bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Integrating external controls in case–control studies improves power for rare‐variant tests
Authors: Li Yatong , Lee Seunggeun 
Published: February 2022

AbstractLarge‐scale sequencing and genotyping data provide an opportunity to integrate external samples as controls to improve power of association tests. However, due to the systematic differences between genotyped samples from different studies, naively aggregating the controls could lead to inflation in Type I error rates. There has been recent effort to integrate external controls while adjusting for batch effect, such as the integrating External Controls into Association Test (iECAT) and its score‐based single variant tests. Building on the original iECAT framework, we propose an iECAT‐Score region‐based test that increases power for rare‐variant tests when integrating external controls. This method assesses the systematic batch effect between internal and external samples at each variant and constructs compound shrinkage score statistics to test for the joint genetic effect within a gene or a region, while adjusting for covariates and population stratification. Through simulation studies, we demonstrate that the proposed method controls for Type I error rates and improves power in rare‐variant tests. The application of the proposed method to the association studies of age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) from the International AMD Genomics Consortium and UK Biobank revealed novel rare‐variant associations in gene DXO. Through the incorporation of external controls, the iECAT methods offer a powerful suite to identify disease‐associated genetic variants, further shedding light on future directions to investigate roles of rare variants in human diseases.
The paradox of co‐producing governance with traditional institutions: Diaspora chiefs and minority empowerment in Nigeria
Authors: Ehrhardt David 
Published: February 2022

AbstractDiaspora chiefs are traditional authorities of migrant communities. In Nigeria, they can function as representative brokers who empower their communities and co‐produce governance with the state. This article shows how in Kano, Nigeria's second‐largest city, this brokerage produces paradoxical outcomes. Based on original interviews and survey data, it describes how, on the one hand, diaspora chiefs are highly popular and have indeed created new spaces for minorities to access public resources. But, on the other, the constraints inherent in these newly created, traditional spaces mean that minority empowerment may well come at the expense of reproducing their nonindigenous, second‐class citizenship status.
Abuse of amantadine in poultry may be associated with higher fatality rate of H5N1 infections in humans
Authors: Yuan Shu , Jiang Si‐Cong , Zhang Zhong‐Wei , Fu Yu‐Fan , Zhu Feng , Li Zi‐Lin , Hu Jing 
Published: February 2022

AbstractAmantadine, an antiviral drug, has been widely used in human anti‐influenza treatments. However, several highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses show amantadine‐resistance mutations in the viral matrix 2 (M2) protein. Here we analyzed global H5N1 sequencing data and calculate possible correlations between frequencies of key mutations in M2 and the mortality rates. We found that the frequency of L26I/V27A mutation in M2 (isolated from both human and avian hosts) is linearly correlated with the mortality rates of human H5N1 infections. The significant correlation between M2 mutations in avians and the mortality rates in humans suggests that the pre‐existence of L26I/V27A in birds may determine patient fatalities after transinfections from avian to human hosts. 100% prevalence of L26I/V27A mutation increased the mortality rates from 51% (95% confidence interval [CI] 37%–65%) to 89% (95% CI 88%–90%). Mutations involving Leu26 or Val27 were identified to be the major mutations emerging from drug selection pressure. Thus the emergence of the super H5N1 virus with a fatality of over 90% may be attributed to the abuse of amantadine in poultry, especially in some southeast Asian countries. A more stringent control to antiviral veterinary drugs is imperative.
Rising risks of compound extreme heat‐precipitation events in China
Authors: Ning Guicai , Luo Ming , Zhang Wei , Liu Zhen , Wang Shigong , Gao Tao 
Published: February 2022

AbstractWhile the changes of extreme weather and climate events have been well investigated, the change of compound events (i.e., combinations of multiple weather/climate extremes and/or hazards), which severely affect the biophysical and human systems, remains poorly understood. Here, we examine the decadal trends of subsequently (or “preconditioned”) compound extreme heat‐precipitation events (i.e., extreme precipitation events preceded by an extreme heat) across China during 1961–2016. We find that, on average, around one‐quarter of summer precipitation extremes over China (especially western China) are preceded by an extreme heat event. In most areas of China, the fraction of the compound precipitation events preceded by heat extremes exhibits significant increases since the 1960s, with a national mean increasing tendency of 2.51%·decade−1. Furthermore, the rising trends in the fractional contribution of hot weather to extreme precipitation events over most parts of China have accelerated in more recent decades.
Objective evaluation of chondrocyte density & cloning after joint injury using convolutional neural networks
Authors: Yang Linjun , Martin James A. , Brouillette Marc J. , Buckwalter Joseph A. , Goetz Jessica E. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractVariations in chondrocyte density and organization in cartilage histology sections are associated with osteoarthritis progression. Rapid, accurate quantification of these two features can facilitate the evaluation of cartilage health and advance the understanding of their significance. The goal of this work was to adapt deep‐learning‐based methods to detect articular chondrocytes and chondrocyte clones from safranin‐O‐stained cartilage to evaluate chondrocyte cellularity and organization. The U‐net and “you‐only‐look‐once” (YOLO) models were trained and validated for identifying chondrocytes and chondrocyte clones, respectively. Validated models were then used to quantify chondrocyte and clone density in talar cartilage from Yucatan minipigs sacrificed 1 week, 3, 6, and 12 months after fixation of an intra‐articular fracture of the hock joint. There was excellent/good agreement between expert researchers and the developed models in identifying chondrocytes/clones (U‐net: R2 = 0.93, y = 0.90x–0.69; median F1 score: 0.87/YOLO: R2 = 0.79, y = 0.95x; median F1 score: 0.67). Average chondrocyte density increased 1 week after fracture (from 774 to 856 cells/mm2), decreased substantially 3 months after fracture (610 cells/mm2), and slowly increased 6 and 12 months after fracture (638 and 683 cells/mm2, respectively). Average detected clone density 3, 6, and 12 months after fracture (11, 11, 9 clones/mm2) was higher than the 4–5 clones/mm2 detected in normal tissue or 1 week after fracture and show local increases in clone density that varied across the joint surface with time. The accurate evaluation of cartilage cellularity and organization provided by this deep learning approach will increase objectivity of cartilage injury and regeneration assessments.
Isolation and identification of soil bacteria resistant to surfactants in washing detergents
Authors: Miyoshi Shin‐ichi , Okubo Naomi , Mitsumori Satoko 
Published: February 2022

AbstractLinear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) and polyoxyethylene lauryl ether (POLE) are the major surfactants in washing detergents. In the present study, we isolated surfactant‐resistant bacteria from soil samples collected from a sports ground and a farm field. The samples were treated with 2.0% LAS or POLE at 25°C for 30 min and cultivated on agar plates at 25°C for several days, after which manifold bacterial colonies were isolated. Thereafter, we tested the ability of each bacterial isolate to resist the antibacterial activity of the surfactant. Ten LAS‐resistant strains were isolated, and all were found to be Gram‐negative bacteria such as Enterobacter and Pseudomonas. On the other hand, 18 POLE‐resistant strains were isolated, of which 14 were Gram‐positive bacteria including Bacillus and Microbacterium. Notably, one POLE‐resistant strain was identified as Bacillus cereus, a potential causative agent for foodborne illness. The genera of LAS‐ and POLE‐resistant bacteria did not overlap. Therefore, the combination of LAS and POLE could be more effective to eliminate soil bacteria from clothes and/or daily necessities.
Semiautomated Software to Improve Stability and Reduce Operator‐Induced Variation in Vascular Ultrasound Speckle Tracking
Authors: Rajaram Nirmala , Thelen Brian J. , Hamilton James D. , Zheng Yihao , Morgan Timothy , Funes‐Lora Miguel Angel , Yessayan Lenar , Shih Albert J. , Henke Peter , Osborne Nicholas , Bishop Brandie , Krishnamurthy Venkataramu N. , Weitzel William F. 
Published: February 2022

ObjectivesUltrasound is useful in predicting arteriovenous fistula (AVF) maturation, which is essential for hemodialysis in end‐stage renal disease patients. We developed ultrasound software that measures circumferential vessel wall strain (distensibility) using conventional ultrasound Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) data. We evaluated user‐induced variability in measurement of arterial wall distensibility and upon finding considerable variation we developed and tested 2 methods for semiautomated measurement.MethodsUltrasound scanning of arteries of 10 subjects scheduled for AVF surgery were performed. The top and bottom of the vessel wall were tracked using the Kanade‐Lucas‐Tomasi (KLT) feature‐tracking algorithm over the stack of images in the DICOM cine loops. The wall distensibility was calculated from the change of vessel diameter over time. Two semiautomated methods were used for comparison.ResultsThe location of points selected by users for the cine loops varied significantly, with a maximum spread of up to 120 pixels (7.8 mm) for the top and up to 140 pixels (9.1 mm) for the bottom of the vessel wall. This variation in users' point selection contributed to the variation in distensibility measurements (ranging from 5.63 to 41.04%). Both semiautomated methods substantially reduced variation and were highly correlated with the median distensibility values obtained by the 10 users.ConclusionsMinimizing user‐induced variation by standardizing point selection will increase reproducibility and reliability of distensibility measurements. Our recent semiautomated software may help expand use in clinical studies to better understand the role of vascular wall compliance in predicting the maturation of fistulas.
Ethnic Disparities in Treatment of Chronic Pain in Individuals with Parkinson's Disease Living in the United Kingdom
Authors: Rukavina Katarina , Ocloo Josephine , Skoric Magdalena Krbot , Sauerbier Anna , Thomas Omotola , Staunton Juliet , Awogbemila Olabisi , Trivedi Dhaval , Rizos Alexandra , Chaudhuri K. Ray ,   King's Parkinson's Disease Pain Scale Group
Published: February 2022

ABSTRACTBackgroundOver 80% people with Parkinson's disease (PD; PwP) live with chronic pain.ObjectiveWhether ethnic disparities in receipt of appropriate analgesia exist among PwP with chronic pain living in the United Kingdom (UK).MethodsA retrospective datamining of an existing King's PD Pain Questionnaire validation study dataset enrolling 300 PwP.Results69 PwP: 23 Black (57% female), 23 Asian (57% female) and 23 White (65% female) had similar pain burden on the King's PD Pain Scale. Significantly more White PwP (83%) received pain relief compared to Black (48%) and Asian (43%) PwP (p = 0.016). The difference was most evident for opioid analgesics (White 43% vs. Black 4% vs. Asian 4%, p ≤ 0.001).ConclusionsEthnic disparities in the analgesic use among PwP with chronic pain living in the UK are evident in this retrospective analysis, prompting large‐scale studies and reinforcement of interventions to tackle the impact ethnicity might have on the successful analgesia.
Wideband horizontally polarized omnidirectional antenna with small gain variation
Authors: Liu Gang , Ye Liang Hua , Wu Duo‐Long , Li Jian‐Feng 
Published: February 2022

AbstractA wideband horizontally polarized omnidirectional antenna with slight gain variation is proposed. It includes four curved dipoles, two groups of parasitic strips, and a wideband feeding network. The curved dipoles are printed on a dielectric cylindrical shell in a compact size to achieve horizontally polarized omnidirectional radiation. Four parasitic strips are embedded between the dipoles to reduce the gain variation and enhance the impedance. A 35 Ω coaxial cable serving as a quarter‐wavelength impedance transformer is used to design the feeding network without increasing the overall dimension of the antenna. The bandwidth of the proposed antenna achieves 77% (2.3–5.2 GHz) for VSWR <2 and a small gain variation less than 1.6 dB over the operating band.
A dual‐supervised deformation estimation model (DDEM) for constructing ultra‐quality 4D‐MRI based on a commercial low‐quality 4D‐MRI for liver cancer radiation therapy
Authors: Xiao Haonan , Ni Ruiyan , Zhi Shaohua , Li Wen , Liu Chenyang , Ren Ge , Teng Xinzhi , Liu Weiwei , Wang Weihu , Zhang Yibao , Wu Hao , Lee Ho‐Fun Victor , Cheung Lai‐Yin Andy , Chang Hing‐Chiu Charles , Li Tian , Cai Jing 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBackgroundMost available four‐dimensional (4D)‐magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques are limited by insufficient image quality and long acquisition times or require specially designed sequences or hardware that are not available in the clinic. These limitations have greatly hindered the clinical implementation of 4D‐MRI.PurposeThis study aims to develop a fast ultra‐quality (UQ) 4D‐MRI reconstruction method using a commercially available 4D‐MRI sequence and dual‐supervised deformation estimation model (DDEM).MethodsThirty‐nine patients receiving radiotherapy for liver tumors were included. Each patient was scanned using a time‐resolved imaging with interleaved stochastic trajectories (TWIST)–lumetric interpolated breath‐hold examination (VIBE) MRI sequence to acquire 4D‐magnetic resonance (MR) images. They also received 3D T1‐/T2‐weighted MRI scans as prior images, and UQ 4D‐MRI at any instant was considered a deformation of them. A DDEM was developed to obtain a 4D deformable vector field (DVF) from 4D‐MRI data, and the prior images were deformed using this 4D‐DVF to generate UQ 4D‐MR images. The registration accuracies of the DDEM, VoxelMorph (normalized cross‐correlation [NCC] supervised), VoxelMorph (end‐to‐end point error [EPE] supervised), and the parametric total variation (pTV) algorithm were compared. Tumor motion on UQ 4D‐MRI was evaluated quantitatively using region of interest (ROI) tracking errors, while image quality was evaluated using the contrast‐to‐noise ratio (CNR), lung–liver edge sharpness, and perceptual blur metric (PBM).ResultsThe registration accuracy of the DDEM was significantly better than those of VoxelMorph (NCC supervised), VoxelMorph (EPE supervised), and the pTV algorithm (all, p < 0.001), with an inference time of 69.3 ± 5.9 ms. UQ 4D‐MRI yielded ROI tracking errors of 0.79 ± 0.65, 0.50 ± 0.55, and 0.51 ± 0.58 mm in the superior–inferior, anterior–posterior, and mid–lateral directions, respectively. From the original 4D‐MRI to UQ 4D‐MRI, the CNR increased from 7.25 ± 4.89 to 18.86 ± 15.81; the lung–liver edge full‐width‐at‐half‐maximum decreased from 8.22 ± 3.17 to 3.65 ± 1.66 mm in the in‐plane direction and from 8.79 ± 2.78 to 5.04 ± 1.67 mm in the cross‐plane direction, and the PBM decreased from 0.68 ± 0.07 to 0.38 ± 0.01.ConclusionThis novel DDEM method successfully generated UQ 4D‐MR images based on a commercial 4D‐MRI sequence. It shows great promise for improving liver tumor motion management during radiation therapy.
The preventive effects of colony‐stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF‐1R) inhibition on bladder outlet obstruction induced remodeling
Authors: Wang Wei , Sun Wenjin , Gao Xiaoshuai , Peng Liao , Lin Lede , Xiao Kaiwen , Liu Yu , Di Xingpeng , Zhu Shiyu , Chen Huiling , Zhou Liang 
Published: February 2022

AbstractIntroductionBladder outlet obstruction (BOO) is a common problem that can affect bladder structure and function. Currently, there is no effective drugs available to prevent BOO‐induced remodeling. Previous reports have demonstrated that the pathogenesis of BOO is associated with macrophage infiltration and polarization, which is physiologically dependent on colony‐stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF‐1R) activation. Here we utilized a highly selective CSF‐1R inhibitor, GW2580, to determine its preventive effects on BOO‐induced remodeling.MethodsA total of 24 Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham, BOO + vehicle, and BOO + GW2580 group. GW2580 or vehicle control was administrated by oral gavage at daily doses of 40 mg/kg for 6 weeks. Bladder samples were collected for histopathology, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, western blotting, and flow cytometry analysis.ResultsOur results demonstrated that bladder fibrosis was ameliorated by GW2580 compared with the vehicle group (22.01% ± 5.13% vs. 32.15% ± 7.24%, p < 0.01). Furthermore, treatment with GW2580 induced an inhibition of macrophage infiltration (4.41% ± 1.28% vs. 13.57% ± 3.42%, p < 0.001) and M2 macrophage polarization (10.67% ± 4.15% vs. 28.59% ± 6.38%, p < 0.001). There was also a decrease of profibrotic F4/80+ α‐smooth muscle actin+ (α‐SMA+) macrophage to myofibroblast transition (9.11% ± 2.58% vs. 17.33% ± 4.01%, p < 0.001) and CD163+TGF‐β1+ cells (7.68% ± 2.10% vs. 14.17% ± 4.09%, p < 0.01) in the GW2580 group when compared with the vehicle group.ConclusionsIn summary, our findings showed that GW2580 is a worthwhile candidate for a follow‐up study to test in the treatment of BOO‐induced remodeling.
Structural Design and Parameter Optimization of Linear Explosive Forming Projectile
Authors: Ma Tianbao , Liu Jing , Wang Qi 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe development of new warhead structures is an important means to enhance the destructive ability of projectiles. Compared with the traditional projectiles, the shaped charge warhead has a better destructive effect. Based on the traditional optimization method, a multi‐objective optimization method based on an approximate model is used for the structural design of linear explosive forming projectile (LEFP). In this paper, four different methods are applied to optimize the structure of LEFP. Numerical simulations of penetration into steel target are carried out for the optimization results, and the reliability of the numerical results are verified by experiments. The results indicate that: 1) the optimization method can improve the molding effect and penetration ability of LEFP reliably; 2) the combined optimization method has obvious advantages in promoting the performance of LEFP over the single one.
Honokiol attenuate the arsenic trioxide‐induced cardiotoxicity by reducing the myocardial apoptosis
Authors: Huang An‐Liang , Yang Fan , Cheng Ping , Liao Dian‐ying , Zhou Li , Ji Xing‐Li , Peng Dou‐Dou , Zhang Li , Cheng Ting‐Ting , Ma Li , Xia Xian‐Gen 
Published: February 2022

AbstractDespite advantages of arsenic trioxide (ATO) in oncological practice, its clinical applications have been hampered by severe cardiotoxicity. The general mechanism of ATO‐induced cardiotoxicity has been attributed to its damage to mitochondria, resulting in cardiac remodeling. Honokiol (HKL) is a naturally occurring compound derived from Magnolia bark. Previous studies have demonstrated that HKL exerts cardio‐protective effects on ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) or chemical‐induced cardiotoxicity by counteracting the toxic effects on mitochondria. The present study was conducted to investigate whether HKL pretreatment protects against ATO‐induced cardiac oxidative damage and cell death. For the in vitro study, we evaluated the effects of ATO and/or Honokiol on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and apoptosis induction in primary cultured cardiomyocytes; for the in vivo study, BALB/c mice were administrated with ATO and/or HKL for a period of 4 weeks, myocardial apoptosis, cardiac function, and cardiac remodeling (cardiac hypertrophy and cardiac fibrosis) were assessed at the end of administration. Our results demonstrated Honokiol pretreatment alleviated the ATO‐induced boost in ROS concentration and the following apoptosis induction in primary cultured cardiomyocytes. In the mouse model, Honokiol pretreatment ameliorated ATO‐induced myocardial apoptosis, cardiac dysfunction, and cardiac remodeling. Collectively, these results indicated that Honokiol provide a protection against ATO‐induced cardiotoxicity by reducing mitochondrial damage. In addition, given that Honokiol has shown considerable suppressive effects on leukemia cells, our data also imply that ATO and Honokiol combination may possibly be a superior avenue in leukemia therapy.
Fraternal twins—Should investors be careful?*
Authors: Rohleder Martin , Tentesch Hendrik , Weh Rene , Wilkens Marco 
Published: February 2022

AbstractAfter analyzing portfolio differences between separate account‐mutual fund twins, we find that dissimilar “fraternal twins” show significantly lower joint performance than “identical twins.” This finding is consistent with fraternal twins competing for the limited attention of a manager while identical twins mutually profit. Furthermore, the effect is stronger for separate accounts, which is probably due to investors having the opportunity to influence managers’ investment decisions according to their preferences. These results are independent of differences in known investment constraints. However, the findings may be driven by separate account investors’ preferences for higher liquidity and lower idiosyncratic risk.
Continuous dependence of Lyapunov matrices with respect to perturbations for linear delay systems
Authors: Aliseyko Alexey 
Published: February 2022

AbstractIn this article, we consider general linear systems whose right‐hand sides are represented by the Riemann–Stieltjes integral with kernels given by a matrix function of bounded variation. We establish some minimal requirements on the convergence of the kernels that ensure the convergence of Lyapunov matrices of the perturbed systems. Using functional analytic approach, we analyze the continuity of the dependence of Lyapunov matrices on the right‐hand sides. Results obtained in this paper improve the previously known results for multiple delay systems and distributed delay systems. One significant advantage of our approach is that no assumption on the exponential stability is being made.