bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Broad photoluminescence in ternary Ag-In-S and quaternary Ag-In-Zn-S nanoparticles: the role of Zn incorporation
Authors: Liu Xiangming , Peng Xiaoshi , Xu Tao , Li Yulong , Wei Huiyue , Guan Zanyang , Wang Feng 
Published: July 2021

Abstract
Ternary Ag-In-S and quaternary Ag-In-Zn-S nanoparticles with different ratio of Ag/In/Zn/S are synthesized. The incorporation of Zn into Ag-In-S nanoparticles leads to the increase in the optical bandgap and the blue shift of photoluminescence (PL). The optical properties of these nanoparticles are significantly dependent on the chemical composition of nanoparticles. Time-resolved PL spectroscopy in nanosecond time regime is used to study the recombination processes of carriers, which involve the surface states and intrinsic crystallographic defects. These measurements support the donor-acceptor model, in which the PL is achieved by radiative recombination of the localized electron and hole.
Reduced Clostridioides difficile infections in hospitalised older people through multiple quality improvement strategies
Authors: Dohrendorf Carla Maria , Unkel Steffen , Scheithauer Simone , Kaase Martin , Meier Volker , Fenz Diana , Sasse Jürgen , Wappler Manfred , Schweer-Herzig Jutta , Friede Tim , Reichard Utz , Eiffert Helmut , Nau Roland , Seele Jana 
Published: July 2021

Abstract

Objectives
To reduce infections with Clostridioides difficile (CDI) in geriatric patients by interventions easily implementable in standard clinical care.

Methods
Prevalence and incidence of CDI between January 2015 and February 2020 were analysed (n = 25,311 patients). Pre-intervention status was assessed from April 2016 to March 2017 (n = 4,922). Between May 2017 and August 2019, a monocentric interventional crossover study (n = 4,655) was conducted including standard care and three interventions: (A) sporicidal cleaning of hospital wards, (B) probiotics and (C) improvement in personal hygiene for CDI patients. This was followed by a multicentric comparison of the interventional bundle (A + B + C) between September 2019 and February 2020 (n = 2,593) with the pre-intervention phase. In 98 CDI cases and matched controls individual risk factors for the development of CDI were compared.

Results
Time series analyses of CDI cases revealed a reduction in the prevalence of CDI in all three participating centres prior to the multicentric intervention phase. In the monocentric phase, no effect of individual interventions on CDI prevalence was identified. However, an aggregated analysis of CDI cases comparing the pre-intervention and the multicentric phase revealed a significant reduction in CDI prevalence. Risk factors for the development of CDI included use of antibiotics, anticoagulants, previous stay in long-term care facilities, prior hospital admissions, cardiac and renal failure, malnutrition and anaemia.

Conclusions
The observed reduction in CDI may be attributed to heightened awareness of the study objectives and specific staff training. Individual interventions did not appear to reduce CDI prevalence. A further randomised trial would be necessary to confirm whether the bundle of interventions is truly effective.
UCSCXenaShiny: an R/CRAN package for interactive analysis of UCSC Xena data
Authors: Wang Shixiang , Xiong Yi , Zhao Longfei , Gu Kai , Li Yin , Zhao Fei , Li Jianfeng , Wang Mingjie , Wang Haitao , Tao Ziyu , Wu Tao , Zheng Yichao , Li Xuejun , Liu Xue-Song 
Published: July 2021

Abstract

Summary
UCSC Xena platform provides huge amounts of processed cancer omics data from large cancer research projects (e.g. TCGA, CCLE and PCAWG) or individual research groups and enables unprecedented research opportunities. However, a graphical user interface-based tool for interactively analyzing UCSC Xena data and generating elegant plots is still lacking, especially for cancer researchers and clinicians with limited programming experience. Here, we present UCSCXenaShiny, an R Shiny package for quickly searching, downloading, exploring, analyzing and visualizing data from UCSC Xena data hubs. This tool could effectively promote the practical use of public data, and can serve as an important complement to the current Xena genomics explorer.

Availability and implementation
UCSCXenaShiny is an open source R package under GPLv3 license and it is freely available at https://github.com/openbiox/UCSCXenaShiny or https://cran.r-project.org/package=UCSCXenaShiny. The docker image is available at https://hub.docker.com/r/shixiangwang/ucscxenashiny.

Supplementary information
Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Esophagectomy versus definitive chemoradiotherapy as initial treatment for clinical stage I esophageal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Mei Li-Xiang , Mo Jun-Xian , Chen Yong , Dai Lei , Wang Yong-Yong , Chen Ming-Wu 
Published: July 2021

Abstract

Background
Esophagectomy and definitive chemoradiotherapy are commonly used in the treatment of stage I esophageal cancer (EC). The present study aims to compare the efficacy and safety of esophagectomy and definitive chemoradiotherapy as the initial treatment for clinical stage I EC.

Methods
This study was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42020197203). Relevant studies were identified through PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library from database inception to June 30, 2020. Hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was employed to compare overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Odds ratio (OR) with 95% CI was employed to compare treatment-related death, complications, and tumor recurrence.

Results
A total of 13 non-randomized controlled studies involving 3,346 patients were included. Compared with definitive chemoradiotherapy, esophagectomy showed an improved OS (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.55–0.86; P &lt; 0.001), PFS (HR 0.47, 95% CI 0.33–0.67; P &lt; 0.001), and a lower risk of tumor recurrence (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.30–0.61; P &lt; 0.001). There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications (OR 1.11, 95% CI 0.75–1.65; P = 0.60) and treatment-related death (OR 1.15, 95% CI 0.31–4.30; P = 0.84) between the two treatments.

Conclusions
Current evidence shows esophagectomy has superior survival benefits as the initial treatment for clinical stage I EC. It is still the preferred choice for patients with clinical stage I EC. However, future high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to validate this conclusion.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) Communities and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: A Call to Break the Cycle of Structural Barriers
Authors: Gil Raul Macias , Freeman Tracey L , Mathew Trini , Kullar Ravina , Fekete Thomas , Ovalle Anais , Nguyen Don , Kottkamp Angélica , Poon Jin , Marcelin Jasmine R , Swartz Talia H 
Published: July 2021

Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disproportionately impacted lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) communities. Many disparities mirror those of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS epidemic. These health inequities have repeated throughout history due to the structural oppression of LGBTQ+ people. We aim to demonstrate that the familiar patterns of LGBTQ+ health disparities reflect a perpetuating, deeply rooted cycle of injustice imposed on LGBTQ+ people. Here, we contextualize COVID-19 inequities through the history of the HIV/AIDS crisis, describe manifestations of LGBTQ+ structural oppression exacerbated by the pandemic, and provide recommendations for medical professionals and institutions seeking to reduce health inequities.
Introduction
Authors: Wesselhoeft Kirsten , Moodie Deonnie 
Published: July 2021

AbstractAlthough studies on the entwining of religious and economic forms in the discipline of religious studies have typically centered on Euro-American contexts, this roundtable offers multiple points of departure for analyzing religion and economy in four national contexts outside the West. Debates about the relationships between morality, sacred histories, market governance, and financial cultures have different terms and stakes outside of Western concentrations of capital. The ideologies of freedom and personal autonomy that underpin neoliberalism are inflected quite differently in contexts and intellectual traditions with both colonial and socialist histories. This is true not only for trenchant critics of neoliberalism but also for those actors who provocatively assert freedom through the market. By de-centering the West as the starting point for understanding neoliberal capitalism, we are better able to see the ways that colonial and imperial power is experienced across the globe and how it bears out in diverse neoliberal cultural formations.
Unified Multifactorial Model of Parental Factors in Community-Based Pediatric Chronic Pain
Authors: Brown Donnamay T , Claus Benedikt B , Könning Anna , Wager Julia 
Published: July 2021

Abstract

Objective
The combination of parental chronic pain and internalizing characteristics are relevant to chronic pain experiences in their children. A promising unified multifactorial intergenerational model of chronic pain was published in 2019; however, this model was only generalizable to children with severe chronic pain and some factors had limitations. This study aimed to determine validity of an adapted multifactorial model, including parent and child chronic pain status, pain characteristics, pain-related functioning, and internalizing symptoms, in a community setting. Subgroup analyses based on presence of chronic pain in parents and children were explored to determine whether effects were stronger in certain subsamples.

Methods
Adolescents (N = 1,450, Mage=12.7 years, 50% female), and their parents (82% mothers), were recruited from five schools to complete online surveys. Structural equation modeling was used to investigate interrelated pain-related experiences between parents and their offspring.

Results
The adapted unified multifactorial model had good model fit in the community sample. Significant weak associations were found between all parent and child factors. The strongest associations were found in the subsample of parents and children with chronic pain. In all subgroups, internalizing factors were the most strongly linked intergenerational constructs.

Conclusions
Our results support the validity of the unified multifactorial model of parental factors in pediatric chronic pain, although associations were weaker in the community sample than those previously reported in a clinical sample. In children who develop chronic pain, it is important to consider their parent’s chronic pain and internalizing symptoms to best manage intergenerational effects.
Identification of a gene responsible for seedpod spine formation and other phenotypic alterations using whole-genome sequencing analysis in Medicago truncatula
Authors: Zhao Zhili , Chai Maofeng , Sun Liang , Cong Lili , Jiang Qingzheng , Zhang Zhifei , Wang Zeng-Yu 
Published: July 2021

Abstract
In nature, some plant species produce seedpods with spines, which is an adaptive biological trait for protecting the seed and helping seed dispersal. However, the molecular mechanism of spine formation is still unclear. While conducting routine tissue culture and transformation in the model legume Medicago truncatula, we identified a smooth seedpod (ssp1) mutant with a suite of other phenotypic changes. Preliminary analysis showed that the mutation was derived from the tissue culture process. Genetic segregation analysis suggested that ssp1 is a recessive mutant. By combining whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, we found that the mutant phenotype was caused by a single nucleotide polymorphism and a 30 bp deletion in the gene locus Medtr4g039430, named SSP1. Complementation of the M. truncatula ssp1 and Arabidopsis twd1 mutants showed complete restoration, indicating that SSP1 is an ortholog of Arabidopsis TWD1 which encodes an immunophilin-like FK506-binding protein 42. The formation of spines on seedpods is associated with auxin transport. The method used in this study offers an effective way for detecting genes responsible for somaclonal variations. The results demonstrate, for the first time, that SSP1 plays a crucial role in the determination of spine formation on seedpods.
Visuomotor Synchronization: Military Normative Performance
Authors: Maruta Jun , Spielman Lisa A , Ghajar Jamshid 
Published: July 2021

ABSTRACTIntroductionCognitive processes such as perception and reasoning are preceded and dependent on attention. Because of the close overlap between neural circuits of attention and eye movement, attention may be objectively quantified with recording of eye movements during an attention-dependent task. Our previous work demonstrated that performance scores on a circular visual tracking task that requires dynamic synchronization of the gaze with the target motion can be impacted by concussion, sleep deprivation, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The current study examined the characteristics of performance on a standardized predictive visual tracking task in a large sample from a U.S. Military population to provide military normative data.Materials and MethodsThe sample consisted of 1,594 active duty military service members of either sex aged 18-29 years old who were stationed at Fort Hood Army Base. The protocol was reviewed and approved by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command Institutional Review Board. Demographic, medical, and military history data were collected using questionnaires, and performance-based data were collected using a circular visual tracking test and Trail Making Test. Differences in visual tracking performance by demographic characteristics were examined with a multivariate analysis of variance, as well as a Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and a rank-sum test. Associations with other measures were examined with a rank-sum test or Spearman correlations.ResultsRobust sex differences in visual tracking performance were found across the various statistical models, as well as age differences in several isolated comparisons. Accordingly, norms of performance scores, described in terms of percentile standings, were developed adjusting for age and sex. The effects of other measures on visual tracking performance were small or statistically non-significant. An examination of the score distributions of various metrics suggested that strategies preferred by men and women may optimize different aspects of visual tracking performance.ConclusionThis large-scale quantification of attention, using dynamic visuomotor synchronization performance, provides rigorously characterized age- and sex-based military population norms. This study establishes analytics for assessing normal and impaired attention and detecting changes within individuals over time. Practical applications for combat readiness and surveillance of attention impairment from sleep insufficiency, concussion, medication, or attention disorders will be enhanced with portable, easily accessible, fast, and reliable dynamic eye-tracking technologies.
Simulations of globular clusters within their parent galaxies: Metallicity spreads and anomalous precursor populations
Authors: McKenzie Madeleine , Bekki Kenji 
Published: July 2021

ABSTRACT
Recent observations of globular clusters (GCs) suggest that elemental abundance variations may exist between first-generation (1G) stars. We propose that metal abundance (‘metallicity’) spreads within GC forming giant molecular clouds (GMCs) can influence the iron abundances of future cluster members. To investigate this, we use original hydrodynamical simulations to model GMC formation in a high redshift dwarf galaxy. Our simulations self-consistently model physical processes such as stellar feedback, dust formation and destruction, and molecular gas formation on dust grains, making them well suited to the study of GMC formation. We conclude that iron abundance variations in GMCs are due to the merging of gas clumps and self-enrichment processes. The metallicity dispersions of GC forming clumps is ∼0.1 dex, reflecting a growing number of studies that claim a non-zero dispersion within GCs. The galactic gas fraction is a key parameter for the formation of clumps and the metallicity ‘floor’ observed for both Galactic and extragalactic GCs are associated with the parent galaxy’s capacity to form massive GMCs. Finally, we argue that GMCs have the potential to trap surrounding metal-poor galactic disc stars, which we interpret as a precursor population (0G). These low metallicity stars are representative of the [Fe/H] value of the host dwarf and thus the chemistry of this 0G may be a fossilized record of the parent galaxy. These results depend on the initial metallicity and radial gradient of the galaxy, the threshold gas density for star formation, and the star formation prescription.
Dust grain growth at high redshift: starburst-driven CMB-dark supershells
Authors: Martínez-González Sergio , Silich Sergiy , Tenorio-Tagle Guillermo 
Published: July 2021

ABSTRACT
We present a novel scenario for the growth of dust grains in galaxies at high redshift (z ∼ 6). In our model, the mechanical feedback from massive star clusters evolving within high-density pre-enriched media allows to pile up a large amount of matter into massive supershells. If the gas metallicity (≥Z⊙), number density (≥106 cm−3), and dust-to-gas mass ratio (∼1/150 × Z) within the supershell are sufficiently large, such supershells may become optically thick to the starlight emerging from their host star clusters and even to radiation from the cosmic microwave background (CMB). Based on semi-analytic models, we argue that this mechanism, occurring in the case of massive (${\ge} 10^7\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$) molecular clouds hosting ${\ge} 10^6\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$ star clusters, allows a large mass of gas and dust to acquire a temperature below that of the CMB, whereupon dust grain growth may occur with ease. In galaxies with total stellar mass M*, grain growth within supershells may increase the dust mass by ${\sim} 10^6\, {\rm M}_{\odot } (M_{*}/10^{8}\, {\rm M}_{\odot })$.
A HARPS-N mass for the elusive Kepler-37d: a case study in disentangling stellar activity and planetary signals
Authors: Rajpaul V M , Buchhave L A , Lacedelli G , Rice K , Mortier A , Malavolta L , Aigrain S , Borsato L , Mayo A W , Charbonneau D , Damasso M , Dumusque X , Ghedina A , Latham D W , López-Morales M , Magazzù A , Micela G , Molinari E , Pepe F , Piotto G , Poretti E , Rowther S , Sozzetti A , Udry S , Watson C A 
Published: July 2021

ABSTRACTTo date, only 18 exoplanets with radial velocity (RV) semi-amplitude &lt;2 m s−1 have had their masses directly constrained. The biggest obstacle to RV detection of such exoplanets is variability intrinsic to stars themselves, e.g. nuisance signals arising from surface magnetic activity such as rotating spots and plages, which can drown out or even mimic planetary RV signals. We use Kepler-37 – known to host three transiting planets, one of which, Kepler-37d, should be on the cusp of RV detectability with modern spectrographs – as a case study in disentangling planetary and stellar activity signals. We show how two different statistical techniques – one seeking to identify activity signals in stellar spectra, and another to model activity signals in extracted RVs and activity indicators – can each enable a detection of the hitherto elusive Kepler-37d. Moreover, we show that these two approaches can be complementary, and in combination, facilitate a definitive detection and precise characterization of Kepler-37d. Its RV semi-amplitude of 1.22 ± 0.31 m s−1 (mass 5.4 ± 1.4 M⊕) is formally consistent with TOI-178b’s $1.05^{+0.25}_{-0.30}$ m s−1, the latter being the smallest detected RV signal of any transiting planet to date, though dynamical simulations suggest Kepler-37d’s mass may be on the lower end of our 1σ credible interval. Its consequent density is consistent with either a water-world or that of a gaseous envelope ($\sim 0.4{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ by mass) surrounding a rocky core. Based on RV modelling and a re-analysis of Kepler-37 TTVs, we also suggest that the putative (non-transiting) planet Kepler-37e should be stripped of its ‘confirmed’ status.
The H i intensity mapping bispectrum including observational effects
Authors: Cunnington Steven , Watkinson Catherine , Pourtsidou Alkistis 
Published: July 2021

ABSTRACT
The bispectrum is a three-point statistic with the potential to provide additional information beyond power spectra analyses of survey data sets. Radio telescopes that broadly survey the 21-cm emission from neutral hydrogen (H i) are a promising way to probe LSS and in this work we present an investigation into the H i intensity mapping (IM) bispectrum using simulations. We present a model of the redshift space H i IM bispectrum including observational effects from the radio telescope beam and 21-cm foreground contamination. We validate our modelling prescriptions with measurements from robust IM simulations, inclusive of these observational effects. Our foreground simulations include polarization leakage, on which we use a principal component analysis cleaning method. We also investigate the effects from a non-Gaussian beam including side-lobes. For a MeerKAT-like single-dish IM survey at z = 0.39, we find that foreground removal causes an $8{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ reduction in the equilateral bispectrum’s signal-to-noise ratio, whereas the beam reduces it by $62{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$. We find our models perform well, generally providing $\chi ^2_\text{dof}\sim 1$, indicating a good fit to the data. Whilst our focus is on post-reionization, single-dish IM, our modelling of observational effects, especially foreground removal, can also be relevant to interferometers and reionization studies.
A cascade of transcriptional repression determines sexual commitment and development in Plasmodium falciparum
Authors: Shang Xiaomin , Shen Shijun , Tang Jianxia , He Xiaoqin , Zhao Yuemeng , Wang Changhong , He Xiaohui , Guo Gangqiang , Liu Meng , Wang Liping , Zhu Qianshu , Yang Guang , Jiang Cizhong , Zhang Meihua , Yu Xinyu , Han Jiping , Culleton Richard , Jiang Lubin , Cao Jun , Gu Liang , Zhang Qingfeng 
Published: July 2021

Abstract
Gametocytogenesis, the process by which malaria parasites produce sexual forms that can infect mosquitoes, is essential for the transmission of malaria. A transcriptional switch of the pfap2-g gene triggers sexual commitment, but how the complex multi-step process is precisely programed remains largely unknown. Here, by systematic functional screening of a panel of ApiAP2 transcription factors, we identify six new ApiAP2 members associated with gametocytogenesis in Plasmodium falciparum. Among these, PfAP2-G5 (PF3D7_1139300) was found to be indispensable for gametocytogenesis. This factor suppresses the transcriptional activity of the pfap2-g gene via binding to both the upstream region and exonic gene body, the latter is linked to the maintenance of local heterochromatin structure, thereby preventing initiation of sexual commitment. Removal of this repressive effect through pfap2-g5 knockout disrupts the asexual replication cycle and promotes sexual commitment accompanied by upregulation of pfap2-g expression. However, the gametocytes produced fail to mature fully. Further analyses show that PfAP2-G5 is essential for gametocyte maturation, and causes the down-regulation of pfap2-g and a set of early gametocyte genes activated by PfAP2-G prior to gametocyte development. Collectively, our findings reveal a regulation cascade of gametocyte production in malaria parasites, and provide a new target for transmission blocking interventions.