bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Early cardiac involvement in patients with acute COVID-19 infection identified by multiparametric cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Chen Bing-Hua , Shi Nan-Nan , Wu Chong-Wen , An Dong-Aolei , Shi Yu-Xin , Wesemann Luke D , Hu Jiani , Xu Jian-Rong , Shan Fei , Wu Lian-Ming 
Published: February 2021

Abstract

Aims
In order to determine acute cardiac involvement in patients with COVID-19, we quantitatively evaluated tissue characteristics and mechanics by non-invasive cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in a cohort of patients within the first 10 days of the onset of COVID symptoms.

Methods and results
Twenty-five patients with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction confirmed COVID-19 and at least one marker of cardiac involvement [cardiac symptoms, abnormal electrocardiograph (ECG), or abnormal cardiac biomarkers] and 25 healthy age- and gender-matched control subjects were recruited to the study. Patients were divided into those with elevated (n = 8) or normal TnI (n = 17). There were significant differences in global longitudinal strain among patients who were positive and negative for hs-TnI, and controls [−12.3 (−13.3, −11.5)%, −13.1 (−14.2, −9.8)%, and −15.7 (−18.3, −12.7)%, P = 0.004]. Native myocardial T1 relaxation times in patients with positive and negative hs-TnI manifestation (1169.8 ± 12.9 and 1113.2 ± 31.2 ms) were significantly higher than the normal (1065 ± 57 ms) subjects, respectively (P &lt; 0.001). The extracellular volume (ECV) of patients who were positive and negative for hs-TnI was higher than that of the normal controls [32 (31, 33)%, 29 (27, 30)%, and 26 (24, 27.5)%, P &lt; 0.001]. In our study, quantitative T2 mapping in patients who were positive and negative for hs-TnI [51 (47.9, 52.8) and 48 (47, 49.4) ms] was significantly higher than the normal [42 (41, 45.2) ms] subjects (P &lt; 0.001).

Conclusion
In patients with early-stage COVID-19, myocardial oedema, and functional abnormalities are a frequent finding, while irreversible regional injury such as necrosis may be infrequent.
Diagnostic uncertainty in primary care: what is known about its communication, and what are the associated ethical issues?
Authors: Cox Caitríona L , Miller Benjamin M , Kuhn Isla , Fritz Zoë 
Published: February 2021

Abstract

Background
Diagnostic uncertainty (DU) in primary care is ubiquitous, yet no review has specifically examined its communication, or the associated ethical issues.

Objectives
To identify what is known about the communication of DU in primary care and the associated ethical issues.

Methods
Systematic review, critical interpretive synthesis and ethical analysis of primary research published worldwide. Medline, Embase, Web of Science and SCOPUS were searched for papers from 1988 to 2020 relating to primary care AND diagnostic uncertainty AND [ethics OR behaviours OR communication]. Critical interpretive synthesis and ethical analysis were applied to data extracted.

Results
Sixteen papers met inclusion criteria. Although DU is inherent in primary care, its communication is often limited. Evidence on the effects of communicating DU to patients is mixed; research on patient perspectives of DU is lacking. The empirical literature is significantly limited by inconsistencies in how DU is defined and measured. No primary ethical analysis was identified; secondary analysis of the included papers identified ethical issues relating to maintaining patient autonomy in the face of clinical uncertainty, a gap in considering the direct effects of (not) communicating DU on patients, and considerations regarding over-investigation and justice.

Conclusions
This review highlights significant gaps in the literature: there is a need for explicit ethical and patient-centred empirical analyses on the effects of communicating DU, and research directly examining patient preferences for this communication. Consensus on how DU should be defined, and greater research into tools for its measurement, would help to strengthen the empirical evidence base.
Supply-side factors influencing informal payment for healthcare services in Tanzania
Authors: Binyaruka Peter , Balabanova Dina , McKee Martin , Hutchinson Eleanor , Andreoni Antonio , Ramesh Mary , Angell Blake , Kapologwe Ntuli A , Mamdani Masuma 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Informal payments for healthcare are widespread in sub-Saharan Africa. They are often regressive, potentially limiting access to quality healthcare, particularly for the most vulnerable, and can have catastrophic consequences for households. Yet there is little empirical research that uses theory-driven hypotheses to explore what influences informal payments and, especially, from health workers’ perspectives. Consequently, we have explored the characteristics of health workers and facilities influencing informal payments in Tanzania, examining two hypotheses: health workers with power and position in the system are more likely to receive informal payments, and transparency and accountability measures can be bypassed by those who can game the system. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 432 health workers from 42 public health facilities (hospitals and health centres) in 12 district councils from Pwani and Dar es Salam regions in Tanzania. Our dependent variable was whether the health worker has ever asked for or been given informal payments or bribes, while explanatory variables were measured at the individual and facility level. Given the hierarchical structure of the data, we used a multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression to explore the determinants. Twenty-seven percent of 432 health workers ever engaged in informal payment. This was more common amongst younger (&lt;35 years) health workers and those higher in the hierarchy (specialists and heads of departments). Those receiving entitlements and benefits in a timely manner and who were subject to continued supervision were significantly less likely to receive informal payments. The likelihood of engaging in informal payments varied among health workers, consistent with our first hypothesis, but evidence on the second hypothesis remains mixed. Thus, policy responses should address both individual and system-level factors, including ensuring adequate and progressive health sector financing, better and timely remuneration of frontline public health providers, and enhanced governance and supervision.
How many modes can a mixture of Gaussians with uniformly bounded means have?
Authors: Kashyap Navin , Krishnapur Manjunath 
Published: February 2021

AbstractWe show, by an explicit construction, that a mixture of univariate Gaussian densities with variance $1$ and means in $[-A,A]$ can have $\varOmega (A^2)$ modes. This disproves a recent conjecture of Dytso et al. (2020, IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory, 66, 2006–2022) who showed that such a mixture can have at most $O(A^{2})$ modes and surmised that the upper bound could be improved to $O(A)$. Our result holds even if an additional variance constraint is imposed on the mixing distribution. Extending the result to higher dimensions, we exhibit a mixture of Gaussians in ${\mathbb{R}}^{d}$, with identity covariances and means inside ${[-A,A]}^{d}$, that has $\varOmega (A^{2d})$ modes.
Paediatric Common Infections Pathways: improving antimicrobial stewardship and promoting ambulation for children presenting with common infections to hospitals in the UK and Ireland
Authors: Horner Carolyne , Cunney Robert , Demirjian Alicia , Doherty Conor , Green Helen , Mathai Mathew , McMaster Paddy , Munro Alasdair , Paulus Stéphane , Roland Damian , Patel Sanjay 
Published: February 2021

AbstractPaediatric common infection pathways have been developed in collaboration between the BSAC and national paediatric groups, addressing the management of cellulitis, lymphadenitis/lymph node abscess, pneumonia/pleural empyema, pyelonephritis, tonsillitis/peritonsillar abscess, otitis media/mastoiditis, pre-septal/post-septal (orbital) cellulitis, and meningitis. Guidance for the management of a child presenting with a petechial/purpuric rash and the infant under 3 months of age with fever is also provided. The aim of these pathways is to support the delivery of high-quality infection management in children presenting to a hospital. The pathways focus on diagnostic approaches, including the recognition of red flags suggesting complex or severe infection requiring urgent intervention, approaches to antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) principles and guidance on safe and timely ambulation aligned with good practice of outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT).
Practical applications of whey protein in supporting skeletal muscle maintenance, recovery, and reconditioning
Authors: Arentson-Lantz Emily J , Kilroe Sean 
Published: February 2021

AbstractLike humans, many companion animals experience a gradual decline in skeletal muscle mass and function during later years of life. This process, analogous to sarcopenia in humans, increases risk for morbidity and mortality. Periods of reduced activity due to injury or illness, followed by an incomplete recovery, can accelerate the loss of muscle mass and function. Emerging research from human studies suggests that moderate amounts of high-quality protein may attenuate the loss of muscle, while preventing accumulation of fat during periods of disuse. Whey protein is a consumer-friendly and readily available source of high-quality protein. It supports skeletal muscle maintenance during normal aging and may also provide anabolic support during periods of illness, injury, and recovery. Ongoing research efforts continue to refine our understanding of how protein quality, quantity, and meal timing can be optimized to support retention of muscle mass and function during aging. Priority research areas include supplementation with high-quality protein during illness/injury to stimulate anabolism by targeting molecular mechanisms that regulate skeletal muscle metabolism.
A Hybrid Artificial Intelligence Model forAeneolamia varia(Hemiptera: Cercopidae) Populations in Sugarcane Crops
Authors: Figueredo Luis , Villa-Murillo Adriana , Colmenarez Yelitza , Vásquez Carlos 
Published: February 2021

AbstractSugarcane spittlebugs are considered important pests in sugarcane crops ranging from the southeastern United States to northern Argentina. To evaluate the effects of climate variables on adult populations of Aeneolamia varia (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Cercopidae), a 3-yr monitoring study was carried out in sugarcane fields at week-long intervals during the rainy season (May to November 2005–2007). The resulting data were analyzed using the univariate Forest-Genetic method. The best predictive model explained 75.8% variability in physiological damage threshold. It predicted that the main climatic factors influencing the adult population would be, in order of importance, evaporation; evapotranspiration by 0.5; evapotranspiration, cloudiness at 2:00 p.m.; average sunshine and relative humidity at 8:00 a.m. The optimization of the predictive model established that the lower and upper limits of the climatic variables produced a threshold in the population development rate of 184 to 267 adult insects under the agroecological conditions of the study area. These results provide a new perspective on decision-making in the preventive management of A. varia adults in sugarcane crops.
Relative Roles of Blow Flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and Invasive Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae:Solenopsisspp.) in Carrion Decomposition
Authors: De Jong Grant D , Meyer Florencia , Goddard Jerome 
Published: February 2021

AbstractFire ants (Solenopsis spp.) have increasingly been reported from carrion in the southeastern United States and are now a part of the normal succession community. There have been previous observations of these ants altering carrion and preying on other carrion-attendant fauna; however, the overall effects of these activities on carrion decomposition rates, community composition, and blow fly larval development are poorly understood. Alteration of these ecological processes by fire ants could affect the forensic interpretation of entomological data. We conducted a study in Mississippi and Florida whereby portions of the succession fauna were excluded from access to pig carrion to study the relative effects of fire ants and blow flies on carrion decomposition and succession: a control with all fauna having access, a second treatment where fire ants and other geophilic taxa were excluded, and a third treatment in which blow flies and other large organisms were excluded. Fire ants inflicted lesions in the carrion, buried portions that touched the ground, and preyed on some members of the succession fauna. Their exclusion did not affect carrion decomposition rates that were measured but slightly affected the overall carrion community, and strongly affected the oviposition and development of blow flies. Despite the presence of fire ants early in the control, blow flies were eventually able to overcome predation of eggs and larvae, continue colonization, and complete development; however, the delay in the colonization of blow flies on carrion could affect the determination of postmortem intervals when development rates of blow flies are considered in the calculation.
Sterile Insect Technique: Lessons From the Past
Authors: Benedict Mark Q 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
When E.F. Knipling conceived of the release of sexually sterile insects to suppress wild populations, he laid down several fundamental qualities that characterized suitable target species—some of which mosquitoes generally violate—including high reproductive rates and large population numbers. Regardless of this, their global importance in public health has led numerous research teams to attempt to use the mosquito sterile insect technique against several species. Because of the degree of financial commitment required for suppression programs, most releases have consisted of preliminary investigations of male performance, population characteristics, and production methods. Those that have accomplished suppression provide important insights regarding the challenges of production, dispersal, and immigration. Insights gained from these studies remain relevant today, regardless of the genetic control technology being applied. In this article, I highlight studies that were notable for the insights that were gained, the intrinsic difficulties that mosquitoes present, and synthesize these into recommendations for successful applications of the sterile insect technique and newer technologies to mosquitoes.
Kimura disease: a rare cause of a recurrent cheek mass in a Jamaican man
Authors: Williams Geoffrey , Neblett Carlos , Arscott Jade , McLean Sheena , Warren Shereika , Blake Garfield 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Kimura disease (KD) is a chronic, inflammatory, benign disorder endemic to Asia that typically manifests as a triad of painless masses in the head and neck region, elevated eosinophils and serum immunoglobulin. It usually affects young men in their second and third decades of life and is rarely seen outside of the orient. This is a report of a case of KD in a young man of African descent who presented with a cheek mass. KD was not included in our differential diagnosis, and this report highlights the need to consider this entity, which can be easily missed due to its rarity in the Western world. There is no cure for the disease, and management includes medical and surgical modalities, but local recurrence or relapse is not uncommon.
Distinct genetic basis for root responses to lipo-chitooligosaccharide signal molecules from different microbial origins
Authors: Bonhomme Maxime , Bensmihen Sandra , André Olivier , Amblard Emilie , Garcia Magali , Maillet Fabienne , Puech-Pagès Virginie , Gough Clare , Fort Sébastien , Cottaz Sylvain , Bécard Guillaume , Jacquet Christophe 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Lipo-chitooligosaccharides (LCOs) were originally found as symbiotic signals called Nod Factors (Nod-LCOs) controlling the nodulation of legumes by rhizobia. More recently, LCOs were also found in symbiotic fungi and, more surprisingly, very widely in the kingdom Fungi, including in saprophytic and pathogenic fungi. The LCO-V(C18:1, fucosylated/methyl fucosylated), hereafter called Fung-LCOs, are the LCO structures most commonly found in fungi. This raises the question of how legume plants such as Medicago truncatula can discriminate between Nod-LCOs and Fung-LCOs. To address this question, we performed a genome-wide association study on 173 natural accessions of M. truncatula, using a root branching phenotype and a newly developed local score approach. Both Nod-LCOs and Fung-LCOs stimulated root branching in most accessions, but the root responses to these two types of LCO molecules were not correlated. In addition, the heritability of the root response was higher for Nod-LCOs than for Fung-LCOs. We identified 123 loci for Nod-LCO and 71 for Fung-LCO responses, of which only one was common. This suggests that Nod-LCOs and Fung-LCOs both control root branching but use different molecular mechanisms. The tighter genetic constraint of the root response to Fung-LCOs possibly reflects the ancestral origin of the biological activity of these molecules.
Improving crop yield and resilience through optimization of photosynthesis: panacea or pipe dream?
Authors: Araus José L , Sanchez-Bragado Ruth , Vicente Rubén 
Published: February 2021

AbstractIncreasing the speed of breeding to enhance crop productivity and adaptation to abiotic stresses is urgently needed. The perception that a second Green Revolution should be implemented is widely established within the scientific community and among stakeholders. In recent decades, different alternatives have been proposed for increasing crop yield through manipulation of leaf photosynthetic efficiency. However, none of these has delivered practical or relevant outputs. Indeed, the actual increases in photosynthetic rates are not expected to translate into yield increases beyond 10–15%. Furthermore, instantaneous rates of leaf photosynthesis are not necessarily the reference target for research. Yield is the result of canopy photosynthesis, understood as the contribution of laminar and non-laminar organs over time, within which concepts such as canopy architecture, stay-green, or non-laminar photosynthesis need to be taken into account. Moreover, retrospective studies show that photosynthetic improvements have been more common at the canopy level. Nevertheless, it is crucial to place canopy photosynthesis in the context of whole-plant functioning, which includes sink–source balance and transport of photoassimilates, and the availability and uptake of nutrients, such as nitrogen in particular. Overcoming this challenge will only be feasible if a multiscale crop focus combined with a multidisciplinary scientific approach is adopted.
Constraints on large-scale magnetic fields in the intergalactic medium using cross-correlation methods
Authors: Amaral A D , Vernstrom T , Gaensler B M 
Published: February 2021

ABSTRACT
Large-scale coherent magnetic fields in the intergalactic medium (IGM) are presumed to play a key role in the formation and evolution of the cosmic web, and in large-scale feedback mechanisms. However, they are theorized to be extremely weak, in the nano-Gauss regime. To search for a statistical signature of these weak magnetic fields, we perform a cross-correlation between the Faraday rotation measures (RMs) of 1742 radio galaxies at z &gt; 0.5 and large-scale structure at 0.1 &lt; z &lt; 0.5, as traced by 18 million optical and infrared foreground galaxies. No significant correlation signal was detected within the uncertainty limits. We are able to determine model-dependent 3σ upper limits on the parallel component of the mean magnetic field strength of filaments in the IGM of ∼30 nG for coherence scales between 1 and 2.5 Mpc, corresponding to a mean upper bound RM enhancement of ∼3.8 rad m−2 due to filaments along all probed sightlines. These upper bounds are consistent with upper bounds found previously using other techniques. Our method can be used to further constrain intergalactic magnetic fields with upcoming future radio polarization surveys.
Identifying Primate ACE2 Variants That Confer Resistance to SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Bhattacharjee Maloyjo Joyraj , Lin Jinn-Jy , Chang Chih-Yao , Chiou Yu-Ting , Li Tian-Neng , Tai Chia-Wei , Shiu Tz-Fan , Chen Chi-An , Chou Chia-Yi , Chakraborty Paromita , Tseng Yan Yuan , Wang Lily Hui-Ching , Li Wen-Hsiung 
Published: February 2021

AbstractSARS-CoV-2 infects humans through the binding of viral S-protein (spike protein) to human angiotensin I converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The structure of the ACE2-S-protein complex has been deciphered and we focused on the 27 ACE2 residues that bind to S-protein. From human sequence databases, we identified nine ACE2 variants at ACE2–S-protein binding sites. We used both experimental assays and protein structure analysis to evaluate the effect of each variant on the binding affinity of ACE2 to S-protein. We found one variant causing complete binding disruption, two and three variants, respectively, strongly and mildly reducing the binding affinity, and two variants strongly enhancing the binding affinity. We then collected the ACE2 gene sequences from 57 nonhuman primates. Among the 6 apes and 20 Old World monkeys (OWMs) studied, we found no new variants. In contrast, all 11 New World monkeys (NWMs) studied share four variants each causing a strong reduction in binding affinity, the Philippine tarsier also possesses three such variants, and 18 of the 19 prosimian species studied share one variant causing a strong reduction in binding affinity. Moreover, one OWM and three prosimian variants increased binding affinity by &gt;50%. Based on these findings, we proposed that the common ancestor of primates was strongly resistant to and that of NWMs was completely resistant to SARS-CoV-2 and so is the Philippine tarsier, whereas apes and OWMs, like most humans, are susceptible. This study increases our understanding of the differences in susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection among primates.
iLearnPlus:a comprehensive and automated machine-learning platform for nucleic acid and protein sequence analysis, prediction and visualization
Authors: Chen Zhen , Zhao Pei , Li Chen , Li Fuyi , Xiang Dongxu , Chen Yong-Zi , Akutsu Tatsuya , Daly Roger J , Webb Geoffrey I , Zhao Quanzhi , Kurgan Lukasz , Song Jiangning 
Published: February 2021

AbstractSequence-based analysis and prediction are fundamental bioinformatic tasks that facilitate understanding of the sequence(-structure)-function paradigm for DNAs, RNAs and proteins. Rapid accumulation of sequences requires equally pervasive development of new predictive models, which depends on the availability of effective tools that support these efforts. We introduce iLearnPlus, the first machine-learning platform with graphical- and web-based interfaces for the construction of machine-learning pipelines for analysis and predictions using nucleic acid and protein sequences. iLearnPlus provides a comprehensive set of algorithms and automates sequence-based feature extraction and analysis, construction and deployment of models, assessment of predictive performance, statistical analysis, and data visualization; all without programming. iLearnPlus includes a wide range of feature sets which encode information from the input sequences and over twenty machine-learning algorithms that cover several deep-learning approaches, outnumbering the current solutions by a wide margin. Our solution caters to experienced bioinformaticians, given the broad range of options, and biologists with no programming background, given the point-and-click interface and easy-to-follow design process. We showcase iLearnPlus with two case studies concerning prediction of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) from RNA transcripts and prediction of crotonylation sites in protein chains. iLearnPlus is an open-source platform available at https://github.com/Superzchen/iLearnPlus/ with the webserver at http://ilearnplus.erc.monash.edu/.