bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correlates of Available Livelihood Options among Rural Youth in Hills of Uttarakhand State, India
Authors: Joshi Divyata , Kashyap S. K.
Published: February 2021

Uttarakhand state has an immense opportunity for agriculture-based livelihood options yet the out-migration has not reduced. One reason behind may be the lack of awareness among youth hence, a study was conducted to compile the possible agricultural occupation for the area and identify the level of awareness among the youth about these livelihood options. The young people of the study were found to have low level of awareness for majority of the ventures particularly for those not being practiced traditionally in the area. This paper discusses the relationship between profile characteristics of youth and their level of awareness. The data was collected through multistage sampling and analyzed using SPSS software. The results revealed that majority of the respondents were young, females, educated up to higher secondary level, and belonged to medium size family. Majority of the respondents belonged to farming background, were students and unmarried. All of them owned television and majority of them owned mobile phones. They had medium level of mass media exposure, information seeking behaviour and cosmopoliteness and low level of extension agency contact. Among the socio-economic, personal, communication characteristics; age, extension agency contact and information seeking behaviour had a significant positive correlation with awareness about selected livelihood options related to agriculture in hills of Uttarakhand. A communication strategy can be formulated to facilitate contact of extension agencies with youth and more number of need-based trainings should be initiated for youth.
Study of the Acute Toxicity and Antipyretic Activity of the Aqueous Extract of the Bark Distemonanthus benthamianus Baill (Caesalpiniaceae: Leguminosae -Caesalpinioideae)
Authors: Kouadio K. J. , Ouattara-Soro F. S. , Tovi W. M. O. , Yao K. B. , GboGbo M. , Aboli T. B. L. , Abizi G. , Begbin K. E. , Kone A.
Published: February 2021

Aims: Distemonanthus benthamianus is a widespread plant in West Africa. The bark of its stem is used popularly to treat a variety of illnesses, including fever, bronchitis, rheumatism and malaria. The objective of this work is to evaluate the antipyretic activity of the aqueous extract of the bark of Distemonanthus benthamianus.

Materials and Methods: The aqueous extract of the bark of D. benthamianus was tested for their acute oral toxicity in rats. Antipyretic activity was studied in rats of the Wistar strain made feverish after subcutaneous injection of an aqueous suspension of brewer's yeast (Saccharomycete cerevisiae) 20% compared to aspirin.

Results: This study showed that administration of the extract at doses of 300, 2000 and 5000 mg / kg / kg dry extract in rats showed no acute toxicity or adverse effects. The results showed that the best antipyretic activity of the extract was recorded at a dose of 800 mg / kg, at the third hour, with a decrease in fever from 39.29 ± 0.14°C to 37.75 ± 0.25°C, i.e. a percentage inhibition of 57% against 62% for the standard molecule (p> 0.05). At this dose, CRP was 3.85 ± 0.1 mg / L compared to that of the healthy control which was 2.78 ± 0.35 mg / L. The results of the albumin assay did not show a significant difference between the treated and untreated fever groups and the healthy control group. In addition, the results showed that the leukocyte level in the feverish control rats is very high (18.84 103 / mm3 of leukocytes) compared to the healthy and treated control rats.

Conclusion: The aqueous extract of the bark of Distemonanthus benthamianus is not oral toxic and has interesting antipyretic activities similar to aspirin. The results obtained confirm the validity of the traditional indication of this plant in the management of fever by African populations.
Obstacles to Women in Computing: Re-Examining the Literature in 2020
Authors: Butterfield Jeff , Crews Thad
Published: February 2021

This report examines the ongoing gender divide in computing and, in particular, the determinants and distractors that influence women's decisions to study and pursue careers in technology.Numerous research studies have explored this divide in the past, and many of the findings are routinely cited in the literature.However, most of this research was conducted some years ago.Technology is a field that changes rapidly, and societal understanding and embracement of computers and technology have also evolved.This paper reports on a longitudinal study that seeks to measure changes in perceptions over time and determine whether or not prior barriers are as impactful as they might have been.
Base‐Promoted Direct Cascade Transformation of Chromones to Coumarins via Benzannulation and Transesterification
Authors: Cai Hongyun , Khanal Hari Datta , Lee Yong Rok
Published: February 2021

A mild base‐promoted reaction between 3‐substituted chromones and β‐keto esters for the easy access to various coumarins with structural diversity is described. This protocol provides highly functionalized 3‐acyl‐4‐arylcoumarins in good‐to‐excellent yield via benzannulation and transesterification. A reaction mechanism containing Michael addition, 1,5‐H shift and intramolecular transesterification is proposed.
Nano‐silica embedded polydimethylsiloxane on interdigitated sensor as adhesive polymer for detecting lung cancer mutation
Authors: Abulaiti Abulimiti , Salai Adili , Sun Xiaohong , Yibulayin Waresijiang , Gao Yunfei , Gopinath Subash C.B. , Sun Wei
Published: February 2021

Non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) incited by epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation makes up ∼85% of lung cancer diagnosed and death cases worldwide. The presented study introduced an alternative approach in detecting EGFR mutation using nano‐silica integrated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer on interdigitated electrode (IDE) sensor. A 400 μm gap‐sized aluminum IDE was modified with nano‐polymer layer, which was made up of silica nanoparticles and PDMS polymer. IDE and PDMS‐coated IDE (PDMS/IDE) were imaged using electron microscopes that reveals its smooth and ideal sensor morphology. The nano‐silica‐integrated PDMS/IDE surface was immobilized with EGFR probe and target to specify the lung cancer detection. The sensor specificity was justified through the insignificant current readouts with one‐base mismatch and noncomplementary targets. The sensitivity of nano‐silica‐integrated PDMS/IDE was examined with mutant target spiked in human serum, where the resulting current affirms the detection of EGFR mutation. Based on the slope of the calibration curve, the sensitivity of nano‐silica‐integrated PDMS/IDE was 2.24E−9 A M–1. The sensor recognizes EGFR mutation lowest at 1 aM complementary mutant target; however, the detection limit obtained based on 3σ calculation is 10 aM with regression value of 0.97.
An insight into the role of telmisartan as PPAR‐γ/α dual activator in the management of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Devan Aswathy R. , Nair Bhagyalakshmi , Kumar Ayana R. , Nath Lekshmi R.
Published: February 2021

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common hepatic disease. It is rapidly emerging as the frequent cause for liver transplantation with the risk of disease recurrence, even after transplantation. Clinical evidence showed an abnormally altered expression of different peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPAR) isotypes (PPAR‐α/γ/δ) in NAFLD with an involvement in the induction of insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, and hepatic inflammation. Recently, several dual PPAR‐γ/α agonists were developed to simultaneously achieve the insulin‐sensitizing effect of PPAR‐γ as well as lipid catabolizing effect of PPAR‐α. PPAR‐α activation could counterbalance the steatogenic and adipogenic effects of PPAR‐γ. But most of the drugs were ended in the initial level itself due to harmful adverse effects. In the present review, we discuss the possible mechanism of telmisartan, a typical angiotensin receptor blocker with excellent safety and pharmacokinetic profile, as a PPAR‐γ/α dual agonist in the treatment of NAFLD.
Estimating social‐ecological resilience: fire management futures in the Sonoran Desert
Authors: Aslan Clare E. , Sandor Manette , Sample Martha , Stortz Sasha , Souther Sara , Levine Carrie , Samberg Leah , Gray Miranda , Dickson Brett
Published: February 2021

Resilience quantifies the ability of a system to remain in or return to its current state following disturbance. Due to inconsistent terminology and usage of resilience frameworks, quantitative resilience studies are challenging, and resilience is often treated as an abstract concept rather than a measurable system characteristic. We used a novel, spatially explicit stakeholder engagement process to quantify social‐ecological resilience to fire, in light of modeled social‐ecological fire risk, across the non‐fire‐adapted Sonoran Desert Ecosystem in Arizona, USA. Depending on its severity and the characteristics of the ecosystem, fire as a disturbance has the potential to drive ecological state change. As a result, fire regime change is of increasing concern as global change and management legacies alter the distribution and flammability of fuels. Because management and use decisions impact resources and ecological processes, social and ecological factors must be evaluated together to predict resilience to fire. We found highest fire risk in the central and eastern portions of the study area, where flammable fuels occur with greater density and frequency and managers reported fewer management resources than in other locations. We found lowest fire resilience in the southeastern portion of the study area, where combined ecological and social factors, including abundant fuels, few management resources, and little evidence of past institutional adaptability, indicated that sites were least likely to retain their current characteristics and permit achievement of current management objectives. Analyzing ecological and social characteristics together permits regional managers to predict the effects of changing fire regimes across large, multi‐jurisdictional landscapes and to consider where to direct resources. This study brought social and ecological factors together into a common spatial framework to produce vulnerability maps; our methods may inform researchers and managers in other systems facing novel disturbance and spatially variable resilience.
A modified multilevel meshfree algorithm for steady convection‐diffusion problems
Authors: Barik Nikunja Bihari , Tatavarthi Venkata Satya Sekhar
Published: February 2021

In this work, a modified multilevel augmented local radial basis function (RBF‐FD) meshfree algorithm is developed. The primary goal is the level‐by‐level calculation and then level‐by‐level correction from coarsest level to finest level node points. Numerical experiments are presented to verify the accuracy and efficiency of our developed algorithms with 2D convection‐diffusion problem and coupled nonlinear equations. Numerical results are presented through the figures and tables to demonstrate accuracy, efficiency, and convergence of the method. The developed scheme saves 56% of the CPU time for the 2D convection‐diffusion problem and at least 86% of the CPU time for coupled nonlinear equations than the usual local RBF method available in the literature. The iteration matrix of the modified multilevel RBF‐FD method satisfies the necessary and sufficient condition for convergence.
Retinal cross‐section motion correction in three‐dimensional retinal optical coherence tomography
Authors: Wu Nanshou , Yi Min , Guan Caizhong , Wang Mingyi , Zhang Zhang , Yang Xulun , Li Hongyi , Han Dingan , Zeng Yaguang , Tang Zhilie
Published: February 2021

Motion correction is an important issue in ophthalmic optical coherence tomography (OCT), and can improve the ability of data sets to reflect the physiological structures of tissues and make visualization and subsequent analysis easier. In this study, we present a novel method to correct the cross‐sectional motion artifacts in retinal OCT volumes. Motion along the x‐direction (fast‐scan direction) is corrected through the normalized cross‐correlation algorithm, while axial motion compensation is performed using the polynomial fitting method on the inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS) layer segmented by the shortest path faster algorithm (SPFA). The results of volunteers with central serous chorioretinopathy demonstrate that the proposed method effectively corrects motion artifacts in OCT volumes and may have potential application value in the evaluation of ophthalmic diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and age‐related macular degeneration.
Amazonian mesoscale convective systems: Life cycle and propagation characteristics
Authors: Anselmo Evandro M. , Machado Luiz A. T. , Schumacher Courtney , Kiladis George N.
Published: February 2021

Convective system tracking was performed using 30‐min GOES‐13 infrared imagery over the Amazon region during 2014 and 2015. A total of 116,701 convective systems were identified and statistics on the probability of occurrence of track area, lifetime, and system velocity were analysed. Maps of the total and seasonal geographic density of trajectories and the geographic density of clusters at genesis, during propagation, and at dissipation were also assessed. The mean area and lifetime of the tracked systems was 4 × 104 km2 and 3 hr, respectively. The top 10% largest systems had areas >8 × 104 km2 and the top 10% longest lived systems lasted >7 hr. The geographical distribution of clusters identified on the coast and within the Amazon basin varied seasonally and their life cycle tracking showed that they are typically distinct from one another (i.e., it is relatively rare for systems to start at the coast and propagate 1,500 km to the centre of the basin). Although the average system velocity indicated a predominantly westward motion, a large spread in the direction of propagation was found. In particular, the probability of a meridional component of motion was generally the same for northward or southward directions and 35% of the zonal propagation was associated with eastward movement. The presence of Kelvin waves accounted for some of the eastward system motion, in addition to increasing the area and lifetime of storms compared to when Kelvin waves were not present.
Zwischen Wunsch und Wirklichkeit: Zum Zusammenhang von sozialer Herkunft, Migration und Bildungsaspirationen
Authors: Astleithner Franz , Vogl Susanne , Parzer Michael
Published: February 2021

Bildungsaspirationen – Ziele, die als erstrebenswert und möglich betrachtet werden – hängen von der sozialen Herkunft ab und wirken sich auf die Bildungserfolge aus. Somit sind sie ein wesentlicher Faktor in der Reproduktion sozialer Ungleichheit: Höhere soziale Positionen der Eltern gehen mit höheren Aspirationen von Jugendlichen einher. Liegt ein Migrationshintergrund vor, sind die Aspirationen tendenziell ambitionierter als wenn dies nicht der Fall ist. Die Zusammenhänge zwischen sozialer Position der Eltern und den Aspirationen der Jugendlichen im Migrationskontext sind bislang jedoch nicht ausreichend geklärt. Auf Basis des Projektes „Wege in die Zukunft“, in dem Schüler*innen der 4. Klasse NMS in Wien 2018 online befragt wurden (n = 2850) zeigen wir, dass je nach Migrationsgeneration der Bildungshintergrund der Eltern (Indikator für die soziale Herkunft) die idealistische Bildungsaspiration unterschiedlich beeinflusst. Weiters divergieren die realistischen Bildungsaspirationen nicht nach Migrationshintergrund, sondern lediglich nach dem Bildungshintergrund. Im Migrationskontext ergeben sich also spezifische Zusammenhänge zwischen sozialer Herkunft und idealistischen sowie realistischen Bildungsaspirationen, die anknüpfende theoretische und empirische Forschung notwendig machen.
A comprehensive taxonomy of security and privacy issues in RFID
Authors: Kumar Atul , Jain Ankit Kumar , Dua Mohit
Published: February 2021

Internet of things (IoT) is made up of many devices like sensors, tags, actuators, mobile devices, and many more. These devices interact with each other without human interaction. Radio-frequency identification (RFID) devices are used to track people, assets, objects, etc. Along with the small memory capacity and low-power battery issues, these devices suffer from various security-related issues. These security threats include attacks such as replay, disclosure, tracking, offline guessing, denial of service attacks, and many more. In the last few decades, the researchers have suggested various security approaches to overcome these vulnerabilities. Hence, this paper discusses various possible attacks that can occur on an RFID system, and several security schemes that have been proposed to handle these attacks. First, the works presents the architecture of IoT in detail. Second, all possible attacks are described by categorizing them into confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Then, taxonomy of various security schemes, to deal with these attacks, is discussed under the criteria cryptography approaches, privacy, authentication, authorization, and availability. Finally, the paper describes various issues and challenges to have a better understanding of scope of the future research in the field of RFID security.
Single-Layer ZnO Hollow Hemispheres Enable High-Performance Self-Powered Perovskite Photodetector for Optical Communication
Authors: Pan Xiyan , Zhang Jianqiang , Zhou Hai , Liu Ronghuan , Wu Dingjun , Wang Rui , Shen Liangping , Tao Li , Zhang Jun , Wang Hao
Published: February 2021

The carrier transport layer with reflection reduction morphology has attracted extensive attention for improving the utilization of light. Herein, we introduced single-layer hollow ZnO hemisphere arrays (ZHAs) behaving light trapping effect as the electron transport layer in perovskite photodetectors (PDs). The single-layer hollow ZHAs can not only reduce the reflection, but also widen the angle of the effective incident light and especially transfer the distribution of the optical field from the ZnO/FTO interface to the perovskite active layer confirmed by the 3D finite-difference time-domain simulation. These merits benefit for the generation, transport and separation of carriers, improving the light utilization efficiency. Finally, our optimized FTO/ZHA/CsPbBr3/carbon structure PDs showed high self-powered performance with a linear dynamic range of 120.3 dB, a detectivity of 4.2 × 1012 Jones, rise/fall time of 13/28 µs and the f−3 dB of up to 28 kHz. Benefiting from the high device performance, the PD was demonstrated to the application in the directional transmission of encrypted files as the signal receiving port with super high accuracy. This work uniquely utilizes the features of high-performance self-powered perovskite PDs in optical communication, paving the path to wide applications of all-inorganic perovskite PDs.
Pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma crisis: case series from a tertiary referral center for pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas
Authors: Meijs Anouk C , Snel Marieke , Corssmit Eleonora P M
Published: February 2021

Pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma (PPGL)-induced catecholamine crisis is a rare endocrine emergency leading to life-threatening hemodynamic instability causing end-organ damage or dysfunction. As it is associated with a significant mortality rate of approximately 15%, recognizing the signs and symptoms and making the appropriate diagnosis are critical. For this purpose, we report the clinical course of the crisis in four out of a total of six patients with a PPGL crisis from a cohort of 199 PPGL patients of a single tertiary referral center for PPGL patients in the Netherlands diagnosed between 2002 and 2020. Successful treatment of a PPGL crisis demands prompt diagnosis, vigorous pharmacological therapy, and emergency tumor removal if the patient continues to deteriorate.
Theatre in Market Economies
Authors: McKinnie Michael
Published: February 2021

Theatre in Market Economies explores the complex relationship between theatre and the market economy since the 1990s. Bringing together research from the arts and social sciences, the book proposes that theatre has increasingly taken up the mission of the 'mixed economy' by seeking to combine economic efficiency with social security while promoting liberal democracy. McKinnie situates this analysis within a wider context, in which the welfare state's tools have been used to regulate, ever more closely, the lives of citizens rather than the operations of markets. In the process, the book invites us to think in new ways about longstanding economic and political problems in and through the theatre: the nature of industry, productivity, citizenship, security and economic confidence. Theatre in Market Economies depicts a theatre that is not only a familiar cultural institution but is, in unexpected and often ambiguous ways, an exemplary political-economic one as well.
Public Service Motivation and Public Opinion
Authors: Piatak Jaclyn S. , Holt Stephen B.
Published: February 2021

Practitioners, policymakers, and scholars across fields and disciplines seek to understand factors that shape public opinion and public service values, especially in today's polarized context. Yet we know little about how the two relate. Research on public service motivation (PSM), a drive to help others grounded in public institutions, has grown to examine career decisions and behaviors within and outside the workplace, but does the influence of PSM extend to individual values? Using data from the Cooperative Congressional Election Study surrounding the 2016 US presidential election, we first examine the antecedents of PSM; how do individual characteristics as well as socioeconomic and sociocultural factors influence levels of PSM? Second, we describe the role PSM plays in shaping public opinion on policy preferences, budget priorities, and political behaviors. Findings have implications for both understanding who has PSM as well as how PSM shapes public preferences, attitudes, and behaviors.
The Art of Military Coercion
Authors: de Wijk Rob
Published: February 2021

The United States spends more on its military than the rest of the world combined. And Western nations in general spend far more than developing nations around the globe. Yet when Western nations have found themselves in conflicts in recent decades, their performance has been mixed at best. In his fully updated new edition of The Art of Military Coercion, Rob de Wijk presents a theory on the use of force. He argues that the key is a failure to use force decisively, to properly understand the dynamics of conflict and balance means and ends. Without that ability, superiority of dollars, numbers, and weaponry won't necessarily translate to victory.
Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll in the Dutch Golden Age
Authors: Roberts Benjamin B.
Published: February 2021

Binge drinking and illicit sex were just as common in the Dutch Golden Age as they are today, if not more so. Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll in the Dutch Golden Age is a compelling narrative about the generation of young men that came of age in the Dutch Republic during the economic boom of the early seventeenth century. Contrary to their parents' wishes, the younger generation grew up in luxury and wore extravagant clothing, grew their hair long, and squandered their time drinking and smoking. They created a new youth culture with many excesses; one that we today associate with the counterculture generation of the 1960s.With his engaging storytelling style and humorous anecdotes, Roberts convincingly reveals that deviant male youth behavior is common to all times, especially periods when youngsters have too much money and too much free time on their hands.
Aphasia and Math: Deficits with Basic Number Comprehension and in Numerical Activities of Daily Living
Authors: Proios Hariklia , Tsakpounidou Kalliopi , Karapanayiotides Theodoros , Priftis Konstantinos , Semenza Carlo
Published: February 2021

Objective:

In the present study, we explored numerical problems in individuals with aphasia. We investigate whether numerical deficits, usually accompanying aphasia, can be observed on number comprehension tasks that do not necessarily require an oral response.

Method:

Individuals with aphasia were classified into anterior, posterior, and global subgroups according to the lesion type. To investigate numerical cognition, we used a relatively recent tool, the Numerical Activities of Daily Living (NADL).

Results:

The results showed that individuals with aphasia have problems with tasks of basic number comprehension as well as in most NADL. In the formal part of the NADL, anterior aphasic patients made comparatively more errors than the posterior aphasic patients. Global aphasic patients presented an invariably poor performance on almost all tasks.

Conclusion:

The results provide insight into how numerical deficits may impair an individual with aphasia in activities of daily living. This study is a preliminary attempt to start the validation process of the NADL for the Greek population.
Forests Mitigate Drought in an Agricultural Region of the Brazilian Amazon: Atmospheric Moisture Tracking to Identify Critical Source Areas
Authors: Mu Ye , Biggs Trent W. , De Sales Fernando
Published: February 2021

Tropical rainforests provide essential ecosystem services to agricultural areas, including moisture recycling. In the Amazon basin, drought frequency has increased in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, but the role of forests, ocean, and nonforested areas in causing or mitigating drought has not been determined. Using a precipitationshed moisture tracking framework, we quantify the contribution sources of evaporation to rainfall in Rondônia in the Brazilian Amazon. Forests account for ∼48% of annual rainfall on average, and more than half of the forest source is from protected areas (PAs). During droughts in 2005 and 2010, moisture supply decreased from oceans and nonforested areas, while supply from forests was stable and compensated for the decrease. Remote sensing and land surface models corroborate the relative insensitivity of forest evapotranspiration to droughts. Forests mitigate drought in the agricultural study region, providing an important ecosystem service that could be disrupted with further deforestation.
Seismic Anisotropy and Mantle Deformation Beneath the Central Sunda Plate
Authors: Song Wenkai , Yu Youqiang , Gao Stephen S. , Liu Kelly H. , Fu Yifang
Published: February 2021

The central Sunda plate, which forms the core of Southeast Asia, has been extensively studied based on analyses of data mainly from surface geological observations. In contrast, largely due to the limited coverage by seismic stations in the area, a number of key issues associated with mantle structure and dynamics remain enigmatic. These can possibly be constrained by investigating seismic azimuthal anisotropy in the upper mantle. Here we employ the shear wave splitting technique on three P‐to‐S converted phases from the core‐mantle boundary (PKS, SKKS, and SKS) recorded by 11 stations to systematically explore the spatial variation of azimuthal anisotropy beneath the central Sunda plate. Most of the Malay Peninsula is revealed to possess mostly trench‐perpendicular fast orientations that can be attributed to mantle flow induced by the Indo‐Australian subduction. In addition, the central part of the Malay Peninsula is characterized by a 2‐layered model of anisotropy, which is possibly associated with the joint effects of lithospheric fabrics and a slab tear‐induced toroidal flow. Absolute plate motion (APM)‐parallel anisotropy is observed in northern Borneo and the Nansha Block, where APM‐driven simple shear in the transitional layer between the partially coupled lithosphere and asthenosphere is mostly responsible for the observed anisotropy. The APM‐induced flow may be locally modified by a fossil slab segment beneath Sabah.
A Satellite‐Based Assessment of the Relative Contribution of Hydroclimatic Variables on Vegetation Growth in Global Agricultural and Nonagricultural Regions
Authors: Asoka Akarsh , Wardlow Brian , Tsegaye Tadesse , Huber Matthew , Mishra Vimal
Published: February 2021

Vegetation growth plays a crucial role in the carbon cycle and climate change mitigation. However, the relative contribution of hydroclimatic variables (relative humidity, terrestrial water storage, day and night‐time land surface temperatures) on vegetation growth of agricultural and nonagricultural areas at the global scale remains unexplored. Using satellite‐based datasets, we examined the changes in Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the four hydroclimatic variables during 2003–2014. Also, the relative contribution of the four hydroclimatic variables on vegetation growth in agricultural and nonagricultural areas was estimated. A significant (p‐value < 0.05) greening has occurred in the agricultural regions of India and Brazil during 2003–2014. Whereas in nonagriculture areas, a considerable greening occurred only in India and China during the 2003–2014 period. Among the four hydroclimatic variables, both day‐time and night‐time land surface temperature are the significant contributors of vegetation growth in the two‐thirds of the global landmass. Terrestrial water storage is a substantial contributor to the vegetation growth in the tropics and subtropics. Night‐time land surface temperature is strongly associated with the vegetation growth in the colder regions. The hydroclimatic variables do not explain the considerable amount of the total variance of vegetation growth over the agricultural areas in China, which is due to human agricultural management practices. Generally, the response of hydroclimate variables on vegetation growth in the agricultural and nonagricultural areas has significant implications in many areas, including food security, carbon sequestration, water resource management, and climate change.
Forest Thinning in Ponderosa Pines Increases Carbon Use Efficiency and Energy Flow From Primary Producers to Primary Consumers
Authors: Doughty Christopher E. , O. Prŷs‐Jones Tomos , Abraham Andrew J. , Kolb Thomas E.
Published: February 2021

A better understanding of carbon use efficiency (CUE) and carbon allocation during disturbance is critical to improve simulations of the global carbon cycle and understanding future climate impacts. Forest thinning of high‐stem density, high elevation dry western US forests is becoming more common to reduce severe fire danger but there are uncertainties about how forest thinning may impact forest CUE, carbon allocation and energy flow through the food chain. In three, quarter ha stands with similar soils, elevation and climate along a forest thinning gradient near Flagstaff (AZ), we measured total net primary production (NPP of wood, fine root, and leaves), total autotrophic respiration (Raof wood, rhizosphere, and canopy respiration), gross primary production (GPP = NPP + Ra) and large mammal herbivory (with camera traps and dung counts) over a ∼2‐year period. We found strong seasonality in all carbon cycling variables and herbivory, peaking during the warm, wet monsoon period. Carbon was produced more efficiently in the thinned stands, with carbon use efficiency (CUE = NPP/GPP) of ∼0.63, versus the unthinned stand with CUE of 0.38. GPP was similar in the two thinned stands (∼3.5 Mg C ha−1 yr−1) but was about 30% greater in the unthinned stands (5.0 Mg C ha−1 yr−1). Finally, the thinned stand had higher understory NPP, large herbivore consumption and had triple the total energy going into primary consumers. Overall, the thinning, and the return to a more natural prefire suppression forest structure, increased the CUE and energy flow from primary producers to primary consumers.
A 1 Million Year Record of Biogenic Silica in the Indian Ocean Sector of the Southern Ocean: Regional Versus Global Forcing of Primary Productivity
Authors: Kaiser Emily A. , Billups Katharina , Bradtmiller Louisa
Published: February 2021

A new orbital‐scale record of bulk sediment biogenic silica (opal) content from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 745B spans the past 630 kyr (Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 1–16). Together with the published portion of the record (MIS 16–31, Billups et al., 2018), we obtain a 1 million year orbital‐scale record of paleoproductivity in the Antarctic Zone of the Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean. A coherent age model is based on tuning variations in the opal content to the benthic foraminiferal δ18O stack of Lisiecki and Raymo (2005). Consistent with other sites from the Antarctic Zone of the Southern Ocean, we align opal maxima with interglacial and opal minima with glacial intervals. Opal variations are significant at all three primary periodicities (100, 40, and 23 kyr), coherent (>95%), and in‐phase with the tuning target on the scale of individual cycles as well as their amplitude modulation. This supports the assumption of global ice volume‐related changes in Southern Ocean paleoproductivity in the derivation of the age model. Between MIS 11 and 4, however, the opal record lacks minima corresponding to the glacial extremes of MIS 10, 8, and 6. During this interval of time, opal fluctuates primarily with a 23 kyr precession signal. We suggest that the productivity response to precession reflects an ice‐free sea surface that remains sensitive to wind‐driven upwelling of nutrients. Results from Site 745B illustrate the potential importance of regional climate forcing factors on longer time scales and their interplay with global climate background conditions.
Arctic Report Card Founder Discusses the Fate of the Pole
Authors: Duncombe Jenessa
Published: February 2021

Researcher Jackie Richter-Menge has reported on the status of the melting Arctic for the past 15 years. Her observations tell a story of “mind-blowing change.”
miR-18a promotes glioblastoma development by down-regulating ALOXE3-mediated ferroptotic and anti-migration activities
Authors: Yang Xinzhi , Liu Jiangang , Wang Chenci , Cheng Kenneth King-yip , Xu Hongchao , Li Qingzhong , Hua Tian , Jiang Xue , Sheng Lili , Mao Jie , Liu Zhuohao
Published: February 2021

The development of glioblastoma (GBM) is typically accompanied by marked changes in lipid metabolism. Oxylipins and their catalyzed enzymes lipoxygenases (LOXs) have been shown to participate in the development of cancers via multiple pathways, while the understanding of LOXs in GBM remains enigmatic. Thus, we aimed to explore the expression and functional roles of LOXs in the development of GBM. Here we showed that ALOXE3 was markedly down-regulated in human GBM. Knockdown of ALOXE3 in GBM cells fostered the orthotopic tumor growth and shortened lifespan in mice. ALOXE3 deficiency rendered GBM cells resistant to p53-SLC7A11 dependent ferroptosis, promoting GBM cell survival. Mechanistically, miR-18a directly targeted ALOXE3 and suppressed its expression and functions in GBM cells. Furthermore, ALOXE3 silencing promoted 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (12-HETE) secretion from GBM cells, in turn, 12-HETE enhanced migration of GBM cells by activating Gs-protein-coupled receptor (GsPCR)-PI3K-Akt pathway in an autocrine manner. Altogether, miR-18a/ALOXE3 axis exerts tumor promoting functions by regulating ferroptosis and migration of GBM cells. Targeting miR-18a/ALOXE3 axis may provide novel therapeutic approaches for GBM treatment.
Using mitochondrial respiration inhibitors to design a novel model of bipolar disorder-like phenotype with construct, face and predictive validity
Authors: Damri O. , Asslih S. , Shemesh N. , Natour S. , Noori O. , Daraushe A. , Einat H. , Kara N. , Las G. , Agam G.
Published: February 2021

We mimicked mild mitochondrial-distress robustly reported in bipolar-disorder (BD) by chronic exposure to uniquely low doses of inhibitors of mitochondrial-respiration complexes in vitro and in vivo. Exposure of the neuronal-originating SH-SY5Y cells to very low dose (10 pM) rotenone, a mitochondrial-respiration complex (Co)I inhibitor, for 72 or 96 h did not affect cell viability and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Yet, it induced a dual effect on mitochondrial-respiration: overshooting statistically significant several-fold increase of most oxygen-consumption-rate (OCR) parameters vs. significantly decreased all OCR parameters, respectively. Chronic low doses of 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP) (CoII inhibitor) did not induce long-lasting changes in the cells’ mitochondria-related parameters. Intraperitoneal administration of 0.75 mg/kg/day rotenone to male mice for 4 or 8 weeks did not affect spontaneous and motor activity, caused behaviors associated with mania and depression following 4 and 8 weeks, respectively, accompanied by relevant changes in mitochondrial basal OCR and in levels of mitochondrial-respiration proteins. Our model is among the very few BD-like animal models exhibiting construct (mild mitochondrial dysfunction), face (decreased/increased immobility time in the forced-swim test, increased/decreased consumption of sweet solution, increased/decreased time spent in the open arms of the elevated plus maze) and predictive (reversal of rotenone-induced behavioral changes by lithium treatment) validity. Our rotenone regime, employing doses that, to the best of our knowledge, have never been used before, differs from those inducing Parkinson’s-like models by not affecting ROS-levels and cell-viability in vitro nor motor activity in vivo.
The interrelationship between confidence and correctness in a multiple-choice assessment: pointing out misconceptions and assuring valuable questions
Authors: Grazziotin-Soares Renata , Blue Coca , Feraro Rachel , Tochor Kristen , Ardenghi Thiago Machado , Curtis Donald , Ardenghi Diego Machado
Published: February 2021

Introduction

The aim of this study was to better understand the interfaces of being correct or incorrect and confident or unconfident; aiming to point out misconceptions and assure valuable questions.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted using a convenience sample of second-year dental students (n = 29) attending a preclinical endodontics course. Students answered 20 multiple-choice questions (“basic” or “moderate” level) on endodontics, all of which were followed by one confidence question (scale). Our two research questions were: (1) How was the students’ performance, considering correctness, misconceptions, and level of confidence? (2) Were the questions valuable, appropriate and friendly, and which ones led to misconceptions? Four situations arouse from the interrelationship between question correctness and confidence level: (1st) correct and confident, (2nd) correct and unconfident, (3rd) incorrect and confident (misconception) and (4th) incorrect and unconfident. Statistical analysis (α = 5%) considered the interaction between (a) students’ performance with misconceptions and confidence; (b) question’s difficulty with correctness and confidence; and (c) misconceptions with clinical and negative questions.

Results

Students had 92.5% of correctness and 84.6% of confidence level. Nine students were responsible for the 12 misconceptions. Students who had more misconceptions had lower correctness (P < 0.001). High achieving students had low confidence in their incorrect responses (P = 0.047). ‘Moderate’ questions had more incorrectness (P < 0.05) and less confidence (P = 0.02) than ‘basic’. All questions were considered valuable [for example, the ones that presented images or required a mental picture of a clinical scenario, since they induced less misconception (P = 0.007)]. There was no difference in misconceptions between negative questions and other questions (P = 0.96).

Conclusion

Preclinical endodontic students were highly correct and very confident in their responses. Students who had more misconceptions had also the lowest performance in the assessment. Questions were valuable; but some will worth further improvement for the future. A multiple-choice assessment, when combined with confidence questions, provided helpful information regarding misconceptions and questions value.
Characterising cancer-associated fibroblast heterogeneity in non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Irvine Andrew F. , Waise Sara , Green Edward W. , Stuart Beth , Thomas Gareth J.
Published: February 2021

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a key component of the tumour microenvironment with evidence suggesting they represent a heterogeneous population. This study summarises the prognostic role of all proteins characterised in CAFs with immunohistochemistry in non-small cell lung cancer thus far. The functions of these proteins in cellular processes crucial to CAFs are also analysed. Five databases were searched to extract survival outcomes from published studies and statistical techniques, including a novel method, used to capture missing values from the literature. A total of 26 proteins were identified, 21 of which were combined into 7 common cellular processes key to CAFs. Quality assessments for sensitivity analyses were carried out for each study using the REMARK criteria whilst publication bias was assessed using funnel plots. Random effects models consistently identified the expression of podoplanin (Overall Survival (OS)/Disease-specific Survival (DSS), univariate analysis HR 2.25, 95% CIs 1.80–2.82) and α-SMA (OS/DSS, univariate analysis HR 2.11, 95% CIs 1.18–3.77) in CAFs as highly prognostic regardless of outcome measure or analysis method. Moreover, proteins involved in maintaining and generating the CAF phenotype (α-SMA, TGF-β and p-Smad2) proved highly significant after sensitivity analysis (HR 2.74, 95% CIs 1.74–4.33) supporting attempts at targeting this pathway for therapeutic benefit.
Characterization of kinesthetic motor imagery compared with visual motor imageries
Authors: Yang Yu Jin , Jeon Eun Jeong , Kim June Sic , Chung Chun Kee
Published: February 2021

Motor imagery (MI) is the only way for disabled subjects to robustly use a robot arm with a brain-machine interface. There are two main types of MI. Kinesthetic motor imagery (KMI) is proprioceptive (OR somato-) sensory imagination and Visual motor imagery (VMI) represents a visualization of the corresponding movement incorporating the visual network. Because these imagery tactics may use different networks, we hypothesized that the connectivity measures could characterize the two imageries better than the local activity. Electroencephalography data were recorded. Subjects performed different conditions, including motor execution (ME), KMI, VMI, and visual observation (VO). We tried to classify the KMI and VMI by conventional power analysis and by the connectivity measures. The mean accuracies of the classification of the KMI and VMI were 98.5% and 99.29% by connectivity measures (alpha and beta, respectively), which were higher than those by the normalized power (p < 0.01, Wilcoxon paired rank test). Additionally, the connectivity patterns were correlated between the ME-KMI and between the VO-VMI. The degree centrality (DC) was significantly higher in the left-S1 at the alpha-band in the KMI than in the VMI. The MI could be well classified because the KMI recruits a similar network to the ME. These findings could contribute to MI training methods.
A new heterotropic vascularized model of total urinary bladder transplantation in a rat model
Authors: Jundziłł Arkadiusz , Witmanowski Henryk , Żary-Sikorska Ewa , Adamowicz Jan , Bodnar Magdalena , Marszałek Andrzej , Kloskowski Tomasz , Męcińska-Jundziłł Kaja , Gagat Maciej , Siedlecka Natalia , Drewa Tomasz , Pokrywczyńska Marta
Published: February 2021

This study developed a new procedure of urinary bladder transplantation on a rat model (n = 40). Heterotopic urinary bladder transplantation (n = 10) in the right groin vessels was performed. Direct urinary bladder examination, microangiography, histological analysis, and India ink injection were performed to evaluate the proposed method's functionality. Observation time was four weeks. One week after the procedure, the graft survival rate was 80%, two urinary bladders were lost due to anastomosis failure. The rest of the grafts survived two weeks without any complications. Lack of transitional epithelium or smooth muscle layer loss and lack of inflammatory process development were observed. This study was performed in order to obtain the necessary knowledge about urinary bladder transplantation. The proposed technique offers a new approach to the existing orthotropic models.
Few-shot pulse wave contour classification based on multi-scale feature extraction
Authors: Lu Peng , Liu Chao , Mao Xiaobo , Zhao Yvping , Wang Hanzhang , Zhang Hongpo , Guo Lili
Published: February 2021

The annotation procedure of pulse wave contour (PWC) is expensive and time-consuming, thereby hindering the formation of large-scale datasets to match the requirements of deep learning. To obtain better results under the condition of few-shot PWC, a small-parameter unit structure and a multi-scale feature-extraction model are proposed. In the small-parameter unit structure, information of adjacent cells is transmitted through state variables. Simultaneously, a forgetting gate is used to update the information and retain long-term dependence of PWC in the form of unit series. The multi-scale feature-extraction model is an integrated model containing three parts. Convolution neural networks are used to extract spatial features of single-period PWC and rhythm features of multi-period PWC. Recursive neural networks are used to retain the long-term dependence features of PWC. Finally, an inference layer is used for classification through extracted features. Classification experiments of cardiovascular diseases are performed on photoplethysmography dataset and continuous non-invasive blood pressure dataset. Results show that the classification accuracy of the multi-scale feature-extraction model on the two datasets respectively can reach 80% and 96%, respectively.
Compromised balance control in older people with bilateral medial knee osteoarthritis during level walking
Authors: Lee Pei-An , Wu Kuan-Hsien , Lu Hsuan-Yu , Su Kai-Wen , Wang Ting-Ming , Liu Hwa-Chang , Lu Tung-Wu
Published: February 2021

About half of the elderly population has knee osteoarthritis (OA), showing altered gait patterns with increased fall risk. The current study aimed to identify the effects of severe bilateral medial knee osteoarthritis on gait balance control, in terms of the inclination angle (IA) of the center of pressure to center of mass vector, and the rate of change of IA (RCIA). Fifteen older adults with severe bilateral medial knee OA and 15 healthy controls walked at their preferred walking speed while the kinematic and forceplate data were measured to calculate IA, RCIA and temporal–spatial parameters. The OA group showed compromised gait balance control, due to a decreased average and range of sagittal RCIA over double-limb support (DLS, p < 0.002) and single-limb support (SLS, p < 0.002), as well as an increased sagittal IA (DLS, p < 0.005). Significantly decreased frontal RCIA averages during DLS, heel-strike and toe-off, and decreased RCIA ranges during SLS and swing (p < 0.027) were also observed. Reducing RCIA during DLS appeared to help reduce the loading rate and pain at the knees, and reduced RCIA at the subsequent SLS. The results indicated an increased risk of loss of balance in the OA group, and may warrant regular monitoring for reduced RCIA during gait to determine fall risk.