bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cultivar mixture effects on disease and yield remain despite diversity in wheat height and earliness
Authors: Vidal Tiphaine , Saint‐Jean Sébastien , Lusley Pauline , Leconte Marc , Ben Krima Safa , Boixel Anne‐Lise ,   Wheatamix Consortium, de Vallavieille‐Pope Claude 
Published: April 2020

AbstractCultivar mixtures can stabilize yield and reduce pathogen spread in plant populations. A field experiment was performed to determine (a) whether a large difference between the cultivars in the mixture (e.g., plant height or earliness) would have an impact on mixture performance, and (b) whether such differences would modify the classical rules for mixture design. Mixtures were constituted from wheat cultivars with diversity for many traits, including plant height, flowering date, disease resistance, and yield potential. The field experiment was conducted over 3 years, testing each year 72–90 mixtures of two, four, or eight cultivars, and their corresponding pure stands. Disease severity and yield of cultivar mixtures were strongly related to the mean values of the component cultivars in pure stands. Despite the considerable diversity of the mixtures tested, the classic rules (e.g., proportion of susceptible cultivars) already tested in mixtures with similar height and earliness were effective for decreasing disease severity. Agronomic heterogeneity for traits such as plant height, yield potential, or earliness of the cultivars in mixtures did not have a negative impact on disease severity and yield relative to pure stands. Increasing the number of cultivars in the mixture from two to eight had no impact on the mean disease severity and yield of the mixtures, but reduced the variability of disease severity and yield in the mixture relative to pure stands. These results suggest that it may be possible to increase within‐field wheat diversity by combining more contrasting cultivars in mixtures than was previously thought.
The Behavioral Consequences of Public Appeals: Evidence on Campaign Fundraising from the 2018 Congressional Elections
Authors: Fu Shu , Howell William G. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractWhereas the preponderance of studies on public appeals evaluates their impacts on mass public opinion, we investigate behavioral responses—in particular, the willingness of donors to contribute to candidates for public office. As appeals, we identify and code the online messages from all 2018 candidates for Congress, winners and losers alike, about both Donald Trump himself and his signature policy initiative, immigration reform; and as behavioral responses, we track candidates’ daily itemized fundraising totals. What Republican candidates for Congress say about Trump, we find, bears significantly on their ability to raise money. In the immediate aftermath of complimenting the president, Republicans secured a modest increase in fundraising; when they criticized him, however, they promptly suffered a substantial decline. We do not observe comparable evidence for Democratic candidates. Our findings are robust to a wide variety of measurement and modeling strategies, and expand our understanding of the political stakes of public appeals.
Maximum likelihood estimation for totally positive log‐concave densities
Authors: Robeva Elina , Sturmfels Bernd , Tran Ngoc , Uhler Caroline 
Published: April 2020

AbstractWe study nonparametric maximum likelihood estimation for two classes of multivariate distributions that imply strong forms of positive dependence; namely log‐supermodular (MTP2) distributions and log‐L♮‐concave (LLC) distributions. In both cases we also assume log‐concavity in order to ensure boundedness of the likelihood function. Given n independent and identically distributed random vectors from one of our distributions, the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) exists a.s. and is unique a.e. with probability one when n≥3. This holds independently of the ambient dimension d. We conjecture that the MLE is always the exponential of a tent function. We prove this result for samples in {0,1}d or in under MTP2, and for samples in under LLC. Finally, we provide a conditional gradient algorithm for computing the maximum likelihood estimate.
Thank you for donating: a survey of Australian donorsʼ and nondonorsʼ orientations toward noncash incentives for blood donation
Authors: Van Dyke Nina , Chell Kathleen , Masser Barbara , Kruse Sarah P. , Gemelli Carley N. , Jensen Kyle , Davison Tanya E. 
Published: April 2020

BACKGROUNDThe aim of this study was to understand Australian donorsʼ and nondonorsʼ orientations toward 13 noncash incentives for blood and plasma donation and the associations between orientations and intention to donate (nondonors) and subsequent donation (donors).STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSA survey of 1028 donors and 1201 nondonors was conducted online and by telephone. Donors were randomly selected from the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood donor panel; nondonors were selected from randomly generated fixed line and mobile telephone numbers across Australia. Incentives were chosen to reflect a wide array of possible noncash incentives that might be introduced by blood donation organizations (BDOs). Differences between donors and nondonors, as well as other subgroups, were investigated.RESULTSOrientations toward most types of incentives were positive or neutral. No significant differences were observed between incentive orientations for whole blood versus plasma donations. Many subgroup differences were small but statistically significant. There were mostly small, positive, significant associations between nondonorsʼ intention to donate and orientations toward noncash incentives; there were mostly no significant associations between donorsʼ orientations and subsequent donation behaviors.CONCLUSIONThe findings from this study suggest that BDOs that wish to trial noncash incentives in voluntary nonremunerative systems can be confident that neither donors nor potential donors will react negatively. They also indicate that BDOs have some flexibility in deciding which incentives to trial.
Qualification of the Geenius HIV 1/2 supplemental assay for use in the HIV blood donation screening algorithm
Authors: Saá Paula , Townsend Rebecca L. , Wells Peggy , Janzen Mark A. , Brodsky Jaye P. , Stramer Susan L. 
Published: April 2020

BACKGROUNDA single, simplified approach for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐1/HIV‐2 antibody confirmation/differentiation is needed for the HIV blood donation supplemental algorithm used in the United States. A clinical evaluation of the Geenius assay was performed—the same assay used for HIV diagnostic confirmation/differentiation in the United States since 2014.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSWell‐characterized unlinked donation samples classified as HIV negative, false positive, or confirmed positive were included in the study: 200 antibody‐nonreactive, 200 HIV‐1 immunofluorescence assay (IFA) confirmed‐positive, and 100 antibody‐screen false‐positive donations, equally divided between serum and plasma. Samples were retrieved from a repository, relabeled, and tested by an immunochromatographic test (Geenius HIV 1/2 Supplemental Assay, Bio‐Rad). Comparator testing involved parallel US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)‐licensed HIV‐1 IFA or HIV‐2 enzyme immunoassay (EIA) supplemental testing for any sample missing those results as part of routine testing (otherwise test‐of‐record results were used). Samples with discordant results were further tested with a rapid test (Multispot HIV‐1/HIV‐2 Rapid Test, Bio‐Rad) to provide final sample interpretations. Testing volume reductions with the Geenius were estimated from screening performed by the American Red Cross from September 2016 to April 2019.RESULTSClinical results were 100% sensitivity and specificity with an indeterminate rate of 4.0% to 5.0%. From 2016 to 2019, sole use of the Geenius would reduce testing complexity for 5265 antibody repeat‐reactive donations including 95.7% (5028) false positives, eliminating approximately 5000 unnecessary tests.CONCLUSIONGeenius FDA licensure (August 26, 2019) adding the HIV‐1/HIV‐2 differentiation/confirmation donation supplemental claim will enable replacement of previously used FDA‐licensed supplemental assays while maintaining comparable sensitivity, avoiding thousands of unnecessary HIV‐1‐IFA, western blot, and HIV‐2‐EIA tests.
Divide mobility controls knickpoint migration on the Roan Plateau (Colorado, USA)
Authors: Schwanghart Wolfgang , Scherler Dirk 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Knickpoints in longitudinal river profiles are proxies for the climatic and tectonic history of active mountains. The analysis of river profiles commonly relies on the assumption that drainage network configurations are stable. Here, we show that this assumption must be made cautiously if changes in contributing area are fast relative to knickpoint migration rates. We studied the Parachute Creek basin in the Roan Plateau, Colorado, United States, where knickpoint retreat occurs in horizontally uniform lithology so that drainage area is the sole governing variable. In this basin, we identified an anomalous catchment in the degree to which a stream power–based model predicted knickpoint locations. The catchment is experiencing area loss as the plateau edge is eroded by cliff migration in proximity to the Colorado River. Model predictions improve if the plateau edge is assumed to have migrated over the time scale of knickpoint retreat. Finally, a Lagrangian model of knickpoint migration enabled us to study the kinematic links between drainage area loss and knickpoint migration and offered constraints on the temporal aspects of area loss. Modeled onset and amount of area loss are consistent with cliff retreat rates along the margin of the Roan Plateau inferred from the incisional history of the upper Colorado River.
Deprivation increases perforation risk in paediatric appendicitis
Authors: Bogle Ross , McIntyre Rachel , Patel Neil , Bradnock Timothy John 
Published: April 2020

Acute appendicitis is the most common surgical emergency in childhood. Perforation of the appendix conveys a worse outcome.
This case–control study investigated the relationship between deprivation and appendiceal perforation in children in the West of Scotland.
All children undergoing acute appendicectomy over a 2-year period were identified. Basic demographics including Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) rank and clinical features including time to presentation and surgical findings were recorded. Associations were investigated using multivariable analysis.
304 patients (62% male) underwent appendicectomy. Mean age was 10.4 years (SD ±3.5). Mean time from symptom onset to presentation was 2.3 days (SD ±2.5). Perforation rate was 44.41%.
Perforation was associated with lower age (p=0.004, OR −0.10, 95% CI −0.17 to −0.33), increased time to presentation (p=0.044, OR 0.14, 95% CI 0.004 to 0.27) and SIMD tertile (p=0.027, OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.07 to 1.20). SIMD tertile was not associated with delayed presentation.
Worsening deprivation independently predicts perforation, but this relationship is not mediated through a delay in presentation.
President John F Kennedy’s medical history: coeliac disease and autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 2
Authors: Macchia Donatella , Lippi Donatella , Bianucci Raffaella , Donell Simon 
Published: April 2020

AbstractPresident John F. Kennedy (JFK) had a complex medical history that is now thought to be an autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 2 with Addison’s disease and hypothyroidism. He also had gastrointestinal symptoms from adolescence, which now fit well with coeliac disease. In addition, he had a chronic back problem, which contributed to a chronic pain syndrome. This review looks at JFK’s various diseases and focusses on the history of coeliac disease, as well as its presentation. JFK’s Irish ancestry supports the hypothesis of a coeliac disease started early in his youth.
Prevalence ofMycoplasma genitaliumby anatomical site in men who have sex with men: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Latimer Rosie L , Shilling Hannah S , Vodstrcil Lenka A , Machalek Dorothy A , Fairley Christopher K , Chow Eric P F , Read Tim RH , Bradshaw Catriona S 
Published: April 2020

ObjectiveTo systematically review and appraise published data, to determine the prevalence ofMycoplasma genitalium(MG) in men who have sex with men (MSM) tested at each anatomical site, that is, at the urethra, rectum and/or pharynx.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesOvid Medline, PubMed, Embase were searched for articles from 1st January 1981 (the year MG was first identified) to 1st June 2018.Review methodsStudies were eligible for inclusion if they reported MG prevalence in MSM tested at the urethra, rectum and/or pharynx, in at least 50 MSM, using nucleic acid amplification testing. Data were extracted by anatomical site, symptom and HIV status. Summary estimates (95% CIs) were calculated using random-effects meta-analysis. Subgroup analyses were performed to assess heterogeneity between studies.ResultsForty-six studies met inclusion criteria, with 34 reporting estimates of MG prevalence at the urethra (13 753 samples), 25 at the rectum (8629 samples) and 7 at the pharynx (1871 samples). MG prevalence was 5.0% (95% CI 3.5 to 6.8; I2=94.0) at the urethra; 6.2% (95% CI 4.6 to 8.1; I2=88.1) at the rectum and 1.0% (95% CI 0.0 to 5.1; I2=96.0) at the pharynx. The prevalence of MG was significantly higher at urethral and rectal sites in symptomatic versus asymptomatic MSM (7.1% vs 2.2%, p<0.001; and 16.1% vs 7.5%, p=0.039, respectively). MG prevalence at the urethra was significantly higher in HIV-positive compared with HIV-negative MSM (7.0% vs 3.4%, p=0.006).ConclusionMG was common in MSM, particularly at urethral and rectal sites (5% to 6%). MG was more commonly detected in symptomatic men at both sites, and more common in HIV-positive men at the urethra. MG was uncommonly detected in the pharynx. Site-specific estimates are similar to those for chlamydia and will be helpful in informing testing practices in MSM.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42017058326.
Differences in flavourant levels and synthetic coolant use between USA, EU and Canadian Juul products
Authors: Erythropel Hanno C , Anastas Paul T , Krishnan-Sarin Suchitra , O'Malley Stephanie S , Jordt Sven Eric , Zimmerman Julie B 
Published: April 2020

Background‘Juul’ is the dominant US e-cigarette brand and was recently introduced to Canada, UK, France, Germany and Italy, with several flavours available across countries. US/Canadian products are sold with 5%, 3% and 1.5% (Canada only) nicotine content, whereas European Union (EU) regulation limits nicotine content to 1.7%. The differential nicotine content raises the question if flavour profiles and Juul device power output differ between countries.Methods‘Mint’, ‘Vanilla’ and ‘Mango’ e-liquids from all six countries were purchased in 2019 and analysed by GC/MS for their principal flavourant and nicotine content. In addition, device power specifications were compared for devices purchased from the respective countries.ResultsCompositions of Juul e-liquids from the USA and Canada were identical and differed from the EU-marketed liquids, in which principal flavourant concentrations were significantly lower. EU Juul ‘Mint’ e-liquids contained a synthetic coolant, N-ethyl-p-menthane-3-carboxamide (WS-3), absent in US/Canadian products. US/Canadian ‘Mango’ e-liquid contained triethyl-citrate, an emulsifier. Nicotine contents matched label information, and devices had identical power specifications.ConclusionsTested US/Canadian Juul e-liquids contained higher flavour concentrations than EU products, likely reflecting adaptation to user preferences. In EU, ‘Mint’ e-liquid, menthol is partially substituted with the synthetic coolant WS-3 that elicits a cooling effect like menthol but lacks its distinct ‘minty’ odour. The inhalational safety of WS-3 is unknown. The use of an emulsifier in US/Canadian ‘Mango’ Juul e-liquid may be necessary to keep the product homogeneous. Similar power specifications of devices between countries suggest that nicotine aerosol delivery is likely proportional to the e-liquid nicotine content.
Comparison of surgical cricothyroidotomy training: a randomized controlled trial of a swine model versus an animated robotic manikin model
Authors: Pandian Vinciya , Leeper William Robert , Jones Christian , Pugh Kristy , Yenokyan Gayane , Bowyer Mark , Haut Elliott R 
Published: April 2020

BackgroundAirway obstruction remains a preventable cause of death on the battlefield. Surgical cricothyroidotomy is an essential skill for immediate airway management in trauma. Training for surgical cricothyroidotomy has been undertaken using simulators, cadavers or animal models. The ideal approach to training for this low volume and high-risk procedure is unknown. We hypothesized that current simulation technology provides an equal or better education for surgical cricothyroidotomy when compared with animal tissue training.MethodsWe performed a prospective randomized controlled study comparing training for surgical cricothyroidotomy using hands-on training on swine versus inanimate manikin. We enrolled medical students who had never performed or had formal instruction on surgical cricothyroidotomy. We randomized their instruction to use either a swine model or the inanimate version of the Operative Experience Inc. advanced surgical manikin. Participants’ skills were then evaluated on human cadavers and on an advanced robotic manikin. Tests were scored using checklists modified from Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills and Tactical Combat Casualty Care. We compared scores between the groups using Wilcoxon rank sum tests and generalized linear models.ResultsForty-eight participants were enrolled and trained; 30 participants completed the first testing session; 25 completed the second testing session. The mean time to establish an airway from the incision until the cuff was blown up was 95±52 s. There were no significant differences in any of the outcome measures between the two training groups.DiscussionMeasured performance was not different between subjects trained to perform surgical cricothyroidotomy on an animal model or a high fidelity manikin. The use of an advanced simulator has the potential to replace live tissue for this procedure mitigating concerns over animal rights.Levels of evidenceI
Selected strong decays of pentaquark State $$P_c(4312)$$ in a chiral constituent quark model
Authors: Dong Yubing , Shen Pengnian , Huang Fei , Zhang Zongye 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe newly confirmed pentaquark state $$P_c(4312)$$Pc(4312) has been treated as a weakly bound $$(\Sigma _c\bar{D})$$(ΣcD¯) state by a well-established chiral constituent quark model and by a dynamical calculation on quark degrees of freedom where the quark exchange effect is accounted for. The obtained mass 4308 MeV agrees with data. In this work, the selected strong decays of the $$P_c(4312)$$Pc(4312) state are studied with the obtained wave function. It is shown that the width of the $$\Lambda _c\bar{D}^*$$ΛcD¯∗ decay is overwhelmed and the branching ratios of the $$p\,\eta _c$$pηc and $$p\,J/\psi $$pJ/ψ decays are both less than 1 percentage.
Understanding Skill of Seasonal Mean Precipitation Prediction over California during Boreal Winter and Role of Predictability Limits
Authors: Kumar Arun , Chen Mingyue 
Published: April 2020

AbstractUsing extensive hindcasts from seasonal prediction systems participating in the North American Multi-Model Ensemble (NMME), possible causes for low skill in predicting seasonal mean precipitation over California during December–February (DJF) are investigated. The analysis focuses on investigating two possibilities for low prediction skill: role model biases or inherent predictability limits. The motivation for the analysis was the seasonal prediction during DJF 2015/16 that called for enhanced probability for above normal precipitation over southern California (which was consistent with expected conditions during an extreme El Niño) while the observed precipitation was below normal. Based on various analysis approaches and using hindcast datasets from multiple seasonal prediction systems, we build up the evidence that low skill in predicting seasonal mean precipitation over California is likely to be due to inherent predictability associated with a low signal-to-noise (SNR) regime. For the same set of seasonal prediction systems, the precipitation variability over California is contrasted with that over the southeast United States where prediction skill, as well as the SNR, is higher. The discussion also notes that building a knowledge base that goes beyond the well-known response to ENSO (based on the linear regression or composite techniques) has proven to be difficult and a systematic approach to reaching resolution to some of the overarching questions is required, and toward that end, a pathway is suggested.
Reexamination of the Climatology and Variability of the Northwest Pacific Monsoon Trough Using a Daily Index
Authors: Feng Tao , Yang Xiu-Qun , Sun Xuguang , Yang Dejian , Chu Cuijiao 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThis study developed a daily index to represent the northwest Pacific monsoon trough using westerly related cyclonic vorticity after removing tropical cyclones (TCs) from the reanalysis dataset. This index sufficiently captures the spatial and temporal variations in the monsoon trough. The use of this daily index revealed new features in the monsoon trough, including daily statistical characteristics, the active period over a year, and the main periodicity. A monsoon trough can be identified as active when the daily index is greater than 2.0 × 10−4 s−1. Active monsoon troughs occur during half of the summertime, and these is no monsoon trough on one-third of days, with the remaining days categorized as inactive. The most active month is August, in which approximately 20 days exhibit an active monsoon trough. Using this index, an active monsoon trough period, which is related to vigorous TC activity, was determined by identifying the establishment and decay dates for each year from 1979 to 2016. During most years, the active monsoon trough is established in mid-July and decays in late October, persisting for 3–5 months during the boreal summer. Moreover, spectral and wavelet analyses demonstrated the presence of intraseasonal, interannual, and interdecadal variabilities in the monsoon trough. The dominant periodicity for the interannual variability varied from 1.5 to 4 years in different decades. The relationship between the monsoon trough and TCs is also revealed using this index, showing that approximately 60% of TC formations were related to an active monsoon trough.