bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of long-term nitrate and electrical conductivity in groundwater system of Peninsula, India
Authors: Mahanta Aiswarya Rani , Rawat Kishan Singh , Singh Sudhir Kumar , Sanjeevi S. , Mishra Anoop Kumar
Published: January 2022

We have investigated the impact of rainfall and temperature on nitrate and electrical conductivity (EC) in groundwater of the seven taluks of Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu, India using statistical framework. Total 34 years long-term data of period 1985–2018 of nitrate and EC was used for the analysis in order to identify impact of climate parameters over agrichemicals loading in groundwater. It was found that pattern of climatic parameters are also act as co-factors for loading of agrichemicals concentration in groundwater. Result show an increase of average temperature and rainfall and it does not show a direct effect on nitrate contamination in groundwater. Further, two taluk, namely Chengalpattu and Tirukalukundram have an increasing trend of nitrate loading in groundwater during non-monsoon and monsoon season due to change in land use and anthropogenic acts. The EC show rising trend for Maduranthakam and Sriperumbudur during non-monsoon season and Chengalpattu, Maduranthakam, Sriperumbudur and Tirukalukundram during monsoon season.
Experimental investigation of subsurface defect detection in concretes by infrared thermography and convection heat exchange
Authors: Pedram M. , Taylor S. , Robinson D. , Hamill G. , O’Brien E. , Uddin N.
Published: January 2022

Infrared thermography (IRT) is a non-destructive technique capable of detection and localisation of hidden subsurface defects in components of transportation infrastructure, such as concrete bridges, thereby contributing to structural health monitoring (SHM). Addressing the lack of research on subsurface defect detection in concretes by convection heat exchange, and regarding the importance of laboratory studies for proper implementation of IRT, this paper presents results from recent laboratory investigations of IRT on concrete slabs with simulated hidden defects using a convective thermal excitation mechanism. The concrete slabs in this study had simulated defects ranging 5–25 mm in depth from the surface. These studies show the effect of initial temperature, heating/cooling process, temperature range and defect depth on thermal contrast in the concrete slabs. Furthermore, this paper compares the performance of the IRT as a non-contact sensor and thermocouples attached to the surface, in the evaluation of the thermal contrast on slabs with various defect depth. The dependence of maximum thermal contrast on the initial temperature and defect depth is explored using multivariate linear regression.
Osteocalcin-expressing endothelial progenitor cells and serum osteocalcin forms are independent biomarkers of coronary atherosclerotic disease severity in male and female patients
Authors: Shahrour H. E. , Al Fahom S. , Al-Massarani G. , AlSaadi A. R. , Magni P.
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Osteocalcin (OC), an osteoblast-derived regulator of metabolic processes, and circulating early endothelial progenitor cells (EPC, CD34 − /CD133 + /KDR +) expressing OC (OC +) are potential candidates linking bone metabolism and the vasculature and might be involved in vascular atherosclerotic calcification. This study aimed at assessing the association of circulating levels of different OC forms and of EPCs count with disease severity in patients with documented coronary atherosclerosis (CAD).

Methods

Patients (n = 59) undergoing coronary angiography were divided, according to stenosis severity, into (1) early coronary atherosclerosis (ECA) (n = 22), and (2) late coronary atherosclerosis (LCA) (n = 37). Total OC (TOC), carboxylated OC (cOC), undercarboxylated OC (unOC) were quantified by ELISA. EPC OC + count was assessed by flow cytometry.

Results

EPC OC + counts showed significant differences between ECA and LCA groups. unOC and unOC/TOC ratio were inversely correlated with EPC OC + count. A significant decrease in TOC and unOC plasma levels was associated with higher cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) number. EPC OC + count was correlated with LDL-C, total cholesterol, and triglycerides, with a greater significance in the LCA group. No association between the different forms of circulating OC (TOC, ucOC, cOC) and severity of CAD was found.

Conclusion

This study showed a significant association between EPCs (CD34 − /CD133 + /KDR + /OC +), CAD severity and CVRFs, suggesting an active role for EPC OC + in the development of CAD. An inverse correlation between TOC, ucOC, and number of CVRFs was observed, suggesting that OC, regardless of its carboxylation status, may be developed as a further cardiovascular risk biomarker.
Variation of the Vaginal Microbiome During and After Pregnancy in Chinese Women
Authors: Zhang Xiaoai , Zhai Qingzhi , Wang Jinfeng , Ma Xiuling , Xing Bo , Fan Hang , Gao Zhiying , Zhao Fangqing , Liu Wei
Published: January 2022

A comprehensive profiling of the vaginal microbial communities and their variability enables an accurate description of the microbiome in women. However, there is a lack of studies available on Chinese women. In the present study, the composition of the vaginal microbiota during pregnancy and the 6-week postpartum period of 454 Chinese women was characterized by sequencing the V3–V4 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene. The vaginal microbiome showed variations during pregnancy and the postpartum period based on the abortion history, hypertensive disorders, delivery mode, and maternal age. Co-variation of 22 bacterial taxa, including the Lactobacillus genus and two of its species, may account for the common characteristics of the vaginal microbiome under scenarios of different medical histories and pregnancy outcomes. In contrast, discriminant bacterial species were significantly different between women who had preterm birth (PTB) with and without premature rupture of membranes (PROM), and the community state type (CST) IV-A without any predominant Lactobacillus species in the microbiota was more prevalent during pregnancy in the PROM-PTB cases, suggesting that specific bacterial species could be considered to distinguish between different types of PTB. By providing data on Chinese women, this study will enrich the knowledge of the human microbiome and contribute to a better understanding of the association between the vaginal microbiome and reproductive health.
Understanding the appearance of heterospory and derived plant reproductive strategies in the Devonian
Authors: Leslie Andrew B. , Bonacorsi Nikole K.
Published: January 2022

The evolution of different spore size classes, or heterospory, is a fundamental reproductive innovation in land plants. The appearance of heterospory is particularly notable during the Devonian, when most known origins of the trait occur. Here we provide a perspective on the evolution of heterospory during this time interval, particularly from the late Early Devonian through the Middle Devonian (Emsian to Givetian Stages; 408–383 Ma), which shows an unusually high concentration of heterospory origins. We use theoretical considerations and compilations of fossil and extant spore sizes to suggest that the basic features of most heterosporous lineages, large spores and gametophytes that mature within the spore wall, are difficult to evolve in combination, because large spores disperse poorly but small spores cannot support a functional gametophyte developing within their walls; evolving spores between 100 and 200 microns in diameter appears to represent a particularly important barrier for the evolution of heterospory. We then discuss why this barrier may have been lower in the Devonian, noting that the appearance and spread of heterospory is coincident with the emergence of peat-accumulating wetland habitats. We suggest that more widespread wetland habitats would have generally lowered barriers to the evolution of heterospory by reducing dispersal limitation in larger spores. Ultimately, we suggest that the initial evolution of heterospory may be explained by major changes in sedimentology, thought to have been driven by plant evolution itself, that increased the diversity of terrestrial depositional environments and led to a greater number of habitats where large spores could be successful.
A biased fossil record can preserve reliable phylogenetic signal
Authors: Woolley C. Henrik , Thompson Jeffrey R. , Wu Yun-Hsin , Bottjer David J. , Smith Nathan D.
Published: January 2022

The fossil record is notoriously imperfect and biased in representation, hindering our ability to place fossil specimens into an evolutionary context. For groups with fossil records mostly consisting of disarticulated parts (e.g., vertebrates, echinoderms, plants), the limited morphological information preserved sparks concerns about whether fossils retain reliable evidence of phylogenetic relationships and lends uncertainty to analyses of diversification, paleobiogeography, and biostratigraphy in Earth's history. To address whether a fragmentary past can be trusted, we need to assess whether incompleteness affects the quality of phylogenetic information contained in fossil data. Herein, we characterize skeletal incompleteness bias in a large dataset (6585 specimens; 14,417 skeletal elements) of fossil squamates (lizards, snakes, amphisbaenians, and mosasaurs). We show that jaws + palatal bones, vertebrae, and ribs appear more frequently in the fossil record than other parts of the skeleton. This incomplete anatomical representation in the fossil record is biased against regions of the skeleton that contain the majority of morphological phylogenetic characters used to assess squamate evolutionary relationships. Despite this bias, parsimony- and model-based comparative analyses indicate that the most frequently occurring parts of the skeleton in the fossil record retain similar levels of phylogenetic signal as parts of the skeleton that are rarer. These results demonstrate that the biased squamate fossil record contains reliable phylogenetic information and support our ability to place incomplete fossils in the tree of life.
Different statistical methods identify similar population-specific dietary patterns: an analysis of Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil)
Authors: de Almeida Alves Mariane , Molina Maria del Carmen Bisi , da Fonseca Maria de Jesus Mendes , Lotufo Paulo Andrade , Benseñor Isabela Martins , Marchioni Dirce Maria Lobo
Published: January 2022

In recent decades, different data-driven approaches have emerged to identify dietary patterns (DP) and little is discussed about how these methods are able to capture diet complexity within the same population. This study aimed to apply three statistical methods to identify the DP of the Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) population and evaluate the similarities and differences between them. Dietary data were assessed at baseline in the ELSA-Brasil study using a FFQ. DP were identified by applying three statistical methods: (1) factor analysis (FA), (2) treelet transform (TT) and (3) reduced rank regression (RRR). The characteristics of individuals classified in the last tertile of each DP were compared. Cross-classification and Pearson’s correlation coefficients were assessed to evaluate the agreement between individuals’ adherence to DP of the three methods. A similar convenience DP was identified for all three methods. FA and TT also identified a similar prudent DP and a DP highly loaded for the food groups rice and beans. Individuals classified in the third tertile of similar DP of each method presented similar socio-demographic and nutrient intake characteristics. Regarding the cross-classification, prudent DP from FA and TT presented a higher level of agreement (75 %), while convenience DP from TT and RRR presented the lowest agreement (44·8 %). The different statistical methods were able to capture the populations’ DP in a similar way while highlighting the particularities of each method.
PROTECTING FOREIGN INVESTMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH THROUGH ARBITRAL BALANCING AND TREATY DESIGN
Authors: Baetens Freya
Published: January 2022

This article analyses the fraught relationship between host States’ obligations under investment agreements and their regulatory powers in the field of public health. First, tribunals addressing the merits of health measures have exercised considerable deference to States under existing treaties. Second, the recent generation of treaties spells out health considerations to encourage respondents or tribunals to adopt broad interpretations of the right to regulate, general exceptions, or article-specific carve-outs. Clauses modelled on GATT exceptions may prove difficult to invoke due to the ‘necessity’ threshold. Finally, the Kyoto Protocol may serve as a model of incentivising private investment in the public health sector.
Different modes of cochlear implantation in children: a comparative study on hearing and speech rehabilitation effects
Authors: Jia H , Li Y , Xu B , Liu X , Bian P , Guo Y
Published: January 2022

Objective

To study the effectiveness of unilateral cochlear implantation, binaural-bimodal hearing devices, and bilateral cochlear implantation in children with inner-ear malformation.

Methods

This study comprised 261 patients who were allocated to inner-ear malformation or control groups. Twenty-four months after surgery, aided sound-field thresholds were tested, and the Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale, Infant-Toddler Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale, Meaningful Use of Speech Scale, Categories of Auditory Performance scale and Speech Intelligibility Rating test were completed.

Results

Aided sound-field thresholds were significantly better for bilateral cochlear implantation patients than for unilateral cochlear implantation or binaural-bimodal hearing device patients. There was no significant difference in Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale, Infant-Toddler Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale, or Categories of Auditory Performance scores among the three groups. The binaural-bimodal hearing device patients outperformed unilateral cochlear implantation patients on both Meaningful Use of Speech Scale and Speech Intelligibility Rating scores. No statistical difference was observed between the two subgroups.

Conclusion

Children who received bilateral cochlear implants have the best auditory awareness in a quiet environment. Children with binaural-bimodal hearing devices have better voice control and verbal skills than unilateral cochlear implantation patients, and people are more likely to understand them. Children with inner-ear malformations benefit from cochlear implantation.
The growth and population dynamics ofOctopus insularistargeted by a pot longline fishery in north-eastern Brazil
Authors: Batista B.B. , Matthews-Cascon H. , Marinho R.A. , Kikuchi E. , Haimovici M.
Published: January 2022

The population dynamics of the stout reef octopus,Octopus insularisfished with longlines of pots in mid-shelf waters of north-eastern Brazil was studied based on fishermen's logbooks and onboard monthly fishing trips from September 2009 to August 2010. Specimens marked with oxytetracycline kept in tanks for up to 21 days provided evidence of the daily deposition of growth increments in the lateral wall of the upper beaks. Sampled specimens weighed 50–1280 g and had 43–172 daily growth increments. Compared with congeneric species from higher latitudes,O. insularisgrows faster and has a shorter longevity in the north-eastern Brazil tropical environment. Total catches and catch-per-unit effort were substantially higher in the dry season, with less wind and cooler temperatures. The presence of larger specimens was seasonal, correlated with the chlorophyll-a levels recorded six months earlier. The year-round presence of mature females and males, spawned females, and egg masses attached to the pots, were considered evidence of migration of small and young specimens from coastal areas towards the 20–40 m depth range for reproduction. Annual landings attained ~200 tonnes (2005–2010). Although recent landing statistics are missing, fishermen interviewed in 2021 claimed that the fishery was still profitable. It is suggested that, despite the lack of management, the fast growth, year-round reproduction and limited market for this relatively small octopus, prevented the fishery from collapse and reinforces the current view of the high resilience of cephalopod fisheries.
The “Controversial Cundurango Cure”: Medical professionalization and the global circulation of drugs
Authors: Sevilla Elisa , Sevilla Ana
Published: January 2022

Argument

This article examines the medical and political discussions regarding a controversial medicinal bark from Ecuador – cundurango – that was actively sponsored by the Ecuadorian government as a new botanical cure for cancer in the late nineteenth century United States and elsewhere. The article focuses on the commercial and diplomatic interests behind the public discussion and advertising techniques of this drug. It argues that diverse elements – including the struggle for positioning scientific societies and the disapproval of the capacities of Ecuadorian doctors, US abolitionist history, regional and local political struggles – played a role in the quackery accusations against cundurango and its promoters. The development and international trade of this remedy offer interesting insights into the global history of drugs, particularly how medical knowledge was challenged during a period when scientific medicine was struggling for hegemony. It explores how newspapers expanded “the public interest” in a possible cancer cure.
Elevated cardiac biomarkers and outcomes in children and adolescents with acute COVID-19
Authors: Fremed Michael A. , Healy Emma W. , Choi Nak Hyun , Cheung Eva W. , Choudhury Tarif A. , Jiang Pengfei , Liberman Leonardo , Zucker Jason , Lytrivi Irene D. , Starc Thomas J.
Published: January 2022

Cardiac involvement associated with multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children has been extensively reported, but the prevalence of cardiac involvement in children with SARS-CoV-2 infection in the absence of inflammatory syndrome has not been well described. In this retrospective, single centre, cohort study, we describe the cardiac involvement found in this population and report on outcomes of patients with and without elevated cardiac biomarkers. Those with multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children, cardiomyopathy, or complex CHD were excluded. Inclusion criteriaz were met by 80 patients during the initial peak of the pandemic at our institution. High-sensitivity troponin T and/or N-terminal pro-brain type natriuretic peptide were measured in 27/80 (34%) patients and abnormalities were present in 5/27 (19%), all of whom had underlying comorbidities. Advanced respiratory support was required in all patients with elevated cardiac biomarkers. Electrocardiographic abnormalities were identified in 14/38 (37%) studies. Echocardiograms were performed on 7/80 patients, and none demonstrated left ventricular dysfunction. Larger studies to determine the true extent of cardiac involvement in children with COVID-19 would be useful to guide recommendations for standard workup and management.
Measures to prevent nosocomial transmissions of COVID-19 based on interpersonal contact data
Authors: Cheng Tao , Liu Jiaxing , Liu Yunzhe , Zhang Xianghui , Gao Xiaowei
Published: January 2022

Background:

With the global spreading of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), many primary care medical workers have been infected, particularly in the early stages of this pandemic. Although extensive studies have explored the COVID-19 transmission patterns and (non-) pharmaceutical intervention to protect the general public, limited research has analysed the measures to prevent nosocomial transmission based upon detailed interpersonal contacts between medical staff and patients.

Aim:

This paper aims to develop and evaluate proactive prevention measures to contain the nosocomial transmission of COVID-19. The specific objectives are (1) to understand the virus transmission via interpersonal contacts among medical staff and patients; (2) to define proactive measures to reduce the risk of infection of medical staff and (3) evaluate the effectiveness of these measures to control the COVID-19 epidemic in hospitals.

Methods:

We observed the operation of a typical primary hospital in China to understand the interpersonal contacts among medical staff and patients. We defined effective distance as the indicator for risk of transmission. Then three proactive measures were proposed based upon the observations, including a medical staff rotation system, the establishment of a separate fever clinic and medical staff working alone. Finally, the impacts of these measures are evaluated with a modified Susceptible-Exposure-Infected-Removed model accommodating the situation of hospitals and asymptomatic and latent infection of COVID-19. The case study was conducted with the hospital observed in December 2019 and February 2020.

Findings:

The implementation of the medical staff rotation system has the most significant impact on containing the epidemic. The establishment of a separate fever clinic and medical staff working alone also benefits from inhibiting the epidemic outbreak. The simulation finds that if effective prevention and control measures are not taken in time, it will lead to a surge of infection cases in all asymptomatic probabilities and incubation periods.
Identification of Cross-Country Similarities and Differences in Regulation of Religion Between 2000 and 2014 with Help of Cluster Analysis
Authors: Ettensperger Felix , Schleutker Elina
Published: January 2022

Building on previous quantitative and qualitative research on cross-country differences and similarities in regulation of religion, this paper employs data for 2000 and 2014 from the third round of the Religion and the State project and uses various cluster analysis techniques to identify country clusters based on the form in which countries regulate religion. The analysis separates between democratic and authoritarian countries. We further study if and how the clustering of the countries changes depending on the employed indicators and the employed cut-off points in defining democracy and autocracy. Overall, the results demonstrate the potential and limits of empirical classifications. In addition to the methodological and descriptive contribution, the results are compared and contrasted with previous work on state-religion relationships.
Post‐Subduction Tectonics of Sabah, Northern Borneo, Inferred From Surface Wave Tomography
Authors: Greenfield Tim , Gilligan Amy , Pilia Simone , Cornwell David G. , Tongkul Felix , Widiyantoro Sri , Rawlinson Nicholas
Published: January 2022

We use two‐plane‐wave tomography with a dense network of seismic stations across Sabah, northern Borneo, to image the shear wave velocity structure of the crust and upper mantle. Our model is used to estimate crustal thickness and the depth of the lithosphere‐asthenosphere boundary (LAB) beneath the region. Calculated crustal thickness ranges between 25 and 55 km and suggests extension in a NW‐SE direction, presumably due to back‐arc processes associated with subduction of the Celebes Sea. We estimate the β‐factor to be 1.3–2, well below the initiation of seafloor spreading. The LAB is, on average, at a depth of 100 km, which is inconsistent with models that ascribe Neogene uplift to wholescale removal of the mantle lithosphere. Instead, beneath a region of Plio‐Pleistocene volcanism in the southeast, we image a region 50–100 km across where the lithosphere has thinned to <50 km, supporting recent suggestions of lower lithospheric removal through a Rayleigh‐Taylor instability.
Diversity of ENSO‐Related Surface Temperature Response in Future Projection in CMIP6 Climate Models: Climate Change Scenario Versus ENSO Intensity
Authors: Yeh Sang‐Wook , Wang Guojian , Cai Wenju , Park Rokjin J.
Published: January 2022

Few studies explore how the diversity of El Niño and Southern Oscillation (ENSO)‐related atmospheric response is influenced by anthropogenic forcing and ENSO intensity. We examine the diversity of surface temperature (Ts) anomalies related to weak, moderate and strong ENSO events in North America (NA) for present and future climates forced under four Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP) scenarios in CMIP6 climate models. When ENSO intensity is weaker, the NA Ts anomalies are more sensitive/variable to different SSP scenarios than moderate and strong ENSO. The NA Ts anomalies are more sensitive to the impacts of ENSO intensity under a sustainable climate change scenario, compared to the high SSP scenario. We discuss why the diversity of ENSO‐related Ts response projections differs in the combination of ENSO intensity and climate change scenarios.
Magnetotail Ion Structuring by Kinetic Ballooning‐Interchange Instability
Authors: Panov Evgeny V. , Lu San , Pritchett Philip L.
Published: January 2022

By combining three‐probe THEMIS observations and 3‐D Particle‐in‐Cell simulations, we identify key structures on the ion gyroradius scale that occur in connection with ballooning‐interchange instability heads in the Earth's magnetotail. The mesoscale structures occur at sites of strong ion velocity shear and vorticity where the thermal ion Larmor radius is about half of the width of the head. Finer structures occur at the smaller scales characterizing the wavelength of the electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves generated at the heads. These two processes act to erode and thin the current sheet, thereby forming a local magnetotail configuration that is favorable for reconnection.
Formation of the Evening Time F3 Layer Investigated Using Jicamarca Incoherent Scatter Radar Observations
Authors: Venkatesh K. , Patra A. K.
Published: January 2022

The formation of the evening time F3 layer remains elusive. One of the hypotheses for the formation of the evening time F3 layer relies on the height gradient in the vertical plasma drift. In this paper, we test the validity of the hypothesis using Jicamarca incoherent scatter radar observations of height profiles of electron density and vertical plasma drift. Results show that the evening F3 layer could occur when the plasma drift is moderate and the height gradient in the vertical plasma drift is small or insignificant. Given that the production in the evening hours is negligible, these results call for interpretation for understanding the formation of the evening F3 layer. We propose that in addition to the known role of vertical plasma drift, the height variation in the recombination loss of electrons plays an important role in the formation of evening F3 layer over the geomagnetic equator.
Fluid Simulations Accelerated With 16 Bits: Approaching 4x Speedup on A64FX by Squeezing ShallowWaters.jl Into Float16
Authors: Klöwer Milan , Hatfield Sam , Croci Matteo , Düben Peter D. , Palmer Tim N.
Published: January 2022

Most Earth‐system simulations run on conventional central processing units in 64‐bit double precision floating‐point numbers Float64, although the need for high‐precision calculations in the presence of large uncertainties has been questioned. Fugaku, currently the world's fastest supercomputer, is based on A64FX microprocessors, which also support the 16‐bit low‐precision format Float16. We investigate the Float16 performance on A64FX with ShallowWaters.jl, the first fluid circulation model that runs entirely with 16‐bit arithmetic. The model implements techniques that address precision and dynamic range issues in 16 bits. The precision‐critical time integration is augmented to include compensated summation to minimize rounding errors. Such a compensated time integration is as precise but faster than mixed precision with 16 and 32‐bit floats. As subnormals are inefficiently supported on A64FX the very limited range available in Float16 is 6 × 10−5 to 65,504. We develop the analysis‐number format Sherlogs.jl to log the arithmetic results during the simulation. The equations in ShallowWaters.jl are then systematically rescaled to fit into Float16, using 97% of the available representable numbers. Consequently, we benchmark speedups of up to 3.8x on A64FX with Float16. Adding a compensated time integration, speedups reach up to 3.6x. Although ShallowWaters.jl is simplified compared to large Earth‐system models, it shares essential algorithms and therefore shows that 16‐bit calculations are indeed a competitive way to accelerate Earth‐system simulations on available hardware.
Climate Change Could Reshape Pathogen Profile of Diarrheal Disease
Authors: Fritts Rachel
Published: January 2022

An illness caused by rotavirus could recede as temperatures warm, whereas wetter conditions might favor some bacterial competitors.
Diet-induced deficits in goal-directed control are rescued by agonism of group II metabotropic glutamate receptors in the dorsomedial striatum
Authors: Shipman Megan L. , Corbit Laura H.
Published: January 2022

Many overweight or obese people struggle to sustain the behavioural changes necessary to achieve and maintain weight loss. In rodents, obesogenic diet can disrupt goal-directed control of responding for food reinforcers, which may indicate that diet can disrupt brain regions associated with behavioural control. We investigated a potential glutamatergic mechanism to return goal-directed control to rats who had been given an obesogenic diet prior to operant training. We found that an obesogenic diet reduced goal-directed control and that systemic injection of LY379268, a Group II metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR2/3) agonist, returned goal-directed responding in these rats. Further, we found that direct infusion of LY379268 into the dorsomedial striatum, a region associated with goal-directed control, also restored goal-directed responding in the obesogenic-diet group. This indicates that one mechanism through which obesogenic diet disrupts goal-directed control is glutamatergic, and infusion of a mGluR2/3 agonist into the DMS is sufficient to ameliorate deficits in goal-directed control.
Patient–clinician brain concordance underlies causal dynamics in nonverbal communication and negative affective expressivity
Authors: Ellingsen Dan-Mikael , Duggento Andrea , Isenburg Kylie , Jung Changjin , Lee Jeungchan , Gerber Jessica , Mawla Ishtiaq , Sclocco Roberta , Edwards Robert R. , Kelley John M. , Kirsch Irving , Kaptchuk Ted J. , Toschi Nicola , Napadow Vitaly
Published: January 2022

Patient–clinician concordance in behavior and brain activity has been proposed as a potential key mediator of mutual empathy and clinical rapport in the therapeutic encounter. However, the specific elements of patient–clinician communication that may support brain-to-brain concordance and therapeutic alliance are unknown. Here, we investigated how pain-related, directional facial communication between patients and clinicians is associated with brain-to-brain concordance. Patient–clinician dyads interacted in a pain-treatment context, during synchronous assessment of brain activity (fMRI hyperscanning) and online video transfer, enabling face-to-face social interaction. In-scanner videos were used for automated individual facial action unit (AU) time-series extraction. First, an interpretable machine-learning classifier of patients’ facial expressions, from an independent fMRI experiment, significantly distinguished moderately painful leg pressure from innocuous pressure stimuli. Next, we estimated neural-network causality of patient-to-clinician directional information flow of facial expressions during clinician-initiated treatment of patients’ evoked pain. We identified a leader–follower relationship in which patients predominantly led the facial communication while clinicians responded to patients’ expressions. Finally, analyses of dynamic brain-to-brain concordance showed that patients’ mid/posterior insular concordance with the clinicians’ anterior insula cortex, a region identified in previously published data from this study1, was associated with therapeutic alliance, and self-reported and objective (patient-to-clinician-directed causal influence) markers of negative-affect expressivity. These results suggest a role of patient-clinician concordance of the insula, a social-mirroring and salience-processing brain node, in mediating directional dynamics of pain-directed facial communication during therapeutic encounters.
microRNA-124-3p attenuates myocardial injury in sepsis via modulating SP1/HDAC4/HIF-1α axis
Authors: Wu Mei , Huang Zehong , Huang Wenfang , Lin Mengyu , Liu Weifeng , Liu Kexuan , Li Cai
Published: January 2022

Sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction can lead to death in sepsis. In this case, we targeted to explore in detail the relative mechanism of microRNA (miR)-124-3p in sepsis-induced myocardial injury via the specific protein 1/histone deacetylase 4/hypoxia-inducing factor 1α (SP1/HDAC4/HIF-1α) axis. Septic rats were modeled by cecal ligation puncture while in vitro septic cardiomyocyte H9C2 were induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). miR-124-3p/SP1/HDAC4/HIF-1α expression levels in myocardial tissues of septic rats and LPS-treated H9C2 cells were measured. miR-124-3p overexpression and SP1 silencing assays were implemented on LPS-treated H9C2 cells to explore theirs actions in inflammation, oxidative stress and cell apoptosis. The interactions of miR-124-3p, SP1, and HDAC4 were testified. miR-124-3p was lowly expressed while SP1, HDAC4, and HIF-1α were highly expressed in sepsis. Upregulation of miR-124-3p ameliorated inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis of LPS-treated H9C2 cells. Silencing SP1 improved LPS-induced damage to cardiomyocytes. miR-124-3p targeted SP1 and HDAC4 interacted with SP1. SP1 overexpression antagonized miR-124-3p upregulation-induced improvements in LPS-induced cardiomyocyte damage. This study illustrates that miR-124-3p improves myocardial injury in septic rats through targeted regulation of SP1 to mediate HDAC4/HIF-1α.
KLF2 up-regulates IRF4/HDAC7 to protect neonatal rats from hypoxic-ischemic brain damage
Authors: Wu Fan , Li Chunlin
Published: January 2022

Neonatal brain hypoxic ischemic injury is a devastating event causing permanent brain damage. The current study set out to explore the role of Kruppel-like factor 2 (KLF2) and its downstream molecular mechanism on hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) in neonatal rats. First, we adopted a modified Rice method to develop a HIBD model in postnatal day seven Sprague Dawley (SD) rat pups. Next, neuronal damage, morphological changes, and neuronal apoptosis were documented in the vulnerable hippocampal CA1 region and evaluated using Nissl staining, H&E staining, and TUNEL assay, respectively. Meanwhile, a hypoxic-ischemic model using the oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) method was established in cortical neurons isolated from day one SD rat pups, followed by MTT and flow cytometry detections of the cell survival rate and apoptotic ability. Experimental findings revealed that KLF2 was poorly-expressed in the brain tissues of HIBD rats and in the OGD-induced neurons. We found that KLF2 overexpression inhibited neuron apoptosis in vitro and in vivo, which was also observed to inhibit brain injury in the HIBD rats and alleviate neuronal damage of OGD-treated neurons. Besides, as dual luciferase reporter gene assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation established that KLF2 bound to the interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) promoter, which promoted the binding of IRF4 in the promoter of histone deacetylase 7 (HDAC7) to augment its expression, thereby inhibiting neuronal apoptosis and brain damage. In conclusion, our findings indicated that KLF2 could increase the expression of IRF4 to up-regulate the expression of HDAC7, which protects against HIBD in neonatal rats.
Characterizing cellular heterogeneity in fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis by single-cell transcriptional analysis
Authors: Wang Junyi , Zhang Lei , Luo Li , He Ping , Xiong Anying , Jiang Manling , Liu Yao , Liu Shengbin , Ran Qin , Wu Dehong , Xiong Ying , He Xiang , Li Guoping
Published: January 2022

Fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (FHP) remains one of fatal interstitial pulmonary disease. Comprehensively dissecting the cellular heterogeneity of FHP paves the way for developing general gene therapeutic solutions for FHP. Here, utilizing an integrated strategy based on scRNA-seq, scTCR-seq, and bulk RNA-seq analysis of FHP profiles, we identified ten major cell types and 19 unique subtypes. FHP exhibited higher features of EMT and inflammation-promoting than normal control. In distinct subsets of lung macrophages in FHP, FN1high, PLA2G7high, and MS4A6Ahigh macrophages with predominant M2 phenotype exhibited higher activity of inflammatory responses and para-inflammation than other macrophages. KRT17high basal-like epithelial cells were significantly increased in FHP, and showed higher ability to induce EMT. We identified roles for ACTA2high, COL1A1high, and PLA2G2Ahigh fibroblasts in FHP, which were significantly related to interstitial fibrosis. NK cells and KLRG1+ effector CD8+ T cells had greater activity in inflammation-promoting. Our results provide a comprehensive portrait of cellular heterogeneity in FHP, and highlight the indispensable role of cell subpopulations in shaping the complexity and heterogeneity of FHP. These subpopulations are potentially key players for FHP pathogenesis.
Mature but not developing Schwann cells promote axon regeneration after peripheral nerve injury
Authors: Endo Takeshi , Kadoya Ken , Suzuki Tomoaki , Suzuki Yuki , Terkawi Mohamad Alaa , Kawamura Daisuke , Iwasaki Norimasa
Published: January 2022

Since Schwann cells (SCs) support axonal growth at development as well as after peripheral nerve injury (PNI), developing SCs might be able to promote axon regeneration after PNI. The purpose of the current study was to elucidate the capability of developing SCs to induce axon regeneration after PNI. SC precursors (SCPs), immature SCs (ISCs), repair SCs (RSCs) from injured nerves, and non-RSCs from intact nerves were tested by grafting into acellular region of rat sciatic nerve with crush injury. Both of developing SCs completely failed to support axon regeneration, whereas both of mature SCs, especially RSCs, induced axon regeneration. Further, RSCs but not SCPs promoted neurite outgrowth of adult dorsal root ganglion neurons. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the gene expression profiles were distinctly different between RSCs and SCPs. These findings indicate that developing SCs are markedly different from mature SCs in terms of functional and molecular aspects and that RSC is a viable candidate for regenerative cell therapy for PNI.
Development of a sensitive, quantitative assay with broad subtype specificity for detection of total HIV-1 nucleic acids in plasma and PBMC
Authors: Kibirige C. N. , Manak M. , King D. , Abel B. , Hack H. , Wooding D. , Liu Y. , Fernandez N. , Dalel J. , Kaye Steve , Imami N. , Jagodzinski L. , Gilmour J.
Published: January 2022

An LTR-based quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay was modified and optimized for the quantification of total HIV-1 nucleic acids in plasma and PBMC. TaqMan qPCR primers and probes were designed against the NCBI/LANL HIV-1 compendium database by analyzing sequences used in assays for sensitive cross-clade detection of HIV-1 as reported in the literature and elucidating regions of improved cross-subtype specificity. Inosine and mixed nucleotide bases were included at polymorphic sites. Real-time RT-qPCR and qPCR were performed on plasma viral RNA and cellular lysates. A step-up amplification approach to allow binding of primers across polymorphic regions showed improved sensitivity compared to universal cycling. Unlike a lead competing laboratory-developed assay, all major HIV-1 subtypes, and a wide range of recombinants from a 127-member diversity panel were detected and accurately quantified in spiked plasmas. Semi-nested PCR increased detection sensitivity even further. The assay was able to detect down to 88 copies/mL of HIV-1 in plasma with 95% efficiency or the equivalent of a single infected cell. The PCR assay will be valuable in studies that monitor very low viral levels including residual or break through HIV-1 in patients receiving antiretroviral therapy, in HIV-1 cure, and in other research studies.
Local impacts on road networks and access to critical locations during extreme floods
Authors: Loreti Simone , Ser-Giacomi Enrico , Zischg Andreas , Keiler Margreth , Barthelemy Marc
Published: January 2022

Floods affected more than 2 billion people worldwide from 1998 to 2017 and their occurrence is expected to increase due to climate warming, population growth and rapid urbanization. Recent approaches for understanding the resilience of transportation networks when facing floods mostly use the framework of percolation but we show here on a realistic high-resolution flood simulation that it is inadequate. Indeed, the giant connected component is not relevant and instead, we propose to partition the road network in terms of accessibility of local towns and define new measures that characterize the impact of the flooding event. Our analysis allows to identify cities that will be pivotal during the flooding by providing to a large number of individuals critical services such as hospitalization services, food supply, etc. This approach is particularly relevant for practical risk management and will help decision makers for allocating resources in space and time.
Entangled states shaping with CV states of definite parity
Authors: Kuts Dmitry A. , Podoshvedov Sergey A.
Published: January 2022

We present a new method to entangle continuous variable (CV) states of certain parity and photonic states for the purpose of generating optical hybrid cluster (HC) states. To do it we introduce two families of the CV states of definite parity which stems from single mode squeezed vacuum (SMSV) state. Potential to apply the CV states of certain parity is high. We report on the generation of the even/odd Schrödinger cat state like (SCS-like) states whose fidelities with even/odd SCS of amplitude of $$4.2$$

4.2

are more of $$0.99$$

0.99

, when 30,31 photons are detected in auxiliary mode of input SMSV state initially mixed with single photon. We show that the quantum efficiency of a photon number resolving (PNR) detector is crucial to maintaining the success rate of even/odd SCSs generator at an acceptable level. The scheme with delocalized photon implements deterministic imperfect entanglement operation between macro and micro states. We show that the beam splitter implements the two-qubits operation $$control-Z$$

c
o
n
t
r
o
l
-
Z

(CZ) for input CV states of definite parity and photonic states, provided that certain result is detected in measurement mode. An extension of the entangling operation for two entangled delocalized photons (TEDP) allows one to realize three-qubit HC state. Seven-qubit HC state is the result of conjunction of two three-qubit HC states through TEDP state.
Training load responses modelling and model generalisation in elite sports
Authors: Imbach Frank , Perrey Stephane , Chailan Romain , Meline Thibaut , Candau Robin
Published: January 2022

This study aims to provide a transferable methodology in the context of sport performance modelling, with a special focus to the generalisation of models. Data were collected from seven elite Short track speed skaters over a three months training period. In order to account for training load accumulation over sessions, cumulative responses to training were modelled by impulse, serial and bi-exponential responses functions. The variable dose-response (DR) model was compared to elastic net (ENET), principal component regression (PCR) and random forest (RF) models, while using cross-validation within a time-series framework. ENET, PCR and RF models were fitted either individually ($$M_{I}$$

M
I

) or on the whole group of athletes ($$M_{G}$$

M
G

). Root mean square error criterion was used to assess performances of models. ENET and PCR models provided a significant greater generalisation ability than the DR model ($$p = 0.018$$

p
=
0.018

, $$p < 0.001$$

p
<
0.001

, $$p = 0.004$$

p
=
0.004

and $$p < 0.001$$

p
<
0.001

for $$ENET_{I}$$

E
N
E

T
I

, $$ENET_{G}$$

E
N
E

T
G

, $$PCR_{I}$$

P
C

R
I

and $$PCR_{G}$$

P
C

R
G

, respectively). Only $$ENET_{G}$$

E
N
E

T
G

and $$RF_{G}$$

R

F
G

were significantly more accurate in prediction than DR ($$p < 0.001$$

p
<
0.001

and $$p < 0.012$$

p
<
0.012

). In conclusion, ENET achieved greater generalisation and predictive accuracy performances. Thus, building and evaluating models within a generalisation enhancing procedure is a prerequisite for any predictive modelling.
Using deep learning models to analyze the cerebral edema complication caused by radiotherapy in patients with intracranial tumor
Authors: Chao Pei-Ju , Chang Liyun , Kang Chen-Lin , Lin Chin-Hsueh , Shieh Chin-Shiuh , Wu Jia-Ming , Tseng Chin-Dar , Tsai I-Hsing , Hsu Hsuan-Chih , Huang Yu-Jie , Lee Tsair-Fwu
Published: January 2022

Using deep learning models to analyze patients with intracranial tumors, to study the image segmentation and standard results by clinical depiction complications of cerebral edema after receiving radiotherapy. In this study, patients with intracranial tumors receiving computer knife (CyberKnife M6) stereotactic radiosurgery were followed using the treatment planning system (MultiPlan 5.1.3) to obtain before-treatment and four-month follow-up images of patients. The TensorFlow platform was used as the core architecture for training neural networks. Supervised learning was used to build labels for the cerebral edema dataset by using Mask region-based convolutional neural networks (R-CNN), and region growing algorithms. The three evaluation coefficients DICE, Jaccard (intersection over union, IoU), and volumetric overlap error (VOE) were used to analyze and calculate the algorithms in the image collection for cerebral edema image segmentation and the standard as described by the oncologists. When DICE and IoU indices were 1, and the VOE index was 0, the results were identical to those described by the clinician.The study found using the Mask R-CNN model in the segmentation of cerebral edema, the DICE index was 0.88, the IoU index was 0.79, and the VOE index was 2.0. The DICE, IoU, and VOE indices using region growing were 0.77, 0.64, and 3.2, respectively. Using the evaluated index, the Mask R-CNN model had the best segmentation effect. This method can be implemented in the clinical workflow in the future to achieve good complication segmentation and provide clinical evaluation and guidance suggestions.
Impact of vaccination on the COVID-19 pandemic in U.S. states
Authors: Chen Xiao , Huang Hanwei , Ju Jiandong , Sun Ruoyan , Zhang Jialiang
Published: January 2022

Governments worldwide are implementing mass vaccination programs in an effort to end the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Here, we evaluated the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccination program in its early stage and predicted the path to herd immunity in the U.S. By early March 2021, we estimated that vaccination reduced the total number of new cases by 4.4 million (from 33.0 to 28.6 million), prevented approximately 0.12 million hospitalizations (from 0.89 to 0.78 million), and decreased the population infection rate by 1.34 percentage points (from 10.10 to 8.76%). We built a Susceptible-Infected-Recovered (SIR) model with vaccination to predict herd immunity, following the trends from the early-stage vaccination program. Herd immunity could be achieved earlier with a faster vaccination pace, lower vaccine hesitancy, and higher vaccine effectiveness. The Delta variant has substantially postponed the predicted herd immunity date, through a combination of reduced vaccine effectiveness, lowered recovery rate, and increased infection and death rates. These findings improve our understanding of the COVID-19 vaccination and can inform future public health policies.