunostaining and protein detection methods. This method is useful for evaluating whether the inactivator can inactivate allergens rather than removing them from the assay.
GCRFLDA: scoring lncRNA-disease associations using graph convolution matrix completion with conditional random field
Authors: Fan Yongxian , Chen Meijun , Pan Xiaoyong
Published: August 2021

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in various biological regulatory processes, and are closely related to the occurrence and development of diseases. Identifying lncRNA-disease associations is valuable for revealing the molecular mechanism of diseases and exploring treatment strategies. Thus, it is necessary to computationally predict lncRNA-disease associations as a complementary method for biological experiments. In this study, we proposed a novel prediction method GCRFLDA based on the graph convolutional matrix completion. GCRFLDA first constructed a graph using the available lncRNA-disease association information. Then, it constructed an encoder consisting of conditional random field and attention mechanism to learn efficient embeddings of nodes, and a decoder layer to score lncRNA-disease associations. In GCRFLDA, the Gaussian interaction profile kernels similarity and cosine similarity were fused as side information of lncRNA and disease nodes. Experimental results on four benchmark datasets show that GCRFLDA is superior to other existing methods. Moreover, we conducted case studies on four diseases and observed that 70 of 80 predicted associated lncRNAs were confirmed by the literature.
Integrating single-cell datasets with ambiguous batch information by incorporating molecular network features
Authors: Dong Ji , Zhou Peijie , Wu Yichong , Chen Yidong , Xie Haoling , Gao Yuan , Lu Jiansen , Yang Jingwei , Zhang Xiannian , Wen Lu , Li Tiejun , Tang Fuchou
Published: August 2021

With the rapid development of single-cell sequencing techniques, several large-scale cell atlas projects have been launched across the world. However, it is still challenging to integrate single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) datasets with diverse tissue sources, developmental stages and/or few overlaps, due to the ambiguity in determining the batch information, which is particularly important for current batch-effect correction methods. Here, we present SCORE, a simple network-based integration methodology, which incorporates curated molecular network features to infer cellular states and generate a unified workflow for integrating scRNA-seq datasets. Validating on real single-cell datasets, we showed that regardless of batch information, SCORE outperforms existing methods in accuracy, robustness, scalability and data integration.
Distinctive wood anatomy of early-diverging Asteraceae: Barnadesioideae
Authors: Carlquist Sherwin , Stuessy Tod F , Urtubey Estrella
Published: August 2021

Asteraceae subfamily Barnadesioideae (ten genera, c. 90 species), confined to South America, are sister to the remainder of the family. The relative antiquity of the barnadesioids might lead one to expect that they contain more wood features plesiomorphic for the family, but only one character clearly falls in that category. Pits on imperforate tracheary elements are bordered (except for annuals), whereas simple pits occur in two related families, Calyceraceae (part) and Stylidiaceae (all that have been examined); in Goodeniaceae bordered pits only occur. By attaining fully bordered pits in Chuquiraga, the imperforate tracheary elements qualify as an apomorphy, ‘neotracheids’, valuable for resisting embolism formation in dry and cold South American habitats. Neotracheids are found also in Loricaria (Asteraceae: Inuleae), also from these habitats. Neotracheids, like plesiomorphic tracheids, are conductive, unlike fibre tracheids and libriform fibres. Other barnadesioid wood characters adapted to cold and drought include grouping of vessels, high vessel density, shorter vessel elements and helical sculpture (including helical thickenings on lumen-facing walls) of secondary xylem vessels. In Chuquiraga and Dasyphyllum, these helical thickenings are bordered in some species (new report for angiosperms). Some of the barnadesioid adaptations to cold and drought can be found in North American Artemisia spp. (Asteraceae: Anthemideae), especially in montane and desert areas. Wood features of barnadesioids match their respective habits and habitats: a few trees; shrubs of humid, dry or desert areas; a distinctive rhizomatous succulent in the pampas (Schlechtendalia); a scree/gravel perennial (Huarpea) and two genera of annuals, one with succulent leaves (Duseniella) and one with rayless (at least at first) stems in arid and open soils (Doniophyton). Diversity is unusual considering the small size of the subfamily. Examples of endodermal crystals (Arnaldoa only), pith sclereids and primary xylem fibres are cited.
Short-Term Facilitation of Long-Range Corticocortical Synapses Revealed by Selective Optical Stimulation
Authors: Martinetti Luis E , Bonekamp Kelly E , Autio Dawn M , Kim Hye-Hyun , Crandall Shane R
Published: August 2021

Short-term plasticity regulates the strength of central synapses as a function of previous activity. In the neocortex, direct synaptic interactions between areas play a central role in cognitive function, but the activity-dependent regulation of these long-range corticocortical connections and their impact on a postsynaptic target neuron is unclear. Here, we use an optogenetic strategy to study the connections between mouse primary somatosensory and motor cortex. We found that short-term facilitation was strong in both corticocortical synapses, resulting in far more sustained responses than local intracortical and thalamocortical connections. A major difference between pathways was that the synaptic strength and magnitude of facilitation were distinct for individual excitatory cells located across all cortical layers and specific subtypes of GABAergic neurons. Facilitation was dependent on the presynaptic calcium sensor synaptotagmin-7 and altered by several optogenetic approaches. Current-clamp recordings revealed that during repetitive activation, the short-term dynamics of corticocortical synapses enhanced the excitability of layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons, increasing the probability of spiking with activity. Furthermore, the properties of the connections linking primary with secondary somatosensory cortex resemble those between somatosensory–motor areas. These short-term changes in transmission properties suggest long-range corticocortical synapses are specialized for conveying information over relatively extended periods.
Clinical Practice Guideline by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA): 2021 Focused Update Guidelines on Management of Clostridioides difficile Infection in Adults
Authors: Johnson Stuart , Lavergne Valéry , Skinner Andrew M , Gonzales-Luna Anne J , Garey Kevin W , Kelly Ciaran P , Wilcox Mark H
Published: August 2021

This clinical practice guideline is a focused update on management of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in adults specifically addressing the use of fidaxomicin and bezlotoxumab for the treatment of CDI. This guideline was developed by a multidisciplinary panel representing the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA). This guideline is intended for use by healthcare professionals who care for adults with CDI, including specialists in infectious diseases, gastroenterologists, hospitalists, pharmacists, and any clinicians and healthcare providers caring for these patients. The panel’s recommendations for the management CDI are based upon evidence derived from topic-specific systematic literature reviews. Summarized below are the recommendations for the management of CDI in adults. The panel followed a systematic process which included a standardized methodology for rating the certainty of the evidence and strength of recommendation using the GRADE approach (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation). A detailed description of background, methods, evidence summary and rationale that support each recommendation, and knowledge gaps can be found online in the full text.
The Role of Metagenomics and Next-Generation Sequencing in Infectious Disease Diagnosis
Authors: Miller Steve , Chiu Charles
Published: August 2021

Background

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) for pathogen detection is becoming increasingly available as a method to identify pathogens in cases of suspected infection. mNGS analyzes the nucleic acid content of patient samples with high-throughput sequencing technologies to detect and characterize microorganism DNA and/or RNA. This unbiased approach to organism detection enables diagnosis of a broad spectrum of infection types and can identify more potential pathogens than any single conventional test. This can lead to improved ability to diagnose patients, although there remains concern regarding contamination and detection of nonclinically significant organisms.

Content

We describe the laboratory approach to mNGS testing and highlight multiple considerations that affect diagnostic performance. We also summarize recent literature investigating the diagnostic performance of mNGS assays for a variety of infection types and recommend further studies to evaluate the improvement in clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of mNGS testing.

The majority of studies demonstrate that mNGS has sensitivity similar to specific PCR assays and will identify more potential pathogens than conventional methods. While many of these additional organism detections correlate with the expected pathogen spectrum based on patient presentations, there are relatively few formal studies demonstrating whether these are true-positive infections and benefits to clinical outcomes. Reduced specificity due to contamination and clinically nonsignificant organism detections remains a major concern, emphasizing the importance of careful interpretation of the organism pathogenicity and potential association with the clinical syndrome. Further research is needed to determine the possible improvement in clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of mNGS testing.
Biotic habitats as refugia under ocean acidification
Authors: Falkenberg Laura J , Scanes Elliot , Ducker James , Ross Pauline M
Published: August 2021

Habitat-forming organisms have an important role in ameliorating stressful conditions and may be of particular relevance under a changing climate. Increasing CO2 emissions are driving a range of environmental changes, and one of the key concerns is the rapid acceleration of ocean acidification and associated reduction in pH. Such changes in seawater chemistry are anticipated to have direct negative effects on calcifying organisms, which could, in turn, have negative ecological, economic and human health impacts. However, these calcifying organisms do not exist in isolation, but rather are part of complex ecosystems. Here, we use a qualitative narrative synthesis framework to explore (i) how habitat-forming organisms can act to restrict environmental stress, both now and in the future; (ii) the ways their capacity to do so is modified by local context; and (iii) their potential to buffer the effects of future change through physiological processes and how this can be influenced by management adopted. Specifically, we highlight examples that consider the ability of macroalgae and seagrasses to alter water carbonate chemistry, influence resident organisms under current conditions and their capacity to do so under future conditions, while also recognizing the potential role of other habitats such as adjacent mangroves and saltmarshes. Importantly, we note that the outcome of interactions between these functional groups will be context dependent, influenced by the local abiotic and biotic characteristics. This dependence provides local managers with opportunities to create conditions that enhance the likelihood of successful amelioration. Where individuals and populations are managed effectively, habitat formers could provide local refugia for resident organisms of ecological and economic importance under an acidifying ocean.
Social Control of Intellect: Four Features of the Academic–Media Nexus
Authors: McDevitt Michael
Published: August 2021

Intellect in social theory is often presented as an ideal type—the critical, iconoclastic side of the mind—but it must anticipate an audience in mediated contexts, unlike in the Kantian realm of transcendent reason. The terrain in which academia and media meet, consequently, is ripe for exploration into the fate of intellect when transgressive. This article explicates four features of the academic–media nexus that contribute to social control of intellect: instrumental rationalism of faculty, strategic management of university communication, journalistic appropriation of the “public intellectual” role, and surveillance of academic discourse. The article situates the features in a framework to recognize whether they originate primarily in academia or media, and whether the controlling process occurs through internalized norms or calculated practice. While social control is understood as recursive and reinforcing, reflexivity induced in an inter-field dynamic implies the possibility of reconciling intellect with news work.
Atherothrombotic factors and atherosclerotic cardiovascular events: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis
Authors: DeFilippis Andrew P , Trainor Patrick J , Thanassoulis George , Brumback Lyndia C , Post Wendy S , Tsai Michael Y , Tsimikas Sotirios
Published: August 2021

Aims

Traditional atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk factors fail to address the full spectrum of the complex interplay of atherosclerotic and atherothrombotic factors integral to ASCVD events. This study sought to examine the association between atherothrombotic biomarkers and ASCVD events.

Methods and results

The association between atherothrombotic biomarkers and 877 ASCVD events with and without adjustment for traditional risk factors was evaluated via Cox proportional hazards models and factor analysis in 5789 Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis participants over a median follow-up of 14.7 years. Factor analysis accounted for multidimensional relationship and shared variance among study biomarkers, which identified two new variables: a thrombotic factor (Factor 1), principally defined by shared variance in fibrinogen, plasmin–antiplasmin complex, factor VIII, D-dimer, and lipoprotein(a), and a fibrinolytic factor (Factor 2), principally defined by shared variance of plasminogen and oxidized phospholipids on plasminogen. In a model including both factors, the thrombotic factor was associated with the higher risk of ASCVD events [hazard ratio (HR) 1.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.45, 1.70], while the fibrinolytic factor was associated with the lower risk of ASCVD events (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.70, 0.82), with estimated ASCVD free survival highest for low atherothrombotic Factor 1 and high atherothrombotic Factor 2.

Conclusion

Two atherothrombotic factors, one representative of thrombotic propensity and the other representative of fibrinolytic propensity, were significantly and complementarily associated with incident ASCVD events, remained significantly associated with incident ASCVD after controlling for traditional risk factors, and have promise for identifying patients at high ASCVD event risk specifically due to their atherothrombotic profile.
(Geo)Politics of Universal Periodic Review: Why States Issue and Accept Human Rights Recommendations?
Authors: Burger Anze , Kovac Igor , Tkalec Stasa
Published: August 2021

The research identifies geographic proximity as the crucial driving force behind state behavior in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Looking at both stages of the UPR mechanism, we pose two questions: what best explains states issuing human rights recommendations and what best explains states accepting those recommendations? Our model controls for a variety of alternative explanations—state capacity, international structure, and international institutions. The results show that the closer the states are, the more likely it is that they will issue each other recommendations; however, the closer the states are, the less likely it is that they will accept recommendations from one another. We also find an important caveat: the logic of issuance and acceptance of recommendations is reversed when it comes to neighboring states. The latter speaks against general international relations literature, where sharing a border and geographic proximity are both associated with increasing the likelihood of conflict.
Use of Benzodiazepines and Risk of Incident Dementia: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Gerlach Lauren B , Myra Kim Hyungjin , Ignacio Rosalinda V , Strominger Julie , Maust Donovan T
Published: August 2021

Background

Previous findings regarding the association between benzodiazepine exposure and dementia have conflicted, though many have not accounted for anticholinergic exposure. The goal of this study was to evaluate the association of benzodiazepine exposure with the risk of developing dementia, accounting for the anticholinergic burden.

Methods

Using a retrospective cohort design, we identified veterans 65 or older without dementia during a 10-year baseline period and then followed participants for 5 years to evaluate the risk of dementia diagnosis. The primary exposure was cumulative benzodiazepine exposure. Cox proportional hazards survival model was used to examine the association between benzodiazepine exposure and dementia, adjusting for anticholinergic burden and other demographic and clinical characteristics associated with increased dementia risk.

Results

Of the 528 006 veterans in the study cohort, 28.5% had at least one fill for a benzodiazepine. Overall, 7.9% developed a diagnosis of dementia during the observation period. Compared to veterans with no exposure to benzodiazepines, the adjusted hazard ratios for dementia risk were 1.06 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02–1.10) for low benzodiazepine exposure, 1.05 (95% CI 1.01–1.09) for medium benzodiazepine exposure, and 1.05 (95% CI 1.02–1.09) for high benzodiazepine exposure.

Conclusions

Cumulative benzodiazepine exposure was minimally associated with increased dementia risk when compared with nonuse but did not increase in a dose-dependent fashion with higher exposure. Veterans with low benzodiazepine exposure had essentially the equivalent risk of developing dementia as veterans with high exposure. While benzodiazepines are associated with many side effects for older adults, higher cumulative use does not appear to increase dementia risk.