bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exhaustive similarity search on a many-core architecture for finger-vein massive identification
Authors: Guidet S , Barrientos R J , Hernández-García R , Frati F E 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
In massive biometric identification systems, response times mainly depends on the database searching algorithms. Thus, in large databases, an increment in the simultaneous queries traffic becomes a critical factor. This paper proposes an algorithm based on the use of a graphic processing unit to solve the exhaustive similarity search for the mass identification of finger veins, using the binary pattern descriptor of the local vertical line and the Hamming distance. The proposed approach reduces the computation time of the searching process over high query traffic by solving each query with a different processing block. The proposed method allows the identification of individuals in a database of 1 million elements, which is the largest database used for finger-vein identification. Experimental results show that our proposed method resolves up to 28 queries simultaneously (over a database of one million individuals) within a time lower than 3 seconds and achieving a speed-up of 283x. To our knowledge, our work is the first implementation of finger-vein recognition on a general-purpose graphics processing unit, which is the main contribution of this document.
Design of an automated solar tracker for teaching astronomy and mechatronic engineering
Authors: González Pérez J M , Arceo Díaz S , Bricio Barrios E E , Pineda Torres J A , Ortega Valencia J C , Moreno Peña J R 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Astronomy is one of the sciences that attracts a large number of people, because of the celestial bodies and phenomena that can be observed, such as the moon, planets, constellations and the sun during the day. Telescopes, the main observation tool employed for astronomical observation, are often not very accessible for the majority of the population, due to their cost. This problem has been addressed through the design of low-cost three-dimensional printed telescopes or the use of digital cameras and cell phones with filters suitable for this purpose. This work describes the components and building of an automatized light tracker that can be coupled to a digital camera, protected by a white light filter, to emulate a low-cost solar telescope. The resulting device can also be operated manually, serving as a teaching tool for astronomy that illustrates how mechatronics and programming can be employed for scientific outreach. Aided by a digital camera, the robotic solar tracker was used by students to observe and record the 2019’s Mercury transit.
Computational estimation from a statistical physics approach and its contributions to the Covid-19 in Colombia
Authors: Ramírez-Carvajal L , Puerto-López K , Medina-Delgado B 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
The objective of this article is to present a computational estimate from a statistical physics approach and its contributions to Covid-19 in Colombia. Based on the daily data of contagions, recoveries and deaths, during the months of March to July, the estimation of the behavior of the epidemic was made using the nonlinear regression method with adjustment of curves by minimum squares. Highlighting the benefits that this method presents in the study of physical phenomena, it was used in the present research developing two types of modeling: exponential and Gaussian, and with these some predictions were made. The coefficients of determination of the exponential model were: 0.9641 for contagions, 0.9400 for recoveries and 0.9788 for deaths, and those of the Gaussian model were: 0.9799 for contagions, 0.9606 for recoveries and 0.9894 for deaths, showing a good correlation between the models and the real behavior of the pandemic, being the Gaussian one, the most approximate. This was also evidenced by comparing the prognosis of both models with the actual data for the first 13 days of August, concluding that the pandemic is beginning to mitigate, and the curve is flattening out.
Bioactive decellularized cardiac extracellular matrix-based hydrogel as a sustained-release platform for human adipose tissue-derived stromal cell-secreted factors
Authors: Liguori Tácia Tavares Aquinas , Liguori Gabriel Romero , van Dongen Joris A , Moreira Luiz Felipe Pinho , Harmsen Martin Conrad 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
The administration of trophic factors (TFs) released by mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) as therapy for cardiovascular diseases requires a delivery vehicle capable of binding and releasing the TF in a sustained manner. We hypothesized that hydrogels derived from cardiac decellularized extracellular matrix (cardiac dECM) bind MSC secretome-derived TF and release these in a sustained fashion. Pig-derived ventricular tissue was decellularized, milled to powder, digested, and assembled as a hydrogel upon warming at 37 °C. The conditioned medium (CMed) of adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (ASC) was collected, concentrated, and incorporated into the hydrogel at 1×, 10×, and 100× the original concentration. The release of 11 ASC-secreted factors (angiopoietin-1, angiopoietin-2, fibroblast growth factor-1, hepatocyte growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor-AA, vascular endothelial growth factor, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, CCL2, and matrix metalloproteinase-1) from hydrogels was immune assessed. Bioactivity was determined by endothelial cell proliferation, function, and assessment of endothelial mesenchymal transition. We showed that dECM hydrogels could be loaded with human ASC-secreted TFs, which are released in a sustained manner for several days subsequently. Different trophic factors had different release kinetics, which correlates with the initial concentration of CMed in the hydrogel. We observed that the more concentrated was the hydrogel, the more inflammation-related cytokines, and the less pro-regenerative TFs were released. Finally, we showed that the factors secreted by the hydrogel are biologically active as these influence cell behavior. The use of dECM hydrogels as a platform to bind and release paracrine factors secreted by (mesenchymal) cells is a potential alternative in the context of cardiovascular regeneration.
Managed aquifer recharge as a drought mitigation strategy in heavily-stressed aquifers
Authors: Wendt D E , Van Loon A F , Scanlon B R , Hannah D M 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Increasing meteorological drought frequency and rising water demand drive groundwater exploitation beyond sustainable limits. In heavily-stressed aquifers mitigation strategies, such as Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR), are needed to restore depleted groundwater storage. MAR is also designed to overcome short dry periods. However, wider impacts of MAR as a drought mitigation strategy remain to be quantified. The objective of this study is to assess impacts of MAR in heavily-stressed aquifers using a case study of the Central Valley in California (USA). The novelty of this study lies in its analytical approach based on long-term observational data of precipitation, groundwater levels, and MAR operations. The impact of MAR operations is assessed regionally and for different temporal scales. Results show spatially-coherent clusters of groundwater level time series in the Central Valley representing three main patterns that manifest themselves in different groundwater drought characteristics and long-term trends. The first regional pattern shows lengthened groundwater droughts and declining groundwater levels over time, indicating effects of over abstraction in aquifer sections without MAR. The second regional pattern shows reduced groundwater drought duration and magnitude related to periodically rising groundwater levels, showing short-term MAR impacts. The third regional pattern shows alleviated groundwater droughts and groundwater levels show a long-term rise, representing long-term MAR impacts. Mitigated groundwater droughts and long-term rise in groundwater levels reveal the value of long-term MAR operations and their contribution toward sustainable groundwater management. Increased institutional support is recommended to ensure longevity of MAR and thereby amplify its success as regional drought mitigation strategy in heavily-stressed aquifers.
Renovascular Hypertension Induces Myocardial Mitochondrial Damage, Contributing to Cardiac Injury and Dysfunction in Pigs With Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Nargesi Arash Aghajani , Farah Mohamed C , Zhu Xiang-Yang , Zhang Lei , Tang Hui , Jordan Kyra L , Saadiq Ishran M , Lerman Amir , Lerman Lilach O , Eirin Alfonso 
Published: December 2020

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Renovascular hypertension (RVH) often manifest with metabolic syndrome (MetS) as well. Coexisting MetS and hypertension increases cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, but the mechanisms underlying cardiac injury remain unknown. We hypothesized that superimposition of MetS induces myocardial mitochondrial damage, leading to cardiac injury and dysfunction in swine RVH.

METHODS
Pigs were studied after 16 weeks of diet-induced MetS with or without RVH (unilateral renal artery stenosis), and Lean controls (n = 6 each). Systolic and diastolic cardiac function were assessed by multidetector CT, and cardiac mitochondrial morphology (electron microscopy) and myocardial function in tissue and isolated mitochondria.

RESULTS
Body weight was similarly higher in MetS groups vs. Lean. RVH groups achieved significant stenosis and developed hypertension. Mitochondrial matrix density and adenosine triphosphate production were lower and H2O2 production higher in RVH groups vs. Lean and MetS. Lean + RVH (but not MetS + RVH) activated mitophagy, which was associated with decreased myocardial expression of mitophagy-related microRNAs. MetS groups exhibited higher numbers of intermitochondrial junctions, which could have prevented membrane depolarization/activation of mitophagy in MetS + RVH. Cardiac fibrosis, hypertrophy (increased left ventricular muscle mass), and diastolic function (decreased E/A ratio) were greater in MetS + RVH vs. Lean + RVH.

CONCLUSIONS
MetS+RVH induces myocardial mitochondrial damage and dysfunction. MetS + RVH failed to activate mitophagy, resulting in greater cardiac remodeling, fibrosis, and diastolic dysfunction. Mitochondrial injury and impaired mitophagy may constitute important mechanisms and therapeutic targets to ameliorate cardiac damage and dysfunction in patients with coexisting MetS and RVH.
Marginal modeling of cluster-period means and intraclass correlations in stepped wedge designs with binary outcomes
Authors: Li Fan , Yu Hengshi , Rathouz Paul J , Turner Elizabeth L , Preisser John S 
Published: December 2020

Summary
Stepped wedge cluster randomized trials (SW-CRTs) with binary outcomes are increasingly used in prevention and implementation studies. Marginal models represent a flexible tool for analyzing SW-CRTs with population-averaged interpretations, but the joint estimation of the mean and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) can be computationally intensive due to large cluster-period sizes. Motivated by the need for marginal inference in SW-CRTs, we propose a simple and efficient estimating equations approach to analyze cluster-period means. We show that the quasi-score for the marginal mean defined from individual-level observations can be reformulated as the quasi-score for the same marginal mean defined from the cluster-period means. An additional mapping of the individual-level ICCs into correlations for the cluster-period means further provides a rigorous justification for the cluster-period approach. The proposed approach addresses a long-recognized computational burden associated with estimating equations defined based on individual-level observations, and enables fast point and interval estimation of the intervention effect and correlations. We further propose matrix-adjusted estimating equations to improve the finite-sample inference for ICCs. By providing a valid approach to estimate ICCs within the class of generalized linear models for correlated binary outcomes, this article operationalizes key recommendations from the CONSORT extension to SW-CRTs, including the reporting of ICCs.
Taking a stand against air pollution – the impact on cardiovascular disease
Authors: Brauer Michael , Casadei Barbara , Harrington Robert A , Kovacs Richard , Sliwa Karen ,   the WHF Air Pollution Expert Group, Davaakhuu Narantuya , Hadley Michael , Kass Daniel , Miller Mark , Escamilla Nuñez Maria Consuelo , Prabhakaran Dorairaj , Su Ta-Chen , Vaartjes Ilonca C H , Vedanthan Rajesh 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Although the attention of the world and the global health community specifically is deservedly focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, other determinants of health continue to have large impacts and may also interact with COVID-19. Air pollution is one crucial example. Established evidence from other respiratory viruses and emerging evidence for COVID-19 specifically indicates that air pollution alters respiratory defense mechanisms leading to worsened infection severity. Air pollution also contributes to co-morbidities that are known to worsen outcomes amongst those infected with COVID-19, and air pollution may also enhance infection transmission due to its impact on more frequent coughing. Yet despite the massive disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are reasons for optimism: broad societal lockdowns have shown us a glimpse of what a future with strong air pollution measures could yield. Thus, the urgency to combat air pollution is not diminished, but instead heightened in the context of the pandemic.
Functional hydrocolloids, gut microbiota and health: picking food additives for personalized nutrition
Authors: Tan Huizi , Nie Shaoping 
Published: December 2020

ABSTRACT
The human gut microbiota respond to particular food components, interact with intestinal mucosa and thereby contribute to health and disease. Key microbiome features are under comprehensive investigation and are likely to be developed as reliable evidence for clinical diagnosis. The underlying mechanisms provide the foundation for assembling bespoke nutritional ingredients, including functional food additives, that may lead to favorable outcomes in facilitating the amelioration of host dysfunction. Functional hydrocolloids serve as multiple food additives with promising application prospects and outstanding adjunctive beneficial characteristics. Therefore, in this review, we introduce the latest advances in the food additives–gut microbiota–host axis by summarizing the physiochemical and physiological properties of a collection of functional hydrocolloids from various sources, describing the functional hydrocolloids-related intestinal commensal markers and deciphering the underlying mechanisms of their beneficial effects, and propose the feasibilities and guidelines for further development of gut microbiota-oriented personalized nutrition.
From baker's yeast to genetically modified budding yeasts: the scientific evolution of bioethanol industry from sugarcane
Authors: Ceccato-Antonini Sandra Regina , Covre Elizabete Aparecida 
Published: December 2020

ABSTRACT
The peculiarities of Brazilian fuel ethanol fermentation allow the entry of native yeasts that may dominate over the starter strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and persist throughout the sugarcane harvest. The switch from the use of baker's yeast as starter to selected budding yeasts obtained by a selective pressure strategy was followed by a wealth of genomic information that enabled the understanding of the superiority of selected yeast strains. This review describes how the process of yeast selection evolved in the sugarcane-based bioethanol industry, the selection criteria and recent advances in genomics that could advance the fermentation process. The prospective use of genetically modified yeast strains, specially designed for increased robustness and product yield, with special emphasis on those obtained by the CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats)–Cas9 (CRISPR-associated protein 9) genome-editing approach, is discussed as a possible solution to confer higher performance and stability to the fermentation process for fuel ethanol production.
Sequence of aCoxiellaEndosymbiont of the TickAmblyomma nuttalliSuggests a Pattern of Convergent Genome Reduction in theCoxiellaGenus
Authors: Nardi Tiago , Olivieri Emanuela , Kariuki Edward , Sassera Davide , Castelli Michele 
Published: December 2020

AbstractTicks require bacterial symbionts for the provision of necessary compounds that are absent in their hematophagous diet. Such symbionts are frequently vertically transmitted and, most commonly, belong to the Coxiella genus, which also includes the human pathogen Coxiella burnetii. This genus can be divided in four main clades, presenting partial but incomplete cocladogenesis with the tick hosts. Here, we report the genome sequence of a novel Coxiella, endosymbiont of the African tick Amblyomma nuttalli, and the ensuing comparative analyses. Its size (∼1 Mb) is intermediate between symbionts of Rhipicephalus species and other Amblyomma species. Phylogenetic analyses show that the novel sequence is the first genome of the B clade, the only one for which no genomes were previously available. Accordingly, it allows to draw an enhanced scenario of the evolution of the genus, one of parallel genome reduction of different endosymbiont lineages, which are now at different stages of reduction from a more versatile ancestor. Gene content comparison allows to infer that the ancestor could be reminiscent of C. burnetii. Interestingly, the convergent loss of mismatch repair could have been a major driver of such reductive evolution. Predicted metabolic profiles are rather homogenous among Coxiella endosymbionts, in particular vitamin biosynthesis, consistently with a host-supportive role. Concurrently, similarities among Coxiella endosymbionts according to host genus and despite phylogenetic unrelatedness hint at possible host-dependent effects.
On sharp and single-conclusion justification models
Authors: Krupski Vladimir N 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Justification awareness models (JAMs) were proposed by S. Artemov as a tool for modelling epistemic scenarios such as Russell’s prime minister example. It was demonstrated that the sharpness and the single-conclusion property of a model play an essential role in the epistemic usage of JAMs. The problem to axiomatize these properties using the propositional justification language was left opened. We propose the solution and define a decidable justification logic $\textsf{J}_{\textit{ref}}$ that is sound and complete with respect to the class of all sharp single-conclusion justification models. We also provide the complete axiomatizations for the classes of all single-conclusion justification models and all sharp justification models.
Formation of binary black holes similar to GW190521 with a total mass of ∼150 M⊙ from Population III binary star evolution
Authors: Kinugawa Tomoya , Nakamura Takashi , Nakano Hiroyuki 
Published: December 2020

ABSTRACT
In the case of zero-metal (Population III or Pop III) stars, we show that the total mass of binary black holes from binary Pop III star evolution can be ${\sim} 150 \, \mathrm{ M}_{\odot }$, which agrees with the mass of the binary black hole GW190521 recently discovered by LIGO/Virgo. The event rate of such binary black hole mergers is estimated as 0.13–0.66 (ρSFR/(6 × 105 M⊙ Mpc−3)) Errsys yr−1 Gpc−3, where ρSFR and Errsys are the cumulative comoving mass density of Pop III stars depending on star formation rate and the systematic errors depending on uncertainties in the Pop III binary parameters, respectively. The event rate in our fiducial model with ρSFR = 6 × 105 M⊙ Mpc−3 and Errsys = 1 is 0.13–0.66 yr−1 Gpc−3, which is consistent with the observed value of 0.02–0.43 yr−1 Gpc−3.
Characterization of M dwarfs using optical mid-resolution spectra for exploration of small exoplanets
Authors: Koizumi Yohei , Kuzuhara Masayuki , Omiya Masashi , Hirano Teruyuki , Wisniewski John , Aoki Wako , Sato Bun’ei 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
We present the optical spectra of 338 nearby M dwarfs, and compute their spectral types, effective temperatures (Teff), and radii. Our spectra were obtained using several optical spectrometers with spectral resolutions that range from 1200 to 10000. As many as 97% of the observed M-type dwarfs have a spectral type of M3–M6, with a typical error of 0.4 subtype, among which the spectral types M4–M5 are the most common. We infer the Teff of our sample by fitting our spectra with theoretical spectra from the PHOENIX model. Our inferred Teff is calibrated with the optical spectra of M dwarfs whose Teff have been well determined with the calibrations that are supported by previous interferometric observations. Our fitting procedures utilize the VO absorption band (7320–7570 Å) and the optical region (5000–8000 Å), yielding typical errors of 128 K (VO band) and 85 K (optical region). We also determine the radii of our sample from their spectral energy distributions. We find most of our sample stars have radii of &lt;0.6 R⊙, with the average error being 3%. Our catalog enables efficient sample selection for exoplanet surveys around nearby M-type dwarfs.
Long‐term Outcomes of Living‐donor Liver Transplantation for Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis Type 1
Authors: Okamoto Tatsuya , Sonoda Mari , Ogawa Eri , Ito Shogo , Togawa Takao , Hayashi Hisamitsu , Okajima Hideaki , Uemoto Shiji 
Published: December 2020

ABSTRACTObjectives:Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 1 (PFIC‐1), an autosomal recessive disorder, is characterized by cholestasis, jaundice, and refractory pruritus. In some patients with PFIC‐1, liver cirrhosis and end‐stage liver disease develop and lead to liver transplantation (LT). In this observational study, we sought to clarify the long‐term outcomes of LT for PFIC‐1 and predictors of favorable outcomes.Methods:The study cohort constituted 12 patients with PFIC‐1 who had undergone living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) during the previous 3 decades (1990–2019). We compared the clinical manifestations and type of ATP8B1 mutations between patients in whom LDLT had been successful and those in whom it had been unsuccessful.Results:LDLT failed in 5 of the 12 patients and the 25‐year survival rate was 58%. Comparison of physical growth after LDLT revealed significant retardation of stature in patients in whom LDLT had been unsuccessful; these patients developed severe and persistent diarrhea. ATP8B1 genotypic analysis revealed that frameshifting, splicing, and large deletion mutations occurred more commonly in successful cases, whereas missense mutations occurred more frequently in unsuccessful cases. No mutations were identical in the 2 groups.Conclusions:These results suggest an association between post‐LT outcomes and extrahepatic manifestations, especially intestinal function. Further investigation of correlations between ATP8B1 genotypes and intestinal function could help to identify patients with PFIC‐1 who will achieve favorable post‐LT outcomes.