bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The dynamic axial compression of FRC with high-speed translated θ-pinch plasma
Authors: Liao Hui , Li Yilin , Hu Chaoqi , Sun Xuan
Published: August 2022

A novel field reversed configuration (FRC) axial compression experiment with high-speed translated θ-pinch plasma was conducted in the Keda Mirror with AXisymmetry device. The translated north FRC was decelerated and compressed by an oncoming θ-pinch plasma stream, and the dynamic process was revealed by a 2D magnetic probe array. The FRC separatrix length is compressed to one-third of the initial value while the radius expands by ∼57%, resulting in the ∼16% increase in the electron temperature and ∼26% in the density, which matches the calculation from an adiabatic compression model. The good agreement is explained by the fast compression and particle supplementation owing to the compression with plasma. The results reported in this work may contribute to the understanding of electron heating in collision-merged FRC and provide a new compression method for the magneto-inertial fusion concept.
Extreme UV spectroscopy measurements and analysis for tungsten density studies in the WEST tokamak
Authors: Guirlet R , Desgranges C , Schwob J L , Mandelbaum P , Boumendjel M Y
Published: August 2022

The VUV emission of tungsten in WEST is measured by an absolutely calibrated grazing incidence spectrometer of the Schwob–Fraenkel type, which can scan the lower half of the plasma. We have analysed the detected spectral lines in the range 120–140 Å and compared their behaviour with calculations and published information. We obtained an unambiguous identification of four intense and well-resolved spectral lines emitted by W42+-W45+ close to the magnetic axis in the analysed experiments. The measured spectral-line brightnesses are used to assess the Tungsten density in the emission region. In the case of a scanning line of sight, we investigate the possibility to calculate the Tungsten density profile from the angular brightness profiles. In a case of a fixed line of sight, we deduce from the measurements the core Tungsten density profile evolution during a radiative collapse.
Auxetic hexachiral cantilever beams for piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting
Authors: Sadikbasha Shaik , Radhika B , Pandurangan V
Published: August 2022

This work presents an auxetic hexachiral cantilever substrate for low-frequency vibration energy harvesting applications. Auxetics are materials with negative Poisson’s ratio that develop stresses of the same nature under mechanical loading, which can be advantageously used in designing energy harvesters with enhanced power output. The proposed harvester is fabricated by attaching a piezo patch on a 3D printed polylactic acid hexachiral substrate to convert the mechanical response to electrical output. Experiments are conducted to characterize the vibration and electrical properties of the harvester. A 3D finite element (FE) model is developed and validated with experimental voltage obtained for different electrical resistance. As the first mode generates maximum power, an equivalent single degree of freedom semi-analytical model is formulated and validated with experiments and FE results. The proposed harvester has a natural frequency of 23 Hz with a voltage output of 9.1 V at 250 kΩ. The developed models are used to study the influence of hexachiral geometry, electrical and mechanical loading on the electro-mechanical response. The harvester voltage is influenced by the ligament thickness and is found to increase linearly with an increase in mechanical loading. Further, the enhancement in performance by the addition of hexachiral sub patch to a plain beam is investigated, followed by a comparison with harvesters having plain, hexagonal and re-entrant geometries. The results show that the hexachiral harvester has the lowest first mode frequency with a power output about 20 and 3 times the plain and re-entrant harvesters, respectively. Finally, random vibration analysis of the hexachiral harvester is carried out to evaluate its performance under ambient loading, and the results show that the semi-analytical model is a computationally efficient alternative to study the first mode behavior. The findings of the study demonstrate the potential of the proposed hexachiral harvester for low-frequency applications.
A simple relation of guessing probability in quantum key distribution
Authors: Su Hong-Yi
Published: August 2022

Given a communication system using quantum key distribution (QKD), the receiver can be seen as one who tries to guess the sender’s information just as potential eavesdroppers do. The receiver-eavesdropper similarity thus implies a simple relation in terms of guessing probability and correctness of sifted keys, related with the distance-based, information-theoretic security. The tolerable regions of error rates determined by such a guessing-probability-based relation are shown to be close to those determined by security criteria. Thus, an alternative perspective on applying guessing probability in analyzing QKD issues is here provided. Examples of two specific protocols are illustrated. Our results contribute to evaluating an important element in communication study, and may provide useful reference for the security analysis of QKD protocols.
Vaidya-Tikekar type anisotropic fluid model by gravitational decoupling
Authors: Maurya S K , Al Saadi Arwa , Al Amri Wadhha , Al Hosni Sara , Al Sharyani Ruqaya
Published: August 2022

In this paper, a new interior solution for compact objects has been obtained using the minimal geometric deformation (MGD) approach along with the embedding Class I condition. Using MGD, the original system gets split into two parts, one of them is called the Einstein system and another one is the quasi-Einstein system for the extra source

θ

α

γ

(
r
)
.

The Einstein system is solved by using the Vaidya-Tikekar metric along with the Class I condition, while for the quasi-Einstein system, the mimic approach for density constraint has been used such that

ρ

ˆ

(
r
)
=

θ

0

0

(
r
)
.

A detailed physical analysis has been done as well as the physical viability of the model in terms of the thermodynamical variables, and different stability factors are also tested. Furthermore, the mass-radius ratio is also calculated for 12 different stars for different values of the decoupling constant

β

which determines how the gravitational decoupling influences the compactness.
The power of locality: primordial non-Gaussianity at the map level
Authors: Baumann Daniel , Green Daniel
Published: August 2022

Primordial non-Gaussianity is a sensitive probe of the inflationary era, with a number of important theoretical targets living an order of magnitude beyond the reach of current CMB constraints. Maps of the large-scale structure of the universe, in principle, have the raw statistical power to reach these targets, but the complications of nonlinear evolution are thought to present serious, if not insurmountable, obstacles to reaching these goals. In this paper, we will argue that the challenge presented by nonlinear structure formation has been overstated. The information encoded in primordial non-Gaussianity resides in nonlocal correlations of the density field at three or more points separated by cosmological distances. In contrast, nonlinear evolution only alters the density field locally and cannot create or destroy these long-range correlations. This locality property of the late-time non-Gaussianity is obscured in Fourier space and in the standard bispectrum searches for primordial non-Gaussianity. We therefore propose to measure non-Gaussianity in the position space maps of the large-scale structure. As a proof of concept, we study the case of equilateral non-Gaussianity, for which the degeneracy with late-time nonlinearities is the most severe. We show that a map-level analysis is capable of breaking this degeneracy and thereby significantly improve the constraining power over previous estimates.
Gravitational wave luminosity distance in viscous cosmological models
Authors: Fanizza Giuseppe , Pavone Eliseo , Tedesco Luigi
Published: August 2022

We study the so-called Gravitational Wave luminosity distance-redshift relation dLGW(z) during cosmological eras driven by non-perfect fluids. In particular, we show that the presence of a shear viscosity in the energy momentum tensor turns out to be the most relevant effect. Within this scenario, a constant shear viscosity imprints the gravitational wave propagation through a friction termδ(z) with a uniquely given redshift dependence. This peculiar evolution predicts a specific shape for the ratiodLGW/dLEMwhich tends to a constant value when the sources are atz≳ 1, whereas scales linearly with the shear viscosity at lower redshifts, regardless of the value of Ωm0. According to our final discussion, the predicted redshift dependenceδ(z) provided by a shear viscosity could be tested by upcoming surveys of multi-messenger sources against analogous scenarios provided by some widely studied theories of modified gravity.
Parkinsonian oscillations and their suppression by closed-loop deep brain stimulation based on fuzzy concept
Authors: Wei Xi-Le , Bai Yu-Lin , Wang Jiang , Chang Si-Yuan , Liu Chen
Published: August 2022

This paper provides an adaptive closed-loop strategy for suppressing the pathological oscillations of the basal ganglia based on a variable universe fuzzy algorithm. The pathological basal ganglia oscillations in the theta (4–9 Hz) and beta (12–35 Hz) frequency bands have been demonstrated to be associated with the tremor and rigidity/bradykinesia symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Although the clinical application of open-loop deep brain stimulation (DBS) is effective, the stimulation waveform with the fixed parameters cannot be self-adjusted as the disease progresses, and thus the stimulation effects go poor. To deal with this difficult problem, a variable universe fuzzy closed-loop strategy is proposed to modulate different PD states. We establish a cortico-basal ganglia-thalamocortical network model to simulate pathological oscillations and test the control effect. The results suggest that the proposed closed-loop control strategy can accommodate the variation of brain states and symptoms, which may become an alternative method to administrate the symptoms in PD.
Structural and mass transport properties of liquid ytterbium in the temperature range 1123 K–1473 K
Authors: Satikunvar D D , Bhatt N K , Thakore B Y
Published: August 2022

We have studied the structural and atomic transport properties of liquid f-shell Yb in the temperature range 1123 K–1473 K. Pair interactions between atoms are derived using a local pseudopotential. The potential parameters are fitted to the phonon dispersion curve at room temperature. The local pseudopotential used in the present study is computationally more efficient with only three parameters, and it is found to be transferable to the liquid phase without changing the parameters. Since the various computed properties agree with reported theoretical and experimental findings, the adopted fitting scheme is justified. As a significant outcome of the study, we find that (i) the melting in Yb is governed by the Lindemann’s law, (ii) the mass transport mechanism obeys the Arrhenius law, (iii) the role of the three-particle correlation function in deriving the velocity autocorrelation function is small, (iv) the mean-square atomic displacement is more sensitive to the choice of interaction potential than the other bulk properties, and (v) liquid Yb does not show liquid–liquid phase transition within the studied temperature range. Further, due to the good description of the structural and mass transport properties, we propose that Yb remains divalent at reduced density.
Nitrogen-tailored quasiparticle energy gaps of polyynes
Authors: Zhang Kan , Li Jiling , Liu Peitao , Yang Guowei , Shi Lei
Published: August 2022

Polyyne, an sp1-hybridized linear allotrope of carbon, has a tunable quasiparticle energy gap, which depends on the terminated chemical ending groups as well as the chain length. Previously, nitrogen doping was utilized to tailor the properties of different kinds of allotrope of carbon. However, how the nitrogen doping tailors the properties of the polyyne remains unexplored. Here, we applied the GW method to study the quasiparticle energy gaps of the N-doped polyynes with different lengths. When a C atom is substituted by an N atom in a polyyne, the quasiparticle energy gap varies with the substituted position in the polyyne. The modification is particularly pronounced when the second-nearest-neighboring carbon atom of a hydrogen atom is substituted. In addition, the nitrogen doping makes the Fermi level closer to the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital, resulting in an n-type semiconductor. Our results suggest another route to tailor the electronic properties of polyyne in addition to the length of polyyne and the terminated chemical ending groups.
Experimental research based on a C-band compact transit-time oscillator with a novel diode loading an embedded soft magnetic material and shielding structure
Authors: He Yufang , He Juntao , Ling Junpu , Wang Lei , Song Lili
Published: August 2022

In order to reduce the external magnetic field and improve the conversion efficiency of high-power microwave generation devices with low external magnetic field, a novel diode with an embedded soft magnetic and shielding structure is proposed. The soft magnetic material is designed to enhance the local magnetic field in the diode region. Moreover, the diode applies a shielding structure which can reduce the radial electric field. From simulation research, it is found that the emission and transmission quality of the electron beam with low magnetic field is greatly improved when loading this diode. Through simulation research, it is verified that the diode can increase the conversion efficiency of the transit-time oscillator (TTO) from 30% to 36.7%. In our experimental study, under the conditions of a diode voltage of 540 kV and a current of 10.5 kA, the output microwave power is 1.51 GW when loading the novel diode and the microwave frequency is 4.27 GHz when an external guiding magnetic field of 0.3 T is applied. The corresponding conversion efficiency is improved from 20.0% to 26.6%, which is 6.6% higher than that of a device loaded with a conventional diode. Our experiments have verified that this novel diode can effectively improve the conversion efficiency of high-power microwave sources operating with low magnetic field, and contribute to the miniaturization and compactness of high-power microwave devices.
Examining the impact of emissions scenario on lower Mississippi River flood hazard projections
Authors: Dunne K B J , Dee S G , Reinders J , Muñoz S E , Nittrouer J A
Published: August 2022

The Mississippi River is the largest commercial waterway in North America and one of the most heavily engineered rivers in the world. Future alteration of the river’s hydrology by climate change may increase the vulnerability of flood mitigation and navigation infrastructure implemented to constrain 20thcentury discharge conditions. Here, we evaluate changes in Lower Mississippi River basin hydroclimate and discharge from 1920–2100 C.E. by integrating river gauge observations and climate model ensemble simulations from CESM1.2 under multiple greenhouse gas emissions scenarios. We show that the Lower Mississippi River’s flood regime is highly sensitive to emissions scenario; specifically, the return period of flood discharge exceeding existing flood mitigation infrastructure decreases from approximately 1000 years to 31 years by the year 2100 under RCP8.5 forcing, primarily driven by increasing precipitation and runoff within the basin. Without aggressive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, flood mitigation infrastructure may require substantial retrofitting to avoid disruptions to industries and communities along the Lower Mississippi River.
Dysmegakaryopoiesis and Transient Mild Increase in Bone Marrow Blasts in Patients With Aplastic Anemia Treated With Eltrombopag May Be Signs of Hematologic Improvement and Not Portend Clonal Evolution
Authors: Matsuda Akira , Imada Kazunori , Obara Naoshi , Iida Hiroatsu , Yamazaki Hirohito , Tomiyama Yoshiaki , Miyamura Koichi , Sasaki Osamu , Maeda Tetsuo , Ohta Kensuke , Usuki Kensuke , Tokumine Yukihiro , Imajo Kenji , Okamoto Yuji , Murakami Mami , Nakao Shinji
Published: August 2022

Objectives

Eltrombopag, a thrombopoietin-receptor agonist, stimulates hematopoiesis in patients with acquired aplastic anemia (AA). Cytomorphologic changes in bone marrow after eltrombopag administration are still unclear. This study examined the effect of eltrombopag on cytomorphologic findings using data from prior phase 2 studies (E1201 and E1202).

Methods

Microscopic examinations were performed in 31 patients with AA (E1201 [n = 21], E1202 [n = 10]). The relationship between hematologic improvement and morphologic findings was also investigated.

Results

In 5 patients (E1201 [n = 3], E1202 [n = 2]), the bone marrow blast count increased after initiation of eltrombopag treatment compared with screening values. The blast count was less than 5%, and the increase in bone marrow blasts was transient in all 4 patients who had bone marrow examinations at follow-up. In 8 patients (E1201 [n = 5], E1202 [n = 3]), dysplastic forms of megakaryocytes were found in the bone marrow following treatment initiation. Dysmegakaryopoiesis of 10% or more was found in 3 patients. None of the patients revealed micromegakaryocytes. Ten patients showed an increase in bone marrow blasts and/or dysmegakaryopoiesis following treatment initiation. Nine of 10 patients showed hematologic improvement in 1 or more lineages.

Conclusions

Dysmegakaryopoiesis without micromegakaryocytes and a transient increase of less than 5% in bone marrow blast count may be signs of hematologic improvement with eltrombopag for patients with AA.
Developing Geographic Areas for Cancer Reporting Using Automated Zone Design
Authors: Tatalovich Zaria , Stinchcomb David G , Ng Diane , Yu Mandi , Lewis Denise R , Zhu Li , Feuer Eric J (Rocky)
Published: August 2022

The reporting and analysis of population-based cancer statistics in the United States has traditionally been done for counties. However, counties are not ideal for analysis of cancer rates, due to wide variation in population size, with larger counties having considerable sociodemographic variation within their borders and sparsely populated counties having less reliable estimates of cancer rates that are often suppressed due to confidentiality concerns. There is a need and an opportunity to utilize zone design procedures in the context of cancer surveillance to generate coherent, statistically stable geographic units that are more optimal for cancer reporting and analysis than counties. To achieve this goal, we sought to create areas within each US state that are: 1) similar in population size and large enough to minimize rate suppression; 2) sociodemographically homogeneous; 3) compact; and 4) custom crafted to represent areas that are meaningful to cancer registries and stakeholders. The resulting geographic units reveal the heterogeneity of rates that are hidden when reported at the county-level while substantially reducing the need to suppress data. We believe this effort will facilitate more meaningful comparative analysis of cancer rates for small geographic areas and will advance the understanding of cancer burden in the United States.
hCoCena: horizontal integration and analysis of transcriptomics datasets
Authors: Oestreich Marie , Holsten Lisa , Agrawal Shobhit , Dahm Kilian , Koch Philipp , Jin Han , Becker Matthias , Ulas Thomas
Published: August 2022

Motivation

Transcriptome-based gene co-expression analysis has become a standard procedure for structured and contextualized understanding and comparison of different conditions and phenotypes. Since large study designs with a broad variety of conditions are costly and laborious, extensive comparisons are hindered when utilizing only a single dataset. Thus, there is an increased need for tools that allow the integration of multiple transcriptomic datasets with subsequent joint analysis, which can provide a more systematic understanding of gene co-expression and co-functionality within and across conditions. To make such an integrative analysis accessible to a wide spectrum of users with differing levels of programming expertise it is essential to provide user-friendliness and customizability as well as thorough documentation.

Results

This article introduces horizontal CoCena (hCoCena: horizontal construction of co-expression networks and analysis), an R-package for network-based co-expression analysis that allows the analysis of a single transcriptomic dataset as well as the joint analysis of multiple datasets. With hCoCena, we provide a freely available, user-friendly and adaptable tool for integrative multi-study or single-study transcriptomics analyses alongside extensive comparisons to other existing tools.

Availability and implementation

The hCoCena R-package is provided together with R Markdowns that implement an exemplary analysis workflow including extensive documentation and detailed descriptions of data structures and objects. Such efforts not only make the tool easy to use but also enable the seamless integration of user-written scripts and functions into the workflow, creating a tool that provides a clear design while remaining flexible and highly customizable. The package and additional information including an extensive Wiki are freely available on GitHub: https://github.com/MarieOestreich/hCoCena. The version at the time of writing has been added to Zenodo under the following link: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6911782.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
expam—high-resolution analysis of metagenomes using distance trees
Authors: Solari Sean M , Young Remy B , Marcelino Vanessa R , Forster Samuel C
Published: August 2022

Shotgun metagenomic sequencing provides the capacity to understand microbial community structure and function at unprecedented resolution; however, the current analytical methods are constrained by a focus on taxonomic classifications that may obfuscate functional relationships. Here, we present expam, a tree-based, taxonomy agnostic tool for the identification of biologically relevant clades from shotgun metagenomic sequencing.

Availability and implementation

expam is an open-source Python application released under the GNU General Public Licence v3.0. expam installation instructions, source code and tutorials can be found at https://github.com/seansolari/expam.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Access to Medicines for Treating People With Cryptococcal Meningitis
Authors: Burry Jessica , Casas Carmen Perez , Ford Nathan
Published: August 2022

Cryptococcal meningitis accounts for 1 in 5 AIDS-related deaths globally. World Health Organization guidelines strongly recommend a single high dose of liposomal amphotericin B as part of preferred treatment, but this drug remains unaffordable in most low- and middle-income countries. A proactive approach is needed from manufacturers and other stakeholders to improve access.
Improving Traditional Registrational Trial End Points: Development and Application of a Desirability of Outcome Ranking End Point for Complicated Urinary Tract Infection Clinical Trials
Authors: Howard-Anderson Jessica , Hamasaki Toshimitsu , Dai Weixiao , Collyar Deborah , Rubin Daniel , Nambiar Sumathi , Kinamon Tori , Hill Carol , Gelone Steven P , Mariano David , Baba Takamichi , Holland Thomas L , Doernberg Sarah B , Chambers Henry F , Fowler Vance G , Evans Scott R , Boucher Helen W
Published: August 2022

Background

Traditional end points used in registrational randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) often do not allow for complete interpretation of the full range of potential clinical outcomes. Desirability of outcome ranking (DOOR) is an approach to the design and analysis of clinical trials that incorporates benefits and risks of novel treatment strategies and provides a global assessment of patient experience.

Methods

Through a multidisciplinary committee of experts in infectious diseases, clinical trial design, drug regulation, and patient experience, we developed a DOOR end point for infectious disease syndromes and demonstrated how this could be applied to 3 registrational drug trials (ZEUS, APEKS-cUTI, and DORI-05) for complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs). ZEUS compared fosfomycin to piperacillin/tazobactam, APEKS-cUTI compared cefiderocol to imipenem, and DORI-05 compared doripenem to levofloxacin. Using DOOR, we estimated the probability of a more desirable outcome with each investigational antibacterial drug.

Results

In each RCT, the DOOR distribution was similar and the probability that a patient in the investigational arm would have a more desirable outcome than a patient in the control arm had a 95% confidence interval containing 50%, indicating no significant difference between treatment arms. DOOR facilitated improved understanding of potential trade-offs between clinical efficacy and safety. Partial credit and subgroup analyses also highlight unique attributes of DOOR.

Conclusions

DOOR can effectively be used in registrational cUTI trials. The DOOR end point presented here can be adapted for other infectious disease syndromes and prospectively incorporated into future clinical trials.
Lung transplantation long-term survival is worse in patients who have undergone previous cardiac surgery
Authors: Schumer Erin M , Saddoughi Sahar A , Spencer Philip J , Pochettino Alberto , Daly Richard C , Villavicencio Mauricio A
Published: August 2022

OBJECTIVES

Approximately 10% of lung transplant recipients have had previous cardiothoracic surgery. We sought to determine if previous surgery affects outcomes after lung transplant at a national level.

METHODS

The United Network for Organ Sharing database was analysed from 2005 to 2019 to include adult patients who underwent lung transplant who had previous cardiac surgery and previous thoracic surgery. T-test and chi-squared analysis were used to compare perioperative outcomes. Long-term survival comparison was performed using the Kaplan–Meier method in an unadjusted and propensity-matched analysis.

RESULTS

Out of 24 784 lung transplants, 691 (2.7%) had previous cardiac surgery and 1321 (6.5%) had previous thoracic surgery. Operative mortality was worse in previous cardiac surgery [42 (6.1%)] versus no previous cardiac surgery [740 (3.1%), P < 0.001] and in previous thoracic surgery [65 (4.9%)] versus no previous thoracic surgery [717 (3.1%), P < 0.001]. The previous thoracic surgery group had more primary graft failure and treated rejection during the first-year post-transplant. There was no difference in stroke, dialysis, intubation and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation at 72 h. Long-term survival was significantly worse for lung transplant patients who had undergone previous cardiac surgery (median 3.8 vs 6.3 years, P < 0.001) due to an increase in cardiovascular deaths (P = 0.008) and malignancy (P = 0.043). However, there was no difference in previous thoracic surgery (median 6.6 vs 6.1 years, P = 0.337).

CONCLUSIONS

Previous cardiac surgery prior to lung transplant results in worse survival related to cardiovascular death and malignancies. Previous thoracic surgery worsens perioperative outcomes but does not affect long-term survival.
Predicting stroke in heart failure and reduced ejection fraction without atrial fibrillation
Authors: Kondo Toru , Abdul-Rahim Azmil H , Talebi Atefeh , Abraham William T , Desai Akshay S , Dickstein Kenneth , Inzucchi Silvio E , Køber Lars , Kosiborod Mikhail N , Martinez Felipe A , Packer Milton , Petrie Mark , Ponikowski Piotr , Rouleau Jean L , Sabatine Marc S , Swedberg Karl , Zile Michael R , Solomon Scott D , Jhund Pardeep S , McMurray John J V
Published: August 2022

Aims

Patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) are at significant risk of stroke. Anticoagulation reduces this risk in patients with and without atrial fibrillation (AF), but the risk-to-benefit balance in the latter group, overall, is not favourable. Identification of patients with HFrEF, without AF, at the highest risk of stroke may allow targeted and safer use of prophylactic anticoagulant therapy.

Methods and results

In a pooled patient-level cohort of the PARADIGM-HF, ATMOSPHERE, and DAPA-HF trials, a previously derived simple risk model for stroke, consisting of three variables (history of prior stroke, insulin-treated diabetes, and plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide level), was validated. Of the 20 159 patients included, 12 751 patients did not have AF at baseline. Among patients without AF, 346 (2.7%) experienced a stroke over a median follow up of 2.0 years (rate 11.7 per 1000 patient-years). The risk for stroke increased with increasing risk score: fourth quintile hazard ratio (HR) 2.35 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.60–3.45]; fifth quintile HR 3.73 (95% CI 2.58–5.38), with the first quintile as reference. For patients in the top quintile, the rate of stroke was 21.2 per 1000 patient-years, similar to participants with AF not receiving anticoagulation (20.1 per 1000 patient-years). Model discrimination was good with a C-index of 0.84 (0.75–0.91).

Conclusion

It is possible to identify a subset of HFrEF patients without AF with a stroke-risk equivalent to that of patients with AF who are not anticoagulated. In these patients, the risk-to-benefit balance might justify the use of prophylactic anticoagulation, but this hypothesis needs to be tested prospectively.
Novel cryoballoon ablation system for pulmonary vein isolation: multicenter assessment of efficacy and safety—ANTARCTICA study
Authors: Heeger Christian-H , Pott Alexander , Sohns Christian , Riesinger Lisa , Sommer Philipp , Gasperetti Alessio , Tondo Claudio , Fassini Gaetano , Moser Fabian , Lucas Philipp , Weinmann Karolina , Bohnen Jan-Eric , Dahme Tillman , Rillig Andreas , Kuck Karl-Heinz , Wakili Reza , Metzner Andreas , Tilz Roland R
Published: August 2022

Aims

Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) either by balloon devices or radiofrequency forms the cornerstone of invasive atrial fibrillation (AF) treatment. Although equally effective cryoballoon (CB)-based PVI offers shorter procedure duration and a better safety profile. Beside the worldwide established Arctic Front Advance system, a novel CB device, POLARx, was recently introduced. This CB incorporates unique features, which may translate into improved efficacy and safety. However, multicentre assessment of periprocedural efficacy and safety is lacking up to date.

Methods and results

A total of 317 patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF were included and underwent POLARx CB-based PVI in 6 centres from Germany and Italy. Acute efficacy and safety were assessed in this prospective multicenter observational study. In 317 patients [mean age: 64 ± 12 years, 209 of 317 (66%) paroxysmal AF], a total of 1256 pulmonary veins (PVs) were identified and 1252 (99,7%) PVs were successfully isolated utilizing mainly the short tip POLARx CB (82%). The mean minimal CB temperature was −57.9 ± 7°C. Real-time PVI was registered in 72% of PVs. The rate of serious adverse events was 6.0% which was significantly reduced after a learning curve of 25 cases (9.3% vs. 3.0%, P = 0.018). The rate of recurrence-free survival after mean follow-up of 226 ± 115 days including a 90-day blanking period was 86.1%.

Conclusion

In this large multicentre assessment, the novel POLARx CB shows a promising efficacy and safety profile after a short learning curve.
Prevotella merdae sp. nov., a new bacterial species isolated from human faeces
Authors: Maaloum Mossaab , Afouda Pamela , Lo Cheikh Ibrahima , Dubourg Gregory , Nguyen Thi Tien , Levasseur Anthony , Saile Rachid , Raoult Didier , Fournier Pierre-Edouard
Published: August 2022

Strain Marseille-P4119T was isolated from a faecal sample of a healthy 32-year-old faecal transplant donor. The bacterium was anaerobic, Gram-negative, rod-shaped, non-motile, and did not produce spores. We studied its phenotypic characteristics and sequenced its whole genome. The major fatty acids were C15:0anteiso and C15:0iso. The final genome assembly was 3912650 bp long with a 44.4 mol% G + C content, 3094 protein-coding genes and 74 RNA genes. Strain Marseille-P4119T exhibited a 97.10% 16S rRNA sequence identity and a 29.0% dDDH with Prevotella stercorea CB35T, OrthoANI values ranged from 68.5% with Prevotella enoeca to 77.4% with Prevotella stercorea, the phylogenetically closest bacterial species with standing in nomenclature. Based on the phylogenetic, phenotypic and genomic analyses, we propose the creation of the novel species Prevotella merdae sp. nov. The type strain is Marseille-P4119T ( = CSUR P4119T = CECT 9566T).
Comparative Genome and Evolution Analyses of an Endangered Stony Coral Species Dendrophyllia cribrosa Near Dokdo Islands in the East Sea
Authors: Kim Jungeun , Choi Jae Pil , Kim Min Sun , Jo Yejin , Min Won Gi , Woo Seonock , Yum Seungshic , Bhak Jong
Published: August 2022

Stony corals often harbor intracellular photosynthetic dinoflagellate algae that receive dissolved inorganic nutrients. However, Dendrophyllia cribrosa is a nonsymbiotic stony coral distributed in the western Pacific. We assembled a chromosome-level D. cribrosa genome using PacBio and Hi-C technologies. The final assembly was 625 Mb, distributed on 14 chromosomes, and contained 30,493 protein-coding genes. The Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs analysis revealed a percentage of 96.8 of the metazoan genome. A comparative phylogenetic analysis revealed that D. cribrosa, which lacks symbionts, evolved to acquire cellular energy by expanding genes related to acyl-CoA metabolism and carbohydrate transporters. This species also has expanded immune-related genes involved in the receptor protein tyrosine kinase signaling pathway. In addition, we observed a specific expansion of calcification genes, such as coral acid-rich proteins and carbonic anhydrase, in D. cribrosa. This high-quality reference genome and comparative analysis provides insights into the ecology and evolution of nonsymbiotic stony corals.
Estimating Genetic Variance in Life-Span Response to Diet: Insights From Statistical Simulation
Authors: Senior Alistair M
Published: August 2022

Several studies demonstrate genetic variation in response to dietary restriction (DR) by replicating treatments across isogenic lines/strains from genetic reference panels. These studies typically quantify the response to DR as an effect size, estimated for each strain separately (eg, the difference in mean life span between groups). Such “no-pooling” analyses are expected to systematically overestimate variation in response DR, principally by overlooking sampling variance. In contrast, “partial-pooling” analyses using mixed-effects models are less prone to this bias. I demonstrate these issues using simulations, which also show that partial-pooling analyses can improve replicability among studies. Regardless of the analyses used, estimates of among-strain variation will have low precision when sample sizes are small. A worked example using survival data in mice is given. Life-span studies using genetic reference panels always have to trade-off within- and among-strain replication owing to logistical challenges. The simulation presented can also be used to help design such studies through power analysis.
Large registry-based analysis of genetic predisposition to tuberculosis identifies genetic risk factors at HLA
Authors: Tervi Anniina , Junna Nella , Broberg Martin , Jones Samuel E ,   FinnGen, Partinen Markku , Pirinen Matti , Bryson Bryan , Strausz Satu , Kreivi Hanna-Riikka , Heckman Caroline A , Ollila Hanna M
Published: August 2022

Tuberculosis is a significant public health concern resulting in the death of over 1 million individuals each year worldwide. While treatment options and vaccines exist, a substantial number of infections still remain untreated or are caused by treatment resistant strains. Therefore, it is important to identify mechanisms that contribute to risk and prognosis of tuberculosis as this may provide tools to understand disease mechanisms and provide novel treatment options for those with severe infection. Our goal was to identify genetic risk factors that contribute to the risk of tuberculosis and to understand biological mechanisms and causality behind the risk of tuberculosis. A total of 1895 individuals in the FinnGen study had International Classification of Diseases-based tuberculosis diagnosis. Genome-wide association study analysis identified genetic variants with statistically significant association with tuberculosis at the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region (P < 5e−8). Fine mapping of the HLA association provided evidence for one protective haplotype tagged by HLA DQB1*05:01 (P = 1.82E−06, OR = 0.81 [CI 95% 0.74–0.88]), and predisposing alleles tagged by HLA DRB1*13:02 (P = 0.00011, OR = 1.35 [CI 95% 1.16–1.57]). Furthermore, genetic correlation analysis showed association with earlier reported risk factors including smoking (P < 0.05). Mendelian randomization supported smoking as a risk factor for tuberculosis (inverse-variance weighted P < 0.05, OR = 1.83 [CI 95% 1.15–2.93]) with no significant evidence of pleiotropy. Our findings indicate that specific HLA alleles associate with the risk of tuberculosis. In addition, lifestyle risk factors such as smoking contribute to the risk of developing tuberculosis.
Simple open-heart surgery protocol for sickle-cell disease patients: a retrospective cohort study comparing patients undergoing mitral valve surgery
Authors: Epis Francesco , Chatenoud Liliane , Somaschini Alberto , Bitetti Ilaria , Cantarero Fulvio , Salvati Alessandro Cristian , Rocchi Daniela , Lentini Salvatore , Giovanella Elena , Portella Gina , Langer Martin
Published: August 2022

OBJECTIVES

Sickle-cell disease (SCD) patients are considered to be at high risk from open-heart surgery. This study assessed the role of a simple sickling-prevention protocol.

METHODS

Perioperative non-specific and SCD-specific morbidity and 30-day mortality are investigated in a retrospective cohort study on patients undergoing isolated mitral valve surgery. Patients with and without SCD were compared. In the SCD cohort, a bundle of interventions was applied to limit the risk of sickling: ‘on-demand’ transfusions to keep haemoglobin levels of around 7–8 g/dl, cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) with higher blood flow and perfusion temperature, close monitoring of acid–base balance and oxygenation.

RESULTS

Twenty patients with and 40 patients without SCD were included. At baseline, only preoperative haemoglobin levels differed between cohorts (8.1 vs 11.8 g/dl, P < 0.001). Solely SCD patients received preoperative transfusions (45.0%). Intraoperative transfusions were significantly larger in SCD patients during CPB (priming: 300 vs 200 ml; entire length: 600 vs 300 ml and 20 vs 10 ml/kg). SCD patients had higher perfusion temperatures during CPB (34.7 vs 33.0°C, P = 0.01) with consequently higher pharyngeal temperature, both during cooling (34.1 vs 32.3°C, P = 0.02) and rewarming (36.5 vs 36.2°C, P = 0.02). No mortality occurred, and non-SCD-specific complications were comparable between groups, but one SCD patient suffered from perioperative cerebrovascular accident with seizures, and another had evident haemolysis.

CONCLUSIONS

SCD patients may undergo open-heart surgery for mitral valve procedures with an acceptable risk profile. Simple but thoughtful perioperative management, embracing ‘on-demand’ transfusions and less-aggressive CPB cooling is feasible and probably efficacious.
AVNeo improves early haemodynamics in regurgitant bicuspid aortic valves compared to aortic valve repair
Authors: Prinzing Anatol , Böhm Johannes , Sideris Konstantinos , Vitanova Keti , Lange Rüdiger , Krane Markus
Published: August 2022

OBJECTIVES

Calcified or fibrotic cusps in patients with bicuspid aortic valves and aortic regurgitation complicate successful aortic valve (AV)-repair. Aortic valve neocuspidization (AVNeo) with autologous pericardium offers an alternative treatment to prosthetic valve replacement. We compared patients with regurgitant bicuspid valves undergoing AV-repair or AVNeo.

METHODS

We retrospectively analysed patients with regurgitant bicuspid valves undergoing AV-repair or AVNeo. We focused on residual regurgitation, pressure gradients and effective orifice area, determined preoperatively and at discharge.

RESULTS

AV-repair was performed in 61 patients (mean age: 43.2 ± 11.3 years) and AVNeo in 22 (45.7 ± 14.1). Prior to the operation patients of the AV-repair group showed severe regurgitation in 38 cases (62.3%) and moderate in 23 (37.6%); in the AVNeo group, all patients exhibited severe regurgitation. Postoperatively, 57 patients (93.4%) patients had no or mild regurgitation after AV-repair and 21 (95.4%) after AVNeo. In AVNeo-patients, peak (10.6 ± 3.1 mmHg vs 22.7 ± 11 mmHg, P< 0.001) and mean pressure gradients (5.9 ± 2 mmHg vs 13.8 ± 7.3 mmHg, P < 0.001) were significantly lower and the orifice area significantly larger (2.9 ± 0.8 cm2 vs 1.9 ± 0.7 cm2, P < 0.001) compared to repair.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to AV-repair, patients AVNeo showed lower mean pressure gradients and larger orifice areas at discharge. The functional result was not different.
Laplace crossover and random replacement strategy boosted Harris hawks optimization: performance optimization and analysis
Authors: Yu Helong , Qiao Shimeng , Heidari Ali Asghar , El-Saleh Ayman A , Bi Chunguang , Mafarja Majdi , Cai Zhennao , Chen Huiling
Published: August 2022

Harris hawks optimization has been a popular swarm intelligence algorithm in recent years. In order to improve the local exploitation ability of the algorithm and improve the problem of slow convergence speed, an enhanced Harris hawks optimization algorithm based on Laplace crossover and random replacement strategy is proposed. This variant uses two optimization mechanisms. Firstly, Laplace crossover is added to enhance the exploitation ability of the algorithm. At the same time, the random replacement strategy is introduced into the original algorithm, which accelerates the convergence speed. The basic functions, IEEE CEC2011 and IEEE CEC2017 functions are used for algorithms comparison, balance diversity analysis, and high-dimensional experiments to verify the superiority of the algorithm proposed in this paper. The experimental results show that the improved algorithm has the advantages of strong optimization ability, high convergence accuracy, and fast convergence speed. The algorithm has solved five engineering design problems using these advantages and can effectively deal with constraint problems.
Automatic generation of synthetic datasets from a city digital twin for use in the instance segmentation of building facades
Authors: Zhang Jiaxin , Fukuda Tomohiro , Yabuki Nobuyoshi
Published: August 2022

The extraction and integration of building facade data are necessary for the development of information infrastructure for urban environments. However, existing methods for parsing building facades based on semantic segmentation have difficulties in distinguishing individual instances of connected buildings. Manually collecting and annotating instances of building facades in large datasets is time-consuming and labor-intensive. With the recent development and use of city digital twins (CDTs), massive high-quality digital assets of buildings have been created. These assets make it possible to generate high-quality and cost-effective synthetic datasets that can replace real-world ones as training sets for the supervised learning-based instance segmentation of building facades. In this study, we developed a novel framework that can automatically produce synthetic datasets from a CDT. An auto-generation system for synthetic street views was built by rendering city digital assets in a game engine, while the system auto-generated the instance annotations for building facades. The hybrid dataset HSRBFIA, along with various subsets containing different proportions of synthetic and real data, were used to train deep learning models for facade instance segmentation. In our experiments, two types of synthetic data (CDT-based and virtual-based) were compared, and the results showed that the CDT synthetic data were more effective in boosting deep learning training with real-world images compared with the virtual synthetic data (no real-world counterparts). By swapping a certain portion of the real data with the proposed CDT synthetic images, the performance could almost match what is achievable when using the real-world training set.
Integrated Pest Management Programs for Pear Psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola (Förster) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), Using Kaolin Clay and Reflective Plastic Mulch
Authors: Nottingham Louis B , Orpet Robert J , Beers Elizabeth H
Published: August 2022

Pear psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola (Förster) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), is the most economically important pest of pears grown in Washington State. Standard conventional management programs involve season-long broad-spectrum insecticide sprays. Although the industry uses some tools that are not disruptive to biological control, such as kaolin clay and selective insecticides, they are additions to broad-spectrum insecticides instead of replacements. Conventional sprays suppress pear psylla through the spring and early summer; however, disruption of biological control leads to pear psylla outbreaks near harvest. In 2018 and 2019, we tested two season-long programs that used only selective approaches. The programs began with either kaolin clay or reflective plastic mulch and were followed by identical spray programs using only selective insecticides. Programs were compared with an industry standard conventional program that used numerous broad-spectrum insecticides throughout the season, and a check program with no insecticides for pear psylla. Experiments were conducted using replicated 40-tree plots in a research orchard near Wenatchee, WA with high pear psylla pressure. In both years, selective programs had similar pear psylla densities to the industry standard program and all had lower pear psylla densities and fruit injury than the check. Both selective programs had lower fruit injury than the industry standard in the first year, and similar injury to the industry standard in the second year. Our results suggest kaolin clay and reflective mulch can effectively suppress pear psylla populations and injury in the early season and support season-long selective management programs without the use of broad-spectrum insecticides.
Reconciling Relational Contracting and Hold-up: A Model of Repeated Negotiations
Authors: Goldlücke Susanne , Kranz Sebastian
Published: August 2022

Game-theoretic analysis of relational contracts typically studies Pareto optimal equilibria. We illustrate how this equilibrium selection rules out very intuitive hold-up concerns in stochastic games with long-term decisions. The key problem is that Pareto optimal equilibria, even if satisfying renegotiation-proofness, do not reflect plausible concerns about how today’s actions affect future bargaining positions within the relationship. We propose and characterize an alternative equilibrium selection based on the notion that continuation play is repeatedly negotiated in a relationship. We illustrate with several examples how the concept naturally combines relational contracting and hold-up concerns.