bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Gene polymorphism associated with TGF‐β1 and susceptibility to preeclampsia: A meta‐analysis and trial sequential analysis
Authors: Liu Jing , Song Guang , Zhao Ge , Meng Tao 
Published: March 2021

AbstractAimMounts of researches focused on the link between transforming growth factor‐beta 1 (TGF‐β1) polymorphisms and preeclampsia (PE) which is a hypertensive multisystemic disorder affecting pregnancy. However, the results were inconsistent. Thus, a meta‐analysis was performed to obtain more conclusive results.MethodsEligible studies were searched in PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Scopus. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were utilized to evaluate the relationship between six TGF‐β1 polymorphisms (rs1800468, rs1800469, rs1800470, rs1800471, rs4803455, and rs4803457) and PE susceptibility in five genetic models. The subgroup stratified analysis and trial sequential analysis were performed.ResultsFourteen studies were included in this meta‐analysis with 1941 PE patients and 2488 healthy women. There was no statistically significant association between these six TGF‐β1 polymorphisms and PE within five genetic models in the overall population (all p > 0.05). Subgroup stratified analysis revealed there was statistically significant association between TGF‐β1 rs1800469 polymorphism and PE within the allele, recessive, and homozygous model in Asian (OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.02–1.35; OR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.06–1.72; OR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.07–2.05, respectively; all p < 0.05). Trial sequential analysis indicated sufficient proof of such association in the Asian population.ConclusionsTGF‐β1 rs1800469 is a possible risk factor for PE in Asian populations.
Human papillomavirus sequencing reveals its usefulness for the management of HIV‐infected women at risk for developing cervical cancer
Authors: Piyathilake Chandrika J. , Kumar Ranjit , Crowley Michael R. , Badiga Suguna , Burkholder Greer A. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractAimNext‐generation sequencing (NGS) is able to describe the composition of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) as percent (%) reads rather than positive/negative results. Therefore, we used this unique approach to assess the prevalence of cervical HPVs of HIV infected (HIV+) in order to understand the determinants of being infected with higher % reads of high risk (HR)‐HPVs and cervical abnormalities of atypical squamous cells of unknown significance or higher (ASCUS+).MethodsStudy included 66 women characterized for relevant risk factors/cytology. Receiver‐operating curve curve was used to derive the optimal % read cut point to identify ASCUS+ in relation to any HR‐HPV genotype or other specific HPV genotypes. The determinants of ASCUS+ and HR‐HPVs were tested using logistic regression.ResultsWomen with >20% reads of any HR‐HPV or >12% any HR‐HPV other than HPV 16/18 were 5.7 and 12.6 times more likely to be diagnosed with ASCUS+, respectively. Lower CD4 count was a significant determinant of >20% reads of HR‐HPV (odds ratio [OR] = 4.1) or >12% any HR‐HPV other than HPV 16/18 (OR = 4.5).ConclusionWe envision that the NGS‐based HPV detection will be more accurate for screening and management of HIV+ at risk for developing cervical cancer (CC). We raise concerns regarding the limitations of 16/18‐based HPV testing for triage and the efficacy of current HPV vaccines for preventing CC in HIV+.
Innate and adaptive immune responses following PD‐L1 blockade in treating chronic murine alveolar echinococcosis
Authors: Jebbawi Fadi , Bellanger Anne‐Pauline , Lunström‐Stadelmann Britta , Rufener Reto , Dosch Michel , Goepfert Christine , Gottstein Bruno , Millon Laurence , Grandgirard Denis , Leib Stephen L. , Beldi Guido , Wang Junhua 
Published: March 2021

AbstractBackgroundProgrammed death‐1 (PD‐1) and programmed death ligand‐1 (PD‐L1) immune checkpoint blockade are efficacious in certain cancer therapies.ObjectivesThe present study aimed to provide a picture about the development of innate and adaptive immune responses upon PD‐L1 blockade in treating chronic murine AE.MethodsImmune treatment started at 6 weeks post‐E. multilocularis infection, and was maintained for 8 weeks with twice per week anti‐PD‐L1 administration (intraperitoneal). The study included an outgroup‐control with mice perorally medicated with albendazole 5 d/wk, and another one with both treatments combined. Assessment of treatment efficacy was based on determining parasite weight, innate and adaptive immune cell profiles, histopathology and liver tissue cytokine levels.Results/conclusionsFindings showed that the parasite load was significantly reduced in response to PD‐L1 blockade, and this blockade (a) contributed to T‐cell activity by increasing CD4+/CD8+ effector T cells, and decreasing Tregs; (b) had the capacity to restore DCs and Kupffer cells/Macrophages; (c) suppressed NKT and NK cells; and thus (d) lead to an improved control of E. multilocularis infection in mice. This study suggests that the PD‐L1 pathway plays an important role by regulating adaptive and innate immune cells against E. multilocularis infection, with significant modulation of tissue inflammation.
Leaf morphology, photosynthesis and pigments change with age and light regime in savin juniper
Authors: Zhang J.‐L. , Li X.‐G. , Xu X.‐H. , Chen H.‐P. , Li Y.‐L. , Guy R. D. 
Published: March 2021

Abstract

Savin juniper is an excellent species for desertification control in arid and semi‐arid areas, where it typically establishes under the protection of nurse plants. Ultimately, established plants emerge into full light as they grow, and this transition is accompanied by an increase in the preponderance of scale‐like versus needle‐like leaf forms.

To test how age and variable light environments affect shade tolerance in savin juniper, we established a pot study under field conditions, with two age cohorts (1‐ and 4‐year‐old rooted scions) and three light regimes (10%, 50% and 100% light transmittance). We measured growth, leaf parameters, photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence and foliar pigments on a monthly basis (seven growing months per year, from 2015 to 2017).

Overall, there was little interaction among all variables, and both cohort and light regime had significant effects. Leaf form and spacing varied continuously, tending towards shorter, more closely spaced and more appressed scale leaves with higher dry leaf mass per area in older plants or under higher light. There were no clear age‐related patterns in carotenoids but both cohort and light had significant effects on gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence variables.

We conclude that savin juniper shows an intermediate tolerance to shade that changes with growth in that younger plants were less tolerant of full sun than older plants, consistent with its reliance on nurse plants for ultimate establishment in the open.
The Rise of the Global Rhetorical Presidency
Authors: Prasch Allison M. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractI introduce the concept of the global rhetorical presidency to account for a fundamental shift in U.S. presidential rhetoric and foreign policy, one that emerged at the dawn of the twentieth century. As the nation redirected impulses of westward expansion, manifest destiny, and settler colonialism to the rest of the world, U.S. presidents traveled beyond the nation's own borders to speak on the international stage. Through these acts of going global, chief executives sought to extend the United States' military, political, and psychological influence in various geopolitical regions and nation‐states, expand presidential power in foreign affairs, and elevate the United States’ image and position at home and abroad. The global rhetorical presidency also illuminates how U.S. presidents deploy the constellation and coalescence of five specific elements—body, place, image, audience, and circulation—to create and contribute to conditions of globalization, address audiences foreign and domestic, and rally international public opinion.
On the possibility of wholesale moral error
Authors: Akhlaghi Farbod 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe moral error theory, it seems, could be true. The mere possibility of its truth might also seem inconsequential. But it is not. For, I argue, there is a sense in which the moral error theory is possible that generates an argument against both non‐cognitivism and moral naturalism. I argue that it is an epistemic possibility that morality is subject to some form of wholesale error of the kind that would make the moral error theory true. Denying this possibility has three unwelcome consequences such that allowing for and explaining it is an adequacy condition on meta‐ethical theories. Non‐cognitivism and moral naturalism, I argue, cannot capture the epistemic possibility of wholesale moral error and so are false. My argument additionally provides independent reason to accept Derek Parfit's claim that if moral non‐naturalism is false then nothing matters. I conclude that whether wholesale moral error is epistemically possible may be, in Richard Rorty's words, ‘one of those issues which puts everything up for grabs at once’ and that even if so, and even if non‐cognitivists and moral naturalists remain unmoved by an argument based upon it, this only helps to highlight the significance of my argument.
The Porter and the Jesuits: Macbeth and the Forgotten History of Equivocation☆
Authors: Vince Máté 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThis essay explores Shakespeare’s relationship to the intellectual history of equivocation in sixteenth and seventeenth‐century rhetoric and dialectic. It demonstrates that ‘equivocation’, far from denoting only a Jesuitical practice of deception, had a long and complex history intrinsically linked to theories of interpretation. Thus, the essay challenges the view that Macbeth’s apparent obsession with equivocation can be attributed exclusively to the Gunpowder Plot. The widely presumed influence of the conspirators’ trials on the play, based largely on verbal parallels with sermons, speeches and treatises, sidelines a fundamental sixteenth‐century discourse about epistemology. The essay offers a historicized understanding of equivocation to demonstrate that the concept had permeated early modern culture more deeply and earlier than usually acknowledged. It provides a comparative analysis of Shakespeare’s use of the word ‘equivocation’ in Hamlet, All’s Well That Ends Well, Othello and Macbeth. Reading Macbeth alongside pre‐Gunpowder Plot plays (The Merchant of Venice, Measure for Measure), and the rhetorical and dialectical tradition, reveals a culture that was deeply disconcerted by what was perceived as the inherent instability of meaning. The essay argues that the theological‐political controversy about equivocation was a debate about language and interpretation in which Shakespeare’s characters had participated before 1605.
On the Optimality of Randomization in Experimental Design: How to Randomize for Minimax Variance and Design-Based Inference
Authors: Kallus Nathan 
Published: March 2021

AbstractI study the minimax-optimal design for a two-arm controlled experiment where conditional mean outcomes vary in a given set and the objective is effect-estimation precision. When this set is permutation symmetric, the optimal design is shown to be complete randomization. Notably, even when the set has structure (i.e., is not permutation symmetric), being minimax-optimal for precision still requires randomization beyond a single partition of units, that is, beyond randomizing the identity of treatment. A single partition is not optimal even when conditional means are linear. Since this only targets precision, it may nonetheless not ensure sufficient uniformity for design-based (i.e., randomization) inference. I therefore propose the inference-constrained mixed-strategy optimal design as the minimax-optimal for precision among designs subject to sufficient-uniformity constraints.
CsLOB1 regulates susceptibility to citrus canker through promoting cell proliferation in citrus
Authors: Zou Xiuping , Du Meixia , Liu Yunuo , Wu Liu , Xu Lanzhen , Long Qin , Peng Aihong , He Yongrui , Andrade Maxuel , Chen Shanchun 
Published: March 2021

SummaryCitrus sinensis lateral organ boundary 1 (CsLOB1) was previously identified as a critical disease susceptibility gene for citrus bacterial canker, which is caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc). However, the molecular mechanisms of CsLOB1 in citrus response to Xcc are still elusive. Here, we constructed transgenic plants overexpressing and RNAi‐silencing of CsLOB1 using the canker‐disease susceptible ‘wanjincheng’ orange (C. sinensis Osbeck) as explants. CsLOB1‐overexpressing plants exhibited dwarf phenotypes with smaller and thicker leaf, increased branches and adventitious buds clustered on stems. These phenotypes were followed by a process of pustule‐ and canker‐like development that exhibited enhanced cell proliferation. Pectin depolymerization and expansin accumulation were enhanced by CsLOB1 overexpression, while cellulose and hemicellulose synthesis were increased by CsLOB1 silence. Whilst overexpression of CsLOB1 increased susceptibility, RNAi‐silencing of CsLOB1 enhanced resistance to canker disease without impairing pathogen entry. Transcriptome analysis revealed that CsLOB1 positively regulated cell wall degradation and modification processes, cytokinin metabolism, and cell division. Additionally, 565 CsLOB1‐targeted genes were identified in chromatin immunoprecipitation‐sequencing (ChIP‐seq) experiments. Motif discovery analysis revealed that the most highly overrepresented binding sites had a conserved 6‐bp ‘GCGGCG’ consensus DNA motif. RNA‐seq and ChIP‐seq data suggested that CsLOB1 directly activates the expression of four genes involved in cell wall remodeling, and three genes that participate in cytokinin and brassinosteroid hormone pathways. Our findings indicate that CsLOB1 promotes cell proliferation by mechanisms depending on cell wall remodeling and phytohormone signaling, which may be critical to citrus canker development and bacterial growth in citrus.
Comparison of imaging techniques to detect migrating foreign bodies. Relevance of preoperative and intraoperative ultrasonography for diagnosis and surgical removal
Authors: Blondel Margaux , Sonet Juliette , Cachon Thibaut , Ségard‐Weisse Emilie , Ferrand François‐Xavier , Carozzo Claude 
Published: March 2021

AbstractObjectiveTo report the relative sensitivity of different diagnostic imaging (DI) techniques to detect migrating foreign bodies (FB) in subcutaneous and underlying soft tissue structures of dogs and evaluate the value of intraoperative ultrasonography (intraop‐US).Study designRetrospective study.Sample populationForty‐one dogs.MethodsMedical records (2007‐2019) of dogs that underwent surgery for a chronic abscess or draining tract were included when preoperative US (preop‐US), computed tomography (preop‐CT), or preop‐MRI, and at least 6 months of follow‐up information were available. Collected data included the DI techniques used, DI findings, and surgical findings. The relative sensitivity of each preoperative DI (preop‐DI) technique was calculated. Dogs were divided into two groups, dogs that underwent only a preop‐DI examination (group A) and dogs that underwent an additional intraop‐US (group B). The success rates for FB surgical removal were compared between groups.ResultsThe relative sensitivity of preop‐US and preop‐CT/MRI was 88% (95% CI, 70%–95.8%) and 57.1% (95% CI, 32.6%–78.6%), respectively. The success rate for FB removal was higher in group B (89.5%) than in group A (59.1%; P = .038). Clinical resolution occurred in 90.2% of dogs for a median duration of follow‐up of 4.2 years (6 months to 9.3 years).ConclusionPreoperative US seems more suitable than preop‐CT/MRI for detection of migrating FB in subcutaneous and underlying soft tissue structures. The use of intraop‐US increases the success rate for FB surgical removal.Clinical significanceIntraoperative US should be used in combination with preop‐US to increase the likelihood of migrating FB surgical removal in dogs.
Configuration Design of Dual-Input Compound Power-Split Mechanism for In-Wheel Motor-Driven Electrical Vehicles Based on an Improved Lever Analogy Method
Authors: Yang Xiaodong , Shao Yimin , Wang Liming , Yu Wennian , Yue Nian , Du Weitao 
Published: March 2021

AbstractHigh power density in-wheel motor could be achieved by integrating a high-speed ratio (larger than 25) compound power-split mechanism (CPSM) with small motors. However, due to the exhaustive searching method adopted by the traditional lever analogy method, it is time-consuming to design high-speed ratio compound power-split mechanism configurations satisfying the high power density of in-wheel motor. In this paper, an improved lever analogy method is proposed to find the optimal configurations with a high-speed ratio to satisfy the high power density in-wheel motor. In this method, a judgment algorithm about the rank of structure matrix is proposed to identify three-node compound lever models of the CPSM. The improved lever analogy method can filter out useless configurations that significantly improve the calculation efficiency. The simulation results show that the calculation efficiency is improved by 215 times higher than that of the lever analogy method. Finally, 16 reasonable and 14 new configurations are obtained. This indicates that the improved lever analogy method can provide an effective way to design the high-speed ratio CPSM, which is widely used in-wheel motor-driven vehicles.
Enhancing Creative Redesign Through Multimodal Design Heuristics for Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Blösch-Paidosh Alexandra , Shea Kristina 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
When designing for additive manufacturing (AM), designers often need assistance in breaking out of their conventional manufacturing mind-set. Previously, the authors derived design heuristics for AM (DHAM) to assist designers in doing this during the early phases of the design process. This study proposes a set of 25 multimodal cards and objects to accompany each of the design heuristics for AM and studies their effect through a series of controlled, novice user studies conducted using both teams and individuals who redesign a city E-Bike. The resulting AM concepts are analyzed in terms of the quantity of design modifications relevant for AM, AM flexibility, novelty, and variety. It is found that the DHAM cards and objects increase the inclusion of AM concepts, AM modifications, and the unique capabilities of AM in the concepts generated by both individuals and teams. They also increase the creativity of the concepts generated by both individuals and teams, as measured through a series of defined metrics. Furthermore, the objects in combination with the cards are more effective at stimulating the generation of a wider variety of designs than the cards alone. Future work will focus on studying the use of the DHAM cards and objects in an industrial setting.
The Effects of Different Air Channels’ Layout Patterns on Heat Transfer and Ventilation Characteristics of Wet Cooling Tower Under Crosswind Conditions
Authors: Chen Xuehong , Sun Fengzhong , Chen Youliang , Yuan Wei 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Through a thermal-state model experiment, the effects of air channels in five layout patterns on heat transfer and ventilation characteristics of the wet cooling tower were investigated under different crosswind velocities and circulating water flowrates in this paper. The dimensions and operating conditions of the model tower were obtained by scaling down those of the prototype according to similarity principles. Experimental results manifest that all patterns of air channels can not only enhance the heat transfer and ventilation performance but also decrease the variation amplitudes of performance parameters versus crosswind velocity. Under most crosswind velocities, the positive effects of air channels are more remarkable under 0.000065 m3/s than those under 0.0001 m3/s. Compared with the original tower performance, the effect of the P4 and P5 pattern is superior to that of the P2 and P1 pattern. Besides, the P3 pattern of air channels with a length of 0.27 times the tower bottom diameter and a number of 8 can provide an optimal tower performance, which is recommended in engineering applications.
Excess mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic: a geospatial and statistical analysis in Aden governorate, Yemen
Authors: Koum Besson Emilie S , Norris Andy , Bin Ghouth Abdulla S , Freemantle Terri , Alhaffar Mervat , Vazquez Yolanda , Reeve Chris , Curran Patrick J , Checchi Francesco 
Published: March 2021

BackgroundThe burden of COVID-19 in low-income and conflict-affected countries remains unclear, largely reflecting low testing rates. In parts of Yemen, reports indicated a peak in hospital admissions and burials during May–June 2020. To estimate excess mortality during the epidemic period, we quantified activity across all identifiable cemeteries within Aden governorate (population approximately 1 million) by analysing very high-resolution satellite imagery and compared estimates to Civil Registry office records.MethodsAfter identifying active cemeteries through remote and ground information, we applied geospatial analysis techniques to manually identify new grave plots and measure changes in burial surface area over a period from July 2016 to September 2020. After imputing missing grave counts using surface area data, we used alternative approaches, including simple interpolation and a generalised additive mixed growth model, to predict both actual and counterfactual (no epidemic) burial rates by cemetery and across the governorate during the most likely period of COVID-19 excess mortality (from 1 April 2020) and thereby compute excess burials. We also analysed death notifications to the Civil Registry office over the same period.ResultsWe collected 78 observations from 11 cemeteries. In all but one, a peak in daily burial rates was evident from April to July 2020. Interpolation and mixed model methods estimated ≈1500 excess burials up to 6 July, and 2120 up to 19 September, corresponding to a peak weekly increase of 230% from the counterfactual. Satellite imagery estimates were generally lower than Civil Registry data, which indicated a peak 1823 deaths in May alone. However, both sources suggested the epidemic had waned by September 2020.DiscussionTo our knowledge, this is the first instance of satellite imagery being used for population mortality estimation. Findings suggest a substantial, under-ascertained impact of COVID-19 in this urban Yemeni governorate and are broadly in line with previous mathematical modelling predictions, though our method cannot distinguish direct from indirect virus deaths. Satellite imagery burial analysis appears a promising novel approach for monitoring epidemics and other crisis impacts, particularly where ground data are difficult to collect.